South Africa: President Ramaphosa to lead countrywide celebrations President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the countrywide celebrations of Heritage Day on Friday. The President will join a virtual ceremony hosted by the Western Cape province under the theme: The year of Charlotte Maxeke: Celebrating South Africas Intangible Cultural Heritage. Government has declared 2021 as the Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the pioneering human rights activist whose legacy has paved the way for generations of anti-apartheid and present day social activists working for the improvement of socio-economic conditions for all South Africans. According to the Presidency, endowed with abundant diversity of indigenous knowledge, languages and beliefs, South Africas intangible cultural heritage cements the identity and belonging of all its people. These attributes are expressed in language, arts, customs, religion, clothing and food and the preservation of our natural habitat. The national motto, All diverse people unite reflects the national values tolerance and respect for human, social and cultural rights. Heritage Day 2021 will celebrate the human treasures and living legends who are the repository of traditions and culture, knowledge and accumulation of intellectual capital, said the Presidency. President Ramaphosa will address the virtual Heritage Day celebration that will be broadcast on major news channels and government digital platforms from 12:00. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Disciplined services report approved The Government today welcomed the Legislative Council Finance Committees approval of the recommendations on salary and increment contained in the Report on the Grade Structure Review for the Disciplined Services. The Government said it hopes that with the implementation of the recommendations, the grade structures and remuneration of the disciplined services will continue to be effective in attracting and retaining talent. Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said that since the completion of the previous grade structure review for the disciplined services in 2008, there have been significant changes in the social and economic environment of Hong Kong. The spate of social unrest and violent events in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic together with the responsibilities for safeguarding national security have also increased significantly the workload and pressure of the disciplined services. The recommendations put forward in this grade structure review for the disciplined services, as well as the support from LegCo for these recommendations are a manifestation of the full recognition by the Government and various sectors of the community of the dedication and determination of disciplined services colleagues. The Government expressed gratitude to the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries & Conditions of Service and the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries & Conditions of Service for making the recommendations in the report, Mr Nip added. Following the Finance Committee's approval, the recommendations on salary and increment as well as the normal conversion arrangement for serving staff in the affected ranks should be implemented from September 1. This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: SA encouraged to reflect, commit to rebuild on Heritage Day President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to unite and rebuild the country following the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and the economy. He was speaking during the Heritage Day celebrations hosted by the Western Cape provincial government. As South Africans, let us unite to rebuild this beautiful country. Let us get on with the task of recovery from this pandemic. To do so, let us find one another again and unite, as we have so many times in the past. Our unity in our diversity is the most valuable feature of our common heritage, the President said. President Ramaphosa acknowledged that structural challenges still stand in the way of bridging divisions between South Africans. One of our greatest tasks as a nation is to heal the divisions of the past. We will never be a truly united nation until we overcome the poverty, inequality, underdevelopment and unemployment that is still so prevalent in our communities. We can only do so if we work together, he said. The President said as the nation rebuilds, citizens should reflect on what it means to be a South African especially in the aftermath of the July unrests which left many people dead and businesses in ruin in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. It has been a challenging year and we have had much to contend with. We have been trying to get on with our lives in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Just as we were doing so, we were confronted with the outbreak of terrible violence in some parts of our country. Property, infrastructure and businesses were destroyed, jobs were lost and many people were injured and many died. In the aftermath of the violence, we have had to ask ourselves: Who are we as a people? What is it that defines our national character? What is it that defines our identity? What is it that we stand for? he questioned. The President encouraged citizens to embrace their Constitutional rights by practising them responsibly and respecting others. We share a common cultural value of respect for others, for the elderly, for women, for children, for peoples property and belongings. But we also have a deep respect for ourselves. We never use culture or tradition as a tool to oppress, to discriminate or to victimise others on any other basis, including their gender, their religion, their sexuality or their sexual orientation, President Ramaphosa said. Arts, culture and heritage sector a key pillar The President acknowledged those contributing towards the preservation of South African heritage. He said the arts, culture and heritage sector had enduring a difficult time during the countrys COVID-19 induced lockdown. The restrictions weve introduced to contain the spread of the Coronavirus have severely damaged this sector. Although the adjusted regulations have allowed businesses in the heritage sector to re-open under certain conditions, it has been a struggle for many to keep their doors open, to recoup the losses they have incurred and to reach audiences again, President Ramaphosa said. According to the President, government has supported at least 34 000 practitioners through the COVID Relief Fund to mitigate the devastating effect the pandemic has had on their livelihoods. We have [also] supported the employment of young South Africans in biodiversity conservation, ecosystems restoration and land use management. These are just some of the measures we have taken and will continue to take, to ensure that our countrys heritage is preserved for generations to come, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: COVID-19, cancer vaccines initiative to revolutionise South Africas healthcare President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed a new COVID-19 and cancer vaccine initiative launched by world-renowned healthcare extraordinaire Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong as a game changer for South Africa's healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. The initiative was launched by Dr Soon-Shiongs digital healthcare company NantWorks and is aimed at building pharmaceutical and vaccine capacity not only in South Africa but for the entire African continent. This will kickstart the transfer technology used in the manufacturing of COVID-19 and cancer vaccines and next-generation cell-based immunotherapies. The investment by NantWorks is most timely. For our fight against COVID-19, for infectious disease management, for cancer research and treatment, and for future pandemic preparedness, President Ramaphosa said. The initiative is a collaboration between NantWorks African division NantAfrica, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). Dr Soon-Shiong who was born in South Africa but left the country during Apartheid said the initiative is the realisation of a lifelong ambition. It has been a dream of mine, since I left the country as a young physician, to bring state-of-the-art, 21st century medical care to South Africa and to enable the country to serve as a scientific hub for the continent. There is such an unmet need to treat life-threatening infectious diseases such as AIDS, TB and now COVID-19. Of equal concern is the poor survival rate of patients suffering from cancer in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa. The astounding advances in science have enabled new paradigms of care involving activating the immune system and changing outcomes for these diseases, Dr Soon-Shiong said. The multi-layered collaboration will give rise to: The implementation of state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing capacity to expedite transfer of COVID-19 and cancer vaccine biologics between CSIR and NantAfrica. The launch of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) with the help of the universities of Stellenbosch and KwaZulu Natal which will enhance rapid genomic surveillance of and response to viral mutations occurring in Africa. The launch of clinical centres of excellence for the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and TB, with the help of Wits University and the universities of Stellenbosch and KwaZulu Natal. President Ramaphosa highlighted that the initiative will boost the countrys healthcare sector as the country battles the highest COVID-19 caseload in Africa, the largest number of people living with HIV and AIDS, and a massive Tuberculosis problem. We do have current treatment programmes for all of these, but COVID-19 has brought new challenges, not least of all resource constraints. The setting up clinical centres of excellence will contribute to quality improvement in managing these other diseases. I have no doubt that this collaboration will place South Africa, and Africa as a whole at the cutting edge of healthcare, science, technology and innovation, President Ramaphosa said. The collaboration is the third investment into the countrys pharmaceutical sector following the R10 billion investment into Aspen Pharmacare for the production of Africas COVID-19 vaccines and the World Health Organisations establishment of the mRNA manufacturing hub in the country. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: CE meets leaders of Chongqing Chief Executive Carrie Lam met Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Chen Min'er and Mayor of Chongqing Tang Liangzhi and attended a dinner hosted by them today. The meeting followed her participation in the 2021 Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation Chief Executive Joint Conference in Chengdu. Mrs Lam said that when she met a delegation led by Mr Tang in Hong Kong in September 2018, both sides agreed to strengthen co-operation in areas including port logistics, innovation and technology and professional services, and that she had also expressed the hope of visiting Chongqing soon. She stressed that she was pleased to have arrived in Chongqing and hoped the meeting would bolster collaboration between Hong Kong and Chongqing. Mrs Lam indicated that Hong Kong has remained the largest source of external investment in Chongqing over the past few years and was one of its top three trading partners in the first half of 2021. Apart from economic and trade activities, exchanges between the two places in such areas as culture and art and youth development are also frequent, she added. The Chief Executive explained that despite the COVID-19 epidemic, Chongqing achieved positive economic growth last year that is higher than the national average and added that with the nation promoting the establishment of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, Chongqings growth potential is highly anticipated. Pointing out the double safeguards provided by the National Security Law and the improved electoral system in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong is better positioned to enhance collaboration with the Mainland and integrate with the development of the nation. She emphasised that the Hong Kong SAR Government will help enterprises and businesspeople from Hong Kong to seize the opportunities arising from the development of Chongqing in the western regions of the country to boost their own development. Noting that 2022 will be the 25th anniversary of both the return of Hong Kong to the motherland and Chongqing becoming a municipality directly under the central government, Mrs Lam said she hopes that the year will become an important milestone signifying a new level of relations between both places. This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Huawei's Meng seals deal with US prosecutors Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has reached an agreement with US prosecutors to resolve the bank fraud case against her, according to sources familiar with the matter, in a process that should allow her to leave Canada and relieve a point of tension between the world's two super powers. The US government said it will appear in Brooklyn federal court to discuss a resolution of charges against Meng, according to a Friday court filing. Meng was arrested at Vancouver International Airport in December 2018 on a US warrant, and was indicted on bank and wire fraud charges for allegedly misleading HSBC about the telecommunications equipment giant's business dealings in Iran. The deferred prosecution agreement, pertains only to Meng and US charges remain against the company, according to two other people familiar with the matter. Beyond solving a dispute between the United States and China, the agreement could also pave the way for the release of two Canadians, businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who are held in China after being arrested shortly after Meng was taken in custody in 2018. In August, a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage. A spokeswoman for Huawei declined to comment. A spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment. An attorney for Meng could not be immediately reached for comment. Meng, who has also used the English first names "Cathy" and "Sabrina," has said she is innocent and has been fighting extradition to the United States from Canada. She is confined to Vancouver and monitored 24/7 by private security that she pays for as part of her bail agreement. Huawei was placed on a U.S. trade blacklist in 2019 that restricts sales to the company for activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests. The restrictions have hobbled the company, which suffered its biggest ever revenue drop in the first half of 2021, after the US supply restrictions drove it to sell a chunk of its once-dominant handset business and before new growth areas have matured. The criminal case against Meng - the daughter of Huawei founder, Ren Zhengfei and Huawei is cited in the blacklisting. Huawei is charged with operating as a criminal enterprise, stealing trade secrets and defrauding financial institutions. It has pleaded not guilty. Judicial hearings in her extradition case in Vancouver wrapped up in August, with the date for a ruling to be set on October 21. A Canadian government official said Ottawa would be making no comments until the U.S. court proceedings were over. Kovrigs wife declined to comment. ______________________________ Last updated: 2021-09-25 HKT 01:10 This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Cybersecurity Advisory: Conti Ransomware Summary Immediate Actions You Can Take Now to Protect Against Conti Ransomware Use multi-factor authentication. Segment and segregate networks and functions. Update your operating system and software. Note: This Alert uses the MITRE Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge (ATT&CK) framework, version 9. See the ATT&CK for Enterprise for all referenced threat actor tactics and techniques. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have observed the increased use of Conti ransomware in more than 400 attacks on U.S. and international organizations. (See FBI Flash: Conti Ransomware Attacks Impact Healthcare and First Responder Networks.) In typical Conti ransomware attacks, malicious cyber actors steal files, encrypt servers and workstations, and demand a ransom payment. To secure systems against Conti ransomware, CISA, FBI, and the National Security Agency (NSA) recommend implementing the mitigation measures described in this Advisory, which include requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA), implementing network segmentation, and keeping operating systems and software up to date. Click here for a PDF version of this report. Click here for indicators of compromise (IOCs) in STIX format. Technical Details While Conti is considered a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model ransomware variant, there is variation in its structure that differentiates it from a typical affiliate model. It is likely that Conti developers pay the deployers of the ransomware a wage rather than a percentage of the proceeds used by affiliate cyber actors and receives a share of the proceeds from a successful attack. Conti actors often gain initial access [TA0001] to networks through: Spearphishing campaigns using tailored emails that contain malicious attachments [T1566.001] or malicious links [T1566.002]; Malicious Word attachments often contain embedded scripts that can be used to download or drop other malwaresuch as TrickBot and IcedID, and/or Cobalt Striketo assist with lateral movement and later stages of the attack life cycle with the eventual goal of deploying Conti ransomware. [1],[2],[3] Stolen or weak Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) credentials [T1078].[4] Phone calls; Fake software promoted via search engine optimization; Other malware distribution networks (e.g., ZLoader); and Common vulnerabilities in external assets. In the execution phase [TA0002], actors run a getuid payload before using a more aggressive payload to reduce the risk of triggering antivirus engines. CISA and FBI have observed Conti actors using Router Scan, a penetration testing tool, to maliciously scan for and brute force [T1110] routers, cameras, and network-attached storage devices with web interfaces. Additionally, actors use Kerberos attacks [T1558.003] to attempt to get the Admin hash to conduct brute force attacks. Conti actors are known to exploit legitimate remote monitoring and management software and remote desktop software as backdoors to maintain persistence [TA0003] on victim networks.[5] The actors use tools already available on the victim networkand, as needed, add additional tools, such as Windows Sysinternals and Mimikatzto obtain users hashes and clear-text credentials, which enable the actors to escalate privileges [TA0004] within a domain and perform other post-exploitation and lateral movement tasks [TA0008]. In some cases, the actors also use TrickBot malware to carry out post-exploitation tasks. According to a recently leaked threat actor playbook, [6] Conti actors also exploit vulnerabilities in unpatched assets, such as the following, to escalate privileges [TA0004] and move laterally [TA0008] across a victims network: 2017 Microsoft Windows Server Message Block 1.0 server vulnerabilities; [7] "PrintNightmare" vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) in Windows Print spooler [8] service; and "Zerologon" vulnerability (CVE-2020-1472) in Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller systems.[9] Artifacts leaked with the playbook identify four Cobalt Strike server Internet Protocol (IP) addresses Conti actors previously used to communicate with their command and control (C2) server. 162.244.80[.]235 85.93.88[.]165 185.141.63[.]120 82.118.21[.]1 CISA and FBI have observed Conti actors using different Cobalt Strike server IP addresses unique to different victims. Conti actors often use the open-source Rclone command line program for data exfiltration [TA0010]. After the actors steal and encrypt the victim's sensitive data [T1486], they employ a double extortion technique in which they demand the victim pay a ransom for the release of the encrypted data and threaten the victim with public release of the data if the ransom is not paid. MITRE ATT&CK Techniques Conti ransomware uses the ATT&CK techniques listed in table 1. Table 1: Conti ATT&CK techniques for enterprise Initial Access Technique Title ID Use Valid Accounts T1078 Conti actors have been observed gaining unauthorized access to victim networks through stolen Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) credentials. Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment T1566.001 Conti ransomware can be delivered using TrickBot malware, which is known to use an email with an Excel sheet containing a malicious macro to deploy the malware. Phishing: Spearphishing Link T1566.002 Conti ransomware can be delivered using TrickBot, which has been delivered via malicious links in phishing emails. Technique Title ID Use Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell T1059.003 Conti ransomware can utilize command line options to allow an attacker control over how it scans and encrypts files. Native Application Programming Interface (API) T1106 Conti ransomware has used API calls during execution. Persistence Technique Title ID Use Valid Accounts T1078 Conti actors have been observed gaining unauthorized access to victim networks through stolen RDP credentials. External Remote Services T1133 Adversaries may leverage external-facing remote services to initially access and/or persist within a network. Remote services such as virtual private networks (VPNs), Citrix, and other access mechanisms allow users to connect to internal enterprise network resources from external locations. There are often remote service gateways that manage connections and credential authentication for these services. Services such as Windows Remote Management can also be used externally. Privilege Escalation Technique Title ID Use Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection T1055.001 Conti ransomware has loaded an encrypted dynamic-link library (DLL) into memory and then executes it. Defense Evasion Technique Title ID Use Obfuscated Files or Information T1027 Conti ransomware has encrypted DLLs and used obfuscation to hide Windows API calls. Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection T1055.001 Conti ransomware has loaded an encrypted DLL into memory and then executes it. Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information T1140 Conti ransomware has decrypted its payload using a hardcoded AES-256 key. Credential Access Technique Title ID Use Brute Force T1110 Conti actors use legitimate tools to maliciously scan for and brute force routers, cameras, and network-attached storage devices with web interfaces. Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Kerberoasting T1558.003 Conti actors use Kerberos attacks to attempt to get the Admin hash. System Network Configuration Discovery T1016 Conti ransomware can retrieve the ARP cache from the local system by using the GetIpNetTable() API call and check to ensure IP addresses it connects to are for local, non-internet systems. System Network Connections Discovery T1049 Conti ransomware can enumerate routine network connections from a compromised host. Process Discovery T1057 Conti ransomware can enumerate through all open processes to search for any that have the string sql in their process name. File and Directory Discovery T1083 Conti ransomware can discover files on a local system. Network Share Discovery T1135 Conti ransomware can enumerate remote open server message block (SMB) network shares using NetShareEnum() . Lateral Movement Technique Title ID Use Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin Shares T1021.002 Conti ransomware can spread via SMB and encrypts files on different hosts, potentially compromising an entire network. Taint Shared Content T1080 Conti ransomware can spread itself by infecting other remote machines via network shared drives. Technique Title ID Use Data Encrypted for Impact T1486 Conti ransomware can use CreateIoCompletionPort() , PostQueuedCompletionStatus() , and GetQueuedCompletionPort() to rapidly encrypt files, excluding those with the extensions of .exe , .dll , and .lnk . It has used a different AES-256 encryption key per file with a bundled RAS-4096 public encryption key that is unique for each victim. Conti ransomware can use "Windows Restart Manager" to ensure files are unlocked and open for encryption. Service Stop T1489 Conti ransomware can stop up to 146 Windows services related to security, backup, database, and email solutions through the use of net stop. Inhibit System Recovery T1490 Conti ransomware can delete Windows Volume Shadow Copies using vssadmin . Mitigations CISA, FBI, and NSA recommend that network defenders apply the following mitigations to reduce the risk of compromise by Conti ransomware attacks. Use multi-factor authentication. Implement network segmentation and filter traffic. Implement and ensure robust network segmentation between networks and functions to reduce the spread of the ransomware. Define a demilitarized zone that eliminates unregulated communication between networks. Filter network traffic to prohibit ingress and egress communications with known malicious IP addresses. Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching end users. Implement a user training program to discourage users from visiting malicious websites or opening malicious attachments. Filter emails containing executable files to prevent them from reaching end users. Implement a URL blocklist and/or allowlist to prevent users from accessing malicious websites. Scan for vulnerabilities and keep software updated. Set antivirus/antimalware programs to conduct regular scans of network assets using up-to-date signatures. Upgrade software and operating systems, applications, and firmware on network assets in a timely manner. Consider using a centralized patch management system. Remove unnecessary applications and apply controls. Remove any application not deemed necessary for day-to-day operations. Conti threat actors leverage legitimate applicationssuch as remote monitoring and management software and remote desktop software applicationsto aid in the malicious exploitation of an organizations enterprise. Investigate any unauthorized software, particularly remote desktop or remote monitoring and management software. Implement application allowlisting, which only allows systems to execute programs known and permitted by the organization's security policy. Implement software restriction policies (SRPs) or other controls to prevent programs from executing from common ransomware locations, such as temporary folders supporting popular internet browsers or compression/decompression programs. Implement execution prevention by disabling macro scripts from Microsoft Office files transmitted via email. Consider using Office Viewer software to open Microsoft Office files transmitted via email instead of full Microsoft Office suite applications. See the joint Alert, Publicly Available Tools Seen in Cyber Incidents Worldwidedeveloped by CISA and the cybersecurity authorities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdomfor guidance on detection and protection against malicious use of publicly available tools. Implement endpoint and detection response tools. Endpoint and detection response tools allow a high degree of visibility into the security status of endpoints and can help effectively protect against malicious cyber actors. Limit access to resources over the network, especially by restricting RDP. After assessing risks, if RDP is deemed operationally necessary, restrict the originating sources and require multi-factor authentication. Secure user accounts. Regularly audit administrative user accounts and configure access controls under the principles of least privilege and separation of duties. Regularly audit logs to ensure new accounts are legitimate users. Review CISAs APTs Targeting IT Service Provider Customers guidance for additional mitigations specific to IT Service Providers and their customers. Use the Ransomware Response Checklist in case of infection. If a ransomware incident occurs at your organization, CISA, FBI, and NSA recommend the following actions: CISA, FBI, and NSA strongly discourage paying a ransom to criminal actors. Paying a ransom may embolden adversaries to target additional organizations, encourage other criminal actors to engage in the distribution of ransomware, and/or may fund illicit activities. Paying the ransom also does not guarantee that a victims files will be recovered. Additional Resources Free Cyber Hygiene Services CISA offers a range of no-cost cyber hygiene services to help organizations assess, identify, and reduce their exposure to threats, including ransomware. By requesting these services, organizations of any size could find ways to reduce their risk and mitigate attack vectors. StopRansomware.gov The StopRansomware.gov webpage is an interagency resource that provides guidance on ransomware protection, detection, and response. This includes ransomware alerts, reports, and resources from CISA and other federal partners, including: Rewards for Justice Reporting The U.S. Department of States Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program offers a reward of up to $10 million for reports of foreign government malicious activity against U.S. critical infrastructure. See the RFJ website for more information and how to report information securely. Contact Information To report suspicious or criminal activity related to information found in this Joint Cybersecurity Advisory, contact your local FBI field office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices, or the FBIs 24/7 Cyber Watch (CyWatch) at (855) 292-3937 or by e-mail at CyWatch@fbi.gov. When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact. If you have any further questions related to this Joint Cybersecurity Advisory, or to request incident response resources or technical assistance related to these threats, contact CISA at CISAServiceDesk@cisa.dhs.gov. For NSA client requirements or general cybersecurity inquiries, contact the NSA Cybersecurity Requirements Center at 410-854-4200 or Cybersecurity_Requests@nsa.gov. References Revisions September 22, 2021: Initial Version September 23, 2021: Updated PDF with FBI Flash link in Summary This product is provided subject to this Notification and this Privacy & Use policy. This story has been published on: 2021-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chaldean Patriarch Sako: Abortion is Cain-style Murder The practice of induced abortion repeats what happened in the story of Cain, who committed the first "premeditated murder" told in the Bible. And for the Church "all human life, including that of unborn children, has its dignity and has the right to be protected. This is what the Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako writes in a text published on the site of the Chaldean Patriarchate, in which he also quotes the paragraph from the encyclical Evangelium Vitae in which Pope John Paul II recalls that in the voluntary interruption of pregnancy "The one eliminated is a human being at the very beginning of life. No one more absolutely innocent could be imagined. In no way could this human being ever be considered an aggressor, much less an unjust aggressor! He or she is weak, defenceless, even to the point of lacking that minimal form of defence consisting in the poignant power of a newborn baby's cries and tears. The unborn child is totally entrusted to the protection and care of the woman carrying him or her in the womb" (Evangelium Vitae, 58). The patriarchal considerations on abortion practices are included in a text of reflections on Sacred Scripture and the doctrine of the Church: a kind of "catechism of the patriarch", full of references to the current problems and events of the moment, which Cardinal Sako publishes in sections in the media of the Chaldean Patriarchate. In the text in question, the biblical story of Cain and Abel, "the two first sons of Adam and Eve", raises radical questions about the mystery of evil that accompanies the history of mankind. "How is it possible that man, created in the image and likeness of God, can become like a ravenous beast?" asks the patriarch. The Bible - continues the Iraqi Cardinal - acknowledges in the book of Genesis that hatred and violence are part of human history. And even our time is marked by murders and acts of death which "are carried out under the guise of God and of religion". The story of Cain and Abel highlights the fact that the horror of murderous violence can also bloody and break the bond of brotherhood, of shared filiation. Evil - the biblical text teaches - did not enter the world by the will of God, who wanted death in his work of his Creation. The gates of violence and death were opened by the ingratitude and pride foretold in the biblical story of original sin, the corrupt fruits of which find their first manifestation in the death of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain . "Just as Adam and Eve strayed from God's presence" continues Patriarch Sako, "the murderer Cain did the same, and any premeditated murderer will do the same. Because human life is a sacred gift of God, and that no one has the right to take it away ". Evil, having entered the world, affects relations between brothers. It destroys the harmony between human beings. And in the face of all of this, there is no need for willpower or generic appeals to compassion, since human beings are incapable of "humanizing" themselves. Only the gratuitous and unprecedented occurrence of the salvation brought to the world by Christ can, by grace, germinate the seeds of forgiveness at the heart of human relationships. A miracle without which any call for dialogue and fraternity risks turning into stifling moralism, or a "party game". NEWS PROVIDED BY The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Sept. 24, 2021 NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Nancy Pelosi's latest defense of abortion: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who identifies as a Catholic, was asked at her weekly press briefing to reply to comments made by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone that were critical of the Women's Health Protection Act, a radical pro-abortion bill. "You're a Catholic," the reporter said. "What's your reaction?" Here is what she said (she ended with a reference to Cordileone expressing her disagreement). "Yeah, I'm Catholic. I come from a pro-life family. Not active in that regard. Different in their view of a woman's right to choose than I am. In my right to choose, I had five children in six years and one week. And I keep saying to people who say things like that, when you have five children in six years and one day, we can talk about what business it is of us to tell anyone else [what] to do. For us, it was a complete and total blessing, which we enjoy every day of our lives. But it is none of our business how other people choose the size and timing of their families." The key word is "view." It is Pelosi's "view" that her pro-life family, and the teachings of the Catholic Church, are wrong on abortion. A view is defined by Merriam-Webster as "an opinion or judgment colored by the feeling or bias of its holder." Have you ever heard someone say that it his "view" that there are 12 months in the year? That would make it rebuttable. No, what people say is that there are 12 months in a year. They speak declaratively. It is not an opinion. The pope recently said that abortion is "murder," and Archbishop Cordileone called it "child murder." Neither argued that it was his "view." Indeed, the pope said that "any book on embryology" makes clear that life begins at conception. If disagreements on abortion amount to nothing more than different "views," as Pelosi contends, then why wouldn't disagreements on slavery amount to the same? Consider what a pro-slavery "Catholic" might say if asked how to reply to his archbishop on the merits of slavery. "Yeah, I'm Catholic. I come from an abolitionist family. Not active in that regard. Different in their view of a slavemaster's right to choose than I am. In my right to choose, I bought five children in six years and one week. And I keep saying to people who say things like that, when you have bought five children in six years and one day, we can talk about what business it is of any of us to tell anyone else [what] to do. For us, it was a complete and total blessing, which we enjoy every day of our lives. But it is none of our business whether other people choose to own slaves." Those who oppose slavery and abortion rest their case on moral absolutes, not opinion. Pelosi's moral relativism places her outside the Catholic community. Contact Pelosi's chief of staff: terri.mccullough@mail.house.gov By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman On Aug. 14 at Saratoga, a seemingly ordinary seven-furlong allowance race produced an outcome that may have an outsized impact on a pair of graded stakes this weekend. Six weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, talented three-year-olds will take center stage in a handful of rich events. For colts and geldings specifically, there's Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing and Sunday's $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3). Both races have drawn strong fields filled with proven stakes competitors, but might a couple of unheralded runners from the above-mentioned Saratoga allowance steal the shows? Let's dig in and find out! Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing Even though #9 Medina Spirit (2-1) is expected to scratch, the Pennsylvania Derby is still shaping up to be the best race of the week. Six of the nine remaining entrants in the 1 1/8-mile test are proven graded stakes winners, while two others have scored at the stakes level. #7 Hot Rod Charlie (5-2) will likely start as the favorite. The consistent son of Oxbow won the Louisiana Derby (G2) during the spring before placing in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont S. (G1). In the latter race, Hot Rod Charlie carved out a testing pace before settling second behind division leader Essential Quality, with Preakness S. (G1) hero Rombauer 11 1/4 lengths back in third place. The Pennsylvania Derby will provide Hot Rod Charlie with an opportunity to claim his first Grade 1 win. It's an achievement he nearly nabbed in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell S. (G1) two months ago; Hot Rod Charlie actually battled across the Haskell finish line in front by a nose, but was ultimately disqualified for drifting in and causing #8 Midnight Bourbon (5-1) to unseat his rider. Speaking of Midnight Bourbon, the Preakness S. (G1) runner-up bounced back nicely from the Haskell to finish second in the 1 1/4-mile Travers S. (G1) at Saratoga, beaten only a neck by Essential Quality. But Midnight Bourbon did enjoy a perfect trip setting uncontested fractions of :24.18, :48.96, and 1:14.49, and I'm not sure he'll receive as favorable a setup in the Pennsylvania Derby. Hot Rod Charlie also has speed and put it to good use in the Louisiana Derby, where he out-dueled Midnight Bourbon to win by two lengths. Among the two favorites, I prefer Hot Rod Charlie. But ultimately, I have to take a shot with #3 Speaker's Corner (12-1) as my top choice, even though he's the only non-stakes winner in the field. A beautifully bred son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out of a mare by Preakness hero Bernardini, Speaker's Corner showed promise in two starts against maiden special weight company last year. After finishing third in his debut at Saratoga, the Godolphin homebred rallied gamely to win a seven-furlong event at Belmont Park. His beaten rivals included Smarty Jones S. and Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Caddo River, Fountain of Youth S. (G2) winner Greatest Honour, Wood Memorial (G2) winner Bourbonic, Travers S. (G1) third-place finisher Miles D, and Manila S. winner Original. Speaker's Corner subsequently spent 10 months on the sidelines before returning to action in a seven-furlong allowance at Saratogayes, the allowance we mentioned in the intro. Showing improved tactical speed while tracking quick early fractions, Speaker's Corner was full of run down the homestretch, seizing command and powering clear to dominate by 5 1/4 lengths. Stepping up sharply in class and distance for the Pennsylvania Derby will be a challenge for Speaker's Corner, but he might just be up to the task. The Bill Mott trainee has already beaten good horses and may receive a favorable pace setup if Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon hook up early on. If Speaker's Corner actually starts at 12-1 (I have my doubts), I believe he'll offer solid betting value in this competitive race. Oklahoma Derby (G3) Speaker's Corner wasn't the only horse returning from a long layoff in the Saratoga allowance. Oklahoma Derby entrant #6 Defeater (12-1) was exiting from a six-month break, and while the son of Union Rags failed to challenge Speaker's Corner, he did run a gallant race in defeat. After breaking slowly, Defeater unleashed a sharp mid-race move while racing wide to reach contention. He understandably flattened out a bit down the lane, but still held second over the capable sprinter Mahaamel. This effort marked Defeater's first start since February, when he closed ground furiously to finish second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds, beaten just half a length after gaining 5 1/2 lengths through the final furlong. Slow starts have been a trouble spot for Defeater, who has never got off to a particularly alert break. But I'm excited to see what his stretch-running talents can accomplish in the Oklahoma Derby. The chestnut colt has been training sharply and figures to improve in his second start off the layoff, opening the door for a competitive effort. Arkansas Derby (G1) winner #1 Super Stock (7-2), Texas Derby winner #3 Warrant (5-2), and West Virginia Derby (G3) hero #7 Mr. Wireless (3-1) are all accomplished rivals with obvious win credentials, but there's a fair amount of speed in the Oklahoma Derby field, and Defeater may receive just the setup he needs to spring a surprise. Now it's your turn! Who do you like in the graded stakes this week? ***** Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests pagethere's a new challenge every week! (Please note: older contest entries can be found here.) J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. Vietnam, US step up cooperation in tackling war consequences Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien met with Patrick Leahy, president pro tempore of the US Senate on September 22 (local time) in Washington DC, with their discussion focusing on war-aftermath mitigation projects in Vietnam. Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (R) and Patrick Leahy, president pro tempore of the US Senate (Photo: qdnd.vn) The US senator expressed his delight at outcomes of the nations collaboration in tackling war consequences, particularly a dioxin detoxification project at the Bien Hoa airport and a project on improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in eight provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. He also acknowledged the progress made in cooperation in searching for remains of missing-in-action US servicemen and Vietnamese martyrs as well as in the implementation of joint communications campaigns. Chien informed Leahy that his ministry has supported the COVID-19 vaccination of people involved in the Bien Hoa airport project to ensure its progress and asked the US official to support the provision of more funding to complete the project sooner. Chien proposed the US study to expand the beneficiaries in the life quality improvement project as most provinces in Vietnam have AO/dioxin victims. Leahy highlighted the importance of war-aftermath mitigation cooperation to the nations comprehensive partnership and vowed to do his best to facilitate these above-said activities. Earlier, Chien held a meeting with Samantha Power, Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), during which he proposed the agency study and support the identification of Vietnamese soldiers who died in the war, as well as improve testing capacity for Vietnam in this field. Power said she backs Vietnams proposals and stressed the need to accelerate the progress of the Bien Hoa airport project. While in the US, the Vietnamese official also met with Ely Ratner, US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, and Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support . News Headlines Fulbright US-ASEAN Visiting Scholar Program Academic Year 2022-2023 launched Japan to give 400,000 Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam Four hundred thousand doses of the Covid-19 vaccine donated to Vietnam from Japan will arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport on September 25. Japan to give 400,000 Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam Japan has already provided about 3.18 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines since June to Vietnam. The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam said they would continue to work with other nations and international organisations to provide more donations in order to control the pandemic as quickly as possible. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi said on September 14 that Japan would give 1.3 million doses of vaccines to Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei and Taiwan. 500,000 doses would go to Taiwan, 300,000 doses to Thailand, 100,000 doses to Brunei and 400,000 to Vietnam. The vaccines have been transferred to the countries as soon as they are available. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked Japan for the help and hoped that Japan would continue to give more support and cooperate in vaccine production and technology transfer with Vietnam. Rescued snow leopard released back into the wild Xinhua) 16:28, September 23, 2021 HOHHOT, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A snow leopard was released into the wild on Wednesday in a nature reserve in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, after being rescued earlier in September, local authorities said. The animal was released into the Helan Mountain national nature reserve after wildlife experts claimed that it was eligible for release into the wild, according to the regional forestry and grassland bureau. The feeble leopard was found in Siziwang Banner in the region on Sept. 5 and was taken to a wildlife rescue station for treatment. Wildlife experts provided it with water and fresh meat and conducted health checks and disease screening for the animal. The snow leopard gradually recovered and was fitted with a satellite collar before release through which its living conditions in the wild can be monitored. Snow leopards are under China's highest national-level protection and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In China, they can be seen in alpine areas in southwestern, northwestern, and northern regions including Tibet, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Stoking up ideological confrontation between China, U.S. a fundamental misjudgment: Chinese ambassador Xinhua) 17:02, September 23, 2021 WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- It is a fundamental misjudgment for some Americans to describe China-U.S. ties as "democracy versus authoritarianism," and stoke up ideological confrontation between the world's top two economies, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said Wednesday. Qin made the remarks in his speech at a virtual conversation jointly held by The Carter Center and the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "Thanks to generations of Chinese and American leaders and people, China-U.S. relations have made remarkable progress. However, today, some Americans' misunderstanding and misjudgment about China is building up," he said. "A fundamental one is to define America's relations with China as democracy versus authoritarianism, and to stoke up ideological confrontation, which has led to serious difficulties in China-U.S. relations," he said. Although the two countries are different in history, culture and political system, both peoples desire peace and prosperity, and leaders in Washington and Beijing share one common goal, just as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said, "to create peaceful and stable conditions for their people to pursue happiness," Qin said, adding this is "the biggest commonality" between the two countries. "We never say that our system is the best, because we know only the suited is the best. Whether it is good or not should not be judged by what we say, but what we do," he said. "Our two countries should not and cannot change each other. Instead, we should break ideological barriers, discard zero-sum mentality, respect other countries, and accommodate each other without losing our own distinctions, so as to get along with each other in peace," he said. Stressing that the two countries need to show broad vision and shoulder great responsibilities, the ambassador said both countries "should look ahead and press forward, and bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of stable development as soon as possible, for the good of the people in both countries and around the world." "Let's demonstrate strategic courage and political resolve to chart a new course in China-U.S. relations," he added. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Xi Jinping on agriculture, rural areas, farmers Xinhua) 08:05, September 24, 2021 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about mechanized and large-scale farming at a farmers' cooperative in Lishu County of Siping City, northeast China's Jilin Province, July 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China marked its fourth farmers' harvest festival on Thursday as it is poised to secure another bumper grain harvest this year. With less than 9 percent of the world's total arable land, China needs to feed nearly one-fifth of the world's population. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on many occasions stressed the significance of securing people's rice bowl and promoting rural vitalization. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with farmers while visiting Gaoxigou Village in Mizhi County, during his inspection tour of Yulin City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) The following are some highlights of his quotes. -- Consolidating the foundation for agriculture, rural areas and work relating to farmers is "the ballast" for the country to tackle the changing situations and open up new prospects. -- As China embarks on a new journey toward the second centenary goal, the focus of work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers has shifted to comprehensively promoting rural vitalization. -- The whole Party should carry forward the momentum of poverty elimination, and build on this achievement to speed up the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and promote rural vitalization in an all-round manner. -- Efforts must be made to prevent any large-scale relapse into poverty. -- Solving problems concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers must be the top priority of the Party's work. -- Efforts must be made to promote the efficiency and quality of the agricultural sector, make rural areas suitable to live and work in and ensure that farmers are affluent and well-off. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) WIPO expert says China is becoming a global innovation leader Xinhua) 08:10, September 24, 2021 A visitor experiences intelligent driving during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijng, capital of China, on Sept. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Wei) China has made continuous progress from ranking 14th last year to 12th this year and is now "knocking at the door of the GII top 10," according to WIPO's "Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021." GENEVA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A consistent innovation policy, increased spending on education and science and the ability to translate all these into sound results are behind China's current role as a global innovation leader, a senior official from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) told Xinhua on Thursday. As per the WIPO's "Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021" released on Monday, China is still the only middle-income economy among the world's top 30 most innovative countries. It has established itself as a global innovation leader and is approaching the top 10. According to the report, China has made continuous progress from ranking 14th last year to 12th this year and is now "knocking at the door of the GII top 10." This year, China also reached the top three in the Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania (SEAO) region for the first time. According to Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, co-editor of the GII, China's success story can be explained by its consistent and persistent innovation policy planning and execution for more than three decades, as well as by the fact that it has impressively increased spending on education, science and technology. But, more importantly, it is the country's ability to translate pro-innovation policy and innovation inputs into sound results, such as intellectual property, innovative products and high-tech exports. "The speed with which China has built well-known high-tech firms, mostly in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector or the white goods sector, including large home appliances, etc., which are known around the world, has been impressive," Wunsch-Vincent said. A manned autopilot aircraft is exhibited at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) "The way these companies have consistently invented, filed for and used intellectual property, including trademarks, brands and design, is an important differentiating factor too." He underlined that China has overtaken Japan, Germany and the United States in the number of international patent applications by origin, scaled by gross domestic product (GDP), and its lead is striking when considered in absolute terms. The same is true for the number of trademarks and industrial designs by origin as a percentage of GDP. The latest GII results indicate that in terms of innovation clusters geographically, although the top 10 list remains the same as last year with only minor shifts, Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou and Beijing now rank second and third, respectively, after the Tokyo-Yokohama cluster in Japan. Shanghai ranks eighth. Of the top 100 clusters, China has 19. But what matters more than the numbers game is the constant pursuit of a "sound, organic innovation ecosystem in China, which is sufficiently connected to the innovation actors of other countries," Wunsch-Vincent said. The GII, published annually, provides performance measures and ranks 132 economies on their innovation ecosystems. As in past years, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to lead the innovation ranking. Other countries in the GII top 10 include South Korea, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, Denmark and Germany. Speaking of China's steady climb in the GII ranks since 2013, Wunsch-Vincent believes that it is not at all unnatural, as China's policy-makers have tried to consistently learn from and improve on their past innovation policies, while benchmarking current policies and performances against the past and against those of other countries. A visitor tries a VR spinning based on 5G technology at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) "We can see an effort to improve further, be it in the field of reinforcing science-industry linkages, in further building Chinese innovation clusters, or in putting the huge stock of Chinese intellectual property filings to use via commercialization or cross-licensing," he said. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the GII shows that global innovation has not slowed down, especially in areas where the aim is to overcome the pandemic. "Top countries and top firms have been relatively resilient, and they have spurred innovation throughout the crisis. Our data show that this is true for China," he added. At the firms level, for example, the WIPO expert named companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and ZTE as ones that have performed strongly. So have other top research and development intensive companies in China, such as China Communications Construction, Power Construction Corporation of China and PetroChina. Also, venture capital deals and deal values at the global level increased in 2020 and in the first quarter of 2021, largely due to a strong rebound in China. "The full impact of the (COVID-19) crisis on innovation will be felt in the rankings over time only. Yet, the expectation is that Chinese firms will continue their innovation drive," he said. A robot belonging to Xiamen International Bank is seen at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China ready to mend ties with U.S. on basis of mutual respect: Chinese ambassador Xinhua) 08:13, September 24, 2021 File photo shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) "We will continue to work with the U.S. side, as long as there are opportunities for cooperation. However, the cooperation between the two countries must be conducted in the principle of mutual respect," said Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang. WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China is sincere in starting a dialogue with the United States to deescalate bilateral tensions on the basis of mutual respect, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang said here on Wednesday. "We will continue to work with the U.S. side, as long as there are opportunities for cooperation. However, the cooperation between the two countries must be conducted in the principle of mutual respect," said Qin in respond to questions after delivering a speech at a virtual conversation jointly held by the Carter Center and the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "And the United States should not expect China's cooperation in areas where only the U.S. has demand and interests, while neglecting or even undermining China's interests at the same time, in particular on these core issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "To be frank, what I worry about is that the United States uses competition to define China-U.S. relations, while competition on the U.S. side often takes the form of confrontation, especially on major issues concerning China's core interests," he said. Containers of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited are seen at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, the United States, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying) "If this does not change, it will undermine China's efforts to promote our mutual trust and cooperation. There is not any example in the history of international relations where the political relationship between two countries is in competition or even confrontation, but other spheres remain safe and sound," he said. "A very important thing between China and the United States is mutual respect. China is open and inclusive. We welcome and readily accept various suggestions or criticisms, as long as they are objective, truthful, well-intentioned and constructive, and we will make improvements according to them," said the ambassador, adding that "a very important job of mine is to communicate and listen." "However, we do not accept baseless slander and disinformation. We do not accept condescending lecturing. And we do not accept words or deeds that undermine China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Citizens must abide by the law. Likewise, countries must abide by the basic norms governing international relations. U.S. law prohibits secession and racial hatred, but why do some Americans want to treat China in this way?" said Qin. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) US firms in China optimistic about prospects, poll finds China Daily) 08:13, September 24, 2021 A majority of United States companies operating in China are optimistic about profits and are investing more to anchor onto China's anticipated future growth, according to a new survey. Of companies surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and consultancy PwC, 82.2 percent said they projected revenue growth in 2021, a return to the levels of confidence last seen before the height of US-China trade tensions. Of the 338 companies participating in the annual survey, which is in its 23rd year, nearly 80 percent described themselves as either "optimistic" or "slightly optimistic" about the five-year business outlook in China, a return to the figures found between 2015 and 2018. "The sheer size, consumer base and opportunities present in this market are gravitating companies into China," said Jeff Yuan, a lead partner for China-US Multinational Corporation Business Services Group at PwC China. China remained a stable source of profitability, with 77.1 percent of survey respondents reporting positive earnings last year. Nearly 70 percent expected revenue growth in China to outpace their companies' worldwide growth for the next three to five years. Speculations that some US companies might move production or supply chains out of China in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have proved unfounded: Of the 125 respondents that said they manufacture in China, 72 percent had no plans to move any production out of China in the next three years. "American businesses in China bounced back quickly from the 2020 COVID-19-induced shutdown," said Jeffrey Lehman, chairman of AmCham Shanghai. The fact that many Chinese companies have localized supply chains is tamping down the negative impacts of bilateral tariff disputes and the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. Global life sciences company Cytiva is investing $200 million in the Asia-Pacific region. This includes a tripling of the capacity for bioprocessing of single-use consumables in China, which is the company's Asia-Pacific headquarters and its second-largest single-country market after the US. "Our continuous investment will serve as a powerful engine to boost Cytiva to provide Chinese customers with more diverse technical support, help China realize 'smart manufacturing', and contribute to China's local R&D and capacity-building," Yu Lihua, general manager of Cytiva China, told China Daily earlier this month. Yuan, of PwC, said, "Having a China strategy is still a priority for many of the US companies in China that are optimistic about the future in China." Lehman, the AmCham Shanghai chairman, said US companies, notably those in the agriculture, finance and chemical sectors, are finding that the intellectual property and regulatory environment is "significantly improving". Other highlights of the survey findings include a priority on investing in digital technology-related areas and a doubling down on projects with an emphasis on environmental, social and corporate governance factors. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) China's high-quality grain projects boost domestic agriculture development Xinhua) 08:13, September 24, 2021 Aerial photo taken on Sept. 2, 2021 shows farmers operating harvesters to reap corn crops in the field of Pingluo County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's implementation of high-quality grain projects has promoted supply-side structural reform in agriculture, helped to increase food supply, and reaped benefits for farmers, an official with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration said Thursday. China implemented the projects in 2017. Since then, the central government has allocated 21.5 billion yuan (about 3.32 billion U.S. dollars) from the central budget to the projects. The local government and social investment added 60 billion yuan, said Zhang Wufeng, head of the administration. The country has added over 50 million tonnes of high-quality grain through the projects during the period, the data showed. The implementation of high-quality grain projects led to high yields of grain with better quality, promoted the high-quality development of agriculture, and increased farmers' income in China, Zhang added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Taiwan DPP blasted over using CPTPP bid to seek secession Global Times) 08:27, September 24, 2021 Japan, Canada could use Taiwan as 'bargaining chip' over trade pact The island of Taiwan's application for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), about one week after the Chinese mainland's, was met with stern warnings from the Chinese central government on Thursday. Calling the fresh move a zero-cost political farce directed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority, regional affairs observers urged the DPP to awaken to the harsh realities of its doomed attempt to confront the mainland and the island's increasingly marginalized economy, as the DPP continues to be in cahoots with either Washington or Tokyo to play its slippery Taiwan tricks. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press conference on Thursday that China firmly opposes official exchanges between any country and the island of Taiwan, and firmly rejects Taiwan's accession to any agreement or organization of official nature. There's only one China in the world and the Taiwan region is an inseparable part of China, Zhao said, stressing that the one-China principle is a universally acknowledged norm in international relations and the common consensus of the international society. The island formally applied to join the grouping on Wednesday, after the mainland filed its application last week. In other official remarks, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told reporters on Thursday that the country's application to join the CPTPP bodes well for the push for Asia-Pacific regional economic integration and is propitious for fostering global economic recovery, trade development and investment growth after the virus outbreak. The participation of China's Taiwan region in regional economic cooperation must be based on the premise of the one-China principle, Zhu said, voicing opposition to the Democratic Progressive Party authority's attempt to explore so-called "international space" using the excuse of economics and trade, and undertaking activities in pursuit of "independence." It is hoped that the relevant countries can appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues and will not provide any convenience or platform for acts of "Taiwan independence," according to the spokesperson. No endowment in place The island's WTO accession and its free trade progress, essentially individual cases under the auspices of the mainland, hardly give it authority to apply for global deals such as the CPTPP without the mainland's permission, regional affairs watchers said. The island has applied to join the grouping in the name of being a separate customs territory, which it uses in the WTO, Reuters reported Thursday. Taiwan region's WTO membership as a separate customs territory - a special arrangement in the case of WTO enrolment that covers both sovereign entities and separate customs territories - is by no means tantamount to endowing the island, an integral part of China, with some sort of natural power thereafter to sign up for any official international agreements or groupings, Tang Yonghong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Under international law, the island's accession to any official agreement or organization is unlikely to succeed without gaining the mainland's authorization, Tang said. He cited economic cooperation pacts the island signed with New Zealand and Singapore, both in 2013, when Ma Ying-jeou served as Taiwan's leader pledging allegiance to the 1992 Consensus, as examples of individual cases of such agreements that wouldn't have been inked had the Taiwan authorities failed to get the mainland's nod. The adherence to the one-China principle is non-negotiable and there's no chance of Taiwan securing a CPTPP membership while the mainland remains absent from the 11-nation regional trade deal, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday. Only by obtaining the agreement of all member countries can new applicants join the CPTPP. In the case of Taiwan island, existing members, if intending to vote for the mainland's accession, are unlikely to vote in favor of the island simultaneously, considering the DPP authority has shown it is willing to latch onto the US and Japan to gang up against the Chinese mainland, experts said. The CPTPP became effective in December 2018, succeeding the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the US withdrew in 2017 under former President Donald Trump. A political farce The island's application for CPTPP accession is a zero-cost act of political manipulation, experts said, putting the possibility of Taiwan's eventual admission to nearly zero even though it went to extreme lengths to embarrass the mainland. Political considerations apparently played a major part in Taiwan's CPTPP membership application, Tang commented, revealing the DPP authority's intention to forge an alliance with CPTPP member nations to confront the mainland. If the application is rejected, the separatist DPP authority can hype up the accusation that the rejection was a result of coercion from the Chinese mainland and accuse it of preventing the island from participating in international cooperation, Zhang Wensheng, a deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Japan, which holds the rotating CPTPP chairmanship this year, is likely to use Taiwan as a "chip" to bargain with the mainland to gain benefits, while another member state, Canada, is likely to follow suit at the behest of the US, according to Zhang. Meanwhile, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei, among other CPTPP members that have close political and economic partnerships with China, will not challenge China's bottom line on the Taiwan question to the detriment of their national interests. "This is nothing but a farce written by the US and Japan and performed by the DPP," Zhang remarked. The island is also economically motivated to seek a seat at the grouping, as its economy, heavily reliant on external resources and markets, has over the past two decades been distancing itself from the center stage of the world's economy alongside the mainland economy's rise to global prominence, according to Tang. "The marginalization of the island's economy, which increasingly becomes the case amid its self-inflicted deterioration of cross-Straits ties, means the island can't exploit external resources and markets for its own development," the expert said, adding that the island could be hoping for free trade deals to pull itself from a growing slide into invisibility. However, he noted that such plans are essentially an illusion, as the island continues to be at odds with the mainland when it comes to the one-China principle. Moreover, a trade pact with high standards such as the CPTPP could send shockwaves through the island's economy, as tariff elimination under the CPTPP could put the island's local manufacturers under pressure from their peer businesses in member states such as Vietnam. As Gao put it, the mainland is much stronger and more globalized than the island in economic terms, suggesting that existing member states would naturally opt to team up with the mainland out of economic considerations. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Founder of French smart card giant reveals U.S. hegemony in tech sector Xinhua) 08:27, September 24, 2021 -- As a key founder of French smart card producer Gemplus, Marc Lassus's startling revelation in his new book has sparked a worldwide outcry against the American coercion in economic and technological sectors. -- The United States not only usurped Gemplus' leading position in the industry, but also made best of the high-tech unicorn's smart cards to collect information and eavesdrop the rest of the world. -- The Gemplus affair was just one historical scene in which the United States used its national power to steal information by all possible means. For decades, the country, relying on its technological superiority, has been addicted to peeping and wiretapping on ordinary people, their competitors and even their allies. BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- In his new book The Chip Trap, Marc Lassus, key founder of French smart card producer Gemplus, has chosen to speak out and reveal how the U.S. security services persecuted him and seized control of his tech firm. The startling revelation has sparked a worldwide outcry against the American coercion in economic and technological sectors. The book, which came after The American Trap: My Battle to Expose America's Secret Economic War against the Rest of the World written by Frederic Pierucci, a former senior manager for French energy and transport conglomerate Alstom, serves as yet another testimony to America's dark history of handicapping tech companies of other countries by hook or by crook to make ill-gotten selfish gains. U.S. MANIPULATIONS Gemplus, founded in 1988, used to be a world's leading provider of smart card-based solutions. Running production plants and research and development centers in 37 countries and regions worldwide, the company had led the world production of smart cards by the end of 2000, taking a more than 40 percent share of the world market. As the company grew, what co-founder Lassus did not expect was that the U.S. security services had been on its tail and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had already sent an investment group to sneakily seize absolute control of Gemplus. "It was when I started my company that I began having problems with the Americans. They wrote a big check, they put in 550 million euros (643 million U.S. dollars) to take 26 percent shares of the company," Lassus told Xinhua via a recent video interview. "But what I did not know was the first shareholders at that time, who were allies for me since they had gone up in the capital -- they had 20 percent, I had 19 percent and we were working hand in hand. And all of a sudden, what we see was that they were completely at the service of the Americans, of the CIA," he recalled. At the same time, the U.S. investment group also launched a consulting firm that had long worked closely with the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA) to train representatives of U.S. investors in Gemplus and "provide several strategic advice to the management of Gemplus," he added. Lassus was eventually forced to resign and "Alex Mandel, an American who served on the board of directors of the CIA venture capital agency IN-Q-TEL, became Gemplus CEO," he said. File photo shows journalists reporting at the headquarters of Alstom in Levallois-Perret, outside Paris, France, on April 27, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Genxing) BUGGING THE WORLD In Pierucci's memoirs, he was arrested, charged, and thrown into jail in the United States in 2013. After being heavily fined by the U.S. Department of Justice, Alstom's core business was sold to its main U.S. competitor, General Electric. Alstom was never the only case that the United States managed to considerably undermine its foreign competitors and fortify its own economic edges by long-arm jurisdiction and other ulterior means. In the case of Gemplus, the U.S. side not only usurped the company's leading position in the industry, but also made best of the high-tech unicorn's smart cards to collect information and eavesdrop the rest of the world. "Since the Gemplus affair, spies no longer need to go out in the field. Most of the time, they can just stay behind their PCs. They use the right software. They have the entry systems and in particular as regards telecommunications, it was the SIM card," Lassus said. According to Lassus, the CIA had all the data of his company's customers, covering billions of people. He said by the time the Americans got their hands on Gemplus, they had all the access codes available to every customer of the company. After the U.S. manipulation was exposed in his book, voices condemning the United States spread quickly on social networks. Internet user Fofifonfec said, "faced with the voracity of sharks ... a certain naivety can lead to ruin preceded by the theft of all its property." "The USA is in fact nothing more than cuckoos which plunder and appropriate the technologies which interest them, without any shame," commented Internet user Cliona. This undated combo photo shows Marc Lassus (L), key founder of French smart card producer Gemplus, and (R) the cover of his book The Chip Trap (Chinese Edition). (CITIC Press Group/Handout via Xinhua) PULLING STRINGS IN SHADOW "I and my company, we were attacked by the CIA in 2000," Lassus said in his interview with Xinhua. The Gemplus affair, as he put it, was just one historical scene in which the United States used its national power to steal information by all possible means. For decades, the United States, relying on its technological superiority, has been addicted to peeping and wiretapping on ordinary people, their competitors and even their allies. In fact, they have become the biggest source of cyberattacks in the world, and their army of hackers pull the strings in the shadow. In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former CIA and NSA employee, blew the whistle to the media on the colossal scale of the U.S. government's eavesdropping on Americans and other people around the world, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. A year later, the "WikiLeaks" website disclosed that the United States had monitored several French presidents, including Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. In May this year, the Danish media revealed that the NSA was using the services of some U.S. allies to monitor other allies, not least in cooperation with the Danish Defense Intelligence Agency, monitoring leaders of the European countries. The U.S. commitment to its allies sounds eloquently assertive, but it is as fragile as soap bubbles when the truth has been brought to light. After the exposure of U.S. eavesdropping European leaders, France and Germany deplored the alleged spying as "unacceptable," and demanded "full clarity" from the U.S. side. "It is time to speak out the truth," Lassus said after experiencing countless repressions and threats from the United States. "We must make European countries aware that the United States are not real friends, sometimes even enemies," he added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Quad incapable of inflicting substantial harm to China Global Times) 08:33, September 24, 2021 Members to become US 'cannon fodder' to contain Beijing First Quad summit Illustration: Chen Xia/GT The Quad summit, scheduled to take place on Friday, which will likely mention marine security concerns for the purpose of containing China and demonstrate that the Indo-Pacific is the current strategic center of the US, was at the stage of forging verbal consensus rather than signing substantial deals, Chinese analysts said on Thursday, noting that US typical practice of abandoning its allies like dumping trash in front of its interests will make Quad another NATO which is existing only in name. While the Quad mechanism is engaged in splitting Asia and instigating various forces to contain China, if Japan, India and Australia went too far in following the US strategy of containing China, they will become cannon fodder as China will resolutely safeguard its interests, Chinese analysts warned. Leaders from the US, Japan, India and Australia - four countries that make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) will meet in Washington on Friday for the first in-person Quad summit. Ahead of the meeting, Japan has been sparing no efforts to be the biggest agitator for Friday's Quad summit with its Prime Minister hyping the Chinese military threat before leaving for Washington and its extensive media coverage to provoke East and South China Sea issues. The move is seen by Chinese analysts as sacrificing Japan's diplomatic independence for the sake of tying itself tightly with the US to get a bigger say and upper hand in Northeast Asian affairs, which may not be easy to achieve. Before heading to Washington for Friday's first-ever in-person summit, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hyped the Chinese military threat in an interview with Bloomberg, in which he said China's rapidly growing "military influence and unilateral changing of the status quo" could present a risk to Japan, and Japan is closely monitoring the military balance between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan island. Apart from Suga, the upcoming Quad summit also attracted extensive coverage from Japanese media which cooperated with Suga on hyping the Chinese military influence. Kyodo News citing anonymous sources said on Wednesday that the joint leaders' statement of the Quad summit will use tougher language than before on the South China Sea and East China Sea. "Quad members oppose challenges to the maritime rules-based order, particularly in the East and South China seas," Kyodo News said. Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that Suga's remarks and Japanese media's extremely wide coverage on the summit revealed that Japan has pinned much hope on the summit and to some extent Japan's expectations to the summit are even bigger than the US', which will host the meeting. As the main agitator for Quad, Japan has been sparing no efforts to promote the summit to use the clique to gain an upper hand in its territorial disputes with China and Russia, and even on the Korean Peninsula issue. And the more it smears China on the South China Sea and East China Sea, the more it will gain US support, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday. "Disclosure on the joint statement and Suga's hype was to incite and show loyalty to the US as Japan hopes to tie itself tightly to the US chariot to get a more prominent international status and a bigger say in Northeast Asia. Japan wants American troops to stay in the country and South Korea, but whether Biden, facing internal and external unprecedented plight, would choose to further provoke China remains a question," Lu said. Lu said the joint statement will be weaker than what Japanese media claimed, and said the summit was unlikely to achieve a substantive agreement. The summit is also headlines in Indian media. On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, and although not mentioning China, he said his visit was an "occasion to strengthen our strategic partnership with the US and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia," NDTV reported on Thursday. India has been active in Quad, hoping to use the US, Japan and Australia to contain China. But the US was more likely to adopt an "Asians versus Asians" strategy, indicating it will instigate some Asian countries to confront other Asian countries rather than engaging itself in it, analysts said, noting that India is not sure how much help it can get from the US if there is a serious conflict between China and India. Compared with the China topic, the four members worry more about COVID-19, vaccines, climate change and carbon neutralization which they hope to seek global leadership, Shi Yinhong, director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times. In a statement issued last week, the White House said the Quad leaders will be focused on deepening ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas such as combating COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, without mentioning China. Photo: Quad Another NATO? The summit will take place just days after the US, UK and Australia announced a security pact AUKUS, under which Australia will be provided with nuclear-powered submarines after ripping up its deal with France, which prompted France to recall its ambassadors to the US and Australia and greatly upset Europe. The AUKUS cast a shadow over the Quad summit, and will dilute the Quad members, especially Japan and India, and make the summit less effective, analysts said. Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times that the two strategic platforms Quad and AUKUS make up the US Indo-Pacific strategy with a global perspective, indicating that the US made the Indo-Pacific region its strategic priority. At this moment, the AUKUS cannot affect the alliance between the US and Japan or India, though the transatlantic partnership is largely influenced, Yang said. But the US Indo-Pacific strategy serves its own interests, and Biden could abandon its European allies like dumping trash just months after bluffing "America is back in Europe" during his European visit. It is capable of throwing any other ally away at any time for the sake of American interests, Lu said. US betrayal of its allies has unsettled and created chaos among them. French President Emmanuel Macron, upset by AUKUS, called Modi on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, a move Lu said was to ensure that India will not become another Australia to rip up their military pact. The Hindustan Times reported that India sought to distance itself from AUKUS "because of its strong strategic relations with Australia, France and the US." Calling the four members "four ward mates with four different diseases," Lu said that the Quad will not have long-term strategic value, just like NATO, which now exists only in name. Biden went way too far in the road of "American First" than Donald Trump, and he has lost his credibility not just in his failure of the COVID-19 response but in treating its allies, and will likely suffer setbacks in the midterm elections next year, analysts said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Nansha district in Guangzhou drives high-quality development with innovation 08:59, September 24, 2021 By Luo Aihua ( People's Daily Containers are loaded onto a cargo ship at a terminal in Nansha district, Guangzhou, capital of south Chinas Guangdong province, Sept. 12, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Ye Bingxin) With a designed top speed of 160 km per hour, Guangzhou Metro Line 18 in south Chinas Guangdong province, hailed as the fastest subway in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, impressed passengers with advanced facilities and smart services during its first trial run on Sept. 16. After the north-south arterial subway line of Guangzhou is put into operation this year, it will shorten the travel time between downtown Guangzhou and the citys only subcenter Nansha district to about 30 minutes, and make Nansha more closely connected with Zhuhai and other cities in the Greater Bay Area. As China recently issued new plans for the construction of the Greater Bay Area, including upgrading Hengqin New Area and expanding Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone in Guangdong, Nansha, which is a key part of the free trade zones in the Greater Bay Area, has also embraced new opportunities. Industry insiders believe that the areas of free trade zones in the Greater Bay Area, including Nansha, Hengqin, and Qianhai, will generate stronger driving forces for high-quality development because of resource convergence. Faster development of the Greater Bay Area will certainly bring greater opportunities to the market. Statistics suggest that Nansha registered a regional GDP of nearly 94.59 billion yuan (about $14.64 billion) during the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent. From January to July, the districts value of foreign trade accounted for 24.4 percent of the citys total. In recent years, Nansha has stepped up efforts to form an innovation-driven model for high-quality development. It has achieved 719 innovations, received incentives from the inspection teams of the State Council for business system reform, fiscal management and economical and intensive use of land, and ranked high among Chinas national-level new areas in terms of business environment, laying a solid foundation for its high-quality development and helping gradually develop the Greater Bay Area into an innovation highland. A total of 40,534 companies were set up in Nansha during the first seven months of the year, an increase of 1.07 times from the same period in 2020, according to Dong Ke, district mayor of Nansha district. In the meantime, the district introduced 20 new investment projects from Fortune Global 500 companies, signed and kicked off 150 key projects worth over 450 billion yuan, enjoying strong momentum of development, Dong added. Not long ago, Guangzhou OED Technologies Co., Ltd. and Fuzhou Soarfree Information Technology Co., Ltd. jointly hosted a product launch event in Nansha, during which they showcased their latest 6.3 mm electronic shelf label solution that requires no power supply and reprintable electronic paper. In fact, such innovative products have continuously emerged in Nansha, behind which lie Nanshas efforts to underpin high-quality development with sci-tech innovation. The Nansha Science City, with a planned area of 99 sq. km, has become a major part of the comprehensive national science center of the Greater Bay Area. The Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) in Nansha district has gathered 52 high-level scientific research teams made up of more than 1,000 personnel in marine field, including 17 teams led by academicians. The branch of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited in Guangzhou has seen its production capacity of shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment reach 5.58 million tons, becoming one of the countrys three largest shipbuilding bases. Automobile makers Toyota and Hycan have jointly launched a production base project in Nansha, aiming to foster a new energy automobile industry cluster worth over 100 billion yuan; and Cloudwalk, a Nansha-based AI enterprise, became a unicorn in the industry in less than three years. Nansha has basically established an industrial chain of third-generation semiconductor industry, and witnessed rapid growth of leading companies like APT Electronics Co., Ltd. and AccoPower Semiconductor Ltd. Besides, a batch of innovation-driven pharmaceutical companies based in Nansha district, including MingMed Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and TCRCure Biopharma Ltd., have made major breakthroughs in the research and development of medicines. To attract more talents and motivate companies to innovate and build a cradle of original innovation, Nansha has rolled out a package of policies, including providing a maximum of 200 million yuan of financial support for each scientific research platform and high-caliber talents a settling-in allowance of up to 10 million yuan. Since the permanent venue for science forum of the Greater Bay Area was located in Nansha, the district has gathered pace in integrating into the global innovation network and formed an innovation landscape featuring the Nansha Science City, Nansha International Financial Island, science forum of the Greater Bay Area and International Special Talent Zone, becoming a key driver of innovation in the Greater Bay Area. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Answer the questions of the times and make historical choice with confidence, courage and sense of mission 09:05, September 24, 2021 By He Yin ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping attends and delivers a speech titled Bolstering Confidence and Jointly Overcoming Difficulties to Build a Better World at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly via video link, Sept. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Faced with the combined impacts of changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is once again at a historical crossroads. How to beat the virus? How to revitalize the global economy as early as possible? Can countries, especially major countries, coexist peacefully with each other? How should the UN play its central role in international affairs? Chinese President Xi Jinping recently gave answers to these questions of the times that concern the future of humanity. On Sept. 21, Xi attended and delivered a speech titled Bolstering Confidence and Jointly Overcoming Difficulties to Build a Better World at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly via video link. In his speech, Xi made suggestions on jointly addressing global threats and challenges and proposed a Global Development Initiative. At the critical moment when the COVID-19 pandemic has brought profound changes to human society and the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation, Xis suggestions and initiative have injected confidence into global solidarity against the pandemic, pointed the way to the common development of the world, drawn a blueprint for tackling global changes, and fully demonstrated the considerable insight of the leader of a major country and his solicitude for the wellbeing of humanity. It falls on each and every responsible statesman to answer the questions of our times and make a historical choice with confidence, courage and a sense of mission, Xi said in his speech. Countries must beat COVID-19 and win this decisive fight crucial to the future of humanity, revitalize the economy and pursue more robust, greener and more balanced global development, strengthen solidarity and promote mutual respect and win-win cooperation in conducting international relations, and improve global governance and practice true multilateralism, Xi pointed out clearly in his speech. Responding to the ardent aspiration of peoples around the world for peace and development, and their call for equity and justice and pursuit of win-win cooperation, Xis suggestions have been widely echoed by the international community. Political leaders of many countries have called for cooperation and solidarity to create a better world at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. To build a better world, countries must overcome global challenges and achieve common development. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging across the world, winning the battle against the virus is the most urgent task for countries at present. We should always put people and their lives first, and care about the life, value and dignity of every individual. We need to respect science, take a science-based approach, and follow the laws of science. We need to both follow routine, targeted COVID-19 protocols and take emergency response measures, and both carry out epidemic control and promote economic and social development. We need to enhance coordinated global COVID-19 response and minimize the risk of cross-border virus transmission, Xi said. His remarks clearly manifested Chinas firm will to pull through the hard times and defeat the pandemic with other countries and promoted the idea of building a global community of health for all, to which China has long been committed. As the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously shaken the results of global poverty reduction and posed severe challenges to sustainable development of the world, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, which stresses staying committed to development as a priority, a people-centered approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between man and nature, results-oriented actions and advocates the idea of building a global community of development with a shared future. The initiative has provided countries with guidelines and spiritual driving force for focusing efforts on development, joining hands with each other for development, and pursuing common development. To build a better world, countries must adhere to solidarity and cooperation and improve global governance. Clinging to the antiquated Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset, certain countries have attempted to draw ideological lines to create small circles for geopolitical competition, leading to worse trust and governance deficit in the international community. Democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country, but a right for the people of all countries to enjoy...One countrys success does not have to mean another countrys failure, and the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries, Xi said. By making such forceful remarks, Xi showed the right path to peaceful coexistence between countries, especially major countries, and reiterated the significance of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and cooperation and win-win results, injecting stability into international relations troubled by growing uncertainties. In the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the UN at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law. And there is only one set of rules, i.e. the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Xi pointed out. The UN should hold high the banner of true multilateralism and serve as the central platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and chart the course for the future of the world, he continued. Xis statements have reflected the shared ideas of the majority of countries in the world, represented Chinas solemn promise to adhere to true multilateralism and shown the countrys sense of responsibility as a major country for making the global governance system more fair and equitable. By safeguarding and practicing multilateralism and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, countries can pass on the torch of peace, sustain development and make civilization flourish. Long and arduous as the journey may be, countries will surely reach the destination through sustained actions. China will stride ahead together with all the progressive forces of the world on the great journey to a community with a shared future for mankind, and always be a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order, and provider of public goods. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) U.S. New Orleans unveils 20 mln USD emergency sanitation plan amid trash crisis Xinhua) 09:07, September 24, 2021 HOUSTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- LaToya Cantrell, mayor of New Orleans, the largest city in southern U.S. state Louisiana, on Thursday unveiled a 20 million-U.S. dollar emergency sanitation plan amid the hurricane-prone city's worsening trash crisis. "Cleaning up the city entirely remains a top priority, and so with this mission I'm just hoping it is a real demonstration to the public that I'm serious about it," Cantrell said. The city council will pay 20 million dollars to four emergency waste haulers to ferry garbage to a transfer station which has been decommissioned since 2007 but will reopen for 90 days, local media outlet NOLA reported. Waste Management, Inc., which owns the station and is one of the four contractors that has been hired, will then haul garbage to a landfill, said the report. The mayor said she expects the contracts to last about a month, and her administration is seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement. Garbage bags, in some areas in New Orleans, have festered since before the landfall of Category 4 Hurricane Ida in the coastal state on Aug. 29. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Gunman commits suicide after killing 1, injuring at least 12 in shooting rampage in Tennessee Xinhua) 09:08, September 24, 2021 WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A gunman opened fire Thursday at a grocery store in Collierville, U.S. state of Tennessee, killing one person and injuring at least 12 others before shooting himself to death, local police said. Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane told a news conference that police arrived at the Kroger store at 1:34 p.m. local time, about four minutes after receiving report of the shooting, helping escort the victims and evacuate the area. He said the attacker had died and was believed to have been killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He also said injuries to the victims were "very serious." The Collierville Police Department said on Twitter the scene had been secured and an active investigation was being carried out. The police department of Memphis, which is just 30 miles northwest of Collierville, tweeted that its officers were on the scene at 240 New Byhalia Road in Collierville to render support. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) First China-Africa rail-sea express train leaves Hunan 09:09, September 24, 2021 By Sun Chao ( People's Daily The first train of a combined sea-rail transport service to Africa departed Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan province, on Sept. 15. Carrying 86 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of rice aided by China to Africa, the train arrived at the Nansha port of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province the next morning, where the containers were transferred onto a ship before being transported to the Mombasa Port in Kenya by sea. The first China-Africa rail-sea express train departs from Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan province for the Nansha port in south China's Guangdong province, where containers on the train will be unloaded and transferred onto a ship to Kenyan city Mombasa, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Guangzhou Daily) The train marked the launch of a new sea-rail logistics route linking cities in and around Hunan province and African countries, effectively shortening the shipping time and lowering logistics costs. The new logistics route covers 11 African seaports and 20 roads and railways to inland Africa. Compared with traditional sea-river shipping, the sea-rail mode reduces the shipping time between China and Africa by 15 days. Besides, it can also shorten the logistics time to East Africa by 10 days and that to West Africa by 9 days, saving 3 percent of the transport cost. Typically, cargos are shipped to ports by road for second-leg transport. Cargos now get to ports on rail tracks thanks to the sea-rail mode, saving nearly 60 percent of the first-leg cost. To ensure a successful departure of the first train of the combined sea-rail transport service to Africa, the Changsha Cargo Shipment Center under China Railway Guangzhou Bureau Group Cooperation Limited, the operator of the route, enhanced its coordination and synergy on organizing, dispatching, and logistics cost to optimize its working procedure and reduce the shipping time further, taking the combined sea-rail transport service as a priority of its work. The launching ceremony of the first China-Africa rail-sea express train is held a logistics base in Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan province, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Guangzhou Daily) "We have learned our clients' demands for cargo handling in advance and then analyzed our shipping capability in a targeted manner to ensure maximum capacity," said Yan Minghui, director of the marketing department of the Changsha cargo shipment center. "This is a new foreign trade channel of Hunan province and will become an important logistics route linking central and western China with African countries," said Guo Ning, director of the Office of Port of Entry and Exit of Hunan province. According to him, Zhuzhou is a major distribution center of the new logistics channel, and Hengyang, another city in Hunan province, serves as a sub-center. He said that the channel is seamlessly connected with the maritime transport services between the ports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the African continent.. Logistics services will be extended to various countries in inland Africa via the channel, radiating Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. Trains are expected to be running regularly for the combined sea-rail transport service, making it a vital logistics channel connecting central and western China with African countries. It will share the dividends of China's economic and social development with African countries. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival: Bumper harvest nationwide Ecns.cn) 09:14, September 24, 2021 Undated photo shows a harvester team runs along the field. (China News Service/Zhai Yujia) September 23 this year marks the 4th Chinese farmers' harvest festival, which is held specifically for the country's farmers and people working in the agriculture sector. Starting in 2018, the festival coincides with the Autumnal Equinox each year, which is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunisolar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24 during the country's harvest season. Come and join farmers across China to celebrate this year's bumper harvest and share their joy. (With input from Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) SCO "Peace Mission 2021" live-fire drill conducted in Russia Xinhua) 09:29, September 24, 2021 Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2021 shows the live-fire drill "Peace Mission 2021" at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia. Troops participating in the "Peace Mission 2021," a counter-terrorism military exercise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, conducted a live ammunition drill at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mei Shixiong) ORENBURG, Russia, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Troops participating in the "Peace Mission 2021," a counter-terrorism military exercise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, conducted a live ammunition drill at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia on Thursday. The live-fire drill lasted for around an hour. Military equipment such as infantry fighting vehicles and assault vehicles made fierce attacks against the target. The participants of the "Peace Mission 2021" are from eight SCO member states, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. The participating troops consist of around 4,000 military personnel, among which over 550 are from China. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) AUKUS security partnership undermines regional stability -- military analyst Xinhua) 10:08, September 24, 2021 Cartoon: The show mustn't go on (Xinhua) Washington and London's decision to help Australia build nuclear submarine capabilities could "intensify major power competition" in the region, an analyst said. MANILA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Australia's move to establish an enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United States and Britain undermines the region's goal of maintaining a nuclear-free zone, an analyst has said. The new partnership, also known as AUKUS, "is creating security anxieties" in the Asia and Pacific region and "putting many countries like the Philippines in guessing game scenarios," said Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "It's a serious concern for Southeast Asian countries because the plan of these three powers will run counter to the two major principles enshrined in various ASEAN declarations," Banlaoi said. He referred to the documents of the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality signed in 1971 and the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in 1995, saying the two major declarations will be affected by the new security arrangement. Banlaoi warned that Washington and London's decision to help Australia build nuclear submarine capabilities could "intensify major power competition" in the region. Aside from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Banlaoi said Australia also faces a problem with its immediate neighbor New Zealand, because of that country's "very strong position on nuclear weapons-free principle." "It's really problematic for Australia to enter into such kind of submarine development and at the same time adhering to the non-proliferation treaty," Banlaoi said, warning "Australia will be in a very odd, difficult position if it pursues (the plan)." "It will have strategic implications and economic effects," the analyst added. Banlaoi said Southeast Asia "will continue to reaffirm its long-standing position of making ASEAN a central figure in maintaining peace and stability in the region." "ASEAN countries want to be part of the mechanism to open dialogues to remove these security uncertainties," Banlaoi said, noting that Southeast Asian countries do not want the region to be the "central arena" and "playground" of competition between major powers. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China, Brunei vow to enhance parliamentary cooperation Xinhua) 10:12, September 24, 2021 Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Brunei's Legislative Council speaker Abdul Rahman via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu on Thursday held talks with Brunei's Legislative Council speaker Abdul Rahman via video link. Both sides pledged to enhance exchanges between their legislative bodies. Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have helped each other and overcome the difficulties together, further consolidating and deepening the traditional friendship. China has always viewed the development of friendly ties with Brunei from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to be a good friend who treats each other sincerely and a good partner for common development with Brunei, said Li. Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Li expressed hopes that the two sides would take this opportunity to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and jointly promote the continuous development of their strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides should intensify high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust and continue to firmly support each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns, said Li. He urged the two sides to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation and join hands to build a community of health for all. "It is necessary to dovetail the development strategies of the two sides and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road," said Li, adding that the two sides should successfully host the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and enhance friendship between the two peoples. The NPC is willing to work with the Brunei Legislative Council to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and continuously enrich the connotation of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, said Li. Rahman said that Brunei attaches great importance to the development of long-term friendly relations with China. The two countries have carried out close cooperation in various fields including economy and trade, agriculture, fishery, education and humanities. Expressing his gratitude to China for supporting Brunei in fighting the pandemic and providing vaccines, Rahman said it is a reflection of friendly relations between the two countries and their joint efforts in response to the pandemic. The Brunei Legislative Council is willing to strengthen exchanges with the NPC and contribute to the development of bilateral relations, he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China conducts survey on rare golden monkey population Xinhua) 10:43, September 24, 2021 A Guizhou snub-nosed monkey gets food from a feeder at the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Gao Xueyu) GUIYANG, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China is conducting a survey on a rare snub-nosed monkey species in a nature reserve in southwest China's Guizhou Province, according to the reserve administration. The survey on Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys will include the status quo of their habitats, population, distribution, food and behavioral traits, activity patterns as well as trends in population changes, said Li Haibo, with the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve administration. The structural composition of their small family populations, the proportion of sub-adult and juvenile monkeys, and factors that threaten the survival of their populations will also be investigated, Li added. The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, or Guizhou golden monkey, is under top-level protection in China and is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Among the three species of golden snub-nosed monkeys endemic to China, the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is the one with the smallest population, the narrowest habitat, and the least ecological information. Mount Fanjingshan in northeast Guizhou is its only habitat. Li said the monkeys are mainly distributed in an area of about 340 square km between 1,000 meters and 2,000 meters above sea level in the mountain. It takes three to six years for the species to give birth to one, or sometimes two, offspring. Technologies such as drone monitoring, thermal imaging and infrared camera monitoring will be used for the survey, Li added. The first round of the survey is expected to end in September 2022, and validation and supplementary surveys will be conducted thereafter. The final results are expected to be released in the spring of 2023. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Land-sea trade corridor links China, Vietnam Xinhua) 10:44, September 24, 2021 Tourists pose for a photo at the China-Vietnam border port of Dongxing in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 21, 2019. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming) CHONGQING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train departing from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday. It marks the launch of a new cross-border railway service between China and Vietnam. The train, carrying machinery equipment, clothing, and other goods worth about 1.62 million U.S. dollars, traveled for eight days, said the New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by Singapore and provincial-level regions of western China. Chongqing Municipality is the center of operation for the corridor. Li Na, head of the company's Eurasian logistics, said the cross-border railway trains have the advantages of punctuality and cheapness and will directly connect with China-Europe freight train services after arriving in Chongqing. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China's new commercial aircraft demand forecast at 1.47 tln USD in 2 decades: Boeing Xinhua) 10:45, September 24, 2021 A flight attendant of Xiamen Airlines greets guests before a test flight at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's resilient aviation market will create new commercial aircraft demand valued at 1.47 trillion U.S. dollars over 20 years, said Boeing's latest market forecast released in Beijing Thursday. China's economic vitality and recovering air travel demand will enable the country's airlines to purchase around 8,700 new aircraft over the 2021-2040 period, said the China forecast, which is part of Boeing's 2021 Commercial Market Outlook. Over 20 years, the Chinese market will receive some 6,500 single-aisle planes and 1,850 widebody aircraft, showed the U.S. planemaker's annual long-term demand forecast for commercial airplanes and services. "The rapid recovery of Chinese domestic air travel highlights the country's economic vitality and resilience. Notably, the underlying demand from international long-haul travel and air freight transport will boost the widebody deliveries," said Richard Wynne, managing director of China Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The widebody deliveries, including passenger aircraft and freighters, account for 44 percent of the Chinese market demand by value, Wynne added. Over the next 20 years, China is also expected to create a commercial aviation services market valued at around 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars, the forecast showed. China's aviation sector has remained the world's second-largest in terms of passenger trips for 15 years. Thanks to the country's economic resilience and effective pandemic control, China is leading the global civil aviation industry in recovering from the COVID-19 impact, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Chinese embassy urges French senators to reconsider plan to visit Taiwan Xinhua) 13:07, September 24, 2021 PARIS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The French senators who plan to visit Taiwan should reconsider their decision so as not to damage Sino-French relations as well as France's reputation and interests, the Chinese Embassy in France said on Thursday. "There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," said a spokesperson of the embassy in a statement posted online. "The one-China principle is a fundamental norm of international relations and the political basis for China to establish and develop diplomatic relations with other countries," said the spokesperson, adding that "not to conduct official exchanges of any form with the Taiwan authorities is an inherent sense to respect the one-China principle." "The French Senate is an important national institution in France. The senators have official status and should carry out the official French policy," said the spokesperson. "Their visit to Taiwan and official contacts with the Taiwan authorities, no matter in what names, will seriously violate the one-China policy pursued by France and will be exploited by the separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence'," said the spokesperson. "Such moves will damage not only the core interests of China and Sino-French relations, but also, ultimately, France's reputation and interests," said the embassy. "We hope that those concerned will think twice and reconsider their decision to visit Taiwan." According to French media reports, a group of French senators plan to visit Taiwan in October. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Hangzhou, Nantou hold cross-Strait forum on cooperation Xinhua) 16:20, September 24, 2021 HANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Hangzhou, a scenic city on the Chinese mainland, and Nantou County in Taiwan jointly hosted a forum via video link on Friday. The forum, named after the scenic landmarks of West Lake in Hangzhou and Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, consisted of the main forum on rural environment governance and two sub-forums on early childhood education and cross-border e-commerce, respectively. Liu Xin, mayor of Hangzhou, applauded the achievements in the exchanges and cooperation with Nantou County in the past decade and pledged more input through cooperation to create a new win-win situation for residents from the two sides. For his part, magistrate of Nantou Lin Ming-chen said the forum has yielded tangible results on the basis of the 1992 Consensus and the principle of mutual trust and mutual benefits since its launch in 2009. He called for more efforts to deepen the friendship. The event was attended by around 150 participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, including scholars, community staff, educators, farmers and fishermen, representatives of e-commerce enterprises, Taiwan entrepreneurs and youth representatives from Taiwan. The forum has been held alternatively by Hangzhou and Nantou every year. This year marks its 13th edition. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Merkel's stories with China Xinhua) 16:20, September 24, 2021 BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will prepare to bow out following Germany's federal election scheduled for Sunday after steering the country as well as Europe for 16 years. By and large, Merkel has inherited the pragmatic cooperation doctrine towards China, a policy started and well maintained by her predecessors Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroeder, to which her 12 visits to China as German chancellor are a testament. FREQUENT VISITS Merkel made her first trip to China in 1997, when she served under Kohl as federal minister of environment, nature conservation and nuclear safety. After becoming chancellor, Merkel left her footprints all over China, having been to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Wuhan. Anecdotes of her visits have shown Merkel is willing to know more about China. When visiting Nanjing in August 2007, she took the initiative on a rainy evening to take a walk on the city wall built in the 14th century. In her official trip to Chengdu in July 2014, Merkel learned making Kungpao Chicken, a traditional Chinese dish. She also bought some broad bean paste, Sichuan pepper powder and star anises, which are essentials for making local delicacies. On probably her last trip as chancellor to China in September 2019, Merkel asked her motorcade to make a brief stop on Wuhan's Yangtze River Bridge, looking far into the waves and posing for photos. WITNESS TO CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT Merkel has been a witness to China's rapid development over the past decade. During Merkel's first several visits to China, her priority was to promote "Made in Germany." But in recent years, bringing Chinese cooperation projects back to Germany has topped her agenda. In May 2006, half a year after taking office, Merkel visited Shanghai and took the demonstrative line of a maglev train which used Siemens technology. Now, China is selling world-class locomotives to Germany and Austria. In May 2018, on a tour in Shenzhen, Merkel visited several companies developing drones, autonomous driving, and processing data. She was very surprised by the speed of China's development in the cutting-edge industries. "Sino-German cooperation must be raised to a new level, especially from a perspective of digitalization," Merkel later said in her speech. MULTILATERAL PARTNERS Before Merkel took office, Beijing and Berlin established in 2004 a partnership with global responsibility within the framework of the China-European Union (EU) comprehensive strategic partnership. During Merkel's third term, the relationship was further upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Merkel's pragmatic attitude towards China has played an important role in tightening bilateral ties, which were highlighted at the two G20 summits in 2016 and 2017, held in China and Germany respectively, with a focus on topics such as climate change and global trade growth. In Hangzhou and Hamburg, both famous for their bridges, the two countries vowed to build bridges of cooperation and promote prosperity and development together. In recent years, Merkel's line for dealing with China has been under constant pressure from within and outside Germany. However, she is well aware that cooperation is vital to Germany's economic interests, and that without China's participation, Germany, the EU and the entire international community cannot cope with global challenges such as climate change and unilateralism. "On some issues, we have different views ... but the EU and China should continue their dialogue and set a model for multilateralism," Merkel once told Xinhua in a press conference. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Domestically-developed, culturally-oriented fragrance products see wider popularity among Chinese consumers People's Daily Online) 16:35, September 24, 2021 China's perfume and fragrance markets have continued to boom with a shift towards a new trend in which China's domestic brands, featuring products showcasing Chinese culture, have gained increasing popularity among consumers. Photo shows a series of fragrance products themed on various plants. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Wang Jingyue) China's fragrance market was valued at about $800 million in 2017, while the size of the perfume market meanwhile amounted to between $5 billion to $6 billion. By the end of last year, the overall value of these two markets had each doubled, rising to nearly $1.6 billion and $12.6 billion, respectively, despite the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as was indicated in multiple industry reports. One particularly interesting trend in China's perfume and fragrance markets is that until only a few years ago, they had been dominated by big international name brands. However, many Chinese fragrance brands have since emerged as a new driving force in the domestic fragrance market. "Scientific research has shown that people are able to distinguish more than 1 trillion varieties of scents, but previously China's market for 'aromatherapy art' was yet to be tapped," said Lou Nanshi, who founded Fragrance Library, a Chinese fragrance brand, recalling the reason why she decided to start the business after returning to China from overseas studies in New Zealand. Photo shows a series of fragrance products themed on various plants. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Wang Jingyue) Apart from exploring the traditional perfume market in which the major international players had an edge, Lou's company also launched a series of aromatherapy wash supplies, including body wash and liquid soap products, that also serve as carriers for various scents. Fragrance Library's products have won a wide recognition among domestic consumers, as have other domestic brands focusing on fragrances. During this year's 618 Midyear Shopping Festival, sales of aromatic beads on one of the countrys major e-commerce platforms soared by more than 10 times year-on-year. Among the wide array of fragrance products sold across China, the popularity of products with themes based on Chinese culture has been rapidly on the rise. With regards to Fragrance Library's star product, named "cold boiled water", Lou explained that "since all Chinese people are familiar with the taste of cold boiled water, we don't even have to provide an introduction when launching a series of products with this name." This year, Fragrance Library also launched brand-new limited regional versions of its "cold boiled water" fragrance products that integrate the urban memory of local Chinese people living in different cities. For example, the Beijing version of "cold boiled water" fragrance adopts elements of Livistona chinensis, which allows people to reminisce about the old Beijing days when residents often would have a Livistona chinensis-made fan unfolded in their hands. Lou explained that aromatherapy products launched by domestic brands are able to stir up wonderful memories and invoke positive emotions among Chinese people. "A few years ago, a French team came to southwest China's Yunnan province to develop a fragrance brand linked to Pu'er tea, but it turned out to be a vain attempt. I believe the reason behind such a failure is that their products have had nothing to do with the memories of Chinese people," explained Shen Li, co-founder of To Summer, a Chinese fragrance brand. Shen added that the advantage of domestic brands is that they are more familiar with local Chinese culture and can relate their products to the warm memories of the Chinese people. Xiao Xiao, who works in a museum, is a loyal fan of domestic fragrance products. "If you give an aromatherapy product to your foreign friends, the product can deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and only Chinese people can make such products," said the woman. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Innovation the "golden key" to some thorny issues for China-U.S. relations: Chinese ambassador Xinhua) 16:39, September 24, 2021 WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Innovation is a "golden key" to some thorny issues in China-U.S. relations, said Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Thursday, calling for an innovative spirit "more than ever before" to address the difficulties present in bilateral ties. "We need a new vision, new thinking and new methodology," Qin said in his virtual remarks at the High-Level Meeting of Bloomberg New Economy Forum. The Chinese ambassador said China and the United States need to show a broad vision, shoulder great responsibilities and stabilize relations. Noting that a Cold-War, zero-sum mentality go against the trend of the times and the will of the people, Qin said China will act to "open up a path of national renaissance and peaceful development." Meanwhile, he called upon the United States to stay committed to peaceful development and work with China to bolster relations based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. "Over the past several years, the China-U.S. relationship has gone through tremendous changes. It cannot return to the past anymore," Qin noted. "We have to face the reality, look to the future, think out of the box, create new institutions and methods, and open up new dimensions for China-U.S. engagement," he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) The eighth Chinese Farmers Singing Concert, which is one of the activities being held during this years Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival, a nationwide festival held specifically for the country's farmers, kicked off on Sept. 23 in the Xiaogang village of Fengyang county, east China's Anhui province. The eighth Chinese Farmers Singing Concert was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a key activity organized for the annual Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. With the main venue for the Chinese Farmers Singing Concert located in a stadium at Anhui's Chuzhou Polytechnic, the get-togethers four side events for the occasion are respectively being held at venues situated in the Xiaogang village of Fengyang county, as well as in Quanjiao county, Laian county and Nanqiao district in Chuzhou city. The activity held in Xiaogang village vividly displays the earth-shaking changes taking place in rural areas in recent decades, the achievements accomplished thanks to China's rural reforms, as well as the rural culture and landscape of village life. It has been reported that Xiaogang village is not only the birthplace for China's rural reforms, but also the epitome of new changes characterizing China's rural areas. To date, the per capita disposable income and collective income of the village reached 27,600 yuan ($4,266) and 11.6 million yuan, respectively. Anhui Publishing Group Co.and Anhui Xinhua Distribution (Group) Holding Co. were included among Chinas top 30 cultural enterprises on Thursday. Guangming Daily and Economic Daily jointly released the list of top 30 Chinese cultural firms yesterday at a symposium on high-quality cultural development hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China. It is the 12th time that the two Anhui-based companies have made the annual list. In 2020, Anhui Publishing Groups annual operating income reached 17.66 billion yuan ($2.73 billion) and its net profit stood at 486 million yuan. Anhui Xinhua Distribution Group recorded 16.90 billion yuan and 541 million yuan in operating income and net profit, respectively. China's implementation of high-quality grain projects has promoted supply-side structural reform in agriculture, helped to increase food supply, and reaped benefits for farmers, an official with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration said Thursday. China implemented the projects in 2017. Since then, the central government has allocated 21.5 billion yuan (about 3.32 billion U.S. dollars) from the central budget to the projects. The local government and social investment added 60 billion yuan, said Zhang Wufeng, head of the administration. The country has added over 50 million tonnes of high-quality grain through the projects during the period, the data showed. The implementation of high-quality grain projects led to high yields of grain with better quality, promoted the high-quality development of agriculture, and increased farmers' income in China, Zhang added. The Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorism military exercise of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states is held at the Donguz training ground in Orenburg Oblast, Russia from September 11 to 25. In total, about 4,000 servicemen from eight SCO member states are involved in the exercise. The Chinese People's Liberation Army sent 558 troops and 130 vehicles to the event, the 14th joint exercise organized by the SCO. The SCO Peace Mission exercises have been held every two years since the organization was established in 2001, which aim to deepen the defense and security cooperation among SCO member states, improve their ability to respond to new challenges and threats, and jointly maintain regional peace and security. JIN DING/CHINA DAILY By Han Hua That US President Joe Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad (Quadrilateral security dialogue among the US, Japan, Australia, and India) summit at the White House on Friday suggests the previous loose security partnership could soon become a formal organization. In his speech before the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Biden said:"We elevated the Quad partnership among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States to take on challenges ranging from health security to climate to emerging technologies." Since previous US president Donald Trump announced the Indo-Pacific strategy in 2017, the administration has been projecting Quad as the Asian version of NATO, with the aim of constraining, if not containing, China's "growing power and influence" in the region. Seen as an informal coordination platform during the 2004 tsunami relief and rescue operations, the four countries' partnership has transformed into a security grouping. Not only have the collaboration and activities among the four sides intensified, the level of dialogue has also been upgraded from meetings among ministerial-level officials to summits between heads of state or government. In fact, soon after assuming office in January, Biden upgraded the grouping by convening a virtual Quad summit, the groups' first, and issuing the first joint statement with the leaders of the other three countries. The Quad's agenda, too, has been expanded, from focusing on ideas of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and a "rule-based order" to a wide range of issues including pandemic response and vaccine distribution, fighting climate change, securing supply chains, and combating terrorism. The four countries have also engaged in joint military exercises in the Indian and Pacific oceans. For the US, the Quad is an act of realignment in a bid to implement its new strategy for the Asia-Pacific region in the age of "great power competition", a concept first mentioned in the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy Report and National Security Strategy during the Trump administration. In the two documents, China and Russia were identified as "strategic competitors" of the US. Even the newly published Interim National Security Strategic Guidance highlights the US' "growing rivalry with China, Russia". It had become evident even before the documents were released that the US was desperate to develop the Quad into a formal security partnership to target China, along with Russia. The economic "coercion" and "threats of free navigation" in the Indo-Pacific region are conveniently phrased at times to show the four countries face common challenges and therefore should respond to them with cohesion. To cope with China's "challenge", the Biden administration recently introduced a new "Pacific Deterrence Initiative", which is aimed at developing more advanced weapons systems and deploying them along strategic maritime routes in the region, including the planned deployment of nuclear-powered submarines off the coast of Australia. For its part, Japan is collaborating with the US by meddling in cross-Straits affairs and by deploying missiles and troops on its island near Taiwan, which is an integral part of China. As for India, once wary of the US' efforts to form a coalition against China, it seems determined to deepen its defense ties with the US and play a more active role in the Quad including in joint naval exercises, such as the US-India-Japan naval drill called "Exercise Malabar". Yet the Quad is only one of the key security groupings the US has formed in the region. The Five Eyes intelligence alliance and newly formed AUKUS(Australia, the United Kingdom and the US) have their own roles to play in US-led alignment systems. However, those security groupings will destabilize the Asia-Pacific instead of helping maintain peace and stability in the region for three main reasons. First, security groupings or alliances might have served some purpose during the Cold War era, but they don't have any use in today's globalized world where no issue can be solved by one country or security grouping alone. Cooperation, rather than strategic competition, is the only way countries can meet the challenges facing the world, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, security groupings are formed to target a set of rival states. But the formation of such groupings will prompt those "rivals" to engage in an arms race to ensure their survival and security. And an arms race, which could lead to nuclear proliferation, cannot help maintain regional stability. And third, the Indo-Pacific will be free and open if free trade is promoted and the economic integration among countries is intensified. Divisive competitions and exclusive groupings are not conducive to free navigation and maritime communication. It is still too early to say whether the Quad will develop into a full-fledged and binding security alliance, because it will not be easy for the Quad countries to make the solemn commitment to militarily defend any of the four in case it is attacked or faces a war. Moreover, the Quad countries have complex, non-zero-sum ties with China, and with Russiaand China is the top trade partner of all the four countries. So would not be appropriate to call the Quad an "Asian NATO". Thanks to its rapid economic development, China has become a hub of economic and trade activities and the most powerful engine driving global growth. And despite the Sino-US disputes have intensifying, countries in the region are reluctant to take sides between China, a trade partner, and the US, a security patron. But unfortunately, the gap between economic and security clout has widened in Asia. So, in order to change divergence into convergence, the US and China should make efforts to reduce their disputes and work together to meet the common challenges the countries in this dynamic region are facing. The author is a professor of international studies at Peking University. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily. BEIJING, Sept. 24 -- A naval far-sea training fleet under the PLA Southern Theater Command held a joint naval drill with the Singaporean Navy in waters near Singapore on September 22, local time. A total of five ships from the two sides, including the guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile frigates and comprehensive supply ship, participated in the drill. By Ji Cheng Australia's Collins-class submarine in active duty The US, the UK and Australia announced on September 15 to form a new military alliance called AUKUS, under which the US and the UK will provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology and help it form a nuclear submarine fleet as a demonstration of the alliance's early-stage cooperation. This means Canberra has unilaterally torn apart its USD 66billion (about RMB 438.9 billion) deal with France of 12 conventional submarines. The nuclear submarine cooperation among Washington, London and Canberra further reflects the conflicts and rifts within the western world and exposes relevant countries exercise of double standards on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation. The step may cause overspill effects that will aggravate the arms race among regional countries and sabotage regional peace. France responded most vehemently to the nuclear submarine deal among AUKUS. French foreign minister and defense minister issued a joint statement on September 15 accusing the US of forcing France to give up its submarine procurement agreement with Australia and pushing it out of the structural partnership with Australia, which is indeed an unpredictable stab in the back. It also slammed Canberras betrayal of their spirit of cooperation as unacceptable. As a result, France canceled celebrations at the French Embassy in the United States to mark the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Chesapeake Bay. On September 17, French President Macron called back French ambassadors to the US and Australia to discuss Canberras unilateral breach of the agreement. New Zealand, also a member of the Five Eyes alliance, felt indignant at Australias development of nuclear submarines, and its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand will continue to implement the ban on nuclear-powered vessels that took effect in 1985, and would never allow Australias nuclear submarines to enter its waters. Adam Bandt, Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens, didnt support Morrisons choice and compared nuclear submarines to a floating Chernobyl in the current maritime security environment. Canberra blindly following Washingtons military strategy will put itself at the forefront of an escalated regional conflict and that doesnt fit its position as a middle power. Besides, considering the long period needed for the design and construction of nuclear submarines, and the long talks about related sensitive technologies, even Morrison has to admit that the submarine may not be able to serve until 2040. In her recent State of the Union address, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said what has held us back until now is not just a shortfall of capacity it is the lack of political will. After the recent incident, France, as the chief proponent of EU integration, has displayed a strong will to reinforce Europes strategic independence. Taking the opportunity of hosting the Summit on European defence next year, it will definitely take steps to further converge the parties and get ready for taking military interventions without the participation of NATO. As nuclear states, the US and the UK have strictly restricted and suppressed the nuclear programs of countries like Iran, yet they are now supporting Australia in developing military-use nuclear technologies such practice of double standards is indeed too flagrant and outrageous. In the meanwhile, as a contracting party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, Australias insistence on developing nuclear submarines incurs questions on its sincerity in honoring its commitment under the treaties. Trying to forge an exclusive regional security alliance based on their Cold War and zero-sum mindset and ideology, the US, the UK and Australia will exacerbate the arms race among relevant countries and undermine the enduring peace and stability in the region. General Li Zuocheng (2nd L, front), member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, attends the meeting of chiefs of general staff of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Orenburg Oblast, Russia on September 23, 2021. (Photo by Li Xiaowei) ORENBURG, Russia, Sept. 24 -- The Chiefs of General Staff of the armed forces of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states held a meeting at the Donguz training range in Orenburg Oblast, Russia on September 23. General Li Zuocheng, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, attended the meeting. The Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorist military exercise held by the armed forces of the SCO member states is also going on at the Donguz training range. Since its establishment in 2001, by upholding the banner of "Shanghai spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development, the SCO has played an important role in promoting regional development, security and stability in the past two decades. Participants of the meeting exchanged views on the current international and regional situations, security challenges and further cooperation of military security. They also expressed concern about the new risks in the situation of Afghanistan posed by the hasty withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, and signed jointly the minutes of the meeting of chiefs of general staff of the SCO member states. In addition, participants of the meeting observed the Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorist military exercise and all agreed that this exercise has improved the coordination capacity of the militaries of the SCO members in fighting against the international terrorist forces. On the same day, General Li Zuocheng met with Russias Chief of General Staff General Valery Gerasimov. By Li Chun ORENBURG, Russia, Sep.24 -- The main stage drill of the SCO Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorism military exercise was at the Donguz training range in Orenburg Oblast, Russia on September 23 local time. During the drill, resisting drone-based attacks has become a highlight, and the practical significance behind which is more worthy of attention. In resisting drone-based attacks, the primary point is to detect the drones in time, and then, the electro-magnetic interference and concentrated fire strikes should be adopted to destroy the drones, according to Gu Zhiheng, a reconnaissance commander assigned to a combined-arms brigade under the PLA Northern Theater Command. Gu added that in this joint exercise, tough destruction with concentrated fire strikes has been applied in countering the drones attacks, which imposed higher requirements on operation accuracy and became a test of the participating troops capabilities. The drones have been more and more widely used on the battlefield due to the small appearance, difficulty in detection, low cost, easy availability, agile maneuverability, and flexible application. Nevertheless, they were also utilized by terrorist organizations worldwide, frequently seen in terrorist attacks in recent years. Senior Colonel Li Shuyin, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA, pointed out that being dedicated to countering large-scale terrorist attacks against the SCO member states launched by terrorist organizations worldwide within the framework of the SCO, the series of Peace Mission joint exercises have to keep pace with the times and pay special attention to the new changes of war forms and operational patterns. In recent regional conflicts such as the Syrian civil war and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, drone and anti-drone operations have been a game-changer to a certain extent. There has been a view that drone groups and even drone swarms can be a special mode of future air combat, which is linked to the development of futuristic military operations, and might profoundly change the operational mode and even some rules of modern warfare. As an important member state of the SCO and also the host country of the exercise, Russia is quite experienced in fighting against drone-based attacks, said Li Shuyin. Many elements and tactics of the exercise were derived from the actual combat experience of the Russian military in recent years. It is hoped that through the training on fighting against the drones attacks by terrorists, the SCO member states could learn from each other and continuously improve their anti-terrorism capabilities. BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council firmly supports the foreign ministry in releasing the fact sheet on U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces, a spokesperson with the office said Friday. The fact sheet, released online earlier in the day, is a powerful counterblow after the United States has repeatedly slandered the Chinese government's governance over Hong Kong and brazenly imposed so-called sanctions on Chinese government officials, said the spokesperson when responding to a journalist request for comments. The spokesperson pointed out that through the fact sheet, people can tell how hard, nakedly and unscrupulously the United States had been working to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and lend support to anti-China, destabilizing forces. The solid evidence provided by the document can help people develop a better understanding of the "double standards" the United States has been applying on issues of democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, the hegemonic nature of the U.S. obsession with acting as a preacher dictating others and the evil intention of Washington in its attempts to contain China's development by destabilizing Hong Kong, the spokesperson said. "However, the U.S. indulgence in wishful thinking will not work after all," the spokesperson said, noting that following the enforcement of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and improvements to the region's electoral system, Hong Kong is resuming stability and advancing toward prosperity. No intervention from external forces can shake the firm determination of the Chinese government to fully and accurately implement the policy of "one country, two systems," nor can it stop the "one country, two systems" ship from continuing to cleave through the waves, the spokesperson said. Chinas top diplomat Thursday urged a virtual conference of G20 foreign ministers to end economic sanctions against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to help the country tackle a looming humanitarian crisis and an economic meltdown. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the conference, which took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, that member states of the G20 -- as the premiere global platform for international economic cooperation -- are obligated to play a "constructive role" in helping the South Asian nation. "All kinds of unilateral sanctions or restrictions on Afghanistan should be lifted," said Wang. The Islamist Taliban's return to power last month prompted the United States to freeze billions of dollars held in its reserve for Kabul while the World Bank and International Monetary Fund both halted Afghanistan's access to developmental funding. "Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves are its national assets and should be owned by and used for the people, rather than being used as a bargaining chip to exert political pressure on Afghanistan," Wang told the conference, which was focused on the situation in Afghanistan. The United States and other countries have called on the Taliban to put together an inclusive government that includes respect for human rights, and to desist from bringing back their harsh Islamist rule, before any direct engagement or diplomatic recognition can occur. "China calls on G20 members to actively take practical steps to help Afghanistan ease the current liquidity stress," Wang said. He went on to urge international financial institutions to also provide financing support for the Afghan poverty reduction, sustainable development, livelihood and infrastructure projects. Wang also called for redoubling efforts and speeding up the provision of humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs of Afghan citizens. He said Beijing has decided to provide around $31 million "worth of related materials" to Kabul, including the donation of COVID-19 vaccine doses. In August, a Chicago pharmacist was arrested after being accused of selling dozens of authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay. In July, a naturopathic physician in Northern California was arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 immunization treatments and forged vaccination cards. U.S. Customs officials in Cincinnati, Ohio, intercepted five shipments containing 1,683 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and 2,034 fake Pfizer inoculation stickers since August 16. The shipments from China were headed to private homes and apartments in the states o Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New York and Texas. 'A Type of Fraud' Legal experts compare phony vaccine cards to counterfeit money or fake drivers' licenses. "It's a type of fraud," says Wesley Oliver, professor of law at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "There's another theory that you are stealing from the government their insignia and their imprimatur that you are in fact vaccinated, and both are just sort of different styles of the same crime." President Joe Biden recently called on all businesses with 100 or more employees to require their workers either be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 once a week. A global cybersecurity company reports that the price of fake vaccine cards and the numbers of people selling them shot up since Biden announced the vaccine mandate in early September. Pretending to be vaccinated trespasses on other people's rights, according to Boston University law professor Christopher Robertson. "Part of the free enterprise system is we decide where we want to go, and who we want to interact with and on what terms. And so, it really is an invasion of everyone else's bodily integrity, their security, and knowing that they can be safe going into a place that's requiring proof of vaccination," Robertson says. "It's kind of similar to battery in exposing someone to risk that they didn't consent to be exposed to." Exposing Others to Risk Last month, 15 people in New York were charged in connection with selling and buying phony COVID-19 vaccine cards. A woman who called herself @AntiVaxMomma on Instagram stands accused of selling 250 fake vaccination certificates for about US$200 per card. A second suspect, a 27-year-old medical clinic worker, allegedly charged an extra $250 to enter fake vaccine data for at least 10 people into New Yorks immunization database. Front-line health care and essential workers are among the people accused of buying the phony cards. The idea of health care workers falsifying their vaccination status terrifies cancer patient Diana Martinez, who lives in California. She is one of millions of Americans with an impaired immune system, which makes it harder for her body to fight off disease. She dreads the thought of getting on an elevator with an unmasked, unvaccinated person. "They don't understand how they look to me. It's like someone has jumped on with a loaded gun," Martinez says. "Those few moments when I'm just trying to get up to my doctor's floor, they may have infected me. They may have ended my life because my immune system is so compromised that I'm more vulnerable to whatever they might be spreading." Martinez could be especially vulnerable because the COVID-19 vaccines may not be as effective in people with suppressed immune systems. For example, Martinez's physician finds that patients with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, don't respond as well as healthy people do to mRNA vaccines, like the ones produced by Pfizer and Moderna. "We found that in the patients who got the vaccination, that 45 percent had a normal response, 22 percent had an impaired response, and 33 percent had no response," says Dr. James Berenson, founder and president of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research in West Hollywood, California. Berenson adds that the list of people with compromised immune systems include "older folks, those who are on immunosuppressive therapies like patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, people on therapies that are trying to tamp down the immune system." 'Wide Latitude' for Penalties When it comes to suspects charged with buying and selling phony vaccination certificates, the judges are certain to look at who was harmed by the alleged crime, according to Oliver. "Basically, people are buying the right to take a risk with other people's lives. That's not something that we typically see in criminal law," Oliver says. "The real harm that you've done is create a risk to the population. And with most crimes, the degree of harm that you create, or the risk of physical harm, is part of the sentencing scheme." Which could mean that health care workers, or those who work in nursing homes, involved in the buying or selling of forged vaccine cards could face worse penalties. "The more people you put at risk, the more vulnerable the population put at risk, clearly, the more harshly you're going to be sentenced," Oliver says. The integrity of the entire vaccination card system is at stake, Robertson says. "It's similar to forging money. If half of all the currency in circulation was actually fake, then nobody could trust the currency at all," he says. "When we do detect it, we really have to drop the hammer and make that deterrent signal clear to the public, that we're not messing around, that lives are at stake." Judges have wide latitude when it comes to sentencing. When making their decision, they consider both physical and financial harm caused by the perpetrator, according to Oliver. He estimates that if convicted, vaccine card fakers could face anywhere from probation to up to 20 years in prison. Berenson hopes judges will deliver harsh punishments that encourage people in the broader community to look beyond themselves and focus on the big picture. "We're all in this together. Its not about you -- it's about the bigger good. You need to think about the bigger good," the cancer physician says. "So, if you get vaccinated, we can get rid of this. And if you actually wear a mask and socially distance, there's no place for the virus to go. If you don't, this is going to go on and on and on for years." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday that it would take "time" and "actions" to repair ties with the U.S. in the wake of a submarine deal that undercut a French agreement to supply Australia with diesel subs. Last week, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia announced a deal under which the U.K. and U.S. will instead supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The move angered France, which withdrew its ambassadors from the U.S. and Australia. Genres : Horror and Thriller : Horror and Thriller Running Time : 91 min. : 91 min. Directed by : Nia DaCosta : Nia DaCosta Starring : Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Synopsis : A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began. The company said Thursday that it will supply DiaTrust antigen test kits that were developed jointly with Humasis, which specializes in rapid diagnostic kits. Celltrion has signed a W738.2 billion contract to supply rapid coronavirus test kits to the U.S. Department of Defense (US$1=W1,173). Celltrion's U.S. subsidiary will be supplying 25,000 kits to military installations, nursing homes and regional testing centers by September 2022. "The contract price was the highest among bidders, so it's a mark of confidence that we won the order in spite of the 'Buy American Act,'" the company said. DiaTrust is capable of detecting COVID-19 infections in just 15 minutes by causing the coronavirus to react to an antibody attached to the test kit. The Korean bio company obtained expedited U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the rapid test kits in April this year. It also signed a W240 billion contract last December to supply DiaTrust kits to Prime Healthcare in the U.S. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday issued a warning against "rogue state" North Korea's development of nuclear weapons that threaten the U.S. and its allies. The warning came after the International Atomic Energy Agency earlier this week said the North is resuming production of weapons-grade nuclear materials. In a report as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act submitted on Wednesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee said North Korea "continues to pursue publicly announced plans to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads, tactical nuclear weapons, multiple independently targetable nuclear reentry vehicles for missiles, solid-fuel ballistic missiles of varying ranges, nuclear propulsion systems for submarines, and hypersonic boost-glide vehicles to threaten the United States and its allies in the region." Immersed in Wenchang culture, people propel charitable culture By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-23 19:22 Built in the late Ming Dynasty (around 1600), Wenchang Palace has been a historical and cultural hotspot in Jinqiao, Pudong. As a symbol of the regional culture, it is also a carrier of charity, philanthropy and Chinese traditional virtues. As the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day of China approach, some Chinese and expats gathered at Wenchang Palace to experience traditional culture and discuss the future of charity. Coming from Taiwan, China, a lady surnamed Wang introduced to the audience that Wenchang culture is also cherished in Taiwan. She also brought a youzi (meaning grapefruit in English), which carries the meanings of blessing of the children and children away from home, implying overseas Chineses wishes for reuniting with their family. Emmy from the Netherlands is a writer and photographer. An avid lover of the profound Chinese history, she was amazed by the unique architectural carvings and plaques of Wenchang Palace. Frenchman Ferasse has been working in Shanghai since 2004 and fell in love with the Biyun International Community thanks to its livable and friendly atmosphere. Living and working here, his family and his children are willing to participate in charitable activities in the community, and he is really looking forward to what Pudongs Golden Central Ring will be like in the next decade. At the event, representatives of public welfare organizations in Shanghai also shared their stories and experiences of volunteering services, from promoting Chinese culture and supporting children in remote areas to helping rural revitalization and caring for the mental health of the elderly. Ms. Zeng from the Wenchang Palace Sinology Center gave an introduction to its cultural courses in Tai Chi and Qin Dao (way of the Chinese guqin) over the past five years as well as its activities held for the international families in the community. Mr. Wu, a Hong Konger and the founder of a charitable foundation, shared how he and his team helped underprivileged students in Yunnan and Guizhou, adding that he was glad to have witnessed those excellent childrens growth. The participants jointly advocated carrying forward the Chinese culture of worshipping virtue and kindness and working together to develop cultural charities. The organizer of the event, the Jinchen Green Cultural Charity Center, also invited a TCM physician and a calligraphy artist to impart knowledge about the TCM regimen and Chinese calligraphy to the guests. As Dr. Chen from Hudong Hospital said, in TCM, Taoism is the core of preserving health and it stresses preventive treatment of diseases and nourishing both the heart and the mind. Apart from the cultural lectures, people also enjoyed traditional music and Mid-Autumn Festival snacks. (Photos provided by Jinchen Green Cultural Charity Center) TCM specialized service centers to cover citys 16 districts By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-24 17:11 By the end of 2021, TCM specialized service centers will cover all of the citys 16 districts, said the municipal health commission. Citizens will then be able to enjoy at their doorstep TCM services by famed physicians. With the help of the Shanghai TCM Consortium (consisting of famous TCM hospitals), the establishment of the first batch of branded centers in the 16 districts will be completed by October. The confirmed list of the centers is as follows: Tianshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, specializing in tumors and bone injuries Jinshan District Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, specializing in acupuncture and anorectal treatment Baoshan District Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, specializing in anorectal treatment Pudong New Area Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in bone injuries Jiaxing Community Health Service Center, specializing in acupuncture, tuina, and skin treatment Qingpu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in anorectal and mental disorders Jingan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in pediatrics Jingan District Central Hospital, specializing in mental disorders Minhang District Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, specializing in lung and kidney diseases Fengxian District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in nephropathy, spleen and stomach diseases Xuhui District Central Hospital, specializing in acupuncture and rehabilitation Fangta Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in lung disease Huangpu District Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital, specializing in acupotomology The Second Peoples Hospital of Chongming District, specializing in rehabilitation Yangpu District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, specializing in TCM blood treatment Jiading District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, specializing in encephalopathy and pediatrics Putuo District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, specializing in encephalopathy, spleen and stomach diseases Copyright 1995 - . 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While the Muntinlupa court allowed De Lima to attend via Zoom the online memorial service, she was barred from giving a eulogy, comment, media interview, and any form of communication at any time during the furlough. De Lima's former colleagues in the PNoy Cabinet at one point asked her to sing several songs but since her mic was muted by the PNP Custodial Center personnel, she just waved her hands to the tune of "Betcha by Golly Wow" by the Stylistics and "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor being sung by her colleagues. Former Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, who served as the moderator during the event, acknowledged De Lima's presence, saying that the lady Senator from Bicol would have been the first to give a message for Soliman had she been allowed by the Court. "Hi Leila. Mukhang 'di ka pwedeng magsalita, but she is here," said Lacierda, sharing that De Lima is using the Zoom account handled by a PNP Custodial Center official in Camp Crame where she is unjustly detained. Attendees, including Soliman's husband, Atty. Hector Soliman, sent their regards and love to De Lima who was clad in a black and white dress with her signature scarf, and wearing face mask and face shield conformably with existing strict custodial safety protocols. "Mahal ka ni Dinky," Hector Soliman told De Lima. "Dinky had a very special place in her heart for you. Alam mo yan. And we always like to visit you. Sana lumaya ka na. We'll always pray for you... Meron kang kakampi. Ipagdasal po natin ang isa't isa upang tayo ay ganap na lumaya sa ating sitwasyon," Atty. Soliman added. Other attendees for their part, sent their messages for De Lima via Zoom chatbox such as "We are praying for you, Sen. Leila" and "Laban Leila." "Much as Senator Leila would want to deliver her own eulogy or message for Sec. Dinky, unfortunately, our request to allow her to do so was denied by the court," said Atty. Dino De Leon, one of the Senator's legal counsels and Spokesperson, who was also present during the gathering. "Sen. Leila extends her deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Sec. Dinky. She also extends her warm regards to her colleagues in the PNoy Cabinet," he added. De Lima filed a "Very Urgent Motion for E-Furlough" last Sept. 22 asking the Muntinlupa RTC, Branch 256 to allow her to attend the online memorial service for Soliman, who passed away last Sept. 19, and to personally give her eulogy. "To properly pay her respect and tribute to former Secretary Soliman who selflessly served the Filipino people, particularly the poor and marginalized, and to give her personal condolences to the bereaved family, albeit virtually, in consideration of the close professional and personal relationship formed between them, Accused De Lima seeks for the Honorable Court to grant this e-furlough," the motion read. In his Order, Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura of the Muntinlupa RTC 256 prohibited De Lima from giving her eulogy during the online memorial service saying that there is a "great likelihood that whatever the accused may say during the online memorial service will pique the interest of the media and the public in general given her public stature." Many personalities and netizens immediately expressed their disappointment in the said decision, such as former Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III who twitted, "She [Senator Leila] wanted permission from the court to virtually attend Dinky's wake to give a eulogy. Court apparently decided for humanity's sake she could attend via Zoom; but it would be impolitic to let her speak because of danger it might have a public impact. Put her on your 2022 list." Attended by Soliman's family, friends, and former colleagues, the online service called "Sunflower Celebrations for Dinky" was marked by a Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Bobby Yap, which was followed by tributes for Sec. Dinky. Recently, the Senate unanimously adopted Senate Resolution No. 913 honoring Soliman for her invaluable contributions to the field of social work as a distinguished public servant exemplified by her lifelong crusade to uplift the quality of life of the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of society. It was filed by De Lima, along with Minority Senator Franklin M. Drilon, Risa Hontiveros and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan. *** Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Undelivered Tribute/ Message for Sec. Dinky Soliman (23 September 2021) To Sec. Dinky's family and loved ones: To Hec, Dino and Marikit, my deepest condolences; to my dear colleagues in the PNoy Cabinet, friends, good evening! This is such an incredible moment for me to be with all of you, albeit virtually; a rare moment to rekindle our special ties as one happy official family of our dear late President, thru a collective tribute to a most special colleague, Sec. Dinky. Chair Karina. Sec. Mon J. PNoy. And now, Sec. Dinky. Palalim nang palalim ang balon ng lungkot na nararamdaman ko. Pero kahit nakailang iyak na, hindi maubos ang luha ko sa tuwing maaalala ko sila. Alam nyo po, noong Linggo, during my usual prayer session at around 5:30 in the morning, bigla kong naisip si Sec. Dinky. I was asking, "Kumusta na kaya siya?" And I felt a strong longing to see her. I then prayed hard for her. So I was shocked when, at past 9:00 a.m. of the same day, I got the sad, heartbreaking news. Pakiramdam ko, dumaan muna sa'kin dito sa quarters ko si Sec. Dinky before she breathed her last at around 7:32 a.m. So typical of Sec. Dinky. Hindi makatiis na hindi magparamdam. Sec. Dinky was always there for me. She was there in my Senate office, filled with emotions, on the night before I turned myself in to the arresting authorities in February 2017. Months before that, she, along with other women warriors who now comprise #EveryWoman, were up in arms against those shameless misogynists at the House who ganged up on me and besmirched my dignity. She was there in one of the court hearings, na kasama pa nya sina Chair Karina and Sec. Ging, at kung saan ay tinarayan pa nila dun yung tumetestigo laban sa akin, na kakampi dapat o dating kakampi, pero sa hindi maintindihang dahilan, ay nagpagamit sa mga oppressors ko. She was thereeither as a prime mover or active participantin all the milestone events organized in the past 4 years which highlight my status as a prisoner of conscience. Her regular visits to me here at Camp Crame, usually together with Chair Karina and Sec. Ging, and other members of Tindig Pilipinas, were among my most precious moments. Those were sessions of fun, happy memories, konting tsismisan, sharing insights on burning issues, and yes, outpouring of frustrations and rage over the many unbelievable and appalling things we have been witnessing and struggling to live with since 2016. Sec. Dinky unconditionally and wholeheartedly offered her assistance in our shared causes. She was there, giving guidance and valuable inputs to my staff when our office was crafting the 4Ps Institutionalization bill, which I was honored to champion, successfully, at the Senate. Siya ang tunay na Ina ng 4Ps, the driving force behind this landmark program and many other initiatives for the uplifting and the empowerment of the vulnerable and the marginalized. She graciously accommodated my staff's request to guest in one of the episodes of "ACRONYM: Work from Prison," where for an hour, she comprehensively explained the beauty and benefits of 4Ps. I was told that it was one of the most watched episodes of said online program. Pambihira talaga ang tulad ni Sec. Dinky. Ibang kumalinga at sumuporta. Kung gaano siya kasipag magtrabaho, ganoon din karami ang energy niya para magpasaya at mang-aliw sa mga kaibigan at katrabaho - yung mga kantahan at sayawan natin noon sa mga gatherings with PNoy. I certainly miss those moments with our dear PNoy. So, tonight, I honor and thank Sec. Dinky with all my heart, and love. With all of you here, I give my last respects to an indefatigable freedom fighter and champion of social justice and social development, a staunch ally and defender, an extraordinary woman and a great friend. With a grieving heart, I bid goodbye to our Big and Little Sister in the Cabinet. Little in sheer physical size, yet big, nay, a giantess in her convictions, her zeal for life and selfless service, and her outstanding achievements. Paalam, Sec. Dinky, at maraming maraming salamat. (Note: The above were just some of the thoughts Sen. De Lima wanted to share in the Sept. 23 memorial service hosted by the PNoy Cabinet members. She intended to articulate more her feelings and tribute for Sec. Dinky, if only she was allowed to speak.) Press Release September 24, 2021 Comelec budget held in abeyance until voter registration issue is resolved Drilon calls Comelec refusal to extend voter registration a clear case of voter suppression Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon lambasted the Commission on Election's continued refusal to extend the voter registration, saying it is tantamount to voter suppression. "It is a clear voter suppression regulation. You suppress the right of the voter to vote. That is a cardinal sin in our democratic system of government," said Drilon at the Senate hearing on the proposed budget of the poll body for 2022. "The refusal to extend the registration period is clearly a regulation to suppress the right to vote," Drilon said in a separate statement. Drilon moved to defer the budget of the Comelec until the issue is resolved. The Comelec cited its resolution fixing the calendar for voter's registration. But Drilon, a former justice secretary, said the Comelec resolution is "illegal" as it is clear in the law that the voter's registration should be conducted daily until 120 days before a regular election. "Strictly speaking, a qualified voter is given until January 8, 2022 or 120 days before the May 2022 elections to register. Therefore, the request of Congress to extend the voter's registration by 30 days is consistent with Section 8 of RA 8189," Drilon explained. Section 8 of Republic Act No. 8189 states that "The personal filing of application of registration of voters shall be conducted daily in the office of the Election Officer during regular office hours. No registration shall, however, be conducted during the period starting one hundred twenty (120) days before a regular election and ninety (90) days before a special election." "Your reliance on your own resolution is out of place. In my humble opinion, it is illegal and a violation of the Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court interpreting election laws," Drilon said. "I am saddened by the statement of the Comelec na kung may pondo lang ang extension ibibigay po namin iyan. It is not for you to give. Karapatan ng taumbayan na magrehistro at bumoto. Nagpasya ang Kongreso. There is no discretion granted to you by Congress," Drilon emphasized. The Senate had recently adopted a resolution urging the Comelec to extend the deadline for voter registration. Drilon appealed to the Comelec to reconsider its decision given that the pandemic has made it difficult for voters to register. The Comelec is asking Congress for a P4.307 billion regular budget for 2022. This is on top of the P13.63 billion allocated for the conduct of the national and local elections next year. US President Joe Biden backed the two-state solution during his speech at the 76th UN General Assembly, insisting that a sovereign and democratic Palestinian state is the best way to ensure the Jewish states future. We must seek a future of greater peace and security for all people of the Middle East, Biden said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly. The commitment of the United States to Israels security is without question and our support for an independent Jewish state is unequivocal, he said. But I continue to believe that a two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israels future as a Jewish democratic state, living in peace alongside a viable, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state, he said. Starvation is threatening some 16 million people in war-torn Yemen as food rations will be cut in October amid lack of funding, the head of the UN World food program warned. David Beasley said Wednesday at a high-level meeting on Yemens humanitarian crisis that the United States, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other donors stepped up when the World Food Program was running out of money earlier this year and because of that we averted famine and catastrophe. WFP is running out of money again and without new funding reductions will be made in rations for 3.2 million people in October and for 5 million by December, he said. At a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland on March 1, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for $3.85 billion for Yemen this year. But donors pledged less than half the amount $1.7 billion, which the U.N. chief called disappointing. In the last six months, the total has grown to just over half the amount required. The high-level meeting Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assemblys annual meeting raised about $600 million, according to the European Union, which co-hosted the session with Sweden and Switzerland. That still leaves at least $1 billion unfunded. In major pledges, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $290 million in humanitarian assistance for Yemen and the European Union said it was allocating an additional 119 million euros (about $139 million) in humanitarian and development aid. Your browser does not support the video tag. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body The Office of International Programs is offering several non-credit Chinese language and culture courses this fall. All courses are free and will be taught by Taiwanese visiting scholar, Ms. Ssu-Yu Chang. Interested participants do not need any previous experience speaking or writing in Mandarin to register. Registration is open and available to all Auburn University faculty, staff and students. Space is limited per course, so email Ellie Lee to register now. Below is a complete list of the courses. Chinese Culture Class: Knotting: - Oct. 14 from 12-12:50 p.m. in 242 Foy Hall - Nov. 11 from 12-12:50 p.m. in 242 Foy Hall Chinese Culture Class: Calligraphy: - Oct. 28 from 12-12:50 p.m. in 242 Foy Hall Chinese Language Course: In-Person: - Oct. 11 to Nov. 19, Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 12-12:50 p.m. in 3133 Mell Classroom Building Chinese Language Course: Online via Zoom: - Oct. 11 to Nov. 19, Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 5-5:50 p.m. - Oct. 12 to Dec. 2, Tuesday/Thursday from 5-6:15 p.m. The Chinese language and culture courses are an outcome of the joint agreement signed on Sept. 1 between Auburn, the National Cheng Kung University, or NCKU, in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta. The goal of the agreement is to promote joint educational and cultural collaboration, and in turn establish a long-lasting friendship and cooperative partnership that enhances the educational experience at Auburn and NCKU. Andrew Gillespie, assistant provost for international programs, had this to say about the agreement, This is one of our partnerships that will address the goals of our University Strategic Plan and the University Strategic Internationalization Plan, strengthening high-impact teaching practices and providing for post-graduation employment for our students. With regard to our students, Auburn is well on its way to producing global citizens. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Russias Central Election Commission to check all election fraud reports RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:46 24/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI) The Central Election Commission will check all complaints about alleged cases of election fraud, the Commissions Chair Ella Pamfilova has announced. The Commission will forward all received materials to Russias regions, Investigative Committee and Prosecutor Generals Office concerning cases of the administrative pressure on voters. Moreover, the check of all 200 applications concerning alleged vote falsifications is to be conducted, she has stated. All cases will be considered publicly and in the presence of media, Pamfilova stressed. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 24, 2021 2021/09/24 CCTV: Today, China's foreign ministry published on its website the Fact Sheet: US Interference in Hong Kong Affairs and Support for Anti-China, Destabilizing Forces. Do you have further comments? Zhao Lijian: The Fact Sheet: US Interference in Hong Kong Affairs and Support for Anti-China, Destabilizing Forces gave a systematic review of the misdeeds of US interference in Hong Kong affairs and other China's internal affairs since the turbulence over the amendment bill in Hong Kong in 2019, which includes enacting Hong Kong-related bills, blatantly imposing sanctions, making unfounded charges against HKSAR affairs, shielding and supporting those anti-China, destabilizing forces and colluding with some countries to exert pressure. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, in which no country has the right to interfere. The enactment and implementation of the Law of the PRC on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR has improved the rule of law in Hong Kong, restored security and stability in Hong Kong, protected the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Hong Kong residents, and helped Hong Kong to achieve the turnaround from chaos to stability. The US attempt to play the "Hong Kong card" to undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and contain China's development is doomed to fail. The US side should earnestly respect China's sovereignty, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs, stop undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. It must refrain from supporting and emboldening anti-China, destabilizing forces. Otherwise, it would only shoot itself in the foot and end up severely hurting its own interests in Hong Kong. China will make firm and strong reactions to US interference in Hong Kong affairs. Hubei Media Group: According to reports, on September 21, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in his statement at the general debate of the UN General Assembly denounced US willful withdrawal from the JCPOA and its sanctions on Iran amid COVID-19. He also said all parities should faithfully implement the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolutions. What is China's comment? Zhao Lijian: China noted that President Raisi declared in his statement that "nukes have no place in our defence doctrine", called for all parties to stay true to the JCPOA, and said that dialogues aimed at removing all sanctions on Iran are beneficial. China appreciates this, and believes it shows Iran's constructive attitude of upholding the JCPOA and supporting negotiations to resume compliance. China always believes that resuming full and effective implementation of the JCPOA meets common interests of all parties. As the one that started the new round of tensions in the Iranian nuclear situation, the US should redress its wrong policy of maximum pressure on Iran, lift all illegal sanctions on Iran and measures of long-arm jurisdiction on third parties, and work to resume negotiations and achieve outcomes at an early date. China will work with all parities and continue to make relentless efforts to bring the JCPOA back onto the right track. MASTV: Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga mentioned the issues of the East China Sea, the South China Sea and economic coercion in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some media say these remarks seem to be hinting at China. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: "Lying diplomacy" and "smearing diplomacy" are not constructive at all and must be put to a stop. China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. China is ready to continue to properly handle differences with countries concerned through consultation and negotiation. The origin and headquarters of the so-called "economic coercion" are in Washington D.C.. China does not wantonly bully others and impose sanctions, exercise long-arm jurisdiction, or arbitrarily oppress foreign companies. China can by no means be accused of "economic coercion". The Paper: The High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly to Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action was held on September 22. We noticed the US and a few other Western countries were absent from the meeting. What is China's comment? Zhao Lijian: The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is a banner for the global anti-racism movement and a shared commitment of all countries. The US and a few Western countries blatantly rejected and were absence from the meeting. This invites suspicion over their will to oppose racism and participate in international anti-racism cooperation. It was exactly these countries that committed genocide against indigenous people, and adopted colonist, invasive and exploiting policies overseas. In the 21st century, severe racial discrimination, hate crime, judicial injustice, wealth gap and other problems still plague these countries. Tragedies of "I can't breathe" is heartbreaking. These countries should face the inglorious history squarely, take real actions to eliminate racism and fundamentally improve the living conditions of minorities. They should not stay evasive, or even be afraid of making a gesture. Eliminating racism in all its forms and ensuring that everyone is equal in dignity and rights is the spirit of the UN Charter and a manifestation of international fairness and justice. The international community should adopt a zero-tolerance attitude toward racism, break the vicious cycle of social inequality and racism, and leave no individual and no country behind. China supports the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and will continue its implementation. China will work with all countries in unrelenting efforts to eliminate racism and build a world of equality for all. NHK:The US, Japan, Australia and India will hold a security dialogue in the US and discuss issues including a response to China's growing impact in the Asia-Pacific. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China always believes that any regional cooperation mechanism should not target or harm the interests of a third party. A closed, exclusive clique targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and the aspirations of regional countries. It will find no support and is doomed to fail. China has always been an advocate of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order and a provider of public goods. The growth of China's strength means the growth of force for world peace. As a responsible major country, China's contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world is there for all to see. Relevant countries should view China's development in a correct light and do more to promote solidarity and cooperation among countries in the region. Associated Press of Pakistan: On September 23, the 10th Joint Coordination Committee meeting of China Pakistan Economic Corridor was held via video link. Senior officials from Pakistan and China attended it. I wonder if you have any comment on it? Zhao Lijian: On September 23, the 10th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was held via video link. Leaders of China's National Development and Reform Commission and Pakistan's Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives co-chaired the meeting, which was attended by about 200 representatives from government agencies, financial institutions, enterprises and public institutions of the two countries. At the meeting, the two sides announced the establishment of a joint working group on information technology industry, signed a number of cooperation documents and announced the signing of cooperation agreements between enterprises. Congratulations on the successful meeting and relevant outcomes! China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners of cooperation. The CPEC is a landmark and pilot program under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since its launch in 2013, the CPEC has achieved fruitful and remarkable results. China is ready to work with Pakistan to earnestly implement the important common understanding reached by the leaders of the two countries and the outcomes of the JCC meeting. We will stick to the "1+4" cooperation model centering on the CPEC and focusing on Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure development and industrial cooperation, in an effort to increase the utilization rate of existing infrastructure. We will highlight the cooperation in health, green economy and digitization, step up cooperation in industries, science and technology, agriculture and people's livelihood, so as to build the CPEC into a demonstration program of high-quality development under the BRI, thus contributing to the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. Bloomberg: India has recently reorganized its military into four theater commands, with one in the east that faces China. Does the foreign ministry have a comment on this? And related to that, India is considering new border management protocols because previous ones, such as keeping small arms pointed toward the ground when foot patrols meet each other on the disputed border to prevent an accident, are not working, in India's view at least, anymore. Does China think there is a need for new border management protocols? Zhao Lijian: Over the years, a series of treaties and agreements signed by China and India on maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have played an important role in upholding stability along the China-India border. The Galwan Valley incident last year was caused by the Indian side's illegal trespass of the LAC to encroach on Chinese territory, in violation of previously-signed treaties and agreements. We hope that the Indian side will strictly abide by relevant treaties and agreements signed by the two countries and take concrete actions to safeguard peace and stability in the China-India border areas. Global Times: Recent reports show that some foreign companies in China are worried about the business environment in China and expressed concern that their profitability will be challenged. What is the foreign ministry's comment on this? Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of the reports you mentioned. Yesterday, AmCham Shanghai released its annual China Business Report for the year 2021. Here is some highlights in the report: 77.1% of respondents reported profits in 2020, higher than many expected; more than 82.8% of companies projected higher revenues in 2021 than in 2020; most US companies are confident about the Chinese market and 77.9% of companies described themselves as either optimistic or slightly optimistic about the five-year business outlook; 59.5% of the companies reported increased investment in 2021 compared to 2020; 63.7% of the companies plan to hire more people in China; many companies regard China as their primary investment destination. Facts speak louder than words. I believe this report has, to some extent, reflected the positive view held by foreign companies, especially American companies. No matter how some media make one-sided reports on China's business environment and deliberately downplay the Chinese economy, foreign businesses in China have made their own choices with actions. I want to stress that China will continue to open up wider to the world at a high level. We will continue to work with other parties to share development opportunities through opening-up and win-win cooperation and provide better guarantee for foreign investors to invest and do business in China. I also want to say that it is purely political manipulation that some people in the US advocate the "decoupling" of China and the US under the pretext that US businesses operating in China take away American jobs. According to the 2021 China Business Report, nearly 80 companies surveyed said their operation in China had increased their business and job opportunities in the US. This proves once again that "decoupling" is unpopular and leads only to a dead end. Certain US individuals should listen to the rational and pragmatic voices of American companies and make the right choice. Shenzhen TV: During the 48th session of the Human Rights Council, many countries called for attention on the impact of the poisonous legacy of colonialism. Could you elaborate a little bit more about China's position on this? Zhao Lijian: A few Western countries including the US owe numerous historical debts. Through slavery, trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, expulsion and slaughter of indigenous peoples, these countries made their fortune and amassed initial funds for capital development. In the process, they caused countless tragedies. It is even more poignant that the former colonies, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples that were sacrificed by colonialism in the old days are now still victims of its poisonous legacy. They suffer from economic exploitation and systemic racial discrimination and could not enjoy basic human rights such as equal right to subsistence and development. The period 2021-2030 is the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism. Countries that once practiced or benefited from colonialism should show the political will and courage to shoulder responsibility for their historical crimes and remove the negative impact of colonialism. The international community should take the coming decade as an opportunity to jointly eliminate poisonous legacies of colonialism, promote and protect human rights, and uphold international justice. CNR: Some international scholars recently pointed out that the nuclear submarine technologies provided by the US and the UK to Australia may highly likely involve weapon-grade highly-enriched uranium (HEU) of above 93% and have nuclear proliferation risks. Iran's Permanent Representative to Vienna critically said some countries are practicing textbook double standards, as they fall silent about the US and the UK preparing to export HEU to Australia, while pointing fingers at Iranian nuclear activities. What is China's comment? Zhao Lijian: China believes that concerns of some countries and international scholars about nuclear proliferation risks posed by the nuclear submarine cooperation among the US, the UK and Australia are totally justified and legitimate. The US-UK-Australia cooperation is ill-conceived. First, the US-UK-Australia cooperation has serious nuclear proliferation risks, and violates the spirit of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). US nuclear submarines is fueled by HEU of above 90%, which is weapon-grade nuclear material. The nuclear submarine export from the US and the UK to Australia, which is a non-nuclear weapon state, means a transfer of highly sensitive nuclear material and relevant technologies and equipment. Besides, the IAEA safeguards mechanism cannot effectively monitor whether Australia would use the HEU for nuclear weapons. All these are clear to the Australian side. But it gave up purchasing conventional submarines to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK. What is Australia up to? There should be a big question mark on its sincerity to fulfill non-proliferation obligations as a non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT. Second, the US-UK-Australia cooperation only proves again that the US and the UK adopt double standards on the issue of nuclear export, which will gravely undermine the international non-proliferation efforts. The US has long been rejecting HEU export to non-nuclear weapon states to prevent the DPRK and Iran from acquiring HEU, and push for low enrichment of HEU reactors. But the US created exceptions for some countries in order to realize its geopolitical objectives. This nuclear submarine cooperation with Australia is the latest case in point. The move of the three countries will send a wrong message to the world, encourage other non-nuclear weapon states to do the same, and bring far-reaching negative impact on resolving non-proliferation hotspots in the region. Moreover, Australia's introduction of nuclear submarines will undercut the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and ASEAN countries' efforts to build a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Southeast Asia, and severely sabotage regional peace and stability. Third, for years, the US, the UK and Australia have been calling themselves leaders of international non-proliferation efforts, but the fact is quite the opposite -- they are proven to proliferate. China again urges the three countries to heed the call from the international community, abandon outdated zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concepts, revoke the wrong decision, faithfully fulfill international non-proliferation obligations and do more that benefits regional peace, stability and development. The Expedition 65 astronauts are moving full speed ahead today studying how living in space affects skin processes. The International Space Station is also gearing up for a busy period of spaceship activities. Rodents continue to be observed aboard the orbiting lab today so scientists can identify genes and observe cell functions that are impacted by weightlessness and affect skin processes. The Rodent Research-1 Demonstration will take place until next week when the mice are transferred into the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle for return and examination on Earth. NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough partnered with ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet for the space biology study today taking place inside the Kibo laboratory module. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei is assisting the astronauts with the rodent research, helping them with operations in the Life Science Glovebox. Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) spent Thursday morning exploring how weightlessness affects microbes living on the station. He extracted DNA earlier this week from microbe samples he swabbed from surfaces inside the station. Today, Hoshide prepared the DNA for onboard sequencing to help researchers understand the microbial environment of the station and future spacecraft. In the Russian segment of the orbital lab, Flight Engineers Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov are familiarizing themselves with the procedures for next week's relocation of their Soyuz MS-18 crew ship. The duo, along with Vande Hei, will take a short ride in the Soyuz on Tuesday when they undock from the Rassvet module at 8:21 a.m. EDT. They will temporarily maneuver toward the station's U.S. segment where they will photograph the orbiting lab's configuration. Shortly after that, they will move back toward the Russian segment and redock to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module module at around 9 a.m. On-orbit Status Report Payloads: BioMole: A crewmember performed surface swab sampling of the ISS surfaces to identify bacteria by extraction of DNA using the miniPCR-16 unit. The Environmental Health System (EHS) Biomole Facility non-culture-based samples can provide microbial identification on-orbit within days of sampling. The goal of this Tech Demo is to conduct comparative analysis for possible replacement of current microbial monitoring systems. Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle Schools (EarthKAM): A crewmember configured the EarthKAM D2Xs Camera with an 85mm EVA Lens. EarthKAM allows thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew's perspective. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the ISS. This enables them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique vantage point of space. The EarthKAM team then posts these photographs on the Internet for viewing by the public and participating classrooms around the world. Eklosion: A crewmember smelled the Eklosion experiment flower, read private messages, and took pictures as part of the Eklosion experiment objectives. The Eklosion investigation utilizes a vase, inspired by the VEGGIE plant growth facility, specially designed for use in the microgravity environment aboard the ISS. Eklosion contains within its hull small messages and smells from Earth for the psychological benefit of the crew member who conducts the investigation. Industrial Crystals Facility (ICF): A crewmember took photos of the Single Crystal Growth Chamber and removed and stowed ICF from the EXPRESS Rack. ICF is a small chamber that allows crystals to grow over time into large crystals appropriate for use in science labs on Earth. When grown in the microgravity environment of the ISS, the crystals are of much higher quality than those currently grown on Earth. Fiber-optic Active Dosimeter (Lumina): A crewmember transferred data from the LUMINA device and used the EveryWear App on an iPad to change the parameter settings. Lumina is an active fiber dosimeter that monitors, in real-time, the received radiation dose by exploiting the capacity of optical fibers to darken when exposed to radiation. The dosimeter provides reliable dose measurements in complex environments such as the ones associated with electrons, protons, gamma-ray, X-ray, photons, or neutrons. Rodent Research-Demonstration 1 (RR-D1): Crewmembers performed Rodent Research Experiment 3 operations. Rodent Research-Demonstration 1 (RR-D1) validates equipment and procedures for surgical techniques related to the wound healing process. Normal skin function and wound healing are important for maintaining good health, but spaceflight may impair healing of wounds in astronauts. Results from this investigation are intended to support design of a subsequent study on the effects of spaceflight on wound healing. STaARS BioScience-12: A crewmember removed the Cryotube Kit and Experiment Container Shells from the STaARS-1 Experiment Facility and placed them into cold stowage. Novel Protein Aggregation/degradation Studies in the Unique ISS Environment Provide Mechanistic Insights Relevant to Biopharmaceutical Development and Degenerative Diseases (STaARS BioScience-12) examines protein folding and aggregation under the unique stresses of space, including microgravity- and cosmic radiation-dependent folding and degradation and the combination of these factors. Biopharmaceuticals play a significant role in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases, but a challenge in making them is the instability and degradation of their proteins. This investigation may help develop new strategies to prevent protein degradation and support design of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals. Touching Surfaces: A crewmember performed the touch operations on five Touch Arrays in five different locations in the USOS segment. Previous space research conducted during short-term flight experiments and long-term environmental monitoring on board orbiting space stations (such as MIR or the ISS) suggests that the relationship between humans and microbes is altered in the crewed habitat in space. This interdisciplinary project Touching Surfaces aims to investigate novel, laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces onboard the ISS. The realistic testing of the tailor-made nanostructured antimicrobial surface in space allows for the determination of the most suitable design for antimicrobial surfaces for terrestrial applications such as public transportation and clinical settings, as well as future human space mission and habitation design. Systems: Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Last night, Robotics Ground Controllers (ROBO) powered up the MSS cameras and maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) for Materials on ISS Experiment (MISSE) operations. MISSE-FF is a permanent external platform on the ISS that is modular and robotically serviceable. Sample plates containing a variety of surface materials are exposed to the space environment outside the ISS for varying durations to inform satellite designers on how different materials degrade over time. Cargo Dragon Cargo Operations: The crew performed cargo transfer operations for Cargo Dragon SpaceX-23 (SpX-23). SpX-23 undock is scheduled for September 30th to return cargo and payloads to the ground. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery Operations Terminal Charge Terminate: Today, the crew terminated the auto-cycle / charge of EVA Li-Ion Batteries using the EVA Battery Operations Terminal (EBOT). This terminate comes after several days of post-EVA recharging following the successful USOS 4A IROSA Prep EVA on September 12th. Completed Task List Activities: None Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Activation Payload Rack Officer (PRO) Life Science Glovebox (LSG) Activation PRO Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Countermeasures System (CMS) Treadmill 2 (T2) Ground Powercycle Look Ahead Plan Friday, September 24 (GMT 267) Payloads: BIOMOLE MinION hardware stow (NASA) EarthKAM Node 2 Shutdown and stow (NASA) Food Acceptability (NASA) HRF1 PC1 Troubleshoot (NASA) ISS HAM pass (NASA) Microbial Tracking 3 Sample collect with video (NASA) Mochii Hardware removal (NASA) PILOTE VR Troubleshoot (ESA) RR-D1 3B Biopsy (NASA) Standard Measures Postsleep Questionnaire (NASA) Thermal Amine Sampling (NASA) Systems: ISS Deboost Dragon cargo ops Saturday, September 25 (GMT 268) Payloads: NanoRacks Module-9 Ops 4 (NASA) Standard Measures Saliva setup (NASA) Systems: Crew off-duty Sunday, September 26 (GMT 269) Payloads: RR-D1 Crew Review (NASA) Ring Shear Drop Sample Removal (NASA) Standard Measures Saliva collect (NASA) Systems: Crew off-duty Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. EarthKAM Node 2 85MM Lens Change Node 2 Drag Through Video Setup Rodent Research Experiment 3 Day A Eklosion Message Retrieval BioMole MELFI Retrieve BioMole Part 3: DNA Prep and Sequencing HRF PC 1 Light Status Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery Operations Terminal Charge Terminate Touching Event for the Touching Surfaces experiment Microbial Tracking-3 Environmental Sample Collection Cargo Transfer to Dragon STaARS BioScience-12 Cryotube Kit and Experiment Container Removal STaARS MELFI Cryotube Kit and Experiment Container Insertion Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus Microbial Tracking-3 Sample Iceberg Insert Industrial Crystallization Facility (ICF) Hardware Stow LUMINA data transfer and parameters changes with EveryWear Node 2 Drag Through Video Tear Down Standard Measures Pre-sleep Questionnaire Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Leading infrastructure group Besix has announced that it has completed the construction of Belgium's country pavilion for the Expo 2020 Dubai and handed it over to BelExpo, the Belgian General Commission for International Exhibitions. Designed jointly by Besix Group and the Belgian architects Vincent Callebaut and Assar, this building will showcase Belgium, its talents and its assets. The Belgian Pavilion is now part of the history of Besix and of Belgian representation at world fairs, said the statement from Belgian infrastructure group. In 2015, the company had already built the Belgian Pavilion for the Milan World Expo. After the event, Besix re-assembled it in Belgium, on top of the Citadel of Namur for the city authorities. The Belgian Pavilion in Dubai too can be dismantled and reassembled in the same way after the gala event, said the statement. Group's Deputy CEO Pierre Sironval said: "Besix is very proud to deliver to Belgium this outstanding building, both in terms of architecture and scenography. It will be one of the most emblematic pavilions of the Dubai World Expo, with its spectacular parabolic arch and its panoramic terrace offering a unique view of the Expo site." Sironval said: "In the early 2000s, it was also Besix and its subsidiary Jacques Delens which completely renovated the Atomium in Brussels. This link between us and world fairs continues even to this day and we are very proud to accompany Belgium all the way to the UAE where we have been active since 1965." For the construction of the building, Besix was able to count on Six Construct, the group's subsidiary in the Middle East. The complementarity of the teams in Brussels and Dubai was an essential factor in the success of the project, he added. Managing Director (Middle East) Olivier Crasson said: "I can only recommend visiting the Dubai World Expo. Under the theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', the event also demonstrates the UAE's commitment to actively contribute to shaping a more sustainable world." "We are very proud to have contributed to making this vision a reality, including building the inspiring and beautiful Belgian and French Pavilions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Mainland business park National Industries Park (NIP) contributes to the UAEs agenda of enhancing local food production by providing UAE-based companies with the ideal environment to thrive. The Park, which is an emerging hub for manufacturing in the Middle East and is home to over 278 companies including major retail giants, aims to improve the need for self-sufficiency by promoting the use of new technologies for food production. One of the recent success stories in NIP is that of Geap Farms, under the brand Oasis Greens, a vertical farm owned by a female entrepreneur based in Dubai. Oasis Greens grows varieties of fresh leafy greens and herbs and is the first licensed hydroponics vertical farm by NIP. With constant developments in the field of farming, the sector in the UAE is burgeoning with the introduction of new agricultural technologies. Exploring new ways of farming to grow top-notch produce, while keeping the environmental impact to a minimum is the need of the hour. Geap Farms is one such highly successful farms in the UAE that is committed to using hydroponics technology to grow fresh leafy greens and herbs. The brand harvests fresh produce every morning and delivers it right to your doorstep within hours. Nikita Patel, Founder, Geap Farms, said: It truly is an honour to be operating out of NIP, where one would seldom imagine facilities required to set up a hyperlocal farm, right in the middle of an industrial park in the city. This is the beauty and the benefit of hydroponics and vertical farming. This high-tech method of growing plants in vertical farms requires no soil and relies on 90 per cent less water compared to traditional farming. One of most the beneficial aspects of this method is the ability to reuse and recycle used water. Thus, hydroponic systems reduce water consumption and production costs, making it economical and environmentally friendly. Patel added: Oasis Greens was born out of the desire to increase access to fresh, locally grown produce on par with market prices, as well as to invest in sustainable food systems in the UAE to make our earth cleaner and greener. Since food security is a UAE government priority, our facility was essentially built to contribute to this mission. Today, we can proudly say that we have the capacity to harvest 60,000 heads of lettuce (or any other plant) in a day. We are constantly striving to amplify production and are committed to delivering nutritious, high-quality produce and excellent value to our customers and stakeholders. Vertical indoor farms are ideal for the UAEs high temperatures and arid land, providing farm-to-fork freshness, year-round. The benefits are umpteen. Produce from Oasis Farms not only uses less water, but also requires 90 per cent less land. Additionally, the year-round produce requires zero pesticides, making it safe for the Earth and to consume.--TradeArabia News Service Geap Farms leverages the competencies at NIP to grow pesticide-free, herbicide-free and non-GMO produce WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, and its sister events London Travel Week and Travel Forward, will see an array of awards and prizes given out to travel firms, organisations and professionals amid the pandemic. The global travel trade will reunite for WTM London and co-located Travel Forward both being held in person from November 1-3 and virtually on November 8-9 as well as London Travel Week from October 29-November 5, giving the industry a chance to celebrate the resilience, innovation and successes of a sector that has seen unprecedented turmoil since March 2020. Award ceremonies and competitions being held over the conference period include: Responsible Tourism Awards Submissions have come from destinations and businesses around the world to be judged by an international team of judges drawn from across the industry. The awards are the centrepiece of the Responsible Tourism Programme at WTM London. WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor Harold Goodwin said: Every year remarkable new responsible businesses and destinations are discovered and recognised through these awards. Being recognised will bring the winners a business advantage. Front Runners Travel Tech Competition More than 350 start-ups from 80 countries have signed up for this competition, which will showcase innovation to a global audience. Run by WTM London, Travel Forward and World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL), it aims to find tech-driven start-ups in three categories: Smart Mobility; Hospitality of the Future; and Experiences Revolution. Three finalists from each category will attend WTM London and Travel Forward to pitch to an international judging panel and exclusive audience of investors, industry leaders and innovators. Wanderlust Travel Awards One of the highlights of London Travel Week will be the awards ceremony held at Kensington Palace on November 2 by Wanderlust the leading consumer travel magazine. The ceremony will host the Wanderlust Reader Awards, the Wanderlust World Guide Awards and the Wanderlust Travel Awards. Wanderlust Chief Operating Officer Elliot Wellsteed-Crook said: We believe the Wanderlust Travel Awards will be a fantastic moment to bring together, and celebrate, the worlds foremost travel industry leaders in a prestigious setting. World Travel Leaders Awards This award programme is an annual recognition of companies and individuals from around the globe that have had a positive impact on a specific region or sector. The winners will be announced at WTM London on November 1. WTM London Exhibition Director Simon Press said: Our motto at WTM London 2021 is Reconnect. Rebuild. Innovate and the winners of the World Travel Leaders Awards will epitomise those values. With travel around the world beginning to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, these awards will recognise how our sector reacted with grit and determination, while introducing new ideas and forging ahead despite all the setbacks. "We hope our winners will inspire others as we move into 2022 and a strong bounce-back.-TradeArabia News Service Help India! The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called upon US President Joe Biden to raise Indias human rights situation and persecution of religious minorities in India with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. USCIRF also urged the US President to raise the issue of NRC in Assam, restrictions on religious freedom in Kashmir, deadly crackdowns on protestors and attacks on press freedom. The two leaders are scheduled to meet on Friday. Support TwoCircles TCN News WASHINGTON, D.C US President Joe Biden must confront Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the escalated violations of human rights and persecution of religious minorities in India, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said. Biden must raise the issue of Indias discriminatory citizenship law, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, the restrictions on religious freedom in Kashmir, the deadly crackdowns on protesters, the attacks on press freedom when he meets Modi on Friday, USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said here at a Congressional Briefing. An essential issue to be raised in the [Biden-Meeting] meeting is the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA, Maenza said at the Congressional Briefing titled Biden-Modi Meeting Must Focus on Human Rights Violations in India. The reality is that the CAA, in conjunction with the NRC may subject Muslims to statelessness, deportation or prolonged detention. Maenza said President Biden must discuss with Modi the spread of hate speech and false information against religious minorities [as] government officials and societal actors continue to spread fear amidst and disinformation against religious minorities, including Dalits, Adivasis, Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims. In his meeting with Modi, President Biden should also raise concerns regarding the continued enforcement of anti-cow slaughter and anti-conversion laws, she said. Twenty-one of 28 Indian states criminalize cow slaughter in various forms. These laws are often enforced against religious minorities, including Christian, Muslim, Dalit, or Adivasi (indigenous) communities, under the guise of protecting cattle. Ten Indian states possess anti-conversion laws prohibiting religious conversion based on force, allurement, inducement, or fraud; however, some contain such broad definitions that they can be interpreted as prohibiting any kind of conversion, whether consensual or not. These laws are predominately used to arrest Christians and Muslims. Maenza said Facebook and its messenger service WhatsApp continued to be used to target and facilitate violence against Indias religious minorities, especially during COVID. Civil society journalists and advocates documenting religious violence, too, were being targeted, she added. Representatives of two of the worlds most prominent rights watchdogs, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International USA, also spoke at the briefing, which was organized by 16 civil rights organizations and was attended by, among others, Congressional staff and officials from the US Department of State. Amnesty International India was targeted in a series of raids over a course of several years culminating in our closure in September 2020. The prime minister should hear from President Biden about the grave concerns we have raised about the Indian governments misuse of the police and judiciary to punish dissent and facilitate violations of human rights, declared Govind Acharya of Amnesty International. The Biden administration has the perfect opportunity this week to convey its displeasure over these human rights violations and to ask PM MODI to end these violations immediately. The facts are clear: attacks against religious minorities in India, especially Muslims, have increased especially since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, commented John Sifton, Asia advocacy director, Human Rights Watch. Prejudices embedded in the government have infiltrated independent institutions, such as the police, empowering nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and attack religious minorities with impunity. The Indian Republic is passing through a moment of immense crisis of democracy of a depth of ferocity and a reign unmatched in the 75 years of the existence of India as an independent modern nation, declared Harsh Mander of the Robert Bosch Academy. Large scale jailing of the political opposition, and suspension of media, and judicial Independence. We do see in India today what is described by many as an undeclared emergency, but because it is undeclared, it is so much more sinister. Unlike the earlier emergency. It has no end. It has a much wider, deeper social base. When President Biden meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, we hope he understands that he is also hosting, shaking hands and breaking bread with someone who has earned titles like butcher of Gujarat, modern-day Nero, whom Time Magazine called Divider in Chief, under whose watch India is downgraded as Partly Free and turned India into an autocratic democracy, said Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of the Indian American Muslim Council. Help India! Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) demanded immediate rehabilitation to the homeless as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. NEW DELHI Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof Salim Engineer has condemned the police firing and Dholpur Eviction in Assam and demanded immediate rehabilitation to the homeless as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. Support TwoCircles In a statement, the JIH Vice President said, We condemn the police firing and the eviction carried out in Assams Dholpur by the Siphajhar District administration. More than 900 families have been evicted mercilessly with utter disregard to all legal norms and international humanitarian obligations. The evicted urgently need food, shelter and legal assistance. The police firing on the homeless protestors resulted in the death of two and many seriously injured. The state government of Assam must take full responsibility for this and ensure that justice is delivered to the victims by punishing the concerned officials and police officers behind such a cruel attack. We hope that the report of the judicial enquiry is made public as soon as possible. We demand compensation of Rs.one Crore each to the families of the two deceased and Rs. 50 lakh each to the seriously injured. Prof Salim Engineer said, Ever since the BJP has come to power in Assam, it has started eviction of thousands of people in areas dominated by those from the minority community. Around 3 months back, 300 families were evicted in the Dhuburi district. Two years back, around 445 families were evicted from Chotea area of Biswanath district who are still homeless. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind wishes to point out that the Human Rights Fact Sheet 21 document issued by UN-Habitat; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has recognized the right to adequate housing contains freedoms. These freedoms include: (1) Protection against forced evictions and the arbitrary destruction and demolition of ones home; (2) The right to be free from arbitrary interference with ones home, privacy and family; and (3) The right to choose ones residence, to determine where to live and to freedom of movement. India has ratified this international law guaranteeing housing as a basic human right. The Supreme Court of India, in several judgements, has also held that the human right to adequate housing is a fundamental right emanating from the right to life protected by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. However, the BJP government in Assam does not seem to care about this legal and moral obligation. It is accusing the poor and homeless as encroachers and illegal residents that can be dispensed like criminals in a bid to demonstrate development and progress. These evictions go against the basic tenets of our Constitution and must be rolled back and instead steps should be taken to rehabilitate them suitably at the earliest. Europe's top heritage award winners 2021 (24 September 2021) - The winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe's top honour in the field, were awarded yesterday at the headquarters of the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice. The remarkable rehabilitation of the Wooden Church of Ursi Village (Romania) is the big winner of 2021: the jury granted it a Grand Prix while the general public selected it as their favourite heritage project in Europe and proud winner of this year's Public Choice Award. Some 7,000 citizens from all over Europe voted online via the Europa Nostra website. The Grand Prix laureates, chosen by the Board of Europa Nostra on recommendation by an independent jury of experts, will receive 10,000 each. More information U.S. House Passes Amendment to Support Assyrians and Yazidis The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sherman Amendment #28 to H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, expressing the sense of Congress that the U.S. should work with the Government of Iraq to achieve the voluntary and safe return of ethno-religious minorities, such as Assyrians and Yazidis, to the Nineveh Plains region of Iraq. It also requires the Secretary of State to provide a strategy on measures to support a political and security climate that allows ethno-religious minorities in the Nineveh Plain to administer and secure their own areas in cooperation with federal authorities. The API strongly advocated for and welcomed the passage of the amendment. The API-backed amendment was sponsored by Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-30). Earlier this week, it was ruled in order by the House Rules Committee which is chaired by Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02). It was adopted en bloc as part of the overall NDAA. Read the full amendment text here. "This critical amendment put forward by Congressman Sherman will help pave the way for new and informed policies that establish the conditions for the security and real equality for Assyrians and other vulnerable communities in Iraq," said Jon Koriel, API Chairman. "We thank Congressman Sherman for his persistent efforts to enable and sustain the safe return of Assyrians to their homes in the Nineveh Plain--and more broadly--for his outstanding leadership on issues of importance to the Assyrian-American community." As part of its reporting requirements, the Sherman Amendment mandates an assessment of the impact of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-300) on return rates of vulnerable, indigenous ethno-religious groups, including Assyrians and Yazidis, in those areas of the Nineveh Plains region in which funds have been spent. Through this Act, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided nearly $500 million in support of the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response initiative to help ethnic and religious minorities in northern Iraq heal and restore their communities after the genocide and ethnic cleansing campaign committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The amendment also requires a description of the progress of and ability to integrate minority forces previously trained by Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), such as the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, into the formal and permanent Iraqi state institutions. H.R. 4350 now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The Constitution requires that the House and Senate approve the same bill in precisely the same form before it is presented to the President. by Vladimir Rozanskij Islamic Republic and Azerbaijanis deploy troops and armaments on the border. Tensions resurfaced in 2018 after US withdrawal from Iranian nuclear deal. Wave of refugees amass at border with Azerbaijan. Turkey ready to help Baku 'brothers'. The shadow of tensions between Sunnis and Shiites. Azeris want a leading role in the Caucasus. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Tensions are rising on the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, with the two armies at the highest level of alert. The Iranians have deployed all of their possible firepower along the border, with a real risk of the outbreak of conflict. According to Avia.pro news agency, the Iranians have staged several war maneuvers in recent days with armored vehicles, drones, multiple rocket launchers and tactical missiles. This prompted the Azeris to deploy troops and weapon systems in turn. Tehran accuses Baku of being the primary culprit in the escalation, adding that its own maneuvers were planned for some time. Azerbaijan is aware of the clear military inferiority compared to the Islamic Republic, and this despite the already declared willingness of Turkey to help their "Azerbaijani brothers". Any slight provocation, such as setting fire to the portraits of Qasem Soleimani (Pasdaran commander killed by the U.S.) and Iranian supreme leaders in Baku, could lead to real armed clashes. Conflicts between Iran and Azerbaijan resurfaced in 2018 after Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, which was followed by a renewed U.S. embargo on Tehran's Iranian oil, along with other, new sanctions. The Islamic Republic's problems with the United States have affected the security system of the entire South Caucasus. On its southern borders, Azerbaijan has seen an uncontrolled flow of refugees, including many Islamic extremists; in the face of the migratory wave Baku has closed the border with Iran. The issue is not only about security, but above all about Azerbaijan's role as leader of the Caucasus region, imposed last year with the victory over Armenia for the control of Nagorno Karabakh. Baku intends to make the most of the circumstance, making the country the main connection hub between Europe and Asia, cutting off Iran itself. The two countries are actually very similar for a series of social, cultural and religious characteristics, but the mutual relations have always been complicated and full of highs and lows. Throughout the post-Soviet period, according to the definition of Azerbaijani political scientists, relations have been "neutral-negative." The parties have tried not to provoke each other; every now and then, however, tensions resurface, as they have these days. Iran is an Islamic state, while Azerbaijan is a secular republic, which tries in every way to contain possible manifestations of religious extremism. In 2001 President Gaydar Aliev, father of the current head of state, had said that "Azerbaijan will never become an Islamic republic of Iranian mode". Tehran is also very concerned about Azerbaijan's close relations with Turkey, Iran's main opponent in Middle East politics. At the religious level, this involves a spread of Ottoman Sunni Islam among Azerbaijanis, who are traditionally Shiite like Iranians. On Azerbaijani territory there is an ongoing cultural war between the two major Islamic forces in the region, as well as a confrontation on a military and strategic level. The Iranians also accuse Baku of being too pro-Western, and of often indulging in the flattery of the U.S. and Israel, especially in the field of information and security. The great free trade agreement, boycotted by Trump, is the heir to the TPP promoted by Obama in an anti-Chinese key. China asks member countries to reject the Taiwanese application for entry. Taipei: the Chinese are "arch-bullies", without the requirements to join the trade pact. Japan welcomes Taipei's request. Beijing will have difficulty being accepted. Beijing (AsiaNews) - A new collision course hasopened up between China and Taiwan after the two governments submitted their application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The free trade agreement is the heir to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) sought by former US President Barack Obama to counter China's geopolitical rise. After Trump's withdrawal in 2017, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are part of the CPTPP. At the end of the month, the group will open negotiations for Britain's membership. Taipei submitted its request on Sept. 22, six days after the one delivered by Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that China strongly opposes any attempt by Taiwan to join a multilateral agreement or join an official organization. Beijing called on CPTPP countries to reject Taiwan's bid, a move the island's government said was worthy of an "arch-rival." China considers Taiwan a "rebellious" province; Xi Jinping has not ruled out taking it back by force if necessary. The Taiwanese government noted that Beijing immediately sent a signal of strength. Yesterday, 24 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's defensive air identification zone. The air raid was carried out in two sorties to the southwest of the island, near the Taipei-controlled Dongsha (Pratas) Islands. According to the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, Beijing has sent fighter jets and strategic bombers, as well as anti-submarine, electronic warfare and transport aircraft. Chinese air raids near Taiwan have intensified over the past year. The eventual acceptance of Beijing in the trade mega-bloc would torpedo the possibilities of the islands participation. Negotiators in Taipei are confident, however; they point out that the opaque and dirigist nature of China's economic system is not in line with CPTPP norms and standards: an aspect already highlighted by Japan, which with the exit of the U.S. is the majority partner of the trade pact. Taiwan, on the other hand, has a Western-style free market, with transparent policies and a rule of law at its base. To be accepted into the Cptpp, an applicant state must obtain the approval of all its members. However, as noted by Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Brunei and Malaysia do not currently have voting rights, having not yet ratified the treaty. The two countries, Poling notes, are very "vulnerable" to pressure from China, and their absence in the acceptance process increases Taiwan's chances of entry. Japan has already made it clear that it sees no technical problems with Taiwan's accession, given that the CPTPP agreement also provides for the possible participation of "separate customs territories," the formula by which Taipei entered the World Trade Organization (of which China is also a member). Responding to a tweet from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, former Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe said that Tokyo must support Taiwan's application; Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stressed that the government welcomes Taipei's application. China will also have trouble getting the green light from CPTPP nations. With many of them (Japan, Australia, Canada and Vietnam being the most prominent), Beijing has delicate territorial, commercial or political disputes. According to analysts, China wants to participate in the Cptpp to gain even more centrality in the Asia-Pacific region and prevent the eventual accession of Taiwan and the United States. by Steve Suwannarat As complaints rise, crisis centres are overwhelmed. Because anti-COVID-19 measures discourage overnight stay at shelters, victims are often forced to return to abusive homes. Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) Among the countries of Southeast Asia, Malaysia is experiencing a particularly serious "pandemic of domestic violence", compounded and aggravated by COVID-19. Data from last year show a 57 per cent increase in reported cases; but the worsening pandemic situation and its economic consequences have made matters worse. Hospital crisis centres handling victims of sexual and family violence are overwhelmed; so people at risk are not followed, cases are not reported, and culprits are not punished. Many have called for action to counter this trend; one of them is Charlene Murray, director of Women's Aid Organisation, a Malaysian NGO that provides shelter, counselling and material support to abused women and children. The problem is not only inadequate support, but also the lack of alternatives to going back to abusive situations. Unless someone comes in with injuries, most hospitals only provide basic treatment for OSCC[*] patients, Murray explained. Hence, they do not encourage them to stay overnight due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19, and this puts women to additional risks upon returning home. As unemployment and poverty get worse, and people are limited in what they can do or where they can go, tensions rise, limiting womens roles, income and opportunities. Before the pandemic, Malaysian women already spent 64 per cent more time on domestic chores than men, on average three times more than their partners. Now the situation has further deteriorated. For their part, law enforcement agencies have rejected accusations that they are not doing enough against domestic violence during the lockdown because of understaffing as they devote more human resources to pandemic containment measures. However, several districts have admitted that they only have one dedicated official assigned to such cases. [*] One-stop crisis centres. by Sumon Corraya The 15-year-old was on her way home from school. A man dragged her into the forest to rape her. She was rescued by a rickshaw driver. The community took to the streets demanding greater safety for youth and severe penalties for those who commit such crimes. Tangail (AsiaNews) A 15-year-old girl was saved from a rape attempt by a young Muslim in Jalchatra, Tangail region (central Bangladesh). Rupa Rema (not her real name) is an ethnic Garo. She was returning home from school, a long walk of several few kilometres that includes going through a forest. According to the preliminary investigation, she was joined by Abdur Rauf, a young Muslim of 25, who first made indecent proposals to her, then, after a first refusal, tried to drag the girl into the forest to rape her. Rupa's screams drew the attention of Sabuj Miha, the owner of a rickshaw, who was passing along an adjacent road. He first stopped the 25-year-old and then called the police. Now the community of Jalchatra, in particular parents as well as classmates and teachers at Corpus Christi High School are demanding justice. Yesterday, about 300 children and adults gathered along the main street in Jalchatra and formed a human chain calling for a fair trial and exemplary punishment for the rapist. I heard about the incident, said Fr Donel Stephen Cruze, parish priest in Jalchatra. The student is from the village of Jangalia in our parish. We want the guilty to be tried and punished for what he did. Even Robinson Khan, a Catholic at Corpus Christi High School and protest organiser, stressed the importance of just punishment, which acts as a deterrent for those who are prone to abuse of this kind. In order to go home, many of our girls have to cross long stretches of forest alone, Khan told AsiaNews. We ask for support from the local police so that our students do not have to constantly feel in danger. In Bangladesh, abuses by majority Muslims against members of religious minorities are frequent and underage girls suffer the most from this type of violence. After the attack against the Kabul airport, ISKP carried out more bomb attacks in Jalalabad. Taliban leaders are divided over the groups dangerousness. The latter can field 2,000-3,000 fighters (against 100,000 for the Taliban). Meanwhile, the United States, China, Russia and Pakistan are putting pressure on Afghanistans new rulers. Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) A little over a month after their return to power, the Taliban are facing a growing threat from the Islamic StateKhorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan branch of the so-called Islamic State (Daesh) group active in Syria and Iraq. The terror group is now targeting Taliban leaders using the same urban warfare tactics previously used by the Taliban themselves. The Taliban, the so-called students of God, relied on them to strike at representatives and leaders of the government backed by the international community until the withdrawal of US and NATO forces in August. The bombing of Kabul airport, carried out while foreign governments were evacuating their staff along with thousands of Afghan collaborators and their families, showed the ISKPs ability to strike. More recently, ISKP operatives carried a series of bomb attacks in Jalalabad. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government, downplayed the danger posed by the local branch of Daesh. However, Reuters reported that Taliban commanders are raising the alarm instead. While ISKP is not strong enough to seize territory, it can still pose a threat. According to the United Nations, ISKP can muster around 2,000 to 3,000 fighters, compared to 100,000 at the disposal of the Taliban. The Taliban have repeatedly stated that under their rule Afghanistan will not go back to being a haven for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Many analysts are sceptical. Yesterday, after talks with his counterparts from China, Russia and Pakistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there is unity of purpose in exerting pressure on the Taliban, especially to prevent Afghanistan from becoming again a base for terrorist groups. by Nirmala Carvalho In a small town in the district of Kandhamal, they were prevented from accessing the well and their homes were ransacked. Some have returned to live in the forest. The Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Msgr John Barwa: "Discriminatory, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews) - Four families were beaten and kicked out of their village simply because they were Christian. It happened in Ladamila, in the district of Kandhamal, the area of the Indian state of Orissa already infamous for the serious persecutions of 2008. On September 19 - having been prevented from drawing water from the main well - the women of the group had gone to fill their containers in the paddy field. Suddenly and without any provocation from them, a group of hostile men and women stormed the houses, beat the Christians and threw away the water they had collected, making it impossible for these families to even cook or wash themselves. Two families fled to the forest, while the other two left the village, finding refuge in the house of some relatives in a nearby village. They are Dalit families belonging to the Jesus Calls Prayer Tower, an Indian Pentecostal group. When they returned to their homes two days later, they found them destroyed and were threatened, saying that because they had become Christians they were no longer allowed to live in the village. The legal team of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar led by Fr. Dibyasingh Parichha is now helping them to file a complaint with the local police station. "The families," he says, "have not yet been able to return to the village. And it is serious that some Christians are still being persecuted simply for their faith in Jesus Christ." Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Msgr. John Barwa says "after every effort of Peace building, our Christians suffer Discriminatory and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. It is very painful and also shameful, that nothing is stopping the aggression and harassment of the Christians, It is inhuman behaviour. What can you say about people, who deny their own villagers water to drink?" "This inhuman behavior - concludes Mgr. Barwa - must be stopped immediately and those involved in these cruel actions must be punished firmly according to the law. These episodes create insecurity and fear among people who are stigmatized and threatened only because of their faith in Jesus". Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - North Korea has rejected South Korean President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the war between the two countries, which began in 1950. This was announced today by North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song, adding that it would be "premature" and such a declaration would be meaningless as long as the "hostile policy" of the United States continues. Moon's proposal came during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. He explained that a declaration by the two Koreas, the United States and perhaps China would mark a key starting point for the creation of a new regional order with reconciliation of the Korean peninsula as its basis. Ri, on the other hand, stressed that the consequences of such a gesture could be "disastrous" and lead to an arms race. The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has instead declared that Pyongyang is willing to discuss the improvement of inter-Korean relations, provided that Seoul puts an end to its aggressive attitude towards the North. However, Kim Yo-jong pointed out that before adopting a declaration of peace, the right context should be created: "The declaration of the termination of the war is an interesting and an admirable idea. ... But it is necessary to look into whether it is the right time now and whether there are conditions ripe for discussing this issue". Kim maintains, "Now double-dealing standards, prejudice and hostile policies toward the DPRK and speeches and acts antagonizing us persist. Under such situation it does not make any sense to declare the end of the war with all the things, which may become a seed of a war between parties that had been at odds for more than half a century, left intact" While Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song's previous statement seemed to be geared toward the United States, Kim Yo-jong's statement was seen as being geared more toward South Korea. Inter-Korean relations cooled when North Korea blew up a liaison office in the border town of Kaesong in June last year and cut all cross-border lines of communication. Contact was then reestablished in July but recently Pyongyang has not returned Seoul's calls protesting joint military exercises with the United States. Tensions then escalated over long-range ballistic and cruise missile tests. The two Koreas are still technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. Born into a diaspora family, the new patriarch lost his grandparents in the 1915genocide. His orphaned father was welcomed at Castel Gandolfo at the behest of Benedict XV. Raphael Bedros welcomed Francis during his visit to Armenia in 2016, stressing Armenians "debt of gratitude to the pontiff. When the Pope received the new patriarch, he emphasised the "joy" of the Armenian people. Rome (AsiaNews) - The Armenian Catholic community has a new patriarch. The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Church of Cilicia of the Armenians (Lebanon), convened by Pope Francis in Rome on 22 and 23 September, elected Mgr Raphael Francois Minassian. Hitherto Titular Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia of the Armenians and Ordinary for the Armenian Catholic faithful of Eastern Europe, the new patriarch took the name of His Beatitude Raphael Bedros (Peter) XXI Minassian upon his election. This morning Pope Francis met the new patriarch in audience, to whom he granted the Ecclesiastica Communio and delivered a letter in which he joins the "joy" of the Armenian Catholic people who were waiting for their pastor. The election, the pontiff writes, has come at a time when people are particularly burdened by various challenges. I am thinking of the suffering in Syria and Lebanon countries where the Church of Cilicia of the Armenians is present as well as the pandemic, which is still far from being overcome in many parts of the world. We know the Armenian people as expert in suffering, because of the many trials throughout its more than 1,700 years of Christian history, but also because of its inexhaustible capacity to flourish and bear fruit. The Armenian Church is fully integrated in the affairs of the Armenian people, preserving their memory and traditions, and at the same time deeply linked to the Successor of the Apostle Peter. In concluding, Francis writes: I entrust to you the care of the younger generations, the promotion of vocations, the wise harmony you must be able to find between the different entities of your community. The new patriarch was born in Beirut on 24 November 1946. He attended the Patriarchal Seminary in Bzommar (1958-1967), and studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University between 1967 and 1973. His studies include a specialisation course in psycho-pedagogy at the Pontifical Salesian University. He was ordained into the priesthood on 24 June 1973 as a member of the Patriarchal Congregation of Bzommar (Institut du Clerge Patriarcal de Bzommar). From 1973 to 1982 he served as parish priest at the Armenian Cathedral in Beirut. From 1982 to 1984, he was secretary to Patriarch Hovannes Bedros XVIII Kasparian. He was responsible for setting up the parish complex of the Holy Cross in Zalka, Beirut, from 1984 to 1989. From 1985 to 1989, he was judge at the ecclesiastical tribunal of the Armenian Church in Beirut, and taught Armenian liturgy at the Pontifical University of Kaslik. Soon after he was transferred to the United States, where he served as a parish priest in New York for a year. Later, until 2003, he was parish priest for Armenian Catholics in California, Arizona and Nevada. In 2004 he founded and directed Telepace Armenia, while the following year he was appointed Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Amman for the Armenians. On 24 June 2011 he was appointed Ordinary for Armenian Catholics in Eastern Europe, with the titular episcopal see of Caesarea of Cappadocia of the Armenians and the title of Archbishop ad personam. A former president of Caritas Armenia, he comes from a diaspora family of the Armenian-Catholic Church, which broke away the Armenian Apostolic Church and entered into communion with the Holy See in 1742. His grandparents died in the Armenian genocide, which he has strongly denounced over the years, while offering words of dialogue and reconciliation to the Turkish people. His orphaned father was saved in 1919 and brought with hundreds of other children to Castel Gandolfo at the behest of Pope Benedict XV. From 24 to 26 June 2016, then Archbishop Minassian welcomed Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to Armenia. Speaking to AsiaNews on that occasion, the future patriarch underlined the "clear and simple words used by the pontiff in commemorating the Armenian genocide at the Vatican in April 2015, the first of the 20th century, which is why we have a debt of gratitude towards him. Some of the most poignant moments of the papal visit, which had double value, were the solemn Mass in Gyumri and the ecumenical prayer for peace in Yerevan. During the visit, Francis showed that he cares for the Armenian people and the country as the first Christian nation in history that bore witness to its faith for centuries in martyrdom. While the pontiff has special affection for the Armenian people, Armenians are grateful to the Pope for speaking so boldly before the world about the Armenian genocide of 1915. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. 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Lawmakers have since directed state auditors to do a deeper review of IDES unemployment programs after Senate Republicans accused the administration of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, of hiding the scope of problems. Those wanting a sampler would do well to visit one or all three of the group shows on display at the Smart Museum, Hyde Park Art Center and Stony Island Arts Bank. Not all 29 of the MacArthur Fellows have work in these spaces, but most do, and the thematically grouped presentations can help viewers get a sense of the larger issues of environmental and social justice, human rights, identity and representation that are at stake. Highlights at the Smart include an immersive room of Toba Khedooris sensitively mute paintings of home, emptiness and destruction, and Fazal Sheikhs investigation into the near-abstract beauty of the Four Corners region, through aerial and close-up photography, a consideration of its extractive industries, indigenous collaboration, and seismological sound recordings. At HPAC, LaToya Ruby Fraziers fierce, heart-rending video Flint Is Family pairs her photographs with a narrative by Shea Cobb, a lifelong resident preparing to leave her home and extended family in order to protect her daughter from the citys water crisis. In the main room of the Arts Bank, Fred Wilsons cluster of ornate black glass mirrors inspired by historical Venetian paintings in which the Black figures are little know symphonically reflects a room of dazzling artworks by Black figures of great renown: Marshall, David Hammons, Whitfield Lovell and Kara Walker. One of the appeals of science fiction is the way it can shift reality a few notches, this way or that, and then show us how things might play out. What if some of the basic details of life were different how would it all go? Sci-fi for the screen often isnt interested in these kinds of questions, though. When you peel back all the high-concept window dressing, so many of these projects are just stories of war and domination transplanted to a futuristic setting. Not all. But a lot. I find that to be so uninspired, and Im probably in a minority because there are plenty of audiences for this sort of thing. With its new series Foundation, Apple TV+ is banking youre one of them. For most people, renewing an Illinois drivers license or ID card can be done online at www.ilsos.gov. However, there are exceptions for people being issued a license or ID for the first time and those renewing an instruction permit or a commercial learners permit. Those cases must be handled in person at a drivers license facility. Sims again told his wife to call 911 but before she could call, the men kicked in the door and entered the apartment. He then charged at the men, and one of the men who was holding a gun fired the weapon at Sims before accidentally shooting himself, the prosecutor said. The three men then left Sims apartment, and it is believed they went to another apartment that was directly below Sims apartment based on a blood trail between the two units. Chicago police officers arrived on scene, and all three men plus a fourth person who was in the second apartment were arrested. McNeal was at a gas station with friends, pumping gas, when they saw another group of people around a nearby McDonalds, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said Thursday. The two groups stared at each other, and when McNeals group tried to flee in a car, a member of the other group opened fire, he said. Thornley was terminated from her post as the boards chief fiscal officer and director of personnel in July 2020. In a federal lawsuit filed last April that names both the board and Garcia as defendants, Thornley claims she was fired by the merit board in retaliation after she filed complaints alleging sexual harassment and abuse by Garcia. He denied those charges. She left mid-shift, she said, tired of what she believes is low pay and unsafe working conditions for her and her co-workers, mainly Latino immigrants. The lack of response from bosses after she voiced her concerns pushed her to quit, she said. Since Democrats control both chambers of the General Assembly as well as the governors office, there was no Republican input on the new map, as was the case when redistricting was done a decade ago. That map has led to a 73-45 Democratic majority over Republicans in the House and 41-18 in the Senate. Im glad that the federal government is going at this. Im glad that the president is, he said. I think its important for us to ask, especially after this very, very difficult COVID-inspired recess, that, as people are recovering, who should pay to help us recover more? Is it middle-class, working-class people or is it people who can most afford it? We are pleased to share that a new, high quality anesthesia team is being on-boarded as we work to return to full capacity services in the near future. In the meantime, we continue to care for all patients who arrive through our Emergency Department in addition to labor and delivery services and some urgent and elective procedures. We are also working individually with patients. 23 September 2021 Ladies and gentlemen, It is my great pleasure to meet with you online.. When I first heard about the Bloomberg New Economy Forum several years ago, I was impressed about the word "new", because I understand "new" is the mother of innovation, which takes mankind forward. Today's world is bustling with innovation, which is shaping China, the US and the whole world significantly. For China, innovation is the engine of development. China has been transitioning from high-speed growth to high-quality development, which will be empowered, first and foremost, by innovation. Innovation is at the core of China's overall development, and it comes the first in our new development philosophy: innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development. We have adopted an innovation-driven development strategy, and got actively involved in global innovation network. In Chinese society, innovation has become a fashion, with historic achievements made. According to the latest report of World Intellectual Property Organization issued several days ago, China's ranking at the Global Innovation Index has risen to the 12th this year, moving all up for nine years in a row. Two days ago, President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Development Initiative at his statement at the 76th Session of the UNGA, in which he pointed out that we need to seize the historic opportunities created by the latest round of technology revolution and industrial transformation, redouble efforts to harness technology achievements to boost productivity, and foster an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for the development of science and technology. We should foster new growth drivers in the post-COVID era and jointly achieve leapfrog development. For China-US relations, innovation is a "golden key" to some thorny issues. We need an innovative spirit more than ever before to address the complexities and difficulties of this relationship. We need a new vision, new thinking and new methodology. First, we need a new vision. Mankind is a community with a shared future. No country can solve the world's difficulties and challenges alone, and no country can stand aloof from them. In President Xi Jinping's phone call with President Joe Biden not long ago, President Xi pointed out that whether China and the US can handle their relationship well concerns the future of the world. When China and the United States cooperate, the two countries and the world will benefit; when China and the United States are in confrontation, the two countries and the world will suffer. China and the US need to show broad vision, shoulder great responsibilities and bring their relations back to the right track of stable development. Second, we need a new thinking. China and the US differ in history, culture and social system, but with deeply intertwined interests, no one can do without the other side, and no one can change or replace the other side. The Cold-War mentality and zero-sum game go against the trend of the times and the will of the people. They will only increase tensions and lead to conflict and confrontation. The Chinese people never believe in the "Thucydides trap". We will act to open up a path of national renaissance and peaceful development. At the same time, we call upon the US to stay committed to peaceful development, abandon any wrong thinking, and work with China to find a way of getting along based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. Third, we need a new methodology. Over the past several years, the China-US relationship has gone through tremendous changes. It cannot return to the past any more. We have to face the reality, look to the future, think out of the box, create new institutions and methods and open up new dimensions for China-US engagement. As major innovators and top two economies in the world, China and the US have great potential to tap in new economy and innovation cooperation. As President Xi stressed in the call, on the basis of respecting each other's core concerns and properly managing differences, China and the US can advance coordination and cooperation on climate change, COVID-19 response and economic recovery. These areas are innovation intensive and very promising for cooperation. China will continue to expand opening-up, continue to do business with the world, and promote technology and trade cooperation with the US side. The US side also needs to create conditions, instead of barriers, for our cooperation. Many of you present today are leaders of transnational corporations with great investments in both countries. You are welcome to take part in China's development, and continue to make contribution to China-US relations. Ladies and gentlemen, The word "new" reminds me of a sentence from China's Confucian classic The Book of Rites: "If you can make yourself anew for one day, do so every day, and keep on doing it forever for improvement." I hope that you will use the Forum as a platform, be innovative and forward-looking, and take new bold steps together, so as to jointly explore new solutions to global challenges, look for new ways to spur post-pandemic recovery, and tap new potential of China-US cooperation. I wish this year's Annual Forum a full new success! Thank you. You are here: Arts A photo exhibition displaying photographs snapped by farmers kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, highlighting the great changes taking place in rural China. Thursday marks the Chinese farmers' harvest festival, which is celebrated on the Autumn Equinox every year. A total of 111 works of photographers and shutterbugs from rural areas or in agriculture-related industries have been put on display. The exhibition, scheduled until Oct. 5, is sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Photographers Association. In September 1934, more than 10,000 Red Army fighters sacrificed their lives to defend Songmaoling, a strategically pivotal ridge where the Communist Party-led forces fought the last battle to break the Kuomintang's encirclement in East China's Fujian province. Recently, Xuezhan Songmaoling (The Battle at Songmaoling), a TV series highlighting this chapter in history, started filming in Zhejiang province's Hengdian World Studios, the largest of its kind in China. As a project to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Communist Party of China, the story aims to redefine the significance of the battle which lasted seven days and nights, earning precious time for the major forces of the Red Army to embark on the Long March (1934-36), a great strategic shift that laid the foundation for the CPC's revolutionary victory. Director Liu Xuesong revealed that the tale will mainly unfold through the perspectives of people at the grassroots level, from Red Army soldiers to peasants and ordinary students, as he believes these characters represent some of China's earliest revolutionaries who established solid faith to fight for the revolution. Besides, he said he also wishes the tale will help audiences to understand why the CPC led the revolution and who these early CPC members were fighting for. Over a course of several months earlier this year, the crew had researched a lot of archival material and interviewed many people, including villagers living near the ridge, historians, and offspring of the Red Army veterans who participated in the battle. The Chinese mainland resolutely opposes Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) seeking "independence" under the pretext of economic and trade activities, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said Thursday in response to a query about the DPP's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying that the one-China principle is the precondition for Taiwan's participation in regional economic cooperation. The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) will be a milestone, as it will produce a blueprint for global biodiversity governance in the next decade, a Chinese official said Thursday. The meeting, set to kick off in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, on Oct. 11, will be held both online and offline, said Ministry of Ecology and Environment official Cui Shuhong at a press conference, adding that the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" will be reviewed during the event. In creating the framework for future biodiversity protection, enforcement and safeguard mechanisms should be further improved, said Cui, calling for more support for developing countries in terms of capital, technology and expertise. A manifesto will be created during the COP15, calling on efforts from all parties to curb the loss of biodiversity and achieve sustainable development, he said. Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the COP15 meeting is the first global conference convened by the United Nations on the topic of ecological civilization. You are here: China Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan has stressed efforts to carry out various epidemic-prevention measures to curb recent cluster cases in east China's Fujian province. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when inspecting cities including Xiamen, Putian, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou in Fujian from Saturday to Thursday. Locally transmitted COVID-19 cases recently occurred in the four cities. Sun stressed nucleic acid testing for prime groups, epidemiological investigations, quarantine, community lockdowns, and disinfection of key sites. The transmission of the virus in communities has been virtually cut off, Sun said, noting that it is currently a crucial time for Fujian to control the outbreaks. She asked relevant authorities to strictly implement quarantine measures for personnel entering the border, adding that the length of quarantine should be determined scientifically. Local governments should learn a lesson from recent cluster cases and improve their prevention and control measures, especially for key sites, including plants and schools, Sun said. Promoting French wine in China Frenchman Marcin Kosiec came to China in 2017 to promote his wine brand, which has a time-honored history dating back to 1719. Marcin decided to come to China to promote his business on account of the huge market potential and business opportunities. "The Chinese people now seek an increasingly fulfilling life, and tastes are refining. Instead of low-priced and even fake alcohol, now rejected by Chinese consumers, we are bringing real high-quality wine to China to meet rising demands." Currently, Marcin's father oversees wine production back in France, while he takes care of wine promotion and sale in China. They now do business in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Haikou, and Lanzhou. "So far, [the business in China] has been quite successful. Customers buy direct or wholesale for further distribution. Some clients have approached us in the hope of opening brand franchises," said Marcin. "I also plan to open a restaurant featuring our wine in Guangzhou." Marcin hasn't opened production factories in China since the raw materials, winemaking techniques, and natural conditions in France better suit his brand. "We want to maintain product quality. Therefore, at present, we only export wine made in France to China," explained Marcin. "Starting from scratch, including cultivating vineyards, is not easy. Maybe we will open plants to make wine here in China in a few years, but not now." Special bond with China In addition to its favorable business environment and opportunities, Marcin said he has had a special bond with the country since childhood. "Back in the 1980s, my parents came here for a clothing business and would always bring me gifts from China. Thus, China has always had a place in my heart." Marcin married a Chinese woman and doesn't yet know when he'll next go back to his home country. "Right now, China is my home," stated Marcin. "Besides, which country is currently safer than China amid the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the country's effective [anti-pandemic] measures?" From his first childhood impressions of China from his parents to his firsthand living experience in China in recent years, Marcin has been amazed to witness great changes that have occurred in the country, especially its triumph over extreme poverty. For now, Marcin continues to stay in China and promote his French wine. After all, he said, "China is a great country to live in." Flash China is sincere in starting a dialogue with the United States to deescalate bilateral tensions on the basis of mutual respect, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang said on Wednesday. "We will continue to work with the U.S. side, as long as there are opportunities for cooperation. However, the cooperation between the two countries must be conducted in the principle of mutual respect," said Qin in respond to questions after delivering a speech at a virtual conversation jointly held by the Carter Center and the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "And the United States should not expect China's cooperation in areas where only the U.S. has demand and interests, while neglecting or even undermining China's interests at the same time, in particular on these core issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "To be frank, what I worry about is that the United States uses competition to define China-U.S. relations, while competition on the U.S. side often takes the form of confrontation, especially on major issues concerning China's core interests," he said. "If this does not change, it will undermine China's efforts to promote our mutual trust and cooperation. There is not any example in the history of international relations where the political relationship between two countries is in competition or even confrontation, but other spheres remain safe and sound," he said. "A very important thing between China and the United States is mutual respect. China is open and inclusive. We welcome and readily accept various suggestions or criticisms, as long as they are objective, truthful, well-intentioned and constructive, and we will make improvements according to them," said the ambassador, adding that "a very important job of mine is to communicate and listen." "However, we do not accept baseless slander and disinformation. We do not accept condescending lecturing. And we do not accept words or deeds that undermine China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Citizens must abide by the law. Likewise, countries must abide by the basic norms governing international relations. U.S. law prohibits secession and racial hatred, but why do some Americans want to treat China in this way?" said Qin. Flash China urges the United States to take immediate action to vigorously combat human trafficking and forced labor, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Thursday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a question regarding the recent dialogue during the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. At the dialogue, many countries expressed concern about human trafficking and forced labor in the United States. In response, Zhao said that the United States has historically practiced abhorrent slavery and slave trade and committed genocide against American Indians. "Today, the United States remains plagued with human trafficking and forced labor," said Zhao, sharing statistics on the issues. Over the past five years, nearly 100,000 people were trafficked to the United States from abroad annually for forced labor, with half of them ending up in sweat shops or domestic enslavement, according to Zhao. Around 500,000 child laborers, many below the age of ten, are trapped working 72-hour weeks in the agricultural sector in the United States; roughly 240,000 to 325,000 women and children in the United States are victims of sexual slavery; the average life expectancy of children after sex trafficking is 7 years, he added. "The deliberate indifference and inaction of the U.S. government is directly culpable for the fermenting human trafficking and forced labor issues," Zhao said, adding that the United States is the only country in the world that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, nor has it ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. "The United States should take immediate actions to ratify relevant human rights treaties, crack down on crimes of human trafficking and forced labor, rescue innocent women and children and bring those responsible to justice," he said, adding that the Human Rights Council and relevant mechanisms should give continued attention to these issues and take necessary actions. Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called on the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to become a positive force for peace and to solve problems instead of creating them. Wang made the remarks during a video conference between the permanent members' foreign ministers, also including French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Facing uncertainties and instabilities, the international community has high expectations on the five permanent members, especially in the hope that the five nations could strengthen solidarity and coordination to bring confidence and stability to the world, Wang said. He said the five nations should perform their duties of maintaining world peace, and deal with hotspot issues through upholding the UN Charter, making good use of mediation and peacekeeping operations, refraining from using coercive measures, and avoiding arbitrary use of force. Wang said the five permanent members should practice true multilateralism, which is about having international affairs addressed through consultation, jointly formulating international rules, sticking to dialogue and inclusiveness instead of confrontation and exclusiveness, and forging a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. Stressing the fact that U.S. President Joe Biden's recent remarks of not seeking a "new Cold War" had drawn attention from all sides, Wang said the key is to make this statement into substantial actions, such as giving up the Cold War mentality, ideological bias and a tendency for bloc confrontation. All countries will have their eyes on the United States, Wang noted. The Chinese foreign minister also called for stronger cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the five nations should pool the strength and confidence, set an example of respecting science and upholding solidarity, and take the lead in safeguarding the role of the UN and the World Health Organization. The five countries should jointly provide assistance to the developing countries, make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good, and promote joint efforts to contain the pandemic. They should also oppose politicizing the pandemic and using origins tracing as a tool, Wang said. He called for more cooperation to cope with global challenges including regional hotspot issues, terrorism, climate change, food security and economic recession. China welcomes parties from various sides to be part of its newly proposed global development initiative with aims to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Wang said, adding that the five permanent members should honor their commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. The foreign ministers and the UN secretary-general also discussed the Afghan situation, Iran nuclear issue and strengthening coordination between the five nations. Flash "A basic criterion of democracy should be whether the people have the right to govern their country, whether their needs are met, and whether they have a sense of fulfillment and happiness. At the center of democracy is people," said Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Wednesday. "Whether a system is democratic depends on whether it can represent the overall interests of the people and whether the people are satisfied. Democracy is not for embellishment; it should deliver," said Qin in his speech at a virtual conversation jointly held by the Carter Center and the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "Thanks to generations of Chinese and American leaders and people, China-U.S. relations have made remarkable progress. However, today, some Americans' misunderstanding and misjudgment about China is building up," he said. "A fundamental one is to define America's relations with China as democracy versus authoritarianism, and to stoke up ideological confrontation, which has led to serious difficulties in China-U.S. relations," he said. Abraham Lincoln took a people-centered approach to governance understood by his famous saying, "of the people, by the people, for the people," said the ambassador, adding that China's socialist whole-process democracy shall be understood as "from the people, to the people, with the people, for the people." "The idea of people first has been deep in the genes of the Chinese since ancient times," he said, adding that the Communist Party of China, as the governing party, has remained faithful to its founding mission: people-centered, and serving the people whole-heartedly. "What China has today is whole-process democracy. China's Constitution prescribes that all power belongs to the people. The people have the right to election, and they can be broadly involved in national governance according to law," said Qin. The Chinese people exercise state power through the National People's Congress and local people's congresses at different levels, equivalent to America's Congress and state legislatures, he said. "China also has a unique political consultation system and corresponding institutions, which are important ways for the people to exercise democracy," he said. Any matters that concern people's interests are broadly discussed by the people's congress, the government, the political consultative conference, social organizations and industry associations, before major decisions are made, to make sure what the people want is reflected in the final decisions, he said. In China, government officials attend several meetings and carry out field visits. Meetings are for discussing problems and exploring solutions, and field visits are for getting firsthand knowledge of things on the ground, he said. In China, Qin said, the rights and freedoms of the Chinese are fully protected by the Constitution, absolute poverty has become a thing of the past, almost every Chinese has basic medical insurance and old-age pension insurance, and COVID-19 has been basically put under control in China with 1.1 billion people fully vaccinated. "I'm not saying China is perfect. There are many difficulties and challenges on our way ahead, such as how to make our development more balanced and adequate, and ensure fairness and justice in a market economy," said Qin. "We are deepening reform, improving socialist democracy, and modernizing national governance. These efforts are to meet the people's aspiration for a better life and make greater contribution to mankind," he added. "China and the United States are different in history, culture and political system ... Our two countries should not and cannot change each other. Instead, we should break ideological barriers, discard zero-sum mentality, respect other countries, and accommodate each other without losing our own distinctions, so as to get along with each other in peace," said the ambassador. Stressing the need for both countries to have a broad vision and shoulder great responsibilities, the ambassador said China and the United States "should look ahead and press forward, and bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of stable development as soon as possible, for the good of the people in both countries and around the world." "Let's demonstrate strategic courage and political resolve to chart a new course in China-U.S. relations," Qin said. You are here: World Flash Chinese foreign ministry on Friday published on its website the fact sheet on the U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces. Please see the attachment for the full text of the fact sheet. Full text of fact sheet on U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent pledge delivered virtually at the United Nations (UN) promises a low-carbon future for China and contributes to better global environmental governance, experts, business insiders and media personnel have said. "China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad," Xi said ealier this week in his statement addressing the general debate of the ongoing 76th session of the UN General Assembly via video. Shakeel Ramay, chief executive officer of Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development, commended Xi's announcement as a significant one, which demonstrates that "China once again has proved that it is serious about the issue of climate change. China doesn't only talk but deliver (its promise) as well." Almas Chukin, managing partner of Visor Kazakhstan, said China's move shows its determination to actively promote global environmental protection. Chukin, whose company Visor Kazakhstan is an investor of Central Asia's biggest wind power project Zhanatas, also said that the move blazes a new trial for global energy conservation and emission reduction. Oleksiy Koval, a Ukrainian expert, said China actively supports developing countries in developing clean energy and shares its advanced technologies, experience and achievements with the world while improving its domestic environment. Such a move by China is of great significance to reducing global carbon dioxide emissions, demonstrating China's commitment to improving global environmental governance, he added. China's new promise to tackle climate change is a "historic turning point" away from fossil fuel, French newspaper "Les Echos" quoted Helen Mountford, vice president for Climate and Economics at the World Resources Institute, as saying. China's move demonstrates its efforts to fulfill its commitment to jointly tackle global climate change with the international community, said an article published on the website of the Thailand-based Manager newspaper. Accelerating the global phase out of coal is the single most important step to keep the goal of the Paris Agreement within reach, Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as saying in a statement. For I was hungry and you fed me (Matthew 25:35 NLT) The COVID-19 pandemic has raised serious concerns about food security in Africa. From the start of the pandemic, it has been feared that economic recession, along with disruptions to food supply chains, would leave Africa on the brink of starvation. Africa imports more food than it exports, and relies on countries like India, Russia, Cambodia, and Vietnam for staple grains. Fortunately, the initial pandemic-related export ban from these countries was lifted, and grain exports to Africa were resumed. During 2020, various African governments and organisations also took action to increase Africas grain imports. But increased grain imports have not been able to compensate for the impact of the pandemic, which has reversed years of economic development in Africa. Widespread job losses have led to food insecurity. This has been compounded in some regions by ongoing conflict, locust plagues, droughts and floods. As a result, over 100 million people in Africa are currently experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. 100 million is overwhelming. But each one is an individual with a basic human need to eat. And to feed their family. Last year, beneficiaries of Ghanas WIN project were equipped with the skills and equipment to safely process cassava into gari (flour made from the cassava root). Rachel Ohene describes how this vocational training project helped her feed her family during 2020s COVID lockdown: This project could not have come at a better time than this. Little did we know that gari was going to become the food saviour for Ghana this year. African Enterprise, God bless you for your foresight. You came in at the right time to offer us the right job. May the Lord richly bless the donors of AE. Their generosity has been a mind-blower. I have decided to buy the raw material cassava from the farmers in and around Akropong so that I can process it to gari with the help of the milling machine AE has provided. I know in the coming days gari will be in high demand. In 2021, AE is preparing to launch a vocational training program in Togo which will provide skills, seeds and equipment so that needy participants can start vegetable-growing businesses. Because they were hungry. And Jesus simply told us to feed them. I just went for a walk with a friend at our local Jells Park in South-East Melbourne. Dont worry! Victorias COVID restrictions allow us to exercise with a friend for up to 2-hours a day so its all legit! It was very freeing to be able to stretch our legs and just chat. It was a form of freedom for me. For you, you may be in the process of becoming free, staying free or ultimately, be finding freedom in the Spirit. Becoming Free We first may not be aware of our current condition, and Im not just referring to physical states of lockdown which most of Australia is currently being subjected to. However, if we pause to reflect and give ourselves permission to do this, you may realise that there is a constant battle in the mind of our inner selves. Our natural human state may not necessarily be at peace or in communion with God, His law or His will. Romans chapter 7 verses 2124 echo this thinking, So, I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? We are reminded at the end that the price of our sinful nature is death. But we can find freedom in Christ. Who will rescue you? Who would rescue me, a sinner? We find the answer of course in Christ. Romans chapter 3, verses 2324 tell us for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. The second half of those verses explains it all our freedom is justified by nothing other than His grace. We find freedom and redemption only by accepting and believing that Christ has paid the price in dying on the cross and then through His resurrection, conquering death. Staying Free The path of salvation is not just a one-off: accept, believe and youre set for life. We are called daily to carry the burden Christ assigns us, because His burden is light to bear. And Jesus also equipped us with the Helper/Holy Spirit who would empower us beyond our human ability. And in this way, we could be like Christ, as Luke chapter 4 verses 1819 say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lords favour. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia that we should continue to stand firm and to resist submitting to the yoke of slavery. With Gods help, we can! Through the spiritual disciplines of daily devotion, reading the Word, and prayer we can receive a daily top-up of God and discern His will for our lives. Being intentional and purposeful in our lives so that we have those moments of down-time where we can listen to God are important. Freedom in the Spirit There is freedom in the Spirit because all the fruits of the Spirit are not bound by the law. Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 reminds us of the whole range for fruit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. No matter where we go, nothing can get in the way of you and God in the nurturing of these fruits and characteristics. So let us live with love May the joy of the Lord sustain you no matter what trials or hardships you may face. Suffering may be experienced, but we dont have to live or bear it and be miserable. Instead, we can have that peace of mind. Peace from God is truly so much greater than any human effort to have peace. And we are called to be peacemakers. To be like Christ is to have patience, to show kindness and gentleness even in the face of persecution. When we are aligned to God His goodness will flow freely and in abundance to those around us. What better model of faithfulness do we have other than Christ whose form of faithfulness is everlasting? And finally, self-control and self-discipline are undoubtedly hallmarks of a sincere believer. The Afghan Church Let us spend a moment to consider our brothers and sisters in the Afghan Church. As times and seasons change for them, no doubt the persecution will increase. I hear stories of Christians there who are filled with the boldness of Christ. They know their time is limited, and their worldly freedoms may be curtailed but how inspirational is it that some of them want to just go out into the streets and proclaim Jesus. The threat of death doesnt scare them these men and women are living out modern day examples of living in Gods freedom. Let us pray for the Afghan Church. During the coming persecution, may any bloodshed bear undeniable witness to Christ, the ultimate example of innocent blood shed for us sinners. May the global Church of Christ stand as one in unity praying for salvation of souls for Christ this is the real battle for the ultimate freedom. In your freedom I will live! In your freedom I will live! I offer devotion. I offer devotion. Report Summary: The report titled Flexible Shunt Compensation Market offers a primary overview of the Flexible Shunt Compensation industry covering different product definitions, classifications, and participants in the industry chain structure. The quantitative and qualitative analysis is provided for the global Flexible Shunt Compensation market considering competitive landscape, development trends, and key critical success factors (CSFs) prevailing in the Flexible Shunt Compensation industry. Historical Forecast Period 2013 2017 Historical Year for Flexible Shunt Compensation Market 2018 Base Year for Flexible Shunt Compensation Market 2019-2027 Forecast Period for Flexible Shunt Compensation Market Request for Report Sample: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/12847 Key Developments in the Flexible Shunt Compensation Market To describe Flexible Shunt Compensation Introduction, product type and application, market overview, market analysis by countries, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; To analyze the manufacturers of Flexible Shunt Compensation, with profile, main business, news, sales, price, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2018; To display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers in Global, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2018; To show the market by type and application, with sales, price, revenue, market share and growth rate by type and application, from 2013 to 2019; To analyze the key countries by manufacturers, Type and Application, covering North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle-East and South America, with sales, revenue and market share by manufacturers, types and applications; Flexible Shunt Compensation market forecast, by countries, type and application, with sales, price, revenue and growth rate forecast, from 2018 to 2026; To analyze the manufacturing cost, key raw materials and manufacturing process etc. To analyze the industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream end users (buyers); Todescribe Flexible Shunt Compensation sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers etc. To describe Flexible Shunt Compensation Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers ABB Siemens RXPE Sieyuan Electric Mitsubishi Electric Request for Report Discount: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/12847 GE Toshiba AMSC Hyosung Market Segment by Countries, covering North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) Market Revenue and/or Volume Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy) Market Revenue and/or Volume Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia) Market Revenue and/or Volume Middle-East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa) Market Revenue and/or Volume South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.) Market Revenue and/or Volume Market Segment by Type, covers Static Var Compensator Static Var Generator Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Metal Industry Railway Utilities Others Place a Direct Purchase Order @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/12847/Single According to a new report published by Polaris Market Research the organic personal care market is anticipated to reach over USD 27,276.5 million by 2026. In 2017, the skin care segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period. A significant increase in disposable income, changing lifestyles, and initiatives by market players to promote natural and organic personal care products drive the growth of this market. Other driving factors include growing inclination towards use of natural and organic products, and increasing awareness regarding use of chemical free personal care products. Increasing demand from developing nations is expected provide numerous growth opportunities to the market players during the forecast period. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/organic-personal-care-market/request-for-sample There has been a shift towards e-commerce and consumers are increasingly purchasing organic personal care through online platforms. The variety of choices available coupled with ease of purchase offered by online platforms encourages consumers to buy organic personal care products online, supplementing the growth of the market. Improvement in lifestyle due to rise in income level, especially in the developing countries of Asia-Pacific fuels the demand for organic personal care market. Factors such as increase in per capita income and changes in consumer behavior are expected to accelerate the adoption of organic personal care in the coming years. North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The increasing geriatric population in the region coupled with high disposable income drives the market growth. The increasing demand of organic personal care in the region is owing to high consumer awareness regarding the benefits of natural and organic personal care products and rising environmental concerns. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to increasing disposable incomes in developing countries of this region, and rising awareness. The different types of organic personal care products available in the market include skin care, hair care, oral care, cosmetics, and others. In 2017, the skin care segment accounted for the highest market share. Use of organic skin care products offers benefits and reduces the risk of skin irritations and allergies. Growing awareness regarding use of natural ingredients in skin care products is expected to support market growth during the forecast period. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/organic-personal-care-market The well-known companies profiled in the report include The Body Shop International PLC, Amway Corporation, Aubrey Organics, Oriflame Cosmetics S.A., Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Arbonne International, LLC, Aveda Corporation, Aveda Corporation, Burts Bee, The Hain Celestial Group, Yves Rocher, Bare Escentuals, Inc., and LOccitane en Provence among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Organic Personal Care Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Product Type Skin Care Hair Care Oral Care Cosmetics Others Organic Personal Care Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Distribution Channel Offline Stores Online Platforms Organic Personal Care Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/organic-personal-care-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com Viscosupplementation Market Growth & Trends The global viscosupplementation market size is expected to reach USD 7.6 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.37% from 2021 to 2028. Initiatives to increase awareness regarding available treatment, the rising geriatric population, and product advancements are expected to boost market growth during the forecast period. With the growing geriatric population, the burden of osteoarthritis is expected to increase dramatically. As per the Arthritis Foundation, in the U.S., around 54.4 million adults are reported to be diagnosed with doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Favorable reimbursement policies with respect to the geriatric population are expected to act as an opportunity for market growth. The viscosupplementation business was affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic as many healthcare providers postponed the nonessential patient visits, such as osteoarthritis treatments. Although ease in COVID-19 restrictions regarding surgeries led to a recovery in surgery volume, certain markets, such as Spain, the U.K., and Italy witnessed a low pace of recovery. Asia Pacific held the largest revenue share of the global market in 2020. In recent years, exponential growth in the number of orthopedic surgeons in developing countries, such as South Korea, Russia, and China, was observed. Asia Pacific region presents high growth potential owing to large patient population and untapped opportunities in comparison with the U.S. Therefore, the introduction of products by the players in Asian countries is further expected to propel the market growth. In July 2017, Anika Therapeutics announced regulatory approval of MONOVISC in India followed by approval in Australia in October 2017. However, such strategic initiatives were offset to some extent by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the disruption of company operations. Europe is expected to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This can be attributed to a large number of clinical trials being conducted in the region to provide efficient treatment for knee osteoarthritis with the help of stem cells. Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Viscosupplementation Market Report Viscosupplementation Market Report Highlights Single-injection led the type segment in 2020 and is expected to register the fastest growth rate over the forecast period due to various factors, such as new product launch and affordability as compared to their counterparts For instance, in March 2019, SeikagakuCorp. launched an intra-articular single injection viscosupplement HyLink for the therapy of knee osteoarthritis in Italy The orthopedic clinics/ASC send-use segment is expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing prevalence of osteoarthritis among the geriatric population is one of the major factors expected to contribute to the segment growth Collaborations for development & expansion of product portfolios and geographical expansion in emerging markets are key strategies adopted by companies to increase their market share For instance, in June 2020, Seikagaku Corporation completed acquiring all shares of Dalton Chemical Laboratories, Inc., an unlisted company in Canada Access Press Release@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-viscosupplementation-market Viscosupplementation Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global viscosupplementation market on the basis of product, end-use, and region: Viscosupplementation Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Single Injection Three Injection Five Injection Viscosupplementation End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Hospitals Orthopedic Clinics/Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Viscosupplementation Regional Outlook(Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) North America US. Canada Europe UK. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa (MEA) South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE List of Key Players of Viscosupplementation Market Sanofi Anika Therapeutics, Inc. Seikagaku Corporation Zimmer Biomet Smith & Nephew PLC Ferring Pharmaceuticals B.V. Lifecore Biomedical LG Life Sciences Ltd. FidiaFarmaceutici S.p.A Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. According to TMR, the Global Student Information System Market is accounted for $4.37 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $14.66 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 14.4 during the forecast period. Increasing technological advancements in the education sector and government initiatives, rising number of universities and growing replacement activities are the key factors driving the market growth. Moreover, introduction of IoT and smart education will create ample opportunities for market growth. However, lack of awareness among educational organizations and skilled professional are hindering the market growth. Student Information System is a management information system for education establishments to manage student data. It is popular among administrators and educators to gain accessibility of data to evaluate the performance of students based on the goal and mission of the institutions. SIS turns as a data source which helps to collect and deliver raw data sets which needs to be analyzed. It delivers visibility into departments and projects with powerful reporting and analytics tools that support data-driven decision making. More insightful information | Request a sample copy @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11158 By User Type, K-12 held considerable growth during the forecast period due to rising use of k-12 to access all relevant information pertaining to a students schooling by teachers, parents and students. Many K-12 student information systems have an SMS function that allows teachers and parents to communicate directly. By geography, North America commanded considerable market share attributed to the presence of a large number of student information system solution vendors. Some of the key players profiled in the Student Information System include Ellucian, PowerSchool, Workday, Skyward, Arth Infosoft, Foradian Technologies, ComSpec International, Eduware, Campus Management, Unit4, SAP, Jenzabar, Oracle, Focus School Software and Tribal Group. Deployment Types Covered: On-Premise Cloud Services Covered: Managed Services Professional Services Components Covered: Services Solution User Types Covered: Higher Education K-12 Checkout Inquiries to Purchase or Customize the Market @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/11158/Single End Users Covered: Training institution School Regions Covered: North America o US o Canada o Mexico Europe o Germany o UK o Italy o France o Spain o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o Japan o China o India o Australia o New Zealand o South Korea o Rest of Asia Pacific South America o Argentina o Brazil o Chile o Rest of South America Middle East & Africa o Saudi Arabia o UAE o Qatar o South Africa o Rest of Middle East & Africa What our report offers: - Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments - Strategic recommendations for the new entrants - Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets - Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) - Strategic analysis: Drivers and Constraints, Product/Technology Analysis, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis etc. - Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations - Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends - Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments - Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Talk to our Analyst / Ask for a discount on Market and Get More Information Related to This Report@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/11158 Free Customization Offerings: All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options: Company Profiling o Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3) o SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3) Regional Segmentation o Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the clients interest (Note: Depends of feasibility check) Competitive Benchmarking o Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) is a technique used in the laboratories that can separate ions based on their electrophoretic mobility with the use of an applied voltage without overheating. The advantages of the system include high accuracy, efficiency and higher reproducibility. This electrophoresis technique is widely used in biosciences and clinical research. Click Here to Get Sample Premium Report @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3944 Growth by Region North America accounted for the largest market share owing to the increasing focus by stakeholders on research projects that involves proteins, associated biomolecules and also genes. The growth in Europe, is due to the growing research activities in the fields related to genomics and proteomics coupled with stringent regulatory requirements in pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. Asia-Pacific region is also one of the lucrative markets showing noticeable growth due to rising focus on structure-based drug design developments. Drivers vs Constraints The market is mainly driven by advantages over other molecular separation and analysis technologies due to its improved efficiency, high accuracy as well as greater reproducibility. However, the growth of the market is hindered by the high cost of the equipment as well as the availability of other electrophoresis systems in the market. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/3944/Single Industry Trends and Updates Agilent Technologies, Inc., an American public research, development and manufacturing company had completed its acquisition of Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc., a provider of capillary electrophoresis solutions for fully automated analysis of a wide range of molecules for USD 250 million in cash. Request For Report Discounts @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/3944 Thermo Fisher Scientific, an American biotechnology product development company had launched its new capillary electrophoresis (CE) system which is designed to offer a low-throughput, cartridge-based system for Sanger sequencing as well as fragment analysis at European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The report provides detailed analyses of the top winning strategies, market share & estimations, driving factors & opportunities, key market segments, and competitive landscape. As per the report, the global dental consumables market was pegged at $41.06 billion in 2017 and is expected to garner $55.58 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% through 2023. High prevalence of dental diseases among geriatric population, surge in dental tourism across emerging economies, and increase in demand for minimally invasive dental procedures drive the growth of the global dental consumables market. Moreover, increase in awareness about oral hygiene supplements the market growth. However, high cost of dental products along with very limited reimbursement hampers the growth of the market. On the contrary, rise in demand for dental cosmetic procedures and increase in awareness about proper dentition are expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market players in the near future. Retail dental care essentialssegment to retainlargest share through 2023 The retail dental care essentials segment held the largest share in 2017, contributing nearly two-thirds of the total market revenue. This is attributed to the surge in awareness programs for oral health & hygiene launched by major players & government organizations. However, the periodontics segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR of 12.2% during the forecast period, owing to rapid development of novel technologies and rise in incidence of periodontal diseases. The other segments analyzed in the report include dental implants, dental prosthetics, endodontics, and orthodontics. Asia-Pacific region to manifest fastest growth by 2023 Asia-Pacific region is estimated to register the fastest CAGR of 7.6% through 2023, owing to rise in awareness regarding dental disorders, surge in geriatric population, improved accessibility to medical services, and increase in product availability. However, Europe held the largest market share in 2017, contributing more than one-third of the total revenue, owing to increase in the number of dental restoration cases due to high incidence of dental disorders in the region. The other regions analyzed in the report include North America and Latin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA). For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/442 Torchbearers of the market The major market players analyzed in the report include 3M Company, Danaher Corporation, Institut Straumann AG, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Dentsply Sirona Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent, OSSTEM IMPLANT Co., Ltd., and Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Parents also expressed their satisfaction over exams being conducted in physical classes. (Representational Photo: PTI) Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the schools in Kerala on Friday started conducting exams in physical mode for over one lakh class 11 and vocational higher secondary students. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Director of General Education Jeevan Babu said, "After getting permission from Supreme Court, we have started conducting exams for class 11 and vocational higher secondary students in physical classes from today. The exams will end on October 18." Keeping in place all the COVID-19 protocols, students in the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School of Thiruvananthapuram's Manacaud were seen appearing for the exams. "We have conducted meetings at various levels for conducting these exams. In addition, COVID-19 precautionary measures are also being taken in all the schools in Kerala. We hope that exams go nicely and we wish good health to all," the director added. Parents also expressed their satisfaction over exams being conducted in physical classes. Arya, the mother of a Class 11 student from the Humanities stream, said that she is completely satisfied with this decision. "My son is well prepared for the exams. Last year, my daughter also appeared for exams in physical classes," she stated. Earlier on September 18, Kerala Chief Minister's office informed that the schools in the state will reopen from November 1. "School-based classes for standards 1 to 7 (primary section) and 10 and 12 will begin on November 1, other classes will begin on November 15. The decision was taken at a COVID-19 review committee meeting," read an official notification from the CMO. Keeping the Covid third wave in view, the officials informed that 20,964 oxygen concentrators and 27,311 D type oxygen cylinders were made available and added that oxygen pipeline works were completed in 128 hospitals. (DC Image/Murali Krishna) VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy gave green signal for massive recruitment in the medical and health department to fill up 14,200 posts to provide better services to people. The Chief Minister conducted a review meeting on medical, health, Covid-19 and vaccination in his camp office at Tadepalli on Friday. Jagan directed officials to fill up vacant posts from primary health centres (PHCs) to teaching hospitals and instructed them to start the recruitment from October 1 and to complete it by November 15. Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the recruitment of 14,200 posts in hospitals from PHCs and medical colleges to teaching hospitals should start from 1 October and complete by November 15. He instructed officials to ensure that there is no staff crunch in hospitals and said though the state government had been spending huge amounts to construct hospitals, lack of staff in hospitals had become a major concern and it needed to be addressed. He directed the officials to take measures to ensure best medical quality services in government hospitals. He said the government should run hospitals efficiently with adequate staff and instructed the officials to recruit more doctors to ensure presence of alternative doctors if any doctor was on leave. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to conduct special vaccination drives in East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts and recruit additional staff for the same. He instructed the officials to continue the night curfew and also to implement restrictions in districts with a high positivity rate. He said to expedite the vaccination process and also to review the progress of works of new teaching hospitals. The officials informed the Chief Minister that there were 13,749 active cases across the state and recovery rate was 98.60 percent and positivity rate was 2.12 percent. There are zero active cases registered in 10,921 secretariats and 2787 patients are being treated in hospitals, 562 people are in Covid care centres. They said 91.33 percent of Covid patients in network hospitals were being treated under Arogyasri and 72.64 percent of them were in private hospitals. They said the positivity rate was less than 3 percent in 10 districts and it was less than three to five percent in two districts and more than 5 percent in 1 district. Keeping the Covid third wave in view, the officials informed that 20,964 oxygen concentrators and 27,311 D type oxygen cylinders were made available and added that oxygen pipeline works were completed in 128 hospitals. They said the state government was setting up oxygen generation plants in 143 hospitals which had beds more than 50 and they would be completed by October 10. The officials informed the Chief Minister that 2,61,56,928 people were administered the vaccine of which 1,34,96,579 received a single dose while 1,26,60,349 were administered two doses. Deputy chief minister Alla Krishna Srinivas, Arogyasri trust advisor Govindahari, medical and health principal secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, Covid taskforce committee chairman M.T. Krishna Babu, 104 call centre in-charge A. Babu, health commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar, Arogyasri CEO V. Vinay Chand, APMSIDC VC and MD Muralidhar Reddy, medical and health director (drugs) Ravi Shankar and other officials were present. "The C-295 is a multi-role aircraft with several configurations to meet mission requirements. It envisages total manufacturing of the aircraft in India," he said. New Delhi: India on Friday inked a nearly Rs 20,000 crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the Avro-748 planes of the IAF under a project that entails manufacturing of military aircraft in the country for the first time by a private company. Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The chairman of Tata Trusts, Ratan Tata, congratulated Airbus Defence, Tata Advanced Systems Limited and the Defence Ministry on the inking of the contract, saying it is a "great step" forward in the opening up of the aviation and avionics projects in India. In a signed statement posted on Twitter, he said the project will create a domestic supply chain capability to international standards, which has never been undertaken before. "The C-295 is a multi-role aircraft with several configurations to meet mission requirements. It envisages total manufacturing of the aircraft in India," he said. "The Tata Group congratulates Airbus and the Indian Defence Ministry for this bold step in fully building this state-of-the-art multi-role aircraft in India in support of the Make-in-India thrust to bolster the country's equity framework," Tata said The contract was signed two weeks after it was cleared by the prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security. Airbus said the first 16 aircraft will be delivered over four years after the contract implementation and that all the planes will be equipped with an indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite (EWS). "This contract will support the further development of India's aerospace ecosystem, bringing investment and 15,000 skilled direct jobs and 10,000 indirect positions over the coming 10 years," said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. "The C295 has proven again as the segment leader, and with the addition of India as a new operator, the type will enlarge its footprint even more, not only on the operational aspects but on its own industrial and technological development," he said. Sukaran Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, described the sealing of the deal as a moment of pride for Tatas and a "milestone" for the Indian military manufacturing ecosystem. "For the first time, an Indian private company will be wholly manufacturing an aircraft in India. This endeavour demonstrates Tata Advanced Systems' capabilities as a defence manufacturer to build globally competitive complex platforms in India," he said. In a statement, Airbus said 'Make in India' is at the heart of its strategy in India, with the company constantly increasing the country's contribution to its global product portfolio. It said the C295 programme will see Airbus bring its complete bouquet of world-class aircraft manufacturing and servicing to India in collaboration with its industrial partners, including the Tatas and leading defence public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. With a proven capability of operating from short or unprepared airstrips, the C295 is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft, it said. The aircraft can airdrop paratroops and loads, and also be used for casualty or medical evacuation. The aircraft is capable of performing special missions as well as disaster response and maritime patrol duties. "The IAF becomes the 35th C295 operator worldwide, with the programme reaching 278 aircraft, 200 of which are already in operation and have booked more than half a million flight-hours," Airbus said. Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata on Friday hailed the finalisation of a contract by India to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft under an Airbus-Tata project, describing it as a "great step" forward in the opening up of the aviation and avionics sector in the country. His comments came hours after the deal to procure the aircraft to replace the Avro-748 planes of the IAF was sealed. Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. "The clearance of the joint project between Airbus Defence and Tata Advanced Systems to build the C-295 is a great step forward in the opening up of the aviation and avionics projects in India," Tata said in a statement. "The C-295 is a multi-role aircraft with several configurations to meet mission requirements. It envisages total manufacturing of the aircraft in India," he said. The chairman of Tata Trusts congratulated Airbus Defence, Tata Advanced Systems Limited and the Defence Ministry on the inking of the contract "It will create a domestic supply chain capability to international standards, which has never been undertaken before. The Tata Group congratulates Airbus and the Indian Defence Ministry for this bold step in fully building this state-of-the-art multi-role aircraft in India in support of the Make-in-India thrust to bolster the country's equity framework," Tata said. The contract was signed two weeks after it was cleared by the prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security. Airbus said the first 16 aircraft will be delivered over four years after the contract implementation and that all the planes will be equipped with an indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite (EWS). "This contract will support the further development of India's aerospace ecosystem, bringing investment and 15,000 skilled direct jobs and 10,000 indirect positions over the coming 10 years," said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. Jitender Maan alias Gogi, who carried a reward of Rs 6.5 lakh on his head, was arrested along with his three accomplices from Gurgaon by a team of Special Cell last year in March, according to police. (Representational Image - ANI) New Delhi: Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi was shot dead Friday inside Delhi's Rohini court by two assailants dressed as lawyers who were also killed in a swift police counter-fire, officials said. In video footage of the shootout involving the two attackers, who were from the rival gang, gunshots could be heard and policemen and lawyers seen in a scramble, but the officials said there were no further injuries or deaths. Delhi Police spokesperson Chinmoy Biswal said both the assailants were dead along with undertrial prisoner Gogi, one of Delhi's most wanted. "Swift action by police team in launching a counter-fire on the two assailants who were in lawyers' attire and attacked Gogi. Both the assailants are dead along with Gogi," he said. Later, the Delhi Police said in a tweet, "Two gangsters killed in immediate counterfire by Police as they opened fire in lawyers' attire at a gangster UTP (under trial prisoner) in Rohini court premises this afternoon. All 3 gangsters dead. No other injury or death occurred." It also said the joint commissioner of police (northern range) will enquire into the incident and submit report. Rajiv Agnihotri, an advocate, said, "I was stepping outside the court when the incident happened. I heard firing and later more rounds were fired. One person identified as Gogi was shot dead, following which the Delhi Police retaliated and they shot dead the two assailants. This (incident of firing) has happened for the fourth or fifth time at Rohini. So the situation has not improved so far." Jitender Maan alias Gogi, who carried a reward of Rs 6.5 lakh on his head, was arrested along with his three accomplices from Gurgaon by a team of Special Cell last year in March, according to police. He was arrested along with Kuldeep Naan alias Fajja, Kapil alias Gaurav and Rohit alias Koi. The Special Cell was on the lookout for Gogi, Fajja and Gaurav for a long time before tracing them to their hideout in Gurgaon in March last year. HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday stayed the auction of yet another 15 plots of land, which were notified to be auctioned by the TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) in Puppalaguda village on September 28. The auction of these plots totalling 18 acres in Survey No.s 301, 303 and 327 was challenged by petitioners who claimed to be the heirs of the owner of the land. One Ramchander Singh and his family members claimed that the land was given to their ancestors under the provisions of the Evacuee Property Act, but the authorities were trying to dispossess them of the property. In 2014, the petitioners approached the High Court requesting a direction to the revenue authorities to issue pattas to them. This issue was escalated to the Supreme Court, which in turn referred the case to the High Court to resolve. The High Court, two days ago stayed five plots, consisting of 11 acres of land in Survey No. 301 of Puppalaguda village. TSRTC sought Chief Ministers approval to hike charges to tide over huge losses on account of the Covid pandemic at a meeting held in Pragathi Bhavan on September 21. (DC Photo) HYDERABAD: The state government is in favour of hiking power charges and TSRTC bus ticket fares in December simultaneously after Huzurabad Assembly bypoll, which is expected anytime in November. Official sources said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao asked the TSRTC and TS Genco officials to submit hike proposals after Dasara in October. The Cabinet will later meet to discuss hike proposals and take a decision in this regard. But since increasing charges involves political implications, the Chief Minister wants to wait till Huzurabad bypoll is over to effect a hike in charges, sources said. This is said to be because the TRS is aggressively campaigning against the probable BJP candidate Etala Rajendar in Huzurabad stating that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had imposed an unbearable burden on common people by increasing the prices of domestic LPG cylinders, petrol and diesel during the last two years. If the RTC bus fare and electricity charges are increased by the TRS government at this stage, it will give scope for the BJP to counter TRS criticism and push the ruling party into defensive mode. It may be recalled that Discoms and the TSRTC sought Chief Ministers approval to hike charges to tide over huge losses on account of the Covid pandemic at a meeting held in Pragathi Bhavan on September 21. Huzurabad Assembly seat fell vacant on June 12 and as per norms the bypoll has to be held within six months of the seat falling vacant. Going by this, the deadline for Huzurabad bypoll is December 12. The TRS leadership expects the Election Commission to conduct a bypoll by November-end, according to sources. Sources said the TSRTC wanted to seek ticket fare hike up to 20 per cent for ordinary/Palle Velugu buses and up to 30 per cent for deluxe, luxury, inter-state buses. Last time, when bus charges were hiked by 20 per cent in December 2019, the TSRTC's daily earnings increased up to Rs 13.5 crore. But all these profits were wiped out by the outbreak of Covid due to which the TSRTC suffered Rs 5,000 crore losses since March 2020. The TSRTC aims to earn up to Rs 16 crore per day with the fresh hike. Similarly, TS Discoms (TSSPDCL and TSNPDCL) are incurring an average loss of Rs 1.10 on every unit of power as the Discoms are have an expenditure of Rs 7.14 to supply each unit but getting only Rs 6.93 in return as charges were not revised since 2015. Even in 2015, charges were revised for all categories except domestic consumers. This time, TS Discoms seek tariff hikes for all categories of consumers. They reportedly want hike up to Rs 1.50 per unit for commercial category and up to 50 paise for domestic category through which it expects to mop up an additional Rs 2,500 crore revenue. New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao arrived in the national capital on Thursday for a three-day visit, during which he is scheduled to call on central ministers as well as attend a high-level meeting of CMs from 10 naxal-hit states. Rao is scheduled to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat on Saturday and discuss river water projects, according to the Chief Minister's Office. On Sunday, Rao will attend a high-level meeting of 10 chief minister's of naxal-affected states and it will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Vigyan Bhawan here. Later, he is scheduled to meet Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss paddy procurement issues and most likely return to Hyderabad on the same day. Referring to Rs 1,200 crore sanctioned for the drinking water project for areas outside ORR, Rama Rao said this included construction of 137 MLC capacity reservoirs and laying of addional drinking water pipelines over 2,100 kilometres. (Representational Photo: AFP) Hyderabad: Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that the government had sanctioned Rs 5,066 crore at one go for setting up 31 sewerage treatment plants (STPs) in the city and ramp up drinking water supply on the outskirts. Rama Rao told the media that this is the highest amount ever sanctioned to the city, and thanked Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for releasing government orders immediately in this regard. While Rs 3,866 crore was sanctioned to build STPs, Rs 1,200 crore was sanctioned for improving drinking water supply to the urban local bodies and gram panchayats surrounding Hyderabad. Rama Rao stated that the work will be completed in two years and meet the citys needs for 10 to 15 years. "Once completed, Hyderabad will become the only city in the country to have a capacity to treat 100 per cent sewerage water. At present, the city has STPs to treat 772 MLDs (million litres a day) which accounts for just 46.75 per cent of total sewerage water produced. The new STPs will create additional capacity to treat 1,260 MLDs," Rama Rao said. He said the STPs will be constructed in hybrid annuity model on the lines of the National Highways Authority of India constructing national highways. The companies which set up the STPs will maintain them for for 15 years. The government will contribute 40 per cent of funds while the rest will be mobilised through loans. Referring to Rs 1,200 crore sanctioned for the drinking water project for areas outside ORR, Rama Rao said this included construction of 137 MLC capacity reservoirs and laying of addional drinking water pipelines over 2,100 kilometres. More than 20 lakh people in urban local bodies and gram panchayats surrounding Hyderabad will be benefited. Two lakh new water connections will be given in these areas which itself will be a record of sorts and a big relief to people who are facing drinking water issues for long, he said. Reiterating that the government is committed to clearing nala encroachments to avoid flooding, the minister said the government had plans to bring legislation to clear encroachments on nalas, lakes and water bodies. "We will soon hold a meeting with elected representatives to take their help. After monsoon, we want to take up a special drive to clear encroachments," Rama Rao said. The government is willing to rehabilitate affected people by allotting 2BHK houses, he added. Rama Rao reiterated his support to merge the SCB with the GHMC, stating that the government is not able to lay roads, flyovers, skyways etc due to restrictions imposed by the Local Military Authority while people residing in these areas are facing severe hardships due to abrupt closure of roads under SCB limits. He claimed that majority of the people in Hyderabad are in favour of GHMC-SCB merger. Rama Rao refused to comment on the long-pending GHMC standing committee issue, saying that its a small operational matter which would be sorted out soon. As per norms, the standing committee has to be set up within three months but its been pending for seven. The state government is giving serious thought to issue pattas to the podu lands to settle the issue on a permanent basis.(Photo: Twitter) ADILABAD: The forest department is collecting details of podu lands being cultivated by tribals from the time before December 13, 2005 in the old Adilabad district area, and these details will be submitted to the cabinet sub-committee constituted to settle the podu land issue by the state government. The state government is giving serious thought to issue pattas to the podu lands to settle the issue on a permanent basis. Project officer Bhavesh Mishra, ITDA, Utnoor, said pattas under The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act were issued to 35,000 tribals cultivating podu lands before December 13, 2005, in the old Adilabad district area. Among these, 17,000 pattas were given to the tribals in the Adilabad district alone. Alongside, ROFR pattas were issued to the 5,500 tribals, to the extent of 6,589 acres in the Nirmal district. The state cabinet's sub-committee of ministers constituted on the podu land issue is expected to submit its recommendations to the government soon. The state government will submit details of the podu lands that tribals have been cultivating for a long time and how many acres were cultivated by them before December 13, 2005, how many applications are pending, and how many were rejected among those that were sent to the central government for its approval, before the issue of pattas to the genuine tribal farmers. Forest officials were asked to submit the details of the podu lands being cultivated under their purview to the sub-committee so that the panel will review the situation. If needed, its members would visit the districts to take stock of the situation. The state government took a serious note of the podu land issue as in many places Adivasis and forest officials are on a confrontation course over the cultivation of forest lands. Forest officials say that in some places, forest lands were simply encroachments, and cultivation was done by tribals after the cut-off date of December 13, 2005 set by the Forest Rights Act. They did so in the hope that these too would be granted pattas. Adivasis also say forest officials have encroached upon the podu lands that they have been cultivating for more than 40 years. Forest officials were planting saplings on these lands under the Haritha Haram, they complained. Minister for forest and a member of the cabinet sub-committee on podu lands, Allola Indrakaran Reddy, said the state government is putting in serious efforts to resolve the podu land issue and it was collecting the details of podu lands district-wise from the forest department. He said the cabinet sub-committee will discuss the podu land issue thoroughly and proposals will be sent to the central government for its approval. It is said the state government was under pressure from the adivasis agitating for a long time with a plea to the state government to issue pattas to the podu lands. Now, the opposition Congress and BJP are also raising the issue to derive political mileage from it. HYDERABAD: The monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council which started on Friday will continue till October 5. The House was adjourned for September 27 after adopting condolence motions, mourning the passing away of former members of the House in the recent past on the first day. Later, the business advisory committee (BAC) met on Assembly premises to decide the agenda and the duration of the monsoon session. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, legislative affairs minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy, finance minister T. Harish Rao, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi were present in the BAC meeting. After the BAC meeting, the Chief Minister left for Delhi on a three-day visit. BJP MLAs Raja Singh and M Raghunandan Rao protested for not inviting the BJP for the BAC meet. In the BAC meeting, the Chief Minister offered to hold an Assembly session for any number of days till all major issues are discussed in the House after the Opposition parties demanded the session for 20 days. Later, the state government proposed to hold the session till October 5. It proposed to discuss 10 subjects in the House including IT, industries, Dalit Bandhu, Haritha Haaram and agriculture among others. Five bills and two ordinances will be introduced in the Assembly. On the occasion, the Chief Minister proposed to set up a club exclusively for MLAs in Hyderabad on the lines of the Constitution Club for MPs in Delhi. He requested the Speaker to visit and examine the Constitution Club along with the team comprising legislative affairs minister, finance minister and Opposition leaders, before commencing the project. The Chief Minister assured to sanction funds to the project at the earliest once the design is finalised. Android mobile remote support for Google TV arrived on Thursday after the company initially announced the feature during Google I/O back in May. (AFP Photo) Washington: American technology giant Google has launched a new Google TV feature that will allow users to use their Android mobile devices as remotes for those moments when their streaming box's wand disappears without a trace. According to The Verge, android mobile remote support for Google TV arrived on Thursday after the company initially announced the feature during Google I/O back in May. A spokesperson told the outlet that the tool will only be available for Android at this time and did not have anything further to share about future iOS support. Support for a mobile remote should be a tremendous help to those users who constantly losing their wands beneath mountains of blankets and pillows, but it should also streamline processes for things like entering long or complicated passwords, search terms and titles to films and series. Google said that beyond just Google TV, support would extend to other Android TV OS devices as well. The remote tool can be accessed two ways: either by adding the remote tile to quick settings from an Android device or through the Google TV app, which Google said will be launching in 14 new countries in the coming weeks, as per The Verge. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Lost Dutchman's gold mine is legendary and surrounded by too many unanswered questions that have led many people to quest for gold riches but never returned. The story of the almost cursed mine had never stopped treasure hunters or those looking for a good mystery to go out and find its truth. Gold and treasure is a mix that has drawn anyone looking for it to risk the odds, but it is almost death for questers of the gold. Many of the stories are either truth or fiction, as stories over the years get a makeover. When gold hunting in the Superstitious Mountains leads to imminent death The lost gold mine in question has been legendary to its believers who have sought it out over the past 150 years in the treacherous Superstitious Mountains in Arizona, reported the Daily Star. The latest treasure hunter is Bellhop Jesse Capen, 35 like the rest were ensnared in the legend. He went after gold and disregarded the dangers, which may have paid the ultimate price. He reported he went after seeking on the lost mine when he's in free time. Deciding to set off searching the fabled mine in the Superstition Mountains close to Phoenix, Arizona, it was the last seen of him. Capen found no trace until his corpse was seen three years later in a crevice, way up 35-feet on a cliff. After the death and disappearance of Jesse Capen, three more eccentric nut jobs were after the legendary golden loot of the 'Lost Dutchman's gold mine,' cited the Denver Post. They, too, disappeared with no signs where they were. Read Also: Titanic Artifacts Found, New Discovery Mission "Like Opening a Treasure Box" Search for the missing treasure hunters went on for 19 days with no clues, especially the fierce desert heat would make short work of them too. The corpses were found six months later, three more to the body count in the Superstition Mountains. Most fatalities never even consider the terrain of rough and steep cliffs that will be deadly for lost treasure hunters. The weather is fierce summer heat and chilling winters so cold. The mountains where the lost gold mine is where death awaits for the less prepared. Authorities now ban the search for the mine, and any gold found becomes state property to end the deaths. But there are still those searching and dying to own the fabled gold. Initial discoverers killed by Apache Indians Going back to 150 years where it all started, one of the stories is that in 1850 the Peraltas Mexican mining family found a rich gold mine, although Apache Indians slew them to keep the secret. Another tale is that Dr. Thorne helped a wounded Apache chief and was brought blindfolded to the same place found by the Peralta's. Thorne was asked to get all the gold he could bring out, got out alive, though. Same as the slain Peraltas, several German prospectors found the Apache mine and attacked. One survived, and the rest were killed by the Indian but made a map of reaching the gold mine. Most of the tales are arguably truth or fantasy, but in 1891, a German immigrant Jacob Waltz, the 'Dutchman,' claimed he found the mine. He disclosed the proof of his discovery on his deathbed, and there was gold ore hidden under his bed, noted AZ State Parks. He managed to draw the map to get to what would be called the 'Lost Dutchman's gold mine.' The intervening years were claims and other connections to the treasure that is still not found today. Related Article: Divers Discover Sunk Warship With Treasures of the Amber Room Looted by Nazis in World War 2 @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Joe Biden's first year in the White House has been challenging, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in the United States and the US President's popularity plummeting due to the Afghanistan issue. President Biden's approval rating has now dropped to an all-time low, with the majority of Americans disapproving of his job performance. According to a Pew Research Center poll issued Thursday, support for President Joe Biden has dwindled among both Democrats and Republicans, with the president's approval rating now more negative than positive. In a September poll, less than half of respondents (44%) approved Biden's handling of his position as president, while 53% disapproved. In July, 55% of people said they approved, while 43% said they didn't. Afghanistan withdrawal resulted in Americans' dissatisfaction While Biden's handle of the pandemic still inspires greater public trust than his handling of other issues, his approval rating has dwindled from 65% in March to 51% in September. And the majority of those polled have little to no trust in his management of foreign policy, military action, immigration, and unifying the country. The public's opinion of Biden has likewise deteriorated, App.com reported. The President's standing has plummeted due to widespread dissatisfaction with his management of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, during which the Taliban gained control and squandered 20 years of international engagement. However, Americans are concerned about more than Afghanistan; the country's reaction to the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic decline are partly to blame for low satisfaction ratings. According to a Gallup poll conducted in August, only 23% of Americans satisfied Biden's domestic policies, down from 36% in May. According to the survey, Americans feel the COVID-19 pandemic is the most pressing issue facing the country. Coronavirus infections are still on the rise across the United States, with 680,000 individuals dying so far. Even as hospitalizations and new cases begin to drop, the country is averaging more than 2,000 newly recorded fatalities per day, the highest level since late February. Read Also: Donald Trump Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against Niece Mary, New York Times Over Tax Report That Alleges "Insidious Plot" Joe Biden's mental acuity, foreign policy lost voters' trust Per Express.co, Biden said the Delta variant has ripped through the US as a largely preventable catastrophe that would "get worse before it gets better." In early August, experts predicted that Delta could kill tens of thousands more Americans, and Biden has so far failed to control in places where the virus is growing most vigorously. President Joe Biden, his mental acuity, and his foreign policy have all lost Americans' trust of all ages. According to respondents polled by Pew, Biden also failed to deliver on his campaign promise of bringing the country united. A staggering 66% do not believe he has succeeded, with only 34% feel he has brought the country closer together, as per Daily Mail. The poll's question comes as Biden confronts a barrage of criticism for his management of the Afghan withdrawal, the boiling southern border issue, and his inability to get booster injections authorized by mid-September, as promised. While most Americans are unimpressed with Biden's commitment to unity, the vast majority believe he cares about "people like you." However, that percentage is dropping, from 56% in October 2020 to 51% today. According to the Fox poll, this move is mostly due to a 15-point drop among independent voters. When it comes to various problems, Biden has the highest approval rating for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, with 55% approval to 44% disapproval - a nearly similar result from the same survey question in August. Related Article: Joe Biden Receives Hostile Welcome in New Jersey; Protesters Call The President Worthless as He Visits Storm-Damaged Northeast @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On Thursday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona supported making coronavirus vaccinations obligatory for eligible children, arguing that the FDA's approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should encourage states to adopt such a policy. Education Secretary Encourages State Governors To Make Vaccination Mandatory To Eligible Students In a recently published article in The Hill, Cardona said that he supports that measure to mandate eligible students to get their COVID-19 vaccine and encourages states to make plans and come up with a policy on how to make this happen. Cardona explained that Governors should collaborate with school authorities and health officials to implement regulations, particularly in high-risk regions where children may be in danger of returning to remote or hybrid learning as a consequence of the spread of COVID-19. However, the education secretary downplayed the idea that his support for a student vaccination requirement would cause political blowback, particularly in conservative-leaning states, claiming that the issue is about restoring schools safely, according to a report published in POLITICO. Read Also: School Reopening Filled With Anxiety, Uncertainties as Delta COVID Variant Continues to Surge, Threatening Younger Population Cardona Pointed Out the Importance of Vaccine Cardona cited the efficacy of the measles vaccination, which is mandated in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for children in daycare or public schools, as a reason why the coronavirus vaccine should be made obligatory for students. Cardona asserted that the main reason why people are no longer talking about measles in the country today is due to the fact that vaccination against measles is a requirement before attending school. From this standpoint, he believes that the spread of COVID-19 among schoolchildren can be mitigated if eligible students are inoculated. Who are Eligible To Get Inoculated? The Pfizer vaccine was given final clearance by the FDA last month for anyone aged 16 and above. However, for individuals aged 12 to 15, the emergency usage permission remains in effect, according to a recently published article in NPR. So far, no vaccinations for children under the age of 12 have been authorized, but Pfizer said on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine is "safe" and "well-tolerated" by children aged 5 to 11. In its vaccination study with children under 12 years old, the firm claimed it saw "strong neutralizing antibody responses" and a "favorable safety profile." Numbers of Vaccinated Kids or Students Cardona's remarks come as the number of kids eligible to get their first dosage of COVID-19 vaccination continues to decline. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported on Sept. 15 that 273,000 youngsters had received their first coronavirus vaccination dosage in the previous week, the lowest number since the vaccine was made accessible for children aged 12 to 15. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number has declined for five weeks in a row. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 54 percent of people aged 12 to 17 have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, per The New York Times reports. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that it wanted in-person schooling to resume across the country and that it had updated its mask guidance to call for universal mask use in schools by students, staff members, and visitors, regardless of their vaccination status or the rate of virus transmission in the community. Related Article: Biden To Announce 6 New Steps Against COVID-19; POTUS Plans To Include Mandating Vaccination @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Joe Biden's snub for sure Brexit deal is lamentable after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to the White House did not exactly pan out. Difficulties with dealing with the Biden administration, starting with the concessions with the Afghan pullout, the US is not mindful of the special relationship with the UK. The UK is looking for free trade deals outside of the EU that will benefit it. Except for the heat generated by AUKUS, that affects its relationship with some EU members. But a backup to getting a deal with the US is for the UK foreign secretary is to make inroads with Mexico to recommend it in a major international trade pact. UK PM's visit aims Free Trade Deal with US Just fresh from the UN General Assembly in New York, with UK prime minister, the new foreign secretary will have other itineraries on her schedule, reported the Daily Mail. After talking with the UK prime minister, the US president shot down any chance to get free trade deal as one of the closest US allies. At one point, no one got input from Biden, and he passed questions to Johnson, wasting a chance to air his thoughts. But Truss will be heading to Mexico to offset the White House brushing off the UK. UK officials are not pleased over Washington's thumbs down after the bitter disappointment over the no deal with the US, which UK officials say losing the US-Mexico-Canada trade had another option. This development was scoured by experts and perceived as a loss of confidence in the US for not giving consideration. Joe Biden's snub for sure Brexit deal is a letdown for UK efforts. Read Also: Australia, France Row Over the Conventional Submarine Deal; Affects European Union Backing Macron To minimize the wasted efforts of the UK for a free trade agreement (FTA), the fallback is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). But the foreign secretary will not miss the chance to improve the current deal with Mexico that was affected after Brexit. UK Foreign secretary in Mexico for FTA The members of the CPTPP are predominantly Asian countries, the largest economic bloc in the Indo-Pacific area, cited Sky News. Last February, the UK asked for entry to the FTA, and in June, the CPTPP said their joining process would commence. Foreign secretary Truss said that improved ties with Mexico would include economic, security, and diplomatic links that encapsulate free enterprise and trade. She added that by shifting its pivot to Mexico despite the US snub, it would be a gateway to enter the CPTPP, one of the world's largest free trade deals, noted the Financial Times. Furthermore, better relations with Mexico will have more considerable potential to open more business opportunities and have a role in the Indo-Pacific region. Ms. Truss added that a new embassy would be inaugurated in Mexico City, as the old one in 2017 was damaged. Joe Biden's snub for sure Brexit deal has knocked down any deal the week earlier and had imposed on Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade rules. Related Article: Joe Biden Passes Questions to Boris Johnson During the White House Meeting About Not so Sure Brexit Deal @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, a fleet of 24 Chinese aircraft, including 18 fighter jets and two nuclear-capable bombers, breached the island's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday. China Violated Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) In a recently published article in Newsweek, according to publicly accessible statistics provided by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, the newest intrusions by People's Liberation Army aircraft increased the total number of warplane flights this year to 502. According to the country's military authorities, approximately 380 ADIZ breaches occurred in 2020. ADIZs are self-declared airspace restrictions that extend beyond a country's borders into international airspace. The zones, which have also been established by neighboring China, Japan, and South Korea, are used to seek early identification of foreign civil and military aircraft. However, international law does not govern the activity. Furthermore, in separate reports recording action on Thursday morning and afternoon local time in the Bashi Channel, near the entrance of the South China Sea, Taiwan's air force assigned combat air patrols, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems, according to the ministry in a published article in MSN News. Read Also: In a Battle for Superiority Between China and US, Taiwan is Caught in the Crossfire China Claims Taiwan's Territory China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has promised to "unify" it, if necessary via force. Military authorities in the United States have warned that a Chinese invasion of the democratic island may happen this decade or is far closer than most people think, according to a report published in BBC News. On the other hand, analysts in Taipei believe Beijing regularly uses its military to convey political signals, sending aircraft and warships to indicate Beijing's opposition to diplomatic developments involving Taiwan. When Taiwanese authorities attempt to gather international support, and when allies like the US openly support Taipei's efforts, a pattern of military coercion develops. Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Officials in Taipei conducted a news briefing on Wednesday, only days after Beijing filed its CPTPP application, to announce that Taiwan has sought formal membership to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The economic agreement may have geopolitical implications for both Taiwan and China. For the former, it is an opportunity to decrease its reliance on the mainland Chinese market even further. Meanwhile, the latter may perceive an opportunity to suffocate such an endeavor while expanding its own economic clout. In a published article in Daily Advent, Taiwan's top trade negotiator, John Deng, told reporters on Thursday that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's government has been working on CPTPP membership for many years. He claims that her administration has already completed all of the required legal and regulatory arrangements. Taiwan's Application is Not Linked To China's Submission Last Week China expressed its objection to Taiwan's participation on Thursday, putting Taipei in a difficult position. Deng told reporters that the date of Taiwan's proposal was unrelated to Beijing's submission last week. He believes China would have had its own concerns. Deng acknowledged that the application procedure might pose diplomatic difficulties, but he said that China has long blocked Taiwan's international space, as everyone can see. Taiwan's application will, of course, be jeopardized if China enters first. Related Article: US Warns China Its Obligation To Defend Philippines Taiwan @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Several African leaders spoke out about inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine accessibility at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, calling for greater international cooperation and access. In a speech, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed that vaccinations are "the best protection" against the pandemic's risks, and he criticized the world's wealthier and poorer countries' vaccine inequality. Ramaphosa urged the United Nations to support a proposal that the World Health Organization's intellectual property rights for vaccinations be temporarily revoked so that low- and middle-income countries can produce more of the shots. During his speech, Angola's President, Joo Lourenco, described the vaccine access inequality as "shocking," Newsweek reported. UN General Assembly highlights the need for COVID-19 vaccine equality According to health experts, a world without COVID-19 will not be achievable unless everyone has equal access to vaccinations. More than 4.6 million people have died due to the virus since it began spreading throughout the world in early 2020, but the pace of deaths is anticipated to reduce if more people get vaccinated. Developed countries are considerably more likely than poor nations to vaccinate their populations, thereby extending the pandemic and expanding global inequality, as per Big News Network. UN News highlights the importance of vaccination equality ahead of a meeting with senior UN officials on Monday at the UN. Inequitable vaccine distribution not only exposes millions or billions of people to the fatal virus but also allows for the emergence and spread of even more lethal strains across the world. Furthermore, unequal vaccine distribution will exacerbate inequality and widen the gap between rich and poor people, reversing decades of hard-won gains in human development. Vaccine inequality will have a long-term impact on low- and lower-middle-income countries' socioeconomic recovery. It will impede progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the UN. By 2030, eight out of ten individuals who were directly driven into poverty as a result of the pandemic will be living in the world's poorest countries. Read Also: China's Xi Jinping Vows To Halt Building Coal-Burning Power Plants Abroad Ahead of Climate Talks National leaders condemn excess COVID-19 vaccines of rich countries According to estimates, COVID-19's economic effects in low-income nations might endure until 2024, while high-income countries could achieve pre-COVID-19 per capita GDP growth rates by the end of this year. In his inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly, US President Joe Biden called for a new era of international cooperation to combat the pandemic. Still, one year after world leaders pledged to bring COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to "all people, everywhere," the message of unity rang hollow. Due to the current coronavirus catastrophe, Biden spoke to a considerably smaller gathering than usual on Tuesday, urging heads of state to take fast action to contain a pandemic that has killed millions and continues to resurge. On Wednesday, the White House said that an extra 500 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be sent to foreign countries in 2022. However, in the United Nations, the ongoing argument over how to effectively handle the huge disparity in vaccine availability is growing, with national leaders condemning vaccine excess in wealthy countries like the United States and the drip-feed of doses sent to the rest of the globe, CNN reported. Unvaccinated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro opened the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday by reiterating his defense of using "off-label" medications to treat COVID-19, claiming that he was among those who recovered after taking an anti-malaria drug that was found to be ineffective in treating the disease. Related Article: Joe Biden Pledges To Double COVID-19 Vaccine Donation For Poor Nations; President Calls For More Global Shots @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. South Korea's call for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a means to restore peace was rejected by North Korea, which said Friday that such a move might be used as a "smokescreen" to hide the U.S. hostile policy against the North. South Korean President Calls For the End-of-the-War During U.N. General Assembly In a recently published article in MSN News, South Korean President Moon Jae-in repeated his calls for an end-of-war declaration in an address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, saying that it might assist in accomplishing denuclearization and long-term peace the Korean Peninsula. He thinks that if the parties to the Korean Conflict get together and declare the war over, they would be able to make irreversible progress toward denuclearization and usher in an age of total peace. Moon also told the United Nations in New York, in his last address as president of South Korea to the General Assembly before his five-year term ends in May. Moon has made similar suggestions in previous UN addresses. In his 2018 address to the 193-member General Assembly, he stated he hopes to see "strong steps for denuclearization" adopted among the nations involved, culminating in a declaration to end the conflicts, according to a published article in Korea Joong Ang Daily. Read Also: Biden Hopes To Convince International Allies That US Has Changed Since Trump Presidency North Korea Dismissed the Call To End War According to North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song, Moon's appeal is premature as long as US policies remain unaltered. He said that it should be recognized that declaring the war to be ended would not assist in stabilizing the Korean Peninsula at this time but will instead be utilized as a smokescreen to hide the US hostile stance. He said that American weaponry and soldiers stationed in South Korea and its environs and frequent military exercises in the area testify to the United States' hostile stance against North Korea becoming more savage by the day. North Korea has long seen US-led economic restrictions as evidence of US animosity against the country, according to a report published in Associated Press. Meanwhile, Moon's address made no mention of North Korea's latest missile provocations. North Korea defied UN Security Council resolutions by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea last week. Earlier this month, it also conducted a test of new long-range cruise missiles. South and North Korea Almost End their War in the Previous Years The Korean War came to a close with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, keeping the peninsula technically at war. North Korea has insisted on signing a peace treaty with the US to officially end the war and pave the way for better ties, sanctions easing, and the reduction or removal of the 28,500 US soldiers stationed in South Korea. During negotiations with the US that started in 2018, both Koreas had asked for an end-of-war proclamation, and there was speculation that then-President Donald Trump would declare the war's conclusion in early 2019 to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. Related Article: Pentagon Expresses Concern Over North Korea's Reported Nuclear Reprocessing @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After the AUKUS deal was announced, Putin revealed plans to organize Asian NATO in its wake. Russia, like China, feels threaten because the brokered by Joe Biden has opened the flood gates of a new arms race in the Indo-Pacific. Other pundits say that Putin is reacting because the sub deal with the US, Australia, and the UK will block Russia's power projection in the Indo-Pacific. Observers are aware that Joe Biden's disastrous pull out of troops in Afghanistan has prompted him to focus on the South China Sea and the East China Sea, other areas where China is active. In fact, US Vice President Kamala Harris made the rounds talking to Asian allies. Russia's plans amid AUKUS deal The AUKUS deal, which roped in Australia and the UK, will transfer US technology to build nuclear subs and send them to the Indo-Pacific, reported the Express UK. According to Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of Russia's Security Council, the prototype underwater force will join the new Asian NATO that will blunt the Tripartite submarine deal. Officials of the Kremlin did not mince words that the sub deal is aimed at Russia and China, which won't be taken lightly. There would be consequences for Joe Biden's focus on Asia, even with an alliance with the deal's members. Putin reveals plans to organize Asian NATO after the AUKUS deal just made the Indo-Pacific more dangerous. Instead of having a foreign policy that lessens conflict, this move heightens differences instead. Read Also: EU Needs to Develop Own Army After AUKUS Deal Casts Division With US Alliance Patrushev slammed the US deal had destroyed the fragile situation that Russia and China kept from escalating, but one strike from Washington has made the Indo-Pacific an explosive powder keg than it is. Biden administration has opened a nuclear arms race One direct effect of arming the UK and Australia with nuke submarines is that Washington ignored the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NTP), which aims for nuclear arms must be kept to a minimum. The AUKUS will add more nuclear-armed nations, which will be more difficult in the future, cited India Atoz. With more nuclear arms, the goal of the NTP to lessen the proliferation of nukes has been made harder by the US-sponsored deal. Vladimir Putin has slammed the tripartite nation submarine deal as terrible, but sees it as a chance to sell Russian nuclear submarines to other affiliated countries. Press releases have highlughted new submarines that are on par with the US, noted the Stuff. Biden's deal with the UK and Australia is not an exclusive right so Russia can do the same thing. Russia has nuclear sub-technology top secret and exclusive, far better than China has by several years ahead. India is the only country to be allowed to use Russian-made nuclear attack subs since 1987, but it took some negotiation for that to happen. No direct technology transfer was part of the deal. Moscow mentioned that they could offer nuke submarines to buyers willing to pay for it; some buyers would be Vietnam and Algeria as probable buyers. Putin reveals plans to organize Asian NATO with eyes on strategic partners as the first clients, and this is a miscalculation that the AUKUS will not lessen nukes as the NTP dictates. Related Article: Von Der Leyen Orders EU To Halt Business With US Until France Gets an Explanation Over the AUKUS Deal @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United Nations held a meeting on race and reparations this week, but representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries did not attend. Representatives from the US and the UK opted to attend a summit on COVID-19 vaccine supplies convened by Joe Biden. According to CNN, ambassadors from Africa, Asia, and South America took part in the United Nation's meeting on race titled, "Reparations, racial justice, and equality for people of African descent." US Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the discussions on race and reparations by explaining to the attendees why it was even necessary to tackle such issues. "Racism and racial discrimination still permeate institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. Structural racism and systematic injustice still deny people their fundamental human rights. We must reverse the consequences of generations of exclusion and discrimination -- including their obvious social and economic dimensions," he said via CNN. Read Also: United Nation Reports: Nigeria Massacre Leaves 110 Dead Bodies US and UK representatives cite the 2001 Durban Declaration protests Despite the meeting's importance, the countries that skipped it claimed that they decided not to attend because of its controversial origins. After all, the meeting was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of adopting the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which earned criticisms in 2001, according to a press release by the United Nations. Back then, there were massive discussions on whether the Israel-Palestinian issues should be included in the rubric of discrimination. The incident also resulted in the US and Israel walking out in protest after making a decision not to include racial discrimination against Palestinians. UK and UK representatives that skipped the meeting were praised Israel's Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said the Durban Conference of 2011 failed to fight racism and encouraged hate and antisemitism. Erdan also praised those that decided not to attend this week's meeting on race and reparations. "This proves that there is a growing recognition of the fact that the Durban Conference was plagued with bigotry and that the Durban Declaration does nothing to promote the fight against racism... I hope this will be the last UN event commemorating that shameful conference," he said via a statement to CNN. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, also issued a similar statement. "[It] remains opposed to the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic underpinnings of the Durban process, and has longstanding freedom of expression concerns with the DDPA," she said. However, the US and the UK both acknowledge the importance of these issues. Racism and reparation issues should be addressed Still, the United Nations General Assembly pledged to double their efforts to combat racism around the world. According to South China Morning Post, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also urged the UN to tackle reparations during one of the world's darkest times due to the COVID-19 various and senseless killings. President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo said that reparations should reflect racial inequality, subordination, and discrimination. Related Article: United Nations Calls Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan To Include Woman and Minorities in the New Interim Government @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a Taliban founder who would run prisons under the new Afghan government, warned that harsh punishment, including amputations and executions, will be reinstated. Turabi Said No One Will Dictate Them What Their Laws Should Be In a recently published article in MSN News, Turabi said in Kabul during an interview "Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments. No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam, and we will make our laws on the Quran." Turabi served as justice minister and head of the so-called Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice during the Taliban's prior reign in Afghanistan, a post described by the Associated Press as "the religious police." Amputations and executions were carried out for criminal crimes such as stealing and highway robbery during the period. Those identical procedures, according to Turabi, will be reinstated. He said that chopping off one's hands is essential for security and that it serves as a deterrence to stealing and other crimes, according to a recently published article in The Washington Post. Read Also: Taliban Refuses To Form 'Inclusive' Government Despite International Pleas as Militant Group Rolls Back Civil Liberties Taliban Officials are Working a Policy if the Punishment Be Made Into Public While it is unclear if the penalty would be carried out in public, Turabi told a female reporter that Taliban officials are trying to "create a strategy" to deal with it. He also maintained that the Taliban had evolved from the past when they ruled Afghanistan. Turabi claimed the Taliban will allow television, mobile phones, pictures, and films "because this is the need of the people, and we are serious about it," in addition to declaring that harsh penalties would be reinstated. In addition, he said that female judges will be permitted to hear cases. Afghanistan's rules, on the other hand, will be based on the Quran, according to a published report in Forbes. He claims that this would enable them to reach millions of people and that if public executions and amputations are allowed, people will be able to film and broadcast the events as a deterrence to what Taliban authorities deem criminal acts. Amputations and Executions are the Same Policies Taliban Implemented in the 1990s According to the statement, the organization has retained many of the harsh, uncompromising practices for which it was known during its rule in the 1990s. They were renowned for their horrific public penalties, including firing squad executions and amputations of convicted thieves hands. Additionally, the Taliban were notorious for their especially harsh treatment of women during their final reign in Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, a pattern that has since resurfaced. Among other restrictions, they prohibited females from receiving an education or voting and banned women from leaving the home without a male companion. They also whipped and beat anyone who broke the laws, and stoned women suspected of adultery to death. Related Article: Taliban Will Form New Members of Cabinet Amid the Economic Turmoil @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Senior diplomat Daniel Foote resigned as the US special envoy for Haiti following the inhumane treatment of Haitian immigrants that tried to cross the border into the United States. In his resignation letter, Foote said that he doesn't want to be associated with the United States' counterproductive and inhumane decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants because of their homeland. SCOOP: Special Envoy for Haiti, Amb Daniel Foote, a career member of foreign service, has RESIGNED. In his letter of resignation, he says he will not be associated with the U.S.'s "inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees." Letter attached. pic.twitter.com/KlW5GoTF3u Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 23, 2021 Haitian immigrants are being deported back to the country According to the BBC, the US started deporting Haitian immigrants from a Texas border town. The 13,000 migrants gathered under a bridge and were placed in makeshift camps with insufficient ventilation. Reports also revealed that officials failed to provide immigrants with enough food and water supply. And they don't also have adequate sanitation. As of writing, 1,401 Haitian migrants have already been transported back to Haiti after spending some time in the Texas camp on the Mexican border. Read Also: US Border Agents On Horseback Chasing Haitian Migrants Stirs Outrage; Democratic Lawmakers Demand Accountability Daniel Foote criticized following his resignation Following Foote's decision to resign from his post, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki claimed that the US special envoy never once raised concerns about immigration matters when he had the chance. But Psaki acknowledged that the photos circulating online showing US officers attacking Haitian migrants on horses are horrific. She also said that horses had been banned for use in the area. Photos of Haitian migrants being attacked likened to US slavery An AFP photographer took the controversial photo, and it sparked comparisons to US slavery and the country's mistreatment of black people. Joe Biden's administration is also being pressured to give Haitian migrants asylum instead of deporting them back to their homes. According to CNN, Biden has not delivered any of his migrant-related campaign promises since he was elected earlier this year. Today, many of the families that were separated under Donald Trump's administration have not been reunited with each other. Kamala Harris wants Haitian immigrants to be treated with dignity Earlier this week, Kamala Harris also expressed her concerns over the handling of Haitian migrants. Harris' spokesperson, Symone Sanders, shared the vice president's thoughts on the matter. "The Vice President raised her grave concerns about the mistreatment of Haitian migrants by border patrol agents on horses, and the need of all (Customs and Border Protection) agents to treat people with dignity, humanely and consistent with our laws and our values," she said in a statement via CNN. According to the publication, the issue is incredibly close to Harris because Biden previously tapped her to address the root causes of migration from Central America. It is uncommon for the White House to read out individual statements from leaders, but the ongoing issue upset Harris. The VP also urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to update the Border Patrol's handling of the migrants. "Secretary Mayorkas also spoke with the Vice President about the efforts DHS has underway to address the humanitarian needs of people at our border in Del Rio through the provision of food, shelter, clothing, and medical care, as well as engagement with non-governmental and international organizations," Sanders said in Daily Mail. Related Article: KamalaHarris Expresses Concerns Over Law Enforcement Officers' Treatment Of Haitian Migrants Crossing The Border Into The US @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris survey, support for former President Donald Trump as a more decisive leader than Vice President Joe Biden has grown since Election Day. Trumps' Popularity Among the Voters Grew In a recently published article in Newsweek, the 2020 presidential election saw record voter turnout, with both candidates receiving a historic number of votes. Biden won with more electoral votes and 51 percent of the popular vote. However, At the start of his administration, Biden consistently beat his predecessor in the CAPS-Harris survey, but the COVID-19 outbreak and military departure from Afghanistan signaled a change in Americans' views of the president. In the CAPS-Harris poll, 51 percent of 1,578 registered voters thought Trump was better than Biden. On the other side, Biden received 49 percent of the vote as the superior leader, according to a recently published article in The Hill. Read Also: Donald Trump Jr. Dominates Most Popular Republicans Poll; Will He Run in the 2024 Election? Co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll Released a Statement Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey, said that the growing problems on all fronts have led to the surprising conclusion that Trump is now as good a president as Biden, implying that the honeymoon period has given way to buyer's remorse. According to the survey, Penn observed that, despite losing the popular vote by roughly five percentage points in November, Trump's popularity has risen since then. A shift of momentum that everyone did not expect after the election, according to a published article in Monmouth University. Meanwhile, Trump continues to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election, but there has not been any proof of massive voter fraud that might have swung the election's outcome. Trump is eyeing a presidential candidacy while focusing on helping Republicans who support his policy agenda win their elections and give the GOP a majority in Congress in 2022. Will Trump Run for President in the Election? Since departing the White House, the former commander-in-chief has teased another presidential run. When asked if he will enter the race, Trump has remained noncommittal but has expressed confidence that his fans would be "very" pleased when he does. Moreover, according to polls, Trump may get substantial support among Republicans if he runs for president again, and he has emerged as the front-runner for the nomination. He also had an advantage over Biden in a hypothetical 2024 contest, suggesting that he had a chance to win. In late August, an Emerson College poll found that 47 percent of those polled supported Trump, giving him a one-point lead over Biden. On the other hand, Trump's lead was within the poll's 2.7-point margin of error, according to a published report in Reuters. Biden's Approval Dropped Meanwhile, Biden's popularity rating is falling, with his favorability in the CAPS-Harris survey dropping below 50 percent for the first time since entering office. Fourteen percent of those polled approved of the president's handling, down four points from the July poll and 14 points from June. Additionally, Biden had less appeal to Iowans than former President Barack Obama and Trump at their lowest points, according to a recent Des Moines Register survey. Although Iowa has been growing redder in recent years, it is still a competitive state for Democrats. If it is representative of other battleground states, it may signal problems for Republicans in the elections. Related Article: Joe Biden's Approval Rating Slumps; Voters Think The President is Mentally Incapable, Has Bad Immigration Policy @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A legal company in Tampa Bay is offering a $20,000 reward to the first individual who offers information that leads to Brian Laundrie's arrest. The offer came on the same day as a $5,000 incentive for similar information was purportedly offered by a person who characterized the Petito family as his "neighbors." On Thursday, a warrant was issued for Laundrie's arrest, and the alleged homicide investigation involving his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, continues to engulf the country. When Laundrie returned to his parents' Florida home on September 1 without Petito, 22, they were in the middle of a four-month journey across America. Law firm offers reward to help to search Brian Laundrie Petito's corpse was discovered in a Wyoming campground on Sunday and was later identified. Laundrie, on the other hand, has been missing since last Tuesday, and investigators are scouring the Carlton Reserve in Florida after his family informed authorities that their son had gone hiking. Boohoff Law, P.A. issued a statement about its award on Thursday, as per The Sun. According to the FBI, Laundrie is wanted for the use of an illegal access device in connection with his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death. He used the card to purchase things worth $1,000 or more. "While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances underlying Petito's homicide," according to a statement released today by the Bureau's Denver bureau, Daily Mail reported. Laundrie, 23, was last seen by his parents and attorney last week, and authorities are still looking for him. After the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public Thursday evening, Laundrie's attorney, Steve Bertolino, released a statement emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for connected acts that occurred after her death. Read Also: Mississippi Man Fatally Shoots Roommates While Child Witnesses Parents' Death Arrest warrant issued for Gabby Petito's boyfriend The corpse was autopsied Tuesday by the Teton County Coroner's Office, which confirmed it was Petito's and that the manner of death was a homicide. The FBI raided the North Port home where Laundrie and Petito resided with Laundrie's parents on Monday. Laundrie's parents allege that their son informed them he was going on a hike before his disappearance. Diane Birnholz, a former federal prosecutor and UCLA law instructor, told Insider that Laundrie's pending warrant allows law officials to arrest him properly. Authorities in Florida, where Laundrie is being sought, can only arrest someone without a warrant if they have a reasonable suspicion that they committed a crime or if there is sufficient cause. With a warrant out for Laundrie's arrest, law enforcement officers who come across him can arrest him. Furthermore, anyone considering defending Laundrie may now be deterred from doing so. According to the Department of Justice, it is illegal to harbor or conceals anybody for whom an arrest warrant has been issued. According to the DOJ, anyone who tries to impede Laundrie's arrest might face jail time. Separately, the North Port Police Department has been searching the huge Carlton Reserve in Florida for Laundrie with sniffing dogs, drones, and swamp buggies to no success. On September 23, the NPPD tweeted that the ground search in reserve had been suspended for the day but would be "back at it" on Friday. Related Article: Witness Claims Brian Laundrie Aggressively Fights With Gabby Petito at Wyoming Restaurant Before Van Life Influencer Vanished @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Researchers working at the Jamestown site in Virginia discovered remnants of a church burned to the ground in the Rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. They have found proof that is connected to the first revolt against Britain in the American colonies. Charred remains hinted three incidents of hostilities In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon, a moneyed landowner who instigated the siege of Jamestown, when Governor William Berkeley was accused of appeasing local Native tribes. Due to hostilities that resulted in the burning down of the local parish church, which was found in 2019 by Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologist Sean Romo, it traced burn deposits under the soil, which it stood. When Romo found the charred remains, he concluded it might come from three incidents: the first one in 1608 and one in 1862 when the Confederates were on the run from the Union army, reported the Daily Mail. Although the remnant could be from the Bacon Uprising that burned the parish down, looking at the evidence on the top part of the charred layer, they concluded it was after burning in 1676, cited the Granthshala. Looking over the deposits, window leads were found; even metal frames for glass planes were found in casement windows. Leads typically would be with the glazier's signature and date, which would prove the building's construction. Its destruction in the Rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Read Also: The Curse of Mary Whiddon of Chagford, Newlyweds Leave Flowers at Her Tomb for Luck According to the senior conservator Dan Gamble, he said leads can point out hidden secrets. Romo added they helped date the artifacts precisely. Jamestown church repeatedly burned down Historically, the Jamestown church has been burned several times in its history; the earliest burning happened 68 years before. It was not the second was the legendary where Pocahontas wed John Rolfe. The fourth church was burnt down, made of brick and wood, taking about 11 years to finish construction. On the site is the 7th church built on the same spot, which finished in 1907 and is still used as an Anglican church today. Bacon's uprising is not the first to challenge then British rule in the colony. There are many causes why there was unrest, noted the National Park Service. There was competition from Maryland, with a constricted market, less price for tobacco, and imported English goods were getting expensive. Colonials were getting mad at Gov. Berkeley for his helplessness in stopping raids by Indian tribes on them. At one point, there was a move to drive away from the native Indians from then Virginia, but the governor interceded. Bacon got fed up and rallied the poorer farmers in non-peaceful revolt because the governor was considered a crooked politician. The rebellion was powerful enough to burn the town on September 19, 1676. It would have been a successful rebellion if it had not been for dysentery that killed Bacon on October 26, 1676. Then the British governor was sent back to England. Dave Givens, the director of archaeology, said that the find shows the uprising did happen with the church burned down too. He added the layers from the dig was adding to the story of the rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Related Article: Otto the Great's Millennium-Old Church Royal Palace of Helfta Discovered in a German Cornfield Along With Other Artifacts @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mississippi State Treasurer David McRae has joined 22 other state financial officials in rejecting President Joe Biden's plan, which they claim would give the IRS access to more than 100 million Americans' private banking activities. The American Families Plan is the proposal in dispute. The measure includes financing for free pre-school for three and four-year-olds, two years of free community college, and extra investments to offer four-year education to poor and middle-income Americans, according to the White House. The plan also includes direct assistance to families to help with childcare expenses, creating a national paid family and medical leave program, and the extension of tax cuts for low and middle-income employees that were enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan. Is Biden's plan a way to spy your bank activities? Aside from such measures, the State Financial Officers Foundation said the plan's tax compliance standards represent the "largest data-mining exercise in US history," as per WTOK. The idea would allocate an additional $80 billion to the IRS over the next decade to upgrade technology and recruit more agents to assure compliance. Efforts would also be made to close what the Biden administration refers to as the "tax gap," or the difference between the amount of federal taxes paid each year voluntarily and the amount owing. In a news statement, McRae said that if the plan is passed, the IRS may monitor the private banking activities of more than 100 million Americans. The objective of permitting this invasion of privacy is to target those who do not pay their total income tax to raise a huge quantity of money to support the administration's $3.5 trillion spending proposal. The IRS monitoring proposal was initially presented in May 2021, and it is now being discussed as part of the $3.5 trillion spending package presently being considered in the United States Congress. While no concrete legislation has been submitted at this time, opponents of the plan in the US House and Senate are concerned that it might be presented by Democratic leadership at any time, as per Y'all Politics. Read Also: COVID-19 Vaccine Apartheid: African Leaders Condemn Disparity in United Nations General Assembly State leaders fight against potential IRS monitoring of bank accounts If the idea is passed, Utah State Auditor John Dougall and State Treasurer Marlo Oaks believe the IRS may examine the private financial activities of more than 100 million Americans. Financial institutions would be obliged to disclose gross inflows and withdrawals from all corporate and personal accounts to the IRS once a year if the sums total at least $600. Only total amounts of money flowing into and out of an account during the previous year would be reported by banks and credit unions. They wouldn't have to record the specifics of each transaction. The Treasury Department announced the idea in May. It may be adopted as part of budget reconciliation legislation presently being considered by the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees. The new reporting requirements, according to Oaks, are an "unprecedented infringement" on Americans' rights and privacy. This week, the State Financial Officers Foundation wrote to President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, describing the idea as a "direct assault" on all Americans and companies, regardless of economic position. According to the group in which Dougall serves as an auditor at large, there is no evidence that the proposal will assist collect taxes from tax evaders. It also claims that the proposal lacks protections to prevent the IRS or other government agencies from misusing the data, Deseret reported. Related Article: Joe Biden's Approval Rating Slumps; Voters Think The President is Mentally Incapable, Has Bad Immigration Policy @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to sources, the building of the newest Type 31 frigates has started, and five are planned for the initial production. The new ship is smaller than destroyers, emphasizing excellent capability but unique features for a lower price. Unlike the US Navy that can afford bigger destroyers, the British Navy is replanning the future of the fleet. Concerns like the need for more ships on the water as Putin's navy does the exact thing. Countries like the UK are rearming to face threats from Russia, China, Iran, and other malign states. Type 31 frigates are the new surface ship HMS Venturer is the only and first Type 31 ship, with four more coming soon. Its namesake came from the World War 2 submarine that sunk a German-U Boat while in the water, reported the Sun UK. At a total cost of 1.25billion per ship, which is made to be multi-role and modular for flexible ship design, cost-effective, and can surprise aggressors, cited the Swift Headline. It will be very flexible and helpful for a ship smaller than a destroyer when it comes online. Able to deploy various systems like drones that go after mines, aerial defense missiles, and relief stores in special containers. Every mission, the kit would be changed according to the mission requirement each time, essentially re-equipping and arming the Type 31 Frigate into a truly multi-role platform. The UK will build the ships at the Rosyth dockyard in Scotland. Read Also: EU Needs to Develop Own Army After AUKUS Deal Casts Division With US Alliance Advanced technology features in Type 31 ships Last Thursday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace spoke with the press. He said that the ship has the advantage of advanced technology that is the Royal Navy's future vision. Type 31s will be capable of many missions on the sea. He addresses it as the first steel of the ship was cut for its construction. It is defined as a Swiss Army Knife for the future of the Royal Navy, with its modules and flexible design. The system is called the pods that will be interchangeable for all ships of the type, which can be shared. The system will be optional for ships so that their base platform can have no change or customization. Retaining its standard equipment is part of the function. Specific missions it will carry out are several operations like intercepting targets against piracy, intelligence gathering, and humanitarian assistance as critical tasks on operations. According to Vice Admiral Nick Hine, the Second Sea Lord, the pods are for platform-based operations at sea, noted the Telegraph UK. Designed with standard features, nothing too expensive or complex. Changing its modular pod's systems allows a quick change for one mission or a combo with specific equipment needed. Pod might even have precise strike and laser weapons, minehunters that are crewed or not, and lost portable command modules. After the HMS Venturer, the sister ships will be the HMS Active, Formidable, Bulldog, and the Campbeltown in the Type 31-Frigate line up as the future ship of the Royal Navy. The news comes that strikes might affect the nuclear sub-base in Clyde, Scotland. Related Article: Putin Reveals Plans to Organize Asian NATO Cites the Aukus Deal has Destabilized the Fragile Security in the Indo-Pacific @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle garnered criticisms following their trip to New York City to attend the Global Citizen Live concert this weekend to promote vaccine equity. Less than 24 hours after they arrived in the Big Apple, multiple British publications lambasted Prince Harry and Markle for the same reasons that they applauded Prince William and Kate Middleton during their previous trip, according to Insider. The said source criticized the pair for seemingly treating their recent appearance as a royal tour. Daily Mail was one of the first to slam the couple for having cocktails on the night before their public appearance. The publication also questioned Prince Harry and Markle's decision to leave their children in their Los Angeles home. It quoted a body language expert saying that the Sussexes seemed anxious to be in front of the cameras even though they were smiling from ear to ear. Read Also: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's Return To UK May Happen Sooner; Couple Makes Shocking Bold Request To Queen Elizabeth Prince Harry, Meghan Markle receive different treatment compared to Cambridges On the contrary, Prince William and Middleton reportedly received countless praises when they arrived in New York back in 2014. The Duchess of Cambridge was even praised for her choice of outfit, saying that she was most likely fighting off a gloomy weather. But Prince Harry and Markle were slammed for wearing an all-black ensemble when they visited the 9/11 museum. Markled was also mocked for wearing a thick coat when it's 80 degrees in New York. Prince Harry and Markle are also staying at the same hotel that Prince William and Middleton stayed in for their New York trip years ago. "Kate lands with a bump: Pregnant Duchess arrives at New York hotel favored by Diana as royal couple touch down in the Big Apple," Daily Mail's 2014 headline read. This week, the publication penned a headline that depicted Prince Harry and Markle as irresponsible parents with a lavish lifestyle. They said that the couple left their kids at home to enjoy drinks at a lavish hotel in New York City. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's left the UK because of tabloid racism This isn't the first time that the British tabloids published headlines that demeaned Prince Harry and Markle but applauded the Cambridges. During the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Prince Harry said that one of the reasons why they left the United Kingdom was because of the tabloid racism that they experienced. The Duke of Sussex also said that no one from his family apologized for the way that they felt because of the British press. The royals didn't also make Prince Harry and Markle feel supported even after they said that they will leave the UK to avoid the UK tabloids. Even though Prince Harry and Markle are now residing in Los Angeles, they still haven't escaped the British tabloids. In fact, their photo on the cover of TIME magazine was also heavily criticized. Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Accused Of 'Breathtaking Environment' Amid Request To Baptize Daughter, Lilibet In The UK @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In the Cold War, the Russian MiG-31 codenamed 'Foxhound' was the fastest and most potent interceptor fighter in the Soviet Air force. The power of the Foxhound is expressed by the sheer power its jets can drive hard into American bombers if there was a war, but it never demonstrated that capability. It was built to satisfy the requirement for a heavy interceptor that could defend the borders of the USSR when it still was not dismembered. The Soviet Union's Air Defense Forces (VPVO) had light fighters which lacked the Foxhound's attributes. The range required and great speed bring the plane to bear on slower US Air Force bombers, which would pass the arctic to transit into the Russian homeland. Special aircraft like a Russian 'Blackbird' Speediness led to the design of fast aircraft that would rival the 5th generation fighters. Soviets built the Tupolev Tu-28 and Tu-128 as the initial design for a Russian interceptor, constructed to be heavy planes to carry ordnance, capable of sustaining incredible speeds, and faster than other planes existing in Russia, reported the Nationalist Interest. The Tupolev by the 60s were woefully obsolete when the B-58 Hustler was way faster than it. But, the MiG 25 code-named Foxbat is being developed. It would be the Kremlin's solution for a fast interceptor. Monstrous was not enough to describe its R-40 air to air missiles when it zoomed to the borders. Versatile it was as a photo recon plane, and the Soviet Air Force(VVS) even had a dedicated strike plane. Not satisfied, the Soviets in the '80s upped the ante with the MiG-31 Foxhound, making it a better plane. Read Also: Russian Destroyers and Fighter Jets Engaged in Drills Near Hawaii, Carrier Strike Group Deployed as a Response The Russians added one more crewman, the weapons systems officer, on all the variants with updated flight performance, improved radar, and weapons equipment. At some point, it carried a gun for close-in dogfights but was removed since it was an interceptor relying on missiles for distant shootdowns of targets like the F-14 Tomcat with the Phoenix missile. The Foxhound is still active service with the Russian. Expect it to fly into the 2030s as a capable legacy aircraft. To keep it current is a mid-life upgrade into the MiG-31BSM cited Airforce Technology, which includes new strike weapons and modernized avionic. MiG-31 was chosen to load the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, the new arsenal touted by Putin. New generation interceptor In August 2018, there was a notice that the upgraded MiG-31BSM will be replaced by the PAK DP or Prospective Aviation Complex Long-range Interceptor, noted Military Today. No matter what, Russia will require such a plane in any era. The specialized interceptors can be done by the PAK-FA/Su-57 fighter, like its Foxhound ascendant. Checkmate has high-tech radar and can hit Mach 1+ with supercruise that doesn't need afterburners, with extra range air to air missiles. Compared to the Foxhound, it has less range, but aerial tankers will extend operational distance significantly. Even with Su-27P Flanker, the Su-57 is still considered vital. Many changes have happened to the Soviet's aircraft inventory, but the MiG-31 Foxhound stands apart with its speed. The Blackbird is gone, but the Foxhound is still in service. Related Article: Russia Launches Secret Missile, Military Jets in Test Flight as NATO Allies Practice Drills in Black Sea @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Many viewers who tuned in to the one-off special on Wednesday evening were skeptical of Prince Andrew's participation in the BBC documentary 'Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers.' Several members of the Royal Family were interviewed for a BBC program on the Duke of Edinburgh's life before his death at the age of 99. Prince William, Prince Harry, and Princess Anne were among those who spoke about their recollections of Prince Philip and the influence he had on them as children. Although his participation did not go down well with viewers, Prince Andrew appeared to recollect his best memories of the Duke. Prince Andrew's appearance in the BBC show came only days after Virginia Giuffre's lawyer claimed the royal had been served court documents in a sexual assault lawsuit involving his client. Royal fans slammed Prince Andrew's appearance on TV Last Wednesday, the High Court in London granted Giuffre's attorneys' request to formally contact Prince Andrew about the legal procedures that had been initiated in the United States. Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew for allegedly sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old, Express.co reported. The monarch, who is now staying in Balmoral, Scotland, has vehemently rejected the accusations. A lot of BBC viewers voiced their displeasure as soon as Andrew came on-screen. In the documentary, Prince Andrew discussed how much Prince Philip meant to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. He also enquired about Philip's study habits and work ethic. Prince Andrew stayed in Balmoral today, two days after his legal team agreed that his sex accuser Virginia Roberts had appropriately served him with court papers. The Duke of York was seen driving through the grounds of his mother the Queen's Scottish home this morning, where he has been accused of hiding in recent weeks. Read Also: Will Prince Charles Step Aside, Give Prince William The Throne After Queen Dies? Former MP Claims Kate Middleton Can Save The Royal Family Prince Andrew hides from US lawyers Following weeks of delay, his attorneys acknowledged the documents filed by Miss Roberts' legal team on Tuesday. He had 21 days to react to her sexual assault and battery allegations from the time he received them. Miss Roberts' lawyer, David Boies, told the Daily Mail earlier this week that the prince's US lawyer, Andrew Brettler, is anticipated to seek a reasonable delay to answer the lawsuit, and that they are likely to accept. Prince Andrew has yet to see his new grandchild due to his ongoing presence in Scotland. On Saturday, his eldest daughter Beatrice gave birth to her first child, according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Monday. Yesterday, Prince Andrew went on a drive but did not visit his baby grandchild. He is now on his 17th day in Balmoral, hiding from US lawyers who are attempting to serve him with sex abuse lawsuit papers. The Duke of York, 61, appeared serious as he drove alone around the Queen's Scottish estate in his Range Rover. He has not left the 50,000-acre site to join his daughter Beatrice, 33, in celebrating the birth of her first child with husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi on Saturday. Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's ex-wife, rushed to London after she went into labor, The Scottish Sun reported. Related Article: Prince Andrew Faces Mounting Pressure in Sexual Assault Lawsuit; Duke Remains Hiding, Misses Meeting New Granddaughter @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Members of K-pop band BTS arrive to security check-in at United Nations headquarters in New York City, Sept. 20. They have returned home Friday after a weeklong trip to the U.S. city as special presidential envoys. AP-Yonhap K-pop superstars BTS returned home Friday after a weeklong trip to New York as special presidential envoys for future generations and culture, their label said. During the week, the septet gave a speech at the opening of the Sustainable Development Goals Moment event at the 76th U.N. General Assembly, and joined President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook during interviews and a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. BTS also dropped by the Korean Cultural Center in New York, according to Big Hit Music. A highlight of the trip was a prerecorded performance of BTS' hit single "Permission to Dance" on the premises of the U.N. headquarters. An online notice, posted by GOPAX on Friday, states that it no longer operates a cryptocurrency transaction service in the Korean won market, due to its failure to fulfil new requirements as per the Special Financial Transaction Information Act. Screenshot from GOPAX's homepage GOPAX, GDAC, Huobi Korea fail to secure real-name bank accounts By Lee Min-hyung The implementation of a toughened set of financial regulations is adding confusion to the cryptocurrency market and its customers, after a six-month grace period finished as of Friday. Under the Special Financial Transaction Information Act, Korea's cryptocurrency exchanges have to secure real-name bank accounts from affiliated banks, in order for their customers to conduct cryptocurrency transactions via their trading platforms. But with the grace period expiring, a number of "minor exchanges," which had failed to find partnerships with commercial banks, can no longer operate their services in the Korean won market. The exchanges such as GOPAX, GDAC and Huobi Korea had been in negotiations with local banks until the very last minute, but failed to win contracts. "A bank that we had been in discussions with has finally notified us that it cannot issue real-name accounts for us, so we have no choice but to close down our trading service in the Korean won market," GOPAX said in a statement. The exchange's customers showed signs of panic, as they had been optimistic over the possibility of GOPAX signing the partnership up until recently. An unnamed investor looks at monitor showing the bitcoin prices at the Bithumb exchange office in Seoul, in this file photo. Yonhap Bank of Korea Deputy Governor Lee Sang-hyeong speaks during a press conference at its headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Bank of Korea By Lee Min-hyung The country's central bank is moving towards justifying its rationale for an additional rate hike this year, after a senior bank official underscored the need for such a future hike, claiming that households and companies will be able to withstand the interest burden from further monetary tightening. "The slight rate hike will have a limited impact on the debt burden of the self-employed," Bank of Korea (BOK) Deputy Governor Lee Sang-hyeong told reporters in a press conference, Friday. According to a financial stability report released by the central bank, each individual loan borrower here will have to pay about 300,000 won ($255) more annually in interest payments at the end of 2021, compared to a year earlier, under the scenario that the bank raises the key rate to 1 percent before the end of the year, from the current 0.75 percent. The monetary authority argued that households, companies and financial institutions can afford the increased interest burden, though. Therefore, it is likely to be desirable for the BOK to move forward with a further rate hike as a way to get the surging total amount of household debt under control and to reduce the widening financial imbalance here. The BOK lowered the key rate down to a record low of 0.5 percent in May 2020 during the pandemic, but stopped the prolonged monetary easing stance in August by raising the rate by 25 basis points. Korea's benchmark rate still remains at a low level, even if the key rate is raised to 1 percent, and the interest burden from households is less serious than before the pandemic erupted, according to the report. BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol has been consistent in reiterating the need to continue normalizing the monetary policy on fears over what the central bank considers a worrying level of household debts. Earlier, the BOK remained hesitant over raising the benchmark rate because of concerns that doing so might add more financial pressure to the self-employed and small business owners, two of the most vulnerable groups hit hardest by the pandemic-induced economic doldrums. But the current belief is that, as Korea's vaccination rate is on the rise, their sales will be on track for a gradual recovery based on revitalized private spending, according to the central bank. During the conference, the deputy governor Lee shared its plan in terms of expanding financial support of vulnerable groups and coming up with a set of policies to widen selective support for them. gettyimagesbank The founder and CEO Bryan Do, left, and master distiller Andrew Shand, stand in front of casks at the Three Societies distillery in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Three Societies By Hwang Dong-hee Whisky's best days in Korea appeared to be behind it in 2020 when the amount of imports hit its lowest mark in 21 years. But Bryan Do saw an opportunity when he noticed that the single malt whisky market was still expanding. Teaming up with a master distiller from Scotland, Andrew Shand, and some others, he set up a distillery on a hillside in Namyangju, a location he thought perfect to capture Korea's unique tastes. Early this month, Three Societies produced its first bottle of single malt whisky for the first time in the country. Out of 1506 bottles released in this first limited edition, many have already been sold both here and to customers in five other territories, including Singapore and Hong Kong. Do, the company's founder and CEO, told The Korea Times that his short-term ambition is, in three years, to export his whisky products to Europe, including to Scotland and Ireland, where the liquor was born, when the products obtain legal whisky status there. "This is not the finished product at all. It's just the beginning, something to show that how well whisky can age in Korea," he said. "Our taste is good now, but when it matures more, it will be even better. "It will be a very proud day for us when we can re-export to Scotland. And I think we can be competitive in the market because it is 'Korean.' Many people are interested in what Korean whisky is like. So I think we will have a fairly good following." The entire production process from mashing, fermentation and distillation to maturation have been carefully carried out to meet the high standards of international customers. "Korea has such a good standing in the international arena for many different things, from cars, smartphones, of course, to K-pop and K-dramas, and also K-food. So I think now is a great time because you can ride on the high wave," Do added. Casks are stacked for maturation at the Three Societies distillery, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Three Societies Under the direction of Shand, a 40-year Scottish whisky veteran, Three Societies follows traditional production methods but adds Korea's unique "spicy" flavor to the whisky, Kim Yu-bin, the company's marketing director, said. "When it gets hot, the casks expand and absorb the spirits; when it gets cold, the casks contract and release the alcohol. In the repeated process of expansion and contraction, the spirits mature much faster," the marketing director said. "Although the recent edition has only been matured for about a year, Andrew Shand, our master distiller, said that we have the quality of a whisky that is about 4 to 5 years old." "In the long term, we are researching different ways to pair our whisky with 'hansik' or Korean food. We plan to cooperate with hansik chefs and try out different combinations." Bryan Do, left, and Andrew Shand stand in the distillery, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Three Societies In line with its historic start, Do named the whisky, "Ki One," which has two different meanings in Korean: a beginning and to hope or wish for. Starting with this first edition, he plans to release two other limited editions before the general product launch in 2023, because in Europe, particularly Scotland, whisky needs to be aged more than three years to be labelled as "whisky," unlike Korea and other countries, where one-year maturation is enough for the name. Single malt whisky is a type of whisky that only uses barley, and is then made from a single distillery. Do reckons that high and unfair taxes for whisky constitute the main reason why Korea has not yet locally produced single malt whisky. "If you make alcohol here, all other spirits get big discounts if they're made in Korea, even if the ingredients are imported. But whisky doesn't get any discounts because, when the law was introduced, it was known as a kind of 'Western alcohol' for the rich," said Do. Also, according to the company, Korea's law only recognizes a whisky evaporation rate of 2% per year during maturation, which is the same as Scotland. But in reality, due to Korea's seasonal characteristics, the evaporation rate can be up to 10 percent per year. Thus, Korea's natural climactic conditions actually work to create a disadvantage, as they conflict with the law, which is unfairly based on Scotland's climate. Bryan Do pours whisky extracted from a cask for a tasting. Courtesy of Three Societies A graduate of UCLA, Do fell in love with craft beer and whisky in 1996 when he was studying in the U.S., and has been home brewing as a hobby ever since. He has traveled an unusual path from being a reporter at Arirang TV, a PR account supervisor at Edelman and an executive at Microsoft. After that, he started his own business for craft beer, The Hand & Malt Brewing Company, in 2014. When he first wanted to start his own craft brewery, many were skeptical. "When I went to meet real estate agents, I would give out my old Microsoft business cards because I didn't have my own then. Everybody said, 'Are you crazy? Why are you giving up this job?' So I could say that society itself was against it," Do reminisced. "My mother was very against it. You can imagine Korean mothers, when their sons have good jobs and good pay, and suddenly, they don't want those jobs anymore. But my father, a business man, has always told me, 'Why are you making the richest man on Earth richer? Make yourself rich.' Bill Gates was still the CEO then, when I worked at Microsoft." After The Hand & Malt's success, Do sold the company to AB-InBev in 2018 to distribute his beer all over Korea for a good price. "Back then, it was difficult to get distribution everywhere unless you had a lot of money. So I thought (AB-InBev) would be the best partner to reach my vision. I was sad, but I felt like I was giving my baby to wealthier parents who would raise him better than I could." Then he returned with his entrepreneurial spirit to another passion: single malt whisky. "While I was at The Hand & Malt, I always wanted to have my own distillery. And then, one day, I just decided, 'I think I can make single malt whisky.' I have the experience from craft beer. So let's try it! One friend introduced me to Shand. I sent him a plane ticket, he came to Korea for the first time, and fell in love with Korea immediately. So he said, 'Let's do it!'" Casks made of Korean wood, filled with spirits from local barley and yeast sit in place for maturation. Courtesy of Three Societies Lee Jun-seok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), speaks during a meeting with Korea experts in Washington D.C., Wednesday (local time). He will return to Korea next Monday after wrapping up a week-long visit to the United States. Courtesy of PPP In his latest book, Kang Jun-man warns of the curse of success, analyzes the Korean public's sympathy toward Samsung's formerly jailed vice chairman By Kang Hyun-kyung Kang Jun-man, a professor emeritus of Jeonbuk National University and a liberal political commentator, has advised conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok to move on from being an irresponsible amateur politician to becoming a tolerant and mature politician. "The curse of success and how he can avoid it are what he has to prioritize if he wants to succeed in the political arena," Kang said in his latest book, titled, "Historical Figures and Ideologies 2: Impertinent Lee Jun-seok." According to the author, the "curse of success" refers to the fact that what was critical in making a person successful earlier ironically could fail them later on, if they remain content with their past success and resist moving forward. "He may not like it... but this advice is based on proven facts over centuries," said Kang. Citing a column written by Dong-A Ilbo journalist Kim Yoon-deok, Kang said that he concurred with the journalist about her use of the adjective, "bal-chik" (meaning "impertinent" in Korean) to describe the character of the PPP leader and stressed that the word is the best one to represent him. The definition of the word is, "rude, disrespectable and impolite," and thus, it is mostly used in a negative sense. But, the author claims, in certain circumstances, it can have a positive meaning, particularly when the word is used for a fearless person, like Lee, who dares to challenge existing, ineffective rules or practices that hold back progress. Lee had been the subject of a frenzy of media attention in June when he was elected the PPP leader in a primary, becoming the first party leader in his 30s. In the media, he was portrayed as an outspoken, innovative young man who was set to infuse a breath of fresh air into the conservative main opposition party. The so-called "Lee Jun-seok effect" helped the conservative PPP's ratings rise in public opinion surveys later that month. But his popularity has been short-lived, as his careless remarks and reckless demeanor were scrutinized and backfired on him. He tried to steal the show and boss the PPP's presidential contenders around, which led him into disputes with some of the contenders. "His biggest problem is that he talks too much but has no point. In August, for example, he uploaded 40 posts on his social media over 12 days all of which were about the minor internal politics of the PPP. He didn't mention anything about major issues such as the insecure vaccine supply or the Korea-U.S. military drills," wrote Kang. His habit of speaking just for the sake of speaking didn't hurt him in the past because he was a relatively insignificant figure. But the same trait will hurt his political career because he is currently in a position to represent the conservative main opposition party, according to Kang. "Historical Figures and Ideologies 2: Impertinent Lee Jun-seok" by Kang Jun-man This photo provided by the North Korean government Sept. 16 shows a test missile is launched from a train on Sept. 15, in an undisclosed location of North Korea. North Korea on Friday rejected President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 war as "something premature." AP-Yonhap North Korea on Friday rejected President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 war as "something premature," arguing that such a declaration would be meaningless as long as the U.S. "hostile policy" remains unchanged. Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song made the rejection in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, saying that an end-of-war declaration has "no legal binding force" and will "become a mere scrap of paper in a moment upon changes in situations." "There is no vouch that the mere declaration of the termination of the war would lead to the withdrawal of the hostile policy toward the DPRK, under the present situation on the peninsula inching close to a touch-and-go situation," he said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. Will Moon's peace initiative pick up momentum? Pyongyang says it is willing to discuss improvement in relations if Seoul drops hostility South Korea to provide up to 10 billion won for civilian aid projects for North Korea During his United Nations speech earlier this week, Moon proposed the two Koreas and the United States, possibly joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 war, saying it will mark a pivotal point of departure in creating a new order of reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. In the statement, Ri said that the declaration will entail "disastrous consequences" that could upset the strategic balance in the region and push the two Koreas into an unending arms race. He stressed that the withdrawal of the U.S. hostile policy is the "top priority" in bringing peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula. "It should be clearly understood that the declaration of the termination of the war is of no help at all to stabilizing the situation of the Korean peninsula at the moment but can rather be misused as a smokescreen covering up the U.S. hostile policy," he said. Ri also took issue with Washington's test-firing of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in February and August, and its recent decision to help build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. "The DPRK's just measures to bolster up the capability for defense to cope with the U.S. military threat to bring us down by force are described as 'provocations' while the arms buildup escalated by the U.S. and its vassal forces to threaten the DPRK is justified as 'deterrent,'" he said. President Moon Jae-in listens to Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, during a performance of North Korea's Samjiyon Band at a theater in Seoul, Feb. 11, 2018. Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon Pyongyang positive on Moon's proposal to end Korean War By Nam Hyun-woo Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Friday that the regime believes President Moon Jae-in's proposal to put a formal end to the Korean War could be "an admirable idea" and Pyongyang has a "willingness" to talk if South Korea withdraws its "double-dealing standards" and "hostile policies." The rare "conciliatory" response came three days after the President renewed the proposal in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. However, it remains to be seen whether Moon's repeated proposal will improve stalled inter-Korean ties in the last stages of his presidency. In a statement carried by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, Kim said, "The declaration of the termination of the war is an interesting and an admirable idea in that it itself is meant to put a physical end to the instable state of ceasefire that has remained on the Korean peninsula for a long time and to withdraw hostility toward the opposite party. "We have willingness to keep our close contacts with the South again and have constructive discussion with it about the restoration and development of the bilateral relations if it is careful about its future language and not hostile toward us after breaking with the past when it often provoked us and made far-fetched assertions to find fault with anything done by us out of double-dealing standards." Kim then laid out a set of conditions for inter-Korean talks to end the war, such as the two Koreas guaranteeing mutual respect and the South abandoning "illogical prejudice, hostile stand of justifying their own acts and double-dealing attitudes." The double-dealing attitude Kim was referring to is assumed to be South Korea's recent testing of an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Sept. 15. When North Korea launched a ballistic missile from a train the same day, Seoul defined the North's move as a provocation. In a statement released by Pyongyang's Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song hours before that of Kim, Ri also said, "(North Korea's) measures to bolster up the capability for defense to cope with the U.S. military threat to bring us down by force are described as 'provocations' while the arms buildup escalated by the U.S. and its vassal forces to threaten the DPRK is justified as 'deterrent.'" He added "such an American-style double-dealing attitude is also a product of the hostile policy toward the DPRK." The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Three days before the statements, Moon proposed a formal end to the Korean War through a trilateral or quadrilateral end-of-war declaration involving the two Koreas, the U.S. and China. The Korean War ended in an armistice signed in 1953, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. Due to this, Moon has been championing the idea as a stepping stone to improve inter-Korean relations and entice the North to give up its nuclear weapons program. The idea has, however, gained little traction, despite Moon again proposing it during a U.N. speech in New York, Tuesday, as a last-ditch effort before his presidency ends in May. President Moon Jae-in listens to a reporter's question during an in-flight press conference on his way back to Seoul, Thursday, following a five-day visit to New York and Hawaii. Yonhap The prosecution on Friday indicted a 56-year-old man on charges of killing two women while he was under a location monitoring program for sexual offenses. The suspect named Kang Yoon-seong turned himself in to the police in southern Seoul on Aug. 29 and confessed to murdering two acquaintances for money issues. According to investigators, he killed one woman while wearing an electronic ankle bracelet and slew the other while on the run after cutting off the device. The Seoul Dongbu District Prosecutors Office indicted Kang on seven counts, including murder, fraud, robbery and tampering with the anklet. Kang, with 14 previous criminal convictions, was released from prison in May after serving 15 years for sexual assault. Considered at high risk for recidivism, he wore the anklet, which tracks the wearer's whereabouts and sends signals to the authorities if they leave specified areas. Prosecution said he killed the first victim at his home on the morning of Aug. 26 after she refused to lend him money. He used her credit card to buy four mobile phones worth about 6 million won (US$5,100) and resold them. He removed the electronic device in the afternoon and ran away, according to prosecution officials. He killed the second victim in a car at 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 29 after she said she would report him to the police if he does not pay back 22 million won he owes her, they said. The prosecution said he was analyzed to have antisocial personality disorder with psychopathic tendencies. The police disclosed Kang's identity on Sept. 7. (Yonhap) Palm trees are planted in rows on Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, to attract tourists, Sept. 17 photo. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Controversy is brewing over palm trees planted by Gangneung City on Gyeongpo Beach for the purpose of providing a unique tourist experience. The city government of Gangneung in Gangwon Province said Thursday that it had planted the 46 palm trees, including Washington filifera and Phoenix canariensis, around Gyeongpo Beach and the Gangneung KTX Station to provide a unique attraction for residents and tourists. It said it planted the palm trees, commonly found on the southern resort island of Jeju and southern regions here, to raise awareness of climate change and create an unusual urban landscape. The problem is that Gangneung in winter is not warm enough for the palm trees to survive. For this reason, the city plans to uproot the trees and transplant them elsewhere in November when the temperature drops. It has rented these trees from a private company, and the cost of planting and maintaining them on Gyeongpo Beach for about two months is around 15 million won ($12,750). Opinions from the local community are divided over this. Palm trees planted on Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sept. 17 photo. Yonhap Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-running presidential contender for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea / Yonhap The prosecution has opened a criminal probe into a highly lucrative land development project in Seongnam that began in 2015, a case that could provoke a political firestorm ahead of the 2022 presidential election and potentially jeopardize the presidential bid of Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-running presidential contender for the ruling party. The investigation was officially launched after Lee's camp filed a complaint against some key members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) earlier this week for violating the Public Official Election Act by "repeatedly spreading false information" about Lee in order to "knock him out of the presidential race." The accusations came as the PPP sought to launch a counterattack at the ruling party after the PPP's leading presidential hopeful, Yoon Seok-youl, was mired in a political meddling scandal. Lee has recently come under growing scrutiny over accusations he gave business favors to certain companies to join the development project in the city's Daejang district when he was the city's mayor. Lee is currently leading the ruling Democratic Party's primary to pick its flag-bearer for the 2022 presidential election. On the 920,000-square-meter land, formerly mountains and farmland, high-rise apartment buildings and infrastructure have been under construction since the development began years ago. The district is located next to the Pangyo Techno Valley, a startup cluster just south of Seoul, which houses more than 1,100 technology companies. The allegations pointed to a possible personal connection between the governor and the project, from which a handful of companies, including Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, with a combined capital of 350 million won (US$297,063), reaped substantial gains of more than 400 billion won in dividends. Hwacheon Daeyu, a privately-held firm, in particular, has been paid a total dividend of 57.7 billion won over the course of three years. The asset management played a key role in leading the project, even though it held only one percent of share in the public developer, Seongnam's Yard Corporation, which was co-founded in 2015 by a consortium led by Hana Bank and state-run Seongnam Development Corporation (SDC). Lee's opponents claim many questions remain unanswered on how the newly established company with no history in the land development business was approved so quickly to join such a big project in the first place, and whether the city's purportedly "public development" scheme was designed to help the company and some individual investors make excessive profits. The governor, who is not a subject of the current investigation, has flatly denied the allegations against him, saying he would step aside if he was found to "earn personal profits" from the project and he was willing to be investigated over the allegations if needed. "There were neither business favors nor irregularities. It should be billed as an exemplary project, and it is not right to take issue with (rightful) dividends for private investors," Rep. Jung Sung-ho from Lee's camp said, appearing on a radio show last week. Even so, the PPP and the conservative minor People's Party upped the political ante by unanimously calling for a special parliamentary probe. The two parties also proposed a bill to the legislature Thursday to appoint an independent counsel to lead the investigation. Ethical and legal questions were also raised regarding former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, who served as a legal counsel to Hwacheon Daeyu after he retired in September last year. Two months before his retirement, Kwon ruled in favor of the governor in a high-stakes case that eventually saved his governorship and political career. A lawyers' group filed a complaint Thursday against Kwon, alleging the former justice's serving at the company constitutes a receipt of bribery. Kwon recently quit the asset management. Separately from the prosecution's investigation, the National Police Agency have been looking into the firm's finances after being informed by the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit in April of a suspicious flow of funds at the company. During a session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Friday, Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said key to the investigation was the discovery of "who is the real owner of Hwacheon Daeyu and whether there was any preferential treatment." He added, "I believe the truth will come out during the fact-checking process of the investigation." (Yonhap) This file photo shows a sign with Tesla's logo outside a Tesla dealership in the United States. AP-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul During a recent battery event organized by Tesla, CEO Elon Musk said that he was aiming to set a $25,000 price target for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2023. This target is being considered quite ambitious as today's least expensive EV model is about $38,000. Many outstanding issues currently need to be addressed in terms of achieving EV manufacturers' commitment to delivering mass-market products. But more precisely and importantly, realizing Tesla's goal means finding new ways to cut costs through technology development. The central question is, how will battery manufacturers sell batteries with better pricing and improved specifications? Currently, batteries make up more than 30 percent of the cost of EVs, in order to ensure the driver safety. Along with Tesla, all global automakers are in the midst of investing tens of billions of dollars to strengthen their EV portfolios, in addition to accessing a wide range of tax and other benefits from governments. This trend is providing huge business growth opportunities for leading battery suppliers. Once battery suppliers develop specific ways to change and renew battery design so as to deliver better performance, then the chances will increase for them to get more battery orders from major EV makers. LG Energy Solution (LGES), which is battling with China's CATL for battery market supremacy, is taking steps towards mass-producing batteries at affordable prices with enhanced features, as it claims that some outstanding issues have been addressed before mass-producing enhanced solid-state batteries. All batteries consist of cathode and anode components. But one of the key differences is that the materials being used differ, the core point being the amount of energy they can hold and consume. Automakers favor energy-dense materials and faster charging, even at high temperatures Celsius, without compromising fire risks. LGES's refinements highlight the usage of silicon anodes in its solid-state battery technology. In a statement, Friday, LGES said that its engineers teamed up with U.S. researchers for the creation of a new type of battery that weaves two promising battery sub-fields into a single battery. The battery uses both a solid-state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode, making it a silicon all-solid-state battery, as described in the September issue of the journal, Science. "As battery researchers, it's vital to address the root problems in the system. For silicon anodes, we know that one of the big issues is the liquid electrolyte interface instability. This new work offers a promising solution to the silicon anode problem, though there is more work to do," UC San Diego Nano-engineering Professor Shirley Meng was quoted as saying in the statement. She is also one of the authors of the paper. Next-generation, solid-state batteries with high energy densities have always relied on metallic lithium as an anode. But such reliance places restrictions on the battery charge rates, and the need for an elevated temperature (usually 60 degrees Celsius or higher) during charging. The silicon anode overcomes these limitations, allowing much faster charge rates at room to low temperatures, while maintaining high energy densities, the statement reported. A general view shows the cleanroom of German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon's new specialist power chip plant in Villach, Austria Sept. 16. Reuters-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul A senior Samsung Electronics executive has asked the Biden administration to offer more tax incentives in order to move forward with its planned massive semiconductor investments in the United States. In a Korea Society program titled, "The US-Korea Global Partnership: Supply Chain and Semiconductors," Samsung's Kim Won-kyong, who oversees both the company's global public affairs team and corporate sustainability center, said the company's planned investment of $17 billion to build a new chip plant in the U.S. will make the Korean firm the largest foreign investor there. "Leaders in the U.S. must encourage foreign direct investment (FDI), which is critical to Washington's strategic priorities. We urge the White House to swiftly make a decision to incentivize chip investment," Kim said in his opening remarks before the start of the program, early Friday (KST). Samsung is set to invest $17 billion into a new chip factory in the U.S. Still, no official announcement has been made. While Samsung has been near to choosing the city of Taylor, some 50 kilometers northeast of Austin, where it already operates massive foundry chip lines, for the construction of the new chip plant, Kim said that it is still engaged in talks with key U.S. partners to finalize the specific location(s). According to the executive, another reason for Samsung's request for increased tax breaks is that the world's top memory chipmaker plans to apply cutting-edge processing technology to the soon-to-be-constructed new semiconductor plant. Kim stressed that expanded tax credits will be a plus factor also in terms of strengthening the "entire chip ecosystem," adding that the firm's current $17 billion U.S. investment plan is not the first time Samsung has been engaged in Washington-led policy initiatives. The program was organized by the Korea Society based in New York. Along with Kim, Korea Society CEO Tom Byrne discussed supply chain resilience and semiconductors in conversation with Tami Overby, former president of the U.S. Korea Business Council, and John Neuffer, CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association. A few hours before the talks, the White House asked chip firms and automakers to share information on the ongoing chip crisis that has led to a reduction in U.S. auto production. Detroit's "Big Three" automakers (General Motors Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Company), Samsung, Apple, Daimler, BMW, GlobalFoundries, Micron Technology, Microsoft, TSMC, Intel and Ampere Computing attended the meeting. When asked about the specifics of the White House-initiated meeting, Samsung Electronics headquarters in Seoul said that the company has no official comments. However, Samsung's chief foundry rival, Taiwan's TSMC, released a rare statement after the meeting saying that the company was working with all interested parties to address semiconductor shortage issues, highlighting the fact that its capacity expansion in chips, using a finer 5-nanometer chip fabrication plant in the U.S. state of Arizona, will help Washington seek longer-term stability in chip supplies. POSCO's Gwangyang steel plant in South Jeolla Province / Courtesy of POSCO This Aug. 12 file photo from video provided by the Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park in Utah. AP-Yonhap Gabby Petito's boyfriend, whom police have sought for six days in connection with the 22-year-old travel blogger's death during their cross-country road trip, was charged on Thursday with using her bank debit card. A search warrant was issued for Brian Laundrie, 23, after a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Wyoming indicted him on a single count of unlawfully using the bank debit card. He was not charged in her death. "While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a written statement. "We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie's involvement in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI," Schneider said. The case has gripped Americans since Petito was reported missing by her mother, Nicole Schmidt, on Sept. 11. Ten days earlier Laundrie returned to North Port, Florida, without her from the months-long road trip. Petito's body was discovered on Sunday near the remote Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming. Coroner's investigators determined her death to be a homicide but have not revealed the manner in which she was killed. Police and FBI investigators using divers, tracking dogs and helicopters have been searching for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve wilderness area near North Port since Friday, when his parents told them that he had gone there to hike three days earlier. Memorials for Gabby Petito are scattered across her hometown of Blue Point, N.Y., Sept. 23. Search teams were back out at a Florida nature park to look for the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the young woman who authorities say was killed while on a cross-country trip with him. AP-Yonhap In this Sept. 21 file photo, U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Biden is set to host the first ever in-person gathering of leaders of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as "the Quad," wrapping up a tough week of diplomacy in which he faced no shortage of criticism from both allies and adversaries. AP-Yonhap A first in-person meeting of the leaders of the Quad group of countries the United States, Japan, Australia and India on Friday will yield progress in several areas including infrastructure, health and cyber, a senior U.S administration official told Reuters. The Quad leaders U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will also discuss regional security, the official said on Thursday, although he stressed that security was not the focus of the informal grouping that has come together in response to China's growing power. While declining to provide specifics, the official, who did not want to be identified, said the summit at the White House "will have much to say" about next steps on vaccines for the Indo-Pacific region. "We have what we call deliverables in infrastructure, on broader health engagements on science and technology on the space, on cyber," he said. He called a commitment made at a virtual meeting of the Quad leaders in March to supply a billion COVID-19 shots across Asia by the end of 2022 "important." "Obviously, there have been challenges in India over the course of the summer. But ... we believe that it will be important to meet the ambitions that we laid out at that time." The March initiative stalled after India, the world's biggest vaccine producer, was hit by a devastating surge of infections and halted all vaccine exports. India has since said it is ready to restart vaccine exports in the October quarter, prioritizing the COVAX international vaccine initiative and neighboring countries first. The meeting of the Quad comes just over a week after the United States, Britain and Australia announced a security pact dubbed AUKUS that will help Australia acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, a move immediately denounced by China. The U.S. official called Friday's meeting "historic," and an opportunity for the four leaders to talk openly about "modern challenges, their hopes and aspirations." "We'll talk about a variety of things, including regional security, but we'll also talk about our goals on education, on infrastructure," he said. "The linking and thickening of ties between our four countries is taking place before our eyes," he said. "What we are really trying to do is create an opportunity for more free-flowing discussion." At the same time, he added, when asked how the Quad might relate to the AUKUS partnership: "This is a standalone grouping and has nothing to do with the recently inaugurated AUKUS. This is an informal grouping. It does not address security issues." Citing a draft of a joint summit statement, Japan's Nikkei business reported last week that the leaders are also expected to agree to take steps to build secure semiconductor supply chains, a key area of competition with China. The official said Biden would announce on Friday an "elite" privately funded Quad fellowship program for 100 students - 25 from each of the four countries - to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) masters and doctoral programs in the United States. Comparing it to Britain's Rhodes scholarship program, the official said the fellowship would be administered by the Schmidt Futures philanthropic initiative, founded by former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt. "It will really seek to tie our countries together for the long haul by connecting our young people, and they'll have a sense of purpose, and a sense that the Quad is indeed a unique and important grouping," he said. CEO Eric Braverman said in a statement that Schmidt Futures was "honored" to lead the Quad fellowship. China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War construct and said the AUKUS alliance would intensify an arms race in the region. The U.S. official rejected Beijing's concerns, and pointed out that China in recent decades has undergone one of the most rapid military expansions in history. "We've seen dramatic steps on China's military buildup over the course of the last couple of decades and much of that has triggered some anxiety in the region," the official said. (Reuters) The federal elections in Russia have passed. As we predicted, they were completely rigged by the regime. While it would appear that Communist Party received a majority of the real votes, literally overnight the authorities produced the result they needed. This brazen act of completely rewriting the election results will only provoke growing anger in society. The falsification of elections to the State Duma, unprecedented in scale and cynicism, angered almost all Russians. Everyone has witnessed the naked bias of the bourgeois media, who are under the direct control of the capitalist authorities, and for months glorified the sitting United Russia party, while slinging mud at the opposition. Meanwhile, all manner of obstacles were erected to impede any opposition candidates who represented a genuine threat to the regime. Their meetings with voters were disrupted, and they were removed from the elections on trumped-up charges, while illegal activities by pro-government candidates were covered up - of course, completely exposed the current criminal-oligarchic "elite". But despite all these dirty tricks, the arguments of the opposition, led by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), cut through the morass of lies, and the masses paid close attention. United Russia: if you cant win, cheat The level of trust in the authorities has reached a record low in recent years. Every day, more and more people find themselves under unbearable economic pressures, which are mounting on their lives. This distrust has led millions of Russians to reject Putins rotten regime, and search for an alternative. When it came to the vote, the CPRF found itself ahead of the "party of power" in a number of Russian regions, as well as in a considerable number of districts of Moscow. The increase in the CPRFs vote throughout the country indicates the desire of the Russian people to throw off the stranglehold of exploitation, open robbery and arbitrary abuse of power by United Russia and the oligarchy. It was clear during the day that the CPRF were ahead in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia. But overnight, the electronic vote miraculously turned the ruling party's fortunes around / Image: Pixabay Nevertheless, throughout the election night, the number of votes cast for the CPRF miraculously decreased, while those for United Russia increased. Reportedly, the number of household votes was manipulated by the inclusion of deceased persons on the electoral register. Also, employees of both state-sponsored and many private sector companies were mobilised, and forced to vote for pro-regime candidates and parties. Electronic voting was extensively exploited as a way to steal votes from the opposition. The results of processing paper ballots unambiguously indicated that the candidates from the Communist Party took first places in all the single-mandate districts in the capital city. However, the electronic vote produced the opposite outcome: with pro-regime candidates sweeping the board. Many public sector workers were blackmailed helping to rig the electronic vote, working alongside a small group of so-called computer specialists (i.e. electoral falsifiers). Using these methods, many electronic votes were registered without voters even being informed of their choice. In manipulating the election, the agents of the regime exposed themselves as the loyal servants of the interests of the ruling, who wish to ensure a political party amenable to their interests remains at the helm in Russia. The masses saw right through this farce. It is inconceivable that pro-government candidates won in all single-mandate districts of Moscow, where the discontent of the population has reached colossal levels. Provocation As a reaction to this blatant fraud, many Moscow residents came to Pushkin Square in the centre of the city on the evening of 20 September, to meet with MPs and candidates for the State Duma from the CPRF. Despite the rainy and windy weather, and despite the gathering of a huge number of police transport vehicles, a decent number of people came to raise their voices against this injustice, as well as the utter cynicism of the ruling class and their representatives. The continuous attacks on social guarantees, depriving people of the opportunity to have a decent job, receive normal salaries and pensions, have a reliable roof over their heads, receive free medical treatment, breathe clean air are the essence of the regimes pro-capitalist policy. Given the level of anger and resentment against these policies, the only way for the ruling clique to maintain their grip on power is by manipulating and falsifying elections, and by strengthening the repressive apparatus of the state. But rather than being cowed, these filthy measures will only cause the mood of resistance to increase in Moscow, and throughout Russia. The speakers in Pushkin Square strongly condemned the actions of the regime that rigged the elections. They also emphasised the need for concerted action by the people in the struggle for justice, in addition to echoing distrust with the current electoral system. The participants in the event unanimously supported the speakers, periodically chanting slogans such as: Down with crooks and thieves!, Russia without Putin!, No to political repression ,Freedom to political prisoners! At the end of the event, Moscow CP branch first secretary Rashkin announced the beginning of a struggle for fair elections. At the same time, he announced a meeting of deputy candidates with voters, scheduled for Saturday at 2pm on Pushkin Square. He invited everyone who opposes electronic voting and who is outraged by the falsification of elections to attend. In the days after the rally, activists of the CPRF, as well as organizations marching alongside it, began to face active police pressure. Among them were activists of the Marxist tendency. The neighbours of one of our comrades, who were interviewed by the arriving police, said that they had come to inquire about him and his political activities, and also, as the police themselves said, "to inform about the inadmissibility of extremist calls and illegal gatherings." Such repressive activity by the state and internal security forces indicates that the struggle is not over. In fact, it is entering a higher and more intense state. The regimes increasing authoritarianism and intolerance towards dissent will also mean an intensification of the struggle against it. Many layers of society who had illusions in reforming Russian capitalism, will be forced to reconsider. The revival of support for the CPRF already reflects a growing radicalisation and rising anti-capitalist mood. In the next period, this mood will deepen and lay the basis for social explosions that will shake the regime from top to bottom. Putin on thin ice The Putin regime came to power in the late 90s, when Russia was suffering from the devastating shock of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was at a time where crime bosses, ex-bureaucrats and the stooges of western imperialism were in full swing, looting the state and society in general. No matter how hard they cheat, oppresse and bully, Putin and the oligarchy behind him will not be able to stem the rising tide of anger in society / Image: IMT Moscow On the basis of striking blows against some of these elements and by using the income gained by rising oil prices internationally, Putin managed to stabilise the regime and project an image of himself as the father of the nation: keeping the oligarchs in check and securing a relative rise in living standards. Now however, those days are over. The regime is at a complete dead end. Corruption and decay transcends every pore of the Russian establishment, and Putins patriotic proclamations are not having the effect they used to. The masses were ready to a certain extent to accept Putins transgressions, as long as food was on their tables. But the amount of that food is shrinking by the day, while the clique at the top seems to be living their lives in luxury. What is dawning on many people is: this is the best Russian capitalism can offer the workers and poor of the country. In fact, the relative rise in living standards in the first 15 years under Putin were exceptional, and Russia is now returning to a new normality in which the lines between the ruling class on the one side and the workers and poor on the other will be drawn more sharply than ever before. Step by step, it will become clear to wider and wider layers of society that the only way forward is the struggle for socialism, for the revival of the proud revolutionary traditions of the Russian working class and the 1917 revolution! Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note de lecriture du Animal Health and Livestock Production Bill, du financment du projet de concombre de mer a hateur de 12.1 millions de roupies, de la fermeture de la B104 Baie du Cap Chamarel Case Noyale La Gaulette Road du 27 septembre pour une duree de quatre mois, de la nomination dAlain Jeannot comme part-time Chairperson de la National Road Safety Council. 1. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security issuing drafting instructions to the Attorney Generals Office for an Animal Health and Livestock Production Bill. The proposed Animal Health and Livestock Production Bill would provide, among others, for the following: (a) setting up of a National Livestock Information System under the Animal Production Division; (b) regulate the movement of livestock and mandatory identification of all livestock; (c) ensure traceability of products of animal origin; (d) an obligation for all individuals and organisations having livestock under their control or ownership to be officially registered with the Division of Veterinary Services and to have an approved Animal Health Management Programme in place; (e) control over the authorisation, import, distribution and use of feed additives, premixtures and medicated feeds to address issues of residues in food of animal origin and anti-microbial resistance; and (f) all establishments processing food of animal origin for human consumption to have a food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. 2. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare would organise two National Consultative Workshops with representatives of the public sector, private sector, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders on the draft Gender Equality Bill. The overall objective of the National Consultative Workshops is to have the views and comments of all stakeholders on the proposed provisions of the draft Bill to ensure its effective implementation, once enacted. 3. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of an Exchange of Letters with the Government of Australia, which would enable funds to the tune of Rs12.1 million from The Australian Food Aid Counterpart Fund Account to be disbursed for financing the Sea Cucumber Project. The Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, through the Albion Fisheries Research Centre, in collaboration with the University of Sunshine Coast of Australia. The University is assisting the Centre in developing a research programme for sea cucumber production, which includes devising new techniques for culture and farming, and carrying out specialised training for staff of the Centre. The project would be of three years duration and would enable Mauritius to improve its capacity for sea cucumber production. 4. Cabinet has taken note that Road B104 from Case Noyale to Chamarel would be temporarily closed in the context of the implementation of the Landslide/Slope Stability Treatment along Baie du Cap Chamarel Case Noyale La Gaulette Road Project, as from 27 September 2021 for a period of about four months. Alternative arrangements are being made for the provision of social and other facilities so as not to cause any inconvenience to the inhabitants of these localities. 5. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) and the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre, India. The INFLIBNET Centre is an Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission that operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Education of India. It is involved in modernising university libraries in India by enabling them to use state-of-art technologies for the optimum storage and utilisation of information. The Memorandum of Understanding provides that the MGI would partner with the INFLIBNET Centre mainly with a view to computerising its library using the Software for University Libraries. 6. Cabinet has taken note of the ranking of the Republic of Mauritius at the 52nd position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 Report, which has been released on 20 September 2021. The GII Report is co-published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Cornell University of New York and Institut Europeen dAdministration des Affaires. It provides detailed metrics about innovation performance of 132 countries and economies around the world, including Mauritius. Mauritius maintains its first position not only in the Sub-Saharan region but in Africa. 7. Cabinet has taken note of the launching of an Inclusive Digital Literacy Programme by the National Computer Board. The programme would address the digital divide and encourage citizens to adopt the latest ICT technologies and fully utilise all online government services. The objective of the programme is to promote safe use of digital technologies to access information, communication, e-Governance service, job skills, learning and financial services. The target audience for the programme would be senior citizens, housewives, children, unemployed citizens and people with disabilities. The programme would be launched in October 2021 and was expected to be completed by March 2022. 8. Cabinet has agreed to the Government of Mauritius making a donation of USD25,000 as an act of solidarity towards the people of the Republic of Haiti, following the declaration of a state of emergency by the Haitian Government, and international calls for support to humanitarian assistance and relief operations in the aftermath of the two natural disasters which hit the country in August 2021. 9. Cabinet has agreed to the National Land Transport Authority: (a) waiving the Public Service Vehicle (Contract) Licence fees in respect of all individual contract bus operators involved in the conveyance of tourists for one year on the same line as for Destination Management Companies and other companies operating in the tourism sector, owning Public Service Vehicle Licences for their buses for a period of one year or for the ensuing year for those who have already renewed their licence; (b) extending the delay for implementation of contract car licences up to 30 June 2022; and (c) extending the delay for the replacement of contract cars up to 30 June 2022. It is also proposed that the timeframe to implement a contract car licence be exceptionally extended up to 30 June 2022, in order to provide licencees with an additional delay for the implementation of their contract car licences. Contract car operators would also be granted a delay of up to 30 June 2022 to replace their vehicles. This extension of the delay would thus provide contract car operators with a reasonable timeframe to replace their fleet. 10. Cabinet has taken note of progress made in respect of projects and reforms being implemented by the National Housing Development Co. (NHDC) Ltd. The NHDC Ltd has, since June 2021, delivered 99 housing units, thus bringing the total number of housing units delivered to 1,050 for the period November 2019 to August 2021. Out of these 1,050 housing units, 92 have been earmarked for the National Empowerment Foundation to be allocated to its eligible beneficiaries. The NHDC Ltd has, for the period December 2019 to August 2021, disbursed some Rs172 million to 2,239 beneficiaries under the Casting of Roof Slab Grant Scheme. 11. Cabinet has taken note of the activities that the Ministry of Health and Wellness would organise in the context of World Heart Day 2021 observed, on 29 September. World Heart Day aims at raising awareness of individuals, families, communities and Governments about cardiovascular diseases. The theme chosen for this year is Use Heart to Connect. The activities would include: (a) an official ceremony for the launching of activities on 29 September 2021 at Dr A.G Jeetoo Hospital, Port-Louis which would include the official launching of the 24/7 Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; (b) MBC TV and Radio programmes during the month of September and October 2021; (c) screening and counselling for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) at worksites and in the community for persons aged 18 years and above; (d) empowerment sessions for NCD patients on cardiovascular diseases and health related issues at regional level; and (e) cooking demonstration (food plate models) on healthy eating. 12. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 231.3 million cases have been reported globally, of which 208 million persons have been successfully treated. With regard to Mauritius, as at 23 September 2021, there were 1,904 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 45 were admitted at New ENT Hospital including four on ventilators. Over the period 18 to 23 September 2021, 19 deaths were attributed to COVID-19. Cabinet has also taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. As at 23 September 2021, 849,326 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 67.1 percent of the population). 793,269 persons had been fully vaccinated (representing 62.7 percent of the population). A donation of some 50,400 doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccine from the Government of the Republic of South Africa reached Mauritius on 17 September 2021. Some 30,000 doses (Component II) of Sputnik V vaccines reached Mauritius on 21 September 2021 and 76,050 doses of Pfizer vaccine donated by the US Government were received on 23 September 2021. The administration of the third dose of Sinopharm vaccine has started on 23 September 2021. Pfizer vaccines would be administered to adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years in educational institutions, as from 28 September 2021. 13. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in the 21st annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting held virtually. The agenda of the meeting focused on the Commonwealths roles and contributions towards its Member States recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and building back better, including on health and vaccine equity, trade issues, and climate change, in particular the upcoming COP26 meeting in Glasgow. Ministers were provided with policy and operational updates. The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade expressed support to the call made by the Secretary-General on G20 members to urgently work with the Commonwealth and other partners for the adoption of a robust plan to vaccinate the worlds 42 smallest states and shield them from COVID-19. He also renewed the commitment of Mauritius to the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub, hosted by Mauritius, which testified to the Commonwealths engagements to improve access by small and vulnerable countries to climate finance. He also expressed the support of Mauritius for the joint UN-Commonwealth Small States Advocacy Strategy, designed to mobilise global efforts for addressing the core vulnerabilities of small states. 14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in the G-33 Informal Ministerial Meeting that was held virtually on 16 September 2021. The G-33 is a group of Member States of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with common positions on a number of issues relating to the Agriculture negotiations. The objective of the Meeting was to discuss the agricultural priority issues of G-33 and the way forward for the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC-12) scheduled from 30 November to 03 December 2021. In his opening statement, the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia emphasised the key priority issues, namely a permanent solution for Public Stockholding for food security purposes, a meaningful outcome on Special Safeguard Mechanism, and a balanced outcome in agricultural domestic support. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the G-33 Joint Ministerial Statement reaffirming commitment for expeditious resolution of the WTOs mandated issues in agriculture. The meeting also called for satisfactorily addressing the development issues of developing countries and Least Developed Countries, with Special and Differential Treatment remaining an integral part of WTO system. 15. Cabinet has taken note of the appointment of Mr Rooben Maran as General Manager of the Central Water Authority. 16. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees of the Edgar Laurent Tuberculosis Foundation for a period of three years as from September 2021, with Dr Beerdarshansingh Caussy, Director, Health Services, as part-time Chairperson. 17. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the National Road Safety Council with Mr Alain Jeannot as part-time Chairperson. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Underwater Homeowners Effectively Bailed-Out By Equity Surge Homeowner equity grew $2.9 trillion nationwide from the second quarter of 2020 to the same quarter this year. CoreLogic's Homeowner Equity Report shows U.S. homeowners who have mortgages (which account for roughly 63 percent of all residential properties) saw their equity increase by 29.3 percent over that period, an average borrower gain of $51,500. With over 1.5 million homeowners in forbearance and 5 million consumers unemployed, current equity figures have added import. A recent CoreLogic survey found 59 percent of respondents feel extremely confident in their ability to keep current on their mortgage payments in the coming year. CoreLogic says, "Thanks to ongoing government provisions, increased vaccine availability - enabling many to return to work and a steady income - and record homeowner equity gains, most borrowers have been able to remain current on their mortgage payments. Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic adds, "The growth in homeowner equity provides a strong financial cushion for tens of millions of Americans. For those most impacted by the pandemic, equity gains will help play a critical role in staving off foreclosure. Based on projected increases in economic activity and home values over the next year, we expect to see further gains in equity and a corresponding drop in negative equity, forbearance rates and foreclosure." Many upside down or underwater homeowners, those who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth, have been bailed out by recent surges in home values. In the second quarter of 2020, 1.8 million homes were in negative equity. That number declined by 30 percent or 520,000 properties in a year. In the second quarter of this year alone, there was a 12 percent decline in underwater homes. The number is now 1.2 million or 2.3 percent of mortgaged properties. The national aggregate value of negative equity at the end of the first quarter of 2020 was $273.2 billion. At the end of Q2 it had declined $5.2 billion to $268 billion. The year over year decrease is approximately $18.9 billion. Borrowers with equity positions within 5 percent, either higher or lower, of the negative equity cutoff are most likely to be affected by home price changes. CoreLogic says, based on second quarter data, a price increase of 5 percent would lift 160,000 out of negative equity. If prices were to fall by 5 percent, 211,000 homeowners would go underwater. Regional Abonmais killing: Manipur CM apologizes for police inaction; 16 cops suspended Correspondent IMPHAL, SEP 24 (NPN) | Publish Date: 9/24/2021 1:47:11 PM IST After apologizing to the people for the alleged security lapse that led to the abduction and subsequent killing of Athuan Abonmai, Manipur chief minister on Friday termed the perpetrators as terrorists. Those terrorists involved in the killing will not be spared, declared Singh before reporters at a news conference at the chief ministers secretariat here. I condemn our police and myself too. As in-charge of the home department, I apologize to the public for security lapses for the unfortunate incident, he remarked. He assured that anybody involved, whether officials, politicians or civil society organisation, would not be spared and legal action taken against them. Singh said that after getting reports that the policemen were mere onlookers while Abonmai was being dragged out and bundled into a waiting jeep, I wondered how the morale of the police had lowered to such an extent. 16 cops suspended: As many as 16 police personnel, including OC, SI and ASI, have been identified for their alleged misconduct and dereliction of duty and put under suspension, he informed the media. He further announced constitution of a three-member committee headed by IGP (Int) K Radhashyam Singh to inquire into the incident, which would submit its report within one week. He said a massive operation had been launched and additional forces rushed to Tamenglong district, adding that the operation would continue until the culprit(s) were nabbed. He assured that if involvement of any group currently under ceasefire with the Centre was found, then the case would be handed over to National Investigation Agency. He said the government was in touch with the Home ministry regarding the incident by providing details. Singh also expressed condolences to the family members of the deceased. He said the State cabinet would decide on providing an ex-gratia to next of the kin and extend all possible assistance to the bereaved family members. Accuses hospital of organ trafficking The judge of a court in Assams Dibrugarh district lodged a police complaint, alleging that a private hospital attempted to kill him while he was undergoing treatment as it was involved in organ trafficking, police said on Friday. A case was registered against Aditya Diagnostics and Hospitals on the basis of the complaint, Dibrugarh Additional Superintendent of Police Bipul Chetia said. No arrests have been made yet as it is a complicated case and requires the help of domain experts, he said. The hospital rubbished the allegation and said they would file a defamation case against judge Nogen Senabaya Deori, the presiding officer of Industrial Tribunal, Dibrugarh, and in charge of Labour Court, Dibrugarh. Judge Deori said that he was admitted to the hospital on September 9 as he had mild fever and was feeling unwell after testing positive for COVID-19, and was shifted to the ICU the next day. He alleged that several medicines were injected in his saline drip and an injection was directly pushed onto his naval region. Around 10 pm on September 10, judge Deori alleged that he was given another injection after which he became unconscious. He regained consciousness around 2 am. Two nurses then allegedly attempted to inject more medicines into him, which he resisted throughout the night, and managed to send messages to his son and friends, including to an additional district and sessions judge, to come to his aid, judge Deori claimed in his complaint. Around 6 am, when one of the nurses tried to forcibly inject him again, he dragged her by her hand to an open area and attempted to leave the ward, but was stopped by two men, he alleged. Judge Deori alleged that he was kept confined to the corner of a room following that. After his son reached the hospital, he took discharge and went to Guwahati for further treatment. He alleged that he had spotted medicines and equipment needed for surgery to take out organs kept near his bed after he had regained consciousness, but those were later removed. The proprietor of the hospital Dr Nirmal Sahewala said judge Deori was kept in the ICU as he was an esteemed patient and they wanted to ensure the best treatment for him. He started behaving abnormally after regaining consciousness in the early hours of September 11 and had dragged a nurse by her hand, attempting to leave the COVID ward, which he also managed briefly, Dr Sahewala said. We have CCTV footage to prove our claims. We will cooperate fully with the police as we have nothing to hide, he said. Dr Sahewala maintained that the hospital acted as per COVID-19 protocols and the judge had left in good spirits when he boarded the ambulance for Guwahati. We had let go of his behaviour but now with the FIR against us, we will also explore legal action. We will file a defamation suit against him, he added. Regional Congress issues show-cause notice to 212 workers in Assam Guwahati, Sep 23 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/23/2021 1:58:13 PM IST The Congress on Thursday issued show-cause notices to its 212 workers in Assam for alleged anti-party activities during the Assembly election held this year. The opposition party had suffered heavy losses in the poll. Addressing a press conference here, chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Bharat Chandra Narah said that 15 district units have submitted lists, containing names of the workers who were allegedly found indulging in anti-party activities during the state poll, along with documentary proofs. The APCC has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to look into the matter and issue show-cause notices to those party workers, said Narah, who is a Congress MLA. When asked about the nature of anti-party activities, he said that the 212 workers had helped candidates of other parties, directly or indirectly, in the election. However, he did not elaborate further. In the show-cause notice, the recipients have been asked to submit their replies explaining why disciplinary action will not be taken against them by the committee, within 15 days, Narah said. The highest number of 51 party workers were issued show-cause notices in Lakhimpur district, followed by 29 in Karimganj, 26 in Dhubri, 25 in Tinsukia, 19 in Kamrup Metropolitan, and 12 in Dibrugarh, the senior Congress leader said. The other districts are Karbi Anglong (8), Charaideo (8), Sonitpur (8), Hojai (8), Nagaon (5), Hailakandi (5), Bongaigaon (4), Kamrup (2), and Biswanath (2), he added. In the 126-member Assam Assembly, the BJP bagged 60 seats, while its allies AGP won nine and the UPPL six. In the opposition camp, the Congress won 29, AIUDF 16, BPF four, and the CPI(M) got one seat. The Raijor Dal won one seat as an Independent. Regional Congress urges Assam Gov to stop eviction till rehabilitation announced GUWAHATI, SEP 24 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/24/2021 1:59:06 PM IST Congress leaders met Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi on Friday, urging him to stop the eviction drive at Sipajhar in Darrang till a proper rehabilitation package is announced, after two people were killed and over 20 people injured in police firing. Submitting a memorandum, the party also demanded suspension of Deputy Commissioner Prabhati Thaosen and SP Sushanta Biswa Sarma, who is the younger brother of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, besides seeking an inquiry into the incident by a sitting judge. The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident that happened on Thursday by a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court, though the name of the judge was yet to be announced. An all-party meeting along with stakeholders should be immediately called to strategise and plan a rehabilitation and compensation program for the evicted people of Goroikhuti, Dholpur and other villages, the Congress said. The Chief Minister, despite holding a constitutional post who has taken oath to serve and protect all citizens, has behaved in a biased manner by constantly giving provocative statements which have made matters worse, it alleged. Sarmas statement of giving full authority to police to do firing has given them the license to kill, besides having the potential of turning Assam into a police state, it added. The Congress delegation was led by its state unit president Bhupen Bora. Congress strongly condemns the most barbaric act of police firing and inhumane act on protesters during the state governments eviction drive... The manner in which a protester is ruthlessly beaten to death in camera by police personnel and subsequent violence on the deceased protester by the cameraman in presence of police is horrifying, Bora said. The lone protestor could have been easily overpowered by more than 40 police personnel who were present but to shoot a lone distraught protestor who is losing his hearth and home is brutally inhuman. The police should have tried to pacify him instead of killing him at point blank range, the Congress said. The party also demanded that the cameraman and the police personnel who took part in the barbaric act should be given exemplary punishment, while the deceased and the injured must be adequately compensated. Earlier in the day, Congress leaders and workers protested outside the Deputy Commissioners office at district headquarter Mangaldoi. The district administration has cleared 602.4 hectares of land and evicted 800 families since Monday and demolished four illegally constructed religious structures at Sipajhar. National Gangster shot dead at Rohini court by gunmen Injured during firing at Rohini court being taken inside an ambulance, in New Delhi, Friday. (PTI) New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/24/2021 1:25:45 PM IST Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi was shot dead Friday inside a packed Rohini courtroom here by two assailants dressed as lawyers who were also killed in a police counter-fire, officials said. In video footage of the shootout involving the two attackers, who were from the rival gang, gunshots could be heard and policemen and lawyers seen in a scramble. Witnesses said a woman lawyer has also received a bullet injury in her leg. Police said the incident happened around 1.15 pm when Gogi was brought to the courtroom number 207 for a hearing, and the two gangsters posing as lawyers opened fire at him. Advocate Sunil Tomar, who was present in the courtroom for his clients bail matters, said there were 15-17 people in the court of judge Gagandeep Singh when the incident happened. As Gogi entered the courtroom, two persons, who were dressed as lawyers, whipped out their pistols and suddenly opened fire upon him. After hearing gunshots, people started running to save their lives inside the courtroom and the judge also went back to his office just behind the courtroom, Tomar told PTI. He claimed the assailants pumped around 10 bullets into Gogi. For the first 15 minutes, I could not figure out what was happening there. Advocate Manoj Kumar Nigam, who was also there, said a woman lawyer also received a bullet injury on her leg. A senior police officer said that Gogi was also accompanied by members of the counterintelligence unit of the Delhi Polices Special Cell. When Gogi entered the courtroom, the two assailants in lawyers uniform took out their pistols and opened fire on Gogi. Immediately, the personnel from the counterintelligence team which was accompanying Gogi retaliated and the two assailants died on the spot, he said. Joint commissioner of police (northern range) has been asked to enquire into the incident and submit a report. Some lawyers claimed this is not the first such shootout incident at the Rohini court. I was stepping out of the court when the incident happened. I heard firing and later more rounds were fired...this (incident of firing) has happened for the fourth or fifth time at Rohini. So, the situation has not improved so far, said advocate Rajiv Agnihotri. Jitender Maan alias Gogi, who carried a reward of Rs 6.5 lakh on his head, was arrested along with his three accomplices from Gurgaon by a team of Special Cell in March last year, according to police. He was arrested along with Kuldeep Naan alias Fajja, Kapil alias Gaurav and Rohit alias Koi. The Special Cell was on the lookout for Gogi, Fajja and Gaurav for a long time before tracing them to their hideout in Gurgaon. A few months ago, Fajja had managed to escape from the police custody when he was being produced in the Karkardooma court, another senior police official said. Since that incident, the counterintelligence team of the Special Cell used to accompany Gogi and his associates to court for hearings, he said. National India, UK hold talks on vaccine certification process: Alex Ellis Alex Ellis New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/23/2021 2:02:04 PM IST British High Commissioner Alex Ellis on Thursday said India and the UK held excellent technical discussion on the issue of vaccine certification. Referring to new British travel rules, Ellis had on Wednesday said there was no problem with Covishield vaccine and that the main issue is COVID-19 vaccine certification done through the CoWIN app. Excellent technical discussions with @rssharma3 @AyushmanNHA. Neither side raised technical concerns with each others certification process. An important step forward in our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect public health of UK and India, he tweeted on Thursday. Following Indias strong criticism over the UKs refusal to recognise Covishield, London on Wednesday amended its new guidelines to include the Indian-made version of the AstraZeneca vaccine in its updated international travel advisory. However, Indian travellers vaccinated with two doses of Covishield will still have to undergo 10 days of quarantine in the UK notwithstanding the amendment, UK officials clarified on Wednesday saying the inclusion of the vaccine will not make much of a difference. Were clear Covishield is not a problem. The UK is open to travel and were already seeing a lot of people going from India to the UK, be it tourists, business people or students, Ellis said in a statement on Wednesday. We have been having detailed technical discussions regarding certification, with the builders of the CoWIN app and the NHS app, about both apps. Theyre happening at a rapid pace, to ensure that both countries mutually recognise the vaccine certificates issued by each other, he said. According to new rules, Indian travellers who received both doses of the Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days. In a strong reaction, India had on Tuesday warned of reciprocal measures if the UK does not address its concerns over the new travel rules relating to COVID-19 vaccine certification with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla describing these norms as discriminatory. Referring to the latest guidelines issued by the UK government that will come into effect on October 4, another UK officials had said that London does not have any problem with the Covishield vaccine but there are certain issues related to vaccine certification in India. The new British rules have triggered massive criticism in India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also took up the issue of Covishield-vaccinated travellers being required to quarantine in the UK with newly-appointed British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss at a meeting in New York on Tuesday. Regional Manipur: Villagers refuse to accept Abonmais body Correspondent IMPHAL, SEP 23 (NPN) | Publish Date: 9/23/2021 1:43:21 PM IST 13 COPs suspended; Cong , CPI demand probe Tension continued to prevail in Manipurs Tamenglong district on Thursday even as shocked villagers decided to not accept the dead body of former president of Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam Manipur Nagaland) Athuan Abonmai who was reportedly abducted and killed on September 22. Abonmai was killed shortly after he was whisked away from Tamenglong district headquarters where a government function, attended by Manipur chief minister Biren Singh, was held amid tightened security on Wednesday. The police said the body of Abonmai was kept at a morgue here for necessary official formalities. Meanwhile, villagers of Lamlaba, the native village of the deceased, announced while handing over the body on Thursday morning that they would not accept the body for burial until and unless the State government booked the culprit(s). The villagers also claimed that Abonmai was whisked away from near the function venue, openly in the presence of police and other security forces. In another video that went viral on social media, Abonmai was seen being assaulted by some unknown people before being taken away in the presence of security forces. 13 cops suspended: Manipur government has suspended 13 police personnel-- eight personnel from the district police, four from 5 Manipur Rifles and the officer-in-charge of Tamenglong police station and a probe will be held against them in connection with the abduction and killing of Athuan Abonmai. The government has set up an inquiry headed by an IGP rank officials. Cong, left parties demand probe: The Congress, the Left parties and others have demanded judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the case of kidnapping and killing of Abonmai. Congress also demanded sacking of Tamenglong district magistrate and superintendent of police within the next 24 hours. Addressing a press conference, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee working president K Meghachandra described Abonmai as the voice of unity and integrity of Manipur and said his assassination must be taken with utmost seriousness. CPI Manipur State Council alleged negligence on the part of the State government behind the loss of life of Abonmai. The party said the abduction of Abonmai from the venue of a function that was attended by the chief minister showed total failure of the home department and security forces in the State. Sharing its pain and sorrow at the demise of its former general secretary, NPF Manipur State stated that he had worked tirelessly for the partys growth in the State. He had served as general secretary of the party and had also contested the State Assembly polls as NPF candidate from Tamei AC of Tamenglong district. Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-23 23:00:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) "We will continue to work with the U.S. side, as long as there are opportunities for cooperation. However, the cooperation between the two countries must be conducted in the principle of mutual respect," said Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang. WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China is sincere in starting a dialogue with the United States to deescalate bilateral tensions on the basis of mutual respect, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang said here on Wednesday. "We will continue to work with the U.S. side, as long as there are opportunities for cooperation. However, the cooperation between the two countries must be conducted in the principle of mutual respect," said Qin in respond to questions after delivering a speech at a virtual conversation jointly held by the Carter Center and the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "And the United States should not expect China's cooperation in areas where only the U.S. has demand and interests, while neglecting or even undermining China's interests at the same time, in particular on these core issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "To be frank, what I worry about is that the United States uses competition to define China-U.S. relations, while competition on the U.S. side often takes the form of confrontation, especially on major issues concerning China's core interests," he said. Containers of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited are seen at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, the United States, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying) "If this does not change, it will undermine China's efforts to promote our mutual trust and cooperation. There is not any example in the history of international relations where the political relationship between two countries is in competition or even confrontation, but other spheres remain safe and sound," he said. "A very important thing between China and the United States is mutual respect. China is open and inclusive. We welcome and readily accept various suggestions or criticisms, as long as they are objective, truthful, well-intentioned and constructive, and we will make improvements according to them," said the ambassador, adding that "a very important job of mine is to communicate and listen." "However, we do not accept baseless slander and disinformation. We do not accept condescending lecturing. And we do not accept words or deeds that undermine China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Citizens must abide by the law. Likewise, countries must abide by the basic norms governing international relations. U.S. law prohibits secession and racial hatred, but why do some Americans want to treat China in this way?" said Qin. Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 00:09:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on Sept. 2, 2021 shows farmers operating harvesters to reap corn crops in the field of Pingluo County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's implementation of high-quality grain projects has promoted supply-side structural reform in agriculture, helped to increase food supply, and reaped benefits for farmers, an official with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration said Thursday. China implemented the projects in 2017. Since then, the central government has allocated 21.5 billion yuan (about 3.32 billion U.S. dollars) from the central budget to the projects. The local government and social investment added 60 billion yuan, said Zhang Wufeng, head of the administration. The country has added over 50 million tonnes of high-quality grain through the projects during the period, the data showed. The implementation of high-quality grain projects led to high yields of grain with better quality, promoted the high-quality development of agriculture, and increased farmers' income in China, Zhang added. Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 01:39:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council high-level open debate on climate and security at UN headquarters in New York, Spet. 23, 2021. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday highlighted "three absolute priorities" in climate action in the context of climate and security. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday highlighted "three absolute priorities" in climate action in the context of climate and security. Much bolder climate action is needed ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, this November -- with the Group of 20 largest economies in the lead -- to maintain international peace and security, said Guterres. "Our window of opportunity to prevent the worst climate impacts is rapidly closing. No region is immune. Wildfires, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather events are affecting every continent," he told a Security Council high-level open debate on climate and security. The effects of climate change are particularly profound when they overlap with fragility and past or current conflicts. It is clear that climate change and environmental mismanagement are risk multipliers. Where coping capacities are limited and there is high dependence on shrinking natural resources and ecosystem services, such as water and fertile land, grievances and tensions can explode, complicating efforts to prevent conflict and to sustain peace, he warned. The threats are clear and present. But it is not too late to act to ensure that climate action contributes to international peace and security, he said, highlighting three priorities in climate action. The first priority is unambiguous commitment and credible actions by all countries to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. He urged all UN member states to show more ambition in their Nationally Determined Contributions by the convening of COP26 and to translate their commitments into concrete and immediate action so that global greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by 45 percent by 2030. The second priority is a breakthrough on adaptation and resilience to deal with the already dire impacts of climate disruption on the lives and livelihoods of people all over the world. The third priority is to make climate adaptation and peacebuilding reinforce each other, he said. It is essential that at least 50 percent of climate finance globally is committed to building resilience and supporting adaptation, said Guterres. "This need is urgent, as growing climate impacts remind us daily." Annual adaptation costs in developing countries are estimated at 70 billion U.S. dollars, and the costs are expected to reach 300 billion dollars a year by 2030. Huge gaps remain in adaptation finance for developing countries, he said. "We simply cannot achieve our shared climate goals -- nor achieve hope for lasting peace and security -- if resilience and adaptation continue to be the forgotten half of the climate equation. This neglect is seriously endangering our collective efforts on the crucial road to COP26 in November," he warned. Developed countries must uphold their promise to deliver -- before COP26 -- 100 billion dollars in climate finance annually to the developing world. And they must ensure this reaches the most affected populations. Grant financing is essential, as loans will add to already crushing debt burdens in the most climate-vulnerable countries, he said. Climate adaptation and peacebuilding can and should reinforce each other, said Guterres. For example, in the Lake Chad region, dialogue platforms for cooperatively managing natural resources, supported by the Peacebuilding Fund, have promoted reforestation and improved access to sustainable livelihoods. In West and Central Africa, cross-border projects have enabled dialogue and promoted more transparent management of scarce natural resources, a factor of peace, he said. "As climate change is impacting water resources worldwide, we must leverage water for peace, drawing lessons from the past. For example, in the Sava River Basin in Eastern Europe, transboundary water cooperation was the starting point of regional reconciliation and cooperation after the deadly war in the Balkans in the 1990s," he said. Across all these efforts, women are critical agents of change. The Security Council has long recognized and sought to strengthen women's role in sustaining peace. Women and girls face severe risks from both climate change and conflict, and their meaningful participation and leadership bring more sustainable results that benefit more people, he said. The United Nations is integrating climate risks into its political analysis as well as conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives, he said. The Climate Security Mechanism is supporting field missions, country teams and regional and subregional organizations to analyze and address climate-related security risks and shape integrated and timely responses. Work is gaining traction in countries and regions where the Security Council has recognized that climate and ecological change are undermining stability. The UN Regional Office in West Africa and the Sahel has launched a new initiative on peace, climate change and environmental degradation, which will help the Economic Community of West African States, as well as other regional bodies and national and local governments, to harmonize efforts to reduce climate-related security risks in the subregion, he said. In South Sudan, 95 percent of the population relies on agriculture or pastoralism and is thus affected by drought and unseasonal flooding. The UN peacekeeping operation in the country is collaborating with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Organization for Migration to promote the peaceful resolution of farmer-herder conflicts, he said. "We are all part of the solution. Let us all work together to mitigate and adapt to climate disruption to build peaceful and resilient societies," he said. The open debate is a signature event for Ireland, which holds the Security Council presidency for the month of September. Scheduled to coincide with the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, the debate was attended by two heads of state, one head of government and several ministers. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin presided over the debate. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 03:57:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2021 shows the live-fire drill "Peace Mission 2021" at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia. Troops participating in the "Peace Mission 2021," a counter-terrorism military exercise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, conducted a live ammunition drill at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mei Shixiong) ORENBURG, Russia, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Troops participating in the "Peace Mission 2021," a counter-terrorism military exercise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, conducted a live ammunition drill at the Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia on Thursday. The live-fire drill lasted for around an hour. Military equipment such as infantry fighting vehicles and assault vehicles made fierce attacks against the target. The participants of the "Peace Mission 2021" are from eight SCO member states, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. The participating troops consist of around 4,000 military personnel, among which over 550 are from China. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 05:09:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A visitor experiences intelligent driving during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijng, capital of China, on Sept. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Wei) China has made continuous progress from ranking 14th last year to 12th this year and is now "knocking at the door of the GII top 10," according to WIPO's "Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021." GENEVA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A consistent innovation policy, increased spending on education and science and the ability to translate all these into sound results are behind China's current role as a global innovation leader, a senior official from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) told Xinhua on Thursday. As per the WIPO's "Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021" released on Monday, China is still the only middle-income economy among the world's top 30 most innovative countries. It has established itself as a global innovation leader and is approaching the top 10. According to the report, China has made continuous progress from ranking 14th last year to 12th this year and is now "knocking at the door of the GII top 10." This year, China also reached the top three in the Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania (SEAO) region for the first time. According to Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, co-editor of the GII, China's success story can be explained by its consistent and persistent innovation policy planning and execution for more than three decades, as well as by the fact that it has impressively increased spending on education, science and technology. But, more importantly, it is the country's ability to translate pro-innovation policy and innovation inputs into sound results, such as intellectual property, innovative products and high-tech exports. "The speed with which China has built well-known high-tech firms, mostly in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector or the white goods sector, including large home appliances, etc., which are known around the world, has been impressive," Wunsch-Vincent said. A manned autopilot aircraft is exhibited at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) "The way these companies have consistently invented, filed for and used intellectual property, including trademarks, brands and design, is an important differentiating factor too." He underlined that China has overtaken Japan, Germany and the United States in the number of international patent applications by origin, scaled by gross domestic product (GDP), and its lead is striking when considered in absolute terms. The same is true for the number of trademarks and industrial designs by origin as a percentage of GDP. The latest GII results indicate that in terms of innovation clusters geographically, although the top 10 list remains the same as last year with only minor shifts, Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou and Beijing now rank second and third, respectively, after the Tokyo-Yokohama cluster in Japan. Shanghai ranks eighth. Of the top 100 clusters, China has 19. But what matters more than the numbers game is the constant pursuit of a "sound, organic innovation ecosystem in China, which is sufficiently connected to the innovation actors of other countries," Wunsch-Vincent said. The GII, published annually, provides performance measures and ranks 132 economies on their innovation ecosystems. As in past years, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to lead the innovation ranking. Other countries in the GII top 10 include South Korea, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, Denmark and Germany. Speaking of China's steady climb in the GII ranks since 2013, Wunsch-Vincent believes that it is not at all unnatural, as China's policy-makers have tried to consistently learn from and improve on their past innovation policies, while benchmarking current policies and performances against the past and against those of other countries. A visitor tries a VR spinning based on 5G technology at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) "We can see an effort to improve further, be it in the field of reinforcing science-industry linkages, in further building Chinese innovation clusters, or in putting the huge stock of Chinese intellectual property filings to use via commercialization or cross-licensing," he said. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the GII shows that global innovation has not slowed down, especially in areas where the aim is to overcome the pandemic. "Top countries and top firms have been relatively resilient, and they have spurred innovation throughout the crisis. Our data show that this is true for China," he added. At the firms level, for example, the WIPO expert named companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and ZTE as ones that have performed strongly. So have other top research and development intensive companies in China, such as China Communications Construction, Power Construction Corporation of China and PetroChina. Also, venture capital deals and deal values at the global level increased in 2020 and in the first quarter of 2021, largely due to a strong rebound in China. "The full impact of the (COVID-19) crisis on innovation will be felt in the rankings over time only. Yet, the expectation is that Chinese firms will continue their innovation drive," he said. A robot belonging to Xiamen International Bank is seen at the digital achievements exhibition during the fourth Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 06:51:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a Security Council high-level open debate on climate and security at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Climate change is a common challenge facing humanity, and requires a global response, said a Chinese envoy on Thursday in the context of climate and security. The relationship between climate and security is very complex. The Security Council, on the basis of its mandate emanating from the UN Charter and its existing agenda, needs to get it right in terms of the manner and extent of its engagement in discussing and addressing issues related to climate and security, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. It is imperative that the main channels for international cooperation on climate change are maintained, he told a Security Council high-level open debate on climate and security. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement is the most authoritative platform. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capability as well as equity are the cornerstones of global climate governance, he said. "We must uphold the convention and the Paris Agreement as the main channels, and respect the right to speak on an equal footing by all countries on climate change issues. It would be inappropriate for the Security Council, as a forum, to replace the collective decision-making by the international community." It is essential for developed countries to earnestly fulfill their international obligations and commitments. Developed countries bear historical responsibility for climate change, said Zhang. "In discussing climate change, regardless of the platform or angle, we should not lose sight of this very basic fact." Developed countries cannot always lock their sight on others. They must take concrete actions in leading the substantial reduction of emissions, realize net-zero or even negative carbon emissions at an early date while honoring their commitments on climate financing, fill as soon as possible the pre-2020 annual funding gap of 100 billion U.S. dollars, provide a clear timetable and roadmap from 2021 to 2025, and formulate a new collective quantitative post-2025 funding target, he said. "In this connection, we have heard the appeals of many countries. We have also heard (the UN) secretary-general himself in appealing on this issue. We certainly hope that we can hear from developed countries in terms of their positive and quick response. Doing so will allow early achievement of the net-zero target. The international community not only needs to make such an appeal, but also there is the need to establish an oversight mechanism so as to ensure that developed countries will live up to their commitments." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 16:01:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to share its experience in poverty reduction and deepen development cooperation with Solomon Islands and other Pacific island countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday. In a phone conversation with Manasseh Sogavare, prime minister of Solomon Islands, Xi said that China is ready to help Pacific island countries find a development path of poverty reduction suited to their own national conditions, so that they can better cope with major public health events and natural disasters, and enhance the capacity to cope with climate change. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties two years ago, bilateral relations between China and Solomon Islands have been developing vigorously, bringing tangible benefits to the people of two sides, Xi stressed. Facts have proved that Solomon Islands' decision to establish diplomatic ties with China is completely right, Xi said. Noting that both are developing countries, Xi said China and Solomon Islands share many common interests in upholding international order, fairness and justice. China, Xi said, respects Solomon Islands' independent exploration of a development path suited to its national conditions and supports the efforts of the people of Solomon Islands to pursue a better life. China highly appreciates Solomon Islands' firm adherence to the one-China policy and stands ready to work with Solomon Islands to push bilateral relations to a higher level, Xi said. Xi pointed out that China is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges with Solomon Islands, promote synergy between the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative and Solomon Islands' development plan, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and welcome Solomon Islands to use the China International Import Expo and other platforms for promotion of competitive products and expand exports to China. China, Xi said, is ready to continue to provide Solomon Islands with economic and technical assistance without any political strings attached as well as help within its capacity to Solomon Islands' fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 16:36:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Innovation is a "golden key" to some thorny issues in China-U.S. relations, said Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Thursday, calling for an innovative spirit "more than ever before" to address the difficulties present in bilateral ties. "We need a new vision, new thinking and new methodology," Qin said in his virtual remarks at the High-Level Meeting of Bloomberg New Economy Forum. The Chinese ambassador said China and the United States need to show a broad vision, shoulder great responsibilities and stabilize relations. Noting that a Cold-War, zero-sum mentality go against the trend of the times and the will of the people, Qin said China will act to "open up a path of national renaissance and peaceful development." Meanwhile, he called upon the United States to stay committed to peaceful development and work with China to bolster relations based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. "Over the past several years, the China-U.S. relationship has gone through tremendous changes. It cannot return to the past anymore," Qin noted. "We have to face the reality, look to the future, think out of the box, create new institutions and methods, and open up new dimensions for China-U.S. engagement," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 17:42:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that it is the most fundamental common strategic interest of China and Vietnam to safeguard the security of their Communist parties' governance and that of their socialist systems. Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. Xi said he is glad to talk on the phone with Trong on the eve of China's National Day, adding that so far this year he and Trong have maintained close communication by multiple means, helping the two parties and countries deepen strategic mutual trust and consolidate traditional friendship, and jointly steering bilateral relations toward sustained and steady progress under new circumstances. China and Vietnam, he added, are socialist neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and are a community with a shared future that bears strategic significance. Facing the complicated and combined impacts of global changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, China and Vietnam share many common interests and concerns, Xi noted. He suggested that the two sides maintain the right direction, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, continuously develop the socialist cause, earnestly safeguard the fundamental interests of the two parties, countries and nations, and make positive contributions to regional and global peace and development. The Chinese side firmly supports Trong in leading the CPV and the Vietnamese people to advance on the socialist path suited to Vietnam's national conditions and realize the development goals set at the CPV's 13th national congress, Xi said. The two sides, he added, should conduct institutionalized exchanges in such areas as theoretical discussions, cadre training and cooperation between local party committees, deepen communication and mutual learning between counterpart departments of the two parties and countries, and strengthen the guidance of public opinion. They should also accelerate the coordination of their development strategies, create new bright spots in bilateral cooperation, and bring the people in both countries a greater sense of fulfillment, Xi said, adding that China firmly supports the Vietnamese side in defeating COVID-19 and promoting economic and social development. Meanwhile, they need to enhance coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, defend peace and stability in the South China Sea, oppose politicization of COVID-19 origins tracing, practice true multilateralism, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added. Trong warmly congratulated China on the successful celebration of the centenary of the CPC and the upcoming 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He spoke highly of the great achievements China has made in various fields since the CPC's founding 100 years ago, since the PRC's founding over 70 years ago, and especially under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core since the 18th CPC National Congress. He said he firmly believes that China will make new glorious achievements on its new journey of fully building a modern socialist country. Trong said that relations between the two parties and countries now enjoy a good momentum, featuring close high-level exchanges and fast-growing economic and trade cooperation. Vietnam attaches great importance to the development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and always treats it as a top priority, he said, adding that his country is grateful for China's valuable support and assistance for Vietnam's fight against the pandemic and restoration of economic and social development. The CPV, he said, is willing to work with the CPC to strengthen inter-party exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, and deepen experience sharing on party and state governance. He also suggested that the two parties push for closer win-win cooperation between the two countries in such areas as economy and trade, epidemic response and cultural exchanges and at local levels, so as to continuously advance both countries' socialist causes and bilateral relations, and jointly promote regional and global peace and stability. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 20:07:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Access to COVID-19 vaccines came under the spotlight Thursday at the UN General Assembly, as leaders from Africa sounded the alarm on vaccine shortages in the region and called for equitable access to the life-saving shots. "VACCINE APARTHEID" African leaders lamented the jarring disparity in vaccine access across the globe on the third day of the Assembly's general debate. While wealthy countries including the United States, Britain and Israel have started or are mulling plans to administer a third booster shot to fully vaccinated individuals, many African countries are still struggling to offer the first jab to their people. Statistics from the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that only 4.06 percent of the population in Africa has been fully immunized against COVID-19. The World Health Organization said Thursday that vaccine shipments to Africa must rise by over seven times from around 20 million to 150 million each month on average to achieve the target of fully vaccinating 70 percent of its people by September 2022. Namibia's President Hage Geingob told the UN meeting that global vaccine inequality is so severe that it amounts to "vaccine apartheid." "It is a pity that we have a situation where, in some countries, citizens are at a stage of receiving booster shots, while in other countries, many are still waiting to receive their first doses," he said. This bleak picture was echoed by Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who called the level of global vaccine inequity "appalling" in her maiden speech to the Assembly. "It is truly disheartening to see that whilst most of our countries have inoculated less than 2 percent of our populace and thus seek more vaccines for our people, other countries are about to roll out the third dose," she said, calling on countries with surplus vaccine doses to share them with countries in need. While it was through solidarity and cooperation that countries were able to access medical supplies during the virus outbreak last year, the global community has not sustained those principles in securing equitable access to vaccines, said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa while addressing the meeting virtually. Ramaphosa called for a temporary waiver of some provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights at the World Trade Organization, which will allow low- and middle-income countries to produce vaccines. Leaders from countries outside Africa also spoke out against the widening vaccine inequality and joined the call for fair vaccine access. Bolivian President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora condemned the continued inequity in global vaccine distribution, stressing that no one should seek to profit from the global health crisis. He called on transnational companies to waive their patents and urged the UN and governments to work in solidarity to avoid vaccine hoarding. CLIMATE CHANGE, AFGHANISTAN CRISIS Climate change was also on the agenda at Thursday's meeting. Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen urged the world leaders present at the meeting to realize the severity of climate change. "What more do global leaders need to understand this very tragic reality?" he asked. President of Guyana Mohamed Irfaan Ali noted that the burden of reducing global emissions was not shared equitably, calling for joint efforts to help the most vulnerable economies build up resilience against climate events. Citing Iraq's efforts to create a green economy, Iraqi President Barham Salih said "We may have different political views, but we must remain united on climate change." The Afghanistan crisis was also brought to the fore at the meeting. Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, noting his country shares a long border with Afghanistan, stressed that recent developments there pose a serious threat to regional security and stability. The Taliban's rise to power has further complicated the region's already complex geopolitical process, given its failure to deliver on earlier promises for a comprehensive government with broad participation of Afghan political and ethnic forces, Rahmon said. Mario Draghi, prime minister of Italy, said the Afghanistan crisis poses the "risk of a social and civil catastrophe" in the country and region. Noting the presence of groups affiliated with Al-Qaida and Da'esh inside Afghan territory, he called on the international community to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a menace to international security. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 21:27:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Horn of Africa countries require massive investments in climate change adaptation in order to minimize the negative impact of extreme weather events on livelihoods, experts said in Nairobi on Friday ahead of the Africa Climate Week slated for September 26 to 29. Abubakr Salih Babiker, a climate scientist from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that strengthening the climate resilience of communities in the region hinges on ramping up adaptation financing. "What is required urgently is adaptation financing that promotes reforestation, use of clean energy and protection of water sources in order to strengthen the resilience of local communities," he added. The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened the webinar to discuss the growing climate crisis in the Horn of Africa region that has taken a toll on economies, livelihoods and ecosystems. Babiker said that taking stock of the negative impacts of climate change in the region is key to strengthening its bargaining for adaptation finance at the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. He said that investing in early warning and infrastructure to support rainwater harvesting is key to enhancing the resilience of subsistence farmers and nomads in the Horn of Africa region. Alex Cook, East African regional climate adviser for the UK government, said that governments should prioritize investments in adaptation and resilience programs including renewable energy and regeneration of landscapes. Cook said that phasing out of fossil fuels like coal combined with green mobility, knowledge sharing on climate-smart farming is key to strengthening the resilience at the grassroots level. Stella Aura, director at Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) said that revamping weather forecasting technology in the region is key to help governments protect key economic sectors like agriculture and tourism from looming climate disasters. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 22:21:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WINDHOEK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Friday launched a new port container control unit to improve smooth flow of goods at the recently upgraded Walvis Bay port. Minister of Finance Iipumbu Shiimi said the opening of the port control unit, to host a sophisticated container control program is essential in cutting out loopholes in the clearance of goods at the port. "This program is indeed yet another milestone in the implementation of the customs modernization program and strengthening compliance with trade facilitation requirements at our port of entries," Shiimi said. Shiimi said the launch is a momentous achievement for Namibia, particularly for the Namibia Revenue Agency which recently became operational, after taking time to set up. He said, for Namibia to be a logistics hub, the country should have modern customs monitoring systems that will stop the proliferation of smuggled goods. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 22:38:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's ceasefire monitoring body said Friday that recent and past defections of military officers from the opposition are derailing the implementation of the security arrangement that includes the graduation of the unified forces. Teshome Gemechu Aderie, Chairperson of the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) said that the recent splinter within the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A-IO) under First Vice President Riek Machar has disrupted the ongoing plans to pass out the first batch of the 83,000 unified forces. "Such changes of allegiances are damaging the peace process. Therefore, we are seriously monitoring it in order to get any timely updates," Gemechu told journalists in Juba. On August 4, SPLM/A-IO breakaway faction led by Machar's former chief of staff Simon Gatwech Dual announced that it had deposed the latter from the chairmanship of the party. Several senior militaries once allied to Machar have since defected to join Dual's group and the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF) violating the 2018 revitalized peace deal which abhors defections and splits. The two SPLM/A-IO factions have clashed twice since August in Upper Nile, leaving more than 60 soldiers killed. "CTSAMVM has been made aware of several changes of allegiance from the SPLM/A-IO to the SSPDF in Upper Nile state which has reportedly resulted in skirmishes in the Mathiang area," said Gemechu. He disclosed that four senior SPLA-IO commanders have crossed over to the SSPDF in the past few weeks. Gemechu called upon the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that mediated the 2018 revitalized peace deal, and the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) that monitors the peace deal to engage the parties to stop military defections. "CTSAMVM has been monitoring the situation in the Magenis area as closely as possible, and calls on both factions of the SPLM/A-IO to refrain from any further violence," he said. Defections have been persistent throughout the more than six years of conflict that broke out in December 2013. Graduation of the 83,000 unified forces is critical for security during the ongoing transitional period. President Salva Kiir during his independence address in July this year promised the graduation of the first batch of 53,000 unified forces but this is yet to take place. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 23:27:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua)-- Dodome is a cluster of six rural farming communities in the Volta region of Ghana, situated northwest of Ho, the regional capital, bout 180 kilometers northeast of Ghanaian capital Accra. The communities are part of the major food baskets of the Volta region, with the cultivation of corn, plantain, and cocoa, besides vegetables. However, the presence of phlebotomine sand flies makes life unbearable for the people in these communities. These tiny insects prey on them, causing severe skin lesions and parasitic leishmaniasis infections. Bernett Dogoe, a traditional chief of Dodome Awuiaso, one of the six communities, told Xinhua that the flies, known locally as Ehle with their associated health hazards, had been a source of great worry to the locals. "The flies have been here for several generations, making life unpleasant for us," Dogoe said, adding that the bites have caused chronic aliments to locals. According to the World Health Organization, bites from sand flies leave bumps and blisters on the skin of their victims, resulting in severe skin lesions. Mizpah Tsevi, a young female farmer, has a three-year-old son Raymond Kwaw who has blisters all over his body. The child continued scratching his body as Xinhua interviewed his mother. "The blisters on his skin are due to the bites from the sand flies. Once they bite him, he begins to itch, and when he scratches the spots, the blisters appear and leave scars on his skin," Tsevi told Xinhua. She has tried using various skin care products to treat the blisters on her child's skin, but with limited success as the blisters reappear after each bite. "My skin used to be smooth, but due to the effect of the insect bites, it has become rough. It makes me itch, but when I scratch the body to get relief, it becomes sore. It makes farming difficult for us," said Agnes Dornyo, a 60-year-old female farmer. Some locals said they live in perpetual uncertainty due to the new knowledge about the health hazards associated with sandfly bites. In recent years, SylDem Limited and EXA Ventures, two local companies, have teamed up in outreach programs in these communities to bring relief to the people. "Through research, we established that the presence of the sandflies has led to the prevalence of skin lesions and leishmaniasis infections in the communities. We, therefore, embarked on this project in 2017 to eliminate leishmaniasis infections in the communities," Sylvia Demanya, Managing Director of SylDem, told Xinhua during one of their outreach programs. "Since they are mostly peasant farmers, seeking medical treatment seems expensive for the locals," added Demanya. The two companies carry out public education during their outreaches and donate free organic insect repellents to the locals, some for smearing on the body and others for burning in their rooms to fend off attacks from the predatory flies. They also donate certified food supplements produced from the noni plant to the locals as immune boosters against infections from insect bites. "We appeal to philanthropic organizations to support us in our outreach programs and in our quest to eradicate leishmaniasis in these communities," she urged. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 11:59:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The French senators who plan to visit Taiwan should reconsider their decision so as not to damage Sino-French relations as well as France's reputation and interests, the Chinese Embassy in France said on Thursday. "There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," said a spokesperson of the embassy in a statement posted online. "The one-China principle is a fundamental norm of international relations and the political basis for China to establish and develop diplomatic relations with other countries," said the spokesperson, adding that "not to conduct official exchanges of any form with the Taiwan authorities is an inherent sense to respect the one-China principle." "The French Senate is an important national institution in France. The senators have official status and should carry out the official French policy," said the spokesperson. "Their visit to Taiwan and official contacts with the Taiwan authorities, no matter in what names, will seriously violate the one-China policy pursued by France and will be exploited by the separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence'," said the spokesperson. "Such moves will damage not only the core interests of China and Sino-French relations, but also, ultimately, France's reputation and interests," said the embassy. "We hope that those concerned will think twice and reconsider their decision to visit Taiwan." According to French media reports, a group of French senators plan to visit Taiwan in October. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 13:57:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday approved a so-called "deoligarchization law" designed to combat oligarch influence on the country's economy and politics, the parliament's press service said. The legislation, which was submitted by President Volodymyr Zelensky, was supported by 279 votes, exceeding the 226 minimum votes required. The new law gives power to the country's National Security and Defense Council to put individuals on the list of oligarchs based on certain criteria, which include significant influence on the media and political activities, ownership of a monopoly company and a fortune of over 86 million U.S. dollars. The individuals designated as oligarchs will be prohibited from sponsoring political parties and taking part in the privatization of big companies. The main aim of the law is to overcome the conflict of interests caused by mergers of politicians, media and big businesses and to ensure the national security of Ukraine, according to the statement on the parliament website. The Ukrainian authorities have long been fighting against the concentration of economic and political powers in the hands of influential individuals. In May, the government created the Bureau of Economic Security designed to speed up the process of deoligarchization. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 15:54:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will prepare to bow out following Germany's federal election scheduled for Sunday after steering the country as well as Europe for 16 years. By and large, Merkel has inherited the pragmatic cooperation doctrine towards China, a policy started and well maintained by her predecessors Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroeder, to which her 12 visits to China as German chancellor are a testament. FREQUENT VISITS Merkel made her first trip to China in 1997, when she served under Kohl as federal minister of environment, nature conservation and nuclear safety. After becoming chancellor, Merkel left her footprints all over China, having been to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Wuhan. Anecdotes of her visits have shown Merkel is willing to know more about China. When visiting Nanjing in August 2007, she took the initiative on a rainy evening to take a walk on the city wall built in the 14th century. In her official trip to Chengdu in July 2014, Merkel learned making Kungpao Chicken, a traditional Chinese dish. She also bought some broad bean paste, Sichuan pepper powder and star anises, which are essentials for making local delicacies. On probably her last trip as chancellor to China in September 2019, Merkel asked her motorcade to make a brief stop on Wuhan's Yangtze River Bridge, looking far into the waves and posing for photos. WITNESS TO CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT Merkel has been a witness to China's rapid development over the past decade. During Merkel's first several visits to China, her priority was to promote "Made in Germany." But in recent years, bringing Chinese cooperation projects back to Germany has topped her agenda. In May 2006, half a year after taking office, Merkel visited Shanghai and took the demonstrative line of a maglev train which used Siemens technology. Now, China is selling world-class locomotives to Germany and Austria. In May 2018, on a tour in Shenzhen, Merkel visited several companies developing drones, autonomous driving, and processing data. She was very surprised by the speed of China's development in the cutting-edge industries. "Sino-German cooperation must be raised to a new level, especially from a perspective of digitalization," Merkel later said in her speech. MULTILATERAL PARTNERS Before Merkel took office, Beijing and Berlin established in 2004 a partnership with global responsibility within the framework of the China-European Union (EU) comprehensive strategic partnership. During Merkel's third term, the relationship was further upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Merkel's pragmatic attitude towards China has played an important role in tightening bilateral ties, which were highlighted at the two G20 summits in 2016 and 2017, held in China and Germany respectively, with a focus on topics such as climate change and global trade growth. In Hangzhou and Hamburg, both famous for their bridges, the two countries vowed to build bridges of cooperation and promote prosperity and development together. In recent years, Merkel's line for dealing with China has been under constant pressure from within and outside Germany. However, she is well aware that cooperation is vital to Germany's economic interests, and that without China's participation, Germany, the EU and the entire international community cannot cope with global challenges such as climate change and unilateralism. "On some issues, we have different views ... but the EU and China should continue their dialogue and set a model for multilateralism," Merkel once told Xinhua in a press conference. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 20:01:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized a large number of counterfeit medical products, including COVID-19 pills, and detained one suspect in Turkey's largest city Istanbul, local media reported on Friday. Acting upon a clue that some fake COVID-19 drugs would be released to the market, the Istanbul Police Department carried out an operation to an address in the Maltepe district, according to the Cumhuriyet daily. In the raid, the police seized 92,139 items of medical products, including pills used to treat COVID-19. Authorities have reportedly found that the drugs worth 4.2 million Turkish liras (about 475,123 U.S. dollars) were manufactured in unqualified environments, endangering public health. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 20:55:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LJUBLJANA/BLED, Slovenia, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The August number of foreign tourists in Slovenia was twice higher than in the same month of 2020, the country's statistical office reported on Friday, which indicates that the country's tourism is well on a way to recovery after being badly hit by the COVID-19 epidemic. The number of foreign tourists in August amounted to some 585,000, with most of them coming from other European Union states like Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Czech Republic and Austria, the statistical office said. In the first eight months of the year, the number of foreign tourists was 14.7 percent higher than in the same period of 2020. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, tourism represented about 10.6 percent of the country's GDP, which fell to 6.5 percent in 2020, according to the Ministry of Economy. In 2019, tourism income from foreign visitors amounted to 2.84 billion euros (about 3.33 billion U.S. dollars) but fell to 1.2 billion euros in 2020, according to figures from the Bank of Slovenia. "Tourism has not yet recovered this year due to a very limited international travel ... We expect that we will see similar income from foreign tourists as in 2019 only in 2024," Karin Jurman Marn, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Economy, told Xinhua. The number of tourists from China reached its peak in 2019 at 98,958, which was about 11 times higher than in 2010 when there were 8,896 Chinese tourists in Slovenia. However, their number dropped to 6,162 in 2020, data from the statistical office show. "Chinese guests represent a big potential for our country ... The most visits from China are being recorded from May to October with a peak in September," said Marn, adding that most Chinese tourists visit the capital Ljubljana and Alpine tourist resorts. Many Chinese have visited Slovenia's picturesque Alpine Lake Bled, which lies about 60 kilometers north of the capital Ljubljana and is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. "If health conditions will be normal next year, we could reach the number of tourists we had in 2019 very soon," Romana Purkart of the Bled Tourist Board told Xinhua. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 21:00:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Gas transmission systems in Ukraine, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are joining forces to create a hydrogen corridor in Central Europe, Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine (OGTSU) reported Thursday. "Hydrogen is a promising technology that is at an early stage of implementation across the economy. Partnership with neighboring Gas Transmission System operators will create a synergistic effect for the development of green hydrogen," said OGTSU Deputy General Director for Development and Transformation Pavel Stanchak. The work on such a corridor should start shortly due to Europe's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Stanchak added. The companies working on the project believe that the Central European Hydrogen Corridor could be created in part by re-profiling existing gas infrastructure in combination with targeted investments in new specialized hydrogen pipelines and compressor stations. This will ensure the transportation of hydrogen over long distances at an affordable price. Ukranian State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving announced in March that the country can produce 5.5 billion cubic meters of hydrogen annually. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 14:06:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- An explosive wildfire in northern California expanded to 1,200 acres (4.9 square km) Thursday in 24 hours, triggering multiple mandatory evacuation orders, under which over 4,000 residents fled from their homes. Dubbed Fawn Fire, the fire started some 19 km north of Redding city on Wednesday night, burned wildly Thursday afternoon and threatened Redding city, which has a population of 100,000, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). "I would call it extreme," Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Foxworthy said on Thursday afternoon. "There are quite a few mandatory evacuations, and they're coming out continuously. I would advise people to look at the latest information from the sheriff's department," Foxworthy added. The Fawn Fire has forced 4,000 people to evacuate and "affected" 30,000, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet without elaboration. Cal Fire also announced Thursday that a 30-year-old woman, Alexandra Souverneva, was arrested on fire-related charges in the area where the blaze started. Cal Fire said that it would submit the case to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office, recommending Souverneva be charged with "arson to wildland." Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large and active wildfires, the latest data from Cal Fire showed. Wildfires in the state has burned 3,671 square miles (9,507.9 square km) this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. In California, a mandatory evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to livelihood. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 19:30:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAVANA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embargo on Cuba, which began in the 1960s, continues to make life difficult for the Cuban people, Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency reported on Friday. In an opinion piece released on the news agency's website, Por Xin Ping, a commentator on international affairs, noted that the decades-old blockade is "more devastating than bullets and shells." The embargo is "a massive, flagrant and unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Cuban people," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez was quoted in the article as saying. The blockade has given rise to food shortages and trapped Cuba into an urgent need of energy by blocking the country's crude oil imports, forcing Cubans to queue for hours for public transport at peak times, it said. Conditions in the country are worsening amid COVID-19, as U.S. companies are forbidden to sell ventilators to Cuba and cargo carriers decline to carry shipments of aid to the island, it added. Although Cuba's response to COVID-19 was swift, without sufficient medicines and medical equipment, even the best doctors cannot deal with the pandemic effectively, said the article, noting that Cuba is reporting more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases each day. Enditem THE Health and Child Care ministry has resolved to cordon off boarding schools to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases within the learning institutions across the country. Situational reports released by the Health ministry show that schools currently account for the majority of the COVID-19 cases recorded daily. On Thursday, of the 330 new cases reported, 65% were recorded in schools. As of Thursday, there were 1 281 schoolchildren and 131 teachers who had tested positive for COVID-19 across the country, according to the Health ministry. In a statement yesterday, the Health ministry, however, said the situation was under control, adding that it had strengthened control measures, including intensifying vaccination of the eligible population in schools. Under the new measures, parents will not be allowed to visit their children in boarding facilities. These bulks of the cases are being reported mainly from boarding secondary schools across the country through the enhanced surveillance mounted by the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education using the joint operational plan for the coordinated prevention and management of the COVID-19 pandemic at all learning institutions in the country, the Health ministry said. The ministry wishes to assure the nation and the affected parents that measures are being taken to safeguard the safety and health of the affected learners. The following mitigation measures have been put in place. Most of the reported cases have been mild and not requiring hospitalisation and no fatalities have been reported. Government said it would increase COVID-19 testing facilities of all suspected cases on-site, enhance isolation and management of all positive cases at the affected schools, and also quarantine all learners that would have been exposed to the virus at their schools. Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday that the cases being recorded in schools were insignificant to warrant schools closure. However, findings of investigations conducted by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) on adherence of schools to government set standard operating procedures during the pandemic show that schools were incapacitated to adhere to the guidelines. In the report, which was released yesterday, Artuz said there was a 10% drop in safety of school environments since the reopening of schools on August 23, 2021 in comparison with the previous terms. The outcome of the Artuz investigation reflected that all sampled schools remain COVID-19 danger zones because of shortages of required resources to reduce the spread of the pandemic disease, unavailability of COVID-19 test kits in schools and inadequate supply of vaccines in communities surrounding schools, Artuz said in the report. The investigation observations reflected that there is a 10% drop in the percentage safety of school environments since the reopening of schools on August 23, and September 6, 2021 in comparison with the state of safety in the previous terms across the nation. Teachers unions said schools had limited testing capacities, which raised fears that the figures of the actual pupils and learners who were infected by the virus were higher than those reported. They warned that the situation could get worse and possibly drive a fourth COVID-19 wave in the country. Government has a problem of providing immediate and temporary solutions to problems, Artuz president Orbet Masaraure said. The problem of COVID-19 in schools should be addressed holistically. Banning movement in boarding schools is a temporary measure. It appears like the government is shooting itself in the foot. How are the pupils going to carry out the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities if they have been locked in schools? Schools were never prepared to reopen, which is evidenced by the inconsistencies in policies on the problem at hand. Zimbabwe National Teachers Union chief executive officer Manuel Nyawo said banning movements at boarding schools would not resolve the crisis because a majority of them were recording COVID-19 cases. The government should develop a culture of consulting stakeholders before imposing decisions, he said. President Mnangagwa yesterday told the Southern Africa Chief Justices Forum jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in Victoria Falls that the Second Republic would continue respecting the independence of the Judiciary and the principle of separation of powers in line with the tenets of constitutional democracy. He said Zimbabwe had one of most transparent systems in Africa in terms of the appointment of judges of the superior courts. Prospective judges were subjected to public interviews in terms of Section 180 (4) of the Constitution. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has to invite nominations of qualified and experienced lawyers, and members of the public can make these nominations, who are then short-listed for interviews, which are held under public glare. While promotions from the High Court to the Supreme and Constitutional Courts no longer required interviews, those moved up had track records that everyone could see. Allow me to emphasise that my Government respects the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the Judiciary as a cornerstone of a constitutional democracy. We have one of the most transparent judges appointment systems in which prospective judges are subjected to public interviews by the Judicial Service Commission, he said. Government, therefore respects the decisions and orders of the courts and has put in place mechanisms to enforce those orders. This is indeed a fundamental aspect of the rule of law. The President said the need to respect the independence of the Judiciary did not however, imply that judges should not be held accountable. An accountable and transparent Judiciary is one that people can have uttermost confidence in and one that is free of corruption while also expeditiously dealing with and finalising matters before the courts, he said. Judiciary independence is guaranteed as the essence of the rule of law on condition that the principles of transparency and accountability are observed in the performance of judicial functions. But Zimbabwe has constitutionally entrenched provisions for security of tenure provisions that also protect the Judiciary from the perceptions of victimisation. Dismissal of a judge before retirement age is a complex process involving a recommendation and then an independent tribunal to investigate. President Mnangagwa said the Judiciary provided an essential service and implored delegates drawn from 11 countries to embrace information communication technologies and harness its potential in light of Covid-19. Even in such difficult times, you have an obligation to ensure that the wheels of justice do not grind to a halt. Justice must be kept alive and accessible to all. There is therefore need for the Judiciary to be innovative and come up with ways to continue dispensing justice, said President Mnangagwa. He said ICT was a key strategic focus area of the Second Republic underpinning Vision 2030 which sought to achieve an upper middle-income status for the countrys economy. He said there was a compelling need for expeditious hearing and finalisation of commercial disputes by the courts as part of reforms for ease of doing business. As such, my Government facilitated the establishment of a stand-alone commercial court which specialises on commercial disputes. In addition, an integrated electronic case management system that allows for e-filing of documents, amongst other digital functionalities has been adopted, said President Mnangagwa. The e-filing seeks to take full advantage of the benefits of flexibility and automation of court processes which foster efficiency, transparency and improved access to justice. Court procedures will be expedited while minimising direct human contact at certain stages of the process, thus eliminating opportunities for corruption. This will undoubtedly contribute to the efficiency of our courts in line with best international standards. The President said a needs-based approach was essential where specific requirements of particular communities were to be catered for. Wholesome implementation of the new technology-based innovations without taking into account such special needs of rural populations, has capacity to undo all our efforts towards breaking barriers to the access to justice. In undertaking your work as the judiciary, you have an obligation to ensure that no one and no place is left behind, he said. Our technological innovations must therefore be appropriately customised to meet those basic requirements. The President warned that security in the face of cyber-crime, which may threaten the efficacy and credibility of the systems, must be at the forefront when deploying computer-based technology in the administration of justice. Herald SPARKS flew in the Ministry of Mines this week, as the long-running dispute over Ran Gold Mines, a 122-year-old asset in Bindura, took a new twist, with an angry party to the deadlock accusing Mines minister Winston Chitando of overturning a Supreme Court order. The broadsides were fired after Chitando, who last week came under fire from the Presidents Office to act on a sea of disagreements over minerals claims, ruled on Monday that the gold mine at the heart of confrontations between mining executive Jack Murehwas G&P Industries and Ran Mines and businesswoman, Angeline Munyezas Blackgate Investments belonged to the Murehwa consortium. The ground that Blackgate pegged was not open to prospecting and pegging according to Section 31 of the Mines and Minerals Act at the time that Blackgate purports to have repegged and subsequently registered the claim known as Kimberley 18, which belongs to Ran Mine and G&P Industries, Chitando said in the determination, which came over a decade after the parties began fighting over the goldfields. In light of these findings, the certificates issued to Blackgate Investments were issued in error. I hereby cancel certificates of registration numbers 36 375 and 37 353 respectively, Chitando said. But yesterday, an angry Munyeza rejected the ruling. She accused Chitando of avoiding slipping into contempt by avoiding a key Supreme Court order in coming up with the determination. She said the dispute over Ran Mines was fraught with irregularities from the start when your ministry adamantly stood by the fraudulent letter produced by Jack Murehwa in a hearing held on February 6, 2020. Your determination has made us question the constitutional adherence of your office as this action is detrimentally ground-breaking and unheard of. It implies the precedence of a minister overturning an order from the highest court in the land, thus depicting your office as a supposed superior arm of the law which acts above the law itself. It is rather baffling that a whole minister can use the word error to adjudicate a dispute that has been ensuing for more than a decade and deem it as conclusive. We are a business which was built on a patriotic mantra and we believe that your decision could only be equivalent to staging a coup detat . . . this is appalling in professional conduct for a minister to overturn a ruling made by an esteemed bench of judges that sits in the highest court in the land. In culmination from our assertion your determination is unlawful in the sense that you have not fulfilled the Supreme Court order hence it renders the Ministry of Mines in contempt of court and continues to be the instigator of this never-ending spiral of injustice that prejudices the nation of the much-needed development, Munyeza said. Fighting reached a tipping point two weeks ago when G&P Industries said it was pressing ahead to extract its first bullion at the mine in 22 years, while rivals at Blackgate Investments warned that sinking shafts at the operation was illegal until the government makes a determination over ownership. Documents seen by the Zimbabwe Independent indicated that Blackgate holds permits demonstrating ownership to the goldfields, which have now been cancelled. The Independent reported last week that in a 76-page letter submitted to President Mnangagwa in December, Blackgate claimed that G&P Industries had warned them to tread carefully as the asset belonged to the feared late strongman, Robert Mugabe and his family. The letter claimed that after Mugabe unceremoniously left power in 2017, G&P somersaulted and claimed that Mnangagwa had taken over the asset, which collapsed in 1999 before attracting armies of artisanal miners. G&P has indicated that it has a US$6,5 million war chest to rebuild Ran Mines, which made headlines in November, after its shafts collapsed under heavy flooding as torrential rains swept through Zimbabwe. In her letter to Mnangagwa, Munyeza said Zimbabwe lost about US$500 million in potential gold exports during the prolonged dispute. She said Blackgate identified Ran Mines after previous owners left, but ran into problems after being swamped with complaints that it had intruded into G&P claims. She said in November the government took the warring to the mine, but she was shocked when G&P said she must keep quiet because the mine belongs to the first family. Munyeza is seeking clarity if it was true that Ran Mines ownership had transferred from Mugabe to Mnangagwa. It is in your best interest that I bring your attention to an issue of paramount importance that if left derelict, could derail and negate the efforts that are being made towards establishing a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023 fighting the scourge of corruption that could ultimately result in the perpetuation of the abuse of your name and family by cunning, unscrupulous individuals within society, Munyeza said. The dispute in question has been a prolonged one . . . emanating in 2008 . . . characterised by alarming levels of corruption within the Ministry of Mines and gross abuse of the name of the late President Robert Gabriel Mugabe as well as yours and your family members. These occurrences have led us to seek clarity . . . and . . . impartial recommendation as this matter infringes negatively on your reputation and integrity as you are the chief steward of the country, Munyeza said. Last week, presidential spokesman, George Charamba said there was a worrying trend of conflicts over claims that the Mines ministry has failed to address. I cannot confirm that we have received the letter as the Presidents Office, Charamba said. Maybe it is still on its way, but this is a clear message to the Ministry of Mines that the whole regime of assigning titles to claims must be tided up. I am sure there is a need for intervention from the high office, Charamba told the Independent. The government is struggling to service residential stands promised to both Senators and National Assembly members, with some legislators having since passed on, while the tenure of the ninth Parliament is slowly coming to an end, before they could benefit from the scheme. Local Government Minister, July Moyo, told the Senate recently, they were having challenges in having stands serviced for the lawmakers. He was responding to questions from MDC Alliance senator, Violet Moeketsi on when the government would fulfil its promise on their accommodation. At what stage are you now regarding the promise that you made to the Hon. Members of this august House after raising the concern that we do not have accommodation and you promised that you are going to allocate us stands? asked Moeketsi. Some people are passing on because of Covid-19. We might not continue being in the House but it is important that we secure accommodation for the sake of our children. In his response, Moyo highlighted the challenges they face in trying to fulfil their promise I came to this Chamber together with the Speaker of Parliament, said Moyo. We spoke at length that for sure it is important that we fulfil what we promised in this august House even at government level that Hon. Members of Parliament are given stands so that they construct their own houses. We agreed on where to allocate such stands here in Harare. He explained further: So I went and discovered that this area is more of a bush so, for them to construct there, we have government laws which say that we cannot just allocate people stands in bushes without any development like sewer, roads or any servicing. We agreed that as Parliament, together with the Minister of Finance, that the Minister of Finance should allocate money for infrastructure development. He however said those who were allocated stands in serviced areas had already started constructing their houses during the previous Parliament. So, in this current Parliament, we also agreed that let us look at different areas in Bulawayo, Mutare and other cities, he said. So, our local authorities no longer have land. We need to look for land and we agreed to carry out an exercise to ascertain whether there is land. We had another exercise with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Lands to determine whether there is land in different towns in Zimbabwe so that we fulfil these promises. He added: The land is available but the challenge is infrastructure development, the servicing of such land, so that when you are allocated a stand, you can get title deeds as required by the law. That can be done if there is service in those stands. Cite.org.zw Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday asked the international community to rise in unison against the intolerable trend of unconstitutional takeover of power, sometimes through unilateral changes of constitutions by some leaders in Africa Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the European Union (EU) is providing a financial package of up to 25 million to Bank of Africa BMCE Group to support Moroccos green transition, it was officially disclosed here on Friday If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Ex-senator Arashukov denied mitigation of restrictive measure RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov 10:51 24/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI) A criminal bench of the First Appeals Court of General Jurisdiction on Friday refused to mitigate a measure of restraint of ex-senator Rauf Arashukov detained on charges of embezzlement and murder organization , the courts press service told RAPSI. Arashukov was put in detention in February 2019. His defense also sought to forward case materials to reconsideration by other judges. This motion was also rejected. On October 5, the Moscow City Court will continue jury selection in the case against Raul Arashukov, a former adviser to the head of a Gazprom subsidiary, and his son Rauf Arashukov. A case against 14 other defendants has been sent to the Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow for consideration. The probe into the Arashukovs, according to the Prosecutor Generals Office, revealed that although Raul Arashukovs total salary made only 65.9 million rubles in 2007 through 2017, whereas Rauf Arashukov received 15.6 million rubles in 2009 through 2018, they could purchase properties worth 1.469 billion rubles. Among the real estate the father and son Arashukovs purchased when holding state and local governmental posts are 75 real estate units, including apartments, apartment blocks, a hotel, a restaurant, a bathing facility, plots of land, vehicles, and luxury articles they, as claimed by the prosecutors, registered in the names of their relatives and employees. The Arashukovs together with other defendants in a 31-billion-ruble (about $431 million at the current exchange rate) gas embezzlement criminal case are in detention at this time. Investigators claim that Raul Arashukov together with other defendants in the case were involved in gas embezzlement from Gazprom company. Raul Arashukov was also charged with abuse of office and presenting a knowingly false denunciation. Moreover, they were allegedly involved in the organization of murder of two persons in 2010. Raul Arashukov pleads not guilty and calls the case against him fabricated. Rauf Arashukov was arrested and detained in late January 2019. The upper house of parliament stripped him of immunity and gave consent to his prosecution upon an application by the Prosecutor General. He stands charged with murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering. According to investigators, ex-Federation Council member was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movements deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican presidents advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010. Moreover, investigators believe that the former senator is implicated to the natural gas embezzlement from Gazprom company, where his father is among the defendants. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp appeal fines totaling $500K for data localization breaches 17:03 24/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI) Representatives of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp have challenged court rulings imposing fines totaling 36 million rubles (about $500,000) on the companies for breaching Russian legislation as to the localization of the users personal data in Russia, the press service of Moscows Tagansky District Court has told RAPSI. In late August, the court fined WhatsApp 4 million rubles; Facebook was fined 15 million rubles and Twitter was fined 17 million rubles. The messenger was found guilty of the first violation of law requirements, while the social networks were penalized for the repeated violation. In April, Russias communications watchdog Roskomnadzor urged several foreign companies to submit documents confirming that they keep and process Russians personal data within the country. The operator must ensure recording, systematization, keeping, updating, changing and recovery of data of Russian users with the use of databases locating within the country, according to the agency. These rules provide the sufficient level of data security, according to Roskomnadzor. BBC, September 20, 2021 By Elaine Jung and Hafizullah Maroof In a matter of weeks, the birthing unit Rabia delivered her baby in had been stripped down to its bare basics. She was given no pain relief, no medicine and no food. The hospital sweltered in temperatures topping 43C (109F) - the power had been cut and there was no fuel to work the generators. "We were sweating like we were taking a shower," says Rabia's midwife Abida, who worked tirelessly in darkness to deliver the baby by mobile phone light. "It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my job. It was too painful. But this is our story every night and every day in the hospital since the Taliban took over." Surviving childbirth means Rabia is one of the lucky ones. Afghanistan has one of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with 638 women dying per 100,000 live births. It used to be worse. Yet the progress made on maternal and neonatal care since the US-led invasion in 2001 is quickly unravelling. "There is now a great sense of urgency and desperation. I really feel the weight of that," says United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) executive director Natalia Kanem. The UNFPA estimates that, without immediate support for women and girls, there could be 51,000 additional maternal deaths, 4.8 million unintended pregnancies, and twice as many people who won't be able to access family planning clinics between now and 2025. "Primary health facilities across Afghanistan are collapsing maternal mortality rates, child mortality rates, will increase, unfortunately," says Dr Wahid Majrooh, chief of public health, who is the only minister remaining in his post since Kabul fell last month. He's pledged to fight for the health of Afghans, but faces an uphill battle. The landlocked nation has become cut off from the world. When foreign troops began withdrawing, the Taliban's rise to power led to a freeze on foreign aid which heavily finances Afghanistan's healthcare system. Western donors, including the US and groups such as the WHO, cite difficulties in delivering funds to the Taliban and medical supplies to a chaotic Kabul airport. Access to life-saving supplies and medicines for women's reproductive health is being significantly affected. The timing is doubly unfortunate given the spread of coronavirus. "There is no preparation for the possibility of a fourth wave of Covid," says Dr Majrooh. At Abida's birthing unit, the freeze on funds means they're also unable to run their ambulance service. There's no money for fuel. "Just a few nights ago, a mother was close to labour and urgently requested an ambulance because she was in too much pain. We had to tell her to find a taxi, but none were available. "When she finally managed to find a car, it was too late - she gave birth in the car and became unconscious for several hours because of the severe pain she was in and the extreme heat. We didn't think she'd survive. The baby was also in a very dangerous condition, and we had nothing to provide for either of them," Abida says. Fortunately, the woman's newborn daughter survived. After three days recovering in the severely underfunded hospital, the woman was discharged. "We're working overtime, day and night, to patch together a system but we need the funds," says the UNFPA's Dr Kanem. "Even before the dramatic events of the past few weeks, an Afghan woman dies in childbirth every two hours." The UNFPA is seeking $29.2m (21.1m) as part of the broader UN appeal for $606 million to respond to the lifesaving needs of Afghan women and girls. It's confident that, given the desperate need for humanitarian assistance, safe passage will be granted to transport vital medical and healthcare goods and deploy mobile health clinics. The UNFPA is concerned that the increasing risk of child marriage will further drive up the mortality rate. Spiralling poverty, anxiety over girls being unable to attend school, and fears over forced marriages between militants and girls or young adolescent women, is compounding the issue. "If you're a young mother, your chances of survival shrink immediately," Dr Kanem says. The Taliban's new restrictions on women are further crippling an already fragile healthcare system. In many areas of Afghanistan, women are having to cover their faces with a niqab or burka.But of greater concern are reports that hospitals and clinics are being ordered to allow only female staff to attend to female patients. One midwife, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC that a male doctor had been beaten up by the Taliban because he attended to a woman alone. She says that, at her medical centre in the country's east, "if a woman cannot be seen by a female doctor, the male doctor can only see the patient where two or more other people are present". Women have also been ordered not to leave their homes without a "mahram", or male relative. "My husband is a poor man who works to feed our children so why should I ask him to go to the health centre with me?" says Zarmina, who is five months pregnant, in Nangarhar province. Abida says the requirement of a male chaperone means that, even with a midwife and under-resourced clinic, many women like Zarmina can't attend important check-ups. Likewise, many female healthcare workers can't go to work. The WHO calculates that there are 4.6 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 Afghans - nearly five times below what it considers the "threshold for critical shortage". That figure is now likely to be lower, given that many have stopped working or have fled the country since the Taliban's takeover.In late August, the Taliban asked female healthcare workers to return to work, but "it takes time to rebuild trust, to ensure they're not faced with any issues," says Dr Majrooh. "Everything changed overnight," says Dr Nabizada, a female gynaecologist in Kabul who resigned once the Taliban swept in and waited in vain outside Kabul airport for 24 hours, desperate to escape. Her former colleagues had either managed to flee Afghanistan or quit work to stay home in safety. "My neighbour is 35 weeks pregnant and needed to set a date for a caesarean section. But her doctor's phone has been off. She's so tense and worried and hasn't been feeling her baby's movements." Public healthcare staff have not received pay for at least three months. Abida is one of them. Yet even without a salary, she hopes to continue working for another two months. "I've decided to do this for our patients and for our people but without funding, it's not only worrying for us, but for our patients. They are very poor," she says. "Afghans hear a lot about war casualties. But few talk about how many women and babies die due to preventable deaths linked to childbirth," says Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch. On a visit to Kabul in May, she says one hospital tried to protect staff salaries by cutting down on everything else. Many women in labour were forced to buy their own supplies to give birth. "One woman spent about $26 on things like gloves, sterilising fluid, and a tube for the catheter in your hand. She'd spent the last of her money and was incredibly stressed because if she needed a caesarean section, she'd have to buy her own scalpel," Barr says. But now, a scarcity of medicine and medical supplies means they can be bought only from private health care facilities, which is an unaffordable option for many Afghans. "I saw other pregnant women wait a whole day for any sort of medicine at our local clinic and return home empty-handed," says Zarmina. "I'd prefer to give birth at home rather than the hospital as there is no medicine and no facilities. I'm worried about my baby's health and for my own health." About 54.5% of Afghanistan's population live below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank. Most are in remote areas. "We are dealing with communities with extreme needs and very insufficient resources to hand. We are facing a catastrophic health emergency," says Dr Lodi, who treats patients in poor and isolated villages in western Herat province. Since the Taliban takeover, his team has seen a dramatic increase in malnutrition, anaemia, mental health disorders and childbirth complications. "Before the Taliban came to power, a health clinic diagnosed me with malnutrition and anaemia while I was pregnant," says Lina, 28, who lives in a small village in Herat province. Once the Taliban took control of the region, her husband - a shepherd - lost his job. With little money and fearing the Taliban, Lina didn't revisit the clinic until her waters broke. "My husband took me there by donkey. A midwife managed my complications and was able to birth my baby which had a low birth weight," she says. Lina remains at home in "a very bad condition" and, without an income, doesn't know how to provide for her baby. Many Afghans fear that the country's healthcare crisis is deepening to a point of no return, and some of its most vulnerable people - pregnant women, new mothers and young children - are bearing the brunt. "The situation is getting worse with every passing day," says Abida, who now goes about her midwife duties with a sense of hopelessness. "Nobody knows what will become of us." A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The BJP is now using Amarinder Singh's statements to corner the ruling Congress government in Punjab and the Gandhi family. Amarinder Singh, who was instrumental in forming the Congress government in Punjab, has given a golden opportunity to the BJP to attack the Congress. The BJP, which had been politically attacking Amarinder Singh in the last several years, has launched blistering attacks against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Congress high command (Gandhi family) with the help of Amarinder Singh's recent comments against Sidhu and the Congress. Dushyant Gautam, the BJP National General Secretary and Punjab BJP in-charge, in an exclusive conversation with IANS recently had raised questions about Sidhu's friendship with Pakistan after citing Amarinder Singh's recent statements. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar questioned the silence of the Gandhi family (Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi) over the statements made by Amarinder Singh. BJP Chief National Spokesperson Anil Baluni and R.P. Singh or Punjab BJP President have all raised serious allegations against the Congress citing Amarinder Singh's recent statements. Calling him a 'nationalist ' the BJP is targetting the Congress high command for removing Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Chief Minister's post. Many political questions are being raised about this new found love of the BJP for Amarinder Singh. Questions are also being raised about how the BJP is targeting Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was earlier associated with the BJP, on the basis of statements made by a former Congress Chief Minister. A BJP leader told IANS that as far as the saffron party's new found love for Amarinder Singh is concerned, the party stands with every person who loves the country and wants to strengthen its national security. He reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in the past that neither the Congress considers Amarinder Singh as its Chief Minister nor the latter considers himself as a Congress Chief Minister. The BJP leader also reminded that every time the Union government conducted surgical strikes, including taking strict measures against terrorism and Pakistan, Amarinder Singh has always supported the Union government, adopting a different political stand from the Congress high command. Nationalism, border security, terrorism and Pakistan -- all these are considered to be the core issues of the BJP. Amarinder Singh's statements are proving to be a shot in the arm for BJP. When asked what would be the political impact of the BJP's new found love for Amarinder Singh, the BJP leader said in politics the doors are open for every politician but 'Captain Saab' (referred to Amarinder Singh) himself needs to clearly come out in the open. Speaking in the Assembly on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he does not mind the National Education Policy (NEP) of the Bharatiya Janata Party government being called 'RSS or Nagpur Education Policy'. However, he opposed what he referred to as the 'Italian Education Policy'. Reacting to the opposition Congress' attack on the NEP, Bommai said, "RSS, nationality, nation are all same. 'RSS' stands for nationalism. There is nothing wrong if it is RSS Education Policy. We need to prepare our children for the 21st century. NEP provides an opportunity for students to compete at the international level," he added. Bommai alleged that the Congress had adopted a policy of slavery in education. "We don't want the education policy of Macaulay, we don't want the 'Italian Education Policy' either," he said. "Let the opposition describe NEP as 'RSS Education Policy'. We agree to it," he added. As soon as the Assembly session commenced, the members of the Congress party gathered near the well of the House and demanded that they should be given the opportunity to discuss the NEP and other issues. Siddaramaiah, the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, said, "The state government is implementing NEP ahead of all states. The colleges are reopening from October. This is the question of the future of the next generation. We need to discuss the issue in the Assembly session." He emphasised that the Congress wants to discuss 'Nagpur Education Policy', following which the ruling BJP members opposed the move. Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar countered Bommai by asking why former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not oppose the so-called 'Italian Education Policy' when he was ruling the country. Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri adjourned the House for an indefinite period when commotion prevailed inside the House. "We have decided not to stage a protest. But the state government has not given answers. Initially, we wanted to stage a walkout from the state Assembly. I have requested the Speaker to extend the Assembly session by a week. The Speaker never responded," Siddaramaiah said after the session was adjourned. US President Joe Biden said: "Mr Prime Minister, we're going to continue to build on our strong partnership", as he sat down with India's leader Narendra Modi in the Oval Office for their bilateral meeting on Friday. He also made a reference to Vice President Kamala Harris's Indian heritage during the opening segment of their meeting, the first in-person meeting after he had become President. Before their meeting, a senior US official said that Biden was looking forward to their meeting they will discuss Afghanistan and priority areas that India is "front and centre of". Del Ray, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2021 -- As with other businesses, higher education institutions must collect debts incurred by current and former students. These debts can range from unpaid tuition payments, overdue library fees, and even parking tickets. As these colleges and universities look to collect on these debts, the possibility of debtors ignoring phone calls and email becomes increasingly likely. These institutions have resources available to them to ensure they get the money they are owed these include education debt collection agencies such as AR Resources, Inc. in Del Ray, Florida. 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Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2021 -- The Latest research study released by HTF MI "Global Relocation Management Service Market" with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth. Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are MyOffice, Inc., Xerox, WHR Group Employee Relocation, CBRE, NEI Global Relocation, Worldwide ERC, Graebel Companies Inc., Chipman Relocations, Immigration Agent Perth & NRI Relocation, Inc etc. Click here for free sample + related graphs of the report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3603523-2020-2025-global-relocation-management-service-market-report-production-and-consumption-professional-analysis Browse market information, tables and figures extent in-depth TOC on "Relocation Management Service Market by Application (Large Enterprises & SMEs), by Product Type (, Online Service & Offline Service), Business scope, Manufacturing and Outlook Estimate to 2025". for more information or any query mail at sales@htfmarketreport.com At last, all parts of the Global Relocation Management Service Market are quantitatively also subjectively valued to think about the Global just as regional market equally. This market study presents basic data and true figures about the market giving a deep analysis of this market based on market trends, market drivers, constraints and its future prospects. The report supplies the worldwide monetary challenge with the help of Porter's Five Forces Analysis and SWOT Analysis. If you have any Enquiry please click here @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3603523-2020-2025-global-relocation-management-service-market-report-production-and-consumption-professional-analysis Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per your needs for added data up to 3 businesses or countries or 2 analyst hours. On the basis of report- titled segments and sub-segment of the market are highlighted below: Global Relocation Management Service Market By Application/End-User (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : Large Enterprises & SMEs Market By Type (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : , Online Service & Offline Service Global Relocation Management Service Market by Key Players: MyOffice, Inc., Xerox, WHR Group Employee Relocation, CBRE, NEI Global Relocation, Worldwide ERC, Graebel Companies Inc., Chipman Relocations, Immigration Agent Perth & NRI Relocation, Inc Geographically, this report is segmented into some key Regions, with manufacture, depletion, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Relocation Management Service in these regions, from 2015 to 2026 (forecast), covering China, USA, Europe, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia & South America and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2021 to 2026. Informational Takeaways from the Market Study: The report Relocation Management Service matches the completely examined and evaluated data of the noticeable companies and their situation in the market considering impact of Coronavirus. The measured tools including SWOT analysis, Porter's five powers analysis, and assumption return debt were utilized while separating the improvement of the key players performing in the market. Key Development's in the Market: This segment of the Relocation Management Service report fuses the major developments of the market that contains confirmations, composed endeavors, R&D, new thing dispatch, joint endeavours, and relationship of driving members working in the market. To get this report buy full copy @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3603523 Some of the important question for stakeholders and business professional for expanding their position in the Global Relocation Management Service Market: Q 1. Which Region offers the most rewarding open doors for the market Ahead of 2021? Q 2. What are the business threats and Impact of latest scenario Over the market Growth and Estimation? Q 3. What are probably the most encouraging, high-development scenarios for Relocation Management Service movement showcase by applications, types and regions? Q 4.What segments grab most noteworthy attention in Relocation Management Service Market in 2020 and beyond? Q 5. Who are the significant players confronting and developing in Relocation Management Service Market? For More Information Read Table of Content @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3603523-2020-2025-global-relocation-management-service-market-report-production-and-consumption-professional-analysis Key poles of the TOC: Chapter 1 Global Relocation Management Service Market Business Overview Chapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type [, Online Service & Offline Service] Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume) Chapter 4 Manufacture Market Breakdown Chapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market Study Chapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown .. Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & Aggressiveness Chapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type .. Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis) Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, LATAM, Europe or Southeast Asia. The newly-discovered dinosaur species, Spicomellus afer, is the earliest-known ankylosaur and the first ankylosaur to be named from Africa. Spicomellus afer lived in what is now Morocco during the Middle Jurassic period, some 168 million years ago. The new species belongs to Ankylosauria, a diverse group of armored herbivorous dinosaurs. Ankylosaurs diverged from their sister-taxon, Stegosauria, in the Early or Middle Jurassic, but their fossil record at this time is extremely sparse. Spicomellus afer is not only the first found in Africa, but also the earliest example of the group ever discovered. Ankylosaurs had armored spikes that are usually embedded in their skin and not fused to bone, said Dr. Susannah Maidment, a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum and honorary senior lecturer in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. In this specimen we see a series of spikes attached to the rib, which must have protruded above the skin covered by a layer of something like keratin. It is completely unprecedented and unlike anything else in the animal kingdom. The new specimen is a slightly curved dorsal rib fragment with four elongate, conical spines. It was found at a site in the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco the same site where paleontologists previously discovered Adratiklit boulahfa, the oldest stegosaur ever found. Morocco seems to hold some real gems in terms of dinosaur discoveries, Dr. Maidment said. In just this one site we have described both the oldest stegosaur and the oldest ankylosaur ever found. The specimen fills a gap in the fossil record of Ankylosauria, suggesting that shortly after their evolution, ankylosaurs had attained a global distribution, and indicates an important but as yet undiscovered armored dinosaur fossil record in the Jurassic of the supercontinent Gondwana. The discovery also calls into question a previous theory that ankylosaurs outcompeted stegosaurs and led to their extinction. Stegosaurs appear to have gone extinct in the Early Cretaceous, at the same time that ankylosaurs increased in diversity, leading to suggestions that ankylosaurs outcompeted stegosaurs, the paleontologists said. However, both clades co-occurred in Jurassic ecosystems. This indicates long-term ecological overlap between stegosaurs and ankylosaurs for over 20 million years, suggesting that the decline of stegosaurs may have been for reasons other than competition with ankylosaurs. The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. _____ S.C.R. Maidment et al. Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur. Nat Ecol Evol, published online September 23, 2021; doi: 10.1038/s41559-021-01553-6 Page Content The main items on the agenda of the meeting between Minister Richardson and State Secretary Knops on Thursday September 23, 2021 were the status of the discussions with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in connection with building a new prison, the Plan of Approach for the Pointe Blanche prison, measure H.11 of the Country package for Sint Maarten which concerns the further strengthening of Sint Maartens border control agencies with assistance of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and the status of the Function Book for KPSM. Accompanying Minister Richardson to the meeting with State Secretary Knops was Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus. Minister Richardson and State Secretary Knops agreed on the way forward in the discussions with UNOPS and affirmed their commitment to finalizing the process. Both are dedicated to have the realization of a new prison soonest and have agreed that within the coming weeks, important milestones must be achieved. Further discussions, regarding a clear timeline towards this end will take place on a technical level. Discussing the first days of her work visit to the Netherlands, Minister Richardson shared with the State Secretary that her visit has already provided much needed insight into how prisons function in the Netherlands and how Sint Maartens detention facilities compare to these institutions. The opportunity offered to see Dutch prisons, has now more than ever strengthened Minister Richardsons resolve to have a new prison facility built on Sint Maarten. Minister Richardson further shared with State Secretary Knops her great appreciatio for the enthusiasm that she received from the prions directors and their support staff and their willingness to assist Sint Maarten with the challenges to its prison system. As a result, Minister Richardson expressed to State Secretary Knops that she truly wishes to build on the opportunity presented, to further realize collaborative efforts between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten, and will be contacting the State Secretary and his colleagues within short to discuss ways on how to proceed in the short term. The Plan of Approach for the Pointe Blanche prison was written at the end 2017 by persons from the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), who came to Sint Maarten from the Netherlands after hurricanes Irma and Maria severely damaged the prison. Although written several years ago, due to circumstances the recommendations of that plan have not yet been implemented. To implement the recommendations of the Plan of Approach, the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations embarked on a search for a program manager to lead the execution of the plan. Mr. Robert Kievitsbosch was appointed as program manager for the Pointe Blanche prison and arrived on Sint Maarten on August 1, 2021. Minister Richardson informed State Secretary Knops that Mr. Kievitsbosch has hit the ground running and has been instrumental in ensuring that the Minister sees various versions of penitentiary institutions in the Netherlands. Minister Richardson has now been exposed to various styles of operations that have great rehabilitation programs, skill development and various levels of safety, security and specialist care offered to clients. Mr. Kievitsbosch was requested by Minister Richardson to continue to connect with his network in the judicial chain to forge partnerships and explore the willingness to assist Sint Maarten with its efforts to improve both the detention facility of the Point Blanche Prison and the Miss. Lalie Center. Minister Richardson informed State Secretary Knops that to ensure that measure H.11 of the Country Package is executed as agreed upon, former Lt. Governor and former Minister of Justice Dennis L. Richardson has been appointed to lead the process and development of the plan of approach connected to the measure H.11, which will outline how Sint Maartens border control agencies with the assistance of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, will be further strengthened. Under the guidance of Mr. Richardson, the heads of the relevant departments meet regularly to establish the plan of approach. The group is supported with technical assistance to produce the first draft of the plan of approach. This draft will provide a framework of the scope of areas that, once finalized, will be managed by a policy for the actions the authorized border authorities will have to act and execute their work on in the effort to better protect and manage migration activities, visitors, shipments that enter and exit Sint Maarten etc. Measure H.11 can be considered a continuation of the border strengthening project (Onderlinge Regeling Versterking Grenstoezicht Sint Maarten) that came into effect in 2018. That project with the financial and technical assistance from the Netherlands saw to it that Sint Maartens border protections agencies such as Immigration, Customs and the Coastguard received the necessary resources and capacity building to improve their operations. The final topic discussed with State Secretary Knops, was the Function Book for KPSM. Minister Richardson advised State Secretary Knops that the Function Book for the Ministry of Justice contains the functions books for all the departments that fall within the Ministry of Justice including KPSM. The advice from the Council of Advice on the draft Function Book was recently received by the Ministry of Justice. The recommendations have been studied and many of them have already been incorporated in the updated version of the Function Books. Minister Richardson expects the Function Books to be finalized within the coming weeks and assured State Secretary Knops that she will keep him informed. Unaccountable and irresponsible power over other human beings proved not only grasping and cruel but also impermanent. No human being lives forever, and the tyrannos (tyrant), or perhaps his son, was always vulnerable to violent overthrow. As a result, tyranny began to seem unwise even for the tyrant. by Emily Katz Anhalt Imagine a cool, overcast spring afternoon with a sharp breeze cutting through the branches of the olive trees. Sitting in the theater at Athens, you watch, apprehensively, as a father greets his son before the dark gates of an immense palace. The father is Creon, the new king of Thebes. He has condemned to death a young woman named Antigone, because she violated his ban on burying the body of a traitor. The son is Haemon, Antigones fiance. He has come to beg his father to spare the young womans life. King Creons elderly advisors anxiously watch and wait. The son begins respectfully. With utmost tact, he insists that he values his fathers success above all. He urges his father to be open to good advice: Anyone who thinks that he alone has the capacity for thought or eloquence or reason, well, these men, once unfolded, are seen to be empty. Theres nothing shameful in learning new things, Haemon explains. Trees that can bend survive storms, he points out. Whoever guides a ship but fails to loosen the sheet when necessary overturns his ship. Haemon implores his father to yield, and to stop being angry. He admits that he himself is young, but even an old person cant be right all the time and can learn from someone who speaks well. The chorus of elderly advisors agrees. They think that both men can learn from one another. But Creon reacts with astonishing and terrifying fury. So at our age we will be taught to understand nature by a man of his age? he asks. Does Haemon advise him to honor people who produce disorder? Hasnt Antigone been seized with just such a sickness? Haemon manages to keep his voice calm. He points out that all the citizens are on his side. Creon retorts that he is in charge, not the people. He confidently asserts that he rules exclusively in his own interest, since the city belongs to its ruler and to no one else. Haemon now begins to lose control, too. Criticizing his father for sounding childish, he exclaims, A city that belongs to one man is not a city! King Creon finds Haemons statement incomprehensible. Isnt the city thought to belong to the one who rules it? he demands. Alone, you would rule nobly over a deserted land, Haemon sneers. But he continues to insist that he only wants to prevent his father from committing an injustice. Disparaging his son as a womans slave, Creon remains enraged that his son dares to criticize his fathers knowledge of justice and his confidence in his own authority. Haemon argues that Creon is dishonoring the gods and is thereby endangering himself along with his son and his sons fiancee. Creon proceeds to denounce his son as a polluted character. Deaf to Haemons arguments, he screams, You will never marry this woman while she is living! She will die, then, Haemon acknowledges. And by dying, she will kill someone else. How dare you threaten me! Creon cries. Im not threatening you, just telling you my intention. Haemon intends to kill himself. He condemns his fathers inability to listen, and he suggests that he is not thinking well. The king responds with monstrous ferocity. You know what? he says. You can watch her die. He orders Antigone to be brought forward so that Haemon can be present at her death. his own authority. Haemon argues that Creon is dishonoring the gods and is thereby endangering himself along with his son and his sons fiancee. Creon proceeds to denounce his son as a polluted character. Deaf to Haemons arguments, he screams, You will never marry this woman while she is living! She will die, then, Haemon acknowledges. And by dying, she will kill someone else. How dare you threaten me! Creon cries. Im not threatening you, just telling you my intention. Haemon intends to kill himself. He condemns his fathers inability to listen, and he suggests that he is not thinking well. The king responds with monstrous ferocity. You know what? he says. You can watch her die. He orders Antigone to be brought forward so that Haemon can be present at her death. Dont expect me to watch her die, Haemon announces. And you will never see me again. Go ahead and rave on among whoever of your friends are willing. He stresses the word philoi (friends) ironically. Philoi also means blood relatives, but Creon has reduced it to mean only political supporters. This misguided assessment has perverted the kings relationship with his own son. You, the audience, and the kings elderly advisors all watch in horror as Haemon rushes away. They know that Creons treatment of a traitor and a rebel aligns with standard practice. You know that this story is not going to end well. Tyranny begins and ends in violence, intimidation, and oppression. The brutality and greed of individuals wielding unfettered power, and their replacement by equally brutal and rapacious successors, whether by violence or by other means, inevitably fractures and crushes the community. In English, tyranny is more or less synonymous with despotism, and in this book I use the two terms interchangeably to refer to abusive, unrestrained, and unaccountable power. Abuses of powerwhether by one person, a few, or manydestroy individuals and corrode communities. Today, worldwide, we are witnessing power grabs by corrupt strongmen and demagogues, including many who may even have been popularly elected. To gain and maintain power, such individuals foster and exploit tribal and partisan animosities. Their ability to flout the law has prompted some of us to lose faith in democratic political ideals and institutions. Some of us have given up on government altogether, preferring to rely on our own resources, wits, and guns for survival. Still others, convinced that the answer lies in expanding the power of majoritarian decision-making, seek to remove any and all checks on the power of the people, sometimes called the popular will. All of these routes, history shows, lead more or less directly to dictatorship or various forms of authoritarianism. Autocrats thrive on and promote the rejection of the rule of law, the rise of populism, and the introduction or reintroduction of violence into the political process. In the twenty-first century we are driftingor, perhaps more accurately, hasteningtoward despotism. But arguably, this is not inevitable. History also provides an extraordinary example of the reverse trajectory: during the eighth through the fifth centuries BCE, ancient Greece witnessed an unprecedented movement away from tribalism and autocracy and toward civil society and broader forms of political participation. Some Greek poleis (citizen-communities) instituted oligarchic or, in some instances, democratic governments. Most famously, by the midfifth century BCE, Athens had developed radically democratic political institutions that made political decisions the responsibility of every individual citizen. Unaccountable and irresponsible power over other human beings proved not only grasping and cruel but also impermanent. No human being lives forever, and the tyrannos (tyrant), or perhaps his son, was always vulnerable to violent overthrow. As a result, tyranny began to seem unwise even for the tyrant. This impermanence and vulnerability of tyrannical rule caused the ancient Greeks to experience various types of political organization. It is no coincidence that they coined the terms autocracy, meaning power held by one person, aristocracy, meaning power held by the best people, and democracy, meaning power held by the people as a whole. These compound words identify who has power, but not how they use it. The Greeks political experiments revealed that thuggishness, intimidation, and oppression can take many forms. They discovered, as we have, that not only autocrats but also powerful groups small and large can behave tyrannically and commit atrocities. Click here to have a copy of this okay Worldwide, more than 2 billion people dont have enough to eat, while 2 billion are overweight or obese, and nearly a third of the food that gets produced is wasted and ends up discarded According to Michael Fakhri, the UNs special rapporteur on food rights, the UN global food summit, is being led by scientists and research institutes who are pro-corporate sector. People say, lets give them the benefit of the doubt, lets see if it is the peoples summit it is claiming to be. But they have failed in what they had set out to do. It is not the peoples summit. It is elitist. His is not the only criticism, Hundreds of organisations and NGOs representing small-scale and subsistence food producers, consumers and environmentalists are protesting about the summit for being undemocratic, non-transparent and focused only on strengthening only one food system: that backed by the big corporations. An online alternative forum in July, running in parallel with the pre-summit meeting in Rome, attracted about 9,000 participants. This week, even more, are expected. The counter summits slogan is Farmers, not corporations, feed the world, puts clearly the contending visions: its about the conflict between agribusiness on the one hand and small-scale producers, the civil society supporting them and agroecological science on the other. The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems added its dissenting voice to how the Summit operates. From the start, the Summit threatened to replace democratic debate with increasingly unaccountable modes of decision-making the Summits rules of engagement were determined by a small set of actors. The private sector, organizations serving the private sector (notably the World Economic Forum), and a handful of scientific experts kick-started the process and framed the agendaIt concluded that the Summit is being used to promote a new science panel an IPCC for Food falls short in several respects: it is non-transparent; imbalanced in its composition and biased in its perspectives and sources of knowledge; unreflexive about the relationships between food systems and society; and is pursuing a business-oriented 'technology and innovation' agenda." Why is the summit facing such widespread opposition? The main reason is that organisers have given agribusiness a lead role in the process and largely ignored the social movements and small farmers organisations around the world that produce a third of all food. As a result, the summit will unavoidably push for an industrialised and corporate-driven food system, undermining the future of the millions of small-scale farmers, fishers, herders, food vendors and processors across the world. Worldwide, 70% of food is produced by small farmers, who use only one-quarter of total farmland. Johanna Jacobi, an environmental scientist and professor of agroecological transitions at the Swiss federal institute of technology ETH Zurich, explains Small producers are facing cut-throat competition for land, water and market access from corporations and large landowners, who control 70% of global agricultural land but only produce up to 40% of the food, as Jacobi outlines. And it is precisely these big players representatives that are leading the world food summit, Stephen Rist, a professor of human geography and critical sustainability research at the University of Bern, cites ecological and social reasons for boycotting the summit. As he explains, the organisers are pursuing strategies and approaches that will not solve the main problems underlying todays food systems but will actually exacerbate them. For the past six years, Rist has headed an international research project on nutritional sustainability. This has found that smallholder and family-run farms, in contrast to monocultures from large-scale plantations, grow food in a manner that is very close to the principles of agroecology. Their main problem is not that they dont know how to produce food ecologically and sustainably, but that the extra work involved is not fairly remunerated by the markets, says Rist. The agro-industrial focus also overlooks the fact that the globally organised large companies and corporations are primarily responsible for the bulk of food waste, Rist adds. It is important, he believes, to put forward a clear alternative, namely agroecology as a practice, a social movement and science. A report by the UNs International Fund for Agricultural Development showed profits for large food companies escalating, while people producing, processing and distributing food were trapped in poverty and hunger. It calls for a revolution to place small rural farmers, who produce a third of the planets food, at the centre of the worlds food systems. The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), representing some 200 million small-scale food producers in its continent-wide network, directly challenged Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and its claim to represent Africa. AFSA sent a letter to AGRA donors signed by 160 international organisations demanding an end to funding for failing Green Revolution projects, speaking out about what it seeks from agriculture and life: food that is both healthful and nourishing and produced in a way that is not harmful to the environment and is culturally suitable. AGRA promised to double yields and incomes for 30 million families while cutting food insecurity by half in 13 African countries by 2020. Over the last decade, AGRA acquired funding of nearly $1 billion and spent half a billion dollars advancing the use of genetically modified and hybrid seeds, commercial fossil fuel-based fertilizers, and chemical pesticides. In AGRAs 13 focus countries, hunger has increased 30%, as farmers were pushed to abandon nutritious, traditional farming practices to focus on monoculture fields of cash crops. AFSA opposes philanthrocapitalists like Bill Gates, Western governments, foreign aid organisations, multinational corporations and certain African governments who are pushing policies of industrial agriculture, spending billions to sway governments to opt for agrochemicals, genetically modified organisms and high technology. The goal is to take Africa down the path of industrial monoculture rather than promote agroecology. La Via Campesina is one of the worlds largest social movements. Made up of 200 million small farmers, peasants, farmworkers, and indigenous peoples, has long advocated the idea of food sovereignty, the right of peoples to control and defend their own food systems using healthy, agro-ecological methods. The UN Food Systems Summit is based on the assumption that global food systems will become more sustainable only if agro-industrial food production continues to expand. The negative consequences of agribusiness, such as deforestation, soil and water pollution, risks to human health and animal diversity, land grabbing and food speculation, are being swept under the carpet and brushed aside. The agro-industrial food system uses a lot of fossil energy, pesticides, commercial seeds and artificial fertilizers to produce food. It is not a sensible strategy to seek to turn the basic problem underlying todays farming methods into a solution. 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Even two decades later, bodies are still being identified. The United States gave itself unlimited scope to wage war wherever it wanted with its so-called War on Terror, which was declared after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. (Illustration courtesy of Max Pixel CC0 1.0) Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is said to have based the idea to attack the World Trade Center in New York on the Israeli military bombardment of high-rise buildings in Lebanon during the 1982 war. The US attacks, which came to be known as 9/11, were preceded by truck bombings in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998 in which more than 200 people were killed. Before deciding to target the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Al-Qaeda had contemplated targeting nuclear power plants. In a video released in 2004, Bin Laden claimed that the attacks were reprisals for US foreign policy in the Middle East, such as the sanctions that led to the premature deaths of vast numbers of civilians in Iraq and US support for Israels occupation of Palestine. But the 9/11 attacks were themselves a grotesque act of collective punishment as officer workers and maintenance staff were killed for the often clandestine actions of the US security state. A small group of highly motivated extremists delivered a shocking blow to a country with the most powerful military apparatus on Earth. This kind of conflict between unevenly matched opponents is often described as asymmetric warfare. Throughout the 20th century, both political organisations and criminal cartels used asymmetric tactics in battle against more powerful states. In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar unleashed a terror campaign on Colombia through the Medellin Cartel, a criminal drug organisation that planted bombs on passenger airplanes and used a truck bomb to level a government building in the capital, Bogota. Al-Qaeda took this tactical approach to a nightmarish extreme, using passenger airliners full of civilians as hugely destructive fuel bombs. Its operations inspired abject terror as millions throughout the world watched live on television as United Airlines Flight 175 smashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, instantly incinerating hundreds of people trapped inside. Political and corporate elites were quick to capitalise on the visceral anxiety inspired by the spectacular acts of carnage. Cynical opportunism On 16 September, as the flames still smouldered in the wreckage, then-president George W Bush announced a new global War on Terror, a conflict that was defined as being geographically unlimited in scope. Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney and secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld framed this as a struggle between good and evil, a war for freedom and security. In practice, however, they were motivated by cynical opportunism. The aftermath of 9/11 was seen as a chance to assert American hegemony in the Middle East in order to control the worlds oil supply and open new markets for US corporations. Twenty years later, the resulting wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond have left almost one million dead and squandered trillions of dollars on endless conflicts. Far from increasing freedom and safety, it has reduced civil liberties, fuelled authoritarian governance and militarised everyday life. The sense of fear that the attacks provoked was used to push draconian anti-terror legislation. The US engaged in illegal detentions, torture and the disappearance of suspects into Central Intelligence Agency black sites. In turn, this encouraged state abuses in allied countries. In Thailand, the location of the first black site, the security forces adopted tactics such as waterboarding (a form of simulated drowning) to quell domestic dissent. In South Africa, the government used 9/11 as a pretext to introduce a wave of anti-terror laws, such as the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act, which handed a raft of increased powers to the intelligence services. (Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that certain provisions of the act were unlawful.) Port cities such as Durban were also forced to accept draconian security measures in order to continue trading with the US. These onerous new laws restricted public access to the formerly open city harbour. The war bonanza The War on Terror was a lucrative opportunity for corporate interests to sell security to a scared public. The war zones of the Middle East became a bonanza for private military companies, which hired former security personal from repressive regimes such as apartheid South Africa and Augusto Pinochets dictorship in Chile. Infamous companies like US private military contractor Blackwater were regularly implicated in human rights abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, among others. It also fuelled a rise in new forms of killing, seen in the increased use of automated drones, as a recent attack that killed seven children attests. These hunting machines have become increasingly deadly according to reports from Libya this year, there are now drones that can act autonomously, without human control. The attacks also led to increased paranoia around security in cities and suburbs across the world. From intensified airport security regimes to the fortification of buildings, the world after 9/11 saw a drastic militarisation of everyday life. This fused with an existing war on crime, aimed at defending sites and spaces against an outside deemed unruly and dangerous. In particular, it intensified the militarisation of domestic policing, with tools and techniques originally developed for conflict zones being deployed against impoverished people and political protesters. The creeping securitisation extended to the online space. As revealed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency in the US collaborated with Silicon Valley tech companies such as Google to gather information clandestinely and on a mass scale. This has normalised a dystopian situation in which private interests own and share the personal information of millions of people. Conspiracies and paranoia In the paranoid world post 9/11, governments implemented new border security regimes while darkly warning of enemies within and terrorist sleeper cells. This resulted in growing Islamophobia and heightened xenophobic behaviour targeting migrants in general. The image of Muslims as a demonic menace became a central mythology of a new, populist far right in the US and Europe. Demagogues such as Donald Trump capitalised on this, whipping their supporters into hysteria about the forced implementation of Islamic Sharia law and other conspiracy theories. Migrants from conflict zones have become increasingly demonised as security threats. The Brexit movement in the United Kingdom used fearmongering about the uncontrolled influx of Syrian refugees to swing votes in 2016, and Afghan migrants now fleeing from the Taliban are meeting a hostile reception from many governments across the world owing to sentiments like these. The War on Terror has been of great benefit to the powerful and unscrupulous. The government spent trillions of dollars creating profit for arms dealers and other death-based industries. But for the global majority, it has made daily life both more unstable and less democratic. Instead of responding to the real existential challenges of our time, such as catastrophic climate collapse and the spread of pandemics, governments have squandered resources on bombs, drones and border walls. From increasingly fragmented urban spaces to hellish refugee detention centres, the dictates of security have had a chilling impact on civil liberties and public life. The endless war that began in 2001 has only fuelled racism, abuse of power and a growing political climate of authoritarianism and fear. Courtesy: new Frame. Click here to read the original essay. Libby Eggert eggertli@grinnell.edu As someone who planned to major in computer science, Tommy G. Lee `22 never expected to design a mural on the wall of McNallys Grocery Store. The community-oriented mural came to fruition over the summer of 2021. It was designed by Lee and painted over the course of two weeks in July, with the hard work of community members and student volunteers. Most of the students on campus at the time were international students, who were unable to return home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The mural was an effort and opportunity to give [students] something to come together and work on a project together so that they were able to spend more time with other students, said Emily Perry, the assistant director of international student programs within the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) at Grinnell College. The mural also gave students a chance to connect with community members who signed up with OISA to paint different pieces of the mural. Perry said she enjoyed being able to bring people from all over Grinnell to meet one another and complete a big project together, especially after a year and a half in a pandemic. When Karen Edwards, dean of international student affairs & exchange visitors first approached Perry with the idea of a mural in May, they reached out to the Grinnell Area Arts Council (GAAC), the Grinnell College Office of Community Enhancement & Engagement, Facilities Management and Kevin Colby, who owns the wall of McNallys. Lee was a summer intern with the Grinnell Area Arts Council, as well as an international student from Korea and was immediately asked to design the project. In the spring of 2020, Lee moved into off-campus housing when students were told to leave campus as he could not go home to Korea. He connected with the Grinnell Area Arts Council while using the Stew Makerspace, located at 927 Broad St., while the Colleges studio art facilities were closed. There, Lee met GAAC Operations Manager Monica St. Angelo and was hired as a summer intern. Lee took Introduction to Art as a first year and Sculpture classes as a second year, which directly affected his decision to major in studio art. Now he is majoring in art and plans to pursue an arts residency or graduate school. I just noticed something different, where I really thought it was my passion, so I just continued doing it, Lee said. Lee came up with the murals design on his own, with feedback from OISA. The goal, he said, was to make the mural an image to welcome both people visiting and those living in Grinnell. He also tried to integrate recognizable elements of Grinnell, such as the windmill, squirrels and local restaurants. The mural project was funded by the Grinnell College Office of Community Enhancement & Engagement through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. After getting design approval from all the parties involved, the mural was underway. Lee sketched the outline of the mural on the wall, creating a paint-by-numbers-like system so volunteers could easily paint. Painting the entire mural took two weeks to complete. According to Perry, about 50 volunteers participated, including 26 students. The whole process was new for Lee, whose art is usually an independent process. [The challenge] was sharing my vision with other people, Lee said. He was also aware of how public this project was anyone coming into Grinnell will see his work. It is really easy to be afraid about what you put out into the world, because it is so personal, but I really encourage anyone to make anything they want to put out, Lee said. Lee traditionally doesnt work on murals, but focuses on sculptures in his own style, which he calls Building. When I make art, its like the happiest moment in my life. By Lucia Cheng chengluc@grinnell.edu This shit is not funny, said Raven McClendon `22. Its not funny. Cynthia and Jed Smock who have become famous through their viral TikTok personas, Sister Cindy and Brother Jed came to Grinnells campus at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 21 to an incredulous crowd of students, preaching homophobic and slut-shaming rhetoric that has drawn jeering from colleges across Iowa. The couple visited Ball State on Saturday, Sep. 18, made their way to the University of Iowa on Monday, Sep. 20, before arriving in Grinnell the next day. The duo has been traveling to colleges from coast to coast for over 40 years, denouncing what they see as sin overtaking colleges through sex out of wedlock. Tate Hutchinson `24 and Alex Porter `24 stated that they both knew of Cynthia Smock through TikTok and Instagram, and they were surprised to see her show up in Grinnell. News of her arrival quickly spread through Yik Yak and other social media, in addition to the Colleges emergency notification systems warning to avoid 8th Ave. As the crowd gathered despite the Colleges notice, President Anne Harris, Dean of Students Ben Newhouse, Dean of the College Elaine Marzluff, Dean of Inclusive Initiatives Maure Smith-Benanti, Chief Diversity Officer Schvalla Rivera and members of Campus Safety monitored the situation from the sidelines. It is not worth anybodys time, said President Anne Harris. It is not worth anybodys wellbeing or mental health to engage with this. Walk away. Let them scream into the wind. Despite these statements to ignore the demonstrators and eventual calls to disperse by McClendon, some students began counter protests of their own. At one point, Kevin Parr `22 blasted Sister Cindys words away with his bagpipes. Later, some students were also marching with their pride flags to Montero by Lil Nas X, and Deepthroat by CupcakKe. Its a spectacle, said Zama Buthelezi `22. We had to watch. In the absence of legitimate argument, what you have left is trying to get attention through other means, said Tim Arner, associate dean of curriculum and academic programs. A spectacle is what you do when you think youre right when you dont have an argument to prove it. As the demonstration went on, more and more voices overlapped. This man is full of shit. There is nothing funny about it, said McClendon. There is nothing to look at. Stop giving this person attention. It doesnt make sense, because we are such a sex-positive school, and a queer school, said Buthelezi. But its also really funny that they came to the perfect place to do something like this. They knew. Im curious what the end goal was. What are they expecting here? said Robby Burchit `23. Now that the campus is moving past its initial reactions, it is this question that remains. Theres a difference between funny and absurd, said Arner. Even if youre laughing at somebody, theres a connection. If theyre recognized as absurd, its a rejection you dont want to laugh at them in a way that they think theyve earned your laugh. Sister Cindys origin story has already been covered by multiple news outlets. But, as Arner notes, negative attention is still attention. Every view, like and comment on the Smocks videos helps monetize their rhetoric and continues to allow them to travel to different college campuses. Smith-Benanti, during her time at the University of Oregon, had also been heckled by the Smocks before. [Jeb Smock] has been on the circuit since 2007. He has been to every campus I have been at now, said Smith-Benanti. Too many students were smiling and laughing for my liking, said McClendon. She said she watched as a staff member from the Division of Student Affairs began crying after seeing the display of hateful religious sentiment. According to Marzluff, the senior leadership team will be meeting this week to discuss how to broach the larger topic of free speech between students and faculty. To me, the counter to hate is joy. The counter to absurdity is purpose, said Arner. Newhouse sent an all-campus email on Wednesday morning to notify students that a dance party would be happening on Mac Field at noon with pizza, popsicles and a local DJ. We encourage you to bring those items that celebrate your identities and wear them, display them, and wield them with pride, wrote Newhouse. Newhouse also noted the power of circle processes a conflict resolution technique utilized by the Ombuds office which he said offers a chance for people to come together and talk about their experiences. What Arner hopes for the most is for students to be able to look around, find their allies and have these moments of struggle become moments of affirmation, creating a community foundation to empower each other collectively. And so, the demonstrators screamed. And the campus danced. India must play role in maintaining democratic environment in neighbouring countries: Abdul Mintoo 08 Oct 2021 | 1:10 AM Dhaka, Oct 7 (UNI) Abdul Awal Mintoo, vice chairman of Bangladesh's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday said India must play a role in maintaining democratic environment in neighbouring countries. see more.. Afghan SIV applicant sues US after ignored pleas to protect his children in Afghanistan 08 Oct 2021 | 12:57 AM Washington, Oct 7 (UNI/Sputnik) An Afghan father living in the United States is suing the Department of State after two years of ignored pleas to bring his two sons left behind in Afghanistan through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, according to a lawsuit filed by the International Refugee Assistance Project on Thursday. see more.. US to continue deepening ties with Taiwan - State Dept 08 Oct 2021 | 12:55 AM Washington, Oct 7 (UNI/Sputnik) The United States will continue to strengthen its relations with Taiwan amid rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday. see more.. Flight carrying Americans, Afghans from Mazar-i-Sharif airport lands in Qatar - US Senator 08 Oct 2021 | 12:41 AM Washington, Oct 7 (UNI/Sputnik) A flight carrying Americans and Afghans who have been waiting at the Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Afghanistan for evacuation have finally left on a charter flight and landed in Qatar, US Senator Richard Blumenthal said on Thursday. see more.. BENGALURU, India, Sept 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With an overarching theme of 'Ideate and Innovate' and new prospects of Intellectual Property (IP) in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, Informa Pharma Intelligence, the Knowledge Partner of Pharma IPR 2021, has today concluded the 10th Annual Pharma IPR India Conference in congregation with Informa Pharma Intelligence on 22-24 September 2021, first virtual edition of the conference. The event witnessed innovative exchange of thoughts with an aim to create an efficient IP framework globally to bolster the potential of growth, investments, and collaboration amid crises. Announcing the 10th Pharma IPR Conference, Mr Poornachandra Tejasvi, Senior Director, Emerging Markets, India, at Informa Pharma Intelligence said, "The Indian Pharma Industry has generated remarkable growth in the past decades fueled by increasing burden of diseases and our aspirations to be the key generics, biosimilar and vaccine manufacturer for the world markets. With the increasing need for developing new and novel drug therapies, biosimilars and value-added generics, and intellectual property, play a crucial role in protecting these innovations and novel formulations. The Pharma IPR India Conference is an innovative platform to motivate researchers and IP professionals to explore new areas of Pharmaceutical and Biotech innovation, with modern intellectual property strategies, policies, and strong protection are extremely essential, especially amidst the crisis we are in." Speaking on the inauguration of the '10h Annual Pharma IPR Conference, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, "The pharmaceutical sector is complex and highly regulated in most economies. Recent challenges over patents for varied newer drugs has emphasized that advancement is still required in balancing the opposing forces of innovation through protection of IP rights, versus the provision of affordable drugs for the emerging geographical regions across the globe. IP is the backbone to ensure development of new drugs and is extremely vital to improvise patient care, spurring economic growth and intensifying the innovation economy. To motivate researchers to explore new areas of medical innovation, modern IP systems and strong protections are crucial. With this broad vision in mind, we are proud to present the Annual Pharma IPR Conference this year. Our eminent platform will surely enable powerful discussions, deliberations and sharing of knowledge in the post vaccination stage to achieve the next phase of discoveries, advancement and best practices in the Pharma IPR space." This conference created a common platform for all key stakeholders, IP/Patent leaders from across India and Law Firms from across Globe. Based on Informa Pharma Intelligence's 'Indian Biosimilars Report', India leads the ways with 127 products, which is the highest number of approved biosimilars compared to other major regions. This is expected to grow further and is likely to shape the next decade for the Indian biosimilars market through intensive portfolio management decisions, pricing, manufacturing prospects, clinical trials and Government support. Furthermore, global policies across the pharma fraternity are changing and impacting businesses across nations where recent acts and policy changes like the Generic Drug User Fee Act (GDUFA) is expected to positively impact the generics manufacturers in India, providing an increased return on investment and encouraging compliance with US regulation. As per an integrated industry report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), the improving demand trajectory will boost the Indian pharma sector, wherein over the last 9 months these companies have already garnered 45% of all new Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals. Based on Informa Pharma Intelligence, Global Oncology Opportunities & Trends 2025 report, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world contributed to 6,961 candidates toward cancer management, showcasing a strong pipeline towards the fight against cancer. Similarly, the number of drugs in the management of Alzheimer's disease stood at 436 candidates. With many more candidates in the pipeline for various therapy areas, and some key products near patent expiry, IP will become a major talking point in the years to come across the world. Amongst the notable members of the advisory board and speakers, Honorable Smt. Prathiba M Singh, Justice, Delhi High Court, Jacqueline Wright Bonilla, Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The key spokespeople from Pharma companies like Biocon, Zydus Cadilla, Wockhardt, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy's, Sun Pharma, Mankind Pharma, Neuland Labs & Abbott Healthcare etc. shared insights on the emerging markets and key learnings for IP fraternity, notable global developments, amendments, and proposals to amendments at legislative, policy and regulatory side along with latest updates on COVID 19 patent waiver emerging global consensus. About Pharma IPR Conclave: The Pharma IPR Conclave is one of the leading IPR events in the country for the pharma industry. Pharma IPR witnesses over 250 Pharma IP/ Patent leaders from across India and Law Firms from across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. We are delighted to welcome all the stalwarts in the Pharma IPR fraternity for the very first virtual edition of this conference. Now in its 10th Edition, Pharma IPR only promises to be more eventful and engaging by deliberating pathways to build a robust regulatory and policy ecosystem, and a more efficient IP framework globally to bolster the potential of growth, investments, and collaboration in the midst of crises. The Conference will also focus on some key scenarios in different geographies, USA, EU, Russia, India, China and others, that will be prevalent in coming years. About Informa Pharma Intelligence: Trusted by over 3,000 of the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device companies, and CROs, the Pharma Intelligence suite of intelligence solutions, which include Datamonitor Healthcare, Sitetrove, Trialtrove, Pharmaprojects, Biomedtracker, Scrip, Pink Sheet and In Vivo, deliver vital, accurate, and timely intelligence and analysis about the drug development pipeline to pharmaceutical and biomedical decision makers around the world. A global team of subject area experts track and analyze key diseases, clinical trials, drug approvals and R&D activities, to deliver data needed to make decisions and create real-world opportunities for growth. For more information, please visit pharmaintelligence.informa.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634342/Pharma_Intelligence_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer--Features may vary depending on the regions; subject to change without notice.) Dhaka, Sep 24 (UNI) Although the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has determined the maritime boundaries of India and Bangladesh, the two countries' contradictory positions and objections to the basin over the continental shelf claim have sparked a new dispute. A reciprocal letter to the United Nations this year over the continental shelf's demands has effectively clarified a divisive position between the two countries. With the settlement of maritime disputes with Myanmar and India, territorial up to 12 nautical miles from the coast of Bangladesh and special economic zones up to 200 nautical miles have been defined. However, after 200 nautical miles, India's objection to the continental shelf's claim to Bangladesh has given rise to a new controversy. Pentagon on Milley proposal: US-Russia military contacts limited to Syria deconfliction Washington, Sep 24 (UNI/Sputnik) Coordination between US and Russian troops is limited to deconfliction in Syria as a matter of policy and law due to the situation in Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday in response to a question about US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley's comments. Earlier in the day, Milley said that Washington should explore the possibility of expanding new military contacts with Russia, including potentially allowing observers at combat drills. Our communications with Russian military counterparts are limited to just over a dozen engagements that reduce the risk of miscalculation or deconflict military operations, and such senior leader discussions as on Syria, for instance, where the US-led coalition maintains air-and-ground deconfliction channels with the Russian military, Kirby said during a press briefing. Thinking of India, US on big challenges of terrorism, pandemics, is along parallel paths: Jaishankar 08 Oct 2021 | 1:52 AM New Delhi, Oct 7 (UNI) The conversations between India and the US have gone well beyond general arguments and are now expressed as specific initiatives or programmes and on many of the big challenges of the day, including terrorism, pandemics and climate change, the thinking of the two is along parallel paths, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. see more.. We attach importance to Trincomalee oil tank farm project: India 08 Oct 2021 | 1:10 AM New Delhi, Oct 7 (UNI) India said on Thursday that it attaches importance to the issue of the Trincomalee oil tank farm in Sri Lanka, as it does to other economic projects which it believes are beneficial to both countries, and the oil tank farm is certainly one of them and good discussions took place on the issue during the visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. see more.. CBI court sentences 2 men for disproportionate assets case 08 Oct 2021 | 1:10 AM New Delhi, Oct 7 (UNI) The Special Judge for CBI cases, Chennai on Thursday sentenced an Indian Revenue Service officer, then Protector of Emigrants, Chennai and a travel agent, both to undergo four years rigorous imprisonment in a case of disproportionate assets. A total fine of Rs 6.10 lakh was also imposed on them, the agency statement said. see more.. Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra inaugurates 7th Nat'l Conference of Heads of Prisons of all states/UTs 08 Oct 2021 | 12:44 AM New Delhi, Oct 7 (UNI) The two-day 7th National Conference of Heads of Prisons of States and Union Territories was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra on Thursday. see more.. Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) The equity benchmarks surged to a new high on Friday with the BSE Sensex crossing 60,000 milestone for the first time ever and trading at 60,193.18, up 307.82 points or 0.51 per cent. Similarly, NSE benchmark index Nifty too was moving towards the 18,000 mark and trading at 17,909.55, up 86.60 or 0.49 per cent. Commenting on the development, Sandeep Bharadwaj, CEO, Retail, IIFL Securities, said, 'Expectations of solid economic recovery and sustained growth in the next couple of years is keeping the bulls enthused. Also from a global funds perspective, India remains an attractive destination, especially in the China+1 scenario. Having said that retail investors must have a diversified portfolio at this stage to face any kind of volatility. Among the pack of 30 stocks at BSE, Tata Steel, Hindustan Unilever, SBI, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra and Mahindra were among the top draggers while HCL Technology, Infosys, Aisan Paint, Tech Mahindra were among the top gainers. AT NSE Nifty, JSW Steel, Hindalco, Bajaj Finance, SBI Life Insurance, Tata Steel were among the top losers while Asian Paints, HCL Technology, Wipro, Grasim, Infosys were among the top gainers. On Thursday, the market had closed in green territory, with Sensex gaining 958 points while Nifty jumping 276.30 points. Both the benchmark indices had touched a fresh record high level intraday. At the close of the session, the 30 share BSE Index gained 958.03 points or 1.63 per cent at 59,885.36 per cent while NSE Nifty jumped 276.30 points or 1.57 per cent at 17,822.95. UNI AKM ACL1021 UW Researchers Study How Saharan Dust Changes and Supplies Phosphorus to Various Ecosystems This illustration shows changes of phosphorus chemical composition due to acidification and particle sorting during trans-Atlantic dust transport from Africa to Cape Verde and Puerto Rico. Mengqiang Zhu, an associate professor in the University of Wyoming Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, and Than Dam, his Ph.D. student, studied how the chemical form of phosphorus in aeolian dust helps determine how effectively dust fertilizes the ecosystem with phosphorus. Their research was published in the Sept. 10 issue of the journal Environmental Science and Technology. (Mengqiang Zhu and Than Dam Illustration) Saharan dust is an important phosphorus supply to remote and nutrient-depleted parts of the worlds oceans and American lowland tropical rainforests. However, the bioavailability of this phosphorus largely depends on its chemical form. Mengqiang Zhu, an associate professor in the University of Wyoming Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, and his Ph.D. student studied how the chemical form of phosphorus in aeolian dust -- or windblown silt and clay that get deposited into an ecosystem -- helps determine how effectively dust fertilizes the ecosystem with phosphorus. Our goal is to determine the chemical form of phosphorus in the dust source, the Saharan soils, and how the dust-borne phosphorus changes its chemical forms during the long-distance trans-Atlantic dust transport, and by what physical and chemical processes, Zhu says. We found that phosphorus composition underwent substantial changes that likely increase the availability of dust-borne phosphorus in marine ecosystems but decrease its availability to Americas rainforests. Zhu is the corresponding author of a paper titled X-Ray Spectroscopic Quantification of Phosphorus Transformation in Saharan Dust During Trans-Atlantic Dust Transport that was published Sept. 10 in Environmental Science & Technology. The biweekly journal is peer-reviewed and covers research in environmental policy, environmental science and environmental technology. The lead author of the paper is Than Dam, a Ph.D. student from Hai Phong, Vietnam, who is studying soil science in the UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. The research is part of her dissertation. Other contributors to the paper were from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Jerusalem, Israel; the University of Haifa in Haifa, Israel; the University of Leeds in Leeds, United Kingdom; the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill.; the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and the University of Aveiro in Aveiro, Portugal. Mengqiang Zhu Phosphorus is a crucial nutrient required by all life forms. Mineral dust is known to be an important source of phosphorus to many nutrient-depleted regions of the world, including open oceans and tropical rainforests. Annually, 182 million tons of Saharan mineral dust are carried out of Africa. Approximately 28 million tons of that amount are deposited onto the Amazon basin in winter and spring, fertilizing the phosphorus-poor tropical soils. The remaining amount of dust is deposited along its transport pathway, providing an important source of nutrients to the oligotrophic open ocean gyres -- large systems of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces created by the Earths rotation -- and the Caribbean Sea. Cape Verde and Puerto Rico were the two study sites chosen because of their locations along the transport route from Africa to Americas rainforests, which also is in the dust transport pathway. Cape Verde, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, is located about 570 kilometers from the west coast of Africa. Puerto Rico represents an American rainforest site and is located about 4,000 kilometers away from the west coast of Africa. Our results show that both atmospheric acidification and particle sorting cause the changes of phosphorus chemical composition in Saharan dust, Zhu says. This chemical composition changes from phosphate that is dominated by apatite to phosphate that is dominantly bound to iron and aluminum oxides during trans-Atlantic dust transport. Apatite is a calcium phosphate compound and the primary phosphorus-bearing mineral in the dust source. It also is the mineral that makes up our bones. Acidification is the reaction between dust particles and acidic air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, Zhu says. Than Dam The acidification dissolves apatite and produces reactive iron and aluminum oxides that absorb the phosphate released from the apatite dissolution, Zhu says. Particle sorting refers to the earlier settlement of dust particles of larger size. So, as the dust plume moves, dust particles that remained in the plume become increasingly smaller. As the smaller dust particles are poor in apatite but rich in iron and aluminum-bound phosphorus, particle sorting also results in increased proportions of aluminum and iron-bound phosphorus. Saharan dust inputs have been an important phosphorus nutrient supply to sustain Americas rainforests, which are a major carbon sink and sequester a vast amount of carbon, Zhu explains. The tropical rainforest soils are acidic and low in phosphorus, strongly limiting the forests primary productivity. When the dust arrives in Puerto Rico, it becomes rich in phosphorus that is bound to iron and aluminum, a form of phosphorus having a low availability to plants in acidic soils, he continues. Thus, only a portion of dust-borne phosphorus deposited into rainforests is effective in fertilizing the rainforest. This finding allows ecologists to estimate the importance of dust inputs more accurately on fertilizing Americas rainforests. On the other hand, iron- and aluminum-bound phosphorus is more soluble and, thus, available in marine environments as seawater is alkaline and favors the dissolution of the phosphorus, Zhu says. After a long-distance transport, dust-borne phosphorus becomes more effective in fertilizing phosphorus-limited oceans, such as the Caribbean. This information would be useful for marine chemists who study phosphorus limitation in nutrient-depleted oceans. Our results will inform atmospheric chemists that not only atmospheric acidification -- but also particle sorting -- can change the chemical forms of phosphorus, and probably other elements as well, in aeolian dust, Zhu says. The particle sorting pathway had been overlooked in literature. UWs IMPACT 307 to Host Lunch and Learn Series Webinar Sept. 29 IMPACT 307, a University of Wyoming program, will host Trademark Basics for Startups, a new Lunch and Learn series webinar event Wednesday, Sept. 29, from noon-1 p.m. Shelby Hughes, founder and owner of Hughes Legal LLC in Laramie, will present the webinar. To register for the webinar, go to https://uwyo.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jawCRNqUQEesmI-5mTh-VQ. Developing a unique brand identity for ones business is an important part of positioning a startup for success. This presentation will cover the basics of trademarks, including types of trademarks; steps involved in filing a federal trademark application; and other important considerations that startups should be aware of before selecting a brand identity. Hughes focuses her practice on helping businesses protect their unique branding through trademark registrations. Before focusing on trademarks, Hughes practiced family law and represented children as an attorney guardian ad litem in Wyoming. This year, she decided to leave the litigation life and dedicate her efforts to helping businesses thrive by assisting with their trademark needs. The IMPACT 307 Lunch and Learn series is designed to introduce new and existing entrepreneurs to a wide range of business topics. These hourlong educational sessions are held once a month and presented via Zoom. IMPACT 307, with locations in Casper, Laramie and Sheridan, is a statewide network of innovation-driven business incubators committed to growing and strengthening Wyomings entrepreneurial community by providing resources and support for founders to thrive. For more information on IMPACT 307s services, call (307) 766-6395 or go to www.IMPACT307.org. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. From 26 August to 10 September 2021, the East African Community (EAC) delivered a series of missions for its Partner States Customs administrations to strengthen the work towards establishing advance ruling systems across the Community. These missions were organized with the support of the WCO, within the context of the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), funded by the European Union. Advance rulings were identified as one of the priority areas to be targeted in the framework of the Programme, based on the consultations with the EAC and a long-term work plan agreed upon. The missions were delivered to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. They were preceded by a virtual fact-finding study, which had been conducted for each administration ahead of the physical meetings. The missions were facilitated by a team of experts from the EAC Secretariat who carried out an assessment for the five Customs administrations to evaluate the status of implementation of Article 3 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement as well as relevant WCO standards and EAC Customs law provisions. They were attended by Customs officials from the units and departments playing a role in the process of the implementation of advance rulings. The team of facilitators also met with senior managers in each administration to ensure the required political support and ownership of the work being done at the national level. During the missions, the role of advance rulings as a key component of the trade facilitation agenda was highlighted and widely recognized by all participants. The discussions revealed that all Partner States already had different arrangements in place to issue advance rulings, which were partly in line with the existing provisions of the EAC Customs Management Act (2004), as well as the WTO and the WCO standards related to advance rulings. It was felt that a robust legal framework establishing a proper mechanism to facilitate the issuance of advance rulings at the Community level would be desirable, to ensure a consistent and uniform approach throughout the region. Experts concluded their assessment by making recommendations as to how the current arrangements at the national level could be improved and brought into full conformity with the international norms. A particularly notable progress was seen in administrations of Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. Participants reiterated their administrations strong commitment to implementing modern and well-functioning advance ruling systems. The Customs administrations hailed the efforts by the EAC Secretariat and the HS-Africa Programme in supporting the implementation of advance ruling systems in the Community. For more details, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. On 24 September 2021, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, together with Ms. Sabine Henzler, European Commission Director, Directorate-General for the Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Commission, inaugurated an online event on Women in Customs hosted by DG TAXUD. Through its two high-level panel discussions on the topics of Core Values for Effective Leaders and Transforming Organizations through Equality and Inclusion, this event provided an opportunity for Customs representatives to share their views on the importance of implementing gender equality and inclusion. This forum, which brought together approximately 200 representatives from Customs around the world, is the first to be organized in the context of the Network for Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. This Network, which is yet to be officially launched by the WCO, aims at providing a high-level platform for sharing inspirational experiences on how to drive this agenda forward in an effort to make Customs more inclusive. Promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace encourages innovation, and improves both individual and organizational performance, since people with different backgrounds bring different perspectives and ideas to the table, said the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya. It is a question of human rights, sustainable development and well-being, he added. During the discussion on Core Values for Effective Leaders, panellists stressed that gender equality and inclusion depend very much on the organizational culture, which originates from the organizations upper level of management and filters down to all staff. Empathetic leadership based on inclusive human resource management, awareness raising, promotion of best practices and mentorship programmes were highlighted as key ingredients for creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces. During the panel discussion on Transforming Organizations through Equality and Inclusion, the importance of ensuring work-life balance as well as career development within Customs was underlined. The possibilities of increased engagement and empowerment of women traders through the use of smart technologies and digital solutions were also highlighted. Gender equality and diversity are considered as prerequisites for any WCO capacity building endeavour, as it can contribute to enhancing Customs administrations overall performance. WCO Members are therefore encouraged to adopt a holistic approach and to integrate these perspectives both in their internal policies, such as human resource management, leadership and career development, and in their external policies, such as stakeholder collaboration and border operations. The WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT) provides guidelines on how Customs can implement gender mainstreaming following a project cycle management approach. In December 2020, the WCO Council unanimously adopted the Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs, confirming WCO Members increased interest in moving this agenda forward. From there arose the idea of creating the new Network for Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. Since 2013, when the WCO started promoting this agenda with the organization of the first conference on Women in Customs, Trade and Leadership, a number of initiatives and tools have been launched for the benefit of its Members. In addition to the GEOAT, the WCO has developed a Blended Training Package on Advancing Gender Equality and Inclusion in Customs and runs a Virtual Working Group on Gender Equality and Diversity to provide a platform for Members to exchange practices and experiences on these topics. Furthermore, earlier this year, the WCO published the first edition of the WCO Compendium on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs showcasing examples from 17 Member administrations around the world. The event concluded on a video message by European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni saying: Gender equality is not just a moral imperative or a matter of fairness for me. Gender equality is good for growth. Our economic analyses have time and time again revealed that adding women to the labour force boosts economic growth and leads to gains in both output and productivity. And forging greater gender parity not only benefits women, it benefits men, families and the society at large. During this Women in Customs event, the WCO took the opportunity to reaffirm its strong commitment to continue promoting and supporting the advancement of gender equality and diversity in Customs. This new Network should play a strategic role in raising awareness of the opportunities and benefits to be gained in implementing gender-responsive and inclusive policies in Customs, as well as in the follow-up to and review of the implementation of the Declaration at a senior-management level. The WCO expressed its appreciation and thanks to the EU, the panellists and the participants for sharing their views and experiences and contributing to the success of this first gathering in the context of the new Network. This event provided the ideal forum for a first dialogue on Women in Customs, which hopefully will inspire Customs administrations around the world to drive this agenda forward. Channing Tatum is set to release his second Sparkella book inspired by his daughter. The 41-year-old actor released The One and Only Sparkella in May this year, which he penned after noticing his eight-year-old daughter Everly whom he has with his ex-wife Jenna Dewan was self-conscious about wearing one of her favourite outfits to school because she thought other kids would make fun of her. And following the success of the book, which made Channing a New York Times bestselling author, the Magic Mike star is now working on a sequel titled The One and Only Sparkella Makes a Plan. The follow-up book will be released in May 2022, and will once again take inspiration from Everly and her dads continued mission to encourage her to be herself. Channing told People magazine: "The second book's inspiration was a little stop and start. I started to go deeper into her school experience. I ultimately decided that I wanted to keep the second book in the world of Sparkella and her dad's experience learning from each other, teaching each other, etc. The first book was very much about how Sparkella and her father handle/navigate things when they're nervous about how things are going to go, or how things are going to be." The star says he wanted the second book to tackle how kids and parents handle unexpected changes and managing expectations. He added: "I thought it would be really nice to experience something with the dad and Sparkella that was really about when Sparkella has plans, and the plan is now not going at all how she wanted it to go, and it is now failing. "It's about changing your perspective when things have not gone how you have wanted them to, how do you adapt, how do you change? Maybe the way you wanted things to be could be even better?" The One and Only Sparkella Makes a Plan will be on sale May 3, 2022. Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 00:58:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Nepal on Thursday resumed the on-arrival visa service to foreign tourists fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a view to reviving the tourism sector. In a travel advisory to be effective immediately, Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said that foreign tourists would be able to receive on-arrival visas after producing documents showing they are fully inoculated against the coronavirus at least 14 days prior to their arrival in Nepal. In addition, foreign tourists should produce documents about testing negative for the coronavirus in polymerase chain reaction tests 72 hours before they check in for boarding flights for Nepal, evidence of hotel booking in Nepal, and permits issued by Nepali authorities if foreigners are coming to Nepal for mountaineering and trekking, among others. Foreign visitors need to go through antigen tests after arrival in Nepal, and shall be put in isolation if they test positive. It is for the first time the South Asian country has resumed on-arrival visa facility for foreign tourists after suspending the service in March last year when being hit by the first wave of COVID-19. "The decision to resume on-arrival visas was taken to rescue the tourism sector which has been devastated by the pandemic," Laxmi Kumari Basnet, joint secretary at the ministry, told Xinhua. "On the other hand, COVID-19 cases in Nepal have also been decreasing in recent days and even schools are being reopened. So, it would not be justified to keep the tourism sector closed continuously." On Thursday, Nepal reported 941 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 13 deaths, bringing the total tally to 788,769 with 11,072 deaths. Earlier, only foreigners of Nepali origin, diplomats and those recommended by Nepali authorities were eligible for on-arrival visas for emergency purposes, according to Jhanka Nath Dhakal, spokesperson for Nepal's Department of Immigration. Under the new travel advisory, unvaccinated foreign tourists can obtain visas from Nepali missions abroad for travel to Nepal, but they have to stay in quarantine in hotels for 10 days at their own expenses. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 18:35:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Three people including a gangster were killed Friday in a shootout inside a courtroom in the Indian capital city Delhi, police said. The shootout took place at Rohini court complex in north Delhi. According to the police, two men dressed as lawyers fired upon gangster Jitender Gogi inside a courtroom, killing him on the spot. However, the attackers were immediately shot dead by security personnel on duty. The police said the attack on the Gogi was a result of a gang war. Gogi involved in several criminal cases and jailed at Tihar was being produced in court when members of the rival gang attacked him. "Two people from rival gang opened fire at Jitender Gogi inside the court. The police present there retaliated swiftly and killed those two assailants," a senior police officer said. "Total three dead, including Gogi." The firing incident triggered panic inside the court complex. On the footage aired on television news channels, gunshots can be heard and the policemen and lawyers were seen walking in panic. Reports said the Rohini court complex is a highly secured area and visitors are thoroughly checked before entering the premises. However, the firing incident marks a huge security lapse inside the complex. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 19:22:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan has delivered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the press service of the Kyrgyz president reported. A delegation from Kyrgyzstan headed by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Taalatbek Masadykov delivered cargo aid to Kabul on Thursday for the people of Afghanistan at the instruction of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. The humanitarian aid was officially handed over to acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar of the newly created government of Afghanistan. During the meeting, Masadykov and Baradar discussed the political situation in Afghanistan and exchanged views on security issues in the country and region as a whole, the report said. Baradar thanked the president of Kyrgyzstan and the people of the country for the humanitarian assistance. He emphasized the needs of Afghanistan, since the humanitarian aid promised by the international community has not yet arrived and the financial accounts of the country remained frozen. The press service noted that during the conversation, Baradar stressed the need to strengthen confidence-building measures with neighboring countries, noting the importance of establishing peace in the country and improving the lives of Afghans. In addition, during his trip to Kabul, Masadykov held a protocol meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-24 22:06:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's 24th National Art Exhibition, the first in the country since March last year when COVID-19-related restrictions were imposed, is bringing a wave of happiness among art lovers. The exhibition is underway in the country's National Art Gallery in capital Dhaka. The flagship art venture by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, or the national academy of fine and performing arts which has been organizing the National Art Exhibition since 1975, now features an array of artworks on diverse mediums and genres by hundreds of artists. For art lovers, the exhibition is an opportunity to heave a sigh of relief after authorities recently allowed the establishments to reopen. Israt Jahan is one such art lover. "We all had to stay in lockdown for so long because of the coronavirus... We are now able to lead a normal life after lockdown," said Jahan, a female student of Dhaka's leading North South University, adding that "We're very happy that these cultural programs have started." "There are a lot of beautiful pictures here, which people from different countries would love to see. This kind of artwork is not always seen. This is an excellent exhibition," she said, adding that the artworks are part of Bangladesh culture and heritage. Another Fahmida Noor Aparna, a fourth year student at Dhaka City College, said she is elated to see the artworks. "Coronavirus has taught us a lot during this lockdown. We have had to face many problems, we have had to face many financial problems, many have had health problems. I want everyone to be healthy, to be well, to be health conscious." Priyanka Chowdhury, an art researcher, said life is returning to normalcy as the Bangladeshi government bolstered the vaccination drive. "I took the vaccine myself," she said. Bangladesh on Tuesday reported a COVID-19 positivity rate of 4.69 percent, the lowest in over six months, as health officials said the gradual drop in the infection indicated that the country's pandemic situation is improving thanks to the vaccination drive. The country has so far administered over 35 million doses of vaccines. Some 21 million people have received their first shot while more than 14 million have got their second shot. Enditem I t had been almost a month since Id first arrived into Italy. Id crisscrossed the country - down, then up, then down again - and now back... The director of Information Technology, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Rukiya Mohammed, on Wednesday said the apex bank has concluded plans to launch the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) on October 1. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed disclosed this in a webinar, themed "Digital currency and the prospects of CBDC in Nigeria", organised by the committee of e-Business in industry Heads Nigeria (CeBIH). Mohammed said that the use of digital payment was rising while cash payment was declining both in Nigeria and globally. She said that over 85 per cent of Central Banks worldwide were considering digital currency and so CBN was also innovative to cope with global trends. "CBDC would contribute to macro-economic growth in the country, if people adopt more of the usage of the e-naira, it would enhance more data to formulate macro economic policies. "Also, when more countries have their own digital currencies, it would increase exchange of currency and be able to build cross border trade at lower cost. "Even though Nigeria has a good payment system, this would also improve Nigeria's payments efficiency," she said. She said the CBN has partnered with a lot of experts in digital currency technology providers such as MasterCard, came up with the design and would soon publish the design. "CBN would focus on low amount payments at the introductory stage, instant settlement with low cost. "CBDC would be legal tender with one e-naira equivalent to one naira which shows fundamental differences between CBDC and crypto currencies," she said. Also speaking, Dr Adesola Adedutan, Managing Director, First Bank Nigeria, said that the Central Bank of Nigeria CBDC was a game changer that would provide an alternative payment system and would radically transform the payment landscape. Adedutan, who was represented by the Banks deputy chief executive, Mr Francis Soba, said CBDC provides a platform for the government to leverage blockchain technology to maintain a centralised and institutional role over of the currency. "It should be noted that there are significant differences between CBDCs and cryptocurrencies," he said. (NAN) Mr Malami says the federal government had also succeeded in identifying and detaining "high profile individuals" responsible for funding terrorists' activities in the country. The Federal Government has suceeded in blocking terrorism financing in Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said. Mr Malami told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the federal government had also succeeded in identifying and detaining "high profile individuals" responsible for funding terrorists' activities in the country. The AGF had announced in May that Nigerian government was about to begin the prosecution of about 400 suspected Boko Haram financiers and was profiling some high-profile Nigerians strongly suspected to be financing terrorism for prosecution. The delay in their prosecution and unveiling the suspects have been criticised in certain quarters, but Mr Malami assured the federal government was determined to take stringent measures to counter insurgency in the country. "We have succeeded in identifying those that are responsible for funding terrorists," the minister said. "We have also blocked the leakages associated with funding and then embarking on aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in term of the fight against terrorism. "But then, the truth of the matter is that investigation is ongoing, is advancing and for the purpose of investigation, I wouldn't like to be pre-emptive in terms of making disclosures that would have the effect of undermining the successes we are recording as far as investigation is concerned. "But one thing I can tell you for sure is that whatever we do in terms of detention and in terms of arrest is indeed backed by judicial process. "We have indeed obtained a legitimate court order taking into consideration what we have presented before the court; the court eventually exercised its discretion in terms of granting orders that we can have them in custody. "This is pending the conclusion of investigation, which investigation in essence is indeed deeply taking place and we are making a lot of successes and recording a lot of progress in the direction of investigation." 'Work in progress' The chief law officer of Nigeria, however, said the issue of terrorism financing was a work in progress and would not like to be pre-emptive in terms of investigation. "But one thing I can say for sure is, arising from such arrests, the terrorist funding and financing has indeed been crippled substantially and that eventually translated to some major improvements being recorded as far as crippling the strength of terrorists is concerned within the nation. "You can see visibly that we are indeed witnessing tremendous successes associated with the Boko Haram, which translate to significant decimation of the Boko Haram terrorists. "They (Boko Haram) have been decimated to a larger extent and you can see what is unfolding as far as the North West banditry activities are concerned. "They (bandits) are as well been decimated to a larger degree. All these are indeed the effect of what we have done," he said. Mr Malami also said that Nigeria was creating a consensus building towards making assets recovery easier for countries. The minister recalled that Nigeria had recovered 322 million dollars from Switzerland in 2017 and 311 million dollars from the U.S. in 2020. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said Nigeria was looking at the possibility of recovering further 200 million pounds from the U.S. aside other associated assets being pursued in some other countries. "We are pursuing a lot of assets across the globe and we intend very soon, we are coordinating a further meeting relating to huge recovery in U.K. associated with certain personalities. "But I would not like to give further disclosure in respect of that to put into consideration the need not to be pre-emptive as far as our strategies are concerned. He said the 311 million dollars recovered from Switzerland was deployed to execute the Abuja-Kano highway, the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger Bridge. "So I think we are doing wonderfully well in terms of deploying the recovery of the looted assets and deploying same in projects that impact positively on the lives of people," he said. (NAN) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the world body and other democratic institutions to query President Muhammadu Buhari on the role of his administration in the escalation of terrorism, violation of rights, electoral malpractices, corruption, national division and economic ruin of Nigeria in the last six years. President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, on Friday. The PDP, in a statement issued Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the sanctity of human lives, freedom, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law, credible elections, democratic governance, promotion of peace, accountability in governance, economic development among others, which the General Assembly stood for had all been violated by the Buhari administration. The party urged the General Assembly not to lose sight of the reports by credible international organizations including the US Department of State as well as Amnesty International, (AI) on cases of arbitrary arrests and detention in dehumanizing facilities, widespread extrajudicial killings, sudden disappearances of dissenting voices and disregard to rule of law under Buhari's watch. It said this was in addition to disobedience to court orders, use of security forces to suppress citizens, media gagging, and systemic injustices that underscored the situation in Buhari's Nigeria, as also profiled by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The PDP urged the General Assembly to also question Buhari on the failures and alleged compromises of our nation's security coordination under his administration, leading to unabating mass killings, kidnapping, banditry, arson and marauding of communities across our nation, to the extent that Nigeria "now ranks as the third country with the highest level of terrorism after Iran and Afghanistan". It further called upon the General Assembly to take on President Buhari over his administration's alleged provision of official cover for sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria, including those recently communicated to it by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) as well as a serving minister who was openly indicted as an apologist of terrorism. The party also urged the General Assembly to use the opportunity to extract commitment from President Buhari on the amendment of the Electoral Act to enable for electronic transmission of results as well as impress it on him to allow for free, fair and credible elections in 2023. Mr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy say the Five Generation (5G) network will be deployed in Nigeria in January 2022 and will aid surveillance against vandalism of public assets. The minister disclosed this on Thursday in Maiduguri at a Town Hall Meeting to address vandalism of power and telecommunications infrastructure. Reports have it that the event, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, was attended by Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno and his Deputy, Mr Usman Kadafur and other stakeholders. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed led the other ministers who were panellists at the town hall meeting. Pantami, who was represented by Mr Ubale Maska, Commissioner for Technical Services, Nigeria Communication Commission, said the 5G network was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council for increased connectivity. He said while the technology would boost surveillance against criminal elements vandalising public infrastructure across the country, other measures should be put in place to arrest them and bring them to book. The minister disclosed that there were over 50,000 telecommunication sites across the country, which made it difficult to man manually except through the deployment of modern technology. He also disclosed that there were about 16,000 reported outages by mobile network operators - MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9Mobile - from January 2021 to July 2021. The outages, according to him were due to fibre cuts, access denial and theft leading to service disruption in the affected areas He noted that protection of the critical infrastructural facility was key to the nation's security, economic vitality, public health and safety. He decried the situation where telecoms installations that were destroyed in the attacks by terrorists, had not been replaced as a result of the lingering insecurity and tensions in parts of the North East. As a way forward, the minister recommended continuous stakeholders buying-in and synergy among security forces. He also urged the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill for onward submission to the President for assent. The Federal Government, Thursday, declared its renewed efforts towards committing huge resources to the building of infrastructure across the country, noting that no nation or community can grow bigger than the stock of infrastructure. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, who made the declaration in his address at the 27th meeting of the National Council on Works and Housing held at the Command Guest House, Bauchi, Bauchi State, said the wealth of any country is adjudged by the volume of its infrastructure. Fashola, who insisted that infrastructure investment is the most legitimate way to distribute wealth in any economy, noted that "The nations that are richer than us have more infrastructures than us." According to him, "And in order to bridge this gap we have to invest; because no nation or community can grow bigger than the stock of infrastructure." He said, "This is why it is not surprising that during campaigns for elections and after elections, you will find discussions not only centering around roads, bridges, rails, schools, hospitals, water supply and power supply to be provided, you will also find that in the inauguration speech of every President, Prime Minister, Governor and other elected public officers, time is dedicated to addressing the provision of infrastructure. "I am sure our host will recall that he made similar commitments in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2019: "At the core of this mandate is the crucial drive to give Bauchi State citizens a better prospect and greater opportunity for a prosperous life. Reducing poverty and empowering our citizens in the areas of Agriculture, Education, urban and rural infrastructure among others." "Infrastructure also helps to make people efficient, it creates competition and leads to productivity. Currently the Federal Government is executing 895 contracts in 795 projects spanning over 13,000 km of roads and bridges nationwide. "Across all of these, engineers, geologists, surveyors, lawyers, bankers, suppliers, artisans and laborers are involved in an ecosystem of enterprise from which they earn a daily, weekly or other periodic income. "But that is only part of the story, the employment. The other parts include improved asset value, because everywhere a new road or bridge is built, the land value appreciates by up to 30% creating enormous capital gain. "On the completed sections of the roads, journeys that used to take days now take only a few hours, journeys that took hours are now reduced to minutes; and if it is true that time is money, clearly reduced journey times currently being delivered across Nigerian roads is money either through savings on journeys and fuel cost, or utilization of time saved for other productive activities, not to mention the Health benefits attributable to shorter travel time and reduced stress. "So when President Buhari committed on June 12, 2019 to taking 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years, his vision was not a Federal Government vision but a national one, which has started with the work being undertaken in all states and FCT and to which the Federal Government is contributing through infrastructure. "In the pursuit of this National vision, I urge all of us to embrace the more holistic view and definition of poverty as not only the number of jobs, or amount of cash, but also well-being, efficiency and the lack of access. "For example if a one-hour journey takes six hours even in the best car, or land value is stagnant because it lacks an access road, the reversal of these situations by improved journey time or provision of access roads are steps towards prosperity. "Similarly, all those employed in the process of building the roads, surveyors, contractors, engineers, bankers, artisans, suppliers and lawyers have certainly been impacted on the income side. "Regrettably we cannot build forever and so when the infrastructure project is completed, most of those employed in the building must leave the site to look for new opportunities. "This is the heart of the matter and this is the message that the theme of this council seeks to focus on. What should we do in addition to building infrastructure, in order to keep the jobs on. "The answer, Ladies and Gentlemen is simple. We must maintain the infrastructure we built. "This is important for many reasons, the first of which is that we preserve the life of the infrastructure and get the best value for the money we spent on it. "The second reason is that a maintenance economy is a critical contributor and driver of GDP in many economies around the world. You will notice that I have spoken about a "maintenance economy" not a "maintenance culture." This is because maintenance is not a cultural thing, it is an existential matter of survival, bread and butter and income. "Available data shows that in the "built industry" only about 30% of the manpower is employable by design and construction which lasts until the project is completed; while the remaining 70% are employed in the process of "operation" and "maintenance" of the infrastructure. "These are the reasons why the development of a maintenance economy must commend itself to all of us here and why we must all return home not only to think about it, but to do something about it. "The question is what needs to be done? My answer is that we must develop policies to stimulate the economy of maintenance. "All that we need to do is take a look at the state of existing infrastructure, and we are likely to see bridges with damaged expansion joints and bearings, buildings with broken windows and leaking pipes, doors that do not lock properly, toilets that do not work well and so much more. "If we reflect on what we see, we will realize that these are jobs for plumbers, carpenters, printers, foundry workers and many more skilled and unskilled people in our country and it is our responsibility to connect these people to the opportunities that infrastructure in disrepair represents for sustainable employment. "The Federal Government has already initiated such a policy in 2019, and we are now at implementation stage. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "This has seen the Head of the Federal Civil Service approve the creation of the Department for Federal Public Asset Maintenance. "In nine facilities that we assessed the conditions of fittings such as fans, air conditioners, light fittings, toilets and wash hand basin, we found that out of 41,800 installations 12,459 representing 29.8% were not functioning. These are people's jobs to repair, supply, replace and install as the case may be. "The development of the maintenance plan and the procurement plan leading to invitation to tender and award of maintenance contracts for rehabilitation and facility management is a sure pathway to job creation. "Currently we are undertaking maintenance works on 41 bridges that has employed 1,157 people directly and created 3,309 indirect jobs and we have facility management contracts for 25 federal secretariats across Nigeria after we completed renovation works. Each facility manager employs at least 40 people. "This is only a tip of the iceberg because the supply side that supports maintenance involves the purchase and supply of paint, bleach, rakes, brooms and other tools which create employment for small and medium size enterprises which is another activity of economic empowerment. "When we started the office of Facility Management in Lagos State, I recall one day when we awarded contracts for the facility management of 600 schools. This was employment not only for 600 small contractors but also for the people that were employed to do the job." Vanguard News Nigeria The communities claimed to have lost 105 persons and property worth N1billion to herdsmen attack in 2017. The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja has fixed Friday for judgment on a suit bordering on alleged Fulani herdsmen attacks on seven Adamawa State communities in 2017, a statement from the court's information unit stated Thursday. Members of the communities who filed the suit told the court they suffered herdsmen attack which was followed by bombardment from jets and a helicopter gunship of the Nigerian Air Force between November and December 2017. This, according to them, led to the death of 105 persons, injury to 80 others and the destruction of property valued at over N1billion. The seven affected communities are Dong, Lawaru, Shaforon, Baya, Kodomti, Nzoruwe, Pullum, of Numan and Demsa local government areas of Adamawa State. Plaintiffs' claims Fourteen representatives of the communities who filed the suit recalled how the incident first happened in November 2017 and resurfaced about a month later. They said following skirmishes between the herdsmen and indigenous farmers in the communities leading to fatalities on both sides in November 2017, herdsmen from the neighbouring states and West African countries flocked into a nearby village to attack the farmers. According to them, despite alerting the security agencies, "nothing was done to avert the subsequent mayhem" in which 105 persons were said to have been killed, 80 others injured and property valued at N1,023,709,250 destroyed. They told the court that the Nigerian army, navy and the State Security Service (SSS) were alerted about the invasion and they initially took steps to intercept and disperse the attackers. They said in the initial response to the alert, some soldiers and 300 policemen were deployed in the area, but that they withdrew on December 2, 2017, a day after six of the policemen and one civilian, were allegedly killed by the herdsmen. The plaintiffs, Lawrence Jockthan and 13 others, further alleged that the few soldiers deployed in the area also withdrew after they were allegedly threatened by the herdsmen. But they added the Nigerian Air Force "continued to maintain surveillance over the fully armed and combat ready herdsmen". On December 4, 2017, they recalled, the herdsmen having allegedly gathered all their men and materials attacked their villages of Dong, Lawaru, Shaforon, Baya, Kodomti, Nzoruwe, Pullum, of Numan and Demsa local government areas of Adamawa State during which many of the farmers were killed, houses razed and livestock stolen while their vehicles and other machinery were torched. They further claimed that at about 5p.m. that day, "a Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunship flew over the area and opened fire on any gathering of people which added to the number of casualties". They said the bombs dropped by the Air Force destroyed many of their buildings while many people were killed resulting in the invitation of the Police Bomb Disposal Squad to detonate the unexploded bombs. They alleged further that the defendant, the Nigerian government, "did not protect them against the attack which led to the avoidable loss of lives and property which amounted to the violation of their rights to life and properties as a result of the defendants failure to perform their obligation under the Charter to guarantee their rights under Articles 1, 4 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights". Prayers They urged the court to, among others, declare the Nigerian government "is obligated to protect and secure the right to life of members of the plaintiffs' communities who were gruesomely slaughtered by armed Fulani herdsmen who attacked their villages of Dong, Lawaru, Shafaron, Kodomti, Baya and Nzuruwe on December 4, 2017." They also asked the court to declare the Nigerian government "was guilty of gross dereliction of its obligation to protect the right to life of the members of the plaintiffs' communities when in the face of attacks on Nigerian policemen and attacks on the plaintiffs' communities, it failed to use force to disperse the Fulani marauders for over one week until they fully mobilised and attacked and killed members of the plaintiffs' communities of Dong, Lawuru, Shaforon, Kodomti, Baya, Nzoruwe etc." The 14 plaintiffs, who sued on behalf of themselves and the communities are: Richard Magomya, Tony A. Mabulti, Simon Edan, Amori Farah, Elias Jerimonth, Jackson E. Gashitufo, Gregory Hunkana, Augustine Elkanah, Isaac Kula, Homnetaka Sabo, Holy Aniya, John Timothy and Humphrey David. Nigerian government's defence But the defendant denied the plaintiffs' claims, stating that the indigenes ' communities and the herdsmen had co-habited for a long time and had a history of vendetta between them resulting sometimes in bloodshed and casualties on both sides. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria West Africa Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It blamed the crisis that led to the attack of December 4, 2017 on the massacre of 56 Fulani settlers, including women and children in the communities by suspected members of the local militia in retaliation for the alleged killing of a local farmer as reported by the media. The defendant claimed that security agencies, especially the police upon receiving information of an imminent violence between the two communities, immediately deployed officers to the area to keep the peace who were attacked leading to the loss of four policemen. It also blamed the pervasive insecurity in the country, the difficulty in navigating the terrains of the Plaintiffs' community and the attack on the Police for its difficulty in mobilising enough men to repel the armed attackers which had to call for aerial support from the army. The defendant denied that the Nigeria Army fighter jet shot at the villagers as reports stated that the community residents had all fled the villages upon the attack and that the villages were occupied by the attackers who were burning down houses and destroying properties in sight. The case is heard by a panel of three ECOWAS Court judges led by Gberi-be Ouattara with two others - Dupe Atoki and - Keikura Bangura, as members. The incident followed similar ones on Saturday when the police arrested five persons in the state for the same alleged offence The police in Katsina State on Thursday arrested three women for allegedly selling fuel to bandits in a forest in the state. The police spokesperson in Katsina, Gambo Isah, at a press conference in Kaduna, paraded the suspects, Dija Umar, 50; Ummah Bello, 45; and Nusaiba Muhammad, 16, all of Malali Quarters, in Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina. The police said the suspects were arrested along the Katsina-Jibia road. "The fact of the case is, the syndicate was arrested by a team of policemen on patrol along Katsina - Jibia road, concealing PMS in their travelling bags neatly, reasonably suspected to be supplies to the bandits hibernating in the fringes of Jibia forest. "In the course of investigation, suspects confessed to the commission of the offence, contrary to the executive order and other extant laws of the federation. Investigation is ongoing," the police spokesperson said. The arrests followed a similar incident on Saturday when the police arrested one Lawal Shu'aibu, 32, of Maradi in Niger Republic and four others for allegedly selling fuel to armed bandits in a forest in the state. The suspects were arrested while conveying the substance in vehicles into the forest. The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Pastor William Kumuyi, has said that there will a stop in the cases of pocket of insecurity, oppression and torture as Nigeria celebrates this year's Independence Anniversary on 1st October. Kumuyi said this on his arrival to Abuja for a 5-Day crusade with the theme, "Divine Solution Global". He also calls for dialogue or negotiation among parties in order to find a lasting solution to the faceoff between Resident doctors and the Federal Government. "I believe that as we follow the issues, they are trying to resolve everything, I think as we have conflict, the solution is not attacking each other and finding fault, but finding a middle ground, whether we dialogue or negotiate and I believe that we are about seeing the end of the tunnel," he said. He adviced the federal government to handle the pardoning of repentant Boko Haram carefully in order to restore peace in the country. He said, "Because of the past experiences, the government will have to look at the situation, look at real surrender and sincerity, and as we think about that together, it is a two-way program, which is like having the carrot and the stick, but sometimes we have to approach the carrot method so that there can be peace, the important thing is not to punish a culprit, the important thing is to have peace in our country." He stated that the crusade starting, on Friday 24 September, was to bring divine solution for all people from their past misgivings as there would be a turnaround for the better for everyone that participates. "After the program, we will be having our independence, I believe that with the focus on a divine solution for all, not just for people who are on the ground, but we are going to connect online with people all over this nation and all over the world. "I believe that as we move to the next phase as a country and as individuals and family together, I believe that real independence from all the things that oppress, attack and torture our lives, we are going to have real freedom and solution for every problem," Kumuyi said. The Nigerian Army has vowed to sanction the female officer who assaulted a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) publicly in Calabar, Cross River State capital. In a viral video, the soldier was seen pouring dirty water on the corps member who was fully kitted. Agba Jalingo, a citizen journalist, had shared the video, asking social media users to reshare until it gets the attention of the army authorities. The video generated outrage on social media as many Nigerians shared experiences of brutality by some military personnel. But in a statement on Thursday night, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director Army Public Relation, said the officer had been identified. He also tendered an apology to the corps member and her family. "The Nigerian Army (NA) has taken cognizance of a video clip currently making the rounds on the social media, where a female officer was seen dehumanizing a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Calabar, Cross River State." "This act is not only condemnable, but unprofessional and against established precepts of discipline in the NA. The NA has remained undoubtedly the pride of the nation, a symbol of national unity that has consistently being in the vanguard of respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry. It is against this premise that the NA condemns this unimaginable level of infraction by a personnel in its ranks. "The NA therefore, condemns in strong terms, this act of gross misconduct. Undoubtedly, the officer's actions has caused the NA monumental embarrassment and is highly regrettable. This unfortunate act of indiscipline does not in anyway represent the NA and will not be condoned in its entirety. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Women Arms and Armies By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "For the records, the ugly incident happened in 13 Brigade, Calabar. The Brigade Commander immediately instituted an investigation and the officer involved has been identified and sanctioned on the interim and would be made to undergo regimental orders (trial) in line with the extant provisions of the Armed Forces Act. The submission that the Brigade attempted covering up was therefore misleading, as the NA remains a professional force that has zero tolerance for indiscipline amongst its personnel. "The NA wishes to reiterate and assure the general public that such infractions would not be tolerated from its personnel. "The NA also reassures that the rights of the citizenry is sacrosanct and must be respected by all personnel of the NA, as any form of infraction will be severely dealt with. "Therefore, the general public is enjoined to continue to report such infractions, as Human Rights Desks in all formations of the NA are emplaced to deal decisively with such erring personnel. "The NA further wishes to tender unreserved apology to the victim, her family members, friends, National Youth Service Corps and to Nigerians in general for the unwholesome treatment meted out to the Corps member." The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has issued a Certificate of Compliance for an outline Business Case (OBC) for the operation of the Modular Floating Dockyard acquired by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Acting Director General of the commission, Mr. Michael Ohiani, led a team of ICRC officers to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos to present the certificate. Ohiani said the agency's outline business case for the Modular Floating Dockyard's management contract to be operated, maintained, and transferred under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement was in compliance with the ICRC Act 2005 and the National Policy on Public Private Partnership. This is just as NIMASA said Nigeria is taking proactive steps to address its exposure to the threat of ballast water because of the high tanker traffic in its waters. Speaking while receiving the Certificate of Compliance, Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the Modular Floating Dockyard was a national asset. Dr. Jamohassured that the Agency was committed to the careful deployment of the dry dock in line with relevant regulatory instruments to ensure wealth creation, job creation, and revenue generation for the Federal Government. He also said issues, such as security, accessibility, and existing complimentary infrastructure on ground, were considered in the development of a business case for the dockyard, which will be managed on a PPP basis with NIMASA and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on the one hand, and a management company, on the other. ICRC would closely monitor the entire implementation process to ensure equity, fairness, and profitability for the Federal Government. Jamoh stated, "It is one thing to have the Modular Dockyard, and another for it to enjoy patronage and be a profitable venture for government. So many funds have been invested in the project and it cannot serve just as a workshop for an institution of learning, as being inferred in some quarters. "Detailed investigation has also confirmed that the dockyard cannot berth at an area earlier proposed for it. We got approval from our supervising ministry to deploy the asset on a PPP basis and we are working in conjunction with the Nigerian Ports Authority. Our arrangement to utilise facilities at the Continental Shipyard in Apapa is still very much on course." He added that the seeming delay in the deployment of the Floating Dockyard was due basically to the fact that attention was being paid to details to ensure due diligence, compliance with due process and the eventual durability of the project when it becomes operational. "The floating dockyard is a national asset and we consulted the ICRC, which is the regulatory agency of government, to review the process of deployment to confirm that it is a worthwhile investment on a PPP arrangement, and today they have confirmed to us that we are on the right path," Jamoh added. Ohiani also described the Floating Dockyard as a profitable investment by government. He, however, noted that only deployment based on due diligence and effective implementation of the approved business case would ensure the durability of the project. He stated, "The project is bankable and sustainable. The Nigerian government will get value for money in the project. The next step is to get the best concessioner to provide the services and a full business case will be prepared and taken to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval. "ICRC will continue to manage the process and we hope to conclude the entire process before the end of the year. We will also ensure that the concessioner does not charge arbitrary fees when it becomes operational. It is a total package we are delivering to Nigerians and we seek their understanding and patience." Meanwhile, speaking at the 10th Meeting of the National Taskforce (NTF) on Implementation of Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, 2004 Jamoh said, being an oil producing country, Nigeria was prone to the effects of harmful aquatic organisms transported across regions by tankers. He said NIMASA, the Lead Agency for the implementation of international conventions, codes, and regulations of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), had in conjunction with other members of the NTF set up a plan for full implementation of the BWM Convention in the country. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Transport Oceans By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Jamoh who was represented by the Director, Marine Accident Investigation Unit, Mrs Rita Egbuche, stated, "As an oil producing country, we recognise the country's susceptibility to the danger of ballast water and we have put processes and actions in place to deal with the threat in line with the resolutions of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). We would continue to update and fine-tune our strategies as new developments emerge. "All ships, especially tankers, carry ballast water while on voyage to maintain stability and operate effectively and safely. But ballast water has also been identified as one of the major vectors for the introduction of invasive alien species in the marine environment." Akure The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has decried importation of glass into the country despite the huge availability of the needed raw materials for its production in the state. Governor Akeredolu spoke on Thursday while receiving investors from the Horn Glass Industries from Germany led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephan Meindl. The Governor recalled that when the Moribund Oluwa Glass was functional, it was supplying the then Peugeot glasses for windscreen and mirror as part of the production of the vehicles. The Ondo State Government had signed a Public Private Partnership agreement with the ZMP Industrial Limited for the establishment of 600 Tonnes per day capacity float glass factory in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state. Akeredolu said there is no better company to establish glass factory in the state than the Horn Glass Industries having been involved with the establishment of the Oluwa Glass over three decades ago. He said: "You are involved with Oluwa Glass and you are the one that built it. I don't think there is a better company to start a new state-of-the-art Glass Company than you. "Importation of glass into this country is unfortunate. Oluwa Glass was the one supplying Peugeot windscreen and glass. But government involvement in Oluwa Glass killed it. "But today, we have equity participation. We are not going to stiffen anyone who is interest in developing the state. Our participation will be minimal so as to make it effective." Governor Akeredolu charged the investors to be time conscious, adding that time is of the essence. "Time is of essence. We are running against time. Please start now. Undoubtedly, we are waiting. The state will be glad to have a glass factory back after 35years," he noted. Horn Glass Industries Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephan Meindl, said his firm is ready to establish the glass factory with modern technology and unwavering commitment. The Secretary, Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency, Emmanuel Omomowo, who explained the process and terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed, said the Sunshine state is endowed with Silica Sands which has a the raw material needed for the glass production. "We need to bring in high-net-worth investors to actually collaborate with the state to develop our silica resource and the value of this investment is over 250 Million Euros and when it is converted to Naira, it is over 162 Billion Naira. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Manufacturing Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Omomowo said, "the State Government in this project is having the stake of over 20% while the investor, ZMP Industrial Ltd. has 80% and ZMP Industrial Ltd. is also working in collaboration with a renowned technical partner called Horn Glass Industries. "That the technical partner, Horn Glass Industries was the one that built Oluwa Glass and now they are coming now to build a new green field glass factory and because it is a joint venture and we have an SPV, Special Purpose Vehicle to drive it. "It will create a lot of employment, we can talk of investment value that is worth over 160billion that is coming to the State. It will also have other multiplier effects within the State, it is going to enhance our economy, it is going to create job employment, expand our revenue business. He added that "It is a great deal that is actually coming to the State. And going through their profiles, they have the technical expertise. That is why we are talking of project reference that Oluwa Glass developed over 30 years ago which is going to be built again with newer technology, with a better approach. So, it is a good deal for the State". Nairobi The Jubilee Party has nominated Githua Ngugi Isaac to replace the late Senator Victor Prengei in the Senate to complete the remaining term ahead of 2022 general elections. Prengei who was nominated to Parliament in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket lost his life after he was involved in a road accident on August 16, in Nakuru County. His nomination made him the first legislator from the minority Ogiek community to hold that seat. Secretary General Raphael Tuju, in a statement issued on Thursday, also announced the appointment of Peter Kipsang Cheruiyot as a Regional Director at the Party headquarters. Cheruiyot was the party's favorite for the vacant position but was disqualified because of his age. "Cheruiyot was a front runner for the nomination to replace the late Senator Prengei and was an attractive candidate due to his steadfast position and commitment to the Party in Nakuru County. However, he was found to be ineligible for the position on account of age," read the statement. Tuju said Jubilee Party recognizes the need to consider the minority communities for different seats. "The Party remains committed to mainstreaming of minorities as evidenced by appointment by the Party of Hon. Sammy Leshore from Samburu County to replace former Senator Isaac Mwaura," he said in a statement. A section of Senators had called for the nomination of a person from a minirity community to replace Prengei even as they pledged to approve the Minority Protection Bill, in honour of the late Senator who fronted it. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Senators Enock Wambua (Kitui), Amos Wako (Busia) and Irungu Kangata (Muranga) stressed that minorities and marginalized communities should have the opportunities in positions of leadership. "In Kenya we focus too much on numbers, where we say that politics is a game of numbers which unfortunately tends to leave minorities behind and yet it is from the minorities that we can have national leaders who can bring the entire country together. For instance, they used to say former President Moi was not Nandi but he was from Tugen Community which is a small marginalized sub-tribe. He used that minority factor to lead the nation for 24 years," Senator Wako said. "Leaders from the minority must get an equal opportunity to provide leadership beyond their communities. There is no better way of doing that, that to make sure that as colleagues of our departed friend we fast-track a Bill that he had drafted, if we can do that, it shall be a great honour on the rights of the minorities and marginalized communities in this country," Senator Wambua added. Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh has been named winner of the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy. Making the announcement on Thursday, September 23rd, 2021, in Lagos, the Chairman, Selection Committee Zik Prize 2020, Professor Pat Utomi said the capacity of the Director General to have extensively managed the restructuring, reformation and repositioning of NIMASA earned him the prestigious award. Utomi stated that the Deep Blue Project and the Blue Economy initiatives Jamoh "continues to champion have brought massive gains to the Agency and the nation's economic diversification goals." The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its second quarter 2021 report had disclosed that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which had in recent times become the global epicentre for sea piracy, fell to the lowest since Q2 2019 after the Jamoh started enforcing the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project. Aside Jamoh, two other illustrious Nigerian technocrats that also won the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy include; Dr Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank Group. A 1st class scholar and bold reformer. Dr Adesina was also a former Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria, who the innovative electronic wallet system that he introduced ended 40 years of corruption in the fertiliser sector. The High 5s and the Africa Investment Forum initiatives that he has introduced as AFDB President have been a massive success. Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC will also join, Jamoh and Adesina to receive the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy. In the political leadership category, former Secretary to the Federal Government and former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora were announced winners. Thousands of Nairobi residents could become homeless should the National Housing Corporation (NHC) effect an eviction notice tomorrow. Desperate families at Pumwani's Highrise Phase II apartments live in fear over a long-standing rental dispute with the parastatal. The residents blame their woes on a dirty game played by the state corporation, which it accuses of allegedly duping them into renting the houses at a rate higher than what had been agreed upon. The houses were part of the government's slum-upgrading project in the early 2000s. Located in Majengo slums in Kamukunji Constituency, Phase II has 160 units that were completed in 2005. Phase I had 274 units initiated in 1991 under former President Daniel arap Moi. The aim of the project was to upgrade the slums and provide low cost, decent housing and infrastructure. Rent doubled Ms Saumu Saidi, the interim chairperson of the Pumwani Phase II Highrise committee, said they had been informed that rent had been fixed at Sh3,400 for the two-bedroom apartments, double what Phase 1 tenants were paying. "We were, however, shocked when the allotment letters from NHC said we would be paying Sh11,000, plus other additional charges, bringing the monthly rent to a total of Sh13,000," she said. Caught off guard, they refused to leave their slums in protest. "One early morning in 2005, we were greeted by bulldozers and armed men who flattened our houses. By 6am, we were homeless. We had no option but to move to our allocated houses. We engaged the NHC and they said we would agree on new rates," said Ms Saidi. Rent arrears Their acquiescence to this assurance is what has now landed them in trouble. Ms Rukia Muitate, 50, said they were shocked when they were served with rent arrears of between Sh110,000 and Sh190,000 when they moved in. "The NHC told us that they had been billing us for the one year that we had refused to move into the houses since they had a loan to service with our rent. Are we the ones to pay for government slum-upgrading projects? They should have left us at our old homes," she lamented. The protests began over the rates and the matter was taken to court in 2007. They were led by the then chairperson of the committee, Athuman Mponda, who died last Thursday. The matter is still in court. "Why are they issuing eviction notices yet the case is still in court? Let NHC dare come here on Friday; we will build our mud houses right next to these flats," Ms Muitate said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Urban Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Interestingly, the eviction notice was sent a day after Mr Mponda, the firebrand defender of the tenants, passed on. "It is evident they (NHC) were informed of his death and knew when to strike. The notice came last Thursday, just as we were heading to bury Mzee Mponda," said Mr William Onyango, a resident. Ms Sarah Mukeli, 8o, vowed not to leave the only place she's called home. "My children and grandchildren know no home other than Majengo. We were assured by the government that they were improving our lives; we gave up our homes. Where do they want us to go?" she posed. Tenant purchase terms NHC acting managing director Patrick Bucha said the residents were offered the units at an agreed price of Sh1.1 million on tenant purchase terms. "This was to be paid at a monthly rate of Sh10,996 (inclusive of service charge). The necessary agreements were duly executed between NHC and the individual allotees. Soon thereafter, some of the allotees defaulted in servicing their loans," Mr Bucha said. NHC added that a civil suit, vide Nairobi HCCC No. 17 of 2007, was filed by several defaulters, but it was dismissed on May 22, 2018. The court issued a decree in favour of NHC on June 11, 2018. "As of September 14, 2021, when the seven days eviction notice was issued, the total outstanding amount from the Pumwani Phase II tenant purchasers stood at Sh245,967,881.97. Out of the 160 tenant purchasers, only 33 per cent are up to date with their payments while 53 per cent each owe the Corporation amounts of over Sh1 million," he added. Mr Bucha said the corporation wants to recoup the money to commence the development of Phase III. Nairobi Kenya's COVID-19 positivity rate settled at 5.2 per cent Thursday, after the Ministry of Health reported 317 new virus cases. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said there were 27 more virus-linked deaths, all of them reported late after health facility audits in the months of June, July, August and September. This raised fatalities in the country to 5,045. Kagwe said that 1,268 patients were admitted to various health facilities while 2,733 were under the home care program, with 96 others at the Intensive Care Unit. By September 23, Kenya had vaccinated more than 3.5 million people. The Ministry of Health has announced plans to start deploying the Pfizer vaccine from next week. Pfizer from the US and China's Sinopharm arrived in the country last week, boosting the ongoing vaccination exercise alongside AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The government has continued to intensify the vaccination exercise, with the plan to vaccinate 10 million adults by end of December still on course. As part of measures to achieve the vaccination target, the Chairman of the National Vaccine Task Force Dr. Willis Akhwale last week said the government intends to double the vaccination rates from 40,000 a day to 80,000. Akhwale also said the government had adjusted the vaccination priority age group to start from 50 years. It is 6am and Selina Chepurai, a 32-year-old mother of two, is busy climbing hills and wading through thickets on her way to school. The Kitakakapel Technical Training Institute is located a few kilometres from her home. In tow are her two children, who are heading to Kitalakapel Primary School, adjacent to the new institute. For Ms Chepurai, the joy of heading to school with her children before she branches off to the institute isn't the best part of her journey. She was married off at a young age, just after completing primary school. She is now on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a librarian, thanks to this college, the first of its kind since independence in the expansive West Pokot County. It is a similar story for 45-year-old Stephen Pkemoi, who now has a chance to practise his building technology craft at the new institute. Having scored a D-plain in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2017, Mr Pkemoi's dreams appeared to be over, because he had no money to enrol in a technical institute far from his home. Mr Pkemoi, whose firstborn son is in Standard Eight, hopes people like him and his son now have a chance to fulfil their dreams after the new institute opened its doors. Sitting on 30 acres that used to be a battlefield for banditry and cattle rustling, the institute in Kapenguria constituency has now become the face of renewed peace in the area. As if that is not enough, the college boasts the only processing plant in the region. "We can process milk and meat. Our machines also process fresh juices, which we can sell at low prices to help run the institute," said Principal John Kibowen. The school, which offers courses like general agriculture, ICT, library studies, masonry, social work, community development and business studies, has registered 120 students. Tuition fees are also highly subsidised. Vocational education As part of its promotion of technical and vocational education, Mr Kibowen says, the national government pays 70 percent of the fees. Students also have access to constituency development funds as well as bursaries from the county, lifting the weight of the otherwise punitive fees. "We intend to start new courses that will take three months, to incorporate school leavers and dropouts who want to gain some technical skills," Mr Kibowen said. The institute has just been connected to electricity and was drilling a borehole to ensure a constant supply of water. Abraham Domong'ole, a confessed reformed warrior, was one of the students admitted in the first batch in May. "I wasted my time stealing cattle from Turkana and Karamoja and engaging in banditry. I dropped out of school while in Standard Seven and now I want to pursue my dream of being a mechanic," said Mr Domong'ole, 47. Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto was ecstatic about the possibilities provided by the institute, which is situated in his constituency. "This is a new dawn for us after 58 years of dreaming," Mr Moroto bragged. Noting that the county had only six government polytechnics -- against the target of one in each ward -- with no university branch, Mr Moroto said students from the region travel long distances to seek knowledge. "This technical institute has brought hope to our children who cannot afford to pay for higher education in private institutions. We are proud to have an institution of our own," he added. The MP said residents will also be prioritised in casual jobs, and appealed to those with land near the college to build hostels that will accommodate the students. A slow economy He urged locals to utilise the facility, keep animals for milk and cultivate crops, which they can sell to students, lecturers and employees. "They will buy from local shops and patronise local hotels, which will benefit residents. Students will inject life into the quiet Kitalakapel that struggles with a slow economy," he said. He appealed to local Form Four leavers who are yet to enrol with any tertiary institution and who scored between C- and D- in their KCSE exams to enrol at the institute. "We are very happy with the government for accepting to build for us the first college since the colonial period. This is history because the Pokot community has never got a public college," Mr Moroto said about the significance of the institute. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The college, he noted, can admit 5,000 students, adding that it is a large school that the government has promised to elevate to a national polytechnic. "West Pokot was a closed district and we have realised development during devolution. From 1992, the area was a banditry and cattle rustling zone but peace has resumed. We will fence off the institution with a wall and put up street lights in Kitalakapel," the MP told the Nation. Devolution Principal Secretary Micah Powon said the institute was an eye-opener for the entire region. "It will be a game changer. The government has provided an opportunity for youths to get skills," he said when he visited the area. Riwo ward MCA David Alekulem said many students from the county who qualify to join institutions of higher learning seek admission outside the region. "This college has brought hope to our children who cannot afford to pay fees in private institutions. We are proud to have an institution of our own," he said. Six years after the death of former powerful Cabinet minister William Ole Ntimama, some Maasai leaders have renewed calls for the return of community lands grabbed during the pre-colonial era. Before his death in 2016, Mr Ntimama had led the fight for the restoration of Maasai land seized under controversial agreements in Nairobi, Naivasha, Molo, Nakuru, Mau Narok, Kedong, Kitet and Ndabibi. He began the campaign in the 1990s, shortly before the eruption of ethnic clashes in parts of the former Rift Valley Province. Leaders from Narok, Kajiado, Laikipia and Samburu last week submitted a petition to members of the historical injustices committee at the National Land Commission, which they hope will right the wrongs of the past. They cite unfair land treaties that were signed in 1904 and 1911. They are demanding the return of all community land that was lost through conquest by the British, annexed, grabbed, stolen or ceded to outside forces. Led by Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, MPs Memusi Kanchori (Kajiado central), Moitalel Ole Kenta (Narok North) and former Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel, they are pushing for reparation, restitution and compensation. They want the process to start with review of Maasai land agreements of 1904 and 1911, whose 100-year leases expired in 2004. They want to be compensated for the 6.3 million acres that were taken away by the British in Nairobi, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Laikipia and Nyandarua counties. The land reportedly belonged to the community, before it was forcefully transferred to White settlers by "the colonial system, which is now the government of Kenya". They are also demanding an apology from the British government for the mistreatment that was meted out to the community. The delegation also included Maasai council of elders chairman Kelena Ole Nchoe, the first Narok Constituency MP (1969-73) Moses ole Marima, and land crusader Meitamei Ololdapash. They want the government to carry out a thorough investigation on how the community lost millions of acres before and after independence, including the vast ranches occupied by European settlers in Laikipia. Justice for crimes At least a dozen people have died and many others displaced in the region due to violence linked to land issues. "This is the time to fix the crimes committed against the Maasai; we have been victims of neglect and discrimination. We know the people who own ranches in Laikipia are not just foreigners, but very powerful people in this country," said Mr Ole Kina. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Land and Rural Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr Marima said the Maasai, through Loibon Olonana on August 15, 1904, were tricked into vacating Laikipia and some other parts of the Rift Valley to pave way for European settlers. "Seven years later in 1911, another agreement was signed between the government and representatives of the Maasai community, further cementing the latter's removal from Laikipia and other parts of Rift Valley, and it is now time for the government to compensate us of this Historical injustices," said Mr Marima. As NLC interrogates the issue, their verdict may also have an impact on the lives of millions of people in Nairobi and a large part of the Rift Valley. "I assure the community and everyone else that as an independent commission, we shall look at this petition objectively and look at what is provided by the law then come out with the best solution possible after investigations and hearings," said NLC chairman Gershom Otachi. The bulk of the land has since changed hands several times over - sold to government and property firms - and recovering it may not be feasible. The National Land Policy proposes legal mechanisms to facilitate review and documentation of all historical land claims to determine forms of compensation, restitution and reparations. President Uhuru Kenyatta has received yet another blow in court after a judge quashed his decision to co-opt Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohamed Badi into the Cabinet. Justice Anthony Mrima declared that the President's decision was in contravention of the Constitution, illegal and void 'ab initio' (from the beginning). While ruling on a petition filed by Kandara MP Alice Wahome, an ally-turned foe of President Kenyatta, the judge also issued an order of prohibition barring Major-General Badi from attending any Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings, or discharging any functions of the Cabinet. Ms Wahome contended that by appointing the military general, the President allowed a stranger to sit at the country's top decision making organ and bypassed the Constitution in inviting him to Cabinet meetings. Major-General Badi was allowed to attend Cabinet meetings pursuant to Executive Order No. 3 of 2020 and after taking an oath of secrecy at State House Nairobi in September last year. However, the court ruled that the basis of the decision to include him in the Cabinet is not clear and is questionable. "His position, role and mandate in the Cabinet is unknown or at least the respondents (Attorney-General, Secretary to the Cabinet and Major-General Badi) chose not to disclose as much. It seems like the decision is masked in secrecy and therefore lacks transparency," said the judge. "An illusion" The judge noted that there is no doubt that the appointment was not approved by the National Assembly. As such, it is unclear by whom and how the Major General's work will be overseen. His term of office in the Cabinet also remain an illusion, said the judge. "His retention into the Cabinet no doubt raises far too many unanswered questions. For instance, one may ask why Major-General Badi and yet there are so many director-generals or heads of public institutions in the country?" The court held that such questions and many others would have easily been answered had the appointment process been transparent and based on clear provisions of the Constitution and the law. No appointment powers While referring to Article 132 of the Constitution - on functions of the President - the judge said this article does not accord the office holder powers to appoint anyone into the Cabinet. Justice Mrima also referred to Article 152(1) on the composition of the Cabinet, which says the Cabinet consists of the President, Deputy President, Attorney-General and not fewer than 14 or more than 21 Cabinet secretaries. "The provision did not leave any room for discretion in respect of the composition of the Cabinet. In fact, the composition of the Cabinet is ring-fenced and insulated to consist of only the President, the Deputy President, the Attorney-General and Cabinet secretaries," stated Justice Mrima. "I cannot imagine any manner of interpretation of the entire Constitution that will infuse discretion into the composition of the Cabinet on the part of the President," he added. AG's interpretation The court found the interpretation offered by the Attorney-General to be "untenable, too far-fetched and not in tandem with aspirations of Kenyans". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The respondents, while relying on Article 132(2), had stated that the President has a Constitutional duty to direct and coordinate the functions of ministries and government departments. In doing so, they stated, the President may invite persons other than the members of the Cabinet to attend Cabinet meetings. Further, it was argued that Article 132(4) of the Constitution, which provides that the President may perform any other executive function provided for in the Constitution or national legislation, yielded the President to the discretion to require the attendance of any person in Cabinet meetings. They also submitted that granting the orders sought by Ms Wahome would constitute a usurpation of the Executive's constitutional roles and prerogatives, contrary to the principle of separation of powers. When Anne Musanga, 70, from Kibera, Nairobi, got her first Covid-19 vaccination jab on April 23, she knew that after 12 weeks, she would receive her second and final one, thus ensuring her safety as far as the pandemic was concerned. But this was not to be. According to Musanga, her blood pressure shot up after the vaccination and she was immediately put on medication. Her medical records show that her blood pressure was 171/83 mmhg. Her second dose, which was supposed to be administered on June 26, has since not happened as she is yet to get a nod from her doctor. "I was advised to first complete my prescription and to go through consistent medical check-ups before I am allowed to take the next dose," she says. Suspicions On the other hand, Molly Aluoch Oloo, a 73-year-old grandmother from Katwekera village in Kibera, got her first dose of the vaccine in April and her second one in July. She says she was initially hesitant to get the jab due to suspicions, misinformation and disinformation about both the vaccine and the pandemic. "I almost avoided the jab, but then changed my mind after participating in a number of sensitisation sessions as a member of the Kibera day care centre for the elderly," she adds. Thankfully, she says, she did not experience any side effects from the vaccine, a fact that got her to join in efforts to sensitise and encourage other elderly people to get vaccinated. Being elderly, she didn't have a hard time accessing the vaccine. "I expected long queues, considering that this service was being offered in government health centres. But that was not the case as I, together with the people within my age bracket, were given seats while we waited to be vaccinated," she explains. Horror stories For Macfidensio Mureithi, 69, a business man in Kibera, the horror stories about the disease locally and internationally were enough for him to do whatever it took to get vaccinated. "Tales of health complications and deaths resulting from the pandemic, especially in the initial stages, got me scared. So when the government announced the beginning of the vaccination process, I didn't hesitate," he says. Mureithi's efforts to get his second dose, however, hit a hitch:"I was supposed to get the second dose in June but then I received an SMS from the Ministry of Health stating that the vaccines were not available. But in July, it was announced that the vaccines were available and so I went to get my second and final dose without wasting any time," he says. According to the Ministry of Health, as of September 1, a total of 2,807,945 Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered countrywide. The total first doses administered stood at 2,000,285, while second doses given were 807,660. A total of 424, 919 people above 58 years old had received their first dose, which translates to just over 21 per cent of the total first dose vaccinations. On the other hand, people within this age bracket who had received the second dose were 240, 293, about 30 per cent of the total. Low number However, only 9.3 per cent of people aged 58 years and above have been fully vaccinated. Why this low number? Experts argue that there are a number of factors that have contributed to the low turnout for Covid-19 vaccination among people within this age bracket. According to Mr Jude Otogo, the country representative for HelpAge International, which champions the rights of poor and disadvantaged older people in Kenya, one of them is poverty. Dr Stephanie Hauck, a consultant with the World Health Organization, the elderly have been the most vulnerable during the pandemic, considering that they are dependent on other people. "Especially in the African context where they have to depend on their children and grandchildren for survival, things get even worse when they have to be isolated," she adds. Slum dwellers Those who live in the slums, Mr Otogo says, have been hit hard. The first hurdle is getting to health facilities due to distance lack of money for transport "Also, the economically challenged elderly persons don't have time to queue for the vaccine at health centres because they spend most of their time looking for an income," he adds. This has been the case for Edward Nyundo, a 75-year-old security guard from Kibera 42 who is yet to get the first dose of the vaccine. "I work at night as a security guard, meaning that during the day I am sleeping. I do not have the luxury to go sit somewhere for hours waiting to be vaccinated. What am I going to eat at the end of the day?" he poses. National Taskforce on Vaccine Deployment chairperson, Dr Willis Akhwale, notes: "The main problem is that the elderly don't want to come to the hospitals because they fear contracting the disease. Remember this is a group of people with a high chance of having underlying conditions like diabetes, which could cause sensations after the administration. This is made worse by the fact that many of them have misconceptions that vaccination could make their conditions worse," he adds. It is a challenge that Yasmin Abdulrahman Aboyo, an assistant manager at the Kibera day care centre for the elderly, says has made their Covid-19 and vaccination campaigns, a tough task. Fearmongering "We have had cases of fearmongering among some elderly people who have been partly or fully vaccinated and perhaps experienced some reactions, discouraging others from getting the jab," she explains. The challenge with the elderly, Dr Akhwale notes, will be best handled through education. "People should understand that in most cases vaccines have side effects, which could either be mild or harsh. But does is this reason enough to avoid being vaccinated? Definitely not," he says. There is still hope though, as records show an increase in the number of people above 58 years going for the first dose. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "In May, we stopped people from getting the first dose until those who had already received the initial jab, got their second. But after getting enough vaccines, the operation commenced and this is a contributor to this increase. Also, initially, we had few vaccination centres as compared to now," explains Dr Akhwale. He also attributes this to an increase in sensitisation campaigns that have made it easier for people to access information not just about the Covid-19 vaccination, but the pandemic as well. "We didn't start the campaigns earlier because the vaccines were not enough, so doing that at that time would have been a waste," he says. No structured mobilisation Mr Otogo says lack of structured mobilisation activities and campaigns targeting older persons have hampered vaccine uptake in that demographic. "Health activities and campaigns supporting other groups like pregnant women are in place, but when it comes to the elderly, there's nothing tangible. This is despite the fact that they make up a very significant percentage of the population," he says. To reach more people within this age bracket, Dr Akhwale says his taskforce has recommended "the use of community health workers. Also, targeted outreach should be conducted to reach this group of people through listed community workers. In addition, they should be vaccinated when going for their regular check-ups." This story was supported by Code for Africa's WanaData programme as part of the Data4COVID19 Africa Challenge hosted by AFD, Expertise France and The GovLab President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday challenged the world to see Africa as an investment partner rather than a charity case amid global efforts to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. "We must make concerted, structural changes that will enable a quantum increase in investment and technology transfers, not as charity. A fast-developing Africa will offer the entire world the benefit of its demographic dividend of youth and vast economic opportunities," he said, adding that the continent can become an engine of sustainable global growth. In a pre-recorded speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the President said the world will need to recraft its policies to ensure that they are environmentally sound, create jobs and encourage innovation, as part of lessons from the pandemic. President Kenyatta also reckons that the pandemic had shown that the existing multilateral system was flawed and that it was erroneous to leave the continent behind. Pandemic agenda, US vaccine donation At this year's 76th UNGA session, talk of the pandemic was on every leader's lips even though the theme of the gathering was climate change. Earlier, US President Joe Biden had, during a sidelines summit on Covid-19, made more proposals to "build back better" from the pandemic, pledging 500 million more doses of Pfizer vaccines to poor countries and an investment of more than $1 billion to support vaccine distribution and the work of GAVI, the global vaccine alliance. President Biden also promised to promote local vaccine production in South Africa to help supply jabs to the continent. But for President Kenyatta, he noted that Africa's recovery, along with the rest of the world, will require adopting policies that target both health protection, economic recovery, peace and security, and conservation to manage climate change. "We must put equitable vaccine access at the core of building back better from this Covid-19. We need to provide tangible financial support to developing countries and ensure that a significant portion of green manufacturing is located in developing countries," he said. The death from Tuesday's boat tragedy in Homa Bay County has risen to 10 following the recovery of two more bodies. Families of the two had camped at the shores of Lake Victoria with the hope that their kin's bodies would be retrieved soon. On Thursday afternoon, local fishermen joined officials of the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Kenya Maritime Authority in the search for the two bodies. Mr John Okombo was among the first people to arrive at the beach on Tuesday after learning that his eldest son, Samson Otieno whad been on the ill-fated boat. He watched as teams searched for and retrieved the other nine bodies. According to the Luo tradition, families of people who die in water are supposed to stay at the scene until the bodies are found. There is a belief that those who do not engage in this may compromise the exercise. Mr Okombo, 58, said he has slept in a tent on the lake shores for two nights, waiting for his son to be found, whether dead or alive. "My son worked as a mason here in town. He was among those who boarded the boat. He has not been seen since the accident happened," he said. Mr Okombo received a call from one of his relatives that an accident had occurred in the lake and that his son was among those in the boat. The son was in a group of Christians heading to Ndhuru for prayers. His family believed he was dead since he was not among those rescued. Only one person from the team survived the accident. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Transport By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The survivors were found holding onto pieces of wood and luggage that was being transported across the lake. For Mr Okombo, his son's death is a big blow to the family since he has been paying school fees for his siblings. "Two of my children are in university. The death of my son is a blow because I have been left with the burden of taking care of the whole family, including my daughter in law and two grandchildren," he said. Also camping on the shores of the lake since Tuesday was Mr Charles Otieno, 49, whose brother John Otieno was in the vessel when it capsized. He was going to visit a family member in Sikri. "I received a call from my sister who told me to rush to the lake after the boat capsized," he said. The bereaved appealed to Homa Bay County and well-wishers to help them accord their relatives decent send-offs. ODM leader Raila Odinga condoled with the families and asked the county and national governments to help them with the burials. "I send sincere condolences to the families and communities that have lost friends and loved ones in this accident. I wish luck to all the safety workers who are still searching for bodies of the other victims," he said in a statement earlier. He appealed to people using the lake for transport and fishing to adhere to safety rules such as wearing life jackets. "Our people must take charge of their own safety by demanding to be provided with these vital items before stepping into any vessel going into the water," he said. Two bread bakers have been charged with falsifying the cancellation of a competitor's work permit. Anandkumar Bharatkumar Modi and Keval Umit Shah were charged Monday with forging an online application requesting the Immigration Department to cancel the permit. The prosecution, led by James Gachoka, said the two uploaded a cancellation form online, purporting it was generated and signed by the director of DPL Festive Limited, the manufacturer of Festive Bread. Mr Gachoka told Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi that Mr Modi and Mr Shah conspired to commit the crime between April 15 and July 14, within Nairobi County. Mr Modi was separately charged with forging a form seeking the cancellation of his work permit on April 28, purporting it had been signed by the DPL director. Business rivalry The court heard that Modi had been DPL's employee for one year and that his wife had also worked at the same company for the same period. The two have since left DPL and are working at Panafric Bakery. Mr Ochoi heard the case revolves around business competition since Mr Shah is the director of Panafric Bakery. Mr Shah was charged with presenting the application for the forged work permit cancellation to the Immigration Department. Through their lawyer, the accused applied to be freed on reasonable bail terms - a cash bail of Sh30,000. Mr Shah asked for his laptop, which was surrendered to authorities for forensic examination. "They want it returned because he uses it for business," the accused said and promised to cooperate with the investigating officers. The prosecution did not oppose their application for release, saying they are entitled to bond under Article 49 of the Constitution, but noted the Sh30,000 was not commensurate with the crime. The prosecutor also asked the court to take into account that Mr Modi is a foreigner and that the offence involves falsification of documents from the immigration office. The prosecutor further asked the court to direct the accused to surrender their passports to the court. In his ruling Mr Ochoi ordered the businessmen to deposit a bond of Sh500,000 and said the case will be mentioned on October 5 for issuing of pre-trial directions. Nairobi Deputy President William Ruto has described the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as the most "dangerous assignment" carried out by the government to mutilate the Constitution at the expense of implementing development projects. Ruto said backers of the initiative "should apologise to Kenyans." He was referring to President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who unsuccesfuly pushed for the agenda that was thrown by the courts which declared it "null and void." They have both filed petitions at the apex court-the Supreme Court. Ruto said the leaders must stop lying to the country that BBI was the only route to increasing resources to the counties. He said the BBI proponents must forward their proposal on the additional resources to the devolved units of government to Parliament if they were true to the cause. "Counties can still be given more funds through Parliament without the conmanship in the BBI," he said. He explained that even the creation of additional constituencies was feasible without taking the country through the unnecessarily and costly route of amending the Constitution. "If Kenyans were in need of more constituencies, then the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission would have been engaged." Ruto said it was time the country was spared of reckless deceit from some leaders out to score political points after failing to sell BBI to Kenyans. He said the BBI proponents have to apologise to Kenyans for sabotaging the Big Four agenda. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "It would have created millions of jobs opportunities besides ensuring that all Kenyans have access to affordable medical care. But all these gains went down the drain because of the BBI," he added. Even with intimidations and huge resources used, the Deputy President argued that "there was no way BBI was going to pass." He said BBI was "the biggest fraud and the most dangerous assignment" ever pursued in Kenya that would have destroyed its democractic ideals because of the establishment of an imperial president. "It must therefore fail, and die forever." Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah said the collapse of BBI was long overdue. "It never meant anything good to our country," he said. Ruto spoke today at his Karen Residence when he fellowshipped with spiritual leaders from various churches and mosques from Makueni County. Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: Hay empresarios e inversionistas extranjeros que estan dispuestos a invertir en las regiones, que nos ayudaran a terminar con los problemas de la desigualdad y pobreza en el pais.#DescentralizacionEfectiva pic.twitter.com/Oo0o2TRgox 11:14 | Lima, Sep. 24. "As I have said several times, the President of the Republic (Pedro Castillo) long ago invited Central Reserve Bank Governor, Julio Velarde, to remain in the post," Francke said in remarks to TVPeru on Thursday night. "Last Friday, when we were abroad, Julio Velarde said in a press conference that he would accept ()," he added. According to the Cabinet member, "the only thing we need to do is complete the board of directors because, as Julio Velarde has properly said, the Government of the Central Reserve Bank actually corresponds to a board of directors." In this sense, he indicated that the board of directors must be designated upon agreement by the Executive and Legislative Branches, involving technocrats who can generate good governance at the Central Reserve Bank. Likewise, the head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) affirmed that efforts will be made to complete the BCR's board of directors next week. "That is the task we have ahead for next week, to complete (the board)," he emphasized. Moreover, the high-ranking official mentioned that Perus economy "has been growing strongly," adding that MEF's projection for 2021 (10.5% GDP growth) "has been exceeded" by BCR's recent forecast of 11.9%. "The economy is recovering at good pace, and I believe that all these small political noises will be resolved. The essential matter is to allow the Government and Congress to reach a good agreement, and I believe that there is willingness on both sides," he concluded. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. A moment of silence will be held across the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, at 11:00, in memory of the victims of the 2020 War unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the Artsakh Presidential Office reports. The decision was made by the respective state commission of Artsakh. On the same day, the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church will hold a mass in all churches of the Republic at 10:30. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met on September 23 with Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly in New York, the Armenian MFA reports. The two ministers discussed the Armenian-Iranian centuries-old relations, praising their high-level and the frequency of contacts. The officials discussed the current transit transportation challenges from Iran to Armenia and the ways to solve the issue. Minister Mirzoyan informed about the situation on the Goris-Kapan highway, the process of the construction of an alternative route and the works on North-South highway. The ministers discussed in detail the opportunities of further deepening the Armenian-Iranian cooperation in energy sector. Issues relating to regional peace and stability were also discussed. The Armenian FM stated that Azerbaijans provocative actions against Armenias sovereign territory distort the efforts aimed at the stable security and development in the region, adding that he highly appreciates Irans position over Armenias territorial integrity. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed Ambassador of Nigeria to Armenia Yakubu Santuraki Suleiman (residence in Tehran, Iran) presented his credentials to President Armen Sarkissian, the Presidential Office said. The Armenian President congratulated the Ambassador on appointment, expressing confidence that he will contribute to the development of the bilateral relations. President Sarkissian said that the presidential institute is ready to provide all support to the efforts and initiatives aimed at deepening the partnership. In turn the Ambassador of Nigeria said he is interested in expanding the ties with Armenia and developing the cooperation in different areas. The meeting also touched upon the prospects of deepening and developing the commercial cooperation. Both sides emphasized the importance of boosting business contacts. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly approved at the second reading the bill on the enlargement of the communities, ARMENPRESS reports, the bill submitted by the Government proposes to unite 441 communities of Armenia in 37 community clusters. As a result of the enlargement of the communities, the municipalities will not be closed, at least 2 employees will work in the municipalities. 63 MPs voted for the bill, 0 - against, 0 - abstained. The MPs representing "Armenia" and "I have honor" factions did not take part in the voting. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Arshak Karapetyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Armenia Mr. John Gallagher. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MoD Armenia, during the meeting issues related to the regional security were addressed. The Minister of Defense presented the border situation, pointing out the actions taken by Azerbaijan to destabilize the situation. Ambassador Gallagher noted that the United Kingdom supports long-term peace and stability initiatives for the region and will continue to work in that direction. Issues related to bilateral cooperation in the field of defense were also discussed. The parties expressed readiness to continue the effective programs, initiating new directions of cooperation in case of possibility. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is taking part in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, met with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on September 24. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, Mirzoyan highlighted the activities of the ICRC in Armenia and Artsakh. The ICRC President, in his turn, informed about the work being done by the organization. During the conversation, the Armenian Foreign Minister referred to the consequences of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan, the issue of immediate release of the Armenian captives without preconditions. The Minister noted that Azerbaijan, in violation of the provisions of the Geneva Convention and the trilateral declaration of November 9, continues to hide the real number of captives and their places of detention, creating artificial barriers for their return by politicizing humanitarian issues. Ararat Mirzoyan also noted that no artificial obstacles should be created in Artsakh for the implementation of the humanitarian mission by international organizations. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is ready for a constructive dialogue, which should lead to the establishment of sustainable and lasting peace in the region, ARMENORESS reports Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced in his speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. In this regard, we propose to complete the process of return of prisoners of war, hostages and other captives without delay. It is also necessary to resume the peace process for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the PM said. According to the Prime Minister, there is no doubt that the situation created through the use of force cannot gain legitimacy from the point of view of international law. The right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination cannot be suspended through the use of force; the conflict cannot be considered resolved through the use of force. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is awaiting its just settlement. This is evidenced by the statements of the Co-Chair countries, which emphasize the need to resume the negotiation process based on the well-known principles. We believe that the contacts mediated by the Co-Chairs will enable the parties to find common ground, and to open avenues for addressing many difficult issues, Pashinyan emphasized. According to Pashinyan, the next issue is the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I must state with regret that it is difficult to imagine a border delimitation process on the backdrop of almost daily shootings and various provocations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, on the backdrop of units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan having infiltrated the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on May 12, 2021 in the Sotk-Khoznavar section. To overcome this situation, we have suggested the following actions: In the above mentioned section, the armed forces of both Armenia and Azerbaijan should withdraw simultaneously to the Soviet times border, international observers would be deployed along that border and under international auspices we would start delimitation and demarcation. We are ready to implement this proposal at any time, Pashinyan concluded. The adoption of new US sanctions against Russia would be the worst possible scenario for relations between the two countries. Moreover, it would wipe out "the spirit of Geneva," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, commenting on the House of Representatives' move to pass a defense policy bill that includes new restrictions against Moscow. September 24, 2021, 16:40 New US sanctions would wipe out 'spirit of Geneva', Kremlin cautions STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 24, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The bill has yet to go through several more iterations and then, the question will arise if the [US] administration will listen to recommendations concerning these sanctions. However, it would be a worst-case scenario for our relationship. It would wipe out 'the spirit of Geneva (the Russia-US summit in Geneva - TASS) and any glimmer of hope for the resumption of substantive dialogue that had emerged after the Geneva summit," Peskov pointed out. When asked whether the new sanctions would actually be introduced, Peskov noted that predicting Washington's steps was not the Kremlin's job. "Perhaps, it's not up to us to make forecasts. Clearly, US congressmen are still thirsting to impose various sanctions," he added. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a defense policy bill for the next financial year, as well as a legislative initiative that suggests the Biden administration consider the possibility of sanctioning 35 Russian nationals, including members of the government, major entrepreneurs, public figures and journalists. Another initiative bans Americans from purchasing Russia's newly issued government bonds not only on primary markets but on secondary markets as well in response to Russia's alleged interference in US elections. The Senate has yet to pass its own version of the bill, varying from the one adopted by the House. After that, a commission will meet to agree on the details of the two documents and then they will be put to a vote in both chambers. The process can take several months. TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders grew less than forecast in August on unexpectedly weaker demand for new smartphones, though the government said the demand outlook for the island's tech goods remains good. Taiwan's export orders, a bellwether of global technology demand, jumped 17.6% from a year earlier to $53.5 billion in August, data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed on Friday. While that was the 18th month of expansion, the pace was slower than the median forecast of a rise of 20.7% in a Reuters poll. Huang Yu-ling, head of the ministry's statistics department, told reporters that orders for new smartphones were weaker than expected, and fewer people working from home as pandemic lockdown rules eased also affected orders, meaning they needed to buy fewer tablets and laptops. Taiwanese companies such as Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) are major suppliers to Apple Inc, Qualcomm Inc and other global tech firms. Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 and a new iPad mini last week, expanding 5G connectivity and showing off faster chips and sharper cameras without raising the phone's price. Looking ahead, the ministry warned COVID-19 cases could pick up globally ahead of winter adding uncertainty to the economic outlook. However, more consumer electronic products coming to market and "flourishing" demand for electric vehicles will help support Taiwan's export order momentum, it added. In July, export orders leapt 21.4% from a year earlier to $55.3 billion. The second half of the year is typically stronger due to high demand for electronics during the year-end holiday shopping season in Europe and the United States. The ministry said it expects export orders in September to rise between 15.9% and 18.9% from a year earlier. Orders from the United States rose 19.2% in August from a year earlier, a faster rate of expansion compared with the 16.5% logged in July, while orders from China were up 15.9%, versus a gain of 20.1% the previous month. Orders from Europe increased 3.7%, while those from Japan were up 18.3%. (Reporting by Emily Chan and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) Police have arrested a suspect in connection to the murder of UK teacher Sabina Nessa who was killed in a London Park. The body of school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, was discovered under a pile of leaves by a dog walker on September 17 in Cator Park in Kidbrooke, southeast London. Metropolitan Police say they believe she was attacked at around 8.30pm on Friday night, while making the five-minute walk to meet a friend at a local bar. A 38-year-old man in Lewisham, south London, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Metropolitan Police released CCTV footage of man detectives want to speak to in relation to the murder of Sabina Nessa. Source: AAP Police have also released CCTV footage of a second man and a vehicle, appealing to anyone who recognised either to make immediate contact. "Any information as to his identity or whereabouts could be vital for our investigation," said Detective Chief Inspector Neil John. A post-mortem carried out on Monday was inconclusive, police said. CCTV issued by the Metropolitan Police of vehicle detectives want to trace in connection with the murder of Sabina Nessa. Source: AAP The teacher was 'five minutes' from home According to police, Ms Nessa was only minutes from her home. "Sabina's journey should have taken just over five minutes but she never made it to her destination," said Detective Inspector Joe Garrity. Ms Nessas sister described the teacher as her inspiration as well as her beautiful, talented and caring sibling. My beautiful, talented & caring sister," she wrote. "My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down. Never in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her JannahAmeen #SabinaNessa. my beautiful talented & caring sistermy inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me downnever in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her JannahAmeen #SabinaNessa pic.twitter.com/wVUIaR8WuG (@jaxjn02) September 22, 2021 Ms Nessas cousin Zubel Ahmed told ITV News his family is devastated by the 28-year-olds tragic death. Story continues A vigil, supported by campaign group Reclaim the Streets, is planned for Friday night. MPs said more action to improve womens safety was needed, with Lewisham East MP Janet Daby saying she was devastated for the family and friends of Sabina Nessa, and all those who knew her at Rushey Green School. Earlier this year, the disappearance of Sarah Everard, 33, a marketing executive, as she walked to her London home made headlines across the world. Her remains were found a few days later and former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to her kidnapping, rape and murder. with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. How to Clip Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue. A boil-water notice has been issued for residents along Route 370 between the villages of Cato and Meridian. The Cayuga County Health Department on Friday said that the notice applies to residents who receive water from the Village of Cato. A water main break Friday morning caused the system to lose pressure, increasing the chance that untreated water and harmful microbes can enter the water. The main break forced the Cato-Meridian Central School District to shift to a remote-only learning day. Water users in the affected area should bring tap water to a rolling boil, boil for one minute, and cool before using, or use bottled water certified for sale by the state Department of Health. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing food until further notice. The health department said that harmful microbes in drinking water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms and may pose a special health risk for infants, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. But these symptoms are not just caused by microbes in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you should seek medical advice. Auburn firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at 34 Franklin St. on Wednesday night. The first call came in at about 7 p.m. fo NEW YORK (AP) Actor Michael K. Williams died of acute drug intoxication in what New York City's medical examiner said Friday was an accidental death. Williams, known for playing Omar Little on The Wire and an Emmy Award nominee this year, had fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine in his system when he died Sept. 6 in Brooklyn. Williams, 54, was found dead by family members in his penthouse apartment. Police said at the time that they suspected a drug overdose. The city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said it would not comment further. A message seeking comment was left with Williams' representative. Williams had spoken frankly in interviews in recent years about his struggle with drug addiction, which he said persisted after he gained fame on The Wire" in the early 2000s. I was playing with fire, he told the Newark Star-Ledger in 2012. It was just a matter of time before I got caught and my business ended up on the cover of a tabloid or I went to jail or, worse, I ended up dead. When I look back on it now, I dont know how I didnt end up in a body bag. Chris Cuomo told CNN viewers last month that he had advised his brother to be contrite. "I was there to listen and offer my take," Cuomo said. "And my advice to my brother was simple and consistent own what you did, tell people what you'll try to do to be better, be contrite. Finally, accept that it doesn't matter what you intended, what matters is how your actions and your words are perceived." Ross said in her essay in the Times that Chris Cuomo should have been ashamed for his conduct with her, "But my question today is the same as it was then: Was he ashamed of what he did, or was he embarrassed because my husband saw it?" She said she sees the apology as "an attempt to provide himself with legal and moral coverage to evade accountability." Asked for comment about Ross' essay on Friday, a CNN spokesperson referred to Cuomo's statement to the Times. Ross has written previously of being sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, who was ousted from Fox News Channel over harassment complaints and died in 2017. Recounting the 1981 encounter in her New York Times piece, Ross said Ailes apologized to her for insisting on a "sexual alliance" as a condition of a pending job offer at NBC's "Tomorrow" show. NEW YORK (AP) A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was delayed on Friday after two hosts of the "The View" learned they tested positive for COVID-19 moments before they were to interview her. Co-host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro both learned they tested positive for breakthrough cases ahead of the interview. Both Navarro and Hostin were at the table for the start of the show, but then were pulled from the set. Harris, who had planned to join the table, instead was now expected to be interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. Co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines remained on set. "Ana and Sunny, at the last minute we realized they have tested positive for COVID so they have been taken off of the show," said Behar, who said Harris was removed to a separate location because "they don't want to take a chance." "It's very important we keep her healthy and safe," Behar said. "The Secret Service is doing things to make her feel safe." Behar and Haines took questions from the audience after the delay was announced. Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated, their colleagues said. *** Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 "I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help," he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom he'd met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. "I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody," said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. "We have so much." Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge won't reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rio's hospital. "It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here," Lozano said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during an official visit to the Canary Islands on Friday that he has respect for all legal procedures opened in Spain, in Europe and, in this case, in Italy. Sanchez, who recently opened direct talks with Catalan regional leaders, said that dialogue is the only way to bring together Catalans who have distinct opinions and to bring together Catalans with the rest of Spain. Just under half of Catalans want to break away from Spain, opinion polls indicate. Most Spaniards dont want Catalonia to be granted independence. At the heart of the immediate legal matter was whether the warrant issued by Spain seeking Puigdemont's arrest is valid. Gonzalo Boye, his lawyer, has insisted the warrant issued in 2019 that provided the basis for Italian authorities to detain him has been suspended. Boye told Spanish radio station SER: We have to see whether the arrest warrant is enforceable. Thatll be up to the legal authorities in Italy. The Spanish Supreme Court judge handling the case, Pablo Llarena, sent a letter to the European Union's Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation stating that the arrest warrant is in force and pending the capture of those accused of rebellion. Nissan India has announced a new initiative exclusively for its propsective Magnite SUV customers. The Japanese carmaker will now offer a virtual sales advisor to help customers pick the right variant, and enhance the digital car buying experience. The virtual sales advisor will help customers with specific product-related queries about the Magnite SUV, suggesting variants based on the customer's preferences as well as financing and exchange value options. It will also help customers with virtual test drives and book the car online. Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director at Nissan Motor India, said, "Pandemic challenged the traditional way of customer engagement. Nissan innovated with Virtual Showroom and Virtual Test Drive during the launch of game changer Nissan Magnite. Virtual Sales Advisor is the way forward towards transparent, flexible and convenient buying experience with an expert online advisor for enriching the journey of owning a vehicle." Nissan says that since its launch, the Magnite SUV has garnered more than 3 lakh enquiries and 60,000 bookings. It has contributed immensely to Nissan's rising sales figures in the past few months. Nissan has said that at least one in four of Magnite SUV's bookings are done through its digital car buying platform. Nissan recently started exporting Magnite SUVs for overseas markets from India too. It has sent more than a thousand units of Magnite countries like Nepal, Indonesia and South Africa. Nissan Magnite SUV was launched in India in December last year at an introductory price of 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom), which was later increased to 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom). It rivals the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Renault Kiger among others in the sub-compact SUV segment. Magnite gets two petrol engine options and there is no diesel on offer. Its 1.0-litre Turbo engine claims to be the star performer and pits out around 97 bhp of power and has 160 Nm of peak torque. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Sept. 23, Volkswagen Group (VW Group) celebrated the first spade cut for a battery system manufacturing factory in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, according to a press release from the German auto giant. Photo credit: Volkswagen Group Wholly owned by VW Group, the Hefei-based factory will feature an initial capacity of 150,000 to 180,000 high-voltage battery systems per year for local-produced all-electric vehicles. Covering an area of over 45,000 square meters, the factory is neighbor to the MEB plant VW Group is building under a majority-owned venture with JAC Group. VW Group China plans to pour more than 140 million euros ($164 million) in the construction of the new battery system factory and supporting facilities by 2025. Besides, the factory is scheduled to commence production in the second half of 2023. With the rapid expansion of the future all-electric vehicle market, we should take moves in such key components as battery system so as to reinforce VW's strength in electric vehicle value chain and maximize the groups synergy and innovation abilities. The strategic battery deployment plays a vital role in the group's e-mobility offensive and will help VW Group China increase the sales of NEVs to 40% of overall auto sales by 2023, said Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China. VW Group currently has four ID. series BEV models for sale in China. The automaker announced on Wednesday it delivered 7,023 ID. vehicles in August, representing a 20.9% month-on-month jump. The ID.3 hatchback is expected to hit the market at the end of this year and was available for orders from late August. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), General Motors' joint venture with Chinese partners SAIC Motor and Guangxi Automobile Group, will unveil Wuling brand's first two-seater new energy vehicle (NEV) model dubbed NanoEV at the China Motor Show (Tianjin) 2021 on Sept. 29, the automaker said via its WeChat account. Photo credit: SGMW The forthcoming model is a new member under SGMW's global small electric vehicle (GSEV) platform, which supports the new Baojun E100, E200, E300, E300 PLUS and Wuling Hongguang MINIEV through significant economies of scale and flexibility. According to SGMWs description, Nano stands for nanometer, the unit used to measure extremely tiny things. Naming the vehicle NanoEV is to demonstrate the position as a two-seat mini-sized car, and cater to the simple and free social practices and lifestyles today's young consumers prefer. Teaser photo of the Wuling NanoEV; photo credit: SGMW Baojun E200; photo credit: SGMW According to the teaser photo SGWM released, the Wuling NanoEV looks very similar to the Baojun E200. It measures 2,500mm long, 1,526mm wide, 1,616mm high, and is mounted on a 1,600-mm wheelbase, which is slightly longer than the Baojun E200. The leaked data show that the Wuling NanoEV will be equipped with a 230 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery. Its powertrain will consist of a 24kW electric motor, versus the 20kW motor carried by the MINIEV. Baojun Kiwi EV; photo credit: SGMW SGMW announced in mid-Sept. the cumulative sales of its GSEV-based vehicles had reached 500,000 units. Moreover, the Baojun KiWi EV, another new vehicle riding on the GSEV platform, hit the market at the end of Aug. and logged an order volume topping 6,000 units only 20 days after the presale started. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese augmented reality (AR) technology company Nreal announced on Sept. 23 it nabbed over $100 million in the Series C financing, which was co-led by NIO's investment arm NIO Capital, Yunfeng Capital, and Hongtai Aplus. Photo credit: Nreal The newly-closed funding round also attracted CPE Yuanfeng and several strategic investors. Existing investors including GP Capital, GL Ventures, and Sequoia Capital China still took part in this round. According to a post on Nreal's WeChat account, the new financing increased the capital Nreal raised over the past year to $150 million. The backers included Kuaishou, CCIG, Sequoia Capital China, GP Capital, GL Ventures, ShunWei Capital, China Growth Capital, as well as iQIYI. Founded in 2017, Nreal is dedicated to offering consumer-facing AR user experience around the world. To be more specific, such experience allows a person to see the real world overlapped with digital information including text, graphics, and audio through a pair of AR glasses. Nreal has not launched its AR glasses in China yet, while its flagship product Nreal Light, the lightweight glasses that can work with 5G compatible smartphones, has been retailing in markets of South Korea, Japan, and Spain. NIO Capital made the investment as it is upbeat about future applications of AR/VR glasses in various scenarios related to automobiles, especially, in-car infotainment systems, according to Ian Zhu, a managing partner with NIO Capital. As optical technologies mature and computing power of terminals leaps, AR applications are being widely popularized to innumerable households and are expected to be new terminals in the intelligent life. We expect to see that Nreal, who takes the lead in AR industry, contributes to the upgrade of intelligent transportation system and smart city, Mr. Zhu said. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese automaker BYD recently established in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, a subsidiary whose business scope covers sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), according to the business information provider Tianyancha. The new company, named Zhengzhou BYD Auto Co.,Ltd. (called Zhengzhou BYD for short), was founded on September 22. It involves a registered capital of 50 million yuan ($7.732 million) and is wholly controlled by BYD Auto Industry Co.,Ltd. He Zhiqi, Chairman and General Manager of BYD Auto, serves as the legal representative of the Zhengzhou-based subsidiary. According to Tianyancha, Zhengzhou BYD has a line of business including the manufacturing of auto parts, the sales of NEVs, as well as the R&D, retail and wholesale of auto parts. In August, BYD Auto saw its insurance registrations of new energy vehicles (hereby merely referring to BEVs, PHEVs, and REEVs) reach 50,480 units, accounting for 22% of China's total locally-made NEV registrations, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC). This volume made BYD ranked highest among China's auto brands in terms of China-made NEV registrations. In Zhengzhou, the registrations of BYD-branded NEVs stood at 741 units last month, according to the CBIRC's data. The best-selling NEV model for the city was the BYD Tang DM, whose registrations were 159 units. In addition, BYD Auto Industry Co.,Ltd. set up a Hefei-based wholly-owned subsidiary in July, whose business scope extends to cover the sales of NEVs and NEV-related electrical accessories, the R&D of auto parts, the wholesale and retail of auto components. Situated nearly 45km east of Cairo, Egypts New Administrative Capital has already taken shape and played host to several glitzy events. The aptly named city, which Egyptian officials liken to South Africas Pretoria, is where the new government headquarters are situated. Relocation of some 50,000 state employees is planned to begin within a few months. The first phase of construction work has been underway for the past five years, with $20bn of investments pumped into an area spanning 40,000 feddans (16,800ha). When all three phases are complete, the fully-developed new capital should be able to accommodate up to 6.5 million people on 70,000ha almost the size of Singapore. Building boom It has been a boon for construction companies both domestic and foreign. China State Construction Engineering Corporation won a deal in 2017 to build 20 big towers in the New Administrative Capital and they are due to be completed by next year. The building boom is also a boost for Orascom Construction, a local company that signed $1bn in projects in the last quarter of 2020, with almost two-thirds of them in Egypt. In September, Orascom, The Arab Contractors and Germanys Siemens signed a deal with the government to build a high-speed rail link from Ain Sokhna to Alexandria. The Arab Contractors company is building the new Senate, the new parliament and a huge Islamic cultural centre in the newly constructed city. [] the key issue now with building new cities is how to operate them, and what level of governance will be implemented to cope with the new challenges, such as the integration of technologies into day-to-day life. Hundreds of kilometres to the west on the Mediterranean New Alamein, Egypts second most eminent mega-development, has been growing since 2018 on a 20,160-hectare parcel of land and is designed to house two million people. Like the new capital, New Alamein bristles with towers and skyscrapers (which are rare in Egypt) as well as government offices. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe While the US constantly proclaim itself the champion of human rights, and even falsely accused China of human rights violations, its own latest violation of human rights put it to shame. The world is shown how US border patrols use whipping Haitian refugees, reminiscent of the days of slavery! TV viewers were shocked to see innocent, unarmed refugees being whipped by border patrols on horseback! What a shame! The world cannot accept the US treatment of refugees at the border, in flagrant violation of the UN Human Rights Charter! (CGTN) China's Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a fact sheet on U.S. intervention in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and how the U.S. supported anti-China forces in Hong Kong. The sheet highlighted five aspects of the U.S.' intervention, including enacting Hong Kong-related acts, imposing sanctions in an attempt to obstruct the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, making unfounded charges against Hong Kong affairs, shielding and supporting anti-China forces, and colluding with some countries to exert pressure on Hong Kong. In the first part of the sheet, it mentioned several acts signed by then U.S. President Donald Trump, a resolution introduced by Gregory Meeks, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives, and several other ill-intentioned bills regarding Hong Kong which is still running the process in the U.S. Congress. The so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act signed separately in 2019 and 2020 are mentioned in the sheet. In the content about U.S.'s sanctions on Hong Kong, 14 items of facts are covered in the sheet. Time ranges from 29 May last year when then U.S. President Trump announced revocation of the special status and preferential economic treatment for Hong Kong. The latest sanction is on 16 July 2021 when the U.S. Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Treasury jointly issued a so-called "Hong Kong Business Advisory" on the ground of the Hong Kong National Security Law and closing of Apple Daily. The act is an attempt to cast doubt over Hong Kong's business environment as well as the development of Hong Kong and the prospects of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong, the sheet said. Listing facts related with making unfounded charges against Hong Kong affairs and law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong police, the sheet said the behaviors are an attempt to undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Trump, then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other high-level U.S. officials are mentioned in this part. As for shielding and supporting those who are opposed to China and attempt to destabilize Hong Kong, the sheet said the U.S. is providing platforms for them to advocate "Hong Kong independence" and spread political disinformation. The U.S. justified the acts of those lawbreakers by twisting facts and misleading the public, said the sheet. The U.S. teaming up with allies to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and make irresponsible comments by such means as joint statements is also listed in the sheet. For example, foreign ministers of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada issued a joint statement on Hong Kong on May 28 last year and foreign ministers of the United States and other G7 countries and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a joint statement on Hong Kong on March 12 this year. Such actions is to slander the central government's policy on Hong Kong, undermine the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, and curtail the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong, according to the sheet. CGTN"We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs," U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed at the United Nations General Assembly. "All the major powers of the world have a duty, in my view, to carefully manage their relationships so they do not tip from responsible competition into conflict." Good to hear, very good to hear. Now, it is time for Biden to lead America in a way that lives up to his own words. So far, America's actions have been betraying those words. Ethan Paul at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft wrote in a response to Biden's speech that the American hegemony has "inebriated" Washington to the point that America forgot it has already divided the world into "rigid" blocs America's "hub-and-spokes" alliance in Asia being a primary example. And that if China and U.S. had switched places, Paul believes that "Washington would never accept the degree of strategic vulnerability that it asks of Beijing." If Chinese alliances and bases have surrounded the U.S., "absolute pandemonium and mayhem would break out in Washington," and the U.S. "would be set on a permanent war footing." All that has taken place seems to be confirming Paul's words. On September 24, mere days after Biden's speech, he will be hosting the leaders of the Quad U.S., India, Japan and Australia for the first in-person meeting at the White House, consolidating a decades-long effort in building up an anti-China bloc in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. stepped up its nuclear presence in the region by helping the Australians with deploying nuclear submarines. And the central theme of Biden's foreign policy is building an "alliance of democracies" describing global affairs as a contest between "democratic" countries and "authoritarian" ones. China is seen as a part, if not the leader, of the "authoritarian" camp. Deliberately or inadvertently, Biden has defined the world in Cold War terms since he took office. He talked about engaging with China through negotiations, but it had to be from a "position of strength." And clearly, that strength means that the American position has to hold tariffs are still in place, "genocide" is still used in every sentence involving Xinjiang, and COVID-19 is still China's fault. Tensions are rising in the South China Sea as the U.S. pushes more military resources into the region, as it cobbles together a group of countries that seek to dominate in those waters. America's intransigence in holding on to this notion of "strength" and its overbearing desire to appear to come out on top of everything strangles its ability to see things from China's point of view. "Carefully managing their relationships," as Biden desires, cannot be achieved with one side making demands, threats and ultimatums and, if they are not complied with, disregard the other side's positions as illegitimate and bulldoze them. Neither China nor the United States would be willing to make things work when the guns are pointed at their heads constantly. Relationship management is a two-way street. Both sides must be willing to take it slowly and make compromises along the way to get to smooth sailing. Biden seems to have no problem with the former, but surprisingly lacking in the latter given his years of experience in foreign policy. To avoid a new Cold War means giving each other enough space to develop and act in its own way. Dictating terms and how others should behave will doom the world into another cycle of hard-knuckled competition that mires the common people in fear and despair. China has made the effort to convey its messages. During a visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, China set out its boundaries on bilateral relations with the U.S. If the U.S. sincerely seeks to manage its relationship with China, it should start by treating the redlines as legitimate and see China as an equal instead of a country that has to be cowed. As you walk into meetings with the Quad members, President Biden, remember you've said that you don't seek a new Cold War or to divide the world up. It is time for America to do exactly what you've said. The world is watching. By Huang Jiyuan Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou is expected to appear virtually in an American federal courtroom today to plead guilty in the U.S. proceedings against her, say sources. The Huawei Technologies chief financial officer will pay a fine as part of a plea deal, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly. Her court appearance was first reported by Reuters. Sources said if the New York court accepts the deal, Canadian Crown attorneys will appear in a Vancouver court later today to stay extradition proceedings against Meng. She could be free of house arrest as early as today. The U.S. District Court said Meng's virtual appearance will be at 1 p.m. ET in a Brooklyn courtroom. Today's developments could mark a new phase in the strained relationship between the Canadian and Chinese governments. The 49-year-old Meng was arrested at Vancouver's airport on Dec. 1, 2018 on a U.S. extradition request on allegations that she lied to a Hong Kong banker in August 2013 about Huawei's control of a subsidiary accused of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. A few days later, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were detained in what is largely seen as an act of retaliation by Beijing against Canada. Questions turn to release of Canadians Both men were charged with espionage. Spavor has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Kovrig has yet to be sentenced; his trial wrapped in March. Colin Robertson, who served as a Canadian diplomat in China, said he expects talks between Washington and Beijing will now pivot to returning the two men home. "You would get the plea by Meng Wanzhou and then at some later date we would see the two Michaels deported back to Canada, but I would not expect it to follow in a matter of days," he told CBC's The Early Edition. "This would be a negotiation involving Canada but it would be principally between the U.S. and China." The National Security Law is being used again to punish the pro-democracy Lai, but fear that Next Digitals forfeitable assets could be diminished appear to be whats driving this latest attack on basic property rights. [] On Sept. 17, a Hong Kong high court ruled that the Security Bureau maintains the power to restrict jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lais voting rights as the major shareholder of his media company, Next Digital. The high court did not specify whether Lai was allowed limited voting rights, allowing him to make decisions in dissolving Next Digital. The court suggested that Lai should first make an application to the bureau. The presiding justice, Anthony Chan Kin-keung, said the court was not in a position to run a full national security assessment on Next Digital but that Lai could come back to the high court if the Security Bureau were to deny his application. Hong Kong leaders have long pursued Lai for his pro-democracy influence, which runs in opposition to the commanding Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The ruling is the latest crackdown on Lai under the citys ever-restrictive National Security Law (NSL). The Beijing-imposed NSL bans Lai from handling his HK$1.88 billion in shares and funds, located in local bank accounts that house the capital of the three companies he owned. Lais lawyers argued that voting on liquidation matters within a company does not constitute dealing with frozen properties. Yet the CCP insists that such an action is included under the NSL because of its potential threat to national security. Hong Kong authorities suspect that Lai might use his vote to divert some financial support to those who endanger national security, whether individuals or groups overseas. The ruling marks the first time authorities have utilized the powers granted to them under the NSL against the assets of a company suspected of endangering national security. Chan agreed that the voting rights of a shareholder falls under a property right protected by Hong Kongs Basic Law, the citys version of a constitution. But Chan also pointed out that the right is not absolute or permanent. In his ruling, he also explained that one of the reasons a company receives a freezing notice is to allow for future confiscation or forfeiture. These extensive measures further the regimes aim of preventing and punishing any action of political dissent it deems a threat to national security. In his 30-page judgment, Chan said that if Lai were to have unrestricted voting rights, it would decrease the companys assets, which could result in a diminishing of shares that might be confiscated or forfeited in the future. Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence on charges of unauthorized assembly in the 2019 pro-democracy protests. He is due back in court on other NSL-related charges in November. This is yet one more event in Lais timeline of run-ins with the NSL. The Hong Kong government, in its pursuit of absolute control over its citizenry, continues to restrict the rights of individuals like Lai who promote democratic ideals. A set of fossilized footprints in White Sands National Park, New Mexico have been dated to around 23,000 years ago and offer the oldest firm evidence of humans in the Americas, appearing to show that people arrived here before the last Ice Age. David Bustos heard about the "ghost tracks" when he first went to White Sands National Park in New Mexico to work as a wildlife scientist in 2005. When the ground was wet enough at certain times of the year, the ghostly footprints would appear on the otherwise blank earth, only to disappear again when it dried out. It wasn't until over 10 years later, in 2016, that scientists confirmed that the ghost tracks had been made by real people and it's only now that some of the ancient footprints at White Sands have been dated as the earliest in North America. In Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada on Monday, a man walked into a Brunet Pharmacy and allegedly beat up a nurse who he blamed for administering a COVID-19 vaccine to his wife without his permission. "Right at the beginning, the suspect was very angry, very aggressive, he asked the nurse why she vaccinated his wife without approval, without his consent," Sherbrooke Police spokesperson Martin Carrier told CNN. "And he punched her right in the face multiple times so the nurse didn't have the time to defend or explain herself and she fell to the ground and the suspect left running out of the drugstore." The nurse was treated at a hospital for "multiple injuries to the face." Unfortunately, the asshole's identity is unknown and there's no surveillance video. The police have released a description and hope to charge him with assault. From CNN: As a result of the incident, the pharmacy told CNN partner, CBC, that they suspended vaccinations. CNN reached out to the pharmacy but they refused to comment on whether or not vaccinations were being administered Thursday. Brunet Pharmacy's parent company, The Jean Coutu Group Inc., also declined to comment but told CNN they "fully condemn this act which is unacceptable towards the pharmacy teams who have been providing essential services since the beginning of the pandemic." Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962), was an officer in the German Nazi Party who supervised the Holocaust and killed millions of Jews. After the war, he forged a new identity (Ricardo Klement) and escaped to Argentina, and sent for his family to live with him. He got a job working for Mercedes-Benz. This powerful and suspenseful animation tells the story of how Eichmann was captured by Israeli agents in Argentina, brought to Jerusalem, tried, and hanged in 1962. The gripping story is presented in the form of animated pen sketches and narrated from the point of view of Mossad agent Zvi Aharoni, who lost most of his family in the Holocaust and was a key member in the operation to capture Eichmann. Told through the experience of Israeli Mossad agent Zvi Aharoni, the film documents the discovery and capture of Adolf Eichmann, the senior Nazi official largely responsible for organizing and executing the Holocaust. Hidden for 15 years half a world away, and living under an assumed identity, Eichmann is tracked down by Aharoni and the agent, with a small team in tow, must design and execute a strategy for Eichmann's capture and extradition. [via Nag on the Lake] Posted Friday, September 24, 2021 2:30 am CRIMINAL CHARGES The following felony charges have been filed in Polk County Circuit Court: Ryan P. Richardson, born 1997, Bolivar; class A felony first-degree murder, felony armed criminal action; capias warrant served; no bond; due in court Sept. 22. CIVIL ACTIONS The following civil suits have been disposed in Polk County Circuit Court with Associate Circuit Judge Elizabeth V. Rohrs (unless otherwise noted) presiding: Douglas, Haun and Heidemann PC, Bolivar, vs. Kourtney Delton Bennett, Bolivar; breach of contract; consent judgment against Bennett for $2,229 and 9% annual interest plus court costs. The Well 4:14 LLC, Bolivar, vs. Classy Raggs Consignments LLC, Bolivar; unlawful detainer; default judgment against Classy Raggs Consignments LLC for $913 plus court costs. Jonathan Michael Doty, Humansville, vs. Jonathan R. Doty, Humansville; rent and possession; default judgment against defendant for possession of premises at 527 E. 358th Road, Humansville. William Duncan vs. Mark B. Diaz Irashae Holland; personal injury vehicular; dismissed by court without prejudice. Mark Webb vs. Jeffrey W. Webb; injunction; dismissed by parties. Progressive Casualty Insurance vs. Julie Davis; other tort; dismissed by court without prejudice. World Acceptance Corp. of Missouri vs. Candace Blaskowsky; breach of contract; dismissed by parties. World Acceptance Corp. of Missouri vs. Kimberlee Stagner; breach of contract; dismissed by court with prejudice. Genesis Health Clubs LLC vs. Victoria R. Aitken; suit on account; dismissed by court without prejudice. MM Finance LLC vs. Edgar A Lenzy; suit on account; dismissed by court without prejudice. Citibank NA vs. Dorin Boian; suit on account; dismissed by parties. Cavalry SPV I LLC vs. Jeremy P. Kelso; suit on account; dismissed by parties. Credit Corp. Solutions Inc. vs. Brian Devries; suit on account; dismissed by parties. PYOD LLC vs. Cindy Trobaugh; contract other; dismissed by parties. William Z. Butler vs. Mary Bounds et al; rent and possession; dismissed by court without prejudice. Thane H. Kifer vs. Ashley Fleetwood; small claims over $100; dismissed by court without prejudice. Catherine McLemore vs. Josh Norton; small claims over $100; dismissed by parties. CIVIL PETITIONS The following civil petitions have been filed in Polk County Circuit Court: Discover Bank vs. Robert L. Rummelt; contact other. Direct Capital, A Division of CIT Bank NA vs. Three Brothers Trucking LLC et al; breach of contract. Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. Cadese Christian; suit on account. Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. Debbie L. Khawja; suit on account. Trade Comm LLC vs. Jon Potter; breach of contract. Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. Ashley R. Moore; suit on account. Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. William Small; suit on account. ASSOCIATE COURT The following people pleaded guilty to traffic citations and misdemeanors in Polk County Circuit Court, Associate Judge John C. Porter presiding. Dollar amounts listed are for fines only; court costs are in addition to the fine. Amended charges were amended by the prosecutor. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Darril M. Alsup, Brighton; driving without a valid license; $41. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Jessie L. Gargus, Pleasant Hope; driving without a valid license; no insurance; suspended imposition of sentence, one year probation plus court costs. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Steve Lynn Hammond, Fair Play; possession of marijuana; $200; speeding; $110. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Brent C. Johnson, Springfield; defective equipment; $51. City of Pleasant Hope vs. David Michael Kutz, Scottsdale, Arizona; failure to register vehicle; $51. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Kathleen Grace Lynn, Springfield; no insurance; $78; failure to register vehicle; $85. City of Pleasant Hope vs. William A. Mundy, Pleasant Hope; speeding; $110. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Ryan Cesar Rodriguez, Aldrich; speeding; $101. City of Pleasant Hope vs. David Alan Sandquist, Aberdeen, South Dakota; speeding; $71. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Aaron Anthony Schlegel, Branson; speeding; $71. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Tyler Ray Schoen, Halfway; failure to stop at stop sign; $61; no seat belt; $10. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Tiffany Marie Stadler, Conway; speeding; $101. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Cody William Swaters, Brighton; speeding; $136. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Douglas G. Thieleman, Springfield; possession of marijuana; $100; no insurance; $61. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Steven Joseph Timmerman, Halfway; speeding; $71. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Emaly Nicole Wells, Kansas City; failure to register vehicle; $51. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Chaylene Marie Pilger Wilslef; Springfield; failure to register vehicle; suspended imposition of sentence, six months probation plus court costs. City of Pleasant Hope vs. Alicia L. Wilson, Pleasant Hope; no insurance; $77. Russell Joseph Abraham, Many, Louisiana; speeding; $71. Nathan Eric Adams, Kingston, Ohio; speeding; $71. Ashley Nichole Albright, Humansville; speeding; $101. Hunter Paige Alford, Humansville; speeding; $156; no seat belt; $10. Fahad Abdu M. Alsam, Springfield; speeding; $71. Melvin L. Anderson, Halfway; speeding; $71. Elijah Asif Baig, Springfield; defective equipment; $108. Rayne Deann Bailey, Lowry City; speeding; $71. Haley Cierra Bartholomew, Wheatland; no seat belt; $10. Curtis Bradley Barton, Lowry City; no seat belt; $10. Baylie Jean Beard, Nixa; defective equipment; $108. Steven Nathan Bridger, Agency; failure to display plates; $51. Tyson Porter Britton, San Tan Valley, Arizona; failure to proceed with caution when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle; $81. Deania L. Broeker, Buffalo; speeding; $101. Dylan Reid Buckley, Springfield; speeding; $61. Zionua Renee Caldera, Willard; speeding; $101. Gregory Kimbro Carter, Pleasant Hope; speeding; $340; no seat belt; $10. Debora Lynn Clark, Belton; defective equipment; $78. McKenzie Ann Clayton-Millican, Ozark; defective equipment; $78. William A. Cocking, Wichita, Kansas; speeding; $156. Erika L. Coe, Liberty; defective equipment; $78. Carlos Lamont Coleman, Blue Springs; defective equipment; $163. Frederick William Collins, Springfield; speeding; $71. Ethan Thomas Conley, Bolivar; speeding; $71. Hayley Marie Conner, speeding; $101. Michael Scott Conrad, Buffalo; failure to register vehicle; $51. Jeremy Michael Cornelison, Bolivar; speeding; $71. Charles P. Cosgrove, Independence; no seat belt; $10. Austin Wayne Crawford, Preston; speeding; $156. Phillip Andrew Culbertson, Fair Play; speeding; $101. Jason D. Daggett, Weaubleau; failure to display plates; $51. Axle Ray Davis, Flemington; no seat belt; $10. Christopher Andrew Davis, Humansville; failure to maintain plates; $51; no seat belt; $10. Lindsey Mae Dery, Rogersville; speeding; $71. Jared Wayne Dibben, Rogersville; failure to display plates; $51; no seat belt; $10. Johnnie Doll Doty, Humansville; no seat belt; $10. DISSOLUTIONS The following dissolutions of marriage have been granted in Polk County Circuit Court: Whitney N. Bays and Austin J. Bays. SHERIFFS REPORT The Polk County Sheriffs Office released the following reports for: Monday, Sept. 13 Jail capacity: 36 Inmates incarcerated: 49 Cameron Boyd, 32, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance and resisting/interfering with arrest for a felony. Lloyd Stubbs, 54, was arrested on a warrant for burglary first degree, unlawful entry and stealing. Anthony Stubbs, 30, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for stealing. Luke Carter, 23, of Fair Play was arrested for statutory rape or attempted statutory rape. Walter Bisher, 44, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for operating vehicle without a license, operating vehicle without maintaining financial responsibility and operating motor vehicle in careless and reckless manner. A 59-year-old male of Weaubleau was arrested on suspicion for possession of a controlled substance. Tuesday, Sept. 14 Jail capacity: 36 Inmates incarcerated: 48 Nicholas Himmelberg, 39, of Bolivar was arrested for forgery. A 42-year-old male of Flemington was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault fourth degree. Wednesday, Sept. 15 Jail capacity: 36 Inmates incarcerated: 49 A 20-year-old male of Bolivar was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Micah Witt, 29, of Louisburg was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation. Thursday, Sept. 16 Jail capacity: 36 Inmates incarcerated: 42 Michael Curtis, 44, of Lebanon was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear. Magen Brock, 35, of Fair Play was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear warrant for DWI, Greene County, failure to appear warrant possession of a controlled substance, Henry County, and failure to appear warrant, Greene County. Tyler Padgett, 22, of Bolivar was arrested on a warrant for a failure to appear warrant, Osage Beach. Raven Lawless, 35, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for stealing and trespass. Friday, Sept. 17 Dominic Torimino, 42, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear, traffic. Kailey Green, 25, of Goodman was arrested on a warrant for driving while revoked/suspended, driver/front passenger failure to wear seatbelt, driver failure to secure child. Angela Edwards, 50, of Springfield was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation. Saturday, Sept. 18 A 23-year-old male of Bolivar was arrested on suspicion for armed criminal action, defacing firearm, murder first-degree and possession of a defaced firearm. Trenda Loomis, 43, of Stockton was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear and property damage. Sunday, Sept. 19 Jail capacity: 36 Inmates incarcerated: 46 A 34-year-old male of Bolivar was arrested on suspicion for using a laser pointer. A 33-year-old male of Pleasant Hope was arrested on a warrant for harassment and violating order of protection for an adult. Amy Jarman, 29, was arrested on a warrant for burglary. COMMISSION MINUTES According to the minutes, Polk County Commissioners Shannon Hancock, Melinda Robertson and Kyle Legan conducted the following business during recent meetings of the commission: Friday, Sept. 3 Hancock, Legan, Robertson present. Minutes of last session approved. The August Add-on and Abatement Court Orders were received from collector Debbi McGinnis on Wednesday, Sept. 1. The August Prosecuting Attorney Fee Report was received from prosecuting attorney Ken Ashlock. The August Civil and Criminal Fee Report was received from sheriff Danny Morrison. The August Public Administrator Fee Report was received from public administrator Barbara Davolt. The August Statement of Collection Report was received from McGinnis. The August Circuit Clerk Distribution Listing Detail Report was received from circuit clerk Tiffany Phillips. The August Recorder of Deeds Deposit and Disbursement Report was received from recorder Carol Poindexter. The August County Clerk Collector Report was received from county clerk Rachel Lightfoot. The August Statement of Collection Report was received from McGinnis. The August Assessment Fee Report was received from assessor Rita Lemmon. The August Treasurers Balance Report was received from treasurer Shirley Allison. Morrison presented a grant application for Officer Safety Equipment and Technology for signature. Bids for propane were received as follows: Doke Propane bid $1.37 per gallon. Legan moved to accept the bid from Doke Propane. Robertson seconded. Vote was unanimous. Bids for diesel fuel to be used at Road and Bridge were received as follows: Rex Smith Oil of Springfield bid $2.4223, Heritage Oil Co of Springfield did not bid. Robertson moved to accept the bid from Rex Smith Oil. Legan seconded. Vote was unanimous. Public works supervisor Danny Crites updated the commission on conditions of county roads and bridges. Crites, Robertson, Hancock and Legan met with Tony Hitchcock to view East 470th and South 145th roads, and they also viewed Buffalo Road. Tuesday, Sept. 7 Hancock, Legan and Robertson present. Minutes of last session approved. Payroll was presented for approval and payment. Robertson moved to approve payroll and submit payroll for direct deposit. Legan seconded. Vote was unanimous. Danny Crites updated the commission on conditions of county roads and bridges. Robertson made a motion to adopt new bidding and purchasing procedures due to change in 50.660 RSMo. Legan seconded. Vote was unanimous. Friday, Sept. 10 Hancock, Legan and Robertson present. Minutes of last session approved. Wire transfer in the amount of $211,666.86 was received for the Law Enforcement Sales Tax fund. Wire transfer in the amount of $211,666.93 was received for the Capital Improvement Sales Tax fund. Stan Stevens and Brian Walker, representatives from Tech Electronics, visited with the commission and IT Consultant Alan Simpson. FOOD INSPECTIONS The following food service establishments were inspected by the Polk County Health Center on the dates shown, and the following violations were noted (critical violations involve handling of food; non-critical violations primarily involve housekeeping issues): Monday, Aug. 2 Caseys, 328 E. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; vent hood dirty. Tuesday, Aug. 3 C & K/Lotus Tea, 800 E. Aldrich, Ste. E, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 2 non-critical; 1. Unlabeled food containers. 2. Serving utensils improperly stored, corrected on site. Laneys, 500 S. Main, Pleasant Hope; routine; 3 critical; 1. Unlabeled spray bottle, corrected on site. 2. Box of ice cream leaking from seal, corrected on site. 3. Mice feces present, corrected on site; 2 non-critical; 1. Hand dryer or paper towels not provided at hand wash sink, corrected on site. 2. Floor dirty in kitchen area. Wild West Cowboy Cafe, 111 W. Adams, Pleasant Hope; routine; 2 critical; 1. Unlabeled spray bottle, corrected on site. 2. Food containers not properly labeled, corrected on site; 1 non-critical; freezer not holding food at proper temperature, corrected on site. Wednesday, Aug. 4 KIKO Hibachi, 2115 S. Springfield, Bolivar; follow-up; 12 critical; 1. Food items in fridge not dated, corrected on site. 2. Microwave dirty, repeat violation. 3. Vent hood dirty, repeat violation. 4. Raw meat above ready to eat food, repeat violation. 5. Unlabeled spray bottle, corrected on site. 6. Uncovered foot items, corrected on site. 7. Wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer, corrected on site. 8. Serving utensils improperly stored, corrected on site. 9. Food in hot hold at improper temperature. 10. Shellfish not held at proper temperature, repeat violation. 11. Food items on sushi counter not held at proper temperature. 12. Dishes not properly washed, repeat violation; 3 non-critical; 1. Food related products stored in bathroom, corrected on site. 2. Window screens on trailer torn. 3. Hand washing sink in trailer inaccessible. Little Caesar, 451 S. Springfield, Bolivar; follow-up; 1 critical; unable to demonstrate knowledge of food safety, repeat; 5 non-critical; 1. Hand washing sinks dirty, repeat violation. 2. Improper use of ware washing sink, repeat violation. 3. Dirty walls, floor and ceiling, repeat violation. 4. Restroom toilet dirty, repeat violation. 5. Thermometers missing in cold hold units, repeat violation. Thursday, Aug. 5 Panther Inn, 5298 S. Main, Morrisville; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Hannahs #5, 1164 Maple St., Morrisville; routine; 0 critical; 2 non-critical; 1. Fans in walk in cooler dirty. 2. Serving utensils improperly stored, corrected on site. Dusty Bobs, 750 E. Parkview, Bolivar; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Fast-n-Friendly, 1602 E. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 3 critical; 1. Hot hold not holding food at proper temperature, corrected on site. 2. Raw meat stored above ready to eat food, corrected on site. 3. Ice machine dirty, repeat violation; 1 non-critical; storeroom dirty. Friday, Aug. 6 Little Caesar, 451 S. Springfield, Bolivar; follow-up; 0 critical; 5 non-critical; Hand washing sinks dirty, repeat violation. 2. Improper use of ware washing sink, repeat violation. 3. Dirty walls, floor and ceiling, repeat violation. 4. Restroom toilet dirty, repeat violation. 5. Thermometers missing in cold hold units, repeat violation. Monday, Aug. 9 Fast-n-Friendly, 1913 W. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 1 critical; ice machine dirty, corrected on site; 1 non-critical; oven, shelves and ceiling dirty. Fast-n-Friendly, 1602 E. Broadway, Bolivar; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Grillin & Chillin, 1255 E. 420th Road, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. The Well 4:14, 218 W. Jackson, Bolivar; routine; 1 critical; unlabeled spray bottle, corrected on site; 2 non-critical; 1. Food items in freezer not properly labeled, corrected on site. 2. Fridge missing thermometer, corrected on site. Tuesday, Aug. 10 Hawg Wild, 2115 S. Village Lane, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Kum & Go, 2565 S. Springfield, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 3 non-critical; 1. Serving utensils not properly stored, corrected on site. 2. Mens restroom toilet dirty, corrected on site. 3. Store room and walk-in unit floor dirty. Sonic, 404 S. Springfield, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 3 non-critical; 1. Floor, shelving and card holders dirty. 2. Vent hood dirty. 3. Serving utensils stored improperly, corrected on site. Kum & Go, 3303 W. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 1 critical; mice feces present in cabinets; 2 non-critical; 1. Floors and cabinets dirty. 2. Serving utensils improperly stored, corrected on site. Thursday, Aug. 12 Elks Lodge, 1999 W. Broadway, Bolivar; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Home Court #2, 1201 E. 418th Road, Bolivar; routine; 2 critical; 1. Fridge holding food at improper temperature, corrected on site. 2. Unlabeled spray bottle, corrected on site; 0 non-critical. Home Court #3, 1205 E. 418th Road, Bolivar; routine; 1 critical; fridge holding food at improper temperature, corrected on site; 2 non-critical; 1. Septic system lower zone needs service/repaired. 2. Can opener dirty, corrected on site. Home Court #4, 4702 S. 92nd Road, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; mold under kitchen sink. Home Court #5, 972 E. 433rd Road, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; mice feces present in kitchen sink. Home Court #6, 3891 Hwy. 83, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 2 non-critical; 1. Kitchen sink leaking, corrected on site. 2. Kitchen sink cabinet dirty. Kum & Go, 3303 W. Broadway, Bolivar; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Thursday, Aug. 19 Humansville Half Century Club, 102 W. Tilden, Humansville; pre-opening; 1 critical; reach-in freezer not working; 0 non-critical. Monday, Aug. 23 Bolivar Intermediate School, 1300 N. Hartford, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Bolivar Middle School, 604 W. Jackson, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Bolivar High School, 1401 N. Pomme de Terre, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Bolivar Primary School, 706 N. Leonard, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Thursday, Aug. 26 Humansville School, 300 N. Oak, Humansville; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; sanitizer test strips unavailable. Ball Family Restaurant, 108 S. Ohio, Humansville; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; storeroom floor dirty behind equipment. BAA Foods, 301 W. Tilden, Humansville; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; floor dirty under shelving and behind equipment. Friday, Aug. 27 Ozark Mt. Dessert Coffee, 1106 Dixie Lane, Morrisville; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Halfway School, 2150 Hwy 32, Halfway; routine; 1 critical; milk delivered at improper temperature, corrected on site; 0 non-critical. 32 Whistle Stop, 2135 Hwy 32, Halfway; pre-opening; 0 critical; 3 non-critical; 1. Floor, shelving and hood vent dirty. 2. Damaged floor tiles. 3. Cover torn on booth seat. Monday, Aug. 30 Roosters BBQ, 525 W. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Brendas Cafe, 119 W. Broadway, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 2 non-critical; 1. Can opener dirty. 2. Plumbing leaking under ware wash sink. Humansville Half Century Club, 102 W. Tilden, Humansville; follow-up; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. Tuesday, Aug. 31 SBU-Fresh Ideas, 1600 University Ave., Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 1 non-critical; hood vents dirty. Burger King, 1911 S. Springfield, Bolivar; routine; 0 critical; 0 non-critical. KIKO Hibachi, 2115 S. Springfield, Bolivar; follow-up; 3 critical; 1. Microway dirty, repeat violation. 2. Vent hood dirty, repeat violation. 3. Raw meat stored above ready to eat foods; 0 non-critical. MARRIAGE APPLICATIONS The following marriage applications were filed in the Polk County Recorders office: Nathaniel Scott Campbell, 29, Bolivar, and Ashley Mlyn Huff, 25, Bolivar. Jeffrey James Buckmaster, 44, Bolivar, and Janette Marie Morgan, 38, Bolivar. Dalton Bradley Freeze, 25, Bolivar, and Jaclyn Paige Stander, 27, Bolivar. Colan Walter Sims, 24, Buffalo, and Ashley Nichole Conrad, 24, Buffalo. Miguel Clark Keller, 29, Humansville, and Timbra Lee Rummel, 25, Humansville. Jake Andrew Jacobson, 30, Bolivar, and Mariah Leigh Fisher, 25, Springfield. Cody James Sterling, 42, Fair Play, and Laena Paige Odom, 30, Fair Play. Curtis Fredrick Strange, 32, Bolivar, and Stephanie Rose Mowery, 33, Bolivar. Robert John Lopez, 20, Bolivar, and Teela Marie Collins, 21, Bolivar. "Stealthing"Removing a Condom Without ConsentCould Soon Be Illegal In California Sexual violence comes in various forms, and for many across the globe, knowledge of what does and does not count as sexual consent remains unclear. Before watching Michaela Coels TV series, I May Destroy You, I hadnt known that non-consensual removal of condoms is classed as sexual assault. ADVERTISEMENT In a sensual scene, Arabella (Coel) has sex with fellow writer Zain (Karan Gill) who secretly removes his condom after coercing her into engaging in the infamous doggy position. Moments before having sexual intercourse, Arabella ensures that Zain has a condom, with the idea of a reduced risk of pregnancy and S.T.Is. However, it isnt until after Zain ejaculated that Arabella finds out about Zains removal of the condom when she asks what he did with it. Zains excuse is that it [the condom] got uncomfortable, and Arabella is forced to get the morning-after pill. In the next episode, the investigators of Arabellas previous report of rape tell her that the secret removal of a condom is classed as rape. The problem is when people dont know what isnt a crime, and what is a crime, they dont report it. And then people get away with it, they tell her. In this episode, Coel reveals to her many viewers that the secret removal of a condom is classed as rape in the U.K., which is news to many viewers. The act, which has been dubbed as "stealthing," is already being prosecuted as sexual assault in several countries including the U.K., Germany, and Switzerland. Last week, legislature in California unanimously passed a bill making it illegal to partake in non-consensual condom removal. Should Governor Gavin Newsom sign the bill into law by October 10th, California will become the first U.S state to make stealthing an illegal violation of consent. Congresswoman Cristina Garcia, introduced the bill which would allow victims to sue the perpetrators for damages. She had also previously created the bill four years ago, proposing to make stealthing a criminal violation. Although the bill will make the removal of a condom without verbal consent illegal, it doesnt change criminal codes, only civil codes. Garcias interest in addressing nonconsensual condom removal stems from a 2017 article by attorney Alexandra Brodksy, who was a third-year law student at Yale at the time. The paper, Rape-Adjacent: Imagining Legal Responses to Nonconsensual Condom Removal, combines first-person interviews with legal analysis to bring to light the similarities between stealthing and other forms of sexual assault. In an Interview with The New Yorker, Brodsky explains how she came up with the idea of anti-stealthing for her paper, saying, I met a lot of survivors, and I was exposed to stories about a lot of different kinds of sexual harm. Sexual violence takes many formsvery little of it looks like the cliche of rapists jumping out of the bushesand, especially among young people, sexual violence often happens in the context of otherwise consensual sex. Some readers may be wondering how this act can be placed as akin to crimes as awful as rape. Speaking to The New Yorker, Brodsky explains the impact stealthing has on survivors saying, The survivors of this harm talked to me about a range of feelings: how it made them feel powerless, how it made them feel as though their partners just had no concern at all for their autonomy. It was also interesting to me that a lot of the people I talked to were deeply hurt by the experience but didnt know if they were right to feel that way. They didnt know if what they felt as bad was really bad. In my experience, part of the value of naming these things is to affirm for survivors that they have the right not to be treated this way. Lawyer, Carly Mee at the Fierberg National Law Group on behalf of victims of sexual violence, explains the traumatic impact stealthing has on victims, This is an act that violates someones independence. There is a risk of pregnancy and a risk of sexually transmitted infections, but in essence it is changing the overall nature of sexual encounters. Mee goes on to say that under the California bill, stealthing is actually a breach and that victims can pursue damages from the perpetrator. A professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, Elizabeth Jegcric, explains that stealthing can cause post-traumatic stress similar to that experienced by rape victims. She says that, Many women explain it to the feeling of having experienced rape. It violates the trust you had in your partner. The laws of sexual consent may appear complex as sexual violence comes in various forms. Thus, it is fantastic that people like Coel, Brodsky and Garcia are beginning to expose the violent extents of stealthing to those who still remain unaware of the many forms of consent. We can only hope that more US states will follow in Californias stead and criminalize stealthing. Photo courtesy of Charles Deluvio on Unsplash Tilly O'Brien is an English Literature Graduate, starting an Ma in International Journalism at the University of Leeds, UK. Tilly writes for various British blogs including the Leeds Tab and has her own travel blog which you can follow here: https://tillytravels.live-website.com/ New York City has once again taken the top spot in the Global Financial Centres Index. (Reuters) London continues to lag behind New York as the most attractive financial centre of the world, an apparent legacy of Brexit that has made the UK capital take the second spot in Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) rankings for the third year in a row. New York has held on to the top position in the index since 2018, with London in second place, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore in third and fourth. Published on Friday by Z/Yen Group in partnership with the China Development Institute (CDI), the GFCI assesses future competitiveness and rankings for 116 financial centres around the world, serving as a reference guide for investors and policy makers. New York also took the top spot on the index's FinTech rankings, followed by Shanghai. London came third, rising two places since last year. Overall, North American centres performed well in the rankings, reflecting renewed optimism about the US and Canadian economies as COVID vaccination drives help get a grip on the pandemic. The GFCI is compiled using 146 instrumental factors. These quantitative measures are provided by third parties including the World Bank, the Economist Intelligence Unit, the OECD and the United Nations. Credit: Z/Yen Group/China Development Institute Cities in western Europe also performed well, with most gaining rank position. Paris jumped 15 positions to take the 10th spot, while Amsterdam jumped 11 positions taking the 17th rank. Frankfurt, however, dropped from top 10, slipping five spots to 14th. All the three cities have been hopeful of wooing big business away from London with Britain's departure from the European Union since Brexit. In January, Amsterdam surpassed London as Europes largest share trading centre by absorbing much trade in euro-denominated assets, though London has been back on top recently. London, however, continues to lead in Europe, reflecting investor confidence in the longer-term prospects for the City. "The cities [New York and London] are closely matched, but it does seem that Londons attractiveness has fallen slightly in comparison with New York over the period following the Brexit vote in 2016. We will continue to track their progress," Mike Wardle, director of Z/Yen Group, told Yahoo Finance. Story continues Read more: European markets down as investors continue to fret about Evergrande The rankings also show that Asia/Pacific centres have fallen in the ratings, and GFCI assessments suggest a less favourable view of Chinese cities indicating economic gains in the region arising from the pandemic may be levelling off. On the other hand, the relatively strong performance of New York and London suggests that the financial services sectors in these cities managed to sustain their performance despite radical changes in working practices during the last 18 months. We see two patterns in the results for GFCI 30 [30th edition] confidence in the recovery of the North American and Western European economies following the shock of 2020; and a levelling off following the rapid rise of Asia/Pacific centres and their economic stability in the COVID-19 pandemic," said Professor Michael Mainelli, executive chairman of Z/Yen. He said in a statement that competition remains tight and that "outside the top two centres, only five points on a 1,000 point scale separate the centres ranked third to eighth. Watch: UK considers joining US-Mexico-Canada trade deal A research project on the free and informed consent and imposed sterilization of First Nations and Inuit women in Quebec is underway. Indigenous researchers, women's groups, health-care providers and others are collecting testimonies across the province until mid-October. (Chantal Dubuc/CBC - image credit) Tired of waiting for Quebec to acknowledge reports of forced sterilization, a group of Indigenous researchers, women's groups, health-care providers and others are collecting testimonies from First Nations and Inuit women to document the practice in the province. And they are hoping to encourage more people to come forward between now and mid-October. What's known as forced or imposed sterilization has been documented in some other provinces, such as British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, but there is a "glaring lack of relevant data" in Quebec, according to the group. "When you want to change something and you want to make it right you have to first acknowledge the wrong that has been done," said Marjolaine Sioui, director general of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission, one of the groups involved in the research. When you ... want to make it right, you have to first acknowledge the wrong. - Marjolaine Sioui, dir. gen. of FNQLHSSC The group has been collecting stories from victims, families and health-care workers since May. "These medical procedures were aimed at a slowdown in the First Nations birth rate and these decisions, sadly irrevocable, were imposed against the values of these women," said Sioui in a news statement. Cree women among the partners submitted by Stella Masty Bearskin The term "forced sterilization" refers to the practice of sterilizing someone without their proper or informed consent, and sometimes without them ever being told, according to Stella Masty Bearskin, the former chairperson of the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association, another partner in the research project. ''They went under the knife for something else but at the same time, they would have the tubal ligation. This was something they didn't ask for," Masty Bearskin said. "They would wonder why they couldn't have more children." She said they also want to hear from any men who suspect they may be victims as well, as they have also heard stories of residential schools sterilizing young boys. Story continues Other partners in the research project include the Council of Elected Women of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), Quebec Native Women and the Cree and Nunavik health boards. For Cree women, two interviewers have been hired and are already collecting testimonies in Cree or English. A video about the research effort has also been produced. (Find it here on the Facebook page of the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association.) Class-action lawsuit proposed Alberta and B.C. are the only two provinces that enacted legislation allowing for sterilization from the 1930s to the early 1970s, but experts say the practice happened across Canada informally, and there are some reports that it is still happening. A proposed multi-province class-action lawsuit has been launched in connection with several documented cases, some as recent as 2018. Those behind the Quebec-focused study say they could join the class action or launch their own lawsuit once testimonies are collected and investigated. Andrew Shurtleff/AP "I hope that the wall of silence will be broken, because women will finally be listened to. The research will provide a portrait of what some of these women have been through in hospitals, and finally make the truth known," said Sioui. The study is being spearheaded by the Canada Research Chair on Indigenous Women's Issues at the Universite du Quebec en Abitibi-Temiscamingue, led by professor Suzy Basile. In 2018, Quebec declined to take part in a federal working group examining the forced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada. "It seemed essential to us to compile a portrait of the situation in order to better understand it and measure its impacts," said Basile in a news statement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) San Miguel Corporation has broken ground on its multibillion-peso Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), which seeks to link the eastern and western cities of Metro Manila. "Im very proud that we have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide an inclusive, future-ready solution to traffic, and at the same, restore the Pasig River back to its old glory," SMC president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang said in a statement on Friday. The 95-billion project, which is solely funded by SMC, will be a six-lane elevated expressway that will run along the banks of the river, from Radial Road 10 in Manila to C-6 Road or the South East Metro Manila Expressway inTaguig City. It will also feature a bus rapid transit system, dedicated bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways. Once the 19.37-kilometer expressway opens to the motoring public, it will reduce travel time between Manila and Rizal province from two hours to only 15 minutes. Earlier this week, the tycoon said the construction may begin by the first quarter of 2022. READ: Pasig River Expressway construction may begin early 2022 Ang is targeting to complete the project before 2027 or within five years. Aside from PAREX, San Miguel is also investing 2 billion to rehabilitate the Pasig River. After the cleanup, it hopes the river can be safely used again as an alternative mode of transportation, utilizing watercraft or water ferries. "This is a private investment. We will spend our own money, so we will not build something that will not be beneficial to the public. We are not the type of people who will build something that will be bad for the public, the environment, and our country, for the sake of profits," Ang said in response to the project's critics. "In fact, we are investing a lot of money and other resources for these projects, even if the returns will take a whilebecause our country needs them," he added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The newest Netflix show Squid Game has kept many viewers on the edge of their seats after seeing some cash-strapped players risk their lives in some deadly children's games. Some Filipino viewers may have also briefly noticed a familiar face on their screens Filipino actor Christian Lagahit, also known as Player 276 in the trending Korean series. "I actually auditioned for the role of Ali, which was played by my Indian friend (Anupam Tripathi)," Lagahit told CNN Philippines' New Day on Friday. "However, since I didn't get that role, mid of last year, the production just called me and told me that I'll be playing a special role for that drama series," he added. Lagahit has appeared on the show's fourth episode titled "Stick to the Team", helping some of the main cast in the fatal tug-of-war game to get closer to winning the 45.6 billion won cash prize, which is equivalent to nearly 2 billion. Squid Game topped the Philippines Top 10 Netflix titles since its release on Sept. 17. For Lagahit, being part of the series and representing the Filipino community is a "surreal" experience. "To be honest, I did not expect that it would be as big as it is right now, not just in the Philippines but all over the world," he said. Aside from acting in K-dramas, Lagahit works as a marketing consultant in South Korea and serves as a community leader in his area. He is also a former English teacher. Lagahit has been staying in South Korea since 2015. He started getting booked for acting gigs for different shows in 2017. "I was scouted by a Korean manager and out of nowhere, she asked me, 'can I take a photo of you, can I have your details?' And from then, she just started sending my portfolio to different productions," he shared. "In 2017, I started doing casting calls." Lagahit appeared in other hit shows, including crime thriller film The Negotiation (2018) alongside Son Yejin and Hyun Bin and in the Netflix series Space Sweepers (2021) which starred Song Joong-ki. "I am proud that I represent the minorities here, especially the Filipino community," he said. Squid Game, a nine-episode dystopian series starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, and Wi Ha-joon, is available for streaming on Netflix. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) Withdrawing from your bank account anytime, anywhere is now made possible, thanks to BDO's Cash Agad. Committed to boosting financial inclusion in the Philippines, Cash Agad is BDO's latest service for areas with limited reach to banks or automated teller machines. This is a banking solution where users with locally issued debit or prepaid card can withdraw cash or simply check their balance via point-of-sale (POS) machines. These machines can be found in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are Cash Agad partner agents - like your nearby sari-sari stores, bakeries, groceries, hardware stores, and other establishments you can easily access in your community. Transacting through Cash Agad is as easy as 1-2-3: 1. Head to your nearest Cash Agad partner agent by looking for the Cash Agad logo. 2. Inform the cashier the amount of cash you want to withdraw then insert your ATM debit or prepaid card in the POS terminal. 3. Input your PIN. 4. Get your card, cash, and transaction receipt. Through Cash Agad, you do not have to travel far just to get a hold of your cash. You just have to pay a 15 to 50 convenience fee per transaction and you are ready to go! Cash Agad also gives MSMEs another way to earn extra income. Currently, BDO has 9,500 partner cash agents across 1,400 municipalities nationwide. For business owners interested to be one of BDO's Cash Agad partners, you just have to have a BDO or BDO Network Bank account and business permit to be submitted to https://www.bdo.com.ph/cash-agad-application. For more information about Cash Agad, visit https://www.bdo.com.ph/cash-agad. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Department of Health said Friday it is looking into the reason behind the recent drop in COVID-19 tests conducted in seven regions, including Metro Manila. "We are assessing the reasons for this decline and if this reflects a true decline in cases or just affected by the other factors such as ongoing active case finding and contact tracing and the use of antigen (test) to complement the RT-PCR testing," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing. Vergeire noted that aside from the National Capital Region, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga conducted fewer tests this week compared to the previous week. The National Capital Region saw the "largest decline" with a 10% drop -- from 287,548 samples tested to 258,047, Vergeire added. The health official said the department is seeking to find out if the decrease in reported cases were "largely affected by the rapid and large decline in RT-PCR laboratory output." The Philippines recorded a daily average of 18,708 infections from Sept. 17 to 23 an 8% decrease from the 20,370 tallied the week prior. Before cases dipped, the country's daily infections hit a new peak. On Sept. 6 to 12, the DOH logged an average of 20,959 cases per day, double the previous peak recorded on March 29 to April 4, which was 10,431. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) Former Senator Joseph Victor JV Ejercito on Friday confirmed he will seek a return to the Senate in the 2022 elections despite the possibility he would again compete with his half-brother, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada. I don't want to dwell on that anymore, Ejercito told reporters. Last 2019 kasi parang naubos yung oras ng issue noon, yung campaign, mas tumagal doon sa sibling rivalry, parang natakpan yung performance natin, natakpan yung platform." [Translation: Thats because in 2019, the issue during the campaign dwelled on sibling rivalry. It seems to have sidelined our performance and platform.] Ejercito was close to reelection in 2019, placing 13th in the senatorial race. Jinggoy ranked 15th. In October 2018, Ejercito left the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), the political party founded by their father, former President Joseph Erap Estrada, amid his feud with Jinggoy. He now belongs to the Nationalist Peoples Coalition, led by Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III, while Jinggoy is president of PMP. Ejercito said their father earlier asked him to consider returning to San Juan City politics of instead, but he did not budge. The best case scenario now is for his brother to be the one to join the local race, he added. He said his father did not want to get between him and Jinggoy, saying they can decide because they are both grownups. The elder Estrada offered to help him in anyway he can, Ejercito said. I get the signal that pumayag naman siya. Kumbaga (that he gave me his blessing. Meaning), he respected my decision to run again for the Senate, he added. Ejercito said he wants to pick up where I left off and oversee the implementation of his pet measure, the Universal Health Care Act. With this pandemic, talagang na-expose yung weakness ng ating health care system, he said. All the more that we need the Universal Health Care to be prioritized and given funding na sa tingin ko, I have to be honest also na hindi siya nabigyan nang ganoong importansya. [Translation: With this pandemic, the weakness of our health care system was really exposed. All the more that we need the Universal Health Care to be prioritized and given funding, which I think, I have to be honest also that it was not given the importance due to it.] Ejercito had expressed his intent to seek a Senate comeback as early as June, if there would be enough funds for the campaign. He said this remains a challenge, but he mustered the confidence to run because of the support of different groups, including NPC. Ejercito is counting on his good name and track record to win a Senate seat. My public service record is very clean, wala ho tayong bahid, wala ho tayong sabit (no blemish, no fault)," he added. Meanwhile, Jinggoy said in June he was inclined to run for senator again, but has not announced a final decision. He served two terms as senator from 2004 to 2016, the last two years of which were spent in jail due to plunder charges in connection with the pork barrel scam. He was released on bail in 2017 after three years in jail, but his plunder case remains pending. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) Metro Manila is now at moderate risk for COVID-19, as it recently saw a slight decline in cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday. In early August, the National Capital Region (NCR) was tagged as high risk for COVID-19 due to huge case spikes, which forced the region to return to the strictest enhanced community quarantine. The government recently relaxed the movement restrictions in the region, implementing a new version of the general community quarantine, which maximizes granular lockdowns. "NCR showed a negative or low-risk two-week growth rate and a high-risk average daily attack rate and is currently at moderate risk case classification," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum. Average daily attack rate, defined as the number of infected people per 100,000 population, slightly dipped to 36.59, from 37.11 logged by Metro Manila three to four weeks ago, she said. An area is considered high risk if its attack rate reached above seven, according to DOH. Officials earlier said the higher the attack rate in an area, the higher a person's risk of getting the infectious disease there. Meanwhile, the region's two-week growth rate of cases went down to -1% in the past 14 days, from 34% recorded three to four weeks ago, Vergeire noted. A positive growth rate means infections are increasing, while a negative growth indicates that cases are decreasing. Metro Manila logged a daily average of 4,480 infections from Sept. 17 to 23 a 23% decrease from the 5,842 tallied the week prior, Vergeire said. Projections The region's average number of COVID-19 cases recorded per day may reach 6,085 by the end of the month, then drop to 4,450 by October 30, the health official noted, citing projections. Active cases, meanwhile, could go up to around 58,000 by the end of this month, then decrease to 46,000 by the end of October. As of September 23, NCR has 41,609 confirmed active cases. Vergeire cautioned, "These projections are not set in stone primarily because these are also based on assumptions and changes in our actual case trend. (CNN) -- Forget France, AUKUS and nuclear-powered submarines -- one of the most important moments for the future of US influence in Asia is due to take place on Friday in Washington. US President Joe Biden is holding the first in-person meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as "the Quad," an informal strategic forum of the United States, Australia, Japan and India -- all democratic countries with a vested interest in countering China's rise in Asia. Biden will be joined in Washington by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian leader Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to discuss "promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific," according to the White House. The meeting comes at a time of great change for US policy in Asia. As the Biden administration moves to strengthen its diplomatic partnerships in the region, Japan is taking an increasingly hawkish view of China's military buildup. At the same time, Australia's AUKUS defense pact with the US and the United Kingdom has solidified Washington's commitment to Asia while making some important Southeast Asian partners uneasy. At this critical point, what the Quad chooses to do next is more important than ever. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Malcolm Davis said compared to its early roots under the George W. Bush administration, the Quad had evolved from a "low key political and economic dialogue" to a very significant player in the Asia Pacific region. "The Quad is not an Asian NATO ... but at the same time it is clearly moving in the direction of a cooperative security approach," Davis said. Countering China The Quad was initially proposed in 2007, but was put on hold for a decade until it was revived under former US President Donald Trump amid China's rise as an economic and military superpower. The diplomatic environment in Asia has changed markedly since that 2017 revival -- and the Quad has taken on a greater significance. In April 2020, relations between Australia and China took a major downturn after Australia's Morrison called for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19. Beijing retaliated by imposing punitive restrictions on Australian goods and the relationship is yet to recover. Meanwhile, ties between Washington and Beijing that deteriorated under Trump have faltered further under Biden as the US solidifies its diplomatic partnerships in Asia with a view to containing China. The new American outreach was enthusiastically welcomed in Australia and earlier this month the two governments joined the UK to announce AUKUS, an agreement by which the three nations would exchange military information and technology to form a closer defense partnership in Asia. Japan has also welcomed greater US involvement in the region. After attempting to pursue a warmer China policy in the early years of Chinese President Xi Jinping's time as leader, Japan has grown increasingly wary of Beijing over the past year. In an unusually blunt interview with CNN in September, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Japan would "resolutely defend" its territory in the East China Sea "against Chinese action." Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said India was now the most cautious member of the Quad and how far the group is willing to push on defense cooperation and antagonizing China might depend on Delhi. Following a border clash between India and China in mid-2020, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers, experts said Delhi has been reluctant to antagonize Beijing. But writing in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs in early 2021, Amrita Jash, a research fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, said India was still moving closer to the US militarily, including new and enhanced military exercises, arms purchases and technology transfers. Part of the cooperation involves improved tracking and targeting technology, Jash said. "(There is) an imperative need for India to keep close watch on Chinese (military) movements along the Himalayan border and in mapping China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean," she added. Glaser said there was one other determinant in how far the Quad would be willing to go in opposing Beijing. "Another factor is China's own behavior. The more willing China is to threaten other countries' interests, threaten economic coercion ... the more countries will be willing to push back," she said. United on Taiwan Taiwan is likely to be one of the key points up for discussion in Washington on Friday. Over the past year, Beijing has stepped up military activity around the island, which has been governed separately from mainland China since the end of a civil war more than seven decades ago. The Chinese Communist Party views Taiwan -- home to about 24 million people -- as an inseparable part of its territory, despite having never controlled it. President Xi has also previously warned that Beijing would not rule out the use of force to "reunite" Taiwan with mainland China. Under Trump and now Biden, the US has strengthened its ties with Taiwan in recent years, agreeing to major arms sales and sending high-profile diplomats on visits to the island. Australia has regularly joined the US in voicing its support for Taiwan and in July, Japan's deputy prime minister, Taro Aso, said in a speech reported by local media that Tokyo should join forces with Washington to defend the island from any invasion. Then in August, for the first time, a meeting of senior officials from the Quad released a statement which stressed the "importance of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait." Glaser said she believed the August statement could have preempted a reference to Taiwan in the meeting of the Quad leaders this week, which would be an unusually strong step by the Indian government. "I think that will be quite a wake-up call (for Beijing). They've been hearing it from Australia and Japan but never from India," she said. A united Quad could help deter any further aggression by the Chinese government toward Taiwan, according to Ben Scott, director of the Australia's Security and the Rules-based Order Project at Sydney's Lowy Institute. However, he said nuance would be important in any messaging to avoid a spiral into potential confrontation. "There's always a risk of going too far and tipping into provocation," he said. AUKUS fallout The Quad meeting might come at a useful moment for the US, Scott said -- there's never been a better time for Washington to show it is part of a broad, cohesive community in Asia. Scott said while he believed the AUKUS agreement had been a positive step for US diplomacy in Asia, it had also presented a very "Anglosphere" face to the region. "It is self described as a club of maritime democracies which automatically excludes most of Southeast Asia," Scott said. "(And) the center of gravity for (US-China) competition is in Southeast Asia." In a September 17 statement, Indonesia said it was "deeply concerned" about an arms race in Asia Pacific, and called on Australia to respect international law and its commitment to peace and stability. A day later, Malaysia said the AUKUS deal could provoke other powers to "act more aggressively in the region, especially the South China Sea." By being part of a larger cooperative agreement with Japan and India, Scott said the US can present a more diverse face to Southeast Asia, among other parts of the continent -- one that isn't solely concentrated on military brinksmanship but also economic and political cooperation. Beijing has pointed to the AUKUS deal as an example of how Washington is only focused on military power in Asia, Scott said. In comparison, China this week formally requested to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an 11-country free trade pact that the US withdrew from under Trump. Scott said it was important for the US to now use the Quad to focus on "positive and inclusive" agreements in Asia Pacific, if it was going to effectively counter Beijing. "If you want to win hearts and minds in the (Asia Pacific) region, the first priority is Covid and the second is more broader economic stability and security," he said. This story was first published on CNN.com "US-China policy: Biden is bringing together Japan, Australia and India fo stare down China". Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) AllDay Marts Inc., a Villar group-led supermarket chain operator, has secured the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct a 5.8-billion initial public offering (IPO). In a statement Friday, the SEC said it "considered favorably" the market debut of the company. AllDay Marts seeks to offer 6,857,143,000 primary common shares, with an overallotment option of up to 685, 714, 000 common shares, priced at 0.80 per share. The shares will be listed on the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange. The IPO will run from October 15 to 25, according to the SEC. The company could raise 5.296 billion from the primary offer shares. If the overallotment is fully exercised, AllDay Marts could get an additional 530.5 million. Proceeds from this will be used to finance its debt repayment, capital expenditures, and store network expansion. It ended the first half with a total of 33 stores. For next year, the company is eyeing to bolster its footprint by at least 10 more stores. By 2026, AllDay Marts targets to have a store network of 100. AllDay Marts engaged PNB Capital and Investment Corporation as the sole issue manager for the transaction. PNB Capital will also work with BDO Capital & Investment Corporation and China Bank Capital Corporation as joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners. (CNN) -- From the climate crisis to Covid, Marc Benioff sees a common thread for what ails America today: deception that is allowed to spread like wildfire on Facebook. "This digital revolution really kind of has the world in its grip. And in that grip, you can see the amount of mistrust and misinformation that is happening," Benioff told CNN. The Salesforce CEO and owner of Time Magazine warned these lies tricking social media users are making it harder to solve the biggest problems gripping society. "Look at how it is affecting the world. You can talk about the political process. You can talk about climate. You can talk about the pandemic," Benioff said. "In each and every major topic, it gets connected back to the mistrust that is happening and especially the amount of it being seeded by the social networks. It must stop now." Benioff is an outspoken critic of Facebook who has previously called for breaking up Mark Zuckerberg's empire, which is now worth nearly $1 trillion. 'Level of deceit' The Salesforce CEO is ramping up his criticism of Facebook following an investigation from The Wall Street Journal that used internal documents to show the company is not only well aware of its platforms' negative effects on users -- but how it has repeatedly failed to address them. Over the summer, the White House pressed tech companies, including Facebook, to get a handle on vaccine misinformation. Facebook took action against the so-called "disinformation dozen" a month later. "Some of these social media companies, especially Facebook, you can see that they don't really care that their platform is filled with all of this disinformation," Benioff said. The tech billionaire called for Congress to crack down on Facebook's disinformation problem. "I own Time and I am held accountable for what is produced on my platform," Benioff said, adding that CNN and other media outlets are also held accountable. "In regards to Facebook, they are not held accountable. So they do not have an incentive from the government. That has to change." Benioff urged Congress to review existing laws to try to stop the "level of deceit" happening on social networks. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment on Benioff's criticism. However, the company published a seven-paragraph blog post last weekend defending itself and pushing back on the Journal investigation. "At the heart of this series is an allegation that is just plain false: that Facebook conducts research and then systematically and willfully ignores it if the findings are inconvenient for the company," Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, wrote in the post. "This impugns the motives and hard work of thousands of researchers, policy experts and engineers at Facebook who strive to improve the quality of our products, and to understand their wider (positive and negative) impact." After Texas abortion law, Benioff offers to move unhappy workers Beyond social media, Benioff has been outspoken on social issues -- including the Texas abortion law. After that law took effect earlier this month, Salesforce announced that it would relocate Texas employees -- and their immediate families -- if they are concerned about access to reproductive care. "We have this happening on a regular basis," Benioff said. "We have a governor or president or some ministry of some country that makes some kind of discriminatory statement that upsets our employees and our message to our employees is very simple: If you don't like it, you can move. And we'll move you." Asked if the Texas abortion law gives him pause about doing business or expanding in the state, Benioff suggested Salesforce isn't taking a stand on the law itself and added that employees will have different views on these issues. "That isn't what this is about. What this is about is telling our employees that we have their back, that if they want to move and they're unhappy that we'll move them," Benioff said, adding that if they want to stay "that's also great." He said, "Our job is to make sure that they have the freedom, and also the liberty, to do what they want to do." Salesforce is based in San Francisco, but the company also has an office in Austin. "I'm a fourth generation San Franciscan. We are the home of gay rights and freedom...Of course we're going to act like this," Benioff said. "If you don't like it, we're going to be there for you." 'We're in a climate emergency' Salesforce recently became one of the only major corporations to publicly support the climate investments in President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan. "We're in a climate emergency," Benioff said when asked about his company's support. Salesforce also announced this week it is a net zero company across its value chain and now relies on renewable energy for 100% of its operations. Although Salesforce supports the climate investments in the Build Back Better plan, the Business Roundtable has opposed the legislation. The influential group, which Benioff is a member of, has warned that tax hikes to pay for the new spending would put millions of jobs at risk, stunt wage growth and suppress business investment. Asked if he would quit the Business Roundtable, Benioff said the debate isn't about the Business Roundtable and stressed the importance of cutting carbon emissions. "All of us need to become net zero. And that needs to happen right now," he said. The tax hike debate During a speech last week, Biden sought to draw attention to unfairness in the US economy by calling out the fact that 55 large corporations paid zero in federal income taxes last year despite making billions in profits. Salesforce is one of those companies. "We, of course, just pay the tax bill that we're given," Benioff said in response to Biden's remarks. "And in many cases, we fought for higher taxes." The Salesforce CEO pointed to his support for a San Francisco ballot measure that would fund homeless services by taxing large corporations. Asked if he supports efforts by Democrats to raise the corporate tax rate to 26.5%, Benioff said stressed that tax reform must not put US companies at a disadvantage on the global stage. "If they're going to raise the corporate tax rate, then just make sure you keep American companies competitive," Benioff said. "That's the single most important thing today." This story was first published on CNN.com "Tech billionaire: Facebook is what's wrong with America". Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ordered Friday night the transfer of Pharmally director Linconn Ong who has been detained in the Senate - to the Pasay City Jail for allegedly lying during its probe into allegedly overpriced COVID-19 supplies. This was announced by committee chairman Richard Gordon, who noted that the motion was made by Senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Francis Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, and approved by Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. "You lie and you steal from our people, you're gonna pay," Gordon said. He also instructed committee secretariat director-general Rodolfo Quimbo to send a letter to the Singaporean Minister for Finance through the country's ambassador to the Philippines on the matter, to be signed by all senators present. The letter shall state how "we're having a hard time in this country because some Singaporeans...crafted to make sure that money was produced from somewhere and they were able to get a lot of resources of the Philippines that should otherwise go to the Filipino people," Gordon said. Prior the senator's order, committee members have been slamming the Pharmally executive for being "evasive" when answering questions during hearings. Ong is among the individuals covered by a recent immigration lookout bulletin order issued by the Justice department. He is among those being questioned by senators, who are looking into the handling of COVID-19 response funds - including the purchase of what the lawmakers deemed overpriced face masks and face shields. RELATED: Senators flag millions earned by Pharmally, TigerPhil from mask procurement deal with govt Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the transactions of embattled Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) have what lawyers call "badges of fraud." Carpio noted that PS-DBM issued inspection reports of the goods - which were still in China - even without seeing them first. He said this is falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code - "making it appear in a public document that an event or act happened when it did not." Carpio explained Pharmally is just a "paper corporation," being undercapitalized with a paid-up capital of just only 625,000. "No track record - no previous sales to government or private sector; has no factory, has no store, no warehouse, no delivery vehicles, no salesmen, no office (Fort Victoria Tower B in Fort Bonifacio unit vacant since 2018); and no permit to import any pharmaceutical product in 2020, the former magistrate said in a forum organized by opposition coalition 1Sambayan. Yet, Carpio pointed out that Pharmally bagged negotiated contracts with the government worth 8.9 billion in just three months in 2020. "This is a record in the Philippines, if not in the world," he said. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is currently looking into the "overpricing" of face masks and face shields purchased by the PS-DBM and the Department of Health. An executive of Pharmally admitted in one of the hearings that former presidential adviser and Chinese businessman Michael Yang lent money to pay for COVID-19 supplies. Carpio said Yang was the indispensable financier and bridge between Pharmally and the Philippine government. Cabinet can't be prevented from attending hearings Meanwhile, the President cannot bar Cabinet members from attending the Senate inquiry on Pharmally because the investigation is in aid of legislation and not the question hour, according to Carpio. "In investigations in aid of legislation, the Cabinet members attend as ordinary witnesses or resource persons. In the question hour, the Cabinet members attend as heads of departments," he explained. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he would require his alter egos to get clearance from him first before they can attend the Senate probe. While the President can invoke executive privilege to stop his Cabinet from participating, it's only valid when it comes to matters of national security, state or diplomatic secrets, Carpio said. "How can there be executive privilege in a face mask purchased by PS-DBM? There's possibly no way you can invoke privilege, so I cannot see any valid ground for the President to invoke executive privilege in the Pharmally investigation," the retired justice said. (CNN) Two amateur free divers have found one of the largest collections of Roman coins in Europe off the east coast of Spain. Luis Lens and Cesar Gimeno were diving off the island of Portitxol in Xabia on August 24 when they found eight coins, before further dives by archaeologists returned another 45 coins, according to a press release from the University of Alicante on Tuesday. Scientists from the university's Institute in Archaeology and Historical Heritage then analyzed the perfectly preserved coins, dating them to between the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century. The coins were in such good condition that the inscriptions were legible, allowing the team to identify coins from the reign of a number of Roman emperors. Three date from Valentinian I, seven from Valentinian II, 15 from Theodosius I, 17 from Arcadius, 10 from Honorius and there is one unidentified coin. Alongside the coins divers found three nails, likely made from copper, as well as lead remains which could be from a severely deteriorated sea chest. Jaime Molina Vidal, professor of ancient history at the University of Alicante and leader of the team of underwater archaeologists, said this was one of the largest sets of Roman gold coins found in Europe. "It's very significant," Molina Vidal told CNN on Thursday. "It's enormously valuable." The coins were likely hidden by a wealthy local landowner who wanted to protect some of their money from barbarians, who were invading and looting the western Roman Empire at the time, he added. "We are in the presence of a fantastic archaeological document from the time when, in this case, the Alans arrived," said Molina Vidal. The Alans, Suevi and Vandals invaded the area in the final phase of the fall of the Western Empire, and the political power of the Romans in the Iberian peninsula ended in 409 AD, the press release adds. Whoever hid the coins likely died before they were able to collect them, said Molina Vidal, leaving them undiscovered for about 1,500 years. Despite their age they are remarkably well preserved. "It's like they were made yesterday," said Molina Vidal, who explained that only one coin is unidentifiable as its inscription has been scratched. The coins will be restored and then exhibited at the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Xabia. Further archaeological exploration in the area will be funded by the Valencia local government, which has allocated 17,800 euros ($21,000) to the team. The bay of Portitxol is a well-known archaeological site where anchors, amphorae, ceramic remains and other artifacts have been discovered. Molina Vidal and his team plan to carry out further excavations at the site in the next few weeks to determine whether there are sunken ships nearby. This story was first published on CNN.com Amateur divers discover 'enormously valuable' hoard of Roman coins (CNN) Angela Merkel has been written off many times in her career by the politician's rivals, her own party members, and, yes, the press. It's difficult to imagine today, as Germany's widely respected Chancellor prepares to step down after more than 15 years in the top job, but in the early stages of her career, Merkel was regularly belittled and looked down on even by those who were supposedly on her side. The protege of then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Merkel was known by him as "mein Maedel" "my girl." "She always was underestimated by her enemies and by other politicians, and when they realized that a woman from the east is able to play this power game, it was too late," Ralph Bollmann, author of the authoritative Merkel biography "Angela Merkel: The Chancellor and Her Time," told CNN. The media only added to this sense that Merkel was not a serious political contender. At one of her earliest media appearances as the new leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin in 2001, Merkel appeared out of her depth. Uneasy in front of the bright lights and cameras of the press pack, she seemed not to know where to look or what to do with her hands, and gave flat, boring answers to reporters' questions. Chatting afterwards, many of the (mostly male) journalists present agreed: This woman would never be chancellor. But what did they know? Merkel went on to secure four terms in office, making her one of the longest-serving chancellors in German history only Kohl, the mentor she eventually turned her back on, has served longer in the modern era. Two decades on, she has cemented her position as an elder stateswoman, having led her nation indeed some would argue Europe as a whole through a series of potentially devastating crises. Named the most powerful woman in the world several times over, Merkel also played a crucial role on the international stage, helping to manage the global financial crisis, the refugee crisis, and the war in Ukraine. As Germany prepares to go to the polls this weekend to elect a new government, and by extension her successor, it is not clear whether any of those lining up to replace her Armin Laschet of Merkel's own CDU, the center-left Socialist Party (SPD)'s Olaf Scholz, or the Greens' Annalena Baerbock will be able to fill her shoes. Bollmann says the world will sorely miss Merkel's steady leadership: "I think there is one common thing in Germany and abroad: She is seen as a guarantor of stability. In future times many people will look back at this time as a time perhaps the last time of stability." 'Don't fool yourself' Merkel, 67, grew up under Communism in East Germany, and trained as a scientist, earning a doctorate in quantum chemistry before making a move into politics following the fall of the Berlin Wall. She won a seat in the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, in the first election after reunification. In the years that followed, Merkel would not only become the first female Chancellor of Germany but would also change the country's politics for good. Yet when the CDU won Germany's elections in 2005 by just 1% it was widely seen as having happened despite Merkel's perceived weaknesses, not because of her. Appearing on TV talk show "The Elephant Round," after the nail-bitingly close 2005 vote, the incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder appeared dismissive of Merkel, laughing off the notion that she would be able to form a governing coalition. "She will not manage to form a coalition with my Social Democratic Party," he said. "Don't fool yourself." Merkel held her tongue but went on to do just that, patiently biding her time before working to form a so-called "grand coalition" between the two largest parties the CDU and the SPD and, in doing so, ending Schroeder's political career. The imperturbable, unemotional Merkel had triumphed. "There are many things she learnt from her youth ... in the GDR, in Communism, because she had to hide her real opinions, not saying something ... she's a very quiet person, she's patient," Merkel biographer Bollmann told CNN. The early years of Merkel's chancellorship were largely uneventful. Germany's economy slowly gained steam after years of stagnation. But in 2008, when investment banking company Lehman Brothers collapsed and the world seemed headed for an economic abyss, Germans feared their export-dependent nation could go under. That's when Merkel took charge, becoming the country's crisis manager. On October 5, 2008, she told Germans: "Your savings are secure, the federal government guarantees that." Her calm, reassuring words helped to prevent a run on the banks and marked the start of a period of confidence in the face of adversity for Germany, led by Merkel. Her government started a short-term labor program, known as "Kurzarbeit," which helped companies keep their employee on staff by making them work shorter hours, while the government supplemented their incomes. The program cost around 6 billion euros, according to the Federal Employment Agency, but it helped Germany avoid mass unemployment and ensured that German companies were at an advantage once the global economy picked up, since they had retained their skilled workforces. By the time the Greek debt crisis hit in 2012, Germans had faith in their chancellor, trusting that she could handle the adversity. Merkel took charge, creating giant funds to save not just Greece's economy but those of other debt-ridden Eurozone nations as well. Though Greece and other countries criticized what they saw as the draconian terms of their bailouts, Merkel likely saved the single currency. "Europe will fail if the euro fails. Europe wins if the euro wins," Merkel told the German Bundestag in 2012. "She has led Germany, Europe and, in parts, the rest of the world through an era of crises big crises which we never thought could happen in a Western democracy," says Bollmann. But while Merkel is seen as a bold and accomplished crisis manager, critics say she risked alienating the conservative voter base of her own party, the CDU, by taking left-of-center positions on key topics including nuclear energy, foreign policy, and immigration. Merkel's government had initially halted Germany's planned exit from nuclear energy, but she reversed that decision in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in 2011. The move was popular with those on the left, but not necessarily with CDU supporters. "The phenomenon of Angela Merkel is basically leading from behind," said Julian Reichelt, managing editor of Germany's largest daily tabloid newspaper, the right-leaning BILD. "You see where people are going and you follow the masses, you don't lead the masses. She was brilliant at doing that." The same was often true in foreign policy, which saw Germany's role shrink, compared to the Schroeder years. "Germany certainly punches below its weight when it comes to foreign policy," Reichelt told CNN. "Angela Merkel tried to ignore all major conflicts and problems all over the world as good as she could. She was one of the champions of ignoring all the problems that were so obvious in Afghanistan and which would obviously hit us after the withdrawal." Arguably, Merkel's highest-profile moment of international leadership came in the summer of 2015 when hundreds of thousands of refugees, mostly displaced by the civil war in Syria, made their way to Europe. While many of her fellow leaders across the European Union argued in favour of trying to stop the masses from entering thebloc, Merkel believed that the moment called for a huge humanitarian response. "Germany is a strong country. We have achieved so much -- we can do it!" Merkel famously said at a press conference in 2015, opening her country's doors to the refugees. "We will manage this, and if something stands in the way, it must be overcome." Germany eventually welcomed an estimated 1.2 million refugees over the next year and a half. Hajo Funke, a professor at Berlin's Freie University, believes opening Germany and Europe up to the influx of people in need was one of the greatest humanitarian acts in German history. "This was a golden hour of the post-World War II democracy. This is the legacy: To be non-nationalist," Funke told CNN. In the wake of Merkel's call to action, many Germans welcomed the asylum seekers with food and clothes; some opened their homes to those who had made the arduous journey, or helped them find work. But the magic of the moment eventually wore off. Integrating the new arrivals was a tricky task some critics say was handled poorly. Her handling of the refugee crisis put a dent in Merkel's popularity at home and helped fuel the rise of far-right political forces including the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD became the first far-right group elected to the Bundestag since 1961. It came third in the 2017 election, with 12.6% of the vote. While Merkel did win another term as chancellor, poor showings for her party at local elections convinced her it was time for change; in 2018 she announced that she would hand over the leadership of the CDU, and that she would not seek re-election in 2021. But a new crisis soon came knocking. In early 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Merkel was one of the first world leaders to acknowledge the scale of the health threat posed by coronavirus. "Since German unification, no, since the Second World War there has not been a challenge to our nation that required us to act in solidarity with one another so much," she said. Under her leadership, Germany quickly introduced a strict lockdown, reinstated the "Kurzarbeit" program to protect the economy, and helped launch the search for a vaccine. Merkel's handling of the pandemic saw her popularity spike, as Germans once again learned to appreciate the dogged resolve of their often-underestimated leader. Some are left doubting whether those lining up to take her place as chancellor will match up to their predecessor. "The question is: Who's going to replace (Merkel), and will that person have the same charisma and ability that she did?" Ben Schreer, from the International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) wondered in an interview with CNN earlier this week. "Allies are skeptical, and Germans as well are quite cautious in that regard." Laschet, Scholz and Baerbock can perhaps take some comfort from the fact that pundits and politicians alike once doubted Merkel's abilities too. As the politician who arrived on the scene as an inexperienced "Maedchen" prepares to leave the world stage, Germany's voters are left wondering who will fill the void left by the woman they came to know affectionately as "Mutti": the mother of the nation. This story was first published on CNN.com Angela Merkel saw Germans through crisis after crisis. Now they wonder who'll fill the void (CNN) Police are looking for a man in Canada they say punched a nurse in the face multiple times, knocking her to the ground after she administered a COVID-19 vaccine to his wife without his permission. On Monday, around 9:15 a.m., a man walked into a Brunet Pharmacy in Sherbrooke, a city in southern Quebec, and accused a nurse in her 40s, who police have not named, of vaccinating his wife, Sherbrooke Police spokesman Martin Carrier told CNN. "Right at the beginning, the suspect was very angry, very aggressive, he asked the nurse why she vaccinated his wife without approval, without his consent," Carrier said. "And he punched her right in the face multiple times so the nurse didn't have the time to defend or explain herself ... and she fell to the ground and the suspect left running out of the drugstore." There are no laws in Canada that say individuals need their spouses' permission to get vaccinated, and it is unclear if his wife had given consent. The nurse was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance where she was treated for the "multiple injuries to the face" he said. As a result of the incident, the pharmacy told CNN partner, CBC, that they suspended vaccinations. CNN reached out to the pharmacy but they refused to comment on whether or not vaccinations were being administered Thursday. Brunet Pharmacy's parent company, The Jean Coutu Group Inc., also declined to comment but told CNN they "fully condemn this act which is unacceptable towards the pharmacy teams who have been providing essential services since the beginning of the pandemic." Canada has vaccinated 69.8% of its population, surpassing the US by 15.6%, according to data from Our World in Data, seen in CNN's vaccine tracker. Although most Canadians have welcomed public health measures and the country has one of the highest vaccination rates worldwide, case counts and hospitalizations are on the rise, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, especially among younger, unvaccinated Canadians. Police do not have a name or photo of the suspect or security footage of the incident, Carrier said. They do however have a description of the man and are hoping with the public's help, they'll be able to identify him and charge him with assault. The suspect is described as, 30 to 45-year-old-man, 6-feet tall, medium build with darker skin, short brown hair, thick eyebrows, two small ear piercings on each ear and a tattoo on his hand that appeared to be in the shape of a cross, Carrier said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Canadian man punches nurse in the face multiple times after his wife is vaccinated for Covid-19 without his consent." Everyone eligible should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel or employment. Vaccination should be voluntary but those who don't get vaccinated should be frequently tested for COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel and employment. Both vaccination and testing should be voluntary and not required as a condition of long-distance travel or employment. I defer to the judgment of lawmakers as long as they base their decisions on a consensus of medical professionals. Vote View Results A fund has been set up to support Littleton police officer David Snook, who was shot this week while responding to a call, according to the Littleton Police Department. The decorated 13-year veteran remains in the intensive care unit at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, following emergency surgery. He continues to recover, according to the department. A fund to support Snook, a husband and father of three, can be made to the Rocky Mountain Federal Credit Union in Snook's name. This is the verified way to offer financial support to Officer Snook https://t.co/mMEWjmvF5Q DA Office of 18th (@DA18th) September 24, 2021 Snook was shot early Tuesday after he and Cpl. Jeff Farmer responded to a report of shots fired in the area of South Bannock Street and West Powers Avenue. The officers made contact with a man later identified as Rigobert "Rigo" Valles Dominguez, 33, who fled the scene. While entering an apartment building at 183. W. Powers Ave., Dominguez allegedly fired multiple shots at the officers, striking Snook at least three times, police said. Both officers returned fire, but it was not known if Dominguez was struck. While Farmer tended to Snook, Dominguez fled and remains at-large. He is suspected of committing an armed carjacking about a block away from the shooting and left in a sand-gray 2002 Ford Explorer with a Colorado license AMG-D94. Dominguez is wanted on two counts of attempted murder for firing at the officers, police said. He is described as 5 foot 5 inches and weighing around 190 pounds with buzzed black hair, brown eyes and a beard. Police said Dominguez should be considered armed and dangerous; if seen, call 911 or the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 immediately. Pakistans government has settled a long-running spat with Etisalat that arose following the UAE-based groups purchase of a minority stake in PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited). The dispute relates to the valuation of various properties that were set to become part of PTCL following its privatization in 2006. Etisalat CEO Hatem Dowidar agreed to pay US$2.6 billion for a 26% stake in PTCL, of which US$1.8 billion was paid upfront. Etisalat agreed at the time to pay the balance in installments across the next five years, on the basis that over 3000 properties would be folded into PTCL. However, when it became apparent that the government had failed to implement part of this agreement, Etisalat refused to pay the remaining balance. By 2015, most of the firms had been transferred to PTCL but around 30 remained incomplete as the government was prevented from doing so by legal conditions. In some instances, properties were owned by private investors and should never have been promised under the original agreement. CommsUpdate reports that to resolve the situation, the Pakistani government has agreed to deduct the value of these properties from the US$800 million that Etisalat now owns. All that remains is for the parties to agree on a fair valuation of these properties. To this end, the finance ministry has proposed a mutually agreed process overseen by internationally renowned evaluation companies. Etisalats CEO has reportedly agreed to this proposal, which could see the evaluation completed within a couple of months. The European Commission has referred Poland to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over its failure to safeguard the independence of its regulator. TeleGeography reports that in May 2020, Polands government sacked the head of regulator UKE (Urzad Komunikacji Elektronicznej / Office of Electronic Communications) Marcin Cichy shortly after updating legislation relating to hiring and dismissing the heads of national regulatory authorities (NRAs). At the same time, the government scrapped a scheduled sale of 3.5GHz licences a move that Cichy had specifically advised against on the grounds that it would lead to legal uncertainty. Cichys tenure at UKE was not due to end until September 2021. Under European Commission rules, dismissing the head of an NRA prior to the end of their term requires certain criteria to be met and crucially, these must be agreed before the start of their tenure. The Commission notes that this is an important safeguard to guarantee the independence of the national regulatory authority from political pressure. Africa Data Centres, the only pan-African network of interconnected, carrier-and cloud-neutral data centres on the continent, has completed its new Johannesburg data centre, based in its Midrand Campus which is one of the largest in Africa. The 10MW facility adds four data halls with 6,000 sq m (64,500 sq ft) of white space. The total campus at full build-out will have eight data halls comprising 9,000 sq m (96,900 sq ft) and 20MW of capacity. We are thrilled to be able to deliver to our existing and future customers the most modern data center in Johannesburg. We are happy to be a partner in our customers growth by delivering capacity in this facility immediately., said Stephane Duproz, CEO of Africa Data Centres. This investment demonstrates Africa Data Centres' confidence in the South African economy and digital development. The new hyperscale data centre is part of the company's response to demand. The unveiling of the new facility comes amidst Africa Data Centres' announcement of plans to build 10 additional data centres in new countries and to significantly expand its data centre footprint by more than twice its current capacity across Africa. The company currently has or is developing data centers in Lagos, Nigeria; Lome, Togo; Samrand and Midrand, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya. The QH9149 flight, using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, took off at 7:55 p.m. from Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport for San Francisco. The flight, the first of 12 direct flights between Vietnam and the U.S. that Bamboo Airways has won approval from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is expected to take over 14 hours. The flight crew included four pilots, 14 flight attendants and several technicians and ground controllers to perform necessary functions at the San Francisco Airport. Before the flight took off, a commemoration ceremony was held at the airline's headquarters on Cau Giay Street the same day. Nguyen Manh Quan, deputy general director of Bamboo Airways, said the flight was a historic one, not just for Bamboo Airways also for Vietnam's aviation industry itself. "We will once again affirm the capability for operation, safety, security and infrastructure for Vietnamese airlines and the entire Vietnamese aviation industry in general," he said at the meeting. Nguyen Ngoc Trong, another deputy general director of Bamboo Airways, said the flight's goals were to serve tourists in both Vietnam and the U.S., foster commercial, diplomatic and cultural exchanges, and to affirm the status of Bamboo Airways, considering that direct flight to the U.S. is among the hardest flight paths to achieve. "In the last two years, we've managed to see opportunities in developing flights not just within Vietnam, but also in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia like Japan, Taiwan, and even reaching towards Europe and Australia. And now, to the U.S.," he said. "By introducing direct flights to the U.S. at this moment in time, we're showing that we are ready to operate commercial flights once the pandemic dies down to meet customers' demands in both countries," he added. Bamboo Airways had earlier announced plans to organize three direct flights to the U.S. each week, gradually increasing the frequency to 5-7 flights, and then to daily flights. Many businesses have expressed unhappiness with the two options they have been given to organize rapid Covid-19 tests for their shippers, citing budgetary and employee retention concerns. According to a new decision by the HCMC People's Committee, from Sept. 24- 30, delivery businesses using technology applications will have to carry out rapid Covid-19 tests for shippers, collecting samples of three persons at random every three days, and then update the results onto the city's general database. The decision offers two options. In the first option, the Department of Health will provide free testing kits and businesses will have people trained to do the testing of their drivers. The second one will be a paid service contract between businesses and medical facilities providing the service. On the evening of Sept. 21, Be was the first platform to confirm their plan. Its shippers would go to contracted testing points and access rapid testing provided flexibly during the day. The test would take one minute per person and results would be available in 30 minutes. Other platforms said they were still preparing their plans. Grab and ShopeeFood said they were working closely with the authorities to come with a suitable process. Many businesses said they find disadvantages in both options. The option of outsourcing services will increase their expenses and if they tried to share it with the shippers, that latter might quit in protest. In the second option, the lack of medical expertise and necessary resources is a concern when rapid testing has to be done on a large scale with the free test kits. This carries the risk of improper testing methods, wasting test equipment and getting inaccurate results. Several businesses have said that the option of getting free self-testing kits can only be practical for a firm with few shippers. Larger platforms with thousands of shippers would face huge financial burdens. Large enterprises may reduce the number of participating shippers if they follow the second option. The ensuing demand-supply mismatch in delivery services would lead to high service fees. This could affect drivers livelihoods. There is still no information about the testing plan after September 30 from the authorities. Businesses are, therefore, worried about unclear future regulations. "Gojek hopes the local government will continue to support businesses with the rapid testing costs. It will be a huge burden if businesses have to pay for it on their own after a prolonged lockdown time," said a representative of the ride-hailing firm who did not want to be named. According to data from the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, the total number of approved shippers from 34 businesses is 92,000. There are more than 400 mobile medical stations working from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thus, if each driver is tested every three days, each station would have to test 75 people per day on average. The number of drivers operating in recent days could be much lower, about 50 percent of the above estimate. The Gojek representative said that 400 medical stations could fully handle the task with good coordination. To avoid congestion at the testing points, delivery businesses could allocate shippers to test at specific times and locations to reduce the load on medical facilities and increase efficiency. Several delivery platforms also believe that the frequency of rapid testing should be decreased, based on the current situation and vaccine coverage. They have pointed out that all qualified drivers have had at least one vaccine dose and some are fully vaccinated. Mass testing at a frequency of every three days may no longer be appropriate. "In the long term, we will need to adjust the most appropriate timeline for periodic testing, depending on the situation of disease control and the actual infection rate in the community at a particular time," said Nguyen Hoang Trung, CEO of Loship. Trung said that the test results could be valid for a week for the group receiving the first vaccine dose and for a month for those who are fully vaccinated. This would help avoid congestion and reduce the number of shippers at one testing point. "It will be more convenient for shippers, but we will still control the risks of infection in the community," he said. The Gojek representative also supported the idea of prolonging the validity of rapid test results, also expressing appreciation that the HCMC administration has listened to businesses and continuously made policy adjustments to facilitate their work. Of over 9,465 Covid-19 cases recorded in Vietnam on Thursday, 5,052 were in HCMC. No matter what it takes, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo are determined to secure Ortegas reelection to a fourth consecutive term as President of Nicaragua. To that end, they are waging a broad campaign of intimidation, harassment and repression against civil society, journalists, critics, and political opponents. They orchestrated the passage of draconian laws aimed at stifling independent media and on-line criticism; required businesses and organizations who receive funding from abroad to register as foreign agents, thus allowing the government to monitor their finances; and pushed through an amendment to Nicaraguas constitution that allows life sentences for vaguely defined crimes motivated by hate for the government. The Ortega-Murillo controlled Supreme Electoral Council disqualified the main opposition party from the upcoming election by suspending its legal status. Opposition candidates have been detained, harassed, disqualified from running, accused of crimes such as money laundering and attacking Nicaraguan society and the rights of the people, or just arrested without explanation. Ortega and Murillos egregious attacks on what remains of Nicaraguas democracy were made possible by enablers in the executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral functions of the government. For their role in enabling Ortegas attacks the U.S. Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on 19 Nicaraguan election officials and political party officials. For the past three months, President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have intimidated anyone opposed to their efforts to entrench their power in Nicaragua, including through the arrest of dozens of political candidates, journalists, student and business leaders, NGO workers, and human rights advocates, and through the disqualification of any candidate seeking to run against them in the November 7 elections, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in a written statement. This action follows an earlier action toward imposition of visa restrictions on 150 Nicaraguan judges, prosecutors, and family members of those officials. This visa restriction policy applies to Nicaraguans who, in one way or another, had a hand in undermining democracy or committing human rights abuses, such as suppression of peaceful protests. The policy also applies to the immediate family members of these officials. With todays action, Spokesperson Price said, we underscore our commitment to promoting accountability for all those complicit in the Ortega-Murillo governments assault on democracy. They are not welcome in the United States. Hundreds of protestors have gathered outside the Italian consulate in Barcelona after news broke late Thursday night that Catalan independence leader Carles Puigemont had been arrested in Sardinia. Puigdemont, who currently serves in the European Parliament was in route to a conference when he was detained by the Italian police. Why was he arrested? In 2017, several high-level leaders in the Catalan government, including the then-President of the Generalitat de Catalonia Puigdemont, led a referendum asking those in the region to vote on the question of separation from Spain. The referendum took place on 1 October 2017, and about a month before the Spanish government began a police operation called Operation Anubis which aimed to disrupt the planning and execution of the referendum, in part by arresting the leaders. However, they were unable to uncover the logistical details of the referendum, largely a grassroots effort, and the issue of Catalan independence was brought to the voters. Around forty-three percent of the population voted, with ninety percent supporting independence. A month after the referendum took place, eight Ministers in the Catalan government and two Catalan activists were arrested for their role in the referendum and related protests. On 17 October 2017, Amnesty International released a statement over the arrest and detention of the two activists, "Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the presidents, respectively, of the pro-Catalan independence organizations the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural." In the statement, the organization called on the Spanish government "to drop the charges of sedition and to put an immediate end to their pre-trial detention." These calls were not heeded and the prisoners remained in jail, untried for the vast majority of their time in prison, until June 2021 when they were pardoned by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. However, Puigdemont fled the country before he could be arrested and has lived in exile since 2017. Shortly after he left Spain, the Spanish Supreme Court implemented an international extradition order, which was allegedly dropped in 2018. However, on 24 September, Italian authorities detained Puigdemont, leaving a judge to determine whether he will be extradited to Spain or set free. Complicating matters are the different stories being told by the Spanish justice system and the European Union. While in 2018, the Spanish government dropped the extradition order after two failed attempts to have him sent back to Spain, earlier this year the judiciary took steps to reinstate the order. The European Union and lawyers representing Puigdemont were under the impression that the order had been lifted, allowing Puigdemont to move freely throughout Europe. However, in light of the arrest, the representatives from the Spanish judiciary have stated that they were not lifted, and are checking to confirm with the European court system. One of the lawyers representing Puigdemont, Gonzalo Boye has accursed the Spanish judiciary of tricking the European General court, and if his allegations prove true, he believes they will have to "face the consequences." What has been the reaction to the arrest? Protestors against the extradition have taken to the streets in Barcelona and Girona. This weekend marks the local festival of Barcelona, and protests are planned for Friday evening and Sunday. In Spain Right-wing parties in Spain like Vox and the Popular Party (PP), argued that Italy has a legal obligation to extradite Puigdemont and to allow the Spanish justice system to try him. On Twitter, PP President Pablo Casado tweeted his support for Puigdemont to be brought back to Spain because of his part in the referendum and "for his blow constitutional legality." He also argued that Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, who has opened a Table for Diagolgue with Catalan leaders, should make a commitment "respecting the judgment of Justice without pardons to change to stay in power." At a press conference, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Pere Aragones told the media that after the reactions taken by many, including Pablo Casado, "self-determination is the only solution to the political conflict." Additionally, President Aragones had made it clear to Prime Minister Sanchez, that this action was taken by the Italian police "doesn't help the negotiation process," as they had "called for the withdrawal of the arrest warrants of Puigdemont and all those politically prosecuted." President Aragones and his VP will be traveling to Sardina for the court proceedings and to show solidarity with Puigdemont. In the European Union Various EU parliamentarians have come out in support of Puigdemont, arguing that the extradition would make a "mockery" of Europan law. Irish MP, Clare Daly, tweeted that she and her colleagues "will not be standing by while Member States distort the EU to carry out a vendetta against political opponents." Sardinians, especially those involved in thier own separatist movement have articulated this distress and opposition to the move by the Italian Police. The Presidnet of the leading separatist party in Sardina, Partito Sardo dAzione, Antonio Moro said: Sardinians have found it painful to see their land transformed into such an ugly scene, where the Italian police arrested a Catalan on the orders of the Spanish magistrates." When is a decision on the extradition expected? Earlier it was stated that the decision would be made on Friday. Catalan News reported that Puigdemont would have a hearing on Friday afternoon, after which a decision was expected. They have also reported that it is likely he be released after the court proceeding. The ending of unemployment benefits added to the global pandemic consequences which are still affecting thousands of lives, with many Americans struggling to pay rent and basic needs. This emergency alert has led some states to look to provide their citizens in need with extra economic boosters to help them get through the harsh situation. This booster will come in the form of stimulus checks and several other benefits to those who qualify for the payments. If you are struggling to pay bills and are finding it difficult to find a job in such a poor market, you can maybe breathe a sigh of relief now that several states are announcing state financial aid. Scroll down and find out if your state makes you eligible for any checks. States likely to release new stimulus checks The states listed below include those states which are preparing for direct payments or have already sent them, as well as those who are likely to do so in the following weeks. Alaska (Federal-State Extended Benefits program) Residents in Alaska may qualify for 13 to 20 weeks of additional payments through the Federal-State Extended Benefits program. The amount of money and requisites to qualify for the payments still remain uncertain, as this will depend on how much of the pot is available after some of it has been claimed for other purposes. Moreover, this is not the only check Alaskans could claim, as they could maybe receive in the close future the infamous annual oil wealth checks, investment from which 25% of the annual oil money would be put into a dedicated fund for future generations. California (Golden State Stimulus) So far, California is the only state that has given out stimulus checks from its own money, as it had a budget surplus due to its tax system. A second round of direct payments started to be sent out on September 17 to eligible residents, including those who earn $30,000-$75,000 a year. Click here to find if you are eligible for the GSS II. Colorado ($375 aid) Colorado residents who have received at least one unemployment benefit check of less than $500 a week this year, will also qualify for a $375 direct payment. Florida $1,000 stimulus checks Most teachers and administrators are still waiting for the $1,000 payment they were assigned to go through. Georgia $1,000/$500 stimulus checks In the same way as in Florida, Georgia's generous plan also includes a $1,000 check for full-time teachers and administrators, with part-time professors awarded half the money. Preschool educators will most likely be able to claim a check too, yet the amount for this remains unknown. Maryland $500/$300 stimulus checks The state of Maryland will be issuing $500 payments to all families who filed for the Earned Income Tax Credit, as well as $300 to individuals. Some $700m have been set aside for farm workers and meat packers, and around 20 million of that will go to grocery store workers, with the funds provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Michigan $500 for teachers Michigan state will help its teachers with a $500 bonus. New Mexico $5 million program New Mexico has introduced a plan which will distribute $5 million among residents who didn't qualify for the federal payments. New York $2.1 billion fund New York, meanwhile, has a $2.1 billion fund to be claimed by workers whose paper status prevented them from applying for financial checks as they were undocumented. To be eligible for the payment, New York residents must have a 2020 income under $26,208. In addition, local artists will also receive help from the state government in the form of a single check in October. Tennessee $1,000/$500 checks for teachers Full-time teachers in Tennessee will benefit from a $1,000 bonus, while part-time teachers will be able to claim an additional $500. Texas Pay increase No state announcement has been made on any aid implementation to help residents, but some towns are increasing the amount of pay district-wise. such as Fort Worth and Arlington by 4 percent, or Denton and Mansfield, which will do the same by 2 percent. Moreover, Irving has announced a $2,000 payment to teachers returning to the classroom. Arkansas Arkansas is out of all states the one that is most up in the air. The state government is in a legal battle with its residents over the early end of federal unemployment benefits and until this conflict is over, residents are unlikely to be able to hold talks on other areas. However, after concluding unemployment benefits earlier than expected, we all know what the government's position is going to be. BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China will implement stricter regulations on secondary vocational schools in students enrollment, financial aid and student status management, according to the Ministry of Education on Wednesday. A circular issued by the ministry requires checks of the qualifications of secondary vocational schools across the country, and the establishment of an annual inspection system. Branch schools or teaching centers of secondary vocational schools set up without the approval of educational administrative departments will be deprived of their admission qualifications, says the document. Enditem Editor: GSY Photo source: Xinhua) In the 245 years since independence, the specter of white supremacy has always lingered in the United States. It has evolved along with the genocide of indigenous Indians and the enslavement and oppression of black slaves, Chinese workers and other people of color, and has not only been deeply integrated into the American capitalist system, but has also become an important element of its doctrine of foreign expansion. Although the novel coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected the US economy and society, it has not stopped the further fermentation of the racial superiority theory of white supremacy, which is manifesting itself in the rise of discriminatory remarks and acts against people of color in the US and growing racism in its foreign policies, thus posing serious challenges to the survival and development of all humanity. It has become a common task for international progressive forces to counteract white supremacy. Racial superiority is embedded in the American system At the heart of the racial superiority doctrine of white supremacy is the maintenance of white exploitation and oppression of non-whites and the defense of a system that preserves white wealth, power and privilege. The early white settlers in North America went there in search of equality but perpetuated many of the injustices of the old world. The birth and development of the US was, so to speak, marked by blood and fire, with the slaughter of thousands of indigenous Indians and the brutal enslavement of large numbers of black slaves and Chinese workers. In order to perpetuate white dominance, the founding statesmen of the US not only transformed the minds of people of color ideologically and psychologically, but also gradually incorporated racist theories into the institutional structure of the country, introducing the far-reaching Slave Codes. As a result, American history, national consciousness, society and law have been deeply marked by white supremacy. Although in 1964 the US government had to pass the Civil Rights Act to promote the elimination of social discrimination, practice over the past 57 years has repeatedly shown that such civil rights and equal rights are only a technical improvement that is neither real nor solid, and their core feature is to say one thing and do another to confuse different classes and races in the US and the international community. Many white American elites are well aware of this, but are unwilling or afraid to conduct profound self-analysis, or even turn a blind eye to it. The issue of race in the US has become increasingly visible in the context of the present pandemic. Some politicians in the US claimed at the beginning of the outbreak that the novel coronavirus was only for yellow people and that only yellow people would contract the disease. As the pandemic upsurged in the country, some politicians not only made unscrupulous racist remarks, but also condoned various discriminatory remarks and actions against Asian Americans, seriously worsening the living environment of Asian Americans. The infection and mortality rates of African American and Hispanic citizens are higher than those of whites due to factors such as wealth, status and health care coverage. In addition, there have been numerous incidents of mistreatment of African-Americans by white police officers and voices like I can't breathe. All of this has further exacerbated racial tensions and social conflicts in the US. Racial superiority threatens survival and development of all humanity The US has not only promoted racism at home, but also developed it as an ideology and extended it further into foreign policy. This has led to a racist and clash of civilizations approach to US foreign policy theory and practice. In particular, some US politicians and scholars have continued to propagate and export their own ideologies and theories based on white supremacy in order to reshape the world order in favor of the US, which has brought a series of serious disasters to the world. After the September 11 attacks, the US officially and brutally combined nationalism with "patriotism" and invaded Afghanistan and carried out the so-called democratic transformation of the country on the pretext of anti-terrorism. As it turns out, the US strategy in Afghanistan is only for its own geopolitical interests, and this irresponsible behavior has been widely condemned by the international community. In order to find a pretext to use force against Iraq, the US top brass once showed the international community the "powerful" bulk "washing powder". President George W. Bush also continued to justify the war in Iraq, claiming that it was waged to defend the common civilization of the US and Europe. But as early as 2009, James Petras, a professor at Binghamton University, pointed out that "the seven-year war and occupation of Iraq by the United States was driven by several major political forces and influenced by various political interests" and that "this war has destroyed a civilization". Under the pandemic, the US official attitude towards international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic has been negative. In many developing countries, where vaccines are hard to find, the US has not only over-bought and force-bought large quantities of anti-pandemic supplies, but also stockpiled a large amount of vaccines beyond what is actually needed. The US has also introduced theories of racism into the competition between systems, even to the point of a "clash of civilizations". The fundamental reason for this is that the US believes history has come to an end and that the liberal capitalist order will remain the only option despite the many questions and criticisms, but the continuing grave crisis of capitalism has created a great sense of crisis in the US, prompting it to constantly shift its thinking on international competition. For example, the US has long been hostile to socialism, and, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has turned its attention to China, continuing to smear and attack China's socialist path. In 2019, Kieron Skinner, then Director of Policy Planning at the US Department of State, publicly clamored that the US-Soviet rivalry in the 20th century was an internal struggle between different races of people within the same civilization, while the struggle between China and the US is that between different civilizations and different ideologies, whic the US had never encountered before. After the recent failure to promote a new Cold War and to form an anti-China coalition, the US officialdom is still not satisfied and is plotting to hold a so-called "democracy summit" in order to cheer itself up. Urgency of countering racial superiority White supremacy is a cancer that affects the development of human society. It has not only spread to every corner of the world ideologically, but also spread to every country in the world through American expansionism, thus seriously endangering the development of the global village and the process of global governance. It is important to note that some American politicians are engaged in racist activities under the guise of humanity, freedom, democracy and civilization, which are hypocritical, concealed and confusing. However, the racial superiority theory of white supremacy has always been the same, and its dangers have been clearly revealed and collectively condemned by all progressive forces in the world. As Rosamund S. King, an associate professor at the City University of New York, points out, there is no evidence for Trumps suggestion that Asians and Asian Americans are not only responsible for the spread of the novel coronavirus, but may also be the cause of it. His use of the term Chinese virus is as much a part of the racism and white supremacy he preaches as his reference to anti-racist protesters as thugs and scumbags. Given that the doctrine of racial superiority has penetrated into the US system, the international community must reach a consensus on resisting the doctrine of racial superiority of white supremacy and form a broad anti-racist coalition. On the one hand, progressive forces within the US should come forward more often to continuously criticize the concept and institutional design of white supremacy, further educate the US public and unite the internal forces against racism in the US; on the other hand, the international community, especially progressive forces, should adhere to the concept of a community of a shared future for mankind, advocate the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all humanity, and jointly oppose the US hypocritical internal and external policies based on racism. Contributed by Shi XiaohuBeijing Center for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era Translated by Wang Ruoxin Editor: WRX Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says that the country is ready for the heating season, tariffs will not increase. "The country is ready for the heating season," he said during an hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada on Friday. The prime minister noted that tariffs for heat and hot water should not increase and the government will help local authorities in this. "The gas price for heating companies will not grow and will remain at the same level (about UAH 7.4 per cubic meter), which will allow not to increase tariffs for heating and hot water, and electricity tariffs from October 1 will be reduced for most citizens, for the rest will remain unchanged," he said. According to him, gas reserves in storage facilities already exceed 18.5 billion cubic meters, "preparations are under way to increase them." "Like last year, we will calmly pass through this period, the country will have heating," the prime minister assured. A plane from Afghanistan, sent to evacuate Ukrainian citizens and their families, has landed at the Boryspil international airport, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports. "Ukraine does not leave its citizens alone, no matter where they are," said Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar when meeting the plane at the airport. There are 96 people on board, including citizens of Ukraine, as well as persons with a permanent residence permit in Ukraine, members of their families, persons whose return was requested by the Vatican and Canada. Malyar noted that Ukraine will continue to provide assistance to its citizens and citizens of other countries in the future. The European Commission (EC) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's determination to fight the deeply rooted influence of vested oligarchic interests on the country's life and expects the next steps in this direction. The European Commission said this to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday commenting the adoption of the law on de-oligarchisation by the Verkhovna Rada. "We welcome President Zelensky's determination to address the deeply rooted influence of vested oligarchic interests in the political and economic life of Ukraine," the European Commission said. The diplomats in Brussels underscored the adoption of the bill "On the prevention of threats to national security associated with the excessive influence of persons with significant economic or political heft in public life (oligarchs)" at the second reading in the Verkhovna Rada on 23 September. "This is a step forward. We expect the law to be implemented fully and with determination, in a legally sound manner. We believe that in addition to the implementation of the adopted law, more steps are needed, in particular to close Ukraines institutional gaps, to achieve the desired de-oligarchizing effect," they noted. At the same time the European Commission stressed that Ukraine "invested a lot of efforts into closing the space for corrupt practicing, by i.a. cleaning the banking sector and ensuring transparency of the public procurement." "We encourage to continue these efforts in others sectors prone to corrupt practices," the diplomats said. They are convinced that "strengthening of planned and existing institutions (such as the rule of law authorities, including the court system; the Anti-Monopoly Committee; the public broadcaster; an independent press regulator among others) should stand at the heart of this fight to consolidate the rule of law, shore up the trust of Ukrainian citizens in public institutions and, not least, to unleash Ukraine's economic potential for the benefit of all people of Ukraine." Stadler (Switzerland), which produces trams, trains for the railroad and metro, will build two factories in Kharkiv for 4,000 jobs, acting mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov has said. "On October 6, an agreement will be signed with the Swiss company Stadler. After signing the document, the city council will begin negotiations with the company so that Electrotyazhmash could become one of the related enterprises of the company," he said. As reported, in late August, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ukrzaliznytsia, Stadler CIS AG, Stadler Rail AG and the Swiss Export Risk Insurance agency SERV signed a memorandum of understanding, which defines the basis for cooperation and a mechanism for joint work on the development of railway transport in Ukraine. Within the framework of cooperation with Stadler, it is planned to purchase 30 suburban electric trains for Kyiv, another 30 will be distributed between Kharkiv and Dnipro. The cooperation also assumes the localization of Stadler production in Ukraine. Currently, the Stadler Flirt electric train is being tested in Ukraine, and the company has provided Kharkiv with a three-section tram for operational tests. During his visit to Electrotyazhmash, Terekhov also said that the city's tram fleet would be completely renewed in four years. Gabrielle Petito, 22, who was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021 after traveling with her boyfriend around the country in a van (Photo : North Port/Florida Police/Handout via REUTERS/) Gabby Petito's boyfriend, whom police have sought for six days in connection with the 22-year-old travel blogger's death during their cross-country road trip, was charged on Thursday with fraudulently using her bank debit card. A search warrant was issued for Brian Laundrie, 23, after a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Wyoming indicted him on a single count of unlawfully using the card and Petito's personal identification number. He was not charged in her death. Advertisement "While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a statement. "We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie's involvement in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI," Schneider said. The indictment accuses Laundrie of spending $1,000 or more on the card between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. Petito was last seen alive on Aug. 24. Investigators appear to believe she was killed sometime from Aug. 27-30. Americans have followed the case closely in the media since Petito was reported missing by her mother, Nicole Schmidt, on Sept. 11. Ten days earlier Laundrie returned home to North Port, Florida, without her from the road trip. Petito's body was discovered on Sunday near the remote Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming. Coroner's investigators have ruled her death a homicide, but have not revealed the cause of death. Police and FBI agents using divers, tracking dogs and helicopters have been searching for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve wilderness area near North Port since Friday, when his parents told them that he had gone there to hike three days earlier. Search teams ended a sixth day of searching the alligator-infested wilderness as darkness fell on Thursday, saying they would resume the search on Friday. SUSPICIOUS TEXT MESSAGES The FBI on Thursday asked for information from members of the public who may have had contact with Laundrie or Petito at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground from Aug. 27-30. Petito's remains were found less than 1,000 feet (300 m) from where, on the evening of Aug. 27, another pair of travel bloggers caught video images of the couple's 2012 white Ford Transit van parked along a dirt road. Petito, who was documenting the couple's "van life" road trip on social media, posted her final photo to Instagram on Aug. 25, the same day that she last spoke to her mother by phone. The family believes the couple was headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming at the time. Schmidt received text messages from Petito's phone on Aug. 27 and Aug. 30, but suspects that someone other than her daughter sent them, according to investigators. In one text Petito's grandfather is referred to by his first name, which Schmidt says was out of character for her daughter. The second message said only "No service in Yosemite," the national park in California that Petito and Laundrie are not believed to have visited during their trip. Petito and Laundrie, who met at a Long Island, New York, high school, left New York in early July heading west, and posted on social media as they traveled through Kansas, Colorado and Utah. On Aug. 12, a 911 caller reported that Laundrie was slapping and hitting Petito in front of the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, Utah. Moab police stopped the van on a highway near Arches National Park. Body camera footage showed Petito crying as she described an argument that escalated into her slapping Laundrie as he drove. The officers did not detain the couple but told them to spend the night apart. BLACKPINK to Participate in YouTube Originals Special 'Dear Earth' (Photo : CC By 3.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode)/PUBG MOBILE:M) The South Korean K-pop girls group BLACKPINK will participate in the upcoming YouTube Originals special event Dear Earth on October 23. Dear Earth was announced as a part of YouTube's October sustainability-centered programming on Thursday (Sept. 23) during the 2021 Summer TCA press tour. The campaign centers around climate change. Advertisement Global leaders including Google/Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and Pope Francis will attend the event. The campaign will also feature international celebrities such as Jaden Smith, Anitta, and Billie Eilish. The campaign will follow a format similar to YouTube Originals' Dear Class of 2020 all-star commencement special that was aired during the pandemic last year. It will feature comedic shorts, special appearances, musical performances, and keynote addresses. According to YouTube's global head of original content Susanne Daniels, Dear Earth will motivate and inspire audiences to create a healthier, better existence for the planet through contributions from a wide range of global musicians, celebrities, leaders, and creators. Other artists to be featured during the event include Tinashe, GaTa, and Lil Dicky. Iconic characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, The Muppets, and Marsai Martin will also be part of the campaign along with YouTube creators ZHC, PhysicsGirl, TheOdd1sOut, Jack Harries, Dream, Bretman Rock, Brave Wilderness, and AsapSCIENCE. The only K-pop artist to be part of Dear Earth, BLACKPINK will feature in the campaign as special speakers. The popular group will deliver a message related to improving awareness of climate change to fans all over the globe. They will also put up an extravagant performance. BLACKPINK is taking the forefront in numerous social contribution activities and public campaign awareness. The girls' group has also recently been chosen to be the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, becoming the first Asian artist to get this honor. Earlier this year, the K-pop group was also appointed as the UN's Climate Change Conference (COP26) advocates. On Thursday, BLACKPINK's super hit single DDU-DU-DDU-DU crossed more than 1.7 billion views at around 7 PM KST, attaining a great milestone in three years and three months. BLACKPINK is the only K-Pop group and second Korean artist to achieve this milestone after PSY for Gangnam style. BLACKPINK has produced multiple hit songs and established themselves as an international top girl group since their debut in August 2016. The K-pop group is the number one artist on YouTube with 67.1 million subscribers, the highest for any musical artist. In addition, the total number of Instagram followers, including the official page and those of the individual members, is more than 245 million. A migrant seeking refuge in the U.S. crosses the Rio Grande river with his son on shoulders, at the border towards Del Rio, Texas, U.S., as seen from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico (Photo : REUTERS/Daniel Becerril) An impromptu border camp has been emptied of thousands of Haitian migrants, a county judge in Texas said on Friday, as U.S. deportation flights and transport to Mexico has closed a chapter that has roiled U.S. politics over the past week. Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens, who has been keeping tabs on the number of people in the camp, said only "stragglers" remained of up to 15,000 people who camped on the banks of the Rio Grande bordering Mexico a week ago. Advertisement A Reuters witness said the shanty town-like jumble of makeshift shelters and tents had all but disappeared by Friday afternoon, with workers clearing the last debris. As well as the Biden administration's contentious use of expulsion flights that have carried at least 1,400 back to instability in Haiti, Mexico has also sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states, far from the U.S. border. Thousands more are in U.S. detention centers and several hundred have been released in Texas. On Friday, Reuters reported that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had formally asked Brazil to receive some of the Haitians from the camp, according to two sources with knowledge of the request. Many of the Haitians arriving at the U.S. border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries. U.S. President Joe Biden has faced strong criticism in recent days over the expulsions to Haiti, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote who said the Caribbean nation was a collapsed state. The U.S. government in May extended temporary protection from deportation to Haitians in the United States, citing a political crisis, rights abuses, crime, and lack of access to food, water, and healthcare in the Western hemisphere's poorest country. Since then, Haiti's president has been assassinated and it suffered a destructive earthquake. Foote's resignation followed widespread outrage stirred up by images of a U.S. border guard on horseback unfurling a whip-like cord against at Haitian migrants https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-homeland-security-chief-heads-border-removal-migrant-camp-accelerates-2021-09-20 near their camp. At least five more flights taking Haitians from the border camp were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website Flightaware showed. A United Airlines passenger jet takes off with New York City as a backdrop, at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo) United Airlines was fined $1.9 million Friday by the U.S. Transportation Department for violating federal rules on long tarmac delays and ordered to cease future similar violations. The department said between December 2015 and February, United allowed 25 flights to remain on the tarmac for lengthy periods without allowing passengers to deplane. Advertisement United said Friday it remains "committed to fully meeting all DOT rules and will continue identifying and implementing improvements in how we manage difficult operating conditions." The department said this is the largest fine of its kind ever imposed and impacted a total of 3,218 passengers. The Biden administration has pledged to take a tough line on airline consumer actions. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-probing-18-airlines-over-delayed-refund-complaints-2021-09-09 United noted "ultimately only 25 out of nearly 8 million flights operated by United" and its partners warranted "enforcement action" over more than five years. Carriers are generally not allowed to keep planes on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane. United must pay $950,000 of the fine, while United was credited with $750,000 paid in compensation for impacted passengers. The Transportation Department said $200,000 of the assessed penalty shall be credited to United to develop "a diversion management tool which improves United's Network Operations Center overall situational awareness of system-wide diversions and better allows United to avoid the oversaturation of airports with diversion flights." United said it "believes there is also a tension between the rules and operational decisions to position flights to take advantage of windows of opportunity to get the passengers to their ultimate destination." United added that since 2015 it has made substantial improvements and investments in its management of diversions. Over 90 percent of Egyptian imports and exports are set to be managed electronically by the end of January 2020, according to Finance Minister Mohamed Maait A tracking unit has been established under the supervision of the Egyptian Customs Authority to check abandoned goods and hazardous material containers at ports and customs warehouses countrywide, Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said in a statement on Monday According to the minister, the unit is tasked with upgrading the current disposal system in a way that eases the disposal procedures of these containers with the aim of preventing port congestion. On 9 August, Egypts civil aviation ministry announced it had ordered a review of materials at airports and the transfer of any hazardous goods to safe storage. The Egyptian steps come on the back of the Aug. 4 massive blast in Beirut, reportedly caused by the accidental detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse in the citys port. Meanwhile, Maait stressed that "the ministry is racing against time to finalise the national automation project to modernise and digitise the working system at all ports of entry by land, sea, and air nationwide." He said the project aims to move from a paper-based work environment to paper-free workplaces with the aim of simplifying customs procedures, shrinking the time required for the release of shipments, and reducing the cost of goods in the local market. The plan also aims to help the country move up a notch in the ranking of important international business performance indicators, he added. Maait said logistic centres in Cairo, West and East Port Said, and Ain El-Sokhna have begun operations, while other centres are planned to come into play within the few coming months; noting over 90 percent of Egyptian imports and exports, as a result, will be managed electronically by the end of January 2020. He noted that goods at customs are set to be cleared within three days or less at West and East Port Said and Ain El-Sokhna ports by the end of this year and at the rest of the country's ports by 2021. Mona Nasser, the finance minister's assistant, said that under the new customs draft law, approved recently by the House of Representatives and pending the President's approval, an electronic system will be established to track goods until the final release. Egypt is currently paying special attention to digital transformation. It has allocated EGP 12.7 billion ($797 million) for gradual digital transformation in the fiscal year 2020/21's budget, according to Maait. The ambitious plan targets the digitisation of all government services countrywide. Search Keywords: Short link: Italy is one of the leading countries which receives Egyptian exports, particularly agricultural crops Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir discussed on Friday with Italian Ambassador in Cairo Giampaolo Cantini boosting cooperation in regards to operating regular navigational lanes between Egyptian and Italian ports. During their meeting, in the presence of a number of officials of Italian companies, El-Wazir affirmed the government's keenness to develop the maritime transport system, hailing the outcome of the first, second, and third Egyptian-Italian dialogue rounds held earlier in the field of maritime transport Italy is one of the leading countries which receives Egyptian exports, particularly agricultural crops, according to the minister. He also pointed to railway projects, set to be implemented, to boost freight shipping and tourism movement among Egyptian destinations. Meanwhile, Italy's Saipem company's officials showed their interest in establishing the sixth line of Cairo Metro, saying they submitted a tender to implement a project to convert the Abu Qir/Alexandria railway line to a metro line. Search Keywords: Short link: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued directives to turn all Egyptian ports into global ones, with a view to boosting trade movement. Madbouly made the remarks on Thursday during a cabinet meeting to follow up progress on simplifying customs clearance procedures and registration requirements. The meeting also took up the initial blueprint for operating 14 logistics centers and applying the National Single Window for Foreign Trade Facilitation "Nafeza" at different harbors and airports nationwide. "Nafeza" is an integrated platform to exchange information and documents between all parties that are involved in the foreign trade system in Egypt. It provides mechanisms to facilitate foreign trade procedures, standardize invoices, apply a digitized payment system, unify the necessary forms for releasing goods, and develop performance monitoring indicators. It includes as well monitoring and early warning systems. Search Keywords: Short link: Announced by UN Secretary-General Ant nio Guterres last October, the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit was held on Thursday as the first of its kind, convening world leaders President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed that the danger of famine limits the abilities of countries and governments to implement the objectives of sustainable development at all its levels. Delivering a speech on Thursday via video conference to the UN Food Systems Summit, held during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, El-Sisi said: "Today's summit is convening at a very critical time which requires exerting more efforts to stand against complicated challenges that should be faced." El-Sisi pointed out that establishing a sustainable food system that achieves food security tops priorities of our communities especially in light of the accelerated impact of climate change along with complicated political conditions in some areas. Announced by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last October, the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit was held on Thursday as the first of its kind, convening world leaders. The summit aims at transforming food systems so as to ensure all people have access to safe and nutritious food and mobilise national and regional action to achieve the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGSs). This includes totally ending hunger and poverty by 2030 and achieving gender equality and climate action. The summit comes amid a rise in the number of people living in poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UN said on Thursday, noting that 600 million people are projected to remain poor by 2030. Speakers at the summit included Guterres, World Bank President David Malpass, Director General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and a number of key officials and state leaders. "The danger of famine is threatening many areas of the world especially in Africa," El-Sisi said, adding that the escalation of such danger requires finding quick and effective solutions to save millions of humans, most of whom are women and children. Egypt has realised from an early time the favorable chance this summit represents to present ideas and solutions for these challenges as well as the role [the summit] can play in enhancing international cooperation and mobilising the necessary funding in this regard, El-Sisi said. Egypt, therefore, hastened to play its role within the framework of the preparatory process for the summit nationally and regionally. On the national level, Egypt launched a comprehensive national dialogue on these issues in December 2020 that has resulted in a consensus on a national document for the transition to a healthy and sustainable food system, El-Sisi said. The dialogue has involved relevant governmental institutions, private sector representatives and civil society organisations, he added. Egypt also joined the School Meals Coalition, believing in the importance of providing healthy food to female and male students and the centrality of the international partnerships contribution to achieving this goal, El-Sisi said. He affirmed that Egypt has become among the largest countries to implement this program in the region. On the regional level, Egypt has been involved in formulating a unified African stance during the summit, which reflects the priorities of the continents peoples and the particularities of their challenges that are related to the food security, El-Sisi added. We are determined to continue working with our African brothers in the face of these challenges in an effort to expedite the implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063, El-Sisi said. The president said the success of this summit depends on the extent of our ability to come up with results that contribute to formulating a sustainable, ambitious, feasible food system. This food system should consider the particularities of each state and its priorities without imposing certain visions and models, El-Sisi said. He also urged providing the necessary funding through developing the creative financing mechanisms and an effective international cooperation that bring states together with the UN system parties and development partners. The president highlighted the importance of setting effective and flexible follow-up mechanisms on the national and international levels, which contribute to achieving our desired goals and legitimate aspirations in meeting the needs of all our people. El-Sisi delivered on Tuesday a recorded speech to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he urged debt relief for developing and African countries. Search Keywords: Short link: The House concluded the first legislative session of its five-year term in July Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued decrees calling on the House of Representatives and Senate to commence their second legislative sessions on 3 and 5 October, respectively, the official gazette reported on Friday. The House concluded the first legislative session of its five-year term in July. The Senates first session ended also in July. Search Keywords: Short link: He also held a meeting on Wednesday with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Thursday Egypt's foreign policy during a roundtable discussion organised by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York, the foreign ministry said in a tweet. Shoukry presented to the US-based nonprofit think tank, which specialises in US global affairs and foreign policy, on Egypt's diplomatic efforts on the international and regional fronts. The roundtable came on the sidelines of Shoukrys participation in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. On Wednesday, Shoukry held separate meeting with his counterparts from Niger, Latvia, Somalia, South Korea, Tanzania and Italy to discuss bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern. He also held a meeting with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries. He later held another meeting with Jordans FM Ayman Safadi and Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein to follow up also on cooperation mechanisms between the theree countries. Shoukry also met with Abdulla Shahid, the president of the UNGAs 76th session, to discuss the most prominent topics on the UNGAs agenda and the priorities for work during the coming period. On Wednesday, Shoukry held a meeting with representatives of various countries to discuss reaching political solutions in the Libya crisis within the framework set during the Berlin conferences. He also gave a speech during the high-level meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted in 2001 to fight racism. The top diplomat held separate meetings with each of his counterparts from France, Ireland and Vietnam to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation. On Tuesday, Shoukry held separate meetings with his counterparts from Estonia, Tunisia, Rwanda, India, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ukraine, Pakistan, as well as Josep Borrell the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy. Search Keywords: Short link: These new roads serve tens of thousands of vehicles round the clock and significantly reduce traffic congestion and cut daily travel time around the Greater Cairo region Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inspected on Friday the ongoing work to expand the Greater Cairo Ring Road's eastern archway sector, which is part of a larger plan to expand and upgrade road infrastructure nationwide. The eastern archway sector, which carries thousands of vehicles every day, will link the Gehan El-Sadat Road with the Shubra-Benha Road. The president also inspected the project to connect Al-Asmarat district to El-Shaheed Road and Shinzo Abe Road, according to a statement by presidencys spokesman Bassam Rady. These new roads serve tens of thousands of vehicles around the clock and significantly reduce traffic congestion and cut daily travel time around the Greater Cairo region, Rady said. The new roads will facilitate smooth and fast transportation, reduce rates of car accidents and cut fuel costs, Rady added. The development work on the eastern archway involves expanding its lanes to eight in each direction. During the inspection tour, El-Sisi called for the strict application of measures to protect the health and safety of the workers, according to Rady. Over the past few years, the state has implemented numerous road projects in different governorates worth hundreds of billions Egyptian pounds, including the construction of new bridges and the widening of major roads. In 2014, El-Sisi launched the National Road Project to develop and expand the countrys 23,500km road network. The construction of new roads and the upgrading of existing ones have contributed to a significant drop in road accidents in recent years. The number of road accidents in Egypt fell by around 30 percent in 2019 to 9,992, down from 14,403 in 2014, according to a report by Egypts statistical news agency CAPMAS in June 2020. Moreover, Egypts rank in terms of the quality of its road infrastructure in the World Economic Forums Global Competition Report recently rose from 118 to 28. The state plans to implement 1,769 projects in road infrastructure by 2024 at a total cost of EGP 464 billion. Search Keywords: Short link: Nearly every Palestinian has a loved one who has been locked up in that system at some point, and imprisonment is widely seen as one of the most painful aspects of life under Israeli rule The cinematic escape of six prisoners who tunneled out of an Israeli penitentiary earlier this month shone a light on Israel's mass incarceration of Palestinians, one of the many bitter fruits of the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have passed through a military justice system designed for a temporary occupation that is now well into its sixth decade. Nearly every Palestinian has a loved one who has been locked up in that system at some point, and imprisonment is widely seen as one of the most painful aspects of life under Israeli rule. The saga of the six, who were eventually recaptured, also underscored the irreconcilable views Israelis and Palestinians hold about the prisoners and, more broadly, what constitutes legitimate resistance to occupation. Israel classifies nearly every act of opposition to its military rule as a criminal offense, while many Palestinians see those acts as resistance and those engaged in them as heroes, even if they kill or wound Israelis. Israel has granted limited autonomy to the Palestinian Authority, which administers cities and towns in the occupied West Bank and is responsible for regular law enforcement. But Israel has overarching authority and the military regularly carries out arrest raids even in PA-run areas. Israel seized the West Bank along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. The Palestinians seek an independent state in all three. SYMBOLS OF STRUGGLE The Palestinian prisoners held by Israel include everyone from militants convicted of suicide bombings and shootings that killed Israelis to activists detained for demonstrating against settlements and teenagers arrested for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Israel says it provides due process and largely imprisons those who threaten its security, though a small number are held for petty crimes. Palestinians and human rights groups say the system is designed to quash opposition and maintain permanent control over millions of Palestinians while denying them basic human rights. 'Mass incarceration of Palestinians is a means to control the population, to stifle political activity, to keep a lid on turmoil and activism', said Dani Shenhar, the legal director of HaMoked, an Israeli group that advocates for the rights of detainees. Four of the escapees were known militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Of the more than 4,600 Palestinians currently held by Israel in connection with the conflict - known as 'security prisoners' - more than 500 are serving life sentences. A similar number are being held without charge in so-called administrative detention, perhaps the most controversial aspect of Israel's military justice system. Qadoura Fares, head of the Prisoners Club, which represents current and former Palestinian prisoners, said they are all 'freedom fighters'. 'We see them as symbols of the Palestinian people's struggle', he said. Alaa al-Rimawi, a Palestinian journalist with the Al-Jazeera television network, said he has spent a total of 11 years in prison in several stints over the last three decades over allegations related to political activism, but was never convicted of anything. The Israeli military declined to comment. In 2018 he was arrested while working as the West Bank director of Al-Quds TV, which is affiliated with the Hamas militant group that runs the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Al-Rimawi says he is not a member of Hamas or any other group. He said he was accused of 'inciting violence against the occupation' by publishing stories about home demolitions and Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. He was released after 30 days but barred from working as a journalist for two months. On separate occasions earlier this year, he was briefly detained by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which also suppresses dissent. 'Existence in a prison is like being in the grave', al-Rimawi said. 'And then you come out of it, and you feel like you came back to life after death'. `THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED' Many are jailed for violations of the sweeping Israeli military orders that govern the 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Those include belonging to a banned organization and taking part in demonstrations, which are generally considered illegal. Hundreds of minors are arrested every year, mostly charged with stone-throwing. Palestinians from the West Bank detained on security-related charges are prosecuted in military courts, while Israeli settlers living in the territory and held for similar offenses would be subject to civilian courts. Palestinians are rarely released on bail, and most believe it's futile to contest charges in military trials that can drag on for months or years. Instead, most cases are settled by plea bargains, contributing to an estimated conviction rate of more than 95%. Maurice Hirsch, who served as the top military prosecutor from 2013 to 2016, attributes the high conviction rate to resource-strapped prosecutors only bringing indictments when cases are solid. He says acquittals are not unheard-of, pointing to a recent case in which a Palestinian policeman was acquitted in the shooting death of an Israeli. Defendants 'choose to take the plea bargains because they understand that they will be convicted because of the evidence', he said. He insists the trials are fair, saying they have the same procedural rules as Israeli civilian courts. All evidence must be shared with defense lawyers, and the military judges issuing verdicts are legal experts outside of the normal chain of command, he said. But Shenhar said lawyers for Palestinians 'know it's futile to try to defend your client in court'. 'He won't be acquitted in the end, and he'll stay longer in prison', he explained. 'So the system is rigged'. LIFE IN PRISON Escape is extremely rare - the last major prison break was decades ago - but Israel has released hundreds of prisoners over the years as part of political negotiations or in exchange for captured Israelis. Within the prisons, Palestinians have organized themselves and won concessions over the years through hunger strikes and other collective action, a source of frustration for many Israelis. 'We become hysterical, like overprotective mothers, reacting to every terrorist who threatens to fast', Israeli journalist Kalman Liebskind wrote in a recent column in the Maariv newspaper. Palestinians say life in prison is hard enough. So-called security prisoners are usually barred from making phone calls, but some manage to smuggle in cellphones. Otherwise, their only link with the outside world is visits by lawyers and family members. Relatives coming from the West Bank require military permits, meaning that some prisoners, including minors, can go months without seeing loved ones, said Shenhar. Al-Rimawi recalls a stint in prison in the mid-2000s in which his wife, who had given birth after his arrest, was unable to visit him for more than a year. 'My wife eventually visited me and brought a boy with her. I said, `Who is this?' and she said, 'It's your son''. Search Keywords: Short link: The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) included only fatalities identifiable by a full name, with a place of death and an established date, from March 2011 to March 2021 The war in Syria has killed 350,209 fully identified individuals, according to a new count published Friday by the United Nations, which warned the real total of deaths would be far higher. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) included only fatalities identifiable by a full name, with a place of death and an established date, from March 2011 to March 2021. "We assess this figure of 350,209 as statistically sound, based as it is on rigorous work," High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council. "It is not -- and should not be seen as -- a complete number of conflict-related killings in Syria during this period. "It indicates a minimum verifiable number, and is certainly an under-count of the actual number of killings." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the benchmark for counting victims of the conflict, published a report on June 1 raising the death toll to 494,438 since the start of the violent crackdown on anti-regime protests in 2011. The Observatory revised up by 105,000 its previous death toll from March 2021, following months of investigation based on documents and sources on the ground. UN rights chief Bachelet said more than one in 13 victims on the OHCHR count was a woman -- 27,727 -- while almost one in every 13 was a child -- 27,126. She said the greatest number of documented fatalities was in the Aleppo governorate, with 51,731 named individuals killed. Other locations with heavy death tolls were Rural Damascus (47,483), Homs (40,986), Idlib (33,271), Hama (31,993) and Tartus (31,369). 'Unimaginable suffering' Bachelet said OHCHR had received records with partial information which could not go into the analysis but nonetheless indicated a wider number of killings that were not yet fully documented. "Tragically, there are also many other victims who left behind no witnesses or documentation," she said. OHCHR has begun processing information on those alleged to have caused a number of deaths, together with the civilian and non-civilian status of victims, and the cause of death by types of weaponry. "Documenting the identity of and circumstances in which people have died is key to the effective realisation of a range of fundamental human rights -- to know the truth, to seek accountability, and to pursue effective remedies," said Bachelet. The former Chilean president said the Syrian people's daily lives "remain scarred by unimaginable suffering... and there is still no end to the violence they endure". Bachelet said the count would ensure those killed were not forgotten. "Behind each recorded death was a human being, born free and equal, in dignity and rights," she said. Search Keywords: Short link: Exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was awaiting a court hearing in Italy following his arrest four years after fleeing Spain over an independence referendum that Madrid ruled illegal Exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was awaiting a court hearing in Italy on Friday following his arrest four years after fleeing Spain over an independence referendum that Madrid ruled illegal. The member of the European Parliament, who has been based in Belgium since late 2017, was detained in the Sardinian town of Alghero on Thursday while on his way to a cultural festival, aides said. The 58-year-old is wanted by Madrid on charges of sedition over his attempts to lead a Catalan breakaway from Spain in October 2017, and Italian judges must now decide whether he should be extradited. "It's clear that Carles Puigdemont must be brought to justice and stand trial," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Friday, after the former Catalan leader spent the night in an Italian jail. However, Puigdemont's lawyers insist there is no basis for his arrest and say they have a "very solid" legal case. "The first thing is to resolve his personal situation which means whether he remains in custody, whether he gets bail, or whether there is any condition for his release," Brussels-based lawyer Gonzalo Boye told AFP. "Then at a later stage, there will be a discussion where they will enter into the grounds (for the alleged offence)" -- notably whether the arrest warrant was valid. Calls for his release Puigdemont's arrest drew a sharp rebuke from the Catalan government, with leader Pere Aragones demanding his "immediate release" and saying he would travel to Sardinia to "stand by" the former regional leader. It also comes at a sensitive time, nine days after the left-leaning Spanish government and regional Catalan authorities resumed negotiations to find a solution to Spain's worst political crisis in decades. Ahead of Friday's hearing, supporters gathered outside the court in Sassari, a city in the north-west of Sardinia, with one holding up a large Catalan independence flag. And in Catalonia's regional capital Barcelona, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Italian consulate, some holding makeshift signs reading "Freedom" in Catalan over Puigdemont's picture. Others shouted "Free our president" in Italian and waved Catalan independence flags. The October 2017 referendum was staged by Catalonia's separatist regional government despite a ban by Madrid and the process was marred by police violence. Several weeks later, the separatists issued a short-lived declaration of independence, triggering a huge political crisis with Spain during which Puigdemont and several others fled abroad. Madrid swiftly moved to prosecute those Catalan separatists that stayed behind, handing nine of them long jail terms. Although they were all pardoned earlier this year, Madrid still wants Puigdemont and several others to face justice over the secession bid. In March, the European Parliament rescinded immunity for Puigdemont and two other pro-independence MEPs, a decision that was upheld in July by the EU's General Court. However, the European Parliament's decision is being appealed and a final ruling by the EU court has yet to be made. "Somebody misled the (EU) General Court to lift the precautionary measures," Boye told AFP. 'Persecution' Aragones, a more moderate separatist who took over as Catalan leader earlier this year, said the only solution to the region's political crisis was "self-determination". "In the face of persecution and judicial repression, our strongest condemnation. It has to stop," he wrote on Twitter. And Quim Torra, who had taken over after Puigdemont fled, said his extradition to Spain would be "catastrophic" and urged pro-independence activists to be "on high alert". Meanwhile, the Catalan National Assembly, the region's biggest grassroots separatist movement, has called people to hit the streets in protest over Puigdemont's "illegal detention". Many rallies have been scheduled Friday night with another major gathering planned at midday on Sunday. Besides Puigdemont, former Catalan regional ministers Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati are also wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition. Madrid said it would respect the decision of the Italian courts. "This government has respect for all judicial proceedings whether opened in Spain, in Europe or in this case in Italy, and will comply with any judicial decisions that may be taken," Sanchez said. The Italian government said it would not get involved. "The procedure is entirely left to the judicial authorities," a justice ministry statement said. Search Keywords: Short link: The blue economy is the winning card for coastal countries. According to the World Bank, which defines the emerging concept as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems, ocean-based industries will outperform the growth of the global economy in the years ahead, doubling their contribution to GDP by 2030. On a global scale, the blue economy offers 350 million job opportunities. It contributes more than 30 per cent of Vietnams GDP, seven per cent of Singapores, and has created 34 million jobs in China. In Egypt, the blue economy makes up a meagre 2.2 per cent of GDP. This is despite the fact that Egypt enjoys an important geographical location with coasts extending over 3,000 km on the Red and Mediterranean Seas and the Gulf of Aqaba and 50 marine ports with 197 terminals stretching for 37.5 km. Even with the national and international importance of the ports of Egypt, being the primary link in the countrys global trade, they still come in the middle of the list among rivals in the fields of marine transport and customs, according to the 2019 Global Competiveness Report and a 2020 report issued by the Containerisation International magazine in cooperation with the UK Lloyds Banking Group. Such ratings are the inevitable result of the decline in the revenues of Egypts seaports. This is now changing, however, with the country realising the importance of the maritime transport sector and the need to develop the field to achieve the maximum economic, commercial, and investment returns. Development should include logistics, multimodal transport, and the transformation into smart ports to ensure the speedy completion of customs procedures in accordance with the standards of the World Customs Organisation. It is also important to provide services with greater reliability and higher standards of quality, security, safety, financial sustainability, resource protection, environmental protection, and community participation. Besides stimulating investments, Egypt should improve its ranking in the three international indicators of global competitiveness, doing business, and the macroeconomic environment. Egypt has already embarked on a comprehensive scheme to upgrade its sea ports, at the forefront of which is the Alexandria Port, the oldest one in Egypt and the main port through which 65 per cent of the countrys trade passes. Chair of the Alexandria Port Authority Tarek Shahin told Al-Ahram Weekly that the port was being developed without stopping daily operations. Despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on global trade, the Alexandria Ports revenues had increased, he said. Cargo increased to 60.5 million tons in 2020-21, up from 59.6 million tons in 2019, registering a high of 1.2 per cent. The first half of 2021 saw an increase of 19.6 per cent on the same period of the year before, Shahin said. The new Tahya Masr Multipurpose Terminal will transform the Alexandria Port into a regional and global hub for trade and logistics, said Mohamed Safwat, head of the terminals central administration. Some 88 per cent of the construction work has been finalised with the deadline set for March 2022. The project is being implemented with a capacity of 15 million tons annually, with total berth lengths of 2.5 km and depths of up to 17.5 metres on an area of 155,000 square metres, plus an additional storage area of 560,000 square metres, Safwat told the Weekly. The multipurpose terminal along with other upgrades will enable the Alexandria Port to increase its capacity from 66 million tons to 100 million tons and raise storage space to a million square metres. Operating transit services, increasing capacity, and ending waiting lists at berths are primary incentives for investors in the field of marine transport, he added. Ahmed Al-Abaai, sea traffic manager at the Alexandria Port, said the port was being prepared to host giant vessels. Berths will go up to 19 metres deep. And oher terminals will be upgraded with deeper berths, he said. Shahin said the development was meant to increase Egypts competitiveness in maritime transport and had been drafted by the Ministry of Transport in 2018 in line with Egypts Vision 2030 to transform the country into a global hub for energy, trade, and logistics. Enhancing competitiveness with neighbouring ports will enable Egypt to attract more shipping lines and local and foreign investments. According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Egypt is expected to handle 20 million containers in 2022, Shahin added. Developments Besides the construction of deeper berths and logistics areas and upgrading loading and unloading times to decrease the waiting times of ships, the skills of customs employees are also being enhanced. Digitisation will enable customers to finish their papers in one place, which will reduce the cost of custom clearance, Shahin said. The multipurpose terminal will serve imports, exports, and transit goods, he added, saying that it was more suitable to host large ships and would increase the number of containers traded on an annual basis from one million to 2.5 million. The new terminal is expected to be finished in 2024 when the larger Alexandria Port will be opened. It is being developed as part of a wider scheme to expand and upgrade the ports of Dekheila and Max, also in Alexandria. Berth 3/85 is a terminal for loading and unloading timber. Shahin said 95 per cent of the construction work has been finalised and the project is due to be finished by the end of the year. It is dug to a depth of up to 17 metres and a length of 433 metres, while the backyard is located on 35,000 square metres. These measurements qualify it to receive ships carrying 70,000 tons each, he added. The multipurpose terminal was designed with a handling capacity of more than five million tons annually, and it will be managed by the Alexandria Port Authority, the Suez Canal Authority, the Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport, and the Alexandria Container Company. All these operate under the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals affiliated to the Ministry of Transport, Shahin explained. The new storage areas under construction extend over 2,500 feddans north of the Max Road. At Dekheila, a new multipurpose terminal is also being established at Berth 100. There is also a clean dry bulk terminal and unclean casting plant with a depth of 15 to 20 metres. Other expansions are taking place over an area of 273 feddans, and the area will house added-value industries complemented by land, sea, and rail networks. The plan is to connect the Alexandria, Dekheila, and Max ports and integrate them into the larger Alexandria Port, slated to become the biggest on the Mediterranean with 87 terminals extending over 24.9 km and depths of 20 metres, Shahin said. The developments will qualify the port to provide transit services. It will not be limited to dealing with incoming and outgoing containers, as is the case now, but will contribute to the movement of international trade and increase Egypts pivotal role in serving global trade, he stated. Egypt is currently working to sign several agreements with European and African countries to revitalise trade through the Alexandria Port and to attract new shipping agencies, he added. The country is also developing port roads, bridges and railways. It is about to finish the construction of a road to connect the Port of Alexandria with the international coastal highway in Area 54 to link the international highway with the West Alexandria region. A road connecting the Dekheila Port and the international coastal highway has already been finished. This will facilitate the movement of trucks between highways on the outskirts and the ports of Alexandria and Dekheila without navigating the citys streets. A new railway station is being built at the Alexandria Port and a multi-storey garage on an area of 15,000 square metres with a capacity of 4,000 cars. Hussein Al-Gezeiri, head of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety, told the Weekly that the Ministry of Transport has embarked on a scheme to upgrade all its service and investment sectors. The authority is a member of the Committee to Develop Sea Ports that is implementing the development plans in accordance with the Egypt Vision 2030. The development is being carried out by the Maritime Research and Consulting Centre in cooperation with Hamburg Port Consulting, Al-Gezeiri said, adding that the upgrades were meant to keep pace with global development trends, help Egyptian ports increase their competitive edge, and facilitate maritime transport between East and West. He added that the committee was drafting possible future scenarios for the growth of the blue economy in partnership with the private sector. The main problem the Alexandria Port had been facing was a lack of space, he said. Now, its area has been doubled in size, and the extra space is being used to increase its capacity to handle cargos and offer transit services, which will help in attracting new clients and investments. Increasing trade and facilitating the loading and unloading of goods will raise the profits of investors, primarily by decreasing the cost of transport. This will lead to a reduction in the prices of goods, enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian products in foreign and local markets, Al-Gezeiri concluded. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Last Wednesday marked the final deadline for companies to join the electronic invoice system set up by the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA). An electronic invoice (e-invoice) is a digital document that records the buying and selling of goods and services. Under the ETA system, they are signed electronically and are sent or received in real time and are then verified by the ETA. This electronic billing system is characterised by a unique number being given to each invoice and a unified form and content for each invoice within the system. According to the ETA, some 2,273 companies have uploaded electronic documents to join the e-invoice system, with a total of 44 million electronic documents registered so far. The electronic invoice system launched its first mandatory phase in mid-November last year, requiring 134 companies to register. The second phase was applied on 15 February 2021, covering 347 companies. The third and final phase, which ended on 15 September, included all other companies registered with the ETA Taxpayer Centre. The ETA has warned non-compliant companies that have not joined the system that they will face legal measures as of 1 October and that they will be excluded from the top taxpayer category. This means that they will lose technical support and assistance, including export subsidies. It said that companies and other legal individuals are obliged to register their sales and purchases on the electronic system. After joining the electronic invoice system, they will be required to register their sales and purchases on the ETAs electronic system in accordance with Article 35 of the Unified Tax Procedures Law. A tax invoice or receipt in electronic form must be issued in accordance with Article 37 of the same law. Companies not covered by the mandatory decision (not top corporate taxpayers), according to the ETA, can use the electronic invoice system if they wish to do so. An electronic receipt system will start with the trial operation of the automated unified tax procedures system to be launched for top and middle-income companies at the end of December. Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in a press statement that the first phase of the electronic receipt system would be implemented within six months and was based on a central electronic system that enables the ETA to monitor all commercial transactions of goods and services between businesses to consumers (B2C) in real time. This will contribute to integrating the informal economy into the formal economy, reduce tax evasion, establish the foundations of tax justice, achieve equal opportunities in the Egyptian market, and facilitate tax examination procedures in the shortest possible time, he said. He added that the ministry was moving ahead with the implementation of a national project to modernise and automate the tax and customs systems, saying that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will be used to facilitate and digitise procedures in 2022 to ensure that all online business transactions are monitored and controlled. The electronic invoice system has thus far revealed 1,700 cases of tax evasion, with a total value amounting to LE3 billion, he said. One of the companies that have joined the system, the Juhayna Group, said the e-invoice system had affected the way it did business. In a press statement, the company said the system had saved it time and effort in dealing only with tax-registered persons and companies and saving data on tax examinations. However, it said there had been difficulties in importing analyses of sales invoices from the ETAs electronic invoice system, as it was difficult to import thousands of invoices per day when the companys daily sales are estimated at about 15,000 invoices. We hope to see this fixed by the ETA soon, the company said. Mohsen Abdel-Aziz, deputy head of the Technical Office of the Egyptian Junior Businessmens Association, said the e-invoice system had short-term and long-term benefits. In the short run, the system would help to verify company documents before issuance, enhancing the tax status of companies by classifying them as low risk, updating and developing the exchange of invoices, and helping companies to prepare reports and conduct quick and accurate analyses, he said. Long-term benefits include a reduction of administrative work such as the need to archive paper invoices and reducing audit procedures and facilitating tax refunds. All this will help to support the integration of the informal economy into the formal one, he concluded. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The US is running out of patience with the fighting in northern Ethiopia After months of failed attempts to stop the fighting in Tigray, Washington has announced a new raft of sanctions to be put in pace should the warring parties fail to reach a ceasefire or block humanitarian aid. The executive order signed by US President Joe Biden and issued on Friday was an explicit warning that sanctions will extend to all parties involved in the conflict and punitive actions will include the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara regional government to target those responsible for, or complicit in, prolonging the conflict in Ethiopia, obstructing humanitarian access, or preventing a ceasefire. The announcement reveals that Washington has hit a dead end in the 10-month conflict that left reportedly thousands of people killed and hundreds displaced. The Ethiopian forces entered Tigray in November after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that government forces had been attacked by elements of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional party that dominated national politics for nearly three decades until 2018. Recently in August, Abiy, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader, called on Ethiopians to join the armed forces to support them in the war on Tigray. This took place following a dramatic turn in June when Tigrayan forces recaptured the regional capital, Mekelle, and the Ethiopian army largely withdrew, despite Abiys pledges to end the conflict and achieve a swift victory. Abiy intransigently did not respond to various calls by the international community and African leaders to sit down for talks with Tigray, and continued to launch military offensives against the region. Since July the war has spread from Tigray to two other Ethiopian regions, Amhara and Afar, displacing hundreds of thousands, local authorities said. The new pressure move pushed Abiy to respond in an online letter to Bidens administration, accusing the US of failing to support Ethiopia in its struggle against the TPLF, which Ethiopia labels as a terrorist group. Abiy Ahmed also rebuffed a request to meet face to face with Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Tigray, dealing a blow to US efforts to end a conflict destabilising a country that was once an ally against terrorism in the Horn region. In May, the US put visa restrictions and economic sanctions on some officials from Eritrea and Ethiopia as a part of Washingtons effort to bring the conflict to a halt, by imposing penalties on the Ethiopian government and other entities and individuals in the war. The US Trade Representative Katherine Tai informed a government senior trade adviser, Mamo Mihretu, that if Ethiopia doesnt address the ongoing human rights violations in Tigrays conflict, this could affect Ethiopias future African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) eligibility. AGOA presents the Ethiopian economy with a crucial trade programme that allows the sub-Saharan country to import US goods duty-free. However, the US administration confirmed that Washington will put the sanctions on hold if Ethiopia and Tigray enter peace talks and apply a ceasefire. The United States is determined to push for a peaceful resolution of this conflict, Biden said in a statement. Ethiopia has been in an accelerating humanitarian catastrophe exacerbated by the continued determination of Tigrayan, Amhara, Ethiopian and Eritrean forces to pursue a military solution, according to Jason Mosley, a research associate at the African Studies Centre, Oxford University. Mosley believes the US framework for sanctions is unlikely to lead to a shift in positions in Ethiopia in the short term, and expects that the move is more likely to push Abiy Ahmed and the elites that back his government closer together. Mosley feels the US has better tools to put pressure on Ethiopia. US leverage in Ethiopia is extremely limited. However, if the United States wanted to have a more positive impact, it could look to police the activities of Ethiopian diaspora activists in the US, or using US based social media. Many of these activists are US citizens, he told Al-Ahram Weekly. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian filmmaker Nesrine Lotfy Al Zayats debut documentary feature On the Fence was selected to take part in the competition at the 27th FESPACO (Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou) in Burkina Faso (16-23 October). Having premiered in the Cairo International Film Festivals Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition in 2020, last August the film won a special mention in the feature documentary competition of the second Amman International Film Festival (Awal Film). On the Fence is the journey of the director back and forth between her hometown in a small village called Tima in Sohag, Upper Egypt, and Cairo, the big city she moved to after graduating from South Valley University in 2001 looking forward to a career in journalism. Maybe Im still on the fence, between two completely different worlds. But now, after this film, I feel more confident in my choices and the way I decided to face the challenges that both worlds impose on me, she says. After graduating from the Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology, Al Zayats only option in Upper Egypt was to work as a teacher, but she protested such limited opportunities and firmly told her parents, I will move to Cairo. She was fond of colourful images from her school trips to the big city, with its huge neon signs, wide streets crammed full of people and cars. Cairo was to me the meaning of pure freedom. My older brother, who is also a journalist, has been living here for years. I had no trouble convincing my parents. Al Zayat says that her father, a civil servant, was unlike most of his peers. He believed in his daughters, He allowed us to reach advanced stages of university education, and at no time did he stand in the way of my ambition in a life. However, when she told him one day after moving to Cairo that she had removed the hijab, the relatively liberal father did not hesitate to ask her to keep wearing whenever she came back to her village. This is how the idea of the film began, or rather my journey in search of my identity. Am I the liberated Cairo girl whose freedom is not limited by anything, or am I that Upper Egyptian girl who is forced to consider peoples perception of her? This question kept her occupied during her early years in Cairo, before she discovered that she lived in a grey area separating the two worlds. Cairo was nothing like my perception of it. In time I realised how stifling that city is. In Cairo I felt like my head was buried in a big black garbage bag I couldnt escape. But then again, that girl who had to wear a headscarf as soon as the train reached Sohag station did not look like me. A few years after she moved to Cairo, Al Zayats family decided to join her in the big city. At the insistence of my mother, my father decided that the family should move to Cairo to stay with me. It was such a great sacrifice for my parents to leave everything behind just to support me in my new life. But the familys presence with her in Cairo deepened her questions about her identity. They became closer to my daily life which was adding to my confusion between the two worlds. At one point Al Zayat participated in a demonstration in the vicinity of Cairo University. Despite the considerable risks of participating in a protest, her fathers only concern was that she was a girl, and girls should not take part in a demonstration. I felt that no woman could even live in Cairo without breaking free of the siege of prejudices and stereotypes. As a result, a few years later, in 2008, Al Zayat made her first short documentary film WARD NO.6 about two female political activists who were arrested at a demonstration and detained in 2006. Why cant a girl participate in a demonstration because she is a girl? I tried to explore the question by going through the story of the two girls with my camera. The film won the jury prize for best short documentary from the National Egyptian Film Festival in 2009. But in 2006 she had also lost her biggest source of support, her father. Grief overwhelmed me. I felt that in addition to being divided between two worlds, by losing my father, I lost an important part of my personal history. I decided to go to our village in Upper Egypt and collect fragments of his story. My loss was heavy, and the remedy was to recreate his image.This journey required her to meet influential figures in her late fathers life including a woman named Badra, a cousin of his who had once been his fiancee. But the old lady plunged her even deeper into the question of identity and what it means to be born a woman. Badra had lost her husband, her son and other male members of her family. She was doomed to wear black in mourning for the departed. Badra was not talking but mourning. As if she had adapted to the state of blackness and sadness imposed on her so well that it began to feel like a choice even though it wasnt.That is how Al Zayats second short documentary, The Black Dress (2013), a poetic piece about the eternal mourner in her black outfit, was born.Meanwhile, the first contours of the film project On the Fence were beginning to take shape, albeit in a vague way. I decided to interview a large number of girls who had decided not to wear the hijab, including myself. My questions to others led me to more questions about myself. I spent many hours shooting and asking questions. I was exploring my film at the same time as I was exploring myself, exploring Cairo at the same time I was rediscovering Tima.Over time, the shape of the film began to become clear. I realised that this movie is about me and that the question and answer was inside and around me and not in the answers of the girls I spent hours shooting with. Thus, the director decided to immerse herself more in her own story and the story of her family.In 2014, the director found a cassette tape from 1982, among the belongings of the family that had been in Timas home. Her fathers voice can be heard at a family gathering in their home. My father loved to gather family members in this house and record the intimate conversations that took place among them. The house was a very important element in my memory of my father. It was very important for him to keep this house, our home.Through much of the film, indeed, Al Zayat struggles with family members to prevent them from selling their home in Tima. The mother, brothers and sisters want to exchange the big house for a little rented flat in the village, appropriate for their short visits. But the house for Al Zayat was compensation for the absence of the father. She explains how she and all her siblings were born in rented apartments. The father had sold the house he had inherited from his father, a mistake for which he had never forgiven himself. Only when he retired and was able to buy this house on severance pay did he have a sense of victory.I felt that protecting the home was part of protecting my personal history and identity. But something happened that turned things upside down. In 2019, my mother became seriously ill and I nearly lost her. At this moment I realised that while I was trying so hard to freeze the past, I let the present slip through my fingers. I was leaving my mother who gave up her whole life in Upper Egypt to stay with me in Cairo, and going for many days at a time in search of the traces of my late father in Upper Egypt. What if she too left forever?Only here does the director reach the balance she has been striving for: I spent many hours shooting my mother. Even when I decided to finish filming and start editing, my mother took over the bulk of the construction of the film. By the end of the film, I felt recovered. I did not find definitive answers to my perplexing questions. But I became more accepting of the nature of both worlds. Acceptance does not mean surrender. Rather, it is a deep understanding of myself, the strength within me, and the belief in my choices. For example, I feel proud that I became a role model for the many daughters of the family in Tima who tell their mothers that they want to be like Nesrine. And I feel prouder because I have a huge number of stories that no one else knows and that have a place in the cinema.Al Zayat says that the essence of the issue lies in a persons confidence in their choice, regardless of losses. The women in Upper Egypt have great strength and tremendous potential, but they do not trust their ability to rebel against social restrictions and be faithful to their choices. This is the core round which my films will revolve. Upper Egypt is part of my culture and my identity despite my lack of a sense of belonging to both worlds. I have the ability to tell stories through my own perspective on both worlds. This is what I believe indespite all the obstacles and challenges.One such challenge, according to Al Zayat, is the limited financial opportunities an emerging filmmaker has for her projects. It took me over nine years to finish On the Fence. If only the proper production was secured, I would not need to work as a cinematographer, sound recorder, and editor in addition to be the director and writer. I had almost no crew, and I could not hire an editor, which is why I edited my film myself. All the other post production requirements such as sound mixing and colour grading were gratis contributions by professionals who believed in me and my film. If production money was forthcoming, the work could proceed nonstop.On the Fence is the production of Hassala Film, co-produced by The Cell, with sound mixing by Ahmed Gaber. *A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: 'The other reason for these frictions is the increasing so-called 'revolutionary' trend in Iran, which seeks to quickly find an ideological and partisan base in Yemen that believes in the doctrine of Welayat-el-Faqih' The Houthi militia in Yemen shows a clear and open allegiance to Iran and is keen on sending strong signals about its relationship to Tehran, starting with the glorification of the Iranian Mullahs position, and ending with the consecration of the Persian language at Sanaa University. However, although Iran boasts of its control of four Arab capitals Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sanaa, secretly sending an ambassador to Sanaa in violation of all international norms and standards, this begs the question: to what extent does the Houthi movement serve the future Iranian orientation in Yemen while reinforcing Tehran's long-term control, actually over the whole of Yemen?. Or, it may actually be the opposite, will Iran find itself out of the equation despite of all this current success? Such a question would then be conducive to another one: will Iran find for itself another way in Yemen, one that would be other than it used to embrace through the Houthis, whom they may be trying to shun, through potential alliances with other entities? We must realize that there are two levels at stake in the enhancement of the Iranian influence, which is directed by the deep state of Tehran. The first level is grounded on exporting the idea of the revolution, based on Iran leading a global axis against imperialism; this is a populist discourse that justifies the presence of Iranian cells from Latin America to Africa, relying on non-religious forces, and only united by the need to bring support and maintain a historical position towards a previous ideological conflict. The second level is based on allegiance to the theory of the doctrine, and the belief in a standing religious referential, which no one discusses: Welayat-el-Faqih - the doctrine which stipulates that the imam leader in Tehran is the infallible guardian, the commander of all times. It is from the latter that comes all of Irans attempts to spread Shiism, not only by highlighting some religious rituals, but by creating a partisan current capable of using violence and controlling any country it takes up residence in. When we use this model as a gauge in Yemen, we find out that the Iranian project has started experiencing some turmoil with the Houthi movement and its rogue militias. The Houthis raised their banners in the far northern regions of Yemen for the revival of the theory of the Zaydi sect and as representatives of this sect in the country. Their movement found fertile soil in which the seed of the Zaydi Imamate could bloom in the northern regions for several reasons, most notably the historical presence of this current there, secondly the strong conviction of a large segment of the population of those regions that the Sunni currents are a threat, and thirdly the previous regimes approach for more than thirty-five years. The previous Yemeni regime practiced sectarian and regional devotion in its most prominent and most important institutions the army, the intelligence services, and the judiciary believing that it was protecting its narrow interests by maintaining power to govern in the hands of a ruling elite. It did not, however, realize that strengthening sectarianism reinforced by the regionalism would produce a fertile soil for the Imamate. When Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi announced his call, this discrimination meant he found a ready group of young people, not only in mosques, but within the ranks of the army, within the moral guidance entities, within the intelligence services, among party leaders and state apparatuses as well. The strategic mistake made by the political parties of not adopting a serious stance against the sectarian and religious ideologies paved the way for the movement to spread in large areas. This was compounded by the direct guidance that was given by the previous state leadership to the governing bodies and the army to join the Houthi march in defiance of the vociferous opposition of the street at the time. That was a failed tactic that plunged the country into a predicament in which there was no way back. All of this happened while Iran did not have control over the events, nor did it have the ability to fully direct the stage in Sanaa. Iran, rather, was given the opportunity on a silver platter, and it kept waiting and waiting for more opportunities to come, providing support, aid and training to the Houthi group, and working on the institutional construction of its security and media apparatuses. Concomitantly, Irans presence in Yemen was not hinged on sectarianism, but with recruiting followers within circles interested in the "fight against tyranny," the "struggle against global imperialism," and the constant anger of Yemen towards its neighbors, together with feelings of injustice. In this way, the Iranians found fertile ground in Saada and Sanaa, as well as within the movements in Hadramawt, Aden, the rest of the south, and Taiz as well. There came a moment when many of those involved in the Arab Spring, or those who opposed to the former president's regime, were closer to Tehran than they were to Doha. At the same time, Iran was seeking to work with forces from nationalist, leftist, or Muslim Brotherhood movements, with a large focus being put on the youth and women. This was the manner in which Iran maintained a presence in Yemen, steering away from sectarianism reinforced by regionalism, until the Houthis took control at the end of 2014 and early in 2015, opening the way for the construction of a direct air bridge between Tehran and Sanaa. At that specific period of time, the indicators of a regional danger appeared, and it became crystal clear that Iran did not merely support a movement, but it, above all, sought to create a new geography of power in the region. The relationship between the Houthi movement and the Iranian regime was and obviously still is characterized by many frictions. These frictions are partly due to internal conflicts in Tehran, but that is another story. The other reason for these frictions is the increasing so-called "revolutionary" trend in Iran, which seeks to quickly find an ideological and partisan base in Yemen that believes in the doctrine of Welayat-el-Faqih, and in the religious and political referentials, one which is supported by a deep security institution. The quest of such forces in Tehran is to set the stage for an outspoken leader who would address the people just like Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia Hizbullah, in the Lebanese suburbs, an outspoken leader who would affirm that the affiliation to the theory of the Imam and religious scholar in Iran stems from an unshakable faith. Such a discourse is overtly maintained by Nasrallah in the Jaafari surrounding referring to the Shia school of jurisprudence in which the deeply anchored prevailing ideologies are exclusively in favor of Iran. Because of this, Nasrallah is not afraid to do anything, even if it triggers the anger of the majority of the Lebanese. However, the situation in Sanaa is different, as that Jaafari incubator has not yet been found there, nor has its popular construction been completed, even if it has been overrun by security forces. The Houthi leadership, although now inclined to the Twelvers branch of Shiism, still derives strength from the northern governorates who represents the Zaidis, and not the Jafaris who follow the Imams of Tehran. But it seems that things are moving in another confrontational direction, and the winds of the "revolutionary fervor in Tehran" are reaching Sanaa, with the adamant quest to change both the geography of power and the existing ideological affiliations. The concern here is not this crude rhetoric of an Iranian faction that says that it will convert Zaydis to Twelvers, but from a broader plan to make this new trend in Tehran emanate from the various parts of Yemen in other governorates, and not only from the northern ones, with a heavy reliance on the tone of "resistance," the countrys "unity," and the announcement of the "end of outside interventions." This is further made possible by the absence of state institutions, and of a growing sense of disillusionment, together with the absence of a comprehensive national project in Yemen. And that is precisely the issue. A whole discussion that needs to be reinitiated at this stage.. *The writer is ambassador of the Republic of Yemen in Morocco. Search Keywords: Short link: Renowned actress Menna Shalaby garners Egypt's first-ever Emmy International nomination Ahram Online, , Friday 24 Sep 2021 Shalabys nomination comes for her performance in the crime mini-series Every Week Has a Friday Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby is among the nominees for the Emmys International, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed yesterday. The Academy noted that this year the nominees come from a record-breaking number of countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, India, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Actress Menna Shalaby garnered the first ever Emmy nomination from Egypt for her performance in the crime mini-series Every Week Has a Friday, says the release. The 2020 crime drama TV series Every Week Has a Friday stars Shalaby in the role of Layla, a girl with mysterious past forced to live with Emad, a mentally challenged man in his house while a series of violent crimes happens every Friday, the IMDb brief reveals. The nominations for Emmys International come shortly after the announcement of the winners of the Emmy Awards, which honour programs broadcast in the United States. The International Emmy is a US Award presented by The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to recognise excellence in television and honours programming produced outside of the United States. Winners of the Emmy International will be announced at an in-person ceremony in New York City on 22 November 2021. Shalaby began her career in 2001 with the television series 'Morning and Evening Talk,' based on a story by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. Her silver screen debut was also in 2001 when she got a role in the late Radwan Al-Kashefs 'The Magician.' Ever since, Shalaby has worked with many renowned Egyptian directors and alongside many other stars. Her filmography includes I Love Cinema (2004 dir. Osama Fawzi), The Best of Times (2004, dir. Hala Khalil), Downtown Girls (2005, dir. Mohamed Khan), About Love and Passion (2006, dir. Kamla Abouzekry), Chaos (2007, dir. Youssef Chahine), and Microphone (2010, dir. Ahmad Abdalla). She collaborated with Youssry Nasrallah on 'After the Battle' (2012), which brought Egyptian cinema back to Cannes after a 15-year absence, and 'Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces' (2016), which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival before it was released in France and Switzerland. Among Shalaby's most significant appearances was in the film 'Nawara' directed by Hala Khalil, which brought her a record of 10 best actress awards. Shalaby described her role in Nawara as the role of her lifetime and one of the most important artistic endeavours she had taken in her career. Shalaby's works also include 'The Originals' (2017, dir. Marawan Hamed) and 'Diamond Dust' (2018). For her score of achievements, Shalaby was honoured with the Faten Hamama Excellence Award at the last 41st Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), which took place in November 2019. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter [email protected] on Facebook atAhram Online: Arts & Culture /News/423709.aspx FM Shoukry discusses Egyptian foreign policy with Council on Foreign Relations Ahram Online, , Friday 24 Sep 2021 He also held a meeting on Wednesday with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Thursday Egypt's foreign policy during a roundtable discussion organised by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York, the foreign ministry said in a tweet. Shoukry presented to the US-based nonprofit think tank, which specialises in US global affairs and foreign policy, on Egypt's diplomatic efforts on the international and regional fronts. The roundtable came on the sidelines of Shoukrys participation in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. On Wednesday, Shoukry held separate meeting with his counterparts from Niger, Latvia, Somalia, South Korea, Tanzania and Italy to discuss bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern. He also held a meeting with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries. He later held another meeting with Jordans FM Ayman Safadi and Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein to follow up also on cooperation mechanisms between the theree countries. Shoukry also met with Abdulla Shahid, the president of the UNGAs 76th session, to discuss the most prominent topics on the UNGAs agenda and the priorities for work during the coming period. On Wednesday, Shoukry held a meeting with representatives of various countries to discuss reaching political solutions in the Libya crisis within the framework set during the Berlin conferences. He also gave a speech during the high-level meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted in 2001 to fight racism. The top diplomat held separate meetings with each of his counterparts from France, Ireland and Vietnam to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation. On Tuesday, Shoukry held separate meetings with his counterparts from Estonia, Tunisia, Rwanda, India, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ukraine, Pakistan, as well as Josep Borrell the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy. /News/423716.aspx A gunman attacked a grocery store in an upscale Tennessee suburb on Thursday afternoon, killing one person and wounding 12 others before he was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the store, authorities said. Police respond to the scene of a shooting at a Kroger's grocery store in Collierville, Tenn., on Sept. 23, 2021. [Photo: The Commercial Appeal via AP] Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the shooting broke out at a Kroger grocery in his suburban community about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Memphis. He said the gunman shot 13 others and himself, and that 12 of the victims were taken to hospitals, some with very serious injuries. One Kroger worker, Brignetta Dickerson, told WREG-TV she was working a cash register when she heard what at first she thought were balloons popping. And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting, Dickerson said. And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach. Lane said police received a call about 1:30 p.m. about the shooting and arrived almost immediately, finding multiple people with gunshots when they entered the building. He said a police SWAT team and other officers went aisle to aisle in the store to find people who sought cover or were in hiding, taking them to safety. He said the shooter, whom he described as male, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. We found people hiding in freezers, in locked offices. They were doing what they had been trained to do: run, hide, fight," the chief said without elaborating. The identities of the shooter and the victims were not immediately released. At a news briefing Thursday evening, Lane declined to reveal more about the suspect, citing the ongoing investigation, including search warrants that will be carried out. We're going to carry this thing as far as we can to see and make sure that there's no else involved, Lane said, adding that there was no credible evidence that there was a second shooter. The chief also said that, As far as we know there wasnt any other incident that led up to this. Dickerson, the employee, said her co-worker, who is in his 20s, was shot in the head and said he wanted his mother to be notified. I left her a voicemail that he was alert and talking, Dickerson said, adding that she was still trying to reach her later in the day. Another employee, Glenda McDonald, described the chaotic scene to WHBQ-TV. I was walking back towards the floral department and I heard a gunshot, she said. It sounded like it was coming from the deli. And I ran out the front door and they had already shot the front door. Lane called it a sad day for his department in his initial briefing with reporters. I've been involved in this for 34 years and Ive never seen anything like it," he said Thursday afternoon. The suspects vehicle was in the stores parking lot and remained there as part of the investigation, the chief said. He added that investigators were seeking to piece together how the shooting unfolded, adding, Its going to take a little bit before we know what happened. Lets get through the investigation, Lane said. "Remember, were two hours away from the most horrific event thats occurred in Collierville history. Collierville is a growing suburb of more than 51,000 people with a median household income of about $114,000, according to U.S. census figures. Set in a rural and historic area, the town square has largely become known for its boutiques and bed and breakfasts. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure would possibly lead to more gun violence. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement that it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting and was cooperating with law enforcement. The company in 2019 asked its customers not to openly carry guns while visiting its stores. A Kroger spokesperson said the Collierville store will be closed until further notice. Fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers reported Thursday. The first footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park in 2009. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey recently analyzed seeds stuck in the footprints to determine their approximate age, ranging from around 22,800 and 21,130 years ago. The findings may shed light on a mystery that has long intrigued scientists: When did people first arrive in the Americas, after dispersing from Africa and Asia? This undated photo made available by the National Park Service in September 2021 shows fossilized human fossilized footprints at the White Sands National Park in New Mexico. [Photo: NPS via AP] Most scientists believe ancient migration came by way of a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. Based on various evidence including stone tools, fossil bones and genetic analysis other researchers have offered a range of possible dates for human arrival in the Americas, from 13,000 to 26,000 years ago or more. The current study provides a more solid baseline for when humans definitely were in North America, although they could have arrived even earlier, the authors say. Fossil footprints are more indisputable and direct evidence than cultural artifacts, modified bones, or other more conventional fossils, they wrote in the journal Science, which published the study Thursday. What we present here is evidence of a firm time and location, they said. Based on the size of the footprints, researchers believe that at least some were made by children and teenagers who lived during the last ice age. David Bustos, the park's resource program manager, spotted the first footprints in ancient wetlands in 2009. He and others found more in the park over the years. We knew they were old, but we had no way to date the prints before we discovered some with (seeds) on top, he said Thursday. Made of fine silt and clay, the footprints are fragile, so the researchers had to work quickly to gather samples, Bustos said. The only way we can save them is to record them to take a lot of photos and make 3D models, he said. Earlier excavations in White Sands National Park have uncovered fossilized tracks left by a saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, Columbian mammoth and other ice age animals. A House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed four advisers and associates to former President Donald Trump who were in contact with him before and during the attack. Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the Electoral College certification of Joe Biden as President in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. [File Photo: AP/Evan Vucci] The panel subpoenaed former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote to the four men that the committee is investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the attack and asked them to produce documents and appear at depositions in mid-October. The subpoenas are a significant escalation for the panel, which is now launching the interview phase of the investigation after sorting through thousands of pages of documents the committee requested from federal agencies and social media companies. The goal is to provide a complete accounting of what went wrong when the Trump loyalists quickly overwhelmed police and interrupted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory and to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. Thompson says in letters to each of the witnesses that investigators believe they have relevant information about the lead-up to the insurrection. In the case of Bannon, for instance, Democrats cite his Jan. 5 prediction that all hell is going to break loose tomorrow and his communications with Trump one week before the riot in which he urged the president to focus his attention on Jan. 6. The committee also cites Meadows' work to overturn Trump's defeat in the weeks prior to the insurrection and his pressure on state officials to push the former president's false claims of widespread voter fraud. In the letter to Meadows, Democrats say they have credible evidence of his involvement in events within the scope of the committees investigation. That includes his communication with Trump on Jan. 6 and his reported involvement in the planning and preparation of efforts to contest the presidential election and delay the counting of electoral votes. Thompson also signaled that the committee is interested in Meadows requests to Justice Department officials for investigations into potential election fraud. Former Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department did not find fraud that could have affected the elections outcome. The panel cites reports that Patel, a Trump loyalist who had recently been placed at the Pentagon, was talking to Meadows nonstop the day the attack unfolded. Scavino was with Trump on Jan. 5 during a discussion about how to persuade members of Congress not to certify the election for Joe Biden, according to reports cited by the committee. On Twitter, he promoted Trump's rally ahead of the attack and encouraged supporters to be a part of history. The panel said its records indicate that Scavino was tweeting messages from the White House on Jan. 6. Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen in an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, Sept. 23, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. [Photo: AP/Julio Cortez] Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen in an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, Sept. 23, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. [Photo: AP/Julio Cortez] A migrant man and little boy stand wrapped in emergency blankets on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande river after they crossed the border to Del Rio, Texas, from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, Sept. 23, 2021. [Photo: AP/ Fernando Llano] Migrant children play near a man in an encampment under the Del Rio International Bridge where migrants, many from Haiti, have been staying after crossing the Rio Grande, Sept. 23, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. [Photo: AP/Julio Cortez] Haitian migrants milled around makeshift shelters held up with giant reeds, as wind blew dust through the camp littered with plastic bottles and overflowing trash bags. Some migrants sat on plastic paint cans or the ground while others hung clothes to dry on the bamboo-like carrizo cane. All waited to learn their fate at a dramatically diminished Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 migrants had gathered just days ago under a bridge between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. About 4,000 remained on Thursday, Department of Homeland Security officials said. The number had peaked on Saturday, as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the crossing. But the United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and fresh condemnation from civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and UNICEF. DHS officials said about 1,400 migrants had been sent to Haiti on 13 flights, rapidly expelled under the pandemic public health authority known as Title 42. Another 3,200 were in U.S. custody and being processed, while several thousand have returned to Mexico, DHS officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief journalists about an ongoing operation. Mexicos immigration agency had estimated late Wednesday there were as many as 600 migrants in Ciudad Acuna. The riverside camp appeared to hold that many at its peak, while other migrants were scattered through the city in hotels and private homes. A city official said Wednesday that Mexican authorities had removed about 250 Haitian migrants from the city since Sunday evening. Still, several thousand migrants returning to Mexico from the Del Rio camp seemed an exaggeration. Haitians camped in Mexico awoke Thursday surrounded by security forces, with a helicopter thundering overhead and state police trucks spaced every 30 feet or so between their tents and the waters edge. After anxious minutes of indecision, dozens of families hurried into the river to cross at a point where there was only one municipal police vehicle, calculating it was better to take their chances with U.S. authorities. Guileme Paterson, a 36-year-old from Haiti, appeared dazed. It is a difficult moment, she said before beginning to cross the Rio Grande with her husband and their four children. Things are going badly, said Michou Petion, carrying her 2-year-old son in her arms toward the river. Her husband carried bags of belongings and several pairs of sneakers dangled around his neck. KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2021 - 09:17 | All, Japan Japan's major universities including those with close ties with China are moving to tighten background checks on foreign students seeking to study civil-military technologies, a Kyodo News survey found Thursday. Their efforts to keep sensitive information from being transferred out of Japan comes after the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a plan in June to tighten control on exports of technologies that can be used for military purposes, requiring students under strong influence of foreign governments to gain the industry ministry's approval for working on such research. The survey collected responses from 56 universities including those having student exchange agreements with Chinese universities known as the "Seven Sons of National Defense" which have close links to China's defense industry. Of the surveyed schools, 31 said they have tightened student background checks or are planning to do so. They have started to check with schools about which foreign students have attended and the companies they have worked for. Some universities ask students whether they wish to find a military-related job, while others request details about research funding students receive. Previously, many schools only asked about the last schools students attended. As of May last year, there were some 280,000 foreign students in Japan, with those from China accounting for over 40 percent. Japan currently does not have strict rules on research by foreign students and researchers on so-called dual-use technologies with military applications such as artificial intelligence. Mikihito Kano, a Mie University professor specializing in intellectual property management, says as long as Japanese universities rely on students' resumes for background checks, the government needs to conduct stricter screening of foreign students. KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2021 - 14:00 | Feature, All, Japan Efforts are under way to give a human face to Japanese casualties in World War II and immediately preceding conflicts by reading their names aloud in a new type of memorial service, despite the difficulty of identifying all individual war dead. From the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 until the end of WWII in 1945, the government estimates the number of war dead at 3.10 million, including 2.30 million military personnel and 800,000 civilian casualties. In the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, roughly 140,000 and 74,000 people were killed, respectively, by the end of 1945 while 188,000, including 94,000 civilians, perished in the Battle of Okinawa. But determining the name of each military and civilian casualty is a monumental task. In many cases, there were no remains, making it impossible to investigate the circumstances behind the deaths. Still, experts are urging the government to take the initiative to investigate further before time runs out, with few survivors left who are able to shed light on what happened 76 years after the conclusion of the war. "Mr. Haruji Otani, Mr. Hisayoshi Otani..." These were peoples' names being read out during a videoconference memorial event in late August. They were among soldiers and civilians who died in internment camps or while engaged in forced labor in Siberia, among other areas in the former Soviet Union, as well as Mongolia, following WWII. Roughly 100 surviving family members and volunteers spent 46 and a half hours reading aloud the names of some 46,300 people. Undeterred by the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo-based organizer, which is a support and documentation center for Japanese former prisoners of war and civilian internees held by Soviet forces after WWII, began the readings last year as an expression of mourning for those who lost their lives. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, of the approximately 575,000 Japanese held by the Soviet Union, some 55,000 died in captivity. "It really hits home to know that so many people died," said Daiki Hama, a 21-year-old university student from Tokyo who read aloud 500 of the victims' names at the memorial ceremony. During a gathering in March ahead of the 76th anniversary of the March 1945 overnight Tokyo air raid conducted by the United States, about one hour was spent reading out the names of 410 victims in a ceremony mourning the more than 100,000 civilians who were killed. Dubbed the "bombing of Tokyo," it was the single most destructive firebombing raid in human history. Setsuko Kawai, 82, from Chiba, near Tokyo, who lost her mother and two younger brothers in the bombing, played a major role in getting people to attend the event. Each victim had a life, their own family, and most of all, a name, she said. "You can't understand this if you lump 100,000 people together as one. My hard-working mother, my brothers who would fight each other over a tricycle, everyone had a name," Kawai said. In June, at Kawai's suggestion, a memorial event was also held in Chiba to introduce 725 people who died in air raids in the city. "We were able to think about each one of their lost lives," said Mariko Ichikawa, 69, who heads a group dedicated to remembering Chiba's war experience. Nevertheless, the names of some of Japan's casualties may never be known. For example, of the roughly 15,000 people who died in air raids in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, the names of only just over 9,000 have been confirmed. Utako Komai of the Osaka International Peace Center, which discloses the names of war casualties, suggested this reality needs to sink in to understand the depth of the problem. "I want people to understand that there are 6,000 names of people we still don't know," Komai said. Professor emeritus Yasunori Oda, a specialist in Japanese modern history at Osaka Electro-Communication University who researches the former Sanadayama Army Cemetery in the city of Osaka, says that even for military personnel and civilian employees under state control, the number placed in group burials as the war situation deteriorated does not represent the true scale of deaths. "Leaving behind the person's name is to recognize the individuality of the person. The government has to take responsibility for having mobilized its citizens into the war," Oda stressed. The government should initiate an investigation, and if any archive material can lead to identifications being made it should be made public, he said. KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2021 - 11:19 | All, Japan, World Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed "strong opposition" to unilateral attempts to change the maritime status quo, the Japanese government said, alluding to Beijing's assertiveness in regional waters. Their first in-person summit in Washington took place ahead of a meeting of the Quad group, which will also be joined by U.S. and Australian leaders to discuss issues that are expected to help push back against China's growing clout in the Indo-Pacific region. During the 45-minute talks, Suga hailed Modi as "an important partner" toward realizing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific and affirmed the importance of maritime security. They also agreed to closely work bilaterally as well as with the Quad members to build a rules-based international order, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. In that context, the two leaders "shared their strong opposition against economic coercion and unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China seas," the ministry said in a press release. The announcement appeared to suggest that the two leaders are getting more aligned in facing the challenges posed by Beijing. In their phone talks in April, the ministry only mentioned that Suga "expressed serious concerns about China's continued and strengthened unilateral attempts to change the status quo" in the East and South China seas, without elaborating on Modi's response. Beijing in recent years has become more assertive regarding its claim to the Senkaku Islands, a group of Japanese-administered islets in the East China Sea that are called Diaoyu by Beijing. It has also continued to militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea despite a 2016 international ruling against its claims in the waters. Japan and India also agreed to continue work to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and to seek to hold security talks involving their foreign and defense ministers soon, according to the Japanese ministry. Suga also told Modi that he strongly condemns North Korea's recent test-firing of ballistic missiles into Japan's exclusive economic zone, calling it a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. He called for India to cooperate in finding a solution to the issue of Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals. The two also reaffirmed the progress of a high-speed rail project in India using Japan's shinkansen technology, the ministry said. Suga is traveling to the United States, although he will be stepping down imminently after just one year in office amid mounting criticism over his pandemic response. He has decided not to seek re-election as the leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party when it holds its presidential election next week, meaning the party will choose his successor as prime minister. Modi congratulated Suga on his "success" in hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics amid the pandemic, and Suga thanked him, the Japanese ministry said. By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Sep 25, 2021 - 06:51 | All, Japan The leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia and India are set to agree to bolster supply chain security for semiconductors and advance cooperation on space during their first in-person "Quad" summit on Friday, in their latest collective effort to push back against China. The four Indo-Pacific democracies are also likely to affirm that they are on track to supply 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines across Asia as promised in their virtual summit in March, and come up with agreements in areas ranging from climate to technology, showing the broadening scope of their cooperation. Calling the quadrilateral framework a group of "democratic partners who share a worldview and have a common vision for the future," U.S. President Joe Biden said at the outset of the meeting at the White House, "We know how to get things done, and we are up to the challenge." The summit was joined by Japan's Yoshihide Suga, who is soon stepping down as prime minister, as well as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A joint statement is expected to be issued later. "This event demonstrates the strong solidarity between our four nations and our unwavering commitment to the common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Suga said. According to a senior Biden administration official, the four countries have been working to come up with a "joint initiative to map overall capacity, identify respective vulnerabilities and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components." The goal is to help ensure Quad partners take steps to support a "somewhat diverse and competitive market that produces secure, critical technologies," he added, apparently in mind of the fact that the world's semiconductor manufacturing capacity is largely concentrated in mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea and elsewhere in East Asia. During the Quad meeting, the four countries are also expected to affirm the need to advance secure 5G telecommunications networks. The move seems to reflect concerns among the Quad members that technologies could be misused or abused by what the United States views as authoritarian countries such as China. The official did not go into detail about deliverables for COVID-19 vaccines but noted that the four countries will have "detailed updates" on efforts to meet their goal to deliver 1 billion doses by the end of 2022 to Southeast Asia, with investments in Indian vaccine production capacity. The commitment was initially made during the first Quad summit meeting in March, but uncertainties had emerged as India was hit by a surge in coronavirus cases with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, which forced the country to halt exports in a bid to inoculate its population. But New Delhi recently announced that it will soon resume shipments. The Quad was originally formed in 2004 in response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In recent years, the group has gained renewed attention as a counterweight to Beijing's growing clout in the region. During the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump, the Quad held meetings at the foreign ministerial level. But the engagement has moved to the leaders' level under the Biden administration as it seeks to rally U.S. allies and like-minded countries to address the challenges posed by China. The Biden administration has called the Quad one of the "new configurations" designed to take on the challenges of the 21st century, along with a new Indo-Pacific security partnership created between Australia, Britain and the United States, dubbed "AUKUS." Suga welcomed the launch of AUKUS during bilateral talks with Morrison on Friday morning. The Japanese leader also held bilateral talks with Biden. Related coverage: Japan, India leaders oppose China attempt to alter status quo Suga arrives in U.S. for Quad summit, final trip abroad as Japan PM Quad leaders to oppose attempts to change status quo in East China Sea KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2021 - 22:17 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan's state-run mass COVID-19 inoculation centers will begin giving shots to people aged 16 and over from next month, the Defense Ministry said Friday, lowering the minimum age from 18 amid the spread of the virus among younger people. The move by the centers in Tokyo and Osaka, which the Self-Defense Forces run, comes as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus leads to more infections among children. At the Tokyo site, 500 slots per day will be reserved for those between the ages of 16 to 18, while the Osaka site will set aside 250 slots. Reservations will be accepted from Oct. 3, with vaccinations commencing on Oct. 7. The slots, to be added to the existing 10,000 and 5,000 slots available per day in Tokyo and Osaka, respectively, can also be booked by those over 18 if there are vacancies. The vaccination sites use U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc.'s two-dose vaccine, approved for people aged 12 and older. Those aged 16 and older in Japan do not need parental permission or to be accompanied by parents or guardians to receive the shots. The centers were previously scheduled to end operation at the end of September, but the government decided earlier this month to continue giving shots at the sites through late November amid a surge of COVID-19 cases among younger generations. They will resume offering the first dose of the vaccine between Sunday and late October. More than 50 percent of Japan's population of 125 million has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to government data. The government plans to finish vaccinating all eligible people who wish to receive shots by November. Health minister Norihisa Tamura said Friday that the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and 18 other prefectures will likely be lifted in most areas at the end of the month, provided the current downtrend continues. Nationwide infections peaked at around 25,000 per day in August and have steadily declined since, with 2,093 new cases reported on Friday. In October, the government plans to experiment with easing restrictions in selected areas to see if proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results required for venue entry can be checked smoothly. Thirteen prefectures, including Osaka, Hokkaido and Okinawa, have already applied to participate in the dry run, and the number could rise in the future, Tamura said. "If the state of emergency is lifted, we would like to conduct the trial in those areas as a start," he said. KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2021 - 13:19 | All, Japan, World Japan said Friday it sees no technical problem with Taiwan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal after the island filed its application earlier this week, triggering a protest from Beijing, which recently made a similar bid. "The TPP-11 agreement stipulates countries and separate customs territories may join, therefore we recognize that Taiwan is able to accede to the pact" technically, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference. Kato added that Japan needs to examine whether Taiwan is prepared to fully meet the "high-level rules" on market access and other areas under the 11-member TPP, formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Taiwan has indicated it will negotiate with Tokyo whether to lift its ban on food imports from five Japanese prefectures hit by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in talks to join the TPP. The top government spokesman said Japan will seek an early lifting of the restrictions. The entry application by Taiwan on Wednesday followed a similar bid made last week by mainland China for membership of the trade pact, which involves such countries as Japan, Australia and Singapore. The unanimous approval of all 11 members is required to join the deal. Earlier this year, Britain applied to participate in the TPP. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's minister in charge of TPP negotiations, said Friday the first working group meeting on Britain's accession will be held online next Tuesday. Finance Minister Taro Aso also said Friday all the applications "should be dealt with fairly." The other existing TPP members are Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam. Meanwhile, the United States remains cautious about returning to the treaty after its withdrawal in January 2017 under the administration of President Donald Trump, the predecessor of Joe Biden. New Delhi: The second meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed selection committee ended without any decision on new CBI Director. According to reports, no consensus was achieved over the name of the new chief of the country's premier investigative agency. It is working without a regular director, officials said. This was the second meeting of the panel as its January 24 sitting had remained inconclusive. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are the members of the committee. The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency. "We are only saying that you should appoint CBI director immediately. No more of this in-charge business," the bench told the Venugopal, who said the committee is doing it as soon as possible. The top court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the Centre's decision to appoint IPS officer M Nageswara Rao as the interim CBI director. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, told the top court that 40 officers have been transferred from CBI in last two-three weeks. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee, has raised objection to the appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to sources. Former Madhya Pradesh Police chief Shukla was on Saturday appointed the chief of the CBI for a fixed tenure of two years. Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, is at present chairman of Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation in Bhopal. Kharge sent a dissent note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the criterion in selecting the CBI director was diluted to include investigation experience only and not experience in investigating anti-corruption cases. In the two-page note, he said the three-member committee, chaired by the prime minister and in which he is a member along with Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has violated the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE) that governs the CBI and the Supreme Court judgements. "By including officers who do not have experience in investigating anti-corruption cases, committee is in violation of DSPE Act and Supreme Court judgements guiding CBI Director's appointment," Kharge said. "Seniority cannot be only criterion in appointment to such a critical post and experience in anti-corruption cases and prior experience of having served in the organisation should also be considered," said the Congress leader in his dissent note. Kharge had raised objections on the names of probable contenders proposed by the government a selection committee meeting on Friday. During the second meeting of the committee on Friday, the government is understood to have put forth a few names of officers who could be considered for appointment as the CBI director, they said. However, these names were objected to by Kharge. Senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra and SS Deswal, were said to be among the top contenders for the coveted post. Shukla has been appointed in place of Alok Kumar Verma, who was removed from the post of CBI Director on January 10. Shukla was recently transferred from the post of Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police to the police housing corporation. The appointment comes following two meeting of the selection committee held on January 24 and February 1. Shukla's name was short-listed during the second meeting of the selection committee held on Friday. The development assumes significance as on Friday, the Supreme Court had said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency. Hitting Kharge back, Union Minister Jitendra Singh claimed that the Congress leader tried to "manipulate" the criteria for selection of CBI chief with the ulterior motive of accommodating some of his preferred officers. He also hit out at Kharge for "giving his own version" of the panel's deliberations to the media. "Kharge tried to manipulate the objective criteria, based on independent and impartial assessment, to select CBI Director...He wanted to include some officers of his preference in the short-list of candidates," Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, told news agency PTI. The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet. The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster. Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Kharge, who is the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently admitted at AIIMS in Delhi, is "very unwell" and is "living" with God's blessings, Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly Michael Lobo said on Monday. Lobo told reporters that the day Parrikar steps down as chief minister, or "something happens to him", Goa will plunge into a political crisis. Parrikar, 63, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on January 31. He has been in and out of hospitals in Delhi, New York, Mumbai and Goa since last year. "The ailment he has got has no cure. There will be no political crisis till Manohar Parrikar is in chair. But the day he steps down on his health ground or something happens to him, there will be a political crisis. He is very unwell," said Lobo, who is a senior BJP leader and represents Calangute Assembly constituency. "He is still living and working with God's blessings," he added. Parrikar heads a coalition government, which is supported by the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), and three Independent MLAs. Sources at the AIIMS on Saturday said Parrikar's condition was stable. Veteran BJP leader L K Advani, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had met the ailing chief minister in Goa earlier to enquire about his health. Earlier in the day, on the occasion of the World Cancer Day, Parrikar said in a message that the human mind can overcome any disease. Last week, Parrikar, with a tube inserted through his nose, had presented the state in the Goa Assembly. Lobo had earlier demanded that Parrikar step down on health grounds, as he has been absent from office for long. The MGP had in the past threatened to pull out from the BJP-led government on various issues including crisis in the mining industry. The party has been demanding that senior leader Sudin Dhavalikar be appointed as the chief minister. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday hailed the government for the Interim Budger 2019 and came down heavily on the Congress-led UPA for not doing much for farmers in its 10 years in power. "What did the UPA do in their 10 years in power? A one-time loan waiver of Rs 70,000 crore. Only Rs 52,000 crore were waived off and the CAG report was that out of that Rs 52,000 crore a significant part of money went to traders and businessmen and not to farmers," Jaitley said. Speaking to news agency ANI in New York, where the former finance minister is undergoing treatment, asked the Opposition not to "shed crocodile tears"A after itA criticisedA the government over Rs 6,000 fixed income per year for farmers who own upto two hectares of land. Arun Jaitley in New York on opposition's criticism of Rs 6000/year for farmers having upto 2 hectares of land: Please don't shed crocodile tears today for farmers. If opposition also has several govts let them announce similar schemes. I'm sure other govts will also consider this pic.twitter.com/SZEc93YPls a ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 "Please don't shed crocodile tears today for farmers. If opposition also has several governments let them announce similar schemes. I'm sure other governments will also consider this," he said. "This is a huge amount that we are doing. We are now as against the one-time loan waiver of Rs 52,000 crore. This is Rs 75,000 crore in the first year itself. I'm sure it will expand in future years," he said. #WATCH New York: Arun Jaitley reacts to media reports that National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data was leaked which stated that unemployment was at a record high. pic.twitter.com/Hzm367PSGh a ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 Jaitley added: "Now, look at what we have been doing. Rural roads - 91% completed, rural housing - 2022 everyone will have a roof, 98.7% people in rural areas now have sanitation, every willing home is having electricity, every man has switched over the cooking methods." Responding to the Opposition's allegation that it was an "election budget," Jaitley said: "Mr Chidambaram on a number of products, including engineering products and automobiles, gave a duty rebate. The same argument can be taken now. Budgets are an essential part of any parliamentary democracy so are elections." Leaders of the BJP-led ruling alliance lavished praise on the Union Budget with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it benefits every section of society and will boost growth but the Opposition scorned its populist push, calling it the saffron party's poll manifesto and election 'jumla'. With some Union ministers hailing the budget as a "surgical strike" on the Opposition, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi mocked their show of euphoria, saying surgical strike will happen on Modi and his government on issues like the Rafale deal, jobs and demonetisation during the general election. Former finance minister P Chidambram mocked the budget as an account for votes and not a vote on account as it should have been.A The NDA leaders expressed hope that the budget's sops for the middle class, farmers and small industries will boost their electoral prospects and their optimism was visible in their praise for these. BJP chief Amit Shah said the interim budget "benefits" all sections of the society and asserted that it has underscored the Modi government's dedication to the aspirations of the country's youth, farmers and the poor. He highlighted the increase in income tax exemption to Rs 5 lakh, a move aimed at wooing the salaried middle class, and annual payout of Rs 6,000 to farmers to drive home his point. Modi said over 12 crore farmers, three crore middle class families and 30-40 crore workers employed in unorganised sector will benefit from the budget which, he asserted, is merely a "trailer" of what will guide India towards prosperity after the elections, expected in April-May. This budget will boost the efforts of 130 crore citizens in realising the goal of a new India, he said.A (With PTI inputs) New Delhi : The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was allegedly involved in a series of terror acts in the country, has been banned by the government for five more years as it continues to indulge in subversive activities. According to a Home Ministry notification, if the unlawful activities of SIMI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will continue its subversive activities, re-organise its activists, who are still absconding, and disrupt the secular fabric of the country by propagating anti-national sentiments and escalating secessionism. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby declares the SIMI as an unlawful association and directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years, the notification said. The imposition of the ban on SIMI by the government will have to be confirmed by a tribunal. The Home Ministry listed 58 cases where members belonging to the SIMI were allegedly involved. The ministry said the organisation has been polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, undertaking activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country. The central government is also of the opinion that having regard to the activities of the SIMI, it is necessary to declare the SIMI to be an unlawful association with immediate effect, it said. The order comes into effect from Thursday. Among the terror acts in which SIMI members were allegedly involved are blasts in Gaya in 2017, M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore in 2014, and jailbreak in Bhopal in 2014. The police from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have provided details of conviction against top SIMI leaders Safdar Nagori, Abu Faisal, among others. Faisal was instrumental in the 2013 Khandwa jailbreak incident, according to investigators. Members of the group have allegedly been involved in bank robberies, killings of policemen, blasts, among other cases, officials said. The SIMI was established on April 25, 1977, in Uttar Pradeshs Aligarh, and the organisation allegedly works on the agenda of liberating India by converting it into an Islamic state. SIMI was first declared an outlawed outfit in 2001. Since then, it has been banned on several occasions. The last time it was banned was under the UPA on February 1, 2014, for a period of five years. The ban was confirmed by a tribunal on July 30, 2014. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday appealed to the BJP-led Maharashtra government to intervene in Anna Hazares hunger strike and asked it not to play with the social activists life. As Hazares indefinite fast over demand for immediate appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra entered the fifth day, Thackeray in a statement expressed concern over the 81-year-old activists health condition. He dubbed a purported letter from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) conveying good wishes to Hazare as condemnable and laughable. Supporters of Hazare had claimed that the Gandhian had received a cold response from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) in response to a letter sent by the activist. The Sena president said Hazares fight was against corruption - a problem faced by the country. He asked Hazare to take to the streets in this fight to create an awakening among people, instead of giving up his life by fasting. At present, people in the country have been given anaesthesia and the need is to bring them out of this situation, he said in remarks laced with sarcasm. Hazare should don the role of freedom activist Jayaprakash Narayan to usher in a new revolution, he said. Thackeray said activist G D Agrawal had sat on a huge protest in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand over his demand to clean Ganga and maintain free flow of the river. But the government did not take note of the situation and let Prof Agrawal die. Anna should give up his fast and lead an agitation over his demands, and I assure Shiv Senas support wherever possible. On the fifth day of Hazares fast, his supporters blocked the Ahmednagar-Pune state highway at Supa village in Maharashtra, causing huge traffic jams there. Dr Dhananjay Pote, who conducted a health check-up of Hazare in the morning, said the anti-graft crusader has lost around 3.8 kg weight in the last five days and that his blood pressure, blood sugar and creatinine level urine have gone up. Hazare has been sitting on the fast at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar. He has been demanding immediate appointment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states where such statutory anti-corruption watchdogs do not exist, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on ways to address agrarian distress, besides some electoral reforms. G D Agrawal, 86, had died of a heart attack at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Uttarakhands Rishikesh, in October last year, 111 days after he began a fast for a pollution-free Ganga. The Shiv Sena is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday welcomed the interim budget as "positive", while his arch rival RJD national president Lalu Prasad dismissed it as a "basket of lies". Kumar welcomed provisions like an annual assistance of Rs 6,000 to farmers and Rs 3,000 monthly pension to those employed in the unorganised sector. "The budget will strengthen the rural economy. Besides, raising income tax exemption from Rs 2.5 lakh per year to Rs 5 lakh per year will bring relief to the middle class," the chief minister was quoted as saying in an official release. Lalu, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases, tweeted in Hindi: "Placing a basket of lies in the marketplace of jumlas will prove to be of no avail. People nowadays not only hear jumlas, but also see through these. And they respond not just with a smirk, but with guffaws." Lodged in a Ranchi hospital for various ailments, Lalu keeps sharing his views on the microblogging site with the help of close aides, who operate his official Twitter handle. He used a hashtag, AakhriJumlaBudget, seeking to "underscore the opposition's claim that the BJP has come up with a slew of sops in a desperate bid to avoid defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections". Meanwhile, at a press conference, AICC in-charge of Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil questioned Union minister Piyush Goyal, who is handling the Finance portfolio in the absence of ailing Arun Jaitley, presenting the Union Budget while holding the post of the BJP treasurer. "Piyush Goyal should not have been allowed to present the Union Budget while holding the post of national treasurer of his party. There was conflict of interest," Gohil alleged. Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday claimed that "unnecessary social disturbance" was being created over the Citizenship bill ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The chief minister also asserted that provisions of the Assam Accord will not be violated by it. No one in the state should feel threatened as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not take any decision to hurt the emotions and interests of the North-East region or Assam, the chief minister said while replying to the debate on Governor's speech during the ongoing Budget Session of Assam Assembly. "It is not right to unnecessarily create social disturbance ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Polls will come and go, but we will not harm the indigenous people," Sonowal said "All are 100 per cent safe here. We will continue to work for the people of Brahmaputra and Barak valleys," he added. Talking about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the chief minister asserted it is not true that the Assam Accord will be violated if the bill was implemented. "Many people are giving data on illegal foreigners, but without any basis. Once NRC is done, we will get the actual figure of illegal foreigners," he added. Sonowal said it would be a shame if people were misled by false information and the healthy environment of the state was destroyed. "In the last two and half years, we have not done anything secretly. We have to maintain good academic environment and we will not be pardoned if we destroy this for our cheap political gains," he said. Reacting to the ongoing protests against the bill, Sonowal said, "You can definitely talk and debate the Citizenship Bill, we will listen. But you do not have right to go on roads, disturb peace and affect livelihood of the poor. It is undemocratic." Request everyone to not take law into their hands, otherwise the administration will take action as per the law, Sonowal asked the Opposition parties to stop spreading lies. "Assam will not lag behind unless you create disturbances. There should be tolerance. We, the ruling party, cooperate with your demands. You also have the responsibility to tell the people truth," Sonowal said to the Opposition. "We have been told lots of things these days. We are very tolerant. But time will not forgive (you) if you confuse people to create unrest in Assam," he added. Regarding the apprehensions expressed by the members of the House, Sonowal said that if the problems of the society were addressed carefully, then there will be no issue and the state assembly needs to send out a healthy signal. "The Citizenship Bill is for entire nation, not only Assam... Then why unnecessary fear is being created among people? From where has this figure of 1.9 crore Hindu Bangladeshis coming to Assam emerged?" he wondered. "We should not confuse people by saying that Assamese identity and culture will be finished. The opposition should behave responsibly," he added. After partition, the minorities were tortured in the neighbouring countries and the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel assured people to give shelter and the current policies were framed on those commitments. On the Clause-5 of the Assam Accord, which is about detection, deletion and deportation of illegal foreigners coming to Assam on or after March 24, 1971, Sonowal claimed the Modi government took steps to implement it. "Modi signed the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh and now sealing of border is going on in full swing. We are going to complete it in our tenure. By March, the riverine border will also be sealed," he said. "NRC update is also going on in our period and we will complete it by July 31, 2019 as per the Supreme Court order," he added. "We are sincere about it and engaged 55,000 government employees in this task. Once the NRC is ready, it will be the first step towards implementing Clause-5," he said further. Sonowal also slammed those who have called the high-powered committee on the Clause-6 of the Assam Accord and tabling of a draft Bill in Parliament for granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities in Assam as lollipops. "The ST status to six tribes is a 40-year old demand. The Centre has given instructions to the Assam government, which has formed a Group of Ministers to deliberate on the issue and to hold talks with all stakeholders," he said. Sonowal regretted that a lot of misinformation was being spread on the issues despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam working for both minority and majority communities. "We will not tolerate any divisive politics. We need peace and amity for development... After becoming the PM, he (Modi) took bold steps for the development of the region," Sonowal asserted. On black flags being shown to him, he said, albeit in a lighter vein, that he was not allergic to any colour including black. "Today, the Speaker wore a black jacket. There is a black strip in my dress. No one should give an impression that we have allergy to black colour. The main thing is to have a clean mind," he said. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Rio De Janeiro: The death count in a dam collapse at a mine in southeast Brazil has risen to 134 after more than a week of searches, and 199 missing, authorities said Monday. The count showed the gradual recovery operation of bodies more than a week after the January 25 disaster at the dam, owned by Brazilian mining giant Vale, near the town of Brumadinho. Those listed as missing were presumed dead, but not yet located under the layers of muddy mining waste that had been released when the tailings dam broke apart. Almost all the victims were workers at the mine. A fire services spokesman said it was possible that not all the bodies would be located and recovered. "After a while, because of the decomposition of the bodies, it becomes impossible to recover the remains. But until that moment comes, even if we have to stay four, five or six months, the fire offices will work without stopping," he said. The disaster occurred three years after a similar dam-collapse tragedy at another mine in the same region which was part-owned by Vale. That 2015 incident, close to the town of Mariana, had a lower death count of 19, but was considered Brazil's worst environmental disaster because the mining waste released ravaged whole ecosystems along hundreds of kilometres (miles) of waterways. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sat on a 'dharna' in front of Metro Cinema to protest the CBI action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Rose Valley and Sarada ponzy scam case on Sunday. Kolkata Police Chief Kumar is also present at the spot. "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting on her 'Save the Constitution' dharna at Metro Channel, Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar is also present," the news agency ANI reported. Earlier, Banerjee reached out to Kumar's Loudon Street residence amid a face-off between the Kolkata Police and the CBI.A In a dramatic turn of event, a number of CBI officers, who had gone to question Kumar in connection with chit fund cases, were bundled into police jeeps and detained at Shakespeare Sarani police station.A However, all five CBI officers that were detained by police at Shakespeare Sarani police station in Kolkata have been released. The TMC chief also met West Bengal Director General of Police at Kumar's residence and discussed all possible measures to take the situation under theirA grip. "I am going to stage a dharna to save the federal structure. From today I'm going to sit near the Metro Channel. Tomorrow proceedings in state assembly will take place where I will hold a meeting. This dharna means satyagraha," ANI quoted the CM as saying. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sitting on her 'Save the Constitution' dharna at Metro Channel, Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar is also present. pic.twitter.com/nB6ASQIYFp a ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019 Terming the CBI action against Kumar "politically vindictive", the West Bengal chief minister said the BJP is torturing Bengal and is in a desperate attempt to destroy the state just because she organised the January 19 brigade rally to unite the opposition parties in Kolkata. Banerjee also dubbed Kumar the best police officer in the world and accepted her responsibility to give protection to the force. "Without any notice, you are coming to Kolkata Police Commissioner's house. We could have arrested CBI but we left," Banerjee was quoted as saying outside Kumar's house. "I will stand with my force. I respect them. I felt very sad today. This is the destruction of the federal structure," the TMC chief went on to claim further. In the wake of this unprecedented situation, Banerjee has sought support and solidarity from other opposition partiesA towards her "fight to protect the constitution". The All India Trinamool Congress also decided toA stage a state-wide strike against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at 3 pm on Monday. According to sources, senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel has given a detailed report to party chief Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing situation in West Bengal. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation Agency (CBI) and interim Director M Nageswara Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna also sought a response from the Centre on Bassi's plea in six weeks. "Supreme Court has issued notice to the CBI and interim Director M Nageswara Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair," the news agency ANI reported. Supreme Court has issued notice to the CBI and interim Director M Nageshwar Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair. pic.twitter.com/eggWEDpYqp a ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who appeared for DSP Bassi arugued that this is the case which raises question on the governance of the Central Bureau of Investigation. He said this matter will also affect the purity of investigation. On January 21, Bassi had moved the Supreme Court challenging his transfer, saying it was vitiated by mala fide and would prejudice the probe against former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana. Bassi has challenged the transfer order issued on January 11. It is violative of the directions issued by the top court in its judgment on the plea of the former CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, Bassi had said. Later in the day, hearing another petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao, the top court expressed displeasure at non-appointment of a regular CBI director.A A bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and Naveen Sinha said the post of CBI director was sensitive and it was "averse" to the appointment of an interim chief for the agency for a long period. To this, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that a high-powered committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold a meeting on Friday to select a new CBI director. In the view that the committee will hold a meeting on Friday, the top court has listed the matter for further hearing on February 6. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Barely hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made a failed bid to quiz Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund scam case, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday sat on a dharna at Esplanade in a bid to save the "federal structure" in the country. In an unprecedented development, a number of CBI officers, who had gone to question Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund scam cases, were bundled into police jeeps, whisked to a police station and briefly detained on Sunday. Amidst escalating tension between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Centre, Loudon Street in central Kolkata witnessed a virtual showdown between the state police and the CBI. Even though there were initially conflicting reports about some CBI officers being arrested, the city police later denied the claim, adding that the officers were taken to the Shakespeare police station to check if they had the documents required to question Kumar. However, all five CBI officers that were detained at the police station in Kolkata have been released later in the evening. As politics played out on the street of Kolkata, social media has been flooded with reactions of different politicians from across party lines. Derek O'Brien, TMC: Reacting strong to the unprecedented incident, TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien said that the party has spoken to all like-minded parties and given them an update on what happened today in Kolkata. It has happened to Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Congress, TDP, AAP and all the parties. Rahul Gandhi, Congress: "I spoke with Mamata Di tonight and told her we stand shoulder to shoulder with her. The happenings in Bengal are a part of the unrelenting attack on Indiaas institutions by Mr Modi AND the BJP. The entire opposition will stand together & defeat these fascist forces," tweeted the Congress chief. I spoke with Mamata Di tonight and told her we stand shoulder to shoulder with her. The happenings in Bengal are a part of the unrelenting attack on Indiaas institutions by Mr Modi & the BJP. The entire opposition will stand together & defeat these fascist forces. a Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 3, 2019 Abhishek Singhvi, Congress: Taking to Twitter, Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, Modi and Shah have ensured a non-functional Parliament and non-productive session by doing such assaults on federal polity on Sunday evening. Did the CBI land up to have coffee with the CP on Sunday? No warrant mere section 160 notice. All this despite operating the HC stay in favour of the police officer. #Modi #shah hav ensured a non functional parl &non productive session by doing such assaults on federal polity on Sunday evening. Did cbi land upto hv coffee with #CP on Sunday? No warrant mere section 160 notice. All this despite operating #hc stay in hc in favour of police offr a Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) February 3, 2019 Akhilesh Yadav, SP: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also launched a scathing attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, saying "We have full support to Mamata Banerjee Ji's dharna against the aggressive policy of the BJP government and the political misuse of the CBI. "Today the Opposition and the people of the country are united to defeat the BJP in the next elections," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added. "The BJP wants to stay in power by hook or by crook. They are so scared of losing that CBI is being used as election agents. This is undemocratic and against the spirit of the constitution. We demand due process be followed so that CBI is not used as a tool of political interference," Yadav wrote in another tweet. The BJP wants to stay in power by hook or by crook. They are so scared of losing that CBI is being used as election agents This is undemocratic and against spirit of the constitution. We demand due process be followed so that CBI is not used as a tool of political interference. a Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 3, 2019 MK Stalin, DMK: Extending his support to the West Bengal chief minister, DMK president MK Stalin said, "The independence of every institution has been compromised under this fascist BJP Government. I stand with Mamata Banerjee - 'Didi' in her fight to protect the federal structure of this country and to save democracy". The independence of every institution has been compromised under this fascist BJP Government. I stand with @MamataOfficial Didi in her fight to protect the federal structure of this country and to save democracy.#SaveDemocracy a M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 3, 2019 Tejashwi Yadav, RJD: "Spoke to respected Mamata Banerjee Ji. Extended RJDas support, BJP has not only venomous and nefarious agenda against opposition leaders but Indian Administrative Service and Police Officers. Might visit Kolkata tomorrow," said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Spoke to respected @MamataOfficial ji. Extended RJDas support, BJP has not only venomous & nefarious agenda against opposition leaders but Indian Administrative Service & Police Officers. Might visit Kolkata tomorrow a Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) February 3, 2019 Arvind Kejriwal, AAP: "Spoke to Mamta didi and expressed solidarity. Modi-Shah duoas action is completely bizarre and anti-democracy," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. Spoke to Mamta didi and expressed solidarity. Modi-Shah duoas action is completely bizarre and anti-democracy a Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 3, 2019 N Chandrababu Naidu, TDP: Condemning the unprecedented incident in Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, "After opposition parties started uniting and started to fight together to save democracy, the Modi led BJP is losing all hope. The misuse of institutions by the union government to victimize political opponents in States is reaching dangerous proportions". "We strongly condemn the incidents happening in Kolkata, a glaring example of how Modi-Shah duo are destroying the institutions. Attacking political opponents in different States, few days before the Parliament elections commence, will have disastrous consequences in the country," Naidu added. "This is shocking and we strongly condemn this. We stand by Chief Minister of West Bengal to preserve and protect the constitution and spirit of federalism in the country," the TDP president wrote in a series of tweets. This is shocking and we strongly condemn this. We stand by Chief Minister of West Bengal to preserve and protect constitution and spirit of federalism in the country. #SaveDemocracy a N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) February 3, 2019 GVL Narasimha Rao, BJP: On the BJP's side, GVL Narasimha Rao said, "Incident taking place in Kolkata is unfortunate. Mamata Banerjee wants to protect the corrupt in her state, like a dictator. She is obstructing an investigation of the CBI which was there as per the Supreme Court order. She is shredding apart the constitution. We condemn this". GVL Narasimha Rao: CBI is working as per directions of SC, no state govt has the power to obstruct or detain them. It's unconstitutional&undemocratic...We hope SC gives a direction to WB govt, keeping this incident in view otherwise no agency will be able to work in this country. https://t.co/VYPz9pXGR4 a ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019 Omar Abdullah, NC: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said, "Just spoke to Mamata Banerjee Didi to convey the support of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference as she sits on dharna. The use of the CBI as a political tool has crossed all limits as has the Modi government as misuse of institutions. A former CM having such little regard for Indiaas federalism is shocking". Just spoke to @MamataOfficial didi to convey the support of @JKNC_ as she sits in dharna. The use of the CBI as a political tool has crossed all limits as has the Modi governmentas misuse of institutions. A former CM having such little regard for Indiaas federalism is shocking a Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 3, 2019 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hyderabad : A woman software engineer was arrested on charges of kidnapping a youth who was harassing her. According to reports, the techie took this step to teach him a lesson. She took help of five people to kidnap V Sai Kumar, a carpenter. According to police, Sai Kumar got the number of the woman techie when he went to attended a work in the house of one Pravalika in Borabanda. The resident of the house had used the techies phone to call the carpenter. The carpenter then started calling and texting her. Agitate with this behaviour, the woman decided to teach Kumar a lesson. She took help of five persons including two car drivers, a security guard and diesel mechanic to kidnap him. According to K Srinivasa Rao, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gopalapuram Division, Divya called Sai Kumar to a place in Secunderabad. When he reached there, all the accused attacked him and made him sit on one of their three bikes. They took him to two different locations and thrashed and beat him with sticks. On a complaint by Kumar, Gopalapuram police station began the investigations and arrested all the accused. They were booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and attempt to murder. The police officer asked women to lodge a complaint with the nearest police station or approach 'She' team of the police if they face humiliation and harassment. "Don't take law in your hands as this will make you an accused," the ACP was quoted as saying by IANS. For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Being cheated on by your partner can shatter you into a hundred pieces. What follows the heartbreak is a sleepless nights, more crying and useless attempts of seeking closure. However, what this guy did after being cheated on by his girlfriend will leave you in splits. This Australian man turned up in the arrival area at the Melbourne airport to confront his girlfriend for allegedly cheating on him, holding a giant card that read, aaI know you cheated.aa Melbourne traveller Krsytal snapped the pic and posted on social media which now has over 75k likes and more than 24k retweets. He tweeted saying, ''At Melbourne airport today. He was waiting to greet his cheating partner... I AM DECEASED.'' At Melbourne airport today Y he was waiting to greet his cheating partner... I AM DECEASED pic.twitter.com/zhqJ4TwRIp a Kryz (@KrystaalA) January 23, 2019 As soon as the picture was posted on the social media, Twitterati couldnat stop themselves from commenting on it. Here are some of the reactions that will make you go ROFL! I wonder if it had anything to do with his communication style? a Megan Morris (@newfingernail) January 25, 2019 I think he is a teacher waiting for one of his students a HowsYaPie (@HowsYaPie) February 1, 2019 Um who is he, Iall be loyal af to him a Ki (@kosmickianaa) January 24, 2019 I actually felt a pang of sorrow for the https://t.co/tDpBCuMruK would have to be pretty gutted to do something so public a Glenn Hampson (@GlennHampson) January 25, 2019 Y wish we had video footage of partners face when sign is read!! a Ben Friedlander (@BennyB11) January 25, 2019 Gone are those days when people used to sit back and cry for being cheated on. Itas time to step out and make plans to get things even! For all the Latest Offbeat News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) is likely to announce the JKBOSE class 11 result 2018 for Kashmir division today. Soon after the formal declaration of the results, the scorecards will be available on the official website of the board i.e. jkbose.ac.in The candidates are advised to keep all the details ready for fast and easy access to the results. In order to check the result, the students will have to submit the roll number or the name of the student. The roll number of the students must be the same as present on the admit card. Earlier, there were media reports which suggested that the JKBOSE class 11 result 2018 will be announced on 16th or 17th January 2019. In an official statement, the board had said, ''The rumour about the declaration of result on January 17, 2019 for class 11 is false. The result declaration is likely to take a few more days.'' Here are the steps to check JKBOSE Class 11 Result for Kashmir Division: Step 1: Visit the official website of the board - jkbose.ac.in Step 2: Click on the JKBOSE Class 11th Kashmir Division Result link Step 3: Enter your examination roll number and other information Step 4: Click on the Submit Button Step 5: JKBOSE 11th Result will be displayed on the screen Step 6: Take print out of result for future reference The JKBOSE had also released the result of Class 12 (part two) annual regular exam 2018 (Kashmir Division) and class 10, 12 results of Leh Division. The JKBOSE had also released the result of Class 10 annual regular exam 2018 (Kargil division) on January 22, 2019. About JKBOSE: The Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education is renowned as the JKBOSE. This is actually a governmental body that is responsible for the development as well as maintenance of Jammu and Kashmir school education. Under the state government administration, this governmental body acts as the autonomous body of education. Apart from this, the JKBOSE also looks after the quality of the education which is provided to the student at a school level through 10,609 affiliated schools in the state. It also conducts annual 10th and 12th Class Exams every year. New Delhi: A molestation case has been filed against Dance India Dance season 1 winner and ABCD actor Salman Yusuff Khan on January 30 at the Oshiwara Police Station. The victim, who is a dancer herself, has alleged that Salman along with his brother, tried to behave inappropriately with her on two separate occasions.A According to the FIR filed, Salmanas manager had approached the victim while she was in London for work in August 2018. Subsequently, she met Salman at a coffee shop in Oshiwara Andheri, where he offered her to perform in Bollywood Park, Dubai with him.The victim claimed that Salman ''touched her inappropriately'' on the same day after he offered to drop her home. She also said that when she objected to Salman's behaviour, he allegedly told her that such things happen in Bollywood. Now, Salman took to his Instagram account and denied all the allegations against him. He wrote, ''Wrong allegations with vested interests.. intent of extorting monies.. have complete faith in judiciary.. truth withA prevailA INSHA ALLAH." The FIR filed by the victim further states that following the incident, she got a call from the danceras manager regarding the work and left for Dubai on August 20, along with her dance group. The victim alleges that, while in Dubai, Salman asked her to accompany him to Bollywood park resort in Bahrain for another show, scheduled for August 30.A As soon as they reached the airport, Salman allegedly introduced her to his cousin brother, who, along with Salman, allegedly touched her inappropriately on their journey back to Dubai via car on November 3. The victim alleged that Salman and his team harassed her and her troupe for days after the incident, and even threatened her with dire consequences. He allegedly forcefully made them terminate their contracts and on November 10 sent her and her troupe flight tickets back to Mumbai when they refused to budge. These incidents of harassment prompted the victim to file a case against the dancer and his brother. Notably, Salman, who rose to fame for his participation in popular reality shows, has also had subsequent stints in Bollywood. (With inputs from ANI) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath is all set to reach West Bengal today to address a public rally in Purulia at 3.30 pm. Yesterday, the Bengal government denied permission to Yogis chopper to land in Bengal where he was scheduled to address rallies. According to the sources, this time, Yogi Adityanaths chopper will land in Jharkhand from where the UP CM will be taking roadway to reach Purulia. Yesterday, the UP chief minister who was scheduled to address the "Ganatantra Bachao Rally" at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district Sunday could not attend the rally after permission was denied for his chopper to land near the venue. "The TMC government didn't allow me to come and meet you all. That is why I had to resort to Digital India of Modi-ji to address you. This TMC government is anti-people, anti-democratic and have compromised with national security," Adityanath said while addressing the rally via the audio link. The TMC government is afraid of the BJP as it very well knows that its days in Bengal are numbered, he said. Alleging that the TMC government had tried to stop Durga Puja in West Bengal in order to pursue its appeasement policy, Adityanath urged BJP workers to fight hard in order to ensure that the party forms the next government in the state. "Mamata Banerjee should remember that she can not misuse the government and its agencies in the state. It is shameful that government officials are acting as TMC cadres in the state," he said. According to news agency ANI, Mritunjay Kumar, the Information Advisor to CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Ye UP CM ki lokpriyata ka hi asar hai ki Mamata Banerjee [West Bengal CM] ne helicopter landing ka permission tak nahi diya [It is because of UP CM Yogi Adityanath's popularity that Mamata Banerjee even denied his helicopter from landing in West Bengal]." New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government over reports that girls at a shelter-home in Ratlam were allegedly sexually exploited, assaulted and manhandled. The NHRC, in a statement, said it is "painful" to know that persons, who are supposed to protect the girl inmates, are accused of subjecting them to indignity in their custody. "The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that girls at a shelter-home, Kundan Kuteer Balika Grah at Jaora town in Ratlam district, were being sexually exploited, assaulted and manhandled," the commission said. Five inmates of the shelter-home had escaped on January 24 by breaking the window of the toilet and were later traced in Mandsaur. Police have held three persons, including a couple, in this connection, it said. Reportedly, efforts are being made to arrest the current head of the shelter-home, who is also an accused in the case. The commission has issued a notice to the chief, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, including on the action taken against the culprits, steps taken for relief and rehabilitation or counselling of the victims. The response is expected within four weeks. "It has also expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of sexual exploitation of the girls at shelter-homes, which are meant to provide protection, relief and succour to them," the commission said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Three people died in an avalanche in Anantnag district's Pahalgam on Friday. aThe three bodies are at the civil hospital at present and they will be handed over to their families after all the formalities,"A said the police. Jammu&Kashmir: Three persons died in an avalanche in Anantnag district's Pahalgam, earlier today. Police says, aThe three bodies are at the civil hospital at present & they will be handed over to their families after all the formalities.a pic.twitter.com/HILVDcQLHT a ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 Details are awaited... For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) has called for a state-wide bandh in Bihar on February 4 to protest against the lathicharge on party chief Upendra Kumshwaha during Jan Akrosh Rally in Patna on Saturday. Addressing the media at the party headquarters, RLSP working president Nagmani said the party called for 'Bihar Bandh' on February 4 to protest against the 'dictatorial' attitude of Nitish Kumar government that reflected through the police baton charge on Kushwaha, leaving him critically injured. Apart from the RLSP, other allies of the Bihar grand alliance - RJD, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party - have also extended their support to the proposed strike across Bihar on February 4. Early in the day, Kushwaha and several other party leaders were injured in a clash with the police after being prevented from marching towards the Raj Bhavan to demand educational reforms in the state. Named 'Aakrosh' march, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) rally was organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late Jagdeo Prasad, the tallest leader of Bihar from the Kushwaha community, considered the party's primary support base. Armed with lathis (sticks) and raising slogans denouncing the state government for failing to do the needful on the party's charter of demands on educational reforms, the RLSP leaders came to blows with policemen at the Dak Bungalow crossing, about two kilometres from the Governor's residence. Apart from Kushwaha, more than 100 party workers sustained injuries and were rushed to various nearby hospitals. Being asked about Kushwaha's condition, hospital sources said the RLSP leader was all right though he had been administered first aid and advised rest for at least a couple of days. In December, Kushwaha quit as a Union minister and pulled out his support from the BJP-led alliance, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing the cabinet to a "rubber stamp". Days after, the former Union minister joined the Congress-RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar and also warned other smaller NDA allies to leave the Cabinet ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bigg Boss 15, the country's biggest and most talked-about TV reality show, is slated to begin on October 2. Salman Khan will once again host Bigg Boss 15. Salman Khan is currently shooting for his movie Tiger 3 in Austria. He was joined by video calls at the press meet of the show held on Thursday. Salman Khan was seen propelling himself on the occasion. The 15th season of Bigg Boss has been given the jungle theme. The launch programme of the show was held at Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Salman Khan's video was narrated at the event in which he said that he has had the longest relationship with Bigg Boss. Taking a dig at his own relationship status, Salman Khan said, 'Bigg Boss and my relationship is probably the only relationship that has lasted so long. Some relations are like this. Bigg Boss has brought a kind of stability to my life. Whenever we are separating, we are desperate to meet again.' Salman Khan also joked about his fees because of this. He said, "I always talk to the manufacturers that I am working very hard and they should think about increasing my fees, but they don't listen to any of me. I pray to God that there should come a day when the channel people told me that Salman, we have increased your fees and let me say no to it. That's why Gurucharan Singh played Roshan Singh Sodhi in 'TMKOC' show Actor seen drinking and acting in this famous reality show, demands of FIR aroused Bigg Boss 15 press meet: Confirmed list of contestants revealed The rising popularity of dirt bikes in Nepal is more visible now than ever. At the moment, many existing and new companies are in the race to bring dirt bikes to the Nepali market. Back then, people only used to have a few options to choose from and the price for dirt bikes was quite expensive. The scenario now has changed a lot; the people now have multiple options to choose from and also the price has been made more affordable. Power adjustments on the bikes are done to make them more affordable. Also, the bikes are manufactured as supermoto so that the rider can get the best of both dirt and city worlds from a single bike. And, it makes more sense as well unless you are a hardcore dirt fan. The affordability and availability of the new-era dirt bikes have made them more popular these days. Today, we will provide you with a list of some popular dirt bikes in Nepal along with their prices. 1. Honda CRF 300 Photo: Honda Honda CRF 250L is probably the most popular, as well as the best, dirt bike in Nepal. Built for an extreme adventure, this bike is powered by a 249cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine. The bike has a maximum power of 24.4 horse-power, a ground clearance of 255mm, and weighing almost only 146 kg. These qualities make it perfect for off-road adventures. Meanwhile, Honda is soon to launch its new CRF 300 as bookings have been opened in Nepal also. The new generation of CRF has received some minor upgrades in different aspects from the looks to its features while the aesthetic of the bike remains the same. Honda CRF 300 is expected to cost Rs 1.6 million in Nepal. Other affordable options from Honda include XR 150L and XR 190L. 2. Hartford VR 223 Photo: Hartford Nepal Probably the most famous bike of its generation, Hartford VR is one of the very first dirt bikes that made its way to Nepal. Since this was a new segment here, it rose to popularity in no time. There are still many people who follow Harfords VR to this day. Talking specifically about VR 223 also known as VR 220H, the bike is equipped with a 223cc single-cylinder, four-stroke motor and weighs around 140 kg. The engine produces a maximum peak output power of 19.18 HP (14.0 kW) @ 7500 rpm and a maximum torque of 10.90 Nm @ 6000 rpm. The bike is equipped with a telescopic forks suspension at the front whereas at the rear it has a mono-shock absorber. Stock tyre sizes are 3.00-21 on the front, and 110/80-18 on the rear. As for stopping power, the Hartford VR-220H braking system includes disc brakes at the front and the back. But, apparently, it lacks power and features compared to the modern generations dirt bikes. Hartford VR 223 will cost Rs 525,000. There is also a 150cc variant available which cost less than the 223cc version. 3. Yamaha XTZ 150 Photo: Yamaha Yamaha XTZ is the latest entry of Yamaha in the dirt bike series in Nepal. Yamaha XTZ 150 is the first FI (fuel-injected) dirt bike in Nepal. The company claims that its design, resistance, and manoeuvrability make the XTZ 150 a great option for use on all types of roads. Powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke 149cc engine, Yamaha XTZ 150 can generate a maximum power of 12.5 PS at 7500 rpm and a maximum torque of 13.1Nm at 6000 rpm. With the latest FI technology embedded, it features Yamahas patented engine technology. The bike has a five-speed gearbox and provides adequate power for your rides. The price of Yamaha XTZ 150 in Nepal is Rs 539,900. 4. Crossfire Tracker 250 Photo: crossfire nepal Crossfire is one of the most popular dirt bikes in Nepal at the moment. The power and affordability of the bike are major reasons behind its success in Nepal. It is one of the very few two-wheelers that got popularity in no time in the country. Tracker 250 is the latest release of Crossfire in Nepal. This is also probably the cheapest 250 cc dirt bike in Nepal. Various power adjustments have been done on the bike to make it affordable. At first glance, the bike looks very attractive due to its slim look. Powering the bike is a 249.5cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled, carburettor engine. It can generate a max power of 12.5Kw at 7000rpm and a max torque of 18.5Nm at 5500rpm. It has a five-speed gearbox with a 7.5-litre fuel tank. These powertrain figures on the bike are relatively low compared to the other siblings of the Crossfire family. The price of Crossfire Tracker 250 in Nepal is Rs 348,000. Other options from Crossfire includes HJ250, GR7 250 and RM 250, all of them are expensive and powerful than Tracker 250. 5. CX 250 R CX 250 R 2021 is the latest addition from Cross X in the dirt bike series. Along with Crossfire, Cross X is also known as one of the most notorious dirt bikes in Nepal. This wild and loud bike made its way to Nepal after the industry saw the success of Crossfire. Both these bikes are similar in terms of looks and performance. The new CX 250 R 2021 is more powerful and is more technologically advanced than the previous generation CX bikes. The bike is powered by a liquid-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke 249 cc carburettor engine. While the powertrain figures of the new CX 250 R are unknown, the previous generation bike could generate a maximum power up to 29.8 BHP and max torque up to 29.8Nm. From the new generation bike, you can expect similar or higher power figures. It has a six-speed gearbox with a 6.5-litre fuel tank. Another impressive feature of the bike is it has 361mm ground clearance; this can be pretty handy while riding off-road. The price of CX 250 R in Nepal is Rs 695,000 and will increase to Rs 745,000 once it gets an EFI engine. This is the only option available at the moment from Cross X. 6) Hero X Pulse 200 Hero X pulse 200 is another affordable and reliable dirt bike. It got a very warm response from the users after the release. Usually, Heros engines are known for commuter products, but X Pulse 200 seeks adventure. For the price it is being sold at, the bike has got an attractive premium looks and the build quality is good as well. The bike is powered by a 199.6 cc air-cooled, four-stroke two-valve single-cylinder OHC engine. The engine can generate a maximum power of 18.4ps @ 8000rpm and 17.14Nm torque @ 6500 rpm. There is a telescopic suspension at the front whereas a 10-step rider-adjustable mono-shock suspension at the rear. It has a ground clearance of 220mm and weighs around 153kg. There is a five-speed gearbox on the bike and a massive 13-litre fuel tank. For protection, it has a disc brake both at the front and rear. The price of Hero X pulse 200 in Nepal is Rs 402,000. With this price range and the given specifications, it is probably the best affordable dirt bike in Nepal. 7. Haojue NK 150 NK 150 is another affordable dirt bike in Nepal from Haojue. This bike gets its looks from Suzukis DR 150. The looks and build of the bike look impressive. Since the bike is said to be manufactured in collaboration with Suzuki, a quality performance can be expected from it. Powering the bike is a 149cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke engine that can generate a max power of 11.96PS at 8000rpm and a max torque of 11.6 Nm at 6000rpm. It comes with a five-speed gearbox and has a 12.5-litre fuel tank capacity. There is a telescopic suspension on the front and a central mono-shock at the rear. It also has a ground clearance of 244mm. The bike weighs around 139 kgs. The major attractions of the bike are rapid acceleration, strong uphill traction power, and low fuel consumption. Hajou NK 150 costs Rs 405,000 in Nepal. It only has a single variant at the moment. 8. Asian Beast Hyper X 250 Photo: Asian Automobiles Asian Beast is the new name in the dirt bike category. But, it has already launched various dirt bike series in Nepal previously. Recently, it has launched two new dirt bikes in Nepal. Hyper X 250 is one of the two. This bike is made of aluminium subframe for a lightweight body, making it efficient for long-term use. Powering the bike is a 249.6CC single-cylinder, water-cooled, four-stroke engine that can generate a maximum power of 30.20+ BHP @9000 rpm and a maximum of 22.5NM torque @7000 rpm. Hyper-X 250 comes with a six-speed gearbox and is equipped with a single cable-actuated acceleration along with an O-ring chain. It also has a huge ground clearance of 300mm. Talking about the suspension of the bike, it is loaded with Fastace Front 47 mm inverted with rebound and compression damping adjustability 251 mm travel and rear Fastace Prolink single shock with spring preload and rebound damping adjustability 116mm travel. The bike is also equipped with a quick throttle response system for spontaneous response and aggressive power. The cost of Hyper X 250 in Nepal is Rs 540,000. Asian Beast also has another dirt bike: AB250V1, which has similar characteristics to the Hyper X 250 but is cheaper in price. Besides the list, there are also other dirt bike options for the riders. You can check bikes like Reiju MRT 200 Pro, Le Moto, SYM NH T200 and Motorhead. Chief district officers (CDOs) in Nepal are respected a lot. Up until 1989, a man had to wear a Dhaka topi before he entered the office of the CDO. During the Panchayat era, CDOs were like the kings of the district. They were put up on a pedestal, unlike other government officials. Even during the peak of the Maoist revolution, people feared the CDOs. Former secretary Dwarika Nath Dhungel says that back then, a CDO would know the ins and outs of a small incident in the district within 24 hours. The information mechanism was so organised, the CDO received every little information about every little incident. Now, we dont even know if they are there, says Dhungel. The CDOs were powerful because the laws favoured them. Even when multiparty democracy was established in 1990, the CDOs remained independent and autonomous from the parties that they supported. Their role would also be discussed a lot during public discourses, which shows how much they were respected. The CDOs would always be active during issues related to borders, citizenship, and internal security affairs. That said, the power they had also resulted in misuse. An example of an incident in Terai highlights the misuse of power by a CDO. During the Panchayat era, a CDO was at the office terrace observing what was going on. Suddenly, he saw a marriage procession coming towards him. It was loud, and everyone seemed to be in a celebratory mood. That irked him as he ordered the police to stop the procession and hold them for an entire day. The groom and his entourage were only allowed to leave the next day. But, that has changed as the CDOs now have little to none of their previous powers. Law, government structure and environment do not allow them to have the same power; their roles have changed from people who governed the district to people who act as mediators to government organisations, raising questions if they are relevant anymore. Roles and responsibilities Kathmandu District Administration Office For a long time, the District Administration Office (DAO), commonly called the CDO office, worked directly under the government and was quite important. If anyone wanted any government documents, they had to go to the CDO. They were the main people of a district. Even high-ranking government officials of other government offices had to seek a CDOs permission before doing anything. Until January 6, 1966, there were different administrative structures in the district. But, they were all replaced by the CDO, says Prachanda Pradhan, a former dean of the Tribhuvan University. The CDOs were tasked with developing the district, had an important role in peacekeeping and were also tasked with listening to peoples problems. But, after many complained that the CDOs had too big roles, the government in 1980 took away the role of development from the CDOs and ordered them to stick to administration. An important amendment was made to the Local Administration Act, 1971, in 2001 that created the framework through which they are working today. In 2015, another amendment was made as the CDOs were asked to help out in peacekeeping and development work carried out by the federal, provincial and local governments. They were also asked to help protect government land and maintenance of infrastructure developed by the government. Losing power File: Ministry of Home Affairs But, after the country went into federalism, the CDOs roles have taken a further hit as much of their roles have been given to ward chairs and mayors. Likewise, various district-level government offices like District Education Office, District Agricultural Development Office, District Technical Office, etc, were scrapped. When they were in operation, even though each had its own chief, almost all of them reported directly to the CDO. The CDOs had to monitor all these offices and supervise them. But now, they hardly have anything to do apart from offering citizenship certificates, passports, minor identity cards and indigenous identity card. While the law has cut out a lot of their roles, the CDOs have become so helpless that they cannot take decisions alone. The way the CDOs handled the Covid-19 crisis in Kathmandu and other districts is a prime example of a lack of decision-making prowess. The Local Administration Act, 1971, had given the CDOs the permission to lock down their districts. Even the Council of Ministers gave them the permission to do so. But, the CDOs hardly got to make this decision alone. In the Kathmandu valley, they had to repeatedly go to the Home Ministry to ask for permission before they made any decision. Things are so bad that the letter that comes under the DAOs name is printed at the Home Ministry itself. The tussle between CDOs and elected representatives There is a provision in the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2017, to establish a District Disaster Management Committee under the leadership of the CDO. The committee also has local elected representatives. Even though the two need to work together, at most times, officials from the DAO and local representatives are at odds. There are instances where a local representative refuses to go to a meeting called by the CDO because they feel their role should be bigger. This was seen during the aftermath of floods and landslides in Sindhupalchok as local representatives did not attend a single meeting of the committee. The DAO and the local elected officials kept making conflicting decisions on how to solve problems. Citing relief had not reached the people affected by the flood and landslide, the DAO said that only one body would distribute aid. But, the Melamchi municipality issued a notice stating it would be distributing aid on its own and urged people to donate to it. Even when asked, the local representatives did not want to be involved in the work being carried out by the DAO. It even criticised the decisions made by the DAO in an all-party meeting. Empowered local governments The DAO is a quasi-judicial body. Before federalism, the DAO officials and the CDOs were asked to deal with a lot of things. But, since the introduction of federalism, most of it has been given to a committee formed by the municipalities and rural municipalities. Issues like land disputes, family disputes, fights, cattle issues and pollution issues were all given to the local levels. The local level can also hire its own police force to deal with these issues. Even though issues related to cattle, farming, production, cooperatives and drinking water were under the DAO, all of these now come under the local governments. The local level also decides to hand out contracts to people to mine rivers. Sometimes, I feel Im stuck. I know theyre doing it illegally, but if I go monitor, the local level will complain that Im overstepping. If I dont, I find it morally wrong, says a CDO, asking to remain anonymous. Clarification or quashing? But, former home secretary Govinda Kusum says that not enough homework was done before deciding to take the country into federalism. He says issues like the distribution of roles and responsibilities should have been decided in advance before taking such a huge step. Things are still a bit confusing. The CDOs are confused about what they can and cannot do. These things need to be clarified for them to work effectively, says Kusum. Some say that the CDOs should be under the provincial government, but that would mean different provinces will have different issues relating to safety and security, which is why the centre wants them under their jurisdiction. But, internal affairs expert Khimlal Devkota says that it is pointless to have them under the central government when they have so little role to fulfil. Its time the government decides, either give them better roles and make them strong or scrap the system entirely because right now, they are not effective. " " Uranium glass has an iridescent glow when it's placed under certain lighting. Peter Chow UK/Shutterstock Way before its radioactive properties were discovered and exploited for both good (think nuclear power) and bad (think nuclear war), way before it officially was granted its place among the elements of the periodic table, the rare metal uranium was used by ancient Romans to color glass. Back in 79 C.E. or so, radioactivity or uranium meant nothing to the Romans. To anyone. The concept, the reality, simply didn't exist. Neither did Uranus, the planet for which uranium is named, for that matter. But those small glowing glass tiles in that mosaic in that tricked-out Roman villa? Now those were stone-cold cool. Advertisement Wait ... Uranium in Glass? Yes, the Romans used uranium in their glass, and modern versions of the stuff still exists. It goes by a few different names and is even still being produced in some quantities in Europe. But it's more of a curio now than anything, found in the form of pitchers and bowls and other glassware in flea markets, dusty attics, museums and among glass collectors, all reminders that at one time it was something desirable. "It is kind of attractive because it has that iridescent glow to it under certain lighting conditions. It really looks kind of special," says Paul Frame, a retired health physicist at Tennessee's Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a consortium of schools founded after World War II as the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies. For years, Frame was also the curator at ORAU's Health Physics Historical Instrumentation Museum, also known as the Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, which chronicles "the scientific and commercial history of radioactivity and radiation." The collection is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. "There are many different types of collectors that would be interested in this sort of item," Frame says of the glass. "There are some people out there that are particularly interested in it because it's radioactive. And there are other people who just collect glassware; the styles and so forth. But there's so much of this damn stuff out there that, despite the fact that there's a variety of people that are interested in it, it really doesn't have a lot of value unless it's a particularly unique piece of glassware ... size, design, artistry, that kind of thing." Uranium glass also known as Vaseline glass because of the Vaseline-type color that many glass pieces emit under certain lighting conditions (usually black light or ultraviolet light) certainly has its die-hard fans. Some collectors and aficionados of the stuff will gather in Pittsburgh in October 2021, for the 22nd annual Vaseline Glass Collector, Inc. convention. VGCI is a non-profit that has more than 6,000 followers on Facebook. In addition, places like the Hawley Antique Exchange in Hawley, Pennsylvania, feature large collections of the glowing, sometimes eerie-looking glass. " " Here the same three pieces of uranium glass from above are seen under natural light. Peter Chow/Shutterstock Advertisement Is Uranium Glass ... Radioactive? In a word, yes: Uranium glass Vaseline glass, sometimes called depression glass is indeed radioactive. That said, there's no need to run for the hills or the latest bomb shelter. "It's absolutely true," Frame says. "What we're dealing with, with Vaseline glass, is something that is radioactive just like everything else. And it is more radioactive than the majority of things, in that you can detect the radioactivity of Vaseline, or uranium glass, with a handheld meter [like a Geiger counter]." But is the radioactivity from uranium glass strong enough to, say, morph someone into a big, green, angry guy, or a part-kid, part-arachnoid? Or, even strong enough to kill? Frame offers up a quick history lesson. "Marie Curie got these ore residues from the Czech Republic back in the day, and she extracted the uranium but discovered what was left behind was even more radioactive than the uranium itself. The material that made the residues most radioactive turned out to be radium, not the uranium," he says. "So in uranium ore, you have this whole host of radioactive stuff, and the key player there is really radium. Radium 226. The uranium itself is not all that radioactive." Still, Frame will admit, there may be some small, infinitesimal risk involved with uranium glass, even though uranium is nowhere close to being as radioactive as, say, radium, another uranium byproduct. "It's basically a theoretical risk. The radioactive exposures you get from flying in an airplane, or inhaling air in your home, which has radon in it, they're so much greater than any dose that anyone's going to get from uranium or Vaseline glass," Frame says. "There is, for all practical purposes, no risk. Zero risk." Which, for collectors and admirers, is good news. Because glass that glows is just pretty cool. " " Uranium glass, also known as Vaseline glass, is made with traces of uranium, though it's hardly a risk to your health. GorissM/Flickr/(CC BY-SA 2.0) NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Austrian glassmakers are credited with producing the first uranium glass, around 1830. In World War II, according to VGCI, the U.S. government restricted the use of uranium for coloring glass (it was thought that the uranium might be needed for nuclear weapons), a ban that lasted until the latter part of 1958. Quick Hits *** Dominic Sale, deputy assistant commissioner for general supplies and services at the General Services Administration announced his departure from federal service after 14-year career in government. Sale has held a variety of posts in tech and acquisition, including a stint as acting deputy federal CIO. He won Federal 100 honors in 2010 for his work launching the IT Dashboard and the now-defunct Recovery.gov website. *** Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) are asking the Government Accountability Office to examine the equal employment opportunity complaint process and anti-harassment programs for federal employees. GAO last did such a report in 2009. *** Washington Technology takes a look at the transition in the Navy's multibillion Next Generation Enterprise Network contract. (Updates prices, changes headline) LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A rise in euro zone government bond yields continued on Friday, with Germany's benchmark yield hitting its highest since early July, carrying on Thursday's sell-off after a series of hawkish signals from major central banks. The German 10-year yield had its biggest jump since February on Thursday, after Norway's central bank became the first major central bank to tighten policy following the COVID-19 crisis and the Bank of England said that the case for higher interest rates "appeared to have strengthened." "A week of central bank action has shown us that policymakers are ready to move toward reining in on loose monetary policies introduced during the pandemic," wrote ING analysts in a note to clients. An expectation of tighter central bank policy usually prompts investors to sell government bonds, meaning their prices go down and yields go up. Rabobank rates strategists said the bond market move was led by U.S. Treasuries, and was due to a "risk-on" mood in global markets and a rise in oil prices, as well as the Bank of England's stance. At 1519 GMT, Germany's benchmark 10-year government bond yield was up 3 basis points at -0.23%. Italy's 10-year yield was up 6 bps at 0.785%, after hitting its highest since July 6 at 0.798%. On Thursday, UK 2-year gilt yields had their biggest one-day jump since 2015. This surge continued in early trading on Friday, but had eased by midday, with the 2-year yield flat on the day at 0.39%, while the 10-year yield rose 3 bps to 0.935%. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield crossed the 1.4% level for the first time since mid-July on Thursday, then hit 1.452% during Asian trading hours. At 1519 GMT, it was up 4.5 bps on the day at 1.454%. "The move in U.S. rates is coming from the belly of the curve; it's been becoming cheaper and that's a classic bearish construction," ING said. "It's what you would expect to see happen as a curve begins to position for a future rate hike, but not an imminent one." Story continues The U.S. Federal Reserve had a hawkish tilt at its meeting on Wednesday, saying it would likely begin reducing its monthly bond-buying soon. Sources also said that several European Central Bank policymakers expect higher inflation and see a case for ending its emergency bond-buying scheme in March. But the ECB is still seen as more dovish than its peers. ECB President Christine Lagarde said that many of the drivers of a recent spike in euro zone inflation are temporary. German business morale fell for the third month running in September, hit by a "bottleneck recession" for manufacturers, a survey showed. Investors will also be watching the German federal election on Sunday. (Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; Editing by Mark Porter) (Adds details) PARIS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - French Trade Minister Franck Riester has declined an offer to meet his Australian counterpart next month in Paris, suggesting tensions will not quickly subside after Canberra's recent decision to scrap a $40 billion submarine deal with France. Dan Tehan had told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on Monday he would be "very keen" to meet Riester when he is in Paris in October for an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development meeting. But an official from Riester's office said on Friday that the minister had rejected the offer. "We won't follow up the Australian minister's request for a meeting. We can't go on as if it was business as usual," the French official said. Australia last week cancelled its order of a fleet of conventional submarines from France and said it would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology under the new AUKUS security partnership. Paris recalled its ambassadors in Australia and the United States following the announcement. While France has since said it would send its U.S. ambassador back after the French and U.S. presidents moved to mend ties in a phone call, it remains furious with Canberra. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he had unsuccessfully tried to arrange a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Jon Boyle and Hugh Lawson) SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Construction Equipment - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics". The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. Global Opportunity for Construction Equipment FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 17; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 3656 Companies: 109 - Players covered include Caterpillar Inc.; Deere & Co.; Dingsheng Tiangong Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.; Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd.; Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.; J C Bamford Excavators Ltd.; JLG Industries Inc.; Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.; Komatsu Ltd.; Kubota Corporation; Liebherr Group; Lonking Holdings Limited; Manitou Group; Sandvik AB; SANY Group Co. Ltd.; Shantui Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.; Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.; Terex Corporation; Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd.; Xuzhou Heavy Machinery Co. Ltd.; Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Equipment Type (Earthmoving Equipment, Material Handling Equipment & Cranes, Concrete Equipment, Other Equipment Types) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry Story continues ABSTRACT- Global Construction Equipment Market to Reach $157.9 Billion by 2026 Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Construction Equipment estimated at US$129.6 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$157.9 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 3.3% over the analysis period. Earthmoving Equipment, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 3.2% CAGR and reach US$78.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Material Handling Equipment & Cranes segment is readjusted to a revised 3.4% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $36 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $31.8 Billion by 2026 The Construction Equipment market in the U.S. is estimated at US$36 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$31.8 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 6% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 0.9% and 2.4% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 1.6% CAGR. Concrete Equipment Segment to Reach US$19.8 Billion by the year 2026 In the global Concrete Equipment segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 3.5% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$11.7 Billion in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$14.9 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media Info411@strategyr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-157-9-billion-global-opportunity-for-construction-equipment-by-2026---new-research-from-strategyr-301383587.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Addition of Dr. James Kerl's practice brings 30 years of experience providing high-quality, personalized care NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, a leading provider of primary care to Medicare-eligible seniors, has again expanded its operations in New Orleans with the acquisition of James Kerl, M.D.'s internal medicine practice. The acquisition will add hundreds of patients to ChenMed's JenCare Senior Medical Center location in Kenner, La. Dr. James Kerl, right, pictured with members of the care team at JenCare Senior Medical Center in New Orleans. Aligning with quality physicians like Dr. Kerl brings us closer to our goal of serving more seniors. With more than 85 medical centers in 12 states, ChenMed offers a full range of primary care services to seniors, from preventive care to diagnostic services and management of chronic diseases. The medical centers, located in underserved communities, are led by caring, expert doctors who coordinate all aspects of their patients' care. "As we continue to provide seniors with access to our affordable, VIP-care, partnering with physicians who are established and highly respected in the community is key," said Vijay Jaligam, M.D., chief medical officer for the JenCare New Orleans market. "Aligning with quality physicians like Dr. Kerl brings us closer to our goal of serving more seniors." ChenMed operates five JenCare Senior Medical Centers in the greater New Orleans area, with locations in the Gentilly, Kenner, Metairie, Mid-City and West Bank neighborhoods. It will add two new centers to its operations later this year in Westwego and New Orleans East. JenCare has been a pillar in the New Orleans senior health care community for eight years. "I'm very impressed with JenCare's facility in Kenner, where it became apparent how much my patients would benefit from having access to the unique VIP care and services provided there," said Dr. Kerl. "I look forward to serving my patients our new location and making available to them all of the health resources JenCare offers." Story continues About ChenMed ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. Physician-led, ChenMed is a provider of choice for some 20 Medicare Advantage health insurance plans. Operating more than 85 primary care medical practices for diverse populations of seniors, ChenMed results include up to 75 percent drops in emergency room visits and 30 to 50 percent reductions of inpatient hospital admissions. In addition, this high-touch primary care is shown to reduce coronavirus deaths by 40 percent, according to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. A Fortune 2020 "Change the World" company, ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chenmed-adds-another-established-community-practice-to-serve-more-seniors-in-new-orleans-301384742.html SOURCE ChenMed During Thursday's latest Nintendo Direct event, acclaimed video game designer Miyamoto Shigeru announced that the company's upcoming feature length animation project in conjunction with American film studio, Illumination now has a firm North American theatrical release date of December 21st, 2022. "Here we go!" Chris Pratt as Mario Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach Charlie Day as Luigi Jack Black as Bowser Keegan-Michael Key as Toad Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike Cameos from Charles Martinet pic.twitter.com/Yio2pql1Jy Illumination (@illumination) September 23, 2021 While release dates for Europe, Japan, and other markets have yet to be revealed, Miyamoto did share the studio's key character casting decisions. Chris Pratt will voice Mario. "He's so cool," Miyamoto commented. Anya Taylor-Joy, star of Netflix's hit series Queen's Gambit will portray Princess Peach while It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day will voice Luigi. Jack Black will of course be the voice behind series villain, Bowser, while Keegan Michael-Key has been cast as Toad. And, for some reason, Seth Rogan will be in this too as Donkey Kong? The company is also bringing back long-time voice actor Charles Martinet who has portrayed Mario and the rest of his cohort in a number of games to date to fill in on various cameos throughout the film. (Bloomberg) -- Too much rain in Colombia is deteriorating the production outlook for the worlds second-largest supplier of the arabica beans favored by high-end coffee retailers and brands including Nestle SAs Nespresso. Most Read from Bloomberg Its been very wet there in main growing areas, Donald Keeney, senior meteorologist for Maxar Technologies Inc., said in a phone interview. Theyve gotten more rain than they need, and should have more of the same the next 10 days and probably weeks. The condition spurred by the La Nina weather phenomenon isnt helping prospects for 2021-22 yields for the Colombian harvest that usually ramps up next month, said Roberto Velez, head of the countrys National Federation of Coffee Growers. Woes in Colombia threaten to exacerbate a world deficit expected in the coming season, triggered by a plunge in Brazilian output, and complicated by soaring costs and shipping headwinds. Those factors are boosting the cost outlook for companies including Peets Coffee & Tea Inc. and Starbucks Corp., the worlds largest coffee chain, and threatening rising prices for coffee drinkers worldwide. La Nina creates unusually wet conditions in Colombia and dry conditions in top shipper Brazil. The global supply outlook for arabica beans is already strained by drought and frosts that hurt Brazilian crop yields for 2021, with the countrys government seeing a big impact for 2022. Brazilian output plunged by about 18 million bags this year from a year earlier, representing about 40% of the countrys arabica production. That decline is more than Colombias annual production of about 14 million 60-kilogram (132 pound) bags. The two countries account for about two-thirds of global arabica supplies. Futures in New York soared more than 50% this year. Story continues Default Worries Tightening supplies have also heightened speculation and concern that Colombian growers will default on contracts entered when prices were much lower, said Hernando de la Roche, a senior vice president for Stonex Financial Inc. in Miami. Colombias coffee growers federation earlier this year had called on producers to avoid defaulting on contracts after protests led to port shipping delays and complaints from customers. When asked about potential defaults, Velez said there hasnt been much coffee yet out of the new crop so we will need to wait and see what happens to deliveries when harvesting picks up. The situation in South America further complicates matters for an industry already challenged by surging fertilizer and energy costs, shipping snags and pandemic restrictions in places like Vietnam when the market faces a growing supply deficit. We have potentially as explosive a situation as we have ever seen, said Judy Ganes, president of J. Ganes Consulting. In all my decades following this market, Ive never seen a situation quite like this. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. On 24 September 2021, UAB Merko statyba, part of AS Merko Ehitus group, and UAB Vejo parkai, 100% subsidiary of Enefit Green AS, part of Eesti Energia group, entered into a contract to perform the wind farm balance of plant construction works in Akmene district in Lithuania. The contract value is more than EUR 19 million, plus value added tax. The project is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2022. UAB Merko statyba ( merko.lt ) is Lithuanian construction company, which offers construction services in the fields of general construction and residential construction. Additional information: UAB Merko Statyba, Construction Director Mr. Jaanus Rastas, phone: +370 6875 0680. Urmas Somelar Head of Group Finance Unit AS Merko Ehitus +372 650 1250 urmas.somelar@merko.ee AS Merko Ehitus ( group.merko.ee ) group consists of AS Merko Ehitus Eesti in Estonia, SIA Merks in Latvia, UAB Merko Statyba in Lithuania and Peritus Entreprenr AS in Norway. Besides providing construction service as a main contractor, the groups other major area of activity is apartment development. As at the end of 2020, the group employed 666 people, and the groups revenue for 2020 was EUR 316 million. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - eShippers Management Ltd. (TSXV: EPX.H) ("eShippers") wishes to announce it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement dated effective September 23, 2021 (the "Definitive Agreement") with ISON Mining Pte Ltd. ("ISON") and ISON's shareholders for its previously announced arm's length reverse take-over transaction of eShippers (the "RTO"). About the RTO Under the Definitive Agreement, eShippers will complete the RTO by acquiring from the ISON shareholders all of the outstanding shares of ISON, a corporation incorporated under the laws of Singapore, in exchange for the issuance of an aggregate of 29,655,750 common shares of eShippers ("Common Shares") to the ISON shareholders at a deemed price of $0.35 per share. Following the completion of the RTO, ISON will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of eShippers and the business of eShippers (following completion of the RTO, referred to as the "Resulting Issuer") will be the business of ISON, the directors and management of the Resulting Issuer will be reconstituted as described below, and it is expected that the Resulting Issuer will be listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") as a Tier 2 Mining Issuer. The RTO is subject to the approval of the Exchange. As a condition to the completion of the RTO, eShippers will complete a share consolidation on the basis of 1 new Common Share for each 2 old Common Shares (the "Consolidation"). The Consolidation is expected to be completed immediately prior to the completion of the acquisition of the ISON Shares. After completing the Consolidation, eShippers will have 7,031,079 new Common Shares issued and outstanding. Under the terms of the Definitive Agreement, eShippers will undertake a non-brokered private placement of up to 4,285,714 units of eShippers at a post-Consolidation price of $0.35 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 (the "Concurrent Financing"). The Concurrent Financing is expected to be completed concurrently with or immediately prior to the closing of the RTO. Each unit will consist of one Common Share and one-half of one warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance; provided, however, that if, following the closing date of the RTO, the volume-weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Exchange is equal to or greater than $0.75 for any 10 consecutive trading day period, the Resulting Issuer may, upon providing written notice to the holders of the warrants, accelerate the expiry date of the warrants to the date that is 30 days following the date of such notice. eShippers may pay finder's fees to eligible parties in connection with the Concurrent Financing, all in accordance with the policies of the Exchange. Story continues The net proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be used by the Resulting Issuer: (i) to complete and evaluate the exploration programs on ISON's gold projects as recommended in the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical reports described below, (ii) to satisfy ISON's obligations to maintain its interests in its gold projects, and (iii) for working capital purposes. As a condition to the completion of the acquisition of the ISON Shares, the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will be reconstituted to include three nominees appointed by ISON (being Mr. Christopher Eager, Dr. Marcelo de Carvalho and Mr. Adam Powell) and up to two nominees appointed by eShippers (being Mr. Ricardo Rossin and Ms. Virginia Olnick), subject to such director nominees being qualified to act as directors pursuant to the provisions of applicable law and acceptable to the Exchange. The newly reconstituted board of directors will appoint Mr. Eager as the President and CEO, Dr. Carvalho as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Geologist, and Mrs. Leah Hodges will remain as the Corporate Secretary of the Resulting Issuer. The newly reconstituted board of directors will also appoint a new CFO. Information about Mr. Eager, Dr. Carvalho and Mr. Powell is disclosed in eShippers' press release about the RTO dated May 11, 2021. Information about Mr. Rossin, Ms. Olnick and Mrs. Hodges are set out below. Mr. Rossin is a Senior Geochemist and Technologist, with over 15 years of recent global experience in the areas of environmental science, geochemical analysis, and mineral processing with a focus on Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining ("ASGM"). Mr. Rossin has been involved in gold mining projects in North and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He was a Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer for the Artisanal Gold Council, a not-for-profit organization that aims to create formal businesses and sustainable development in ASGM communities. Mr. Rossin was also an International Consultant in ASGM for the United Nations Industrial Organization, providing expert advice and support in various mining technology aid projects to developing countries, as well as supporting the development of National Action plans to reduce mercury use in ASGM under the Minamata Convention framework. He was also VP Technology for RGTM Gold Corp., a Canadian based company that focuses on sourcing responsibly produced gold from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Mr. Rossin is an expert in the design of field sampling surveys and has designed, installed and operated gold recovery systems and a variety of field equipment. Mr. Rossin also has extensive experience liaising with gold mining communities, businesses, and regulatory agencies with respect to reporting and responding to technical queries. Mr. Rossin has a Bachelors in Technological Chemistry from PUC-Campinas, and a Masters in Geochemistry and Metallogenesis from the University of Campinas, Brazil. Mr. Rossin is fluent in Portuguese. Ms. Olnick graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of British Columbia in 2009 and has been an active investor in the venture capital markets for over 20 years. She has completed the Canadian Securities Course as well as the Public Companies: Financing, Governance, and Compliance course from Simon Fraser University. Ms. Olnick is the CEO, Corporate Secretary and a director of Esstra Industries Inc., as well as a director of eShippers Management Ltd. and Nevado Resources Corporation. Mrs. Hodges is the principal of Benchmark Point Governance Corp., specializing in corporate and securities matters, with over 15 years of experience providing compliance, administration, and governance support to private and public listed companies in various sectors. Mrs. Hodges is a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits in British Columbia, has an Associate of Arts degree from Capilano University and is a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada. In connection with the RTO, eShippers will also change its name to "Resouro Gold Inc." or such other name as shall be designated by ISON. eShippers currently has 14,062,158 Common Shares issued and outstanding and after giving effect to the Consolidation, it will have 7,031,079 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Upon completion of the RTO, including the Concurrent Financing, the Resulting Issuer is expected to have a total of 40,972,543 Common Shares issued and outstanding, with the ISON shareholders holding 29,655,750 Common Shares representing approximately 72.4% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, the investors under the Concurrent Financing holding 4,285,714 Common Shares representing approximately 10.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, and the current shareholders of eShippers holding 7,031,079 Common Shares representing approximately 17.2% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Subject to the consent of the Exchange, eShippers will not seek shareholder approval to complete the RTO in accordance with the provisions of Exchange Policy 5.2 - Changes of Business and Reverse Takeovers since the RTO is not a Related Party Transaction (as defined in the rules and policies of the Exchange), no circumstances exist which may compromise the independence of eShippers or the interested parties (in particular, eShippers's directors and senior officers) with respect to the RTO, no aspect of the RTO requires the approval of shareholders of eShippers under applicable corporate and securities laws, eShippers is without active operations and is listed on the NEX board of the Exchange, and the Common Shares will resume trading on completion of the RTO. Notwithstanding the above, the RTO may be subject to Exchange Policy 2.10 - Listing of Emerging Market Issuers and, if applicable, eShippers and ISON will use their best efforts to satisfy all of the Exchange requirements that may be imposed pursuant to Policy 2.10. If applicable and as required, eShippers will hold a meeting of its shareholders to seek any necessary approvals of its shareholders. The completion of the RTO is subject to the satisfaction of various conditions as are standard for a transaction of this nature, including but not limited to: (i) receipt of all necessary consents, waivers, permissions and approvals for the RTO, including the approval of the Exchange; (ii) the Resulting Issuer satisfying the minimum listing requirements of the Exchange; (iii) the representations, warranties and covenants made by each party being true and correct in all material respects as of the closing date; (iv) no party being in material breach of its obligations under the Definitive Agreement; (v) no event or change occurring that would reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on either eShippers or ISON; (vi) the completion of the Concurrent Financing, as applicable; (vii) the issuance of the Common Shares in connection with the RTO being exempt from prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws; (viii) ISON providing eShippers with such financial statements for ISON as are required for the RTO; and (ix) if required, ISON providing eShippers with a formal valuation and/or title opinions acceptable to the Exchange. eShippers is not subject to a cease trade order and will not otherwise be suspended from trading on completion of the RTO. No finder's fees are payable in connection with the RTO. The Common Shares issuable in connection with the RTO may be subject to Exchange escrow or seed share resale restrictions and to hold periods as required pursuant to the requirements of Exchange Policy 5.4 - Escrow, Vendor Consideration and Resale Restrictions and applicable securities laws. Sponsorship of the RTO is required under Exchange Policy 2.2 - Sponsorship and Sponsorship Requirements unless an exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available. eShippers intends to apply for a waiver from the sponsorship requirements. There is no assurance that eShippers will be able to obtain such a waiver. The RTO will be completed pursuant to, and in strict accordance with, applicable corporate and securities law requirements and available exemptions under applicable securities laws. About ISON ISON is a private company existing under the laws of Singapore. ISON is the 100% owner of ISON do Brasil Mineracao Ltda. ("ISON do Brasil") which has acquired 100% of the mineral processes and rights for its Novo Mundo and Buracao gold projects (the "Projects") under definitive acquisition agreements. Novo Mundo Gold Project ISON and ISON do Brasil entered into a definitive acquisition agreement dated May 11, 2021 (the "ISON-NEXA Agreement") with Nexa Recursos Minerais S.A (formerly Votorantim Metais Zinco SA), a corporation existing under the laws of Brazil ("Nexa"), setting out the terms and conditions by which ISON agreed to purchase from Nexa three mineral processes and rights in the Novo Mundo gold project. The Novo Mundo gold project is comprised of 16,735 Ha and is located in the municipality of Novo Mundo in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Further details of the Novo Mundo gold project are summarized below and in the relevant NI 43-101 technical report. The Novo Mundo gold project property is the Qualifying Property (as defined in the policies of the Exchange) for purposes of the RTO. Buracao Gold Project ISON do Brasil entered into a definitive acquisition agreement dated February 26, 2021 (the "Buracao Agreement") with Amanda Santos Fonseca setting out the terms and conditions by which ISON do Brasil acquired a 100% interest in two mineral processes and rights in the Buracao gold project. The Buracao gold project is comprised of 3,995 Ha and is located at the border between the states of Tocantins and Goias, Brazil. Further details of the Buracao gold project are summarized below and in the relevant NI 43-101 technical report. The Buracao gold project is a material property of ISON. NI 43-101 Technical Reports The Novo Mundo gold project is the subject of a NI 43-101 technical report entitled "Independent Technical Report - The Novo Mundo Gold Project" prepared by GE21 Consultoria Mineral Ltd. ("GE21") and dated effective July 28, 2021, as the same may be further amended, restated or replaced. A copy of this technical report and additional information regarding the Novo Mundo gold project is available under eShippers' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Novo Mundo gold project is located within the gold mining district of the Alta Floresta Gold Belt, Mato Grosso (AFGB). This province has a SE-NW elongate extent of over 500 km, and most of the gold deposits and known gold occurrences are concentrated along zone in the eastern portion of the belt, where the Novo Mundo gold project is located. ISON has only recently acquired the property and therefore no exploration work has been conducted by ISON. However, historical information in the form of technical reports and various databases does exist that describe the drilling, geochemical, geophysical, and geological work completed by past exploration companies. These include several reputable mining companies such as RJK, Rio Tinto, Graben and Nexa. The drilling information contained in the data room ISON acquired from Nexa contains a total of 43 diamond drill holes amounting to 5501.56m. All the drill core from the campaigns completed by RTZ and GMS, comprising of around 4500m, are available in Nexa's core shed. The programme completed by GSM between 2011 and 2013 led to a "Final Exploration Report" being filed with the ANM-Brazilian Mining Agency in May 2015. This report presented a total geological resource in the area ANM 866.035/2009 of 1,691,179 tonnes with an average Au content of 2.99 g/t, amounting to around 160 thousand ounces. It is important to highlight that this resource was not completed to NI 43-101 standards and is entirely historic in nature and ISON and eShippers are not treating the historic estimates as current. The Resulting Issuer will be required to resample, infill drill and remodel the estimates to consider the estimates current. The characteristics of the main detected Au (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo) mineralization of the Novo Mundo gold project fall into two types: Firstly, gold of a disseminated hosted in muscovite/sericite quartz (chlorite) sulphide alteration zones of the host syeno-granites with rare quartz veining associated with and enveloped by potassic and propylitic hydrothermal alteration. Secondly, gold mineralization in vein structures is similar to epithermal gold narrow quartz vein deposits, controlled mainly by NW-SE fault zones. The type of disseminated mineralisation is considered similar to the deposit of X1 located 35 km SW in the same geological context. Based on the evidence of a close spatial relation of the gold deposits with granitic intrusions, the presence of hydrothermal alteration halos (mainly phyllic, potassic and propylitic), the dual mineralization styles of narrow veins and disseminated gold in a sericite (chlorite) -quartz -pyrite alteration zone) and the nature of fluid inclusions (magmatic and meteoric sources), a porphyry-epithermal magmatic-hydrothermal system is interpreted to be responsible for the gold deposits of Novo Mundo. Despite the only partial success of historical exploration campaigns, several geological, geochemical and geophysical anomalies observed in the historic data, are in the opinion of GE21, favourable targets that could lead to a potential expansion of mineralised zones in the area. The factors that contribute to this opinion are outlined below: Limited geological detail of the already detected mineralization with a very sparse and often shallow drilling grid. The presence of a hydrothermal alteration zone greater than 3km in extent altering the syenogranite. The presence of a significant anomalous structure is indicated by the integration of the geochemical, IP and magnetic anomalies that appear to coincide with the presence of circular geomorphological structures. Indications of continuity of the soil geochemical anomalies around this possible centre of mineralization and along tectonic structures identified in the geophysical data. Presence of IP anomalies in the historical IP surveys that have not yet been evaluated in detail by modern exploration work. Possible presence of a major and deeper high resistivity structure indicated by the exploratory IP-AMT section. The presence of tectonic lineaments highlighted by the magnetic survey with crosscutting main structure of NW-SE, E-W and NE, similar to the main gold mineralization structures in the Alta Floresta Gold Province (AFGP). Based on these observations and the possibility to implement a consistent exploration programme with advanced data integration, systematic geological and geochemical mapping, the use of modern geophysical surveys and targeted drilling campaigns, GE21 considers that there is potential for expansion of the gold resources. GE21 recommends the exploration strategy of the Novo Mundo gold project to be developed in two phases. The second phase should be contingent on positive results from phase one. Based mainly on data integration of the historical exploration data including drilling, geochemistry, geology, and geophysics phase one is to include: a programme to review, qualify and recover the historical data reflecting the more advanced geological understanding of this kind of mineralization and the discovery potential for porphyry-epithermal systems in the AFGP; conduct a closer-spaced soil geochemistry survey and complete detailed alteration and tectonic mapping in the main target area; undertake geophysical surveys over the most potential structures and targets; and execute a bulk sampling and evaluation programme for tailings and mineralised stockpiles, to understand the grade distributional and metallurgical characteristics of the mineralised zones. There are available stockpiles/tailings on some past informal mining sites e.g., Luisao. Contingent on positive results from phase one, phase two is to include: an initial diamond drilling campaign of around 5.000m supported and designed based on phase one results; Implement a consistent QAQC programme, density tests and accurate topography; part of this drilling programme can be executed in parallel to phase one after item a) where a closer grid of drilling is recommended; cover the remaining area with a closer soil geochemistry and mapping grid; execute an NI 43-101 compliant resource estimation and complete a PEA (Preliminary Economic Assessment) also to be submitted to ANM (Brazilian Mining Agency) as a PAE; and in case of positive results of phase one, as there are already available some near surface mineralised zones in the historical informally mined pits plus some mineralised stockpiles, there is also an opportunity to implement a Trial Mining Operation ("Guia de Utilizacao") for small scale mining and testing. GE21 elaborates on an estimated budget to implement the above recommendations. The budget for phase one is US$350,000 and the budget for phase two is US$1,375,000. The Buracao gold project is the subject of a NI 43-101 technical report entitled "National Instrument 43-101 Independent Technical Report - The Buracao Gold Project" prepared by GE21 and dated effective July 29, 2021, as the same may be further amended, restated or replaced. A copy of this technical report and additional information regarding the Buracao gold project is also available under eShippers' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Buracao gold project is located within the Proterozoic Brasilia Fold Belt (BFB), which stretches from Araxa in the south to Porto Nacional in the north. This province results from the Brasiliano-Pan African Orogeny 790 - 610Ma involving the collision between the Amazon and Sao Francisco cratons and the Parana Block of central Brazil. ISON has only recently acquired this property and therefore no exploration work has been conducted by ISON. Historical data from technical reports details the drilling, geochemical, geophysical, and geological work previously completed by Amazonia Mineracao and Paringa Resources. The drilling information according to the data room provided to ISON by the previous title owner represents a total of 26 diamond drill holes with 2,607m. The drill core from the campaigns completed by Amazonia Mineracao and Paringa Resources are available in the present core shed. GE21 reviewed the remaining core of MID-005-13. The geology of the Buracao Gold Project comprises quartzites and phyllites of the Arai and Paranoa Groups. In the NE quadrant of the project area, the Arai group consist of two formations: the upper phyllite and a quartzite. The Paranoa Group contains a phyllite-quartzite-carbonate succession that occupies the western side of the licence area. The gold mineralization in the Buracao gold project is a Neoproterozoic orogenic gold deposit consisting of quartz veins with sericite hydrothermal alteration in metasedimentary rocks (phyllites and quartzites) of the Arai Group. The area has been subjected to a polyphasic structural evolution and as a result, a major structural control is associated with auriferous zones. It appears this mineralisation is associated with a second phase of deformation, characterized by a dextral transpressive ENE-WSW movement, responsible for forming the NNE shear system. Several geological, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies are observed in the historic data, that when combined with the following favourable factors, present an opportunity to extend known mineralisation zones. The favourable factors include: Observation of visible gold in fresh veins exposed in the Trincheirao workings in a structure that had only just been targeted by the garimpo. This structure appears to be an antithetic vein structure if the Riedel model is applied to the main trend of historic workings. The lack of mineralized intersections in drill holes that were designed to drill directly below the garimpo workings indicates the structural control had not been fully understood. This, if considered with the point above, presents a good opportunity for ISON to re-evaluate the historical positioning of drill holes. The lack of significant soil anomalies but the high effectiveness of rock samples indicate soil geochemistry is not well suited to the Buracao region. The high frequency of outcrop within the project area invites a systematic and extensive outcrop sampling approach to regional exploration that may identify new target zones to follow up. The presence of an anomalous structure indicated by the IP anomalies was only partially followed up in previous ventures. There has been intermittent artisanal mining activity since the 18 th century that continues today. As such this indicates the area continues to deliver gold even in structures that have a long history of small-scale operations. Artisanal workings and the continuity of features related to mineralization such as structures, veins and alterations zones are observed along a 2km NNE trend. The northern extension of this trend is within Isons licences and has yet to be explored in detail. GE21 recommends the following exploration programme for the Buracao gold project to be completed in two phases with phase two contingent on positive outcomes of phase one. Phase one to include: Perform detailed lithological and structural mapping aiming to understand better controls on gold mineralisation. Included in this is detailed alteration mapping. Use the results of the mapping to generate a detailed litho-structural-alteration model. Characterise the vein type and vein paragenesis aiming to generate a vein type model. Undertake systematic sampling of the vein types and alteration zones to understand the gold distribution. Use this understanding to support the planning of more advanced exploration methods. Perform an integrated geophysical survey by IP, radiometric and ground magnetics to improve geological interpretations and test lithological and structural targets. Perform systematic 4 to 5m deep trenching across the potential areas followed by geological mapping. Undertake a systematic bulk sampling of surface material and intersected vein and alteration zones. Phase two to include (if phase one results are positive): After defining and understanding better the potential subareas perform a diamond drilling campaign following a consistent QAQC program, density tests and accurate topography. Perform a sampling survey on the tailings located across the project area. Aim to quantify their gold distribution and what mineral processing routes are required for treating the tails. Based on the results on phase 2b, evaluate the implementation of a bulk sampling and processing plant to treat tailing. GE21 elaborates on an estimated budget to implement the above recommendations taking in consideration a 12-month budget. The budget for phase one is US$350,000 and the budget for phase two is US$700,000. Additional Information Further details about the RTO, including further particulars of the business of ISON and the Resulting Issuer, the Projects and the Concurrent Financing, will be provided in subsequent press releases as required by the Exchange, as well as a filing statement of eShippers to be prepared and filed in respect of the RTO. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement, any information released or received with respect to the RTO may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of eShippers should be considered highly speculative. All information contained in this press release with respect to eShippers and ISON was supplied for inclusion herein by the respective parties and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party. Trading of the Common Shares has been halted and will not resume until completion of the RTO. Upon completion of the RTO. Issuance of the Final Exchange Bulletin and the resumption of trading in the Resulting Issuer's shares on the Exchange remains subject to the completing of customary filings required by the policies of the Exchange. Mario Conrado Reinhardt, MAIG and Ednie Rafael M. de C. Fernandes, MAIG, both of GE21, are each a "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, and have reviewed and approved the technical contents in this press release. Completion of the RTO is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the RTO cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the RTO will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the RTO, any information released or received with respect to the RTO may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of eShippers should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed RTO and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. For further information please contact Leah Hodges, Corporate Secretary of eShippers, by email at lhodges@benchmarkgovernance.com or by phone at (604) 377-0403. Notice on Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations regarding the future, including, but not limited to, eShippers's completion of the RTO and related transactions, the completion of the Concurrent Financing, the proposed use of the net proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer, the conditions to be satisfied for the completion of the RTO, the filing of eShippers' filing statement, the exemption from sponsorship and the resumption of trading. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of eShippers. Such factors include, among other things: the requisite corporate approvals of the directors and shareholders of the parties may not be obtained; the Exchange may not approve the RTO; sufficient funds may not be available or raised pursuant to any Concurrent Financing; and other risks that are customary to transactions of this nature. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits eShippers will obtain from them. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, eShippers undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97624 The European Union has warned it may take action over Russia's involvement in "malicious cyber activities" against several EU member states. The "Ghostwriter" campaign targeted numerous members of Parliaments, government officials, politicians, and members of the press and civil society in the EU, according to a press release from the European Council on Friday, and was carried out "by accessing computer systems and personal accounts and stealing data." The statement by the European executive, comprised of the bloc's heads of state, said the EU was considering "taking further steps," but did not elaborate what actions it would take. "Todays declaration is about strongly denouncing malicious cyber activities, designated as Ghostwriter that some member states have observed and associated with the Russian state," Nabila Massrali, a spokesperson for the European Council, told TechCrunch. "These activities are unacceptable and all involved must put them to an end immediately. Such activities seek to threaten our integrity and security, democratic values and principles and attempt to undermine our democratic institutions and processes. We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to the norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace." No specific incidents were mentioned in the press release. But the spokesperson added that the warning comes in light of the upcoming German elections on September 26. Earlier this month, Germany said the Russia-linked Ghostwriter campaign had been combining conventional cyberattacks with disinformation and influence operations in an attempt to spread disinformation before the upcoming election. At the time, the German government said it had "reliable information" that recent cyberattacks which involved hackers use phishing emails in an attempt to get hold of personal login details of federal and state lawmakers could be attributed to actors in Russia, "specifically to the Russian military intelligence service GRU." Story continues Ghostwriter has been ongoing since 2017, according to a 2020 report by FireEye, and has been involved in anti-NATO disinformation campaigns, cyber espionage and politically damaging hack-and-leak operations throughout Europe. In a follow-up report released in April this year, FireEye linked the Ghostwriter campaign to UNC1151, a threat actor that is believed to be backed by the Kremlin. Since, Prevailion, a cybersecurity startup that specializes in compromise breach monitoring and cyber adversary intelligence, found that the infrastructure associated with UNC1151 is three-times larger than was was previously documented, and its malicious cyber activities are broader and more aggressive than was originally suspected. Karim Hijazi, chief executive of Prevailion, said earlier this month that UNC1151 is "positioned for a much wider operation, both in Europe and potentially beyond." Sydney, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The FMStudio, based in Sydney NSW, is reaching out to draw their communitys attention to the fact that low-code development leader Claris now offers native Apple silicon support for FileMaker Pro. As a result, users who are just tuning into the update may expect the platform to take advantage of the power of Apple silicon-based computers. This version of the world famous database and software development tool now offers a quick-start app builder as well. The FMStudio has long considered this update to be inevitable, practically from the moment Apple first revealed that they were switching to an in-house chip during their groundbreaking presentation in mid 2020. This was not a difficult prediction to make, they acknowledge, as anyone with even a minor stake or interest in the technology world would have known that developers would be keen to capitalise on the sheer leaps in performance that Apple promised. This hope was stoked even further when the first generation of Apple silicon products made it into the hands of developers and the general public, proving conclusively that there was a great deal of truth to the Cupertino giants promises. The FM Studio One major point that macOS users with pre-Apple silicon systems should take note of is that Claris has confirmed the upgrade will not interfere with their Intel-based systems performance. In fact, Claris has explicitly stated that FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server are the first low-code universal macOS binaries that will work great on new Apple computers and still deliver excellent performance on Intel-based Mac computers. This is good news for those who still have yet to make the switch. Claris has also lowered the bar for entry for low-code developers even further, including a carefully designed quick-start app builder that requires very little coding knowledge to use. Instead, FileMaker Pro utilises a highly intuitive drag-and-drop interface that virtually transforms it from a low-code platform into a no-code app builder, a detail that Claris is evidently quite proud of and eager for their community to try out particularly new users without any coding experience whatsoever. Story continues FileMaker apps can now be created in mere minutes, with a massive expanse of tools and options available under the full FileMaker Pro feature set. Claris believes that this opens up development to even more people, especially those with no formal background in technology, allowing for better cohesion between team members with disparate abilities as well as enabling new users to reasonably consider moving into a career in tech. A more detailed breakdown of FileMaker Cloud Hosting and app development capabilities can be found on the FMStudio website. As their clients can attest, the company has long used the FileMaker development platform to create powerful solutions to a wide variety of platforms, along with ongoing support, maintenance and Cloud and Managed Services. As such, they welcome any enquiries from their community regarding Claris new software and look forward to delivering results for their clients. Recent reviews serve to illustrate how invaluable the companys services have been to their clients, particularly where unavoidable obstacles require creative solutions and a high degree of cooperative effort. Chris Payne from Customer Engagement Australia awards the company a flawless rating for their work, explaining that, We employ trained Australian staff who work from their home offices in Sydney and Melbourne. Ahead of the trend/Covid response to remote staff deployment, the business has operated since 2013, with the FMStudio providing excellent Claris FileMaker database products and services as the operational base for our team. The FMStudio is reliable, safe and cost-effective. The review also notes that the company responds to enquiries promptly. Jamie Mather of Worldwide Migration Partners has similarly high praise to share. Their review states, The FMStudio has been a reliable tech partner to our company as we have grown, providing invaluable tech support and guidance to our staff promptly whenever its been needed. Our internal operations rely on our hosted databases being up and running. The FMStudio has earned our trust over the years, and we heartily recommend them. Further details regarding the FMStudios services can be found on their website, and company director Ian Pirrie can be reached to discuss prospective projects in greater detail. The team can also be reached through their social media platforms. ### For more information about the FM Studio, contact the company here: the FM Studio Ian Pirrie 02 9487 8066 ian@filemakerstudio.com.au 47 Mahratta Ave, WAHROONGA, NSW 2076, Australia CONTACT: Ian Pirrie SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Steam Turbines - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics". The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. World Steam Turbines Market FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 7; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 1163 Companies: 42 - Players covered include Alstom SA; Ansaldo Energia S.P.A.; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited; Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited; Doosan Skoda Power; Eliott Group; Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.; General Electric Company; Harbin Electric International Company Limited; Man Diesel & Turbo SE; Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.; Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd.; Siemens AG; Toshiba Corporation and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Capacity (Up to 150 MW, 151-300 MW, Above 300 MW); End-Use (Power & Utility, Industrial) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry Story continues ABSTRACT- Global Steam Turbines Market to Reach 71.1 Thousand Megawatts by 2026 Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Steam Turbines estimated at 64.6 Thousand Megawatts in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of 71.1 Thousand Megawatts by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 1.6% over the analysis period. Up to 150 MW, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 2.1% CAGR and reach 17.6 Thousand Megawatts by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the 151-300 MW segment is readjusted to a revised 1.5% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at 17.7 Thousand Megawatts in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach 12.7 Thousand Megawatts by 2026 The Steam Turbines market in the U.S. is estimated at 17.7 Thousand Megawatts in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of 12.7 Thousand Megawatts by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 2.5% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 1.2% and 1.3% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 1.4% CAGR. Above 300 MW Segment to Reach 10.3 Thousand Megawatts by the year 2026 In the global Above 300 MW segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 1.2% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of 7.3 Thousand Megawatts in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of 7.9 Thousand Megawatts by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media Info411@strategyr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-industry-analysts-predicts-the-world-steam-turbines-market-to-reach-71-1-thousand-megawatts-by-2026--301383660.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Deep-South Resources Inc. ("Deep-South" or "the Company") (TSXV: DSM) reports that at the Court hearing on September 16, 2021, the High Court of Namibia ordered the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia to file the documents supporting the decision of the Minister to refuse the Haib Copper licence renewal. After the filing of the Ministry's documents, Haib Minerals (the subsidiary of Deep-South holding the licence) will have until October 21, 2021 to supplement or amend its own documents filed on July 20, 2021. Deep-South Resources Inc. (CNW Group/Deep-South Resources Inc.) The Court will hold another hearing on October 28, 2021, to define the further procedures with regards to the review of the decision of the Minister. The Company will provide regular updates in this regard and any other matter concerning this situation. As disclosed in our press release dated June 16, 2021, the Company had received notice from the Ministry informing the Company that its application for the renewal of its EPL had been denied citing the Company's inability to advance the EPL to Pre-Feasibility and complete the proposed drilling program as planned. The Company maintains that the Ministry was kept well apprised, with no objection on their part, of a proposed change from the Pre-Feasibility study to an upgraded Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and commencement of a full feasibility study. The latter was already started at the time of the refusal. Moreover, the Ministry issued all permits required for the drilling program and are well aware that Deep-South has completed the drilling program. As a result of the Minister's refusal to renew the Licence, the Company terminated all work on site and proceeded with the retrenchment of its employees on site. The Company is vigorously contesting the decision by all means necessary and available under the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act (the "Act") and other applicable laws of Namibia. In its application for renewal and subsequent representations made to the Ministry, the Company maintains that it clearly demonstrated having met all criteria under the Act to justify the renewal of its Licence. Story continues About Deep-South Resources Inc Deep-South Resources is a mineral exploration and development company Deep-South growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets in significant mineralized trends and in proximity to infrastructure in stable countries. In using and assessing environmentally friendly technologies in the development of its copper project, Deep-South embraces the green revolution. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information contained in this news release which are not statements of historical facts may be "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule", "understand" and similar expressions identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the Minister's refusal to renew the Company's Licence, the Company's intention to contest the Minister's decision before the Courts of Namibia and the outcome of such proceedings. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Deep-South, are inherently subject to significant technical, political, business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Factors and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: political risks associated with the Company's operations in Namibia; the failure of the Namibian Government to comply with its continuing obligations under the Act to allow for the renewal of the Licence; the impact of changes in, or to the more aggressive enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices; the inability of the Company and its subsidiaries to enforce their legal rights in certain circumstances. For additional risk factors, please see the Company's most recently filed Management Discussions & Analysis for its quarter ended ended February 28, 2021 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as many factors and future events, both known and unknown could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary or differ materially from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated by reference. Accordingly, all such factors should be considered carefully when making decisions with respect to Deep-South, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release is made as at the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/high-court-of-namibia-orders-the-ministry-of-mines-to-file-documents-with-the-court-before-october-10-2021-301384709.html SOURCE Deep-South Resources Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2021/24/c9676.html NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 2021 / Labaton Sucharow, a nationally ranked and award-winning shareholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors that purchased or otherwise acquired The Honest Company, Inc. ("Honest Company" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:HNST) securities pursuant and/or traceable to the offering documents issued in connection with Honest Company's May 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). Honest Company investors have until November 15, 2021, to file a lead plaintiff motion. Approximately two months after the IPO, on August 13, 2021, Honest Company reported a net loss of $20 million for the second quarter of 2021, as compared to a net loss of only $0.4 million for the second quarter of 2020. Honest Company also disclosed that its revenue grew only 3% as compared to the second quarter of 2020, because it was negatively impacted by "an estimated $3.7 million COVID-19 stock-up impact primarily in Diapers and Wipes in the prior year period." Honest Company also disclosed that its Diapers and Wipes product category revenue declined 2% compared to the second quarter of 2020. Honest Company further disclosed that, "Household and Wellness revenue declined 6% from the second quarter of 2020 as consumer and customer demand for sanitization products decreased as consumers became vaccinated and customers managed heavy levels of inventory." On this news, the Company's stock price fell approximately 28%, damaging investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that the Registration Statement was materially false and misleading and omitted that (1) prior to the IPO, the Company's results had been significantly impacted by a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 stock-up for products in the Diapers and Wipes category and Household and Wellness category; (2) at the time of the IPO, the Company was experiencing decelerating demand for such products; (3) as a result, the Company's financial results would likely be adversely impacted; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Story continues If you purchased Honest Company shares pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO and want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact David J. Schwartz using the toll-free number (800) 321-0476, via email at david@labaton.com, or by filling out this form. About the Firm Labaton Sucharow LLP is one of the world's leading complex litigation firms representing clients in securities, antitrust, corporate governance and shareholder rights, and consumer cybersecurity and data privacy litigation. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY, Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at www.labaton.com. CONTACT: David J. Schwartz (800) 321-0476 david@labaton.com SOURCE: Labaton Sucharow LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/665399/HNST-ALERT--Labaton-Sucharow-Reminds-Investors-of-November-15-Deadline-in-Securities-Class-Action-Against-The-Honest-Company-Inc By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan on Friday welcomed Taiwan's application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact, citing shared democratic values with the island, which China claims as its own. Japanese officials' appreciation of Taiwan's values with regard to democracy and rule of law contrasted with Japan's cautious reaction to China's bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). "We consider Taiwan a very important partner with which we share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights and rule of law," Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference. Japan is chairing the pact this year. Taiwan made the application on Wednesday, angering China, which views the island as one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state. Speaking in the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung on Friday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said the tech-powerhouse island was already well prepared to join the bloc. "Joining CPTPP will strengthen Taiwan's key global strategic and economic and trade status, and further integrate us with the world," she said. While Japan said Taiwan's application would need to be scrutinised against the trade pact's strict standards, the positive reaction stood in contrast to a cautious response to China's application last week. Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed scepticism about China's chances, citing strict rules related to state-owned enterprises. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato sidestepped a reporter's question on Friday about the different reactions to the applications, declining to go into specifics on Japan's position on China but referring to values shared with Taiwan. The chief government spokesman added that under the trade pact's rules, membership was open to Taiwan, noting that it was already an independent member of the World Trade Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Story continues The original 12-member trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was seen as an important economic counterweight to China's growing influence. But the TPP was thrown into limbo in 2017 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the pact. Britain has also applied to join the 11-member CPTPP and Nishimura said the first meeting to discuss its bid would take place on Sept. 28. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim, Sam Holmes and Michael Perry) (Bloomberg) -- Oil rose for the fifth straight week with the global energy crunch set to boost demand for crude as stockpiles decline from the U.S. to China. Most Read from Bloomberg Futures in New York gained 2.8% this week. The global benchmark Brent settled at the highest in nearly three for the second day in a row. Global onshore crude supplies sank by almost 21 million barrels last week, led by China, according to data analytics firm Kayrros, while U.S. inventories are near a three-year low. The surge in natural gas prices is expected to force some consumers to switch to oil, tightening the market further ahead of the northern hemisphere winter. The market is pricing in a prolonged impact of supply disruptions, and the likely storage draws that will be needed to fulfill refinery demand, said Louise Dickson, oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy, in a note. In terms of oil demand, no new lockdowns in Europe, robust recovery in China road activity, and the U.S. nixing its ban on foreign travelers from November 2021, all lift prospects for upside in the coming quarters. Oil has steadily climbed higher this month after a period of Covid-induced demand uncertainty, with some of the worlds largest traders and banks predicting prices may climb further amid the energy crisis. Global crude consumption could rise by an additional 370,000 barrels a day if natural gas costs stay high, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Various underlying oil market gauges are also pointing to a strengthening market. The key spread between Brent futures for December and a year later is near $7, the strongest since 2019. Thats a sign traders are positive on the market outlook. Money managers increased their bullish ICE Brent bets positions to the most in six months, indicating many believe theres yet more room for crude prices to climb. Story continues At the same time, the premium options traders are paying for bearish put options is the smallest since January 2020, another indication that traders are less concerned about a pullback in prices. Meanwhile, China sold crude oil from its strategic petroleum reserves for the first time via auction in a historic effort to curb raw materials prices, with a unit of PetroChina Co. Ltd. and Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd. securing volumes. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Two top executives of HNA Group have been detained by China's police, days after one of the country's largest private conglomerates was broken down into four separate businesses following its bankruptcy restructuring. HNA's founder and former chairman Chen Feng, and the former chief executive Adam Tan Xiangdong have been detained by police on "suspected crimes," the group said in a statement in its official WeChat account. "HNA Group and its member enterprises are operating in a stable and orderly manner. The [company's] bankruptcy restructuring is going smoothly and its production and operations have not been affected." The detentions bring the curtains down on HNA, built on the foundations of China's most successful private carrier Hainan Airlines. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. With a handful of aircraft, the carrier - with an early investment from the American financier George Soros - quickly built a business flying holiday makers and Russian tourists from China's frigid north to the country's sole tropical island, long regarded as "China's Hawaii" for its beaches, azure waters and holiday resorts. A Hainan Airlines aircraft on the tarmac at the Beijing airport on May 13, 2018. Photo: Reuters. alt=A Hainan Airlines aircraft on the tarmac at the Beijing airport on May 13, 2018. Photo: Reuters. Over three decades, HNA ballooned from a regional airline into one of China's largest private enterprises and most profligate asset buyers. Much of the growth, fuelled by bank borrowings, took place after 2010 when Chen set the goal for HNA to make it among the Fortune 100 companies, ranked by assets. Land parcels acquired, and later sold, by the HNA Group at Kai Tak. SCMP Graphics. alt=Land parcels acquired, and later sold, by the HNA Group at Kai Tak. SCMP Graphics. Story continues After a meeting with 2,700 key officials of the group who took part in person or via video link, Gu said they must strengthen their cohesion and follow guidance from the Communist Party. "HNA's bankruptcy restructuring is at its last stages," he was quoted as saying in a company statement. "Each business unit must review the hard lessons learned from its past 28 years of development. We must understand that it was the party and the nation that has given HNA the chance to be reborn, and follow the instructions of the party." Chen was still listed on HNA's website as chairman and Tan as CEO on Friday evening. The company's statement did not specific the crimes committed by the two executives. Adam Tan Xiangdong, chief executive officer of HNA Group, during the Caijing Annual Conference in Beijing on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Adam Tan Xiangdong, chief executive officer of HNA Group, during the Caijing Annual Conference in Beijing on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Photo: Bloomberg Under HNA's restructuring, the group will be divided into four parts, with each unit operating independently in aviation, airport, financial and commercial, according to a restructuring blueprint unveiled over the weekend. Hainan Airlines will receive a strategic investment from Liaoning Fangda Group Industrial, a conglomerate with business in the carbon, steel and pharmaceutical sectors. HNA raised eyebrows in Hong Kong for overpaying for land in late 2016 and early 2017. Over four months, the company paid HK$27.2 billion (US$3.5 billion) for four plots at Kai Tak, breaking records along the way, to build waterfront luxury flats. After falling into financial difficulties, it was forced to sell them all. It made a gain of HK$2.54 billion on the first three, but suffered a HK$740 million loss on the last plot. A Hongkong Airlines aircraft is seen at Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok. PHOTO: HANDOUT alt=A Hongkong Airlines aircraft is seen at Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok. PHOTO: HANDOUT HNA also owns Hongkong Airlines, which had to axe over 1,000 jobs, made steep pay cuts after the coronavirus pandemic hit the travel industry hard. It was also served a couple of lawsuits in April and May this year over alleged non-payments. HNA Group was one of four Chinese conglomerates that were placed under scrutiny for their debt-fuelled asset acquisitions, along with Anbang Group, CEFC Group and Dalian Wanda Group. Anbang was nationalised in February 2018 and its former chairman Wu Xiaohui was sentenced to 18 years in jail for fraud and embezzlement. The insurance company, since renamed Dajia, is seeking investors to take it over from the government. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion no later than November 15, 2021 in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. ("Boston Beer" or the "Company") (NYSE : SAM) from April 22, 2021 through September 8, 2021 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleges violations of the Securities Act of 1934. If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit The Boston Beer Company Inc Shareholder Class Action Lawsuitor contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com According to the complaint, Boston Beer issued materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose adverse facts pertaining to the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Boston Beer specifically failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Boston Beers hard seltzer sales were decelerating; (2) that, as a result, Boston Beer was reasonably likely to incur inventory write-offs; (3) that the Company was reasonably likely to incur shortfall fees payable to third party brewers; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Boston Beers financial results would be adversely impacted; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. On July 22, 2021 after the market closed, the Company reduced its full year 2021 guidance, expecting earnings per share between $18 and $22, down from a prior range of $22 and $26. Boston Beer cited softer-than-expected sales in the hard seltzer category and overall beer industry and also stated that it had overestimated the growth of the hard seltzer category in the second quarter. Story continues On this news, the price of Boston Beer shares fell $246.54, or 26%, to close at $701.00 per share on July 23, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. On September 8, 2021, after the market closed, the Company withdrew its 2021 financial guidance, citing decelerating sales of hard seltzer products. The Company also stated that it expects to incur hard seltzer-related inventory write-offs, shortfall fees payable to 3rd party brewers, and other costs for the remainder of fiscal 2021. On this news, Boston Beers share price fell $21.09, or 3.7%, to close at $538.31 per share on September 9, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 15, 2021 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/thebostonbeercompanyinc-sam-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-438/apply/ or contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Rujul Patel Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 rpatel@bernlieb.com NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Cassava Sciences, Inc. ("Cassava " or the "Company") (Nasdaq: SAVA) from September 14, 2020 through August 27, 2021 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas alleges violations of the Securities Act of 1934. If you purchased Cassava securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Cassava Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com According to the complaint, Cassava issued materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose adverse facts pertaining to the quality and integrity of the scientific data supporting the company's claims of efficacy for its Alzheimer's drug (simufilam), which were known to, or recklessly disregarded by, the Defendants as follows: (a) that Cassava and senior management claimed that results from an interim analysis of simufilam demonstrated that patients' cognition and behavior scores both improved following six months of simufilam treatment, and; (b) that Cassava touted an FDA meeting they stated supported green-lighting a Phase 3 trial beginning in the second half of 2021. On August 24, 2021, a citizen petition was submitted to the FDA asking the FDA to halt all ongoing studies with simufilam while the agency verifies data the company has submitted so far. The petition raises serious concerns about the quality and integrity of the laboratory-based studies surrounding this drug candidate. The petition further identified "errors and anomalies" in the data "of a sufficient frequency and magnitude to strongly suggest scientific misconduct." Story continues On this news, the price of Cassava shares fell almost 32%, declining approximately $37 per share per share on August 24, 2021. On August 27, 2021, before the market opened, Quanterix Corp. (Quanterix), an independent company, issued a statement denying the Companys claims, stating that it did not interpret the test results or prepare the data touted by Cassava. On this news, the Companys share price fell $12.51, or 17.6%, to close at $58.34 per share on August 27, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 26, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased Cassava securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/cassavasciencesinc-sava-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-435/apply/ or contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Rujul Patel Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 rpatel@bernlieb.com The 400 richest families in the U.S. worth between $2.1 billion and $160 billion and representing the top 0.0002% of all taxpayers paid an effective tax rate of 8.2% between 2010 and 2018, according to a new analysis released by a pair of Biden administration economists. The analysis is part of the White Houses effort to pay for new social spending by increasing the tax burden on the countrys wealthiest households, who dont pay their fair share in taxes, as President Biden put it earlier this week. How do the ultra-wealthy get away with paying such low effective tax rates? Heres how White House economists Greg Leiserson and Danny Yagan explain it: The wealthy pay low income tax rates, year after year, for two primary reasons. First, much of their income is taxed at preferred rates. In particular, income from dividends and from stock sales is taxed at a maximum of 20% (23.8% including the net investment income tax), which is much lower than the maximum 37% (40.8%) ordinary rate that applies to other income. Second, the wealthy can choose when their capital gains income appears on their income tax returns and even prevent it from ever appearing. If a wealthy investor never sells stock that has increased in value, those investment gains are wiped out for income tax purposes when those assets are passed on to their heirs under a provision known as stepped-up basis. Unrealized capital gains are a big part of the story, but are also controversial when it comes to measuring income and taxation, since technically such gains arent income unless and until the underlying assets are sold. But the White House economists included capital gains as income in their analysis, arguing that they are an important source of wealth that can be tapped to finance consumption and can improve financial wellbeing. As Jim Tankersley of The New York Times notes, other analyses of taxes paid by the ultra-wealthy have found higher average rates. An analysis by the Tax Policy Center, for example, found that the top 0.001% roughly 1,400 households paid an average effective tax rate of 24% in 2015, compared to an average effective rate of 14% overall. TPC did not include unrealized capital gains in its analysis, producing lower income estimates and higher tax rates for wealthy households. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Dublin, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United States Biobanks Market, By Type (Population Based Biobanks v/s Disease Oriented Biobanks), By Ownership, By Product, By Specimen Type, By Application, By End User, By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. United States biobanks market is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. Growing need to store and preserve the biological samples such as nucleic acids, tissues, blood which are in demand for research activities for advancements in biomedical research and identify disease-relevant biomarkers. The rise in the number of research activities is considered the major driver for the forecast period. An increase in investments and funding made by the leading authorities and market players to advance the sectors such as regenerative medicine, cell & gene therapy, stem cell therapeutics is promoting the scope of research activities which in turn is accelerating the market growth. The surge in the adoption of cord blood banking techniques by healthcare facilities offers several benefits such as more people can receive stem cells than received through the bone marrow and this process is less complicated and painful for the donor which in turn is fostering the growth of the biobanks market. Biobanks play a significant role to maintain and update the age demographic databases. The rising demand for personalized medicine as it is considered more effective and provides better results is contributing to the surge in the biobanks market growth. United States biobanks market is segmented into type, ownership, product, specimen type, application, end user, regional distribution, and company. Based on product, the market can be divided into equipment & consumables, media, software & services. The equipment & consumables product segment is expected to hold a major market share in the forecast period. The rise in the number of biobanks is aiding to increase the capacity to store a large number of biosamples is increasing the demand for biobanking devices which in turn is accelerating the market growth. Story continues Major companies are developing advanced technologies and launching new services to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies include mergers & acquisitions and new service developments. Objective of the Study: To analyze the historical growth of the market size of United States biobanks market from 2016 to 2019. To estimate and forecast the market size of United States biobanks market from 2020 to 2026 and growth rate until 2026. To classify and forecast United States biobanks market based on type, ownership, product, specimen type, application, end user, regional distribution, and company. To identify dominant region or segment in the United States biobanks. To identify drivers and challenges for United States biobanks market. To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in United States biobanks market. To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in United States biobanks market. To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by market players in United States biobanks market. The major players operating in the United States biobanks market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Hamilton Company Brooks Automation, Inc. VWR Corporation, LLC Promega Corporation Becton, Dickinson, and Company RUCDR Infinite Biologics LabVantage Solutions Inc. US Biolab Corporation, Inc. ProteoGenex, Inc. Cureline, Inc. Bay Biosciences LLC Geneticist Inc BioLifeSolutions Inc. All of Us- Biobank Report Scope: Years considered for this report: Historical Years: 2016-2019 Base Year: 2020 Estimated Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-2026 United States Biobanks Market, By Type: Population Based Biobanks Disease Oriented Biobanks United States Biobanks Market, By Ownership: National/regional agency Non-profit Organization Universities Private Organization United States Biobanks Market, By Product: Equipment & Consumables Media Software & Services United States Biobanks Market, By Specimen Type: Blood Products Solid Tissue Cell Lines Nucleic Acid Others United States Biobanks Market, By Application: Therapeutic Research United States Biobanks Market, By End User: Academic Institutes Pharma & Biotech Companies Others United States Biobanks Market, By Region: South West Mid-West North East For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8n2y32 CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has called on the Taliban to form an inclusive government in neighboring Afghanistan with the participation of all political and ethnic groups in order to allay tensions in the war-torn country. In a prerecorded video message to the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, Rahmon reiterated his concerns over recent developments in Afghanistan, calling them a "serious threat to regional security and stability." The Taliban gained control over almost all of Afghanistans territory last month following a lightning offensive at the end of a 20-year U.S.-led military presence, triggering alarm among Central Asian states bordering Afghanistan over possible security threats emanating from the country and the potential for tens of thousands of refugees to pour over the border. The militants have sought to reassure the international community that it poses no threat and suggested that it is now more moderate than during the brutal rule the hard-line Islamist group employed during its first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban promised inclusiveness and a general amnesty for former opponents but has been criticized for forming an all-male government led by hard-line veterans and composed almost entirely of members from the Pashtun ethnic group. A ban on protests, a crackdown on demonstrators and journalists, and a rolling back of the rights of girls and women also failed to back up the groups promises to respect human rights. The international community has warned it would judge the group by its actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to issues including the treatment of women and minorities. Tajikistan is one of the few countries in the region that has rejected any talks with the Taliban. In his address to the UN General Assembly, Rahmon accused the Taliban of not living up to its promises to form an inclusive government and criticized human rights groups for what he called their silence over "violation of the rights of other ethnic groups in Afghanistan." In Panjshir, a rugged mountain valley northeast of Kabul where an anti-Taliban resistance front is active, the Tajik president accused Taliban fighters of carrying out killings and depriving residents of access to food, electricity, and Internet connection. Rahmon called for comprehensive talks with the participation of all segments of Afghan society as one of the main conditions for stability in the country. Afghanistan's ethnic Tajiks, who he said make up 46 percent of the country's population, and other ethnic groups have the right to have a worthy place in the affairs of state." While no reliable current data on ethnicity in Afghanistan exists to back up Rahmon's claim, the group Minority Rights says previous estimates have shown ethnic Tajiks comprise about 27 percent of Afghanistan's population, while ethnic Uzbeks are 9 percent and Turkmen 3 percent. The largest group, Pashtuns, are just over 40 percent of the populace. The Tajik leader also expressed concern about what he called the strengthening of extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, saying that the country is on the verge of becoming a hotbed of international terrorism again." Describing Tajikistan as a "front line" in the fight against terrorism and extremism, Rahmon called for support from the international community. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, ope U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Western Slope Republican, believes that the military should always be funded, even though she plans to vote not to fund it. "But they deserve better," she said in conclusion to a 441-word statement Thursday night. "Taxpayers deserve better. And thats what Ill continue to fight for every day. The freshman lawmaker will oppose the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the military, because she doesn't like the way Democrats operate it. She said she loves the military. The bill was authored by Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Aurora and an Army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. The measure includes and amendment from Colorado Springs U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn that temporarily blocks funds to move U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Alabama. Crow said in a statement Thursday night that he was proud the bill includes a monument on the National Mall to honor troops who fought and died in the Global War on Terror. "Those of us who have served know the transformative power of a sacred place where the American people can come to reflect, remember and heal," Crow said. "A permanent tribute in our Nations Capital will go a long way in honoring those who served this country over the past 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House voted to approve the bill with a wide bipartisan support, 316-113. The Senate still must pass its own version, before the two chambers work it out for a final vote on a single bill. Like Boebert, other members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus opposed the bill for the many of the same reasons Boebert cited. "Our brave service men and women didnt fight for this liberal woke garbage of an agenda and I didnt come to Washington to put a rubber stamp on it either," she stated. "Unfortunately, Democrats politicized and jeopardized funding for our troops in the NDAA, legislation that has traditionally been very bipartisan." Lamborn, supported the spending bill, given the strong military presence in his El Paso County district. This bill will provide our warfighters in harms way with the resources they need to deter conflict or win it decisively if deterrence fails," he said in a statement. "That said, there are many provisions conservatives will find troubling, and I am dedicated to removing them in Conference Committee with the Senate." He added, "I could not vote against legislation that is vital to the needs of the Fifth Congressional District and our armed forces." The strong position and statement is a subject-changer for Boebert's husband, who is enduring a bruising run of bad news over her initial failure to report nearly a half million for consulting services, with his wife on the powerful House Natural Resources Committee. Tuesday revealed Boebert has other entanglements with the Federal Election Commission, including an admission she used campaign money for personal expenses, including rent and utilities for her Rifle restaurant, which the commission warned her could prove illegal. Boebert's office said it was a billing mistake and she has reimbursed her campaign. It wasn't her first run-in. In February she amended her December report after claiming she drove 38,000 miles within Colorado to campaign for her office. She collected about $21,200 in mileage and other travel expenses in the state. The liberal group Accountable.US called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Boebert's travel, claiming she collected money for travel, even though her campaign had not public events. The "must pass" National Defense Authorization Act would spend $777.9 billion in the coming fiscal year to pay for national defense, including $740.3 billion for the Department of Defense and $27.7 billion for national security through the Department of Energy. Boebert said Democrats ignored Republicans who called for resignations and an impeachment "for their total incompetence" during withdrawal from Afghanistan. "I wont sign on to a bill that does nothing to address these failures," according to her statement. "If the Biden regime isnt going to take any responsibility and Nancy Pelosi isnt going to allow Congress to pursue investigations and if nobody is going to get fired over the Afghanistan debacle, then Im not going to vote to give the Democrats carte blanche to do that crap all over again." She went on to talk about "swampy earmarks," opposing a requirement that young women register with the Selective Service, the same as young men do, as well as the "creation of useless offices and mandatory training to promote 'wokeness' and diversity inclusion among our troops." Boebert said she submitted six amendments to the bill but none passed. A bipartisan amendment that did pass the House Rules Committee adds the SAFE Banking Act, which would allow legal cannabis businesses to access the banking system to reduce the amount of cash changing hand. The measure goes to the House floor for a debate and vote as part of the defense bill. Banks won't do business with the industry now, because cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Thirty-five states allow recreational or medicinal marijuana. The American Bankers Association supports the measure. The bill also included Rep. Diana DeGette's Protecting Americas Wilderness Act to permanently preserve 660,000 acres of Colorado wilderness at 36 sites, as well as locations in California and Washington state. DeGette's office called it the largest land-protection package ever approved as part of the annual defense authorization act. The bill would keep a high-altitude military flight school operated by the Colorado National Guard near Gypsum, which is in Boebert's district, along with many of the wilderness areas in DeGette's bill. Preserving these untouched public lands from the threat of future development is about more than just protecting our environment, DeGette said on the House floor before Thursday's vote. Its also about ensuring that some of our nations most elite military pilots have the opportunity and the space they need to train. Colorado school districts mandating masks as students returned to class this summer have fewer coronavirus cases than those without a mask requirement, according to statistics released Thursday by state health officials. Rates tend to be higher in school districts where masks are not in place, state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said Thursday in a news conference. Herlihy said coronavirus infections have risen for children in recent weeks. As classes resumed, infection rates in school districts with mask mandates continued climbing but at nowhere near the rate suffered by districts that do not require masks. We see those lines diverge and you see that the lower case rates are associated with districts that are requiring masks in schools, again showing a clear impact that masks are having in decreasing transmission in our school settings, Herlihy said. Colorado dropped a statewide mask mandate in the spring, leaving local jurisdictions to decide whether masks should be required. The data covers schools that kicked off their school year between Aug. 16-19 and excludes schools that have changed their masking policies since the start of the school year. In all, Herlihy said the data covered around 38% of Colorado public school enrollment. Herlihy also noted that data dovetailed with vaccination rates among 12-17-year-olds, the youngest age group eligible for the vaccine. For that age group, Herlihy said, case rates tend to be higher in those counties where the vaccination rate among those vaccine eligible children is lower. That matches findings she presented at a COVID-19 briefing early this week on the correlation between vaccinations rates and hospitalization rates for the state as a whole. State COVID-19 Incident Commander Scott Bookman also provided an update on hospitalizations and hospital capacity, though those data points didnt show a stark difference from the rates presented at a state COVID-19 briefing earlier this week. Colorado poised to open free at-home testing program to all As Dr. Herlihy talked about with that unstable equilibrium where (cases) go up and down a little bit each day, we seem to be at a similar place with our hospitalizations, Bookman said, noting the state has been floating between 875 to 900 COVID hospitalizations. It's still incredibly high, equal to where we were during the first wave in the spring of 2020. Bookman also urged COVID-19 vaccinations, highlighting data showing 80% of hospitalizations from COVID-19 stem from those who are not vaccinated. I want to really just reiterate that our hospitalizations are a pandemic of the unvaccinated at this point, he said. Jimmy Sengenberger is host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show on News/Talk 710 KNUS. He also hosts Jimmy at the Crossroads, a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The 1,500 Afghan refugees who are headed to Colorado after fleeing their homeland amid a Taliban takeover need more than school supplies and a toothbrush when they get here, state officials said. This week, Gov. Jared Polis announced the creation of a fund where companies and residents can donate money for critical services like physical health, mental health and legal assistance. Colorado's Afghan Support Fund falls under the Rose Community Foundation. Polis is one of 37 governors who held out welcome signs for Afghan evacuees. According to his press release, most of the Afghans headed to Colorado will resettle in the Denver metro area. Organizers are hoping to collect $5.6 million for the fund, which will flow to non-profits in the area. "We utilized the expertise within committed partners, and we utilized the expertise within our state government agencies to identify areas with the greatest resource gaps, to include mental health and health supports and services," said Victoria Graham, a Polis spokeswoman. Click or tap here to donate to Afghans4Tomorrow (in the incoming refugees tab). Click or tap here to donate to the Colorado Afghan Support Fund. Recently, the White House projected resettlement of 865 Afghans in Colorado. State organizations, though, say based on previous resettlement patterns, they are expecting up to 2,000 people with most landing in metro Denver and Colorado Springs. Some governors, including Wyomings Mark Gordon, spurned the Afghan refugees. Around 31,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States and are being processed, according to reporting from the New York Times. Immigrants are allowed into the U.S. after they obtain refugee status or a special visa, amid a process that can be expensive. Many Afghans facing oppression in their homeland lack money for U.S. visa application fees and legal advice. According to the State Department, Qatar Airways continues to fly U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents out of Kabul. The latest flight, which left Sunday, evacuated 61 people. A recent CBS News poll indicated that 80% of Americans approve of assistance for Afghans who worked with U.S. officials during the 20-year occupation and now face Taliban reprisal. The Colorado Afghan Support Fund will assist Afghans being vetted at eight military bases across the country, but there are still Afghans left behind who are in fear of their lives. Wahid Omar and a group of American volunteers have helped 28 of those families flee to the United States, but he says there are still 140 families stranded and broke, and in need of money in order to start the approval process. These are professors and businesswomen, journalists, and attorneys who represent the intelligence of Afghanistan, says Omar, who fled Afghanistan as a teenager during the Soviet Invasion. It costs $575 per person for an application fee. For a family of six, its impossible to raise that much money. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs library was closed Thursday due to a Freon leak, the university tweeted Thursday evening. The Colorado Springs Fire Department has been attending to the situation since Thursday afternoon. Approximately 1,500 were evacuated, fire department officials said. The leak occurred around 2 p.m. when a contractor who was repairing the air conditioning in one of the library's server rooms attempted to shut off the Freon valve. The valve broke, releasing Freon into the room, UCCS spokesperson Chris Valentine said. An estimated 1,500 people were evacuated. Fire Department Public Information Officer Michael Smaldino credited UCCS for evacuating the building by the time first responders arrived at the scene. "They met us and basically said, 'We're getting done getting 1,500 people out of here. Here's where the leak is,'" he said. Smaldino said the leak was in a place where the hazmat teams can't control it, so they were waiting on the system to either drain completely or working on a way to siphon off the rest of it. Smaldino said that while firefighters weren't concerned with the amount that had leaked, they did their due diligence, evaluating people who had been close to the leak. Valentine said three people were evaluated, including the contractor and a couple people who were in close proximity. The danger with Freon is that in a super concentrated form, it can displace the oxygen in a room and eventually in a person's body over prolonged periods of exposure. "What we're looking for right away is [dizziness], nausea, [lightheadedness], things like that, and we didn't get anybody who was complaining of that," he said. Hazmat crews have monitors that can detect the presence of the chemical. Smaldino said they would go through the building, room by room, until all rooms are clear. There was no estimated time for the library to reopen. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine booster shots in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein FILE PHOTO: Vials and syringes filled with the "Comirnaty" Pfizer BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen on a table at a nursing home in Seville, Spain September 21, 2021. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo FILE PHOTO: The McDonald's logo is seen outside the fast-food chain McDonald's in New York, U.S., October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton FILE PHOTO: A view of a vehicle next to a fence built by Polish soldiers on the border between Poland and Belarus near the village of Nomiki, Poland August 26, 2021. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo Rural Virginia county plugs into Facebooks long-haul fiber Approximately 6,000 households in rural Grayson County, Va., will soon have access to broadband services thanks to a partnership between Facebook, Appalachian Power and Virginia-based internet service provider GigaBeam Networks. The mountain community currently is the least-connected county in the commonwealth, with 57% of residents having little or no access to online telehealth, education and business services, according to Grayson County Administrator Bill Shepley. The backbone of the fiber-to-the-home and wireless internet service will be built on long-haul fiber routes Facebook is constructing to connect its Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina data centers. We brought our own long-haul network, allowing vastly increased access to backhaul, Facebook said in a Sept 23 blog post. The company also provided engineering, construction and technical assistance for the project. Our involvement in this project helped define standards between Appalachian Power and GigaBeam Networks, allowing for the faster finalization of network design and enabling everyone to start building sooner, the company said. Appalachian Power is building the middle-mile fiber network along its electric infrastructure grid. Starting in December 2020, the utility began installing fiber-optic cable on its power poles in Grayson County to support deployment of smart meters and technology to identify and correct faults on circuits. This allowed GigaBeam to splice Appalachian Powers fiber and provide access points that will offer 238 miles of last-mile connectivity to county residents and businesses. In 2019, Virginia passed a law allowing electric utilities to build the middle-mile fiber to expand broadband access. A three-year pilot allowed Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to lease excess fiber capacity to broadband providers targeting unserved communities. More than 13,000 unserved locations in Virginia will be connected from projects involved in the pilot, Ajit Pai, former chair of the Federal Communications Commission, wrote in a Sept. 22 Washington Post op-ed. Rollout of the countywide hybrid fiber/fixed wireless network began in spring 2021. Over the next few months, we are going to transform from being the least connected county in the state to one of the most connected rural counties in the United States, Shepley said in the blogs video. This hasnt been done anywhere else in the United States, and now many other organizations are working to duplicate this work, said Brad Hall, Appalachian Powers VP of external affairs. I think the success here will create hope for a lot of rural Americans. It boils down to an issue of equity. We want to make sure that everybody is treated equally, that everybody has access to broadband -- whether it be for telehealth, or virtual learning or whether it's for business opportunities, said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Its just a necessity now. When global dairy export is discussed, the conversation often revolves around value and quality. More often than not, it is the availability of the product and its ability to meet regulatory and customer needs that determine an international sale. During the September 15 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream, Tropical Foods William Lynskey discussed the intricacies of these cultural and customer needs. To have success in todays market, you need that quality and value, but then you need to meet the compliance requirements in many countries around the globe so youre not so limited, and you need to meet very specific customer needs, he explained. These needs can range from translating labels to meeting specific shelf life requirements or a number of other business specific demands. The first thing that we try to distinguish is if the request coming from the customer fits under a customer need or a regulatory need, Lynskey shared. They are two different things, and sometimes those wires get crossed. Obviously, we want to do as much as we can, but we dont want to do things that make it economically unfeasible, he continued. Relabeling needed One of the most common customer and regulatory needs converges on the label of products leaving the U.S. for foreign customers. We relabel upwards of one-quarter million products every single week going through our facility here in Miami, Lynskey detailed. We are unpacking, putting translated stickers on it, repacking, and doing custom jet coating on packaging. If the relabeling is the result of a countrys regulatory standards, Lynskey shared that they often already have the processes in place to handle relabeling. If the request is a customer need instead, Lynskeys company studies the viability of doing the relabeling. If it is not regulatory, but its a preference, need, or internal policy of the customer, we study it and look at the feasibility of doing it, the resources it would take, and the cost to doing it, Lynskey said. For the most part, unless a request is just completely in leftfield, we have a very high success rate working with customers to deliver product that meets the need internally meeting internal requirements and obviously, meets the regulatory requirements. To watch the recording of the September 15 DairyLivestream, go to the link above. The program recording is now also available as an audio-only podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and downloadable from the Hoards Dairyman website. An ongoing series of events The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, October 20 at 11 a.m. CDT. Each episode is designed for panelists to answer over 30 minutes of audience questions. If you havent joined a DairyLivestream broadcast yet, register here for free. Registering once registers you for all future events. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 September 20, 2021 The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman. Dairy farmers adapt every day, and now its World Dairy Expos turn. Beginning in 2022, World Dairy Expo will be held Sunday through Friday while remaining at its home in Madison, Wisconsin, the Alliant Energy Center. This schedule change is made to improve efficiencies for all stakeholders, from exhibitors to attendees to event partners. For years, Expos Trade Show exhibitors have requested a shorter exhibition period to better align with todays trade show industry standards. Meanwhile, maintaining five days for Showring events is necessary to provide time and space for the beloved traditions on the colored shavings. This new event schedule also brings with it a breed show rotation plan. Beginning on Sunday, October 2, 2022, World Dairy Expo will officially start its 6-day event with youth activities and contests. The Dairy Cattle Show will begin on Monday, and the Trade Show will kick off on Tuesday. The event that serves as the meeting place of the global dairy industry will conclude on the night of Friday, October 7 with the naming of the Supreme Champion after a week of competition, commerce, education and networking. Formally adding Sunday and the youth events and contests to the Expo schedule offers strong continuity of event dates and brings additional prestige to these historic contests. Each aspect of this schedule adjustment allows Expo to show its commitment to every key stakeholder group. Education and networking will continue to play a consistent role in events throughout World Dairy Expo. Attendees can anticipate the return of Tanbark Talks, Expo Seminars, Virtual Farm Tours, Expo en Espanol, Knowledge Nook Sessions and Dairy Forage Seminars. More information about the 2022 World Dairy Expo schedule changes and breed show rotation can be found here, https://worlddairyexpo.com/pages/WDE2022.php. Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. The dairy industry will return to Madison, Wis. for the 54th event, September 28 October 2, 2021, when the worlds largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile event app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify, Instagram or YouTube for more information Hope College has received a transformational gift to endow half of its Campus Ministries program and honor a long-time member of the staff for his dedicated service as a pastor, mentor and colleague. The anonymous contribution will underwrite a significant portion of the staffing and current activities and support additional programming. By providing budget relief for operations, the gift supports the colleges recently announced Hope Forward initiative that seeks to fully fund tuition for all students. In addition, the programming of Campus Ministries supported through the endowment is being named at the donors request in honor of the Rev. Paul Boersma, who has been a chaplain at the college since 1994 and will retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year as the longest-serving chaplain in Hopes history. This is a transformational gift for Hope and the Campus Ministries program that will both sustain our current program and enable us to continue meeting students need and interest, said the Rev. Dr. Trygve Johnson, who is the Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel at Hope. Its an incredibly generous and humbling vote of support for our work and the colleges mission. Campus Ministries is built to work alongside the students, faculty and staff in order to serve the entire campus community, he said. This gift will help Hope do the work of campus ministry for generations to come. Our responsibility is to steward this gift in a way that blesses the entire college and our students. Johnson also appreciates the recognition that Boersma is receiving through the gift, having had an opportunity to see his focus on students from two different perspectives, first while Johnson was an intern with Campus Ministries from 1996 to 1998 while pursuing his Master of Divinity degree at Western Theological Seminary, and since 2005 as dean of the chapel. Were grateful that the donor has asked that the programming be named for Paul, Johnson said. Theres not a finer chaplain in the country than Paul Boersma that I know of. His commitment to Christ, his family, Hope College and the students has been one of the distinctives that have marked our ministry. Hope College President Matthew A. Scogin noted that the gift is an ideal example of how affinity-based contributions to the endowment will help make the Hope Forward vision for fully funding tuition a reality. Our annual operating budget can be pictured as a pie sliced into many pieces representing all areas of the college, from individual academic departments and collaborative faculty-student research, to faith formation, to co-curricular activities, he said. This gift will support Campus Ministries transformational impact on our students in perpetuity, Scogin said. By underwriting an aspect of our program that they especially love, the donors have also made a lasting difference by reducing the need for tuition income to support that portion of the budget. As other donors give to areas that they are passionate about, or to provide support wherever it is needed, theyll do the same and together will ultimately meet the need completely. The Campus Ministries team supports the colleges emphasis on helping students engage with the Christian faith and understand how it can inform them as they study, pursue vocation and live in community with others in a diverse and interconnected world. Including seven full- and part-time chaplains, the staff provides programming for students in worship, discipleship and mission. Activities include weekday and Sunday-evening worship services, small-group Bible studies, and a variety of leadership and service opportunities for students. Campus Ministries is based in the central campus in the van Andel Huys der Hope, which opened in August 2019 and includes small and large gathering spaces, a commons area, a library that can also be used for meetings, a prayer alcove and office space for staff. Additional worship space on campus includes historic Dimnent Memorial Chapel and chapels in the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center and Graves Hall. Boersma joined the staff during the summer of 1994. His main responsibilities include supervising the Campus Ministries team, providing pastoral care, preaching and encouraging others in what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. He was appointed to the colleges Leonard and Marjorie Maas Endowed Chaplaincy in 2001, and delivered the colleges Commencement address in 2005. Prior to coming to Hope, he was pastor of youth and education at Community Reformed Church in Holland, where he had been employed since 1983. Boersma graduated from Hope in 1982, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Western Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Melody, who is a 1983 Hope graduate, have three grown children, all of whom are Hope graduates as well: Aaron (2010), Joel (2012) and Emily (2013). His parents, the late Max and Connie (Hinga) Boersma, were also Hope alumni, and established the Hinga-Boersma chapel deanship in 1993. 1. Yes. There should be absolute certainty that the election was free and fair. 2. Yes. The audit could and should lead to stronger laws governing elections in the state. 3. No. Former President Trump wants the audit to further cast doubt on the 2020 vote. 4. No. Its a waste of money, an attempt by Abbott to gain favor among Trump backers. 5. Unsure. It seems unnecessary but it may provide some worthwhile findings. Vote View Results Illinois Bloomington Illinois State University Police: Body in river was missing Illinois State student A body discovered in a river nearly three weeks ago has been confirmed as a graduate student missing from Illinois State University, authorities said Thursday. Jelani Days identity was confirmed through DNA and dental records, the LaSalle County coroners office said. Day, 25, was last seen at the Illinois State campus on Aug. 24. His car was found in Peru two days later. The body was discovered in the Illinois River in the LaSalle-Peru area on Sept. 4. ADVERTISEMENT There are no words to clearly communicate our devastation. Our hearts are broken, Days family said on Facebook. As of this moment, we do not know what happened to Jelani and we will not stop until we do, the family said. Investigators are trying to determine if Day was a victim of foul play, said John Fermon, a Bloomington police spokesman. Over time, thats where well get that answer, he said of the investigation. Day wanted to become a doctor and was pursuing a masters degree in speech pathology at Illinois State, said his mother, Carmen Bolden Day. llinois State President Terri Goss Kinzy described Day as kind, intelligent and caring. He joined his graduate program this summer and his impact on the campus community was immediate. Details regarding how our community will come together to celebrate Jelanis life and honor his memory will be forthcoming, Kinzy said. ADVERTISEMENT Days cousin, Eriel Davis, said his disappearance didnt make sense. His dad actually has cancer and Jelani is the bone marrow match for his dad, and he would never abandon his father like that, Davis said. Friday, September 24, 2021 The Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed a reduced award of attorneys fees sought in an estate matter To collect attorneys fees from an estate, court approval is required. So if an attorney is paid from an estate without court approval, he takes the fee subject to the peril of having it disapproved later by the chancellor. That is what happened here. Obert Law Group collected more than $180,000 in attorneys fees from Dr. Edwin Holts estate. But it did so without first seeking court approval. After a two-day hearing, the chancellor determined only $96,951 of the attorneys fees in the estate matter were reasonable. So he ordered Obert Law Group reimburse the estate $84,945. The story At the time of his death, Dr. Holt was finalizing a divorce in Texas and seeking to have his dental license reinstated in Mississippi. Dr. Holt had hired first-year attorney Joshua Stretch to represent him in the dental-licensure matter. Due to his inexperience, Stretch associated more seasoned attorneys at Obert Law Group, Keith Obert and William Brown. When Dr. Holt died, Stretch still held $73,000 as a yet-to-be-earned retainer on the licensure issue. Dr. Holt died tragically by his own hand at age forty-five. He left five minor children. Stretch drove Dr. Holts mother, Janet Holt, to the funeral. According to Janet, on the way back from the funeral, Stretch approached her about the estate. Two days later, Stretch emailed Janet, who became the estates executrix. He told her he wanted to handle the matter but he would need to bring in Obert for his expertise in estate matters. Stretch, Obert, and occasionally Brown began working immediately on estate matters. Their efforts included locating and protecting estate assets and dealing with Dr. Holts ex-wife, who strenuously asserted the divorce was never finalized so she was Dr. Holts heir and not her five minor children. Stretch did not return the remainder of the prior dental-licensure retainer to Dr. Holts estate. Instead, he submitted this money to Obert Law Group, which in turn used this money to pay its first $73,000 in bills to the estate. After exhausting this money, Obert Law Group billed the executrix. The attorneys did not seek prior court approval of their attorneys fees. Nor did they advise the executrix the bills should be court-approved before she paid them. Instead, because Janet believed she had no reason to question the invoices, she simply wrote checks from the estate to pay the invoices submitted to hertotaling $110,800. In seventeen months of representing the estate, Obert Law Group collected $181,896 in attorneys fees. Their representation of the estate ended when Janet petitioned the court to replace Stretch, Obert, and Brown with new counsel. At this point, their motion for final accounting and attorneys fees had yet to be approved by the court. And before approval, the trustee of the revocable trust established by Dr. Holt, to which he had bequeathed the residuary of his estate for the benefit of his family, petitioned the court for the return of all the fees they had collected. The trustee asserted Obert Law Group had never sought preapproval of its attorneys fees and had never advised Janet of her duty to first seek court approval before paying Obert Law Group with estate assets. The trustee also alleged Obert Law Group padded its bills and mismanaged the estate. The court found that the trial court had fairly evaluated the reasonableness of the fees under Rule 1.5. The chancellor entered a detailed order in which he considered the factors set forth in Mississippi Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5 for reasonable attorneys fees. Advice Had Obert Law Groups bills been submitted to the court for prior approval, this fight would have without question been largely tempered. The lawyers would have discovered quickly that the chancellor took a much more frugal view as to the time and labor required and the reasonableness of the charged fees than the attorneys did. Dissent Because I find the chancellor has not made this award with clarity and consistency with the lodestar method, I respectfully dissent. The chancellors order should clearly set forth and allow this Court to discern the chancellors rationale that $96,951 was a reasonable amount for attorneys fees and that $84,945 was unreasonable. It did not. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2021/09/the-mississippi-supreme-court-affirmed-a-reduced-award-of-attorneys-fees-in-an-estate-matter-to-collect-attorneys-fees-fr.html Big Tech companies that operate around the world have long promised to follow local laws and protect civil rights while doing business. These two aims sometimes conflict. When Apple and Google recently agreed to remove an app at the request of the Russian government, it raised worries. It appears that the companies are more concerned with making money than protecting democratic rights. The app is called Smart Voting. It was a tool for organizing political opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin before the elections last weekend. The ban has been sharply criticized by supporters of free elections and democracy. Natalia Krapiva is with Access Now, an internet freedom group. This is bad news for democracy and dissent all over the world," she said. We expect to see other dictators copying Russias tactics." Technology companies that offer services like searches, social media and apps have long been in conflict with less-democratic countries. Apple, Google and other large companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have grown stronger over the past decade. But government efforts in many countries to use that power for their own purposes has also grown. Sascha Meinrath is a professor at Pennsylvania State University and studies online censorship. He said the act was a great symbol of political oppression. He added that Google and Apple have increased the chances of something similar happening again. Neither Apple nor Google answered interview requests from The Associated Press. Google also denied access to documents on its online service Google Docs that listed candidates supported by Smart Voting. YouTube blocked similar videos. One person with knowledge of the matter told AP that Google faced legal action by Russian officials if it failed to remove the app. Russian officials also threatened criminal charges against individual employees, the person said. The person also told AP that Russian police visited Googles Moscow offices last week to enforce a court order to block the app. Google's own employees have reportedly criticized the company's decision to remove the app on employee message boards. Apple has a Commitment To Human Rights" on its website. A close read of that statement, however, suggests that when legal government orders and human rights are in conflict, the company will follow the government. ...we respect national law the statement reads. A recent report from the organization Freedom House found that worldwide internet freedom decreased for the fifth straight year. Internet freedom is under increasing threat as more nations arrest internet users for political speech. At least 20 countries suspended internet access and 21 other countries blocked access to social media, the report found. Big Tech companies have generally agreed to follow government demands to remove content to continue operating in these countries. Posts by those denying the Holocaust are blocked in Germany and other European countries where they are illegal, for example. And in Russia, opposition parties are censored. The app's removal was widely denounced by Russian opposition politicians. Leonid Volkov is a top adviser to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He wrote on Facebook that the companies bent to the Kremlins blackmail. One Navalny ally said on Twitter that the politicians team is considering bringing legal action against the two companies. It is possible that the companies could decide to stop operating in Russia. Google made a similar decision in 2010 when it removed its search engine from China. Its communist government had begun censoring search results and videos on YouTube. Kurt Opsahl is a lawyer with the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation. If you want to take a principled stand on human rights and freedom of expression, then there are some hard choices you have to make on when you should leave the market, he said. Russia is not a major market for Apple or Googles parent company Alphabet. Im Dan Novak. Michael Liedtke and Barbara Ortutay reported this story for The Associated Press. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. _________________________________________________ Words in This Story dissent n. to publicly disagree with an official opinion, decision, or set of beliefs tactic n. an action or method that is planned and used to achieve a particular goal censorship adj. the system or practice of censoring books, movies, letters, etc. blackmail n. the crime of threatening to tell secret information about someone unless the person being threatened gives you money or does what you want principle adj. a moral rule or belief that helps you know what is right and wrong and that influences your actions Chinas central bank and government agencies have issued a ban on all financial activities involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. The central bank declared in a statement Friday that business dealings related to virtual currency are all illegal financial activities and are strictly prohibited. The statement said the central bank would work with the other agencies -- including banking, securities and foreign exchange regulators -- in an effort to stop the illegal activity. It is the first time that multiple Chinese regulators have joined forces to officially ban all activity linked to virtual currencies, also known as cryptocurrencies. The central bank said the action was taken because cryptocurrencies -- which include Bitcoin, Ethereum and others -- disrupt the countrys financial system. It said such currencies are also used in money-laundering activities and other financial crimes. The news led to Bitcoin falling more than 9 percent, to $41,085 in the hours after the announcement. Ethereum dropped nearly 10 percent to around $2,800. The Chinese government banned banks from cryptocurrency activity in 2013. But it re-issued the rule again this year, suggesting the government was concerned that virtual currency activities were still going on. Financial experts say the repeated issuing of rules shows how difficult it can be for governments to identify cryptocurrency activities and effectively regulate them. Fridays statement is the most detailed and wide-ranging yet from the country's most powerful financial regulators. Supporters of cryptocurrencies say they permit anonymity and flexibility. But Chinese regulators worry they could weaken the ruling Communist Partys control over the financial system and can help hide criminal activity. The Peoples Bank of China is developing an electronic version of the countrys yuan for virtual financial activities. This currency could be recorded and controlled by the Chinese government. Regulators in other countries have increasingly warned that cryptocurrencies need greater oversight. In the United States, Gary Gensler, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has called for more protection for investors in the cryptocurrency market. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ___________________________________________________ Words in This Story virtual adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the internet strict adj. a rule or law that demands complete obedience or observance prohibit v. officially forbid something regulate v. to control an activity or process, especially by using rules disrupt v. to interrupt something and stop it from continuing as it should money-laundering n. the crime of moving money that has been obtained illegally through banks and other businesses to make it seem as if the money was obtained legally anonymity n. a situation in which someones name is kept secret flexibility n. the ability to change or be changed easily depending on the situation A rare audio recording of famed artist and peace activist John Lennon is to go on sale in Denmark on Tuesday. The recording has been privately held for fifty years, by the people who made it. Like many collectibles, this one has an interesting history. In 1970, four Danish teenagers got to meet privately with British musician and Beatles member John Lennon. They planned to write a story about him for publication in their schools magazine. The boys made a sound recording of the event. Now, 50 years later, the Danes are putting the 33-minute-long recording up for sale. Included with it are 23 pictures taken by the students and a copy of the magazine in which the story appeared. Bidding for the set is to open September 28 at the Danish auction business Bruun Rasmussen. The 16-year-olds were not star-struck when they questioned Lennon that January day in the area of Thy. It was the height of the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Lennon and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, were opponents of both conflicts. Karsten Hoejen remembers the two had a message of peace, and that was what was important to us. He recorded the meeting with equipment he borrowed from the local record store. Lennon and Ono talked with the boys about being in Denmark and world peace, Hoejen said. Communities sympathetic to Lennons message had spread quickly around Denmark beginning in the late 1960s. People came from other countries, and music festivals were organized. Their ... message was what we came for, Hoejen told The Associated Press. The gathering was friendly and easy. Lennon and Ono had their feet on the table, Hoejen noted. Lennon and Ono were on a private visit to Thy at the time, and they tried to keep it that way. But, the local press found out and reported about the presence of the world-famous couple. A press conference was set up and the 16-year-old students were to attend. But, they arrived late. The official press conference was over. The boys had missed it. Instead, they got something better. We knocked on the door Hoejen recalled. Seconds later they were sitting next to Lennon and Ono. Hoejen held the microphone, and his friend Jesper Jungersen took pictures. Someone asked Lennon to play the guitar for the boys. He played and with Ono sang his song Give Peace a Chance. Then the couple sang a song called Peace Radio. It was made for a radio station in The Netherlands but was never broadcast, Hoejen said. That unpublished song makes the collection of objects more valuable. The collection is estimated to be worth more than $30,000. The four boys grew up, and over time, realized that they were sitting on a treasure, Hoejen told AP. After some discussion, they secured the recording in a bank safe. A collector or a museum would likely get more of it than us having it in a bank, so we decided to sell it. Im Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported on this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _________________________________________________ Words in This Story bid v. to offer to pay a set price for something auction n. a public sale at which things are sold to the people who offer to pay the most star-struck adj. a feeling or showing great interest in or respect for famous people festival n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something couple n. two people who are married or have a romantic relationship Brazilian agronomist Diogo Mantovanelli inspects cannabis plants at the Medical Cannabis Research and Patient Support Association (APEPI) production farm in Paty dos Alferes, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil on September 9, 2021. Surrounded by barbed wire and an electric fence, marijuana plants flourish under the bright sun on a farm in a mountainous area outside Rio de Janeiro. But this farm has nothing to do with drug trafficking. It belongs, in fact, to a pioneering Brazilian NGO engaged in the production of medical cannabis to help patients with seizures. Margarete Brito, a lawyer by training, first started growing cannabis several years ago to relieve the seizures of her daughter Sofia, now 12, who is suffering from epilepsy. After seeing her condition improve, Brito decided to help other patients too. So she founded the Medical Cannabis Research and Patient Support Association, or Apepi, that produces artisanal therapeutic oils made from cannabis to help patients with conditions similar to her daughter's. That work has required a lot of effort, since growing marijuana remains illegal in Brazil. "If we follow the letter of the law, nothing authorizes us to do that," Brito told AFP. But she and her husband, Marcos Langenbach, were able to obtain an unprecedented judicial authorization to cultivate cannabis for medical purposes in 2016. Today, their farmabout two hours by car from the Brazilian capitalhas 2,000 plants growing there to help patients with severe autism, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Brazilian lawyer and founder of the Medical Cannabis Research and Patient Support Association (Apepi) Margarete Brito shows a fridge containing medicinal cannabis oil at Apepi headquarters. And despite initial suspicion and pushback from some, Brito says the endeavor enjoys support in Brazil. "We have real social legitimacy. That's what protects us," Brito said. - 'People have prejudices'- On a recent visit to the farm, which is protected by an electric fence and barbed wire, agricultural engineer Diogo Fonseca made his way among marijuana plants growing in large black pots and marked with the names of their different varieties: Purple Wreck, Schanti, Doctor, Harle Tsu, Solar, CBG. These plants are used to produce therapeutic oils that meet the individual needs of each patient, depending on whether they require a higher or lower dose of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic substance with a relaxing effect. Using a pocket microscope, the Fonseca examines each plant to assess the ideal time to pick. A view of medicinal cannabis oil at the Apepi production farm. In April, armed police with sniffer dogs raided the farm, after a person who had worked on renovating its laboratory reported Apepi to the authorities. "A lot of people have prejudices," Brito said. "We explain how our project works to everyone, but this person believed that we were drug traffickers and informed against us," said Manoel Caetano, the farm's manager. The police eventually realized the farm was a medical cannabis plantation, apologized and left, according to Brito. More accessible Apepi has forged partnerships with respected scientific institutions, such as the Fiocruz Foundation and the University of Campinas. And it has grown has fivefold over the past two years and now counts 1,500 members. Among them is Gabriel Guerra, 19, who suffers from a severe form of autism and cerebral palsy. When he was eight, he would have 60 seizures a day. "But when he started to take the custom oil"a few drops three times a day"the attacks stopped. He started to have more independence, looking for ways to communicate," explained his father Ricardo Guerra. Cannabis plants are seen at the Apepi farm, which uses them to make therapeutic oil to help patients with seizures and other conditions. Gabriel Guerra (C) is held by his mother, Vanessa Opitz, while his father Ricardo Guerra gives him medicinal cannabis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2021. Thanks to Apepi, the products have become much more accessible to patients: 150 reais ($28) for a 30 ml bottle, while imported products can cost anywhere from 600 to 3,000 reais ($113 to $565). Apepi is now awaiting a court decision which they hope would allow the farm to increase its production to 10,000 plants starting next year. But the group is not very optimistic about the prospect of legalization of medical cannabis any time soonPresident Jair Bolsonaro has already indicated that he would veto a bill being debated in Congress. Explore further Brazil to study legalization of medical marijuana 2021 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Data from early clinical trials presented at the ESMO Congress 2021 suggest that new anticancer treatments are on the horizon, with a clear emphasis on precision medicine. Despite medical research suffering setbacks in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wealth of promising new agents and innovative therapeutic approaches currently in development is evidence that the oncology field is once again looking towards the future, closing the annual rendez-vous of the oncology community with a message of hope. New molecular targets on the way to being hit As personalized medicine comes of age, an ever-increasing number of genetic alterations in cancer cells are being identified as potential targets for novel therapies. One example is a mutation causing loss of function of the tumor-suppressing gene ARID1A, which is found in an estimated 10 to 50% of solid tumors including endometrial, bladder, colorectal and bile duct cancers. In a Phase II trial of the targeted agent ceralasertib, for which interim results were presented at this year's ESMO Congress, a clinical benefit defined as stable disease for at least six months was observed for three out of 10 patients with advanced solid tumors exhibiting ARID1A loss of function. Two participants with endometrial cancer remained on the treatment and exhibited ongoing complete responses 16 and 21 months respectively after its initiation. According to Dr. Rodrigo Dienstmann, Oncoclinicas, Brasil, an expert in early drug development not involved in the study, this data is promising and adds to mounting evidence that tumors with this type of alteration are potentially sensitive to targeted therapies that exploit defects in cancer cells' ability to repair damage to their DNA: "We still need to understand whether this is tumor-type dependent and whether other alterations within the tumor need to be taken into account, because we see ARID1A mutations in many cancers from gynecological to oesophageal malignancies, but we currently do not know whether they have the same behavior in each disease. That is why going forward, it will be key to obtain a complete genomic picture of the cancer through next-generation sequencing early in the treatment journey," he stated. The hope that medicines targeting a specific mutation could effectively treat multiple different diseases in which it plays a role is also what motivated the compassionate use of alpelisib, an approved agent for the treatment of PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer, among patients with PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS)a rare, life-threatening syndrome caused by sporadic mutations in the same gene and leading to malformations and overgrowths in different parts of the body. A retrospective analysis of patient charts from this compassionate use program showed that out of 31 evaluable cases, reductions in overgrowths were reported for 23 individuals (74%) alongside clinically meaningful and durable improvements of PROS-related signs and symptoms in a majority of patients (55-91%). The medicine proved safe in this mainly pediatric population, with 91% of participants remaining on treatment at the end of the study. Prof. Alessandra Curioni-Fontecedro, Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, not involved in the research, commented that "thanks to the increasingly widespread use of broad genetic testing, drugs we know in oncology are now finding new potential applications: the use of alpelisib is a very interesting approach for this rare group of illnesses with no approved treatment options to date." Delivering anticancer agents straight to the core of the tumor cell According to Prof. Andres Cervantes, Hospital Clinic Universitario Valencia, Spain, another novel treatment approach that showed promise at ESMO 2021 is represented by antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), which utilize antibodies that bind to proteins known to be produced in excess by a wide range of tumors to penetrate cancer cells and release cytotoxic agents that will cause the cells to die in a highly targeted manner while preserving healthy tissue in the body. "The proteins targeted are so common that in a Phase I/II clinical trial of the antibody drug conjugate DS-7300, the investigators decided not to select patients based on the expression of the relevant protein B7-H3," Cervantes noted. Antitumour activity of DS-7300 was suggested by partial responses to the drug seen in 15 of the 70 patients (21%) enrolled in the study, with participants heavily pre-treated (median of four prior lines of therapy) achieving reductions in tumor size observed to last up to 40 weeks after the start of treatment. Early signs of efficacy were similarly reported in a first-in-human trial of the antibody drug conjugate SKB264, where six out of 17 patients (35%) with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors responded to the treatment. Both trials are now recruiting additional patients to further determine efficacy in tumors including breast, ovarian, gastric, lung, oesophageal and prostate cancer. "It is amazing that despite these being early clinical trials, both of them saw responses across different cancers with drugs that appear to be well tolerated as no dose-limiting toxicities were observedthus underlining the future value of ADCs for a wider population of cancer patients. The time has come to study this promising therapeutic approach in larger trials to learn which other tumor types it may be effective against," said Cervantes. Expanded horizons in immunotherapy In the much-publicized immunotherapy arena, new technologies and mechanisms of disease are being utilized in an attempt to improve the efficacy of this treatment approach among patients with solid tumors, only 15 to 20% of whom have durable responses to existing immune checkpoint inhibitors. Curioni-Fontecedro highlighted the exceptional results seen with a new type of cellular therapy, TC-210, which adapts the patient's own T-cells to recognize the target protein mesothelin present on the surface of tumor cells in diseases such as ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. In a dose-escalation study presented at ESMO 2021, all but one out of 16 patients experienced a reduction in the size of their tumor, and six participants saw their tumors shrink by more than 50% following a single infusion of TC-210. Among mesothelioma patients, making up three quarters of the study population, median overall survival was 337 days. "Not much else has happened in terms of treatment for mesothelioma, so this type of cellular therapy could eventually make a real difference for patients," said Curioni-Fontecedro. While citing the currently complex and lengthy production process of cellular therapies as a practical and economic hurdle to their further development, Curioni-Fontecedro also suggested that the heterogeneity of tumors may require approaches directed at multiple molecular targets in the future. This was the case in another study presenting long-term follow-up data of 75 patients with cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV) who had exhausted standard treatment options and been enrolled in Phase I and Phase II trials to receive bintrafusp alfa, an agent designed to activate the body's immune response to the cancer by simultaneously blocking the well-known immune checkpoint protein PD-L1 and inhibiting the activity of the immune-suppressing molecule TGF- produced by cancer cells. The median duration of response to the treatment was 17 months, with some patients continuing to respond for much longer, and median overall survival was 21 months, with 40% of patients living past four years after starting treatment. Prof. Sebastian Kobold, University of Munich, Germany, an immuno-oncology expert with no ties to the research, commented: "This dual-targeting approach caused quite a dramatic response in patients with advanced HPV-positive cancers, even achieving complete remissions in four patients with just this one agent, which is very encouraging for an early-phase trial." Kobold concluded that "we need more of these alternative immunotherapeutic approachesand, in parallel, further work is required to understand, including for immune checkpoint blockade, which are the patients who will benefit most from this type of therapy so that we can focus future efforts on them." "The ESMO Congress 2021 strongly confirmed that cancer research works, including for rare cancers that are usually orphan of new treatments," added Antonio Passaro, ESMO 2021 Press Officer, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Italy. "The ESMO Congress has offered the stage for promising developments to be presented to the oncology community, looking beyond for the development of new agents, both for biomarker-driven and agnostic approach, but also to improve the management of resistance after molecular or immune treatments. These prospects might well encourage oncologists and cancer researchers worldwide to continue on the quest to significantly improve the survival and quality of life of our patients." More information: R. Aggarwal et al, 512O Interim results from a phase II study of the ATR inhibitor ceralasertib in ARID1A-deficient and ARID1A-intact advanced solid tumor malignancies, Annals of Oncology (2021). R. Aggarwal et al, 512O Interim results from a phase II study of the ATR inhibitor ceralasertib in ARID1A-deficient and ARID1A-intact advanced solid tumor malignancies,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.1034 G. Canaud et al, LBA23 EPIK-P1: Retrospective chart review study of patients (pts) with PIK3CA-related Overgrowth Spectrum (PROS) who have received alpelisib (ALP) as part of a compassionate use programme, Annals of Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.2097 M.L. Johnson et al, 513O A phase I/II multicenter, first-in-human study of DS-7300 (B7-H3 DXd-ADC) in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors, Annals of Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.1035 J. Rodon et al, 514O An open-label, global, first-in-human study of SKB264 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors, Annals of Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.1036 D.S. Hong et al, 959O Gavocabtagene autoleucel (gavo-cel, TC-210) dose escalation in refractory mesothelin-expressing solid tumors, Annals of Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.1344 J. Strauss et al, 957O Long-term follow-up of patients (pts) with human papillomavirus (HPV)associated malignancies treated with bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting TGF- and PD-L1, Annals of Oncology (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.08.1342 Journal information: Annals of Oncology Credit: University of Michigan A child with an oxygen mask. A diseased lung. A woman with a huge bump on her neck. Adding warning labels like these with graphic depictions of the negative health consequences of cigarette smoking could have averted thousands of smoking-related deaths if approved as originally planned in 2012, according to a new analysis by University of Michigan researchers and colleagues from the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling network (CISNET) Lung Group. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does require tobacco companies to include the graphic warning labels on cigarette packages in October 2022, as it's expected to do, between 275,000 and 794,000 smoking-attributable deaths could be averted by 2100, and between 4 million to 11.6 million life-years could be gained during that period. While the FDA had planned to implement the graphic warning labels nine years ago, it has been entangled in litigation with the tobacco industry over the issue. The rules to add the labels include textual warnings and color graphics with photorealistic images depicting the negative health consequences of cigarette smoking, such as warnings that smoking can cause erectile dysfunction or head and neck cancer, and can lead to COPD. "Industry litigation and delays to implementing tobacco regulations have high costs to public health," said Rafael Meza, professor of epidemiology and global public health at U-M's School of Public Health and senior author of the study published in JAMA Health Forum. "This research shows that we must move forward with implementation to maximize the benefits of adding graphic health warnings to cigarette's packaging." For their study, researchers simulated smoking and mortality outcomes associated with the health warnings using the CISNET Smoking History Generator Population Model and previously published research of the expected impacts of graphic health warnings on smoking prevalence and cessation. The assumptions in the model are based in part on what has been seen in other countries like Canada and Australia that have already rolled out these graphic warnings. All CISNET lung cancer models are based on inputs from the Smoking History Generator, which simulates detailed individual-level life and smoking histories: birth, probabilities of smoking initiation, smoking cessation and death. Because graphic health warnings have never been implemented in the United States, researchers could not perform external validation of the policy scenarios. The researchers acknowledge that while literature on graphic health warnings demonstrates their public health benefit, uncertainty remains about the true magnitude of their effect on smoking behavior, especially with regard to smoking initiation. Researchers first modeled a baseline scenario with the current status quo and then calculated smoking attributable deaths under different graphic health warnings scenarios. The team varied the time of implementation of the warnings and their impact on smoking initiation and cessation to more accurately capture the uncertainty in the actual effects that health warnings could have on smoking behaviors and outcomes. If the warnings had been implemented in 2012, researchers estimate about 365,000 to 1,060,000 deaths might have been prevented, and 5.7 million to 16.6 million life-years could have been gained, roughly 40% higher. The upcoming policy and its simulated impacts on population health can be explored in more detail online through the Tobacco Control Policy Tool. "This shows the health costs of delaying implementation of this regulation by 10 years due to industry litigation and procedural delays," said Meza, who is also the principal investigator of the CISNET Lung Cancer Working Group and the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations. More than 120 countries have required graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and saved lives by doing so, said the study's first author, Jamie Tam, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health. "The U.S. has been lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to this issue, so we are long overdue," she said. Explore further Graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging changes perceptions More information: Jamie Tam et al, Estimated Prevalence of Smoking and Smoking-Attributable Mortality Associated With Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Packages in the US From 2022 to 2100, JAMA Health Forum (2021) Jamie Tam et al, Estimated Prevalence of Smoking and Smoking-Attributable Mortality Associated With Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Packages in the US From 2022 to 2100,(2021) DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.2852 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In recent months, some European airlines have banned the use of cloth face coverings to control the spread of the coronavirus during air travel, instead favoring surgical maskssometimes referred to as medical or disposableand N95 respirators. It's another salvo in the debate over the effectiveness of the ubiquitous cloth mask, which sprang into fashion when surgical masks and N95s were harder to find in the pandemic's early days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still promotes cloth face coverings in its guidance about masks. And masks remain a critical mitigation tool because people primarily become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by inhaling small aerosol particles that linger in the air or large respiratory droplets produced in coughs and sneezes. But the science is changing. Delta, currently the primary variant in the United States, is far more contagious than the original coronavirus, so the density of virus in the air is greater. Some experts have adjusted their advice proportionally. "Given the delta variant that's out there, you probably need to upgrade your mask," Dr. Ashish Jha, a leading COVID expert and dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said on Fox News Sunday earlier this month. What type of mask should you wear? Don't worry if you are confused. Mask guidance has been mixed since the dawn of the pandemic, and new research has altered conventional thinking. We decided to dig in and sort out the latest developments. First, people were told masking wasn't necessary. Soon after, this recommendation changed, but the public was advised against purchasing surgical-style masks used by health professionals because of dire shortages of such protective gear. Americans instead were told to spring for cloth masks or make do-it-yourself versions. Shortages do not appear to be as big a problem now, though the CDC still advises against choosing N95 respirators. As recently as late August, the nation's top infectious-disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, declined to recommend higher-quality masks. "Instead of worrying about what kind of mask, just wear a mask," he told "The Mehdi Hasan Show" on MSNBC. So, what gives? Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an expert on infectious diseases at the University of California-San Francisco, said Fauci was taking a harm-reduction approach. "It probably is more important to wear something that you feel comfortable with, and you can wear for long periods of time if you're going into a particular environment rather than saying you need to wear the gold standard thing at all times," he said. "A baseline should be a surgical mask," added Chin-Hong. "It's easier to implement. It's cheap, albeit not always environmentally friendly." Personally, he wears only N95s when wildfires are blazing. "Even in the hospital, I'm mainly wearing a surgical mask," he said. While he thinks government and public health officials should emphasize wearing surgical masks, Chin-Hong said cloth masks can offer enough protection in certain circumstances. For example, a fully vaccinated person, he said, would likely get adequate protection by wearing a cloth face covering for brief periods indoors when the venue is not at capacity. A lot depends on the context, so he provided these questions to help the decision-making process: If you are going indoors, will the building be especially crowded? How long will you be inside? Will everyone most likely be masked? Are you and others around you fully vaccinated? Are you immunocompromised? The riskier the situation, the more likely the higher-quality mask is the best option. "Nothing is zero risk, so it's just a matter of risk reduction," Chin-Hong said. "So definitely, masks need to be stepped up to fight delta, but it does not mean those who cannot afford N95s have no options," said Raina MacIntyre, head of the biosecurity research program at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, who has conducted many studies on masks. MacIntyre said it is "possible to design a high-performing cloth mask." An experimental lab study she co-authored found a layered cloth mask can effectively block droplets. The study, published in May in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, recommends using a minimum of three layersa combination of cotton/linen and polyester/nylonto resemble the droplet-blocking performance of surgical masks. Not only is layering important to improve filtration but so is fit. A CDC-recommended technique for improving the fit of either a cloth or surgical mask is knotting the straps and tucking the sides. A mask is generally a good fit if you feel warm air coming through the front of the mask as you inhale and exhale. What does the research say? A large-scale, real-world study published this month found surgical masks especially effective at reducing symptomatic infections. These types of masks prevented 1 in 3 infections among people 60 and older. Researchers from Yale, Stanford and the nonprofit GreenVoice monitored more than 340,000 adults in rural Bangladesh for at least eight weeks. Roughly half the Bangladeshis received interventions like free mask distribution and promotion. Villages that received interventions saw mask use jump from 13% to 42%. The same villages reported fewer confirmed COVID infections and a lower incidence of related symptoms. Villages where cloth masks were given out reported an 8.5% reduction in symptoms, while villages that received surgical masks reported a 13.6% reduction. When a third of adults with symptoms commonly associated with COVID agreed to get their blood tested for the virus, researchers discovered an 11% reduction among those who wore surgical masks. Researchers observed a 5% reduction in infections among those who wore cloth masks. This study was conducted before the delta variant was circulating widely in the country. The study has not yet undergone peer review, but some experts have already heralded its methodology and results. "When I saw those results, I threw away my cloth mask," said Stephen Luby, a co-author of the study and professor of infectious disease at Stanford University. "If delta is circulating and if you're going to wear a mask, why don't you wear one that the data tell you is good?" "We find very strong evidence that surgical masks are effective," added Jason Abaluck, an economist at Yale who helped lead the study. "My read of that is that cloth masks are probably somewhat effective. They are probably better than nothing." Abaluck suspects his study offers mixed evidence for cloth masks because only about a third of those who reported symptoms consented to blood testing for COVID. In other words, the sample size was too small to observe anything significant. "The most likely interpretation of this whole constellation of results is that [cloth masks] actually do help. They actually do make you less likely to get COVID. That's why we saw fewer symptoms," he said. A second possibility is that cloth masks prevent other respiratory diseases that have similar symptoms, he said. Multiple observational studies and trend analyses found community masking, which includes the use of cloth masks, reduces the spread of COVID. The researchers of the Bangladesh study said those studies had drawbacks, which is why they conducted a randomized clinical trial. For example, some of those studies could not observe the independent effect of masks in real-world settings because they looked at the aftermath of mask mandates, which were often coupled with other COVID mitigation steps such as physical distancing. However, they agreed with those studies' overall assessment: People who wear masks are less likely to get infected than people who don't. "This is the nature of science. Science evolves," Luby said. "We had evidence that we get some protection from cloth masks, and we now have newer evidence that we get better protection from surgical masks." Explore further Are your face masks still effective as COVID lingers? It depends on what kind you own 2021 Kaiser Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Credit: The Ohio State University When it comes to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, people understandably want to do their research before making a decision, especially those who are pregnant or planning to have a baby. However, it can be extremely difficult to separate fact from fiction, especially when some information found online or on social media is intentionally deceptive. Myths and misinformation linking the vaccine to infertility or pregnancy issues are preventing many women from getting vaccinated, which puts them and their babies at risk. Infectious disease experts at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center say the scientific evidence all points in one direction. "There is absolutely no evidence to support that vaccines cause infertility or any problems during pregnancy. These are cruel rumors that prey upon the fear that a lot of women have of not being able to have children," said Dr. Nora Colburn, an infectious disease physician at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and an assistant professor in The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people and recommends all people 12 years of age and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. Research shows that pregnant women who choose not to be vaccinated put themselves and their babies at risk. "Pregnant women who become infected with COVID-19 are at much higher risk of being admitted to the ICU, needing a ventilator and dying. And any complications for mom can also be extremely dangerous for her baby," Colburn said. A CDC analysis of data from the v-safe pregnancy registry assessed vaccination early in pregnancy and did not find an increased risk of miscarriage among nearly 2,500 pregnant women who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine before 20 weeks of pregnancy, the CDC announced in August. Credit: The Ohio State University In addition, Colburn said there are no known long-term effects of vaccines. "In the history of vaccines, I do not know of any long-term effects that show up after eight weeks. The phase three trials of the COVID-19 vaccines started more than 14 months ago, and there have been no effects that have been reported outside of a few weeks post-vaccination," Colburn said. To help sift through the mountain of content and find the facts, The Ohio State University College of Nursing's Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare has launched its "Community Core," dedicated to helping people navigate health information online to find trustworthy, evidence-based sources they can use with their care providers to make well-informed decisions. "Many websites are created to look credible to the untrained eye, but consumers should ask themselves questions like, "Who wrote it? Who has reviewed it? How recent is the information?'" said Jacqueline Hoying, director of the Fuld Institute's Community Core and an assistant professor of clinical nursing at the College of Nursing. "We provide resources and websites that contain trusted information that has been verified for accuracy with scientific evidence and peer-reviewed research. We also educate people about being able to look at a website and decide for themselves, "Is this accurate or not?'" Peter Mohler, chief scientific officer of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and vice dean for research at Ohio State College of Medicine, notes that it is always exciting to see new, creative ideas. However, it is equally important to evaluate both the design and primary data from new studies, Mohler said, particularly when it involves research that may be used in human treatmentwhether a device or a therapy. While there are many types of research, Mohler offers these guiding themes to consider when reviewing research findings: What is the background of the research team? Do they have the requisite training, facilities and team to design, execute and evaluate the data? How is the study designed? Are there appropriate positive and negative controls included for the studies? Are the investigators blinded to ensure rigor? Do the authors have any conflicts that might impact the outcome of the study? Finally, a process called peer-review is very important for the scientific literature, where experts in the field, but independent of the research team, evaluate the design and findings from a study. For most research, multiple reviewers are involved to ensure that the work is well designed, well performed and that the authors claims are supported by the data. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Russia on Friday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll following a spurt in cases linked to the Delta variant and a lacklustre vaccination drive. A government tally reported 828 fatalities over the past 24 hours a day after Russia matched its previous record of 820. The new figures bring Russia's total deaths from COVID-19 to 202,273the highest toll in Europe. Authorities have been accused of downplaying the severity of the outbreak. Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat reported in late August that Russia had seen more than 350,000 fatalities. Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, has seen cases climb since last month as vaccinations stall. Moscowthe epicentre of Russia's outbreakhas seen a spike over the past week with officials warning of rising hospital admissions. Deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova said this week that the highly contagious Delta variant now accounted for all of the cases in the Russian capital. The Kremlin initially set a goal of fully inoculating 60 percent of Russia's population by September, but later dropped that target even though free jabs have been available since early December. Authorities face a vaccine-sceptic population, with independent polls showing that a majority of Russians do not plan to get jabbed. As of Friday, only 28 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated, Gogov website, which tallies COVID data from the regions. Explore further Russia's daily virus deaths match record high 2021 AFP The hippocampus is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. Image via Wikipedia. Few studies have explored the effect of psychological stressors on behavior, and neurogenesis, in the context of depression. With the elucidation of a vicarious social defeat stress mouse model, scientists from Japan have successfully endeavored in connecting the dots between psychological stress and depression, according to a breakthrough study published in Behavioural Brain Research. Depression is a serious and widespread medical condition. Several theories have been proposed to explain the physiological basis of depression, of which the "neurogenic hypothesis of depression" has garnered much attention. The theory follows that deterioration in brain regions, like hippocampus, can result in depression. This deterioration can be caused by physical and psychological stress. While the depressive effects of physical stress have been well studied, little is known about psychological stress in this regard. Recent research has explained how vicarious social defeat can cause psychological stress in mice. This involves the mouse being made to experience defeat by another mouse in an experimental social setting. Using this model, a group of scientists from Japan attempted to establish a link between depressive symptoms and hippocampal neurogenesis. Prof. Akiyoshi Saitoh from Tokyo University of Science, one of the lead authors of the study, says, "The number of individuals suffering from depression has been on the rise the world over. However, the detailed pathophysiology of depression still remains to be elucidated. So we decided to focus on the possible mechanism of psychological stress in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, to understand its role in depressive disorders." The study was published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research. After exposing the mice to chronic vicarious social defeat stress, Prof. Saitoh and the team, including Mr. Toshinori Yoshioka and Dr. Daisuke Yamada from Tokyo University of Science, analyzed their behavior and brains in close detail. Aside from behavioral deficits like social withdrawal, the stressed mice also showed a significant decrease in the survival rate of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus, a region in the hippocampus responsible for sensory perception and memory, compared to the non-stressed controls. This condition persisted for up to four weeks after "stressing" the mice. However, cell growth, differentiation, and maturation did not differ between the groups of mice during the period of observation. Notably, the cell survival rate was restored in the stressed mice after treatment with a chronic antidepressant called fluoxetine. Regarding the results, Mr. Toshinori Yoshioka adds, "We have found out that chronic mental stress affects the neurogenesis of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Also, we believe that this animal model will play an important role in elucidating the pathophysiology of depression, and in the development of corresponding novel drug." Overall, this study has provided important insights into the pathophysiology of depression. Also, it goes without saying how this study paves the way for future research into the role of psychological stress in depression. Explore further Negative memory storage affects depression symptoms More information: Toshinori Yoshioka et al, Chronic vicarious social defeat stress attenuates new-born neuronal cell survival in mouse hippocampus, Behavioural Brain Research (2021). Journal information: Behavioural Brain Research Toshinori Yoshioka et al, Chronic vicarious social defeat stress attenuates new-born neuronal cell survival in mouse hippocampus,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113536 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Women with general practitioner (GP) recorded exposure to domestic abuse or violence were at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 during the first two waves of the pandemic in the UK, finds a new study led by the University of Birmingham. Public health policies put in place to prevent the spread and transmission of Sars-CoV-2 appear to have led to a widely recognized "shadow pandemic" of domestic violence and abuse, previously highlighted by the team of researchers at the University of Birmingham. In response, the UK government among many others rightly allowed freedoms in movement for survivors of domestic violence. The increased freedom of travel and coercive behavior seen by abusive partners during the pandemic, in addition to the greater prevalence of COVID-19 risk factors among survivors, are thought to be responsible for increasing survivors' risk of contracting COVID-19, say the researchers. The researchers are now calling for changes to public health policy to improve domestic violence and abuse surveillance and to ensure promotion and prioritization COVID-19 vaccination to the survivors. The study, published today (24 September 2021) in BMC Medicine, using pseudo-anonymised data from GP records, examined the risk of contracting COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic in 10,462 female domestic violence and abuse survivors aged over 16 compared to a matched 'control' group of 41,467 women not exposed to domestic violence or abuse. The findings showed that women with a recorded history of domestic violence and/or abuse were at an increased risk of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 compared to unexposed women, a finding that was more pronounced when examining only those women who had recorded domestic abuse in the one year proceeding the start of the pandemic First author Dr. Joht Singh Chandan, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Birmingham, explained that "public health measures, such as restrictions on movement, put in place to prevent the spread of infection, has previously seen increased rates of violence against women in other recent epidemics such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Cholera outbreaks in Haiti and Yemen, and the Zika outbreak. "Consequently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented policies to allow the free movement of domestic violence and abuse survivors in an attempt to minimize their exposure to abusive environments and to facilitate access to support." Senior author Krish Nirantharakumar, Professor in Health Data Science and Public Health at the University of Birmingham's Institute of Applied Health Research, added that "although these policies are well received, the risk of transmission and exposure to the virus is compounded in this vulnerable group owing to the early evidence suggesting an upsurge in coercive behavior of the perpetrators to control survivors. These include behaviors such as preventing access to healthcare services or treatment, and threatening or enacting purposeful exposure to COVID-19 within the household" The researchers said the situation was further compounded by the fact that domestic violence and abuse survivors also have an increased prevalence of 'comorbidities', such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, which can make them more at risk of COVID-19. Author Anuradhaa Subramanian, also of the University of Birmingham, added: "Our findings demonstrate that despite accounting for known risk factors, individuals exposed to domestic violence or abuse were at an increased risk of suspected or confirmed Covid-19. "We believe this is the first study describing the risk of COVID-19 in domestic violence and abuse survivors, and highlights the important global public health needs of one of the most vulnerable groups in society." The researchers recommend that countries globally adopt the evidence-based recommendations to increase vaccination rates in vulnerable groupsfocused on reducing physical barriers to vaccine access. These include setting up pop-up clinics in the community to minimize the need to travel, or where survivors have already been displaced, and creating clinics within domestic violence shelters. Lastly, the researchers recommend that countries reconsider their views on COVID-19 vaccine prioritization to take into consider the additional risk seen in this vulnerable group. Explore further Domestic violence survivor elder abuse risk More information: Joht Singh Chandan et al, The risk of COVID-19 in survivors of domestic violence and abuse, BMC Medicine (2021). Journal information: BMC Medicine Joht Singh Chandan et al, The risk of COVID-19 in survivors of domestic violence and abuse,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02119-w Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Even as COVID-19 continues its rampage across the globe, an older health nemesis continues a more clandestine and increasingly deadly spread. Typhoid infects an estimated 11 million people a year and kills more than 160,000, largely in Asian and African countries with poor water and sanitation systems. Long treatable with antibiotics, the disease is growing resistant now, prompting health researchers to revive an older vaccine developed to prevent it. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week, the researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and elsewhere say their work shows the old vaccine can stop the infections. A single dose of the vaccine was more than 80% effective in preventing the disease in thousands of children in Malawi. The evidence will provide heft to an effort already underway by an international group to distribute the vaccine in low- and middle-income countries. "Typhoid is one of those diseases that causes fever and systemic illness in children and was readily treated with antibiotics," said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, director of the university's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health and a co-author of the study. "The problem is that it's getting increasingly drug-resistant," she said. "So it's increasingly becoming severe and fatal again like before antibiotics were used." Unlike COVID-19, which is caused by a virus, typhoid is caused by a kind of bacteria, Salmonella Typhi, which is different from the salmonella that causes stomach distress in the United States. Typhoid is spread through food and water contaminated with fecal matter. While the disease is far more prevalent in Asia and Africa, there are typically several hundred cases in the United States each year, mostly related to travel to developing countries. There were 21 reported in Maryland in 2019, according to the latest state data provided online. For the study in Malawi, where typhoid is common, more than 14,000 children were given the vaccine by a group called TyVAC, or the Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium, which is based at the University of Maryland. TyVAC is a partnership between the Neuzil's center, the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford and the global nonprofit PATH, with the goal of accelerating use of so-called typhoid conjugate vaccines that are designed to produce a stronger immune response. The group compared results from another 14,000 children in Malawi who didn't get the typhoid vaccine. They were given a vaccine for meningitis so they would still get an immediate benefit from participating in the trial. Neuzil said there has long been another typhoid vaccine approved for use, but it's expensive and mostly used by travelers from wealthier countries, including the United States, each time they visit an affected country because the immunity it offers isn't long-lasting. Also, that vaccine can't be used for those under age 2, excluding a large at-risk group of kids. Children also are routinely vaccinated against a number of diseases at one time at a young age and likely wouldn't return for an additional vaccine later. The vaccine trial showed that protections from the old typhoid vaccine may last for years, maybe five or more. Work on the vaccine began in 2001 in India by Barat Biotech International, but the vaccine was not mass-produced before now for economic reasons, Neuzil said. Basically, poor countries couldn't afford it, while wealthier nations didn't need it. It was given what's called prequalification by the World Health Organization in 2018 based on immune levels in recipients and good manufacturing procedures. There also have been limited other studies showing it works in different ages and geographic settings. The large study from the field in Malawi could help secure buy-in from countries that have a lot of competing health concerns and may not have given typhoid priority at any age, Neuzil said. Another international group, Gavi, an alliance funded with nonprofit and government money, agreed recently to pay for the vaccine and distribution for children as young as 9 months old during routine vaccination periods. The group also agreed to a one-time campaign to vaccinate older kids up to age 15. Gavi also is working to distribute COVID-19 vaccine in low-income countries. The vaccine study is promising, though the world still must live with typhoid for the foreseeable future, said Dr. Myron Levine, the Maryland medical school's associate dean for global health, vaccinology and infectious diseases. Levine, co-founder of the Center for Vaccine Development and its former longtime director, has worked on typhoid prevention for decades and said the Malawi study provided important evidence of the vaccine's efficacy in an African country for the first time. But even with widespread use of the vaccineand improvements to water systemstyphoid is sneaky. The bacteria-caused disease isn't passed on by animals but can be passed on by human carriers, sometimes known as a "Typhoid Mary." Tracking every one of them is nearly impossible in densely populated countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan where it's common. However, it may be possible in a place like Samoa, Levine said. His work helped launch a vaccination and surveillance program in the tiny Pacific island years ago. Still, he said, evidence of an effective long-lasting vaccine that can be used in small children comes at a good time, considering that only two antibiotics still seem to control the infections. Those treatments aren't always easy to come by and also could stop working. "We are a step away from typhoid being untreatable, so if we don't prevent it, the fatality rate will really rise," he said. "This vaccine, it's really good news." Explore further Typhoid vaccine proven safe for infants and young children in Malawi 2021 The Baltimore Sun. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte who accepted the endorsement of his own political party, the PDP-Laban, for him to run as Vice President in next y... WASHINGTON President Joe Biden broke from Donald Trump's immigration approach when he took office, reversing many of his policies and promising more humane treatment of migrants seeking refuge at the southern border. Unlike the Trump administration, Biden doesn't have an immigration czar a top official like Stephen Miller, the architect of some of the prior president's most uncompromising policies. Instead, he assigned immigration duties to a group of officials across the federal government, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. A string of crises is adding immense pressure to Biden's strategy. Migrants, many from Central America, descended on the border in record-setting numbers this year, sending the administration scrambling to house them during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, thousands of Haitians took shelter under a bridge at the Texas border, a tense situation that stirred outrage when video captured horse-mounted border agents chasing migrants near the Rio Grande. Signs of discord within the Biden administration emerged Thursday when Daniel Foote, the special envoy to Haiti, resigned over what he called the "inhumane" expulsions of migrants. Biden, Harris and Mayorkas all took the Customs and Border Patrol agency to task. On Friday, Biden vowed to take action over the border patrol agents' treatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio. "I promise you those people will pay," he said in response to a reporter's question at the White House. "They will be investigated. There will be consequences." Migrant advocacy groups said the structure built around an array of immigration decision-makers can lead to mixed messaging, confusion and a slower policy process, leaving Biden far short of his lofty promises to remake the system for the 21st century. Theres this vacuum of information from the administration that can sometimes be filled by misinformation, said Robyn Barnard, senior advocacy counsel for refugee protection at Human Rights First. Story continues Frustration with the administration has turned to anger over U.S. border agents treatment of Haitian migrants. We think were at an inflection point with the administration, said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. Were ready to partner with them on what the way forward is, Hincapie said. But we also need to know that they understand that this was a step too far and that they absolutely need to shift gears and return back to the presidents vision for what he was elected for. The administrations response to migrants is not in line with the values Biden laid out at the beginning of his presidency, said Sergio Gonzales, executive director of Immigration Hub, an immigration rights organization. "He laid out a bold and comprehensive strategy on immigration coming into office that included rolling back the Trump policies, of which there were many, and also building new policies and a new immigration system that is more fair, humane and orderly," Gonzales said. "That being said, this moment at the border is not representative of that vision, is not representative of those values or our values. This is why we feel very strongly that the administration has to change course in the way that it is handling the refugees currently on our border." 'Shockingly hard line': Criticized from all sides, Biden scrambles to address surge of Haitian migrants at southern border 'We can't turn back': Haitian migrants face massive expulsion amid crackdown at US-Mexico border Haitian migrants cross the Rio Grande south into Ciudad Acuna from Del Rio, Texas, as they leave the migrant encampment underneath the Del Rio International Bridge after concerns of food scarcity and expulsions to Haiti on Monday Sept. 20, 2021. Who shapes Bidens immigration policy? The White House immigration portfolio stretches across several agencies, according to an administration official, who describe it as an intersectional issue involving several agencies within the federal government. Harris is charged with addressing the root causes of migration, and Mayorkas focuses on border security. The Domestic Policy Councils Susan Rice, Esther Olavarria and Tyler Moran also play a role in shaping policy. Homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and deputy homeland security adviser Joshua Geltzer are involved. Cedric Richmond of the Office of Public Engagement works with outside advocacy groups. White House officials contend that rebuilding and bringing order to a strained U.S. immigration system, exacerbated by record migration, has been made more difficult because of Trump-era policies that focused on dismantling it over the past four years. "We could not see it as any more different from the policy of the prior administration," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday, calling Trump's policy "inhumane and immoral." Psaki said the Trump administration's approach created "dysfunction" and led to a very broken system that were dealing with today. Several members of Biden's team have criticized Border Patrol agents' treatment of Haitian migrants. Harris raised grave concerns with Mayorkas, according to a readout of the pairs call from Harris' spokeswoman Symone Sanders. Harris told Mayorkas that CBP agents need to treat people with dignity, humanely and consistent with our laws and our values. Mayorkas said Tuesday he was horrified by images of border agents on horseback aggressively confronting Haitian migrants, marking a shift from a day earlier when he tried to play down the incident. The homeland security secretary launched an investigation into the matter. The administration conceded it did not have intelligence that suggested there would be a surge of Haitian migrants at the U.S.-Mexican border, homeland security officials said during a briefing Thursday. The officials noted that one of the problems was a lack of knowledge of the scale of the smuggling networks that organized the Haitians' arrival at the border and that they are investigating the individuals associated with that network. Activists see contradictions in use of Title 42 Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an advocacy organization, said the administration is grappling with a broken immigration system. "The good ideas that this administration has have been thwarted largely by events on the ground and a system that has not been reimagined and built anew," he said. "I just think that they are struggling from going from challenge to challenge from situation to situation." The administration has tried to unwind Trump policies such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, which returned asylum seekers and migrants to the Mexico to wait for U.S. immigration court proceedings. Biden has kept a public health policy from the Trump era: Title 42. Title 42 allows CBP officials to expel undocumented migrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Immigration activists and some Democrats called on Biden to end the policy, and a federal judge ruled against the administration's use of the public health rule last week. The administration says that they want to be more humane and welcoming to migrants and asylum seekers, Barnard said. But then their actions are kind of contradictory in that they keep fighting court orders that say you have to stop using Title 42. Bidens collaborative approach has made it difficult to get information, Barnard said. Questions about Title 42, for example, are usually referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that extended Title 42. The decision to continue to use this order and the way it's been used is at the White House's direction, Barnard said. And they could end it. Border crossing: Satellite images show Haitian refugees massing at US-Mexico border What we know: 600 more homeland security agents sent to Del Rio, Texas, amid Haitian migrant crisis: What we know The US vs. smugglers Some of the difficulties the administration has consistently faced are caused by the information criminal organizations, such as smugglers, give migrants coming to the USA, said former Ambassador Roberta Jacobson, who served as Biden's coordinator for the southwest border during the first 100 days of his administration. "The criminal organizations, to be quite honest, are always going to be more agile in responding to circumstances than our government," Jacobson said. "So we in the U.S. government, I say that no longer being in the government, but in the U.S. government, they are often playing catch-up." Jacobson, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said that during her time in the administration, she explicitly told migrants not to come to the USA, something the administration has continued to stress. The United States has tried to combat the message from smugglers, called "coyotes," who tell migrants that they can come to the USA, she said. Often, similar guidance comes from friends or families or others in migrant communities who successfully made it across the border. "The U.S. has to change its messaging and has to try and convey what's really happening, usually weeks behind when the criminal organizations may have first gotten the message out," she said. "So the messaging part of this is critical, but it's always going to lag." Jacobson, who is now a senior adviser to the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global consulting group, said she believes the United States would send a stronger message if it showed people that if they come to the border, they will be deported. The administration has often touted using a whole of government approach to carry out its agenda, including immigration policy. That could cause results to happen at a slower pace, Jacobson said. "On pure efficiency grounds, putting one person in charge of your policy and letting him dictate to every other agency of the U.S. government exactly what will be done is super efficient, right?" she said. "But it doesn't mean that you end up with good policy." Taking a collaborative approach to immigration isnt necessarily as fast as what the Trump administration did, but it results in better policy, she said. It's less efficient at times, but it results in better and frankly, I think, ultimately more sustainable policy when you have the agencies involved, including experts on the subjects, in making the decisions." Democrats have been critical of the administration's treatment of the Haitian migrants. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the administration's decision to send Haitian asylum seekers back to their country "defies common sense." What the hell are we doing here? Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said during a news conference Wednesday in response to images of horseback patrols pursuing Haitians. What we witnessed takes us back hundreds of years. What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery." Asked about Democratic criticism of the policy, Psaki said the administration is trying to "explain what our policy and our process is and reiterate to everyone that our objective is not to keep the policy as it is." She said although the process is "not workable long term" and the administration's goal is to put in place a humane immigration policy, "it is our objective to continue to implement what is law and what our laws are, and that includes border restrictions." Rebecca Morin, Michael Collins and Courtney Subramanian cover the White House. Follow Morin on Twitter @RebeccaMorin_, Collins @mcollinsNEWS and Subramanian at @cmsub. Del Rio migrant crisis: How did so many Haitians end up at the southern US border? Migrant surge: US closes part of Texas border at Del Rio, begins flying Haitians home 'We hope the US can help us': Haitian migrants in Texas wait on border, seeking asylum This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Haitian migrant crisis: Biden immigration approach tested by surge Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. My mother loved a pillow on a chair in her den that read Screw the Golden Years. She cited it frequently to lament the health challenges of aging. As Ive grown older and accumulated the aches and pains of a body wearing out, Ive seen the wisdom of her pillow. Now approaching my 70th birthday, my need for medical care has increased dramatically. As one well versed in the health care system and blessed with good insurance coverage, I expected to receive quality care in a supportive setting. Instead, my family has consistently encountered medical practices with brusque specialists and deceptive billing. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months! A few months ago, I experienced severe sciatica pain for the first time, so I visited an orthopedic group in Walnut Creek. As I confronted a life-changing condition, the physician treated me as if I were the MRI film and not a person. He asked no questions and after five minutes walked out of the room while I was still seeking treatment options. To add insult to injury, I later received a bill for an additional payment beyond what my Medicare Advantage plan covered, a practice called balance-billing. As someone familiar with health care law, I knew that was not permitted. After I complained, they reversed the charge, claiming it was a software mistake in their system. Launch of Armenian Studies Program announced during Armenia President's visit to Sapienza University Will Turks be able to enter 26 countries of Schengen Area without visas? Dinner served in honor of Armenia President and his wife in Italy Armenian parliamentary standing committee chairman meets with Russia Ambassador Armenia Ombudsman submits to Pope Francis reports on tortures of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan Customs Attache: There hasn't been and there is no bias against Armenian drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint Greece-France defense agreement will allow them to help each other in case of third country's attack Turkish FM: Turkey's position on supporting Ukraine's "integrity and sovereignty" remains unchanged Russian peacekeeping forces, charitable organizations provide assistance to boarding school in Karabakh Zakharova: Moscow proceeds from priority to ensure geopolitical stability in South Caucasus Armenia President pays tribute at Altar of the Homeland monument at Venice Square in Rome Turkey, Iran to hold political consultations Karabakh FM expresses condolences over death of Vigen Chitechyan Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister has new deputy Armenia Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan receives US Ambassador Armenia Security Council Secretary, Netherlands Ambassador attach importance to fight against corruption Digest: Armenian POW returned from Azerbaijan, PACE speaks on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination risks Armenia and Italy are deepening cooperation in justice sector Apprehended ARF-D members are released Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Russia Ambassador Armenia Embassy in Russia hosts delegation led by Armenian parliamentary speaker Decisions to arrest Armenia ex-defense minister, arms supplier are appealed Dollar continues going down in Armenia Artsakh President to Putin: Your role in process of peaceful, final settlement of Karabakh conflict is invaluable Amir-Abdollahian: We consider inadmissible Zionist regime provocative movement in our region from Azerbaijan territory Iran FM announces readiness to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan US ambassador to Armenia attends unveiling of new x-ray machine donated to Ashtarak city hospital (PHOTOS) Putin: Russia attaches great importance to close cooperation with strategic ally Armenia Police disrupt ARF youths protest outside Armenia government building Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople meets with the Pope, in the Vatican UK envoy to Armenia does not comment on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Karabakh situation Iran Supreme Leaders representative leaves Azerbaijan Armenias Pashinyan to Russias Putin: We are grateful for your efforts to establish peace in South Caucasus Putin, Aliyev confer on situation in South Caucasus Putin, Erdogan discuss regional issues 4 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh PACE new resolution urges to ensure that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory Zelensky sacks Ukraine ambassador to Armenia PM: Armenia, Armenian people are grateful to Japan Armenia PM: We have made decision regarding local elections Armenia, Italy presidents farewell ceremony held in Rome (PHOTOS) Sarkissian to Putin: Armenia highly values your contribution to maintenance of peace, stability in region Having legal system is important for business development in fair environment, says UK ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, Italy PM meeting in Rome (PHOTOS) Baku not ruling out another meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs Armenia President meets with Rome mayor 1,309 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Biden approval rating hits new low in latest poll Armenia ombudsman in Italy parliament, presents evidence of Azerbaijan torture of Armenian captives World oil prices dropping Serial killer in US lured by social media is sentenced to 160 years in prison Newspaper: Armenia authorities face new problems in setting up parliament committee of inquiry into 44-day war Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc plans to hold forums, rally Armenia PM admits that in 2018 he could have disclosed Karabakh negotiation process content Armenia health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied China-Taiwan military escalation reaches peak in past four decades Armenia President: We welcome pro-Artsakh documents adopted by nearly 50 regional and city councils of Italy Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italian Senate Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia to build new nuclear power plant, negotiations have been launched Italy's Quirinal Palace hosts exhibition featuring works of Aivazovsky, Saryan and other Armenian painters Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico Catholicos of All Armenians meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican Armenia ex-Ambassador to The Netherlands Vigen Chitechyan dies Armenia PM again says he is guilty for all the failures of the Armenian side during last year's war FM: Discussion on occupied territories of former NKAO will create new threats to Armenia Karabakh emergency situations service: Rescue squad finds remains of another Armenian soldier in Jrakan Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia agreed to stop the hostilities on October 7, 2020 Iran, EEU begin talks to reach agreement over permanent treaty on free trade zone An abundant TechnoFall with Inecobank - NFC payments and more Armenia FM says his Indian counterpart will visit Yerevan in the next few days Deputy PM: A comprehensive study of documents agreed by Armenian and Azerbaijani is necessary Digest: Azerbaijan using Armenia's airspace, Baku says it's ready to mend relations with Yerevan Health minister: All coronavirus vaccines in Armenia meet quality standards Armenia health minister: Those who recovered from COVID-19 also need to get vaccinated Armenia Deputy PM announces name of another POW returned from Azerbaijan Armenia and Italy Presidents hold personal talks at Quirinal Palace Armenian FM: MFA welcomes Iran's stance on inviolability of Armenia's borders EU ready to share experience with Azerbaijan and Armenia in borders demarcation and delimitation Dollar dropping in Armenia Lavrov: Russia, Iran discussed 3 + 3 format concept with Turkey, Caucasus countries participation Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: Iran won't accept geopolitical changes in the Caucasus Armenia Ambassador meets with Iranian Deputy FM Armenia Parliament Speaker visits Armenian church of Russia and New Nakhijevan Diocese Armenia to host event with companies having made investments worth over $2,000,000,000 Aliyev announces start of process of opening communications with Armenia Civil Aviation Committee confirms Baku-Nakhchivan flight through Armenia airspace Wednesday Armenia government programs under EU assistance package are discussed Azerbaijan lodges complaint with ECHR for review of case of assassination attempt against Lapshin Armenian MP also on list of Erdogan's petition to strip several Turkey lawmakers of parliamentary immunity Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan has new advisor Armenia State Revenue Committee chief has new deputy Italy President to Armen Sarkissian: OSCE Minsk Group is the format for sustainable and peaceful solution Armenia ombudsman emphasizes to Vatican Secretary of State urgency of returning Armenian captives in Azerbaijan Aliyev: Azerbaijan is ready to launch negotiations with Armenia for normalization of relations Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with Russian State Duma chairman Ruling faction MP: Armenia airspace has never been closed to Azerbaijan civilian air transportation New France ambassador visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Opposition MP: Not only is there no security system in Armenia but there is no one who wants to maintain that system Not first time that reports are made on opening of Armenia airspace to Azerbaijan Former US President Donald Trump overtook incumbent leader Joe Biden in September in terms of voter support, The Hill reported, citing the results of a poll carried out by Harvard CAPS/ Harris Poll. Accordingly, 48 percent of voters support the former US President, whereas 46 percent of AmericansBiden. Fifty-one percent of those polled said Trump was a better president than Biden. According to the publication, the popularity rating of the current US President has started to decline due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the recent withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. In July, Biden's popularity rating dropped to 52 percent, which is 10 percent less than in June. Earlier, Biden's popularity rating had fallen all the way to 46 percent after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. Compared to a similar poll conducted on August 13, the popularity rating of the incumbent US president fell by 7 percent. At that time, 53 percent of Americans had supported the head of state. The opposition "Armenia" and "With Honor" Factions have boycotted Fridays special session of the National Assembly (NA). There is only one matter on the agenda of this session: the package of bills on amendments and addenda to the Law on Administrative-Territorial Division and related laws. The package proposed by the government envisages another enlargement of the countrys communities. The secretary of the "Armenia" Faction, Artsvik Minasyan, stated that the government was once again falsifying the agenda, and called on the NA speaker to intervene in this process. Also, he drew attention to the fact that Armenia has much more pressing issues related to ensuring security. In addition, Minasyan noted that the recent statements by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan were threatening. "With Honor" Faction secretary Hayk Mamijanyan also joined Minasyan's statement, adding only that in this way, the authorities were attempting to resolve their own important problems. In particular, it is about changing the village heads and city mayors who are strongly in opposition to the current government. Thus, as per Mamijanyan, the aforesaid package of bills is conditioned exclusively by political motives. Both in the pre-election period and after the elections, we have talked about opening an era of establishment of peace, ensuring peace and stability in the whole region, and within the framework of that logic, we need to also normalize relations with Turkey; that normalization needs to be gradual. The secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, on Friday told this to reporters at the government buildingand referring to the Turkish presidents statement that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had conveyedthrough the PM of Georgiaa proposal to meet with him. "We are convinced that one of the opportunities for the normalization of those relations is to have a dialogue at the highest level. We have stated at various political levels that Armenia is ready to normalize relations with Turkey, and those statements and political steps have been taken within the framework of its logic," said the secretary of the Security Council of Armenia. Asked how he imagines that cooperation, taking into account the Azerbaijani presidents statement that Armenia should refrain from the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), as raising this issue will be harmful for Armenia, Grigoryan said: "It is very important to take into account that we [i.e., Armenia] are normalizing relations with Turkey, and it is necessary to decouple the normalization of relations with Turkey from the relations with Azerbaijanif there are any. As for the status issue, the only and important platform for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the OSCE Minsk Group. And there was a statement by all the [three] co-chairs [of the OSCE Minsk Group] that the talks should be resumed within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. And an important issuethe issue of [Artsakhs] statusshould be discussed within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not settled, and this issue is waiting for its solution, and we see that solution within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, and we believe that we will discuss the status [issue] within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, and such statements by Azerbaijan are incomprehensible." And in response to a reporter's remark that the Turkish side is talking about preconditions, and when asked what preconditions the Armenian side intends to meet in order to start a dialogue with Turkey, Armen Grigoryan noted: "The Armenian side has repeatedly statedeven before us, during the previous authoritiesthat relations with Turkey should be normalized without preconditions because when there are preconditions, it is difficult to move forward on any issue. And we hope that there will be normalization of relations without preconditions. All the existing issues can be discussed in the future, but it will be very difficult to start relations with preconditions. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan today received Charge d'Affaires of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ahlam Rashid Ahmad Al Abd Al Salami. After his welcoming speech, parliamentary speaker stated that Armenia attaches great importance to the development of relations with the Arab Gulf states and highly appreciated the balanced foreign policy of the UAE at the regional and international levels. Touching upon the need for development of cooperation within the scope of parliamentary diplomacy, the head of parliament stressed that the National Assembly will continue to make efforts for intensification of the bilateral relations. Alen Simonyan informed that the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group with the UAE will be formed soon, adding that the formation of a similar Group is expected in the UAE. Thanking the Speaker of the National Assembly, the UAE Charge d' Affairs affirmed the importance of cooperation with Armenia in different formats. Considering the partnership of the parliaments a landmark, she underscored the significance of implementation of joint projects. At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged views on Armenias participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. The Embassy of China in Armenia today hosted the meeting of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia Fahn Yoon with the students of the Chinese-Armenian Friendship School, as well as professors of the Confucius Institute at Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences (PHOTOS). The Embassys employees organized a tour in the building for the representatives of the School and Institute. Ambassador Yoon granted commemorative gifts to the students and mentioned that they are contributing to the rapprochement of Armenia and China by studying Chinese culture. I am very glad to mention your achievements during different events devoted to Chinese language and culture. Besides gifts, we would also like to provide humanitarian aid from the China Charity Foundation, including anti-epidemic items that we have already transferred to the Armenian Childrens Hospital and the Peace Committee of Armenia, he said. In his turn, Principal of the Chinese-Armenian Friendship School Spartak Vardanyan extended thanks to the Ambassador for the invitation and said it is the students' honor to meet with the Ambassador. We need to do everything we can to make sure our pupils contribute to the development of relations between Armenia and China. We express our gratitude to you for your attention and support, Vardanyan said. In honor of the day of establishment of China (October 1), the students performed Chinese and Russian songs, and the professors of the Confucius Institute performed Chinese national music and dances. One of the directors of the Confucius Institute said the Institute is glad that the Embassy of China always helps the Institute and that the latter works hard to make sure the relations between Armenia and China develop more and more. The raging battle against the state emblems of the Republic of Artsakh is yet another manifestation of the xenophobic behavior of the authorities and armed forces of Azerbaijan against the Armenians. This is what Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Gegham Stepanyan wrote on his Facebook page. The case of wiping the state emblems of Artsakh with needles from the bus transporting minors on the Goris-Kapan road and the demands to remove the flag of Artsakh from various settlements and constructions in Artsakh serve as brilliant examples of the complete absence of tolerance of Azerbaijanis towards the Armenians living in Artsakh. It is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the state emblems of Artsakh form an integral part of our cultural values, and so intolerance towards them serve as further evidence of the fact that Azerbaijan is systematically combating Armenian cultural values in Artsakh. The state emblems serve as the symbols of the right of the people of Artsakh to live in their homeland, to preserve their identity and to self-determination, and any encroachment against them is itself targeted against the dignity and common system of rights of our people, Stepanyan added. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech at the General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, as reported the press service of the Government of Armenia. Armenian News-NEWS.am presents the speech in its entirety. "Honorable President of the General Assembly, Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to once again deliver a statement at the United Nations General Assembly. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Abdulla Shahid on his election as President of the General Assembly, as well as Mr. Antonio Guterres on his re-election as Secretary-General of the United Nations. I am confident that with your leadership you will help us overcome the vast challenges we are facing. Today in my speech, I would like to refer to the situation in the South Caucasus region, present our views and proposals on the solution of the existing problems. As you know, in the fall of 2020, Nagorno-Karabakh was subjected to aggression. The war that lasted forty-four days took the lives of several thousands of people. Tens of thousands of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were displaced. The aggression was accompanied by numerous gross violations of international law by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including deliberate targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure, extrajudicial killings of prisoners of war and civilian hostages, torture and many other documented crimes. As a result of these actions, in the parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Armenian people were subjected to complete ethnic cleansing. Unfortunately, the international community here again could not prevent the mass atrocities. Today, no Armenian lives or practically could live in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. Thanks to the mediation efforts of the Russian Federation, it was possible to stop the bloodshed. On November 9, a trilateral ceasefire statement was signed. Peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which today ensure stability and security thereon. Dear Colleagues, One month ago, the Republic of Armenia National Assembly approved the Government's Action Plan for 2021-2026, where one of the key provisions is to open an era of peaceful development for our country and the region. Moreover, as per the results of the early parliamentary election held on June 20, 2021, the people of Armenia gave to our Government a mandate to move towards this key goal. It should be emphasized that our Government received this important mandate based on the results of elections that were held to overcome the domestic political crisis. This was the second election in our country after the Non-violent, Velvet, People's Revolution in Armenia in 2018. Both elections were assessed by international observers as competitive, transparent, and in line with democratic standards. So, how are we going to achieve the goal of opening an era of peaceful development for our country and the region? Through dialogue, overcoming incrementally the atmosphere of painful hostility in our region. We realize that the path will be difficult and long. Unfortunately, the incidents designed to delegitimize the peace agenda and deepen and institutionalize the atmosphere of hostility occur on a daily basis. Violations of the ceasefire, aggressive and insulting statements against Armenia and the Armenian people continue to escalate the atmosphere. An act against the peace agenda is the fact that, contrary to Article 8 of the November 9 statement, Azerbaijan not only still holds several dozen citizens of the Republic of Armenia in captivity, but also has sentenced many of them to 6 to 20 years imprisonment on trumped-up charges. In addition, there are persons whose captivity has not yet been confirmed by Azerbaijan, although there is clear evidence that they were captured. This becomes even more unacceptable against the background that in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijani users posted videos of the capture of specific Armenian soldiers, and later the decapitated or shot bodies of those soldiers were discovered. We have irrefutable evidence about the torture of our captives. An outrageous example of the deepening of the atmosphere of hostility is the opening of the so-called trophy park in Baku, where Azerbaijani schoolchildren are taken on excursions to watch the mannequins of captured, killed or bleeding Armenian soldiers. These and other steps are taken to demonstrate the impossibility of peace in our region, but we will consistently advance that agenda by using every opportunity and by creating new opportunities to open an era of peace for our region. In this sense, I consider the opening of regional communications extremely important, which is stated in the 9th point of the trilateral declaration signed by the President of the Russian Federation, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. The interconnected transport arteries of the region will be an outcome of resolving this issue. Opportunity will be created for establishing economic ties, which is one of the important prerequisites for peaceful development. While examining the topic of reopening transport links, we discovered that there are options that aim at sustaining regional isolation and hostility, but there are also options that emphasize regional interconnectedness and can be a step-by-step solution of the problem of hostility. We are an advocate for the latter option. If the railway connecting Armenia to Turkey is opened too, then the topic of opening regional communications will cover broader scope. Honorable Mr. Secretary General, Armenia is ready for a constructive dialogue, which should lead to the establishment of sustainable and lasting peace in the region. In this regard, we propose to complete the process of return of prisoners of war, hostages and other captives without delay. It is also necessary to resume the peace process for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. There is no doubt that the situation created through the use of force cannot gain legitimacy from the point of view of international law. The right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination cannot be suspended through the use of force; the conflict cannot be considered resolved through the use of force. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is awaiting its just settlement. This is evidenced by the statements of the Co-Chair countries, which emphasize the need to resume the negotiation process based on the well-known principles. We believe that the contacts mediated by the Co-Chairs will enable the parties to find common ground, and to open avenues for addressing many difficult issues. Next is the issue of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. I must state with regret that it is difficult to imagine a border delimitation process on the backdrop of almost daily shootings and various provocations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, on the backdrop of units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan having infiltrated the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on May 12, 2021 in the Sotk-Khoznavar section. To overcome this situation, we have suggested the following actions: In the above mentioned section, the armed forces of both Armenia and Azerbaijan should withdraw simultaneously to the Soviet times border, international observers would be deployed along that border and under international auspices we would start delimitation and demarcation. We are ready to implement this proposal at any time. Dear Colleagues, In my speech, I touched upon issues of vital importance for our country and for the region. These issues need urgently to be addressed today and require the urgent attention of the international community. At the same time, as I conclude my speech, I would like to reaffirm that Armenia, as a responsible member of the international community and a reliable partner, will continue to contribute to the strengthening of comprehensive international order, to international cooperation based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, promoting sustainable development and protection of fundamental human rights. We are committed to a constructive and inclusive dialogue with all our partners. Armenia is ready to make every effort to contribute to overcoming the current global challenges such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of international peace, security, and sustainable development. With this, let me complete my speech by wishing success to the works of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. Thank you for attention." A little while ago, I found out that Judge Anna Danibekyan has rejected the appeal of deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan and has actually obstructed the participation of a member of the delegation of the National Assembly to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in the plenary session of the PACE. This is what secretary of the opposition With Honor faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, member of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE Hayk Mamijanyan wrote on his Facebook page, adding the following: In solidarity with my colleague, I declare that I also refuse to leave for Strasbourg. Taking into consideration the fact that the protection of our countrys interests on international platforms is above the low domestic political games of the authorities, I will participate in the plenary session of the PACE online. I would like to remind that this isnt the first case (no opposition MP has been a part of the delegations of the National Assembly of Armenia that leave for the Russian Federation for the same reason). We will always find an option to support the national agenda and state interests abroad. Story Highlights 40% of Germans rate their lives highly enough to be considered thriving 60% are confident in the country's national government 71% approve of the job Merkel is doing as she exits WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Germans' ratings of their lives are in a tailspin as they head to the polls on Sunday and prepare to face a future without longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel. Four in 10 Germans surveyed this spring rated their lives positively enough to be considered thriving. This is lower than the ratings Germans have given their lives at most points throughout Merkel's 16 years in office and is a sharp departure from their ratings over the past few years, suggesting Germans may be ready for change. Line graph. Trend from 2005 to 2021 in the percentages of Germans who, based on their life ratings, are considered thriving, struggling and suffering. In 2021, 53% are considered suffering, 40% thriving and 6% suffering. Gallup classifies individuals as "thriving," "struggling" or "suffering" according to how they rate their current and future lives on a ladder scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. Those who rate their current life a 7 or higher and their anticipated life in five years an 8 or higher are classified as thriving. The latest data for Germany come from a survey conducted from May to June of this year, as the German government was lifting lockdown restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals. As Germany emerged from months of restrictions, 40% of Germans classified their lives highly enough to be considered thriving. This was down substantially from the 60% who were considered thriving in 2020, when the government had instituted COVID-19 control measures but the pandemic had not affected Germany as badly as other European countries. Germans go to the polls on Sunday to vote in the country's parliamentary elections, which, for a generation of Germans, will be their first election without Merkel. Her political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is reportedly trailing in the polls. The party has suffered losses in several recent elections, most notably in 2017, when the CDU had a series of defeats in the states that make up the former East Germany. There have been persistent divisions between East and West Germans' evaluations of their lives. Through most of Gallup's trend, people in the former East Germany[1] have rated their lives worse than those in the rest of the country (West Germany)[2]. For instance, in September 2019, before the pandemic, 55% of West Germans were thriving, compared with 39% in the East. However, during the pandemic, the gap narrowed substantially, and this past spring, East Germans were modestly more likely than those in the West to be thriving, 45% vs. 39%. Germans' Confidence in Government Up Under Merkel In late 2005, a coalition government of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was formed, bringing Merkel to office. Earlier in 2005, Germans' confidence in their national government was low, with 66% saying they did not have confidence and 32% reporting they did. For the first six years of her administration, confidence in the institution fluctuated. However, beginning in 2012, Germans' confidence in their national government generally trended upward, peaking at 65% during the pandemic in 2020. As Merkel exits, there has been a modest decline to 60%. But that is still 28 percentage points higher than when she took office. Line graph. Trend from 2005 to 2021 in Germans' confidence in their national government. In 2021, 60% of Germans have confidence in their national government and 38% do not. In most years, Germans' confidence in their national government has been lower in the East than in the West. In 2013, for instance, 57% of West Germans said they had confidence in the country's government, compared with 49% of those in the East. These gaps in confidence may have contributed to the 2017 CDU losses in the East of the country. However, since 2018, the gap between the two has generally shrunk, with 60% of those in the West and 58% of those in the East registering confidence in their government in October of that year. In the most recent survey there was little difference between the two groups, as 61% of Westerners and 58% of Easterners said they were confident in the national government. Merkel Exits With High Approval Gallup first asked Germans if they approved of the job Merkel was doing as chancellor in 2008. At that time, 63% approved, while 32% disapproved. Merkel's job approval would dip after that, but it never fell below the 51% measured in 2011. Since 2012, at least 60% of Germans have consistently approved of the job Merkel is doing as chancellor. Merkel's approval peaked at 76% during the pandemic in 2020 and slid modestly to 71% this spring. Line graph. Trend from 2008 to 2021 in Germans' level of approval for the job Chancellor Angela Merkel has done. In 2021, 73% of Germans approve and 26% disapprove. Bottom Line As Merkel prepares to leave office, roughly the same percentage of Germans are thriving as when she took office in November 2005. The percentage of thriving Germans may have been higher had the COVID-19 pandemic not occurred. The downturn in life evaluations may help explain the trouble her party appears to be in. This is potentially exacerbated by her exit, which may affect trust in the country's national government -- a metric that has nearly doubled during her time as chancellor. Merkel has defined German politics for the last decade and a half, and a large majority of Germans continue to approve of the job she's doing in her last year in office. What comes next is clearly the biggest question for the country. While any successor to Merkel would institute change, there is likely to be more of it under a chancellor of a different party. The extent of the change will have a substantial impact, not just on Germany, but on the European Union and German global leadership. [1] East Germany is made up of the German states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Story Highlights Roughly six in 10 favor vaccination requirements for various workers Support highest for paid time off to get vaccinated More U.S. workers say their employer is requiring vaccinations WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans generally approve of President Joe Biden's Sept. 9 plan mandating that millions of U.S. workers be vaccinated against COVID-19. Roughly six in 10 U.S. adults are in favor of those requirements for federal government workers, employees of large companies, and workers at hospitals that receive federal healthcare funds. There is greater support, 68%, for requiring companies to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated or to recover from vaccine side effects. Americans Favor Worker Vaccine Requirements in Biden COVID-19 Plan Now thinking about President Biden's new plan to deal with the coronavirus, do you favor or oppose each of the following elements of that plan? Favor Oppose % % Requiring all federal government employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 60 40 Requiring companies with 100 or more employees to have all their employees vaccinated against COVID-19, or be tested weekly for it 58 42 Requiring hospitals and other healthcare facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement money to have all their employees vaccinated against COVID-19 63 37 Requiring companies with more than 100 employees to provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated or to recover from vaccine side effects 68 32 Gallup Panel, Sept. 13-19, 2021 These results are based on Gallup's COVID-19 tracking survey, which was conducted Sept. 13-19, in the days after Biden announced his plan. Americans generally support vaccination mandates, including for air travel, attendance at crowded events, and other activities. The latest poll also finds 63% of U.S. adults in favor of vaccination requirements for teachers and staff in K-12 schools, something the New York and Los Angeles school districts, among others, have adopted. Biden clearly has the backing of his fellow Democrats, with more than nine in 10 favoring all four elements of his plan that were tested in the survey. Independents' opinions are mixed, while Republicans oppose all four proposed actions. Both independents and Republicans are more likely to favor vaccination mandates for workers at hospitals receiving federal funds and paid time off for employees who get vaccinated than the other two mandates. Support for Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements, by Political Party Figures are the percentage in favor of each policy Democrats Independents Republicans % % % Vaccine requirements for federal government workers 94 49 19 Vaccine requirements for employees at private companies with 100+ employees 93 47 17 Vaccine requirements for workers at hospitals that receive Medicare/Medicaid funds 94 54 25 Paid time off for employees to receive COVID-19 or recover from it 94 61 33 Gallup Panel, Sept. 13-19, 2021 Partisans' views on vaccination mandates for K-12 teachers and staff are similar to those they have for the vaccination requirements in Biden's plan -- 94% of Democrats, 53% of independents and 26% of Republicans support vaccination mandates for teachers. Percentage of Workers Saying Their Employer Requiring Vaccination Continues to Grow Employees' reports that their employer was requiring them to get vaccinated roughly doubled to 19% in August, even before Biden unveiled his plan. In the new poll conducted the first week after Biden's announcement but before workplaces are required to comply, that number has jumped another 10 points to 29%. The new reading is also the first since the Food and Drug Administration voted on Aug. 23 to give full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive that designation. Line graph. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. workers in September 2021 say their employer is requiring employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in order to return to the workplace. The percentage has grown from 5% in May to 9% in July and 19% in August. Forty-five percent of U.S. workers say their employer is encouraging, but not requiring, COVID-19 vaccines, while 26% say their employer has not indicated a policy either way. As more workers report that their employer has a vaccine requirement in place, the percentage saying their employer is recommending it has decreased, from 62% in July to 55% in August and 45% currently. There has been little change in recent months in the share of employees who say their employer has not indicated a COVID-19 vaccination policy. More Workers Now Favor Employer Vaccination Mandates Employees are also becoming increasingly likely to favor employee vaccination mandates -- 58% currently say they strongly favor or favor such policies, up from 52% in July and August, and 49% in June. Line graph. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. workers in September 2021 say they strongly favor or favor their employer requiring employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The percentage has grown from 46% in May to 49% in June and 52 in both July and August. Thirty-six percent of employees oppose such a requirement, a percentage that has been mostly steady since May. Six percent say they neither favor nor oppose such a requirement, which is down from 15% in May and 10% in July and August. Opposition to employer vaccination requirements has been fairly steady since the spring, ranging narrowly between 36% and 39%. But most of those who are opposed hold that opinion strongly. This month, 29% of workers say they strongly oppose their employer's requiring vaccines. Likewise, most who favor employer vaccination mandates do so strongly, with 46% of U.S. workers strongly favoring that policy this month. Implications Biden's plan to require millions of U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 has been controversial, and many state governments and other institutions have sued to prevent it from taking place. While those cases have yet to be decided, Biden does have public opinion on his side. Majorities of Americans favor vaccination requirements in a variety of situations, including at the workplace, the target of Biden's mandate. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter. Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works. The conditions couldnt have been better for sex on the reef: warm water and a full moon over Miami. Liv Williamson and a team of fellow marine biologists donned diving gear and plunged into the nighttime waters off the coast of Key Largo, hoping to catch the big event as it unfolded. It was a late July Wednesday, and she and the other divers had been submerged for nearly an hour. Then, just past 10 p.m., it happened. Amazing, Williamson, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, described it. A Pseudodiploria strigosa colony releases its gamete bundles off the coast of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. She, of course, is talking about coral spawning, the process that occurs only a few times a year when coral colonies, on cues from the lunar cycle and water temperature, release millions of their tiny eggs and spermcollectively called gametesinto the sea. We had the most prolific spawn Ive ever witnessed from elkhorn corals, she recalled of the event at Elbow Reef two months ago. We collected gametes from 13 colonies, with each representing their own unique genetic entity. They were a mix of colonies that grew there naturally, plus a few that had been outplanted as part of a reef restoration effort many years ago. A prolific spawning of elkhorn corals at Elbow Reef off the coast of Key Largo. Elkhorn corals, like many other species, are hermaphrodites that release both eggs and sperm from the same colony. The specimens Williamson and her team harvested that night with special nets were transported back to the Coral Reef Futures Lab at the Rosenstiel School for experimentation. Coral spawning is the heart of her research. She became enamored by the intricate underwater ecosystems while snorkeling in Panama as an undergraduate at Barnard College, marveling at the diverse species that make reefs their home. She knows that coral reefs in oceans around the world are under attack, their populations dwindling as climate change accelerates a process called coral bleaching. From Belize to The Bahamas to Florida, bleaching events have hit coral reefs hard, according to Williamson. Even Australias Great Barrier Reef has been decimated, something many people thought would never happen. They thought it was invincible, that it could never be threatened because of its immense size, she said. But marine heat waves have been occurring more and more frequently and have already, in the last five years, killed about half of the corals there. She and her colleagues are trying to save coral reefs from extinction. One particular strategy they are trying: manipulating the algae that corals host. Much like we have all kinds of bacteria and microbes in our gut that live symbiotically in our bodies and enable us to perform essential functions, corals have similar associations with microbes that live inside of them, including symbiotic algae. And it is that association that breaks down when a heatwave comes through, Williamson explained. As ocean temperatures rise, corals expel the symbiotic algae living within their tissues and turn white. In such a state, they essentially starve, as they lack energy supplied by algae. Many never recover. A vaccine for coral reefs So, Williamson is giving corals what might be described as a much-needed shot in the arm, providing lab-raised coral babies with a thermally tolerant type of algae in the hopes that it will make them resistant to bleaching events once they are planted on a reef. Mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) off the coast of Abaco. Most coral juveniles, she explained, are born without algal symbionts, acquiring them within the first few weeks of life. And thats why Williamsons coral gamete harvesting trips to reefs from Miami to the Florida Keys to the Caribbean are so important. Its a great opportunity to intervene, said the Ph.D. candidate, who works primarily with elkhorn, mountainous star, and brain corals. The coral larvae she collects are raised and nurtured in tanks, getting a dose of the heat-resistant algae that can be grown in the lab or harvested naturally from the ocean. I like to think of it as a vaccine, she said. The specimens she helped collect from Elbow Reef back in July are now eight weeks oldhappy, healthy, and growing in the lab. They recently acquired their first thermally tolerant symbionts, Williamson said. Her research suggests the strategy could work. In a recent study she led, lab-raised mountainous star coral treated with heat-resistant algae survived twice as long in water temperatures of about 93 degrees Fahrenheit than corals hosting little or none of the robust algae. Now, the challenge will be planting the corals on a reef to see if they can survive heat waves in the ocean. In the days ahead, she and a group of other coral researchers will head out to Rainbow Reef off Key Biscayne for another potential spawning eventtheir underwater flashlights illuminating not only the reefs but also bioluminescent creatures lighting up like little Christmas trees and octopuses scouring the seafloor for food. Liv Williamson Theyre hoping to witness another aquatic show for the ages that Williamson describes as being inside a giant snow globe. But if it doesnt happen, theres always the lab. Researchers are using a relatively new technique to coax corals into reproducing in a controlled environment, setting up special tanks that mimic the ideal conditions for sex on the reef: 85-degree ocean temperatures and full moon illumination. And that helps to take some of the guesswork out of it and ensure that we get lots of coral babies, Williamson said. Raising coral babies with thermally tolerant algae is just one aspect of her research. Williamson is also targeting corals in the ocean that have survived marine heat waves and disease outbreaks. Those corals will serve as parents for selective breeding efforts, helping to create new generations of heat-tolerant and disease-resistant reefs. She also cryopreserves coral sperm, creating a genetic bank for future selective breeding. Williamsons colleagues in the lab call her coral mama. But she doesnt mind. Shes helping to save the rainforests of the ocean. Livs work has really helped build the portfolio of coral research at Rosenstiel and allowed us to grow in new directions, especially with respect to coral spawning and reproduction, said Andrew Baker, a professor of marine biology and ecology, who heads the Coral Reef Futures Lab. She began the first genetic banking effort for corals in our area, and this is leading to many new projects such as selective breeding, which will enhance our efforts to build climate resilience on Floridas coral reefs. Team effort Williamson works primarily with elkhorn, mountainous star, and brain corals. Photo by Elyse Kochman Her research complements other coral restoration efforts underway at the University. For example, a first-of-its-kind, three-year project to restore coral reefs in two South Florida counties is ongoing. The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Restoration Hub, established by the Rosenstiel School with a $6 million grant and supported by funding from the Universitys Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge, is restoring 125 acres of reef habitat in Miami-Dade and Broward counties by growing and planting more than 150,000 coral colonies and juveniles from five coral species, three of which are threatened. Rosenstiel School researchers Andrew Baker and Diego Lirman are leading the initiative. They are partnering with the College of Engineering, Rosenstiel School oceanographer Brian Haus, Nova Southeastern University, SECORE International, the Florida Aquarium, and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. A world without coral reefs would be a world in peril, Williamson believes. Coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine species. If we didnt have them, we wouldnt have the rich diversity of marine life that all depend on these ecosystems at some point in their lives, she explained. And that would have huge consequences not only for the biodiversity of the ocean but also for humanson our economies, on our ability to feed ourselves, and in the way coral reefs protect our shorelines. She is helping to raise awareness about coral reefs; participating in citizen science expeditions as part of the Rescue a Reef program; and engaging local, public, and private school groups in hands-on activities during a Women in Science Day. As scientists, we can implement intervention strategies to create strong, new generations of corals. But none of our work really matters if we dont get the public on board with it, Williamson said. And we need government to enact polices that address the root causes of climate change so that our children will be able to see a coral reef 50 years from now. Huawei executive freed in Canada Huawei executive freed in Canada Singapore restores Covid curbs as cases surge People queue for vaccinations at a community centre in Singapore. The city state is bringing in new restrictions amid a surge in cases, despite a high level of inoculation. File image: Shutterstock Singapore said on Friday it will tighten Covid-19 curbs to limit social gatherings to two people and make working from home a default, in a bid to contain a spike in infections and reduce pressure on the healthcare system. Despite a rapid vaccination drive, the city-state has been seeing more than 1,000 daily cases this week, including 1,504 on Thursday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. In a statement on Friday, the health ministry said: "many Covid positive individuals with mild symptoms are seeking medical attention at our hospitals when it might not be necessary." With 82 percent of the population fully vaccinated, about 98 percent% of the coronavirus cases in the past four weeks had no or mild symptoms, it said in a report a day earlier. Singapore ministers told a media briefing on Friday that the jump in Covid-19 cases in the island of 5.7 million people had put "tremendous" pressure on its healthcare system. The latest curbs come into force on Monday and will run until October 24. Gan Kim Yong, trade minister and co-chair of the government's coronavirus taskforce, said it had been a "very difficult decision" to tighten curbs again due to the impact on businesses and people. But he told the briefing "it will allow us to slow down the speed of increase (in infections) and avoid overtaxing our healthcare workers." (Reuters) Paul Simon Institute to host event with U.S. Sen. Duckworth CARBONDALE, Ill. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois will join Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute for a virtual conversation at noon on Oct. 4. Institute director John Shaw will interview Duckworth about the legislative agenda on Capitol Hill, challenges facing American foreign policy and Duckworths new memoir, Every Day Is a Gift. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be over Zoom. Registration is required at paulsimoninstitute.org to access the webinar. Duckworth, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms. She is a veteran of the Iraq War and received the Purple Heart after the Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a grenade in November of 2004, causing Duckworth to lose her legs. She was the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and served as assistant director of the nations Department of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2011. Duckworth serves on several Senate committees, including Armed Services; Environment and Public Works; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In 2018, she became the first person to give birth while serving in the Senate. Sen. Duckworth has had a remarkable military and political career, Shaw said. She served with distinction and courage in the U.S. Army and has held important positions in Illinois state government and the federal government. A highly respected United States senator, we are eager to hear Sen. Duckworths views on the packed and consequential legislative agenda on Capitol Hill this fall and the raft of pressing questions about the future of American foreign policy. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Duckworth with their registration or send them by email to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu. The event is part of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institutes Understanding Our New World virtual conversation series with government and private sector leaders, policy experts, political analysts, authors and journalists. SIUs Start Seeing Pink campaign raises awareness, scholarship funds by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. As a part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is again sponsoring special events, including the sale of Start Seeing Pink apparel, to raise scholarship funds for SIU students affected by the disease. Order now to help students The online Start Seeing Pink apparel shop is offering a variety of shirts and sweatshirts in adult sizes and is open for orders through Oct. 3. For more information or to place an order visit shopsilkworm.com/startseeingpink. Orders will be available for pickup in the Student Center administrative office on Oct. 15 or shipping is available for a small fee. All proceeds go to the SIU Saluki Strength Breast Cancer Fund, which has awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships to students affected by breast cancer. The disease strikes one in eight women in the United States and kills about 43,600 American women and 530 men annually. There are an estimated 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. All of the SIU students who have received assistance from the fund have either personally suffered from the disease or their spouses, parents or other close family members have. To read more about their personal stories or to make donations, go to salukifunder.siu.edu/project/27765. This years goal is to raise $5,000, which is enough to establish a self-sustaining endowed scholarship. Plans call for awarding an annual $1,000 scholarship, or potentially more if the funds allow. Tie-dye event There will also be a tie-dye T-shirt event from noon to 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Student Services Building pavilion to raise awareness of breast cancer and funds for the scholarship. For a $5 donation, people can make their own dyed shirt. A 19-year-old man was arrested in connection with a rape at the University of Kansas that was reported amid ongoing controversy about sexual assault. KU Public Safety Deputy Chief James Druen said Thursday that the rape occurred Sept. 16 in a dormitory room. A report was made to the universitys police force on Wednesday and there was probable cause to arrest a suspect on rape charges, Druen said. The suspect was booked into Douglas County jail Wednesday night and is currently being held there, Druen said. The latest arrest comes amid an ongoing discussion of sexual assault in Lawrence and the KU community. Protests erupted earlier this month when a student reported she was sexually assaulted at a party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. University officials opened an investigation, but students who protested said they wanted the school to do more to address safety concerns. Hundreds of people gathered outside the fraternity house during two days of protests and students held a sit-in last Friday outside of Chancellor Doug Girods office. Nearly 20,000 signatures have been collected on a petition calling on the fraternity to be banned. The Daily Beast Dallas County Sheriff's OfficeA bizarre saga in Missouri involving a missing woman who was seen being held captive in a cage has taken a baffling turn as the house where she was apparently kept burned to the groundimmediately after authorities discovered it had been boobytrapped.The Dallas County Sheriffs Office said the fire at the home in Windyville, an unincorporated Ozarks community about 160 miles from Kansas City, occurred Monday night, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Thats mo BERLIN (AP) Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany's parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns. The idea for a global "climate strike" was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg's solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again. Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure. We can still turn this around, she said, to cheers. We demand change, and we are the change. Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the main parties weren't far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Neubauer has referred to Sunday's election as the vote of the century," arguing that the decisions taken by the next government will influence the country's efforts to tackle climate change for decades to come. The issue has been a major topic during the election campaign. Friday's rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults. Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert at the Berlin rally, said he hoped older Germans would consider the issue when casting their votes on Sunday. Story continues The majority of voters are older than 50 and determine the outcome of the election, Bohrenfeldt, 36, said. I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren. Civics teacher Anne Kokott, cradling her infant son, Enzo, said she hoped Friday's large turnout would signal the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis and perhaps have an impact on undecided or older voters. Today is important because of the election, Kokott, 36, said. Christiane Koetter-Lietz, who attended with her children and grandchildren, said she would be voting for Germany's Green party, which has campaigned for tougher measures to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions. We have water catastrophes, fire catastrophes, the world is burning. This is the very last warning," said the 69-year-old from the western town of Unna. Across the street from the protest, two young climate activists pressed on with a hunger strike meant to draw politicians into making public commitments on climate policy. Henning Jeschke, 21, started his fast on Aug. 30, initially as part of a group of seven, with the others having since dropped out, most this week. In their place, another hunger striker joined Jeschke. Both have said they would escalate and begin refusing liquids. Organizers initially said Jeschke and Lea Bonasera would stop taking liquids Thursday evening, but Jeschke's father, Eckart, said the more severe protest is to begin Saturday morning. The hunger strikers are demanding that Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, seen as a front-runner for becoming Germany's next chancellor, acknowledges publicly that the country faces a climate emergency. A German government official said pressure from young climate activists already had resulted in concrete policies in recent years, from higher carbon prices to billions of euros (dollars) being invested in greener technologies. We also have a new mood across society, where politicians don't have to explain why they're doing something to protect the climate anymore. They have to explain why they're not protecting the climate, German Environment Ministry spokesman Nikolai Fichtner said. In Prague, the Czech Republics capital, hundreds of students and environment activists shouted Now or never, and displayed banners with slogans and statements such as Climate justice, and We want a healthy planet for our children. Small groups of young climate protesters held demonstrations in multiple Indian cities on Friday, calling on politicians and big businesses to ramp up their ambitions for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to a raft of climate pledges. Just because there is a pandemic doesnt mean you stop working around the climate crisis, said Srijani Datta, a youth climate activist in New Delhi. Global warming also has been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters head to the polls for a general election on Saturday. All parties running for seats in the North Atlantic island nations parliament acknowledge global warming as a force of change in a sub-Arctic landscape but disagree on how to respond to it. While many of the protests worldwide were restrained family affairs, activists in Britain blocked the countrys busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis, as well as fuel poverty in the U.K. ___ Karel Janicek in Prague and Rishabh R. Jain in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate Variety With the Emmy-decorated, too-many-peoples-favorite-show-to-count triumph of his role on Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis has joined the rarefied club of all-stops-out comedians who make the transition to becoming full-on dramatic actors. That said, Ted Lasso is a drama streaked with comedy. So you could say that Sudeikis, for all the adoration and acclaim hes earned, still [] PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -The Taliban's new defence minister has issued a rebuke over misconduct by some commanders and fighters following the movement's victory over the Western-backed government in Afghanistan last month, saying abuses would not be tolerated. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob said in an audio message that some "miscreants and notorious former soldiers" had been allowed to join Taliban units where they had committed a range of sometimes violent abuses. "We direct you keep them out of your ranks, otherwise strict action will be taken against you," he stated. "We don't want such people in our ranks." The message from one of the Taliban's most senior ministers underlines the problems Afghanistan's new rulers have sometimes had in controlling fighting forces as they transition from an insurgency to a peacetime administration. Some Kabul residents have complained of abusive treatment https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-have-their-work-cut-out-win-hearts-minds-kabul-2021-09-10 at the hands of Taliban fighters who have appeared on the streets of the capital, often from other regions and unused to big cities. There have also been reports of reprisals against members of the former government and military or civil society activists, despite promises of an amnesty by the Taliban. Yaqoob said there had been isolated reports of unauthorized executions, and he repeated that such actions would not be tolerated. "As you all are aware, under the general amnesty announced in Afghanistan, no mujahid has the right to take revenge on anyone," he said. It was not clear precisely which incidents he was referring to, nor what prompted the message, which was published on Taliban Twitter accounts and widely shared on social media. There have been reports of tensions within the movement between hardline battlefield commanders and political leaders more willing to seek compromise with governments outside Afghanistan. Story continues Yaqoob also said patrols should be restricted to areas where they were assigned and criticised the fondness of some fighters for going into government offices where they had no business and taking selfies. "This is highly objectionable as everyone is taking out mobile phones and taking snaps in the important and sensitive ministries without any reason," he said. "Such hanging out and taking snaps and videos will not help you in this world, and also in the hereafter." (Reporting by Jibran Ahmad; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Timothy Heritage) Sep. 24Starting Monday, the state of Alaska will ask many of its 14,000 employees to work from home for the next 30 days, part of an effort to limit the state's COVID-19 crisis. The shift to "an emphasis on teleworking to the maximum extent practical" was announced in a Wednesday memo from Gov. Mike Dunleavy to agency commissioners. That change reverses at least temporarily a May policy change that put workers back in the office at least part of the time. Alaska is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of severe COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed hospitals here. The state of Alaska does not mandate masks for most employees and it does not require them to be vaccinated. Public health officials have repeatedly said masks, social distancing and vaccinations are the best ways to prevent COVID-19 infection and to reduce the severity of infections if they do occur. Kate Sheehan, director of the state division of personnel and labor relations, said details of the new shift are being worked out at the agency and division level, and more information will be available Friday. In an email to state labor leaders, Sheehan said, "For the next 30 days, those employees who can telework, should telework full-time. We will still need to keep offices open, so commissioners are spending tomorrow and Friday working on a plan. The new telework plan will begin on Monday." "This is welcome news," said Brian Penner, director of the union that represents supervisory employees. "We've been hearing from supervisors who are not only concerned about their own safety, but concerned about the people they supervise," he said. "They can't even keep the people they supervise safe. It should've happened earlier." More than 6,000 state employees were asked to work from home starting in 2020. That program was phased out this spring in favor of a "hybrid" system in which employees could work from home or the office. Story continues "Employees are no longer expected to need telework 100% of their working time," the state's new policy read. Jake Metcalfe, director of the state's largest public employee union, said the drawback of the hybrid model is that it may not be applied equally to every employee because individual departments or agencies make the decisions. Dan Saddler, a special assistant with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, said at his agency, "Starting Monday, employees who wish to work from home may do so, while those who feel more comfortable at their regular duty stations in an office or shop may do so." DNR handles state land-use permits, among other responsibilities, and Saddler said the department is "encouraging members of the public to take advantage of the online, telephone and mail tools for doing business with us, and in cases where they want or need to meet in person to get their needs met, we will accommodate them." The Municipality of Anchorage has not issued a new work-from-home order. Corey Allen Young, a spokesman for the department, said agency directors are already empowered to make decisions on telework. Young said that in his personal experience, many municipal employees are already working from home. "A lot of people are already following those policies. There's really just not a lot of people that are in these offices," he said. ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria may escalate its dispute with Morocco and take more steps after having cut off relations and closed airspace, a senior Algerian diplomat said on Friday. "The adoption of additional measures cannot be ruled out," Amar Belani, the Foreign Ministry official responsible for Maghreb countries told Reuters without saying what other measures it may consider. Relations between the North African neighbours have been bad for decades and their border has been closed since 1994, but have deteriorated since a dispute over the territory of Western Sahara blew up again last year. Morocco regards Western Sahara as its territory, but the Algeria-backed Polisario Front movement seeks the region's independence. Last year Polisario said it was resuming an armed struggle after decades of truce and the United States acknowledged Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in return for Rabat boosting ties with Israel, a state Algeria does not recognise. A senior Moroccan diplomat has backed calls for the self-determination of Algeria's Kabylie region, something Algiers has called unacceptable interference in its internal affairs. It accuses Morocco of supporting MAK, a Kabylie separatist group that the Algerian government has labelled a terrorist organisation and which it has accused, alongside an Islamist group called Rashad, of setting deadly wildfires. Algiers on Aug. 24 cut off diplomatic ties with Morocco, citing the alleged support for MAK, as well as Western Sahara and other issues. Morocco said in response that Algeria was unjustified in cutting ties and its arguments were "fallacious and even absurd". MAK has denied setting any fires. Moroccan King Mohammed has called for borders to reopen and ties to improve, and offered to help Algeria deal with its wildfires, to which Algeria did not respond. Algeria has indicated it would not renew a gas supply contract and on Wednesday said it was closing its airspace to all Moroccan flights, actions that Moroccan sources have said will have little practical impact. "Algeria will show extreme vigilance and absolute firmness for the protection of its national territory," Belani told Reuters. (Reporting by Lamine Chikhi; Editing by Angus McDowall and Barbara Lewis) Alitalia workers including pilots blocked roads into Rome's Fiumicino airport on Friday (September 24). They were protesting at the airline's imminent replacement by state-backed carrier ITA. Alitalia was put into administration in 2017 after three failed reorganisations. Last year's air travel slump then foiled a planned sale to investors. On October 15, ITA will take over. But it will operate less than half of Alitalia's fleet of jets, and employ only a few of its 11,000 workers. Employment terms will also be much less generous than before. That's all opposed by unions, who have demanded zero redundancies. The Alitalia brand and loyalty program are being sold off separately. Brussels has given Italy the green light to inject almost $1.6 billion into the new firm, with further payments likely. Watchdogs also ruled that ITA doesn't have to pay back over a billion dollars in illegal state aid received by its predecessor. Stock markets mostly dropped Friday, as traders closed out a volatile week for global equities by booking profits amid renewed concerns over troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande. Evergrande's silence over an interest payment that had been due Thursday fueled investors' angst over the potential fallout from a collapse of the property company. Indexes were down across much of Asia and Europe, while Wall Street finished little changed in a muted conclusion to a topsy-turvy week that saw stocks tumble, then rally. "The stall this morning is not surprising. The major indices have come a long way in a short amount of time and, consequently, would be seen as needing to take a breather for a bit," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare. News from China also sent cryptocurrencies plunging as the country ruled all transactions in the digital assets illegal. Bitcoin, which had already been falling before the announcement, dropped as much as 8.9 percent in value before trimming losses to stand at $42,967, down almost four percent. US traders had seen the Fed's Wednesday move towards tapering its massive stimulus program as a vote of confidence in the world's top economy. But as well as Evergrande, "the continued stalemate among lawmakers on whether to raise the debt ceiling, the Delta variant, and supply chain challenges continue to fester," Charles Schwab analysts commented. The supply chain woes were highlighted by sports giant Nike Thursday as it cut its sales forecast for the coming quarters. Brent oil prices, meanwhile, jumped to a three-year peak, boosted by tight supplies particularly in the United States - No 'Lehman moment' - Market players are keeping close tabs on Evergrande, with no sign that it had paid interest to overseas bondholders on a note due Thursday. While the firm has a 30-day grace period to stump up before it is considered in default, the lack of information is keeping investors anxious. Story continues Markets were sent spinning at the start of the week by fears that the company -- one of China's biggest developers in the crucial property sector -- would go under and drag others with it, in turn jolting the domestic economy and possibly beyond. But for now, there is a feeling that there will not be a "Lehman Moment", such as when the bankruptcy of Wall Street titan Lehman Brothers in 2008 sparked a collapse on world markets. Stock markets had enjoyed a couple of strong days prior to Friday on what appeared to be easing concerns over Evergrande. But its share price tumbled more than 11 percent Friday, having surged more than 17 percent a day earlier. It was not all gloom in Asia, as the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex index crossed the 60,000 mark for the first time. India's markets have enjoyed whirlwind growth despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, more than doubling in value since April last year. "Expectations of solid economic recovery and sustained growth in the next couple of years is keeping the bulls enthused," Sandeep Bharadwaj of IIFL Securities said. - Key figures around 2100 GMT - New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 34,798.00 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 4,455.58 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 15,047.70 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,051.48 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.7 percent at 15,531.75 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.0 percent at 6,638.46 (close) EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.9 percent at 4,158.51 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.1 percent at 30,248.81 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 24,192.16 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.8 percent at 3,613.07 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1725 from $1.1739 at 2100 GMT Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3674 from $1.3720 Euro/pound: UP at 85.64 pence from 85.56 pence Dollar/yen: UP at 110.73 yen from 110.33 yen Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.1 percent at $78.09 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $73.98 per barrel burs-jmb/mdl A new study found that people of Asian descent are twice as likely to be severely punished under the Economic Espionage Act. The analysis reviewed 190 cases between 1996 and 2020, involving 276 individual defendants, and categorized the cases based on the origins of names on file. The results revealed that people with Asian names were arrested at higher rates than defendants with Western names, but less likely to be found guilty than those with Western names. The study was published Tuesday by the Committee of 100, a New York-based nonprofit organization of prominent Chinese Americans across fields like business, law and academia. The court filings were analyzed by Houston attorney and South Texas College of Law legal scholar Andrew Chongseh Kim, who said in a statement that the study suggests Asian Americans are becoming collateral damage in the effort to protect the American economy. People of Asian descent are more likely to be accused of spying even though they are less likely to actually be convicted of those charges, Kim said. To prevent entities from stealing trade secrets from American businesses, Congress passed the Economic Espionage Act in 1996. According to the study, the number of people charged under the EEA continues to climb each year. In cases between 2009 and 2020, the majority of defendants accused of espionage were Asian, and an overwhelming number of those defendants were of Chinese descent. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. In a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing held the same day the study was released, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the FBI opens a counterintelligence case into China as often as every 12 hours. In a speech last year, Wray made a point to note that the agencys efforts are not about the Chinese people, and its certainly not about Chinese Americans. When I speak of the threat from China, I mean the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party, Wray said. Story continues Yet, the results of the study showed that Asians from a variety of backgrounds may be subject to the consequences of the agency's investigations. Of the cases reviewed in the white paper, Asian defendants who were convicted were more likely to serve time in prison, whereas about half of the defendants with Western names were given no prison time. Meanwhile, defendants of Asian descent went to prison 75 percent of the time, and Chinese defendants went to prison 80 percent of the time. Asian defendants were also likely to receive sentences twice as long as defendants with Western names, according to the study. Yet, results found 1 in 3 Asian American defendants may have been falsely accused of espionage. Asian Americans also received more press from the Justice Department. For example, the department issued news releases in 80 percent of cases with Asian defendants, and only 51 percent of Western defendants' cases had news releases, according to the analysis. Another key finding was that Asian defendants were more likely to be arrested and cuffed. Sixty-two percent of defendants with Western names were summoned to appear in court, in comparison to 31 percent of Asian defendants. Only 22 percent of Chinese defendants received a summons. Democratic lawmakers like Reps. Judy Chu, of California, and Jamie Raskin, of Maryland, have connected the rise in racial profiling to the Justice Department's National Security Division's China Initiative. The initiative was launched in 2018 under the Trump administration with the goal of countering national security threats specifically from China. Chu and Raskin launched an investigation in 2020 into the FBIs Chinese espionage probes and demanded the agency hand over documents related to its investigations. The China Initiative is unique among Department of Justice investigations. Whereas most investigations start with a crime and then find a suspect, this initiative starts with a suspect and then searches for a crime, Chu said at a Researching While Chinese American roundtable in June. The roundtable included hydrologist Sherry Chen and physics professor Xiaoxing Xi, who were both falsely accused of espionage in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Even as the Biden administration claims it is fighting hate crimes against Asian Americans, its own Justice Department is continuing the Trump administrations discredited and discriminatory China Initiativea racial profiling and prosecution initiative that presumes, falsely, that Chinese American researchers are willing accomplices in [Peoples Republic of China] espionage efforts, Patrick Eddington, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, said of the initiative in an email. Committee of 100 President Zheng Yu Huang said the FBI should consider involving more Chinese Americans throughout its operation, so it can better understand the inner workings of Chinese special agents and other cultural nuances. Imagine trying to go after cases involving China when you have no experts on China. How scary is that? Huang said. To combat the issue, Committee of 100 members have conducted trainings nationwide to help Asian professionals better understand their rights. Huang said the group is also working on developing guidelines on addressing anti-Chinese tropes and distinguishing between state actors and regular people who happen to be of Asian descent. We believe that protecting national security is very important, Huang said. But we must never sacrifice some of our fundamental rights as American citizens in pursuit of that because national security is there to protect those rights, not to diminish them. Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Having said that, from a first glance at Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Associated British Foods: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.043 = UK581m (UK16b - UK2.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2021). So, Associated British Foods has an ROCE of 4.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 11%. Check out our latest analysis for Associated British Foods roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Associated British Foods compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Associated British Foods here for free. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us When we looked at the ROCE trend at Associated British Foods, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 12%, but since then they've fallen to 4.3%. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se. Story continues What We Can Learn From Associated British Foods' ROCE In summary, we're somewhat concerned by Associated British Foods' diminishing returns on increasing amounts of capital. Investors haven't taken kindly to these developments, since the stock has declined 22% from where it was five years ago. That being the case, unless the underlying trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we'd consider looking elsewhere. On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for Associated British Foods that we think you should be aware of. While Associated British Foods may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison stressed the importance of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, as leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia began their Quad meeting on Friday at the White House. Morrison further stated the Indo-Pacific should be free from coercion, addressing a concern about Beijing's increasing assertiveness and growing influence in the region. (Reporting by Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom and Nandita Bose in Washington) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Youre lucky, the U.S. officials said. Youre going to see your family. The authorities had called out numbers corresponding to raffle-like tickets the Haitians had been issued when they were detained after crossing the border into Texas. As each number was called, another bedraggled immigrant stood up. Everyone was happy, recalled Jhon Celestin. But I was not happy. I saw it was a lie. The prize was a one-way trip back to the place they had so desperately wanted to escape. And so it was that Celestin arrived in Haiti aboard the last flight Wednesday to the capital of Port-au-Prince, a city the 38-year-old left three years ago in search of a better-paying job to help support his family. He is among some 2,000 migrants that the U.S. expelled to Haiti this week via more than 17 flights, with more scheduled in upcoming days. Staying in Haiti is not an option for many of them. Like Celestin, they plan to flee their country again as soon as they can. It had stopped drizzling as Celestin left the airport and stepped out into streets choked with dust and smoke, carrying a bag in one hand and his 2-year-old daughter in the other. Chloe, born in Chile, looked around quietly at her new surroundings as Celestin and his wife asked to borrow someones phone to call a taxi. It would be more expensive, but they didnt want their toddler riding on a motorcycle a common means of transport in city where vehicles must veer around smoldering garbage dumps, heavy traffic and the occasional burning barricade. After a 35-minute ride, they arrived at a house whose basement they would share with a cousin who had been expelled from the U.S. the day before. The home is located a couple blocks away from where 15 people were killed in a shooting rampage in June, including a journalist and political activist. Among those charged was a police officer. This is not what I imagined, being here, said Celestins wife, 26-year-old Delta de Leon, who was born in the Dominican Republic to a Dominican father and a Haitian mother. But here I am, although I hope to leave soon because the one thing Ive never wanted for my daughter is for her to grow up here. Story continues Haiti has more than 11 million people; about 60% make less than $2 a day. A cornerstone of its economy is money from Haitians living abroad $3.8 billion a year, or 35% of the countrys GDP. The Haiti to which the migrants are returning is more violent, more impoverished and more politically unstable than the one they left. It is struggling to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti in August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes. Thousands of people live in squalid shelters after their homes were razed in recent months as a result of rampant gang violence. Celestin and his wife dont plan on staying long. On his first day back in Haiti, Celestin spent several hours sprawled on the queen-sized bed he shared with his wife and daughter. He chatted on the phone with his sister, who lives in Chile, and with friends elsewhere as he planned his familys departure. He paused only to get a haircut and to figure out how to pick up a money transfer, since he had previously sent all his identification documents to his family in Miami in hopes he would be reunited with them with this month. The new plan is to return to Chile, where he built homes as a construction worker after obtaining a visa. With the pandemic drying up jobs and freezing the economy, the family decided to try their luck at the U.S.-Mexico border, traveling by foot, bus and boat at night for about a month. What hurt me the most, what frustrated me the most, was the dead people I saw, migrants who died along the way, said de Leon. The toll of that trip, the conditions at the border and the recent deportation flight with a sick child Chloe had developed an incessant cough while the family camped under a Texas bridge meant de Leon didnt sleep much her first night in Haiti. I cried because I dont want to be here, she said. De Leon intends to cross the border into the Dominican Republic with her daughter as soon as possible to reunite with her father, sister and brother while her husband flies ahead to Chile. But first, the family planned to go to the coastal city of Jacmel in southern Haiti to see more relatives, a risky trip because it entailed crossing gang-controlled territory. Buses often form convoys for safety, and sometimes pay gangs for safe passage. The violence in that neighborhood has reached such high levels that Doctors Without Borders recently closed its clinic there after 15 years. Breakfast on that first morning in Haiti consisted of spaghetti and bits of avocado. Normally, Chloe has milk and fruit, but de Leon said she was waiting on a money transfer to buy some basic food items. She worried about her daughters health, and about her future. The future I want for her is a better life, a more comfortable one, the kind a poor person can give their children, she said. If that life has to be in the United States, so be it. If it has to be in Chile, let it be in Chile. But let it be a better life. On their second day in Haiti, the couple decided to take the risk and go to Jacmel. A minibus waited as Celestin and de Leon grabbed their bags and put on new shoes they had bought earlier that morning: black-and-white sneakers for him, white sandals for her. Na pale! Celestins cousin called out to them in Creole Well talk! And the couple boarded the minibus, placing their little girl between them as they embarked on the treacherous road to Jacmel. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Former Texas Rep. Beto ORourke took aim Friday at the Biden administrations response to the influx of thousands of Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas, over the past week, saying it was "without a plan." In an op-ed published by El Paso Matters, ORourke, a Democrat who is considering a run for governor in Texas, asked why was our government so slow to respond, leaving the people of Del Rio and the Border Patrol to their own devices? Like many progressive members of his party, ORourke also took issue with Bidens reliance on Title 42, a policy used by former President Donald Trump to expel migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. on the grounds that they represented a public heath threat, to deport thousands of Haitians this week. Unfortunately, stung by the outcry and caught without a plan, the Biden administration used a cynical Trump-era policy (known as Title 42) to immediately, and without due process, repatriate Haitians back to the country they left a decade ago, one whose streets are now ruled by gangs and criminals, ORourke wrote. ORourke also vented that the federal government seemed to be caught off guard by the arrival of approximately 15,000 Haitian migrants on the Texas border with Mexico. None of this should have been a surprise to our government. We have diplomatic missions in each of these countries and an unrivaled global intelligence network, O'Rourke wrote. Immigration and undocumented border crossings have been a consistently pressing challenge for years. How could we not see this coming? Former Texas Rep. and potential gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images) As Yahoo News reported exclusively on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security had been monitoring the possibility that Haitian migrants would seek asylum in the U.S. in the wake of political unrest and a devastating earthquake in 2010. But multiple assessments downplayed the likelihood of a substantive surge. Haitis tense political environment will likely have a limited impact on migration over the next three months, stated a March 1 report written by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Story continues ORourke, who from 2013 to 2019 represented a West Texas congressional district that borders Mexico and went on to mount unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and the Democratic presidential nomination, told Mother Jones magazine that he was considering running to try to replace the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, next year. [Its] no secret, Im thinking about running for governor. Front and center in my consideration is just this: what it means to live in a democracy, O'Rourke said. In his op-ed on Friday, ORourke seemed to focus on that very theme, arguing that both Trump and Biden had failed to live up to American ideals. We need America to step up and convene the countries of this hemisphere to solve the interconnected crises of failed states, climate catastrophes and the mass movement of people who through no fault of their own are unable to stay in their home countries, ORourke wrote. We need our government to dispense with cynical Trump-era policies and follow current U.S. law to ensure due process for asylum seekers. We need to hold accountable those who would treat immigrants as less than human whether they were separated from their families and placed in cages under Trump or corralled like cattle as they brought food to their families under Biden. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: The White House is trying to downplay the relevance of China in a key meeting of top U.S. Indo-Pacific partners after the bungled rollout of a security alliance with the United Kingdom and Australia left Beijing steaming. President Joe Biden on Friday will host his first nonvirtual Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad summit, between Prime Ministers Scott Morrison of Australia, Narendra Modi of India, and Yoshihide Suga of Japan. But a senior administration official insisted Friday's affair was "an informal gathering" that was not aimed at undermining China's influence in the region. INDEPENDENTS WANT ACTION FROM BIDEN ON IMMIGRATION "We are working together to build better lines of communication and strengthening cooperation and habits of cooperation amongst us," the official said. "The leaders are hopeful for an opportunity in an intimate setting to sit down and talk about issues of mutual interest and concern." The White House's careful word choice follows a week of international furor with China and particularly France after the two countries objected to the United States forging another alliance with the U.K. to help Australia build nuclear-powered submarines. The partnership ostensibly counters China's aggression over disputed territory, but France lost a $60 billion contract with Australia to buy 12 diesel-electric submarines. China, with whom the U.S. wants to strike a climate deal, condemned the U.S.-U.K.-Australia pact's "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice." French President Emmanuel Macron avoided taking a phone call from Biden for days after recalling France's ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia. A senior administration official reiterated the Quad was not a "security" alliance. Instead, the official pointed to the group's goal of combating climate change, investing in infrastructure, bolstering supply chains, shoring up cybersecurity, and delivering 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Indo-Pacific by 2022. But the source declined to provide an update on their COVID-19 goal until the public event, as countries such as Australia face internal pressure to vaccinate its own population. Story continues "We will be announcing new working groups on space," the official said. "We will also announce a major fellowship that will bring students from India, from Japan, from Australia, and the United States, 100 in total, over the course of the next year and a half to study in elite universities in the United States in areas related to science and technology." But the senior administration official was pressed during a background call with reporters on the relationship between the Quad and the awkwardly abbreviated "AUKUS" alliance, as well as the Quad's role in mitigating China's rise. "This is not a military alliance. It's an informal grouping of democratic states that are all committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the official said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Biden will also hold his first in-person meeting with Modi in the Oval Office prior to the Quad summit. Suga, Japan's outgoing prime minister, will similarly have sideline events with the president and first lady Jill Biden after she worked closely with Suga before and during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Joe Biden spoke with Morrison earlier this week after he addressed the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the height of tensions with France. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Biden, Biden Administration, Joe Biden, White House Original Author: Naomi Lim Original Location: Biden administration awkwardly promotes 'Quad' summit after UK-Australia security alliance flap First visitations were held in Independence on Thursday evening for the citys 22-year-old police officer shot and killed in the line of duty last week. Dozens of U.S. flags flew on the grounds of the Community of Christ Auditorium as groups of visitors trickled in. Many of those paying respects were first responders, including police officers, emergency medical personnel and firefighters. Were all a big family, Independence Officer Jack Taylor, a police spokesman, said outside the auditorium, where ambulances, fire trucks and police motorcycles lined much of the parking lot. Were all here to do a job. And it just means a lot to see the other agencies come in and offer their support. Officer Blaize Madrid-Evans, a recent police academy graduate only 18 days into his field training program, was shot and killed Sept. 15 while responding to a residence in the 2400 block of South Northern Boulevard with his field training officer. Police were sent there after receiving a tip that a suspect, later identified as Cody L. Harrison, was inside the residence. Jackson County authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Harrison after he failed to appear for a hearing in late August. Harrison was shot and killed by the other Independence officer, authorities have said. Taylor said Thursday that Madrid-Evans death is still weighing heavily on many officers, especially those who worked on his shift. The most recent line-of-duty death for Independence police before Madrid-Evans was 20 years ago, when Officer Terry Eugene Foster, 54, was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call shortly before he was scheduled to retire. In the days following his death, several tributes have been paid to Madrid-Evans around the Kansas City area, including in his hometown of Smithville. Madrid-Evans was a 2018 graduate of Smithville High School, where former teachers remembered him as a kindhearted young man committed to helping others. Story continues Madrid-Evans family has asked for privacy during the grieving process. But in a public statement Wednesday, family thanked Independence and other area communities for overwhelming love and emotional support during this incredibly difficult time. Among those attending Thursdays visitation was Lt. Curt Ringgold of the Springfield Police Department. One of Madrid-Evans kidneys was recently donated to Springfield Officer Mark Priebe. Priebe was paralyzed after being struck by a vehicle outside of the police headquarters more than a year ago and recently learned his kidneys were failing. If he had the chance, Ringgold said he would give Madrid-Evans a great, big hug as thanks. The visitation Thursday was the first planned public gathering of Madrid-Evans services. On Friday, a ceremonial procession involving emergency vehicles will escort his body to the grave site at Mt. Washington Cemetery. Toni After the abrupt departure of Raniyah Copeland as CEO of the storied Black AIDS Institute, the nonprofit hired a trans woman to take her place, at least temporarily. The 23-year-old organization announced today that Toni Newman, currently the interim CEO at the San Francisco-based LGBTQ+ organization LYRIC, will soon be BAI's new interim CEO. BAI also announced Dr. Kemal M. Atkins will serve as its managing director "to help fortify BAI's infrastructure and round out the organization's stellar leadership team." Atkins will serve as a consultant and work on a temporary basis as he solidifies the organization, which is weathering a big change in leadership. The Los Angeles-based organization focuses on HIV education, prevention, and treatment among African-Americans, a group disproportionately affected by HIV. BAI has nearly 40 employees and operates a $5 million annual budget, according to the organization. Copeland served just under three years as CEO, replacing BAI's longtime leader Phill Wilson. After her departure from the organization in August, a petition circulated insinuating that accusations of harassment, possibly by Copeland against a BAI board member, led to her departure. Copeland has not commented publicly on the reason she left, though she was recently appointed to the Presidents Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Newman, stepping into Copeland's shoes, already has a long history work in the health sector and LGBTQ+ spaces. At LYRIC, she oversees the budget, programs, and community outreach. Newman is also a distinguished faculty member at the Transgender Strategy Center in Los Angeles, where she advises nonprofits on working with the trans community. Newman is also the chair of the board of directors at TransCanWork, assisting in employment opportunities for the disadvantaged community. Before her work at LYRIC, Newman served as executive director of San Francisco's St. James Infirmary clinic, which provides services to sex workers. Newman also served as a fundraiser and legislative aide for Equality California, the state's LGBTQ+ organization. Story continues Newman will now be one of the very few Black trans women to head a national nonprofit organization. "Ms. Newman has a wealth of knowledge in non-profit management, budget and finance, and human resources and operations," BAI stated in a press release. "We're excited that she has agreed to serve as our Interim CEO as we continue implementing our transition plan to find a permanent, innovative executive staff leader." The nonprofit also announced that Pat Bass and Chris Bates, two respected HIV advocates, would work with BAI to assess its "current capabilities and mission." Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Copeland only served as CEO for less than a year. We regret the error. By Alberto Alerigi SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's government has scheduled an auction of fifth generation (5G) mobile spectrum for Nov. 4, with expectations that it will raise around 10 billion reais ($1.87 billion) based on the minimum bids allowed, government officials said on Friday. The winning bidders will be required to invest about 40 billion reais in 5G infrastructure, the government predicts, with the level of capital expenditures also considered as part of the bid value. Among the obligations for auction winners, they must bring high-speed internet to thousands of schools to building 4G infrastructure along roadways. Communications Minister Fabio Faria announced the date of the auction on Friday on Twitter. Full rules for the auction are expected to be published on Monday, according to telecoms regulator Anatel. Anatel had put off a decision on the rules on Sept. 13 with board members at the regulator requesting further time for analysis. Anatel's board approved the auction in an extraordinary meeting on Friday, the minister said. Last week, Faria said Sao Paulo and other large Brazilian cities will have 5G networks working by the end of the year and all state capitals will have the technology by July 2022. The 5G auction will be the largest spectrum auction ever managed by Anatel. The Brazilian government expects companies to pay up to 45 billion reais ($8.5 billion) for the operating licenses for four different frequencies to be auctioned. ($1 = 5.3441 reais) (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi, additional reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in BrasiliaWriting by Tatiana Bautzer and Jake SpringEditing by Brad Haynes, Chris Reese and Diane Craft) Florida man Brian Laundrie, whose dead girlfriends body was found in a Wyoming park after he returned home alone from a cross-country road trip the two had taken, has been charged with bank-card fraud in that state. A federal grand jury indictment alleges Laundrie, 23, withdrew or spent more than $1,000 using a Capitol One card after Gabby Petito went missing. Its not clear whose name is linked to that account. The 22-year-old victims family last heard from her on Aug. 23 when she and Laundrie visited Wyomings Grand Teton National Park. Laundrie, who disappeared Sept. 14, is being searched for as a person of interest in Petitos death. Authorities responded to a call about a couple fighting in Moab, Utah, where they caught up with Laundrie and Petito last month but made no arrests. Another couple told CNN they witnessed Laundrie and Petito involved in a heated incident at a Jackson, Wyoming, restaurant that left a waitress rattled. Petito reportedly wept while an upset Laundrie entered and exited the eatery several times, expressing anger with restaurant staffers. Investigators plan to continue their search for Laundrie on Friday in Sarasotas Carlton Reserve Park, where his parents said he was headed when last seen. His car was found in the area. ______ By Ross Kerber (Reuters) - More than half of companies in the S&P 500 now use a common standard from the Value Reporting Foundation to report on topics like carbon emissions and energy management, indicating executives are paying more attention to an area likely to face new regulations soon, a foundation official said. "The market has already got a lot of momentum in the direction the SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) is pushing for," Neil Stewart, director of corporate outreach for the global nonprofit organization, said in an interview. As of Aug. 31, 324 companies in the S&P 500 used the foundation's standard, up from 201 companies at the end of 2020, according to the group, which is backed by large asset managers including BlackRock Inc and State Street Corp. The guidance describes how companies in different sectors should disclose environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) matters. The standard is also gaining more usage in non-U.S. indexes, the foundation said. Use of a different ESG effort, the Global Reporting Initiative, has also grown, with at least 10,000 users worldwide, a spokesman for the initiative said. The SEC this year requested public comments on how it might direct companies to report similar material on their climate impact and other areas. Agency officials did not immediately comment on Friday on the status of the review. In a "sample letter" on its website, the SEC described the sort of questions it asks of companies currently. These could include questions about litigation risks related to climate change, or requests for companies to explain why statements made in voluntary corporate social responsibility reports are different from those made in SEC filings. "The takeaway for me is that companies should be taking this as an opportunity to re-evaluate their materiality decisions in climate matters," Covington attorney Matthew Franker said. (Reporting by Ross Kerber in Boston; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a $15 billion package that will fund programs to tackle drought and climate change in the state after a devastating wildfire season. Newsom signed 24 bills focused on climate and clean energy efforts, droughts, and wildfire preparedness, his office said in a statement on Thursday, describing the funding as the largest climate package in California's history. The package's largest portion, $5.2 billion, will go towards funding for emergency drought relief projects and expanding California's water supplies. The package includes $3.7 billion to address climate change risks, investing in projects that will mitigate extreme heat and tackle the threat of rising sea levels. About $1.5 billion will go toward preventing wildfire risk in forests, according to the statement from Newsom's office. This month, President Joe Biden renewed his push for significant investments to combat climate change as he visited California and took an aerial tour of areas hit by one of the country's worst fire seasons. California typically experiences its peak fire season in late summer and fall. The state is on pace to see more of its landscape go up in flames this year than last, which was the worst year on record for the state. Human-caused climate change has intensified the withering drought gripping the Southwestern United States, the region's most severe on record, with precipitation at the lowest 20-month level documented since 1895, a U.S. government report said on Tuesday. Over the same period, from January 2020 through August 2021, the region also experienced the third-highest daily average temperatures measured since record-keeping began near the end of the 19th century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report warned that extreme drought conditions are likely to worsen and repeat themselves "until stringent climate mitigation is pursued and regional warming trends are reversed." (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Tax cuts and spending during the Trump years account for a quarter of the federal debt. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) For all the nations problems resurgent COVID-19, tragic weather extremes and the economic tolls of both youd think political leaders wouldnt crash us into an easily avoidable crisis as well. Yet here we are, facing the catastrophic threat of defaulting on the federal debt. Its a recurring political game, a favorite of Republicans. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Congress must raise the nations statutory borrowing limit by mid- to late October to meet the countrys obligations. But with Democrats nominally in power in Washington, Republicans are refusing to vote for an increase, risking a default on the IOUs they helped pile up. While the right blames the red ink on President Bidens spending plans, more than a quarter of the $28.5-trillion federal debt is attributable to tax cuts and spending during Donald Trumps presidency, including initial rounds of pandemic relief. Republicans controlled the Senate for those four years, and the House for two. Trillions more date to George W. Bushs administration, when Republicans also ruled Congress for most of his two terms, and reflect the costs of deep tax cuts, two wars and a new Medicare drug entitlement. Given the bipartisan responsibility for the debt, heres a bipartisan solution for avoiding these fights over the borrowing limit: Get rid of it. That wont happen, not soon at least. Republicans, led by two of the least constructive, most cynical politicians Ive covered over many years, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, are enjoying Democrats discomfiture too much as they anticipate capturing control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. But consider why the debt limit must go. Its anachronistic. Its ineffective as an incentive for fiscal rectitude. And its divisive, sparking so-called debates that mislead Americans about just whats at stake and further undermine their fragile faith in government. Instead, the nations commitment to cover its debts should be plain, even explicit, in its annual spending laws, without a separate statute. Story continues Few nations have debt-ceiling laws; Denmark, the only other democracy that does, sets its limit so high as to be irrelevant. International investors watch in wonder as the United States, the planets financial powerhouse, whose dollar is the global reserve currency, repeatedly jeopardizes that status and the global economy by calling into question whether the government will make good on its debts. The harrowing crisis in 2011, provoked by tea party Republicans in Congress, caused credit-rating firm Standard & Poors to downgrade the nations AAA+ rating. The debt ceiling, as we know it, dates to 1917. Until then, Congress had authorized the Treasury Department to borrow for specific purposes. From World War I on, as the United States became a global power, Congress set broader borrowing limits so the Treasury could better manage federal finances. As U.S. obligations grew, so did the frequency of votes to lift the debt limit. Since 1960, according to the Treasury, Congress has acted 78 times to adjust the ceiling 49 times under Republican presidents and 29 times under Democrats. But beginning in the Reagan era, as both the debt and political polarization grew, lawmakers often weaponized the debt-limit votes to make the party in power look profligate, and themselves fiscally righteous. Five times in the past decade Congress flirted with default by budget brinkmanship. Yet all three times that Congress lifted the ceiling during the Trump administration, Democrats provided support to make the actions bipartisan. Lifting the debt limit isnt a green light to new spending, despite McConnells repeated claims that Republicans are opposing an increase because of Democrats reckless taxing and spending spree. It simply allows the government to pay debt its already incurred through spending and tax-cut laws, including obligations for Social Security and Medicare benefits, defense contracts, veterans healthcare and much more. The headline on an analysis Tuesday from Moodys Analytics said it all: Playing a Dangerous Game With the Debt Limit. Voting against a higher debt ceiling is like voting for a balanced-budget constitutional amendment, another Republican hobbyhorse: Neither does anything to resolve the imbalance between federal revenue and spending. Such gambits are like political bumper stickers, easier and more popular than proposing spending cuts and tax increases to actually reduce debt. In the decades I reported on fiscal policy, from Ronald Reagans second term on, annual federal spending much of that time was roughly equivalent to about 21% of the nations gross domestic product, while taxes covered an amount in the range of 18%. That left yearly deficits of around 3% of GDP (more in years of economic crises, less in good times, and excepting the few years of surpluses late in Bill Clintons presidency). Given that experience from Reagan through Trump an era of four Republican presidents and two Democrats, when control of Congress swung from one party to the other or was divided between them it is past time to recognize that there is a rough consensus in this country to accept some deficit spending. That plain fact should settle how to handle the debt ceiling: Either unite to raise it whenever necessary, or abolish it. The House took the first step Tuesday, voting to raise the limit enough to finance projected debt through December 2022 just past the midterm elections. Democrats provided all 220 votes for this act of fiscal responsibility. McConnell, irresponsibly, reiterated his self-fulfilling vow that Republicans will block action in the Senate. In these bouts of brinkmanship, Democrats are inevitably at a disadvantage. They believe in making government work. Republicans, formerly the small-government party, have become the anti-government party, recklessly so. When McConnell and McCarthy signal that theyre willing to drive the country over a fiscal cliff, a la Thelma and Louise, believe them. Grab the wheel. Avert the crash. End the debt limit. @jackiekcalmes This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BARCELONA When President Biden stood before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday urging global coordination in battling crises like climate change and COVID while touting U.S. efforts to restore an era of relentless diplomacy, the words rang hollow in Europe, particularly in France. The government of French President Emmanuel Macron has been lambasting the Biden administration over its undiplomatic behavior ever since last weeks announcement that the U.S., U.K. and Australia had formed a new Indo-Pacific security pact called AUKUS, in which Australia will buy $66 billion of U.S.-made nuclear submarines. That alliance, which Macron learned about only hours before being made public, effectively torpedoed a $37 billion Australian order with France for a submarine fleet. Something has been broken between the Biden administration and France and possibly with all of Europe, Philippe Le Corre, nonresident senior fellow in the Europe and Asia programs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Yahoo News. President Biden, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron at a NATO summit in Brussels, June 14, 2021. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) It was a public humiliation for France, said Joseph de Weck, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of a recently published book about Macron. France looked like it hadnt been informed by its allies or had been lied to. And that is creating a problem of trust for the future. In response, Macron, who faces a reelection battle in April, immediately recalled his ambassadors from Washington and Canberra, while his foreign minister called the act a stab in the back and a huge breach of trust. While U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson a clear winner in the new alliance counseled Macron to get a grip, many European countries stood behind France: A major trade deal between Australia and the EU was scrapped, and a much-anticipated tech and trade summit between the EU and the U.S. scheduled for next week in Pittsburgh now looks uncertain. This is a transatlantic train wreck, said Roland Freudenstein, policy director of the Martens Centre for European Studies. Story continues But the tensions between the Biden administration and the 27-country European Union extend beyond AUKUS. Leaders within the EU are increasingly distressed at Bidens tendency to forego advising his transatlantic partners of his plans, as evidenced by the sudden, chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Allies whod partaken in the U.S.-led war on terror for the previous 20 years were left scrambling to evacuate personnel. A C-17 Globemaster takes off as Taliban fighters secure the outer perimeter, alongside the American controlled side of of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. (Marcus Yam/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Faith in the longstanding transatlantic alliance with the U.S., experts say, is eroding as the new administration pivots towards Asia, and many Europeans are worried that, despite promises to the contrary, many of the new American presidents policies seem indistinguishable from those of his predecessor. Between the Afghanistan fiasco, the muscling in on the Australian submarine deal, and excluding France from the Indo-Pacific security pact despite the country's naval presence in the region, the Biden administrations behavior of late regarding European allies feeds the narrative that the United States is not to be trusted, Le Corre added. America has become so self-centered and so self-focused under Trump, and now under Biden, that it cant even figure out the reaction of the Europeans when they do something like this. He is also shocked that Australia, a vehemently anti-nuclear country, is purchasing nuclear submarines from the U.S. When France tried to sell them the same, Le Corre noted, Australias leadership rebuffed the idea, insisting they wanted conventional subs. Policy experts are also concerned that in the name of controlling Chinese territorial overreach, the apparent goal of AUKUS, the U.S. would form a security club of solely English-speaking countries. Excluding EU countries, particularly France, makes little sense, according to de Weck. France has the most powerful military in the EU, especially when it comes to submarine and naval abilities, said de Weck, who noted that since Britain left the EU, France is its sole nuclear power. France also has a close relationship with India, an important player in that region, he added. So to completely cut out France [from any Indo-Pacific security pact] seems a bit stupid because France has similar interests to the U.S. and Australia and India." As France has territories and naval bases in the region and ships already patrolling Indo-Pacific waters, he added, "They want to keep the seas open there. They also fear Chinese expansionism. A view of the Eiffel Tower from an army helicopter over Paris. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) Opinions seem to be in two camps in Brussels, said Jamie Shea, a former NATO deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges and a senior fellow at Friends of Europe. Theres the camp behind France, which argues that this is really bad behavior on the part of the U.S. and Australia. Its insulting to an ally breaking an important deal. The other camp, he said, argues We need the United States, but we have to be careful. We cant rely on them all the time, they are going to act unilaterally. In short, The honeymoon is over when it comes to believing that the U.S. will act in a multilateral way, he said. And many Europeans are taken aback. Biden came in with highfalutin rhetoric about how America is back and would consult Europeans on every single thing and how NATO is a sacred commitment and the EU would be America's big partner," Shea added. "Biden came out on a very, very high pitch and after Trump, Europeans were desperate to believe it." Given two successive crises within a couple of weeks, Freudenstein is wondering where all Bidens promised respect of allies has gone. Some people are saying that the Biden administration is just not as expert and professional about politics and diplomacy as we had hoped they would be after Trump, he said. Yet for all the doom and gloom that was initially painted by some pundits including that the brouhaha over the lost French submarine deal would endanger the U.S.-EU relationship for many years to come or even destroy it completely signs of amelioration are already in the air. After giving Biden the cold shoulder for three days, Macron finally spoke with his American counterpart on Wednesday, agreeing to meet with him in late October at the G-20 summit in Rome. Macron is also sending his ambassador back to Washington, although thus far the French ambassador to Australia remains in France. Biden addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. (Timothy A. Clary/Pool/Getty Images) Ali Wyne, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group, would welcome any thawing of Franco-American relations, and patching over problems in the transatlantic relationship. Its difficult to imagine a scenario in which the United States is able to address the transnational challenges that President Biden mentioned in his U.N. speech Tuesday without the European Union. Without Brussels, it is not possible. He added that despite the announcement about the submarine deal, it wont have any discernible effect on the military in the region for years, as realistically the submarines wouldnt be delivered until 2030 or so. Le Corre and others believe the best way to reconcile is to embrace France as a security ally in the Indo-Pacific region, even bringing it into AUKUS. I dont think French officials will let it go, he said, until France is recognized as an important security partner in those waters. One snag with that idea is that the already awkward-sounding name might end up as FRAUKUS. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Catholic bishops in Canada apologized Friday unequivocally to Indigenous peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools, just as Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their Native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are said to have died. The Catholic bishops in Canada are promising to provide documents that may help memorialize students buried in unmarked graves, work on getting the Pope to visit Canada, and raise money to help fund initiatives recommended by local Indigenous partners. The church has been heavily criticized for refusing to provide all documents requested by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for raising less than one-sixth of a $25-million Canadian (US$19.8 million) fund promised for reconciliation and healing as part of the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The bishops apology is the latest expression of remorse from the Canadian arms of the Catholic Church but still falls short of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission call for the pope himself to apologize in Canada. National Indigenous leaders, elders, youth and survivors of residential schools are to travel to Rome in mid-December for four days of meetings, which some hope will be the final precursor to that apology. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appealed directly to the pope for the apology during a visit to the Vatican in 2017, but months later Francis sent word through Canadian bishops that he could not personally respond to the call. The Canadian government apologized in Parliament in 2008 and admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant. Many students recalled being beaten for speaking their Native languages. They also lost touch with their parents and customs. Reuters A former U.S. special envoy to Haiti who blasted the Biden administration as he resigned last month over the deportations of hundreds of migrants told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday that Washington must rethink its approach to the Caribbean nation. Foote, a career diplomat named to his post in July, said Haiti was reeling from poverty, crime and other challenges and unable to support the infusion of returning migrants. (Bloomberg) -- Chinas ban on cryptocurrencies: debilitating blow, or just a minor battle lost in the larger war for acceptance? Investors are divided. Most Read from Bloomberg Digital currencies sold off after Chinas central bank said all cryptocurrency-related transactions were illegal, according to a Q&A statement on the Peoples Bank of Chinas website. Bitcoin, the largest digital coin, fell as much as 8.9%, while Ether lost near 13%. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index, a gauge of some of the most-prominent cryptos, lost as much as 11%. Its the latest move in a multi-year clampdown on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, said Antoni Trenchev, managing partner and co-founder of Nexo, a crypto lender. For now, Bitcoin cant catch a break. Bitcoin is being bombarded from all sides. Heres how market-watchers reacted: Chen Arad, chief operating officer at crypto risk surveillance firm Solidus Labs: Though Chinas move is particularly dramatic, it reflects on similar concerns regulators globally are sharing surrounding crypto market integrity and its role in illicit activity. Manipulation and fraud is not unique to crypto but, as a new asset class, digital assets present new challenges and have more to prove to regulators and the public. Brent Donnelly, president of Spectra Markets, and a former HSBC FX trader: Solana Summer is over, the Loot frenzy looks like a major peak for NFT (non-fungible token) mania, the El Salvador launch on September 7 was the ding dong high for BTC (predictably), he wrote. It will be interesting to see how crypto trades in Q4 in the face of reduced global monetary accommodation and a lack of fun stories. My guess is that crypto struggles for a while. Story continues Steven McClurg, chief investment officer at crypto fund-manager Valkyrie Investments: China has banned crypto at least a dozen times this year. The volatility we are seeing today may be a knee-jerk reaction by some, but most market participants have already priced a China ban in from the beginning of the summer. Chris Dick, a London-based quant trader at crypto trading firm B2C2: If the headlines are just stronger wording ahead of Chinas own digital currency, or if China is just reiterating its stance on mining, then there is no lasting effect here, he said. If, on the other hand, the crackdown affects key market infrastructure such as the major exchanges then the market volatility is set to increase further. George Monaghan, analyst at GlobalDatas thematic team: China ruling crypto transactions illegal would be disastrous for the cryptocurrency sector. Being excluded from the worlds largest market is terrible for any product, and this is the strongest demonstration yet of Chinas anti-crypto sentiment, Monaghan said. However, this isnt the first time China has threatened action, and, thus far, it has failed to follow through. The next few weeks will be rough for crypto markets that were already on edge after the SECs recent comments, but only actual legislation will have a long-term effect. Alex Tapscott, managing director of the digital asset group at Ninepoint Partners: Veteran traders are conditioned to shrug off bad news from China and buy the dip, but could this time be different? There are a few reasons to think so, including Chinas tech crackdown, as well as its pursuit of its digital yuan, among other factors. Read more: How Bitcoin Is Edging Toward the Financial Mainstream: QuickTake Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. China's central bank on Friday said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, sounding the death knell for digital currencies in China after a crackdown on the volatile trade. The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated over the past year partly due to Chinese regulations, which have sought to prevent speculation and money laundering. "Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities," the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in an online statement Friday, adding that offenders would be "investigated for criminal liability in accordance with the law." The notice bans all related financial activities involving cryptocurrencies, such as trading crypto, selling tokens, transactions involving virtual currency derivatives and "illegal fundraising". The central bank said that in recent years the "trading and speculation of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have become widespread, disrupting economic and financial order, giving rise to money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities." In June, Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people had been arrested for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies. Several Chinese provinces had already banned the operation of cryptocurrency mines since the start of this year, with one region accounting for eight percent of the computing power needed to run the global blockchain -- a set of online ledgers to record bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin values tumbled in May on the back of a warning by Beijing to investors against speculative trading in cryptocurrencies. lxc/rox/mtp Whether and why Michael Benningfield, on a bar floor, tore a mans eyebrow from his face using his teeth were considerations in the distance at nearly every turn during a hearing in a conference room on the underground level of Fort Worth City Hall. Those questions and the circumstances of the 2016 fight were not the focus of argument. The discussion Wednesday night at a Civil Service Commission session was esoteric. As he sought to clarify his understanding of the legalities covering city employment matters that were displayed on a large screen, Ricky Torlincasi, the bodys chairman, tried unsuccessfully to get a Fort Worth assistant city attorney and a representative for Benningfield, a Fort Worth firefighter, to agree on in what way the text applied in the case. Im just a guy trying to understand local government code more than I ever cared to, Torlincasi said. Three-ringed books holding exhibits and tiny water bottles were passed around over nearly four hours. The result of the hearing, during which Torlincasi and a second commissioner, Jason Baldwin, were to decide whether Benningfield should receive back wages for a period of about three years during which he was suspended from the fire department without pay, was determined by the commissions strict statute interpretation. The fight itself has been considered previously in various domains. There remains disagreement on whether the bite was justified because Benningfield, who was off duty when he was involved in the fight, has at times been viewed as defending himself as the victim of an assault by Shawn Merriman, whose brow was lost. The matter has been reviewed by the fire department, where an internal affairs investigator and two chiefs appeared to conclude that Benningfield was justified. Retired fire department Lt. Greg Russell testified that he began his investigation believing that Benningfield was likely the suspect and ended it finding that Benningfield was a victim, in part because of a police report that included a single consistent account from Benningfield and three Merriman versions of what prompted the fight. The alternate descriptions damaged Merrimans credibility, Russell testified. Story continues Fire Chief Jim Davis concluded, after Benningfield pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor crime in the case, that he should return to work with no discipline beyond a letter of reprimand that encouraged an outside review of his alcohol use and anger management. The criminal arrangement was a plea bargain. He was originally indicted on a felony aggravated assault charge. Merriman was not charged in the case. Benningfield resumed full duty on Oct. 7, 2019. Elements of the bloody encounter also were weighed by the firefighters homeowners insurance company, which paid $20,000 to Merriman in an exchange in which Merriman agreed to dismiss a lawsuit in which Benningfield was a defendant. And the central questions of the fight were mulled by District Court Judge Scott Wisch, who in October 2019 accepted Benningfields guilty plea to assault with bodily injury, a misdemeanor crime, and sentenced him to to two years of probation. The Fort Worth Civil Service Commission was asked to decide whether Benningfield was permitted under local government code to receive back pay for the period of three years and one month during which he was on administrative suspension from the fire department without pay. Using what Assistant City Attorney Trey Qualls described as a novel understanding of the code that he said is a loophole, Torlincasi and Baldwin ordered that the city of Fort Worth submit to Benningfield a back payment of $159,625.76. The amount is less than the total that Benningfield sought for pay and benefits ($300,639.23) and more than the amount the city sought ($0). A third commission member was absent. At the end of an executive session closed to the public, Torlincasi said that he and Baldwin had determined that the code calls for a firefighter not convicted of the crime on which he or she is indicted to be permitted to seek back pay. The commission reached its calculation after subtracting unemployment insurance payments and an estimate of what Benningfield would have earned in another job that paid minimum wage during the suspension period. In his closing argument, Qualls had argued that Benningfield did not have jurisdiction to appeal because of his conviction of a lesser-included offense similar to the crime on which he was indicted. I implore you, Qualls said. Do not reward him for his misbehavior. Earlier, Benningfield testified that former Fort Worth Fire Chief Rudolph Jackson suggested to him he would not oppose Benningfields efforts to receive back wages if the criminal case was disposed of without a felony conviction. I think I deserve it all, Benningfield said of his back pay and benefits. In an interview with a reporter after the commission order was clear, Merriman said Benningfield should not receive back pay and should not be employed by the department. He doesnt deserve a dime, Merriman said. Benningfields first public account of what occurred before the fight at the Whiskey & Rye bar at the Omni Hotel at 1300 Houston St. in Fort Worth emerged during his commission testimony. The firefighter said two men who had previously been sitting at a table with Merriman simulated a sex act behind Benningfield while he used a urinal. Benningfield told his wife of the restroom encounter, she alerted a bar security employee and the men were ejected from the bar. Merriman and a woman with him were likely upset by their friends removal, he said. Benningfield said that he did not remember biting Merriman. After they were separated, Merriman said that he would rape and kill Benningfields wife, the firefighter testified. In his testimony, Merriman denied making the threat. No clear surveillance video of the fight was recorded. Jackson placed Benningfield on temporary unpaid suspension on Aug. 26, 2016, two days after he was indicted on a charge of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. The fight occurred about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2016. Off-duty Fort Worth police Officer Vernon Gray was working security when the fight erupted, according to his commission testimony and a police report. Gray found Benningfield and Merriman on the floor facing each other. He yelled, Fort Worth police! Break it up! the report states. Merriman, then 39, told investigators that he put his hands up when he heard the officers shout. Thats when Benningfield bit him on the forehead, Merriman said. The officers report states the bite took a chunk out of Merrimans forehead, just above his right eye. Unable to break Benningfields grip on Merriman, the officer placed his Taser on Benningfields stomach area and dry stunned the firefighter, causing him to release Merriman, the report said. Merriman told police he was at the bar for a surprise party for his upcoming 40th birthday. He said he bumped Benningfield with his elbow as he worked his way toward the crowded bar to get a glass of water. Merriman told police he had just told Benningfield, Excuse me, I need to get in here, when Benningfield turned around, punched him and grabbed him, and the two men fell to the floor fighting, Merriman said. Merriman said that when the officer saw them wrestling on the floor and shouted to stop, he was ready for the altercation to end. But as he was getting up, Benningfield grabbed his head and latched onto his eyebrow, Merriman said. When the officer deployed his Taser, Benningfield ripped off part of Merrimans forehead and spit it on the floor, Merriman said. At first it was not clear what had become of the skin. Once it was found, Merriman said he took his eyebrow to a hospital and hoped that doctors could sew it in place. The tissue was contaminated, and the doctors declined. Associated Press Donald Trump intends to assert executive privilege in a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, a move that could prevent the testimony of onetime aides, according to a letter sent by lawyers for the former president. The letter went to at least some witnesses who were subpoenaed by the House committee and it makes clear that Trump plans to invoke privileges meant to protect presidential communications from being shared with Congress. Spokespeople for Trump did not immediately return messages seeking comment. HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba is allowing a staggered opening from Friday of restaurants, shopping centres and beaches in provinces that have lowered coronavirus cases even as it battles some of the highest nationwide rates of infection per capita worldwide. The easing of lockdown restrictions coincides with preparations by the cash-strapped Caribbean island nation for its tourist high season, which it hopes will bring much-needed dollars to palliate a dire economic crisis. The government has already announced it will allow more flights and accept COVID-19 vaccination certificates for inbound travelers in lieu of a PCR test from November. "In recent days we have determined the conditions are there to gradually reopen many of these in-person services," said Interior Commerce Minister Betsy Diaz. Health officials said coronavirus infections started falling in September from their peak over the summer months as they raced to vaccinate more than 90% of the population by mid November with their home-grown COVID-19 vaccines. They have already vaccinated 86.5 % of the 2.2 million inhabitants in Havana, where they started the campaign. Authorities have selected 533 businesses that may now open to in-person service in the capital including 315 restaurants. Until now eateries had only been allowed to do delivery. Earlier this month Cuba asked the World Health Organization to start the evaluation process toward officially recognizing its vaccines, which would be a major recognition given data from late phase trials has not yet been published in peer reviewed journals. Yet in the near term, the virus is overwhelming healthcare facilities in provinces that started their vaccination campaigns after Havana, despite the return of hundreds of doctors from missions abroad to reinforce staffing. On top of the pandemic-induced crisis, Cuba is dealing with shortages of medicines in an economy struggling with a decline in aid from ally Venezuela, a tightening of decades-old U.S. sanctions and the reduction of tourism revenue. (Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Writing by Sarah Marsh; editing by Grant McCool) Sep. 24A painting by the late Barkley Hendricks, who taught at Connecticut College for almost four decades, sold at a Sotheby's auction in February for a record $4 million, a sign of a resurgence of interest in his work, including a new book of his photography and planning for a major museum retrospective. Connecticut College issued a short news release after the eye-opening Sotheby's sale. After Hendrick's death in 2017, the college sponsored a simple panel discussion of his work and included him posthumously in honoring five different faculty members. Donors to the college, it seems to me, get a lot more attention and celebration from the school administration than a longtime member of the faculty who is acknowledged as a powerful force in the international art world, rising to fame with his arresting portraits of Black people. He developed the style after touring the art capitols of Europe as a young man, discovering that all the significant portraits were of white people. Hendricks was also one of the college's most visible ambassadors to the New London community, a frequent presence on downtown streets with his camera and a regular contributor to Hygienic Art events and shows. I couldn't help but think of the college's near ambivalence toward the legacy of one of its most famous faculty members, a Black man, as a luminary in the world of Black literature, a graduate of the college, is also barely remembered by the school, despite the acclaim for her latest work. Gayl Jones, celebrated in a recent New York Times profile as a writer who Toni Morrison once said changed Black women's literature forever, is a star graduate of the college but is also seemingly long forgotten here. A Sunday review in the Times of Jones' new book, "Palmares," her first in 22 years, hailed it as genius. Despite this new attention to one of its most accomplished alums, a Black woman, the college public relations machine has remained silent about her. Indeed, a search of the college website turns up only one reference to Jones, a mention that she, along with a handful of other authors, is taught in a single literature course. Story continues The course description doesn't even mention that Jones is a graduate of the college. The profile of Jones in the Times titled "She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared." describes her recent life as a recluse, refusing all interview and photograph requests. It describes some of her life at Connecticut College, where she was mentored by William Meredith, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who taught there from 1955 to 1983. There's lots of acclaim for Meredith, a white author, on the college website, where you learn about his being awarded the College Medal, the school's highest honor, an honorary doctorate bestowed upon him and the professorship named for him, all appropriate tributes. The Times profile of Jones, by Imani Perry, includes references to some of the letters, in the college's collection, between Meredith and Jones. It also quotes from a poem, "Tripart," which Perry suggests provides a sense of what she must have thought about the scene at Connecticut College, as experienced by a poor young Black woman from the South. "a very friendly prison this is white kids discussing politics and suddenly your nerves have a finished form (half-digested rage)" Jones and Hendricks almost certainly had a complicated relationship with the college. I remember when Hendricks appeared in the 1970s in national advertising for Dewar's Scotch, but his description in the glossy magazine ads made no mention of the fact that he taught at Connecticut College. I would hope Connecticut College might do more to remember two remarkable Black artists who honed their talents here in New London. It would serve everyone well. This is the opinion of David Collins. d.collins@theday.com Derek Chauvin addresses the Hennepin County court at his sentencing hearing in June (AP) Derek Chavin has filed an intent to appeal with the Minnesota state appellate court over his murder conviction for the death of George Floyd. In June, the former police officer was jailed for more than 22 years after a jury found him guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, in a case that captured the worlds attention around police brutality against Black people. In 2020, Chauvin was caught on camera, kneeling on Mr Floyds neck for more than eight minutes Mr Floyd was also handcuffed. The video sparked international outrage and a worldwide protest movement. In court documents filed on Thursday, Chauvin raised 14 issues about his prosecution that he believed supported his request for an appeal, including the courts denial of his request for a change of venue, Reuters reported. Among his complaints, Chauvin lists an abuse of judicial discretion, whereby the judge denied his requests to sequester the jury during the trial, denied him a new trial over what he ascribed to be juror misconduct, and did not allow him to strike jurors whom he claimed were clearly biased from serving on the jury. Chauvin took issue with the addition of the third-degree murder charge during the trial, as well as the courts alleged failure to make an official record of numerous sidebars throughout the trial. The disgraced police officer separately filed a motion to temporarily paus the appeals process until Minnesotas Supreme Court reviews an earlier decision to deny him representation by a public defender in his appeal. In an affidavit, Chauvin claimed that he had neither an attorney to represent him in the process, nor the money to pay for one. He said that he had no income beyond nominal prison wages. He added that the Minneapolis Peace and Police Officers had paid for legal representation during his trial, but had ceased doing so following his conviction and sentencing. More to follow Meng Wanzhou (C) leaves British Columbia Supreme Court A Chinese technology executive held in Canada on US fraud charges has left the country after a deal with prosecutors, following years of diplomatic tensions over her fate. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, was detained on fraud charges in December 2018 at the request of the US. On Friday, the US Department of Justice dropped an extradition request for her. The case infuriated China and strained relations with the US and Canada. It also prompted accusations that China had detained Canadian citizens in retaliation, which China denied. "My life has been turned upside down. It was a disruptive time for me," Ms Meng told reporters after being freed from Canadian detention. "Every cloud has a silver lining," she continued, adding: "I will never forget all the good wishes I received from people around the world." Shortly afterwards she boarded an Air China flight bound for the Chinese city of Shenzhen, AFP news agency reports. Meng Wanzhou is believed to have left Vancouver International Airport on this Air China flight bound for Shenzhen Details of a possible deal for Ms Meng's release have been the subject of intense negotiations between US and Chinese diplomats. The US alleged Ms Meng misled the bank HSBC over the true nature of Huawei's relationship with a company called Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating US sanctions against Iran. On Friday the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said it had reached a deferred prosecution agreement. This means the DOJ would hold off from prosecuting Ms Meng until December 2022. If she complied with conditions set by court, the case would eventually be dropped. The deal, which recommended she be released, allowed her to formally deny guilt for key charges while also acknowledging the allegations laid out by the Americans. Later on Friday, Canadian prosecutors told a court in Vancouver that they had withdrawn efforts to extradite her to the US and that she should be discharged from detention. Story continues She had been under house arrest in her multimillion-dollar Vancouver home for nearly three years. Ahead of the court appearance, Ms Meng was seen entering the building accompanied by Chinese consular officials. The judge subsequently ordered that she go free. As part of the deal, Ms Meng agreed to a "statement of facts" admitting that she knowingly made false statements to HSBC. The DOJ said Ms Meng had "taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetrating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution". The DOJ also said said it was continuing to prepare for trial against Huawei. Analysis box by Gordon Corera, security correspondent For months there have been extensive behind-the-scenes contacts, with senior Huawei executives sent to Washington by the company to try to resolve a case which has fuelled international tension. For Huawei's boss, the issue has been deeply personal, with his daughter being held, but for the whole of China it has also turned into a major cause of anger. It has also poisoned relations between China and Canada, with the latter believing two of its citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, have been held as pawns in the negotiations. A deal has the ability to reduce some of the tensions that have emerged. But there will still be questions - what does the US gain out of it? And what kind of link might there be between events in North America and the status of the two Michaels in China? Ms Meng is the elder daughter of billionaire Ren Zhengfei, who set up Huawei in 1987. The company is now the largest telecom equipment maker in the world. He served in the Chinese army for nine years, until 1983, and is also a member of the Chinese Communist Party. Huawei has faced accusations that the Chinese authorities could use its equipment for espionage - allegations it denies. In 2019, the US imposed sanctions on Huawei and placed it on an export blacklist, cutting it off from key technologies. The UK, Sweden, Australia and Japan have also banned Huawei, while other countries including France and India have adopted measures stopping short of an outright ban. A few days after Ms Meng was arrested, China detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on suspicion of spying. Critics have accused China of treating them as political bargaining chips, held as part of what is known as "hostage diplomacy". China denies this. Last month, a Chinese court convicted Michael Spavor, a businessman, of espionage and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. Canada condemned the sentence, saying his trial did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law. Ms Meng's agreement with the US may pave the way for the two Canadians' release, but tensions in China-Canada relations will not quickly dissipate, experts say. The bilateral relationship has plunged to historic lows since Meng's arrest. The US charges against Huawei remain, and the company is still on a trade blacklist. Other Chinese tech companies with operations in the US, such as social media company TikTok, are also facing scrutiny. Chinese tech sector analyst Rui Ma told the BBC that many Chinese companies were hopeful that Ms Meng's deal with the US might mean no further deterioration of US-China relations, "but no one is taking it to mean that there is a reversal in tensions". Eamonn Holmes and wife Ruth Langsford, before Holmes was laid low by shingles. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) For a condition that one in three people will develop in their lives, we don't hear much about shingles. But the viral infection that causes an agonising rash - and in one in ten cases leads to nasty complications - is finally getting its moment in the spotlight. This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, 61, opened up in an appearance on ITV's Loose Women this week. Revealing that he had been diagnosed with shingles in 2018, and forced to remain off air until he recovered, Holmes explained that the illness had 'ruined' his son;'s wedding pictures. He shared a personal image from his Instagram account (below) and said: It was the first marriage in the family and that was what I looked like on the wedding day and I had to have that covered up. So you can imagine, I ruined all the pictures, I didn't want to be in them. I didnt want to be the centre of attention with all this." Holmes added, The timing was awful. The dangerous thing about mine was that if it's on your face, it can affect, maybe impair, your eyesight. I would think, Goodness me, thats awful but I never thought it was coming my way." He described the experience of waking up one morning and feeling something similar to cold sores across his entire face - and a shooting pain. It was like a Hammer horror film, he said. "... like some hideous movie, where you feel your face and you go, Whats that?. I remember going to the bathroom mirror and jumping back in horror. Though he made a full recovery, he captioned the alarming photo "you don't want to (get it)." David Letterman, a fellow sufferer said he looked as if he'd been 'beaten up'. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Read more: Liz Hurley tells Eamonn Holmes to squat while brushing his teeth to relieve back pain Shingles is a viral infection which causes a painful, sore rash. It's triggered by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), one of the herpes family of viruses. Unsightly and distressing, the skin breaks out in fluid-filled blisters, and the rash may be accompanied by fever, fever, fatigue, or a migraine- like headache. Story continues It's infectious, and is more likely to strike in those whose immune systems are suppressed or in older people, while being 'run down' often precedes a bout. Watch: Ali Fedotowsky reveals she was diagnosed with shingles at 36 Stars who have spoken about their shingles experiences include US TV star David Letterman, who contracted the virus back in 2003 and before his diagnosis explained that his eye had swollen and said, I look like somebody gave me a beating...its either an irritation, inflammation or infection For the love of God, does it hurt! Sir Cliff Richard, 80, also suffered with shingles after an unfounded accusation of abuse. "Within six months of the allegation I had shingles all over my head and face," he said. "It looked so horrible I thought, I cant believe it is happening. Andi Peters has made a full recovery since his illness last year. (Getty Images) Another TV presenter, Andi Peters contracted shingles at the start of 2020 and was concerned about COVID-19. My 2020 has been ridiculous, it started with shingles for two weeks," he revealed, joking, "even Piers [Morgan] was worried. I was lucky, I had it quite bad but not as bad as some people, who have no nerve endings for months. I was very worried that after that, my immune system would be really, really low and I would be more susceptible to coronavirus." Read more: Andi Peters praises ITV for putting black presenters in lead roles as he takes over 'Lorraine' Though Peters had to take sick leave for the first time in 20 years, he's now fully recovered. Hollywood star and creator of Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda also suffered with the virus. The Northern Lights and Mary Poppins Returns actor was forced to quarantine away from his new baby until he recovered. Miranda last year, having recovered from shingles. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard What are the symptoms? Tingling or pain in an area of the skin Bad headache Fever Feeling generally fatigued/unwell A few days later, pink/red blotches appear, usually on the torso, and on only one side. They will then blister and scab. What can you do? The NHS advises: Call 111, and if necessary arrange an appointment to speak to a doctor Take paracetamol Keep the rash clean Use a cool compress on the skin Rest Stay off work, school or college until the rash has dried and you're not longer infectious. It can take up to four weeks to fully heal. The rash on the face - it can take four weeks to heal. (Getty Images) Can I be vaccinated? If you are over 70 or suffer certain conditions a vaccine may be available. Ask your GP for advice. What's the treatment? Treatment of shingles includes an antiviral medication (such as acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir) and pain medications (such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, tramadol, or oxycodone). What are the complications Continued pain (called postherpetic neuralgia) in the area of the rash, even after it has disappeared Eye infection and inflammation which, although rare, can lead to vision loss Ear inflammation and pain Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) Bacterial skin infection It's important to know that if you have shingles, you can give the chickenpox virus to someone who's not had it before. It's vital to avoid pregnant women, those with a weakened immune system and newborn babies. Watch: How long should I wait before getting the shingles vaccine? Elizabeth Banks is totally unfiltered. The Walk of Shame actress, 47, took to Instagram on Friday to share two photos of herself one without a filter, and one with. Sporting a darker hue of blonde than her typical platinum, she captioned the selfies, "Filter-free. Filter. Just know whats up. Hydrate. Seriously tho, go get a glass of water." The Pitch Perfect 2 director's followers approved of the message. One wrote, "On my way! to drink water cause you told me to." Another added, "I understand you wearing makeup for the camera on the lighting when you're filming something but I honestly believe that you don't really need it." A third commented, "Any filter would be a downgrade to such natural beauty!" Banks, who is currently filming the movie Cocaine Bear in Ireland, has spoken out about the pressure put on women to look a certain way. In an interview on the Smartless podcast in July, she recalled an agent telling her she should get plastic surgery. "I've never been able to fill out that bikini top," she shared with the podcast hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. "One of my first big movies was Wet Hot American Summer, and [director] David Wain was like, 'Will you wear this bikini?' And the first agent I ever met in L.A., because I had a New York agent, when I went to L.A. and I interviewed this agent, said to me, 'Have you ever thought about getting a boob job?'" Later that month, Banks recalled on her Audible original podcast My Body, My Podcast a time in which she felt insecure about photos she had developed following a high school dance that ultimately clouded her perception of a fun evening. "I got that photo and all I could think about was, 'Oh my God, all anybody was looking at was my chicken legs and my raging acne, and my shiny forehead,'" she explained. "The fact that it could ruin an evening for me still strikes me. I can still feel that feeling." Story continues She said the memory reminded her how "self-images are incredibly powerful." "There are never more images being made than now, and never more tools, like filters and Photoshop, to alter those images," she shared. "Its important to be reminded that images aren't our bodies. They'tre just pictures of our bodies." Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. The Daily Beast Twitter/NBC DFWPolice have arrested an 18-year-old student after he allegedly got into a fight at a North Texas high school on Wednesday morning, then drew a gun and opened fire.The Arlington Police Department said that three students and one 25-year-old adult were injured in an incident that forced hundreds of students and staff at Mansfield Timberview High School into lockdown. A 15-year-old boy is in critical condition, while the other three are in good condition or have already been treated. The former head of Chinese liquor firm Kweichow Moutai, the world's most valuable spirits company, has been jailed for life for taking more than $17 million in bribes. Yuan Renguo, 64, was found guilty of accepting cash and properties worth more than 112.9 million yuan ($17.5 million) while working at Kweichow Moutai between 1994 and 2018, according to a court statement on Thursday. The court stripped Yuan -- a former Communist Party cadre and local government advisory group member -- of his political rights, and confiscated his personal property. Yang is the latest high-profile businessman and Communist Party figure to fall in President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign. He was dismissed from public office and expelled from the party on corruption allegations in May 2019. An investigation by the party's graft buster found Yuan had engaged in "family-style corruption" and facilitated the illegal sale of Moutai for unscrupulous dealers. Kweichow Moutai leapt past London-based Diageo in 2017 to become the world's most valuable spirits company. The company's fiery tipple, "baijiu", is the largest category of spirits consumed in the world, mainly due to China's huge population and the drink's ubiquity at weddings, banquets and business meetings in the country. Xi's anti-corruption campaign, launched in 2012, has hit baijiu sales particularly hard as bottles of premium brands like Moutai had become a popular gift for charming or bribing Communist Party officials. The company's share price remained unaffected by the ruling and stood at 1,652 yuan, up 0.92 percent in Thursday morning trade. prw/apj/dva/mtp By Gabriel Stargardter and Lisandra Paraguassu RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has formally asked Brazil to receive some Haitian migrants camped along the U.S.-Mexico border hoping to enter the United States, according to two sources with knowledge of the request. The petition from the IOM, a United Nations agency, comes as U.S. President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure to resolve yet another migration dilemma. Crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have jumped to their highest levels in 20 years in recent months, sparking political headaches and logistical obstacles for the United States and Mexico. Around 15,000 mostly Haitians were camped just north of the Rio Grande river this month as they attempted to enter the United States, although the numbers have since fallen dramatically. Washington has begun flying some back to Haiti, while Mexico has urged others to give up their U.S. dreams and seek asylum in the south of the country. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mexico-urges-haitians-us-mexico-border-give-up-head-south-2021-09-24 The IOM asked that Brazil receive Haitians who have a Brazilian child, or who have passed through Brazil before entering Mexico on their journey north, the two sources said. They said the first request was more likely to be approved. One of the sources said the second one would require more analysis. Without mentioning the IOM request, Brazil's foreign ministry said in a statement that "the topic was discussed in conversations between authorities from different countries and is being analyzed in light of current legislation." The IOM, via its Mexico office, said it has "a voluntary return program, assisting migrants of various nationalities, and the implementation of this program requires an agreement among the countries involved." It gave no further details. After Haiti's 2010 earthquake, many Haitians migrated to Brazil, where they found work and started families. More than 105,000 arrived in Brazil between 2011 and 2018, according to Brazil government data. Story continues With Brazil suffering from years of political dysfunction, economic malaise and a brutal coronavirus pandemic, some have since set off for the United States, according to officials and interviews with migrants. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Franca discussed the proposal when they met in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, one source said. Blinken asked Brazil to accept some Haitians who are set to be deported from the United States in the coming weeks, the source said. According to an official readout of their meeting, Blinken and Franca "discussed the cooperation between the United States and Brazil on bilateral, regional, and global issues." A U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to comment on discussions between Blinken and Franca, or on "the specifics of ongoing diplomatic discussions." The spokesperson directed questions on "commitments" Brazil had made to the IOM to Brasilia. "We are in close communication with other countries in the region to address the challenges of irregular migration," the spokesperson said. One of the sources said one hurdle that would need to be overcome as part of the proposal is which country would pay for the flights to bring the Haitians back to Brazil. The source assumed the United States, which is already sending planes full of people back to Haiti, would pay. In the past the U.S. State Department has funded IOM-organized returns of Central American migrants from Mexico. The current U.S. deportation flights to Haiti have caused controversy. The U.S. special envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote quit over the expulsions, saying in a letter circulating on Thursday that the "collapsed" Caribbean nation was unable to support the returning migrants. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been rocked by the assassination of its president, gang violence and natural disasters in recent months. (Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; editing by Diane Craft) Reuters MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, joined the race for president on Thursday, promising to usher in a government that cares for the people, not personal interests. Robredo, 56, who was elected separately from Duterte and was not his running mate, said her decision was a difficult one but she wanted to be of greater service to a country facing unprecedented health and economic shocks. "If we truly want to liberate ourselves from this situation, we should change not just the surnames of those in power; the corruption, the incompetence, the lack of compassion must be replaced by competence and integrity in leadership," said Robredo, who is running as independent candidate. A new shape joins L.A.'s urban landscape with the upcoming opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Cleaning the pleasure dome Window washers Mario Guzman, left, and Jesus Garcia clean windows on the dome of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Aug. 27, 2021. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Regarding Carolina A. Miranda's architecture review: A New Icon for L.A. [Sept. 21]: Oh, the madness of the pleasure dome made of 1,500 panels of glass. It may be a miracle of rare device, but it makes me cry out in poetic words Beware! Beware! of that work of art that brings to play falcons, pigeons, grime, dirt, winds, soot and the perilous challenges that workers must take on once in two months. Architect Renzo Piano may have been filled with Kublai Khans vision of a glass dome. But that vision belongs in the realm of rapturous poetry, not for us film lovers to gape in awestruck amazement at the foolishness. Little wonder there was so much bickering, changes of leadership and financial woes. Prem Kishore Reseda Editor's Note: Times arts writer Deborah Vankin reported on the crew and procedures used to clean the dome inThis Glass Isn't Gonna Clean Itself, Sept. 12. :: Regarding Treasure Room of Fantasies [Sept. 12], with Jen Yamato's mention of the Academy Museum's Debbie Reynolds Conservation Studio: Seeing the new Academy Museum about ready to open, I cant help remembering in the 1970s when MGM was slowly auctioned off prop by prop, costume by costume, and the dismantling of that iconic studio. The most vocal and determined person dedicated to preservation of her home studio was the late and very great Debbie Reynolds. She spent thousands of dollars of her own money, her valuable time and endless efforts to some day create a real Hollywood museum for this Company Town. Debbie Reynolds on June 2, 2011, sitting atop the throne used in the 1955 movie "The Virgin Queen." The prop and dresses worn in the film by Bette Davis and Joan Collins were some of the pieces the star auctioned off from her massive collection of costumes and memorabilia from classic Hollywood movies. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) She was able to have one for a short time in Las Vegas in her own hotel; sadly, it didnt last. She was a tireless advocate for preserving and teaching us all about the movies we all love, enjoy and remember, and she is to be saluted and remembered for all of her generous contributions toward that dream she never gave up on. In addition to her many talents and gifts she left us to enjoy in those beautiful movie gems, she finally got her wish, to share it all with the fans, in this state-of-the-art new Academy Museum. Story continues Her heart was always in the right place in her sheer determination to get it done, and now it is a reality. Thanks, Debbie Reynolds, for always caring, having the foresight to hold on to these treasures that tell the history and stories of the movies and our city; you can finally rest easy now. Your star will always shine brightly down upon this grateful town! Frances Terrell Lippman Sherman Oaks :: Renzo Pianos Death Star Geffen Theater is less innovative than is implied. The redone Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City opened in 2000 and has a spherical theater space (the planetarium) contained inside a glass cube. The glass/spherical/theater combination of Piano for the Geffen collapses the concept of the Hayden Planetarium into a single structure. The concept itself was done in New York two decades before Los Angeles, and, of course, both are museum buildings. There is little that is completely new under the sun, even in sunny California. Henry Hespenheide Hermosa Beach Editor's note: The Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space is a sphere inside a glass cube. Questioning Emmy coverage Regarding Too Predictable, Too White about the Emmy Awards [Sept. 20]: I totally support programs with people of color. However, television critic Lorraine Ali's commentary was just another example of The Times going overboard. Every Calendar article seems to be about Black people. Overcompensation is an understatement. The shows that won were good and deserved to win. There is a reason why a lot of people are stopping their subscriptions to your newspaper. Vincent Cutarelli Laguna Niguel :: I take exception to Lorraine Alis front-page article about Sundays Emmy Awards. She laments the fact that no performer of color won an Emmy this year, despite many nominations. She neglects to even mention that the legendary Debbie Allen was given probably the Television Academys most important award of all the Governors Award nor does she acknowledge the great contribution of host Cedric the Entertainer. Debbie Allen, recipient of the Governors Award at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, poses in the press room at L.A. Live on September 19, 2021. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The fact is that there were many deserving nominees this past television season. To choose a winner in any category based on the color of their skin is in fact racist on its face. Mark Richman Sherman Oaks :: Why is it The Times never fails to declare the age of an actress? Large or small, caption or byline, the age of the female professional is always highlighted. That's never the case for the male counterparts. Upon winning an Emmy Sunday night for leading actress in a comedy, Im sure Jean Smart was thrilled. The caption on the front page of The Times: At 70, Smart is the oldest woman to win the award for comedy actress. You had so many choices of things to say about this woman and her stellar career. There was no mention of Jason Sudeikis age in the caption. Kate Leachman Manhattan Beach Editor's Note: We often mention male actors' ages in our stories. Last week's Sunday Calendar featured Clint Eastwood on the cover with mentions in the story and the headline that he is 91. :: Woke politics and diversity should never become a consideration in evaluating and awarding artistic achievement. The Queens Gambit, The Crown and Ted Lasso, by any measure of cinema excellence, deserved their awards. Affirmative action has no place in who gets an Emmy. At least let's hope so. Alan Segal San Diego From quarantine to close quarters In his review of the Emmys telecast [Crowd-Pleasing?, Sept. 20], television critic Robert Lloyd wrote: The decision to party like it was 2019 was perhaps not out of key with the national mood and in some perverse way not inappropriate. Not inappropriate? When every article thats written about COVID begs readers to get vaccinated? Bravo to Seth Rogen, who said, Let me start by saying: Theres way too many of us in this little room. They said this was outdoors its not. Were in a hermetically sealed tent right now. Why is there a roof? Its more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we dont kill Eugene Levy tonight? We just had a recall vote that cost California millions of dollars because Gov. Newsom attended a small party, yet Hollywood is above it all and does as it pleases. I turned off my television. Pat Holmes San Pedro TV with a smile Regarding [the Sept. 19 Sunday TV highlights with the line] Olivia Jade will give it the old college try on Dancing With the Stars: When it seems everything is serious these days, Im always happy to get a chuckle from TV This Week. Thanks, Matt Cooper, for keeping me informed and entertained each Sunday morning. Sherry Stern Lake Forest This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The DeSantis administration has opened a new front in its campaign against public health mandates, expanding bans against universal mask and vaccine policies into a new prohibitory realm institutionalized quarantining. On his second day as Florida Department of Health (FDOH) Secretary and Surgeon General, Dr. Joe Lapado joined Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to announce new FDOH protocols applicable to school districts. The new rules reiterate the previous policy that parents have sole discretion whether their children wear masks in school but also accords sole discretion to parents in choosing to quarantine their children after an exposure to COVID-19. Basically there is no high quality data about benefits of quarantining students, Lapado said Wednesday. Were about 18 months into this pandemic and there is not a single high-quality study that shows that any child has ever benefited from that policy. While benefits of quarantining students are difficult to assess, We actually do have good data about the costs, he said. There have been several studies that show that kids taken out of school, its extremely harmful. Its too bad we needed a study to know that. But its great the studies agree with what I think most parents would have known without the study. Quarantining healthy students is incredibly damaging for their educational advancement, DeSantis said. Its also disruptive for families. We are going to be following a symptoms-based approach. The revised protocols eliminate a previous standard that required students quarantine for at least four days off campus if exposed to someone who tested positive. Students who have been exposed, but are asymptomatic, can now go to school without restrictions or disparate treatment under the new guidelines. The protocols retain previous guidelines for students who test positive. They still either quarantine for 10 days, receive a negative test and be asymptomatic before returning to campus. Story continues The new protocols discard Rule 64DER21-12, which authorized FDOH to issue rules governing the control of preventable communicable diseases in schools. Under that rule, the states Department of Education was enforcing DeSantis executive order and Board of Education orders banning school boards from adopting universal mask mandates. The Alachua, Broward, Leon and Miami-Dade and Orange county school districts sought an administrative hearing to challenge Rule 64DER21-12. But, because it was repealed, an administrative law judge Wednesday dismissed their case. Essentially, the state is responding to the legal challenges of its rules by repealing them and creating new ones, with limited public notice, Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon said in a statement, calling the new protocols disingenuous. The replacement rule retains the same policy schools can require masks if parents can opt children out but with revised language that stipulates compliance is at the parent or legal guardians sole discretion. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), people who get infected can spread the virus starting from two days before they have any symptoms. The CDC recommends students quarantine 14 days if unvaccinated. They can shorten the quarantine to seven days by testing negative, the CDC recommends. That approach is too unwieldly, DeSantis said, touting the new symptoms-based approach. If someone is symptomatic, of course they stay at home, he said. If there is a close contact but someone has not developed any symptoms, you monitor them. You notify a parent. The parent always has the right to make their kids stay home, if they think that is in the best interest of the student and the family, 100% we would not want to intrude upon that. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: States, News, Florida, Students, Schools, Coronavirus Original Author: John Haughey, The Center Square Original Location: Florida extends mandate ban to include institutionalized quarantining of K-12 students Florida lawmakers assigned $30 million this year for a host of cybersecurity measures in a one-time attempt to shore up the states defenses. Months later, not a penny has been spent. Thats according to Floridas chief information officer, Jamie Grant, who told lawmakers Wednesday that his office is so short-staffed that it hasnt come up with a plan to spend the money. That means millions for training, threat assessments, infrastructure hardening and software remain on hold seven months after his office requested the money. When asked by the Herald/Times when his office would have a plan in place, Grant declined to say. The announcement comes after months of high-level departures in the office, which have alarmed observers who say the state was already short-staffed to defend against a rising number of cyberthreats. Grant was Gov. Ron DeSantis pick last year to lead the Florida Digital Service, the states new technology office that is the first line of defense against cyberthreats for Floridas $105 billion government. Grant is an attorney and former lawmaker from Tampa who had little experience or training in technology. Since taking over, Grant has lost two chief information security officers, the chief data officer, the enterprise architect, the chief operations officer and half of the states new cybersecurity team. Several quit abruptly without giving notice, and several told the Herald/Times last month that they bristled under Grants management style. Cyberthreats are real and ongoing Like state and local governments across the country, agencies in Florida havent been immune from the rising number of cyberattacks driven, in part, from the decentralization of employees during the pandemic. The states licensing agency was brought down by a cyberattack last year, and the personal information of at least 58,000 unemployment recipients was stolen by attackers this year. A state cybersecurity task force was created by lawmakers in 2019, and in February, it recommended dozens of ways to shore up state security. In March, Grants office told lawmakers it needed $30 million to implement the recommendations, including $672,000 for cybersecurity training, $3.2 million for a new Cybersecurity Operations Center and $320,000 to buy an incident tracking tool. Story continues Lawmakers signed off on the money but required him to submit detailed plans when drawing it down each quarter. Instead of spending the money piecemeal, Grant said he believes he needs to request all $30 million at once. He cant do that yet, he said, because the few people he has are busy responding to cyberthreats. One of the things our teams challenged with is just, with the limited number of people, having to do incident response and coordinate with the policy team on the operational work plan, he told a House committee. He added that he wanted to prevent putting something in writing that makes us look laughable later. Tough questions from legislators The announcement occurred during a meeting of the House Government Operations Subcommittee, where lawmakers spent an hour questioning Grant about cyberthreats and the vacancies in his office. About a third of the 185 positions are vacant. Republican and Democratic lawmakers asked Grant multiple times what he needed to fill the positions. It just seems like the office is struggling, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, told Grant. Do we just need more money to recruit people into these positions? Do we just need more money? Grant said a complicated budgeting problem in his office is preventing him from hiring some people. Grant also criticized the Herald/Times reporting on his office, calling it click bait. Its unfortunate that some people try to make news salaciously, he said. The only thing worse than not having a conversation is having a misinformed conversation that just intentionally seeks to sow discord. After the meeting, Smith said its a concern the money hasnt been spent because its funding a critical need. The departures and vacancies very clearly are impacting Florida Digital Services ability to achieve its mission, he said. All Floridians need him to succeed because the issue of cybersecurity and protecting Floridians data is of utmost importance. Grant assured lawmakers that the work is being done. He implied that some people had left for behavioral reasons, although his office did not respond when asked for details. Some turnover is good and very healthy, he told lawmakers. Sometimes you give opportunities for people to resign and to move on rather than protracting an HR event. MONROE, LA A former Louisiana State Trooper was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for using excessive force against a Monroe man. The indictment charges Jacob Brown with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Specifically, the indictment alleges that on May 30, 2019, Brown assaulted Aaron Bowman, identified in the indictment only as A.B., by repeatedly striking him in the head and body with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight modified with a metal tactical cap designed for breaking glass). The indictment further alleges that the incident resulted in bodily injury to A.B. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. 'He's out cold now': Police bodycam shows officers mocking unconscious man who later died An investigation into Brown began in October 2020 weeks after a civil lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit alleged that Bowman was pulled from his vehicle after a traffic stop and beaten by multiple law enforcement officers. Bowman alleged he suffered from multiple injuries, including broking broken ribs, a fractured arm, and laceration to his head. He subsequently received medical treatment at St. Francis Medical Center and Glenwood Medical Center. Aaron Larry Bowman cries during an interview at his attorney's office in Monroe, La., Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, as he discusses his injuries resulting from a Louisiana State trooper pummeling him with a flashlight during a traffic stop in 2019. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) ORG XMIT: LARS101 More: George Floyd dishonored by lack of bipartisan support, action from Biden on police reform Brown also faces state charges in two other violent arrests of Black motorists, including one he boasted about last year in a group chat with other troopers, saying the suspect is gonna be sore and it warms my heart knowing we could educate that young man. If convicted of the deprivation of rights charges, Brown could face a minimum of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced the indictment Thursday. Story continues The United States Attorney's Office currently has open and ongoing criminal investigations into incidents involving Louisiana State Police that resulted in death or bodily injury to arrestees. The investigations remain ongoing. Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter. The Associated Press also contributed to this report This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Former LSP Trooper Jacob Brown indicted for assaulting Aaron Bowman PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Friday Lebanons new prime minister at the presidential palace, wishing him success and promising France would continue to support the crisis-struck country. In Beirut, protesters pelted commercial banks with eggs and rallied against the political class for obstructing the probe into last years devastating port blast. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is on his first foreign trip after taking office, days after his government was confirmed by parliament a move that ended a 13-month deadlock that came as Lebanon is struggling with an economic meltdown and rising poverty. You have an immense and historic responsibility," Macron told Mikati during a joint press conference at the Elysee. "We will do everything to help you succeed. Throughout Lebanon's crisis, France had taken the lead among the international community in helping the small Mideast country, a former French protectorate. Paris has hosted aid conferences and pushed for reform, and last year, Macron presented Lebanese politicians with a road map for policy change and reforms and scolded them for failing to form a government. But his hands-on approach failed to expedite government formation or bring about major change. On Friday, Macron said Lebanon faces a humanitarian emergency and promised France would help in efforts to mobilize the international community to respond to the most urgent needs. We have an opportunity to advance concretely on the path of reforms, Macron said, adding that international support can provide more help once energy and public finance sector reforms are launched. The path is arduous and the task is difficult, Macron said. We are here. France will remain at the side of the Lebanese people. Mikati's government is expected to undertake critically needed reforms while grappling with rising public anger and tensions resulting from the deepening hardships. He said he will be counting on Frances support during talks with the International Monetary Fund to negotiate a recovery package, a priority for the new Cabinet. Story continues I assured Mr. president of my determination to implement as soon as possible with my government and with the support of the president of the republic, Michel Aoun, and with the support of the parliament the necessary and imminent reforms to regain confidence and give back hope to reduce the suffering of the Lebanese people," Mikati said, speaking in French. Mikati has said he would lift subsidies by the end of September as Lebanese foreign reserves run dangerously low and the central bank can no longer support its $6 billion subsidy program. A billionaire businessman and one of the richest men in Lebanon and now a third-time prime minister Mikati is widely seen as part of the entrenched political elite. Few believe he can chart a path for reform with a government that leaves power in the hands of the same political parties the public blames for corruption and mismanagement of Lebanons resources. Dozens of Lebanese protested outside several private banks in central Beirut on Friday, demanding access to their hard currency deposits that have been de facto locked since the financial and economic crisis unfolded in late 2019. The protesters hurled eggs and tomatoes at the bank buildings, prompting angry bank employees to shout at them and Lebanese security forces pushed the crowd back. Private banks have imposed informal capital controls, limiting withdrawals, transfers and effectively preventing access to foreign currency accounts. The national currency has since been in a free fall, losing more than 90% of its value. Underlining one of the first hurdles facing Mikati's government, families of the victims of the massive August 2020 explosion at Beirut's port decried on Friday what they say is continued political interference in the domestic probe looking into what caused the blast and bringing those responsible to justice. In a statement, they called for international protection for the lead judge in the investigation, Tarek Bitar, suggesting his life and that of his family may be in danger following reported threats. Covering up the truth of the port explosion will be dangerous for the unity of Lebanon, it said. One of the key demands of both the international community and Lebanese campaigning for reforms has been the independence of Lebanons judiciary and accountability for corruption and political violence. French prosecutors have opened investigation into money-laundering allegations against Lebanon's central bank governor. Lebanese media recently revealed that Bitar had received threats, purportedly from senior members of the powerful militant Hezbollah group who are allegedly getting impatient with the course of the investigation and threatening to remove him. After the leak, Bitar reported the threat to prosecutors. Hezbollah has not commented on the threat but the leader of the Iran-backed group had in the past criticized Bitar for an allegedly politicized investigation. No Hezbollah member has been implicated in the investigation and its concerns with the probe are unclear. Meanwhile, two former ministers accused of intentional negligence that led to the port explosion, have asked the countrys highest court to replace Bitar, the second judge to lead the complicated and thorny investigation. The first was removed earlier this year after similar challenges in court. ___ El Deeb reported from Beirut. BERLIN Climate activists allied with Swedish teen campaigner Greta Thunberg were on Friday demonstrating in some 70 countries to demand global action ahead of a key summit in the United Kingdom. "We can still turn this around," Thunberg, 18, told thousands of protesters in front of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin. Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer also accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the country's political parties were not far-reaching enough to limit global warming. There are natural disasters all over the world, said fellow protester Quang Paasch, 21. We are frustrated and angry. We need structural change, a social plan and actions that are based on scientific evidence. The protests organized by Fridays for Future, which was inspired by Thunberg, were the first such mass action since the coronavirus pandemic began. In Germany, activists' calls have taken on renewed urgency after heavy rains in July killed at least 180 people and devastated cities across Western Europe. Global warming has made these kinds of events between 1.2 and 9 times more likely, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution initiative, which assesses the role of climate change in the aftermath of the extreme weather events. The climate crisis prompted Henning Jeschke, 21, to declare a hunger strike three weeks ago. "Nothing has been done," he told NBC News in a makeshift camp near the protest two days ahead of Germany's federal election. "We want leading politicians to publicly declare that Germany is in a climate emergency." Awareness about the climate crisis in Germany is higher than ever, with young protesters hoping to pressure candidates to discuss the issue with them. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics Thunberg also joined Fridays demonstrations in Berlin, and planned to address protesters in front of the Bundestag. Story continues The protests were taking place five weeks before the United Nations COP26 summit, which has been billed as the last chance for world leaders to commit to dramatically cutting greenhouse gas emissions vital to prevent the most disastrous effects of global warming. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the world was seemingly light years away from reaching climate targets. Image: Fridays For Future Holds Berlin Climate Strike March (Sean Gallup / Getty Images) According to him, there needed to be 45 percent cut in emissions by 2030, but per current national trends, emissions are expected to go up by 16 percent. A study by Britain's University of Bath also found that 58 percent of children and young people surveyed said they were "being betrayed" by governments over climate change inaction, while 64 percent said their political leaders are not doing enough to avoid a climate catastrophe. Elsewhere, Disha Ravi, an Indian climate activist who became a symbol for the nations crackdown on dissent during mass farmers protests, demonstrated in the southern city of Bengaluru on Friday. Protests also took place in the nation's capital, New Delhi. Image: Activists protest in New Delhi, India, on Friday. (Manish Swarup / AP) In the Philippines, dozens of protesters gathered in the capital Manila, according to Fridays for Future. In Japan, several protesters held signs and slogans supporting the movement. New Zealands capital, Wellington, also joined calls for the strike, with Fridays for Future sharing video from the demonstrations on Twitter. Also Friday, Paralympian gold medalist James Brown was sentenced to 12 months in prison by a judge in a London court after being found guilty of public nuisance for climbing on top of a plane at London City Airport during an Extinction Rebellion climate protest in 2019, the organization said in a statement. Andy Eckardt reported from Berlin, Rhea Mogul reported from Hong Kong. Google keeps a close eye on its employees through a number of tracking mechanisms when they engage in certain online activities, according to a new report. The tech giant zeroes in on employees who might be considering leaving out of fear they might access or leak sensitive material, according to reporting by The Information. Company security flags those workers by checking who has researched the cost of COBRA health insurance, drafted resignation letters, or searched for an internal checklist for those wanting to leave the company. Most unusually, Google's security staff has raised alarms when employees take screenshots on their work devices when running an encrypted messaging platform at the same time or use non-Google online storage services, according to the report. Google has been sued in the past year by an employee who claimed the tech giant has secretly viewed his online communications and is using it against him, and earlier this year, it terminated employees who allegedly accessed highly confidential company information. A Google spokesperson told the Washington Examiner the company has "zero interest" in employees' personal data. "However, we do have security policies that strictly protect user and customer data, as well as sensitive IP and trade secrets," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "All employees are required to safeguard this data and, just as other companies do, our security team thoroughly investigates breaches. Every day, people put their trust in Google. We will continue to hold ourselves and our employees to the highest standards, to preserve this trust. STATES TAKE LEAD FROM CONGRESS ON REINING IN BIG TECH Google also captures and exploits user data in hidden and complicated methods, according to the report. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Some of Google's user data even makes it into the hands of law enforcement through a database called SensorVault, which stores detailed user location data indefinitely. The data is so precise that one deputy police chief told the Electronic Frontier Foundation that it shows the whole pattern of life. Story continues Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Technology, Google, Big Tech, Surveillance, Labor, Business Original Author: Nihal Krishan Original Location: Google's methods for spying on employees revealed in report In an odd coda to the 2020 election, private contractors conducting a GOP-commissioned recount in Arizona confirmed President Bidens win in Maricopa County. Why it matters: The unofficial, party-driven recount has been heavily covered on cable news as part of former President Trump's continued effort to sow doubt about the election result. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The findings: "The auditors final hand countwhich quadruple-checked every single one of the 2.1 million ballotsmatches Maricopa Countys official machine count," Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R) wrote in a letter to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Friday. She acknowledged the report's validity at a press conference but expressed concern about "less-than-perfect" adherence to Arizona's elections standards as detailed in the report such as signature verification. Worth noting: A draft report obtained by The Washington Post and published earlier on Thursday actually gave Biden a slight edge over the official results. Fann later said that the leaked report was not entirely correct. Reality check: The Arizona recount "was pilloried by election experts who warned that the methods used by the firm hired to run the review were sloppy and biased," the Post notes. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Republican super PACs are beating up on the party's own candidates in key Senate primaries while Democratic groups largely hold their intra-party fire, an Axios analysis found. Why it matters: The negative ads some Republican groups are directing at GOP candidates threaten to elevate damaging stories about them ahead of competitive fights that could determine control of the 50-50 Senate. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Between the lines: The risk isn't just the quantity or volume of Republican-on-Republican attacks; it's their brutal tone. Jobs for Our Future PAC, which supports Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Jeff Bartos, has spent $166,000 going after Republican rival Sean Parnell. It recently began airing a 60-second ad focused on protection from abuse orders obtained against Parnell by his estranged wife and "sexist rhetoric" from his media appearances. (Parnell has said the orders were found to be meritless and were quickly dismissed.) In North Carolina, the Club for Growth has spent $120,000 attacking Senate candidate and former governor Pat McCrory, with ads accusing him of steering subsidies to "a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party." Saving Arizona, a super PAC backing Senate candidate Blake Masters, has spent over $225,000 accusing Republican rival Mark Brnovich of being insufficiently supportive of former President Donald Trump. The other side: Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has faced his share of incoming fire from Democrats as he seeks his state's Senate nomination. The Collective Super PAC's $110,000 in ad buys opposing Fetterman focused on a 2013 incident in which he held a young black man in his neighborhood at gunpoint while police were dispatched. (Fetterman has denied pointing a gun at the man and said the incident was not racially motivated.) Those anti-Fetterman ads, though, are the only reported instance so far this cycle of a Democratic super PAC going negative against one of the party's Senate candidates. By the numbers: Republican-aligned independent political spenders have dropped more than half a million dollars hitting rival Republican Senate candidates this year, according to an Axios review of Federal Election Commission records. Story continues By contrast, the anti-Fetterman group is the only Democratic super PAC that's reported negative ads against another Democratic Senate candidate, and it's spent only about a fifth as much. What they're saying: "Outside organizations are going to do what they can to best support their candidate," Doug Heye, a veteran Republican operative, said during an interview. "That can have a weakening effect for whoever emerges going into the general election." Steven Law, the CEO of the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC allied with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), said it's too early in the cycle and the ad buys too small to predict dire consequences for the party's candidates. "N.C. and PA. in particular are vast, expensive states, so the money spends out fast before having a long-term impact," Law told Axios in an email. "Also: It is so, so, so early. Unless this kind of spending is sustained at substantial levels, its hard to see how it will have a significant effect that carries all the way into the general election season or even the primary." Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Vice President Kamala Harris declined to say in an interview whether the Biden administration would halt deportation flights for Haitian migrants arriving at the southern border and allow them to apply for asylum. We have to do more in terms of supporting the Haitians who are returning to the island, Harris told The View on Friday. Our administration feels strongly about that. Harris gave a winding answer that didn't address whether the administration would halt deportations or provide asylum status to the Haitian nationals arriving at the southern border, however. Deportation flights have returned thousands of Haitian nationals to their home country over the last week after more than 14,000 migrants, mainly from Haiti, migrated illegally to the United States before settling in a temporary encampment under the Del Rio International Bridge. Harris said that 100,000 Haitian migrants had been offered temporary protected status, which is granted to immigrants from countries suffering disaster or war. Most Haitians arriving in Del Rio have been living in Brazil, Chile, and other South and Central American countries for several years and are ineligible, however. Asked about images of Border Patrol agents on horseback rounding up migrants, Harris likened the practice to abuses that have been used against African Americans during times of slavery. She said the pictures evoke some of the worst moments of our history, calling them deeply troubling. I was outraged, she said. There needs to be consequences and accountability. Biden and Harris have backed an investigation amid top Democrats claims that the agents used reins as whips against the migrants. On Friday, Biden told reporters at the White House that the agents will pay. There will be consequences, he added. The White House said this week that the Border Patrol had temporarily halted the use of horse patrols in the Del Rio area. The officers involved have been assigned administrative duties while the investigation is underway. Story continues Democrats have slammed the administrations policies toward Haitian nationals, arguing that returning them to their home country places them at significant risk. Haiti is still reeling following an earthquake that killed 2,000 people and injured thousands more, as well as the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Bidens point-person to Haiti, former Special Envoy Daniel Foote, resigned with a letter on Wednesday that called the administrations actions counterproductive and inhumane. Foote, a career foreign service officer, was appointed to the role in July. Harriss interview was delayed nearly an hour after a co-host of The View and a guest host tested positive for the coronavirus moments before the vice president was set to join. The interview took place remotely. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, White House, Biden Administration, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, The View, Coronavirus, Haiti Original Author: Katherine Doyle Original Location: Harris won't say whether administration will halt deportation flights for Haitian migrants Police linked the phone to Derremy Jerrell Walker because of his tattoos A former janitor at Oviedo High School in Florida has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for planting a camera inside a girls bathroom. Derremy Jerrell Walker, 31, was arrested in February 2020 after he was busted for video voyeurism of a minor, PEOPLE reports. Derremy Jerrell Walker (Credit: OVIEDO POLICE) In November 2019, two girls at the high school found a cell phone under the sink in a stall that was recording and reported it to faculty members, who contacted police. A man is seen at the beginning of some of the videos setting up the phone to actively record. Police linked the phone to Walker because of his tattoos and clothing. The U.S. Attorneys Office of the Middle District of Florida said in a news release on Wednesday: On the date the girls found the phone, it had been recording video for about 15 minutes before they discovered it. In each of the three instances, Walker had angled the cellphones camera in an effort to capture the genitalia of those in the stall. School administration officials and law enforcement officers were able to identify eight of the 12 students unknowingly captured in the videos Walker created. The statement continued, This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Walker reportedly recorded at least four videos on different days in November 2019. One recorded a woman inside a teachers lounge bathroom, and three of the videos captured images of nine different teens inside the girls bathroom, per the report. Walker was fired from his custodial job at the school in February 2020 and charged with eight counts of video voyeurism of a person younger than 16 and one count of voyeurism involving a person older than 19, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Oviedo High janitor arrested for filming girls in school bathrooms, police say https://t.co/KNcKVayrUc pic.twitter.com/SRTxqYk5xG Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) February 25, 2020 According to the DOJ, Walker put the phone in the same spot over several days inside the girls restroom and each time creating a one-hour video of students in that stall. Story continues Further analysis revealed Walker had also set up a surreptitious cellphone camera to record in the schools faculty bathroom earlier that month, per the statement. In July, a federal jury has found Walker guilty of two counts of using, or attempting to use, children to produce sexually explicit videos. Mr. Walker did more than just produce horror; he stole the innocence and trust of these young victims, said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. We are pleased with the sentence handed down in this case and will continue efforts to protect the children in our communities from sexual exploitation and abuse. In addition to serving 60 years, Walker must register as a sex offender and will serve a lifetime term of supervised release. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today! The post High school janitor sentenced to 60 years for hiding camera in girls bathroom appeared first on TheGrio. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) is the author of a bill to legalize abortion nationwide until fetal viability. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The House voted Friday to legalize abortion nationwide until fetal viability, and even though the legislation is almost certain to fail in the Senate, it marks a historic victory for abortion rights supporters after a decades-long fight. The vote on the Womens Health Protection Act is the first the House has ever held to set a federal legal standard on abortion and the first time in nearly 30 years that the House has approved what advocates consider a major proactive abortion rights bill. The bill was approved 218 to 211, with support from all Democrats except Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas. All Republicans opposed it. Texas recent ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy has galvanized Democrats to be more forceful in their support for abortion rights and confident in the political upside of the issue. It is a tide that has been slowly turning over the last decade amid the election of more Democratic women to Congress, the decline of centrist Democrats who oppose abortion and the proliferation of GOP-led abortion restrictions at the state level. Weve long been supporters of Roe vs. Wade, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). We havent been able to codify it because we never had a Democratic, pro-choice majority [in the House] with a Democratic president, and now we do. The Texas law which bans the procedure only two weeks after a person could typically know of a pregnancy allows any civilian to sue anyone who helps someone access an abortion. It has served as a wake-up call to even Congress' most ardent supporters of abortion rights, spurring the House vote to get the right to abortion enshrined into federal law. "We cannot rely on [Supreme Court Justices] Amy Coney Barrett or Brett Kavanaugh to confirm our rights for us," said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), who wrote the bill. "Congress must protect the rights of women and pregnant people in every ZIP Code, putting an end to an attack on abortion once and for all." Story continues Since the Supreme Court allowed the law to go into effect, several Democrats, including moderates, rushed to join the bill, Chu said. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who is personally opposed to abortion and over his career has had a mixed voting record on the issue, said the courts decision to allow Texas law to go into effect prompted him to evolve on abortion rights. No issue has confounded me more than abortion throughout my years of public service, he wrote in the Providence Journal. Faced with the reality that Roe might no longer be the law of the land in a few months, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support a reality where extremist state legislators can dictate womens medical decisions. Even when Democrats have controlled the House in recent decades, there were still dozens of rank-and-file Democrats who opposed abortion, discouraging party leaders from holding votes on the issue. The 2018 election marked a noticeable increase in the number of Democrats from politically contentious swing districts who leaned into abortion in their campaigns. Its not a coincidence that weve seen more Democrats being comfortable discussing abortion rights as weve seen more women be elected, said Kristen Hernandez, a spokeswoman for EMILYs List, a group that supports Democratic women who back abortion rights. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), who represents the Houston-area seat once held by former President George H.W. Bush, started her 2018 campaign with an ad featuring the Planned Parenthood facility where she, as a high school volunteer, tried to block antiabortion protestors. Im very comfortable talking about it because I feel like our voice has not been heard," Fletcher said in an interview. "Abortion has become a wedge issue thats used to win elections instead of to govern responsibly and to acknowledge the real and fundamental rights of every person in this country to define our own destiny. Abortion rights supporters expect the drumbeat to get only louder ahead of the 2022 midterm election, especially if the Supreme Court issues a high-profile abortion decision next summer. Younger generations have just taken for granted that birth control and abortion were part of the continuation of womens healthcare, said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.). This is so stark and egregious that my daughters generation has woken up and realized that the freedoms they have enjoyed are now going to be taken away from them by a bunch of politicians. Although abortion rights supporters have been raising alarm bells about the growing threat to access for years, particularly as former President Trumps appointees were confirmed to the Supreme Court, the Texas decision startled them a sentiment that could carry over to the ballot box next year. This is something that women see happening to them right now and are willing to get engaged to make sure that theyre protected, said Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) another potentially vulnerable Democrat who sees no political downside to the vote. A small number of Republicans, including Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, have distanced themselves from the private citizens' role of Texas' law as well as the lack of an exception for cases of rape and incest, raising questions of whether the law will be a political liability for some Republican candidates in the midterm. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an advocacy group that opposes abortion, argues that Texas' law will be forgotten as soon as the Supreme Court rules on a separate abortion case out of Mississippi over a 15-week abortion ban. In December, the court will hear arguments in the case, Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and a ruling would be expected by June. "No one will remember this bill after the Dobbs decision comes down when there will be more direct and traditional approaches in the law that reflect the will of the people," Dannenfelser said. "Even in a few months leading up to the Dobbs decision and after oral arguments, well be seeing what states actually want to do" if the court grants states the opportunity to set their own abortion laws. As recently as 2009, despite a sizable Democratic majority in the House, the chamber did not have a majority of abortion rights supporters. There were 19 Democrats so adamant in their opposition to abortion that they signed a public letter saying any government health plan they supported would need to exclude abortion. Only one remains in Congress. Since then, abortion has become starkly partisan. The political parties and outside political groups have grown more militant in excluding members who dont take the partys position on abortion. The last House Republicans who supported abortion rights even occasionally, Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, left Congress in 2018. There are two Republicans in the Senate who have supported abortion rights, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Democrats have similarly closed ranks. Cuellar is the only Democrat in the House who opposes abortion. Former Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) lost a hotly contested primary in 2020 and even lost the support of some fellow Democrats over his antiabortion position. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who represented a very Republican district, lost his election in 2020 as well. In the Senate, Democratic Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia identify as opposing abortion. The Womens Health Protection Act would prohibit states from enacting prohibitions on abortion until fetal viability, which is typically 24 weeks. Abortion would be legal after that point if the patients life or health were at stake. The bills supporters say it would codify the Supreme Courts Roe decision legalizing abortion. The bill would also preempt hundreds of state abortion restrictions that advocates say have unduly hindered access, such as requirements that physicians hold credentials at a local hospital or conduct abortions in surgical facilities. Opponents of the bill say it would threaten existing protections for healthcare workers who oppose abortion and do not want to take part in performing them, as well as limits on government funding of abortion. The Women's Health Protection Act is designed to remove all legal protections for unborn children on both the federal and state levels, said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to announce the chamber will take up the bill in the very near future, according to a Senate Democratic aide. Democrats narrowly control the 50-50 Senate because of the tiebreaking vote of the vice president, but there are only 48 public supporters. Two Democrats, Casey and Manchin, have not signed on to the bill. Collins said she opposes the bill because it goes too far but added she is discussing drafting an alternative to codify the Roe decision. Murkowski has not taken a public position. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Hundreds of people gathered in southeast London on Friday night at a vigil for Sabina Nessa, a 28-year-old woman who was found dead in a park, the latest case to spark public concern about women's safety. The primary school teacher disappeared a week ago after leaving her home to go to a bar just five minutes' walk away. Her body was found by a member of the public the following day hidden in a pile of leaves. The young woman's death, like that of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in March this year, has galvanised public opinion over the safety of women in public spaces. Carroll, a 35-year-old teacher who attended the vigil carrying lilies, told AFP that Nessa's death had caused her to fear for her own safety. "She's a woman and a teacher so I feel kind of close to her," she explained. "I usually walk through that (park) to go to the gym. It could have be any one of us that day, so I'm still shaking. I'm still panicking." In response to Nessa's death British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter that his "thoughts are with the family and friends of Sabina Nessa at this deeply distressing time". "I will be thinking of them tonight as people come together to pay their respects. We will do everything we can to prevent these abhorrent crimes and make our streets safer," he added. As she paid her respects to Nessa, Emma Thomas, 27, from the nearby London area of Peckham said she had been left "completely devastated and angry" by the killing. Echoing criticism that has come from some quarters, she said Nessa, a British-Bangladeshi, had received less attention in news bulletins in comparison to the reaction to recent disappearances of white women. "I think that white women are often covered more in the media, the whole kind of missing white woman syndrome issue," she said. "Of course they're all tragic events but I think it's really important that we ensure that everyone gets the same kind of attention and outrage," Thomas added. Story continues At a news conference on Friday Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said police were looking for a man seen near where Nessa went missing on CCTV. Two men arrested on suspicion of murder in recent days have now been released pending further investigation while detectives remain keen to trace the third captured in on camera. cdu-csp/har Hurricane Ida caused more than half a billion dollars in damage to Louisiana's agricultural industry, according to estimates released Thursday by Louisiana State University. The big picture: Ida was a catastrophic event that battered the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and South last month and is expected to incur an economic toll in the double-digit billions. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The details: LSU estimated the $584 million hit to the state's agricultural industry includes "estimates for impacts yet to fully play out, such as reduced yields for crops that remained in the field during the storm and have not been harvested, and the potential for increased production costs." The timber industry saw 168,000 acres of trees affected worth an estimated $300 million. Most fallen timber isn't salvageable. Less than 2% of timber that fell during the state's 2020 hurricanes could be sold, according to the report. Sugarcane saw an estimated $35.4 million hit, representing 7% of the industry's annual value. By the numbers: The weather event killed over 60 people, from Louisiana to as far north as Connecticut. What to watch: Economists expect the events could cause a drag on GDP. Go deeper: Hurricane Ida's economic toll More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free An Idaho police officer was shot in the wrist Thursday after police were called to a home in Caldwell. Officers were dispatched just before 6:30 p.m. to a home in the 1200 block of East Linden Street in Caldwell, according to a news release from the Caldwell Police Department. Officers say they were told a man in the home was suicidal. As police approached the home, someone inside allegedly began shooting at police. At least one of the officers returned fire. One Caldwell officer was hit in the wrist. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. The officer was released from the hospital sometime before Friday morning. Following the gunshots, the man barricaded himself inside the home, according to CPD. After negotiations, the man in the home surrendered to police and was arrested without additional incident. The man was not injured in the gunfire. He has not been publicly identified. Because at least one officer fired during the incident, the shooting will be investigated by the Canyon County Critical Incident Task Force, with the Nampa Police Department leading the investigation. Last week, an 18-year-old died after he and a 19-year-old checked into West Valley Medical Center with gunshot wounds. Police responded to a report of gunshots being fired earlier that night near North Indiana Avenue and Hillcrest Lane in Caldwell. The Treasure Valley has also seen numerous police shootings so far in 2021. Finding a good therapist can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack next to impossible. The truth? It is possible. It just might be more arduous than anticipated. "As humans, we will always strive for a certain quality of connection and understanding," says Cecille Ahrens, a licensed clinical social worker at Transcend Therapy in California. "It's the 'X-Factor' that deep sense of being heard and seen that is so personal to the client, and that is so unique to therapy. This is what can make the process of finding the 'right' therapist very challenging." It benefits you in the long run to take the time to find the best therapist, mental-health experts say. And even though you might want to give up after feeling discouraged, don't. The right fit exists. "There are enough therapists out there that you don't need to settle," says psychologist Alice Shepard, of health care company Sesame. Important: What is languishing? Alonely? A mental health glossary to explain what you're feeling Signs you should seek therapy Tens of millions of people in the U.S. struggle with their mental health, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, though it's estimated just half receive treatment. But therapy isn't solely for people in crisis. It's helpful to visit or consult with a therapist before you're in crisis. Pay attention to subtle signs like changes in mood, appetite, behaviors, outlook and social patterns, Ahrens says: "If you find yourself feeling 'off' for more than a few weeks, even when there might be a valid reason for the change, trust that." Heads up: Am I OK? How to do a mental health check Some of these signs could indicate a mental-health issue and you'll want to seek treatment, or at least a diagnosis, as soon as possible. Taking the time to find the best therapist will ultimately benefit you in the long run, mental health experts say. Heed their words about the importance of a good therapist before you give up entirely. "Therapy can of course be helpful for folks struggling with symptoms of mental illness and (who) want help finding immediate relief from acute symptoms," says Alex Jenny, a licensed clinical social worker known as "The Drag Therapist." Story continues You also don't need a reason to go to therapy. "Your desire for self-development and self-growth is enough of a reason to speak to a professional," Ahrens says. And more importantly, never feel like it's too late. "Even if it takes you some time to decide to see a therapist, it's OK. You are where you are," Ahrens says. "It can often still be very helpful, no matter what age or stage of life you're in." From our Millennial Therapist: It's time to normalize common relationship problems like dry spells and wanting time alone What finding the right therapist looks like Think of therapy like dating. Not all relationships flourish. "You take your time getting to know someone and investing that time and energy, but have to be open to the possibility that it might not be the best fit," Jenny says. Part of knowing whether you're a good fit requires that you share your whole self. "If you're able to share early on, even if you say, 'this is something that I've experienced, I'd like to have the opportunity to explore it, but maybe not right now,' it helps the therapist to know that that's something that you will want to work on later," Shepard says. "They can hold it in mind and have more of a sense of who you are." Good to know: We tell suicidal people to go to therapy. So why are therapists rarely trained in suicide? Ask yourself questions about your therapist. "Do you feel safe with this person?" Jenny says. "Do you trust this person? Then, I would ask yourself, are you getting what you need from this relationship?" Ahrens adds: "Do you feel seen, supported, encouraged, empowered? Are you being challenged in a sensitive way? Are you seeing small and/or big improvements? Are you getting somewhere? Are you meeting your therapy goals?" Watch out for bad therapist traits like reliability issues, unprofessional conduct, poor boundaries, a tendency to be judgmental or imposing their beliefs onto you, Ahrens says. "Working with a bad therapist or a therapist you don't click with can ultimately cause more harm," Jenny says. "Be assertive in asking questions during consultations and with sharing what hasn't worked for you so far when speaking to potential new therapists." Plus, a therapist may be great for you at one point in your life like a partner but might not work out over time. "Once (the patient is) past that initial crisis, they might have other things that are more chronic, and they realize maybe the person they selected isn't the best fit," Shepard says. 'I wish I could live a normal life': What your friend with an anxiety disorder wishes you knew Why your relationship with your therapist is so important Think about the kind of relationship you're building with a therapist, and you'll see it's as serious as picking a close friend or partner. And for good reason. "You're talking and sharing the deepest parts of yourself," Shepard says. "Things that maybe you haven't even shared with friends or family." You might benefit from someone specialized to handle your concerns whether you're a member of the LGBTQ community, disability community or underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. "It's like finding a hairstylist, but much more consequential," says Kristen Parisi, a writer and disability expert. Parisi has a spinal cord injury and PTSD which exacerbates her depression; rehabilitation centers may recommend specific counselors for folks in similar situations. Remember, you don't have to settle. "You're coming in, and you're meeting with a therapist, whether it's Zoom or in person, because you're looking to feel better," Shepard says. "Being able to click with someone, or to feel like you have a really good fit, just makes it so much easier to go into the things that maybe you never wanted to think about or have pushed far to the side." Climate anxiety is plaguing young people: What is it? And how can you combat it? Tips for finding a therapist Don't let stigma get in your way. Misconceptions about therapy loom, Shepard says, particularly for people of color. The pandemic is changing that. "COVID and its devastation has helped to move mental health into the forefront of just basic conversations," Shepard says. Know what you're looking for. What kind of treatment are you looking for? Someone with a specific certification? "Someone who works in a niche will be more adept to meet your needs than someone who tries to help everyone i.e., a therapist who advertises as working with clients experiencing depression vs. one who specializes in BIPOC perinatal depression," says Lauren Ross, of Texas Premarital Counseling. Be prepared to power through directories. Whether it's through your workplace, insurance provider or Psychology Today, plenty of databases exist to get you started. Consider finances. If you have health insurance, verify that your therapy will be covered (and if you pay out of pocket, make sure you can afford it). "If you are not using insurance and finances are an issue, see if the therapist would be willing to offer a reduced fee for their services," Ahrens says. Do a consult first. Consider a phone screen before setting up an appointment to gauge someone's vibe. Also, Google is your friend. "You can see if there have been any concerning feedback or reviews that have been posted about them or the office they work at," Ahrens says. Ask questions. "Dont be afraid to ask the therapist as many questions as you need to feel confident youve found the right fit for treatment," says Amanda Maves, a therapist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "And If its a good therapist, they will have (a) sense of it not being a good fit and most likely will refer someone they know that may work better." Advocate for yourself. "Therapy isn't always comfortable but it should always be safe; if you don't feel like you can be honest with your therapist, they probably won't be very helpful for you," Ross says. In case you missed: Taraji P. Henson aims to erase mental health stigma for Black community 'so it doesn't feel so scary' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Therapy can help. How to find the right mental health therapist Thousands staged protests in India's Assam state on Friday, a day after two people were killed when hundreds clashed with police over the state government's eviction of Muslim families from their homes. Assam's government has faced widespread condemnation over the tactics used to eject the families, with critics pointing to them as the latest example of discrimination against Muslims under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the police use of guns against protesters "state-sponsored fire". Police said they were attacked with machetes and bamboo sticks. Assam's chief minister Himanta Biswas Sarma, a BJP member, said the police were only doing their duty, but halted the evictions on Friday. Authorities had imposed an indefinite ban on gatherings in the northeastern state after a social media video from Thursday's protests showed police with batons raining down blows on a man. But on Friday Gandhi's Congress party organised a rally in Darrang, where the evictions took place, while thousands more took part in another demonstration outside the Darrang district headquarters. Other rallies were organised by student groups, with some burning an effigy of the chief minister. In New Delhi, a dozen students were detained by police as they too protested against the incident. The viral video from Thursday showed police in riot gear beating a protestor who had fallen to the ground seconds after gunshots were heard. A photographer, hired by district officials to film the evictions, jumped on the man and was seen punching the body multiple times. The photographer has since been arrested, according to police. Leaders of India's 170 million Muslims say they have been unfairly targeted since Modi's party came to power in 2014. They say a controversial nationality law that sparked riots in Delhi in 2020, and hate crimes including lynchings, have all increased fear in their community. str-ash/tw/reb Protesters oppose Amazon's new Cape Town HQ in a march on June 16, demanding conservation of sacred heritage sites. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images Amazon is building a new headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. Some local indigenous groups oppose the development, saying it's an important heritage site. The developer said it worked closely with indigenous groups to accommodate their requests. See more stories on Insider's business page. Amazon announced in April it would build a new headquarters for its African operations in Cape Town, South Africa. The development is slated to cover more than 37 acres, and include residential buildings as well as Amazon's new office. The development, which is called The River Club, faces fierce opposition from some people belonging to the Khoi and San indigenous groups. One of their main concerns is that the development is on the approximate site of a 1510 battle between the Khoi and the Portuguese. Tauriq Jenkins, high commissioner for the Goringhaicona Khoi-Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, told The Wall Street Journal the council wanted the site to be recognised as a world heritage site. He also said the site was one of the first places where land was given to Dutch colonists. "This is where the colonial bomb hit," Jenkins told The Journal. The Goringhaicona Khoi-Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council and another group called the Observatory Civic Association have applied to the provincial High Court to stop building on the site, but at the moment construction is still underway, The Journal reports. Jenkins told The Journal that his and other groups will take the case to South Africa's Constitutional Court if necessary. "Would Jeff Bezos go into a Native American territory and decide to completely devastate its most sacred terrain to put up an Amazon headquarters?" Jenkins said, adding: "It makes a Disneyland of our heritage." Protesters marched against the project in June, and 57,000 people have signed a Change.org petition opposing it. In May, activists appealed to Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott to help oppose the development. Story continues A spokesman for the site's developer, a company called the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust, told The Journal it consulted with Khoi and San groups and had already adjusted the site to meet their requests. The developer plans to build a cultural and heritage educational center at the site that focuses on the Khoi and San's history. The Journal reported that another local indigenous coalition, called the Western Cape First Nations Collective Trust, supported the development. Activists opposing the development have also cited its environmental impact and concerns about irregularities in rezoning, per The Journal. The developer refuted these claims to The Journal, saying Cape Town and other local authorities had found "no irregularities." When contacted by The Journal, Amazon declined to comment and referred all questions to the developer. Amazon did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider for comment. The River Club development project did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli troops firing rubber bullets shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured others on Friday during clashes at a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and medics said. The Israeli military said hundreds of Palestinians had gathered in the area, south of the Palestinian city of Nablus, burning tyres and throwing rocks towards troops at the scene. "We are aware of reports that a Palestinian was killed. The incident is under investigation," the military said in a statement, without saying if its troops opened fire. At least eight Palestinians were shot by rubber bullets during Friday's protest, Palestinian medics said. One of them was struck in the head, and died soon after being rushed to hospital, the Palestinian health ministry said. The West Bank is among territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war where Palestinians seek statehood. Violence has simmered there since U.S.-sponsored talks between the Palestinians and Israel broke down in 2014. Palestinians have staged near-daily protests in the village of Beita, south of Nablus, to voice anger at a nearby Israeli settler outpost, often leading to violent clashes with Israeli troops. The settlers agreed https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-govt-settlers-reach-deal-over-west-bank-outpost-palestinians-angered-2021-06-30 to leave the outpost in July under an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, following weeks of demonstrations https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lasers-flaming-torches-light-up-battle-over-new-israeli-settlement-2021-06-24 by Palestinians lighting fires that often engulfed the outpost in smoke. But many of the outpost's buildings have remained, locked and under military guard. Palestinians, who claim the land the outpost is on, have vowed to continue their demonstrations. Most countries deem the settlements illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical and political connections to the land, as well as its security needs. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Rami AyyubEditing by Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry) Mark Meadows. Alex Wong/Getty Images The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack has issued subpoenas to several ex-aides and advisers to former President Donald Trump, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. Subpoenas were also sent to longtime Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Kash Patel, a former Pentagon chief of staff, the committee announced on Thursday evening. All four men are being asked to turn over records and appear for depositions in October, with the panel expecting them to resist participating in the inquiry, Politico reports. In the letter sent to Meadows, the committee's chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), wrote that "the Select Committee has revealed credible evidence of your involvement in events within the scope of the Select Committee's inquiry" and Meadows has "critical information regarding many elements of our inquiry." On Jan. 6, Patel was chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, and the committee said it believes he has documents that would shine a light on the White House's involvement in "preparing for and responding to the attack on the U.S. Capitol." Last month, the committee sent letters to telecommunications companies asking them to preserve phone records of multiple members of Congress. You may also like Democrats are governing like Republicans Did Theranos Lose Afghanistan? After huddling with Biden, Democrats sound moderately optimistic about passing his progressive agenda Sep. 24John C. Carroll, a steadfast Republican who served four terms in the state House and one in the state Senate, has died at age 91. In an email statement, the Honolulu County Republican Party said Carroll died Sunday while surrounded by family members, and added, "We are forever grateful for John's service to our country in the U.S. Army and Air Force, and his service to Hawaii as a statesman." Carroll pursued public office in this heavily Democratic state far more times than he held office, running 15 times and winning five races in a span of 54 years. Most recently, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the nonpartisan 2020 Honolulu mayoral race. "He ran for different offices because he didn't want that office to go unchallenged, " former state Sen. Sam Slom said. "He wasn't your normal politician. He could be very serious on issues. He wrote a number of papers. But he also had a sense of humorself-deprecating humor. I really appreciated that." Slom said Carroll also kept his humor in check, had more experience than most people in town and was always willing to share that and his time. "A lot of people took John for granted, how he could work and volunteer, and he didn't always take up popular causes, " Slom said. "I lost a good friend." Born Dec. 18, 1929, in St. Mary's, Kan., Carroll attended Saint Mary's College. On a football scholarship, he transferred in 1949 to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where he played under coach Tommy Kaulukukui. He obtained a bachelor's degree in education at UH Manoa. Carroll served in the Army during the Korean War, and went on to serve in the Air Force Reserve, holding the rank of colonel. Trained as a combat-ready fighter pilot, after leaving the military, Carroll worked as a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines. He also went on to practice law in Hawaii as an attorney for more than five decades, representing Save Our Surf, the Hawaii Rifle Association and other organizations. Upon retiring from his law practice in 2017, Carroll announced plans to pursue a return to public service. Story continues Carroll first dipped his toes into Hawaii's political waters in 1966 when he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost. He tried again in 1968 and switched to a county race and suffered yet another defeat. The third time was a charm, with Carroll winning a seat in the state House. He served four terms there (1971-79 ), representing Waikiki, Moiliili and McCully ; and one in the state Senate (1979-81 ), representing Nuuanu to Diamond Head. Also, he chaired the Hawaii Republican Party from 1981 to 1983. State Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa-Iroquois Point ), assistant minority leader, said, "In the later years, running for office was more of a hobby than a serious attempt to get elected. He wanted to contribute to the mix of ideas. He wanted to provoke thought." Noting that Carroll was "always quick with a smile and a joke, " McDermott said, "he cared deeply about this country ... and will be missed." In 2018 Carroll was a candidate in the Republican primary race for the governorship, losing to Andria Tupola, who now serves on the Honolulu City Council. In launching his 2020 mayoral campaign, he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he was running "because of the failed leadership in the state." Among other campaign positions, Carroll said he wanted to halt Honolulu's $9.2 billion "rail-to-nowhere project ... until we know what we're doing with it to get it finished properly." Star-Advertiser columnist Richard Borreca, who covered state politics for decades, said Carroll "struggled to become a statewide leader and was never able to move up from the state Legislature to a larger position." "His eagerness and ambition were boundless, but he never could click with the voters, " Borreca said. "During his career he knew some of his political positions would not be popular. He could put up the good fight, but his Republican positions were just not what voters wanted." In 2002 Carroll ran in the gubernatorial race against Linda Lingle on a platform that featured an anti-abortion stance, no tax increases and a push to repeal the Jones Act, which opponents say overcharges Hawaii residents and raises the cost of living. The Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, requires all goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on U.S.-flagged vessels owned by U.S. citizens and crewed by U.S. residents for national security purposes and reliability. Former Gov. Neal Abercrombie said, "We met in the 1970s when we both began our legislative careers." He said Carroll was "a real legislator who was under the view that we were there to legislate not pontificate." Though they were on opposite sides of the aisle, "when the day was done, we were all friends and we were colleagues." "John always did his best for Hawaii, " Abercrombie said. "He was a good and honorable man. He wanted to serve the people of Hawaii....He was never self serving." Associated Press State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who has clashed repeatedly with Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and his appointees over the state's response to COVID-19 in schools, said Thursday she will switch parties and run as a Democrat against him next year. A longtime Republican first elected in 2014, Hofmeister said the decision to switch parties and run for governor was a difficult one, but one she took because Kevin Stitt has hijacked the Republican Party here in Oklahoma." I'm switching parties in hopes of building the Oklahoma I've always known our state can be." Gen. Quon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons A 19-year-old student has been arrested in connection with a rape in a dorm room at the University of Kansas, the same school hit with nightly protests earlier this month after a separate alleged rape at a frat house. The universitys Public Safety Office responded to a call about an alleged rape subject who had sexual intercourse with a person whom was unable to give consent, according to its crime map which confirms that the suspect was transported to Douglas County jail on Wednesday. KU Public Safety Deputy Chief James Druen identified the suspect as Chi Hong Kai. He told The Daily Beast in an email that the alleged rape occurred on Sept. 16 between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. at the schools Stauffer Place Apartments, and that it was reported to campus public safety on Wednesday. Both parties involved are students, he said. We had probable cause that a rape did occur and made the arrest. Fed-Up Women Swarm Kansas Frat House After Alleged Rape The alleged rape came just days after hordes of protesters demonstrated for two consecutive nights outside of the universitys Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, demanding more action be taken to protect students and hold accountable perpetrators of sexual assault. Those protests were sparked by allegations that a woman had been drugged and raped at the Greek house on Sept. 11. On the first night of demonstrations, protesters gathered for more than two hours carrying signs and reportedly shouting chants like We believe her, Justice now, and Lock him up. Protesters could be seen in a video posted to Twitter hoisting a sign that reads No Means No to replace a flag in front of the offending fraternity. Grace Reading, 23, and Anissa Brantley, 22, two recent grads who lead an advocacy group called Strip Your Letters, told The Daily Beast at the time that theyre targeting a culture of rape in Greek life on campus that has never gone away. A Change.org petition to remove the frat from the campus has garnered roughly 20,000 signatures. Story continues Students also staged a sit-in last Friday outside Chancellor Doug Girods office. According to the Kansas City Star, outraged students demanding change placed a placard at the entrance of the chancellors office that read: Office of the Complicit. Chi Hong Kais bond was set at $100,000, and he was authorized for pretrial release on Thursday afternoon with GPS monitoring, according to a booking report. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. bruce-labruce-interview-director-saint-narcisse.jpg Dominic (Felix-Antoine Duval) has a fetish for himself. In director Bruce LaBruces new film Saint-Narcisse, nothing turns Dominic on more than his own reflection and he spends much of his time taking Polaroid selfies. When his loving grandmother dies, he discovers a deep family secret: he has a twin brother who was raised by a depraved priest in a remote monastery. Dominics selfie habit betrays a deeper longing for his missing half. The new film follows Dominic as he discovers his lesbian witch mother and the fight to save his brother from captivity. Saint-Narcisse explores taboo subjects like twincest and the intersection of religious and sexual ecstasy in whats sure to become a heartwarming camp classic. Out got to sit down with Bruce LaBruce to discuss what its like to be the King of Kink, his thoughts about all things pop culture, and the inherent gayness of the Catholic Church. Out: Are you the "King of Kink?" I keep reading that you are. Bruce LaBruce: You know what? A reviewer said that Im the Canadian "King of Kink" and it's starting to stick. Do you like it? Well, they call John Waters the Pope of Trash, so I like it. It's a bit regal, but that's okay. I mean, they could say Queen. So if you're the King of Kink tell me what's more perverted: your new movie Saint-Narcisse or Ryan Murphy's Impeachment: American Crime Story? Someone recently wrote about Ryan Murphy's horror versus the horror I've done with my zombie movies and exploitation horror in general. The critic argued that Murphys a bit too PC horror because everything gets resolved with a bow at the end and B-movie exploitation movies are all about the subconscious. They're like an almost collective unconscious that expresses the zeitgeist and all of its confusion and anxiety. That's why a lot of the B-exploitation movies from the '70s were about post-Vietnam War trauma and stuff like that. So because Murphys working in such a popular medium, it doesn't serve that same function as being this raw, unconscious expression of the fear and anxiety that exists. Story continues What inspired you to write this story about twincest? The working title of the movie was Twincest, but I changed at the moment I was walking into the first meeting to get financing for the film [laughs]. I love twin movies, for one thing, I think everyone should make a twin movie at some point, or a doppelganger movie. I was heavily influenced by The Parent Trap, the original one with Hayley Mills, and I love both Dead Ringer, the Bette Davis version, and Dead Ringers by David Cronenberg. But its Brian De Palma that I was referencing most. He made two great incest-themed films in the '70s, Sisters and Obsession, so I was thinking of those. I've known twins in my life. I grew up in school with twins and my best friend in university had an identical twin. With her especially, they have this weird psychic attraction. I'm not a very mystical person, but it seemed like if one was in trouble, the other one knew about it and could sense. Thats always fascinated me and I just wanted to transpose it onto the misconceived idea that people have about gays, that were all completely incestuous, like pedophiles and narcissists. Whatever horrible things they think. In this case, instead of twincest being just a porn fetish, I tried to make it into a love story about two characters completing each other. So it's almost a positive take on narcissism and twincest. Trying to understand that and investigate it more than just saying, 'Oh, its a horrible perversion.' Do you see an artistic difference between the movies and porn you create? It's weird, it almost feels like you're doing the same thing, but you're on a different side of the fence. Surprisingly to me, there is still a big divide between the porn industry and the mainstream film industry, or the porn industry and the fashion industry. It's still a glass ceiling, still not a lot of people are allowed to cross over and do both, which I think Im sort of allowed to do. Some of it is just banal, like in porn, the sex scenes are much longer. I can put an explicit scene briefly in more of an arthouse film, and it's not considered porn. So it's almost like porn is nebulous. It's like an 'I know it when I see it' kind of thing. But to get this project financed, I had to go into the meeting and immediately explain for ten minutes explaining that it was not a porn movie. It's pretty clear in the movie that you know religious history even down to the details of the cross you use. What is your relationship to Catholicism? I first started investigating it. I had a photo show in Madrid in 2012 and somebody threw an explosive device through the window, which thankfully didn't go off. Even before the show opened, it was a big scandal in Spain, and the mayor of Madrid tried to have it shut down, and there were Christian protests outside. So that's when I really understood the power of this imagery. Because this show is an investigation about the intersection of religious and sexual ecstasy, and how in Catholicism and in the lives of the saints, they're interchangeable. The lives of the Catholic saints are full of fetish and self-flagellation, self-abnegation, with a sexual connotation of S&M. So that wasn't a hard connection to make. For me, Catholicism is so Baroque and sexualized. We all know there's a whole parallel gay hierarchy in the Vatican, which I've experienced secondhand by being in Italy and talking to people and there's a lot of higher-ups who are in relationships. Theyre like boyfriends who are elders in the church. It fascinates me that it's such a gay religion. Men with shaved heads show up a lot in your work. They've been racists, zombies, and here they're monks. What's your interest in exploring different types of skinheads, so to speak? I had a boyfriend who was a perfectly leftist guy, more along the line of suedeheads in England, like new wave. He was a hustler as well and bisexual, and we dated for a while and then broke up. Later I ran into him and he turned into a neo-nazi skinhead. He ended up beating me up and I never saw him again. But in a weird way I was still sexually attracted to him and it developed into a weird fetish, but my movies are more about trying to convert those kinds of people. I'm into them aesthetically, and even into domination and submission, but at the same time I've always tried to reform them and in terms of their political beliefs. The other day you tweeted about the Met Gala, saying that everything thats maximal isnt automatically stylish or aesthetically justified. Will you elaborate on that and maybe give some examples of what you're talking about? I wrote an article about Susan Sontags essay Notes on Camp, which later inspired the Camp theme at the Met Gala. I dont think Sontag gave it its proper due, especially in queer terms. I don't think she understood how essential the camp sensibility is to queer identity and the history of gay representation and gay identity. And that it's a political invention, almost like a secret language that's shared by a previously marginalized group. I thought the Met Galas camp theme was straight camp. In a way, a lot of straight people don't understand camp. They know the obvious signifiers of camp, but they don't know how to integrate it into a proper style or statement. That's just my opinion. These days, I think in terms of fashion and style, everyone's just throwing everything in but the kitchen sink. You could imagine a model walking down the runway with a kitchen sink on her head, there are no boundaries. You could make a kitchen sink work, but it's how you do it. It has to be a particular integration of references. You can't just throw all these references together willy-nilly and expect it to work or make a statement. It has to be more conscious and more integrated with your own personal sense of style. Not just these obvious signifiers of excess and maximalism. Talking about straight camp, there's a new Sopranos movie coming out. Would you call it straight camp? I would say that its good straight camp. Because they get it. Especially that famous ending with the song that plays on the radio. I think that was a brilliant choice and to leave everything up in the air and ambiguous. There is good straight camp, as well. Lets talk about bad straight camp. The other day you tweeted some shade about Wes Anderson. Do you think his movies fall into the maximal category of straight camp? I think he goes into the twee category. To me, it's a bit too precious. You could call it bad straight camp because it's so formally rigorous, but to a degree that it's almost too perfect. It seems hermetically sealed to me and nothing is ever out of place. It really is more of the aesthetic than the movies themselves that I find alienating and the fact that there's a sameness to all his work. It's the same tone all the time. I'd love to see him try to do a straight drama or a genre movie. But that's just my take. Don't listen to me. Saint-Narcisse is now playing in select theaters. RELATED | Blue Bayou Is Authentic, Emotional, & Just What We Need Right Now A police officer walks towards the parking lot of the Kroger where a shooting occurred on September 23, 2021 in Collierville, Tennessee. Photo by Brad Vest/Getty Images Thirteen people were shot during a mass shooting in Collierville, Tennessee, on Thursday. One of the victims died in the shooting at a Kroger supermarket. A cashier told reporters the gunman followed her through the store as she tried to usher others to safety. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A cashier who works at the Collierville, Tennessee, Kroger supermarket where a gunman opened fire on Thursday, said she tried to usher customers to safety as he followed them throughout the store. Thirteen people were shot, and one of them was killed, during the mass shooting. The suspected shooter is also dead, likely from a self-inflicted injury, authorities said. Brignetta Dickerson, who told reporters she has worked at the store for 32 years, told local media that she was working at the cash register when she heard gunshots. "He started popping that gun," she told WREG-TV. "It sounded a bit like a balloon popping. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap - just like that." Dickerson said she started yelling at customers to "Go! Go! Go!" when she heard gunshots coming from the deli area. She told reporters that as she heard the shooter making his way down the aisles, she instinctively grabbed people in front of her and ushered them through the meat department door and beyond the break room. But the shooter followed close behind, she said. Eventually, she said they reached a delivery receiving area with a wide opening in the back of the store. "I looked and I said 'that's the only safe haven we've got," Dickerson told reporters. "But he followed us out back." Dickerson said the gunman shot one of her co-workers in the head and a customer in the stomach. She worked to help her co-worker who she said was alert and able to talk to her. "That's when the police came," she said. Story continues Officers who responded to the scene found people hiding in freezers and had to assist an employee off the roof, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said during a Thursday press conference. "I've been involved in this for 34 years and I've never seen anything like this," Lane said, calling it "the most horrific event that's happened in Collierville history." Authorities have not yet identified the shooter and are continuing to investigate the incident. Read the original article on Insider OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Department of Health says it will immediately start offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to certain people after recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups. State health officials said Friday that at least six months after completing the primary Pfizer vaccine series, people age 65 and older; people age 18 and older living in a long-term care setting; and people age 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions or at increased risk of social inequities, should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials say there are not yet recommendations for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Biden urges COVID-19 booster shots for those now eligible CDC: Studies show masks lessen school outbreaks More rental aid is reaching U.S. tenants to stave off eviction EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SANTA FE, N.M. -- Recriminations about face-mask mandates are creating new tension between Democratic candidates in the election campaign for mayor in Santa Fe. In a flier distributed by mail Friday, incumbent Mayor Alan Webber highlighted a dissenting vote by mayoral candidate and City Councilor Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler last year in the creation of a city ordinance requiring face masks. The ordinance reinforced a statewide mask mandate from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the early months of the pandemic, before vaccines were available. Vigil Coppler says she considered the ordinance impractical but never opposed state mask requirements and called the ad a distortion. __ LAS VEGAS Thousands of hotel, casino and restaurant workers marched Friday on the Las Vegas Strip to highlight their call for employers to rehire more people who were furloughed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Story continues Despite the reopening of casinos and hotels, Culinary Union officials said about one-third of its members or about 21,000 workers remain out of work some 19 months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nevada. Many idled employees have now exhausted public unemployment benefits, they said. Workers in Las Vegas have built the hospitality industry over the Culinary Unions 87 years and they should be centered as the economy recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the union said in a statement ahead of the evening event scheduled to coincide with shift changes on a busy weekend of Strip sports and entertainment. This march is not a protest against any casino company, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said Friday. It is a march, not a strike, rally, action, or a demonstration. Workers chanted full-service restaurants and full-service cleaning as they started marching Friday evening from Flamingo Road on Las Vegas Boulevard where police closed off sections of The Strip. The union statement said the goal was to highlight that hospitality workers are ready to prepare and serve great food in full-service restaurants, make and serve quality drinks and beverages, and ensure guest rooms are cleaned and sanitized daily. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Koreas daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as the country comes off its biggest holiday of the year. The 3,273 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday marked the 81st consecutive day of over 1,000 and were about 840 cases more than the previous one-day record of 2,434 set a day earlier. More than 2,500 of the new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where transmissions have accelerated despite officials enforcing the countrys toughest social distancing rules short of a lockdown since July, banning private social gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. unless participants are fully vaccinated. Officials believe the virus spread further beyond the capital region during the Chuseok holidays, the Korean version of Thanksgiving which began on the weekend and continued through Wednesday, a period during which millions usually travel across the country to meet relatives. Officials say the country may see even bigger daily jumps next week as more people get tested. Less than 45% of a population of more than 51 million were fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska reported more than 1,700 resident COVID-19 cases Friday. But state health officials says that includes reports from earlier this month as they work to clear a backlog that has built up during the latest case surge. Health officials encourage looking at cases by their symptom onset date versus the date they were submitted to the state health department. The state epidemiologist says Alaska is in the biggest surge that it has experienced during the pandemic. A weekly report from the department says the state had more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than it did at the peak of a prior surge late last year. ____ KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii The Ironman World Championship will be held outside Hawaii for the first time in four decades. That is due to uncertainty over whether the Big Island will be able to host the triathlon as scheduled in February because of the coronavirus pandemic. West Hawaii Today reports triathletes will instead head to St. George, Utah, to compete on May 7. Organizers plan to bring the contest back to the islands in October 2022. Ironman participants swim, ride bikes and run a marathon. The first race was held in Honolulu in the 1970s. It moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 1981. ___ BOISE, Idaho An advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over state crisis standards of care guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group Justice in Aging wants the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idahos health care rationing plan. The group in the complaint filed Tuesday says the plan discriminates against older adults by using factors like age in prioritizing which patients may get access to life-saving care. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Greg Stahl says the department was unaware of the complaint. Stahl says Idahos standards are rooted in ethical obligations for care and stewarding resources. ___ HELENA, Mont. Montana hospitals that reach capacity due to a surge in COVID-19 cases may be able to transfer patients to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center west of Helena, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the states request for access to use up to two acute care beds and four medical beds for non-veterans, as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to increase. The beds at Fort Harrison can be used to care for patients with or without COVID-19. The VA will accept patients if it has the capacity and ability to provide required care, Gianfortes office said. The states hospitals reported they were caring for 416 COVID-19 patients on Friday, up from 402 on Thursday. Montana averaged 427 daily hospitalizations in November 2020, before vaccines were available. While making six more beds available is important, Gianforte said, the best solution to this crisis remains Montanans talking with their doctor or pharmacist and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County began making booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine available to eligible population groups Friday following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsement of a third shot for those who got their second shot at least six months ago. Starting today, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster dose at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. County residents seeking the booster shot must bring proof they received two previous Pfizer doses. Eligible groups include people who are 65 years or older, residents of long-term care facilities, people 18 to 64 years old with underlying medical conditions and those 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk. The latter group includes healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and workers in homeless shelters or prisons. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. A federal judge handed down a second blow to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer on Friday ruled Knox County Schools must implement a mask mandate to help protect children with health problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also blocked Lees order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. This is the second time in a week that Lees order has been placed on pause as families and advocates across the state have filed a handful of lawsuits amid spiking coronavirus case numbers in schools. In Shelby County, while the school district had implemented a strict mask mandate, a federal judge indefinitely banned Lees order after families argued the governors executive order endangered their children. It is real, and likely. Knox County students are being infected right now, every day, at a rate of 162 students every day ... and the threat of harm is therefore (immediate), Greer wrote. ___ NEW YORK A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was slightly delayed Friday after two hosts of the The View learned they tested positive for the coronavirus just before she was to join them on the set. Co-host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were at the table for the start of the show, but were pulled from the set. Harris, who had planned to join the table, instead was interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. The White House says she didnt have any contact with either host who tested positive. Colleagues said Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated. ___ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from the new K-12 school year bolster the agencys recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study in two Arizona counties found coronavirus outbreaks were almost four times more common at public schools without mask mandates on the first day than at those that re-opened with a masking requirement. Another study found case rates in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than in those where schools had that requirement. These studies lacked data on other measures that could have influenced the results. A third study counted 1,801 coronavirus-related school closures through mid-September, most of them in the South, where many schools opened earlier than those in other regions. Still, 96% of U.S. public schools have remained open with in-person classes, the researchers say, while acknowledging that data from some districts may be missing. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is urging those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection. His plea comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late Thursday. Biden praised the decision and aimed to set aside any unease about the vaccination by saying that he would get his own booster soon. The advisers say boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot. ___ BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. A Jackson County judge has ordered a restaurant in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, to shut down after the owners continued defiance of a mask mandate intended to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, Judge Jennifer Phillips barred Raes Cafe in Blue Springs from operating, rejecting owner Amanda Wohletzs argument of medical exemptions and attempt to operate as a private club. The judge also ordered the cafe to cease operations until it obtained a valid food permit. This month, Judge James Kanatazar ordered a temporarily close after Wohletz ignored a health department order to close because of repeated violations of the countys indoor mask requirement. But the business continued to operate, and its food permit was then suspended. ___ THESSALONIKI, Greece A court in northern Greece sentenced and fined a 37-year-old anti-vaccination campaigner after he demanded his son attend elementary school classes without wearing a mask or undergoing a coronavirus test. The parent, whose name has not been made public, was found guilty of insulting behavior and illegal entry onto state property, Thessaloniki court officials said. His sentence of 15 months in jail was suspended for three years. The court imposed a 300 euro ($350) fine. Under a government mandate, school children in Greece are obliged to wear face masks and use self-test kits distributed weekly by the government at pharmacies. Anti-vaccination campaigners have organized protest rallies in Thessaloniki, Athens and other Greek cities, mostly demonstrating against restrictions in schools and vaccination mandates for health care workers. ___ ROME Italian government workers will be heading back to offices to do their jobs after more than 18 months of remote work as part of coronavirus measures. Premier Mario Draghis office says he signed a decree establishing Oct. 15 to resume in-person work. Thats the same date that all Italian workers either in public or private employment will need a COVID-19 Green Pass to access their workplaces. Many public employees who serve citizens have already been working in offices. Receiving at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, having recovered from the illness in the last six months or presenting a recent negative test will secure the Green Pass. The premiers office says public offices will assure that in-person return will happen in safe conditions. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norways Prime Minister Erna Solberg says most of the national coronavirus restrictions in the Scandinavian country will be eased. The restrictions lifted include the requirement for serving patrons in restaurants and the 1-meter (3.3-feet) social distance rule. Eateries, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to remain open after midnight, schools and kindergartens can return to normal and handshakes will again be allowed, a smiling Health Minister Bent Hoeie said. He stressed Norway will have an increased preparedness and local restriction will be imposed if there was a flareup. Norway is the second Scandinavian country to end the restrictions after Denmark did so on Sept. 10. More than 76% of Norways population of 5.3 million have gotten one vaccine, and nearly 70% have gotten both shots, according to official figures. Lawrence police have opened an investigation following a reported sex crime inside the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house near the University of Kansas, though information from authorities continues to be tightly held. An incident report shared with The Star through a Kansas public records request offers little information outside of confirming that police began looking into the matter earlier this month. The department has previously acknowledged police were aware of the reported incident as students and others from the Lawrence community have staged demonstrations outside the fraternity house and on the college campus. Incident reports typically offer a police narrative detailing the actions of officers responding to a reported crime. In Kansas, police narratives are withheld in open criminal investigations. The incident report provided to The Star contains no details about possible offenses committed, the applicable state laws or the circumstances of the event. It shows only that the report was first made by phone at the fraternity houses address shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 12. In an email to The Star, Kim Murphree, a Lawrence police records manager, said information from the incident report was limited because of the nature of the investigation. Under state law, a police agency may withhold criminal investigation records or other public records of a personal nature that would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Accusations that a fraternity member drugged and raped another student first caught fire on social media and quickly spread last week. Hundreds of people have protested in response and some are calling for the fraternity to be banned from receiving university resources or recognition. University of Kansas administrators announced an investigation last week. The fraternity has promised through its national leadership to cooperate with authorities and the university. Meanwhile, two separate sexual assault incidents have been reported on or near the university in recent weeks. One is a sexual battery case being investigated by Lawrence police after a woman was followed for nearly a mile and attacked by a man who tried to touch her inappropriately. And on Thursday, a 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of raping a student inside of a dorm room. The Stars Robert A. Cronkleton and Katie Moore contributed to this report. Thousands of people gathered in Libya's capital Tripoli on Friday to protest a parliamentary no-confidence vote against the unity government earlier this week, three months ahead of planned elections. Protesters gathered in Martyrs' Square with Libyan flags and placards reading "parliament doesn't represent me" and "the people want parliament to fall" as well as slogans against divisions in the North African country. Libya saw a decade of war following its 2011 revolt which toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, but an October ceasefire between eastern and western camps and a United Nations-led peace process had sparked hopes of stability. A unity government took office in March with a mandate to prepare for December elections, but thorny negotiations over electoral laws have placed growing doubts over the UN-led process. Earlier this month, the speaker of the east-based parliament Aguila Saleh outraged opponents by ratifying an electoral law seen as bypassing due process and favouring military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Then on Tuesday parliament passed a no-confidence vote in the Tripoli-based unity government of interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. In response, Dbeibah called for a "huge demonstration" which took place Friday in Martyrs' Square, an esplanade in central Tripoli lined with palm trees and surrounded by Italian colonial-style buildings. The upper house of parliament based in the capital rejected the no-confidence vote, saying it violated established procedures, laying bare once more the extent of divisions between the country's east and west. But Dbeibah insisted Tuesday that elections must take place. hme/par/hkb By Angus McDowall TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya's best chance of peace in years is at risk of unravelling as factions tussle over looming national elections that were envisaged as a way to end a decade of chaotic division. As a cast of factional leaders position themselves for a presidential run, many Libyans are bracing for a return to violence whether the vote goes ahead as planned on Dec. 24 or not. Already, the eastern commander Khalifa Haftar has paved the way for a campaign by handing his duties to an acolyte, while Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the former dictator, has indicated he may run too. "The election process is heading towards disaster however things turn out," said Wolfram Lacher, a Libya researcher at SWP in Berlin. "Even in the best case in which there isn't a widespread boycott or violence, there's a big risk that the losers won't recognise the results," he said. Not everybody agrees with that assessment. Many believe that whatever the risks, elections are the only way to turn the page on endless disputes among the established powers and confer legitimacy on rulers. The United Nations and major foreign powers are all pushing for the elections to go ahead, saying most Libyans want the vote, and inside Libya all major factions are publicly demanding it takes place, whatever their private stance. But as the Dec. 24 date set by a U.N. peace process last year approaches, the dangers appear to be mounting. Libya has enjoyed little stability since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, and was split after 2014 between warring eastern and western factions. The U.N. process has installed a transitional unity government as well as demanding elections for a new president and parliament to resolve the crisis. However the legal basis for the elections is bitterly disputed, meaning that if it goes ahead without consensus on the rules, large parts of the country may refuse to take part or will reject any results they dislike. Story continues CONTROVERSY Particular controversy has hung over the role of the parliament, which was elected seven years ago and mostly backed the eastern side in the war. Its speaker Aguila Saleh said this month it had passed a presidential election law that his critics said was tailored to allow him to run without risking his role as speaker, and was rammed through without a proper vote. This week he went further, withdrawing confidence from the unity government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, a move that seemed aimed at clipping its wings by undermining its legitimacy, in a vote that also drew accusations of chicanery. "It's a way of creating more urgency for the elections as these announcements make it harder for anyone to bank on the survival of Dbeibah's government," said Libya researcher Jalel Harchaoui of the Global Initiative thinktank. Dbeibah has won support with populist programmes and though he has pledged not to run in the election, some Libyans hope he will, or regard his unity government as a fallback if elections do not happen. Meanwhile parliament has not yet passed a law for a parliamentary election - as mandated by the U.N. process - though it has said it is working on one. Any election would take place in towns and cities controlled by armed forces whose own leaders may be candidates - opening the way for losing opponents to cry fraud. "Obviously in territories held by Haftar the level of control makes it possible for him to organise the vote to ensure his victory," said Harchaoui. Haftar's potential candidacy could be especially divisive after his 14-month assault on Tripoli that laid waste to whole city districts before it was repelled last year. "Sometimes when (military men) come into power they stay there forever... he will pressure people. When they vote, they will do so under fear," said Tripoli resident Yousef Mohamed. The last war dragged in powerful foreign forces including Turkey, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and an international array of mercenaries. That raises the stakes in any new bout of fighting, but with powerful forces well entrenched, it may also mean that nobody will risk another all-out war and would instead revert to the chaotic partition that has carved Libya into pieces for years. (This story corrects translation of quote in paragraph 21 to remove reference to fear specifically benefiting one candidate) (Reporting by Angus McDowall; Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli and Reuters Libya newsroom; Editing by Jan Harvey) By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's Defence Ministry is drafting legislation to ban state institutions from purchasing "untrustworthy" equipment, after finding a censoring feature in a Chinese smartphone company's flagship phone, Margiris Abukevicius, deputy minister at the Defence Ministry said. The censoring capability in Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G phone software has been turned off for the "European Union region" but can be turned on remotely at any time, the country's National Cyber Security Centre said in a report on Tuesday. A Xiaomi spokesman said in a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday its device "does not censor communications to or from its users". The Defence Ministry is now drafting the legislation to ban public institutions from procuring "untrustworthy" equipment, including smartphones, with a view to presenting it to the parliament for debate by the end of this year, Abukevicius told Reuters. "It's quite obvious that consequences of the legislation would be similar to those of the earlier legislation on 5G equipment", he said. Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei protested in May as Lithuanian parliament decreed only equipment approved by the government on national security grounds could be used for next generation 5G network in the country. "It's not news that Lithuania has made a political decision to cooperate in technology with NATO and EU countries, which are democratic and have a rule of law", Abukevicius said. The National Cyber Security Centre report said terms potentially subject to censorship by the Xiaomi phone's system apps, such as the default internet browser, included "Free Tibet", "Long live Taiwan independence" and "democracy movement." Shares of Xiaomi Corp fell nearly 5% to HK$21.95 on Wednesday, their biggest daily percentage drop since July 27. China demanded last month that Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing and recalled its envoy to Vilnius after Taiwan announced that its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office. Story continues Taiwanese missions in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding a reference to the island itself, which China claims as its own territory. U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan last week stressed support to Lithuania's prime minister Ingrida Simonyte in the face of pressure from China. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius. Editing by Jane Merriman) Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Washington (AP) Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has insisted that it is safe to send migrants back to Haiti, contradicting the former Special Envoy to the country Daniel Foote, who harshly criticized the Biden administration for its inhumane policy towards Haitian migrants. We have continued to study the conditions in Haiti, and we have in fact determined, despite the tragic and devastating earthquake that it is in fact, capable of receiving individuals, Mr Mayorkas said during a press conference at the White House on Friday. He also said that 17 expulsion flights have travelled to Haiti carrying around 2,000 people. Those who have not been expelled will be put in expulsion proceedings. Around 12,400 people will be heard by immigration judges. I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life, Mr Foote said in his resignation letter on Wednesday. A large number of the migrants trying to enter the US are being removed under Title 42 a policy that began under the Trump administration and that allows the US to expel migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum if they pose a public health risk. During the pandemic, Title 42 have blocked many from entering the US at the southern border. Some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to put a stop to the removals of Haitians as their country faces multiple crises an earthquake recently killed more than 2,000 people and caused widespread devastation, the country has not managed to take control over the spread of Covid-19 and has a very low vaccination rate, and political chaos has gripped the country since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on 7 July. We designated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for those Haitian nationals resident in the United States who are here prior to July 29, Mr Mayorkas said on Friday. And we were mindful of the assassination that occurred, and we were unsure of the results of that assassination in terms of the stability of the political order. Once a new leader took office, and things seem to settle down, we determined that the July 29 date was equitable to address the humanitarian relief of Haitian nationals already resident in the United States. Story continues We made a determination based on the legal standards and the facts are that in fact individuals could be returned to the country as a whole, he added. Mr Foote said the Haitian people are mired in poverty and are hostage to the terror, kidnappings, robberies and massacres of armed gangs and that theyre suffering under a corrupt government that has alliances with those gangs. Arguing against the deportation of Haitian migrants who have made it to the southern US border, Mr Foote said Haiti simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy. The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will fuel further desperation and crime. Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haitis unacceptable misery, he wrote. He added that Haiti needs immediate assistance and money to deliver Covid vaccines and so many other things. Blasting international political interference in the country, Mr Foote said that what Haitians really want is to choose their own path without international puppeteering and favoured candidates. Last week, the US and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support ... for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his political agreement over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society, Mr Foote added. The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive. This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results. More negative impacts to Haiti will have calamitous consequences, not only in Haiti, but in the US and our neighbours in the hemisphere, he concluded. More follows... Read More Biden praises alliances with UK and Australia amid new pact Blinken dismisses GOP claim White House insiders control Bidens mic Biden says Democrats climate plans could create 800,000 new jobs By Adrees Latif and Kristina Cooke DEL RIO, Texas (Reuters) - An impromptu border camp that roiled the U.S. government was cleared of thousands of Haitian migrants by Friday, with most remaining in the United States for now and others expelled on deportation flights or returned to Mexico. Reuters witnesses said the jumble of makeshift shelters and tents had all but disappeared from Del Rio, Texas, with workers removing the last debris along the border with Mexico. State troopers lined the banks of the Rio Grande to discourage new crossings. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said nearly 30,000 migrants had been encountered in Del Rio in the past two weeks and that by morning there were none left in the camp beneath its international bridge. Mayorkas vowed a swift probe into "horrifying" images that had sparked outrage this week which showed a border guard on horseback using his reins to contain Haitian migrants. "We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism," he told a news conference. More than 12,000 migrants will have a chance to make their case for protection before U.S. immigration judges, an estimated 8,000 voluntarily returned to Mexico, and 2,000 were expelled to Haiti. The fate of others detained is to be decided. Seeking to balance outrage about treatment of the migrants, Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano praised agents for trying to provide food and medical care, and said there were no fatalities. As well as the Biden administration's decision to send migrants back to chronic instability convulsing Haiti, Mexico has sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states. On Friday, Reuters reported that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had formally asked Brazil to receive some of the Haitians from the camp https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-un-migration-body-asks-brazil-receive-haitians-us-mexico-border-2021-09-24, according to two sources with knowledge of the request. Story continues Many of the Haitians arriving at the U.S. border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries. U.S. President Joe Biden has faced criticism over the expulsions, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who described the Caribbean nation as a collapsed state. Washington in May extended temporary protection from deportation to Haitians in the United States, citing political crisis, rights abuses, crime and lack of access to food, water and healthcare in the deeply impoverished country. Since then, Haiti's president has been assassinated and it suffered a destructive earthquake. But the Biden government has kept up deportations, mindful that letting in more Haitians may encourage others to try. At least five more flights from the U.S. border were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website FlightAware showed. Thousands more Haitians are moving through Central America, with others among around 16,000 awaiting boats into the jungles of the Darien Gap in Panama, a bottleneck on the journey north. Not all migrant traffic is U.S.-bound. On Friday, around 100 mostly Venezuelan migrants were moving south into Chile's northern border in a bid to make a fresh start there. PUSHED SOUTH Haitians who crossed back to Mexico in recent days were met by Mexican officials who urged them to return to Mexico's southern border with Guatemala to request asylum https://www.qudach.com/mexico-urges-haitians-at-us-mexico-border-to-give-up-and-head-south-33812.htmlthere. "We're not taking them out of the country," Francisco Garduno, head of the Mexican government's National Migration Institute (INM), told Reuters. "We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems." Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) is overwhelmed and scheduling appointments months away. Official data show Haitians are less likely to have asylum claims approved in Mexico compared with many nationalities. Last year, of all asylum claims that were formally resolved, only 22% of Haitian cases won approval, compared with 98% for Venezuelans, 85% of Hondurans, 83% of Salvadorans and 44% of Cubans. So far this year, the Haitian number is up to 31%. Willy Jean, who spent two fruitless months in the Mexican city of Tapachula, said if Mexico really wanted to help, it should allow them to make their applications elsewhere. "Tapachula's really tough, really small, there's lots of people," he told an INM agent trying to persuade him to go south. "There's no work, there's nothing." (Reporting by Adrees Latif in Del Rio, Texas, and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Alberto Fajardo in Ciudad Acuna; Lizbeth Diaz, Marco Bello and Mica Rosenberg; Esteban Medel in Santiago, Writing by Frank Jack Daniel and Dave Graham; Editing by Howard Goller and Diane Craft) An Oklahoma man who is accused of inappropriately touching a child at a school bus stop was attacked by a witness who first recorded the act, police said. That man was arrested on complaint of lewd and indecent act to child, police said, was identified as 33-year old Michael Coghill. About 10 hours after the Oklahoma City Police Departments Facebook post Aabout the arrest Thursday, a church in Mustang posted they were heartbroken to learn their discipleship minister had been arrested. And we were shocked to learn this news through social media today, Lakehoma Church of Christ wrote. Mike has a clean background check, and we have received no reports or claims against him during his tenure at Lakehoma. We will be fully cooperating with law enforcement as needed. Police say Coghill would frequently go on jogs past the school bus stop, KOKH reported, and the 9-year-old boy involved said the man had stopped there more than once. On Monday, the boy said Coghill touched him on the back and that he didnt like how it felt, KOKH reported, and he let an adult know what happened. After dropping the child off at the bus stop on Thursday, the adult waited and watched to see if the man would touch the boy again. Yesterday, our adult that was made aware of the situation, actually stopped, retrieved a recording device, monitored at the bus stop, observed and viewed the suspect run past the bus stop, stop, come back, and then touch the juvenile, Sgt. Dillon Quirk said, according to KFOR. The witness then ran after Coghill, tackled him and attacked, according to KWTV. Police say his skull was fractured and his eye socket was cracked during the incident, according to KFOR. The church elders have since relieved the minister of all his duties and said he is no longer on staff at Lakehoma Church of Christ. Our church leadership has no tolerance for any type of abuse, they said in a Facebook post. Safety is our highest priority for our community, congregation and especially our children. These past years we have made significant efforts to secure our childrens area providing the highest safety standards possible. Story continues Ancient tablet seized from Hobby Lobby returns to Iraq after decades of secret swaps Minister accused of giving teen meth and raping her at church, Texas police say Wanted man breaks into homes and eats, drinks and takes anything, Oklahoma cops say Activists spoke out against a sex-ed program used in a Minnesota school district that includes asking straight students to role play gay and transgender relationships. "Parents are intentionally being deceived and misled about what their children are being taught," one concerned speaker said at the Richfield School Board meeting Monday. "Programs like 3Rs are not effective," said activist Julie Quist, a Child Protection League board member. While another speaker at the meeting said, "This type of teaching has no place in our schools." CONSERVATIVES PROPOSE REVISED SEX-ED RULES IN LGBTQ PUSHBACK The speakers were referring to a program called the " 3Rs ," which stands for "rights, respect, responsibility," and was put together by Advocates for Youth, a group partnered with Planned Parenthood, Alpha News reported . "While many sexuality education materials have addressed the needs of adolescents, Advocates for Youth realized that such education must begin much earlier," the website for Advocates for Youth explains under its "rationale for curriculum section." "This K-12 curriculum, therefore, is a collection of lesson plans on a wide range of topics including: self-understanding, family, growth and development, friendship, sexuality, life skills, and health promotion." PARENTS OF NYC ELITE PREP SCHOOL FUMING OVER SEX-ED CLASSES FOR 1ST GRADERS The lessons include asking students to role play various relationship scenarios, including straight students pretending they are in a gay or lesbian relationship and to work through whether the hypothetical couple should have sex. In one of the lessons, a student is asked to pretend to be a male named "Morgan" who is "very active" in his school's LGBTQ club, while another student is asked to be "Terence," a student who wants to have sex with "Morgan" and is not publicly out as gay. Story continues "Morgan" then outlines a plan for the two students to secretly meet, according to the curriculum, and they "make a decision about whether to have sex." Other lessons include having students pretend they are transgender and "make a decision" about having sex with a woman, curriculum on anal sex designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention, and a section for teachers outlining how some straight male students might "have a homophobic response" to the role playing. DALTON PARENTS ENRAGED OVER MASTURBATION VIDEOS FOR FIRST GRADERS: NYP "Should this happen in your class, its important to stop what you are doing, notice the interaction, and ask for the class members to reflect on whats happening and why. Direct the students back to your class ground rules and reinforce the agreement to be respectful and that making homophobic comments is not respectful," the section for teachers said, Alpha News reported. Quist said that research has found that such "explicit sexual education" does not help reduce STDs or teen pregnancies. "The Institute for Research and Evaluation conducted a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of programs such as this," she told the Richfield School Board. "Out of 60 school-based studies, no credible evidence of effectiveness was found for sustained reductions in teen pregnancy or STDs. There was no evidence of effectiveness for increasing consistent condom use. Failure rates included 88% failure to delay teen sexual initiation and 94% failure to reduce unprotected sex. 12% of these programs found significant negative effects on adolescent sexual health and/or risk behavior." The entire lesson plan for the curriculum is nearly 700 pages long , and in one lesson designed for kindergartners, teachers are directed to refer to females as "a person with a vulva," while lessons for upper-grade level students list anal sex alongside vaginal and oral sex as routine intimacy options. "The board does not actually know all the details of our curriculum, I think I can say that with confidence," Chair Tim Pollis said at the meeting following the speakers pushback, adding that all content is "age appropriate" and was selected "in partnership with parents and guardians." Pollis said that the use of 3Rs in the school district "is not new, its been in place for a number of years," and "parents are provided opt-out information in advance no student is required to participate." A district spokesperson told Alpha News that "Each year, content is introduced that is age-appropriate." The district did not immediately respond to Fox Newss request for comment Friday morning. In a letter to Gov. Mike Parson, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has asked to be removed from the investigation into abuse allegations at Agape Boarding School. The request comes after Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither has said he plans to charge just seven Agape staff members with roughly 14 counts of assault and other crimes. The Attorney Generals Office, which has been assisting in the southwest Missouri case, recommended prosecuting three times that many people 22 people with a total of 65 counts. The Attorney General respectfully requests to be relieved of the appointment as Special Prosecutor for Cedar County in the Agape Boarding School Investigation and Prosecution, the letter sent to Parson on Thursday stated. Mr. Gaithers decision to pursue a relatively small number of minor felony offenses reveals that he has no real need of the expertise and resources of the Attorney Generals Office. More importantly, however, in deciding not to charge a number of other offenses, Mr. Gaither has expressly rejected the assistance and expertise of the Attorney Generals office, and he has indicated that he does not intend to seek justice for all of the thirty-six children who were allegedly victimized by twenty-two members of the Agape Boarding School staff. After The Star asked Gaither for comment Friday afternoon, he said in an email that he wasnt aware of the letter detailing the desire of the AGs office to be released from the case. But (I) am sure they will be of invaluable assistance in funding, coordinating and arranging transport for the out of state witness and possible expert witnesses in this case, Gaither said. The letter from the Attorney Generals Office to Parson shows how frustrated Schmitt and his staff were with Gaithers actions. It also tells Parson that earlier this month the office filed a motion to seat a grand jury to hear evidence regarding the abuse of these 36 children at the hands of the 22 identified suspects and to sign any resulting indictments. Story continues That motion was denied after Gaither wrote a letter to David R. Munton, presiding judge of the 28th Judicial Circuit on Sept. 13. Gaither stated, in part: All matters in this investigation will require my signature and must come from my office. For your information we are preparing what we consider to be the proper charges in this matter and expect an Associate filing around September 22, 2021. The highest charge level will be assault in the 3rd degree. No charges had been filed as of Friday. According to the letter sent to Parson, Mr. Gaither further stated that he expects to have the continued assistance of the Office of the Attorney General with coordination and transport of witnesses. The 65 charges the AGs office recommended included Class B and D felonies for abuse of a child, Class D felonies for tampering with a victim and misdemeanors for endangering the welfare of a child and failure to report child abuse, according to the letter sent Thursday to the governor. Gaither told The Star that the majority of the 14 or so counts he intends to file would be Class E felonies, the lowest felony level possible. Several charges are expected to be misdemeanors. Some people who will be charged, he said, no longer work at the boarding school. For weeks, former Agape students have flooded local and state authorities and officials including the governors office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with phone calls insisting the county prosecutor is too close to the case and that he and other authorities in the community have conflicts of interest. Former students said theyre worried that key Agape staff members, who have been accused of abusing students for decades, will not face serious charges. Frustrated by a lack of action in the case, two former students told The Star that they contacted the FBI this week. Both said they were told by the FBI in Kansas City that the agencys Springfield office was handling the case. An FBI spokesman in Kansas City, however, said he could neither confirm or deny any investigation into the matter. Gaither has denied that he has a conflict in handling reform school cases in his county. In a recent interview with The Star, he reiterated that, saying he does not know the owners of Agape and is not friends with anyone at the school. I dont know any of these people that we are considering filing charges against, Gaither said in a phone call. I dont know the people who run Agape. Im just the local prosecutor. Ive been here about eight years. I dont know any of these people. Theres no conflict that I recognize. I do not have a conflict. Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lees Summit, who led a legislative push for a law addressing the oversight of unlicensed boarding schools like Agape and Circle of Hope, said she stands with the Attorney Generals Office and the law enforcement officers who completed a thorough investigation. Im always on the side of survivors getting justice, and it seems this is a great disservice, she said Friday. For whatever reason, Mr. Gaither is refusing to seek justice on behalf of these survivors and it flies in the face of any kind of reason. Colton Schrag, who did two stints at Agape from 2004 to 2010, said the state has let down victims and survivors of child abuse. The message being sent to other victims of abuse and domestic violence should have been, we will listen, investigate and do all the means necessary to protect you, Schrag said Friday. But instead, the message received is one that does not encourage potential victims to speak up and seek help. Because the local authorities will only pursue the lesser charge and will allow the abuser to continue to live and operate local. Before this week, the attorney generals office had declined to comment on the specifics of the charges it recommended to Gaither. The Star sent a Sunshine request to the AG asking for the letter it sent Gaither regarding those recommendations. The AG provided the letter, but its entire content was redacted. Gaithers charging decisions come after The Stars investigation into Agape and other unlicensed Christian reform schools in Missouri. Former Agape students told The Star they were physically, emotionally and sexually abused while attending the boarding school. Missouri law stipulates that the county prosecutor has sole authority in deciding what charges are filed. Though Gaither requested the assistance of the AGs office, he maintained jurisdiction in the case and charging decisions. Agape, located just outside Stockton, Missouri, is the second unlicensed Christian boarding school in the state whose staff members have been investigated by state authorities for allegations of abusing students. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch near Humansville was closed last year after authorities removed about 25 students amid an investigation into abuse and neglect allegations. Owners Boyd and Stephanie Householder were charged in March and await trial on 100 criminal counts all but one are felonies including statutory rape, sodomy and physical abuse and neglect. Both have pleaded not guilty and were released in July on $10,000 bond pending trial. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 19. The AGs office filed those charges on the Householders because when Gaither asked for assistance in that case he gave it authority to take the lead, which included charging decisions. Gaither did not hand over that authority in the Agape investigation. It is still unclear why Gaither allowed the AGs office to take the lead in the Circle of Hope case, but refused to give them full authority with Agape, a school with five times the number of students and dozens of staff members. When asking Parson for the help, Gaither said that his office didnt have the money or employees to handle either boarding school case. Due to the volume of evidence referenced by the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation and the number of possible out-of-state victims and witnesses, it will be impossible for my office to fund the prosecution of this case, Gaither wrote in a March 18 letter to Parson which The Star obtained through a Sunshine Law request asking for assistance with Agape. Additionally, as a single prosecutor office, I cannot devote the hundreds of hours necessary to review, prepare and prosecute a case involving multiple victims, witnesses and defendants. Gaithers letter requesting the AGs help with the Circle of Hope case was nearly identical. The Missouri Highway Patrol began conducting a criminal investigation at Agape in late February. On March 22, Parson approved the request from Gaither and directed the Attorney Generals Office to assist in the investigation. In a months-long investigation, the patrol interviewed more than 150 current and former students and many staff members at the school. After that, a team of prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates from the AGs office spent the hundreds of hours necessary to review, prepare and prosecute the alleged offenses at the Agape Boarding School, Schmitt told Parson in the letter Thursday. Please understand that the Attorney Generals Office stands ready to provide services to assist local prosecutors in the prosecution of crimes, the letter said. However, inasmuch as Mr. Gaither has made plain that he does not desire the Attorney Generals expertise in this matter, and inasmuch as he has made plain that he will not prosecute a number of serious offenses uncovered during this investigation, the Attorney General must seek to be removed as a Special Prosecutor in this impending criminal case. Agape Boarding School officials have not responded to repeated requests from The Star for comment on any of the stories it has published. Last fall, the school posted a lengthy letter on its website that was directed at parents in response to The Stars Nov. 8 report on the facility that detailed some of the alleged abuse. School leaders denied the allegations of former students and defended their program and employees. We on staff at Agape arent perfect, nor are the staff of any such program sometimes we make mistakes, but our hearts are in the right place, the response said. We desperately want to help these boys, and we do for most boys who come here. Most boys flourish here and go on to a great future, while a small number of other boys are just not the right fit and get bitter for being brought here. Six civil lawsuits have been filed this year alleging abuse and neglect at the school, the latest one on Sept. 2. Three of those suits allege that Agape staff members have physically and emotionally abused students with disabilities including autism, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Some of the lawsuits also allege sexual abuse by fellow students, and one alleges sexual abuse by a staffer. Agape is one of more than a dozen reform schools that operate in Missouri, where there was no state oversight because of a nearly 40-year-old law that exempts faith-based facilities. Parson in July signed into law a measure that for the first time gives the state some oversight over unlicensed boarding schools. The proposal received overwhelming support in the Legislature this past session. The Star has been investigating the schools since last summer, with students recounting stories of physical, emotional and sexual abuse they say were inflicted on them by staff and fellow students. Some said Bryan Clemensen, who now runs the school, became known for his Jurassic elbow, a tactic he would use to deliver a powerful blow to the back of the head or between the shoulders places that dont bruise easily. Agape Boarding School opened in Missouri in 1996 after leaving two other states where it came under scrutiny, The Stars investigation revealed. Many also said they tried to get local authorities attention over the years to alert them to the abuse they said was taking place at Agape. Some said they ran away to seek help from the sheriffs department, only to be driven right back to the school. The Star found close ties between Agape and law enforcement in Cedar County. Two sheriffs deputies, including former student Robert Graves son-in-law of Agape owner James Clemensen have worked at the school. Graves also is listed in state corporation documents as a board member of Agape Baptist Church, which oversees the school. Graves daughter James Clemensens granddaughter works for the Sheriffs Office as well, according to information provided to the Star through a Missouri Sunshine request. Other part-time and full-time sheriffs employees also have connections to Agape, The Stars investigation revealed. That includes Agapes dean of students Julio Sandoval, who Sheriff James McCrary said had occasionally worked shifts at the county jail. Sandoval also owns a company that parents can hire to transport their troubled teens to the school. Graves and another deputy work off-duty for that company, the sheriff said last fall. McCrary told The Star he was aware of the connections his employees had to Agape but said that hadnt influenced the departments investigations. He said if a potential conflict arose, he would pass the case to another agency to follow up. The week before the attorney generals office became involved in the investigation, the Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at Agape after an employee called and said staff members were destroying records that would document the abuse of students, according to a warrant request obtained by The Star. Documents showed that investigators seized two bags of current student medical records from the infirmary, four bags of current student discipline records and one bag of staff discipline records from Sandovals office, and staff discipline records from school director Bryan Clemensens office. The search warrant records also said that the Highway Patrol investigators had initiated multiple child abuse investigations at Agape, and students told authorities that staff members were using extreme force and inflicting pain as a form of discipline. As a result of the investigations, the records said, over 50-60 specific acts of physical child abuse upon different students were documented. The abuse involved staff members physically restraining students by force as a form of discipline, the records said, and that as a result, students have suffered physical injury including bruising, nerve damage, and lacerations, requiring stitches. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday her country is willing to resume talks with South Korea if conditions are met, indicating it wants Seoul to persuade Washington to relax crippling economic sanctions. Kim Yo Jongs statement came days after North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months, which some experts said were intended to show it will keep boosting its weapons arsenal if the U.S.-led sanctions continue while nuclear diplomacy remains stalled. She offered the talks while mentioning South Korean President Moon Jae-ins call, issued in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly, for a political declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to bring peace to the peninsula. Smiling a forced smile, reading the declaration of the termination of the war, and having photos taken could be essential for somebody, but I think that they would hold no water and would change nothing, given the existing inequality, serious contradiction therefrom and hostilities, Kim Yo Jong said in the statement carried by state media. She said North Korea is willing to hold constructive talks with South Korea to discuss how to improve and repair strained ties if the South stops provoking the North with hostile policies, far-fetched assertions and double-dealing standards. South Koreas Unification Ministry said its carefully reviewing Kim Yo Jongs statement. It said South Korea will continue its efforts to restore ties with North Korea. Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea, said North Korea is putting indirect pressure on Seoul to work to arrange talks on easing the sanctions as it pushes for the declaration of the wars end. Its like North Korea saying it would welcome talks on the end-of-the war declaration if lifting the sanctions can also be discussed, Nam said. The U.S.-led sanctions have been toughened following North Koreas provocative run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, and Kim Jong Un has said the sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters were causing the worst-ever crisis in North Korea. Story continues Earlier this year, he warned he would enlarge the country's nuclear arsenal if the United States refuses to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea, an apparent reference to the sanctions. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea has consistently wanted to sign a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the war as a step toward subsequent improved relations. Some experts say the peace treaty could allow North Korea to demand that the United States withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease the sanctions. Both Koreas had called for an end-of-war declaration and a peace treaty during a period of diplomacy with the United States that began in 2018. There was speculation that former President Donald Trump might announce the wars end in early 2019 to convince Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. No such announcement was made as the talks reached a stalemate after Trump rejected Kim Jong Uns calls for the lifting of toughened sanctions in exchange for limited denuclearization steps. Some experts say North Korea wont have a reason to denuclearize if those sanctions are withdrawn. Kim Yo Jongs offer for talks was a stark contrast to a blunt statement issued by a senior North Korean diplomat earlier Friday that the end-of-war declaration could be a smokescreen covering up hostile U.S. policies. The earlier statement appeared to target the U.S., while the later one by Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of North Korea's relations with Seoul, focuses more on South Korea. Both statements suggest Seoul and Washington should act first and drop sanctions if they want to see a resumption of nuclear diplomacy. Ties between the Koreas remain largely deadlocked amid a stalemate in the broader North Korea-U.S. diplomacy. North Korea earlier called on South Korea not to interfere in its dealings with the United States after Seoul failed to break away from Washington and revive joint economic projects held up by the sanctions. North Korea also often accuses South Korea of hypocrisy and double standards by buying high-tech weapons and staging military drills with the United States while calling for a dialogue with the North. Last week, North Korea conducted its first cruise and ballistic missile tests since March, demonstrating its ability to launch attacks on South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American soldiers are stationed. But North Korea is still maintaining a moratorium on nuclear tests and launches of long-range missiles that directly target the American homeland, a sign that it wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. North Korea would think it doesnt cross a (red line) set by the U.S. ... so it says it can come to talks if conditions are rife for sanctions relief, said Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies. Nam said North Korea is likely to conduct more powerful weapons tests if the U.S. and South Korea dont accept its demand for sanctions relief. New York City has passed sweeping legislation aimed at protecting workers of app-based food delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash. The move makes the city one of the first municipalities in the US to aggressively regulate an industry that has grown by leaps and bounds during the pandemic. Per Bloomberg, the legislation touches nearly every aspect of the job. For instance, addressing an issue that was a subject of a $2.5 million settlement , delivery apps and courier services must disclose their gratuity policies, and guarantee that workers always receive their tips. They must also pay them at least once a week, and provide them with payment options that dont necessitate the need for a bank account. Another part of the legislation mandates platforms include a clause in their contracts with restaurants to ensure they provide bathroom access to delivery workers. Both Grubhub and DoorDash told Engadget they support the legislation, though the latter voiced some reservations about specific measures. We recognize the unique challenges facing delivery workers in New York City and share the goal of identifying policies that will help Dashers and workers like them, a DoorDash spokesperson said. We will continue to work with all stakeholders, including the City Council, to identify ways to support all delivery workers in New York City without unintended consequences. The company specifically pointed to the restroom mandate, which lawmakers tweaked near the end of the process to put the onus of ensuring compliance on platform holders. Its also concerned about a provision that gives delivery workers the ability to set limits on their routes. The company contends thats something that could hurt customers in underserved areas. Meanwhile, Grubhub voiced, at least publicly, stronger support for the laws. These bills are common-sense steps to support the delivery workers who work hard every day for New Yorks restaurants and residents, a spokesperson for the company told Engadget. Ensuring they receive a living wage and have access to restrooms isnt just a good idea its the right thing to do. NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) An Oregon school board has banned educators from displaying Black Lives Matter and gay pride symbols, prompting a torrent of recriminations and threats to boycott the town and its businesses. Newberg, a town of 25,000 residents situated 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland in gorgeous wine country, has become an unlikely focal point of a battle between the left and right across the nation over schooling. The City Council has condemned the action by the Newberg School Board. So did members of color of the Oregon Legislature and House and Senate Democrats. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is threatening to sue. The Oregon State Board of Education called on the school board to reverse course, saying student identities should be welcomed and affirmed. But the four conservative members of the seven-member board are digging in their heels. Member Brian Shannon, who proposed the ban, said lawmakers from Portland should keep out of the school district's business and instead focus on Portland, where homelessness is an issue. Opponents say the board has emboldened racists. On Sept. 17, a special education staffer at a Newberg elementary school showed up for work in blackface, saying she was portraying anti-segregation icon Rosa Parks in order to protest a statewide vaccine mandate for educators. She was immediately placed on administrative leave. The same week, word emerged that some Newberg students had participated in a Snapchat group in which participants pretended to buy and sell Black fellow students. Newberg Public Schools Superintendent Joe Morelock said there will be an investigation and disciplinary action meted out. Underscoring how deeply the board's action has cut, raw emotion was on display during a virtual public hearing of the board Wednesday night. Some speakers said the board's action is harmful. Others said the signs have no place in schools, saying they're political. Story continues Local resident Peggy Kilburg said they should be banned from schools, as well as signs supporting any political position, like National Rifle Association posters. Robert Till, who is gay and a sophomore at Newberg High School, said he is embarrassed to live in Newberg. He cited an estimate from the Trevor Project, a group that aims to end suicide among LGBTQ young people, that at least one LGBTQ person between the ages of 1324 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S. A simple pride or BLM flag in a classroom shows the love and acceptance that we need," Till said, his voice shaking with anger. "Pride flags can literally save someones life, and youre just going to take that away? School board chairman Dave Brown, who voted for the sign ban, declared in an earlier Zoom meeting that I'm not a racist. I work with and will always accept those around me no matter what," Brown said, an American flag pinned behind him. "I dont care if theyre gay. I dont care if theyre white or brown or Black. I work with everybody. Shannon defended the ban, which hasn't been imposed yet. I dont think any of us can deny the fact that these symbols are divisive," Shannon said. "Theyve divided our community and gotten our attention away from where it needs to be, just teaching the basic fundamentals of education. Opponents of the ban say it is the board that is being divisive and distracting from the challenges as educators begin in-person instruction with safety protocols after a year of remote teaching because of COVID-19. It has been difficult to see a community divided. You can see the anguish on both sides. It makes being an educator harder than it already was, said a faculty member at Newberg High School. Speaking on condition she not be named for fear of being harassed online, she said more students than ever are displaying gay pride and Black Lives Matter symbols on lockers, water bottles and laptops since the board took its vote in August. The ban does not apply to students. Alexis Small, a 15-year-old high school junior who is Black, believes the members who endorsed the ban simply don't approve of people who aren't like them. The message that I feel is hate," Small said in a telephone interview. "I mean, I cant say that this decision was made out of love or made out of whats best for people. I genuinely think that they did this out of hate. In June 2020 as Black Lives Matter protests roiled the nation after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis the board took a completely different stance, condemning racism and committing to being an anti-racist school district. But conservatives gained a majority in school board elections last May amid a light turnout, and everything changed. Tai Harden-Moore, a Black candidate who lost, recalls a nasty election. Comments on social media supporting her opponent called Harden-Moore un-American and claimed she hated whites, she said. Her campaign signs were ripped from the ground or left in place with tree branches placed on top. My sign, I've got my face on it, and so for them to put the branches on it, it was like this weird link to lynching for me, Harden-Moore said. Harden-Moore has joined a group called Newberg Equity in Education, which is advocating for inclusion and equity in Newberg schools. The Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce told the school board that it has received numerous phone calls and emails from people saying they will boycott Newberg, the valleys main town. As business leaders and owners, we are very concerned about the impact this has on our businesses and on the reputation of our community, the chamber said, the Newberg Graphic newspaper reported. Newberg Mayor Rick Rogers told the four conservative board members their actions can hurt the town, which features a dozen wine tasting rooms and a university founded by Quakers. While you may believe your actions only affect the school district, please know in truth your actions impact us all. To thrive, Newberg must be welcoming to all, he wrote. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky Padma Lakshmi will be spending lots of time in Houston as she films the latest season of "Top Chef," and the TV host plans to support local causes while she's in town. Earlier this week, news broke that the hit Bravo show would be heading to H-Town to film its 19th season, and Lakshmi wasted no time letting her fans know that she would be helping to raise money for Texas abortion funds after the state's restrictive abortion law went into effect earlier this month. (Bravo is owned by TODAY's parent company, NBCUniversal.) The law, known as S.B. 8, bans abortions "after a fetal cardiac activity can be detected, or as early as six weeks into pregnancy," per NBC News. It also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a person get the procedure after this time. In a series of tweets posted Wednesday, Lakshmi revealed she's working to support local organizations that help Texans pay for their procedure and transportation to their appointment. "Im continuing this fight here on the ground with local branches of @PPACT (Planned Parenthood Action), @AbortionFunds & @ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)," she wrote. Im continuing this fight here on the ground with local branches of @PPACT, @AbortionFunds & @ACLU. Help Texans directly by donating to 9 Texas abortion funds here:https://t.co/HD202lJfJy pic.twitter.com/RIt5JgnPJd Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 23, 2021 According to the fundraiser website, all money that is raised will be split equally among 10 organizations that help fund abortions, including Texas Equal Access Fund, Jane's Due Process, Support Your Sistah at the Afiya Center, Clinic Access Support Network and Fund Texas Choice. Story continues The "Tomatoes for Neela" author also expressed her disdain for the law in a separate tweet. "Only 11% of Americans believe that abortion should be illegal. The govt doesnt have the right to force ppl to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term," she wrote. Our show highlights the small businesses that hire the very same women, BIPOC ppl & low-income folks that these laws harm most. Only 11% of Americans believe that abortion should be illegal. The govt doesnt have the right to force ppl to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 23, 2021 In her series of tweets, Lakshmi made it clear she opposes several of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's controversial laws, including one that many critics have said restricts voting rights since it bans overnight and drive-thru early voting. "Texans are up against so much right now a hateful anti-abortion bill, erasure of voting rights, and a humanitarian and constitutional crisis at the border," Lakshmi wrote. "Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. Its government and the majority of its people oppose Gov. Abbotts heinous bills." Texans are up against so much right now- a hateful anti-abortion bill, erasure of voting rights, and a humanitarian & Constitutional crisis at the border. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. Its govt & the majority of its ppl oppose @GovAbbott's heinous bills. Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 23, 2021 In a press release about "Top Chef" Season 19, Bravo expressed excitement over the opportunity to highlight the racial and ethnic diversity of Houston's population. "We hope to showcase the rich heritage of Houstonians through the food that defines them," reads the release. Lakshmi also noted that these very same people are most affected by Gov. Abbott's abortion and voting laws. "Our show highlights the small businesses that hire the very same women, BIPOC ppl & low-income folks that these laws harm most," she tweeted. The announcement of the new season's location was met with excitement from many Houstonians, but it also drew some criticism from those on social media, with one person on Instagram commenting, "Very surprised to go to Texas with the new anti abortion laws and the fact that @padmalakshmi, a major feminist, is the host of this show!" Abortion funds on the ground in Texas have consistently said boycotting the state *isn't* the answer. Laws like SB8 hit BIPOC communities the hardest & boycotts have a harmful economic impact on those already vulnerable. Listen to Texans & donate here:https://t.co/r9VHBaGVxl https://t.co/eWlexfrP0G Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 24, 2021 In a tweet posted Friday, Lakshmi wrote, "Abortion funds on the ground in Texas have consistently said boycotting the state *isn't* the answer. Laws like SB8 hit BIPOC communities the hardest & boycotts have a harmful economic impact on those already vulnerable." A voter casts his early voting ballot at drop box outside of City Hall on October 17, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mark Makela/Getty Images President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes in 2020. But state Republicans have faced pressure from pro-Trump activists to find evidence the race was "stolen." A Republican-led audit of the results in Fulton County did not uncover any fraud. See more stories on Insider's business page. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit on Thursday aimed at stopping a Republican effort to subpoena personal information about the state's more than nine million registered voters. Earlier this month, Republicans, who control the Pennsylvania legislature, approved a subpoena demanding that the state hand over all voter records, including each voter's driver's license number, home address, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. That came after months of pressure from Republican activists and pro-Trump lawmakers, such as state Sen. Doug Mastriano, to conduct a "forensic audit" over false claims the 2020 election was rigged. Democrats, including Gov. Tom Wolf, have cast the effort as a partisan fishing expedition. Senate Democrats filed their own lawsuit last week. In a statement, Shapiro, who is also a Democrat, said handing over the data "would compromise the privacy of every Pennsylvania voter." State Sen. Cris Dush, the Republican chairman of the committee that issued the subpoena, has portrayed the request for voter data as part of an effort to ensure election integrity. "[T]he reason for requesting the last four digits of a voter's Social Security number or their driver license is because it is the best way to determine the accuracy of voter rolls and make sure there are not duplicate, doctored, or deceased voters," he said in a statement earlier this month. But Thursday's lawsuit, filed in state court, argues voters' privacy is jeopardized by virtue of the Republicans' plan to hire a third party to analyze it. That has raised concern that the information could fall into the hands of unscrupulous actors, with critics pointing to the partisan election review in Arizona, where a company called Cyber Ninjas was hired by state Senate Republicans to go over some 2.1 million ballots, despite having no experience conducting election audits. The company is led by a conspiracy theorist who asserted the 2020 election was "rigged" before getting the job. Story continues The attorney general's office maintains that the effort to dig through Pennsylvania's voter rolls is merely an effort to "placate former President Trump and his political base and propagate his false allegations while avoiding the embarrassment that has resulted from previous efforts to provide evidence of voter fraud that does not exist." A Republican-led effort to find evidence of fraud in Pennsylvania's Fulton County, for example, did not uncover anything of the sort, a GOP official there recently testified. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider David Holmes taunted Lancashire Police on Twitter, baiting them to 'come and get me'. So they did. (Twitter) A 'most wanted' criminal was caught by a police force after taunting them on social media to 'come and find me'. David Holmes, 27, was included in a nine-person list published by Lancashire Police, and decided to bait the force by writing on Facebook: "Do your job properly and come find me". "Hi David, we would advise you to do the right thing and hand yourself in," the force replied. "We have an excellent track record for these sorts of things you see, so we think you'll find that sooner or later we'll 'come and find' you." And they did. Read more: Carer stole bank cards from dying cancer patient then went on clothes spending spree Lancashire Police's 'most wanted' list has been updated after David Holmes was arrested (Lancashire Police) Read More From Yahoo News UK: Mum-of-two dies weeks after wedding after being deemed 'too young' to have breast cancer In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "Following our previous appeal two wanted men have been arrested. "David Holmes, 27 from Skelmersdale has been charged with harassment and breaching a restraining order, and is due to appear at court today. "And Ian Humphreys, 35, from Lytham, who was wanted on suspicion of breaching a non-molestation order handed himself in at Blackpool Police Station yesterday." Read more: Motorists urged against panic-buying after handful of petrol station closures Both men were wanted as part of Operation Hunter, which launched in July targeting Lancashire's most wanted individuals. The statement added: "That's two down, seven to go of this week's most wanted faces." Holmes' humiliation was further added to when the original Facebook comment, and subsequent responses, were screenshot and put on Lancashire Police's Facebook page with yet another jibe at his expense. "You might remember from our recent Op Hunter post, that David thought it wise to pop us a comment on, after seeing his face on our 'Most Wanted' list," read the post. Story continues "The moral of this story is that it's probably not a wise move. We are after all, the police." Watch: Do coronavirus vaccines affect fertility? Relatively few workers have received incentive payments in the states that created special return to work bonuses to encourage unemployed people to take jobs earlier this year. As businesses complained they couldnt find workers earlier this year, Republican governors cut federal unemployment benefits, including an extra $300 per week that they claimed caused workers to refuse low-paying jobs. But nine states, led by Montana, used pandemic relief funds to create signing bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to encourage people to resume work. Several Democratic-led states that didnt cut federal unemployment benefits also offered employment incentives. Congressional Democrats did not expect states to cut federal unemployment benefits or to use the relief money for employment incentives, though Republican lawmakers had proposed bonuses as an alternative to more generous unemployment benefits. So far, the programs have had a seemingly small impact, according to data provided by states that responded to a HuffPost survey this week. Arizona told HuffPost it has distributed 760 bonuses, and has nearly 6,000 completed applications. Colorado is the outlier, having paid out $14 million in bonuses to more than 11,000 applicants, nearly matching the states total decline in unemployment claims from May to September. Connecticut has sent 1,500 payments so far, having received 11,000 applications. In Maine, 448 workers were provisionally eligible as of Aug. 20, the deadline for employers to submit applications on behalf of their new hires. We are still in the early stages of processing grant payments, as new hires must first work eight weeks, and then the employer must provide documentation of their wages, a spokesperson for Maines Department of Labor said in an email. Montana has approved only 1,061 return-to-work payments out of 5,000 applications as of Thursday morning, according to its public data dashboard. Virginia projected it had reached 500 workers by the end of August, having dispersed $300,000 to 84 small businesses that made payments to eligible workers. Virginias incentive is smaller than others a $500 match to small firms that themselves offer $500 hiring bonuses. Story continues Labor departments in Kentucky, New Hampshire and Oklahoma did not provide bonus information. Overall, in the six states that provided data, 15,284 workers have been able to get a bonus, most of them in Colorado. Thats out of nearly 92,000 workers in those states who stopped receiving unemployment from May to September, with an increase of about 173,000 employees in those states during that time, according to Matt Darling, an employment policy expert at the Niskanen Center, a libertarian-leaning think tank. Its a small impact, Darling said. It looks like a lot of people that should have gotten this havent gotten this. Few workers have received return-to-work bonuses relative to the number who gained jobs or previously were on unemployment. (Photo: Niskanen Center) Not everyone who stopped receiving benefits or who gained a job would necessarily have been eligible for a bonus. And the programs havent closed yet in all states, so more workers will likely receive bonus payments in the coming weeks as states work through their application backlogs. But red tape could be a major obstacle to more people receiving the payments. The reason Colorado has proved to be such a success could be the simplicity of its program. When workers get a new job, they opt in to the bonuses on the same portal they used to get unemployment insurance, and report their employer and wages one time. Thats it! The first half of your Colorado Jumpstart incentive will be paid after approximately four weeks of employment, with the second half paid after approximately eight weeks of employment, says Colorados explanation of how its bonus program works. Connecticut has received its maximum number of applications and stopped accepting new requests in mid-September. The state said it would award the one-time $1,000 bonuses to the first 10,000 workers who got a job over the summer and kept the post for eight weeks. So far, 1,500 people have been approved as having met eligibility requirements. Review of applications continues, with another round of checks scheduled to be mailed in the next week or two, a spokesperson said in an email. Arizona offers a $2,000 bonus for workers who stopped receiving unemployment before May 15 and worked at least 320 hours between May and September at an hourly wage of less than $25. The state requires applicants to provide pay stubs and employer contact information for eligibility verification. The paperwork in Arizona might be a bit of an obstacle the state said nearly 18,000 applications have been started but not completed. But a spokesperson said the state expects the expediency by which the bonuses are issued to significantly increase in the next few weeks. Montanas initiative offers one-time payments of $1,200 for people who stopped receiving unemployment insurance and held a job for at least four weeks between May and November. We need to incentivize Montanans to reenter the workforce, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) said in May. Our return-to-work bonus and the return to pre-pandemic unemployment programs will help get more Montanans back to work. Its not clear whether the program has had much impact on hiring. The states unemployment numbers did not significantly drop after Gianforte pulled federal benefits and instituted the return-to-work bonuses. The state still has more than 4,000 people receiving unemployment benefits as of the beginning of September, a number that has been steadily declining since March, before the incentive program was announced. Nationally, theres been very little data to back Republicans concerns that the federal unemployment benefits were a disincentive for Americans to get back to work. Over the summer, businesses, particularly in the hospitality industry, were hiring at a rapid pace. And wage increases in the restaurant industry, in large part to make up for the depressed wages during the pandemic recession, proved to be a good way to get people back to work. That growth stagnated in August with a disappointing jobs report showing hiring had stalled. The economy is still missing millions of jobs that existed before the pandemic, and millions of Americans are now receiving significantly less financial support without the federal benefits, which expired this month in the states that hadnt already canceled them. HuffPost readers: Did you apply for a return-to-work bonus? Tell us about it email arthur@huffpost.com. Please include your phone number if youre willing to be interviewed. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. By Hereward Holland KINSHASA (Reuters) - Rights groups called on military authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday to release a journalist arrested on terrorism charges for the possession of a video showing the assassination of two U.N. sanctions monitors in 2017. Sosthene Kambidi, who works for Congolese news site Actualite.cd and sometimes with international news agencies, was arrested by the army prosecutor at a hotel in Kinshasa on Monday night, he said in a WhatsApp message to a Radio France International (RFI) journalist, which was shared with Reuters. Kambidi contributed to an investigation https://www.reuters.com/article/cnews-us-congo-violence-un-idCAKBN1EE0CT-OCATP by RFI and Reuters in December 2017 which revealed that state security agents had helped plan a trip by the two U.N. monitors to investigate reports of atrocities during an armed conflict in a rural part of Congo's Kasai region. Kambidi, who also accompanied Reuters and RFI journalists on a March 2017 reporting trip that revealed the existence of several mass graves in Kasai, is being prosecuted by the military for "criminal conspiracy, rebellion and terrorism", his lawyer Gode Kabongo told Reuters by telephone. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) all called for Kambidi to be released. Denied access to his family or a lawyer for 36 hours after his arrest, Kambidi was questioned over how he acquired footage of the killing in 2017, said Jean-Mobert Senga, an Amnesty International researcher. "Until proven otherwise, Kambidi is a journalist who has done nothing but his job, and should not be forced to reveal his sources," Senga told Reuters. A government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kambidi's arrest. The army could not be reached for comment. During the 2017 U.N. mission, the two experts, Zaida Catalan, a Swede, and Michael Sharp, an American, were stopped along the road by armed men, marched into a field and executed. Story continues Congolese authorities initially blamed a militia, arrested about two dozen alleged fighters and charged them with involvement in the killings. The government later said it could not exclude the possibility that state agents were involved. They have, however, denied suggestions by rights groups that higher-level government and security officials might have been involved in the killings. (Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross and Gareth Jones) Sabina Nessa is thought to have been murdered as she made her way to meet a friend. (PA) Sabina Nessa's housemate has revealed she began to panic when texts to her friend went unread, and has admitted "I dont feel safe living here now". The woman, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian: "I never thought something like this could happen to her. I had been texting her and its not like her to not reply to my messages. I dont feel safe living here now." Nessa, a 28-year-old primary school teacher from southeast London, left her home to meet a friend at around 8.30pm on 17 September. The journey, through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, should have taken five minutes, but she never reached her destination. Watch: Police release new CCTV footage looking for a second man in connection with Sabina Nessa's killing Her body was discovered in the park at 5.30pm the following day. Flowers have been left at the spot where Nessa's body was found, and a vigil has been planned for Friday evening. Friends have said that they are now walking in groups to avoid being alone on the streets. One told The Sun I cant believe whats happened. Its horrific. My heart is broken for her. Sabina was a beautiful woman - she had the whole world ahead of her. Its so sad. She was so special. Her job was a huge part of her life. The school pupils were so special to her. Were now walking in groups as a result of this. Were not going out alone. I fear this will be a man who could strike again. Police have released CCTV footage of a man they are looking for in connection with Sabina Nessa's murder (PA/Met Police) Im scared. Were now keeping our movements shared with each other. Were not going out alone. Sabina's death has sparked outrage after she joined a growing list of women killed in public spaces in London in recent months. In March, Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, went missing after walking home from a friends flat. Her remains were discovered a week later. Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was charged with her kidnap and murder. Helen Anderson, 41 and mother of four from Finsbury Park, was found dead near the A3 in Guildford last month. Story continues A 52-year-old man has been charged with her murder. Maria Jane Rawlings, 45, was found dead in a bush in Romford 4 May, with a coroner ruling she had died from "neck compression." A 20-year-old man has been charged with her murder. Since Everard went missing 77 women have been murdered when a man is the principal subject, according to a report by ITV News. It brings the total so far this year to 105, according to Counting Dead Women a group that tracks femicide in the UK. On Friday, detectives released footage of a man they want to speak to in the investigation into Nessas murder. In the clip, the man can be seen looking over his shoulder and putting up his hood. The CCTV revealed the mystery figure walking outside a block of flats in Pegler Square, in Kidbrooke, south-east London on the evening Nessa was attacked. Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe urged anyone who may know the man to contact them. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard she said: Anybody out there who may know who he is, or if youve seen that footage, and you have any information, no matter how small, please do get in touch." Police are continuing to question a 38-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday. It has been claimed that Nessa's killer struck her on the head with an unknown object moments after she left her flat. The attacker was seen putting the 28-year-old primary school teacher over his shoulder and carrying her towards Cator Park where her body was found nearly 24 hours later, the Telegraph reported, citing a police source. Watch: 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of Sabina Nessa's murder The competitive rental market in Bakersfield is leading many to look for homes across social media platforms. As some have found out, be wary of those that look too good to be true. "You know you try to give people the benefit of the doubt, at least once and I was wrong," said Edwardo Morales. Selling-Sunset-Star-Christine-Quinn-Says-She-Nearly-Died-During-Childbirth-GettyImages-1153318288 Getty Images Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn became a mom in May when she and husband Christian Richard welcomed their first child together. But as the Netflix star recently recalled, she and her baby boy, Christian Georges Dumontet, narrowly survived labor. In a recent interview with the British TV series, This Morning, Quinn, explained that the traumatic experience which also included an emergency c-section has made her appreciate every moment life has to offer. "I was flatlining, my baby was flatlining," shared Quinn. "We both didn't almost make it. So, it's one of those things that... I just learned to be so grateful for life and for everything." Quinn, whom Selling Sunset viewers know as a no-nonsense real estate agent, also explained how the harrowing experience made her feel more "vulnerable." "I realized time is so precious. I'm 33 years old, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have a near-death experience," said Quinn on This Morning. "In the new season [of Selling Sunset], you're going to see me tell my story and be vulnerable for once. And I never did that, I was always afraid, I always wanted to be strong for people. But you know, it was genuine and authentic for me to tell my story and I'm so glad I did." (Read more: Serena Williams Just Opened Up About the Frightening Complications She Faced After Giving Birth) Quinn added that she no longer "worries about the little things anymore," and is instead focused on her family. "I never thought I could love anyone more than myself but then I had a baby and I was like, ah!" she quipped of son Christian on This Morning. "He's just the light of my life... Everything that I do for him, I want to be a good mother, a good person, and a good role model so, it's changed me for the better." This isn't the first time Quinn has spoken out about giving birth. In an Instagram post from July, Quinn said "relieving the trauma on Selling Sunset about [her] birth experience was one of the most difficult things" she's ever done. "I am not often publicly vulnerable, as I feel the responsibility to put on a brave face, despite still feeling at the time hopeless, terrified, and to this day traumatized. Both myself, and baby Christian are lucky to be alive," she shared on Instagram, revealing her son had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. "The surgeons didn't even have time to count their tools before stitching me up as I was flatlining. They ran me through the X-ray machine immediately after surgery to ensure there was no remaining tools left in my body. I am so grateful for the doctors and surgeons that saved BOTH of us," continued Quinn on Instagram. "I thank God everyday for my blessings, and my miracle baby. Always remember life is too short and grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Let go of what you can, and take chances. Give everything and have no regrets. Life is too short to be unhappy." (Related: This Mom Wrote a Letter to Herself About Loving Her Body Oen Year After Giving Birth) Senate Republicans want the Justice Department to roll back Trump-era restrictions on congressional oversight criticized at the time as an attempt to insulate the Trump administration from Democratic investigators, Axios has learned. Why it matters: While some Republicans spoke out against the DOJ guidance at the time, it was mostly Democrats who attacked it as a constitutionally dubious effort to scuttle congressional oversight. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and the GOP is making similar arguments with Biden in the White House. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The effort to roll back the policy comes as Republicans ready investigations into Biden administration policies on Afghanistan, immigration and the COVID-19 pandemic. What's happening: The top Republicans on 19 Senate committees signed on to a letter sent Friday pressing DOJ to reverse the policy. Per a 2017 memo authored by DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, only committee chairs can compel executive agencies to provide documents to Congress. Democratic control of both chambers means Republicans lack any of that investigative authority. The policy "creates insurmountable challenges for Ranking Members in conducting effective oversight," the senators wrote. "To restore the imbalance of information access between majority and minority leadership on committees, and as proponents of fair, transparent government, we implore the Justice Department to take action." "The Biden Administration is purportedly committed to cooperation and transparency in government," the letter adds. "Fulfilling these commitments made by the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet requires rescinding this opinion." Background: When DOJ authored the memo, Democrats were looking to probe all sorts of Trump administration conduct. But Republicans controlled both the House and the Senate and therefore every committee gavel. Story continues Democrats pounced on the DOJ policy as an effort to stymie those investigations. With this order, President Trump is making his disregard for transparency and his lack of respect for Congresss oversight role crystal clear," House speaker Nancy Pelosi said at the time. We cannot do our jobs if the Trump Administration adopts this unprecedented new policy," said the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, who chaired the House Oversight Committee. Be smart: Shifts in partisan power in Washington tend to change each party's attitude on the rights of congressional minorities. But some Republicans who signed on to Friday's letter also spoke out against the policy under Trump. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee's top Republican, called the OLC guidance "nonsense" in a 2017 letter to Trump. "It erroneously rejects any notion that individual members of Congress who may not chair a relevant committee need to obtain information from the Executive Branch in order to carry out their Constitutional duties," he wrote. Former Sen. Pat Roberts, the top Republican on the Agriculture Committee at the time, also wrote to Trump's then-Agriculture Secretary stressing minority members' right to gather oversight information in spite of the OLC guidance. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Willie Garson died from pancreatic cancer. The Sex and the City star's cause of death was revealed by his family in his New York Times obituary. It also said the 57-year-old single dad of a 20-year-old adopted son, Nathen, died at his Los Angeles home. The write-up was filed under the actor's real name, William Garson Paszamant, but noted he was "better known ... to his many fans and throughout the entertainment industry" by his stage name. Fans know him best as Carrie Bradshaw's male BFF/sidekick Stanford Blatch in the original HBO series, the two films and the upcoming HBO Max revival, And Just Like That... Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson filming a scene for the movie Sex and The City" in NYC in 2007. In real life, the two were old friends, set up on a blind date in the 1980s. (Photo: Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic) Garson actually appeared in over 300 television shows White Collar, Hawaii-Five-0 and Supergirl among them and over 70 movies including There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich and Groundhog Day. He worked with many notable directors, from the Farrelly brothers to Mike Nichols. "At an early age, he knew he was an actor, and had an agent by the time he graduated high school," it said of the New Jersey native, who was 57. After attending Wesleyan University and getting a degree in theatre and psychology, "He moved to Los Angeles at age 21, and within a year, had become what he was destined to be, a working actor. A working actor has been defined as 'an actor who while never achieving stardom, has a long and productive career and earns a better than decent living and has the admiration of his peers.' Nothing could better describe Garson." Noting Garson was "a ubiquitous presence in American pop culture," it talked about how he "could be a classmate of Michael J. Fox on Family Ties or a waiter on a Cheers episode, or L. Harvey Oswald in an independent film Ruby or Bill Murray's assistant in Groundhog Day. He could just as easily be a TV executive in Soapdish as a man with mysterious luck in The X-Files as the president of an apartment board on Friends." Story continues It talked about his interests outside acting, noting he was a "world-class poker player, having been nicknamed Evil Willie on the first episode of Celebrity Poker Showdown." Willie Garson and son Nathen Garson in 2015. (Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images for International Documentary Association) Garson's extensive charity work was also detailed and the Alliance for Children's Rights, which facilitates adoptions in L.A. County, was called out as having a "special place in the Garson family." It was through that organization that he "adopted his son Nathen in Los Angeles in 2010." He went on to twice serve as national spokesman for National Adoption Day. The family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to the Alliance for Children's Rights. Garson didn't publicly disclose his cancer battle, so his death Tuesday was a shock. Tributes flowed in immediately, including a very touching one from Nathen to his "Papa." His Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "not ready" to publicly address his death. The co-stars had been friends since the mid-1980s after being set up on a blind date. Sep. 23The Kem Shriners are presenting a concert, "Takin' It To The Limit: An Eagles Tribute," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Masonic Center, 423 Bruce Ave. in Grand Forks. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Fabulous Armadillos and Collective Unconscious will perform music by the Eagles rock band. Tickets, $20 for upper-level seating and $30 for lower-level seating, are available at Hugo's stores in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Kem Shrine organization, said Ryan Scott, the Kem Shriners chief of staff. "This is the first big concert in the auditorium we've ever had," Scott said. "We're excited to see how a concert works" in the auditorium, which can accommodate 650 audience members. One of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s, the Grammy Award-winning Eagles produced six No. 1 albums and received five American Music Awards. The group is known for hits such as "Hotel California," "Desperado," "I Can't Tell You Why," "Take It Easy," "Witchy Woman" and "One of These Nights." The nine-member Fabulous Armadillos rock group, based in St. Cloud, Minn., is known for authentic recreations of songs from many musical genres, from country to Motown to heavy metal to '70s soft rock. In addition to the Eagles show, the group tours a tribute show themed "What's Going On? Songs From The Vietnam War Era." Scott said other similar concerts may be planned in the future at the Masonic Center. "We'll have to see how (Saturday's concert) works and we'll assess afterwards," he said. "We're hoping everybody comes out, and we fill the auditorium." For more information, visit the Kem Shrine Facebook page. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective against serious illness, although rival shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca showed better protection rates, a large real world study from Malaysia showed. The latest data is a boost to the Chinese firm, whose COVID-19 vaccine has been under growing scrutiny over its effectiveness following reports of infections among healthcare workers fully immunized with the Sinovac shot in Indonesia and Thailand. The study, conducted by the Malaysian government, found that 0.011% of about 7.2 million recipients of the Sinovac shot required treatment in intensive care units (ICU) for COVID-19 infections, health officials told reporters on Thursday. By contrast, 0.002% of about 6.5 million recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needed ICU treatment for COVID-19 infections, while 0.001% of 744,958 recipients of the AstraZeneca shot required similar treatment. Kalaiarasu Peariasamy, a director at the Institute for Clinical Research that conducted the study along with a national COVID-19 taskforce, said vaccinations - regardless of the brand - have reduced the risk of admission to intensive care by 83% and lowered the risk of death by 88% based on a smaller study involving about 1.26 million people. "The breakthrough rate for intensive care unit admission is extremely low," he said, adding overall ICU admissions among fully vaccinated individuals stood at 0.0066%. Mortality rate of the fully vaccinated people was also low at 0.01% and the majority of them were either above 60 years of age or with comorbidities. There were differences in the demographics of the recipients of the three vaccines and it could have resulted in the different results, Kalaiarasu said. Many of AstraZeneca recipients were in the "mid-adulthood age", while the Pfizer and Sinovac shots were "very much for the vulnerable population," he said. AstraZeneca recipients also accounted for a much smaller proportion of the study, which involved about 14.5 million fully vaccinated individuals and conducted for more than five months since April 1. Story continues In July, Malaysia said it will stop administering the Sinovac vaccine once its supplies end, as it has a sufficient number of other vaccines for its programme. The Sinovac vaccine has been widely used in several countries including China, Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil, and the company said earlier this month it had supplied 1.8 billion doses at home and abroad. Malaysia has fully vaccinated 58.7% of its 32 million population and gave at least one dose to 68.8%. (Reporting by Liz Lee, writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Michael Perry) ABOARD THE OCEAN WARRIOR in the eastern Pacific Ocean (AP) Jose Lopez proudly remembers his first catch: he was 13 and a local skipper, pitying his ragamuffin look, hired him as an extra hand. When he returned home, his pockets stuffed with a days wages, his mother protested. She thought I had stolen the money, Lopez recalls between boisterous greetings to younger comrades who know him simply as Pepe. I had to take to her to the fisherman so she would believe me. Since then, fishing has been a way of life for Lopez and dozens of other artisanal fishermen in Pucusana, a port carved from the barren, desert-like hills south of Perus capital. For years the fleet thrived, earning Lopez enough to buy a few boats and send his kids to college. But a decade ago the tuna that he once effortlessly fished started to vanish. So, the fishermen turned their brightly colored boats bearing the names of Roman Catholic icons to squid. Now they face a new threat: Chinas distant water fishing fleet. The number of Chinese-flagged vessels lurking just outside Perus waters has surged from 54 active vessels in 2009 to 557 in 2020, according to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization, or SPRFMO, an inter-governmental group charged with ensuring the sustainable fishing of squid. Meanwhile, the size of the Chinese catch has grown from 70,000 tons in 2009 to 358,000. __ This story is a joint project between The Associated Press and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision. __ The Chinese fishing takes place on the high seas beyond the reach of any nations jurisdiction and at night when lights so powerful they can be seen from space are used to attract swarms of the fast-flying squid. It really is like the Wild West out there, said Captain Peter Hammarstedt, director of campaigns for Sea Shepherd, an ocean conservation group. Nobody is responsible for enforcement. The Associated Press with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision accompanied Sea Shepherd this summer on an 18-day voyage aboard one of its vessels to observe up close the Chinese fleet on the high seas off the west coast of South America. Story continues The patrol was prompted by an outcry last summer when hundreds of Chinese vessels were discovered fishing near the Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO world heritage site. Launched in the 1980s as a response to depleting fish stocks at home and the need to feed its fast-growing population, Chinas distant water fishing fleet has evolved into a thriving industry and a part of the countrys geopolitical push to secure access to the worlds dwindling natural resources. China doesnt do anything that Europe has not done exactly the same way, said Daniel Pauly, a prominent marine biologist at the University of British Columbia. The difference is that everything China does is big, so you see it. The vast majority of the 30 vessels observed by the AP have a history of labor abuse accusations, past convictions for illegal fishing or showed signs of possibly violating maritime law. Collectively, these issues underscore how the open ocean around the Americas where the U.S. has long dominated, and China is now jockeying for influence have become a magnet for the seafood industrys worst offenders. One vessel, the Fu Yuan Yu 7880, is operated by an affiliate of a Nasdaq-traded company, Pingtan Marine Enterprise, whose Chinese executives had their U.S. visas cancelled for alleged links to human trafficking. The company has faced also accusations of illegal fishing and forced labor around the world. Pingtan declined comment. The Humboldt squid named for the nutrient-rich current found off the southwest coast of South America is one of the most abundant marine species. Some scientists believe it may even be thriving as the oceans warm and its predators, sharks and tuna, are fished out of existence. But experts point to past disappearance of squid stocks elsewhere as cause for concern even if its unknown how many Humboldt squid remain. If you have a vast resource and its easy to take, then its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this is limitless, said William Gilly, a Stanford University marine biologist who has spent decades studying squid. Last year, China imposed stricter penalties on companies caught breaking the rules. They also ordered off-season moratoriums on squid fishing in the high seas. Seafood companies in the U.S. have started to take note of the risks posed by Chinas expansion and are seeking to leverage their market power to bring more transparency to the sourcing of squid. China is responsible for around half of the $314 million in squid that the U.S. imported in 2019, the bulk served up as fried calamari in restaurants. One alternative is to deploy technology, like publicly available tracking data, to allow consumers to eventually identify the very vessel that caught the fish. However, boosting transparency is a challenge the industry has grappled with for decades. To address concerns, several South American governments have proposed a number of conservation measures including banning transshipments at sea and boosting the number of observers on ships to document catch sizes and violations. But China has opposed each proposal. China doesnt really seem interested in expanding protection, said Tabitha Mallory, a China scholar at the University of Washington who specializes in the countrys fishing policies. They follow the letter of the law but not the spirit. In the absence of stricter controls, Lopez and his cohorts have to venture farther from home and spend as much as a week at sea to haul in what they used to catch in a single day. Thats if they return at all: in June three fishermen set out never to be seen again. Adding to the fishermens frustrations is Perus logistical support for the Chinese fleet their direct competitors. Since 2019, 212 Chinese fishing vessels have entered Peruvian ports for repairs, crew changes and to restock supplies, according to Perus government. Theres no maritime authority that defends us, complains Lopez, who says hes lost count of how many times hes notified authorities of Chinese vessels fishing inside Perus waters. I dont know what power the foreigner has that they come to my home and do what they want. AP Writer Joe McDonald and AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing, AP Global Investigations intern Roselyn Romero in San Luis Obispo, Calif. and AP Writer Edna Tarigan and Nini Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report. Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tip SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is expected to set another record high coronavirus daily count with 2,924 cases as of 9 p.m. on Friday, Yonhap news agency reported. The count already exceeds the country's current record for daily COVID-19 cases at 2,434 as of the previous midnight. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Incoming Southwest CEO Robert Jordan said a job application was stapled to his Whataburger bag. It shows just how tight the labor market has become, he said during the Skift Global Forum. Southwest plans to hire 13,000 new employees through 2022, but it's struggling to get applicants. See more stories on Insider's business page. A hiring crisis is hitting businesses across the nation, and it's affecting everyone from Southwest Airlines' incoming CEO to the staff at his local Whataburger. Robert Jordan, who will take the helm of Southwest early next year, discussed the nation's labor shortage during an interview at the Skift Global Forum on Thursday. In order to fill vacant positions, many businesses have resorted to new tactics, like being more upfront about how much the job pays or urging workers as young as 14 to apply. Others are trying something a little more unusual. Jordan described visiting a Dallas-area Whataburger drive-thru, a Texas-based hamburger chain. When he was handed his bag of food, he realized there was something stapled to it: a job application. Related video: Looking for a new job? These are 31 of the coolest. "They are stapling a job application to the sack of food that every single person coming through the drive-thru gets and you go:'That's what it's come to,'" Jordan said. "It has become, to me, sort of the symbol of the job market that we live in here - there's so much competition." A spokesperson for Whataburger did not respond to Insider's request for comment on its hiring tactics. But much like that Dallas Whataburger, Southwest is having trouble attracting applicants, Jordan said. Southwest is hiring 5,000 new employees this fall and another 8,000 in 2022, but the applications haven't been flooding in - while Southwest used to receive around 43 applications per opening, it's getting only about 14 at the moment, he said. Story continues "The constraints have always been, can we get aircraft, can we get facilities, can we get gates," he said. "I've never experienced a time when the constraint is, can we get employees." Southwest and Whataburger aren't alone in their struggle to find employees. A labor crisis nationwide has led to burn-out among current employees who have to take on extra work and companies losing money because they don't have enough workers to perform standard tasks. While some companies blame a lack of desire to work for the shortage, workers say they don't need to take jobs with low pay when the market is this competitive. Economists say there's a combination of issues that have led to the shortage, Insider's Juliana Kaplan reported. A skills gap combined with a reliance among employers on hiring software means that workers are being filtered out if they don't, for example, have a four-year degree. And pandemic-induced migration means that big cities like New York are having a harder time hiring workers in the service industry. Plus, expectations have changed: Workers are refusing to settle for low pay - or roles that could put their health and safety at risk. Expanded Coverage Module: what-is-the-labor-shortage-and-how-long-will-it-last Read the original article on Business Insider Replacing the citys aging stormwater and sewage pipes. Increasing affordable housing. Keeping baseball in St. Petersburg and supporting the development of a multi-purpose center at the site of Tropicana Field. Those are the shared priorities of Bobbie Shay Lee and Copley Gerdes, who will face-off in a citywide race for St. Petersburg City Councils District 1 seat on Nov. 2. For the two candidates both first-time political contenders the decision to run for public office was about a desire to preserve and advance the city where they both grew up. Still, each candidate has their own vision of how best to invest in St. Petersburg. Bobbie Shay Lee Bobbie Shay Lees top priority for the City of St. Petersburg is public safety. The 48-year-old breast cancer advocate, consultant and former nonprofit executive wants to see the city implement programs to combat violence and reduce the number of homicides. Lawlessness is excused, and Im uncomfortable with that, Lee said. Her approach to combating crime is two-fold. Shed like to see the city bring back its Violent Crimes Task Force and continue to put dollars toward policing. But the single-mom with a background in clinical social work said of equal importance is investing in programs that foster a healthy community. Housing insecurity for example is something shed like the city to address. But Lee said the emphasis cant stop at getting a roof over somebodys head. I know firsthand that building a brick structure and putting people in it doesnt stop generational poverty, said Lee, who spent three years directing HomeAid Tampa Bay. Affordable housing needs to include wrap-around support services or were not doing people any favors. Lee also said the focus should extend beyond low income residents. I think workforce housing is the word we need to adopt, because its our teachers, our first responders, our artists who cant afford to live in St. Petersburg and have to travel in, Lee said. Story continues Beyond housing, Lee said she wants council to invest in community spaces around the city. Restoring and reopening the St. Petersburg Science Center building, which has been at the center of city debate, is a step she wants taken to increase educational opportunities for kids and to create a multi-purpose community center in her neighborhood. Saving the Science Center is how I got engaged [in the race] and is one of the most immediate issues in my community, Lee said. Theres a huge opportunity to use the building to create a STEAM hub for our kids. In addition, the space would have a garden and a banquet space for weddings, so thered be economic impact, too. Lee has a masters degree in policy and administration from Florida State University and has been a lobbyist for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. She previously directed the Center for Transparency, a nonprofit organization focused on cause-marketing. Lee has been endorsed by state Rep. Chris Latvala, Rep. Linda Cheney and Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters. Her campaign had raised $43,565 as of Sept. 13. Copley Gerdes Copley Gerdes said creating a sustainable future for St. Petersburg is all about finding balance between promoting economic development, and maintaining the small-town feel that keeps locals in the city. Our town is a little-big town, and people want to be here because of that, Gerdes said. We have to be intentional about keeping it that way. The 38-year old financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual said he sees his top priority is supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure. Gerdes said part of that is investing in programs like the citys Complete Streets initiative, which was adopted in 2015 and places emphasis on having roadways that support multiple modes of transportation. We need to make sure that weve got walkable and bikeable areas connecting us to our city, rather than just packing the streets with cars, Gerdes said. I grew up on the streets of St. Petersburg playing concrete football and tag. I want my kids to do the same thing. Gerdes said he sees growth opportunities for local businesses in his district that he wants the city to support through partnerships with local developers. The west side of St. Pete is growing and is blossoming, Gerdes said. I think we could really have a bustling Central Avenue. Youve got a bunch of traffic that goes from the beaches and back and I would just love to see that be this unique area of shops and food and entertainment. In addition to development and sustainability, Gerdes, who has been endorsed by St. Petersburgs police and fire unions, said that continuing to support first responders and public safety officials is vital to maintaining the city. Additionally, he said he wants to use rezoning and public-private partnerships to get more affordable housing built in St. Petersburg. Gerdes has a degree in religion from Saint Leo University. He founded a pediatric cancer charity with his wife. Gerdes is on the board of the Police Athletic League and is the chair of the community planning and preservation committee for the city of St. Petersburg. His father, Charlie Gerdes, previously served two terms representing District 1. Gerdes has been endorsed by Mayor Rick Kriseman, Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice and four sitting city council members. His campaign had raised $55,215 as of Sept. 17. The resort has palm trees, sandy beaches and clear water. But the guests are not there to kick back -- they are Afghans who have fled to Albania, traumatised and uncertain of their futures. "I am physically here but my mind is in Afghanistan, in front of my mother, in front of my brother," Latifa Frotan, a 25-year-old women's rights activist who fled when the Taliban took over, tells AFP from the northern resort of Shengjin. Albania promised to temporarily take in up to 4,000 Afghans and has so far housed roughly 700 -- most of them women and children -- in five-star hotels in tourist hubs. They sit on deckchairs surrounding the pool, anxiously gripping their phones, trying to contact loved ones who remain in Afghanistan. "These people have fled terror, they are traumatised and it would be inhumane to put them in camps," Prime Minister Edi Rama has said. Unlike in some Western European countries, the Albanian government's decision to lend a helping hand seems to have proven popular among the people, and no political party has disputed the move. - 'Zest for life' - The small Balkan country, one of Europe's poorest, prides itself on being a "land of welcome". More than half a million Kosovan refugees were given refuge from the regime of Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic at the end of the 1990s. And after World War II, Albania's Jewish population was bigger than it had been before the conflict. But Albania is also a land of exodus, with more than one million of its citizens having quit the country since the 1990s, most of them seeking a better life in Western countries. "These Afghans here are like our people, they are like my family," says Viktor Nrea, who drives an ambulance that has been made available to the hotel complex in Shengjin. "I understand their pain, I also share the zest for life of their children and it helps me forget the absence of my two sons who are far away." Story continues But the warm welcome and luxurious accommodation cannot dispel the desperation. "We are lucky to be here, we have all the facilities we need, but we are worried about our families," says Frotan. Some, like journalist Elyas Nawandish, are determined to keep working -- even at a distance. "Two days ago, when I woke up early in the morning, I received a message from my colleagues and boss that two of my colleagues were arrested by Taliban," says Nawandish, who organises the online coverage for newspaper Etilaatroz, one of the last remaining critical voices in Afghanistan. "I do not have hope for the future of Afghanistan because we know the Taliban... and I am sure that the coming days will be even harder." - 'After each call, I cry' - When information on their home country reaches the groups gathered outside the hotel, it spreads like wildfire. The news that girls would not be allowed to enrol in high schools caused an anxious stir. Lina Mommadi, a 36-year-old scientist, shows a photo on her mobile phone of a university classroom where students are separated by a curtain -- men on one side, women on the other. "I have my sisters who had jobs and now they all lost them, and are staying in their rooms," Mommadi says. She asks them on every call to show their faces, just to make sure nothing has happened to them. "The tension is huge, after each call, I cry." Life is incongruous for the exiles -- thousands of miles from home, living at the expense of US NGOs and the Albanian government in a hotel featuring a replica of the Statue of Liberty. The anxiety of the adults chimes awkwardly with the sounds of children playing ball games or jumping into the pool, or teenagers singing "My Homeland", a 1990s song about leaving Afghanistan that has become an unofficial anthem of the latest exodus. Albania is not the final stop in their journey -- most of them hope to get to the United States and are waiting for their visas to be processed. But nothing is guaranteed. As 29-year-old student Parvin Mosaddaddi says, just a few weeks ago they had jobs and futures in Afghanistan with no plans to leave. "Here, we do not know what our future will be," she says. bme-ev/mbs/jxb COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Two women who had been strangers prior to Thursdays mass shooting at a Tennessee supermarket clenched each others hands and fought back tears Friday, as they gathered at a vigil to pray for healing from the previous days rampage at a Kroger where the shooter worked. Hollie Skaggs and Sara Wiles happened to be running errands at the same Kroger in Collierville. A day later, after a gunman killed one person and himself and wounded 14 others, Skaggs called Wiles her guardian angel. Its been a very trying last few hours, Skaggs said, her voice trembling. Sara and I didnt know each other before. But now, I told her from the beginning when we came out, shes my guardian angel. Im just grateful for her. We ran and hid and heard everything. It was very, very traumatic. We just ask that you pray for us for peace and sleep. Thats one thing thats kind of hard. The gunman, identified by police as UK Thang, worked in a sushi business at the store and was the son of refugees from Myanmar who had settled in Nashville, a family friend said. Police have described Thang as a third-party vendor who worked at the grocery store on a daily basis. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound within a couple of minutes of officers arriving at the Kroger in the upscale suburb outside of Memphis. The victims included 10 employees and five customers, police said. On Friday, some of the wounded were still in critical condition and fighting for their lives, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said at a morning news conference. Lane identified the woman who was killed as Olivia King. Friend Maureen Fraser said King was a widowed mother of three grown sons. Fraser said King was kind of quiet, kind of shy, but also "a little bit feisty because (she'd) been on her own with the support of her family, friends and church. King was a devout Catholic who attended Mass nearly every morning, including the morning of the shooting, Fraser said. Story continues She was a very generous person and would always do what she could to help people. Fraser said. That included passing Fraser's family an envelope of cash one year when her husband was out of work. King was worried they wouldn't be able to get Christmas presents for their children. Fraser said the money wasn't necessary, but King insisted on helping. On Facebook, one of Kings sons, Wes King, wrote that he had spoken to a trauma surgeon and learned his mother was shot in the chest. They tried to save her at the hospital to no avail, he wrote. I apologize for the graphic details, but this type of crime needs to stop being glossed over and sanitized. No one deserves this. Police searched the shooters home Thursday and removed electronic devices. We all want to know the why, Lane said of the shooters motive. But today, less than 24 hours (after the shooting), were not ready to tell you that. The shooters parents live in Nashville and are part of a community of Christian refugees from Myanmar who have settled there, according to Aung Kyaw, a friend of the family who came to pray with them at their home on Friday. Kyaw said Thang worked at a sushi business that operated inside the Collierville Kroger, though he wasnt sure what the arrangement was with the grocery store chain. Kyaw said Thangs parents were very upset about their sons involvement and were praying for all the people involved. Kyaw came to the door of the parents home at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Antioch area of Nashville. Kyaw said he did not know the son personally. The shooter, acting alone, did not appear to target anyone specifically as he rampaged through the building Thursday afternoon, police said. The entire shooting was over within minutes as first responders swarmed the scene. Lane said the outcome could have been worse but said officers of every rank quickly responded and were joined by off-duty firefighters. Nobody wants to go into that scene, I can promise you," Lane said. I mean, there were bloody people running out of that building, and there was not one blue uniform that hesitated, from the bottom all the way up. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure could lead to more gun violence. Lee said Friday that the new law strengthened penalties that come into play when violent crime occurs. The constitutional carry bill applies to law-abiding citizens," he said. What happened yesterday was criminal activity, violent criminal gun activity. And those are separate issues. The constitutional carry piece of legislation we passed, in fact, strengthened penalties for violent gun criminals, and we need to continue to find ways to attack violence and violent crime and well keep doing that. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement Friday confirming that the shooter was a third-party vendor but declined to provide additional details. The Collierville store will be closed until further notice but will continue to provide pay and other support to employees, the statement said. ___ Mattise and Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. The gunman who allegedly killed a woman and injured another 14 people at a Tennessee Kroger on Thursday was a third-party vendor for the grocery chain, according to police. Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said in a press conference on Friday that the suspected shooter, who was identified as 29-year-old Uk Thang, worked at the store on a daily basis and seemingly had no specific target. Police found him dead after the shooting from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. ONE DEAD AND 14 INJURED IN TENNESSEE GROCERY STORE SHOOTING Lane said law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Thang and are processing electronic and other evidence. The police chief refused to speak the suspected shooter's name while talking to reporters, saying he didn't want to give him notoriety. Media were directed to obtain the name from another officer after Lane's on-camera remarks. Police identified the deceased victim as Olivia King, a widowed mother of three children, according to the Commercial Appeal. Six patients remain hospitalized, with three of them in critical condition, but all are stable, Lane said. Three patients required emergency surgery upon arrival at the hospital Thursday. Police declined to speculate about a motive behind the shooting, saying it's too early in the investigation to make that determination. "We all want to know the why," Lane said. "But today, less than 24 hours, we're not ready to tell you that." The shooting started at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at a Kroger in Collierville, which is about 30 miles east of Memphis. Police quickly responded to the scene of the shooting, which Lane called "the most horrific event that's occurred in Collierville history." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Federal and local law enforcement have been assisting in the investigation, with agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives remaining on site. Lane said investigators expect to continue processing the scene through Friday afternoon. Story continues Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Tennessee, shooting, grocery stores, Crime Original Author: Jeremy Beaman Original Location: Tennessee Kroger shooting suspect was a third-party vendor for the store: Police The Daily Beast NewsmaxA noticeably uncomfortable Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) nervously chuckled on Wednesday night when he was asked about Stephanie Grishams claim that he cozied up to former President Donald Trump to mop up the freebies like there was no tomorrow.And in the end, Graham didnt deny the former Trump press secretarys accusation that hes Senator Freeloader.Towards the end of his Tuesday night interview with the South Carolina lawmaker, Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt brought up the claims from G Kamala Harris appeared on Friday's The View, but all hell broke loose on the show moments before when co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro learned they tested positive for COVID-19. The ABC talk show started by touting the vice president's first in-studio interview with Joy Behar proclaiming it a "very special day" and Navarro saying they were wearing their best "church clothes" as Harris was scheduled to sit down with the co-hosts in front of the masked-up studio audience. However, after hitting the "Hot Topics," including the development of the CDC director endorsing the Pfizer Covid vaccine booster shot for a larger group than expected, there was an abrupt schedule change and a frenzy. The View co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were take off air mid-show after their COVID tests came back positive. (Screenshot: The View) The show returned from commercial break and Behar moderating for Whoopi Goldberg, who was out sick because of sciatica was introducing Harris. However, she noticed there was "something happening" behind-the-scenes and producers advised interrupted to say that Hostin and Navarro had to leave the set immediately. Behar, in the dark about what was happening, told viewers, "We'll tell you why in a couple minutes." With Hostin and Navarro ushered backstage, Behar asked the producer if she should introduce Harris. She was initially told yes, but then the answer quickly changed to "no." Behar, trying to manage this all on live TV, asking if she should kill time doing "a tap dance." The decision was made to go to commercial. When they came back, Behar announced, "Since this is going to be a major news story any minute now, what happened is that Sunny and Ana apparently tested positive for COVID. No matter how hard we try, these things happen. They'll probably have a breakthrough case but they'll be OK I'm sure because they're both vaccinated up the wazoo." Story continues The plan was to then clean the set and have Harris come out anyway. After Behar killed even more time like a pro alongside co-host Sara Haines taking audience questions, it was announced that Harris would still do the interview, but from a remote spot within the building "just to be safe." While Harris's interview spot was set up and secret service did their thing, there were even more commercial breaks and more segments answering audience questions in what was certainly among the show's wildest episodes ever in its 25season run. Finally, with just 10 minutes left of the show, Behar returned saying she was "thrilled" to welcome the first female VP in U.S. history. They immediately talked vaccines, again noting that Hostin and Navarro are expected to fine because they were fully vaccinated, and vaccine resistance in the U.S., despite the death toll. Other topics include the viral photo of Haitian migrants, U.S.'s withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan and the Texas abortion law. .@VP Harris: "Sunny [Hostin] and Ana [Navarro] are strong women and I know they're fine, but it really also does speak to the fact that they're vaccinated and vaccines really make all the difference because otherwise we would be concerned about hospitalization and worse." pic.twitter.com/m5NMwT5dk8 The View (@TheView) September 24, 2021 The View immediately started trending on Twitter during the show. While Behar got props for how she handled the live coverage, the show's testing protocol was questioned. Agreed, #JoyBehar earned an @DaytimeEmmys today she was funny, relaxed and carried the show like a pro. She directed go to commercial from her perch and rewrote the whole show off the cuff saying were taking audience questions brilliant @TheView. Give her all the flowers. pic.twitter.com/krEsV7YGwe Cool2B MizLEE (@cool2_b) September 24, 2021 #TheView I have to give it to Joy And Sara , they did a good job ... pic.twitter.com/UGSb1isTKp Sharon Godbolt (@SharonGodbolt) September 24, 2021 #TheView was so incredibly chaotic this morning, but Joy really held it down! Wow! Shar Jossell (@SharSaysSo) September 24, 2021 I have to say kudos to Joy Behar of The View for the way she is handling the walk off this morning due to Covid positive tests by Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin. I dont care what you say, these ladies rock and I love watching! Its real live tv. Stella Parton (@StellaParton) September 24, 2021 My question is, why were the hosts allowed on stage unmasked before their daily COVID test results had come out? Whats the point of the daily test if the hosts are allowed on stage or in the building if the results are available so late? @TheView #TheView https://t.co/Wi95FPkB2B Caroline K (@kcbisou) September 24, 2021 Storyful A sneaky shark circled an alligator and nibbled on its foot while it was minding its own business near a dock in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.Cory Conlon filmed a video that shows a shark and an alligator appear near the surface of the ocean. Onlookers throw pieces of fish into the water to feed the two before the shark decides to get close to the alligator to bite its foot. The alligator reacts and charges in the sharks direction, while the shark continues to swim beneath the gator.I was surprised to see this so I filmed it with my phone to show family and friends, Conlon told Storyful. Credit: Cory Conlon via Storyful The U.S. Treasury said Friday that it has issued licenses allowing the U.S. government, NGOs and international organizations like the United Nations to engage in transactions with the Taliban or Haqqani Network to provide humanitarian assistance despite U.S. sanctions on the two militant groups. Why it matters: There's growing concern that the punitive measures could exacerbate the crisis in Afghanistan, Reuters reports. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free What they're saying: "Treasury remains committed to ensuring that U.S. sanctions do not limit the ability of civilians located in Afghanistan to receive humanitarian support from the United States government and international community," the department said in a release. The move will help "ease the flow of critical resources, like agricultural goods, medicine, and other essential supplies, to people in need, while upholding and enforcing our sanctions," Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea M. Gacki added in a statement. The big picture: The Taliban's takeover has put over one million children in danger of extreme hunger, according to the UN, and 14 million are facing "severe hunger." The World Health Organization has warned that Afghanistan's health care system is on the "brink of collapse." Recent surveys found that only 5% of households have enough to eat every day, while half reported running out of food altogether at least once in the past two weeks, the UN World Food Programme said on Wednesday. Editors note: The headline has been edited to clarify that the licenses are part of sanction waivers, and aid will go to organizations and NGOs to aid Afghans. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free ISTANBUL (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that recent talks with U.S. President Joe Biden had proved disappointing, and that his country, a NATO member, would seek closer ties with Russia. Speaking after prayers in Istanbul, Erdogan said he and Biden had failed to bridge their differences at a meeting during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly this week. In the discussions with Mr. Biden that Id been anticipating, there wasnt the desired outcome. ... As two NATO countries, we need to be at a different point, he told journalists. Erdogan went on to criticize U.S. support for Kurdish militants in Syria who were instrumental in fighting the Islamic State group. Ankara considers them terrorists due to their links to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a 37-year insurgency against Turkey. Turkey has a large and restive Kurdish ethnic minority. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU. America is not fighting terrorist organizations enough, it is giving them a lot of weapons and equipment, he said. Erdogan is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sept. 29, where the leaders will concentrate on the situation in Syria. Russia is the main ally of the Syrian government while Turkey supports groups that have fought to unseat President Bashar Assad. However, Russian and Turkish troops have cooperated in Idlib, the final holdout of rebel forces, and in seeking a political solution in the war-torn country. Erdogan said he would seek to take relations with Moscow much further when he meets Putin. We strive to further our bilateral relations with Russia, he added. Ties between the U.S. and Turkey have been frayed for several years. They deteriorated further two years ago when Ankara bought a Russian missile defense system. The purchase led to Turkey being kicked off the U.S.-led F-35 stealth fighter aircraft project and to U.S. sanctions against leading Turkish defense industry officials. Before leaving New York on Thursday, Erdogan had raised the F-35 issue with journalists, warning the current course of U.S.-Turkey relations does not bode well. Quick Kiss by Two Girls on HS Homecoming Float Enrages Right Wing Moms A contentious school board meeting was held in Tennessee on Monday night after a video released on social media by a local chapter of Moms for Liberty showed two girls briefly kissing on a Pride float in their local high schools homecoming parade. The conservative group also accused folks on the float of groping and even exposing a breast. Indy Pride, the local LGBTQ+ group responsible for the float, said the parents were overreacting to the kiss and denied the other allegations. WCS parents, did you know yesterdays Independence High Schools homecoming parade included an LGBTQ+ float, that was paraded in front of Thompson Station Elementary & Middle School students, featuring two girls kissing? the Moms For Liberty chapter in Williamson County, Tennessee tweeted last week. The post went on to suggest a youth in the parade was handing out bisexual recruitment cards, though those just ended uo being information pamphlets about Bi Week. Sophomore student Spencer Lyst, the president and founder of Indy Pride, denied the allegations. The information shared by this group is completely and utterly false and disrespectful, Lyst told the Tennessean. In a letter to the school board members before Mondays meeting, Lyst said the kiss was only a peck and came in response to the multitude of booing and discrediting of the students and float. Indy Pride does not condone, nor did Indy Pride orchestrate this display of affection, Lyst continued. However, I am extremely proud of these people for responding to slurs and hatred with a display of love and affection rather than succumbing to hatred. Robin Steenman of the local Moms for Liberty chapter was quoted in the Williams Home Page before Mondays meeting saying she received calls from outraged parents upset that the float was paraded in front of K-8 kids. Steenman also claimed one parent told her they had witnessed exposed breasts. Story continues Making out and French kissing on top of a float in front of our children from kindergarten to sixth grade, eighth grade, is uncalled for, speaker Brian Russel was quoted by WSMV saying at the school board meeting Monday evening. That video was not a French kiss, another was quoted. It was a quick peck that I had to watch three times to catch, and if that was a boy and girl there is zero chance anyone would have cared. After the meeting, Moms For Liberty tweeted they were not for the erasure of anyones existence but still opposed the appropriateness of the float in a schools homecoming parade. Lyst declined to attend Mondays meeting due to her safety. Williamson County Schools is investigating the incident and said students will be disciplined if their actions violated school rules. RELATED | Viral Attack on GSA Club Raising Concerns Over LGBTQ+ Student Safety (Reuters) - The United States has administered 388,567,109 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 470,630,875 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 387,821,704 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Sept. 23 out of 469,561,625 doses delivered. The agency said 212,861,380 people had received at least one dose while 182,958,696 people are fully vaccinated as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Friday. The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine. Over 2.4 million people received an additional dose of either Pfizer or Moderna's vaccine since Aug. 13, when the U.S. authorized a third dose of the vaccines for people with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens. (Reporting by Dania Nadeem in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) (Bloomberg) -- Shipments from a U.S. West Coast terminal that handles almost 20% of the nations soybean meal exports have been curbed while damage from a crane collapse earlier this month is repaired, marking the latest setback to global trade flows. Most Read from Bloomberg A loading boom at farm cooperative Ag Processing Inc.s export facility in Aberdeen, Washington, fell Sept. 1 as a bulk carrier was being loaded, according to a person familiar with the matter and a shipping agent notice to customers seen by Bloomberg. The damage could take months to repair, according to the notice. Omaha, Nebraska-based Ag Processing declined to comment on the matter. The disruption puts yet another kink in global supply chains with the U.S. still reeling from the export chaos caused by Hurricane Ida in the Gulf of Mexico, home of Americas busiest agricultural port. The terminal in Grays Harbor handles the bulk of Americas soy meal shipped to Asia from the West Coast. Its certain to put big importers like the Philippines, which needs the product to feed livestock, in a bind just as soy processing slows in China as well. Plants in a key region in China were ordered to shut down for at least a week as the Asian country contends with a severe energy crisis. The timing couldnt have been worse, said Jay ONeil, proprietor of HJ ONeil Commodity Consulting in Oregon. This will dramatically impede U.S. soybean meal exports. Soybean meal futures in Chicago have fallen 1.9% this month. A ship waiting to load at Ag Processings facility when the crane collapse occurred was diverted to a grain terminal in Longview, Washington, operated by EGT LLC, according to the notice. The dock shutdown also affects exports of dried distillers grains, a byproduct of ethanol production thats a key ingredient in feed for beef cattle and dairy cows. The U.S. harvest season is kicking off, a time when exports of soybeans and soy products typically increases. Story continues AGPs facility is especially important because soy meal isnt as easily shipped from terminals focused on grains like corn, as it flows differently and can cake up. The bulky commodity also isnt meant to sit around. People hate to store meal, ONeil said. Its not something you can store for months. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. A health care worker tests a traveller at a COVID-19 testing station at LAX airport. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Unvaccinated Americans abroad will need a negative COVID-19 test within a day of their return flight from November. They will also need to buy a "viral test" to take when back in the US, the White House said. Currently, returning Americans need a test within 72 hours of flying, regardless of vaccination status. Unvaccinated Americans abroad will have to test negative for COVID-19 within a day of their return flight to the US, rather than within three days, under new rules coming in November, the White House press secretary said Monday. Jen Psaki said in a briefing that unvaccinated Americans flying home would need "proof of a negative test result taken within one day of their departure," as well as proof they have bought a "viral test" to take when they get to the US. The rules would "obviously apply to children as well," she said. Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rules state that all air passengers coming to the United States, including US citizens and vaccinated people, must have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their flight, or proof that they've recovered from COVID-19 in the past three months. Everyone must be tested three to five days after their return flight, too. Unvaccinated people must also self-quarantine for seven full days even if they test negative - if they don't get tested, they must self-isolate for 10 days. Vaccinated people don't have to self-quarantine if they test negative. Some of the details of the upcoming November rules remain unclear, such as what kind of tests passengers would need to prove they have bought, and whether the new rules apply to partially vaccinated people. Psaki said there were ongoing "discussions" about how the new process would work. About 37% of the US population are unvaccinated, according to Our World in Data. A further 9% are partially vaccinated, according to the data. Story continues The CDC has advised against international travel for unvaccinated Americans since January. The announcement came as the White House said it expected to ease the travel ban for vaccinated travelers from Europe and the UK. The ban has been in place since March 14, 2020. Some airlines worldwide have already mandated vaccines for flyers. Alan Joyce, chief executive officer at Qantas, said on September 9 that the airline would only allow vaccinated people to board its flights. It's not yet clear whether the White House will introduce vaccine mandates for domestic flights. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, said Sunday that the Biden administration had "not yet gotten to the point of requiring vaccinations on domestic flights, but everything is on the table." "I would support that if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people then you should be vaccinated," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider This police camera video provided by the Moab Police Department shows Gabby Petito talking to a police officer in Utah on Aug. 12. The Moab Police Department via AP Moab, Utah, is probing how police handled an incident between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. The August 12 domestic incident occured while the two were on a cross-country road trip. Petito has since been found dead in Wyoming and Laundrie is still missing, last seen in Florida. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The city of Moab, Utah, is launching an investigation into the Moab City Police Department's handling of the domestic incident between Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie in the Beehive State in August - fewer than three weeks before authorities believe she was killed. In a statement to Insider on Friday, the city explained that during the past week the police department's officers "have been both praised and criticized for their response and their resolution of the incident involving Ms. Petito and Mr. Laundrie." "The Moab City Police Department has clear standards for officer conduct during a possible domestic dispute and our officers are trained to follow those standards and protocol," the city said. It added: "At this time, the City of Moab is unaware of any breach of Police Department policy during this incident. However, the City will conduct a formal investigation and, based on the results, will take any next steps that may be appropriate." The investigation is in connection to an August 12 incident between Petito and Laundrie while the two were on their "van life" cross-country road trip to national parks out West. Officers with the Moab Police Department responded to the report of a domestic dispute involving the couple, pulling them over near Arches National Park. A visibly distraught Petito, 22, and an apparently calm Laundrie, 23, told police they had gotten into an argument in Moab that resulted in Petito slapping Laundrie, according to a police report and officer body-camera footage the department released. A composite image showing Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, from bodycam footage from August 12, 2021 after police in Moab, Utah, stopped their van. Moab Police Department/Insider A witness also told police that he saw the pair arguing over a phone and said that when Laundrie got into the van he and Petito were traveling in, "he saw what appeared to him as Gabrielle hitting Brian in the arm and then climbing through the driver's window as if Brian had locked her out and she was trying to find a way in." Story continues But in a 911 call about the same incident, a witness can be heard telling dispatchers with the Grand County Sheriff's Office that he saw a man "slapping the girl." "He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off," the 911 caller said, according to the audio. The city of Moab referenced the 911 call in its statement about the investigation. "With the weeks-long search for Ms. Petito across the western US, news that a call to Grand County Dispatch on Aug. 12 reported a possible domestic dispute between Ms. Petito and Brian Laundrie here in Moab has naturally led to questions from the media and the public about the call," the city said. In police body-camera footage showing the aftermath of the scuffle, officers can be seen considering whether to charge Petito with domestic violence. But they opted not to when she told them she didn't intend to hurt Laundrie, who police said in their report had minor scratches on his face and right arm. Instead, police recommended the two spend the night apart. This police camera video provided by the Moab Police Department shows Gabby Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with Brian Laundrie on Aug. 12. The Moab Police Department via AP "We understand that individuals can view the same situation in very different ways, and we recognize how the death of Ms. Petito more than two weeks later in Wyoming might lead to speculation, in hindsight, about actions taken during the incident in Moab," the city of Moab said. "The purpose of the City's formal investigation is to gather the underlying facts and evidence necessary to make a thorough, informed evaluation of such actions," it said. Moab City Police Chief Bret Edge said in a statement that an "outside party" filed a request with the department asking for a formal investigation into the August 12 incident. "We take all complaints seriously and we are committed to fully addressing these concerns," Edge said. "In compliance with police department policy, we will conduct an investigation. The police department will identify an unaffiliated law enforcement agency to conduct the formal investigation on our behalf." The chief continued: "Should the investigation identify areas for improvement we will take that information to heart, learn from it, and make changes if needed to ensure we are providing the best response and service to our community." Petito's body was found in a remote campsite in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19. Her death has been ruled a homicide, according to a coroner's initial findings. Laundrie, who now remains missing, has been named a person of interest in connection to her disappearance and death. A federal court in Wyoming issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie this week in connection to the case, the FBI announced Thursday. Read the original article on Insider Orlando officers ended up in an ambush when three suspects opened fire on their vehicle (Orlando Police Department) Bodycam footage from the Orlando Police Department has shown Florida police officers taking part in a shootout in broad daylight. The shooting, which included three suspects, took place on Tuesday at around 1pm in central Orlando. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said during a press briefing on Tuesday that police approached three men on the pavement when shots were fired, with several bullets hitting the unmarked police car, from where the officers fired back several times. We are very fortunate not to be speaking about an officer-involved shooting where we may have lost one of our officers in this incident, Chief Rolon said, according to Fox 35. Were kind of puzzled as to how this happened. Again, the officers simply pulled up, as they tried to make contact, before they could get out of their car, there are shots that went into that vehicle that they were in. The three suspects, who are all in custody, have been charged with attempted first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and with aggravated assault with a firearm. The three men have been identified as Jameon Brown, 22, Michael Collins, 19, and Travis Weston, 17. Mr Weston was taken to hospital after his leg was injured. Mr Brown, arrested shortly afterwards, had an arm injury treated by the Orlando Fire Department before he was charged. Mr Collins was arrested on Wednesday. The two police officers involved in the shooting didnt sustain any injuries. The officers were in an unmarked car but were wearing clothing that said police. Chief Rolon said the officers were responding to a Crimeline tip, but didnt say what the tip was. He added that the officers were not looking for the three men who were later involved in the shootout. He said the suspects were on bicycles and opened fire before contact could be established. They literally had to return fire from or shoot their weapons from the inside of the vehicle that they were in, Mr Rolon said. Story continues Read More Alex Murdaugh: FBI helping to investigate the many shootings and bizarre cases surrounding former lawyer Kroger mass shooting: Gunman who shot 15 at Tennessee store identified as UK Thang, a third-party vendor Tennessee grocery store attack: 'He kept on shooting' Suranne Jones and Shaun Evans in Vigil (World Productions) BBC One's Vigil has not just been the most-watched new drama of the year, but its also the most-talked about show on the telly too. But even the team behind the submarine murder mystery have been amazed by the reaction from audiences trying to keep track of the twisty plot full of conspiracy, violence, secrets and espionage. As anticipation grows among the viewing public ahead of the finale of the blockbuster series starring Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie and Stephen Dillane, Vigil development producer George Aza-Selinger and writer/creator Tom Edge revealed how they brought the world to the brink of nuclear excitement. Whatever happens in the concluding episode in terms of deaths, survivors and what is revealed to have been going on the eagerly awaited finale may not be the last outing for the world they've created. Edge says: We had a blast doing it and there are some incredibly talented cast playing characters that we all enjoyed getting to know. "So I think there are lots of possibilities and if were lucky enough to get to explore them further, then that would be terrific. It was a pleasure making this one, and great to get back on board whatever we did next. (L) George Aza-Selinger and (R) Tom Edge are the creatives behind Vigil (Sophia Spring) Although they are tight lipped about how the mysteries finally unravel, theyve been delighted with the online predictions abounding. Edge said: We were really thrilled. These shows can be difficult, trying to make something that is intended for a big mainstream audience and its very easy to go astray as you shoot for that. "But that was always our aspiration, something that could go out weekly with its twists and turns, so its been great to see the nation clenched at the end of episode five. Read more: Vigil finale: The 6 questions we need answered Viewers are so sophisticated that some of the labyrinthine arcane theories about what happened and why, that Ive been taking a notebook, like thats good, we should learn from them. One of the nice things is that there are lots of competing theories about how things might end and what might go down, and how situations may or may not resolve, and thats really fun to watch unfold. I wouldnt want to spoil anyones fun by throwing in my ten pence worth. Story continues Behind the scenes on Vigil with Rose Leslie (Kirsten) (World Productions/Mark Mainz) While Aza-Selinger added: People do the funny thing of saying Im not gonna ask and then begin asking and then retract it. You never want to tell them, and people dont want to be told anyway, they enjoy being part of the suspense. But yes, people have certainly dangled the question before pulling it away. The show began life when Aza-Selinger, head of development with the Scottish arm of World Productions the company behind Line of Duty and Bodyguard amongst others had the idea five years ago for a drama about a murder investigation on a sub, coming under the jurisdiction of police detectives due to the nuclear Naval base situated on the River Clyde, not far from Glasgow. The thriller burst onto screens in late August with a bank holiday bang as Line of Duty star Martin Compston dominated early scenes before becoming the first murder victim. Martin Compston in Vigil (Mark Mainz) The team admit that move was a gamble. Edge said: I was mindful that he is such a great actor and such a beloved actor, as well as someone who a substantial chunk of the population were looking forward to seeing what he does next. So there was the worry that if youre going to take him away really quickly that some people will be disappointed. But it wasnt just a stunt. That character has very limited screen time to begin with but we needed someone who could absolutely capture you in those scenes and allow the echoes of their death to carry through the series. Martin Compston as Craig Burke (World Productions/Mark Mainz) Aza-Selinger commented: Hes got a really important part in the show, he is a large part of the stakes of the show. Apart from everyones safety, a large extent of this is all about can we solve this murder and why this happened, so youve really got to care about that character. Read more: Daniel Craig given honorary Royal Navy rank The death of Compstons crewman Burke may be the incident that draws Suranne Joness DCI Silva to the Royal Navy sub in the first place, but its also been the spark for a major international plot involving espionage, political skullduggery and murder. Rose Leslie and Suranne Jones in Vigil (World Productions/Graham Hunter) Weve had US boats tailing Navy allies, spies murdering peace protestors and sparking shady political manoeuvres while a dodgy cook dishes out deep fried nerve gas from the canteen. Affairs abound, while Russian assassins are up to no good in Glasgow and the Navy are still reeling from a mad drugged up party in Florida. The plot twists have been a plenty but mainly concurrent with real incidents discovered in the research stage. Suranne Jones, Shaun Evans, Daniel Portman in Vigil (World Productions) Tom Edge commented: Even though the Navy for the most part and the people who serve in it are incredibly diligent and do a great job under tough conditions, it is still a very human endeavour and the stresses and strains exact a real toll on people. Some of the research was indicative of that. There have been drugs scandals, commanders have lost jobs over having affairs on board and there have been whistleblowers, and submariners trying to sell secrets to the Russian embassy. That broke open the human stories and made it intriguing." Vigil series finale air on BBC One, Sunday, 9pm. WATCH: Trailer for Vigil Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has faced criticism for forming a unit that has been accused of targeting his political adversaries. (Nick Agro / For The Times) A watchdog panel that oversees the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Thursday asked county attorneys to look into whether a special investigative unit that has targeted critics of Sheriff Alex Villanueva broke the law. With the unanimous vote, the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission sought legal guidance on crimes Villanueva or the department as a whole may have committed by operating the Civil Rights and Public Integrity Detail, a team of nine investigators that reports to one of Villanueva's top aides. The panel also sought to push back against Villanueva's refusal to answer questions about the unit. The commission had subpoenaed Villanueva to appear before them Thursday, but the sheriff said he was too busy to attend. The vote requested county lawyers to "consider all legal remedies" for compelling Villanueva to appear, including asking a judge for a court hearing over whether the sheriff should be found in contempt. The commission authorized a new subpoena directing Undersheriff Tim Murakami, who supervises the team, to testify about it. And the commission called on California's attorney general to intervene, requesting the state's top law enforcement official to take over any of the unit's cases that involve elected or oversight officials. "I think it's reasonable to conclude ... the sheriff is doing this to intimidate those with oversight to get them to back off and back down," said Robert Bonner, a former federal judge who sits on the commission. "We need to have these intimidation tactics cease." Before taking their vote, some commissioners also cited a Times article that reported details about the unit, including that one of its members confronted a witness in a criminal investigation after the witness complained about the pace of the probe. The witness, Adam Loew, made a recording of the more than hourlong conversation, which The Times listened to. On the recording, the investigator, Mark Lillienfeld, told Loew he was poking the wrong fing bear. Lillienfeld did not respond to requests for comment. Story continues Inspector General Max Huntsman said Thursday he had issued a subpoena to Loew for the recording. The unit has pursued a long-running criminal investigation into allegations made by department officials that Huntsman and others improperly downloaded confidential personnel records on Villanueva and other sheriff's employees. Villanueva opted to pursue the case despite sheriffs officials being told by the FBI and state law enforcement officials that it appeared no crimes had been committed, a senior sheriffs official said. The team also has an open criminal inquiry into a nonprofit that is run by a member of a county board that oversees the sheriff and is associated with county Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, both of whom have clashed fiercely with Villanueva and called for his resignation. These highly publicized criminal investigations have never resulted in charges being filed, suggesting an ulterior motive, Sean Kennedy, a Loyola Law School professor who sits on the commission, said in a 10-page memo that called for an investigation into whether Villanueva is abusing his power and prompted Thursday's discussion. In a July letter to the commissions executive director, Murakami said Kennedys memo was filled with wild accusations and accused the commission of collaborating with the inspector generals office and media organizations, including The Times, to spread false information about Villanueva and the Sheriffs Department. A spokesman for the department told The Times this month that sheriffs officials would not discuss the investigative unit with the Times reporter who was investigating it because the spokesman claimed the reporter had a conflict of interest. The spokesman repeatedly refused to provide any details of the alleged conflict to a Times editor. The department suggested it would answer questions from any other Times reporter. The Times declined to assign a new reporter to the story. Villanueva on Wednesday evening released a public statement defending the unit as a tool for fighting corruption and denying it was being used to go after his political opponents. The sole responsibility of the Sheriffs Department is to investigate allegations of criminal conduct as they are discovered, regardless of how inconvenient it may be to the subject of the investigation, the statement said. The unit is supervised by the Undersheriff, and I have recused myself from all decision making to avoid any potential conflict of interest. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Biden administration is stepping up its work to figure about what to do about the thawing Arctic, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. The White House said Friday it is reactivating the Arctic Executive Steering Committee, which coordinates domestic regulations and works with other Arctic nations. It also is adding six new members to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, including two Indigenous Alaskans. The steering committee had been moribund for the past four years, not meeting at a high level, said David Balton, appointed to direct it. He said it will step up and do more in the Arctic. The revamped committee will try to figure out what needs to be done to get a better handle on addressing the changes in the Arctic, Balton said. University of Colorado scientist Twila Moon, who is not involved with the committee or commission, praised the developments. She said that because the Arctic is changing so quickly, "serious issues like national security, stability of buildings and roads, food availability, and much more must be considered and acted on promptly, Moon said. The U.S. cannot afford to sit back on Arctic issues. Balton, in an interview, said the Arctic is opening up in a number of ways. Most of this is bad news. But theres also increased tourism and increased shipping, potentially other industries coming up into the Arctic that need regulation," he said. "And right now the nations and the peoples of the Arctic are scrambling to keep up with this change. The new efforts emphasize working with Indigenous people. Its really important to achieve these goals, so it has to be done in partnership with people who live in the area, said committee deputy director Raychelle Alauq Daniel, a climate policy analyst and Yupik who grew up in Tuntuliak, Alaska. Superpower tensions are likely to increase in the region as it becomes more ice-free in parts of the year, allowing not just more shipping but the temptation for going after resources such as oil, Balton said. People who live in the Lower 48 states should still care about what happens in the polar region, Balton said. The Arctic is kind of a bellwether for what happens to the planet as a whole. The fate of places like Miami are tied very closely to the fate of Greenland ice sheet, Balton said. If you live in Topeka, Kansas, or if you live in California, if you live in Nigeria, your life is going to be affected. ... The Arctic matters on all sorts of levels. Wilmington International Airport is set to receive more than $300,000 in federal money, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced this week. The grant will help Wilmington International Airport expand to accommodate rising passenger numbers. Wilmington started an $86 million terminal expansion project in 2018. The final phase of the project is scheduled to be complete in early 2022. The FAA announced Tuesday it awarded $431.8 million in grants to airports across the nation to fund projects that increase safety, sustainability and access to travel for Americans. The funds will be disbursed among 60 airports in 31 states. Wilmington International Airport will receive $348,572. These grants support airport infrastructure across our National Airspace System, providing federal investment to communities of all sizes, from remote areas to major metropolitan cities, FAA Administrator Scott Dickson said in a statement. Wilmington International Airport has outperformed other airports across the country during the pandemic, air service development firm Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting said. Seat capacity at the airport from April 2020 to August 2021 was higher than its neighboring airports, Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting said. The grants were provided through the FAAs Airport Improvement Program. The program has disbursed about $3.2 billion this year to airports throughout the nation. Local governments will not have to match grant funds because of the American Rescue Plan Act. To get passengers where they need to be safely and sustainably, we must make ongoing investments in our aviation system," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. "These grants will help fulfill our commitment to building a safer, more equitable, and more sustainable future. Wilmington International Airport and Wilmington officials could not be reached for comment. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: States, News, FAA, North Carolina Original Author: Nyamekye Daniel, The Center Square Original Location: Wilmington airport receives Federal Aviation Administration grant for expansion The leaders of Japan, the United States, Australia and India have wrapped up talks aimed at ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. It was the first ever in-person summit of the so-called Quad alliance. The participants hailed the talks as a success and said they plan to make it an annual summit. Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "This event demonstrates the strong solidarity between our four countries and our unwavering commitment to the common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific." US President Joe Biden called the four "a group of democratic partners who share a world view and a common vision for the future." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the potential of the alliance, saying, "I believe the Quad will bring peace and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific region and to the world." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, "We stand together in a region that we wish to be always free from coercion, where the sovereign rights of all nations are respected. We come together in collective strength." The four leaders agreed to work more closely together in a variety of fields, including their response to the coronavirus pandemic. They discussed specific initiatives, such as collaborating to produce more coronavirus vaccines and supplying some to the Indo-Pacific region. The leaders agreed to cooperate in infrastructure building, space development, clean energy, and human exchanges. They adopted a statement regarding principles on the design, development and use of the high-speed, high-capacity 5G and other key technologies. On climate change, Prime Minister Suga has expressed Japan's intention to join a US-led initiative to reduce global emissions of methane. The leaders also discussed the Indo-Pacific region's role in maintaining the international order after China and Taiwan's applications to join a trans-Pacific trade partnership. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election appears to be turning into a closely contested race. Four candidates are campaigning hard to win supporters. They participated in an online policy debate. The LDP isn't holding any in-person election events across the country to prevent the spread of COVID infections. Instead, candidates are answering questions from the public in an online forum. The debate began on Thursday and will continue for four days through Sunday. One hundred people were selected by lottery to take part in a question-and-answer session. Participants asked questions about foreign policy and security issues, the environment and energy policies. The four candidates were asked which countries or regions will become important for Japan in the future. They talked about maintaining the strong alliance between Japan and the United States, and the importance of dialogue with China. As the daily tally of new coronavirus infections continues to fall, the Japanese government appears ready to lift its state of emergency for at least some prefectures at the end of this month. Health Minister Tamura Norihisa said, "If the downward trend continues, I expect that most of the affected areas will meet, or will be close to meeting, the criteria for lifting the declaration next Thursday." Nearly 2,100 new cases were reported across the country on Friday. Tokyo reported 235 new infections. The number has been under 1,000 for nine consecutive days. Tokyo and 18 other prefectures are currently under a state of emergency. Experts for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government say it's still too early for people to let their guard down. Disease Control and Prevention Center Director Ohmagari Norio said, "In preparation for the winter when infections are expected to spread, the number of new cases needs to be lowered further through anti-virus measures and vaccinations." Experts have called for thorough infection prevention measures even as vaccinations progress. They note although the shots greatly reduce the risk of severe illness, fully vaccinated people can still become infected and transmit the virus. A final decision about the state of emergency is set for next week, after Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide returns from the United States. A turtle found on a runway at an international airport serving Tokyo prevented aircraft from taking off for a short time on Friday. One of the planes left idling on the tarmac features a turtle design. Staff at Narita Airport said that a pilot spotted the turtle on a runway at around 11:30 a.m. One of the air hub's two runways was shut down for about 10 minutes. Five departing flights were delayed for up to 15 minutes. One of them was an All Nippon Airways double-decker aircraft headed for the southern city of Naha in Okinawa Prefecture. It has a Hawaiian-style green sea turtle design on the fuselage. The turtle on the runway was captured by airport staff. It was dark green, about 30 centimeters long and with a weight of about 2 kilograms. It may have come from a nearby reservoir. Narita International Airport Corporation says it will find out what type of turtle it is to determine whether it can be placed in a natural habitat. A source close to the airport says it is rare for a turtle to be captured on a runway and delay departures. A cabin attendant who was onboard the ANA aircraft expressed surprise at the coincidence and said that passengers and crew took off in a buoyant mood despite the delay. Washington : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) presented unique gifts to US Vice President Kamala Harris and the Quad leaders. In a touching gesture, PM Modi presented the Vice President a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, PV Gopalan, in a wooden handicraft frame. PV Gopalan was a senior and respected government official who served in various positions. PM Modi also gifted VP Harris a Gulabi Meenakari chess set. The craft of Gulabi Meenakari is closely associated with Kashi, one of the oldest cities in the world. It is also the constituency of PM Modi. Glad to have met @VP @KamalaHarris. Her feat has inspired the entire world. We talked about multiple subjects that will further cement the India-USA friendship, which is based on shared values and cultural linkages. pic.twitter.com/46SvKo2Oxv Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 Each piece on this particular chess set is remarkably handcrafted. The bright colours reflect the vibrancy of Kashi. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was gifted a Silver Gulabi Meenakari Ship. This ship is also distinctly handcrafted and bright, reflecting eternal Kashis dynamism. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was gifted a Sandalwood Buddha Statue. Buddhism plays a big role in bringing India and Japan together. The thoughts and ideas of Lord Buddha reverberate far and wide in Japan. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to the US to attend the Quad Leaders Summit and address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Lauren Ro is interested in baby gear (shes a new mom) and the ins-and-outs of decorating a home. Prior to the Strategist, she was a writer at Curbed, and before that was Wes Andersons assistant. Photo: Morrow Soft Goods Turmeric, lilac wine, and apricot. Yolk, sage, and cinnamon. No, not the ingredients of some autumnal cocktail recipe, but a few of the colorways you might find among the many DTC bedding brands offering tonal sheets, making it easier (and more affordable) than ever to create an enticing, cozy bedscape thats not just made up of crisp hotel whites. This is especially true in the world of linen sheets, which are typically much more expensive than your sateens and percales and come in a wider range of (bolder) dyes. As the easy glamour of linen bedding becomes more accessible, were seeing new tonal bed moments, ones in which the duvet cover, sheets, and pillowcases may be different hues that complement one another, whether by color temperature or family. A shift from the all-white bed thats dominated every Instagram shot, celebrity home tour, and shelter-mag spread in recent years was inevitable. In Australia, Jes Saddington began hand-dyeing linen bedding in dreamy, delectable colors lilac wine, valerian (a light, dusty rose), and lagoon (a soft sage), to name a few and concocting the most surprising color combinations. Her company, Dazed but Amazed, considered one of the early pioneers of this trend toward a more chromatic bed scene, routinely sells out of its ready-dyed launches. The bedrooms function has also undergone a transformation over the course of the pandemic. Beds have become more than places to rest during this time in our lives, says Sunshine Abou Bakar, the blogger behind the website and Instagram account African Boheme. Theyve morphed into offices, boardrooms, and classrooms, and white sheets just dont feel all that welcoming. (Plus, she says, I have two small children and feel like white sheets would drive me crazy. I like my bed to be a sanctuary, and cleanliness is a part of that peace of mind. So the longer it takes for me to see crayon marks in my bed, the longer I can hold on to my zen. Her signature color is what she likes to call golden hour.) There are, of course, myriad non-white color combinations out there, but it can be difficult to know what goes with what. To help you curate the most inviting color story for your bed from scratch, we consulted interior designers, bedding stylists, and other aesthetically minded experts (like Bakar and Klein) for their advice, putting together bedding combinations from a range of our tried-and-true brands, as well as recommendations from our experts. The beauty of tonal bedding is that you can mix and match sheets, duvet covers, and pillows across companies and budgets, which weve reflected below. Go monochromatic Most of the experts we spoke to said there arent any hard-and-fast rules concerning color combinations, but if youre looking for a foolproof place to start, you cant go wrong with a monochromatic or tonal scheme. A monochromatic bed can be just as interesting as a contrasting one, says Steven Whitehead, a bedding and soft goods stylist whose clients include Neiman Marcus, the Company Store, and Pottery Barn. Still, he cautions, you want to know what color youre dealing with. If its red, is it cherry, tomato, oxblood, burgundy, or cranberry? Laura Rucker, manager at Brooklyn home goods store Collyers Mansion, agrees that sticking with different shades in the same color family (all blues or all pinks, for instance) is an easy way to experiment with solid colors. Go warm or cool If a monochromatic bed feels too uniform, you can play with color temperatures, a strategy that Rucker and architecture and design critic Alexandra Lange recommend. (Warm colors are in the orange, red, and yellow family, while cool colors are in the blue, green, and purple.) Pick warm or cool or neutrals and then mix within that, says Lange, who prefers light sheets and suggests going from light to dark starting with pillowcases to sheets to duvet cover. In this scenario, Lange might combine aqua pillowcase cases with turquoise sheets and a navy duvet for a cool look, or white pillowcases with pale-gray sheets and a stormy duvet for a neutral look. Rucker points out that a trio of burnt-orange duvet, pink sheets, and mustard-pillow is an example of a warm look. Dont be afraid to mix materials While were seeing a lot of crumpled linen bedscapes, you dont have to stick with one type of fabric. In fact, Lee Mayer, CEO of online interior design service Havenly, says that creating a cozy and stylish bed scene is all about layering and texture, with Los Angelesbased interior designer Stefani Stein adding that mixing materials can feel more effortless than perfectly matched. Stein, Mayer, and Lange all agree that crisp cotton sheets like percale or sateen play nicely with a full and plush linen duvet cover. Thats because that pairing gives you, as Stein says, a subtle contrast and some textural mix. which, according to Mayer, suggests ultimate coziness. To create an even more pleasing scheme, Mayer recommends layering your bed with pillows and even a throw blanket in different fabrics luxe velvets, organic linens for more textural dimension, which is, of course, another opportunity to experiment with color accents. And a few ideas Keeping all of this in mind when you shop can be a little overwhelming, but Whitehead has a helpful hint: If youre mixing colors just try to keep them in similar hues and it will be more pleasing to the eye. You can also start with a hero piece that can act as an anchor for your bedscape. Says Rucker, A duvet can be the common denominator across different schemes. If you want to play it safe, she suggests going with a cover that you can see yourself keeping long term, perhaps in a classic white or, if you want a touch of color, blush. That way you can have a little more fun and experiment with different pillows, which you can swap out more frequently. Mayer also takes this approach. I will always recommend going for a light and bright sheet and duvet pairing, weaving in color accents through your pillows and blankets, she says. To keep everything consistent, Whitehead recommends bringing along a color swatch, or simply keeping a photo of your hero piece on your phone. As long as you have the colors right you can build a collection from multiple sources or vendors, he says. If youd rather leave the color mixology to the pros, here are a few ideas that you can use as a starting point for your bed. Desert rose The most common combination and perhaps the trendiest one is what well call the desert rose trio, which brings dusty pink, mustard yellow, and terra-cotta linens (or a variation thereof) together (its also an example of a warm look, as Rucker noted above). Mixing colors like sienna or camel with soft neutral shades, or even going a bit more bold with a rust-on-blush number is an easy way to bring a bit of color into a room while staying a bit neutral, says Mayer. Emily Rose Klein, creative director and founder of lifestyle brand Colours, currently has her bed made up in a similar sunset palette. Her pillowcases are from Dazed but Amazed, which she calls all-around amazing for its unique colors and stonewashed linens. To get the look, try a mustard pillow, terra-cotta sheets from Morrow these happen to be matte sateen, which is hard to come by in this color and a pink-clay duvet cover. Neutrals For a truly neutral look, Mayer suggests embracing light sand or a natural hue for your flat sheets and pillows to create some soft contrast with a crisp white duvet. To add more depth while still keeping things mellow, she also recommends trying sheets in a slightly darker natural tone to create a contrast with your white duvet. Pacific neutral If thats too much beige for you, Mayer also likes weaving in dusty blue accents for a casual, Pacific-inspired vibe that feels relaxed yet refined. Go dark While many people prefer light and bright, Stein actually opts for deeper colors. A black or navy, olive, dark green, etc. linen duvet can be lovely in a moody bedroom, she says. It lends a relaxed quality to a look that, with another material, might feel quite glam. As for what to pair with such a dark duvet, Stein says keep it dark. I find that off-black, olive green, and navy are surprisingly lovely together. And a word of advice from Mayer, if youre going this route: When it comes to darker-colored bedding (and even color combos) keep the sheets lighter than your duvet so they feel crisp and inviting, rather than heavy. Go complementary For something a bit more surprising, both Rucker and Klein suggest pairing complementary colors together. I think turquoise looks beautiful with orange because they complement one another on the color wheel, says Klein. And a couple ready-made sets get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Fossil fuels are here to stay. This is the message one oilfield major CEO had for those watching the surge of gas prices in Europe, some with trepidation, others with fascination. They are here to stay because they help ensure a country's energy security. "We think there's three hard truths," Simonelli told CNBC in an interview this week. "Firstly, we've got to work together, accelerate the move towards decarbonization and also eliminating emissions. Secondly, hydrocarbons are here to stay and natural gas, in fact, is a key element. And thirdly, we've got to do it together, collaborate and actually adopt the new technologies that are available." Some would say the current energy crisis in Europe is sufficient proof that there is something not quite right with the way the EU and the UK approached the energy transition. OPEC's secretary-general Mohamed Barkindo, for instance, told CNBC there was a new premium emerging in energy markets that he called "the transition premium." What this means is, essentially, that the energy transition is making energy more expensive despite promises for affordability. Others, however, are careful to not blame anything related to the energy transition of renewables. The International Energy Agency earlier this week mentioned "several weather-related factors" among the reasons for the gas price spike in Europe. "These include a particularly cold and long heating season in Europe last winter, and lower-than-usual availability of wind energy in recent weeks," the agency said. However, its head Fatih Birol was quick to point out that it would be "inaccurate and misleading to lay the responsibility at the door of the clean energy transition," in what looks like a perfect example of the growing unwillingness among international organizations to challenge the image of renewables even in the face of hard evidence that in some cases they cannot live up to their promise. Some go even further. A CNN article, for instance, argues that the solution to the wind drought in the UKwhich contributed significantly to the country's dire energy situationis building more wind farms, in different places, because "the wind will be blowing somewhere," according to a Manchester University professor in international politics. Leaving aside questions around the qualifications and expertise of different commentators on the topic, it seems that challenging anything about the energy transition is highly frowned upon. Yet, in the face of an energy crisis brought about primarily by insufficient supplies of gas, it is hard not to challenge the transition or rather the way it is being done. Related: Oil Trading Giant Trafigura Sees $100 Oil In Late 2022 Gas was initially considered a bridge fuelthe bridge being between the fossil fuel era and the post-fossil fuel, renewable energy era. However, as warnings about the changing climate became louder and governments became increasingly ambitious in their emission-cutting targets, gas began to be struck out in energy plans in both Europe and the United States. In light of the energy situation in Europe right now, this was probably a premature move. It was not the first one, and it might not be the last one. Because high gas prices are already driving up demand for coal and the EU ambition to be the greenest of the green is unraveling. "The carbon price of using coal has driven up demand for gas. But now high gas prices are driving up demand for coal," wrote Cambridge University political economy professor Helen Thompson for the Financial Times this week. "If there were not serious intermittency problems with wind and solar and battery storage were further advanced, this would not matter. In reality, the absence of much wind in northern Europe this summer is consequential." This intermittency is the elephant in the renewable energy room. Ignoring it for the sake of political correctness and towing the party line will haveand already hasconsequences. It is because of these consequences that fossil fuels are likely to keep their place in the global energy mix for quite a while yet. It's a hard truth that needs to be digested if the energy transition is to succeed. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. might have a trade deficit overall, but when it comes to energy, trade is in surplus land for the first time - ever. A new milestone has been reached in the global energy markets. For the first time on record, the value of U.S. energy exports exceeded the value of imports based on 2020 data. There was an energy trade surplus of $27 billion last year, as the value of coal, electricity, natural gas, and petroleum exports surpassed that of the value of the imports. And for the first six months of this year, the trade value of energy was a surplus of $9 billion, even as non-energy goods exports experienced a record $938-billion deficit. The bulk of the U.S. energy trade is petroleum, but in 2020 the trade value of petroleum exports vs. imports was a deficit. So where does the surplus come from? Natural gas is the one to watch. Its a growing percentage of the total, accounting for 5% of energy import value in 2020, and 22% of energy export value - for a surplus of $26 billion. Natural gas exports are continuing the march this year, in part by increased pipeline gas to Mexico and increased LNG exports. The natural gas crunch in Europe could further increase the calls on U.S. gas exports, while Asia looks to import more U.S. LNG as well. Even before the gas crunch, U.S. exports of LNG to China, Japan, and South Korea - the worlds top LNG importers, reached new highs earlier this year as Asia began to recover from the pandemic and Russian gas giant Gazprom dismisses speculation and accusations that it is not supplying enough natural gas via pipeline to Europe, a senior official at Gazprom Export says. So far in 2021, Gazproms gas deliveries to Europe have reached historic highs, Sergey Komlev, Head of the Contract Structuring and Pricing Directorate at Gazprom Export, wrote in an article for Gazproms corporate magazine, as carried by Russian news agency TASS. Germany, Turkey, and Italysome of Gazproms largest customersall boosted imports of Russian gas in the first half of 2021, the manager said. Gazproms exports to European countries rose by 23.2 percent between January and July, Komlev added. These figures prove the absurdity of accusing Gazprom of supply shortage, the executive noted. Europe is grappling with soaring natural gas and electricity prices ahead of the winter heating season due to tight gas supplies, very low gas inventories, and low wind power generation amid still weather. More than 40 members of the European Parliament from all political groups have reportedly urged the European Commission to launch an investigation into Gazprom over alleged market manipulation that could have contributed to the record-high natural gas prices in Europe. During the summer, even with the strong rebound in European natural gas demand and surging prices, Gazprom did not book additional entry capacity to Europe via Ukraine. Analysts say that this could have been an opportunistic move from the Russian giant to drive up Europes gas prices further and take advantage of the very high prices. Other analysts think that Gazproms effective reduction in supplies would force Europe to recognize that gas customers on the continent need the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany bypassing Ukraine. Earlier this month, Gazprom said it had completed the construction of Nord Stream 2, although gas flows on the Russia-led pipeline cannot begin until Germany grants an operating license to the project. Germanys federal networks regulator BNA said last week it would decide no later than January 8, 2022, whether it will certify Nord Stream 2 and issue an operating license for the pipeline. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Soaring power prices amid Europes gas crunch will have a lasting impact on the bottom lines of mining and metal companies as prices in their long-term electricity supply contracts will increase, an executive at a Swedish metals producer told Bloomberg on Friday. Contracts will have to be renewed sooner or later. However they are written, you will eventually get hurt because of the situation in the market, Mats Gustavsson, vice president for energy at Swedens metals producer Boliden, told Bloomberg in an interview. If you are exposed to the market, the operational expenses have of course increased, Gustavsson said. As companies mining and processing metals are looking to cut their carbon footprint, they electrify some processes and use more electricity. However, soaring electricity prices will hike their operating costs, diminishing profit margins. The price spikes and volatility are here to stay, according to Bolidens Gustavsson, who says that metal producers may have to contend with higher power prices for longer. The metals sector is the latest in the heavy industry to suffer from the surging natural gas and power prices in Europe. The price spikes have already started to hit industrial activities, threatening to deal a blow to the post-COVID recovery in Europe. Giant European firms, from chemicals and mining to the food sector, say sky-high gas and electricity prices are hitting their profit margins and forcing some of them to curtail operations. Some factories have shut down because of record natural gas prices. More idling of industrial activity across Europe is likely in the coming weeks, analysts say. Earlier this week, British Steel, the second-largest steel producer in the UK, warned that electricity prices are spiralling out of control, and a 50-fold jump in quoted power rates makes production unprofitable at certain times in the UK, the Financial Times reported. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil industry is in a terminal decline, hedge fund manager James Jampel told Bloomberg on Friday, noting that this years rise in oil stocks has been the biggest dead-cat bounce in history. Jampel, who manages the HITE Carbon Offset hedge fund that aims to profit from decarbonization by shorting decarbonization losers, is extremely bearish on oil, despite the 33-percent rise of the S&Ps energy index this year. The oil industry will be the loser of the energy transition, says Jampel, whose $187-million hedge fund is focused on shorting the most overvalued and vulnerable stocks in the carbon value chain, such as producers, transporters, marketers, processors, and users of oil, natural gas, and coal. Industries where volume is declining, where demand is declining, have a lot of trouble making money, Jampel told Bloomberg in an interview published on Friday. According to the hedge fund manager, nothing can save oil as the energy transition will only accelerate from here thanks to improving technologies for alternative energy sources. Despite being short on oil, Jampel isnt long on renewable energy and renewable assets. The reason we dont do that is because that kind of fund would be far, far too volatile, the hedge fund manager told Bloomberg. Jampels hedge fund is betting that the broader market will outperform old energy. This year, inflows into U.S. large-cap energy funds have jumped as oil demand started to recover and oil prices reflected this recovery. Last week, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEARCA:XLE) saw the fourth highest inflows into U.S. large-cap funds at $1 billion. Shares in several U.S.-based oil firms have provided more than 100-percent returns so far this year, excluding dividends. The five top returns were Antero Resources Corporation with 206.6% year-to-date share return as of last week, Range Resources Corporation with 182.8%, Continental Resources with 157.5%, Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation with 136.7%, and PDC Energy with 114.6%. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Parkside School Location: 25th Avenue and Vicente Street Opened: 1923 Architect: John Reid, Jr. Closed: 1975 Demolished: 2004 Rebuilt as the Dianne Feinstein Elementary School After outgrowing its first school building, the Parkside District welcomed a large beautiful second Parkside School in 1922. Designed by city architect John Reid, Jr., the new building mixed Spanish Colonial and English Tudor styles. The spacious auditorium not only hosted decades of student assemblies and performances, but acted as a venue for flower shows, community group meetings, and town hall gatherings. The red clay tiles of the roof and external woodwork were removed in 1970, victim of the Field Act to retrofit school buildings against earthquakes. The school stopped as a site of student instruction in 1975 in anticipation of reconstructive work funded by a voter-approved measure. This reconstruction was delayed and the building became a site for school district administrative offices over the next two decades. Some neighbors lobbied for a new Parkside School building in the late 1990s and state money was secured to demolish the old structure and rebuild. School district mismanagement of the funds delayed the work and along the way other Parkside residents and alumni protested the demolition of what they considered a historic building. Further complicating the issue, district-wide enrollment declined and the forced closures of other elementary schools in 2006 made many question the construction of a new school building. In the end, the old Parkside School was torn down in 2004, replaced by the Dianne Feinstein Elementary School. Some residents petitioned and won the addition of "at the Parkside Campus" to the school name in honor of Parkside schools of the past. Ghana's leading online recruitment platform, Jobberman Ghana has launched its new job seeker campaign, #LevelUpWithJobberman with the mission to connect job seekers with opportunities in Ghana through digital means. The focus of the campaign is to encourage young graduates on the essence of a career path as young professionals and innovate their job search while setting themselves apart from the competition on the job market. If job seekers only focus on finding a job without a strategic plan, they will end up in a job that is not meant for them and may not make use of their skills, acquired knowledge, and experiences. Jobseekers need to know who they are, their personality type, and that superpower that sets them apart for success. The #LevelUpWithJobberman campaign is purposely to get them to align with their career and to assist them to identify job opportunities that best suit their interest," shares Haralabos Antarakis, CEO of Jobberman Ghana. Since its launch in Ghana in 2012, Jobberman has emerged as one of the most trusted HR partners for businesses in the country boasting over 600,000 qualified CVs, 100s of active jobs per day and more than 21,000 employers. The unemployment rate in Ghana is high, yet there are many opportunities available. We have observed that one of the major reasons why some job seekers are not being shortlisted for interviews is, either they are applying to jobs they may not be fully qualified for or their CVs are not well-tailored which causes them to miss opportunities. Top companies in Ghana are hiring new team members daily. Leveling up with Jobberman and signing up on the site, is the best opportunity to land a dream job, adds Human Resource Manager at Jobberman Ghana, Freda Nana Embil. During the period of the #LevelUpWithJobberman campaign, job seekers will receive tailored career advice from human resource experts, job hunting tips from seasoned recruitment experts on how to gain a competitive edge, timely access to top jobs, and an opportunity to get matched with top companies looking for skillful professionals. Job seekers are encouraged to take their next career step with Jobberman by signing up at https://www.jobberman.com.gh/job-seeker/level-up Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has assured the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that the United States will soon donate some 1.3 million Pfizer vaccines to Ghana. This is in addition to some 1.2 million Moderna vaccines received by Ghana on 4th September 2021 from the United States. Vice President Harris made this known on Thursday, 23rd September 2021, when she held bilateral talks with President Akufo-Addo at the White House, with the aim of stringing the ties of co-operation and friendship that exist between the two countries. Addressing a press conference, prior to the holding of a closed-door meeting between the pair and their delegations, the American Vice President indicated Ghana and the United States share a commitment to global health and to minimise the effects of COVID-19. None of us have been immune from the ravages of the pandemic. We recognize our shared responsibility to collaborate, to share resources, to not only continue to address the effects of COVID-19 but also to prepare for the next pandemics, she said. She continued, The United States is proud to be a member of COVAX and the African Union, and has donated more than 1.2 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Ghana. I am proud to announce that, shortly, we will send 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Welcoming President Akufo-Addo to the White House, Mrs Harris indicated that the meeting with the Ghanaian President is a reaffirmation of the strength of the relationship between the United States and Ghana, and of course we have deep in historical ties or official bilateral relationship began in 1957. Commending President Akufo-Addo for the handling of Ghanas economy, she stated that American companies continue to ramp up in Ghana, understanding the significance of the work that they do there to Americas economy much less to the partnership between Ghana and the United States. She continued, And they do this also because we are confident in the Government of Ghana and the environment, Mr President, that you have created, which allows for some confidence in the respect and upholding of the rule of law and human rights. And so, with all of that, we look forward to continue to work together. On his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked Vice President Harris for the invitation, and stressed that Ghana and the United States of America share very much the same commitments. We want to develop our nation as a democracy as a country where freedom and respect for human rights and the rule of law are paramount to our system of governance, he said. Whilst expressing gratitude for the support of the United States towards helping to defeat the pandemic in Ghana, he indicated that the other main preoccupation for us is the co-operation that we have to put together to defeat the Jihadist insurgency in the Sahel. It is an area, he said, that requires the support of the United States Government. We are looking for support for our armed forces and for the intelligent agencies of our area that they can be in stronger positions. Many of those leading the Jihadist insurrections in West Africa are the people who came from Iraq after they were driven out from Iraq, so I think if theres information here that can assist us to be able to track down and be able to deal with these people, he said. President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that Ghana and America, now and in the coming years, will continue to advance our mutual causes, and also strengthen the relations between our two countries. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A security expert, Adam Bonaa, has condemned a report made public by the police that Josephine Panyin Mensah, the Takoradi woman who allegedly went missing and found, was never pregnant, as her family claimed. Adam Bonaa in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show said the act by all parties involved is unacceptable. We must all admit that this is unprofessional, he told host, Mac Jerry Osei Agyemang. Adding that, There is a doctor, patient confidentiality clause and its only the court that will force that information out. The Medical Doctor involved should be blamed for all this noise. " . . With that then you can have the Ghana Police Service actually with supporting documents from the hospital and say the court have allowed us to come and put A,B,C out there . . . if the woman is lying it's not a first degree, it is misdemeanor, she will be punished . . . " he said, adding that the woman and her family should have been brought to the Police Hospital for proper thorough check up. He said all these things should have been done by the police before coming out to address the public. According to a police statement issued on Thursday, September 23, 2021, a thorough medical examination by doctors at the Axim Government Hospital revealed that the missing woman was never pregnant during the period under review. This has compelled the police to now treat the woman, who was reported missing on September 16, as a suspect in the case. Josephine Panyin Mensahs family stated that she had lost the baby during the time she was missing after she was discovered in Axim on September 21. But the police claimed, "She may have conspired with other persons over her possible planned disappearance. Listen to interview Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A book recounting the life and work of General Ignatius Acheampong, Ghanas fifth Head of State, was launched at the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra yesterday, to mark the former military rulers 90th birthday. General Acheampong The life and Times of Ghanas Head of State, a 240-page hardcover, tracks the life, special moments, and the leadership of General Acheampong of the National Redemption Council (NRC) and the Supreme Military Council (SMC) which ruled Ghana from January 1972 to July 1978. The book was written by Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, former UN Senior Governance Adviser and co-founder of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and is published by DigiBooks Ghana Limited. It was launched by Mr. Robert Adeleke Adebiyi, a special emissary of General Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Republic of Nigeria. His Excellency General Obasanjo addressed the audience via video recording from the Sudan as he could not attend the launch due to an emergency diplomatic assignment, occasioned by his new appointment as the Africa Unions Representative to the Horn of Africa. In both his video interaction and the speech read on his behalf, the former Nigerian President described General Acheampong as a brilliant and highly professional (military) officer a friend and a colleague of his. Today, September 23, 2021, General Kutu Acheampong would have been 90 years old. He was 48 when he died. I am here to join family and friends to celebrate him, as a book in his honour is being publicly presented, General Acheampong and I were colleagues in the army (though different armies- he of the Ghanaian Army and I of the Nigerian Army). I knew him as a brilliant, highly professional and fine officer, President Obasanjo said. Extolling some of the achievements of General Acheampong, President Obasanjo said, in spite of the brevity of his life, the late General etched his mark in the annals of development of his country, citing Ghanas change from the imperial to the metric system of measurement; the switch from driving on the left to right-hand drive; "Operation Feed Yourself", the upgrading of stadia to meet international standards and various face-lift projects for some cities, as worthy contributions to the countrys development. Of the book, His excellency Obasanjo said, This book that we are launching today presents unique perspectives to governance and offers lessons to be learned by those in power and the followership. It dispels untruths and attempts to set the records straight. In it, we are able to see a rich and comprehensive documentation of his contributions to the growth and development of Ghana. My friend and colleague, General Ignatius Acheampong has done his bit and like every actor, has left the stage. It remains for others who are on stage to reflect on what you want to be remembered for, General Obasanjo concluded. Goodwill messages delivered by Archbishop Peter Akwasi Sarpong, the Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, playwright Joris Wartenberg and veteran Journalist, Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere, all eloquently extolled General Acheampongs humility, pragmatism and good intentions as a Head of State. The author, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, in recounting his motivation for writing the book, stressed that he did set out to glorify General Acheampong for his achievements or endorse his coup detat which overthrew the Busia regime in January 1972. I am an incurable democrat and under no circumstance will I endorse a coup detat against a democratically elected government. As I emphasise in the book, I consider any military regime, no matter its calibre, as untenable, Prof Agyeman-Duah said. The book presents a composite picture of how this General, with very humble beginnings, emerged into national leadership and, for almost seven years, ruled the country. In a contextualized and objective fashion, the book captures the entirety of Acheampongs life: the good, the bad, and the ugly, he said. The launch ceremony itself was a sober affair, as it drew together family members of the late General, retired military colleagues, Service Commanders of the Ghana Army, dons of academia and his personal friends and close associates. The highpoints of the ceremony were when General Obasanjos emissary assisted Madam Faustina Acheampong, former first lady, to unveil the book and when daughters of the former military ruler led the audience to sing the National Pledge, one of the lasting introductions of General Acheampong. The book was dispassionately reviewed by Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, Dean of the School of Information and Communication Studies, Legon and the first copy was bought at Ghc 20,000.00. Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Zongo Development Fund has initiated moves to partner with STAR-Ghana Foundation to promote peace and security in Zongo communities in the country. Under the collaboration, training workshops on peace-building and conflict management will be organized for Chiefs, Imams, women and youth leaders to serve as peace ambassadors in Zongo communities. A ZoDF management team led by the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Arafat Sulemana Abdulai, held preliminary deliberations with the Executive Director of STAR-Ghana Foundation, Mr. Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, in Accra last Wednesday. The discussion centered on peace building, assistance for marginalized communities, the vulnerable in society and capacity building programmes. Dr. Abdulai explained that the ZoDF is mandated by its enabling Act (Zongo Development Fund Act 964, 2017) to explore collaboration with various internal and external stakeholders in order to increase the capacity of the Fund to execute its mandate. He said the Act also empowers the agency to pursue additional funding alternatives in order to complement the statutory support it receives from the central government. He explained that effective collaboration with STAR-Ghana Foundation would boost the Funds capacity to deliver relevant initiatives on peace building, violence associated with political vigilantism, the menace of drug abuse in Zongo communities, among others. Dr. Abdulai made these comments at the maiden meeting of the two institutions, at the offices of STAR GHANA Foundation, in Accra, yesterday. For his part, Mr Amidu commended the Chief Executive Officer of ZoDF for the initiative to partner the Foundation to implement programmes in Zongo communities. He noted that both institutions share similar objectives in the area of socio-economic empowerment for the marginalized and the disadvantaged. He said access to quality social services by women, marginalized communities and the disadvantaged are areas of interest to the Foundation. Mr Amidu stated that fostering peace and security and improving the capacity of marginalized communities to participate actively in meaningful socio-economic activities was paramount to the Foundation. He expressed the readiness of the Foundation to respond positively to the initiative taken by the ZoDF. Officials of STAR-Ghana Foundation at the meeting included the Programmes Manager, Ms Eunice Agbenyadzi. The ZoDF officials who accompanied the CEO to the meeting include, Mr. Thomas Baah, administrator; Alhaji Musah Yahaya Jafaru and Mallam Ahmed Ayuba, Corporate Affairs & PR and Ms Aisha Sissy, PA to the CEO. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Head of Monitoring of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu says the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah meant well with his statements regarding the alleged kidnapped but found pregnant woman. Mrs. Josephine Panyin Mensah is said to have gone missing from Takoradi in the Western Region and recently found in Axim looking traumatized. Following interrogations, she revealed her being kidnapped and also disclosed she was pregnant before her disappearance. However, upon her return, she shows no baby bump nor her child with her. According to further reports, she claims she was among other pregnant women who were killed by her kidnappers but she survived. Immediately after her claims were made public, the Regional Minister issued a counter-statement saying the woman's story is fake. From their preliminary investigations, NIB suspects that this whole story was fake and that the medical doctor who has even looked at her revealed she wasnt pregnant. That is the immediate information that we have. The police are still with her, he said. The Minister has since attracted the anger of Mrs. Josephine Panyin Mensah's family and friends who earnestly believe she was pregnant. Some residents in Takoradi including her relatives have invoked curses on any person refuting her claims. " . . this shows there's no truth in this country. My daughter was really pregnant. It's even surprising how authorities are focusing on whether or not she was pregnant and not on the fact that she was kidnapped. I swear on everything I hold sacred that my daughter was pregnant and anyone who thinks my daughter wasn't should be struck by lightning and may they never have success," her father insisted. But to Charles Owusu, the Minister had a good reason for his statements, so called on those slamming him to tone down. "He's a humble person. I know his character; he doesn't talk anyhow. I believe before he made his comments, he had been briefed by the Police or security agencies. It wasn't badly intended but for a good cause," he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana Polce Service has confirmed on their official facebook page that Mrs. Josephine Panyin Mensah, the woman at the center of the Takoradi kidnapping controversy, has confessed she wasn't pregnant nor kidnapped as reports have it. "The suspect, Josephine Panyin Mensah, 28, has confessed to the Police during further investigations and stated that neither was she pregnant nor ever being kidnapped," the Police stated on their page. The Ghana Police Service had earlier disclosed all three tests at the Axim Government Hospital, the Takoradi Hospital and the Effia Nkwanta Government Hospital to ascertain whether Josephine Panyin Mensah was indeed pregnant at the time she was reported missing turned out negative. This was after the found self-acclaimed pregnant Takoradi woman was transferred from the Axim Government Hospital to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region capital. Josephine Panyin Mensah was transferred under strict Police escort on Thursday, September 23. This was strongly challenged by the relatives of the 28-year-old, who was declared a suspect by the Police, and residents of Columbia where she lives. Some residents even invoked curses on the Regional Minister for spewing such lies on their neighbour. Many have therefore called for an independent examination of the hitherto kidnapped victim. Read full statement below: Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In what is a testament to the robustness of the Ghanaian banking industry, the President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), Rev. Patricia Sappor, has been conferred with the Inspirational Female Leadership Commendation award at the 11th edition of the African Business Leaders Awards (ABLA). Organised by the African Leadership Magazine, the award scheme was instituted to celebrate leading institutions and the individuals steering them; who have shown exemplary leadership in the African business landscape. Rev. Mrs. Sappor expressed delight at the recognition and used the platform to advocate for increased gender-inclusivity, highlighting its merits in the process. The first female president of the institute said: Women have played critical roles in the home, the corporate environment, and have contributed to the socio-economic development of their countries of origin. Women are endowed with unique abilities and unearthing these abilities will further generate greater impact to their ecosystem. I and the countless great women leaders all over the world will continue to pull other women along through mentoring, capacity building and empowerment programs to bring inspiration, positive mind-set and resilience, to enable them attain their highest potential. Indeed, there is no glass ceiling and even if there is, women have the ability to break and surmount the hurdles they may encounter. The future is bright for women. We shall continue to make a difference, demystify the notion of glass ceiling, and push the frontiers of women leadership wherever we find ourselves. Her call comes at a moment when there are mounting incidents of gender-based inequality in the business space, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19. Data from a number of development agencies suggest that women are responsible for 60% of work done globally yet earn just 10% income and 1% of property. In Africa, 70% of women are excluded financially resulting in a US$42 billion financing gap between men and women. However, it is estimated that by advancing womens equality, the continents GDP could grow by some 10%, or US$316 billion by 2025. Other women awardees at the ceremony include the Vice President of Liberia, Jewel Taylor; economist and first female Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, Caroline Abel; as well as seasoned finance professional and Chief Executive Officer of the Hollard Group, Patience Akyianu. Speakers at the event, which had as its theme Africa Redefining Growth, Sustainability & Innovation were in unison in their belief that the disruptions brought about by the black swan event, that is, prevailing pandemic have afforded the continent a rare to take stock, reflect and re-strategise to formulate and implement bold policies, particularly, in view of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A couple and their daughter have been arrested while their son, who is on the run, is wanted over the death of their last child. Mr Lambert Ukachukwu, his wife, their daughter, and their son, Philip, are accused of killing 28-year-old Chukwuebuka at their home in Duruegwele village, Umueze II, in Ehime Mbano Local Government of Imo State. The family accused the deceased of being too stubborn and giving them sleepless nights so they allegedly decided to eliminate him. On September 17, 2021, they hit Chukwuebuka with a piece of wood and left him to die. He was then buried in a shallow grave. VIDEO- Read Full Story .... naija9icevibes >>> : Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The offices of Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Limited have been raided by a suspected thief, DGN Online has gathered. A suspect who was well dressed as staff of the oil firm stormed the Dzorwolu of the company in Accra and made away with electrical gadgets and appliances including several laptops. Confirming the incident, in a statement issued by the company dated September 23, 2021 said the case has been reported to the police for investigation. We are hereby calling on the general public to help identify and arrest this dangerous character for prosecution and retrieval of the stolen assets. He poses a danger to the larger society when left free to roam freely out there. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Kenyan High Court judge, Teresia Matheka has reportedly declared being a housewife a fulltime job that should attract some form of compensation. The judge who was presiding over a matrimonial property dispute, said that it is unfair for courts to rule that housewives do not contribute anything to the financial progress of the family. The complainant is said to be a divorced lady who sought to have their family property sold and the money shared equally between her and her ex-husband. The Judge stated that housewives should not say they don't work since they provide services in the home that are otherwise outsourced and paid for. She added that it is unfair to only rely on seen income and the mindset that one has to contribute money to the marriage to find value. Matheka said; It is easy for the spouse working away from home and sending money to lay claim to the whole property purchased and developed with that money by the spouse staying at home and taking care of the children and the family. That spouse will be heard to say that the other one was not employed so they contributed nothing. "Raising children is a full-time job that families pay a person to do. Cooking and cleaning as well. Hence, for a woman in employment who has to balance childbearing and rearing this contribution must be considered." The judge also urged her counterparts to consider the 9 months of pregnancy when presiding over cases of matrimonial disputes. She opined that carrying a pregnancy is equivalent to working, noting that some couples have lately resorted to hiring surrogate mothers to bear children for them. Passing judgement on the case brought before her, Matheka ruled that the property be sold and money shared equally, or one of the spouses buy out the other party by paying half the value of the property that the party is entitled to. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The controversy surrounding the disappearance of 28-year-old Josephine Mensah has taken yet another dramatic twist as the police administration disputes claims that GH3,000 ransom was paid to the alleged kidnappers. Aide to the Western Regional Minister, Justice Acquah, had said the minister gave an amount of 3,000 to the police to facilitate the release of the lady. At the point of the payment, the mother was collaborating with the police to find the exact location of the woman. The Minister gave the money to the police to give to the kidnappers because he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. It was an amount of GHS 3,000 given to the police through the Regional Commander. But the kidnappers initially demanded an amount of GHS 500 and increased it to a GHS 1,000, he said in an interview. But the police administration says it is unaware of such payments. Nothing of the sort came before the police here in Accra and we distance ourselves. The police administration distance itself from such matters, Director-General, Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori said. The Ministers aide however stands by his comments. He insists the money was given to the police for the purposes of paying a ransom. He spoke to Komla Adom on TV3s Midday Live. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A tiler in the Ashanti Region has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for robbing a trader of 40 pieces of ice cream and a purse containing a cell phone and GHC25.00. Simon Blay, 28, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced on his own plea by the Asante Bekwai circuit court. Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Ofori told the court presided over by Mark Tair-ima Diboro that Sarah Ofori and Blay were neighbours at Feyiase. He said on 15 September 2021, at about 1400 hours, Ofori was going about her normal business when Blay called her under the pretext of buying some of the ice cream. The prosecution said the convict took advantage of the quiet nature of the area and with a pair of scissors, robbed the ice-cream seller of her items, a purse containing a cell phone, GHC25.00, all valued at GHC112.00. Chief Inspector Ofori said Blay took to his heels after the robbery whilst Ofori made a formal complaint with the Feyiase police. When the crime scene was visited the ice cream container was found about 100 meters away from the scene. The prosecution said the next day residents on hearing the incident arrested Blay and handed him over to the police. A search on him revealed the stolen cell phone, which he had fixed his sim card in, instead of Oforis card. He led the police to his house after admitting the crime and the police found Oforis sim card in his room during a search. Inspector Blay said police investigations revealed that the convict was standing trial with others for alleged unlawful entry and theft of a 17-inch television set. He said Blay committed the robbery right after he was granted bail by the court in the stealing case. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The NDC Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo Constituency, Ebenezer Okletey-Teye Larbi, has said construction of roads is not part of his work as a lawmaker. According to him, his government is not in power and there is little he can do about issue of poor road networks in his constituency. He was responding to questions in a telephone interview about the poor road network in Akuse, a community in his constituency. My brother the point is that it is also a concern to me so the fact is that the roads have not been done. So I dont think there is anything I can tell you. I am not in government and I can only talk about it. You know MPs cannot construct roads, he told Freelance Journalist Amos Ekow Coffie. When asked what effort he is putting in to ensure to address the poor road networks, Mr Larbi stated that the issue has been put before Parliament but nothing has been done about it. MPs cannot construct roads. Lobby who? I say lobby who? It has been there already. You go to Parliament and find out if it is not there. I have spoken about it. I have asked questions about it. It is there and the Minister has come to promise and so thats the extent to which I can go. What do you expect me to do?" he stated. The MP continued, Masa, when you come to Lower Manya it is not only Akuse that has road problems, we have road problems all over, so sometimes you people should educate the people the more. Let the people know. My whole life as an MP, I cant use my money to construct it, so push more like what, look the work of an MP is to bring it to the attention of the ministry. You can ask for monies to be released to be done but cant come and hold the MP. You people should educate our people to appreciate what we are doing so that they dont put unnecessary pressure on us, no MP can construct roads. Residents on September 21, 2021 in a communal labour exercise to mark Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, lamented the challenges they go through in plying the bad roads. The situation, they claim, drive potential investors. We decided to have a communal labour because of our roads. The road is very bad when it rains people cannot come out, from here to Okwenya, cars have to ply the roads for about an hour or 30minutes before reaching Okwenya, so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid and do the roads for us because Akuse is an old town, we have to do the roads so that, the town will be good for us so we are appealing to the government to come to our aid, a resident told this reporter. Akuse is home to one of the oldest hospitals in Ghana, the Akuse Government Hospital, the Akuse Prisons, and the Kpong Dam. Its indigences are predominantly small and medium scale business owners and farmers. It has a population of about 1,500 and serves as the major link which connects Asutuare and other surrounding communities. Source: modernghana.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Deputy Communications Director of the ruling NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has called for calm among the party faithfuls following the release of the list of MMDCEs. Mame Yaa Aboagye has appealed to the aggrieved aspirants and their supporters to support the Presidents nominees to serve in the various local Assemblies. Mame Yaa called on the rank and file to remain calm. Speaking to Peacefmonline, Mame Yaa Aboagye stated that; I will plead with our supporters to be calm and act in ways that promote peace, unity and stability in the country. We all know the President did not work on the selection process alone so lets all accept and embrace his decision that reflects his vision for our local governance system and the country at large. Two candidates cannot serve the same position at the same time so lets respect President Decision. She also appealed to the contestants who couldnt make the list to resist the temptation to incite the youth to protest or support any form of protest against their bid. We have only one Ghana and must guide our heritage at all cost. She also applauded President Nana Akufo-Addo for nominating more women for the MMDCEs position. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Finance Minister Kwabena Duffuor has released a message calling for better opportunities for the Ghanaian youth amid talk of his presidential ambitions. In the 1 minute and 15 seconds video posted across his known social media handles, Dr Duffuor spoke about opportunities that were availed to him as a young man adding that he wanted Ghanaian youth to achieve the Ghanaian Dream. I was lucky to be allowed to dream of a better life and make it happen and I want every young person in Ghana to have a chance to achieve the Ghanaian dream. A real opportunity at making something of themselves, so that they can help build, run and better this great country of ours. We owe this to our children and indeed we owe it to ourselves too. He concluded his message in Twi, saying: God, please help us to put Ghana in its best frame so that we can give you the praise. This is the latest in a series of youth-centred messages the one-time Finance Minister has made in recent times. It also comes at a time there is growing talk that he will contest for the flagbearership of the main opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC. If he does, he is likely to come up against former President John Dramani Mahama. Mahama is currently on a nationwide Thank You Tour after the 2020 polls which he lost to incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Source: facebook/ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a founder of the Taliban who will control prisons under the new government in Afghanistan, has revealed that harsh punishments, including amputations and executions, will return to the country . "Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments," Turabi said in Kabul during an interview, which was published Thursday, September 23, by the Associated Press. "No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam, and we will make our laws on the Quran." Under the Taliban's previous rule of Afghanistan, Turabi served as justice minister and head of the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, a position the Associated Press stated was "the religious police." During that time, amputations and executions were carried out for criminal offenses, including theft and highway robbery. Now Turabi has revealed those same practices will be brought back. "Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security," Turabi said, claiming it was a deterrent to theft and other crime. While it is not yet known whether the punishment will occur in public, Turabi said that Taliban officials are working to "develop a policy" to handle it and insisted the Taliban "are changed from the past," Turabi also said the Taliban would allow television, mobile phones, photos and videos "because this is the necessity of the people, and we are serious about it." He also noted that female judges would be allowed to adjudicate cases. However, Afghanistans laws will be based on the Quran claiming it would help spread the Taliban's message. "Now we know instead of reaching just hundreds, we can reach millions," he said, adding that if executions and amputations are approved for public viewing, then people could record those instances and share them as a deterrent for what Taliban officials consider criminal offenses. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian gospel musician, Gracee J has released new song dubbed Nyame So to celebrate the greatness of God. Nyame So, to wit, God is great and above every spiritual being and creature on earth as well as the spiritual realm is to declare the might and power of God. Gracee got the inspration to compose this song during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic when the whole world was on lockdown. I was wondering why within a short time everything could come to a standstill, no movement that is where I realized how great our God is, she recounted. The song admonishes Christians to use everything within their reach to proclaim the goodness of God and worship Him. Gracee believes that He is omnipotent (all-knowing) reigning sovereign over all. Christ is the glory of God in the fullness of its radiance. The song was produced by Enoch Owuraku Kissi of E.O studios and the video directed by Flashbak Media, Macwillies. Gracee J is a songwriter, composer, gospel musician, entrepreneur and a proud member of the ICGC Prayer Temple, North Legon. She began her professional music career in 2013 with her maiden album titled ''Eye Nadom'' and followed with her second album - Wo Nkyen. Aside her music, the gospel music diva also has a Gracee J Charity Foundation through which she takes care of the underprivileged in the society, especially those in orphanages. Video below: Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Son of former Aids ambassador and advocate Joyce Dzidzor has been adopted from her. According to the outspoken former advocate, German authorities stated that her current depressed state is not favourable for the boy to be around her. The authorities doubted her recovery from her current state. Joyce Dzidzor took to her Facebook page to express her hurt over the issue and she expressed that she is not her complete self without her son. In her post, Joyce slammed the government of Ghana and the National Aids Commission for not coming to her aid. Read her post; They said to me that they haven't seen anyone with depression who got better.....They have finally taken the last decision to give my son for permanent adoption.....how can i sleep watching another woman walk away with my child.......I couldn't fight Ghana government for my freedom is it in Germany that I can win a fight against Germans???? HIV/AIDS led to depression, Depression led to psychiatric hospital, hospital admissions led to losing my child......... I cannot survive losing my child. My bed is wet with tears. I can't sleep God, why did you creat me? Mama why did you give birth to me? Festus, why did you infect me with HIV? Ghana AIDS commission why did you use me, abandoned me to die in pain? Ghanaians why can't you remember anything good i have done for your children? Joyce rest in peace. Joyce rest in peace Joyce rest in peace Joyce rest in peace For i have paid the price of fornication . Source: facebook/modernghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The 17 newly studied craters and depressions are located near the South Pole. While the smallest of these regions (region 11) has a size of only 0.18 square kilometers, the largest (region 9) measures 54 square kilometers. Region 9 is not located in the section of the south polar region shown here, but a bit further to the North, in Schrodinger Basin. The representations of the lunar surface shown here are based on altimeter data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: MPS/University of Oxford/NASA Ames Research Center/FDL/SETI Institute The moon's polar regions are home to craters and other depressions that never receive sunlight. Today, a group of researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany present the highest-resolution images to date covering 17 such craters. Craters of this type could contain frozen water, making them attractive targets for future lunar missions, and the researchers focused further on relatively small and accessible craters surrounded by gentle slopes. In fact, three of the craters have turned out to lie within the just-announced mission area of NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), which is scheduled to touch down on the moon in 2023. Imaging the interior of permanently shadowed craters is difficult, and efforts so far have relied on long exposure times resulting in smearing and lower resolution. By taking advantage of reflected sunlight from nearby hills and a novel image processing method, the researchers have now produced images at 12 meters per pixel, which is at or very close to the best capability of the cameras. The moon is a cold, dry desert. Unlike the Earth, it is not surrounded by a protective atmosphere and water which existed during the moon's formation has long since evaporated under the influence of solar radiation and escaped into space. Nevertheless, craters and depressions in the polar regions give some reason to hope for limited water resources. Scientists from MPS, the University of Oxford and the NASA Ames Research Center have now taken a closer look at some of these regions. "Near the lunar north and south poles, the incident sunlight enters the craters and depressions at a very shallow angle and never reaches some of their floors," MPS-scientist Valentin Bickel, first author of the new paper in Nature Communications, explains. In this "eternal night," temperatures in some places are so cold that frozen water is expected to have lasted for millions of years. Impacts from comets or asteroids could have delivered it, or it could have been outgassed by volcanic eruptions, or formed by the interaction of the surface with the solar wind. Measurements of neutron flux and infrared radiation obtained by space probes in recent years indicate the presence of water in these regions. Eventually, NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) provided direct proof: twelve years ago, the probe fired a projectile into the shadowed south pole crater Cabeus. As later analysis showed, the dust cloud emitted into space contained a considerable amount of water. However, permanently shadowed regions are not only of scientific interest. If humans are to ever spend extended periods of time on the moon, naturally occurring water will be a valuable resourceand shadowed craters and depressions will be an important destination. NASA's uncrewed VIPER rover, for example, will explore the South Pole region in 2023 and enter such craters. In order to get a precise picture of their topography and geology in advancefor mission planning purposes, for exampleimages from space probes are indispensable. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been providing such images since 2009. However, capturing images within the deep darkness of permanently shadowed regions is exceptionally difficult; after all, the only sources of light are scattered light, such as that reflecting off the Earth and the surrounding topography, and faint starlight. "Because the spacecraft is in motion, the LRO images are completely blurred at long exposure times," explains Ben Moseley of the University of Oxford, a co-author of the study. At short exposure times, the spatial resolution is much better. However, due to the small amounts of light available, these images are dominated by noise, making it hard to distinguish real geological features. An as-yet unnamed crater in the south polar region of the Moon. It is located on the Leibnitz plateau, in direct proximity to the targeted mission area of NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). The left image shows a picture taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The interior of the crater is almost not visible. The right image shows the same image after it was processed with the HORUS machine learning algorithm. Credit: Left: NASA/LROC/GSFC/ASU; Right: MPS/University of Oxford/NASA Ames Research Center/FDL/SETI Institute To address this problem, the researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm called HORUS (Hyper-effective nOise Removal U-net Software) that "cleans up" such noisy images. It uses more than 70,000 LRO calibration images taken on the dark side of the moon as well as information about camera temperature and the spacecraft's trajectory to distinguish which structures in the image are artifacts and which are real. This way, the researchers can achieve a resolution of about 12 meters per pixel, which is five to ten times higher than the resolution of all previously available images. Using this method, the researchers have now re-evaluated images of 17 shadowed regions from the lunar south pole region which measure between 0.18 and 54 square kilometers in size. In the resulting images, small geological structures only a few meters across can be discerned much more clearly than before. These structures include boulders or very small craters, which can be found everywhere on the lunar surface. Since the moon has no atmosphere, very small meteorites repeatedly fall onto its surface and create such mini-craters. "With the help of the new HORUS images, it is now possible to understand the geology of lunar shadowed regions much better than before," explains Moseley. For example, the number and shape of the small craters provide information about the age and composition of the surface. It also makes it easier to identify potential obstacles and hazards for rovers or astronauts. In one of the studied craters, located on the Leibnitz Plateau, the researchers discovered a strikingly bright mini-crater. "Its comparatively bright color may indicate that this crater is relatively young," says Bickel. Because such a fresh scar provides fairly unhindered insight into deeper layers, this site could be an interesting target for future missions, the researchers suggest. The new images do not provide evidence of frozen water on the surface, such as bright patches. "Some of the regions we've targeted might be slightly too warm," Bickel speculates. It is likely that lunar water does not exist as a clearly visible deposit on the surface at allinstead, it could be intermixed with the regolith and dust, or may be hidden underground. To address this and other questions, the researchers' next step is to use HORUS to study as many shadowed regions as possible. "In the current publication, we wanted to show what our algorithm can do. Now we want to apply it as comprehensively as possible," says Bickel. Explore further NASA selects Moon site for ice-hunting rover More information: V. T. Bickel et al, Peering into lunar permanently shadowed regions with deep learning, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications V. T. Bickel et al, Peering into lunar permanently shadowed regions with deep learning,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25882-z Ankylosaur bone. Credit: The Natural History Museum An unusual fossil showing a series of spikes fused to a rib has been revealed to be the remains of the oldest ankylosaur ever found and the first from the African continent. The exciting discovery was made in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco at the same site where researchers from the Natural History Museum (NHM) previously discovered the oldest stegosaur ever found. Dr. Susannah Maidment, a researcher at the NHM and honorary senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, described the new species and named it Spicomellus afer: Spicomellus meaning 'collar of spikes' and afer meaning 'of Africa.' "At first we thought the specimen could be part of a stegosaur, having previously found them at tthe same location. But on closer inspection, we realized the fossil was unlike anything we had ever seen." The specimen is so unusual that at first the researchers wondered if it could be a fake. CT scanning proved it to be the real deal, and a cross section from the base of the specimen showed a cross hatch pattern in the bone unique to ankylosaurs, revealing its identity. Dr. Maidment continues: "Ankylosaurs had armored spikes that are usually embedded in their skin and not fused to bone. In this specimen we see a series of spikes attached to the rib, which must have protruded above the skin covered by a layer of something like keratin." "It is completely unprecedented and unlike anything else in the animal kingdom." The ankylosaurs were a diverse group of armored dinosaurs related to the better-known stegosaurs. They were present throughout the Cretaceous period but there is little evidence of tthem before then, making this new fossil not only the first found in Africa but also the earliest example of the group ever discovered. The new discovery dates from the Middle Jurassic period around 168 million years ago. It has helped to fill an important gap in our knowledge of dinosaur evolution, and suggests that ankylosaurs may have had a global distribution. The discovery also calls into question a previous theory that ankylosaurs outcompeted stegosaurs and led to their extinction. This new find, however, means the two groups co-existed for over 20 million years, and implies the extinction of the stegosaurs may have happened for other reasons. The fossil that led to the description of this new species is now part of the Natural History Museum's collections and will be the subject of ongoing study. Dr. Maidment concludes: "Morocco seems to hold some real gems in terms of dinosaur discoveries. In just this one site we have described both the oldest stegosaur and the oldest ankylosaur ever found. "When circumstances allow, we hope to return and work with our colleagues at the University of Fez to help them to establish a vertebrate paleontology lab so that further finds can be studied in Morocco." The study "Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur" is published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Explore further New species of stegosaur is oldest found anywhere in the world More information: Susannah C. R. Maidment et al, Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2021). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Susannah C. R. Maidment et al, Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01553-6 Credit: CC0 Public Domain New research from the College of Engineering lays out in detail why ranked-choice voting, combined with multi-member legislative districts, promotes fair representation, particularly when it comes to blunting gerrymanderingthe party in power's ability to map a district to its political advantage. The work comes as the results of the 2020 U.S. Census, released Aug. 12, will be used to reapportion legislative districts across the nation, including in New York, one of a handful of states that lost a seat in the House of Representatives due to population drop. "It's not a coincidence that we're particularly focused on this, given the completion of the census," said David Shmoys, the Laibe/Acheson Professor of Business Management and Leadership Studies in the College of Engineering's School of Operations Research and Information Engineering (ORIE). "Now is the time that there's the most attention paid to what's going right and what's going wrong. For the handful of states that have independent [election] commissions, if we can get their ear and move forward, that would also be fantastic because we do think we have tools that would be of value." Shmoys is co-author of "Combatting Gerrymandering with Social Choice: The Design of Multi-Member Districts," published on arXiv this month. Co-author Nikhil Garg, assistant professor at ORIE and at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, will present the research at the annual meeting of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, Oct. 2427 in Anaheim, California. Other co-authors include Wes Gurnee '20, an operations research doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and David Rothschild, an economist at Microsoft Research. The researchers found that, in terms of both fairness and preserving how geographically close residents are to their representatives, the best option is three-member legislative districts in which voters rank their choices and the candidate with the most first-place votes is the winner; surplus votes are transferred to voters' next preferences. This work is an extension of the 2020 "fairmandering" research led by Gurnee, in which he developed a new mathematical method to try to inject fairness into the fraught process of political redistricting. The researchers devised a way to efficiently incorporate ranked-choice votingwhich Garg studied in his doctoral dissertationinto the method. Among other things, the research showed that it takes more than good intentions to create a fair, representative (politically and geographically) district. Ranked-choice voting, just used in the New York City mayoral primaries, reallocates votes from non-viable to viable candidates. In a multi-member district, it also reduces the impact of each voter after a candidate they support has been declared a winner. The new study sheds light on potential outcomes of the Fair Representation Act, first introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2017 and reintroduced twice since. The Democrat-sponsored legislation would establish, among other things, ranked-choice voting in all House races and multi-member congressional districts. "Our goal is to put a tool in the hands of policymakers and say, 'Here is a large collection of hypothetical district maps and voting rules; these are the inherent tradeoffs in different dimensions of representation forced by geography and the election rules,'" Gurnee said. "They can use this information as the basis for a regionally aware policy solution." The most common current method for electing representatives at all levels of government is the winner-take-all, single-member district: For example, New York state has 27 congressional districts, each represented by a single House member. "Our work shows that many of the challenges with redistrictingfrom 'natural' geographic imbalances to partisan gerrymanderingstems from the winner-takes-all nature of our districts, and that even small multi-member districts would address them," Garg said, noting that in certain instances it's nearly impossible to come up with proportionate, politically balanced maps with single-member districts. In Massachusetts, for example, the state is not only strongly Democratic but "it's relatively, consistently, overwhelmingly Democratic throughout the whole state," Shmoys said. New York, on the other hand, is seen as a blue state but has Republican strongholds both upstate and downstate. Multimember districts are rare but not unheard of. In 1962 a total of 41 state legislatures had them; today, 10 states still elect representatives for at least one state governmental chamber in such a manner. Arizona, for example, is divided into 30 legislative districts, with each electing one senator and two representatives. The authors noted that winner-take-all voting in multimember districtslike those currently in place in Arizona and other states with multimember districtsenable the most egregious gerrymandering in nearly all district sizes "and should be avoided," they wrote. The bottom line: A multimember district, with some form of ranked-choice voting, severely limits the gerrymanderers' ability to draw themselves into the Election Day winner's circle. "Once you go to the right social-choice function, and in compact, three-member districts, the ability to create a partisan advantage is far more limited," Shmoys said. "We're handicapping the gerrymanderers." Explore further 'Fairmandering' draws fair districts using data science More information: Nikhil Garg, Wes Gurnee, David Rothschild, David Shmoys, Combatting Gerrymandering with Social Choice: the Design of Multi-member Districts. arXiv:2107.07083v2 [cs.GT], Nikhil Garg, Wes Gurnee, David Rothschild, David Shmoys, Combatting Gerrymandering with Social Choice: the Design of Multi-member Districts. arXiv:2107.07083v2 [cs.GT], arxiv.org/abs/2107.07083 The scientists Narendra Chunduri, Zuzana Storchova, Paul Menges and Markus Raschle discuss the project during a zoom videoconference. Credit: Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern Human cells are usually diploidthey contain two sets of chromosome. Cells in which one chromosome is missing from the duplicated chromosome set are generally not viable. For a long time, the mechanisms responsible for the loss of viability were unknown. This is where researchers at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (TUK) came in. In collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and the Koblenz University of Applied Sciences to investigate the effects of the reduced number of chromosomes in human cells. In the process, they have succeeded for the first time in implementing an experimental approach with viable monosomic cells. The journal Nature Communications has published the basic findings. Monosomy occurs when chromosomes are incorrectly distributed during routine cell division and cells subsequently lack one chromosome in an otherwise double (diploid) set. The only form of this deviation in chromosome number (aneuploidy) that human cells can survive is known as Turner syndrome. The hallmark of the hereditary disease, which occurs in women: only one of the two X sex chromosomes is present. "However, what happens in human somatic cells that are missing other than sex chromosome had not been explored until now, because monosomic cells are generally not viable," explains Prof. Zuzana Storchova who conceived the study. Dr. Narendra Kumar Chunduri, first author of the study, reports, "When monosomy occurs, the protein 'p53," encoded by the so-called tumor suppressor gene TP53, ensures that the cell cycle stops. In other words, the cells stop dividing. Therefore, we have switched off this gene in one part of our cell lines, which were originally derived from human retina cell lines, to downregulate the production of the encoded protein. Thus, for the first time, we succeeded in generating stable monosomic cell lines for research purposes." The research team subsequently focused on the effects of monosomy on proliferation (cell growth/multiplication), genomic stability and how chromosome loss affects the amount of mRNAs and proteins (transcriptome and proteome, respectively). "Strikingly," Chunduri said, "we observed reduced levels of cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins and reduced protein synthesis (protein translation) in all monosomal cell lines. Accordingly, we hypothesize that chromosome loss impairs ribosomal biogenesis and thereby cellular proliferation. We also showed that this change triggers cell cycle arrest and or senescence via the p53 signaling pathway. Monosomy and cancer The findings also shed light on the link between cancer and monosomy. Recurrent loss of an entire chromosome or chromosome arm is common in certain tumors, such as neuroblastoma, lung cancer, and myeloid malignancies. Chunduri explains "Since monosomies are viable only without p53, we predicted that the cancers with monosomy must have defective p53 pathway. The analysis of scientific databases of cancer-related changes, such as "The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)' and "Cancer Cell Lines Encyclopedia (CCLE)", indeed revealed a strong association of monosomy with p53 inactivation and ribosomal pathway impairment." This analysis would not be possible without collaboration with the biomathematicians Xiaoxiao Zhang and Prof. Maik Kschischo from UAS Koblenz. Gene dosage effect The research team also performed a systematic transcriptome and proteome analysis of monosomic cell lines in comparison to their parental cell linesi.e., the quantification of all messenger RNAs (mRNAs) transcribed based on DNA, as well as the quantification of all proteins in the cells. As expected, this showed that the expression of genes localized on the monosome was reduced. Bioinformatician Paul Menges adds, "Yet, we observed the lower levels in only 20 percent of the encoded proteins. We suspect that gene dosage effects came into play here. The cells need to return to their 'natural' diploid protein levels to sustain their function and thus compensate for the chromosome loss. We envision two possible scenarios: First, translation of mRNAs encoded using the genes could be selectively increased, or second, protein degradation is reduced. Our results suggest that cells use multiple pathways to mitigate the consequences of altered gene expression." "In summary, we present for the first time a successful experimental approach to study the effects of monosomy in human somatic cells," Storchova summarizes. "In doing so, we were able to build on our knowledge of aneuploid cells gained in previous studies. We will now further investigate the effects of monosomy, to better understand its contribution to cancer." Explore further Chromosome positioning during sperm differentiation described More information: Narendra Kumar Chunduri et al, Systems approaches identify the consequences of monosomy in somatic human cells, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Narendra Kumar Chunduri et al, Systems approaches identify the consequences of monosomy in somatic human cells,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25288-x Provided by Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern Soil is home to about a quarter of all living species. Credit: Amadeu Biasco, Shutterstock If we want to transition to a greener, healthier and more climate resilient Europe, it is important to ensure our soils are in good condition. However, the quality of soils is worsening because of unsustainable management practices, depletion of resources, climate change and pollution. Soil hosts a quarter of our planet's biodiversity and is home to about a quarter of all living species. But how many of us give this precious resource a second thought? We should, because soil directly or indirectly produces about 95% of our food. Soil is important in so many other ways, too. It provides us with raw materials to fight diseases and ecosystem services that purify our drinking water, lower the risk of floods and droughts, and store huge amounts of carbon to alleviate climate change. Storehouse of life Soil biodiversity is the life that exists within the soil, from bacteria to earthworms. These living organisms keep soil healthy and fertile. Soil biodiversity is key to meeting European Green Deal objectives such as climate neutrality, biodiversity restoration, zero pollution, healthy and sustainable food systems, and a resilient environment. The EU wants to lead the transition towards healthy soils for food, people, nature and the climate by 2030. One problem is that about 970 million tons of soil is lost to erosion each year in Europe. If this underground treasure is so important to us, then why are we allowing it to be destroyed? To repair or reverse the damage to soil's rich yet fragile habitat takes decadeseven centuries. We need to preserve the quality of soil before it is too late. Soil health is a major concern for the commission. It is therefore adopting a new Soil Strategy in 2021 and laying the foundation for a common EU framework to preserve, protect and restore soil. In addition, a Horizon Europe mission will lead the transition towards healthy soils for people, nature and the climate by 2030. Mechanisms that drive soil structure A third of the world's soil is degraded. This means that the quality of soil declines and loses some of its capacity to support animals and plants. Soil biodiversity greatly contributes to soil health. Understanding the relationship between soil biodiversity and function is important to improve strategies to restore degraded soil. The soil food weba network of food chains linking the organisms that live in soilis a good starting point. "Feeding relationships are important for soil structure, suggesting that stimulating the recolonisation of degraded soils by diverse communities of organisms will promote ecological engineering of soil structure, and therefore restore soil habitat," explained Prof. Dr. Stefan Scheu, head of animal ecology at the University of Gottingen's Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology in Germany. This main finding came as a result of the AGG-REST-WEB project hosted by him and coordinated by Dr. Amandine Erktan. Using the food web to broaden our understanding of soils can also help to combat climate change. Research into feeding relationships could one day allow us to better predict how changes in land management practices affect carbon storage in soil. "We still don't fully understand the mechanisms that drive carbon storage in soils," noted Prof. Dr. Scheu. Some soils receive a lot of organic matter (plant and animal debris) but store little carbon, while others receive relatively little and store large amounts. Most organic matter in soils is not accessible to soil organisms, and this increases carbon storage. "Farmers are custodians of the European countryside," said Dr. David Fernandez Calvino, researcher at the Department of Plant Biology and Soil Science, University of Vigo, Spain. "The tools and methods they use play a major role in safeguarding soil biodiversity." From universities, research centers and industry to non-profit organizations, farmer cooperatives and public administrations, he is working with a broad range of stakeholders to explore the biodiversity of soils in nine regions across Europe as coordinator of the SoildiverAgro project. Cutting-edge management approaches for better soils Several innovative management practices and cropping systems are currently being trialed in the field to protect, improve or increase soil biodiversity. Dr. Fernandez Calvino is looking into optimal crop rotations and multiple cropping and testing different alternatives to trap cropsplants that attract pests, usually insects, away from nearby crops. In addition, he is implementing a pest alert system to reduce the use of fungicides in potato and wheat crops. Knowledge of the links between soil biodiversity and agriculture is still limited, which holds back the integration of biodiversity into farming practices. One successful method, however, is biocontrol, which uses natural "enemies" like microorganisms and insects to control pests and diseases. Another promising approach is the use of biofertilisers, which contain living microorganisms that improve a plant's growth and yield, as an alternative to synthetic chemical fertilizers. "Agronomical practices that adopt such approaches aim to reduce the input of chemicals and synthetic products in crops, particularly the soil ecosystem, thus promoting soil health, food security and a more sustainable approach towards agriculture, while ensuring yield and productivity," observed biologist Dr. Stefano Mocali. Dr. Mocali, a researcher at the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Italy's leading research organization on agri-food based in Rome is developing a new strategy for soil management to improve the effectiveness of biocontrol and biofertilisation practices in agriculture as coordinator of the EXCALIBUR project. The proposed strategy exploits soil biodiversity's potential. The use of bio-based products will increase storage of carbon dioxide in soil thanks to improved plant growth and larger soil microorganism populations. "These outcomes mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment," said Dr. Mocali. Quantifying soil biodiversity's benefits Assessing soil biodiversity is another key challenge. However, there is no specific or standard framework to measure it in all its complexity. "A global standard is needed to avoid the fragmentation of knowledge," noted Dr. Salvador Llado, principal investigator at the private, non-profit Leitat Technological Center in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Llado is also technical and scientific coordinator of the SOILGUARD project, which is mobilizing 25 partners from academia and industry in 17 countries around the world to boost the sustainable use of soil biodiversity. They are co-developing a holistic framework that will assess the environmental, economic and social value contained in soils. Information gathered from the framework will be made available in an app. From farmers and landowners to policymakers, users of the app will be able to assess, diagnose and forecast the status of soil biodiversity. For example, a farmer who wants to transition from conventional management to organic can use the app to produce a full report on soil biodiversity and on the provision of soil-based, ecosystem services under current soil management practices. The app will also recommend region-specific strategies to increase environmental, economic and social wellbeing. Explore further Research initiative to build framework for climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management Sleep and Death Carrying off the Slain Sarpedon (cista handle), 400-380 BC, Etruscan, bronze - Cleveland Museum of Art. Credit: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons The Etruscan civilization, which flourished during the Iron Age in central Italy, has intrigued scholars for millennia. With remarkable metallurgical skills and a now-extinct, non-Indo-European language, the Etruscans stood out from their contemporary neighbors, leading to intense debate from the likes of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus on their geographical origins. Now, a new study by a team of scholars from Germany, Italy, U.S., Denmark and the U.K., sheds light on the origin and legacy of the enigmatic Etruscans with genome-wide data from 82 ancient individuals from central and southern Italy, spanning 800 BCE to 1000 CE. Their results show that the Etruscans, despite their unique cultural expressions, were closely related to their italic neighbors, and reveal major genetic transformations associated with historical events. An intriguing phenomenon With an extinct language that is only partly understood, much of what was initially known about Etruscan civilization comes from the commentary of later Greek and Roman writers. One hypothesis about their origins, the one favored by Herodotus, points to the influence of ancient Greek cultural elements to argue that the Etruscans descended from migrating Anatolian or Aegean groups. Another, championed by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, proposes that the Etruscans originated and developed locally from the Bronze Age Villanovan culture and were therefore an autochthonous population. Although the current consensus among archaeologists supports a local origin for the Etruscans, a lack of ancient DNA from the region has made genetic investigations inconsistent. The current study, with a time transect of ancient genomic information spanning almost 2000 years collected from 12 archaeological sites, resolves lingering questions about Etruscan origins, showing no evidence for a recent population movement from Anatolia. In fact, the Etruscans shared the genetic profile of the Latins living in nearby Rome, with a large proportion of their genetic profiles coming from steppe-related ancestry that arrived in the region during the Bronze Age. Considering that steppe-related groups were likely responsible for the spread of Indo-European languages, now spoken around the world by billions of people, the persistence of a non-Indo-European Etruscan language is an intriguing and still unexplained phenomenon that will require further archaeological, historical, linguistic and genetic investigation. "This linguistic persistence, combined with a genetic turnover, challenges simple assumptions that genes equal languages and suggests a more complex scenario that may have involved the assimilation of early Italic speakers by the Etruscan speech community, possibly during a prolonged period of admixture over the second millennium BCE," says David Caramelli, Professor at the University of Florence. Geographic map of the Italian peninsula (right) including a zoom-in (left) indicating the maximum extension of Etruscan territories and the location and number of individuals for each archeological site newly analyzed in this study. Credit: Michelle OReilly, MPI SHH Periods of change Despite a few individuals of eastern Mediterranean, northern African, and central European origins, the Etruscan-related gene pool remained stable for at least 800 years, spanning the Iron Age and Roman Republic period. The study finds, however, that during the subsequent Roman Imperial period, central Italy experienced a large scale genetic shift, resulting from admixture with eastern Mediterranean populations, which likely included slaves and soldiers relocated across the Roman Empire. "This genetic shift clearly depicts the role of the Roman Empire in the large-scale displacement of people in a time of enhanced upward or downward socioeconomic and geographic mobility," says Johannes Krause, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Looking at the more recent Early Middle Ages, the researchers identified northern European ancestries spreading across the Italian peninsula following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. These results suggest that Germanic migrants, including individuals associated with the newly established Longobard Kingdom, might have left a traceable impact on the genetic landscape of central Italy. In the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Basilicata the population's ancestry remained largely continuous between the Early Medieval times and today, suggesting that the main gene pool of present-day people from central and southern Italy was largely formed at least 1000 years ago. Although more ancient DNA from across Italy is needed to support the above conclusions, ancestry shifts in Tuscany and northern Lazio similar to those reported for the city of Rome and its surroundings suggests that historical events during the first millennium CE had a major impact on the genetic transformations over much of the Italian peninsula. "The Roman Empire appears to have left a long-lasting contribution to the genetic profile of southern Europeans, bridging the gap between European and eastern Mediterranean populations on the genetic map of western Eurasia," says Cosimo Posth, Professor at the University of Tubingen and Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment. Explore further Bronze Age migrations changed societal organization, genomic landscape in Italy More information: The origin and legacy of the Etruscans through a 2000-year archeogenomic time transect, Science Advances (2021). Journal information: Science Advances The origin and legacy of the Etruscans through a 2000-year archeogenomic time transect,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi7673 Provided by Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History SPACA4 localisation in mouse sperm. Credit: Osaka University In most animals and plants, the life cycle of an individual begins with fertilization, when egg and sperm fuse to combine their genetic material. Together, they form the zygote, the first cell of an embryo that will eventually develop into a complex organism. Sexual reproduction succeeds only if it follows a number of rules set by millions of years of evolution. For instance, animals are often constrained to reproduce with their own kind and no other. In some cases, natural selection has found ways to prevent different species from interbreeding at the molecular level, making sperm from one species chemically incompatible with eggs from another species. In 2018, the lab of Andrea Pauli at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) at the Vienna BioCenter pinpointed a specific protein that allows eggs of zebrafish to reject sperm from medaka, an evolutionarily distant fish species. The protein, called Bouncer in analogy with nightclub security guards, is necessary for fertilization and enables the membranes of compatible gametes to bind. Bouncer also exists in mammals, where it is called SPACA4 (Sperm Acrosome Associated 4), but while Bouncer is expressed in fish eggs, SPACA4 is expressed in mammalian sperm, suggesting that they play a different physiological role. Masahito Ikawa and his lab at Osaka University have been studying mammalian fertilization for decades, investigating the molecules that drive the interactions between sperm and egg in vivo and in vitro in mice. Ikawa and Pauli first exchanged ideas at an international conference, and together with their teams, they set out to investigate SPACA4 and its function in mice. They found SPACA4 to be essential for normal fertilization in mammals, and now published their findings in the journal PNAS. One protein, two functions for fertilization "Bouncer and SPACA4 are two versions of the same protein, but they are not produced in the same cells in fish and mammals, so we were unsure whether their function would be comparable," says Sarah Herberg, Vienna BioCenterPhD graduate and co-first author of the study. "There's still a lot of mystery around the evolution of that protein across vertebrates, but our study explains its crucial role in mouse fertilization." To understand SPACA4's function, the scientists used the gene-editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 to generate mutant mice whose sperm could not produce SPACA4. They found that mutant males failed to reproduce: although their sperm cells could move normally, most could not fertilize a female's egg. "We were very excited to find that SPACA4 was required for normal fertilization in mice," says Yoshitaka Fujihara, co-first author of the study and now lab chief at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka. "The next step in our study was to determine whether sperm that lack SPACA4 interact with the egg membrane at all, or if they fail to reach it." A free ticket through the egg's protective layers "Mammals produce few eggs and keep the fertilization process hidden inside their bodies," says Ikawa. "This makes the study of mammalian fertilization much more challenging than in most fish or frogs. Combining our expertise in mammalian reproduction with Andrea Pauli's knowledge of fish fertilization has brought interesting insights to both fields." Unlike the egg cells of fish, mammalian eggs are covered with a thick, protective coat of glycoproteins called the zona pellucida. In order to get in contact with the egg membrane, sperm cells are faced with the difficult task to traverse this layer. The scientists ingeniously tested the mutant sperm's performance on normal eggs and eggs whose zona pellucida had been experimentally dissolved. As expected, sperm lacking SPACA4 could rarely fertilize normal eggs, but here came the surprise: removing the zona pellucida restored a normal fertilization rate in the absence of the SPACA4 protein. This showed that SPACA4, unlike Bouncer, is not required for the interaction of sperm and egg membranes, but is crucial to cross the barrier formed by the zona pellucida. "Our results suggest that SPACA4 and Bouncer evolved different modes of action: the former is produced in sperm and mediates the crossing of the zona pellucida, while the latter is produced in eggs and regulates membrane binding," explains Andrea Pauli, group leader at the IMP. "The evolutionary history of this protein and how it operates in different organisms are next on our list of investigations." Explore further Females supercharge sperm evolution in animals More information: Yoshitaka Fujihara et al, The conserved fertility factor SPACA4/Bouncer has divergent modes of action in vertebrate fertilization, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Yoshitaka Fujihara et al, The conserved fertility factor SPACA4/Bouncer has divergent modes of action in vertebrate fertilization,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108777118 Using its WATSON camera, NASAs Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie over a rock nicknamed Rochette, on Sept.10, 2021, the 198th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Two holes can be seen where the rover used its robotic arm to drill rock core samples. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Scientists tap into an array of imagers aboard the six-wheeled explorer to get a big picture of the Red Planet. NASA's Perseverance rover has been exploring Jezero Crater for more than 217 Earth days (211 Martian days, or sols), and the dusty rocks there are beginning to tell their storyabout a volatile young Mars flowing with lava and water. That story, stretching billions of years into the past, is unfolding thanks in large part to the seven powerful science cameras aboard Perseverance. Able to home in on small features from great distances, take in vast sweeps of Martian landscape, and magnify tiny rock granules, these specialized cameras also help the rover team determine which rock samples offer the best chance to learn whether microscopic life ever existed on the Red Planet. Altogether, some 800 scientists and engineers around the world make up the larger Perseverance team. That includes smaller teams, from a few dozen to as many as 100, for each of the rover's cameras and instruments. And the teams behind the cameras must coordinate each decision about what to image. "The imaging cameras are a huge piece of everything," said Vivian Sun, the co-lead for Perseverance's first science campaign at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "We use a lot of them every single day for science. They're absolutely mission-critical." The storytelling began soon after Perseverance landed in February, and the stunning images have been stacking up as the multiple cameras conduct their scientific investigations. Here's how they work, along with a sampling of what some have found so far: Watch as Caltechs Eva Scheller, a member of the Perseverance science team, provides a snapshot of the rovers SHERLOC science instrument. Mounted on the rovers robotic arm, SHERLOC features spectrometers, a laser, and cameras, including WATSON, which takes close-up images of rock grains and surface textures. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The big picture Perseverance's two navigation camerasamong nine engineering camerassupport the rover's autonomous driving capability. And at each stop, the rover first employs those two cameras to get the lay of the land with a 360-degree view. "The navigation camera data is really useful to have those images to do a targeted science follow-up with higher-resolution instruments such as SuperCam and Mastcam-Z," Sun said. Perseverance's six hazard avoidance cameras, or Hazcams, include two pairs in front (with only a single pair in use at any one time) to help avoid trouble spots and to place the rover's robotic arm on targets; the two rear Hazcams provide images to help place the rover in the context of the broader landscape. Mastcam-Z, a pair of "eyes" on the rover's mast, is built for the big picture: panoramic color shots, including 3D images, with zoom capability. It can also capture high-definition video. Jim Bell at Arizona State University leads the Mastcam-Z team, which has been working at high speed to produce images for the larger group. "Part of our job on this mission has been a sort of triage," he said. "We can swing through vast swaths of real estate and do some quick assessment of geology, of color. That has been helping the team figure out where to target instruments." Perseverance looks back with one of its navigation cameras toward its tracks on July 1, 2021 (the 130th sol, or Martian day, of its mission), after driving autonomously 358 feet (109 meters) its longest autonomous drive to date. The image has been processed to enhance the contrast. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Color is key: Mastcam-Z images allow scientists to make links between features seen from orbit by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and what they see on the ground. The instrument also functions as a low-resolution spectrometer, dividing the light it captures into 11 colors. Scientists can analyze the colors for clues about the composition of the material giving off the light, helping them decide which features to zoom in on with the mission's true spectrometers. For instance, there's a well-known series of images from March 17. It shows a wide escarpment, aka the "Delta Scarp," that is part of a fan-shaped river delta that formed in the crater long ago. After Mastcam-Z provided the broad view, the mission turned to SuperCam for a closer look. The long view Scientists use SuperCam to study mineralogy and chemistry, and to seek evidence of ancient microbial life. Perched near Mastcam-Z on Perseverance's mast, it includes the Remote Micro-Imager, or RMI, which can zoom in on features the size of a softball from more than a mile away. Once Mastcam-Z provided images of the scarp, the SuperCam RMI homed in on a corner of it, providing close-ups that were later stitched together for a more revealing view. Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to create this enhanced-color panorama, which scientists used to look for rock-sampling sites. The panorama is stitched together from 70 individual images taken on July 28, 2021, the 155th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS To Roger Wiens, principal investigator for SuperCam at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, these images spoke volumes about Mars' ancient past, when the atmosphere was thick enough, and warm enough, to allow water to flow on the surface. "This is showing huge boulders," he said. "That means there had to have been some huge flash flooding that occurred that washed boulders down the riverbed into this delta formation." The chock-a-block layers told him even more. "These large boulders are partway down the delta formation," Wiens said. "If the lakebed was full, you would find these at the very top. So the lake wasn't full at the time the flash flood happened. Overall, it may be indicating an unstable climate. Perhaps we didn't always have this very placid, calm, habitable place that we might have liked for raising some micro-organisms." In addition, scientists have picked up signs of igneous rock that formed from lava or magma on the crater floor during this early period. That could mean not only flowing water, but flowing lava, before, during, or after the time that the lake itself formed. These clues are crucial to the mission's search for signs of ancient Martian life and potentially habitable environments. To that end, the rover is taking samples of Martian rock and sediment that future missions could return to Earth for in-depth study. Composed of five images, this mosaic of Jezero Craters Delta Scarp was taken on March 17, 2021, by Perseverances Remote Microscopic Imager (RMI) camera from 1.4 miles (2.25 kilometers) away. Credit: RMI: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS/ASU/MSSSMastcam-Z: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS The (really) close-up A variety of Perseverance's cameras assist in the selection of those samples, including WATSON (the Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering). Located at the end of the rover's robotic arm, WATSON provides extreme closeups of rock and sediment, zeroing in on the variety, size, shape, and color of tiny grainsas well as the "cement" between themin those materials. Such information can lend insight into Mars' history as well as the geological context of potential samples. WATSON also helps engineers position the rover's drill for extracting rock core samples and produces images of where the sample came from. The imager partners with SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals), which includes an Autofocus and Contextual Imager (ACI), the rover's highest-resolution camera. SHERLOC uses an ultraviolet laser to identify certain minerals in rock and sediment, while PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), also on the robotic arm, uses X-rays to determine the chemical composition. These cameras, working in concert with WATSON, have helped capture geologic dataincluding signs of that igneous rock on the crater floorwith a precision that has surprised scientists. "We're getting really cool spectra of materials formed in aqueous [watery] environmentsfor example sulfate and carbonate," said Luther Beegle, SHERLOC's principal investigator at JPL. Perseverance took this close-up of a rock target nicknamed Foux using its WATSON camera on July 11, 2021, the 139th Martian day, r sol, of the mission. The area within the camera is roughly 1.4 by 1 inches (3.5 centimeters by 2.6 centimeters). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Engineers also use WATSON to check on the rover's systems and undercarriageand to take Perseverance selfies (here's how). Beegle says not just the strong performance of the imaging instruments, but their ability to endure the harsh environment on the Martian surface, gives him confidence in Perseverance's chances for major discoveries. "Once we get over closer to the delta, where there should be really good preservation potential for signs of life, we've got a really good chance of seeing something if it's there," he said. More about the mission A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. Explore further Signs of life on Mars? Perseverance rover begins the hunt Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain National Curriculum Key Stage 2 tests taken by 10- and 11-year-old children in England to assess progress in English and Mathematics do not seem to affect children's wellbeing, according to new UCL-led research. The peer-reviewed study, published today in Assessment in Education, analyzed data from around 2,500 children who live in England (where the KS2 tests are conducted) and in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (where the tests do not take place) and are all participants of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). The study found there was little difference in the wellbeing and happiness levels reported by the children regardless of where they lived and whether they took the KS2 tests or not. Additionally, among those who did sit the tests, there was no significant change in how they felt about themselves, their school or their family life in the weeks preceding and following the tests. Study author Professor John Jerrim (UCL Social Research Institute) explained: "There is growing concern about the mental wellbeing of young people, including how this is related to national tests at school. However, the study found that happiness and wellbeing levels among children in England and the rest of the UK were very similar to one another and often overlapped. "The research also found there was little evidence to changes in wellbeing around the time of Key Stage 2 tests, or that children in England become happiereither in general or about schoolonce these tests are over. Equally, there was no evidence to show that pupils who were happier or more self-confident in the build-up to the tests achieved higher scores. "Taken together, these findings provide an important counter to conventional narratives about how the Key Stage 2 tests can have serious negative impacts upon children's wellbeing." Children were asked a series of questions on how they felt about themselves and their lives in the lead up to and weeks following the Key Stage 2 tests. For example, 24% of school children in England said they felt unhappy about their schoolwork prior to the tests and this figure was 28% for children in the rest of the UK. This figure did not significantly increase or decrease in the weeks prior to and after testing. The study highlights that Key Stage 2 tests are considered "high-stakes" for schools whose results get published in school league tables. However, they are not necessarily "high-stakes" indicators for pupils. For example, no educational decisions about the secondary school a child will attend or the subjects they might study depend on achieving certain scores in Key Stage 2 tests. The author notes that as with every study there are limitations. The study uses MCS data from 2012 and although it is unlikely to undermine the key findings, several reforms have been made to national assessments so stronger effects on pupil wellbeing could be found if the importance attached to these tests has increased. Professor Jerrim added: "When we turn to education policy in England what do these results mean? Given what we found, there does not seem to be strong enough evidence to support Key Stage 2 tests to be scrapped on wellbeing grounds. "The tests play a fundamental role feeding into school accountability metrics and our findings suggest they should continue in their current form for the foreseeable future. We need more high-quality research to better understand both the positive and negative effects these tests have on young people, especially in light of the challenges teachers and pupils have faced throughout the pandemic." Explore further Even more tests for most tested children in the world More information: John Jerrim, National tests and the wellbeing of primary school pupils: new evidence from the UK, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice (2021). John Jerrim, National tests and the wellbeing of primary school pupils: new evidence from the UK,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/0969594X.2021.1929829 Computational methods enable controlling phase competition between zeolite frameworks. Artists impression of how a computer-designed molecule is able to synthesize two different frameworks. Credit: Schwalbe-Koda et al. Zeolites, groups of minerals comprising of hydrated aluminosilicates, are known to be highly promising materials for a number of applications. For instance, they can be used as catalysts, cation exchangers and molecular sieves. While many past studies have examined the potential of these materials, so far managing phase competition during zeolite synthesis has proved to be challenging and labor-intensive. The term zeolite synthesis refers to the processes through which zeolites can be created or synthesized in the lab. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with researchers at Polytechnic University of Valencia and Stockholm University, have recently proposed a new strategy to control phase selectivity during templated zeolite synthesis processes. This strategy, presented in a paper published in Science, is based on the combined use of atomistic simulations, literature mining, human-computer interactions, synthesis and material characterization techniques. "Our research in the Learning Matter Lab at MIT focuses on needle-in-a-haystack problems in materials science," Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org. "Designing a molecule that selectively templates a given zeolite has been a difficult combinatorial problem for decades, with lots of trial and error in the lab. Although atomistic simulations have historically helped, traditional approaches were missing the role of selectivity because they focused on a single zeolite at a time." Computational methods enable the design of templates for zeolite cavities. Credit: Schwalbe-Koda et al. Gomez-Bombarelli and his colleagues used high-throughput simulations based on molecular mechanics to quantify the affinity of different molecular templates to both the zeolite they were trying to create and those that were unsuitable for a given application. The team drew information from over 586,000 zeolite-molecule simulations that were aligned with existing literature in materials design. "Using these simulations, we found templates that are most selective even if they are not the strongest binders," Daniel Schwalbe-Koda, another researcher involved in the study, told Phys.org. "Thanks to fast algorithms that we fine-tuned over the previous year and that we benchmarked against decades of literature data, our simulations were orders of magnitude faster than traditional approaches and allowed us to reach a large number of combinations very efficiently." The results of the simulations led to the identification of several possible designs for zeolites that could potentially be realized in the future. While there is no certainty that all the designs they identified would be ideal, the work by Gomez-Bombarelli, Schwalbe-Koda and their colleagues could help to narrow down the search for promising zeolite designs and speed up zeolite synthesis processes. "Theory has typically supported experiments in zeolite science, but rarely led the way," Manuel Moliner, one of the researchers who conducted the study, told Phys.org. "With these new insights, our chances of success when we set out to make novel materials in the lab are much higher and there are lots of untapped potential in molecules that hadn't received attention but can unlock novel, efficient and cost-effective catalysts." Phase competition is quantified for more than 200 known zeolites and all literature templates. The simulation outcomes allow researchers to find not only good molecules for a given framework, but which frameworks are likely to crystallize when a given molecule is used in the synthesis. Credit: Schwalbe-Koda et al. This recent study confirms that highly performing computational tools and algorithms could play a key role in the identification of new promising materials. Nonetheless, the researchers strongly believe that the intuition of expert humans is still necessary when analyzing computer simulations or an algorithm's predictions. "At the end of the day, humans are the final users of the data, so we should try to make it as useful as possible for practical applications," Schwalbe-Koda said. "One of my favorite insights of our study is that molecular shape is a great predictor of selectivity. We were able to create a new material that is halfway between two known ones, by using a template whose shape is halfway between the molecules traditionally used." The new computational strategy for controlling zeolite synthesis and structure composition presented by Gomez-Bombarelli, Schwalbe-Koda, Moliner and their colleagues could soon aid the discovery of new promising zeolite templates. This could have important implications for several research fields, including the energy field and efforts to tackle climate change. The researchers have thus decided to make their data publically available through an online interactive website. "There are many exciting avenues for future research," Moliner said. "Two that are of theoretical and practical interest come to mind. One is customizing the composition and geometry of catalytic pocket in the zeolite and move towards "inorganic enzymes." Another is realizing completely new zeolites that for now remain purely hypothetical. By making our simulation data available to the community we expect others will also be inspired to pursue new creative directions." Explore further Using adversarial attacks to refine molecular energy predictions More information: Daniel Schwalbe-Koda et al, A priori control of zeolite phase competition and intergrowth with high-throughput simulations, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Daniel Schwalbe-Koda et al, A priori control of zeolite phase competition and intergrowth with high-throughput simulations,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3350 2021 Science X Network Agrifood certification standards encourage sustainable practices, especially for cocoa and coffee production. A new study from a team of international researchers evaluates the effectiveness of standards in mitigating food system challenges. Credit: Jorge Sellare While agrifood production is essential for feeding our growing global population, it can also contribute to environmental and social problems, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, poor or precarious labor conditions, and persistent poverty. Certification and standards can encourage use of sustainable production practices, but how effective are such programs in addressing food system challenges? A new study from a team of international researchers reviews the literature on sustainability standards and identifies a series of important questions. "Our paper summarizes the current state of knowledge about sustainability and certification standards for crop and livestock production," says Hope Michelson, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois and co-author on the paper. "We look at the impact of standards across different actors in the supply chain. That includes farmers and consumers, as well as institutions that serve as connective tissue in the system: development agencies, processors, wholesalers, and retailers." Private groups, governments, and non-government organizations (NGOs) set the standards, which provide guidelines for sustainable production, and compliance is usually voluntary. A variety of different certification schemes exist; some of the largest and most well-known are Rainforest Alliance, organic, and Fairtrade. Standards are prevalent in coffee and cocoa production, so the study's researchers focus their analysis on these crops. Michelson and her co-authors find certification standards have moderately positive effects on the environment. Adoption of standards encourages organic and sustainable production and reduces the use of harmful agrichemicals. But most existing studies focus on the use of particular farming practices and do not evaluate the larger environmental effects. Similarly, the researchers find evidence of some positive economic effects of standards on coffee and cocoa farmers, but effects can differ by region, crop, and standard, and assessments are complicated. "The increased revenue for farmers may be offset by increased costs of implementing certification practices. Yields may go down because you're changing your agricultural practices, or perhaps you have to invest more in labor because you can't use agrichemicals anymore," Michelson explains. Intermediaries like NGOs or farmer co-operatives may choose to assist groups of smallholder farmers with the technical and cost burdens of adopting certification practices, because it is more cost-efficient to coordinate efforts than dealing with each farmer individually. But depending on which farmers participate, aggregation could exacerbate existing inequalities in the rural sector and raises concerns about who benefits from price premiums for certified crops. Relatedly, whether benefits reach the poorest farm workers remains uncertain. "Many small farmers employ laborers, and those laborers tend to be in worse economic shape than the farmers; they have fewer resources and less power within the economic system. Sustainability standards often address farm labor practices, but working conditions can be very diverse and hard to monitor. We need to learn more about how critical workers are experiencing the implementation of these standards," Michelson states. "Overall, we find some effects in the direction you would hope and expect. But there are important gaps in the evidence. After summarizing the literature, we try to identify the big questions going forward." For example, when studies find the standards have a positive effect, does it mean that farmers have changed practices to comply with standards, or that standards are just separating farmers based on what they were already doing? Farmers in a given region may already be using low-input agriculture, growing certain varieties, or prioritizing rainforest preservation. In such cases, certification might not be effecting a change per se, but merely rewarding and sorting farmers by existing practices. "While that is also important, distinguishing between those two scenarios is really critical," Michelson points out. "Are certifications schemes actually moving farmers over to certain kinds of production and helping them bear the cost of implementation and the switching costs?" Evaluating compliance with the standards is also complicated. Practices are usually monitored through internal audits and voluntary information, with some external audits, but monitoring compliance is difficult and costly. However, new technological tools may open up ways for more accurate monitoring in the future, though negotiating data access and privacy issues associated with those technologies is critical, Michelson notes. Possible oversupply of some certified products is another cause for concern. Currently, up to 40% of coffee and cocoa is grown under certification standards. Consumer demand is highest in U.S. and Europe but still lags behind the supply, and excess products are sold in the regular marketplace. "Many of the costs of certification are currently being borne by NGOs, especially for small farmers. Perhaps people are growing under these certification schemes who otherwise wouldn't be able to do it, due to this reduction in entry barriers, and that may result in oversupply," Michelson notes. Another important question is whether demand for certified products will increase in emerging markets. "The big growth in food demand, both in terms of quantities and varieties of food, will occur in China, India, and other middle income countries," Michelson says. "There is going to be increased demand for coffee and cocoa in these markets. But it's not clear whether consumers are going to want the same kinds of credence attributes as consumers in Europe and the U.S. There may be more interest in food safety, for example, than in production conditions associated with environmental preservation. But that could also overlap with sustainability standards, such as less use of agrichemicals." While standards have become commonplace for coffee and cocoa, they remain marginal for other crops. Michelson and her co-authors conclude we cannot rely on certification schemes to transform agricultural production; that will require broad action from governments and supply chain actors. However, sustainability standards can help inform the public debate and raise awareness of environmental and social challenges in global agrifood production. More information: Eva-Marie Meemken et al, Sustainability standards in global agrifood supply chains, Nature Food (2021). Journal information: Nature Food Eva-Marie Meemken et al, Sustainability standards in global agrifood supply chains,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00360-3 Reporters Watchdog Raises Alarm Over Extremely Dangerous Taliban Journalism Rules Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says a list of rules that the Taliban-led government is requiring Afghan journalists to follow opens the way to censorship and persecution, adding to growing international concerns about press freedoms in Afghanistan. RSF warned in a report that the 11 rules to which journalists must comply are, in reality, extremely dangerous because they are vaguely worded and liable to be used to persecute journalists. Also, more than 100 Afghan journalists have appealed to the international community for help in protecting press freedom in Afghanistan . INCIDENTS AND THREATS Pakistani Journalists Protest New Media Bill As Fresh Blow To Freedoms Journalists across Pakistan are expressing outrage over a proposed set of regulations they warn will further curtail press freedom and dramatically bolster the powers of a government that is already seen as imposing censorship to control the media and free speech. The government-proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) would combine the functions of several federal and provincial agencies currently regulating the print, electronic, and digital media. Journalists, however, maintain there are ulterior motives behind the proposal, first floated in May with the purported aim of streamlining media regulations. Yesypenkos Lawyer Speaks To RFE/RL About Errors In His Clients Criminal Case On September 21, a court in Simferopol in Russia-occupied Crimea held another hearing in the case of jailed Ukrainian Service project Crimea.Realii contributor Vladyslav Yesypenko. Several people gathered at the court building in support of Yesypenko and to protest the sham trial. Speaking to RFERLs Ukrainian Service, Yesypenkos lawyer, Dmytro Dinze, pointed out errors in the prosecutions case, and said that FSB officers in Crimea are absolutely not afraid of the law and any responsibility that they prepare criminal cases and forensic materials for the crime, which they believe was committed by a person. As for Yesypenko, all the documents were drafted as if they knew at once which article of the Criminal Code he would be charged with and what he would be accused of. (Ukrainian Service) A Court In Moscow Refused To Exclude Journalists, Including RFE/RL Reporter, From The Register Of Media Foreign Agents The head of the international human rights group "Agora" Pavel Chikov reported that Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow affirmed the decision of the Ministry of Justice to include RFE/RL Russian Service journalist Elizaveta Maetnaya and Open Media journalist Ilya Rozhdestvensky in the register of "foreign agents," despite lack of grounds to do so. Both Maetnaya and Rozhdestvensky have been added to the foreign agents list back in July 2021. So far 18 media outlets, 25 journalists and four legal entities have been added to the foreign agents list. (Russian Service) Report Highlights Belarus's 'Repressive' Campaign Against Internet Freedom Human rights watchdog Freedom House says global Internet freedom has declined dramatically in Belarus, where last years disputed presidential election led the authorities to repeatedly restrict access to the Internet, increase social media surveillance, and detain and use "deadly force against online activists. According to the report Freedom on the Net 2021, published by Washington-based Freedom House on September 21, the "repressive campaign" by authorities against Internet liberty continued into this year, leading to a seven-point decline in the country's Internet freedom -- a drop surpassed only by Burma. Similarly, the report designated Uzbekistan as an authoritarian country with no internet freedom , where the media is tightly controlled by the authorities and reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces persist. Belarusian Journalist Talks About Torture And Inhumane Conditions While In Prison In Belarus In an interview with RFE/RLs Belarus Service Hannah Sous Belarusian journalist Kacia Karpickaja talked about her month in prison, where she experienced torture and inhumane conditions. She describes terrible conditions inside the detention center, lack of fresh air and medical attention. Karpickajas father and brother still support Lukashenka and believe her arrest and time spent in the detention center is all her fault. (Belarus Service) Belarusian Authorities Announce New Charges For Jailed Journalist Dzyanis Ivashin RFE/RL Belarus Service reports that new charges have been announced against Dzyanis Ivashin, an investigative journalist from Hrodna who has been jailed for the past six months, after speaking to Current Time TV about his reporting on former Ukrainian Berkut members who got jobs with Belarus riot police and about Russian influence in Belarus. Dzyanis wife, Volha Ivashina, received a document from the head of the KGB investigation department which announced "less serious" and "especially serious crime" charges. The less serious charge may be "interference in the activities of a police officer," for which Ivashin was detained, however, Ivashins relatives do not know what the second charge is. (Belarus Service) Journalist In Russias Rostov Arrested For The Second Time For Publication About Navalnys Smart Voting Igor Khoroshilov, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Golos in Russias Rostov, has been re-arrested for 10 days for publishing the logo of Navalnys Smart Voting election-guide app. Khoroshilov was detained by officers of the regional department of the Center for Countering Extremism, as soon as the journalist left the detention center, where he was serving his sentence on the same charges - for publishing the logo of jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny's project "Smart Voting" on social media. Khoroshilov was again found guilty of publicly displaying the symbols of extremist organizations, as Navalnys organization was declared extremist in Russia. (in Russian, Current Time TV) Kazakh Police Drop Case Against Journalists Who Reported On Explosions Police in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl region say they have closed the case without charges against two journalists who were part of a probe into what they called the "distribution of false information" over deadly munitions explosions last month that led to the resignation of Defense Minister Nurlan Ermekbaev. Regional police spokesman Begman Kutmurzayev told RFE/RL on September 23 that the case against Islambek Dastan of Turaninfo.kz and Daniyar Alimkul was closed because police failed to find any criminal elements in their probe of the reporting on the explosions by the two reporters. Fake About Fakes: Russian Election Commission Airs Apparently Falsified Video Sullying Its Critics The video appears to show a major police operation to expose a troll farm churning out fake reports of violations in Russia's three-day legislative elections. Within hours, state TV channels were airing the clip, claiming the troll-farm employees had confessed their guilt. "This all looks pitiful," quipped presenter Olga Skabeyeva on the talk show 60 Minutes. "As if the White House or State Department are running out of money to support 'democracy,' as they like to call it." The problem is that the clip may have been exactly what Andreyev denied it was: a fabrication. On September 19, the BBC's Russian service reported that two of the people featured in the video were actors paid to take part in a staged performance. Also, Russian Social Media Swamped With Video Evidence Of Ballot-Box Stuffing. Navalny App Disappearance Shows Russia's Strength In The Battle Against Big Tech When Apple and Google removed an election app created by jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny from their online stores just as the country's three-day parliamentary vote got under way, his associates were dismayed -- and criticized the U.S. tech giants for giving in to the Kremlin's demands. There was not much Navalny's allies could do about it, however. And the developments showed that in the battle between the trillion-dollar tech companies and the authoritarian leaders of major economies -- especially those willing to resort to extra-legal means -- the latter may have a stronger position, analysts say. Quincentenial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews is organizing a special tour for the European Day of Jewish Culture which will be celebrated on Sunday, November 24th. The Jewish Traces from Balat to Galata Tour, together with Mois Gabay, Salom writer and a professional tour guide, will take the participants on a trip through the traces of our history. During the tour, where many important synagogues such as Ahrida Synagogue, Yanbol Synagogue, Tofre Begadim Ashkenazi Synagogue, Schneidertempel Art Gallery (Tailors Synagogue), and Italian Synagogue (Kal De Los Francos) will be visited, also the remains of the Eliyahu and Cana Synagogues will be seen. The tour will start in Balat, continue with going to Karakoy from the Fener pier by boat and then going up to Galata. Among the historical places that will be able to be visited in the context of the tour are the Jewish Heritage houses of Karakoy, Kamondo Residence, and Kamondo Stairs. The trip that will be ending at the Neve Shalom Synagogue and the Quincentenial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews, will bid farewell to its participants with a concert. The number of participants will be limited in the tour where also delicacies from Sephardic cuisine will be included. For reservation; info@muze500.com 0212 2926333 0552 7321955 Garrett K. Jones is a local fantasy author. He currently has four books released in his ongoing series, and he produces a vlog on YouTube and the Creator's Corner podcast (available on Spotify, Google, & Apple). www.archivesofthefivekingdoms.com/ IG/Twitter: @gkj_publishing Feel free to contact him with title suggestions of films youd like him to review. Pacific Gas & Electric has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes in a Northern California wildfire last year that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. * Doubts around Evergrande linger * Singapore, S. Korea report record COVID-19 cases * Thailand markets shut By Shashwat Awasthi Sept 24 (Reuters) - Most emerging Asian currencies softened on Friday as investors remained wary of a fallout from debt-laden property developer China Evergrande, while Philippine shares outpaced regional peers after a dovish stance from the country's central bank. Evergrande bondholders were spooked by worries that the company was inching closer to a potential default as an interest payment deadline expired on Thursday without any announcement from the company. The reaction in FX markets was timid, however, partly due to reports that Chinese regulators had issued instructions to Evergrande to help it avoid a near-term default on dollar bonds. The reports suggest "the government has officially broken its silence on the issue and is in the process of ensuring the issue gets resolved without wider repercussions on financial/social/economic stability," analysts at Maybank said in a note. The yuan was a tad weaker on Friday, while Indonesia's rupiah and the Philippine peso edged 0.1% and 0.2% lower, respectively. Manila's benchmark index climbed as much as 1% and headed for its fourth straight day of gains after Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday looked past increasing inflation pressures to keep its monetary policy loose. The central bank raised its average inflation forecasts for 2021 through 2023 but expects inflation to ease to 3.3% next year from a forecast of 4.4% this year. "With headline inflation slowly returning to BSP's inflation target band of 2%-4%... and slow vaccination progress likely to weigh on activity through year-end, we expect BSP to keep the policy stance accommodative for the rest of the year," Goldman Sachs analysts said. Singapore's FTSE Strait Times index gave up 0.3%, while South Korea's Kospi fell as much as 0.2%, after daily COVID-19 cases hit record highs in both nations. Singapore, which has inoculated more than 80% of its population, has seen a spike in cases recently after it relaxed some curbs, prompting it to pause further reopening. Data showing the country's industrial output in August beat estimates had little effect on stocks and the Singapore dollar . Malaysian stocks dropped 0.4% as industrial firms weighed, handing back some gains made in the previous session. Data showed the country's consumer prices in August rose 2% from a year earlier, slightly below expectations. Most regional share markets were set for a muted weekly performance, as investors have largely taken the U.S. Federal Reserve's tapering plans in their stride this week, but still await updates from Evergrande. HIGHLIGHTS: ** Malaysia's 10-year benchmark yield is up 4 basis points at 3.395%. ** Singapore's 10-year benchmark yield is up 4.8 basis points at 1.491%. ** The top loser on Malaysia's benchmark index was Hartalega Holdings, down 2.5%. Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0621 GMT COUNTRY FX RIC FX FX INDE STOCKS STOCK DAILY YTD % X DAILY S YTD % % % Japan -0.21 -6.60 <.N2 2.06 10.22 25> China EC> India -0.03 -0.81 <.NS 0.40 27.98 EI> Indones -0.04 -1.44 <.JK 0.00 2.74 ia SE> Malaysi -0.04 -3.86 <.KL -0.44 -5.81 a SE> Philipp -0.14 -4.69 <.PS 0.52 -2.64 ines I> S.Korea 11> Singapo -0.07 -2.15 <.ST -0.06 8.12 re I> Taiwan +0.17 +2.73 <.TW 1.07 17.16 II> (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.) * Malaysia, Singapore await economic data * Doubts around Evergrande linger * Thailand markets shut By Shashwat Awasthi Sept 24 (Reuters) - Equities in the Philippines outshone their emerging Asian peers on Friday after its central bank kept interest rates at record lows, while stocks in Singapore were hit as the city-state logged record COVID-19 cases. Manila's benchmark index added 0.7% and was set for its fourth straight day of gains after Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday looked past increasing inflation pressures to keep its monetary policy loose. The bank hopes low rates will spur an economic rebound in the Philippines, which was forced to cut its 2021 growth outlook last month as COVID-19 infections and lockdowns likely hurt its third quarter performance. The BSP raised its average inflation forecasts for 2021 through 2023, but expects inflation to ease to 3.3% next year from a forecast 4.4% this year. "With headline inflation slowly returning to the BSP's inflation target band of 2%-4%... and slow vaccination progress likely to weigh on activity through year-end, we expect the BSP to keep the policy stance accommodative for the rest of the year," Goldman Sachs analysts said. They added that BSP would be patient in normalising policy and expect the central bank's policy rate to be on hold until late 2022. Singapore's FTSE Strait Times index gave up 0.3%, while South Korea's Kospi fell as much as 0.2% before trading flat, after daily COVID-19 cases hit record highs in both nations. Singapore, which has inoculated more than 80% of its population, has seen a spike in cases recently after it relaxed some curbs, prompting it to pause further reopening. The country's manufacturing data for August was also due at 0500 GMT. Regional currencies were mostly flat to lower against the U.S. dollar, with investors still wary of the fate of debt-laden property developer China Evergrande and its potential fallout on the Chinese economy. Evergrande bondholders were in limbo as time ticked away on an interest payment deadline, while some worried it might be roughly a month before the situation becomes clearer. Malaysian stocks dropped 0.6% as industrial firms weighed, and gave up almost all the gains made in the previous session. The country will report inflation data for August at 0400 GMT. Most regional share markets were set for a muted weekly performance. Investors have largely taken the U.S. Federal Reserve's tapering plans in their stride. The central bank said on Wednesday it will likely begin reducing its monthly bond purchases as soon as November and signalled interest rate increases may follow more quickly than expected. "It seems that the Fed has prepared markets well for a tapering move by year-end," said Yeap Jun Rong, a strategist at IG. "A shift towards the normalisation of monetary policies also appears to be deemed as a vote of confidence for the strength in the economy ahead." HIGHLIGHTS: ** Malaysia's 10-year benchmark yield is up 4 basis points at 3.395%. ** Singapore's 10-year benchmark yield is up 4.3 basis points at 1.486%. ** The top loser on Malaysia's benchmark index was Hartalega Holdings, down 2.5%. Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0311 GMT COUNTRY FX RIC FX FX INDE STOCKS STOCK DAILY YTD % X DAILY S YTD % % % Japan -0.08 -6.48 <.N2 1.89 10.04 25> China EC> India +0.00 -0.78 <.NS 0.00 27.47 EI> Indones +0.00 -1.40 <.JK 0.17 2.91 ia SE> Malaysi +0.00 -3.83 <.KL -0.61 -5.98 a SE> Philipp -0.20 -4.74 <.PS 0.57 -2.60 ines I> S.Korea 11> Singapo -0.07 -2.14 <.ST -0.21 7.95 re I> Taiwan +0.20 +2.76 <.TW 1.14 17.24 II> (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) China has issued what it describes as a criminal record of the United States attempts to interfere with Hong Kong affairs and support anti-China troublemakers, cataloguing more than 100 violations of basic norms governing international relations. In response, a US State Department spokesman said their actions were fully consistent with international law and suggesting otherwise was simply an attempt by Beijing to divert attention from its own bad conduct, and undermined the citys appeal as a hub of openness and free exchange. While the fact sheet released by the foreign ministry on Friday was unprecedented, it came after US climate envoy John Kerry said he would visit China soon and expressed confidence in a possible summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. One source characterised the document as signalling that the subject of Hong Kong would not be countenanced in future bilateral talks, and it could be considered a warning to not only the US but Taiwan as well. Should Chinese President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Joe Biden meet soon, Hong Kong is likely to be left off the agenda, according to a source. Photo: AFP Shortly after the lists release, Beijings liaison office in Hong Kong joined other top Chinese agencies in strongly condemning Washington and held up the crimes as ironclad evidence the US was trying to undermine the financial hub. We advise and warn the United States to recognise the general trend as early as possible, it said. Those external forces that attempt to use Hong Kong to contain China will have their heads cracked and bleeding against the Chinese nations will of steel in safeguarding the countrys interests. The statement put the US actions into at least five categories: the enacting of laws to target China and Hong Kong; imposing sanctions and seeking to obstruct Beijings policies on the city; smearing the local government and police; supporting activists, separatists and criminals; and joining hands with foreign allies in interference. Story continues The accusations extend back to when the Hong Kong government unveiled an extradition bill in February 2019 and politicians from both sides of the aisle expressed reservations over how it would work. While the pro-establishment camp lobbied the government directly for changes, some opposition legislators appealed to foreign diplomats for support in blocking the bill. The controversy morphed into months of social unrest, during which protesters hurled petrol bombs at police and desecrated Chinese flags in public places. Beijing responded in June last year by imposing the national security law to prohibit acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, a move that Western governments claimed was aimed at silencing dissent. In one section of the document, Beijing highlighted the decision by then president Donald Trump to sign into law the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in November 2019 that authorised the White House to impose sanctions on Chinese officials. The list also pointed to Republican-introduced bills such as the Hong Kong Peoples Freedom and Choice Act, which allegedly gave protection status to the citys lawbreakers and offenders. The section cataloguing unfounded charges was the longest, with 48 separate items. One example offered was a statement by Biden calling the closure of the opposition-friendly Apple Daily tabloid-style newspaper a sad day for media freedom and a signal of intensified repression by Beijing. The document also noted media interviews given by US consul Hanscom Smith alleging that Beijings radical revamp of Hong Kongs electoral system rendered elections in the city meaningless. Trump was mentioned five times, Smith on six occasions, while former secretary of state Mike Pompeo was the individual named the most, at 16 times. US Consul General Hanscom Smith has said future Hong Kong elections are meaningless in the wake of Beijings radical overhaul of the citys electoral system. Photo: Felix Wong In the section labelled shielding and supporting those who are opposed to China, the ministry highlighted a visit in July 2019 by Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to the US, where he met then vice-president Mike Pence, Pompeo and others to lobby for American intervention in Hong Kong affairs. Another example noted that US Senator Todd Young attended a press conference on Capitol Hill in September that year to inaugurate the Hong Kong Democracy Council, which the ministry labelled an organisation supporting the citys independence. The list also named 15 Hong Kong opposition activists and former politicians said to have ties with the US, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung, who appeared eight times in the document. In a reply to the Post, the State Department said its policy toward Hong Kong had been consistent and would not change. It said its statements and actions on Hong Kong had a common goal, to preserve the autonomy that Hong Kong was promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and promote accountability for those who erode the human rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hongkongers. The 1984 treaty between China and Britain enabled the citys return to Beijing in 1997. We care about Hong Kong because the United States has an enormous stake in Hong Kongs future, from the enduring personal, cultural, and educational ties between our people to our significant business presence there, it said. The United States stands with Hong Kong. Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai meets then US vice-president Mike Pence in the White House in July 2019. Photo: Mark Simon At a press conference on Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the document was a systematic account of Washingtons offensive behaviour since 2019. It is impossible for the United States to succeed with its plot to curb Chinas development The Chinese government will continue to make firm and strong responses to how Washington has interfered with Hong Kong affairs, he warned. Similar accusations were made by the State Councils Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), the local government and the foreign ministrys office in the city. The list of facts is a powerful counter against the US smearing of the Chinese governments rule over Hong Kong and its so-called sanctions on Chinese officials, an HKMAO spokesman said. The citys government lauded the ministry for exposing Americas malicious acts. Hong Kong people can now grasp the facts, understand clearly the years of interference by external forces in Hong Kong and avoid falling prey to the malicious attempts of the US, it said. The foreign ministrys office in the city said the document showed that all moves to play the Hong Kong card to contain Chinas development will prove to be in vain. It is a countermove against the US in forming Aukus Shi Yinhong, international relations professor, Renmin University Hong Kongs security minister John Lee Ka-chiu said in his blog on Saturday that Beijings list allowed the international and local communities to see how the US interfered with Hong Kongs affairs and imposed threats on local officials via sanctions. But he said Beijing would not let the US achieve its goal, as it had restored order by imposing the national security law, overhauling the electoral system and implementing the principle of patriots ruling Hong Kong. Analysts noted the release of the document came shortly after US climate envoy John Kerry said he would visit China again soon and expressed confidence that Xi and Biden would meet face to face in the near future. The leaders held their first phone call since February earlier this month to focus on the way forward for the troubled bilateral relationship. Neither side mentioned whether any issues related to Hong Kong were brought up during the 90-minute conversation. But the Beijing source said the release of the list was a strong signal from the Chinese side that Hong Kong must remain completely off the agenda of any possible summit. According to the insider, the ministrys statement could be taken as a warning to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen who recently said the self-ruled island, which Beijing considers an integral part of its territory, was an independent country already. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Beijings Renmin University, said the statement was aimed at countering recent US efforts including the Aukus security pact with Britain and Australia to curb Chinese influence in Asia-Pacific. It is a countermove against the US in forming Aukus, and its ally Japan has shown support in Taiwans application to join the [Trans-Pacific trade agreement] there is not much new in the statement, but it shows the consistent position of Beijing, Shi said. China specialist Natasha Kassam, director of the Australia-based Lowy Institutes Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Programme, said she believed the move might not be tied to the possible Kerry visit. I wonder if this is more related to the rumours that the US administration had floated a meeting between Biden and Xi, and the Chinese side reportedly declined, she said. Political analyst Lau Siu-kai, from the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said the document showed Beijing no longer has any fantasy about the US on Hong Kong affairs. Not only will China respond to Americas provocation with a firm attitude and action, it will be more forceful in targeting US influence and agents in Hong Kong, he said. Hung Ho-fung, chair of the department of sociology at Johns Hopkins University, said it would be plausible to expect widespread and tough action against American individuals and institutions named in the list or associated with it. The release could be a lead-up to Beijings endorsement of an anti-sanctions law for Hong Kong, which was previously expected in August, he added. Additional reporting by Amber Wang More from South China Morning Post: This article Beijings list of US criminal record in Hong Kong seen as warning city is off-limits in talks, Washington says its just a cover for Chinas own bad conduct first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021. In what could be a cause of concern for Mumbai, the city's fresh cases inched closer to the 500-mark with 497 new infections and five deaths being reported on Thursday, taking the infection count to 7,39,861 and the toll to 16,068. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said 395 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, pushing the number of recovered cases to 7,16,511. The financial capital is left with 4,801 active Covid-19 cases. The city reported a marginal rise in new cases and fatalities as compared to Wednesday, when it witnessed 488 infections and four deaths. ALSO READ | Healthcare Workers, Politicians Secretly Taking Covid-19 Booster Shots in Mumbai: Report Mumbai registered more than 400 cases for the second straight day though the number of daily fatalities did not change much. According to the official, with 41,073 COVID-19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, their cumulative number climbed to 101,00,327. Mumbai had 41 sealed buildings on September 20, the day after the 10-day-long Ganpati festival ended in Maharashtra. The official said at present Mumbai has 51 sealed buildings, though the metropolis has been free of containment zones in slums and chawls (old row tenements) since mid-August. The civic body seals buildings or declares containment zones if at least five residents there test positive for coronavirus. Mumbais Covid-19 recovery rate is 97 per cent, while the case doubling rate has dipped to 1,203 days. ALSO READ | Good News: Indias R-value Drops Below 1; Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai Still Higher The average growth rate of coronavirus cases stood at 0.06 per cent between September 16 and September 22, the BMC official said. This year, Mumbai had reported the highest cases at 11,163 on April 4 and most deaths at 90 on May 1 during the second wave of the pandemic. The daily Covid tally in Maharashtra dropped to a seven-month low on Monday as Ganpati Visrajan kept people away from testing. Earlier, Dr Pradeep Awate, who heads the state epidemiology cell, said there was still concern about the number of daily cases in Pune, Mumbai, Satara and Sangli. He added that the state was expecting a rise in cases after visarjan as was seen in 2020 due to crowding but a drastic hike was not expected. Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here Verstappen didnt check on Hamilton after the race (Getty Images) Max Verstappen has fumed at hypocrites following criticism he received for walking away after he collided with Lewis Hamilton at the Italian Grand Prix. The pair crashed for a second time this season at Monza, the first being at Silverstone, with the Dutchmans wheel landing on Hamiltons roof. After the collision Verstappen was seen getting out of his car and walking away from the scene, with the British star still in his car. There are a lot of hypocrites in the world, thats for sure, he said. I mean, I jumped out of the car and I looked to the left. And hes of course still trying to reverse, shaking the wheel, trying to get away under my car. So I think he was absolutely fine. Also flying on Monday or Tuesday to America to attend a gala [Met Gala], I think you only do that if you feel fine. So I think already there, everything was all under control. The rivals will face one another again in the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday and Verstappen holds a marginal five point lead in the standings. Hamilton was one of the critics of Verstappen for walking away from him and so there could be tension at the race. The 36-year-old said at the time: I did see Max get out and just walk by. I felt that a little bit surprising because ultimately I think when we do have incidents the first thing we want to make sure is the guy that we crashed into, we collide with, is okay. But the good thing is I was able to get out and it was a long walk back but we live to fight another day. The Northeastern coast of the United States, from Delaware to Maine, is warming faster than most of the Northern Hemisphere, according to research published Thursday in the journal Nature Climate Change. In the last century, the regions average summertime temperature has increased by 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. (Globally, average year-round temperatures have risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius.) Climate scientists at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who conducted the study described the warming in the Northeast as exceptional. The reason, they say, is that ocean temperatures are rising especially fast in the North Atlantic. A pedestrian cools off at a hydrant during a heatwave in the East Village, New York, in June. (Nina Westervelt/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The underlying cause is a slowdown in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, a conveyor belt-like system that keeps refreshing surface waters in the North Atlantic. The breakdown of that process allows water to become stagnant and heat more quickly in the waters off the Northeastern United States. The slowdown also could ultimately make other places, such as Europe, colder, by depriving them of the warm tropical waters that are normally sent northward from the Caribbean. But on the U.S. side, a regional wind pattern is also increasing the influence of warmer ocean temperatures, by sweeping the air above the North Atlantic toward the East Coast, according to the study. The Northeast, the most densely populated region of the United States, is already seeing devastating impacts from warmer ocean temperatures, including lobster die-offs near Cape Cod, Mass., devastating flash flooding and more frequent and severe hurricanes sweeping through states like New York and New Jersey. The author of the study, Ambarish Karmalkar, told the Guardian that extreme heat may also become a major issue soon on the East Coast. The exceptional warming weve seen can have serious implications for heat stress and human health, he said. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: To meet Americas Paris pledge, climate policy Avengers must assemble Posted on 24 September 2021 by dana1981 This is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby Blog To meet our share of greenhouse gas emissions cuts as part of the Paris target to limit global warming to well below 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels, the United States has committed to cutting emissions by 5052% below 2005 levels by 2030. Thanks to increasingly clean electricity generation, America has already made some progress toward this goal, currently sitting at about 1520% below 2005 levels, but that still leaves a long way to go without a lot of time left to clean up our act. Thats why the budget reconciliation package currently under consideration by Congress is so critically important. According to a new analysis from Resources from the Future (RFF), an independent and nonprofit research institution, simply continuing current climate policies would leave the U.S. more than halfway short of its Paris contribution, at just 23% below 2005 emissions levels in 2030. RFF and Rhodium Group, another independent research organization, both analyzed how close some of the major climate policies currently under consideration by Congress would bring the U.S. to its Paris pledge. The evaluated policies Both groups evaluated the clean energy and electric vehicle tax credits and incentives as well as the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) included in the outlined legislation. The CEPP as currently drafted by the House Committee on Energy & Commerce (the Senate has yet to weigh in) would offer financial grants to utilities that increase their annual share of clean electricity by at least 4% and charge fines to those who miss that goal. Rhodiums analysis also incorporated the proposed fee on methane pollution from oil and gas operations, as well as funding for agricultural and forestry programs that achieve carbon removal through soil conservation and reforestation. In addition to tax incentives and the CEPP, RFF also evaluated the carbon fee under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee in its analysis. The committees proposed carbon price would begin at $15 per ton of carbon dioxide generated from burning fossil fuels and rise at an unspecified rate. RFF mainly focused on a scenario in which the carbon price rises slowly at first (by $1 per ton 2024 then $2 in 2025, $3 in 2026, $4 in 2027, then $5 in 2028) before increasing by $10 per ton per year starting in 2029, at that point mirroring annual carbon price increase in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. In a secondary scenario, RFF considered a carbon price starting at $15 per ton in 2023 and rising slowly at 5% per year. What did they find? The key finding in both the RFF and Rhodium analyses is that these key policies can achieve most of Americas pledged emissions cuts, but none are sufficient on their own. According to Rhodiums analysis, the clean technology tax credits, CEPP, methane fee, and agriculture and forestry carbon removal funding will curb US greenhouse gas emissions to about 39% below 2005 levels by 2030. RFFs analysis is a bit more optimistic, estimating that the tax credits and CEPP alone could achieve 39% emissions cuts, as could the slower-rising carbon fee considered by the group. The more ambitious carbon fee would cut emissions by about 44% below 2005 levels by 2030, if gasoline were exempted. The emissions cut would improve to 45% if gasoline were subject to the carbon price. A separate analysis released by Senate Majority Leader Schumers office estimated that the measures included in the bipartisan and reconciliation packages so far (including a methane fee but not a carbon price) would achieve 45% emissions cuts by 2030. The common thread among all these analyses is that none meets Americas Paris commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5052% by 2030. But theres good news! RFF also evaluated a scenario in which the final packages include all three: clean technology tax incentives, a CEPP, and a carbon pollution price. In that case, using the more ambitious of its two carbon pricing scenarios, RFF found that the U.S. would achieve 50% emissions cuts by 2030 even if gasoline is exempted from carbon pricing, or 52% if its included. Based on this analysis, which doesnt include other measures like a methane fee, America would meet its newly strengthened Paris pledge. No such thing as too much climate policy The lesson here is that meeting Americas climate commitments is a major challenge, and the more climate policies we implement, the better our chances of achieving those goals. Tax credits and a CEPP would make a big dent by decarbonizing the electricity sector and helping the transition toward electric vehicles, but as the RFF analysis found, a carbon fee would speed up that process by incentivizing immediate emissions cuts while the CEPP ramps up. RFF also found that a carbon fee would lead to significantly reduced carbon emissions in other key sectors, especially from industry and buildings. In short, these policies are complementary, and the more we implement, the more we reduce the risks and consequences of extreme climate change damages. When it comes to climate policies, there is no such thing as too much. Whatever Congress can pass clean technology tax incentives, funding for agricultural and forestry carbon sequestration, funding for better public transit, a CEPP, prices on methane and carbon, etc. will improve our chances to meet the Paris targets. As in the final scene of Avengers: Endgame, we need every climate ally to win the day. To paraphrase Captain America: Climate Avengers, assemble! After a strong start to the year, bitcoin and its fellow cryptocurrencies hit hard times yet again this week. The biggest news, and most wounding setback, was Chinas announcement of new regulations banning all cryptocurrency mining and transactions. The government left no wiggle room: In the worlds most populous nation, buying, selling, and otherwise dealing in crypto is now flat-out illegal. On Friday, 10 government bodies, including the Peoples Bank of China, issued a joint statement vowing to crack down on cryptocurrencies and condemned the technology as a threat to citizens assets and a tool for facilitating criminal activities like money laundering. The price of Bitcoin fell about 8 percent on the news, but regained its footing somewhat later in the day. Other, smaller cryptocurrencies took even bigger hits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has been instituting increasingly restrictive laws on cryptocurrencies in recent years. The country previously made it illegal for corporations to provide cryptocurrency-related services and to run cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. These new regulations go even further, and essentially amount to a wholesale ban on most every activity that allows the cryptocurrency ecosystem to function. Now, even cryptocurrency exchanges outside of the country wont be allowed to serve people living in China. The countrys National Development and Reform Commission also announced that it was cutting power off for cryptocurrency mining operations, which expend large amounts of electricity to solve complex mathematical puzzles for which theyre rewarded with units of digital currency. The agency escalated its campaign to root out unauthorized mining from the country last week by targeting people who pretend to be data researchers in order to hide these energy-intensive activities. Advertisement China has in the past been a popular site for mining due to low electricity costs in areas like Inner Mongolia, but the country is currently experiencing an energy crisis and trying to become carbon neutral by 2050, a goal that cryptocurrency is making harder to meet. In 2019, China was home to 75 percent of the worlds Bitcoin energy consumption. That number dropped to 46 percent in spring 2021, and will likely drop even more sharply with the new restrictions announced on Friday. Advertisement The Chinese governments move to rein-in cryptocurrency also has to do with its desire to exert more control over economic activity in the country. Bitcoin and its brethren were designed as a tool for facilitating transactions without institutional authorities like banks or governments, so allowing them to flourish in any country takes some power away from state actors. China is now trying to supplant bitcoin by creating its own digital currency known as eCNY, which will be backed by the government. However, eCNY has only superficial similarities to bitcoin and doesnt use blockchain, the ledger technology at the heart of all cryptocurrencies. Advertisement Advertisement The unveiling of new restrictions in China wasnt the only development weighing on cryptocurrency this week. Prices for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies also fell on Tuesday in the wake of the collapse of the megadeveloper Evergrande, which used to be Chinas second-largest building company. Evergrandes revenues have not been able to catch up with its lavish borrowing, and now the company is more than $300 billion in the hole. The failure of such a massive entity tanked the stock market and also sparked a huge selloff of cryptocurrencies. Investors tend to cash in on their riskier assets when theres turmoil in the markets, and cryptocurrencies are one of the riskiest financial bets you can make. Bitcoin dropped 5.7 percent in price from Monday to Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. regulators are training their sights on Bitcoin as well. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler spoke at length about cryptocurrencies in an event hosted by the Washington Post on Tuesday, and he didnt seem too optimistic about their future. Gensler noted that he doesnt think theres a long-term viability and later signaled that the SEC is working overtime to create new regulations for cryptocurrency markets that are likely to be quite a bit more aggressive than whats already on the books. Of particular concern for the cryptocurrency is that Gensler left the door open to regulating stablecoins, or cryptocurrency thats pegged to fiat currency, as securities. If that were to be the case, a number of cryptocurrency lending and trading platforms would be in serious violation of SEC rules. Say a prayer for the Winklevii. When the most extreme abortion ban in the country took effect in Texas on Sept. 1, every Texas abortion clinic had to change its operations to comply with the law. The majority curtailed their abortion services to the first six weeks or so of pregnancy, since the law imposes liabilities on providers who would terminate a pregnancy after fetal cardiac activity can be detected. Planned Parenthood South Texas took a different tack. The affiliate of the national Planned Parenthood organization operates several health centers in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, three of which regularly provided abortion care. But when the new abortion restrictions in Senate Bill 8 took effect at the start of this month, they stopped altogether. Advertisement Those whove been following Planned Parenthoods aggressive advocacy for abortion rights in recent decades may be surprised to learn that three of its clinics would voluntarily cease all abortion care when faced with this outlandish law that seems explicitly designed to intimidate providers. The national organizations motto is Care. No matter what. Its website expands on the meaning of the phrase: Planned Parenthood will provide health care services, no matter who you are or where you live. And we wont stop providing carebecause thats what every person deserves. This rhetoric of tenacitywe will never back down; we do not give uppermeates Planned Parenthoods messaging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. So why did the San Antonio clinics back down? It wasnt that they were surprised by the lawJeffrey Hons, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, had been preparing for the onset of S.B. 8 since it was discussed in the state Legislature this spring. By July, when Planned Parenthoods Texas affiliates and other abortion providers in the state filed a class-action lawsuit challenging the measure, Hons and his board of directors already knew that they wouldnt continue performing abortions, even the legal ones, if S.B. 8 was allowed to go into effect. Advertisement Hons refutes the suggestion that suspending legal abortion care is backing down. To call it that is a mischaracterization, he said. As he and his team see it, what they are doing is making a strategic, forward-looking choice: fighting for their patients by joining the lawsuit against S.B. 8 while creating the conditions for long-term sustainability at their clinics. Their reasoning underscores how dramatic and confounding the law is. S.B. 8 allows any person, in or out of state, to sue anyone who performs or helps a patient obtain an abortion in Texas after the detection of fetal cardiac activity. Defendants of such lawsuits could be forced to pay $10,000 or more per case. The law sets no limit on the number of suits that can be brought against a single person, though only one complainant may recover damages from each violation of the law. Hons fears anti-abortion activists could use this provision to drown abortion providers in frivolous lawsuits and allegations of illegal behavior, even if they scrupulously keep their services within the parameters of the law. We know that we are a risk-averse organization, Hons said. We had no way of predicting what right-wing actors would do in response to this law becoming enforceable. Advertisement Advertisement If an abortion provider with the backing of one of the best-known advocacy groups in the country cant stand the heat, who can? So far, Hons approach appears overly cautious. No one has yet sued any of the providers that have stood firm in the face of the law and continued performing legal, early-pregnancy abortions in Texas. The only two lawsuits that have been filed under S.B. 8 are both against Alan Braid, a San Antonio physician who admitted last week in a Washington Post op-ed to violating the law by performing an abortion on a woman whose pregnancy exceeded the legal gestational limit. Both of those lawsuits came from people who claim to support abortion rights and want to force a court ruling on the law. Braid happens to own Alamo Womens Reproductive Services, currently the sole provider of abortion care in the city of 1.5 million people. Since Sept. 1, Planned Parenthood South Texas has been referring patients to that clinic if they believe theyre early enough in pregnancy to receive legal abortion care. Advertisement When I first asked a national Planned Parenthood spokesperson why the South Texas affiliate had ceased performing all abortions, she didnt know. Planned Parenthood, the national organization, does not dictate the operations of its affiliates, so she connected me with Hons. The other two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas, which operate clinics that provide abortion care in Austin, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, and Waco, have continued performing abortions within the legal limits of S.B. 8. Advertisement Hons calls the three San Antonio clinics shift in operations a temporary pause. If a court strikes down the law, or possibly just enjoins the provision that allows private entities to sue abortion providers, the clinics will resume abortion care. But as a reporter who has covered the steadily rising barriers to abortion access for Texas residents over the years, I was frustrated to see three established clinics decide to stop providing legal abortions at this critical moment in the fight. If an abortion provider with the backing of one of the best-known advocacy groups in the country cant stand the heat, who can? Advertisement Advertisement I spoke to one independent clinic operator who feels the same way. Kathy Kleinfeld, the administrator of Houston Womens Reproductive Services, said the San Antonio clinics pause presents an additional challenge to the already-strapped operations of independent clinics, which lack Planned Parenthoods national reach and fundraising capacity. I hate to see people bow down to these scare tactics, she said. Its just unconscionable to me that there are so few providers to begin with in the state of Texas due to previous abortion restrictions that forced dozens of clinics in the state to close, so for another provider to cease providing abortion serviceswere already at a shortage. Advertisement To Hons, ceasing abortion care is a way to play the long game, to make sure his health centers dont end up shuttered like so many other Texas clinics. He fully believes that his affiliate will be able to resume full operations at some point, but that in order to do so, he cannot have the clinics financially and legally hobbled by potential frivolous lawsuits, even if he has the national organization to help. Last year, Planned Parenthood South Texas served 24,900 patients. A little more than 3,000 of those received abortion care. In thinking about how to play with the risks of Senate Bill 8, we have to realize those other 21,000 patientsthey are receiving mission-driven health care as well, Hons said. Planned Parenthood South Texas cannot deprioritize their health care needs. Advertisement Kleinfeld understands that Planned Parenthood provides essential medical careincluding STI testing, cancer screenings, and, crucially, contraceptionthat must continue in the face of restrictions on abortion rights. She points out that Planned Parenthoods national profile has made it a primary target for anti-abortion activists, who have long attempted to drain the organizations coffers and energies with defunding measures, false allegations of misconduct, and violent attacks. It makes sense, then, that Planned Parenthood affiliates might be extra cautious about potential legal distractions. But Kleinfeld worries about the extra burden on independent clinicsespecially the one remaining San Antonio provider, which did not return a request for commentthat are already feeling the strain of the new law. Some clinics are already facing staffing shortages. And S.B. 8 has emotionally drained existing staff members, who must now spend their days turning away patients or attempting to finagle the financial and logistical support women may need to obtain an abortion in a neighboring state. The stress of having to pick up the slack to accommodate more women that might have been able to be seen at additional facilities is just going to add to that, Kleinfeld said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Practical concerns aside, Kleinfeld and other abortion access advocates, who wished to remain anonymous to preserve their relationships in the reproductive rights community, told me they were disheartened by the symbolic implications of Planned Parenthood South Texas decision. Anti-abortion advocates have admitted that they were counting on the mere threat of civil liability to scare abortion providers into limiting their services. Im sorry to see that the oppositions been successful in that regard, Kleinfeld said. For now, at the Planned Parenthood South Texas clinics, when calls come in from pregnant patients who are more than six weeks past their last menstrual period, staff members offer information about abortion clinics across state lines and help secure the financial assistance they may need to get there. The lucky few who are earlier in pregnancy get sent to Braids San Antonio clinic. But Hons said the phone lines have been eerily quiet. That may be due to the way people obtain information about abortion these days: Patients who find their way to the affiliates website will find a banner that says, Due to Texas SB 8 law, we are unable to provide abortion procedures at this time. The clinics pause in abortion care has taken an emotional and psychic toll on staff, Hons said. Those staff are also risk-averse and understand the position that weve taken, but they are eager to get back to saying to our patients, Yes, we can help you. Advertisement It is possible, even probable, that a six-week abortion ban will mean fewer legal abortions in Texas, requiring fewer abortion providers to meet the demand. But at this inflection point for abortion rights in the U.S., even seemingly symbolic gestures can have tangible consequences. Many Texas abortion clinics have added pop-up windows or eye-catching notices to their websites, reassuring viewers that abortion is still legal in the state. They worry that incomplete information about the law might lead abortion-seeking patients to assume the procedure has been fully outlawed in the state, rather than legally available in a very short window early in pregnancy, and give up hope. Texans who need abortion care are already facing unprecedented logistical barriers, a renewed fear of legal consequences, and shaming rhetoric from the political right. Abortion providers are in a unique position to ease some of that burden. Advertisement Advertisement Each week, at a meeting of the Planned Parenthood South Texas senior leadership team, members revisit their decision to halt abortion care, taking into account any new information on the still-evolving landscape of liabilities, threats, and unmet needs S.B. 8 has wrought. I fully expect we will resume abortion care as soon as reasonable, Hons said, noting that multiple lawsuits contesting the law, including one filed by the Department of Justice and the one joined by Planned Parenthood, could still end in decisions that favor abortion rights. Senate Bill 8 is not going to be left standing as it is now forever. I do not believe thats going to happen. On Friday afternoon, the leaders of the unorthodox 2020 election audit in Arizona announced the results of their monthslong, Trump allysponsored hunt for voter fraud in Maricopa County, in a state Joe Biden won by fewer than 11,000 votes out of millions cast.* The timing of the release hints at the significance of the audits findings. For months, Donald Trump has been billing the investigation as the thing that will provide definitive proof of his victory in Arizona. If the audit was going to show that the election was stolen from Trump by Democratic goons in cactus-covered antifa ski masks, why release it late on a Friday afternoon at a time usually reserved for dumps of information people want to go uncovered? Advertisement A leaked report on Thursday evening offered an answer. The ballyhooed and controversially conducted hand count of nearly 2.1 million Maricopa County ballots still showed Biden defeating Trump, and though the margin changed by 360 votes it was actually Biden whose margin of victory grew from 45,109 to 45,469. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. This is yet the latest in a string of defeats for Donald Trump saying the election was rigged and fraudulent, longtime Republican election attorney Benjamin Ginsberg said in a press call with the elections group States United. [This] was their best attempt. This was an audit in which they absolutely cooked the procedures, they took funding from sources that should delegitimatize the findings automatically. This was Donald Trumps best chance to prove his allegations of elections being rigged and fraudulent and they failed. Advertisement It turns out that not even a partisan-funded and -conducted recount using procedures out of a Pee Wee Herman film could change the outcome. The Cyber Ninjas couldnt do the thing they were on the hook to do, said co-chairman of States United Norm Eisen. But that hasnt stopped Trump and the Republican-led audit team from spinning the outcome. Using smoke and mirrors, the Arizona Senates audit team is claiming to have found tens of thousands of anomalous ballots based on spurious datasets, but these claims dont hold up to the slightest scrutiny. You would think that Trump himself would be decrying the audit as the latest fraudulent conspiracy against him by his greatest nemeses: vote counters. Instead, he issued a series of manic (and false) statements complaining that the Fake News is lying about the Arizona audit report and claiming that the audit had uncovered tens of thousands of Phantom voters. Advertisement Advertisement The leaked report conclusively shows there were enough fraudulent votes, mystery votes, and fake votes to change the outcome of the election 4 or 5 times over, Trump claimed. Trump appears to be citing the audit teams claims that it found two critical issues with the vote count and several other smaller anomalies. First, that 23,344 mail-in ballots came from voters who voted from prior address. And second, that there were 10,342 potential voters that voted in multiple counties. Trump claims that these numbers added up, along with a handful of smaller claims around administrative voter roll errors, to more than Bidens total margin of victory. Thus, he insists, there is fraud and cheating in Arizona and it must be criminally investigated! Advertisement Advertisement Again, even a cursory look at the work of the Cyber Ninjas audit team, led by CEO Doug Logan who has been alleging voter fraud since November, disproves Trumps grand statement and the innuendo of the Cyber Ninjas report. There are many reasons to doubt Cyber Ninjas allegation that more than 23,000 voters cast illegal mail-in ballots from the wrong addresses. For starters, Cyber Ninjas compared voter rolls to an admittedly incomplete commercial public database of addresses, called Melissa, which is inaccurate for the purposes of checking voter rolls. Thats not what the purpose of those databases is for. Theyre not for establishing the residence of a voter in Maricopa County to vote, Barry C. Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said on the press call. We dont know how they get their data or what they do exactly, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, that data, which Burden suggests is based largely on mail-forwarding requests that are by nature incomplete, was by Cyber Ninjas own estimates off by tens of thousands of votes. 86,391 individuals were found with no record in the database for either their name, or anyone with the same last name at the address, the Cyber Ninjas draft report concedes. It is expected that a number of these individuals are in fact real people with a limited public record and commercial presence; but it is unclear how large that number is. And yet Cyber Ninjas used this admittedly incomplete dataset to claim there are tens of thousands of what Trump is now touting as phantom voters. Critically, if Cyber Ninjas truly wanted to know where these voters lived and if they voted legally, they could have double-checked with official sources, like the Arizona secretary of states office. Advertisement Advertisement The Ninjas apparently did not make any type of attempt to do that, said Benny White, a Republican veteran election analyst in Arizona, who has spent the past months double-checking Cyber Ninjas work. They just published this report saying all this bad stuff happened. Well, maybe bad stuff happened, but maybe they didnt do the investigation properly. Im going to vote for the latter. Advertisement Setting the bad data aside, there are a number of reasonable explanations for address changes, such as if people are forwarding their mail to a vacation home, or are back home from college, or are temporary caretakers of sick people in the midst of a pandemic. Theyre trying to spin as suspicious circumstances and findings that are not suspicious, said Elizabeth Howard, one of the secretary of states observers of the audit and senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. Advertisement Lastly, as the report notes, Arizona law allows voters to cast their ballots for president in Arizona if they move to a different state in the 29-day period preceding the election, the same period analyzed by Cyber Ninjas. The moved voter claim is not even the biggest lie that Cyber Ninjas and Trump are holding up as proof of fraud. The groups other critical finding was that there were 10,342 potential double voters, a claim which has already been debunked. The Ninjas claimed to have found these double voters by comparing the roughly 2.1 million Maricopa County voters to voters in other counties. Their analysis found more than 10,000 records with the same name and birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The analysis has one fatal flaw. The audit team didnt actually compare birth days and months, just birth years. In a dataset that large, there are statistically bound to be many, many people with the same name and the same birth year. Its a phenomenon called the birthday problem, Burden, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. Advertisement When White, the veteran election analyst, actually did the work of systematically cross-checking the double voters in multiple counties against those counties databases, he found that they were not double voters as Cyber Ninjas and Trump have claimed. I did check those records and in many cases I found that the people had different political party registrations, they had different voting histories, they had different occupations, so my summary of that is that they were in fact different people, White told me. Advertisement Ultimately, the audit was funded with more than $5 million in donations from groups supporting Trumps voter fraud lies (Trump himself reportedly looked into donating to the audit). The sham inquiry was also conducted by a man who has peddled false conspiracy theories that a dead Venezuelan dictator somehow had tampered with voting machines. The most meaningful revelation from the audit is that it found that Biden won by a greater margin than the actual, properly conducted count. And it is obviously unsurprising that such a partisan and untrustworthy affair has concluded that there was likely fraud based on completely fabricated findings. Nevertheless, new audits aimed at overturning Trumps loss are cropping up every day. Republican legislatures in states like Texas and Pennsylvania launched their own audits looking to replicate the disgraceful Arizona model. Sustainability Mohawk Joins Climate Pledge Commercial flooring manufacturer Mohawk Group has joined the Climate Pledge, an effort launched by Amazon and Global Optimism with the aim of accelerating climate action above and beyond the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. The Climate Pledge, launched in 2019, aims for carbon neutrality by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. It includes three commitments: regular reporting, carbon elimination and meaningful, credible carbon offsets. Signatories to the pledge as of this writing number more than 200 and represent more than $1.8 trillion in annual revenues a little more than 2.1% of the gross world product (as of 2020) and are "expected to collectively mitigate 1.98 billion metric tons (BMT) of carbon emissions from a 2020 baseline. This is equivalent to 5.4% of current global annual emissions." In September alone, 83 companies joined the pledge, including Procter & Gamble, HP and Salesforce. According to Mohawk: "Mohawk Group has already begun implementing major manufacturing changes to eliminate its carbon footprint, striving toward a holistic improvement of its flooring's lifecycle to reduce the amounts of water, energy, carbon and waste involved in the process. As of 2022, all Mohawk Group flooring products will be carbon neutral plus an additional 5% carbon offset; the groups carpet tile already meets this goal. With this new initiative, all Mohawk Group hard surface and soft surface floors will have a net positive impact on climate." Further details about the Climate Pledge can be found at theclimatepledge.com. Spain Covid update September 23: cumulative incidence rates drops to 71 cases Fatalities from Covid in Spain continue to be higher than the incidence rate Spain enters the last weekend of September with a positive outlook as the majority of the indicators for the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic have been encouraging this week. As the country edges ever closer to a state of new normal, the experts would expect figures to fluctuate to some degree, but the most important factor, the cumulative incidence rate, has continued its downward trend over the past few days. Cumulative incidence rate The data released by the Ministry of health in Spain on Thursday September 23 shows that the incidence rate over a 14-day period has fallen to 71.86 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is down from 96.3 cases on the same day last week, the first time the rate has dipped below 100 since the end of June. In all, the incidence rate has fallen by 11.57 points since Monday. By autonomous community, Asturias is streets ahead and has already entered the new normal zone with just 18.06 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It is followed by Galicia (50.04), the Valencian Community (53.13) and Castilla y Leon (52.78). Interestingly, both Asturias and Galicia are also leading the vaccination race , with 83.5% and 83.1% of their populations now fully immunised against Covid. On the other end of the scale, the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla continue to lag behind, with 152 and 171 cases per 100,000 respectively, with the Balearic Islands extremely close to dipping below the 100 mark (100.72). Incidence rate by population age group Under 11s: 114.80 cases 12 to 19: 67.17 cases 20 to 29: 73.80 cases 30 to 39: 76.17 cases 40 to 49: 71.00 cases 50 to 59: 56.08 cases 60 to 69: 54.43 cases 70 to 79: 53.71 cases Over 80s: 72.86 cases The figures above speak for themselves, with those under the age of 11 years now accounting for the vast majority of infections, at a rate of 114.8 cases per 100,000. This is of course due to the fact that this population is not currently been offered a coronavirus vaccination. Infections: The autonomous communities have registered 3,031 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, of which 1,307 have been diagnosed in the last 24 hours, down from 4,075 compared to the same day last week, but the number does represent a slight increase from Wednesday (1,449). This new figure brings the total number of people infected with Covid since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,943,855. Fatalities Despite the fact that the cumulative incidence is declining at a steady pace, the Ministry of Health has reported a further 100 fatalities on Thursday. This number is just one fewer than the deaths recorded on the same day last week, and brings the total death toll up to 86,185 people. Hospitalisations There are currently 3,056 patients admitted in hospitals throughout Spain with 867 people being treated in ICUs, representing an occupancy rate of 9.52% and 2.54% respectively. In the past 24 hours, 269 people have been admitted to hospital suffering from coronavirus while 414 patients were discharged. Vaccination data Image: AYTO Torre Pacheco First posters appeared around Sheffield before last Christmas. Anti-Slovak posters first appeared in Tinsley and different parts of Sheffield towards the end of 2020. (Source: Instagram/imjustsheff) A glossary of words is also published online. The Slovak community living in Tinsley, a suburb of north-eastern Sheffield, faced verbal abuse earlier this year, when anti-Slovak posters were pinned to walls in the area. Tinsley needs you. Dont let the Slovaks take our streets, one of the posters told residents, as reported by South Yorkshire Live. The hateful posters accused Slovaks of littering streets, causing problems for the elderly and families, and ruining houses and the community spirit. Lets not lose our community and become like Page Hall, another poster read. Page Hall is an area in Sheffield notorious for gang violence and street brawls. Condemning the posters, Councillor Mary Lea told the website those sentiments were not shared by Tinsley inhabitants, adding that the posters were removed as soon as they were put up. By now, more than 1,800 comments have appeared under a picture of one of the anti-Slovak posters posted by Sheffield News on Facebook, calling it a 'racist' and 'despicable' poster. (Source: Facebook/Sheffield News) Well-established community The Slovak community, which includes some Roma members, has been well-established in Tinsley for several years, the councillor also noted. I know people in Tinsley are not asylum seekers or refugees. They have come over as part of the EU and lived there for 15 years, established themselves in the area - one of the first places they came to was Tinsley, Lea said. Although the posters were reported to the police, no one knew who was behind them. It might just be one person wanting to try and cause a bit of a stir, but we do not know. I hope it stops, Lea said in January. No arrests made At that time, the police told South Yorkshire Live: Police have received several reports from the community in Tinsley about the posters and enquiries have been undertaken to identify those responsible for posting them. The Slovak Spectator approached South Yorkshire Police to ask if they managed to identify those responsible. They said: The investigation into this is still ongoing, however no arrests have been made at this time. The first anti-Slovak posters emerged in the Sheffield suburbs shortly before last Christmas. The Spectator College is a programme designed to support the study and teaching of English in Slovakia, as well as to inspire interest in important public issues among young people. 24. Sep 2021 at 11:00 | Compiled by Spectator staff The million-dollar question the state and towns can hardly answer. No single list of foreigners who are entitled to vote in Slovakia exists. (Source: TASR) Font size: A - | A + A glossary of words is also published online. Nearly two years after settling in Zilina with his Slovak partner, Spaniard Manuel Pineiro Gonzalez knows exactly what he would want the city to look like in the future: more pedestrian and vibrant, with fewer potholes and damaged pavements, and no more shopping malls. Of course, open to newcomers from anywhere across the world, the corporate employee noted. The impact of the foreigner community in Zilina, where the car maker Kia is based, is really low, in his own words, and foreigners are not an interesting group for local politicians. The Spaniard suggests Zilina learn from the Czech town of Brno, where he had lived before moving to Slovakia. Having obtained permanent residence, Pineiro Gonzalez is determined to cast his vote in next years municipal and regional (VUC) elections. A lot of foreigners do not realise they have the right to stand for public office. Spisska Nova Ves Councillor Addy Akram I am a citizen. I have the right to express my political view in the elections, he said. In the 2018 municipal election, Zilina registered 1,869 foreigners who could cast their vote. Trnava, for example, had 1,224 foreigners on its list of voters. Yet, no single list of foreigners who are entitled to vote in Slovakia exists. How many foreigners vote in Slovakia? To vote or get elected in the municipal and VUC elections, foreigners need to only apply for permanent residence. Although 152,902 foreigners lived in Slovakia in June 2021, data provided by the foreigners police does not reveal how many of them in total had permanent residence in the country. The police claim 24,603 third-country nationals had permanent residence in June; most of them came from Ukraine, Russia, the UK, China and Vietnam. But data for 55,882 EU nationals provide no detailed analysis about residence statuses. In addition, Zilina and Trnava do not know how many foreigners actually voted in the previous elections, nor does the Statistics Office. This is common in Slovakia. Related article: Related article: FAQ: How can foreigners vote in municipal elections in Slovakia? Read more When The Slovak Spectator asked the Interior Ministry if they know how many foreigners actually voted, say, in the 2018 municipal election, the ministry responded: As for those who voted in the election, such evidence not only does not exist, but would go against the law. Hence, unless legislation is changed, Slovakia will never know how many foreigners with permanent residence in Slovakia take part in the municipal and VUC elections. Surprised they can vote Unlike some Zvolen-based China-born shop owners approached by The Slovak Spectator who are not interested in casting their votes in the elections despite living in Slovakia for many years, Sanja Nikolov votes in every municipal and VUC elections. She moved to Zvolen, central Slovakia, from Croatia 24 years ago, after the civil war. Asked why she votes regularly, Nikolov, who co-founded the community centre OKO, said: Everything that can affect the quality of life in our region is important to me. Canadian copy editor Naomi Huzovicova votes in a town outside Trnava where she lives. It was her Slovak husband who told her about her right to vote. Nikolov learnt about it from the media. I still feel some civic duty to vote, Huzovicova said, noting her vote can also improve the town she lives in. Related article: Related article: Foreigners community has a big voice, but it needs to be more organised Read more Brazilian Tiago Vigano, a hotel manager living in Bratislava since 2008, was surprised when he learned he could cast a vote: I remember getting a leaflet in our mailbox with overall information. For him, voting is the least he as a citizen can do to change things. However, he, along with other respondents, does not plan to run in elections, citing several reasons. Nikolov said she sees other ways to help her local community. Politics is not for me, Vigano said. Needle in a haystack Several municipalities, including Bratislava and Zilina, told The Slovak Spectator they did not register any foreigners who wanted to run for office in the last municipal and VUC elections. Everything that can affect the quality of life in our region is important to me. OKO co-founder Sanja Nikolov A lot of foreigners do not realise they have the right to stand for public office, Addy Akram from East London, who has lived in Spisska Nova Ves, eastern Slovakia, for almost 30 years, argued. The Briton is thought to be the only foreigner in the country who has become a councillor. When Akram announced his plan to run for local office in 2006, people thought it was a joke. His win thus came as a huge surprise to many people. Unlike entrepreneur Dzemal Kodrazi who moved to Slovakia in the eighties from former Yugoslavia and failed to become the Kosice mayor in 2018, Akrams hardwork has already earned him a third term as councillor. The feeling that I am doing something positive keeps me going, he said. Your Slovak does not have to be completely fluent to carry this job out. I am an example of that. Listen to the latest Spectator College podcast: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1130275900&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true The Spectator College is a programme designed to support the study and teaching of English in Slovakia, as well as to inspire interest in important public issues among young people. 24. Sep 2021 at 11:34 | Peter Dlhopolec Problems with Bratislava bypass opening continue Not all of its stretches will be put into operation on Sunday as officially planned. Not all stretches of the long-awaited D4/R7 bypass of Bratislava will open as originally planned. (Source: TASR) On Sunday, September 26, the last stretches of Bratislava's long-awaited D4/R7 bypass should have been opened. However, only a short stretch with the Luzny Bridge will be put into operation. The remaining two stretches will be opened later as they are lacking the necessary permits, Dennik E reported on Friday. The stretches involved include the last stretch of the R7 dual carriageway near Bratislava. This would mean that vehicles arriving from Dunajska Streda and Samorin could drive at speeds of 130 km/h as far as Pristavny Bridge in Bratislava. Related article Related article Remaining parts of Bratislava ring road to open by the week's end Read more This is the most important stretch of the R7 as drivers can take this dual carriageway only up to the border of Bratislava. From there, drivers must continue along the old road via Podunajske Biskupice. Another stretch that will not open on Sunday is part of the D4 highway, which includes Luzny Bridge. Once the stretch is opened, drivers arriving from Senec, Dunajska Streda and some parts of Bratislava can get to Petrzalka, Austria and Hungary much faster. D4R7 Construction, the consortium building the bypass, reported on the postponement. D4R7 Construction and the relevant authorities agreed yesterday that the last stretches of the D4R7 project will be opened gradually because the organisation of transport in the capital is a demanding process, Tomas Stupavsky, the consortiums representative, wrote in a press release. On Sunday, only the four-kilometre stretch with the Luzny Bridge between Podunajske Biskupice and Petrzalka crossroad will open. The short stretch between the Petrzalka and Jarovce crossroads will remain closed. The consortium promises to open the remaining stretches during the first weekend of October. 24. Sep 2021 at 15:21 | Compiled by Spectator staff https://sputniknews.com/20210923/us-house-committee-chairman-issues-subpoenas-to-meadows-and-bannon-over-jan-6-riot-1089352766.html US House Committee Chairman Issues Subpoenas to Meadows and Bannon Over Jan 6 Riot US House Committee Chairman Issues Subpoenas to Meadows and Bannon Over Jan 6 Riot Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, has issued four rounds of subpoenas for documents and testimony individuals who had... 23.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-23T23:39+0000 2021-09-23T23:39+0000 2021-09-24T00:16+0000 news us mark meadows steve bannon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/14/1083418124_0:83:3072:1811_1920x0_80_0_0_2cc79f387ce6fbff4937c3054a21aaa2.jpg The subpoena orders went out to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Daniel Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel, and former Trump advisor Stephen Bannon.The Committee on Homeland Security's interest in Mark Meadows is a result of reports that he had communications with officials at the state level and in the Department of Justice to prevent the elections certification by congress or overturn the results of the 2020 election. Meadows was also reportedly in contact with organizers of the January 6th rally.Daniel Scavino was with former President Trump on January 5th as he discussed how to convince Members of Congress not to certify the election for Joe Biden. Scavino promoted the January 6th rally on Twitter, and tried to galvanize support, suggesting the rally would be a part of history.Kashyap Patel discussed with senior Pentagon officials before and on January 6th how to handle security at the Capitol. He told reporters that he was in constant contact with Mark Meadows on January 6th. It has been reported that Stephen Bannon got in contact with former President Trump on December 30th, 2020, and urged him to focus his attentions on January 6th. He was quoted saying, "All Hell is going to break loose," in reference to the January 6th rally. He also reportedly attended the Willard Hotel the day before the rally to persuade Members of Congress to block the certification of the election.The subpoenas instruct Meadows and Scavino to appear at depositions on October 14th, 2021, and Patel and Bannon on October 15th, 2021. us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Nevin Brown Nevin Brown News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Nevin Brown news, us, mark meadows, steve bannon https://sputniknews.com/20210924/biden-will-not-invoke-executive-privilege-rule-regarding-trump-activities---white-house-1089384954.html Biden Will Not Invoke Executive Privilege Rule Regarding Trump Activities - White House Biden Will Not Invoke Executive Privilege Rule Regarding Trump Activities - White House WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden is not going to resort to executive privilege with respect to former President Donald Trumps activities and... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T20:37+0000 2021-09-24T20:37+0000 2021-09-24T20:36+0000 joe biden donald trump white house executive privilege /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0b/1088973859_0:54:3071:1781_1920x0_80_0_0_502b30ef9966dac0d28c7f44769333ec.jpg The President has already concluded that it would not be appropriate to assert executive privilege [with respect to Trump]. We will respond promptly to these questions as they arise and certainly, as they come up from Congress, Psaki said during a press briefing.Psaki added that the Biden administration has been working closely with a number of congressional committees and other officials as they continue to investigate the circumstances of what happened on January 6.Executive privilege grants the US president or other officials from the executive branch the power to legally block requests to provide information from legislative or judicial branches.On August 25, the US House of Representatives panel investigating the January 6 Capitol riot sent a letter to the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and four other agencies, requesting records, including those pertaining to the role of Donald Trump in the riot.On January 6, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol in a bid to protest the lawmakers certifying the 2020 election results. Trump has claimed the election results in several US states were invalid due to election and voter fraud and robbed him of election victory. The authorities shot one protester dead during the incident and charged 500 people for participating in the event. https://sputniknews.com/20210923/us-house-committee-chairman-issues-subpoenas-to-meadows-and-bannon-over-jan-6-riot-1089352766.html white house Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 joe biden, donald trump, white house, executive privilege https://sputniknews.com/20210924/canadian-judge-signs-discharge-order-releasing-meng-wanzhou-from-custody-1089385238.html Canadian Judge Signs Discharge Order Releasing Meng Wanzhou From Custody Canadian Judge Signs Discharge Order Releasing Meng Wanzhou From Custody Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou has been detained in Canada since December 1, 2018, when she was arrested for potential extradition to the United... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T21:21+0000 2021-09-24T21:21+0000 2021-09-24T23:54+0000 canada huawei meng wanzhou freedom /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/04/1082248613_0:160:3077:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_7ea54d10b4263cb703fd8b2c846dd2e9.jpg After vacating her bail conditions and signing an order of discharge, British Columbia Supreme Court Associate Justice Heather Holmes has allowed Meng to walk free, ending a debacle that has lasted more than two-and-a-half years.Meng left almost immediately on a plane to China.Meng's freedom from house arrest comes after reaching a deferred prosecution deal with the US Department of Justice. She appeared virtually in a New York courtroom from her mansion in Vancouver, Canada, earlier in the day and pleaded non guilty."Under the terms of the DPA, Meng has agreed to the accuracy of a four-page statement of facts that details the knowingly false statements she made to Financial Institution 1," the DOJ said on Friday, referring to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). "Meng also has agreed not to commit other federal, state or local crimes. If Meng breaches the agreement, she will be subject to prosecution of all the charges against her in the third superseding indictment filed in this case. The government also agreed to withdraw its request to the Ministry of Justice of Canada that Meng be extradited to the United States," it adds.'Political' Charges Damage US-China RelationshipThe three-year affair began when she was detained by Canadian police on December 1, 2018, during a layover at Vancouver International Airport while traveling from Hong Kong to Mexico. An arrest warrant had been issued four months earlier by the US District Court for the District of Eastern District of New York, which accused her of circumventing US sanctions on Iran years earlier by clearing money she claimed was for Huawei, but that was actually for the Iranian tech company Skycom.She was released on December 11, 2018, on $10 million bail and under electronic surveillance, although she was only formally charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud on January 28, 2019. Her extradition case did not begin until January 2020, and the following month, new charges of theft of trade secrets were also brought by the US DOJ.However, according to her defense team, HSBC knew about Huawei's relationship with Skycom, undermining the US' extradition case.Her arrest and extradition case came alongside a wider effort to blacklist Huawei across much of the West, including in the United States and other "Five Eyes" Anglo nations. Washington claimed that Huawei's proximity to the Chinese government gave Beijing leverage to force the company to place "backdoors" in its products that would allow the Chinese government to spy on users of Huawei products, making them a security liability. Both the Chinese government and Huawei denied that such an arrangement existed or that it could even be created if desired. Crookim This is a lesson for important people to avoid transit through the five eyes puppet countries! 18 Martian Good news US should now compensate for absolutely all damaged Huawei and China's have been suffering from the US/ Corporate Profit"s acts of piracy, It is about time for accountabilit! Enough of the US freedom of piracy and international terrorism around the globe! 16 20 canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg canada, huawei, meng wanzhou, freedom https://sputniknews.com/20210924/cia-recalls-top-officer-from-austria-following-failure-to-respond-to-incidents-of-havana-syndrome-1089361714.html CIA Recalls Top Officer From Austria Following Failure to Respond to Incidents of 'Havana Syndrome' CIA Recalls Top Officer From Austria Following Failure to Respond to Incidents of 'Havana Syndrome' From Australia and India to Africa and United States cases of the mysterious "Havana Syndrome" involving US officials continue to grow. Investigations... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T09:39+0000 2021-09-24T09:39+0000 2021-09-24T09:39+0000 us mysterious havana syndrome cuba cia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/07/1081381791_0:0:2965:1668_1920x0_80_0_0_30c5e0dbb6b16a71f2c8a7647b08d829.jpg The Central Intelligence Agency has recalled its top officer in Vienna, Austria, after employees complained about a failure to respond to a growing number of enigmatic health incidents with symptoms related to the so-called "Havana Syndrome", The Washington Post has reported, citing current and former officials.According to the newspaper, the removal should send a message to other intelligence officials as well as other government workers that they should take reports of the ailment seriously.The development follows hot on the heels of a top official in the State Department tasked with overseeing cases of the "Havana Syndrome" resigning after six months on the job. The department said Pamela Spratlen was leaving because she had "reached the threshold of hours of labour" as a retiree. Yet, reports say her resignation could be linked to a recent teleconference with US personnel suffering from "Havana Syndrome" during which the victims asked questions about an FBI investigation that found the mysterious illness was of psychological origin and not physical.Spratlen declined to comment on the veracity of the investigation, which prompted anger among the affected personnel.New HotbedThe first known cases of the unknown illness occurred in 2016 in the Cuban capital, but it wasn't until 2017 that the media reported about them. At the time, a group of US diplomats as well as their relatives suddenly fell ill. Symptoms ranged from severe headaches, constant fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, memory, and hearing, and "cognitive fog". Similar symptoms were also reported by Canadian diplomats in Cuba.A later examination of the affected US officials revealed that they had signs of concussions and other brain injuries. In the wake of the incident, the United States blamed Cuba for what Washington described as "sonic attacks", a claim Havana has categorically denied. Officials later claimed that Russia could be behind the incident.A subsequent investigation failed to provide a clear explanation of what caused the bizarre illness. According to a report by a US National Academy of Sciences panel "directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible" rationale for the ailment. The report did not attribute any blame for the attacks.Since 2016 cases of an unknown illness affecting American personnel overseas have been reported in all corners of the globe, including in Australia, China, Colombia, India, Russia, Taiwan, and even on US soil. According to NBC, around 200 people have been affected by the "Havana Syndrome". Last month, US Vice President Kamala Harris had to delay her trip to Vietnam after two American officials were struck down by an enigmatic illness with symptoms consistent with the "Havana Syndrome".The Austrian capital Vienna has now become a new hotbed. According to The Washington Post, dozens of people, including the children of US employees, have been affected by the ailment, more so than in any other city except Havana. The illness later prompted the closure of the offices of the US mission in Austria, one American official told the newspaper.US intelligence agencies are currently conducting their own investigation into the matter, with the results expected to be released this year. Deputy Director of the CIA David Cohen said the agency is trying to determine the source of the incidents.Earlier this month, a panel of experts affiliated with the Cuban Academy of Sciences issued a report, saying there was no scientific evidence of the purported "attacks" on US personnel in Havana. Terranian The 1st It's really hysterical, the US imbeciles obviously believing in their own BS propaganda nonsense + lies and blaming always others of something when they screw up. If there's some merrit in this hysteria than I thing they should take a closer look at all their electronic equipment they use in all their so-called 'Embassies' they use for their 24/7 spying meddling stealing tech + IP besides plotting scheming all their regime-change/color-revolution + state-terrorist shenanigans. That would be the most rational explanation consider that they happen in all those countries, even in some the US pretend to be an 'Allie'. 2 1 cuba Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Max Gorbachev Max Gorbachev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Max Gorbachev us, mysterious, havana syndrome, cuba, cia https://sputniknews.com/20210924/clinton-campaign-exposed-as-russia-gate-founders-neocons-eye-ethiopia-1089353121.html Clinton Campaign Exposed as Russia-gate Founders; Neocons Eye Ethiopia Clinton Campaign Exposed as Russia-gate Founders; Neocons Eye Ethiopia The Durham probe into the origins of Russia-gate has exposed the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign for pushing lies and propaganda aimed at election influence. 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T08:45+0000 2021-09-24T08:45+0000 2021-09-24T08:45+0000 haiti immigrants hunter biden syria jcpoa the critical hour john durham radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/17/1089353077_14:0:626:344_1920x0_80_0_0_06bc71bba489721557440809c8084f52.png Clinton Campaign Exposed as Russia-gate Founders; Neocons Eye Ethiopia The Durham probe into the origins of Russia-gate has exposed the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign for pushing lies and propaganda aimed at election influence. Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and author of "Danger to Society: Against Vaccine Passports," joins us to discuss Russia-gate. The Durham probe into the origins of Russia-gate has exposed the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign for pushing lies and propaganda aimed at election influence. The latest charging document makes it clear the Clinton campaign and its contractors maliciously worked to spread false information to the press and the FBI.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Covid. The FDA denied President Biden's request for booster shorts for all Americans, but did ok it for those in high-risk categories. Also, hospitalizations continue to be high and the booster debate continues.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss Syria. The Assad government works to rebuild the war-torn nation as their battle against ISIS mercenaries sponsored by Western imperialists comes to an end. Will the US and its allies hang on to a failed regime change strategy or accept reality?National Director for Code Pink Ariel Gold joins us to discuss Israel. Israeli officials have communicated that they are not concerned about the possibility of losing billions in US aid because they are confident that they can work the system to get the money within a few weeks by other means.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss Iran. The President of Iran has said that he sees US sanctions as an alternative method that the US empire uses for warfare. Also, there are rumors that the US has discussed alternate plans to the JCPOA with Israel.Kweku Lamumba, external relations coordinator for KOSSA, joins us to discuss the Haitian immigrant crisis. There are charges of racism as scenes of verbal and physical abuse hit social media from the Mexican border. The immigrants face a desperate situation as food and shelter are scarce and they have no way of knowing what comes next.Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the coup in Guinea. Observers are suspicious about the Africom ties to the coup in Guinea. Also, President Biden's recent discussion of Ethiopia as a threat to US national security seems to indicate that the US empire may be aiming its regime change machine at the beleaguered African nation.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss Evergrande. The Chinese real estate giant Evergrande is facing a debt crisis. However, many economists are concerned that the US debt of 30 trillion dollars and rising is a more immediate threat to world economic health.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com Truth 101 If everyone enjoyed a vegetarian diet, Covid 19 and virtually all illness would disappear. For you would have a Genesis 1:29 diet, a most perfect diet created for the perfect human body, as it would be 10% protein, 10% fat and 80% complex carbohydrates. For USA has the highest death rate for Covid 19 because it has the worst diet on earth, with 45% protein, 50% fat and only 5% complex carbohydrates. And so, put nothing in your grocery cart that is more than 15% fat. In short eat nothing processed by man or animal. 0 1 haiti syria Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg haiti, immigrants, hunter biden, syria, jcpoa, the critical hour, john durham , , radio https://sputniknews.com/20210924/congress-is-a-sinking-ship-says-bjp-allied-nishad-party-chief-in-poll-bound-indias-uttar-pradesh-1089335744.html Congress is a Sinking Ship, Says BJP-Allied Nishad Party Chief in Poll-Bound India's Uttar Pradesh Congress is a Sinking Ship, Says BJP-Allied Nishad Party Chief in Poll-Bound India's Uttar Pradesh With assembly elections in Indias largest state in terms of population, Uttar Pradesh, just six months away, political parties are getting ready. They are... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T11:40+0000 2021-09-24T11:40+0000 2021-09-24T11:40+0000 elections politics narendra modi bharatiya janata party (bjp) india uttar pradesh narendra modi elections politics yogi adityanath /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/18/1089364359_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_a1441a6689c24660e4e2f969b399cff3.jpg The electoral fight has gained momentum in India's Uttar Pradesh state. The opposition is ready to take on the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the latter is highlighting the accomplishments of its government over the years under state chief Yogi Adityanath. Although the state's key opposition parties include the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress, it is various local small parties that hold a significant sway at many places in different communities. These parties are expected to play a vital role in the upcoming polls.These smaller parties have also started formulating plans on how to be more useful for their allies during the upcoming polls. The Nishad Party, one of the political allies of the governing BJP, has been at the forefront of upping its ante on various issues against the main opposition -- the Samajwadi Party, and others.Sputnik spoke to Dr Sanjay Nishad, the chief of the Nishad Party, in an interview to explore various issues, including a recent controversy and, more importantly, his party's strategy ahead of the legislative polls.Claiming his Nishad community holds influence over 160 seats, the leader stressed that the BJP is the best bet in Uttar Pradesh, since other parties have already duped them in the past.Sputnik: The Nishad Party recently desired to secure a deputy state chief post for itself in the Uttar Pradesh government. Has there been any further discussion with the BJP about this?Dr Sanjay Nishad: A deputy state chief from the Nishad Party was just a suggestion from our community and it was not a demand. Our demands have been about reservation and social justice for the Nishad community. Along with this, we also want all river banks and the control of water bodies to be restored to the community. If all these demands are met, we are ready to work on any respectable seat-sharing formula with the BJP.Sputnik: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress' general secretary, has been trying to woo the Nishad community for a while. Do you think you may consider joining hands with Congress in case your party is given ample representation to contest in the upcoming polls?Dr Sanjay Nishad: Everyone wants to stand with those who are competent and in power. The BJP is in power and it has competent leaders while Congress is dying out in the country. In Uttar Pradesh its existence is already finished. The Congress is a sinking ship and I dont think anyone would like to hop on it. When Congress was in power, it was busy looting the country. They didnt think about the Nishad community; now they are talking about it because elections are scheduled. Congress has always preferred Dalits (members of the Dalit community) and ignored other communities. So, we know it is just due to the polls that Congress is trying to appease the community.Sputnik: An Indian media outlet recently published a video showing you talking of selling your share of seats for money and making remarks about state chief Yogi Adityanath. What do you have to say about that? Dr Sanjay Nishad: I made it very clear the same day that the video is fabricated. It is a conspiracy against me and my party. I have already served a notice to those who made that video.This happens every time when someone from a lower caste comes into mainstream politics, some people try to pull them back by doing such conspiracies. Why is there no sting operation conducted on those who have looted the country in the last 70 years?The Nishad Party is the party of those who have been deprived of basic rights and I will continue to fight for them.Sputnik: Is it because of the publication that you have decided to be with the BJP, or do you have a better justification for forming an alliance with it?Dr Sanjay Nishad: As I stated earlier, the whole sting operation is concocted and forged. Forming an alliance with the BJP is not related to this sting operation. There are other reasons due to which we are backing up the BJP.The Nishad Party was formed because our community has been on the margins for about the last 70 years (since Indian independence in 1947). I was a doctor by profession, but when I saw the plight of the people of the Nishad community, I decided to enter mainstream politics. I believe that political power is stronger than God's power and in todays scenario, 90 percent of those who have academic knowledge but no political knowledge are the victims of politics, whereas only 10 percent of them are participants.Congress ruled the country for 70 years but did nothing for our community. Our demand was to give reservations to the people of our community. But Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Mukul Wasnik, who served as the federal ministers for social justice and empowerment, messed up with the file regarding the reservation. This information was revealed in a Right to Information (RTI) application. I have even registered a case against them at the parliament street police station in New Delhi.The Samajwadi Party (SP) as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also didnt do anything for our community when they were in power. We organised several protests raising the demand for reservations and only the current Uttar Pradesh state chief stood by us. He was the one person who said the Nishad community should get the reservation. We want to be listed under the Scheduled Caste category and not under the Backward Class.The BJP is ready to take this up. Therefore, we are in an alliance with it.Sputnik: You recently met top BJP leaders Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda. What key demands did you raise during that meeting?Dr Sanjay Nishad: There were no specific demands as such. We have always stood firm on our demand for reservations and social justice for the Nishad community. Both the senior leaders of the BJP listened to our demand and assured that the state in-charge of the upcoming assembly elections, Dharmendra Pradhan, will take up the issues in the state. Soon, we will meet him also. https://sputniknews.com/20210811/yogi-adityanath-is-the-peoples-choice-says-uttar-pradesh-cabinet-minister-1083569129.html https://sputniknews.com/20210707/bjp-targets-samajwadi-party-as-poster-war-begins-ahead-of-state-election-in-indias-uttar-pradesh-1083325760.html india uttar pradesh Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg elections, politics, narendra modi, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, uttar pradesh, narendra modi, elections, politics, yogi adityanath, india https://sputniknews.com/20210924/crocodile-tears-aoc-slammed-for-apparent-crying-over-house-vote-on-israeli-iron-dome-bill--1089360020.html 'Crocodile Tears': AOC Slammed for Apparent Crying Over House Vote on Israeli Iron Dome Bill 'Crocodile Tears': AOC Slammed for Apparent Crying Over House Vote on Israeli Iron Dome Bill In late May, US President Joe Biden pledged that Washington would replenish the Iron Dome missile shield that was depleted during the Israel Defence Forces'... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T08:31+0000 2021-09-24T08:31+0000 2021-09-24T08:33+0000 us alexandria ocasio-cortez hamas iron dome anti-missile system us house of representatives israel vote gaza /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/14/1082943563_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_953bd25ef38eb6126531aa0dac4ab073.jpg Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has been bashed on Twitter after she voted "no" to a bill on funding Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system. She later switched her vote to "present" at the last minute.She appeared to cry on the House floor and was seen being comforted by her colleagues after the bill was passed by a 420-9 majority on Thursday.Earlier this week, funding for the Iron Dome was cut out of the short-term government bill after the move was reportedly initiated by a group of left-wing lawmakers, including AOC, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib.They, along with other members of the so-called "Squad", purportedly warned the House they would not back the bill if it included the additional $1 billion to fund the Iron Dome.Many users reacted sarcastically to what Daily Mail columnist Meghan McCain described as AOC's "bad theatre", with other netizens tweeting about the Squad member's "crocodile tears" following the House vote in favour of the Iron Dome.This came after another Squad member, Rashida Tlaib, promised that she would not support "a standalone supplemental bill of $1 billion to replenish the bombs Israel used to commit war crimes in Gaza".Tlaib was apparently referring to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF)'s rocket campaign in May that killed more than 200 Palestinians in Gaza, also destroying apartments, health clinics, and a building that contained an Associated Press office. In Israel, at least 13 people were killed. The IDF insisted that they had targeted Hamas, blacklisted by Israel as a terrorist organisation.In late May, President Joe Biden said in a statement that he had assured then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his "full support" in replenishing the Iron Dome air defence system "to ensure its defences and security in the future".The system was depleted earlier in May during a outbreak of violence between the Israel Defence Forces and Hamas militants in Gaza, which saw the system shoot down a majority of the reportedly 4,000 rockets fired at Israel. https://sputniknews.com/20210809/we-shall-see-aoc-wont-dismiss-2022-run-for-chuck-schumers-us-senate-seat-1083565664.html vot tak The article on this subject at RT is much better than this murdoch level neocon propaganda from burunov. At RT: "Crocodile tears? AOC breaks down crying after withdrawing NO vote on funding Israeli missile defense at last minute" ... "Despite her earlier opposition, Ocasio-Cortez switched her vote from no to present at the final moment." & "Yet Omar, Tlaib, Bush and Pressley all voted against funding the Iron Dome, with Tlaib delivering a throaty condemnation of Israels violent apartheid occupation of Palestine and war crimes against the Palestinian people." ... Cops out again, and actually for no logical reason, since her vote would have made no difference. A gratuitous show of subservience to to israel. This explains why the likud extremist psywar machine (basically the majority of extreme right media in the usa) single her out for constant petty bi*chy queen sort of criticism, she is the weak link they can manipulate. 2 vot tak This burunov article drips with pro-israeli/anti-Palestine bias. Thumbs down israeli. 2 11 us israel gaza Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg us, alexandria ocasio-cortez, hamas, iron dome anti-missile system, us house of representatives, israel, vote, gaza https://sputniknews.com/20210924/erdogan-expects-russia-to-change-approach-to-syria-1089366953.html Erdogan Expects Russia to Change Approach to Syria Erdogan Expects Russia to Change Approach to Syria MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkey expects Russia to change its approach to Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his meeting with Russian President... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T11:26+0000 2021-09-24T11:26+0000 2021-09-24T11:26+0000 recep tayyip erdogan world russia vladimir putin turkey syria news /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/09/1082841587_0:345:3026:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_f111d12874910ce525de6fada4001ee7.jpg "I have different expectations from the meeting with Putin. The Syrian regime actually creates a threat on our borders. I expect Russia as a friendly country to show solidarity and pursue a different approach to Syria," Erdogan told reporters.Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed on 23 September with his Syrian counterpart, Faysal Mikdad, the further development of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It was also reported that the issues of further strengthening Russian-Syrian relations were discussed in a "constructive and interested tone." Following the talk with Lavrov, Mikdad told reporters that the international community would have to intervene if Turkish troops were not withdrawn from Syria. The diplomat also claimed that Turkey worked with some countries to aggravate the situation in the northwest of Syria. https://sputniknews.com/20210922/turkey-should-withdraw-from-syria-end-occupation-of-territories---syrian-foreign-minister-1089318591.html Martian Erdogan suffers from extreme amnesia, indeed as it seems he has completely forgotten his humiliation last time in Syria! Or he just ignore it and thinks being a member of North Atlantic Terrorist Organisation gives him protection or a free lunch! 16 wtfud It's time Russia gave Turkey & America 72 hours to pull their Terrorists out of Syria. Enough is Enough. Syrians are Dying. 16 23 russia turkey Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 recep tayyip erdogan, world, russia, vladimir putin, turkey, syria, news https://sputniknews.com/20210924/eu-ready-to-use-blocs-resources-to-protect-polish-border-with-belarus-at-warsaws-request-1089377531.html EU Ready to Use Bloc's Resources to Protect Polish Border With Belarus at Warsaw's Request EU Ready to Use Bloc's Resources to Protect Polish Border With Belarus at Warsaw's Request MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union welcomes the idea of protecting the bloc's shared border using common resources against the dire situation at the... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T15:41+0000 2021-09-24T15:41+0000 2021-09-24T15:41+0000 belarus europe poland /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105114/60/1051146004_0:0:1024:577_1920x0_80_0_0_2e213e14d93317af707ad9e961ae683a.jpg In recent months, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have reported an increasing influx of undocumented migrants trying to cross into the EU from Belarus. Matters worsened earlier this week when Minsk said its State Border Committee officers found an unconscious Iraqi migrant on the border with Poland, who was presumably beaten up and left by the Polish guards.Brussels is alarmed by events on the border with Belarus and urges Polish authorities to manage the border in such a way that people there are protected, the spokesman added.Brussels has repeatedly accused Minsk of contributing to the migration crisis, saying the Belarusian authorities are using migrants as a "hybrid weapon" against the bloc after it imposed sanctions on Minsk. Belarus, in turn, said that it could no longer suppress migration to neighbouring countries due to the lack of resources caused by Western sanctions against the country. belarus poland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 belarus, europe, poland https://sputniknews.com/20210924/ex-catalan-leader-puigdemont-released-from-arrest-but-not-permitted-to-leave-sardinia-1089372667.html Ex-Catalan Leader Puigdemont Released From Arrest But Not Permitted to Leave Sardinia, Report Says Ex-Catalan Leader Puigdemont Released From Arrest But Not Permitted to Leave Sardinia, Report Says The politician was detained by the Italian authorities on Thursday in accordance with an arrest warrant filed by Spanish officials. Madrid has demanded that... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T14:08+0000 2021-09-24T14:08+0000 2021-09-24T14:53+0000 europe carles puigdemont spain catalonia italy arrest /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104618/29/1046182934_0:0:3495:1966_1920x0_80_0_0_799f40b272473b67cac94bce7a5117b1.jpg Carles Puigdemont, who was previously detained in Sardinia, has been allowed to walk free by an Italian court, El Pais newspaper reported on Friday. The outlet noted, however, that he was ordered not to leave the island.At the same time, the politician's lawyer stated that his client has not been released yet, but is waiting for a court ruling.The former Catalan leader arrived in Sardinia to meet with regional politicians and to participate in a folk festival.The fugitive politician was arrested after the Spanish Supreme Court earlier this week convicted 12 Catalan separatist leaders for sedition, disobedience, and the misuse of public funds, sentencing them to prison terms of up to 13 years.Puigdemont had to leave Spain in 2017 after an independence referendum was held in Catalonia. The Spanish authorities deemed the referendum on secession illegal and arrested multiple politicians, while Puigdemont fled to Belgium. A Belgian judge suspended the extradition process against him, citing immunity since he had been elected to the European Parliament.However, in 2021, the European Parliament stripped Puigdemont - as well as two other Catalan MEPs, Antoni Comin and Clara Ponsati - of their immunity. This step paved the way for possible extradition to Spain, as Madrid reissued arrest warrants for the politicians in 2019. spain catalonia italy Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Evgeny Mikhaylov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080390164_0:0:1440:1440_100x100_80_0_0_46c187f2ab0908f86849a7d09a7def57.jpg Evgeny Mikhaylov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080390164_0:0:1440:1440_100x100_80_0_0_46c187f2ab0908f86849a7d09a7def57.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evgeny Mikhaylov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080390164_0:0:1440:1440_100x100_80_0_0_46c187f2ab0908f86849a7d09a7def57.jpg europe, carles puigdemont, spain, catalonia, italy, arrest https://sputniknews.com/20210924/france-sweden-to-deepen-defence-cooperation-to-meet-challenges-from-russia-china-1089357421.html France, Sweden to Deepen Defence Cooperation to Meet 'Challenges' From Russia, China France, Sweden to Deepen Defence Cooperation to Meet 'Challenges' From Russia, China The nations' Defence Ministers Florence Parly and Peter Hultqvist cited Russia's recently completed Zapad drills as a "demonstration of strength" and... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T06:17+0000 2021-09-24T06:17+0000 2021-09-24T06:17+0000 france news military & intelligence europe sweden peter hultqvist florence parly /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/16/1089309677_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3d351347ea4d7fe1f1972c5b1f587356.jpg Today, Friday, Sweden and France will sign a declaration of intent on in-depth defence cooperation.According to both countries' militaries, the idea is to boost the ability to carry out joint efforts, whenever necessary. This cooperation will also include crisis management, measures to boost resilience, capacity building, and partnership.To mark the occasion, Defence Ministers Florence Parly and Peter Hultqvist have penned an opinion piece in the newspaper Dagens Nyheter, laying out the foundations of the future cooperation and explaining the threat picture that allegedly includes Russia and China.Above all, the ministers stated that we live in an "unpredictable time", venturing that geopolitical challenges are greater and more complex now than at any time since the Cold War and suggesting that "global commons" such as space, cyber, our oceans, and skies are "increasingly contested". They then proceeded to single out concrete threats.Among other things, Moscow's recently completed Zapad drills carried out in western Russia and Belarus was called a "demonstration of strength" showing Moscow's "extensive military capability". China, by contrast, was suggested as using its economic power and "increasing military influence" in many parts of the world. Furthermore, both nations were named as threats in terms of disinformation and hybrid activities that have "become part of the new normal".In other parts of the world, especially in the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa, extremism, terrorism, trafficking in human beings and drugs was named a threat to Europe's internal and external security.To counter the said threats, the two ministers called to bolster Europe's common security and increase its "strategic autonomy". This despite Peter Hultqvist having been a staunch opponent of the idea of a united EU force, floated in France and by various EU politicians.Citing common interests, values, and a shared history of France and Sweden, the two ministers called for more active military and security cooperation between the two countries, which at present includes the Task Force Takuba in Mali, to which Sweden contributes 150 soldiers, as well as numerous regional drills such as Aurora, Arctic Challenge, and Northern Coasts.Unlike NATO member France, Sweden remains formally non-aligned, despite having bolstered its military cooperation with the alliance and the US in recent decades and regularly contributing to their overseas operations, including in Libya and Afghanistan.Of late, Sweden's establishment, including politicians, military bosses (including Defence Minister Hultqvist himself), and leading opinion journalists, have repeatedly used the "assertive" and "aggressive" Russia narrative as a pretext for assuring military build-ups and budget hikes, including re-militarising the formerly demilitarised Baltic island of Gotland, which was previously identified as a possible "springboard" for a Russian "invasion", as well as the establishment of new regiments. Similar narratives are prevalent among Sweden's Nordic neighbours.Russia, for its part, has said that changes in Swedish military spending "cannot but cause concern". As suggested by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Stockholm's "trumped-up anti-Russian phobias" are largely a result of external pressure, primarily from NATO, to which Sweden is moving closer.Russia's last war with Sweden concluded just over 212 years ago, resulting in the establishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian crown.French troops were last on Russian soil following the 1917 October Revolution as part of the Entente's intervention force that was driven out shortly thereafter. wtfud It was only yesterday that it was reported that France was considering cosying up to Russia after the AUKUS BS. Secondly SWEDEN is a US vassal, so how's that gonna work? 2 mandrake It is what happens when the minister (swedish one) is bought and will be paid by the mic once hes out of public life - meanwhile the agreement with France will give the minister ample occassions to purchase further weaponry from the mic and at the same time accumulate further bribes payable in the future! Sad! 1 2 france sweden Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov france, news, military & intelligence, europe, sweden, peter hultqvist, florence parly https://sputniknews.com/20210924/greta-thunberg-joins-fridays-for-future-rally-in-berlin-1089360413.html Greta Thunberg Joins Fridays for Future Rally in Berlin Greta Thunberg Joins Fridays for Future Rally in Berlin Thunberg's school strike inspired a series of protests against climate change around the globe, called Fridays for Future. In December 2020, she was named Time... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T10:03+0000 2021-09-24T10:03+0000 2021-09-24T10:03+0000 news world environmental activism greenpeace greta thunberg /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0b/1b/1081288792_0:42:1281:762_1920x0_80_0_0_b99cb673abab06bccfd77ab80da49622.jpg Sputnik is live from Berlin, Germany, as environmental activist Greta Thunberg is participating in a Fridays for Future youth march to call on the authorities to take political action on climate change. To date, more than 400 events have been planned across Germany, with the Swedish activist expected to speak outside the parliament, the Bundestag.The Fridays for Future movement is known for launching school strikes around the globe more than two years ago arguing that time was running out to stop irreversible damage from global warning.Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more! Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Greta Thunberg Joins Fridays for Future Rally in Berlin Greta Thunberg Joins Fridays for Future Rally in Berlin 2021-09-24T10:03+0000 true PT235M20S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 news, world, environmental activism, greenpeace, greta thunberg, https://sputniknews.com/20210924/huawei-cfo-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-us-charges-in-plea-deal-reports-suggest-1089375530.html Huawei CFO Expected to Plead Guilty to US Charges in Plea Deal, Reports Suggest Huawei CFO Expected to Plead Guilty to US Charges in Plea Deal, Reports Suggest TORONTO (Sputnik) - Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is expected to plead guilty to the US charges of fraud against her and pay a fine as part of a plea deal that will... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T14:59+0000 2021-09-24T14:59+0000 2021-09-24T14:59+0000 world canada united states huawei meng wanzhou /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/15/1080524121_0:27:3103:1772_1920x0_80_0_0_aec876c90cdd84ed961f62b551d006b7.jpg Canadian state broadcaster CBC confirmed a Reuters report that Meng will plead guilty in a New York court later in the day. The US District Court for the Eastern District of New York charged Meng with fraud in late 2018.It is expected that the extradition process against Meng - conducted in the Supreme Court of British Columbia - will be stayed pending the deal in New York, and the Huawei CFO will be set free and allowed to leave Canada.The British Columbia Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Sputniks request to confirm that a court hearing date has been set.Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on 1 December 2018, at the Vancouver International Airport during a layover stop at the request of the US government.The extradition hearings against the Huawei CFO concluded in August, and the presiding judge was expected to give her recommendation on the United States extradition request to Canadas Attorney General and Justice Minister later in the fall. vot tak As usual, reuters and the cbc are full if govno. See: "Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud, Conspiracy Charges After Reaching Deal With US" also posted here at Sputnik. 1 Francesco Slossel Gli Stati Uniti con i Loro vassalli, Israele in primis, compiono le piu atroci nefandezze e pretendono da altri l ammissione di colpevolezza per colpe create ad hoc con sanzioni unilaterali?!? Sarei felice di sapere dove si trova lo stato di diritto... 0 2 canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, canada, united states, huawei, meng wanzhou https://sputniknews.com/20210924/hunter-biden-asked-for-2-mln-from-democratic-donors-to-help-unfreeze-libyan-assets-report-1089357009.html Hunter Biden Asked for $2 Mln From Democratic Donors to Help Unfreeze Libyan Assets: Report Hunter Biden Asked for $2 Mln From Democratic Donors to Help Unfreeze Libyan Assets: Report The newly revealed emails are reportedly unrelated to those on Hunter Biden's purported laptop found at a repair shop in Delaware in 2019 and which indicated... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T05:56+0000 2021-09-24T05:56+0000 2021-09-24T05:56+0000 barack obama joe biden hunter biden us libya assets emails /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/10/1081483649_0:145:1785:1149_1920x0_80_0_0_c88a4178c1f09bf4f6d15304857d8146.jpg Between 2015 and 2016, Hunter Biden asked for a $2 million annual retainer plus "success fees" to help two Democratic donors unfreeze Libyan assets during the Obama administration, according to new emails obtained by Business Insider. The White House has not yet commented on the matter.The news outlet reported that the first email, which dates back to 28 January 2015, was sent by donor Sam Jauhari to another donor, Sheikh Mohammed al-Rahbani. The document underscores Hunter Biden's role as chairman of the UN World Food Programme, and his relationship with then-Secretary of State John Kerry and his then-vice president father.At the same time, Jauhari made it clear in the email he was concerned that Joe Biden's son might pose problems in their efforts to unfreeze Libyan assets.The second email dated 26 February 2016 purportedly focuses on Hunter Biden's role in a Libyan project mentioned by John Sandweg, a lawyer who served as Obama's acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency at the time."I spoke with HB [Hunter Biden]'s team yesterday. They are interested in the project, but emphasised that for them to get involved, the team (lobbyists, lawyers, and PR) would need to be a small group of folks they have a tight relationship with. They do not want a large group involved and they only want people with whom they have a close relationship with due to the sensitivities surrounding their involvement", Sandweg reportedly wrote.'Laptop From Hell' Scandal Business Insider underlined that the emails were "not connected" to those found on a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden that he ostensibly took to an IT store in 2019 to get repaired, but never returned to collect.The laptop, which was eventually dubbed the "laptop from hell" by the media, contained numerous photos apparently taken by the younger Biden himself, as well as a trove of documents, which questioned claims by Joe Biden that he never used his former office of vice president to help his son in his foreign business dealings.The documents, uncovered by the NY Post, suggested that the younger Biden arranged a meeting between one of the members of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, probed for corruption in the past, and his father, who served as the US vice president at the time.The laptop's hard drive also purportedly contained information about murky business dealings between Hunter Biden and Chinese companies, including firms potentially affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. Joe Biden has repeatedly denied all the allegations of misconduct either by him or his son. https://sputniknews.com/20210119/natural-instinct-bidens-brother-reveals-how-joe-took-hunter-off-guilt-train-amid-laptopgate-1081809425.html Mike Literous Joe Pedo Bidet needs shooting in the face, filthy old sex offender 1 1 us libya Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg barack obama, joe biden, hunter biden, us, libya, assets, emails https://sputniknews.com/20210924/icc-lawyer-says-mh17-crash-probe-should-include-russia-to-ensure-objectivity-1089361554.html ICC Lawyer Says MH17 Crash Probe Should Include Russia to Ensure Objectivity ICC Lawyer Says MH17 Crash Probe Should Include Russia to Ensure Objectivity PARIS (Sputnik) - The Dutch-led investigation (JIT) into the 2014 crash of the MH17 Malaysian flight in eastern Ukraine should have included Russia as keeping... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T09:03+0000 2021-09-24T09:03+0000 2021-09-24T09:03+0000 netherlands mh17 news world russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102932/64/1029326463_0:159:3076:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_646bc01308510ea2f42f58a75a0e8498.jpg During the hearing in the case held on 13 September, Dutch prosecutors said that Russia allegedly was not fully cooperating on the probe. At the same time, the JIT was the one to ban Moscow from participating in the international investigation.While international law does not forbid the initiation of criminal proceedings in the country where the alleged injured party is residing most of the victims were Dutch it was nevertheless possible to choose a location for the trial outside the Netherlands, as a matter of objectivity, Knoops said, recalling the Pan Am flight 103 bombing in Scotland's southern Lockerbie town in 1988."For instance, in the Lockerbie case, the international community opted for the trial against the two defendants taking place outside Scotland, namely within the Netherlands. This is therefore a matter of international diplomacy and negotiation rather than based on a rule of international law," he said.Additionally, the Dutch law holds that victims of an alleged crime can address the court on the impact of this crime on their life but the court cannot use these statements as "evidence."The Kuala Lumpur-bound Malaysian Boeing crashed in July 2014 while flying over a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, leaving all 298 people aboard dead. An international group of investigators has claimed that the plane was downed by a Buk missile belonging to the Russian armed forces an allegation repeatedly denied by Moscow.Russia said it has provided the Dutch investigators not only with Russian radar data but also the documents proving that the Buk missile, which hit the Boeing, actually belonged to the Ukrainian forces and was launched from the territory controlled by Kiev.Legal proceedings began in the Netherlands on 9 March 2020, with three Russians and one Ukrainian as suspects: Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Leonid Kharchenko. Court hearings on the case began in June. https://sputniknews.com/20210907/defence-in-mh17-case-failed-to-query-late-expert-who-had-info-on-buk-missile-system-1088853631.html Terranian The 1st He probably didn't got the memo? After the downing of MH17, the spin + fabrication of the 'Blaming Russia' started on the spot when the corpses of the victims are still warm and NO informations were available about anything. The [phony]conclusions at the dutch sham trial were writen before the trial even started. 1 1 netherlands russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 netherlands, mh17, news, world, russia https://sputniknews.com/20210924/india-central-to-frances-indo-pacific-vision-but-unlikely-to-get-nuclear-technology-says-expert-1089324307.html India 'Central' to France's Indo-Pacific Vision, But Unlikely to Get Nuclear Technology, Says Expert India 'Central' to France's Indo-Pacific Vision, But Unlikely to Get Nuclear Technology, Says Expert On 15 September, Australia, UK, and the US announced the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. The pact's first initiative will see Australia acquiring... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T19:49+0000 2021-09-24T19:49+0000 2021-09-24T19:48+0000 aukus joe biden narendra modi emmanuel macron asia & pacific china australia scott morrison subrahmanyam jaishankar nuclear non-proliferation treaty (npt) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/12/1089178676_0:4:700:398_1920x0_80_0_0_bbd6c5fd266905c750e5c96a2ecf8147.jpg While India has always been central" to France's Indo-Pacific strategy, "non-proliferation" has been a "major focus" of Paris' and the European Union's engagements in the region, said Eva Pejsova, a political analyst specializing in the Indo-Pacific at Paris-headquartered think tank Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, or Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), in remarks to Sputnik.Pejsova, the leader of the Japan Programme at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), states that cooperation in security and defence has been flourishing and the two countries share a number of common objectives in the region. "It is no doubt we will see closer cooperation in the future.The assessment is in line with the European Union's (EU) new Indo-Pacific Strategy, unveiled on 16 September.While the strategy document calls for boosting Indo-Pacific partners capacity to ensure maritime security, it also calls for intensifying dialogues among nations on non-proliferation and disarmament.However, a face-to-face meeting was held between French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. It was followed by a telephone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All this sparked a renewed optimism in Indian strategic circles about the possibility of New Delhi acquiring the technology to build SSNs (nuclear-powered attack submarines) from Paris.The French Embassy in India has refused to comment on whether a discussion on the transfer of nuclear submarine technology took place during recent leadership interactions between the two nations.At present, the Indian Navy operates just one Arihant-class SSBN (nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine) that it has on lease from Russia. While India is looking to develop at least six SSNs, based on advanced technology, by 2032, it does not as yet possess the expertise to execute a naval undertaking of this size.As reported by the India Today news outlet on 20 September, the Indian Navy has been upset about a US decision to transfer advanced nuclear submarine technology to Australia, even as it has denied the same to India for several decades. In doing so, Australia concurrently nixed a $66 billion contract with France, signed in 2016, for delivering conventionally-powered submarines.Consequent to the AUKUS pact, France also pulled out of a trilateral pact between New Delhi, Paris, and Canberra. The first India-France-Australia trilateral dialogue had been held in May, on the sidelines of the 2021 G-7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in London.Officially, New Delhi has denied that the AUKUS deal will have any impact on its ties with Washington, either on the bilateral level or in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising Australia, India, Japan and the US.The QUAD has adopted a positive proactive agenda, with, as I said, a wide range of initiatives at the global level, to address some of the issues of the day. This includes dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the supply of vaccines to the Indo Pacific region, it includes working on new and emerging technologies, working on issues like climate change, infrastructure, maritime security, education, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a press briefing on 21 September. He was reacting to concerns expressed in India about AUKUS reducing the significance of the Quad.On the other hand, AUKUS is a security alliance between three countries. From our perspective, this is neither relevant to the QUAD, nor will it have any impact on its functioning, Shringla added.Pejsova, however, argues that the AUKUS grouping is indeed not only about submarines.Despite geopolitical friction over the deal, Pejsova says that it is important that countries unite to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.Concerns Over Nuclear ProliferationWhile India, which is reportedly seeking SSN technology for its own defence needs, has bought into Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's assurance that Canberra does not intend to acquire nuclear weapons, other regional governments, such as China, Malaysia, and Indonesia have expressed fears of a new arms race in the region.Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has called upon Australia to respect Malaysias existing stance and approach to nuclear-powered submarines. Reuters reported on 22 September that Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had proposed an immediate working trip to China to discuss AUKUS.China, meanwhile, has accused the AUKUS of threatening regional stability through nuclear non-proliferation. https://sputniknews.com/20210920/us-has-no-intention-to-extend-nuclear-powered-sub-support-to-other-countries-after-australia-1089246651.html https://sputniknews.com/20210921/aukus-will-not-have-any-impact-on-quad-says-indian-foreign-secretary-ahead-of-leaders-summit-1089269522.html https://sputniknews.com/20210920/not-a-defence-pact-australia-reassures-asean-as-malaysia-indonesia-see-red-over-aukus-1089227821.html china australia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Dhairya Maheshwari Dhairya Maheshwari News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Dhairya Maheshwari joe biden, narendra modi, emmanuel macron, asia & pacific, china, australia, scott morrison, subrahmanyam jaishankar, nuclear non-proliferation treaty (npt), indian navy, quadrilateral security dialogue (quad), india, aukus https://sputniknews.com/20210924/kim-jong-uns-sister-responds-to-seouls-proposal-to-officially-end-the-korean-war-1089364684.html Kim Jong-un's Sister Responds to Seoul's Proposal to Officially End the Korean War Kim Jong-un's Sister Responds to Seoul's Proposal to Officially End the Korean War North Korea and South Korea are still technically at war as the 1950-1953 conflict ended without a peace agreement, but an armistice. In recent years, the... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T11:06+0000 2021-09-24T11:06+0000 2021-09-24T11:06+0000 south korea kim jong-un asia & pacific kim yo-jong moon jae-in north korea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/0d/1081747566_0:159:3077:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_d78c674edda7d8f4807de80773f19bd6.jpg Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has responded to a statement made by South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. Mr Moon proposed to declare an official end to the Korean War, noting that such an act would "make irreversible progress in denuclearisation and usher in an era of complete peace".Kim Yo-jong, who South Korean media claims has been appointed to lead relations with Seoul, said it was "admirable" of South Korea to make such a proposal, but stressed that the Blue House first needs to stop its "hostile policies" before attempting to strike a peace agreement with its neighbour. At the same time, Ms Kim noted that the Pyongyang would be willing to hold negotiations with its neighbour if the latter stops provocations.The official, who is considered one of the most important voices in the government's decision-making, did not elaborate on the South's hostile policies, but previously Pyongyang has harshly condemned Seoul's joint drills with the United States and the sending of propaganda leaflets to the North. The latter resulted in an unexpected escalation of tensions last summer, with the North destroying an inter-Korean liaison office used as a de facto embassy and a communications channel between the two countries. Following the destruction, South Korea banned activists from sending leaflets to North Korea. Earlier this month, both sides traded accusations after Pyongyang carried out two ballistic missile tests, while Seoul test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. BillOwens End the war by signing a permanent treaty, without the US. US not needed. Then, work to demilitarize the peninsula. 3 babai They should sit down, share some kimchi, a glass or two of soju and smoke the peace pipe. 2 3 south korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Max Gorbachev Max Gorbachev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Max Gorbachev south korea, kim jong-un, asia & pacific, kim yo-jong, moon jae-in, north korea https://sputniknews.com/20210924/kremlin-on-taliban-invitation-to-moscow-we-have-to-further-monitor-their-activities-1089363417.html Kremlin on Taliban Invitation to Moscow: We Have to Further Monitor Their Activities Kremlin on Taliban Invitation to Moscow: We Have to Further Monitor Their Activities MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Speaking on the possibility of inviting a delegation of the Taliban* to Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is necessary to... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T10:01+0000 2021-09-24T10:01+0000 2021-09-24T10:10+0000 afghanistan asia & pacific russia afghanistan dmitry peskov /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1d/1083747449_0:0:1922:1082_1920x0_80_0_0_6675b0fc968345099728bb8c7f1383e5.jpg Earlier, Afghan Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid told Sputnik that the Taliban government would like to pay a visit to Moscow. A source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that Moscow and Kabul are negotiating this.The Taliban took over the country last month amid the ongoing withdrawal of US forces. The militants entered Kabul on 15 August, announcing the end of the war there, while President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan. The last province to resist the Taliban, Panjshir, was seized on 6 September.A new interim government was formed afterwards, with Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who served as a foreign minister during the first Taliban rule, becoming the head of the cabinet. *The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations. russia afghanistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 asia & pacific, russia, afghanistan, dmitry peskov https://sputniknews.com/20210924/lying-diplomacy-china-hits-out-at-india-japan-as-quad-members-accused-it-of-economic-coercion-1089368572.html 'Lying Diplomacy': China Hits Out at India, Japan as Quad Members Accused It of Economic Coercion 'Lying Diplomacy': China Hits Out at India, Japan as Quad Members Accused It of Economic Coercion The Quad nations - a India, the US, Japan, and Australia - have been trying to cut their economies' dependence on China for a long time. But, commerce data... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T16:55+0000 2021-09-24T16:55+0000 2021-09-24T17:56+0000 nuclear yoshihide suga narendra modi us us japan australia trade quadrilateral security dialogue (quad) us-china trade war /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105155/29/1051552979_0:4:3750:2113_1920x0_80_0_0_60344f27d8b84cc73b942d6022c610b7.jpg On Friday, China blasted India and Japan after Quad members accused Beijing of employing "economic coercion" in the Indo-Pacific region. Zhao Lijian, a spokesman of China's foreign ministry, said "lying diplomacy" and "smearing diplomacy" are not constructive and must be stopped. The Chinese spokesman launched his scathing attack after Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga discussed the issues of the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and economic coercion, in a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday.Zhao also said that China has committed itself firmly to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and the country is ready to handle differences with countries through consultation and negotiation.Modi and Suga have reaffirmed their intention of working closely with each other and with the other Quad members to form an international maritime order based on the rule of law.Measures such as high import tariffs, dumping of products at lower rates, among others, allegedly done by Beijing in the past two years against the countries in the region, are considered by the Quad as "economic coercion". On 16 September, Australia and the US also called China out for "the coercive use of trade and economic measures that undermine rules-based trade"."All countries should be free to make security, political, diplomatic, and economic choices free from external coercion, and that they view close US-Australian coordination as critical to this end, including to support countries in the Indo-Pacific region," a joint statement issued after the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations read.Beijing has rolled out tariffs, and other trade actions against Australian export sectors, including barley, wine, seafood, and coal, after a diplomatic row erupted between them in the wake of a ban on tech giant Huawei from Australia's 5G network. https://sputniknews.com/20210918/india-keeping-all-options-open-as-china-could-share-nuke-submarines-with-pakistan-says-navy-veteran-1089178775.html us japan australia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg nuclear, yoshihide suga, narendra modi, us, us, japan, australia, trade, quadrilateral security dialogue (quad), us-china trade war, india, aukus, news https://sputniknews.com/20210924/manchester-uniteds-glut-of-attackers-giving-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-headaches-1089383393.html Manchester Uniteds Glut of Attackers Giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Headaches Manchester Uniteds Glut of Attackers Giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Headaches According to Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the squad might have too many attackers. With Edison Cavani now fit, Solskjaer admits, that his... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T18:59+0000 2021-09-24T18:59+0000 2021-09-24T20:13+0000 manchester united cristiano ronaldo paul pogba ole gunnar solskjr football sport /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0f/1089090002_0:80:2915:1719_1920x0_80_0_0_5d9aaf6cb83cc87493c19557800c05a4.jpg Manchester United has more attacking talent than they have available spots in their starting eleven. United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has five credible attackers in Cristiano Ronaldo, Edison Cavani, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, and Mason Greenwood to pick from. He could always roll the dice and select all of them, a proposition only realistic in the virtual confines of a video game, but since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, he has opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation.Solskjaer has played Ronaldo at central forward, although he has the license to roam where he pleases, with three attacking midfielders behind him. Bruno Fernandes has occupied the central attacking midfielder role, while Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, and Paul Pogba have split time playing as wide attacking mids. This set-up gives the trio the opportunity to play to their strengths: Sancho as a winger, Greenwood as a forward, and Pogba as a midfielder. But, it doesnt offer any clear-cut tactical identity. However, the return of Edison Cavani presents Solskjaer with an interesting proposition.Edison Cavani, even at an advanced age, remains one of the more versatile central forwards in the Premier League. The Uruguayan is a tactical swiss-army knife in attack. Need hold-up play? Link-up play? Runs? Aerial duels? Goals? Assists? You name it, Cavani can deliver. In many respects, he has the ability to offer Ronaldo what Karim Benzema did during their time at Real Madrid. While Cavani hasnt played much at the club level in a two-striker set, he has a wealth of experience playing next to Luis Saurez for the Uruguayan national team. Solskjaer would be trusting his attack to two of his most senior members, but the pair have the production and accolades to warrant such an experiment.As exciting as a Ronaldo-Cavani strike partnership could be, United has won both of their Premier League matches playing a 4-2-3-1, and the introduction of yet another center forward will turn Solskjaers lineup headaches into a full-blown migraine. Cavani is fit, but as long as Ronaldo is too, hell likely be coming off the bench. There simply isnt enough space to fit more than three of these attackers on the field at any one time, with one, if not both, of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, roaming the midfield. Factor in that Marcus Rashford is set to come back from injury in the coming weeks, and Uniteds glut of attackers will only grow.United for all their attacking talent has, at times, struggled to generate chances. If Solskjaer wants to push for a title and keep his job, hell need to settle on the right combination of players and formation to make this headache go away. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Nevin Brown Nevin Brown News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Nevin Brown manchester united, cristiano ronaldo, paul pogba, ole gunnar solskjr, football, sport https://sputniknews.com/20210924/mexican-authorities-block-haitian-migrants-from-crossing-into-us-seal-off-makeshift-camp-1089367169.html Mexican Authorities Block Haitian Migrants From Crossing Into US, Seal Off Makeshift Camp Mexican Authorities Block Haitian Migrants From Crossing Into US, Seal Off Makeshift Camp CIUDAD ACUNA, Mexico (Sputnik) - Armed Mexican National Guard troops and immigration officers on Thursday blocked Haitian migrants from leaving a makeshift... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T11:27+0000 2021-09-24T11:27+0000 2021-09-24T11:32+0000 mexico latin america us migrants haitian /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/14/1089231051_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_32c308f874067f8a975de50081520dfb.jpg At least 200 migrants remained at the makeshift camp at a local park called Parque Ecologico Braulio Fernandez, nestled right on the Rio Grande River that splits the United States and Mexico on the southern border. The park is located across the border from Del Rio, Texas, where nearly 16,000 asylum-seeking migrants, mostly Haitians, crossed illegally into the United States over the last several days.Mexican National Guardsmen guarded the entrance to the park to prevent migrants from leaving and several other troops monitored the banks of the Rio Grande river, but one group of migrants managed to cross the river before authorities used their vehicles to seal off parts of the border.On the US side, some 30 US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, Texas National Guardsmen and Texas state law enforcement officers monitored the banks of the Rio Grande river.One Haitian who spoke to Sputnik on the background said the Mexican authorities were not letting them leave the park to buy bus tickets. He also said that Ciudad Acuna is dangerous and that some 11 Haitians were recently kidnapped by criminal groups in the town.Willy Jean, an asylum-seeking migrant from Haiti, told Sputnik that Mexican policemen woke everyone at the camp before sunrise on Thursday morning.However, Jean pointed out it may take up to four months to get an appointment to request a work visa in Mexico.Jean said Mexican immigration authorities have started taking Haitian migrants to the Mexican state of Chiapas, which is on the border with Guatemala.Jean said Mexican immigration enforcement might soon remove everyone from the camp in buses, but he had not seen any sign of that happening. He mentioned that one migrant left the camp to get food for his family but was taken away by Mexican immigration enforcement, leaving his wife behind at the park.Jean came from Chile like many others at the camp have as well.Jean emphasised that Haiti only has crime and violent gangs.Several of the migrants that spoke to Sputnik mentioned they have family in the United States.There appeared to be growing frustration at the encampment, and one group of Haitian migrants were entangled in a loud argument over what to do next.Peduel, a Haitian migrant, said the situation in the United States is terrible after US immigration authorities deported many of the migrants that recently crossed over.Peduel left Haiti six years ago and settled in Chile.Another Haitian migrant, who declined to give his name, said the situation has been difficult for everyone.Workers with Doctors Without Borders told Sputnik there has not been any health concerns at the camp, including any issues with the novel coronavirus.US media reported on Thursday afternoon that about 3,000 migrants are under the Del Rio international bridge, which remains closed.Nearly 16,000 asylum-seeking migrants, mostly from Haiti, arrived to Del Rio over the last week, prompting the Texas government to declare a state of emergency and deploy additional state police officers and National Guardsmen to the region to deter the surge of migrants. About 600 US Border Patrol agents were also sent to the region to handle the influx of migrants. mexico us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 mexico, latin america, us, migrants, haitian https://sputniknews.com/20210924/moscow-kabul-discussing-possible-visit-by-taliban-governments-delegation-source-says-1089359448.html Moscow, Kabul Discussing Possible Visit by Taliban Government Delegation, Source Says Moscow, Kabul Discussing Possible Visit by Taliban Government Delegation, Source Says MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow and Kabul are negotiating the possibility of a visit by a delegation of the Taliban* government but it is too early to discuss the... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T07:46+0000 2021-09-24T07:46+0000 2021-09-24T07:52+0000 afghanistan asia news world russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0f/1089106674_0:70:1080:678_1920x0_80_0_0_815a02d2abf57c7abf08fe3f505ff7c0.jpg "This is being negotiated, but it is too early to discuss the details", the source said.Earlier, Afghan Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid told Sputnik that the Taliban government would like to pay a visit to Moscow.The movement took over the country in August and entered Kabul on 15 August, announcing the end of the war there. The last province to resist the Taliban, Panjshir, was seized on 6 September.The group then formed an interim government, with Mohammad Hasan Akhund at the top. The latter served as foreign minister during the first Taliban rule.*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations. 4Justice Very profound developments going on at the moment between Afghanistan, Russia, China and other eastern countries. An alliance will deliver a big blow to US hegemony. However, the Taliban must want to partner with others instead of being an isolated country. 2 Thomas Turk US will then inform thug Put2, to tell the Tally Buns to include trannies, dwarfs, lesbians, queers, amputees, Down's, Thalidomides, Kristchuns, Juice and Falun Gang in the noo Govt.. otherwise their stolen 6B$ will not be returned.. as these are the Western values, that Murika and Britain hold so dearly. Lucky the Tally Buns learned the 2 words that indicate.. nah! 0 2 asia russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 asia, news, world, russia https://sputniknews.com/20210924/n-cyprus-to-convey-at-un-talks-its-desire-for-sovereign-equality---president-1089385664.html N. Cyprus to Convey at UN Talks Its Desire for Sovereign Equality - President N. Cyprus to Convey at UN Talks Its Desire for Sovereign Equality - President UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Northern Cyprus will convey at the upcoming UN trilateral meeting that it seeks sovereign equality with the Cypriot state with which... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T22:15+0000 2021-09-24T22:15+0000 2021-09-24T22:15+0000 north cyprus united nations general assembly (unga) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/16/1089299835_0:55:3052:1772_1920x0_80_0_0_b861d1468ef5f49366e5ce48cf8cf58b.jpg "I hope to be able to express my opinion, I hope to express my position," Tatar said. "My position - we want our Sovereign Equality as you call Greek Cypriots, we dont believe that theyre the majority, we are not a minority. We are one of the two peoples."Tatar noted that the meeting will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York and will be attended by Nicos Anastasiades, president of Cyprus, him and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.Anastasiades said on Wednesday that his informal meeting with Tatar and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be held on September 27.Since 1974, Cyprus has been divided into the internationally-recognized Republic of Cyprus and the separatist Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), when Turkey invaded and occupied over 30% of the island. The UN has attempted brokering reunification talks in April, but the negotiation reached a dead end in June.In July, the self-proclaimed TRNC, backed by Ankara, unilaterally demilitarized the UN-protected quarter of Varosha, a town in the buffer zone that separates the Greek and Turkish communities on the island. The UN Security Council condemned the move, saying it violates all previous UN resolutions on Cyprus. north cyprus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 north cyprus, united nations general assembly (unga) https://sputniknews.com/20210924/pakistan-afghanistan-border-clash-reportedly-caused-deadly-stampede-1089352189.html Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Clash Reportedly Caused Deadly Stampede Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Clash Reportedly Caused Deadly Stampede As tensions intensify between the Taliban and Pakistan, thousands of Afghan civilians and families are enduring danger in an attempt to be granted entrance... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T00:37+0000 2021-09-24T00:37+0000 2021-09-24T00:36+0000 pakistan afghanistan taliban refugees /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/10/1083397466_0:152:3098:1895_1920x0_80_0_0_cc8cc69acd13bc5d071853383c741f85.jpg Afghan civilians and families are at the mercy of tense confrontations at the border crossing point in Chaman. "Kids, women, and patients are waiting in line and losing their lives from the heat, laments Mohammad Sadiq Sabery, 28, an insider who reported to the New York times. Alleged visuals of families and the disabled pushed in wheelbarrows convey the desperate journey some Afghans are enduring to flee their country, many waiting days to pass through the shuttered gate into the city of Chaman.The United Nations estimates that almost 10,000 refugees have arrived in Pakistan since mid-August, after the control of the country was secured by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Pakistani authorities have been reluctant to allow new Afghan refugees to enter, however, leaving large crowds of wounded Afghans crying and begging at the gates.Pakistan is creating problems. We have an understanding with Pakistan to allow Kandahar people to cross into Pakistan. In return, people from Chaman and Quetta can enter Afghanistan using National IDs, said Sabery.Sabery added that Pakistan had a full army on their side of the border indicating that Pakistan is ready to fight, but the Taliban isnt.The government justified its course of action to seal the border, stating that it is putting its national security interests first. Ahson Man these stupid lower caste pakistani hendu-pak don't realize what the US has done to them. The Biden admin has taken a shit and pissed down their throats! Pakistan is finished! they can't stand on their own feet and now they got 40 million sanctioned Afghani to take care off? Russia/ China/ Iran have long taken a step back realizing the disaster that this is. Forget Russia/ China......Iran needs to be very careful here helping sustain muzlim wahabbi dalit sunni's. Iran cannot and should not associate itself with dirty wahabbi hendi people. Totally unacceptable! 0 1 pakistan afghanistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg pakistan, afghanistan, taliban, refugees https://sputniknews.com/20210924/politics-of-religion-pays-well-for-delhis-ruling-aam-aadmi-party-says-expert-1089302535.html Politics of Religion Pays Well for Delhis Ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Says Expert Politics of Religion Pays Well for Delhis Ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Says Expert The AAP styled itself as an alternative to the BJP and Congress in Delhi, and came to power in the city's legislative assembly in 2015 with a landslide victory... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T04:23+0000 2021-09-24T04:23+0000 2021-09-24T17:54+0000 religion politics narendra modi bharatiya janata party (bjp) india arvind kejriwal narendra modi religion politics religion and politics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/0f/1082346493_0:0:3073:1730_1920x0_80_0_0_266267cb11c0e767db9c4db2b68252fb.jpg The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, has stood for the issues of equality and justice ever since it was founded, and has also tried to stay away from inclining toward any particular religion.So far, the AAP has built a reputation of being a people's party, winning many hearts by providing electricity and water at reduced rates, and for its reforms in government-run schools in Delhi.The national convener of the party and Delhi state chief, Kejriwal, said, while launching the AAP in 2012, that his party would not be guided by ideologies and it aimed to change the system.Three years later, the AAP won the Delhi assembly elections having campaigned for development and a corruption-free society.But now with elections looming in five Indian states - including Uttar Pradesh - the party seems to have no doubts about playing the religious card.AAP's Steady Shift to Woo Hindu VotersLast year, a former AAP member and close confidant of the Delhi state chief -- Ashutosh (who uses only first name) - described Kejriwal as "perhaps one of the smartest politicians in the Opposition", in an opinion piece titled Yes, Kejriwal Peddling Soft Hindutva. Why Thats Very Smart"."He realised the importance of Hindutva politics long before Rahul Gandhi started hopping from one temple to another, Ashutosh wrote, adding that Kejriwal has consciously tried to woo Hindu voters and refrained himself and his party from being viewed in the company of Muslim leaders.The gradual shift in the political stance of the AAP is now publicly visible since it has started to raise religious issues openly.Earlier in June, one of the AAP leaders, Sanjay Singh, did a series of press conferences accusing the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust of pulling off an illicit land deal in Ayodhya, the city where the Ram temple is to be constructed. He even demanded an investigation by the country's top investigative agencies.The trust was established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led federal government for the construction and management of Lord Rama's temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama. Set up in February 2020, its main task is to oversee and manage the temple's construction according to the supreme court's directions.Alleging the BJP government was not carrying out any investigation into the matter, AAP leader Singh even threatened to involve the court.In August, in a bid to woo voters in the poll-bound Uttarakhand state, the AAP announced it would scrap the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board, a contentious state board of shrines, should it come to power in the 2022 state assembly polls.The local priests wants the board scrapped and are therefore protesting against the state's ruling BJP government.The community's main objections include the government-founded board 's interfering in temple traditions and making decisions without consulting the priests.Vinod Prasad Shukla, the president of a priest body -- Teerth Purohit Samaj Shri Kedarnath, said in one of his interviews that they have been running these temples for centuries, but now the government is running these revered places of pilgrimage by itself.AAP's national convener Kejriwal has also said that his party will make the state the spiritual capital for Hindus across the world.In another recent example, recently, Delhi's Deputy State Chief and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia went to Ayodhya city, about 687km from Delhi, in Uttar Pradesh. The state is also due to run elections in a few months. Sisodia and Singh visited the famous Hanuman Garhi Temple.Sisodia, after paying obeisance at the temple, revealed that he actually prayed for the establishment of the Ram Rajya (metaphorically used for Good Governance) in the state. He said they sought the blessings of Lord Hanumana to form the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state.The Hindu-related statements, announcements or visits to the temples by AAP leaders, coming just ahead of the legislative assembly polls in five Indian states, seem to be an attempt by the party to charm Hindu voters.What Do Political Pundits Think of AAP?Talking to Sputnik about AAP's strategy, political analyst Shekhar Aiyar said: This is not the first time AAP has talked about religion. In 2020, Kejriwal recited Hanuman Chalisa (the prayer offered to Lord Hanumana) and then tweeted the video, stating that listening to the Chalisa is good and soothing. Then he performed Diwali Puja at Akshardham Temple and now they've done Ganesh Puja there.They are basically trying to use the emotional appeal to Hinduism and attract Hindu voters. They are competing for those Hindu votes which can be influenced on these grounds, he added.Calling it calculated tactics, Aiyar said that AAP is looking at what happened to India's main opposition Congress, which is a so-called secular party.The Congress suffered a major setback by talking about secularism. So, the AAP is trying to attract Hindu voters as well as keeping Muslim voters intact, he stated.Saying that politics of religion pays just as well for the AAP, the political analyst said that their strategy helped them during the 2020 Delhi assembly elections as they secured a thumping victory.The AAP has realised that if it has to fight with the BJP, it has to do that this way. They dont want to leave the space of Hinduism for the BJP alone, he said.How BJP, Congress View Shift in AAP's Political Stance? The federally ruling BJP is the main opposition party for AAP in Delhi.Talking to Sputnik, BJP spokesman Gopal Krishna Agarwal said that people - voters - may not fall into the trap of "situational Hinduism" by any of the parties whether AAP, Congress or any other party." Voters are today much more aware than before. The other political parties will not succeed in fooling the voters by giving false narration, he stated.Although denying any threat to the BJP from AAP through a Hinduism-inclined strategy, Agarwal said that Kejriwal is trying to occupy the space of the opposition.Meanwhile, Congress criticised the AAP and the BJP for indulging in religion-based politics.Talking to Sputnik, Congress national spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh described the AAP as being the B-team of the BJP. This is the reason they have the same kind of tactics and strategies. Both Kejriwal and PM Modi have failed to understand the aspirations of the public so they are just trying to fool the people with religion politics," the Congress spokesman stated. https://sputniknews.com/20210614/indias-ram-temple-trust-accused-of-land-scam-opposition-parties-demand-probe-1083143040.html https://sputniknews.com/20210812/india-priests-accuse-bjp-govt-of-targeting-their-community-through-shrine-board-in-uttarakhand-1083579252.html https://sputniknews.com/20210916/bjps-politics-behind-96-jump-in-communal-riots-in-india-says-opposition-congress--1089117465.html india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg religion, politics, narendra modi, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, arvind kejriwal, narendra modi, religion, politics, religion and politics, india https://sputniknews.com/20210924/protesting-indian-farmers-leader-urges-us-president-to-raise-their-concerns-while-meeting-pm-modi-1089367082.html Protesting Indian Farmers Leader Urges US President to Raise Their Concerns While Meeting PM Modi Protesting Indian Farmers Leader Urges US President to Raise Their Concerns While Meeting PM Modi Thousands of farmers in India have been protesting at the borders of the nation's capital since November against three farm laws passed by the Bharatiya Janata... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T17:54+0000 2021-09-24T17:54+0000 2021-09-24T17:54+0000 politics politics narendra modi farmers bharatiya janata party (bjp) india narendra modi india news world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/18/1082168264_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b2cbe8cba769fb2a45518225228d9cc3.jpg The leader of the protesting Indian farmers, Rakesh Tikait, on Friday urged US President Joe Biden to focus on their concerns when he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York.The head of the farmers' group -- Bharatiya Kisan Union -- also called on Indians living in the US to hold a protest during Prime Minister Modis programme on Saturday in support of their 11-month demonstration at the borders of Delhi. The farmers' union leader claimed that more than 700 farmers have died during the protest but still the Prime Minister Modi-led federal government is not willing to consider scrapping the new laws.The three farm laws against which the farmers are protesting are: the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020.Several rounds of talks between farmers and the BJP-led federal government have already taken place but without yielding any result.Modi has been visiting the US since Wednesday. His schedule includes meeting US President Biden and he will also address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday.The Indian Prime Minister met US vice-president Kamala Harris on Thursday. The two politicians exchanged views on a number of matters including the situation in Afghanistan, the coronavirus pandemic, tackling climate change and the US and Indias commitment toward the Indo-Pacific region. They also discussed potential cooperation in areas such as outer space, technology and healthcare. india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg politics, politics, narendra modi, farmers, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, narendra modi, india, news, world, us, farmers https://sputniknews.com/20210924/rec-surveys-exporters-wishes-for-single-window-development-1089369371.html REC Surveys Exporters Wishes for Single Window Development REC Surveys Exporters Wishes for Single Window Development Moscow (Sputnik) The Russian Export Centre has asked exporters what services on the My Export digital platform they are looking forward to most of all... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T12:27+0000 2021-09-24T12:27+0000 2021-09-24T12:27+0000 news world russia economy business /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105369/36/1053693650_0:160:3077:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_b64a651d2878d368e3193f80f5ad09ac.jpg The Russian Export Centre (part of VEB.RF) has announced the results of voting among domestic companies for the services to be launched on the My Export digital platform (Single Window information system) in the next stage. The goal was to find out which online services companies need, a report has stated.Companies were offered to provide feedback on three blocks of online services: state support measures, obtaining permits, and business services.According to the survey, the REC has identified the highest priority services for exporters. For example, among the state support measures that exporters expect first and foremost in digital form were support for exhibition activities, reimbursement of pharmaceutical product registration costs abroad, and intellectual property registration costs, as well as support for the certification of agricultural products and R&D and homologation costs (improvement of a facility, improvement of technical characteristics for conformity with any standards or requirements of the consumer country ed. Sputnik).Among the most in-demand business services for exporters are e-commerce services, including product placement in national shops on electronic trading platforms, educational services of the REC Export School, international postal dispatch services (in partnership with the Russian Post), Agroexpress (in partnership with Russian Railways), and financial products of the REC Group.The survey was conducted in August 2021 on the REC's website. Participation was open to both companies already engaged in foreign economic activity and prospective exporters. russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 news, world, russia, economy, business https://sputniknews.com/20210924/russian-prosecutors-declare-scientologists-activities-undesirable-in-country-1089371119.html Russian Prosecutors Declare Scientologists' Activities Undesirable in Country Russian Prosecutors Declare Scientologists' Activities Undesirable in Country MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Prosecutor General's Office labeled the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises and the Ron Hubbard Library as undesirable... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T13:06+0000 2021-09-24T13:06+0000 2021-09-24T13:06+0000 scientology world russia news https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/16027/74/160277420_0:156:3001:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_162b032b58a03ec13db4ef0da9325fd3.jpg "After studying the obtained materials, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office made ... a decision to declare activities of the following foreign non-governmental organisations undesirable in Russia: World Institute of Scientology Enterprises International, WISE Int. (the United States); and Church of Spiritual Technology, CST, also known as L. Ron Hubbard Library (the US)," the office said in a statement.The activities of these religious corporations pose a threat to Russia's security, the prosecutors specified.The information was submitted to the Russian Ministry of Justice. https://sputniknews.com/20210406/calls-for-probe-into-scientologys-charity-status-in-australia-after-media-investigate-finances-1082555934.html koursk koursk the billionaires of the big mafia who reign over washington and brussels constitute an economic, political, media, military, and also sectarian power *** the underworld listed in forbes and bloomberg have under their orders, the cults of great monotheism, the others , and their derivatives, so the Pentecostal evangelists, geovah's witnesses, scientologists ..., the list is long *** the big mafia uses paramilitaries as parareligious to destabilize states which do not obey the doxa of particular interests *** china and russia had the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and in 1949 taught russians and chinese to beware of religions and their derivatives, which had the largest audience when russians were serfs, and chinese were slaves during western colonization *** the Russians and the Russians do not want to be negligible quantities, like the slaves and the Latins under the control of the Nato and Euro zone *** for e to avoid these catastrophes, russians and chinese trust putin and united russi 2 "The detention of Mr. Puigdemont is in line with the legal procedure that is used toward any EU citizen, who must appear before the court," the Spanish cabinet said. "The Spanish government expresses respect to decisions of the Italian authorities and verdicts of courts as it has always done when it came to Spanish and EU courts that delivered verdicts on legal proceedings toward Puigdemont." https://sputniknews.com/20210924/suspected-gunman-identified-in-deadly-kroger-shooting-as-fbi-tennessee-police-search-for-motive-1089385960.html Suspected Gunman Identified in Deadly Kroger Shooting as FBI, Tennessee Police Search for Motive Suspected Gunman Identified in Deadly Kroger Shooting as FBI, Tennessee Police Search for Motive Authorities in Collierville, Tennessee, confirmed on Thursday that at least one individual was killed, and more than a dozen people suffered gunshot wounds... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T22:17+0000 2021-09-24T22:17+0000 2021-09-24T22:16+0000 tennessee gunman mass shooting fbi kroger /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/18/1089385095_0:35:3073:1763_1920x0_80_0_0_e7979e7a380021ce0fd749396f0cd06a.jpg Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane revealed on Friday that a total of 15 gunshot victims have been identified in connection with the mass shooting that took place at a local Kroger food market. Ten of the victims were identified as Kroger employees, while another five were said to be customers. Despite a rise in reported gunshot victims, all of the injured are in stable condition, according to Lane. The two-person death toll did not climb overnight.Authorities confirmed that a woman named Olivia King was the sole shooting death. King, a widow, is survived by three adult children, according to local Memphis outlet WREG. The suspected shooter has been identified as Uk Thang, 29, who was employed as a third-party vendor for the Memphis metropolitan area supermarket. Police believe the suspect was alone when he carried out the mass shooting. He later turned the gun on himself taking his own life as officers arrived at the scene, according to authorities. Lane refrained from announcing the suspect's identity at the Friday news conference, and instead provided the details to reporters upon request. Thursday night, the Collierville Police Department (CPD), in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, executed a search warrant for 885 Federal Ridge Road, a local address that Lane identified as the suspect's residence. One individual was questioned during the Thursday night search, according to Lane, who noted that no arrests were made. Law enforcement officials are now processing evidence retrieved from the home. Kroger released a statement expressing horror and heartbreak over the deadly incident. The Kroger supermarket will remain closed as authorities continue to investigate. No motive for the act has been provided. Ladyshadow Tha's bad when you can go the grocery store and be killed, what is it going to take to stop the gun violence taking away guns is going to solve the problem. Stop all the violence on TV and vedio games the idiots think its real. 0 1 tennessee Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead tennessee, gunman, mass shooting, fbi, kroger https://sputniknews.com/20210924/sweden-denmark-and-norway-embark-on-new-military-cooperation-against-big-neighbour-in-the-east-1089358527.html Sweden, Denmark, and Norway Embark on New Military Cooperation Against 'Big Neighbour in the East' Sweden, Denmark, and Norway Embark on New Military Cooperation Against 'Big Neighbour in the East' The defence agreement between NATO members Denmark and Norway and formally non-aligned Sweden to bolster joint military capacity to parry threats is aimed at... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T07:25+0000 2021-09-24T07:25+0000 2021-09-24T07:25+0000 denmark military & intelligence russia sweden norway scandinavia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105819/70/1058197088_0:0:2048:1153_1920x0_80_0_0_c0a8c06bfd97afe59b2c63f5929d16aa.jpg Three Scandinavian countries, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway are set to sign an operational military cooperation agreement on Friday, 24 September. Its stated goal is to increase the military capability of the nations through joint exercises and to be able to meet any threats and events together.According to the three, the security situation in the resund Strait (also known as the Sound) and the North Sea area has deteriorated. For this reason, the ability to jointly meet threats and violations needs to be increased, they argued.Norwegian Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen suggested that the agreement made the security picture "safer", describing it as a complement to NATO."It is both dissuasive and has a significant security effect", Bakke-Jensen told Norwegian channel TV2.By contrast, Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen ventured that the agreement does not significantly change the country's security situation.Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist stressed the overall importance of expanding military cooperation with other countries, citing, among other things, the risk of international terrorism and a more troubled world. Hultqvist specifially named Russia, which, he ventured to national broadcaster SVT, is "prepared to use military force to achieve political goals and objectives". At the same time, Hultqvist emphasised "an increased military build-up" in Sweden's immediate surroundings, despite Stockholm itself having recently presented a new expansion of the nation's military, which at the current stage includes five new regiments and a new air flotilla.Henrik Breitenbauch, the head of the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, made no secret of the defence agreement being concluded against "the big neighbour in the East", that is Russia. However, he ventured that the joint military muscles of the three countries are "far too small" for such an endeavour. On a scale from one to five among important factors to ensure Denmark's security, Henrik Breitenbauch rated NATO as a five, giving the agreement with Sweden and Norway a two.The Swedish opposition party, the Moderates, was positive about the agreement with NATO members Norway and Denmark. Yet, the strongly pro-NATO party said it didn't replace a full membership with defence guarantees.Unlike Norway and Denmark, Sweden remains formally non-aligned, yet has maintained increasingly closer cooperation with both NATO and the US.In recent years, all three Scandinavian nations have increased their military spending and carried out build-ups, citing the so-called "Russian threat". To this, Russia's Foreign Ministry replied that these measures, coupled with NATO's efforts, contribute to the militarisation of the Baltic Sea and the Arctic.Among other things, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently emphasised that the "increasingly toxic" attitude in the West towards Russia, the "aggressive encouragement of anti-Russia sentiments", and the "demonisation of Russia's policies" have affected relations. https://sputniknews.com/20210924/france-sweden-to-deepen-defence-cooperation-to-meet-challenges-from-russia-china-1089357421.html kernel.panic999 Those three Scandinavia caliphates are laughable. Already members of NATO that's 10 times the budget of Russia's defence department and still making up new pacts against Russia that is doing anything to stay away from their ruling Ayatollahs. 6 Thomas Turk Did anyone expect more from alcohol and fluoride-sodden Skanda Hooligan panic mongers? 6 15 denmark russia sweden norway scandinavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov denmark, military & intelligence, russia, sweden, norway, scandinavia https://sputniknews.com/20210924/taliban-to-submit-complaints-to-un-over-us-shooting-at-kabul-airport-1089364399.html Taliban to Submit Complaints to UN Over US Shooting at Kabul Airport Taliban to Submit Complaints to UN Over US Shooting at Kabul Airport MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The new Afghan government, formed by the Taliban*, intends to file complaints with the United Nations and other authorities over the United... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T10:28+0000 2021-09-24T10:28+0000 2021-09-24T10:29+0000 asia & pacific afghanistan afghan war /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/06/1083804437_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_fed7c732e7e3eaad9e85f6ea6868085c.jpg Last month, the Taliban escalated its offensive against Afghan government forces amid the withdrawal of the US military from the country. After the movement came close to the capital, mass evacuations started, with thousands of Afghans flocking near the airport, hoping to leave before the Taliban comes.The militants entered the capital city of Kabul on 15 August, declaring that the war is over.Deadly firefights occurred in the area several times, while on 26 August a suicide bomber attacked the main entrance to Kabul Airport, killing 13 US service personnel and at least 170 civilians. Later, Daesh-Khorasan* claimed responsibility for the explosion.*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations. Francesco Slossel Needs a Miracle! 0 1 afghanistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 asia & pacific, afghanistan, afghan war https://sputniknews.com/20210924/texas-sec-of-states-office-announces-full-forensic-audit-of-2020-election-in-four-counties-1089365324.html Texas Sec of State's Office Announces 'Full Forensic Audit' of 2020 Election in Four Counties Texas Sec of State's Office Announces 'Full Forensic Audit' of 2020 Election in Four Counties Former US President Donald Trump earlier urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to initiate an election audit in Texas, claiming that he heard Texas "wanted" one due... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T11:50+0000 2021-09-24T11:50+0000 2021-09-24T18:00+0000 donald trump us texas greg abbott audit us election 2020 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/18/1089367985_40:0:1880:1035_1920x0_80_0_0_3fedbb80eade0b8306ee6ec51e021b4a.jpg The Texas Secretary of State's Office on Thursday announced a "full forensic audit" of the 2020 presidential election in four counties - Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Collin.The press release does not provide a lot of details about the audit process, only saying that Texas anticipates that "the legislature will provide funds for this purpose".The announcement comes shortly after former President Donald Trump, who has remained adamant that he won the 2020 election, urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to launch an election audit.According to Trump, Texans "want an election audit" despite his "big win in Texas".Greg Abbott has not officially commented on Trump's calls.James Melcher, a political scientist at the University of Maine in Farmington, has suggested a possible motivation for Trump to initiate a recount in Texas, a state that he "clearly won" in the 2020 presidential race.The former president and his supporters have refused to accept Joe Biden's victory in the November election, claiming that massive "voter fraud" marred Trump's "big win" in the race for the White House. Since November, Trump's legal team has been struggling to launch federal lawsuits and election audits in different states.Yet, according to recent reports, one of the initiated recounts that took place in Arizona's Maricopa County, found that Biden still won, with even more votes than registered initially.The debates around the results of the 2020 presidential election continue amid Texas recently passing a new election law, SB1, in a bid to protect "election integrity" by introducing new voting restrictions - in particular, limiting early voting and by mail, along with drive-thru voting, and increasing the role of observers in the election process. Democrats have decried the new law as something that undermines voting rights, especially for minorities and people of colour. Democratic legislators even fled Texas to Washington, DC, in order to block the initiative, but failed. https://sputniknews.com/20210924/audit-mania-1089354918.html texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Daria Bedenko Daria Bedenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Daria Bedenko donald trump, us, texas, greg abbott, audit, us election 2020 https://sputniknews.com/20210924/the-view-co-hosts-test-positive-for-covid-minutes-before-vp-harris-interview-1089382414.html The View Co-hosts Test Positive for Covid Minutes Before VP Harris Interview The View Co-hosts Test Positive for Covid Minutes Before VP Harris Interview A live interview with US Vice President Kamala Harris was delayed on Friday after two hosts of ABCs morning show The View tested positive for COVID-19... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T18:50+0000 2021-09-24T18:50+0000 2021-09-24T18:51+0000 us kamala harris vaccines covid-19 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/0f/1083390277_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_b1974837a65114ef2c4781e1a8e9520c.jpg The View co-hosts, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, were said to be at the table for the start of the show and were abruptly pulled from the set minutes before Kamala Harriss arrival.The two hosts, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, were fully vaccinated and contracted breakthrough cases of the virus, co-host Joy Behar told the audience after both hosts were rushed off set.White House reporter April Ryan tweeted that the vice president remained in a remote location in the New York building, outside of the studio with the interview being remotely conducted by co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines."When I think about it in the context of any one of us who have had the awful experience of holding the hand of a loved one who's in an ICU bed or near death: don't put your families through that," she said. "The vaccine is free, it's safe, it will save your life. So, folks just need to get vaccinated."Harris reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 to the remaining "View" hosts that "people have got to be responsible".The View released a video of the show where Harris was able to join Joy Behar remotely for the interview.During the 10 minute interview, Harris responded to the aggressive acts made by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on horseback seen chasing and whipping Haitian migrants menacingly, as they tried to cross the Rio Grande near Del Rios, Texas."Human beings should not be treated that way," Harris told the hosts.Adding that she "fully" supports the investigation currently being conducted on the "horrible and deeply troubling" incident. us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg us, kamala harris, vaccines, covid-19 https://sputniknews.com/20210924/uk-ministry-of-defence-confirms-second-afghan-data-breach-vows-to-prevent-new-ones-again-1089364980.html UK Ministry of Defence Confirms Second Afghan Data Breach, Vows to Prevent New Ones Again UK Ministry of Defence Confirms Second Afghan Data Breach, Vows to Prevent New Ones Again UK Ministry of Defence Confirms Second Afghans' Data Breach, Vows to Prevent New Ones 2021-09-24T11:11+0000 2021-09-24T11:11+0000 2021-09-24T11:12+0000 afghanistan uk ministry of defence data breach uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/11/1083642667_0:22:1200:697_1920x0_80_0_0_f0f74d681acb02d5fc5e1315160fd3ab.jpg The British Ministry of Defence has acknowledged a recently reported second breach of the private data of around 55 Afghans who were seeking relocation. Their emails were accidentally included in the CC instead of a blind carbon copy (bcc), thus revealing their addresses, names, and profile pictures to all the recipients of the email.This is the second such data breach this month. News about it broke the same week as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace condemned the previous mishap by the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy team in which the data of around 250 Afghans was leaked.Wallace announced an investigation into the incident and a suspension of one official in connection with the case earlier this week, promising that the ministry is "working hard to ensure it does not happen again".Both data breaches happened as the ARAP team was contacting Afghans who used to work with NATO forces in Afghanistan regarding efforts to relocate them from the country, taken over by the Taliban* in August. Many Afghans who helped the western forces feared retribution from the insurgents, despite the latter promising amnesty for them. The UK did not manage to evacuate all willing Afghans during the withdrawal in August, often described as "chaotic" and poorly organised.*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations. https://sputniknews.com/20210923/when-it-rains-it-pours-uk-defence-ministry-reportedly-allows-another-afghan-data-breach-1089330560.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg uk ministry of defence, data breach, uk https://sputniknews.com/20210924/us-envoy-lenderking-says-dialogue-with-russia-on-yemen-very-helpful-1089355348.html US Envoy Lenderking Says Dialogue With Russia on Yemen Very Helpful US Envoy Lenderking Says Dialogue With Russia on Yemen Very Helpful UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Sputnik he finds the dialogue he maintains with Russia on the situation in the Arab... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T03:09+0000 2021-09-24T03:09+0000 2021-09-24T03:08+0000 yemen russia united nations general assembly (unga) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0c/1080436190_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_62f4e885e790393e376cd0f8da92cd5e.jpg "I keep a regular dialogue with the Russians on Yemen, which I find very helpful," Lenderking said on Thursday.In addition, Lenderking said the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council have to be united on the agreed approaches to end the protracted conflict in Yemen.When asked what needs to be done to push the peace process in Yemen, Lenderking said, "Several things have to happen. One is the international community has to stay very united around agreed approaches to end the Yemen conflict."Lenderking also noted that he just returned from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in the week, where he participated in a P5 meeting."We also traveled to Muscat to meet with the Omanis," he added. "I know that the un envoy will go to the p5 capitals."Lenderking spoke with Sputnik on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York.The envoy shared that he has had a number of bilateral engagements in New York on Yemen."It's all designed to force, foster that kind of united approach toward Yemen," he said. "And by the way, that's the main issue that the Secretary stressed in the GCC ministerial that took place this afternoon is getting the GCC countries all working on the same page."Yemen has been engulfed in an internal conflict between government forces and the Houthi movement since August 2014. The situation in the Middle Eastern nation is further complicated after Saudi Arabia joined the conflict on the Yemeni government's side in 2015 and began conducting occasional air, land and sea operations against the Islamist rebel movement. Hoyeru it's disgusting and sad tht Russia chooses to keep dialogie with US over yemmen, inste3ad of openly calling US over it. Some reports say that a child in yemen dies every 10 minutes. Imagine if the situation was reversed and Russia was invo9led in yemen, helping th Houtins. USA and the Western media will be screaming about it every single day. 0 Hoyeru Putin is totally wrong on this. 0 2 yemen russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 yemen, russia, united nations general assembly (unga) https://sputniknews.com/20210924/us-mainstream-media-silent-as-book-suggests-authenticity-of-hunter-biden-emails-on-burisma-china-1089355104.html US Mainstream Media Silent as Book Suggests Authenticity of Hunter Biden Emails on Burisma, China US Mainstream Media Silent as Book Suggests Authenticity of Hunter Biden Emails on Burisma, China Earlier this week, the editorial board of the New York Post touted that at least two emails reportedly retrieved from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden had... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T03:23+0000 2021-09-24T03:23+0000 2021-09-24T03:54+0000 joe biden hunter biden ukraine china radio mainstream media fault lines burisma /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/01/1082505950_0:0:3269:1838_1920x0_80_0_0_95ecdea4a0d68ec76c884a26442e9546.jpg New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin joined Radio Sputnik's "Fault Lines" hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan on Thursday to discuss the paper's bold op-ed that celebrated a section of Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger's new book, The Bidens: Inside the First Familys Fifty-Year Rise to Power." Schreckinger's book, released on September 21, focuses in part on two emails previously judged by other mainstream media outlets as "unsubstantiated" evidence from a laptop purported to have belonged to Hunter Biden. The alleged email, issued from an adviser at Burisma Holdings Limited, could act as a primary example of how Biden may have monetize his vice presidency through Ukraine, according to Goodwin. Though the White House initially dodged questions about the April 2015 meeting, the New York Post has since claimed that it has received confirmation that Joe Biden did attend the dinner with his son, Hunter, and Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi. The unnamed source also reportedly confirmed a 2017 email regarding a potential equity breakdown for a venture with executives at CEFC China Energy, an energy conglomerate listed as one of China's top private companies, prior to declaring bankruptcy in 2020. The email, said to be authored by James Gillar, included a breakdown of "office expectations," as well as an agreement regarding equity distribution. Goodwin noted that Schreckinger's source was not the first to verify alleged evidence from a Hunter Biden laptop. Tony Bobulinski, a business associate of the Biden son, in October 2020 asserted the authenticity of the 2017 email, which, notably, listed him as the recipient. Bobulinski also confirmed that the referenced 'big guy' was Joe Biden, while 'JB' referred to Jim Biden, Joe Biden's brother. Despite Bobulinski's assertion, the emails have been roundly derided as foreign interference by both the US intelligence community and most mainstream US media, Goodwin noted. The New York Post columnist contended that confirmation was rejected because it could damage then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's chances of beating Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Big Tech is also said by some to have played a role, as platforms like Twitter removed images of the leaks and prohibited publication of such content until after the election. Schreckinger's book emphasized that emails from the Swedish government parallel the reported leaks from the so-called 'lost laptop' belonging to Hunter Biden. The anonymous source who offered confirmation to Schreckinger of the emails' authenticity refused to juxtapose the NY Post images with the original emails. "This person recalled seeing both emails, but was not in a position to compare the leaked emails word-for-word to the originals," Schreckinger observed.(Segment begins around 14:15 mark) pgb in nz Why doesn't someone dump the contents of Hunters computer on the Internet and let us make up our own minds. The only problem might be a lack of bandwidth to accommodate hundreds of millions of viewers swamping the Net !! 1 1 ukraine china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead joe biden, hunter biden, ukraine, china, radio, mainstream media, fault lines, burisma https://sputniknews.com/20210924/us-media-frustrated-with-lack-of-questions-for-president-biden-1089351922.html US Media Frustrated with Lack of Questions for President Biden US Media Frustrated with Lack of Questions for President Biden On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including the Department of Homeland Security will... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T08:43+0000 2021-09-24T08:43+0000 2021-09-24T08:43+0000 infrastructure idaho jazz prince progressives joe biden radio nancy pelosi us congress /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/17/1089351876_0:0:613:344_1920x0_80_0_0_89ce009d378346df168fdd51eeeac7ad.png U.S. Media Frustrated with Lack of Questions for President Biden On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including the Department of Homeland Security will stop using Border Patrol agents on horseback at the US border, and four Republicans have filed articles of impeachment against President Biden. GUESTJoel Segal - Former Congressional Staffer, Co-Author of HR 676 | Recording a Jazz Album, Iron Dome Funding, and Nancy PelosiTed Rall - Political Cartoonist, Syndicated Columnist | Open Borders, Del Rio Texas Border Situation, and Senator SchumerIn the first hour, Lee and John spoke with Joel Segal about the process of making music, electronic instruments, and the debt ceiling. Joel talked about the infrastructure deal and the Democrats announced a deal in place to pay for the infrastructure deal. Joel discussed the negotiation process of a bill in Congress and the progressive Democrats against Israel funding.In the second hour, Lee and John spoke with Ted Rall about the New York vaccine mandates, the US immigration policy, and the "Haitians whipped by the Border Patrol" narrative. Ted spoke on the good immigration does for America and the Biden administration attempting to avoid the Del Rio border situation. Ted discussed the US immigration system and the need to provide a path to citizenship.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com idaho Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg infrastructure, idaho, jazz, prince, progressives, , joe biden, radio, nancy pelosi, us congress, democrats, black lives matter, the backstory "What is more, the defendant has somewhere to go: he is a citizen not only of the United States but of Russia with whom the United States has no extradition treaty where he is the Chief Financial Officer of one that countrys largest corporations," the document added. "The defendant is also a citizen of Italy. As a result, without serious precautions in place, the defendant can easily leave the United States without suffering a serious financial burden, and the government will have little-to-no recourse to secure his return." https://sputniknews.com/20210924/us-still-going-after-terrorists-responsible-for-kabul-airport-attack---pentagon-1089385493.html US Still Going After Terrorists Responsible for Kabul Airport Attack - Pentagon US Still Going After Terrorists Responsible for Kabul Airport Attack - Pentagon WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US military continues to go after those responsible for the August 26 terror attack at the airport in Kabul during the Afghan... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T21:51+0000 2021-09-24T21:51+0000 2021-09-24T21:50+0000 kabul afghanistan pentagon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/06/1083804437_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_fed7c732e7e3eaad9e85f6ea6868085c.jpg Yes, Kirby said at a press briefing in response to a reporters question about whether the Pentagon is still going after those responsible for the attack.The suicide bombing attack, carried about by the Islamic State Khorasan* Province terror group, killed 13 American soldiers alongside scores of Afghan civilians.In a speech shortly after the attack, US President Joe Biden vowed that the US would hunt down and bring to justice those who perpetrated the attack. The attack was shortly followed by two heavy drone strikes, one in the Afghan countryside and the other in the capital city Kabul. Although the Pentagon initially said that both strikes killed IS-K members, it later confirmed reports that the Kabul strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children.*IS-K is an offshoot terrorist organization of the Daesh terror group, which is banned in Russia and many other countries TruePatriot How could they be? The US has no clue who was behind that bomb blast - it could have been CIA for all anyone knows. They have no actionable intelligence on the ground in Afghanistan, and they got throw out of the country. To even think now of doing something in a sovereign country like Afghanistan is not only ridiculous but an act of war. Another one where they already lost miserably their 20 year war. Once again, insanity is defined by doing some over and over and expecting a different result. Kirby should just sit down and whimper quietly because he has been bested by 'Afghan tribesmen who had enough of the West occupiers. 3 2007harleydavidsonsg I'm not so certain the entity was another root of wahabbi jihadi. Any number of known interest motivated to disrupt a peaceful Afghanistan transition could be involved. 1 3 kabul afghanistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 kabul, afghanistan, pentagon https://sputniknews.com/20210924/woman-accuses-cnn-anchor-chris-cuomo-of-sexual-harassment-1089373907.html Woman Accuses CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo of Sexual Harassment Woman Accuses CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo of Sexual Harassment The news is likely to add pressure on the Cuomo family as earlier this year, Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York, was accused by 11 women of sexual... 24.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-24T15:37+0000 2021-09-24T15:37+0000 2021-09-24T15:37+0000 society us chris cuomo sexual harassment /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107653/75/1076537537_0:163:3063:1886_1920x0_80_0_0_4398e53b158682d46aaa7e11fda78d5b.jpg A woman has accused CNN anchor Chris Cuomo of sexual harassment. In an essay published on Friday in The New York Times, Shelley Ross wrote how the journalist had groped one of her buttocks. Ross worked with Cuomo for almost 20 years as an executive producer at the ABC television network. She claims the incident occurred in 2005 in a bar.She stressed that Cuomos behaviour wasnt sexual in nature. "His form of sexual harassment was a hostile act meant to diminish and belittle his female former boss in front of the staff, Ross wrote.Soon after the incident took place she reportedly received an e-mail from Cuomo. "Now that I think of itI am ashamed" reads the email, as per a screenshot posted in the essay.In the purported email Cuomo, explains that his behaviour was the result of him being glad to see his colleague, although he admits that his actions were inappropriate.Enablers Should Be Held AccountableShelley Ross admits that she bears no grudge against her former colleague, saying she doesnt want him to lose his job at CNN. But at the same time she draws attention to the fact that an independent inquiry conducted by Attorney General Letitia James revealed that Chris Cuomo was part of a group of people (Ross called them "enablers") who helped his brother Andrew Cuomo respond to sexual harassment allegations.The former executive producer stresses that she wants Chris Cuomo to be held accountable for his actions. But unlike other people on the list, who were fired or forced to step down from high posts following the release of the attorney generals report, Ross wants Cuomo to "repent journalistically".Responding to a request for comment from The New York Times, Chris Cuomo said the following:The news is likely to add pressure on the Cuomo family, as earlier this year Andrew Cuomo, who was governor of New York for over 10 years, was accused of sexual harassment by 11 women. He categorically denied the accusations, although he admitted that the complaints could have been the result of cultural and generational misunderstandings, or his words being interpreted as "an unwanted flirtation".His legal team argued that the sexual harassment complaints were part of a plot to oust him from office. Cuomo faced widespread criticism, including from his fellow Democratic Party members and even President Joe Biden, who called on him to resign. However, the Democrat governor was defiant and tendered his resignation only several days after an independent inquiry conducted by Attorney General Letitia James concluded that he did sexually harass at least 11 women. The report also found that the politicians team had tried to discredit one of the women who accused him of sexual harassment. raindrop 16 years ago. Why the wait. Did she just now remember. Fishy. 1 1 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Max Gorbachev Max Gorbachev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Max Gorbachev society, us, chris cuomo, sexual harassment The Times reported that at least 50 of BP's 1,200 service stations were out of at least one type of fuel, while the UK's transport secretary said five had closed. The UK government on Friday urged the public against panic-buying fuel as some petrol stations closed pumps due to a lack of tanker drivers. The Sun newspaper headlined its front page "We're running on empty", as fears grew of a repeat of 2000, when protests over high fuel prices brought the country to a virtual standstill. This time, the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit have created a shortage of lorry drivers, hitting the supply chain and leaving shelves empty at some supermarkets and shops. But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps insisted there was no fuel shortage and the government would get more lorry drivers delivering stock. "The advice would be to carry on as normal," Shapps told Sky News after a number of UK petrol stations run by BP and ExxonMobil-owned Esso were forced to close. Drivers were seen queuing outside some petrol stations, where some said they had run out of some types of fuel. At Hildenborough in southeast England, a BP petrol station was closed entirely and its pumps wrapped in plastic. "Sorry we're out of fuel. We are working hard to fix this," signs read. At least 50 of BP's 1,200 service stations were out of at least one type of fuel, The Times reported, while BP told AFP a "handful of sites" had temporarily closed. Motorists have been told not to rush to fill up. "There is no shortage of fuel in the UK and people should continue to buy fuel as normal," Downing Street said Thursday. The shortage of lorry drivers has left many supermarkets and shops unable to restock. 'Supply pressure' Industry insiders said the lack of fuel deliveries was confined to southeastern England and appeared to be temporary, but was part of a wider problem. BP blamed "industry-wide driver shortages across the UK". Gordon Balmer, of the Petrol Retailers Association, cited "supply pressure from a lack of trained HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers," despite demand at 92 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Experts and business leaders say Brexit and the pandemic have reduced the number of truck drivers working in Britain, affecting supply chains for numerous businesses. Many drivers who have left Britain were from eastern Europe, and returned home due to the global health crisis or to avoid falling foul of tougher immigration rules. "We're 100,000 drivers short at the moment," including "20,000 European drivers... who have left the country because of Brexit", Rod McKenzie, of the Road Haulage Association, told BBC television on Friday. Petrol stations ran dry of certain fuels because of a lack of lorry drivers. Don't blame Brexit "Since Brexit has happened there's been a shortage of labour across all industries," said Shane Kenneally, 38, who runs a landscaping business, as he pulled into a west London filling station only to find there was no fuel. "This should have been thought about but this government has always not thought ahead." Shapps, though, denied Brexit was to blame. Critics were "wrong", he told Sky News, adding that EU countries were experiencing similar problems. The UK government recently announced an overhaul for HGV driving tests get more drivers behind the wheel as soon as possible. But while saying the government was "ruling nothing out", Shapps rebuffed industry calls to add truck drivers to a special list of industries suffering labour shortages, to make it easier for EU citizens to obtain work visas. The British government insists Brexit is not to blame, although post-Brexit immigration rules have made it tougher for drivers from Europe to work in the UK. In late 2000, anger over high fuel prices and the government's refusal to waive or reduce duty triggered a blockade of oil refineries, bringing the country to a virtual halt. The Sun reported that several ministers were pushing for truck drivers to be given emergency visas. Shapps argued that many people in the UK have quit driving "often because there has been cheaper European labour", undercutting their pay. "We want to get those people back in," he said, adding that "the market is responding by paying drivers more, and that is bringing more people back in". Britain was keen to "entice" back European truck drivers who have gained the necessary status to work in the UK but are currently overseas, he added. The Times reported the government could draft in the army to deliver fuel and that ministers had discussed putting soldiers on standby. But Shapps said: "Probably that's not the solution in terms of just sheer numbers." Explore further Concerns rise over UK flu outbreak amid vaccine delays 2021 AFP Network & Data Security Education Networks Largely Spared in DDoS Escalation Dedicated denial of service (DDoS) attacks were up by double digits in the first half of 2021. But somehow schools, colleges and universities, despite being favorite targets for ransomware and various other forms of malware, have been by and large overlooked even as DDoS becomes a companion tool in ransomware incidents. According to a report released this week by network security company NetSCOUT, everything about DDoS attacks increased in the first half of the year. The total number of attacks increased to 5.35 million, up 11% over the same period last year; The average duration increased to 50 minutes, up 31%; The largest attack in terms of bandwidth was 1.5 Tbps (against a German ISP), up 169% over the largest attack in the first half of last year; and The fastest attack was 675 Mpps (million packets per second), targeted at a Brazilian broadband user and likely related to online gaming, up 16.17%. In total there were four terabit-class DDoS attacks (none of them against a target in the United States). According to the report, DDoS is increasingly being used as part of ransomware (as well as stand-alone extortion) campaigns, with actors using encryption and data theft, then adding more pressure on the IT/security organization through DDoS. Amid all of this, however, the report noted that education didn't even crack the top 10 as a target. In addition, education (including both K12 and higher ed) made up less than a third of a percentage point of all bottled nodes (defined as "devices/systems that have been compromised by malicious bot software") used in DDoS attacks in the first half of the year (0.3%), well behind businesses (at 4.47%), hosting services (8.45%), mobile (11.57%) and ISP (75.22%). According to the report: "This is probably due to more stringent control over what devices are allowed on the network in these institutions. The top three source network profiles were ISP, mobile, and hosting, where device control is nearly nonexistent. That lack of control means that those ISP and mobile numbers really represent compromised subscribers." The complete report, the NetSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report 1H 2021, can be found on NetSCOUT's site and is available in both interactive versions and static PDFs, which includes many additional statistics, best practices and further explanations of attack vectors and operating systems. Learning Apps & Tools i-Ready Adds Lessons, Assessments Curriculum Associates has updated i-Ready with new reading and math lessons in Spanish, as well as a new K6 Spanish reading assessment. i-Ready is a platform for differentiated instruction in reading and math, offering digital instruction and formative assessments. New features, announced today, include: Spanish Reading lessons for Grades K2, which cover phonics and reading comprehension; More than 300 Spanish versions of many mathematics Personalized Instruction lessons for Grades K6; Teacher Toolbox, supporting Spanish in grades K8; Tools for Instruction in Mathematics in Spanish for grades K8; Learning Games in Spanish for grades K8; Diagnostic for Mathematics in Spanish for grades K12; and Reading Assessment in Spanish for grades K6 for the 20212022 school year. The company also recently launched Spanish-language phone and email support for i-Ready users and families. i-Ready is used by some 9.5 million students in the United States. Further details can be found at curriculumassociates.com. A state of emergency is the exceptional power of a government to suspend certain rights or freedoms where some eventusually war, disease or natural disasterthreatens to undermine the very fabric of the state in question. What is the legal basis for it? Tay Ninh Province in southern Vietnam has been ramping up investment into a series agricultural and infrastructural initiatives aimed at accelerating the provinces overall development. Compared to the 2015-20 period, Tay Ninh has spent the year expediting its development projects, beginning with the construction of major roadways throughout the province. From avenue to expressway 30/4 Avenue has long been a favorite road for local residents and visitors alike. It is the only road in the entire province without electric wires or utility poles, creating a more esthetic view of the pastoral landscapes. Other beloved Tay Ninh roads include Dien Bien Phu Road, a 4.3 kilometer thoroughfare built in 2017 to connect the Tay Ninh Holy See and Ba Den Mountain. Since its opening, supporters of the provinces development plan have lauded Dien Bien Phu Road as an important booster to local connectivity and tourism. The Ben Cay Oi Bridge, which spans the Vam Co River to connect Hoa Thanh and Phuoc Vinh Communes in Chau Thanh District, is another recently built project which has been a key component in the local development plan. Ben Cay Oi Bridge was opened to traffic in late July 2020 and has since aided local residents in traveling and transporting goods, which has in turn helped promote socio-economic development in the area. In late 2019, Tay Ninh carried out a strategic plan to construct the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai Expressway, an ambitious 53.5 kilometer highway with an estimated VND10 trillion (US$439 million) price tag. Following its scheduled completion in 2025, the expressway will shorten travel time between Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh from two and a half hours to one hour. A must-visit tourist destination In early 2017, Tay Ninh authorities organized an international conference on developing an agricultural value chain with international market integration, marking a significant turning point of the province's agricultural sector illustrated by a shift to organic farming and high-tech agriculture. At the event, provincial leaders affirmed that their development plan would reduce production costs, increase profits, and raise the competitiveness of the domestic agricultural industry. Former secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Luu Quang, who is currently secretary of the Hai Phong Party Committee, emphasized that the province was determined to build a high-tech agriculture sector with the goal to reach sustainable development and improve the living standards of local residents. At an international conference organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in mid-2016 to identify Vietnam's organic agricultural products, Tay Ninh registered such projects as the development of organic agriculture, high-tech agriculture and restructuring based on value chains and market orientation, adjustments to livestock production to ensure biosecurity and environmental protection, and organization of model fields. Tay Ninh is home to 658 farms, including 52 large-scale livestock farms. The province has attracted several projects from major investors including Tanifoods fruit processing factory with a capacity of 500 metric tons of raw materials per day, Vinamilks dairy farm with over 8,000 cows, and Farm Vietnams chicken farm with more than one million chickens. In 2017, the organization of an international conference on Tay Ninhs tourism development potential marked an important milestone for the local tourism industry, leading to Vingroup opening the Vincom Plaza Tay Ninh shopping mall, five-star Vinpearl Hotel Tay Ninh, and Vincom Shophouse in the locality. In 2020, Sun Group launched a new cable car system at the Ba Den Mountain national tourist site alongside the Sun World Ba Den Mountain tourist area. With all these new development projects, many believe that Tay Ninh is rapidly transforming into a must-visit destination for travel enthusiasts. It is likely that these achievements will create an important premise to contribute to building a wealthier, more innovative Tay Ninh Province. Four breakthrough solutions The Resolution of Tay Ninhs 11th Provincial Party Congress highlighted the following four breakthrough solutions: 1. Developing infrastructure, especially traffic projects 2. Developing high-tech agriculture, focusing on constructing high-tech agricultural zones and building agricultural production models based on value chains 3. Developing the tourism sector with the focus on turning the Ba Den Mountain tourist site into a national-level tourist destination and an attractive beauty spot of the southeast region 4. Boosting human resources along with administrative reform and application of information technology For almost a decade now, a group of Vietnamese veterinary engineers and volunteers have been devoted to the rescue and care of endangered animals and plants while fighting hard to curb biodiversity loss in the central and Central Highlands regions. GreenViet Biological Diversity Conservation Center, a Vietnamese animal rights and environment group founded in 2012, has been conducting research and raising peoples awareness of the biodiversity in the regions. Its members, many of whom are young people, try to reach locals hearts and help them engage in environmentally conscious behaviors. Their efforts are focused on conserving the red-shanked douc population, a primate species indigenous to Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang. Though its founders have doted on the doucs as the main beneficiary of their conservation drive, the members still pay attention to how to cushion the ecosystem and wildlife elsewhere from harm. The groups other initiatives include Mot trieu cay xanh do thi Viet Nam (One Million Trees in Vietnams Urban Areas) and Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund. Apart from conducting scientific research which aims to lay the groundwork for their preservation drive, the group is active in community education activities on wildlife protection, which they believe are instrumental to their success in the long run. Over the years, the group has organized hundreds of field trips, during which they pitched tents on mountains, ventured into forests to snap photos of the endangered species, and worked hard to talk locals out of eco-harmful habits. Never losing hope The groups journey to promote environmental protection awareness and get local residents actively engaged has never been smooth sailing, though. These youths are poking their noses into others business, according to the locals in Da Nang, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, and Kon Tum.. According to Duong Thi Mai Ly, one of GreenViets project coordinators, different cultures have more or less pro-environmental beliefs. The group members also run into countless difficulties trying to get their message across people from ethnic minority groups, who have difficulty speaking in the official language and cherish their long-standing hunting and tree felling practices. Changing personally-held beliefs and attitudes about environmental issues, however, may not guarantee corresponding changes among these ethnic people. Though they can persuade residents to sit down and listen to how alarming the wildlife situation is and how badly their actions are needed, it has never been easy to shift their deep-rooted livelihood practices toward sustainability, Ly added. The people there kept dismissing our advice as good for nothing as it had never occurred to them that the seemingly boundless natural resources may end up depleting without the right behaviors, she noted. The teams hard-earned successes finally came as residents and agencies in the localities they have been through have shown encouraging changes in attitudes and begun shifting from hunting and felling trees to farming and growing forests. With GreenViets help, their farms and acreages have also become more environmentally friendly. Crossing the firewall For the past decade, GreenViet has organized hundreds of research activities, educational seminars and nature exploring trips, which are conducive to awareness promotion and sustainable development. In one of their surveys conducted with 42 organizations working in this field across the central and Central Highlands regions as part of their Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund, up to 52 percent of these organizations are running youth clubs for pro-environmental activities. The rest are operating as non-governmental, non-profit, and community-based organizations. Only 24 percent of the organizations surveyed boast an operation seniority of 10 years or more. Funding is a major hurdle. Community-based organizations such as women and farmers societies are mostly funded by the local governments, Ly said. Funding for youth organizations, which mainly comes from the members own budget and crowdfunding, remains limited. For a steady source of funding, the team has kick-started the project 'Establishing a funding foundation for biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability in Da Nang City, Vietnam,' or the 'Conservation Fund' project for short. With a vision to 2023, the project, implemented by GreenViet, Gustav-Stresemann-Institut (GSI, Germany) and co-funded by the Delegation CCP of the European Union to Vietnam, aims to establish the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund in order to mobilize funding sources and increase the capacity of local civil society organizations, focusing on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection initiatives in the central and Central Highlands regions, according to GreenViets website. The hardship the members face can never poison their hearts. There are several months on end when GreenViet staff work without pay, Ly shared. In order to operate in the long run and bring about sustainability, its vital to protect environment and biodiversity conservation organizations." Numerous accolades on environmental protection Founded on the decision of the Da Nang City Union of Science and Technology Associations and licensed by the municipal Department of Science and Technology, GreenViet Biological Diversity Conservation Center came into operation in late October 2012. The center began with just five members, led by Tran Huu Vy, now its director; and Dr. Ha Thang Long, a representative of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, an international conservation organization established in 1858 with headquarters in Frankfurt and Main, Germany. Starting with projects dedicated to protecting endangered doucs, GreenViet has expanded their scope to conservation of rare gene pools, education and promoting awareness of the sustainable environment. Their reach and impact have been huge, spanning from Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue, Kon Tum to Binh Thuan and Nha Trang. The organization has won notable recognition for their ceaseless efforts, including the Vietnam Environment Award for their outstanding contribution to environmental protection in 2014-16 conferred by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Certificate of Merit for remarkable contributions to the Da Nang City Union of Science and Technology Associations in 2012-17; and Certificate of Merit awarded by the Da Nang City Peoples Committee for successful implementation of a project called Da Nang, an Environment-Friendly City.' Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has gained wide support for a second term as head of the World Health Organisation, formally nominated by at least 17 European Union members and backed by countries in other regions, diplomats said on Thursday. As the deadline for nominations elapsed, diplomats said that they were unaware of any other names being put forward, suggesting that Tedros will stand unopposed in the May election. Tedros, a former health and foreign minister of Ethiopia, elected as WHO's first African director-general in May 2017, has led the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He has steered the U.N. agency through attacks on its handling of the crisis, which was sparked by a new coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019 and has killed 4.9 million. While the Trump administration accused Tedros of being "China-centric", charges he rejected, relations warmed with the Biden administration, especially after Tedros publicly said that further investigations were needed into the origins of the virus, including audits of China's laboratories, diplomats said. But he has been shunned by Ethiopia due to friction over the Tigray conflict, making it necessary for other countries to step into the breach and submit his name for a second five-year term. "He is not unscathed, but broadly the international community feels it is really important to get behind him," a senior diplomat from a non-EU country told Reuters. German government sources made clear to Reuters on Wednesday that Berlin would officially nominate Tedros and was seeking support from other EU member states. At least 17 EU states have said they would also submit his name for nomination, a Western diplomat said, adding: "I understand he is being nominated by other regions." A source with direct knowledge of the nomination process told Reuters that no one had mentioned a challenger and that multiple envelopes nominating Tedros were expected. African countries broadly support Tedros who has championed their access to vaccines, but have not wanted to break ranks with Ethiopia, diplomats said. The United States has not opposed his fresh term, they add. However, under the WHO process, envelopes are to remain sealed until after Oct. 29, meaning it cannot be ruled out that a country might nominate another candidate. This is designed to limit campaigning too early. What you need to know today in Vietnam: Politics -- Vietnam's State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Pfizer's office in New York on Thursday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. President Phuc was participating in the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 76). Society -- Ho CHi Minh City received over 666,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Ministry of Health on Thursday night to provide the second shots to citizens, the municipal Department of Health said the same night. -- Authorities imposed extensive social distancing measures in Phu Ly, a city of 170,000 residents in northern Ha Nam Province, on Thursday after at least 49 coronavirus infections have been confirmed there in the past few days. Business -- The plan to reopen Phu Quoc Island to international visitors in October is now in doubt after a coronavirus outbreak has beeen recorded there in recent times. -- Vietnam is willing to share experience and information with China for the latter to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday. Sports -- Vietnam routed the Maldives 16-0 in the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 Qualifiers on Thursday. The Golden Stars will take on Tajikistan in their last game on September 29. World News -- "Southeast Asian governments must back the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) plans to expedite the closure of coal plants in the region with strong regulation to win funding for the programme," Reuters quoted an energy consultancy as saying in a report on Friday. -- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has gained wide support for a second term as head of the World Health Organization, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang are expected to loosen social distancing measures and reopen various socio-economic activities in October. The information was confirmed by vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Ho Ky Minh during a meeting with local businesses on Friday morning. Based on the draft guidance of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Da Nang has met the criteria to enter a new normal,' Minh stated. However, certain social distancing measures will be maintained between October 1 and 15 to ensure that the majority of citizens have a sufficient level of antibodies following their first vaccine doses, the official elaborated. Accordingly, an indoor meeting must not have more than 30 participants or over 100 vaccinated attendees. An outdoor activity must not involve more than 30 participants or over 200 vaccinated people. Educational activities, public transport, and app-based delivery services are allowed to be carried out as normal. Production, business, and service establishments are permitted to resume normal operations but must comply with pandemic prevention and control regulations. Spas, massage parlors, discotheques, karaoke shops, and bars will remain closed. Religious and cultural events must not have more than 50 participants or over 200 vaccinated attendees. Religious establishments and tourist attractions may reopen but must refrain from gatherings of more than 30 people. Resorts are allowed to resume normal operations. Weddings and funerals must not have more than 100 participants or over 200 vaccinated attendees. Stricter social distancing rules will be applied if the pandemic situation becomes worse than the expectation of health authorities. Da Nang has recorded 4,887 local COVID-19 infections since the fourth wave hit the country on April 27. The city has provided vaccination to 73 percent of its adult population, secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang said at a meeting on Thursday evening. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City has officially shortened the interval between two shots of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to at least six weeks, as it is accelerating to reach full immunization coverage for local residents. In a dispatch issued on Friday, the citys administration approved the Department of Healths proposal to reduce the interval between the first jab of AstraZeneca vaccine and the second shot of the same type or the Pfizer vaccine, as an alternative, to six weeks from the current gap of 4-12 weeks. Over the past time, the city has complied with the Ministry of Healths guidance on the intervals between vaccine doses, but the gap may be cut to six weeks for AstraZeneca in special circumstances, as the method has been applied effectively in the city and some other localities, said Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City health department. The department, therefore, proposed shortening the AstraZeneca vaccination interval for all local residents. According to the AstraZeneca manufacturers directions for use, the second jab should be given about four to 12 weeks after the first dose. Meanwhile, the interval applied to most other vaccines is three or four weeks. All vaccination points are required to give explanations to people about the vaccines efficacy and safety in association with the intervals between the two doses before they get vaccinated, the department said. By Thursday, Ho Chi Minh City, whose population is over nine million, had administered over 6.79 million first shots and 2.21 million second jabs to local residents aged 18 and over, the health ministrys data shows. Nationwide, the corresponding figures are more than 29 million and some seven million. Since the pandemic erupted in Vietnam in early 2020, the country has registered 728,435 patients, including 493,488 recoveries and 18,017 fatalities, the ministry reported on Thursday evening. In Ho Chi Minh City, the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths have amounted to 359,227 and 13,984. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man has been indicted for molesting two girls and raping another inside an elementary school in Hanoi last year. The municipal Peoples Procuracy confirmed on Thursday it had completed the indictment against Le Ngoc Tung, 36, who hails from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. Tung was charged with raping and molesting under-16-year-old individuals. The indictment shows that Tung lives at a tenanted house in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi. At 5:30 pm on December 16, 2020, Tung was walking home after drinking alcohol when he noticed that the gate of Dinh Cong Elementary School was open and left unguarded. He entered the school, approached V.T.A.T., 11, from the back, and molested her. After T. screamed and ran away, he started hugging and touching L.K.L., 11, who was standing nearby. As L. also fled, the man headed to the girls restroom, where he saw six-year-old N.P.N.. Tung took N. into one of the stalls and raped the young girl. He was caught red-handed by a teacher and was eventually apprehended by the schools security guards. The man was later brought to the local police station. According to the law, molesting an under-16-year-old person is punishable by a three-month to 12-year jail term, while raping an under-16-year-old person is punishable by seven to 20 years in prison, a life sentence, or capital punishment, depending on the severity of the offense. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ministry of Health registered 8,537 coronavirus cases in Vietnam on Friday, along with 12,371 discharged patients and 203 deaths. Thirty-four provinces and cities recorded 8,530 domestic cases while the country announced another seven imported infections, the health ministry said. The ministry had documented 9,465 locally-infected patients on Thursday. Almost 4,100 of the latest domestic cases were found in the community, with the remaining detected in sectioned-off areas or centralized quarantine facilities. Ho Chi Minh City logged 3,786 local infections, down by 1,266 patients from yesterday; Binh Duong Province 2,978, up by 214; Dong Nai Province 803; Kien Giang Province 203; Long An Province 194; Tien Giang Province 112; Can Tho City 57; Hanoi five; and Da Nang four. Vietnam has confirmed 732,492 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth and worst virus wave emerged in the country on April 27. Ho Chi Minh City is most affected with 362,493 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 193,235, Dong Nai Province with 43,925, Long An Province with 31,425, Tien Giang Province with 13,643, Dong Thap Province with 8,195, Khanh Hoa Province with 7,620, Da Nang with 4,891, Hanoi with 4,195, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,112. By comparison, Vietnam detected a combined 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in the previous three waves. The health ministry announced 12,371 recoveries on Thursday, taking the total to 505,859. The toll has mounted to 18,220 deaths after the ministry documented 203 fatalities on the same day, including 140 in Ho Chi Minh City and 30 in Binh Duong Province. Vietnam has registered 736,972 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year. Health workers have given roughly 37 million vaccine doses, including 593,903 shots on Thursday, since inoculation was rolled out on March 8. Over 7.2 million people have been fully vaccinated. Health authorities aim to immunize at least two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of next year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! EXCLUSIVE: Filming of Nine reality series Love Island by ITV Studios Australia will proceed, despite a local mayor withdrawing support, and wrap within a tight 30 day period. Byron mayor Michael Lyon has written to NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes to advise the council no longer supports filming after a crew member from Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, also an ITV Studios production, tested positive to COVID. Minister Stokes is not expected to approving filming any longer than the 30 day period. But producers ITV Studios Australia have a 30 day window in which to legally shoot from the start of filming, and are proceeding to meet a premiere deadline. ITV Studios Australia CEO David Mott told TV Tonight, Following recent discussions with the Byron Shire Council we are excited to confirm that we are moving forward with Love Island Australia. We will be working within the parameters of our approvals that we have in place at the moment. I understand the environment in which were in. I am very grateful for the continued support of the Byron Shire Council, Create NSW and the New South Wales government. Council had previously approved a lengthy COVID-safe plan but withdrew support following the positive case. The crew member from Im a Celebrity undertook PCR testing prior to travelling from Sydney to Ballina with further rapid antigen tests and PCR with production. Whilst ITV has denied any production wrap party taking place, a result ultimately identified a positive case. That was picked up from our own COVID safe protocols. Not by New South Wales Health. It was by our own, and we are doing that to all employees on these shows. But we were clearly disappointed at what took place, given our COVID-safe plan was, incredibly comprehensive and arguably a leader in Australia when it comes to being a safe television environment, says Mott. It was unfortunate, with this incident that took place with the one individual that was only filming a satellite shoot after the main show had finished. However, it happened. Im disappointed it happened and Im also disappointed for the local community that there had to be a lockdown. Clearly, we all have gone through lockdowns, and we know how challenging they are. It was very disappointing for us to see that occur. The crew member is now facing charges over allegedly breaching health orders. Its been a long road for the production of some 200 personnel, originally announced for the Gold Coast, before switching to Port Douglas and ultimately a 10ha property, Amileka in Federal. We can with confidence film the series and thats what were doing. Our protocols will be very much a buttoned-down production, where no one from from the crew will be mixing with the public, added Mott. The show on air will be almost identical to what was proposed for Nine. Ive got every confidence that will deliver (the show) to Nine pretty much in line with our original plan and schedule, he explained. Well make a few pivots in a few areas but we are very excited. From the point of view of the viewer at home, you wont see any difference at all to the show. In fact, wait until you see the Villa. Updated: Love Island is due to premiere on Monday October 11 on Nine. By John LeComte University of Dayton alumni are part of a cohort sharing their experiences and challenges about growing in faith in a newly created online course available through the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF). The new three week e-class, titled, Let this be the Time: Spiritual Essentials for Lifes Second Act, begins Oct. 10. The e-class is based on the book written by Sister Janet Schaeffler, O.P., an Adrian Dominican Sister. Schaeffler has been facilitating online courses through the universitys VLCFF for more than a decade, and draws on her own experiences of aging, as well as insights of many elders. The second half of life offers hundreds of opportunities for new meaning, Schaeffler said. Im glad to provide help for people to think about spirituality and aging in a wholistic, healthy way. UD alumni were called to assist with the content of the online class. Creating videos using Zoom, alums spoke on various topics included in the book, sharing their own experiences and stories on the second phase of life. Video testimonials accompany each week of the course, providing more personal, reflective moments. Week 1: The Need to Live a Life of Meaning and to Navigate Change and Loss Week 2: Our Need to be Grateful, to Forgive and to Give Week 3: Our Need for Spiritual Integration and to Let Go The concept of letting go and moving forward in your life has really been a liberating aspect of this chapter of my life. The important stuff of the past becomes trinkets in our lives and our ambitions and pride falls short of the reality of what is important, and what is important at the moment. Cheryl C. Reichel, Ph.D., 80,86,99 I have the gift of time for contemplation and reflection, and the frequency of formal and informal prayer has been dramatically increased as the responsibilities of employment no longer occupy my day. Time to read and reflect upon scripture in books concerning vocation, spirituality and the purposefulness of life. I have learned that God forgives me and I need to forgive myself for past decision and mistakes I continue to make. Susan Ferguson, 76, 82 I would describe my spirituality as a senior in three words: mature, personal, and hopeful. From a hopeful perspective, I continue to pray that I've done enough to serve God and my fellow man, and that hopefully, will merit eternal life. I am truly a Golden Flyer! Bill Clarke, MBA 59,75 After my husband died, grief caught up with me and I realized that I had lost my life as I'd always known it. For me, my life was over, I was finished. The grief that I'd so carefully avoided actually followed me and had its way with me and grief tends to do that. Much to my own surprise, I remarried and now appreciate the newness of life all over again. Toni Moore, Ph.D., 68,87,99 Forgiveness in my later years is more about letting go of the failures that I've had or sometimes the falls that I've made, knowing that failure and suffering are actually a necessary part of our maturing process in life and growing closer to God. Forgiveness for me is about setting myself and others free. Its so important as we age, to find peace in our life. I know that God is a loving God and I know that God forgives us and I know that he forgives me. Dave Riley, MSEd, 09 Participants taking the online course will hear more alumni excerpts as well as other video testimonials from various friends of the university. Participants will reflect on the realities of aging within a supportive community of learners. To register, create a profile, then click on register next to the course, Let this be the Time. The cost is $40 for alumni and partnering dioceses, and HR pays for the course for UD faculty/staff. Deadline to register is Oct. 6. By Ryan W. McEwan Ryan W. McEwan is a professor in the Department of Biology and will be installed Oct. 21 as the Dr. Robert J. Schuellein Chair in Biological Sciences. In the Spring of 2022, Professor Albert J. Burky will retire from a career of nearly 50 years of tireless devotion to the University of Dayton mission. Professor Burky came to the University of Dayton in 1973 as an assistant professor of aquatic biology. Since that time, he has been a model of excellence in every facet of faculty life: research, teaching and service. Research: Rich Experiences on Campus and in the Field Professor Burky has shepherded a research program that has deeply engaged UD undergraduates and graduate students in fieldwork, lab work, data analysis and publishing. For example, undergraduate students have been contributors on more than 100 combined publications and meeting presentations, and Professor Burky has published 45 peer-reviewed research papers and dozens of other works in books and conference proceedings; many of them are archived in eCommons (browse the list below). Professor Burkys research (photos in gallery below) has been focused on ecology and evolution, and he is particularly motivated to introduce students to the excitement of scientific discovery. As a graduate student adviser, Professor Burky has been exemplary. His devotion and passion for his chosen subject is infectious. His mentorship of masters and doctoral students has contributed to the development of an ever widening cadre of scientific professionals who continue to contribute to the scientific community through their own careers. One monumental aspect of Professor Burkys time at UD has been a series of research efforts focused on freshwater streams in the mountains of Hawaii. Over the decades, Professor Burky has made more than 100 trips to the Hawaiian Islands, often with UD undergraduate and graduate students as part of the teams. These projects have focused on the biology of stream organisms and routinely addressed environmental sustainability because some of these streams faced the loss of flow due to diversion for tourist development. With funding from the Earth Watch Institute and other sources, Professor Burky has been committed to translating his science into action, working with regional professionals to protect these streams and the local people who relied on them. Teaching: Creativity, Enthusiasm, Innovation As a teacher, Professor Burky has brought enthusiasm and creativity to nearly 50 years of UD students. Of particular note is the development of a set of undergraduate laboratories using hands-on experiments and observations of organisms, often from his personal collection. His exuberant dedication to his invertebrate zoology lab has created an unforgettable experience for students, many of whom have marked that lab as the best learning opportunity of their time at the University. Professor Burky also has created opportunities for students to travel and experience remote ecosystems and unique cultures. For example, he developed the course Island Environmental Biology and taught it in Palau and the Hawaiian Islands, and he took students into the field in Costa Rica for the course Culture, Biodiversity and Resource Management. All of these efforts earned him the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993 and the University Award for Faculty Teaching in 1994. Service: Personal, Professional, Departmental In the realm of service, Professor Burky contributes daily to the operation and function of the Department of Biology and the University as a whole. He advises undergraduate students with patience, precision and wise counsel; indeed, at times, Professor Burky has been a de facto walk-in clinic for students needing help selecting classes. He also has been an ardent advocate and mentor for new faculty at UD. Besides serving others at the individual level, Professor Burky has been a model of commitment to the work of the department in service to students and the University. His deep engagement in professional service including leadership activities for professional scientific societies, organization of professional meetings, peer review of emerging research and communication of science to stakeholders has advanced knowledge, developed new leaders and elevated the research profession. A Model, a Mentor, an Adviser, a Friend Professor Burky has been a role model and mentor for me; an empathetic ear when I face frustrations; and a heartening champion when things go well. In short, he is a selfless example of the aspirational totality of the title professor. Selected Publications by Albert J. Burky The following scholarly works by Professor Burky are archived in eCommons, UD's institutional repository for faculty scholarship; if you'd like your research to be added, contact Maureen Schlangen in the University Libraries when your new works are accepted for publication. Which one will be the winner? (BBC/Guy Levy) Strictly Come Dancing's 2021 competition gets going in earnest this weekend as the live shows kick off on BBC One on Saturday. Horror fans are in for a terrifying treat on Friday as Mike Flanagan's latest series, Midnight Mass, begins streaming on Netflix and promises to be a must-binge. Read more: The best TV to watch this autumn Submarine drama Vigil reaches its tense finale on Sunday with series star Suranne Jones promising viewers a big twist still to come in the BBC One show. Elsewhere, weekend highlights include the return of Graham Norton, coverage of a global music event, Daniel Craig sharing his favourite anecdotes as he bows out as Bond, and a devastating look at the dangers of mountaineering that ended in tragedy for one family. The best TV to watch this weekend, 24 - 26 September, 2021 Friday Midnight Mass - Netflix Hamish Linklater stars in horror 'Midnight Mass'. (Netflix) Halloween comes early to Netflix this weekend, with a brand new horror series from The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor creator Mike Flanagan. A disgraced former resident of the remote, run-down Crockett Island returns home at the same time as a mysterious young priest arrives in town to guide the ultra-religious community. Read more: Midnight Mass preview - the scariest thing on Netflix But as the troubled islanders put their faith in the newcomer and his miracles, a dark presence begins stalking them. Pure terror and a stylish series with a stand-out performance from Hamish Linklater make this a binge-watch worthy of your entire weekend. The Graham Norton Show - BBC One - 10.35pm Graham Norton returns with Daniel Craig on the sofa. (So Television/Christopher Baines) King of celebrity chat Graham Norton returns with a new series where famous faces spill all and share hilarious anecdotes. On tonight's bill is Daniel Craig who'll be talking about his final outing as 007 in the long-awaited Bond film No Time To Die. Goliath - Amazon Prime Video Billy Bob Thornton stars in the fourth and final season of 'Goliath'. (Amazon) Over on Amazon, Billy Bob Thornton's fourth and final series of Goliath begins streaming. He plays lawyer Billy McBride in the legal thriller which during its final storylines will see him take on America's opioid crisis. Story continues Saturday Strictly Come Dancing - BBC One - 7pm The judges are ready for the 2021 series. (BBC/Guy Levy) Sparkle is back on the menu for Saturday nights as Strictly's live shows get underway. This is the first time we've seen the brand new couples perform, so we'll be eagerly watching to see who looks like they could be in with a chance of lifting this year's Glitterball Trophy. Read more: Strictly reveals week one song and dance list in full Highlights to look out for this weekend include Anton Du Beke's debut as a series judge, and John Whaite and Johannes Radebe performing as the show's first all-male couple to compete. No one will be voted out this weekend, but the scores will be added to those from next week's live show ahead of the first elimination. Global Citizen Live: Music Festival for the Planet - BBC One - 5.30pm Elton John is on the bill for 'Global Citizen Live'. (Getty) BBC's coverage of one-off 24-hour music event Global Citizen Live switches between BBC One and BBC Two throughout the night. Performances from London, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Seoul, amongst other global locations, make up a Live Aid-inspired concert with the aim to "defend the planet, defeat poverty". Star acts on the bill include Elton John, Kylie Minogue, BTS, Lizzo, Stormzy and Rag'n'Bone Man. Sunday Vigil - BBC One - 9pm Will Suranne Jones ever get off the submarine? (World Productions) We finally reach the tense climax of Suranne Jones submarine drama Vigil after having ended on an extreme cliffhanger last week with her character DCI Amy Silva trapped in a flooding torpedo tube. Even if Amy gets out, she still has to round up the boat's saboteurs, make it back up to the surface without being attacked by the Russians, and work out the extent of Ben Oakley and MSP Patrick Cruden's involvement - before, hopefully, reconciling with Kirsten. Read more: The 6 burning questions we need answered in the Vigil finale It's a lot to pack into an hour, but Jones has promised a big twist to come in the series finale... The Last Mountain - BBC Two - 9pm Tom Ballard's final expedition is documented. (Ballard Images) Real-life adventure can be every bit as perilous as TV drama, as this documentary about the tragedy that hit a family of mountaineers shows. In 1995, Alison Hargreaves, a supremely skilled mountaineer, died on K2 leaving behind a husband and two young children - this film follows what happened to her children as they became adults. Tom Ballard inherited his mother's love of mountaineering and his expedition to Nanga Parbat in Pakistan is featured, but it had a devastating end when he also died on his trek in 2019. His sister Kate makes a pilgrimage to the mountain in tribute to her brother, and their mother who died just 100 miles from the site. Being James Bond - ITV - 10.20pm Daniel Craig has filmed his final Bond adventure. (MGM Studios/ITV) Daniel Craig has been James Bond for the last 15 years, but his starring role in the forthcoming No Time To Die will be his last. Here, he looks back over his time in the shoes of legendary spy 007 and shares some of his favourite memories before he passes the baton to the next Bond. Watch: Who's judging this year's Strictly? FDA authorizes boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for older adults and others at high risk from COVID-19 A nurse prepares to inject staff with the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images The FDA authorized boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for older adults and people at higher risk. Booster shots are likely to be available in locations like pharmacies and clinics at no cost. The US is still struggling to convince many people to get their first doses of coronavirus vaccines. See more stories on Insider's business page. The US coronavirus booster-shot campaign has cleared a crucial hurdle. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for older adults and others at high risk from the pandemic. Boosters can be given starting six months after the first two doses of the shot. The agency said that getting a third shot is safe and can help increase protection against the disease. The FDA decision caps more than a month of messy debate over the US vaccination drive. In mid-August, a group of President Joe Biden's top health officials issued an extraordinary joint statement saying that boosters were coming. The statement prompted controversy because it came before reviews by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and before much data on the safety or effectiveness of boosters was available. The US has already greenlit an extra vaccine dose for people with compromised immune systems, and some countries have embarked on booster-shot campaigns focused on vulnerable individuals. Under the FDA's emergency-use authorization, four main groups of people are eligible for booster shots: People 65 and older; People 18 to 64 who are at high risk of a severe case of COVID-19 if they get sick; People 18 to 64 who are at higher risk of getting COVID-19 at work, such as healthcare workers and teachers; People 18 to 64 who are at higher risk of getting COVID-19 because of where they live, such as those in prisons and other institutions. Protecting the most vulnerable amid the pandemic The hope is that booster shots will help protect those most at risk as the pandemic continues to surge, fueled by the rise of the Delta variant. Delta is more contagious, and appears to be able to partially elude the protection offered by vaccines. Story continues Still, the US is struggling to convince much of its population to get coronavirus vaccines at all. Just over 64% of people 12 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. "At this moment, it is clear that the unvaccinated are driving transmission in the United States," Dr. Amanda Cohn from the CDC said during an FDA meeting on boosters shots on Friday. Cohn said that masks and social distancing are still crucial, because "vaccination will never be perfect" at preventing every case. The CDC still needs to weigh in formally on who should be prioritized to receive booster doses. The agency's vaccine advisory committee is set to discuss booster shots on Thursday. Interim FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock. Tom Williams/Getty Images The Biden administration has said that once approved, booster shots will be widely available in locations like pharmacies and clinics. They'll be offered to individuals for free. Expanding the reach of boosters The FDA decision is a setback for Pfizer, which had asked the agency to make boosters available to everyone over age 16, six months after their second dose. It comes after a panel of doctors and other experts advising the FDA voted against the idea of making booster shots available that widely. The panel instead said that boosters should be given to people 65 and older, and to those most at risk of severe cases of COVID-19. Experts on the panel said there wasn't enough evidence showing the benefits of an extra vaccine dose for younger people. They also expressed concern that there wasn't enough safety data for younger adults, highlighting the risk of myocarditis, or heart inflammation, that has been seen at higher-than-usual levels in teenagers and 20-somethings who have been vaccinated. "The incremental benefit to the younger population really has not been demonstrated at all," Dr. Michael Kurilla, an infectious disease expert from the National Institutes of Health, said during the meeting. "I think we need to target the boosters right now specifically to the people who are likely to be at high risk, and it's an older population." 'A good step to protect yourself' Infectious-disease experts who aren't on the FDA's committee said the group made the right call to limit the initial rollout to more vulnerable people. "If you fall into the age category, this is a good step to protect yourself," said Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. The booster rollout shouldn't distract from effort to get more unvaccinated people to get their initial shots, said Bernadette Boden-Albala, director of the University of California, Irvine's public-health program. "If you're not vaccinated, get vaccinated," Boden-Albala said. "If you are vaccinated, be vigilant. And if you're vaccinated and eligible for the booster, get it." The FDA still has plenty of work ahead on coronavirus vaccines. The agency is reviewing an application from Moderna to give a third shot of its two-dose vaccine. Johnson & Johnson recently put out data showing that its vaccine is more effective after a second dose, and said it'd provided the information to the FDA. The agency is also being pressed to make vaccines available to younger kids. Pfizer has said it plans to submit data from a study of kids ages 5 to 11 to FDA in early October, and the agency could reach a decision by the end of that month. The drugmaker then plans to submit data from kids between 6 months and 5 years old in November. Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development Pfizer The case for boosters To make the case for booster shots, Pfizer presented results from at least eight studies showing protection from the vaccine wanes over time and that a booster could help. The company also cited data from Israel that showed big benefits from boosters in older people. That data comes from an observational study and could be skewed by factors that researchers weren't aware of or couldn't account for. The FDA's own review of the evidence for extra shots avoided taking a firm stance on some of the largest questions surrounding boosters, and noted that Pfizer didn't formally evaluate the efficacy of boosters. In a statement on Friday, Pfizer said that it believes booster shots are "a critical tool in the ongoing effort to control the spread of this virus." "We continue to believe in the benefits of a booster dose for a broader population," Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer's head of vaccine research & development, said in the statement. Read the original article on Business Insider North Port/Florida Police/Handout/Reuters Federal authorities issued a warrant on Thursday evening for the arrest of Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of 22-year-old van-life YouTuber Gabby Petito, whose body was found earlier this week in a Wyoming camping area. The coroner ruled Petitos death a homicide. An indictment against Laundrie, 23, charges him with use of unauthorized access devices for using a Capital One debit card and bank account after Petitos death. Authorities didnt disclose who owned the card and bank account but said Laundrie racked up more than $1,000 in charges between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. The FBIs Denver field office tweeted, While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petitos homicide. We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI. On September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr. Laundries activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito. pic.twitter.com/SSrBVbAeBs FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021 Laundrie returned home to Florida alone on Sept. 1 from a cross-country trek the couple had embarked on together in Petitos white Ford van. Petitos family in Long Island reported her missing on Sept. 11. Her mother, Nicole Schmidt, said her final phone conversation with her daughter occurred Aug. 25. Schmidt said she later received a strange text message from Petitos phone number that Schmidt did not believe her daughter wrote. This Was Van-Lifer Gabby Petitos Odd Final Text Message Laundries attorney and parents say they have not heard from him in more than a week. Authorities have been searching for him in the vast Carlton Reserve, a wilderness preserve located near his house. Throughout the massive search for Petito, Laundrie refused to cooperate with authorities, and he vanished before they discovered her body. Story continues The couple filmed much of their life together and posted happy-go-lucky photos and video about trekking in the van, but the reality of their life together was darker than it seemed. Bodycam footage of the couple taken after a 911 call Aug. 12 showed the tense aftermath of a physical fight in Moab, Utah, but police made no arrests and filed no charges. Authorities discovered Petitos remains on Sunday. The Teton County coroner ruled Tuesday that the initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. Gabby Petito Tipster Recalls Guy in Van Acting Weird Near Camping Area Where Body Was Found Graphic designer Jessica Schultz said she called the FBI on Aug. 26 when she saw a man driving a van alone in the Spread Creek camping area, the part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest where Petito and Laundrie were last seen together, and acting weird. She said he was very awkward and confused. The van parked for several days and nights without any signs of actual life before departing Aug. 29, she said. Two people also said they picked up Laundrie hitchhiking in Grand Teton on Aug. 29, including one who told Fox News she dropped him near the campground where Petitos body was found. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Phong Luu, assistant professor of mathematics at the University of North Georgia (UNG), constantly searches for ways to help his students better understand the complex course material. He gets excited when he thinks of programs that can fill a gap to benefit students. "When I see something that I can apply that people have never done before, I try to think about how to make a change in a way that is more practical," Luu said. "I initiate new ideas that we can apply to our teaching to help students." This mindset has led to a pair of Presidential Incentive Awards to support his work. The first, in 2018, was a Presidential Semester Incentive Award that allowed him to team with associate professor of mathematics Thinh Kieu to create "maplets" in the popular mathematics-learning software Maple. These maplets are like a digital tutor with "infinite patience" that provides step-by-step hints to allow students to find the right answer and advance to the next part of a problem. His second award, in 2021, was a Presidential Incentive Award for Innovation. With it, he is creating procedures to help statistics students focus not just on getting the right answers, but interpreting the calculations. "It's important to know how to calculate manually so they know where their answers come from, as well as to use statistical concepts and techniques they learn to analyze numerical and graphical results," Luu said. He also published an article in the "Teaching Statistics" journal on this topic. By using the latest technology, Luu is able to make his courses practical. He enjoys mentoring students as they research statistics and work on their senior projects. "I want students to be competitive when they're applying for jobs or graduate school," Luu said. Americas withdrawal from Afghanistan has made its Kurdish allies in eastern Syria nervous. The White House was quick to reassure the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that it would not initiate a similar pull-out from Syria, but can US President Joe Biden be trusted, Middle East Eye asks. After all, the Trump administration gave similar assurances before abruptly withdrawing over half its forces in 2019 and greenlighting a Turkish invasion. More recently, Washington was muted when several SDF fighters were killed in Turkish attacks in August. Bidens Kabul withdrawal, in which he prioritised saving American lives over his allies, will only heighten fears among the SDF that they too will be soon be abandoned. So how likely is Biden to pull out? The signs are not good for the SDF. By withdrawing from Afghanistan, and also with the recent Aukus alliance, Biden has indicated clearly that great power competition, particularly the containment of China, is his primary foreign concern. This means ending involvement in the "forever war" legacies of the "war on terror" like Afghanistan and, possibly, Syria. Related to this, Bidens withdrawal suggests he has accelerated the move to fight Islamic terrorism "offshore". Yet rather than tackling this with troops, he prefers to strike from distance - already the practice in Yemen, Pakistan and elsewhere. Extending this approach to Syria, Biden might conclude he doesnt need boots on the ground to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) group (banned in Russia). Biden has never been much interested in Syria and, while he agreed to the anti-IS campaign, he opposed wider involvement in the conflict when he was vice president under Barack Obama. There are already hints that he might take a softer line with Bashar al-Assad, recently exempting an Egypt-Jordan-Syria-Lebanon gas deal from the US's Caesar sanctions. Keeping US troops in eastern Syria to deprive Assad of oil may no longer be the strong motivator it once was. Yet there are reasons for the SDF to be hopeful. Firstly, Biden was defiant on Afghanistan, but he will be wary of attracting more negative press by abandoning another ally so soon. This alone suggests that even were Biden keen to leave Syria, he may hold off until the post-Kabul criticism has died down. Secondly, the operation in Syria is far less costly than the one in Afghanistan. While in 2018 the US still had 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, dropping to 4,000 before the withdrawal, it only has 900 supporting the SDF. Added to this, Syria is less of a live theatre now that ISs caliphate has largely been destroyed, so American casualties remain low and Biden faces less domestic pressure to withdraw. Then there is the international dimension. Key regional allies - especially Israel and Saudi Arabia - want the US to remain in eastern Syria to guard against Iran moving in. That said, another ally, Turkey, is eager for the US to leave so it can stamp down on the SDF unimpeded, believing its strongest faction, the PYD, to be Kurdish nationalist terrorists. Biden cannot please all of his allies, but there is certainly no regional consensus pressuring him to leave. For the time being, then, even if Biden might prefer to get out, there is little internal or external impetus for a sudden withdrawal. However, that could change. In particular, the dynamics between Turkey and Russia in Syria are significant, and events in Afghanistan could yet have reverberations there. Turkeys activities are also helping Russia to nudge the SDF into swapping sides. Ankara might actually be open to some kind of eventual Assad-SDF-Russia deal. Both Moscow and Ankara will feel that the US pull-out from Afghanistan has increased their chances of getting what they want. Even if the White House has no plans to immediately leave eastern Syria, and faces little pressure to do so, both Russia and Turkey will try to exploit the fallout from Afghanistan to further their goals, which might ultimately hasten an American departure anyway. Battery power may be the frontrunner to become the car technology of the future, but don't rule out the underdog hydrogen, write Nick Carey, Christina Amann in Berlin and Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt. That's the view of some major automakers, including BMW and Audi, which are developing hydrogen fuel-cell passenger vehicle prototypes alongside their fleets of battery cars as part of preparations to abandon fossil fuels. They are hedging their bets, calculating that a change in political winds could shift the balance towards hydrogen in an industry shaped by early-mover Tesla's decision to take the battery-powered road to clean cars, Eureporter writes. Global auto hub Germany is in sharp focus. It is already betting billions on hydrogen fuel in sectors like steel and chemicals to meet climate targets, and closely-fought elections this month could see the Greens enter the coalition government and further push the technology. BMW is hydrogen's biggest proponent among Germany's carmakers, charting a path to a mass-market model around 2030. The company also has one eye on shifting hydrogen policies in Europe and in China, the world's largest car market. The Munich-based premium player has developed a hydrogen prototype car based on its X5 SUV, in a project already partly funded by the German government. Jurgen Guldner, the BMW vice president who heads up the hydrogen fuel-cell car programme, told Reuters the carmaker would build a test fleet of close to 100 cars in 2022. "Whether this (technology) is driven by politics or demand, we will be ready with a product," he said, adding that his team is already working to develop the next generation vehicles. "We're on the verge of getting there and we're really convinced we'll see a breakthrough in this decade," he said. VW's premium Audi brand told Reuters it had assembled a team of more than 100 mechanics and engineers who were researching hydrogen fuel cells on behalf of the whole Volkswagen group, and had built a few prototype cars. Hydrogen is viewed as a sure bet by the world's biggest truckmakers, such as Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) unit Daimler Truck, Volvo Trucks (VOLVb.ST) and Hyundai (005380.KS), because batteries are too heavy for long-distance commercial vehicles. Yet fuel cell technology - where hydrogen passes through a catalyst, producing electricity - is for now too costly for mass-market consumer cars. Cells are complex and contain expensive materials, and although refuelling is quicker than battery recharging, infrastructure is more scarce. The fact that hydrogen is so far behind in the race to the affordable market also means even some champions of the technology, like Germany's Greens, favour prioritising battery-powered passenger cars because they see them as the fastest way to reach their main goal of decarbonising transport. The Greens do, however, back the use of hydrogen fuel for ships and planes and want to invest heavily in "green" hydrogen produced solely from renewable sources. "Hydrogen will play a highly important role in the transport industry," said Stefan Gelbhaar, the party's transport policy spokesperson in the Bundestag. Politics can be unpredictable though - diesel went from saint to sinner following Volkswagen's Dieselgate emissions-cheating scandal, which came to light in 2015. Some carmakers view hydrogen technology as an insurance policy as the EU targets an effective ban on fossil-fuel cars from 2035. Last year Daimler said it would wind down production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL, a hydrogen fuel-cell SUV, but a source familiar with company plans said the project could easily be revived if the European Commission or a German government with Green participation decide to promote hydrogen cars. "We're focusing on (battery) electric first, but we're in close cooperation with our truck guys," said Jorg Burzer, Daimler's head of production, when asked about that approach. The technology is always available." For years Japanese carmakers Toyota (7203.T), Nissan (7201.T) and Honda (7267.T), and South Korea's Hyundai, were alone in developing and pushing hydrogen fuel-cell cars, but now they have company. China is expanding its hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, with several carmakers now working on fuel-cell cars, including Great Wall Motor (601633.SS), , which plans to develop hydrogen-powered SUVs. The EU wants to build more hydrogen fuelling stations for commercial vehicles. Fitch Solutions auto analyst Joshua Cobb said the bloc was only likely to start pushing hydrogen passengers cars in two to three years' time, given it was still figuring out how to pay for its battery-electric car push and how to obtain enough "green" hydrogen from renewable sources. But he added: "It's not out of bounds to think if the (German) Greens come into power they could accelerate the push to adopt regulations favouring hydrogen fuel-cell cars." BMW's Guldner acknowledged hydrogen technology was too expensive to be viable for the consumer market today, but said costs would come down as trucking companies invested in the technology to bring fuel-cell vehicles to market at scale. To demonstrate BMW's hydrogen X5 prototype, Guldner took Reuters for a spin at 180 km (112 miles) per hour on the autobahn near the carmaker's Munich headquarters and in a few minutes gave it enough fuel to run 500 km using a hydrogen gas pump at a Total petrol station. Guldner said BMW saw hydrogen fuel-cell cars as "complementary" to its future battery electric model range, providing an alternative for customers who cannot charge at home, want to travel far and refuel swiftly. The motor in the hydrogen X5 is the same as BMW's all-electric iX. "When the future is zero emissions, we believe having two answers is better than one," he added. Yet Fitch Solutions' Cobb said that it would still take years before any European policy support for hydrogen-powered cars translated into significant sales. Indeed, auto consultancy LMC forecasts that various uses of hydrogen - in commercial vehicles, aviation and energy storage - would spur its adoption in passenger cars, but over the longer term. "We're just not going to get there any time soon," said LMC senior powertrain analyst Sam Adham. LMC estimates in 2030 hydrogen fuel-cell models will make up just 0.1% of sales in Europe, and sales will only take off after 2035. There remain divisions about the technology's prospects in the global car industry, and even within auto groups. VW's Audi unit might be researching fuel cells, for example, but Volkswagen group CEO Herbert Diess has been scathing about hydrogen-powered cars. "The hydrogen car has proven NOT to be the solution to climate change," he said in a tweet this year. "Sham debates are a waste of time." Stephan Herbst, general manager of Toyota in Europe, has a different view. Speaking in his role as a member of the Hydrogen Council business group, which forecasts that hydrogen will power more than 400 million cars by 2050, Herbst said he was confident that now governments had set ambitious carbon-reduction targets, they would push hydrogen alongside battery electric cars. "We strongly believe this is not a question of either or," he added. "We need both technologies." Azerbaijan has launched its case accusing neighbour Armenia of racial discrimination and "ethnic cleansing" before the UN's top court, in a bitter tit for tat international court battle, TRT World reports. Baku's claim comes just a week after Armenia lodged a similar case before the Hague-based International Court of Justice. "Armenia has engaged and is continuing to engage in a series of discriminatory acts against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their 'national or ethnic' origin," Azerbaijan said in its filing before the court. Echoing Armenia's case against Baku, Azerbaijan said Yerevan has breached a UN treaty, the International Convention of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). "Through both direct and indirect means, Armenia continues its policy of ethnic cleansing," Azerbaijan said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his relationship with Joe Biden remained strained, after years of policy grievances between the NATO allies and some personal rancor, Bloomberg reports. I cannot honestly say that there is a healthy process in Turkish-American relations, Erdogan told reporters during a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, according to Turkish news channels. In particular, he criticized the U.S. for sanctioning Turkey over its purchase of Russian missile-defense systems, penalties that included barring Ankara from developing and receiving Lockheed Martin Corp.s advanced F-35 fighter jets, decisions which predate the Biden presidency. Erdogan said Turkeys position on retaining the S-400 batteries -- the first of which have been delivered but not deployed -- remains unchanged. I worked well with the son of Bush, I worked well with Mr. Obama, I worked well with Mr. Trump, but I cannot say that we started well with Mr. Biden, he said after failing to meet his U.S. counterpart on the sidelines of the UN summit. Turning to ties with Russia, Erdogan said he would discuss all aspects of the relationship during his upcoming meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 29, downplaying some rifts with Moscow over the war in Syria where they have supported opposing sides. We have not seen any wrongdoing in relations with Russia so far, Erdogan said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell focused on Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Iran nuclear deal on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, TASS reports. "The talks focused on a wide range of pressing regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Mail, along with the JCPoA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal - TASS) and the Middle East settlement. They also touched upon the state of and prospects for Russia-EU relations," the statement says. Lavrov arrived at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday to attend the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly. The Russian foreign minister has already held a number of meetings with foreign counterparts. He is expected to deliver a speech on September 25. Meanwhile, Borrell told reporters that the European Union was working on the opening of its office in the Afghan capital of Kabul, but added, citing security concerns, that he could not speak about the timeframe. Nearly 20 European Union countries nominated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for a second term as head of the World Health Organization, shortly before the deadline passed on Thursday, NDTV reports. WHO member states had until 1600 GMT to nominate candidates. Germany announced on Wednesday that it was proposing Tedros, who appears to be the only candidate in the running. "Today September 23rd, France and Germany, in coordination with a group of EU states, nominated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros for the election of the @WHO Director-General to be held in May 2022," the permanent missions of France and Germany at the UN in Geneva both wrote in a tweet. Other EU nations followed Berlin's lead and backed the Ethiopian former health and foreign minister, diplomatic sources told AFP. Each country, among them Austria, France, Portugal and Spain, submitted a sealed envelope to the Geneva-based WHO. The organisation will not open the envelopes before October 1. Then, a few weeks later, the list of candidates will be sent to the WHO's 194 member states, before being made public. In 2017, Tedros became the first African to head the powerful UN agency. Russia's intelligence services exchange data with US colleagues on the situation in Afghanistan, including threats coming from the territory of this country, Sergei Naryshkin, the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told reporters, Sputnik reports. "We exchange operational information with colleagues from various intelligence organizations, which concerns issues in the fight against international terrorism, including threats coming from the territory of Afghanistan," Naryshkin said. Local businesses are struggling to recruit new employees due to a labour shortage caused by the fourth wave of COVID-19, according to authorities and business leaders. Workers receive their vaccines to help businesses maintain "three-on-site" production in the Noi Bai Industrial Zone. - VNA/VNS Photo Those who want to be employed must meet the requirements for "green cards", which includes being vaccinated against COVID-19. On top of this, businesses must also outline their plans to safely resume production. This has caused difficulties for both firms and employees. An owner of a garment company in Binh Tan District of HCM City said that, since July 2021, his company has been among 45 firms to receive top priority for vaccinations because they are located in a high-risk zone. Despite this, not all employees and workers have been fully vaccinated yet. He said HCM City has now offered incentives for businesses to reopen their production. However, only those with green cards are permitted to work, driving most businesses into difficulty due to a lack of labour. Luong Van Vinh, general director of My Hao Cosmetics JSC, said that the three-on-site policy means employees have to eat, sleep and work onsite to maintain production. Many of these workers have been given their first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, many unemployed workers in big cities have not yet been vaccinated as they return to their hometowns. Vinh added that after HCM City lifts social distancing orders, many firms will face a hard time recruiting more employees, due to the mandatory vaccination requirement. Le Nhat Truong, an official of Pousung Vietnam Co., Ltd in the southern province of Dong Nai, said that after two months of shut-down his company reopened and asked employees to come back to work on September 20. However, the company failed to reopen because not all staff are fully vaccinated, as required by authorities. In order to lure workers back to work, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province has allowed people with travel papers from their companies to use their personal modes of transport to travel to their workplace. Travellers must register their specific travel schedules, both to and from their homes and workplaces, said Le Ngoc Khanh, vice chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provinces Peoples Committee. Mass vaccination needed Bui Xuan Huy, General Director of Novaland Group, said his company had 3,000 employees working in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. The company wants the provincial authority to allow them to transport the employees to HCM City for vaccination. Huy added his company has committed to ensuring safety when travelling to HCM City. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), mass vaccination is the most effective way to ensure workers can return soon. Currently, the ratio of vaccination amongst workers in industrial parks and processing zones is only 30-35 per cent for the first jab, while the ratio of workers who have received the second jab is less than five per cent. Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS) Dang Hoang Giang said that most employees in the cashew industry have not yet received the second jab. Therefore, it was difficult to meet the requirements to reopen their businesses after the lifting of social distancing orders. Giang said the vaccination ratio remains low in HCM City and neighbouring provinces. Therefore, workers should be given priority to get the vaccination to ensure safety for production. All should be fully vaccinated before December 31, 2021. Cao Tien Dung, Chairman of Dong Nai People's Committee said his province has given priority to workers who are staying and working at their facilities to get a vaccination, helping firms to reopen soon. Source: Vietnam News Firms face labour shortage after social distancing Many firms are worried about labour shortages after resuming operations after the social distancing period. Despite the impact of the pandemic in recent months, business results of FDI enterprises in Vietnam in the past eight months show a promising picture. At the meeting between HCM City officials and representatives of foreign-invested enterprises on August 20, Intel Vietnam raised concerns about difficulties if social distancing measures are extended and warned of long-term risks if the Covid-19 epidemic is not controlled soon. During a meeting between the EU business community in Vietnam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, President of EuroCham in Vietnam Alain Cany said that 18% of enterprises in the manufacturing industry had partially shifted their orders or production demand to other countries and 16% of businesses were also considering this. However, he affirmed that no EU enterprises had left Vietnam yet. In fact, moving orders is normal in business and multinational corporations invest in many countries, not only one. The Vietnamese government has tried its best to support foreign-invested enterprises. The worries and warnings made by these corporations are worth paying attention to for Vietnam to do better, but this is a force majeure situation and only occurring in the short term, so the worry about the bad situation is unlikely to happen. Multinational corporations with global production chains always have measures to join with the countries where they invest to overcome difficulties. In fact, despite the impact of the pandemic in recent months, business results of FDI enterprises in Vietnam in the past eight months show a promising picture. FDI enterprises mainly produce goods for export, so the data on their import and export activities can partly reveal their business picture. Vietnams total import-export value in January-August 2021 reached over 429 billion USD, up 27.5% over the same period in 2020, including over 297 billion USD from FDI enterprises, an increase of 31.2% year on year. Vietnam's total export value during this period was 213.5 billion USD, up 21.8% or 38.15 billion USD over the same period of 2020, including 156.6 billion USD from FDI enterprises, up 26.5% or 32.8 billion USD year on year. Notably, exports of the FDI sector accounted for 73.4% of the country's total export value. In the last two weeks of August, the Vietnam General Department of Customs also recorded an impressive growth in the export value of FDI sector, with an increase of 39.4% or 3.29 billion USD compared to the first two weeks of the month. For leather and footwear products alone, the items that FDI enterprises account for nearly 80% of export value, the total export turnover in January-July 2021 reached 13.78 billion USD, a growth of 8.3% year on year. As for the electronics industry, where export revenues mainly come from foreign-invested firms, data from Bac Ninh province, the home to Samsung factories, shows that in the past eight months mobile phones increased by 23%, smart watches 23.7%, and electronic components 45.7% compared to the same period last year. In Bac Giang province, home to many foreign corporations, production was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in May, but industrial production in August regained the growth momentum after the epidemic was controlled. In Ho Chi Minh City, the countrys epidemic center, the data of the Management Board of Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks in Ho Chi Minh City shows that only 637 projects can still operate, accounting for 45.11%, with 53,254 employees while 775 projects have temporarily stopped production (54.89%). However, exports did not decline. Total export turnover in the first seven months of the year was 3,586 billion USD, 0.92% higher than the same period of 2020. For June alone, the export turnover decreased significantly. In Tan Thuan export processing zone, export turnover in June 2021 reached 203,576 million USD, 111,485 million USD in July 2021, down 45.2% compared to June. This shows that, when the epidemic is under control, the resilience in this sector will be high, making a strong contribution to growth. Problems Some difficulties that FDI enterprises are facing include partners not eligible to operate under the three-on-the-site model due to many reasons, disrupting the production chain. The risk of order cancellations is very high due to prolonged suspension. In addition, they face increased logistics costs due to Covid-19 testing fees and traffic congestion; difficulties in international freight; and narrowed export markets. However, the "darkest" moment is almost over, and the export figures for the second half of August 2021 show it. It's also a sign that foreign investors will not easily leave Vietnam. Moving a factory worth hundreds of billions of dollars is not easy, but more importantly, despite the current short-term difficulties, Vietnam is still a stable and potential place to invest in and do business. The fact that orders are moved to other countries is just a temporary solution, as orders will return to Vietnam when the epidemic is gradually controlled. It should be noted at this time that domestic businesses seem to be much weaker than the FDI sector. The export revenue of the FDI sector accounts for 73.4% of the total export value of the country, which is a warning for local enterprises. Before the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, export turnover of the FDI sector made up less than 70% of the countrys total. Currently, Vietnam has administered more than 30 million doses of covid-19 vaccines. According to the Ministry of Health, it is expected that more than 20 million doses will arrive in Vietnam in September and 70 million doses will be available in the remaining months of the year. With the abundant shipments of vaccine, workers at factories and industrial parks should be fully vaccinated with two vaccine doses. Vaccines are the most basic, long-term solution to stabilize production, because with the Delta variant, keeping distance from others is not enough to prevent infection. Localities need to allow fully vaccinated workers or those who have recovered from the disease and have antibodies to return to work on the basis that they still willstrictly adhere to the 5K recommendations. Thus, life will return to the "new normal", and with its long-term advantages and efforts, Vietnam will continue to be the destination of foreign investors. Luong Bang Longer-term FDI strategy in need of situational tweaks The pandemic is forcing a number of factories to either stop operations or pare down capacity, which has increased pessimism about the short-term outlook of Vietnams business environment. Hanoi's strategy of quickly isolating areas where positive cases were found and carrying out testing campaigns at "lightening speed" helped prevent the spread of the virus. In July, Hanoi imposed social distancing under Prime Minister Directive 16 amid the complicated developments of the fourth outbreak. It closed service establishments, except traditional markets, supermarkets and medical units, and suspended passenger road and waterway transport. Hanoi has been consistently preventing, discovering, isolating, and giving intensive treatment. Isolation On February 4, 2021, Hanoi discovered Patient 1956 at Sky City apartment building in Dong Da district and immediately isolated the building. The workers there and those who entered the building were asked to make medical declarations. Those who live in the building were told to stay in their homes. On February 4, all residents of B Block of the apartment building were sampled for SARS-CoV-2 testing. The sampling and testing were carried out with the 4-6 formula, which means that after discovering positive cases, the sampling must be fulfilled within four hours and transferred to Hanoi CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for testing and have results within six hours. The testing results were given on February 5 evening with 934 negative tests. Based on the results, the Dong Da district Peoples Committee decided to remove the blockade outside the 88 Lang Ha apartment building, while only the 10th and 21st floors of the building were put under quarantine for 14 days. This method helped ease the pressure on 934 residents who tested negative. Experts pointed out that isolation, if necessary, needs to be implemented on the smallest possible scale to optimize resource allocation and take care of people. In late July, Chuong Duong Ward found new positive cases. Hoan Kiem District authorities decided to implement medical quarantine on a part of Chuong Duong Ward from July 31 to August 14 to trace and investigate related cases. This helped district authorities easily mobilize resources to supply food and medical workers. The families under medical quarantine were not allowed to go out. The district authorities then joined forces with retailers to provide food to all families. A food supply team with 80 vaccinated members visited every house to help them buy essential goods if necessary. Hanoi Party Committee Vice Secretary Nguyen Van Phong said that Hanoi will continue to isolate, quick test, trace at 'lightening speed', quarantine close contacts, and bring positive cases to medical units. Hanoi has been strictly following requirements but has been flexible in applying anti-pandemic prevention measures. This helped reduce the number of daily positive cases throughout the four social distancing campaigns. As of 2pm of September 21, there were 43 isolation points with 21,900 people, which means an increase in the number of green (low risk) zones and decrease in red and orange zones compared with September 6. Vaccination, testing Hanoi decided that by September 15, all people in areas classified with high and very high risks would be sampled for testing three times once every 2-3 days. For other areas, this was once every 5-7 days. To implement the task, medical units not only took samples and vaccinated during the day, but at night as well. In late July, Hanoi began the largest Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the history of the capital city, according to the Hanoi Department of Health. The campaign is expected to last for more than nine months, from July 2021 to April 2022. By September 18, the city had given 6,432,921 shots. Of these, 5,671,487 people had received the first shot, or 94.2 percent of people aged 18 and above. This is 68.33 percent of the entire city population. And 786,095 people received the second shot, or 12 percent of people aged 18 and above, or 9.2 percent of the city population. Regarding testing, from September 8-15, 4,197,528 samples were taken, fulfilling 84 percent of the plan. Twenty one positive cases were discovered during the campaign. From September 16 to September 19, 90,977 samples were taken and 47 positive cases were discovered. Experts say that Hanoi districts took the initiative in applying measures to prevent the pandemic. Some districts have become green zones, but they have still prepared mobile medical units, mobilized private clinics and used all possible human resources. New normal Hanoi believes that it has controlled the outbreak after the last 60 days of social distancing. However, it understands that it must not be complacent about its achievements. Hanoi cannot be safe if the whole country remains unsafe. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the Preventive Medicine Department, now senior advisor to the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), said Hanoi needs to continue supervising risky areas to discover positive cases as soon as possible, and trace and isolate hotbeds. He stressed that Hanoi has to maintain control after loosening travel restrictions and avoiding congestion to supply chains. Hanoi Party Committee Vice Secretary Nguyen Van Phong said that Hanoi will continue to isolate, quick test, trace at 'lightening speed', quarantine close contacts, and bring positive cases to medical units. Huong Quynh Hanoi mulls solutions to stay safe when social distancing rules end Hanoi needs to find solutions to prevent the coronavirus from spreading and causing overloading of the healthcare system. Dr Tran Dac Phu, former Head of the Preventive Medicine Department, advised Hanoi not to be hasty in granting green cards so that achievements of pandemic prevention can be maintained. Hanoi Vice Mayor Chu Xuan Dung on September 22 met with the citys Command Post and command posts of agencies, districts, communes, wards and towns to discuss Directive 22 of the Hanoi Peoples Committee. Phu, senior advisor to the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), said at the meeting that it was a great success that the outbreak had not flared up. However, he said it would be difficult to obtain a zero Covid situation, because coronavirus still exists in the community and has been affecting chains of drivers, shippers and other groups of people. Moreover, the situation is still complicated in the country. Phu said that immunity requires two shots of the vaccine. Vaccines offer protection but even fully vaccinated people can still be infected and transmit the virus. Vaccines help to reduce the severity of the disease if a fully vaccinated person has a "breakthrough infection", and they mostly prevent hospitalization and death. Some other experts also said while the vaccination rate in Hanoi is still low, the city needs to apply drastic measures to protect the lives of people and not let the outbreak get out of control. Hanoi Vice Mayor Chu Xuan Dung said experts all affirm the need for vaccination to reach herd immunity, but fully vaccinated people also have to keep alert to avoid infection. Dung noted the recent incident of people flocking to the central area to celebrate the mid-Autumn festival, saying that this was not good for pandemic prevention and control. This shows that some districts still are not strictly observing regulations. He asked the citys departments and local authorities to implement Directive 22 of the Hanoi Peoples Committee. The heads of agencies and local authorities must take responsibility for the results of pandemic prevention in their localities. On September 22, the Hanoi Peoples Committee released a decision on strengthening the citys Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control. The committee comprises of 22 members, headed by Hanoi Mayor Chu Ngoc Anh. Hanoi Party Committee Vice Secretary Nguyen Van Phong is Deputy Chair of the Steering Committee. In related news, a report showed that about 4,000 foreigners in Hanoi were vaccinated against Covid-19 pandemic from September 15-18. Huong Quynh Navy re-awards $151M small biz IT contract The Navy has made new awards for a $151 million IT support contract that was derailed earlier this year by protests. The small-business contract is for IT lifecycle support for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. Winning this time around are: Chitra Productions LLC SV Synergies LLC OSCTech LLC AttainX Inc. Stellar Innovations and Solutions Inc. The Navy originally made awards in December 2020 to AttainX, Golden IT-JV, OM Group, Stellar Innovations and Yakshna Solutions. But three companies OSCTech, Soliel LLC and DT Professional Services lodged protests with the Government Accountability Office. Those protests led the Navy to pull back the original awards in March and take corrective action. The corrective action was either to take a second look at the evaluations or to amend the solicitation and get revised proposals. Whichever path they took the results are very different this time around with only two of the original winners, AttainX and Stellar, getting awards a second time. Golden IT-JV, OM Group, and Yakshna Solutions were left out. And only one of the protestors, OSTech, won a seat. Its unusual to see companies on a multiple award contract lose a spot they won because of a protest. Generally, you see an agency add companies but leave the original winners in place. This makes me speculate that well see some more protests of this contract. The contract is for a range of services that will support core facilities management, construction management and installation management systems. Work includes systems development, cybersecurity support, business systems operation and IT operations management. Other tasks will cover cloud operations including migration, systems development, secure infrastructure and analysis, and management services. The contract runs through March 2027. The Navy said it received 28 bids. DARPA unmanned ship work moves forward DARPA is making progress on a program it calls No Manning Required Ship, making a second award to Serco Inc. to continue developing a design for the ship. While the Federal Procurement Data System pegs the value of the contract at $7.7 million for Phase 1A and the recently awarded Phase 1B portion of the contract, this is precisely the kind of design work Serco wanted to pursue when it acquired Alions naval architecture business in 2019. A rendering of the NOMARS unmanned surface vessel concept; courtesy Serco. Other companies also are in the mix include Autonomous Surface Vehicles LLC, a division of L3Harris; Gibbs & Cox, a naval architecture firm acquired by Leidos; Barnstorm Research Corp.; and TDI Technologies. Its unclear which of the companies has made it to the second phase besides Serco. Known as NOMARS X-Ship, the DARPA program is exploring novel surface vessel designs using what Serco called a clean sheet refresh. The NOMARS vessel will have no onboard sailors and will need to operate for long periods of time. The vessel will eventually replace larger and more expensive ships, Serco said. One goal is to lower the Navys cost per mission hour with a reduced platform size and the ability to extend the reach of larger, manned vessels. Able to observe and contest large swaths of the mission space, USVs could enable virtually embarked warfare commanders to be everywhere at once, Serco wrote. A fleet comprising these smaller, yet capable autonomous platforms are anticipated to yield an increase in deployed capabilities with a reduction in mission cost, operational constraints, and risk to human life. To pursue this work, Serco is drawing on the Alion acquisition as well as Alions 2005 acquisition of John J. McMullen and Associates. Chuck Grassley, the most senior Republican in the U.S. Senate, tweeted early Friday that he would seek reelection in 2022. Its 4 a.m. in Iowa so Im running. I do that 6 days a week. Before I start the day I want you to know what Barbara and I have decided. Im running for re-electiona lot more to do, for Iowa. We ask and will work for your support. Will you join us? #GrassleyRuns #GrassleyWorks pic.twitter.com/cwv8yu9wkx Grassley Works (@GrassleyWorks) September 24, 2021 According to the Des Moines Register, "His decision is a victory for national Republicans who have made it clear they wanted Grassley who has repeatedly been reelected by double-digit margins to run for an eighth term. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released this week showed him leading Democratic challenger Abby Finkenauer by 18 percentage points, 55% to 37%, in an early test of the race." Grassley won by nearly 25% over Democrat Patty Judge in 2016. 2022 Senate Elections 34 Senate seats are up for election in the 2022 midterms, including 20 Republicans and 14 Democrats. With the chamber evenly split at 50-50, the GOP needs a gain of one seat to take control. The party's best prospects are in four battleground states with first-term Democratic incumbents: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire. All those are currently rated Leans Democratic. Of course, flipping one of these seats doesn't get the job done for the GOP if they lose one under their control. While Grassley's decision shores up Iowa, there are other seats at risk for the party, particularly in states where the incumbent is not running. Five Republicans have announced their retirements, including Richard Shelby (Alabama), Roy Blunt (Missouri), Richard Burr (North Carolina), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Patrick Toomey (Pennsylvania). All but Alabama are on the competitive radar, with North Carolina and Pennsylvania currently seen as toss-ups. Republicans are favored in Missouri and Ohio, although that could evolve depending on who the party nominates. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) have not made their 2022 plans known as of yet. Senex signs new gas sales agreement with 29Metals Brisbane, Sep 24, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Senex Energy Limited ( ASX:SXY ) ( FRA:UDB ) ( OTCMKTS:VPTOF ) today announced a gas sales agreement to supply the Capricorn Copper mine, owned by Australian resources company 29Metals Limited ( ASX:29M ), with around 2.5 petajoules (PJ) of natural gas over three years.The Capricorn Copper mine is located approximately 120 kilometres north of Mount Isa, Queensland.Natural gas is to be supplied by Senex at the Diamantina Power Station in Mount Isa, generating the power required to operate the Capricorn Copper mine. The Diamantina Power Station is owned and operated by APA Group.Under the three-year agreement starting 1 January 2022, Senex will supply around 2.5 PJ of natural gas to support mining and processing operations at a fixed price, in line with current market levels. Terms have also been agreed that can extend gas supply a further two years which would increase sales up to around 4 PJ.Senex Managing Director and CEO Ian Davies said the company was proud to supply another strong regional Queensland customer with natural gas from its Queensland operations."The Capricorn Copper mine is a critical project in the Queensland Government's Strategic Blueprint for the North West Minerals Province."Copper in particular has a large role to play in the production and operation of next generation clean technologies such as electric vehicles, and solar and wind power sectors."Senex looks forward to building another strong, long-term and mutually beneficial relationship that supports jobs, the economy and helps meet Australia's energy demand as it transitions to a lower carbon future", Mr Davies said.The Capricorn Copper contract is Senex's second GSA in the North West Minerals Province following the recent supply agreement with zinc concentrate producer New Century Resources.Senex has signed around 80 PJ of agreements with domestic customers including Adbri, CleanCo Queensland, CSR Building Products, Opal, Orora and Visy Glass.About Senex Energy Limited Senex Energy Ltd (ASX:SXY) (OTCMKTS:VPTOF) (FRA:UDB) is an established, rapidly growing and low-carbon Australian natural gas producer. Our long life Surat Basin assets contribute around 20 petajoules of natural gas per year into the east coast gas market to support our customers. Senex is focused on sustainably delivering balance sheet strength, resilient cashflows, growing dividends to support Australia's energy needs as it transitions to a lower carbon future. Completes A$8 Million Placement Brisbane, Sep 24, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) is pleased to advise it has successfully completed an A$8 million placement at $0.32 per share (Placement). The offer received strong interest and was supported by a number of Australian institutional and sophisticated investors in the energy sector.Highlights- Successful placement completed raising A$8 million from institutional and sophisticated investors.- The offer received very strong interest, with support from a number of leading energy investors.- Funds accepted from investors will be used to:o commence production testing at Rougemont-2 and undertake additional exploration drilling in the highly prospective Rougemont CSG fairway in the Company's 100% owned ATP 2062o undertake further production testing at Nyanda 8 and Serocold 1 in the adjoining Reid's Dome Project (PL 231)o expedite the development program for Reid's Dome consistent with the Company's aim to bring gas to market in 2023o provide additional working capital in support of these operations and meet costs of the offer.Richard Cottee, GAS Executive Chairman, said he was very pleased with the robust investor interest and the level of bids received."The strong demand for this placement reflects the increasingly high prices for gas and support for the mission the Company has embarked on to bring new supplies to market in 2023. 2023 is the year which the ACCC in its recent report indicates is the start of a critical need for additional gas supplies. The funds accepted will enable us to commence production testing at Rougemont and undertake further drilling, as well as complete the appraisal programme for Reid's Dome", Mr Cottee said.Placement OverviewGAS will issue 25 million new shares ("New Shares") to accept new capital of A$8 million, at an issue price of $0.32 per share.The placement price of $0.32 represents a 15.8% discount to the last closing price and a 21.6% discount to the 30 day VWAP of the Company's shares to 21 September 2021.New Shares issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing ordinary shares from the date of issue. GAS will issue 25,000,000 New Shares without shareholder approval under Listing Rule 7.1. Settlement is expected to take place on or around 28 September 2021, with New Shares to be issued on 29 September 2021.The State Gas field team is currently preparing for the next phase of work at the Company's 100%-owned Rougemont and Reid's Dome gas projects in Central Queensland.Morgans Corporate Limited and CPS Capital Pty Ltd acted as Joint-Lead Managers to the Placement.To view the Investor Update Presentation, please visit:About State Gas Limited State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network. Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4). State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements. The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing. State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells. Farm and ranch life is fruitful but difficult. New Mexicos agricultural footprint spans centuries. The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces has created an exhibit that honors the women in agriculture called Her Land: Women in Agriculture. Were going to feature a woman every four months, says Craig Massey, museum spokesman. Weve been talking a lot about this with our staff on how we can go better and recognize women in the field who are making a difference. Massey says the interactive museum, which has welcomed visitors from all over the world, brings to life the 4,000-year history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national honor for museums. The main building contains more than 24,000 square feet of exhibit space. The first person featured in the exhibit is Felicia Thal, a longtime rancher in northeastern New Mexico who died in 2020 at age 92. Thal was born in Durban, South Africa, in 1928. Her adventures led her and her husband, Alan, to New York, Minnesota, Detroit, Kansas City, and eventually New Mexico, in 1972. The Thals decided to make cattle ranching a priority and fell in love with the northeastern part of the state and bought a ranch north of Las Vegas. Thal was a woman of varied interests and many talents. She began to focus on raising cattle and quickly became one of the states leaders in the industry. While living on the ranch in the Mora Valley, she took a leadership role in several organizations, including the Cattle Growers Association, where she executed a succes sful healthy-beef campaign. She helped develop the New Mexico Beef Council and was the first woman to be chosen as Cattleman of the Year. Massey says Thal was an early supporter and founding member of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum. She fought hard to make the dream of a museum that celebrates agriculture in New Mexico, a reality, Massey says. Massey says that in 2017, 41% of producers in New Mexico were female. He says its not just farmers or ranchers who are featured in the coming exh An emphasis is being placed on contemporary leaders and those who represent the future. Museums typically focus on the stories of our ancestors and their incredible accomplishments, says Heather A. Reed, museum executive director. We often forget to look around to see that history is unfolding right in front of us within our communities and our state. Her Land spotlights the amazing feats and contributions of modern-day women and showcases the young women working on the future of agriculture. This ongoing project will rotate every few months and will allow us to record history in real time for generations to come. Authorities are searching for four children taken by their father Thursday following a domestic incident west of Gallup. The Navajo Nation Police Department is asking the publics help to find Turquoise Sky Peshlakai, 10, Rain Cloud Peshlakai, 2, Rumaldo Peshlakai Jr., 7, and Coral Dawn Peshlakai, 5. The department said, on Facebook, that Rumaldo Peshlakai took the children from Tsayatoh, NM, in a maroon Yukon and made statements to harm the children. The Yukon was found abandoned soon after and the father and children are believed to be on foot. The post did not say where the vehicle was found. Rumaldo Peshlakai is described as 5 feet 9 inches, 210 pounds, with brown eyes. He currently has a bald head and a goatee. Tips: If you have any information or know the whereabouts of the children or their father, please call the Navajo Police Department Window Rock District at 928-871-6112 or 6111 or dial 911. DALLAS Federal officials made more than two dozen recommendations Thursday aimed at further safeguarding power plants and natural gas supplies to prevent a repeat of the February blackouts that caused more than 200 deaths in Texas. Staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Reliability Corp. made their recommendations to FERCs four commissioners while presenting a preliminary report on the February disaster, which left millions of people without power during subfreezing temperatures. The situation didnt need to be as bad as it was, said FERC Chairman Richard Glick. He said changes should have been made after a winter storm caused blackouts in Texas in 2011, when a report called for the mandatory weatherization of power plants. But somehow that recommendation eventually was watered down to guidelines that few generators actually followed, said Glick, a former Democratic congressional staff lawyer. I can guarantee you that this time, FERC will not let these recommendations be ignored or watered down. In the preliminary report, officials recommended that power providers be required to meet tougher standards for protecting their plants from freezing temperatures and that they should be able to seek compensation for the cost of winterizing them. Such a change would make Texas deregulated electricity market more like those in other states. They said natural gas facilities also should have cold-weather plans and be able to operate during weather emergencies. That could mean adding heating equipment and backup generators in case the power fails. Glick also criticized Texas decision to largely isolate its power grid from the rest of the country to avoid federal regulation of its energy market. That limits the ability of the grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, to import power from neighboring states. Glick said Texas was very short-sighted in going it alone. The preliminary report made no recommendation on the issue; a FERC staffer said it needs further study. Another of the four commissioners one seat on the five-member panel is vacant said the winter storm demonstrated another problem with the Texas electricity market: It relies solely on scarcity pricing to keep the power flowing during emergencies. Mark Christie said that structure doesnt require producers to provide power when it is most needed. It was an accident waiting to happen, and it happened in February, said Christie, a former utility regulator in Virginia who was nominated to the federal commission by then-President Donald Trump in January. Its up to Texans to decide this. Its their choice, and I think they will get it figured out. Unlike other grid operators, ERCOT does not pay providers to ensure power in a pinch, which would raise prices for electricity customers. Instead, ERCOT depends on higher wholesale prices during shortages to give producers an incentive to generate power. According to the report, freezing issues were the largest cause of outages, at 44%. That included frozen instruments and wind turbine blades. Fuel supply problems were the next biggest factor, at 31%. Supply issues were mostly related to natural gas, including frozen wellheads. A final report is expected in November. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The Albuquerque Police Department on Thursday released photos and videos of an auto-theft suspect who was shot by officers as he was running away, a silver handgun clutched in his hand. Eric Padilla, 33, died on the scene. Police Chief Harold Medina said force investigators will determine if the officers actions followed policies, but its important to remember that an armed offender could present a danger to the community, not only the officers. We now have an individual who had no firearm in their hand, who has now elected to arm themselves with a firearm, who is still fleeing officers and who officers still have a legal objective of trying to arrest for committing a felony crime, Medina said. So I dont want us to get stuck in the mind-set that an offender always has to point a firearm at an officer before the officers are in danger. Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock of the Criminal Investigations Division said that, on Aug. 15, Officer Christopher Mings spotted a stolen car on Lomas and Louisiana NE. He said Mings tried to pull the car over, but the driver fled. Officer Mings car had a StarChase device deployment system on it, which essentially glues a GPS tracker to a vehicle, Hartsock said. It was successful in attaching to the stolen car. The stolen car proceeded to drive away, very aggressively away, from Officer Mings while he was trying to pull them over. Mings didnt chase the stolen car and instead the dispatch center tracked the GPS signal to a park near Morrow and Pennsylvania NE. Thats where Mings discovered the device had been removed and dropped on the street or the sidewalk. Mings headed to a nearby Walmart, where he found the stolen car, Hartsock said. It had been abandoned, but officers found security camera footage that showed a man and a woman getting out of it. The couple was found nearby. Lapel camera footage shows Mings and Officer Max Denerstein talking to Padilla, asking to search him for weapons. Padilla turned over a knife, Hartsock said, but he did not want them to pat him down. Padilla suddenly just took off running, he said. He crosses Menaul, starts to turn around and run backwards, and this is where the shooting takes place. Shaky lapel camera video from both Mings and Denerstein shows the chase as Padilla crosses the street, and then turns around and heads back the other way. He can be seen pulling out a gun, and the officers yell gun! gun! gun! before firing at him several times. Hartsock said the gun Padilla was carrying which can be seen next to him in the video has since been linked to three non-fatal shootings, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working to learn more about where it came from. Padillas fingerprints were also found inside the stolen vehicle, Hartsock said. He said the gun had malfunctioned and the casing was not ejected, but police do not know if Padilla had attempted to fire it at the officers. Its possible he had pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. The woman Padilla was with has not been charged. Neither Mings who has been with APD since 2018 nor Denerstein who joined APD in 2014 have been involved in other shootings. Both have returned to their positions. The police shooting was the first of three that week. Four days later, on Aug. 19, four officers were wounded in a shootout with an armed robbery suspect, who was also injured. And, the following day, officers shot a man they say was wielding a rifle and attempting to carjack a truck as he fled from police. That man was critically injured. APD officers have shot eight people this year, four of whom died. Question: When can an Albuquerque police officer eat a burrito while driving a police cruiser? Answer: Not while trying to steer with no hands while traveling on an interstate highway and with two passengers. Theres probably not a Q-and-A item like that in any Albuquerque Police Department manual. But maybe there should be. The Albuquerque Police Officers Association in May posted a video under the title Burrito vs. Crime that purported to tell the story of a busy Officer Mike who got into BIG trouble after running from call to call all day and consuming a burrito in his car. Office Mike CANT eat a burrito in his car! the video says. Now he faces 16 hours suspension for eating his burrito! The video has been viewed more than 6,000 times, and the burrito-eating officers plight has been cited on the APOAs Facebook page as just one example of the out-of-control oversight of officers here in Albuquerque. It turns out the real Officer Mike was extremely busy, dealing with an aggressive prisoner and bouncing between the jail and the hospital. But he wasnt suspended; he got a letter of reprimand for not following rules for transporting a restrained prisoner and for not operating his police vehicle in a careful and prudent manner. Lapel camera footage from Oct. 6 shows officer Greg Toya using his knees, not hands, to steer the car while unwrapping and downing three carne adovada burritos from Golden Pride. A report from a subsequent inquiry says the burritos were consumed while Toya was doing the handless driving on Interstate 40 with another officer in the passenger seat and a restrained prisoner in back. Just about everyone in New Mexico loves burritos, and most of us probably have chowed down on a few of the hand-held variety while behind the wheel. While not advisable, with a passenger to unwrap and hand em over that should leave a hand available for 10 or two. So APOA needs to choose its battles more wisely. Going public to misrepresent the burrito incident undercuts the unions arguments on the very real issues having to do with court-ordered Department of Justice oversight. Those include the staffing and officer hours required for review of even low-level uses of force while personnel respond to or patrol for crime are stretched thin. The union president says Toya should have been referred to more training rather than given a reprimand. Cmon, keeping at least one hand on the wheel, even when taking in some really good carne adovada, is basic drivers ed, particularly with passengers on a high-speed route like an interstate. The low-level discipline of a letter of reprimand was appropriate. That said, this savory saga does show just how crazy the work lives of police officers can be. Toya and officer Robert Calabaza were tasked with taking a man found in a park to jail because he was wanted on a felony warrant. The prisoner tried to kick out a police car door, was restrained with leg shackles and handcuffs tied together with nylon straps but then proceeded to bash his head on the Plexiglas between the front and rear seats. Officers had to stop and put him in headgear. When they got to the jail, an ambulance was called to take the prisoner to the hospital for treatment of a cut and bruising. The officers then took him back to the jail. It was on this final leg that Toya and Calabaza picked up a six-pack of Golden Pride burritos and Toyas hands-free driving took place. An internal investigation found the prisoner had indeed injured himself, and the officers were cited for taking two cruisers to the jail the first trip rather than having two officers in the car with the restrained prisoner. That violated an APD policy that a person in restraints must be monitored constantly to ensure an unobstructed airway for breathing. Positional asphyxia has been the cause of death in high-profile cases where people died in police custody. Toya admitted he did use his knee to operate his vehicle. He said he wasnt thinking clearly because of how long the call had taken and he hadnt had food. Its a snapshot of what officers have to deal with on long days when we all officers included wish they were chasing down robbers, burglars and other bad guys or helping people in need. But wherever they go and whatever comes their way, even a tasty carne adovada burrito, police need to follow the rules. And that includes keeping a hand on the steering wheel. Watch the video This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. It was Carlos Condits manager, not Condit himself, who announced the Albuquerque MMA fighters retirement on Sept. 16. As of Thursday, Condit still had not posted anything on social media regarding his decision. He did, however, talk at length on Monday with MMA Fightings Ariel Helwani about his retirement and related matters. Condits answer to the obvious question was, simply, It was time, man. It was time. He did, however elaborate a bit. Among the factors: In his most recent fight, a loss by unanimous decision to Max Griffin on July 10, Condit said it felt like it looked: I was just a step behind Max. Afterward, he said, he found himself not as upset as he typically had been after a loss. On some occasions, he said, hed been so angry after a loss that hed left his gear in the dressing room. This time, he said, I wasnt salty about it. The investment of time and energy necessary to prepare for a fight, he said, had begun to wear on him at age 37 and after 46 pro fights over the course of 19 years. I think that in some ways Im compromising things in my life, in my personal life, he told Helwani. To train as a professional mixed martial artist at the highest levels of the sport, that takes a lot. So I have less to give to the rest of my life. At this point, I dont want to make that compromise anymore. Hed already decided to retire, he said, when his best friend a man hed known since grade school died of complications from COVID-19. So Ive been dealing with that, he said. A lot of (expletive) going on. His favorite fight? Despite the outcome a much-disputed loss by split decision in a bid for the UFC welterweight title he chose his Jan. 2, 2016, donnybrook with Robbie Lawler. I really am proud of my performance, he said. Theres some stuff that I kick myself in the ass for about my performance, but how could you be mad at a performance like that, even though I didnt get the nod? His legacy? Initially, Condit told Helwani that wasnt a major concern of his. I did what I did, and I think it speaks for itself, he said. Later in the interview, though, this: I think maybe what resonated with people was that I approached this with passion. I stepped out there and I loved to fight. I loved what I do, and I hoped every, every single time to go out there and put that on display, that I loved every second of this. UP NEXT: Albuquerques Jackson-Wink MMA uncharacteristically went 0-for-4 last weekend, its fighters dropping two fights on a UFC card and two more on a Bellator card. On Friday, Edwin Cooper Jr. will try to get Jackson-Wink back in the win column. The featherweight from Joliet, Illinois, is matched against fellow Illinoisan Andrew Johnson on an LFA card in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The card is scheduled to be streamed on UFC Fight Pass, starting at 7 p.m. Cooper is 4-1, coming off a victory over Brazilian Robson Junior by first-round TKO on June 4. Johnson is 2-0-1. TATE OUT: Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is out of her scheduled Oct. 16 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Ketlen Vieira after testing positive for COVID-19. What this means for the possibility of a rematch between Tate and Albuquerques Holly Holm remains to be seen. Holm (14-5) is scheduled to fight on the same Oct. 16 card against Brazilian featherweight Norma Dumont (6-1). A Holm victory over Dumont and a Tate victory over Vieira might have led to said rematch, with the winner, perhaps, moving on to a bantamweight title shot at champion Amanda Nunes. Tate defeated Holm by fifth-round submission (rear naked choke) on March 5, 2016, taking the bantamweight title Holm had won with her upset victory over Ronda Rousey the previous November. Holm hasnt fought since last October, when she defeated Irene Aldana by unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Since, she has recovered from surgery prompted by a kidney condition. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal About 23,000 years ago, a group of children and teenagers left footprints along Lake Otero in what is now southern New Mexico perhaps they were fetching water for adults hunting a mammoth or the massive ground sloth that roamed the area in those days. This week, a team of researchers from White Sands National Park, the National Parks Service and others published an article in the journal Science, which concludes that those childrens footprints were the oldest known human tracks ever found in North America. Imprints of the tiny toes were found along outcrops of the since-dried-up lake, which is in White Sands, and they indicate the earliest humans arrived on the continent thousands of years before previously thought, according to a park service news release. The question of when humans first set foot on North America has long flummoxed scientists. The articles authors said it remains uncertain exactly when people arrived in the Western Hemisphere and when their continuous occupation started. These incredible discoveries illustrate that White Sands National Park is not only a world-class destination for recreation, but also a wonderful scientific laboratory that has yielded groundbreaking, fundamental research, Superintendent Marie Sauter said in the release. White Sands is home to the worlds largest-known collection of fossilized footprints from the ice age. Its been recognized as a megatracksite since 2014, according to an NPS news release. In addition to humans, mammoth, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and the tracks of other ice age animals have been discovered there. The findings also further confirm that humans lived in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum the most recent ice age and that they lived alongside those massive beasts. David Bustos, resource program director at White Sands and one of the studys authors, said the prints were confirmed to be human in 2016. We knew they were old, he said. But theres always the question: How old? Bustos said the team used carbon dating on multiple sets of footprints to determine they were 23,000 years old. He said previous scientific estimates had put humans in North America about 13,000 years ago. The overlap of humans and megafauna for at least two millennia during this time suggests that, if people were hunting megafauna, the practices were sustainable, at least initially, the authors write in the report. This also raises the possibility of a human role in poorly understood megafauna extinctions thought previously to predate their arrival. Scientists from White Sands, the park service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Bournemouth University, University of Arizona and Cornell University were part of the research project. This study illustrates the process of science new evidence can shift longheld paradigms, USGS Acting Rocky Mountain Regional Director Allison Shipp said in a prepared statement. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education approved a proposal Wednesday for the spending of federal pandemic relief funds that will inject $230 million into New Mexicos largest school district. APS will submit the application for funding to the state Public Education Department on Oct. 1. The largest share of the money, more than $90 million, is going to unfinished learning initiatives such as extended contract time for principals at select schools and an expansion of summer educational camps and activities. Under the proposal, $28 million would be devoted to principal mentorship and extended contract hours for principals at 34 schools, according to APS Chief Financial Officer Tami Coleman. Federal funds will also go to mental health services, charter schools and pandemic-related technology like the purchase of Chromebooks and wireless hot spots. Though the application outlines the priorities for spending, Board President David Peercy said the approval is for the spending priorities and the board is not approving final spending numbers, which could change over the course of the next three school years. Coleman also said that she expects the budget to change. As we go through this three-year period, undoubtedly, there will be areas that we do want to adjust as we move forward, Coleman said. Other spending priorities include $50 million going to budget stabilization to make up for a shortfall in the APS budget following a decline in enrollment. In May, Coleman told the school board that the district faced a potential $52 million financial loss from the operating budget due to enrollment declining by about 5,200 students. While the spending plan was approved by the board, board member Barbara Petersen abstained. Petersen said she questioned the prioritization of certain items and said she would like to see more money going to upgrading HVAC systems. The proposal sets aside about $16.5 million for HVAC upgrades and evaporative cooler replacements. Funds are also set aside for window replacements and water repiping. Upgrades to heating and cooling systems have become a repeated topic of concern at recent board meetings, with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation marking an upgrade to those systems as a top spending priority for federal relief funding. According to ATF President Ellen Bernstein, a recent union survey found that 60% of respondents felt that an upgrade to heating and cooling should be the No. 1 spending priority. But Superintendent Scott Elder said during the board meeting that a revamp of the heating and cooling systems would take close to the entire amount of federal relief funds. Elder also said that replacing swamp coolers with new units may not be enough to bring down temperatures in hot summer months and the district may have to instead look at starting the school year in September rather than August. DEL RIO, Texas No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people most of them Haitians had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. Its a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it phenomenal news. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The devastating 2010 earthquake forced many of them from their homeland. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was horrible and that people will pay as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. There will be consequences, Biden told reporters. Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke cautiously about the pending investigation into the use of horses. Asked about the discrepancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was not prejudging an outcome. He was speaking from the heart. She said he is not interfering with any investigation. Mayorkas said about 2,000 Haitians have been rapidly expelled on 17 flights since Sunday and more could be expelled in coming days under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. He said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal. Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, with seven planned Saturday and six Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. In Mexico, just over 100 migrants, most of them single men, remained Friday morning in the riverside camp in Ciudad Acuna. Dozens of families who had been there crossed back to Del Rio overnight after Mexican authorities left the area. With the river running higher, some Border Patrol agents helped families who were struggling to cross with children. Some migrants also moved to small hotels or private homes in Ciudad Acuna. Authorities detained six migrants at one on Thursday afternoon. Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles west along Mexicos border with California. The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said. Asked about the situation in Ciudad Acuna on Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, we dont want Mexico to be a migrant camp, we want the problem to be addressed fully. At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket. A man whod driven almost 1,500 miles from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family wore a neon yellow vest and quietly scanned the line of Haitian migrants. Dave, who didnt want to share his last name, didnt see them in this group. I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help, he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom hed met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody, said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. We have so much. Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge wont reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rios hospital. It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here, Lozano said. The government has no plans to stop expelling some migrants on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. The Biden administrations special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, and said some of his policy recommendations had been ignored. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. The humanitarian group UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying Thursday that initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. And Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who toured the camp on Thursday, vowed to stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. ___ Maria Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. AP journalists Sarah Morgan in Del Rio, Texas; Ben Fox and Nancy Benac in Washington; Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. NEW YORK With cascading crises casting a pall over the proceedings at this years United Nations General Assembly, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova had this reminder on the first day of debate: We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable the women, the girls, the minorities. But gender parity at the worlds preeminent forum of leaders still seems far out of sight. Eight women were speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. Just five women spoke across the first three days of the summit. On Friday, three vice presidents and five prime ministers including Bangladeshs Sheikh Hasina and New Zealands Jacinda Arden were taking the rostrum or giving their address in a prerecorded video. As the first female president in the history of my country, the burden of expectation to deliver gender equality is heavier on my shoulder, said Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania. When it comes to such equality, she said, COVID-19 is threatening to roll back the gains that we have made, Hassan was the lone woman to address the General Assembly on Thursday. Despite those 13 women making up less than 10% of speakers over the first four days, the 13 represent an increase from last year, when just nine women spoke over the course of the session. There are also three more female heads of state or heads of government 24 than there were at this point in 2020. There can be no democracy, no security and no development without one-half of the humankind, Estonia President Kersti Kaljulaid said Wednesday, also underscoring womens vulnerability in society. The theme of vulnerability has been at the forefront during a week haunted by the ever-looming specters of climate change, coronavirus and conflict. Most of the speeches have taken on the tenor of pleas issued at the precipice, batting away the summits theme of building resiliency through hope. Dire predictions were not limited to the General Assembly. At a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, the high-level officials urged stepped-up action to address the security implications of climate change and make global warming a key part of all U.N. peacekeeping operations. They said warming is making the world less safe, pointing to Africas conflict-plagued Sahel region and Syria and Iraq. Vice President Isatou Touray of Gambia, located in the Sahel, highlighted what many African nations have long called another deficit in inclusion: the powerful Security Council itself, which she called one of the last holdouts of reform. Africas quest for greater representation on the Security Council is legitimate, just and overdue, she told delegates Friday. Africa has no permanent representative on the council. Scores of leaders have already spoken, and many have left New York altogether. But some of the most anticipated countries have yet to deliver their addresses to fellow leaders. North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan all perennially but also lately much in the news are expected to close out the final debate session Monday afternoon. It remains unclear who will represent Afghanistan, where the U.S.-backed government fell last month after American forces withdrew and a resurgent Taliban reclaimed power. Friday alone promised fireworks, with a slate of speakers from countries roiled by internal and external conflict. The president of ethnically divided Cyprus opened the proceedings Friday, followed by Lebanon, which is also riven by internal strife. Taking stock of our declarations and decisions over time, I must confess that I feel like many of you a deep sense of disappointment, said Nicos Anastasiades, Cyprus president. A sense of disappointment because I witness a widening gap between words and deeds, between the auspicious declarations and commitments which are made and the results of the measures that we promise to deliver. The morning plenary saw addresses from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the prime minister of Armenia, lambasted Thursday in Azerbaijans speech in the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh war and responding in kind. The afternoon was to see both Albania and Serbia, perpetually at odds over Kosovo, as well as a Pakistan that is feeling pressure on its eastern border with India and its western border with Afghanistan. Pakistan and India, which speaks Saturday, are historically eager users of the right of reply function, which allows diplomats to lob polemics defending their countries in response to speeches from unfriendly nations. That window of opportunity opens Friday night, after the leaders speeches conclude. While leaders have avoided entirely succumbing to hopelessness, a sense of near-futility pervades. As Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley put it in an engaging, at times off-the-cuff speech read off her phone: How many times must leaders come to talk and not be heard before they stop coming? ___ Follow Mallika Sen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mallikavsen ROME Tiny San Marino is one of the last countries in Europe which forbids abortion in any circumstance a ban that dates from 1865. On Sunday, its citizens can vote in a referendum calling for abortion to be made legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The ballot proposal also calls for abortion to be permitted beyond that point if the womans life is in danger or if her physical or psychological health are at risk due to fetal anomalies or malformations. Women in San Marino seeking an abortion currently go to neighboring Italy, which legalized the procedure in 1978. San Marino is one of the worlds oldest republics and has a population of some 33,000. The referendum was set for Sunday after some 3,000 Sammarinesi, as its citizens are called, signed a petition drive. About 65% of signatories are women, said Karen Pruccoli, a San Marino entrepreneur who spearheaded the drive. We had asked the political sphere to make a law legalizing abortion, Pruccoli said in a telephone interview Thursday. When we realized that the political sphere didnt want to enact a law, we decided to have the referendum. No opinion polls have been conducted. If Yes votes prevail, San Marinos Parliament will need to legalize abortion. Antonella Mularoni, who leads the No camp, noted that in San Marino, women, including minors, can receive free contraception at pharmacies as well as the so-called morning-after pill. But all abortion, for whatever reason, is a crime in San Marino, she stressed, and her campaign aims to keep it that way. When Sammarinesi go to Italy to access health care that might not be available in their homeland say, a transplant their public health service reimburses them, but not for abortion since its a crime in San Marino. The Yes camp says that puts a financial burden on San Marino citizens who must go to Italy for an abortion. Critics of San Marinos abortion ban say it also penalizes women who have been raped. If you are prevented or if your access to the support services is hampered because of the stigma you may fear that because you dont want to make it known that you do not intend to carry on with the pregnancy then its even less likely that you will turn to the police and report the rape, said Joanna Nelles, executive secretary of the Council of Europes monitoring mechanism for the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women. Nelles spoke with the AP in a phone interview Thursday. Younger women in San Marino tend to be more favorable toward abortion rights, Mularoni acknowledged. Many of the girls go to school in Italy. They consider (abortion) an acquired right. Pruccoli said young men in San Marino are supportive as well. They study in Italy, they study abroad. They are more forward-thinking. They understand that San Marino cant have a law thats more than 150 years old, she said, referring to the 1865 ban on abortion. Other tiny countries in Europe are considering easing abortion bans. This spring, a lawmaker in European Union member nation Malta presented a bill to scrap part of the criminal code that makes abortion a crime punishable with up to three years in prison. The provision is rarely enforced, with the last known jailing for abortion occurring in 1980, according to Maltese officials. In Gibraltar, a tiny British territory on Spains southern tip, voters in June endorsed legislative changes to ease an abortion ban and allow the procedure up to the 12th week of pregnancy if a doctor deems the womans physical or mental health is at risk or if there is risk of a fatal fetal abnormality. Andorra, a microstate bordering Spain and France, has a total ban on abortion. Italys abortion law, fiercely lobbied against by the Catholic church, allows health personnel to refuse to perform abortions for reasons of conscience. In some southern regions, as many as 80% of gynecologists have claimed conscientious objector status, leaving a shortage of available personnel, particularly in rural areas. These percentages (for objectors) are higher than those for practicing Catholics in Italy said Mularoni, who leads the No camp ahead of the referendum. She attributes Italian doctors refusal to perform abortions to them seeing sonograms that show fetal organs. Its not just an argument of being Catholic, she said. Catholic teaching forbids abortion. Rights were slow to come for women in San Marino. They received the right to vote in 1960. A 1982 referendum seeking to end a law which stripped San Marino women of their citizenship if they married a foreigner failed. The law was later changed to allow them to keep their citizenship. ___ Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report WASHINGTON Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad are showing they know how to get things done in an increasingly complicated corner of the globe. Biden and his fellow leaders Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are all grappling with a rising China that Biden has accused of coercive economic practices and unsettling military maneuvering. They made no direct mention of China as they opened the groups first ever in-person meeting, but the Pacific power played a big part in the private talks. Suga raised concerns about China intentions in the South China Sea, where its stepped up its military presence in recent years, and the East China Sea, where a long-running dispute about a group of uninhabited islets administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing is a point of concern. Suga also raised concerns about Chinese action towards Taiwan, said Japans foreign press secretary Tomoyuki Yoshida. On Thursday, Beijing dispatched 24 jets toward Taiwanese airspace after it submitted its application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact. The prime minister emphasized the importance of the peace and stability in the Taiwan strait, according to Yoshida. Following the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement pledging to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas. The Quad leaders also announced Japan would work with India on a $100 million investment in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drugs. They launched an initiative to bolster semiconductor supply chains. And they unveiled a new fellowship for graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to study at top U.S. universities. Biden has repeatedly made a case that the U.S. and likeminded allies need to deliver results on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other fundamental matters in what hes deemed a race between democracies and autocracies. Morrison and the others seemed to pick up that message at Fridays summit. We are liberal democracies, believe in a world order that favors freedom, Morrison said. And we believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know thats what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region. Biden and Modi also met prior to the summit for a one-on-one meeting. The president played up ties to India referencing Vice President Kamala Harris Indian heritage and even his own family ties to the subcontinent. Biden also made clear he saw tightening relations with the worlds biggest democracy one that shares a neighborhood with China and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as vital for both sides. Ive long believed the U.S.-India relationship can help us solve an awful lot of global challenges, Biden said.. The Quad is an informal alliance formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Biden has sought to reinvigorate the alliance, putting a spotlight on a chief foreign policy goal: greater attention to the Pacific and a rising China. The alliance met earlier this year, virtually, and announced plans to boost vaccination manufacturing in India. The Japanese and Indian governments welcomed a recent announcement that the U.S., as part of a new alliance with Britain and Australia, would equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. That will allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give it an edge on the Chinese navy. But the announcement infuriated France, which accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back by squelching its own $66 billion deal to provide diesel-powered submarines. Tensions between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron eased after the two leaders spoke Wednesday and agreed to take steps to coordinate more closely in the Indo-Pacific. Michael Green, who served as senior director for Asia at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, said Japan and India welcome the United States-United Kingdom-Australian alliance because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as China massively builds up its naval forces. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has called it a reflection of outdated Cold War, zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception that will intensify a regional arms race. The meeting concluded a busy week of wider diplomacy for Biden, who addressed the U.N. General Assembly in which he stressed that the U.S. does not seek a Cold War with China. He also hosted a virtual global summit on COVID-19. Despite Australia and the U.S. taking multiple measures to counter Chinas economic and military power, Morrison left the White House meeting Friday determined to not publicly confront the Chinese. Were there to make the region stronger, more prosperous, stable. Its a positive initiative designed to lift the well being of the people, he said. The leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and emphasized in their joint statement the importance of denying any logistical, financial or military support to terrorist groups which could be used to launch or plan terror attacks, including cross-border attacks. The issue is of particular concern to the Modi government, which is concerned about elements of the Taliban government who have supported attacks on India in the past. Modi was expected to bring up Afghanistan during his meeting with Biden and to raise objections to the Talibans effort to get recognition at the United Nations. The Indian government also has concerns about the influence it believes Pakistans intelligence service exerted in how factions of the Taliban divvied up government offices in Kabul. Suga also raised concerns about North Korea. Pyongyang last week said it successfully launched ballistic missiles from a train for the first time, striking a target in the sea some 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. That test came after the North this month said it tested new cruise missiles, which it intends to make nuclear-capable, that can strike targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, a distance putting all of Japan and U.S. military installations there within reach. ___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed reporting. AMELIA, La. When Hurricane Ida was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, the grass was chest high and the warehouse empty at this lot in southeastern Louisiana. Within days, electric officials transformed it into a bustling tent city with enormous, air-conditioned tents for workers, a gravel parking lot for bucket trucks and a station to resupply crews restoring power to the region. In the wake of hurricanes, one of the most common and comforting sites is the thousands of electric workers who flow into a battered region when the winds die down to restore power and a sense of normalcy. They need to sleep somewhere. They need to eat. Their trucks need fuel. They need wires, ties and poles. And occasionally they need cigarettes. Power providers build tent cities like this to meet those needs. Theres three things a lineman wants: good food, cold bed, hot shower. If you can get those three, you can work, says Matthew Peters, operations manager for South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association, which built the tent city to house a peak of about 1,100 workers helping restore power to the cooperatives customers. When Ida came ashore on Aug. 29, it knocked out power to about 1.1 million customers in the state. The vast majority have seen their power restored, but in a sign of the storms extent, thousands are still in the dark while downed lines are righted and substations repaired. SLECA provides electricity to about 21,000 customers, including many in the hard-hit bayou regions. Power has been restored to about 81% of their coverage area with the remaining 19% in areas with the most catastrophic damage, said Joe Ticheli, general manager of the cooperative. After initially fearing full restoration of power could take months, estimates are now that it could happen by next week, Ticheli said. Over a few short days, SLECA and a consulting firm transformed the location that used to be a hub for oil field manufacturer McDermott International into a temporary home for workers from across the country. Ticheli even appointed a mayor to make sure things run smoothly. In one massive white tent, hundreds of cots are spread out; experienced workers bring their own inflatable mattresses. Another tent houses a cafeteria that serves hot breakfast starting about 5 a.m., dinner and boxed lunches that can be eaten out in the field. Tons of gravel was packed down on top of a grassy field so bucket trucks and other equipment many flying American flags can park. At sunset, after workers park their trucks and head in to eat, shower and sleep, gasoline trucks drive up and down the rows, fueling the vehicles so no time is lost in the morning. Special treats like cigarettes or steak night help ease 16-hour workdays. Out-of-state crews are teamed with a local employee dubbed a bird dog who helps them. Across the street is a warehouse where supplies such as transformers and wires are available. Outside, long wooden replacement poles wait to be loaded onto trucks. Jordy Bourg, who runs the warehouse, said that right after the storm they had some supplies but immediately had to start ordering more. But like many things in the pandemic era, its been a challenge after Ida to get certain supplies. Many people coming in to help have covered other disasters: Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Laura, ice storms in Arkansas and Texas. Its good money, but more than that, they say its the feeling of restoring normalcy to someone whos had everything stripped away from them. And many point out that the next disaster could easily be in their own backyard. Last year crews from SLECA went to southwest Louisiana when another Category 4 hurricane, Laura, slammed ashore there. This year, crews from southwest Louisiana came east to help. Weve had a few storms hit back home and you kind of know how it is when youve been out of power, said Robbie Davis, a lineman from Georgia. So many people in southeast Louisiana have no where to go, he said: Out here, these folks homes got destroyed, businesses got destroyed. It can be dangerous work two men believed to be electrocuted died helping restore power in Alabama. The Louisiana terrain presents special challenges. In some areas, lines thread through thick swamps that can be accessed only by air boat or marsh buggy, which looks like a cross between a tank and a pontoon boat. Workers don waders to climb into muddy, chest-high waters home to alligators and water moccasins. You only work in this kind of area when youre in south Louisiana. I can assure you, you dont get this anywhere else, says Jon Hise, a Sparks Energy foreman working with a crew in Houma to reset power lines. Its nasty. Its chest deep. You cant walk because the growth. As SLECA staff work to restore power to their slice of southeastern Louisiana, they have also been struggling with hurricane damage themselves. The general manager wears clothes from the Salvation Army after his home was severely damaged and looted. Coworkers have helped each other tarp damaged roofs. The company is operating out of trailers in their Houma headquarters after Ida peeled off the roof. Bourg is living in a trailer with his wife and two Boston terriers his kids are staying with his in-laws after Ida wrecked his house. Theres also the toll of seeing large swaths of their coverage area so utterly destroyed. For many, getting power is just the first step in a long rebuilding process. Peters gets emotional when he talks of the dedication of his staff as well as the damage hes seen among longtime customers. Weve had storms before, he said. But the devastation was nothing of this magnitude. ___ Follow Santana on Twitter @ruskygal. BERLIN Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germanys parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns. The idea for a global climate strike was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunbergs solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again. Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure. We can still turn this around, she said, to cheers. We demand change, and we are the change. Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the main parties werent far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Neubauer has referred to Sundays election as the vote of the century, arguing that the decisions taken by the next government will influence the countrys efforts to tackle climate change for decades to come. The issue has been a major topic during the election campaign. Fridays rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults. Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert at the Berlin rally, said he hoped older Germans would consider the issue when casting their votes on Sunday. The majority of voters are older than 50 and determine the outcome of the election, Bohrenfeldt, 36, said. I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren. Civics teacher Anne Kokott, cradling her infant son, Enzo, said she hoped Fridays large turnout would signal the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis and perhaps have an impact on undecided or older voters. Today is important because of the election, Kokott, 36, said. Christiane Koetter-Lietz, who attended with her children and grandchildren, said she would be voting for Germanys Green party, which has campaigned for tougher measures to cut the countrys greenhouse gas emissions. We have water catastrophes, fire catastrophes, the world is burning. This is the very last warning, said the 69-year-old from the western town of Unna. Across the street from the protest, two young climate activists pressed on with a hunger strike meant to draw politicians into making public commitments on climate policy. Henning Jeschke, 21, started his fast on Aug. 30, initially as part of a group of seven, with the others having since dropped out, most this week. In their place, another hunger striker joined Jeschke. Both have said they would escalate and begin refusing liquids. Organizers initially said Jeschke and Lea Bonasera would stop taking liquids Thursday evening, but Jeschkes father, Eckart, said the more severe protest is to begin Saturday morning. The hunger strikers are demanding that Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, seen as a front-runner for becoming Germanys next chancellor, acknowledges publicly that the country faces a climate emergency. A German government official said pressure from young climate activists already had resulted in concrete policies in recent years, from higher carbon prices to billions of euros (dollars) being invested in greener technologies. We also have a new mood across society, where politicians dont have to explain why theyre doing something to protect the climate anymore. They have to explain why theyre not protecting the climate, German Environment Ministry spokesman Nikolai Fichtner said. In Prague, the Czech Republics capital, hundreds of students and environment activists shouted Now or never, and displayed banners with slogans and statements such as Climate justice, and We want a healthy planet for our children. Small groups of young climate protesters held demonstrations in multiple Indian cities on Friday, calling on politicians and big businesses to ramp up their ambitions for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to a raft of climate pledges. Just because there is a pandemic doesnt mean you stop working around the climate crisis, said Srijani Datta, a youth climate activist in New Delhi. Global warming also has been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters head to the polls for a general election on Saturday. All parties running for seats in the North Atlantic island nations parliament acknowledge global warming as a force of change in a sub-Arctic landscape but disagree on how to respond to it. While many of the protests worldwide were restrained family affairs, activists in Britain blocked the countrys busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis, as well as fuel poverty in the U.K. ___ Karel Janicek in Prague and Rishabh R. Jain in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate ROME Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont left a jail in Sardinia on Friday after a judge ruled that he could go free pending an Oct. 4 hearing on his extradition to Spain, where the political firebrand is wanted for sedition. Puigdemont, the former president of Spains Catalonia region and a member of the European Union parliament, left the jail in Sassari a day after he had been detained by police. He had been invited to attend a Catalan cultural event and a meeting of Sardinian independence sympathizers on the Mediterranean island. Spain never misses the opportunity to be ridiculous. #NoSurrender, Puigdemont tweeted after he left the jail. Mobbed by reporters outside the gates, he said of his less than 24 hours behind bars: Very good, no problem. The police and prison guards were very professional, very serious people. The judge who authorized his release ruled hours earlier that Puigdemont was free to travel without restrictions. Judge Plinia Clara Azzena told The Associated Press by phone from the courthouse in Sassari that while she found his arrest to be valid, based on the documentation she examined, we didnt restrict him in any way. He can travel if he wants. Azzena and two other judges will hold an Oct. 4 hearing to rule on extradition. Earlier, Puigdemonts Italian lawyer, Agostinangelo Marras, told reporters that when the judge during the brief hearing asked his client whether he wanted to go to Spain, Puigdemont replied no. Puigdemont and a number of his separatist colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal. He was taken into custody Thursday night when he arrived at the airport in Alghero, Sardinia. Sardinia has strong Catalan cultural roots and its own independence movement. Alghero, a city on the islands northwest coast, is hosting the traditional Catalan folklore festival that Puigdemont planned to attend. Freedom, freedom, shouted demonstrators outside the courthouse in Sassari. They held signs in a Sardinian dialect proclaiming, Democracy, the Sardinian nation supports the Catalan nation, and held the flags of Sardinia and Catalonia. Although Puigdemont currently holds a seat in the European Parliament, that legislature stripped him of parliamentary immunity. Puigdemonts detention caused political commotion in Spain, where the topic of Catalan independence has for decades been a deeply divisive issue. Separatists demanded his release and scheduled street protests, while right-of-center parties said he should face justice. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during an official visit to the Canary Islands on Friday that he has respect for all legal procedures opened in Spain, in Europe and, in this case, in Italy. Sanchez, who recently opened direct talks with Catalan regional leaders, said that dialogue is the only way to bring together Catalans who have distinct opinions and to bring together Catalans with the rest of Spain. Just under half of Catalans want to break away from Spain, opinion polls indicate. Most Spaniards dont want Catalonia to be granted independence. At the heart of the immediate legal matter was whether the warrant issued by Spain seeking Puigdemonts arrest is valid. Gonzalo Boye, his lawyer, has insisted the warrant issued in 2019 that provided the basis for Italian authorities to detain him has been suspended. Boye told Spanish radio station SER: We have to see whether the arrest warrant is enforceable. Thatll be up to the legal authorities in Italy. The Spanish Supreme Court judge handling the case, Pablo Llarena, sent a letter to the European Unions Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation stating that the arrest warrant is in force and pending the capture of those accused of rebellion. Ultimately, it would be up to the Italian Justice Ministry to approve or deny extradition. Spains Supreme Court, which issued the European arrest warrant, made no official comment. Its not the first time Spanish courts have tried to detain Puigdemont abroad. After a Belgian court declined to send him back in 2017, the following year he was arrested in Germany but a court there also refused to extradite him. Nine Catalan separatists later received prison sentences for their role in the 2017 referendum ranging from nine to 13 years. They were pardoned in July, but Puigdemont, who fled, was not. Puigdemonts being taken into custody in Italy at Spains request triggered anger by some Italian politicians, including Democratic Party lawmaker Romina Mura, who is Sardinian. To arrest a representative of the Catalan people who sits in the European Parliament, who is traveling to carry out his functions and on top of that arrest him in Sardinia in a city of Catalan tradition and culture like Alghero, is a relevant political deed, even if carried out as a judicial act, Mura said. Algheros historic and cultural ties date with Catalonia date back to the 14th century, when a Catalan-Aragonese force won a naval battle off the Sardinian coast and the forces commander triumphantly entered the city on Sardinias northwest coast. Some 20% of Algheros residents speak a Sardinian dialect derived from the Catalan language and recognized by both the national government of Italy and the islands regional government. ___ Renata Brito in Barcelona and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed. A woman was hospitalized with significant injuries after she was set on fire in a West Central neighborhood Friday afternoon. A person is in the hospital with significant injuries after being set on fire Friday afternoon in a West Central neighborhood. Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman Rebecca Atkins did not say if anyone was in custody or give the womans condition. She said officers were called to a home on 47th NW, near Central, after a neighbor called 911 to report an attack on a woman. Atkins said police found a woman in the area with serious burns and she was taken to a hospital for immediate medical help. She said the neighbor told police the woman ran to their door asking for help and said she had been attacked. Atkins said the woman told the neighbor her attacker had poured gasoline on her and lit her on fire. Mixed-martial-arts star Jon Jones, who lives and trains in Albuquerque, was arrested on a domestic-violence charge early Friday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion and considered by many the best fighter in the sport, was in Las Vegas to be honored by the UFC Hall of Fame for his role in a September 2013 fight against Swedens Alexander Gustafsson. As first reported by ESPN, Jones was arrested by Las Vegas Metro Police at 5:45 a.m. at a Las Vegas resort. He is charged with misdemeanor battery domestic violence and injuring or tampering with a vehicle, a Las Vegas Metro PD officer told ESPN. Jones adviser Richard Schaefer told ESPN that he didnt have enough information to comment. The facts are still developing, Schaefer said. We really dont know yet the full story so Im not going to make any comment until I have a chance to talk to Jon and until we see how this plays out. Jones trains in Albuquerque at Jackson-Wink MMA. JacksonWink Academy is aware of the allegations and is conducting its own review of the matter, Jackson-Wink spokesman James Hallinan said in a statement. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. According to court documents, bail was set at $8,000. Jones is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Saturday. Jones (26-1) won the UFC light heavyweight title and retained it other than twice having been stripped of the belt for out-of-the-cage difficulties before renouncing the title last year. He has stated his intention to compete at heavyweight but has yet to fight above the 205-pound light-heavyweight limit. His arrest on Friday, on the heels of being honored at the UFC Hall of Fame the previous evening, constitutes a recurring theme: great success in the Octagon, legal and substance-related woes out of it. In 2015, Jones was arrested and stripped of his title after his involvement in a hit-and-run traffic accident in southeast Albuquerque. In July 2016, he was denied a shot at regaining the UFC light heavyweight title after testing positive for the banned substance Turinabol before a fight against champion Daniel Cormier. He appeared to have regained the title with a victory over Cormier in 2017 but was stripped again after testing positive for Turinabol. Jones regained the light heavyweight title in 2018, in a rematch with Gustafsson, before renouncing the belt with the intention of campaigning as a heavyweight. In March 2020, he was arrested for DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container and no proof of insurance. Jones pleaded guilty to DWI, with the other charges dropped. He served four days of house arrest, a year of supervised probation, a minimum of 90 days of outpatient therapy and 48 hours of community service. Jones has maintained he has never intentionally ingested a banned substance, attributing the positive tests to having taken a tainted sexual enhancement product. He twice has been suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, once for one year, the second time for 15 months reduced from four years for a second offense because USADA concluded his ingestion of a banned substance indeed was unintentional. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A New Mexico state medical advisory team has endorsed new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on who should receive a booster shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC announced Friday that people 65 years old and older and long-term care residents should receive a booster vaccine at least six months after the initial two-dose regimen. Individuals aged 50 to 65 with underlying medical conditions should also receive the Pfizer booster, the CDC advised. The New Mexico Department of Health will release more information next week about scheduling booster appointments. Health officials do not recommend mixing one type of primary vaccine with a different type of booster vaccine, according to a DOH news release. The CDC also lists groups that may receive a booster vaccine shot: Individuals 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions. And individuals 18 to 64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their occupation. By the end of October, more than 70% of New Mexicans who have received Pfizer primary series will be eligible for boosters, according to the release. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of the Mayo Clinics vaccine research group, said booster shots are a powerful tool as more people who have been previously infected or immunized contract the COVID-19 virus. Some of that we expect, Poland told reporters in a video briefing Friday. Whats at play here are multiple variables that have proven very difficult to tease apart one from the other and that is the extraordinary transmissibility of the delta variant, time since second dose, our aging society, and our ability to pick up infection, including mild and asymptomatic infection by testing. New Mexico officials reported 714 new virus cases Friday and 14 deaths related to COVID-19, including two deaths that occurred more than 30 days ago. There were 314 people hospitalized with the virus as of Friday. The states death toll from the virus is now 4,749. CHICO, Calif. - An armed suspect was arrested with narcotics in an area adjacent to a Chico elementary school, according to the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF) The BINTF arrived at 220 Oak St. in Chico with a search warrant Thursday morning. During the search, cocaine, Xanax and suspected counterfeit Oxycodone tablets that may have had Fentanyl were found. Officials also located evidence that indicated the sales of narcotics, a loaded firearm and ammunition. 27-year-old Anthony Fink of Chico, a convicted felon, was arrested and is facing five charges. Due to the location of the crime, which is adjacent to and shares a property line with Rosedale Elementary School, an additional charge will be attempted. The search warrant was served in the early hours of Thursday morning for the safety of students, staff and parents at the school. Fink was taken to the Butte County Jail and has a bail set at $95,000. CHICO, Calif. - The Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose is now available in Butte County for those who are eligible to receive it, according to Butte County Public Health. People who are at high risk in Butte County and begin receiving their COVID-19 booster dose immediately. The dose should be administered at least six months after the primary series of Pfizer doses were completed. BCPH said people who are older than 65, people of long-term care settings and people between the ages of 50 and 64 with underlying health conditions should get the booster dose. RELATED: First of 4 COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Oroville is Friday It said people between the ages of 18 and 49 with underlying health conditions and people between the ages of 18 and 64 that are at increased risk because of occupational or institutional settings may get the dose. People can get the booster dose anywhere the Pfizer vaccine is available, including pharmacies and vaccination clinics. BCPH is following the recommendations made by the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health. The CDC has not approved booster doses for the Moderna and Johnson Johnson vaccine at this time. SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - CAL FIRE has identified the suspect in connection to starting the now 1,200-acre Fawn Fire. CAL FIRE arrested 30-year-old Alexandra Souverneva of Palo Alto and is facing an arson to wildland charge. Firefighters responded to the area of Fawndale Rd. north of Mountain Gate for a report of a vegetation fire. Earlier in the day, employees in the area said they saw a white female trespassing and acting irrationally. RELATED: Woman arrested in connection with Fawn Fire At 8 p.m. when firefighters were fighting the Fawn Fire, they saw a woman walk out of the brush near the fire lines and approached the firefighters saying she was dehydrated. Souverneva was taken from the fire lines and received medical attention. She was interviewed by CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers. From information gathered, officers believed Souverneva caused the fire, according to CAL FIRE. She was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail. The charges received by the Shasta County District Attorneys Office will be enhanced due to the state of emergency in California due to wildfire danger. Her bail is set at $100,000. OROVILLE, Calif.- The Butte County Sheriff's Office said it has arrested a man who is suspected to be connected with the murder of his mother. John Rood, 38, of Palermo was arrested without incident this morning in Oroville, according to the Sheriff's Office. RELATED: Detectives investigating murder of Palermo woman Deputies arrived Tuesday to find Dianna Rood, 67, dead in a residence on the 3000 block of Ontario Ave. in Palermo. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - A foster mother was arraigned in Butte County Superior Court on Thursday on multiple counts of child abuse, including assault, criminal threats, and hate crime enhancements, according to Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey. Candace Lee Johnson, 49, of Oroville, was booked into the Butte County Jail on Sept. 21 for the abuse she committed against six children in her custody ranging in ages from four to 15 years old. Ramsey said a Butte County Sheriffs Office investigation into the abuse began on Aug. 28 when a video surfaced depicting what appeared to be Johnson physically abusing one of the children in her home. Johnson was initially arrested and booked on a single count of child abuse and another count of assault on Aug. 29 but she posted bail and was out of jail within 24 hours. The children were removed from her home by child protection authorities. The investigation into Johnson continued after she bailed out of jail and evidence of more acts of child abuse were discovered. An ongoing investigation led to information that Johnson regularly hurled racial epithets at the only two children of color in her custody and that abuse toward these children was motivated in part because of their race, Ramsey said. A warrant was issued for her arrest based on these new charges, but multiple attempts to locate Johnson and make the arrest were unsuccessful. Then on Sept. 21, Johnson turned herself into the Butte County Jail. The Butte County District Attorneys Office filed a criminal complaint against Johnson alleging eight counts of child abuse, criminal threats, and assault with two hate crime enhancements. Johnson is scheduled to appear in court with her attorney on Sept. 29, at 8:30 a.m. for further arraignment/entry of plea. She remains in custody with bail set at $330,000. REDDING, Calif.- In results released by the California State Water Resources Control Board, Redding used 2% more water in July 2021 than it did in July 2020. The board released these results for the entire state, showing that the state overall cut water use by only 1.8% despite Governor Gavin Newsom's call for a 15% cut to residential water use. Despite an increase in water use, the City of Redding isn't concerned with overall water consumption this summer. Candice Bailey- Marlar is the City of Redding's water conservation specialist. She told Action News Now that the city has already asked people to voluntarily cut water usage by 10%. While some people told Action News Now that they didn't know about the city's request, it doesn't mean people aren't conserving water. One person told Action News Now that she has been using leftover pasta water to water her plants and front yard. Bailey-Marlar also said the city has programs in place to notify people if they use more water than expected. Most people in the city contacts don't know they are wasting water, with most of the problems they deal with being a leak or a broken sprinkler. Bailey-Marlar told Action News Now that while the city did see a rise in water usage in July, by 200-acre feet, that is not indicative of water usage in the city as a whole. She told Action News Now that water usage fluctuated from month to month, saying that in August the city used 4% less water than they did in August of 2020. Overall, she said that water consumption levels out over the year and the city hasn't seen a significant increase in water usage. Redding has even used less water than is available to the city, selling some of the excesses at no cost to neighboring water districts. Despite water usage not being a problem for Redding, Bailey- Marlar stressed the importance of everyone doing what they can to not waste water during the current drought. For information on ways to save water or report water waste, click here. Adidas unveils its new in line collection adidas x 007 collaboration by celebrating the 25th Bond Film, ahead of the much-anticipated release of No Time To Die The adidas x 007 collection blends the power of running with its innovative design look. The partnership sees the icon of modern cinema collide with an icon of contemporary footwear to celebrate the launch of the 25th James Bond film with a new line of adidas UltraBOOST styles - all inspired by the world of 007 The association embraces the icon of modern cinema and syncs idealistic contemporary footwear to celebrate the launch of the 25th James Bond film with a new line of adidas ULTRABOOST styles - all inspired by the world of 007. Leading the launch in the partnership is the adidas ULTRABOOST DNA White Tuxedo The modernized style engulfs on a plain white base completing its style with a James Bond motif on the tongue and finished with the iconic 007 insignia, for a sleek, minimalist peek in honor of the worlds coolest secret agent. The new footwear pack features: ADIDAS ULTRABOOST20 BLACK TUXEDO: Embodies James Bonds classic black tuxedo. Inspired by thrilling action scenes in No Time To Die, this running shoe features responsive cushioning and a graphic on the sock liner pulled straight from the backdrop of a scene set in Cuba. ADIDAS ULTRABOOST 20 Q BRANCH: Honoring Q Branch, the birthplace of wearable tech, is celebrated through the inclusion of a hidden pocket in the lace-cage of the shoe. ADIDAS ULTRABOOST 20 NO TIME TO DIE VILLAIN: Inspired by the latest Bond villain, Safin, this design with a look of rough concrete, a lace cage that mimics Safin's porcelain mask and a sock liner imprinted with details straight from his bunker. The new designs are complemented with the functionality of the celebrated adidas ULTRABOOST range. The BOOST midsole on each shoe provides an ultimate level of energy return. Made from solid granular material known as TPU, BOOST delivers incredible energy return in every step and superior cushioning and durability in all conditions. The collection will be available from 24th September at adidas.co.in and in select adidas retail stores with a price range of INR - 19,999 /- Amazon.ins festive event, The Great Indian Festival (GIF) 2021 will start from October 4, 2021. Continuing its commitment to support Small Medium Business (SMBs), Amazon GIF 2021 is dedicated to lakhs of small sellers including over 75,000 local shops from 450 cities, offering their unique selection of products to customers across the country. GIF 2021 will also showcase products from Amazon sellers under various other programs such as Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, Amazon Karigar, as well as top Indian and global brands across categories. As per a recent study commissioned by Amazon India and conducted by Nielsen, sellers on Amazon.in are optimistic about this festive season and 98% of the surveyed sellers said that technology adoption and ecommerce have positively impacted their business. More than 78% of the surveyed Amazon sellers expect to reach out to new customers, 71% mentioned an increase in their sales and 71% mentioned a recovery in their business as their top expectations from the festive season. The Great Indian Festival would include over 1,000 new product launches from top brands such as Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Sony, Apple, Boat, Lenovo, HP, Asus, Fossil, Levis, BIBA, Allen Solly, Adidas, American Tourister, Prestige, Eureka Forbes, Bosch, Pigeon, Bajaj, Big muscles, Lakme, Maybelline, Forest Essentials, The Body Shop, WOW, Nivea, Dabur, P&G, Tata Tea, Huggies, Pedigree , Sony PS5, Microsoft Xbox, Hasbro, Funskool, Philips, Vega and more. Commenting on the announcement Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India said, This years Great Indian Festival is a celebration of the resilience of local shops and small and medium sellers. We are humbled by their spirit and delighted with the opportunity to partner and enable their growth, especially in view of recent challenges owing to the pandemic. We continue to innovate on behalf of our customers to offer the widest selection, value and convenience, ensuring fast delivery of their #KhushiyonKeDibbe, to get them ready for the festive season from the comfort and safety of their homes. A Sneak Peek into the Great Indian Festival on Amazon.in Shopping Made Rewarding, Trusted, Convenient with Amazon Pay: Customers can look forward to a wide range of affordable options with Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card to enjoy 5% reward points with Rs.750 as joining bonus, signing up for Amazon Pay Later to get a flat Rs.150 back along with instant credit up to Rs.60,000, rewards worth Rs. 1000 back for customers who use Rs.1000 gift cards, rewards worth Rs. 200 by adding money to the Amazon Pay balance, and 10% cashback up to Rs.100 on shopping when using Amazon Pay UPI. Leading EdTech startup and Indias top small-group tuitions platform, Lido Learning, onboards Jagnoor Singh as Chief Business Officer for its global operations. The announcement is in sync with its recently announced growth and expansion plans into the US and Canada markets. In his new role, Jagnoor will be responsible for scaling up Lido Learnings international operations and services. Jagnoor will work closely with Sahil Sheth, CEO & Founder, Lido Learning and a dedicated team for international expansion towards sharpening the companys global strategy and operations. Lido Learning recently announced their foray into the US and Canada. The company plans to expand into the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia in early 2022. Jagnoor will also oversee the recent expansions into UAE and Saudi Arabia which have seen rapid adoption of the small- group tutoring model offered by Lido. SCREENXX Awards 2021 - Digital Video Content and OTT Platform, Last Date for nomination extended - Thursday, September 23, 2021 - ENTRIES OPEN Announcing Jagnoors appointment Mr. Sahil Sheth, CEO & Founder, Lido Learning said, We are excited to have Jagnoor joining us at Lido Learning. His experience across industries is a strength that we can leverage as we expand into new markets, while also improving our local offerings. His experience in the hospitality industry will enable us to become even more customer-centric and experience-focussed. Given Jagnoors rapid success at OYO, we are confident that he will be instrumental in driving the companys growth and international operations. His extensive knowledge and experience as a business leader makes him the ideal choice for Lido Learning. Mr. Jagnoor Singh, Chief Business Officer, Global, Lido Learning on his appointment said Lidos purpose and vision appeals to both, the parent and the business officer in me. True learning that lasts a lifetime can't happen in isolation or a crowd. Lido has solved the problem of combining peer-learning and personal attention with its small-group tuition classes. It is the best of both worlds, which will help us fulfill our promise of making success a habit for every child, every time, in all of life's tests. I'm excited to help Lido on its next milestones to disrupt the $15 billion neighbourhood tuition market! Jagnoors professional stints in leadership positions has been across some reputed organizations. Prior to joining Lido, he was Vice President, Region Head North & East at OYO, heading the companys Nepal operations. Jagnoor is deeply committed to encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders to achieve their goals, and often delivers guest lectures at management institutes across the country. The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group announced the launch of Naturali - a new age nature inspired personal care brand. This new range of hair care & skin care products are first-of-its-kind backed by a SuperBlend technology which offers a combination of two modern, efficacious, natural ingredients like Avocado and Charcoal, Moringa and Avocado, Red Onion and Bhringaraj, Tea Tree & Avocado amongst others. The products are also free from harmful chemicals like Sulphates, Parabens, Formaldehyde, Phthalates & Mineral Oil, proving to be a better choice for consumers. First time ever, available at pocket-friendly price points, the offerings are a great value addition to the beauty routines of young Indians in quest of natural ingredients-based offerings that provide quick results. The brand has launched two TVCs featuring Bollywood divas Kriti Sanon and Shanaya Kapoor who represent the haircare and skincare categories respectively. The brand films relay relatable instances of how women today dont want to wait for good things in their life including fixing bad hair days or getting rid of persistent pimples. In special focus are existing natural-based products that are good for the hair and skin but are believed to take forever to show results. Naturali is all set to challenge this perception with its new natural ingredients led formulation, which is super efficacious and delivers quick visible results, from the very first use. The Shampoo TVC has the Naturali Hair Fall Arrest variant showcasing the goodness of ingredients - Red Onion & Bhringraj and the Facewash TVC shows the Naturali Daily Purifying Face Wash with a SuperBlend of Tea Tree & Avocado to reduce pimples without over drying the skin. The free from harmful chemicals proposition is further reinstilled in a youthful and engaging manner across both brand films. True to its core proposition, Naturali has added the good stuff in and deleted the bad ones. The shampoos, conditioners, facewashes and the face cream have been designed keeping in mind the need for products that can complement the fast paced lifestyle of the millennial and Gen Z consumers today. Speaking about the launch, Shashwat Goenka, Sector Head, Retail & FMCG said, There has been a paradigm shift in how Indian consumers, especially the younger, more conscious generation, engage with beauty products today. They are looking for a holistic and transparent approach towards beauty and wellness that is result oriented. However, despite there being a burgeoning rise in the demand for natural beauty products, the personal care free from nasties segment is still underpenetrated in terms of mass, affordable players. And thats where we come in - Naturali, a personal care brand infused with natural ingredients that are efficacious and free from harmful chemicals. The range is also available at pocket friendly price points to the masses, a first for the segment. He further added, We are very glad to announce Kriti Sanon as the face of the Naturali haircare range while Shanaya Kapoor represents the skincare offerings. We are a new, bold, and trendy brand and we wanted to associate with individuals who could help bring out and advocate these values. Kriti and Shanaya are the perfect choice as both are young, vivacious, and personally, resonates with our natural first proposition. Sharing her thoughts on the association, hair care ambassador Kriti Sanon added, I am extremely thrilled to be associating with Naturali hair care range that is infused with modern, trendy natural ingredients which are free from harmful chemicals. I have always been an ardent supporter of the no nasties proposition when it comes to my haircare needs, hence this association came very naturally to me. Everyone knows that natural products are supposed to be good for you, but they are often believed to be slow in giving results. Naturali changes this, as the range has a unique SuperBlend of complimentary natural ingredients, that are optimized to give you quick visible results. As a woman myself, I strongly believe that no woman should never have to compromise especially with respect to her beauty choices. So, it is extremely fulfilling to see a brand that is not only good for you being free from harmful chemicals but also makes you look good. Speaking on the launch, upcoming Bollywood debutante and skincare ambassador Shanaya Kapoor said, It is exhilarating to be associated with Naturali Skin care range. Its a brand that I feel complements my personality and Im sure, just like me, a lot of young women are going to instantly connect with it. Its trendy, unapologetic, true to its claims, and most importantly takes charge. What resonated with me the most was the fresh take Naturali offers on nature-based skincare, the exciting ingredients - Avocado, Tea Tree, Red Raspberry coupled with the free from harmful chemicals promise. As someone whos had to deal with her fair share of skin problems like pimples while growing up, I am certain this range is going to be very useful for girls out there and I cant wait for them to try it out! Naturali products will be currently available in Delhi and Bangalore at general trade, modern trade and beauty outlets and will soon be present across the country on leading e-commerce websites. National launch in general trade and modern trade to follow. Heres celebrating a brand, bringing to the public accessible natural care offerings that are modern, effective and add value to the haircare and skincare regimens of young Indians. Nine creatives from APAC are among the 94 finalists from 27 countries in The One Club for Creativitys prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger. The finalists from APAC are: The complete list of the 94 Young Guns 19 finalists can be viewed here. SCREENXX Awards 2021 - Digital Video Content and OTT Platform, Last Date for nomination extended - Thursday, September 23, 2021 - ENTRIES OPEN Young Guns is the industrys only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates todays vanguard of young creatives. This years entries were judged by a diverse jury of 88 top creatives nearly half of whom are past YG winners from 38 countries. This years winners will be announced online on October 27, 2021, and celebrated at a special in-person event on November 17, 2021 at Sony Hall in New York. All Young Guns winners will receive a unique version of the iconic Young Guns Cube, designed exclusively for this years incoming class, and have their permanent profile page added to the Young Guns website. Winners also receive a complimentary one-year One Club for Creativity membership, permanent membership in the Young Guns network, a chance to be featured in Young Guns events and an assortment of career-boosting opportunities from Young Guns sponsors. This years YG19 branding and award are designed by Simon Chenier-Gauvreau (YG12), head of design at TUX Creative, Montreal. Themed Bright Days Await, the branding draws parallels between the bright future that Young Guns brings to a creative's career, and that of a post-pandemic world. The campaign features vibrant, bucolic visuals to create a lighthearted and reassuring feel. Levine/Leavitt Artist In Residence Award For the eighth consecutive year, international artists management agency and Young Guns sponsor Levine/Leavitt will bestow one talented winner with the Artist In Residence Award. The honor, to be announced at the November 17 event in New York, is presented annually to a newly crowned Young Gun whose body of work truly stands out, as judged by an advisory board of industry professionals across a range of disciplines. The winner receives a full year of professional development, guidance and mentorship from Levine/Leavitt to help advance their career. Young Guns 19 and other One Club activities are made possible in part through the generous support of sponsors including Levine/Leavitt and Shutterstock. The One Club for Creativity, producer of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Type Directors Club Communication Design and Typeface Design awards, Young Guns and Creative Week, is the world's foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community. The One Show is a top global awards show for advertising, design and digital marketing, focusing on the creativity of ideas and quality of execution. Established in 1921, the global ADC Annual Awards are the worlds longest continuously running creative award for advertising and design, honoring excellence in craft, design and innovation. Creative Week takes place in May, and is the preeminent festival celebrating the intersection of advertising and the arts. The Federal Council Bern, 24.09.2021 - People who have already received one dose of vaccine are to continue to be able to get tested free of charge until the end of November in order to obtain a COVID certificate. The Federal Council adopted a proposal to that effect at its meeting on 24 September and launched a consultation. In order to allow sufficient time for the consultation the Federal Council will continue to cover test costs for all for a further ten days until 10 October. The Federal Council also intends to make it easier for tourists to obtain a COVID certificate by setting up a national registration office. Following extensive discussions, the Federal Council stands by its assessment that it is not up to the public as a whole to finance the cost of tests for people who decide not to get vaccinated. Last week, 600,000 tests were carried out for COVID certificates. In the colder months, this number is likely to rise to one million tests a week. This corresponds to costs of around CHF 47 million a week, which would have to be borne by the federal government if the financing of test costs were to be extended indefinitely. Number of vaccinations has increased significantly The Federal Council is aware, however, that for many people difficult considerations are involved in deciding whether or not to get vaccinated. The extended certificate requirement has been in effect since 13 September in response to the strained situation in hospitals. This requirement, as well as the current epidemiological situation and the increase in hospital admissions, may have prompted many people to get vaccinated after the summer holidays. At the beginning of August, around 8,000 first vaccinations were carried out per day throughout Switzerland; this rose to around 20,000 in mid-September and more recently to around 30,000 per day. Free testing to be extended In view of the increased number of vaccinations, the Federal Council is proposing that the federal government should, until the end of November, continue to cover the cost of tests (rapid antigen tests and pooled PCR tests) for those who have received a first dose of vaccine, but do not yet have a certificate. This ensures that people who need a little more time to decide whether or not to get vaccinated will not incur any costs due to the extension of the certificate requirement. It is submitting this proposal to the cantons, the social partners and other parties for consultation until 28 September. The Federal Council will then take a decision on the matter at its next meeting on 1 October. In order to allow time for the consultation and to encourage the further take-up of vaccinations, the Federal Council will push back the date from which people will have to pay for rapid antigen tests themselves by ten days, so from 10 October instead of 1 October. Until then, the cost of all rapid antigen tests will be covered, including tests to obtain COVID certificates. Additional costs of around CHF 280 million The increased demand for tests to obtain COVID certificates since 13 September and the 10-day extension of testing costs being covered by the federal government are estimated to result in additional costs of around CHF 160 million. Extending the period in which test costs for people with a single vaccine dose are covered until the end of November is likely to cost a further CHF 120 million. Vaccination take-up to be further encouraged Switzerland is facing a difficult winter due to the low vaccination coverage among the population. Although the number of infections and hospital admissions has fallen in recent weeks, overall numbers are still high. When social life moves back indoors in the coming months, circulation of the virus is likely to increase again. This will once again place additional strain on hospitals. Only a significant increase in the vaccination rate will make it possible to further curb the circulation of the virus. Vaccination is free of charge for everyone. It is safe and provides very good protection against infection. Anyone who becomes infected despite being vaccinated is far less likely to fall seriously ill. National coordination of saliva PCR pool tests At its meeting, the Federal Council also decided that in addition to the existing cantonal test programmes, PCR pool tests should be coordinated nationally from mid-October. This will enable broad hotspot-testing and repetitive pool testing in all cantons. Repetitive tests at schools, healthcare facilities and companies will be handled by external service providers. A further element of the consultation concerns individual participation in saliva PCR pool tests for test certificates for a fee. Such a procedure will allow infected individuals to be identified more reliably compared to rapid antigen tests. National registration point for COVID certificates Anyone vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and who requires a certificate in Switzerland can apply for a Swiss COVID certificate. The Federal Council took a decision to that effect on 17 September. This means that tourists can also participate in social activities here. The cantons are responsible for checking the necessary documents and issuing the COVID certificates. In order to make it easier for people entering the country to apply for the certificate and to relieve pressure on the cantons, the federal government plans to set up a central electronic registration office for COVID certificates. This will enable people who have been vaccinated or have recovered abroad to upload the information and documents required for the certificate to be issued. The registration office is expected to be available from 11 October. The transitional period for the use of human-readable vaccination certificates, currently valid until 10 October, is to be extended by a further two weeks until 24 October. This will give all people entering Switzerland enough time to obtain a certificate. The Federal Council is also sending this proposal for consultation until 28 September. People vaccinated abroad with a vaccine on the WHO list but not approved by the EMA will only be able to obtain a COVID certificate if they are resident in Switzerland. Those individuals will have to go to the contact point in their canton of residence in person. Updated list of high-risk countries The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has updated its list of high-risk countries in alignment with the other Schengen states. Due to recent epidemiological developments, entry restrictions for Uruguay will be lifted while new entry restrictions will be introduced for Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Japan and Serbia. The changes will come into effect at midnight on 27 September. Foreign nationals travelling from a high-risk country without proof of a recognised vaccination are prohibited from entering Switzerland for a short stay. This applies in particular to tourists. Persons with a Swiss passport or a valid residence permit may enter Switzerland from any country at any time. All persons entering Switzerland must present an entry form. In addition, all persons who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered must present a negative test result. Further information on entry requirements can be found on the websites of the SEM and the FOPH. The Travelcheck online tool can be used to check the conditions for travellers wishing to enter Switzerland from specific countries. Address for enquiries Federal Office of Public Health Coronavirus Infoline +41 58 463 00 00 COVID-19 Vaccination Infoline +41 58 377 88 92 State Secretariat for Migration SEM, medien@sem.admin.ch, 058 465 78 44 Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Justice and Police http://www.ejpd.admin.ch State Secretariat for Migration https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home.html Federal Office of Public Health http://www.bag.admin.ch Federal Department of Home Affairs http://www.edi.admin.ch Have you ever stood in front of the shelves of toilet paper at your local market and tried to figure out the best deal? Jumbo rolls, super jumbo rolls, mega rolls, 8-packs, 12-packs, one-ply, two-ply. It's maddening. I'm an economist, and I can't figure it out, so I choose not to waste the brain cells on it. I just pay whatever and go my way. It's called "rational ignorance" I choose not to spend the effort to figure it out. We'll come back to this. Jumping to the recent $1-trillion infrastructure bill, one can find buried deep inside it page 508, to be exact a proposal to test a new tax for driving. It's a mileage tax essentially, a user fee for roads. Drive X miles, pay Y cents per mile to the government. Unlike most tax proposals, surprisingly, there may be some logic to this idea. Not much logic and we should all be leery, but let's break it down and see what's really going on. First, drivers of vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel already pay a per-mile tax. It's not calculated that way, and nobody figures it out that way remember rational ignorance but, effectively, the federal (and state) taxes on petroleum fuels are a mileage tax. Currently, the federal government gets 18.3 cents in excise taxes on every gallon of gasoline sold. It's stated as a "per gallon" tax, but one could think of it as a mileage tax. Here's another way to consider the federal 18-cent-per gallon tax. If your car gets 18 miles per gallon on average, that means you are paying a tax of a penny per mile. More per mile if your vehicle is less efficient, and obviously less per mile if you get 25 or 30 mpg. But, because of rational ignorance, nobody figures it out this way. Nobody looks at his 18 mpg car and thinks, "I have to pay the government 25 or 30 cents to visit my grandmother across town." So why the big switch to openly calculating highway taxes by the mile rather than disguising it by the gallon? You gotta see this one coming. Electric vehicles! That's right: E.V.s don't use gas, so they don't pay any highway taxes. And, with the liberal push to make everyone abandon fossil fuel-powered transportation, the money for roads has to come from somewhere. Okay, that seems to make sense, but as they say on TV game shows, there's more! Economics is all about incentives. You work because you get paid. You'll work harder or longer for more money and not so much for less money. You'll buy more rolls of toilet paper if they're on sale than if they're not. So if the folks on the left want to do away with fossil fuel-powered vehicles, why are they dis-incentivizing electric vehicle transportation by taxing it? I get the "we gotta build and maintain roads" argument, but we don't tax bicyclists who use public highways or pedestrians who take long romantic walks on the interstate. Maybe the Democrats are smarter than they vote. There's a strange effect that occurs when goods are taxed, and it has to do with how the tax is expressed, or applied to the consumer. It's called "tax salience," and it works like this. Economic theory tells us that if we raise the price of something, people will purchase less of it. And if we raise the price by including the tax inside the price (like current gas taxes), people see the total price and react as theory predicts. But if we add the tax later, like sales taxes at the cash register or the proposed per mile tax after buying gas consumers don't reduce consumption as much. Because of salience, a per-mile tax after the fact won't dis-incentivize E.V.-drivers. Also, there might be something else at work here. How will your mileage be calculated, and how will the taxes be collected? I smell a whole lot of folks being hired for a new bureaucracy and a golden opportunity for a massive invasion of privacy! Let's think about ways that could track how far a person drives. Will drivers "self-report" their mileage and file a tax return every year? Well, then we need an army of auditors to keep the peasants honest. Will every vehicle have a tracking device to report where folks drive and how far? Just wait until those data are leaked and we find out that our senator drove to a strip club and then a seedy by-the-hour motel. Okay, what about a cell phone app? Oh, that means you have to have a government-approved xyz phone or newer, and only on one of these approved carriers or networks. And then there's this. Do you really think the 18-cent-per-gallon federal excise tax will go away when a mileage tax is put in place? And do you really think that states which also currently tax gasoline and diesel by the gallon won't piggyback on the federal system and start taxing by the mile also? Wanna bet that states like California won't jump on the per-mile tax idea without reducing its already onerous taxes per gallon that amount to over a buck? If you do, then let's also bet on the Easter Bunny singing a Madonna song on a podcast. Many thought they could escape fuel taxes by going E.V. They were wrong. Now maybe the only way to escape transportation taxes is to escape the planet. But wait! Oregon congressman Earl Blumenauer has proposed legislation the SPACE Tax Act to tax space travel. I wish it were a joke, but Benjamin Franklin said it best: "Nothing is certain except death and taxes." Kevin Cochrane is an economist that teaches at Colorado Mesa University. He previously taught at the University of California and was a senior national banking executive. Image: adar09 via Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Last week, nationwide parliamentary elections were held in Russia. The elections spanned over a period of three days from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19. Leading contenders in this race were the United Russia party led by President Vladimir Putin and the Communist Party of Russia. Also in the race were the nationalist LDPR party, the Just Russia party, the New People party, and myriad independents. The results were declared with the United Russia party winning nearly 50% of the votes while the Communist Party received around 19% of the vote. The United Russia party had around two-thirds of the 450 seats in the Russian parliament which is an absolute majority. There were celebrations at the United Russia party headquarters. But the elections, much like previous elections in Russian, were marred by widespread reports of rigging and fraud. It began with President Putins most vocal critics being prevented from contesting these elections. Among them were allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Navalny came to prominence by organizing demonstrations against President Vladimir Putin and his government alleging widespread corruption. Jailing him, of course, on trumped-up charges, was widely seen as a tactic to keep Navalny himself from running for office. Prior to the elections, allies of Navalny released an app called Smart Voting that functioned as an anti-Putin voter guide. The app used its algorithms to deduce which candidate had the best chance of beating candidates from the United Russia party. The Kremlin used all possible means to suppress the circulation of the names of these candidates and to block the application. Big Tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Telegram complied with the Kremlin's demands and blocked apps, videos, and online documents related to Navalnys initiative. About 50 websites run by Navalnys allies were blocked, including the Smart Voting website. Election watchers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were prevented from sending observers for the first time in nearly three decades due to "major limitations" imposed by Russian authorities. Also, independent Russian vote monitor Golos, who detailed voter fraud during the 2011 elections was branded a foreign agent a month ahead of parliamentary elections. In St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, a pair of clone candidates having identical first and last names and a striking physical resemblance to one of the few opposition figures were registered to disorient and confuse voters. Russias Ministry of Justice designated an investigative media outlet, activists, and several journalists as foreign agents months ahead of the elections. The BBC's Moscow correspondent was forced to leave Russia when the authorities refused to renew her visa. Clearly, these draconian steps were taken to prevent and deter nonconformist voices from reporting on the elections. There were major changes made to the method in which ballots were cast. Online voting was introduced for the very first time. The movement restriction owing to the pandemic was cited as the reason for this change. Election officials said that the online voter turnout was around 93.21% in six Russian regions. Numerous Communist Party candidates who were on track to a victory suddenly began to trail the United Russia party candidate once electronic votes were released. They eventually lost their seats. The Communist Party candidate in a western Moscow district, led his United Russia rival by a 10,800-vote margin. But the electronic voting results were released, the United Russia candidate won by around 20,000 votes. The losing candidate even tweeted about this in dismay. Critics have claimed that electronic voting it makes easier to alter or fabricate votes. Russia's election commission had committed to releasing e-voting results to the public immediately after the polls were closed. However considerable delay caused widespread suspicion about the authenticity of the votes. State election monitors have committed to perform an audit of the results of online voting, But history seems to suggest that this is likely to be a futile exercise. There were also reports of state employees being forced to vote online. When there were serpentine lines of voters outside polling stations, voters were forcibly sent back for not following COVID-19 restrictions of social distance. There was also footage of workers at various poll stations surreptitiously stuffing ballot boxes with votes. There were reports of carousel voting -- i.e., observers noticed the same groups of individuals voting at different polling stations within some locations. There were clashes reported between election monitors and poll workers. The Russian Election Commission rubbished claims of widespread electoral fraud and asserted that only 25,830 votes were discovered to be invalid. They asserted that these votes did not alter the outcome. The media celebrated the results as a supermajority mandate for President Vladimir Putin and also dismissed any claims of fraud. It has to be remembered that media critics of President Putin tend to have a very short life expectancy. To sum it up there was ballot stuffing. There was an abrupt undoing of electoral leads by mass depositing of votes (electronically). Neutral observers were blocked. There was carousel voting. Big tech colluded with the establishment to suppress vital candidate information. There were changes enforced to the voting method under the pretext of COVID-19 restrictions. The Russian Election Commission functioned as an arm of the establishment rather than an independent regulatory agency whose function is to facilitate free and fair elections. Finally, the media, as it always does in Russia, functioned as a mouthpiece for the establishment. This isnt the first time this has occurred in Russia, there were allegations of similar electoral malpractice in the past. Its almost as if a user manual of electoral fraud is assiduously being followed. This above seems like a familiar pattern and has been applied on many occasions when the establishment wants to prevent anyone they think will bring drastic changes to the status quo. Perhaps you have seen, heard, or read about it fairly recently? Joe Biden's State Department released a statement that condemned Russia for conducting elections under conditions not conducive to free and fair proceedings. There are unconfirmed reports that upon reading this statement irony departed Mother Earth and is hurtling around the galaxy in perennial bewilderment. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. On MSNBC, Joy Reid suggests that the sensationalism around the disappearance and presumed murder of Gabby Petito is a symptom of a prevailing systemic and cultural bias called Missing White Woman Syndrome. There is a media and public fascination with missing white women, she says, while the media and public ignore cases involving missing people of color. The charge, of course, is that Americans are only interested in Petitos disappearance and death because shes white, and theyd be much less interested, and the media would be less sensational in reporting all of it if they thought something bad had happened to a person of color. This led me to be immediately reminded of a moment in recent history where the culture and media were much less interested in the disappearance and death of an innocent young white girl than, say, the death of a black teenager who had violently assaulted another man without physical provocation and was killed as a court-determined matter of legally justifiable self-defense. Back in 2012, CNNs Brooke Baldwin, you may be surprised to hear, more correctly accused the Democratic Party of precisely the opposite of Reids charge. Speaking to Florida House Representative Corrine Brown about the national outcry over the death of Trayvon Martin, Baldwin asked if she and her fellow African-American lawmakers would be as concerned about this case if Trayvon wasnt black? Oh, let me tell you something, Congresswoman Brown said. We had an incident in my area where a young white female was murdered and I was just as concerned, absolutely. I care about all the children. You know, you can make this Baldwin refused to let her get away with that. She interjected, asking, Congresswoman Brown, what was her name? Stunned, Ms. Brown asked, clearly stalling for time: The young lady that got killed? Yes, maam, Baldwin politely answered, recognizing the Congresswoman was already in checkmate. She pressed on, Do you remember? Uh, I dont, she stammered after conferring with a handler off-camera who also didnt know the answer. I dont remember her name, but we had all kinds of rallies in the community, in Jacksonville That 7-year-old girls name was Somer Thompson. She was abducted and her body was found in a Georgia landfill. Her murderer was not brought to justice because of some phantom public or media fixation on missing white girls, but because the pedophile who murdered her was apprehended on unrelated child pornography charges. Neither the public nor the media became fixated on the young white female who disappeared and was murdered, and like Corrine Brown, few ever knew her name, much less admonished by public and media campaigns to say it as a reminder. What about Michael Brown? You know who he is, dont you? Thats right. The gentle giant around whom the Hands up, dont shoot! myth began. In reality, he had just committed a strong-arm robbery, and several investigations, which included a prominent one by Obamas Department of Justice, all concluded that Brown attacked and attempted to disarm the police officer who shot and killed him as a reasonable measure of self-defense. But the myth lives on, and Michael Brown is a household name for media pundits and the public at large. But you know whose name is not? Zemir Begic. This white Bosnian young man was unfortunate enough to be sitting in his car near St. Louis on a Sunday morning shortly after Browns death where, a short drive away, St. Louis Rams players took to the field with their hands in the air to promote the Hands up, dont shoot! lie. Miles away from that stadium, rioters using the Brown shooting as an excuse to commit vandalism and violence encountered Begic, began damaging his car, and then beat him to death with hammers when he confronted them for destroying his property. The assailants involved in killing Zemir Begic were black or Hispanic, writes BBC News. Could race have been a motivating factor in the incident, as the public and media naturally assumed about the innocent police officer who defended himself against the violent Michael Brown? Not according to St. Louis police representative Schron Jackson. We think it was wrong place, wrong time, he said. Try imagining the utility of that defense as the reason for Michael Browns death, just for kicks. Heres another name you know, and you can even buy shirts with his image emblazoned on it, telling onlookers to #Say His Name as means to demand Justice for Jacob Blake. Jacob Blake, you may recall, was shot by police officers with whom he was fighting and resisting arrest. Most people know he was reaching into his vehicle, potentially for a weapon. What most probably wont recall is that he was carrying a knife, which he later admitted. Even more shielded from the public and media narrative was the fact that his ex-girlfriend alleges that Blake, who was unemployed and drank heavily, physically beat her, stole her money, and digitally raped her while her son was lying beside her. (Isnt it curious how selectively we are meant to believe all women!?) These are the martyrs the public and the media have chosen. Say their names! But have you ever heard of Norman Bledsoe? He was a 75-year-old white man in a Michigan nursing home who, as a result of Gretchen Whitmers and Michigans horrible COVID policy, had a 20-year-old, COVID-positive roommate named Jaden Hayden, who is a vicious and monstrous Black man. This sadistic man videotaped himself, from multiple angles, it appears, assaulting Norman in and around his bed, breaking four fingers, his ribs, and his jaw. The brutal assault got attention initially when Donald Trump made mention of it on Twitter in May of 2020 (which you can no longer see because Twitter is a fascist cesspool whose tech-geek overseers saw fit to censor the duly-elected leader of the free world), but soon the incident fell into obscurity. Until, that is, about two months after the assault and about a month before the world would begin demanding Justice for Jacob Blake. Local news outlets in Michigan quietly began reporting that Norman Bledsoe died after having been depressed and having not eaten since the beating. To imagine a world where the public and the media are so fixated upon stories of white victims that theyre missing the injustices against minorities on the periphery is about the dumbest conclusion that anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to American culture could draw. But Joy Reid, who is either insane or incredibly stupid, is right about one thing. There is an epidemic of violence against people of color that is going unreported by the media, but it has nothing to do with the allure of sensational stories of white victims at the cost of ignoring victims of color. Take 7-year-old Serenity Broughton. She and her sister, Aubrey, were shot after their parents buckled them into a parked car on a street in Chicago back in August. Serenity, who happens to be a child of color, died. The medias lack of focus on this incident hasnt been because there is some media aversion to addressing the injustices committed against people of color or an affinity to sensationalizing white victims. Its because her killer isnt known to have had a white face or a badge, like every other name that exists at the tip of our collective tongues. Once you realize that, you will easily realize the true nature of the medias obsession. Photo credit: YouTube screengrab (cropped) To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. When the media hide important information from us to achieve their political agendas, it doesn't matter if they apologize after. Their initial decision was the media and political equivalent of bad medicine. Let me explain. Imagine that you have digestive symptoms that are so troublesome that you go to your doctor. You are 76 years old, and unbeknownst to you, your doctor secretly favors euthanasia for the elderly. He runs tests that determine that you have Stage 4 cancer. Instead of telling you and your family what is going on, the doctor tells you instead that you have an ulcer and treats you accordingly. Two months later, you die of the untreated cancer. Your grief-stricken family demands an autopsy. The autopsy shows that you died of Stage 4 cancer. As your family considers suing the dishonest doctor for malpractice, the dishonest doctor admits that you did have Stage 4 cancer. He even apologizes to your family for the "mistake" and then quietly pats himself on the back for "clearing the record." You are still very dead, and the dishonest doctor has practiced bad medicine. The DNC and the "Big Tech" media are practicing bad medicine on the American public. Let me share some examples. We are now beginning to learn, as we have long suspected, that Hillary Clinton and her henchmen concocted "The Russian Collusion Story" that unfairly cast a shadow over the entire four years of the Trump administration. While Rep. Schiff and Rep. Swalwell beat their war drums, accusing Trump of treason, the truth was that Hillary and the DNC wanted to mortally wound the newly elected president. The "Big Tech" media gleefully played along. They made up a lie big enough to seriously undermine the good that President Trump did. As Politico has finally confirmed (and Glenn Greenwald explains), the stories that the New York Post published in October 2020 about Hunter's Biden's laptop were then and are now true. To keep the Hunter laptop story from damaging Joe Biden's presidential bid, "Big Tech Media" covered up the story and censored any other attempts to expose Biden family corruption. This is another example of their bad medicine. We are now stuck with Biden, and there is no mechanism for a "do-over" of the 2020 election. Truth delayed is truth denied. The DNC wants to permanently change America's demographics so that the DNC will be guaranteed permanent political dominance. Trump was elected in 2016 to slow or stop this transformation. It remains to be seen whether Biden actually defeated Trump in 2020, but that really doesn't matter now. Biden's primary mission as POTUS is to finish transforming America into an entirely blue country by opening America's southern border to all comers. "Big Tech Media" support this DNC engineered invasion and this permanent transformation. When America becomes unalterably blue, the "Big Tech" media, like the dishonest doctor, will quietly admit they aided and abetted this transformation when the blue transformation is complete. This will soothe their consciences some. Lots of bad medicine is being practiced in the land we love. God help us! Image: The media by Engin-Akyurt. Pixabay license. When a friend of mine converted to Judaism, he told the rabbi that he understood the ethics, the laws, and all that was required of him. But there was one thing that he said that he refused to do. He refused to become a Democrat. The bond between the Jews and the Democrat Party is so strong that, except for blacks, Jews, more than any other group, overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates. In his seminal work, Beyond the Melting Pot, on the impact of American immigration on society, sociologist Nathan Glazer observed, along with co-author Daniel Patrick Moynihan, that Jews in America have achieved the socioeconomic status of Episcopalians, but they continued to vote like Puerto Ricans. The lopsided alignment of Jews with the Democrats was showcased in two infamous quotes. The first, arguably attributed to James Baker, was "f--- the Jews, they don't vote for us." The more recent version characterizes the Biden administration's pressure on Israel to accept a premature ceasefire in the recent battle with Hamas: "f--- the Jews, they'll vote for us anyhow." Jews, like most urban immigrants, were Republicans until the Democrats in 1928 nominated New York governor Al Smith. This realigning election shifted urban America away from the Republicans, who had successfully used the "bloody shirt" of the Civil War to tarnish Democrats. Smith, a Catholic, from America's largest immigrant stronghold, New York City, changed the configuration of partisanship. Smith lost the election but reconfigured the electorate. The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt cemented what Smith had started, and Jews were forever bonded to the Democrat party. Even President Donald J. Trump's strong support of Israel made no difference. One would have thought Jewish ardor for President Joseph R. Biden would have fallen, given his scandalous attack on Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, his pressure to push Israel into a premature ceasefire with Hamas that ensured the next conflict, and his opening of a consulate in East Jerusalem that has all the earmarks of giving legitimacy to the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem, a place that did not exist until the Jordanian occupation of 1948. And then there is the rabid anti-Semitism of congresswomen Alexandra Octavio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, all of whom rose to important positions based on the success of the Democrats. This too did not matter, for Jews were quick to rationalize that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had them under control. Jews live in a partisan bubble so much so that they will go to great lengths to defend the indefensible. Admittedly, I live in one of the most leftist areas of the country, the San Francisco Bay Area. So when J. The Jewish News of Northern California took it upon itself to defend Biden's disastrous and chaotic retreat from Afghanistan, I should not have been surprised. But the statement was, nonetheless, shocking. Here is what the opinion editors said: "Turning to the tragedy in Afghanistan, it's too late, and not helpful, to complain about whether the exit and evacuation could have been handled better. That's over now." Let's consider how out of touch with reality you must be to write that. Let's apply this trenchant reasoning to other events. "Turning to the tragedy in Europe known as the Holocaust, it's too late, and not helpful to complain about whether the Western powers should have come to the aid of the Jews. That's over now." Or how about, "Turning to the tragedy of trans-Atlantic slavery, it's too late, and not helpful to complain about whether the institution could have been handled better or to ask for reparations. That's over now." What should be over now is the mindless allegiance of Jews to a party that does not have to compete for their vote. Abraham H. Miller is an emeritus professor of political science University of Cincinnati, and a distinguished fellow with the Haym Salomon Center. Image: The Jewish Democratic Council of America. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Why do Democrats continually tell the public that Trump's tax cuts "cost" the government more than $1 trillion when it is demonstrably not true? Despite COVID, the federal government is going to collect around $600 billion more in 2021 (almost $3.9 trillion versus $3.3 trillion in FY 2017), than it did before Trump's tax cuts went into effect in 2018. It has a lot to do with the flip-side of this issue: Democrats' fanatical determination to "tax the rich" in their $4.5-trillion spendathons in Congress. But it makes absolutely no sense, given that the government drew in more money from companies that benefited from Trump's tax cuts as the economy grew. Why would you raise tax rates when the lower tax rates raised more money for the government unless you cared about power more than results? Trump's policies of lower taxes and fewer regulations allowed companies to make money. That, in turn, helped average people, who got jobs with higher pay, raising incomes especially for those at the bottom. They also slashed unemployment rates for all races and education levels to record lows and cut the poverty rate to record lows. Essentially, Trump's policies lifted all boats as the benefits trickled throughout the economy. Income equality was improving. Think of how much better the economy could have done if Democrats truly wanted unity instead of what they did in those years: they obstructed Trump every step of the way. The Democrats' anti-poverty and Great Society programs have been in effect for over fifty years, have spent tens of trillions, and yet did not push poverty rates to record lows. It was Trump's market-friendly capitalist policies and his focus on the private sector that produced the best results. According to the IRS, in 2018, after Trump's tax cuts went into effect, the richest 1% paid 40.1% of income taxes even though they earned 20.9% of adjusted gross income. Isn't paying double the taxes on their share of income more than fair? (Twenty eighteen is the last year the statistics are available for) One of the biggest lies of all is when the public is told that the $1.2-trillion infrastructure slush fund, the $3.5-trillion slush fund, or Obamacare is paid for. They use lots of gimmicks to pretend things are paid for, but they aren't, or else we wouldn't be almost $30 trillion in debt. Isn't the job of the media to inform the public with the truth instead of to campaign for an agenda for a party they support? Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Anthony Fauci has been in the limelight for over 18 months now. During that time, he has displayed definite anti-social behavior. Is he a psychopath, or does he suffer from a narcissistic personality disorder? It's hard to tell, as a number of traits of one overlap with the other. Not every psychopath is a serial killer or even physically violent. Most of them use their superficial charm and ability to lie and manipulate to worm their way into high positions in organizations from corporations to government to bureaucracies, and even the military. This is the subject of Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work by Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hare, which shows how psychopaths function in organizations without dirtying their manicured fingernails with the gore associated with the more violent of their type. There are a number of characteristics that define a psychopath, though no psychopath checks all the boxes. Some traits are expressed more prominently than others. However, what's common to most psychos are the following: 1. Narcissism and a false superiority complex. Psychology Today says narcissistic traits include calculated charm, manipulativeness, self-absorption, entitlement, conceit, and a false superiority complex. "In the mindset of many sociopaths and psychopaths, being 'better' than others provides them with a twisted justification to exploit and mistreat people at will. Those who are 'inferior' deserve their downtrodden fate, and should only be regarded with contempt." Fauci checks this box. As an unelected bureaucrat, he has had the nation jumping through hoops for him for the past 18 months. No masks one day, masks the next, and double-masks later on. This is a display of chutzpah suitable only to a narcissist. Evidence of Fauci's narcissism is his delusional claim that criticism of him is an attack on science itself. A touch of humility would have required Fauci to rein in his behavior, but that virtue seems to be a foreign concept to him. 2. Pathological lying. Psychopaths are pathological liars and are skilled at lying. It's worth noting that pathological lying is different from compulsive lying in that it has a purpose. Fauci has been caught telling blatant lies before Congress. That he did it under oath again shows his arrogance and sense of superiority. Fauci's lies have a purpose. They were to reposition himself when unfolding facts showed his initial judgment was flawed or to cover up his involvement with the Wuhan Virology lab. And although Fauci perjured himself with those lies, he was smart enough to know that neither the Biden Justice Department nor the media would hold him accountable. 3. Lack of empathy and cold-heartedness. Lack of empathy is a common trait with all psychopaths. Did not Fauci reveal this side of himself in spades when he said research into viral gain of function was worth the risk of a pandemic to advance medical knowledge? Given the human cost endured in a pandemic, it's staggering to hear someone say that. Young Tony must have slept through his moral guidance classes at Holy Cross College (class of '62). It's likely that Fauci has become drunk on his unaccountable power as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infective Diseases (NIAID) for an incredible 37 years. Fauci is among the many in the medical establishment who curtail effective treatments for the COVID virus-like monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). People are literally dying because of that. The man doesn't appear to have any empathy for anyone or anything. The other possibility is Fauci has a narcissistic personality disorder. These are just some of Fauci's behaviors that check off as a narcissistic disorder: a) has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, b) expects to be recognized even without achievements that warrant it, c) monopolizes conversations and looks down on people he perceives as inferior, d) expects unquestioning compliance with his pronouncements, e) believes he is superior, f) believes others are envious of him, and g) an inability to recognize the needs and feelings of others. If you recall Fauci's behavior and pronouncements over the past year and a half, you can see where the above apply to him. Psychopath or narcissist let professional shrinks figure it out. Either way, Fauci has no business being in such a high government position where he gets to call the tune to which much of the country has to dance. America has suffered greatly with Anthony Fauci being the face and spokesman for public health. I love Donald Trump, but he should have canned Fauci when he had the power to do so. Joe Biden never will. Image: Bluerasberry. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Multiple reports say that Haitian migrants, ostensibly in federal custody, have "hijacked" several buses while being transported and forced out their drivers. The incidents, they say, have occurred while migrants have been taken from the camp beneath the Del RioCiudad Acuna International Bridge to processing centers across the region, as well as from the processing centers to local airports for deportation flights, and could cause the U.S. government's immigration enforcement operations to be halted. A senior federal law enforcement official recently told the Washington Examiner: "They've been basically overpowering the drivers and they've actually hijacked a couple of the buses and driven them down the road a little ways and escaped. This happened multiple times." No, not this bus. (YouTube screengrab, cropped.) The same official added: "They're moving the detainees, but they're not shackled they're not restrained in any way. Yesterday some detainees kicked a window out and 22 escaped." How the hell can migrants who are supposedly in custody hijack buses and essentially take the bus drivers into custody? How feckless, naive, and weak have we become? Is there anything the Biden administration can do competently and with determination? Other than thumbing its collective nose at the Constitution, browbeating American citizens into accepting an unvetted experimental substance into their bodies, and generally taking away the freedoms the Founders bequeathed them? For the love of God, the Biden administration has accepted proactively manufactured, to be more precise defeat in Afghanistan. To the Taliban, semi-nomadic goat-herders from the ninth century! It has allowed China to get away with murder. Mass murder, actually. And it is letting China figuratively walk all over us while appearing to wish to emulate the Chinese Communist Party's push to usurp and obliterate any and all of its citizens' remaining freedoms. How bad is it? The United States Army Garrison Japan recently announced that it probably couldn't even repel a potential incursion by monkeys. The Biden administration has also ceded our southern border to anyone who cares to stroll in from Mexico, and/or who has walked to it from Central America, regardless of criminal history, and without being tested for coronavirus. Completely unvetted. Sex traffickers, drug-runners, terrorists? Come on in! (Just be aware: once you are an American citizen, you will have to get vaccinated and use everyone else's correct pronouns. Or else.) And now it can't even prevent migrants from hijacking the buses used to transport them. What's next? Will we be suddenly and dastardly attacked by Albania...causing the Biden administration to surrender? Will the Girl Scouts of America threaten to take over the Capitol unless every American commits to buying a minimum of ten boxes of their cookies every year in perpetuity? To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. If pro-lifers in New York believe that the new governor, Kathy Hochul, will have a more benevolent attitude towards themand to babiesthan Andrew Cuomo, they are sadly mistaken. She will continue his pro-abortion agenda. The only difference will be that, because she is a woman, the media will cover for her even more. There was a time when New Yorks pro-liferswith the help of a GOP-controlled State, along with a small group of more moderate Democratswere able to stop the most radical pro-abortion legislation that the ostensibly Catholic Andrew Cuomo was ready, willing, and able to propose. That would be the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) which, after the GOP had lost control of the State Senate, the former governor finally was able to sign into law on the anniversary of Roe v. Wadeproving, once again, that elections have consequences. Since New York has one of the highest rates of abortion in the United States, this bill was totally unnecessary but that was beside the point. Cuomo celebrated by lighting up the Empire State Building in Planned Parenthood pinkwhich is also the color of breast cancer awareness and of course, baby girls! RHA essentially removes all protections for preborn infants and even allows for abortions on a babys delivery date. RHA even removes protections for an infant born alive during an abortion. RHA also removes elementary protections for pregnant women abused by boyfriends who end up with a dead baby because of such abuse. An unborn baby, killed in the commission of a crime, can no longer be considered a victim of that crime thanks to Cuomo and his merry band of abortion supporters. Any restrictions on late-term abortion involve the abortionists take about the womans life and healthwith no objective definition of either. There are, in essence, no meaningful restrictions on abortion in New York State thanks to RHA, its supporters in the Democrat party, and Cuomowho has yet to be excommunicated. RHA considers abortion to be a fundamental right and pro-lifers are justifiably concerned that RHA could be used to criminalize being pro-life. In New York State, under Cuomo, the pro-abortion absolutists have won. In 2014, Cuomo even stated that pro-lifers, whom he bundled together with Second Amendment supporters and homophobes, have no place in the state of New York. Because that is not who New Yorkers are. As everyone knows, Cuomo was forced to step down as governor after harassing dozens of women. He also sentenced the elderly to death in his Covid-19 infected nursing homes and even concealed the true number of dead while having his staff ghostwrite the book Crisisin mid-Covid-crisis. His book was essentially a tribute to his managerial skills, while he was killing off thousands of New Yorks Medicare patients and disabled! He has yet to apologize, and it seems he will keep the ill-gotten gains of his books revenues. Now we have Kathy Hochul, who is also Catholic, as governor of New York. Hochul is as radical as Cuomo is on abortion, even to the point of bringing a former Planned Parenthood leader into her administration. Although, unlike the growling former governor, does her abortion advocacy with a smile. Hochuls reaction to the commonsense Texas heartbeat bill is to state the New York is a safe harbor for those seeking abortions. Hochul has advocated for chemical abortions to be performed with the aid of video conferences, seemingly unaware that Texas women still have access to Plan B which can be bought over the counter. She has also demanded that Facebook remove any and all references to chemical abortion reversal and wants New York to be the mecca of abortion tourism for women in Texas and other states. So, to New Yorkers, I say, meet the new abortion boss, who may be worse than the old one and even more dangerous. Image: Kathy Hochul speaking out in support of Planned Parenthood, 2015. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. If you have the right mask and use it in the right way, it can protect you. Well-fitting N95 masks thrown out after every use may well protect against viruses. Paper surgical masks are useless against viruses. Likewise, a cloth mask, which people repeatedly use for days or weeks, is probably an effective bacteria and virus vector, rather than a protector. If you doubt me, just look at the data out of Oregon, where Gov. Kate Brown's latest totalitarian mask mandates coincided with a huge increase in COVID cases. Correlation is not causation, but there are other data out there to suggest they're one and the same. Jim Geraghty, at National Review, has the Oregon data: On August 24, Oregon governor Kate Brown instated a state masking requirement that requires everyone five years and older, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask, face covering, or face shield in outdoor spaces if they are less than six feet apart from individuals not in their household. "Cases and hospitalizations are at a record high," said Governor Brown. "Masks are a quick and simple tool we can immediately deploy to protect ourselves and our families, and quickly help stop further spread of COVID-19." On August 24, Oregon had 49,889 active cases of COVID-19. As of yesterday, Oregon had 86,623 active cases of COVID-19 an increase of 73 percent from the day the governor announced the outdoor mask requirement. Keep in mind, cases merely mean positive tests; an active case does not necessarily mean that person is significantly ill. I wouldn't go so far as to say that masks were indeed vectors, but it's pretty clear they weren't protectors. One story is just one story, and it has little statistical value. However, a Twitter user named IM (@ianmSC) has been tracking the fact that masks (and lockdowns) seem to make no difference to COVID's spread. Here are just a few of his tweets on the subject: Newly reported deaths in Hawaii have risen 1,740% in the past two months despite one of the longest mask mandates in the world & overwhelming complianceso I have to ask once again why Ron DeSantis did not mandate double masking & spend more time promoting vaccinations there pic.twitter.com/XqvKG2S37H IM (@ianmSC) September 23, 2021 Cases in South Korea have been at record high levels for nearly 3 months now despite 99% mask compliance, mask mandates and fines for non-compliance, so its always nice to hear politicians and experts keep pushing more mask mandates & forcing masks on 2 year olds pic.twitter.com/ExsMDVyk1C IM (@ianmSC) September 23, 2021 Singapore has officially reached a new high in cases, 527 days into their mask mandate and with 82% of their population fully vaccinated. Pretty incredible feat of media gaslighting that no one is asking politicians and experts how they can continue justifying mandates. pic.twitter.com/qGsf9yGLMj IM (@ianmSC) September 23, 2021 Cases in Alaska are the highest theyve ever been & the highest in the US. They reached 50% of 18+ fully vaccinated by May 20th, a few weeks before Fauci said with 50% of adults vaccinated, you wouldnt see surges like in the past Why is anyone still listening to a word he says? pic.twitter.com/8CbPxTbZgp IM (@ianmSC) September 22, 2021 Cases are rising in Minnesota faster than any other state in the US, so were up to what now15 states Ron DeSantis is responsible for all at once? Tremendously impressive! pic.twitter.com/UE1qMgjV8H IM (@ianmSC) September 22, 2021 I dont know if Ill ever get over that LA mandated masks 2+ months ago, neighboring Orange County didnt mandate masks, yet the county without a mandate did better and followed the same trajectory If sanity & science still existed, wed be done pretending masks matter pic.twitter.com/IFJEL7ml9j IM (@ianmSC) September 21, 2021 Its been nearly 2 weeks since Denmark ended all domestic COVID restrictions no vaccine passports or mask mandates so I wanted to see how its gone Well would you look at that, cases are declining! Guess this means we need more masks on 2 year olds & vaccine passes, right? pic.twitter.com/5syeR8Wszj IM (@ianmSC) September 21, 2021 The fact that these data relentlessly repeat the same patterns suggests a few conclusions: Lockdowns don't work. Mask mandates don't work. Vaccines are of limited efficacy. Without discussing the potential downside risks of the vaccines (which are fiercely debated), it appears that the vaccines offer some protection against getting very sick from COVID but no protection against catching the delta variant, which the vaccines themselves may have triggered. The smartest thing would be to set up early intervention treatments. Everybody should have easy access to ivermectin or the hydroxychloroquine cocktail, which includes azithromycin and zinc, which an infected person can start taking immediately. I'll say again what I've said before, which is that COVID is the only disease I know of that the medical establishment refuses to treat until people are on death's door. Dr. Ted Noel explains why this is, and you can blame the government for the fact that doctors have their hands tied. The government's refusal to act is because the Democrats who run the government don't want COVID to end. It's been their E-ticket to unlimited power. The worst thing that could happen for them is to have COVID become a treatable disease like a cold or flu. But going back to my original point, those stifling, dirty, inconvenient, face-obscuring, voice-obscuring masks, which invariably remind me of the most restrictive burqas and which have made cities dirtier, are useless. Image: Litter, including a COVID mask, by Couleur. Pixabay license. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. There was a rally in Washington, DC, on September 18 to say/do/whatever something (the point wasnt terribly clear_ about what happened on January 6, the point of which is still also not terribly clear. Attending were about 400 protestors and about 800 law enforcement officers (the only protestor detained for having a weapon was a fed), reporters, and looky-loos, to call the rally an embarrassing failure would be an insult to other embarrassing failures. But the rally did spark something; namely, it gave the media the opportunity yet again to talk about its most vilified ratings booster, Donald Trump. The Sunday shows were full of standard-issue fear/mockery-mongering, Trump was raked over the coals, and many pundits were briefly able to fill the gaping chasm where their integrity should be by righteously condemning the great unclassed from the hinterlands. This playbook is so simple that even Cam Newton could follow it. However, it was an affront to, well, everyone when the media spent more than a nano-second The Donalds supposed wrongs in light of what happened less than 24 hours before: border-collapse, furious French people, and the discovery that the terrorist cabal droned recently in Kabul was in fact a supply-delivering aid worker and his family (hint for the Pentagon: if what you think is an ISIS bomb says Aquafina on the side, check again). Of course, they tried to blame Trump for those messes, too. This does raise a pair of interesting points: Will the medias endlessly blaming Trump, already out of office for nearly three trimesters, ever end? And has the media, by creating the disease of Trump and then self-righteously telling everyone they were going to cure the disease, killed the patient? Trump was not a perfect president. When he came into office, he was unprepared. First, he assumed that, because he was President, government officials would have to listen to him. Second, unlike Hilary Clinton, whose campaign had literally spent millions vetting thousands of people for thousands of government jobs and was ready-to-go before her presumed Inauguration Day, Trump was forced to rely on a multitude of staffers who not only could not be trusted but immediately worked against him and his policies (remember, the leaks began within days of the election). Although not a detail man, still had trouble with delegating and follow through. He seemed to tend towards the chaotic, a problem with running an administration but, if anyone had been paying attention, this was proof positive that he was far too disorganized to be a totalitarian. (Antifa has no idea how good they had it because, if Trump really had been a fascist, Portland would now be a forcibly forgotten smudge). Trumps use of Twitter was helpful(ish) for him but it also legitimized the platform as a political public square, not a good thing at all. And his personalitywell, it has been opined that the main thing that kept Donald Trump from getting re-elected was Donald Trump. That being said, the only thing that got Donald Trump elected in the first place was Donald Trump. So, for a properly grounded and trustworthy media, there was more than enough to work with to make your bones, to prove you fight the powerful, etc. However, because the economy was strong, real wages were growing, America wasnt entering new wars, China was getting nervous, our allies were paying more of their fair share, etc.), the media had to go and start making things up. And then old lies bred new lies to justify the medias previous falsehoods. Collusion. Russia. Kids in cages. Bleach drinking. Incontinent hookers. Family graft. Racism. Homophobia. Unpaid taxes. Coarse language (well, maybe give them that one). Fat. Insane. Coup plotting. Feeble. Liar. Corrupt. Power-mad. Ill-gotten fortune. Embarrassing. Abusive. Hated. (As he was in office for 1,461 days and was accused of a scandal a day, there isnt space to continue but feel free to add your favorite). And, for good measure, everything that has gone wrong during the Biden presidency is also Trumps fault. That was the media-created disease afflicting America. So, what did the media-imposed cure actually do? Lots. It destroyed trust. Degenerated public discourse. Created hermetically sealed echo chambers. Encouraged friendships to end. Made everything political. Weaponized social media (well, weaponized it more). Demanded that personal truth be treated as actual truth, making the very concept meaningless. Denigrated the scientific method. Allowed aggressive public shunning for ideologic failings. Made heroes of tattletales. Made empathy a hate crime. Provided fertile ground in which actual lies flourished. Sowed discord amongst family members. Amplified stupidity. Enriched the overclass. Even those who dislike Trump admit that his impact will be comparatively transitory when compared to the ongoing damage result from the medias reaction to Trump which, it can be argued, is killing the patient (with America being the patient). Even if one considers Trump a disease, diseases can be cured. Murder cannot. Image created using public domain graphics. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. The good news is that the House overwhelmingly voted to spend $1 billion which is chump change in the federal budget to fund Israel's Iron Dome protection system. The bad news is that the far leftists in the House, the ones who are clogging the media airways, cowing Nancy Pelosi, and driving the Democrat party, were so virulent in their hatred for the only Jewish state in the world, and one that occupies an infinitesimal dot on the map of the Muslim Middle East, that what they said and did was indistinguishable from pure anti-Semitism. Earlier this week, the Squad used the slim Democrat majority to force the House to remove all funding for Israel's Iron Dome from a stopgap spending bill. On Thursday, however, the House overwhelmingly approved that $1 billion for Israel's Iron Dome. Whatever the motives (keeping Jewish voters happy, human decency, or something else), it's a good thing, and as a strong supporter of Israel, I am grateful. The ultimate vote was 420-9. Here's the breakdown of votes against funding the Iron Dome: After some progressives forced Dems to take Israel Iron Dome funding out of CR, House overwhelmingly approves funding 420-9 No votes: Dems: Omar Carson Tlaib Newman Pressley Grijalva Garcia (IL) Bush Republicans: Massie GA Dem Reps Johnson and Ocasio-Cortez voted present Tyler Olson (@TylerOlson1791) September 23, 2021 Incidentally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, originally voted "no," only to change her vote later to "present," so she doesn't even get a partial pass. What made Thursday's vote so notable was the virulent Israel-hatred that the naysayers expressed, from Rashida Tlaib's openly anti-Semitic statements, which earned her an open condemnation from a fellow Democrat, to Ocasio-Cortez's bursting into tears because Israel was being given the means to defend itself. Rashida Tlaib, who consistently makes it clear that she sits in Congress to represent Gaza and the West Bank, was the worst of the bunch: When Tlaib announced her opposition to the supplemental, she characterized it as "enabl[ing] and support[ing] war crimes, human rights abuses, and violence." "We can not only be talking about Israelis' need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system and are dying from what Human Rights Watch said are war crimes. We should also be talking about Palestinian need for security from Israeli attacks. We must be consistent in our commitment to human life, period. Everyone deserves to be safe there. The bill claims to be quote 'replenishment' for weapons apartheid Israel used in a crisis it manufactured when it attacked worshipers at one of the most holy Islamic locations, the al-Aqsa mosque, committing, again, numerous, numerous war crimes," she continued. "The Israeli regime is an apartheid regime, not my words but from Human Rights Watch." Everything Tlaib said is a lie: The Iron Dome exists only to protect Israel from Iranian and Hezb'allah rockets that Hamas thugs fire indiscriminately into Israel. Human Rights Watch is a virulently anti-Semitic organization. There is no apartheid in Israel, which is the only nation in the region in which people of all faiths have full civil rights. (Gaza and the West Bank, by contrast, are Jew-free, and almost all Christians have been driven from those places.) Israel's incursions into Gaza have always been defensive, and Israel goes to extraordinary lengths to protect civilians something made hard by the fact that Hamas deliberately embeds its weapons around civilians, especially children. Israel is so respectful of the Al Aqsa mosque that Jews are prevented from praying at the Temple Mount, which is a Jewish holy place dating back to Abraham and Solomon, and one that predates by thousands of years both the gaudy al Aqsa mosque and Mohamed. Tlaib's speech was so vicious that fellow Democrat Ted Deutch called her on it: Great speech calling out Rashida Tlaibs antisemitism pic.twitter.com/uyUeAXFcCz Brendan (@Lawlorbrendans) September 23, 2021 The Daily Mail quotes much of what he said: During the debate before the vote, Foreign Affairs Chair Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida, who opposed the $1 billion in funds' initial removal from an earlier bill, condemned Tlaib when it was his turn to speak during the debate. 'I cannot cannot allow one of my colleagues to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives and label the Jewish Democratic state of Israel an apartheid state,' Deutch said Thursday. 'I reject it.' 'If you believe in human rights, if you believe in saving lives Israeli and Palestinian lives I say to my colleague who just besmirched our ally, then you will support this legislation,' the moderate Democrat directed at Tlaib. [snip] 'When there is no place on the map for one Jewish state that's anti-Semitism, and I reject that,' Deutch said. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican, also called out Tlaib: After @RashidaTlaib finished her diatribe, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann responded, yielding himself as much time as necessary to respond. Amazing: pic.twitter.com/o2TG5TNBRC Conspiracy Libel (@ConspiracyLibel) September 24, 2021 Again, from the Daily Mail: 'They have a vocal minority in the majority party that is anti-Israel, that is anti-Semitic, and as Americans, we can never stand for that,' the GOP representative declared. 'As Americans, I beseech you, I reach out to the majority and I say condemn what we just heard on the House floor. Condemn terrorism. 'You just saw something on this floor I thought I would never see. Not only as a member of this House, but as an American let's stand with Israel and condemn anti-Semitism.' Meanwhile, Drama Queen AOC appeared to burst into tears as the horror of helping an ally defend itself against indiscriminate missile attacks against civilians overwhelmed her: Interesting interaction on the House floor. On the vote for Iron Dome funding, Rep Ocasio Cortez voted "no", but there was a minutes-long interaction between her and Speaker Pelosi (where Rep Ocasio Cortez seems visibly distraught) which preceded her vote switch to "present". pic.twitter.com/8JTlhilYT0 Nicole Alexander Fisher (@_nalexander) September 23, 2021 NOW - Tears on the House floor: AOC appears to be crying as the House passed a $1 billion funding for Israel's Iron Dome. She voted no, then switched her vote to present last minute.pic.twitter.com/jjq3kw7R4v Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 23, 2021 The Founders were philo-Semitic because they recognized that the Jewish Bible, by recognizing that individuals, by virtue of being created in Gods image, laid the foundation for the freedoms the Founders identified as inherent in all people. They would be disgusted by the anti-Semitism and histrionics from today's young, profoundly ignorant, hate-filled leftists. Image: Rep. Ted Deutch. Twitter screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. How is the border crossing in Antelope Wells, New Mexico, empty of border agents and illegal immigrants while the border crossing in Del Rio, Texas, is overflowing with both? The border crossing at Antelope Wells has Trumps Border Wall on each side of the border crossing for as far as the eye can see. Look closely; the small gap in the wall is the border crossing. Even though sections of the border wall are unfinished in the area, the presences of the wall discourage illegal immigrants while providing a door to legal immigrants into our country. Border Crossing at Antelope Wells, NM September 21, 2021 Photo by author The border crossing at Del Rio does not have Trumps Border Wall on each side of the border crossing. Thus, the whole border becomes the crossing. The border agents and illegal immigrants are playing an adult game of Red Rover. There are thousands of players on the Mexican side and a few hundred on the US side. President Biden then essentially yells, Come on Over, while the border agents are stuck trying to hold the line. Is it a coincidence the 2021 illegal immigration surge is in Republican Texas and not in Democrat New Mexico? The leaders of Mexico and the drug cartels read American newspapers and watch American news programs. They know not to antagonize the party that is occupying the White House. In 2019 the illegal immigration surge occurred in New Mexico. Now it is in Texas. The difference is President Trump stopped illegal immigration no matter where it was happening. President Biden created an illegal immigration crisis for his political enemies in Texas while enacting his agenda. While the human traffickers are overwhelming the border patrol resources in the Del Rio area of Texas, the drug traffickers are running drugs across the open stretches of the New Mexico border. Staking out of the border is not a coincidence; this is transnational crime organizations dividing up the American Border. On Tuesday, I visited the US/Mexico border and spoke with ranchers and border agents. Border agents have a presence during the day. But at dusk, agents staked out the high ground with good vantage points while other agents dispersed across the desert in 4x4 pickups and quads. The border agents are not playing an adult game of Red Rover; it is war. The illegal drugs coming across our borders are fueling the murder epidemic in our cities. Photo by author The above picture shows the end of the trail for my most recent trip to the border. The border crossing is about thirty miles to the east, and the US / Mexico border is in the distance. To the south, east, and west of this bull are over 500 square miles owned and managed between a loose or tight-knit group (depending on which side of the fence you are on) comprised of the Diamond A Ranch, Nature Conservancy, and the Animas Foundation. The Diamond A ranch is closed to all on this side of the border with the abundance of well-maintained signs which read private land, private road, no hunting, no trespassing Diamond A Ranch Central Division (their signs only face north and are not in Spanish). That goes for the construction of the border wall, border patrol agents , and folks like you and me. This open stretch of land between where I stand in New Mexico and Old Mexico in the distance is described by some as a nature corridor between the two countries. The reality is a drug trafficking corridor between transnational criminal organizations in Old Mexico and their counterparts across America. We need comprehensive immigration reform. Reform that provided guidelines for who is welcome into our country. Reform that will ensure those that come will be contributing members of their communities and committed to obeying our laws. We need to secure the border, so immigrants enter through the open doors into our country and not cross our borders. It is unconscionable for those responsible for the crisis on our borders to demonize those dedicated government workers enforcing the laws they have sworn to uphold. Call your US Representative and US Senator, demand they create a bipartisan immigration reform to end the border crisis. In December 1968, Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders, became the first men to fly around the moon and return to earth. But they were not the first earthling to do so. Only three months previously, the Soviets sent a Soyuz capsule to circle around the earths natural satellite carrying a large number of living creatures. Among these were two Steppe tortoises, hundreds of Drosophila eggs, various plants, and different strains of bacteria. This was only the second time that a spacecraft launched from the earth had reached the moon, and the first one to come back safely. The Zond-5 spacecraft is being prepared for flight. The Zond 5 mission was originally designed to carry a crew of human cosmonauts around the moon, ahead of the Apollo 8 mission, but a string of failures with previous missions, including an explosion on the launch pad in July that left three ground workers dead, forced the leaders of the Soviet lunar program to reconsider the decision to put a man in their rockets. After much deliberation, it was decided that they would send not humans but a payload of assorted living biological specimens. Soviet scientists chose two Russian tortoises, each weighting about 350 grams. Twelve days before launch, the two space-bound tortoises were secured in the vehicle and deprived of food and water. The food deprivation was a part of pathomorphological and histochemical experiments. Another pair of tortoises, used as control specimen, were kept in a vivarium and subjected to similar food deprivation. The biological payload also included fruit fly eggs, cells of wheat, barley, pea, pine, carrots and tomatoes, specimens of the wildflower species Tradescantia paludosa, three strains of the single-celled green algae Chlorella, and one strain of lysogenic bacteria. The purpose of sending a variety of terrestrial lifeforms was to test the effect of cosmic radiation on them. Soviet scientists examine two steppe tortoises who'd just become the first earthlings to travel to another world. Zond 5 launched on 14 September 1968 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. After four days of travel, it reached the Moon, looped around it once and headed straight back to earth. On September 21, the reentry capsule entered the earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean, and by thus it became the first spacecraft to circle the moon and return to earth. The trip, however, was far from perfect. The spacecrafts attitude control system failed, causing the rocket to drift from the flight path, and its course had to corrected. When it re-entered the earths atmosphere, its entry was too steep, which would have killed any human occupant. It also missed is intended landing zone, which was Kazakhstan, and this delayed the recovery of the capsule by 10 hours. Despite the mishaps, Zond 5s success sent a chill down the spine of every NASA scientists, for it demonstrated that the Soviet were much closer to carrying out a crewed trip to the moon. In reality, the Soviets still didnt have a launch vehicle that could carry a spacecraft around the moon with a human cargo along with all the oxygen, food, and water needed to support human life. Photograph of the Earth taken by Zond-5 from a distance of 90,000 kilometers. The biggest scare was caused by a small prank masterminded by Soviet cosmonaut Pavel Popovich. He recalls the incident with amusement: In the late 1960s, we were getting ready for a flight around the Moon. At the time we sent to the Moon the so-called probes, the very same Soyuz spacecrafts, but with no crew in them. Each one of such probes was to fly around the Moon and return to Mother Earth. A major problem was for the probes to land. Of all probes launched only one landed safely. When we realized we would never make it to the Moon, we decided to engage in a little bit of hooliganism. We asked our engineers to link the on-the-probe receiver to the transmitter with a jumper wire. Moon flight missions were then controlled from a command center in Yevpatoria in the Crimea. When the probe was on its path around the Moon, I was at that center. So, I took the microphone and said: The flight is proceeding normally, were approaching the surface Seconds later my report as if from outer space was received on Earth, including by the Americans. The U.S. space adviser Frank Borman got a phone call from President Nixon, who asked: Why is Popovich reporting from the Moon? My joke caused real turmoil. In about a months time Frank came to the U.S.S.R., and I was instructed to meet him at the airport. Hardly had he walked out of his plane, he shook his fist at me and said: Hey, you, space hooligan! Zond 5 was an eventual success. It accomplished the first ever flyby of the moon, conducted scientific studies of cosmic space near the moon, and returned to earth with the second cosmic speed. The two tortoises were recovered alive, and it was determined that they underwent no biological changes due to the flight; the only change in them was due to starvation. References: # Zond 5: A prototype of the Soviet crew capsule loops behind the Moon!, Russian Space Web # Zond 5, NASA # Eric Betz, The First Earthlings Around the Moon Were Two Soviet Tortoises, Discover Magazine # Colin Burgess, Rex Hall, The First Soviet Cosmonaut Team: Their Lives and Legacies But only if you live in one of three countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Google really is pulling out all of the stops for the Pixel 6 this year. And now it is offering up a discount for those that purchase something this weekend from the Google Store in Australia, Japan or Taiwan. Its not a huge discount, but still a discount which is nice. Especially since the Pixel 6 is set to be pretty expensive this year. Australians can get up to $70AUD off In Australia, you can buy anything from Google this weekend using a 15% promo code, which does work on almost everything. And you will get $70 off the upcoming Pixel 6 phones. Though, its worth noting that Google has not yet revealed how much the Pixel 6 is going to cost, but we are fairly sure itll be pretty pricey. Advertisement The fine print on this deal is that you will need to make your purchase before September 27 (Monday). Customers will be sent a promotional code in the email by November 30. And customers can use that code to purchase the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro before December 31. Now, to get the discount on other products this weekend, youll need to use the promo code BDAYSURPRISE at checkout. As mentioned already, this promo code will work on most things in the Google Store, but not everything. Itll get you a discount on everything except for the Nest Cam or Doorbell (battery). Advertisement There are also additional discount codes available. You can use NESTITUP23 to get 23% off of the Nest Wifi. Or STREAMON23 to get 23% off of the Chromecast (not the Google TV version). And finally, theres MINIBUTMIGHTY to get 50% off of a Nest Mini. Unfortunately, this is not available in other countries, just in Australia, Japan and Taiwan right now. Hopefully Google does something similar in other, larger markets. (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 22 - Italy on Wednesday stepped up its fight to stop the European Union recognising Croatian Prosek wine after the application for the alleged inferior clone to Italy's famed prosecco was published in the EU's Official Gazette. Farm Minister Stefano Patuanelli told the Senate that a task force had already been set up to combat the registration of Prosek was a recognised denomination. "It seems indubitable to me that the term Prosek would evoke in the average European consumer Italian Prosecco due to its phonetic resemblance," he said. Patunaelli said he did not think "the conditions exist" for the EU to put Prosek on a par with prosecco. Italy has two months from Wednesday's publication of the application to file its objections to the Croatian wine becoming one of the EU's protected products. Patuanelli stressed that "no definitive decision has yet been taken on the registration". But farm group Coldiretti said that "the EU's green light to the publication of the application for Croatian Prosek ruins the historic record for world prosecco exports, which rose 35% in the first six months of 2021." The group said the publication also "blatantly contradicts the recent sentence of the European Court of Justice that declared illegitimate all the fraudulent Italian sounding names which deceptively evoke products recognised and protected by the European Union like the star of Italian bubbly which this year should reach a record of 700 million bottles produced, the biggest wine brand in the world". (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - The spirit of the UN's Global Fund should be rekindled after COVID, Premier Mario Draghi told the organization that fights disease worldwide Friday. "The pandemic has overwhelmed health systems, draining resources from the activities of fighting these diseases," he told the fund, which invests US$4 billion a year to defeat HIV, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, equitable future for all. "Last year, at least a million people did not receive treatment against tuberculosis. "The number of HIV tests dropped to a disconcerting 20%. "Progress against malaria stopped. "Now that the COVID-19 vaccination programmes are proceeding all over the world, we must rekindle the spirit that led to the creation of the Global Fund". Draghi added that "the next refinancing of the Fund must be generous and express real solidarity at a global level," recalling that Italy has given over 1.2 billion euros to it since it was created in 2002. "We want the next 20 years of the Global Fund to be even more fruitful than the last 20 years". Over the years, he said, the Fund had saved around 44 million lives, equivalent to the population of Ukraine. (ANSA). MADRID - Authorities of the Canary Islands have ordered residents of some areas on the island of La Palma to stay home over the higher intensity of "explosive phenomena" connected to the eruption of the volcano Cumbre Vieja. The order affected Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and part of Tacande de Arriba, a fraction of the municipality of El Paso. Effects of this phase include "the increased significance" of material expelled by the volcano and an "intense emission of ash". Air companies Binter and Canaryfly have cancelled flights departing from or arriving in La Palma. Iberia has cancelled a flight for La Palma. Binter also suspended flights for the island of La Gomera. Some 6,000 people are still evacuated on the island. Migrants: asylum requests up in EU, +115% second trimester Compared to 2020. Up 9% on previous quarter (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 24 - In the second trimester of 2021 a reported 103,895 first asylum requests were registered in EU countries, up 115% on the second trimester of 2020 (when they were 48,370), and 9% more compared to the first trimester of 2021 (95,265), Eurostat reported. The number however remains lower that pre-pandemic levels: asylum applications went down 28% compared to the second trimester of 2019, Eurostat said. In the second trimester of 2021, compared to the first, subsequent requests for international protection went down, or those filed again after a negative decision. There were 13,805, down from 28,150 in the previous trimester.(ANSAmed). Puigdemont 'doesn't want to eat', guarantor after jail visit 'In prison cell alone, determined but exhausted' (ANSAmed) - SASSARI, SEPTEMBER 24 - While waiting for a hearing to confirm his arrest on a Spanish extradition warrant, the former president of Catalonia Carles Puidgemont received a visit in prison of the guarantor for the rights of detainees, Antonello Unida, and the regional councilor of Cambiamo-Udc, Antonello Peru. "He has refused to eat since last night, he is determined but extremely exhausted", said Unida. "He is in a cell alone, he hopes to get out soon and he is very concerned by the engagements awaiting him Monday in Brussels". The guarantor then said that "Puigdemont asked for paper and a pen to sort out his ideas". Antonello Peru is still inside the prison while waiting to verify the physical and psychological conditions of the Catalan lawmaker at the end of the hearing on his case.(ANSAmed). ROME - Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Sardinia Thursday night on a warrant from Spain for alleged crimes against public order and national security in his leading a short-lived split by the northern region from Madrid. Former Catalonia President Puigdemont was arrested on a European warrant issued by Spain upon his arrival at Alghero airport. Puigdemont, 58, will appear before a Sassari judge later Friday who will rule on a European judge's rejection of a request to revoke Puigdemont's parliamentary immunity. The Sardinian judge will decide whether to uphold the arrest warrant. Spain has requested the extradition of the former Catalan leader. The Spanish government said Friday he must submit himself to the action of justice like any other citizen. Puigdemont's lawyer said he would appeal Friday to the EU's general tribunal to try to get his parliamentary immunity back. The Italian justice ministry said it had played no role in the case, which was in the sole preserve of the judges involved. GENEVA - Italy remains deeply concerned by the great number of extrajudicial executions and people who have been reported missing or who are illegally detained, as well as torture and gender violence perpetrated in detention centers, said Italy's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Marie Sol Fulci, intervening during an interactive dialogue with the Commission of inquiry on Syria, chaired by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, during the 48th Session of the Human Rights Council. Fuci recalled how Syrians are continuing to endure grave and systematic violations of human rights and condemned attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructures, conducted in open violation of international humanitarian law. The deputy permanent representative then urged all actors on the ground to reveal what happened to those who have disappeared or who are still missing, urging them to work significantly with international mechanisms with jurisdiction on the matter. Fulci - according to a statement released by the representation - also condemned violence and atrocities committed by all sides in conflict, stressing the importance of determining the responsibilities of those who committed serious human rights violations. Finally, she expressed Italy's full support for the Commission of Inquiry and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria and stressed how fighting impunity is a requirement for the peaceful solution of the conflict in the country. Eamonn Holmes and wife Ruth Langsford, before Holmes was laid low by shingles. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) For a condition that one in three people will develop in their lives, we don't hear much about shingles. But the viral infection that causes an agonising rash - and in one in ten cases leads to nasty complications - is finally getting its moment in the spotlight. This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, 61, opened up in an appearance on ITV's Loose Women this week. Revealing that he had been diagnosed with shingles in 2018, and forced to remain off air until he recovered, Holmes explained that the illness had 'ruined' his son;'s wedding pictures. He shared a personal image from his Instagram account (below) and said: It was the first marriage in the family and that was what I looked like on the wedding day and I had to have that covered up. So you can imagine, I ruined all the pictures, I didn't want to be in them. I didnt want to be the centre of attention with all this." Holmes added, The timing was awful. The dangerous thing about mine was that if it's on your face, it can affect, maybe impair, your eyesight. I would think, Goodness me, thats awful but I never thought it was coming my way." He described the experience of waking up one morning and feeling something similar to cold sores across his entire face - and a shooting pain. It was like a Hammer horror film, he said. "... like some hideous movie, where you feel your face and you go, Whats that?. I remember going to the bathroom mirror and jumping back in horror. Though he made a full recovery, he captioned the alarming photo "you don't want to (get it)." David Letterman, a fellow sufferer said he looked as if he'd been 'beaten up'. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Read more: Liz Hurley tells Eamonn Holmes to squat while brushing his teeth to relieve back pain Shingles is a viral infection which causes a painful, sore rash. It's triggered by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), one of the herpes family of viruses. Unsightly and distressing, the skin breaks out in fluid-filled blisters, and the rash may be accompanied by fever, fever, fatigue, or a migraine- like headache. It's infectious, and is more likely to strike in those whose immune systems are suppressed or in older people, while being 'run down' often precedes a bout. Stars who have spoken about their shingles experiences include US TV star David Letterman, who contracted the virus back in 2003 and before his diagnosis explained that his eye had swollen and said, I look like somebody gave me a beating...its either an irritation, inflammation or infection For the love of God, does it hurt! Sir Cliff Richard, 80, also suffered with shingles after an unfounded accusation of abuse. "Within six months of the allegation I had shingles all over my head and face," he said. "It looked so horrible I thought, I cant believe it is happening. Andi Peters has made a full recovery since his illness last year. (Getty Images) Another TV presenter, Andi Peters contracted shingles at the start of 2020 and was concerned about COVID-19. My 2020 has been ridiculous, it started with shingles for two weeks," he revealed, joking, "even Piers [Morgan] was worried. I was lucky, I had it quite bad but not as bad as some people, who have no nerve endings for months. I was very worried that after that, my immune system would be really, really low and I would be more susceptible to coronavirus." Read more: Andi Peters praises ITV for putting black presenters in lead roles as he takes over 'Lorraine' Though Peters had to take sick leave for the first time in 20 years, he's now fully recovered. Hollywood star and creator of Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda also suffered with the virus. The Northern Lights and Mary Poppins Returns actor was forced to quarantine away from his new baby until he recovered. Miranda last year, having recovered from shingles. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard What are the symptoms? Tingling or pain in an area of the skin Bad headache Fever Feeling generally fatigued/unwell A few days later, pink/red blotches appear, usually on the torso, and on only one side. They will then blister and scab. What can you do? The NHS advises: Call 111, and if necessary arrange an appointment to speak to a doctor Take paracetamol Keep the rash clean Use a cool compress on the skin Rest Stay off work, school or college until the rash has dried and you're not longer infectious. It can take up to four weeks to fully heal. The rash on the face - it can take four weeks to heal. (Getty Images) Can I be vaccinated? If you are over 70 or suffer certain conditions a vaccine may be available. Ask your GP for advice. What's the treatment? Treatment of shingles includes an antiviral medication (such as acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir) and pain medications (such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, tramadol, or oxycodone). What are the complications Continued pain (called postherpetic neuralgia) in the area of the rash, even after it has disappeared Eye infection and inflammation which, although rare, can lead to vision loss Ear inflammation and pain Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) Bacterial skin infection It's important to know that if you have shingles, you can give the chickenpox virus to someone who's not had it before. It's vital to avoid pregnant women, those with a weakened immune system and newborn babies. Koreas Tensions FILE - In this March 2, 2019, file photo, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Kim's sister said Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, North Korea is willing to resume talks with South Korea if it lifts hostility on her country. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday her country is willing to resume talks with South Korea if conditions are met, indicating it wants Seoul to persuade Washington to relax crippling economic sanctions. Kim Yo Jongs statement came days after North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months, which some experts said were intended to show it would keep boosting its weapons arsenal if the U.S.-led sanctions stayed while nuclear diplomacy remains dormant. She offered the talks while mentioning South Korean President Moon Jae-ins call, issued in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly, for a political declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to bring peace to the peninsula. Smiling a forced smile, reading the declaration of the termination of the war, and having photos taken could be essential for somebody, but I think that they would hold no water and would change nothing, given the existing inequality, serious contradiction therefrom and hostilities, Kim Yo Jong said in the statement carried by state media. She said North Korea is willing to restore constructive talks with South Korea to discuss how to improve and repair strained ties if the South stops provoking the North with hostile policies, far-fetched assertions and double-dealing standards. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it's carefully reviewing Kim Yo Jong's statement. A ministry statement said South Korea will continue its efforts to restore ties with North Korea. Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea, said North Korea was putting indirect pressure on Seoul to work to arrange talks easing the sanctions as it pushes for the war's end declaration. Its like North Korea saying it would welcome talks on the end-of-the war declaration if lifting the sanctions can also be discussed, Nam said. The U.S.-led sanctions have been toughened following the Norths provocative run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, and Kim Jong Un has said the sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters were causing the worst-ever crisis in North Korea. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea has consistently wanted to sign a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the war and for subsequent improved relations. Some experts say the peace treaty could allow North Korea to demand the United States to withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease sanctions. Both Koreas had called for an end-of-war declaration to be made and a peace treaty to be signed during the period of diplomacy with the United States that began in 2018, and there was speculation then-President Donald Trump might announce the wars end in early 2019 to convince Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. No such announcement was made as the diplomacy faded to a stalemate after Trump rejected Kim Jong Uns calls for lifting the newer, toughened sanctions in return for a limited denuclearization step. Some experts say North Korea wont find a reason to denuclearize after having those sanctions withdrawn. Kim Yo Jongs offer for talks was a stark contrast to a blunt statement by a senior North Korean diplomat issued earlier Friday that the end-of-war declaration could be a smokescreen" covering up hostile U.S. policies usually a reference to the sanctions as well as the U.S. military presence in the South. Experts say the earlier statement targets the U.S. while the later one by Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of Pyongyang's relations with Seoul, focuses more on South Korea. They say both statements want Seoul and Washington to act first and drop sanctions if they want to see the resumption of the nuclear diplomacy. Last week, North Korea conducted its first cruise and ballistic missile tests since March, demonstrating its ability to launch attacks on South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American soldiers are stationed. But North Korea still maintains its moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests directly targeting the American homeland, a sign that it wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. North Korea would think it doesnt cross a (red line) set by the U.S. ... so it says it can come to talks if conditions are rife for sanctions relief, said Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies. Nam said North Korea is expected to carry out more powerful weapons tests if the U.S. and South Korea don't accept its demand for sanctions relief. Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem blocs of the Armenian parliament are boycotting the extraordinary session today. They argue that the items on the agenda pertaining to the community enlargement process whereby a number of towns, cities and villages will be incorporated into merged municipalities are unlawful and contradict the constitution. Hayastan bloc secretary Artsvik Minasyan said in his speech that they demand the President Armen Sarkissian to focus on the matter and dispute the issue. Pativ Unem secretary Hayk Mamijanyan accused the pro-government bill in seeking to remove politically undesirable mayors from office. By joining Hayastan blocs proposals, Pativ Unem bloc will likewise not participate in the debates of this item, he said. The lawmakers of both blocs then left the session. The bill seeks to merge 441 communities into 37 enlarged communities. The government says that the current administrative divisions hinder community development, especially in cases of communities which have a population below 3000. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Vaccine protects from getting infected with COVID-19 by 97.5% and from hospitalization by 98.2%, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting today. The infection rate among the vaccinated people is lower than the cases of re-infection. Re-infection cases could reach up to 3-4%, the PM said. Commenting on the coming order of the minister of healthcare according to which starting from October 1 employed citizens should either present a document proving their vaccination or get tested against COVID-19 twice a month, which is not for free, the PM stated: I am surprised by the question claiming that additional costs are set up for the people for testing. No additional cost is set up for the people because people do not need to spend that money, as the government cares that all people get vaccination absolutely for free. The citizen decides whether to spend a money or not. He stated that attempts are made to see a conspiracy in the vaccination. But I want to note that the government was the first to get vaccinated. All people in this hall are vaccinated if they have no contraindications. I am vaccinated as well, my family members are vaccinated. If we feel that there is a necessity to get vaccinated again connected with antibodies, we must definitely do that. Today we have capacities to vaccinate up to 10,000 people daily, he said, again calling on all citizens to keep the coronavirus-related rules. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the numerous cases of the violations of the international norms by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the 44-day war in his speech delivered at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as referred to the ethnic cleansings of Armenians in the territories under the Azerbaijani control. As you know, in the fall of 2020, Nagorno-Karabakh was subjected to aggression. The war that lasted forty-four days took the lives of several thousands of people. Tens of thousands of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were displaced. The aggression was accompanied by numerous gross violations of international law by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including deliberate targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure, extrajudicial killings of prisoners of war and civilian hostages, torture and many other documented crimes. As a result of these actions, in the parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Armenian people were subjected to complete ethnic cleansing. Unfortunately, the international community here again could not prevent the mass atrocities. Today, no Armenian lives or practically could live in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports the PM as saying. Pashinyan reminded that it was due to the mediation efforts of the Russian Federation that it was possible to stop the bloodshed. On November 9, a trilateral ceasefire statement was signed. Peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which today ensure stability and security thereon, Pashinyan added. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly. ARMENPRESS presents the full text of the speech. Honorable President of the General Assembly, Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to once again deliver a statement at the United Nations General Assembly. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Abdulla Shahid on his election as President of the General Assembly, as well as Mr. Antonio Guterres on his re-election as Secretary-General of the United Nations. I am confident that with your leadership you will help us overcome the vast challenges we are facing. Today in my speech, I would like to refer to the situation in the South Caucasus region, present our views and proposals on the solution of the existing problems. As you know, in the fall of 2020, Nagorno-Karabakh was subjected to aggression. The war that lasted forty-four days took the lives of several thousands of people. Tens of thousands of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were displaced. The aggression was accompanied by numerous gross violations of international law by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including deliberate targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure, extrajudicial killings of prisoners of war and civilian hostages, torture and many other documented crimes. As a result of these actions, in the parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Armenian people were subjected to complete ethnic cleansing. Unfortunately, the international community here again could not prevent the mass atrocities. Today, no Armenian lives or practically could live in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. Thanks to the mediation efforts of the Russian Federation, it was possible to stop the bloodshed. On November 9, a trilateral ceasefire statement was signed. Peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which today ensure stability and security thereon. Dear Colleagues, One month ago, the Republic of Armenia National Assembly approved the Government's Action Plan for 2021-2026, where one of the key provisions is to open an era of peaceful development for our country and the region. Moreover, as per the results of the early parliamentary election held on June 20, 2021, the people of Armenia gave to our Government a mandate to move towards this key goal. It should be emphasized that our Government received this important mandate based on the results of elections that were held to overcome the domestic political crisis. This was the second election in our country after the Non-violent, Velvet, People's Revolution in Armenia in 2018. Both elections were assessed by international observers as competitive, transparent, and in line with democratic standards. So, how are we going to achieve the goal of opening an era of peaceful development for our country and the region? Through dialogue, overcoming incrementally the atmosphere of painful hostility in our region. We realize that the path will be difficult and long. Unfortunately, the incidents designed to delegitimize the peace agenda and deepen and institutionalize the atmosphere of hostility occur on a daily basis. Violations of the ceasefire, aggressive and insulting statements against Armenia and the Armenian people continue to escalate the atmosphere. An act against the peace agenda is the fact that, contrary to Article 8 of the November 9 statement, Azerbaijan not only still holds several dozen citizens of the Republic of Armenia in captivity, but also has sentenced many of them to 6 to 20 years imprisonment on trumped-up charges. In addition, there are persons whose captivity has not yet been confirmed by Azerbaijan, although there is clear evidence that they were captured. This becomes even more unacceptable against the background that in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijani users posted videos of the capture of specific Armenian soldiers, and later the decapitated or shot bodies of those soldiers were discovered. We have irrefutable evidence about the torture of our captives. An outrageous example of the deepening of the atmosphere of hostility is the opening of the so-called trophy park in Baku, where Azerbaijani schoolchildren are taken on excursions to watch the mannequins of captured, killed or bleeding Armenian soldiers. These and other steps are taken to demonstrate the impossibility of peace in our region, but we will consistently advance that agenda by using every opportunity and by creating new opportunities to open an era of peace for our region. In this sense, I consider the opening of regional communications extremely important, which is stated in the 9th point of the trilateral declaration signed by the President of the Russian Federation, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. The interconnected transport arteries of the region will be an outcome of resolving this issue. Opportunity will be created for establishing economic ties, which is one of the important prerequisites for peaceful development. While examining the topic of reopening transport links, we discovered that there are options that aim at sustaining regional isolation and hostility, but there are also options that emphasize regional interconnectedness and can be a step-by-step solution of the problem of hostility. We are an advocate for the latter option. If the railway connecting Armenia to Turkey is opened too, then the topic of opening regional communications will cover broader scope. Honorable Mr. Secretary General, Armenia is ready for a constructive dialogue, which should lead to the establishment of sustainable and lasting peace in the region. In this regard, we propose to complete the process of return of prisoners of war, hostages and other captives without delay. It is also necessary to resume the peace process for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. There is no doubt that the situation created through the use of force cannot gain legitimacy from the point of view of international law. The right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination cannot be suspended through the use of force; the conflict cannot be considered resolved through the use of force. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is awaiting its just settlement. This is evidenced by the statements of the Co-Chair countries, which emphasize the need to resume the negotiation process based on the well-known principles. We believe that the contacts mediated by the Co-Chairs will enable the parties to find common ground, and to open avenues for addressing many difficult issues. Next is the issue of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. I must state with regret that it is difficult to imagine a border delimitation process on the backdrop of almost daily shootings and various provocations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, on the backdrop of units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan having infiltrated the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on May 12, 2021 in the Sotk-Khoznavar section. To overcome this situation, we have suggested the following actions: In the above mentioned section, the armed forces of both Armenia and Azerbaijan should withdraw simultaneously to the Soviet times border, international observers would be deployed along that border and under international auspices we would start delimitation and demarcation. We are ready to implement this proposal at any time. Dear Colleagues, In my speech, I touched upon issues of vital importance for our country and for the region. These issues need urgently to be addressed today and require the urgent attention of the international community. At the same time, as I conclude my speech, I would like to reaffirm that Armenia, as a responsible member of the international community and a reliable partner, will continue to contribute to the strengthening of comprehensive international order, to international cooperation based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, promoting sustainable development and protection of fundamental human rights. We are committed to a constructive and inclusive dialogue with all our partners. Armenia is ready to make every effort to contribute to overcoming the current global challenges such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of international peace, security, and sustainable development. With this, let me complete my speech by wishing success to the works of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. Thank you for attention. The country also reported 4,46,368 deaths from the infection so far of which 318 people died in the last 24 hours According to the health ministry, as many as 3,28,48,273 people have recovered from the disease so far. (ANI Photo) New Delhi: India logged 31,382 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 33,594,803, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. Of the new infections recorded in the last 24 hours, Kerala logged 19,682 cases. The active caseload now stood at 3,00,162 which is the lowest in 188 days. The active cases account for less than 1 per cent and are currently at 0.89 per cent of total cases, which is the lowest since March 2020. With 32,542 recoveries during the last 24 hours, the country also registered the highest ever recovery rate of 97.78 per cent since the start of the pandemic. According to the health ministry, as many as 3,28,48,273 people have recovered from the disease so far. The country also reported 4,46,368 deaths from the infection so far of which 318 people died in the last 24 hours. The daily positivity rate has remained below 3 per cent for the last 25 days and currently stands at 2.00 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is at 2.07 per cent. It has remained below 3 per cent in the last 91 days. A total of 55.99 crore COVID-19 tests have been conducted across India. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of samples tested till date is 55,99,32,709, including 15,65,696 samples tested yesterday. The health ministry said that 84.15 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive. A total of 72,20,642 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours, taking the total vaccination in the country to 84,15,18,026. More so in 2021 than in 2020, the overwhelming theme of films written and shot during the pandemic is loss New Delhi: Film-making is an agonisingly collective process requiring the assistance and physical presence of specific experts throughout. And yet a year of Covid-19, lockdown, social distancing and masking could not stop film-makers and writers from telling stories. As I watch films that are playing at the Toronto International Film Festivals (Tiff) this year, its becoming clear how writers and directors surmounted the challenges. Many of them set out in small groups to gorgeous, distant, sparsely-populated lands to create a new genre of films. More so in 2021 than in 2020, the overwhelming theme of films written and shot during the pandemic is loss. And among these Polish director Aga Woszczynskas debut feature film, Silent Land, stands out. A visually sumptuous film, its about the loss of ones own sense of self, of the image of ourselves we live with. The film is about Anna and Adam, a young, rich Polish couple who have rented a sun-kissed villa on the Italian coast overlooking the shimmering sea. Their relationship is striking in its formality of togetherness marked by long silences. Anna and Adam have paid for a villa with a pool, but the pool needs repair. A young illegal Arab migrant is sent to fix it. One afternoon, while he is working, he has an accident as Anna and Adam watch from their balcony. They telephone someone for help but dont rush to help themselves. The frostiness in their relationship increases as neither is able to reconcile the idea of who they thought they were with who they really are. Silent Land reminded me of the fabulous 2014 Swedish film, Force Majeure, where a man, in the face of danger, instinctively abandons his family to save himself. But Silent Land goes a step forward and shows how easily humans can disconnect with the terrible consequences of their own actions or inactions. Few movies make us interrogate who we are when no one is looking. Silent Land does that. Both Adam and Anna laugh and celebrate after they are let off by the police and are back to vacationing at the villa. But as they go about their daily routine of sunbathing, swimming, jogging and eating, they are stalked by the thought that the image of themselves they were living with is a lie. The new image that Adam and Anna have of themselves now always has the young Arab by their side. PM first met Cristiano Amon, CEO of American technology company Qualcomm In PM's meeting with the president and CEO of Adobe, Mr Shantanu Narayen, the focus was on on Indias flagship programme Digital India, and the use of emerging technologies in sectors like health, education and R&D. (Twitter) New Delhi: Hours after landing in Washington in the early hours of Thursday (IST), Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of individual meetings with the CEOs of top global companies to push for investment in India, including one with Vivek Lall, chief executive of US energy and defence firm General Atomics Global Corp, which manufactures armed drones. The meeting is seen as significant, given Indias reported interest in a proposed $3 billion (Rs 22,000-crore) deal to acquire 30 Predator drones, manufactured by the company, that can attack long-range targets. Media reports said Mr Lall had suggested to Mr Modi that India could set up a dedicated drone hub. On the meeting, New Delhi said Mr Modi and Mr Lall spoke about strengthening the defence technology sector in India. Mr Lall appreciated the recent policy changes to accelerate defence and emerging technology manufacturing and boost capacity building in India, the MEA said. The PM first met Cristiano Amon, CEO of American technology company Qualcomm. In a statement, New Delhi said during the meeting, they discussed investment opportunities offered in Indias telecom and electronics sector (which) included the recently launched Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) as well as developments in the semiconductor supply chain in India. Strategies for building the local innovation ecosystem in India were also discussed, the MEA said. In his second meeting, Mr Modi met the president and CEO of American software giant Adobe, Mr Shantanu Narayen. In a statement, New Delhi said they discussed Adobes ongoing collaboration and future investment plans in India and that discussions also focused on Indias flagship programme Digital India, and the use of emerging technologies in sectors like health, education and R&D. The third meeting on Mr Modis schedule was with Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar, an American company building solar panels. Mr Modi spoke of Indias renewable energy landscape, particularly solar energy potential, and our target of 450 GW electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030. Discussions at the meeting also took place about First Solars interest in setting up manufacturing facilities in India using their unique thin-film technology by availing the recently launched Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, as well integrating India into global supply chains. After the next meeting with Mr Lall, Mr Modis fifth individual meeting was with the chairman, CEO and co-founder of American investment company Blackstone, Mr Stephen Schwarzman. The MEA said: Mr Schwarzman briefed the Prime Minister about Blackstones ongoing projects in India, and their interest in further investments in the infrastructure and real estate sectors. Promising investment opportunities in India, including those under National Infrastructure Pipeline and National Monetisation Pipeline, were also discussed, the MEA further said. Mr Modi, who is on an official visit to the US, was received on his arrival by deputy secretary of state for management and resources T.H. Brian McKeon. Exuberant members of the Indian diaspora were also present at Joint Base Andrews and cheerfully welcomed the Prime Minister, the MEA said. Mr Modi is also scheduled to have official bilateral meetings in the next few hours with US vice-president Kamala Devi Harris, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga. Noting that the PM had a 'very successful' bilateral meeting with Harris, the sources said he gave very special gifts to the American VP New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted US Vice President Kamala Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, who was a senior Indian government officer, in a wooden handicraft frame and a 'meenakari' chess set as they held their first in-person meeting, government sources said on Friday. Prime Minister Modi described India and America as "natural partners" in his meeting with Vice President Harris on Thursday at the White House during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy and in the Indo-Pacific. Noting that the prime minister had a "very successful" bilateral meeting with Harris, the sources said he gave very special gifts to the American vice president. "In a very touching gesture, PM Modi presented Vice President Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, Shri PV Gopalan, in a wooden handicraft frame. P V Gopalan was a senior and respected government officer who served in various positions," a government source said. Modi also gifted Harris a 'gulabi meenakari' chess set, the sources said, adding that the craft of 'gulabi meenakari' is closely associated with Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of the world and the prime minister's Lok Sabha constituency. Each piece on this particular chess set is remarkably handcrafted, the sources said. The bright colours reflect the vibrancy of Varanasi, they said. While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was gifted a 'silver gulabi meenakari ship', Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga was gifted a sandalwood Buddha statue, the sources said. The ship gifted to Morrison is also distinctly handcrafted and its brightness reflects Varanasi's dynamism, they said. Besides meeting Harris, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral meetings with Suga and Morrison on Thursday. Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday on an official visit to the US during which he will hold the first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden, attend the maiden in-person Quad summit and address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Case in point, Mark Cryer and his son Nick. They are not just avid racers with a huge enthusiasm towards the traditional dragstrip arm of motorsport. But they also express their love for quarter-mile fun by producing their unique vehicles. And they certainly come flavored with bespoke features.In case anyone needs a reminder, these folks are the ones responsible for shocking the drag racing world a few years back with one of their wilder racers: a one-of-a-kind smart car. Not just any urban dweller, though, but the worlds quirkiest Big-Block Chevy-powered smart car! A second video embedded below serves a thousand words.Back to their latest ride, this one was probably just as surprising as it made its appearance during the hotly contested Hot Rod Drag Week. Originally built for last years edition (canceled because of you know who), it debuted in 2021 instead... to everyones shock and awe! Its a drag racer, all right, but one that is too incredible on its own to even care about its ETs and trap speeds. Or the result posted by the rival in the other lane (no worries, we have them too).This was an original 1963 Divco Milk truck that was acquired some years ago from its normal workplace: a dairy. It sat around until it was time to become the familys next project. And while the patina showcased by the original paint might be trying to trick everyone into treating it with discontent, rest assured it's just a ruse!It arrived at the Byron Dragway in Byron, Illinois, for this quick little video from the Race Your Ride channel on YouTube sporting a cool 496ci BBC (big-block Chevy). Inside there are real wooden floors, and under the dashboard, theres a view of the engine! The latter, which also counts on the help provided by a couple of eBay-acquired 74mm turbochargers, is hooked to a Turbo 400 from Gear Vendors, with overdrive!And it needs it because the Milk truck (which also has fat rear tires to go along with the Ford 9 and 3.73 gears) performed beyond expectations during the five days of the event, all the while covering more than 1,000 miles (over 1,600 km). And it was all for the sake of plain quarter-mile fun, which came in loads if we are to judge solely based on this unique race.The battle prep kicks off at the 1:40 mark with the traditional smoke show. Here's a Milk truck burning rubber. Beat that you milk crate challenge fools! Then its time for the action against an equally classic and modified coupe, which starts at the 1:55 mark with a very cool wheelstand! Of course, the Milk truck doesnt beat the opponents 10.74s ET with its 12.04s pass... But does that really matter, or the fact that it also posted an 11.39s during the first day?After all, if anyone wants a little bit of crazy action with a side of win, there's always the next amazing thing. And rest assured, the Hot Rod Drag Race Week packed a lot of interesting occurrences. Such as that series of races featuring a derelict Volvo station wagon . Oddly enough, it dared to go down the quarter-mile with anyone without any sort of shame.That's because the 200-series Swedish grocery getter is not something to be trifled with. Its results speak for themselves, as the old station wagon ducked it out with American muscle (a cool Chevy Camaro, but no one had eyes for it). And the pass was one for the ages, clearly, with a 7.09s ET at 204 mph (328 kph). kWh The All-New 2022 Grand Cherokee coming late fall 21. pic.twitter.com/00c9yNl8yC Jeep (@Jeep) September 24, 2021 The fifth-generation Grand Cherokee is dubbed the biggest Grand Cherokee breakthrough in 30 years, which is an overstatement. More specifically, Jeep refers to plug-in hybridization, a powertrain tech introduced eons ago. 4xe is how the off-road marque dubs two very different plug-in hybrid systems, and the first doesnt deserve to be detailed because the Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe arent available in the U.S.A.As for the Grand Cherokee 4xe, the automaker is expected to integrate the dual-motor turbo setup of the Wrangler 4xe into the crossovers unibody platform. Giorgio is how the vehicle architecture is called, and Stellantis also utilizes it in the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio, and the Maserati Grecale.Already previewed in July 2021 with the charging port on the driver-side fender just like the Wrangler 4xe the Grand Cherokee 4xe will be capable of driving for a few miles on electric power alone. Although its expected with two electric motors, only the one located at the front of the transmissions housing is responsible for electric propulsion. The one connected through the accessory belt to the 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo has three jobs: it replaces the alternator, spins the four-cylinder engine for start/stop operation, and charges up the 17.3-battery with electricity.Lower down the range, customers are certain to be offered a choice of two free-breathing mills. In the Grand Cherokee L , these are the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 (293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet or 353 Nm of torque) and the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 (357 horsepower and 390 pound-feet/523 Nm). The rapper-turned-actor attended the premiere of his new Starz series Black Mafia Family in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Shante. The two had a lot of fun at the event, as he also wore a T-shirt by which he showed support for the 50 Cent executively produced series. It features a lot of famous people, including Dogg and even Eminem. In an interview with Billboard , 50 Cent shared he was supposed to star as Pastor Swift in the show, but offered the role to Snoop, as he felt it was confusing to star and do the voiceover as well.After the event, the Broadus family drove back together, in a Cadillac Escalade (which could be the ESV version , with the same specifications as a regular one, but with an extended space for rear passengers). Whats interesting to comment on is that the famous rapper also seemed to have had his own police escort on the way back home. In the video, you can notice how the center stack featured a standard 12.3 touch-screen.As he enjoyed the drive, Snoop Dogg shared a video on Instagram with a little snippet of whats like to be riding alongside him. A big fan of Cadillacs, its not surprising that Snoop has more than one in his collection. He has a customized 1974 Cadillac Snoop DeVille Lowrider, a 1968 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, and a 1967 Cadillac DeVille, also customized.The fourth generation Cadillac Escalade, which is what the rapper seems to drive, comes with only one engine available, a 6.2-liter V8 with direct injection and cylinder deactivation. The standard transmission is a 6-speed automatic, but there are also the optional eight and ten-speed options. It's safe to assume that Snoop went for the top varaint. The model comes with 426 horsepower and a maximum torque of 460 lb-ft (624 Nm), and hits a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h), following a 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in 6.9 seconds.The first episod of the show will be broadcast on Starz premium cable television on September 26, but it looks like Snoop had his share of fun already at the premiere, and during the drive back home. As one would expect, this 1984 AE86 Trueno spent the majority of its life over in Japan, biding its time for 25 years to be eligible for importation into the U.S. Now it sits for sale via Kuruma Imports LLC of Miami, Florida. A specialty importing company specializing in classic JDM products.As a result, this AE86 comes complete with a Florida state registration and is ready to hit the road upon purchase. Under the hood of this iconic car is a swapped 1.6-liter AE111 4AGE 20-Valve four-mill engine mated to an old-fashioned, five-speed manual gearbox that sends the power to the rear wheels.Other nice trinkets come in the form of the mean-looking momo steering wheel, complete with a set of Recaro racing bucket seats in the front to complete that classic JDM street racer look. The gear shift knob is TRD branded, and the tires are aftermarket, courtesy of ADVAN.Not everything is completely stock on the underside of the car, sporting a high-performance aftermarket Coilover suspension setup and high-flow exhaust system for that little extra bit of performance.Happily, most modifications are strictly for extra performance, nothing was done to alter that classic AE 86 shape. Its a quality that bodes well for it on the open market.Want this icon of the Anime and JDM scene for yourself? It can be all yours for $37,999 before taxes and fees. The potential for the ultimate Initial D cosplay with the car is sky-high. Thing is, I dont hear this word all that often, as there are not many contraptions in our world that use such a design. But that means there are few, and among the most high-profile of the bunch is the V-22 Osprey In service since the late 1980s, the tiltrotor aircraft is one of the strangest, yet most impressive sights in our skies. Two Rolls-Royce Liberty engines housed in (you guessed it) nacelles spin large propellers in either a horizontal or vertical orientation, depending on the needs of the moment.Those nacelles are the most impressive bits, visually speaking, of a machine that otherwise looks like an unassuming helicopter, but also the most important elements of the aircraft. And given the Ospreys age, some improvements to the nacelles were in order.In December last year, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded the company behind the tiltrotor, Bell Boeing, an $81 million contract to make improvements of the said nacelles to the Air Forces version of the aircraft, the CV-22 . This week, the first one was delivered to the Amarillo Assembly Center, where work is already underway.The company does not say, obviously, what changes will be made to the aircraft, but does reveal it has "engineered more than 1,300 new V-22 part numbers to help improve reliability and maintainability.The modifications, which are expected to be conducted over the next four years to cover the entire fleet, should also make the Ospreys easier to maintain.The upgrades to the USAF machines will be made using the expertise gained with the Marine Corps version, the MV-22, an example of which already flew with modified nacelles earlier this year. Earlier this year, it was reported that space cowboy billionaire Jeff Bezos became the owner of a massive superyacht, a secret project of the Dutch luxury shipyard Oceanco. The famous Y721, or Project 721, is a jaw-dropping 417-foot (127 meters) long monster, which actually makes it Hollands largest yacht. Needless to say that this superyachts price matched its grandiosity, rumored to be around $500 million.It was expected that Bezos new yacht will be accompanied by a shadow vessel from the start. Its still unclear whether it will be built by Oceanco as well, but according to recent rumors, the Y721s shadow yacht will be Damens largest support vessel to date, the YS 7512. Indeed, both the Y721 and YS 7512 are in the last stages of development, and expected to be delivered in 2022. It does make sense for the biggest support yacht to become the shadow vessel for the biggest Dutch superyacht.Damen Yachts, one of the most renowned luxury yacht builders in the world, introduced its latest support vessel as a bespoke version of the YS 7512 model. This impressive ship is 246-foot (75 meters) long and can accommodate up to 45 people on board, including crew, staff, and guests.While its still built with top-quality hardware and a luxurious finish, this yacht is more about the storage space its meant to provide enough room for a wide range of tenders, submersibles, vehicles, diving gear, plus a helipad for the biggest helicopters around. Plus, most of the accommodation is dedicated to the staff, with just a few cabins available for guests, since this is an assistant-like vessel.Apparently, the support vessel trend started because billionaire yacht owners didnt have enough space for water toys. Those who wanted the biggest tenders, helicopters, and much more would have to sacrifice some of the onboard space that was meant for different activities. Having a secondary yacht is like taking an army of assistants with you on your sailing trip.Not only does this take care of all the logistics hassle, but it gives a helping hand with most activities. Want to take a break and enjoy a beach party? The support vessel will get there before, set everything up, and make sure to clean up afterward. Want to do some exploring and visit remote locations? It will supply everything you need so that you dont have to depend on the harbor infrastructure.Also, according to Damen Yachts Managing Director, Rose Damen, this type of yacht is specifically designed to enable a faster and safer launch for bigger water toys, even in challenging conditions. Its also about the volume and quantity. Most superyachts are simply not made to provide room for the biggest vehicles, or a super wide range. Going back to Bezos, it was also reported that the Oceanco superyacht wont have a helipad, which is why it required a secondary vessel.You can call it a garage at sea, or a luxury yacht for billionaires water toys (yes, they deserve one too), or a floating office, because its also supposed to provide a separate space for business meetings and corporate staff so that the mothership remains a totally private, intimate haven. Damen calls this yacht support concept the smart stretch, because its supposed to be, overall, a better investment than buying an even bigger main superyacht, which is not meant to be a water toy garage anyway.The luxurious YS 7512 was spotted arriving from the Damen Shipyard in Galati, Romania, to Vlissingen, Netherlands, on board the Super Servant 4, at the beginning of August. The beautiful support vessel looks like a luxury yacht in its own right, and it is one. Theres no official information on the YS 7512s price tag, but another Damen support yacht, the smaller Axis, was sold in 2020 for $50 million, so you do the math.We probably wont know for sure whether this is the support yacht for the biggest Dutch superyacht, until next year, when they are both due for delivery. If thats the case, Jeff Bezos will become the owner of not just one, but two of the biggest high-end yachts ever built. The event, organized by DARPA , marks the last round of the Subterranean Challenge, which began three years ago. The competition focuses on developing autonomous robotic systems for first responders in subterranean environments where direct communication and GPS are unavailable.Plus, the tech developed for the SubT Challenge also has direct applications for space exploration. The JPL-led Team CoSTAR is participating to display a variety of driving, walking, and flying robots that might one day be used to explore the rugged terrains on other worlds.The SubT Challenge is composed of two tracks, namely the Systems track and the Virtual track, each of which is separated into three events: the Tunnel, Urban, and Cave Circuits. The Virtual competition focuses on building software that can compete in simulation-based events, whereas the Systems challenge focuses on physical robots that function in real-world settings.The Tunnel Circuit took place in 2019 in mining tunnels under Pittsburgh, with Team CoSTAR placing second, and the Systems Competition Cave Circuit was canceled in the fall of 2020 due to the pandemic.Now, after a one-year hiatus, the final event is back. It runs from September 21 to September 24 in the 4-million-square-foot (370,000-square-meter) Louisville Mega Cavern, where the teams will face extreme conditions, ranging from cave systems with uneven passageways and huge caverns to complex subterranean structures that can reach several stories high.There will also be environment-specific items, such as a carbon dioxide-emitting source that simulates a gas leak or a helmet in a cave that indicates a close human presence. The team of robots must operate autonomously, with no or minimal radio communication with a single human supervisor. The robots must complete all the tasks in one hour.Team CoSTAR's strategy is to first send in robot scouts to investigate the environment, then pick a subset of robots based on their manner of locomotion to collectively meet the overall mission goals.You can watch the final event and highlights of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge on the agency's official Youtube channel SUV i just like really expensive things ?????????? pic.twitter.com/7Xf7l8d1cM icy bae (@Saweetie) July 5, 2021 We live in a time when we strive to create items that would help us get several tasks done easier, faster, and cheaper. The use of robots isnt something new, but theyre getting smarter. Some of the worlds biggest companies already offer artificial intelligence that helps you remember things, order stuff, or just control several devices in your household.But this is just the beginning, and there are robots out there who make deliveries. Even Ford is trying to get into the delivery business with driverless cars which take goods to customers ' doors.The two-eyed semi-autonomous robot was created by Serve Robotics , an autonomous sidewalk delivery company incubated inside the food service delivery service Postmates. The company was acquired by Uber in 2020, and their idea is to shape the future of delivery by connecting people with what they need locally via robots. While it's a revolution in delivery service, for regular folks, this is surprising to encounter.This was Saweeties reaction as well. She was casually chilling in the Rolls-Royce Cullinan she purchased early this summer for her 28th birthday, waiting for the light to turn red. But then she noticed the Serve Robotics robot, Serve, was crosseing the street towards its destination. The rapper was caught off guard, writing on her Instagram Story, tf goin on?She also gave us a small glimpse of the interior of her custom, which features orange inserts on the dashboard and leather seats (check out gallery). Saweetie announced the purchase on Instagram, wearing an orange bikini to match the interior, writing: i just like really expensive things. You can see the post attached below. And she apparently told the truth, because the SUV has a starting price of $300,000 for the standard version.Coming back to Serve, the semi-automated rover can drive on sidewalks along pedestrians and go around fire hydrants, using cameras and Lidar sensors to navigate. However, there is a human is a human who takes control it from afar if there are any issues. It is all electric, and has a 50 lb (22.7 kg) storage capacity, with a total length of 30 (76.2 cm), an estimated width of 21 (53.3), and a height of 40 (101.6 cm). It has a maximum speed of 3 mph (4.8 kph).As impressive as it sounds, one can understand Saweeties bewilderment at the moving rover. However, isnt that the future? With a net worth of $40 million, the rapper, CEO, entertainer and author has invested a big part of his fortune in cars. With a collection of over 100 vehicles, Rick Ross is an emblem when it comes to living lavishly. His mansion, which he calls The Promise Land, has an over 87-acre space and over 100 rooms.Ross also has a big love for all American vehicles , owning several Chevrolet Bel Airs, all second-generation from 1955 and 1957, in different colors. He also has a color-matching garage for his Chevys, among which a 71 modified Caprice and other Bel Airs.But now his recent Instagram Story shows a different purchase a custom Can-Am Maverick X3 Max X MR Turbo RR , an interesting ride for off-road adventures. Going off the tarmac is something that he still finds exciting, despite the health problems that have been bugging him for the past few years.In the short video, Rick Ross says his baby made it back home, after getting a few things done to it. While the rapper admits he didnt get a chance to ride it yet, he noticed that one of the few changes carried out were the ceiling and the windshield. He also showed off its impressive wheels, especially designed for rough terrain. For the project, he said he worked with his homie Lynn, from @lynn_garage The four-seat SSV comes with a 195 horsepower turbocharged and intercooled Rotax ACE engine, and is available in as many as 17 variants to suit all types of driving conditions.Pricing starts around $29,000 and it can go all the way up to $32,099 for the Max X RS Turbo RR.In a separate story after introducing the Can-Am, Ross moves on to show another '55 "flawless" Bel Air, in such good condition that it looks brand new, plus a 1951 Ford Victoria. You can check out the pics in the gallery.With this latest addition, Rick Ross shows that he has a vehicle for all kind of adventures, terrains, or occasions. The Kar-go Delivery Bot from the technology institute will deliver tools, equipment, and supplies to places within RAF Brize Norton, near Oxford, as part of the trial. When RAF troops arrive to meet the driverless vehicle, a hatch is automatically opened, allowing them to receive their package.The vehicles will carry out autonomous and semi-autonomous tasks while being monitored by a safety crew from a command unit. This remote command hub is a secure mobile unit that can monitor and control the vehicles' operation. If necessary, the crew can also operate the vehicle remotely from the center.While only trained and authorized personnel are usually allowed to carry goods across an airfield, the deployment of secure, self-driving vehicles could provide important support to professional personnel, allowing them to focus on the primary responsibilities for which they were trained.Because the vehicles are electric , they have the potential to reduce harmful emissions, helping the RAF meet its objectives of zero emissions by 2040. In addition, the trial marks the first step toward better understanding and investigating the possibility of using autonomous delivery vehicles to assist military personnel in their work.Along with the big-ticket projects and programs, the Astra campaign aims to involve the entire Force of regulars, contractors, reserves, civilians in driving change by identifying and overcoming the barriers to progress by working smarter, innovating internally, and with Defense partners to create the right environment for ideas to flourish."Bringing self-driving technology onto a base offers many advantages. Ultimately, we could see fleets of autonomous vehicles with different autonomy levels delivering supplies, spares, tools, food and also providing airfield services such as aircraft fuelling, runway sweeping and snow and ice clearance," says Squadron Leader Tony Seston, RAF Engineer.Following this initial trial, the RAF will carefully examine the findings and consider how they may be scaled up as part of their ongoing commitment to bringing innovation to the RAF. You see, the brand was set up by German-American brothers August and Frederick Duesenberg as an engine and race car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1913, and its first race car tackled the Indianapolis 500 just one year later, in 1914. Eddie Rickenbacker drove it to a 10th-place finish against stiff competition. Duesenberg didn't start making passenger cars until 1921, when August and Fred moved to a new headquarters and factory in Indianapolis.Most people don't know that between the mid-1910s and the moment it was moved from Minnesota to Indiana, Duesenberg built aviation and marine engines, including an experimental mill that displaces a massive 3,393 cubic inches (55.6-liter).When the United States joined World War 1 in 1917, Duesenberg built a new manufacturing plant in New Jersey and was awarded a contract to built 2,000 Liberty aircraft engines. Used in various Curtis and Douglas applications, the V12 was eventually built by Lincoln.Duesenberg, instead, was commissioned to put together Bugatti U-16 mills when the U.S. acquired a license for them.But production and development at the Duesenberg plant were slower than anticipated, and only a few of them rolled off the assembly line.Meanwhile, Fred Duesenberg wanted to develop a much more powerful aircraft engine, one that would develop twice as much as the U16, rated at an impressive 410 horsepower.And Fred had quite the massive plan. Together with his engineering staff, he designed a 45-degree V16 with a bore and stroke of six by 7.5 inches. The mill had no fewer than 55.6 liters, which made it almost 2.5 times larger than the Bugatti U16.Duesenberg obviously used some of the know-how it had acquired developing racing engines. The V16 featured three valves per cylinder, with one for intake and two for exhausts, all operated through the company's signature walking beam mechanism.The latter was essentially a long rocker arm that transferred motion from the camshaft in the block to the valves in the cylinder head.Fuel came via four Miller carburetors, while the spark was provided by a twin ignition, a pair of battery-powered Delco distributors, and a couple of Dixie magnetos.Called the Model H, the monstrous engine was expected to generate 700 horsepower in direct-drive form and about 800 horses with a gear reduction unit.But initial tests revealed that the V16 could actually hit the 900-horsepower mark, which would have made it the most powerful aircraft engine of the era.But much like the Daimler -Mercedes W18, which never went into production, the Duesenberg Model H also never got to power an actual aircraft.The main reason is that its first official military test was scheduled in late December 1918. As World War I came to an end in November, the U.S. Army lost interest in the promising engine.What's more, at more than seven feet (2.13 meters) long, the Model H was simply too large for any winged aircraft that the United States was flying at the time. It remains the company's largest displacement engine, bigger than even the inline-12 marine mill that the Duesenberg brothers had built in 1914 (3,221 cubic inches/52.8 liters).Two Model H engines have survived to this day, and both are being showcased in museums. You'll find one at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., while the second engine is at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana.With WWI over, Duesenberg abandoned aircraft engines and went on to build passenger cars.It rolled out the Model A in 1921, followed by the rare Model X in 1926. In 1928, Duesenberg introduced the Model J, which included the SSJ, a short-wheelbase, supercharged version that delivered close to 400 horsepower in the 1930s.Duesenberg also made history at the Indy 500 , winning the race on three occasions in 1924, 1925, and 1927.With the market for expensive luxury cars almost ruined by the Great Depression, Duesenberg closed its doors in 1937. Its cars are now among the most expensive American classics, but the Model H engine remains a forgotten giant. One company you can reach out to if youd like to get your hands on a submarine is U-Boat Worx , a crew of designers, engineers, and avid lovers of the seas with only one goal in mind, to offer the market the ultimate marine experience.Around since 2005 and founded in the Netherlands, this manufacturer has grown to offer its customers submarines capable of accommodating up to 11 guests and operate at depths up to 3,000 m (9,842 ft).One submarine in this crews arsenal is fittingly dubbed the Super Yacht Sub 3. If we deconstruct the name a bit, itll tell you just about everything you need to know about the craft. Super Yacht tells us exactly where this vessel belongs, on a superyacht, while Sub 3 tells you that three people can be accommodated on an underwater journey, one of which is always the pilot.Now, to get a clear idea of what it is youre looking at, the Sub 3 comes in with a starting price of around $2.4 million (2.05 million at current exchange rates), but once features are added to the mix, most come out at $2.8 million (2.4 million at current exchange rates). Yes, its a near $3 million (2.55 million at current exchange rates) underwater toy for big kids But, when you dish out this sort of cash for anything, you can bet your bottom dollar its going to offer an experience you wont forget, and the Sub 3 promises just that. As it stands, the submersible comes in with a length of 3.20 m (10.5 ft), width of 2.44 m (8 ft), and height of 1.74 m (5.7 ft). With a weight of around 3,800 kg (8,377 lbs), you know darn well that your ship needs to fall into the superyacht classification of vessels.With an acrylic and steel pressure hull construction the Sub 3 can operate at maximum depth of 300 m (984 ft). Although this depth may not seem like much, some coral colonies will appear at an average depth of 35 m (114 ft). One benefit of this Sub 3 is its operating time, up to 12 friggin hours! Whens the last time you hung out underwater for 12 hours? Thats what I thought.One thing that customers and even ecological organizations should enjoy is the fact that Sub 3 utilizes an electric propulsion system. Im not sure how the whole recharging process unfurls, but if you manage to recharge this sucker using solar power, what more could you ask for Anytime you deploy a vehicle like this one, be sure to find countless safety and guidance systems aimed at bringing forth the safest experience possible. Maximum depth protection, releasable buoy, and locator beacon are just a few of whats on board.While some folks may think that you need to be a millionaire or billionaire to own something like this, Id like to challenge that notion by saying you could easily operate a luxury underwater adventure company with just a few of these on hand. Heck, with a brilliant business plan, investors shouldnt be all that hard to find. Even U-Boat Worx advertises that some of the possible applications for the Sub 3 also include research and cinematography.Just imagine what you summers would be like if you had access to something like this. Heres a question for you all, how much would you pay to ride in something like this for four hours? Id be willing to drop up to $100 an hour for the experience Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Angela Merkel has been the face of European leadership, a global power broker, a force for stability and a trusted friend to multiple U.S. presidents. But shes about to hand over the keys to Europes economic powerhouse and one of the worlds most respected countries. Why it matters: Both of the leading candidates to replace Merkel are positioning themselves as her political heir. But whoever wins will likely have to chart a different course than Merkel has, including navigating the thorny balance of power between the U.S. and China. Merkel's style of "careful incrementalism" has seen Germany through several crises, says Constanze Stelzenmuller of the Brookings Institution, but it increasingly appears inadequate to the current challenges. On issues like climate change and China, Merkel has been reticent to disrupt a status quo that benefits the German economy, particularly the auto industry. "[Merkel's] exquisitely tempered balancing style was fantastic for brokering results at European conferences," Stelzenmuller says. "Its clearly not the best approach when you are dealing with aggressive authoritarian powers, and she has clearly not given enough thought to preparing Germany for a much more disruptive future." The consensus is shifting in Berlin when it comes to relations with Russia and in particular China, notes Sudha David-Wilp of the German Marshall Fund. She says it will be difficult for the next chancellor to "walk the line that Merkel has," of speaking up for democratic values and sticking close to the U.S., while also protecting the German export machine. Merkel has delayed a decision on whether to allow Huawei into Germany's 5G networks and helped seal a (since frozen) EU-China investment deal in December, over the objections of the incoming Biden administration. "Its gotten to the point that its splitting Germany and Europe," David-Wilp says. Whos next: The race to replace Merkel is between Olaf Scholz, the leader of the Social Democrats, and Armin Laschet, Merkel's successor as leader of the Christian Democrats. Both are effectively running as continuity candidates, but voters may see more parallels to Merkel in the technocratic Scholz than the jovial, gaffe-prone Laschet, who managed just 10% in a recent poll of Germans' preferred chancellor candidates, to 31% for Scholz. Many Germans view the end of the Merkel era with trepidation. She remains the country's most popular politician by some distance, and her nickname of "Mutti," or mom, speaks to the national role she has played for so long. The absence of a leader as experienced, resourceful and well-networked as Angela Merkel will make itself felt in times of disruption and insecurity," Stelzenmuller predicts. The bottom line: The new chancellor, whoever that is, wont have the same place on the international scene at the beginning. Thats for sure," a European diplomat tells Axios. Go deeper. The Armenian parliament will start debating on Friday a government bill that would reduce from 441 to 37 the number of the countrys local communities. Most of them already consist of multiple villages and/or small towns consolidated by the former government. The new administrative units would essentially match Soviet Armenias districts that were dissolved and merged in the mid-1990s into ten provinces run by governors appointed by the central government. The provinces comprise communities with elected mayors and local councils. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians cabinet drafted the bill this summer, saying that it will improve local self-government and make budgetary spending on communities more efficient. Pashinian said the measure is the result of a political decision made by his administration and will not be reversed if it sparks protests. Such protests have been staged in recent weeks by residents of some mostly small and rural communities across Armenia. Enlarged communities have more possibilities and resources to organize themselves and address local self-government issues more effectively, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Vache Terterian insisted during parliamentary hearings on the bill held on Wednesday. Local government officials attending the hearings strongly disagreed, saying that the new administrative division sought by the government is illogical. They also criticized the government for not consulting with local residents and administrations and demanded that the bill be put on hold. One of the disgruntled officials, Emilia Martirosian, represented the administration of Margahovit, a village in Lori province. The government wants to make it part of a Lori community centered around the larger village of Pambak. Martirosian argued that Margahovit and Pambak have no common administrative boundary or a road directly connecting them. On what grounds are you going to unite Margahovit with Pambak? she asked. In Gegharkunik province, the government wants to merge the village of Tsovagyugh with Sevan, a town located 17 kilometers south of it. The Tsovagyugh mayor, Armen Amiraghian, claimed that fewer government-funded infrastructure projects would be implemented in his village as a result. Tsovagyugh will not develop, but Sevan and other towns will, Amiraghian said. There wont be any development in villages. Other community heads saw political motives behind the community consolidation which would require the conduct of fresh local elections. One of them, Hakob Avetian, runs Geghamasar, a Gegharkunik community comprising several villages close to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Under the controversial bill, they as well as three dozen other villages would be incorporated into the nearby town of Vartenis. Avetian said during the hearings that the government wants to oust him in this way because he supported the main opposition Hayastan bloc in the parliamentary elections held in June. Edgar Ghazarian, a former governor of Vayots Dzor province very critical of Pashinian, said the government is seeking to unite the provincial town of Vayk with Zaritap, a nearby rural community, for the same reason. He pointed out that the mayors of both communities also supported the opposition during the parliamentary race. Sergei Bagratian, a pro-government lawmaker from Vayots Dzor, dismissed Ghazarians claims. He said that the current authorities are on the contrary trying to correct politically motivated mergers carried out by their predecessors. The former government consolidated and enlarged local communities in 2016-2017 on a smaller scale. It too met with resistance from many of their residents. A controversial directive signed by Health Minister Anahit Avanesian last month obligates virtually all public and private sector employees refusing vaccination to take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense. Pashinian and other senior officials discussed its enforcement at a meeting in Yerevan that also touched up the broader epidemiological situation in the country. The prime minister instructed relevant state structures to do their part to ensure compliance with the directive effective from October 1, the Armenian governments press office said in a statement on the meeting. The requirement has been condemned as illegal by some critics of the government and individuals opposed to any vaccination. Avanesian has defended it, saying that vaccines are the most effective way to minimize coronavirus infections. The minister spoke at Thursdays meeting of a positive dynamic in the vaccination process. She said a record 9,900 people were inoculated against COVID-19 in Armenia on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Health, nearly 367,000 vaccine shots were administered in the country of about 3 million as of September 19. Just under 130,000 of its residents were fully vaccinated. The daily number of officially confirmed coronavirus cases has been slowly but steadily rising since June. The Ministry of Health reported on Thursday morning 939 new cases and 19 coronavirus-related deaths. Avanesian said that Armenian hospitals treating COVID-19 patients are increasingly overwhelmed by the latest resurgence of the disease. The hospitalized patients include 25 children and 30 pregnant women, she said. Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenias Security Council, said Yerevan is ready to start a Turkish-Armenian dialogue without preconditions and discuss all thorny issues during a gradual normalization process. Grigorian did not explicitly deny that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian offered earlier this month to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We believe that a dialogue at a high and the highest levels is one of the ways of normalizing those relations, he told reporters. Erdogan claimed last week to have received the offer from Pashinian through Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. He appeared to make such a meeting conditional on Armenia agreeing to open a transport corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave. In his earlier comments on Yerevans overtures to Ankara, Erdogan cited Azerbaijans demands for a formal Armenian recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. Asked about the apparent Turkish preconditions, Grigorian said: The Armenian side has stated on numerous occasions that relations with Turkey should be normalized without preconditions because whenever there are preconditions its hard to make progress on any issue. So we hope that the normalization of relations will be without preconditions. Armenian opposition leaders have denounced what they see as Pashinians secret overtures to Erdogan. They say that Ankara continues to make the establishment of diplomatic relations with Yerevan and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border conditional on a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement favorable to Baku. Turkey provided decisive military assistance to Azerbaijan during the six-week war in Karabakh stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a thing of the past, Aliyev declared on late on Thursday, addressing a session of the UN General Assembly. Azerbaijan no longer has an administrative-territorial unit called Nagorno-Karabakh, he said, adding that the international community should stop using the Armenian-populated territorys name. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved, countered Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenias Security Council. The issue of Nagorno-Karabakhs status still awaits a solution and we see that solution within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The U.S. ambassador to Armenia, Lynne Tracy, has repeatedly made similar statements in recent weeks. We do not see the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as having been resolved, Tracy insisted on September 13 in remarks condemned by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Aliyev ruled out on July 22 any negotiations on Karabakhs status, saying that Yerevan must instead recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the disputed territory. Later in July, the U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-chairing the Minsk Group issued a joint statement calling for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict. They said the conflicting parties should resume talks as soon as possible. The Karabakh issue was on the agenda of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovs talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two men reaffirmed their governments intention to continue to strive for stabilizing the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, first and foremost in the OSCE Minsk Group format. Le Drian also met separately in New York with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. The investigative publication Hetq.am revealed this week that the relatively small firm called EuroAsphalt won a recent government tender for paving rural roads around Aparan, a small town in Armenias central Aragatsotn province. It signed a relevant contract with the local government on September 19 after pledging to carry out the road works for 287 million drams ($595,000). In June, EuroAsphalt was contracted by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures to repair country roads in northwestern Shirak province. The repairs were supposed to cost the state 386 million drams. EuroAsphalt had an authorized capital of just over $100 when it was founded by two little-known individuals in 2018. Simonians brother Karlen became its executive director early this year. Karlen Simonian also manages another construction company called EuroAsphalt-1. It was registered in February 2021 and was worth 140 million drams at the time. Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikian, who served as minister of territorial administration until recently, insisted on Thursday that EuroAsphalt won the two contracts as a result of transparent and fair tenders, rather than its chief executives government connection. If people have information about corruption schemes, let them make it public, for Gods sake, said Papikian. Civic activists see a cause for concern, however. Varuzhan Hoktanian of the Armenian affiliate of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said that the integrity of tenders won by individuals linked to state officials has long been in serious doubt in Armenia. He said an Armenian Finance Ministry division in charge of state procurements must therefore scrutinize the contracts granted to EuroAsphalt. When such tenders are won with amazing consistency by relatives or cronies of state officials there are corruption risks involved, agreed Artur Sakunts, a veteran human rights campaigner. This must definitely become a subject of investigation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for years alleged corrupt practices in the administration of tenders won by such individuals when he was in opposition to Armenias former governments. He claimed to have eliminated systemic corruption in the country after coming to power in 2018. Alen Simonian is a close associate of Pashinian. A spokeswoman for the parliament speaker told RFE/RLs Armenian Service on Friday that he will not comment on his brothers business activities for now. She said at the same time that he is ready to answer questions submitted in writing. Simonian also raised eyebrows when he appointed a businessman and friend of his as chief of the Armenian parliament staff days after becoming its speaker in August. The businessman, Vahan Naribekian, owns a company supplying furniture to the National Assembly and various government and law-enforcement agencies. According to Hetq.am, the company has won 148 supply contracts since the 2018 regime change. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Click here to read the full article. Al Harrington, the Samoan-American actor known for his role as Detective Ben Kokua on Hawaii Five-0, died Sept. 21 after suffering a stroke earlier this month. He was 85. Harrington was one of the last living cast members from the original CBS drama that aired from 1968 to 1980. He also had a recurring role as a different character on the series reboot that bowed on CBS in 2011. Al was truly a gift from God. A noble, compassionate, patient and gentle man with a witty sense of humor and a larger-than-life laugh that will echo in my heart until we are reunited, Harringtons wife, Rosa, said in a statement to People. It was his greatest honor to represent his people on-screen, and to serve them off-screen. To know him was to feel seen, loved, safe and welcomed. As an Icon for Hawaii, our islands and her people are mourning his loss. Harrington, born Tausau Taa in 1935 in America Samoa. He moved to Honolulu with his mother three years later. He studied at Menlo College and Stanford University. After graduating with a degree in history, he returned to Hawaii and taught at the University of Hawaii. On the side, he worked as a professional entertainer and dancer in Waikiki under the moniker The South Pacific Man. His acting debut was on Hawaii Five-0, first as several other recurring characters in the earlier seasons and then as a regular in 1972. His other television credits include Magnum, P.I., Scrubs and The Byrds of Paradise, and in 2018, he was honored with the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his wife, survivors include sons Alema and Tau, daughters Summer and Cassi, and several grandchildren. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. MILAN (AP) Milan Fashion Week opened its third day of preview shows for next spring and summer against the backdrop of thousands of young environmental protesters calling out the industry Friday for its wasteful and polluting ways. The question hanging over fashion week is whether after 19 months, the coronavirus pandemic has led to any real changes in a system that has revolved around four ready-to-wear cycles a year, plus cruise and couture. Yes, shows are socially distanced, and fewer editors are admitted than ever. But with companies racing to restore sales to pre-pandemic levels, one is left to wonder: are deeper changes really afoot? Signs at the climate march through the heart of Milan urged Dress the change, a slogan aimed at the second-most polluting industry after energy. Everyone wanna be hot, but Earth isnt one of them, read another sign. Some highlights from Fridays shows: PRADA DECONSTRUCTS EVENING WEAR Prada returned to the live runway for the first time since February 2020, when the creative partnership between Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons was announced and just as Italy detected the first locally transmitted cases of the new coronavirus. Fans thronged the sidewalk outside the Fondazione Prada showroom and contemporary art exhibition space to hail VIPS and influencers alike, as old fashion rituals resumed. Inside, masked editors vetted with a health pass sat at a social distance that left plenty of room to breathe. Another show was staged simultaneously in Shanghai, with images of the darkened skyline broadcast in the Milan showroom. The collection, the third of the Prada-Simons era, was a deconstruction of traditional evening wear -- trains, corsets and evening gowns -- as a study in sensuality and in revealing the female form, the designers said in show notes. Simons bemoaned the irreality of an evening gown however beautiful, and it is certainly the case that many gowns have spent the pandemic hanging, unheralded, in closets. These clothes can become complicated: evening dresses, historical costume. We want to make it uncomplicated, easy, that feels modern, Simons said. Mini-skirts in couture silk trailed long sashes, sometimes left floating behind. More formally, skirts sported full tuxedo tails. They were worn with sweaters, distressed leather bomber jackets and sleeveless blouses with black-and-white prints that laced up for a punk feel. Dresses were cinched at the waist and left open at the back in a way that suggested the Prada V logo, while the skirt had a deep inverse-V slit. Leather straps on bare biceps finished the look. Knitwear was soft, with breastplate or corset detailing, finished with the same leather bicep straps. Mini-knit tunics were cinched at the waist and worn over matching short-shorts The color palette ranged from navy and black to cotton candy pink and canary yellow. Magenta accented acid green, which in turn complemented girlish pink. Shoes had a low, cantilevered heel, giving the sensation of suspension. For Prada, it is a mistake to discuss the show in terms of a return to normal. We have learned that we in fashion engage with a much wider world, Prada said in the show notes. After all that has happened, how can you just go back? VERSACE'S ENERGIZED RUNWAY Donatella Versace pumped energy into Milan Fashion week with a star-filled runway and front row, and collection strong on the fashion houses codes: bright colors, safety pins and especially silky foulards. British singer and emerging fashion icon Dua Lipa opened the runway show in a skin-baring black suit held together with colored safety pins as her song Physical blasted through the venue and closed it in a liquidy fuchsia skirt and corset. In between, she was joined by Naomi Campbell, smiling and brightly clad in a hot-pink suit and orange shirt, Gigi Hadid in a snug latex black dress with just a silky flash of turquoise and pink, and Lourdes Leon Ciccone, in a metallic silvery dress. The show opened with black suits and dresses with tiny flashes of color in pins and foulards that peeked from hemlines and slits, the colors growing ever more bold until they burst into a vivid palette of pink, aquamarine, seafoam green, acid green and yellow. The womens silhouette exuded the confidence, with body-hugging dresses and skirts offering an array of ways to bare skin with high slits on skirts, pinned together tights and ab-revealing corsets or bra-tops. Footwear included wavy platforms shoes in bright satin. Menswear was more relaxed, with floral suits, sportier varsity jackets with mesh tops, or bright leather jackets paired with tight latex T-shirts and jeans. Outside the Versace venue, hoards of fans partied like it was 2019, waiting for glimpses of arriving VIPs. Front-row guests included Milans own fashion influencer-turned-entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni and her husband, the singer Fedez, American influencer-turned-actress Addison Rae and actress Bella Thorne with her Italian boyfriend, singer Benjamin Mascolo. _____ Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina, the designers behind the Sunnei brand, invited the fashion crowd to don sunglasses inside a white tunnel and watch the collection as strobe lights flashed. The youthful collection was strong on layering, with long skirts worn over trousers, or grassy fringe peeking out of Bermuda shorts. Proportions were mostly loose and oversized, with coats gathered at the waist to offer some definition. Bags were soft and large, or rigorously boxy. Sunglasses, de rigeur in flashing tunnels, strapped to the back of the head. NEW YORK (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris' live interview on The View was abruptly delayed Friday after two hosts of the talk show learned they had tested positive for COVID-19 moments before Harris was to join them on the set. Cohost Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were at the table for the start of the show, but then were told to step off the set. Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated, their colleagues said. Harris, who was to be seated there as well, instead was later interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. She did not have any contact with either host who tested positive, according to a White House official. Cohosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines remained on set and conducted the truncated interview. Sunny and Ana are strong women and I know they are fine, said Harris when she made her delayed appearance. But it also really does speak to the fact that they are vaccinated and vaccines make all the difference because otherwise we'd be concerned about hospitalization and worse. The moment underscored the ever-present dangers of COVID-19 and provided a sobering reminder of the virus' reach. It also threatened to overshadow the Biden administration's efforts to show progress in battling the virus. Just a few hours earlier, President Joe Biden urged those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. Ana and Sunny, at the last minute we realized they have tested positive for COVID so they have been taken off of the show," said a stunned Behar, who made the announcement after the show hurriedly went to a commercial when the two hosts were pulled off seat. Behar said Harris was removed to a separate location because they dont want to take a chance. Its very important we keep her healthy and safe, Behar said. The Secret Service is doing things to make her feel safe. Both the show and aides from the vice president's office wanted to go ahead with the interview and contact tracing was quickly done to make sure Harris would not be exposed to anyone who might have had contact with Navarro and Hostin, officials said. The Secret Service then signed off on using a separate location in the studio. The vice president carried on with her day after the TV appearance, meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Washington. Before Harris was connected for The View interview, Behar and Haines vamped to fill the time and took questions from the audience. Sara and I are doing a little tap dancing, Behar said. At one point, an audience member asked what moments stood out in her many years on The View. This one is definitely, Behar replied. One thing about working in television, is theres never a dull moment. ... But this is a new one. None of the hosts were masked but members of the studio audience were wearing face coverings. Biden was elected on the central promise of managing the nation's response to the pandemic and received high early marks for quickly moving to distribute the vaccines. But over the summer, the highly contagious delta variant sent cases skyrocketing again, causing a number of jurisdictions to reinstitute mask mandates. The president has grown increasingly frustrated at the Americans who have refused the vaccine and endangered the nation's recovery. More Americans, according to polling, have also begun to sour on his handling of the pandemic. The refusal to get vaccinated have cost all of us, Biden said earlier Friday. It is not hyperbole: it is literally a tragedy. Dont let it be your tragedy. Biden applauded the recommendation by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky who overruled an advisory panel to include approval of boosters for health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus. The panel had limited approval to those over 65 years old and those with underlying health conditions. The positive cases also stepped on what was to be a moment in the spotlight for Harris, who had participated in only a handful of televised interviews since taking office. She has come under some scrutiny after some uneven performances in other interviews, and as the administration has taken sharp criticism of images of Border Patrol agents using aggressive tactics against Haitian migrants at the Texas border. NEW YORK (AP) A television executive who accused Chris Cuomo of groping her at a party 16 years ago says the CNN anchor needs a public education about sexual harassment and if he did that, he'd be a hero instead of a cad. The executive, Shelley Ross, said Friday she's concerned that Cuomo's reaction to her story and his role advising his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, indicates that he's learned little about harassment and what it does to women. I don't want to see anybody lose their job, Ross told The Associated Press. I want to see people learn and to make the news business a better place and the workplace a better place. Her story represented another embarrassment for the host of Cuomo Prime Time, generally the networks top-rated show. He has been criticized for his role advising his brother, Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as New York governor last month over allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women. Cuomo did not address the matter on his show Friday night. Ross said in an opinion piece in The New York Times on Friday that Chris Cuomo had greeted her at a going-away party in 2005 with a bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock." Ross said Cuomo told her, I can do this now that youre no longer my boss, and she responded, No you cant, pushing him off while stepping back to reveal her husband, who saw the whole thing. In an interview, Ross called it an attempt to diminish and belittle a female executive in front of her staff. Cuomo sent an apologetic email to Ross shortly afterward saying he was ashamed. Asked for comment, Cuomo told the Times, As Shelley acknowledges, our interaction was not sexual in nature. It happened 16 years ago in a public setting when she was a top executive at ABC. I apologized to her then, and I meant it. CNN had no additional comment on Friday. There was no interaction, said Ross, former executive producer of the newsmagazine Primetime Live. An interaction has a premise that two people are involved in something. I did not want to be groped. I didn't know if he had changed from the years we worked together, she added, and I see from the response that he hasn't. Cuomo took a scheduled day off Friday from his SiriusXM radio show, the service said. CNN referred reporters to Cuomos statement to the newspaper. Ross said she was motivated to tell her story in part because of the fallout faced by some people who had advised the former governor. They included the resignations of Roberta Kaplan and Tina Tchen, two figures in the Time's Up organization, and Alphonso David, who was ousted as president of the Human Rights Campaign. CNN has not commented publicly about findings from a New York attorney general's report about Chris Cuomo being involved in discussions with his brother's advisers about how to respond to the first reports of harassment allegations. Such involvement in politics is generally considered off-limits for journalists. Chris Cuomo told CNN viewers last month that he had advised his brother to be contrite. I was there to listen and offer my take, Cuomo said. And my advice to my brother was simple and consistent own what you did, tell people what youll try to do to be better, be contrite. Finally, accept that it doesnt matter what you intended, what matters is how your actions and your words are perceived. He eventually advised his brother, who has denied touching any women inappropriately, to resign. But the Washington Post reported that, when charges were first revealed last winter, Chris Cuomo had advised Andrew to take a defiant position and not resign. The report by New York Attorney General Letitia James that precipitated the governor's resignation included an email Chris Cuomo sent to his brother's advisers last February about a suggested public statement that the New York Democrat should make. Ross said in her essay in the Times that Chris Cuomo should have been ashamed for his conduct with her, But my question today is the same as it was then: Was he ashamed of what he did, or was he embarrassed because my husband saw it? She wrote that she sees Cuomo's apology as an attempt to provide himself with legal and moral coverage to evade accountability. Ross has written previously of being sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, who was ousted from Fox News Channel over harassment complaints and died in 2017. Recounting the 1981 encounter in her New York Times piece, Ross said Ailes apologized to her for insisting on a sexual alliance as a condition of a pending job offer at NBCs Tomorrow show. Ross said she accepted Ailes' apology, naively thinking she could help reform the workplace one predator at a time. She suggested a series of town hall meetings titled The Continuing Education of Chris Cuomo." ___ This story has been corrected to show that the program Cuomo hosts is called Cuomo Prime Time, not CNN Prime Time. Hearst Television celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing stories about the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Were speaking with community leaders, activists and elders to talk about their heritage rooted in Latin American countries. You can watch all of our conversations with these Hispanic and Latino American community leaders below. Boston, Massachusetts In 2014, Berklee College of Music formally launched Berklee Latino to elevate the education, awareness and appreciation of Latin music and its cultural impact on the world. Internationally renowned musicians travel from all over the world to Boston to perform with a carefully curated group of musicians from the school. It's part of the college's Latino program, led by four-time Grammy winner Oscar Stagnaro. "When I moved to Boston -- this is funny -- the first gig, I was playing country western music," Stagnaro said. Read more about the Berklee Latino program's story here. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania There's no shortage of ethnic food options in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but Edgar Alvarez says that wasn't the case when he first came here. Alvarez brought something to Pittsburgh that he said was missing: authentic Mexican food. Now he has the best tacos in the city but his journey is about more than just food. When Alvarez cooks tacos, he's pouring his heart and soul into every meal. "You have to put a lot of love in what you are doing," he said. "If you don't do your stuff with love, it's not going to work." Read more of Alvarez's story here. Albuquerque, New Mexico Hispanic Heritage comes in many forms. Activist Dolores Huerta says it goes back generations in New Mexico. She spent more than 50 years organizing peaceful demonstrations in the U.S. Huerta advocated for farmworkers, immigrants and women in the United States. The outcomes were not always peaceful. "I was badly battered. I had my ribs broken, pulverized my spleen, and I almost died for doing a peaceful protest," Huerta said. Read more of Dolores Huerta's story here. Winston-Salem, North Carolina As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Laura Morillo, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resident who fled communist Cuba as a teenager and worked tirelessly and persistently to bring her mother and two sisters to the United States as a young woman, is sharing her family's story of immigration. When I was at the airport, and I was leaving, a lady there said, Dont cry. Youre leaving because you want to. Youre leaving your mom because you want to do it, Morillo said. Read more of Laura Morillo's story here. Kansas City, Missouri One Kansas City community leader mobilized Latinos to vote and run for office. Paul Rojas was also the first Latino elected to state office in Missouri. His last name, Rojas, is proudly displayed around his home on Kansas City's westside. But his first name was given to him in school. "My real name is Raul. I guess the nuns took the little foot off the R and made it Paul, a P, but that was not uncommon," Rojas said. Read more of Paul Rojas' story here. Albuquerque, New Mexico For more than 30 years, this dance studio has been teaching students of all ages the culture of Mexican Ballet Folklorico dance. The sound of music and heels clicking is a small part of what goes into traditional Mexican Ballet Folklorico. Director at Baila Baila! Dance Company Israela Garcia said, A lot of these students find something that they really love and they, it's a connection that they don't expect to have. And once they have it it's just natural. Read more of Baila Baila! Dance Company's story here. Sacramento, California Mariachi Bonitas isn't your typical mariachi band. Dinorah Klingler has been singing her heart out since she was just a kid in Mexico City. "Music is the universal language," Klingler said. "Music brings you peace, brings you harmony in your life. That is my belief." Read more of Klingler's story here. New Orleans, Louisiana As the president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, Mayra Pineda has worked tirelessly to build a favorable business environment for Hispanic owners throughout the state. "It's been wonderful to see the community grow, but as you know the Hispanic culture and Heritage is very deeply engrained in Louisiana. From the founding times, you know just recently we celebrated a tricentennial and you saw the King and Queen of Spain visit Louisiana for that reason," Pineda said. Read more of Pineda's story here. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania A Pennsylvania senior center is in a unique position to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month because it was organized partly to do just that preserve the culture of its participants. "We're giving them a place where they feel comfortable. They trust us. They can speak their language freely. They feel at home," Gloria Merrick said. Read more of the senior center's story here. Albuquerque, New Mexico The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is rich with Native American, Mexican and Spanish culture. A big part of the culture is the language. Throughout New Mexico's history, speaking Spanish was frowned upon. Now it's embraced through dual language education. "It is what we as a school system can offer our students in a rigorous way the opportunity to regain part of their history," said Antonio Gonzales, assistant superintendent and former dual language teacher, "Because maybe their history to get away from them." Read more of the dual-language program story here. Rogers, Arkansas Mayra Esquivel works at Arkansas Immigrant Defense a nonprofit law firm that helps immigrants gain their paths to citizenship. Esquivel and her colleagues help clients with family petitions, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals, naturalizations and pathways to citizenship for immigrant youth who have been abused or abandoned. "It is extremely fulfilling that I come into work and work with our clients. I am constantly inspired," Esquivel said. Read more of Esquivel's story here. West Palm Beach, Florida Inside The Box Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida, curator Rolando Chang Barrero, also known as The Bird Man, creates his next piece. Hes not only an artist but an activist. Its a powerful means of communication, Barrero said. Whether it deals with Cuba, homosexuality, because I am gay, the artwork also stems from that larger-than-life image. So, it hits you. Read more of Barrero's story here. Burlington, Vermont When Ray Vega performs, he wants his music to have an impact. The Puerto Rican musician from New York City now calls Burlington, Vermont, home. That's where he regularly entertains audiences with Latin jazz at Hotel Vermont. "I really feel that when you're moving people in that way, you are definitely getting to them," Vega said of his performances. Read more of Vega's story here. New Orleans, Louisiana As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we're also featuring a great musical talent. At the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana, Jack Pena warms up on bassoon for an exciting stretch ahead. "Finally we are going to get back to full orchestra performance on Oct. 20 in City Park," Pena said. Read more of Pena's story here. Stockton, California A cucumber field with 500 acres of produce ready for harvest served as the office for an icon in the Hispanic community on a hot summer day. Luis Magana's mission that day: Help farmworkers with anything they need. "Now we have a lot of issues in the community: racism, discrimination, lack of study opportunities for our kids," Magana said. Read more of Magana's story here. Albuquerque, New Mexico When it comes to mariachi music, there is a meaning behind every mariachi traje. "We share a lot of special moments with people, in their weddings and their birthdays," said Mundo Marquez, a local mariachi musician. Read more about mariachi music here. Continuing a streak of windfalls for Southeast Texas higher education, Lamar University is the latest institution to celebrate a boost in funds and the promise of a more equitable funding structure in the future. The recently-passed state budget included $17 million in equity funding for Lamar to place it near the same level as peer institutions in Texas. It also granted an additional $5.7 million to mitigate tropical storm damage and improve the universitys geology building. The new money is expected to continue through each future funding cycle and will come in addition to the the new $13.8 million in formula funding that the school received through its growth in enrollment. When students are able to take on more hours, graduate earlier and get to work, thats the secret to higher education, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) said Thursday at Lamars campus. Where you get your degree and earn that certificate, thats where you typically raise your family. Related: Have you enrolled with these local tuition deals? Lowering barriers to college and securing families in Southeast Texas through educational success has been a theme for Phelan since he announced his campaign as District 21 Representative underscored by previous tuition reductions. In July, administration from Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange and Lamar State College Port Arthur known collectively as the Lamar State Colleges met with Phelan in Austin for the second tuition reduction at their colleges since 2019, which reduced an average 15-credit-hour semester as low as $1,770 per student. Enrollment at Southeast Texas colleges has been on the rise, even before the tuition breaks sparked a boom in two-year enrollment. But local students and their schools have experienced a series of setbacks starting in 2017 with Tropical Storm Harvey. This is Lamar President Jaime Taylors first year in the position, having been named as president in June, but he has been adjusting to leading a university still working through the reality of multiple natural disasters. Related: Tuition costs going down at three SETX college Taylor said part of that reality and the existing shortcomings in state funding has meant Lamar had to use maintenance funds and reserves to operate, putting off some important restoration projects. But this money is expected to change that. Now we can start going back and making the improvements that might have been deferred otherwise, Taylor said. With more equitable funding, we can invest in our students success and give them the best learning environment possible. Thursdays event in Beaumont was a brief reprieve for Phelan as the Legislature enters its third special session of the year. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday that property tax relief had been added to the list of objectives during the session, but Phelan believes that most of the time and effort still will revolve around redistricting. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox The region saw significant reshuffling during the last redistricting, including U.S. Congressional District 14, which dropped most of Chambers County and shifted east along Bolivar Peninsula to include much of Jefferson County. But Phelan said he expects residents to see little change to their districts during this session, at least based on where objectives lie heading into the process. I think well see more focus on the two new congressional seats given to Texas after the census results, Phelan said. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) A 75-year-old northern Michigan man accused of placing pipe bombs outside two phone stores was ordered jailed Friday until his trial. John D. Allen of Whittemore waived his right to a detention hearing in Bay City, MLive.com reported. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris asked Allen if he consented to not having the hearing. He replied: Maybe at a later date, if that would be possible. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday her country is willing to resume talks with South Korea if conditions are met, indicating it wants Seoul to persuade Washington to relax crippling economic sanctions. Kim Yo Jongs statement came days after North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months, which some experts said were intended to show it will keep boosting its weapons arsenal if the U.S.-led sanctions continue while nuclear diplomacy remains stalled. She offered the talks while mentioning South Korean President Moon Jae-ins call, issued in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly, for a political declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to bring peace to the peninsula. Smiling a forced smile, reading the declaration of the termination of the war, and having photos taken could be essential for somebody, but I think that they would hold no water and would change nothing, given the existing inequality, serious contradiction therefrom and hostilities, Kim Yo Jong said in the statement carried by state media. She said North Korea is willing to hold constructive talks with South Korea to discuss how to improve and repair strained ties if the South stops provoking the North with hostile policies, far-fetched assertions and double-dealing standards. South Koreas Unification Ministry said its carefully reviewing Kim Yo Jongs statement. It said South Korea will continue its efforts to restore ties with North Korea. Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea, said North Korea is putting indirect pressure on Seoul to work to arrange talks on easing the sanctions as it pushes for the declaration of the wars end. Its like North Korea saying it would welcome talks on the end-of-the war declaration if lifting the sanctions can also be discussed, Nam said. The U.S.-led sanctions have been toughened following North Koreas provocative run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, and Kim Jong Un has said the sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters were causing the worst-ever crisis in North Korea. Earlier this year, he warned he would enlarge the country's nuclear arsenal if the United States refuses to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea, an apparent reference to the sanctions. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea has consistently wanted to sign a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the war as a step toward subsequent improved relations. Some experts say the peace treaty could allow North Korea to demand that the United States withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease the sanctions. Both Koreas had called for an end-of-war declaration and a peace treaty during a period of diplomacy with the United States that began in 2018. There was speculation that former President Donald Trump might announce the wars end in early 2019 to convince Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. No such announcement was made as the talks reached a stalemate after Trump rejected Kim Jong Uns calls for the lifting of toughened sanctions in exchange for limited denuclearization steps. Some experts say North Korea wont have a reason to denuclearize if those sanctions are withdrawn. Kim Yo Jongs offer for talks was a stark contrast to a blunt statement issued by a senior North Korean diplomat earlier Friday that the end-of-war declaration could be a smokescreen covering up hostile U.S. policies. The earlier statement appeared to target the U.S., while the later one by Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of North Korea's relations with Seoul, focuses more on South Korea. Both statements suggest Seoul and Washington should act first and drop sanctions if they want to see a resumption of nuclear diplomacy. Ties between the Koreas remain largely deadlocked amid a stalemate in the broader North Korea-U.S. diplomacy. North Korea earlier called on South Korea not to interfere in its dealings with the United States after Seoul failed to break away from Washington and revive joint economic projects held up by the sanctions. North Korea also often accuses South Korea of hypocrisy and double standards by buying high-tech weapons and staging military drills with the United States while calling for a dialogue with the North. Last week, North Korea conducted its first cruise and ballistic missile tests since March, demonstrating its ability to launch attacks on South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American soldiers are stationed. But North Korea is still maintaining a moratorium on nuclear tests and launches of long-range missiles that directly target the American homeland, a sign that it wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. North Korea would think it doesnt cross a (red line) set by the U.S. ... so it says it can come to talks if conditions are rife for sanctions relief, said Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies. Nam said North Korea is likely to conduct more powerful weapons tests if the U.S. and South Korea dont accept its demand for sanctions relief. SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) Police believe two children were thrown from a bridge Friday into northwest Louisiana's Cross Lake, where one of the children was pulled from the water dead and one survived but had life-threatening injuries. Police arrested a woman in connection with the case after state troopers stopped a minivan with Texas license plates near the Texas state line, Shreveport Police Sgt. Angie Wilhite told reporters in a video posted by KSLA-TV. ELY, Nev. (AP) Nevadas Great Basin Institute has been awarded a federal grant to begin planning the creation of what the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says is the nation's first professional recreational trail-building school. The department announced the $160,000 grant Thursday from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. It will be used to fund feasibility studies, economic analyses and other preliminary work to support creation of a trail-building school in Ely near Great Basin National Park. U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, said she worked with the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and businesses and tourism officials in White Pine County to ensure such grants go to states like Nevada, where tourism and travel industries have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant to the Great Basin Institute will help students get hands-on experience preparing for careers in Nevadas world-class outdoor recreation industry, she said. Kyle Horvath, director of White Pine County Tourism and Recreation, said Nevada is well-positioned to take advantage of new trail-building workforces on public lands. Ely and its beautiful mountain landscape is centrally located in the Mountain West where trail-based outdoor recreation is booming," he said. The University of Nevada founded the Great Basin Institute in 1998 to advance applied research and ecological literacy through communities and agency partnerships to support national parks, forests, open space and public lands. This initial feasibility study will generate key data and analysis on recreational trails, along with a deeper understanding of how local economies benefit from outdoor recreation infrastructure, said Jerry Keir, executive director of the institute. The grant will fund an analysis for new trails and examine how to maximize use of federal funds invested in outdoor recreation and trails nationally, Keir said. It also will be used to explore opportunities to advance workforce development for tribes. Colin Robertson, administrator of the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, said outdoor recreation contributes $5.5 billion to Nevada's economy annually, supporting more than 59,000 jobs. Outdoor recreation and trail use has exploded in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the critical importance of all communities having opportunities to escape to the outdoors for our physical and mental health, Robertson said. As the demand for outdoor recreation continues to grow, the need for skilled workers who can plan, design, build and expand trails is more pressing than ever," he said. A request for proposals to conduct the planning study will be released by the Great Basin Institute in early October. Former President Donald Trump has asked Gov. Greg Abbott to add an election audit bill to this years third special session, continuing his push to cast doubts on the election results of the 2020 presidential election despite winning in Texas. In a letter published Thursday, Trump said, Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Elections, and time is running out to conduct an audit of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam because paper ballots are kept for only 22 months after an election. Governor Abbott, we need a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election added to the call, Trump wrote. Were quickly running out of time and it must be done this week. There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the Texas secretary of state who oversaw the 2020 election and was appointed by the Republican governor declared the election smooth and secure. During a special session, the governor sets the topics the Legislature is to pass laws on. Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Don Huffines, one of his challengers in the GOP primary for governor next year, has called for election audits to be added to the call. Trumps request comes nearly 11 months after he lost his presidential reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has pushed baseless claims of massive voter fraud for much of the year as he did after winning in 2016 and mounted numerous legal challenges to the certification of the 2020 elections results. On Thursday, Trump said that Texans know voting fraud occurred in some of their counties. This summer, Texas Republicans passed a voting law that they said would make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, even while opponents said it would make it harder for communities of color to vote. Texas officials said they had confidence in the 2020 elections but wanted to address concerns from some voters about election security. Trump continued to stoke those flames by writing to Abbott that Texans dont trust your election system, and they want your leadership on this issue, which is the number one thing they care about. Trump threw support behind House Bill 16 filed by state, a staunch social conservative Republican from The Woodlands, which would allow for forensic audits of future elections as well as the 2020 presidential election. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Law enforcement on Tuesday evening alerted members of the Texas Legislature about a credible threat to their safety, citing that the concern was targeted at members who voted for the new six-week abortion ban passed by lawmakers earlier this year. In an email to lawmakers Tuesday, Kevin Cooper, the Department of Public Safetys chief of government relations, said the agency had received a CREDIBLE THREAT TO YOUR SAFETY from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a majority of you in the Texas Legislature. Cooper said in a follow-up email that the threat only applies to those members who may have voted for the abortion bill that passed as Senate Bill 8 during the regular legislative session that ended in May. The threat was apparently made on Reddit and included the names of House and Senate members who voted for the legislation. The user threatened to end each one of you and said the lawmakers at hand are not people to me. That legislation, which went into effect Sept. 1, bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy when many women dont yet know they are pregnant. The new law is enforced by private citizens who can sue abortion providers or others aiding and abetting the procedure. In recent weeks, the new abortion law considered one of the most restrictive in the nation has drawn national attention and criticism from abortion rights advocates. After the U.S. Supreme Court refused a request to block the new law before it went into effect, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was suing Texas, arguing that the new restrictions are unconstitutional. The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Austin, came after abortion rights advocates, providers and Democratic lawmakers called on the Biden administration to act. In the meantime, at least two people have filed lawsuits under the new law against a doctor who admitted to performing a now-prohibited abortion. It was unclear Wednesday whether a credible threat meant that lawmakers involved were in imminent danger. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement to The Texas Tribune that it takes all matters of personal security and public safety very seriously and we do not discuss details of ongoing threats and investigations. Lawmakers facing safety threats over legislation at the Capitol isnt uncommon, and members from both parties have received various threats related to bills they have supported or voted against during previous legislative sessions. During the 2017 legislative session, for example, state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, was placed under DPS protection after receiving death threats related to legislation he filed to criminalize abortion in Texas. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. People receive a dose of the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at a mall in Surabaya, Indonesia, Sept. 23, 2021. A little more than 80 percent of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia come from China, while a fifth of all vaccines exported by the superpower have gone to the Southeast Asian country, officials said. Indonesia is the largest recipient of Chinese vaccines, according to Beijing-based research firm Bridge Consulting, and that, one analyst said, does not showcase Jakartas much touted free and active foreign policy. Jakarta on Friday received another two million doses of the vaccine made by Chinas Sinovac Biotech, this time as a donation from Beijing and the pharmaceutical company, said Xiao Qian, Chinas ambassador to Indonesia. So far, Sinovac and Sinopharm have sent 215 million doses of vaccine to Indonesia, Xiao told an online news conference. It accounts for almost 20 percent of all vaccines exported by China in the same time period, and more than 80 percent of the total vaccines obtained by Indonesia. Overall, Indonesia has received 273 million doses of vaccines from a variety of drug makers worldwide, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Friday. These include doses produced by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen. Retno said international cooperation was key to ending the pandemic. Our diplomatic machinery continues to work, establishing cooperation in various forms so that our vaccine needs are fulfilled, she told reporters. But with 215 million of 273 million vaccine doses having come from China, it appears Indonesias diplomatic machinery has put most of its eggs, as it were, in one basket, according to international relations expert Teuku Rezasyah. Reliance on one supplier is not good, Rezasyah, a lecturer at Bandungs Padjadjaran University, told BenarNews. The cases of Bangladesh and Thailand have proven that. The South Asian country signed a huge deal for vaccines with an Indian company, but was then stuck without any shots for months when the manufacturer halted exports after a horrific second wave of COVID-19 hit India. Closer to Indonesia, Thailands over-reliance on AstraZenecas vaccine, because a local manufacturer was awarded a contract to produce it, proved to be its undoing when the company couldnt deliver enough or on time. The country is still behind in its inoculation campaign. Rezasyah said Indonesia should have cast its net wide for vaccines from the get-go. We should have launched an international tender from the start, he said. China understands that this [vaccine] business is very profitable and long-term. Its been made easier because Indonesia and China also have a strategic partnership. Indonesia needs to engage more broadly with other nations for vaccine supplies, he said. That would also be in line with the foundation of its foreign policy, Rezasyah said, about the archipelago nation that is one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. Declining Sinovac efficacy? Additionally, research conducted in Indonesia and released in August showed that the Sinovac vaccine, named CoronaVac, provided protection against COVID-19 a clinical trial showed its efficacy was 65 percent. But the study by the research and development wing at the Ministry of Health also found that the vaccine was less effective at protecting against death and severe illness in the April-June period, compared with the previous three months. The vaccine prevented 79 percent of deaths during April-June, down from 95 percent in January-March, said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, spokeswoman for the governments COVID-19 task force. It prevented 53 percent of hospitalizations during April-June, down from 74 percent January to March. Siti did not provide a reason for the drop, but infections that led to the highly contagious Delta variant-related second wave, may well have begun in the April-June period. As of Friday, more than 84.8 million people in the country had received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 47.7 million of them fully vaccinated, according to data from the health ministry. Of those fully vaccinated with the Sinovac jabs, nearly 900,000 received a third, non-Sinovac dose. Indonesia said in July that it planned to give a third vaccine shot to many of the 1.47 million medical workers inoculated with Sinovac, using a jab developed by Moderna an American drug firm to protect them from the Delta strain. An Indonesian volunteer group that keeps tabs on pandemic data, LaporCOVID-19, had at the time said that some health workers fully vaccinated with Sinovac had died from COVID-19. Thailand made a similar announcement that month. Meanwhile, Indonesia has not yet received any of the 20 million doses of the Sputnik vaccine promised by Russia, even though the countrys Food and Drug Monitoring Agency has issued an emergency use authorization for the jab. I cant respond in detail because this is still under negotiation, the Russian ambassador to Jakarta, Lyudmila Vorobieva, told a virtual press conference on Wednesday. There are formalities that need to be completed. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was delayed on Friday after two hosts of the The View learned they tested positive for COVID-19 moments before she was to join them on the set Business writer Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224. A hearing in November will explore arguments at the heart of a lawsuit filed in May by the mother of Sherilyn Hayes. The young Dalton woman was found dead Nov. 23, 2019, of an apparent suicide. Her mother, Patricia, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Dalton and several current or former police officials, seeking as much as $3.7 million in damages. The action describes a lack of police response to reports from a neighbor that the young woman had threatened to harm herself after a domestic dispute. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. Reporter Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S. Ralph Gardner Jr. is a journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The New Yorker. He can be reached at ralph@ralphgardner.com. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle. Our Opinion: Mass. House must return to the people's business as usual BOISE - Idaho's State Treasurer is sounding the alarm on a controversial move by the Biden Administration. Under the guise of closing the tax gap, the Biden Administration and congressional allies are attempting to push through a new reporting requirement in which financial institutions would report customer transactions to the Internal Revenue Service. A release from Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth's office says the proposal would "turn every Americans local bank, credit union and payment provider into an IRS agent, monitoring and reporting on deposits and withdrawals made in private accounts--at a threshold of as little as $600." Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth joined other State Treasurers, Auditors and Financial Officers in sending a letter to President Biden and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressing opposition to the proposal. They wrote, Simply put, this is a direct assault on all Americans of all economic demographics and includes all business and personal accounts. This surveillance dragnet will capture every single American--from all income levels--with a bank, credit union, brokerage or financial account. This includes individual and business accounts, including Main Street businesses of all types, according Ellsworth. This indiscriminate data collection would subject law-abiding Americans to further IRS scrutiny and exacerbate privacy concerns. The IRS already holds troves of private data on Americans, including taxable income, charitable contributions, retirement savings, health care expenses, addresses, personal contact information and more, according to the release. "Not only is this proposal a huge violation of privacy, it is an egregious abuse of Americans right to due process by inferring all U.S. taxpayers are guilty of evading taxes until proven otherwise. Suppose you transfer $15,000 from your savings to your checking account to make a large purchase you have spent years saving for, like a wedding, car or home down payment. Your financial institution would be required to report the withdrawal and deposit to the IRS, possibly triggering an audit--despite having done nothing improper or illegal. Any ensuing IRS activity would presume you guilty until proven innocent," said Ellsworth. From Whatcom County where Seattle City Light's three Skagit River dams are located to Seattle where the public utility is headquartered, lawsuits are stacking up as relicensing of the century-old hydroelectric project gets underway. While one lawsuit focuses on "greenwashing" in Seattle City Light advertising and another focuses on the utility's financials, there's a common underlying theme among them: Fish. Skagit River salmon and steelhead populations are in trouble, and the dam relicensing due to be complete in 2025 has placed renewed attention on how Seattle City Light's Gorge, Diablo and Ross dams and powerhouses may affect those species. While Seattle City Light has in some ways acknowledged concerns about fish, several stakeholders insist the city's concessions don't go far enough and the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and Skagit County are each fighting Seattle in court, under three separate lawsuits. "While Seattle City Light claims it is studying fish passage, it is in fact using the FERC process in an effort to avoid fish passage," one of the lawsuits states. Here's a look at the lawsuits: A FISH PASSAGE PROBLEM The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe on June 30 sued Seattle City Light in Skagit County Superior Court, asserting that Seattle is violating federal and state law by blocking Skagit River fish at its dams. The case was moved to the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington on July 29. Arguments have ensued over whether the case should be remanded back to Skagit County Superior Court. Seattle has also sought to have the case dismissed. In an Aug. 19 filing, Seattle argued the tribe's assertions hold no water and that the proper venue for fish passage discussions is with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees dam licensing and relicensing. "FERC should be allowed to exercise primary jurisdiction over the question of fish passage at Gorge Dam," the court document states. ASKING FOR RECORDS Skagit County on Aug. 23 filed an open public records lawsuit against Seattle City Light in Whatcom County Superior Court. It states that Seattle has not responded to requests for financial records involving revenue from the sale of electricity generated at the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. "Our requests, taken as a whole, seek to understand revenue and expenses associated with the Skagit Project, broken down by dam," Skagit County's complaint states. The county seeks those records because it contends that Seattle City Light has not invested adequately in salmon and steelhead protection and recovery within the Skagit River watershed in accordance with the impact of its dams. The lawsuit calls the alleged imbalance "Seattle's unmet fisheries obligation in the Skagit." Skagit County Deputy Civil Prosecutor Will Honea said as of Wednesday, the city of Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Seattle City Light and General Manager Debra Smith each named in the lawsuit had not filed a response to the complaint. The law firm representing the city, however, filed a request on Sept. 13 to transfer the case to King County Superior Court. AN ADVERTISING ISSUE The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe on Sept. 17 filed an additional lawsuit against Seattle in King County Superior Court. That lawsuit accuses Seattle of violating the state's Consumer Protection Act by "greenwashing" its reputation. According to the lawsuit, the city has deceived the public into believing its Skagit River Hydroelectric Project does not harm fish "with claims of superlative environmental responsibility." The tribe is asking the court to order Seattle to stop such advertising, which has included calling itself "the nation's greenest utility." According to the tribe's complaint, Seattle City Light in the early 2000s also obtained certification from the nonprofit Low Impact Hydropower Institute using the now publicly contested argument that fish were naturally blocked from the upper Skagit River before the dams were built. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, the truth about the harms of marijuana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Marks the third anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated and chaired the inaugural session of Aarogya Manthan 3.0 to mark the third anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme for its three years successful implementation across the country, in the presence of Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. The theme of the programme was Service and Excellence. Aarogya Manthan 3.0, a four-day hybrid (physical and virtual) event commenced by observing Ayushman Bharat Diwas. Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya said, AB PM-JAY has reformed the entire healthcare system of India. It gives me great happiness that the scheme has served more than 2.2 crore people in the last three years to the people residing in the remotest of the areas. The journey of the last three years of implementation of the scheme has been tremendous as it has empowered millions of citizens of India with their Right to Health. Mandaviya virtually interacted with AB PM-JAY beneficiaries from Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Assam. The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare also released the third edition of the NHAs Annual Report 2020-2021 along with the Lessons Learnt Booklet. During the event, the health minister gave the Ayushman Utkrishta Puraskaar award to the best performing AB PM-JAY States/ UTs for the efficient implementation of the scheme. The awards were distributed to the States in the category of top-performing PMAM, top-performing CSC state lead, top-performing Public Hospitals, best performing states and best-performing states in gender equity. Mandaviya also launched key initiatives Hospital Help Desk Kiosk, Beneficiary Facilitation Agency, PMJAY Command Centre & Nudge Unit and Revamped PM-JAY technology platform, undertaken by the National Health Authority for the ease of beneficiaries while availing healthcare services under the scheme. How Academic-Industry Synergy Assuages Rising Brain Disorders With an ageing population globally, the burden of neurological disorders is rapidly increasing, posing a challenge to the sustainability of health systems. The burden of neurological disorders such as stroke, headache disorders, epilepsy, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, meningitis, traumatic brain injuries, among others, is also expected to increase in India due to the rapid demographic and epidemiological transition occurring in the country. To add to it, factors such as shortages in the neurology workforce, inadequate research funding, limited supply of drugs, and scarcity of basic healthcare amenities, are making the situation worse. Lets try to unearth the practicable solutions and innovations stemming from the industry and academia. Wuhan and US scientists were planning to release enhanced airborne coronavirus particles into Chinese bat populations to inoculate them against diseases that could jump to humans, leaked grant proposals dating from 2018 show. New documents show that just 18 months before the first Covid-19 cases appeared, researchers had submitted plans to release skin-penetrating nanoparticles and aerosols containing novel chimeric spike proteins of bat coronaviruses into cave bats in Yunnan, China. They also planned to create chimeric viruses, genetically enhanced to infect humans more easily, and requested $14million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to fund the work. Papers, confirmed as genuine by a former member of the Trump administration, show they were hoping to introduce human-specific cleavage sites to bat coronaviruses which would make it easier for the virus to enter human cells. When Covid-19 was first genetically sequenced, scientists were puzzled about how the virus had evolved such a human-specific adaptation at the cleavage site on the spike protein, which is the reason it is so infectious. The documents were released by Drastic, the web-based investigations team set up by scientists from across the world to look into the origins of Covid-19. In a statement, Drastic said: Given that we find in this proposal a discussion of the planned introduction of human-specific cleavage sites, a review by the wider scientific community of the plausibility of artificial insertion is warranted. The proposal also included plans to mix high-risk natural coronavirus strains with more infectious but less dangerous varieties. The bid was submitted by British zoologist Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, the US-based organisation, which has worked closely with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researching bat coronaviruses. Team members included Dr Shi Zhengli, the WIV researcher dubbed bat woman, pictured below, as well as US researchers from the University of North Carolina and the United States Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Centre. Via: USA Today: One day after Gov. Ron DeSantis named him Floridas top doctor, new Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo upended COVID-19 policies in schools sparking yet another divide over battling the virus. Ladapo enacted a new rule letting parents decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school if they are asymptomatic after being exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. Ladapo has been outspoken on COVID-19, mostly by way of downplaying the benefits of mask-wearing, openly condemning business and school lockdowns, and signing on last year to the Great Barrington Declaration. The declaration was signed by several prominent researchers who advanced herd immunity not vaccines or social precautions as a way to emerge from the pandemic. DeSantis has invited a few of the Great Barrington leaders to appear with him at COVID-19 roundtables in Florida. Ladapo also hints that he has problems with the way Dr. Anthony Fauci and others are leading the fight against the virus. People have been taking the science and misrepresenting it, Ladapo said Tuesday at the Florida Capitol, in remarks aimed at mainstream public health officials setting policy for the nation. Standing beside DeSantis this week, Ladapo didnt sound like he would prioritize vaccinations. In Florida, 56% of the population is fully immunized against COVID-19, slightly better than the national average. In June, Ladapo co-authored an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal titled, Are Covid Vaccines Riskier Than Advertised? which questioned the benefits of immunizing children, young adults and people who already had COVID-19. Ladapo said getting vaccinated is a personal choice. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador reported 45 new COVID-19 cases Friday the highest daily number of new infections in the province since Feb. 19, when an outbreak in St. John's delayed the provincial election. People walk on Water Street in St. John's on Thursday, July 15, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador reported 45 new COVID-19 cases Friday the highest daily number of new infections in the province since Feb. 19, when an outbreak in St. John's delayed the provincial election. The province's acting chief medical officer of health said a cluster that began in a personal care home in Baie Verte, N.L., on the northeast coast, has spread to neighbouring communities. Public health is asking residents not to travel into and out of the affected region which now includes the town Twillingate, N.L., and the surrounding area unless it's absolutely necessary, Dr. Rosann Seviour told reporters. "The fourth wave unfortunately has reached our shores," Seviour said. "We have stared down the face of COVID before, and we will do it again." There were 109 active reported COVID-19 infections in the province a number Health Minister John Haggie on Friday called "a threshold we had hoped we wouldn't see again." Seventy of those active cases are connected to the outbreak in the Baie Verte area, and 21 of those infections are breakthrough cases or infections affecting people who were fully vaccinated, Seviour said. Vaccination rates on the province's northeast coast are low, she noted, with just over 70 per cent of eligible residents fully immunized. By contrast, nearly 80 per cent of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians had two doses of vaccine as of Tuesday, government data shows. With the Delta variant fuelling the outbreak, those numbers simply are not high enough, Seviour said. "Delta is a different beast," she said, adding that the vaccination rate needed to stave off outbreaks is higher with the Delta variant because it is so much more transmissible. "It has been an eye-opener across this country." There are active COVID-19 infections at four schools across the province, including 10 cases at an all-grades school near Summerford, N.L., where in-person learning was suspended, officials said. Heightened public health measures restricting social gatherings and household bubbles will expand from the Baie Verte peninsula to Twillingate and surrounding communities at midnight Friday night. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. Claude the cat is safe and sound after he and his fur sister Chloe were rescued the day after the fire at 1400 Pacific Ave. forced more than 100 people including their owners to evacuate their homes Tuesday. Advertisement Advertise With Us KIMBERLEY KIELLEY/THE BRANDON SUN Claude the cat and his fur sister Chloe were found in their owners' condo the day after the fire at 1400 Pacific Ave. on Tuesday. Owners Kyle and Jessica Brennan said heat from the fire could be felt two blocks away. But, everyone is safe and sound. Claude the cat is safe and sound after he and his fur sister Chloe were rescued the day after the fire at 1400 Pacific Ave. forced more than 100 people including their owners to evacuate their homes Tuesday. For Kyle and Jessica Brennan, finding their fur babies was all that mattered to the young couple, who had just purchased their condo at Valley View Condominiums the month before. "We dont have anything. Just the clothes we were wearing. Just our cellphones. Kyle, luckily enough, carries his ID and his QR code in his phone case," Jessica said. Although their first-floor unit didnt sustain the same fire damage as the buildings top floor which was eaten alive by flames Tuesday night Jessica said "weve heard theres a lot of flooding and water damage." The couple moved in Aug. 1 and took possession of their first home one month prior. It was the first home the couple purchased. Theyve been married for five years. Theyve had one cat for five years and the other one for three. Both are rescues. Their oldest one, Claude, is the worlds best cat, according to Jessica. "He is the most friendliest cat in the world. Hes a Maine Coon mix and weighs 13 pounds. "Hes a sweetheart. Hes Kyles cat." Chloe is three years old and a bit more timid. Shes Jessicas cat. "Shes attached to my hip and sleeps right beside me. Shes my baby." When the couple bought their condo, Kyle loaded up on insurance plans. "I bought every type of insurance I could think of. I didnt know what I was getting into," he said. The night of the fire, Jessica had an online lecture for school at home on her computer. Kyle was at his parents house helping tear down a deck. Kyle got home at about 8:30 p.m. "I had finished my lecture," Jessica said. "He said the moon is real cool tonight. Its a full moon and a harvest moon. Its huge and beautiful. And I love astronomy," she said. Then he asked her if she wanted to go see it. "Absolutely I wanna go see it," Jessica recalled. "We hopped in the car at 8:45 p.m. We were going to be gone for half an hour at the most. And headed down Veterans Way and Shilo Road. We pulled over (and) took some pictures." Kyles mother sent a text. "Is your building on fire?" the text read. "Someone said the Pacific building is on fire." "We were like, no. Because Friday there was a fire in our building. How likely is it that twice in a week theres a fire in our building? "Earlier in the evening, I had heard a bunch of sirens going off and I was thinking thats what she was referring to. So no, it must have been something else." Ten minutes later, they could see an orange ball of flames light up the sky from where they were. The couple raced home, just in case. "I pulled open Facebook and it was 1400 Pacific Avenue. It was our building," Jessica said. "We both started bawling. We felt terrible. We finally got back and parked on the side of the road and he ran towards the building. I got out. My dad was coming. I said to him, Look, our building is on fire and I dont know what to do. And he said Ill meet you there." For the couple, all they could think of was their cats. "We dont care if everything is gone, but our cats are in there." "When we got to the building, I was begging one of the firefighters to throw a rock through our patio door to give them a chance. I said, please, can you just grab a rock and just smash the patio door so if they can see it, they can try to get out. Anything at this point. But they said it was so hot, they couldnt even get close to do that." "At that point, we were like, thats it. If they cant get close enough to throw a rock through a window," Jessica said. "You could feel the heat from the fire two blocks away. I couldnt imagine what the heat was like in that building." Kyle said. At that point, the Brennans had given up hope. "We were both devastated and so we just stood there for another three hours, just watching. It was almost 11:30 p.m." Jessica said. "We were the last ones of the whole area to leave," Kyle said. "If I turned around and walked away, any strand of hope I was holding onto Im giving up on. And I couldnt walk away from that," she said. "At that point, for me, it was easier to accept that hopefully, they had just passed easy and not worry about it than spend the night thinking that they were still there, suffering through all of it," Jessica said. They headed to the Victoria Inn, where emergency services were ushering evacuees. "The city blew us away at how everything with how well they pulled everything together so quickly. They had pizza ordered. They had hotel rooms ready. They had water. The city was on it so fast. We were so impressed with that," Jessica said. They met a girl who lived on the fourth floor. She just came to Brandon three weeks ago from another country to go to school. "She had nothing. So we stood with her for a while. I gave her my phone number to call me if I could help her." That night, sleep evaded them. "We kept waking up with terrible dreams and just being devastated." A chance Facebook post the next day pulled the Brennans into locating their cats one more time. A woman couldnt locate her cat and asked a firefighter to break the glass patio door to allow the feline to escape. The couple raced down to the apartment building and approached a couple of firefighters and asked if there was anything they could do to rescue their cats. "Before I finished my sentence, two of the three guys were putting their stuff on, ready to go in." With Claude in his arms, the firefighter handed him over to the Brennans. "I was like, oh, my God! Theyve got Claude!" Jessica said. "And I just dropped to my knees," Kyle said. "Claude just jumped into Kyles arms. He was soaked up to his nose," Jessica said. Wet, stressed and crying, Claude cuddled into Kyles arms. Judging by the size of Claude, Jessica and Kyle figure their apartment had to have at least a foot of water in it. "I looked at the firefighter. I didnt even have to say anything. I think he knew what about Chloe?" Chloe was fine, he assured her, but had attacked him. The Brennans prepared themselves to wait until they were allowed back into their building and went to leave. As fate would have it, a woman stopped to offer her help to locate the Brennans cats after seeing a post on Facebook. "I turned around and looked. The same firefighter was walking out of the building with the other guy with just a pillowcase, just writhing around." They had finally captured the terrified kitty in a pillowcase and came to deliver her to her owner. "I took it and held her against my chest. She was still in the pillowcase. She melted into me. She couldnt see me, but she knew." "We were both just crying. We were so happy they were alive. It was unbelievable because we were convinced they were gone. We took them to the vet this morning and theyre fine. Thank God." The young couple lost everything, as did many others who lived in the building. But Brandon residents have stepped up for the residents of the decimated building, Jessica said. "A lot of the stuff weve lost has already been offered to us. Its insane." Even the vet bill for Claude and Chloe was covered. "Weve said if there are people in that building that dont have anything, please, let us know so we can help you, too. Were so lucky. Were so fortunate." "The cats are fine. Everything else can be replaced," Kyle said. "As soon as we got them, we said, our family is together. We can make it through the rest." kkielley@brandonsun.com A judge said she is tired of seeing a man in court who admitted on Thursday to stealing gas while riding in a stolen vehicle. Advertisement Advertise With Us A judge said she is tired of seeing a man in court who admitted on Thursday to stealing gas while riding in a stolen vehicle. Cody Cardinal, 39, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to theft from a Neepawa gas station and failing to attend for court. At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2021, an employee at Fas Gas in Neepawa called police to report a theft, Crown attorney Yaso Mathu told the court. He said there were two men in a vehicle with a Manitoba licence plate. When officers ran the plate number, it came back stolen out of Brandon, Mathu said. Police went to the gas station to get video surveillance and obtained still photos of the suspects. Mathu said the suspects pulled up to the pumps and Cardinal got out of the passenger side to pump gas. He then went inside the gas stations store to pay for it, but left, saying he didnt have a card on him. "Instead, he got back in the vehicle and the vehicle drove off," she said, adding he stole approximately $30 worth of gas. Police identified Cardinal through the stations security camera footage. The accused was arrested in Brandon later the same day, Mathu said. Then, on July 15, he missed court. The Crown recommended a total sentence of between 35 and 40 days in jail followed by a year of unsupervised probation. Defence lawyer Bob Harrison said Cardinal accepts responsibility for the crimes and he has issues with addiction. "Like most people, unfortunately, its crystal meth," Harrison said. Cardinal wants treatment for his addiction to help stabilize his life and is willing to put in the work, he said. He recommended a sentence of time already served in jail and to pay restitution to the gas station for the stolen gas. Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said she was tired of seeing Cardinal in court. "Nothing is going to change until you get tired of being here and until you get tired of going in and out of jail," she said to Cardinal. "I hope the time has come. Youre saying the right things, but thats easy enough to do. The real test is whether you follow through and actually take any action in terms of what youre saying." She sentenced him to 30 days in jail time served for the theft and 15 days in jail for missing court, followed by 18 months of probation. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ Dr. Arnold Tweed is now a two-time author, with his latest book, Glendenning Days, having been officially released earlier this month. Advertisement Advertise With Us Dr. Arnold Tweed is now a two-time author, with his latest book, "Glendenning Days," having been officially released earlier this month. Unlike Tweeds debut book, which exclusively focused on his medical career, this new project reaches further back into the past, delving into his childhood growing up on a farm in rural Westman. KIM LANGEN/THE KILLARNEY GUIDE Dr. Arnold Tweed poses for a photo with his new book, "Glendenning Days," which was released earlier this month. In fact, the title of this book is a reference to Glendenning School No. 552, a one-room country school located near Killarney that Tweed attended for seven years. Talking to the Sun on Tuesday, Tweed, 82, said he didnt stop at writing down his own experiences. The first part of the book solely focuses on his ancestors journey from England to the Canadian Prairies throughout the 19th century, which is meant to provide readers with a broader picture of how agricultural living has changed over the last two centuries. "This is a very different book," Tweed said. "This is part memoir, its part family history, and thats entangled with the pioneer history and pioneer settlement. And its also a review of what I see as important changes that have occurred over my lifetime, really from the pioneer times to the present." Of course, tackling this kind of subject matter required a lot of research, forcing Tweed to visit historic homesteads, work with small-town museums and unearth old land claims over the last two years. However, the physician admits he didnt always find the information he wanted, since 19th-century recordkeeping is famously shoddy in certain areas. "Ships didnt even keep passenger lists at that time," he said. "The only records that have been preserved, really, are parish church records, and some of them have even been lost." As a result, some early sections of the book veer off into the realm of what Tweed calls "creative non-fiction," since he needed to provide some level of interpretation to fill in the gaps. "A lot of what Ive written in this book is purely speculation," he said. "Its based on whats plausible from the records that do exist, but any personal details have to be speculation." However, Tweed didnt take as many creative liberties with the middle section of "Glendenning Days," since those chapters are pulled directly from his own memories of living on a farm in Westman. While the act of writing about his childhood proved nostalgic for Tweed, he also thinks these vignettes bolster the broader goal with this book, which is to provide a link from his familys agricultural past to what that kind of lifestyle looks like in 2021. "I kind of view my childhood as sort of dovetailing into the very end of the pioneer period," he said. "I was born just before the Second World War, in 1939 so Ive lived through a huge transition period; a transition period virtually from almost the horse-and-buggy days, party lines on telephones, the telegraph, things like that, right through to the digital age." Of course, Tweed gradually shifted away from this kind of agricultural lifestyle as he grew up, studying science at Brandon College and eventually obtaining his MD from the University of Manitoba in 1964. From there, Tweeds medical career took him all over the world and involved everything from general practice to emergency medicine to intensive care. While he is now retired and living in Toronto, Tweed told the Sun he and his wife Glenyce make the pilgrimage back to Westman every summer in order to re-establish their emotional and cultural connections with the region. "Our summer house is only a couple miles from where my last school was, where the Glendenning School was," he said. "So we certainly have an attachment to (this area). Were still Prairie people, even though we live in the Big Smoke." With this in mind, Tweed thought it was important to give readers an authentic look at rural living in southern Manitoba through "Glendenning Days," especially since that period of history is gradually slipping from public consciousness as time moves forward. "I thought it was worth recording while I was still able to write," he said. Anyone looking to pick up a copy of "Glendenning Days" can visit the JAV David Museum in Killarney on Saturday, between 2 and 4 p.m., to catch Tweed promoting the book in person. Otherwise, Tweed said the best way to purchase his new book is through amazon.ca. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter: @KyleDarbyson Former Nazi death-squad member Helmut Oberlander has died in the midst of a decades-long deportation battle with the federal government, prompting Jewish rights organizations to express frustration that his legal saga never reached completion. Former Nazi death-squad member Helmut Oberlander has died in the midst of a decades-long deportation battle with the federal government, prompting Jewish rights organizations to express frustration that his legal saga never reached completion. Oberlander's family said Thursday that the 97-year-old died peacefully while surrounded by loved ones. The federal government had stripped Oberlander of his citizenship several times revocations he repeatedly fought in court. Earlier this month, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada began a hearing on whether he could remain in the country or be returned to Germany. His lawyer, Ronald Poulton, sought a stay in those proceedings, partially due to Oberlander's declining physical and mental health. The decision maker in the case adjourned proceedings to consider the application, but didn't set a date for her finding. Michael Levitt, president of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, said there was a "great sadness justice was never done." "What about those that perished in the Holocaust at the hands of that Nazi unit?" Levitt said. "They didn't get to die peacefully at home surrounded by their families. They got their dignity, their lives, everything taken away from them." He said it's time to close the chapter on Oberlander and remember victims of the Holocaust instead. Levitt, a former Liberal member of Parliament, also said it was time to reflect on the failures of the case. "Moving forward we should be much stronger and we should commit to making sure that our justice system can better deal with war criminals in Canada," he said. B'nai Brith Canada said it was frustrated with Canada's failure to deport Oberlander. "The peaceful demise of Helmut Oberlander on Canadian soil is a stain on our national conscience," Michael Mostyn, CEO of Bnai Brith Canada, said in a statement. "The fact is that this country slammed its doors on Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, then allowed some of their tormentors into Canada and failed to deport them." Bernie Farber, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, who has been following Oberlander's case since the late 1980s, said the justice and immigration systems must be changed to better deal with alleged war criminals. "If we don't change the laws now, all of this 60-year ordeal will have been for absolutely nothing," said Farber, who is currently chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. "He played the system." Jeffrey MacDonald, a spokesman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the government does not take citizenship revocation lightly. He said it recognizes that it is necessary in cases of fraud, false representation or where the individual knowingly concealed material circumstances. "While this case is now over, the government is determined to deny safe haven in Canada to war criminals and persons believed to have committed or been complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide," he said in an email. Oberlander who had been living in Waterloo, Ont. served from 1941 to 1943 as an interpreter with the Ek 10a unit, which was part of a larger group of death squads responsible for killing more than two million people, most of them Jews. He said he was conscripted into duty as a teenager on threat of death and that he never participated in any killings. Oberlander arrived in Canada in 1954 and became a Canadian citizen six years later, but he did not disclose his wartime experience when entering the country or on his citizenship application. In June 2017, the federal government revoked Oberlander's Canadian citizenship for the fourth time since the mid-1990s. It maintained Oberlander was complicit in war crimes by belonging to the death squad. Courts have repeatedly agreed Oberlanders citizenship should be revoked on the grounds that he lied about his participation in the Nazi squad. Paul Daly, the research chair in administrative law and governance at the University of Ottawa, said Oberlander's case was unusual because he had held Canadian citizenship, which afforded him the right to fight the government's revocation efforts in court. In many cases, Daly said, crimes against humanity often come to light during the citizenship approval process with the Immigration and Refugee Board. That body has its own faster appeals and review process, he said. "With Mr. Oberlander, because he was a Canadian citizen and had his citizenship revoked, that's completely different and he has the right to legally challenge the revocation," Daly said. In late 2019, the Supreme Court refused to hear Oberlander's case. That set the stage for his immigration admissibility hearing a few weeks ago. He tried to bar the public from those proceedings but wasn't successful. The Immigration and Refugee Board said Oberlander's lawyer reported that his client died on Monday. A board spokeswoman said the Immigration Minister agreed that the admissibility hearing should be terminated in light of Oberlander's death. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021. WHITEHORSE - The RCMP and Yukons Department of Education acknowledged failures as they apologized for the handling of a sexual assault investigation at Hidden Valley Elementary School in Whitehorse. WHITEHORSE - The RCMP and Yukons Department of Education acknowledged failures as they apologized for the handling of a sexual assault investigation at Hidden Valley Elementary School in Whitehorse. We should have done better," RCMP Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard said during a news conference on Thursday. "We should have been more diligent." In November 2019, police were told that a student had been sexually assaulted by an education assistant at the school. While the staff member was quickly removed from the school, other parents were never informed of the incident and there was no attempt made to identify more potential victims. A followup investigation was launched more than a year later when two other potential victims were identified. At the time of the investigation, we did not have specific information that there were possibly other victims involved and the investigation remained focused on the safety and the privacy of the first victim and their family, said Sheppard. Investigators should have known, given the accused was a teacher's aide, he said. "As such, it is clear to me we should have done better." William Auclair-Bellemare, 34, pleaded guilty to sexual interference and was convicted on Jan. 18, 2021. He spent six months in jail before release on probation. Auclair-Bellemare was charged Sept. 10 with four sex-related counts, including sexual exploitation of a person with a disability, in relation to two other students at the school. None of the current allegations have been proven in court. Sheppard told the news conference that police should have worked more closely with partners at the school to look for other potential victims. "We did not do that, Sheppard added. A review of the investigation has been launched by the E Division Major Crimes Unit in British Columbia, he said. Sheppard said the number of people involved in the file may have contributed to the confusion. I think Ill be in a better position to comment on where key mistakes are made, and possibly by whom, once the complete review is completed, he said. Parents at Hidden Valley Elementary School found out about the allegations in July, over a year after the original charges were laid, when media outlets reported on a civil lawsuit brought forward against the government by a parent of the victim. On Thursday, deputy minister of education Nicole Morgan acknowledged it was a failure to not communicate directly with parents. The Department of Education fully acknowledges the trust of families at Hidden Valley School was broken, said Morgan. "For this, we are sorry. We heard a desire for a public review of our policies and procedures. Morgan said during the criminal investigation department officials struggled with the tension between our obligation to protect a students privacy and their dignity and that of the families and publics right to know. Her apology came after a closed-door meeting between RCMP, the department and parents at the school on Wednesday. Minister of Education Jeanie McLean was not present at the news conference but did attend the meeting. Morgan said the department now has a list of action items from parents, including a public review of policies across all Yukon schools to prevent similar incidents. Sheppard said the investigation into the original incident began on Nov. 17, 2019, with a report from child protective services. The student was interviewed the next day and Auclair-Bellemare was removed immediately from the school. In July, local media outlets reported on a civil lawsuit against Auclair-Bellemare and the school by the parent of the victim, alleging the school failed in its duty to protect children. Other parents came forward and the subsequent RCMP follow up identified two more alleged victims, resulting in the new charges against the man. Auclair-Bellemare was released on bail on Sept. 13 with court-ordered conditions restricting his interaction with minors and he is awaiting his next court appearance. (Yukon News) This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021. The SNC-Lavalin legal saga was thrust back into the spotlight Thursday after the RCMP announced they've charged two former executives and the engineering company itself for allegedly paying bribes to obtain a Montreal bridge repair contract. The SNC-Lavalin headquarters is seen in Montreal on February 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson The SNC-Lavalin legal saga was thrust back into the spotlight Thursday after the RCMP announced they've charged two former executives and the engineering company itself for allegedly paying bribes to obtain a Montreal bridge repair contract. Former SNC-Lavalin vice-president Normand Morin and former SNC-Lavalin International Inc. vice-president Kamal Francis, along with SNC-Lavalin and its subsidiary, have each been charged with forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud against the government, and conspiracy to commit fraud against the government. The two former executives have been released from custody and are due to appear in a Montreal court on Sept. 27 along with representatives from SNC-Lavalin and SNC-Lavalin International. The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) has agreed to send an invitation to negotiate a remedial agreement with SNC-Lavalin and SNC-Lavalin International Inc. The invitation went out on Thursday. Neither executive is eligible for such an offer. Such a deal, a so-called deferred prosecution agreement, would allow SNC-Lavalin to continue doing business with the governments of Quebec, Canada and abroad. "It also reduces the negative consequences on employees, retirees, customers and shareholders of organizations," the DPCP said in a statement. SNC-Lavalin said it welcomes the opportunity to negotiate an agreement to resolve these charges that promote accountability while also permitting the company to continue to do business and protect the livelihoods of employees, clients, investors and other stakeholders. ''I want to emphasize that these charges stem from events that took place nearly 20 years ago, involving former employees who left the company years ago and who no longer have any involvement with our organization," stated CEO Ian Edwards. He said the company has made great strides over the past decade and today operates at the highest ethical standards. "We see this as a further step to put the past behind us and allow the company to focus on the future." The RCMP said the charges are the result of a complex investigation dubbed Project Agrafe ("Staple") that started in 2013. It said the investigation was carried out by the Sensitive and International Investigations division of the force, which is mandated to investigate criminal activity that poses a threat to Canada's government institutions, public officials, the integrity of the Crown, or that imperils Canada's political, economic and social integrity. Once the investigation was complete, the RCMP said it passed on its evidence to Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecution to proceed with formalizing the charges and warrants of arrest. The charges date back to events that took place between 1997 and 2004. Michel Fournier, former president and CEO of the Federal Bridge Corp., admitted to receiving bribes from SNC-Lavalin worth $2.23 million related to a $128-million Jacques-Cartier Bridge repair project through Swiss bank accounts. Fournier of Victoria, B.C., was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in 2017 and has since received full parole. After retiring in 2004, Fournier created an offshore shell company in the Virgin Islands to bring the bribe money back to Canada, according to court documents. The government was only able to confiscate $775,000 of the bribes because Fournier lost a significant amount of money in the stock market. SNC-Lavalin was previously charged with bribery and fraud in relation to its past work in Libya, which was at the centre of the high-profile 2019 battle between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould. In December 2019, the company reached an agreement in which its construction division pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud, accompanied by a $280-million fine, while other charges related to acts committed in Libya between 2001 and 2011 were set aside. The company retained the right to bid on federal government contracts. SNC-Lavalin was an issue during the 2019 federal election and surfaced again in the election this year after Wilson-Raybould wrote a book that touched on the criminal prosecution of the company and her testimony that senior party leaders pressed her to halt the case for political reasons. Trudeau said during the recent campaign that the matter had been thoroughly dissected in parliamentary committee hearings, newspaper articles and other testimony prior to the last federal election. He said the RCMP had never contacted him regarding the SNC affair. The Liberals won another minority government on Monday. Industry analysts downplayed the significance of the latest charges and potential penalty on SNC-Lavalin. Yuri Lynk of Canaccord Genuity said the development doesn't diminish his "bullish stance on SNC in the least." He said investors shouldn't be taken off-guard because alleged improprieties surrounding the company's involvement in the bridge have been in the news for years and SNC has warned that potential charges are a risk. Lynk added in a report that the potential financial penalty shouldn't be significant given that the magnitude of the gains was small and SNC lost money on the project. The past fine of $280 million payable over five years was for $127 million in bribes, compared with $2.23 million in bribes in this instance. "Based on this, we estimate a fine related to the Jacques Cartier Bridge would be in the tens of millions of dollars range," he wrote, noting that SNC has more than $660 million in cash. "We view this as a bump in the road leading to SNC's recovery." Analyst Maxim Sytchev of National Bank Financial said he expects a quicker resolution to these charges because SNC-Lavalin would want to quickly sit down with the federal government, whereas last time it was not invited to negotiate an agreement. "Given the long-dated nature of the contract and its small size, we believe any charges would be commensurate with the infraction," he wrote in a note to clients. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:SNC) European automakers are in discussions with Australian rare earths explorer Arafura Resources about sourcing elements that help power electric cars from outside China, which dominates global supply. The miner is developing the $1 billion Nolans project in the Northern Territory that will cover as much as 10 per cent of global demand for the type of rare earths used in permanent magnets for electric motors. Crucially, Arafura plans to process ores close to its site, ensuring direct oversight of the treatment of toxic waste products at the project it bought in 2001. Rare earth concentrate ready for processing. Electric cars require vast amounts of battery raw materials like lithium, nickel and cobalt. Credit:Trevor Collens We have engagement with European manufacturers to directly supply them with material, Chief Financial Officer Peter Sherrington said in an interview, adding that he expects to ink deals before the end of the year because talks are advancing to volumes and price. New rules on sustainability and traceability have opened carmakers minds up to the need of this. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Who would want to be a company director? It might seem like a prestigious job to be on the board of BHP, Rio Tinto or Commonwealth Bank, or any company in the ASX 200. But the pay is relatively modest, the hours formidable if you do the job properly and the risks are enormous. Directors are typically the first to be blamed in courts, inquiries and royal commissions when something goes horribly wrong. Theres a lot more accountability and risk today, but I dont think that necessarily puts off the best candidates, says John Mullen, who chairs Telstra and Brambles. And that is being reflected in the demand at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, where applications to do its directors course remain strong. The [director] networks are there whether you like it or not, says Telstra and Brambles chairman John Mullen. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Guy Farrow, country manager at advisory and recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles, says most individuals seeking to join the boardrooms of big public companies are driven by the desire to apply their knowledge and experience. People do it for the intellectual challenge, he says. They are looking for the opportunity to give back. They want to be in organisations where they can contribute to the strategy and success of a business. People do it for the right reasons. Farrow says few take on the board roles for the money as many are already well-to-do. Still, a director with four ASX 200 boards seats could make close to $1 million. At Commonwealth Bank, one of the countrys largest public companies, the salary of a non-executive director, excluding the chair, is around $350,000 annually, while at the smallest companies in the ASX 200, a directors role can pay between $30,000 and $50,000. A chair of the biggest companies in the country can make between half a million and $800,000 a year. Still, those sums are relatively modest compared to the salary of a senior executive or partner in a legal or accounting firm. I wouldnt do the roles Im doing for the financial side of it, says Richard Goyder, a former Wesfarmers chief executive, who now chairs Woodside, Qantas and the AFL Commission. I do them because, hopefully, I can add some value and enjoy it, and enjoy the people Im working with. But there are some pretty serious consequences if you miss something and that can be inadvertent. Catherine Livingstone, who chairs Commonwealth Bank and is chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney, says many potential and existing directors are cognisant of the higher risk, but agrees with Mullen that there remains appetite among good people to join boards. Still, she says, there are some who have said its not something theyre prepared to take on, or prepared to take on any longer, which is a shame. Advertisement There are different pathways to becoming a public company board director with some people starting out on arts, medical or not-for-profits boards, and using that as a stepping stone. At those smaller boards, individuals can work alongside directors who are already on listed boards, and build experience and connections before graduating to something bigger. If a chief executive or senior executive of a public company transitions to a full-time board career, they are unlikely to have trouble finding seats on other boards depending on their reputation. And that has been the case for executives over many years from Gordon Cairns, Paul OSullivan to Terry Bowen. Another route to joining a board is through one of the myriad networks that make it possible to get in front of other board directors. These include lobby groups such as Chief Executive Women, the Business Council of Australia, and private groups such as the OConnell Street Associates, Macquaries alumni, and a group of directors who work out of offices with David Gonski. Gonski, who chairs Sydney Airport and investment bank Barrenjoey, and is the UNSW chancellor, remains one of the most influential directors in the country through his extensive connections to a multitude of boards. Nicola Wakefield Evans, a board director at Lendlease and Macquarie, says networks serve an important purpose for those wanting to join boards. People who have the ability to pick up the phone to a chair or be able to provide a reference for you if youre being considered for a board role. If you dont have those networks, its actually very difficult. You need to be able to look around the board table and think, can I work when things arent going right with this group of people? says Lendlease and Macquarie director Nicola Wakefield Evans. Credit:Janie Barrett Advertisement However, others argue such networks hinder fresh talent from entering the director pool and often end up promoting a closed group of the same people onto boards. The networks are there whether you like it or not, says John Mullen. Unfortunately, that again tends to lead everybody to socialise and congregate with those like themselves. Graeme Samuel, a board director and a former chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, says it is the incumbent director network that prevents fresh blood from being added to Australias biggest company boards. What concerns me is weve got really terrific people with exceptional experience, who would be outstanding directors on boards, but often boards are looking for a name. It makes it harder for people to get on the ladder. What boards have to ask themselves is do they want skills or a name? And how are potential directors going to be names if you dont appoint them and try them out and get them involved? If youre leading companies in the corporate arena, then open your minds thats what Catherine Livingstone did at Commonwealth Bank with appointments like Genevieve Bell. Samuel, a professorial fellow at Monash Universitys Business School, chairs private company Lorica Health, industry group Airlines for Australia and New Zealand, and is the president of not-for-profit Dementia Australia. Other directors have found a pathway into boardrooms after being mentored. Bob Every, a former chair of Wesfarmers, Boral, Iluka Resources and BHP executive, has mentored future board directors, as has Woolworths chair Gordon Cairns and Gonski. Gonski has mentored and supported women, in particular, on boards, for more than a decade and is admired because his efforts were well in advance of the societal push to have more female directors at the helm of some of the countrys biggest companies. Gonski has worked with many female directors, among them Maxine Brenner, Catherine Brenner, Illana Atlas, Jillian Broadbent, Alison Deans and Alison Watkins. Loading Gordon Cairns has also mentored directors including Nicola Wakefield Evans and Scott Perkins. If you want to have a board career you need to have groups of people whove worked with you, who know you; who would be comfortable in either mentoring you or sponsoring you for board roles, says Wakefield Evans. She first met Cairns when she worked as a lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, where she would later become managing partner. Advertisement Wakefield Evans, who is also a director of Viva Energy, the Clean Energy Finance Corporate, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the 30% Club Australia, was also a member of the OConnell Street Associates until the end of last year. The latter is a group of board directors with offices in Sydney who provide board advisory services and mentoring. OConnell Street Associates has existed for four decades and directors can only join by invitation. Bob Every was also a member for 15 years. For any individual joining an ASX 200 organisation, the advice from other directors and company advisers is to do the research on other board members, so you know what youre getting into rather than crossing your fingers and hoping its going to turn out okay. The worst-case scenario for any director is to join a board that is dysfunctional or where the other directors dont share your ethics or cultural expectations. I look through the accounts. I want to see what the story is if there are any things that Id be worried about and thats what gets me comfortable. Nicola Wakefield Evans, Lendlease and Macquarie director Directors are typically expected to serve a minimum of one term of three years. Departing after one term still raises eyebrows and triggers gossip as Simon McKeons departure did from AMP in 2016. McKeon left AMP after a three-year term, of which he served two as chair, with little transparency around the reasons for his decision. AMP has claimed more than its fair share of scalps of directors, chairs and chief executive in the past three decades, perhaps more than any other ASX 200 company. When approached for advice about becoming a board director, Every has a couple of rules that he shares. Look at whos around the table. If you decide to take on a board seat youve got to make a commitment, say, for five years. Second, ask where you can add value. I dont see any point going on a board unless you feel you can add value. Third, make sure you get a good feeling for the relationship between the chairman and the CEO because if thats not healthy or not good, dont go near it because that puts non-executive directors in an impossible position. I dont mean that the CEO and chair need to be best buddies, but there must be a challenging and probing relationship thats based on respect, and most importantly transparency, where information flows without being spun or distorted. Mullen says the chair and CEO relationship is critical. Ive seen that good and bad. When its not good, you start getting factions around the board. It breaks down the whole harmony of the board. Advertisement One board adviser says when the relationship between the CEO and chair is poor, its often because the chair has fallen captive to a charismatic CEO and is not challenging them enough, or the CEO believes theyre smarter than the chair and the board and prefers not to have them interfering in what he or she is doing. A board adviser, who asked not to be named, says when a CEO wants to distract a board, an old trick is to suffocate them in documentation: like dumping a 500-page board pack on the directors. The board knows it needs to be across the detail of that pack because if something fails, and its been discussed in the pack, and theyre not across it then its their problem. Chairs who are awake to such tactics wont tolerate such games and will immediately demand that CEOs and management cull board packs to half that size. Catherine Livingstone says boards are now living in an age where the amount of information available is greater than ever, which is a problem. The judgment call about what goes to the board is now much more important, she says. More and more information is not necessarily the right answer. The question, boards must ask, she says is: Whats the level of insight versus just information in the papers. Livingstones advice to any individual considering an ASX 200 board role is to be very clear about why theyre joining and to decide on which sector. Without having your own thought process and strategy behind why youre making those decisions and why you would like to be part of those boards in those sectors, youre not necessarily going to bring the best of yourself to that board. Youve got to have passion and commitment to that business. If there are discussions that are being held outside the boardroom, which really should be around the board table, then thats not helpful, says Commonwealth Bank chair Catherine Livingstone. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Livingstone made the switch from executive life, running Cochlear, to the boardroom two decades ago. What attracted her to working as a director was that she liked strategy, innovation and organisation, and having worked for much of her executive career overseas, she was keen to be based in Australia working with companies that were part of the Australian fabric. She is now one of the countrys most respected board directors. Livingstone joined the Commonwealth Bank in 2016 as a director when the organisation became engulfed in scandals to do with its insurance division and later money laundering. The scandals would force the resignation of the banks CEO Ian Narev in 2018. Livingstone had become chair of the bank one year earlier. If youre going to be a director, you have to understand the risk that youre taking, she says. Its not always obvious, can I say from a personal point of view. Being a director on a board by definition is taking on personal risk regardless of the industry, or the scale of the board. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When it appeared in 2011, Lars Von Triers Melancholia was billed as a beautiful film about the end of the world. The story was apocalyptic, the narrative slow and moody, reflecting the way sensations are muffled by depression. Tell a depressive the world ends tomorrow, and the reply might be, whatever. Some of Von Triers movies are barely watchable, but Melancholia is breathtaking, perhaps because it was so deeply personal. Although inspired by the directors experience of depression his approach is not at all clinical. If depression sounds like a medical condition, melancholia is a term with dark, romantic overtones. As we sink into another month of lockdowns and warnings about our mental health, its worth remembering that feats of heightened creativity have emerged from the psychological doldrums. Melancholia was well known to the ancient Greeks, who thought it was caused by an excess of black bile (melaina chole). It attained a cultural presence during the Renaissance, with the appearance of Durers famous woodblock print, Melancholia, in 1514. Shakespeares melancholy Dane would strut the stage in 1611, while Robert Burtons monumental treatise, The Anatomy of Melancholy, was published in 1621. Melancholia I, is a 1514 engraving by the German Renaissance master, Albrecht Durer. Credit:Getty The symbolism of Durers image has posed a never-ending challenge for interpreters. Although the winged figure resting head on hand is agreed to be the personification of melancholy, there have been countless discussions about carpenters tools, geometric solids, an hourglass, a bell, a set of scales, the rainbow on the horizon. Its one of art historys most over-determined images. The only thing that can be said with confidence is that Durer saw melancholy as a phenomenon with many roots and branches. Durers print provided Lucas Cranach with the inspiration for his own Melancholy (1532). In this painting, the winged figure on the right is retained, although she is now a distinctive Cranach girl, shown whittling away at a stick while keeping a close watch on three pudgy babies who are trying to manoeuvre a ball through a hoop. In the top left-hand corner, we see a group of sinister figures riding goats and a pig. If Durers winged woman looks gloomy, Cranachs seems positively cheerful. The putto in Durers image sits moping but Cranachs three babies are keeping busy. Theres a new emphasis in this painting, almost certainly due to Cranachs association with Martin Luther, himself a depressive, who saw melancholy as a bath of Satan. Durer presents the state as a complex spiritual and intellectual malaise but Cranach suggests it is born of idleness. Whittling sticks or playing with a ball and hoop is a devilish waste of time that may provide a moments distraction but will confer no lasting benefits on body and soul. Advertisement Loading By the late 18th century work was forgotten in favour of sentiment, as Goethes novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), had all of Europe shedding floods of tears. For the Romantics that followed, melancholy took on a morbid glamour. In Ode on Melancholy (1819), Keats lamented Beauty Beauty that must die. Despite the title of Goethes best-seller, melancholy should not be equated with simple sorrow. One can be sad about any number of things, but melancholy has sources that cant be precisely identified. Freud thought it was mourning for a loss buried deep within the unconscious. If we imagine this in pathological terms it becomes what biologist Lewis Wolpert calls malignant sadness. Yet theres also a poetic, creative aspect to melancholy in the way an artist, writer or composer adapts to life within in a grey cloud. By embracing the condition, trying to give form and definition to a pervasive blankness, the artist finds a way to overcome its ravages. Theres also a poetic, creative aspect to melancholy. By embracing the condition, the artist finds a way to overcome its ravages. When Gerard Manley Hopkins writes: No worst, there is none, or Coleridge: A grief without a pang, void, dark and drear, they are giving verbal form to an inchoate feeling. In String Quartet No. 6 (Op.18), Beethoven wrote the subtitle La Malinconia (aka Melancholy) over the final movement. The first movement of his String Quartet No. 14 (Op.131), written 26 years later, may be even more melancholic. Beethoven was bipolar, given to extremes of rage, paranoia and enthusiasm, but regardless of incessant physical and mental ailments, he had a superhuman ability to channel his energies, both positive and negative, into his work. One of the reasons we find the melancholy movements of his string quartets so deeply affecting is that they bear the stamp of the composers own suffering An exhibition on melancholy held in Paris and Berlin in 2006 featured Caspar David Friedrichs The Monk by the sea (1808-10) the cover of the catalogue. In this painting, we see the tiny figure of a monk standing alone on a promontory, beneath a huge, blue-grey sky. Set under the infinite span of the heavens, and by implication, God, the monk is an insignificant figure. The melancholy of the picture comes from the realisation of our own insignificance, of the vanity of all human strivings and ambitions. Advertisement Monk by the Sea (1808-10) by Caspar David Friedrich. Credit:Hulton/Getty We know that Friedrich was a depressive, described by his protege, Carl Gustav Carus, as surrounded by a thick, gloomy cloud of spiritual uncertainty. This must have been a common enough feeling among those brought up in the Lutheran faith, but it took a great artist to express those feelings in landscapes imbued with an almost palpable sense of yearning. In the works of later artists Gods absence is taken for granted. Edvard Munchs Melancholy (1891), which uses the conventional motif of the hand supporting the head, was based on a friends failed love affair, but it was a theme to which the artist would often return. This is hardly surprising as Munchs entire life was a study in misery and melancholia, leading to his temporary hospitalisation in 1908. Edvard Munchs Melancholy (1894-95) Credit:Getty In Melancholy a figure with a vacant expression sits alone by the seashore. His still, sombre presence is at odds with the swirling forms of a landscape in which light and dark are in lively competition. This is characteristic of melancholy, which renders the sufferer oblivious to everything outside the self and can strike in the light of day as well as the night. Mourning the end of a love affair is a worldly matter, but it may trigger the state of sustained numbness and indifference with which Munch himself was so well acquainted. In the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico, melancholy takes on a very different guise. The Surrealists admired De Chirico, but he was contemptuous of their antics and repelled by the very idea of Modernism. He declared himself the founder, and possibly the only true exponent, of Metaphysical Painting. Its not easy to define this style, which set out to use concrete images to capture things that lie beyond the visible. De Chiricos motifs - statues and mannequins; empty piazzas raked by long shadows; biscuits and gloves - are imbued with his own version of melancholy, reflecting his consciousness of a culture in decline. Italian painter Giorgio De Chirico in his studio, c 1925 Credit:Roger Viollet via Getty Images Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size I rang Brian, my oldest and one of my dearest friends, and asked if hed like to watch Nitram with me. On the fatal Sunday afternoon of April 28, 1996, Brian, then a police constable, was choppered along with another constable to the Port Arthur historic site, the first police there and, until armed reinforcements arrived two hours later, the only police. As the chopper landed, he was shocked to see scores of people emerging out of hiding places under buildings and in trees and running towards them, believing he would protect them should the gunman, who had only left a short time before, return. Nothing could have prepared Brian for what he now discovered: the dead everywhere, the dying, the many wounded. Brian quickly gathered that the gunman had a high-powered semi-automatic hunting rifle, murderous at a great distance. Tasmanian police at the time were armed with a small revolver, the Smith & Wesson .38. In Tasmania, everyone has a story from that time - their own or that of a friend, a relative, a workmate. Credit:Anthony Johnson/Fairfax I remember Brian pointing to our kitchen door. I am a fair shot, he explained. And with a Smith & Wesson, I could hit a target in that doorway. But beyond that? Probably not. If the gunman returned Brian knew he would not be able to protect those who now trusted him to keep them safe. And that knowledge tormented him terribly: what he would have done, what he could have done, and could not have done, what might have unfolded on his watch. Advertisement When there were reports of gunfire at the nearby Fox & Hounds Inn, Brian, with only his revolver, went to investigate. I still get upset thinking of his courage in doing that, not knowing what fate awaited him. Art must say the unsayable: Tasmanian artist Rodney Poples painting, Port Arthur, won the Glover Prize for landscape in 2012. Credit:Courtesy of Rodney Pople In Tasmania, everyone has a story from that time their own or that of a friend, a relative, a workmate. The close intertwining of society here meant no one was unaffected. And in that way of connection, I became a friend of Justin Kurzel when he married another friend, the actor Essie Davis, whom I knew through her brothers who were good friends of both mine and Brians. My mother taught Essies father, George, a celebrated painter. My sister taught Martin Bryant, the Port Arthur mass murderer. Everyone has a story, and in Tasmania every story connects. In Tasmania, everyone has a story from that time... The close intertwining of society here meant no one was unaffected. Kurzel became a director. With the screenwriter Shaun Grant, he made Snowtown and now Nitram. They are working on a television adaptation of my novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. There is a line in that novel: Man survives by his ability to forget but freedom exists in the space of memory. Its about a character in the book. Its also about Tasmania. Grant had told me how he had been sickened by the gun culture in Los Angeles where he had moved to work as a screenwriter. One day, he saw a television news report on children being trained at a local school to survive a massacre. Horrified, he wrote the screenplay of Nitram in a frenzied eight weeks, fashioning out of the Australian story of the Port Arthur massacre an argument, an answer to the madness that consumes American society. It was his attempt to stop things like Port Arthur recurring. Advertisement When controversy engulfed the making of Nitram last year fundamentally misrepresenting the purpose and focus of a film no one had seen and, in the way of social media, exaggerating and amplifying that misrepresentation I understood why some survivors would have no desire to see the film. But I did not agree with those, no matter their experience, who said this film should not be made, or, once it was made, say that it should not be shown. Sickened by American gun culture, writer Shaun Grant wrote Nitram in eight frenzied weeks. Credit:AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Nor did I agree with those arts bodies which abandoned the project despite the reputation of the filmmakers and their intent, almost ensuring it was never made. Film Victorias board declined to fund it because of the subject matter. Screen Australias board declined to fund it because of the subject matter. To make the film, its makers and actors had to help finance it out of their own pockets. Loading Worse, the Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein didnt reply to offers of a meeting with Kurzel so that he might explain his intentions and address fears about the film. Tasmanian Attorney-General, Elise Archer, declined meeting with Kurzel and producer Nick Batzias denying them the ability to access the Victims of Crime Service to allay Port Arthur victims concerns that the film was in any way insensitive or exploitative. Archer, who is also the Arts Minister, wrote to Batzias, I do not believe it is appropriate for the Tasmanian government to lend support or enter into discussion regarding this project. And what is this Tasmanian Liberal government that refused to support an anti-gun film made by Tasmanias most eminent director? Advertisement Well, it is the same Liberal government that days before the 2018 Tasmanian election was revealed to have made a secret deal with a firearms consultation group to soften gun laws. The then police minister and former Liberal state leader, Rene Hidding presently facing child sexual interference allegations in the civil court, allegations he vehemently denies promised shooters the Tasmanian Liberal government planned to soften the states gun laws, extending gun licences from five to 10 years, abolishing mandatory weapon removal for minor breaches of firearm storage laws, allowing certain specialists to use presently banned guns, and pushing nationally to allow a greater range of sporting shooters to use pump-action and rapid-fire shotguns. Essie Davis as Helen in Nitram. These promises, which did not become public until the eve of the election, would have breached the national firearms agreement and were not supported by the Federal Coalition government of the day. It was one more chapter in the long and strangely entwined history of the Tasmanian Liberal Party and the gun lobby which in the past, according to Roland Browne, vice-chairman of Gun Control Australia, wrote the states gun laws. In 1985 the then Robin Gray-led Liberal government subsidised a Hobart factory to manufacture semi-automatic military rifles, one of which, after the Port Arthur massacre, was found in Martin Bryants home. In the wake of two Melbourne mass shootings in 1987 the same Tasmanian Liberal government succeeded in frustrating national gun controls being introduced, leading the then premier of NSW, Barrie Unsworth, to declare, It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun reform in Australia. I come from a society of silence and silencing. Martin Bryant understood something of this. I come from a society of silence and silencing. Martin Bryant understood something of this. A lot of violence has happened there, he reportedly later said of Port Arthur. It must be the most violent place in Australia. It seemed the right place. The penitentiary building: It must be the most violent place in Australia. It seemed the right place, Martin Bryant reportedly said. Credit:iStock Since the time Port Arthur was a terrifying prison where convicts were subjected to what was a revolutionary program of silence and surveillance underpinned by violence, fear has been used in Tasmania to stop people living in freedom and speaking their truth. Advertisement Silence, above all, enables the abuses of power and privilege that have continued to this day on my island. And what we may think of as an historical anachronism unique only to Tasmania we now see renascent in the Morrison governments conspiratorial secrecy, evasions, and contempt for a civil societys freedom to express itself. It is perhaps no surprise that when that defiant Tasmanian, Grace Tame, said Hear me now on winning Australian of Year her words had such profound national resonance, and not only for women. For we discover to our surprise that really should be no surprise at all that we no longer function as a nation, but as sad, isolated states squabbling over vaccines, definitions, the speed or slowness of public health responses to our greatest crisis since World War II. But we shouldnt be shocked. Because we have been drifting this way for a very long time. The slow corrosion of our national institutions and our national polity now manifest as a failing central state begins not in politics but in the abandonment of any collective dreaming of who we are and what we might yet be. Judy Davis plays Mum in Nitram. We see it in the contempt shared by both Liberal and Labor for the role of art to have any place in who and what we are as a nation. I visited our national art gallery in Canberra in June to discover that this great institution at our centre born of a bi-partisan vision of Australia not as a federated set of colonies but as a true outward-looking nation open to many voices, established under Harold Holt, begun under Gough Whitlam and completed under Malcolm Fraser now so reduced that buckets were scattered throughout to catch the dripping water from a leaking roof as if it were one of those sad dilapidated cultural institutions you might find in a collapsed state. The gallerys passionate director, Nick Mitzevich, told me last week that money has finally been found for the long-standing problem of the leaks, but that realising the immense potential of the national collections remains a struggle. We see it in the way the Australia Council is scarcely even a soup kitchen for Australian writers who, in total, receive less than $2.4 million in annual direct grants. We see the silencing most perfectly exemplified in the crisis besetting the National Archives which, similarly starved of funding despite a recent emergency top-up, now risks the loss of everything from recordings of the wartime speeches of John Curtin to the diaries of the suffragette leaders to records of the Bounty mutineers. The crisis is so extreme the Archives departing director, David Fricker, admitted that the institutions inability to maintain all its records puts it at danger of breaching its own Act, while constitutional law expert Anne Twomey described the memory of the nation, as being at risk. Advertisement Nicole Haddow moved from Melbourne to Ballarat and found a greater sense of community. I moved to the country in search of community With few friends living in her five-kilometre bubble, 2020 was a lonely year for Melbourne writer Nicole Haddow, 38, so she moved to Ballarat and found some friendly neighbours. In 2020, Id lived in Richmond for five years and had planned to be there a long time. I loved the local food and arts scene, and friends and family were always coming to catch up. But when five-kilometre travel restrictions were imposed, I was incredibly lonely. Id never met any of my neighbours and a lot of my friends had moved to the suburbs with their families. I work from home and found myself waking alone, treating myself to a takeaway coffee, and going to bed alone. Initially there were group video chats but that died off, and I really battled being with my own thoughts. The thought of going into further lockdowns made me feel anxious. At the same time, I couldnt find a tenant for my investment property an apartment prospective renters wanted a backyard in case another lockdown hit and they were stuck at home. Unable to afford the mortgage on an empty apartment, I decided to sell it. Fortunately the value had gone up in the six years Id owned it and wanting my own backyard, I started considering moving to a regional area that offered lower house prices and a sense of community spirit, lest lockdown struck again. I was overjoyed to find a sweet fixer-upper in Ballarat and moved there in May 2021. I was immediately struck by the care in the community. One neighbour brought me soup, another popped a welcome letter in the mailbox and the real estate agent invited me for dinner the day I moved in. Ive met lots of people who were also priced out of the city and have immediately been made to feel welcome. When the recent lockdowns came into place, I had people to connect with for a walk or a gday over the fence. I never would have considered moving out of the city if there hadnt been lockdowns, but there has been a real sense of ease since I moved in, with caring neighbours to make lockdowns a little more bearable. I went from professional entertainer to trampoline park manager Credit:Ollie Griffiths When James Bustar, 34, lost his livelihood as a juggler, he never could have imagined finding new skills in an ordinary job. Ive been a headline entertainer on cruise ships for the past 14 years and am normally away for 85 per cent of the year. I was at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2020 when we started to hear that COVID-19 was getting serious. Normally the last day of Adelaide Fringe is a celebration but many of us were in tears as we fielded calls from agents and managers informing us of cancelled upcoming events. What we do as entertainers is our passion, our identity and our career and suddenly overnight, it was gone. I went home to lockdown in Sydney and went into depression it was utterly devastating. I missed the adrenalin I was used to getting from the crowd, and also the [satisfaction of] giving happiness to an audience. The government advice was to get a normal job but Ive been an entertainer since I was 11 and didnt have much to put on a resume. I had no luck applying to be a supermarket shelf stacker and was trying to survive on a few hours here and there teaching circus performers. But when I saw an ad for Flip Out Trampoline Park in Caringbah, my dad helped me write a letter explaining how hard COVID-19 had hit the arts industry and basically asking them for help. They were interested in my circus experience and offered me a chance to teach trampolining for 10 hours a week. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it it was less about the money and more about keeping myself busy for my own sanity. Then I got a call from the owner asking if Id like to be manager. I was blown away and cried I was so excited to have a regular job and a great distraction from thoughts about losing my identity. I learnt that Im a good boss and Im good at business. Ive never used words like processes but I found myself improving day-to-day operations, such as streamlining emails and introducing walkie-talkies so staff could quickly communicate around the arena. It gave me a massive boost of confidence and was the saviour that got me out of depression. Recently, I was lucky enough to get an offer to join a cruise ship in Singapore and cried when I resigned from the trampoline park. It saved me. I couldnt face another lonely lockdown Living in Sydney, Samantha Hurst, 45, had always seen her Queensland family every few months, but when she really needed support, lockdowns kept them apart. When my relationship ended in July 2020, I was on my own and have never felt so isolated. My parents and brother live in Queensland and I hadnt seen them since Christmas. I was used to seeing them every couple of months so it was really tough and I had some depression. In August, borders opened briefly and I was able to fly up to see my dad and brother. I saw a clairvoyant who said, I see you living back up this way normally I take such predictions with a grain of salt but it planted a seed. I thought I belonged in Sydney and was different to who I had been when I lived in Queensland 16 years ago. But being restricted from seeing my family, I had this intense homesickness and was reassessing whats important in life, asking, What if Im still single in another 10 years so far away from family am I going to be happy about that? I run a digital company, Click Start Digital, so could work from anywhere, so decided to find a rental property on the Gold Coast and try it out, telling myself I could move back to Sydney if it didnt work out. Border closures and lockdowns meant it took months to finally get there but as soon as I arrived, everything felt like it had fallen into place. My brother lives just down the road, I see my Nanna all the time and I have reconnected with cousins who I didnt really know. My Sydney friends are all shocked they thought I would be running back but there is no way I would move back now. Its too important to have loved ones around you during these times. My family of five is travelling the outback, trying to keep clear of COVID-19 When Paul Davies wife Annemarie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in March 2020, they took their three kids, dog and nine guinea pigs to a remote family farm to protect her health and then kept travelling. My wife Annemarie is Dutch and in January 2020 we started hearing about COVID-19 from European relatives. We realised it would inevitably come to Australia and wed get locked down in the Sydney suburbs with three kids, which did not sound like fun. So we started thinking about relocating to my fathers farm in Putty, northwest of Sydney. Then Annemarie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in March and it really cemented the idea that we wanted to get away her immune system was compromised and we were worried about what would happen if she caught COVID-19. A lot of [surgical] theatres were closed at that stage, so it was going to be three months before she could be operated on so we went to the farm, stocking the garage with supplies because the nearest supermarket was 100 kilometres away and we [were trying] not to leave the premises. We were apprehensive about what was going on with COVID-19, but also grateful to be in a pretty good spot, with me able to run my insurance business remotely. After Annemaries cancer surgery in July, we took off to Queensland with three swags for a holiday while she regained her strength. But after she received positive test results and we realised how much we were all enjoying ourselves, we decided, Lets travel the country. We sold some land wed been about to build a house on in Sydney and everything we owned and bought a caravan and headed back to Queensland and on to the Northern Territory. Were now in Western Australia and have managed to keep away from [COVID outbreaks] for now. The past 18 months have opened our eyes, you realise that things change pretty quickly personally, with health and pandemic-wise and we wonder why we didnt do a trip like this sooner. A diagnosis during lockdown answered some long-standing questions for Lisette Armstrong, 41, from Sydneys Leichardt. Credit:Steven Siewert I would never have been diagnosed with ADHD if it werent for COVID-19 mental health support When lockdown triggered major anxiety for Lisette Armstrong, 41, from Leichardt, she was finally able to learn how her brain ticks. When I first heard people talk about buying masks, I scoffed. I thought [COVID-19] was all a bit of a conspiracy theory but then I started to hear about it hitting Italy and New York I read some harrowing accounts and it got pretty dark. I run a commercial kitchen, Treat Dreams, and employ a lot of international students and I felt a lot of pressure to keep them safe we were sanitising every light switch and bench every two hours and also keep the business profitable to protect their livelihoods. That dual responsibility weighed heavily and I was quite stressed and started getting panic attacks. I felt really panicked about the state of the world and what I could and couldnt control. I had a meltdown at the supermarket and in Australia Post, confronting people because it felt like they werent taking social distancing seriously. I went to see a clinical psychologist who surprised me by suggesting I may have ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]. I was confused because to me, ADHD [occurs in] the naughty boy in class who is bouncing up and down in his chair and wont shut up. Im the highly-strung, over-planner, emotional, sensitive daydreamer who reads books. But after learning about it, I was bawling and finally felt seen. Now that I know, it feels like a veil has been lifted I make sense to me now. My theory is that neuro-typical people have constant maintenance going on in their lives, chipping away at something persistently daily or weekly. Whereas things always reach crisis point for me and Im bouncing from one fire to the next. Ive often been unwilling to make commitments because Im worried that in the next moment I wont have the capacity. Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli is lobbying the state government to allow unvaccinated people to worship in person when the state reopens, warning that a double-dose COVID-19 vaccine requirement in exchange for certain freedoms could lead to a two-class society. With Victoria expected to emerge from lockdown within weeks, religious groups have called on the government to allow them to open up to their entire communities amid growing fears they will be forced to shut out those who have refused to be vaccinated. Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli at St Patricks Cathedral on Easter Sunday. Credit:Luis Ascui Under the governments reopening strategy, religious services of up to 50 people will be allowed outdoors with social-distancing requirements, once 70 per cent of Victorians over 16 are fully vaccinated. When 80 per cent of eligible Victorians have had both doses, weddings, funerals, and religious services will return for 150 fully vaccinated people indoors and 500 outdoors. However, Archbishop Comensoli told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that while Catholics were being strongly encouraged to get vaccinated, the notion of a vaccine passport system in which church services or events are offered only to those who can prove they are fully inoculated against COVID-19 could risk creating social division. Queenslands Deputy Premier has warned that Queenslanders could get Delta for Christmas, referring to the highly contagious variant of coronavirus, if the state opened its borders too early. Steven Miles was responding to questions on Friday about when the state would open its borders, after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hit back at questions on the issue on Thursday. Deputy Premier Steven Miles has warned of Delta for Christmas if Queensland opens its borders too early. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images Mr Miles said the debate around the reopening had turned bizarre and he again accused the federal government of trying to force the Queensland governments hand. Ive been out a lot in Queensland and talking to Queenslanders, and what they tell me is that Delta is the gift they do not want from Scott Morrison, the Deputy Premier said. The Queensland government claims an afternoon of confusion over its offer of NRL tickets as vaccine incentives could have been avoided if the Prime Minister had changed the rules months ago as he promised. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has now changed its guidelines around offering vaccine incentives from only being available to people who are fully vaccinated to including people who have had their first dose. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has accused the federal government of undermining a vaccine incentive scheme. Credit:Matt Dennien It followed confusion on Thursday after the Palaszczuk governments plan to offer thousands of NRL finals tickets to people who came forward for a jab at selected Brisbane vaccine hubs hit a snag when journalists pointed out offering tickets to people getting their first dose was against TGA guidelines. That prompted a snap 4pm media conference where a visibly angry Queensland Health Minister Yvette DAth called the revelation bureaucracy gone mad and suggested the federal government was trying to undermine Queensland vaccination efforts. A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force had spoken to the union this week. We understand the concerns raised following the protests on September 18. Victoria Police continually review our operational response to protests as per standard procedure, she said. Protesters walking towards Melbournes West Gate Bridge. Credit:Jason South Saturdays confronting scenes were the first in a series of protests that police struggled to contain this week after thousands of anti-vaccination and anti-government demonstrators pledged to march every day in defiance of public health orders, shutting down swaths of the CBD and the West Gate Bridge. Hundreds of people were arrested and police eventually deployed heavy-duty anti-riot and counter-terrorism measures before crowds were brought under control on Wednesday. This included the first known use of the Bearcat armoured vehicle at a public gathering, as well as the deployment of specialist riot police firing tear gas, capsicum rounds and rubber bullets and the Special Operations Group (SOG), which is normally used to confront armed offenders and terrorists. The crackdown also included a ban on media helicopters from flying over the CBD to live-stream the protest on Wednesday, which police claimed was helping protesters to avoid crowd control measures. The unprecedented move which came after media organisations refused to agree to a timing delay of one hour in airing the footage proved to be futile when a court struck down the ban the following day. Protests planned for Thursday and Friday have failed to materialise beyond small gatherings. But it was the apparent failure of police command to protect its officers at the Saturday protests that is now the subject of an internal police inquiry in cooperation with the police union. Loading The bungled deployment has caused serious friction between the Police Association and Victoria Police command, according to police sources not authorised to speak on the record. After 4000 protestors had flooded the CBD for an anti-lockdown protest in late August, Victoria Police took the unprecedented step of shutting down public transport and establishing roadblocks to cut off access to the city ahead of Saturdays planned protests. With anti-riot officers assembled at key points in the CBD to confront anyone who slipped through the net, protesters used Telegram and other social media platforms to mass at a fallback position in Richmond. There, dozens of uniformed police officers without riot equipment were left to confront hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom pelted them with rocks and bottles as they pushed through the suburb. The Police Association has also flagged concerns about Victoria Polices wider strategy for containing the protests over the past week, which saw thousands of demonstrators range freely through the CBD, inner suburbs and halt traffic over the West Gate Bridge. There are matters of ongoing importance to our members in this environment that we will continue to discuss with Victoria Police. We will not outline them publicly, given the operational sensitivities associated with these matters, the association said. The anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday. Credit:Chris Hopkins Dr Terry Goldsworthy, a crimonologist and former police officer of 28 years, said police found themselves in an unusually and uncomfortably political position enforcing public health directions over the past 18 months. Law enforcement is having to enforce social regulations like almost never before. Social cohesion is starting to break down and the result is a greater risk to police and greater scrutiny on what theyre doing, said Dr Goldsworthy, an associate professor at Bond University. Police were clearly caught short in not proactively snuffing out protests on Tuesday that culminated in the march across the West Gate Bridge, he said. Their tactics became more effective after that. Dr Goldsworthy was not critical of polices use of weaponry and tactics to disperse crowds this week, outside of an incident on Saturday where an elderly lady was pepper sprayed by police as she laid on the ground. Every actions must be authorised, justified or excused by the law. Police are trained to respond to direct threats to you or someone else and that woman did not fall in that category, Dr Goldsworthy said. Even in situations where officers feel like theyve been hung out to to dry, its not a free for all where the rules dont apply. Loading The offices of Daniel Andrews and Gladys Berejiklian are considering how to manage defamation risks on their social media pages, as Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said he would turn off comments on some posts on his Facebook page due to a High Court ruling. Mr Gutwein announced the move on his Facebook page on Friday, referencing the High Court ruling this month that found media companies are legally responsible for allegedly defamatory comments users leave on their public pages even if they were not aware of the comments. We know social media is a 24/7 medium, however, our moderation capabilities are not. As a result, there will be some changes to how users can interact with this page going forward, Mr Gutwein posted. While our page is monitored closely, there may be some posts which have commenting capabilities turned off or user contributions restricted. The diplomatic fallout from an old ally in Europe following Australias abrupt switch from French diesel-electric to American nuclear propulsion serves to remind us that submarines have long had the capacity to cause unintended consequences if not approached with care. More than a century ago, a brief signal from one of Australias first submarines accidentally consigned ANZAC troops to eight months of misery and death instead of them being withdrawn after a hellish first day on Gallipoli. Australias new submarines based on US tech may not be in operation until the late 2030s. And then, not so long ago, the bungled development of an expensive new fleet of subs veered into high farce when the navy was reduced to ferreting around an inland country town for a spare part lest the nation find itself without a working submarine at all. On April 25, 1915, a little Australian submarine called the AE2, having dived beneath minefields and Turkish warships that tried to ram it, the crew almost asphyxiating, managed to sail beyond the Dardanelles and into the Sea of Marmara, north-east of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The International Monetary Fund has urged Australia to increase its climate action by clamping down on industrial pollution, as moderate Liberals back Treasurer Josh Frydenbergs call for the federal government to sign up to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. IMF Australia mission chief Harald Finger said given Australia was not using a carbon price to drive down greenhouse gases, it should toughen the rules around industrial emissions. Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Australia will lose its economic edge if it doesnt commit to net zero emissions by 2050. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He said many countries had adopted a net zero target and if Australia were to join [them] we would welcome that. Carbon pricing was the most effective way to transition to a lower emissions economy, Mr Finger said, warning Australias so-called safeguard mechanism had not been very binding. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size For six days, the Indonesians knew something big was coming from Australia. At a meeting in Jakarta on September 9, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne let her friend, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, know a major shift was coming. The Foreign Minister of Australia mentioned there will be an announcement, but at the time we didnt receive any information [about] what sort of announcement because I assume at that time it was not final yet, Retno said this week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison meets with US President Joe Biden in New York this week. Credit:Ilya Savenok The following Wednesday, Payne messaged Retno hours before the announcement of the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the United States and Britain to share military technology and help Canberra build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the face of Beijings growing aggression and military might. The two ministers then talked over the phone, and Retno told Payne she hoped Australia would uphold its obligations to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its commitment to contribute to the peace and stability of the region. I mentioned to my good friend Marise that Indonesia really hopes Australia will fulfil that commitment, Retno said. Advertisement Since then, Malaysia has gone even further in expressing its reservations about the agreement, saying this week it will now consult China on how to react to the development. And French President Emmanuel Macron is continuing to snub Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisons offer of a phone call after he was infuriated by Australias decision to dump a $90 billion submarine agreement with Paris and instead negotiate the AUKUS deal behind his back. Loading All of this contrasts sharply with Morrisons week-long trip to New York and Washington. His interactions with the Americans have been glowing: not just with President Joe Biden, but also Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. The first physical leaders meeting of the Quad grouping Australia, the US, Japan and India was expected to have a similar air of friendliness to it on Friday. A week after the announcement of AUKUS, Australia finds itself at the forefront of world politics in a way it has never before been. Frozen out in Europe, feted in Washington, alarming some of its south-east Asian neighbours, and backed in by the Quad, these are unfamiliar times for little old Australia. And questions are being asked about whether weve got the right diplomatic skills and resources to perform on the world stage. The Anglosphere is back When announcing AUKUS, Morrison described it as a forever partnership, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was an agreement among kindred nations. This led to a perception it was an alliance, when it is not. AUKUS is an agreement to share military technology including nuclear submarine capability, long-range missiles, cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and undersea drones. Advertisement Former senior diplomat and intelligence official Allan Gyngell, now national president of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, says Australia sent a problematic message to the region that the Anglosphere is back. It reinforces perspectives that Australia is not really a legitimate part of the region, but a junior partner in a three-way partnership between English-speaking countries, Gyngell says. However much we say Asia is important to us, it is clear that home is where the heart is and the heart is with our two great and powerful friends. Some south-east Asian countries were also said to be uneasy with the focus on values and democracy. Many countries in the region are anxious about the growing assertiveness of China but they arent liberal democracies. They dont see a nexus between liberal democratic values and the need to counterbalance a stronger, more aggressive China. More to talk about: Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, left, with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi during their meeting in Jakarta on September 9. Credit:AP The reaction of the region to the substance of the agreement Australia developing a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines has been wildly mixed, reflective of the regions diversity. While Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed concerns, China predictably blasted the three countries for an extremely irresponsible move that gravely undermines regional peace and stability. Singapore has said it is entirely comfortable with the announcement and has told Canberra privately it would host Australian nuclear-powered submarines. Advertisement The Philippines, a long-time ally of the US, also expressed support, with its Foreign Secretary, Teodoro Locsin, saying the deal should restore and keep balance rather than destabilise it. Vietnam, which is famously noncommittal on the public stage but has been involved in multiple territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, released a statement that said the development of nuclear energy must serve peaceful purposes. Loading Australian officials were most concerned with Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Husseins statement that he would visit Beijing soon to get the views of their leadership, particularly their defence, on AUKUS and what could be their action. As the closest south-east Asian nation to Australia and a growing power in the region, Indonesia is thought to have the most substantial concerns about Canberra getting a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. After the announcement, Jakarta insisted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) release a joint statement on the defence pact, which was to reflect some of the concerns in the Malaysian and Indonesian remarks. Retno and Payne met again in New York on Wednesday, where nuclear-powered submarines topped the agenda. Curiously, the ASEAN statement has now been held up and it is unclear whether it will ever be released. Advertisement The Australian government is acutely aware of the sensitivities throughout south-east Asia and will send senior officials to visit multiple countries in the coming months. Senior Defence officials have already been briefing their counterparts, while there have been ambassador-to-ambassador meetings throughout the region. With the emergence of new formations such as the Quad and AUKUS, south-east Asian nations have been concerned about the power of ASEAN weakening. Australian diplomats have been insisting the nation is committed to ASEAN centrality in both private meetings and public statements. Gyngell says Australia needs to be careful not to dismiss the concerns of south-east Asian nations, adding we always look to vindication of our own positions and prejudices. Europes fury Further afield, the Morrison government is most concerned about the repercussions in Europe, where there is visceral anger stemming from the AUKUS agreement being negotiated in secret all year even though the US and Britain are key members of NATO. On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, European Council President Charles Michel reminded Morrison of the need for transparency and loyalty during an awkward encounter, while German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described the agreement as unsettling. Advertisement He oversimplified how simple it would be to run a country, he told John Howards biographer, David Barnett, years later. But Kortlang said Elliott would have satisfied the Liberal Partys messiah complex. He was the messiah that could have delivered that for them. They certainly warmed to him, they certainly saw him as powerful. Elliott, who had saved the Melbourne Cup, taken Fosters to the world and was chairman and chief executive of Elders, was going to persuade Liberal MP Roger Shipton to quit his seat so he could take over. Hed later claim that more than half of the federal Liberal MPs had spoken to him and asked him to enter Parliament and stand for the leadership. He wasnt thinking about running to be a minister. There was just one problem. Shipton would not budge, despite being asked to name his price by a group of wealthy Melbourne businessmen backing Elliott. Elliott would plead that he was never directly involved, but admitted he was later told they threw the kitchen sink at him. Board positions, $400,000 in directors fees, international travel and there was even overtures made to secure him an overseas posting. Then, with Shipton publicly declaring on television he was not standing aside for anybody, the climate within his business dealings dramatically changed and, eventually, the dream was dashed. Elliott would go on to concede that most businessmen would make terrible politicians. I think, in hindsight, he would have blown up the country, former Victorian premier, friend and long-time sparring partner Jeff Kennett recalled on Friday. Loading I mean he was a force of nature but I think he later came to realise that politics and business is not a good mix. He was certainly at his best advising politicians about business, but I dont think he could ever have been successful as a politician. He just didnt have the temperament. But it was very real. It nearly came off. Kennett said Elliotts legacy to the party is through The 500 Club a Liberal fundraising organisation that helped bankroll his own win at the 1992 Victorian election. He said corporate Melbourne quickly found out that if you werent part of The 500 Club, then you werent a mover or shaker in corporate or political life. The functions that John Elliott held, there was no holding back, he said. They were loud, they were colourful, everyone was there. He was always very opinionated, but he was always opinionated in the things that he believed in. A scallywag, obnoxious when he wanted to be. That was John, he was larger than life. Elliott, who became a Liberal member in 1970, would serve as Victorian Liberal Party treasurer and federal treasurer from 1985 to 1987 and eventually become president for three years following the partys election loss. And Howard, who was losing support within his party room and among voters, would be a victim of Elliotts bravado. I thought Elliott was a very unfortunate federal president for the Liberal Party, Howard would say years later. Although I supported him coming into the position after the 1987 election, he just couldnt play the quiet role. Howard was furious that Elliott had dumped on the party the day before a 1988 byelection in Adelaide. I went for him, I said it was an irresponsible act and disloyal to me and unhelpful, Howard told an ABC documentary in 1994. He wanted the leadership for himself and I think he always wanted it, sort of, the day after we won the election. Howard, who of course would later become Australias second longest-serving prime minister, put any grievances aside long ago. He said on Friday that if anyone fitted the description of being a larger than life character it was Elliott. He brought enthusiasm to everything he did, be it business, sport or politics. John was a resilient man who always bounced back from any adversity, he said. Loading Michael Kroger, a long-time Liberal powerbroker who was deputy chairman of the Higgins branch, says Elliotts contribution to the party through fundraising was remarkable. With [former Melbourne lord mayor] Ron Walker, John was the partys greatest-ever fundraiser. When the Liberal Party was friendless in the late 1980s, John Elliott publicly stood up for our principles and beliefs, he said. Angela Merkels final act will be to see off populism in Germany. By exiting the political arena, Germanys secret populist is plunging her nation back into the messy process of democracy. For the past 16 years, Merkel has captained Germany and the European Union through challenging times with dependable and unostentatious certainty. She has striven for the centre ground and, in occupying it so definitively, defended it against encroachment by political rivals. She has held the opposition close, forming grand coalitions that nearly smothered the German social democratic movement entirely. She is hailed everywhere as a leader, yet Merkel followed as much as she led, relentlessly pursuing the will of the Volk, even when das Volk had no inkling where what it wanted would take it. Angela Merkels time as Chancellor is coming to an end. Credit:Getty These are treacherous thoughts. Like many Germans, I have immense admiration for Merkel. Her intelligence and courage are her brand. When the puny men who feared her sought to diminish her by dubbing her Mutti, the disparagement glanced off Mummy Merkels Boadicean hide. She refused to be intimidated or diminished. There are many legends of Merkel. And yet her greatest legacy will be a void. DOYLESTOWN >> A Middletown Township couple was convicted in absentia Wednesday, Oct. 6 in a case of child neglect one doctor described as the worst hes ever seen. Albert Dunkowski, 54, and Christine Dunkowski, 47, were convicted by a Bucks County jury of three counts each of endangering the welfare of a child. The Dunkowskis appeared for the first two... has been of late and also for sometime now making some contradictory statements about its legal expenses in India. The company has claimed that it incurred a meagre expense of Rs 52 crore towards legal fees in FY20. This is out of the total expense of Rs 1,967.5 crore shown as "legal professional charges" in financial statements of Seller Services Private Limited as sourced from the website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Seller Services Private Limited is among the myriad subsidiaries the company operates in India. The online retailer has stated that "legal professional charges" incurred by it in FY20 include professional services such as customer research, merchant onboarding services, customer service cost, outsourcing, tax consultants, logistic support services, etc. This is misleading given that Advertising promotional expenses is a separate line item in the company's financial statements, and it typically includes expenses associated with customer acquisition and marketing. Payment to consultants for taxation matters and audit services are also included in the separate line items in its financial statement. It is worth noting that Amazon Seller Services Private Limited has spent Rs 2,640.3 crore under Advertising promotional expenses in FY20, up 13.28% from Rs 2,330.7 crore in FY19. The total expenses related to "legal professional charges" for FY19, and FY20 is a stupendous Rs 3,407.6 crore, that is possibly larger than the combined revenues of leading in the country. The statement made by Amazon with regards to its legal expense in India does not hold water for anyone who is informed. It is incumbent on the company to explain to what effort it has spent Rs 3,407.6 crore from one subsidiary alone towards what it has accounted for as 'legal professional charges'. Amazon has been at the centre of controversy after reports of bribery charges against its legal representatives and associated legal firms in India. The company is facing an inquiry by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over alleged anti-competitive practices and a parallel inquiry by Enforcement Directorate for violation of domestic laws. The Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGI) has also issued a show cause notice to one of its subsidiaries, Cloudtail, for evasion of GST and indirect taxes. Amazon has also legally challenged Future Group's deal with Reliance Retail to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehouse businesses to Reliance Retail Ventures. --IANS san/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Birla camp failed to nominate directors on the board of three MP Birla group companies Vindhya Telelinks, Universal Cables and Birla Cable as majority of the shareholders voted against the resolutions in the annual general meetings held on Thursday. According to the voting results available in the stock exchanges, 72 per cent of the valid votes were cast against the Birla camp resolution to appoint chartered accountant Dhanpat Ram Pal Agarwal as a director of Vindhya Telelinks. The resolution to appoint another Birla camp nominee, Shyamal Kanti Chakrabarti, was also rejected by the shareholders. The Birla camp managed to get only 28 per cent of the votes in favour of their resolutions. On Birla Cable board, Chairman Harsh Vardhan Lodha was reappointed with 83 per cent of the votes cast in favour while majority of the shareholders rejected the Birla camp nominee Satish Pradhan to their board. The shareholders of Universal Cables also rejected the appointment of both Agarwal and Chakrabarti on their board. The AGM of MP Birla groups flagship, Birla Corporation will be held on September 29. The Birlas are seeking to appoint one of their nominees on the board of Punjab Produce and Trading, an investment company, filed nominations seeking appointment of two directors on the boards of all three cable In two of them, Vindhya Telelinks and Universal Cables, they tried to remove justice (retired) Dilip Ganesh Karnik, who was seeking reappointment as director In Birla Cable, the Birla camp had sought to remove Harsh Vardhan Lodha, currently the chairman of the MP Birla group. In a statement, the MP Birla group said all these resolutions, which were aimed at interfering with the management of the professionally run companies, were defeated comprehensively. The boards of the MP Birla had deliberated over these nominations and strongly recommended shareholders to vote against them in view of potential conflict of interest if these persons were elected. Its a landmark victory over years of mischievous acts, and one of the most memorable ones in 17 years of the proxy war being waged against the wishes of the late Priyamvada Birla, said Debanjan Mandal, partner, Fox & Mandal. It gives us immense confidence to take on much more. Two of the three members of the APL Committee, or the court appointed panel of administrators overseeing the estate of Priyamvada Birla, have in the past couple years made repeated attempts to grab control of investment companies, trusts and societies of the MP Birla Group with the ultimate aim of influencing the operations of the listed In 2020, they unlawfully altered the boards of several investment companies, one of them being Punjab Produce, the statement said. This was legally challenged almost immediately, but the dispute over the legitimacy of Punjab Produces board has yet to come up for hearing at the Calcutta High Court. Simultaneously, two members of the APL Committee Justice (retired) Mohit S Shah and AC Chakrabortti demanded that Lodha step down as chairman of all MP Birla group entities, citing a contentious verdict passed by a single judge of the Calcutta High Court in September last year. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court later comprising chief justice had clarified in an interim order that Lodha was only barred from holding office on the strength of the shares of Priyamvada Birlas estate, allowing him to continue as chairman of the MP Birla group. Even so, the two members of the APL Committee alleged contempt of court and wrote threatening letters seeking to pressure the operating companies to remove Lodha as chairman. Lodha has, in the meantime, applied to court for removal of both these administrators, Shah and Chakraborti, from the APL Committee on grounds of bias and illegality of their actions. These petitions seeking their removal are yet to be heard. Allegations of contempt of court against Lodha and directors of operating companies were quashed by a division bench of the Calcutta HC, and its decision upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year. The apex court also instructed the Calcutta HC to dispose of all outstanding legal disputes arising out of the said verdict of the single judge within March 31, 2022. We remain fully confident that all tactics aimed at obstructing the professional management of the operating companies from acting independently will fail. Our client continues to have full confidence in the judiciary, Mandal said. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Japanese air conditioning major Daikin has become the first company to acquire land for a new factory under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for white goods. The India unit of the multinational, Daikin India, on Friday finished the purchase agreement for a 75-acre plant at Sri City (Andhra Pradesh) to set up a large air-conditioner (AC) manufacturing plant, which will come up in phases. Internal estimates suggested that Daikin would have to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase. The plant, expected to start operations from 2023, will have a total capacity of 1.5 million units per year and may create up to 3,000 jobs. It will serve both domestic and international markets. Daikin wants to make India its manufacturing hub to serve markets such as West Asia, Sri Lanka, South America, and Africa," the company said. According to industry sources, Daikin has so far invested over Rs 2,000 crore in India to set up its two factories and a research and development (R&D) centre at Neemrana, Rajasthan. The company said the new plant would be under the for ACs, for which it had already applied. Apart from finished AC units, it plans to manufacture key AC components that the government is aggressively pushing for. Currently, 75 per cent of the AC components (by value) used in India are imported from China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Daikin plans to export ACs once the third plant comes up. With the penetration of ACs being the lowest at 5-6 per cent of the Indian households compared to other large appliances, domestic demand has been growing in healthy double-digits in recent years (except in 2020). For the AC segment, as a strategy, we are increasing our focus on markets that are witnessing rapid growth. India is the fastest-growing market for us. Daikin has a very clear strategic intent to enhance its air conditioning, air filtrations, and refrigeration portfolio, for which India has been identified as a developmental hub. We believe India has the potential to become our offshore delivery centre for R&D and exports, said Kanwal Jeet Jawa, chairman and managing director at Daikin India. Three people, including gangster Jitendra Mann 'Gogi', died in a firing incident Friday at Delhi's court, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said the assailants were in the uniform of advocate when they fired at Gogi. Police team also fired in return, the DCP said. The assailants opened fire at gangster Jitender Mann 'Gogi' when he was brought to Delhi's court by police for a hearing, said Police. Gogi was arrested by the special cell in April. He was involved in the killing of Haryana-based singer 22-year-old Harshita Dahiya, who was gunned down by assailants in 2017 in Panipat. Gogi carried a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh in Delhi and Rs 2.5 lakh in Haryana. "Two criminals opened fire at gangster (Jitender Mann) 'Gogi' when he was taken to the (Rohini) court for a hearing. In retaliation, police shot dead both the attackers. One of them was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000," Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told ANI. A turf war broke out inside a crowded Rohini courtroom on Friday between two rival gangs in which jailed gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi and his two assailants posing as lawyers were killed in the dramatic shootout that also saw police fire bullets in retaliation, officials said. Video footage of the incident, which exposed security lapses in the system, showed policemen and lawyers rushing out in panic as gunshots rang out inside courtroom number 207. The two gunmen dressed as lawyers are suspected to be members of rival Tillu gang, an official said, adding that over 30 shots were fired. Witnesses said a law intern has also sustained bullet injury in her leg and some also claimed that the gang members pumped 10 bullets into Gogi, one of Delhis most wanted criminals. Sources said that Gogi received about seven bullet injuries, even as there was no official confirmation from police on this. Police said the incident happened around 1.15 pm when Gogi, who was involved in over 30 heinous crimes, was taken to the courtroom for a hearing. The armed assailants, who had 0.38 bore and 0.30 bore pistols, were already seated before Gogi entered the courtroom. Although metal detectors were at the gates of the court, it was not known whether they were working or not, and how the armed men could get past, raising questions about security arrangements. Advocate Sunil Tomar, who was present in the courtroom for his client's bail matters, said there were 15-17 people in the court of judge Gagandeep Singh when the gangsters opened fire. As Gogi entered the courtroom, two persons, who were dressed as lawyers, whipped out their pistols and suddenly opened fire upon him. After hearing gunshots, people started running to save their lives and the judge also went back to his office just behind the courtroom, Tomar told PTI. For the first 15 minutes, I could not figure out what was happening there. Gogi was taken to Rohini court by a 10-member team of Third Battalion of Delhi Armed Police Force. They were also accompanied by personnel of special cell team of Delhi Police. When Gogi entered the courtroom, the two assailants in lawyers' uniform opened fire on him. Immediately, the personnel from the counterintelligence team retaliated and the two assailants died on the spot, a police officer said. One commando had AK-47. They were inside the courtroom and fired a single shot on the head of one of the assailants and he was shot dead. Despite firing from an AK-47, our personnel fired in complete control and there was no collateral damage. No one else sustained any injuries. It was a controlled firing, the officer claimed. The joint commissioner of police (northern range) has been asked to enquire into the incident and submit a report. Meanwhile, a case has been registered and is being handled by Crime Branch of Delhi Police. Lawyers bodies in Delhi have demanded a probe into the shootout and called abstaining from work Saturday demanding enhanced security norms inside all the seven district premises in the national capital. The 'Coordination Committee of all District Bar Associations in Delhi' called for suspension of work on Saturday and said it will decide the further course of action in a meeting that has been called for Monday. Police said that it is suspected that Tillu gang was behind the incident. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has ordered a judicial probe into a firing incident that took place in Dhalpur killing two policemen in Darrang district during an anti-encroachment drive. As per the official notification, the inquiry would be conducted under the chairmanship of a retired Judge of Gauhati High Court. "The Government in the Home and Political Departments have decided to institute an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of two civilians and injury of several others including police personnel in the firing incident that took place at Dhalpur area in Sipajhar Revenue Circle, under Darrang District on September 23, 2021," it stated. Violence broke out on Thursday in Sipajhar of Darrang district in during an anti-encroachment drive. Superintendent of Police (SP), Darrang Sushanta Biswa Sarma said that people at the spot pelted stones and attacked police personnel. He further said that nine policemen were injured in the incident. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinas Foreign Ministry called a report by a U.S. cybersecurity company entirely made up, denying claims that had targeted an Indian government agency and a media conglomerate. Recorded Future Inc. said Chinese state-sponsored hackers are believed to have infiltrated and likely stolen data from an Indian government agency responsible for a identification database and one of that countrys largest media companies in a report issued on Tuesday. This cybersecurity company has repeatedly fabricated similar incidents to smear the Chinese government, the foreign ministry said in a written statement Thursday. It is unprofessional and irresponsible. Any allegations should be supported by complete and adequate evidence, the foreign ministry said, adding that it firmly opposes any form of cyberattacks. Beijing had previously rejected allegations that had been responsible for other incidents, including the breach of Microsoft Exchange e-mail servers earlier this year. Recorded Future, based near Boston, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The Indian government agency also denied the report, saying it had no knowledge of such a breach and that its database was encrypted and only available to users with multifactor authentication. Bennett Coleman & Co., a media conglomerate that publishes Times of India, also dismissed the report, saying the alleged exfiltration was blocked by its cybersecurity defenses. (With assistance from Jamie Tarabay.) US President on Friday pleasantly spoke about his possible India connection during his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling a story about a man with the Biden surname writing to him when he was first elected as a Senator in 1972. Recalling the incident when he was in Mumbai as the US vice president in 2013, Biden said that he was asked about if he has any relatives in India. "I said I'm not sure but when I was elected as a 29-year-old kid in 1972, before I was sworn in, I got a letter from a person named Biden, last name, from Mumbai. I was never able to follow up," he said. He said that the next morning, the press told him that there were five Bidensn living in India. Elaborating more on this, Biden jokingly said, "there was a Captain George Biden in the East India tea company. That is hard for an Irish person to admit. I shouldn't be so casual. I hope you are able to understand the humour. The end result was that he apparently stayed and married an Indian woman." "I have never been able to track it down so the whole purpose of this meeting is to help me figure it out," Biden said, triggering laughter among those present in the meeting room, including Prime Minister Modi. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two years ago, when Brazilian President favorably promoted the idea of labor for children as young as eight or nine, his minister for Human Rights, Family, and Women shot back: Let us be clear that for children to work is a violation of their rights, something that cannot be allowed. The Brazilian Forum for the Prevention and Eradication of publicly expressed its vehement repudiation of the statement of Mr. Jair BolsonaroThe declaration reveals a total disregard for the 1988 Federal Constitutionwhich prohibits all forms of under the age of 16. According to the International Labor Organizations latest report last fall, despite years of declining rates worldwide, child labor is indeed on the rise again. And the increase began before COVID exacerbated the situation. Shortly before Bolsonaro issued his statement, more than a dozen anti-child labor organizations from Central and South America came together in Costa Rica to take stock of the struggle and make plans for 2021, the UN-designated Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. One challenge had become clear: the surge in right-wing authoritarian governments across Latin America has threatened years of progress. This is particularly worrying, said Kailash Satyarthi, founder of the Global March Against Child Labor, in 2019, since Latin America has seen some of the most significant progress over the past decade to eliminate child labor. Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his decades of rescuing tens of thousands of child laborers and advocating for the rights of children. From the viciously anti-civil rights platform of Bolsonaro to the string of authoritarian governments coming to power in Central America, child labor activists in the region feel embattled and under pressure. The forum participants from Nicaragua said flatly they would not be able to hold such a meeting of child labor groups in the current atmosphere in their country. Fortunately, the government of Costa Rica remains committed to this process and aspires to be the first country in the world to eliminate child labor. But this trend isnt limited to the Americas. Its been axiomatic that everywhere right-wing authoritarians have recently gained power they have attacked basic civil liberties including human and labor rights. And child labor is the canary in the coal-mine of all other labor rights violations. This years focus on child labor by the UN affords organizations like the Global March important advocacy opportunities. Two that were discussed in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September, and one now on the agenda of the International Labor Organization, offer democratic countries the opportunity to distinguish themselves from the authoritarians and dictators. The first of these, promoted by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the trade union umbrella organization representing 200 million workers worldwide, is the Global Fund for Social Protection. This is an effort to institutionalize more defined social safety net investments by governments and help poorer countries to protect marginalized workers. The time has come to extend social protection to the half of the worlds people who have none and to the almost 20 percent who only have only partial coverage, says Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary. Many governments are finally having to recognise the urgency of social protectionincluding unemployment protection for people who have lost their livelihoods, paid sickness benefits, and access to healthcare. The second campaign, led by Satyarthi and supported by child labor groups around the world including the Global March, is the call for a Fair Share for Children. Such provisions in the budgets of all governments would address child rights, including child labor, and provide universal quality education for all. The inequities and inequalities these initiatives were formulated to address were immensely important pre-COVID. Now with child labor again on the rise and the pandemic affecting hundreds of millions of workers and their families, the adoption of these policies is critical. So, when it comes to child labor, this is an opportunity for democracies to demonstrate which side they are on. Although the challenge is steep for poorer countries, the issue here isnt about rich countries versus poor countriesits about the values of liberal democracy and versus totalitarian impulses in countries that may also be wealthy. Beyond the UN and the ILO, the G20 presents another challenge to address this issue. South Africa, the UK, Germany, and France are some of the democracies that presumably are taking these questions seriously. But the G20 also includes Brazil, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey where relative wealth has little to do with how repressive their regimes are. With the new Biden administration bringing into the government many progressive voices on labor and human rights, it will be interesting to see which way the United States goes on these questions. The Department of Labor has demonstrated a long-term commitment to supporting organizations fighting child labor. But with these new policy options on the table, will democracies commit to practical, progressive alternatives or side with the authoritarians? India on Friday reported a net decrease of 1,478 in active cases to take its count to 300,162. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 1.62 per cent (one in 60). The country is eighth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Thursday, it added 31,382 cases to take its total caseload to 33,594,803 from 33,563,421 an increase of 0.1%. And, with 318 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 446,368, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections. With 7,220,642 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Thursday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 841,518,026. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 32,848,273 or 97.78 per cent of total caseload with 31,382 new cured cases being reported on Friday. Now the eighth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases, and first by recoveries, India has added 213,075 cases in the past 7 days. India now accounts for 1.62% of all active cases globally (one in every 60 active cases), and 9.42% of all deaths (one in every 10 deaths). India has so far administered 841,518,026 vaccine doses. That is 2504.9 per cent of its total caseload, and 60.31 per cent of its population. Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (103625936), Maharashtra (81586418), Madhya Pradesh (62457979), Gujarat (61926492), and Rajasthan (58695261). Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1043831), Gujarat (969534), Uttarakhand (957910), Delhi (951890), and Karnataka (837932). Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 29 days. The count of active cases across India on Friday saw a net reduction of 1,478, compared with 349 on Thursday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Odisha (220), Mizoram (114), Meghalaya (100), Tamil Nadu (94), and Jammu and Kashmir (81). With 32,542 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 97.78%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.33%. The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.74%), Uttarakhand (2.15%), and Maharashtra (2.13%). The rate in as many as 16 is higher than the national average. Indias new daily closed cases stand at 32,860 318 deaths and 32,542 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 0.96%. Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.1%. Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 741.7 days, and for deaths at 972.6 days. Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (19682), Maharashtra (3320), Tamil Nadu (1745), Mizoram (1257), and Andhra Pradesh (1171). Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Kerala (95.96%). India on Thursday conducted 1,565,696 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 559,932,709. The test positivity rate recorded was 2%. Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR) percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases are Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.74%), Goa (13.32%), Kerala (13.26%), Sikkim (12.49%), and Maharashtra (11.33%). Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added are Kerala (16.14%), Mizoram (14.97%), Sikkim (9.69%), Meghalaya (6.67%), and Manipur (5.66%). Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1453816), J&K (1066792), Kerala (967732), Karnataka (692370), and Telangana (661880). The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6534557), Kerala (4579283), Karnataka (2971044), Tamil Nadu (2652115), and Andhra Pradesh (2043244). Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 3320 new cases to take its tally to 6534557. Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 19682 cases to take its tally to 4579283. Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 836 cases to take its tally to 2971044. Tamil Nadu has added 1745 cases to take its tally to 2652115. Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 1171 to 2043244. Uttar Pradesh has added 11 cases to take its tally to 1709719. Delhi has added 48 cases to take its tally to 1438634. Observing that elected persons must be dealt with sternly if they themselves involve in illegal activities of land grabbing, the has directed the Namakkal district Collector to enquire into the allegations of land grabbing by Kabilakurichi panchayat president and others. If a prima facie case is identified, then appropriate actions are to be initiated, irrespective of the fact whether such persons belonged to political parties or otherwise. If there is any violation on their part, the same must be viewed seriously, Justice S M Subramaniam said in his order delivered on September 21. The judge was disposing of a writ petition from P Sankar praying for a direction to the State Home secretary and the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to consider his representation sent in November 2014 to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the mental agony and negligence in duty on the part of certain officials in the district administration and the Kabilakurichi panchayat president. According to the petitioner, who was engaged in transport business, he worked in the panchayat board election against the village panchayat board president as an opposite party worker. After the election, panchayat president and ward members indulged in land grabbing and swindled public money by creating forged bills in Kabilakurichi village panchayat. The ward members encroached upon government poromboke land and village cart-road by using their political and muscle power, he alleged. The petitioner said he questioned the same and informed the village people regarding the illegal activities. He had also submitted an application to the block development officer, Paramathi Vellore in August 2012 to conduct an enquiry as the water connection provided to his residence was disconnected, the wrong notion that water is being tapped straightaway from the main-line by using electric motor, petitioner alleged. Disposing of the petition, the judge said that elected persons involving in land grabbing activities are far more serious than that of the land grabbers who all are ordinary citizens. Thus, such land grabbers, who have got political affinity, must be prosecuted without any leniency. The power conferred on the executives, elected persons and other authorities is a sword. Such persons are expected to be mindful, dutiful and act with utmost responsibility with accountability, the judge said. In the event of indulging in any such illegal activities or heinous offences like grabbing of government land, the said allegations committed by elected persons and the executives and the authorities are to be construed as against the society at large and they must be prosecuted mercilessly. The power conferred on such authorities are provided by the people. When such powers are abused or misused, then they are acting against the will of the people and therefore, actions must be initiated without any lapse of time. Persons are elected, when public trust them. Thus, the trust and the expectation of the people are to be respected in all circumstances. Unfortunately, large-scale allegations of land grabbing by the members of the political parties or the persons in power are being traced out not only by the authorities, but the people of that locality. However, an ordinary citizen is unable to raise objections against such politically influential people or the members of the political parties. Out of fear, many such instances are not brought to the notice of the government. In these circumstances, even information through anonymous letters are to be enquired into by the government to cull out the truth, the court added. The mindset of ordinary citizens is to be considered in such circumstances. When the allegations of heinous offences including land grabbing are brought to the knowledge of the government, the district Collectors in this regard are expected to play a serious role as they will be having first hand information from the local people. Contrarily, few officials from the police or revenue department or other departments actively or passively collude with such land grabbers, who belong to political parties, the court said. The majesty of the uniformed services (police department) in all circumstances, is to be maintained without any compromise. The discipline in the department is slowly deteriorating, which is not only visible, but being experienced by the public at large. Thus, restoration of work discipline and rationalism of work allotment are of paramount importance to improve the efficiency level in the police department. Misplaced sympathy or leniency can never be an accepted character of uniformed personnel, the judge said and also directed the authorities to verify the veracity of the petitioner's complaint and take action if it was found to be false. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Immunologicals Limited which has supplied two million doses of drug substance to Bharat Biotech to make COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, is set to make ten million doses of the drug substance from December, a press release from IIL said on Friday. Lauding the efforts of the PSU for its ability to roll out the vaccine drug substance in record time, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala formally handed over the drug substance to Bharat Biotech, makers of Covaxin, it said. "To date, IIL has already supplied 2 million doses of the drug substance. It is learned that the drug substance produced by IIL has already been formulated into vaccines by BBIL ( Bharat Biotech) and is ready for use. IIL will produce three million doses a month and from December will increase it to 10 million doses," the release said. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, IIL said, the production and delivery of Covid-19 drug substance in record time is a testament to IIL's technical expertise, adaptability, state-of-art manufacturing capability, resilience, and above all a commitment to the larger cause in the interest of the nation. IIL is also developing on a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine which has many advantages and will be rolled out next year, Kumar said. The animal studies have been completed and the results are very encouraging. Human trials are also expected to start soon, he added. Krishna Ella, CMD, Bharat Biotech said it was essential that both competing organisations come together and support each other to a larger cause of national health. "If the Indian companies don't join hands, then the multinationals will take over the industry," Ella said. Set up by National Dairy Development Board , Indian Immunologicals Limited is one of the largest producers of vaccines in Asia. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President is looking forward to his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister on Friday and they will discuss and priority areas that India is "front and centre of", according to a senior administration official. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in the White House at 11 a.m. (8.30 p.m. in India) for the first time after Biden became the President. Later, they will participate in the Quad summit with Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia at 2 p.m. (11.30 p.m. in India). Briefing reporters about the two meetings, the official said: "President Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Modi on the phone a number of times and has been in virtual summits, but this is their first in-person meeting and will cover a number of priority issues that India is really front and centre of, including pandemic response, their response to climate change." They "will talk about technology issues, economic cooperation and trade, as well as and new areas of cooperation that both governments have been discussing", the official added. Asked about China's aggression against India, the official said: "We have seen actions by China that has ramped up tensions with neighbours. It's not unique to India; we've seen it in other circumstances as well and -- with Australia, with the South China Sea. And we've seen an increase in wolf warrior diplomacy in Europe." "I can assure you that Indian friends are very clear-eyed about both their desire to make sure that they are working closely with -- in communication with China to try to avert these sorts of difficulties, but also remaining resolute as well." On the summit, the official said that Biden has "indicated that he wanted to take this institution -- that's an informal gathering of leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific -- and basically lift it both to the leader level and to ensure that we are working together to build better lines of communication and strengthening cooperation and habits of cooperation amongst us". "The leaders are hopeful for an opportunity in an intimate setting to sit down and talk about issues of mutual interest and concern" as they discuss "critical issues that are confronting the Indo-Pacific -- issues associated with climate change, with matters relating to Covid", advancing infrastructure and cooperating on space and cyber-related issues. The official said that after the Quad summit with Biden, "the Quad members will meet with Vice President (Kamala) Harris for a detailed discussion on basically the capacities associated with resilience in each of our countries and compare notes on what we think is important as democracies go forward". About Biden's approach to the Indo-Pacific and the Quad, the official said that it "indicates that the Biden administration understands that the challenges of the 21st century will largely play out in the Indo-Pacific, and we are doubling down on our efforts". But reflecting the US ambiguity about the nature of the Quad and the ambivalence about institutionalising it, the official said: "I do want to underscore that the Quad is an unofficial gathering, although we have a number of working groups and we are deepening cooperation on a very daily basis." "It is also the case that it is not a regional security organisation. We are going to address particular issues associated with the challenges confronting the Indo-Pacific in the current environment. And I think that's what the leaders want to focus on," the official added. The official said that a "critical point" to note is that "we are coming out of a period of really long and consequential conflicts, and we are now doubling down on diplomacy". "This Quad is part of a larger fabric of engagement that you will see -- that you've already seen evidence of with very high-level bilateral engagements with security partners, other steps that we've taken." The Malabar Exercise included the navies of all the Quad countries in August and asked if similar joint exercises would be held with the infantries, the official said that while the naval exercise has expanded in recent years, "regularised" to include all four countries, "I'm not aware of any current discussion to go to infantry." "Developing these habits of cooperation and increasing just sort of communication and thinking about different areas of interoperability is quite important," the official added. Asked about the specific outcomes of the Quad summit, the official said that they will be announcing "a supply chain initiative, and the effort is really a detailed joint initiative to map overall capacity; identify respective vulnerabilities; and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components". A critical shortage of semiconductors has hampered the post-Covid recovery in some areas where the chips are essential ingredients. "We're also going to announce a 5G deployment and diversification effort, and this is to support the critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse, resilient, secure telecommunications ecosystem," the official said. The official added: "And we're launching an effort -- sort of a 1.5 industry dialogue -- on Open RAN (radio access network) development and adoption. So this is actually a quite well-articulated game plan about how the four countries will work together." Open RAN is an advanced system that allows different software and equipment to work together. The official said that another programme that will be unveiled is to give 25 scholarships to students from each of the Quad countries to work on master's or doctoral degrees in STEM areas at leading US universities. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister on Friday applauded the commitment and vision shown by US President for India-US ties and the world at large. Seated along with Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, Modi told the president that in 2016 and even before that in 2014 they had an opportunity to discuss India-US relations in detail. And at that time, Mr President, you had laid out a vision for India-US relationship in great detail. And really, that was a vision that was inspirational. Today, Mr President, as President, you are making all efforts and taking initiatives to implement that vision, Modi said. The prime minister said Biden mentioned very important issues after assuming charge as President of the United State and he has taken initiative to address them, be they COVID-19, climate change, or the QUAD grouping. After taking this initiative, you have made and deployed great efforts to bring them to implement your mission, he said. Today we have this opportunity to discuss all these issues in great detail, how, and after our discussions, we will look towards how we can work further together, not only for our respective countries, but for the entire world, how we can take positive action, and I am absolutely convinced that under your leadership, whatever we do, it will be extremely relevant for the entire world, Modi said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister and Japanese counterpart reviewed the multi-faceted relationship between the two countries and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments including in during first-in person meeting. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. This was PM Modi's first in-person meeting with Suga after the latter took office. The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advance efforts to facilitate the smooth and timely implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. The bilateral meeting comes a day ahead of the first in-person summit of the Quad, quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. They agreed to enhance bilateral security and defence cooperation, including in the area of defence equipment and technologies, according to a statement of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The two Prime Ministers expressed happiness at their first in-person meeting. They warmly recalled their three telephone conversations since September 2020, when Suga took office as Prime Minister of Japan. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Suga for his personal commitment and leadership, both as Prime Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary earlier, in enabling great advances in the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership over the last few years. He congratulated Prime Minister Suga for successfully hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games in the midst of a global pandemic, the statement added. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the increasing economic engagement between the two countries. They welcomed the launch of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) between India, Japan and Australia earlier this year as a collaborative mechanism to enable resilient, diversified and trustworthy supply chains. According to the statement, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need to develop bilateral partnerships in manufacturing, MSME and skill development. Prime Minister Suga informed Prime Minister Modi that in order to operationalize the Specified Skilled workers (SSW) agreement which was signed earlier this year, the Japanese side would be undertaking skill and language tests in India from early 2022. The two Prime Ministers also discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to address it. They highlighted the increasing importance of digital technologies and in this regard positively evaluated the progress in the India-Japan Digital Partnership, especially in start-ups. They exchanged views on further collaboration in various emerging technologies. Discussions also took place on climate change issues and green energy transition, and the potential for Japanese collaboration with India's Hydrogen Energy Mission. The two leaders also welcomed the progress in bilateral developmental projects in India's North Eastern Region under the India-Japan Act East Forum, and noted possibilities for further enhancement of such cooperation. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In one of the highly-anticipated engagements of his three-day US visit, Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with President at the White House on Friday. This will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President on January 20. In a departure statement ahead of his US visit, PM Modi had said that he will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla had earlier informed that PM Modi and Biden will review "robust and multifaceted" India-US bilateral ties and will hold a discussion to bolster bilateral trade and investment ties. Both leaders will discuss the current regional security situation following the recent developments in Afghanistan in a bilateral meeting on September 24, he had said. Biden will also host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders' Summit on September 24, which will be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The leaders will review progress made since their first virtual Summit on 12 March 2021 and discuss regional issues of shared interest, the Ministry of External Affairs informed in a statement on September 14. "As a part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, they will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, climate change and education. The Summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the Leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," it said. Earlier in April this year, President Biden spoke with PM Modi on a phone call, committing that the and India will work closely together in the fight against COVID-19. PM Modi was also one of the first world leaders to congratulate Biden after he became 46th President of the of America. The Prime Minister held delegation-level talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments. "Strong commitment to further deepen bilateral relations! PM and VP Kamala Harris exchanged views on recent global & regional developments. Discussed our vibrant bilateral partnership, covering emerging and critical technologies, healthcare, education and P2P linkages," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. The Prime Minister held meetings with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga, Australian PM Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India on Thursday. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. PM Modi's US visit will conclude on September 25 with an address at the United Nations General Assembly focusing on the pressing global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues. This is Prime Minister Modi's first visit abroad beyond the neighbourhood since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. PM Modi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and senior officials. The high-level session of the UNGA began on Tuesday in New York. The theme for this year's General Debate is 'Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations'. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday appealed to Indians living in the US to hold a protest during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme in New York on Saturday in support of the 10-month-long farmers' agitation at Delhi's borders. He also urged US President Joe Biden to focus on concerns of the Indian farmers during his meeting with Modi. Seeking the support of Indians in the US, the spokesperson of the BKU claimed that over 750 farmers have lost their lives during the stir against the contentious new farm laws, but the Centre is still not willing to reconsider the legislations. Modi reached the US on Wednesday on an official three-day visit for meetings with Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris, among others. He is scheduled to address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday. We appeal to all Indians living in the US. India's prime minister will be there on September 25 in New York for a programme. All Indians in the US should place a 'farmers' flag on their vehicles and raise banners of 'No Farmer No Food' and register your protest in support of farmers, Tikait said in a video message. Dear @POTUS, we the Indian Farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi. #Biden_SpeakUp4Farmers Rakesh Tikait (@RakeshTikaitBKU) September 24, 2021 It's been around 10 months since the protest started and we are all sitting here in Delhi. Over 750 of our farmers have died during the movement and the Indian government is not ready to hold talks. We have sat through winters, summers and rains in the stir, he added. In his appeal to the US president, Tikait tweeted: Dear @POTUS, we the Indian farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi (sic)." Hundreds of farmers are encamped on the three border sites of Delhi in Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November 2020 under the banner of Samyuka Kisan Morcha (SKM), demanding that the three contentious farm laws be repealed and a legal guarantee provided to them on minimum support price of crops. Tikait has been leading his BKU at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of formal dialogues with the farmers, has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian drugmaker Shilpa Medicare Limited said on Friday it had agreed to produce and supply Cadila Healthcare Ltd's three-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The country's health authorities had given emergency approval in August for Cadila's vaccine, the world's first COVID-19 DNA shot, in adults and children aged 12 years and above. Shilpa Medicare said its unit will make the vaccine's drug substance, while Cadila will package, distribute and market the shot. Cadila Healthcare and Shilpa Medicare did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests seeking details on the deal. (Reporting by Shivani Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine for people aged 65 and older or at high-risk. In a statement late Wednesday, Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said: "After considering the totality of the available scientific evidence and the deliberations of our advisory committee of independent, external experts, the FDA amended the EUA (emergency use authorization) for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to allow for a booster dose in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others. "This pandemic is dynamic and evolving, with new data about vaccine safety and effectiveness becoming available every day. "As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed," said Woodcock. The FDA said boosters were also authorised for people between the ages of 18 through 64 who are at high risk, as well as those "whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure" to the virus puts them at high risk of serious complications from the disease, Xinhua news agency. The FDA added that booster doses are to be administered at least six months after the completion of the second shot. On September 17, a panel of experts endorsed offering booster shots for those aged 65 and older, and people 16 and over who are at high risk of getting severe Covid-19 or who work in settings that make them more likely to get infected. Last month, President Joe Biden's administration proposed a plan that would have made all vaccinated Americans eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second shot, or their first in the case of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Comptroller and General G C Murmu was on Friday selected as the external of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a prestigious institution that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said his candidature received majority support of the IAEA general conference and his tenure will be for six years, from 2022 to 2027. "Today, India's Comptroller and General (CAG) has been selected as the next external auditor of the International Atomic Energy Agency for a six-year term at the General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna," the MEA said. "The CAG's bid received majority support of the IAEA General Conference for the position for which several competing bids were submitted from different countries," it said in a statement. The MEA said the election is a "recognition" of India's standing in the international community and global acknowledgement of the CAG's credentials, professionalism and experience. Murmu assumed office as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on August 8 last year. Before assuming the charge, he served as the first Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Murmu also served in various capacities in the Government of India, such as secretary of the department of expenditure, special and additional secretary in the department of financial services and department of revenue. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : will host a (GIM) in November 2022 to attracting more investments and job creation, State Minister of Large & Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani said on Friday. The State government plans to set up a bulk drug-manufacturing park in Yadgir district, he said. The Minister was replying to a question raised by Congress MLA from Chittapur Priyank Kharge during Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly. "We are organising a in November 2022 called 'Invest Karnataka' to attract more investments and push industrial growth," Nirani said. The Minister's office, in a press release, said the GIM would be held between November 2 and 4, 2022. "I will hold a discussion with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai again and confirm the date, it quoted him as saying. On the drug park, he said the government would set it up in collaboration with the Centre. The Central government will provide Rs 1,000 crore grant to set up the bulk drug park and is one of the three States chosen for this project, he said, adding that already about 1,500 acres of additional land are being acquired near Kadechur in Yadgir district for this, and there is also plan to have ATP and waste water treatment plant there. Pointing at Tata Nano opting for Gujarat in 2010, Minister Nirani said the company couldn't invest in the State due to lack of a land bank. Then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had discussed with the company chiefs to bring it to Dharwad, but the company moved to Gujarat as 1,000 acres of land were not readily available at the right time. So, we introduced the land bank concept which helped many industries set up shops here, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as the number of opting for higher overseas grows annually, their abroad spending is set to grow from current annual $28 billion to $80 billion by 2024, the latest 'Higher Abroad' report by consulting firm estimates. According to the report, the number of opting for higher abroad grew from 440,000 in 2016 to 770,000 in 2019 and is set to grow further to roughly 1.8 million by 2024, resulting in an increased overseas spending on higher education. Compared to this, the number of students domestically increased from 37 million to roughly 40 million between 2016 and 2019. Commenting on the trend, Anil Kumar, Founder & CEO at said, "Student outflow abroad for higher education is expected to grow at an accelerated pace. The current journey of these students remains fairly fragmented. Thus, there exists a white space for online first players to provide an integrated solution at scale." The report adds that most of the students are opting for postgraduate courses in English speaking or Anglophone destinations and are expected to maintain the trend in the near future. Notably, Canada has emerged as the most preferred country for abroad replacing the USA over the last 3-5 years. Furthermore, destinations such as Australia, Canada, UK and US have a higher concentration of institutions, which attract students from across the world. The US, which has over 4,000 universities across the country, offers the highest average salary levels followed by the UK and then Canada. Moreover, unlike domestic students where 84 per cent take general courses while 16 per cent take specialised courses, overseas 70 per cent outbound Indian students opt for specialised courses with only 30 per cent going for general courses. The specialised courses include computer application, nursing, engineering and technology, among others. In terms of states of origin from within India, the report finds that the majority of the student outflow is from states like Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra which are amongst the richest states in India with possibly high awareness of the educational benefits. The significant increase in outflow of students from India over the recent years are driven by factors like better educational quality and outcomes abroad, higher standards of living, gaps in the Indian education system leading to supply-demand imbalance, and upward income mobility of Indian households, among others. For instance, superior educational outcomes related to aspects like placements and salaries serve as a strong motivator for Indian students opting for overseas education. A comparison of select institutions by the report found that as against certain Indian universities yielding an annual salary after placements of USD 5000 to USD 10000, those from the UK and the UK yield between USD 80000 and USD 100,000 annually. Meanwhile, the report found that online channels emerged as the most popular mode for availing external support, driven partly by Covid-induced lockdowns. Additionally, there is a growing interest from students in the Tier 2 and 3 cities with the rise in incomes and aspirations "With the advent of Covid many online companies have reported 5-10X in user base and revenues for their services. However, online platforms have room for improvement in providing better quality services. As the ecosystem evolves with more integrated offerings, online is expected to dominate in the forecast period with higher quality services and greater student awareness of their outcomes," the report stated. The country's reserves declined by USD 1.47 billion to USD 639.642 billion in the week ended September 17, data showed on Friday. In the previous week ended September 10, 2021, the reserves had dipped by USD 1.34 billion to USD 641.113 billion. The reserves had surged by USD 8.895 billion to a lifetime high of USD 642.453 billion in the week ended September 3, 2021. During the reporting week ended September 17, 2021, the drop in the forex kitty was mainly on account of a decline in the foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves. FCAs slumped by USD 892 million to USD 577.986 billion, weekly data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves. Gold reserves were down by USD 567 million to USD 37.103 billion in the reporting week, as per the data. The special drawing rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by USD 4 million to USD 19.434 billion. The country's reserve position with the IMF also decreased by USD 8 million to USD 5.119 billion in the reporting week, the data showed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Reserve Bank on Friday issued Master Direction on loan transfer, requiring and other institutions to have a comprehensive board-approved policy for such transactions. Loan transfers are resorted to by institutions for various reasons, ranging from liquidity management, rebalancing their exposures or strategic sales. Also, a robust secondary market in will help in creating additional avenues for raising liquidity, the said. The provisions of the direction are applicable to banks, all non-banking companies (NBFCs), including housing companies (HFCs), NABARD, NHB, EXIM Bank, and SIDBI. The Master Direction has also prescribed a minimum holding period for different categories of after which they shall become eligible for transfer. "The lenders must put in place a comprehensive Board approved policy for transfer and acquisition of loan exposures under these guidelines. "These guidelines must...lay down the minimum quantitative and qualitative standards relating to due diligence, valuation, requisite IT systems for capture, storage and management of data, risk management, periodic Board level oversight, etc," said the Master Direction. Draft guidelines on Reserve Bank of India (Transfer of Loan Exposures) Directions, 2021, were released for public comments in June last year. The final direction issued on Friday has been prepared to take into account inter alia the comments received. The direction, the said came into effect immediately. As per the direction, "a loan transfer should result in immediate separation of the transferor from the risks and rewards associated with to the extent that the economic interest has been transferred". In case of any retained economic interest in the exposure by the transferor, the loan transfer agreement should specify the distribution of the principal and interest income from the transferred loan between the transferor and the transferee(s), it added. 'Transferor' means the entity which transfers the economic interest in a loan exposure, while 'transferee' refers to the entity to which the economic interest in a loan exposure is transferred. It further said a transferor "cannot re-acquire" a loan exposure, either fully or partially, that had been transferred by the entity previously, except as a part of a resolution plan. Further, "the transferee(s) should have the unfettered right to transfer or otherwise dispose of the loans free of any restraining condition to the extent of economic interest transferred to them". The master direction also provides a procedure for the transfer of loans that are not in default. Meanwhile, the also issued Master Direction on the of standard assets to facilitate their repackaging into tradable securities with different risk profiles. Observing that complicated and opaque structures could be undesirable from the point of view of financial stability, the RBI said, "Prudentially structured transactions can be an important facilitator in a well-functioning financial market in that it improves risk distribution and liquidity of lenders in originating fresh loan exposures". In its 'Master Direction Reserve Bank of India (Securitisation of Standard Assets) Directions, 2021', the central bank has specified the Minimum Retention Requirement (MRR) for different classes of assets. For underlying loans with an original maturity of 24 months or less, the MRR shall be 5 per cent of the book value of the loans being securitised. It will be 10 per cent for loans with an original maturity of more than 24 months. In the case of residential mortgage-backed securities, the MRR for the originator shall be 5 per cent of the book value of the loans being securitised, irrespective of the original maturity. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bipartisan group of American lawmakers on Friday welcomed the first-ever in-person summit hosted by US President At the invitation of President Biden, Prime Minister and his counterparts from Australia and Yoshihide Suga from Japan gathered in the American capital for the first-ever in-person summit at the Opening the summit, President Biden said the four democracies have come together to take on common challenges from Covid to climate. The US lawmakers, in a joint statement, said that the is taking critical steps to expand technological cooperation and military interoperability from the virtual heads of state summit, vaccine partnership, and supply chain resilience initiative earlier this spring to the successful exercise MALABAR last month. As the Democratic and Republican co-chairs of the Congressional Caucuses for Japan, Australia and India, we welcome the first in-person Heads of State meeting of the Quad, convened by President Joseph R Biden and attended by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide of Japan, Prime Minister of Australia and Prime Minister of India, they said. This historic meeting offers a critical opportunity to deepen cooperation with our Quad partners on security, economics, governance, global health and human rights issues to advance our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, they said. The Quad summit they said builds on critical momentum from earlier this year. In recent years, Japan, Australia and India along with countless other nations across the Indo-Pacific and beyond have all been the targets of attempted economic coercion from the People's Republic of China, the lawmakers said. The Quad is ideally positioned to build a blueprint for collective resilience against this type of aggression and assist others facing similar challenges, the lawmakers said. The Quad also has an important opportunity to engage with multilateral organisations in the Indo-Pacific, particularly ASEAN. There are also countless areas to expand cooperation between the Quad and the European Union, as well as other regional organisations in places like the Pacific Islands. This cooperation could include natural areas of mutual interest such as technology and global infrastructure. As strong supporters of United States cooperation with Japan, Australia, and India, we are excited for the Quad to deepen its cooperation across a wide range of fields this week. It is important to use opportunities such as this to expand the substance and reach of this important partnership. We in Congress stand ready to assist in this effort, they added. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China's growing military presence in the strategic region. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has met with the visiting Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly and discussed the way forward in Afghanistan, stressing on the importance of the countries to work together on the issue. A lot to focus on, starting with Afghanistan and the importance of our countries working together and going forward on Afghanistan, Blinken said during his meeting with Qureshi on Thursday in New York. Blinken appreciated the work that has done to facilitate the departure of American citizens who wish to leave Afghanistan as well as others. According to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, the two leaders discussed the way forward in Afghanistan. Blinken reiterated the importance of coordinating our diplomatic engagement and facilitating the departure of those wishing to leave Afghanistan. The Secretary noted that the United States appreciates Pakistan's support and assistance with both of these efforts, Price said. Qureshi said, I thought a time would come where we'd be talking beyond Afghanistan, but it seems Afghanistan is there, we can't wish it away, and we have to find a way of collectively working to achieve our common objective, which is peace and stability. Qureshi told reporters. The Taliban swept across Afghanistan last month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities in the backdrop of withdrawal of the US forces that began on May 1. On August 15, the capital city of Kabul fell to the insurgents. The Taliban claimed victory over opposition forces in the last holdout province of Panjshir on September 6, completing their takeover of Afghanistan three weeks after capturing Kabul. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The chairman and CEO of the Chinese conglomerate Co. have both been detained by police, the latest setback for a firm that is being managed by the government. Chairman Chen Feng and CEO Tan Xiangdong were detained by police in the southern province of Hainan over suspected crimes, the company said in a statement late Friday, without providing details of what the alleged offenses were. HNA Groups operations are unaffected, the statement added, and its restructuring is moving forward smoothly. Once a prominent shareholder of firms like Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG, HNA is the embodiment of a short-lived era when Chinese conglomerates expanded aggressively with global acquisitions fueled by debt. That era ended in about 2018 as ramped up capital controls, and the government has since been working to sort through the financial dealings of firms like HNA. Three listed under the group said in February that shareholders and affiliates misappropriated at least 63 billion yuan (about $9.8 billion) of funds. The detentions come a day after sentenced the former chairman of liquor giant Kweichow Moutai Co., Yuan Renguo, to life in prison for taking millions in bribes, as Chinese President Xi Jinping extends his crackdown on the nations tycoons. Weighed by more than $75 billion of debt even after shedding assets, HNAs core aviation business suffered during the coronavirus pandemic, triggering the government of Hainan to take charge in February last year. A key Communist Party-led committee at HNA left Chen, its founder, off a list of members earlier this year, signaling he was in trouble. The party committee was taken over by Gu Gang, leader of a government-appointed working group overseeing the companys liquidity risk. HNA was founded as an airline in the 1990s by Chen and his partner Wang Jian. Wang died in 2018 in a mysterious accident in France. The French daily Liberation reported in early 2019 that Wang committed suicide, citing a witness. US President Joe Biden is looking forward to his first bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday during which they are expected to discuss a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19 and climate change, economic cooperation as well as Afghanistan, according to a senior administration official. While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this is for the first time that Biden will be meeting Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January. After Biden's inauguration, the two leaders have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US president. President Biden is looking forward to his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi in the Oval Office on Friday morning, ahead of the QUAD summit (later in the day), said a senior administration official familiar with the preparations of the maiden Biden-Modi summit. We will cover a number of priority issues that India is really, front and centre. including pandemic response, their response to climate change; we'll talk about technology issues, economic cooperation and trade as well as Afghanistan, said the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, India has been saying that its focus was to ensure that the war-torn country's soil is not used for terrorist activities against it. Among the issues also include discussion about new areas of cooperation, said the official on the eve of the India-US bilateral summit. In his departure statement on Wednesday, Modi said that during his visit, he will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said Modi and Biden, in their meeting, are expected to focus on further bolstering bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthening defence and security collaboration and boosting the strategic clean energy partnership. "The bilateral meeting (between Modi and Biden) will also feature the current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan, our stakes as a neighbour and a longstanding and a preferred development partner of Afghanistan," he said in New Delhi on Tuesday. "In this context, we would undoubtedly discuss the need to stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks," Shringla added. Shringla said the importance of smooth post-COVID travel, especially for students, is also an important factor and is expected to be discussed at the talks. Biden and Modi are likely to be joined by their senior officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval, and India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Following the bilateral summit, Biden in the afternoon would welcome Modi again at the White House for the first-ever in-person Quad summit. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan will also attend the summit. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. The resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is where China has been trying to spread its influence. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amazon has more than 800 people working on what sound like videoconference gadgets on wheels, but it isnt sure that customers want them. Apple has spent nearly a decade and untold billions of dollars starting, retreating from and repeatedly reworking a project to develop a car that may never hit the roads. Google and Facebook continue to spend billions buying and building fancy complexes when no one is confident about the post-pandemic needs of in-person office work. We want successful to tinker with expensive projects, even if they dont pan out. Wandering and stumbling is how invention happens. But that may not be all thats happening in the research labs and corporate suites of Americas tech giants. Part of what we may be seeing now are that are so rich that they sometimes throw money around in ways that hold back other and themselves from breakthrough innovations. Yes, Im really asking if its possible to be too rich. (And yes, this is a problem that I would like to have.) Let me explain why we should care if a handful of tech giants are wasting their time and money. ALSO READ: Big Tech under the scanner in India after South Korea slaps fine on Google Not having enough money can strain a company or entrepreneur, but it can also foster focus and inventiveness. Theres an axiom about start-ups that the ones founded in dire financial times often turn out to be the biggest successes. Young companies and their leaders learn to do more with less and devote their attention to only their best ideas. And like a wealthy friend who installed gold toilets in each of his 25 bathrooms, having so much money can compel companies to pursue half-baked ideas. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Amazon is testing concepts for a department store with digital clothing tags that customers can scan with their phones to try on items and may later add robots for some reason. Tech doodads are probably not the way to improve the shopping experience for humans, but Amazon can experiment with overly complicated concepts because hey, why not? It might work. When Amazon throws money at a problem, other companies often respond with their own high-tech countermeasures. Not long after Amazon bought the Whole Foods supermarket chain, Kroger cooked up a plan for futuristic stores with digital shelves to alter product prices quickly and help people shop more quickly. Walmart and other stores deployed robots to detect when items were out of stock and tested systems to automate the checkout process. Some kinds of for retail, particularly automation of the parts that shoppers never see, may turn out to be major advances. But the trap that the retailers and Amazon fall into is a fixation on the flashy over the genuinely useful. Did anyone stop to ask: Is a fussy digital touch-screen or a robot the best way to do this? Walmart last year gave up on its shelf-scanning robots because simpler alternatives were just as good. Amazon can try all this because it has seemingly endless money. But what else could Amazon, Kroger or Walmart do that is more likely to improve shopping rather than chasing expensive dreams of The Jetsons? Many smaller also fear that tech giants are hoarding talent because they can. Imagine the midlevel software engineer making bank at Google who might otherwise start a driverless car company, or a Facebook manager who might instead be steering a second-tier e-commerce company to become the next Amazon. The people who own Americas giants stockholders mostly trust Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft to follow the right routes to riches. (Sometimes stockholders do worry that these companies are wasting money, and it has resulted in executive changes or other company actions.) We want to continue investing to come up with fresh products and services. But we all know that having so much money can make people, and companies, undisciplined and impulsive. By Karen Freifeld and Kenneth Li (Reuters) - Technologies Chief Financial Officer has reached an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to resolve the case against her, according to sources familiar with the matter, in a process that should allow her to leave Canada. Meng is expected to appear virtually in a hearing scheduled for later on Friday in Brooklyn federal court. She was arrested at Vancouver Airport in December 2018 on a U.S. warrant, and was indicted on bank and wire fraud charges for allegedly misleading HSBC about Huawei's business dealings in Iran. The deferred prosecution agreement, reported first by Reuters, pertains only to Meng and U.S. charges against the company remain, according to another person familiar with the matter. Such a resolution would remove one of several major disputes between the world's two biggest economies. The agreement could also potentially pave the way for the release of the two Canadians held in China, who were arrested shortly after Meng was taken in custody in 2018. In August, a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage. A spokeswoman for declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment. An attorney for Meng could not be immediately reached for comment. Meng has said she is innocent and has been fighting extradition to the from Canada. Meng is confined to Vancouver and monitored 24/7 by private security that she pays for as part of her bail agreement. Under a deferred prosecution agreement, the government agrees to refrain from prosecuting a defendant for a period of time, and drops the case altogether if the defendant complies with specified conditions. Huawei, a telecommunications equipment giant, was placed on a U.S. trade blacklist in 2019 that restricts sales to the company for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The restrictions have hobbled the company, which suffered its biggest ever revenue drop in the first half of 2021, after the U.S. supply restrictions drove it to sell a chunk of its once-dominant handset business and before new growth areas have matured. The criminal case against Meng - the daughter of founder, Ren Zhengfei - and Huawei is cited in the blacklisting. Huawei is charged with operating as a criminal enterprise, stealing trade secrets and defrauding financial institutions. It has pleaded not guilty. Articles published by Reuters in 2012 and 2013 about Huawei, Skycom and Meng figured prominently in the U.S. criminal case against her. Reuters reported that Skycom had offered to sell at least 1.3 million euros worth of embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator in 2010. At least 13 pages of the proposal were marked "Huawei confidential" and carried Huawei's logo. Reuters also reported numerous financial and personnel links between Huawei and Skycom, including that Meng had served on Skycom's board of directors between February 2008 and April 2009. Judicial hearings in her extradition case in Vancouver wrapped up in August, with the date for a ruling to be set on Oct. 21. CHINA vs USA Huawei has become a dirty word in Washington, with a knee-jerk reaction by China hawks in Congress to any news that could be construed as the is going soft, despite Huawei being hobbled by U.S. trade restrictions. Trump politicized the case when he told Reuters soon after her 2018 arrest that he would intervene if it would serve national security or help secure a trade deal. Meng's lawyers have said she was a pawn in the political battle between the two super powers. Senior U.S. officials have said that Meng's case was being handled solely by the Justice Department and the case had no bearing on the U.S. approach to ties with China. During U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's July trip to China, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng insisted that the drop its extradition case against Meng. U.S. officials have acknowledged that Beijing had linked Meng's case to the case of two detained Canadians, but insisted that Washington would not be draw into viewing them as bargaining chips. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld, Kenneth Li; additional reporting by Michael Martina ; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Edward Tobin) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Prime Minister has said the community cannot "exonerate" itself from its responsibilities towards the Afghan people after 20 years of military intervention in the war-torn country and urged the same countries to stay engaged with Kabul, according to a media report on Friday. Khan said decades of war has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan's economy, society and polity and there is a "ray of hope" to bring peace and stability to the country and the broader region, the Express Tribune newspaper reported, quoting the prime minister's interview to the US-based Newsweek magazine. The global community, he said, cannot "exonerate" itself from its responsibilities towards the Afghan people after 20 years of military intervention in that country and urged the same nations to stay engaged with Kabul, the report said. Khan, however, warned that if rivalry persists with and between global and regional powers, it could lead to more suffering and conflict in "This would create new flow of refugees, escalate the threat of terrorism from Afghanistan, and destabilize the entire region," he said, adding that the last thing Pakistan wants is more conflict and turbulence in He reiterated that it is Islamabad's hope that the country would be "stabilised, through humanitarian help, economic support, and connectivity and infrastructure projects, and that the US, China and Russia will all contribute to pacifying and reconstructing Afghanistan". Khan also said that both Pakistan and the US need to prevent terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and should cooperate to stabilise it. "To this end, we should cooperate to help in stabilizing Afghanistan by addressing the humanitarian crisis in that country and supporting its economic recovery," he said. The premier said the US had "divested a liability", its costly military intervention in Afghanistan, as the military presence was "not a strategic priority" for Washington. Khan said he does not think the chaotic withdrawal of US armed forces will have a negative effect on Washington's credibility in the long term but there may be "an immediate negative impact in the US". (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President is set to host the first in-person gathering of leaders of an alliance known as " the Quad on Friday, wrapping up a tough week of diplomacy in which he faced no shortage of criticism from both allies and adversaries. Biden's meeting with leaders from India, Japan and Australia at the White House gives the US president a chance to put the spotlight on a central aim of his foreign policy: turning greater attention to the Pacific in the face of what the US sees as China's coercive economic practices and unsettling military maneuvering in the region. The four leaders' talks are also expected to centre on climate, COVID-19 response and cyber security. Before the summit, the Japanese and Indian governments welcomed a recent announcement that the US, as part of a separate new alliance with Britain and Australia, would equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. It's a move that will allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give it an edge on the Chinese navy. But the announcement infuriated France, which accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back by squelching its own USD 66 billion deal to provide diesel-powered submarines. Tensions between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron eased after the two leaders spoke Wednesday and agreed to take steps to coordinate more closely in the Michael Green, who served as senior director for Asia at the National Security Council during the George W Bush administration, said Japan and India welcome the US-UK-Australian alliance because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as massively builds up its naval forces. Beijing, for its part, has spoken out vigorously against the alliance, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian calling it a reflection of outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception that would intensify a regional arms race. Beijing has also sought to push the notion that creation of the alliance indicates the US will favour Australia in the Quad at the expense of Japan and India, said Bonny Lin, senior fellow for Asian security at the Center for Strategic and Studies in Washington. Beijing also has sought to undercut the Quad as out of step with other nations in southeast Asia and portrayed members of the Quad as "US pawns, Lin said. The group's White House meeting is playing out as continues efforts to make a show of force in the region. On Thursday, sent 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan after the island announced its intention to join a Pacific trade group, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, that China has also applied to join. Biden's meeting with the leaders caps a busy week of diplomacy for the president in which he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York and served as host for a virtual global summit on fighting COVID-19. Biden and leaders of other wealthy nations faced criticism about the slow pace of global vaccinations and the inequity of access to shots between residents of wealthier and poorer nations. The pushback from leaders of low and moderate income countries came even as Biden announced plans for the US to double to 1 billion doses its purchase of Pfizer vaccine to share with the world. Biden is also scheduled to meet separately on Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Modi, who met with Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, is expected to raise with Biden the way forward with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, according to a person familiar with the Indian official's agenda. The person was not authorized to comment publicly. Modi is expected to raise objections to the Taliban's effort to get recognition at the United Nations. The Modi government also has concerns about the influence it believes Pakistan's intelligence service exerted in how factions of the Taliban divvied up government offices in Kabul. When the Taliban previously controlled Afghanistan, the group supported militants in Kashmir, a long disputed territory that's been at the center of wars and skirmishes between India and Pakistan. The Haqqani network was behind two suicide bombings of India's embassy in 2008 and 2009. Members of the network, which the US has designated a terrorist organisation, have been given top positions in the Taliban government. In a brief appearance before reporters at the start of his meeting with Harris, Modi credited the Biden administration with making headway on both COVID-19 and climate change. You took up the leadership of the United States in a very challenging atmosphere and challenging times, but within a very short period of time, you have had many achievements to your credit, whether that be COVID, climate, or the Quad, he said. "On all these issues, the United States has taken very important initiatives. Suga, in his one-on-one with Biden, was expected to raise China, North Korea, Afghanistan, COVID-19 response and climate change, according to a foreign ministry official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. North Korea last week said it successfully launched ballistic missiles from a train for the first time, striking a target in the sea some 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. That test came after the North this month said it tested new cruise missiles, which it intends to make nuclear-capable, that can strike targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, a distance putting all of Japan and US military installations there within reach. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister has said he and his Indian counterpart and "dear friend" have agreed on some important new initiatives, including low emissions technology partnership and ultra low cost solar programme, which will help in further deepening the economic ties between the two countries. The meeting between Modi and Morrison held here on Thursday came a week after they spoke over phone and reviewed the rapid progress in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including through the recent 'two-plus-two' dialogue, and exchanged views on regional developments and the forthcoming Quad meeting to be hosted by US President Joe Biden later in the day. The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. "I've just come from a meeting with one of my Quad partners, Prime Minister Modi, a dear friend and great friend of Australia. We've been working together for some years now. Today, at our meeting, we were able to agree on some important new initiatives," Morrison told journalists after the meeting, a transcript of which was released by his office on Friday. "At our meeting today we agreed to go forward with a low emissions technology partnership, a partnership that will focus on hydrogen development, ultra low cost solar programs, to support their energy transition," he said. India currently has the world's fastest-growing solar energy programme and has expanded access to clean cooking fuel to cover over 80 million households, making it one of the largest clean energy drives globally. One of the key points, Morrison said, they continue to make about addressing climate change is to ensure that there is a technology transfer from developed to developing economies. "If we want to address climate change, then we need to address the change that is necessary in developing economies, so they can grow their economies, build their industries, make the things the world needs. And, to do that, you need an energy economy that supports those objectives. "And so, we'll work together closely with our good friends in India, to work with the comparative advantages that Australia has, particularly in the area of hydrogen, and working together with their manufacturing capabilities so they can realise that in their own country," he said. Replying to a question on the possible impact of the AUKUS deal on the dynamics between the Quad members during its upcoming meeting, Morrison said Australia is engaged in partnerships with many countries, and it sees the Quad and the trilateral partnership of AUKUS as being completely complementary. "And that's the discussion that and I have just had. He certainly sees it in that way, as does Yoshi Suga (Japanese prime minister), when I spoke to him last week...The Quad partners understand the need for positive contributions to regional stability and the AUKUS partnership is all about making that sort of contribution," he said. Everybody gains from a stable Indo-Pacific, including whether it's in China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, all will benefit from a stable Indo-Pacific, Morrison asserted. At the invitation of President Biden, Prime Minister Modi and his counterparts Morrison from Australia and Yoshihide Suga from Japan have gathered in the American capital for the first-ever in-person Quad summit at the White House. The evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of China's increasing military muscle-flexing has become a major talking point among leading global powers. AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership was unveiled last week by President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Morrison. The trilateral security alliance, seen as an effort to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, will allow the US and the UK to provide Australia with the technology to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. Morrison said he had the opportunity to discuss with Modi the recent announcement on the AUKUS agreement and Australia's programme to put in place a nuclear-powered fleet of submarines. "Of course, I spoke to Prime Minister Modi the night before we made the announcement in Australia last week (on AUKUS)," he said. The meeting between Morrison and Modi was the first since the unveiling of the AUKUS security partnership. Australia has said its decision to join the security alliance with the US and the UK is aimed at developing capabilities that can contribute along with India and other countries in deterring behaviour that threatens the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. France reacted angrily to the formation of the new AUKUS alliance as it resulted in Paris effectively losing a multi-billion dollar deal to build 12 conventional submarines for Australia. France is also upset over its exclusion from the alliance. China has also slammed the formation of the AUKUS. Morrison said he and Modi also had a "very good discussion" on the Australia-India defence partnership, which "particularly progressed at the most recent 2+2 meeting". Noting that Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan will be meeting his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in New Delhi next week, Morrison said he and Modi have tasked "our teams to be ambitious when they sit down next week to look at our trade opportunities, particularly in the area of digital trade arrangements." Responding to a query on whether his discussions on critical minerals with Prime Minister Modi will translate into more jobs for Australians, Morrison said the issue of pursuing critical mineral supply chains "of course" means more jobs for Australians. "Of course it does, but it does more than that. Because critical minerals supply chains means that the partners we work with around the world also have access to trusted supply chains on critical minerals. I mean, these are the things that will power up our economies in the new energy economy. "And critical minerals and rare earths, of which Australia is already very active in producing in these areas, we want to ensure that we're connecting that up right through the supply chain, through production, through to end users, and Prime Minister Modi and I share a passion around that project, because they are also involved in that supply chain at various different points, and it's important that we have the choice that exists in world markets around these issues," he said. "We want to play a stronger role here. But...to develop those critical minerals and rare earths opportunities...we need to ensure that the downstream users are caught in a very productive and trusted supply chain," Morrison said. Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi on Thursday termed the meeting between Modi and Morrison as another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia. Advancing friendship with Australia. PM @ScottMorrisonMP held talks with PM @narendramodi. They discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at deepening economic and people-to-people linkages between India and Australia, Office of Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Thursday. During the meeting, the Prime Ministers discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. They noted with satisfaction the regular high-level engagements between the two countries, including the recently held first India-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministers' 2+2 Dialogue. In a press statement, the MEA said Modi and Morrison reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders' Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. They expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The prime ministers underlined the need for the community to address the issue of climate change on an urgent basis. "Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection. Both leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies," the statement said. Modi and Morrison agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, India and Australia need to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience. Both the leaders lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora to Australia's economy and society, and discussed ways to enhance people-to-people ties. Modi also renewed his invitation to Morrison to visit India, the statement said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) rebuffed South Korea's push for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to restore peace, saying Friday such a step could be used as a smokescreen covering up the US hostile policy" against the North. In a speech at the UN General Assembly earlier this week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his calls for the end-of-the-war declaration that he said could help achieve denuclearisation and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song dismissed Moon's call as premature so long as US policies were unchanged. It should be clearly understood that the declaration of the termination of the war is of no help at all to stabilising the situation of the Korean Peninsula at the moment but can rather be misused as a smokescreen covering up the US hostile policy," Ri said. He said American weapons and troops deployed in and its vicinity and regular US military drills in the region all point to the US hostile policy toward (North Korea) getting vicious day by day. has also long described US-led economic sanctions as proof of US hostility against the North. The Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. has steadily wanted to sign a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the war and for subsequent improved relations, sanctions relief and the reduction or withdrawal of the 28,500 US troops deployed in Both Koreas had called for an end-of-war declaration to be made during the period of diplomacy with the United States that began in 2018, and there was speculation then-President Donald Trump might announce the war's end in early 2019 to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. No such announcement was made as the diplomacy faded to a stalemate over easing the sanctions in return for North Korea denuclearising. In recent months, Kim has warned that North Korea would bolster its nuclear arsenal and introduce more sophisticated weapons systems unless the United States drops its hostile policy. Last week, North Korea conducted its first missile tests in six months, demonstrating its ability to launch attacks on and Japan, two key US allies where a total of 80,000 American soldiers are stationed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) held gains near the highest since 2018 amid a global energy crunch thats set to increase demand for crude, while stockpiles are falling from the U.S. to China. Futures in London traded above $77 a barrel, heading for a third straight weekly increase. Global onshore crude inventories plunged by almost 21 million barrels last week, led by China, according to data analytics firm Kayrros, while U.S. stocks are near a three-year low. The surge in natural gas prices is expected to force some consumers to switch to oil, tightening the market further ahead of the northern hemisphere winter. China on Friday sold to Hengli Petrochemical Co. and a unit of PetroChina Co. in the first auction of crude from its strategic reserves, said traders with knowledge of the matter. Grades sold included Oman, Upper Zakum and Forties. has rallied recently after a period of Covid-induced demand uncertainty, with some of the worlds largest traders and banks predicting that prices could climb even further because of the energy crisis. Global crude consumption could rise by an additional 370,000 barrels a day if natural gas remains elevated for an extended time, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Underpinning the latest bout of price strength is a tightening supply backdrop, said Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd. Various underlying gauges are also pointing to a stronger market. The key spread between Brent futures for December and a year later is near $7, the strongest since 2019. Thats a sign traders are positive on the market outlook. At the same time, the premium options traders are paying for bearish put options is the smallest since January 2020, another indication that traders are less concerned about a pullback in prices. Prime Minister will address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) virtually on Friday (4 Khan is expected to outline Islamabad's stance on a number of regional, global issues and set the country's engagement with its partners, ARY News reported on Friday. He is the seventh on the list of speakers to address the on Friday. Asim Iftikhar, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson on Friday said that "the situation in Afghanistan, and other areas of common concern including combating Islamophobia, corruption and illicit financial flows, as well as climate change" will be areas of focus, according to Geo TV. Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on the sidelines of the 76the session. Qureshi in a tweet said, "Met @SecBlinken & reiterated Pakistan's focus on a relationship anchored in trade, investment, energy & regional connectivity. On #Afghanistan, PM @ImranKhanPTI consistently stated there is no military solution & is committed to facilitating inclusive political settlement. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister on Friday described as "outstanding" his first bilateral meeting with US President who said the Indo-US relationship is destined to be "stronger, closer and tighter as the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change, trade and the Indo-Pacific. President Biden, who welcomed Prime Minister Modi in the Oval Office of the White House said that today they are starting a new chapter in US-India relationship. Observing that he has long believed that the US, India relationship can help them solve global challenges, Biden in his opening remarks before a battery of India and American media said they are now are launching a new chapter in history of India US ties, taking on some of the toughest challenges we face together. And this starts with a shared commitment to end COVID-19, he said. ALSO READ: LIVE updates: PM Modi speaks at the Quad leaders' summit Prime Minister Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, described Friday's bilateral meeting with Biden that lasted more than 60 minutes as "important" as they're meeting at the start of the third decade of this century. "Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US, Prime Minister Modi told Biden. "Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change," Modi tweeted after the meeting. Biden said the relationship between India and the US, the largest democracies in the world, is "destined to be stronger, closer and tighter." "I've long believed that the US-India relationship can help us solve a lot of global challenges. In fact, back in 2006, I had said that by 2020 India and the US will be among the closest nations in the world, Biden told Modi. "Today, we're launching a new chapter in the history of US-India ties, taking on some of the toughest challenges we face together, starting with a shared commitment, he said. ALSO READ: PM Modi applauds Joe Biden for vision and commitment to India-US ties Biden said he and Prime Minister Modi would talk about what more they can do to fight COVID-19, take on the climate challenge that the world face, and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, including with their quiet partners. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. "Of course our partnership is more than just what we do. It's about who we are in our shared responsibility to uphold democratic values, our joint commitment to diversity, and it's about family ties, including four million Indian-Americans make the United States, stronger every single day, he said. Noting that the world would celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birthday next week, Biden said, "We're all reminded that his message of non-violence, respect, tolerance, matters today maybe more than ever had." On this, Modi said, "Gandhi Ji spoke about trusteeship, a concept which is very important for our planet in the times to come." Noting that trade will be an important factor in the Indo-US ties in the coming decade, the Prime Minister said that there is much to be done in the area. Modi said this decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages. I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards the US' progress." He said that technology is becoming a driving force. "We have to utilise our talents to leverage technology for greater global good." Modi recalled his interactions with Biden in 2014 and 2016, saying that time you had shared your vision for ties between India and US. I am glad to see you are working to realise this vision." He said that each of the subjects mentioned by the president are crucial for the India-US friendship. "His efforts on COVID-19, mitigating climate change and the Quad are noteworthy, Modi added. ALSO READ: Joe Biden, PM Modi remember Mahatma Gandhi ahead of birth anniversary "This morning I'm hosting Indian Prime Minister at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change," President Biden had tweeted minutes before the meeting. While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this is for the first time that Biden is meeting Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January. Both Biden and Prime Minister Modi have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US president. The last telephone conversation between them took place on April 26. ALSO READ: China slams Quad ahead of 1st in-person summit in US, says doomed to fail' Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said that India US relationship is a partnership of trust. Globally we will make a difference! he tweeted. Vibrant discussions between Modi and Biden. Joseph Biden on global, regional & bilateral issues. An expansive agenda including defence, security, health, education, trade, IT, economic, Science and Technology energy and People to People ties, Bagchi said. The Prime Minister also signed the visitor book in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Registering the spirit of India United States friendship in ink, the spokesperson tweeted. ALSO READ: Indian press is 'much better behaved' than American: Biden jokes with Modi The Indian delegation included S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs; Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor; Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary and Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India's Ambassador to the United States. The American delegation included Antony Blinken, Secretary of State; Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor; John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs; Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Sumona Guha, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for South Asia at National Security Council. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mobile handset, electronics retailer Big C on Friday said it will be investing Rs 125 crore in the next two years to open 250 new outlets focusing on tier four and five cities. The retail chain has roped in Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu as the new brand ambassador, a press release said on Friday. "At present, we have stores in the cities with population over 70,000 in Telugu States and Tamil Nadu. Our upcoming 250 stores will come up in cities with 30,000 population or more. We will also open 10 more new stores in Tamil Nadu besides making a foray into the Karnataka market," Balu Chowdary, Chairman and Managing Director, Big C said. Big C will consider tapping capital via IPO ( Initial Public Offering) after reaching Rs 2,000 crore turnover in FY24. The company, which enjoys 30 per cent market share in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, currently employs 2,000 people and is also into online sales, according to the release. The company is looking at crossing Rs 1,000 crore turnover mark in the current financial year, thus reaching pre-Covid levels and is targeting Rs 1,500 crore in the next fiscal. Big C which opened its first store in Vijayawada in 2002 currently operates 250 stores across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The new stores will take its outlet count to 500. The company will invest Rs 50 lakh on each new store which will generate eight to ten jobs, it said. As a part of its plans to go beyond mobile handset retailing, the company will introduce laptops shortly besides expanding its audio portfolio. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bitcoin, Ether and other digital tokens tumbled as China intensified its push to rein in crypto speculation and mining. fell about 4% to $42,900 as of 10:39 a.m. in London. The losses were more severe in other coins, with Ether, EOS, Litecoin and Dash all falling more than 7%. Crypto-related stocks also came under pressure, with Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. tumbling 6% in U.S. pre-market trading. Chinas central bank said all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal, according to a Q&A statement on PBOCs website. Its an urgent task for China to root out crypto mining and the crackdown is important to meet carbon goals, according to the guidelines on the website of the nations economic planning agency. China has brought intense scrutiny on the crypto industry this year amid heightened concerns over risks of fraud, money laundering and excessive energy usage. The country is a dominant player in crypto and as recently as April had a 46% share of the global hash rate, a measure of computing power used in mining and processing, according to the Cambridge Electricity Consumption Index. In July, the central bank vowed to maintain heavy regulatory pressure on cryptocurrency trading and speculation. Chinas tough chance is part of the reason why prices collapsed in May and have struggled to regain previous all-time highs above $60,000. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinas most powerful regulators on Friday intensified the countrys crackdown on cryptocurrency with a blanket ban on all crypto transactions and mining, hitting and other major coins and pressuring crypto and blockchain-related stocks. Bitcoin, the largest digital coin, fell as much as 8.9 per cent, while Ether lost near 13 per cent. Ten agencies, including the central bank, as well as banking, securities and foreign exchange regulators, vowed to work together to root out illegal cryptocurrency activity; it is the first time these agencies have joined forces to explicitly ban all cryptocurrency-related activity. in May banned financial institutions and payment companies from providing services related to cryptocurrency transactions, and issued similar bans in 2013 and 2017. The repeated prohibitions highlight the challenge of closing loopholes and identifying bitcoin-related transactions, though banks and payment firms say they will support the efforts. Fridays statement is the most detailed and comprehensive yet from the country's most powerful regulators, underscoring Beijing's commitment to suffocating the Chinese crypto market. In the history of crypto market regulation in China, this is the most direct, most comprehensive regulatory framework involving the largest number of ministries, said Winston Ma, NYU Law School adjunct professor. They also worry that mining, the energy-intensive process through which and other tokens are created by high performing computers, is undermining global environmental goals. Chinese agencies have repeatedly raised concerns that cryptocurrency speculation could disrupt the country's economic and financial order, one of Beijings top priorities. Analysts say authorities also see as a threat to Chinas own digital-yuan, which is at an advanced pilot stage. has been known to go to extremes with either very assertive statements and prosecutions to complete radio silence, said George Zarya, CEO of Bequant crypto exchange in London. During meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Australian counterpart briefly mentioned the rationale from the Australian side in seeking to initiate the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) trilateral security pact, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla informed. "Prime Minister Morrison briefly mentioned the rationale from the Australian side in seeking to initiate the AUKUs alliance. He felt that the technology they received was appropriate and there was a brief discussion in that regard," Shringla said when asked if discussion on AUKUS trilateral security pact took place in a meeting between PM Modi and his Australian counterpart. The Foreign Secretary was addressing a special press conference on PM Modi's first day of engagements in the US. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to the US. AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, announced on September 15, 2021, will allow to have nuclear submarines. has defended the move by saying it has done the pact for a secure Indo-Pacific region. Earlier, Shringla had said that the trilateral AUKUS security pact will have no effect on the functioning of Quad and both the groupings have no similarities. Quad is quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. Shringla had said Aukus "is a security alliance between three countries". (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Direct-to-Home (DTH) service provider confirmed on Thursday that it received a letter from Yes Bank seeking an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). Yes Bank which holds 25.63% in Dish TV India has sought an EGM for the appointment of new independent directors and the removal of MD and director Jawahar Lal Goel. "The Company is examining the said letter, its related attachments and will take necessary steps as per applicable law," Dish TV stated in its filing. Yes Bank had previously issued notices dated, 6 September 2021 for the removal and appointment of directors on the board of directors of the company. In terms of the said notices, the resolutions for removal and appointment of directors were to be placed by the company before its shareholders at the ensuing 33rd annual general meeting (AGM) of the company scheduled to be held on 27 September 2021. The company notified the bank on 6 September 2021 that the change in directorship requires, prior approval of the Ministry of Broadcasting (MIB) and hence the resolutions for removal and appointment of directors cannot be placed before the shareholders at the AGM. The bank accordingly issued revised notices to the company on 9 September 2021, wherein the effectiveness of the change in directorship of the company was made subject to receipt of the MIB approval. Further, the bank had in its letter dated 18 September 2021 submitted details of the proposed directors to enable the company to apply to the MIB and seek their approval. However, instead of placing the resolutions before the shareholders of the company at the AGM, the company is now seeking an extension of the date of holding AGM based on unfounded reasons. "In light of the company engaging in dilatory tactics in placing the resolutions before the shareholders, the bank is constrained to issue the present notice under Section 100 of the Companies Act, 2013 for holding EGM of the company," Yes Bank notification said. The bank is seeking appointment of new independent directors including Akash Suri, Sanjay Nambiar, Vijay Bhatt, Haripriya Padmanabhan, Girish Paranjpe, Narayan Vasudeo Prabhutendulkar and Arvind Nachaya Mapangada. Yes Bank has sought removal of five directors of Dish TV, citing governance issues. Apart from Jawahar Lal Goel, the lender had also sought removal of Rashmi Aggarwal, Bhagwan Das Narang, Shankar Aggarwal and Ashok Mathai Kurien. Dish TV is yet to notify a new date for the AGM. In its notice on 6 September 2021, Yes bank said the existing Dish TV board is purportedly acting at the behest of certain minority shareholders holding a mere 6% of shares in the company. The bank said the company's present board of directors has approved a rights issue process despite objections raised by the bank to dilute the shareholding of the bank and to prejudice the interests of inter alia, the bank, which is the single largest shareholder of the company as of date. Yes Bank had asked the board to desist from approving the capital-raising exercise by way of a rights issue. However, the board, "without consulting the significant shareholders of the company, went ahead to make a press announcement on May 28, 2021 regarding its intention to proceed with a 1,000-crore rights issue, the bank said. Dish TV India's consolidated net profit tanked 34.1% to Rs 49.14 crore on a 12.5% decline in net sales to Rs 730.97 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. Dish TV India is an Indian direct broadcast satellite service provider in India owned and operated by the Zee Group. Shares of Dish TV India were up 1.17% at Rs 20.81. The stock hit a high of Rs 21.70 and a low of Rs 20.10 so far during the day. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 2494.5, up 0.18% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 13.3% in last one year as compared to a 61.84% gain in NIFTY and a 47.03% gain in the Nifty Energy. Reliance Industries Ltd rose for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 2494.5, up 0.18% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.34% on the day, quoting at 17883.6. The Sensex is at 60163.3, up 0.46%. Reliance Industries Ltd has added around 13.25% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has added around 10.33% in last one month and is currently quoting at 21893.25, down 0.43% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 41.18 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 74.73 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark September futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 2491.05, up 0.03% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 13.3% in last one year as compared to a 61.84% gain in NIFTY and a 47.03% gain in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 50.1 based on TTM earnings ending June 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Legislative Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Friday, the last day of the monsoon session, regarding the implementation of National Policy (NEP) in the State with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accepting the Congress's charge calling it RSS or Nagpur Policy. The House saw chaotic scenes with Congress members trooping into the well of the House about an hour before its adjournment, first demanding extending the session and then targeting the government for implementation of NEP without discussion and calling it an RSS agenda. The ruling BJP, defending the NEP, hit back at the Congress by stating that the NEP was not Italy's or Rome's policy or Macaulay's education policy which the Grand Old Party wants. This resulted in a heated exchange between the Opposition and Treasury benches following which Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri adjourned the House sine die. Making his case for extending the session, Siddaramaiah said, "NEP is a matter of the future of this country, it has to be discussed....our president (State Congress chief D K Shivakumar) has called it Nagpur Education Policy." Then, Shivakumar, too, who was in the House, said, the "Nagpur" Education Policy has to be discussed. Agitated by this, some BJP MLAs, including C T Ravi, retorted by shouting: "Yes....but it is not Rome or Italy education policy." Continuing his attack on the NEP, Siddaramaiah further said it was an RSS agenda, so it should not be implemented for any reason. It is being implemented in the State without proper discussion with stakeholders. The Speaker, intervening, sought to know what's wrong with RSS or Nagpur agenda, if it is good for students and the country. Responding to this, Siddaramaiah said, "RSS may be your background." To this, Kageri replied "I'm still RSS..." Intervening, Chief Minister said, "Nation, Nationalism and RSS is nothing but one. RSS means nationalism. There is nothing wrong if National Education Policy is an RSS agenda, what is good for the country, its children are important. The NEP is to prepare our children for the 21 st century, and to the global standards." Stating that the country doesn't want Macaulay's education policy brought in by the English, he said,"It has been detrimental to our country and has not given enough opportunity for our children, especially from rural areas, to compete at the global-level." An enraged Siddaramaiah then said, "This is nothing but authoritarianism, Hitler (rule), it is RSS education policy." Hitting back, Bommai said, "Let them (Congress) call it RSS Education Policy, we are not bothered by it, we, in fact, accept it. Yes, it is the RSS education policy....nationalism and RSS are the same." He said the NEP has been discussed and deliberated for three years under the leadership of eminent personalities like Dr K Kasturirangan and it is to bring in change for the good of the children of this country. "NEP is a policy prepared by Indians, for Indians and for the children of India. Their (Congress) party people are foreigners, so theirs is Macaulay's education policy, they want foreign education policy. The Congress's education policy is slavery, our stand is for the country's self-esteem," the Chief Minister added. Amid chaos in the Assembly with members of both sides shouting slogans against each other, the Speaker asked heads of various committees to lay the reports before the House. After this, he asked the Health Minister K Sudhakar to reply to the discussion on COVID-19 second wave initiated by the Siddaramaiah on Thursday. However, slogans like "Modi sarkar chor hai", "Chowkidaar chor hai", "RSS's puppet government" "Don't want NEP" reverberated in the House, which saw slogans like "Italy Congress" "Slave Congress" from BJP members. As sloganeering continued, Sudhakar, after trying to present his reply, said he was tabling it and should be considered as read, as he blamed Congress for not wanting to listen to the reply after raising the issue and said the party was indulging in a hit and run. Blaming the Congress for the poor state of health infrastructure, which has seen remarkable progress only after BJP came to power, he said, "We have managed COVID efficiently, so they (Congress) don't have the courage to listen to the answer." As the chaos continued, the Speaker read out the summary of the 10-day-long session that had begun on September 13 and said 19 Bills were passed during the session during which more than 90 per cent of the business has been transacted. Thanking members for smooth conduct of the Assembly other than protests and chaos at the fag end of the session today, the Speaker adjournd the House sine die. Noting that Congress had decided not to go to the well of the House and protest during the session, Siddaramaiah had earlier said the problem that has emerged now is many MLAs are not getting a reply to the issues they have raised. "I have requested the Chief Minister and the Speaker to extend the session by a week because the Assembly has met after a gap of six months and there are a lot of issues to be discussed. You have finished all your government business, but the issues faced by the people have not been discussed yet," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Slamming the Centre over its assertion that PM-CARES was not a government fund, West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday stated that complete transparency should be maintained in the transactions made with the money collected by the trust. The PM-CARES FUND bears our emblem, but the central government has insisted that it is not a government fund, leaving us all confused, the CM said, tongue in cheek. "The Chief Minister Relief Fund is regularly audited. PM CARES FUND was formed for COVID-19, but yesterday they (Centre) told the court that it is not a government fund. Government employees have donated money there, funds through CSR have been donated there, lakhs of crores of rupees have been donated. So where is that money?" she fumed. The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that the PM CARES Fund is not a government fund as donations to it do not go to the Consolidated Fund of India, and no third party information can be parted with irrespective of its status under the Constitution and the Right to Information (RTI) Act. An affidavit filed by an Under-Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), who is discharging his functions in the PM Cares Trust on honorary basis, has said that the trust functions with transparency and its funds are audited by an auditor -- a chartered accountant drawn from the panel prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Banerjee, during her campaign in bypoll-bound Bhabanipur constituency, also hit out at the BJP-led Union government over the Pegagus snooping scandal, claiming that the country's opposition leaders were being spied on. "It has been proven that the Union government snoops on opposition leaders; our phones are tapped. The Centre bought this software from Israel to snoop on us. No one can speak out against them. If you speak out, efforts will be made to intimidate you by using (central) agencies," she claimed. The TMC boss further criticised the state unit of the saffron party for carrying out a demonstration near her residence on Thursday with the body of a BJP worker. "Yesterday, BJP leaders staged a protest outside my residence over the death of a BJP worker. That BJP worker died a natural death, and they are claiming that he died during violence. We won't tolerate such hooliganism. If they think they can protest outside my residence with a dead body, we, too, can do the same outside their homes with the carcass of a dog. "We can teach them a lesson in the language they understand," she said. The CM maintained that her fight against the "demonic BJP" would continue till it is ousted from power, and after winning the Bhabanipur by-poll, the party would take its battle to other states. Banerjee, who is contesting the September 30 by-poll from the Bhabanipur seat to retain her chief minister's chair, claimed that destiny had this plan in store for her. "People want me to be a representative from this seat and continue as the state's chief minister," said the feisty TMC leader, who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram during the April-May Assembly polls. Banerjee has to get elected to legislature by November 5, in conformity with the constitutional provisions, to continue as the chief minister. Shortly after the poll results were announced in May, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhabanipur Sovandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there. A resident of Bhabanipur, Banerjee had won the seat twice in 2011 and 2016 but shifted to Nandigram, where the anti-farmland acquisition movement against the Left Front government had transformed her into a major political force in the volatile state, to dare her former protege and now BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on his home turf. Though she powered the TMC to a resounding win for a third straight term in office, the TMC boss failed to register victory in Nandigram. The CM has claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to hurt her and defeat her in Nandigram. She had suffered an injury on a leg during electioneering in the constituency. "If I speak about the conspiracy that was hatched to injure me and kill me, all of you will be shocked. I had to move around in a wheelchair for 1.5 months. But that did not stop me from hitting the campaign trail," she said. The TMC supremo is pitted against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and Left Front's Srijib Biswas in Bhabanipur. The Congress did not field any candidate for the bypoll. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister on Thursday heaped praises on Chief Minister and said no one can cast doubts on his honesty. Addressing a gathering in Maharajganj in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Singh said mere mention of Adityanath's name gives criminals the shivers. Singh, a senior BJP leader, unveiled a statue of Adityanath's religious guru Avaidyanath here. goes to assembly polls early next year. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India, Australia, and the US on Friday pledged to work together for ensuring peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and the world, as top leaders of the grouping announced a slew of new initiatives to take on common challenges, amidst muscle flexing by an assertive China in the strategic region. In a way, would play the role as Force for Global good, Prime Minister said in his short address and exuded confidence that this cooperation by the four democracies will ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world. Modi was the first leader invited by host President to address the first in-person gathering in the East Room of the White House. Biden, who earlier in the day had a more than an-hour long meeting with Modi, described the prime minister as My Friend. Opening the summit, President Biden said the four democracies have come together to take on common challenges from Covid to climate. This group has democratic partners who share world views and have common vision for the future, he said. ALSO READ: LIVE: Quad will establish peace and prosperity in the world, says PM Modi When we met six months ago, we made a concrete commitment to advance our shared positive agenda for free and open up the session. Today we are proud to say that we're making progress, Biden said. Australian Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart Suga were the two other leaders in the historic East Room. The vaccine initiative is on track, Biden said, adding that the Quad is taking action on climate change with a new partnership for zero emission shipping. Today, we're also launching a new quad fellowship for students from each of our five countries to pursue advanced degrees in leading Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programmes through the United States, Biden said. ALSO READ: PM Modi holds first bilateral meeting with Biden; discusses climate, Covid The four countries have a long history of cooperation. We know how to get things done. And we are up to the challenge, Biden said. PM and US President during their bilateral talks at the White House on Friday. This is the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden became President. Modi will also attend the Quad summit | Photo: Reuters Thanking Biden for his initiative to organize this historic first ever in-person Quad Summit, Modi said the four countries came together for the first time in 2004 to extend support to the Indo-Pacific Region. Today, when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are meeting once again as Quad and working in the interest of humanity, he said. ALSO READ: PM Modi applauds Joe Biden for vision and commitment to India-US ties The Quad vaccine initiative is going to provide a great help to the nations in the Indo-Pacific region, he said. "Based on our common democratic values, Quad has decided to move forward with positive thinking," he said. Be it supply chain or security, be it climate action or COVID response, or cooperation in the field of technology, Modi said he would be very happy to talk to the leaders at the meeting. Australian Prime Minister Morrison said that the Indo-Pacific region should be free from coercion and disputes should be solved in accordance with international law, in a veiled reference to China. We believe in a free and open Indo Pacific, because we know that the limits are strong, stable, and prosperous freedomto realise their hopes and dreams to live in a liberal free society, he said. ALSO READ: Joe Biden, PM Modi remember Mahatma Gandhi ahead of birth anniversary Quad, he said, is about demonstrating how democracy such as these get things done, they can handle the big challenges in a very complex and changing world. Observing that there is no part of the world that is more dynamic than the Indo-Pacific at this time, a region that has extraordinary opportunity, Morrison said that there are many challenges that must be overcome. Prime Minister Suga of Japan, like the other three leaders, stressed the importance of the first ever in-person Quad Summit, saying this event demonstrates strong solidarity between our four nations and an unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. At the invitation of President Biden, Prime Minister Modi and his counterparts from and Yoshihide Suga from have gathered in the American capital for the first-ever in-person Quad summit at the White House. It gives me great pleasure to discuss with my friends wide ranging topics from supply chains to global security, from climate action to COVID response, to cooperation in the field of technology. A Quad, in a sense, will play the role of a force for global good. I'm confident that our cooperation, under Quad, will ensure prosperity and peace in the Indo Pacific and in the world, Modi said. ALSO READ: Biden jokes about possible India connection in meeting with PM Modi Ahead of the summit, the White House said that the Quad leaders would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic during their historic meeting. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. Quad summit 2021 | Photo: @PMOIndia Ahead of the Quad summit, Prime Minister Modi separately met his Australian and Japanese counterparts on Thursday and they reaffirmed the importance of maritime security towards the realisation of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific. ALSO READ: Indian press is 'much better behaved' than American: Biden jokes with Modi In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China's growing military presence in the strategic region. The Competition Commission of India told the Delhi High Court on Friday that Google's plea against the alleged leak of confidential probe information was wholly misplaced and an attempt to frustrate the proceedings related to its Android smartphone agreements. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, representing CCI, stated that the commission stood by the legal obligation with respect to maintenance of confidentiality and clarified that there was no lapse on part of the body. There are accusations against a government body and there is not a word (in Google's affidavit) showing when and how it was done... They are trying to frustrate the proceedings. If they are aggrieved, they should file a suit against (the media), he said. They want the process to the thwarted, said ASG Venkataraman who also informed the court that one of the officials of even wrote to the Chairperson, saying we will sue you. Justice Rekha Palli stated that she did not appreciate the US-based tech giant's directly approaching the authority. If he wants to function in the country, he has to know the law. I don't appreciate this... If he felt so strongly, he should have addressed the letter to the registrar (of CCI), the judge stated. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Google, highlighted that the allegedly leaked information was only in possession with the Director General who further passes it on to and no other person, including the parties, are privy to it. Please see the habitual defaulter. Everyday leakage is happening... Give a dog a bad name and hang him by selective leakage, the senior lawyer said, urging the court to pass an order protecting his client from further prejudice. He argued that the order, on Google's appeal against the DG order on its confidentiality claim, was passed without following the principles of natural justice. Let them say till Monday they will not allow further leak, said the senior counsel. Don't put words in his mouth. You don't give me the DG order (in relation to the confidentiality claim and) today you want an order from me, said the judge who listed the matter for further hearing on September 27. Google, in a statement, had said that on September 18, 2021, a confidential interim fact-finding report submitted by the DG's office to CCI relating to an investigation into Google's Android smartphone agreements was leaked to the media. The company said it has filed the petition in the court seeking redressal of its grievance, specifically protesting against the breach of confidence which impairs Google's ability to defend itself and harms it and its partners. According to reports, the CCI probe is stated to have found allegedly abusing its dominant position and indulging in unfair practices with respect to mobile operating system Android. After prima-facie finding alleged violation of competition norms, the watchdog, in early 2019, had ordered a detailed probe against in this regard. As per procedure, CCI will closely analyse the probe report and seek the views and submissions of the parties concerned before passing an order. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI/SRV Media): Ajeenkya DY Patil University has announced the ACET 2021 entrance exams for all courses. This is the mandatory entrance eligibility test for the candidates who seek admission to any undergraduate or postgraduate program at any school under the ADYP University. The ACET is program-specific and the test will be conducted online. Students have to register for the test on the ADYPU website and pay the registration fees of Rs 2000/- for the online ACET. The online registration has started on the college's website. Ajeenkya DY Patil University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in a broad spectrum of vertices, supported by excellent facilities and highly motivated teaching staff. ADYPU imparts a learning-centric contemporary curriculum that meets and beats the standard benchmarks of quality of teaching. ADYPU has nine schools under the University -School of Management, School of Information Technology, School of Design, School of Hotel Management, School of Engineering, School of Law, School of Architecture, School of Liberal Arts and School of Film & Media along with PhD programmes. The University permits its students to customize coursework. A student is allowed to shape the curriculum to meet their individual goals. With a wide and expanding network of partners from the US, UK and Europe, ADYPU provides an opportunity for students to travel abroad to study and get the international learning experience. The university offers exciting opportunities for the students to develop their academic, personal and professional skills through a range of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences. Prof Hrridaysh Deshpande, the vice-chancellor, ADYPU says, "I look forward to bolstering innovation with an open mind. I believe in having no walls between me and the students of ADYPU for matters concerning education and improvement. With this confidence, I invite you to join me in this journey of progressive transformation towards a better world." There is an eligibility criteria for different verticals. For the School of Engineering, School of Management and School of Architecture, the eligibility criteria is 10+2 with A-Level with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects along with Chemistry or Biotechnology or Biology or any technical vocational subjects as optional with a minimum of 50 per cent marks. For other courses the eligibility criteria are- Pass in 10+2, A-Level with a minimum of 45 per cent marks. For more details Visit (https://adypu.edu.in) For details on ACET 2021, Visit (https://adypu.edu.in/apply-now.html) This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV Media) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gurugram (Haryana) [India], September 24 (ANI/BusinessWire India): The Indian National Qualifier rounds for BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 will be hosted across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Bhubaneshwar. The winners of the qualifier rounds will compete at National Finals for 'Team India' position. Registration for the Indian National Qualifier is open to all male and female BMW GS Motorcycle owners in India. Three winners of the Indian National Qualifier will proudly represent the country at BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 to be held in Albania. The winning team will be fully equipped by BMW Motorrad for the adventure ahead, flown to Albania and presented with a personal BMW GS motorcycle for each rider for duration of the event. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, "The GS Trophy is a perfect ode to the 'Spirit of GS' and we are delighted to offer pure adventure in the form of the third edition of the GS Trophy qualifiers for all our GS customers in India. Filled with intense challenges, riding prowess and team spirit the GS Trophy is a unique experience for all adventure seekers." The Indian National Qualifier is held every two years and typically replicates challenges of the International GS Trophy. It is a multi-day competition with riders scoring points and leading to a final where top scorers compete for the three team positions. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 24 (ANI/NewsVoir): Kapil Pathare, Director of VIP Clothing Ltd. has been presented with the "Business Excellence and National Achievers Award" by the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari. This award was given in recognition for his excellent contribution to the industry and ultimately the Indian Economy. The event was hosted by Global India Business Forum and held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on 23rd September 2021. "I am truly honored to receive the Business Excellence and National Achievers Award from the Honorable Governor of Maharashtra and I dedicate this award to my Late father and Ex-Chairman Jaykumar Pathare. I truly believe that the success of business personnel lies in the ability to solve the most complex challenges and also have a positive influence on the economy. The pillar for our growth is laid on a foundation of innovation, customer success, and human resources. This award is a recognition to our outstanding team and incredible customers who remain the core ambassadors of the brand," says Kapil Pathare. Kapil Pathare has led an impressive transformation of VIP Clothing Limited and infused dynamism in the company since he took over the reins in 2001. From a traditional manufacturer-marketer-distributor of inner-wear goods, he has been able to transform the company keeping pace with modernity and evolve as a savvy marketer. Armed with a vision, the right infrastructure, right people, the right leadership, and the right attitude - a cumulative aggregate of factors vital to succeed and excel in the marketplace. VIP Group, which is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of innerwear, lingerie, readymade garments, socks, and other accessories has been continuously engaged in the branding of products and emerging its image from mass brands to premium brands. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian students at Perm State Medical University get the opportunity to complete their observership in leading hospital chains such as Max Healthcare New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI/SRV Media): Perm State Medical University, regarded as one of the oldest yet leading institutions of medical education in Russia celebrated 105 years of its foundation on 22nd September 2021. To mark the occasion, Perm State Medical University is offering scholarships worth USD 1500 for the admission of Indian students. Students can avail this scholarship at the time of admission via Rus Education which is the university's exclusive partner for the admission of students from India. The students can avail the benefits of this offer within 105 hours starting from 21st September 2021, 10:00 AM to 25th September 2021, 7:00 PM IST. Over the past few decades, the university has been gaining tremendous popularity especially among the international students seeking an affordable yet high-quality medical education abroad. A major group of international students at Perm State Medical University comes from India. At present, there are approximately 1300+ Indian medical students who are currently enrolled at the university to pursue their MBBS in Russia. Apart from its global reputation, the many features of the university that are favoured by international students include affordable fee structure, low cost of living in the region, trained faculties, use of advanced pedagogical techniques and much more. Established in 1916 during the Soviet era, the over a century-old university has been a witness of changing times, ideologies, educational and medical practices in Russia.The Perm State Medical University, named after the State Prize winner and academicians E.A. Wagner was established as a part of the medical faculty of the state university. The first batch consisted of 350 students. In esteemed contrast to this, today the university facilitates not only to the thousands of local students but also caters to the hundreds of international students. During its journey of 105 years, the university has achieved several milestones in various fields including academic as well as non-academic regards. The esteemed faculty of Perm State Medical University had been awarded "The Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation" in 2007. The campus of the university has been honoured with "Best campus" by the Moscow Mayor's Prize. The furnished hostel of the university has won the title of "Best student hostel" at a national level. Apart from all these national recognition, Perm State Medical University has also been acknowledged globally in recent years for its outstanding performance in imparting quality medical education. The university has been ranked among the best universities in the Eurasian region, compiled by the British publication Times Higher Education in 2018, QS University Rankings 2015 and Forbes Education, Russia, in 2021. Perm State Medical University is one of those few universities of Russia which uses robotic learning methodology for international students. Commonly referred to as Promobot Training, the university's humanoid, named Yuri, often acts as the means of learning and assessment for the students. With a legacy of 105 years, the university is constantly upgrading its tools and techniques to suit the present-day needs with a futuristic approach. The use of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc is constantly being involved in the teaching-learning methodologies. All these attributes of the Perm State Medical University make it a popular choice for the medical students for MBBS in Russia. During these 105 years, approximately 50,000 have achieved their dream of being a doctor and another 5000 are in the process of the same. The university has collaboration with 25+ universities across 15+ countries like Germany, Italy, USA, France, China, Canada and more. For Indian students, Perm State Medical University, as a partner of Rus Education, offers an opportunity to the students to complete their observership during their summer break in leading hospital chains such as Max Healthcare. Perm State Medical University looks forward to expanding its reach to fulfil even more dreams in the coming years and fulfil its responsibility to provide excellence. Indian students are requested to visit the official website of their exclusive admission partners in India - Rus Education for more information or call their student helpline number 1800-833-3338 for more details. For more information visit: (https://www.ruseducation.in) or (https://www.psmu.in) This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV Media) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moscow (Russia) [India], September 24 (ANI/Heylin Spark): Russian Parliamentary elections were held in Russia on the 17th, 18th, and 19th of September. As a progressive move, the Russian government invited around 200 MPs and 15 Election Experts & Political Experts across the globe. It's an honor to be a part of such a cross-cultural mega event for all the nations. Capt. Sumit Yadav, a resident of Haryana Gurugram will be representing India in this International Meet. The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation is a consultative civil society body created by the Government of Russia with 168 members to analyze draft legislation and activities in Russia Vladimir Putin urged Russians to vote. He said in a video message "Election of (the Duma's) new composition is undoubtedly the most important event in the life of our society and country." Capt. Sumit Yadav who is the chosen one from India had addressed the Youth Assembly in the United Nations Geneva, Switzerland, and New York, America Headquarters 4 times. He also led the World Police Game held in China in 2018. He completed his education in the USA and Canada. He is a businessman and a commercial pilot. Capt. Sumit Yadav has also received the Global Youth Peace Ambassador Award in Maldives by the President of Maldives. As a social worker, he believes in world peace. Russia began three days of voting early Friday in a parliamentary election that is unlikely to change the country's political complexion. Polls opened Friday morning in the far Eastern regions of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Voters will be able to cast ballots on Sunday. With 14 parties fielding candidates for half of the Duma's 450 seats that are chosen by party list, the election seems to be competitive. In addition to the Duma election, nine Russian regions will be choosing governors, 39 regions will be choosing legislatures, and voters in 11 cities will be choosing city councils. The Elections Commission expanded voting to three days to reduce crowding at the polls amid the coronavirus pandemic. Capt. Sumit Yadav, a political expert from India will share the dais with other delegates. He says, "It's an honor to represent India and share the platform with experts across the globe." This story is provided by Heylin Spark. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Heylin Spark) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI/PNN): Vedanta Resources, one of the world's leading diversified natural resources companies in India, announced its partnership with the Indian Government to celebrate the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, also India's 75th year of Independence at the India pavilion in Dubai Expo 2020. The six-month-long celebration commences on the 1st of October 2021 in Dubai. India is at the cusp of economic transformation, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a vision that, in the coming years, the nation will grow from a USD 2.6 trillion to a USD 5 trillion economy and then eventually become a USD 10 trillion. The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will showcase the resurgent India marching to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy. To complement this vision, Vedanta will be showcasing India opportunities in the Sustainability and Natural resources sector and bringing to life India's growth opportunities through the celebration of India's self-reliance vision. The added focus will be on harnessing the trade links between India and UAE by reinforcing economic visions and complementing human resources to enhance the robust and promising partnership between India and the UAE. Commenting on the partnership with the Indian Government and one of the first investors in the India pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman, Vedanta, stated, "My message is to invest in India. The time is now. In the next 25 years, India will be the growth engine of the global economy, like China was in previous decades. Not only is India a large market, but it also has tremendous human resource capital. Prime Minister Modi's vision of self-reliance with strong reforms in place charts a clear growth path for India's opportunity. UAE and India share a rich cultural and business heritage. Both countries have a lot to share and offer each other. A strong partnership will bring new vigor in making Asia a global business hub and lead the world economy in the 21st century." The gist of the Indian pavilion: The Expo is a technological marvel that will capture the vibrant Indian culture and its heritage besides the capabilities and opportunities that it presents as a global economic hub to domestic and foreign investors. The India Pavilion will see participation from several Indian states who will be displaying their culture, tradition and tremendous business opportunities along with the top corporate groups from India and the public sector companies. Many prominent government ministers, officials, and celebrities are set to visit India Pavilion during the six months of Expo 2020, which will also host many cultural events. Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world's leading Oil & Gas and Metals companies with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has contributed to India's growth story, currently contributing 1 percent of India's GDP. The company is among the top private sector contributors to the exchequer, with the highest ever contribution of INR 42,560 Crore in FY 2019. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and the environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company has been conferred the CII-ITC Sustainability Award, the FICCI CSR Award, Dun & Bradstreet Awards in Metals & Mining, and certified as a Great Place to Work. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit (https://www.vedantalimited.com/Pages/Home.aspx) This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reeling from a debt of more than Rs 20,000 crore, the 156-year-old group is said to be nearing a deal with a foreign investment firm to pledge a part of its stake in Tata Sons and raise about Rs 8,000 crore. It holds an 18.4 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of Indias largest conglomerate. Media reports suggest that the funding deal might close in the next few weeks. Though the SP Group is of the view that it does not need the Tatas permission to pledge its stake, the deal could face hurdles if the objects. It has to be noted that the Tatas had foiled the SP groups attempts last year to raise funds from Canadas Brookfield Asset Management. The SP group has a total debt of Rs 20,000 crore, of which Rs 12,000 crore is under a moratorium till 2023. SP Group promoters, the Mistry family, had offered to exit Tata Sons last year after their 70-year association soured following the removal of as Tata Sons chairman. The offered to buy out the SP groups stake, but the two sides differed on its valuation. While the Mistrys wanted Rs 1.78 trillion for their stake, the Tatas claimed a valuation of Rs 80,000 crore. Meanwhile, the SP group is trying to sell some of its non-core assets to pare its debt as part of a restructuring deal it has struck with lenders. Its core construction business has been hit badly due to the economic slowdown in the past few years and the Covid-19 pandemic. It has also agreed to sell a majority stake in Eureka Forbes at an enterprise value of Rs 4,400 crore to global private equity company Advent International. Eureka Forbes is known for the Aquaguard brand, a household name in water purification, besides Forbes vacuum cleaners. The group is further trying to sell Sterling & Wilson Solar, one of the countrys largest solar companies, and the construction and engineering company Afcons Infrastructure. In April last year, the group sold five solar assets to KKR & Co for Rs 1,550 crore. Now, will the group be able to monetise its stake in Tata Sons this time? Lets wait and watch. Prime Minister will attend the first ever in-person summit hosted by US President today. The other participants are Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.The summit will be held at the White House in Washington. Defence expert Ajai Shukla explained the significance of the summit and outlined India's expectations going in. He also briefed us on the impact of the new trilateral security alliance, AUKUS. Here are the excerpts: What is the significance of the first in-person summit? brings together the US, India, Japan and Australia Objective: Resolving issues in Asia-Pacific, mainly concerning Chinese aggression China views this as an anti-China grouping The leaders will exchange views on global issues like emerging technologies, infra, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change and education What are India's expectations from this particular summit and what does it hope to achieve? No deliverables involved this time It maintains the pressure on China Also provides political framework for the Malabar exercise What function does the AUKUS serve? Is it going to be more effective? Is there something new here? AUKUS does not have any participation from India It is a new, purpose-built alliance between the US, UK and Australia Geographical centre of gravity: Western Pacific The three countries also plan to share intelligence, quantum technology and cruise missile technology For now, India will watch AUKUS from the sidelines Hopefully, India-China relations will move on a positive trajectory going forward and both sides will be able to manage their differences without further conflict. Here is todays ranking of the 10 most-read news stories in China in economics, finance and current affairs, to help give you a sense of whats trending in the Chinese language sphere. Chinese social media users have been paying close attention to President Xi Jinpings announcement that China will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. They also continue to follow embattled Luckin Coffees statement that it has offered $187.5 million to settle all claims in a U.S. securities class action lawsuit. 1. Alipays Huabei integrated into central banks credit reporting system Alipays consumer credit platform Huabei (external source, in Chinese) said Wednesday that it will be integrated into the central banks credit reporting system. 2. Luckin offers millions to settle lawsuit Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee Inc. said Tuesday that it has offered $187.5 million to settle all claims in a U.S. securities class action lawsuit filed last year over its accounting fraud. 3. Nearly half of all primary and middle schools tell Education Ministry they provide after-school services After the launch of policies to reduce the burden on schoolchildren, 96.3% of the 108,000 primary and middle schools about half of such schools in the country that sent feedback to the education ministry said they provide after-school services (external source, in Chinese), the ministry said. 4. U.S. Covid-19 patient zero probably appeared between August and October 2019, paper says Chinese university researchers claimed in a paper posted on ChinaXiv, a pre-publishing platform hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, that the first case of Covid-19 infection (external source) could have emerged between August and October in 2019, which is earlier than the officially announced date of the first confirmed case in the U.S. on Jan. 20, 2020. 5. Trudeau wins third term as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau (external source, in Chinese) won a third term as Canadas prime minister in the Canadian federal election. 6. China urges U.S. to investigate deadly drone strike in Kabul China urges the U.S. to thoroughly investigate (external source) the drone strike in late August that killed 10 civilians in Kabul, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing Thursday. 7. Xi says China will not build new coal-fired power plants abroad China will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, President Xi Jinping said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, adding that the country will increase efforts to realize its climate pledges. 8. Chinese provinces solicit opinions on later retirement Chinese provincial governments have been holding meetings to solicit public opinion on raising the retirement age (external source, in Chinese), a goal outlined in the countrys 14th Five-Year Plan. Photo: VCG 9. U.S. to relax travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers from 33 countries The White House said Monday that starting November, it will grant entry to fully vaccinated travelers (external source, in Chinese) from 33 countries, including 26 European Schengen states such as France, Italy and Germany, as well as seven additional countries including China, Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Iran and India. 10. Most Chinese retail investors hold shares worth less than 500,000 yuan There are more than 190 million individual investors in Chinas capital market, with 97% holding shares with a market value of less than 500,000 yuan (external source, in Chinese), according to Yan Qingmin, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Translated by reporters Cai Xuejiao. Caixin has not independently verified the veracity or accuracy of all of the headlines or stories. The daily ranking of most-read news stories among Chinese people, about China and global affairs, is jointly provided to you by Caixin Insight and HANA Data, an artificial intelligence technology team. The key indicators calculated on the list are based on mass data sourced from Chinas mainstream social media platforms and online news websites. Click here for a detailed introduction of our methodology. Evergrande is believed to hold the power to control more than 50% of Shengjing Banks equity. Evergrande / In Depth: How a Liaoning bank got sucked into the Evergrande vortex With China Evergrande Groups colossal debt under a global spotlight, the real estate conglomerates more than 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) of transactions with a regional bank are also raising concerns, prompting the local government to try to cut ties between the two. Shengjing Bank Co., a commercial bank headquartered in the northeastern city of Shenyang, Liaoning province, holds a substantial amount of Evergrande bonds. Evergrande is also the banks biggest shareholder. As the property giants debt crisis evolves, the Liaoning government is attempting to insulate itself from Evergrandes risks by buying back some of Evergrandes equity in the regional bank through two local state-owned enterprises. Banks try to calm market jitters by disclosing debts Evergrande owes them FINANCE & ECONOMY Yuan / China drafts new rules for banks overseas yuan lending to boost yuan use China plans to relax restrictions on domestic banks ability to provide yuan-denominated loans overseas, a further step in its strategy to boost global use of the Chinese currency. The proposals were made by the Peoples Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in a draft (link in Chinese) of new regulations released Saturday. The rules, which apply to 27 onshore banks, impose limits on the total amount of overseas loans banks can make in yuan and foreign currencies, improve risk prevention and unify the regulations covering both types of lending. The regulationsaim to better meet the capital demand of overseas enterprises, effectively serve the real economy, and promote trade and investment facilitation, a statement accompanying the draft said. Trade / Beijing opposes Taiwans application to join Pacific trade pact Beijing firmly opposes Taiwans application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was submitted days after China's own application, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Thursday at a regular press briefing. We firmly oppose any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries, and Taiwans accession to any official agreements or organizations, he said. Banking / Banking regulator puts new emphasis on governance, data management Chinas top banking regulator revised its seven-year-old supervisory assessment criteria for commercial banks, putting more emphasis on corporate governance and data security. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) issued a revision Wednesday to the guidelines on supervision and assessment of commercial banks. It was the first change since the guidelines went into effect in 2014. Liquidity / China releases $17 billion to banks amid Evergrande concerns Chinas central bank net-injected the most short-term liquidity in eight months into the financial system, with markets roiled by concerns over China Evergrande Groups debt crisis. The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) pumped in 110 billion yuan ($17 billion) of cash with seven- and 14-day reverse repurchase agreements. That was the largest addition through open-market operations since late January, when a funding squeeze sent interbank rates soaring. Prior to Thursday, the PBOC had injected liquidity for three straight sessions, stoking bets that Beijing hopes to soothe market nerves over Evergrande. Quick hits / China stocks from property to tech jump as Evergrande hopes rise Fisher: When excess fat is great for your portfolio BUSINESS & TECH Business outlook / Optimism among U.S. companies in China surges, survey finds American companies in China are more optimistic about the business outlook in the country than at any point since the launch of the U.S.-China trade war back in 2018, a business groups annual survey found. The China Business Survey, released Thursday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), also found that over 70% of the surveyed manufacturers had no plans to move supply chains out of China. The survey of 338 member companies was conducted between June 15 and July 15 with the help of consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers China, AmCham Shanghai said. It questioned companies on factors such as company performance, investment, domestic competition and mobility. Chinas increasingly inward turn could bring negative long-term impact, EU firms say Shipping / Cosco unit to pay $116 million for Hamburg terminal stake A unit of China Cosco Shipping Corp. struck a deal with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA) to acquire a 35% stake in Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) in the Port of Hamburg, expanding the Chinese shipping giants terminal network in Europe. Hong Kong-traded Cosco Shipping Ports Ltd., a terminal operator of Cosco, will pay 65 million euros ($76 million) for HHLAs holding in CTT, the company said Wednesday. The buyer also agreed to assume CTTs 34 million euros of debt to HHLA, putting the total value of the deal at 99 million euros ($116 million). HHLA is one of Europes largest port and logistics service providers. Xiaomi / Smartphone-maker Xiaomi bets bigger on smart cars Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi Corp. raised its bet on smart vehicle manufacturing, a business it believes will be key to its profit growth in the future, with an investment in a Chinese auto microchip startup. Black Sesame Technologies Inc. said Wednesday it completed a series C funding round led by the Yangtze River Xiaomi Industry Fund, an investment fund established by Xiaomi and the Hubei provincial government in 2017. Several other investors also participated, including Summitview Capital, FutureX Capital, Lenovo Capital and the China Automotive Chip Industry Innovation Strategic Alliance. Dishonest / Drugmakers labeled seriously dishonest over graft, broken contracts Two Chinese drugmakers were blacklisted as seriously dishonest by local regulators, one due to corruption and the other over offenses related to the countrys drug bulk-buying program. Yichang Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. engaged in commercial bribery related to four drugs in the central province of Henan, according to a notice published (link in Chinese) Saturday by the Henan Province Public Resources Trading Center. Hubei province-based Yichang Humanwell mainly engages in the development, production and sales of anesthetics and other active ingredients. Quick hits / Covid shot from Chinas Clover found 79% effective against delta China Oceanwide struggles to save U.S. deals as Evergrande sways Ling Huawei: China wakes up to need for antitrust regulation Hot Topics / Xi sends birthday wishes to 100-year-old Nobel laureate, U.S. to relax travel restrictions, new Covid vaccine GALLERY Delta cases rise in two parts of China Thanks for reading. If you havent already, click here to subscribe. At their recent meeting in Tianjin, Chinas special envoy on climate Xie Zhenhua and the U.K.s President of the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26), reportedly held candid, in-depth and constructive talks regarding arrangements for the meeting, and cooperation on climate change between the two nations. A constructive and in-depth approach is certainly needed. COP26, being held in Glasgow in November, offers an opportunity for leaders to act together to avert the worst impacts of global warming. The U.K. and China have pivotal roles to play. The U.K. is co-hosting the conference with Italy, so is responsible for setting the bar high and doing the diplomatic work in the run up necessary to ensure success. The U.K. also has to demonstrate it has plans in place to meet its own ambitious emissions reduction goal. And China, as a global superpower and a major emitter of greenhouse gasses, could set an example to other emerging economies of enhanced ambition and commensurate action to speed up the transition to a low carbon future. New research from Chatham House shows that without much greater emissions reductions from all countries but especially major emitters severe and life-changing climate impacts will be locked in for 2030 and beyond. Warnings about the dire impact of climate change for the future of our planet are not new. Code red for humanity was the headline from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, authored by the worlds leading scientists and backed by governments. But extreme weather-related events that pose an existential threat to people across the world are occurring with increasing frequency and severity. This year alone, record-breaking floods have ravaged China, Germany, Belgium and Bangladesh, deadly wildfires have ripped through Australia, Siberia, the U.S. and Turkey, and heatwaves have claimed lives in southern Africa, southern Europe and central and western U.S. According to the U.N. World Meteorological Organization, weather disasters are striking four to five times more often and causing seven times more damage than in the 1970s. Climate change is here and it is set to get worse. The current pace of global decarbonisation efforts put the world on track for at least 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, which would have devastating consequences. Without a radical change to the status quo, by the 2030s, 400 million people a year are likely to experience heat so extreme that they are unable to work outside; the number of people exposed to temperatures so hot that they are life-threatening is likely to surpass 10 million a year; and by 2040, some 3.9 billion people will probably experience major heatwaves annually, 12 times the historic average. By 2040, almost 700 million people each year are likely to be exposed to droughts of at least six months duration, nearly double the global historic annual average. No region will be spared, but East and South Asia will be worst-hit with, respectively, 125 million and 105 million people a year likely to be affected. When it comes to food and the worlds ability to feed a rapidly growing global population, the scale of the crisis is evident. Food production will need to increase by 50% by 2050. But without rapid and sizeable emissions reductions, agricultural yields are set to decline by 30% by the same date. By the 2040s, the probability of a 10% yield loss, or greater, within the top four maize producing countries the U.S., China, Brazil and Argentina rises to between 40% and 70%. Beyond the quantifiable risks, there is the growing possibility that climate-related events could trigger a sequence of connected incidents across regions and sectors. A total of 70 experts convened by Chatham House agreed these cascading risks could drive higher mortality rates, trade disruption, food insecurity, increased migration flows, a rise in infectious diseases and even armed conflict. With each point of a degree increase in global temperatures, there is a growing likelihood that these incidents compound one another and combine to create a negative feedback loop where each incident further amplifies the effects of the others. Soberingly, this is not even the worst-case scenario. Climate scientists have long since identified the prospect of tipping points, whereby abrupt changes occur as a critical earth system threshold is passed, such as the disintegration of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheet. There is now growing concern that current models may underestimate their potential influence. To avert catastrophe, all governments will have to do more. Climate Action Trackers latest analysis rates just a single country Gambia as having overall climate action that is consistent with the target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, a target agreed by governments at the U.N. climate meeting in Paris in 20215. While some countries have submitted revised plans known as National Determined Contributions ahead of COP26 that move in the right direction, the actions of the majority, including many of the highest emitters, are highly insufficient. Australia, Indonesia and Brazil all hugely exposed to climate risk have said they wont improve on the pledges they made in Paris in 2015. Meanwhile, India and China are yet to submit their new proposals. Collectively, there is still a yawning gap between where we are and where we need to be, and each moment of delay puts the 1.5 degree target further out of research. The coming weeks will be critical for the future of our planet and life on it. There is no time to lose. Daniel Quiggin is a senior research fellow at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. The views and opinions expressed in this opinion section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial positions of Caixin Media. If you would like to write an opinion for Caixin Global, please send your ideas or finished opinions to our email: opinionen@caixin.com Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. U.S. carmaker General Motors announced plans to invest $300 million in Chinas Momenta in order to access the firms next-generation self-driving technologies. Photo: momenta.cn Welcome to Caixins Tech Insider, your twice-weekly wrap on the movers, shakers and deal-makers in Chinas tech scene. Xiaomis smartphones now No. 1 in Indonesia With a market share of 26%, Xiaomi became Indonesias No. 1 smartphone brand in the second quarter of 2021, according to new figures from Counterpoint Research. Four of the five top sellers were Chinese brands. Glen Cardoza, a senior analyst at the consultancy, said value for money underpinned Xiaomis success in the market, as well as a strong online presence and relatively lean inventory management. Xiaomi also topped in online sales, grabbing around 30% share during the quarter, Cardoza said. Vivo, Oppo, Samsung and Realme followed sequentially, with market shares of 21%, 20%, 13% and 11%, according to the report. Smartphone shipments in China fall 10% in August amid microchip crunch New figures released this week show Chinas smartphone shipments totaled 23.1 million units in August, down 9.9% year-on-year, according to a report from a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. That came even as smartphone companies released 51 new models last month, an increase of four-fifths on the previous August. About 24.3 million mobile phones were shipped in China last month, down 9.7% year on year. More than two-thirds were 5G-enabled, up 9.4% year-on-year, the report said. It did not break the figures down by operating system. A global semiconductor shortage is continuing to rattle supply chains of manufacturers of everything from consumer electronics and smart vehicles. Germanys Volocopter signs deal to produce flying cars in China German air taxi startup Volocopter announced a deal that allows it to produce its flying vehicles in China, which the German firm sees as the biggest single market for urban air mobility (UAM) services. The firm also said on Wednesday that it will sell 150 of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles to its Chengdu-headquartered joint venture formed with a subsidiary of Geely Technology Group, as competition in the so-called UAM market heats up. The UAM project focuses on using eVTOL vehicles to carry people and parcels around cities, according to Volocopter, which says this will ease traffic congestion. NetEase-owned online learning firm makes push into gaming As the edtech sector reels from Beijings crackdown, one firm has taken a novel approach. Youdao Ads, a unit of NetEase-owned online learning and dictionary provider Youdao, has partnered with Japans Blue Ocean to use online influencers to market Chinese gaming companies in Japan. Blue Ocean is a multichannel network, a kind of middleman that sits between streaming platforms and content-makers and deals with digital rights management, audience development, product development and sponsorships. Youdao Ads said that it had established ties with over 100,000 online influencers around the world and provided digital marketing services to more than 500 companies in the gaming, e-commerce and social media sectors to support their expansion into overseas markets such as North America, Europe, the Middle East, Japan and South Korea. General Motors to invest $300 million in Chinese self-driving startup U.S. carmaker General Motors on Thursday announced plans to invest $300 million in Chinas Momenta in order to access the firms next-generation self-driving technologies for vehicles sold in China. The deal marks General Motors confidence in the R&D capabilities of Momenta, which also counts automakers including SAIC Motor and Toyota Motor as financial backers. It also hints at how international firms might deal with new Chinese restrictions on cross-border data flows. In March last year, Momenta agreed to provide Toyota with its camera-based high-definition mapping technology, which the Japanese carmaker said it would use to develop its automated mapping platform. Augmented reality glasses startup Nreal bags $100 million in new funding Chinese augmented reality startup Nreal said on Thursday that it has secured more than $100 million in a series C funding round to bankroll research. Last year, Nreal launched its first-generation consumer-facing mixed reality glasses, the Nreal Light. Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality devices are designed to blend with the physical world, such as placing a small digital map in someones field of view. This Caixin Tech Insider was compiled by Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) and edited by Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com). Send us your tips and feedback. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. Photo: Colin Dacre The RCMP and Yukons Department of Education acknowledged failures as they apologized for the handling of a sexual assault investigation at Hidden Valley Elementary School in Whitehorse. We should have done better," RCMP Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard said during a news conference on Thursday. "We should have been more diligent." In November 2019, police were told that a student had been sexually assaulted by an education assistant at the school. While the staff member was quickly removed from the school, other parents were never informed of the incident and there was no attempt made to identify more potential victims. A followup investigation was launched more than a year later when two other potential victims were identified. At the time of the investigation, we did not have specific information that there were possibly other victims involved and the investigation remained focused on the safety and the privacy of the first victim and their family, said Sheppard. Investigators should have known, given the accused was a teacher's aide, he said. "As such, it is clear to me we should have done better." William Auclair-Bellemare, 34, pleaded guilty to sexual interference and was convicted on Jan. 18, 2021. He spent six months in jail before release on probation. Auclair-Bellemare was charged Sept. 10 with four sex-related counts, including sexual exploitation of a person with a disability, in relation to two other students at the school. None of the current allegations have been proven in court. Sheppard told the news conference that police should have worked more closely with partners at the school to look for other potential victims. "We did not do that, Sheppard added. A review of the investigation has been launched by the E Division Major Crimes Unit in British Columbia, he said. Sheppard said the number of people involved in the file may have contributed to the confusion. I think Ill be in a better position to comment on where key mistakes are made, and possibly by whom, once the complete review is completed, he said. Parents at Hidden Valley Elementary School found out about the allegations in July, over a year after the original charges were laid, when media outlets reported on a civil lawsuit brought forward against the government by a parent of the victim. On Thursday, deputy minister of education Nicole Morgan acknowledged it was a failure to not communicate directly with parents. The Department of Education fully acknowledges the trust of families at Hidden Valley School was broken, said Morgan. "For this, we are sorry. We heard a desire for a public review of our policies and procedures. Morgan said during the criminal investigation department officials struggled with the tension between our obligation to protect a students privacy and their dignity and that of the families and publics right to know. Her apology came after a closed-door meeting between RCMP, the department and parents at the school on Wednesday. Minister of Education Jeanie McLean was not present at the news conference but did attend the meeting. Morgan said the department now has a list of action items from parents, including a public review of policies across all Yukon schools to prevent similar incidents. Sheppard said the investigation into the original incident began on Nov. 17, 2019, with a report from child protective services. The student was interviewed the next day and Auclair-Bellemare was removed immediately from the school. In July, local media outlets reported on a civil lawsuit against Auclair-Bellemare and the school by the parent of the victim, alleging the school failed in its duty to protect children. Other parents came forward and the subsequent RCMP follow up identified two more alleged victims, resulting in the new charges against the man. Auclair-Bellemare was released on bail on Sept. 13 with court-ordered conditions restricting his interaction with minors and he is awaiting his next court appearance. Photo: Pexels Experts warn the Liberals promise to legislate safety in long-term care will have to come with more money if new national care standards are going to fix whats broken in the system. The COVID-19 pandemic shone a glaring spotlight on the already tenuous ability of staff and loved ones to provide care inside many retirement and nursing homes across the country. In the 2020 throne speech, the government promised to work with provinces and territories to set new, national standards for long-term care a process that was launched through the Health Standards Organization and the Canadian Standards Association in March 2021. In fact, national HSO standards for long-term care already exist and are used as the accreditation criteria for about 58 per cent of all homes in Canada, according to Dr. Samir Sinha, chair of one of the technical committees working to rewrite those standards. He said in Quebec, all homes must adhere to the existing national standards as a condition of their accreditation. Sinha said the first draft of the new standards, which are set to be publicly released at the end of the year, aim to promote a better working environment for staff and ensure high-quality care for residents. We have an excellent committee that really is coming together to kind of say, This is what excellent long-term care should look like, Sinha said in an interview. But what happens to change the status quo after the new standards are released is up to the government. Alex Mihailidis is chair of the Canadian Standards Association committee that will focus on producing national standards for infection protection and control in long-term care, including the HVAC, plumbing, medical gas systems, and the use of technology. At a virtual symposium on the future of aging in Canada in June, Mihailidis said the standards need to be mandatory. We never would have made it to the moon without proper standards and policies in place to make that happen, he told the symposium. We need the same support for long-term care standards and their implementation if we're going to achieve better care for older Canadians. Comparing long-term care improvements to rocket science may not be as far-fetched as it sounds, given the complexity and cost of the problem. Long-term care sits squarely in provincial jurisdiction, with currently little to no federal oversight. While the Conservatives platform envisioned the new standards as a guiding light to best practices, the re-elected Liberals promised to legislate guaranteed quality care under what theyve dubbed the Safe Long-Term Care Act. The Liberal promise also came with a $9-billion cash injection over five years, though the partys platform was not specific about how that money would be spent. Sinha said the Liberals' promise wont be enough to meet the demand for quality long-term care. It doesn't come anywhere close to that amount, Sinha said. It's one thing to legislate things. It's another thing to make sure that you can actually accomplish them. An August 2021 report by the parliamentary budget office suggests it would take an extra $8.5 billion each year to meet the current demand for long-term care and improve wages and benefits for workers. That cost is expected to grow by about 4.1 per cent per year because of an aging population. The University of Ottawas Dr. Alan Forster sat as chair of the chief science advisers task force on long-term care, which provides advice to the prime minister and the cabinet on COVID-19. About 69 per cent of Canadas total number of COVID-19 deaths happened in long-term care as of February 202,1 according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. He said the stories long-term-care workers and researchers would bring to the committee were emotional, and many were linked to systemic problems that long predated COVID-19. It's clear we're going to need to decide as a country how we pay for this. It's not going to be free to look after people better, Forster said in an interview. The Liberal government will also have the added challenge of getting provinces to buy into their plan something that came up during the recent election campaign when both Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of taking an Ottawa-knows-best approach to the issue. During the Sept. 2 French-language debate on TVA, Trudeau said he wants to work in partnership with the provinces while respecting their jurisdiction over health care. In a December 2020 interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau said his government would "happily partner" with provinces and territories that want to boost standards in long-term care facilities and that Ottawa would help cover the cost of those improvements. But he also warned that provinces that chose not to take the federal government up on that offer would have some explaining to do to their own populations. The cost of not doing enough will be higher than what it will cost to get it right, Sinha said. Can we afford this? I would actually say, Can we afford not to do the right thing? Sinha said. Photo: The Canadian Press British Columbia's naloxone supply is depleted, forcing some police agencies to buy their own supplies of the overdose-reversing drug. Premier John Horgan says his government is working to allocate funding to buy more naloxone kits, which have successfully been used to reverse opioid overdoses in thousands of people in the province. The Victoria Police Department has been paying for its own naloxone kits this past year after funding ended in April 2020, while the Saanich Police Department said in a statement that its naloxone kits will expire at the end of the year. Bowen Osoko, a spokesman for Victoria police, says the force allocated $15,000 from its human resources budget to buy the kits, which retail between $130 and $140 each. He says police departments across the province were notified of the funding cut, but the severity and frequency of overdoses meant the Victoria Police Department never considered not buying more kits. The province declared a public health emergency in 2016 as overdoses climbed due to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, and since then 7,760 people have died from suspected ODs. The Opposition Liberals are criticizing the funding cut, calling it an "appalling" decision. Trevor Halford, the critic for mental health and addictions, said the B.C. government claims the overdose crisis is a public health emergency but cutting funding shows they think otherwise. "The cost of a naloxone kit is not greater than the cost of losing someones life," Halford said in a statement. Osoko said the Victoria police used over 100 naloxone kits in the past year, and officers are asked to respond to overdoses daily. Const. Steve Addison, a spokesman for the Vancouver Police Department, said the force recently purchased more naloxone kits but could not comment on the funding or size of its supply. Sheila Malcolmson, the minister of mental health and addictions, said in a statement that "having police officers carry naloxone is integral to saving lives in our communities" and her ministry will work to ensure there are no further funding gaps. The "Toward the Heart" program, which is run by the BC Centre for Disease Control and offers harm reduction supplies, said in a statement that its take-home naloxone kits are available to those who are likely to witness or respond to an overdose and there are no supply issues with its programs. Photo: The Canadian Press Pope Francis has decided to leave in office a prominent German archbishop who has faced criticism for his handling of the church's sexual abuse scandal, but the cleric has decided to take a several-month time out, his archdiocese said Friday. The Vatican said that the pope is counting on the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the archdiocese said in a statement. However, it added that Woelki asked for a spiritual time out from mid-October to the beginning of March, and that the pontiff granted it. The aim is to be able to think and to open space for confidence to grow again," the statement added. Woelki has become a deeply divisive figure in the German church. A report commissioned by the archbishop and issued in March found 75 cases in which eight high-ranking officials including Woelkis late predecessor neglected their duties to either follow up on, report or sanction cases of alleged abuse by clergy and lay church employees, and failed to take care of the victims. Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse, previously a senior church official in Cologne, was faulted for 11 cases of neglecting his duty. Hesse offered his resignation to Francis, who eventually rejected it last week. The report absolved Woelki himself of any neglect of his legal duty with respect to abuse victims. He subsequently said he made mistakes in past cases involving sexual abuse allegations, but made clear he had no intention of resigning. Woelki infuriated many local Catholics by citing legal concerns to keep under wraps a first report on how local church officials reacted when priests were accused of sexual abuse. He commissioned the new report an 800-page investigation based on church files and put together by a German law firm. A pair of papal envoys were dispatched to Cologne in June to investigate possible mistakes by senior church officials in handling past sexual abuse cases and the complex pastoral situation in the church there. During Woelki's absence, auxiliary bishop Rolf Steinhaeuser will run the archdiocese as an apostolic administrator. Photo: Chuck Chiang Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou leaves her Vancouver residence Friday morning ahead of a court appearance UPDATE 2:25 p.m. Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou has been officially discharged from her extradition case by judge Heather Holmes. Holmes made the announcement after a brief hearing this afternoon in the wake of the U.S. reaching a deferred prosecution agreement with Meng that will allow the Chinese tech executive to return to China. It appears that this extradition proceeding has reached its final chapter, said Crown counsel John Gibb-Carsley said after telling the court that the authority to proceed in the case has been withdrawn from the Attorney Generals Office. Meng appeared in a virtual U.S. court proceeding this morning, where she pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering. But prosecutors said that they have agreed to defer prosecution on the case to Dec.1, 2022 - exactly four years after her arrest in Vancouver. As part of the agreement, Meng has agreed to a number of obligations. If she does not violate them before the 2022 date, U.S. prosecutors have agreed to drop the case against her. Meng has also agreed not to challenge a statement of facts presented by prosecutors. Those statements include an admission where Meng knowingly misrepresented Huaweis relationship with subsidiary Skycom to HSBC in 2013 - and that Meng failed to retract or amend any of the false statements. In entering into the deferred prosecution agreement, Meng has taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetrating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution, said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicole Boeckmann for the Eastern District of New York in a written statement. This Deferred Prosecution Agreement will lead to the end of the ongoing extradition proceedings in Canada, which otherwise could have continued for many months, if not years, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Departments National Security Division in the same U.S. statement. Reports from last week indicated that a deal to defer her charges of fraud and money laundering from the United States was again under discussion between the two sides, and the Huawei executives U.S. lawyers later confirmed a deal has in fact been reached. They also reiterated Meng remains confident in her innocence. I'm very pleased that Sabrina Meng and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and it has been approved by Judge Donnelly, said lawyer William W. Taylor III. Under the terms of this agreement, Ms. Meng will not be prosecuted further in the United States and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated. She has not pleaded guilty and we fully expect the indictment will be dismissed with prejudice after fourteen months. Now, she will be free to return home to be with her family. In U.S. court, authorities said they will now recommend the release of Meng on personal recognizance bond - and a withdrawal of the extradition request will be filed with the Canadian Department of Justice. U.S. judge Ann Donnelly accepted the agreement, officially setting in motion the likely end of Mengs extradition case. A personal recognizance, in U.S. legal terms, is a release, without the requirement of a posting bail, based on a written promise by the defendant to appear in court when required to do so, according to a description by the Cornell Law School. On the Canadian front, B.C. Supreme Court has announced at 11:36 a.m. that a 2pm hearing on the extradition case will take place at the Vancouver courthouse. Given the developments, it is expected that Meng will have her extradition stayed. The Huawei CFO may be allowed to leave Canada after that. Meng left her Shaughnessy home at approximately 9:19 a.m. this morning, escorted by Huawei officials and her usual court-appointed security detail. She did not respond to questions, simply greeting the photographers gathered at her driveway entrance with a good morning, everyone. Legally, if a requesting state (in this case, the United States) drops its charges or extradition request, the person being extradited would be freed from the process - meaning Meng may potentially be able to return to China as soon as later today. BIV has not received a response from the B.C. courthouse on today's hearings schedule. No Meng matter was listed on the BC Supreme Court appearances list released this morning. Huawei representatives have not responded to requests for comment. The Meng case has been one of the highest-profile extradition cases in Canadian history since her arrest in Vancouver on December 1, 2018. The case where Canadian authorities arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request dragged Canada-China relations to an all-time low and put Ottawa in the middle of a global dispute between Washington and Beijing. Meng has maintained her innocence regarding accusations of wrongdoing surrounding a Huawei subsidiarys business dealings in Iran. She was originally scheduled to appear October 21 in a case-management hearing in her extradition proceedings to determine when Canadian courts will announce the decision on her case. It is unclear at this point whether if the Meng matter is resolved the development will affect the possible release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians held by Beijing on espionage charges since Mengs arrest in Canada. UPDATE 11:45 a.m. Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou and American prosecutors have agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement that will likely set the Chinese tech executive free to return to China. Meng appeared in a virtual U.S. court proceeding this morning, where she pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering. But prosecutors said that they have agreed to defer prosecution on the case to Dec.1, 2022exactly four years after her arrest in Vancouver. As part of the agreement, Meng has agreed to a number of obligations. If she does not violate them before the 2022 date, U.S. prosecutors have agreed to drop the case against her. Meng has also agreed not to challenge a statement of facts presented by prosecutors. ORIGINAL 10 a.m. Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou will appear virtually in a U.S. court to resolve charges facing the Chinese tech executive, a source confirmed with BIV Friday. According to the source close to the matter, Meng will appear in a federal court via online means sometime today. Reports from last week indicated that a deal to defer her charges of fraud and money laundering from the United States was again under discussion between the two sides. There is also an indication that a hearing in Vancouver may take place this afternoon, allowing Meng to possibly "head home" after that. Legally, if a requesting state (in this case, the United States) drops its charges or extradition request, the person being extradited would be freed from the process meaning Meng may potentially be able to return to China as soon as later today. BIV has not received a response from the BC courthouse on today's hearings schedule. Huawei representatives have not responded to requests for comment. The Meng case has been one of the highest-profile extradition cases in Canadian history since her arrest in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018. The case where Canadian authorities arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request sunk Canada-China relations to an all-time low and put Ottawa in the middle of a global tilt between Washington and Beijing. Meng has maintained her innocence regarding accusations of wrongdoing surrounding a Huawei subsidiarys business dealings in Iran. She was originally scheduled to appear on Oct. 21 in a case-management hearing in her extradition proceedings to determine when Canadian courts will announce the decision on her case. It is unclear at this point whether if the Meng matter is resolved the development will affect the possible release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians held by Beijing on espionage charges since Mengs arrest in Canada. Photo: The Canadian Press With the introduction of every new pandemic measure, The Hearty Hooligan restaurant in Hamilton has faced fake one-star reviews, online harassment, and disruptions at their location. The situation is bad enough that head chef Matthew Miles installed a panic button at their counter, and practices dealing with unruly customers with his staff using role plays. Now that proof of vaccination has become mandatory for non-essential activities in many provinces, businesses like Miles' say they're bracing for another wave of threatening calls and online harassment. While fake reviews haven't affected The Hearty Hooligan too heavily thanks to their existing community support, Miles says other less-established businesses could be less prepared to weather the storm. "I can definitely see how it would be challenging, not only from a business standpoint, but also from a mental health standpoint," said Miles. "Pouring your life into something, only to watch people tear it down over something you have no control over must be immensely frustrating." In Calgary, the owner of clothing and lifestyle store Madame Premier said she received threatening calls that addressed her by name after choosing to enforce proof of vaccination at her business. Alberta's vaccine verification system does not include retail outlets, but Sarah Elder-Chamanara chose to implement it anyway to keep her and her two young children safe from COVID-19. She says she's been flooded with dozens of bad reviews on Google and messages on her store's Instagram since then. "I've countered that by letting some people know so they can post positive reviews to counter the negative ones," said Elder-Chamanara. "But I don't want to have to do that, that's not what I should be doing with my time as a small-business owner frankly it takes away from my business." Restaurants Canada, an industry association, says Alberta businesses likely face an increased risk of harassment because Alberta's vaccine passport lets businesses decide whether or not to require vaccination. "Having a program where the onus is put on a restaurant to make that decision creates a significant challenge," said Restaurants Canada President and CEO Todd Barclay. "One restaurant beside another one could have an entirely different set of rules. In my mind, that's not the way to run these programs, the government has to make the decisions about what they think should happen." He called on companies like Yelp and Google to do more to support businesses that are the target of hateful reviews. Yelp said it has rolled out a feature that allows restaurants to indicate that they require proof of vaccination or have fully vaccinated staff. It says these businesses are automatically monitored for evidence of "review-bombing," where people flood the business with fake bad reviews. "We place unusual activity alerts on a Yelp page when we uncover an influx of activity in response to a business gaining public attention, caused by people coming to Yelp to express their views on an issue instead of describing their actual interaction with a business," said a Yelp spokesperson. "Its our policy that all reviews on Yelp must be based on a first-hand consumer experience with the business." The company said it has placed 190 unusual activity alerts and removed 8,000 comments on its platform since January 2021. In the meantime, business owners like Elder-Chamanara say they're trying to delete fake reviews and keep themselves feeling safe at work. These days, she keeps the front door of her store locked, and only opens it for each person trying to come into the store. "It's not something I'm proud of it," said Elder-Chamanara, but she said it's just another thing she has to do to feel safe, especially as a woman working alone at her store. Photo: VPD Vancouver police seized numerous real and imitation weapons from a building on the Downtown Eastside. Vancouver police are investigating after a homeless man was shot with an arrow Thursday night in the Downtown Eastside. This level of callousness and disregard is shocking, says VPD Sgt. Steve Addison. All signs point to this being a random attack, and were incredibly concerned because the victim was already one of our communitys most vulnerable. The victim, a 22-year-old Downtown Eastside resident, was standing in front of the Downtown Eastside Womens Centre at Columbia Street and East Cordova when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and realized hed been shot. With an arrow lodged just below his kneecap, the victim walked a block to Insite, where staff gave first aid and called 911. VPD investigators believe the arrow was shot from the fire escape of a building on East Hastings Street. Officers later recovered a cache of real and imitation weapons from the building, including crossbows, replica assault rifles, scopes, lights and lasers. We believe the person who shot the arrow was either a resident or a visitor who fled before police arrived, said Addison. Were continuing to collect evidence and are working hard to identify the shooter. Thursdays attack comes less than a month after VPD released video of another shocking attack on a homeless man, who was pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked by a stranger in Yaletown. That incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. on July 26, remains under investigation and no arrests have been made. We know that homeless and unsheltered people are already more likely to be victims of crime than those who are housed, said Addison. We are doing everything possible to identify the people who did this and hold them accountable. Photo: The Canadian Press United States agents rescue a migrant child from the waters of the Rio Grande after his parents lost their footing and the children began to be swept away by the current on the American side of the border between Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and Del Rio, Texas Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people most of them Haitians had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. It's a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it phenomenal news. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The devastating 2020 earthquake forced many of them from their homeland. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was horrible and that people will pay as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. There will be consequences, Biden told reporters. Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke cautiously about the pending investigation into the use of horses. Asked about the discrepancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was not prejudging an outcome. He was speaking from the heart. She said he is not interfering with any investigation. Mayorkas said about 2,000 Haitians have been rapidly expelled on 17 flights since Sunday and more could be expelled in coming days under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. He said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal. Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, with seven planned Saturday and six Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. In Mexico, just over 100 migrants, most of them single men, remained Friday morning in the riverside camp in Ciudad Acuna. Dozens of families who had been there crossed back to Del Rio overnight after Mexican authorities left the area. With the river running higher, some Border Patrol agents helped families who were struggling to cross with children. Some migrants also moved to small hotels or private homes in Ciudad Acuna. Authorities detained six migrants at one on Thursday afternoon. Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles west along Mexico's border with California. The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said. Asked about the situation in Ciudad Acuna on Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, we dont want Mexico to be a migrant camp, we want the problem to be addressed fully. At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket. A man whod driven almost 1,500 miles from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family wore a neon yellow vest and quietly scanned the line of Haitian migrants. Dave, who didnt want to share his last name, didnt see them in this group. I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help, he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom hed met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody, said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. We have so much. Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge won't reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rios hospital. It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here, Lozano said. The government has no plans to stop expelling some migrants on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. The Biden administration's special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, and said some of his policy recommendations had been ignored. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. The humanitarian group UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying Thursday that initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. And Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who toured the camp on Thursday, vowed to stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. On September 24, 2021, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. CDC recommends universal indoor masking by students, staff members, faculty, and visitors in kindergarten through grade 12 (K12) schools, regardless of vaccination status, to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1). Schools in Maricopa and Pima Counties, which account for >75% of Arizonas population (2), resumed in-person learning for the 202122 academic year during late July through early August 2021. In mid-July, county-wide 7-day case rates were 161 and 105 per 100,000 persons in Maricopa and Pima Counties, respectively, and 47.6% of Maricopa County residents and 59.2% of Pima County residents had received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. School districts in both counties implemented variable mask policies at the start of the 202122 academic year (Table). The association between school mask policies and school-associated COVID-19 outbreaks in K12 public noncharter schools open for in-person learning in Maricopa and Pima Counties during July 15August 31, 2021, was evaluated. A school was considered to have a mask requirement if all persons, regardless of vaccination status, were required to wear a mask indoors in school. An early mask requirement was one that was in place when the school year began, and a late mask requirement was one that was implemented any time after school began. Mask policies were abstracted from publicly available school COVID-19 mitigation plans, which must be posted online per Executive Order 202051. A school-associated outbreak was defined as the occurrence of two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff members at the school within a 14-day period and at least 7 calendar days after school started, and that was otherwise consistent with the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2020 outbreak definition and Arizonas school-associated outbreak definition.** In Arizona, school-associated outbreaks are required to be reported to the local public health agency within 24 hours; data are stored in Arizonas Medical Electronic Disease Surveillance Intelligence System. School characteristics, including county of location, grade levels present, enrollment, and Title I status (a measure of a school populations socioeconomic status) were obtained from the Arizona Department of Education. Crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed in Stata (version 15; StataCorp) and adjusted for school county, enrollment size, grade levels present, Title I status, and 7-day COVID-19 case rate in the schools zip code during the week school commenced. Schools with late mask requirements were excluded from these analyses because of their mixed exposure status during the sampling time frame (e.g., schools might have enacted mask requirements after an outbreak). Vaccination coverage for staff members and students was not available at the school level. Data were available for 1,020 of 1,041 (98.0%) K12 public noncharter schools in Maricopa and Pima counties. Twenty-one (2.0%) schools had outbreaks reported <7 days after school began and were excluded from the analyses. Among the 999 (96.0%) schools included in the analysis, 210 (21.0%) had an early mask requirement, 309 (30.9%) had a late mask requirement enacted a median of 15 days after school started (interquartile range = 917 days), and 480 (48.0%) had no mask requirement (Table). During July 15August 31, 2021, 191 school-associated outbreaks occurred, 16 (8.4%) in schools with early mask requirements, 62 (32.5%) in schools with late mask requirements, and 113 (59.2%) in schools without a mask requirement. In the crude analysis, the odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak in schools with no mask requirement were 3.7 times higher than those in schools with an early mask requirement (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7; 95% CI = 2.26.5). After adjusting for potential described confounders, the odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak in schools without a mask requirement were 3.5 times higher than those in schools with an early mask requirement (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.86.9). CDC recommends universal indoor masking in K12 schools (1); however, masking requirements in K12 schools vary by school district, county, and state. In the two largest Arizona counties, with variable K12 school masking policies at the onset of the 202122 academic year, the odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak were 3.5 times higher in schools with no mask requirement than in those with a mask requirement implemented at the time school started. Lapses in universal masking contribute to COVID-19 outbreaks in school settings (3); CDC K12 school guidance recommends multiple prevention strategies. Given the high transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, universal masking, in addition to vaccination of all eligible students, staff members, and faculty and implementation of other prevention measures, remains essential to COVID-19 prevention in K12 settings (1). Unemployment rates in nearly all of Tennessees counties decreased in August. This marks the second consecutive month the jobless situation has improved in 93 or more of the states 95 counties. August unemployment rates were lower in 93 counties across the state. The rate in Williamson County remained unchanged from July at 2.6 percent. Unemployment increased in Maury County from 4.2 percent to 4.5 percent in a month-to-month comparison. Seventy-nine counties recorded unemployment rates of less than 5 percent for the month. The remaining 16 counties had August rates of 5 percent or greater, but less than 10 percent. Williamson County continued to have Tennessees lowest unemployment rate in August. Moore County recorded the second-lowest rate at 2.7 percent, which was down 0.2 of a percentage point from its July rate. Shelby County had the months highest unemployment rate at 6.7 percent. While it was the highest in the state, the countys new rate represented a 0.8 of a percentage point decrease from July. Unemployment in Perry County was the second highest at 6.6 percent, but that accounted for a 4 percentage point drop from its July rate of 10.6 percent. Unemployment statewide improved for the third consecutive month in August. The rate ticked down from 4.7 percent to 4.6 percent. Nationally, the jobless rate also improved in August. It decreased by 0.2 of a percentage point from 5.4 percent to 5.2 percent. A complete analysis of the August 2021 county unemployment data can be found here. This week, there are more than 470,000 open positions across Tennessee. The state is working to help unemployed Tennesseans become TN Work Ready, so they can successfully rejoin the workforce. Job seekers can find a multitude of online and in-person resources by visiting www.TNWorkReady.com. Tennessee will release the statewide unemployment rate for September on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 1:30 p.m. CDT. Prosecutor Neal Pinkston told a Criminal Court jury that Janet Hinds is solely responsible for her role in officer Nicholas Galingers death during Thursdays closing arguments. Ms. Hinds is charged with vehicular homicide in the death of the rookie officer in a February 2019 hit and run. Officer Galinger was inspecting an overflowing manhole on a rainy night when a car ran into him and then drove off. She is the one who decided to drink (the equivalent of) a six-pack of beer and take a vodka shot, District Attorney Pinkston said. She threw him 163 feet because she was speeding and under the influence. Thats what this case is about. Defense attorney Ben McGowan questioned the objectivity of the Chattanooga Police Departments investigation into the death of one of their own officers. He focused on the credibility of chief investigator Joe Warren, and said certain aspects of the case were left uninvestigated, hidden, and/or altered. He said CPD and investigator Warren investigated Ms. Hinds in a different manner than they would a non-police-related death. Were looking at a case that was brought about because of the status of the person involved, attorney McGowan said. What did Warren cover up or not pursue? Youve seen what it looked like. If there was ever a crime scene that begged for a reconstruction, its this one. He questioned why the investigator never interviewed the driver of the vehicle that drove behind Ms. Hinds vehicle, calling it the car police never tried to find. He told the jury that officer Galinger was dressed in dark colors at night, and was crouched behind a sign, thus difficult to see. Attorney McGowan said his client was being scapegoated for the failures of other entities. Janet Hinds will be the scapegoat for the sins of the public works department, and the sins of the police department, and they want to throw her into the abyss, attorney McGowan said. This is the perfect storm of misfortune. District attorney Pinkston had the last word, and pushed against the allegations of bias, saying, If it were anybody else, wed be here under the same facts. Prosecutor Cameron Williams said Ms. Hinds had no excuse to not stop upon her cars impact with officer Galinger. Both prosecutors said there was also no question she was intoxicated, regardless of what her family and friends told the court. When she hit that man, he went face-first into the windshield, and she saw that and kept driving, prosecutor Williams said. How do you drive five miles home and not see his hair, or a piece of the mans scalp on the steering column. Following closing arguments, Judge Don Poole gave jury instructions. The selected jurors brought in from Nashville will begin deliberating on Friday morning. A woman on E. 8th Street told police that every time she drives her 1998 Honda Accord her ex-boyfriend calls her. She said she was in a bad relationship and came to Chattanooga for help. She wanted police to check her vehicle for any tracking devices. Police checked the vehicle, gave some suggestions in relation to phone tracking apps that might be used in this situation, and made recommendations on how to rectify the problem. She did not want to make any reports in regards to the harassment at this time. * * * An abandoned auto was reported at 1915 Sharp St. Police found a red Pontiac with TN tag, which is registered to a KIA belonging to a woman on Sharp Street. Since the vehicle is not legally registered and is illegally parked, police placed an orange sticker on the driver window of the vehicle warning the owner that the vehicle may be towed if it is not removed within 48 hours. * * * A man told police that a TN tag that belongs on a 2016 Volvo road tractor had been knocked off by road debris. He said he is not sure of the exact location, but was on I-75 inside Chattanooga. The tag was entered into NCIC. * * * A man on Perimeter Drive told police that someone broke into his vehicle while at Planet Fitness gym. He said the passenger window was busted out and his wallet was taken. * * * A man on Noah Reid Road said a friend that he had been letting stay with him for the last two weeks was drunk and he wanted her to leave. Police found the woman inside the man's car and she was upset and refused to leave. The man told police he did not want her to get into any sort of trouble, he just wanted her to leave for the night. Police told the woman that she needed to leave and she left on foot. * * * Police were on normal patrol and observed two vehicles driving excessively at 300 Broad St., heading north. Police attempted to locate the vehicles and a short time later observed them on the Market Street Bridge. As they turned east onto Cherokee Boulevard, one of the vehicles accelerated so quickly its tires squealed. Police performed a traffic stop on both vehicles. Police made contact with a white male, who was driving a silver Infiniti sedan (TN tag) and another white male driving a black Audi SUV (TN tag). Both men said they were driving too fast and apologized for their actions. Police checked both men and neither had any driving offenses. Police issued a warning for the violations after explaining the public safety concerns of pedestrian traffic downtown. * * * A man on Joiner Road told police that while working on a fence in his back yard, he noticed an unknown black male standing behind a tree. When confronted, the man fled to possibly a black Nissan Xterra and drove away. There is no other suspect information available. * * * A man on Cypress Street Court called police and said he wanted his son out of his house. He said he had allowed his son to stay with him over the last few nights under the stipulations of finding a job and working, but said his son refused to get up for the lawn care job he found for him. The man also said he did not like that individuals would come to his residence to ask for marijuana and cigarillos. Due to this he wanted his son out of his house. When he told his son to get out, he refused. The man showed police text messages where the son was refusing, and one that said, "If you call the police I will (hurt you)." The man took this as a threat of vandalism. The son was on scene and was told to leave the premise and, under the wishes of his father, was told he was trespassed. The son left the scene. * * * A woman on Hughes Avenue told police she believes someone entered and exited her home through a back door. Police observed the back yard, which the door came out to, and did not see any evidence of someone being there recently. There was a seven foot fence with undisturbed spider webs on it. * * * A man on Miller Drive told police he discovered that the TN tag had fallen off of his Suzuki motorcycle. He said the bracket which holds it on had broken due to vibration. He said he does not know when it fell off. The tag was reported to NCIC. * * * A man on Provence Street told police that a neighbor had come out in the middle of the street and was knocking on his vehicle. He said that this has been a problem in the last few weeks. Police told the neighbor to go back onto her property and not be out in the street causing problems. She went back to her home. Police told him to contact dispatch if she gave him any more problems. He said that he would. * * * A woman on Chestnut Street (Chestnut Flats) told police that sometime overnight her Chrysler 200 (TN tag) had been burglarized. She said her rear passenger side door does not lock, and that would be how person(s) gained entry. She said her trunk had also been opened. As of now, she said that she has not found anything to be stolen, but will conduct a better search of the entire vehicle and call back if anything is found to be stolen. Police also spoke with management and they said they would review camera footage of the parking lot and contact police if they find any suspect information. * * * An officer observed a white male sitting at the end of the I-24 exit ramp at 2400 4th Ave., a place commonly known for panhandling. The man appeared to be holding a cardboard sign, but when police made contact with him, they found that the thing he was holding was a small piece of blank paper. Police asked why he was sitting here and he said he was contemplating how to get to the Community Kitchen so he could get his check. After identifying him and verifying that he had no warrants, police offered him a ride to the Community Kitchen and he accepted. The officer transported him there with no issues. * * * A stolen vehicle was recovered at 2801 Ocoee St. Police located a Ford van and verified the vehicle with the TN tag and VIN number, which had been stolen out of East Ridge. Police called the owner and he came and took possession of the van. Additionally, the van was taken out of NCIC as recovered. * * * A stolen vehicle was recovered outside of Chattanooga at 3612 Mountain View Dr. Police found an unoccupied silver Lexus and it came back verified as stolen. The owner of the vehicle was not able to drive it home, so it was towed by Denton's Wrecker. The vehicle was removed from NCIC as stolen. * * * A woman told police she was turning from a side street onto East Main street when an unknown person became impatient waiting on her and hit her vehicle with his bicycle tire. She said he was a white male wearing camo pants and a black backpack. Her vehicle sustained no damage, she just wanted police made aware. Police checked the area and were unable to locate the man. * * * The owner of a business on Northpoint Boulevard told police he banks with First Horizon. He said he discovered that someone had made a pre-authorized payment to Walmart (apparently online) for $719.47 using a fake electronic check that was computer generated with his bank account/routing numbers. He said he has an image of the check if needed by investigators. * * * A man on Skylark Trail told police that overnight someone entered his unlocked 2005 Toyota Tundra and ransacked the inside. He said there was nothing stolen, as there was nothing of value in his vehicle. He said he wanted this reported for police statistics. * * * While working an extra job at Walmart, 2020 Gunbarrel Road, an officer was notified by an associate that a white male selected fruit and placed it in his pockets. The man then passed all points of sale. Walmart staff attempted to stop him and he fled into the parking lot. Police found the man in the parking lot and gave verbal commands, to which he complied and returned to the store. Police detained him and escorted him to the AP office. The man was identified, was Mirandized and the stolen merchandise was recovered. The total value was $3.23. Walmart did not prosecute, however, they trespassed him from all Walmart properties. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark, whose public service to the judiciary and her community spanned over four decades, passed away overnight, at the age of 71 after a short battle with cancer. Justice Clark was first appointed to the Supreme Court in 2005 by Governor Phil Bredesen and was reelected in 2006 and 2014. She served as Chief Justice from 2010 to 2012. Justice Clark was a member of the Tennessee judicial family for over 30 years and has mentored hundreds of judges, said Chief Justice Roger A. Page. She loved the Tennessee judicial system and has made it better in immeasurable ways. As her colleague for the past five and one-half years, I observed her tremendous work ethic. Her keen mind was surpassed only by her kind and caring heart. She truly tried her best to decide each case based on the applicable law and nothing else. The Supreme Court will not be the same without her. Prior to joining the court, she was the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts from 1999 to 2005. Justice Clark and I served together on the Supreme Court for thirteen years. We shared many experiences as colleagues and as friends, Justice Sharon G. Lee said. Our friendship strengthened over the years as we faced challenges togethersuch as the contested retention election in 2014and through our laughter and good times when we joined with fellow women judges at our Tennessee Chicks Rule dinners, and when we traveled to Cuba to study their judicial system. I saw first-hand Justice Clarks tireless dedication to her faith, her family, her friends, the judiciary, and access to justice for all. She faced every challenge and obstacle with grace, hard work, and humility. When Governor Ned McWherter appointed Justice Clark to the trial bench covering the 21st Judicial District of Williamson, Hickman, Perry and Lewis counties in 1989, she became the first woman trial judge to serve rural counties in Tennessee. She paved the way for fellow judges to be accepted by clerks, litigants, lawyers, and other judges. Connie Clarks service to the people of the State of Tennessee at all levels was inspiring and second to none. Her commitment to public service was unsurpassed, said Justice Jeff Bivins. She was a brilliant and incredibly fair jurist. Her institutional knowledge and expertise cannot be replaced. To me, she also was a trusted friend and colleague both before and since I joined the Court. I will so miss her not only in all Court matters but as a dear friend. Justice Clark had the longest tenure of the Justices currently serving on the Supreme Court. She was well-known for precise and detailed legal analysis and writing style, as well as being an active and thoughtful questioner during oral arguments. In total, she was on the bench for more than 1,100 Supreme Court cases. "Justice Connie Clark had a pitch-perfect judicial temperament. Always calm, measured, precise, and even-handed in her approach to the Courts decisions, said Justice Holly Kirby. In the important cases the Court takes on, she always strove to put aside any political considerations or personal judgment on the wisdom of actions of the other two branches of government. Ill never attain Justice Clarks level of judicial perfection, but she inspires me every day to try." Justice Clarks scope of work, however, reached far beyond the Supreme Court. She was involved in nearly every program and project in the court system, including the Access to Justice initiative, as well as a being a fixture in bar, community, and religious organizations in Middle Tennessee and nationally for more than 40 years. An Early Advocate For Women In The Legal Profession After graduating from Vanderbilt University and earning a master of arts in teaching from Harvard University, Justice Clark taught history for four years in the Atlanta area. She went on to study law at Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review Editorial Board. Upon graduation in 1979, Justice Clark practiced law in Nashville and Franklin, becoming, in 1984, one of the first woman partners in a large Nashville law firm. She specialized in municipal and employment law, and represented many cities, police departments, and several school boards. She joined legal organizations that advocated the advancement of women in leadership roles, including the Lawyers Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter, and the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women. She also chaired the Board of Directors of the Nashville YWCA and served on the Board of the League of Women Voters of Williamson County. Throughout the 1980s, Justice Clark supported and advocated for more women to be appointed and elected to the bench. By 1989, it was her turn to slip into the black robe and join the growing ranks of female jurists across the state and country. I heard Justice Clark tell a story about how, early in her career as a trial judge in a rural county, she encountered a woman who was angry at being called for jury service and was rude and disrespectful. Judge Clark excused the woman from jury duty, but ordered her to sit and observe the court proceedings for the day, said Margaret Behm, a partner at Dodson Parker Behm & Caparella, and a long-time friend and colleague of Justice Clark. The following morning, Judge Clark was surprised to see the woman with her daughter in her courtroom. The woman told Judge Clark: I wanted my daughter to be able to see that there is a woman who can be in charge of this, because I want her to know that she can be anything she wants to be. Justice Clark tells this story as an example of how you never know when you have the opportunity to touch someones life. But, it is also an example of what it was like to be around Connie Clark, and the effect she had as a jurist, with her common sense, humility, intellect, and ability to connect. In 2005, Justice Clark became the fourth woman to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court, and in 2010 she became the second female Chief Justice. Since 2008, there has been a female majority on the Tennessee Supreme Court. With more than 16 years of service, Justice Clark had the second longest tenure of any woman serving on the Supreme Court. Perhaps more notable, she made a specific point to ensure the doors opened for her earlier by others continue to widen and be accessible to judicial candidates from all backgrounds, genders, and races. A Statewide and National Leader and Teacher Justice Clark chaired the Tennessee Judicial Council and was the inaugural chair of the Judicial Evaluation Commission. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators. In 2004, she was named one of the 21 members of the ABA Commission on the American Jury, which is dedicated to educating the public about, and reinvigorating the nation's commitment to, jury service. Forever a teacher, she instructed fellow judges at the National Judicial College, American Academy of Judicial Education, and the American Institute for Justice, in addition to being a frequent guest speaker at various bar and other organizations. Justice Clark served for ten years as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Law and served on the faculty of the Nashville School of Law. As a trial judge, Justice Clark served as Vice-President of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and Dean of the Tennessee Judicial Academy, and was a member of the Supreme Court Commissions on the Rules of Civil Procedure and Technology. She spoke frequently to civic and leadership groups about the importance of the rule of law and of an independent, accountable judiciary in protecting the constitutional rights accorded all persons and groups. Ensuring Access to Justice for All Tennesseans Justice Clark served as the Supreme Courts liaison to the Access to Justice Commission, from 2014 until her death. During her time on the Court, the Supreme Court declared Access to Justice to be its number one strategic priority. Justice Clark whole-heartedly embraced this initiative. Justice Clark travelled the state and around the country speaking to attorneys, judges, and other interested groups about the importance of judicial support for such activities. She pioneered the successful Faith and Justice Alliance, which brings attorneys into community faith-based and other civic organizations, where clients may feel more comfortable about sharing their problems than in a traditional courthouse or law firm setting. Today, hundreds of Tennessee houses of worship provide thousands of hours of pro bono legal service to more than 7,000 people a year. Justice Clark's long and unwavering support as liaison to the Tennessee Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission was the foundation to Tennessee being recognized as a national leader in access to justice initiatives, said Bill Coley, chair of the ATJ Commission. Her commitment to this work was an inspiration to all, including me, who have joined in this effort. We are committed to continuing this work in a way that honors Justice Clark. The ATJ Commission recently achieved its long-term goal of having at least half of all Tennessee attorneys provide pro bono legal services each year. In 2018, 52.85 percent of Tennessee attorneys performed over 640,000 pro bono hours valued at more than $137 million. In addition, the ATJ Commission developed court-approved forms to assist litigants who are representing themselves, including divorce forms and parenting plan forms. These forms have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times since their creation. A Lifelong Active Member of the Faith Community Justice Clark was a lifelong active member of First United Methodist Church in Franklin, where she served as lay leader and member of the finance committee, the Trustees, and the staff parish relations committee. She previously served as chair of the Site Selection and Building Committee during the churchs move to its current location in 2015. She served for the last ten years as an at-large member to the Tennessee Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She was elected in 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2020 as a Tennessee Conference lay delegate to General Conference, the Churchs international legislative body that meets once every four years. She chaired the General Administration Committee in 2016. She also served as Chair of the UMC Southeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals. Justice Clark served as chair of the United Methodist Publishing House Board and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Martin Methodist Foundation. She previously served as vice chair of the Board of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee, until it became U.T. Southern, as part of the University of Tennessee system, on July 1, 2021. A Fixture In Tennessee Bar And Community Organizations Justice Clark always was a busy person. Her record of bar and community service is expansive and includes organizations spanning from those focused on her beloved hometown of Franklin, where her family has lived for ten generations, to many bar associations. She is a past Board member of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. She was co-chair of the original Steering Committee of Franklin Tomorrow, Inc., and served on its Board of Directors for the first four years of its existence. She served as chair of the City of Franklin Land Use Plan Steering Committee and as citizen chair of the City of Franklin Charter Revision Committee. She is a former member of the Williamson County-Franklin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She served as the first regional Allocations Panel chair of the United Way while serving as a member of the Williamson County United Way Board of Directors. Justice Clark embodied the heart and soul of the Franklin community, said long-time friend and colleague Julian Bibb. Justice Clark was in love with Franklin all of her life, helping to guide its development and growth, first in her role as City Attorney during the 1980s, and then by taking on volunteer positions with many civic and charitable organizations, including with her church, Franklin First United Methodist Church. Justice Clark was a servant leader who continually gave back to help improve the lives of others in Franklin. From organizations like The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County to organizations that helped bring the community together, like Franklin Tomorrow, Justice Clark has long been recognized for her many contributions to her hometown. Justice Clark was a member of the Williamson County Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, American Bar Association, Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (founding member), Lawyers Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter (former board member), Nashville Bar Association (former board member and Second Vice President), National Association of Women Judges, and the Nashville, Tennessee, and American Bar Foundations. She was the first woman to serve as chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. She also was a member of the Tennessee John Marshall American Inn of Court and the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court. In total, Justice Clark has served on more than 25 boards and worked with nearly 75 organizations, commissions, advisory groups, or task forces since beginning her legal career in 1979. Recognition For Her Service Justice Clark has received many awards recognizing her service to the law, including the Janice M. Holder Access to Justice Award from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services; the Tennessee Bar Associations Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award; the Vanderbilt University School of Law Distinguished Service Award; the Grayfred Gray Award from the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators; the Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey Award from the Lawyers Association for Women - Marion Griffin Chapter; the Liberty Bell Award given by the Williamson County Bar Association; and the Pioneer Award from Vision 2020. Clark was also namedAppellate Judge of the Year by the Southeastern Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and was inducted into the Nashville YWCA Academy for Women of Achievement. State Officials Respond Governor Bill Lee said, Maria and I are deeply saddened by the news of Justice Connie Clarks passing. Throughout her five decades of public service, including 16 years on the Tennessee Supreme Court, Justice Clark was a fierce advocate for justice and a trailblazer for women in the legal profession. She also made a profound impact on our state as an active member of her church and the Franklin community. We are praying for the Clark family and join Tennesseans in honoring her incredible life and legacy. Flags across the state will fly at half-staff in Justice Clarks honor. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III said, "I was honored to have known and worked with Justice Clark, an eighth-generation Tennessean whose contributions to the judiciary and the people of Tennessee will be felt for generations to come. "On the bench, Tennesseans could be confident she was fair, impartial, and thoughtful in applying the law; lawyers could expect a formidable judge. We always advised our folks to be over-prepared before appearing in Justice Clarks courtroom. Shell be ready- you better be, too. "Off the bench, she was involved in nearly every program and project in the court system, including the Access to Justice Initiative where she was committed to ensuring the legal system is open and accessible to all Tennesseans. She mentored countless students and encouraged public service, and she was always happy to administer the oath of office to our new attorneys. "You could be sure she lived by her own words, 'Its always good to remember where you came from,' which she did by serving her hometown, her church, and her state. While she will be deeply missed, she will be remembered and celebrated by not only those who knew her personally, but by all the beneficiaries of her service to Tennessee." Senator Marsha Blackburn said, Justice Connie Clark devoted her life to serving Tennesseans, and it is with a heavy heart that we mourn her passing. Justice Clark was a trailblazer in Tennessees legal community and has left a lasting impact on our state. Please join me in praying for her family during this difficult time. Information on services will be forthcoming. Chattanoogas Chickamauga Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the citys first Chapter, organized Oct. 7, 1894, continues to annually promote public activities in observance of the U.S. Constitution, the foundational document of our national governance, fulling DARs goals of Education, Historic Preservation and Patriotism. This years educational outreach, led by the Chapters Constitution Week Chairman Trish Mullins, encompassed a variety of diverse events. Many Chapter members contributed to the weeks work including Chapter Regent Gayle Burrows. Each event featured educational materials for distribution: U.S. Constitution booklets, personalized flags, Preamble to the Constitution bookmarks, Constitution coloring pages for students as well as life-sized cutouts of founding fathers Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison. The Chapters Local Schools committee, chaired by Chapter Vice Regent Cindy Dearing, distributed 30 Constitution Week posters to each school with which the Chapter interacts. More than 500 pocket Constitution booklets, 400 flags, 500 Constitution bookmarks and 150 Constitution coloring pages were distributed by the Chapter during the weeks activities. A program on the Constitution focusing on the Three Branches of Government was presented to Boy Scout Troop 223 in Hixson by Mrs. Mullins on Sept. 9. Sept. 14 saw the installation of a large teaching display at the Chattanooga Public Library. Parts of this display were given to the library for use in teaching Civics as part of upcoming library programs. Chapter members used a display featuring Ben Franklin at Chatta-Cakes and supplied Constitution materials for customers and children on Sept. 15. Sept. 17, Constitution Day, was celebrated with another large display at the Medal of Honor Heritage Center. Activities included Ringing of the Bells to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Steve Howell, district director for U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, was joined by students from the Webb School in Tennessee who listened as the Proclamation for Constitution Week from the Congressman was read. Local students took part in another Bell Ringing led by the Chapter at the downtown library. Chapter members continued their outreach at the Saturday River Market downtown on Sept. 18 as they distributed flags, pocket Constitutions and bookmarks to the public. The UTC Constitution Lecture Series on Monday, Sept. 19, was the site of another Constitution Week installation where student attendees were given pocket Constitutions and commemorative bookmarks. There are two documents of paramount importance to American history: the Declaration of Independence, which forged our national identity, and the United States Constitution, which set forth the framework for the federal government that functions to this day, said DAR President General Denise Doring VanBuren. While Independence Day is a well-recognized and beloved national holiday, fewer people know about Constitution Week, an annual commemoration of the living document that upholds and protects the freedoms central to our American way of life. The DAR initiated the observance in 1955, when the service organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate Sept. 1723 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law #915. Officials said the celebrations goals are threefold: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to remind the public that the Constitution is the basis of Americas great heritage and the foundation for its way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the U.S. Constitution. DAR has been the foremost advocate for the awareness, promotion, and celebration of Constitution Week. The annual observance provides innumerable opportunities for educational initiatives and community outreach, two mission areas of importance to the National Society. By fostering knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Constitution and the inalienable rights it affords to all Americans, DAR helps to keep alive the memory of the people who secured the nations foundational liberties. "In communities across America, Daughters erected hundreds of community displays, sponsored municipal proclamations, rang bells and staged programs to raise awareness of the Constitutions tenets and importance," said Ms. VanBuren. "NSDAR members invited everyone to join in celebrating this powerful document, which has enabled our democracy within a republic for more than two centuries. We hope that all Americans will learn more about the Constitution and its immense impact on our nation." One of the largest patriotic womens organizations in the world, DAR has more than 190,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the country and several foreign countries. DAR members promote historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service and more. For more information about DAR and its relevant mission, visit www.dar.org. The Tennessee Department of Education on Friday released the 2020-2021 State Report Card, an online tool to help parents, families and education stakeholders better understand Tennessees districts and schools and learn about how they are serving their students. The State Report Card provides stakeholders with information about how Tennessee schools and districts are performing to inform decisions and strategic investments to best support students. In addition to information available in previous years, the 2021 State Report Card has additional sections to provide additional school and district data and indicators. There has never been a more important time for families to engage in their students education and the online State Report Card provides essential information to help parents learn about their childs school, as well as districts and schools across the state, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. The State Report Card displays important data and indicators about the work of Tennessees educators to serve their students. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Education waived federal assessment and accountability requirements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. In January 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation to ensure a strong statewide administration of Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program assessments in spring 2021 to both generate reliable data on how Tennessee students were performing and inform strategies to help support academic success during the pandemic. Because all Tennessee school districts met the requirement in Public Chapter 2 to achieve an 80 percent rate of student participation in TCAP this spring, some assessment data is neither publicly available this year nor included in accountability calculations such as letter grades or other summative ratings. Other information about schools and districts will still be made available this year on the Report Card as well as the departments data downloads webpage. On this years State Report Card, as in previous years, contains general information, enrollment, and staffing data, and performance indicatorsincluding academic achievement, chronically out of school, progress on English language proficiency, Ready Graduate, and Graduation Rate at the district- and school- level. Officials said the 2020-21 Report Card has been improved and contains several new features including: CAP success rates and participation rates Designation flags to indicate Reward, Priority, ATSI, & CSI schools Tennessee Excellence in Civics Education Districts and Schools recognized by the Governors Civics Seal Improved accessibility across district and school pages Redesigned overall performance and information pages On this years State Report Card, the department has chosen to highlight assessment participation rates and assign districts and schools the letter H to signify that they were held harmless. District leaders commented on the importance of the State Report Card and highlighted new features available this year. It is critical that school and district leaders have consistent, accurate data to drive our instruction, said Dr. Ted Horrell, 2021 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year, director of Lakeland School System. Information like that provided in the Tennessee State Report Card allows us to benchmark our progress over time so we can make better decisions that benefit students. Reliable and updated data is essential to ensuring we make the most strategic and thoughtful investments and decisions to benefit our students, said Jerry Boyd, director of Schools, Washington County Schools. Washington County Schools is honored to be recognized on this years State Report Card as a Tennessee Excellence in Civics Education District. We encourage our community members and families to utilize this tool to understand how our district, schools, and students are performing to engage in solutions-focused collaboration that always puts students first. The 2020-21 State Report Card will be updated in the fall of 2021 to include 2020-21 district- and school- level finance information, TVAAS growth scores, and postsecondary enrollment. View the 2020-21 State Report Card here. Click here for additional information about the State Report Card. For additional data on schools and districts, visit the Data Downloads page. 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way star Corey Rathgebers bank account has been the center of the conversation in season 3. Coreys wife, Evelin Villegas, is planning an extravagant wedding on Coreys dime. What does Corey do for work and how much income does he make? Corey and Evelin, 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3 | TLC What jobs does Corey have? Corey met Evelin back in 2014 while backpacking through Peru. Since their relationship, Corey has spent over $40,000 on Evelin. Hes used his entire lifes savings to buy a cocktail bar in Eveilns hometown of Engabao, Ecuador. While the cocktail bar, which hes own in part with Evelin, has done pretty well for them. However, the couple did take a hit financially when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused their bar to get shut down. Corey and Evelin documented their financial troubles during the pandemic on the special 90 Day Fiance: Self-Quarantined. Since they didnt have an income coming in from the tiki bar, Cocteles del Paraiso, Corey and Evelin had to get creative. Both Corey and Evelin have been making money through selling personalized videos on Cameo. Also, Corey has followed in other 90 Day Fiance stars footsteps and created an OnlyFans account where he is charging $14.99 a month for fans to get to know him on a more personal level. Hes also creating virtual stripteases for fans for $29.99 through his Fanbound account. Also, hes offering other options, such as performing a magic trick, a phone call or video chat, and Coreys relationship advice. How much is Coreys income? Along with the tiki bar, Corey also owns a Siberian imposing and some beachfront property close to Engabao. So how much money is Corey making from his 90 Day Fiance fame? According to a source, via RadarOnline, TLC pays their American cast members $1,000 to $1,500 per episode. With a season of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way consisting of 22 episodes each, Corey will have appeared on 2 seasons, or 44 episodes, by the end of this season. This means that the minimum Corey has received just from TLC is $44,000. How much is Corey making on Only Fans? His wife, Evelin, revealed how much shes made over 8-9 months as an OnlyFans creator. She posted a screenshot on Instagram (via TVShowsAce), showing that shes made over $53,756 in that time. Assuming Corey is making the same amount of money on OnlyFans, hes making a comfortable income. That doesnt even include the TLC paychecks, Cameo, and now Fanbound income. Corey and Evelins wedding plans Evelin has big plans for her wedding, despite already being married on paper. She hired the best wedding planner in Ecuador for her big day. They hired the celebrity wedding planner, Carolina Muzo. Evelin reveals that her wedding planner had planned a wedding for Victorias Secret angel. The 90 Day Fiance star expects Corey to pay for everything that has to do with the wedding. According to the wedding planner, the minimum cost for the wedding would be around $50,000. However, Corey is looking to cut down the cost of the wedding. While he wants Evelin to have the perfect big day, he also wants to be conservative with the price. Corey even suggested that Evelin wear his sisters old prom dress to cut down on the wedding cost. Can Corey provide the wedding for Evelin that shes been dreaming of? Fans will have to continue watching 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3 to find out if Corey will be able to afford the wedding of Evelins dreams. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Fans Think Evelins Sisters Lipsy and Lesly Are This Seasons Becky and Jenn In 2005, Dave Chappelle walked away from his highly successful sketch comedy series, Chappelles Show, and disappeared. The move surprised Comedy Central and fans. It also surprised his wife. Chappelle once revealed that his decision to leave the show behind and go to South Africa completely shocked his wife. Comedian Dave Chappelle | Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS Dave Chappelle hosted the wildly successful Chappelles Show In 2003, Chappelle began hosting Chappelles Show, a half-hour sketch series that aired on Comedy Central. Each show featured a brief stand-up set by Chappelle before shifting into pre-recorded skits. Most episodes also included a musical performance. Its barbed satire and punchy commentary pushed comedic boundaries and lifted the show to massive success. The show ran for two full seasons. After Chappelle exited the series, Comedy Central released a series of previously unaired sketches to constitute an abbreviated third season. He walked away from the program in 2005 Ahead of the third season, Chappelle exited the series. Comedy Central offered him a staggering $50 million for the new season, but Chappelle could not emotionally continue with the show. I wasnt walking away from the money. I was walking away from the circumstances, he told Oprah in a 2006 appearance on her show. When youre a guy that generates a lot of money, people have a vested interest in controlling you, he added. Dave Chappelle (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage for Essence Entertainment) According to Chappelle, he felt suffocated as he worked on the series and reached a point where he had to leave. He decided to walk away from the deal and go to South Africa, where he had family friends. Ahead of the decision, he called his brother to make sure someone knew his whereabouts. Ultimately, though, he didnt tell his wife before he got on the plane. It wasnt like I didnt tell my wife. It was like, Im not telling her until after Im gone, which was a mistake. But it wasnt a crazy mistake. Its just a dudes, he explained. Fortunately for Chappelle, his wife forgave him, and theyre still happily together. He noted that she wasnt entirely thrilled with the decision, however. My wifes still a little salty Shes not mad at me, but dont think youre going to walk away from $50 million, and your wifes just gonna be cool with it, he said on Late Night with Conan OBrien. Chappelles Show is available for streaming Recently, Chappelles Show arrived on Netflix and then abruptly left. In the fall of 2020, Chappelle asked fans to boycott the show so that ViacomCBS could rectify their contract. He alleged that the company licensed the show for streaming without providing him with any additional compensation. Ultimately, the boycott worked, and streaming services pulled the show. Yeah, I'm very, very happy I lived and watched Chappelle show way before Twitter and social media existed. Jasmyn (@JasmynBeKnowing) November 4, 2020 In February 2021, the show returned to Netflix and HBO Max. When you stopped watching it, they called me, The New York Times reported that Chappelle said on his Instagram. And I got my name back, and I got my license back, and I got my show back, and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much. Chappelles Show is currently still available for streaming on Netflix and HBO Max. RELATED: Why Dave Chappelle Turned Down Role In Forrest Gump and Later Regretted It Floribama Shore Season 4 is in full swing. In Pushing the Limits, Gus Smyrnios opens up about his new girlfriend. Plus, Aimee Hall shares details about her relationship, and Nilsa Prowant regales the roommates with her engagement story. Whats more, Gus and Jeremiah Buoni may have finally put their feud to bed in this episode. Nilsa Prowant | MTV Gus Smyrnios girlfriend comes up in conversation In the past, Gus has always shared his relationship status with his roommates. But after the turmoil his relationship with Lisa Burns created in the house, Gus has taken to keeping his relationships private. In Pushing the Limits, Gus tells Aimee Hall hes seeing someone. I met this girl, Sami, he says. Were taking it slow, definitely feeling it out. At the same time, that doesnt mean I want to open the floodgates to my roommates. Before his brief exit from social media, Smyrnios shared a photo of himself with a young woman on his Instagram Stories in May 2021. Smyrnios blocked the womans face with a heart gif, but many fans presume this is Sami. Aimee Hall and Dillon Johnson arent together in Floribama Shore Season 4 During her heart-to-heart with Gus, Aimee talks about her struggle to get over her ex-boyfriend Dillion Johnson. She reveals their breakup was a result of his drug addiction. When he is sober, he is such a great guy, she tells Gus. I think me and you are so much alike because we have such big hearts. Together, the two agree their goal for this trip should be to learn how to love us. Floribama Shore cast struggle with the beer phone in the Peach House First, there was the Jersey Shore duck phone. Then came the Floribama Shore gator phone. Now, theres the Atlanta-bama Shore beer phone. The beer phone was the worst decision we have ever made #mtvfloribamashore I miss the gator phone https://t.co/Knihk9oHUr Nilsa Prowant (@nillythesquid) September 24, 2021 Several roommates struggle to get the beer phone to work in this episode. Gus also references the old-fashioned phone they had in the Montana house also known as a rotary phone. The key to a beer phone is having a few beers in your system, Kirk Medas jokes. Eventually, the roommates figure out how to get the phone functioning, and Gus calls his girlfriend. Nilsa Prowants proposal story Sitting down to dinner, Nilsa shares the story of how her fiance Gus Gazda proposed to her. Nilsa says she found the ring in Gus backpack during a trip. She called Aimee for advice, who told her not to look at the ring. The night of my birthday, he gets down on one knee, Nilsa says. The couple got engaged in January 2021. It was like my whole future flashed before my eyes, seeing Gray run in the yard, growing old together, and then I saw the ring. As Nilsa reported in April 2021, their wedding will be sometime in November 2021. Gus Smyrnios and Jeremiah Buoni make a truce During a drunken conversation around the fire pit, Kirk asks Gus and Jeremiah to maintain their positive vibes for the entire Georgia trip. After a few seasons worth of fighting, Gus and Jeremiah agree to let their feud go. I definitely feel like this truce with Jeremiah will last this time only due to the fact that weve completely exhausted everything with how we feel and everything thats happened, Gus tells cameras. Their feud started in season 3 and lasted up to and through their trip to Montana in the first half of this season. RELATED: Floribama Shore Spoilers: What Fans Can Expect in the Second Half of Season 4 Now, things seemed to be patched up between the two. Why keep harping on it? Gus concludes. Just drop it so our roommates can have a good time. Fans are hopeful that the trend will continue for the remainder of the season! Tune in to new episodes of MTV Floribama Shore on Thursdays at 8 PM EST/7 PM Central only on MTV. Law & Order: SVU is a spin-off of the show Law & Order. The show has garnered a massive following since it first aired in 1999. The show is now the longest-running prime-time live-action series in history. There is some controversy about one of the characters on the show about how they will leave. Lets take a look at the show and discuss how Chief Christian Garland will exit the series. What is Law & Order: SVU about? The show originated based on a real-life crime where a man strangled his girlfriend and claimed that it was an accident due to rough sex. The crime inspired writer Dick Wolf to create the show to investigate the psychology of crimes. The original title of the show was Sex Crimes, which reflected the sexual nature of the crimes depicted on the show. The producers went with a different title because they felt that it would be more commercially acceptable. Based on the NYPD New York City Police Departments 16th precinct in Manhattan, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has an elite force, the Special Victims Unit, or SVU for short, to investigate various sexually-oriented crimes including rape, pedophilia, and domestic violence. In addition, they also investigate the abuses of children, the disabled, and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes who require special handling. How will Chief Garland leave the show? Demore Barnes as Deputy Chief Christian Garland on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. | Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank Garland has been a character on the show for a while now. The actor who portrays Garland, Demore Barnes, shared in an Instagram post, While I know you were happy that I was here, and that Im happy that I was here, I also know youre sad and surprised and I am too. I dont totally know why this happened. Though the actor seems saddened to be leaving the show, he also seems grateful for the opportunity and he is pleased that the show amplifies the stories of survivors. According to Distractify, there have been hints that Chief Garland may be having health issues. So the writers may be hinting that the character will soon die of natural causes. The chief has been shown clutching his chest and claiming that he is taking a few days off to get some tests done. All of these are indications that a health issue will be the reason for his exit from the show. Actor Demore Barnes career is notable Barnes is best known for his role in the series The Unit. The Canadian-born actor has also appeared in the TV series Hannibal as well as Hemlock Grove. His film credits include Simon in the film Awakening, Ricky Horn in Jasper, Texas, and Michael Harrison in Jean of the Joneses. Barnes was also cast as Benjamin Hardaway in The Associates. For that role, Demore was nominated for two consecutive years for the Gemini award, which is Canadas equivalent of an Emmy, and as Best Lead Actor in a drama series. In addition, Demore was the winner of the BFV and Black Film Award for best performance in a dramatic series. Although the show has been a long-running juggernaut, there will be a decidedly blank space with the absence of Chief Garland. The character was the first black Deputy Chief in SVU history. Hopefully, this role will set a precedent for future casting choices for the show. As to how Chief Garland will exit the show, its anyones guess. Even though there have been several hints to some health issues, it could be a red herring. Chief Garland may get caught in some gunfire and die from a gunshot wound. Perhaps he will simply just be a footnote for later seasons and we may never know what actually happened. RELATED: Law & Order: SVU: Fans Weigh in on if Benson and Barba Would Have Been the Best Pairing No Time To Die, the 25th film of the James Bond franchise is, hopefully, releasing soon in theaters. The last time we saw Daniel Craig as the British secret agent was in the 2015 movie Spectre. But a lot has changed in the last six years. A poignant moment that the James Bond movie has to reckon with is the #MeToo movement. James Bond movies have always depicted the dapper secret agent as a serial womanizer, rendering its female characters as mere token characters without any substantial depth or much to do. Cary Fukunaga and Daniel Craig | Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures The James Bond franchise has been criticized for its poor treatment of female characters Bond movies have gained the reputation of objectifying female characters over the years. Whether it was Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, their characters indulged in several sexist remarks in the movies. Moreover, in movies such as From Russia With Love, Bond conveniently gets away with inappropriate behavior, for which he would get called out, today. Apart from this, the female characters get abysmal depiction independent of the main character. The idea of Bond girls, who come and go each movie, represents a sexual conquest at worst and a side character at best. The Bond franchise has faced these criticisms for a long time and as such made little adjustments in the last few iterations of the superspy movies. No Time To Die is the first movie to come out after the industry was forced to confront problems of gender disparity on a large scale. The onus of tackling the issues, thus, lies with No Time To Die. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the movie director Cary Fukunaga spoke about the changes in No Time To Die in the light of the #MeToo movement. No Time to Die Director Cary Fukunaga Suggested bringing Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a writer on the movie Fukunaga refutes the notion that Waller-Bridge came on board to make Bond more woke. He revealed that Barbara Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond movies, already wanted the movies to have stronger female characters. From my very first conversation with Broccoli, that was a very strong drive, Fukunaga said. You cant change Bond overnight into a different person. But you can definitely change the world around him and the way he has to function in that world. The director said changing Bonds character overnight would not have been possible. But the female characters in the movies could be made better. Its a story about a white man as a spy in this world, but you have to be willing to lean in and do the work to make the female characters more than just contrivances, Fukunaga said. Meet Bonds new allies in #NoTimeToDie: Agents Nomi (Lashana Lynch) and Paloma (Ana de Armas). pic.twitter.com/VGaLOArm76 James Bond (@007) September 13, 2021 Lashana Lynch thinks Fukunaga successfully led the change in No Time To Die Lashana Lynch plays an MI6 agent who takes Bonds secret agent number 007 in the movie. Early speculations pegged Lynch as the new Bond since No Time To Die will be Craigs last outing as Bond. Those speculations have now been found untrue. However, Lynch still plays the role of another secret agent in the movie. And she seems satisfied with the steps Fukunaga took to bring the women of Bond films out of the shadows. Lynch noted that Fukunaga insisted on maintaining equity and agency in the female characters of No Time To Die. She said that the audiences will see the women in solo moments and learn who they are. It was really important to empower the female characters as stand-alone. And I think that he[Fukunaga] kept that in mind throughout the whole shoot, Lynch said. I didnt feel like Nomi, as a young Black woman, was constantly standing behind the white guy, which, for me, is job done. And that was a very conscious decision for Cary[Fukunaga]. No Time To Die will release in theaters on Oct. 8. RELATED: Why Daniel Craig Thinks a Woman Shouldnt Play James Bond Both Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are famous around the world, and theyve traveled in similar circles. In fact, theyve even hung out together in the past, so perhaps it isnt that surprising that theyve found love together. But what people may not realize is that the relationship is more than just a good time. According to Barker, Kardashian has helped him face old trauma and move forward in a significant way. A celebrity love story Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker | Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images As a reality TV star and a famous musician, Kardashian and Barker are used to being in the public eye. Its a good thing they are, because people cant get enough of their passionate relationship. According to US Weekly, the couple has been dating ever since some time before January, but theyve known each other for years. They both live in the same gated community in Calabasas, California, and theyve spent time together as friends. Three years ago, they were seen having dinner together and then going to church. The couple seems to have been friends for years before they became lovers. Since theyre both people who have lived with the rewards and the pressures of fame, theyre probably an excellent source of support for each other. It turns out thats not the only emotional encouragement the relationship has to offer. Healing old wounds Barker has been the drummer for Blink 182 for decades, but in 2008, he went through an accident that could have ended it all. After performing at a show, he got on a private plane, along with his friend DJ AM Goldstein and four other people, including the pilots. Tragically, the plane never made it off the ground, skidding off the runway and bursting into flames. Barker and Goldstein were the only survivors. Barker had a long recovery from that day. He needed skin grafts and surgery because of his burns, and physical therapy to walk and play the drums again. He also grapples with PTSD, and hes avoided all airplanes ever since. But in an interview with Nylon, Barker explained that Kardashian is helping him move through that fear. When they started dating, she told him how much she wanted to travel around the world with him. Although it was a difficult thing to face, he agreed. I said, Well, when the day comes you want to fly, Im telling you Ill do it with you. I would do anything with you. And just give me 24 hours notice. And thats what she did. In August, Kardashian took him up on his promise, whisking him away on a two-hour flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Not only was he able to get on the plane, but he called the flight the easiest ever. They have nothing but good things to say Oh! Travis Barker got Kourtney Kardashians name tatted pic.twitter.com/qCBc9MWU6i TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) April 9, 2021 Not only does the couple demonstrate their love with frequent public displays of affection, but they also make it clear with their comments on social media. According to US Weekly, their Instagram feeds are full of sweet messages to each other. To lots of fun adventures, Kardashian wrote to Barker in February. May we destroy each other completely. Love, Kourtney. YOURE A BLESSING TO THIS WORLD, the musician wrote in April. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Just Like Heaven, Kardashian wrote, alongside pictures of their vacation in Utah. EVERYTHING, Barker agreed. With you anything is possible, he captioned a picture of them getting ready for the momentous plane trip. Forever isnt long enough, he posted recently. The famous couple appears to be deeply in love. Fans are glad to see them so happy, and even more pleased that Kardashian is helping Baker overcome the pain of the past. RELATED: Why Scott Disick Reportedly Hates Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barkers Relationship United States of Al is a relatively new television show, one that was stuck in pre-production for several years before eventually debuting on CBS in early 2021. The series has made waves with pop culture fans of all ages, and although it has been slammed by some critics for the use of various cultural tropes, it has remained popular in the months since its debut. Although the show has been renewed for a second season which is set to premiere in just a matter of weeks during the fall 2021 television season in light of the recent political situation in Afghanistan, some fans have wondered: Could United States of Al be canceled? What is United States of Al about? The latest #ChuckLorre comedy, #TheUnitedStatesOfAl premieres this Thursday on @GlobalTV and whether you love him or hate him, the comedian reveals that he's not afraid to stir up America's melting pot in his new series pic.twitter.com/J9skQayukT ET Canada (@ETCanada) March 30, 2021 United States of Al tells the story of a young interpreter from Afghanistan named Al, who moves to Ohio with his good friend Riley, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. A sitcom from Chuck Lorre Productions, United States of Al is loosely based on the real-life stories of military veterans who become close to the interpreters that they worked with overseas and help them to discover new lives in the United States. The relationship between Al and Riley echoes these real friendships, and according to The Cinemaholic, several writers on the show actually have experience with the war in Afghanistan. While United States of Al has been renewed for a second season, which is set to debut on CBS in October 2021, many of the shows fans feel that the shows subject means that it wont survive the year. Could United States of Al get canceled? United States of Al | CBS/YouTube Afghanistan has been in the news a lot lately, and unfortunately, most of that news has been negative. With the last members of the United States military withdrawing from Afghanistan, marking the end of the long military occupation, the government has collapsed and the Taliban took complete control. With many Afghans rushing to leave the country, afraid for their lives and unsure of what the Taliban might do, many translators and interpreters, like the character of Al in United States of Al, are facing an uncertain future. In fact, according to The Wall Street Journal, it is estimated that the majority of Afghan translators were left behind in the initial days after the U.S. military left the country. Not only does this mean that there is a politically charged conversation around Afghanistan in general, but the notion of Afghan translators coming to the United States has become a subject that might not lend itself to uplifting, inclusive television. Will there be a third season of United States of Al? It will be interesting to see how viewers respond to the second season of United States of Al when it debuts in October. Should viewers feel that the show has become too politically charged, showrunners will have no choice but to ax the show from rotation, canceling any possible plans for a third season (which has remained unannounced thus far) and ending the show before it has really had a chance to get off the ground. At present, all fans can do is speculate, since showrunners havent made any statements one way or another. But considering recent developments in Afghanistan, it seems safe to say that United States of Al will either have to drastically change up the material in the show or fade quietly into television history. RELATED: Chuck Lorre Credits Two and a Half Men for the Existence of The Big Bang Theory The Berlin-based manufacturer of laboratory instruments for analysis and purification KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH was awarded the "Groer Preis des Mittelstandes 2021" of the Oskar Patzelt Foundation on Saturday, September 18, 2021 for the Berlin/Brandenburg region. Alexandra Knauer and Carsten Losch (Management) and Katharina Pohl (Head of Human Resources) were delighted to accept the prize at the Maritim Hotel in Wurzburg, Germany The award-winning companies convinced the jury and successfully prevailed against 4,674 competitors nominated in the six 2021 competing regions. The evaluation was based on business figures as well as 50 other business-related questions in five categories. Petra Troger, Chairman of the Oskar Patzelt Foundation, emphasized: "In this competition, the focus is on the holistic evaluation of a company, its overall business results, and its sustainability and future orientation, not just for the company but for society." The awards gala as part of the competition was held for the 27th time. The motto this year was "Jetzt erst recht" meaning something like "Now more than ever" in English. It stands for the cohesion of our society, because: "German SMEs are a pillar of stability and trust" and the award-winning companies were doing outstanding things for the society. These companies look after people and stabilize local regions and economic cycles on a daily basis. No other business competition in Germany achieves such a large and sustained response as the competition organized by the Leipzig-based Oskar Patzelt Foundation does since 1994. The prize is not endowed. For the companies, it is solely about honor and confirmation of their achievements, without financial incentives. Managing Director Carsten Losch reported on the gala evening: "We were very excited, because before the awards ceremony no one knows who will be allowed to go on stage and receive an award. What a joy when we were called up! That was a great evening for us and a high appreciation for the work of all our employees!" Due to the Corona pandemic, the KNAUER company was able to establish an additional business field besides its main field of activity, liquid chromatography. To combat the pandemic, several companies were intensively researching novel mRNA vaccines. It was not clear whether they would ever actually be approved. However, production of the vaccines should be ready for the day of approval. Starting in the summer of 2020, KNAUER developed systems for the production of so-called lipid nanoparticles for the manufacturing process of a pharmaceutical company. In these devices, the sensitive mRNA is encapsulated so that it can be inoculated and the vaccine can develop its effect. According to the jury, KNAUER's customers appreciate the quality of the products, which are traditionally developed and produced at the company's headquarters in Berlin. "Made in Germany" is the magic formula that is linked to very high added value. Other foundations of the success are the passion of the employees for their job and the high expertise of each individual. In addition to the core competencies, the management attaches great importance to sustainability and inspires a large part of the workforce with this. With a lot of heart and commitment, an active contribution is made against problems such as global warming, loss of biodiversity, waste of resources and mountains of waste as part of a long-term strategy and vision for more sustainability. For the future, KNAUER is strategically focusing on short-, medium- and long-term subjects such as the continuous advancement of its equipment portfolio, the improvement of existing construction and small parts, and the strengthening of its core competencies. As part of its corporate responsibility, KNAUER has also been socially engaged for years. In addition to regularly placing orders with workshops for the disabled in the region and holding an annual Social Day to support social projects, the company maintains the "KNAUER Entdecker Klub" laboratory for schoolchildren. There, school classes can conduct basic experiments in chemistry and physics under supervision at experiment stations and learn about scientific correlations. At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, KNAUER produced disinfectants in its own facilities and distributed them free of charge to local kindergartens and schools. KNAUER responded to the flood disaster in Germany this summer with a fundraising campaign organized at short notice, in which employees donated a freely selectable amount of their gross wages and the company management more than doubled the total amount donated. The worldwide financial downturn caused by COVID-19 is one more reason to lose hope, for some of the most vulnerable. Remittances, commonly defined as earnings sent back to the home country by migrants, are a key source of income and lifeline for many families living in Kakuma refugee camp and the nearby Kalobeyei settlement in northwest Kenya. Beyond the macroeconomic benefits of remittances, studies show that they have a significant poverty reduction effect, especially for female-headed households. But following the outbreak of COVID-19, remittances from the US and Western countries to Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei settlement have dropped, according to remittance service providers. Providers believe this could mainly be due to the loss of jobs and restrictions on movement in Western countries. The pandemic provoked global restrictions on the movement of people and activities, considerably affecting how much money is received by the families and friends of those abroad, who are dwelling below the poverty line. Remittance service providers in Kakuma 1, a section of the refugee camp, mentioned that the decline in the amount is enormous and is forcing them to shift their business to make money in other ways. According to Abdi, a well-known remittance provider in Kakuma 1, the amount of support coming now is very small per month as compared to the support before the pandemic. Even before the onset of the pandemic, refugees living in Kakuma faced a range of challenges, including suicide, trauma, limited access to services, human rights violations, and a lack of opportunities. COVID-19 came with a lot of cumulative effects, not only in terms of health but also from socio-economic angles. It has impacted livelihoods in a way which is particularly severe for refugees who have been in the camp a long time. Kakuma Refugee camp reported its first COVID-19 case on 13 March, 2020. Since the pandemic, Western countries hosting refugees and migrants have been in partial lockdown and movement restrictions have been introduced to curb the spread of disease. While these measures save lives, they also come with unintended consequences for vulnerable populations, like refugees living in protracted situations in Kakuma refugee camp. Such measures put pressure on economies in the West, which has resulted in a sudden drop in the amount of money that has been sent to relatives in Africa and elsewhere. Remittances are usually sent through the trust-based global financial transaction system called hawala, which is dominated by the Dahabshiil, Amel, Dalsan, and Iften financial institutions inside Kakuma refugee camp. A 2018 report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) revealed that refugees draw income from a range of sources, relying on small businesses and aid, along with remittances. The lattersent through the above institutions and transfer agents, who use Safaricoms money transfer servicecame to at least $200,000 per month. According to the IFC report, this monthly amount is likely due to the large diasporas of Ethiopians, Somalis, Congolese, Burundians and South Sudan nationals across North America, Europe and the Middle East. Most refugees live on a handful of relief food and small e-voucher donations from aid agencies which cannot sustain them for even one month. Currently, in the Kakuma refugee camp, relief food is only distributed only once every two months. I used to get 100 USD every two months before the COVID-19 outbreak, but now I am getting only 50 USD every two months, Eva, a refugee in Kakuma 1, explained. Most remittances, which refugees see as essential sources of income, fill the gaps since they can be used to purchase household consumptionsparticularly food items. Many countries put in place measures to support the most vulnerable segments of society during the pandemic by issuing different economic benefits, including various tax cuts to support the neediest people. For instance, the Kenyan government dedicated 10 billion KSh (93 million US dollars) to support the elderly, orphans, and other vulnerable groups in the form of cash transfers. However, refugees living in Kenya have been left without any social protections or any economic stimulus packages. For example, as in the U.S., some companies offered special COVID benefits to customers last year. One of these was Safaricom, the sole telecom provider in the camp. In an effort to reduce public health risk through the use of cash, Safaricom waived certain fees for M-PESA, a service which is one way for refugees and other Kenyans to collect remittances from abroad. But so few refugees are eligible for the M-PESA service that the benefits did little to help them. In Kakuma refugee camp, donors have been looking at new ways they can support the most vulnerable refugee communities. In February, 2021, an initiative of the World Economic Forum called Global Shapers committed six months of donations via two entities: a microfinance nonprofit called Refugee Integration, and an organization called Impact Market, a decentralized poverty alleviation protocol which uses blockchain technology. The donations were intended to support the vulnerable by sending 100 KSh ($1) per day directly to M-PESA users. So far, Global Shapers claims to have assisted about 1,295 refugees, which will continue depending on the availability of funding. With 160,000 refugees in the camp as of January, this group represents .8 percent of Kakuma residents. In many ways, this way of supporting refugees is a game changer in the Kakuma refugee camp, and is potentially revolutionary. However, economists argue that people receiving any kind of donor aid risk becoming reliant on it, and suggest that time-limited cash aid that keeps people out of refugee camps seems to have a lower risk of provoking learned helplessness. Following the recent spike in suicide, concerned aid agencies have showed some interest in re-initiating a mental health counseling service in all centers all over the camp, but many refugees express concern with the quality of mental health services, saying it remains unsatisfactory. As per Julisha.info, a nonprofit platform for information sharing for refugees living in Kenya, 15 refugees attempted suicide while 6 refugees completed suicide this year between January-June 2021. Since the amount of humanitarian aid provided to Kakuma's refugees is expected to decline even more, it is very important to predict how much greater the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on the lives of refugees. Concerned stakeholders should continue to come up with different strategies to address the existing challenges and amplify their support to the neglected refugees. Resources: The Effects of International Remittances on Poverty and Inequality in Ethiopia (Journal of Development Studies, 2014) Migration, remittances and household welfare in Ethiopia (United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology, 2014) Tolossa Asrat is an Ethiopian journalist based in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. He holds a bachelors degree, diploma, and several certificates, and is currently earning a diploma in Community Interpreting through the University of Nairobi, with an expected graduation date of December 2021. Tolossa is also a photographer and professional interpreter, translator and voiceover artist in the Amharic language. For more information about the KANERE Refugee News service, visit https://kanere.org/. Some churches in Kenya have barred politicians from addressing their congregations, saying campaigning during services disrespects the sanctity of worship. The national Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and evangelical churches have all issued bans, as many politicians have begun early stumping for next years general elections and as COVID-19 public health measures have restricted how and where campaigning can take place. The Methodists, however, are keeping the church doors open for all. Joseph Ntombura, presiding bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, has said his church is not dissenting from the effort, but is taking a different approach. The bishop said shutting the doors to politicians would mean discriminating against some of its members. The church is for all people, Ntombura told RNS in a telephone interview. Human beings are political, so there is nothing wrong with inviting the politicians in church. According to the bishop, congregations need to hear the views of politicians on issues of national interest, such as the sharing of resources. In the past, Ntombura said, the church has invited other experts to speak to congregations on important matters, and politicians are no different. Some of the politicians are our pastors, said Ntombura. Kenya is about 85 percent Christian. About 33 percent of that group are from historic Protestant denominations and about 21 percent are Catholic. The rest belong to evangelical, Pentecostal, and African denominations. Muslims make up 11 percent of the population. In issuing the bans on politicking in church, denominations have said they feared that church services would become campaign rallies and that candidates would use language bordering on hate speech in an attempt to win votes or sway the views of congregants. In the past, some politicians have hijacked church services in order to sell their agendas or to criticize their opponents. Some have even appeared in churches with huge sums of money as offerings or as funds for church projects. The no-politicking effort, started by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in July, gained momentum this month when Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, the Anglican primate of Kenya, announced his churchs ban. Everyone is welcome in the churches, but we have the pews and the pulpit, said Ole Sapit on September 12, during the ordination of Kenyas first Anglican woman bishop. "The pulpit is for the clergy and the pews for everyone who comes to worship." On September 15, the Roman Catholic bishops said their places of worship and liturgy were sacred and were not political arenas. They urged politicians to attend Mass just like any other worshipers. On September 17, the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) announced a similar ban, citing many instances of church leaders neglecting their duty to ensure that the freedoms of all worshipers are protected without infringement by visiting politicians. Politicians should not be allowed to exploit and abuse their privilege as leaders by violating the place of worship through politicking in church, said EAK chairman David Oginde and secretary general Nelson Makanda in a press release. This is a dishonor to God, defiles the sanctity of worship, and violates the rights of other worshipers. Any address by such leaders should only be limited to greetings and not politicking in church. Different church traditions have different ways of acknowledging visitors; such tradition should be kept as long as it honors the sanctity of worship, stated the EAK leaders. Offerings and gifts given by visiting politicians should be treated as any other offering in obedience of the scripture that the left hand should not know what the right has given (Matt 6:3). Analysts say the churches are seeking to reclaim their position as honest arbitrators in a country where elections often generate violent conflicts. The most deadly came in December 2007 and January 2008, when two months of ethnic fighting left at least 1,000 people dead and more than 600,000 displaced from their homes. Among them, 30 people, mainly ethnic Kikuyu from Kenyas largest tribe, were burned alive in an Assemblies of God church in Kiambaa Village in Eldoret. Henry Njagi, program and information manager at the National Council of Churches of Kenya, said resistance to church guidelines on political speech risks a repeat of the events of 2008. When things went wrong, they turned around and accused the church of being silent and abandoning Kenyans, said Njagi. So right now is a call on political actors, aspirants, and other stakeholders to listen to the church and stop toxic politicking. Though the politicians have not been as present at mosques, Muslim leaders say they are supporting the ban. I support the Christian leaders. Such a ban is long overdue, said Sheikh Hassan Ole Naado, national chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims. He added that Muslims were not facing the issue at the moment. When you go to a place of worship, you know what you are supposed to do. They are taking advantage of people who are gathered for worship. It should not happen in the first place, said Ole Naado. On Thursday, Ole Sapit also banned Anglican churches from conducting harambee (a Swahili word meaning all pull together) community fundraisers during worship services, according to Capital News. Additional reporting by Jeremy Weber 2 Afghan refugees face federal charges after trying to rape child, strangle woman in Wisconsin: DOJ Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two Afghan men staying at the Fort McCoy U.S. Army base in Wisconsin after being evacuated from their country have been indicted by a federal grand jury on separate charges of forcibly engaging in a sexual act with children and assaulting spouse by strangling and suffocating her. Bahrullah Noori, 20, is charged with attempting to engage in a sexual act with a minor using force against that person, and with three counts of engaging in a sexual act with a minor, with one count alleging the use of force, the Department of Justice said in a statement released Wednesday. The indictment alleges that the victims had not attained the age of 16 years and were at least four years younger than the defendant, the statement continued. The other Afghan refugee, identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Haroon Imaad, is charged with assaulting his spouse by strangling and suffocating her, it added. The victim told investigators that Imaad threatened to send her back to Afghanistan where the Taliban could deal with her, the criminal complaint says, according to news station WISN. The two men, who were brought to the U.S. after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, were charged after investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort McCoy Police Department, are being held at Dane County Jail. If convicted, Noori faces a minimum of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life in federal prison, and Imaad faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. The State Department had earlier sought urgent guidance from other U.S. government agencies after child brides were brought to Fort McCoy and other Afghan girls at a transit site in Abu Dhabi said they had been raped by older men they were forced to marry, The Associated Press reported at the time, citing officials and an internal document. A situation report sent late last month to all U.S. embassies and consulates and to military command centers in Florida said some older Afghan men who were transported to Fort McCoy also claimed to have more than one wife. Titled Afghanistan Task Force SitRep No. 63, the document stated: Intake staff at Fort McCoy reported multiple cases of minor females who presented as married to adult Afghan men, as well as polygamous families. Department of State has requested urgent guidance. According to a diplomatic cable sent by U.S. officials in the U.A.E to Washington, many girls at the Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi claimed they had been sexually assaulted by their husbands. Among the thousands of Afghans whove arrived in the U.S., some 10,000 were flagged for additional security screening, and of those 100 were flagged for possible ties to the Taliban or terror groups, sources with knowledge of the evacuation process told NBC News. Dressing up envy: AOC's economics is 400 years out of date Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Conservatives laughed at celebrity representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, attending the Met Gala recently. Tickets were reported to cost $35,000 each. But the representative didnt pay for her ticket; she was a guest and she borrowed her dress. She said she attended in order to send a message to the countrys wealthiest people. Voters, and the owner of the dress, should be concerned about the message she painted in scarlet letters on the white gown, Tax the Rich. Socialists like AOC are about 400 years behind the times in their view of the rich. They see the rich as having hoards of gold in a bank or secure room in one of their mansions that they amassed by cheating others who are poorer as a result. AOCs understanding of the rich was accurate from prehistory until the advent of capitalism in the 17th century. Through most of history, the honorable ways to get wealth if you didnt inherit it was through plunder in war, kidnapping for ransom and doing favors for the king, who would steal the land of an enemy and give it to you. Or the king might give you a monopoly on trade in some commodity like silk so that you could charge exorbitant prices. Often, the nobility would steal the wealth of common people by bribing judges to find the owners guilty of false charges. The commoner would be executed, and the noble person would get the wealth, usually land. Old Testament prophets complained about that practice in ancient Israel, and Jerry Bowyer demonstrates in his book The Maker Versus the Takers: What Jesus Really Said About Social Justice and Economicsthat most of the wealthy in Judah had gained their wealth by immoral means. Few grew wealthy through commerce. Pagan philosophers such as Aristotle considered commerce to be morally lower than prostitution. Theologians baptized that pagan philosophy rather than dig out of the Bible a doctrine of economics and commerce. Thats why Christian Europe refused to allow Jews to work in government or serve in the military and consigned them to commerce and banking, the most despised professions. When Jews would become wealthy, Christians would fabricate charges against them as an excuse to steal it. Nothing changed until the Godly theologians at the University of Salamanca, Spain, distilled the principles of capitalism from the Bible and the Dutch Republic implemented them. The Dutch outlawed the traditional ways of gaining wealth and prevented the nobility from stealing. They left hated commerce as the only path to wealth. So, AOC is wrong. Most wealthy people for the past four centuries have earned it through commerce by serving the people better than their competitors. Rarely do they keep much of their wealth in gold. Most of it is tied up in their businesses. However, a few have grown wealthy by bribing politicians to legislate favors for them as they did before capitalism. The mostly likely cause of AOCs and the lefts hatred of the rich is pure envy. The left loves to toss around accusations of greed, but they never mention envy, except as a joke, I envy your new Lexus! But as Helmut Schoeck showed in his classic book Envy: A Theory of Social Behavior, envy used to be considered the worst of the seven deadly sins because of its destructive power. An old European story depicts envy well. An angel visited a peasant and offered to grant him a wish. The peasant thought a minute and said, Well, my neighbor has a milk cow and I dont. The angel said, So, you want me to give you a cow? Heavens, no! cried the peasant. I want you to kill my neighbors cow. The peasant didnt want others to envy him for having a cow in the same way he envied his neighbor. Heres another: An angel offered to grant one wish to a peasant, who imagines the treasures he should request. But the angel explained that whatever the peasant received, his neighbor would receive double. The peasant says, Ok, then I want you to poke out one of my eyes. Those stories show the destructive nature of envy. The envious person doesnt want to improve his position in life; he wants to bring someone else down to his level. The popular French economist Thomas Piketty, who is Professor of Economics at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, in his book Capital in the 21st Century said as much when he admitted that his proposal for an 80% tax on wealth would bring in little revenue to the government, but it would impoverish the wealthy. Socialists have canceled envy, but Christians should resurrect it because the Bible condemns the sin of envy. Matthew 6:22-23 is an important passage. The New International Versions translates it as The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23 However, a literal translation would read if your eye is evil This is a rendering of the ancient fear of the evil eye that is common outside of the West and through history. In the West we tend to call it green eyed. An evil eye is envy. Other verses that translate evil eye as envy are Matthew 20:15 and Luke 11:34. According to Schoeck, envy kept people starvation-poor from prehistory until the advent of capitalism, when Christianity tamed envy enough to allow for innovation and economic development, but only in the West until the 20th century. Then, Christians in the West abandoned Christ and envy burst from its tomb. It stalks the world like a zombie disguised as socialism. Envy is the power behind socialism. Unfortunately, a minority of evangelicals have had their brains eaten by the envy zombie and so promote socialism. The only defense is the power of Christ to suppress envy so that we love our neighbors, including the rich, as ourselves. Empowerment Temple hires activist Rev. Robert Turner after firing Jamal Bryants successor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Less than two months after firing lead pastor GJ Barnes for failing to file timely audit reports, the Baltimore-based Empowerment Temple AME Church founded by megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant announced Rev. Robert R.A. Turner of the historic Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma as his replacement. "God never closes one door without opening another. Join us this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. as we welcome our new senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Robert R.A. Turner," the church said in a Facebook post Tuesday. Tulsa's Vernon AME Church is "the only standing black-owned structure on Historic Greenwood Ave from the Black Wall Street era and one of the only edifices that remain from the worst race massacres in American history," according to the church's website. Turner, a 39-year-old Alabama native, took over as Vernon AME Church's lead pastor some four years ago based on a calling from God. He told Tulsa World that he is following God again to Empowerment Temple. "I came here following God," Turner explained. "And now I'm leaving to follow God." Turner said he never sought the opportunity at Empowerment Temple but accepted the offer to lead the megachurch after being contacted by the church about the job one night after he dreamed he was preaching a Sunday morning sermon there. He told the newspaper the last time he visited the church was several years ago. "It came out of the blue," Turner said. "But God spoke to me, so I have to go." Despite only serving in Tulsa for four years, Turner leaves behind a legacy of activism, seeking reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre. On Wednesday, Vice released a video feature focused on his activism. Before his Sunday welcome, Turner is expected to join Bryant, who now serves at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, in a conversation on Instagram this Saturday at 5 p.m Bryant left Empowerment Temple in 2019 to become the senior pastor of the more high-profile New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb County, a church previously led by the late Pastor Eddie Long. In an extended statement to his followers on Facebook Wednesday, Turner said he intends to keep fighting for reparations even though he is leaving Tulsa "with a heavy heart." "My pastoral course here in Tulsa has finished. God has shown me another place He has for me to go. As with Vernon I did not seek this new opportunity. It found me. There is another church, community and cause to take on. I will take it with much greater appreciation, preparation and wisdom because of my time here in Tulsa. Vernon you were the best, Greenwood you are forever in my heart," he wrote. "The cause of reparations is still my passion I will now be headquartered elsewhere while I fight for it. I am confident the next pastor will take you to even greater heights. My desire is that in 2121 they will look back on what we did in 2021 and find inspiration as I look back on what our church did in 1921 and find encouragement. It will continue to inspire me wherever I go." Turkey forcing religious minorities to join propaganda campaigns to 'whitewash' regime's intolerance Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Religious freedom advocates have warned that Turkey is embarking on a propaganda campaign of whitewashing its treatment of religious minorities, and urged the U.S. State Department to designate Turkey as a country of particular concern. At the In Defense of Christians National Summit, held in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Aykan Erdemir, senior director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, discussed the latest trends concerning the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities in Turkey. He alleged that the regime of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is forcing religious minorities to participate in a propaganda campaign designed to paint a picture of a tolerant government to the rest of the world. We are transitioning to an era of captured communities, he said. I characterize what came before as excluded communities, discriminated against communities, targeted communities, but captured communities, in my mind, represents a more advanced form of discrimination and subjugation in that these communities are not asked to be active agents in their own subjugation and accomplices in the whitewashing of the Erdogan regimes atrocities. Erdemir added, The leadership, both religious and lay leadership of Turkeys non-Muslim communities, are now expected to be willing and able players in whitewashing the regimes persecution and crimes. He cited examples of the coercion religious minorities in Turkey face, including being forced to attend ceremonies or sign statements or play props in various window dressing attempts to show that the Erdogan government is tolerant, benevolent and embracing of minorities. This could simply be a letter forced on Turkeys religious minorities where they state that there is no pressure on religious minorities in Turkey. This could be a letter for them to express their support of Turkish cross-border military operations in Northern Syria. Erdemir highlighted another cause of concern for western governments and religious freedom advocates: There is a flourishing of museums, churches and synagogues that do not serve as worship halls, as houses of worship, but as tourism spectacles, as museums that the government restores and manages and then maybe one day a year allows religious ceremonies but uses 365 days a year to showcase the governments tolerance and benevolence as talking points, as props, as window dressing. After urging the U.S. and other Western governments to not partake in such whitewashing ceremonies at such sites and give legitimacy and credibility to the Erdogan governments stunts, Erdemir called on the State Department to designate Turkey as a country of particular concern. The State Department assigns the CPC label to nations engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. According to the State Department, the 1998 law defines severe violations of religious freedom as systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom, including violations such as torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, abduction or clandestine detention, or other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons. Erdemir contended that Erdogans conversion of a revered Christian landmark, the Hagia Sophia, into a mosque merited Turkeys designation as a CPC. The Erdogan government needs to end state-sponsored and sanctioned propagation of hate and conspiracies against religious minorities, which make them victims of hate crimes and hate speech and which then make even more reliant on the benevolence and the good graces of the Erdogan government for protection, he proclaimed. Another member of the panel, Amy Austin Holmes of the Council on Foreign Relations, explained how a Christian who remained behind to protect his familys land while the rest of the family fled the Turkish-occupied Syrian city Ras al-Ayn was pressured to take part in a propaganda campaign. Holmes detailed that one day, Turkish-backed militias came to him and said that they wanted him to participate in essentially a propaganda video to show look, theres a Christian whos still in Ras al-Ayn and to make a video about it to try to convince the world that things werent that bad in Ras al-Ayn and there is, in fact, at least this one Christian whos still there. While the man initially agreed to comply with the militias request and said he would do the video the following day, he ended up escaping that night rather than participate in the campaign. Holmes reported that the aforementioned situation is not a unique phenomenon. Holmes asserted that many religious and ethnic minorities have fled the area. As they left their properties behind, the Turkish-backed militias have appropriated their [properties] and enriched themselves from the homes that have been left empty. She called on the U.S. to ensure that it is possible for everyone who fled from these areas to return, to regain their property, to receive compensation for the property that was stolen or damaged. Describing them as dominated subjects of a sectarian and unequal regime and de jure and de facto subjugated slaves or subjects, Erdemir elaborated on the impact of religious minorities fleeing Turkey: Turkeys Greek Orthodox are now less than 2,000, possibly closer to 1,500, almost all above 60 years of age. Turkeys Jewish community is now below 17,000. So minorities are going extinct in Turkey. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As Christians, we pray "Thy Will be done" repeatedly. The verse is a most uncomfortable reminder that our will and Gods may not be the same. There is a good possibility that we wont get what we pray for. We may suffer and the people we love may suffer, even though we ask God to be spared. Many Christians in the world today face unthinkable religious persecution and even martyrdom. Many of them courageously, and even joyfully, accept God's will. Praying for them gives our fellow Christians strength. It can also strengthen the faith of those of us who have not yet been tested. At the same time, all of us need a much clearer picture of the global resurgence in religious persecution, which has been ignored by governments and media. On Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. in Washington, D.C., large numbers of people will gather to raise awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians at the second Annual March for Martyrs. Participants will wear red which commemorates the blood that has been shed by those Christians who have been murdered on account of their faith. Understandably, organizers of the March are making a particularly urgent plea for Afghanistans Christians. There is little news coming out of Afghanistan on the situation facing Christians and other religious minorities after the withdrawal of U.S. forces last month. Estimated to number between 10,000 and 12,000, the vast majority of Christians in Afghanistan are converts from Islam to Christianity a capital crime under the country's Sharia law. Beforethe fall of the Taliban in 2003, Christians in Afghanistan practiced their faith underground. The Christian human rights group Open Doors, reports it is once again impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Concrete steps to protect Christian Afghanis can be taken. For example, Dr. Ben Carson, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Trump administration, recently urged the Biden administration to speak out on behalf of Afghan Christians. Carson proposed that economic investment should be conditionalon the Talibans commitment to safeguarding the Christian population. There is an interesting connection between the plight of Christians in Afghanistan and persecuted Christians in China. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, a Christian human rights advocate, author, and co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response, observes that roughly 70 years ago there was a generation of men and women who laid down their lives as the seeds of the Chinese church today. Today notes Ochab, Christians in China are estimated to be around 57 percent of the population. Afghanistans Christians can similarly build the Church even when they are forced to do so secretly. Christians currently enduring the wrath of Communist China also offer inspiration for believers in Afghanistan. A perfect example is Catholic media magnate Jimmy Lai. Lai has been a long-standing supporter of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, citing his Catholic faith in support of his efforts. Last week, Lai was given the Christi Fidelis Laici award at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The award is presented to lay Catholics who embark on individual missions on behalf of the Church and the world and work to stir and promote a deeper awareness among all the faithful of the gift and responsibility they share, both as a group and as individuals, in the communion and mission of the Church. Lai has been imprisoned since last October on charges of organizing illegal protests, so he received the award in absentia. William McGurn, a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board and Lai's godfather, accepted the award on his behalf, commenting that while Jimmy may be stuck in prison, his soul remains free. The victims of oppressive and totalitarian rulers like Afghanistans Taliban and the Chinese Communist regime have tireless advocates at this years March for the Martyrs. The Marchs founder, Gia Chacon, first began her efforts in 2017. She will be joined by, among others, Ordinariate priest Fr. Benedict Kiely, whose charity Nasarean.org publicizes the horrors endured by religious minorities and offers them practical help to rebuild their lives. All these campaigners face a common enemy in addition to murderous fundamentalists and totalitarians. It is the indifferentism of public opinion, which these days extend even into the leadership of some churches. Jesus most fervent prayer was Father, all things are possible to you; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will but what you will." Pope Benedict XVI commented on this, calling it an expression in which the human will adheres to the divine will without reserve. An angel came to Jesus after he prayed. The angel did not remove the cup from Jesus, but gave him strength. Todays persecuted Christians need their own spiritual advocates, who need not be angels. They can, and should, be us. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment After House Democrats, under pressure from their radical left wing, voted to remove Israels defensive Iron Dome funding from its budget, a Christian friend messaged me saying, Overwhelming Jewish support for the Democratic party is hard to comprehend. Given the fact that the Democrat Party has been less and less friendly to Israel in recent years, and given President Obamas icy relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, what explains the deep solidarity between Democrats and Jews? Before answering that question, I should note that the Jerusalem Post reported that, The Iron Dome may ultimately receive the American funding it needs after progressive pressure led Democratic Party leadership in the House of Representatives to remove it from a broader bill, and then vowed to propose the aid as its own bill within days. Indeed, on Thursday, the House did pass a stand-alone $1 billion measure for Israel's Iron Dome. Still, in the words of the Jerusalem Post, "that doesnt mean that the drama surrounding it is over. Tuesdays events in the House should ring alarm bells in Jerusalem that more trouble with the Squad is on the way, even as public statements by Israeli officials tried to minimize the problem. Yet Jewish support for the Democrats remains strong, with some exit polls giving President Biden roughly 70-75% of the Jewish vote, a number that has held fairly steady, with limited fluctuation, since the late 1920s. Why? One reason that has often been given is that there is a prophetic ethic in Judaism that leans left, thus siding with the rights of those who are perceived to be oppressed. This would include racial minorities, women, gays, transgenders, and others. While there appears to be some truth to this, the fact is that most American Jews are fairly secular, with limited familiarity with Judaism. Can this really explain such voting patterns? And why is it that, generally speaking, Jews in different parts of the world tend to lean centrist or right, quite the opposite of things here in the USA? According to political scientist and professor Kenneth Wald, there is another anomaly when it comes to American Jewish voting. He explained that we expect most affluent people to favor the party of the right. As a group, even allowing for individual differences, American Jews rank at or near the top on most measures of social class education, income, occupational prestige, and such. That makes their commitment to the Democratic Party and liberal values puzzling. What, then, explains the strong leftward leaning of American Jews? For Prof. Wald and others, the answer is simple: American Jewish voting patterns have to do with the uniqueness of the American context. The U.S. Constitution follows a classic liberal model in separating citizenship and religion. Rather than rooting citizenship in blood or religion, the American system eliminates ethnic particularity as a condition for full membership in the political community. This arrangement resonates powerfully with American Jews for practical reasons it gives them a chance to participate as equals in a way they had not experienced elsewhere and it differs radically from their historical experience as, at best, a tolerated minority whose status often changed on the whims of rulers. And although there was a time when American Jews voted Republican in higher numbers, once the Republican party became more closely aligned with evangelical Christians, Jews moved quickly to the Democrats. As Wald explains, When, however, the Republican party reached out to white Protestant evangelicals, who eventually came to constitute the partys base, Jews reacted negatively because they perceived a threat to the liberal regime. Evangelicals, with their God talk, insistence on a Christian America, and general willingness to deny fundamental liberties to some minorities on religious grounds, struck many American Jews as a fundamental danger to core values of the polity. Accordingly, Jewish support for Democratic presidential nominees rose from roughly two-thirds to three-fourths in the 1990s and thereafter. (For further discussion about Jews and FDRs New Deal, along with Jewish concerns during the tenure of LBJ, see here.) This also explains why, the more that Israeli leadership moves to the right, both politically and religiously, the less solidarity liberal American Jews feel with Israel, despite its importance to them. Many evangelical Christians are actually surprised to learn that they appear to feel more loyalty to Israel than do their American Jewish friends. As for the growing number of Orthodox Jews that identify as Republican, up from 57% in 2013 to 75% today, one headline declared, In voting, Orthodox Jews are looking more like evangelicals. As the story reported, Among Orthodox Jewish Trump voters, Israel, Iran, and terrorism were among the top concerns cited in a survey by Nishma Research, a Connecticut-based polling firm. Among Orthodox Jewish Biden voters, the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the country together' and health care were the top three issues. (I might ask here how that vote for Biden to deal effectively with COVID and to bring the country together is looking right now.) This indicates, then, that American Jews are more divided by ideology than they are united by religious faith, since there is a massive gulf between traditional Judaism and liberal Judaism, just as there is between conservative Christianity and liberal Christianity. In this light, it will be interesting to see what voting patterns emerge if traditional Jews continue to grow in number while the number of liberal Jews continues to drop. (See, already, this prediction from 2016.) And this, in turn, would likely result in growing voting solidarity between Orthodox Jews and Christian conservatives. Isnt this why so many evangelical Christians are fans of Modern Orthodox voices like Ben Shapiro while men like Rabbi Daniel Lapin, himself Orthodox, spend most of their time speaking to Christian audiences? The plot thickens. '60 Minutes' airs new allegation of rape at Hillsong Church after Brian Houston steps down Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Following news that Senior Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church stepped down from the global evangelical ministry's board, "60 Minutes" Australia aired a segment Sunday featuring new allegations from a woman who claims she was raped at one of the megachurch's campuses. Hillsong called the reporting "gutter journalism at its finest." The program titled "Hillsong Hell" aired on Sunday night and coincided with news that Houston stepped down from the Hillsong board as he prepares for court proceedings related to allegations that he failed to report his father's sexual abuse to the authorities in the 1970s. Along with highlighting Houston's legal case and the recent firing of Hillsong New York Pastor Carl Lentz for "moral failures," the "60 Minutes" program introduces an Australian woman who uses the alias "Katherine" and says she was raped in the Melbourne campus after a Bible study. The program also featured Anna Crenshaw, an American woman who has been vocal about her alleged assault by a Hillsong leader. Katherine described her rape as a violent occurrence committed by another Hillsong member in 2018 following a Bible study in which she stayed late to help clean. "I had no reason to think I wasn't going to be safe. It was really violent. It was just completely filled with anger and rage and hatred," she said. "It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my whole life. "That was the only sexual experience I'd ever had, and it was non-consensual," she added. "And I just wanted to pretend it didn't happen." The woman alleges that she was pulled by the hair, undressed and raped inside an events office in the church. Following the traumatic incident, Katherine claimed she reported the rape to a Hillsong youth pastor. She says she was told that it was something she had to "sort out" with the perpetrator and instead work on "repairing relationships." Katherine said that it wasn't until she took the claims public on social media that she was contacted by Hillsong. The church asked to meet with her. But according to Katherine's account, it took Hillsong three years to inform the police. "I want my abuser to never have the chance to be able to do that to another person again," Katherine told "60 Minutes." "I also want Hillsong and the person I told to be held accountable for not doing anything," she added. In a statement Monday responding to the "60 Minutes" segment, Hillsong Church stated that it was not made aware of the 2018 rape allegation until April 2021 after seeing a social media post from Katherine. "We immediately reached out to her and asked for a meeting. During the meeting the person concerned was not forthcoming with all of the information," Hillsong argues. "She made several allegations but refused to provide details of a date or name of the alleged perpetrator. She advised she had reported the matter to police however Hillsong also made a report to police as per our procedures." "She made it very clear that for personal reasons she was not willing to take the matter further with police," the statement adds. "We have made every effort to assist this individual and we continue to stand ready to assist. However, we cannot force someone to cooperate with us or police." Also featured in the "60 Minutes" segment, Anna Crenshaw detailed her alleged assault to The Christian Post earlier this year. The American Hillsong College attendee told the program of an incident with married Hillsong administrator Jason Mays, which allegedly occurred at a social gathering in 2016. He allegedly made advances toward her, including putting his hands around her waist and between her legs. Mays, who is the son of the churchs head of human resources, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and was sentenced to two years' probation by a Sydney court last year. However, he was allowed to keep his job at Hillsong. In its statement Monday, Hillsong Church said that it began an investigation when Crenshaw first brought the allegation to their attention. The church maintains that it brought the allegation to the attention of police, and Crenshaw was never discouraged from filing a formal complaint or participating in legal proceedings. "There are several reasons why Jason Mays was given another opportunity to remain on staff including the comments of the magistrate who chose not to record a conviction, asserted the 'low level objective seriousness of the offence' and acknowledged that it occurred in the presence of several other people who did not fully corroborate her version of the events," Hillsong noted. Jason was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond for 'assault with act of indecency' (not sexual assault), including stringent requirements that he has followed diligently." The church added that the magistrate had spoken of the "significant punishment already received through his employer (Hillsong) with suspension relating to paid work and volunteering activities." "Jason works in an administrative role and is not, and never has been, in a leadership position," the church's statement reads. One of the cornerstones of our Biblical beliefs as Christians is forgiveness and redemption. It is important Jason is allowed this as well." Hillsong's statement pegged the "60 Minutes" reporting as "factually wrong, sensationalised, unbalanced and highly unethical journalism." "Hillsong Church takes any allegation of sexual assault extremely seriously and our policy is to report the allegation to police," the statement said. "We have a Safe Church and a legal department that handle allegations in accordance with all legal requirements and best practice, and are vigilant in their operations. Any insinuation to the contrary is false and defamatory." Hillsong also pushed back against the program's claim that the church "declined a request to appear on camera," calling it a "blatant lie." "60 Minutes has clearly been working on this story for some time yet only contacted us by email with vague questions four days before the story was scheduled to air, and after promotions for the story were already running across the Nine Network," the statement reads. "After we responded with the facts (which were ignored) they belatedly offered us the opportunity to reply on air on Friday the last working day before the program. Clearly there was no way we could do this and they knew it. It was never their intention to do a balanced piece because they didnt want to hear the truth. How sad that journalism in this country has stooped to this level." California and Canada elections showed 2 attitudes: Fear vs. Faith Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Americans are not happy. We do not like all the COVID restrictions. We resent the latest lockdowns. We plan to resist the mandate. We are beyond the breaking point. At least thats the impression I get as I read reports on conservative websites and interact with friends and colleagues. But exit poll results from California tell a very different story, with confirmation from Canada as well. Im talking about the rejection of the efforts to recall Gov. Newsom in California and the re-election of Prime Minister Trudeau in Canada, where the COVID restrictions have been much more comprehensive and oppressive. Yet in both cases, it appears that a majority of voters affirmed the way COVID was being handled in their state and nation, respectively. According to ABC News, Just about 3 in 10 said Newsom's pandemic control measures are too strict, countering a key argument in the recall drive against him. A broad 70% supported the state's student mask mandate and 63% sided with the governor in seeing vaccination as more of a public health responsibility than a personal choice. Notably, just 24% said the pandemic is getting worse in the state; a plurality, 39%, said it's improving, with the rest saying it's staying the same. And in the eyes of these voters, which were represented by a large Democratic turnout, the pandemic was their number one concern. They were not only happy to comply with the governors sometimes draconian and discriminatory rulings (which were even overturned by the Supreme Court; see here for one example of several). They actually thought he was doing a good job. Up in Canada, where Trudeau and his liberal party were able to remain in power, the Prime Minister tweeted, Thank you, Canada for casting your vote, for putting your trust in the Liberal team, for choosing a brighter future. We're going to finish the fight against COVID. And we're going to move Canada forward. For everyone. And what of all the anti-Trudeau protests, with Canadians saying, Enough is enough with the governments oppressive, overreaching anti-COVID measures? Why wasnt there sufficient backlash to oust Trudeau and his liberal party? What happened there? Of course, both in California and Canada, there were many other factors that influenced the elections. But clearly, there was no overwhelming pushback against Newsom and Trudeaus handling of COVID. On the contrary, it appears there was affirmation. How do we explain this? In a word, fear. People are truly afraid that the unvaccinated are deadly disease spreaders. They are truly afraid that the unmasked are reckless and playing with other peoples lives. They are truly afraid to go back to life as normal, convinced that to do so at this point is to play with fire. In this light, President Bidens vaccine mandate is a good thing. Requiring 6-year-old children to wear masks in school for 8 hours a day is a good thing. Limiting the number of people attending church services is a good thing. In fact, forbidding them to sing during worship services is a good thing. And on and on it goes. Fear is a powerful motivator. And fear paralyzes. Again, Im speaking broadly here, making no judgments on individuals and their motivations. And Im not minimizing for a moment the deadliness of COVID. Or mocking those who choose to wear masks. (For my reapplication of Romans 14 for today, see here.) Im simply stating that fear is the primary reason why so many Americans (and Canadians and others) are willing to live with such oppressive restrictions and to submit to such government control. Contrast this attitude with the results of a poll I conducted on Twitter. I was actually surprised with the results, quite pleasantly at that. On September 20, I asked, What's your current state of mind? Are you fearful? Frustrated or angry? Excited about what God is doing? Something else (please explain). The results? Shockingly, only 7.8 percent said they were fearful, followed by 24.9 percent who said they were frustrated or angry. A total of 28.9 percent responded with something else. And 38.4 percent said they were excited about what God was doing. What a contrast with the prevailing spirit of fear in so much of America! To my knowledge, the vast majority of those following me on Twitter are Christian conservatives. But thats the whole point I am making. In the midst of the exact same circumstances as the rest of Americans, they are more faith-filled than fear-filled, more positive than negative, more optimistic than pessimistic, even while being quite realistic. Some of the responses included, I am expecting a worldwide event to unfold (unfortunately a negative one) where finally people will be shaken and will start turning to God. And, Expectant! And (quoting the words of Jesus), I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world! John 16:33Excited! Other positive responses included, Waiting.... waiting on God. Expecting Him to move in a mighty way. And, I would say I'm excited and frustrated. Frustrated at what is happening in our nation and around the world but excited because I know God is still in control and I've seen that He's still moving mightily and people are still getting saved even in this hour. I want to encourage you today not to let fear dominate your thinking. Not only does fear paralyze. It also takes away your ability to think clearly and rationally, and it robs you of your courage. So, by all means, use lots of wisdom in terms of responding to the pandemic, and treat respectfully those who come to different conclusions. But at the same time, cultivate your faith in God and your relationship with God. If you do, the light will always shine for you, even in the deepest darkness. Christian leaders meet with White House in push for child tax credit, voting rights, family support Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A theologically diverse group of Christian leaders met with White House officials on Wednesday to advocate for the expanded child tax credit and other economic proposals as part of a discussion on anti-poverty initiatives. The faith-based coalition Circle of Protection had a meeting with Biden administration officials advocating for recent expansions to the child tax credit to be made permanent and passage of economic bills and voting rights legislation being considered by Congress this fall. The meeting included representatives for Catholic Charities, the National Association of Evangelicals, The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National African American Clergy Network and the National Association of Latino Evangelicals. They met with White House Office of Public Engagement Director Cedric Richmond, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Director Melissa Rogers and Deputy Director of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Josh Dickson, who served as the head of faith engagement for the 2020 Biden campaign. Jim Wallis, the former president of the progressive evangelical social justice organization Sojourners and head of Georgetown University's Center on Faith and Justice, was present for the meeting. In an interview with The Christian Post, Wallis, a longtime evangelical justice advocate, said that he believed the meeting "went very well" with "everyone around the table" speaking "to why they were there." "We're there to bring what we said was 'the faith factor,'" explained Wallis. "Religious voices, which are trans-partisan. We don't serve one party or the other." "We're there because of who is going to be served by these bills, particularly lower-income families and children these things are good news to poor people." In addition to the White House meeting, the Circle of Protection also sent a letter to President Joe Biden and members of Congress advocating for the anti-poverty elements to be included in infrastructure and budget legislation, as well as voting rights legislation. As Congress negotiates a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package shaped by Biden's domestic agenda, the Circle of Protection is urging Congress not to "cut its anti-poverty provisions" and "tax high-income people and corporations to pay for them." "The Bible is clear in its opposition to the concentration of wealth amid neglected human need," the letter states. "Those who have benefited the most should contribute to the common good of society and invest in the most vulnerable." The letter argues that while the leaders "don't all agree on every aspect of these multifaceted pieces of legislation or on the legislative processes," many of the provisions in the bill will "protect human dignity, support families, and serve the common good of society." "We are all pro-family, and that entails support for economic policies that help families escape poverty and flourish," the letter assures. "And when it comes to voting rights, democracy and the moral character of the nation are at stake." The letter "fervently" endorses the "extension of recent improvements in the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax." "Making the full value of the Child Tax Credit available to the poorest households has substantially reduced child poverty, and we are all of one mind that this provision should be made permanent," the letter reads. "The improvements in the EITC are benefiting those low-income working adults who often see little or no other assistance. In view of America's affordable housing crisis, we also support a generous expansion of housing vouchers, because a place to live for families draws us all together." Wallis told CP that he believes that "there's no doubt that" the current administration is receptive to a more diverse range of faith-based advocacy than the previous administration. During the Trump years, the White House often invited conservative evangelical and Pentecostal leaders to high-profile events and policy briefings. "The last administration seemed to be listening to only a very small group of leaders. Even moderate evangelical leaders weren't listened to," Wallis contends. He said the Biden administration is "listening to us" and "paying attention." Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt launches series Beyond and Back to show 'proof of Heaven' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the Fox News Channel approaches its 25-year anniversary, a fixture at the network, Ainsley Earhardt, is taking a look into the great beyond with her new series, "Beyond and Back." The current co-host of the No. 1 morning show in cable news, "Fox & Friends," is a professing Christian who is very vocal about her faith and its role in her everyday life. She launched the new series on Fox Nation to uncover intriguing stories of both believers and non-believers who can't explain how they survived death. Each story is beyond scientific explanation. The five-part series begins with the first episode, "Proof of Heaven." It tells the story of a man of science (a neurosurgeon) who did not believe in the afterlife until his own experience with the "beyond." "God is giving us these experiences all over the world for a reason, and the five different stories in this series are just a small glimpse into the bigger plans that God has for us all," Earhardt shared with The Christian Post. The TV host said she wanted to release the series to give viewers a sense of "hope and faith in the afterlife" following a tumultuous year in which many suffered loss. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com The following is an edited transcript of Earhardt's entire interview with CP, where she shares her thoughts on the afterlife and explains why she wants to bring these stories to viewers. Christian Post: Can you share with us the inspiration behind your new series "Beyond and Back"? Earhardt: The pandemic has forced everyone to deal with the uncertainties of life on a more accelerated level. From illness to loss of a job or loved one, Americans are searching even more than ever to know if there really is God or something more out there. We wanted to release this series to give viewers a sense of hope and faith that there is something more after this life and to find comfort in knowing that our loved ones are not alone when they die. CP: What can viewers expect from the series? Earhardt: The series uncovers five intriguing stories of believers and non-believers who overcome adversity after traveling somewhere beyond this life. Most of them can't explain how they survived death, were lifted from Hell and went to Heaven and back. But what they experienced has transformed their lives forever. CP: Can you give us a sneak peek into the testimony of a believer who we can look forward to seeing on the show? Earhardt: Entrepreneur and a family man of faith, Jeff Fusco, had a life most people strive for until he became severely sick with COVID-19 in 2020. After multiple surgeries, the doctors told his family that he had two hours to live. Fighting to stay alive, Jeff experienced something out of this world. He was transported to a place that brought him total peace and comfort, with stone walls and gates leading to what he believes was Heaven. But Jeff was faced with a choice to enter this beautiful city of God or to return home with his loving family. What happens next is truly incredible. CP: Did filming this show teach you anything about the beyond? Earhardt: The beautiful testimonies in this show have validated everything I've been taught about this life and the next. CP: What do you believe lies beyond? Earhardt: I believe the Bible, which says there is a Heaven and we get there not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Heaven is God's dwelling place and a realm where everything operates according to God's will. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, the Bible teaches us, "We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." This explains why all of those who say they have died and gone to Heaven want to stay. In Ephesians 2, we learn, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And, this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Jesus said in Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. For, 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" CP: Would you consider these survival stories divine intervention? Earhardt: Yes, they all seemed to have that element of going beyond this life and experiencing something else, something unexplainable, but yet wonderful and life-altering. CP: What do you want others to take away from the series? Earhardt: I want others to walk away knowing that miracles do exist. Science can't explain everything. God is giving us these experiences all over the world for a reason, and the five different stories in this series are just a small glimpse into the bigger plans that God has for us all. CP: Is there anything else you'd like to add? Earhardt: The Fox News Channel has been broadcasting around the world for 25 years and I have had the distinct pleasure of being a part of the team. Waking up America each morning and bringing our friends the viewers the news has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Thank you for your loyalty, support and love throughout the years. I'll see you all in the morning. "Beyond and Back" with Earhardt is now available to stream. London street preacher alleges 14 police officers confronted him for 'homophobic language' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A West London street preacher alleges 14 police officers confronted him on Aug. 20 while preaching in Uxbridge because they claimed to have received multiple complaints from pedestrians about "homophobic language." Rev. Peter Simpson, the minister of Penn Free Methodist Church, Buckinghamshire, wrote a post published by The Conservative Woman blog this week in which he said that the officers approached him on High Street to ask him to stop preaching. The encounter happened after he finished sharing for about 20 minutes aloud in the streets about the "immorality of abortion" and about "the biblical teaching that marriage can be only between one man and one woman." Simpson said he shared Bible texts in the neighborhood where he stood, which included the verse in Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." He also referred to "the sinful hearts of all men." "I made a brief reference," he said, alleging that what started as two cops became 14 who approached him. "[They] came up to me and said that 'multiple complaints' had been received about 'hate speech.'" Simpson claimed that the police officers gave him the impression that he would be arrested if he refused to stop preaching and remove himself from the premises. "I reluctantly complied," Simson said. "I suggested to one of the officers that they were acting as judge and jury, rather than trying to make inquiries." A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement that officers "received complaints that a man preaching at the location was using homophobic language." "Officers attended, spoke to the man and gave words of advice," the spokesperson told Christian Today. "No arrests were made." Simpson was reportedly present when Met officers also arrested another street preacher, Rev. John Sherwood, in April for preaching outside of the Uxbridge subway station on the topic of Genesis 1. Sherwood allegedly said God designed families to have a mother and a father, not two of the same gender. "I responded that the police would have no objection whatsoever to a Pride parade being held in Uxbridge, yet that would be highly offensive to Bible-believing Christians," Simpson wrote in a blog for The Conservative Woman. "The officer did not appear to appreciate the logic behind this argument." Sherwood's arrest transpired on suspicion of an offense under Section 5 of the Public Order Act for "allegedly making homophobic comments," according to the Met. Sherwood's case was later sent to Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after being released with no charge following an overnight stay in a police station. The Christian Legal Centre is representing Sherwood, and the CPS has until October to decide if he will be prosecuted or not. The legal center has reported that the decision will be released soon. There have been other reported cases of Christian preachers being confronted in England. Christian preacher and lay minister Mike Overd was confronted by police from Avon and Somerset in April. He is believed to be the first Christian preacher to be prosecuted for violating COVID-19 regulations banning outdoor gatherings. In defense of Overd, the Christian Legal Centre said the preacher was carrying out his work as a minister by "offering pastoral support" for those struggling during the pandemic while remaining separated from pedestrians by over 2 yards (2 meters). Overd was also asked to leave the premises for his preaching and was fined $83 (60). Crown Prosecution Service later dropped Overd's case. On July 22, Ryan Schiavo, who identifies as an "evangelist and missionary," was arrested in London for preaching that "homosexuality is a sin." "I was preaching the Gospel on the streets as I frequently do, but it was about a 30-minute message, and in the course of a long message I can touch on many topics that I believe are pertinent," he told The Christian Post in an interview. "At one point, I talked about the issue of homosexuality and transgenderism. I said that homosexuality is a sin; I talk about how it's destructive, and the damage the transgender agenda is doing to children right now in the schools because it's being pushed on children at a very young age here." He also told CP that he preached in the streets the message that "the churches that have rainbow flags on them" were "not real churches." Schiavo was arrested and given a mental health evaluation. He was later released. Italian priest accused of stealing nearly $120K from church to buy drugs for sex parties Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Italian priest has been put under house arrest amid accusations that he stole nearly $120,000 from a church to pay for drugs that were used at sex parties, which he allegedly hosted. Father Francesco Spagnesi, who had been the priest at Annunciation parish in Prato before recently being put on sabbatical amid the accusations, was placed under house arrest earlier this month. His arrest came after Prato authorities discovered ties between Spagnesi and Alessio Regina, the latter having been found to possess a performance-enhancing drug often used as a date rape drug. According to police investigations, the GBL [gamma butyrolactone] was ordered online and imported from the Netherlands, and an undisclosed amount of cocaine was obtained through local suppliers, reported the Catholic news website CRUX Now. The British National Health Service describes GBL as being similar to GHB in that both are "depressant drugs which can produce a high with small doses, and cause sedation with only slightly higher doses. People report that G makes them feel euphoric, with a loss of inhibitions, increased confidence, and a higher sex drive." Some 200 people have been linked to the case, including some professional criminals. So far, 15 people have admitted to taking part in the Prato parties. Prato Bishop Giovanni Nerbini released a brief video message in response to the news, expressing great sorrow and promising full collaboration in the investigation. Nerbini explained that while Spagnesi had previously admitted to him that he struggled with drug addiction, the bishop was unaware of the extent of the priests alleged actions. At the beginning, the problem wasnt at all clear, stated Nerbini, as quoted by CRUX. When the problems that Spagnesi had become clear, I imposed psychotherapeutic treatment. I thought I was applying, together with a service to the truth and to justice, a service to charity. In my heart, I wanted to save the person. Authorities believe that Spagnesi might have stolen the money from his church to pay for the drugs, and that he used gay hookup sites to invite people to the sex parties, according to the New York Daily News. Earlier this year, when the parish accountant discovered Spagnesi had stolen $117,175 (100,000) from the church, the priest initially claimed it was for charitable purposes. The cocaine vortex swallowed me, Spagnesi told local media, as quoted by the NY Daily News. The drug made me betray my parishioners, it made me tell lies, it made me take actions that I am ashamed of. What does the Bible have to say about pandemics? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, a student at my alma mater, Cedarville University, faced a challenge. Gabe Woodruff, who was enrolled in Cedarvilles nursing program, was called up by his US Army Reserves medical unit and was sent to Detroit to serve COVID patients in that city. Despite the danger and disruption of the deployment, he and his wife, Kayla, found direction in the power of Scripture. Gabe said, One of the things my wife and I would tell each other is if we trust God with our eternal security, why wouldnt we trust him with our present circumstance? That sentence perfectly sums up what many of us learned during the worst days of the pandemic. If youre a follower of Christ, you dont have to live at the mercy of present problems and future fears. Instead, you can evaluate global events in terms of scriptural prophecy, world history, and the biblical agenda leading to the return of Christ. So what exactly does the Bible say about pandemics? Throughout the Bible, we see repeated examples of God using diseases to accomplish His divine and sovereign purposes. In the Old Testament, God warned His people that disobedience would bring wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart (Lev. 26:16). This isnt to say all illnesses are God-initiated or that He sent COVID- 19 to the earth. We live in a world corrupted by sin, and diseases of all kinds are one of the consequences of that corruption. Still, the Lord is not ignorant of whats happening in our world. Lets face it, the pandemic feels like something weve read about in the Bible. After all, its the most apocalyptic thing that has ever happened to most of us. Does COVID-19 mean anything set against the larger scale of history? And if so, what? In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples that pestilences will be one of the signs of the last days of human history. During the last week of His life, the Lord Jesus said this, For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.(Matt. 24:78) So, while we may not know if the coronavirus is the eminent sign, of the Second Coming, it is nonetheless a sign. Its hard to see the world so convulsed by an event without looking at it through the lens of Scripture and learning its lessons. Even if COVID-19 is not a sign of the future, it is a sign for today. It is a reminder of things we too easily forget. Four lessons have been foremost in my mind. First, were all more vulnerable than we like to think. According to most reports, the elderly and those with an underlying health condition were the most vulnerable to the virus. But as time progressed, we discovered that everyone was vulnerable. Second, the Bible has undeniable credibility. For more than fifty years I have been seriously studying the Bible. Ive never failed to be astounded by the events of the tribulation as they unfold in the book of Revelation and elsewhere in Scripture. Ive believed them not because I understood how they could happen, but because they were in the Bible. Now, these apocalyptic events seem to be knocking on the door. Third, contagions remind us of the uncertainty of life. How uncertain and precious are our days! I hope youve used some of this mandated quiet time to reflect on life and give thanks to God for the days and months and years He has given to you. Last, the virus points us to Jesus sufficiency. As He was preparing to finish His earthly work and return to Heaven, He told His disciples: These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Yes, the reality of an apocalyptic virus is troubling. Even alarming. But we can avoid the distress of such events when we place our peace not in this world, but in the promise of Jesus Christ. The above is an adaptation of Dr. Jeremiahs upcoming book, Where Do We Go From Here? The situation in Nepal and Myanmar is dire Pastor Amar Bahadur Fauja of Nepal died of COVID-19 this year, in the same hospital where his son also died of COVID-19 merely a week before. Pastor Amar Fauj was a God fearing pastor who started churches in Nepal with only a few believers and stood up to severe persecution during his time as pastor. His son, Pastor Lok Bahadur Fauja, was equally motivated to share the gospel regardless of circumstance. What this shows, and what many sadly learned over the last year, is that COVID-19 does not discriminate. These pastors leave behind families who no longer have an income, and leaderless churches who no longer have a shepherd to teach them about the Bible. Smaller congregations do not have a succession plan and need support while seeking new leadership. The pastors still serving in Nepal continue to do so in dire circumstances. In 2019, the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) reported that 17.4 percent of Nepalis are impoverished based on several key indicators. But 63.5 percent of Nepalis experience at least one COVID-19 related deprivation, which includes lack of water and poor nutrition. But we also know that the message of the gospel is more powerful than persecution, and more powerful than the Coronavirus. We at the World Evangelical Alliance are working hard to help our Christian brothers and sisters in Nepal and Myanmar. Our mission is to strengthen local churches through national alliances, supporting grassroots leadership and seeking practical ways to show the unity of the body of Christ. We are a network of churches in 129 nations that have joined to give a worldwide identity, voice and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians. Even with their multitude of struggles, weve witnessed over 7,000 churches grow in Nepal regardless of their challenges. Nepal is still one of the fastest growing churches in the world, with the number of Christians estimated at 10% of their population. This is happening even though it is still illegal to preach the gospel or even walk down the street with a Bible. But our Christian brothers and sisters desperately need our help. We have a disaster team on the ground that prioritizes needs, starting with pastors' families who no longer have an income source. Without income, they cannot access the basic things for life that many of us take for granted. We also want to continue providing Covid-19 health kits of masks and antibacterial soap to prevent COVID-19 as much as possible, since medical care is limited. But when medical care is needed, we want to help the people we serve access it. In the book of Acts, we learn Paul took up a collection for the poor in Jerusalem. He boldly asked for support to help impoverished Christians. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but they shared everything they had. There were no needy persons among them. From time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:32, 3435) COVID-19 continues to have devastating impacts through their community, and the realities of religious persecution are still there. They need our help more than ever. Will you help us be the church as taught by Paul and donate to our Pastors Emergency COVID Fund? A gift of $34 provides rice, lentils, cooking oil, beans, and flour for a family, but any amount is appreciated. And for a limited time, your gift will be matched and is fully deductible. Click here to give NEPAL and MYANMAR Pastors Emergency Covid Fund. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment After a four-month runtime on the internet, Google has banned all of Live Actions advertisements about the abortion pill reversal treatment. Promotions for the pro-life advocacy groups Baby Olivia project, which provides a medically accurate, animated glimpse of human life from the moment of fertilization, were also temporarily blocked and later reinstated after complaints. Googles attempt at censoring Live Action is sadly unsurprising given the tendency of Big Tech companies to cater to the whims of the abortion lobby. It demonstrates Googles commitment to exploiting the vulnerable by any means necessary. In response to the censorship controversy, Google defended itself by stating, medical experts have raised serious concerns about abortion reversal pills. This first claim relies on a drastic mischaracterization of the abortion pill reversal treatment. In reality, it is a simple dose of the hormone progesterone, which counteracts the anti-progesterone effects of the drug mifepristone (also known as Mifeprex, RU-486, or the abortion pill). Progesterone supplements are a common and highly successful treatment for women prone to miscarriage, which is what the chemical abortion regimen essentially causes. Google went on to claim that beyond protecting users from medical harm, our policies do not distinguish between promoting pro-choice and pro-life messages. Despite its concern about women receiving information about abortion pill reversal, Google has not implemented similar censorship of promotions for the chemical abortion regimen. Ads for the regimen are still permitted despite the proven dangers, which include severe bleeding, infection, retained fetal parts, the need for emergency surgery, and even death. It is ironic that the Big Tech monarchs that are so concerned with paternalistically controlling the health care information women can access are so thoroughly unconcerned with the wellbeing of women being exploited through the chemical abortion regimen. Advertising mail-order abortion pills provide a direct avenue for women who are being sex trafficked, domestically abused, or otherwise exploited to receive abortions either willingly or unwillingly at home without ever being evaluated by a physician. Being seen by a medical professional is one way women trapped in exploitive situations are discovered and ultimately rescued. For all its concern about women accessing information about reversing regretted abortions, Google appears to have overlooked the autonomy of the women working for it in forced labor camps. Google, along with other Big Tech giants such as Apple and Amazon, has been accused of utilizing the forced labor of Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps in the Xinjiang province of China. A report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute included Google in its list of 82 popular companies that profit from the exploitation of Uyghur slaves in abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019. Governor Abbott of Texas recently signed HB 20 in a move to prevent social media platforms from banning content based on political ideology. If the legislation is not blocked by a federal judge, like a similar Florida law was, it will take effect in November. As expected, representatives of Google, Facebook, and Twitter have pledged to oppose this legislation. Big Techs hesitance to allow users of all viewpoints to express their beliefs begs the question of what exactly being pro-choice means when women are not aware of all the options they actually have. Women that use Googles search engine to research the abortion pill reversal treatment are desperate for the freedom to reverse a mistaken choice. When Big Tech companies attempt to censor information, the public should always question their motives and seek to identify what they stand to gain. If Google is willing to exploit the forced foreign labor of persecuted ethnic minorities and overlook sexual abuse in the United States, it is unlikely that its desire to block ads for abortion pill reversal is altruistically motivated by a concern for the wellbeing of women. Originally published at the Family Research Council. Vatican mandates COVID-19 vaccination, negative test for entry into Catholic city-state Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment People wishing to visit the Vatican, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and home to Pope Francis, will have to show proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccination, that they have recovered from the virus or tested negative starting in October. Following Pope Francis' acceptance, the president of the commission in charge of Vatican City Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello signed the mandate on Monday, according to a Sept. 20 update from Vatican News, the news arm of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The mandate requires that starting on Oct. 1, entry into Vatican City will only be allowed to people who possess the Vatican, European or foreign "Green Pass," a certification document attesting that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 or had previously had and recovered from COVID-19. Additionally, entry will be allowed for those who possess a negative COVID-19 test. The Vatican News confirms that any person entering the Vatican solely to attend a liturgical celebration is exempt from the COVID-19 regulation but only for the duration of the liturgy. Participants must still wear masks, engage in temperature checks and practice social distancing before and during liturgies. Vatican City, a city-state governed by the Holy See surrounded by Rome in Italy, is often visited by tourists and recognized for offering a wide range of antique art, architecture and museums. To receive entry into the city-state by Vatican Police, visitors, tourists or employees will have to provide a Green Pass, the documentation of certification provided in Italy to avoid the spread of COVID-19, proof of having recovered from COVID-19 or any international equivalent. The documentation of recovery, if provided, must be within the last 180 days. Or a negative COVID-19 test taken in the previous 72 hours can be shown for entry, according to the Catholic news outlet Crux. Vatican News notes that the mandate follows a request made by Pope Francis during a Sept. 7 audience. The Pope expressed the importance of maintaining "the health and well-being of the working community while respecting the dignity, rights and fundamental freedoms of each of its members." He reportedly requested the governorate to "adopt every suitable measure to prevent, control and counteract the health emergency." Vatican News tweeted that the decree stipulating added COVID-19 measures is being taken as part of "efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 within Vatican city-state." It has been reported that the policy will not include St. Peter's Basilica or Square. The Catholic News Service reports that it's unclear if the COVID-19 mandate will apply to the Pope's weekly general audiences and midday recitation of the Angelus on Sundays. The decree did not specify if Pope Francis' weekly events will be recognized as liturgies or treated as museum events in the Vatican. Both weekly attractions already require masks and temperature checks. Last Thursday, the Italian government approved a mandate requiring every worker to show proof of vaccination starting Oct. 15. This requirement has also been reported as applying to travel, indoor dining, gym activities and movie theatres. Despite COVID-19 testing in Italy costing $25, receiving a vaccine is free. In January, Vatican City became the first country to offer free COVID-19 vaccines. Youth pastor shot dead while trying to help congregant save burning home in Myanmar Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A beloved youth pastor was reportedly shot dead as he tried to help one of his congregants save their burning home after it was set ablaze by Myanmars military junta during an attack on civilians in Chin state on Saturday. The pastor was identified in multiple social media posts as Cung Biak Hum of Thantlang Centennial Baptist Church. Information on his Facebook page shows that he was married with two sons and was pursuing a master's of divinity degree at MIT Yangon. United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews highlighted the pastors murder in a tweet Saturday and called on the international community to pay closer attention to the living hell civilians have been experiencing there since a Feb. 1 coup brought back full military rule following years of quasi-democracy. The murder of a Baptist minister and bombing of homes in Thantlang, Chin State are the latest examples of the living hell being delivered daily by junta forces against the people of Myanmar. The world needs to pay closer attention. More importantly, the world needs to act, Andrews noted. In a statement Monday, the Baptist World Alliance, a global Christian group representing 49 million Baptists in 126 countries and territories, also highlighted disturbing details of Pastor Hums death as it sought the immediate release of another Baptist pastor, the Rev. Thian Lian Sang. On September 18, over 19 houses were burned down by military forces. Baptist Pastor Rev. Cung Biak Hum attempted to help as one of the houses belonged to a member of his church. Instead, upon his arrival on the scene, he was shot and killed by military soldiers making him the first Baptist minister to die due to the ongoing conflicts. The military soldiers also stole his cellphone, watch and cut off his finger in order to steal his wedding ring, the Virginia-based group said. Prior to the military coup, Myanmars Parliament was scheduled to hold its first session since the countrys Nov. 8 elections in which the countrys leading civilian party, National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 83% of available seats. The military refused to accept the results of the elections claiming there was fraud and detained the leaders of the National League for Democracy and other civilian officials, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, opposition politicians, writers and activists The New York Times reported. Street protests and civil disobedience has been growing since then and at least 1,109 people have lost their lives as a result of the violent repression of protests by security forces La Prensa Latina said. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that as of Monday, a total of 6,637 people are under detention in Myanmar. Some 280 people have been sentenced in-person, including 26 who have been sentenced to death. Two of those 26 are children. The story behind Radioheads cover art: meet Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood Donwoods decades-long creative collaboration with Radiohead has been truly extraordinary something he and the bands frontman Thom Yorke talk about in the video above. Between 1999 and 2001, the artist created paintings in response to the albums Kid A and Amnesiac, six of which are now being offered for sale at Christies Stanley Donwood is the artist responsible for Radioheads mysterious album covers all those strange, digitally manipulated images that speak of modern alienation. Born Dan Rickwood in 1968, Donwood first met the bands main vocalist and songwriter, Thom Yorke, as a student at Exeter College of Art and Design in the late 1980s. He looked like he was there by mistake, recalls Yorke, remembering a fire-breathing hippy with red hair and a tweed cap. I decided I didnt trust him. Had a feeling Id end up working with him. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Residential Nemesis, 1999 In 1994 the pair collaborated on the cover art for Radioheads third EP, My Iron Lung. Yorke remembers wandering around the basement of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with a video camera, looking for a tank ventilator. They found some resuscitation dummies instead, which gave rise to the image on the cover of the bands second album, The Bends, released the following year. Then came OK Computer in 1997, and Kid A in 2000, with Donwoods stylistic collision of punk, pastoral and politics now a key feature of the groups aesthetic. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Hotels and a Swimming Pool, 1999 Its quite rare for a band to be as interested in their visual representation as the music, says the artist. So important did Radiohead consider the artwork that Donwood was invited to move into the studio during the recording of Kid A so that his paintings might respond to the developing mood of the album. This close collaboration has continued throughout the bands career, most recently on the 2016 album A Moon Shaped Pool. Yorke says that ideas come from the music mostly, but concepts fly around and sometimes these fall in line But often things move downriver, just finding their way. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Trade Center, 1999 In October six of Donwoods canvases created during the recording of Kid A and soon after are offered in First Open: Post War and Contemporary Art Online, part of the 20th/21st Century auction series in London. Among them are the desolate, snow-covered Residential Nemesis (1999) and Hole (2001). Lyrical yet menacing, with sinister skies, the paintings suggest nature fighting back against an oppressive force. Donwood agrees that the works he made in response to Kid A were dark. I had a lot of things on my mind to do with the ongoing conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and the death tolls, he says. It was about some sort of cataclysmic power existing in the landscape. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Minos Wall I, 2000 Yorke has written that he and Donwood were obsessed with triangular mountains and had visions of pyramids flying over us. We started to use the computer to collapse geology into itself and to exaggerate mountains and gorges, says Donwood, to populate the landscape with stalking creatures like pylons that had come to life, with half-completed cartoon behemoths and floating red cubes, aerial swimming pools of blood. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Get Out Before Saturday, 2000 One of these jagged visions made it onto the cover of the album: a vertiginous mountainscape digitally stretched out of all proportion. It reflected the apprehension felt by many at the turn of the new millennium, together with the bands own anxieties following the phenomenal success of OK Computer. Stanley Donwood (b. 1968), Hole, 2001 The works will be exhibited at Christies in London, 9-15 October, together with drawings, lyrics and digital art by Donwood and Yorke. The artists gallerist, James Elwes, describes the paintings as pieces of history with an evocative soundtrack. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe At your service: private sales of whisky with Christies Author and writer Raven Smith joins specialist Charles Foley to find out how using its vast network of contacts and access to cellars across the globe Christies can facilitate private sales of the most sought-after whiskies, from Dalmore to Macallan to Karuizawa In an Art Deco bar in St Jamess, a stones throw from Christies London salerooms, Wine and Spirits specialist Charles Foley joins bestselling author, Vogue.com columnist and funniest man on Instagram Raven Smith for a glass of Highland malt to discuss buying whisky. If I was going to start collecting whisky, what advice would you give me? asks Smith in our short video, above. At the moment, I would be looking at all of the big names in Scotland, replies Foley. The largest of these is Macallan. Macallan is Scotlands best-known single-malt whisky and is made in a distillery in Moray, on the rugged north coast. In 2018, Christies sold a single bottle for 1.2 million, setting a new world-record price for any single bottle of spirit. Other names, continues Foley, like Glenfiddich, Bowmore and Dalmore are all in this very collectible category. Writer Raven Smith, left, and specialist Charles Foley enjoy a glass of single malt whisky Foley tells Smith that there has recently been a surge of interest in one particular area of whisky-collecting: the so-called ghost distilleries. These are distilleries that have closed but continue to release bottles from previously filled barrels. Those have been really collectible because obviously nothing else can be made, he explains. Japanese distilleries have also seen a boom in popularity, says Foley. Two in particular: Karuizawa and Yamazaki. Yamazaki opened in 1923 in the mountains between Kyoto and Osaka and was Japans first distillery. Today, it is the countrys best-known whisky producer, with the rarest bottles changing hands for six-figure sums. Karuizawa, on the other hand, remains relatively obscure. The distillery began production in 1957 on the slopes of Mount Asama, an active volcano near Nagano in central Japan. Foley points out how the bottles decorative labels, featuring samurai and geisha figures, make them popular with connoisseurs, especially in China. In 2001, he adds, Karuizawa closed, meaning its also a ghost distillery. Christies can help broker the private sale of whiskies such as this Black Bowmore 1964, which was sold at auction in London for 18,000 on 29 November 2018 Foley, who joined Christies in 2014 after a stint as a wine merchant in Londons financial district, explains that rare wines and spirits along with works of art are increasingly likely to change hands at Christies through individually tailored Private Sales rather than at auction. The bespoke service isnt restricted to the traditional sales calendar and offers a level of discretion that some collectors prefer. Private sales arent a new thing for Christies. Theyve been going on since the beginning, in 1766, says Foley. Typically, a vendor will come to him with something unique to sell, or a buyer will present him with a wish list to source. Through Christies unique network of contacts, Foley knows the best cellars around the world and can broker a confidential deal between the two parties, whether its for a particularly rare whisky, an investment purchase, or a special bottle to mark an occasion. For example, he was recently able to source an incredibly rare unicorn bottle of Terrantez Madeira from 1715 for a buyer who wished to sample it over dinner with friends. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) banned cryptocurrency trading on Friday, declaring that all activities related to this type of asset from payments and trading to advertising are now illegal. Bitcoin and ethereum dived 8% and 11% on the announcement, respectively. Q2 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Cryptocurrency Trading Banned Overseas virtual currency exchanges that use the internet to offer services to domestic residents is also considered illegal financial activity, the PBOC said, according to a CNBC translation. Reuters reports that the regulators move was rooted in the premise that these assets entail a threat to national stability due to speculation. George Zarya, CEO of Bequant crypto exchange in London, was quoted as saying: China has been known to go to extremes with either very assertive statements and prosecutions to complete radio silence. "This time the point was made very clear that China will not support cryptocurrency market development as it goes against its policies of tightening up control over capital flow and big tech. The decision to ban cryptocurrency trading prohibits financial institutions, payment companies, and internet firms from facilitating trade or opening cryptocurrency accounts, as well as their promotion and advertising. The regulator will also strengthen the monitoring of these activities. Shockwaves The Chinese regulators have always been extreme in their views and these comments are not new, said Vijay Ayyar, head of Asia Pacific at digital currency exchange Luno. They have said these things many times in the past. But the reaction is interesting purely because we are anyway in a slightly nervous environment for crypto with the recent SEC comments and overall macro environment with the Evergrande news. So any comments of this nature will cause a selloff in risky assets. The measure also means that all transactions related to cryptocurrencies, including services provided by foreign platforms to national residents, are illegal. China has cranked the pressure on the industry amid heightened concern about the risks of fraud, money laundering, and the excessive energy use in crypto mining. The nation's economic planning agency had said it was urgent to root out crypto mining to meet carbon emissions targets. In the meantime, the PBOC is preparing its own digital currency as the Asian giant is set to spearhead the issuing of the worlds first digital currency by a central bank. The country has already tested a virtual version of the yuan in various provinces. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Click here to read the full article. The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas Thursday to four top officials from former President Trumps administration. The panel sent letters requesting documents and testimony to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former Pentagon official Kashyap Patel, and former White House strategist Stephen Bannon. The subpoenas make clear the committees intention to go after high-ranking Republican officials who they blame for inciting the Capitol attack, setting off a titanic power struggle between Washingtons new regime and the previous one. As the congressional panel looks to impose consequences and accountability for an anti-democratic insurrection, Trump and his allies will use every legal and legislative tool at their disposal to block the effort. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of select committee, described the subpoenas as part of the panels efforts to examine what happened when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as well as what led to that attack. The Select Committee is investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6th attack and issues relating to the peaceful transfer of power, in order to identify and evaluate lessons learned and to recommend to the House and its relevant committees corrective laws, policies, procedures, rules, or regulations, Thompson said in a statement. The panel is tasked with investigating the events of Jan. 6, when supporters of former president Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of President Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election. Prior to the insurrection, a crowd had gathered to hear Trump speak, where he told supporters: We fight like hell, and if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore. Last month, the committee requested records examining both the strategizing surrounding Trump allies efforts to overturn the election results and the planning that brought thousands of the former presidents supporters to Washington on the day of the certification. Earlier Thursday, prior to the panel announcing the subpoenas, the Washington Post reported the Biden White House is leaning toward sharing information with Congress about the activities of Trump and his aides during the insurrection information Trump has sought to suppress. These are the first subpoenas issued by the committee, which previously has requested a slew of records from the White House and other government agencies. The committee was established in July and has faced opposition from many Republicans. Senate Republicans blocked an initial bipartisan proposal for a commission to investigate the attack. That led to a House vote that called for Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi to appoint members of a select committee with consultation from Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Ultimately, McCarthy recommended a group of five members including some who had voted to overturn the election results. Pelosi rejected those picks and named just two Republicans, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, two Trump critics who were the only GOP members to vote to establish the committee. The subpoenas have instructed Patel and Bannon to testify on October 14. Meadows and Scavino are instructed to testify on the following day. The announcement of the subpoenas also described the committees interest in the four former officials. It states that Meadows reportedly communicated with officials at the state level and in the Department of Justice as part of an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election or prevent the elections certification. It also noted Meadows was reportedly also in communication with organizers of the January 6th rally on the national mall that precipitated the attack. The statement noted Scavino was reportedly with the former President on January 5th during a discussion of how to convince Members of Congress not to certify the election for Joe Biden. It also noted Scavino promoted the January 6 rally. Patel is highlighted for his role in discussions among senior Pentagon officials prior to and on January 6th, 2021, regarding security at the Capitol. The statement also mentions Bannons reported attendance at a gathering at the Willard Hotel on January 5th, 2021, as part of an effort to persuade Members of Congress to block the certification of the election the next day. Meadows and Bannon did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the subpoenas. Patel and Scavino could not be reached. Taylor Budowich, Director of Communications for former President Trump and his post-White House political committee Save America, provided a statement to Rolling Stone dismissing the prior records requests from the committee as part of an effort by Democrats to target the prior administration. He accused them of trying desperately to distract the country with this bogus process. The highly partisan, Communist-style select committee has put forth an outrageously broad records request that lacks both legal precedent and legislative merit, Budowich said, adding, Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of President Trump and his administration, but also on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our nation. Click here to read the full article. In the 18 feature films he has made with his brother Ethan, Joel Coen has proved himself, over and over again, to be as fetishistically visual a director as anyone from the independent film world of the last four decades. Wes Anderson might be a more extreme example, but even there it would be hard to imagine the Wes Anderson life-as-a-dollhouse school had it not been for the example of the Coen brothers: the obsession theyve always had with rendering a story in meticulously organized images, with each shot framed just so, the sets designed almost like dioramas, the whole sense of camera placement and cutting and spatial dynamics creating a heightened graphic-novel approach that, for the Coens, often seems to be the main reason theyre making the movie. (The loony-tunes tale of Barton Fink evaporated from my mind a month after Id seen it, but I can still remember what the movie looks like.) So its no surprise that in The Tragedy of Macbeth, an adaptation of the Shakespeare play that is Joel Coens first solo outing as a filmmaker (it will open the New York Film Festival tonight), Coen very much approaches the material as the visual obsessive he is. The diaphanous white fog, the cawing black birds, the witch who looks like a depraved Joan of Arc it all has the entranced clarity of a nightmare. The surprise, at least to me (and I say this as a true believer in the Coen brothers aesthetic, even though I only like about half their films), is how sensual and ingenious and expressive and enveloping the films images are. The Tragedy of Macbeth was shot in black-and-white in 1.19:1, the end-of-the-silent-era aspect ratio that gives you a frame thats a nearly perfect square. And just as that shape evokes an older world of moviemaking, Coens images, created in collaboration with the cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and the production designer Stefan Dechant, make you feel like youre tripping and I mean tripping though some of the most succulent chapters of film history. You may think, Okay, so what? Even music-video hacks know how to rip iconic screen images out of context and toss them into the postmodern blender. But in Macbeth, Coen doesnt just echo the look of old films. He echoes the atmosphere, the spirit beneath the look the chiaroscuro psychology, with shadows dancing around castle sets that are like something out of a fairy tale, and looming, sealed-in spaces where a shaft of light can reflect a characters state of being. At different points, the look of The Tragedy of Macbeth will recall a silky foreboding film noir, a Val Lewton horror film, a Sirkian soap opera, the cloistered dreamscapes of Ingmar Bergmans The Seventh Seal and Carl Theodor Dreyers Ordet, the fascist hellscape of Orson Welles The Trial, the hallowed glow of The Chronicle of Anna Magdalene Bach, the operatic catacombs of Ivan the Terrible, and Welles 1948 version of Macbeth. In their austere chessboard way, the images are beautiful suitable for framing but if the film were just a glorified coffee-table-book version of Shakespeare, there would be little reason to care. Coen uses the images to create a heightened cinematic feeling: the sensation of a closed movie universe a film space that turns into a labyrinth of the mind, as well as a moral-emotional playground for the audience. In this case, a playground splashed with blood. The sense that this Macbeth is taking place in covered spaces even when its set outside links it to the studio-system era; it also plants it in a hybrid realm right on the border between film and theater. The movie was shot on soundstages, which lends it a certain hermetic quality, but I found that a fascinating fit with Shakespeare, whose artifice tends to stand out too much to me in a natural setting. And the hypnotic stylization of Coens images allows him to stage the play with an intimacy that coaxes out its humanity. You can, if you choose, view the character of Macbeth as a man whose ambition turns him into a monster, but Denzel Washington, with close-cropped silver-flecked hair that seems to merge with the films design, plays him as an outwardly gregarious corporate weasel, all too relatable in a slightly crestfallen middle-aged way. Washington, as an actor, has always been a bit of a declaimer; he hardly needs Shakespeare to show that side of himself. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, though, he dials himself down, finding a softer, more furtive spirit in the inner worm of Macbeths malevolence. This is a movie in which two characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand), attempt to turn themselves into sociopaths, and part of the tragedy is that they fail. When the witches, led by the scary performance of Kathryn Hunter, prophesize that Macbeth, returning in triumph from the war against Norway and Ireland, will become the Thane of Cawdor, and he does, it plants a seed in him: Surely their other prophecy that hell be king will now come true as well. Meeting Duncan (Brendan Gleeson), the King of Scotland, in a tent, we see the first hint of covetousness in Macbeth; its there in Washingtons pained smile when Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm (Harry Melling), will be the next king. But Washington, who has mastered the all-too-rare art of delivering Shakespeare as if it were conversational speech, keeps Macbeths desires under heavy wraps. Its Lady Macbeth, having made a kind of pact with the devil, who nudges him to murder and when he walks along an endless corridor, speaking of the dagger he sees before him, the scene has a sense of vertigo. When his dagger rips into Duncans neck, we feel him going through the looking glass. Washingtons Macbeth isnt a good sociopath; he flails and tries too hard. His murder of the two guards whove been set up to look like Duncans killers is an act of rash anxiety. Staring up at him in silent recrimination from below, McDormands Lady MacBeth cant believe what a mistake it is. Its not hard to see why Banquos ghost comes to visit MacBeth in the middle of a dinner: Bertie Carvel imbues Banquo with a camaraderie thats warm and true, making his killing a grotesque act. That ghost is Macbeths guilt. Even here, Washington gives Macbeth a quality of vulnerability as he grows more desperate in covering his tracks. Its frightening how familiar his loss of perspective looks. In too deep, hes ruled by an obsession that is evil, but we never lose sight of the person whos been taken over. Since Washington and McDormand are both in their mid-60s, their scheming has a jaded urgency. This is literally their last stab at power. There is fine acting throughout, notably from Corey Hawkins as Macduff, who summons the greatest outrage at Macbeths treachery, and McDormand, whose sleepwalking speech represents the recovery of her humanity: She knows she cant wash away the blood thats been spilled. Coen has trimmed down this already trim (at least for Shakespeare) play, and that was a smart move. He has made a Macbeth that is sure to seduce audiences one that, for all its darkness of import, is light-spirited, fleet, and intoxicating. Reviewed at Dolby 88 (New York Film Festival), Sept. 22, 2021. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 105 MIN. Production An A24, Apple release of an A24, IAC Films production. Producers: Joel Coen, Frances McDormand, Robert Graf. Crew Director, screenplay: Joel Coen. Camera: Bruno Delbonnel. Editors: Lucian Johnson, Reginald Jaynes. Music: Carter Burwell. With Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Miles Anderson, Matt Helm, Moses Ingram, Kathryn Hunter. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. VATICAN CITY (AP) Two of the worlds most important art museums, the Vatican Museums and the Uffizi Galleries, joined forces for the first time on Friday to inaugurate a small exhibit of rarely seen works by two Renaissance masters that confirmed a painting long suspected of being by Raphael was indeed his work. Saints Peter and Paul by Raphael and Fra Bartlomeo. An homage to the Patrons of Rome, marks the first exhibit for the Vatican Museums in over a year thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns that shuttered galleries precisely at the time that Italy was commemorating the 500th anniversary of Raphaels death with a series of shows. The nearly life-sized paintings of Saints Peter and Paul are normally kept outside public view in the Papal Audience Apartment of the Apostolic Palace. But they have been restored and are being displayed for the first time alongside their preparatory sketches, usually held in Florence by the Uffizi Galleries, that the Florentine master Fra Bartolemeo made around 1513 after he was commissioned to paint the saints for a Rome church. Fra Bartolomeo finished the painting of St. Paul, but because of an artistic crisis, never finished St. Peter. The restoration and research done in preparation for the exhibit confirmed that Raphael - long believed to have finished his friends commission - indeed completed the work, the Vatican Museums' director, Barbara Jatta, told a press conference Friday alongside her Uffizi counterpart, Eike Schmidt. Its not the moment for big shows ... but a small show allows us to enter more into the works themselves, Jatta said. While the Uffizi and Vatican Museums often exchange pieces for special exhibits, Schmidt and Jatta said this was the first time the two institutions had joined up to mount a show and catalogue together, with each museum restoring and offering new research into the pieces being exhibited and drawing on their respective patron groups to fund it. This is in a certain sense a novelty and its really beautiful to get out of the pandemic with this, Schmidt said. Jatta added she foresaw future collaborative projects as well. The exhibit, in a small gallery of the Vatican Museums' picture gallery, is included in regular museum tickets, which because of COVID regulations must be reserved online in advance, while visitors to the museum must show a health pass to get in the door. A prominent baby-product manufacturer is recalling 3.3 million lounger pads for newborns after at least eight infant deaths were associated with the pillows in less than five years, federal safety regulators said Thursday. The pillowlike pads, made by the Boppy Company, are not safe for babies to sleep in because they can cause suffocation, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Federal regulators say the deaths, which were reported from December 2015 to June 2020, occurred after the babies were placed on their backs, sides or stomachs in the loungers. The recall came nearly a year after the commission said it was investigating the entire product class of lounging pads and nursing pillows, which it warned should not be used by sleeping babies. These types of incidents are heartbreaking, Robert Adler, acting chair of the safety commission, said in a statement Thursday. Since we know that infants sleep so much of the time even in products not intended for sleep and since suffocation can happen so quickly, these Boppy lounger products are simply too risky to remain on the market. The recall covers all models of the newborn lounger, including the original and preferred versions, as well as a line sold through Pottery Barn Kids. The loungers were sold from January 2004 through September 2021, according to Boppy, which is based in Golden, Colorado. The retailers that carried them included Target, Walmart and Amazon, Boppy said. In a statement issued through the commission, a representative for Boppy said the company was devastated by the deaths associated with the loungers. Boppy is committed to doing everything possible to safeguard babies, including communicating the safe use of our products to parents and caregivers, and educating the public about the importance of following all warnings and instructions and the risks associated with unsafe sleep practices for infants, the statement said. The lounger was not marketed as an infant sleep product and includes warnings against unsupervised use. Boppy did not immediately respond to additional questions about the recall Thursday. People who bought the lounger pads should stop using them immediately and contact Boppy for a refund, federal safety regulators said. A product page on the Pottery Barn Kids website said the Boppy newborn lounger was no longer available. A description of the product said: Your baby can rest safely in this cozy and comfortable pillow. Created especially for newborns, it allows mom or dad a few minutes of supervised, but hands-free time. Pottery Barn Kids did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. About 35,000 of the loungers were sold in Canada, according to the safety commission. Federal safety regulators reminded that the best place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard. Parents and caregivers should never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers or other items to an infants sleeping environment, the commission said. Babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Eight Virginia Commonwealth University students have been charged with hazing in a fraternity pledge's death from alcohol poisoning after a party earlier this year, officials said Friday. The eight men arrested Friday range in age from 19 to 22, police said. All are charged with unlawful hazing of a student and four are also charged with buying and giving alcohol to a minor. Seven were held without bond at the Richmond Justice Center. The eighth was arrested in Prince William County and released on bond. Three others who were indicted are expected to surrender in the coming days, police said. The university confirmed that all eight were students and all but one were enrolled this semester. The student code of conduct allows for sanctions up to and including expulsion, the university said in a statement, but it cant share potential disciplinary information, if any, about specific students. The indictments come nearly seven months after 19-year-old Adam Oakes of Loudoun County died. The office of the chief medical examiner ruled that his death was caused by alcohol poisoning. Oakes had received a bid to the Delta Chi fraternity and attended a party where he would receive his big brother the night before his death. Oakes was told to drink a large bottle of whiskey and later passed out on a couch at an off-campus residence, his family said. He was found dead the next morning. Richmond police, campus police and the university launched investigations. The chapter was suspended by the university and the fraternitys national headquarters and in June VCU expelled the fraternity. Last month, the university announced that it would ban alcohol at fraternity and sorority events, publish misconduct instances online and pause new member recruitment. On the same day, two investigations of university Greek life on campus were released, finding that there are concerns about hazing and binge drinking at the university and staff has struggled to address them. VCU continues to mourn the tragic death of Adam Oakes and is grateful to the Richmond Police Department for its investigation, the university said in a statement. VCU is dedicated to continuing its efforts, announced this summer, to promote a safe and welcoming fraternity and sorority life culture for all. Oakes family expressed their gratitude in a statement, news outlets reported. We are grateful for some measure of justice these charges and arrests may produce, as well as the protection from hazing they may give young, impressionable college students, the statement read. The past seven months have been agonizing for our family. This is the first time these young men have been held accountable for their historically toxic and destructive traditions, manipulation of the VCU disciplinary systems, and for Adams death. The fraternitys national office said in a statement that it was aware that former members of the indefinitely suspended chapter had been arrested. The alleged actions of these individuals are an affront to the values of Delta Chi. Our policies are clear as it relates to the expected conduct of members including that no member shall engage in or condone acts of hazing, the fraternity said. "No family should ever have to experience what the Oakes family has experienced. Student arrested in Texas school shooting released from jail An 18-year-old student accused in a shooting at a Texas high school was released from jail... McConaughey calls politics a 'bag of rats,' weighs governor run The Lone Star State native wavered on whether he could affect real change as a politician. BOSTON (AP) Scores of Haitians and their supporters rallied Friday in downtown Boston, venting their frustrations at the treatment of Haitian migrants at the Mexican border and demanding President Joe Biden's administration stop deporting them back to their unstable homeland. A crowd of more than 100 people in front of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building held signs saying Haitian Lives Matter and End Anti-Blackness as they loudly chanted Stop the flights and We deserve better. State lawmakers and city officials, nearly all of them Democrats, gave fiery speeches criticizing Biden's handling of the migrants. State Rep. Brandy Fluker, a Boston Democrat who represents one of the largest Haitian enclaves in the state, was among those calling for Biden to grant temporary protective status to Haitian migrants. She said it would be disrespectful to send Haitians back to the Caribbean nation while it's still reeling from July's assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a devastating earthquake in August. Haitian community leaders said migrants from the latest wave are beginning to make their way to the Boston-area, which is home to the third largest Haitian diaspora community in the country. Geralde Gabeau, a native of Haiti who heads Immigrant Family Services Institute, said after the rally that her Boston nonprofit is assisting some 20 Haitians mostly mothers with young children who arrived on a flight earlier this week after being released by authorities at the border. Their journey has been long and difficult, she said. They are feeling a sense of relief because now we can show them that we care about them. On Friday, officials said a Texas border encampment that had swelled to almost 15,000 people had been emptied. Droves of Haitians and other migrants converged at the the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, in recent weeks, driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media. Andrea Henry, a 61-year-old Stoughton, Massachusetts, resident who is originally from Haiti, said the images of the harsh treatment of Haitians and other migrants by U.S. border patrol agents were infuriating and upsetting. How can you do this to human beings? she said. Humans on horses jumping on other humans? That cant happen in 2021. Its because theyre Black. Theres no other reason. Henry, who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years, said shed discouraged her family from making the risky journey but understands the desperation and frustration of those that did. She applied to have her father come to the U.S. some 15 years ago, but is still awaiting approval for his visa. Now, theyre stuck there, Henry said. They cant even survive. Clara Raymond, a 56-year-old Boston resident who is also originally from Haiti, said she attended Friday's rally in part because she was worried about her young cousin, who had been making the perilous journey across the southern border. The 25-year-old was living in Chile the last four years and was hoping to reunite with family in Florida, but no one has heard from him in the two weeks since hes reached Mexico, she said. Im worried theyve deported him back to Haiti, Raymond said. Its terrible back there. She was equally appalled at the scene at the border. Its so sad. It reminded me of what I learned about slavery in the U.S., Raymond said. Theyre not animals. Theyre human beings like everyone else. BEIJING (AP) The chairman and CEO of HNA Group, the Chinese airline operator that ran into financial trouble following a global acquisition spree beginning in 2014, have been detained on suspicion of committing crimes, the company announced Friday. Chen Feng and Tan Xiangdong were taken under compulsory measures by police in the southern island province of Hainan due to suspicion of crime, the company said on its social media account. It gave no details but said operations are not affected. LAS VEGAS (AP) A Connecticut police officer who faces a felony charge of driving under the influence in a Las Vegas crash that killed a colleague was freed from jail Thursday and can return home to await a preliminary hearing of evidence in the case. Robert Ferraro, 34, of East Haven, Connecticut, wont have to serve house arrest after posting $100,000 bail, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum decided. Ferraro is prohibited from driving, will be subject to alcohol monitoring, and has to surrender his passport, Baucum said. Ferraro had been held since his arrest following the Sept. 17 crash of a rented Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV that killed Joshua Castellano, a fellow New Haven police officer. Two other New Haven police colleagues and two women from Texas were in the vehicle but escaped serious injury. Ferraro's attorney, Gabriel Grasso, said the officers were vacationing together and that Ferraro is on administrative leave from the New Haven Police Department. Grasso said Ferraro and Castellano were friends since high school, attended police academy together and had been partners on patrol. This was a situation where no one intended for anyone to get hurt, the attorney said. My client is devastated by losing someone he considers a brother to him. The judge scheduled an Oct. 7 status check of the case. Grasso said Ferraro is due to return for a Jan. 27 preliminary hearing on charges of reckless driving and DUI resulting in death, which carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Ferraro will plead not guilty, Grasso said. Las Vegas police said evidence at the scene, witness accounts and surveillance video showed that Ferraro was driving when the Rolls-Royce sped through an intersection, swerved out of control and crashed into a Ford Mustang, utility poles, landscaping and a fire hydrant several blocks west of the Las Vegas Strip. Castellano was thrown from the front passenger seat as the Rolls-Royce rolled over and came to rest on its wheels, police said. The driver of the Mustang received minor injuries. ROME (AP) Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont left a jail in Sardinia on Friday after a judge ruled that he could go free pending an Oct. 4 hearing on his extradition to Spain, where the political firebrand is wanted for sedition. Puigdemont, the former president of Spain's Catalonia region and a member of the European Union parliament, left the jail in Sassari a day after he had been detained by police. He had been invited to attend a Catalan cultural event and a meeting of Sardinian independence sympathizers on the Mediterranean island. Spain never misses the opportunity to be ridiculous. #NoSurrender, Puigdemont tweeted after he left the jail. Mobbed by reporters outside the gates, he said of his less than 24 hours behind bars: Very good, no problem. The police and prison guards were very professional, very serious people. The judge who authorized his release ruled hours earlier that Puigdemont was free to travel without restrictions. Judge Plinia Clara Azzena told The Associated Press by phone from the courthouse in Sassari that while she found his arrest to be valid, based on the documentation she examined, we didnt restrict him in any way. He can travel if he wants. Azzena and two other judges will hold an Oct. 4 hearing to rule on extradition. Earlier, Puigdemont's Italian lawyer, Agostinangelo Marras, told reporters that when the judge during the brief hearing asked his client whether he wanted to go to Spain, Puigdemont replied no. Puigdemont and a number of his separatist colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal. He was taken into custody Thursday night when he arrived at the airport in Alghero, Sardinia. Sardinia has strong Catalan cultural roots and its own independence movement. Alghero, a city on the island's northwest coast, is hosting the traditional Catalan folklore festival that Puigdemont planned to attend. Freedom, freedom,'' shouted demonstrators outside the courthouse in Sassari. They held signs in a Sardinian dialect proclaiming, Democracy, the Sardinian nation supports the Catalan nation," and held the flags of Sardinia and Catalonia. Although Puigdemont currently holds a seat in the European Parliament, that legislature stripped him of parliamentary immunity. Puigdemont's detention caused political commotion in Spain, where the topic of Catalan independence has for decades been a deeply divisive issue. Separatists demanded his release and scheduled street protests, while right-of-center parties said he should face justice. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during an official visit to the Canary Islands on Friday that he has respect for all legal procedures opened in Spain, in Europe and, in this case, in Italy. Sanchez, who recently opened direct talks with Catalan regional leaders, said that dialogue is the only way to bring together Catalans who have distinct opinions and to bring together Catalans with the rest of Spain. Just under half of Catalans want to break away from Spain, opinion polls indicate. Most Spaniards dont want Catalonia to be granted independence. At the heart of the immediate legal matter was whether the warrant issued by Spain seeking Puigdemont's arrest is valid. Gonzalo Boye, his lawyer, has insisted the warrant issued in 2019 that provided the basis for Italian authorities to detain him has been suspended. Boye told Spanish radio station SER: We have to see whether the arrest warrant is enforceable. Thatll be up to the legal authorities in Italy. The Spanish Supreme Court judge handling the case, Pablo Llarena, sent a letter to the European Union's Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation stating that the arrest warrant is in force and pending the capture of those accused of rebellion. Ultimately, it would be up to the Italian Justice Ministry to approve or deny extradition. Spains Supreme Court, which issued the European arrest warrant, made no official comment. Its not the first time Spanish courts have tried to detain Puigdemont abroad. After a Belgian court declined to send him back in 2017, the following year he was arrested in Germany but a court there also refused to extradite him. Nine Catalan separatists later received prison sentences for their role in the 2017 referendum ranging from nine to 13 years. They were pardoned in July, but Puigdemont, who fled, was not. Puigdemont's being taken into custody in Italy at Spain's request triggered anger by some Italian politicians, including Democratic Party lawmaker Romina Mura, who is Sardinian. "To arrest a representative of the Catalan people who sits in the European Parliament, who is traveling to carry out his functions and on top of that arrest him in Sardinia in a city of Catalan tradition and culture like Alghero, is a relevant political deed, even if carried out as a judicial act,'' Mura said. Algheros historic and cultural ties date with Catalonia date back to the 14th century, when a Catalan-Aragonese force won a naval battle off the Sardinian coast and the force's commander triumphantly entered the city on Sardinias northwest coast. Some 20% of Algheros residents speak a Sardinian dialect derived from the Catalan language and recognized by both the national government of Italy and the islands regional government. ___ Renata Brito in Barcelona and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed. NEW YORK (AP) A former OppenheimerFunds analyst was freed Thursday on $1.5 million bail after he was arrested on insider trading charges alleging he used secrets at the firm to collect over $8 million in illegal profits. Sergei Polevikov, 48, of Port Washington, New York, was arrested late Wednesday on securities, wire, and investment company fraud charges. His lawyer, Brooke Cucinella, said her client was surprised by the charges, and intends to defend against them vigorously. She added: The government has it wrong. At an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court, Polevikov learned that his bail requires him to post $1.5 million in cash or property, though he was freed immediately. His spending will be limited to $10,000 monthly and $500,000 was allowed for legal fees. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said Polevikov misappropriated secrets about trades his employer, an investment adviser, planned to make on behalf of its investment company clients so that he could make personal trades ahead of large institutional trades, reaping over $8.5 million in gains. She said in a release that he tried to conceal his scheme from his employer by lying about his trading activities from 2014 through October 2019. He had worked at the company since 2004 and from 2014 until 2019 held the title of associate vice president senior quantitative analyst, according to a criminal complaint. The profits secured by Polevikov capitalized on small movements up or down in the value of securities that were influenced briefly by large trades carried out by his company, the complaint said. Messages seeking comment from Invesco Limited, which acquired OppenheimerFunds, were not immediately returned. The Securities and Exchange Commission also brought civil claims against Polevikov in Manhattan, saying he carried out a multi-year front-running scheme by trading securities in his wife's account. It said in court papers that Polevikov worked at the firm until May 2019, using his strategy on over 3,000 occasions to use confidential information to execute same-day trades in the same securities his company was trading in on behalf of clients. Medication abortion accounts for about 40% of all abortions in the U.S. The increasingly common method relies on pills rather than surgery, opening the possibility for abortions to be done in a woman's home rather than a clinic. It's an option that has become important during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Republican states move to restrict access to abortion generally, many of them also are limiting access to medication-induced abortions. Providers say medication abortion is safe and essential, especially as access to clinics in Republican-controlled states becomes more difficult. HOW DOES MEDICATION ABORTION WORK? Medication abortion has been available in the U.S. since 2000, when the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of mifepristone. A medication abortion consists of taking mifepristone, waiting 24 to 48 hours, and then taking misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which is essential to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding. The drugs are approved for use by the FDA up to 10 weeks of gestation. The method is considered by health professionals to be highly effective and safe, with pregnancies terminated in more than 95% of cases and serious complications in 0.4% of cases. According to the FDA, 3.7 million women used medication abortion between 2000 and 2018. In that period, 24 women died after taking mifepristone. The methods popularity has grown steadily. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, estimates that it accounts for about 40% of all abortions in the U.S. and 60% of those taking place up to 10 weeks gestation. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Abortion rights advocates say the pandemic has demonstrated the value of medical care provided virtually, including the privacy and convenience of abortion taking place in a womans home, instead of a clinic. Adding to its appeal: Clinics are few and far between in several states where Republicans have passed strict laws limiting access. Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia are states that have just a single abortion clinic. Abortion providers say as access to clinics becomes more difficult, medication abortion can allow women to get abortions without facing the burden of traveling, which can be especially difficult and expensive for lower-income women. WHAT ARE STATES DOING TO RESTRICT IT? Abortion opponents, worried medication abortion is becoming increasingly prevalent, are pushing legislation in Republican-led states to limit access to the drugs. States have passed several measures to limit its availability. These include outlawing the delivery of abortion pills by mail, shortening the 10-week window in which the method is allowed and requiring women take the pills in a clinic rather than at home. Some states also require doctors to tell women undergoing drug-induced abortions that the process can be reversed midway through, a claim critics say is not supported by science. In 33 states, only physicians are allowed to provide abortion pills. In 17 states and the District of Columbia, they can be provided by advanced-practice clinicians. Clinicians providing the medication must be physically present when it is administered in 19 states, meaning abortion patients cannot take the drugs at home. Republican governors in Arkansas, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma and Texas signed laws this year prohibiting abortion drugs from being delivered by mail. Such laws were largely seen as a response to the rise in popularity of telemedicine during the pandemic. The laws face legal challenges in Montana and Oklahoma. In Ohio, a judge temporarily blocked a law that would have banned the use of telemedicine for abortion pills while a legal challenge is underway. Some Republican legislatures also put limits on the point during a pregnancy when medication abortion can be provided. In Indiana and Montana, laws passed this year ban the medication after 10 weeks' gestation, and in Texas a newly signed law bans the medication after seven weeks. The Texas law is set to take effect in December. It passed just as Texas began banning nearly all abortions under a more far-reaching law, known as Senate Bill 8, which has become the nations biggest curb to abortion in a half-century. CAN MEDICATION ABORTION BE REVERSED? Eight states require counseling to promote the idea that medication abortion can be reversed through a high dose of progesterone after taking mifepristone. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not support prescribing progesterone for that use and says the reversal claim is not based on scientific evidence. Such laws are in effect in Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia. Court cases in Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee have blocked enforcement of these counseling requirements. In Montana, the law is set to take effect Oct. 1 but is being challenged in court. WHAT ARE THE FEDERAL RULES? In July 2020, the Food and Drug Administration -- under federal court order -- eased restrictions on abortion pills so they could be sent by mail. That came after the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups sued to overturn a rule that required patients to pick up the single tablet of mifepristone at a hospital, clinic or medical office and sign a form that includes information about the medications potential risks. The FDA and its parent health agency, under the Trump administration, argued the rules were necessary to ensure the pills were used safely. But last April, the FDA affirmed that women seeking an abortion pill would not be required to visit a doctor's office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy change applies only in states where there are no laws banning the use of telemedicine or requiring a physician to be present when the drugs are taken. The FDA policy also applies only as long as the COVID-19 health emergency lasts. Several medical organizations are pushing to make medication abortion permanently available through online prescribing and mail-order pharmacies. WHAT ARE WOMEN'S OPTIONS? Aid Access is one of several online initiatives that is offering to send women abortion pills by mail. It is led by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, a Dutch physician. The FDA, then under the Trump administration, sent a letter to Aid Access more than two years ago asking it to cease its activity, but the online drug provider has continued to send abortion pills to patients the U.S. The legality of the practice is ambiguous, but groups such as Plan C, which aims to raise awareness about self-managed abortions, provide information about where and how the drugs can be obtained online. Those groups say such access is especially important for women in places where abortion clinics face an ongoing assault by anti-abortion advocates and where lawmakers and governors are making it progressively harder for the clinics to remain open. If/When/How, a reproductive rights legal aid group, has tracked 24 cases since 2000 when women were prosecuted for self managed abortions. It is possible that someone could be targeted for investigation or arrest or prosecution, even in the absence of a law that actually makes it illegal, said Sara Ainsworth, policy director for the group. ___ Samuels is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ This version of the story clarifies that the FDA eased restrictions on abortion pills in July 2020, rather than at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. KLH49/Getty Images SEATTLE (AP) Authorities say a former employee with the state Employment Security Department was arrested Friday and charged with defrauding the government of at least $360,000 in jobless benefits. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Seattle said Friday that Reyes De La Cruz, III, 47, of Moses Lake is alleged to have personally enriched himself by at least $130,000 and to have helped others fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of dollars in benefits. A year ago, Robin Bruce never thought she would be living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and liking it. That was before she took advantage of a program, largely financed by the Walton Family Foundation, that is offering $10,000 incentives to entice new residents to the Ozarks region. Bruce, a singer, visual artist, and writer, was eligible for the financial incentive because Fayetteville understands that building its cultural vitality is key to attracting more residents to the area, which desperately needs to fill a fast-growing demand for tech and other skilled workers. Entrepreneurs who want to build or expand their businesses and create jobs for the region and people who can do their jobs from anywhere a growing segment of the labor force are also eligible for the $10,000 incentives. I havent ever experienced anything like Im experiencing here in terms of funding and casual connections, Bruce said. The effort in Northwest Arkansas is part of an increasing number of philanthropy-financed projects trying to spark economic development, promote civic and cultural life, attract skilled workers, and offset declining or sparse populations. Remote workers are especially attractive because they tend to have high disposable incomes. They also are a lot less costly for cities and towns to attract, given the demands that companies make when they are pondering a relocation. Companies often want guarantees of skilled workers, tax abatements, or other government subsidies. While foundations and donors were sprinkling money to attract workers to their regions before the pandemic, interest in the idea is spreading. Boosted by the flexibility workers discovered during quarantine, experts estimate that the number of people who dont need to work in offices anymore will double over the next few years. In Tulsa, the George Kaiser Family Foundation pioneered the financial-incentive approach in 2018. Nearly 50,000 people have applied since the start of the program. There was a 300% increase in applications after March 2020. Since it started, Tulsa Remote has had 1,000 participants and is on track to fill 750 slots this year. Participants are required to stay one year to keep the $10,000 incentive, and 90% of people who moved to Tulsa stayed there after the one-year requirement. The Kaiser Foundation has invested $4 million in Tulsa Remote to offer remote workers and others an incentive to move to the city. We are humbled that so many have tried to replicate what we are doing at Tulsa Remote, Ben Stewart, executive director of Tulsa Remote and a senior program officer at the Kaiser Foundation, wrote in an email. Some places borrowing elements of the Kaiser-Tulsa Remote approach are Ascend WV in West Virginia, Remote Tucson, and Movers & Shakas in Hawaii. Tulsa participants have moved from large states, including California, New York, and Texas. Most applicants to Ascend WV and Life Works Here, the Northwest Arkansas program, are also people who live in big states or in metropolitan areas. Applicants to all three programs said they were attracted by the lower cost of living, a slower pace, quality of life, and a desire to be part of a regions mission of self-improvement or reinvention and not just the cash incentive. Last year, Brad Smith, a West Virginia native turned Silicon Valley executive, and his wife, Alys, made a $25 million donation to Ascend WV to fund cash incentives for people who move to his home state and to cover the cost of developing outdoor recreational options. He said the program was designed to appeal to digital nomads, many of whom the program has found are drawn to outdoor activities. Smith, a former Intuit CEO, wrote in an email that philanthropy can serve as a catalyst to innovate and that he provided the money because he believes its important to help cities take a risk on new efforts like Ascend WV. Life Works Here received $1.5 million from the Walton fund largely at the urging of Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Helen and Sam Walton, who started in Arkansas what became the Walmart empire. Begun in 2020, Life Works Here expects to accept 100 participants into the program by fall, 35 of whom have been selected. About 30,000 applied. Participants are required to stay a year to keep the full $10,000 incentive. Meanwhile, Smith is among those hoping that Ascend WV will help reverse the states declining population, which fell about 3.3% from 2010 to 2020, to about 1.8 million, according to census data. Ascend WV will choose its first 50 participants from 7,500 applicants. The first participants will relocate to Morgantown. Participants are required to stay two years to keep the full $12,000 incentive. With a high demand and generous funding, Smith said, Ascend WVs goal is to attract 1,000 remote workers to the state over the next three to five years, bringing them in groups of 25 to 50 at a time so they are able to form new social relationships, get to know the area, and settle in. All of the programs aim to retain the new residents by offering opportunities for them to connect with fellow participants and get involved with local nonprofits. Building such connections is crucial to retention, program supporters said. About 3% of workers worked remotely full-time before the pandemic, said Brent Meyer, a policy adviser and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, citing the Survey of Business Uncertainty, done by the Atlanta Fed, the Chicago Booth School of Business, and Stanford University. That figure is expected to double to 6%, or about 7.4 million workers, as businesses make permanent adjustments to their policies as the pandemic eases, said Meyer. Stewart said the foundation didnt hesitate to fund the program because leaders were confident the city could attract remote workers, especially with a $10,000 nudge. Tulsa has seen much redevelopment, including the Tulsa Arts District and the Gathering Place, a riverfront park. Edna Martinson and her husband, Clarence Tan, brought not only their jobs but also a company. They are co-founders of Boddle Learning, an educational technology company, with a remote staff, who moved to Tulsa from Kansas City in August 2020. They were attracted by an entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes free co-working space and access to investors who can provide venture capital. Then we found out all of this could come with $10,000, she said. Awesome! The move to Tulsa has been good for Boddle Learning and arguably the city. Since relocating, the company, which had 11 full-time employees, hired a local employee, and another new hire is scheduled to move to Tulsa from the United Kingdom this fall. The three programs heavily screen applicants to make sure the cities are a good fit for them. That approach helps with retention, said Danny Twilley, assistant dean of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, which runs Ascend WV in partnership with the West Virginia Tourism Office. We want people who want to be part of the community, he said. They understand West Virginia. They believe in West Virginia. Bruce, the artist who relocated to Fayetteville, said she moved to the town even before she found out about Life Works Here and the remote-worker incentive. She had applied to the master of fine arts program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and came for a visit. She was ecstatic to see an affordable rent of $700 for a two-bedroom apartment instead of the $1,800 for a similar unit in Boulder. Space is so important for creativity, and Im not only speaking physical space, she said. There is the financial space as well. ___ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Olivera Perkins is a senior writer at the Chronicle. Email: olivera.perkins@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. ATLANTA (AP) A federal appeals court seemed to indicate Friday that it would wait until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a case that seeks to overturn its landmark decision guaranteeing a womans right to an abortion before ruling on the appeal of a lower court's ruling blocking a restrictive Georgia abortion law. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in December on an attempt by Mississippi to overturn the high court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which affirmed the right to an abortion. Mississippi's law would ban abortions later than 15 weeks into a pregnancy. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday on whether it should overturn a lower court ruling that permanently blocked a 2019 Georgia law that would have banned most abortions once a detectable human heartbeat is present. As early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women realize they're expecting, cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart. Abortion is currently available in Georgia up to 20 weeks into pregnancy. Circuit Chief Judge William Pryor asked lawyers for both sides whether the case should be stayed until the Supreme Court rules in the Mississippi case. Attorneys for both sides said they would be fine with that. I think that's the prudent way to proceed," Pryor said. You're both saying you don't have a problem with that. Don't you agree, though, that that's really what we ought to do? I mean it's not every day that ... we can allow the Supreme Court to do some work for us. Elizabeth Watson, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Reproductive Freedom Project, pointed out that Mississippi's 15-week ban would outlaw substantially fewer abortions than Georgia's more restrictive law. Just over a month after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law in May 2019, The ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights sued on behalf of Georgia abortion providers and an advocacy group to block the law. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled in July 2020 that the law was unconstitutional. The state appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit. The court rejects the state defendants argument that the statutory purpose solely concerns 'promoting fetal well-being,' Jones wrote. Instead, he wrote, the laws specific references to Roe v. Wade and established abortion related precedents indicate that its purpose was to ban or de facto ban abortion. The law included exceptions for rape and incest as long as a police report is filed. It also provided for later abortions when the mother's life is at risk or a serious medical condition renders a fetus unviable. The law also would have granted personhood to a fetus, giving it the same legal rights as people have after birth. The landmark 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade declared a fundamental right to an abortion prior to viability of the fetus. Planned Parenthood v. Casey narrowed that in 1992 to say states cant place an undue burden in the way of women seeking an abortion prior to viability. Jeffrey Harris, a lawyer for the state, argued that Jones should have heard from state experts who would have testified as to why it makes sense to use the detection of a heartbeat as a threshold. Pryor said it seemed that still would not clear the undue burden standard. It seems to me that, at least based on the stipulated record, you couldn't possibly win, he said. Georgias so-called heartbeat law was one of a wave of laws passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in recent years to attack those rulings as anti-abortion activists and lawmakers saw opportunity in a new conservative Supreme Court majority. Harris also rejected arguments that defining a fetus as a natural person is unconstitutionally vague and said Jones should have allowed common sense fetal well-being provisions of the law that don't have to do with abortion to take effect. Pryor indicated the state seemed likelier to succeed on those issues. Watson argued that the purpose of the law is to ban abortion, both explicitly and by changing the definition of a natural person to include fetuses. For that reason, she said, the whole law must be blocked. Opponents of the law have said changing the definition of a natural person to include fetuses would change hundreds of Georgia laws without consideration of their context. They say it could criminalize all sorts of health care that has nothing to do with abortion. The state has said thats not the case. Friday's arguments came amid a heightened focus on abortion. Not only did the Supreme Court recently announce its intention to hear arguments in the Mississippi case, earlier this month it allowed a restrictive Texas abortion law to take effect. While the landscape on abortion seemed settled when Jones ruled last year, the ground began to shake with the Texas ruling, University of Georgia law professor Ron Carlson said. The court did not rule on the constitutionality of that law, which also bans abortions once cardiac activity is detectable, but declined to block enforcement while a challenge to the law unfolds. That Texas ruling, it seems to me, is a straw in the wind that abortion laws are going to be freshly scrutinized by this Supreme Court, Carlson said. BERLIN (AP) The contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor sought to mobilize voters Friday as the election campaign neared its close, touting their credentials to lead Europe's biggest economy into a new era as it grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. Merkel is stepping down after 16 years in power, and the race is wide open ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. Polls show the outgoing leader's center-right Union bloc, with Armin Laschet as its candidate for chancellor, a little behind or nearly level with the center-left Social Democrats, who have Finance Minister Olaf Scholz seeking the chancellorship. The Greens, with Annalena Baerbock making the party's first run for chancellor, are trailing in third place but could end up playing the kingmaker in forming a government. Experts say one reason why this year's German election is tighter and less predictable than usual is that the candidates are relative unknowns to most voters. Its certainly not the most boring election, University of Leipzig political scientist Hendrik Traeger said. There were those in which Angela Merkel stood as the incumbent and it was simply a question of who she would govern with." This time, Merkel's party has struggled to energize its traditional base, which has so far failed to warm to Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state. The key question is whether these voters will overcome the Laschet hurdle and vote for the Union despite Laschet said Peter Matuschek of polling company Forsa. Or will they abstain from the vote or even choose another party? Scholz, whose party has made steady gains in opinion polls during the campaign on the strength of his relative popularity, touted the outgoing government's success in preserving jobs during the pandemic. What we have seen is that we are succeeding in avoiding the major economic and social crisis that otherwise would have hit us," he said at a rally in Cologne. We put a lot of money into bringing jobs and companies through this crisis, and today, we can say that we have succeeded. We see an upswing ahead of us. Scholz, who wants to raise Germany's minimum wage and increase taxes for top earners, argued that anyone calling for tax relief for the rich now can't count, doesn't understand anything about finance. The Union bloc, an alliance of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party and its Bavaria-only sister party, the Christian Social Union, contends that any tax increases would be counterproductive as the German economy recovers. Laschet said at a rally in Munich that it would be exactly the wrong way out of the pandemic. The pandemic is now in its final phase, and (the Social Democrats) are beginning again with their old socialist classics from the 80s bureaucracy, tax increases, patronizing people," he said. Merkel declared that for Germany to remain stable, Armin Laschet must become chancellor and (the Union) must be the strongest party." She was making the second of three appearances in the final week of a campaign from which she has been largely absent. Laschet praised Merkel's record. It's up to us to carry this legacy forward, he said. If we get it wrong now, everything that was achieved in 16 years could be squandered. Baerbock, the Greens' candidate, focused her pitch on fighting climate change, her party's central issue. This election is a choice of direction, she said in Duesseldorf. This election is a climate election. We can't afford half-measures any more, said Baerbock, whose party wants to ramp up carbon prices and end the use of coal earlier than planned. We need finally to have a climate government with all its strength, with all its heart and with full passion. Yes, it's a risk to do something new, but where has government experience alone brought us, if that's the standard for a parliamentary election? asked Baerbock, the only candidate for chancellor who lacks government experience. It has led us to a dead end. Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germanys parliament earlier Friday to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. Migration has been less of a concern to many voters than in 2017. Foreign policy has not come up much during the campaign but became an issue during the final television debate Thursday, with the Greens calling for a tougher stance on China. About 60.4 million Germans are eligible to vote for a new parliament on Sept. 26. The strongest party will be best-placed to form a governing coalition, though that isn't automatic. The business-friendly Free Democrats are angling for a place in government after pulling the plug on coalition talks after the 2017 election. The far-right Alternative for Germany is expected to do well in thecountry's east, but other parties refuse to work with it. The Left Party, which opposes NATO and German military deployments abroad, remains a possible governing partner for the Greens and Social Democrats, a prospect that has drawn alarm from conservatives. Friday's center-right rally was larded with warnings that such an alliance would damage Germany's economy and international standing. Election officials say many more people will vote by mail this year due to the pandemic, but this isn't expected to affect turnout significantly. ___ Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohios newly drawn legislative district maps were hit Friday with the second lawsuit in two days that alleges Republican gerrymandering that violated the state constitution. The lawsuit, filed in the Ohio Supreme Court by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee's legal arm on behalf of a group of Ohio voters, challenges maps of Ohio House and Ohio Senate districts passed last week along party lines by the GOP-dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission. It is the group's first lawsuit nationally of the redistricting cycle tied to the 2020 census, attorney Marc Elias told reporters in a briefing. Elias said Friday's litigation is complementary to a suit filed Thursday by the ACLU on behalf of the League of Women Voters, A. Philip Randolph Institute and individuals, raising some similar and some different constitutional violations. The complaint goes further in challenging additional aspects of the map-drawing process, including draft maps being drawn behind closed doors, public hearings being held when maps weren't yet available to react to, and a required deadline being missed. NDRC Chairman Eric Holder, attorney general under former President Barack Obama, said the maps estimated to produce 67% of the House districts and 69% of Senate districts to favor Republicans aim to deliver unearned power to Republicans. The state's partisan leanings are roughly 54% Republican, 46% Democratic. They have not earned that level of representation of Ohio voters," Holder said. In fact, over the past decade, even with maps that were painfully gerrymandered and aiding them, Ohio Republicans earned just over 54% of the vote statewide for state legislative offices. The litigation also quotes concerns raised publicly by three Republican statewide officeholders who sit on the redistricting commission, using the words of Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Auditor Keith Faber to help make the case for unconstitutionality. Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who led the Republican map-making effort, has defended the maps as fair and constitutionally compliant criticizing Democrats and special interest groups for thwarting a bipartisan deal. First Barack Obamas lawyer sued and now Hillary Clintons lawyer sued," John Fortney, a spokesman for Huffman said Friday. "Two of the most partisan, far left, polarizing figures in politics want to lecture Ohio voters about fairness. The so called non-partisan voter groups finally showed how partisan and politically motivated they really are. The Ohio Supreme Court has original and exclusive jurisdiction in deciding the map challenges. Justices face some pressure to act quickly, should they decide to send the maps back to the drawing board. Candidates must register for 2022 elections on Feb. 2. COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) An 8-year-old girl who became wedged inside a south-central Indiana home's laundry chute was rescued after firefighters cut through a floor joist to free her, authorities said. Columbus firefighters called Wednesday to the home found the girl conscious and alert but stuck in an awkward position inside the home's metal laundry chute, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. Investigators determined she had entered the chute from a second-story bedroom and slid toward the basement of the home in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Indianapolis. But she ended up stuck at the chutes opening with her body bent at the waist and both her feet and head facing upward, The Republic reported. Firefighters tried to free the girl by repositioning her, and when that failed they removed drywall from the home's first floor to expose the chute, then used a saw and tin snips to create an opening in the chute. When a second attempt to the girl failed, firefighters determined that a floor joist near the bottom of the chute was preventing her from exiting it. When they cut that joist they were able to free her from the chute and lower her to the basement's floor. Wilson said the girl was taken to a hospital for evaluation and later released. He said it's estimated she was stuck in the chute for about 40 minutes before she was rescued. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A state commission will submit a report to the Iowa Legislature that indicates Iowans who offered an opinion support the first set of maps drawn by a nonpartisan state agency. A majority of the five-member Iowa Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission supported Thursday a statement in their report to lawmakers that says the commission acknowledges that a majority of Iowans who expressed an opinion to the commission favor Iowa's redistricting process and the first proposed redistricting plan. Two Republican appointees to the commission, David Roederer and Chris Hagenow said they preferred to leave out language about Iowans who spoke or wrote in supporting the first plan but three members agreed it was accurate and stated the facts. Democratic appointees Ian Russell and Jazmin Newton-Butt supported the language along with commission Chairwoman Susan Lerdal, who was appointed by the other four commissioners. By law the five-member commission is required to hold hearings to gather input on the first set of maps submitted by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency and then provide a report to the legislature. The LSA is bound by the Iowa Constitution and state law to draw maps within strict guidelines based on population balance other criteria designed to insulate the process from partisan politics. Most of the nearly 150 people who submitted written comments or spoke at the public hearings said they supported Iowa's process and the first set of maps they believe were drawn fairly. The Legislature is scheduled to meet on Oct. 5 to consider the first maps that lay out new lines for state legislative and congressional districts. Republicans hold a majority so they will control the decision. They cannot amend the maps but can reject them in which case the LSA must draw a second set. Lawmakers can reject that set as well. The LSA must then draw a third set of maps which the Legislature can amend. Democratic leaders have said the first set of maps was drawn according to the law they will support them. Republicans have not made such a commitment. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A Florida man has died in prison about two months after receiving a life sentence for helping his son kill the younger mans estranged wife. Angel Luis Rivera died Wednesday at the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando, according to Florida Department of Corrections records. A cause of death is to be determined by the local medical examiner. Rivera and his son, Christopher Otero-Rivera, were convicted in April of second-degree murder, abuse of a body and evidence tampering in the killing of Nicole Montalvo. Montalvo disappeared on Oct. 21, 2019, after dropping the couple's 8-year-old son off at the Rivera home, the Orlando Sentinel previously reported. Investigators later found some of Montalvo's remains at the home. At trial, prosecutors said both men wanted Montalvo to disappear" so they could get custody of the young boy, the newspaper reported. In 2018, Otero-Rivera was accused of abducting and brutally beating his wife, according to court records. She filed for divorce while he was in jail, claiming years of abuse. Prosecutors said the father and son hatched a plan to plant drugs on Montalvo to make her lose custody of the boy. And two people testified during the trial that Angel Rivera offered them money to kill his daughter-in-law. When she disappeared, her father-in-law told investigators, Montalvo sent a text asking him and his wife to take care of their grandson for a few days. Detectives suspected someone else sent the text because Montalvo had not told anyone she planned to go somewhere, according to court records. Her body was later found burned, cut into pieces and buried on two of the Rivera's properties, according to prosecutors. The defense attorneys had claimed the evidence was circumstantial. The father and son each blamed the other for killing Montalvo, court records show. BUFFALO, Iowa (AP) One man died Friday in a house fire in the eastern Iowa city of Buffalo. The man died in the fire that was reported about 2 p.m., Buffalo police sergeant Josh Bujalski told the Quad-City Times. The man's name wasn't immediately released. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Employees of a Florida county where vaccination for COVID-19 is now required for all workers won't be fired for refusing to get the shots, but will received written reprimands, the county's mayor said. Some workers in Orange County, particularly firefighters have pushed back against Orange County Mayor Jerry Deming's mandate issued in July that county workers receive a first vaccine shot by the end of September or face discipline. Orange County is the home to Orlando and many of Florida's biggest theme parks. Michigan Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives are opposed to the Canadian government storing nuclear waste near the shores of the Great Lakes. However, Michigan already has nuclear waste near the shorelines of the state. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, wrote a resolution to President Joe Biden asking him to keep the Canadian government from building a proposed 1,500-acre nuclear waste storage site in South Bruce, Ontario. The proposed site is near the shore of Lake Huron directly across from Michigan's thumb. "The President and the Secretary of State should ensure that the Government of Canada does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin," House Resolution 647 reads. "The water resources of the Great Lakes Basin are precious public natural resources shared by the Great Lakes States and the Provinces of Canada." The resolution is bipartisan with the signatures of other Michigan representatives, including Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids. Yet there are currently four nuclear sites on the Michigan shores. Enrico Fermi II is located south of Detroit along Lake Erie, Cook Nuclear Power Plant near Bridgman is on Lake Michigan, Palisades Nuclear Plant is near South Haven, and near the former site of Big Rock Nuclear Power Plant sit eight dry casks located near Charlevoix. According to Tim Horan, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations supervisor at the Big Rock site, seven of the casks have "spent nuclear fuel," and one cask has "greater than Class C nuclear waste." Spent nuclear fuel is fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor. Horan said current laws don't allow the one cask with nuclear waste to be transported. Three congressmen are all concerned about contaminating the Great Lakes. "Rep. Meijer is aware of this problematic situation and remains dedicated to protecting and preserving the Great Lakes," a spokesperson said. "You're going to have a case by case basis, but obviously Fred doesn't want anything especially nuclear waste contaminating the Lakes," Upton spokesperson Billy Furst said. He also acknowledged there needs to be diligence with Canada and at home. As for Kildee, the originator of the resolution, a spokesperson said, "Congressman Kildee does not believe nuclear waste should be stored permanently in the Great Lakes Basin. He has been supportive of legislation removing nuclear waste stored temporarily in the Great Lakes Basin to a permanent storage facility outside of the Great Lakes Basin." Huizenga's office did not respond. Entergy, an energy company, which owns the Big Rock dry casks site, currently has no plans doing anything with the site. "The used fuel at Big Rock Point will remain secured on site, under guard, and subject to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions oversight until it is removed by the federal Department of Energy, in accordance with its legal obligations," Val Gent, senior communications specialist, said in an email. Gent said Entergy recently worked with Holtec International on a license transfer involving Palisades Nuclear Plant and the Big Rock site. If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves the transfer, Holtec would become the owners of both sites. The dry casks at Big Rock were only supposed to be temporary after the plant was completely decommissioned in 2004. In the July 24, 2000 edition of the Petoskey News-Review, it's reported that the Big Rock dry casks were to be "temporary" after the plant was decommissioned and that the eight casks would "remain on site until a permanent federal disposal facility is ready to accept it." DEL RIO, Texas (AP) No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people most of them Haitians had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. It's a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it phenomenal news. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The devastating 2010 earthquake forced many of them from their homeland. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was horrible and that people will pay as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. There will be consequences, Biden told reporters. Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke cautiously about the pending investigation into the use of horses. Asked about the discrepancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was not prejudging an outcome. He was speaking from the heart. She said he is not interfering with any investigation. Mayorkas said about 2,000 Haitians have been rapidly expelled on 17 flights since Sunday and more could be expelled in coming days under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. He said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal. Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, with seven planned Saturday and six Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. In Mexico, just over 100 migrants, most of them single men, remained Friday morning in the riverside camp in Ciudad Acuna. Dozens of families who had been there crossed back to Del Rio overnight after Mexican authorities left the area. With the river running higher, some Border Patrol agents helped families who were struggling to cross with children. Some migrants also moved to small hotels or private homes in Ciudad Acuna. Authorities detained six migrants at one on Thursday afternoon. Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles west along Mexico's border with California. The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said. Asked about the situation in Ciudad Acuna on Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, we dont want Mexico to be a migrant camp, we want the problem to be addressed fully. At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket. A man whod driven almost 1,500 miles from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family wore a neon yellow vest and quietly scanned the line of Haitian migrants. Dave, who didnt want to share his last name, didnt see them in this group. I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help, he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom hed met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody, said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. We have so much. Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge won't reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rios hospital. It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here, Lozano said. The government has no plans to stop expelling some migrants on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. The Biden administration's special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, and said some of his policy recommendations had been ignored. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. The humanitarian group UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying Thursday that initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. And Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who toured the camp on Thursday, vowed to stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. ___ Maria Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. AP journalists Sarah Morgan in Del Rio, Texas; Ben Fox and Nancy Benac in Washington; Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) Shortages of semiconductor chips and other raw materials are continuing to hit Germany's manufacturers, as bottlenecks leave companies struggling to fill orders from a rebounding global economy. Widespread friction in supply chains sent a closely watched index of German business optimism lower for the third month in a row in September. The Ifo institute index fell to 98.8 points from 99.6 in August. The problems with obtaining raw materials and intermediate goods is holding back the German economy, the Munich-based institute said Friday. Industry is experiencing a bottleneck recession. The German economy, Europe's largest, has rebounded sharply from the depths of the pandemic shutdowns in the first part of 2020 with gross domestic product in the second quarter marking a 9.4% increase over the same quarter last year. But major manufacturers such as auto firms Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen have all experienced trouble getting the semiconductor chips they need for today's cars stuffed with electronic features such as advanced driver assistance. Other materials needed by businesses, including steel, construction materials and plastics, are also in short supply. Truck maker Traton Group, which is majority owned by Volkswagen, said this week that sales in the third quarter would be significantly lower than planned as the company had to resort to steps such as pulling control units out of unsold vehicles and installing them in vehicles that were on order. Traton cited rising COVID-19 cases in Malaysia and the lockdown that followed as a factor. Malaysia is an important hub since several chip companies that supply the auto industry have production there, the truck maker said. The manufacturing troubles are a reversal of fortune as services businesses reported improved outlooks as restrictions on movement and activity are eased amid higher levels of vaccination. Earlier in the pandemic, services took the biggest hit from the pandemic as restaurants and tourist businesses saw drastic reductions in customer traffic or were ordered to close. Michael Tran at Capital Economics said that the Ifo report was further evidence that Germany's recovery is losing steam. That said, he foresaw strong overall GDP growth of around 3% in the current, third quarter over the second quarter, reflecting primarily the low level of activity at the start of the second quarter. ___ This version has been corrected to show that Michael Tran is affiliated with Capital Economics, not Oxford Economics. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes after its equipment sparked a Northern California wildfire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes last year, prosecutors said. It is the latest legal action against the nations largest utility, which pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in a 2018 blaze ignited by its long-neglected electrical grid that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise and became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced the 31 charges, including 11 felonies, against PG&E, saying it failed to perform its legal duties and that its failure was reckless and criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people." If the utility is convicted of involuntary manslaughter, the punishment would be a fine for each person killed in the Zogg Fire last year near the city of Redding. A corporation cant go to jail, so were talking fines, fees, the ability for the court to order remedial and corrective measures, Bridgett said. One of our primary functions here is to hold them responsible and let the surviving families know that their loved one did not die in vain, she added. PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said failing to prevent the fire was not a crime. This was a tragedy, four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them. They have dedicated their careers to it, criminalizing their judgment is not right, Poppe said in a statement. The wind-whipped Zogg Fire began on Sept. 27, 2020, and raged through rugged terrain and small communities west of Redding, killing four people, burning about 200 homes and blackening about 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) of land. Three of the victims died as they tried to outrun the blaze and were found inside or near their vehicles. A fourth victim died at a hospital. In March, state fire investigators concluded that the blaze was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line. Shasta and Tehama counties have sued the utility alleging negligence, saying PG&E had failed to remove the tree even though it had been marked for removal two years earlier. The utility says the tree was subsequently cleared to stay. The district attorney determined that the company was criminally liable for the fire. The charges Friday include enhancements for injury to a 29-year-old firefighter who was hit by a falling tree that fractured his spine, paralyzing him from the chest down. They also include felony arson counts linked to several fires started by the utilitys equipment in Shasta County over the last year, Bridgett said. PG&E, which has an estimated 16 million customers in central and Northern California, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 after its aging equipment was blamed for a series of fires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed 10,000 homes in Paradise and neighboring communities. Company officials have acknowledged that PG&E hasnt lived up to expectations in the past but said changes in leadership and elsewhere ensure its on the right track and will do better. They have listed a wide range of improvements that include using more advanced technology to avoid setting wildfires and help detect them quicker. PG&E also remains on criminal probation for a 2010 pipeline explosion in the San Francisco Bay Area city of San Bruno that killed eight people, giving a federal judge oversight of the company. The judge and California power regulators have rebuked PG&E for breaking promises to reduce the dangers posed by trees near its power lines. The company has acknowledged that its equipment may have played a role in sparking this summer's Dixie Fire, which has burned nearly 1 million acres and is now the second-largest wildfire in state history. PG&E emerged from bankruptcy last summer and negotiated a $13.5 billion settlement with some wildfire victims. But it still faces both civil and criminal actions, including charges from the Sonoma County district attorney's office over the 2019 Kincade Fire that forced nearly 200,000 people to evacuate. In the meantime, most of the roughly 70,000 victims who have filed claims for the devastation caused by PG&Es past misdeeds still are awaiting payment from a trust created during the bankruptcy. The trust, which is run independently of PG&E, is facing a nearly $2 billion shortfall because half its funding came in company stock. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the Zogg Fire didn't burn in the Sierra Nevada. This story also has been corrected to say that in March, state fire investigators concluded that the blaze was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line, not a transmission line. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Richard Stuart, a longtime Republican state senator in Virginia, got three days' notice this summer to help pull together a weekday campaign event for Glenn Youngkin, the GOP candidate for governor. To his surprise and delight, some 200 people showed up from across his district, which stretches from the Washington exurbs into more rural communities. The crowd was eager to meet Youngkin, the businessman and political newcomer hoping to break a 12-year GOP losing streak in statewide elections and keep Democratic candidate and former governor Terry McAuliffe from a second term. I am seeing more enthusiasm than I've seen for a statewide Republican candidate since I can remember, said Stuart, who's represented his district since 2008. That type of strong showing, combined with some new polling, is fueling optimism among Republicans, who have been largely shut out of state government in recent years, as one of this years most competitive and expensive political matchups enters its final six-week stretch. And while Democrats are confident that they will still come out on top, some of McAuliffes supporters are nervous. "This election appears to be closer than we would prefer, said Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, an influential group that spends heavily to support Democrats almost exclusively and has endorsed McAuliffe. Republicans have a motivation advantage, an enthusiasm advantage. McAuliffe, who was in office from 2014 to 2018 and who ran away with the Democratic primary in June, has generally led in public polling, but recent surveys suggest the race may have tightened. A poll conducted this month by The Washington Post and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University showed McAuliffe with 50% support among likely voters to Youngkins 47%, within the margin of error. In order to prevail, Youngkin will have to overcome several vulnerabilities in this increasingly moderate state. As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the future of abortion rights, Democrats say Youngkin is too extreme on the issue. And Democrats are doing everything they can to tie Youngkin to former President Donald Trump, who is unpopular in large swaths of northern Virginia where the race may be decided. Trump may have done Youngkin few favors this week by pushing him to back his agenda. The only guys that win are the guys that embrace the MAGA movement," Trump said Thursday on the John Fredericks Radio Show when discussing Youngkin's candidacy. But Republicans in Virginia are feeling good about Youngkin in part because they think he is the type of candidate who can prevail. Tall and polished, the former investment executive has cast himself as a down-to-earth family man. More substantively, he has spent much of this year trying to steer clear of some contentious culture war issues that Republicans in other parts of the country have embraced. He has said little, for instance, about gun control or the recent removal of a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond. He did, however, make election integrity a key part of his platform during the nominating contest, and has vowed to ban the teaching of critical race theory, which explores the history of America through the lens of racism. In some ways, his messaging marks a shift from other Republicans who have sought statewide office in recent years. In 2017, Ed Gillespie ran for governor as an establishment candidate before taking a hard turn on immigration policy and the status of Confederate statues. He lost to Democrat Ralph Northam by nearly nine percentage points. The following year, Corey Stewart, an immigration hard-liner who defended Confederate heritage, won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate and was handily defeated by Democrat Tim Kaine. Garren Shipley, a longtime GOP operative and the spokesman for the House GOP caucus, said other Republicans on the ballot this year are eager to campaign with Youngkin, something he said hasnt always been the case for moderates in swing districts. I cant think of anybody who doesnt want to be seen on stage with Glenn Youngkin, he said. The election could hinge on whether voters approve of the way Democrats have managed Virginia. Democrats took full control of state government in the 2019 elections, following huge gains in 2017. Since then, they've passed reams of progressive legislation unthinkable just a handful of years ago, ending the death penalty, mandating utilities shift to renewable energy, legalizing marijuana, expanding LGBTQ protections and loosening abortion restrictions. The challenge now is ensuring Democrats get as excited to vote to protect those gains as they were to send a message to Trump. The significant progress that weve made from my standpoint on climate change, climate action could all be lost in a heartbeat on Nov. 2," Town said. The election will almost certainly be viewed as an early referendum on the first year of Joe Biden's presidency. A McAuliffe loss would send a major signal to Democrats that their control of Congress is at serious risk in next year's midterm elections. Democrats were cheered by the results this month in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom handily defeated an effort to kick him out of office early. Like Newsom, McAuliffe has sought to highlight his opponent's ties to Trump and opposition to pandemic precautions. In recent days, he's slammed Youngkin for his opposition to vaccine and mask mandates. "The Virginia governors race is a tight race and it was always going to be. Terry has run a campaign laser focused on the issues Virginians care most about: the economy, education and ending this pandemic by getting Virginians vaccinated," said Christina Freundlich, a McAuliffe campaign spokeswoman. McAuliffe's campaign says their path to victory involves hanging on to northern Virginia and other suburban areas and mobilizing communities of color. Republicans will need to cut into their edge outside of Washington and in other urban areas, including the capital city, Richmond, plus keep up their turnout in rural strongholds. Republicans definitely have more enthusiasm but they have less numbers," said Albert Pollard, a former Democratic House delegate. Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said Virginians want to move on." Democrats are nervous that the only person excited for a known liar, failed governor and 40-year politician Terry McAuliffe is Terry McAuliffe," she said. Several structural factors are seen as helping Republicans this year, including a long-running pattern of Virginia voters turning against the party in control of the White House during their unusual off-year governor's races. (Notably, McAuliffe bucked that trend with his win in 2013.) Youngkin, the wealthy former co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, is his campaign's biggest donor. He's already poured at least $17.5 million into his own campaign, according to finance records maintained by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. He's outpaced McAuliffe, a prodigious, well-connected fundraiser, so far in TV ad spending, according to an accounting of federal disclosure forms compiled by Kantar Media and published by VPAP, though McAuliffe entered the final two months of the campaign with an advantage in cash on hand. There's a progressive activist and third-party candidate, Princess Blanding, on the ballot who might pull voters away from McAuliffe. And Youngkin could be helped by a candidate not being on the ballot: Trump. Glenn Youngkin has the best atmosphere that you could really ask for as a Republican, said Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett, who added that he sees reason for Democrats to be concerned at this point, but not panicked. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed off on new electoral maps the Legislature will use for the next decade, despite concerns from certain groups, including some Black and Latino voters, that they weren't able to weigh in and wouldn't be fairly represented. It was the second time Pritzker approved maps drawn up by his fellow Democrats despite promising as a candidate in 2018 that he would veto any made by politicians. He also signed an earlier version that Democrats approved in May but that critics said were flawed because they were based on population estimates. Democrats redrew them last month based on newly released census data and approved them along a straight party-line vote during a one-day special session Aug. 31. Gov. Pritzkers signing of the legislative maps sends a clear picture of the severity of his retrograde amnesia and efforts to deceive Illinois citizens," House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said in a statement Friday. The governor now joins the multitude of Democratic legislators who lied to voters by campaigning for and promising fair maps. Republicans and a Latino civil rights group, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, have lawsuits pending in federal court in Chicago that seek to block the new maps from being used in elections. Lawyers for MALDEF say the maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act because they created fewer districts where Latinos of voting age make up a majority, despite Latinos making up a greater percentage of the states population than they did a decade ago. Pritzker claimed otherwise. These legislative maps align with the landmark Voting Rights Act and will help ensure Illinois diversity is reflected in the halls of government, Pritzker said in a prepared statement. The United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations, which says it works toward the equitable advancement of marginalized communities, argued that the new maps weaken the voting power of Black and Latino community members and largely ignore Asian American and Arab American communities." CHANGE Illinois, which works for an independent map-drawing process, noted that the Latino groups that have filed lawsuits argue that Latino power is diluted, that Black activists said the map doesn't create enough Black majority voting age districts, and that Jewish communities on Chicago's north side and north suburbs have been split. "Despite all of this, and despite repeated claims that he wanted maps that accurately reflect the states rich diversity, Pritzker chose party fealty over the people of Illinois," CHANGE Illinois Executive Director Madeleine Doubek said. Pritzker's defense is that as a candidate in 2018, he favored creation of an independent commission, and when Democrats holding complete control of state government didn't do that, lawmakers faced a June 30 deadline to complete the map. But June 30 was simply the date Democrats would have lost control of the process. At that point, it would have been up to a bipartisan commission of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans the process critics want a federal judge to put into action. Democrats call this the real political process and want to avoid it because, among other reasons, a ninth member would be picked at random to break any tie votes potentially giving the final say to the GOP. Rarely do politicians get the chance to break a campaign promise twice, said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods. I am deeply disappointed that Gov. Pritzker has turned his back on the many minority organizations that have asked him to protect their voting rights outlined in the Constitution and Voting Rights Act by vetoing this gerrymandered map. Political maps must be redrawn every 10 years after each census to reflect changes in population and ensure the protection of voters rights. The districts must be compact, contiguous and of equal population, among other things. Illinois Democrats have not yet voted on new congressional district boundaries, but with the state losing a House seat due to population loss, they are expected to remove a GOP-held district and try to make other districts more friendly to Democrats. ___ Burnett reported from Chicago. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Patrick Testin, a state senator from Stevens Point, has filed paperwork to run for lieutenant governor and planned to officially announce it Sunday. Testin, 33, was first elected to the Senate in 2016. He is midway through his second term, so he does not have to give up his Senate seat to make a run for lieutenant governor in 2022. French luxury house Saint Laurent will go completely fur free in its collections from next year, its parent company Kering said Friday. In a statement, Kering added that another of its houses, Italian menswear brand Brioni, will also stop using natural fur -- making the luxury giant that includes Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta completely fur free. HOUSTON (AP) A Houston-area woman was run over and killed Thursday as a man was making his getaway after snatching her purse, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. outside a McDonalds restaurant near Houstons eastern outskirts. PHOENIX (AP) Arizona public schools without mask requirements were several times more likely to experience COVID-19 outbreaks than schools with mandates in place when the current school year began, researchers said Friday in an article published by a federal health agency. The article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the impact of mask requirements at K-12 district schools in Maricopa and Pima counties, the state's two most populous counties. State workers' late night ice cream runs probably wont include a pint of Phish Food any time soon. Ben & Jerrys, and its parent company Unilever, just made Texas' roster of companies that are boycotting Israel, according to a statement released by Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar Thursday. Companies added to the list are warned that they may become subject to divestment by state governmental entities, according to state law. Within 90 days of the notice, the company must cease boycotting Israel in order to avoid qualifying for divestment by state governmental entities. In July, the Vermont-based ice cream giant announced it would stop selling its products in areas it referred to as Occupied Palestinian Territory, saying doing so would be inconsistent with its corporate values. We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerrys ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the region. We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the license agreement when it expires at the end of next year, said the companys statement. Since the announcement, other states including New Jersey and Arizona have also chosen to pull funding from the companies, according to the New York Times' Patrick McGeehan. Hegar said his office carefully reviewed statements and activities by the ice cream company and Unilever before deeming them qualified for the list. Texas law is clear on these issues, and my office has long supported Israel through our Israel bond holdings as well as our lists of scrutinized companies with ties to Iran and those with ties to foreign terrorist organizations, Hegar said. It is unclear how much the state has invested in Unilever. Texas Government Code Chapter 808 defines boycotting Israel as refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on or limit commercial relations specifically with Israel or with a person or entity doing business in Israel or in an Israeli-controlled territory Under HB 89, government entities are forbidden from entering contracts with a company for goods and services unless said company signs a contract saying it does not, and will not, boycott the U.S. ally. Eleven companies have made it on Texas' list, which can be found on the comptroller's website. Judging by his tweets, Governor Greg Abbott prefers Blue Bell anyway. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The right-wing populist government in Hungary is attracting conservative thinkers from the United States who admire its approaches to migration, LGBT issues and national sovereignty all matters that have put the country at odds with its European partners, who see not a conservative haven but a worrying erosion of democratic institutions on multiple fronts. Hungary's top diplomat has a few things to say about that. In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly's meeting of world leaders, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country would not cede ground on policies that have caused the European Union to impose financial penalties and start legal proceedings against it over violations of the bloc's values. We do not compromise on these issues because we are a sovereign country, a sovereign nation. And no one, not even the European Commission, should blackmail us regarding these policies, Szijjarto said. Topping the list of contentious government policies: a controversial Hungarian law that the EU says violates the fundamental rights of LGBT people. That led the EU's executive commission to delay billions in economic recovery funds earmarked for Hungary a move Szijjarto called a purely political decision and blackmail." The law, he says, is meant to protect children from pedophiles and homosexual propaganda." We will not make make compromises about the future of our children, Szijjarto told the AP. The law, passed in June, makes it illegal to promote or portray sex reassignment or homosexuality to minors under 18 in media content. It also contains provisions that provide harsher penalties for pedophilia. Critics say it conflates pedophilia with homosexuality and stigmatizes sexual minorities. The measures were rejected emphatically by most European leaders. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte suggested Hungary's right-wing prime minister, Viktor Orban, should pull his country out of the EU if he is unwilling to abide by its collective principles. The conflict is only the latest in a protracted fight with the bloc over what it sees as a sustained assault on democratic standards in Hungary alleged corruption, a consolidation of the media and increasing political control over state institutions and the judiciary. Last year, the EU adopted a regulation that links the payment of funds to its member states compliance with rule-of-law standards a measure fiercely opposed by Hungarys government, which argued it was a means to punish countries that break with the liberal consensus of Western Europe's countries. The EU's concerns over Hungary straying from democratic values have gone unheard by several prominent American conservatives who have recently visited the country and extolled Orbans hardline policies on immigration and flouting of the EUs rules. On Thursday, Hungary hosted former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at a conference in Budapest dedicated to family values and demography, both issues that form a central pillar of Hungary's conservative policy. One approach (to population decline) says that we should foster migratory flows toward Europe. This is an approach which we don't like," Szijjarto said. In addition to firm opposition to immigration, Hungary's government emphasizes traditional family values and resistance to the widening acceptance of sexual minorities in Western countries. It also portrays itself as a beacon of Christian democracy, and a bulwark against migration from Muslim-majority countries positions on which it finds common cause with the former vice president. We know that Vice President Pence is very committed to this issue ... with a strong Christian background, so that is the reason we invited him," Szijjarto said. Despite Hungary's position on immigration, it did evacuate more than 400 Afghan citizens who had assisted Hungarian forces in Afghanistan after that country's government fell to the militant Taliban last month. But Szijjarto said his country was not going to take any more Afghans, and that no refugees would be allowed to cross Hungary's southern border into the EU. We will not allow anybody to come illegally to Europe, he told the AP. Pence's visit to Hungary was only the latest in a series of anti-immigration right-wing Americans visiting Hungary, which its government increasingly portrays as a bastion of conservative values. Tucker Carlson, the most popular host on the right-wing Fox News Channel, spent a week broadcasting from Budapest in August. While there, he heaped praise on Orbans approach to immigration, family values and national sovereignty. Carlson also made a visit by helicopter to tour a fortified fence along the countrys southern border. On Wednesday, the Hungarian state news agency reported that Budapest would host next year's Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC, an annual gathering of primarily U.S. conservative activists and politicians. Hungary's government, Szijjarto said, is "happy when American commentators come to Hungary. We are happy because when they come, they will see the reality. United States press or media outlets usually characterize us as a dictatorship, as a place where it's bad to stay, and they write all kinds of fake news about Hungary," he said. But when these commentators come over, they can be confronted with the reality. But while some of Hungary's admirers see it as a beacon, the EU's financial pressure designed to change Budapest's behavior represents increasing pushback from the other side of the political spectrum. Last week, Hungary sold several billion dollars in foreign currency bonds in an effort to cover the costs of planned development projects even if EU recovery funds are not released. This, along with economic growth, means Hungary's budget is in pretty good shape, Szijjarto said, allowing for flexibility with the country's central budget without the need for EU funds. Hungarian people should not be afraid of any kind of loss suffered because of this political decision by the European Commission, Szijjarto said. With national elections next spring expected to be the biggest challenge to Orbans power since he was elected in 2010, Hungarys government is ramping up on divisive issues like migration, LGBT rights and the COVID-19 pandemic that can mobilize its conservative voting base. On Thursday night, in his speech before world leaders at the United Nations, Szijjarto drew parallels between migration and the pandemic, saying the two together formed a vicious circle in which the health and economic impacts of the virus's spread would lead more people to hit the road. The more people that are involved in the migratory flows, the more accelerated the virus will spread, he told the U.N. assembly. So nowadays, migration does not only constitute the already well-known cultural, civilizational or security-related risks, but very serious health care risks as well. Hungary's law affecting LGBT people will be accompanied by a national referendum ahead of elections on the availability of gender-change procedures to children and on sexual education in schools. Szijjarto said the referendum will provide strong argumentation in the debates with the EU over the law, and a mandate from voters for the government to hold strong on its policies. The best munition a government can have during such a debate," the minister said, is the clear expression of the will of the people." ___ Justin Spike, based in Budapest, covers Hungary for The Associated Press. He is on assignment this week at the United Nations. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jspikebudapest UNITED NATIONS (AP) Many leaders saying many things about many topics that matter to them, to their regions, to the world: That's what the U.N. General Assembly invariably produces each year. And each year, certain voices dominate. Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts delivered in pre-recorded speeches or from the rostrum at the United Nations after a yearlong pandemic break from leaders who might have not captured the headlines and airtime on Thursday, the third day of the 2021 debate. Men and women have similar reasons for becoming or not becoming an organ donor, according to a new study. Yet women appear more willing to donate their organs to family members or strangers. The results, published Friday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggest improving communication among family members about organ donation wishes could help increase and diversify the pool of organs available for transplantation. "It's important that we start having these hard conversations a little earlier," said Dr. Khadijah Breathett, the study's senior author, a heart failure and transplant cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "With COVID, it may be a little easier because people recognize the fragility of life, and not knowing what's promised for tomorrow, so these discussions are becoming more common." In some states, listing "organ donor" on a driver's license might not be enough, especially if your family doesn't know your wishes, Breathett said. To reduce confusion at the time of death, she encourages those who want to donate to sign up on their state's organ donor registry, inform their family and document their wishes on a medical power of attorney. The lack of donated organs remains a major problem: More than 106,000 men, women and children were on the U.S. transplant waiting list as of Sept. 24, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Every day, 17 people die waiting for an organ, Department of Health and Human Services statistics show. A person is added to the list every nine minutes. According to a 2019 government survey, 90% of adults in the U.S. support organ donation but only half are actually signed up as donors. The new study was designed to delve into organ donation sex disparities, which has not been extensively studied before, even though receiving an organ from the opposite sex can lead to worse survival rates, particularly with heart transplants. In the U.S., 60% of living donors for example, of a kidney or a part of the liver are women. But only 40% of deceased donors are women. In the study, "both sexes had similar reasons for wanting to donate their organs," said lead author Erika Yee, a medical student at the University of Arizona. "They had a desire to help others. They had personal experiences with organ donors or recipients, or they said they have no use for their organs after death. So why not donate?" When people who were not registered donors were asked why, half cited personal fears and more than a third said medical mistrust, with no differences by sex. Other reasons included background knowledge about the transplantation process (33%), religious reasons (20%), and wanting their body to be intact for burial (19%). About 40% of men and women said more information might change their willingness to donate. The researchers used a global crowdsourcing marketplace to recruit 667 participants for a survey in 2019. Researchers can select inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eligible participants can choose to participate based upon their interest and the compensation offered, which in this case was $1. This method provided a "convenience sample," which inherently lacks randomization, and the researchers acknowledged important differences between the people who chose to participate and the general U.S. population. For example, 69% of the participants were white, 55% were women, 80% were 50 or younger, and 68% had an associate degree or higher. The authors noted this as a limitation, as well as that a greater proportion of the excluded participants were married and Hispanic ethnicity. "Systemic racism and bias are known issues affecting patients of color," they wrote, "and socioeconomic status also impacts likelihood of donation. This study lacks the viewpoint of these important intersectional groups." However, they said, since fewer women become deceased organ donors, the oversampling of women is a strength. Although the study might not be generalizable to the entire U.S. population, it's important to know people's reasons for not donating, said Dr. Michael Givertz, medical director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Givertz, who was not involved in the study, was surprised that 36% of non-donors cited medical mistrust as a reason. "I think that what we do as transplant providers is extremely ethical and trustworthy," said Givertz, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, "but based on this survey, that's not always the case, or at least, not widely acknowledged." The good news overall, he said, is transplants in the U.S. have been increasing: In 2019, there were 39,719 compared to 30,974 in 2015 and 28,668 in 2010. But demand still greatly outstrips supply. One person's organs can save eight lives and enhance 75 more lives, according to federal data. "A single organ donor can give a gift of life to a heart patient, to lung patients, to kidney patients and liver patients," Givertz said. "I don't think people realize that." If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Permission is granted, at no cost and without need for further request, for individuals, media outlets, and non-commercial education and awareness efforts to link to, quote, excerpt or reprint from these stories in any medium as long as no text is altered and proper attribution is made to American Heart Association News. Other uses, including educational products or services sold for profit, must comply with the American Heart Associations Copyright Permission Guidelines. See full terms of use. These stories may not be used to promote or endorse a commercial product or service. HEALTH CARE DISCLAIMER: This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately. DEL RIO, Texas (AP) Only 225 migrants remained in a Texas border camp where almost 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants had gathered just days ago hoping to seek asylum, the top elected official in Val Verde County said Friday. County Judge Lewis Owens told The Associated Press in a text message that hes been told all of the migrants will be removed by the end of the day a dramatic change from Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S. many of whom left their homeland after its devastating 2010 earthquake citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation at the border that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and condemnation from civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and UNICEF after images spread widely this week of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. President Joe Biden on Friday said it was horrible to see the way agents used horses block people from crossing the Rio Grande and he promised that people will pay as a result. The incident prompted widespread outrage and is under investigation. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties and the Department of Homeland Security said it has suspended the use of horses in Del Rio. It was horrible, what you saw to see them treat people like they did, Biden told reporters. Those people will pay, theres an investigation underway now and there will be consequences. ... Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Homeland Security has said that nearly 2,000 Haitians had been rapidly expelled on flights since Sunday under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. About 3,900 were being processed for a possible return to Haiti or placement in U.S. immigration court proceedings. Others have been released in the U.S. with notices to appear in court or to report to immigration authorities. Thousands have returned to Mexico. A U.S. official said Thursday that authorities expected the camp to be empty in about two days. The official had direct knowledge but was not authorized to speak publicly. Homeland Security had planned to ramp up to seven daily flights but flew only three Wednesday and five Thursday because of issues with contractors and mechanical delays, the official said. Seven flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, six on Saturday and seven on Sunday. Across a river, Haitians who camped in Mexico awoke Thursday surrounded by security forces, with a helicopter thundering overhead and state police trucks spaced every 30 feet (9 meters) or so between their tents and the edge of the Rio Grande. After anxious minutes of indecision, dozens of families hurried into the river to cross where there was only one municipal police vehicle, calculating it was better to take their chances with U.S. authorities. Things are going badly, said Michou Petion, carrying her 2-year-old son toward the river. Her husband carried bags of belongings and several pairs of sneakers dangled around his neck. The U.S. is deporting a lot to Haiti, now I dont know if I can enter or leave, Petion said. Sharpton said Thursday that he toured the camp and witnessed a real catastrophic and human disgrace. A handful of protesters, some wearing camouflage hats from former President Donald Trumps 2020 campaign, shouted through Sharptons remarks. Sharpton vowed to continue to come back ... and stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. Some Haitians are being allowed to remain in the U.S. at least temporarily to seek asylum or to stay under some other claim to residency, with notices to appear later before immigration authorities. DHS officials declined to specify the number but said they are people with particular vulnerabilities, meaning they are pregnant, have young children or the U.S. doesnt have the capacity to hold them in detention, especially during the pandemic. The government has no plans to stop expelling others on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but it's complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes. I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life, he wrote. Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own. The career diplomat was known to be deeply frustrated with what he considered a lack of urgency in Washington and a glacial pace on efforts to improve conditions in Haiti. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false, Price said. UNICEF said initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. U.S. officials said about two-thirds of those at the camp are families and the rest are single adults. But even as the number of Haitian migrants in Del Rio dwindled, a few groups of Cubans walked along a dirt road toward the camp Thursday. As a group of three men approached, a Texas officer yelled out, We got migrants! One of the men said in Spanish: Were here. We made it to the country of liberty. ___ Lozano reported from Del Rio, Texas. AP journalists Julio Cortez in Del Rio; Joshua Goodman in Miami; Matthew Lee in New York; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. Good morning, yall. With FDA approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot in the bag, Bexar County is opening up a shot clinic today. University Health will be giving the Pfizer booster today, September 24, starting at 10 a.m. at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall, according to a news release. The booster will be available adults 65 and older, and people 18 and older with underlying health conditions. This group of eligible recipients must have received their second Pfizer dose no less than six months ago. Also today, San Antonio will start giving $100 H-E-B gift cards to residents who get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at Metro Health vaccine clinics. The city purchased the gift cards earlier this month as part of its vaccine incentive program. The gift cards will be given to individuals who receive either the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. People who were fully vaccinated before today are not eligible for the gift cards. Today's popup clinics will be at the Stablewood Farms Apartments from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Seventh Day Adventists Church from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. More Metro Health vaccination sites can be found here. Here are five more things you need to know to get your day started. San Antonio area lakes stocked with 9-inch catfish Get your fishing rods ready, San Antonio, because it's time to fish. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says that it has stocked area lakes with catfish. Children under 17 can fish for free, but adults require a fishing license with a freshwater fishing endorsement. Find out which lakes have been stocked here. Texas Fashion Week is now official The first week of October is now officially designated at Texas Fashion Week, which means Alamo City designers will show all the way up to area runways. Shows are scheduled across several local venues throughout the week to show off what's trending in the world of Texas fashion. Read more here. Whataburger keeps it cool If you're a fan of all things Whataburger, then you'll want to get your hands on this new merch decked out in orange and white. The locally-based burger chain partnered with Igloo to create the "Whatacooler" and insulated fanny pack. Find out where to get them here. First look at La Tuna's new 'Ice Box' La Tuna, the 30-year staple that was in trendy Southtown before it was Southtown, has unveiled its new icehouse addition. The La Tuna Ice Box is a small building hidden away on the property is now open, and MySA's Madalyn Mendoza is giving us a first look. Get a look inside here. Snake sightings to increase during cooler months San Antonio is excited for the cold, but so is another group of what could be seen as unwelcomed guests. Sarah Kafel, of San Antonio Snake Removal, tells MySA business has been picking up as snake sightings increase. Appearances are exepcted to rise as weather cools. Find out what that means here. With the Census Bureau finally releasing its population data to the states, they will now begin the process of redrawing political boundaries for local, state and congressional seats. Anyone who believes that there is some magic way of keeping politics out of the redistricting process must still believe in the tooth fairy. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan redistricting in which elected representatives from the majority political party draw boundary lines to try to give their party an advantage is a political question beyond the reach of the federal courts. Moreover, the court pointed out that partisan redistricting is nothing new. It was known in the colonies prior to independence and the framers were familiar with it at the time of the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, said the court. In fact, the term gerrymandering comes from Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry, whose name is forever linked to partisan map drawing due to a state senate district he drew in 1812 that looked like a salamander. Yet the drafters of the Constitution still gave state legislatures the authority to draw congressional boundaries, showing that they expected politics to be part of redistricting. Partisanship is considered a dirty word today, but partisanship is defined by the views and opinions that individuals and the political party they favor have about history, culture, society, politics and public policy. Imposing a rule that legislators cannot take those interests into account and the interests of the voters who elected them when drawing political boundaries would destroy a fundamental element of our democratic system. Politics will always play a role in redistricting. And why shouldnt it? Politics is involved in who runs for office, who voters choose to represent them, and what those candidates do once they get into office. There really is no way to keep political considerations out of redistricting. Indeed, there are strong arguments against trying to do so. One thing we know partisan redistricting is a very inexact science because American voters are unpredictable, no matter what political consultants may tell you. Additionally, we only redistrict every 10 years, and the makeup of districts can change very quickly because we are a highly mobile society. Thus, there are numerous examples of supposedly safe districts at all levels local, state and federal being drawn for one political party that have been won by the opposition party. There are also numerous examples of another American phenomena that makes effective partisan line drawing difficult the tendency of many voters to split their tickets between candidates of different political parties, depending on whether they are voting for their local city council member, their congressional representative or the president of the United States. Some believe we can take politics out of the redistricting process by establishing so-called independent redistricting commissions that take the power to draw political lines away from state legislatures. All this does is move the politics and partisanship behind closed doors. Such commissions, whose members are chosen by the political parties and other government officials, are inevitably made up of individuals with partisan interests, despite their public assertions to the contrary. As a 2019 analysis by the Capital Research Center showed, Californias independent redistricting commission actually drew more partisan congressional districts than the partisan Republicans controlling the Texas state legislature did. And whats worse, such commissions are unaccountable to the people. Voters who are unhappy with the districts drawn by legislators, county commissioners or city council members can vote them out of office. Voters cant do that to appointed commissioners who draw partisan districts that voters dont like. For more than 200 years, Americans have complained about partisan gerrymandering. But that is how our system works, and despite all of the complaints, we have something many other people around the world envy: a remarkably stable system of governance in which our democracy has never been compromised. Hans A. von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation. He is the co-author of the soon to be released book Our Broken Elections: How the Left Changed the Way You Vote. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. WASHINGTON - The House is poised to pass legislation that would create a statutory right for health-care professionals to provide abortions, amid an intensifying legal battle over a Texas law that is the most restrictive in the nation. H.R. 3755, the Women's Health Protection Act, is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House but faces tough odds in the evenly divided Senate. It states that health-care providers have a statutory right to provide, and patients have a right to receive, abortion services without any number of a raft of limitations that states and opponents of the procedure have sought to impose. The measure would essentially codify Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision guaranteeing the right to abortion before viability, usually around 22 to 24 weeks. The new Texas law, which took effect on Sept. 1 after the Supreme Court refused to immediately block its enforcement, bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy and makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse or incest. The law allows private citizens to file civil lawsuits against anyone who helps a woman in Texas terminate her pregnancy. It was deliberately designed to avoid judicial scrutiny by barring state officials, who would typically be the target of lawsuits, from enforcing the ban. Abortion rights proponents fear the most serious threats to the landmark law in nearly a half century, with Mississippi asking the conservative Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade to allow the state's restrictions on abortion access. The Mississippi law would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Democrats see a political issue that has the potential to galvanize female voters ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., defended the House legislation at a Thursday news conference, telling reporters that supporters of Roe have long sought to codify the decision but haven't been able to in recent years because they lacked unified Democratic control of Congress and the White House. "And now we do," Pelosi said. "Every woman everywhere has a constitutional right to basic reproductive health. Yet for years, that has been questioned by some." She pointed to the Texas law in particular, describing it as an "un-American" measure that achieves its goal through the deployment of "vigilantes and bounty hunters." Public polling shows a majority of Americans support the right to abortion in most instances. A Monmouth University poll this week showed that 62 percent of Americans say abortion should be either always legal or legal with some limitations. Those figures had changed little from a survey the university conducted two years ago. Republicans have sought to cast the House measure as extreme and out of step with public opinion, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday denouncing it as a "really a radical bill [that] goes beyond Roe v. Wade." In cases where a fetus has reached viability, the legislation allows for abortion only "when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient's life or health." McCarthy falsely interpreted that part of the measure as allowing "abortion on demand, up until birth." "It shows how far left Democrats have become," he said. In the Senate, the measure currently has the support of 48 senators who caucus with Democrats. Two key Democrats - Sens. Robert P. Casey Jr., Pa., and Joe Manchin III, W.Va., - have not yet signaled how they would vote. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of only two Senate Republicans who support abortion rights, told the Los Angeles Times this week that while she supports codifying Roe, she does not support the House measure because it would weaken conscience protections for health-care providers who do not want to perform abortions. "This 'carve out' would be unprecedented, and I do not believe it is necessary to codify Roe," Collins said. After declining for weeks to say whether Biden would support the House measure, the White House said Monday that it "strongly supports" the legislation, declaring, "We will not allow this country to go backwards on women's equality." "The constitutional rights of women are essential to the health, safety, and progress of our nation," the White House said in a statement of administration policy. "Our daughters and granddaughters deserve the same rights that their mothers and grandmothers fought for and won - and that a clear majority of the American people support." Friday's House vote is taking place amid a tumultuous few weeks in the abortion-rights battle, the effects of which are already being felt in the states after the Texas law went into effect earlier this month. A group of abortion providers and advocates asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to once again take up the Texas law and to find that federal courts have a role in reviewing a state measure that effectively blocks a constitutional right. The Biden administration has also sued the state of Texas to try to block the abortion law. A federal district judge in Austin last week gave Texas until Sept. 29 to reply to the Justice Department's challenge and has set a hearing date for Oct. 1. The Justice Department says the Texas law deprives women in the state of the right to an abortion and imposes an "undue burden" - and that the Constitution generally takes precedence over state laws. A dozen other states have passed legislation banning abortions after about six weeks into pregnancy. But federal judges have stopped those measures from taking effect, finding the laws inconsistent with Roe. The Supreme Court has also scheduled arguments for Dec. 1 in the separate Mississippi case that tests Roe. Alan Braid, a San Antonio physician, stepped forward last week to say that he had performed an abortion for a woman who was in the early stages of a pregnancy but beyond the state's new limit. Braid is now being sued by three private citizens, in what may become a key test of the Texas ban's constitutionality. Just weeks after a near total ban on abortion went into effect in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ceremonially signed a separate bill into law on Friday that will restrict Texans access to abortion-inducing medication. The new law which would narrow the window in which physicians are allowed to give abortion-inducing medication to patients from 10 weeks to seven weeks after conception represents a doubling down by state elected officials on abortion policies that are now among the strictest in the country. The three-week reduction also bucks previous Texas law and U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration guidelines, which state that abortion-inducing medications are safe to administer to patients up to 10 weeks post-conception.\ The bill was officially signed on Sept. 17. It will go into effect on Dec. 2. What today is a celebration. It's a celebration of Texas values, and what we do to support those Texas values, Abbott said in remarks at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin. I think it's clear that the most important freedom of all, obviously, is the right to life, Abbott added. And even as we can all understand the imperative of the right to life, there are still millions of children who lose their lives to abortion, every single year. We in Texas will not accept that. Earlier this month, a law went into effect that bans abortions six weeks after conception, including in cases of rape and incest. Medical experts have called this law a near total ban on abortions, since many patients do not know they are pregnant at that point. Texas abortion providers filed an emergency request to the U.S. Supreme Court to attempt to prevent enforcement of the law. However, in a 5-4 decision, the justices refused to block the Texas law and instead allowed it to take effect while a lower court decides whether its legal. The bill that Abbott signed Friday limiting the access to abortion-inducing medication was challenged by Texas Democrats over a dozen times through amendments on the House floor, all of which failed to pass. State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, questioned the science behind the law and called it political. The abortion-related mortality rate is lower than that of colonoscopies, plastic surgeries, dental procedures and adult tonsillectomies, Howard said. Abortion is much safer than carrying a pregnancy to term and giving birth. A first trimester abortion is one of the safest medical procedures with a less than 0.05% chance of major complications. The new law will also prohibit mailing abortion-inducing drugs. In April, the Biden administration temporarily allowed the medication to be mailed when in-person visits were not always possible due to the pandemic. The Biden administration temporarily lifted restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs, allowing them to be delivered by the mail during the pandemic. There was an effort to make that permanent. We will not allow that in the Lone Star State, Abbott said. Abortion-inducing medication has increasingly become the most common method to terminate a pregnancy, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research institute that supports abortion. The new law singles out two popular drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol. Violations of the law are a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of $10,000. State Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, called the passage of Senate Bill 4 the icing on the cake of a legislative session that has now passed three bills championed by abortion opponents the third was a bill that would outlaw abortion completely in Texas if the landmark Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision is overturned. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Travellers need to be exempt from a temporary resident visa or be from the U.S., Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and meet other requirements. Some travellers to Canada can now apply for a work permit at a port of entry Some travellers to Canada can now apply for a work permit at a port of entry Travellers need to be exempt from a temporary resident visa or be from the U.S., Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and meet other requirements. Some travellers to Canada can now apply for a work permit at a port of entry Travellers need to be exempt from a temporary resident visa or be from the U.S., Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and meet other requirements. Some travellers to Canada can now apply for a work permit at a port of entry Travellers need to be exempt from a temporary resident visa or be from the U.S., Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and meet other requirements. Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Most travellers to Canada were not able to apply for a work permit at a Canadian port of entry (POE) during the pandemic because of the travel restrictions that have been in place. However, they are now able to do so, provided they meet certain requirements. Foreign nationals who are allowed to travel to Canada may make the application. This includes fully vaccinated individuals as well as immediate family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. It may also include those who have a valid job offer in Canada. Any foreign national may be allowed to apply for a work permit at a POE, including those who are not vaccinated. It is important to note, however, that vaccinated individuals are more likely to be exempt from Canadas travel restrictions. Get help with Canadian work permits Temporary foreign workers are generally required to get their work permit before travelling to Canada. You are allowed to apply for one at a POE if you have a job offer in Canada, will not be working as a live-in caregiver or as a seasonal agricultural worker, and meet one of the following requirements: If you do not need to get a temporary resident visa to work in Canada. This includes if your job is part of the International Mobility Program (IMP). This program allows employers to hire foreign nationals without needing to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). An LMIA is a document that shows that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available to perform the duties of the job. This also includes if your job falls within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). In this case, you will need to get a positive or neutral LMIA. The LMIA should be issued by the time you arrive in Canada. If you are a national or permanent resident of the U.S., Greenland or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Nationals or permanent residents of these countries or territories may be allowed to apply for a work permit at a POE whether their job is part of the TFWP or the IMP. What documents do I need at the port of entry? If your job falls within the TFWP, and you need to get an LMIA, then you need to have the following documents when you are at the Canadian border: Your job offer; A copy of the LMIA and your LMIA number; Proof that you are able to perform the duties of the job, such as your qualifications and/or proof of experience. If you are looking to work in Quebec, then you may also need to have a Certificat dacceptation du Quebec (CAQ). If your job is part of the IMP, and you do not need to get an LMIA, then you should have the following documents with you at the border: Your job offer; The offer of employment number from your employer; Proof that you do not need an LMIA; Proof that you are able to perform the duties of the job, such as you qualifications and/or proof of experience. If you do not need an LMIA and you are looking to work in Quebec, you will not need to have a CAQ. In addition, if your work permit expired while you were outside Canada, you may also be allowed to apply for a work permit at a POE if you are eligible. You will be required to show the immigration officer that you meet the requirements for the category you are applying for. It is advisable to check whether you are eligible to enter Canada before heading to the Canadian border. Get help with Canadian work permits CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Adam Piore spoke to fifty current and former staffers at the Wall Street Journal on how the papers editors limit subject matter and political coverage in an effort to hold on to their traditional audience. On this weeks Kicker, Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of CJR, and Piore discuss his findings, the Journals obsession with the New York Times, and what it all means for the journalists who work there. SHOW NOTES Breaking Right, Adam Piore, CJR Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. Documents are the building blocks of journalism. Reporters depend on them in order to shape their inquiries and develop their narratives. We also create them, producing stories across a range of media, much of which shapes public notions of the historical record. A documentbe it a government record, a photograph, a newspaper, or a coloring bookis a vessel for power, a product of forces, often covert, that shape understanding. Off the Recordan exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum whose run concludes on September 27calls these dynamics to our attention. For one work, Sadie Barnette used spray paint to tag FBI records on her father, who was surveilled after founding a Black Panther Party chapter; the work deforms the notion of the sterile, objective, and authoritative state archive, and reclaims the history as subjective and hers for the taking, an accompanying note reads. For another, Carrie Weems retrieved and built upon daguerreotype images of enslaved Africans taken by a naturalist to make purportedly factual, though categorically false declarations justifying the dehumanization of Black people. The exhibit questions the vaunted objectivity of journalistic reporting and historical fact, Holland Cotter wrote for the New York Times. The show, whose title repurposes journalisms best-known phrase, interrogates forms of authoritative communication and expression, including the news; it performs an act of media criticism in the broadest sense. There really isnt an objective truth, which is a main theme, Dr. Ashley James, the shows curator, told Essence earlier this year. No single record should have the power of saying everything. James, recently spoke with CJR about art as media criticism, how media forms meaning, and the role of self-reflection in producing information. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. CJR: How did this exhibition come about? My Fathers FBI File, by Sadie Barnette, sparked this larger idea, which is artists who are engaging with documentswritten, photographic, even things that we wouldnt think of as documents per se, like a coloring bookas a way of speaking to a specific history, and also picking up this concept of history, writ large, and how its constructed. Sadies work features pink and black spray paint against her fathers FBI files. Those gestures are conceptually complex, but materially simplerefined gestures that carry a lot of meaning. They speak back to the very destructive history that these FBI files represent, but also to the FBI in general, to what it means to surveil. Part of the argument that a number of these works make is that there are invisible forces that we dont see when we engage with any kind of document, whether because of their circulationlike with newspapersor because of their authoritylike with history books. The invisible things are the people who made them, the editors, all the history that preceded them. What the artist can do is make those forces visible. Sarah Charlesworths work, for example, masks the text on the front pages of newspapers, which then makes the images hypervisible and allows you to see what is already there by bringing it to the surface in a clearer way. Making it visible. One could argue that artists have a certain kind of facility with materials, and as such, theyre able to aesthetically make these things come to light. The note next to Charlesworths work says that media is implicated in the formation of history and even in meaning itself. How did you think about the latter in your work? This show represents a meeting of a number of different discoursesfrom our historical discourses around legacies of photo conceptualism to the Black studies critique around who writes history and how its transmitted. So, in Charlesworths piece, looking at the Herald Tribune: these are the images that are making history. A newspaper is a container for the writing of history. But its also the bounds of how we begin to understand what history is. Meaning-making happens around archetypes of power and leadership, and around the hierarchies present in the newspaper itself. Think of the front page: What does it mean to open up a paper to see whats happening elsewhere versus making meaning from what is presented as a priority? One step removed from the information itself, there are these frameworks that are also presented to us. This is also an indictment of the show, too. There are certain conventions of a museumeven just how you move through an exhibition space itselfthat govern the way that we understand the show. Even if we say, Its neutral to move from space to space, its not, necessarily. I am interested in artists who are feeling their way around the limits of things, and either saying what those limits are, or else working within the limit, breaking the limit down. That interplay between what we know and how we know it is interesting. As you constructed this exhibitionmindful that it is, itself, a constructionhow did you determine its limits? For the most part, this is a show that is post- 1990s, but the Charlesworth from 77 is one preliminary work. There are also literally limits in the structure; there are works that cannot physically fit in here. There are works that conceptually fit but maybe just didnt look good with the rest. This is a majority Black woman show. Nine of the thirteen artists are Black. There is a version of this where it could be all Black artistssomething I wrestled with. Coming from a marginalized position, it makes sense that marginalized people will have a more skeptical relationship to the historical document. It also makes sense to have white women artists who are thinking about gender. It makes sense to have a Latinx artist whos thinking about imperialism in the US. Off the Record encourages visitors, powerfully, to consider the construction of the official record. Is it enough to consider the construction? Is it possible to go beyond that? Theres work here that I see more aligned with making the structures of the record known. But then there are artists like Tamashi Jackson and Leslie Hewitt where I think its about making a new structure. Theres always benefit in knowing the structureeven if its just so that you proceed with the knowledge that these are the things that are governing your choices. Limits are something that Im very interested in. What are the limits of knowledge? I am interested in artists who are feeling their way around the limits of things, and either saying what those limits are, or else working within the limit, breaking the limit down. That interplay between what we know and how we know it is interesting. When this show first began, there were comments about the idea of fake news. In some ways, the show can feed into this idea that I dont trust the media because of bias. I understand how one can make that connection. But its a question of which constructions you keep and which ones you refuse, right? Anything that you think of as progressive media has a specific framework, as does Fox News, but those arent the same things just because they both have bias. I think it goes back to this question of power. Who has the power? Was there a lightbulb moment in your own life where you realized that knowledge is constructed? I dont know for sure. In undergrad, we read a number of religious texts, talking about what it means to look at something contemporarily versus from a past lens. For me, it felt like one of the first times that the document was destabilized as a thing that was self-evidentthat could not be another way. Multiple interpretations have come from the same text. This is such a foundational idea in African American Studies: what the archive can say, what it includes, all of those things. Something that became more clear to me through this show is what we consider relevant cultural objects. Even a coloring bookwhich is by no means a conventional documenthas an ideological underpinning. Everything does. I like leaving the show on that note because it just reminds you to always be thinking about thateven in the most innocent spaces. ICYMI: Drawing the Trump news cycle Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Lauren Harris is a freelance journalist. She writes CJR's weekly newsletter for the Journalism Crisis Project. Follow her on Twitter @LHarrisWrites. After January 6, when pro-Trump insurrectionists and far-right extremists invaded the Capitol, Timothy Snyder, a history professor and the author of On Tyranny, warned of rising domestic terrorism at a time of declining local news. If we lose the institutions that produce facts that are pertinent to us, then we tend to wallow in attractive abstractions and fictions, Snyder wrote for the New York Times. Truth defends itself particularly poorly when there is not very much of it around. Between 2005 and 2020, right-wing domestic extremists were involved in more than three hundred plots or violent incidents; of those, two hundredplus occurred after 2015. Over roughly the same period, more than two thousand local newspapers either closed or merged; the number of local TV newsrooms also declined. As local journalism employment has fallen, gains in TV and digital newsrooms have been unable to make up for print losses. Threats from right-wing extremists can be high in populous counties, where local-news losses are acute; some attacks occur in rural counties that have gone without much local journalism for years. At crisis moments, when national reporters are tasked with covering communities struck by violence, theres only so much they can learn by scouring online forums. These movements have a slow creep, Brandy Zadrozny, who covers extremism and disinformation for NBC News, said. They often build on years of local grievances. Having reporters who can document with real understanding of a place and community is crucial. In the months following the insurrection, law enforcement arrested more than five hundred people in forty-five states for their connection to the event. If you dont understand the place where something happens, Chris Jones, who covers domestic extremism in Appalachia, said, youre preventing yourself from being able to understand why it happens. Virginia For every January 6, theres hundreds of violent incidents all over the country that never made it into a news headline because there wasnt a journalist there. Jones, a Report for America fellow working for a nonprofit news site called 100 Days in Appalachia, tracks domestic extremism in the region. Since the deadly 2017 white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, more attacks have taken place across the state and in surrounding parts of Appalachia. Its the sort of thing where, if you pay attention, you can start to have a better perspective on it before it spills over to urban centers and other parts of the country, he said. In Virginia, right-wing extremists have threatened mosques, synagogues, and Black churches. Last year, a self-identified Ku Klux Klan member drove through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters near Richmond. (This year, he was convicted of a series of misdemeanors, including assault.) Florida Extremism and disinformation go hand in hand, Zadrozny, of NBC News, said. You literally cant have one without the other. You need to keep people misinformed, angry, and afraid enough to see no other options than to hurt their neighbors and try to topple their elected governments. Since January 6, as domestic extremists have been hit with mass prosecutions, were not seeing the kind of open organizing we saw last yearbut they havent gone away. Zadrozny added, Theres an incredibly important role for local journalists to play. That may be particularly true in Florida, the state with the highest number of insurrection-related arrests. New York Much of my reporting on extremism has entailed compiling local news reports, which helps me identify national trends, Tess Owen, who covers extremism for Vice, said. Owen has written frequently about the Proud Boys, established in New York by Gavin McInnes in 2016 (years after he cofounded Vice). In June, Owen, who is based in Brooklyn, published a digest of Proud Boys actions since the insurrection. By tracking local stories, she said, I was able to make broad conclusions about the groups resilience and ability to organize around hyper-local culture war issues and establish coalitions with other far-right movements. Texas The decimation of local news means a lot less coverage of local hate and extremist events, Heidi Beirich, who cofounded a nonprofit called the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said. It leads to an undercount in general of how much extremist activity is happening across the US. In recent years, Texas has seen numerous anti-Muslim and anti-government threats, as well as militia activity. Last year, right-wing militia members appeared at Black Lives Matter rallies and protests against pandemic-related public health measures; this year, they showed up at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas and, according to a journalist in attendance, harassed the press. Washington Its not an easy subject to cover, Chris Ingalls, an investigative reporter at KING 5, Seattles NBC affiliate, said. It takes some digging, and there just arent enough people with shovels. Since 2019, hes followed the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group; last year, KING 5 issued him an armed security detail when agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force learned that Atomwaffen members planned to visit his home. (Someone later mailed him a letter that read, You have been visited by your local Nazis.) Ingalls believes that domestic extremism has gone under-covered in the Pacific Northwest. We dont want to believe that its here, he said, even though we have these examples. Graphics are based on an analysis of data provided by the Center for Strategic and International Studies Transnational Threats Project; the Radio Television Digital News Association/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Annual Survey; the Soufan Centers Mapping Insecurity project; and the University of North Carolinas Hussman School of Journalism and Media. The Transnational Threats Project does not include incidents for which there is no discernible political motive or threat of violence. County-specific circulation numbers have not been weighted by population. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Brendan Fitzgerald is a senior editor at CJR. Recently, a group of unnamed hackers claiming association with the hacker collective known as Anonymous released more than 180 gigabytes of data from Epik, a web-hosting company whose clients included a number of alt-right groups and services, including right-wing Twitter alternatives Gab and Parler, as well as pro-gun and pro-Trump sites. This dataset is all thats needed to trace actual ownership and management of the fascist side of the internet, the group said in its news release, adding that the information it acquired would help people identify the actors behind disinformation and QAnon sites, among others. The data dump is said to contain account information for all of Epiks clients, including the registered owners email address, mailing address, and other information (although some right-wing sites use anonymization services to conceal this data). The leak was first reported last week by Steven Monacelli, an independent journalist, on Twitter; in the days that followed, it prompted coverage by a range of national outlets, from the Washington Post and CNN to Gizmodo and Mother Jones. The importance of the information in the Epik hackif it proves to be accurateseems obvious, especially for researchers tracking QAnon groups or other disinformation sources, hate-speech advocates, and domestic extremists. The company played such a major role in keeping far-right terrorist cesspools alive, Rita Katz, executive director of SITE Intelligence Group, which studies online extremism, told the Washington Post. Without Epik, many extremist communitiesfrom QAnon and white nationalists to accelerationist neo-Naziswould have had far less oxygen to spread harm, whether that be building toward the January 6 Capitol riots or sowing the misinformation and conspiracy theories chipping away at democracy. Emma Best, co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, a journalism nonprofit that specializes in leaked data, told the Post that some researchers have called the Epik hack the Panama Papers of hate groups, a comparison to the leak of more than 11 million documents that exposed the offshore finance industry, and earned the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists a Pulitzer. Megan Squire, a professor at Elon University who studies right-wing extremism, told the Post Its massive. It may be the biggest domain-style leak Ive seen and, as an extremism researcher, its certainly the most interesting. Its an embarrassment of riches. Like the Panama Papers, getting information out of the huge database and making sense of it is time-consuming, which may explain why coverage of the Epik hack lagged; some outlets published their first stories more than one week after Monacellis tweet. So far, most reports on the Epik hack have been explainers, recapping the data breach and then bringing in commentary on the potential value of the leaked materials from cybersecurity experts and extremism scholars. Gizmodo, in its report, noted that it had downloaded copies of the Epik data and will be assessing its content. The individuals behind the Epik leak are completely unknown, and its unclear whether they are actually affiliated with Anonymousthe group isnt really a coherent entity with membership requirements and a central administration. Such concerns raise questions about motivation; they also place a premium on newsworthiness. What follow-up coverage will look like is anyones guess, and will tell us something about how newsrooms navigate a particular ethical quandary: howor whethersuch materials inform future reporting efforts on disinformation, viral conspiracy theories, and online extremism. Heres more on hacking: Sign up for CJR 's daily email Other notable stories: Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. NEW YORK (AP) After being pummeled by two tropical storms that submerged basements, cracked home foundations and destroyed belongings, Northeastern U.S. residents still in the throes of recovery are being hit with another unexpected blow: Thousands of families are now swamped with financial losses because they didnt have flood insurance. Most of those caught off guard by the intense downpours from the remnants of Hurricane Ida and Tropical Storm Henri lived in areas outside of coastal floodplains, making flood insurance an afterthought for most of the working-class families whose neighborhoods were among the hardest hit. When we called the insurance company, the first thing they told us is that they dont provide any assistance for anything thats caused by a storm. And they left it at that, Amit Shivprasad said, his rising voice echoing frustrations shared among his neighbors in the Jamaica section of Queens. For weeks now, Shivprasad and his parents have been crammed into a relatives apartment after New York City building inspectors declared their home uninhabitable. Floodwaters from Ida, exacerbated by overflowing storm and sewer drains, ripped through an exterior wall and drowned two of the familys tenants in a basement apartment. The storm killed about 50 people across the Northeast, many of whom drowned in basement apartments or in cars. It lashed the region less than two weeks after a drenching from Henri. Residents in Shivprasads neighborhood have long complained about inadequate drainage that makes flooding a frequent worry. This is not a flood zone, which is something I was shocked at, said Shivprasad, whose family home lies 4 miles inland from the nearest flood plain. If it were in a flood zone, the familys mortgage company would have likely required flood insurance. Among the roughly 10,000 homes in his neighborhood, just 16 were protected by flood insurance, according to a database compiled by the Association of State Floodplain Managers. Flood damage is not covered by homeowners or renters insurance policies. People without a flood policy have few options for getting help paying for damage, according to Loretta Worters, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute. They may be able to get federal assistance, she said, including low-interest loans and grants for damage. While officials are still calculating the losses _ believed to be in the billions of dollars _ residents wonder how theyll come up with the money to repair homes and replace belongings. Fans continue to whir in dank basements and dump trucks still make the rounds to haul away mildewed couches, squishy mattresses and now-useless electronics. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has already disbursed at least $22 million to nearly 5,200 families in New York City. More than 38,000 households have applied for aid. In New Jersey, assistance to some 39,000 families is still pending, while FEMA has paid out about $11 million to nearly 3,000 families. Thus far, about $10 million in flood insurance claims has been paid out in New Jersey to 6,000 policy holders, according to FEMA. In New York Citys five boroughs, about $3 million has been disbursed for 2,600 flood insurance claims. Flood insurance, offered through the National Flood Insurance Program, is generally required for mortgages on properties considered to have a roughly 1 in 100 chance each year of flooding _ but is optional for everyone else. Some see it as an unnecessary cost, even as severe weather now strikes with more frequency and greater intensity. You never know, particularly with the way the world is acting right now, when that flood is going to occur in your neighborhood, said Michael Wade, a FEMA spokesperson. All you got to do is look at this particular storm, he said, and youll see that people who didnt live in flood plains _ and who have never been flooded before _ all of a sudden they get inundated with 6 inches of rain an hour. Now they got problems. John and Roseann Kiernans neighborhood in Rossmoor, a sprawling senior living development in Monroe Township in central New Jersey, is 20 miles from the coastline and not near any major rivers. The Kiernans and others said they were told over the years that they didnt need flood insurance because the area isnt in a flood zone _ even though the neighborhood flooded in 2005. John Kiernans mother previously owned the house and had flood insurance that cost about $650 per year, he said. She died eight years ago, and they eventually let the insurance lapse. Now, the Kiernans estimate it will cost $100,000 to get their house back to a livable condition and replace their car. Their existing policy covered nothing, said John Kiernan, a retired corrections officer. The insurance company sent out some very nice, understanding people, they listened to everybody for an hour or so, then basically said, `Youre not getting anything. So thats the way it is. Around the corner from the Kiernans, Joan Russo and her husband have lived in the same house for 16 years and moved in a few days before the flooding in 2005. Their house suffered extensive water damage during Henri, forcing them to move in with her sons family in another town. When we were getting our insurance, they said, `Youre not in a flood area, theres no need for that, she said. You listen to the supplier and they say you dont need it, so you dont get it. Back in Queens, Sahadeo Bhagwandin worries about how he will get his family back home. Theyve been spending nights at a hotel, courtesy of the Red Cross, ever since the flooding. I dont know how Ill fix this, said Bhagwandin, a structural engineer, as he pointed to a thick fissure in his basement wall. It could cost upward of $125,000 to repair his homes foundation, which buckled after floodwaters gushed into the basement. Until a few years back, Bhagwandin said, he had flood insurance _ bought after a 2007 storm inundated streets _ but the policy was later canceled. Some of his neighbors, especially working-class immigrants who face language barriers, arent as familiar with the complexities of property insurance and might not have realized they needed separate coverage for acts of God like flooding and earthquakes. Even if they were aware of the risk of flooding, he said, their financial priorities might have been elsewhere. Its not a rich community, Bhagwandin said. People try to save every dollar they have to do something else with it, instead of buying flood insurance. Associated Press writer Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report. About the photo: In this Sept. 3, 2021 file photo, people clear debris and damaged belongings from their homes in the Queens borough of New York. Floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Ida have long receded but Northeast residents still in the throes of recovery are being hit with another unexpected blow: Thousands of families without flood insurance are now swamped with financial losses after runoff from the fierce storm submerged basements, cracked foundations and destroyed valuable belongings. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A third federal appellate court has ruled against a policyholder seeking business-interruption coverage for income lost because of the coronavirus pandemic. A panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a published decision released Wednesday, affirmed a district court decision that found government orders that forced a restaurant to close its dining room did not cause direct physical damage or loss to the property. The restaurant has not been tangibly destroyed, whether in part or in full, the panel said in an opinion written by Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton. And the owner has not been tangibly or concretely deprived of any of it. It still owns the restaurant and everything inside the space. And it can still put every square foot of the premises to use, even if not for in-person dining use. The decision did not address whether the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on a property could cause a direct physical damage or loss, leaving that question for another day. Many businesses that purchased policies with no virus exclusions are arguing that virus particles remain suspended in air and cling to surfaces, which made their properties unusable for a time. A panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on July 2 affirmed a ruling that government orders that limited the number of patients who can receive care at a dental surgery practice did not create a direct physical loss that was covered by a commercial property insurance policy. A panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the virus particles themselves cannot create a covered loss. Indianapolis attorney Christopher E. Kozak, who filed an amicus brief on behalf of United Policyholders in the 6th Circuit case, said the 11th Circuit did not hold oral arguments and issued a brief unpublished decision. It looked like they didnt take it seriously, he said. Kozak who is with Plews, Shadley, Racher & Braun, said the decision should have little impact on other proceedings. Kozak said he was disappointed by the 6th Circuits decision. He said a jury, not judges, should decide whether the virus causes physical loss or damage. The question of whether a loss occurred is almost a quintessential fact question, he told the Claims Journal. Santos Italian Cafe, which does business as SantoSuossos Pizza Pasta Vino in Medina, Ohio, was forced to close its doors to in-person dining in March 2020 because of state emergency public health orders. The restaurant filed suit after Acuity Insurance Co. denied its business-interruption claim. The 6th Circuit panel said the policy included a virus exclusion and an ordinance and law exclusion, both which seem to bar coverage for a shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But the court said that it does not have to decide whether the exclusions apply because the North Star in its analysis is whether there was direct physical damage or loss of property. The opinion says Acuity had promised to pay for lost business income only during the period of restoration, which begins 24 hours after the loss and ends once the building is repaired, rebuilt or replaced. There is nothing to repair, rebuild, or replace that would allow the resumption of in-person dining operations, the opinion says. What the restaurant needed was an end to the ban on in-person dining, not the repair, rebuilding, or replacement of any of its property. Hartford, Conn. attorney Wystan Michael Ackerman, who wrote an amicus brief in the case on behalf of the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association, said the 6th Circuit restated in its opinion the insurance industrys central argument against COVID-related business-interruption claims: The virus harms people, not property. Ackerman, who is with Robinson & Cole, said most of the lawsuits that have been filed so far allege that coverage is owed because of government orders. He said lawsuits that allege the virus was physically present on a property are in the minority. The Ohio Supreme Court may soon rule on the question that was wasnt answered in the Santos Italian Cafe case, whether the virus itself can cause a covered physical loss. Ackerman said the court in April accepted a certified question from U.S. Northern District of Ohio that addresses exactly that point. The Supreme Courts docket for the case, Neuro-Communication Services Inc., etc., v. The Cincinnati Insurance Co., shows that the APCIA, Ohio Insurance Institute, State Auto Mutual Insurance Co. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., United Policyholders, Restaurant Law Center, Francois Inc, and Queens Tower Restaurant have filed amicus briefs. About the photo: The exterior of SantosSuossos Pizza Pasta Vino is shown. Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) Opposition coalition 1Sambayan will reveal its presidential bet by the end of month. 1Sambayan convenor and retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio said they're still consulting with their more than a million members. "But of course, something might come out like there might be a rush of renewed hope for a unity ticket. So, anything can still happen," Carpio added. Among those being considered are Vice President Leni Robredo, former Senator Antonio Trillanes, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson. The retired magistrate said the results of their internal survey will be combined with the results of SWS and Pulse Asia surveys. They will also assess the candidates based on their integrity, track record, patriotism, competence, and vision for the future. Carpio pointed out unity talks among candidates will continue despite declarations from Pacquiao and Moreno. "As you know after you filed your certificates of candidacy, you can withdraw, you can slide down and run for other offices. So, nothing is fixed in stone," he said. In a statement, Pacquaio said the unity talks are a welcome development, noting the urgency "because the survival of our nation is at stake." "Ako po ay bukas sa mga ganitong pag-uusap lalo nakung ang layunin nito ay ang maisulong ang anumang hakbang na para sa pagkakaisa at ikabubuti ng bansa," the boxer-turned-politician said. [Translation: I am open to that kind of discussions especially if its goal is to push steps for the unity and betterment of the country.] Pacquiao's office released a photo of his meeting with 1Sambayan convenors, including Carpio, retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. But will 1Sambayan wait for Robredo, who has yet to decide whether she'll run for the highest post in the land? Carpio said it's a separate process for them, and they will proceed with their own timetable. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has ordered its regional units to monitor the allocation and use of rapid antigen tests as it seeks to eventually include positive results to the nationwide COVID-19 case tally. "'Yan po ang ating objective para maging mas mabuti iyong picture natin kung ilan ang total cases natin," spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing on Friday when asked if the government will now count positive antigen tests. "Pero siyempre iyong mga positibo, subject pa rin po 'yan for confirmatory tests," he added. [Translation: That's our objective so we can clearly see the picture of our total cases. But the positive will still be subject to confirmatory tests.] However, the Department of Health stressed such a move is still under study. "Hanggang sa ngayon pinag-aaralan natin itong antigen test. Although katulad ng sabi ko sa inyo dati hindi man naipapasok ngayon dito sa ating completed case counts, sa official report ng cases, naka-tally sa amin 'yan. We have the list," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a separate media forum. [Translation: Until now, we're still studying this antigen test. Although like what I've said before, while we don't include this in the completed case counts, in the official report of cases, we have the tally, we have the list.] Vergeire explained officials are still encountering "challenges" when it comes to the submissions of local government units. She called on those who use antigen tests to immediately inform their LGUs especially when positive results come up so the correct protocols will be followed. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is giving another look at calls for a longer voter registration period - with just days left before the Sept. 30 deadline. This, after poll officials got a scolding from senators during what should have been a hearing for Comelec's budget next year. The poll body was unable to present its budget proposal as the lawmakers immediately zeroed in on the tug-of-war to extend the registration deadline. With no commitment to the extension from Comelec, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Franklin Drilon both moved to defer discussions on its 2022 spending plan. "I would like to support the Comelec but in this matter of voter registration, the rights of voters come first," Pangilinan said. "Voting is the bedrock of any democracy, and this is anti-democratic to say the least." READ: Comelecs 2022 budget request trimmed by 15B, higher voter turnout eyed Meanwhile, Drilon raised a possible illegality in Comelec's decision, citing Republic Act 8189 or the Voter's Registration Act of 1996, which allows continuing registration up to January, or 120 days before election day. "What you are insisting on is a clear voting suppression rule... Sa akin ho, labag sa batas ang inyong ginagawa [To me, what you are doing is illegal]," Drilon told Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas. But the poll body wouldn't budge. "Mawalang-galang na po talaga, one week lang po talaga ang kaya naming ibigay. Mahirap mag-commit, your honors, na papalpak po kami in the end. Kami rin ang masisisi," Abas said. "Kung meron lang kaming leeway of time, hindi naman kami maghihintay na hihingi pa kayo. Pero wala po kaming time, medyo delikado po talaga." [Translation: With all due respect, we can only really give one week. It's hard to commit, your honors, only for us to fail in the end and we will be blamed. If we only had the leeway of time, we won't wait for you to ask for us to grant that. But we don't have time, it's critical.] Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are working on bills to extend the registration deadline to October 31. Comelec earlier said if the law is passed, they would have no choice but comply. Abas added that preparations for the May 9 polls could be severely delayed, including the division of voters per precinct and the loading of data to every vote counting machine, which should be finished by mid-December. Senators bargained with Comelec for a second day, now only asking for a three-week reprieve from October 9 to 31 and giving way to the filing of candidacies. They said this is similar to the registration deadlines for the 2013 and 2016 polls. On Friday afternoon, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez announced that top-level poll officials will meet next week to discuss if a longer registration period is doable and by how long, to be recommended to the en banc. "We still maintain that our timelines make it very difficult for us to actually have an extension. However, we are going the extra mile precisely because we hear the clamor of the people," Jimenez told reporters in a briefing. He added that COVID-19 infections among field personnel are also a big challenge to registration activities. "The ManCom (management committee) will game out the scenarios of extension," Jimenez said. "If the ManCom decides that the extension is not feasible, then the recommendation will be no extension. But it will be an effort to look at every possible scenario." The final decision is expected on Wednesday just a day before the Sept. 30 deadline. Some 63.8 million Filipinos are eligible to vote next year as of Sept. 21, with more lining up daily hoping to cast their ballots on May 9. Even Comelec's targets for new registrations were questioned by senators, who said setting a 4-million goal is too low against about 12 million voters who may be disenfranchised. The Senate said it will only tackle the Comelec budget when it has reconsidered pleas for a longer registration period. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) "It is too early to say" whether the new COVID-19 alert level system can already be implemented in areas outside Metro Manila, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday. "Isang linggo palang po tayong nakakapagpatupad. Hindi pa ho natin maibibigay at masasabi kung ito pong mabagal na pagbaba dito sa NCR (National Capital Region) na mga kaso ay talagang mai-ko-contribute natin solely dito sa pagpapatupad natin nitong policy shift na ito," Vergeire told an online media forum. [Translation: We have been implementing this for only a week. We cannot say yet if the policy shift contributed solely to the slow decline of cases in NCR.] "It is still too short a time for us to give appropriate recommendations if we can already rule this out for the rest of the country, or pipili pa tayo uli ng mga ibang lugar na isasama (or we will include other areas in the pilot test)," she added. Metro Manila is testing a new version of the general community quarantine, which maximizes granular lockdowns. The quarantine classification is based on alert levels. The capital region is currently under Alert Level 4. Under this alert status, those below the age of 18 and above 65, people with comorbidities, and pregnant women cannot leave their homes unless they need to access essential goods and services. The policy shift aims to let the ailing economy recover from the health crisis. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24, 2021) The Department of Health (DOH) has proposed simpler and consolidated special allowances for healthcare workers on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. This, as the Senate tackled bills that will grant continuing COVID-19 benefits for private and public workers in the health sector. During the joint hearing of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means, and Health Committees on Friday, the Health department presented the "One COVID-19 Allowance" a consolidation of the existing benefits of healthcare workers like the Special Risk Allowance (SRA), Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP), Meal, Accommodation, and Transportation Allowance (MAT), and life insurance. The "One COVID-19 Allowance" is primarily based on the risk exposure of healthcare workers to COVID-19. Based on the proposal, those with low exposure will get 3,000 per month, 6,000 for those with medium exposure, and 9,000 for those with a high level of exposure to coronavirus patients. "The DOH recognizes that while healthcare workers may be exposed in different levels, they are nonetheless exposed and thus, deserving of the benefits accorded to them by law," Health Secretary Francisco Duque said. The department expects the "One COVID-19 Allowance" to cover more than 526,000 healthcare workers. If passed into law, the Senate will have to find around 50.5B to finance this next year since there is no allocation for special allowances for healthcare workers in the proposed 2022 national budget. "Whatever we need for budget for this, we can search, it's budget season. I'm sure there are unnecessary funding out there that would better best be coursed to this measure that can help our healthcare workers," Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said. "As you know, we're also constrained by the Constitution. We cannot add to the total of the present budget. We can only align... It's very difficult for 50 billion to materialize out of nothing," Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sonny Angara added. While he supports the continued COVID-19 benefits for health workers, Senator Joel Villanueva said risk exposure is hard to measure. He even cited a DOH briefer that there is a high percentage of non-medical health workers who were also affected by the deadly virus. Villanueva is instead proposing a uniform amount to be given to all healthcare workers. As to how much, the senator said this will depend on the actual number of beneficiaries. "Even if I wanted to support 'yung (the) low, medium, high...I'm not sure if I'll agree with the basis of determining the risk. Because I believe it would depend on the surges," he said. The Senate leadership expressed support for the proposed measures and vowed to work for their immediate passage. Healthcare workers' reaction As for hospital administrators like Dr. Gerardo Legaspi - Director of the Philippine General Hospital - the DOH's proposal is easier to implement and healthcare workers will receive a higher daily special allowance. "This will be really equitable to the work that they do. We support and welcome very much this development of stratifying the allowance based on risk and the work that they do," Legaspi said during the hearing. Different organizations of healthcare workers did not have an immediate comment on the consolidated benefits proposal since they still need to tackle it with their members. But they have been clamoring for fair and just allocation, and timely release of the benefits. "We agree that all healthcare workers, medical and non-medical, regardless of employer, whether in public and private, regardless of the status of employment, whether permanent or casual, contractual, job order, contract of service, or outsourced, deserve the COVID-19 benefits and compensation during the period of the pandemic," Filipino Nurses Unite President Maristela Abenojar said. Offensive joke In the middle of the hearing, Philippine Medical Association president Dr. Benito Atienza complained about how they were treated by some lawmakers during a hearing in the House of Representatives. "Sana po sabihan niyo po ang lower house, the doctors po pag inimbita nila, wag naman nila pagagalitan," Atienza told the senators. [Translation: I hope you ask the lower house that when they invite doctors, they should not berate them.] Angara then cracked a joke to make the mood lighter, but Senator Richard Gordon did not take it well. "Walang magagalit sa inyo dito, alam nyo bakit? Kasi nag-log-out na si Senator Gordon kaya wala nang magagalit sa inyo," Angara told Atienza. [Translation: No one will be angry at you here, do you know why? Because Senator Gordon has logged out so no one will be angry at you.] "I find it offensive Senator Angara. Please do not joke about that," Gordon called out Angara. The situation touched a raw nerve in the word war between Gordon and President Rodrigo Duterte. "My family was totally distressed by this. It is not easy, hindi madali. Mumurahin ka ng Pangulo natin, and it's fine with me, kaya ko yan. Pag nanakot na siya, magsasalita na siya na papatay siya at bababuyin ako hanggang kamatayan, kaya ko pa rin yan," the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman said. [Translation: My family was totally distressed by this. It is not easy, not easy. Our President swears at me, and it's fine with me, I can do that. When he threatens me, saying he will kill and desecrate me until death, I can still do that.] "I realized that was ill timed given the current events and what the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is investigating. So my apologies Chairman Gordon," Angara said. Cooler heads prevailed after Gordon accepted Angara's apology. Presidential ally and Senate Health Committee Chairperson Bong Go assured Gordon the President meant no harm in the verbal tussle. "Hindi naman po sa dinedepensahan ko ang ating Pangulo pero hindi niya po magagawa yun na pumatay ng isang tao. At alam naman ni Senator Gordon na mahal ka ng Pangulo e," Go said. [Translation: I'm not defending our President but he's not a killer. And Senator Gordon knows that the President loves you.] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called for a peaceful conduct of the 2022 elections, warning he may be forced to tap the military to prevent any violence. "I'm pleading, almost praying, that people will really stick to the rule of law and avoid violence. Kasi 'pag hindi unahan ko na kayo (Because if not, I'll go ahead)...I will be forced to use the might of the military," Duterte said during a speech at the inauguration of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital. "Either we have an election that is free or I will use the military to see that the election is free," he warned. "I could call them anytime to see to it that people are protected and elections freely, orderly exercised," he added. When the peace and order situation in an area is seen to affect the conduct of the elections, the Commission on Elections has the authority to place it under Comelec control, according to the poll body's Resolution No. 10481. This means Comelec will take immediate and direct supervision over all national and local officials in the area, and can exercise control over all law enforcement agencies as well as the military. Meanwhile, the President also appealed for a fair election. "Gusto ko, sa buong Pilipinas, na (I hope in the entire Philippines the elections will be) peaceful, and people can vote freely for their candidates and that the votes, [they] will be counted correctly. Nobody wants trouble, nobody wants cheating," the chief executive said. Duterte earlier accepted the ruling PDP-Laban party's nomination for him to run as vice president next year expressing his desire to see the "continuity" of his efforts as the country's leader. The nation is now gearing up for the filing of certificates of candidacy from Oct. 1 to 8. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Office of the Ombudsman is open to revising its policy restricting public access to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials. This is according to Zamboanga del Norte 1st district Representative Romeo Jalosjos, who sponsored the budget of the Office of the Ombudsman. He did not give details. The Ombudsman is open to revision of Circular number 1. If you have any suggestion or comments for revision, the ombudsman is open, Jalosjos said during plenary debates on the 2022 budget on Friday. In September 2020, Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued Memorandum Circular No. 1 which sets certain conditions for the release of SALNs. Under the new policy, a SALN will only be released if: - the requester is the declarant or the duly authorized representative of the declarant; - the request is upon lawful order of the court in relation to a pending case; and - the request is made by this Office's Field Investigation Office/Bureau/Unit (FIO/FIB/FIU) for the purpose of conducting fact-finding investigation During the plenary debates, ACT Partylist representative France Castro challenged the policy, insisting it is unconstitutional to limit public access to SALNs. The document has been crucial in identifying possible corruption as it shows whether there is discrepancy in an officials assets and his salary. Sino namang opisyala ng voluntary na magbubukas ng kanyang SALN sa taong nag iimbestiga sa kanya for possible graft and corruption?, Castro asked. [Translation: Who would voluntary open his or her SALN to those investigating for possible graft and corruption?] Since 2018, President Rodrigo Dutertes SALN has not been made public. Martires believes his policy is fair as SALNs have been weaponized against government officials. Jalosjos said the Ombudsman can start reviewing the policy after lawmakers submit recommendations on possible changes. In previous years, members of the media obtained from the Ombudsman copies of SALNs of the President, Vice President and other public officials. The requirements only included a letter of request, a certificate of employment, and valid ID. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Philippine General Hospital, a COVID-19 referral center, is asking for blood donations as supply is now at a "very critical" level. The PGH Blood Donor Center is open Mondays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., even on holidays. Those who want to donate blood to PGH can fill out this online form to know if they are qualified. If volunteers passed the pre-screening, they will be contacted by the University of the Philippines-PGH Blood Bank for the schedule of their appointment. Meanwhile, those interested to host mobile blood drives can contact Rore Enriquez of the UP-PGH Blood Bank through these numbers: 85548400 local 3214 or 09474523667. For other inquiries, they may contact 09474882817. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) Two alternative media outfits said a unit under the Department of Information and Communications Technology has confirmed that the cyber-attacks on their websites were linked to the Philippine Army. Bulatlat and Altermidya, in a joint statement on Thursday, said Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-PH) reported that the attacks originated from the internet protocol (IP) address assigned to the Philippine Army. CERT-PH called DOST and confirmed the IP was assigned to the Philippine Army. This IP was also seen in the provided log file by Bulatlat/Altermidya which is 202.90.137[.].42," the groups said on Thursday. CNN Philippines is seeking confirmation from DICT. The statement added, CERT-PH noted the 2182 lines of logs with destination bulatlat.com from the IP 202.90.137[.].42 which was submitted by the investigation requester." This was similar to the report of Swedish digital forensics group Qurium that brief but frequent distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks against the two websites. DDOS attacks intend to overwhelm a target website with fake traffic, making it inaccessible to users. Bulatlat and Altermidya condemned the Army for carrying out these types of cybercrimes against independent media outfits, saying it does not adhere to its claims of respecting press freedom. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Ramon Zagala denied the allegations of cyber-attack, saying this was merely a "surfing activity." "The Philippine Army denies the cyber-attack allegations. The activity of an account detected with IP address assigned to the Philippine Army was not a form of any cyber-attack but rather a surfing activity, which any internet user can legally do," he said in a statement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee wants officials of Greentrends Trading arrested after the panel failed to issue them subpoenas due to "fictitious" addresses. Greentrends supplied face masks to TigerPhil Marketing, which then sold these to the country's top medical supplier Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation. "I would like to request the Senate President to issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of these people and that they be arrested by the OSAA (Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms)," committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said. Committee secretariat director general Rodolfo Quimbo earlier reported that Greentrends officials Andres Aquino, Raffy Barcina, and Ryan Escano had "fictious" addresses while those of Carlos Agustin and Jayson Espino do not exist. These were the addresses provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Quimbo noted, adding that the company and its officials were registered with the regulatory body. Senators have said TigerPhil and Pharmally earned millions of pesos from the sale to the government of the face masks supplied by Greentrends. Pharmally is in hot water for its sale of what senators deemed overpriced face masks and face shields. It has also been criticized for earning billions of pesos in government procurement deals despite having a paid-up capital of just 625,000. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) A senator on Friday urged the government to ensure that all teachers who will be part of the schools that will reopen for in-person classes are already vaccinated against COVID-19. Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Sen. Nancy Binay said vaccination for teachers that will be covered by the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes must be mandatory. "Unang-una kaunti lang naman itong pilot testing," she said. "And I think gawin natin dapat protocol na mandatory ang vaccination ng teachers natin na magiging bahagi ng pilot face-to-face." [Translation: First of all, only a few schools will be part of the pilot testing. And I think we should have a protocol making vaccination mandatory for teachers that will be part of the pilot face-to-face.] Face-to-face classes will resume in 100 public schools and 20 private schools in low-risk areas after a year of large-scale distance learning in the country. The government has yet to announce the date of the pilot run, but a selection process is underway to assess the readiness of the participating schools. Binay noted, however, that in a recent Senate hearing, the Department of Education (DepEd) could not provide figures on how many teachers were already inoculated against COVID-19. "Bakit wala tayong naririnig sa DepEd na talagang pinaglalaban nila yung mga teachers natin to avail of the vaccine or to make it available to them?" said the senator, who also expressed her alarm as a parent. [Translation: Why are we not hearing from DepEd whether they are truly fighting for our teachers to avail of the vaccine or to make it available to them?] Various groups from the health and education sector urged the government to ramp up testing, tracing, and vaccination, and prepare facilities that will be safe for learning ahead of the school reopening. Binay also called for the inoculation of the general public, including children aged 12 to 17 to protect them from the virus. READ: Gov't urged: Assess readiness of schools under pilot face-to-face classes As of Sept. 14, the Philippines and Venezuela were the only remaining countries that have not reopened schools, the United Nations Childrens Fund or UNICEF reported. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Western Slope Republican, believes that the military should always be funded, even though she plans to vote not to fund it. "But they deserve better," she said in conclusion to a 441-word statement Thursday night. "Taxpayers deserve better. And thats what Ill continue to fight for every day. The freshman lawmaker will oppose the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the military, because she doesn't like the way Democrats operate it. She said she loved the military. The bill was authored by Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Aurora and an Army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. Crow said in a statement Thursday night that he was proud the bill includes a monument on the National Mall to honor troops who fought and died in the Global War on Terror. "Those of us who have served know the transformative power of a sacred place where the American people can come to reflect, remember and heal," Crow said. "A permanent tribute in our Nations Capital will go a long way in honoring those who served this country over the past 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House voted to approve the bill with a wide bipartisan support, 316-113. The Senate still must pass its own version, before the two chambers work it out for a final vote on a single bill. Like Boebert, other members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus opposed the bill for the many of the same reasons Boebert cited. "Our brave service men and women didnt fight for this liberal woke garbage of an agenda and I didnt come to Washington to put a rubber stamp on it either," she stated. "Unfortunately, Democrats politicized and jeopardized funding for our troops in the NDAA, legislation that has traditionally been very bipartisan." Another Colorado Republican, Doug Lamborn, supported the spending bill, given the strong military presence in his El Paso County district. This bill will provide our warfighters in harms way with the resources they need to deter conflict or win it decisively if deterrence fails," he said in a statement. "That said, there are many provisions conservatives will find troubling, and I am dedicated to removing them in Conference Committee with the Senate." He added, "I could not vote against legislation that is vital to the needs of the Fifth Congressional District and our armed forces." The strong position and statement is a subject-changer for Boebert's husband, who is enduring a bruising run of bad news over her initial failure to report nearly a half million for consulting services, with his wife on the powerful House Natural Resources Committee. Tuesday revealed Boebert has other entanglements with the Federal Election Commission, including that her own report that she used campaign money for personal expenses, including rent and utilities for her Rifle restaurant, which the FEC warned her could prove illegal. Boebert's office said it was a billing mistake and she has reimbursed her campaign. It wasn't her first run-in. In February she amended her December report after claiming she drove 38,000 miles within Colorado to campaign for her office. She collected about $21,200 in mileage and other travel expenses in the state. The liberal group Accountable.US called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Boebert's travel, claiming she collected money for travel, even though her campaign had not public events. The "must pass" National Defense Authorization Act would spend $777.9 billion in the coming fiscal year to pay for national defense, including $740.3 billion for the Department of Defense and $27.7 billion for national security through the Department of Energy. Boebert said Democrats ignored Republicans who called for resignations and an impeachment "for their total incompetence" during withdrawal from Afghanistan. "I wont sign on to a bill that does nothing to address these failures," according to her statement. "If the Biden regime isnt going to take any responsibility and Nancy Pelosi isnt going to allow Congress to pursue investigations and if nobody is going to get fired over the Afghanistan debacle, then Im not going to vote to give the Democrats carte blanche to do that crap all over again." She went on to talk about "swampy earmarks," opposing a requirement that young women register with the Selective Service, the same as young men do, as well as the "creation of useless offices and mandatory training to promote 'wokeness' and diversity inclusion among our troops." Boebert said she submitted six amendments to the bill but none them were debated or voted on. A bipartisan amendment that did pass the House Rules Committee adds the SAFE Banking Act, which would allow legal cannabis businesses to access the banking system to reduce the amount of cash changing hand. The measure goes to the House floor for a debate and vote as part of the defense bill. Banks won't do business with the industry now, because cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Thirty-five states allow recreational or medicinal marijuana. The American Bankers Association supports the measure. The bill also included Rep. Diana DeGette's Protecting Americas Wilderness Act to permanently preserve 660,000 acres of Colorado wilderness at 36 sites, as well as locations in California and Washington state. DeGette's office called it the largest land-protection package ever approved as part of the annual defense authorization act. The bill would keep a high-altitude military flight school operated by the Colorado National Guard near Gypsum, which is in Boebert's district, along with many of the wilderness areas in DeGette's bill. Preserving these untouched public lands from the threat of future development is about more than just protecting our environment, DeGette said on the House floor before Thursday's vote. Its also about ensuring that some of our nations most elite military pilots have the opportunity and the space they need to train. This week on Colorado Politicking, legislative reporter Pat Poblete and Denver Gazette reporter Dennis Huspeni discuss the third-party report probing Denver Public School Director Tay Anderson's conduct and school walkouts calling for his resignation. Meanwhile, chief legislative reporter Marianne Goodland focuses on the state Independent Ethics Commission rejecting a request for private security for Secretary of State Jena Griswold. DPS students on Monday walked out of schools, starting with North High School, and marched on the district's downtown headquarters calling for Anderson's resignation. "That's more than a three-mile walk," Huspeni said of the march from NHS to the DPS headquarters. "They were dead-set on getting out there and making sure their message was heard." The walkout came after the DPS board last week voted by a 6-1 margin to sanction Anderson, the only recourse for punishment at its disposal after a probe did not corroborate that he committed allegations of sexual assault but found he made "unbecoming" comments to minors. According to Huspeni, "the students were confused about that." "I think they expected the school board to fire him and what they really didn't understand was that the district ... censured him," he said. Poblete added that a DPS spokesman indicated the censure vote was the extent of the punishment the board could have doled out, though a recall vote is possible. Goodland also dug into the details of a story she reported on earlier this week on Colorado's Independent Ethics Commission unanimously nixing Griswold's request for private security. The issue commissioners raised wasn't that Griswold shouldn't be protected, Goodland said, but rather who would have paid for it. "The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State which is a multi-state organization and she is its chair right now offered to pay for private security for her," Goodland said. "The Ethics Commission, which is a five-member board, took a very dim view of this. They said, 'This looks like a campaign contribution.'" Goodland said Griswold still receives security, paid for by the Department of State, at official events. At issue is security at campaign events. "For right now, there isn't really an answer about how security is going to be handled," she said. Read previous coverage on our stories here: To see previous episodes, click here. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Back in the pre-cloud days, sharing files involved using file transfer protocol applications or else copying files to a disc and then mailing it or walking it over to a colleague (affectionately known as sneakernet). Emails could also be sent (and many people still use email as their main file-sharing option), but size limits on attachments and security concerns discouraged this practice. Todays world of file sharing offers nearly endless options. Giants like Dropbox, Box, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, as well as smaller companies like MediaFire and Tresorit, all offer online cloud storage options that include file sharing, synchronization across multiple devices, and collaboration features. Once you have uploaded a file to one of these services, file-sharing is as easy as clicking a share button and then sending the link to a colleague via email. While most offer desktop and mobile applications, users can also upload, store, sync, and share files via a web browser. The services weve chosen are listed here in alphabetical order and cover a range of options, from basic services for consumers to enterprise-level services. This is not an exhaustive list of all services, but rather a sampling of the big players and some lesser-known vendors. To check file transfer times for each, we uploaded a 245MB ZIP file using an internet connection with an average upload speed of 86 megabits/second. (See How we tested.) Box IDG (Click any image in this story to enlarge it.) Its nearly impossible to talk about Box without mentioning Dropbox (and vice versa), as the two are frequently pitted against each other. Box has always been geared toward businesses and enterprises, while Dropbox used to be largely focused on consumers and SMBs. But both services now include enterprise collaboration features and cloud content management via integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365/Office 365, and many others, along with enterprise-grade security and management options. There is a free plan for individudals that lets you kick the tires it offers 10GB of storage, a 250MB file upload limit, and the ability to share these files with limited permissions. The file upload size limit is a bit strict if you are trying to share video files, but the 10GB storage limit is still pretty generous. Additionally, all of Boxs business plans offer a 14-day free trial. Free account storage space: 10GB Free account max file size: 250MB Paid accounts: Personal Pro, 100GB storage, $10/month; Business Starter, 100GB storage, $5/user/month; Business, unlimited storage, $15/user/month; Business Plus, unlimited storage, $25/user/month; Enterprise, unlimited storage, $35/user/month; Enterprise Plus, unlimited storage, custom pricing. (All business plans require at least 3 users. Prices shown are for annual payments.) Paid account max file size: Personal Pro, 5GB; Business Starter, 2GB; Business, 5GB; Business Plus, 15GB; Enterprise, 50GB, Enterprise Plus, 150GB. Additional features with business plans: Built-in integrations with Slack (as well as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace), plus 1 additional enterprise app integration; Box Sign (unlimited e-signatures via web app); Box Relay (workflow automation); data loss protection; two-factor authentication; SSO; Active Directory integration; other user management features. Higher-level plans offer additional enterprise app integrations; HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance; document watermarking; AI-powered threat detection; more. Time to upload 245MB file: 35 seconds Citrix ShareFile IDG ShareFile, which Citrix acquired in 2011, creates a custom file-sharing site for your business, so you can share files easily with clients, partners, co-workers, and others. For example, your accountant might use ShareFile to securely share tax documents with you. The service offers lots of compelling features and tools for business users, including workflow management, document collaboration, e-signatures, and integration with Outlook and Gmail. Security is robust, too, with enterprise-grade encryption and customizable permissions settings. The ShareFile dashboard makes it easy to add new users and toggle between personal and shared folders. Full-featured apps are available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. There is no free plan, but you can try the Premium version for free for 30 days without having to enter a credit card number. The company also offers a virtual data room for 5 employee users, which offers advanced security, sharing, and control for sensitive data. Free account storage space: N/A Free account max file size: N/A Paid accounts: Standard, unlimited storage, $50/month; Advanced, unlimited storage, $77/month; Premium, unlimited storage, $122/month; Virtual Data Room, 5GB storage, $338/month. All plans are for up to 5 employee users (additional employee user fees are $10$24/user/month) and unlimited client users. (Prices shown are for annual payments.) Paid account max file size: Standard, Advanced, and Premium, 100GB; Virtual Data Room, 5GB. Other paid options include: Feedback and approvals workflow; activity logs; versioning; third-party integrations including Microsoft 365/Office 365 collaboration. Time to upload 245MB file: 1 minute, 38 seconds Dropbox IDG As previously mentioned, Dropbox and Box are big players in the business market, offering enterprise-level security and management features as well as a healthy ecosystem of integrated third-party apps that make the services more robust. Both have continually evolved and improved to the point that, for most organizations, either one is a great option. In recent years, Dropbox has been adding features aimed at boosting productivity and collaboration, such as the ability to create Microsoft Office or Google Docs/Sheets/Slides files from within Dropbox and a new shared Spaces interface for team collaboration. To try before you buy, Dropboxs free Basic plan for individuals offers 2GB of storage. A 30-day free trial is available for all business plans. Free account storage space: 2GB Free account max file size: No limit, but must be smaller than your storage space quota. Paid accounts: Personal plans include Plus (1 user, 2TB storage, $10 per month) and Family (up to 6 users, 2TB shared storage, $17/month). Work plans include Professional (1 user, 3TB storage, $16.60/month); Standard (3+ users, 5TB storage, $12.50/user/month); Advanced (3+ users, unlimited storage, $20/user/month). For enterprise plans, contact Dropbox Sales. (Prices shown are for annual payments.) Additional features with business plans: 180 days of file recovery and version history, 180-day history for Dropbox Rewind (recover from accidents/ransomware by reversing changes at folder or account level), remote device wipe, two-factor authentication, document watermarking, shared link controls, file locking, branded sharing, priority email support, and live chat support. Higher-level plans offer HIPAA compliance, an admin console, SSO integration, audit logs, more. Time to upload 245MB file: 56 seconds Google Drive IDG If youre already invested in the Google ecosystem, Google Drive is a no-brainer, since it integrates with Googles productivity apps, such as Google Docs. Even if you dont use other Google services, Google Drive is worth considering, as it gives users 15GB of free storage (shared with other Google services). Its rates are also competitive 200GB costs individuals just $30/year. With the Backup and Sync desktop client, you can choose which of your Windows or macOS computer folders to continually sync to Google Drive you dont have to keep files in a designated folder, as you do with some services. Permissions on shared files can get complicated weve often shared a link with colleagues only to get a response saying that they cant access the file. But once you can access a file, collaborating on documents in real time through Googles other productivity apps is as good as it gets. [ Further reading: How to use Google Drive for collaboration ] Beyond the 15GB free plan, Drive is available to individuals through a Google One plan. Businesses can opt for either a Google Workspace plan, which includes Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and other productivity/collaboration apps, or Workspace Essentials, which includes all of the above except Gmail and Calendar. A 14-day free trial is available for business plans. Free account storage space: 15GB Free account max file size: 5TB (with some exceptions) Paid accounts: Google One plans for individuals: 100GB, $2/month; 200GB, $3/month; 2TB, $10/month; 10TB, $50/month; 20TB, $100/month; 30TB, $150/month. Google Workspace Essentials plans for businesses: 100GB per user/2TB pooled cloud storage, $8/user/month. Google Workspace plans for businesses: Business Starter: 30GB storage per user, $6/user/month; Business Standard: 2TB storage per user, $12/user/month; Business Plus: 5TB storage per user, $18/user/month; Enterprise (300+ users): unlimited storage, contact sales for pricing. Additional features with business plans: Security and management controls, 24/7 phone and email support, centralized admin console, audit and reporting. Higher-level plans offer advanced endpoint management, data loss prevention, context-aware access, more. Time to upload 245MB file: 48 seconds iCloud Drive IDG Anyone who owns a Mac, iPhone, or iPad likely already has the free 5GB of online storage via iCloud that comes with the creation of an AppleID, and those users can share folders and documents with other iCloud users. Although Apple does offer an iCloud app for Windows, its likely that this mainly benefits Apple users who also use a Windows PC; we dont really see people who are primarily Windows users signing up for an iCloud account to use the service, particularly because iCloud does not have an Android app. Android device users could access iCloud via the web app, but they would likely use Googles online cloud storage to back up their photos and videos anyway. As with other online storage services, users can set up iCloud to automatically back up and sync specific folders from their computer to their iCloud account, such as the Documents folder, Desktop folder, or others. Photos and videos from an iPhone or iPad can also be automatically synchronized. Using this feature can quickly eat up the 5GB of free space, so its likely that anyone using iCloud for such purposes would upgrade to a paid account. At $3 per month for 200GB, its still a relatively good bargain for the Apple faithful. While iCloud users can use their personal accounts to share files with colleagues (and those files are encrypted in transit and at rest), this is essentially a consumer service. Free account storage space: 5GB Free account max file size: 5GB in theory, as long as it doesnt exceed storage limits. Paid accounts: 50GB, $1 per month; 200GB, $3/month; 2TB, $10/month. Apple allows these plans to be shared with family members (up to five other members). Those who subscribe to Apple services such as Apple Music or Apple TV+ may also be able to save money through Apple One bundling. Paid account max file size 50GB, as long as it doesnt exceed storage limits. Additional features with paid plans: Upgrading your storage amount doesnt give you additional features, unlike with other online storage services. Time to upload 245MB file: 1 minute, 56 seconds Disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author. When the Microsoft Surface line was created, I thought then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was making the same mistake he made with Zune and, in a way, he was. But at least with the Surface, it was a market he understood. The Surface did better, but was plagued by the lousy strategy of copying a competitor with a clone-like product. The first Surface tried too hard to be a better iPad, and the iPad itself wasnt the success the iPod and iPhone had been. Typically, a better competitive strategy is to try to one-up a rival, not create a clone. This strategy has been demonstrated by Sun against IBM, Toyota against Ford and GM, Tesla against the existing car industry, and Apple with both the iPod and iPhone. Microsoft this week launched its new Surface line, and two products demonstrate this better strategy: the Surface Laptop Studio and the Duo 2 phone. Im going to focus on the laptop, because it represents the best blend of Windows 11 and hardware Ive seen so far. And Microsoft should be better than anyone else at creating such a blend given that it owns Windows. First, about Windows 11 Ive been reading a lot of disparaging opinions about the Windows 11 beta. Reminder: Its a beta and doesnt represent even the majority of feedback from the users, let alone any initial incompatibility issues with hardware and software. My advice on a new OS is to wait at least three months after general availability before even considering broad deployment and only deploy once it is clear the initial teething problems have been addressed. However, we are entering a period of serious malware, updates and patches arent as problematic as they once were, and Windows 11 was explicitly designed to resist this troubling wave. Given that ransomware is doing billions of dollars worth of damage, I think the risk of OS problems is likely less worrisome than the risk of contaminating a company with ransomware. Issues will undoubtedly be annoying, but a successful ransomware attack or major breach will ruin your life. I expect Windows 11 to be more stable at launch than Windows 10, and Windows 10 was vastly better than Windows 8, Vista, or particularly NT and ME. The least risky products will likely be those designed to run Windows 11. And here, the Surface should have a significant initial advantage. The Surface Laptop Studio One of the traditional problems with Windows was that there didnt seem to be a target customer for various features. It effectively targeted everyone, suggesting the OS wasnt particularly ideal for anyone. That lack of focus helped contribute to the Windows ME, Vista, and Windows 8 troubles. Before Windows 10, Microsoft was targeting creators, which makes sense given they use their PCs capabilities more thoroughly. (This was also an audience Apple historically targeted more aggressively than Microsoft.) Creators, in this case, include engineers, animators, programmers, architects, artists, graphic designers, and others who use computers for more than just social media, email, and Office tasks. These are people who make a living with their PCs and have been huge advocates for Apple over the years. The Surface Book, the predecessor to the Surface Laptop Studio, tried to develop an iPad alternative for this group. Unfortunately, it was both an engineering marvel and a bit of a kludge, given that the tablet form of the device wasnt remotely competitive with the iPad in battery life a critical feature for tablet users. In the end, I expect most creators loved how it looked but rarely used the tablet alone, and that tablet added a great deal to the price and frustration with the product. The Surface Laptop Studio, which arrives Oct. 5 and starts at $1,599, builds on what was good about the Surface Book, offering a crisp physical design and a solid CPU/GPU blend for performance. The devices cantilevered screen collapses into a drawing board or can be used to view videos when traveling in cramped conditions (on a plane, for instance). It has a charging magnetic pen dock, uses a pen with haptics to emulate the feel of paper, has better Omni Sonic speakers and an AI-powered smart camera that uses a neural network to make you look better on video calls. And it has the best keyboard Microsoft has yet made. Overall, it successfully targets that category of creators, especially when coupled with Windows 11. If you want to see an early benchmark of a PC explicitly designed to showcase Windows 11, it would be the Surface Laptop Studio. Singapore reports 1,504 COVID cases, 176 from dormitories: MOH Singapore reported 1,504 new COVID-19 infections, including 273 from dormitories housing foreign workers, the health ministry said. 97.9 per cent of the local cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. Photo courtesy: ANI The new cases also included 13 imported infections, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said. 1,218 were community cases, the ministry said. There are currently 163 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation, and 23 in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). Eight new cases confirmed on Wednesday were from the Woodlands Dormitory, bringing its total to 54. The dormitory for migrant workers has been added to a list of 12 large clusters currently being monitored by the MOH, it said. It involves intra-dormitory transmission among residents with no evidence of spread beyond the dormitory, the ministry added. All the persons have been quarantined. Singapore has reported a total of 81,352 COVID-19 cases and 68 deaths from the disease. There were also four imported cases, those who arrived from abroad, taking the daily tally to 1,457, the highest since the pandemic began early last year. Over the last 28 days, 97.9 per cent of the local cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. 09/24/2021 Photo (c) Peter Zelei - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (previous numbers in parentheses). Total U.S. confirmed cases: 42,680,809 (42,553,299) Total U.S. deaths: 684,428 (681,259) Total global cases: 230,754,396 (230,242,861) Total global deaths: 4,731,348 (4,721,803) CDC panel overruled FDA advisers on booster shots A panel of experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has overruled a similar group advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on COVID-19 booster shots. But the FDA groups view has prevailed. The FDA panel recommended the booster for people 65 and older, people with underlying health conditions, and people in frontline occupations like health care and food distribution. The CDC panel recommendation limited boosters to the elderly and those with underlying conditions. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is siding with the FDA group, saying boosters should be offered to people of all ages who are engaged in high-risk occupations. WHO backs Regeneron's antibody treatment Regenerons COVID-19 antibody treatment has received a vote of confidence from the World Health Organization (WHO). A panel of experts advising the agency has recommended that high-risk COVID-19 patients receive Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment. The treatment is made up of two synthetic antibodies called casirivimab and imdevimab. They have been shown to boost a patients' immune system, and the FDA approved the treatment for use in the U.S. last November. The WHO said there are two primary groups of patients who should receive the drug: people who don't have severe symptoms but are at high risk of hospitalization and patients with severe symptoms. Light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel? How long will this pandemic go on? It was supposed to end with the rollout of vaccines. But then the Delta variant came along. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel thinks were in the late innings of the crisis. He told a Swiss newspaper the pandemic could die out next year as more people around the world get vaccinated. We will end up in a situation similar to that of the flu, Bancel told the outlet, saying he predicted that future within the next 12 months. You can either get vaccinated and have a good winter. Or you dont do it and risk getting sick and possibly even ending up in hospital. Around the nation 168gk.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 9 Nov 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the 168gk homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the 168gk homepage on Twitter + the total number of 168gk followers (if 168gk has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the 168gk homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the 168gk homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the 168gk homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if 168gk has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE 168-,,,, DESCRIPTION 168,,,,,,,,. KEYWORDS , , , , , , 168 OTHER KEYWORDS The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Chinese (Simplified, China) UTF-8Chinese (Simplified, China) DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (ASP.NET,UrlRewriter.NET 2.0.0) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. The language of 168gk.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for 168gk.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND 100% Website volksfreund.de uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 127048 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 1481088 bytes (1446.38 kb uncompressed) and 150672 bytes (147.14 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-09-24, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Market regulation authorities at all levels in China are gradually strengthening their oversight of false or misleading cosmetic product claims, as reported by regulatory consulting firm ChemLinked. Previously: Asia Update: Label and Claim Rules, CBD, Microbeads, Naturals and Men's Cosmetics This comes from the introduction and implementation of the Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation (CSAR) and its supporting regulations and policies. Advertising Offenses According to incomplete statistics, from June to August 2021, more than 20 cosmetic companies were penalized for false or misleading publicity, including international beauty giants, Chinese domestic brands, wholesalers and online platforms. The administrative penalties for illegal, misleading and inaccurate claims are primarily based on the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. Illegal acts include: false advertising; false or misleading claims; inaccurate and unclear descriptions of product functions; use of absolute terms; use of medical terms; and false advertising. False and misleading advertising comprised the majority of offenses, along with products lacking efficacy evidence or exaggerating efficacy. Compliance Solutions To better align with China's supervisions and avoid unnecessary economic losses, ChemLinked suggests cosmetic stakeholders take the following straightforward risk control measures. A former Louisiana State Police trooper has been charged with a civil rights violation for pummeling a Black motorist 18 times with a flashlight the first criminal case to emerge from federal investigations into troopers' beatings of at least three Black men. A grand jury on Thursday indicted Jacob Brown for the 2019 beating following a traffic stop that left Aaron Larry Bowman with a broken jaw, broken ribs and a gash to his head. Brown was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, federal prosecutors said. Brown's indictment comes as the federal prosecutors on the case are scrutinizing other troopers who punched, stunned and dragged another Black motorist, Ronald Greene, before he died in their custody on a rural roadside. The probe of Greene's 2019 death has grown to examine whether police brass obstructed justice to protect the troopers who beat the Black motorist after a high-speed chase. Body camera video of both beatings, which took place less than three weeks and 20 miles (32 kilometers) apart, remained under wraps before the AP obtained and published them this year. They are among a dozen cases over the past decade in which an AP investigation found troopers or their bosses ignored or concealed evidence of beatings, deflected blame and impeded efforts to root out misconduct. The department has previously acknowledged that it has open and ongoing criminal investigations into incidents involving the Louisiana State Police that resulted in death or bodily injury to arrestees," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. "Those investigations remain ongoing. Browns attorney, Scott Wolleson, declined to comment. Capt. Nick Manale, a state police spokesman, said Brown engaged in excessive and unjustifiable actions and failed to report the use of force to his supervisors. Any instance of unjustifiable use of force jeopardizes public safety and is a danger to our communities, Manale said in an email. These actions are inexcusable and have no place in professional public safety services. Bowmans attorney, Donecia Banks-Miley, called the indictment a sigh of relief. Were just trying to remain hopeful and trust the process of justice, she told The Associated Press. Aaron is extremely happy and he just wants full justice. On the May night Bowman was pulled over for a traffic violation, Brown came upon the scene after deputies had forcibly removed Bowman from his vehicle and taken him to the ground. The trooper later told investigators he was in the area and was trying to get involved. Video and police records show he beat Bowman 18 times with a flashlight in 24 seconds after deputies pulled him over for a traffic violation near his Monroe home. Brown later said Bowman had struck a deputy and the blows were pain compliance intended to get Bowman into handcuffs. Bowman, 46, denied hitting anyone and is not seen on the video being violent with officers. He still faces a list of charges, including battery of a police officer, resisting an officer and the traffic violation for which he was initially stopped, improper lane usage. Brown, 31, failed to report his use of force and mislabeled his body-camera footage in what investigators described in internal records as an intentional attempt to hide the video. State police didnt investigate the attack until 536 days later, and only did so after a lawsuit from Bowman. Jacob Brown was perhaps the Louisiana State Police's most prolifically violent trooper in recent years. Records show he tallied 23 uses of force dating to 2015 19 on Black people and he faces state charges in Bowman's case and two other violent arrests of Black motorists. If convicted of the federal charge alone, Brown faces up to a decade in prison. Brown is the son of Bob Brown, a longtime trooper who oversaw statewide criminal investigations and, before retiring, was the agencys chief of staff. Bob Brown did not immediately respond to a call and text message seeking comment. The elder Brown was present at a meeting in Monroe where state police commanders pressured their detectives to hold off on arresting one of the troopers who beat Greene, according to notes written by the lead investigator, detective Albert Paxton. The meeting is among the events being scrutinized as part of federal prosecutors probe of potential obstruction of justice. The Louisiana State Police's own tally shows that in recent years 67% of its uses of force were against Black people. That figure has fueled mounting calls from civil rights groups and Black leaders for the U.S. Justice Department to go beyond individual prosecutions and launch a pattern and practice probe into potential racial profiling by the agency. Col. Lamar Davis, the head of the state police, said earlier this month that he would welcome such a probe if the department deems it necessary but that he wants the opportunity to correct the department's issues and is already working to do so. Carnival Corp. lost $2.8 billion in the third quarter, but shares rose Friday after the cruise line operator said bookings for the second half of next year are running ahead of 2019 levels. Cruising investors are looking for any glimmer of hope for an industry that has been battered by the pandemic. Still, the short-term outlook remains grim. Carnival said the rise in U.S. COVID-19 cases from the delta variant hurt sales this summer. Rivals Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line saw the same thing. New reported virus cases are trending slightly lower now. Carnival said the average ship was only 59% full in August, but that was an improvement from 39% in June, and voyages generated enough revenue to cover cash costs. We reported a significant loss, so we havent recovered yet, obviously, but as we look ahead we see brighter days, CEO Arnold Donald said in an interview. If things continue to trend the way they are (with COVID-19 cases), we should see positive cash flow as we get our fleet sailing broadly again. While there were fewer passengers, they spent 20% more on board than before the pandemic, the company said. Donald said there could be several explanations. People havent been able to cruise -- maybe not even travel for a while, so they are in a mood to spend more because they havent had a chance to in a while," he said. Carnival, which is headquartered in Miami but incorporated in Panama, said that after write-downs its adjusted loss was $1.99 billion in the third quarter, which ended Aug. 31. Eight of Carnivals nine cruise lines including Carnival, Princess and Holland America have resumed sailing with reduced schedules. The company said it expects more than half of its fleet to be operating by the end of October and the full fleet by next summer. The cruise industry has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. The big three cruise companies are incorporated outside the U.S., and they did not receive the same kind of federal relief that was granted to airlines. With revenue at rock-bottom levels, the companies have borrowed billions to avoid sinking. Carnival shares rose 3% to close at $25.44. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) A South Carolina man's family is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of his killer. The Spartanburg County Sheriff made the announcement involving the death of Corey Bigcee Jackson during a news conference on Wednesday, WSPA-TV reported. Jacksons family had previously offered $6,000 for information that would lead to an arrest, but increased it to $10,000 hoping someone would come forward. If we had a million dollars to give, we would give it, its just money. We dont care, theres no value or amount that we could put on Coreys life to get information, said Jacksons sister, Hidiyah Yussif. Jackson, a well known promoter and community activist, was killed at his home in Spartanburg on early on July 25. With only a few leads, police are asking for the public's help in solving the crime. Somebody blatantly killed this young man and he did not deserve that. Thats the reason why I wanted the family to come in and if you dont want to give me the information Im okay with that, but do it for them, Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright said. Jackson's mother, Lillie Greene, said her grandson is having a tough time dealing with his father's sudden death. Hes grieving silently; he had an episode this morning. His question was I thought people died when they were 70 not 39, so how do you explain that to a 7 year old? Greene said. Wright said anyone with information about the case can call anonymously at 1-888-CRIME-SC. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration will have a big say in whether the government releases information to Congress on the actions of former President Donald Trump and his aides on Jan. 6. But there could be a lengthy court battle before any details come out. The House committee investigating the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol asked last month for a trove of records, including communication within the White House under Trump and information about planning and funding for rallies held in Washington. Among those events was a rally near the White House featuring remarks by Trump, who egged on a crowd of thousands before loyalists stormed the Capitol. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that the first tranche of documents from the Trump White House was turned over by the National Archives at the end of last month to the White House and Trump. Either party can object to the release of specific items. And Biden's White House has the right to overrule a Trump effort to block the release of information. Beyond that, the former president may sue to block it all. Or Congress could choose to sue if legislators felt the Biden White House wanted to hold back too much. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Trump has said he would cite executive privilege and refuse to hand over any details. The legal maneuver has been used for decades by presidents and staff including Trump himself to avoid scrutiny by Congress. But Trump doesn't necessarily have the final word now that he's out of office. According to a executive order on presidential records, the archivist who is in possession of the records shall abide by any instructions given him by the incumbent President or his designee unless otherwise directed by a final court order. The White House has indicated it is inclined to release as many of the documents as possible; but officials arent ruling out that there could be individual records Biden may deem privileged. Presidents tend to be protective of their executive privilege to keep White House documents private, both for themselves and their predecessors. But any White House move to deny the congressional request for records on Trump's activities could inflame Democratic legislators just when Biden needs their support to advance his agenda. The requested documents are part of a lengthy, partisan and rancorous investigation into how a mob was able to infiltrate the Capitol and disrupt the certification of Bidens presidential victory, inflicting the most serious assault on Congress in two centuries. More than 650 people have been charged criminally in the attack, the largest prosecution in U.S. history. In addition to White House records from the archives, demands are being made for material from the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and Interior, as well as the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. And late Thursday, the House committee subpoenaed former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. The request for the National Archives and Records Administration is 10 pages long. The committee is seeking All documents and communications within the White House on January 6, 2021, related to Trumps close advisers and family members, the rally at the nearby Ellipse and Trumps Twitter feed. It asks for his specific movements on that day and communications, if any, from the White House Situation Room. Also sought are all documents related to claims of election fraud, as well as Supreme Court decisions on the topic. White House spokesman Michael Gwin said Biden has been engaging with Congress on Jan. 6 issues for several months, and will continue to do so. As President Biden has said, the events of January 6th were a dark stain on our countrys history, and they represented an attack on the foundations of our constitution and democracy in a way that few other events have," Gwin said. The president is deeply committed to ensuring that something like that can never happen again and he supports a thorough investigation into what occurred. The committee is also seeking information about efforts within the Trump administration to push the presidents baseless claims of election fraud and any efforts to try to overturn the results of Novembers election or to impede the peaceful transfer of power. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is heading the committee, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after all but two Republicans opposed creating the 13-person panel. It has also requested that telecommunications and social media companies preserve the personal communications of hundreds of people who may have somehow been connected to the attack. Taylor Budowich, communications director for Trump and his political action committee, criticized the congressional panel's request for records and said the former president would fight it. The highly partisan, Communist-style select committee has put forth an outrageously broad records request that lacks both legal precedent and legislative merit," he said. Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of President Trump and his administration, but also on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our nation. ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report. The U.S. launched a campaign to offer boosters of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to millions of Americans on Friday even as federal health officials stressed the real problem remains getting first shots to the unvaccinated. We will not boost our way out of this pandemic, warned Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even though she took the rare step of overruling the advice of her own expert panel to make more people eligible for the booster. The vast majority of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated, Walensky noted. And all three COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. offer strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death despite the extra-contagious delta variant that caused cases to soar. But immunity against milder infection appears to wane months after initial vaccination. People anxious for another Pfizer dose lost no time rolling up their sleeves after Walensky ruled late Thursday on who's eligible: Americans 65 and older and others vulnerable because of underlying health problems or where they work and live once they're six months past their last dose. Jen Peck, 52, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, qualified because of her job as an education math and science consultant. She was vaccinated back in March but worries about unknowingly picking up and spreading an infection. She travels between rural schools where many students and teachers don't wear masks and the younger children can't yet be vaccinated. I dont want to be COVID Mary carrying it around to buildings full of unvaccinated kiddos. I could not live with myself if I carried it from one building to another. That haunts me, the thought of that, said Peck, who got the extra shot first thing Friday morning. Health officials must clear up confusion over who should get a booster, and why. For now, the booster campaign is what Walensky called a first step. It only applies to people originally vaccinated with shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Decisions on boosters for Americans who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still to come. President Joe Biden said if you're vaccinated, Youre in good shape and were doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in. He urged those now eligible for an extra shot to go get the booster," saying he'd get his own soon and that everyone should be patient and wait their turn. Exactly who should get a booster was a contentious decision as CDC advisers spent two days poring over the evidence. Walensky endorsed most of their choices: People 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have chronic health problems such as diabetes should be offered one once they're six months past their last Pfizer dose. Those 18 and older with health problems can decide for themselves if they want a booster. But in an extremely unusual move, Walensky overruled her advisers' objections and decided an additional broad swath of the population also qualifies: People at increased risk of infection not serious illness because of their jobs or their living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters. This was scientific close call, Walensky said Friday. In that situation it was my call to make. Experts say it was only the second time since 2000 that a CDC director overruled its advisory panel. Health care workers can't come to work if they have even a mild infection and hospitals worried about staffing shortages welcomed that decision. But some of the CDC's advisers worry that offering boosters so broadly could backfire without better evidence that it really will make a difference beyond the most medically vulnerable. My hope is that all of this confusion or what may feel like confusion doesnt send a message to the public that there is any problem with the vaccine, said Dr. Beth Bell, a University of Washington expert. "I want to make sure people understand these are fantastic vaccines and they work extremely well. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. governments top infectious disease specialist, cautioned against seeking a Pfizer booster before the recommended six-month mark. You get much more of a bang out of the shot by letting the immune system mature that long so its prepared to rev up production of virus-fighting antibodies, he explained. The U.S. had already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking. About 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just 55% of the total population. Three-quarters of those 12 and older the ages eligible for vaccination have had a first dose. ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York, Zeke Miller in Washington and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin contributed reporting. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Connecticut residents over the age of 65 or who are in high-risk jobs began receiving a booster shot of the COVID vaccine developed by Pfizer Friday. The Yale New Haven Health system said it had begun administering third doses for those 65 and older, those 18 to 64 who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to medical issues and healthcare workers. The state has said hundreds of thousands qualify for the boosters. The state had previously begun providing third doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to immunocompromised residents, with about 24,000 already receiving a third shot. Also on Friday, the state reported a positive test rate of 1.88 percent, with 470 new cases reported, and no change in the number of people in hospitals with COVID-19. Chris Boyle, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health, said hundreds of providers across the state are prepared to administer the shots. Whether an appointment is needed will depend on the vaccine provider. People seeking a booster shot may be asked for an ID, but they cannot be turned away if they do not have one, Boyle said. Similarly, people cannot be turned away if they fail to show proof of a qualifying medical condition or at-risk occupation, he said. The boosters apply only to people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. No recommendation has been made for people who received the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson or Moderna. The shots are recommended 6 months after those individuals have completed their first round of doses. A Pfizer spokesperson said Friday the National Institutes of Health is currently studying mixing the vaccine with other doses. Our perspective is, weve only studied it with our vaccine alone. We havent conducted a study on the mixing of it, said Jerica Pitts, director of global media relations for Pfizer. This is a very positive step from CDC and FDA, said Hartford HealthCare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ajay Kumar, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Im excited that were able to offer the booster to a larger community at this time, this is going to make our place safer and communities safer. He called the step a positive direction, despite some confusion, speaking during a virtual press conference Friday afternoon. The rollout caps months of debate among federal health officials over whether booster shots of the vaccine would be necessary. On Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended adding those in high risk occupational and institutional settings, such as teachers and prison guards, to the list of those eligible to receive boosters. More than 1.4 million people have received at least a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Connecticut, according to state data. The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for people over the age of 16 under the market name Comirnaty, and is authorized for children as young as 12 under an emergency use authorization. Eric Arlia, pharmacy system director at Hartford HealthCare said the hospital system will require people to sign up for an appointment for booster shots. Those looking to get their first or second dose of the vaccine will still be able to walk up for a shot, he said. This will help us make sure that we have adequate supply at all of our clinics, Arlia said. He said the reasoning behind the boosters is the presence of breakthrough infections in some age groups. While their symptoms appear to be more mild than someone who wasnt vaccinated I want to stress that were finding... it seems like this is a point in time where this can be making a difference for those populations, he said. People will be asked to attest that they fall into one of the categories of people eligible for the shot, Arlia said, and from there they will be directed to locations offering appointments. Currently, Hartford HealthCare has 17 locations offering the vaccine, all of which offer Pfizer. He said the hospital system is working to set up the process, which he feels confident will be ready by the end of the day Friday, with the system ready to schedule appointments starting on Monday. Those eligible should expect to bring their vaccine card with them in order to keep their records up to date, he said. We definitely feel confident that we have plenty of vaccine, I can assure everyone of that, he added. Supply of the necessary doses will not be an issue, Boyle said. We have more than an adequate supply of Pfizer booster doses, Boyle said during a brief phone interview Friday morning. The move contradicted the recommendations of the committee advising the CDC, which recommended boosters should only go to those in longterm care facilities, those over the age of 65 and people with underlying conditions over the age of 18. Walensky accepted those recommendations. Yale said boosters were available by appointment at the following locations: YNHHS Site, 200 Orchard St, New Haven, CT Bridgeport Hospital Primary Care Center Building, 226 Mill Hill Ave., Bridgeport, CT Northeast Medical Group (NEMG) Office, 4a Devine Street, North Haven, CT NEMG Office, 1152 Kings Hwy Cutoff, Fairfield, CT NEMG Office, 194 Howard Street, New London, CT Staff writer Jordan Fenster contributed reporting. NEW HAVEN A city man pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with the attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant, during which he allegedly shot an employee, in April 2015, according to federal authorities. Treizy Lopez, 24, of New Haven, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, federal authorities said in a statement. In the case, Lopez, Tythrone Ford and another man entered the Smokin Wings restaurant, located on Congress Avenue in New Haven, at about 11 p.m. April 11, 2015, and demanded money at gunpoint, federal authorities said in the statement, citing court documents and statements made in court. Lopez subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach, federal authorities said in the statement. Lopez, Ford and their associate then fled the restaurant. Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can. About eight hours before the Smokin Wings robbery, Lopez and another individual, armed with handguns, entered Sapiaos Market, located on Lexington Avenue in Bridgeport, and demanded money. During the attempted robbery, the owner of the market, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed, federal authorities said in the statement. Ford was waiting in a car outside of the market during the attempted robbery. Forensic analysis of the revolver found in the trash can in New Haven, and projectiles collected from the scene of both attempted robberies, revealed that the gun was used in both shootings. DNA collected from the gun revealed that both Lopez and Ford possessed the gun. Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison; Meyer scheduled sentencing for Dec. 16, 2021. Ford pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 21, 2021, and awaits sentencing. Lopez is incarcerated in state custody after being convicted of offenses related to his role in the robbery and homicide at Sapiaos Market, federal authorities said in the statement. The cold case investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justices Departments Project Safe Neighborhoods program and Project Longevity. PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Friday Lebanons new prime minister at the presidential palace, wishing him success and promising France would continue to support the crisis-struck country. In Beirut, protesters pelted commercial banks with eggs and rallied against the political class for obstructing the probe into last years devastating port blast. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is on his first foreign trip after taking office, days after his government was confirmed by parliament a move that ended a 13-month deadlock that came as Lebanon is struggling with an economic meltdown and rising poverty. You have an immense and historic responsibility," Macron told Mikati during a joint press conference at the Elysee. "We will do everything to help you succeed. Throughout Lebanon's crisis, France had taken the lead among the international community in helping the small Mideast country, a former French protectorate. Paris has hosted aid conferences and pushed for reform, and last year, Macron presented Lebanese politicians with a road map for policy change and reforms and scolded them for failing to form a government. But his hands-on approach failed to expedite government formation or bring about major change. On Friday, Macron said Lebanon faces a humanitarian emergency and promised France would help in efforts to mobilize the international community to respond to the most urgent needs. We have an opportunity to advance concretely on the path of reforms, Macron said, adding that international support can provide more help once energy and public finance sector reforms are launched. The path is arduous and the task is difficult, Macron said. We are here. France will remain at the side of the Lebanese people. Mikati's government is expected to undertake critically needed reforms while grappling with rising public anger and tensions resulting from the deepening hardships. He said he will be counting on Frances support during talks with the International Monetary Fund to negotiate a recovery package, a priority for the new Cabinet. I assured Mr. president of my determination to implement as soon as possible with my government and with the support of the president of the republic, Michel Aoun, and with the support of the parliament the necessary and imminent reforms to regain confidence and give back hope to reduce the suffering of the Lebanese people," Mikati said, speaking in French. Mikati has said he would lift subsidies by the end of September as Lebanese foreign reserves run dangerously low and the central bank can no longer support its $6 billion subsidy program. A billionaire businessman and one of the richest men in Lebanon and now a third-time prime minister Mikati is widely seen as part of the entrenched political elite. Few believe he can chart a path for reform with a government that leaves power in the hands of the same political parties the public blames for corruption and mismanagement of Lebanons resources. Dozens of Lebanese protested outside several private banks in central Beirut on Friday, demanding access to their hard currency deposits that have been de facto locked since the financial and economic crisis unfolded in late 2019. The protesters hurled eggs and tomatoes at the bank buildings, prompting angry bank employees to shout at them and Lebanese security forces pushed the crowd back. Private banks have imposed informal capital controls, limiting withdrawals, transfers and effectively preventing access to foreign currency accounts. The national currency has since been in a free fall, losing more than 90% of its value. Underlining one of the first hurdles facing Mikati's government, families of the victims of the massive August 2020 explosion at Beirut's port decried on Friday what they say is continued political interference in the domestic probe looking into what caused the blast and bringing those responsible to justice. In a statement, they called for international protection for the lead judge in the investigation, Tarek Bitar, suggesting his life and that of his family may be in danger following reported threats. Covering up the truth of the port explosion will be dangerous for the unity of Lebanon, it said. One of the key demands of both the international community and Lebanese campaigning for reforms has been the independence of Lebanons judiciary and accountability for corruption and political violence. French prosecutors have opened investigation into money-laundering allegations against Lebanon's central bank governor. Lebanese media recently revealed that Bitar had received threats, purportedly from senior members of the powerful militant Hezbollah group who are allegedly getting impatient with the course of the investigation and threatening to remove him. After the leak, Bitar reported the threat to prosecutors. Hezbollah has not commented on the threat but the leader of the Iran-backed group had in the past criticized Bitar for an allegedly politicized investigation. No Hezbollah member has been implicated in the investigation and its concerns with the probe are unclear. Meanwhile, two former ministers accused of intentional negligence that led to the port explosion, have asked the countrys highest court to replace Bitar, the second judge to lead the complicated and thorny investigation. The first was removed earlier this year after similar challenges in court. ___ El Deeb reported from Beirut. NEW YORK (AP) This weeks phone call between President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron may have soothed some of France's incandescent rage over its exclusion from a new Indo-Pacific defense initiative and loss of a submarine deal worth billions, but the anger and resentment remain clear. After meeting Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pointedly referred to the situation as a crisis that will take time and U.S. action to overcome. As part of the defense pact, Australia will cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. According to Le Drian, he and Blinken discussed the terms and topics to be dealt with in an in-depth consultation process between the two countries aimed at restoring trust. Le Drian "affirmed that a first step had been taken with the call between the two presidents but noted that it would take time to end the crisis between our two countries and would require actions, according to a statement from the French foreign ministry. Thats even after Macron told Biden he had decided to send his countrys ambassador recalled to Paris in an unprecedented move at the height of the spat back to Washington. Seeking rapprochement with Americas oldest ally appears not to come easily to the Biden administration, which has stopped short of apologizing for excluding France from its Indo-Pacific arrangement with Britain and Australia and seems intent on powering through the trouble. While Le Drian lingered on the hurt and damage done to the relationship, neither Blinken nor the State Department's account of the meeting gave it nary a mention. Nor did they mention "trust." Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Blinken said he would work closely with Le Drian on the process of in-depth consultations going forward, but he ignored a question about whether the U.S. regards the situation as a crisis and whether he apologized to the minister. We recognize this will take time and hard work and will be demonstrated not only in words but in deeds, and I committed to working closely with Mr. Le Drian on this crucial effort, Blinken said. On a personal note, I would just add that he and I have been friends for a long time, he is someone I hold in great esteem. Blinken's comments, though, appeared to suggest that both sides needed to work hard for the in-depth consultations to succeed. State Department spokesman Ned Price had said earlier that the two men "discussed the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which the United States welcomes, and the need for close cooperation with France and other European allies and partners active in the region. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Health care access is getting substantially less expensive for consumers on the state's health insurance exchange through a combination of federal pandemic relief, a growing pool of subscribers and coming soon proceeds from a new state tax, insurance regulators told a panel of legislators Thursday. State lawmakers this year approved a tax increase on a wide range of health insurance premiums, starting on Jan. 1, 2022. That will help underwrite health-exchange insurance offerings for low- and moderate-income individuals along with employees at small businesses, starting in 2023. Federal pandemic relief already has substantially reduced the cost to consumers of monthly insurance payments, with the average premium on the state exchange falling from $195 in late 2020 to $139 in 2021. Heavily discounted premiums were aggressively marketed during a six-month special enrollment period that ended on Aug. 15. State health exchange CEO Jeffrey Bustamante and state insurance Superintendent Russell Toal briefed a panel of legislators Thursday on the shifting financial landscape for access to medical care. Several legislators Republican and Democratic remained wary of the 2.75% tax increase on insurance policies, warning it may be passed on to businesses and consumers by health insurance companies with unintended consequences. Insurance officials say the major brunt of the tax increase will fall on managed care organizations that provide Medicaid insurance. At the same time, state House Majority Floor Leader Javier Martinez of Albuquerque provided a full throated endorsement of the initiative, saying it promises to help break the costly and brutal cycle of providing medical care to the poor through emergency room visits. This isnt to punish those of us with health insurance, Martinez said. This is to ensure that those that dont have access can access health care. ... This is one of those rare moments when this Legislature has actually taken a leap of faith, a very well-informed and data-driven leap of faith. Across New Mexico, about 214,000 residents remain uninsured among a statewide population of 2.1 million. About half of those uninsured residents qualify for assistance through Medicaid or subsidized insurance policies sold on the state exchange, Toal said. Bustamante, who oversees New Mexico's beWellnm.com insurance exchange, said about 60,000 people are likely to exit Medicaid insurance next year as special federal pandemic provisions expire. Many are likely to seek out new insurance policies on the state exchange. Under the Affordable Care Act, New Mexico cut the number of uninsured residents in half with the expansion of Medicaid. Legislators have laid the groundwork to extend insurance further though financial subsidies and incentives, while shunning proposals to provide universal insurance through a state-run, single-payer system. The state's increased tax on health insurance premiums is expected to generate about $280 million annually. More than half the money initially goes toward health exchange subsidies. Toal said that federal pandemic aid has successfully lowered monthly insurance premiums. He said the state's new mission is to reduce other out-of-pocket insurance costs such as per-visit charges to physicians and deductible amounts that people must spend before insurance policies pay for some or all of claims. If youre a low-income family, youre faced with almost $8,000 worth of out-of-pocket costs for your insurance. Youre not going to purchase that insurance, he said. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A U.S. District Court judge has ruled against plans by the Native Village of Eklutna to build a tribal gaming hall about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of downtown Anchorage. The tribe had intended to offer pull-tabs, bingo and lotteries at the site, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The tribal government has said the gaming hall would support jobs, tourism and the economy. EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) The Michigan Supreme Court will look at the life sentence of a man who was a teenager in 2009 when he was charged with a notorious kidnapping and murder in suburban Detroit. Robert Taylor, now 29, is serving a life sentence with no chance for parole for his role in the death of Matt Landry, who was kidnapped from outside a sandwich shop in Eastpointe. PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) A Virginia city is banning firearms from public spaces. The Petersburg City Council unanimously passed a measure Tuesday barring people from carrying firearms in any place open to the public, The Progress-Index reported. The ban includes city buildings, public parks, city-owned recreation or community centers and any public street, road, alley or sidewalk. On-duty law enforcement officers and armed security personnel acting on a contract with the city are exempt. Councilor Charlie Cuthbert introduced the idea in July shortly after community activist Willie Noise III was fatally shot at the city-owned Patton Park. Cuthbert asked the city attorney to draft a law prohibiting firearms in city parks. The law is nearly identical to the Virginia State Code, City Attorney Anthony Williams said, adding that there may be issues with enforcing the law. I dont have a recommendation on whether this is going to be a challenge to enforce because I do think the language of the state code does lend itself to some ambiguities, Williams said. A violation is equal to a class one misdemeanor, which carries the possibility of a 12-month jail sentence and up to a $1,000 fine. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A plea agreement hearing is set next month for a former councilman for the city of Parkersburg, West Virginia, who is charged with breaching the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. The hearing for Eric Barber is scheduled for Oct. 14 in federal court in Washington, D.C., according to court documents. He remains free on personal recognizance. Barber is charged with theft, disorderly conduct, entering and remaining in a restricted area or grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. A criminal complaint alleges photos and security video show Barber inside the Capitol wearing a green combat-style helmet and a green military-style field jacket. It said video reviewed by law enforcement recorded Barber saying, Theyre giving us the building, and that he took selfie images in the Capitol Rotunda. It also claims he stole a portable power station from a C-SPAN media stand. Barber was elected to the Parkersburg City Council in 2016 as a Democrat. He changed his registration to independent a year later, then changed it again to Republican before losing his re-election bid last November. His previous criminal history included convictions for breaking and entering, petit larceny, controlled substances, drunken driving and fleeing arrest. Later, as a council member, his drivers license was revoked on a marijuana charge. Barber pleaded guilty in a separate incident to disorderly conduct for ignoring police orders to stop taking photos and video near his Parkersburg home of someone being treated during a medical emergency. Other suspects from West Virginia who were charged in the riot include Morgantown sandwich shop owner George Tanios. He awaits trial in the assault of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after defending the Capitol. A federal appeals court in August ruled that Tanios can be released on bond while he awaits trial. Republican West Virginia state Del. Derrick Evans resigned his seat in early January after he was charged with entering the Capitol. He faces a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and aiding or abetting along with several misdemeanors. Prosecutors said Evans livestreamed himself rushing into the U.S. Capitol with a mob of President Donald Trumps supporters on Jan. 6. Gracyn Dawn Courtright of Hurricane faces up to six months in prison when she's sentenced on Nov. 16 of her misdemeanor guilty plea to knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Prosecutors said Courtright was seen taking a Members Only sign near the Senate chambers after entering the Capitol. BRIDGEPORT A city man is accused of mistakenly killing his best friend who he mistook for a man who had shot him last year, according to police. Eric Ayala, 22, of William Place, was brought back from New York where police said he had fled after being questioned by detectives, and was arraigned Friday afternoon on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, criminal possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. Police said Ayala is accused of firing through a closed door at a man he had believed previously shot him only to learn later that he had killed his best friend, 33-year-old Gregory Ingram. Ingrams family, sitting in the back of the courtroom, glared at Ayala as he was brought into the courtroom. They were friends, they hung out together, Ingrams mother, Bobbie Ingram, said later outside the Golden Hill Street courtroom, her voice cracking with emotion. He (Ayala) stabbed his own friend in the back. Deputy Assistant States Attorney Peter Cunniff urged Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton to set a high bond for Ayala arguing the defendant fled to New York after initially being questioned by police in the case. But Ayalas lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Nicole Feinberg, urged leniency for her client. He denies the allegations but appreciates the seriousness of the charges, she said. The judge ordered Ayala held in lieu of $1 million bond and continued the case to Oct. 5. Shortly after 2 a.m. on March 13, police responded to a shooting on Seaview Avenue and found the victim lying in a large pool of blood on the front stairwell between the second and third floors. Police said he had been shot in the torso. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Ingram and his girlfriend had just moved into the third-floor apartment. They were asleep in bed when they were awakened by a loud noise coming from their back door. The affidavit states that Ingram went to investigate and was standing just inside the closed door when numerous shots began coming through the door and the walls. Babe Im hit, call my mom. They got me, the affidavit states Ingram gasped. He then dragged himself to the front stairwell where he collapsed. The affidavit states that from surveillance video police were able to identify the gunmans getaway vehicle as an older red Ford sedan. The car was traced to a local used car lot where it had just been put up for sale, the affidavit states. Ayala was identified as the previous owner, according to the affidavit. But the affidavit continues that Ayala told detectives he had lent the car out to two other men who had killed Ingram. He told detectives he was upset because Ingram was like a brother to him. Ayala told detectives that the intended target had been a man named Johnno who previously lived in the Seaview Avenue apartment and had shot Ayala last October on Pembroke Street, the affidavit states. However, the affidavit continues, detectives were able to trace Ayala to the murder scene through his cell phone. Bobbie Ingram said her son had grown up in Bridgeport and attended Central High School before moving to Pennsylvania. She said he only recently returned to Bridgeport. He left four kids, four babies that now I am raising, she said, crying. CLEVELAND (AP) A man hitting an unoccupied ambulance with a hatchet was shot and critically wounded early Friday by a Cleveland police officer after he lunged at another officer on a bridge, authorities said. An emergency medical crew that had responded to an unrelated matter called police to report the man was a hitting their ambulance, authorities said. The 30-year-old man then moved toward the crew members and threw the hatchet at the vehicle, picked the hatchet up and continued acting irrationally, striking the ground with the hatchet and nearby wires. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Republicans forced their redistricting plan for congressional and legislative seats through the Indiana House on Thursday, casting aside objections that the new maps lock in an excessive partisan advantage for the GOP for another decade. House members voted 67-31 largely on party lines to endorse the plan, sending it to the state Senate for expected final approval next week. The new districts would take effect next year and be in place through the 2030 elections. Political analysts say the new maps protect Republicans' dominance that has given them a 7-2 majority of Indianas U.S. House seats and commanding majorities in the state Legislature, exceeding their typical 56% of the statewide vote. Republicans maintain theyve followed all federal and state laws for the once-a-decade redrawing of election districts to match population changes recorded by the census while avoiding splitting counties and cities between multiple districts as much as possible. Democrats argued the Republicans were using gerrymandering drawing districts to favor a particular party to cement supermajorities in the Legislature, giving them absolute power. The state Senate now has a 39-11 Republican supermajority, which with the 71-29 GOP House control, allows Republicans in both chambers to approve proposals without any Democrats being present. Democrats pointed to the new congressional map that shifts the northern tier of Democratic-leaning Indianapolis from the 5th District that Republican Rep. Victora Spartz narrowly won last year and giving it more GOP-friendly rural areas north of the city. That move was made after the district had trended over the past decade from a Republican stronghold to the most politically competitive in the state. The decision was made, Well weve got to stamp that out. We cant have that happening, said Democratic Rep. Matt Pierce of Bloomington. Republican House elections committee Chairman Tim Wesco of Osceola said many of those who testified at public hearings emphasized their desire for districts that limited the splitting up of cities and counties. Wesco credited the leader of the House Republican redistricting work, Rep. Greg Steuerwald of Avon, for making maps as compact and, I dare say, as beautiful as possible. The truth is people dont want districts that look like salamanders, Wesco said. Republicans on Wednesday rejected a proposal from Democrats to use a map for the 100 state House districts that was submitted by a resident to the unofficial Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission organized by voting-rights groups. Democrats said that map would better reflect the states political leanings by resulting in an expected 59-41 Republican majority. Democrats spoke against the fast-track approval of the Republican redistricting plan, which could be completed on Oct. 1. That would be 17 days after the first of the proposed maps were released to the public and make Indiana one of the first states to complete redistricting work. We need to reconsider this rushed timeline and take your maps out around the state for public review, said Democratic Rep. Vernon Smith of Gary. Instead of only considering your plan, one plan drawn behind closed doors by one party, give proper consideration to the maps the citizens redistricting commission and others have proposed. Republicans have used the full legislative supermajorities theyve held since the 2012 elections to advance issues such as expanding state funding of vouchers for students attending private schools, toughening anti-abortion laws and approving a contentious religious objections law in 2015. The Republican plan for new state Senate districts was just released Tuesday, with analysts projecting it would give the GOP at least its current 39-11 majority. The Senate elections committee will hold a public hearing Monday. Pierce called the proposed Senate map the king of the gerrymander. How much is enough? Pierce said. You get the sense that they have this feeling theres a birthright that the minority party in the Senate should never have more than single digits for seats. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Health care officials are lodging complaints about a reopened transfer center intended to help Nebraska hospitals find places to send patients who need additional care as COVID-19 cases have surged in recent weeks. Officials at Lincolns Bryan Health and at smaller hospitals around the state have complained that the transfer center has not proven helpful in recent cases where very sick patients need to get to a larger hospital, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. In some cases, hospital staff reported they got no help from the system and, instead, had to make numerous calls themselves to find an intensive care bed. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced at the beginning of the month the reboot of the transfer center, an around-the-clock call center intended to serve as coordinator for in-state hospitals to try to keep them from getting overwhelmed. The transfer center had first been used last year and was considered a success. But that center focused mostly on finding beds for COVID-19 patients and was run by CHI Health. The new version is being run by Nomi Health, the Utah-based company that ran COVID-19 testing operations for the state until earlier this summer. The rebooted system attempts to find beds for any patient needing more intense care. Last week during a media briefing, a Bryan Health official said the new transfer center had not proved helpful. Dr. Pete Lueninghoener, a family physician in the small north-central Nebraska city of ONeill, also recounted two recent cases in which the transfer center was of little help. In one, calls to the transfer center for a patient with a perforated bowel rang unanswered. Staff ended up making nearly a dozen calls themselves to find an available ICU bed and surgeon, Lueninghoener said. In the second case, Lueninghoener said ONeill hospital staff called the transfer center trying to find a larger hospital for a COVID-19 patient who needed more specialized care. Lueninghoener said a person did answer the phone that time, but had no idea where ONeill was located. My impression was that he was definitely not located in our state, and there was a good possibility that he was not even located in our country, Lueninghoener said. Dr. Gary Anthone, the states chief medical officer, said he was aware of concerns regarding the transfer center. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Wednesday that a working group of coalitions, facilities, subject matter experts, NOMI and DHHS has been created to address needs and feedback with the transfer center as well as to enhance standard operating procedures for operations going forward. FAIRFIELD The mother of a freshman at a Sacred Heart University dorm alleges mold is making students living there ill and she is questioning whether the college is doing enough to address the issue. My daughter has been sick since she moved in, said West Haven resident Brigitte Bosco Rafia, whose daughter lives on the second floor of Seton Hall. Its been a nightmare and were not getting any answers from the university. A university spokesperson said Friday that a company was hired to clean every room in the residence hall and that the school is awaiting air quality test results, but that the school suspects it was mildew, not mold, in the dorm. She added Sacred Heart has communicated daily with the impacted students to let them know the actions taken. A Fairfield health department official said although the department has received multiple complaints about the dorm, he found no evidence of mold during a site visit he made after the universitys cleanup efforts. Were hoping this takes care of it but we have been working with them, said Rob Guerrera, assistant director for environmental health. Rafia said parents have been sharing pictures sent from students living in the dorm of alleged mold throughout their rooms on laundry baskets, backpacks, desks and ceilings. She said many have commented that their children have been sick not severely ill, but mainly with coughing and cold-like symptoms. She said she wished the university communicated more with parents about what could be causing the symptoms and taking more proactive measures to address it. Give us some answers, let us know whats going on, if its safe, if its not, Rafia said. Maybe move the students elsewhere into temporary housing until they have a solution. In a prepared statement Friday Deb Noack, Sacred Heart Universitys executive director of communications, said that after receiving reports of what was likely mildew from students in the dorm, the school immediately hired cleanup crews from Servpro to clean all the rooms in the hall. Since then, Servpro has cleaned every room, Noack said. All rooms and ventilation units have been HEPA vacuumed, and each room has been thoroughly wiped down and Bio cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectant. Today, Servpro has been doing thorough cleanings of every bathroom and laundry room in Seton Hall. Noack said the school suspects the mildew could have been caused by students having windows of their rooms open while the air conditioning is running. Sacred Heart has not turned off the air conditioning in the residence halls because of the possibility of another warm stretch, and it is understandable that the students opened windows to let in the crisp fall air, Noack said. We are awaiting air quality results from AMC Environmental, and we have been working with the Fairfield Health Department on this issue. She also noted the school recently spent $4.2 million replacing the heating and cooling systems in Seton and Merton halls. Guerrera said he had visited the school Tuesday and Friday after the health department received multiple complaints. I didnt see any mold when I was out there, he said. They have an idea of what it might have been. Theyre not 100 percent sure. Rafia said she wished the school had been more responsive with students and parents. I doubt this was caused by open windows. I look forward to the air quality reports, she said. Meanwhile, my child and dozens of others will be seeking medical attention from health services. LADY'S ISLAND, S.C. (AP) A man suspected of murder in El Salvador was arrested Thursday in South Carolina. The Bluffton Police Department, with help from other agencies, arrested Erick Salvador Hernandez Bonilla, 23, on Ladys Island, WSAV-TV reported. Bonilla, wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization also known as Interpol, faces six counts of murder and terrorist threat. Authorities said the charges are linked to Bonillas MS13 gang-related activities in El Salvador. Details of the murder case were not released. Bluffton Police, working with the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office, the U.S. Marshal Service and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended Bonilla after a month-long investigation with help from an anonymous source, police said. I am proud and grateful of the anonymous source who contacted the Bluffton Police Department and whose efforts resulted in a successful arrest of this dangerous suspect, Bluffton Police Chief Stephenie Price said. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose body was found at a national park in Wyoming after a cross-country trip with him, was charged with unauthorized use of a debit card as searchers continued looking for him Thursday in Florida swampland. A federal grand jury indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Wyoming alleges Brian Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someone's personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. It does not say who the card belonged to. FBI spokeswoman Courtney Bernal declined to reveal the nature of the charges made to the debit card. FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said an arrest warrant issued Wednesday over the alleged fraudulent use of the bank card will allow law enforcement across the country to continue pursuing Laundrie while the investigation continues into Petitos homicide. Laundrie has been named a person of interest in the 22-year-old woman's death. The case has garnered enormous public interest but also raised uncomfortable questions over the unequal attention given to the hundreds of cases of Native American and other minority women missing or murdered across the United States. In Florida, searchers on Thursday spent a fifth unsuccessful day searching for Laundrie in the forbidding wilderness preserve near his parents home. The search at the Carlton Reserve park was set to resume Friday, said Joshua Tayler with the city of North Port, where the park is located. It began after Laundrie told his parents he was going there, several days after returning alone Sept. 1 from his trip out west with Petito. The indictment says the unauthorized use of the debit card occurred from about Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino said it is his understanding that the arrest warrant was related to activities that occurred after the death of Petito, and not to her actual demise. The FBI is focused on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum, Bertolino said in a text message to The Associated Press. An attorney who has represented the Petito family also did not immediately respond for comment. Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days while the couple visited parks in the West. Her body was discovered Sunday in the vicinity of a remote, undeveloped campground along the border of Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue classified Petitos death as a homicide meaning her death was caused by another person but did not disclose how she was killed pending further autopsy results. Officials urged anyone with knowledge of Laundries role in Petitos death or his whereabouts to contact the FBI. With online sleuths and theories multiplying by the day, the FBI and police have been deluged with tips about possible Laundrie sightings. No piece of information is too small or inconsequential to support our efforts in this investigation, Schneider said in a statement. Petito and Laundrie grew up together on Long Island, New York, but they moved in recent years to North Port where his parents live. Their home, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Sarasota, was searched by investigators earlier this week, and a Ford Mustang driven by Laundries mother was towed from the driveway. Authorities believe Laundrie drove that car to the Carlton Reserve before disappearing. The couple documented online their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper, but they got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported. The city of Moab said it will conduct a formal investigation into the handling of the dispute. City officials said they were not aware of any breach of department policies, but intend to make a thorough, informed evaluation based on the results of the investigation. On Thursday, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told reporters in Washington, D.C., that the extensive news media coverage of the case should be a reminder of missing or murdered Native American girls and women. Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, said that her heart goes out to Petitos family, but that she also grieves for so many Indigenous women whose families have endured similar heartache for the last 500 years. Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press writers Sophia Eppolito contributed from Salt Lake and Matthew Daly from Washington. In the final days leading up to Oregon's redistricting deadline, state House Democrats remain adamant about their proposed new political maps and think they have cleared a path to pass them while Republicans are contemplating a walkout to block those plans. With the deadline to redraw Oregons electoral boundaries approaching Monday stakes are high for both the GOP and and Democrats in a year when the state has gained a sixth U.S. House seat increasing the Pacific Northwest states national political clout. The House is scheduled to return to the floor on Saturday at 9 a.m., following a three-day pause due to a COVID-19 case in the Capitol in Salem. Democrats have majorities in the House and Senate but dont have large enough advantages to convene without a few Republicans present. Quorum rules say there must be two-thirds of lawmakers - 40 representatives on the House floor for votes to take place. Oregon is one of the few states that require two-thirds of lawmakers to be present for any work to be done, instead of a simple majority. The window for collaborating has ended, Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat and chair of the House congressional redistricting committee, said Wednesday. Lawmakers returned to the Oregon Capitol on Monday to complete redistricting plans, a once-a-decade process that determines how voters pick state representatives, state senators and members of Congress for the next five election cycles. While the Senate swiftly passed legislative and congressional maps without Republican support work came to a standstill in Oregon's House. During the 2021 legislative session, House Democrats gave up a powerful advantage. In exchange for the Republicans agreeing to stop blocking bills with delay tactics, House speaker Tina Kotek agreed to share redistricting power with the GOP essentially granting veto power to the minority party over what the six congressional districts and the states 90 legislative districts will look like. But Monday afternoon Kotek voided that power-sharing deal, saying she was disappointed that after many months of work, House Republicans did not engage constructively despite many attempts to address their concerns." Democrats accused Republicans of proposing last minute maps that were "highly gerrymandered' - the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to win an unfair political advantage. With Democrats having the majority on the new congressional redistricting committee and in the Legislature, it paves the way for them to pass maps they choose likely resulting in five of the U.S. House seats being blue to Republicans one. Currently, Democrats hold four of Oregons five House seats. Absolutely the maps that the Senate passed is what is going to go through, Salinas said. The Democrats map proposes that new congressional District 6 should be south of Portland, Oregons biggest city, and west of Interstate 5. Republicans also put it south of Portland, but on the east side of the interstate. But Republicans still have one powerful tool to block the passage of the maps a walkout. If Republicans dont go to the floor of the House then the chamber wont have a quorum meaning lawmakers wouldnt be able to proceed with business. House Republican Leader Christine Drazan says a GOP walkout is on the table. The Democrats can choose a walkout or the Democrats can choose to advance maps that are fair to Oregonians, Drazan said. The minority leader said she is continuing to have conversations with House Democrats about amending the proposed maps, however she has yet to see any progress. If congressional maps are not passed by Sept. 27, the task will fall to a panel of five retired judges appointed by the Oregon Supreme Court. If the state legislative maps are not passed by Monday, the task will fall to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a progressive Democrat who few Republicans would want to see in charge of that process ___ Cline is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Department of Health says it will immediately start offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to certain people after recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups. State health officials said Friday that at least six months after completing the primary Pfizer vaccine series, people age 65 and older; people age 18 and older living in a long-term care setting; and people age 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions or at increased risk of social inequities, should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials say there are not yet recommendations for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Biden urges COVID-19 booster shots for those now eligible CDC: Studies show masks lessen school outbreaks More rental aid is reaching U.S. tenants to stave off eviction EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SANTA FE, N.M. -- Recriminations about face-mask mandates are creating new tension between Democratic candidates in the election campaign for mayor in Santa Fe. In a flier distributed by mail Friday, incumbent Mayor Alan Webber highlighted a dissenting vote by mayoral candidate and City Councilor Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler last year in the creation of a city ordinance requiring face masks. The ordinance reinforced a statewide mask mandate from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the early months of the pandemic, before vaccines were available. Vigil Coppler says she considered the ordinance impractical but never opposed state mask requirements and called the ad a distortion. __ LAS VEGAS Thousands of hotel, casino and restaurant workers marched Friday on the Las Vegas Strip to highlight their call for employers to rehire more people who were furloughed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the reopening of casinos and hotels, Culinary Union officials said about one-third of its members or about 21,000 workers remain out of work some 19 months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nevada. Many idled employees have now exhausted public unemployment benefits, they said. Workers in Las Vegas have built the hospitality industry over the Culinary Unions 87 years and they should be centered as the economy recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the union said in a statement ahead of the evening event scheduled to coincide with shift changes on a busy weekend of Strip sports and entertainment. This march is not a protest against any casino company, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said Friday. It is a march, not a strike, rally, action, or a demonstration. Workers chanted full-service restaurants and full-service cleaning as they started marching Friday evening from Flamingo Road on Las Vegas Boulevard where police closed off sections of The Strip. The union statement said the goal was to highlight that hospitality workers are ready to prepare and serve great food in full-service restaurants, make and serve quality drinks and beverages, and ensure guest rooms are cleaned and sanitized daily. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Koreas daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as the country comes off its biggest holiday of the year. The 3,273 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday marked the 81st consecutive day of over 1,000 and were about 840 cases more than the previous one-day record of 2,434 set a day earlier. More than 2,500 of the new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where transmissions have accelerated despite officials enforcing the countrys toughest social distancing rules short of a lockdown since July, banning private social gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. unless participants are fully vaccinated. Officials believe the virus spread further beyond the capital region during the Chuseok holidays, the Korean version of Thanksgiving which began on the weekend and continued through Wednesday, a period during which millions usually travel across the country to meet relatives. Officials say the country may see even bigger daily jumps next week as more people get tested. Less than 45% of a population of more than 51 million were fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska reported more than 1,700 resident COVID-19 cases Friday. But state health officials says that includes reports from earlier this month as they work to clear a backlog that has built up during the latest case surge. Health officials encourage looking at cases by their symptom onset date versus the date they were submitted to the state health department. The state epidemiologist says Alaska is in the biggest surge that it has experienced during the pandemic. A weekly report from the department says the state had more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than it did at the peak of a prior surge late last year. ____ KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii The Ironman World Championship will be held outside Hawaii for the first time in four decades. That is due to uncertainty over whether the Big Island will be able to host the triathlon as scheduled in February because of the coronavirus pandemic. West Hawaii Today reports triathletes will instead head to St. George, Utah, to compete on May 7. Organizers plan to bring the contest back to the islands in October 2022. Ironman participants swim, ride bikes and run a marathon. The first race was held in Honolulu in the 1970s. It moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 1981. ___ BOISE, Idaho An advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over state crisis standards of care guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group Justice in Aging wants the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idahos health care rationing plan. The group in the complaint filed Tuesday says the plan discriminates against older adults by using factors like age in prioritizing which patients may get access to life-saving care. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Greg Stahl says the department was unaware of the complaint. Stahl says Idahos standards are rooted in ethical obligations for care and stewarding resources. ___ HELENA, Mont. Montana hospitals that reach capacity due to a surge in COVID-19 cases may be able to transfer patients to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center west of Helena, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the states request for access to use up to two acute care beds and four medical beds for non-veterans, as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to increase. The beds at Fort Harrison can be used to care for patients with or without COVID-19. The VA will accept patients if it has the capacity and ability to provide required care, Gianfortes office said. The states hospitals reported they were caring for 416 COVID-19 patients on Friday, up from 402 on Thursday. Montana averaged 427 daily hospitalizations in November 2020, before vaccines were available. While making six more beds available is important, Gianforte said, the best solution to this crisis remains Montanans talking with their doctor or pharmacist and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County began making booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine available to eligible population groups Friday following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsement of a third shot for those who got their second shot at least six months ago. Starting today, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster dose at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. County residents seeking the booster shot must bring proof they received two previous Pfizer doses. Eligible groups include people who are 65 years or older, residents of long-term care facilities, people 18 to 64 years old with underlying medical conditions and those 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk. The latter group includes healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and workers in homeless shelters or prisons. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. A federal judge handed down a second blow to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer on Friday ruled Knox County Schools must implement a mask mandate to help protect children with health problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also blocked Lees order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. This is the second time in a week that Lees order has been placed on pause as families and advocates across the state have filed a handful of lawsuits amid spiking coronavirus case numbers in schools. In Shelby County, while the school district had implemented a strict mask mandate, a federal judge indefinitely banned Lees order after families argued the governors executive order endangered their children. It is real, and likely. Knox County students are being infected right now, every day, at a rate of 162 students every day ... and the threat of harm is therefore (immediate), Greer wrote. ___ NEW YORK A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was slightly delayed Friday after two hosts of the The View learned they tested positive for the coronavirus just before she was to join them on the set. Co-host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were at the table for the start of the show, but were pulled from the set. Harris, who had planned to join the table, instead was interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. The White House says she didnt have any contact with either host who tested positive. Colleagues said Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated. ___ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from the new K-12 school year bolster the agencys recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study in two Arizona counties found coronavirus outbreaks were almost four times more common at public schools without mask mandates on the first day than at those that re-opened with a masking requirement. Another study found case rates in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than in those where schools had that requirement. These studies lacked data on other measures that could have influenced the results. A third study counted 1,801 coronavirus-related school closures through mid-September, most of them in the South, where many schools opened earlier than those in other regions. Still, 96% of U.S. public schools have remained open with in-person classes, the researchers say, while acknowledging that data from some districts may be missing. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is urging those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection. His plea comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late Thursday. Biden praised the decision and aimed to set aside any unease about the vaccination by saying that he would get his own booster soon. The advisers say boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot. ___ BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. A Jackson County judge has ordered a restaurant in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, to shut down after the owners continued defiance of a mask mandate intended to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, Judge Jennifer Phillips barred Raes Cafe in Blue Springs from operating, rejecting owner Amanda Wohletzs argument of medical exemptions and attempt to operate as a private club. The judge also ordered the cafe to cease operations until it obtained a valid food permit. This month, Judge James Kanatazar ordered a temporarily close after Wohletz ignored a health department order to close because of repeated violations of the countys indoor mask requirement. But the business continued to operate, and its food permit was then suspended. ___ THESSALONIKI, Greece A court in northern Greece sentenced and fined a 37-year-old anti-vaccination campaigner after he demanded his son attend elementary school classes without wearing a mask or undergoing a coronavirus test. The parent, whose name has not been made public, was found guilty of insulting behavior and illegal entry onto state property, Thessaloniki court officials said. His sentence of 15 months in jail was suspended for three years. The court imposed a 300 euro ($350) fine. Under a government mandate, school children in Greece are obliged to wear face masks and use self-test kits distributed weekly by the government at pharmacies. Anti-vaccination campaigners have organized protest rallies in Thessaloniki, Athens and other Greek cities, mostly demonstrating against restrictions in schools and vaccination mandates for health care workers. ___ ROME Italian government workers will be heading back to offices to do their jobs after more than 18 months of remote work as part of coronavirus measures. Premier Mario Draghis office says he signed a decree establishing Oct. 15 to resume in-person work. Thats the same date that all Italian workers either in public or private employment will need a COVID-19 Green Pass to access their workplaces. Many public employees who serve citizens have already been working in offices. Receiving at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, having recovered from the illness in the last six months or presenting a recent negative test will secure the Green Pass. The premiers office says public offices will assure that in-person return will happen in safe conditions. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norways Prime Minister Erna Solberg says most of the national coronavirus restrictions in the Scandinavian country will be eased. The restrictions lifted include the requirement for serving patrons in restaurants and the 1-meter (3.3-feet) social distance rule. Eateries, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to remain open after midnight, schools and kindergartens can return to normal and handshakes will again be allowed, a smiling Health Minister Bent Hoeie said. He stressed Norway will have an increased preparedness and local restriction will be imposed if there was a flareup. Norway is the second Scandinavian country to end the restrictions after Denmark did so on Sept. 10. More than 76% of Norways population of 5.3 million have gotten one vaccine, and nearly 70% have gotten both shots, according to official figures. CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) A Virginia judge sentenced a woman on Thursday to two life sentences after she was found guilty earlier this year of sexually abusing and making child pornography of her 2-year-old son. Kayla Nicole Thomas was sentenced for the sexual abuse of her son, which she said was done at the insistence of her boyfriend, news outlets reported. A jury took just an hour to convict her in June and urged the courts to sentence her to two life terms plus 10 years. CUNA Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan spoke with NBC25 News in Michigan this week about credit unions opposition in increased reporting requirements and what comes next after the House Ways and Means committee passed their bill without the troublesome language. CUNA continues to call on credit union advocates to use its Grassroots Action Center to send a message outlining concerns with the proposal. Credit unions can also activate their members to send messages to Capitol Hill through CUNAs Member Activation Program (MAP) community. The Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday introduced its bipartisan Committee-approved version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which, in a win for credit unions, excluded statutory changes that would threaten the current status of credit union leases on military bases. The legislation also maintained not allowing banks rent-free access to military installations. The House Of Representatives is currently considering their version of the NDAA, which also protects the statuses of credit union leases on military bases and excludes bank access to military installations. The House on Tuesday added the NAFCU-backed SAFE Act as an amendment to the NDAA. NAFCU is also watching other amendments that the House is considering this week, including one to allow e-notary services and others which could impact the ability to get accurate credit reports for service members. The House is expected to vote on the final bill as early as today. NAFCU successfully kept these bank-sought lease provisions out of the NDAA through continued advocacy efforts for credit unions and their 127 million members. NAFCU will remain engaged with both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees in the finalization of the FY2022 NDAA. Scammers Sentenced to Short Prison Terms Victims across the nation were allegedly defrauded of more that $2.5 million by Afeez Adebara By Jack Simon, Observer Staff Writer We all have heard stories of lonely people falling prey to online romance scammers especially from Nigeria who conned some of them out of their life savings. And these stories always ended with a hope that one day these scammers or their abettors will face justice. Well, that day has arrived for a group involved in a Nigerian romance scam, including a resident of Long Beach. On Friday, an Oklahoma man was sentenced to four years in prison for managing a group of money launderers in an online Nigerian romance scam that defrauded multiple victims, including elderly individuals across the United States, and caused losses of at least $2.5 million, said federal officials. Afeez Adebara, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 3, 2020, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Previously, his co-conspirators received the following verdicts: John Ogundele, 32, of New York, was sentenced to 33 months in prison; Paul Usoro, 25, a Nigerian citizen and an OK resident, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment; Joshua Ditep, 26, a Nigerian citizen, received a 10-month sentence; Tobiloba Kehinde, 29, a Nigerian residing in Oklahoma, was sentenced to eight months; and Chibuzo Obiefuna, 28, of Long Beach, and Jamiu Adedeji, 25, a Nigerian residing in OK, were each sentenced to time served. According to court documents and testimony, between 2017 and November 2019, Adebara and co-conspirators knowingly concealed the proceeds of a romance scam operation by moving money between multiple bank accounts that were opened under various aliases to hide the identities of the co-conspirators, the DOJ said. Afterwards, Adebara took a commission for himself and sent the balance of the funds to the scammers in Nigeria, including vehicles and vehicle parts, court officials said. Adebara coordinated with overseas co-conspirators who had assumed false identities on online dating websites and social media platforms to defraud victims, according to the DOJ. Adebara opened multiple accounts using fraudulent identities, then provided the account and routing numbers to the overseas co-conspirators. The co-conspirators told victims that they were U.S. residents working or traveling abroad. As the online relationships continued, they requested increasingly larger sums of money "to complete business projects or for them to return to the states," DOJ officials said. "The victims were directed by the overseas co-conspirators to send funds to certain bank accounts, with assurance that the money would purportedly be allocated as needed." This federal case is part of an ongoing effort by the justice department to address online fraud schemes, including those based out of Nigeria, targeting U.S. citizens and residents, officials said. Oh dear. Kwasi Kwarteng was struggling, wasn't he? You could see it in his face, poor chap all twisted and contorted. His neck craned. His eyebrows so high they were in danger of disappearing off his forehead. We were in the Commons and the SNP's energy spokesman Alan Brown was up on his feet and giving it welly. Mr Brown is an ex-civil engineer who hails from blameless Kilmarnock. With apologies to the good people of Killie, to incorrigible southerners like your sketchwriter, his accent can be a tad hard to decipher. Words don't so much flow from Mr Brown's mouth as dribble like water from a leaky faucet. Imagine a cat leaping on to your keyboard and then trying to read out the resulting mess of words. Oh dear. Kwasi Kwarteng was struggling, wasn't he? You could see it in his face, poor chap all twisted and contorted. His neck craned Every now and then we caught 'a Government failure' or something about the cost of living. And, of course, the obligatory moans about needing another referendum vote. Otherwise nada, I'm afraid. Zip. Mr Kwarteng stood looking a tad bewildered. 'Well,' he said. 'There was, er, a lot in that question...' Cue a volley of giggles from the Press gallery. The Business Secretary had come to the House to answer an urgent question on the current energy crisis the second time he had been forced to do so this week. We learned little more than last time, but since Kwasi had irritated Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle on Monday by ignoring Parliamentary protocol in briefing the media ahead of MPs, the man in the chair was determined to make him sweat. Once again, Mr Kwarteng said we shouldn't worry about the lights going out. And once again, his opposite number Ed Miliband honked on about Government 'complacency'. Irritating chap, Miliband. Whenever Mr Kwarteng spoke, he would titter through his face mask and encourage colleagues to do the same. Once again, Mr Kwarteng said we shouldn't worry about the lights going out. And once again, his opposite number Ed Miliband honked on about Government 'complacency' Many of us haven't forgotten, Ed, that as Gordon Brown's former energy minister, you helped bring about the 'feed-in tariff' that saw energy bills rise to subsidise renewables. (Not forgetting too that, as party leader, he introduced the 'one man, one vote' leadership selection system which is largely responsible for the mess Labour find themselves in following Jeremy Corbyn's tenancy and which Sir Keir is now trying desperately to dismantle). Anyway... back to the session. There was a suggestion from Sir Christopher Chope (Con, Christchurch) of a VAT cut on energy bills. Tax cuts? From this Government? Rob Halfon (Con, Harlow) had another pop, appealing to Kwasi's past life as a 'small-tax Conservative'. Remember those? But no luck. We had a failed attempt at frivolity from Dame Diana Johnson (Lab, Kingston Upon Hull North) who asked whether customers were still advised to change energy supplier, or whether they should wait for it change their Government instead. Hardly had the Hon Mems clutching their sides, that one. Mr Kwarteng shot back that voters had had a chance to switch Governments only two years ago and, 'as I recall that did not end so well for the Labour party!' The only other event of the day was a debut at the despatch box from the Prime Minister's erstwhile PPS Alex Burghart. For the past two years, Burghart has remained glued to Johnson's heels, shepherding him around Parliament. Considering Boris's organisational skills, this is not a job one should envy. His reward? A junior posting in the Ministry of Education which saw him dispatched to answer an urgent question yesterday on the schools catch-up programme. Considering he's been in the job barely a week, he did pretty well. The voice is strong, the manner confident. And a decent sense of humour which is more than can be said of many around this place. One to watch, I'd say. Very few of us, I venture to suggest, have lived lives quite as far removed from the ordinary as that of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Speaking for myself, I cant claim to be a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, born into a minor European royal family and smuggled into exile in an orange crate aboard a British gunboat at the age of 18 months. My mother was never confined to a sanatorium for the insane. I didnt spend two terms at school in Hitlers Germany, before fleeing to join my Jewish headmaster at Gordonstoun in Scotland. I didnt see action, with great courage and credit, in the Royal Navy during World War II. And, of course, I didnt commit myself to a lifetime of public service by marrying the heiress presumptive to the British Crown. As for the dukes accomplishments, I wonder how many of us could boast even a tenth of them. I certainly cant. I wouldnt know how to begin to fly an aeroplane or a helicopter, sail a dinghy (let alone command a warship), drive a horse-drawn carriage, play polo or paint a pleasing landscape. But Prince Philip could do all these things, with well-above-average skill. 'One of the most striking things about Prince Philip, if you ask me, is that despite his unusual talents and extraordinary circumstances, he always seemed to have his feet firmly planted in the soil of the real world inhabited by the rest of us' A younger Duke of Edinburgh playfully rides a children's bicycle as seen in the BBC documentary special Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers Thats not to mention his tireless work for his scores of charities, his early warnings about threats to wildlife and the environment which seem all the more prescient today and his efforts, far beyond the call of duty, to instil a sense of self-worth in the young (many millions of them since 1956) through the award scheme that bears his name. All in all, then, he was a truly remarkable man, whose gifts and achievements cant be explained away simply by the fact that he enjoyed advantages denied to the rest of us. Ask yourself this: would you have led such a full life and done such a good job in his shoes? I know I wouldnt. Yet one of the most striking things about him, if you ask me, is that despite his unusual talents and extraordinary circumstances, he always seemed to have his feet firmly planted in the soil of the real world inhabited by the rest of us. Despite the palaces, the banquets, the fawning staff and the relentless attention from my colleagues in the media ever on the lookout for one of his famous gaffes he never quite lost the air of an ordinary bloke, just as much subject to the comedy and frustrations of everyday life as the rest of us lesser mortals. At one level, at least, he was one of us a point that came across vividly in Wednesday nights touching and illuminating tributes to the duke from Royal Family members and others who knew him well, in a BBC programme conceived to mark the 100th birthday he didnt quite live to see. There were two moments in particular, during Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, at which I hailed the great man as a brother and a soulmate. The first came with Prince Charless testimony that when he tried to help his father with the barbecue, the latter would yell at him to go away (though if my guess is right, he probably used a stronger expression, unfit for repeating here). Despite the palaces, the banquets, the fawning staff and the relentless attention from my colleagues in the media - ever on the lookout for one of his famous gaffes - he never quite lost the air of an ordinary bloke There were two moments in particular, during Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, at which I hailed the great man as a brother and a soulmate Now, I may not share many of the late dukes accomplishments. But like him, I do pride myself on being the king of the family barbecue. And as all my fellow monarchs of the charcoal will know, theres nothing more irritating in this world, when youve positioned the sausages and burgers in exactly the right place on the grill, than to have some incompetent busybody come along and interfere. All right, there may be one thing more irritating, and that brings me to the second point in the programme at which I felt a surge of fellow-feeling for the duke. Im thinking of the moment when Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne, fondly recalled his grandfather yelling in fury at his computer when it failed to do his bidding. He loved technology, he loved gadgets, but it was always quite entertaining watching him trying to figure things out, he said. I have memories of him getting a new laptop or a new printer sitting in his office and hearing him shouting at it from the breakfast room as he couldnt get it to work. Is there any one of us, of my age or thereabouts (Im 67), who doesnt know exactly how the duke felt? As Ive written before I, too, have a love-hate relationship with what I still think of as the new technology. Ive marvelled at every gadget as it has come along, from the pocket calculator and the video tape recorder to the CD player, from the satnav, the laptop and the Kindle to Amazons Alexa and my newly acquired iPhone 11 (already two generations out of date, I note, and I still havent mastered a hundredth of the miraculous things it can do). I even spent a small fortune more than Id intended on the car I bought three years ago, just for the wonder of its computer-controlled ability to park itself a function I cant have used more than half a dozen times since I finally understood how to work it. But though I love the convenience of email, internet shopping, a phone with an in-built camera and the rest, I know of nothing more infuriating than an electronic gadget that wont do what I want it to, simply because Ive never learned how. So it is that at least a couple of times a week, I find myself shouting in impotent fury at my laptop when it fails to connect to the printer, or screaming at the TV when I press the wrong button on the remote control and the programme starts whizzing back to the beginning. Meanwhile, my sons, brought up in the electronic age, feel perfectly at home with the technology. Almost from their earliest childhood, they were able to solve my problems, with a few deft clicks on a keyboard or a remote control, on the rare occasions when they deigned to offer help. But now all but one have fled the nest, and the last is never there when hes needed, Im left alone and helpless with Mrs U, who happens to be the only person left in Britain who is less competent with technology than her husband. Im not thinking only of their effect on my blood pressure, however. For the wonders of this electronic age have brought a great many problems alongside all their benefits. Im thinking of the impending death of the High Street, accelerated by internet shopping, and of cyber fraud costing the unwary 4 million a day. Im thinking of the illnesses missed by GPs, who increasingly conduct their surgeries over Zoom, in place of face-to-face consultations. Thats not to mention the epidemic of fake news, hard-core pornography and terrorist propaganda spread over the internet, while the regulatory body, Ofcom, fusses over whether words such as snowflake and gammon may be deemed offensive on TV. We can hold social media responsible, too, for the misery suffered by so many children and teenagers from cyberbullying, spread by trolls hiding behind the shield of anonymity. Indeed, I see a supreme irony in this weeks news that Apple is developing an app that will detect signs of mental health issues from the violence with which we jab at our phones and the number of typos that slip into our text messages. Speaking from my own experience, as my wife and I rage at inanimate objects like royal dukes, electronic technology is the cause of mental health problems, not the cure. Labour heads to Brighton today for its first conference since the catastrophic election defeat in 2019. This is Keir Starmer's first opportunity to speak to his party en masse. But, just as importantly, he needs to use the event to persuade the country that Labour has learnt the lessons of that terrible defeat and the dreadful years that preceded it. That is why he has taken two major steps this week: publishing a 12,000 word 'personal manifesto' explaining what he believes and announcing plans to change the leadership election rules, introduced under Ed Miliband, which allowed Jeremy Corbyn to seize control in 2015. Certainly, this marks a pivotal moment in his leadership, which has been almost entirely overshadowed by the pandemic. Sir Keir's themes of 'security' and 'opportunity' doubtless resonate with swing voters though it must be said they are hardly values that the Tories reject. Nevertheless, the document signals a keenness to drag the party back to the centre ground, beyond the clutches of the far Left. Its emphasis on 'hardworking families' is welcome and significant: Labour's enemies have long accused it of encouraging a culture of welfare dependency, rather than seeing jobs as a route out of poverty. My once great party has been stolen by woke students and trendy liberals - and I doubt it can survive, writes IAN AUSTIN It is Sir Keir's proposals to change the system to elect Labour's leaders, however, that are far more important and far braver. The unions hate the plans, and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, a close colleague of Mr Corbyn, set the tone for the Left's verdict this week, angrily accusing Sir Keir of a 'grubby stitch-up'. The question is: will he manage to move his party where it needs to be or is it too little, too late? Apart from a brief period immediately after Boris Johnson increased national insurance earlier this month, Labour has consistently lagged behind in polls. Sir Keir claims this is because the Government has benefited from the vaccination programme and because Covid has prevented him introducing himself to the public. He is unwilling to blame himself. But while he is clearly a vast improvement on Mr Corbyn, voters have long memories. They will not easily forgive a party that insulted them by asking them to vote for someone so clearly incapable of running the country. Labour MPs ardently hope they can go back to the situation under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, when the hard Left was ignored as a harmless fringe. But no one can pretend it is irrelevant now, after it managed to take the party over so comprehensively and, subsequently, inflict such great damage. Additionally, there's no escaping it has been a grim few months for Sir Keir and his party. Just a few months ago, they lost the Hartlepool by-election, a seat they had held for decades. It was only the second time in about 40 years that a party in government had taken a seat from the opposition at a by-election. Sir Keir's response to the May election setbacks was to try to reshuffle his top team and reduce the influence of his socialist deputy, Angela Rayner. She refused to be moved and Sir Keir had to back down, humiliated. Sir Keir Starmer next to his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn on the Labour front bench in 2018 Realistic Labour MPs recognise that it will take at least two elections for Labour to recover from the drubbing it received in 2019 but things could yet become even worse for the party. There are another 30 seats like Hartlepool where the Brexit Party vote at the 2019 election exceeded the Labour majority. Now that Mr Johnson has 'got Brexit done', all those votes have for the time being shifted to the Tories. The truth is, Labour does not have a clue how to respond to the Conservative Party under Mr Johnson. What is the point of saying they are the 'same old Tories' when the Government has spent billions saving people's jobs throughout the pandemic? And who will believe Labour's perennial charge that the NHS is not safe in Tory hands when they have just dramatically increased taxes to fund it? Sir Keir argues in his essay that he sees the 'war on woke' as an 'increasingly bizarre obsession'. Yet many Labour voters are deeply patriotic, and do not like seeing great historical figures like Winston Churchill trashed. The so-called culture wars are an ineluctable part of current politics. To ignore them, as Sir Keir would clearly prefer, is to lose them. So how did the party of Blair and Brown, which dominated politics for 15 years, end up in this appalling position? As traditional industries steelworks and factories, coal fields and ship building declined, so too did Labour's relationship with Britain's working class. Trade unions that linked the party to millions saw their memberships dwindle. Mines were replaced by housing estates with residents who wanted to move up in the world. Labour lost touch and became the party of woke students, trendy liberals, public sector workers and the inner cities. It grew obsessed with identity politics: more concerned with the Middle East than Middle England, the West Bank than the West Midlands, with Gaza than Gateshead. For these people, politics is not about improving things for ordinary families, but about reinforcing the sense of their own virtue. Labour has lost touch and became the party of woke students, trendy liberals, public sector workers and the inner cities, claims IAN AUSTIN Stand up for women's rights like brave Labour MP Rosie Duffield has recently, and the party's furious trans rights lobby mounts such a torrent of abuse that a parliamentarian does not feel safe attending her own party conference. Decent working class people who used to vote Labour in places like Dudley where I grew up and served as MP look on in bewilderment. They believe in hard work, strong defence and robust borders. They voted overwhelmingly for Brexit. This cultural shift has been developing for the past 20 years, but asking people to vote for Mr Corbyn and trying to block Brexit were the straws that finally broke the camel's back. This is why Sir Keir needs to summon the courage to drive the hard Left out of the party for good. The first thing he should do is boot out Momentum, a faction created in the wake of Mr Corbyn's leadership win to cement the hard Left's grip on the party. At this week's conference, instead of the usual boring speeches from irrelevant party apparatchiks, Sir Keir should invite people who used to vote Labour to explain why they turned away. Talented female Jewish former MPs such as Luciana Berger should be invited to explain how anti-Semitism drove them out of Labour, too. Above all, the party needs to stand in the centre ground. They must scrap the obsession with trans issues, the prevaricating on national security and the waffling on about 'public ownership'. And they need a credible and serious position on the economy to prove they can be trusted again with our finances. Sir Keir has a lot of work to do: Show some passion. Tell us what you stand for. And he needs to get better people around him, too. So many of his top team are either anonymous or hopeless. He has a mountain to climb and the hard work starts this week in Brighton. I'm not confident. As things stand, Labour is too weak to win an election, yet strong enough to prevent an alternative party developing. That is a tragedy for the millions who want a decent electable alternative to the Government but are currently politically homeless. One of the more disturbing urban myths that has stood the test of time is that we are never more than six feet from a rat. Happily, the experts seem to think thats a bit of an exaggeration. Most research suggests its likely to be at least three times as far. But still a bit unsettling. Theres another urban myth you might be less familiar with. Its less easy to deal with and is infinitely more troubling: Youre never more than five minutes from a drug dealer. Scoff at that if you will. I cant prove it and theres no reliable academic research for obvious reasons. But Ive talked to enough young people to satisfy myself that its not just a myth in most of our major towns and cities. Put it this way. If a street-wise teenager needs a fix he can get on his bike and find it almost wherever he happens to be in a few minutes. Take a look at the statistics. Theres another urban myth you might be less familiar with. Its less easy to deal with and is infinitely more troubling: Youre never more than five minutes from a drug dealer Nearly one in five 16-to-24-year-olds used cannabis last year. Cannabis, lest we need reminding, is an illegal drug. Or at least thats what the law says. The reality on the street is different and this week Scotland accepted that the battle is lost not just with cannabis but with other illegal dugs, too as they decriminalised drug-taking. Thats not exactly how they put it. Scotlands Lord Advocate, who has powers to update guidance to the police, simply made a statement in which she said police officers were now going to be advised merely to issue recorded police warnings to anyone using illicit drugs no matter whether the drugs were soft or hard. So much for the democratic process. Members of the Scottish Parliament were not offered a chance to vote on it. Even a goody two-shoes like me, whos never had so much as a single puff of a spliff, hasnt been able to avoid it. Passing the ritual joint around after the pudding at a dinner party. Or the little huddles at a party outside the bathroom where the cocaine is being sniffed Theres a good reason for that. If they had been theyd have probably run a mile. Just as politicians south of the border have done for decades. Changing the law on illegal drugs is one of the hottest of hot political potatoes. But maybe thats changing and not just in Scotland. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was asked on Thursday whether he agreed with the new policy in Scotland. He said it was probably the right thing to do. Note the probably. Ever-cautious Keir wanted us to know that hes not in favour of scrapping drugs laws completely. Even so, it was enough to earn him a swift uppercut from the Home Secretary Priti Patel. She took to Twitter to remind us that drugs devastate lives. They ruin communities and they tear families apart. And, of course, shes right. But we all know that. The trouble is we also know that the laws we have are simply not working. It is 50 years since the Misuse of Drugs Act was passed and its still at the heart of government policy. It was based on a simple belief. Almost all drug-taking is harmful, some of it lethal, and its the Governments responsibility to stop us doing it. So it became illegal. Illegal to sell the stuff and illegal to possess it. But the Act has proved to be a colossal failure. Even a goody two-shoes like me, whos never had so much as a single puff of a spliff, hasnt been able to avoid it. Passing the ritual joint around after the pudding at a dinner party. Or the little huddles at a party outside the bathroom where the cocaine is being sniffed. Theres nothing quite so hypocritical as middle-class liberals pretending their little indulgences do no harm. Not that I claim any credit for my own abstinence. Ive used more than my share of drugs over the decades. A heavy smoker until my early 20s and a heavy drinker until my 50s, Ive no doubt that Id be kicking up the daisies by now if I hadnt kicked these habits. The difference is, of course, that they are legal habits. Successive governments were perfectly happy to collect the taxes I paid on my booze and fags even though they knew the harm it was doing me. Mothers watch their children become ensnared by ruthless gang leaders who tempt them with a few freebies and turn them into desperate junkies who will do anything to feed their habit Alcoholics and chain smokers pay a terrible price for their addiction but they dont threaten the very fabric of our society. Unlike the trade in illegal drugs. It has fostered a massive increase in organised and often violent crime. It has filled our prisons with both dealers and their addicted victims. It has ensnared young children into the county lines supply chains. It has often killed its own customers by selling them lethal combinations of chemicals. It has turned many a decent working-class housing estate into a hell on earth. Mothers watch their children become ensnared by ruthless gang leaders who tempt them with a few freebies and turn them into desperate junkies who will do anything to feed their habit. They rob them of any hope in their young lives. Middle-class parents in their comfortable neighbourhoods pray their own children will resist the temptations that might end up destroying their lives. They know, too, the penalty for falling foul of the gang leaders. Often a knife between the ribs. It is tempting to demand the police be given more powers and the courts impose tougher sentences lets stamp this wicked trade out once and for all. But the history of the past 50 years on both sides of the Atlantic tells us its too late for that. Instead, we have tried a more soft-touch approach with the least harmful drugs such as cannabis. In Scotland, theyve been helping addicts to deal with their craving rather than punishing them. It hasnt worked. Last year, there were 4,561 drug fatalities in this country. Thats the highest total since records began in 1993. Scotland had the highest of any country in Europe. Tom Buchan, who used to be chief superintendent of the former Strathclyde Police, said the new policy of decriminalising possession is a surrender: The white flag has gone up. It will have no benefits at all and it comes in the middle of a huge drugs emergency its more soft-touch nonsense. He may be right but for the wrong reason. Much as we might want to see these evil drug lords locked away for life, the unpalatable truth is that decriminalisation may be the only realistic way forward. When William Hague was leader of the Conservative Party he was a powerful advocate for a tough law-and-order approach. No longer. He now accepts that we will never suppress the supply of drugs while the demand goes on. The influential health committee of the House of Commons came to much the same conclusion two years ago.So the political climate is changing. Many will say decriminalisation sends the wrong signals. But lets look at Portugal. In the late 1990s, the country was in the grip of a drugs epidemic. Three-quarters of all crime was drugs-related. Then, in 2001, the Government changed tack. Possession of small amounts of drugs was no longer a criminal offence. No more serious than breaking the speed limit. There were many other changes, too all based on the principle that drug users needed help rather than punishment. The effect has been impressive. The critics say there has been an increase in the number of cannabis users in Portugal just as there has been in America where 18 states have now legalised cannabis. But we have to be realistic. In the perfect world maybe nobody would get stoned. Or drunk. Or get cancer from cigarettes. But human beings are far from perfect. Never have been. Never will be. In America, they tried prohibiting alcohol. It didnt stop people boozing. They just bought their booze from the Mafia. If we can stop our young people buying their weed from the thugs who run the gangs it might just might be the lesser of two evils. Advertisement The exotic locations always add to the glamour of a Bond film, and No Time To Die takes us from the heat of Jamaica and Cuba to the desolate ice of Norway although not all of the locations are quite what they seem... JAMAICA Jamaica is the spiritual home of the Bond series as its where Ian Fleming wrote all the novels, says Barbara Broccoli. The first film was made there and it felt right for this, the 25th. When you look at the beauty of the place and the people and the culture, you understand this was the world Ian Flemings Bond wanted to save. Its astoundingly beautiful. We find Bond enjoying a tranquil life here after leaving active service, and for this film a house was built on the islands northern coast near Port Antonio. Bond is like a fish out of water, says production designer Mark Tildesley. Its almost as if hes planning an escape. He has maps and books lying about pertaining to where else he can test himself. New Bond girl Lashana Lynch, who plays Nomi and has Jamaican heritage, says we see a different side of Bond and Jamaica in the film. Bond is very chilled, eating and drinking. You really get to see the people, the colours, the vibrancy and the nightclubs but then danger creeps in. We find Bond enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service, and for this film a house was built on the islands northern coast near Port Antonio ITALY The stunning historical hillside city of Matera, one of the oldest inhabited places in the world where people have lived in caves for thousands of years, is the backdrop to the first big action sequence of the film a super-charged car chase involving Bond, Madeleine Swann and his trusty Aston Martin DB5. Two classic DB5s and eight stunt replicas were used, along with other cars, in the action sequence which took six weeks to film. Materas inhabitants had to close their doors and windows for hours on end as filming took place so they wouldnt be seen, with special effects supervisor Chris Corbould recalling, Everyone was watching from inside their houses and every time we did a shot there was a round of applause. Its a city with such a rich history and it looks amazing. Then throw the car into the equation which is doing more than its done since Goldfinger in 1964. For it to come back in all its glory and have a spectacular sequence again, the audience will love it. Filming for the Italian sequence also took place at a train station in Sapri. Bonds Aston Martin DB5 features in a car chase in the Italian city of Matera. The stunning historical hillside city of Matera, one of the oldest inhabited places in the world where people have lived in caves for thousands of years, is the backdrop to the first big action sequence of the film a super-charged car chase involving Bond, Madeleine Swann and his trusty Aston Martin DB5 Bond in Matera with Madeleine Swann at Sapri train station. Two classic DB5s and eight stunt replicas were used, along with other cars, in the action sequence which took six weeks to film Bonds Aston Martin DB5 features in a car chase in the Italian city of Matera, Daniel Craig is pictured in his final outing as Bond in Italy NORWAY For Madeleine Swanns childhood home, the producers searched for a house in Norway that was totally isolated a house suitable for an assassin and his family. While they found a forest they liked just north of Oslo, they couldnt find the right house so they built one on top of a frozen lake (above). The existing structures werent quite right in terms of the geography and the layout of the scene that our director had in mind, says location manager Charlie Hayes. So we built one on the lake rather than alongside it. The Norwegian team we were working with were initially a little bit confused by this request. This is hardly surprising, particularly as temperatures started to rise and the ice thinned beneath the house. It was safe, of course, but it was a strange thought to get your head around. An incredible car chase was also filmed on the stunning Atlantic Road, a five-mile stretch built on several small islands off the west coast of Norway, although parts of it were filmed in the Scottish Highlands and in woods near Windsor Great Park. For Madeleine Swanns childhood home, the producers searched for a house in Norway that was totally isolated a house suitable for an assassin and his family FAROE ISLANDS The production team studied the work of Sir Ken Adam, the godfather of Bond design, with the aim of recreating the magic of some of his baddies lairs on films like Dr No and You Only Live Twice. They decided to create a fictional island for Safin and to shoot the exterior of his secret hideout, they used the Faroe Islands in the northern Atlantic. The geography is spectacular, says location manager Charlie Hayes. But it was a difficult place to take a film crew. We had to make sure we had enough rescue personnel to allow them to work safely. The production team studied the work of Sir Ken Adam, the godfather of Bond design, with the aim of recreating the magic of some of his baddies lairs on films like Dr No and You Only Live Twice. They decided to create a fictional island for Safin and to shoot the exterior of his secret hideout, they used the Faroe Islands in the northern Atlantic CUBA When Bond is called back into action he travels to Cuba where, aided by an agent called Paloma (Ana de Armas, above), he infiltrates a lavish ball hosted by SPECTRE. Jamaica fills in for some of the Cuban scenes while a huge Cuban set, including a stunning Art Deco theatre, was built at Pinewood Studios. I went to Cuba for reference, says production designer Mark Tildesley. It was at one time this burgeoning playground for the Americans and was really wealthy and exotic and wonderful, but now its lost and crumbling, though theres tremendous beauty in what remains. When Bond is called back into action he travels to Cuba where, aided by an agent called Paloma (Ana de Armas, above), he infiltrates a lavish ball hosted by SPECTRE Bond meeting old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) in a bar on the island in the part of the film set in Cuba Jamaica fills in for some of the Cuban scenes while a huge Cuban set, including a stunning Art Deco theatre, was built at Pinewood Studios. Pictured is Bond's home LONDON Bond returns home, but it isnt the same. Hes not quite as comfortable and secure as hes been before, says location manager Charlie Hayes. We see him open his old lock-up and dust off his old things. He goes back to his old place of work where hes given short shrift. Familiar places in the capital include Hammersmith Bridge, where he meets M, and Whitehall. As well as being granted permission to shoot the exterior of the Ministry of Defence building, a troop of the Household Cavalry star in the background as Madeleine Swann walks across The Mall. Filming also took place aboard the Royal Navys HMS Dragon, one of the most advanced warships in the world, which plays a crucial role in the film. Bond returns home, but it isnt the same. Hes not quite as comfortable and secure as hes been before, says location manager Charlie Hayes. Filming also took place aboard the Royal Navys HMS Dragon, one of the most advanced warships in the world, which plays a crucial role in the film ...AND NOT FORGETTING PINEWOOD STUDIOS The huge studio complex in Buckinghamshire has been the home of 007 since the first Bond film Dr No in 1962, and for this movie it housed a huge water tank (used to shoot the scene featuring a sinking trawler) and the interiors at MI6, in Cuba and at Safins lair. Theres a lot of glamour in the different locations but theres something special about Pinewood, says Rami Malek, who plays Safin. You see the 007 emblem all over the place, wherever you are. The craftsmanship, the technicians are all extraordinary people who have worked on many of the Bond films. It feels historic. The huge studio complex in Buckinghamshire has been the home of 007 since the first Bond film Dr No in 1962, and for this movie it housed a huge water tank (used to shoot the scene featuring a sinking trawler) and the interiors at MI6, in Cuba and at Safins lair Daniel Craig with director Cary Joji Fukunaga and Lashana Lynch (Nomi) in villain Safins lair at Pinewood Studios in in Iver, England A beauty therapist has revealed how she built her first home worth $465,000 at the young age of 19. Bella Hammond, from Brisbane, Queensland, told FEMAIL she was determined to build her first home rather than buy an existing property. In order to save for a deposit, the now 20-year-old worked two part-time jobs and had a 'side hustle' business making resin cheeseboards. While the process of finding the perfect block was time consuming, and often frustrating, Bella has no regrets and built her ideal coastal-inspired 'dream home' in just over 12 months. Bella Hammond, from Brisbane, Queensland, (pictured) told FEMAIL she was determined to build her first home rather than buy an existing property In order to save for a deposit, the now 20-year-old worked two part-time jobs and had a 'side hustle' business making resin cheeseboards While the process of finding the perfect block of land was time consuming, and often frustrating, Bella has no regrets and built her ideal coastal-inspired 'dream home' in just over 12 months The 400sqm block is 50 minutes north of the Brisbane CBD and the home features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, open-plan living, dining and kitchen. She also turned one of the bedrooms into a 'media room' to use for her beauty business. 'It was such a rewarding experience and I highly recommend it to other young Aussies,' she said. During to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, huge first-home builder grants of up to $40,000 were offered to eligible buyers. Bella saw this as a good opportunity and decided it was the right time for her to build. 'I took this as motivation and started researching all about investment properties and where to start by listening to hours of podcasts and spent all my spare time looking at display homes and for land,' she said. The process began in June 2020 soon after Australia closed the borders for international travel due to the Covid-19 crisis Documenting the build on her separate Instagram account @bells.build, she hopes her story can act as inspiration for other young Aussie's wanting to get into the property market Bella's top money saving tips * Limit your spending by going out less and eating at home * Order Uber Eats less * Live at home for as long as you can * Prioritise your needs over your wants * Always have a budget in place Advertisement The process began in June 2020 soon after Australia closed the borders for international travel due to the Covid-19 crisis. Bella said she quickly saved money by budgeting, eating at home rather than going out with friends and focusing on her goal. 'You really need tunnel vision and it comes down to how badly you want it. But if I can do it, anyone can,' she said. Experts typically recommended building a new home over buying an existing property to avoid the possibility of hidden maintenance costs. But she almost gave up her search after endlessly looking for the 'perfect' location and house and floor plan for months, but none were in her price range. 'It started to be a very emotional journey as everything I wanted, I couldn't get,' she said. Thankfully in a great twist of fate, she found the 400sqm block of land and quickly made an offer that was later accepted. To assist with the initial cost, her parents supported her with $40,000 (which she has now repaid) to bump up the deposit amount to $70,000 'Once my floor plan got approved from council they started my build process - from slab to handover date it took about 14 weeks and I was there almost everyday to see the next stages happening,' she said The 400sqm block is located 50 minutes north of the Brisbane CBD and the stunning home features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, spacious open-plan living, dining and kitchen 'The handover day was the happiest day of my life. I was so proud that I had accomplished my biggest asset to date,' Bella said Despite having $30,000 in savings, her broker said it wouldn't be enough to be considered by the banks unless her parents became guarantors - an option she didn't want to consider. To assist with the initial cost, her parents supported her with $40,000 (which she has now repaid) to bump up the deposit amount to $70,000. 'My broker then saw my bank statements from June to September and from this could see that I could afford my loan, so took my figures to the bank, and waiting process began,' she said. By early September she received the 'life changing' call from the broker sharing the exciting news she had been accepted and could go through with the build process. 'I bawled my eyes out with happy tears, I just couldn't believe it!' she said. The incredible home has off white tiles, wooden features and long kitchen bench top The modern design features an open-plan living (left) and four bedrooms She also turned one of the bedrooms into a 'media room' to use for her beauty business (pictured) The advantages of building a home compared to buying: 1. You are the first owner - any problems, maintenance issues and short-term problems can be fixed by speaking to the builder 2. Limited surprise bills - as a young person you won't want to be putting money towards occurring maintenance costs - such as leaking taps, holes in the roof, etc. 3. Higher rental price and easier to rent to tenants Advertisement From September 2020 the design process began followed by construction through Burns Builders, and Bella also received the $40,000 grant. 'Once my floor plan got approved from council they started my build process - from slab to handover date it took about 14 weeks and I was there almost everyday to see the next stages happening,' she said. 'The handover day was the happiest day of my life. I was so proud that I had accomplished my biggest asset to date.' Documenting the build on her separate Instagram account @bells.build, she hopes her story can act as inspiration for other young Aussie's wanting to get into the property market. Currently there are different first home buyers grants and schemes available in each state and territory in Australia, which can be viewed on the First Home government website. Different grants and schemes are also available to first home builders. Gaining attention on social media often requires creativity, but sometimes the desire to stand out results in people exaggerating or even telling outright lies. Ninja Journalist has rounded up a selection of images from around the world that have gone viral online after the user who posted them was caught lying. The images include a man claiming the sunglasses he's selling haven't been worn while wearing them on in his profile photo and a woman claiming she and her boyfriend mysteriously were able to take a snap while both sleeping. Among the snaps was also a man who tried to fool his Facebook friends into believing a heavily filtered photograph had been painted. Ninja Journalist has rounded up viral images from around the world of people caught lying on social media - including a woman who claimed she accidentally uploaded a selfie to Facebook The art of lying! One man was blasted for attempting to fool his Facebook friends into believing a heavily filtered photograph had been painted Another Facebook user was caught lying about why they need donations, when a former co-worker commented that they had been sacked from their job Seeing is believing! A man who tweeted a complaint about traffic was shamed for lying after an eagle-eyed user spotted the clear road in the reflection of his sunglasses One woman was left embarrassed on Facebook after a friend spotted that her post about Starbucks used a viral image from Google Another individual who was trying to sell their second-hand sofa was caught lying about the absence of pets when a potential buyer spotted their cat in the background Spot the liar! A man attempting to sell sunglasses as never worn was called out for lying when a potential buyer noticed he was wearing the frames in his profile photo A Facebook user claiming someone wrote on their status after forgetting to log out at the library was left red faced when friends spotted it had been posted via mobile One person was accused of being a liar on Reddit after users noticed the cushion they claimed their dog had destroyed appeared to have been carefully unzipped Another social media user was shamed for boasting about their run with results that would set a new world record A woman, who took to Instagram gushing about her boyfriend, was questioned how they managed to capture a photograph sleeping next to each other A mother has been left shaken after finding a spider crawling insider her baby's nappy, prompting nurses to reveal exactly what you should do if a child gets bitten. The woman sent a photo of the frightening discovery to the Australian Facebook group, CPR Kids, as a warning to parents ahead of peak spider season, which runs from October to March along Australia's East Coast. The page, which is run by registered nurses, shared the picture with the caption: 'Spiders hang out everywhere - in play equipment, toys, beds, and shoes - an uncomfortable truth!' While most Australian spiders, apart from funnel-web and redback spiders, are not known to be lethal, their bites can cause severe pain and swelling. A mother has been left shaken after finding a spider crawling insider her baby's nappy, prompting nurses to reveal exactly what you should do if a child gets bitten And with families spending more time than ever at playgrounds and on bushwalks during lockdown, it's vital to know the correct first aid procedure. According to the nurses behind CPR Kids, applying an ice pack will relieve pain from harmless spider bites, but there are four reasons you should go directly to your GP. Professional advice should be sought if your child's pain persists, if the bite looks infected, or if your child starts to feel unwell or has vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, sweating or headaches. Nurses say you should also seek medical treatment if you suspect the bite is from a funnel-web or redback spider. While most Australian spiders, apart from funnel-web and redback spiders, are not known to be lethal, their bites can cause severe pain and swelling If you think the spider was a funnel-web or mouse spider, you should wrap the area tightly with a bandage and make sure your child lies still, then call an ambulance. If you think the spider was a redback or white-tailed spider, nurses say you should wash the area of the bite and apply an icepack, before calling an ambulance. If it is safe to do so, they advise trapping the spider in a jar to show the doctor. The Facebook post sparked dozens of concerned responses, with parents sharing horror stories of their little ones having narrow escapes after being bitten. 'So important to seek medical advice! Our two-year-old daughter was bitten by a white tail and I'll never forget the scream,' one woman wrote. Four reasons to see a GP after your child has been bitten by a spider If you think your child has been bitten by a spider, see your GP if: 1. Your childs pain persists. 2. The bite looks infected. 3. Your child starts to feel unwell or has vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, sweating or headache. 4. You suspect a funnel-web or red-back spider bite. If possible, keep the spider to show the doctor. Source: CPR Kids Advertisement 'Saw GP same day with mild swelling, next morning she woke up with swelling that was so severe she couldn't open her eye, we called an ambulance and thank god we did.' She continued: 'Infection was around her eye. The hospital had doctors waiting for us and everything ready to go. She spent three days in on drip. Doctors told us we are so lucky that the infection didn't spread to the eye or brain.' A second said she once found a baby Huntsman spider crawling inside her infant son's jumper as she was dressing him. A third said she was petrified after finding a 'big mumma' redback at her back door but bravely killed it before her children got close. 'I cringe at squishing spiders but did not hesitate one bit to kill this one,' she wrote. Spring is finally underway, inspiring thousands of eager lockdown-weary Sydneysiders to flock to the city's most scenic corners and enjoy a picnic in the sunshine. And for those looking to up their outdoor dining game, Tommy's in Darlinghurst has launched an extravagant new Mexican banquet overflowing with their bestselling tipples and treats. Designed for four people, the Picnic Banquet costs $199 for six dishes and a 700mL margarita bottle of your choice. Tommy's in Darlinghurst has launched an extravagant new Mexican banquet overflowing with their bestselling tipples and treats The lavish selection includes guacamole and chips (left), corn ribs (right), spicy chicken wings, quesadillas, your choice of eight tacos and chips with aioli The lavish selection includes guacamole and chips, corn ribs, spicy chicken wings, quesadillas, your choice of eight tacos and chips with aioli. The tacos are served with onion and coriander on a soft corn tortilla and the range includes pork belly with grilled pineapple, adobo chicken with crispy bacon, lamb barbacoa with mint yoghurt and Baja fish with pickled cabbage and jalapeno mayo. There is also beef birria with salsa roja, cauliflower with bean puree, hongos (enokitake mushroom) with salsa and cactus and Gaucho steak. The quesadillas come with mozzarella, guacamole, crema and pico de gallo and can be paired with either chicken, pork, beef, lamb or mushrooms. The banquet includes spicy chicken wings and quesadillas - the latter is served with mozzarella and served with your choice of protein The tacos are served with onion and coriander on a soft corn tortilla and the range includes pork belly with grilled pineapple, adobo chicken with crispy bacon, lamb barbacoa with mint yoghurt and Baja fish with pickled cabbage and jalapeno mayo The popular bar and restaurant specialises in tequila, mezcal and all things Mexican and is known for its menu of 10 bespoke margaritas and curated signature cocktails Margarita flavours include traditional, Tommy's (agave, pineapple juice and lime juice), Mora (jalapeno infused with muddled blackberries and blackberry syrup), de Pomelo (grapefruit and lime juice), Coco y Pepino (coconut infused with mezcal and agave) and Gusano Fresco (watermelon syrup, fresh chili and basil). The popular bar and restaurant specialises in tequila, mezcal and all things Mexican and is known for its menu of 10 bespoke margaritas and curated signature cocktails. The chefs, Alan Gallo and Alvaro Valenzuela have earned a loyal following thanks to their banquets of tuna tostadas, roast lamb tacos and spicy roast pumpkin quesadillas. The picnic must be picked up and can be ordered via the restaurant's website or over the phone. A simple potato gem bake recipe has captured the attention of thousands of foodies on Instagram after a video was shared online. Olivia White, from Melbourne, posted a now-viral video that has been viewed more than 89,000 times. In the clip Olivia poured a creamy cheese sauce over rows of potato gems lined in a baking tray then baked the dish in the oven before serving. But this was the 'wrong' way to make the dish as she later realised the sauce was meant to be poured into the tray first followed by the potato gems. In the clip Olivia poured a creamy cheese sauce over rows of potato gems lined in a baking tray then baked the dish in the oven before serving 'My DMs are blowing up over this Potato Gem Bake and the best part is, I actually made it wrong,' she captioned the video. 'You are supposed to put the sauce on the base and line the potato gems on top and then cheese but it still tasted freaking amazing, just didn't look as good.' Despite making the dish incorrectly, Olivia said it didn't disappoint. Creamy potato gem bake is essentially an alternative version of potato bake, but instead of using sliced potatoes, potato gems are used. 'My DMs are blowing up over this Potato Gem Bake and the best part is, I actually made it wrong,' she captioned the video Despite making the dish incorrectly, Olivia said it didn't disappoint and the whole family enjoyed it Social media users praised the simple recipe and flooded the comments by tagging friends and family members. 'Now that's how you have potato gems,' one woman wrote, another added: 'This but with gnocchi?' 'We need to try this!' a third wrote a tagged a friend. The delicious sauce likely would've been made using milk, flour, cheddar cheese, chives and butter, as similar recipes are available on taste.com.au. Jessica Mulroney has shared a two-year-old video from Times Square after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted at their five-star New York hotel with Misha Nonoo and Mikey Hess. Canadian stylist Jessica, 41, from Toronto, who was maid of honour at the Sussexes special day in 2018, shared the old footage from the Big Apple in an Instagram story last night. It was not immediately clear why Jessica reshared the footage but came on Wednesday night as Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, were spotted enjoying a child-free evening in New York City's iconic Upper East Side Bemelmans Bar in the $1,300-a-night Carlyle Hotel. They were joined by fashion designer and long-time friend Misha Noonoo and Mikey Heiss in the hotel's ritzy lobby bar to kick-start their tour of the city, exclusive pictures for MailOnline showed. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex's wedding day makeup artist Daniel Martin, who is often based in New York, is in the city after helping celebrities get ready for the Met Gala last Monday. Canadian stylist Jessica, 41, from Toronto, who was maid of honour at the Sussexes special day in 2018, shared the old footage from the Big Apple (pictured) in an Instagram story last night On Wednesday night, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, were spotted enjoying a child-free evening in New York City's iconic Upper East Side Bemelmans Bar in the $1,300-a-night Carlyle Hotel Jessica has long been the Duchess of Sussexs best friend and mentor, and was asked to be maid of honour at the royal wedding in 2018, with sources recently telling the Mail on Sunday that the two are still close pals. Last month, an insider revealed: Meghan is in regular touch with Jessica. Its just difficult now theyre in California and Jessicas in Toronto. The Carlyle Hotel: New York City's star-studded 'tower of power' that once hosted Princess Diana, JFK and Michael Jackson The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are far from the first big names to grace the floors of 1,300-a-night The Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Meghan and Harry were pictured enjoying drinks at Bemelmans, the swanky 1947 piano bar that has been frequented by Bono, Mariah Carey, John Mayer and Billy Joel. Princess Diana was known to be a regular guest at The Carlyle, known as New York's 'Tower of Power' which enjoys spectacular roof top views of Central Park. And other royals, including Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have also stayed there in 2005 and 2014 respectively. Designed in Art Deco style and built in 1930, today The Carlyle boasts 190 rooms and suites. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pictured arriving at The Carlyle ahead of their 2014 New York trip A stone's throw away from the city's famous Madison Avenue, The Carlyle boasts of offering its elite clientele the perfect blend of 'discretion and grace'. The historical landmark has seen a wealth of stars, celebrities and world leaders pass through its halls over the past 80 years. Woody Allen was known to have played clarinet in the cafe, while guests have reported brushing shoulders with Steve Jobs, David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger while using the lifts. At least six former U.S presidents called on The Carlyle as a home away from home, with insiders dubbing the luxury hotel the New York White House as a result. President John F. Kennedy even reportedly snuck Marilyn Monroe into his 34th floor room through the service entrance and backdoors of the hotel. Advertisement It comes after the duchess stayed silent as Jessica found herself at the centre of a Black Lives Matter race row last year when she was accused of using her white privilege against a black social media influencer. It was reported at the time that Meghan had cut ties with her friend after influencer Sasha Exeter accused the stylist of 'threatening her livelihood' when she posted a Black Lives Matter call-to-action on Instagram. Meghan remained silent when the Canadian fashion stylist was accused of racist bullying and abusing her white privilege to threaten the career of a black social media influencer. Sasha alleged that Jessica took personal offence when she asked bloggers to use their platform to advance the Black Lives Matter movement and that private messages between the pair had left her paralysed with fear. Jessica later faced accusations that she had used Meghan as her 'superpower,' though denied this was the case and refused to speak about the Duchess in interviews. A source had claimed their friendship is no longer 'what it once was,' adding this was not due to the fall-out with Exeter, but because they have 'just grown apart.' The insider added: 'Of course, Meghan has been worried about Jess. Shell always have love for her.' However, Jessica - who is married to Ben, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney - told Page Six in November that she and Meghan are 'constantly' in touch via FaceTime. Another friend of Meghan's currently in New York is makeup artiest Daniel, who is believed to have known the duchess for over a decade, having met her while the former actress worked on Suits. He has remained in contact with the Duchess throughout her life in the royal family and was reported to still often see her. Daniel was by Meghan's side on her wedding day as he perfected her makeup and attended her famous baby shower in New York alongside celebrities like Gayle King and Serena Williams. He was one of the first to visit the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they moved into Frogmore Cottage shortly before Archie's birth. And the makeup artist sparked rumours he could be one of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor's secret godparents when he shared pictures from London in the days after the baby's christening. The royal also surprised Daniel in New York for his birthday in September 2019, with the makeup artist revealing the news by sharing a snap on Instagram of a plate of cupcakes. Meanwhile, Meghan and Misha's relationship reportedly goes back years, according to last year's bombshell biography Finding Freedom - co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand - which documented their friendship. It alleges how Markus Anderson, Soho Houses global membership director, provided the royal with introductions to many business and cultural elites - both in Canada and further afield. The authors wrote, 'At a Soho House lunch in Miami, he was the one who sat the actress next to Misha, a budding fashion designer with a vivacious personality and impeccable pedigree. 'The occasion for the December 2014 Miami trip was Art Basel, a decadent art fair that brings the internationally rich and famous for a week of parties and events of all sorts and sizes. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex's wedding day makeup artist Daniel Martin (pictured together), who is often based in New York, is in the city after helping celebrities get ready for the Met Gala last Monday 'Markus invited Meghan, an art lover, to stay at the epicenter of the action, Soho Beach House, to set some sun, see some art, and have some fun. 'A perfect place to make new friends and connections, the Soho house event saw Misha and Meghan hit it off immediately.' The biography goes on to suggest Misha and Markus were behind Meghan and Prince Harry's first meeting. It's thought the Duchess' close pals set the pair, who are now living in the US, up on a blind date in London. Jessica (pictured left) has long been the Duchess of Sussex s best friend and mentor, and was asked to be maid of honour at the royal wedding in 2018, with sources recently telling the Mail on Sunday that the two are still close pals The Duchess has continued to support her friend by wearing Misha Nonoo styles over the years and donned the famous 'Boyfriend shirt' for her first appearance alongside Prince Harry, and also wore another of Misha's designs for her final day of meetings in the UK before stepping back from royal duties. Harry and Meghan arrived Wednesday night with an entourage of tens of cars and about 20 guards. They pulled up with tens of cars and about 20 guards. Onlookers watched as their hired muscle took over tables around them as they tried to blend in while they sipped pre-dinner cocktails and chatted with Nonoo and her oil baron husband Hess. This touching video shows the moment a father with Alzheimer's cried after finding out his daughter was pregnant after a three-year infertility battle. Olivia and Nick Salza from Trumbull, Connecticut, had tried for a baby for years but discovered Olivia developed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) causing difficulties becoming pregnant. After hearing this, she went for an ultrasound where her doctor scheduled her for surgery in hopes it would increase her chances. On February 3 2021, Olivia went to the hospital to undergo her surgery but after an hour of waiting her operation was canceled - instead, Olivia was told that she was eight-weeks pregnant. Joe Cichon, Olivia Salza's father was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's in March 2014 and was in hospital due to his disease getting worse Wife and husband Olivia and Nick Salza. Olivia said discovering she was pregnant after being told her and her husband may never conceive naturally was a 'whirlwind of emotions' That same day, Olivia's dad Joe was admitted to the very same hospital. Joe Cichon was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's in March 2014 and had been taken to hospital due to his Alzheimer's taking a rapid decline. Once she was released from the surgical suite, she spent a few minutes with her Nick explaining what happened, and they agreed to find her dad in the hospital to tell him the good news. When she walked into her dad's room, she asks him if he could keep a secret which he agreed to, and Olivia then says: 'I'm pregnant!' As soon as Joe heard the news, he couldn't contain his happiness. 'Bittersweet': Olivia filmed the moment she told father Joe about the pregnancy. He recognised her then wept tears of joy as she revealed her happy news Here, Joe laughs when being told he has has gone viral and has fans after his daughter Olivia posted the video revealing her pregnancy to him In the video, after hearing the good news, he covers his face, looking tearful. He says: 'Oh my God...and you know what? What he [Nick] doesn't know [what it's like] to cradle that [baby],' while making a cradling gesture with his arms. 'What you've done for me my whole life,' says Olivia. Her father says: 'But that's what we [parents] do.' After posting the video online where it quickly went viral with millions of views, Olivia showed Joe the reaction and he was completely blown away. Olivia said: 'Going from being told my husband and I might never have a baby to conceiving naturally when we had stopped trying brings on a whirlwind of emotions. 'Announcing such happy news during a very sad time with my dad was definitely bittersweet. 'I'm so thankful we have the moment captured on video telling him we were pregnant so that we can share that with our son one day.' A woman has lost her leg to a flesh-eating bacterial infection after a suspected spider bite. Bridgette Garza, from Texas, noticed a pimple on her bottom that she thought was 'nothing to worry about' but was admitted to hospital just 10 days later after she started to hallucinate and developed blisters on her leg. The mother-of-two was diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin and surrounding muscles and organs, and spent 17 days in intensive care. She underwent seven surgeries, eight skin grafts and had to have her left leg amputated below the knee as medics battled to stop the spread of the infection. Bridgette Garza, from Texas, 39, pictured here with son Jacob, 14 before the suspected spider bite that resulted in her losing her leg Bridgette thought the pimple-like mark was nothing to worry about - but she ended up spending 17 days in intensive care after being diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis The mother-of-two underwent seven surgeries, eight skin grafts and below the knee amputation Bridgette, pictured with her new leg, says while the pimple on her bottom wasn't 'scary', it was painful. Because of the pandemic, she avoided going into hospital to get it checked out Doctors have now said the 'pimple' was likely to be a spider bite. Bridgette, who is unable to work, said: 'The spot on my bum cheek wasn't scary - it didn't have a head on it to pop either. Doctors have now said it could have been a spider bite. 'Apparently I was walking around for 10 days and it was septic but I didn't even know. I was in pain with my leg but I didn't go to the doctors due to coronavirus. I didn't want to risk catching it and thought the pain would ease off. 'But on the tenth day, I was very disorientated when I woke up from a nap. The former saleswoman, who is now unable to work, woke up from a nap 10 days after discovering the 'pimple'. She was hallucinating and her leg was covered in blisters Although the mother-of-two lost her leg, she says she feels 'incredibly blessed' to have survived the extremely traumatic experience After losing her leg, Bridgette says 'at first, I thought it was the end of the world' - but she 'never broke down' and didn't dwell on it The tenacious former saleswoman added that 'a pity party wasn't going to get my leg back', so she 'had to make the best out of the situation' I couldn't walk on my leg and my kids Adally, now 15, and Jacob, 14, said it looked like a green snake was wrapped around my leg. 'They were frightened because I wasn't making any sense.' The former saleswoman has no recollection but her family were prepared to say goodbye. She added: 'I don't remember a thing, but when I woke up the doctor was amazed. I had no idea where I was or how I got there. By working hard, she managed to be up and walking again within eight months of losing the limb, and now uses a prosthetic leg for eight to 10 hours a day Bridgette says she wants to give other people some 'hope' by sharing her story - saying she is now independent despite her ordeal 'At this point, I didn't even know I had half a leg missing. 'The doctor told me there was a 2 per cent chance of survival so I felt incredibly blessed. 'I was also told the surgeries were life-threatening as I could have been a chance of me bleeding out every time. 'Flesh eating disease': What exactly is Necrotising fasciitis? Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin and surrounding muscles and organs (fascia). It's sometimes called the 'flesh-eating disease', although the bacteria that cause it do not 'eat' flesh, but release toxins that damage nearby tissue. Necrotising fasciitis can start from a relatively minor injury, such as a small cut, but gets worse very quickly and can be life threatening if it's not recognised and treated early on. Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis The symptoms of necrotising fasciitis develop quickly over hours or days. Early symptoms can include: a small but painful cut or scratch on the skin intense pain that's out of proportion to any damage to the skin a high temperature (fever) and other flu-like symptoms After a few hours to days, you may develop: swelling and redness in the painful area the swelling will usually feel firm to the touch diarrhoea and vomiting dark blotches on the skin that turn into fluid-filled blisters Source: NHS Advertisement 'When he uncovered me, I couldn't see anything past my knee and began crying.' Bridgette doesn't know how she contracted the deadly virus but medics predict it was a spider bite. She spent four weeks in hospital and had to learn how to walk again. Holding back the tears, Bridgette added: 'They began asking me where I had been to contract the bacteria but I'm a homebody, especially with coronavirus so I didn't know where it was from. 'They took skin from my right thigh, sides of the stomach and from my back. 'I don't wish the pain from healing from a skin graft on anybody - it felt like the skin was falling off my bones.' She was discharged on October 28 2020. She added: 'At first, I thought it was the end of the world, I couldn't take more than two steps at a time using a frame. But I never broke down, I didn't dwell on it. 'I knew I had to get home to my kids and a pity party wasn't going to get my leg back. 'I had to make the best out of the situation and work my hardest to get a prosthetic leg. 'They said it will take longer because I am Type 1 Diabetic but I managed to walk again within eight months. 'My leg looked like a beef jerky stick, it was raw and boney. 'It didn't look like a leg at all but I have fat on it now.' Bridgette wants to give other people some 'hope' by sharing her story. She said: 'I am independent again, I can cook, clean, go shopping or out with my kids. 'Some tasks just take a little longer. 'I have realised it is just a foot and I now have another one. 'I wear my prosthetic for eight to 10 hours a day. 'I have a ball on the ankle part so it bends when I walk like a real foot. 'I want to show my kids that you can't give up.' Meghan Markle has returned to her 'signature red carpet style' as she kick-started her three-day trip of New York with Prince Harry, a makeup artist has revealed. The Duchess of Sussex, 40, debuted a 'dramatic' look for her first public trip with the Duke, 37, since moving to California last year, according to Laura Kay. Speaking to FEMAIL, the cosmetics expert noted that mother-of-two Meghan opted for an 'intense' smokey eye, enhanced brows and a glossy lip when arriving at the One World Trade Center yesterday to start her whirlwind visit to the Big Apple. To add to her glamorous makeup look, the former royal sported a sleek bun which 'looked polished without seeming to try too hard or appearing too high maintenance', said celebrity hairdresser Tom Smith. Meghan Markle (pictured left) has returned to her 'signature red carpet style' as she kick-started her three-day trip of New York with Prince Harry, a makeup artist has revealed Laura, Founder of Laura Kay London, said: 'Meghans choice of makeup is where her look really stands out and where she makes her mark. 'Being her first public appearance in almost two years she may have gone low key with her outfit but her makeup is more dramatic than what we have seen in recent pictures and videos. 'She seems to be inspired by her old signature red carpet style and we are not used to seeing such a defined makeup look since she married Prince Harry.' She explained: 'Her new Hollywood brows are much more defined and they are filled in with powder to enhance their presence. It is all about the brow with this look. 'Her eyes are smudgy and she looks to have applied eye shadow all over the lid, blending it to create a creamy "intense eye". Perfect for commanding attention as you are drawn to her eyes naturally with the use of clever makeup application tricks. The Duchess of Sussex, 40, debuted a 'dramatic' look for her first public trip with the Duke (pictured together), 37, since moving to California last year, according to Laura Kay 'In addition, for a softer finish she has used a highlighter to blend and intensify her facial features. The use of bronzer also tactfully emphasises her eyes and it is used to help contour her features without being overly out of place for the somber event. 'Her nude lip is a great choice as it catches the light by opting for a gloss finish which helps compliment her dewy complexion. The nude lip also goes perfectly with her smokey eyes and she has the balance just right.' Celebrity hairdresser Tom also suggested Meghan returned to her signature chic low bun, keeping her locks 'appropriately low key for this serious event'. He said: 'Wearing a sharp centre parting and a sleek bun looks polished without seeming to try too hard or appearing too high maintenance. She seems to have opted for a subtle, almost subdued look, to make the focus not about her. 'It is a simple yet sophisticated style. It is worlds away from the TIME cover photoshoot where her long hair was full and centre stage.' Meghan and Prince Harry pose for a photo with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield at 50 UN Plaza Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield tweeted photos from their 'wonderful' visit Thursday afternoon, revealing they discussed COVID-19, racial justice and mental health He continued: 'She also may be experiencing postpartum hair thinning which would explain the centre parting - thinning after pregnancy is most common around the temples and usually re-balances a few months after birth. 'The centre parting would conveniently cover the areas most likely to be effected by hair thinning after her pregnancy. Her hairdresser could have advised this style to prevent further damage and it is a clever trick to hide any visible damage. 'Her recent TIME cover featured an extreme amount of hair extensions which also leads me to believe she may be struggling with her natural hair density after the birth of her daughter Lilibet.' Prince Harry and Meghan descended on the Big Apple Thursday where they were given the A-list treatment, being chaperoned around by a large security detail as they mingled with UN officials and New York politicians and stayed in a hotel where rooms cost up to $8,800 a night. The Sussexes - who dramatically quit their roles as working royals last year - met with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield at 50 UN Plaza in Manhattan Thursday afternoon for an 'important discussion' on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health. The ambassador described the meeting as 'wonderful' as she shared snaps of the trio chatting on sofas in a lounge area and then posing in front of UN branding. Further details on what the Sussexes discussed with the ambassador have yet to be shared but the former actress and former working royal appeared to mean business, carrying folders to and from the visit. They then paid a visit to the World Health Organization headquarters at 885 Second Avenue, where they emerged carrying both WHO documents and documents featuring their Archewell Foundation branding. The new Sex and the City series will be dedicated to late actor Willie Garson and his death may be written into season two, show insiders reveal. The beloved actor, who played Stanford Blatch in the show, died this week age 57. A source close to the show told DailyMail.com that with the script already set in stone and Garsons part largely filmed in July, his passing will not be included as a plot point in the HBO Max reboot And Just Like That. But executives and writers, including Sarah Jessica Parker, are considering how to deal with his absence in the second run, the insider said, and added that the first season will be dedicated to him in the credits when it hits screens in the next few months. The new Sex and the City series will be dedicated to late actor Willie Garson, who died of pancreatic cancer at age 57 this week The actor had been in New York filming HBO's ten-episode reboot, And Just Like That, which began production in June. He is pictured with Sarah Jessica Parker on July 24 in NYC A source close to the show told DailyMail.com that with the script already 'set in stone' and Garsons part largely filmed in July, so his death won't be written into this season Blatch was a confidant of Parkers character Carrie Bradshaw and a member of her inner circle who regularly featured in the original show. 'The loss of Willie is devastating for the entire production, the source said. Everyone wants to pay tribute to Willie, because not only was he a pro, but also a kind, caring and fun loving part of the show and films. 'However any suggestion of altering the plots at this late stage is simply not on the table. The show's script and production schedule are locked in as are the episode structures. 'While it would be nice to have a tribute around Willie and Blatch it is not feasible, so all focus is now looking at that for season two. Obviously with this loss being so raw at the moment, it will be a while before anyone addresses exactly how a plotline would reflect this. 'Certainly there will be many voices in the room looking to discuss a fitting way to deal with this passing. Executives and writers, including Sarah Jessica Parker, are considering how to deal with his absence in the second season of And Just Like That Parker and Kristen Davis will be 'part of planning what happens with the writers' (pictured with Cynthia Nixon and Garson in June) Mario Cantone, who plays Garsons on-screen husband Anthony Marentino, and show creator Darren Starr will also be involved in the decision of how to handle his absence The source added that Mario Cantone, who plays Garsons on-screen husband Anthony Marentino, as well as Darren Starr, Parker and Kristen Davis will be part of planning what happens with the writers.' 'One thing is for sure: the series will be dedicated to his memory, the insider said. Garsons death follows soon after the passing of George Malkemus, Parkers close friend and right hand in her shoe brand SJP, who died from cancer age 67. The insider said Parker always 'saw Garson as an essential family member for SATC. And while he did not appear in all the episodes, certainly his energy and positivity always lifted up the set.' The source revealed Garson was one of the few who managed to bridge the chasm between Parker and her former co-star turned rival Kim Cattrall, remaining friends with both. 'Willie loved everyone and even when Kim and Sarah fell out, he remained close to both of them, the source said. 'He never got involved in their dramas, but was simply a friend to both. The last known footage of Garson filming is from August 2, when he and Mario were recorded existing an indoor filming location, dressed in black suits Instagrammer @mickmicknyc shared footage taken at the filming location 'People may not know this, but he always told those in his inner circle that he would have loved for Kim to return at some stage. He was a fan of the show and everyone on it.' During an interview with DailyMailTV at the 6th Annual Ed Asner & Friends Poker Tournament Celebrity Night, Garson opened up on his friendships with both women. He spoke, in September 2018, in the wake of Cattrall then insisting that she had never been friends with Parker and had not enjoyed her entire run on the show. While the two leading ladies had effectively labelled one another liars, Garson tried to have a diplomatic outlook on the feud. There's no situation between Kim and Sarah. There seems to be. Isn't that the bane of social media?' he said. Talking about Cattrall's decision to refuse a huge pay deal for a third SATC movie, he continued: 'Someone doesn't want to do it so things were said on social media. I mean you can't force someone at gunpoint. But we can't do it unless everyone is around. So am I optimistic? Right now, no.' Cattrall was adamant, during a TV interview with Piers Morgan, that she never wanted to appear in the third film. But Garson claimed that Cattrall had been very close to joining in another SATC movie. Garson was one of the few who managed to bridge the chasm between Parker and her former co-star turned rival Kim Cattrall, remaining friends with both There's no situation between Kim and Sarah. There seems to be. Isn't that the bane of social media?' Garson insisted to DailyMailTV in 2018 I believe attempts had been made but if someone doesn't want to do it, they don't want to do it, he said in his 2018 interview. 'It was very close to happening, absolutely. 'What we didn't understand was [Cattrall] saying that I never wanted to do it. 'That's a little bit of a grey area when negotiations were already in place. 'But listen, it was her decision and it was really a come one, come all so obviously we're not releasing a movie right now, which we would have been.' This summer DailyMail.com revealed Sex And The City fans will be treated a shock death in the opening of the new comeback series. The 'big death' prompted fears that actor Chris Noth's return, who plays Carrie Bradshaw's husband Mr. Big, could be a short one. Some others are speculating it could be the death of Samantha Jones, following the bitter feud between actresses Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker. Others speculate that one of the leading character's parents will pass away in a shock twist in episode one. The source did confirm that Carrie Bradshaw, played by Jessica Parker, will not die in season one. Meghan Markle took a page out of Michelle Obama's stylebook on Friday when she stepped out in New York in a monochromatic maroon suit a look strikingly similar to the much-lauded outfit the former First Lady wore to President Joe Biden's inauguration. The Duchess of Sussex, 40, donned a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat, matching $1,685 wide-leg pants, and red Manolo Blahnik pointed-toe pumps while visiting Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school, despite the 71F temperature. The Duchess re-wore some of her favorite accessories, including a $4,500 diamond ring by Birks, Princess Diana's $23,000 Cartier Tank watch, a $6,900 Cartier Love bracelet, a $3,000 Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelet, and her diamond engagement ring, which is estimated to be worth about $350,000 totaling about $387,000 worth of jewels. The designer outfit raised eyebrows given 94 per cent of children at the school they were visiting receive free meals. Markle appeared to be channeling Obama, 57, in her berry-colored ensemble and Twitter users took notice, with one person joking that the royal was 'cosplaying Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day.' Obama cut a stylish figure in a head-to-toe plum suit by Sergio Hudson when she watched Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris be sworn into office at the Capitol in January. Meghan Markle, 40, is earning comparisons to Michelle Obama, 57, after stepping out in a monochromatic suit that looks quite similar to the former first lady's Inauguration Day outfit Feeling the chill? The Duchess of Sussex, 40, wrapped up in a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat, matching $1,685 wide-leg pants and red point toe Manolo Blahnik pumps for this morning's visit to Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school, despite the 71F day Golden girl: Meghan re-wore some of the same jewelry as yesterday, including her $4,500 Birks band (worn alongside her engagement ring) and Diana's Cartier watch The mother-of-two wore a floor-length coat over a form-fitting knit turtleneck and wide-leg pants all in the same deep berry shade. She topped off the look with a matching belt featuring a large gold buckle that pulled the outfit together. The choice of color was significant as purple is one of the official colors of the suffragist movement, as was her decision to promote Hudson, a young black designer. Markle's version of the monochromatic suit was more relaxed, likely because she would be sitting down and reading her new children's book The Bench to second-graders. Her reversible coat is made from double-faced cashmere, features hand-finished invisible seams, and comes complete with a ribbed, cashmere-knit, detachable collar. The designer piece was baggier and far less structured than Obama's coat, and Markle wore her sleeves cuffed to show the fabric on the other side. Another unique detail was its pockets, which were framed with a lighter shade of square-shaped lining. Monochrome Meghan: The tonal outfit featured a cape and pants from the same brand. She finished the look with pumps in the same shade - but decided to go without a bag Fashionable: The unlined cape is made from double-faced cashmere, featuring hand-finished invisible seams. Its draped cut is emphasized by extremely dropped armholes A number of people took to Twitter on Friday to point out that the Duchess of Sussex's suit looked a lot like the one worn by Obama. 'This giving me Michelle Obama inauguration look,' one person wrote, adding: 'Very messy but the outfit looks similar to Michelle Obamas inauguration 2021 look.' 'Madame Duchess maroon outfit and flowy hair is giving Michelle Obama at the Inauguration,' someone else agreed, while someone else added: 'Giving me Michelle Obama at the inauguration vibes!' 'She's giving Michelle at inauguration and I am here for it #flawless,' one fan tweeted. Markle, who wore her hair in a sleek bun the day before, also seemed to take inspiration from Obama's Inauguration Day hairstyle One person joked she was 'cosplaying' Obama, while another said the outfit was giving her 'Michelle Obama at the inauguration vibes' Markle may very likely be finding inspiration in Obama's post-presidency style after she and her husband Prince Harry confirmed earlier this year that they would not be returning as working members of the royal family following their move to the U.S. It comes after the Duchess wore two wool coats for her outings in the city on Thursday, prompting jokes from social media users who said she is 'dressing aggressively for fall'. After sporting a strict updo yesterday, Meghan wore her brunette locks in loose waves for today's engagement and complimented her monochrome outfit with a slick of pink eyeshadow. More bling: Meghan was also sporting a $3,000 gold tennis bracelet from designer Jennifer Meyer in addition to her Cartier pieces and rings During the visit to the school, Meghan wore her book The Bench to students. Students showed the couple a brightly colored mural in the playground, while Meghan put her arms around some of the children and posed for photos. Meghan's reversible coat is made from double-faced cashmere, featuring hand-finished invisible seams and comes complete with a ribbed, cashmere-knit, detachable collar. The wide-leg trousers in the set have a similarly relaxed feel and come in the same deep hue. The Sussexes are staying at the Carlyle Hotel on Manhattan's Upper East Side, where top-tier rooms cost up to $8,800 a night, and have made use of its swanky Bemelmans Bar. Meghan and Harry, 37, have left children Archie, two, and Lilibet, three months, at home in California while they're in New York. The visit, which will last at least three nights, mark the couple's longest time away from their daughter and their first official joint engagement since her birth. Relaxed style: After sporting a strict updo yesterday, Meghan wore her brunette locks in loose waves for today's engagement and complimented her outfit with a slick of pink eyeshadow Best foot forward: Meghan wore heels from Manolo Blahnik, one of her favorite brands Touch of glamour: The Duchess re-wore some of her favorite accessories, including Princess Diana's Cartier watch, her Cartier Love bangle and a diamond ring by Birks Stepping out: The duchess opted for a head to toe red number, with loose-fitting trousers, stiletto court shoes and coat. The prince chose beige chinos and a long-sleeve navy polo shirt Stepping out in style: Meghan opted for the oversized, monochrome look for today's outing They were spotted leaving the hotel with their beefed-up security this morning in gas-guzzling SUVs. The couple kicked off the first day of their tour Thursday rubbing shoulders with New York lawmakers and UN officials as well as paying their respects to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero. They also visited the offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) where they held a meeting with Chelsea Clinton, health officials and other experts to discuss vaccine equity - ahead of their appearance at Saturday's Global Citizen concert. Meghan wrapped up in a black coat, polo neck and wide-legged trousers - despite the weather being a humid 80F in the city. Social media users were left baffled by Meghan's wardrobe, with one writing: 'Does she never learn how to wear clothes that suit the occasion and weather? 'It's a hot and humid day in New York and she is wearing a high collar and coat.' Storytime: Meghan read her children's book The Bench to a group of second-grade students (aged around seven) at the public school Harry steps out of his gas-guzzling SUV to arrive at Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school for Friday morning's visit The Sussexes posed for photos with students at PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school as they showed the couple a mural in the yard Later she switched into a camel coat by Max Mara, which she layered over a black dress. Speaking to FEMAIL, the cosmetics expert noted that mother-of-two Meghan opted for an 'intense' smokey eye, enhanced brows and a glossy lip when arriving in the Big Apple. Laura, Founder of Laura Kay London, said: 'Meghans choice of makeup is where her look really stands out and where she makes her mark. 'Being her first public appearance in almost two years she may have gone low key with her outfit but her makeup is more dramatic than what we have seen in recent pictures and videos. The visit to the school marked the start of the second day of their three-day trip to the Big Apple in their first major public appearance since quitting the royal family Meghan kneels down to chat to a little girl on the playground of the school in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City Friday 'She seems to be inspired by her old signature red carpet style and we are not used to seeing such a defined makeup look since she married Prince Harry.' She explained: 'Her new Hollywood brows are much more defined and they are filled in with powder to enhance their presence. It is all about the brow with this look. 'Her eyes are smudgy and she looks to have applied eye shadow all over the lid, blending it to create a creamy "intense eye". Perfect for commanding attention as you are drawn to her eyes naturally with the use of clever makeup application tricks. 'In addition, for a softer finish she has used a highlighter to blend and intensify her facial features. The use of bronzer also tactfully emphasises her eyes and it is used to help contour her features without being overly out of place for the somber event. 'Her nude lip is a great choice as it catches the light by opting for a gloss finish which helps compliment her dewy complexion. The nude lip also goes perfectly with her smokey eyes and she has the balance just right.' Meghan Markle visited the UN on Thursday in an unseasonably warm-looking camel-colored coat Earlier on Thursday, she and Harry had visited One World Observatory and the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Celebrity hairdresser Tom also suggested Meghan returned to her signature chic low bun, keeping her locks 'appropriately low key for this serious event'. He said: 'Wearing a sharp centre parting and a sleek bun looks polished without seeming to try too hard or appearing too high maintenance. She seems to have opted for a subtle, almost subdued look, to make the focus not about her. 'It is a simple yet sophisticated style. It is worlds away from the TIME cover photoshoot where her long hair was full and centre stage.' He continued: 'She also may be experiencing postpartum hair thinning which would explain the centre parting - thinning after pregnancy is most common around the temples and usually re-balances a few months after birth. 'The centre parting would conveniently cover the areas most likely to be effected by hair thinning after her pregnancy. Her hairdresser could have advised this style to prevent further damage and it is a clever trick to hide any visible damage. 'Her recent TIME cover featured an extreme amount of hair extensions which also leads me to believe she may be struggling with her natural hair density after the birth of her daughter Lilibet.' The View co-host Sara Haines admitted on The View this morning that sometimes she offers her husband a little X-rated incentive to take over bedtime duty with their three young children. Haines, 44, shares five-year-old son Alec, two-year-old son Caleb, and three-year-old daughter Sandra with her husband, Max Shifrin and with three youngsters running around, bedtime can be a particularly stressful time. So recently, the TV host tried a creative tactic to get out of the chaos, offering to 'pay him in other things, other currency.' 'I turned to Max and I just said, "I'm willing to have transactional deals with you if you can just put the kids to bed, please,"' she said with a laugh. The View co-host Sara Haines admitted on The View this morning that sometimes she offers her husband a little X-rated incentive to take over bedtime duty with their three young children Haines, 44, shares five-year-old son Alec, two-year-old son Caleb, and three-year-old daughter Sandra with her husband, Max Shifrin The women of The View has been discussing a recent conversation between Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos, in which Consuelos had said that the solution to any marital problem is 'just have sex.' Haines and the other co-hosts all joked that for men, sex was the answer to everything. 'I'm happy, I have sex. I'm tired, I have sex. I'm depressed, I have sex. It's kind of a one note thing,' Haines said of men's thought process. 'It's funny, because knowing how men and women are so I'm painting with broad strokes here different in how we think, there have been times where, this just happened the other day, where our bedtime is really raucous,' she said. 'There's always one running and darting, and it's such a physical job,' she went on. 'The physical up, down, we're at our empty tanks.' So recently, she made the sexual overture to her husband if he took over and admits that it was a fully transactional moment. 'I turned to Max and I just said, "I'm willing to have transactional deals with you if you can just put the kids to bed, please,"' she said with a laugh 'There's always one running and darting, and it's such a physical job,' she went on. 'The physical up, down, we're at our empty tanks' 'That's about how romantic the suggestion felt too: "I will pay you in other things, other currency, if you go ahead and put those kids to bed,"' she said 'That's about how romantic the suggestion felt too: "I will pay you in other things, other currency, if you go ahead and put those kids to bed,"' she said. Surprised, her co-host Joy Behar asked her, 'So you see it as a bartering system?' 'If that is what he needs, and this is what I need, I think it sounds like a perfect solution,' Haines replied. Not everyone is on board with Haines' technique, with some criticizing Haines for it. One commenter said sounded 'like prostitution,' while another wrote: 'She makes sex sound like a chore.' 'There is another name for this type of transaction,' said another. 'Cheaper to hire a nanny, Sara,' snarked another, while one more wrote sarcastically, 'How empowered and feminist. Don't want to be judged by your sex, yet it is your crux of manipulation.' Not everyone is on board with Haines' technique, with one Twitter user blasting her for for perpetuating the idea that men need to be incentivized to do their job as fathers Others were put off by the story because they said that behavior perpetuates the idea that men need to be incentivized to do their job as fathers. 'This makes me ill. This is will teach other young women that their husbands deserve favors for doing their parental duties. Been there, done that, its not ok,' she said. 'Using your body to get your husband to do his duties as a father is disgusting. No wonder men do not take us seriously,' said another. 'I'm sorry but it sounds like he doesn't help with the kids and she doesn't give him any intimacy so they bribe each other to get what they wouldn't otherwise,' wrote one more. However, some people thought it sounded like a 'win-win,' with one commenting: 'It sounds like a good exchange he's motivated, she'll be more relaxed and less tired! It's hardly the same as withholding sex or making unreasonable demands!' Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were pulled off set live on air this morning because they had tested positive for COVID-19 Her admission on The View this morning came just moments before two of her co-hosts, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, were pulled off set live on air because they had tested positive for COVID-19. Hostin and Navarro were broadcasting live Friday morning from ABC's New York City studios, where they were scheduled to sit down with Vice President Kamala Harris in her first daytime appearance as VP. But the pair were dramatically ordered off set seconds before Harris walked out on stage, leaving producers scrambling. An employee of The View was heard yelling at both Hostin and Navarro, ordering them out as co-hosts Behar and Haines remained on stage. The show quickly cut to commercial, before Behar later explained that her co-stars had returned positive results from a last-minute test. 'Sunny and Ana both apparently tested positive for COVID. No matter how hard we try, these things happen,' Behar explained. A producer yelled at the co-hosts, ordering them to leave the stage just seconds before Harris was set to be introduced Harris did not come out to the stage, instead conducting her interview with Behar and Haines via video link from a room elsewhere at the ABC studios 'They probably have a breakthrough case and they will both be okay, I'm sure, because they are both vaccinated,' A spokesperson from the Vice President's Office told DailyMail.com that Harris 'did not meet with the hosts prior to the interview.' The interview with Harris was delayed, causing chaos on the show. Behar then began asking audience questions in a bid to kill time. Harris did not come out to the stage, instead conducting her interview with Behar and Haines via video link from a room elsewhere at the ABC studios. Her interview was supposed to take up a majority of the show, but was instead reduced to around 10 minutes. Harris addressed the saga at the beginning of her chat, stating: 'Sunny and Ana are strong women and I know they're fine, but it really also does speak to the fact that they're vaccinated and vaccines really make all the difference because otherwise we would be concerned about hospitalization and worse.' A 22-year-old man died after chugging a 1.5litre bottle of Coca Cola in 10 minutes, doctors have revealed. Medics say the Chinese man's rapid consumption led to a fatal build-up of gas inside his body, which starved his liver of oxygen and eventually killed him. The man, who wasn't identified, went to hospital six hours after consuming the fizzy drink, complaining of severe pain and a swollen stomach. He told doctors at Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital he had rapidly downed 1.5L of Coca Cola to help cool off due to the hot weather. Chugging the beverage so quickly led to gas gathering in his intestines, which due to the pressure then leaked into his portal vein, one of the liver's main blood vessels. This caused fatal damage, according to doctors who detailed the case in Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Tests carried out on the man when he was first assessed by doctors showed several worrying signs. The man, who wasn't thought to have any underlying health issues, had an elevated heart rate, low blood pressure, and was breathing rapidly. CT scans found he had pneumatosis, an abnormal presence of gas, in the wall of his intestine and his portal vein. The scans also revealed he had hepatic ischemia, also called 'shock liver', a type of injury caused by low oxygen supply to the organ, which doctors believe was related to the presence of gas in the portal vein. Lead author of the case report, Qiang He, said medical staff 'immediately' set about trying to release the gas from the man's digestive system. He was also given medication to help protect his liver and to try to stabilise his other body functions from further damage. After 12 hours, blood tests showed the man had serious liver damage. His condition deteriorated further and he died 18 hours after treatment. One British expert today questioned the true cause of the death however, insisting it was unlikely that downing 1.5L of Coca Cola was to blame. Professor Nathan Davies, a biochemist at University College London, told MailOnline: 'The chances of downing 1.5 litres, or a little over three pints, of a regular soft drink being fatal would be very, very unlikely, I mean, staggeringly unlikely.' He said more information was needed than that provided in the report to draw any firm conclusions on killed the man. And he speculated that a bacterial infection, a known cause of a gas build-up internally, may have been to blame rather than the soft drink. Professor Davies explained that these bacteria can form gas pockets, causing issues similar to the ones the man experienced before his death. 'Usually this type of condition is caused because you have bacteria that has made its way from the normal gastrointestinal tract to somewhere they are not supposed to be, in this case, in the lining of the small intestine,' he said. The gas produced in the intestines can then leak into other connected areas of the body, like the portal vein. Professor Davies said that while it was possible consuming a large soft drink may have added to this gas problem, such a combination would be extremely unlikely. 'It's possible, but not necessary that likely, that drinking a large amount of carbonated drink could have had an exacerbating affect,' he said. 'But with no underlying condition it is very hard to see what could have happened.' Professor Davies also added that gas in the portal vein would not explain the lack of oxygen the man's liver was receiving. He explained that the portal vein carries material from the gut for the liver to process, as opposed to a different blood vessel, the hepatic artery, which carries oxygen to the organ. 'If you have underlying bacteria there, or another sort of condition, they could be potentially producing their own toxins which would be detrimental to the normal function of the organ,' he said. As such, Professor Davies said there is no reason to think consuming fizzy drinks the same way the Chinese man did could have fatal consequences. Instead Professor Davies said the potential health consequences of regular soft drink consumption were mostly minor and longer term. 'Obviously it's not good for your teeth, that's the key thing, very large quantities of soft drink can have an affect on bone mineralisation,' he said. 'A couple of soft drinks a day has no health consequences other than the amount of sugar you are consuming.' As a final reassurance for fizzy drinks fans, Professor Davies said that considering the amount of carbonated drinks consumed around the world, if they could have fatal consequences there would be far more cases like the Chinese report. Coca Cola was contacted for comment but had not responded by publication. The Chinese man told doctors at Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital that he had consumed 1.5 litres of Coca-Cola in just 10 minutes to help him cool down on a hot day. But the build-up of gas in his intestines eventually leaked into his portal vein, a critical blood vessel connected to the liver, and this led to his death, authors in the Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology reported CT scans of a 22 year old Chinese man who consumed 1.5 litres of Coke in just 10 minutes show the deadly build up of gas inside his body. The arrows added to the scan indicate where pneumatosis, an abnormal presence of gas in the body, is occurring in the portal vein. The portal vein is a critical blood vessel between the liver and several organs Children of mothers depressed in pregnancy are more likely to suffer depression themselves in the future, a study suggests. University of Bristol experts also found youngsters face a higher risk if their mother was struck down with post-natal depression. The 14-year research project tracked 5,000 children until they turned 24, assessing their mental health regularly. Results showed that children of mothers who were depressed before or after giving birth were more depressed as teenagers when compared to their peers. Experts say the study highlights the importance of mental health support for parents both during a pregnancy and after they have a baby. It comes amid concerns over how the mental health of mothers has fared, and the impact of a lack of face to face appointments to spot the problem, during the Covid pandemic. Depression during or after pregnancy could contribute to a child experiencing depression later in life a new study from the University of Bristol has suggested (stock image). There have been increased concerns regarding the health of pregnant women and new mothers over the course of the Covid pandemic Perinatal mental health issues, which covers both the pregnancy and the 12 months after birth, are relatively common. NHS England estimates a fifth of women experience post-natal depression and other mental health afflictions. Researchers used data from 5,029 people enrolled in the Children of the 90s study. As children they were assessed using a standard questionnaire to measure levels of depression, which was then repeated nine times. They found, on average, children of mothers who experienced post-natal depression saw their depression get worse over their adolescence. What causes depression? There's no single cause of depression. It can occur for a variety of reasons and it has many different triggers. For some people, an upsetting or stressful life event, such as bereavement, divorce, illness, redundancy and job or money worries, can be the cause. Different causes can often combine to trigger depression. For example, you may feel low after being ill and then experience a traumatic event, such as a bereavement, which brings on depression. Some studies have also suggested that you're more likely to get depression as you get older, and that it's more common in people who live in difficult social and economic circumstances. Stressful events Most people take time to come to terms with stressful events, such as bereavement or a relationship breakdown. When these stressful events occur, your risk of becoming depressed is increased if you stop seeing your friends and family and try to deal with your problems on your own. Personality You may be more vulnerable to depression if you have certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly self-critical. This may be because of the genes you've inherited from your parents, your early life experiences, or both. Family history If someone in your family has had depression in the past, such as a parent or sister or brother, it's more likely that you'll also develop it. Giving birth Some women are particularly vulnerable to depression after pregnancy. The hormonal and physical changes, as well as the added responsibility of a new life, can lead to postnatal depression. Loneliness Feelings of loneliness, caused by things such as becoming cut off from your family and friends can increase your risk of depression. Alcohol and drugs When life is getting them down, some people try to cope by drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs. This can result in a spiral of depression. Cannabis can help you relax, but there's evidence that it can also bring on depression, particularly in teenagers. "Drowning your sorrows" with a drink is also not recommended. Alcohol affects the chemistry of the brain, which increases the risk of depression. Illness You may have a higher risk of depression if you have a longstanding or life-threatening illness, such as coronary heart disease or cancer. Head injuries are also an often under-recognised cause of depression. A severe head injury can trigger mood swings and emotional problems. Some people may have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) resulting from problems with their immune system. In rarer cases, a minor head injury can damage the pituitary gland, which is a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain that produces thyroid-stimulating hormones. This can cause a number of symptoms, such as extreme tiredness and a lack of interest in sex (loss of libido), which can in turn lead to depression. Source: NHS Advertisement In comparison, children of mothers with antenatal depression, which is during the pregnancy, had, on average, a higher level of overall depression throughout this period. Children whose mothers experienced both antenatal and postnatal depression were at the greatest risk of developing depression later in life. And the impact was particularly pronounced in girls, academics wrote in the medical journal BJPsych Open. The study also looked at the impact of fathers' antenatal and postnatal depression on the likelihood of children developing depression later in life. Though they stated that children of fathers who had both antenatal and postnatal depression had a clear risk of developing depression themselves later in life, the researched admitted that their sample size on this point was small. But having a father with just one type pregnancy depression did not seem to put children at risk of developing depression later in life. Study author Dr Priya Rajyaguru said: 'This study shows the children of parents with both antenatal and postnatal depression are at greatest risk of depression themselves, and this risk appears to persist throughout adolescence into early adulthood.' Dr Joanne Black, chair of the faculty of perinatal psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the study demonstrated the multitude of factors that influence children's mental health. 'It shows that the timing of depression in parents (during pregnancy, after childbirth or both) and if the mother, father or both were affected are all important risk factors for the child's future mental health,' she said. 'The good news is that we have effective evidence-based treatments and the earlier we can provide these, the better. 'That's why mental health screening for all mothers is vital and will continue to be a priority as we emerge from the pandemic.' Dr Black, who wasn't involved in the study, said it raised important questions about the visibility of fathers' mental health, despite the sample being small. 'As their mental health is not routinely screened but still affects the childs future mental health, we need more research to understand what better support for fathers might look like,' she said. In July, the Royal College of Psychiatrists estimated that 16,000 women in England had not got vital help with their mental health during pregnancy or right after giving birth because of the Covid pandemic. The situation has prompted mothers' mental health charity, the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, to call for research to be conducted on the impact of 'remote' mental health care for pregnant women. Maternal Mental Health Alliance chief executive Justin Irwin told MailOnline that correctly supporting women both during and after their pregnancy was critical 'If untreated, perinatal mental illnesses can have a wide range of effects on the mental and physical health of women, their children, and significant others,' he said. 'To reduce the impact on families, services supporting women in the perinatal period must be appropriately funded and resourced.' Mr Irwin also had the following message for woman who might be feeling low either during or after their pregnancy. 'It is important for anyone who is experiencing depression in or after pregnancy to know that what theyre going through is common and not their fault,' he said. 'We urge anyone who thinks they may be unwell to speak to a healthcare professional they trust, such as a GP, midwife or health visitor.' A panel of international experts representing the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended high-risk COVID-19 patients receive Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce their risk of severe disease. Regeneron's treatment - which the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authorized in the U.S. in November - includes two antibodies, called casirivimab and imdevimab, that can boost patients' immune systems. WHO recommends this treatment for two groups of patients: those who don't have severe Covid but are at high risk of hospitalization, and those who have severe Covid and fail to test positive for coronavirus antibodies. Still, the WHO panel acknowledges this treatment may be difficult to administer in low- and middle-income countries, due to its cost and equipment requirements. It is even difficult to access in some U.S. states, due to new federal distribution protocols after just seven states comprised 70 percent of treatment orders. The WHO has recommended Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment, which boosts Covid patients' immune systems. Pictured: A box and vial of Regeneron's treatment at a treatment site in Orlando, Florida, August 2021 High-risk patients include those who don't have severe Covid but are at high risk of hospitalization, and those who have severe Covid and fail to test positive for coronavirus antibodies Monoclonal antibody treatments have been a popular strategy for treating Covid patients in the U.S., especially during the country's recent surge. In this treatment, a patient receives an infusion of synthetically-made antibodies - immune system proteins - that are designed specifically to fight the coronavirus. If a patient is given this infusion soon after they become infected with the coronavirus, those synthetic antibodies can boost their immune system and ward off severe disease. Data from the U.S. show that the treatment can help keep patients out of the hospital or, if they are hospitalized, it can help keep them out of intensive care units. Former President Trump was treated with monoclonal antibodies when he contracted Covid in October 2020. The FDA gave a monoclonal antibody treatment made by the drug company Regeneron in Emergency Use Authorization in November. Now, a panel of experts representing the WHO has followed suit in recommending Regeneron's treatment for patients globally. Regeneron's treatment includes two types of antibodies, called casirivimab and imdevimab. The antibody types work together to boost patients' immune systems. The WHO panel recommended this antibody treatment for two groups of patients. The first group: patients who do not have a severe case of Covid, but may be at risk for developing severe symptoms due to their age, comorbidities, or other factors. This recommendation is based on studies showing that Regeneron's treatment reduces the risk of hospitalization for such patients, by making their symptoms less severe. In addition, the WHO recommended that Regeneron's treatment may be used for patients who have a severe case of Covid - but test negative for coronavirus antibodies, indicating that their immune system is not responding to the virus. This second recommendation is based on data from a large trial, showing that the antibody treatment can boost the immune system response in critically ill patients. For critically ill patients, Regeneron's treatment can reduce the risk of death or requiring mechanical ventilation. For other Covid patients, however, the WHO panel says that this treatment is less likely to have a significant impact. Monoclonal antibody treatments are easier to access in the U.S. than in other countries. Pictured: A nurse prepares to administer Regeneron's treatment at an urgent care center in Sarasota, Florida, September 2021 The WHO guidance is part of a living, often-updated guide to treating Covid, available at the journal BMJ. In the guidance, the WHO experts acknowledged that it may be difficult for low- and middle-income countries to take advantage of Regeneron's treatment. The treatment costs $2,100 for one dose in the U.S. Costs may differ in other countries, via Regeneron's partnership with pharmaceutical company Roche. These nations may not have access to serological tests needed for prescribing the treatment, or to the intravenous equipment needed to administer the treatment. In addition, the treatment may become less effective in future months if new variants emerge that are resistant to synthetic antibodies. Regeneron's treatment is currently difficult to access in some parts of the U.S., in fact, as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has restricted its use due to recent supply concerns. Last week, the HHS announced that it would control monoclonal antibody supplies because just seven states were making up 70 percent of orders for the treatment. States such as Florida, which made monoclonal antibodies widely available through state-run clinics, are now facing high demand for the treatment. The federal government is encouraging vaccines over monoclonal antibodies. The cost of one monoclonal antibody dose is approximately 100 times the cost of one vaccine dose. A nose spray containing the 'love hormone' oxytocin could help us lose weight, a study shows. Tests show one squirt in each nostril is enough to stop us from thinking about food. Scientists think the spray could help tackle Britain's obesity crisis more than one in four adults in England are obese and a third are overweight. Oxytocin is called the love hormone because it is released by the brain during social scenarios including hugging, holding hands or kissing. A nose spray containing the 'love hormone' oxytocin could help us lose weight, a study shows. Tests shows one squirt in each nostril is enough to stop us from thinking about food. (File image) It is also released by pregnant women to induce labour. But in recent years, several studies have found that squirting a man-made version of oxytocin into the nose can potentially treat everything from flagging libido to tinnitus to behavioural problems caused by autism in children. The latest research, by scientists from Imperial College London and Kingston University London now suggests the hormone can also curb the appetite. Forty volunteers, men and women, sprayed oxytocin into both nostrils before being shown images of food, couples being romantic, or scenery. Researchers measured their reactions to the photographs after using the oxytocin spray and again after using a placebo spray. Animal studies have found that daily oxytocin use triggers significant weight loss. The hormone is thought to dampen activity in part of the brain's reward system called the ventral tegmental area. Researchers think the nasal spray could be a future weight loss aid The results, which were published in the journal Appetite, showed that responses to food images were much slower after the hormone spray but hardly changed with the placebo spray. Researchers said this suggests our brains are much less preoccupied with the need for calories when taking oxytocin. Animal studies have found that daily oxytocin use triggers significant weight loss. The hormone is thought to dampen activity in part of the brain's reward system called the ventral tegmental area. Researchers think the nasal spray could be a future weight loss aid. The scientists said in a report: 'These findings may have important implications for people with obesity.' However, oxytocin is not without its risks. Possible side-effects of the hormone include nausea, low blood pressure and even abnormal heart rhythms. Whatever your age and financial circumstances, divorce can be stressful. But this pain can be drawn out if you dont deal with your financial affairs properly before, during and after the split. This is particularly the case if your partner has a history of debt, struggles with their finances, or has caused you money problems. Even if that's the case and you want to help them find their feet, it still pays off to make sure that you protect yourself. We get expert advice on what you can do. Your partner may have been responsible for the debt in your joint bank account but experts warn not to default on any joint debt repayments 1. Break financial ties During your marriage youve probably become reliant on each others income according to debt management company, Lowell, half of all Brits in a relationship have a joint bank account. If youre finding it hard to financially unravel yourself from your partner, youre not alone Lowell adds that four in ten (39 per cent) of Brits found it difficult separating finances after splitting from their partner. If you hold a joint account, you are equally liable for any debt linked to it even if it wasnt you who spent the money. Pay it off as soon as possible. James Jones, head of consumer affairs at Experian UK and Ireland, says: You are only legally responsible for another persons debt if it is in your and their name or you agreed to be a guarantor - someone who would pay a persons debts if they couldnt. Its important to close any joint bank or utility accounts or at the very least remove the partners name if you wish to continue to use this account. John Pears, managing director of Lowell, says: Ensure that you tell your bank about your separation as soon as possible so that they can freeze the account. If things are acrimonious, move your wage and regular incomes into a different account. This will help to keep things separate from your partner when you receive any future payments. Additionally, a notice of disassociation can be used to show creditors that you are no longer financially linked to your spouse. Joanna Abrahams, family lawyer at Valemus Law, says: Without this you may still be linked to your ex and their credit history. This means that when you do apply for credit their circumstances still may be taken into consideration. It's not easy deciding who gets what - 39% of Brits found it difficult separating finances after a divorce according to debt management company Lowell 2. Dont default on your debt While you may be keen to stop paying off your exs debts, its not wise to default on any payments. If you have a joint mortgage on your home, for example, you are both still liable. The Mortgage Advice Bureau warns that a default on your joint mortgage repayment could seriously affect your chances of getting another mortgage once you separate. Tom De Burgh Williams, chartered financial planner at Charles Stanley, advises: You have several options to consider in splitting the family home. You can sell the property and share the sale proceeds. You can arrange for one party to buy out the other party; or you can keep the home under joint ownership with one partner continuing to live in it. If you cant afford to take over the mortgage it may be possible to get a guarantor mortgage. 3. Change your passwords Dont allow your former partner access to your bank accounts. Doing so could result in them spending your money, plunging you into debt and negatively affecting your credit score. Sarah Holt, head of partnerships at Monese, advises changing pins on all accounts. She says: It may be a pain to do in the short term but changing your passwords and pins across all accounts your partner may have had access to or known about is hugely advisable and can remove the need for any awkward conversations in the long term. 4. Regularly check your credit score Holt says: Despite the closing of accounts, these can take several weeks or a couple of months to update fully, so keep checking back to ensure that any accounts that may have once tied you to your ex-partner have been fully dissolved. This step will also help check from the get-go for any finances your partner may have tied you to that you may be unaware of. 5. Consider a Zoom divorce Back in January this year, This is Money reported that the average cost of a divorce is 15,000 but that digital divorces cost a fraction of that between 2,000 - 3,000. The court is not interested in why a marriage has broken down, but instead adopts a pragmatic approach to dividing the assets to ensure they are shared fairly between the separating couple Theo Hoppen, partner in family law at Langleys Solicitors Theo Hoppen, partner in family law at Langleys Solicitors Before the pandemic, divorces were typically fought out in court and meetings conducted with legal representatives were face to face. But thanks to lockdown restrictions many divorces have been conducted over Zoom and continue to be done in this way. This is not ideal for every case, but if its right for you it can save you a lot of money and time. 6. Dont hold off till the law changes The no fault law is set to come into effect in April 2022. If you dont want to issue a divorce petition based on the other spouses fault for the breakdown of the marriage you may be tempted to wait until next year. Financially, it may not make sense to wait as the saving is minimal. Theo Hoppen, partner in family law at Langleys Solicitors, explains: The basis of the petition has no bearing on how the court divides the assets. The court is not interested in why a marriage has broken down, but instead adopts a pragmatic approach to dividing the assets to ensure they are shared fairly between the separating couple. It may be marginally cheaper to commence a petition on the no fault grounds as the solicitor will not have to draft a behaviour petition, which can take longer to prepare. Agreeing legal costs upfront can save you money and lets you know what to expect 7. Agree legal costs upfront Ask your legal expert to agree to a set fee or quote on a set amount of work for example a certain number of hours and what can be expected for that. Abrahams says: You have a right to be advised about the costs which have been incurred and what the costs are going forward - ask for clarity. 'Request an itemised bill. It's easier to challenge a bill if it's broken down. Ask your solicitor if they have a junior that can run matters that they can supervise, this will help bring down costs too. 8. Dont let the fight drag on Come to an agreement as soon as possible as lawyers fees can build up. Hoppen says: This can be achieved through mediation to understand all the issues that require resolution. Alternatively, consider hiring a private judge to speed up the process. The initial financial outlay can be high, but it could save you money in the long term. Abrahams explains: Where there are contested finances it can be a cost-effective option. You can choose your arbitrator - a qualified lawyer or barrister who acts as a private judge and have your case heard quickly, with your desired dates to accommodate you and your legal team rather than waiting for many months for it to be listed in the family court. If you factor in those months with continued correspondence, having to pay maintenance costs, then it could work out to be far cheaper to choose private arbitration. 9. Consider the roundtable approach Every letter to a lawyer can incur a charge. Instead of agreeing to the divorce settlement via email correspondence opt for a roundtable negotiation instead. Abrahams explains: Spouses and their lawyers get around a table and try to thrash things out ahead of any court hearing. It's a cost-effective way of dealing with issues and questions, which can be dealt with there and then rather than emails going back and forwards. Even if it does end up going to court, it will have saved lots of to-ing and fro-ing, so shouldnt be shied away from. 'Check that anyone you instruct is confident enough to do this for you. It saves on the costs of instructing a barrister too. 10. Ensure its all concluded A divorce doesnt mean that your ex-spouse no longer has any claims to your money. Natalie Dickson, partner in the family law team at law firm Brabners, says its vital to ensure you have a Financial Consent Order agreement in place. She adds: In one case an ex-spouse emerged from the woodwork many years after the divorce to successfully lay claim to a significant portion of their former partners wealth, when they found out they had come into money. Always take specialist legal advice and ensure that your financial arrangements are properly concluded following your divorce. Alf Morley: Called DWP four times and complained to his MP - he feels 'let down' by the Pension Service Elderly people are being forced into hardship as the Department for Work and Pensions struggles to get on top of a huge state pension backlog. Retired taxi driver Alf Morley, 73, contacted us saying he was 'in desperation' because he has no income and his reserves are going down rapidly while he waits for deferred payments to start. 'I am frustrated at the poor quality service I have received,' says Mr Morley, pictured right. 'This is causing me a considerable amount of undue stress.' A woman who had a brain haemorrhage in 1994 that changed her life had her disability benefit cut off after she turned 66 in early July - followed by losing her housing benefit and council tax discount - but has received no state pension. 'It's just absolutely appalling,' says her son, who has made a formal complaint to the DWP. 'I was stunned at how bad their service is. All their systems and processes seem to be behind the times.' Several weeks ago, This is Money exclusively revealed a service meltdown at the DWP. Since then, we have been inundated with messages from furious people who condemned woeful incompetence by the DWP when they attempted to get payments started or end state pension deferments. Pensions Minister Guy Opperman has blamed delays on the pandemic and 'staffing issues which have now been rectified', and promised normal service will resume by the end of October. He said last week that hundreds of additional staff were being redeployed. Read the DWP's statement below. The DWP is also currently undertaking a massive 'correction exercise' after more than a hundred thousand elderly women were underpaid an estimated 1billion in state pension. With some social security benefits and other sources of income stopping promptly at pension age there is a real risk of an income crisis for those who have to wait for their state pensions. Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister A National Audit Office report published this week about the scandal - uncovered by This is Money and our columnist Steve Webb - revealed the process was placing 'additional strain' on normal state pension operations. Parliament's spending watchdog did not make a direct link with the recent chaos, but it noted that the number of outstanding new state pension claims rose to around 80,000 in July 2021, compared to under 40,000 which was typical before the pandemic. Meanwhile, our readers continue to send us anguished messages about their battles to start receiving payments, indicating an ongoing problem. The state pension is paid four weeks in arrears when it first begins, but delays have stretched for a further month and sometimes several more. Webb, a former Pensions Minister and now a partner at LCP, says: 'The large volume of readers who have been in touch about delayed state pensions suggests that the DWP have been understating the extent of this problem. 'The recent National Audit Office report suggested that in July there were an extra 40,000 outstanding cases, and this is going to take a long time to clear. 'With some social security benefits and other sources of income stopping promptly at pension age there is a real risk of an income crisis for those who have to wait for their state pensions. 'Getting these longstanding claims sorted out as soon as possible must be a priority.' Retired taxi driver aged 73 feels 'let down' by the DWP What does the DWP say? 'We are sorry that some new state pension customers have faced delays receiving payment,' says a spokesperson. 'All those affected have been identified and we have deployed extra resources to process these as a priority. Any claims made today should not be subject to delay.' The DWP says it has identified all of the cases affected by the delays and deployed extra resources to process them, and adds that claimants don't need to act. Alf Morley planned to end the deferment of his state pension in early July but has met with great difficulty since he started trying to sort it out in March. The formerly self-employed taxi driver, who lives in London, attempted several times to use the DWP's online system but it did not recognise his details. He has called the DWP four times, most recently in July when he told a staff member he was suffering financial hardship. 'I explained to him I had been out of work for some months and funds were running low,' says Mr Morley, whose enhanced state pension will be worth several hundreds of pounds a week. 'He asked me if I had financial trouble. The savings I have are being diminished. He said he would put me on an urgent list.' After still receiving no response, he complained to his MP. Mr Morley says he feels let down by the Pension Service, Following This is Money's intervention, he received a call from the DWP saying his payments would start on 1 October. 'They just make it impossible,' says son of pensioner whose disability benefit was cut off Mary Carr (not her real name), a former child minder from Bristol, hasn't been able to work since suffering a brain haemorrhage several decades ago. After she reached age 66 in July, her son John says the DWP was swift to end her Employment and Support Allowance, and although she has been awarded a Personal Independence Payment it has not replaced that income. Due to the DWP reporting the end of her ESA to her local authority, her housing benefit and council tax reduction have been suspended too. What are ESA and PIP? Employment and Support Allowance is paid when people have a disability or health condition that affects how much they can work. The Government has more information here. A Personal Independence Payment can help out with some of the extra costs of a long term physical or mental health condition or disability. Find out more here. Mr Carr says his mother never received a letter about starting to receive the state pension, but they tried to apply online a month before her birthday. There was an error message which said to contact the DWP to apply, but the paper application form was 'temporarily unavailable' on the website so they had to phone up to get one. A paper application form arrived in early summer, which was completed and returned immediately by recorded delivery, but after that they heard nothing more. Mr Carr sent a formal complaint in early August, but received no response to that either. He slammed the treatment his mother has received from the DWP, and says of the obstacles they have faced trying to start her state pension: 'Something that should be so easy, they just make it impossible. 'It's almost like they do it on purpose. They don't want people to claim their state pension. It's disappointing.' After This is Money contacted the DWP on Mrs Carr's behalf, it told us it had finalised her case and a first payment backdated to her birthday had been issued, after which she would receive 179.60 a week, the current full rate. She has now received her money. Small businesses in the South West of England are being hampered by poor broadband performance, a new report has claimed. The East Midlands, West Midlands and the South East of England achieved the highest scores for broadband performance, while the South West, Yorkshire & the Humber and the North East came in at the bottom of the pile. The effective use of technology across different small business operations varies widely, with just over 32 per cent saying its use for human resources and recruitment matters was 'good or very good' at their company. Slowdown: Small businesses in the South West of England are being hampered by poor broadband performance, a new report has claimed Variable: A new report has highlighted the importance of fast broadband for small businesses At the better end of the spectrum, nearly 70 per cent of small businesses said their use of technology for accounting and finance matters was better than most. Small businesses, according to the data, comprise around 36 per cent of turnover in the private sector and make up 48 per cent of the country's labour force. Recent figures from Goldman Sachs suggest that nearly two-thirds of small businesses suffered a fall in revenue in 2020, with 44 per cent cutting jobs. But, over the next five years, small businesses hope to boost their combined revenue by up to 827billion, and the use of technology is expected to be at the heart of this mission. By 2026, turnover stemming from small businesses is predicted to reach 1.9trillion. According to the report, over 40 per cent of small businesses said they would not have stayed afloat during the pandemic without 'digital tools.' A further 47 per cent think technology will become more important to their company's success over the next five years, while 45 per cent said it had already helped them bolster their customer base. A third said technology had helped them increase their profits. However, the use of technology can be something of a minefield for many small business owners, and nearly 40 per cent admitted they felt overwhelmed by the number of different options available. Kelly Devine, president of Mastercard for the UK and Ireland, said: 'Small businesses are the beating heart of the British economy. 'The past 18 months have proved almost unendurably tough for many, and data shows that small businesses are in urgent need of support if they are to survive and grow post-pandemic. Sam Miley. an economist at the Cebr, said: 'The data highlights the scale of small businesses' growth aspirations. Realistically, many businesses may fall beneath these expectations as a result of a number of factors, such as weaker productivity or a slump in economy-wide demand.' Mastercard has launched a scheme called 'Strive UK' which has been designed to try and help around 650,000 of the country's small businesses bolster their digital prowess via free guidance, tools and 'personalised, one-to-one mentoring.' Tech trouble? The use of technology across different segments of small businesses Small businesses interested in taking a look at what Mastercard's Strive UK scheme has to offer can visit its online site to start developing a personalised plan for their company. 'After grants and support schemes, help in accessing digital tools was the most frequently cited external source in helping to achieve this growth', today's report by Mastercard and the Cebr said. The latest in-depth findings on small businesses also suggest that the North East of England falls short on a number of issues when it comes to the development of small businesses. It said: 'The North East lags behind on a number of measures, including minority worker representation and small business representation.' With a surname like Cadbury, you'd think that James Cadbury - the great-great grandson of John Cadbury - founder of the confectionary business, had his future set out for him. You'd be right - partly. James' family is no longer involved in Cadbury, but this hasn't stopped him from launching his own sweet businesses sustainable premium chocolate company, Love Cocoa, and a vegan brand Happiness in Plants (HiP). James launched HiP earlier this year to put his own ethical stamp on the industry and create a vegan product that people like the taste of. James Cadbury (the great-great grandson of John Cadbury) has created his own chocolate businesses in the UK He says: 'There is substantial room for innovation in the vegan milk chocolate sector with existing brands falling short on taste. 'If you've ever tried dairy free chocolate before, you'll know exactly what I mean. HiP oat milk chocolate delivers on both taste and looks it's a deliciously creamy dairy free alternative.' Office inspiration James, 35, says HiP was inspired by the oat milk drinking habits of the employees at Love Cocoa, which he started in 2016 after working as a city trader. He says: 'Everyone in the office has reduced dairy and meat and that's where it all came from. We're giving people the option too and want them to understand that there is a good quality alternative.' The HiP business, which is based in east London, produces ethically sourced chocolate. To stamp out modern day slavery they've ensured they know exactly who works within their supply chain and source the bars from a family-owned business in Bogota, Colombia, who've been growing cocoa for over 100 years. James says: 'We saw no one was selling a chocolate bar made of oat milk so we worked with developers in Colombia to create a vegan chocolate. It doesn't have dairy and it's 100 per cent plant based.' The bars do, however, still contain some sugar but James points out that they have 30 per cent less sugar than the average diary milk bar, plus 41 per cent more cocoa. HiP (Happiness in Plants) has launched it's own advent calendar aimed at vegans Sweet business To take advantage of the festive season, and to ensure that vegans can also join in, HiP has launched an oat milk advent calendar and limited-edition festive bar. The calendar, which retails for 10 per 144g, features 24 doors of HiP salted caramel squares and is also 100 per cent plastic free to conform with the brand's eco and sustainable ethos. HiP has also launched a festive limited edition gingerbread oat milk chocolate, with gingerbread biscuit and creamy oat milk chocolate, which is also available from hipchoclate.com for 3 per 70g bar. James says: 'HiP has well and truly captured the flexitarian zeitgeist with both its hip flavours and branding, so it was a no-brainer to create an advent calendar featuring our bestselling flavour, salted caramel. Ditching dairy no longer means missing out on a quality chocolate advent calendar this Christmas.' So far, it's sold 250,000 bars since launching in March. In the first six weeks of the launch, HiP sold 100,000 bars. James expects that the brand will turnover more than 1million in its first year of trading. To coincide with the festive season, HiP has also launched a Gingerbread Oat Milk Choclate bar (3 per 70g) While making profit is an ambition, James is willing to delay this to focus on growth. 'We're looking to do 1.5million in turnover in the first year, and we're well on that way to get there. In terms of profit we're not going to make that as we'll reinvest that in marketing. We're just looking to grow the company and not focus on profit too much.' James says his launch plans were delayed by Brexit red tape and Covid restrictions The products are stocked in Selfridges, Holland & Barrett, WHSmith Travel and Retail and is available through the company's own website. Tasting packs are available at 11.95. Love Cocoa, James' other brand which makes premium chocolate, meanwhile, gained its first listing at Fortnum & Masons 100 years after it stocked the original Cadbury products. Its products are also available through Ocado and Farmdrop. There are plans afoot to get the products into mainstream retailers like Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons, which will give them the full nationwide coverage they seek. Expanding abroad is an ambition too and has already begun. James says: 'We've sold [products] to Ireland and to a Dubai-based supermarket. 'We've had interest from small stockists in Germany as well from people contacting us and wanting to offer plant-based chocolate.' Covid and Brexit challenges While creating chocolate may be in his blood, the launch of HiP didn't come without challenges, which came in the form of Covid restrictions, Brexit red tape and supply chain issues with Colombia. If it hadn't been for those three obstacles James claims the launch would've happened sooner. 'Brexit has been a pain with new regulation in terms of country of origin. There's more paperwork which we have found challenging, and guidance was not as clear as it could've been.' But James now feels the hard work has paid off. 'It's been a really great, exciting journey and nice to see customer reactions after all the long hours and Covid. 'It has been difficult launching during Covid my team hasn't worked in the office for a while and getting the team to try it and get feedback has been a challenge, but we've adapted using tech and made it possible.' 'Oat is the future' James believes that oat milk is the future of chocolate and that it will eventually replace traditional dairy milk. He acknowledges that the chocolate industry is a competitive one but feels he is doing enough to stand apart from the crowd. He says: 'There's lots of competitors in the chocolate market and you have to do something to stand out. 'There's still areas of growth though like the vegan market. We are lagging behind milks if you look at companies like Oatly they have done very well.' But James admits that having a unique selling point is not enough. He explains: 'You can't just rock up with another chocolate. 'You must work out what that angle is that makes you special, talk about it and connect with your audience. 'We talk to our community daily and get hundreds of messages from people wanting to know more about the product.' Harrowing 911 audio from the night of the fatal boat crash that claimed the life of Mallory Beach has laid bare the horror and confusion of its aftermath, as the teen who now claims Alex Murdaugh tried to frame him as the driver, is revealed as the one who pleaded with the dispatcher to send help. In audio obtained by DailyMail.com Connor Cook repeatedly tries to make himself understood against a backdrop of noise and panic as the five surviving teens on board that night can be heard yelling and wailing in distress. In one chilling moment Cook's girlfriend Miley Altman can be heard screaming, 'We've lost Mallory. Please help! Please hurry! . Where the f*** is Mallory?' Amid the maelstrom of confusion Cook can be heard attempting to remain calm, telling the operator, 'Please send someoneThere's six of us and one is missingA female, Mallory Beach, is missing.' Mallory Beach was one of six teenagers on board Murdaugh's boat in 2019 when a 'highly drunk' Paul Murdaugh - Alex Murdaugh's son - plowed his father's boat into a piling on Archer's Creek resulting in her death According to a new lawsuit filed by Connor Cook, (pictured above with girlfriend Miley Altman) prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh allegedly tried to pin a boating crash Cook, who was 19 at the time According to the suit, 'Paul Murdaugh, although a minor, would often drink to the point of intoxication and was known to operate family vehicles, including boats, while under the influence of alcohol'. The Murdaugh's are pictured He explains that they have crashed by the bridge on Archers Creek saying, 'My name is Connor Cookwe're under the only bridge on Archers CreekWe're all on the bank except one. We can't find the last one.' Cook informs the dispatcher that Mallory was not wearing a life-vest. Lawyers for Cook filed a lawsuit in Hampton County Court Monday in which they allege that disgraced legal scion Richard Alexander Murdaugh of 'orchestrating a campaign' to cast blame for the crash onto him and away from his own son, Paul. Alex's son Paul was awaiting trial on three felony counts at the time of his own death two counts of boating under the influence and one of causing death and bodily injury According to the suit, 'Paul Murdaugh, although a minor, would often drink to the point of intoxication and was known to operate family vehicles, including boats, while under the influence of alcohol.' The teens, all underage at the time of the crash on February 24, 2019, had spent the evening at an oyster roast before Paul, 'already substantially intoxicated and over the protests of several passengers,' according to the suit, 'steered the boat to a restaurant in Beaufort, where he consumed additional alcohol using his brother's driving license and the family credit card to make the purchase.' Paul, 22, was ultimately charged as the driver of the boat and was awaiting trial on three felony counts relating to the crash and facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted, when he was gunned down along with his mother Maggie, 52, at the family's hunting estate of Moselle. Now, in the newly filed suit, Cook claims that despite the fact that Cook told law enforcement that Paul was the driver, 'immediately following the accident (law enforcement) made no reasonable investigation of who was operating the boat at the time of the accident' was made.' Cook, who was taken to hospital with 'extensive injuries' claims that he was on his way to have his jaw X-rayed when Alex Murdaugh, 'negligently or intentionally instructed [him] that everything would be all right, telling him to 'keep his mouth shut,' and inform law enforcement that he did not know who was driving the boat at the time of the crash.' Cook, who sustained a concussion and was on pain medication 'gave vague explanations about the accident' as a result. Murdaugh then instructed Cook and his family to retain the services of Corey Fleming the lawyer now accused of being part of a scheme to defraud the sons of former housekeeper Gloria Satterfield in a wrongful death suit brought against Murdaugh on his own advice. Satterfield's sons now claim they haven't seen a penny of a $4million insurance pay out settled, supposedly on their behalf, by Fleming and Murdaugh. This is Alex Murdaugh's speed boat, seen badly damaged from the 2019 crash that killed Mallory Beach Coolers full of beers were seen on the boat. The teens, all underage at the time of the crash on February 24, 2019, had spent the evening at an oyster roast before Paul, 'already substantially intoxicated and over the protests of several passengers,' according to the suit, 'steered the boat to a restaurant in Beaufort, where he consumed additional alcohol using his brother's driving license and the family credit card to make the purchase' Blood is seen splattered on Murdaugh's boat after the incident. Cook who sustained a concussion and was on pain medication 'gave vague explanations about the accident' as a result Cook's suit echoes the one now being brought by Satterfield's sons in alleging that Murdaugh recommended Fleming as the 'best attorney' for him without revealing that he was his former college roommate, best friend and Paul's godfather. According to Cook's suit 'at no time was a potential conflict of interest revealed or discussed with the Cook family.' Instead, despite the fact that Fleming was made aware that Paul was driving the boat at the time of the accident, he instructed Cook not to speak with law enforcement and to direct all enquiries to him. The suit states, 'Such advice was to the advantage of Paul and Murdaugh and against the interests of Fleming's new client, Cook, increasing that potential that Cook would continue to be a suspect and potentially face criminal charges as operator of the boat.' It continues, 'Shortly thereafter, it became known to Cook and his family that Murdaugh and others were orchestrating a campaign to have Connor Cook held criminally and civilly responsible for the boat accident, through inadequate investigation, a 'whisper campaign' in the Hampton County community and law enforcement misdirection and possible obstruction of the investigation' Cook's silence was 'induced and obtained' it alleges, by Murdaugh and subsequently by Fleming convincing him that they were acting in his best interests. When deposed in January 2020 in the wrongful death suit currently being brought by Beach's mother, Renee, Cook admitted that he was afraid of the Murdaughs because of 'them being who they are.' Cook added that Murdaugh and others were 'orchestrating a campaign' to have him 'held criminally and civilly responsible' for the incident According to Cook who was speaking under oath, 'Just anything they get in they get out of I've always been told that.' Murdaugh is currently facing charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report for the alleged roadside shooting on September 4 of which he claimed he was a victim. He has since claimed was a 'suicide for hire' scheme and that he paid alleged shooter, Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, 61, to shoot him dead so that his son Buster could collect the $10million life insurance on him. Both men were arrested and bonded last week Murdaugh to the tune of $20,000, Smith for $55,000. Smith has since dismissed Murdaugh's version of events as 'all bogus.' Murdaugh is also being investigated for embezzlement after it was revealed that he has been accused of misappropriating millions of dollars from the private law firm of which he was once a partner. According to Murdaugh he spent the ill-gotten gains feeding his opioid addiction, a habit that, his lawyer Dick Harpootlian last week claimed stretched back 20 years. The investigation into Maggie and Paul's death is ongoing. A British study assessing whether Covid vaccines can disrupt periods may not find anything because it is too small, scientists say. Reproductive experts based at Imperial College London are currently monitoring the menstrual cycles of 250 women before and after inoculation. But lead researcher Dr Victoria Male said the tiny number of participants means the study won't pick up a potential link unless it is 'really common' affecting more than one in ten women. To prove a link, scientists need to untangle normal period changes from those which may have been sparked by inoculations. But because period issues, which are often transient, affect approximately one in ten women every year, thorough investigations are needed to spot whether the jab may really be to blame. Nearly 36,000 women have reported experiencing period issues after receiving the Covid vaccine. But experts fear this is only the tip of the iceberg because many women who experienced the changes likely did not report them. Period issues reported after getting the Covid vaccine include heavy bleeding, missing periods, and periods being earlier or later than usual. Some postmenopausal women have also said they experienced vaginal bleeding after being vaccinated. Dr Male said they aimed to establish whether there was a link and, if there is, get this listed as a side effect of Covid vaccines to allay any concerns over being jabbed. She said that by 'brushing it under the rug' regulators were not acknowledging fears over jabs. Some 35,700 women have now come forward to say their periods were disrupted after getting a Covid vaccine, it was revealed (stock image) Experts only honed in on a connection between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots after noticing more cases than expected among recipients. And the same happened for Pfizer's jab when it was linked to heart inflammation, or myocarditis. But both issues were spotted in data collected from real-world roll outs because the complications were rare enough to disentangle the link. Britain's medical regulator has refused to accept or deny a link to disrupted cycles, and says most menstrual problems appear to be 'transient' in nature. But period issues have previously been linked to other vaccines, such as the HPV jab. However, there is no evidence that Covid vaccines affect fertility, top doctors insist. Women asked to report periods after getting the Covid vaccine Dr Victoria Male has asked women to report their menstrual cycles before and after they were vaccinated against Covid. She is looking for women who regularly keep track of their periods to participate in the study. For the study, they will need to submit data on their menstrual cycle and when their Covid vaccinations took place. To take part in the study, click here. Britons are encouraged to report any suspected side effects of the Covid vaccines to Britain's medical regulator's yellow card system. This can be accessed here. Advertisement Dr Male told MailOnline the first batch of data is expected by the end of September, with the study to be published later in the year. She said: 'If we don't find anything, all we can conclude is if there is a link between periods and vaccines it is less common than the stdy can pick up.' Dr Male said she was only able to recruit 250 women for her study because when she started looking for participants most had already been inoculated. The participants come from countries including the UK and Australia and have either already received one dose or not been vaccinated. They are all asked to record at least three menstrual cycles and note down how they changed, if at all, after being vaccinated compared to normal. In a second arm of the study, which has already received more than 1,800 responses, women who normally track their periods are asked to report whether they changed after Covid vaccination. Dr Male said women who did experience changes are far more likely to report to this arm of the study those than those who did not, which may skew the figures. She is running the study in her spare time because there is no money available for trials investigating how vaccines may affect periods in the UK. Explaining why the trials are needed, she said: 'There is an argument that well if it quickly go away and do not do permanent harm, why bother studying it? Definitely people have made that point. 'There are two reasons. The first is that a lot of people are concerned about this and they are particularly concerned because of this misinformation around fertility. 'I think that by saying this is not something important enough to look into we are not allaying fears. By brushing it under the rug we are not acknowledging these worries. 'The other reason is a lot of people rely on knowing when they are ovulating. If your period does come on early that is a horrible mess that you have to clean up. 'We want to be able to say that this month you might want to be sure that you have a tampon in your purse, for example.' She added the aim is to establish whether there is a link between Covid vaccines and period changes, and then list this as a side-effect to allay concerns. 'Imagine if you went and got your vaccine and the next day you got a fever,' she said. 'You might reasonably go "oh my god I don't know what is wrong with me" if that was not listed as a possible side effect. 'We would like to be able to do the same thing with periods. Say, for example, five per cent of women may get a late period after being vaccinated.' In the US authorities have pumped $1.6million (1.1million) into four studies looking into whether Covid vaccines could trigger period issues. They are involving thousands of women, with results expected to be published 'before the winter' this year. Other countries including the UK will use this to help decide whether period issues should be listed as potential side effects of the vaccines. Evidence that Covid vaccines may be triggering changes to menstrual cycles is 'purely anecdotal' at present. There is no clear sign whether there is a difference in changes after the first and second doses. Covid itself like other diseases such as HIV is also known to trigger period issues. Scientists have said it is possible the vaccines could be behind period problems because the immune system is involved in the menstrual cycle. Many factors including stress and minor illness can trigger period issues. Some women also often have irregular cycles. Dr Alison Cave, from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: 'We are closely monitoring reports of suspected menstrual disorders following Covid vaccination. 'Based on our current rigorous safety monitoring, women can be reassured that the current evidence does not show a link with any changes in womens periods or symptoms, nor is there any evidence to suggest that Covid vaccines will affect fertility. 'This is also the conclusion of our expert scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines. 'While uncomfortable or distressing, period problems are extremely common and stressful life events can disrupt womens periods. Changes to the menstrual cycle have also been reported following infection with Covid and in women affected by long-Covid. 'Our advice remains that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks for most people.' More than 85 per cent of women aged between 18 and 55 in Britain have already received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. Two North Carolina sisters were furious after they were set to view their deceased mother's body at a funeral home and instead found another woman wearing her clothes. Jennifer Taylor and Jennetta Archer had gone to see their mother's body at an Ahoskie funeral home Sept. 7 when they discovered the mistake, WAVY reported. Archer said there was no resemblance between their mother and the woman who was in the casket. Two North Carolina sisters were furious after they were set to view their deceased mother Mary Archer's (pictured above) body at a funeral home and instead found another woman wearing her clothes The proof was in the outfit the woman was wearing, which belonged to their mother. She said the unidentified woman 'was swimming in the clothes because she was so small compared to my mother.' The sisters approached workers at Hunter's Funeral Home, who at first denied the woman was someone else until they went back into the embalming room and saw the body of Mary Archer. Jennifer Taylor and Jennetta Archer had gone to see their mother's body at an Ahoskie funeral home Sept. 7 when they discovered the mistake Archer said in a later Facebook post that the body of the woman in her mother's clothes was Evelyn Pugh Brown. The funeral home switched the bodies and the service continued. The funeral home said it has reached out to the family to apologize, but Taylor and Archer said they have not received a call from the funeral home and are awaiting answers to their questions. 'Our request for an apology was ultimately ignored ,' Archer wrote. 'When Hunter's Funeral Home was contacted to confirm today's meeting, we were told that 'they' (you know who you are' was out of the office until Friday.' An official was not immediately available for additional comment Thursday. A conservative lawyer who counselled Trump about how to overturn the election result has revealed details of Mike Pence's involvement. John Eastman claims the former VP 'wanted to look at' an idea that Trump liked about adjourning a joint meeting of Congress after lawmakers gathered to count the electoral votes submitted by states. 'He asked me point blank: do you think I have that authority,' Eastman said, describing a scenario where Pence would act on his own authority to refuse to accept ballots. 'And I told him point blank, it's an open question, but even if you had, it would be foolish to exercise it, absent legislatures certifying the alternate slate of electors.' With the idea facing constitutional roadblocks, Eastman instead advised another stunning alternative: having Pence move to adjourn a joint session of Congress when lawmakers met to count the electoral votes. Delay could have bought valuable time for state legislatures to try to push through competing slates of delegates for Trump and provide a way for Congress to return at a later date and count electors for Trump. Eastman, who spoke at the 'Stop the Steal' rally on Jan. 6th, says he ran through a variety of options with the former President during a high-stakes Jan. 4th White House meeting, where Pence was also present. This included discussion of a scenario where Pence could open ballots submitted by states and determine on his own authority which set was valid even knocking out ballots sent by states that were in dispute. Trump was keen. 'He was thrilled by the law review arguments that Pence could simply decide which electoral ballots count or not,' Eastman told DailyMail.com in an interview, describing Trump's reaction. But Eastman said he argued and Trump agreed 'that that was not what we should be doing. 'He came around to my argument on why I didn't think it would pass muster,' said Eastman, who was then the dean of the Chapman University Law School. Former Chapman University law professor John Eastman, next to U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, drafted a six-point memo spelling out his beliefs about how Vice President Mike Pence could refuse to accept votes from seven states where Trump allies were claiming fraud. A later version runs through multiple scenarios. He says he advised Pence to try to adjourn Congress during a joint session to count the electoral votes Eastman says Pence did not have an especially skeptical intonation. 'The vice president looked at me and said: "Do you think I have the authority to do any of those things," Eastman recalled. Eastman says he told Pence it was the 'weaker argument,' but it 'it's not 90-10 weak. It was, you know, 60-40 weak.' But without having states having sent up alternate electors for Trump, it would be 'foolish to exercise it. That's why the recommendation, the final scenario' was 'to simply delay things a little bit' he said, a reference to ending the joint session. The push for delay came as several states where Trump was claiming electoral fraud were seeking to undermine prior certification of votes, with some seeking special legislative sessions. This could have provided critical time for Trump-loyalist Republicans in multiple states to try to corral state legislatures to produce alternate slates of electors setting off uncertain results that could ultimately have been thrown to the House. Eastman provided a six-page memo on election scenarios that he drafted after being contacted by a group of lawyers being organized by longtime Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. It is a counterpoint to the two-page, six-point 'draft' memo published in Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's new book, Peril. The Woodward book quotes Trump as telling Pence: 'You really need to listen to John. He's a respected constitutional scholar. Hear him out' a characterization Eastman agreed with. Eastman says the two-page memo was an earlier draft version of what he ultimately compiled. He says he does not know if his longer memo ultimately made it into Trump or Pence's hands although he says when Pence questioned him about his ideas he met with Pence's general counsel on January 5th, the day before Congress ultimately met to count the votes that made Joe Biden president. 'I was asked to give a comprehensive ... war-gaming, maybe alternatives. What was the legal authority or the claims and what would be the result,' he said. Former President Donald Trump was 'thrilled' by legal arguments that Vice President Mike Pence could throw out votes from contested states, according to Eastman. But he was persuaded the best way forward was for Pence to try to adjourn a joint session Eastman says he proposed having Vice President Mike Pence adjourn a joint session of Congress to allow time for states to probe election returns and send 'alternative' slates of electors. Pence asked if he had the authority to do, and Eastman met with a top Pence lawyer Jan. 5th, Eastman says Several scenarios he described included a caveat that a Republican-run legislature had certified an alternate slate of electors something numerous state Trump loyalist lawmakers had called for following state certification of the Nov. 3 election results. He said those were 'not as fully explained in the preliminary draft,' which would have Pence cite 'ongoing disputes in the 7 States' to claim that there are in fact 'no electors that can be deemed validly appointed in those States.' That could have handed Trump a win by throwing the election into the House, where Republicans controlled a majority of delegations and could therefore ensure Trump prevailed. Eastman got more than just a hearing from Trump and Pence. White House lawyers looked over his proposals. 'Ultimately, by the next day [Jan. 5th] his staff had said that would violate [a] subsection of the Electoral Count Act and we won't do it,' he said. 'At the meeting on Jan. 4, we didn't resolve it.' The president Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate, Jake Corman, for example, was claiming that his state's votes were illegally certified although claims by Trump-backing lawyers were thrown out of court. Corman and Pennsylvania Republicans wrote Republican congressional leaders Jan. 4th, where they outlined a series of election 'inconsistencies.' 'Due to these inconsistent and questionable activities, we believe that PA election results should not have been certified by our Secretary of State,' they wrote, and asked them to 'delay certification of the Electoral College to allow due process as we pursue election integrity in our Commonwealth.' What Eastman wanted Pence to do was 'suspend the counting, say look, we've got contested elections here, and we've got requests from a number of state legislatures ... saying our electoral votes were illegally certified.' A Pence spokeswoman did not provide a response to a request for comment on whether Pence asked Eastman if he had the authority to do what Eastman was suggesting. Eastman says he recommended the delay option at the White House meeting. He says it is the same as the final scenario Eastman outlined in the longer memo. It describes a situation where 'VP Pence determines that the ongoing election challenges must conclude before ballots can be counted, and adjourns the joint session of Congress, determining that the time restrictions in the Electoral Count Act are contrary to his authority under the 12th Amendment and therefore void.' The 130-year-old law sets out various dates for the processing and counting of electoral votes. Eastman provided DailyMail.com with a six-page memo he says he drafted about Jan. 6 scenarios It revisits fraud claims by Trump allies in states Joe Biden won Eastman argued the Electoral Count Act may be unconstitutional Some scenarios had Biden winning by the electoral vote margin submitted by the states, 306-232 Eastman says he ultimately pitched the idea of Pence adjourning a joint session of Congress to allow states more time to investigate and send up alternative slates of pro-Trump electors States would then 'order a comprehensive audit/investigation of the election returns in their states, and then determine whether the slate of electors initially certified is valid, or whether the alternative slate of electors should be certified by the legislature,' he writes in a scenario akin to what ultimately happened in Arizona after Biden took office. The longer says if fraud and illegality is deemed 'insufficient,' then 'BIDEN WINS.' But if the probe proves to the satisfaction of the legislature 'that there was sufficient fraud and illegality to affect the results of the election, 'the Legislature certifies the Trump electors. Upon reconvening the Joint Session of Congress, those votes are counted an TRUMP WINS.' For that to happen, states would have had to go into session to undo certifications already sent to Congress based county vote tallies. But it could have set up a legislative clash over rival slates of pro-Trump electors. Trump's 1:00 am tweet on January 6th appears to reference this legal reasoning. 'If Vice President @Mike_Pence comes through for us, we will win the Presidency,' Trump wrote. Many States want to decertify the mistake they made in certifying incorrect & even fraudulent numbers in a process NOT approved by their State Legislatures (which it must be.) Mike can send it back! Trump also referenced the idea at 8:17 AM. 'States want to correct their votes, which they now know were based on irregularities and fraud, plus corrupt process never received legislative approval. All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN. Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage! Both tweets featured in the timeline referenced by Democratic managers in Trump's second impeachment trial. Trump also referenced the scenario in his Jan. 6th speech, which took place shortly before the Capitol riot and repeatedly talked up Eastman's credentials while making the case. 'Because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election. All he has to do, all this is, this is from the number one, or certainly one of the top, constitutional lawyers in our country. He has the absolute right to do it. Were supposed to protect our country, support our country, support our Constitution, and protect our constitution,' Trump said. 'States want to revote. The states got defrauded, They were given false information. They voted on it. Now they want to recertify. They want it back. All Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.' Trump continued: 'And I actually, I just spoke to Mike. I said: Mike, that doesnt take courage. What takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage. And then were stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot and we have to live with that for four more years. Were just not going to let that happen.' In his own Jan. 6th letter, Pence wrote of his own 'largely ceremonial role,' and found it necessary to refute the idea that he could reject votes certified by states. 'It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,' Pence wrote. Eastman's draft cites a reading of the 12th Amendment by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe in a pre-election article as giving Pence necessary authority. But Tribe, in a tweet Monday, blasted the claim. 'This Eastman memo pretends to be based on my analysis but in fact takes snippets of my work wholly out of context and spins a totally fake web of law that no halfway decent lawyer would take seriously. No wonder it couldnt fool even Mike Pence.' Eastman said he had been released from any attorney-client privilege constraints on describing the events. 'Draft memo' The earlier version of the memo that Eastman describes as a draft, published by CNN, carves out a pivotal role for Pence. When counting votes from states where Trump was claiming fraud, Pence would cite 'ongoing disputes in the 7 States' to claim that there are in fact 'no electors that can be deemed validly appointed in those States.' Doing so would put Trump ahead, by 232 to 222 electoral votes. 'Pence then gavels President Trump as re-elected,' Eastman rights. In fact Biden amassed 306 electoral votes, according to the results certified by states. The move would provoke 'howls' from Democrats, Eastman predicted. 'So Pence says fine' and sends the matter to the House, where under the 12th Amendment each state delegation would get a single vote in deciding a disputed election. 'Republicans currently control 26 of the state delegations, the bare majority needed to win that vote. President Trump is re-elected there as well,' Eastman writes. 'The fact is that the Constitution assigns this power to the Vice President as the ultimate arbiter. We should take all of our actions with that in mind,' according to Eastman's interpretation. President Joe Biden hosted India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office Friday morning, in advance of the first in-person Quad meeting with the leaders of Japan and Australia as well. In the Oval with Modi, Biden said he believed he had relatives in India. He recalled how on a trip to Mumbai, the Indian press had asked him if he had any relations in the country that has more than 1.3 billion people. 'And I said, I'm not sure,' Biden recalled, mentioning he had received a letter once from a Biden in Mumbai, but never followed up. 'The next morning, I had a press conference going away, and the Indian press said ... you have five Bidens in India.' Biden continued by telling Modi that he had learned that a George Biden had been a captain for the 'East India Tea Company,' presumably the British East India Company. 'That's hard for an Irishman to admit,' Biden joked. 'I shouldn't be so casual with you all. I hope you understand the humor here,' he added, looking at the press. 'And the end result was, he apparently stayed and married an Indian woman. And I've never been able to track it down. So the whole purpose of this meeting is for him to figure out ...,' Biden said trailing off and garnering laughs, including from the Indian PM. Modi said, through a translator, that he recalled Biden in a previous conversation bringing up that there were Bidens in India. 'Well after you mentioned it to me, I hunted for documents and today I have brought along some documents,' Modi said. 'Maybe we'll be able to take this matter forward and maybe those documents could be of use to you.' Biden then asked, 'Are we related?' to which Modi jokingly replied, 'yes.' President Joe Biden (right) meets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) in the Oval Office on Friday. He'll host his first Quad meeting today that will also include the leaders of Japan and Australia India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks into the West Wing on Friday for his morning meeting with President Joe Biden. It marks the first time the two leaders meet face-to-face President Joe Biden (upper left) hosted (clockwise) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for the first in-person meeting of the Quad on Friday President Joe Biden (second from right) hosts (from left) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga President Joe Biden (left) hosted the first in-person Quad meeting at the White House Friday, alongside Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in the White House's Quad summit on Friday in the East Room India Today talked to the Bidens of India in November 2020, days after President Joe Biden won the presidency. This picture shows the grandson of Leslie Biden - who reached out to the now president in 1981 about his Indian family - on his wedding day India Today wrote about the Indian Bidens days after the president's win in November. Those Bidens told the publication they had been living in Maharashtra's Nagpur city since 1873. Family members said the late Leslie Biden, who passed away in 1983, had written a letter to Biden after his election to the U.S. Senate informing him that a 'great, great, great, great, great grandfather' - George Biden - had worked for the East India Company. 'Leslie got in touch with Joe Biden through a letter sent on April 15, 1981. Joe Biden replied to Leslie through a letter dated May 30, 1981, said he was pleased after getting the letter from India and also discussed about the Bidens' genealogy,' Leslie's grand-daughter Sonia told India Today. Another grand-daughter, Rowena, said, 'Leslie and Joe Biden thanked each other for corresponding and committed to continue corresponding with each other. However, Leslie Biden's health worsened and he died in 1983 at Nagpur. Leslie's wife was unable to pursue the family tree further.' In the Oval, Biden also said that he predicted as vice president that the U.S.-India relationship would be 'destined to be stronger, closer and tighter' by 2020, the year he won the presidential race. 'And I think it can benefit the whole world,' the president added. The two leaders were later joined in the White House's East Room by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Each leader was situated at a desk and press was present just for their opening remarks. Each leader talked about how democracy has brought them together - in contrast to Communist China. Biden said at the top, 'we're four major democracies with a long history of cooperation. We know how to get things done and we are up to the challenge.' 'We believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific because that is what delivers a prosperous region. The Quad is about demonstrating how democracies such as ours, as you said Mr. President, can get things done,' Morrison said. Modi said that 'Based on shared democratic values, Quad has decided to move forward with positive thinking and a positive approach.' 'The Quad is an extremely significant initiative by four countries who share fundamental values, cooperating for the cause of realizing a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific,' Suga stated. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (second from left) and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (top right) on Friday Vice President Kamala Harris was met with the three leaders later Friday afternoon. The Quad is what the White House calls an 'informal' partnership between the U.S., India, Japan and Australia. The White House is expected to announce new vaccine commitments to the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this week, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Biden had a one-on-one meeting with Morrison. Biden will have bilateral meeting with Suga Friday afternoon. On Thursday night, a senior administration official previewed the meeting. 'As you may recall, at the outset of the administration, the president indicated that he wanted to take this institution, that's an informal gathering of the democracies in the Indo-Pacific, and basically lift it both to the leader level and to ensure that we are working together to build better lines of communication and strengthening cooperation and habits of cooperation amongst us,' a senior administration official told reporters Thursday night, previewing the gathering. The group is considered one way the U.S. is trying to combat China's growing global influence. But the senior administration official made sure to say, 'it is also the case it is not a regional security organization.' The official noted that the Biden White House was 'doubling down on diplomacy,' as Biden made clear in his first address before the U.N.'s General Assembly on Tuesday in New York. 'It's also the case that I think President Biden believes that too oftentimes these kinds of discussions are scripted and he really wants to sit down and have a deeper conversation with all leaders in an environment where they can really share perspectives on what's important to each of them as they go forward,' the official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Indian-Americans upon his arrival to Andrews Air Force Base Wednesday night outside of Washington, D.C. This will be his first face-to-face meeting with Biden President Joe Biden (right) previously hosted Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (left) to the White House in April. Suga was Biden's first in-person world leader guest President Joe Biden (right) already had a one-on-one meeting this week with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Morrison is due at the White House Friday afternoon The Quad was also supposed to be 'complimentary' to other groups like ASEAN, comprised of the 10 member states in southeast Asia, the White House official said. The Quad leaders first meeting was done virtually in March and a commitment was made to deliver a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2022 to Southeast Asia. Part of this would be accomplished by helping India produce its own vaccines. 'And we will have detailed update on efforts to meet that goal and specific downpayments later this year,' the administration offical previewed. At Friday's get-together, Biden announced a privately funded Quad fellowship program, in which 100 students - 25 from each of the four countries - will be able to pursue a STEM masters or doctorate at a university in the United States. The meeting marked the first time Biden will be face-to-face with Modi, who embraced former President Donald Trump - hosting him for a 'Namaste Trump' event in February 2020, weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic produced shutdowns globally. Modi visited with Harris on the White House's campus on Thursday. Modi thanked Harris - who's the first Indian-American vice president - for calling him when the Delta variant of COVID-19 was surging through India. 'The way you spoke to me so warmly and so naturally, I will always remember that. Thank you so much,' Modi said through a translator. Modi arrived in Washington Wednesday night and was greeted by Indian-Americans at Andrews Air Force base. Suga was Biden's first in-person world leader guest earlier this year. A senior administration official revealed that Dr. Jill Biden would be returning from her trip to Michigan to participate in events with Suga, who hosted her at diplomatic functions in July when she traveled to Tokyo for the opening ceremony of the summer Olympics. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) met with Vice President Kamala Harris (right) in advance of the Quad meeting on Thursday Dr. Jill Biden (left) will participate in portions of the day involving Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (center), who hosted diplomatic events for the first lady along with his wife Mariko (right) when she was in Tokyo in July for the summer Olympics Long an important ally, Morrison was one of only two world leaders feted by Trump with a state dinner during his four years in office. More recently, Australia bailed on a submarine deal with France, to join a pact with the Americans and the United Kingdom last week. The partnership, dubbed AUKUS, upset the French. Biden had to call French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday to smooth over ruffled feathers, which had included the French pulling their ambassador from D.C. China has said AUKAS will intensify an arms race in the region. China has also blasted the Quad, saying that by forming 'cliques' the U.S. is leaning into a Cold War mentality. China also said by elevating the Quad the United States is 'making troubles out of nothing.' At UNGA, Biden assured delegates the U.S. was 'not seeking a new Cold War,' after the U.N.'s secretary-general warned that the U.S. and China could be heading toward one citing their deteriorating relationship. 'We'll stand up for our allies and our friends and oppose attempts by stronger countries to dominate weaker ones, whether through changes to territory by force, economic coercion, technical exploitation or disinformation, but we're not seeking - I'll say it again, we are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs,' Biden stated. New Zealand police has made a breakthrough in the shocking death of a young woman with Down's syndrome, with a man due to appear in court today. A 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with the murder and sexual violation of Lena Zhang Harrap, who disappeared on a walk in Auckland two days ago, police confirmed on Friday morning. The man is due to face the Auckland District Court on Friday. The body of Ms Lena Zhang, 27, was found in bushland near Mount Albert on Wednesday after she left her home at around 6:30am. Police had earlier identified a balding man with a distinctive mark on his head as someone detectives wanted to speak to. After receiving 'a significant amount of information' from the public, police located a male in a vehicle at Papatoetoe at around 1.30am Friday and arrested him. The body of Auckland woman Lena Zhang, 27, (pictured) was found in bushland near Mount Albert on Wednesday after she left her home at around 6:30am Police launched a murder investigation, identifying a balding man with a distinctive mark on his head as a 'person of interest', and have now arrested a 31-year-old male Police also released an image from CCTV footage of a Hyundai station wagon, registration EGZ 962, and appealed to the public for anyone who had sighted the car since Wednesday. 'This was a sickening and senseless attack on a vulnerable member of our community, which we know disturbed and angered a lot of people,' Detective Inspector Aaron Pascoe said after the man's arrest. 'While nothing will bring Lena back to her family, we hope today's arrest provides a degree of comfort and reassurance knowing the person allegedly responsible for her brutal murder is in custody where he belongs.' New Zealand police released an image from CCTV footage of a Hyundai station wagon, registration EGZ 962, and appealed to the public for anyone who had sighted the car since Wednesday Ms Zhang, who was also vision impaired, was described by family and friends as a 'loving and caring person'. 'Lena was a young lady, she was small in stature, she was vulnerable,' Detective Inspector Pascoe told reporters yesterday. Ms Zhang walked from her home in Mount Albert to Owairaka Domain every day, but on Wednesday she never returned. Her body was found hours later. Police reviewed CCTV footage and appealed to members of the public to help identify the man. A man dressed in a blue jumper was featured on security cameras A man dressed in a blue jumper was featured on security cameras nearby. Detective Pascoe said Ms Zhang's family are devastated. StarJam, a New Zealand charity which supports people living with disabilities, paid tribute to the beloved young woman in a message posted online. 'For over 12 years Lena has been a true Jammer in Auckland Magic Movers and more recently the Central Alumni All Stars; greeting everyone with her infectious smile, genuine heartfelt support and inviting her fellow Jammers up to join her Spot the Talents,' they said. 'Lena you will always be in our hearts - our thoughts go out to your family and friends.' A man has plead guilty to sparking a Sydney pub brawl before smashing a schooner of beer into his victim's face, with the shocking assault caught on camera. Security vision shows Matthew McAlister, 35, punching Leo Rivaud in the face at the Glasgow Arms Hotel in Ultimo in June last year. The pair are seen chatting to each other in what appears to be a friendly interaction before Mr McAlister takes a violent swing at his victim. Mr McAlister (pictured in a pink shirt) sparked a pub brawl the Glasgow Arms Hotel in Ultimo in June last year after punching Leo Rivaud in the face (pictured in a black jacket) Friends of Mr McAlister and Mr Rivaud quickly turn on each other, as the two groups erupt into a full-blown brawl. A second fight erupts outside the venue, after Mr McAlister follows the victim onto the street, before smashing a schooner of beer into Mr Rivaud's face. The 35-year-old was arrested by police nearby. Facing court on Thursday, Mr McAlister plead guilty to assault in relation to the attack. McAlister then followed his victim outside the venue before smashing a schooner of beer into his face Melbourne anti-vaccination protesters have turned on each other and accused members of working as undercover police officers and sabotaging their rallies in a series of fiery text messages. The online bickering ultimately led to demonstrators failing to pull off a mass rally in the Victoria's capital city on Thursday. The poor turnout came despite protesters vowing to stage demonstrations every day in a show of support for construction workers who have been ordered to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Text messages exchanged between protesters in private Telegram group chats revealed a culture of mistrust that ultimately left demonstrators unable to agree on a location to stage their next rally. The online bickering ultimately led to demonstrators failing to pull off a mass rally for the fourth-day straight in the Victorian capital city on Thursday Text messages exchanged between protesters revealed a culture of mistrust that ultimately left demonstrators unable to agree on a location to stage their next rally Some accused other group members of working as undercover cops and monitoring their conversations Some group members accused each other of working as undercover cops and monitoring their conversations. 'How many cops in this group chat huh?' one person messaged. Another protester responded: 'Probably same amount that are in the protest causing trouble. I have picked a few out.' One protester pictured another group member they believed were secretly working for the police force. The photo sparked a heated online debate with group chat members exchanging insults. 'Lol f***ing idiot. Stop making s*** up, she isn't a cop,' one person wrote. Another demonstrator said: 'Someone get rid of the spammers please. Can we keep this group protest and protest support only.' Protesters were also unable to agree on the place of their next meet-up. Locations changed from Yarra Park to the Exhibition Street vaccination hub to St Kilda Beach and Chapel Street. More than 600 protesters have been arrested since the rallies kicked off on Saturday. Chanting 'every day' from the shrine, hundreds of mostly men without masks, some still wearing high-visibility clothing like in days earlier, had marched through the city to the war memorial on Wednesday Victoria Police arrested 215 protesters throughout the day while two officers suffered head injuries, and one was taken to hospital with chest pains on Saturday The Department of Health confirmed the demonstrator was among the crowd at Victoria's Shrine of Remembrance where dramatic scenes played out on Wednesday. While there is a very low chance Covid can spread outside, transmission can occur when an infected person is in close proximity to others - especially without masks - for an extended period of time. Panic has now gripped the state's health system with fears there could be a flurry of new cases to follow after hundreds descended on the war memorial yesterday and about 2000 marched throughout the CBD on Tuesday. 'Public health investigations are under way,' the department said in a statement. 'We are urging protesters to get tested should they experience Covid-like symptoms, no matter how mild.' A large mob also stormed the head office of the CFMEU on Monday with construction workers furious over mandatory coronavirus vaccine requirements on job sites. 71-year-old Timothy Satterlee was killed by an alligator in Louisiana on August 30 A massive alligator killed a Louisiana man outside his home last month during Hurricane Ida, a coroner confirmed Thursday after comparing the DNA of the man's degraded remains to his sons' DNA. The reptile was captured two weeks after killing Timothy Satterlee Sr., 71, of Slidell. Coroner Charles Preston said intact 'elements of a face' were found inside it. 'It was really very challenging because much like someone who is severely burned, the DNA in the burned tissue is going to be completely destroyed,' Preston told the Times-Picayune. 'And unfortunately a lot of the tissue that had been inside of the alligator's stomach was severely degraded. I'm comfortable saying the remains are that of Mr. Satterlee.' Satterlee's death is believed to be the first death in Louisiana from an alligator attack in hundreds of years. In 1174, a French blacksmith named Jacques du Bois was found naked and dead on a river bank. A coroner ruled that he'd been attacked by an alligator while bathing in the river, according to the St. Charles Herald Guide. Satterlee was checking a shed behind his home in Slidell on August 30 when his wife heard a splash, thinking maybe her husband fell in the marsh. St. Tammanny Parish Sheriff's Office deputies searched for the alligator after the attack They eventually found it with a drone two weeks after the attack near the house At the time of the incident, the couple's home was surrounded by Hurricane Ida floodwaters and had no cell service. The storm eventually left a million without power in the region. She walked outside to see the 12-foot, 504-pound gator attacking her husband. The reptile 'had him in a death roll,' Capt. Lance Vitter, a Sheriff's Office spokesperson, said at the time. She tried to find something to help Satterlee fight off the gator, but when she returned, the animal had ripped his arm off and he was unconscious, according to the Times-Picayune. Satterlee's wife said that she was able to pull her husband up a flight of stairs, but after seeing the extent of his injuries, she got in a canoe and went for help, according to WWL-TV. Satterlee was checking a shed outside of his home in Slidell after Hurricane Ida passed through when he was attacked on August 30. Above, Grand Isle, Louisiana on September 4 Hurricane Ida left a million people without power in the region He was nowhere to be found by the time she got back. Deputies and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents looked through the marshes with cadaver dogs, but they soon began to consider ways Satterlee could be considered 'presumed dead without the body,' thinking they were unlikely to see the alligator again. But two weeks after Satterlee disappeared, they spotted a large alligator with a drone close to where he was last seen. They trapped it and shot it dead between the eyes. A forensic pathologist identified body parts and collected DNA samples. A forensic odonatologist compared Satterlee's dental records with the teeth and part of the jawbone that were recovered from the gator - both showed a missing wisdom tooth and a crown on the left premolar. Investigators also found a repaired rotator cuff and mesh from a hernia repair that matched Satterlees medical history. Alligators, like the one above in Louisiana in 2018, only kill about one person a year in the US. Satterlee's death is believed to be the first alligator killing in Louisiana since 1774 'For a criminal case, that wouldn't be sufficient to make a positive identification. But at some point you just have to apply common sense,' Preston said. 'We had one reported person eaten by an alligator, one very large 500-pound alligator recovered with human remains in it and 11 points matched with his male relatives. So I felt that was enough.' Investigators will keep running tests for an even stronger match. They collected Satterlee's hairbrush, toothbrush and cap on Wednesday. 'I'm pretty confident we have correctly identified who is in the alligator. Now it's just a matter of being more sure,' Preston said. Alligators kill about one person per year in the United States, according to the University of Florida. Unprovoked alligator attacks are 'rare,' according to the university, which says most are preventable and the fatality rate is low. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings - but failed to reveal where a further 3,000 are. Mayorkas appeared on CNN Thursday evening and said that up to 15 per cent of the total 15,000 immigrants had been released. However, he failed to say where a further 3,000 missing migrants are. It came after the DHS revealed Thursday that of the 15,000 total; 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Mayorkas has now indicated that 2,000 have been released, but mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the further 3,000. Mayorkas was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. Interviewer Wolf Blitzer noted that about 15,000 Haitians had gathered. He tried to get Mayorkas to reveal how many had been released. DHS Secretary Mayorkas said Thursday that 10-15 per cent of 15,000 Haitians gathered at the bridge in Del Rio, Texas have been released into the country pending their immigration hearings Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the US migrant policy at the southern border "is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy. We are applying the law pursuant to an order that the [CDC] issued" amid a pandemic. pic.twitter.com/DPLHNnZDni The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) September 23, 2021 'What about the rest?' Blitzer pressed. 'If it's 10 per cent, or 15, I don't have the precise numbers,' Mayorkas responded. That would put the figure at between 1,500 and 2,250 although Mayorkas avoided specifics. 'I assure you it's a minority of the individuals, for the reasons that I have articulated, and they are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings, where they are able, where they appear before a judge. And if in fact they make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then of course, we honor that and if not they are removed as well,' he continued. He also addressed blistering criticism by pointing to Centers for Disease Control regulations under Title 42 with removals pegged to the coronavirus crisis. 'It's very important to underscore the fact that this is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy,' he said. 'We are applying the law, pursuant to an order that the Centers for Disease Control, issued in light of the fact that this country and the world is in the midst of a pandemic,' he added. 'We are exercising that authority as we are required to do to protect the health and well-being of the migrants themselves, our personnel, local communities and the American public.' U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday, claiming: 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti' Mayorkas responded to the blistering resignation letter put out by U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday. 'What I what I wish the individual had done is stayed with the cause of addressing the needs of individuals, all throughout the Western Hemisphere and dedicating the resources and the talent and the energies of the men and women in the United States government to rebuild our humanitarian relief capabilities just as we are doing now in the Biden-Harris administration.' The U.S. special envoy for Haiti resigned on Wednesday because he didn't want to be involved with the 'inhumane' deportation of Haitian migrants. 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life,' Ambassador Daniel Foote wrote in his resignation letter, first shared by a PBS reporter on Twitter. In the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foote said another reason for his resignation is that his recommendations to help Haiti have been 'ignored and dismissed'. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed,' Foote continued in his letter, 'and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' A State Department spokesperson accused Foote of 'mischaracterizing the circumstances of his resignation' and said some of his ideas were deemed 'harmful.' '[A]ll proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process,' a statement from the spokesperson reads. 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process.' 'For him to to say that his proposals were ignored is simply false,' they added. The statement claims: 'It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' The resignation comes as the U.S. migration crisis surged in the past few weeks when up to 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up an encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas. Migrants from Haiti wait in line on Thursday to board buses near the Del Rio International Bridge A migrant family stands on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River on Thursday, September 23 and another brushes his teeth after crossing the river into Del Rio, Texas In Foote's resignation letter, he blamed the Biden administration for exacerbating the issues in Haiti, claiming his recommendations to help the country have been 'ignored and dismissed' An aerial view image taken on Thursday shows thousands of mostly Haitian migrants at the encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge A Haitian migrant with a child on his shoulders crosses the waist-high water in the Rio Grande River into Del Rio from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico on Thursday to the mostly Haitian migration camp near the bridge on the U.S. side Jen Psaki revealed Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told civil rights leaders that his agency will not continue to allow agents to operate on horseback at the border in Del Rio. 'I can also convey to you that the secretary also conveyed to civil rights leaders earlier this morning that we would no longer be using horses in Del Rio,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing. 'So that is something a policy change that has been made in response.' 'We feel those images are horrible and horrific,' she reiterated from her comments in previous days. 'There is an investigation the president certainly supports overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, which he has conveyed will happen quickly.' The images in question emerged earlier this week with Border Patrol agents on horseback allegedly using either the horses' reins or other lariats as whips when chasing after the mostly Haitian migrants. Deportation flights ensued on Sunday and continued through the week as planes full of Haitian migrants arrived back in the island capital city of Port-au-Prince. People are fleeing Haiti and seeking refuge in America after a devastating earthquake and the assassination of their president, which has thrown the country into even more chaos. Foote said that the deportation back to Haiti will only exacerbate the migration crisis at the southern border. 'The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will further desperation and crime,' the now-former special envoy wrote in his resignation letter of Haiti. 'Surging migration at our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti's unacceptable misery.' Haitian migrants cross into the U.S. even as deportations have accelerated on the U.S. side of the border A girl with barbie dolls in her boots waits on Thursday morning in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico to cross the Rio Grande River with her parents into the U.S. despite increased DHS efforts to deport these asylum-seekers to their homeland Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. are seen holding out at a makeshift camp near the Del Rio border on Wednesday evening An image taken from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico Wednesday night shows U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Safety and National Guard vehicles shining their lights on the Rio Grande in Del Rio Reined in: Biden BANS mounted Border Patrol agents over migrant 'whipping' controversy Jen Psaki revealed Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told civil rights leaders that his agency will not continue to allow agents to operate on horseback at the border in Del Rio. 'I can also convey to you that the secretary also conveyed to civil rights leaders earlier this morning that we would no longer be using horses in Del Rio,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing. 'So that is something a policy change that has been made in response.' 'We feel those images are horrible and horrific,' she reiterated from her comments in previous days. 'There is an investigation the president certainly supports overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, which he has conveyed will happen quickly.' The images in question emerged earlier this week with Border Patrol agents on horseback apparently using either the horses' reins or other lariats as whips when chasing after the mostly Haitian migrants. Agents insist they were not using whips against the migrants, 15,000 of whom set up a makeshift camp underneath and around the Del Rio International Bridge over the last few weeks. They have reasoned that they were only using the reins on horses or to ward off immigrants but not to whip them. This didn't stop the overwhelming outcry from progressive politicians and civil rights leaders. Representative Maxine Waters said on Wednesday that the actions portrayed in the images were 'worse than slavery'. Advertisement Foote only served in his post for two months after becoming the U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti in July following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. In the role, Foote served as a member of President Joe Biden's delegation to Moise's funeral. Before taking on that role he previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Haiti and as the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia under President Donald Trump. In November 2019, during his tenure in Zambia, Foote said he was 'horrified' after a judge in the very conservative society where homosexual acts are illegal sentence two men to 15 years in prison after they were caught having sex in 2017. He received pushback from Zambia's President Edgar Lungu for trying to dictate policy and declared him a persona non grata or an unacceptable or unwelcome person. Foote has served with the Department of State since 1998 and has held a litany of roles since then including in the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico; the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Colombia; deputy chief of mission in both Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and charge d'affaires in the Dominican Republic. While many migrants were rounded up and returned to Haiti from the U.S. in the last few days, many began crossing back into Mexico from the border town of Del Rio to avoid deportation to Haiti. Images began emerging on Sunday of Border Patrol agents and officers on horseback rounding up migrants and preventing them from returning to the makeshift camp near the Del Rio bridge. Immediately, the images were slammed as 'inhumane' and 'horrific' after some accused the agents of using either the reins or a lariat as a whip on the migrants. Images show a rope-like tool being thrown in the direction of some migrants who were running from the officers. Agents insist they were not using any whips on migrants, while Mayorkas says those pictured with the ropes have been reassigned to administrative duties pending a full investigation into the incident. An officer in Haiti blocks Haitian removed from the U.S. on Tuesday from boarding the same plane they were just deported on in an attempt tp return to America Have 5,000 Haitians been released into US? Official figures show that 9,700 are being processed - but that does include immigrants simply let go from Texas border camp that is thought to have held 15,000 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released figures Thursday tracking the swell of Haitian migrants at the southern border, announcing that 12 flights had sent 1,401 back to Haiti, while 3,206 remained in custody. Still, 5,000 remained camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Those 3,206 Haitian migrants have either been moved to custody under Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or to other sectors of the border to either be expelled or placed into removal proceedings. It's not clear how many of the other estimated 5,000 who were once at the camp have been released into the US and how many turned back around at the border of their own volition, nor is it clear how many of those in CBP custody will be released and how many will be expelled. A peak of 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants camped out under the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas and as of Tuesday, according to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, that number dropped to 10,000. This year alone, around 1.3 million migrants were apprehended by Customs and Border Protection, but it is still unclear what the fate of these illegal border jumpers is. At Psaki's daily press briefing on Wednesday, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy confronted her on the yet-to-be-released numbers after Mayorkas revealed during a Senate hearing on Tuesday that he did not know the figures. 'So who else can we ask?' Doocy asked. When the press secretary attempted to direct him back to DHS, Doocy replied, 'He says he doesn't know.' 'I am confident that he wanted to have the most up-to-date numbers and we will venture to get you those I promise, this afternoon,' Psaki vowed. In a follow-up question Doocy asked if the issue is that the administration doesn't know or if they don't want to reveal figures because 'a lot more people are being released into the U.S. than are being sent out.' 'That is certainly not the issue,' Psaki said. Advertisement Del Rio Border Patrol repeatedly asked for extra resources in June but were ignored Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Texas were so concerned about the escalating situation at the U.S.-Mexico border that they requested additional resources three months ago - but their concerns were not acted on by superiors. Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president told CNN that the union on June 1 suggested improvements to the system. Anfinsen said that they wanted agents to be sent to the border with tablets to start the intake process when a large group crosses the river, instead of having the group wait there while space is cleared in the station. 'This way, we can at least get part of the process finished before they even get to the station instead of wasting that time,' said the email. The union followed up on June 3, and also suggested placing a trailer in the area for additional staff, to deal with a predicted surge. On June 17, the union received a one-sentence response: 'This is being explored, several other platforms are being considered which are more efficient.' The revelation came as Jen Psaki, the White House spokesman, promised to provide precise data on the number of Haitian arrivals released into the country - yet by 10pm had failed to do so. Migrants, many of them from Haiti, are pictured wading back and forth between Texas and Mexico on Wednesday. At the weekend an estimated 14,000 migrants were sheltering in Del Rio A photo from September 22 shows migrants being routed out of a makeshift border camp after being processed by US officials. The White House has pledged to deport most of the migrants back to Haiti under Title 42, but reports indicate that's not the case for some being released Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president, pictured testifying before Congress, said on Wednesday that they had warned back in June about the need for more resources on the U.S.-Mexico border At her daily press briefing on Wednesday, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy confronted Psaki on the numbers - which he said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas didn't know. 'So who else can we ask?' Doocy asked. When Psaki attempted to direct him back to DHS, an incredulous Doocy replied: 'He says he doesn't know.' She replied: 'I am confident that he wanted to have the most up-to-date numbers and we will venture to get you those - I promise, this afternoon.' Doocy told Sean Hannity on his 9-10pm show on Fox that Psaki was yet to provide the figures. Mayorkas, meanwhile, was at the Capitol on Wednesday for his second day of back-to-back Congressional hearings. Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez asked Mayorkas today about how many of the migrants apprehended at the border this year were detained, returned or 'dispersed.' 'I would be pleased to provide you with specific data subsequent to this hearing, congressman,' Mayorkas answered. Gimenez accused Mayorkas of being unprepared for the hearing, to which the DHS chief snapped about his long work hours. 'I work 18 hours a day, OK? So when I returned from yesterday's hearing, I actually focused on mission. We will get that data, both to the senator who posed it yesterday and to you, congressman, today,' he said. It follows on from Tuesday's hearing before the Senate when Mayorkas still could not provide migrant data. 'I want some numbers here,' said Ron Johnson, a Republican senator for Wisconsin. 'Of the 1.3 million people that we've apprehended, how many people have been returned? How many people are being detained? How many people have been dispersed to all points around America?' 'Senator, I would be pleased to provide you with that data ' Mayorkas said before he was cut off. 'I want them now,' Johnson demanded. 'Why don't you have that information now?' 'Senator, I do not have that data before me,' Mayorkas replied. 'Why not? Why don't you have that basic information?' the senator asked. 'Senator, I want to be accurate,' Mayorkas said. On Wednesday, Johnson wrote to Mayorkas formally requesting the figures. 'At yesterday's Senate hearing you failed to answer my questions about basic information on apprehensions at the U.S. border,' he wrote. 'Of the approximately 1.3 million apprehensions, how many people have been returned, how many people have been detained, and how many people have been dispersed into the U.S.?' Johnson said he would like a response within a week. The secretary revealed Tuesday that around 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment surrounding the Del Rio International Bridge, as the Department of Homeland Security launches a probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips against the mostly Haitian migrants. 'How many migrants have crossed into the United States in Del Rio over the past week?' Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Mayorkas. 'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000 it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary responded. 'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' Mayorkas added. It was revealed this week DHS is aiming to send out several deportation flights per day. Kamala Harris tells Mayorkas to order Border Patrol to treat migrants with 'dignity' Kamala Harris demanded that Border Patrol agents treat the thousands of mostly Haitian migrants gathered in Del Rio, Texas with 'dignity' after images emerged of officers on horseback using what appeared to be a whip to wrangle the illegal border hoppers. 'Yesterday, Vice President Harris spoke to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to receive an update about his trip to Del Rio,' Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday. 'During that call, the Vice President raised her grave concerns about the mistreatment of Haitian migrants by border patrol agents on horses, and the need of all CBP agents to treat people with dignity, humanely and consistent with our laws and our values.' However the VP failed to come up with a solution to the migrant crisis and simply heaped blame on overstretched Border Patrol agents. Advertisement Mayorkas also refused to say whether he felt he and the Biden administration bear any responsibility for the influx of Haitian migrants over the last few weeks or the broader border crisis in general. The DHS chief visited the border after increasing pressure to do so as images of mostly Haitian migrants in a tent city under the Del Rio bridge spurred accusations the Biden administration was enabling a humanitarian crisis. The White House is facing sharp bipartisan condemnation. Republicans say Biden administration policies led Haitians to believe they would get asylum. Democrats are expressing outrage after images went viral this week of Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics against the migrants. Many of the 8,600 who remain there have resorted to fashioning makeshift tents using discarded clothing and tree branches in order to provide at least some shelter from the elements. The heat has been punishing over the last week with temperatures soaring into the high 90s. Families have resorted to bathing in the grimy water of the Rio Grande river to cool off. The squalor is more reminiscent of a Developing World country than the land of the American dream, which thousands of migrants have fled to in the hopes of claiming asylum and building a better life. Empty water bottles, food containers and other litter is strewn around while mountains of garbage tower up high into the air. An aerial photo shows the huge piles of garbage from above, which are seen just steps away from the places young children call home. In another image, women and young children are seen lying among plastic bottles and an empty Oreo packet, on the ground which is covered in the remnants of trees that have been used to fashion the shelters. Another photo shows a Haitian passport in a pile of trash including empty aluminum cans, an old shoe and discarded clothing. The cramped conditions have also fueled fears of a COVID-19 outbreak - especially given that the migrants crossing the border are not required to be vaccinated before entering the US. Women and young children are seen lying on the ground of the camp among plastic bottles, empty Oreo packets and food containers A young girl stands in the place that she currently calls home in a makeshift camp under the Del Rio bridge in Texas Almost 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants were camped out under the bridge at the weekend after crossing into the US from Mexico. Many fled Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and have been living in South American countries including Brazil and Chile. But since these nations have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Haitians have traveled up through South America and Mexico to seek asylum in the US. Biden has been blamed after a May proclamation that Haitians in the US would not be deported for 18 months because of instability in their home country, and could apply for documentation to work in the US. That only applied to Haitians already in the US at the time, but thousands have since made the trip to the border in a bid to take advantage of it. Most of them live in Chile and Brazil, having moved there after the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed 200,000. Border Patrol agents struggling to process the vast numbers of people quickly enough set up the makeshift camp under the bridge as a temporary home. Last week, concerns rose that there would not be enough food, water and basic supplies to provide for the thousands of migrants living at the site. Meanwhile, Mexico has begun busing and flying Haitian migrants away from the U.S. border, authorities said Tuesday, signaling a new level of support for the United States. Mexico has helped at key moments before. It intensified patrols to stop unaccompanied Central American children from reaching the Texas border in 2014, allowed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration courts in 2019 and, just last month, began deporting Central American migrants to Guatemala after the Biden administration flew them to southern Mexico. A migrant walks past a pile of garbage at the camp under the Del Rio bridge in Texas on the US-Mexico border Tuesday night Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, said Tuesday he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, about the Haitians' situation. Ebrard said most of the Haitians already had refugee status in Chile or Brazil and weren't seeking it in Mexico. 'What they are asking for is to be allowed to pass freely through Mexico to the United States,' Ebrard said. In Haiti, dozens of migrants upset about being deported from the U.S. tried to rush back into a plane that landed Tuesday afternoon in Port-au-Prince as they yelled at authorities. A security guard closed the plane door in time as some deportees began throwing rocks and shoes at the plane. Several of them lost their belongings in the scuffle as police arrived. The group was disembarking from one of three flights scheduled for the day. EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of Haitian migrants who flocked to Del Rio were already working and living comfortably as refugees in CHILE and only set off for the US after Biden scrapped Trump-era deportation policy The secret behind the Haitians who have turned up in Del Rio, Texas is that they didn't migrate from Haiti at all but from Chile, where they had been granted asylum and were working and living comfortably as refugees. The dozens of Chilean identity cards that litter the ground in Ciudad Acuna, just across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, all bear distinctly non-Hispanic names. There is Prosper Pierre for instance, or Linode Lafleur or Eddyson Jean-Charles. None of the cards carries a name such as Gonzalez or Munoz or Rojas. A closer look shows three telling letters - HTI - on the cards where they ask for the bearer's nationality. These are the discarded ID cards of Haitians who have turned up in Del Rio by the thousands. But they haven't come from Port-au-Prince or Cap-Haitien or any other city in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. These have mainly come from Santiago, the glittering capital of relatively prosperous Chile. Many had jobs there. 'As one put it to me, 'I love Chile, it's 1,000 times better than Haiti,' migration expert Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies told DailyMail.com. 'But I want to come to the United States, that's a million times better.' These are the discarded ID cards of the Haitian migrants who have turned up in Del Rio by the thousand after leaving Chile, where they were living as refugees DailyMail.com has learned that the majority of Haitians in Del Rio have actually come from Chile or Brazil, where they have been living as refugees for years, and only set off for the US after Biden opened the borders. The migrants were stopped in Tapachula, Mexico after the Biden administration pressured Mexican authorities not to let them come further north, but were suddenly released on September 12 The majority of the Haitian migrants have come from Chile - the wealthiest country in Latin America - and Brazil - the fifth wealthiest - where they have been living in modest comfort in Santiago and Sao Paulo for the past five or six years. There are an estimated 150,000 Haitians in Chile and around 125,000 in Brazil - tiny fractions of the two million that live in the United States. But as US immigration rules became tougher, people desperate to leave the impoverished island began to look to South America as a haven. Bensman revealed that he has not met any Haitian in Del Rio or Acuna who has come directly from their Caribbean-island homeland. 'None of these Haitians are from Haiti. None of them. These Haitians are all from Chile and Brazil,' he said. 'When Biden got in, word went out and they decided, we're coming now. That was the decision point. I've interviewed 60 to 70 Haitians over the last year and it's always the same story Joe Biden opened the border so we decided we could upgrade our lifestyle. 'I interviewed a guy an hour ago who said he was living in Brazil and making good money but he said he heard everyone was getting into America so he came.' The immigrants traveled up from South America on a path that took them through Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before landing in a camp across the Mexican border in Tapachula. There they stayed at the behest of the Biden administration who pressured Mexican authorities not to let them come further north. That was until Sunday September 12, when Mexico suddenly said they are free to go, said Bensman. So they headed for the United States. Del Rio was the destination of choice because unlike most other places on the border the local branch of the Los Zetos cartel allows them to cross for free, DailyMail.com has learned. In most Mexican frontier towns, coyotes charge fees of up to $10,000 per head to smuggle people across the border. But Del Rio is different, and by last weekend, just a week after they were freed from Tapachula, thousands had camped out under the Del Rio International Bridge - overwhelming the city of just 35,000 people. Border Patrol agents stand guard on the U.S. side of the bank of the Rio Grand river on Thursday The sight of the squalid camp infuriated local politicians and saw the Biden administration scramble to get extra Border Patrol officers to the area while announcing that all the migrants camped in Del Rio would be deported back to Haiti. A miles-long steel barrier of state-owned vehicles was put in place on Wednesday to physically keep the immigrants - who had dumped their identity cards at the border so US authorities would not know where their journey had started from getting away from the border. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Bensman who has spent the past week with the Haitians in Ciudad Acuna said the absence of smuggling fees made the Del Rio sector the cheapest on the border. 'The cartel landscape is not the same in Del Rio as it is in Rio Grande Valley and other parts of Arizona and California. It's different everywhere. 'In this sector, there's never really been cartel human smuggling on the same scale I'm sure you can find a coyote here if you need one. 'People just cross on their own and make their way into the US without paying anyone. You'll pay further south in Texas but if you come through here, you pay nothing. 'It's cheaper. It's a lot cheaper. It's life-changing cheaper.' Other nationalities have also cottoned on to the lack of cartel activity in the Del Rio sector with Cuban migrant Williams Rodriguez, 28, telling DailyMail.com: 'We found out [about Del Rio] thanks to several people who were crossing into American lands and they told us what the route was like. As a result, 15,000 Haitian migrants were encamped under the Del Rio International Bridge by last weekend - overwhelming the tiny Texas city of just 35,000 people 'We knew it would be dangerous and we knew we are risking our lives but as the saying goes, he who does not take risks, does not win.' His friend Luis, 56, added: 'We were told this was the only place to cross.' President Joe Biden suspended Trump's border program on his first day of office and the Homeland Security Department ended it in June, drawing an influx of migrants to the border over the past few months Bensman, a fellow of National Security Studies at the CIS, also said that many of the Haitians claim Mexico had turned a blind eye to their movements after months of penning them up on their southern border. Most of the migrants traveled from Tapachula province where they had trapped by roadblocks manned by the Mexican National Guard and had been forced to comply with onerous immigration rules that include getting their papers stamped every two days. The rules were introduced under the Trump administration sparking riots among the Haitian and African migrants trapped there. Biden had asked Mexico to keep the measures in place. 'Remember the Haitians had been causing problems down there because they were so frustrated by the requirements, Bensman explained. 'My speculation is that the Mexicans felt like this was becoming too much of a problem for them so they simply let them flush north.' Many of the Haitians say they were allowed to pass as a celebration of El Grito - the September 16 holiday marking the eve of Mexican independence'But I really think it was more of a holiday present for the people of Tapachula who were going to have parades and their celebrations and all that,' said Bensman. Footage emerged Monday of scores of mostly Haitian migrants returning to the Mexico side of the Rio Grande River crossing as DHS accelerates deportations Migrants are guided by Border Patrol agents as they prepare to board a bus from the migrant camp in Del Rio to be taken to other parts of the US for processing A bus to transport migrants to other parts of the US for processing is seen by the Del Rio bridge in Texas Tuesday night 'I think they just said we're going to have El Grito without 50,000 angry Haitians here.' The migrant camp under the Del Rio International Bridge is currently being dismantled by Border Patrol, who are busing people out and putting them on deportation flights back to Haiti. On Tuesday, four flights left the US from Harlingen, Texas, bound for the capital, Port-au-Prince. Two more from Laredo and Harlingen were scheduled for Wednesday, with up to six more due to take off each day until the camp is cleared. On Sunday, 2,300 migrants crossed back into Mexico after hearing of the flights and made a break for other border towns such as Reynosa where more Haitian refugees are gathering. Bensman says others plan to wait it out in Ciudad Acuna or are traveling back to Tapachula to dodge deportation. He said: 'They have left the camp in Del Rio because they fear they will be deported and it's credible because all of them have text messages and photos sent from the tarmac in Port-au-Prince A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande There was even a takeover of an ICE bus by Haitians who realized knew they were being taken to an airport instead of being released into America, he added. 'Some of the Haitians were nonplussed because their friends in Haiti said don't believe the Americans, don't get on the bus. If you get on the bus, they'll take you to the airport. 'So all of these people were running away from the buses, the bus loading that's going on, because the Americans are not telling them where they're going. 'That's why this camp is over. Remember, these people living Chile and Brazil. They told me they would far rather live in Mexico or Chile than be returned to Haiti. 'It's the ultimate horror for them. But they take their gamble and sometimes it doesn't work out. 'They had two dollars and they figured, well I want five dollars so they put their money on the table and they've ended up in debt.' 'Word went out - we're not going to deport you': Ted Cruz says migrant crisis grew from 900 in early September to 15,000 just weeks later after Biden CANCELED flights back to Haiti: Hundreds seek asylum in Mexico after crackdown Ted Cruz has slammed Joe Biden's chaotic management of the migrant border crisis, saying thousands of desperate Haitians rushed to Texas after the president canceled deportation flights. Up to 15,000 migrants have been living in squalid conditions in an impromptu camp that sprang up under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande from the Texas town Del Rio to Mexico's Ciudad Acuna. The Department of Homeland Security say they have removed 4,600 people in recent days from the site but have not revealed how many have been released into the US. The White House has also refused to answer when, if ever, Biden has visited the border, even in his previous roles as vice president and senator. Following the recent crackdown in response to the huge influx, hundreds of migrants have instead headed to Mexico's refugee agencies and shelters amid the chaotic scenes. Speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Cruz, a Republican Texas senator, said: 'What's happening in Del Rio really illustrates the cause-and-effect of the Biden border disaster. To really understand it, you have to go back to September 8. Ted Cruz has slammed Joe Biden's management of the migrant border crisis, saying thousands of Haitians rushed to Texas after the president canceled deportation flights Up to 15,000 migrants have been living in squalid conditions in an impromptu camp that sprang up under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande 'On September 8, under that bridge, there were, on any given day, between 700 and 1,000 illegal immigrants, mostly from Haiti. 'On September 8 there were roughly 900 Haitians that were scheduled to be on airplanes to go back to Haiti and the Biden administration canceled those flights. 'They said, 'We're not gonna deport you. You can stay here. You can remain in America.' 'And what happened was simple. Those 900 Haitians, they pulled out their phones. And they got their phone and they called their families, they called their friends. They texted their family and friends.' Migrants have been using Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp to share detailed instructions with friends and family back home on how to cross the border into the US, it was recently revealed. The White House has refused to answer when, if ever, Biden has visited the border, even in his previous roles as vice president and senator Cruz continued: 'You had 700 people on September 8. I was down in Del Rio eight days later on September 16. The day I was there, 700 people had become 10,503. It took eight days for that to happen. 'Within a couple of days that 10,000 had become 15,000 and it was straight cause-and-effect. The word went out that the Biden administration is not going to enforce the law. 'And if you're from Haiti, come to Del Rio because that means you get to stay, and that's what's produced this disaster.' Biden initially suspended repatriation flights to Haiti after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and damaged more than 100,000 homes. But he has since stepped up the deportation blitz in order to curb the number of undocumented migrants flooding into Del Rio as thousands continued to arrive. The official line is that Haitians are being expelled from the US back to the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation under a Donald Trump-era rule. Under Title 42, migrants can be repatriated to their home nations without the possibility of requesting asylum due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 523 Haitians have since been deported to their homeland on four flights, with repatriations set to continue on a regular basis, the Department of Homeland Security said. But thousands of migrants have also been freed into the US on a 'very, very large scale' rather than being flown out as the Biden administration promised, according to officials. It's estimated as many as 5,000 migrants have been allowed in. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been forced to use 'unprecedented' methods to prevent more from entering his state by creating a 'steel barrier' of hundreds of vehicles at the border. Migrants exit a Border Patrol bus and prepare to be received by the Val Verde Humanitarian Coalition after crossing the Rio Grande on Wednesday They are lined up outside Del Rio in Texas, which has seen an influx of 14,600 migrants who crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the US. An estimated 8,600 remained in the town of 35,000 people as of Tuesday night, with 1,083 so far deported back to Haiti Abbott visited the site on Tuesday and praised DPS and Texas National Guard for creating the barrier by using hundreds of state-owned vehicles, almost all of which appear to be bulky SUVs. Unlike Abbott, Biden is yet to witness the scenes of chaos firsthand, where migrants are living in squalid conditions and forced to sleep on the ground under makeshift tents from discarded clothing and tree branches in searing heat. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on whether Biden had visited the southern border at all in his life but she said she could not provide a date. The president has frequently visited areas affected by natural disasters but is yet to make a trip to the current crisis emerging in Texas. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said: 'Has Joe Biden ever been to the border? It's a question that needs to be answered by the president, who is presiding over the most disastrous border crisis in decades. 'The RNC Research team investigated and has been unable to find a single example of Biden visiting the border in at least a decade, even when he was Obama's border czar. Biden created a humanitarian crisis at the border and refuses to take responsibility for it. 'The buck stops with him, and it is long past time for Biden to make the trip, see the devastating impacts of his open border policies for himself, and address the crises his failed policies created.' Filippo Grandi, the head of the UN refugee agency, has warned that US expulsions to such a volatile situation might violate international law. The chaotic scenes at the border and news of the expulsion flights convinced some Haitian migrants transiting through Mexico that it would be better to petition for legal status there, rather than risk crossing the U.S. border. 'My thinking is to find a better life, wherever I find it... I never said it had to be in the United States,' said Wilner Plaisir, a Haitian asylum seeker waiting outside the offices of the Mexican refugee agency COMAR in Mexico City on Wednesday. John Rourke on Wednesday night told of the distressing scenes he saw in Del Rio, Texas 'If I can find work, I'll stay here with my family,' said the construction worker. Statistics published by COMAR show that 18,883 Haitians applied for asylum in Mexico in the first eight months of this year, the second-highest nationality after Hondurans. Border Patrol agents were so concerned about the escalating situation at the border that they requested additional resources three months ago - but their concerns were not acted on by superiors. Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president told CNN that the union on June 1 suggested improvements to the system. Anfinsen said that they wanted agents to be sent to the border with tablets to start the intake process when a large group crosses the river, instead of having the group wait there while space is cleared in the station. 'This way, we can at least get part of the process finished before they even get to the station instead of wasting that time,' said the email. The union followed up on June 3, and also suggested placing a trailer in the area for additional staff, to deal with a predicted surge. On June 17, the union received a one-sentence response: 'This is being explored, several other platforms are being considered which are more efficient.' Meanwhile an Army veteran who organizes annual clean-ups of American cities has told of his shock at the squalid conditions along the border. John Rourke, founder of the Great American Clean-Up, said that he and his team were taken aback at the scenes. Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, was in the city on Monday but Rourke told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that more needed to be done. 'Let me tell you what I saw,' Rourke said. 'I saw people washing babies in the Rio Grande. 'I saw ladies breastfeeding babies, sleeping in dirt, 107 degrees outside, red ants everywhere, real coyotes - the ones that have four legs walking around. 'It's like Naked And Afraid: the southern border edition, out there. 'People are literally knocking down trees and setting up lean-tos and teepees and sleeping under those.' He said he and his colleagues 'picked up thousands of pounds of garbage along the southern border.' Thousands of people are trying to get into Queensland from interstate amid uncertainty about when the state government will open to the rest of Australia. Official figures seen by AAP show there were 3145 people with pending applications for exemptions to enter Queensland on Thursday morning. The state government's exemptions unit processed 302 applications in the 24 hours to 7am on Thursday, however another 235 new applications were lodged over the same period. The number of people lodging applications each day remains almost exactly the same as two weeks ago when 3663 applications were pending. Official figures seen by AAP show there were 3145 people with pending applications for exemptions to enter Queensland on Thursday morning With thousands on the waiting list, the Queensland government has refused to commit to any specific date for reopening the state borders or allowing residents to venture overseas. The national plan is for a gradual reopening once vaccine coverage hits 80 per cent with federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan saying the international borders will reopen by 'Christmas at the latest'. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has sidestepped questions about whether she will open Queensland to the rest of the country by Christmas, or when Queenslanders will be able to travel internationally. 'Where are you going to go, are you going to go to India?' she told reporters on Thursday. With thousands on the waiting list, the Queensland government has refused to commit to any specific date for reopening the state borders or allowing residents to venture overseas The premier said national cabinet was due for further talks about reopening the country and international travel next Friday. Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said fully vaccinated Queenslanders should be given certainty about when they can travel interstate and overseas. 'The question of if not then, if not at the 80 per cent vaccination threshold, then when?' he told Nine's Today program. 'Because so many Queensland businesses, tourism operators, families wanting to be reunited, they all want to know when these opportunities are going to open up. 'So people understandably now want to know the dividends they are going to get for those vaccines beyond the safety that it gives them.' Labor Party national president and former federal treasurer Wayne Swan said the premier has a right to be cautious about reopening. He said it would be grossly irresponsible to open the border when the virus was 'on fire' in NSW and Victoria. The national cabinet plan to reopen the country was not just about hitting 80 per cent vaccination coverage, but included aspects such as adequate testing and tracing, quarantine and isolation measures. 'So Queensland has done very well, why would Queensland pull the border out when its economy has been going strongly and we have no infections,' Mr Swan told the Today program. Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said fully vaccinated Queenslanders should be given certainty about when they can travel interstate and overseas 'So we will, in Queensland, look at the recommendations that come through, but Doherty (Institute modelling) doesn't say automatically that everything is free the minute you get 80 per cent double-vaccination.' Meanwhile, for the thousands of Queenslanders and other people trying to get into the state, there's no sign the application process is speeding up. Hotel quarantine places are limited and the premier has said she won't consider other measures like home quarantine for returnees and arrivals until she sees the results of a South Australian trial. However, Queensland is already using home quarantine for people linked to local virus outbreaks within the state. Queensland Health said there were 3886 people in home quarantine on Thursday. The Facebook executive who will take over as the company's Chief Technology Officer next year had argued in 2016 that Facebook's goal should be to connect people even if 'someone dies in a terrorist attack coordinated on our tools,' according to an internal memo. Andrew Bosworth, tapped to replace longtime CTO Mike Schroepfer in 2022, had been discussing Facebook's role in the world in a memo with other leaders when he commented that the company's value to the world was so great, negative consequences should be overlooked. 'The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that allows us to connect more people more often is de facto good,' Bosworth wrote. 'Maybe it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack coordinated on our tools. And still we connect people.' Facebook's incoming CTO, Andrew Bosworth, had said in 2016 that the social media giant should do whatever it can to connect people, even if it leads to terrorist attacks Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, said he strongly disagreed with Bosworth in 2016, but now he tapped Bosworth to replace longtime CTO Mike Schroepfer, right Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has known Bosworth since their days at Harvard University, said at the time that he 'disagreed strongly' with Bosworth's comments, the Telegraph reported. Bosworth, who heads Facebook's augments and virtual reality projects, said in 2018 that he made comment to encourage discussion about Facebook's responsibilities and that it did not represent his views or those of the company, the Independent reported. 'I don't agree with the post today and I didn't agree with it even when I wrote it', Mr Bosworth said in a statement. He added that he cared 'deeply how our product affects people and I take very personally the responsibility I have to make that impact positive'. Facebook has had to deal with it social media platform being used by terrorist and extremists since its inception. According to its latest transparency report, Facebook has taken down 7.1 million terrorism posts from April to June, and about 6.2 million posts related to hate groups in the same time period. The company said it finds about 99.7 per cent of the content atomically before it gets reported by users, the Telegraph reports. Bosworth, who headed Facebook's augmented and virtually reality projects plans to use the tech to establish Facebook's metaverse. He is pictured at a conference in 2018 Facebook had announced Bosworth's promotion on Wednesday, revealing that he would lead the company into its newest technological phase. 'As our next CTO, Boz will continue leading Facebook Reality Labs and overseeing our work in augmented reality, virtual reality and more, and as part of this transition a few other groups will join Bozs team as well,' CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a message to employees that was posted on Facebook's blog. 'This is all foundational to our broader efforts helping to build the metaverse, and I'm excited about the future of this work under Bozs leadership,' he said, referring to the Silicon Valley idea of shared spaces that merge the digital and physical worlds and can be accessed through different devices. Bozworth will lead Facebook's attempts to blend virtual reality with its everyday services Facebook's goal is to create a virtual social media, with Bosworth leading the way Facebook is under pressure from global regulators, lawmakers and civil society groups who have criticized it over abuses on its platform such as extremism and misinformation and want it to improve on a slew of issues including transparency, its content moderation and recommendation systems, and its approaches to user privacy and safety. According to the documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook had known for two years now that Instagram is toxic for young girls but continued to add beauty-editing filters to the app, despite six per cent of suicidal girls in America blaming it for their desire to kill themselves. When Facebook researches first alerted the company of the issue in 2019, they said: 'We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.' 'Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression. This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups.' One message posted on an internal message board in March 2020 said the app revealed that 32 per cent of girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies if they were already having insecurities. About one in five said the app made them feel worse about themselves. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has issued a rallying cry for New Zealanders to 'lead the world again' in the fight against Covid-19 and reach a 90 per cent vaccination rate before year's end. New Zealand, with just 27 deaths through the pandemic, has been lauded for its public health response to the deadly virus. Ms Ardern's government hopes to vault over countries like Portugal, Singapore and the UAE - who have fully vaccinated more than 75 per cent of their adult population - to again lead global rankings. 'Let's be top of the table,' she said in Wellington on Thursday. 'Here's our chance to lead the world again.' New Zealand has been the longest-running leader of Bloomberg's Resilience Index, which ranks counties according to their response to COVID-19, including freedoms restored to its citizens. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wants the country to reach a 90 per cent vaccination rate before year's end. However, the country currently sits in the bottom half of Bloomberg's table, owing to its response to the current Delta outbreak. Ms Ardern's government instituted a swift and brutal lockdown within hours of identifying a community case last month. While most of New Zealand was lifted out of restrictions three weeks later, 1.7 million Kiwis in the Auckland region remain under stay-at-home orders for a sixth week. Now, New Zealand is plotting a path that will allow it to abandon lockdowns but avoid the huge human toll seen in other parts of the world. 'It all comes down to vaccination,' Ms Ardern said. As of Thursday, New Zealand has fully vaccinated 40 per cent of adults, with 75 per cent having received one dose of Pfizer's two-dose treatment. That is up from just 22 per cent and 39 per cent as of August 17, when the Delta outbreak was first identified - underlining how the recent outbreak shocked New Zealanders into action. Those rates are still well behind world leaders like Portugal (84 per cent of adult population fully vaccinated), UAE (81 per cent) and Singapore (77 per cent). For comparison, Australia has fully vaccinated 49 per cent and partially vaccinated 74 per cent. Making the government's task harder still, they are shooting for not just 90 per cent of New Zealanders vaccinated - but 90 per cent of at-risk groups. 'I hate the idea of even one preventable death,' Ms Ardern said last week, adding on Thursday, 'Ninety per cent or higher is my aspiration'. Customers lining up at KFC (stock image) could be jabbed under a strategy to increase vaccination levels 'If you have pockets of any community where there are lower rates, that leads to the potential for outbreak,' she said. 'We do need to make sure we have equitable coverage that does see our Maori, our Pacific, our rural, our isolated communities, with high rates of vaccination ... we don't want to leave people behind.' On that front, the government has more work to do. New Zealand has contracted with Pfizer for its entire rollout, and after deals with Spain and Denmark in the past fortnight, has enough vaccine to cover the entire country. While 91 per cent of over-65s have received their first dose of Pfizer's two-dose regime, as of Wednesday just 52 per cent of Maori and 67 per cent of Pacific people were partially vaccinated. Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi said Covid-19 restrictions should ease only when vulnerable indigenous communities were properly protected. 'The benchmark should be tangata whenua (people of the land, or Maori) and tangata moana (people of the ocean, or Pacific people). It must be based on those communities,' he said. There is also a shortfall in Kiwis engaged in the system. Just 79 per cent are either 'vaccinated or booked', showing Ms Ardern's government must improve outreach to reach its lofty 90 per cent goal. Auckland experienced one of the strictest lockdowns in the world as it tried to stop a Covid-19 outbreak from spreading The prime minister says New Zealand is 'pulling out all of the stops' and is open to unconventional routes to its target. Mr Whippy-style buses with health teams on board are touring under-vaccinated Auckland suburbs, drive-through stations are open, and the idea of jabbing while in line at KFC is being entertained. The idea is not so loopy: New Zealand's love of KFC is well known. Reports of police arresting two men attempting to enter locked-down Auckland with 'a boot-full of KFC' made international headlines this week. Closer to home, the NZ Herald reported a man setting up a tent outside his local fried chicken takeaway ahead of the restaurant's re-opening on Wednesday. Still, more could be done. The buses have yet to hit their stride: just 400 people were vaccinated during their first week of operation. And the government is yet to roll out a mass-scale advertising campaign to get more Kiwis - and particularly young people - to roll up their sleeves. 'What every country has experienced is a point where you reach a certain (vaccination) rate, and ours has been higher than most, where it gets a little bit harder,' Ms Ardern said. 'We need conversations. We need to get creative, too. 'We have the supply of vaccines we need. We have the workforce ready to do the job. 'So have that conversation with your whanau (family) or friends. 'Help someone make a booking, or give them a lift to a vaccination centre. 'Each action - large and small - gets us a step closer to the opportunities and freedoms we all want. 'Across all the debate, amongst modellers and researchers, there remains one simple message: get vaccinated The ACT government is being urged to fund rapid coronavirus swabs for pharmacists to help keep them at work. The ACT branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has welcomed Chief Minister Andrew Barr's support for widespread rapid antigen testing as vaccination coverage rises. Since lockdown started last month, 37 Canberra pharmacies had been caught up in 82 community virus exposures. 'Becoming an exposure site places huge pressure on a pharmacy,' ACT branch president Renae Beardmore said. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is under pressure to find $10 rapid antigen test for pharmacists in Canberra 'They will often need to reduce their hours or services if their staff are required to quarantine.' She wanted the government to fund rapid antigen tests, which can return results in 15 minutes but are not always as accurate, for pharmacy staff. Ms Beardmore labelled the tests a cheap and worthwhile government investment at $10 each. The chief minister supported their widespread use to pick up asymptomatic and fully vaccinated cases, but declined to specify any industries. 37 Canberra pharmacies had been caught up in 82 community virus exposures 'If they produce a positive result and get someone who would otherwise be infectious in the community in quarantine, then that would be a great outcome,' Mr Barr told reporters. The ACT recorded 16 new infections on Thursday, seven of which could be linked. None of the cases were in quarantine for their entire infectious period. At least 11 were in the community for some of the time. Health chiefs have ordered a review of Covid rules in a move that could pave the way to more face-to-face GP appointments. It comes less than a week after the Daily Mail launched a campaign to secure better access to family doctors. GPs claim an ongoing two-metre social distancing rule stops them seeing more patients in person because waiting rooms are too small to accommodate them. NHS England insists the requirement, which is specific to healthcare, should not prevent GPs from seeing people face to face. But the number of consultations taking place in surgeries has plummeted from 80 per cent before the pandemic to just 57 per cent this July. The huge rise in telephone and video consultations has sparked fears that serious diseases such as cancer are being missed. The Prime Minister has himself stressed the importance of face-to-face appointments, warning: I am absolutely certain that unless we can deliver that there will be people sadly whose symptoms are not picked up and who will suffer as a result. The Department of Health last night launched a review into infection prevention and control (IPC) measures across the NHS, which could see the limit of two metres reduced or scrapped entirely. June Walker, 67, first called her family doctor about her constant headache and sore shoulder last November. However, with no GP prepared to see her in person, she was simply referred for physiotherapy Health chiefs have ordered a review of Covid rules in a move that could pave the way to more face-to-face GP appointments Months of pain because I couldnt see a doctor A retired estate agent endured eight months of excruciating headaches because her GP would not see her face to face and take her blood pressure. June Walker, 67, first called her family doctor about her constant headache and sore shoulder last November. However, with no GP prepared to see her in person, she was simply referred for physiotherapy. But the headaches failed to improve and despite repeatedly ringing her surgery she was not able to see her GP. Only when she was admitted to hospital as an emergency for another problem, in June, was her blood pressure eventually taken. Surgeons wanted to perform a colonoscopy, but refused after realising her blood pressure was off the scale. They wrote to her GP and she was put on blood pressure tablets, which have cured the headaches. Last night she said: I had a terrible headache every single day for eight months that was completely unnecessary. Taking your blood pressure and listening to your chest used to be the first thing a GP did when you went to see them. If I had been able to see my doctor in person in November I could have saved myself so much pain. Some things simply cant be diagnosed over the phone. I went from taking 120mg of codeine every day to nothing its like a miracle. She said she was being prepared for a major operation at hospital for a separate medical issue when they took my blood pressure and refused to do it. The doctor said he was worried I would have a stroke on the table. Only then did it become an emergency, but Id been walking around for months with it, it was scary. Mrs Walker, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, added: I feel very let down by my GP practice. If I had seen a GP and had my blood pressure taken it would have relieved me of eight months of terrible pain and I would have been safeguarded from any potentially life threatening illness. Mrs Walker, who is married to production manager, Noel, 71, and has seven grandchildren, said she absolutely supported the Mails campaign to get patients seen by GPs face to face. I am so pleased that the Mail has taken up this issue, Mrs Walker added. Its appalling that GPs seem to hold themselves on a pedestal and arent prepared to treat their patients. Advertisement A source said: The review will examine which rules need to stay in place and which can now be safely dropped or amended. It is too soon to know what the outcome will be, but it will consider the obstacles that GPs have used to avoid seeing patients face-to-face. Dr Lisa Cameron of the SNP, chairman of the all-party health group in Westminster, said yesterday: Its great news that the Government is finally acting. It is time these guidelines are reviewed because most people are now double-jabbed, meaning they are much less likely to get significantly ill if they catch Covid. Im really concerned with the difficulty people are having securing appointments and the situation is now critical. 'We need to start getting more people to their GP face to face. If GPs cant fit lots of people in their waiting room they should stagger appointments better. NHS England introduced widespread remote consultations in March last year in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus at the start of the pandemic. It wrote to surgeries this May, telling them that virtual appointments could carry on when doing so is beneficial. However, it made clear that they should be an option alongside a clear offer of appointments in person. It added: Patients input into this choice should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary for example, the presence of Covid symptoms. Doctors have pointed to separate guidelines on infection control produced by the NHS and Public Health England, which state that practices must enforce two-metre social distancing and the use of face masks. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association, has written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, claiming GPs who fail to see patients face to face are simply following these rules. A poll for the Mail this week found that 85 per cent of people believe they should be able to have a face-to-face consultations if they want one. Yet a study has revealed that GP access of any kind has now become a postcode lottery. In the worst-hit district, North East Lincolshire, just 35.8 per cent of patients get to see a doctor either in person or via a Zoom call according to the latest figures covering July. The rest of those seeking a GP consultation were referred instead to a nurse or another member of practice staff. At the other end of the scale, almost twice as many people 67.1 per cent of those in South Sefton in Liverpool were seen by their GP. The analysis from the Liberal Democrats also shows a massive disparity across the country when it comes to same-day appointments. In the worst area, the Vale of York, just 38 per cent of consultations took place on the day they were requested compared with 57 per cent in the top-performing area, Blackburn with Darwen. Lib Dem health spokesman Munira Wilson said: These figures reveal the postcode lottery facing GP patients, with people in some areas struggling to see a doctor or get a same-day appointment. The Conservatives are failing to get to grips with this worsening crisis, with growing NHS waiting lists piling more pressure on GP surgeries. People deserve a fair deal where they can get an appointment with their local GP when they need one. We need to see urgent action to train more GPs, boost funding for practices and ensure the vaccine booster programme doesnt overwhelm them further. This week saw the Mail issue a five-point manifesto for change which includes a call for the Government to make good on its pledge to deliver 6,000 more GPs. June Walker (pictured) endured eight months of excruciating headaches because her GP would not see her face to face and take her blood pressure If I hadn't seen my patient in person, he'd have died... that's why it would be a disaster to rely on remote appointments By Martin Scurr, Retired GP and Daily Mail Good Health Expert Some weeks ago one of my former patients, a man in his mid-70s, asked if I would meet him. As we made our way to a coffee outlet near his office, I noticed hed developed a shuffling gait, though what he actually wanted to discuss was how he suddenly felt old. While I could see no evidence of tremor, I was convinced that he might have Parkinsons disease and urged him to see a neurologist. Within days hed undergone a brain scan and a lumbar puncture to collect cerebral spinal fluid, and was diagnosed with a brain condition Id never come across, caused by a dangerous build-up of fluid. He underwent urgent neurosurgery to drain the fluid and within 24 hours he was cured, back to his old self. This story highlights just why face-to-face consultations matter so much. Doctoring isnt simply about patients telling you their symptoms the vital skill is in observing the unspoken signs, their demeanour, how they move, even the way their skin looks, the non-verbal communication. 1 in 3 who can't speak to GP go without care One in three people who are unable to secure a GP appointment end up going without any care, an NHS study suggests. The GP patient satisfaction survey of 850,000 raises concerns that sick Britons are being left to suffer and deteriorate at home. It revealed that 32 per cent of those who failed to speak to their family doctor in-person or remotely did not speak to anyone else about their medical condition. And 8 per cent went to A&E for help, piling pressure on already busy hospitals. The poll found that more than two in five patients had avoided making an appointment in the past 12 months. They were either worried about the burden on the NHS or else were concerned about Covid risks. Patient groups also warned that some people may have given up because they have tired of the struggle to secure an inperson or remote appointment. Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said that although there was little evidence, I think its probably reasonable to suggest that when patients feel perhaps they cant get access to their GP, then they will go into the emergency department because the lights are on. An NHS spokesman said 70 per cent of patients said their overall experience of making an appointment was good - up five per cent on 2019. Advertisement Its about spotting the symptoms the patient themselves might not have noticed such as this mans change in gait. The fact is, without seeing a doctor in person, he would probably have died after months of deteriorating health and senility. And I have little doubt an online consultation would not have led to the brain scan that diagnosed this man in time. But that is where we are at this point, with alarming figures showing that in parts of England, less than half of patients see their GP face to face. As a result, illnesses are being missed. The Mail recently reported the desperately tragic story of 27-year-old Jessica Brady, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, who died of liver cancer after a series of virtual appointments over five months failed to spot her tumour. And while I fear the elderly and vulnerable are particularly at risk from the inadequacies of remote medicine, her story demonstrates that no one of any age is immune. One of the key things you miss with online or phone consultations is physically examining a patient. At medical school we were taught: If you dont put your finger in it you will put your foot in it. There is no doubt actually examining patients saves lives, and without the return of more face-to-face consultations, I predict more tragedies and increasing litigation. I no longer want to have friends tell me of terrible stories, such as the accountant I know who suffered a fall at home and was only permitted a telephone consultation. Painkillers were prescribed to help the pain of the bruising but that was the only care offered. After two days bedridden at home he eventually rang an ambulance, and went to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured thigh a serious injury, and potentially lethal. He was lucky: he survived. But it shouldnt have been a life and death situation. The pendulum has swung too far. I fully support the Mails campaign to get more patients in front of their GPs, but we need to think where the solution lies and thats not in the hands of the individual GP, or even edicts from government requiring more face-to-face appointments. For while I suspect there are some individual GPs who would prefer the new status quo, because its simpler, saves time and helps cut waiting lists, it is too simplistic to say its the doctors fault or worse, theyre lazy. For the fact is this was a juggernaut of governments making: we just dont have enough GPs. Well before the pandemic, patients were finding it difficult to see a GP, with too many having to wait days or even weeks. The blame for this and now, the online mess lies at the door of successive governments who are guilty of gross failures of forward planning. Put simply: theyve failed to ensure there are enough GPs. For instance, it was obvious that allocating more medical school places, quite rightly, to women, from 10 per cent in the 1960s, to 50 per cent, would eventually create manpower difficulties as women needed time out to have families. Doctoring isnt simply about patients telling you their symptoms the vital skill is in observing the unspoken signs, their demeanour, how they move, even the way their skin looks, the non-verbal communication At the same time more GPs began retiring early the demands of an ageing population, and escalating obesity and diabetes, hugely increased workloads, while red tape spiralled out of control dealing another crushing blow. The shortage of GPs along with the workload had already compelled doctors to devise additional ways of providing at least some sort of service, which led to telephone consultations. The fact is, online and phone consultations do have their use for instance, a brief assessment before sending a patient to the right place for minor problems, or for then shifting the case to the practice nurse. Remote consultations are particularly suitable and safe when the GP and patient know each other. I remember my heart sinking last year when then health secretary Matt Hancock said all GP appointments should be done remotely by default, unless a patient needed to be seen in person. This would be disastrous. While there is no doubt remote consultations are here to stay, its time the default is for patients to be back in front of their GPs. It can be done: just look at secondary care treatment in hospitals which is functioning well, with consultants clearing the waiting list backlog, doors wide open, and skilled personnel getting on with the job. Face to face. So how can we get out of this mess? One of things we need is a campaign to bring back retired GPs to assist with triage, patient workloads, and the continued winter vax programmes. Hitherto this has been blocked by impossible and frustrating bureaucracy. When the pandemic emerged I was reinstated by the General Medical Council within 24 hours and by my insurer the Medical Defence Union the following day. All that happened quite spontaneously and without asking, and I readily complied. Yet NHS England, despite that acknowledgement by the GMC of my suitability, required a copy of my passport, a utility bill, and 29 pages of questions to be answered. I did all of this but never heard any more. And I know from frustrated peers, I was not the only one. Slash red tape to ensure this cant happen. What about setting up pop-up GP centres at A&E units or other venues to ease the backlog, with staffing from healthcare assistants and other nursing staff for non-critical care and some of those retired GPs! We also need a strong advertising campaign to encourage greater use of pharmacists and clear guidelines about when a e-consultation is appropriate. Last but not least in the longer term, we need more GPs. Britain is to increase its aid to India and will still send millions to China despite slashing the foreign aid budget. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office revealed that it plans to increase the amount it sends to India a country with its own space programme by a third. Despite having claimed to have stopped aid to the country, the FCDOs development budget to India will rise from 41.5million in 2020/21 to 55.3million in 2021/22. Britain is to increase its aid to India and will still send millions to China despite slashing the foreign aid budget And although the FCDO pledged to slash its aid to China by 95 per cent, the amount it will send in 2021/22 will be an increase on the previous year so that its programmes can be wound up responsibly. The department has also increased its annual funding to the Great Britain China Centre, which promotes legal and judicial reform in the country. On top of this, undisclosed millions in aid money will also continue to be sent to China by the business department. The report also said that the UK will still contribute large amounts to both countries through multilateral bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Aid to the country has been particularly controversial since 2012 when its finance minister Pranab Mukherjee described British aid as peanuts and said that the country does not need it It estimates that in China this could amount to 7.5million a year and this figure is 152million in India based on the average over the past five years. Details of the aid money was outlined in the annual report of the FCDO, which was published this week. It is the first report since the Foreign Office merged with the Department for International Development and since it was announced that the aid budget would be temporarily cut from 0.7 per cent of national income to 0.5 per cent. Overall, the report said the FCDOs aid budget will fall from 11.2billion to 7.6billion and funding to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar will be cut. But the amount sent to India will rise. Aid to the country has been particularly controversial since 2012 when its finance minister Pranab Mukherjee described British aid as peanuts and said that the country does not need it. And critics have questioned why the UK sends money to a country which can fund its own space programme. The Government six years ago said it would stop sending aid to India but it later emerged that it still sends money for what it terms technical assistance. The previous report reveals that between 2018 and 2019, the total aid budget sent to Indias government increased by 14 per cent to 107.8million. This includes money given by other departments. The report also included projections of how much the FCDO will spend in India in the future. It said its out-turn in the country in 2020/21 was 41.5million and in 2021/22 this amount will rise to 55.3million an increase of a third. Earlier this year, the FCDO announced it would slash its part of the China aid budget by 95 per cent. However, the amount will increase from 2.17million to 13.65million in 2021/22. The report explained the money will be used for the responsible closure of its programmes in the country. A Queens man, 25, received a 30-year prison sentence on Thursday after tying up his ex-girlfriend, stuffing her in a small suitcase and leaving her to suffocate at the side of a Connecticut road. Javier Da Silva Rojas pleaded guilty to a single count of kidnapping for the fatal abduction of Valerie Reyes, 24, in 2019. On Thursday, the illegal immigrant, who was living in New York City, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Javier Da Silva Rojas, 25, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and an additional two years of supervised release for murdering his ex-girlfriend Valerie Reyes, 24, in 2019 after shoving her in a suitcase and leaving her on the side of the road in Connecticut Rojas was shoved into a red suitcase (pictured) and ditched her on the side of the road in Greenwich, Connecticut The White Planes, New York, federal court had heard how he drove to Reyes's house on January 28, 2019, and switched his phone to airplane mode before entering her New Rochelle home. The couple allegedly got into a vicious alteration that left Reyes with a head trauma and bruising around the face, prosecutors reported. Reyes, who was still breathing, was then bound by Rojas with packing tape and twine before he shoved her inside a suitcase. He drove 10 miles from her home to Greenwich, Connecticut, and ditched the suitcase the in a wooden area, court documents said. Rojas told investigators that Reyes fell to the floor and hit her head after they had sex at her home a week before her body was found, federal authorities said. He told investigators that he put packing tape over her mouth, bound her legs and hands, and put her in a suitcase that he dropped in a wooded area after driving for some time. She died from a lack of oxygen. She later died of homicidal asphyxiation. Her family reported her missing two days later and authorities found her body on February 5. Rojas's DNA was found on the suitcase handles, as well under Reye's fingernails. She died of homicidal asphyxiation and her body was found week later after her family reported her missing She was found in Greenwich, Connecticut, 10 miles from her home in New Rochelle, New York Rojas also drained her bank account, which approximately obtain $5,350, and stole her iPad and laptop, according to prosecutors. 'In the days after, [Rojas] used her ATM card to empty her bank account and then attempted to cover up the evidence of his conduct, said Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss in a statement. Court documents revealed that Reyes told her mother 'she was nervous, anxious and afraid someone was going to murder her.' In addition to his 30-year sentence, Rojas will have an additional two years of supervised release, officials said. He will also likely be deported following the completion of his sentence. 'The victim of this crime was in the prime of her life when it was senselessly ended by Rojas abhorrent act,' Strauss said in a statement. Rojas allegedly cried as the victim's mother gave a statement. 'You, Javier, deserve nothing but pain and rejection,' she told the court. 'I want you to hear the words of a mother who you devastated by taking away my baby girl.' Rojas apologized to Reyes's family, stating: 'No words can express how repulsed I am by the acts I committed. I will never forgive myself for that. I cannot ask [Reyes's family] to forgive me because I dont deserve it. I would like them to know Im very sorry.' Indian-Australians who have been separated from their families throughout the Covid-19 pandemic have been left upset and offended after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk defended her hard border stance by singling out India. The Premier on Thursday said she would refuse to open her state's borders even when 80 per cent of over 16s are vaccinated and slammed the Federal Government's plans to restart international travel before Christmas. 'Where are you going to go? Are you going to go to India?' she said sarcastically. India suffered a huge Covid-19 outbreak in April and May which peaked at 4,000 deaths a day and led to families cremating their loved ones in the street as morgues and hospitals overflowed. Queensland Multicultural Council President Umesh Chandra said Ms Palaszczuk's comment was out of line and offensive to the 53,100 Indians living in Queensland. 'The comment singling out one country is offensive and it did not go down well within our community,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Only a few months ago Ms Palaszczuk donated $2million to support Red Cross efforts battling the Covid surge in India in May 'You have to be careful and sensitive to our community where there are so many people who want to go to India and waiting for people from India to come here. 'Parents and children have been separated from their families for so long and when they hear a comment like that it's very upsetting.' Mr Chandra said his phone was flooded with text messages as soon as Ms Palaszczuk made the comment during a Covid press conference. Queensland Multicultural Council President Umesh Chandra (left) 'I've had text messages and calls coming in saying ''did you hear that'',' he said. 'An apology would be in order whether that would be forthcoming is another matter.' Shyam Das, President of the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland, also said it was unfair to single out India which is recording about 30,000 Covid cases per day, a similar number to the UK and four times fewer than the US. 'Everywhere has the same problem, why are you singling out India,' he said. 'Everyone wants to travel overseas to see their family, we want the borer to open and people to travel freely. 'If people want to take their own risk and travel where's the problem? 'People want to see their loved ones, I have a family in India and I want to go there as well,' he said. Mr Das said the comment was at odds with the Queensland Government's $2million donation to support Red Cross efforts battling the Covid surge in India in May. 'Not long ago she was the one handing out money to help,' he said. In a ceremony on the steps of Parliament to unveil the donation in May, Mr Das had told the Premier: 'The Indian community really appreciates all your support.' A spokeswoman for Ms Palaszczuk said she was making a point about countries with high case numbers and also used Japan as an example. Australia's SmartTraveller website urges residents not to travel to the country. There are fears that thousands of Covid cases are not being recorded, especially in rural areas. According to Johns Hopkins University data, India has suffered 9,683 Covid deaths in the past 28 days while the US has recorded 48,034, Brazil 15,671, the UK 3,638, and Japan 1,667. Queensland's premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) says she will ignore the national cabinet agreement and wants to keep borders closed even after 80 per cent vaccination rates are reached Ms Palaszczuk said tourist spots such as the Gold Coast would go backwards if the state was to re-open under the national cabinet plan (pictured, the Queensland border at Coolangatta) Premier Palaszczuk's comments on Thursday On the national roadmap: 'If you look at the national plan, the 80 per cent actually takes us backwards. So I don't want that for Queensland.' On overseas travel: 'Where are you going to go? Are you going to go to India? In Tokyo, you have to sit in Perspex screens with masks on and if you remove your mask you can't talk while you're chewing.' On domestic travel: 'Queenslanders would probably enjoy greater freedoms travelling around Queensland than if they hopped on a plane and went to Tokyo.' On opening for Christmas: 'In NSW, you have a massive Delta outbreak, so you have to go ask the NSW government what their plan is for Christmas?' On freedoms: 'At the moment, Queenslanders have more freedoms now than Victorians will when they hit 80 per cent vaccinated.' Advertisement Ms Palaszczuk had also mentioned Japan - where she travelled in August for the Olympics - saying: 'In Tokyo, you have to sit in Perspex screens with masks on and if you remove your mask you can't talk while you're chewing.' The Premier made the comments in a fiery press conference in which she vowed to ignore the national plan she agreed with other premiers and the Prime Minister in July. The plan states that all domestic restrictions are removed for the fully vaccinated when 80 per cent are double jabbed. But Ms Palaszczuk claimed opening her border would mean 'a step backwards' for her state which is Covid-free has few restrictions in place. 'If you look at the national plan, the 80 per cent actually takes you backwards and I do not want that for Queensland, so we're probably going to see a difference for Western Australia and Queensland because at the moment we have freedoms,' she said. 'At the moment, Queenslanders have more freedoms now than Victorians will when they reach 80 per cent vaccinated,' she said. 'In NSW, you have a massive Delta outbreak, so you have to go and ask the NSW government what is their plan for Christmas?' Ms Palaszczuk also claimed Queenslanders would prefer to explore their own state than the rest of Australia and the world. 'Queenslanders would probably enjoy greater freedoms travelling around Queensland than if they hopped on a plane and went to Tokyo,' the premier added. 'Let me say this to you, if we get a Delta outbreak here, we'll all be in lockdown and no business will be operating,' Ms Palaszczuk said at at a new vaccination hub in Brisbane on Thursday. 'Do you want that? Do you want that?' 'I don't understand this constant criticism of Queensland doing well. I will always stand up for this state, I am sick of being attacked for Queensland doing a great job, and Queenslanders doing a great job.' Downing Street has denied a claim made by Brazil's president that Boris Johnson requested an 'emergency' deal to import a food product facing shortages in England. Jair Bolsonaro did not state what the product was, but the alleged plea came as the Prime Minister faced warnings over the possible shortage of turkeys this Christmas. However, Number 10 said it had a different recollection to the right-wing populist's account of the conversation, but declined to comment any further. Brazil is a major exporter and producer of turkey meat - one of the products which it is feared could be lacking on shelves in the coming months as markets feel the strain because of a number of issues. A shortage of HGV drivers and food pickers, in part linked to Brexit, has created problems, as has a shortage of the carbon dioxide (CO2) used in the slaughter process and to keep products fresh. Mr Bolsonaro said the Prime Minister made a request on Monday for help over an unspecified food product when they held talks in New York, where they were attending a UN summit. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro met with Boris Johnson in New York this week as the attended the UN General Assembly Mr Bolsonaro has claimed that Mr Johnson requested an 'emergency' deal to import a food product facing shortages in England 'He wants an emergency agreement with us to import some kind of food that is lacking in England,' the president told supporters during a livestream. Mr Bolsonaro did not name the product but said he had handed the Prime Minister's request to agriculture minister Tereza Cristina. The Prime Minister did not rule out supply chain issues lasting several months when asked about the possible shortage of turkeys a day before his meeting with Mr Bolsonaro. 'But I think market forces will be very, very swift in sorting it out, and we're going to do whatever we can to help,' he told reporters travelling with him on the RAF Voyager. His comments came after Bernard Matthews owner Ranjit Singh Boparan warned a shortage of both CO2 and workers could mean Christmas dinners could be 'cancelled'. On Friday, ministers were coming under pressure to ease immigration rules as an emergency measure to make it easier for firms to employ European lorry drivers as a shortage of trained workers hit fuel supplies. The concoction of issues in the food industry and rising gas prices have led to warnings the Government faces a 'winter of discontent'. The shortage of qualified HGV drivers has been linked to Brexit causing the loss of workers from the EU, the coronavirus pandemic preventing driving tests, and low pay and poor conditions in the industry. Poultry is a major export for Brazil and it is one of the world's largest producers of turkey meat. Plans for a tunnel to Northern Ireland have been shelved by Boris Johnson after Chancellor Rishi Sunak ruled it was too expensive. The Prime Minister has spoken repeatedly of his dream of a bridge or tunnel linking the province to the rest of the UK. But speaking to reporters while in the United States, he said it would not be included in forthcoming plans to improve Britain's creaking infrastructure. 'Although it remains an ambition it is perhaps not the most immediate [priority]. It will be delivered substantially after the rest of the programme,' he said. Plans for a tunnel to Northern Ireland have been shelved by Boris Johnson after Chancellor Rishi Sunak ruled it was too expensive But speaking to reporters while in the United States, he said it would not be included in forthcoming plans to improve Britain's creaking infrastructure The move reflects Treasury concern that the 20billion project would prove to be a white elephant. The PM also refused to say whether the Eastern leg of the HS2 rail project would go ahead. The Mail reported in July that the plan to link Birmingham with Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds is set to be shelved indefinitely. The Treasury is eyeing potential savings of up to 40billion. But it is a blow to the PM's vision of a network of infrastructure projects that would bind the UK closer together. Mr Johnson first proposed a bridge to Northern Ireland three years ago, but it was dismissed by many experts who warned that building the 20-mile link from Scotland would be a huge logistical challenge. After leaving No 10, the PM's former chief aide Dominic Cummings said Mr Johnson was obsessed with the idea of building 'the world's most stupid tunnel'. The initial idea of a bridge was abandoned because of concerns that strong winds in the Irish Sea would require frequent closures. In places the route would have crossed water more than 1,000ft deep, requiring the largest support towers ever built. But officials continued to examine the case for a tunnel link. The project was being considered by a transport connectivity review led by Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy. Two engineering professors were also commissioned to lead a feasibility study into a bridge or tunnel. The High-Speed Rail Group of rail leaders proposed tunnelling under the Irish Sea between Stranraer and Larne in a submission to the Hendy review. Mr Johnson insisted the upcoming infrastructure review would be 'wonderful news' for all UK areas. Hospitality staff could soon keep the entirety of tips given to them by customers under new plans to safeguard workers' rights and remodel an industry-wide practice. Employers would face sanctions for breaking the law if they pocket employees' tips under a new framework due to set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today. A spokesman for the Department told the Times the new legislative guidelines were needed to ensure customers know their little extras end up in service staff's pockets. The new rules could benefit approximately two million hospitality staff members in a welcome boost to low paid workers who often rely on tips to help boost minimum wage salaries. Employers could face sanctions for breaking the law if they pocket their employees' tips under a new framework due to set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today Research showed businesses that operate with an optional service charge for parties or gatherings often keep part of all of said charges instead of divvying them up among staff. Front of house staff would be protected with the potential for employment tribunal and data requests over how their bosses were sharing tips, should the Department's proposed legislative changes come to pass. A new, potential statutory code of practice comes amid a wave of mooted measures designed to protect and preserve worker's rights in the UK. Similar steps have seen the implementation of a nationwide bereavement leave for grieving parents and minimum wage boosts - now set at 8.91-an-hour for those aged 21 and over, and 6.56 for those aged 16 to 20. It comes as union chiefs wrote to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warning that the fall in cash payments and employers interfering with tips has created a perfect storm that has wiped out recent rises in the Living Wage and Minimum Wage. Restaurant owners are banned from keeping cash tips left for waiting staff, but there is nothing to stop them taking a cut when the bill is settled by debit or credit card, which has become increasingly popular as cash use was discouraged in the pandemic. Campaigners say about 1.6 million hospitality workers are being left out of pocket as up to two-thirds of employers in the sector take a share of customer gratuities Paul Scully, the Government's labour markets minister, told the Times: 'Unfortunately, some companies choose to withhold cash from hardworking staff who have been tipped by customers as a reward for good service. 'Our plans will make this illegal and ensure tips will go to those who worked for it. 'This will provide a boost to workers in pubs, cafes and restaurants across the country, while reassuring customers their money is going to those who deserve it.' Earlier this year, campaigners warned approximately 1.6 million hospitality workers were losing out on hard-earned extra cash when restaurant and bar bosses pocketed their tips. Exacerbating the issue is society's trend towards increasingly popular electronic payments, meaning businesses can then decide whether or not to keep tips paid on debit or credit cards. Boris Johnson has been given a stern warning not to give in to industry lobbying and drop plans for a deposit on glass bottles by a charity backed by his wife Carrie. The PM was told that going back on his manifesto pledge would put his commitment to the environment in serious doubt. The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, of which both Carrie Johnson and the PMs father Stanley are patrons, said it would be a catastrophic U-turn. The Mail has long called for a deposit return scheme to encourage people to take back recyclable bottles. The 2019 Tory manifesto promised to introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass. Boris Johnson has been given a stern warning not to give in to industry lobbying and drop plans for a deposit on glass bottles by a charity backed by his wife Carrie Ministers are still consulting on how the scheme which could come in by 2024 will work. But the glass industry and supermarkets are lobbying for glass to be exempt from the plan, under which a refundable deposit of about 20p would be charged. The letter from the Foundation, published in The Times, said: Ripping up a clear manifesto commitment by omitting glass bottles would represent a catastrophic U-turn that our natural spaces can ill afford. It said that more than 30 per cent of glass bottles are not recycled in the UK. A Chinese representative has slammed Australia over its treatment of refugees, Aboriginals and Afghan civilians - despite his country being accused of genocide against its Muslim population. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian took aim at the country on Thursday - days after the country announced a nuclear submarines deal with the US and UK - after a local reporter asked a question about Australia's human rights record. Mr Lijian then launched into a 231-word tirade about the country, starting with the country's offshore detention centres, then proceeding onto the plight of Aboriginals and finally alleged war crimes by the country's soldiers in Afghanistan. On asylum seekers, Mr Lijian said: 'A large number of refugees and migrants have been long held with chronic mental and physical sufferings, and unnatural deaths occur from time to time. 'Outsourced to private security firms, the detention centers have bad living conditions. The Australian government fails to effectively monitor them and gravely violates the human rights of refugees and migrants.' Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian took aim at the country's offshore detention camps at a press conference on Thursday, after a local reporter asked a question about Australia's human rights record Mr Zhao then turned his attack onto the treatment of Indigenous Australians calling out the dark history of the country. 'Australia committed genocide against the Aboriginals and inflicted permanent pain on the 'stolen generation' by taking 100,000 Aboriginal children by force from their families,' he said. 'Even today, the average life expectancy of the Aboriginal Australians is 8.2 years shorter than that of white people. The Aboriginals account for 3.3 per cent of the Australian population but 28 per cent of the prisoner population. 'The Australian Aboriginals are still subjected to serious unfair treatment in living conditions, law enforcement and justice system, among others.' Finally, he went on to hammer the country over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan - a topic Chinese state media and officials have repeatedly dwelled upon while an inquiry is underway in Canberra. The relationship between China and Australia has been fraught with tension, particularly since Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an inquiry into how Covid originated in Wuhan. Mr Zhao's rant came as China faces global condemnation of the treatment of its Uyghur Muslim population. Rights groups estimate one million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have been interned in camps in the northwest Xinjiang region. China describes them as vocational training centres to combat religious extremism. On asylum seekers, Mr Lijian said: 'A large number of refugees and migrants have been long held with chronic mental and physical sufferings, and unnatural deaths occur from time to time (pictured, Christmas Island) Authorities have been accused of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control and torture, erasing the Uyghurs' cultural and religious identity, and separating children from incarcerated parents. Chinese officials have rejected the genocide and rights abuse allegations as groundless and characterized the camps as vocational training centers to teach Chinese language, job skills and the law to support economic development and combat radicalism. China saw a wave of Xinjiang-related terror attacks through 2016. The U.S. government and parliaments in Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada have declared that Beijing's policies against the Uyghurs amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. The United States have blocked imports of cotton and tomatoes from Xinjiang and companies linked to forced labor in the region, and the European Union and Britain have also imposed sanctions on Communist Party officials. In March, Australia refused to join ranks and blocked a motion to acknowledge China's treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide. The CIA has removed its Vienna station chief following criticism of her management, including what some considered an inadequate response to reports of Havana syndrome incidents at the U.S. embassy there. The Washington Post, which cited current and former U.S. officials, said the action would send a message that leaders must take seriously the Havana syndrome, a mysterious set of ailments that include migraines, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness, first reported by officials based in the U.S. embassy in Cuba in 2016. Some have reported hearing a loud noise before the sudden onset of symptoms. A CIA spokesperson said the agency does not comment on specific incidents or on officials. Vienna, where the United States has a large embassy and an intelligence gathering operation, is labelled as a 'hotbed' of Havana Syndrome-related incidents, with dozens of people reporting unexplained symptoms Symptoms associated with Havana syndrome, which has afflicted Americans serving at diplomatic posts in several countries, include nausea, intense pressure or vibration inside the head and difficulty with memory or concentration among other indicators The department said Ambassador Pamela Spratlen was exiting because she had 'reached the threshold of hours of labor' permitted under her status as a retiree as well as her mismanagement of the mysterious illness. The Washington Post said dozens of U.S. personnel in the Austrian capital, including diplomats and intelligence officials, as well as some of the children of US employees, have reported symptoms of the syndrome since President Biden was inaugurated. The problem has been labeled the 'Havana Syndrome,' because the first cases affected personnel in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. In May, officials said at least 130 cases across the government are were under investigation, up from several dozen last year. CIA Director William Burns said in July that about 100 CIA officers and family members were among some 200 U.S. officials and kin sickened by Havana syndrome. CIA Director William Burns (pictured) said some 200 U.S. officials and relatives were sickened by Havana syndrome in July 'In coordination with our partners across the U.S. government, we are vigorously investigating reports of possible unexplained health incidents among the U.S. Embassy Vienna community,' the State Department said back in July. 'Any employees who reported a possible UHI received immediate and appropriate attention and care.' Some believe the unexplained injuries, which include brain damage, are the result of attacks with microwave or radio wave weapons. However, despite years of study there is no consensus as to what or who might be behind the incidents or whether they are, in fact, attacks. The Vienna cases were first reported by The New Yorker magazine. Vienna has for centuries been a center for espionage and diplomacy and was a hub for clandestine spy-versus-spy activity during the Cold War. Symptoms of Havana Syndrome have been reported worldwide, making many American diplomats and politicians suspicious of Russia's involvement behind the mysterious illness The city is currently the site of indirect talks between Iran and the United States over salvaging the nuclear deal that was negotiated there in 2015. Those talks are now in hiatus and it was not immediately clear if any members of the U.S. negotiating team were among those suffering from injuries. Particularly alarming are revelations of at least two possible incidents in the Washington area, including one case near the White House in November in which an official reported dizziness. Although some are convinced the injuries are the result of directed energy attacks, others believe the growing number of cases could actually be linked to 'mass psychogenic illness,' in which people learning of others with symptoms begin to feel sick themselves. Last year, a U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel found that the most plausible theory is that 'directed, pulsed radio frequency energy' causes the syndrome. Burns has said there is a 'very strong possibility' the syndrome is intentionally caused and that Russia could be responsible. Moscow denies any involvement. Business said to be secured by EN+ chairman Greg Barker, a former Tory minister Osborne first met Deripaska, who is banned from the US, on his yacht in 2008 Former Chancellor George Osborne has won his first bit of business as an investment banker with a firm set up by a Russian oligarch who once hosted him on his yacht. Osborne joined boutique advisory firm Robey Warshaw in April and thanks to his contacts the firm is now advising Russian aluminium giant Rusal. Rusal is a subsidiary of London listed EN+, a metals company founded by oligarch Oleg Deripaska in 2002. Deripaska, who is sanctioned by the US, was already acquainted with the former Chancellor, having hosted him on his yacht off Corfu in 2008. Former Chancellor George Osborne has won his first bit of business as an investment banker with a firm set up by a Russian oligarch who once hosted him on his yacht However, according to the Financial Times, it was thanks to his relationship with Greg Barker, EN+ chairman, that he was able to secure the business. Barker served as a minister in David Cameron's coalition government before leaving the Commons in 2015 and taking a peerage as well as a role at the company. EN+ and Rusal were hit by US government sanctions in 2018 over accusations of ties to the Putin regime. In a deal brokered by Barker in 2019, Deripaska gave up day-to-day control of EN+ in return for the sanctions being lifted. He however is believed to retain a 44.95 per cent stake in the company. The deal will be a relief for Robey Warshaw which had missed out on the summer takeover boom in the City. Osborne is now advising Russian aluminium giant Rusal, a subsidiary of London listed EN+, a metals company founded by oligarch Oleg Deripaska in 2002 Deripaska, who is sanctioned by the US, was already acquainted with the former Chancellor, having hosted him on his yacht off Corfu in 2008 Robey Warshaws last publicly announced deals were in March, when it advised National Grid on its 14.2bn purchase of electricity giant Western Power Distribution and 3.9bn sale of Rhode Island-based The Narragansett Electric Company. Since then, private equity companies have swooped on dozens of companies - including supermarket chain Morrisons and defence giant Ultra Electronics. Osborne gave up editorship of the Evening Standard and a string of high-profile jobs to become a banker, despite having no previous experience. At one stage in 2018 he reportedly had nine jobs, including chairing the Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank and advising Exor, the owner of Juventus, which is controlled by the powerful Italian Agnelli dynasty. However, according to the Financial Times , it was thanks to Osborne's relationship with Greg Barker, EN+ chairman and a Tory peer, that he was able to secure the business Robey Warshaw was set up in 2013 by Sir Simon Robey, a former Morgan Stanley banker and former chairman of the Royal Opera House, and Simon Warshaw, a former UBS banker. Last year the three main partners - Robey, Warshaw and Philip Apostolides - shared a reported 17m pay packet. Since 2013 the trio have received than 200m in remuneration. In July Osborne and fiancee Thea Roger celebrated the arrival of their new son Beau. Rogers and Osborne, who worked together at Downing Street, announced their engagement to one another in April. Advertisement Enjoy the last blast of the Indian summer this weekend because next week you may find yourself digging out a woolly jumper. Blustery showers and plunging temperatures are on the way from Monday, bringing an end to the September sunshine many of us have enjoyed. The warm spell has gone some way to console sun-starved Britons who spent much of the summer waiting for the sun to break through the clouds to no avail. August 2021 was the third least sunny August in southern England since records began, beaten only by 2008 and 1950, according to Met Office figures. Enjoy the last blast of the Indian summer this weekend because next week you may find yourself digging out a woolly jumper. Pictured: Swimmers Millie Podmore, 22, and Rose McKinnel, 21, enjoy a splash in the sea at Brighton on Thursday Blustery showers and plunging temperatures are on the way from Monday, bringing an end to the September sunshine many of us have enjoyed. Pictured: A couple sit on fold-out picnic chairs on Southsea beach in Hampshire The warm spell has gone some way to console sun-starved Britons who spent much of the summer waiting for the sun to break through the clouds to no avail. Pictured: Sunrise at the Herd Groyne lighthouse in South Shields on Wednesday Freak flash flooding rather than beaches and parks packed with sunbathers is what most will remember it for. So those hoping for one final dose of vitamin D need to head out and make the most of this weekend. From Monday, autumn will feel very much upon us as a cold front already in parts of the north takes hold across the country, bringing heavy rain and winds. Temperatures are set to plunge from 21-22C (70-72F) over the weekend to just 14-16C (57-61F) by Wednesday. The wind will also pick up, in sharp contrast with recent weeks which have seen some regions measure their lowest wind speeds in 20 years the weakening of the usual westerly airflow across the UK has led to calmer and drier conditions than normal. From Monday, autumn will feel very much upon us as a cold front already in parts of the north takes hold across the country, bringing heavy rain and winds. Pictured: Making a splash in Brighton Temperatures are set to plunge from 21-22C (70-72F) over the weekend to just 14-16C (57-61F) by Wednesday. Pictured: A paddle boarder in the sea off of Southsea beach in Hampshire on Wednesday In better news, temperatures are expected to slowly recover to above average for the beginning of next month. Met Office meteorologist Adam Thornhill said: For the rest of this week and for the weekend, we will continue to see low pressure systems bringing blustery weather to the north of the UK whereas further south the drier, warmer weather remains thanks to the influence of high pressure extending up from the Azores. However, a shift in the position of the jet stream brings a change in our weather next week, allowing a cold front associated with a low-pressure system in the North Atlantic to spread eastwards bringing wet and windy conditions across the whole country throughout Monday. Behind the cold front, conditions will feel much more autumnal with a cooler feel and blustery showers for many. The wind will also pick up, in sharp contrast with recent weeks which have seen some regions measure their lowest wind speeds in 20 years the weakening of the usual westerly airflow across the UK has led to calmer and drier conditions than normal. Pictured: Children jump into the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace on Wednesday Business leaders and MPs have slammed the Government for allowing Britain to effectively shut down the gas storage needed to cope with an energy crisis. The UK has minuscule levels of storage compared with other nations in Europe, which means families and businesses are more reliant than ever on imports. Reports suggest the UK has just seven days' worth of gas storage compared with the 90 days of supply held by France and Germany. Storage is equivalent to just 2 per cent of annual demand here versus an average of 25 per cent in Europe. Yesterday Labour MP Stephanie Peacock challenged Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to admit allowing the closure of storage facility Rough was a mistake The lack of storage is largely because ministers allowed the owner of British Gas, Centrica, to shut down a huge facility in the North Sea responsible for 70 per cent of UK gas storage in 2017. Yesterday Labour MP Stephanie Peacock challenged Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to admit allowing the closure of storage facility Rough was a mistake. Mr Kwarteng rejected this saying: 'I don't think it is relevant because no amount of gas storage is going to mitigate the quadrupling of the gas price in four months.' The creators behind a highly regarded website and Twitter account providing Covid information to Australians have been revealed as three bright young schoolkids. Jack, Wesley and Darcy from Melbourne are behind CovidBaseAU - a site praised for its accurate data and clearer presentation of case and vaccine numbers than official government sites. The trio posting a photo to Twitter on Thursday posing with rolled up sleeves showing where they received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine which 12 to 15-year-olds can now access. Wesley, Jack and Darcy are the masterminds behind CovidBaseAU praised for its accuracy and clear presentation of data. They got their Moderna jabs on Thursday (pictured) 'Thought this would be a good time to share who we really are. Thrilled we will finally be included in out data,' they captioned the post. The revelation was met with a flood of praise and support for the teens - with the post getting more than 16,500 likes. 'Well done! Your generation is showing everyone how's its done - vaccines and communication of such important information,' one person wrote. 'Wow. You guys rock! Love your data work,' another said. 'You guys are just kicka**. Young people make me so damn hopeful,' a third added. They even got quite a few job offers - not bad for three guys who have still got a few years before they pick a university. 'Forget about - 'for such a young age', your analysis, projections, visualisations and I assume automation skills are on point in any workplace.' one impressed business owner said. 'If you could legally sign a confidentiality agreement I'd hire you for our BI work immediately.' Shipments of the Moderna vaccine will see every Australia over the age of 12 be able to receive their first jab by the end of October (pictured, a nurse administer a vaccine) Many said the site was clearer than official government websites Their site gathers detailed Covid data from dozens of different official channels which can be hard to find or present the figures in a confusing way. They then output that data into a central dashboard with clear figures and graphs that provide an overview of the Covid situation and vaccine rollout in the country. The site was started after Jack came up with the idea and meticulously collected the data in Excel spreadsheets and compiled the graphs. Darcy, the coder, then whacked up the site in his spare time. 'All throughout 2020 Jack kept showing me all the data he had collected.' Darcy said. 'Around February 2021 I suggested that he put all the data on a website. So he asked me to make it. Next thing I knew I had about 400 charts to embed.' And Wesley is the 'cool dude' of the groupy, taking care of the rest. 'I basically have the role of everything else. I made the advertisements. I made some of the logos. I collected data for the timeline and ended up with the gigantic job of putting it all together,' he said. And the boys were also flooded with job offers, not bad for not even being out of high school 'But my most important role and the role they desperately needed the most is moral support.' 'When their hopes were down, when they were about to give up, when they needed motivation I was the one who totally dragged them out of the dumps and forced them to get a grip and start working again.' With the streets of Melbourne a battleground this week as unruly protesters clashed with riot-gear wielding police - it's clear some of the younger residents could teach their adult counterparts a thing or two. Gladys Berejiklian has enthralled fans with unearthed footage from her time spent in Armenia before the pandemic, speaking her native tongue with a journalist in the country her grandparents are from. Footage of the exchange, which was uploaded to TikTok by Votelabor on Thursday, shows the NSW premier speaking Armenian in what is presumed to be from her trip to the region in 2019. 'Can someone please translate?' The TikTok user posted alongside the video. Viewers flocked to the post and used the opportunity to reference jokes to the premier's now cancelled daily Covid-19 press briefings. 'Can I just say, the best health advice, next question,' joked one user. 'I know there is a "good morning everybody" in there for sure,' wrote another. A TikTok has emerged of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaking fluent Armenian (pictured) But one TikTok user, who claimed to speak Armenian, shutdown the commenters by revealing what she actually said in between giggles during the interview. 'She's saying that she is proud of her heritage but it's hard to keep our language alive in the community... she is also saying that we have every day schools which teach Armenian,' she wrote. Glady Berejiklian, 51, has become a household name during the coronavirus pandemic in Australia, with many people used to seeing her on their televisions for an 11am briefing on case numbers most days. In 2018 she revealed in lengthy detail her grandparent's plight during the Ottoman Empire that massacred its Armenian subjects during World War I. Her mother and father migrated, separately, to Sydney in the late 1960s, met and later married at an Armenian Orthodox church in Chatswood, in the city's north. The future premier was the oldest of three sisters Rita and Mary, attended public schools and was elected school captain of her high school. TikTok users flocked to the post to try and guess what the NSW Premier was saying She spoke Armenian at home and carried the burden of being the first-born to parents 'obsessed' with her attending university. At university she became the president of the state's Young Liberals, worked at the Commonwealth Bank and was elected to the NSW Lower House in 2003. After becoming transport minister in the O'Farrell government she was then appointed NSW treasurer, prior to becoming premier. Two Household Cavalry soldiers have been cleared of racially abusing their Northern Irish colleague after claiming jokes about him being an IRA terrorist were just 'boisterous banter'. Troopers Maxwell Nicholls and Declan Coutts were also acquitted of attacking a Muslim colleague in the esteemed regiment which is traditionally responsible for guarding the Queen. The pair admitted calling Trooper Scott Alexander 'Gerry Adams' and 'terrorist' and making IRA jibes but said these types of jokes were part of their regiment's culture. Troopers Declan Coutts (right) and Maxwell Nicholls (left) have been cleared of racially abusing their Northern Irish colleague after claiming jokes about him being an IRA terrorist were just 'boisterous banter' Tpr Alexander, their young roommate, told a court martial he felt 'demoralised' and was subjected to pranks and physical attacks including choke-holds. But the pair denied carrying out 'malicious' attacks, with Tpr Nicholls claiming it was part of 'rough and tumble' Army life and Tpr Coutts saying Tpr Alexander 'was good at dishing it out but not taking it'. Best friends Tpr Nicholls, 22, and Tpr Coutts, 24, were cleared of racially abusing Tpr Alexander and attacking Muslim colleague Tpr Azaan Aziz-Sheikh. Tpr Nicholls told Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire it was 'rough and tumble' and Tpr Coutts said Tpr Alexander (pictured) was 'good at dishing it out but not the best at taking it' All four soldiers were trainees with the historic Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Windsor, one of the most senior in the Army. As the board delivered not guilty verdicts to all nine charges at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts stood side by side in uniform with their arms by their sides and kept blank faces. After the board left the courtroom, they turned to each other, smiled, Tpr Coutts said 'phew' and they remarked how their hands were shaking. Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts were both cleared of racially aggravated battery, regular battery, and a conduct charge related to their behaviour towards Tpr Alexander. Tpr Nicholls was cleared of two counts of battery on Tpr Aziz-Sheikh while Tpr Coutts was cleared of one count of battery on the same soldier. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has altered its guidance for COVID-19 prevention in schools by removing a section that discussed when to get rid of precautions such as masks. While updates to the CDC's 'Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools' are usually announced at the top of the site, it failed to mention the recent change that was originally set in place on August 5. The full sentence that was removed read: 'The guidance is intended to help administrators and local health officials select appropriate, layered prevention strategies and understand how to safely transition learning environments out of COVID-19 pandemic precautions as community transmission of COVID-19 reaches low levels or stops.' The CDC also removed sections that asked schools to monitor cases closely should the decide to rollback masking and social distancing, as well as making sure that their masking policies do not conflict with any state laws or regulations. Slide me The CDC removed a section of its school COVID prevention policy that referenced how schools can rollback the policies in place once COVID-19 transmission reaches low levels or stops Schools across the nation have adopted masking policies to prevent the spread of COVID since the pandemic began last year. Pictured, students at the Carl B. Munch Elementary School in Oakland, California, on August 11 Critics of the sentence's removal claim that the CDC had quietly removed hopes of a return to normalcy. 'It's basically mask indefinitely in schools forever, and there is no off-ramps. So it's really disappointing to see that,' Jonathan Zachreson, an advocate for fully reopening California schools, told Fox News. CDC spokeswoman Jade Fulce said guidance is 'always being revised based on the current epidemiology' and that increases in the Delta variant and low vaccination coverage in some communities led to the changes. The US continues to be battered by the Delta variant as John Hopkins University reported nearly 133,000 new cases on Wednesday and more than 2,700 new deaths. More than 75 percent of those eligible for the vaccine in the US have gotten at least one Jab. Earlier this week, a new report from California found that COVID-19 outbreaks in school are not common, with only a few students and teachers testing positive nationwide. Los Angeles Department of Public Health researchers found that less than 0.1 percent each of pupils and staff members tested positive for the virus over the course of a month. What's more, only about 0.2 percent of people who came into contact with a COVID patient later tested positive themselves. New data found a total of 7,995 students out of 1.5 million, or 0.5%, and 1,193 staff out of 157,000, or 0.7%, have tested positive for COVID-19 The mask mandates in schools have become a heated topic with protests across the nation. Pictured, protestors at Lakeshore High School, in Stevensville, Michigan on September 7. The fight has taken center stage in Florida, which has banned masking mandates in schools. Pictured, parents outside the Broward County School District building, in Fort Lauderdale Counter protests in support of masking has also erupted. Pictured, pro-mask parents outside the Cobb County School Board Headquarters, in Marietta, Georgia, on August 12 The findings suggest that outbreaks in schools are not frequent and that Los Angles County was successful in fully reopening its schools safely. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis saw a challenge to his executive order banning school mask mandates, as a judge overruled the order twice in September. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled in favor of school districts who defied DeSantis's order and kept enforcing the use of masks in the classrooms, despite DeSantis's threats to withhold funding. DeSantis has described CDC recommendations to wear face masks as 'the most significant threat to freedom in my lifetime,' and even accused the health agencies of 'medical authoritarianism.' He argued that all 'all parents have the right to make healthcare decisions for their minor children,' - such as whether to mask them up. Florida has seen about 64,585 new cases in the past week, and 2,635 new deaths, according to John Hopkins University. Sir Keir Starmer is facing a storm today after backing Scotland's controversial move to 'go soft' on drugs possession. Drugs were effectively decriminalised north of the border earlier this week as prosecutors announced police would be advised to issue only a 'recorded police warning' to anyone in possession of drugs, including Class A heroin and cocaine. And the Labour leader suggested he would support the step in the rest of the UK, saying it was 'probably the right thing to do'. However, his comments in an ITV interview were seized upon by Home Secretary Priti Patel who wrote on Twitter: 'Drugs devastate lives. They ruin communities and tear families apart.' She added, in a twist on ex-PM Tony Blair's famous vote-winning 'tough on crime' slogan: 'Under Keir Starmer, Labour is weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime.' Pressed repeatedly on what he thought of the approach in Scotland - which has been backed by Scottish Labour - Sir Keir said: 'It is probably the right thing to do. It is an independent decision that is being made.' Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, insisted he was not in favour of scrapping drugs laws altogether. 'There is a world of difference between a decision not to prosecute a particular case and ripping up the drug laws,' he said. 'It is not unusual in any legal system for those caught with a small amount of cannabis not to be prosecuted.' Keir Starmer appears to back allowing police to warn people caught in possession of Class A drugs in Scotland, rather than prosecuting them. The UK Labour leader tells @TomSheldrickITV it's 'probably the right thing to do' but says drug laws shouldn't be scrapped pic.twitter.com/V0RQFTmwo2 Representing Border (@ITVBorderRB) September 23, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy Sir Keir Starmer is facing a storm today after backing Scotland's controversial move to 'go soft' on drugs possession His comments in an ITV interview were seized upon by Home Secretary Priti Patel The shake-up in Scotland was announced by the country's Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain. It will not go to a vote because the senior law officer has the power to update guidelines issued to police. Drugs policy in the rest of the UK remains unchanged. Drug deaths soared to a record high of 1,339 in Scotland last year, more than three and half times the rate for the rest of the UK. Opposition leaders in Scotland have condemned the lack of parliamentary scrutiny. 'The Scottish parliament must have a say with a full debate and vote on this topic, not just a quick Q&A session,' said Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene. 'We need to fully scrutinise the gravity of a decision of such importance and magnitude. 'Scotland's drug death crisis is our national shame, but the way to tackle it is to improve access to treatment and rehabilitation, not to dilute how seriously we treat possession of deadly drugs like heroin, crystal meth and crack cocaine. 'The answer to our drugs crisis is more access to treatment, not this de facto decriminalisation by the back door.' Tom Buchan, a former chief superintendent with now-defunct Strathclyde Police, said: 'This is a surrender the white flag has gone up. It will have no benefits at all and it comes in the middle of a huge drugs emergency it's more soft-touch nonsense. 'I feel sorry for the officers who will have to implement this they don't want to be turning a blind eye to crime. 'I don't know who they've consulted on this, if anyone, but it is basically just throwing in the towel.' The dramatic change of approach was announced by Ms Bain in her first appearance in the Holyrood chamber since being appointed Lord Advocate. It followed a review ordered by her predecessor James Wolffe QC. Ms Bain said: 'As Lord Advocate, I issue guidelines to the police in relation to the operation of this scheme, including which offences may be considered for a recorded police warning. 'These guidelines are set by me, acting independently of any other person. 'They extend beyond drug possession offences and are therefore properly confidential. However, I can confirm the guidelines previously permitted the police to issue recorded police warnings for possession of Class B and Class C drugs. 'I have considered the review and I have decided that an extension of the recorded police warning guidelines to include possession offences for Class A drugs is appropriate. 'Police officers may therefore choose to issue a recorded police warning for simple possession offences for all classes of drugs.' She said warnings would be issued only to people caught in possession of drugs and not those who supply them. And she insisted it was not decriminalisation because recorded police warnings were an 'enforcement of the law'. More than 10,000 offenders a year were fined or otherwise prosecuted under the previous rules. Recorded police warnings were introduced by the SNP government for 'low-level offences' in 2016. The row came as Sir Keir tried to shift Labour back to its Blairite heyday with a 12,000-word essay setting out his vision for a 'patriotic' party which works with business. In a bid to distance Labour from the disastrous Jeremy Corbyn years, he praised the 'innovative brilliance' of the private sector and said the role of Government was to 'be a partner to private enterprise, not stifle it'. Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain QC told the Scottish Parliament this week that those caught with even the hardest Class A drugs could be given a Recorded Police Warning rather than being taken to court. Scotland's grim drugs toll went up 5 per cent last year, the seventh annual rise in a row, as the country continued to have the worst fatality rate in Europe Scotland effectively decriminalised drugs on Wednesday as the SNP announced police would be advised to issue only a 'recorded police warning' to anyone in possession of drugs, including Class A heroin and cocaine (pictured: Nicola Sturgeon) And he said a future Labour Government would 'repair public finances' and be careful to avoid wasting taxpayer cash. The essay, published by the Fabian Society, includes no mention of 'socialism' but does have 29 references to 'business'. Similarly, Mr Corbyn gets no mention while former premiers Mr Blair and Gordon Brown get two each. The essay also makes no mention of nationalisation, even though Sir Keir stood for the party leadership last year on a platform of 'common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'. Hard-Left former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the document 'looks like the Sermon on the Mount written by a focus group'. The essay, entitled The Road Ahead, was published in the run-up to the Labour Party conference in Brighton next week. Sir Keir, 59, also wrote that he was concerned working-class children now had fewer opportunities. He said: 'I was fortunate enough to be the first in my family to go to university, after which I was able to pursue a rewarding career.' He added: 'Does a working-class child in Britain today have the same opportunities my generation did? It is hard to think they do.' A young Melbourne protester who was filmed screaming on the ground with blood pouring from his head has been forced to deny wild conspiracy theories he died after being 'pelted with rubber bullets'. Footage of Kyle Mitchell howling in pain went viral on Tuesday, with demonstrators and anti-police protesters alleging he died in hospital hours after the incident. Fake obituaries were even posted online and circulated within anti-vax Telegram groups following his rumoured death. Even when he reappeared on social media on Thursday to insist he was alive and well - and that the alleged altercation with police was wrong - conspiracy theorists still persisted with their version of events. Mr Mitchell 'can't remember' exactly what occurred during the wild protests due to his head injury, but has spoken to friends and witnesses who say he got into a fight with a bottle shop attendant. Mr Mitchell shared photos of his stitches after the incident, assuring concerned protesters that he was alive and well Mr Mitchell, an anti-lockdown advocate and critic of Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, said he was told he attempted to steal from the store and was 'glassed' during the fight that ensued. 'I've suffered a massive hit to my skull, I have memory loss [but] I did not die. Please understand that I was knocked unconscious and woke up in hospital with no memory. 'Police did not do this to me, it was a separate altercation.' Mr Mitchell said he needed multiple stitches to his head and leg while in hospital and wanted to avoid spreading rumours about what took place during the protests. Even after clarifying that he was alive, anti-vax conspiracy theorists who attended the protest said his social media account could have been hacked by police. When he proved that it wasn't police managing his account by posting a live video of himself, some critics changed their tune and said the man in the disturbing footage must have been somebody else entirely. Footage of Kyle Mitchell howling in pain went viral on Tuesday, with demonstrators and anti-police protesters alleging he died in hospital hours after the incident Mr Mitchell said he needed multiple stitches to his head and leg while in hospital and wanted to avoid spreading rumours about what took place during the protests 'Im guessing the video of the bleeding guy isnt you bud. No one knows what to believe. Theres a war going on and this idiot lost his memory,' one critic said. 'It's all very odd and I don't take anything I see anywhere at face value especially here on FB and especially during this time,' another agreed. Mr Mitchell insisted the man in the footage was definitely him, sharing a picture of his stitches and recounting his time spent in hospital after the ordeal. Others argued his hair looked a different colour and that his voice was different. 'My voice sounds different because I was screaming in pain, and my hair was soaked in blood,' he said, before his supporters told him there was no need to explain himself to strangers. Mr Mitchell insisted the man in the footage was definitely him, sharing a picture of his stitches and even filmed himself speaking after the ordeal Fake obituaries were made in Mr Mitchell's name after the footage was circulated in anti-vax telegram groups Mr Mitchell was among thousands of demonstrators who marched through Melbourne this week to fight back against mandatory vaccinations for construction workers. On Wednesday footage from the CBD showed officers handcuffing dozens of demonstrators for breaching stay-at-home orders after police vowed they would be better prepared for violence since being caught off guard on Tuesday. Another dramatic video showed panicked protesters running away from police who opened fire using pellet guns which project blunt-force pellets the size of marbles that feel like a 'hard punch' on impact. Daily Mail Australia witnessed one man being pepper sprayed infront of his teenage son near the CFMEU building which has been the target of violent protests since Monday. Protesters were seen taunting police guarding the headquarters after entering Victoria Street at 12.30pm, lighting flares and swearing at heavily armoured police. More than 600 protesters have been arrested since the rallies kicked off on Saturday. New South Wales has recorded 1,043 Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths with the state on track to reach 80 per cent fully vaccinated just two weeks after hitting the first 70 per cent milestone. The NSW Government will hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Friday to determine the freedoms on offer once the larger target is finally reached. International travel and the easing of state border restrictions may be on the cards for those who've received both jabs along with community sport and large events. Freedom Day is expected to come on the Monday after the state reaches 70 per cent double doses which is set for October 11 - meaning more restrictions could be lifted by the end of next month. More than 56 per cent of over-16s are now fully vaccinated while 84 per cent have had at least one dose. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in most of the LGAs of concern, 80 per cent of residents have now had one jab but warned opening up the state would be done cautiously to prevent an influx of cases being hospitalised. The NSW Government will hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Friday to determine the freedoms on offer once 80 per cent of the population is double vaccinated New South Wales has recorded 1,043 Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths on Friday 'I am always wary of using terms like 'freedom day' because when we start to open up it must be step-by-step,' she said during Friday's press conference. 'It must be done cautiously and we must remember that even though people may be fully vaccinated, if you are vulnerable and have other conditions you can still succumb and get the disease in a serious way, or worse. 'So while we are all looking forward, [it's] almost a gallop to the finish line in terms of the double dose, we need to make sure that what we do at 70 and 80 per cent is done cautiously and also moderately.' The government's roadmap to freedom allows a moderate easing of restrictions when the double dose rate hits 70 per cent, expected in mid October, including the return of pubs, gyms and hair salons with strict density requirements. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in most of the LGAs of concern, 80 per cent of residents have now had one jab but warned opening up the state would be done cautiously to prevent an influx of cases being hospitalised Treasurer Dominic Perrottet earlier revealed to Daily Mail Australia what life could look like once the 80 per cent target is reached. He said the country must open up to the world because 'we can't live in a hermit kingdom' for much longer - and he expects quarantine for overseas arrivals including foreigners to be removed entirely next year. 'Nightclubs were something that were substantially discussed at 70 per cent [vaccination rate] and it was pushed to 80 per cent,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Sydney residents are seen soaking up the sun at Bondi Beach as Freedom Day edges closer Revised roadmap to freedom: All the changes for fully vaccinated NSW residents after hitting 70% jab target Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's freedom plan will kick off after the state hits 70 per cent of adults double dosed Gatherings in the home and public spaces Up to ten visitors will be allowed in a home where all adults are vaccinated (not including children 12 and under). Up to 30 people can gather in outdoor settings. Venues including hospitality, retail stores and gyms Hospitality venues can reopen subject to one person per 4sqm inside and one person per 2sqm outside, with standing while drinking permitted outside. Retail stores can reopen under the one person per 4sqm rule (unvaccinated people will continue to only be able to access critical retail). Personal services such as hairdressers and nail salons can open with one person per 4sqm, capped at five clients per premises. Gyms and indoor recreation facilities can open under the one person per 4sqm rule and can offer classes for up to 20 people. Sporting facilities including swimming pools can reopen. Stadiums, theatres and major outdoor recreation facilities Major recreation outdoor facilities including stadiums, racecourses, theme parks and zoos can reopen with one person per 4sqm, capped at 5,000 people. Up to 500 people can attend ticketed and seated outdoor events. Indoor entertainment and information facilities including cinemas, theatres, music halls, museums and galleries can reopen with one person per 4sqm or 75 per cent fixed seated capacity. Indoor swimming pools open for lessons, squad training, lap swimming and rehab activities only Weddings, funerals and places of worship Up to 100 guests can attend weddings, with dancing permitted and eating and drinking only while seated. Up to 100 guests can attend funerals, with eating and drinking while seated. For those not fully vaccinated lower caps of 5 and ten apply for weddings and funerals. Churches and places of worship to open subject to one person per 4sqm rule, with performers exempt from ban on singing. Ten person cap on choirs in places of worship and at religious services, with all performers to be fully vaccinated Travel The 5km radius will be dropped but Sydneysiders can only travel within greater Sydney - including the Central Coast, Wollongong and Blue Mountains. Caravan parks and camping grounds can open. Carpooling will be permitted. Non-vaccinated young people aged under 16 will be able to access all outdoor settings but will only be able to visit indoor venues with members of their household. Employers must continue to allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so. There will be revised guidance on isolation for close and casual contacts who are fully vaccinated, with details to be provided closer to the reopening date. Masks Masks will remain mandatory for all indoor public venues, including public transport, front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, on planes and at airports. Only hospitality staff will be required to wear a mask when outdoors. Children aged under 12 will not need to wear a mask indoors. Advertisement 'The other one was community sport. There were areas of substantive debate for 70 so I think you can expect at 80 per cent that clubs will be open again and that's obviously important because younger people are in many ways the ones that have been hit very hard.' Mr Perrottet said the government was also looking at resuming international travel at 80 per cent but these details are yet to be confirmed. Lockdowns will also likely be 'highly targeted' once that milestone is reached. Ms Berejiklian said she was hoping NSW could be the 'gateway to Australia' for international arrivals. 'Once we get to that 80 per cent double dose, I would welcome having thousands and thousands of Australians come through Sydney Airport,' she said. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed cases in hot spots such as Canterbury Bankstown and Cumberland in Sydney's south-west were now starting to decline but 103 infections had been recorded overnight in the Illawarra region. More than 56 per cent of over-16s in NSW are now fully vaccinated while 84 per cent have had at least one dose The majority of new cases recorded on Friday remain in Sydney's LGAs of concern with 256 infections from south western Sydney and 211 from western Sydney (pictured in Bondi) Of the 11 deaths, ten people were unvaccinated while one had received both jabs. All had underlying health conditions. One death was in a resident aged in their 40s who died at his home and tested positive after his death. Two more deaths were in residents ages in their 50s, another was aged in their 60s, while six were in their 80s and one was in their 90s. The majority of new cases recorded on Friday remain in Sydney's LGAs of concern with 256 infections from south western Sydney and 211 from western Sydney. Covid fragments have also been detected in areas not known to have any cases. These areas are Lightning Ridge in western NSW, Jindabyne in southern NSW, Crookwell in the Southern Tablelands, and South Lismore in northern NSW. Health minister Brad Hazzard confirmed on Thursday NSW residents can look forward to 'cutting loose' by Christmas and promised more freedoms for those vaccinated in the coming weeks. He also applauded struggling communities in Covid-riddled hotspots, where cases have plummeted in recent days. Restrictions are set to ease across the state by the end of October with vaccination rates surging A tradie who avoided getting the Covid-19 jab before he was hospitalised with the virus has slammed 'stupid' anti-vaccination protestors in Melbourne. Father-of-two Nathan Chellia spent a fortnight fighting for his life from a bed at Northern Hospital, in Epping, before he was released on September 13. The 44-year-old was still recovering from the debilitating illness at home when the first violent anti-vaccination rally unfolded in the Victorian capital on Saturday. 'I am screaming and yelling while I'm watching the TV because they are stupid,' he told The Herald Sun. Mr Chellia had suffered shortness of breath, a high grade fever, severe vomiting and weight loss after contracting the virus. His symptoms intensified to the point he thought he was going to die - prompting him to update his will. Mr Chellia was alone in the Covid ward and could not be visited by his family. To make matters worse, his two, four-year-old daughters had also caught the virus. Nathan Chellia spent 14 days fighting for his life from a bed at Northern Hospital, in Epping, before he was released on September 13 The 44-year-old was still recovering from the debilitating illness at home when violent anti-vaccination rallies began to unfold across Melbourne on Saturday (pictured, protests on Wednesday) 'I'm thinking while I'm lying down, if I would have had one injection I wouldn't have come to this point,' he said. Mr Chellia watched the protestors storm the CFMEU building on Monday then swamp the Shrine of Remembrance on Wednesday. 'They don't know what they're doing, they don't know the reality of what's happening.' Mr Chellia works as a health and safety officer at the Panorama construction site at Box Hill. He had put off getting the jab before he came into contact with an infected worker who wasn't wearing a mask. The man explained he thought he was a 'superman' who could not be harmed by the virus. The pair shook hands and the brief encounter was long enough to pass on the infection before it rapidly took hold of Mr Chellia. On August 29, he had a sore throat and went to a clinic for a Covid-19 test. On September 1, Mr Chellia was crippled by a fever, breathing difficulties and mobility issues. He was transported to hospital by an ambulance where he was warned by doctors that his symptoms would only worsen. Mr Chellia slammed anti-vaccination protestors after he was crippled by the virus and spent two weeks in hospital Protesters march through the streets of Melbourne with one holding Australia's maritime flag - a symbol often adopted by conspiracy theorists in the 'sovereign citizens movement' - on Wednesday At one point, Mr Chellia believed he was going to die. He called his lawyer to update his will. The father-of-two noticed that another patient had been admitted to the ward. But they were released after a short three day visit. Mr Chellia asked the nurses for an explanation. They told him the patient had received their first dose of the vaccine which lessened the severity of their symptoms. 'It is my own fault,' he said. 'In my mind I didn't really believe the vaccine could help.' Mr Chellia said he put off getting the vaccination because he believed the virus was only dangerous for elderly residents. He admitted the near-death experience had prompted him to take social distancing and mask wearing more seriously. More than 600 protesters have been arrested since the rallies kicked off on Saturday. Sharon Gans, who died in January at age 85, ran the 'ultra-secret cult' Odyssey Study Group Two members of an 'ultra-secret cult' in New York City claim they had to pay to work as unpaid housekeepers, cooks and assistants for founder Sharon Gans and her husband. Stephanie Rosenberg and Marjorie Hochman filed a lawsuit against the Odyssey Study Group, which marketed itself as a study group but was actually an alleged cult, in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday. The lawsuit also names the estate managers for actress Gans. The two women, who defected in 2019 and 2016, say they paid $400 a month in membership dues beginning in 2005 for the privilege of serving as unpaid 'personal assistants, cooks, housekeepers, drivers, and personal shoppers for Gans' who lived in luxury with her husband at the Plaza hotel. Rosenberg and Hochman say they witnessed physical and mental abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, private adoptions, arranged marriages, and financial crimes during their time in Gans' group. Examples of the more serious allegations are not spelled out in the 21-page-lawsuit. 'Through methods traditionally utilized by cults to groom, intimidate, weaken, gaslight, and exploit their victims, OSG coerced and tricked its members,' the suit states. 'The members of the cult made Defendants Sharon Gans and others very rich.' The two women who filed the lawsuit and other members allegedly worked as many as 80 hours a week and paid for things like groceries out of their own pockets as part of their participation in the group. Gans (left) and her husband Alex Horn reportedly fled San Francisco in the late 1970s after a similar group, Theatre of All Possibilities, was accused of child neglect and physical abuse Their 'Odyssey' group in New York allegedly treated its members as slaves and demanded monthly $400 dues that allowed Gans to buy an $8.5 million apartment in the Plaza Hotel They're asking to have their monthly $400 fees reimbursed along with payment for thousands of hours of unpaid labor. Gans won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1966 for her performance in Soon Jack November. She then starred in a 1972 film version of Slaughterhouse-Five. She died in January at age 85. Gans and her husband Alex Horn fled San Francisco in the late 1970s after similar allegations about their first group, Theatre of All Possibilities, were published in the San Francisco Chronicle in December 1978. Theatre of All Possibilities members told the Chronicle and San Francisco officials they paid thousands to learn the techniques of Russian philosophers George Ivanovich Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky. Members of that group said they were beaten if they didn't sell enough dinner show tickets to people they were told to confront in the street. They also alleged child neglect as children were left backstage while their parents rehearsed or performed 'countless other chores.' Members of Gans's 1970s San Francisco theater group said they saw children being neglected backstage while their parents performed countless chores Gans and her husband reportedly believed that the path to self-development involves labor and intentional suffering, according to the New York Post. After the San Francisco debacle, Sharon and her husband set up shop in New York in the early 1980s and were eventually able to buy an $8.5 million apartment at Manhattans Plaza Hotel with money collected from their subjects, according to the Post. 'In my 30 years of working in this field, this is one of the most secretive groups Ive encountered,' said cult expert Rick Ross, a key witness in the recent trial of New York-based sex cult Nxivm, which ensnared a number of Hollywood actors and filmmakers under the spell of leader Keith Reniere. Ross tried unsuccessfully to stage an intervention for an OGS member in the early 2000s. 'After San Francisco, everything was hush-hush,' he told the Post. Monday's lawsuit states Rosenberg and Hochman joined the group in 2005 'because they were informed by prior members and the leaders that OSG would help improve their lives economically, physically, and spiritually.' The group masqueraded 'as a study group or "esoteric school of inner development" providing unique opportunities for "self-improvement" and "self-development,' according to the suit. The suit names Minerva Taylor, Lorraine Imlay, Greg Koch, and Ken Salaz as the beneficiaries of Horn's interest in the group. Taylor, Imlay and Michael Horn are named as fiduciaries of Gans's estate. All of them, except for Michael Horn, were leaders of the OSG cult, the lawsuit states. 'Plaintiffs understood that once they left the group, they would be shunned, declared a malcontent, and cut off from the community of friends that had, as a direct and intentional result of Defendants efforts, become his or her entire world,' the lawsuit alleges. Rosenberg left the group on April 5, 2019, according to the lawsuit. Hochman escaped in or around May 2016. Along with the $8.5 million Plaza apartment, Gans is said to have owned a Montana ranch and property in Mexico at one point. In 2015, Gans' son David Kulko left OGS and sued his siblings in an effort to dissolve the corporation that owned the Montana ranch, according to the New York Post. After Kulko left the 'cult' in 2000, his family cut him out of the business and kicked him off the ranch that they used to 'support, finance, and shelter the operations of the Odyssey Study Group,' according to Montana Supreme Court documents. A Wyoming woman said she picked up Brian Laundrie at Grand Teton National Park after he was allegedly dropped off by another woman five days after his girlfriend Gabby Petito went missing. Norma Jean Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident, picked up Laundrie, 23, on August 29 around 6.15pm at the Jackson Lake Dam near Pacific Creek Landing, she told Fox News. She came to the park to attend the 5pm mass at the Catholic church Chapel of the Sacred Heart, which is located 1.2 miles from the dam, after admitting she doesn't go to the area very often. 'I picked him up,' Jalovec told Fox News. 'Something just said: "Hey, ask him where he's going."' A seasonal Wyoming resident Normal Jean Jalovec reported she picked up Brian Laundrie (pictured with his deceased fiancee Gabby Petito) shortly after another woman and her boyfriend dropped him off at Jackson Lake Dam on August 29 Jalovec picked Laundrie up around 6.15pm near Pacific Creek Landing minutes after Miranda Baker dropped him off at the dam at 6.09pm. She drove him to Spread Creek dispersed camping area around 6:30pm and said he tried to get out of her moving vehicle after she offered to drive him to the campsite his fiancee was at Jalovec said she learned she picked up Laundrie after seeing Miranda Baker's TikTok and realized it was the same person. Like Baker, Laundrie asked if she was heading to Jackson and enjoyed small talk with him. She told him she lived in the opposite direction, but agreed to drop him off at Spread Creek dispersed camping area 20 minutes away. He told both women that he had been camping alone along Snake River in the park and that his fiancee was staying in another camping area. He told Baker his fiancee was at the campsite working on their social media page. Gabby Petito was seen at a restaurant near the park with Laundrie where he allegedly had a fight with a hostess. Petito, who was last seen alive on August 24, was trying to diffuse the situation at Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The FBI desk in Denver released a statement issuing Brian Christopher Laundrie's arrest The FBI issued an arrest warrant (pictured) for Brian Laundrie, 23, after a federal grand jury indicted him for his 'use of unauthorized devices' following the death of Gabby Petito. His arrest warrant is not for the death of Gabby Petito, but the activities that occurred after her death 'He did say he had a fiancee and that she was working on their social media page back at their van,' Baker said in a TikTok. She also reported that Laundrie had offered her $200 for the ride. It is unclear if he offered Jalovec money as he did with Baker and her boyfriend. When Jalovec dropped him off at the gate to the remote camping spot - a single dirt road that extends miles in various campsites in the park - she offered him to drive inside, but he responded by trying to 'get out of the moving car.' She allegedly followed up with a joke about him wanting to impress his fiancee by hiking into the campground rather than getting a ride. He apparently insisted she let him out of her vehicle. Jalovec's encounter with Laundrie came only minutes after Miranda Baker and her boyfriend had dropped him off at the dam. In the video posted to TikTok, Baker said she and her boyfriend were at Grand Teton National Park in Colter Bay, Wyoming, when Laundrie approached the couple and asked them for a ride at 5.44pm. 'He approached us asking for a ride because he needed to go to Jackson and we were going to Jackson that night. So I said, ya know, "hop in" and he hopped in the back of my Jeep,' Baker explained. She noted Laundrie, 23, was wearing 'a backpack, a long sleeve, pants and hiking boots' and said that before he got in the car he offered to pay the couple $200 to give him a 10-mile ride. 'So that was kind of weird,' she said. In a later video, she added that Laundrie supposedly told her he and Petito, 22, were not camping on a regulated campsite through the national park. 'They were camping basically out in the middle of nowhere along Snake River,' she said. Jalovec said she didn't realize she had picked up Laundrie until she saw Miranda Baker's TikTok (Baker pictured) Baker recounted the alleged story Laundrie told her and her boyfriend: 'This is key information. He said that he had hiked for days along Snake River but looking at his backpack, it wasn't full. 'And he said all he had was a tarp to sleep on. And, if you'd think you're going camping for days on end you'd want food and a tent and he had none of that.' She added: 'He had scruff but he didn't look dirty for someone who was camping for multiple days. He didn't look dirty, he didn't smell dirty, so that part was kind of weird.' Then, when Baker told Laundrie they were driving to Jackson Hole he supposedly 'freaked out' and asked them to pull over and said: 'Nope, I need to get out right now.' Baker said they pulled over at the Jackson Dam in Grand Teton National Park, which she noted was not very far from where they originally picked Laundrie up. He allegedly hurried out of the car and told the couple he would find someone else to hitchhike with. 'We dropped him off at 6.09pm on August 29,' Baker said, adding that she hopes her videos would find someone who could also help solve the case and find Petito. Both women have reported they talked to the FBI to tell their stories. 'Everything's legitimate. Everything's corroborated. I already talked to the FBI,' Jalovec said. Baker (pictured) said she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie at 5.44pm in Colton Bay, Wyoming, where he offered the couple $200 for the ride. The pair dropped him off at Jackson Lake Dam at 6.09pm Baker also reported on her TikTok: 'I am actively in contact with these people.' Laundrie would return to North Point, Florida on September 1 with Petito's van alone. Today, the FBI has issued a warrant for his arrest after he fraudulently used a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his. The FBI said Laundrie is wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more. The statement was released today by the Bureau's Denver desk, reading: 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide. 'We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.' Authorities are continuing to search for Laundrie, 23, who was last seen by his parents and his attorney last week. Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her demise. It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise, Bertolino told Dailymail.com South Carolina police are requesting FBI assistance in the double-murder investigation of Paul and Margaret Murdaugh, who were found shot dead in their home on June 7. Their deaths have been ruled a double murder and two firearms - a shotgun and an assault rifle - were used to carry out the killings. Prior to his death, Paul was facing trial for a fatal boating accident in February 2019 when he was allegedly boating while intoxicated. Meanwhile, his father, Alex Murdaugh, has recently turned himself into authorities after he allegedly hired a hitman to kill him so that his other son could get his life insurance policy. Paul was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while Margaret was shot with an assault rifle, the source said. Their bodies were found several yards apart from one another and shell casings were discovered at the scene. Cops are yet to officially reveal a motive, suspect, or any further information about the case. They are now asking the FBI for assistance as the case continues, citing 'other potential crimes that warrant further investigation.' Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, left, were shot dead on June 2. Police say Alex Murdaugh, center, also orchestrated a separate shooting to kill himself with the help of a hitman in a scheme to deliver a $10 million life insurance payout to his other son Buster, right Buster is seen hugging mourners at the funeral service for his brother and mother on June 11 'SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) agents continue to work diligently to bring justice to all victims in these cases,' Chief Mark Keel said in a statement to FOX News. 'As I have previously stated, our agents remain committed to following the facts no matter where they lead us. 'I have been in contact with the FBI as well as the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina,' he said. 'From very early on in this investigation, SLED has utilized federal resources as needed. 'We will continue to call upon our federal partners as their assistance is needed to successfully investigate and prosecute specific aspects of these cases.' Public Information Officer Tommy Crosby added: 'As a result of the brutal murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh on June 7, SLED's initial priority was finding anyone responsible for their deaths. 'During the course of the double murder investigation, SLED agents have uncovered other potential crimes that warrant further investigation.' Prior to his death, Paul had been facing trial in connection to a fatal boat crash in February 2019. The boat was carrying five additional passengers, and at least three were launched into the water as a result from the crash. Mallory Beach, 19, was among those who went overboard and was found dead a week later by two fishermen about five miles from where the boat crashed. According to a police report, all passengers on the boat were 'grossly intoxicated' despite being under the legal drinking age. Paul had since pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of boating under the influence. He had been released on a personal recognizance bond of $50,000 just before his murder. Paul, second from left, had been facing trial in connection to a fatal boat crash in February 2019 prior to his death The boat was carrying five additional passengers, and at least three were launched into the water as a result from the crash. Mallory Beach, 19, (pictured) was among those who went overboard and was found dead a week later Alex Murdaugh was the one who dialed 9-1-1, telling dispatchers that he came home to find his wife and son shot dead. The Murdaugh family has ruled the county's legal system for decades, prosecuting nearly every criminal case in the southern part of the state. Several family members have served as county elected prosecutors going back almost 87 years. The local community felt Paul was receiving special treatment in the boating death case due to his family's power. In September, Murdaugh stepped down from his role at his family's law firm, PMPED, after it was discovered he had misused $1 million of work funds on his opioid addiction. Murdaugh's brother, Randy, released a statement claiming he was 'shocked' by claims of his brother Alex Murdaugh's drug addiction and blasted him over allegations he stole money from his law firm. 'I was shocked, just as the rest of my PMPED family, to learn of my brother, Alexs, drug addiction and stealing of money. I love my law firm family and also love Alex as my brother,' Randy Murdaugh wrote. Alex Murdaugh, meanwhile, is out on his own recognizance on a $20,000 bond He was seen weeping during his bond hearing on September 16, after he surrendered to police to face insurance fraud and other charges for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill him so his son would get a $10 million life insurance payout As if things couldn't get more odd, on September 4, Murdaugh was allegedly shot by his 61-year-old drug supplier, Curtis Edward Smith, while changing a tire. Smith told authorities he was hired by the prominent lawyer to kill him so that his son Buster, 25, could receive a $10 million insurance police. Murdaugh didn't think the insurance company would pay any money if he died by suicide. Smith was arrested last week and charged on multiple counts including conspiracy and assisted suicide for his role in the shooting. Just a few hours later, Alex Murdaugh was seen arriving at the Hampton County jail after surrendering to police on a charge of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. He spent about five hours in the Hampton County jail before being issued a $20,000 bond and being released on his own recognizance on September 16. Magistrate Tonja Alexander noted Murdaugh had no prior criminal record and she didn't think he would be a risk to the community. Craig Waters for the Attorney Generals office asked for Murdaugh to surrender his passport, which sat before him on the table. Waters also asked him to waive extradition, which he did, and is attending an out of state rehab center. A group of Queenslanders will take to the streets to protest against opening the state border prematurely, saying the push to open up is being driven by business rather than public health. The Health before Profits group is set to rally in support of public health workers and Covid-19 restrictions, including lockdowns and state border closures, in the Brisbane CBD at 5.30pm on Friday. Spokesman Duncan Hart says the group wants to show public support for the Queensland government's measures and to respond to the 'far right anti-health marches' in Melbourne this week. The Health before Profits group is set to rally in support of public health workers and Covid-19 restrictions in the Brisbane CBD at 5.30pm on Friday (stock image) He says the idea of 'living with Covid' was being foisted upon the rest of the country by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the federal coalition government. 'This is despite most states living largely freely precisely because we have kept Covid out and acted with a swiftness sorely lacking in NSW to eliminate outbreaks when they have occurred,' Mr Hart said. 'This is a blatant prioritisation of the profits of business in Australia over the needs of public health which risks seeing the country go down the path of the UK and USA where hundreds of daily deaths have become the new normal.' Spokesman Duncan Hart says the group wants to show public support for the Queensland government's measures and to respond to the 'far right anti-health marches' in Melbourne The Health before Profits group believes vaccination coverage targets used by the Doherty Institute modelling for the national plan to reopen are misleading because they do not cover the entire population. Mr Hart said 70 per cent of eligible people being vaccinated was only 56 per cent of the total population and easing restrictions at that level will put unvaccinated children, Indigenous communities, and disabled people at risk. 'This is a callous and horrific goal to aim for,' he said. 'Even while still in lockdown, in NSW today we can observe the health system at breaking point.' 'We want to echo recent concerns raised by health workers' unions across Victoria regarding their hospitals being overwhelmed by Covid patients should any easing of restrictions occur while millions are still unvaccinated.' Mr Hart said authorities and the general public should be using vaccines and health restrictions to eliminate the virus instead. The group says the push to open up is being driven by business instead of public health (stock image) Chauvin faces the possibility of having his third-degree murder conviction reversed after Mohamed Noor had his charge overturned Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on charges charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyds death is appealing his conviction and sentence, saying the judge abused his discretion or erred during several key points in the case. Derek Chauvin filed an intent to appeal with the Minnesota state appellate court. He had 90 days from when he was sentenced on June 25 to file the notice. In court documents, Chauvin said he planned to appeal on 14 grounds. Chauvin was convicted earlier this year on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyds 2020 death. He was sentenced to 22.5 years - a sentence higher than the presumptive 12.5 years after the judge agreed with prosecutors that there were aggravating factors in Floyd's death. Chauvin is also charged in federal court with violating Floyds civil rights when he knelt on the black mans neck for about 9.5 minutes as Floyd was facedown on the pavement, not resisting and pleading for air. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. He said he would represent himself in the appeal, according to FOX News, because he was denied a public defender. He is also asking the appeals process be put on hold until the Minnesota Supreme Court reviews the decision to deny him a public defender. The former Minneapolis police officer is seeking to appeal his conviction in the murder of George Floyd, whose death was ruled a homicide Chauvin was seen in video footage kneeling on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes while he cried out that he couldn't breathe The 14 issues Derek Chauvin has raised on appeal as grounds for overturning his murder conviction 1. The District Court abused its discretion when it denied Appellant's motion for change of venue or a new trial 2. The District Court abused its discretion when it denied Appellant's motion for a continuance or a new trial 3. The District Court abused its discretion when it denied Appellant's motion s to sequester the jury throughout trial 4. The State committed prejudicial prosecutorial misconduct 5. The District Court prejudicially erred when it concluded that the testimony of Morries Hall, or in the alternative Mr. Hall's statements to law enforcement, did not fall under Minn. R. Evid. 804(b)(3) and was not a violation Appellant's constitutional confrontation rights 6. The District Court prejudicially erred when it permitted the State to present cumulative evidence with respect to use of force 7. The District Court abused its discretion when it ordered the State to lead witnesses on direct examination 8. The District Court abused its discretion when it failed to make an official record of the numerous sidebar conferences that occurred during trials 9. The District Court abused its discretion when it failed to allow Appellant to exercise several cause strikes for clearly biased jurors during voir dire 10. The District Court abused its discretion when it permitted the State of amend its complaint to add the charge of third-degree murder 11. The District Court abused its discretion when it strictly limited and undercut the admissibility of George Floyd's May 6, 2019 arrest 12. The District Court abused its discretion when it submitted instructions to the jury that materially misstated the law 13. The District Court abused its discretion when it by denying Appellant's motion for a Schwartz hearing 14. The District Court abused its discretion when it denied Appellant's post-verdict motion for a new trial due to juror misconduct Advertisement In an affidavit filed Thursday, Chauvin said he has no attorney in the appeals process, and has no income aside from nominal prison wages. His case before Cahill was funded by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Associations legal defense fund, but that ended after his conviction, according to FOX 9 News. Chauvin wrote in the court documents: 'I have been informed that their obligation to pay for my representation terminated upon my conviction and sentencing.' All grounds that Chauvin raised in his notice of intent to appeal had been raised previously by defense attorney Eric Nelson as the case worked its way through the district court. Among them, he claims Judge Peter Cahill abused his discretion when he denied Chauvins request to move the trial out of Hennepin County due to pretrial publicity. He also claimed the judge abused his discretion when he denied a request to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial, and when he denied requests to postpone the trial or grant a new one. Nelson had previously argued that intense publicity around Floyds death tainted the jury pool and that the trial should have been moved away from Minneapolis. Chauvin filed an intent to appeal with with the Minnesota state appellate court on Thursday Juror Brandon Mitchell (pictured) was assigned to Chauvin's case. Chauvin claims that Mitchell should have been removed from the jury because he attended a march to honor Rev Martin Luther King Jr. in 2020 There were reports in February that Chauvin had been prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder, and an announcement during jury selection that Minneapolis reached a $27 million settlement with Floyds family. Also, the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in nearby Brooklyn Center happened during Chauvins trial and sparked days of protests. Chauvin's court filing also said the district court erred when it concluded that Morries Hall, the man who was with Floyd on the day of his arrest, would not be forced to testify on behalf of the defense. He also said the court erred when it permitted prosecutors to present cumulative evidence on use of force. Chauvin said he also intends to argue that the judge abused his discretion when he failed to allow Chauvin to strike 'clearly biased' jurors for cause, when he limited the admissibility of evidence from a prior arrest of Floyd, and when he denied Nelsons post-verdict request for a new trial and request for a hearing to question jurors to investigate alleged misconduct. He also noted the court's failure to make an official record of numerous sidebars throughout the trial. Nelson had accused juror Brandon Mitchell of not being candid during jury selection because he didnt mention his participation in a march in 2020 to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Prosecutors countered that Mitchell had been open about his views in a jury questionnaire and during juror questioning. The judge ruled the defense didnt establish any evidence of juror misconduct either during trial or during jury selection that warranted an evidentiary hearing. What appears to be Chauvin's best bet is his questioning the court's decision to allow the prosecution to add a third-degree murder charge against him. A similar appeal was the center point of a Supreme court ruling this month that overturned the third-degree murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, who accidentally shot an Australian yoga instructor who called 911 about a sexual assault in her neighborhood in July 2017. Will Derek Chauvin have up to eight YEARS shaved off his 22.5-year sentence after Minnesota court tossed out similar third-degree murder conviction of fellow cop who shot and killed yoga instructor? A former Minneapolis police officer - who had his third-degree murder conviction overturned in court after killing an Australian yoga instructor - may lead to a similar charge against Derek Chauvin getting thrown out. Disgraced cop Mohamed Noor was found guilty of murder and manslaughter after accidentally shooting Justine Ruszczyk Damond when she called 911 about a sexual assault in her neighborhood in July 2017. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Noor did not intentionally mean to murder Damond in the shooting and the third-degree murder charge was dismissed last Wednesday. The decision means Noor will serve just four of his original 12-and-a-half-year sentence, which he started in June 2019. The ruling not only shortens Noors sentence by eight years, it could lead to the reversal of the third-degree murder charge against Chauvin, a legal expert said. Derek Chauvin (left) faces a possibility of having his third-degree murder charges reversed after another former Minneapolis cop Mohamed Noor (right) had third-degree murder charges overturned 'Chauvin will likely have his decision reversed because it is legally incompatible to say that someone is guilty of intentionally doing something and at the same time theyre guilty of unintentionally doing something,' Andrew Wilson, a partner at Wilson Criminal Defense in Minneapolis, told VICE News. Chauvin was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in April. Noor was convicted of both third-degree murder and third-degree manslaughter when he shot Damond in the abdomen. She was approaching the squad car Noor was in and he shot the unarmed Damond after being startled by her. Damond called 911 after she heard screaming from a nearby woman in her neighborhood who she believed to be a victim of sexual assault. Last week's Minnesota Supreme Courts ruling is based on if Noor acted with 'a generalized indifference to human life which cannot exist when the defendant's conduct is directed with particularity at the person who is killed' as third-degree murder, or depraved-mind murder, requires for conviction in the state. The state Court of Appeals ruled that he did earlier this year, but the state Supreme Court disagreed because he only intended to inflict harm toward Damond with his reckless actions, Vice reported. The family of Damond won a $20 million settlement from the city after filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Noor could be eligible for supervised release by the end of 2021 as the state only requires inmates to serve two-thirds of their time beforehand. Chauvin, however, should not expect a reduction in his sentencing, Wilson said, because he was sentenced based on his other, more serious charges. 'But I do think it poses real problems for that conviction to stand against him. So on appeal, they might get a reversal of that conviction,' Wilson said. Earlier this year, Chauvin's defense team and Minnesota prosecutors sparred over whether the cop should face a third-degree murder charge after kneeling on Floyds neck for about nine-and-a-half minutes. Noor's case was used as precedent for Chauvin following the decision to reinstate his third-degree murder charges in March. Yoga teacher and life coach Justine Damond (pictured), 40, was shot dead in a dark alley where she had called police to report a possible sexual assault on the night of July 15, 2017 The Minnesota Supreme Court stated that Noor's actions only affected Damond making it 'insufficient to sustain his conviction' in relation to third-degree murder charges. Due to this ruling, this opened the opportunity for Chauvin to possibly have his third-degree murder charge overturned. Chauvin and fellow officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao pleaded not guilty to additional charges on Tuesday after they were arraigned for their involvement in Floyd's death. The officers faced federal charges in May after they failed to provide Floyd with medical care. Chauvin was also charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure and force by a police officer, while Thao and Kueng were each charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure by failing to intervene to stop Chauvin using unreasonable force. If convicted, all four officers could face the federal death penalty or life in prison. The federal charges are separate from the state charges against the four cops who were all fired from Minneapolis Police Department the day after Floyd's murder. A man who famously received both Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs has said it would be 'oddball behaviour' for him to now get the Moderna vaccine. Tom Lee, 34, from Sydney, earlier defended his decision to get the four jabs, insisting he didn't skip any queues and merely lined up to wait his turn at vaccine hubs. By July he'd been fully vaccinated with both options despite not being an essential worker or even in the age group that was available to Pfizer. Earlier this month Mr Lee was asked if he'd be getting the Moderna shot to complete the vaccination trifecta. 'No there's no need, it was funny in July when nobody was vaccinated but it'd just be oddball behaviour now,' he tweeted. Tom Lee, 34, from Sydney, says he won't be receiving the Moderna vaccine after getting both Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots Mr Lee (pictured) had his fourth Covid vaccine shot in June after doubling up on double doses of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs - and he's only 34 At the time of his vaccination, the Pfizer vaccine was only available to people over 40 in Australia or those working in critical sectors, such as hotel quarantine, while AstraZeneca was on offer for anyone who wanted it. But instead of waiting the predicted three months to get the Pfizer jab, Mr Lee simply turned up at a vaccine centre and tried his luck. 'If the Delta variant wants to test its strength, it should come down to Greater Sydney,' he earlier tweeted with a picture of a certificate of his Covid vaccinations. Alongside a video of his jab journey, he added: 'This may be the greatest work of art to have emerged from the pandemic. A triumph of the free man over bureaucracy.' Medics say doubling up with first and second doses of both vaccines could provide maximum protection against Covid but this is not recommended in Australia. 'As for queue jumping, I don't see it like that. I haven't stolen any vaccines,' Mr Lee earlier told news.com.au. Medics say doubling up with first and second doses of both vaccines could provide maximum protection against Covid, and Mr Lee set his sights on pulling off the double, beginning with his first dose of AstraZeneca on March 31 Tom Lee (pictured) had his first AstraZeneca jab on March 31 and since then he's received a second dose of AstraZeneca and now both doses of Pfizer. He said it would be 'oddball behaviour' for him to now get the Moderna vaccine 'I literally lined up in the queue to get it. Getting vaccinated takes a bit of leg work and anyone can do it. 'Pay attention to where the vaccines are available, be it GP or the vaccination centre at Olympic Park, and just go there and ask to be vaccinated. It worked for me. 'NSW Health are not going to turn away the vaccine keen. The impression I get is NSW Health are not interested in being vaccine police for the federal government.' Mr Lee said he'd done research and read a study from England which suggested mixing the vaccines were effective. Research into the efficacy of doubling up vaccines is still at an early stage but an Oxford University study into single shots of each type has shown promise. The 'Com-COV' trial included 830 volunteers aged over 50 and showed an AstraZeneca jab followed by a Pfizer jab four weeks later was almost as good as a double dose of Pfizer alone. Reversing the order though was less effective - and a double dose of Pfizer still produced the best results in the fight against Covid. However, the study did not research the effects of Mr Lee's double-dose of both vaccines and their effect on antibodies against the disease. Prince Harry was pictured coming out of United Nations Plaza on Thursday holding a laptop bag with the words 'Archie's papa' embossed on the side during his tour around New York City with Meghan. The proud dad spent Wednesday night and Thursday with his wife Meghan in New York City while the kids - Archie and Lilibet - stayed back in Los Angeles. But Harry made carry a little memento of his son with him during his highly publicized tour of New York City, which is the Sussexes' first public trip to the Big Apple since their permanent move from England to Meghan's native California in March 2020. Coming out out of the United Nations building on Thursday, Prince Harry held his laptop bag with the words 'Archie's papa' emblazoned on it Harry carries laptop bag with 'Archie's papa' embossed on the side during tour around New York city with Meghan Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle arrive at the World Trade Center Observatory in Manhattan Thursday morning Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are seen here leaving One World Trade Center after an hours-long visit to the somber memorial Thursday morning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at One World Trade Center where they're greeted by the New York State governor and New York City mayor The picture was taken Thursday afternoon after their visit to United Nations for a 40-minute meeting where they had an 'important discussion' on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Thomas-Greenfield described the meeting as 'wonderful' as she shared snaps of the trio chatting on sofas in a lounge area and then posing in front of UN branding. Thursday's UN visit was sandwiched between a somber, morning trip to the 9/11 Memorial at One World Trade Center. They were greeted by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Alice Greenwald and Patricia Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropy. Harry and Meghan spent hours the memorial before continuing with their day that included the UN visit and a trip to the World Health Organization headquarters. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield (right) tweeted photos from what she described as a 'wonderful' visit Thursday afternoon with Prince Harry and Meghan (left side) and said they discussed COVID-19, racial justice and mental health Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at the 9/11 Memorial Thursday morning as part of their four-day tour of New York City Prince Harry waves as he and his wife leave the ritzy, $1,300-a-night New York City hotel for their Thursday ventures through Manhattan Thursday evening with a nightcap in Manhattan's Upper East Side Bemelmans Bar in the lobby of $1,300-a-night Carlyle Hotel. Harry was seen in DailyMail.com-exclusive photos in the corner of the banquet with two men in suits and a woman in a white blazer. It's unknown who they, but Meghan was noticeably absent. Harry spoke animatedly, gesturing frequently, with a glass of white wine set before him at what appeared to be a business meeting. The New York City trip ended in the bar for the second night in a row. On Wednesday night, Harry and Meghan were spotted at the bar partying with Misha Noonoo and Mikey Heiss to kickstart their four-day tour of the city, exclusive pictures for MailOnline show. Misha and Mikey's relationship reportedly goes back years, according to last year's bombshell biography Finding Freedom - co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand - which documented Meghan and Misha friendship. It alleges how Markus Anderson, Soho Houses global membership director, provided the royal with introductions to many business and cultural elites - both in Canada and further afield. Prince Harry was spotted in the swanky NYC bar without Meghan around 5:30pm Thursday Prince Harry is seen talking to a group of people in the corner of - Bemelmans Bar - upscale New York City hotspot on Manhattan's Upper East Side The authors wrote, 'At a Soho House lunch in Miami, he was the one who sat the actress next to Misha, a budding fashion designer with a vivacious personality and impeccable pedigree. 'The occasion for the December 2014 Miami trip was Art Basel, a decadent art fair that brings the internationally rich and famous for a week of parties and events of all sorts and sizes. 'Markus invited Meghan, an art lover, to stay at the epicenter of the action, Soho Beach House, to set some sun, see some art, and have some fun. 'A perfect place to make new friends and connections, the Soho house event saw Misha and Meghan hit it off immediately.' The biography goes on to suggest Misha and Markus were behind Meghan and Prince Harry's first meeting. It's thought the Duchess' close pals set the pair, who are now living in the US, up on a blind date in London. The House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging $768 billion defense bill on Thursday despite strong opposition from the right-wing members of the Republican party. The House voted 316-113 in favor of the bill, which authorizes spending levels and sets Pentagon policy. The bill also includes means that women can be drafted into the military, and establishes a 12-member bipartisan commission to review the entirety of the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The House Freedom Caucus party had called on the GOP to reject the bill for the inclusion of women in the draft. In the vote, 181 Democrats teamed up with 135 Republicans to pass the bill, which also dealt a blow to President Joe Biden as the reps boosted the Pentagon's budget to $740 billion, $25 billion more than Biden had requested. 'Everybody here will find something that they do not like,' House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington said on the House floor. 'But it is also the nature of the legislative process, in this case, that we have produced a product that everybody in this House can be proud of.' House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith, pictured on September 1, led the debate as the House passed a $768 billion defense spending bill on September 24 The bill includes the creation of a bipartisan commission to review the 20-year war in Afghanistan. U.S. Marines are pictured in Kabul on August 21, ten days before withdrawing The commission will also focus on the US's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and demand details on current evacuation plans. Pictured, one of the evacuation flights on August 23 The $768 billion defense bill would: Give the Pentagon a $740 million budget for the spending year Allow women to be included in the military draft and Selective Service System Create a 12-member bipartisan commission to fully review the 20-year war in Afghanistan and the US's future plans in the Middle Eastern nation Authorize $28.4 billion for 13 new Navy ships, including three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and two Virginia-class attack submarines Authorize the purchase of 85 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, matching the Pentagon's budget request Procure 24 Boeing F-15EX jets for the Air Force, double the number requested by the Pentagon Prohibit private funding for cross-state National Guard deployment except for emergency or disaster relief efforts Require generals and admirals to be out of the military for 10 years before they can serve as defense secretary, up from the current seven-year cooling off period Provide a 2.7 percent troop pay raise Advertisement Rep. Mike Rogers, the top Armed Services Republican from Alabama, added that the defense bill was pivotal to aiding the US keep up with its foreign rivals. He said, the bill is 'laser-focused on preparing our military to prevail in a conflict with China.' The bill garnered support over the inclusion of a bipartisan 12-member commission that would review the Afghanistan war, including the chaotic withdrawal of US troops and citizens since August, Politico reported. The commission, proposed by Rep. Liz Chenery, of Wyoming, would also require the administration to submit plans on how it will evacuate all willing US citizens and Afghan partners and conduct its counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. The commission will also grill the Biden administration on the threats posed by Al Qaeda and ISIS-K now that the Taliban has taken over. Lawmakers had said Biden's original budget plan was insufficient and rejected efforts by Reps. Barbara Lee, of California, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, to stick with Biden's plan in a 286-142 vote. On the House floor, Ocasio-Cortez said, 'We have increased our military spending year after year, senselessly and needlessly, and now again, during a time when we have ended a almost two decade war. there is no reason to be increasing our military spending and defense budget.' The US spent about $825 billion in the war in Afghanistan, which killed about 3,500 US soldiers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, right, had supported Joe Biden's plan to cut the spending bill by $25 billion, but the house overwhelmingly voted against it The bill also authorizes more spending for military crafts, like the F-35 fighters The bill also requires women to register for a potential military draft and made similar changes to the Selective Service System. Though there hasn't been a military draft in more than four decades, men are still require to register when they turn 18, and some elected officials had been fighting to include women in the process. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, of Pennsylvania, had championed the inclusion of women in the Selective Service, calling their exclusion 'unconstitutional' for discriminating based on sex. House Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, said in a news conference on Wednesday that Republicans should oppose the measure. 'Right now if you are voting for the NDAA, you're voting to draft our daughters,' Roy said. 'There is no other position you can take.' Fellow Republican Rep. Mary Miller, of Illinois, added, 'The Democrats and, sadly, some Republicans want to draft your daughters. This is wrong, and it's immoral, and they are doing it anyway.' Texas election officials said Thursday night that they were auditing the 2020 results in four large counties hours after former President Donald Trump, continuing to falsely claim the election was stolen, pressed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for a ballot review. The move came hours after a letter where Trump called for the probe, 'despite my big win in Texas.' 'You know your fellow Texans have big questions about the November 2020 Election,' Trump wrote. It also came as Trump hyped the results of an Arizona 'forensic audit' of the election, undertaken by the private firm Cyber Ninjas at the request of the state's GOP-controlled Senate. That $6 million, six-month audit is expected to confirm that Democrat Joe Biden won Maricopa County just as election officials initially determined. The draft audit obtained by the Arizona Republic shows Biden won the critical county by a larger margin than the initial county election results. A hand count concluded Biden beat Trump by 45,469 votes, compared to county results of 45,109. The continuing action on election audits, 10 months after Election Day, comes in a week with new revelations about Trump's efforts to muster legal arguments that former Vice President Mike Pence could have tried to use to stop certified votes from being counted in a joint session of Congress. Trump won Texas last year by 5.5 percentage points, the closest margin of victory by a GOP presidential nominee in decades. The audited counties will include the major Democratic strongholds around Houston and Dallas, as well as Tarrant County, which for years has been the largest GOP-controlled county in Texas but went for President Joe Biden last year. 'Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties,' the Texas Secretary of State's Office said in a statement. Former President Donald Trump, right, urged Texas officials to review the 2020 election ballots cast in four counties that Biden won The audit will review the ballots cast in counties near Houston and Dallas, as well as Tarrant County. Pictured, Texan voters waiting to cast their Ballot on October 13 Voters in Harris County, Texas, put their ballots through on October 30. Trump won the state by the smallest margin of any other GOP presidential candidate The office did not say what prompted the announcement in an evening news release. Earlier this year, Keith Ingram, the office's elections administrator, said the 2020 elections in Texas were 'safe and secure.' It went on to say the office expects the Legislature to provide funding for the audit. It was not clear who would conduct the review, and a spokesman for the office did not return a message late Thursday. The Secretary of State is appointed by the governor in Texas but has remained vacant since Ruth Ruggero Hughs stepped down in May. An Abbott spokeswoman did not respond to questions about the announcement late Thursday. Trump called on Abbott to conduct an audit of the Texas election in a statement earlier Thursday, saying 'your citizens don't trust the election system.' Trump has falsely claimed that claimed that voting fraud and irregularities cost him electoral votes in Arizona, where on Friday his supporters hired to review the 2020 vote count are expected to deliver their findings. The Texas Secretary of State's Office said it will conduct a full forensic audit on Thursday The other county in the Texas review is booming Collin County, in suburban Dallas, which went for Trump last year. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat and the county's top elected official, swiftly criticized the move. 'Donald Trump ordered Gov. Abbott to audit the 2020 Texas election and, like clockwork, TX just initiated an audit of Harris County voters. Democracy isnt a game,' she tweeted. The Texas audit comes after a Republican-commissioned six-month, $6million review of more than 2million 2020 election ballots in Arizona confirmed Biden's win in Maricopa County, shutting down Trump's fraud claims. Private contractors prepared the draft report, obtained by the Washington Post, confirmed that more than 45,000 ballots were cast for Biden than for Trump in the county. Biden wins Arizona (again): Draft report of GOP election audit confirms president's win and widens his lead over Trump by 360 votes after 6-month process at a cost of $6MILLION A Republican-commissioned review of more than 2million ballots cast in Arizona last year confirmed the accuracy of Biden's win in Maricopa County Private contractors conducted the recount and the findings and the finalized version is set to be released on Friday Audit confirmed Biden had 360 vote lead and that there are 'no substantial differences' The audit lasted almost six months and cost $6million to conduct Republicans are trying to downplay the draft by calling it 'only a partial report' Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas have also called for a recount recently after being pressured by Trump In a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Trump told him to support the election audit bill because 'I hear Texans want an election audit' Election experts are advising Arizona's recount serve as a warning sign to other Republican legislators who have agreed to recount their ballots A Republican-commissioned six-month, $6million review of more than 2million 2020 election ballots in Arizona has confirmed Biden's win in Maricopa County, appearing to shut down Trump's fraud claims. Private contractors prepared the draft report of the recount which confirms President Joe Biden's win in the county. The finalized version is set to be released on Friday. The draft, obtained by the Washington Post, concluded 45,469 more ballots were cast for Biden than for Trump in the county. The findings gave Biden another 360 votes over Trump. Arizona counted all of Maricopa County's ballots by hand, which included bizarre steps like scanning for bamboo fibers to investigate a claim the ballots were shipped into the state from Asia, according to Forbes. The draft report concluded the count had 'no substantial differences' than the certified tally. Hours before the draft was made public, Trump said in a statement: 'Everybody will be watching Arizona tomorrow to see what the highly respected auditors and Arizona State Senate found out regarding the so-called Election!' Arizona's election audit found 'no substantial differences' after the draft report tallied 360 vote lead for Biden. The finalized report is set to release on Friday Private contractors (pictured) recounted the votes by hand in Arizona. The draft report was 'close' to the certified results The report shuts down Trump's unsubstantiated fraud claims after he claimed tabulating machines had miscounted paper ballots across several states or had been hacked. Trump initially lost Arizona by about 10,000 votes. He and his allies alleged that fraud cost him the state. Arizona Senate Republicans used their subpoena power to access ballots, counting machines and electronic data in Maricopa County, home to about 60 percent of Arizonas voters, for an audit. However, the recount was criticized as chaotic: auditors searching for watermarks were told by state election officials the ballots were not watermarked; reports suggested they were also looking for traces of bamboo as evidence the papers were smuggled in from Asia. Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninja, But for a steady stream of Republicans the audit was seen as a model for what could be done in other closely contested states 'I wouldnt be surprised if they found thousands and thousands and thousands of votes. So were going to watch that very closely,' Trump told a crowd at Mar-a-Lago recently. 'And after that, youll watch Pennsylvania and youll watch Georgia and youre going to watch Michigan and Wisconsin.' Some of his most high-profile - and most controversial - supporters made a beeline for the Arizona recount to support the effort. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz stopped off on their America First tour in May. Rep. Matt Gaetz is one of the high-profile Republicans who has traveled to Arizona and called for its audit to be used for as a model for other disputed states 'We are here in Arizona to stand in solidarity with the Arizona election audit, Gaetz told a crowd of several hundred Trump supporters, adding that he hoped it would be the start of a bigger movement. He said: 'Its my belief that Arizona will be the launch pad for elections audits and election integrity efforts all over this great country.' Randy Pullen, a spokesperson for the ballot review, said the draft version was 'close' to the final report, but told the Washington Post there will be 'updates in the final report.' 'Was there massive fraud or anything? it doesn't look like it,' he told an NPR affiliate in Phoenix. The document included a key warning of caution that further investigation is warranted, the Washington Post reported. Maricopa County confirmed the audit results finalized Joe Biden's win in the state, but reported 'the report is also littered with errors' about how Maricopa conducted their 2020 General Election Maricopa County confirmed on Twitter the 'General Election was accurate and the candidates certified as the winders did, in fact, win.' It also warned that 'the report is also littered with errors & faulty conclusions about how Maricopa conducted the 2020 General Election.' Many Twitter users celebrated Biden 'winning Arizona for the 11,789th time,' with one user saying to 'got my popcorn ready.' Arizona's ballot review began in April over the Republican-led county leadership's objections. Republican State Senate President Karen Fann led the campaign and publicly stated that the goal was not to revisit Biden's win, but to look for ways to improve the state's election laws. Lawmakers subpoenaed a copy of Maricopa County's ballots and voting machines, which were handed over to private contractors, according to the Washington Post. In May, all seven of Maricopa's elected officials, including five Republicans, called the review a 'con' and demanded the Senate end the review. 'Our democracy is imperiled,' they wrote in a letter to Fann. Maricopa's County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers (R) said the findings mean 'the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters. That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise' Maricopa's County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers (R) said in a statement that the findings mean 'the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters. That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise,' he told the Washington Post. Trump allies are already downplaying the draft report, saying it is 'only a partial report.' Republican State Senator Wendy Rogers wrote on Twitter: 'I just talked to Doug Logan via phone. The leaked draft is simply a draft and is only a partial report. 'Tomorrow's hearing will render findings of great consequence. Then he said "god is in control". Please pray for our audit team tomorrow as they present their findings.' Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, oversaw the audit despite the company having no experience working elections. Forbes revealed that Logan has spread outrageous conspiracy theories that a company tied to Hugo Chavez, the long-dead Venezuelan dictator, rigged voting machines against Trump Election experts are advising Arizona's recount serve as a warning sign to other Republican legislators who have agreed to recount their ballots, the Washington Post reported. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas have all agreed to review their own 2020 election after responding to pressure from Trump. 'Every time Trump and his supporters have been given a forum to make their case, they have swung and missed, said Ben Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer who has criticized Trump's fraud claims. Republican State Senator Wendy Rogers called the draft 'only a partial report' and asked for prayers for the audit team 'If Trump and his supporters cant prove it here with the process theyve designed then they cant prove it anywhere,' he said in an organized call to reporters. Trump sent a letter to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday asking to 'act now' and issue a recount on the 2020 election ballots in the state. Texas election officials said Thursday night they were auditing the 2020 results in four large counties. The audited counties will include the major Democratic strongholds around Houston and Dallas, as well as Tarrant County, which for years has been the largest GOP-controlled county in Texas but went for President Joe Biden last year. The former president, who won Texas in the election by 5.5 percentage points, did not make any specific allegations to back up his recount audit besides 'I hear Texans want an election audit.' 'Your citizens dont trust the election system, and they want your leadership on this issue, which is the number one thing they care about, Trump said in the letter to Abbott. Trump's win in the Lone Star State was the closest margin of victory by a GOP presidential nominee in decades. 'Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas's two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties," a statement from the state read. It went on to say the office expects the Legislature to provide funding for the audit. It was not clear who would conduct the review. Advertisement Aerial photos of the Haitian migrant camp in Del Rio along the Texas border taken less than a week apart show the drastic reduction in size. As recently as this weekend, there were about 15,000 Haitians in Del Rio hoping to get asylum in the United States after they fled their country that has been torn apart by political turmoil following the Haitian president's assassination and an earthquake that killed at least 2,200. On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on CNN that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings - but failed to identify where the remaining 3,000 are. The revelation came after the DHS revealed that of the 15,000 total; 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are still camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Now Mayorkas appears to have addressed where 2,000 of them are, but that still leaves 3,000 missing from official figures. Scroll down for video. Slide me There were about 15,000 Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas over the weekend (left0. That number was done to about 5,000 on Thursday (right) Haitian migrants take shelter along the Del Rio International Bridge at sunset as they await to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Ciudad Acuna in Del Rio, Texas on September 19 The area where about 14,000 mainly-Haitian migrants were camping along the Del Rio International Bridge is seen on Thursday. A large portion of the makeshift camp was cleared after as authorities continue to process and remove the people On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings Mayorkas has been accused by Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district encompasses Del Rio, of trying to 'bulls***' him by claiming everything was 'under control' with the situation at the bridge Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the US migrant policy at the southern border "is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy. We are applying the law pursuant to an order that the [CDC] issued" amid a pandemic. pic.twitter.com/DPLHNnZDni The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) September 23, 2021 Mayorkas was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. Rep. Tony Gonzales - a Texas Republican who whose district encompasses Del Rio - ripped Mayorkas and said he was trying to 'bulls**t' him. 'No, don't tell me, 'Everything's under control.' It's not under control,' Gonzales told the Washington Examiner. 'You can bulls**t somebody else, but you can't bulls**t me,' he told The Washington Examiner. 'It was kind of like, dismissive a little bit, and that's a problem, especially when you're talking about national security. Like, there are no second chances. You have to get it right every single time, or it's game over.' Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. after leaving a makeshift migrant camp Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. after leaving makeshift migrant camp in Braulio Fernandez Ecological Park in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico on Thursday US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on a boat rescue a Haitian migrant woman from the Rio Grande river at the Mex ico-US border near Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila state, Mexico on Thursday Sources told the Washington Examiner that the Biden administration had set a deadline of Friday night to have the camp completely cleared. The order from the West Wing reportedly came amid concerns over a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled to take place near the bridge this weekend. 'They don't want them all riled up,' an official told the paper, referring to U.S. authorities and the Haitian migrants respectively. An official also said the order to clear the camp was partly to resolve an 'optics' problem. They want those people out from under that bridge so they can't be seen anymore,' they said. 'It's an optics thing. They are moving them around for process and release. They're going to have everyone at the bridge gone in the next two days.' Homeland Security had planned to ramp up to seven daily flights but flew only three Wednesday and five Thursday because of issues with contractors and mechanical delays, the official told the Associated Press. Seven flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, six on Saturday and seven on Sunday. During Thursday evening's interview with CNN, interviewer Wolf Blitzer noted that about 15,000 Haitians had gathered and press Mayorkas to account for all 5,000. Mayorkas ran through the numbers, and Blitzer followed up with, 'What about the rest?' DHS Secretary Mayorkas said Thursday that 10-15 percent of 15,000 Haitians gathered at the bridge in Del Rio, Texas have been released into the country pending their immigration hearings but failed to say where 3,000 unaccounted migrants are 'If it's 10 percent, or 15, I don't have the precise numbers,' Mayorkas responded. That would put the figure between 1,500 and 2,250 although Mayorkas avoided specifics. 'I assure you it's a minority of the individuals, for the reasons that I have articulated, and they are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings, where they are able, where they appear before a judge. And if in fact they make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then of course, we honor that and if not they are removed as well,' he continued. Mayorkas also addressed blistering criticism by pointing to Centers for Disease Control regulations under Title 42 with removals pegged to the coronavirus crisis. 'It's very important to underscore the fact that this is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy,' he said. 'We are applying the law, pursuant to an order that the Centers for Disease Control, issued in light of the fact that this country and the world is in the midst of a pandemic 'We are exercising that authority as we are required to do to protect the health and well-being of the migrants themselves, our personnel, local communities and the American public.' Mayorkas responded to the resignation letter put out by U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote who left his job on Wednesday. U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday, claiming: 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti' 'What I what I wish the individual had done is stayed with the cause of addressing the needs of individuals, all throughout the Western Hemisphere and dedicating the resources and the talent and the energies of the men and women in the United States government to rebuild our humanitarian relief capabilities just as we are doing now in the Biden-Harris administration.' The U.S. special envoy for Haiti resigned on Wednesday because he didn't want to be involved with the 'inhumane' deportation of Haitian migrants. 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life,' Ambassador Daniel Foote wrote in his resignation letter, first shared by a PBS reporter on Twitter. A migrant seeking refuge in the United States is pictured with members of Mexico's National Institute of Migration before crossing the Rio Grande river into Texas A Haitian migrant pleads with a Mexican police officer blocking access to the Rio Grande River on Thursday People continued to make the crossing into the United States on Thursday, wading through the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Acuna in Mexico towards Del Rio Texas Border Patrol agents await the arrival of Migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas on Thursday Border Patrol agents pass by Haitian families wrapped up for warmth after crossing the Rio Grande River to reach the U.S. from Mexico In the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foote said another reason for his resignation is that his recommendations to help Haiti have been 'ignored and dismissed'. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed,' Foote continued in his letter, 'and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' A State Department spokesperson accused Foote of 'mischaracterizing the circumstances of his resignation' and said some of his ideas were deemed 'harmful.' '[A]ll proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process,' a statement from the spokesperson reads. 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process.' 'For him to to say that his proposals were ignored is simply false,' they added. The statement claims: 'It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' A young child sleeps on the shoulders of a woman as they prepare to board a bus toward Houston provided by a humanitarian organisation, after migrants were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody on Thursday Migrants from Haiti wait in line on Thursday to board buses near the Del Rio International Bridge In Foote's resignation letter, he blamed the Biden administration for exacerbating the issues in Haiti, claiming his recommendations to help the country have been 'ignored and dismissed' Reined in: Biden BANS mounted Border Patrol agents over migrant 'whipping' controversy Jen Psaki revealed Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told civil rights leaders that his agency will not continue to allow agents to operate on horseback at the border in Del Rio. 'I can also convey to you that the secretary also conveyed to civil rights leaders earlier this morning that we would no longer be using horses in Del Rio,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing. 'So that is something a policy change that has been made in response.' 'We feel those images are horrible and horrific,' she reiterated from her comments in previous days. 'There is an investigation the president certainly supports overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, which he has conveyed will happen quickly.' The images in question emerged earlier this week with Border Patrol agents on horseback apparently using either the horses' reins or other lariats as whips when chasing after the mostly Haitian migrants. Agents insist they were not using whips against the migrants, 15,000 of whom set up a makeshift camp underneath and around the Del Rio International Bridge over the last few weeks. They have reasoned that they were only using the reins on horses or to ward off immigrants but not to whip them. This didn't stop the overwhelming outcry from progressive politicians and civil rights leaders. Representative Maxine Waters said on Wednesday that the actions portrayed in the images were 'worse than slavery'. Advertisement The resignation comes as the U.S. migration crisis surged in the past few weeks when up to 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up an encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas. Jen Psaki revealed Thursday that Mayorkas told civil rights leaders that his agency will not continue to allow agents to operate on horseback at the border in Del Rio. 'I can also convey to you that the secretary also conveyed to civil rights leaders earlier this morning that we would no longer be using horses in Del Rio,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing. 'So that is something a policy change that has been made in response.' 'We feel those images are horrible and horrific,' she reiterated from her comments in previous days. 'There is an investigation the president certainly supports overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, which he has conveyed will happen quickly.' The images in question emerged earlier this week with Border Patrol agents on horseback allegedly using either the horses' reins or other lariats as whips when chasing after the mostly Haitian migrants. People are fleeing Haiti and seeking refuge in America after a devastating earthquake and the assassination of their president, which has thrown the country into even more chaos. Foote said that the deportation back to Haiti will only exacerbate the migration crisis at the southern border. 'The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will further desperation and crime,' the now-former special envoy wrote in his resignation letter of Haiti. 'Surging migration at our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti's unacceptable misery.' Foote only served in his post for two months after becoming the U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti in July following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. In the role, Foote served as a member of President Joe Biden's delegation to Moise's funeral. Before taking on that role he previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Haiti and as the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia under President Donald Trump. In November 2019, during his tenure in Zambia, Foote said he was 'horrified' after a judge in the very conservative society where homosexual acts are illegal sentence two men to 15 years in prison after they were caught having sex in 2017. He received pushback from Zambia's President Edgar Lungu for trying to dictate policy and declared him a persona non grata or an unacceptable or unwelcome person. Foote has served with the Department of State since 1998 and has held a litany of roles since then including in the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico; the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Colombia; deputy chief of mission in both Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and charge d'affaires in the Dominican Republic. While many migrants were rounded up and returned to Haiti from the U.S. in the last few days, many began crossing back into Mexico from the border town of Del Rio to avoid deportation to Haiti. Images began emerging on Sunday of Border Patrol agents and officers on horseback rounding up migrants and preventing them from returning to the makeshift camp near the Del Rio bridge. Immediately, the images were slammed as 'inhumane' and 'horrific' after some accused the agents of using either the reins or a lariat as a whip on the migrants. Images show a rope-like tool being thrown in the direction of some migrants who were running from the officers. Agents insist they were not using any whips on migrants, while Mayorkas says those pictured with the ropes have been reassigned to administrative duties pending a full investigation into the incident. Del Rio Border Patrol repeatedly asked for extra resources in June but were ignored Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Texas were so concerned about the escalating situation at the U.S.-Mexico border that they requested additional resources three months ago - but their concerns were not acted on by superiors. Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president told CNN that the union on June 1 suggested improvements to the system. Anfinsen said that they wanted agents to be sent to the border with tablets to start the intake process when a large group crosses the river, instead of having the group wait there while space is cleared in the station. 'This way, we can at least get part of the process finished before they even get to the station instead of wasting that time,' said the email. The union followed up on June 3, and also suggested placing a trailer in the area for additional staff, to deal with a predicted surge. On June 17, the union received a one-sentence response: 'This is being explored, several other platforms are being considered which are more efficient.' The revelation came as Jen Psaki, the White House spokesman, promised to provide precise data on the number of Haitian arrivals released into the country - yet by 10pm had failed to do so. Migrants, many of them from Haiti, are pictured wading back and forth between Texas and Mexico on Wednesday. At the weekend an estimated 14,000 migrants were sheltering in Del Rio A photo from September 22 shows migrants being routed out of a makeshift border camp after being processed by US officials. The White House has pledged to deport most of the migrants back to Haiti under Title 42, but reports indicate that's not the case for some being released Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president, pictured testifying before Congress, said on Wednesday that they had warned back in June about the need for more resources on the U.S.-Mexico border At her daily press briefing on Wednesday, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy confronted Psaki on the numbers - which he said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas didn't know. 'So who else can we ask?' Doocy asked. When Psaki attempted to direct him back to DHS, an incredulous Doocy replied: 'He says he doesn't know.' She replied: 'I am confident that he wanted to have the most up-to-date numbers and we will venture to get you those - I promise, this afternoon.' Doocy told Sean Hannity on his 9-10pm show on Fox that Psaki was yet to provide the figures. Mayorkas, meanwhile, was at the Capitol on Wednesday for his second day of back-to-back Congressional hearings. Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez asked Mayorkas today about how many of the migrants apprehended at the border this year were detained, returned or 'dispersed.' 'I would be pleased to provide you with specific data subsequent to this hearing, congressman,' Mayorkas answered. Gimenez accused Mayorkas of being unprepared for the hearing, to which the DHS chief snapped about his long work hours. 'I work 18 hours a day, OK? So when I returned from yesterday's hearing, I actually focused on mission. We will get that data, both to the senator who posed it yesterday and to you, congressman, today,' he said. It follows on from Tuesday's hearing before the Senate when Mayorkas still could not provide migrant data. 'I want some numbers here,' said Ron Johnson, a Republican senator for Wisconsin. 'Of the 1.3 million people that we've apprehended, how many people have been returned? How many people are being detained? How many people have been dispersed to all points around America?' 'Senator, I would be pleased to provide you with that data ' Mayorkas said before he was cut off. 'I want them now,' Johnson demanded. 'Why don't you have that information now?' 'Senator, I do not have that data before me,' Mayorkas replied. 'Why not? Why don't you have that basic information?' the senator asked. 'Senator, I want to be accurate,' Mayorkas said. On Wednesday, Johnson wrote to Mayorkas formally requesting the figures. 'At yesterday's Senate hearing you failed to answer my questions about basic information on apprehensions at the U.S. border,' he wrote. 'Of the approximately 1.3 million apprehensions, how many people have been returned, how many people have been detained, and how many people have been dispersed into the U.S.?' Johnson said he would like a response within a week. The secretary revealed Tuesday that around 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment surrounding the Del Rio International Bridge, as the Department of Homeland Security launches a probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips against the mostly Haitian migrants. 'How many migrants have crossed into the United States in Del Rio over the past week?' Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Mayorkas. 'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000 it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary responded. 'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' Mayorkas added. It was revealed this week DHS is aiming to send out several deportation flights per day. Kamala Harris tells Mayorkas to order Border Patrol to treat migrants with 'dignity' Kamala Harris demanded that Border Patrol agents treat the thousands of mostly Haitian migrants gathered in Del Rio, Texas with 'dignity' after images emerged of officers on horseback using what appeared to be a whip to wrangle the illegal border hoppers. 'Yesterday, Vice President Harris spoke to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to receive an update about his trip to Del Rio,' Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday. 'During that call, the Vice President raised her grave concerns about the mistreatment of Haitian migrants by border patrol agents on horses, and the need of all CBP agents to treat people with dignity, humanely and consistent with our laws and our values.' However the VP failed to come up with a solution to the migrant crisis and simply heaped blame on overstretched Border Patrol agents. Advertisement Mayorkas also refused to say whether he felt he and the Biden administration bear any responsibility for the influx of Haitian migrants over the last few weeks or the broader border crisis in general. The DHS chief visited the border after increasing pressure to do so as images of mostly Haitian migrants in a tent city under the Del Rio bridge spurred accusations the Biden administration was enabling a humanitarian crisis. The White House is facing sharp bipartisan condemnation. Republicans say Biden administration policies led Haitians to believe they would get asylum. Democrats are expressing outrage after images went viral this week of Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics against the migrants. Many of the 8,600 who remain there have resorted to fashioning makeshift tents using discarded clothing and tree branches in order to provide at least some shelter from the elements. The heat has been punishing over the last week with temperatures soaring into the high 90s. Families have resorted to bathing in the grimy water of the Rio Grande river to cool off. The squalor is more reminiscent of a Developing World country than the land of the American dream, which thousands of migrants have fled to in the hopes of claiming asylum and building a better life. Empty water bottles, food containers and other litter is strewn around while mountains of garbage tower up high into the air. An aerial photo shows the huge piles of garbage from above, which are seen just steps away from the places young children call home. In another image, women and young children are seen lying among plastic bottles and an empty Oreo packet, on the ground which is covered in the remnants of trees that have been used to fashion the shelters. Another photo shows a Haitian passport in a pile of trash including empty aluminum cans, an old shoe and discarded clothing. The cramped conditions have also fueled fears of a COVID-19 outbreak - especially given that the migrants crossing the border are not required to be vaccinated before entering the US. Women and young children are seen lying on the ground of the camp among plastic bottles, empty Oreo packets and food containers A young girl stands in the place that she currently calls home in a makeshift camp under the Del Rio bridge in Texas Almost 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants were camped out under the bridge at the weekend after crossing into the US from Mexico. Many fled Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and have been living in South American countries including Brazil and Chile. But since these nations have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Haitians have traveled up through South America and Mexico to seek asylum in the US. Biden has been blamed after a May proclamation that Haitians in the US would not be deported for 18 months because of instability in their home country, and could apply for documentation to work in the US. That only applied to Haitians already in the US at the time, but thousands have since made the trip to the border in a bid to take advantage of it. Most of them live in Chile and Brazil, having moved there after the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed 200,000. Border Patrol agents struggling to process the vast numbers of people quickly enough set up the makeshift camp under the bridge as a temporary home. Last week, concerns rose that there would not be enough food, water and basic supplies to provide for the thousands of migrants living at the site. Meanwhile, Mexico has begun busing and flying Haitian migrants away from the U.S. border, authorities said Tuesday, signaling a new level of support for the United States. Mexico has helped at key moments before. It intensified patrols to stop unaccompanied Central American children from reaching the Texas border in 2014, allowed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration courts in 2019 and, just last month, began deporting Central American migrants to Guatemala after the Biden administration flew them to southern Mexico. A migrant walks past a pile of garbage at the camp under the Del Rio bridge in Texas on the US-Mexico border Tuesday night Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, said Tuesday he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, about the Haitians' situation. Ebrard said most of the Haitians already had refugee status in Chile or Brazil and weren't seeking it in Mexico. 'What they are asking for is to be allowed to pass freely through Mexico to the United States,' Ebrard said. In Haiti, dozens of migrants upset about being deported from the U.S. tried to rush back into a plane that landed Tuesday afternoon in Port-au-Prince as they yelled at authorities. A security guard closed the plane door in time as some deportees began throwing rocks and shoes at the plane. Several of them lost their belongings in the scuffle as police arrived. The group was disembarking from one of three flights scheduled for the day. EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of Haitian migrants who flocked to Del Rio were already working and living comfortably as refugees in CHILE and only set off for the US after Biden scrapped Trump-era deportation policy The secret behind the Haitians who have turned up in Del Rio, Texas is that they didn't migrate from Haiti at all but from Chile, where they had been granted asylum and were working and living comfortably as refugees. The dozens of Chilean identity cards that litter the ground in Ciudad Acuna, just across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, all bear distinctly non-Hispanic names. There is Prosper Pierre for instance, or Linode Lafleur or Eddyson Jean-Charles. None of the cards carries a name such as Gonzalez or Munoz or Rojas. A closer look shows three telling letters - HTI - on the cards where they ask for the bearer's nationality. These are the discarded ID cards of Haitians who have turned up in Del Rio by the thousands. But they haven't come from Port-au-Prince or Cap-Haitien or any other city in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. These have mainly come from Santiago, the glittering capital of relatively prosperous Chile. Many had jobs there. 'As one put it to me, 'I love Chile, it's 1,000 times better than Haiti,' migration expert Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies told DailyMail.com. 'But I want to come to the United States, that's a million times better.' These are the discarded ID cards of the Haitian migrants who have turned up in Del Rio by the thousand after leaving Chile, where they were living as refugees DailyMail.com has learned that the majority of Haitians in Del Rio have actually come from Chile or Brazil, where they have been living as refugees for years, and only set off for the US after Biden opened the borders. The migrants were stopped in Tapachula, Mexico after the Biden administration pressured Mexican authorities not to let them come further north, but were suddenly released on September 12 The majority of the Haitian migrants have come from Chile - the wealthiest country in Latin America - and Brazil - the fifth wealthiest - where they have been living in modest comfort in Santiago and Sao Paulo for the past five or six years. There are an estimated 150,000 Haitians in Chile and around 125,000 in Brazil - tiny fractions of the two million that live in the United States. But as US immigration rules became tougher, people desperate to leave the impoverished island began to look to South America as a haven. Bensman revealed that he has not met any Haitian in Del Rio or Acuna who has come directly from their Caribbean-island homeland. 'None of these Haitians are from Haiti. None of them. These Haitians are all from Chile and Brazil,' he said. 'When Biden got in, word went out and they decided, we're coming now. That was the decision point. I've interviewed 60 to 70 Haitians over the last year and it's always the same story Joe Biden opened the border so we decided we could upgrade our lifestyle. 'I interviewed a guy an hour ago who said he was living in Brazil and making good money but he said he heard everyone was getting into America so he came.' The immigrants traveled up from South America on a path that took them through Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before landing in a camp across the Mexican border in Tapachula. There they stayed at the behest of the Biden administration who pressured Mexican authorities not to let them come further north. That was until Sunday September 12, when Mexico suddenly said they are free to go, said Bensman. So they headed for the United States. Del Rio was the destination of choice because unlike most other places on the border the local branch of the Los Zetos cartel allows them to cross for free, DailyMail.com has learned. In most Mexican frontier towns, coyotes charge fees of up to $10,000 per head to smuggle people across the border. But Del Rio is different, and by last weekend, just a week after they were freed from Tapachula, thousands had camped out under the Del Rio International Bridge - overwhelming the city of just 35,000 people. Border Patrol agents stand guard on the U.S. side of the bank of the Rio Grand river on Thursday The sight of the squalid camp infuriated local politicians and saw the Biden administration scramble to get extra Border Patrol officers to the area while announcing that all the migrants camped in Del Rio would be deported back to Haiti. A miles-long steel barrier of state-owned vehicles was put in place on Wednesday to physically keep the immigrants - who had dumped their identity cards at the border so US authorities would not know where their journey had started from getting away from the border. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Bensman who has spent the past week with the Haitians in Ciudad Acuna said the absence of smuggling fees made the Del Rio sector the cheapest on the border. 'The cartel landscape is not the same in Del Rio as it is in Rio Grande Valley and other parts of Arizona and California. It's different everywhere. 'In this sector, there's never really been cartel human smuggling on the same scale I'm sure you can find a coyote here if you need one. 'People just cross on their own and make their way into the US without paying anyone. You'll pay further south in Texas but if you come through here, you pay nothing. 'It's cheaper. It's a lot cheaper. It's life-changing cheaper.' Other nationalities have also cottoned on to the lack of cartel activity in the Del Rio sector with Cuban migrant Williams Rodriguez, 28, telling DailyMail.com: 'We found out [about Del Rio] thanks to several people who were crossing into American lands and they told us what the route was like. As a result, 15,000 Haitian migrants were encamped under the Del Rio International Bridge by last weekend - overwhelming the tiny Texas city of just 35,000 people 'We knew it would be dangerous and we knew we are risking our lives but as the saying goes, he who does not take risks, does not win.' His friend Luis, 56, added: 'We were told this was the only place to cross.' President Joe Biden suspended Trump's border program on his first day of office and the Homeland Security Department ended it in June, drawing an influx of migrants to the border over the past few months Bensman, a fellow of National Security Studies at the CIS, also said that many of the Haitians claim Mexico had turned a blind eye to their movements after months of penning them up on their southern border. Most of the migrants traveled from Tapachula province where they had trapped by roadblocks manned by the Mexican National Guard and had been forced to comply with onerous immigration rules that include getting their papers stamped every two days. The rules were introduced under the Trump administration sparking riots among the Haitian and African migrants trapped there. Biden had asked Mexico to keep the measures in place. 'Remember the Haitians had been causing problems down there because they were so frustrated by the requirements, Bensman explained. 'My speculation is that the Mexicans felt like this was becoming too much of a problem for them so they simply let them flush north.' Many of the Haitians say they were allowed to pass as a celebration of El Grito - the September 16 holiday marking the eve of Mexican independence'But I really think it was more of a holiday present for the people of Tapachula who were going to have parades and their celebrations and all that,' said Bensman. Footage emerged Monday of scores of mostly Haitian migrants returning to the Mexico side of the Rio Grande River crossing as DHS accelerates deportations Migrants are guided by Border Patrol agents as they prepare to board a bus from the migrant camp in Del Rio to be taken to other parts of the US for processing A bus to transport migrants to other parts of the US for processing is seen by the Del Rio bridge in Texas Tuesday night 'I think they just said we're going to have El Grito without 50,000 angry Haitians here.' The migrant camp under the Del Rio International Bridge is currently being dismantled by Border Patrol, who are busing people out and putting them on deportation flights back to Haiti. On Tuesday, four flights left the US from Harlingen, Texas, bound for the capital, Port-au-Prince. Two more from Laredo and Harlingen were scheduled for Wednesday, with up to six more due to take off each day until the camp is cleared. On Sunday, 2,300 migrants crossed back into Mexico after hearing of the flights and made a break for other border towns such as Reynosa where more Haitian refugees are gathering. Bensman says others plan to wait it out in Ciudad Acuna or are traveling back to Tapachula to dodge deportation. He said: 'They have left the camp in Del Rio because they fear they will be deported and it's credible because all of them have text messages and photos sent from the tarmac in Port-au-Prince A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande There was even a takeover of an ICE bus by Haitians who realized knew they were being taken to an airport instead of being released into America, he added. 'Some of the Haitians were nonplussed because their friends in Haiti said don't believe the Americans, don't get on the bus. If you get on the bus, they'll take you to the airport. 'So all of these people were running away from the buses, the bus loading that's going on, because the Americans are not telling them where they're going. 'That's why this camp is over. Remember, these people living Chile and Brazil. They told me they would far rather live in Mexico or Chile than be returned to Haiti. 'It's the ultimate horror for them. But they take their gamble and sometimes it doesn't work out. 'They had two dollars and they figured, well I want five dollars so they put their money on the table and they've ended up in debt.' 'Word went out - we're not going to deport you': Ted Cruz says migrant crisis grew from 900 in early September to 15,000 just weeks later after Biden CANCELED flights back to Haiti: Hundreds seek asylum in Mexico after crackdown Ted Cruz has slammed Joe Biden's chaotic management of the migrant border crisis, saying thousands of desperate Haitians rushed to Texas after the president canceled deportation flights. Up to 15,000 migrants have been living in squalid conditions in an impromptu camp that sprang up under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande from the Texas town Del Rio to Mexico's Ciudad Acuna. The Department of Homeland Security say they have removed 4,600 people in recent days from the site but have not revealed how many have been released into the US. The White House has also refused to answer when, if ever, Biden has visited the border, even in his previous roles as vice president and senator. Following the recent crackdown in response to the huge influx, hundreds of migrants have instead headed to Mexico's refugee agencies and shelters amid the chaotic scenes. Speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Cruz, a Republican Texas senator, said: 'What's happening in Del Rio really illustrates the cause-and-effect of the Biden border disaster. To really understand it, you have to go back to September 8. Ted Cruz has slammed Joe Biden's management of the migrant border crisis, saying thousands of Haitians rushed to Texas after the president canceled deportation flights Up to 15,000 migrants have been living in squalid conditions in an impromptu camp that sprang up under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande 'On September 8, under that bridge, there were, on any given day, between 700 and 1,000 illegal immigrants, mostly from Haiti. 'On September 8 there were roughly 900 Haitians that were scheduled to be on airplanes to go back to Haiti and the Biden administration canceled those flights. 'They said, 'We're not gonna deport you. You can stay here. You can remain in America.' 'And what happened was simple. Those 900 Haitians, they pulled out their phones. And they got their phone and they called their families, they called their friends. They texted their family and friends.' Migrants have been using Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp to share detailed instructions with friends and family back home on how to cross the border into the US, it was recently revealed. The White House has refused to answer when, if ever, Biden has visited the border, even in his previous roles as vice president and senator Cruz continued: 'You had 700 people on September 8. I was down in Del Rio eight days later on September 16. The day I was there, 700 people had become 10,503. It took eight days for that to happen. 'Within a couple of days that 10,000 had become 15,000 and it was straight cause-and-effect. The word went out that the Biden administration is not going to enforce the law. 'And if you're from Haiti, come to Del Rio because that means you get to stay, and that's what's produced this disaster.' Biden initially suspended repatriation flights to Haiti after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and damaged more than 100,000 homes. But he has since stepped up the deportation blitz in order to curb the number of undocumented migrants flooding into Del Rio as thousands continued to arrive. The official line is that Haitians are being expelled from the US back to the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation under a Donald Trump-era rule. Under Title 42, migrants can be repatriated to their home nations without the possibility of requesting asylum due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 523 Haitians have since been deported to their homeland on four flights, with repatriations set to continue on a regular basis, the Department of Homeland Security said. But thousands of migrants have also been freed into the US on a 'very, very large scale' rather than being flown out as the Biden administration promised, according to officials. It's estimated as many as 5,000 migrants have been allowed in. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been forced to use 'unprecedented' methods to prevent more from entering his state by creating a 'steel barrier' of hundreds of vehicles at the border. Migrants exit a Border Patrol bus and prepare to be received by the Val Verde Humanitarian Coalition after crossing the Rio Grande on Wednesday They are lined up outside Del Rio in Texas, which has seen an influx of 14,600 migrants who crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the US. An estimated 8,600 remained in the town of 35,000 people as of Tuesday night, with 1,083 so far deported back to Haiti Abbott visited the site on Tuesday and praised DPS and Texas National Guard for creating the barrier by using hundreds of state-owned vehicles, almost all of which appear to be bulky SUVs. Unlike Abbott, Biden is yet to witness the scenes of chaos firsthand, where migrants are living in squalid conditions and forced to sleep on the ground under makeshift tents from discarded clothing and tree branches in searing heat. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on whether Biden had visited the southern border at all in his life but she said she could not provide a date. The president has frequently visited areas affected by natural disasters but is yet to make a trip to the current crisis emerging in Texas. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said: 'Has Joe Biden ever been to the border? It's a question that needs to be answered by the president, who is presiding over the most disastrous border crisis in decades. 'The RNC Research team investigated and has been unable to find a single example of Biden visiting the border in at least a decade, even when he was Obama's border czar. Biden created a humanitarian crisis at the border and refuses to take responsibility for it. 'The buck stops with him, and it is long past time for Biden to make the trip, see the devastating impacts of his open border policies for himself, and address the crises his failed policies created.' Filippo Grandi, the head of the UN refugee agency, has warned that US expulsions to such a volatile situation might violate international law. The chaotic scenes at the border and news of the expulsion flights convinced some Haitian migrants transiting through Mexico that it would be better to petition for legal status there, rather than risk crossing the U.S. border. 'My thinking is to find a better life, wherever I find it... I never said it had to be in the United States,' said Wilner Plaisir, a Haitian asylum seeker waiting outside the offices of the Mexican refugee agency COMAR in Mexico City on Wednesday. John Rourke on Wednesday night told of the distressing scenes he saw in Del Rio, Texas 'If I can find work, I'll stay here with my family,' said the construction worker. Statistics published by COMAR show that 18,883 Haitians applied for asylum in Mexico in the first eight months of this year, the second-highest nationality after Hondurans. Border Patrol agents were so concerned about the escalating situation at the border that they requested additional resources three months ago - but their concerns were not acted on by superiors. Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council local president told CNN that the union on June 1 suggested improvements to the system. Anfinsen said that they wanted agents to be sent to the border with tablets to start the intake process when a large group crosses the river, instead of having the group wait there while space is cleared in the station. 'This way, we can at least get part of the process finished before they even get to the station instead of wasting that time,' said the email. The union followed up on June 3, and also suggested placing a trailer in the area for additional staff, to deal with a predicted surge. On June 17, the union received a one-sentence response: 'This is being explored, several other platforms are being considered which are more efficient.' Meanwhile an Army veteran who organizes annual clean-ups of American cities has told of his shock at the squalid conditions along the border. John Rourke, founder of the Great American Clean-Up, said that he and his team were taken aback at the scenes. Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, was in the city on Monday but Rourke told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that more needed to be done. 'Let me tell you what I saw,' Rourke said. 'I saw people washing babies in the Rio Grande. 'I saw ladies breastfeeding babies, sleeping in dirt, 107 degrees outside, red ants everywhere, real coyotes - the ones that have four legs walking around. 'It's like Naked And Afraid: the southern border edition, out there. 'People are literally knocking down trees and setting up lean-tos and teepees and sleeping under those.' He said he and his colleagues 'picked up thousands of pounds of garbage along the southern border.' Two people have been found dead at a home in the town of Capel in Western Australia's south west. A 47-year-old man has been taken into police custody and is assisting officers with their inquiries. He is being treated at Bunbury Hospital for minor injuries. The deceased, believed to be an elderly couple, were located in a house in Berkshire Street, Capel this morning, police confirmed. The deceased were found inside a location at Berkshire Street, Capel (above) in Western Australia this morning, police confirmed The street was cordoned off at Upson Street as a crime scene was established after the discovery of the bodies. Homicide detectives are understood to be travelling from Perth to Capel, 196km south of the West Australian capital. The discovery of the two bodies only weeks after father-of-three Tony Ditri was murdered in the the nearby town of Pemberton on August 27. Local farmer John Della Franca was subsequently charged with his murder. 'We have just dealt with another community in the South West that had a homicide investigation and that community is reeling,' South West District Superintendent Geoff Stewart told the media. 'Capel will be reeling from this. People would have seen activity today from what's occurring and now hearing what's occurred... 'It is going to affect the community without a doubt. 'Our thoughts are with the people involved, their family and the community of Capel.' Supt Stewart urged anyone with information to contact CrimeStoppers. Former President Trump promised 'huge findings in Arizona' and claimed that he would be vindicated in a Friday afternoon press briefing on the state's GOP- led senate's election audit commission. 'The audit has uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of FRAUD!,' Trump claimed in a Friday morning statement. 'This is a major criminal event and should be investigated by the Attorney General immediately.' But a report on the audit's findings found the $6million review of more than 2million 2020 election ballots in Arizona has confirmed Biden's win in Maricopa County. In fact, findings widened Biden's win by 360 votes, to 45,469 more votes than Trump. 'The Fake News is lying about the Arizona audit report! The leaked report conclusively shows there were enough fraudulent votes, mystery votes, and fake votes to change the outcome of the election 4 or 5 times over,' the former president insisted. In his count, Trump claims there is evidence of tens of thousands of mail-in ballots from people who no longer live at the address on record, people who voted in multiple counties, people who voted in Maricopa County but no longer live there and duplicate ballots. 'There is fraud and cheating in Arizona and it must be criminally investigated! More is coming out in the hearing today,' he said. GOP leaders in the Arizona senate will present their findings at 4 p.m. EDT in a news conference. Private contractors prepared the draft report of the recount which confirms President Joe Biden's win in the county. The finalized version is set to be released on Friday. The draft, obtained by the Washington Post, concluded 45,469 more ballots were cast for Biden than for Trump in the county. The findings gave Biden another 360 votes over Trump. Arizona counted all of Maricopa County's ballots by hand, which included bizarre steps like scanning for bamboo fibers to investigate a claim the ballots were shipped into the state from Asia, according to Forbes. The draft report concluded the count had 'no substantial differences' than the certified tally. Hours before the draft was made public, Trump said in a statement: 'Everybody will be watching Arizona tomorrow to see what the highly respected auditors and Arizona State Senate found out regarding the so-called Election!' Arizona's election audit found 'no substantial differences' after the draft report tallied 360 vote lead for Biden. The finalized report is set to release on Friday Private contractors (pictured) recounted the votes by hand in Arizona. The draft report was 'close' to the certified results The report shuts down Trump's unsubstantiated fraud claims after he claimed tabulating machines had miscounted paper ballots across several states or had been hacked. Trump initially lost Arizona by about 10,000 votes. He and his allies alleged that fraud cost him the state. Arizona Senate Republicans used their subpoena power to access ballots, counting machines and electronic data in Maricopa County, home to about 60 percent of Arizonas voters, for an audit. However, the recount was criticized as chaotic: auditors searching for watermarks were told by state election officials the ballots were not watermarked; reports suggested they were also looking for traces of bamboo as evidence the papers were smuggled in from Asia. Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninja, But for a steady stream of Republicans the audit was seen as a model for what could be done in other closely contested states 'I wouldnt be surprised if they found thousands and thousands and thousands of votes. So were going to watch that very closely,' Trump told a crowd at Mar-a-Lago recently. 'And after that, youll watch Pennsylvania and youll watch Georgia and youre going to watch Michigan and Wisconsin.' Some of his most high-profile - and most controversial - supporters made a beeline for the Arizona recount to support the effort. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz stopped off on their America First tour in May. Rep. Matt Gaetz is one of the high-profile Republicans who has traveled to Arizona and called for its audit to be used for as a model for other disputed states 'We are here in Arizona to stand in solidarity with the Arizona election audit, Gaetz told a crowd of several hundred Trump supporters, adding that he hoped it would be the start of a bigger movement. He said: 'Its my belief that Arizona will be the launch pad for elections audits and election integrity efforts all over this great country.' Randy Pullen, a spokesperson for the ballot review, said the draft version was 'close' to the final report, but told the Washington Post there will be 'updates in the final report.' 'Was there massive fraud or anything? it doesn't look like it,' he told an NPR affiliate in Phoenix. The document included a key warning of caution that further investigation is warranted, the Washington Post reported. Maricopa County confirmed the audit results finalized Joe Biden's win in the state, but reported 'the report is also littered with errors' about how Maricopa conducted their 2020 General Election Maricopa County confirmed on Twitter the 'General Election was accurate and the candidates certified as the winders did, in fact, win.' It also warned that 'the report is also littered with errors & faulty conclusions about how Maricopa conducted the 2020 General Election.' Many Twitter users celebrated Biden 'winning Arizona for the 11,789th time,' with one user saying to 'got my popcorn ready.' Arizona's ballot review began in April over the Republican-led county leadership's objections. Republican State Senate President Karen Fann led the campaign and publicly stated that the goal was not to revisit Biden's win, but to look for ways to improve the state's election laws. Lawmakers subpoenaed a copy of Maricopa County's ballots and voting machines, which were handed over to private contractors, according to the Washington Post. In May, all seven of Maricopa's elected officials, including five Republicans, called the review a 'con' and demanded the Senate end the review. 'Our democracy is imperiled,' they wrote in a letter to Fann. Maricopa's County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers (R) said the findings mean 'the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters. That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise' Maricopa's County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers (R) said in a statement that the findings mean 'the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters. That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise,' he told the Washington Post. Trump allies are already downplaying the draft report, saying it is 'only a partial report.' Republican State Senator Wendy Rogers wrote on Twitter: 'I just talked to Doug Logan via phone. The leaked draft is simply a draft and is only a partial report. 'Tomorrow's hearing will render findings of great consequence. Then he said "god is in control". Please pray for our audit team tomorrow as they present their findings.' Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, oversaw the audit despite the company having no experience working elections. Forbes revealed that Logan has spread outrageous conspiracy theories that a company tied to Hugo Chavez, the long-dead Venezuelan dictator, rigged voting machines against Trump Election experts are advising Arizona's recount serve as a warning sign to other Republican legislators who have agreed to recount their ballots, the Washington Post reported. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas have all agreed to review their own 2020 election after responding to pressure from Trump. 'Every time Trump and his supporters have been given a forum to make their case, they have swung and missed, said Ben Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer who has criticized Trump's fraud claims. Republican State Senator Wendy Rogers called the draft 'only a partial report' and asked for prayers for the audit team 'If Trump and his supporters cant prove it here with the process theyve designed then they cant prove it anywhere,' he said in an organized call to reporters. Trump sent a letter to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday asking to 'act now' and issue a recount on the 2020 election ballots in the state. Texas election officials said Thursday night they were auditing the 2020 results in four large counties. The audited counties will include the major Democratic strongholds around Houston and Dallas, as well as Tarrant County, which for years has been the largest GOP-controlled county in Texas but went for President Joe Biden last year. The former president, who won Texas in the election by 5.5 percentage points, did not make any specific allegations to back up his recount audit besides 'I hear Texans want an election audit.' 'Your citizens dont trust the election system, and they want your leadership on this issue, which is the number one thing they care about, Trump said in the letter to Abbott. Trump's win in the Lone Star State was the closest margin of victory by a GOP presidential nominee in decades. 'Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas's two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties," a statement from the state read. It went on to say the office expects the Legislature to provide funding for the audit. It was not clear who would conduct the review. A Sydney eyebrow artist busted buying cocaine during Covid lockdown has started proceedings to have her conviction overturned. Kristin Fisher was convicted and fined $550 after she failed to appear in Waverley Court on Tuesday charged with possessing a prohibited drug and failing to comply with public health orders. But on Friday, a date was set for Fisher, who goes by her married name Barnes in court documents, to fight the criminal conviction. Her solicitor Michael Bowe hopes to have her conviction annulled when the matter returns to Waverley Court on October 6. Fisher insists she wasn't aware of the Tuesday court date and would have been present if she had known, Mr Bowe said. Kristin Fisher was convicted and fined $550 after she failed to appear in Waverley Court on Tuesday charged with possessing a prohibited drug and failing to comply with public health orders The 36-year-old cooled off at Nielson Park Beach, in Sydney's east, on Friday with a friend as her lawyer lodged the legal application. She's maintained a relatively low profile since the latest court hearing, but shared several pictures relaxing in the sun on Friday afternoon. Police found Fisher in the backseat of a drug dealer's Kia Rio in Bondi, in Sydney's east, late in the evening on July 17. The car was initially pulled over for allegedly illegally overtaking another vehicle, but police say Fisher's suspicious behaviour prompted them to investigate further. Officers allegedly found two bags of cocaine at the mother-of-two's feet, claiming she was 'frantic' and tried to leave the car through the opposite side door. Court documents state the mother-of-two was 'frantic in the passenger seat, attempting to leave the vehicle and evade police interaction'. Police found Fisher in the backseat of a drug dealer's Kia Rio in Bondi, in Sydney's east, late in the evening on July 17 When police asked the driver how she knew Fisher, they allege the dealer was unable to give any details or even tell officers her name. The beautician allegedly told officers she'd been picked up from her Double Bay home to purchase the drugs but claimed she hadn't handed over any cash. Fisher is one of Sydney's most in demand beauticians and runs a salon in the affluent suburb of Double Bay. Before the government agreed to reopen beauty salons when the state achieved a 70 per cent vaccination rate, Fisher offered to provide her services to clients as a workaround to Covid-19 health orders. The services would only be offered to fully-vaccinated customers and who live within a 5km radius as groups of five double jabbed residents are now allowed to gather outside together. 'Eyebrows in the park from September 13. Who's in?' She posted to Instagram last month. Some of Fisher's most well-known clients jumped at the opportunity to have their brows touched up sooner than expected. Instagram influencer Indy Clinton was one of the first to lock in an appointment, saying: 'I will be there before the sun even rises. Count me in'. Celebrity stylist Suze Eskaner instantly asked where she could book, while model Steffanie Tzeneros joked: 'Pls my eyebrows are connecting'. Kate Waterhouse, the daughter of horse trainer and businesswoman Gai, and designer Brooke Testoni both also indicated they'd be keen to book an appointment. A police officer has been charged with 'departmental charges' in the March 2020 death of Daniel Prude, a black man who died of asphyxiation after he was covered with a hood and pressed against the ground while in custody. 'The Rochester Police Department's Conflict Counsel has determined potential grounds for legal recourse in the case of Officer (Mark) Vaughn, as it relates to the March 23, 2020, incident', the department said in a statement late Thursday. No other officers involved in the arrest were charged. A formal hearing will be scheduled later, the police department said, adding that they support Vaughn's right to defend himself against the charges. Prude's brother said the charge was the closest thing to justice that he has seen in 18 months, according to an ABC affiliate. Daniel Prude (pictured) died in March 2020, several days after police officers put a spit hood over his head and pressed his naked body against the street until he stopped breathing Prude was naked and in handcuffs when the 'spit hood' was put over his head after his brother called 911 seeking help for his erratic behavior The shocking bodycam footage sparked protests in Rochester, New York Paramedics arrived as Prude was wrestled to the floor, still wearing the 'spit hood' 'I don't care what the charges are. You being charged with something. You did something wrong,' Joe Prude said. Reuters was not immediately able to contact Vaughn and did not have any information about his legal representation. The circumstances of Prude's death fueled protests last year against police violence in the United States following other incidents in which police killed Black men and women. The March 23, 2020 video of the 41-year-old father-of-five's fatal encounter with officers was initially withheld by police in part because of concerns it would inflame nationwide protests over George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's deaths. Ultimately it was released September 4th and showed officers placing a mesh bag over Prudes head to stop him from spitting after they detained him for running naked through the streets. Prude had been evaluated at a hospital for odd behavior a day earlier, but he wasnt admitted. His family called police because they were concerned about Prudes safety after he bolted from the house. One officer pushed Prudes face against the ground, while another officer pressed a knee to his back. The officers held him down for about two minutes until he fell unconscious. He was taken off life support a week later. Officers Troy Taladay, Paul Ricotta, Francisco Santiago, Andrew Specksgoor, Josiah Harris and Mark Vaughn, along with Sgt. Michael Magri, were suspended after Prudes death became public. In March of this year, Prude's family charged the city with wrongfully causing his death, failing to properly train its officers and not holding them accountable. Protesters react after a grand jury voted not to indict officers in Prude's death in February His family have slammed New York Attorney General Letitia James' probe, saying it was far less diligent than her investigation into Cuomo Prude's estate accused officers of causing his death when they restrained him on the ground while he was naked during an apparent mental health crisis, in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Rochester this year. In February, a grand jury declined to indict any of the officers after an investigation led by state Attorney General Letitia James. James said her office had 'presented the strongest case possible' to the grand jury, but couldn't persuade it that the officers had committed a crime. Following James' failure to get an indictment, she proposed new criminal justice reform legislation in the Police Accountability Act to make it easier to prosecute police officers. 'In New York, our laws have essentially given police blanket defense to use force in interactions with the public, making it exceedingly difficult for prosecutors to go after officers who have abused this power,' James said in May. 'Not only is that gravely unjust, but it has also proven to be incredibly dangerous.' For the Prude family, any such law comes too late for Daniel. 'In theory, additional legislation making sure that police officers don't use excessive force against people is a good thing, but in this case, it was a response to her failure,' Attorney Shields said. 'She blamed the system, but she's the system that failed Daniel Prude.' Seven people have been injured after an elderly driver ploughed his car into a Starbucks in the Gold Coast. Loud screams and explosions could be heard across the popular dining strip in Broadbeach, Queensland after the crash about 2pm on Friday. Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries, while two others did not require treatment. More to come Seven people have been injured after an elderly driver ploughed his car into a Starbucks in the Gold Coast Paramedics, fire crews and police were called to the scene in Broadbeach about 2pm on Friday Scott Morrison has been left floundering on the world stage after being asked a question in French by a reporter at a press conference in Washington. The Australian Prime Minister was asked if he had a message for French President Emmanuel Macron after a recent diplomatic rift - and whether he agreed with Boris Johnson's comments Mr Macron should 'donnez-moi un break'. The UK Prime Minister was suggesting - in a clumsy mixture of schoolboy English and French - that Mr Macron should 'give him a break'. 'Well I don't speak French,' the Australian PM responded with an awkward laugh. 'That wasn't one of my strongest suits when I was at school or even university,' he continued. 'But Boris has a way of expressing things that only Boris can.' Australia's leader revealed he is being given the cold shoulder by his French counterpart (pictured together in 2021) Relations with France have been strained after Australia and the UK announced the AUKUS security alliance last week. The deal involved Australia tearing up a long-standing $90billion deal to buy a dozen French submarines and instead acquiring nuclear submarines from the United States and UK. 'My message would be this,' Mr Morrison continued on. 'We value our relationship with France. We still have about $6billion worth of defence contracts with French companies. 'Our door is wide open, the invitation is there. We understand the hurt and disappointment and we'll be patient as we look forward to working with our friends again'. Mr Morrison flew to France in June to meet with Mr Macron (pictured) but can't even get secure a phone call Australia's plans to acquire at least eight US or British nuclear-powered vessels after months of secret talks sparked fury in Paris. France in retaliation cancelled a cocktail party to mark US-French ties, recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra and accused both countries of backstabbing and lies. While US President Joe Biden and Macron have moved to patch up their differences in a 30-minute phone call, which the White House described on Wednesday as 'friendly', there has been no such effort made with the Australian PM. Morrison said he had tried to reach out to the French leader but had been snubbed and the call had 'not yet' happened. France plans to return its ambassador to Washington next week, but there is no announcement yet on the return of the French ambassador to Canberra. Mr Morrison said in Washington he doesn't speak French when asked if Mr Macron should 'donnez moi un break' or 'give him a break' (pictured) US President Joe Biden is set to host the first in-person gathering of leaders of an Indo-Pacific alliance known as ' the Quad' on Friday in at the White House. Biden is meeting with leaders from India, Japan and Australia to give the U.S. president a chance to put the spotlight on a central aim of his foreign policy: turning greater attention to the Pacific. The U.S. has become concerned with China's coercive economic practices and unsettling military manoeuvring in the region. The four leaders' talks are also expected to centre on climate, Covid-19 response and cyber security. Before the summit, the Japanese and Indian governments welcomed the AUKUS alliance and the deal to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The deal was forged to allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give the country an edge on the Chinese navy. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says he's confident international students and skilled workers would be able to travel to Australia 'sooner rather than later'. He said the federal government was working on bringing back overseas students to the country, with talks under way with states and territories. The comments come as his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet announced plans to restart the international student sector in the state once key vaccination targets were reached. 'We will be bringing back international students in due course and we've been discussing that with the NSW government and it's something we've been thinking about internally,' Mr Frydenberg told major businesses in an online address on Friday. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the federal government was working on bringing back overseas students to Australia 'It's inevitable that (the return) will happen and I'm confident it could happen sooner rather than later.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier on Friday that travel would be possible once vaccination targets hit 80 per cent. He said students and skilled workers would be able to be welcomed back to the country once they were fully vaccinated. The NSW government said it expected to see the return of hundreds of international students by year's end, although not from key markets such as China and Nepal due to vaccination restrictions. The NSW plan would require all international students to be fully vaccinated with vaccines that have been recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which include Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. Students vaccinated with other vaccines, such as Sinovac, will not be allowed to enter. All international students will have to be fully vaccinated with vaccines that have been recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson welcomed the proposal. 'Today's announcement will bring hope and certainty for many students who have been patiently waiting to return to NSW campuses and realise their dream of a world-class Australian education,' she said. 'Universities around the nation have been working diligently on pilot plans, and the NSW scheme will be closely watched.' ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he expected students to be able to return to Canberra in 2022. He told reporters on Friday a pilot program was not needed in the territory. 'If we look at trying to get international students back not in a handful, but in much greater numbers, for the commencement of term one, 2022, that's a goal worth working towards,' Mr Barr said. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overruled her own agency's advisory panel in a rare move late Thursday night and added a recommendation for COVID-19 vaccine boosters for people at risk because of their jobs. Dr Rochelle Walensky's decision came after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said third doses should only be for Americans aged 65 and older and those with underlying conditions after six months. Walensky disagreed and put that recommendation back in, noting that such a move aligns with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) booster authorization decision earlier this week. The category she included covers people who live in institutional settings that increase their risk of exposure, such as prisons or homeless shelters, as well as healthcare workers, teachers and grocery store employees. 'As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact,' Walensky wrote in a statement. 'I believe we can best serve the nation's public health needs by providing booster doses for the elderly, those in long-term care facilities, people with underlying medical conditions, and for adults at high risk of disease from occupational and institutional exposures to COVID-19. 'This aligns with the FDA's booster authorization and makes these groups eligible for a booster shot.' CDC Director Rochelle Walensky reversed her own agency's advisory panel in a rare move late Thursday and added a recommendation for boosters for people at risk because of their jobs. Pictured: Walensky speaks during a Senate committee hearing, July 2021 The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted on Thursday to recommend boosters only for those aged 65 and older, long-term care facility residents and those at high risk of severe Covid due to underlying conditions. Pictured: A healthcare worker administers a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a senior living facility in Worcester, Pennsylvania, August 2021 On Thursday afternoon, ACIP voted unanimously to give the shot to people aged 65 and older and long-term care facility residents and 13-2 for Americans between ages 50 and 64 with underlying medical conditions. Boosters were also recommended for those aged 18 to 49 with pre-existing conditions, but the vote was much closer with the recommendation passing 9-6. However, the committee voted against recommended use for those are at risk due to an 'occupational or institutional settings,' claiming there wasn't enough data to make such a recommendation. Until the FDA announced its decision, ACIP was unable to recommend third doses, a necessary step before pharmacists or clinicians can immunize patients. And it marks the first time that the panel has voted against an FDA authorization regarding COVID-19-related issues. Although the CDC is not bound to follow the advisory group's recommendations, this also marks one of the rare instances Walensky has gone against the guidance of ACIP. Last month, boosters were approved for immunocompromised Americans who had received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine after data showed they were less likely to develop high antibody levels after two doses. At least 2.37 million people in the U.S. have received booster doses as of Friday, according to data from the CDC. The White House also announced last month booster shots would become available for all Americans starting on September 20 - a date that has come and gone - due to data suggesting waning efficacy of the initial shots. At the time, Pfizer said its early data suggested people who received booster doses between six and 12 months after their final dose had high levels of protection. The company filed for emergency use authorization for booster doses in late August and submitted data to the FDA, which was made public last week. The documents suggest that protection from two doses of the Pfizer vaccine declines from 96.2 percent at seven days after dose 2 to 90.1 percent two months later to 83.7 percent up to six months later. Pfizer said data suggested efficacy of two doses declines from 96.2% to 83.7% after six months but that a third dose boosts antibody levels (above) What's more, they cited data from Israel showing people fully vaccinated in January 2021 had a 2.26-fold increased risk for breakthrough infections compared to those fully vaccinated in April 2021. Another Israeli study discussed in the documents showed that effectiveness against infection was 39 percent and against symptomatic disease was 40 percent from June 20, 2021 to July 17, 2021, when the Delta variant was the dominant strain. Comparatively, between January and April, these rates were at 95 percent or higher. The team also released data from a clinical trial involving 23 participants who participated in Pfizer's early-stage trials last year. Each had received two doses of the vaccine and were given a booster dose at least six months later. Of the participants, 11 were in the younger adults group of those aged 18 to 55 and 12 were aged 65 to 85. After the third dose, neutralizing antibodies against the original strain of the virus rose five-fold in the 18-to-55 age group and seven-fold in the 65-to-85 group. Against the Delta variant, antibody levels after a booster shot rose five-fold in the younger adult group and 12-fold in the older adult group. But many scientists, including senior officials at the FDA, disagreed with booster shots and argued that the vaccines are still highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. FDA officials also expressed concern over a lack of data on the potential side effects of a third dose, especially for younger adults who may be at risk for heart inflammation. In a separate briefing document also published last week, FDA scientists wrote with a skeptical tone about the need for booster shots. 'Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,' the scientists wrote. They added that studies on booster doses have presented conflicting findings and that 'known and unknown biases that can affect their reliability.' Queensland's deputy premier has suggested Clive Palmer's plans for a new coal-fired power station might be another one of his pipe dreams. Steven Miles won't yet use his call-in powers to halt the project because he doubts it will happen. 'Oh look, I try to not get too worried about anything Clive says or does,' Mr Miles told reporters on Friday. 'It was a while ago now he announced we're to be getting a Titanic, we still don't have a Titanic. It was a while ago he announced we'd be getting a dinosaur park, we still don't have a dinosaur park.' He said Mr Palmer's latest 'thought bubble' faced a long approvals process and he would let that play out. Clive Palmer wants to build $3.5 billion coal-fired plant near the outback town of Alpha Asked if he'd exercise his call-in powers, the deputy premier replied: 'It's a long way from needing to take that kind of action.' Conservationists have urged Mr Miles to intervene and stop Mr Palmer's company, Waratah Coal, building the $3.5 billion plant near the outback town of Alpha. The Australian Conservation Foundation has accused the company of trying to sidestep conventional approval processes by lodging is development application with the Barcaldine Regional Council in central Queensland. Barcaldine Mayor Sean Dillon told the ABC's 7.30 program it was 'virtually without precedent' for such a project to be left in the hands of a council. But he also denied the local authority was out of its depth, saying it had used contract town planners and had engaged with relevant state agencies. A spokesman for Mr Palmer has told AAP that Waratah Coal's application to the council for a material change of use is 'absolutely a normal process'. The state government has said Queensland does not need another power station given it has a young fleet of publicly owned coal-fired generators. It's also said the council must wait for advice from the State Assessment and Referral Agency before making a decision on the plant. Conservationists want Queensland's deputy premier Steven Miles to intervene and scrap the project (pictured, stock image) The environment department is assessing an application for environmental authority to build it but any consultation relating to the social impact assessment will be a matter for the council. ACF spokesman Jason Liddith said it was wrong for a company to use local planning laws designed to deal with things like carports to get a coal-fired power plant across the line. 'The Queensland government should be setting our state's climate and energy policy - not Clive Palmer,' Mr Liddith has told AAP. 'A power plant as big as Stanwell is clearly a project that affects Queensland's economy and environment. This plan flies in the face of efforts to prevent catastrophic climate change, to save the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree and the Wet Tropics.' Mr Palmer declined to respond to the deputy premier's comments. Defiant anti-lockdown protestors in Melbourne have finally conceded defeat following days of chaos in the CBD. Secret Telegram messages seen by Daily Mail Australia from a group run by key organisers of the demonstrations thank those involved but admit the week ended in a loss. 'We want you to know we are so proud of everyone in our community, new and old, for their bravery to stand up for their rights in the face of such adversity,' the message read. 'Don't ever forget that we made history that day. Telegram messages seen by Daily Mail Australia from the Freedom Melbourne Rally group run by key organisers of the demonstrations thank those involved but admit the week ended in a loss 'You don't have to win every battle to win the war. Truth always wins in the end. 'We give our sincerest thanks to everyone who showed up over the last week in defence of freedom. 'In the long way to reclaim our rights, we will inevitably suffer losses. Today was one of those days where we were outnumbered and unsuccessful in coming together.' The violent scenes in Melbourne kicked off on Monday when construction workers angry about vaccination mandates mobbed the headquarters of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in the CBD. Hours later Premier Dan Andrews announced he was shutting down Victoria's $22billion construction industry for two weeks from September 21. The closure across Metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, the Surf Coast, Ballarat and Mitchell Shire further angered workers, who marched through the city and clashed with police. On Tuesday, seething anti-vaxxer protesters chased police and pelted squad cars with cans as rallies on the streets descended into chaos yet again. Footage showed tradesmen in hi-vis clothing kicking police cars in the CBD as thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Victoria's Parliament House. A Channel 7 TV reporter covering the march was assaulted by a protester and also had bags filled with urine thrown at him. By the end of the working week, the protests were smaller in numbers in Melbourne - but arrests still followed (pictured, a woman talking to police at All Nations Park in Northcote) Tensions have been high all week in Melbourne's CBD, with residents protesting mandatory vaccinations for building sector workers (pictured) The riot squad (pictured) were called in this week as the protest took a violent turn in Melbourne's CBD Thousands of construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets - many of them distraught after tradesman Stipe Lijovic took his own life at a construction site earlier in the day. Demonstrators then marched to block the West Gate Bridge - a major freeway into Melbourne's CBD - which brought traffic to a standstill during peak hour. Wednesday saw yet another protest, with one man later hospitalised with Covid symptoms after attending the rally. By the end of the working week, protest numbers had reduced - but Covid case numbers in Victoria are surging. The state recorded 733 new cases and one death, a woman in her 80s, from Melbourne's northern suburbs. Friday also saw more than 200 people arrested following unlawful protest activity in Melbourne's CBD and inner north. Riot police were deployed at Northcote Plaza and All Nations Park in Northcote on Friday (pictured) during a major police operation to disrupt another lockdown protest A devastated mother has emotionally confronted the garbage truck driver who mowed down her economics student son before moving his body and fleeing the scene. Tuiniua Fine, 53, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop and assist, and acting with the intention to pervert the course of justice after hitting George Yuhan Lin, 21, in Sydney's CBD in the early hours of February 12, 2020. Fine had been reversing at a speed of about 15km/h - 5km/h over the limit - when he ran over the pedestrian. The body of 21-year-old George Yuhan Lin (pictured) was found in Sydney's CBD in the early hour of February 12, 2020 Lin's body was found that morning on a footpath on Central Street. Fine had put on gloves, got out of the truck and dragged the tutor's body several metres away from where he hit him. The 53-year-old got back into his truck and continued working, before being stopped by police about three hours later and arrested at Kings Cross. His mother Eileen Xie said she wanted to ask the driver 'do you know what you have done, because of your behaviour I lost our most precious son forever'. She intends to visit his grave for the rest of her life. 'The driver who killed my son have you ever imagined if this happened in your family and it was your child, your family member who was killed?' she said in the NSW District Court in Sydney on Friday. 'This is the only way I can get close to my son now. 'My dear son left us a year and a half ago and our hearts are bleeding.' Tuiniua Fine, 53, had been reversing at 15km/h, 5km over the limit when he ran over George Yuhan Lin (pictured Central St where George Yuhan Lin's body was found) Fine's barrister, Evan James, referred to the driver's limited intelligence and the possibility he had gone into a 'disassociated state' after he hit Mr Lin. But prosecutor Cate Dodds rejected the submission, contending there had been a 'deliberateness' about the actions of Fine who had ample time, when he had hit a human being not a milk crate, to let someone know what happened. Judge Sarah Huggett said she did not accept there was evidence to support the disassociated state, but accepted Fine could have panicked in an extremely stressful situation. Fine proceed to get out of his truck, put on gloves and drag the body of the young man several metres away to a footpath. The truck driver is pictured being taken into custody In her victim impact statement, Ms Xie said the family emigrated to Australia from China when her son was aged four. 'George loved this country so much, he loved the life, and loved his family and friends,' she said. 'He was such an excellent and hardworking young man, his wonderful life was just beginning.' In just over a year after emigrating, her son was fluent in English and later attended James Ruse Agricultural High School when he achieved a HSC score of 99.85 He helped other students, being 'a kind young man who was happy to share his knowledge'. Fine (pictured) has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop and assist, and doing an act with the intention to pervert the course of justice. He studied for a double degree in law and economics at the University of Sydney and operated his own economics tuition business, which he felt was a meaningful job. His economics teacher told his parents he had been 'a very special student and person' who wanted economics to benefit society, not just something to make a few people rich. He had planned to be a policymaker in Canberra so he could do something good not just take a corporate job. His mother described the student as a considerate and respectful man who planned to be a policymaker in Canberra Young man's mother wants to ask Fine 'do you know what you have done?' He is set to be sentenced on October 1 (pictured Fine's family members) Ms Xie said her son was considerate and respectful of his parents and on the last Father's Day before he died he took his father to a restaurant and gave him a pair of trousers. He had joked 'Dad I have better taste than you and I will buy your clothes in future'. Fine will be sentenced on October 1. Eric Zemmour, a right-wing talk-show star with ambitions of being the next French president, has become embroiled in a scandal after photos showed him embracing his much younger political aide. The 63-year-old author, who says Mohammed should be banned as a first name and holds convictions for inciting hatred, has three children with his wife of 35 years Mylene Chichportich, 62. But the rising political star, whose campaigns threatens the leadership ambitions of Marine Le Pen, was pictured on the cover of Paris Match magazine with his arm around Sarah Knafo, 28, while swimming in the Mediterranean near Toulon last weekend. Eric Zemmour, pictured with his wife of 35 years Mylene Chichportich, is at the centre of a scandal after photos emerged of him embracing his young political aide The rising political star was pictured on the cover of Paris Match magazine with his arm around Sarah Knafo (pictured), 28 Zemmour has accused Emmanuel Macron of orchestrating the publication of the news to damage his chances in France's presidential elections in April. He tweeted: 'It seems that I am beginning to cause enough worry for Paris Match, the poodle of the governing powers, to try to damage me. I will not be intimidate.' Lawyers representing both Zemmour and Knafo, a senior civil servant on leave to join his campaign, said they will be suing Paris Match for breaching privacy laws. A polarising figure who has made a career of testing the limits of political correctness, Zemmour is climbing in voter surveys despite not having declared himself as a candidate. He has quit his prime-time chat show to comply with electoral rules and described himself as a 'candidate in the debate'. Le Pen is still considered the strongest challenger to Macron's reelection bid, but Zemmour could pull votes away from his less radical right-wing rival. Lawyers representing both Zemmour and Knafo (pictured together), a senior civil servant on leave to join his campaign, said they will be suing Paris Match for breaching privacy laws The centrist president has tirelessly wooed centre-right voters during his first mandate to weaken the mainstream Les Republicains party and engineer a repeat run-off vote against Le Pen, whom he defeated in 2017. 'I've been warning the Elysee for two months now. Zemmour is not good news for us,' said a close ally of Macron. 'The only person who can win against Macron is the centre-right candidate.' But some opponents of Zemmour claim the pundit staged a false expose of his alleged affair to gain publicity and endear him to the French public. Left-wing newspaper Liberation wrote: 'It is difficult not to think that his celebrity coverage follows a well-oiled publicity logic stemming from a wish by Zemmour to keep up the media noise while at the same time humanising himself.' It would not be the first time a French politician has been caught up in a love triangle, and the dalliances are usually met with public amusement and little backlash. Some opponents of Zemmour (pictured during a TV debate with other election hopefuls) claim the pundit staged a false expose of his alleged affair to gain publicity and endear him to the French public Paris Match, which backs Macron and has never put Le Pen on its cover, would have been unlikely to deliberately sabotage Zemmour, insiders told The Times. The magazine's owners are in the process of being taken over by the billionaire owner of CNews, Zemmour's talk-show channel. The photos did spark comments about Zemmour's previous remarks about women, once saying that when they marry, they gain a master. Although a highly controversial figure with his remarks on Muslims, the LGBT community and feminism, Zemmour has tapped into a rising anti-EU and immigration stance growing in France. Launching his book 'France Has Not Yet Said its Final Word' in the southern city of Toulon last week, Zemmour lambasted a 'useless' EU and decried what he called the erosion of French identity during waves of migration. He paints himself as a political outsider in tune with an alienated middle class and in his book draws parallels between himself and former US President Donald Trump. The Paris-born son of Jewish Berbers who emigrated from Algeria in the 1950s, Zemmour calls for the 're-Frenchification' of France. He has said he would prohibit families from giving children non-French first names and outright ban the wearing of religious symbols, such as Islamic headscarves, because they stand in the way of immigrants becoming true French citizens. Sarah Knafo is seen backstage before Eric Zemmour engages in a TV debate yesterday 'We have to tell French people of migrant origin to make a choice on who they are,' Zemmour said. 'The problem, quite simply, is that the French state, its leaders, have out of cowardliness refused to insist this choice be made.' His message resonated with those in the audience in Toulon. 'He's right on many issues, is he not? Are there not too many immigrants?' said Dany Becker who had travelled several hours to hear Zemmour speak. 'If we held referendums on many of these issues, France would agree with him.' Polls have for months shown a runoff between Macron and Le Pen to be the most likely scenario - without Zemmour in the running. Now that Zemmour is signalling a challenge, some 8 per cent -11 per cent of voters say they would back him in the first round. Given Zemmour's support would come largely from Le Pen's voter base, that could open the way for the eventual centre-right challenger to make the runoff, where they would pose a greater threat to Macron than Le Pen. Election tradition holds that the left and right reluctantly coalesce in a two-way runoff to keep the far right out. Seven months before the April 10 first round, none of the mainstream centre-left and centre-right parties have confirmed their candidate, with several big names still on the sidelines. Zemmour this month successfully overturned on appeal one of several convictions for inciting hate. He faces another trial for remarks a year ago when he called unaccompanied child migrants 'thieves, killers, rapists'. German millionaires are rushing to move their assets to Switzerland amid fears of a lurch to the left at Germany's election on Sunday. If the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), hard-left Linke and environmentalist Greens come to power, the reintroduction of a wealth tax and a tightening of inheritance tax could be on the political agenda. 'For the super-rich, this is red hot,' said a German-based tax lawyer with extensive Swiss operations. 'Entrepreneurial families are highly alarmed.' German millionaires are rushing to move their assets to Switzerland amid fears of a lurch to the left at Germany's election on Sunday Angela Merkel feeds rainbow lorikeets at the birdpark in Marlow ahead of Sunday's elections as she steps down from power after 16 years The move shows how many rich people still see Switzerland as an attractive place to park wealth, despite its efforts to abolish its image as a billionaires' safe haven. No country has more offshore assets than Switzerland and inflows accelerated in 2020, to the benefit of big banks such as UBS, Credit Suisse and Julius Baer. Geopolitical tensions and fears of the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout made Switzerland's political stability attractive. Bank for International Settlements data show of German households and companies at banks in Switzerland climbed almost $5billion to $37.5billion in the first quarter of 2021, and this does not include shares, bonds or financial products. More recent figures are not available, but insiders say the inflows have continued. 'I have booked an above-average amount of new money as in the past three months,' said a veteran client adviser at a large Swiss bank who deals mainly with Germans. 'Many wealthy people, especially entrepreneurs, fear that there will be a lurch to the left in Germany - no matter how the elections turn out,' says Florian Durselen, head of Europe at wealth manager LGT Switzerland. One top Swiss banker said: 'I know a number of German entrepreneurs who want to have a foothold outside Germany if things get too red (leftist) there.' The move shows how many rich people still see Switzerland as an attractive place to park wealth A poll on Thursday showed the SPD, on 25%, leading outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives by four points. The SPD wants to reintroduce a wealth tax and increase inheritance tax, while the Greens - a likely potential coalition partner - plan to tax fortunes more heavily. Although both envision raising income tax for top earners, a tax on assets would raise much more money, the tax lawyer said. He was seeing increased demand for advice from clients, he said, noting some entrepreneurs had sought to protect themselves by making new investments through a company in Switzerland or transferring assets to a foundation in Liechtenstein. Simply transferring cash to a Swiss bank account, on the other hand, no longer helps. Under immense international pressure, the Swiss now share such account data with tax authorities in clients' home countries. 'Switzerland as a financial centre is characterised by stability, legal security and a high level of financial competence. However, it does not offer any protection against tax evasion,' said a spokesperson for the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF). LGT's Durselen said he recently spoke with a German entrepreneur who feared Germany could soon tax foreign assets or transactions harshly, which fostered the view of Switzerland as a safe haven for capital. 'Personally, I assume that considerable assets will continue to be moved to Switzerland,' he said. One local politician said dozens of wealthy German entrepreneurs have inquired in recent months about residing in one of the low-tax suburbs along Lake Zurich. A thug who beat a British grandmother to death when he spotted extra cash in her purse as she handed over 50 he had asked to borrow has been convicted of murder by a Spanish judge. Frail Margaret McNulty's trusted Dutch handyman beat her to death weeks before her 71st birthday after going to her Spanish villa to borrow cash. Evil Nicolas Pieter Pijnenborgh, a 'friend of four years' of the widowed grandmother-of-five, grabbed his expat victim round the neck from behind as she made him coffee and threw her to the ground before kicking and punching her repeatedly and stamping on her head and chest. Thug Nicolas Pijnenborgh (pictured) beat kind-hearted British grandmother Margaret McNulty to death at her Spanish retirement villa in 2019 while borrowing money from her after he spotted extra cash in her purse Last night Pijnenborgh, who pretended to locals he was called Iwan Mennekee, was facing 30 years behind bars after being convicted of robbing and murdering Margaret. A Spanish judge is expected to sentence him in the next fortnight after jurors found him guilty following a three-day trial. Margaret's doting daughter Cheryl Edmondson, in court in Elche near Alicante with her brother David Parker to see Pijnenborgh convicted, said: 'It makes me sick to know how badly that horrible, evil man hurt mum. 'I can't understand how a human being could do something like this to another person. 'Mum had five grandchildren who loved her dearly. It's beyond words.' State prosecutor Miguel Catala Alcaniz demanded the trial judge sentence Margaret's killer to 25 years for her murder and five years for robbing her in her home in the small town of Granja de Rocamora a 20-minute drive from Elche. Frail Margaret McNulty's trusted Dutch handyman beat her to death weeks before her 71st birthday after going to her home to borrow cash. Pictured: Margaret McNulty Jurors heard the 6ft, 16st brute subjected the 8st 9lbs, 5ft 2in OAP to the stomach-turning attack to steal just 500. He struck as her guard was down in her kitchen after watching her pull a 50 note out of the purse where she kept the extra cash. The prosecutor told the nine-strong jury: 'The accused, motivated by the intention of ending his victim's life, or at least fully conscious of the risk to her life his actions entailed, took advantage of the fact her back was turned. 'He grabbed her round the neck and threw her on the kitchen floor and as his victim lay still on the ground, punched and kicked her repeatedly as well as stamping on her head, face and chest to ensure the success of his lethal actions.' The lawyer said in court: 'Margaret's killer was motivated by the intention to obtain an illicit economic benefit at someone else's cost. He went to her house when he knew she'd be alone.' Mrs McNulty, whose second husband died in a motorcycle accident two years after they emigrated to Spain in 2003 from Heysham, Lancashire, suffered multiple injuries including brain trauma, a broken jaw, several broken ribs, a fractured sternum, a broken spine and myocardial rupture. Pictured: Margaret's home in the small town of Granja de Rocamora, a 20-minute drive from Elche in Spain Her killer, 49 at the time of the attack on November 16, 2019, is thought to have been held around two months later, although Costa Blanca detectives only went public with the arrest the following July. He pleaded drug addiction to try to get a shorter sentence after a suspected failed attempt to strike an out-of-court deal and do just 15 years in prison. Son David, a 50-year-old process engineer from Morecambe, Lancashire, said after the guilty verdict on September 17: 'The last two years have been the most harrowing and hardest of my life. 'I can't criticise the Spanish police because they got their man and my mum's killer is going to spend a long time in prison, although nearly two years have passed and for us it's taken too long to get to where we are. 'But we've not felt we've been treated as victims of crime. We've had to fight from day one to get information on what happened to my mum and what was happening with the court investigation. 'No-one's ever come forward to say "This is the process, this is what happens, here's someone to help you through everything". There's been absolutely nothing. Jurors heard the 6ft, 16st brute subjected the 8st 9lbs, 5ft 2in OAP to the stomach-turning attack to steal just 500. Pictured: Pijnenborgh arrives at court for his trial 'I'm bitter about the way we've been treated. If it was a Spanish family I think it would have been totally different. 'We hired a lawyer at the start with a view to privately prosecuting our mum's killer alongside the state prosecutor which is something that can be done in Spain. 'But we had to part company with him after a few months because we learnt the final bill was going to be around 25,000 and we just couldn't afford that. 'Everything from the beginning about my mum's murder was hush-hush. 'We flew out straight away obviously when we discovered she had died but weren't even told she had been murdered for nearly a couple of weeks and just before we were due to cremate her. 'We thought she'd had a fall or something and when interviewed by the police they said nothing about a criminal case. 'We were going to cremate my mum in line with her wishes but were told they weren't going to release the body. 'The police only told us it was criminal when they called us back to the police station and said we had to bury my mum's body and couldn't cremate her but ordered us not to tell anyone. 'They were obviously looking for suspects and wanted to preserve her body intact but I couldn't have been a suspect because I live in Morecambe in the UK and nor could Cheryl because she lives in Wales. 'It wasn't until a couple of months later in early 2020 that we heard someone had been arrested and people were allowed to talk about it. Margaret's doting daughter Cheryl Edmondson (right) and her brother David Parker (left) were both in attendance at court to witness Pijnenborgh's conviction 'I don't know how they expected me to keep it a secret from my family that my mum had been murdered. How could they?' He added: 'My mum and stepdad bought the house she was murdered in when it was derelict and did it up,' David said in a moving interview before flying back to the UK at the weekend after Margaret's killer was convicted ahead of his delayed sentencing by the trial judge. 'She was trying to sell it and I think she knew in her own mind she needed to so she could move to a town because of her health and age, but I don't think she really wanted to and she was finding that bit difficult. 'She was loving it in Spain. She wanted to spend the rest of her life here. 'She met Iwan as we knew this guy through a mutual friend. 'I met him a few times when I flew to Spain to see mum because he'd been around a few years. He played the guitar and he seemed okay but it takes all types. Pictured: Pijnenborgh is led into the courtroom for his three-day trial 'He smoked a bit of dope but wasn't in debt and didn't have any addictions as far as I know although I didn't know him well to be honest. 'When we finally found out my mum had been murdered, we were told they'd arrested a Dutch guy. 'The police didn't tell us the name but that made me guess it was probably him. 'I kick myself now because there's times I should have spoken to mum more on the phone and didn't. 'A friend of my mum's who she paid to take her to the shops and do some cleaning, told us she had died. 'My mum had suffered a brain aneurysm a few years ago so had been forced to give up driving and that's why she needed the help. 'That friend was the one who discovered her and called police and then phoned another friend of mum's we're friends with who rang me. Margaret had only been weeks away from her 71 birthday when she was killed 'I suspect they knew what had happened but those friends weren't able to tell us anything because they were basically sworn to secrecy and told point-blank they'd be arrested if they spoke about it. 'The friend who called us said mum may have had a fall. That's how I remember it.' 'I've been angry for the 18 months since our mum was killed and that's partly because of the way we've been treated. 'The police have done their job and we're glad the monster who did this to our mum will get a long sentence. 'He was trying to claim he was a drug addict and get a shorter sentence and then strike a deal for a sentence of 15 years which my sister and I would have found appalling. 'I'm not sure if it should have been the police's responsibility to treat us like the victims we are or the Spanish government's responsibility but it should have been someone's. 'Even the British consulate was not that much use and only put us in contact with a victim support charity after a lot of pushing. 'I got emailed a document a few weeks ago in Spanish which turned out to be a court summons telling me I had to appear in court on September 14 and if I didn't attend I could possibly end up with a fine of between 170 and 4,200. 'There was no explanation with it. If it had gone into my spam folder I wouldn't have known about it.' Cheryl, 49, who lives in Marloes, Pembrokeshire, said: 'We turned up on the opening day of the trial to sort out the summons but were never allowed into the court until the second day and had to sit in a corridor outside the courtroom for nine hours while other people gave their testimony. 'To make things worse they stopped for a break at one point and decided to bring my mum's murderer out to go to the toilet and walked him right past us in the corridor we were all stood in. 'We could have stayed in court after we testified as character witnesses but we didn't have a translator and didn't have a clue what was going on. 'Mum was a single parent for a lot of our childhood because her and our dad split when we were babies so she brought us up alone and taught me the respect I give to people. 'I always knew her as being strong-willed. It's an awful way for her life to have ended.' A man who committed a 'parent's worst nightmare' when he abducted a 12-year-old girl from a Sydney park, then drugged and raped her has pathetically linked his failed swimming career to his vile behaviour. Brett John Callaghan, 39, pleaded guilty to a series of charges, including two aggravated counts of having sexual intercourse with a child and supplying a prohibited drug to a child. Judge Robert Sutherland in the NSW District Court on Friday described his conduct as predatory and opportunistic and sentenced him to a sentence of 12 years. Callaghan wrote a letter to the court about his directionless and drug-addicted life after his dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer were dashed at Commonwealth Games trials. After failing a drug-test at 17 and being kicked off the team, he began long-standing battles with alcohol and drug abuse. Brett John Callaghan, 39, pleaded guilty to a series of charges, including two aggravated counts of having sexual intercourse with a child and supplying a prohibited drug to a child Callaghan acknowledged the harm he caused and said 'I probably ruined her life'. The terrifying ordeal lasting more than nine hours for the girl in April 2020 was read out by the judge. He described the young girl's disappearance when her mother was scheduled to pick her up as 'undoubtedly a parent's worst nightmare'. The girl was approached in Thornleigh skate park on the afternoon of April 28, by Callaghan who offered to charge her mobile phone at his house. She initially declined but he insisted it would only be '10 minutes' and said he would drop her back. He pointed to another young child in his car and reassured her that she would not be hurt. They drove to a Dural property where his parents lived and he resided out the back in a granny flat and offered her 'the good stuff,' in an ice pipe. Two puffs later she felt uneasy, tired, hot and cold, and became worried by his behaviour. The girl was approached in Thornleigh skate park on the afternoon of April 28, by Callaghan who offered to charge her mobile phone at his house They drove to a Dural property where his parents lived and he resided out the back in a granny flat and offered her 'the good stuff,' in an ice pipe The victim ran down the 200m-long driveway (pictured) screaming and a neighbour came out but Callaghan drove up alongside and told her he would drive her home She ran down the 200m-long driveway screaming and a neighbour came out but Callaghan drove up alongside and told her he would drive her home. At some stage he pulled over and his victim left the car and ran away but 'could not see anything in sight' and returned. Later in the evening he drove them back to his parents' home and waited for attending police officers to leave. By this stage his victim said she felt stuck at his house and gave up trying to go home. Back in his bedroom he sexually penetrated the girl who later said she was in 'so much pain,' and that she felt powerless and like crying. In a letter to the court, Callaghan acknowledged the harm he caused and said 'I probably ruined her life' When police returned he threw a blanket over her and told her not to speak, but he eventually admitted she was there and was arrested on the spot. In an earlier sentence hearing, the girl's mother detailed the 'catastrophic' impact the 'abhorrent' attack had upon her. Her daughter's personality has been fundamentally changed, that she is plagued by nightmares and doesn't smile anymore. Advertisement Do you know the Insulate Britain protesters? Let us know: danny.hussain@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement The High Court has granted National Highways an interim injunction preventing protesters from occupying the A20 and strategic roads linked to the Port of Dover following another day of chaos and disruption. It comes after Kent Police arrested 39 people when activists with Insulate Britain - an offshoot of climate change group Extinction Rebellion - sat down on roads in and out of the cross-Channel ferry port and glued themselves to tankers carrying petrol at about 8.20am on Friday. The action made a mockery of Priti Patel's injunction against them in her running battle with the eco mob. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We are absolutely committed to protecting the right to peaceful protest, but it is unacceptable that people cannot go about their day-to-day businesses and that businesses or critical supplies should be put on a knife's edge because of the reckless actions of a few protesters.' Those who breach the injunction will be in contempt of court and at risk of imprisonment and an unlimited fine, the Government said. The injunction request came after the group blocked parts of the M25 five times in the past fortnight, much to the ire of motorists and passengers caught up in miles of snaking traffic. This led to the Government successfully applying to the High Court for an order which prohibits anyone from blocking the M25 with those breaking the injunction facing a possible two years in prison or an unlimited fine. But the limited scope of the injunction was quickly realised by the eco-warriors as they simply moved to other roads the order does not cover. Today's protest was not covered by the injunction, making a mockery of Priti Patel's attempts to battle the eco mob and forcing Mr Shapps to seek a second injunction. Mr Shapps today said: 'We won't tolerate reckless behaviour on motorways or ports (Dover this morning). I'm therefore seeking a further injunction to prevent this disruption. Living in a democracy everyone is entitled to protest, but that doesn't extend to closing roads and ruining livelihoods.' However, it means that the government could have to file repeated injunctions against the eco mob, in what one source called a cat-and-mouse battle. Kent Police detained 39 Insulate Britain protesters after they glued themselves to tankers and blocked the A20 road in Kent which provides access to the Port of Dover this morning Police officers detain a protestor of the group 'Insulate Britain' at the entrance to the Port of Dover One lane in the A20 of the Port of Dover remained blocked for hours after a man and woman sat on top of a tanker The tanker was draped in an Insulate Britain banner and also had signs saying 'I want my children to survive' and 'Arrested 4 times because I am in mourning for life on earth' Police officers lift a protester from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has taken out a second injunction against the Insulate Britain mob after 39 were arrested for gluing themselves to tankers carrying petrol at Dover port, with several removed from the lorry in slings Police officers remove a woman who had sealed herself to the top of the tanker at the Port of Dover Police carried the woman away from the scene following her arrest while she stared defiantly at cameras Lorries queue up on the road A20 in Kent following the road closure caused by the Insulate Britain protest The queues caused by the protest mean chaos for lorries attempting to transport goods to other parts of the UK 'Insulate Britain' protesters had travelled down from Manchester in order to stage a scene at the Port of Dover The Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in Europe and is the UK's main gateway for trade from the EU. It is responsible for 17 per cent of the UK's trade in goods and handles 122 billion in trade a year. Every hour, 400 to 500 trucks come into the port, with a similar number going out. It was used by an average of 6,200 road haulage vehicles every day last year. The protest comes amid a growing supply crisis with a shortage of lorry drivers leading to BP closing petrol stations and leaving some supermarkets with empty shelves. The shortage is already threatening to derail Christmas plans for Brits and it is feared today's protest could worsen the situation. Despite police clearing out the protest just after 11am, one lane of the A20 in the port of Dover remained blocked for hours afterwards with a man and a woman sat on top of a tanker. The tanker was draped in an Insulate Britain banner and also had signs saying 'I want my children to survive' and 'Arrested 4 times because I am in mourning for life on earth'. One of the protesters on the tanker - 27-year-old Stephanie - said: 'We do not want to be here. I want to be home with my family spending time with them but if we don't do this they aren't going to have a future. 'The Government are not doing enough. On the current trajectory we are heading for chaos.' The other protester sitting on the tanker, 28-year-old Josh, added: 'We are here today to get the Government to insulate the houses of the UK. The reason being is because per-pound invested insulation is the fastest and cheapest way to reduce CO2.' Josh was reportedly glued to the tanker along with his companion Stephanie after they travelled down from Manchester. They were eventually brought down by police who used an orange sling to carry them. Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Protesters from Insulate Britain sit on top of a vehicle as they block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Insulate Britain protesters blocking the A20 in Kent, this morning, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent The protesters caused a huge traffic jam outside the Port of Dover today, further delaying already stretched HGV drivers A woman Insulate Britain protester is carried away by police this morning after taking part in the eco-mob's latest protest Protesters from Insulate Britain sit on top of a vehicle as they block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Police officers lead away a protester from Insulate Britain, as they block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Police officers prepare to remove a protestor of the group 'Insulate Britain' from the roof of a lorry at the entrance of Port of Dover Police officers put an Insulate Britain protester into an orange sling as they force her off the top of an oil tanker, which she had glued herself to Several lorries were blocked by the Insulate Britain eco-mob at the Port of Dover this morning - threatening to worsen Britain's HGV shortage crisis Protesters from Insulate Britain sit on top of a vehicle as they block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Police officers lead away a protester from Insulate Britain, as they block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London Some of the activists sat down at the entrance to the terminal and glued themselves to the road, blocking off routes to the port Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Kent Police said in a statement: 'Kent Police is currently dealing with protest activity which is causing traffic disruption in Dover. 'At around 8.20am on Friday September 24 officers were called to reports that a group of people were obstructing the road on Jubilee Way, a second group were at Snargate Street at the junction with A20 and a third smaller group on the A20 at the junction with Aycliffe. 'Officers are in attendance and are engaging with the individuals involved and 12 people have been arrested from the Snargate Street protest. 'Kent Police is aware of the traffic disruption in the area and is working with partner agencies to minimise delays.' It was later confirmed officers had arrested 39 protesters. Some of the activists sat down at the entrance to the terminal and glued themselves to the road, blocking off routes to the port. They were confronted by angry drivers, with one saying the demonstration stopped her from getting to her granddaughter, while one stranded motorist shouted: 'We need insulating from you!' What does the injunction mean? The legal remedies to tackle Insulate Britain Why can't protesters just be sent to prison now? Although the collective actions of protesters have a huge impact on the travelling public, the activists are treated individually under the law. The offences for which each protester can be arrested are relatively minor and in most cases do not carry a custodial sentence. This means that - even if they are charged by police - protesters will not be remanded in custody. Why are protesters allowed to repeatedly block roads? Most of the Insulate Britain activists who have been arrested by police in the last week have not yet been charged with a crime. They were released soon after being arrested while police analyse evidence and consult with the Crown Prosecution Service on possible charges. This has left the same protesters free to block roads on successive days. What offences have the police arrested people for so far? Conspiracy to cause danger to road users and conspiracy to cause public nuisance - both of which must be tried in the Crown court and can carry short jail terms. There have also been arrests for wilful obstruction of a public highway, which is a summary offence - in other words, dealt with by magistrates not the Crown courts - and does not lead to remand in custody. Can't the police use other laws instead? Police can arrest someone who is causing a breach of the peace, but this is not in itself a criminal offence. If police suspect someone who is under arrest will commit a further breach of the peace upon release, they can apply to a magistrate to decide whether to 'bind over' the arrested person. Refusing to be bound over can lead to jail for contempt of court. Alternatively, police could potentially use the offence of 'trespassory assembly' under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Organisers of assemblies which have been prohibited by the local authority under this law can face a jail term of up to three months. Those taking part can be fined. What is the injunction? The High Court order, which officially came into force this morning, prohibits protesters from 'blocking, endangering, slowing down, preventing, or obstructing traffic on the M25'. The National Highways won the legal remedy from the High Court last night. The order includes verges, central reservation, on- and off-slip roads, overbridges and underbridges including the Dartford Crossing and Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It remains in place until 21 March 2022. How will activists be punished? Anyone from the group who tries to protest on the M25 will be in contempt of court and at risk of prison, and an unlimited fine. What happens next? Mr Justice Lavender, who granted the injunction, said there will be a further hearing on October 5 at 10.30am. National Highways intends to return to court to extend the injunction and potentially seek additional powers of arrest. What are the loopholes? It is only in place for the M25, meaning protesters could get around it by taking their disruptive actions to a different road. Last week the group targeted the A3 and the A10 in Hertfordshire. Advertisement Another said to the activists: 'Do you realise that you're actually losing the cause because I would've supported you but I've got children that are supposed to be going to school. 'Education is far more important than this right now, right this second, you're actually losing respect. What are you teaching these children to do? Sitting in the middle of the road, at your age? Come on, get up, move on, you're stopping businesses. You've got no respect from me whatsoever - none.' A spokesperson for Insulate Britain outlined why the group, which wants the Government to insulate and retrofit homes across the UK, blocked Europe's busiest ferry port on Friday morning. They said: 'We are blocking Dover this morning to highlight that fuel poverty is killing people in Dover and across the UK. 'We need a Churchillian response: We must tell the truth about the urgent horror of the climate emergency. Change at the necessary speed and scale requires economic disruption. 'We wish it wasn't true, but it is. It's why the 2000 fuel protests got a U-turn in policy and gave Blair his biggest challenge as Prime Minister.' The spokesperson added: 'We are sorry for the disruption that we are causing. It seems to be the only way to keep the issue of insulation on the agenda and to draw attention to how poorly insulated homes are causing ill health, misery and early death for many thousands of people. 'We are failing the country's cold hungry families and the elderly and placing an enormous burden on the NHS. 'Insulating our leaky homes is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and it has all these additional benefits - reducing fuel poverty, creating jobs, reducing the burden on the NHS and protecting people from overheating during future heat waves. It's a no-brainer. Boris just needs to get on with the job.' Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, said the port has 'implemented its tried and tested resilience plans in order to deal with the impact of the protest'. He went on: 'The port has consistently shown its ability to deal with such challenges and today's targeted activity shows once again the importance and symbolism of Dover to the nation as a critical trade and tourism artery on which the UK continues to rely. 'We are working with our customers and the police authorities in managing the situation and apologise to our community for any disruption being caused by a situation not of our making.' Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council said: 'Today's demonstration in Dover is totally unacceptable and has led to disruption for local residents, businesses and port users. 'This has nothing to do with fuel poverty. They targeted the Port of Dover to cause maximum disruption to people going about their daily lives in a cynical attempt to highlight their campaign. 'All they do each time they protest is to turn people away from their cause. 'While they chose to disrupt, DDC continues to work proactively to reduce carbon emissions and help residents and businesses in practical ways to improve energy efficiency.' The Port of Dover said in a statement: 'Port of Dover confirms protesters are currently blocking the entrance to the port. 'Please allow extra time for your journey and check with your ferry operator for updates. The port remains open.' Today's protest is the second time the eco-mob has ignored an injunction taken out against it by the government. On Wednesday, activists descended on the government building in Marsham Street, central London, where they blocked the road, lit a fire and burned documents including their bail release papers acts that dodge the court order which only covers the M25. The group, including many who have been seen at multiple demos in the last week, sat brandishing homemade signs with messages such as: 'Please act now.' Others brazenly gave their names and jobs as Xavier Gonzalez, a trimmer, Janine Eagling, a bike instructor, and Stefania Morosi, a yoga teacher. It comes after Grant Shapps revealed a judge granted the injunction last night following a week of chaos on major highways. The Transport Secretary said the anarchists will face contempt of court and potentially be locked up if they continue their antics. Home Secretary Priti Patel hailed the 'important' move and said it will mean 'people can get moving' on the busy road again. Mr Shapps and Ms Patel had earlier vowed to crack down on the Extinction Rebellion splinter group and were said to be 'furious' at the protesters. Protest group Insulate Britain say more than 40 supporters across two groups have blocked the A20 road in Kent which provides access to the Port of Dover The protest comes despite the government taking out an injunction against the group to stop them blocking the M25 Police officers were seen attempting to drag protesters away from the road, although it is unclear if they were successful Police officers tried to remove the protesters, though many of them appeared to have glued themselves to the road Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London A spokesman for the group said: 'We have to move quickly. What we do, I believe, in the next three to four years will determine the future of humanity. 'For ten days now, campaigners from Insulate Britain have been blocking motorways to urge our government to make a meaningful statement we can all trust on insulating and retrofitting the houses of this country. HGV driver shortage caused by Brexit and Covid pandemic The well-documented shortage of lorry drivers has created gaps on supermarket shelves. Britain is currently facing its own 100,000 shortfall of HGV drivers, which retail bosses have partly blamed on changes to migration rules post-Brexit and EU employees returning home. The Road Haulage Association said the total number of people in the UK with HGV licences this summer is 516,000. But the latest Department for Transport data shows 278,700 HGV drivers were employed in 2020, equivalent to 54 per cent of the total. They put the shortage largely down to Brexit and the pandemic, which led to 14,000 European drivers going home and just 600 of those returning. Since last year, the industry has also seen large numbers of drivers retiring, while lockdown has hit the training of new drivers with 40,000 HGV driver tests cancelled. The average age of a UK lorry driver is put at 56 to 57 and not enough young people have joined the industry due to its long hours, unattractive conditions and poor pay. Drivers' median hourly pay has risen 10 per cent since 2015 to 11.80 - below the 16 per cent average across other sectors, with new tax changes also not in their favour. Lorry drivers can only drive for nine hours each day, but many are away from home up to 15 hours a day - putting off many young people who do not want such hours. Last week, Tesco drivers and warehouse workers at four distribution centres rejected the offer of a 2.5% pay increase. If members vote for strike action then the supermarket giant could see empty shelves this winter which could potentially affect the Christmas period. Unite said its members voted against a 2.5 per cent offer, arguing it was lower than the RPI rate of inflation so represented a real-terms pay cut. Advertisement 'Doing anything less would be a betrayal of any UK government's first duty: to protect the British people. We urge you to ensure this meaningful statement is made swiftly so ordinary people can stop blocking roads. 'But, if you believe, as you say, that our acts are outrageous and illegal, and if you believe there is no right of necessity for citizens to cause disruption to prevent the infinitely greater threat of destruction to our economy and way of life, then you have a duty to act decisively. 'The offence of creating a public nuisance is already there to be used, you didn't need an injunction. Take us to court, charge us, and put us in prison.' He added: 'Alternatively, if you think we have a case, you have a responsibility to the country to at least meet and talk with us. 'And you will find we are entirely reasonable in our demands which will save the lives of 8500 from fuel poverty this winter. We want to stop the roadblocks as much as you. 'The climate crisis is the biggest threat to Britain in its long history. It requires decisive action. The country is waiting to see if you have what it takes.' Today's protest comes amid shortages of food and petrol as the HGV crisis continues to bite. On Thursday Rod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association trade body said that the Government had allowed the driver shortage to get 'gradually worse' in recent months. 'We have got a shortage of 100,000 (drivers),' he told BBC's Newsnight. 'When you think that everything we get in Britain comes on the back of a lorry, whether it's fuel or food or clothes or whatever it is, at some point, if there are no drivers to drive those trucks, the trucks aren't moving and we're not getting our stuff.' He added: 'I don't think we are talking about absolutely no fuel or food or anything like that, people shouldn't panic buy food or fuel or anything else, that's not what this is about. 'This is about stock outs, it's about shortages, it's about a normal supply chain being disrupted.' Panic buying at the pumps has already begun today amid fears fuel rationing is on the way due to the UK's crippling HGV driver shortage - as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tried to calm nerves by urging Britons 'carry on as normal'. Queues of cars were seen spilling out on to the road from forecourts in Tonbridge, Kent, in Ely, Cambridgeshire, and Brighton, Sussex, this morning - just a day after fuel bosses warned of petrol and diesel rationing and petrol station closures. The scenes of queues outside petrol stations - which for some will stir up memories of the 1973 Opec Oil Crisis - come amid fears of a 1978-style 'winter of discontent' for the UK with skyrocketing energy prices, food shortages and fuel rationing. The port is the busiest ferry port in Europe and is the UK's main gateway for trade from the EU Access to the port was blocked by the group with an ambulance also seemingly stopped Protesters glued themselves to the road and infuriated drivers at the Port of Dover this morning. There were several confrontations between drivers and activists Police officers clashed with the protesters and attempted to drag them from the road shortly after the protest started Long traffic queues were spotted outside the port shortly after the group staged its protest The Port of Dover said in a statement: 'Port of Dover confirms protesters are currently blocking the entrance to the port. 'Please allow extra time for your journey and check with your ferry operator for updates. The port remains open' Yesterday BP announced plans to ration fuel and shut stations, supermarkets warned of food shortages and more energy firms went bust amid rising gas prices - sparking fears of a new 'winter of discontent'. And in a particularly unhelpful addition to the problem, eco-mob Insulate Britain returned to the roads today to block of a route to Port of Dover - Europe's busiest port and the UK's main gateway for trade from the EU. It comes as Petrol Retailers Association last night warned drivers to 'keep a quarter of a tank' of fuel in their vehicles in preparation for potential closures of local petrol stations. Gerald Ronson, owner of almost 300 Rontec - BP, Texaco and forecourts across the country, told The Telegraph he expects fuel court disruption to last for more than four weeks. He said: 'With everybody coming back to work - more cars on the road because people don't want to use buses or trains - this has drained a lot of fuel.' Number 10 said last night that 'we acknowledge there are issues facing many industries across the UK' as the nation heads into the colder months. It comes Ministers faced fresh pressure to ease immigration rules as an emergency measure to attract HGV drivers from overseas amid warnings that 100,000 more were needed across the industry. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today hinted at the possibility, saying he would move 'heaven and earth' to tackle the 'systemic issue' of HGV driver shortages. He also claimed delivery firms were offering huge salaries in a bid to entice drivers who have left the industry to come back - with one 'top milk firm' apparently offering as much as '78,000-a-year'. Meanwhile, one vegetable firm in Lincolnshire is currently advertising a broccoli picker role for 30-per-hour - equivalent to around 62,000-a-year. Kwasi Kwarteng is backing plans to build another major nuclear power plant in Wales to ease pressure on electricity supplies, it was claimed today. The Business Secretary is believed to be lining up behind an attempt to revive proposals for a site at Wylfa on Anglesey. The project could happen alongside a second nuclear plant at Hinkley Point , Somerset, already under construction, and a new reactor at Sizewell in Suffolk that is close to going ahead. A previous attempt to build a nuclear power station at Wylfa collapsed a year ago after Japanese firm Hitachi pulled out. But according to The Times the government is now in discussions with US manufacturer Westinghouse. An artist's impression of the planned nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey that was abandoned last year Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is believed to be lining up behind an attempt to revive proposals for a site at Wylfa on Anglesey The move comes amid mounting concerns that by the early 2030s there will not be enough nuclear power on the grid to provide a reliable 'baseload', with gas stations being phased out. The new plant at Wylfa could produce enough electricity to power more than six million homes, although it would not be operational until the mid-2030s. The UK's seven nuclear plants provide about 17 per cent of its electricity needs, but that is due to nearly halve by 2024 as ageing plants are decommissioned. Mr Kwarteng is reportedly lobbying the Treasury for a funding mechanism to attract private investment, with the cost of nuclear having previously hampered development. At least one nuclear plant is expected to be signed off by 2024, but alarm about supplies could mean two go ahead. A senior government source said soaring gas prices and unusually low wind speeds in the North Sea had underlined the need to push nuclear. 'If our current situation shows anything it is that we need more stable homegrown, low-carbon generation in the UK,' the source told the Times. 'This is an important project that we're very keen to try and get off the ground.' Welsh Secretary Simon Hart is also said to support the Wylfa plan. Barbara Rusinko, president of nuclear at engineering firm Bechtel, which is part of the Wylfa consortium, told MPs yesterday that US involvement would 'strengthen the transatlantic security partnership'. 'We need the UK government to demonstrate backing for the project through commitment in the comprehensive spending review,' she said. Advertisement A woman has been arrested on suspicion of starting a wildfire in Northern California that spread rapidly, forcing fresh evacuations to be ordered on Thursday. Workers at a nearby quarry reported seeing a woman acting strangely and trespassing in the area in Shasta County where the Fawn Fire was sparked on Wednesday afternoon, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. Later on Wednesday, Alexandra Souverneva walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters and told them she was dehydrated and needed medical help, Cal Fire said. Souverneva, 30, was taken out of the area for evaluation and treatment. During an interview with Cal Fire and law enforcement, officers came to believe that Souverneva, of Palo Alto, was responsible for setting the fire, officials said. She was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney. KRCR-TV aired video Thursday of multiple houses burning near the unincorporated Mountain Gate area north of the city of Redding. Officials said 25 structures were destroyed, but didn't specify how many were homes. The number of people affected by evacuation orders was not immediately known. People living in other areas were warned to be prepared to leave. About 2,000 structures were threatened. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday, telling residents to temporarily gather in a parking lot at Shasta College in Redding. The fire has scorched more than 8.5 square miles (22 square kilometres) of heavy timber on steep, rugged terrain amid hot, dry and gusty conditions. It was just five per cent contained. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of starting a wildfire in Northern California that spread rapidly, forcing fresh evacuations to be ordered on Thursday. Pictured: Structures near Old Oregon Trail burn in the Fawn Fire The number of people affected by evacuation orders was not immediately known. People living in other areas were warned to be prepared to leave. About 2,000 structures were threatened. Pictured: Inmate firefighters clear brush while battling the Fawn Fire The fire has scorched more than 8.5 square miles (22 square kilometres) of heavy timber on steep, rugged terrain amid hot, dry and gusty conditions. It was just five per cent contained. Pictured: A helicopter drops water on the Fawn Fire Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California fires have burned 3,671 square miles (9,507 square kilometres) this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. Those fires include two big forest blazes growing in the heart of California's giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Smoke from those fires raised air quality concerns for the southern end of the Central Valley and flowed over greater Los Angeles, darkening skies and causing mistaken reports of mountain fires. On Wednesday, officials showed reporters how Sequoia National Park's famous Giant Forest has been protected from the KNP Complex fire by years of using carefully set and controlled fires to burn away vegetation that can serve as wildfire fuel. The bases of some of the most famous giant sequoias were also wrapped in fire-resistant materials. Giant Forest has 2,000 sequoias and includes the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. The fear of catastrophic fire coming through that section of the national park has been greatly reduced because of the combination of the prescribed burns and the low intensity of the fire that moved into part of the forest, said Ed Christopher, deputy fire director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 'And because of that, we feel that the majority of the trees in this Giant Forest area should come out of this event like they have for the past thousands of years,' he said. Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Pictured: Firefighter Ron Burias battles the Fawn Fire Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Pictured: A structure burns in the Fawn Fire California fires have burned 3,671 square miles (9,507 square kilometres) this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. Pictured: An inmate firefighter clears brush while battling the Fawn Fire Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. The KNP Complex began as two fires ignited by lighnting on September 9. The fires later merged into one and have charred more than 56 square miles (145 square kilometres). Sequoia and adjacent Kings Canyon National Park have been closed. Several communities are under evacuation orders or warnings for people to be prepared to leave. There was no containment. Nearby, the Windy Fire has burned through nearly 77 square miles (199 square kilometres) on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in Sequoia National Forest, including Giant Sequoia National Monument. It was just six per cent contained. Also ignited by lightning on September 9, the Windy Fire has forced the evacuation of small forest communities, but no privately owned structures had burned as of Thursday morning. A fire lookout structure and a radio repeater site on a peak were destroyed by the blaze. The fire has moved through several groves of giant sequoias and damaged one of the big trees on the famed Trail of 100 Giants. California Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured) signed a $15 billion (10.9 billion) package on Thursday that will fund programs to tackle drought and climate change in the state after a devastating wildfire season On Wednesday, officials showed reporters how Sequoia National Park's famous Giant Forest has been protected from the KNP Complex fire by years of using carefully set and controlled fires to burn away vegetation that can serve as wildfire fuel An expert from Yosemite National Park was expected to examine the groves Thursday. Also on Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion (10.9 billion) package that will fund programs to tackle drought and climate change in the state after a devastating wildfire season. Newsom signed 24 bills focused on climate and clean energy efforts, droughts, and wildfire preparedness, his office said in a statement on Thursday, describing the funding as the largest climate package in California's history. The package's largest portion, $5.2 billion, will go towards funding for emergency drought relief projects and expanding California's water supplies. The package includes $3.7 billion to address climate change risks, investing in projects that will mitigate extreme heat and tackle the threat of rising sea levels. About $1.5 billion will go toward preventing wildfire risk in forests, according to the statement from Newsom's office. This month, President Joe Biden renewed his push for significant investments to combat climate change as he visited California and took an aerial tour of areas hit by one of the country's worst fire seasons. California typically experiences its peak fire season in late summer and fall. The state is on pace to see more of its landscape go up in flames this year than last, which was the worst year on record for the state. Human-caused climate change has intensified the withering drought gripping the Southwestern United States, the region's most severe on record, with precipitation at the lowest 20-month level documented since 1895, a U.S. government report said on Tuesday. Over the same period, from January 2020 through August 2021, the region also experienced the third-highest daily average temperatures measured since record-keeping began near the end of the 19th century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report warned that extreme drought conditions are likely to worsen and repeat themselves 'until stringent climate mitigation is pursued and regional warming trends are reversed.' Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed President Joe Biden's administration Thursday night after a new report detailed the chaos at the southern border. Pompeo, speaking on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle, was reacting to a Wall Street Journal story about how migrants from throughout Latin America have been drawn to the border 'by the hundreds of thousands.' The former secretary of state said the Biden administration is wrecking the Trump administration's blueprints for the region. 'This is another example where we left them a perfectly good plan,' he said. 'We left them a perfectly good plan in Afghanistan, they turned it into chaos. We left them a perfectly good plan with respect to how we handled our southern border, how we kept our sovereignty.' Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed President Joe Biden's administration Thursday night after a new report detailed the chaos at the southern border on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that from October 2020 through August, nearly 300,000 migrants from countries other than Mexico came to the border. In the entirety of the pandemic-riddled 2020, the figure was nearly 44,000. In July and August, immigrants from Mexico or individual countries from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) were outnumbered by those from Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that from October 2020 through August, nearly 300,000 migrants from countries other than Mexico came to the border Thousands of migrants continue to converge in a makeshift camp under the bridge that connects Del Rio, Texas and Mexico's Ciudad Acuna, in the latest border emergency and humanitarian crisis facing President Biden. The camp had swelled to some 15,000 migrants at one point, with thousands seen wading across the Rio Grande River daily. Many are Haitians who were granted asylum in Chile, with some Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present. About 3,000 remained by late Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. The number peaked Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing trying to seek asylum. And DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted Thursday that as many as 2,000 Haitians have been released into the interior of the US. The revelation came after the DHS revealed that of the 15,000 total; 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are still camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Now Mayorkas appears to have addressed where 2,000 of them are, but that still leaves 3,000 missing from official figures. Amid the surge of the highly infectious Delta variant, the crowded conditions of the camp also raised concerns about the possibility of COVID-19 outbreaks endangering the health of the migrants. Food and water has been scarce in the makeshift camp, around 20 migrants told Reuters, and temperatures have risen to around 99 Fahrenheit. Reporters witnessed hundreds of migrants wading through the Rio Grande river and back into Mexico to stock up on essentials they say they are not receiving on the American side. Haitian migrants take shelter along the Del Rio International Bridge at sunset as they await to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Ciudad Acuna in Del Rio, Texas on September 19 On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings In July and August, immigrants from Mexico or individual countries from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) were outnumbered by those from Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time 'We avoided a humanitarian crisis at the border and they ripped that plan up too,' Pompeo added. 'Now they're trying to get back to it, I'm confident they'll try and blame our administration for what's happening as well, the same way they did with Afghanistan.' Recently Biden has tried to reboot Trump's 'remain in Mexico' policy. 'But I think the American people can see,' Pompeo added. 'These folks have implemented their ideas poorly. The humanitarian crisis is very significant.' Sources told the Washington Examiner that the Biden administration had set a deadline of Friday night to have the camp completely cleared. The order from the West Wing reportedly came amid concerns over a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled to take place near the bridge this weekend. 'They don't want them all riled up,' an official told the paper, referring to U.S. authorities and the Haitian migrants respectively. An official also said the order to clear the camp was partly to resolve an 'optics' problem. They want those people out from under that bridge so they can't be seen anymore,' they said. 'It's an optics thing. They are moving them around for process and release. They're going to have everyone at the bridge gone in the next two days.' Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. after leaving a makeshift migrant camp The ex-secretary of state believes there's now a 'green light' for migrants to come to America A migrant seeking refuge in the United States is pictured with members of Mexico's National Institute of Migration before crossing the Rio Grande river into Texas The ex-secretary of state believes there's now a 'green light' for migrants to come to America. 'Every person who's thinking, 'Maybe I should come,' will all see that these Haitians -- who often came from Central and South America, and they've been there quite a while, they didn't just flee Haiti in the last week or two weeks after the earthquake -- every single person who's been thinking about coming to the United States illegally now will see that there's a green light, that they're gonna be released inside the United States,' he said. 'I think we're at the very front end of what will be a significant tidal wave of illegal immigration,' Pompeo added. 'We've seen it for the first eight months of the Biden administration, I suspect the next eight will only increase that.' 'I think we're at the very front end of what will be a significant tidal wave of illegal immigration,' Pompeo added. 'We've seen it for the first eight months of the Biden administration, I suspect the next eight will only increase that.' The White House has faced sharp bipartisan condemnation over the situation at the border. Republicans say Biden administration policies led Haitians to believe they would get asylum. Democrats are expressing outrage after images went viral this week of Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics against the migrants. DHS responded to the outcry by banning Border Agents from riding horses. Some accused the agents of using either the reins or a lariat as a whip on the migrants. Images show a rope-like tool being thrown in the direction of some migrants who were running from the officers. Agents insist they were using their reins as a whip on the horse, as they always do, while Mayorkas says those pictured with the ropes have been reassigned to administrative duties pending a full investigation into the incident. Many of the thousands who remain at the camp have resorted to fashioning makeshift tents using discarded clothing and tree branches in order to provide at least some shelter from the elements. The heat has been punishing over the last week with temperatures soaring into the high 90s. Families have resorted to bathing in the grimy water of the Rio Grande river to cool off. The heat has been punishing over the last week with temperatures soaring into the high 90s. Families have resorted to bathing in the grimy water of the Rio Grande river to cool off Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but it's complicated because some no longer have legal status there. Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation protesting the 'inhumane' large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately 'with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes.' 'I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life,' he wrote. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' The career diplomat was known to be deeply frustrated with what he considered a lack of urgency in Washington and a glacial pace on efforts to improve conditions in Haiti. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been 'fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process.' 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false,' Price said. Mayorkas responded on CNN: 'What I what I wish the individual had done is stayed with the cause of addressing the needs of individuals, all throughout the Western Hemisphere and dedicating the resources and the talent and the energies of the men and women in the United States government to rebuild our humanitarian relief capabilities just as we are doing now in the Biden-Harris administration.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' A hair salon in India has been ordered to pay almost 200,000 to an Indian model after they gave her the wrong haircut. The model visited the salon, which is part of an established hotel chain in the capital of Delhi, back in 2018, giving specific instructions on how she wanted her hair cut. Despite her instructions, the salon cut off too much hair with court documents saying they left 'only 4-inch from the top touching her shoulder,' BBC News reports. A hair salon in Delhi, India, has been ordered to pay almost 200,000 to an Indian model after they gave her the wrong haircut (stock image) Local media reports that the woman had been a regular at the salon, but her usual hairdresser had not been working on the day and so had another employee take her on. The model took the salon to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) which awarded her 20million rupees - the equivalent of 197,000 - in damages. In its ruling, the NCDRC said that the botched haircut had shattered the woman's dream of becoming a top model. It noted: 'She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence... in cutting her hair and could not concentrate on her job and finally she lost her job.' Despite her instructions, the salon cut off too much hair with court documents saying they left 'only 4-inch from the top touching her shoulder' (stock image) The Commission also said that the woman had lost her self-confidence as a result of the haircut. After complaining to the salon about the haircut they had provided, she was offered a free treatment - but this only resulted in damage to the woman's remaining hair. The salon can appeal against the Commission's ruling but has not yet made a statement. Advertisement Documentary maker Louis Theroux was among thousands of passengers caught up in travel chaos at Heathrow today after an IT failure caused chaos across Britain's major airports. Passengers arriving into Heathrow Airport this morning faced scenes of total chaos with queues of three hours and people lining up in their thousands, with very little signs of social distancing. The delays have also caused a backlog at baggage collection, meaning some people have had to search through groups of luggage packed together in-between the operating carousels. The chaos is being caused by an IT failure leaving hundreds stranded in the underpass at Terminal 2, and is also affecting travellers at Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester airports. A Heathrow spokesperson said a systems failure affected the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force. Disgruntled passengers took to social media to share their frustration with one claiming queues for immigration checks were 'one kilometer' long and others slamming the 'absolute farce.' Travel industry experts have repeatedly warned the chaotic scenes seen in the wake of the country reopening are blighting the UK's global reputation, while running the risk of a spike in Covid cases further jeopardising the already crisis-hit tourism sector. Tory MPs have demanded answers from the head of Border Force over the Heathrow queuing scandal seen in recent months but Paul Lincoln, the agency's director general, has not commented publicly on the issue in recent weeks. The chaos is being caused by an IT failure leaving hundreds stranded in the underpass at Terminal 2 (pictured), and is also affecting travellers at Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester airports. A Heathrow spokesperson said a systems failure affected the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force. According to the Home Office a technical issue has affected eGates at a number of ports including Heathrow The news comes amidst continuing chaos at airports due to Covid travel rules and reported staff shortages for UK Border Control. Documentary maker Louis Theroux was among the passengers caught up in the chaos this afternoon Passengers have been queuing for three hours this morning at Border Control with Heathrow Airport admitting that wait times are at 'unacceptable levels' via its Twitter account. Young families have been hit worst because they can't use e-gates Passengers queue in their 'thousands' with minimal social distancing at border control, as they wait to prove their Covid travel status before entering the UK. Some have counted just six processing officers and several closed customer counters Thousands of people were simply stranded at Heathrow Airport this morning after the gates went down A Heathrow spokesperson said a systems failure affected the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force. Due to the extensive queues, masses of luggage has been grouped together for people to sift through once they've made it through the border control as the baggage handlers try to keep up with the constant stream of inbound flights to Heathrow A Heathrow spokesperson said: 'We are aware of a systems failure impacting the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force. This issue is impacting a number of ports of entry and is not an isolated issue at Heathrow. Our teams are working closely with Border Force to find a solution as quickly as possible.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'This afternoon a technical issue affected eGates at a number of ports. The issue was quickly identified and has now been resolved. 'We have been working hard to minimise disruption, and apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused.' Another traveller said their delayed arrival to the UK began before border control, with a 30-minute delay for a bus transfer from the aircraft. Whilst a third arrival claimed she'd been waiting for 2.5 hours at Heathrow, compared to the 5 seconds it took her to pass through passport control at Dubai airport. The news comes amidst continuing chaos at airports due to Covid travel rules and reported staff shortages for UK Border Control. Border Force chief Paul Lincoln, a career civil servant who has also served in the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office, had his salary bumped up from 130,000-135,000 to between 135,000 and 140,000 in the last financial year, accounts show. He has overseen a summer of Heathrow border chaos dating back to at least May, when some passengers reported three-hour waits at passport gates. In July, it was announced he will soon leave his current role, a month after being made an OBE for services to border security. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith and James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire, have called on senior officials including Mr Lincoln to explain what is causing the 'unacceptable' queues. Stricken holidaymakers shared their frustration on social media this morning A Home Office spokesperson said: 'This afternoon a technical issue affected eGates at a number of ports. The issue was quickly identified and has now been resolved' Twitter has been awash with comments and criticisms directed at Heathrow and Border Control as passengers are forced to queue for three hours. One passenger claimed that the queue stretched for a kilometer As a result, some families have been worst hit because they are unable to use the passport e-gates. Heathrow Airport has responded to travellers on Twitter this morning saying: 'Queue times are at unacceptable levels. Border Force are working to process passengers and we have called on the UK Government to address the problem as a matter of urgency, we do appreciate your patience.' They added: 'Whilst we do not have exact figures out how long queues can take our teams in the terminals are on hand to support where possible and we are working with Border Force to reduce delays as soon as possible'. What are the new travel rules from October 4 and how do they compare to the current traffic light system? As of October 4, the Government's travel traffic light system is being replaced with a simplified two-tier 'go/no-go' scheme. There will be a 'red list' of banned countries and a 'rest of the world' list for everywhere else. Travel from the 'rest of the world' if you are fully vaccinated Travellers must book and pay for a day two coronavirus test to be taken after arriving back in England. They do not need to take a pre-departure test before coming back to the country or take a day eight test. There is no quarantine requirement assuming the day two test is negative. Travel from the 'rest of the world' if you are not fully vaccinated Travellers must take a pre-departure coronavirus test before coming back to England. They must also book and pay for a day two and day eight test. After arriving in England they must quarantine at home for 10 days. Travel from red list countries Normal travel from these countries remains banned and only UK nationals can return from them. Travellers must take a pre-departure test. They must also book and pay for a Government-backed quarantine hotel package. The stay in hotel quarantine will cost more than 2,000 and will involve two tests. The 'red list' rules apply regardless of vaccination status. WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE? RED: Travel to the UK from a red list country is banned for non-UK nationals. Britons returning to the UK must take a pre-departure test and book a ten-day stay in hotel quarantine including tests at a cost of 1,750. Countries include Brazil, Turkey, Bangladesh and South Africa. AMBER: A pre-departure test is required before heading to Britain while non-vaccinated people have to quarantine for ten days at home and book tests on day two and day 8. They can also pay for a day 5 test under the 'test to release' scheme. The fully-vaccinated do not have to isolate but they do have to book a day 2 test. Countries include Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. GREEN WATCHLIST: This is a category for countries which are at risk of losing their green status (see below). Countries include Barbados, Croatia and Israel. GREEN : Returning travellers must take a pre-departure test and book a day two test as well. Quarantine is not required for anyone unless the test is positive. Countries include Bulgaria, Canada , Iceland and Malta. Advertisement British Airways SCRAPS plans for short-haul budget airline subsidiary operating from Gatwick after talks collapsed over pilots' pay By Stewart Carr for MailOnline British Airways' plans to launch a short-haul budget airline subsidiary at Gatwick Airport have been scrapped after it failed to reach an agreement over pilots' contracts. The airline had planned for the new business to have up to 17 Airbus A320 aircraft based at Gatwick in summer 2022, with more added in line with demand over the following three to four years. But after initially securing support from the pilots' union Balpa, talks broke down over pay - leading BA to abandon its project, which depended on its running costs to be 'viable and sustainable'. British Airways had planned 17 aircraft to helm its low-budget subsidiary operation at Gatwick Airport, but talks have broken down with union Balpa over pilots' pay A spokeswoman for the airline said it was 'disappointed' it could not secure a deal with trade union Balpa. She said: 'After many years of losing money on European flights from the airport, we were clear that coming out of the pandemic, we needed a plan to make Gatwick profitable and competitive. 'With regret, we will now suspend our short-haul operations at Gatwick, with the exception of a small number of domestic services connecting to our long-haul operation, and will pursue alternative uses for the London Gatwick short-haul slots.' Potential uses for the now-empty slots include selling them to rivals such as easyJet or Wizz Air, or offering them to partner airline Vueling. The vast majority of British Airways' short-haul flights from the West Sussex airport have been suspended since March 2020 due to the pandemic. In an email to staff, the airline's chief operating officer Jason Mahoney wrote that the terms offered to Balpa were 'the best that could be achieved in order to create a viable and sustainable operation at London Gatwick', but the union has chosen not to continue with a ballot of its members on the issue. Mr Mahoney added that the resumption of short-haul flights at Gatwick in summer 2022 would have been 'good for our business as we try to recover and pay back the debts that the pandemic has necessitated'. BA's short-haul slots at Gatwick could be sold to rivals such as easyJet and Wizz Air, or offered to partner airline Vueling Balpa acting general secretary Martin Chalk said: 'Despite our best efforts Balpa was unable to reach an agreement with British Airways on revised terms and conditions for London Gatwick short-haul that was acceptable to our members. 'The company has informed us it is now pulling out of London Gatwick short-haul and considering what to do with its London Gatwick slots. 'Balpa remains open to future negotiations with British Airways to address our members' concerns with the proposal for London Gatwick short-haul or about any other part of the business.' French high-end fashion brand Saint Laurent will stop using fur in its collections from next year, its parent company Kering has announced. Kering, which also owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Botta Venega, will be completely fur free in all its fashion houses. It means Brioni will also give up the controversial practice, which has led to a number of protests from animal rights groups. French high-end fashion brand Saint Laurent will stop using fur in its collections from next year, its parent company Kering said on Friday. Pictured: a model wears a fur creation for Saint Laurent during Paris fashion week last year PETA protested outside the front of a Saint Laurent store earlier this year after Kate Moss wore fur in a campaign The group's chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said: 'Going entirely fur free as a group is just the right thing to do. 'We do it out of conviction, for the sake of ethics and modernity.' The move will take effect from the Fall 2022 collections. Gucci was the first of Kering's houses to ban fur from its range in 2017. In 2019, Kering published a set of animal welfare standards addressing other animal fibres and materials in their clothes. Animal rights groups have long lobbied the global fashion industry to give up fur and several, including Versace, Chanel and Michael Kors, had already stopped using it. Kering, which also owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Botta Venega, will be completely fur free in all its fashion houses. Pictured: a Saint Laurent model wearing fur People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) took the lead in protesting against Saint Laurent, demonstrating outside its store in the fashionable Avenue Montaigne in Paris this year after supermodel Kate Moss appeared in an advertising campaign for the brand wearing a fox coat. Henri-Pinault added: 'For many years, Kering has sought to take the lead in sustainability, guided by a vision of luxury that is inseparable from the very highest environmental and social values and standards. 'When it comes to animal welfare, our Group has always demonstrated its willingness to improve practices within its own supply chain and the luxury sector in general. 'The time has now come to take a further step forward by ending the use of fur in all our collections. The world has changed, along with our clients, and luxury naturally needs to adapt to that.' PETA's founder Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement after today's announcement: 'PETA supporters who sent over 100,000 letters to Kering this year alone and protested outside Saint Laurent stores can celebrate todays announcement that all Kering brands are going fur-free. 'Nobody with a heart will wear fur, no designer with any sense will touch it, and any fashion house still selling it in 2021 is an embarrassment.' A teenager has spoken for the first time in six months after he was 'certified dead' when he was struck down by a van. Lewis Roberts, then 18, sustained catastrophic head injuries following the crash in his home town of Leek, Staffordshire, on March 13. He was rushed by an air ambulance to Royal Stoke University Hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a 'brain stem death' - referring to when a person on an artificial life support machine no longer has any brain functions. If someone in the UK is diagnosed as brain dead then the damage is considered irreversible and they are legally confirmed as dead, according to the NHS. Mr Roberts' family were told to say their last goodbyes and decided to donate his organs to help seven other people, giving him additional time on life support. However, just hours ahead of the operation on March 18, the teenager opened his eyes and began breathing without the aid of a machine. He has since turned 19 and stayed at the hospital in a seriously ill condition, but last weekend he managed to say: 'Mum, I love you.' Lewis Roberts (pictured above), then 18, sustained catastrophic head injuries following the crash in his home town of Leek, Staffordshire, on March 13 Just hours ahead of the operation on March 18, the teenager (pictured with his mother) opened his eyes and began breathing without the aid of a machine. Last weekend he managed to say: 'Mum, I love you' Mr Roberts' family wrote: 'Just hours before Lewis' surgery, he began to breathe again on this own. 'A miracle any family could wish for after being told he was given a zero chance of pulling through. After this Lewis had carried on progressing. 'He has started to react to pain tests, moving limbs on his own and also moving his head side to side, blinking and also moving his mouth. 'Every day this boy is getting stronger.' His relatives' visits to the hospital have recently been paused due to a positive coronavirus case on his ward. Mr Roberts' sister, Jade, told Stoke on Trent Live: 'The hospital has supported our visits with Lewis massively. His relatives' visits to the hospital have recently been paused due to a positive coronavirus case on his ward (Mr Roberts pictured with his sister Jade) The ex-Leek High School pupil (above) has since turned 19 and stayed at Royal Stoke University Hospital in a seriously ill condition 'But after such an uplifting and positive weekend with Lewis when he spoke, unfortunately our visits have now been stopped for 10 to 14 days due to a positive corona case of a patient on his bay.' She added: 'There's been so many ups and downs but there's only another six days to go.' The family also started a fundraising appeal, with nearly 6,000 contributed so far. In an update, they wrote: 'Lewis is progressing every single day. 'He is now listening to commands by squeezing your hand and releasing it when asked to. We are so so so proud of Lewis!' An anti-vaxxer activist accused of inciting violent anti-lockdown protests has revealed she is engaged - just hours after she was freed on bail. Monica Smit, 33, is charged with two counts of incitement in relation to protests in Melbourne on August 11 and 21. Smit - who livestreamed her arrest while sitting in her car on August 31 - was released from jail on Wednesday after a judge relaxed her 'onerous' bail conditions. After spending 22 days in custody, Smit took to social media to tell her followers her partner Morgan Jonas had proposed to her. Anti-vaxxer activist Monica Smit (pictured with her partner Morgan Jonas) was released on bail on Wednesday after spending 22 days in custody Jonas is also an anti-lockdown activist and a strong critic of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. 'It's on the wrong finger because it's too big and I don't want to lose it. We need to get it resized,' she said. 'It's all a little bit overwhelming right now.' Late on Wednesday she announced her engagement to partner Morgan Jonas just hours after she was released The reality TV wannabe also declared she and her Reignite Democracy Australia activist party were 'not being silenced'. 'I am very motivated, I have not been silenced and RDA continues,' she said. Smit was initially granted bail on September 1 after she was arrested but refused to sign the bail conditions due to strict restrictions that included a curfew and removing material from social media. On Wednesday, she applied to have these bail conditions altered in the Supreme Court. The reality TV star wannabe (pictured) initially was granted bail on September 1 but refused due to strict bail conditions Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth instead handed down 'more limited' conditions than those originally imposed. 'In the current climate there is undoubtedly a real risk of her reoffending,' Justice Hollingworth told the court. It is alleged Smit encouraged people to attend illegal anti-lockdown protests during Victoria's sixth lockdown through encrypted app, Telegram. Smit (pictured) is alleged to have encouraged people to attend anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination rallies through the encrypted app Telegram Smit livestreamed her arrest in August, telling viewers she was turning on her camera 'just in case.' Alongside these allegations, Smit is also charged with three counts of breaching public health order directions. Smit livestreamed her arrest to social media on August 31, turning on her camera after she was pulled over by police 'just in case.' After being told she was under arrest, Smit told her supporters to share the video before officers shut the video down. She is due to face court in November. A council which shot dead 15 rescue dogs - including 10 puppies - due to Covid restrictions last month has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Investigations by RSPCA NSW and the Office of Local Government concluded the conduct of Bourke Shire Council, in NSW's north-west, was legal and that no animal cruelty laws had been breached. Animal Liberation representative Lisa Ryan labelled the outcome from RSPCA NSW 'disappointing, but not surprising' before adding the current rules in place for shooting animals should be urgently amended. In an incident which caused national outrage, the council destroyed the impounded pooches to stop a volunteer from a nearby LGA collecting them. Bourke Shire Council said its holding pound pens were at capacity at the time, before adding two of the dogs acted in an aggressive manner towards staff. A NSW council who destroyed 15 rescue dogs - including 10 puppies - due to Covid restrictions last month has been cleared of any wrongdoing (stock image) Following two investigations, RSPCA NSW and Office of Local Government found no animal cruelty laws had been breached by Bourke Shire Council (pictured) who euthanised 15 dogs in August They also justified the decision to put down the dogs by saying it was made to protect residents in the region during a spike in Covid case numbers. 'Council is being very careful with people entering Bourke. The majority of council staff have been stood down to avoid the virus spreading further in the community,' a statement read. Furious animal shelter volunteer Lorraine Knezevic, who was due to pick up the dogs, blasted the outcome and accused the council of lying. She told the Sydney Morning Herald she had offered to pick up all 15 dogs, but the request was denied because of imposed Covid restrictions. 'For them (council) to say that we were contacted several times is a blatant lie,' Ms Knezevic said. A spokesperson for Office of Local Government said the organisation was 'committed to working with government and community stakeholders to ensure the law met wider expectations.' A mother-of-two who lost her eye to a deadly cancer has revealed she's now able to blow out candles through her empty socket. Emma Cousins, 34, from Sheffield, has been living with one eye after undergoing an operation in June 2018 to remove an extremely rare tumour called a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Medics told her she was 'the only person in England' with the cancer, which silently grew behind her left eye for 15 years. It was only spotted when she complained to her doctor that her eye was beginning to bulge. And on top of the surgery, Ms Cousins has been left with a small hole in her empty socket because her radiotherapy treatment to kill cancer cells caused parts of her skin to die. But while waiting for an operation to patch up the hole, which is connected to her lungs, she has created TikTok videos of her using the hole to perform her newly-found party trick. Ms Cousins taught herself to blow out candles through the empty socket, and has amassed support from thousands of fans. Ms Cousins had surgery in June 2018 to remove a tumour that also meant her eye had to be extracted. As soon as she saw herself with one eye, Ms Cousins realised she looked 'different to anybody else'. She said: 'The first thing I can remember thinking was 'wow it doesn't look as bad as I thought'' The cancer was spotted after Ms Cousins (pictured per-operation with her son) went to A&E in 2018 after noticing that one of her eyes was bulging, leaving her with the sensation that it was being stretched Since having the operation, Ms Cousins has received global attention on TikTok after sharing videos of using the hole in her empty eye socket, which is connected to her lungs, to blow out candles One video received 15million views, with thousands of fans cheering her on. One person said: 'I would just like to say this is not scary but inspiring, unique and beautiful. Because this is who you are' One video received 15million views, with thousands of fans cheering her on. One person said: 'I would just like to say this is not scary but inspiring, unique and beautiful. Because this is who you are.' Ms Cousins went to A&E in 2018 after noticing one of her eyes was bulging, leaving her with the sensation that it was being stretched. Doctors assumed she had suffered a small bleed in her eye and referred her to see an optician, who asked to see selfies she had taken on her phone. She had six years of pictures on her phone but the eye specialist wanted to see even further back. Ms Cousins said: 'It was at that point I thought "oh no something is wrong". I managed to find pictures of me at 15. 'The optician said he didn't know for sure but that it looked like something had been growing behind my eye since I was 17.' What is mesenchymal chondrosarcoma? Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a cancer that either develops in the bones or soft tissue, such as muscle or fat. The cancer can either be fast-growing, or remain inactive for years. It is an extremely rare tumour and most commonly affects children and young adults. Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma can cause swelling or pain and is usually diagnosed when it causes these symptoms near to where the tumour has developed. Sometimes the cancer can be spotted early if it is seen on an x-ray taken for other reasons. It can occur almost anywhere in the body, but usually spreads to the lungs, soft tissues and other major organs. Treatment for mesenchymal chondrosarcoma involves surgery to remove the tumour, or chemotherapy to shrink the tumour if it is initially too large to be removed. Patients often receive radiotherapy after surgery to treat any tumour cells that are still present. The cancer accounts for less than one per cent of all sarcomas, which are rare types of cancer. Some 5,300 people in the UK are diagnosed with sarcomas each year, meaning less than 50 are mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. More than half of patients diagnosed with the cancer will die within five years of diagnosis, while around a quarter will live 10 years. Advertisement Looking at the images side-by-side, Ms Cousins said she noticed subtle differences as her eye appeared to grow and bulge over time. An MRI scan revealed she had a large tumor growing behind her eye and a biopsy was taken to see if it could be saved. Medics told her she had the rare form of sarcoma cancer, which starts in tissues like bone or muscle and said she would lose her eye. Ms Cousins said: 'I thought "no, it can't be, I'm too young" and the doctor was acting very nervous. 'The doctor said "the eye will have to come out" and told me I'm the only person in England with it, and that chemotherapy wouldn't work. 'He told me not to Google it but obviously that was the first thing I did when I was alone. 'I wish I had listened as all I could find were pages saying it spreads to the lungs and you die. 'After reading that it made me panic and the reality kicked in I was going to lose my eye and I had cancer.' Surgeons performed the operation in June 2018, warning Ms Cousins they would remove as much of the tumour as possible but she would be left disfigured. Ms Cousins said: 'I had to tell my children because, with my eye going, I couldn't hide it from them. I told them I needed to have my eye removed then I would be better. 'I was nervous but knowing I had cancer and how bad it could be made me feel better about it. Losing an eye for a chance of saving my life was a risk I was willing to take. 'I think one of the worst things was 10 minutes before the eye removal, one of the nurses drew an arrow on my forehead to highlight which eye it was and for the rest of my time left with two eyes I was panicking they would take the wrong eye out by mistake. 'My main concern was what would happen with the kids my daughter was so young at the time, so she wouldn't remember anything about me.' Ms Cousins' struggles didn't end after making it through the operation, however. A six-week course of radiation therapy to kill remaining cancer cells landed her in ICU. She fought off debilitating symptoms linked to fulminant multiple sclerosis, which left her 'completely paralysed'. After examining selfies Ms Cousins has taken over the course of more than a decade, an optician concluded something had been growing behind her eye since I was 17. Looking at the images side-by-side, the mother-of-two said she noticed subtle differences as her eye appeared to grow and bulge over time. Picture, left taken in May 2017, and right, taken in February 2018, shows her left eye slightly bulging An MRI scan revealed Ms Cousins had a large tumor growing behind her eye and a biopsy was taken to see if it could be saved. Medics told her she had the rare form of sarcoma cancer a type of cancer that starts in tissues like bone or muscle and told her she would lose her eye She said: 'I couldn't even talk it was like being completely locked in my own body, unable to communicate anything. 'Doctors told my family I would die, but to their surprise I regained the ability to talk, my arms started to work, and I have slowly recovered to the point I can now walk myself although not as well as I used to.' Medics were left equally baffled by the adverse reaction and much is still unclear about why Ms Cousins suffered so much post-surgery. As soon as she saw herself with one eye, Ms Cousins realised she looked 'different to anybody else'. She said: 'The first thing I can remember thinking was "wow it doesn't look as bad as I thought". 'It was still a few months before it all settled and the bruising had gone down, but it looked so much nicer than I had presumed it would look. 'I actually liked it because everything has been done now with hair and makeup, whereas everyone notices how different I look and I try to live up to that with my eye patches. 'After all, they are going to stare at me anyway, so why not give them something to stare at?' Ms Cousins was referred to have a prosthetic eye made, but found it to look 'fake' and be too much 'faff', so opted instead to wear glasses and eye patches. Over time, a small hole developed in her empty socket which doctors believe was caused by the radiation. She is waiting for a procedure that would take a chunk of skin from her leg to cover the hole in her socket. But it is not clear when that will happen. She said: 'Because the radiation has killed veins in my socket they supply the skin with blood and because blood cannot get to the area the skin dies and that's what the hole is. 'I've waited over a year for the operation but now the hole is getting bigger, simple things like having a shower or being in heavy rain can drown me. 'As the hole is directly connected to my lungs meaning anything going in my eye can enter my lungs. I have to stay away from a swimming pool and baths as I could drown.' Despite her suffering, she has received global attention on TikTok, after taking to the social media platform to share videos of her empty socket and show off her unique party tricks which include blowing out candles with the hole in her socket. 'This is so powerful,' another fan added. Someone else commented: 'No offence but it kinda looks like your eye is breathing but you're beautiful.' A Tory MP told the heartbreaking story of losing her baby in a hushed and emotional Commons chamber yesterday. Cherilyn Mackrory wept as she spoke of making a 'choice that is no choice at all' to terminate her pregnancy after her daughter Lily was diagnosed with a severe form of spina bifida. She said parents can 'never really let go' after losing their children, but added the 'sun will shine again' for grieving families. The Truro and Falmouth MP called for more support to be given to bereaved families after they have lost a baby, in a debate which also saw former health secretary Jeremy Hunt's voice falter as he discussed his own family's loss. Ms Mackrory told MPs about being given the news at 20 weeks pregnant, that her daughter Lily had a severe form of spina bifida, before talking about 'the termination itself, the delivery, the cuddles and the kisses from my daughter Lily, and finally of letting her go'. She added: 'You never really let them go though, do you?' Cherilyn Mackrory wept as she spoke of making a 'choice that is no choice at all' to terminate her pregnancy after her daughter Lily was diagnosed with a severe form of spina bifida She said parents can 'never really let go' after losing their children, but added the 'sun will shine again' for grieving families After taking several interventions from other MPs, allowing her to take a break, she said: 'To anyone who this has happened to, despite what you might see, the sun will shine again. 'It doesn't feel like it now, but one day it just does, and for me the dark clouds of shock, anger, guilt and dreadful, dreadful sadness do eventually dissipate.' Ms Mackrory said more needed to be done to support bereaved families who had lost babies, calling on all hospitals to adopt as mandatory the National Bereavement Care Pathway to help grieving parents. She added: 'People often ask how mum is, but may not ask how dad is. 'In my opinion this is not healthy, and what about the wider family? 'Grandparents are grieving for their lost grandchild, wondering how best to support, siblings are wondering what has happened.' She also called for the Government to address the 'higher risk' babies from BAME and deprived backgrounds face, adding that 'health inequalities in relation to maternity outcomes have been known for over 70 years'. Mr Hunt's voice cracked with emotion as he told the Commons: 'My sister, Sarah, died when she was just six months old and I was only two so I have no memory of it. 'But for my father's entire life, he died eight years ago, my mother used to tell us never to mention Sarah because he found it so hard.' He added: 'There is no timeline for grief.' Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) thanked Ms Mackrory for her 'bravery and strength', adding: 'By speaking out and helping to remove the stigma around these conversations she will have helped thousands of families in all of our constituencies, and that is Lily's legacy.' Ms Davies-Jones recalled her own difficulties with infertility before her 'happy ending', telling MPs she was 'hand on heart absolutely ecstatic about the prospect of motherhood' when she received IVF treatment. She added: 'But, as often is the case, life was more than ready to cause chaos because when my son arrived two weeks early after an emergency Caesarean he stopped breathing. 'My beautiful child, my longed-for child was whisked away to a neo-natal intensive care unit where he spent two weeks fighting for survival while my husband and I were utterly beside ourselves with anxiety. The debate also saw former health secretary Jeremy Hunt's voice falter as he discussed his own family's loss 'Both of us were completely broken at the thought of losing our little one and I know this feeling is shared by so many parents across the country.' Health minister Maria Caulfield said the Government was 'making progress' with its ambition to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths by 2025, with stillbirths reducing by 25 per cent over the decade. She added: 'Specifically around preventing maternal death and morbidity from Covid, recent findings from a national perinatal study showed that 742 women admitted to hospital since vaccination data has been collected, four had received a single dose of the vaccine and none had received both doses. 'This means that more than 99 per cent of pregnant women admitted to hospital with symptomatic Covid-19 are unvaccinated. 'One message I want to get across today is that is hugely important that both mothers and their families are vaccinated to improve their safety.' Advertisement Al Sharpton's press conference at the Haitian migrant camp in Del Rio, Texas descended into farce on Thursday, as hecklers cut him short, accusing him of exploiting the crisis. Sharpton was forced to end his speech after just over two minutes, as he was shouted down by furious hecklers with one yelling, 'we don't want your racism in Texas'. The squalid border camp which held up to 15,000 at one point last weekend has now shrunk to under 3,000, as immigration officials rushed to release thousands of migrants into the US, but another camp is growing across the Rio Grande in Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings - but failed to reveal where a further 3,000 are. At his disastrous press conference, Sharpton began his statement by slamming US Customs and Border Patrol for using 'slave-like tactics' against the migrants. Civil rights activist and MSNBC host Al Sharpton shut down a press conference at the southern border encampment in Del Rio, Texas Thursday after being consistently heckled Demonstrators protest the arrival of civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton at the Del Rio International Airport on Thursday Even as Sharpton spoke, the migrant camp in Del Rio had largely been cleared out, with thousands released into the US The remnants of the encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge are seen on Friday after it was largely cleared out Migrants, many from Haiti, wait in lines to board buses under the Del Rio International Bridge on Friday in Del Rio, Texas U.S. Border Patrol agents watch as Haitian immigrant families cross the Rio Grande from into Del Rio, Texas on Thursday from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Mexican immigration officials had launched an operation in a small migrant camp on the Mexican side of the river and many families, fearing deportation, surged across the border to take their chances on the U.S. side 'We went for an hour and toured the place that we feel is a real catastrophic and human disgrace as people around this world watch the Border Patrol use slave-like techniques mounted on horses,' Sharpton said. 'It compelled us to come and show our voices and our presence.' At least two hecklers began asking Sharpton 'how much money are you making out of this?' and 'why are you stoking racism where it doesn't exist?' Sharpton attempted to continue by calling for ICE officers to be 'fully investigated' and for 'those that were fully involved to face justice.' He also said that there should be 'full asylum rights given to those that deserve it.' The protesters only got louder, crying that Del Rio was not a racist city and that 'we don't want your racism in Texas!' 'The Trump supporters and the right-wingers can scream all they want,' Sharpton fired back. 'We gon' continue to come back. We gon' stand with our people to make sure that asylum [seekers] is treated in one way and one manner. And we will continue to come back over and over again.' After two-and-a-half minutes and continued heckling for Sharpton to pay taxes and calling him a 'race-baiter,' Sharpton eventually turned away from the microphone. The National Action Network founder attempted to give a speech after touring the area linking Del Rio with Ciudad Acuna, Mexico , where thousands of migrants from Latin American and Caribbean countries have stayed in recent weeks The protesters only got louder, crying that Del Rio was not a racist city and that 'we don't want your racism in Texas!' Sharpton began his statement by slamming US Customs and Border Patrol for using 'slave-like tactics' against the migrants After two-and-a-half minutes and continued heckling for Sharpton to pay taxes and calling him a 'race-baiter,' Sharpton eventually turned away from the microphone Demonstrators protest the arrival of Rev. Al Sharpton at the Del Rio International Airport on Thursday in Del Rio, Texas People participate in a protest against the visit of civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton after his arrival at Del Rio In Mexico, Haitian immigrants waited to cross the Rio Grande on Thursday. The camp on the Mexican side has been growing, though Mexican officials have surrounded it and are telling migrants they will be deported to Haiti if they enter the US Official vehicles line a dirt road along the Rio Grande on Friday in Del Rio where they are the lookout for illegal crossings 'We left them a perfectly good plan': Mike Pompeo slams Biden for giving migrants 'green light' to enter US Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed President Joe Biden's administration Thursday night after a new report detailed the chaos at the southern border. Pompeo, speaking on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle, was reacting to a Wall Street Journal story about how migrants from throughout Latin America have been drawn to the border 'by the hundreds of thousands.' The former secretary of state said the Biden administration is wrecking the Trump administration's blueprints for the region. 'This is another example where we left them a perfectly good plan,' he said. 'We left them a perfectly good plan in Afghanistan, they turned it into chaos. We left them a perfectly good plan with respect to how we handled our southern border, how we kept our sovereignty.' Advertisement The camp had swelled to some 15,000 migrants at one point, with thousands seen wading across the Rio Grande River daily. Many are Haitians who were previously granted asylum in Chile, with some Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present. It came as a the border crisis entered a new phase, after President Joe Biden's administration largely cleared out the squalid border camp, but failed to account for the fate of thousands of migrants. Secretary Mayorkas said on Thursday that 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings, and DHS previously said that 1,401 were sent back to Haiti and 3,206 remain in custody. This left thousands unaccounted for of the 15,000 total migrants that filled the camp at its peak. Mayorkas appeared on CNN Thursday evening and was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. Interviewer Wolf Blitzer noted that about 15,000 Haitians had gathered. He tried to get Mayorkas to reveal how many had been released. 'What about the rest?' Blitzer pressed. 'If it's 10 per cent, or 15, I don't have the precise numbers,' Mayorkas responded. That would put the figure at between 1,500 and 2,250 although Mayorkas avoided specifics. 'I assure you it's a minority of the individuals, for the reasons that I have articulated, and they are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings, where they are able, where they appear before a judge. And if in fact they make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then of course, we honor that and if not they are removed as well,' he continued. He also addressed blistering criticism by pointing to Centers for Disease Control regulations under Title 42 with removals pegged to the coronavirus crisis. 'It's very important to underscore the fact that this is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy,' he said. 'We are applying the law, pursuant to an order that the Centers for Disease Control, issued in light of the fact that this country and the world is in the midst of a pandemic,' he added. 'We are exercising that authority as we are required to do to protect the health and well-being of the migrants themselves, our personnel, local communities and the American public.' Adding to the farce of Sharpton's visit, the camp that he intended to visit had been largely cleared by Thursday An area where about 15,000 migrants, many from Haiti, were camping out along the Del Rio International Bridge is seen with a large portion of the area cleaned up as authorities continue to process and remove them A migrant child is seen Thursday holding items at an encampment under the Del Rio International Bridge where migrants, many from Haiti, have been staying after crossing the Rio Grande State troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety stand next to a line of law enforcement vehicles facing the U.S. Mexico border near a makeshift border camp along the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on Thursday Meanwhile Mexican forces have surrounded a second camp that is growing on the Mexican side of the border, where some migrants are gathering to assess their chances of successfully entering the US illegally. Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) is starting to return migrants to the southern Mexican city of Tapachula so they can file asylum applications there. 'We're not taking them out of the country,' INM chief Francisco Garduno told Reuters. 'We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems.' Telling migrants eyeing the U.S. side of the border that it would be better to process claims before the media disappeared from Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, INM agents swept through the camp on Thursday beseeching them to go back to Tapachula. 'We're giving you this option,' INM official Montserrat Saldana told a cluster of migrants circled around her. 'All of you who cross the river are going straight to Haiti.' About 3,000 remained in the US camp late Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said. The number peaked Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing trying to seek asylum. The administration recently extended protections for more than 100,000 Haitians already in the U.S. - many of whom left their homeland after its devastating 2010 earthquake - citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. But the protective status was not supposed to apply to new arrivals. A Haitian migrant pleas with a Mexican police officer blocking access to the Rio Grande river so that immigrants can't use it to cross the U.S.-Mexico border from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico on Thursday The camp had swelled to some 10,000 migrants at one point, with thousands seen wading across the Rio Grande River daily U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation protesting the 'inhumane' large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation protesting the 'inhumane' large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately 'with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes.' 'I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life,' he wrote. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' The career diplomat was known to be deeply frustrated with what he considered a lack of urgency in Washington and a glacial pace on efforts to improve conditions in Haiti. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been 'fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process.' 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false,' Price said. Squalid Del Rio camp starts to be cleared as DHS chief finally admits 2,000 migrants have been released into the US but fails to address where up to 3,000 missing migrants are located Aerial photos of the Haitian migrant camp in Del Rio along the Texas border taken less than a week apart show the drastic reduction in size. As recently as this weekend, there were about 15,000 Haitians in Del Rio hoping to get asylum in the United States after they fled their country that has been torn apart by political turmoil following the Haitian president's assassination and an earthquake that killed at least 2,200. On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on CNN that as many as 2,000 Haitians had been released into the US pending hearings - but failed to identify where the remaining 3,000 are. The revelation came after the DHS revealed that of the 15,000 total; 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are still camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Haitian migrants take shelter along the Del Rio International Bridge at sunset as they await to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Ciudad Acuna in Del Rio, Texas on September 19 The area where about 14,000 mainly-Haitian migrants were camping along the Del Rio International Bridge is seen on Thursday. A large portion of the makeshift camp was cleared after as authorities continue to process and remove the people This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Now Mayorkas appears to have addressed where 2,000 of them are, but that still leaves 3,000 missing from official figures. Mayorkas was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. Rep. Tony Gonzales - a Texas Republican who whose district encompasses Del Rio - ripped Mayorkas and said he was trying to 'bulls**t' him. 'No, don't tell me, 'Everything's under control.' It's not under control,' Gonzales told the Washington Examiner. 'You can bulls**t somebody else, but you can't bulls**t me,' he told The Washington Examiner. 'It was kind of like, dismissive a little bit, and that's a problem, especially when you're talking about national security. Like, there are no second chances. You have to get it right every single time, or it's game over.' Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. after leaving a makeshift migrant camp Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. after leaving makeshift migrant camp in Braulio Fernandez Ecological Park in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico on Thursday US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on a boat rescue a Haitian migrant woman from the Rio Grande river at the Mex ico-US border near Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila state, Mexico on Thursday Sources told the Washington Examiner that the Biden administration had set a deadline of Friday night to have the camp completely cleared. The order from the West Wing reportedly came amid concerns over a Black Lives Matter protest scheduled to take place near the bridge this weekend. 'They don't want them all riled up,' an official told the paper, referring to U.S. authorities and the Haitian migrants respectively. An official also said the order to clear the camp was partly to resolve an 'optics' problem. They want those people out from under that bridge so they can't be seen anymore,' they said. 'It's an optics thing. They are moving them around for process and release. They're going to have everyone at the bridge gone in the next two days.' Homeland Security had planned to ramp up to seven daily flights but flew only three Wednesday and five Thursday because of issues with contractors and mechanical delays, the official told the Associated Press. Seven flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, six on Saturday and seven on Sunday. During Thursday evening's interview with CNN, interviewer Wolf Blitzer noted that about 15,000 Haitians had gathered and press Mayorkas to account for all 5,000. Mayorkas ran through the numbers, and Blitzer followed up with, 'What about the rest?' DHS Secretary Mayorkas said Thursday that 10-15 percent of 15,000 Haitians gathered at the bridge in Del Rio, Texas have been released into the country pending their immigration hearings but failed to say where 3,000 unaccounted migrants are 'If it's 10 percent, or 15, I don't have the precise numbers,' Mayorkas responded. That would put the figure between 1,500 and 2,250 although Mayorkas avoided specifics. 'I assure you it's a minority of the individuals, for the reasons that I have articulated, and they are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings, where they are able, where they appear before a judge. And if in fact they make a valid claim to remain in the United States, then of course, we honor that and if not they are removed as well,' he continued. Mayorkas also addressed blistering criticism by pointing to Centers for Disease Control regulations under Title 42 with removals pegged to the coronavirus crisis. 'It's very important to underscore the fact that this is not a matter of immigration policy, but rather this is a matter of public health policy,' he said. 'We are applying the law, pursuant to an order that the Centers for Disease Control, issued in light of the fact that this country and the world is in the midst of a pandemic 'We are exercising that authority as we are required to do to protect the health and well-being of the migrants themselves, our personnel, local communities and the American public.' Mayorkas responded to the resignation letter put out by U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote who left his job on Wednesday. 'What I what I wish the individual had done is stayed with the cause of addressing the needs of individuals, all throughout the Western Hemisphere and dedicating the resources and the talent and the energies of the men and women in the United States government to rebuild our humanitarian relief capabilities just as we are doing now in the Biden-Harris administration.' The U.S. special envoy for Haiti resigned on Wednesday because he didn't want to be involved with the 'inhumane' deportation of Haitian migrants. 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life,' Ambassador Daniel Foote wrote in his resignation letter, first shared by a PBS reporter on Twitter. A migrant seeking refuge in the United States is pictured with members of Mexico's National Institute of Migration before crossing the Rio Grande river into Texas People continued to make the crossing into the United States on Thursday, wading through the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Acuna in Mexico towards Del Rio Texas Border Patrol agents await the arrival of Migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas on Thursday Border Patrol agents pass by Haitian families wrapped up for warmth after crossing the Rio Grande River to reach the U.S. from Mexico In the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foote said another reason for his resignation is that his recommendations to help Haiti have been 'ignored and dismissed'. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed,' Foote continued in his letter, 'and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' A State Department spokesperson accused Foote of 'mischaracterizing the circumstances of his resignation' and said some of his ideas were deemed 'harmful.' '[A]ll proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process,' a statement from the spokesperson reads. 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process.' 'For him to to say that his proposals were ignored is simply false,' they added. The statement claims: 'It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' Pub bosses have slammed an 'arbitrary' World Health Organisation plan to slash alcohol consumption by a fifth - warning it would cost tens of thousands of jobs in the UK. The WHO's draft 'global action plan' says governments should be targeting a 20 per cent reduction in drinking per capita by 2030. But the hospitality industry has warned that would be devastating as it reels from the impact of the pandemic, while critics said the focus should be on harmful drinking levels. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association told MailOnline its analysis suggested lost sales would hammer employment. 'Reducing beer consumption by 20 per cent will result in over 83,000 jobs in hospitality and supply chain businesses being lost for good in the UK,' she said. 'Our sector has just faced 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions that have destroyed trade and viability. 'Now is the time to be supporting pubs and the hospitality sector, not proposing arbitrary targets on alcohol consumption that would hamper our recovery and further reduce trade.' Pub bosses have slammed an 'arbitrary' World Health Organisation plan to slash alcohol consumption by a fifth The WHO has been working intensively on the alcohol plan for well over a year, and it is expected to be formalised in time for next year The WHO has been working intensively on the alcohol strategy for well over a year, and it is expected to be formalised in time for next year. An early version of the proposals reportedly suggested barring pregnant women from drinking any alcohol, but that appears to have been watered down after it was branded paternalistic and sexist. The latest draft says one of the targets should be: 'At least 20 per cent relative reduction (in comparison with 2010) in alcohol per capita (15 years and older) consumption achieved by 2030.' The UK government also raised concerns about the idea in its consultation response this month, suggesting any target should be based on harmful drinking. 'Consideration should be given as to whether targets solely focused on reducing alcohol consumption per capita are the most appropriate way to monitor progress in reducing alcohol-related harm,' the response said. 'Including a target for a reduction in alcohol consumption amongst segments of the population known to experience the greatest harm, such as higher risk drinkers, may be of use.' Christopher Snowdon of the Institute for Economic Affairs think-tank said the WHO might be playing a 'long game' and trying to secure legally binding targets later, as there was no chance of the 20 per cent reduction being achieved. 'I think they are playing a long game here. The target cannot be enforced and it has got no chance of being met. 'Member states are being set up to fail. In the long-term they would like to see a framework for alcohol control with things like advertising control. 'They will say, ''right, we have tried it the voluntary way, we now need to take tough global action''. Ms McClarkin said: 'It must be remembered that pubs are more than a place to drink. They are the heart of the community and bring us together. They play a vital role in mental health and wellbeing. 'The sector is already playing a leading role in helping those who wish to moderate their consumption with the growing range of innovative low and no beers that are increasing in popularity by the day. 'The WHO should focus on encouraging the innovation and further investment of these products.' Five tourists died on Europe's highest mountain, some 'freezing to death', as the peak was swept by freak winter-like conditions. Four women and one man were killed close to the summit of 18,510ft Mount Elbrus in Russia. Another 18 tourists - amateur climbers - and guides were led off the snow-covered mountain in extreme blizzard conditions, some suffering frostbite and broken bones. Eleven of the survivors were taken to hospital. Some 69 rescuers were involved in a major operation to save the mainly 'non-professional' climbers which finished at around 3am this morning on Russia's Mount Elbrus Dramatic footage and pictures showed the overnight rescue which finished at 3am today. Anna Makarova, 36, from Yakutsk, described as in 'perfect physical shape', died in the arms of mountain guide Igor Dankov after suddenly becoming unwell in the atrocious conditions some 300ft from the peak, said a tourism source. 'This was the moment when really strong wind rose, and the air pressure plummeted. 'Anna asked the guide to get her down, and Igor gave her tea and ammonia, but she died 40 to 60 minutes after first saying that she felt unwell. Five tourists died on Europe's highest mountain, some 'freezing to death', as the peak was swept by freak winter-like conditions including Anna Makarova, 36, (left) and Yelena Nesterova, 32, (right) The other Russian tourists who died were named as Vyacheslav Borisov, 39, Anastasia Zhigulina, 40, (right) and Irina Galchuk, 32, (left) 'She died in his arms.' Two of the group 'froze to death' and others 'lost consciousness' in the sudden harsh conditions of -20C before being rescued. The sudden bad weather had not been foreseen when the 23 climbers set out to conquer the peak in the Caucasus on a late summer ascent, said reports. The group of Russian climbers sent out a mayday call just after 5 pm local time on Thursday, the regional ministry said. Pictured: Two of the amateur mountain climbers are seen with bad frostbite after being rescued from the mountain overnight One member of the group broke his leg as he was being brought down, Denis Alimov, who organised guides for the climb, told TASS news agency. 'Probably because of this, the group lost time, the weather deteriorated catastrophically... They decided to split the group into three parts - those going faster and those going slower,' he told TASS. 'As they descended, two more people died in one of the groups. But the decision to split up was the right one, otherwise there might have been more casualties.' The Russian tourists who died were named as Vyacheslav Borisov, 39, Yelena Nesterova, 32, Anastasia Zhigulina, 40, and Irina Galchuk, 32. Pictured: One of the amateur climbers is seen covered in snow and frostbite after having been saved from the mountain Some 69 rescuers were involved in a major operation to save the mainly 'non-professional' climbers. The company which organised the climb said there were four professional guides with the group. A criminal case has been opened into the deaths of the climbers and how the ascent was allowed to go-ahead. Carlos the Jackal, the leftist militant behind some of the biggest attacks of the 1970s and 1980s in France, has failed to have one of his three life sentences reduced. Following hearings that began on Wednesday, a special criminal court in Paris confirmed the life sentence for a 1974 grenade attack on the Publicis Drugstore, an upmarket shopping centre on the Champs Elysees, that killed two people. The self-declared 'professional revolutionary', 71, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, carried out several attacks in support of the Palestinian cause. Carlos the Jackal, the leftist militant behind some of the biggest attacks of the 1970s and 1980s in France, has failed to have one of his three life sentences reduced A special criminal court in Paris confirmed the life sentence for a 1974 grenade attack on the Publicis Drugstore (pictured) He has been behind bars in France since he was captured and spirited out of Sudan by French special forces in 1994. He was convicted of murder in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison, a verdict that was upheld on appeal. But in 2019, France's highest court sent the case back to court to reconsider his sentence. They said he should not have been convicted of both carrying and using a grenade because it amounted to being convicted twice of the same offence. The self-styled revolutionary, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, has been behind bars in France since 1994 The self-styled revolutionary, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, has been behind bars in France since 1994 when French police caught up with him in Sudan after two decades on the run He was convicted of murder in 2017 Ramirez, who was born in Venezuela, is already serving two other life terms and has lost appeals against them. One is for the murder of two French police officers and an informant in June 1975 and the other for attacks on trains, a railway station and a Paris street in 1982 and 1983 that killed 11 people and wounded about 150 others. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Marxist militant, became public enemy number one for Western governments and the world' most wanted man. He sealed his international notoriety by taking OPEC's oil ministers hostage in the name of the Palestinian struggle in a raid on its Vienna headquarters in 1975 in which three people were killed. The nickname was given to him by the media after a reporter saw a copy of Frederick Forsyth's 'The Day of the Jackal' at Ramirez's London flat. Advertisement Photographs of packed Sydney beaches in the city's east and north have sparked outrage among residents living in the city's west where Covid lockdown restrictions are being strictly enforced. Footage taken about 6pm at the famous grassy knoll in North Bondi showed locals gathering in large groups overlooking the beach - with no police in sight. But by 7.30pm officers had arrived to break up the festivities - with hundreds packing up and leaving the park. But the scenes weren't just confined to Sydney's east, with big crowds on the northern beaches also packing Manly Beach foreshore for Friday evening drinks with friends. And while video footage captured crowds at the beaches, Daily Mail Australia has been told similar scenes were played out on a balmy September evening across much of Sydney, with NSW now just 17 days away from lockdown restrictions easing once 70 per cent of NSW's population over 16 is fully vaccinated. Until the so-called 'Freedom Day' on October 11, residents are only allowed to gather in groups up to five in outdoor public spaces if they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Locals gather in large groups on North Bondi's famous grassy knoll on Friday evening Police arrived at 7.30pm to break up the festivities - with hundreds seen packing up and leaving the area Locals without masks on crowded closely together despite social distancing regulations, eager to make the most of the warm weather on the balmy evening Locals were also out in full force at Manly Beach on Friday evening Many who are banned from leaving their own local government areas in western Sydney were furious after the images from Manly and Bondi Beach emerged on Friday night. 'What is happening along Bondi and other places in the east is an absolute joke,' one said. 'What a slap in the face to us sacrificing by doing the right things out west. We either have rules or we dont? Who's checking their vax status? Who's policing RSA? What a double standard!' Another Sydneysider could not understand why those gathered in Bondi and Manly weren't being more heavily monitored by police. Many of the city's residents doing it tough during lockdown reacted with outrage after images from Manly and Bondi Beach emerged on Friday night 'Tell me how I got fined $1000 two nights ago for forgetting to check in at a 7-Eleven -with my mask on - across from my house and these people are allowed to do this in Bondi,' one said. Another claimed authorities were picking and choosing where to enforce the lockdown, and suggested locals on the beaches were being left alone because of new 'picnic' rules allowing groups of up to five to gather outside if they are double-jabbed. 'I love a Friday night 'picnic' in North Bondi with the Sydney lockdown now elective,' they wrote. The government's roadmap to freedom allows a moderate easing of restrictions when the double-dose rate hits 70 per cent including the return of pubs, gyms and hair salons with strict density requirements. International travel and interstate travel may also be on the cards for those who have been double jabbed alongside larger community events such as sport. Police talk to picnickers at North Bondi on Friday night. Commenters online suggested locals on the beaches were being left alone because of new 'picnic' rules Residents crowd the beachfront at North Bondi making the most of the warm weather Restrictions are set to ease moderately when NSW hits 70 per cent double vaccination goal, predicted to be October 11 Locals packed the beachfront before police arrived to disperse the crowds of revellers While only allowed to gather in groups of 5, crowds of residents were seen out and about Revellers packed out the grass at North Bondi in the late afternoon There is currently 84 per cent of the eligible population of NSW with one dose of the vaccine and 56 per cent fully vaccinated NSW recorded 1,043 new cases of Covid on Friday with 1,186 people in hospital and 232 in ICU. 11 deaths were recorded. About 84 per cent of those over 16 have have received one dose of vaccine, with 56 per cent fully vaccinated. NSW is on track to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated just two weeks after the first 70 per cent milestone is reached on October 11. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) warned opening up the state will be done with caution to avoid an influx of cases being hospitalised Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that opening up the state could cause an influx of cases in hospital so caution needed to be taken during the easing of restrictions. 'I am always wary of using terms like 'freedom day' because when we start to open up it must be step-by-step,' she said during Friday's press conference. 'It must be done cautiously and we must remember that even though people may be fully vaccinated, if you are vulnerable and have other conditions you can still succumb and get the disease in a serious way, or worse.' Police broke up the crowds at around 7:30pm, sending locals packing Police are pictured at North Bondi on Friday evening breaking up the festivities after hundreds flocked to the iconic beachfront Advertisement China must be ready to use nuclear weapons and should abandon its 'no-first-use' policy to push back against new alliances forming in the Pacific, a senior diplomat has said. Sha Zukang, the country's former ambassador to the UN, told a summit of Chinese nuclear policy experts that it is time to 're- examine and fine-tune' a long-standing commitment to only use nukes in retaliation as the US 'builds new military alliances and as it increases its military presence in our neighbourhood.' Beijing's current policy - which has been in place since the 1960s - has given China the 'moral high ground' but 'is not suitable . . . unless China-US negotiations agree that neither side would use [nuclear weapons] first,' he said at a meeting in Beijing last week. Zukang's comments - which come as China builds hundreds of new nuclear missile silos - are significant because Beijing often floats changes of policy through senior diplomats. The body he was speaking to - the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association - is officially independent, but has strong ties to the Communist party. He spoke in the same week the US announced a major new alliance with the UK and Australia - dubbed AUKUS - to provide the latter with its first nuclear-powered submarines, a major technological advancement that is clearly designed to counter-balance Chinese power in the Pacific. Zukang's warning also comes in the wake of another alliance between the US, India, Japan and Australia - dubbed the Quad - with Joe Biden set to host the first in-person summit of leaders today. While the four are cooperating on a range of security issues, the growing threat from China is at the top of the agenda. A new arms race is developing in the Pacific between the US and China, which could also drag in Russia - which borders the ocean - and the UK, after it signed a new defence pact with America and Australia. Here, a MailOnline graphic compares the relative sizes of each country's current nuclear arsenals China became a nuclear power in 1964 with its first successful test of a bomb, and adopted its 'no-first-use' policy four years later. It states that Beijing will never be the first to use nukes in a conflict, but will use them if struck first. It mirrors a policy that Russia implemented between 1982 and 1993, though abandoned due to fears that the weakened state of its army following the break-up of the Soviet Union could encourage an attack by the US. The US has a policy to never use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against a majority of other nations including all those without nuclear weapons - but has exempted China, Russia and North Korea from the policy. Global nuclear policy is rapidly changing as a number of Cold War-era treaties - notably New START and the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty - expire, with Washington hoping to renegotiate them to include China. Zukang, in his speech, said it is 'only a matter of time' before such a deal is negotiated, but that Beijing should be prepared to take a more-aggressive stance until the trio put pen to paper. China is in the midst of a major upgrade of its nuclear forces, which in recent years has seen it unveil more-advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic nuclear missiles that are thought to be un-stoppable by current missile defence systems. Beijing is thought to possess around 320 nuclear warheads that can be fitted to those missiles at present, but is also thought to be in the midst of a major expansion of that arsenal. It comes after the discovery in July of two huge new missile silo bases under construction in remote desert regions of China. Experts believe the first, near the city of Yumen, will eventually house 120 silos while the second, near the town of Hami, will house 110. A dozen more are under construction near Jilantai, with older sites also being upgraded. China is in the midst of constructing two huge new nuclear missile silo bases, one of which is located at this site in a remote desert region near the town of Hami 14 silos are currently under construction at the site (in yellow) while land has been cleared for 19 more (in green). But analysts who looked at the site believe it could eventually expand to house 110 silos, each of which can hold a nuclear missile A second site, under construction near Yumen, has space cleared for up to 120 silos - meaning China's arsenal of nukes could expand from roughly 320 at present to almost 900 Both sites were identified by distinctive tents erected over the top of the under-construction silos that hide their inner workings from spy satellites Each silo can house a nuclear missile, with each missile capable of carrying up to 12 nuclear warheads if China upgrades all of them to carry its latest DF-41 rocket. That means China's nuclear arsenal could theoretically expand to 875 warheads. Hu Xijin, editor of the state-mouthpiece Global Times newspaper, has previously argued that it should expand to 1,000. The move would elevate China above the low-ranking nuclear powers such as the UK, Pakistan, France and India which have stockpiled warheads in the low hundreds. But it would still be well short of the US and Russia, the world's two largest nuclear powers, which possess arsenals of around 4,000 warheads each. The construction of hundreds of silos also marks a major shift in the make-up of China's nuclear threat, which currently relies heavily on mobile road-based launchpads and nuclear-capable bombers. China also has four nuclear-armed submarines. China is expanding its military as its economy balloons to rival that of the US, having lagged behind for decades. In addition to building new nuclear missiles and silos, it has constructed new aircraft carriers, tanks, fighter jets, spy and attack drones, along with new rifles for its troops. Beijing has used the new hardware to take a more aggressive stance in the Pacific: Imposing its rule on Hong Kong, menacing Taiwan, and laying claim to a number of uninhabited islands in the South China Sea which it has constructed military bases on top of. It has also been pressing its claim to a number of other islands whose ownership is disputed, creating tensions with other regional powers such the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and others. Similar disputes are underway in the East China Sea, around islands claimed by Japan. China claims rights over the South China Sea in its entirety, which would hand Beijing control over hugely valuable international shipping lanes, fishing grounds which neighbouring countries rely on for food, and deposits of coal and oil which dot the seabed. China has also updated its nuclear arsenal in recent years, having unveiled its next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile DF-41 - capable of hitting virtually anywhere on the planet and carrying 12 warheads each Beijing has also developed a hypersonic nuclear missile, the Dongfeng-17, which is thought to be impossible to stop for any current missile defence system Also unveiled by China in 2019 was the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile, which is carried by its Jin-class nuclear submarines and can be tipped with nuclear warheads The US and its allies have been pushing back on these claims, and frequently conduct what they call 'freedom of navigation' operations through waters that China claims as its own in defiance of Beijing. A recent and high-profile mission was led by the UK's newest aircraft carrier - HMS Queen Elizabeth - and its strike group, which included American destroyers. It provoked and angry response from the Communist Party (CCP). With the end of the war in Afghanistan and the signing of the new AUKUS pact, attention has shifted away from the Middle East and towards the Pacific as the threat of direct conflict between the US and China looming large. The flashpoint is likely to be Taiwan - and island off the Chinese coast that houses the remnants of the People's Republic of China, which once ruled the country and was deposed by the CCP when it came to power. Historically, the US has recognised the ROC as the legitimate government of China and the two have a long-standing alliance. Taiwan views itself as an independent state, while Beijing considers it a breakaway province. Tensions have mounted in recent years after a 2019 speech by Xi Jinping in which he committed himself to 'reunifying' Taiwan with the mainland, saying he is willing to use force if necessary. The US has a policy of 'strategic ambiguity' towards Taiwan, refusing to say how far it would go in defence of the island - though Joe Biden recently suggested any attack would prompt a war. Officials later said he had misspoke. With the signing of the AUKUS pact, Australia and Britain could also find themselves on the frontlines of the conflict - with Australia defence minister Peter Dutton admitting as much last week. The Chinese.. are very clear of their intent with regard to Taiwan [and] the United States has been very clear of their intention toward Taiwan,' he said. 'Nobody wants to see conflict but that really is a question for the Chinese.' Boris Johnson, asked directly whether the new pact could see Britain dragged into a war, refused to rule anything out - telling the House of Commons: 'The United Kingdom remains determined to defend international law.' China is using its new military hardware and economic might to throw its weight around in the Pacific, most notably in the South China Sea which has caused disputes with neighbours including Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia Angela Rayner has told how she was once given dog food to eat when she was a child because her mother could not read labels on tins. The deputy leader of the Labour Party said she was also given 'jelly and shaving foam' because her mother 'used to look on the pictures' on products. The 41-year-old set out her experiences of growing up in poverty and said that in 'modern times' she 'definitely' would have been taken away by social services. Ms Rayner also revealed how she believes growing up in a 'chaotic' household helped prepare her to thrive in a post-Brexit Westminster. Angela Rayner has told how she was once given dog food to eat when she was a child because her mother could not read labels on tins Ms Rayner said in 'modern days' she and her siblings would 'definitely' have been taken into social services. Her mother, Lynn Bowen (pictured), suffered from mental health issues Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, left school aged 16 while pregnant with her first child Ms Rayner opened up about her poverty-stricken upbringing on a council estate in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on the Full Disclosure podcast with James O'Brien. The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne left school aged 16 while pregnant with her first child. Ms Rayner said in 'modern days' she and her siblings would 'definitely' have been taken into social services. Her mother, Lynn Bowen, suffered from mental health issues. Asked if she was ever in danger of being taken away by social services, Ms Rayner said: I think, you know what, in modern days, definitely we would have gone. But my nana bought our uniform so she would take us to the charity shop to get our uniform. My mum couldnt cook. I mean everything went in a frying pan. It was chips and chips, chips and sausage, literally everything went in the frying pan. My mum used to give us jelly and shaving foam because she used to look on the pictures. She didn't know what the food was in it. You know, we had dog meat once because she thought it was stewing steak because she couldnt read it. We used to laugh about it and joke about it but in modern times we probably would have ended up in the system but because of my nana took a very keen interest and she was there. Ms Rayner recounted how she and her siblings would go to her grandmother's house for a bath because hot water was 'too expensive'. She said: My nana, she was on hand. She worked like three jobs. She grafted. My nana lived in high rise flats so we used to joke because we would go to my nanas for a bath because she had hot water. We didn't have hot water, it was too expensive, so we would traipse to my nanas on a Sunday and all have a bath and we would go in rank order. Ms Rayner opened up about her poverty-stricken upbringing on a council estate in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on the Full Disclosure podcast with James O'Brien. She is pictured visiting the Ladywell Centre in Lewisham, London, on September 23 So my older brother would get the bath first, then my mum would get it and then me and my little sister would share the bath afterwards. Ms Rayner was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015 and she said she believes her background prepared her well for the political chaos in Westminster that followed the 2016 Brexit vote. Referring to career politicians, she said: 'The whole thing being turned on its head and everybody not quite understanding what was going on was quite discombobulating for them but for me it was like "this is what I am used to, this is life for me as a working class kid growing up in a chaotic household and not knowing what was going to happen next is quite normal territory for me". 'So I actually found it quite intriguing and energetic. I loved it.' Flame-haired 'Grangela' who overcame tough upbringing to reach the dizzy heights in Westminster Angela Rayner's socialist credentials were forged by a tough upbringing as a carer to her bipolar mother aged just 10 before becoming pregnant with the first of her three children at the age of 16. The flame-haired 41-year-old has drawn on her experience as a one-time struggling teenage mother throughout her political career. She proudly welcomed her own granddaughter at the age of just 37 in 2017 with a tweet jokingly referring to herself as 'Grangela' after son Ryan became a father to baby Lilith Mae. Ms Rayner was just 16 when she had Ryan, and has told how becoming pregnant so young 'saved' her. She has two other sons aged under 10, Jimmy and Charlie, who was born at 23 weeks and is registered blind. She says Charlie would not be alive today without the NHS. Her teenage relationship with Ryan's father ended quickly and she married Unison official Mark Rayner. But they split up last summer. She also acted as a carer to her mother, Lynn Bowen, when just a child. In 202 she opened up about her tough early life, revealing she once had to have her sectioned to prevent her from self-harming. In a joint interview with ITV News, Ms Bowen credits her daughter with saving her, saying she would not have survived without her. 'I was in a very dark place, she used to bath me, look after me, feed me,' Ms Bowen said of her daughter. 'If it wasn't for her I don't think I'd be here today.' Ms Rayner was only elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne for the first time in 2015 but she has swiftly risen up the ranks to national prominence. It did not take long for her to be welcomed to the Labour frontbench under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn as she was made shadow education secretary in 2016. She became one of Mr Corbyn's most vocal defenders, both in the House of Commons and on the airwaves, before the party sank to its disastrous general election defeat in December 2019. She swiftly launched a bid for the party's deputy leadership in the aftermath of the car crash poll, standing on a so-called hard-left 'dream ticket' with Westminster housemate and former frontbencher Rebecca Long-Bailey who put herself forward for the top job. However, unlike Ms Long-Bailey, who rated Mr Corbyn' leadership 10/10, she was unafraid to criticise him. In February 2020 she said he failed as Labour leader because he 'didn't command respect' and had not been able to unite the party. She also insisted she could succeed where Mr Corbyn had struggled because she 'resonates with people in the country in a way that Jeremy doesn't'. While Ms Long-Bailey failed to become leader, Ms Rayner was elected as Sir Keir Starmer's deputy with an overwhelming mandate from party supporters. Although there have been tensions with Sir Keir - most notably over a reshuffle where he seemingly made an abortive attempt to demote her - they seem to have reached an understanding in recent months. A notorious Indian gangster has been gunned down in a courtroom by two hitmen disguised as lawyers before they were shot dead by police. Jitender Maan, 30 and Delhi's most-wanted mobster who was known by his nickname Gogi, was attending a hearing today in connection with a murder case. He was arrested last year on charges of murder, attempted murder, extortion, possession of illegal arms, carjacking and land grabbing. A notorious Indian gangster has been gunned down in a courtroom by two hitmen disguised as lawyers before they were shot dead by police The hitmen had been waiting inside the court when Gogi was brought in for questioning. Minutes after he arrived, the killers 'whipped out pistols and opened fire', a senior police officer told The Indian Express. Officials said the gangster was shot up to six times and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Jitender Gogi, 30, was in court in Delhi on charges of attempted murder and extortion, among others, when he was killed After the undercover gunmen opened fire, armed police at the scene shot dead the two killers. Authorities said they were members of a rival local gang but their names have not yet been released. Gogi was born and raised in and around Delhi, though was far from a career criminal - as a young man he attended Delhi University where he was described as a 'bright and promising' student. But he dropped out of school following his father's death in 2010, according to the Times of India, and began dealing in property before becoming a criminal He quickly moved from property to a life of crime, and was first arrested for shooting at a man named as 'Praveen' in 2010. It is unclear what sparked that confrontation. Later that same year he was involved in yet another attempted shooting, this time over elections at Delhi University that saw his friend - who was running for a post in the student government - beaten by a man named Sunil Tajpuria and his friends. Gogi is believed to have launched a revenge attack, beating Tajpuria and firing at his group - beginning what would become a decade-long gang rivalry. He was arrested over that attack in 2011, and since then - police say - has dedicated himself to criminal activities. Gogi went on to form the Jitender Gogi gang which became involved in extortion and land-grabbing around Delhi. Gogi was brought into the court for questioning when two men disguised as lawyers stood up, took out pistols, and shot him Footage from the courtroom shows people fleeing as loud gunshots ring out causing chaos Meanwhile Tajpuria formed the rival Tillu gang which went to war with Gogi. The feud has been linked to at least 10 deaths in the last 10 years. Gogi was arrested in 2016 after years spent terrorising Delhi's streets, but within three months was free again after escaping police custody while on his way to court. Cops put a 400,000 rupee (4,000) reward on Gogi's head, but it made little difference and he remained at large for years afterwards. In 2017 he was accused of shooting dead folk singer Harshita Dahiya, who was a witness in a murder case against a Gogi gang member. The following year he was back in the news again, accused of getting into a firefight with the Tillu gang on a Delhi street - leaving three people including at least one gangster and a passerby dead. Gogi was finally caught in 2020, hiding in a safe-house in Gurugram on the outskirts of Delhi. He was arrested alongside two men believed to be his closest lieutenants - Kuldeep Fazza and Rohit Moi - while police also found weapons and a large amount of ammo. Fazza subsequently escaped from custody but was shot during a confrontation in March this year. Police rushed him to hospital but were attacked en route and forced to abandon him, leaving him to die. A police officer stands guard outside Rohini courthouse in New Delhi after a shoot-out that killed notorious gangster Jitender Maan - known as Gogi Ever since, Gogi has been accompanied by enhanced security - but it was evidently not enough to prevent him from being shot dead in court today. Footage from the courtroom shows people fleeing as loud gunshots ring out causing chaos. With most proceedings held virtually because of coronavirus restrictions, very few people were present in the courtroom at the time of the shooting, said lawyer Satyanarayan Sharma, who was at the court as part of a different case. He criticised a security lapse and demanded a thorough investigation. The gunmen were members of a gang led by jailed gangster Tillu Tajpuriya, according to local media. It comes months after one of Gogi's associates Fajja escaped from police custody when he arrived in a courtroom. Gogi has since been accompanied by Counter Intelligence forces during their hearings but they were unable to ward off today's attack. Police said Gogi and his rival Tillu have been running extortion rackets for years and their respective gangs have constantly been at war. In the last six years, 10 members of the two gangs have been killed and others have survived assassination attempts. A police officer told the Indian Express that Gogi and Tillu knew each other from their student days at Delhi University where they often clashed over politics. Two mothers enjoying an afternoon picnic with their young daughters have been attacked by a group of Covid deniers. A woman, 51, was placed in a headlock, dragged to the ground and kicked repeatedly, with the attackers also setting their dog on a man who intervened at Slater Reserve in Blackburn North in Melbourne's east. Jacquelyn, one of the victims, said the attack at 4.30pm on Thursday was extremely violent. Victoria Police wish to speak to a man who is bald with a goatee and was wearing a black t-shirt Jacquelyn, one of the victims, said the attack at 4.30pm on Thursday was extremely violent 'They were verbally abusing us, they also pushed me and kicked me,' she told reporters. 'They were trying to rip our masks off and telling us we were ''afraid of a cold'' and trying to cough on us. They should be ashamed of themselves.' The two women had made their way to the reserve for a relaxing picnic with their young girls, both aged 12, when the trouble began. Police wish to speak to a woman, believed to be Caucasian, wearing a black jacket and black pants and aged in her 30s or 40s The group of Covid deniers included a man, woman and up to five children aged between eight and 12, who began to abuse the young girls soon after defacing QR code signs and property in the park. No-one in the aggressive group were wearing face masks. Seconds after the argument descended into rapid violence, three strangers rushed to help the women, only to be verbally threatened. In extraordinary scenes, one of the Good Samaritans, Alex Kimberley, was then bitten by a dog - believed to be a Staffordshire bull terrier. 'Seriously, you can have your own (Covid) views and that's fine, but to take it out on people like this is just disgusting,' he said. Both young girls struggled to sleep on Thursday night following the attack, with an ambulance treating the women at the park for minor injuries. Victoria Police have since released images of adult members from the group they wish to speak to. The man is described as Caucasian in appearance and was wearing black track pants as well as a black T-shirt and runners. He had a distinctive sleeve tattoo on his left arm and is bald with a goatee. One of the women, also believed to be Caucasian, was wearing a black jacket and black pants and is aged in her 30s or 40s. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Graham Ross labelled the attack a 'vicious assault' and urged those involved to hand themselves in. Advertisement As the Labour conference kicks off tomorrow, shadow housing minister Lucy Powell is making an eye-catching bid to steal the Tory mantle as the 'the party of home ownership' Labour is vowing to give first-time buyers priority on new-build homes, stop foreign investors warping the market, and cut affordable rents as Keir Starmer tries to get his leadership back on track. As the Labour conference kicks off tomorrow, shadow housing minister Lucy Powell is making an eye-catching bid to steal the Tory mantle as the 'the party of home ownership'. She will promise that a government led by Sir Keir would tackle the 'outrageous' practice of overseas investors buying swathes of property off plan, imposing a limit of 50 per cent foreign ownership for any development. Councils could also get powers to force landowners to sell vacant sites so new houses can be built at lower prices than currently possible. Labour is pledging to close 'loopholes' that developers use to minimise the proportion of homes that are affordable. And the price of affordable rents could be limited to 30 per cent of average household income, allowing people to save more towards deposits. In many places currently the definition of 'affordable rentals' includes properties available at up to 80 per cent of market rents. First-time buyers could also get 'first dibs' on new-builds - potentially for the first six months they are on sale. The package will not be fleshed out further until Ms Powell's speech next week. The Tories said it 'amounts to a series of rehashed and failed policies from Jeremy Corbyn or Sadiq Khan'. But Labour sources said they are determined take the fight to Michael Gove the newly-appointed secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities. Labour believes his decision to pause planning reforms amid a huge revolt by Tory MPs and voters in the shires has left the government vulnerable on the housing battleground - a key issue for many younger voters. Ms Powell said: 'The country is facing a housing crisis with the link between hard work and getting on the housing ladder broken for many. Insecure tenancies, and expensive rents make it hard for people who play by the rules to get on in life. The challenges of affordability, an aging population, building safety and the climate emergency all mean we need a bold new approach. How do Labour's plans to fix the housing crisis compare with the Tories? Labour More affordable housing: Labour has pledged to give councils new powers to develop land for more affordable housing. Land purchasing rules would be overhauled to make it easier for local authorities to revitalise struggling high streets and town centres. Planning reform: The party wants to 'rebalance power between developers and communities' to ensure councils can hold developers to affordable housing pledges and to stop them from watering them down. Loopholes would be closed to ensure the promised houses are built. Priority for first time buyers: New developments would be ring-fenced to give first time buyers 'first dibs' on new homes. Crackdown on foreign buyers: Foreign buyers would be banned from buying numerous homes 'off plan' before local people have even seen them. Re-establish the link between affordable housing and average earnings: Labour wants to set an 'ambition' to re-establish a link between 'genuinely affordable housing' and average earnings to make it easier for people to get on the housing ladder. Tories Hit a target of 300,000 new homes a year: The Government already has a target of building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s. Ministers are planning to streamline the planning system to boost house-building amid fears it could tip the scales towards developers and away from communities. More help for local buyers: The Tories have pledged to offer more homes to local families. The policy means councils using developers' contributions to discount homes in perpetuity by a third for local people who cannot otherwise afford for buy in their area. Keep the Right to Buy: The Tories pledged in 2019 to maintain their commitment to the Right to Buy for all council tenants. Simplify shared ownership: Ministers want to set a single standard form of shared ownership for all housing associations amid concerns the current landscape is too confusing. Leasehold reform: The Tories are banning the sale of new leasehold homes and restricting ground rents to a 'peppercorn' rate. Redress mechanisms for tenants will be improved. Advertisement MS Powell will promise that a government led by Sir Keir would restrict the proportion of properties in a development that can be sold to overseas buyers to 50 per cent Sir Keir looks to be facing a battle as he plans to use the conference in Brighton to show that Labour is ready to govern again Key points of Labour's new housing plan Restrict the proportion of properties in a development that can be sold to overseas buyers to 50 per cent. Councils could get powers to force landowners to sell vacant sites so new houses can be built at lower prices than currently possible. The price of affordable rents could be limited to 30 per cent of average household income, allowing people to save more towards deposits. In many places currently the definition of 'affordable rentals' includes properties available at up to 80 per cent of market rents. First-time buyers could get 'first dibs' on new-builds - potentially for the first six months they are on sale. Advertisement 'We will build a new settlement on housing, with a first step today forcing developers to build more truly affordable homes, and giving first time buyers' first dibs on new developments so they can't just be sold off-plan to second homeowners or foreign investors. 'Labour is the party of home ownership, the Tories are the party of speculators and developers. The Conservatives' failures on housing today mean that they don't have the answers to solve the challenges of tomorrow. They treat housing as a commodity, not the bedrock of stable lives and life chances.' The proposals would see local authorities given the powers to make compulsory purchases of land at agricultural value, rather than having to factor in the prospect of future planning permission. Labour believes that tweak would mean councils can buy more land and have more leverage in wrangles with developers. The policy on foreign investors is a shift from the party's position at the 2019 election, when Jeremy Corbyn proposed a new tax on overseas buyers. That manifesto also insisted first-time buyers would get 'first dibs' on new housing - but did not spell out how long for.. Sir Keir looks to be facing a battle as he plans to use the conference in Brighton to show that Labour is ready to govern again. He has enraged left-wingers and unions by pushing to scrap the current 'one member, one vote' system for electing party leaders. Instead he wants to return to a version of the old arrangements, where trade unions, MPs and party members each get a third of the voting power. Critics complain that probably would have meant Jeremy Corbyn losing in 2015. London mayor Sadiq Khan Mr Khan yesterday dodged saying if he supported the changes, swiping that 'internal party rules isn't at the fore of my mind'. Meanwhile, there has been a less-than enthusiastic response to the leader's decision to pen a long-winded essay for the Fabian Society in an attempt to say what Labour should stand for. One party figure from the moderate wing told MailOnline the 35-page pamphlet - which was earlier described as being 14,000 words long but in fact only includes 11,930 words written by Sir Keir himself - was a 'waste of time' and normal people would not engage with the content. 'If ordinary voters suspected he was a weirdo before, now they know he is,' they said, adding gloomily: 'He'd be gone if he was leading the Tories, but there's no-one else.' Nearly a quarter of prime London properties bought by foreign investors last year Nearly a quarter of prime London properties were bought by foreign investors without a viewing last year, research has found. A study by property investment fund London Central Portfolio (LCP) collated figures from the HM Land Registry UK House Price Index. The report published at the end of 2020 suggested that 22 per cent of sales were overseas and had no viewings. LCP said the huge proportion was explained by the weakness of Sterling making purchases more 'attractive', and the stamp duty easing brought in by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Advertisement Former Cabinet minister Lord Adonis said: 'When you haven't got anything new to say, it's best not to say it in 14,000 words.' In his essay, Sir Keir said he plans to turn Labour into 'Britain's bricks and mortar' as he set out his future vision for the party in a lengthy statement ahead of the party's conference. Despite an internal civil war over the left-wing party's political leaning, Sir Keir laid out a clear roadmap towards the centre and away from radical Corbynite policies in his 35-page essay, 'The Road Ahead'. The Labour leader insisted the party cannot 'wait around for the public to decide we are right' and must instead grasp the opportunities the current political atmosphere provides. The opus has been seen as a bid to reset his leadership and craft an ambition for what Labour would look like in Government ahead of his first in-person appearance at a party conference as leader. Cutting ties with the broad nationalisation policies that belittled ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's previous election bids, Sir Keir explained he wants his party to 'once again be Britain's bricks and mortar'. Sir Keir wrote: 'People are no longer prepared to sit back while politicians shrug their shoulders. 'The future will belong to those who do not just mitigate against change but grasp the opportunities it provides. 'I want Labour to once again be Britain's bricks and mortar - a symbol of solidity, reliability, shelter and the prospect of building something new and better. 'To do that, our party must have a relentless focus on the challenges and opportunities of the future and how they can be shaped to the interest of working people.' Sir Keir set out 10 principles that would form the basis of a new contract between Labour and the British people. Cutting ties with the broad nationalisation policies that belittled ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's previous election bids, Sir Keir explained he wants his party to 'once again be Britain's bricks and mortar' Starmer backs 'decriminalisation' of Class A drugs Sir Keir Starmer is facing a storm today after backing Scotland's controversial move to 'go soft' on drugs possession. Drugs were effectively decriminalised north of the border earlier this week as prosecutors announced police would be advised to issue only a 'recorded police warning' to anyone in possession of drugs, including Class A heroin and cocaine. And the Labour leader suggested he would support the step in the rest of the UK, saying it was 'probably the right thing to do'. However, his comments in an ITV interview were seized upon by Home Secretary Priti Patel who wrote on Twitter: 'Drugs devastate lives. They ruin communities and tear families apart.' She added, in a twist on ex-PM Tony Blair's famous vote-winning 'tough on crime' slogan: 'Under Keir Starmer, Labour is weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime.' Pressed repeatedly on what he thought of the approach in Scotland - which has been backed by Scottish Labour - Sir Keir said: 'It is probably the right thing to do. It is an independent decision that is being made.' Advertisement At its heart was what he dubbed a 'contribution society', where everyone has a part to play. And Sir Keir appeared to show a greater commitment to helping to energise the private sector, with his prospective government promising to 'be a partner to private enterprise, not stifle it.' But despite the posturing, there are few if any references to any tangible policies the electorate could pin their hopes to in any future election. He wrote: 'People want to emerge from lockdown into something better. 'Our country is now at a crossroads: down one path is the same inequality of opportunity and insecurity. 'It is impossible to live in this moment and not feel the winds of changes blowing, just as they did in 1945 and 1997. 'The Labour path is about building a better future for working people. 'Labour will build a society that prizes the contributions people make, providing security and opportunity across Britain.' A Labour source told the Guardian they believed the public 'were now willing to give Starmer a hearing', but warned his vision 'must be credible'. They said: 'People believe Keir could be prime minister. It's the first time people have believed that about a Labour leader in a decade. 'Now it's about showing them why he should be prime minister. Meanwhile, Sir Keir has run into trouble on another front after backing Scotland's controversial move to 'go soft' on drugs possession. Drugs were effectively decriminalised north of the border earlier this week as prosecutors announced police would be advised to issue only a 'recorded police warning' to anyone in possession of drugs, including Class A heroin and cocaine. And the Labour leader suggested he would support the step in the rest of the UK, saying it was 'probably the right thing to do'. However, his comments in an ITV interview were seized upon by Home Secretary Priti Patel who wrote on Twitter: 'Drugs devastate lives. They ruin communities and tear families apart.' She added, in a twist on ex-PM Tony Blair's famous vote-winning 'tough on crime' slogan: 'Under Keir Starmer, Labour is weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime.' Pressed repeatedly on what he thought of the approach in Scotland - which has been backed by Scottish Labour - Sir Keir said: 'It is probably the right thing to do. It is an independent decision that is being made.' Kim Jong Un's sister has welcomed the idea of officially end the Korean War - but only if South Korea and the US put an end to hostile policies towards them. Speaking today, Kim Yo Jong said her country is willing to resume talks with South Korea if conditions, such as convincing Washington to end economic sanctions, were met. Her statement came days after North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months, which some experts said were intended to show it would keep boosting its weapons arsenal if the US-led sanctions stayed while nuclear diplomacy remains dormant. She offered the talks while mentioning South Korean President Moon Jae-in's call, issued in a speech at the UN General Assembly, for a political declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to bring peace to the peninsula. Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong (pictured) has welcomed a proposal to officially end the Korean War - but only if South Korea and the US put an end to hostile policies towards them 'Smiling a forced smile, reading the declaration of the termination of the war, and having photos taken could be essential for somebody, but I think that they would hold no water and would change nothing, given the existing inequality, serious contradiction therefrom and hostilities,' Kim Yo Jong said her statement, carried by state media. She said North Korea is willing to restore 'constructive' talks with South Korea to discuss how to improve and repair strained ties if the South stops provoking the North with hostile policies, far-fetched assertions and double-dealing standards. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it's carefully reviewing Kim Yo Jong's statement. A ministry statement said South Korea will continue its efforts to restore ties with North Korea. Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea, said North Korea was putting indirect pressure on Seoul to work to arrange talks easing the sanctions as it pushes for the war's end declaration. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war, despite the War ending in 1953, because the Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. Pictured: South Korean and US Army soldiers in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea 'It's like North Korea saying it would welcome talks on the end-of-the war declaration if lifting the sanctions can also be discussed,' Nam said. The US-led sanctions have been toughened following the North's provocative run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, and Kim Jong Un has said the sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters were causing the 'worst-ever' crisis in North Korea. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea has consistently wanted to sign a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the war and for subsequent improved relations. Some experts say the peace treaty could allow North Korea to demand the United States to withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease sanctions. Kim Jong Un (pictured) has said the sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters were causing the 'worst-ever' crisis in North Korea Both Koreas had called for an end-of-war declaration to be made and a peace treaty to be signed during the period of diplomacy with the United States that began in 2018, and there was speculation then-President Donald Trump might announce the war's end in early 2019 to convince Kim Jong Un to commit to denuclearization. No such announcement was made as the diplomacy faded to a stalemate after Trump rejected Kim Jong Un's calls for lifting the newer, toughened sanctions in return for a limited denuclearization step. Some experts say North Korea won't find a reason to denuclearize after having those sanctions withdrawn. Kim Yo Jong's offer for talks was a stark contrast to a blunt statement by a senior North Korean diplomat issued earlier Friday that the end-of-war declaration could be a 'smokescreen' covering up hostile U.S. policies - usually a reference to the sanctions as well as the U.S. military presence in the South. Experts say the earlier statement targets the US while the later one by Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of Pyongyang's relations with Seoul, focuses more on South Korea. Last week, North Korea carried out yet another missile test, this time launching their rockets from a moving train (pictured) They say both statements want Seoul and Washington to act first and drop sanctions if they want to see the resumption of the nuclear diplomacy. Last week, North Korea conducted its first cruise and ballistic missile tests since March, demonstrating its ability to launch attacks on South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American soldiers are stationed. But North Korea still maintains its moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests directly targeting the American homeland, a sign that it wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. 'North Korea would think it doesn't cross a (red line) set by the U.S. ... so it says it can come to talks if conditions are rife' for sanctions relief, said Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies. Nam said North Korea is expected to carry out more powerful weapons tests if the U.S. and South Korea don't accept its demand for sanctions relief. Advertisement England's Covid outbreak shrunk by more than a tenth last week and the R rate dropped below one, according to official data but infections are now rising among children in another sign of a back-to-school wave. The Office for National Statistics' weekly surveillance report estimated 620,100 people had the virus on any given day in the week to September 18, down 11 per cent from the previous seven-day spell. And No10's top scientists claimed the R rate has dipped below one for the first time since mid-August and could be as low as 0.8. But the ONS also estimated cases ticked up among 12 to 16-year-olds and 2 to 11-year-olds, with up to one in 35 thought to be infected. Cases fell in all other age groups. The latest statistics add to a growing body of evidence that infections are now rising among children after they returned to classrooms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of September. Experts had warned the start of the autumn term would spark a fresh wave. Yesterday Department of Health data showed Britain's daily infections had risen week-on-week for the sixth day in a row after recording 36,710 cases. But the outbreak has yet to spill over into adults, data suggests. Top scientists say, however, the mix of children being back in classrooms and 'life moving indoors' could trigger prevalence to double over the coming weeks, which would eventually trickle into older age groups who are more vulnerable to the disease. Boris Johnson is hoping to keep the lid on the virus this winter through booster shots for over-50s and offering first doses of the vaccine to 12 to 15-year-olds. But should this fail and the NHS come under unsustainable pressure the Prime Minister has said he will be forced to bring back some restrictions such as face masks and social distancing. His scientific advisers have said it may be necessary to impose further measures to reign in the virus. Office for National Statistics weekly surveillance report estimated 620,100 people had the virus on any given day in the week to September 18, down 11 per cent on the previous seven day spell (shown above) The ONS report bases its figures on random swabbing of tens of thousands of adults in the country. It estimated one in 90 people in England were infected with the virus. For comparison, it projected one in 50 people had Covid in early January at the peak of the second wave. It suggested Northern Ireland saw its infections rise by a fifth last week, after estimating there were 30,300 people infected on any given day equivalent to one in 60 residents having the virus. In Wales it suggested they had risen by three per cent to 50,700 cases or one in 60. In Scotland where infections spiralled to record highs amid the return of schools in mid-August the ONS said infections are flatlining at about 120,000 people, or one in 45. Gloomsters got it wrong (again) on hospital admissions Hospital admissions for Covid-19 have fallen to the lowest level for two months as bleak warnings from government scientists once again failed to materialise. Latest data shows Britain is 'over the worst' of the pandemic after the number of virus patients admitted to hospital fell by 15 per cent in a week. So far this week, just 557 patients a day have been admitted to English hospitals, despite the Sage committee's dire warnings of a devastating autumn surge. Only last week, Sage published modelling warning there could be 7,000 hospitalisations a day within weeks. But current admissions are half the level of even its 'best-case scenario'. The document drawn up by Sage on September 8 projected that hospital admissions would this week be between 1,000 and 3,000 a day in England. And it warned this could reach between 2,000 and 7,000 a day in mid-October. Sage, which has become infamous for its gloomy and often incorrect predictions, said it expected the R rate to rise in September as schools reopened and workers went back to the office. It said that if R the number of others a person with Covid infects increased to 1.1, admissions would peak at 2,000 a day next month. But if it rose to 1.5, the NHS would have 7,000 daily admissions. This would surpass the winter peak of 4,309 on January 11, when the NHS was pushed to the brink of collapse. But latest data suggests the epidemic is flat in the UK and there has been no major surge in cases since schools returned. Across the UK there are 7,588 Covid patients in NHS hospitals. This is down 10 per cent in a week and compares with a peak of nearly 40,000 in January. Yesterday there were another 36,710 cases and 182 deaths. Advertisement Meanwhile, No10's top scientists estimated the R rate which measures the spread of the virus may now be below one at between 0.8 and 1.0. This suggests that for every ten people who have the virus, they are passing it on to between eight and ten others. The East of England, London, Midlands, North East and North West were all predicted to have an R rate at this level. But in the South East and the South West it had dropped to between 0.7 and 0.9. Experts say the R rate should be interpreted with huge caution because it is a lagging indicator and only shows the situation on the ground from around three weeks ago. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said it was likely that Covid cases among youngsters would spill over into other age groups. He told MailOnline: 'Although [cases] are going up a little bit, they are not going up dramatically. 'They are still fairly level over the last few months but we still dont know what happen over the next week or so. He added: 'I think any rise is less likely to lead to rapid increases in older age groups than it has in the past but I would not rule it out.' Professor James Naismith, the director of Oxford University's Rosalind Franklin Institute, warned that under a worst-case scenario infections in England could double in the coming weeks. He said: 'The seven day case average this week suggests cases are climbing in England. I very much hope England does not reach the level seen in Scotland. 'Scientists operate with data, real world data indicates that at the moment the prevalence in Scotland is as bad as it can get with kids back at school and life moving indoors. 'If so at worst I would expect the prevalence in England to double from its current level. 'Cases remain concentrated in the very young who are the least likely to suffer illness and end up in hospital.' But he added: 'As a result of vaccination, there is no going back to the death rates we saw early this year. However, without vaccines, Scotland would have record setting daily deaths. 'The common risk the UK's nations face is the overloading the NHS in January, this can result in additional deaths. 'The faster roll out of vaccines is the most important way to limit the damage, the UK is now lagging other countries. We need imaginative efforts to reach the vaccine hesitant.' The percentage of people testing positive for Covid is estimated to have increased in North West England, according to the ONS report. But it appears to have fallen in Yorkshire and the Humber, London and the South East. The trend for all other regions was estimated to be uncertain. Meanwhile, hospital admissions for Covid have fallen to the lowest level for two months as bleak warnings from the Government's top scientists have once again failed to materialise. Latest data shows Britain is 'over the worst' of the pandemic after the number of virus patients admitted to hospital fell by 15 per cent in a week. So far this week, just 557 patients a day have been admitted to English hospitals, despite the Sage committee's dire warnings of a devastating autumn surge. Only last week, Sage published modelling warning there could be 7,000 hospitalisations a day within weeks. But current admissions are half the level of even its 'best-case scenario'. The document drawn up by Sage on September 8 projected that hospital admissions would this week be between 1,000 and 3,000 a day in England. And it warned this could reach between 2,000 and 7,000 a day in mid-October. Professor Neil Ferguson admitted there had not been the 'rapid increase' in Covid cases following the return of schools that some scientists had feared. But the epidemiologist, whose modelling was instrumental in the first national lockdown, warned that further restrictions may still be needed this winter, such as social-distancing. Public Health England's weekly surveillance report yesterday showed Covid cases are increasing among 5 to 19-year-olds in a delayed back-to-school wave. But these infections are yet to spill over into other age groups And King's College London scientists yesterday estimated 45,081 people caught the virus every day in the week to September 18, down from 47,276 in the previous seven-day spell But the data showed there was an uptick in infections among under-18s, in yet another sign of a delayed back-to-school wave of infections. Experts had warned children returning to classrooms would trigger a spike in cases Hospital admissions for Covid-19 have fallen to the lowest level for two months as bleak warnings from government scientists once again failed to materialise It comes after a damning report revealed yesterday that thousands of cancer patients will die over the next decade because of the devastating treatment backlog caused by the pandemic. Around 19,500 people in England with cancer have not yet been diagnosed due to Covid-related disruption to the NHS. It could take more than a decade to clear this 'missing cancer patients backlog', according to analysis by Institute for Public Policy Research and the CF healthcare consultancy. They calculated that even if 'stretched' hospitals conducted 5 per cent more treatments than pre-pandemic levels, it will take until 2033 to catch up with the cancer backlog. But, with extra funding and staff that figure could be pushed up to 15 per cent allowing backlogs could be cleared by next year. The study lays bare the catastrophic impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnosis and treatment. During the height of the Covid crisis, from March 2020 to February 2021, 369,000 fewer people than expected were referred to a specialist with suspected cancer. The number of chemotherapy treatments also fell by 187,000, while there were 15,000 fewer radiotherapy treatments. The report suggests the backlog in chemotherapy and radiotherapy could take until 2028 and 2033 respectively to clear. There has also been a dramatic drop in diagnostic procedures, with endoscopies down 37 per cent, MRI scans 25 per cent and CT scans ten per cent. Care homes could close this winter because they face a crippling 100 per cent rise in their heating bills, bosses have warned. Melanie Weatherby, co-chair of the Care Association Alliance, said the soaring price of wholesale gas could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back'. On average, a care home with 50 residents spends around 50,000 per year on gas and electricity bills. But an energy broker has predicted the price increases could lead to care operators - who are not protected by the price cap - paying double that amount. It comes as the boss of one collapsed energy company says pleas for help have 'fallen on deaf ears' despite many suppliers being on the brink of administration. The price hikes have seen seven firms collapse since August and led to a warning from the Government to prepare for the worst. Melanie Weatherby, co-chair of the Care Association Alliance, said the soaring price of wholesale gas could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back' (file photo) Steve Silverwood, Managing Director of ECA Business Energy, told The Guardian: 'The care homes that haven't already purchased energy for forthcoming renewals are going to see 100 per cent plus increases. 'A care home can be spending 50,000 plus [on energy] and to double that is unbelievable.' Ms Weatherby said: 'It could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.' And Nadra Ahmed, of the National Care Association, warned of the impact price hikes will have in the winter, when heating will be switched on all the time. The comments follow the founder and chief executive of Green Energy saying that 'a majority' of the 40 companies he has spoken to in recent days are likely to collapse without further Government support. His business became the fifth supplier to go out of business in September as rising gas prices contributed to the crisis engulfing the sector. Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Peter McGirr also said that a meeting with Business Secretary Kwarteng had been 'pretty pointless' and suggested that people may be unable to heat their homes over the winter and then face a huge price hike in the new year. He said: 'We have tirelessly lobbied Government and, along with 14 other suppliers, wrote an open letter at the very start of the week saying that the market is in crisis, we all need help. The price hikes have seen seven energy firms collapse since August and led to a warning from the Government to prepare for the worst (file photo) 'Unfortunately it's fallen on deaf ears. 'We're doing a round table with the Business Secretary on Tuesday when he finally listened and talked to all the small suppliers, but we were in there for an hour and it felt like for an hour we were talking about what colour to paint the stables now that all the horses are bolted. 'So it was pretty pointless, to be honest.' On Thursday, Mr Kwarteng denied being complacent over 18-month-old warnings about risks to the UK's energy supply after 1.5million people were left without a provider. With 800,000 consumers losing their suppliers on Wednesday alone, two energy companies have since looked to make it more difficult for new customers to sign up for their services as they attempt to survive the current turbulence. Yesterday, Kwasi Kwarteng (pictured) denied being complacent over 18-month-old warnings about risks to the UK's energy supply after 1.5million people were left without a provider Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband quoted a letter from energy regulator Ofgem warning of a 'systemic risk to the energy supply as a whole' which had been sent 18 months ago. Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted that the details show the Government was 'warned about a looming crisis and didn't prepare'. But in the Commons earlier, Mr Kwarteng insisted the industry and market will find the solution to the energy crisis. Responding to an urgent question from Labour, he said: 'The Government has been clear that protecting consumers is our primary focus and shapes our entire approach to this. 'We will continue to protect consumers with the energy price cap. 'The solution to this crisis will be found from the industry and the market, as is already happening, and the Government - I repeat - will not be bailing out failed energy companies.' MailOnline has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment. Rescue workers have discovered about $750,000 in cash throughout their search through the rubble of the June condo collapse in Surfside, Florida. The money, some of which is still neatly tucked into purses and wallets, will be returned to the victims. Much of the cash was just randomly spread out throughout the rubble and is badly damaged. The collapse of the residential building in Surfside, Florida, on June 24 killed 98 people, making it one of the deadliest building failures in the country's history. Michael Goldberg, the condo association for the building's receiver says that none of the money can be tied to any particular resident or unit. Rescue workers have discovered about $750,000 in cash throughout their search through the rubble of the June condo collapse in Surfside, Florida. Despite the damage to the money, he believes the national treasury can restore it and redeem its value to those who make claims. The United States Department of Treasure will clean up the money and then issue Goldberg a check for its total value. While some of the money founded in purses and wallets should be simple to link to the owners of those bags, some of the money can't be tied to anybody and will be placed in a general fund. The money, some of which is still neatly tucked into purses and wallets, will be returned to the victims 'I will give everybody the right to be heard,' said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said Thursday during a regular hearing on a class-action lawsuit and other legal matters swirling around the partial collapse of the Collins Avenue condo building. Hanzman approved of the plan. The judge will most likely create a system allowing for victims who lost any money to file a claim. Some of the other items found at the building include cars in an underground garage, furniture, clothes, jewelry and personal photos, as well as 17 locked safes. Some of the other items found at the building include cars in an underground garage, furniture, clothes, jewelry and personal photos, as well as 17 locked safes Goldberg told Hanzman Thursday that the safes must be investigated to determine their owners and was working with police to do so. At the hearing, some of the surviving condo owners said they desperately need money for everyday living expenses and asked Hanzman for help. To help some of the victims, Hanzman approved a plan to give $5,000 to each of them from a $1 million fund donated by a Miami attorney. The money is supposed to be used for relocation costs, The collapse of the residential building in Surfside, Florida , on June 24 killed 98 people, making it one of the deadliest building failures in the country's history Hanzman had previously approved $10,000 for relocation expenses in the days following the collapse. Other money will be released to the victims from monetizing the property. Goldberg said Thursday that there was going to be $120 million sale to a 'stalking horse' buyer formalized next week. Hanzman has repeatedly said he believes Goldberg should be 'monetizing' the property as quickly as possible to compensate the victims. The other potential source of recompense for the victims will come from the condo building's insurance coverage for loss of property and lives, totaling about $49 million. Hanzman said that while that money is already available, he wants to wait until all of the money from the sale of land and other liable third parties is collected before distributing it. The city of Miami currently has 2,439 buildings on its unsafe structure list, according to city data. While the Champlain Towers site is part of Miami-Dade County, it is not part of the city of Miami The cause of the Champlain Towers South collapse has not yet been determined The cause of the Champlain Towers South collapse has not been determined. The footage released by the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), shows various problems with the building's structure as workers inspect the debris up close. Densely packed steel reinforcement in multiple areas and an alarming amount of corrosion in one specific section where a column was connected to the foundation are visible. A timeline of the tragic Surfside building collapse that left nearly 100 people dead A nearby memorial is now a visiting place to remember the 98 that died for the disaster While several dozen individual lawsuits have been filed regarding the building's collapse, Hanzman has begun pooling them together and appointing 12 law firms to run litigation proceedings. Once these first steps have been completed, individual lawsuits will be heard. Brad Sohn, one of the plaintiffs' court appointed attorneys, told DailyMail.com 'As attorneys for the victims we are closely monitoring all of the wide-ranging potential causes being investigated following the Surfside tragedy. We have also undertaken to do so ourselves and are working as fast as we possibly can on this front, looking everywhere we can for answers.' As the courts work to decipher who will be held responsible for one the collapse, several other buildings in Miami have been evacuated, deemed 'unsafe structures.' Miami Dade County officials are inspecting 501 buildings - every one in their jurisdiction that is 40 years or older- to make sure none are compromised like the Champlain Towers. There is currently no state law in Florida that requires high rise buildings to be inspected regularly. The city of Miami currently has 2,439 buildings on its unsafe structure list, according to city data. While the Champlain Towers site is part of Miami-Dade County, it is not part of the city of Miami. Chuck Grassley, the Senate's oldest Republican lawmaker, announced Friday morning he will seek an eighth term office, giving his party a much-needed boost heading into the midterm election. 'Its 4 a.m. in Iowa so Im running. I do that 6 days a week. Before I start the day I want you to know what Barbara and I have decided. Im running for re-election - a lot more to do, for Iowa. We ask and will work for your support. Will you join us?,' Grassley tweeted. His decision will no doubt be a sigh of relief for Republicans who are trying to win back control the chamber. Grassley improves their odds of holding onto the Iowa Senate seat in a tough year for the GOP. Republicans are defending 20 seats in 2022, including two in states Joe Biden won in 2020, while Democrats are defending 14 and none in states carried by Donald Trump. Chuck Grassley, the Senate's oldest Republican lawmaker, announced Friday morning he will seek an eighth term office, giving his party a much-needed boost The senator, who will be 89 on election day next year, had kept Republicans guessing for months about whether or not he would seek another six-year term. Grassley has repeatedly been reelected by double-digit margins. And a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released this week showed him leading Democratic challenger Rep. Abby Finkenauer by 18 points, 55% to 37%. His decision to run comes after several of his fellow Republican senators announced they would not be on the ballot next year, complicating GOP efforts to win control of the chamber: Roy Blunt of Missouri, Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Selby of Alabama all decided no to run again. Grassley is the 10th longest-serving US senator in history. When Republicans held control of the Senate, Grassley became president pro tempore, putting him third in line to the presidency - a spot he would take again if the GOP wins control of the chamber next year. Grassley has a long career in national politics. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1975 and to the Senate in 1980. He is not the oldest senator - Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California has him beat by three months. His most visible role, and most influential, has been on the Senate Judiciary Committee where he pushed through the nominations of dozens of judges during Trump's presidency as well as seeing three Supreme Court justices confirmed, including the controversial nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. But he also tangled with Trump when the former president fired inspectors general for the agencies and departments, raising Grassley's ire. In November, he tested positive for COVID and quarantined until he recovered. He touts his good health and is a regular runner, jogging several times a week. His COVID quarantine busted his long streak of not missing Senate votes. Before his diagnosis he hadn't missed a vote since July 20, 1993, when severe flooding damaged Iowa - a streak of 8,927 consecutive votes and 27 years that came to an end. Chuck Grassley was first elected to the Senate in the 1980 election, he's seen above in 1981, the year he took office Chuck Grassley's most visible role, and most influential, has been on the Senate Judiciary Committee; above, as committee chairman, he shepherded through Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court Grassley, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, hold a press conference with US Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney (L) and Aly Raisman (2-L) after their testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month Grassley is active on social media, famously tweeting complaints the History Channel doesn't show enough history and posting pictures from his annual summer tour of all 99 counties in Iowa. Since first taking office in the Senate 1981, Grassley has held public meetings in all of Iowa's 99 counties each year. At the end of his tour, he rewards himself with a blizzard from Dairy Queen. This year's was snickers flavored. Brian Laundrie left home without his phone and wallet last week before going completely off the grid, a source close to the family said - as another amateur sleuth claims she spotted the FBI fugitive at a hotel in Canada. The source told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Thursday that Laundrie, now the center of a nationwide manhunt after the highly publicized murder of his fiance Gabby Petito, left his parents' home last Tuesday in a frenzied state and that they feared for their son's safety. The FBI would not comment on the source's claim but Laundrie's parents, Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, have become the target of investigators since their son's suspicious disappearance. Brian Laundrie's parents, Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, were spotted yesterday in Orlando 150 miles from their North Port, Florida, home while being trailed by the FBI and going to meet their lawyer An amateur sleuth snapped a photo of man she believed to be Laundrie in Canada, as he exited a Toronto hotel appearing 'flustered' Laundrie is wanted by police after the murder of his 22-year-old fiance Gabby Petito Agents secretly trailed the pair as they drove 150 miles from their North Port, Florida, home to Orlando to meet with their lawyer on Thursday. DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that undercover agents - believed to be with the FBI - followed the couple into the Orlando Public Library on Thursday. Though it's not clear what the pair were doing in the library, the couple did meet with lawyer Steve Bertolino in Orlando during their trip. In a statement released last week, Bertolino revealed that Laundrie would not be speaking to investigators due to the fact that 'intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this.' Bertolino argued in his statement that any comments made by his client to police could be used against him, 'regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms Petito's disappearance.' 'As such, on the advice of counsel Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on this matter,' asserted the attorney. A DailyMail.com image taken on September 13 shows the Laundrie's camper in their driveway. Neighbors said they hooked it up to the red pickup truck in front of it for a weekend camping trip on September 11 - the day Petito was reported missing Neighbors also said they spotted Laundrie and his parents packing an 'attached camper' used for their long-weekend camping trips ten days after he returned to the North Port residence without Petito, on September 11 - the day the 22-year-old girl was declared missing. Laundrie has since vanished, after his fiance's body was discovered by investigators last Sunday at a national park in Wyoming. However, a flight attendant says she may have spotted Laundrie at a hotel in Toronto. The woman, who posted a photo of a man bearing an incredible resemblance to the suspect Wednesday, described the man she saw as 'flustered' as he walked out of the Toronto establishment, according to The Sun. Struck by the man's likeness to Laundrie, whose face has been plastered all over the news since Petito's disappearance, the flight attendant decided not to approach the man, but instead snap a picture of him from a distance. She says she then witnessed him get in a car outside the hotel and drive off with another man. The woman immediately notified hotel staff of the encounter, who reportedly told her that the man 'didn't know where he was going' and that 'he had the wrong hotel.' The incident in question took place Monday. Laundrie was named a person of interest in his fiance's homicide death Tuesday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest by the FBI on Wednesday The flight attendant then shared the photo - which depicts a balding man with prominent facial hair and face mask around his chin - to TikTok Wednesday, alongside a photo of Laundrie, using the handle @cwlynn. 'I'm not sure if this looks like him or if I just fell too far down the rabbit hole,' the woman says in the post. 'You can see the dip in his moustache,' she says, comparing the two images, 'and the ears are bent down [in her photo], but my ears bend down when I wear a face mask.' Laundrie was named a person of interest in Petito's homicide death Tuesday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest by the FBI after he fraudulently used a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his following Petito's death. The warrant states that Laundrie wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to activities between August 30 and September 1, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more. The statement was unsealed Thursday by the Bureau's Denver desk, and declares: 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide. 'We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.' Petito last spoke to her family on August 25 from Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming. She had been traveling with Laundrie in the couple's camper van since July, and the two were meant to return home in October. Laundrie, however, traveled back to his family's home on September 1 without Gabby, and refused to speak to authorities about her disappearance. The case surrounding Long Island native Petito has captivated social media in the last week and has grabbed headlines across the world death - has been ruled a homicide. Authorities are continuing to search for Laundrie, who was last seen by his parents and his attorney last week, and are currently combing the nearby alligator-infested Carlton Reserve where his silver Mustang was discovered abandoned. The Carlton Reserve has been the focus of a search for Laundrie since his car was found at the site on Sunday Search teams are pictured on Wednesday heading into the Carlton Reserve in Florida The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11 The Insulate Britain protesters who blocked the Port of Dover this morning included a Labour councillor, a bricklayer with a multi-million pound property empire and a mother who have all previously been arrested during the eco-mob's demonstrations. More than 40 activists across two groups blocked the A20 road in Kent which provides access to the Port of Dover. Kent Police made 39 arrests and the port was reopened just after 11am. Photos from the scene show several of the same protesters who were previously at the group's M25 protests which hit the motorway around London five times in just over a week. Among them was Insulate Britain ringleader Liam Norton's mother, who is a Labour councillor and climate activist. Theresa Norton, 62, is a Labour councillor in Scarborough, north Yorkshire and told neighbours she was going on a two-week holiday before heading south to bring the country's busiest motorway to a standstill. Since joining protesters, it is understood Ms Norton has been arrested on four separate occasions between Monday, September 13 and Monday, September 20. Photos from Dover appeared to show her being carried away by police officers today. Theresa Norton, 62, is a Labour councillor in Scarborough, north Yorkshire, who told neighbours she was going on a two-week holiday before heading south to bring the M25 to a standstill on Monday. She was also spotted being carried away at today's protest in Dover Police officers carry away a woman and Insulate Britain protester thought to be Labour councillor Theresa Norton today Joshua Smith bragged about being arrested four times for 'mourning for life on Earth' (left on September 22 and right on September 20) He was spotted on top of a tanker today after gluing himself to it during the protest (pictured with protester named Stephanie Stephanie was also pictured at the two protests on September 22 (left) and September 20 (right) Also at the port shutdown was eco-hypocrite Joshua Smith. Smith attended several protests in the past week and was branded a hypocrite after it emerged he owned a multi-million pound property empire - but the homes had poor insulation, an issue at the heart of the group's agenda. The 28-year-old is heir to a 2million property empire and also has a seven-figure portfolio of his own. However, at least six homes owned by his Oldham-based company have efficiency ratings of E or F, according to the Sun. This means the properties boast little or no insulation and also produce large quantities of extra carbon dioxide. Smith was pictured gluing himself to a HGV in Dover today, alongside mother Stephanie, also from Manchester. Stephanie said today: 'We do not want to be here. I want to be home with my family spending time with them but if we don't do this they aren't going to have a future. 'The Government are not doing enough. On the current trajectory we are heading for chaos.' She was previously spotted being carried away by police on the M25 and was also part of a group outside the Home Office. She was lifted down from the tanker by officers using an orange sling before being carried over to a police van where she was searched. Sitting on top of a tanker, her hand glued to the railing, she described how she has given up a career training surgeons in order to fight climate change. The pair travelled some 290 miles down from Manchester to join the protests and spent hours on top of the tanker after climbing on top of it at around 8.30am. The same woman pictured at today's Port of Dover shutdown by Insulate Britain activists This protester was at the September 20 protest and was also at the September 22 one, as well as today's Dressed in orange and yellow fluorescent jackets, they smiled and sang atop the vehicle as more and more police gathered on the ground. Stephanie said: 'I used to work in operating theatres training surgeons but I have given that up because this is more important. 'It's the future of all our children at stake and their lives are more important than my career.' Her companion Josh told PA: 'We are here today to get the Government to insulate the houses of the UK. 'The reason being is because per-pound invested insulation is the fastest and cheapest way to reduce CO2.' While still on top of the tanker, the pair were informed by a police officer that they were under arrest for 'conspiracy to cause public nuisance and obstruction of a highway'. Another elderly woman was spotted at today's protest having been spotted at two other earlier protests. More than 40 activists across two groups blocked the A20 road in Kent which provides access to the Port of Dover. At least 39 arrests were made following the protests at the Kent port, police said on Friday afternoon. The demonstrations led to vehicles attempting to cross the Channel being stuck in queues on the A40 road, with several drivers remonstrating with the activists. It comes after Insulate Britain - an offshoot of climate group Extinction Rebellion - caused chaos on the M25 five times in the past fortnight, but protesters have been threatened with imprisonment if they return to the motorway after the Government obtained an injunction from the High Court. The government is said to now be seeking another injunction to stop Insulate Britain converging on the Port of Dover in the future. The group previously shut down parts of the M25 motorway around London five times in just over a week in a bid to force the Government to insulate and retrofit homes across the UK to cut climate emissions. Insulate Britain protesters blocking the A20 in Kent, this morning, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent Several lorries were blocked by the Insulate Britain eco-mob at the Port of Dover this morning - threatening to worsen Britain's HGV shortage crisis This led to the Government successfully applying to the High Court for an order which prohibits anyone from blocking the M25 with those breaking the injunction facing a possible two years in prison or an unlimited fine. But the limited scope of the injunction was quickly realised by the eco-warriors as they simply moved to other roads the order does not cover. Today's protest also isn't covered by the injunction, making a mockery of Priti Patel's attempts to battle the eco mob. Now, according to the Times, the government is seeking a second injunction after lawyers advised ministers not to apply for a nationwide injunction on motorway protests because believe it would be rejected by the High Court as disproportionate. However, it means that the government could have to file repeated injunctions against the eco mob, in what one source called a cat-and-mouse battle. The Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in Europe and is the UK's main gateway for trade from the EU. It is responsible for 17% of the UK's trade in goods and handles 122 billion in trade a year. Every hour, 400 to 500 trucks come into the port, with a similar number going out. It was used by an average of 6,200 road haulage vehicles every day last year. A Black Lives Matter organizer has pledged a national 'uprising' over COVID vaccine mandates, claiming they are 'racist,' as cities around the country begin to demand proof of vaccination for most indoor activities. Chivona Newsome, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, made the vow on Monday as NYC restaurants began enforcing legislation requiring all people aged 12 and older to show proof of vaccination to dine inside. 'We're putting this city on notice... Black people are not going to stand by, or you will see an uprising. And that is not a threat. That is a promise,' Newsome declared. Her threat comes as data shows black New York City residents are less likely to have received the COVID jab than their white counterparts - with 38 percent of black New Yorkers fully vaccinated compared to 49 percent of whites. Newsome was speaking outside Carmine's - an Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side - where three black women from Texas were arrested for attacking a hostess after members of their group were refused entry because they did not have proof of vaccination. Newsome joined a protest of 40 people outside Carmine's, where she stated: '72 percent of black people in this city from ages 18 to 44 are unvaccinated,' she declared. 'So what is going to stop the Gestapo, I mean the NYPD, from rounding up black people, from snatching them off the train, off the bus? ... The vaccination passport is not a free passport to racism.' Chivona Newsome, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, has pledged an 'uprising' over the city's COVID vaccine mandate, claiming it is 'racist' Surveillance footage also shows the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week at the famed New York City eatery The arrested tourists had accused an Asian hostess of using the n-word, though the restaurant vehemently denied any racial slur was hurled before the melee. Owner Jeffrey Bank told ABC 7: 'Three women brutally attacked our hosts without provocation, got arrested and charged for their misconduct, and then, over the last several days, had their lawyer falsely and grossly misrepresent their acts of wanton violence in a cynical attempt to try to excuse the inexcusable'. 'My team members work too hard to serve our guests, work too hard to comply with New York's vaccination requirements, and still suffer too much from the attack for me to allow these false statements to stand.' Footage of the protest was captured by FNTV, and showed one BLM protester making anti-gay slurs. Black Women's March co-founder Kimberly Bernard was also present at the event, according to The Daily Wire, where she stated: 'We are serving notice on the mayor, on the governor, on the restaurant industry.' She added: 'We will not allow for you to use this pandemic, vaccination cards, and masks as another reason to be racist, to put us in prison - because there's enough of us in there!' Newsome joined a protest of 40 people at Carmine's, where she stated: 'Seventy-two percent of black people in this city from ages 18 to 44 are unvaccinated,' she declared Earlier this week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that the waitress at the center of the scandal had only been working at Carmine's for a few days before she was assaulted by the three women. The waitress has not been publicly named. Her assailants have been identified as Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49. Meanwhile, the restaurant shared the surveillance footage, taken from both inside the entrance to the restaurant and the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week, after Black Lives Matter protesters accused the restaurant of intentionally keeping it under wraps. Meanwhile, the restaurant shared the surveillance footage, taken from both inside the entrance to the restaurant and the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week It shows the three women entering the restaurant as part of a larger party. They are escorted inside the restaurant after showing their proof of COVID-19 vaccination while three men in their party - who do not have proof and show up shortly after - remain outside. The hostess passes the group, with the four women at the back of the group suddenly stopping and turning in her direction as though something has been said. At this moment, the women rush outside with what happened next captured on the now-infamous bystander footage shot outside. There is no audio in the footage so it is unclear if there was an exchange of words between the diners and the hostess and - if there was - what was said. A Black Lives Matter protester holds a sign near the entrance to Carmine's restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Monday Advertisement Exclusive crime scene photos show several trees and rocks at the site of Gabby Petito's murder marked with orange spray paint and numbers by the FBI, DailyMail.com can reveal. The markers at the Spread Creek campsite in Wyoming are about 100 yards from the memorial cross made of rocks that the stepfather of the 22-year-old 'van-life' woman put in place after her body was found. Under the stones, DailyMail.com noticed that the ground was disturbed and there appeared to be a small fire pit nearby. A retired police chief told DailyMail.com that he's never seen these types of orange markings at a crime scene, but suggested the FBI had their own way to process a scene. Gabby's body was found in the area on Sunday and the next day her death was ruled a homicide. The manhunt for her fiance Brian Laundrie enters its sixth day as he's been declared a person of interest. Exclusive crime scene photos show several trees and rocks at the site of Gabby Petito's murder marked with orange spray paint and numbers by the FBI, DailyMail.com can reveal A rock is seen with orange spray paint at the site of Petito's murder. Her body was found Sunday after shes was reported missing on September 11 The FBI spray painted orange markers around the location where Gabby Petito's remains were found. The number 15 is seen etched on a tree The markers at the Spread Creek campsite in Wyoming is about 100 yards from the memorial cross made of rocks where Gabby's body was found Gabby's body was found in the area on Sunday and the next day her death was ruled a homicide Gabby last spoke to her family on August 25 from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. She had been traveling with Laundrie in the couple's camper van since July and the two were meant to return home in October. The manhunt for her fiance Brian Laundrie continues as he's declared a person of interest Her stepfather James Schmidt visited the exact spot where her body was found in Wyoming and created a memorial with stones. Schmidt, who is married to Petito's mother Nichole, traveled from New York to Wyoming last week to help with the search for the missing 'van life' traveler. Laundrie, however, traveled back to his family's North Port, Florida home on September 1 without Gabby, and refused to speak to authorities about her disappearance. Gabby's funeral will be held Monday in Holbrook, New York and will be open to the public. Laundrie was believed to be hiding out in his parents' Florida home until September 14, when he purportedly set off on a hike at the local nature reserve. His family said they last saw him that day wearing a hiking bag, but did not report him missing until three days later, on September 17. His silver Ford Mustang was also found abandoned near the Carlton Reserve with a note requesting it be towed away. 'These guys, our law enforcement partners are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie,' North Port Police commander Joe Fussell, who is helping to coordinate the search, said Wednesday. 'It's rough out there, it's hot, it's wet. We are trying to cover every acre in this reserve.' A retired police chief told DailyMail.com that he's never seen these types of orange markings at a crime scene, but suggested the FBI had their own way to process a crime scene Under the stones, DailyMail.com noticed that the ground was disturbed and there appeared to be a small fire pit nearby Several trees and rocks were marked as the FBI hone in on the area. This comes as the manhunt for the main person of interest Brian Laundrie continues On Wednesday there was a flurry of activity as divers were brought to the site, but it later emerged that there was no connection to the case. The team, made up of about 10 divers, was requested by North Port Police on Wednesday morning, said Sarasota County Sheriff's office spokesperson Kaitlyn Perez. 'These divers are specifically trained and very talented in low visibility bodies of water,' Perez said. 'They dive down where you and I can't see anything at all. They utilize technology and other special equipment to help them get down deep into really deep bodies of water, so they're out there right now to recover whatever it is that they might find.' The search has cost $1.2million so far as it enters its sixth day. On Thursday, the FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest after he fraudulently used a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his. The FBI said Laundrie is wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more. Gabby last spoke to her family on August 25 from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. She had been traveling with Laundrie in the couple's camper van since July and the two were meant to return home in October Laundrie was last seen more than a week ago leaving his parents' home in North Port, Florida with a backpack and his whereabouts remain unknown Law enforcement are on their sixth day in the search for Brian Laundrie in the vast Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Florida The statement by the Bureau's Denver desk says: 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide. 'We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.' Authorities are continuing to search for Laundrie, 23, who was last seen by his parents and his attorney last week. Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her demise. 'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told Dailymail.com EXCLUSIVE: Parents of missing Brian Laundrie were shadowed by undercover agents as they broke cover and drove 150 miles to meet their attorney The parents of missing Brian Laundrie were shadowed by undercover agents Thursday as they broke cover and drove 150 miles to Orlando to meet with an attorney, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Lawyer Steve Bertolino flew from New York to Florida specifically to meet with Brian's parents after a federal arrest warrant was issued for the missing 23-year-old on Wednesday. A convoy of unmarked vehicles first tailed Christopher and Roberta Laundrie as they left their North Port, Florida home and headed towards Orlando earlier this morning. In surreal scenes, undercover agents - believed to be with the FBI - followed the couple into the Orlando Public Library on Thursday and hovered in the aisles perusing 80s dance CDs and a Colombian art installation while keeping them under constant surveillance. Though it's not clear what they were doing in the library, it's now known that the couple met Bertolino in Orlando during their trip. 'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told DailyMail.com. 'The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.' Christopher and Roberta Laundrie were spotted in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, hours after leaving their North Port home The parents of missing person of interest Brian Laundrie broke cover and drove for 150 miles - before bizarrely visiting a library, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal The couple were followed inside the Orlando Public Library by undercover agents who hovered in the aisles as they kept them under constant surveillance Inside, Christopher, 62, looked agitated and unhappy as he talked on his phone while Roberta, 55, paced up and down in the lobby Bertolino issued a statement Thursday evening after a federal arrest warrant was issued for his fugitive client. 'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told DailyMail.com. 'The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.' A day earlier Bertolino was hit with a cease and desist letter from Gabby's parents who complained that his business' Yelp page was using pics of their dead daughter without permission. Bertolino denied being responsible and said he had no control over what people had posted on the page. The image was later removed. On Thursday, the FBI confirmed the the US District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie 'pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr. Laundrie's activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito' the day before. Christopher, 62, looked agitated and unhappy as he talked on his phone while Roberta, 55, paced up and down in the lobby, occasionally glancing suspiciously at the plain-clothes operatives. They waited inside the library for around 30 minutes, not stopping to look at a single book or display, before ignoring requests to comment from a DailyMail.com reporter and hopping back into their red Dodge Ram truck. Moments later the vehicle was spotted entering a downtown Orlando parking garage, attached to a large office building. Around an hour later, Christopher and Roberta emerged from the garage and drove home to North Port - tailed the entire way back to their front door by the same convoy of unmarked law enforcement vehicles. The couple first set out on the trip earlier Thursday morning after they were seen being escorted by two law enforcement vehicles as they drove through their hometown. The reason for their visit - a two-hour-and 20-minute drive from their bungalow - was shrouded in mystery until later that evening, when attorney Bertolino confirmed he had met with the couple. They waited inside the library for around 30 minutes, not stopping to look at a single book or display before hopping back into their red Dodge Ram truck The Laundries are pictured heading into the library The Laundries refused to answer questions from a DailyMail.com reporter as they got into their car Roberta, pictured in the passenger seat, is seen talking on the phone as the couple drives away Moments later the vehicle was spotted entering a downtown Orlando parking garage, attached to a large office building Around an hour later, Christopher and Roberta emerged from the garage and drove home to North Port - tailed by the same convoy of unmarked law enforcement vehicles the entire way back They were spotted leaving their house at 8:15am before getting into their red Dodge Ram pickup truck and heading in the direction of the local police station on their own. Shortly afterwards they were spotted returning to their three-bedroom house on the normally quiet residential road, tailed by a North Port Police SUV and a black Ford 150 believed to be an FBI vehicle. Brian's silver Ford Mustang convertible - which was seized by the FBI in a dramatic raid on the Laundries' home on Monday - was returned to the house by a tow truck crew when the couple returned from town only to leave again a short while later. Christopher and Roberta Laundrie looked solemn has they headed to their pickup truck for the start of the journey to meet Bertolino in Orlando. Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, were seen leaving their North Port, Florida home during a rare foray into town on Thursday morning The parents of missing person of interest Brian Laundrie were pictured getting into their red Dodge Ram pickup truck before setting off in the direction of the police station The parents looked solemn and were silent as they emerged from their house, which has been the focus of media attention since Gabby Petito's disappearance Brian Laundrie, 23, who was reported missing last week, remains a person of interest in the disappearance and death of fiancee Gabby Petito The development came on day five in the hunt for Brian Laundrie, 23, the fiance of van-life woman Gabby Petito, 22, who was found dead at a national park in Wyoming on Sunday - eight days after she was reported missing. Laundrie is considered a person of interest in her disappearance and death, which has been ruled a homicide. Gabby last spoke to her family on August 25 from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. She had been traveling with Laundrie in the couple's camper van since July and the two were meant to return home in October. Laundrie, however, traveled back to his family's North Port, Florida home on September 1 without Gabby, and refused to speak to authorities about her disappearance. On Wednesday, neighbors revealed that they had seen Laundrie and his parents packing an 'attached camper' used for their long-weekend camping trips after he returned to the home. Charlene and William Guthrie claim they saw the Laundries hook up the camper to the back of their pickup truck for a weekend trip away on September 11 - the same day Gabby was reported missing. Roberta Laundrie gets into the passenger seat as she leaves the house Thursday morning The couple were soon spotted returning to the house in their normally quiet residential road, tailed by a North Port Police SUV and a black Ford 150 believed to be an FBI vehicle FBI agents seized Brian Laundrie's silver Ford Mustang convertible during a dramatic raid of the family home on Monday. It was returned to the house by a tow truck crew Thursday morning The family would have returned about two days later as DailyMail.com photos show the camper back in the driveway on September 13. When police contacted the Guthries, William told them about the family's trip, noting that it was unusual for Christopher and Roberta to go off in such a small camper with their 23-year-old son. 'I saw them doing some work. And then when they prepared for their trip, I saw them loading the camper,' William told Fox News. The Gunthries added that living next to the Laundries has become a nightmare since Gabby and later Laundrie went missing, with police and reporters roaming the neighborhood for nearly a month investigating the case. The Laundrie family were initially reluctant to cooperate with the investigation until Brian went missing last week. Police divers joined the search for Laundrie on Wednesday as more than 50 law enforcement officers from eight agencies continued to comb the 25,000-acre alligator and snake-infested swampland of Carlton Reserve, near the Laundrie home. Charlene and William Guthrie told Fox they spotted the Laundries leaving for a camping trip just days after Brian Laundrie returned home alone without the missing Gabby Petito Laundrie was believed to be hiding out in his parents' Florida home until September 14, when he purportedly set off on a hike at the local nature reserve. His family said they last saw him that day wearing a hiking bag, but did not report him missing until three days later, on September 17. His silver Ford Mustang was also found abandoned near the Carlton Reserve with a note requesting it be towed away. 'These guys, our law enforcement partners are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie,' North Port Police commander Joe Fussell, who is helping to coordinate the search, said Wednesday. 'It's rough out there, it's hot, it's wet. We are trying to cover every acre in this reserve.' North Port Police Department on Wednesday evening tweeted that the search had concluded for the day, and would resume in the morning. 'The ground search for Brian Laundrie has been halted for the evening. Nothing found,' they said. 'We will be back out Thursday, similar operation.' Earlier on Wednesday there was a flurry of activity as divers were brought to the site, but it later emerged that there was no connection to the case. The team, made up of about 10 divers, was requested by North Port Police on Wednesday morning, said Sarasota County Sheriff's office spokesperson Kaitlyn Perez. 'These divers are specifically trained and very talented in low visibility bodies of water,' Perez said. 'They dive down where you and I can't see anything at all. They utilize technology and other special equipment to help them get down deep into really deep bodies of water, so they're out there right now to recover whatever it is that they might find.' An aircraft carrying 17 skydivers performed an emergency landing on a strip of grass next to a road after suffering an engine failure. Video footage captured by skydiving instructor Martijn van Dam showed the moment the aircraft began to descend as the groups planned skydive session was put on hold. The incident, which occurred on June 25, took place after the aircraft suffered engine failure at 350ft above the ground, around a mile from Teuge Airport. According to his Linked In, van Dam works as a videographer at Skydive Teuge in the Netherlands, and he was on hand with his camera to record the terrifying experience as the plane went down. His video footage starts off as the plane is already heading for the ground, with those inside the aircraft being jostled about. People can be seen holding onto the sides of the plane and assuming brace positions as they prepared to make contact with the ground. A loud crack can be heard as the pilot successfully lands the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft on a patch of grass running alongside a highway. The aircraft was landed in a field running alongside the A50 motorway roughly 2Km west of Teuge Airport, the Netherlands, on June 25 The second the plane had come to a standstill, instructors can be heard yelling directions to those onboard to get outside and away from the landing site. The last to exit the plane, van Dam ensured that the pilot was also unhurt in the crash landing before ushering him out as well. Despite having landed on the side of a busy highway, the skydivers can all be seen hugging one another and hi-fiving amongst themselves as they celebrate escaping the emergency landing seemingly unharmed. When all those onboard are at a safe distance from the plane, van Dam gives the pilot a hug and one of the passengers, believed to be British, says: 'Well done man, such a good job!' Speaking at the end of the video, van Dam said: 'What I was afraid of all my jumping life just happened... The outcome is amazing. The aircraft is broken... wow, wow.' At the end of his video, van Dam also issued a few pieces of advice for anybody else who should find themselves in a similar situation in the future. Relieved passengers rushed to hug and congratulate the pilot once they were stood at a safe distance from the aircraft Do you know anyone onboard the plane? Send an email to sam.baker@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement He advised always wearing your seatbelt with quick release, make sure emergency landing procedures have been properly trained and opening and locking the plane door before the landing. Van Dam also joked that you should also have your camera ready. An incident report published on the Aviation Safety Network read: 'A Cessna 208B Supervan 900 skydiving sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a field 2 km west of Teuge Airport, the Netherlands, next to the A50 motorway. 'The engine had lost power shortly after takeoff from Teuge Airport. The pilot made an emergency landing in a meadow. 'The aircraft collided with a billboard with the right wing, swung and came to a stop against a crash barrier next to the highway.' Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal cried during an Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden when she made the case his budget bill should include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Jayapal was part of a group of progressive lawmakers meeting with president on Wednesday and grew emotional when talking about the children brought to the country illegally by their parents, essential workers and farm workers, Politico reported. She told the president her own story to help make her point. Jayapal was born in India and migrated to the United States at 1982, at age 16. 'As someone who came to this country alone when I was 16, I know how critical it is that we restore America as a beacon of hope. It's time to guarantee a roadmap to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS recipients, farmworkers, and essential workers as part of the Build Back Better plan,' she wrote on Twitter after the report on the meeting came out. Her spokesperson Chris Evans confirmed to Politico what she told Biden: 'She said, 'I'm the first South Asian woman ever elected to the House and one of only two dozen immigrants in Congress as an immigrant woman of color, I just want to share my perspective,' he said. 'She has a unique story as an immigrant but also coming at 16, and to be sitting at the White House delivering what would be a transformational investment in social programs, it will be a moment she will remember forever.' Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal cried during an Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden as she argued for Democrats to find away to help Dreamers become citizens Democrats suffered a blow this week when the Senate's parliamentarian ruled late Sunday they cannot use their $3.5 trillion spending bill to give millions of immigrants a pathway to citizenship. The decision by Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate's nonpartisan interpreter of its rules, destroyed Democratic hopes of letting several categories of immigrants gain permanent residence and possibly citizenship by issuing 8 million green cards. Biden and his party were trying to include immigration reform as part of their broader social agenda legislative package. But MacDonough ruled that the proposal does not meet the strict rules of what can be included in a spending bill, calling it 'by any standards a broad, new immigration policy. Democrats wanted to include a provision to allow undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens if they passed background and health checks, and paid a $1,500 fee, among other requirements. The Center for American Progress has estimated that 6 million people could be helped by the measure. Democrats expressed their disappointment in the ruling. 'We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to provide lawful status for immigrants in budget reconciliation continues,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. 'Senate Democrats have prepared alternate proposals and will be holding additional meetings with the Senate parliamentarian in the coming days.' President Joe Biden and Democrats suffered a blow when the Senate's parliamentarian ruled they cannot use the $3.5 trillion spending bill to give immigrants a pathway to citizenship One such approach would be to update a 'registry' date that allows some immigrants in the U.S. by that time to become permanent residents if they meet certain conditions, but it was unclear if they would pursue that option or how the parliamentarian would rule. Jayapal is not the only Democratic lawmaker urging Biden and party leadership to do something to get around the Senate ruling. Rep. Ilhan Omar on Sunday urged Democrats to ignore it. 'This ruling by the parliamentarian, is only a recommendation. @SenSchumer and the @WhiteHouse can and should ignore it,' Omar, D-Minn., wrote on Twitter. 'We can't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing.' It's unlikely Biden or Schumer would ignore the ruling. President Joe Biden pointed to a number of problems he's had to deal with - which might explain his plummeting poll numbers - including having to make up for ex-President Donald Trump's missteps, anti-vaxxers prolonging the COVID pandemic, and having to tend to natural disasters like fires and floods. 'This is a process and it's going to be up and down,' he told reporters at the White House Friday. 'That's why I don't look at the polls. Not a joke.' Biden's numbers have taken a tumble following a bungled Afghanistan pull-out, a border crisis and the ever-present COVID pandemic, with Gallup putting him at 43 per cent. President Joe Biden had a laundry list of reasons he hasn't delivered on some campaign promises including President Donald Trump 's missteps, anti-vaxxers, fires and floods 'Take a look at what I inherited when I came into office. When I came into office. The state of affairs,' Biden said about former President Donald Trump 'And now we have all these people refusing to get the shot,' Biden said, pointing to the swath of anti-vaxxers in the U.S. Biden also pointed to Hurricane Ida ripping through Louisiana (pictured) and later flooding parts of New York and New Jersey Biden also mentioned the wildfires out west. Here a small fire burns near Long Meadow Grove, a Giant Sequoia tree grove near Hot Springs, California That's a 13 point drop since June, with independents souring on the Democratic president. Taking questions after delivering remarks from the State Dining Room on COVID booster shots Friday morning, Biden said, 'Remember, I said it was going to take me a yeat to deliver everything.' 'Take a look at what I inherited when I came into office. When I came into office. The state of affairs. Where we were. We had four million people vaccinated, we had no plan, I mean I could go down the list,' he said, pointing a finger at Trump. 'Part of it is dealing with a panaply of things that landed on my plate,' he continued. 'I'm not complaining, it's just reality. It's reality.' Biden argued that his legislative agenda is 'overwhelmingly popular.' 'But the problem is, with everything happening, not everybody knows what's in that plan,' he said. The president then pointed to a number of disasters that have prevented him from being fully focused on the two large bills he wants Congress to pass. 'Now part of the problem is I'd hoped - I hadn't planned on but I kind of anticipated. I hadn't planned on 178-an-hour winds, hurricanes going into Louisiana and 20 inches of rain in New York and New Jersey and an area as big as the state of New Jersey is burning down in the west,' he said. He's also fallen in ratings for every age group, with the steepest drop being among voters aged 18 to 29 The only issue Americans rate him favorably on is the COVID-19 pandemic - by a slim margin Biden's character and commitment to his beliefs still rates high among voters, though most doubt he's mentally sharp 'And so what I had hoped I would be doing, I'd do what I did in the campaign, I'd be out making the case about what my plan contained - and it's been very much curtailed by a whole range of things,' he continued. He said he believed it was 'understandable' that people were frustrated. 'Frustrated by, you know, I thought this was going to be better. I thought everything was working out and we were moving along on COVID-19. And now we have all these people refusing to get the shot and now look at the people dying - large number of people dying,' Biden said. 'So I think it's a totally legitimate question - obviously it's a legitimate question to ask. But I think put it in context here. It's going to take some time,' he added. Boris Johnson today tried to repair Britain's relationship with France as he finally spoke to Emmanuel Macron amid a rumbling row over the AUKUS defence pact. The Prime Minister had a telephone call with the French President and offered to 're-establish co-operation' with Paris, according to a readout of the call from Mr Macron's office. A Downing Street readout of the conversation did not mention the AUKUS deal by name. But it said the two leaders had 'reaffirmed the importance of the UK-France relationship and agreed to continue working closely together around the world on our shared agenda'. The AUKUS pact sparked French fury when it was unveiled last week amid claims from Paris that European nations had been sidelined. The deal will see the US and the UK help Australia to develop its first ever fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. But it means Canberra has cancelled an existing contract with France for a fleet of diesel-electric subs - a move described by French figures as a 'stab in the back'. Today's call with Mr Macron comes after Mr Johnson further inflamed the row earlier this week when he broke into 'franglais' to urge the French to 'get a grip' and 'give me a break'. Boris Johnson today tried to repair Britain's relationship with France as he finally spoke to Emmanuel Macron amid a rumbling row over the AUKUS defence pact The Prime Minister spoke to the French President by telephone and offered to 're-establish co-operation' with Paris, according to a readout of the call from Mr Macron's office The AUKUS deal will see the three nations share military technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber defence, quantum computing and long-range strike capabilities. French figures hit out at being excluded from the pact and blasted the submarine element of the deal. Canberra has ripped up a deal with Paris worth an estimated 30billion that was struck in 2016 to provide 12 diesel-electric submarines. The decision to walk away from the contract triggered a diplomatic storm as Mr Macron recalled his ambassadors to the US and Australia. US President Joe Biden spoke to Mr Macron on Wednesday as he tried to assuage French anger. Mr Macron's office said that today's call with Mr Johnson had been arranged at the UK's request. Mr Johnson apparently told Mr Macron that he wants to 're-establish co-operation'. The PM said he hoped the two nations can work together 'in line with our values and our common interests'. The French President told Mr Johnson that he is 'awaiting his proposals' on how Britain and France can work together. A Downing Street spokesman said the two leaders had discussed a 'range of issues of mutual interest' during the call. 'They reaffirmed the importance of the UK-France relationship and agreed to continue working closely together around the world on our shared agenda, through NATO and bilaterally,' Number 10 said. 'The leaders noted in particular the strategic significance of our long-standing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and in Africa, including through the joint mission in Mali.' The AUKUS pact sparked French fury when it was unveiled last week amid claims from Paris that European nations had been sidelined. The deal will see the US and the UK help Australia to develop its first ever fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. A Royal Australian Navy submarine is pictured in Sydney harbour in May 2020 The AUKUS deal was immediately viewed as an attempt by the US, the UK and Australia to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Mr Johnson placed the Anglo-French relationship under further strain on Wednesday when he said it was time for Mr Macron to 'prenez un grip' and 'donnez-moi un break'. The Prime Minister defended the AUKUS pact and said he believes the deal is 'fundamentally a great step forward for global security' and it is 'not trying to shoulder anybody out'. A woman has been charged with importing 14kg of meth after police allegedly intercepted the drugs disguised as Mexican handicrafts and sent her a replica of the package. Australian Border Force officers allegedly found methamphetamine hidden inside the flaps of cardboard boxes that arrived at Brisbane Airport from Mexico last Thursday, September 16. Preemptive testing of the white powder that was concealed in the boxes allegedly returned a positive result for methamphetamine. A 29-year-old Colombian national (pictured) faces a possible sentence of life in prison for allegedly importing 14kg of methamphetamine into Australia from Mexico The matter was then referred to the Federal Police. Officers made replica copies of the alleged shipment and delivered it to an address on Chevron Island, Surfers Paradise yesterday where it was allegedly received by a 29-year-old Colombian national. The AFP raided the house under a search warrant and allegedly found the replica boxes cut apart in the same place where the drugs had been concealed in the original boxes. The drugs were allegedly found by Australian Border Force on September 16 hidden inside the flaps of cardboard boxes (pictured) The Australian Federal Police took over the matter, sending a replica of the alleged shipment (pictured) to a Surfers Paradise address Police also seized a number of electronic devices, a passport, consignment documents, the blade used to cut open the boxes and the replica consignment for further investigation. The woman was arrested and charged with importing commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and attempt to possess commercial quantity unlawfully imported border controlled drug. Campbell McCallum, her lawyer, says she denies she has anything to do with the importation and said she may have been the victim of a group targeting her. ABF Commander Chris Waters said the drugs were found because of the ABF's access to drug concealment intelligence and technology. After the woman accepted the packages, the AFP raided the property under a search warrant, seizing the replica packages (pictured) along with a blade, passport and electronic devices Police found the replica packages open to where the drugs had been hidden in the original packages (pictured) 'The message to those who attempt to bring illicit drugs across the Australian border is clear you will be identified, and you will be stopped,' he said. The woman was granted bail on Friday and will appear before Southport Magistrates Court on October 18. The maximum sentence for the charges she faces is life in prison. This is the moment a driver lost control of his speedboat and went flying over another vessel, to the surprise of sunbathers on a nearby Croatian beach. Footage, captured by Alesh H on September 14 in Istria, shows the out-of-control speedboat ramming into one boat before flying over another vessel. The clip begins with the man driving straight towards a vessel moored in the shallows after apparently losing control of the motorboat. Footage, captured by Alesh H on September 14 in Istria, Croatia, shows an out-of-control speedboat ramming into one boat before flying over another vessel (pictured) The driver rams into the moored boat despite his last-minute attempts to turn the boat around. But things only go from bad to worse when the driver veers towards another boat and flies straight over the top of it, before crashing back into the ocean and nudging a third vessel. Footage shows the driver ram into one boat, before going flying straight over the top of a second boat, and nudging a third vessel after coming crashing back down into the sea Beachgoers yell in surprise as they watch the unexpected collision unfold, while the boat driver is seen clasping his hands to his head in horror. According to Alesh H, at least one of the boats was severely damaged in the accident. Luckily, nobody appeared to be onboard the other boats involved in the incident and the driver was apparently unharmed after the crash. Ms Keenan said she was 'so happy' to be jabbed, urging others to come forward She made history when she became the first person to get a jab outside of trials A British grandmother who became the first person in the world to get a Covid vaccine outside of a clinical trial today received a booster jab, as the UK continues rolling out top-up doses. Margaret Keenan, 91, who likes to be called Maggie, returned to University Hospital Coventry in Warwickshire this afternoon to get her third coronavirus injection. The grandmother-of-four made history on December 8 when she became the first person to get an approved Covid jab. And May Parsons, a nurse at the hospital who administered Ms Keenan's first and second jab, received her third injection alongside her. The drive, a bid to boost their protection and avoid a fourth wave this winter that overwhelms the NHS, is already underway. Ms Keenan, a former jewellery shop assistant who only retired five years ago, said she was 'so happy' to receive a booster and urged others to come forward for the jab. She said: 'I don't really know what stops people from having it, maybe they are frightened of the needle, but it is nothing to be frightened of.' Since the rollout began, 48.6million first doses and 44.6million second doses have been administered, equating to more than eight in 10 over-16s in the UK being fully immunised. Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed last week that 32million people in the UK would be offered third doses six months after their second. Older care home residents, over-50s, health and social care workers and over-16s with underlying conditions that puts them at severe risk from Covid are all eligible for the extra injection. Margaret Keenan, from Coventry, received her third dose of the Pfizer vaccine today at University Hospital Coventry in Warwickshire. Last December, she became the first person in the world to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of a clinical trials Ms Keenan was greeted at the hospital by May Parsons (right), the nurse who administered her first vaccine, at the hospital before both went in to have their booster jabs Matron Parsons (pictured left, speaking to Ms Keenan) said it is 'really extremely heart-warming' to see Ms Keenan 'doing so well' and it is 'imperative' to get a third dose of the Covid vaccine 'if you want maximum protection this winter' Ms Keenan and Ms Parsons received their boosters side by side at the same time, which the grandmother said was 'hilarious' Ms Keenan said: 'It was a real privilege to be the first person vaccinated against Covid in December, and to be able to receive my booster alongside May was hilarious. England's Covid outbreak shrunk by 11% last week England's Covid outbreak shrunk by more than a tenth last week and the R rate dropped below one, according to official data but infections are now rising among children in another sign of a back-to-school wave. The Office for National Statistics' weekly surveillance report estimated 620,100 people had the virus on any given day in the week to September 18, down 11 per cent from the previous seven-day spell. And No10's top scientists claimed the R rate has dipped below one for the first time since mid-August and could be as low as 0.8. But the ONS also estimated cases ticked up among 12 to 16-year-olds and 2 to 11-year-olds, with up to one in 35 thought to be infected. Cases fell in all other age groups. The latest statistics add to a growing body of evidence that infections are now rising among children after they returned to classrooms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of September. Experts had warned the start of the autumn term would spark a fresh wave. Advertisement 'May is great fun we have done the double-act today, Maggie May. 'I feel good, I feel really good. 'It has protected me in my mind as well, and I feel quite confident now going out to places, I feel so happy now that I have got this done. 'It's saving their lives, their family's lives, and it is helping the NHS, so what more can I say go for it, go and have it done, you will feel much better for it, it is going to help you, and help others.' The third doses are being administered through pharmacies, hospitals, GP practices and vaccination centres. People will be given a booster dose of Pfizer or half a dose of Moderna, regardless of which vaccine they received for their first two doses. But if they are allergic to either of those vaccines, AstraZeneca's jab will be used. The national vaccination drive, which was launched at 70 UK hospitals last December, saw most of the first doses given to the over-80s. The UK was the first country in the world to use the Pfizer jab after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved its use on December 2. The AstraZeneca jab was the second to be rolled out across the UK after it was found to be safe and effective by the MHRA on December 30. Moderna's jab was the third to be approved, receiving the medicine regulator's approval on January 8. Some 5,000 people were vaccinated on the first day of the rollout in December, but the figure soared to around 845,000 jabs given on a single day in March. Speaking today, Matron Parsons said it is 'really extremely heart-warming' to see Ms Keenan 'doing so well' and it is 'imperative' to get a third dose of the Covid vaccine 'if you want maximum protection this winter'. On December 8, days before her 90th birthday, Ms Keenan became the first person to receive the Pfizer jab once they had been approved in the UK. Speaking at the time, she hailed it as a 'massive day' for her and for 'the rest of the world' and said she was 'so pleased' to be able to return home and spend time with her family After kicking of the UK's biggest-ever vaccination drive, Ms Keenan received her second dose on December 29 She added: 'Even if people are not doing it for themselves and are healthy and well, they are doing it for other people that are quite vulnerable. Ms Keenan said the booster jabs are saving lives and helping the NHS. 'What more can I say go for it, go and have it done, you will feel much better for it, it is going to help you, and help others,' she added 'It is a community responsibility I cannot say it loudly enough, get vaccinated and get protected.' Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: 'The world watched in December as Maggie Keenan became the first in the world to get a Covid vaccine and since then, more than 40million others across the country have joined her. 'This is testament to the incredible efforts of NHS staff and volunteers, working at speed to protect people from this awful virus. 'It is wonderful to see Maggie get her top up jab today, protecting herself and those around her ahead of winter. 'With more than 350,000 people already booked in for their top-up jab, it is great to see so much enthusiasm for the booster vaccine in such a short period of time. 'If you're invited, please do come forward for your boost of protection.' A woman is facing a manslaughter charge after allegedly killing her boyfriend by throwing a mobile phone at his head during a violent row. The 22-year-old, named locally as Roxana Adelina Lopez, has been made a formal suspect in an ongoing probe by a criminal court in Cafayate near Salta in north-west Argentina. She has been allowed to remain on bail while the investigation continues. Her partner has been identified as Luis Dario Guantay. Roxana Adelina Lopez, 22, is facing a manslaughter charge after allegedly killing her boyfriend by throwing a mobile phone at his head during a violent row (stock image) She is expected to allege she picked up the mobile and used it as a missile to defend herself after being beaten around the face by her boyfriend. The phone hit Luis in the temple and he died after going to a hospital A&E unit complaining of severe migraines. He died on April 18, eight days after the incident, but news of his death only became public today as it emerged Roxana was at the centre of a court probe. She has yet to be charged with any wrongdoing, as a prosecutor will only submit an indictment shortly before any trial takes place. The victim's mum went to police asking them to take action against the suspect after Luis died in San Bernardo hospital in the city of Salta following an operation for severe brain injuries he is said to have suffered after being hit in the head. The argument that ended in tragedy is said to have happened at Luis' rented home. Her partner, Luis Dario Guantay, died in San Bernardo hospital (pictured) in the city of Salta following an operation for severe brain injuries he is said to have suffered after being hit in the head It is not clear what prompted the row. Last month a court in the nearby Argentine city of Tucuman acquitted Jesica Osores of homicide for killing her partner with the same knife he had threatened her with moments earlier. She was cleared after judges decided she had acted in 'self-defence' after being subjected to nine years of domestic abuse by husband Javier Hernan Gomez. Jesica, 28, had claimed in court: 'It was my life or his.' Advertisement President Joe Biden on Friday vowed the border agents on horseback who tried to stop migrants crossing the into the US will 'pay' and face the consequences of their actions. The president called the photos of agents on horseback intercepting migrants 'horrible to see'. However the photographer who took the controversial images said the border agents did not whip the Haitian migrants after it was wrongly and widely reported that they did. Biden, who failed to address how to solve the border crisis in his remarks, said: It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. 'But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are. He was slammed by Meghan McCain in her DailyMail.com column who blamed him for encouraging the 15,000 Haitian migrants to come to the US. But if Biden started actively sending migrants home, he would offend The Squad and their progressive constituencies whose wrath seems to terrify him, she said. Photographer Paul Ratje, who took the images, said he didn't see anyone being whipped. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. It came as Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared the images to the brutality of slavery. Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's 'The View,' after the agents who were photographed seeking to corral Haitian immigrants were pulled back to the office amid an investigation. 'Well, first of all, I've been very clear about the images that you and I both saw of those law enforcement officials on horses I was outraged by it. It was horrible and and deeply troubling. There's been now an investigation that has been conducted, which I fully support and there needs to be consequences and accountability.' 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. President Joe Biden vowed the border agents on horseback who chased migrants trying to cross the Southern border will 'pay' Civil Rights leaders and progressive politicians erupted after images emerged of Border Patrol agents lashing horse reins in the direction of migrants while ramping up deportation and deterrent efforts The photographer who took the images said they have been dramatically misinterpreted Progressive Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were particularly outraged by the images, also comparing them to slavery. White House officials have publicly condemned the photos and officials met with black lawmakers to reassure them they were taking the matter seriously. But Friday marked Biden's first public comments on the situation. Images emerged earlier this week of U.S. Custom and Border patrol agents on horseback using their reins to chase after migrants, the majority of who were Haitians. Critics compared the photos - there was no video footage - to images of slavery, accusing agents of whipping people. Agents insist they were not using whips against the migrants, 15,000 of whom set up a makeshift camp underneath and around the Del Rio International Bridge over the last few weeks. They argued they were only using the reins to ward off immigrants. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the agents will not use horses at the border while the incident is investigated. And he revealed on Friday that there were no longer any migrants in the camp underneath the Del Rio International Bridge. 'Nearly 30,000 Migrants have been encountered at Del Rio, since September 9 with the highest number one time reaching approximately 15,000. Today, we have no migrants remaining in the camp,' he said during an appearance in the White House daily press briefing. He comment came amid confusion about where the Haitians are going. Some have been puts on flights back to their country. Others have been released in the United States while their asylum cases are reviewed. But it remains unanswered about where a few thousand of them are located. 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history,' VP Kamala Harris said on ABC's 'The View' when asked about border agents using horses to push back Haitian immigrants The remnants of the encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge are seen on Friday after it was largely cleared out U.S. Border Patrol agents watch as Haitian immigrant families cross the Rio Grande from into Del Rio, Texas on Thursday from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Mexican immigration officials had launched an operation in a small migrant camp on the Mexican side of the river and many families, fearing deportation, surged across the border to take their chances on the U.S. side Official vehicles line a dirt road along the Rio Grande on Friday in Del Rio where they are the lookout for illegal crossings In Mexico, Haitian immigrants waited to cross the Rio Grande on Thursday. The camp on the Mexican side has been growing, though Mexican officials have surrounded it and are telling migrants they will be deported to Haiti if they enter the US DHS said on Thursday that of the 15,000 under the bridge: 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Mayorkas has now indicated that 2,000 have been released, but mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the further 3,000. Mayorkas was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. The squalid border camp which held up to 15,000 at one point last weekend has now shrunk to under 3,000, as immigration officials rushed to release thousands of migrants into the US, but another camp is growing across the Rio Grande in Mexico. The camp had swelled to some 15,000 migrants at one point, with thousands seen wading across the Rio Grande River daily. Many are Haitians who were previously granted asylum in Chile, with some Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present. Mexican forces have surrounded a second camp that is growing on the Mexican side of the border, where some migrants are gathering to assess their chances of successfully entering the US illegally. U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday, claiming: 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti' Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) is starting to return migrants to the southern Mexican city of Tapachula so they can file asylum applications there. 'We're not taking them out of the country,' INM chief Francisco Garduno told Reuters. 'We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems.' Telling migrants eyeing the U.S. side of the border that it would be better to process claims before the media disappeared from Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, INM agents swept through the camp on Thursday beseeching them to go back to Tapachula. 'We're giving you this option,' INM official Montserrat Saldana told a cluster of migrants circled around her. 'All of you who cross the river are going straight to Haiti.' Meanwhile, US special envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday because he didn't want to be involved with the 'inhumane' deportation of Haitian migrants. 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life,' Ambassador Foote wrote in his resignation letter. In the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foote said another reason for his resignation is that his recommendations to help Haiti have been 'ignored and dismissed'. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed,' Foote continued, 'and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that DHS will no longer allow the use of horses in Del Rio after outcry over images showing agents on horseback appearing to use whips on a crowd of migrants Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen in an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, Thursday, September 23 A State Department spokesperson accused Foote of 'mischaracterizing the circumstances of his resignation' and said some of his ideas were deemed 'harmful.' '[A]ll proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process,' a statement from the spokesperson reads. 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process.' 'For him to to say that his proposals were ignored is simply false,' the person added. The statement claims: 'It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.' Psaki reiterated the sentiments from the statement during her Thursday briefing, saying: 'I'm not going to detail that further.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' This year alone, around 1.3 million migrants were apprehended by Customs and Border Protection. Ticket to America: Haitian migrants are being DUMPED at a border gas station in the US after gaining entry to the US with color-coded passes: Up to 3K remain under the bridge and another camp has sprung up in Mexico US officials are using color-coded tickets to grant Haitian migrants entry into the US, and are releasing many of the migrants at a gas station near the border that is used as a Greyhound bus stop. Migrants with blue or yellow tickets, signifying families and pregnant women respectively, are being released, while single men with red passes and single women with green ones are slated for deportation, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, the Stripes gas station in Del Rio, Texas has become a major point for releasing those with blue or yellow tickets, as the business is used as a Greyhound stop for onward travel. Large government-contracted buses drop off families twice a day at the gas station on a busy commercial road in the middle of town, according to the Washington Examiner. A migrant mother carries her child while after being released at the Stripes gas station in Del Rio this week. The gas station is used as a Greyhound bus stop A Haitian man in Mexico shows the blue ticket with the number he was given by authorities on the US side of the border. Unaware that blue and yellow tickets granted them entry into the US, many migrants with those tickets fled back to Mexico in fear of deportation to Haiti Many migrants appear to be unaware of the meaning of the tickets, which are apparently not explained to them by authorities. As the squalid migrant camp in Del Rio swelled to as many as 15,000 migrants last weekend, the Border Patrol issued them the color-coded, numbered tickets, then called their numbers and loaded them aboard buses and vans, some for expulsion flights, others for release. Fearing deportation as the Biden administration began sending flights to Haiti, many migrants fled back across the border to Mexico, clutching the blue or yellow passes that would have allowed them to be quickly released. The Biden administration has released at least 2,000 of the migrants despite vowing to expel them at the height of the crisis. Mackenson Veillard was one of them, and was dropped off at the Stripes gas station earlier this week with his pregnant wife. They waited together for a Greyhound bus to take them to a cousin in San Antonio after receiving their color coded-tickets to enter the US. Mackenson Veillard ponders his good fortune as he waits at the Stripes gas station in Del Rio for a bus to take him and his pregnant wife to San Antonio Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. board a bus to Houston after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in Del Rio on Thursday A migrant woman receives her bus ticket before boarding a Greyhound bus to San Antonio, Texas on Wednesday in Del Rio, Texas The couple had spent a a week in the cramped migrant camp under the International Bridge, sleeping on concrete and getting by on bread and bottled water. 'I felt so stressed,' Veillard, 25, told the AP. 'But now, I feel better. It's like I'm starting a new life.' Most Haitians released from the camp received requests to report to immigration officials at their destinations within 60 days. A few received notices to appear in immigration court on a specific date. On Friday, only 225 migrants remained in the nearly empty camp where up to 15,000 had crammed in squalid conditions last weekend, according to Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens. Owens told the AP in a text message that hes been told all of the migrants will be removed by the end of the day. The camp's population peaked Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administration's policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing trying to seek asylum. The New Yorker published a piece Friday describing the Biden presidency as a 'haze of uncertainty' and a 'jumble of aspirations' that are far from what is politically possible to achieve. 'The Biden Presidency, on both the foreign and domestic fronts, remains a jumble of aspirationsand retains a haze of uncertainty about how to achieve them,' Susan Glasser writes. 'Much of his political problem, it seems to me, is a vast gap between his articulated goals and what is politically possible.' Still, in the editorial entitled 'It's Too Early to Consign Biden to the Ash Heap,' Glasser says that conservatives declaring the Biden presidency 'dead' is as overstated as liberals dubbing him the second coming of FDR. 'The warning lights are undoubtedly flashing red for Biden right now.' A slew of critical news coverage from the mainstream media and record-low approval polls are the latest evidence the United States is souring on President Joe Biden. A new Harvard/Harris poll indicated Trump, for the first time, has overtaken Biden in approval ratings for the first time since he lost the 2020 election, with Biden dipping to 46 percent and Trump rising to 48. But, Glasser notes that Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both had low approval ratings early in their presidency and both went on to become popular two-term presidents. 'The failed-Presidency crowd sees this as the inevitable outcome of a leader who strayed from the promise of his campaign to oust Donald Trumpto return America to competent, sane governanceand instead embraced a politically impractical vision of a progressive utopia,' the piece continues. 'The general feeling among Democrats these days: Is it time to panic yet?' Still, it praises Biden for his 'relentless diplomacy' as the progressive agenda that could define his presidency hangs by a thread in Congress. Congress is soon set to vote on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that progressives have promised to vote against if it doesn't come to them in tandem with a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill. Moderate Democrats, meanwhile, have said they could never support such a high price tag for the second spending bill. Meanwhile, Congress may be forced to shut down next week unless they pass a bill to raise the debt ceiling that Republicans have vowed to oppose. 'The difficult truth is that, should Congress fail to pass Biden's bills this fall, it would, in fact, be the kind of political blow that few new Presidents can recover from, the New Yorker piece states. But, to Biden's credit, Glasser writes: 'He has not, a la Trump, taken to Twitter to denounce the dissenting members of his party as 'dinos,' ... He has not fired anybody or started lining up primary challengers to his own party's members of Congress who have angered him. He has not called up MSNBC hosts in a panic for advice.' Meanwhile, Biden is being squeezed on all sides by a pandemic he promised would be essentially over by this time and is still killing 2,000 per day, a widely-condemned withdrawal from Afghanistan and a surge of migrants at the southern border. The New York Times published two pieces on Wednesday comparing Biden to former President Donald Trump despite the former building his administration on the promise he would be different than his controversial Republican predecessor. The pieces cite Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the ongoing border crisis, pointing out his falling back on policies and decisions even he himself maligned while Trump was in office. An article titled 'Biden Pushes Deterrent Border Policy After Promising 'Humane' Approach,' begins by reflecting on scenes that have surfaced this week of border agents on horseback forcefully rounding up and charging at migrants trying to cross the chest-deep waters of the Rio Grande. 'The images could have come straight from former President Donald J. Trump's immigration playbook,' the news story notes. Biden got some unflattering comparisons to President Trump from top media organizations this week while polls show American voters may like him less than the Republican Biden has tried to distance himself from Trump's harsher border policies It comes a day after the Washington Post's White House bureau chief slammed the president for shutting down questions from American reporters during the president's meeting Tuesday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Times's border story published on Wednesday points out that the Biden administration promised a more 'humane' approach to tackle immigration, but is ramping up its use of a Trump-era COVID rule to expel asylum-seeking migrants on the spot - specifically, to clear some 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants out from an encampment under the Del Rio bridge in Texas. 'The deportations are a stark example of how Mr. Biden... is deploying some of the most aggressive approaches to immigration put in place by Mr. Trump over the past four years,' the story claims. It quotes Latino civil rights leader Marisa Franco, 'The question that's being asked now is: How are you actually different than Trump?' An op-ed published the same day is topped with a scathing headline aimed at Biden: 'The UnTrump Presidency Slams Into Trumpness.' 'Biden isn't drawing an emphatic enough contrast with Trump,' author Frank Bruni writes, observing that Biden's deportation of Haitian migrants has invoked comparisons to his predecessor. Biden's handling of the border crisis prompted one immigration advocate to ask: 'How are you actually different than Trump?' 'The kind of border bedlam attributed to Trump's incompetence and insensitivity has returned and once again dominates the news,' Bruni writes. Bruni also notes Biden's decision to withdraw the US military from Afghanistan by August 31 caught allies by surprise. 'He pulled out of Afghanistan without the degree of consultation, coordination and competence that allies expected, at least of any American president not named Trump,' he writes With the abandonment of thousands of Afghan allies, Bruni said, Biden also failed to live up to the empathetic image he's crafted to distance himself from the cold, caustic perception of the Trump administration. On Tuesday the Washington Post, another legacy media organization, also joined in criticizing Biden. White House bureau chief Ashley Parker also invoked Trump on Tuesday night after Biden met with Johnson in DC. Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal and abandonment of US allies there has also prompted comparisons to Trump 'Worth noting that Biden ran for office promising to restore democracy after 4 years of Trump. But today it was the British leader, NOT the American one, who spotlighted a key tenet of a flourishing democracy - respect for a free press - by taking questions from his press corps,' Parker tweeted. Biden did not recognize any American reporters for questions during an Oval Office meeting with Johnson - and his aides cleared out journalists as they tried to query the president. White House staff even interrupted Johnson as they pushed to get reporters out of the room, shouting over the British prime minister as he and Biden sat in their chairs, watching the chaotic scene unfold as aides ushered journalists out of the Oval Office. As reporters were ushered out, CBS White House reporter Ed O'Keefe shouted a question to Biden asked about the situation on the US-Mexico border. The administration is facing backlash and criticism following images of US Border Patrol agents on horseback using whips to round up migrants or prevent them from stepping onto American soil. The Washington Post's White House bureau chief Ashley Parker was critical of Biden in a Tuesday night tweet President Joe Biden holds a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office at the White House But White House aides yelled 'thank you' and 'let's go' to the press in the room, herding them out as Biden appeared to try and address the issue. Between the shouting of his aides and the president's wearing a face mask, it was impossible to make out the majority of what Biden said. The newspapers' attitude toward Biden is reflective of the country's larger discontent with the president amid multiple crises. Support for Biden dropped dramatically to 46 percent as of September following the nation's chaotic exit from Afghanistan, crisis at the southern border with Mexico, and deadlock in Congress over his infrastructure bills, according to Harvard/Harris data. Meanwhile, Trump's approval ratings remained at about 46 per cent since 2020 and surpassed Biden after rising to 48 per cent in September. 'The mounting issues on all fronts have led to the surprise conclusion that Trump is now seen as being as good a president as Biden, suggesting the honeymoon is being replaced with buyer's remorse,' Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard/Harris survey told The Times. A new Harvard/Harris poll found that most people are regretting voting for President Biden as his approval ratings fell over the summer while Donald Trump's ratings saw a small uptick The poll comes as Biden held talks with feuding Democrats at the White House on Tuesday in an effort to reach an agreement on the $1.1 trillion infrastructure deal and the second $3.5 trillion bill containing new social spending. It also stands in the wake of a new migrations crisis in Texas as thousands of migrants, mostly from Haiti, cross the Rio Grande and settle in camps outside of the city of Del Rio. As well as revelations that the US mistakenly killed 10 people, including one aid worker and seven children, after a botched done strike meant to kill an ISIS-K terrorist. The Harvard/Harris poll also found that 55 per cent of people believed former Vice-President Mike Pence was a better vice president than his successor, Kamala Harris, and that 63 per cent of people thought Mike Pompeo was a better secretary of state than Anthony Blinken. Two Canadians jailed in China since 2018 were freed after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a deal with China and an imprisoned Chinese communications executive. The two Canadian men - Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor - on are their way home, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Friday night. This puts an end to a three-year, multi-country standoff that started late 2018 when Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou - Huawei Technologies chief financial officer - at the Vancouver International Airport on behalf of the U.S. She was charged with fraud and accused of misrepresenting her company's business dealings in Iran. Nine days later, Kovrig and Spavor were arrested in China on espionage charges, which was widely seen as a retaliation against Canada for helping the U.S. During a Friday night press conference, Trudeau said 'the Michaels' went through 'an unbelievably difficult ordeal.' 'It is good news for all of us that they are on their way home to their families,' he said. 'For the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance, resilience and grace.' Trudeau deflected questions about what the development will mean for the strained relationship between Canada and China, Canadian news outlet CBC reported. Top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies Meng Wanzhou resolved criminal charges against her as part of a deal Friday with the U.S. Justice Department that paves the way for her to return to China Canadian businessman Michael Spavor (third from the left) is seen in this file phot from January 8, 2014 in North Korea with Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un. Michael Kovrig is pictured in this file photo - taken on April 26, 2017 Kovrig and Spavor's release came just hours after after federal prosecutors in the U.S. reached an agreement with Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. As part of the arrangement, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against Meng until late next year, and she agrees to accept responsibility for misrepresenting her company's business dealings in Iran. The agreement had a rapid dominoes effect that led to her extradition case to America being dropped and allowed her to return to China out of Vancouver airport. Meng, who had been detained in her multimillion dollar Vancouver home since her arrest, broke down in tears during Friday's virtual hearing in Brooklyn federal court. In January 2019, the Department of Justice indicted both Meng and Huawei, accusing both of embarking on a decade-long scheme to steal trade secrets, obstruct a criminal investigation and circumvent economic sanctions on Iran. She faced charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The charges underscored efforts by the Trump administration to link Huawei with the Chinese government, after suspicions that the company sought to advance Beijings economic and political ambitions while subverting American interests. Meng, the daughter of the company's founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei, faced charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud from the US Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou broke down in tears after hearing she could finally head home to China after three years of house arrest in Vancouver, Canada After being confined to her multimillion-dollar Vancouver, Canada, home for three years, Meng Wanzhou broke down in tears after the virtual hearing at a federal court in Brooklyn, where federal prosecutors agreed to the deal and dropped charges against her After Friday's arrangement, she's allowed to return home after she complied with the court's orders, including agreed to a 'statement of facts' admitting that she knowingly made false statements to HSBC. During the trial, prosecutors announced that under the deferred prosecution agreement, the Justice Department will withdraw its extradition request to the Canadian authorities, in effect allowing her release as long as she adheres to the agreement's terms. Nicole Boeckmann, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement that Ms. Meng had 'taken responsibility' for her role in fraudulently deceiving a global financial institution into doing business with a Huawei subsidiary in Iran in violation of U.S. law. The prosecution also added that the charges would be dropped completely on December 1 of next year. However, the DOJ said it is still continuing to prepare for trial against Huawei. 'We look forward to proving our case against the company in court,' acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York Nicole Boeckmann declared in court Friday. Huawei Chief Financial officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her Vancouver home to attend her extradition hearing, September 24, 2021, in Vancouver, Canada Michelle Levin, Defense Attorney for Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, exits the Brooklyn Federal District Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., September 24 Boeckmann added in a statement that Meng had, in fact, 'taken responsibility' for her role in fraudulently deceiving HSBC into doing business with a Huawei subsidiary based in Iran - which did directly violate U.S. law. Meng's defense team, however, has professed the executive's innocence throughout the case and her extradition trial in Vancouver, and argued that Trump had used her case as a political bargaining chip and that her rights had been violated when she was cuffed in Vancouver. Prosecutors announced Friday that under the deferred prosecution agreement, the Justice Department will withdraw its extradition request to the Canadian authorities, clearing the way for her release provided that she adheres to the agreement's terms. Prosecutors also recommended that Meng be released on a personal recognizance bond, which will allow her to be freed without any collateral. Meng pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. She could fly back to China as soon as Saturday, the BBC reported. The case has been the subject of intense debate between US and Chinese diplomats, and has caused a great deal of tension between the two at-odds superpowers - and has subsequently strained China's relations with Canada as well. The agreement will likely alleviate a great deal of that tension, and will likely help build a case for the eventual release of two Canadians currently imprisoned in China, held on espionage charges - a likely retaliatory act to Meng's effective imprisonment. In an interview after Friday's trial, a member of Ms. Mengs defense team, Michelle Lebin, announced that she was very pleased that 'Ms. Meng is free to go home and be with her family.' Podcaster Joe Rogan welcomed Amanda Knox on the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where he insisted that Donald Trump will try to run for President again and 'probably win.' Knox spoke about her famous wrongful conviction when she was accused of murdering her roommate in Italy. She was convicted in 2007 and acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court in 2015. She began speaking about Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who she described as 'the Donald Trump of Italy' and served as Prime Minister of Italy from 1994 to 2011. Knox mentioned the 'ridiculously long time' that Berlusconi was in power when Rogan commented 'that's probably what Trump wanted too.' Rogan's reply lead Knox to ask if Trump is going to try to make another bid for the Oval Office. Trump and some of his associates have mentioned another run but the twice-impeached President has not made an official commitment. Joe Rogan told Amanda Knox that he thinks Donald Trump will make another presidential bid and 'will probably win' as Knox agrees President Biden is 'not very inspiring' 'Oh yeah. He's gonna 100 percent try,' Rogan insisted. 'He's probably gonna win. How is Joe Biden gonna win? How is it possible he's gonna beat anybody?' 'After youve seen him speak? After youve seen the decay and the decline? How is it possible?' the comedian questioned. Knox agreed that Biden doesn't seem to have a good shot at another win, calling Biden 'not very inspiring.' Rogan also slammed the Democratic party. 'They've done a terrible job. The Democrats f*cked up royally by making that guy the President.' His comments prompted Knox to ask if he thinks that the Democratic party would allow someone else like Vice President Kamala Harris to run instead. But Rogan quickly insisted that 'she would lose just as badly.' 'She's the most hated Vice President according to polls. The least liked, I should say, Vice President in 50 years,' Rogan claimed not citing which polls he is referring to. Knox agreed that she 'wasn't very excited about her given her history with wrongful convictions.' In April, Trump said that he is '100%' considering running for President in 2024 and said he could tap Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as his running mate this time around. Trump was asked about his 2024 presidential run last week by his former press secretary Sean Spicer but refused to give an official comment. 'I will probably not comment on that, but I will tell you I think you will be very happy Sean,' he said. 'I think you and a lot of other people that love our country are going to be very happy.' Two newborn kittens were rescued from a car engine by a Malaysian driver who heard the tiny animals miaowing. The man said he saw a mother cat run out from under his car and heard the kittens' cries when he started his engine, so he spent five minutes trying to track them down before starting the rescue mission. Heartwarming footage, taken in Alor Gajah, Malacca, on September 23, shows the man attempting to reach inside the bonnet to save the kittens, who were hidden deep in the engine bay. The clip begins with the unnamed man attempting to reach down under the bonnet to get the kittens, but he is unable to grab them as they are tucked away in a corner. A homeowner in Malacca, Malaysia, heard kittens' miaowing when he started his car engine, so he spent five minutes trying to track them down before starting a rescue mission Heartwarming footage, taken on Thursday, shows the man attempting to reach inside the bonnet to save the kittens (one pictured), who were hidden near the car engine He then uses a broom to push the newborn kittens within reach, saying: 'I have to be careful because they are so small.' The man then reaches down, with his whole arm disappearing into the bay, and pulls each kitten out by the scruff of its neck. The man left the kittens in his porch and the footage ends with the mother cat lifting them up in her mouth and carrying them away to safety. The man said: 'When I started my car engine I saw a mother cat running out under my car, then I heard a slow sound of kittens meowing inside the hood of my car. 'I spent around 5 minutes, just managed to spot the kittens as the kittens didn't cry and quite hard to find. 'As the kittens were at the corner side of the car hood so it was difficult to catch them, so I used a broom to shift them to middle and then I was just able to take them out one by one. 'I knew the mother cat would get the two little babies, so I just put them on the porch floor and after few minutes the mother cat gets her baby one by one to somewhere which is safer.' Agile cats can end up trapped in cars as they are attracted to the warmth of the engines and climb inside, but are sometimes unable to get back out again. The man uses a broom to move the tiny kittens within reach, and then amazingly manages to rescue the newborn cats by pulling them out by the scruffs of their necks In December 2018, pet cat was rescued unscathed by a fire crew after being driven around for an hour trapped inside the engine of its owner's car in London. Dr Dominic Pimenta, a junior doctor, had parked outside a supermarket after dropping his wife at work, when he heard a miaowing sound. At first he thought he may have run over and injured someone else's pet as his frantically searched under wheels of his motor. Dr Pimenta eventually dialled 999 for help and it took five firemen to finally squeeze the cat of his hiding place after dismantling part of the engine. And just two years before, a kitten amazingly survived with just minor burns after it was trapped for 20 miles in a car engine in north Wales. Driver Andrew Higgins set off from his home in Rhyl, north Wales, but after 20 miles into the drive he felt the car losing power on the A55. The man said after he successfully managed to pull both kittens out, he left them on his porch so the mother could reunite with her babies safely He pulled over when he lost power and opened the bonnet to find his neighbour's kitten Paws, a six-month-old tabby, who incredibly only suffered minor burns. In Yorkshire, two-year-old tabby was found trapped in a car engine when the driver called a mechanic - a week after the cat went for a nap under the bonnet. The cat, which was renamed Lucky, was found trapped in a Nissan Primera when it broke down in Malton, North Yorkshire, back in September 2014. It is thought the cat climbed into the engine and nestled itself between some cables for a 30-mile journey from Ryedale, North Yorkshire, to Rufforth, near York. A week later the car broke down in Malton, North Yorkshire, and a mechanic was called out to find out what was wrong. Mechanic Ian Brindle, who opened up to bonnet to find the starving pet staring back at him, said that she had a 'lucky escape'. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has revealed on Twitter that he is infected with COVID-19. The 37-year-old Sao Paulo Congressman became the second member of the hardline leader's traveling contingent to test positive for the coronavirus following a trip to United Nations General Assembly in New York. 'Despite the diagnosis, I'm feeling fine and I started treating myself immediately,' Eduardo Bolsonaro wrote Friday morning. 'Thanks for the hundreds of get-well wishes I've received. I'll be back soon.' '(I hope this post is not deleted),' he added. Sao Paulo Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son on Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, revealed Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 following his return from New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. He had previously tested negative after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga's coronavirus test drew back a positive result Tuesday Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has not tested positive for the coronavirus after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga learned he was infected Tuesday in the middle of their trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York Eduardo Bolsonaro along with his father, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and 16 other Brazilian cabinet members and workers all drew negative tests after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday following a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson's test came back negative. The far-right president - who contracted the virus in 2020, blasted critics for his handling of the pandemic, once compared the virus to a 'little flu,' and raised doubts over the vaccine - said during his weekly livestream on Thursday that he knew two vaccinated people in Brasilia who had contracted the virus recently, without naming them. 'Today it came to my knowledge that two well-known people here in Brasilia have contracted the virus. I have spoken to both of them on the phone', said President Bolsonaro, who is in isolation. Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga is still in New York and quarantining after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. He learned he had contracted the virus after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose test came back negative Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, tweeted Friday that he was infected with the coronavirus Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro took to Twitter on Friday to share that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, just three days after he had tested negative in New York upon learning that Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga had been infected Unlike his unvaccinated father, Eduardo Bolsonaro also shared on Twitter that he had previously taken the first immunization jab. 'We know that the vaccines were made faster than standard. I took the first dose of Pfizer and contracted COVID,' he wrote. 'Does this mean the vaccine is useless? I do not believe. But it's one more argument about the health passport. Studies on side effects and efficacy are now taking place.' Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, who is vaccinated, also took to Twitter on Friday to break the news that she has also contracted the ravaging bug. Her positive test came a week after meeting with G20 ministers in Italy. According to John Hopkins University data updated Friday, Brazil is second in the globe behind the United States with 592,964 coronavirus deaths and it is third behind the U.S. and India with 21,308,178 confirmed cases. A small plane crashed into power lines leaving the pilot trapped and dangling above the ground in Georgia on Thursday. The man, who had flown the plane from Florida, was trapped in the lines near a middle school in Waycross for almost two hours while rescuers worked to free him. Photos shared by the Ware County Sheriff's Office show the plane hanging upside down from the cable, causing a pole supporting the lines to tilt. News4jax reported that the man's flight path showed he had come from Ormond Beach and was planning to land at Waycross Airport, just five minutes from where he crashed. It is not clear what caused the plane to become tangled in the lines but the flight path showed the plane made a loop in the air before crashing. The incident caused massive power outages across the county, affecting more than 300 people in the area, according to local media. Scroll down for video A small plane crashed into power lines leaving the pilot trapped and dangling above the ground in Georgia on Thursday The sheriff's office said in a Facebook post that deputies, firefighters and EMS crews responded to the crash at about 10:06am on Thursday. 'The final resting place of the small biplane was suspended in power lines. The pilot is responsive; emergency crews have now been able to extricate him from the plane and fully render aid due to first needing to secure the power before rescue efforts can ensue,' the post read. Georgia Power also assisted in the rescue, using excavators to stabilize the plane and a bucket truck to lift a crew member to assist the pilot, News4jax reported. The pilot reportedly had a cut to his forehead but was alert at the time of his rescue. The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the incident. Advertisement US officials are using color-coded tickets to grant Haitian migrants entry into the US, and are releasing many of the migrants at a gas station near the border that is used as a Greyhound bus stop. Migrants with blue or yellow tickets, signifying families and pregnant women respectively, are being released, while single men with red passes and single women with green ones are slated for deportation, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, the Stripes gas station in Del Rio, Texas has become a major point for releasing those with blue or yellow tickets, as the business is used as a Greyhound stop for onward travel. Large government-contracted buses drop off families twice a day at the gas station on a busy commercial road in the middle of town, according to the Washington Examiner. A migrant mother carries her child while after being released at the Stripes gas station in Del Rio this week. The gas station is used as a Greyhound bus stop A Haitian man in Mexico shows the blue ticket with the number he was given by authorities on the US side of the border. Unaware that blue and yellow tickets granted them entry into the US, many migrants with those tickets fled back to Mexico in fear of deportation to Haiti Many migrants appear to be unaware of the meaning of the color-coded tickets, which are apparently not explained to them by authorities. As the squalid migrant camp in Del Rio swelled to as many as 15,000 migrants last weekend, the Border Patrol issued them the color-coded, numbered tickets, then called their numbers and loaded them aboard buses and vans, some for expulsion flights, others for release. Fearing deportation as the Biden administration began sending flights to Haiti, many migrants fled back across the border to Mexico, clutching the blue or yellow passes that would have allowed them to be quickly released. Mackenson Veillard was one of them, and was dropped off at the Stripes gas station earlier this week with his pregnant wife. They waited together for a Greyhound bus to take them to a cousin in San Antonio after receiving their color coded-tickets to enter the US. The couple had spent a a week in the cramped migrant camp under the International Bridge, sleeping on concrete and getting by on bread and bottled water. 'I felt so stressed,' Veillard, 25, told the AP. 'But now, I feel better. It's like I'm starting a new life.' The Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition has been providing support to migrants at the gas station, including running charter buses to Houston to supplement the Greyhound buses. Mackenson Veillard ponders his good fortune as he waits at the Stripes gas station in Del Rio for a bus to take him and his pregnant wife to San Antonio after being released from CBP custody Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. board a bus to Houston after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in Del Rio on Thursday A migrant woman receives her bus ticket before boarding a Greyhound bus to San Antonio, Texas on Wednesday in Del Rio, Texas The Biden administration has released at least 2,000 of the migrants despite vowing to expel them at the height of the crisis. Deportation flights to Haiti were dramatically scaled back after violence on several of the flights, with migrants attacking ICE agents and pilots. Homeland Security had planned to ramp up to seven daily flights but flew only three Wednesday and five Thursday because of issues with contractors and mechanical delays, an official said. Seven flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, six on Saturday and seven on Sunday. Most Haitians released from the Del Rio camp received requests to report to immigration officials at their destinations within 60 days. A few received notices to appear in immigration court on a specific date. On Friday, only 225 migrants remained in the nearly empty camp where up to 15,000 had crammed in squalid conditions last weekend, according to Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens. Owens told the AP in a text message that hes been told all of the migrants will be removed by the end of the day. The camp's population peaked Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administration's policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing trying to seek asylum. On Friday, only 225 migrants remained in the nearly empty camp where up to 15,000 had crammed in squalid conditions last weekend, according to Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens Migrants, many from Haiti, wait in lines to board buses under the Del Rio International Bridge on Friday The camp in Del Rio is expected to be cleared by Saturday after thousands of migrants were released into the US Official vehicles line a dirt road along the Rio Grande, Friday in Del Rio where they are on the lookout for illegal crossings Across the Rio Grande, Haitians who camped in Mexico awoke Thursday surrounded by security forces, with a helicopter thundering overhead and state police trucks spaced every 30 feet or so between their tents and the edge of the river. After anxious minutes of indecision, dozens of families hurried into the river to cross where there was only one municipal police vehicle, calculating it was better to take their chances with U.S. authorities. 'Things are going badly,' said Michou Petion, carrying her 2-year-old son toward the river. Her husband carried bags of belongings and several pairs of sneakers dangled around his neck. 'The U.S. is deporting a lot to Haiti, now I don't know if I can enter or leave,' Petion said. On Thursday, Rev. Al Sharpton toured the camp and claimed he witnessed 'a real catastrophic and human disgrace.' Sharpton's press conference turned farcical however, as hecklers cut him short, accusing him of exploiting the crisis. Sharpton was forced to end his speech after just over two minutes, as he was shouted down by furious hecklers with one yelling, 'we don't want your racism in Texas'. Civil rights activist and MSNBC host Al Sharpton shut down a press conference at the southern border encampment in Del Rio, Texas Thursday after being consistently heckled The protesters only got louder, crying that Del Rio was not a racist city and that 'we don't want your racism in Texas!' President Joe Biden on Friday said it was 'horrible' to see the way agents used horses block people from crossing the Rio Grande and he promised that 'people will pay' as a result. The incident prompted widespread outrage and is under investigation. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties and the Department of Homeland Security said it has suspended the use of horses in Del Rio. 'It was horrible, what you saw to see them treat people like they did,' Biden told reporters. 'Those people will pay, theres an investigation underway now and there will be consequences. ... Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment - its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are.' Homeland Security has said that nearly 2,000 Haitians had been rapidly expelled on flights since Sunday under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. About 3,900 were being processed for a possible return to Haiti or placement in U.S. immigration court proceedings. Others have been released in the U.S. with notices to appear in court or to report to immigration authorities. Thousands have returned to Mexico. President Joe Biden is telling a group of some 60 million Americans who got the Pfizer vaccine and meet other conditions to get booster shots after the CDC director overruled her own advisers to recommend it. 'You're over 65 years of age, go get a booster. Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes, or you're a frontline worker like a health care worker or a teacher, you can get a free booster now,' Biden said in remarks at the White House Friday. Biden made the comment after CDC Director Rochelle Walensky overruled her own agency's advisory panel in a rare move late Thursday night and added a recommendation for COVID-19 vaccine boosters for people at risk because of their jobs. The change added millions of additional Americans to the guidance. President Joe Biden urged 60 million Americans who got the Pfizer vaccine, primarily those over 65, to get booster shots The CDC committee voted against recommending use for those are at risk due to an 'occupational or institutional settings,' claiming there wasn't enough data to make such a recommendation. The decision only applies to those who have received the Pfeizer vaccine. The FDA has yet to weigh Moderna Inc's application for boosters and Johnson & Johnson Inc. has not yet filed an application. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said third doses should only be for Americans aged 65 and older and those with underlying conditions after six months. Walensky disagreed and put that recommendation back in, noting that such a move aligns with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) booster authorization decision earlier this week. The panel recommended the third dose only for those 65 and over and with certain medical conditions. The category she included covers people who live in institutional settings that increase their risk of exposure, such as prisons or homeless shelters, as well as healthcare workers, teachers and grocery store employees. 'As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact,' Walensky wrote in a statement. Biden also pledged to get his own shot as soon as possible. 'll be getting my booster shot,' he said, then made a joke about his own age. 'Hard to acknowledge I'm over 65. But I'll be getting my booster shot. It's a bear isn't it? I'll tell you. But all kidding aside from getting my booster shot. I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to do it. As soon as I can get it,' said Biden, 78. 'Like your first and second shot. The booster shot is free and easily accessible,' Biden said at the White House. Biden got his second Pfizer-BioNTech dose in January before taking office. Boosters will be available for people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease or of contracting COVID-19 through their work, and who were vaccinated six months ago with the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky reversed her own agency's advisory panel in a rare move late Thursday and added a recommendation for boosters for people at risk because of their jobs. Pictured: Walensky speaks during a Senate committee hearing, July 2021 Pfizer said data suggested efficacy of two doses declines from 96.2% to 83.7% after six months but that a third dose boosts antibody levels (above) WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS AND WHEN SHOULD THEY GET THEM? By Mary Kekatos, Acting U.S. Health Editor for DailyMail.com What are COVID-19 vaccine boosters? A booster shot is given at least six months after people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is meant to prolong immunity and give a 'boost' to the immune system to create higher levels of antibodies against the virus. Is vaccine protection waning? Not necessarily, although this topic is hotly debated. Some people have weakened immune systems, either due to medical conditions or to age, that have left them unable to mount a full immune response to the first doses. Some studies have found that vaccine protection does decrease after more than four months, which is common with several other immunizations. However, health officials insist that vaccines are still highly effective against the most severe outcomes from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Who is currently eligible? Last month, boosters were authorized for Americans with compromised immune systems. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded that authorization to specific at-risk groups. These include people aged 65 and older, long-term care facility residents and people aged 18 to 64 at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) advisory committee recommended that boosters not be for people at high risk due to their jobs or other factors, CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky overruled this decision and sided with the FDA. This means people who are at high-risk of severe illness due to their occupations - such as healthcare workers, teachers and grocery store employees - and those who live in institutional settings that increase their risk of exposure, such as prisons or homeless shelters, are also eligible. Which COVID-19 vaccine booster can I get? Right now, only recommended groups who received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and were given their final shot at least six months ago, can get booster shots. Pfizer's booster shot is exactly the same - both ingredients-wise and dosage (30 micrograms) - as the first two doses. What if I received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine? Moderna has submitted an application to the FDA asking that its booster shot be authorized while Johnson & Johnson is expected to do so soon. Because of this, recipients of either of these two vaccines are not eligible to receive boosters yet. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that scientists are still examining data for boosters shots from the two companies. 'Our doctors and scientists are working day and night to analyze the data from those two organizations on whether and when you need a booster shot, and we'll provide updates for you as the process moves ahead,' he said. Can I mix and match? Currently, federal health officials do not recommend getting a booster shot made by a different vaccine manufacturer than that of your initial doses. This means that Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients are not recommended to get a booster dose from Pfizer and vice-versa. Advertisement Biden said 60 million people were now eligible for the third shot, while also reiterating his appeal to the more than 70 million Americans who have not gotten a single shot. 'Listen to the voices of the unvaccinated Americans who are lying in hospital beds, taking their final breaths, saying... 'If only I got vaccinated,'' Biden said. 'People are dying and will die who don't have to die.' Biden had called for booster shots against the novel coronavirus to begin this week for all people once they were eight months out from vaccination, pending regulators' approval. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only this week cleared the way for a subset, though they did broaden the time frame for eligibility by two months. Aurthur Sudduth prepares to receive a COVID-19 booster shot from registered nurse Darlene Klacik at Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh's North Side on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Biden urged those over 65 and with certain conditions or occupations to get a booster shot Biden administration officials have said they would follow the science on additional vaccines and had set the week of Sept. 20 as a goal in order to prepare for more inoculations. Regulators' decision applies only to the Pfizer vaccine and those who received it at least six months earlier. The FDA has yet to weigh Moderna Inc's application for boosters and Johnson & Johnson Inc. has not yet filed an application. 'We're also looking to the time when we're going to be able to expand the booster shots, basically across the board,' Biden said. Health experts have cautioned people against mixing various brands of vaccine, citing the lack of data. Dr Rochelle Walensky's decision came after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said third doses should only be for Americans aged 65 and older and those with underlying conditions after six months. Walensky disagreed and put that recommendation back in, noting that such a move aligns with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) booster authorization decision earlier this week. The category she included covers people who live in institutional settings that increase their risk of exposure, such as prisons or homeless shelters, as well as healthcare workers, teachers and grocery store employees. 'As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact,' Walensky wrote in a statement. 'I believe we can best serve the nation's public health needs by providing booster doses for the elderly, those in long-term care facilities, people with underlying medical conditions, and for adults at high risk of disease from occupational and institutional exposures to COVID-19. On Thursday afternoon, ACIP voted unanimously to give the shot to people aged 65 and older and long-term care facility residents and 13-2 for Americans between ages 50 and 64 with underlying medical conditions. Boosters were also recommended for those aged 18 to 49 with pre-existing conditions, but the vote was much closer with the recommendation passing 9-6. However, the committee voted against recommended use for those are at risk due to an 'occupational or institutional settings,' claiming there wasn't enough data to make such a recommendation. Until the FDA announced its decision, ACIP was unable to recommend third doses, a necessary step before pharmacists or clinicians can immunize patients. And it marks the first time that the panel has voted against an FDA authorization regarding COVID-19-related issues. Although the CDC is not bound to follow the advisory group's recommendations, this also marks one of the rare instances Walensky has gone against the guidance of ACIP. The New York Times quietly removed wording that described the Democratic Party as controlled by 'influential lobbyists and Rabbis' due to its still largely supportive stance on Israel. The House approved sending Israel $1 billion for its Iron Dome defense system by an overwhelming 420 to 9 majority, after progressive 'Squad' members had originally stripped funding from the Pentagon budget bill. Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Minn., were among those who voted 'no' on Iron Dome funding, but in a dramatic moment, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at the last second wiped away tears as she changed her vote from 'no' to 'present.' A visibly distraught Ocasio-Cortez can be seen being comforted by Rep. Barbara Lee The New York Times initially described the exchange as such: 'Minutes before the vote closed, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez tearfully huddled with her allies before switching her vote to 'present.' The tableau underscored how wrenching the vote was for even outspoken progressives, who have been caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party, such as influential lobbyists and rabbis.' After the paragraph, part of a story by the Times' congressional reporter Cadie Edmondson, started to garner attention on social media, it was changed without an editor's note. 'The tableau underscored how wrenching the vote was for even outspoken progressives, who have been caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party,' the current draft of the story reads. There was another editor's note on the story, however, denoting the wrong vote count. 'An earlier version of this article misstated the final tally for the funding vote. It was 420 to 9, not 490 to 9,' it read. 'In case you still believe anti-Zionism is a different thing from anti-Semitism, @NYTimes makes the connection for you,' author Ashley Rindsberg wrote on Twitter. 'There are many Democrats who would consider themselves both principled progressives and pro-Israel,' 'Battle for the Soul' author and writer for The Atlantic Edward Isaac Dovere said. 'I do think most #Jews find it offensive - if not outright #antisemitic- to frame #rabbis as coercive conspiring emotional blackmailers into true belief - @AOC can make up her own mind - do better,' Sara Yael Hirschhorn, professor of Israeli studies at Northwestern University wrote on Twitter. '97% of the members of Congress supported a resolution to fund the #IronDome because it saves lives. But the @nytimes wants people to believe it was a tough call, between *principles* & *powerful lobbyists*,' Joel Petlin, contributor at Jewish newspaper The Forward, wrote on Twitter. 'Caught between their principles and, uh, powerful jews?' said Washington Examiner commentary writer Becket Adams. 'Caught between their principles and their...rabbis? Are the rabbis being mean to the Squad? Did AOC switch her vote because she was afraid she'd get in trouble and miss Shabbos Party? She was supposed to be the ima this week!' Seth Mandel, editor of the Washington Examiner Magazine wrote on Twitter. '@NYTimes frames the #IronDome vote as pitting "principles"----the honorable goal of Israeli civilians getting murdered by Hamas---and the raw naked power of the evil Jew Lobby. Including rabbis! It's that bad!,' wrote journalist Gary Weiss. Earlier this month the New York Times quietly deleted a now debunked claim that an October 2020 New York Post article critical of President and his son, Hunter, was 'unsubstantiated.' The Times had reported on a recent Federal Election Commission decision that said Twitter had not violated election law when they blocked the sharing of the Post's article about the laptop. The files on Hunter Biden's laptop indicated that Hunter had introduced his father Joe Biden to Ukrainian energy company executives while he was vice president. The Times article had initially described the revelations as an 'unsubstantiated New York Post article about Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s son Hunter Biden'. But the story was heavily edited later in the day without any acknowledgement. The updated article read: 'Twitter decided briefly last fall to block users from posting links to an article about Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s son Hunter.' The Post article in question concerned files discovered on a laptop hard drive that belonging to Hunter Biden, which was provided to the outlet by Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's personal lawyer at the time. It reported that emails on the computer pointed to an effort by Hunter to set up a meeting in 2015 between Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser at a Ukrainian energy firm, and his father, who was vice president at the time. Biden subsequently and successfully lobbied to have a Ukrainian prosecutor fired as he investigated the firm, Burisma, which Hunter held a position on its board from 2014 to 2019. The Biden campaign had dismissed the revelations as a smear and a Russian disinformation campaign during the 2020 presidential campaign. Advertisement Three more towns on the Spanish island of La Palma were evacuated today as a volcanic eruption that has already destroyed 400 buildings intensified. Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma ordered the evacuation of the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been evacuated due to a volcanic eruption. Emergency services had initially told residents to stay indoors to avoid the dense cloud of ash and lava fragments being carried through the air but moved to an evacuation due to the heightened risk from explosions. Firefighters were today forced to retreat as a new vent opened up in the flank of the volcano as airlines cancelled flights because of huge clouds of gas and ash. Since erupting on Sunday, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has spewed out thousands of tons of lava, destroyed hundreds of houses and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported but some 15 per cent of the island's economically crucial banana crop could be at risk, jeopardising thousands of jobs. The government of La Palma said officials had recorded 1,130 tremors in the area over the past week as the Cumbre Vieja (pictured, erupting at dawn today) volcanic ridge shook with blasts of molten lava The Cumbre Vieja volcano continued to produce explosions and spew out lava today, five days after initially erupting on the Spanish island of La Palma Authorities initially ordered residents of those towns to stay indoors but moved to an evacuation due to intensifying volcanic activity (pictured, Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt overnight) The fiery explosions can be seen lighting up the sky behind hundreds of buildings in Los Llanos de Aridane on the island early this morning Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma ordered the evacuation of the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been evacuated due to a volcanic eruption, emergency services said on Friday The erupting volcano on the La Palma island off the coast of west Africa seen from the International Space Station in this photo from European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet 'The volcano is in a newly explosive phase...Firefighters will not operate anymore today,' tweeted the Tenerife fire service, which has been deployed to help on La Palma Loud bangs unnerved local people and sent shockwaves echoing across the hillsides today as firefighters pulled out of clean-up work in the town of Todoque as a new vent opened up in the flank of the volcano and videos shared on social media showed a massive shockwave emanating out from the eruption site. 'The volcano is in a newly explosive phase...Firefighters will not operate anymore today,' tweeted the Tenerife fire service, which has been deployed to help on La Palma. Residents of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and parts of Tacande de Arriba were told to gather at the local football ground for evacuation. The explosions around the volcano's mouth hurled molten rock and ash over a wide expanse, and emergency services pulled back from the area. The lava has destroyed almost 400 buildings on La Palma, including many homes, on the western side of the island of 85,000 people, a European Union monitoring programme said. It said the lava stretches more than 440 acres and has blocked nine miles of roads. Local Canary Island carrier Binter said on Friday it had cancelled all flights to La Palma due to the volcano eruption, while Spanish airline Iberia cancelled its only flight scheduled for the day, and another local airline, Canaryfly, also suspended its operations. Binter said in a statement that it was forced to halt its operations to and from La Palma as the ash cloud produced by the volcano had worsened considerably in the last few hours. The local airline, which had initially only cancelled night flights, said it did not have a time frame to resume operations. Loud bangs unnerved local people and sent shockwaves echoing across the hillsides on Friday The explosions around the volcano's mouth hurled molten rock, ash and smoke over a wide expanse, and emergency services pulled back from the area The explosions around the volcano's mouth hurled molten rock and ash over a wide expanse, and emergency services pulled back from the area (pictured a large column of ash coming from the volcano at dawn today) Authorities initially ordered residents of those towns to stay indoors but moved to an evacuation due to intensifying volcanic activity, they said Lava flows from volcano Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island La Palma have covered houses and forced the evacuation of thousands of people The government of La Palma said officials had recorded 1,130 tremors in the area over the past week as the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge shook with blasts of molten lava. The blasts are sending ash almost 15,000ft into the air, the Guardia Civil police force said in a tweet. Local authorities advised people to protect themselves from the ash with face masks. Two rivers of lava continued to slide slowly down the hillside, but experts doubting whether they would cover the remaining mile to the sea. Both are at least 33ft high at their leading edge and are destroying houses, farmland and infrastructure in their path. Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months. Meanwhile a cloud of toxic gas and ash extends more than 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky, the Canaries volcanology institute said on Thursday. It has begun to drift northeast toward the Mediterranean and Spanish mainland, the AEMET national weather agency said. Airspace above the island remains open apart from two small areas near the eruption site. Pictured: A resident of Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma looks across to the volcano which continues to erupt and send a column of thick smoke into the sky Lava flows from volcano Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island La Palma have covered houses and forced the evacuation of thousands of people A passenger on a JetBlue flight from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico, was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly choked a flight attendant and tried to storm the plane's cockpit. According to an FBI affidavit, Khalil El Dahr attempted to force himself into the flight deck of JetBlue flight 261 on Wednesday evening, after a phone call he was attempting to make failed to go through due to lack of service on the airborne aircraft. El Dahr 'became angry about the call's unsuccess,' a flight attendant told the FBI of the incident. A four-page FBI affidavit detailed the assault, in which Khalil El Dahr attempted to force himself into the cockpit of JetBlue flight 261, choking and kicking crew members El Dahr then began to cause a scene, and a flight attendant was able to 'corral' the unruly passenger, back into his seat - until the plane's pilot decided to open the cockpit door to address the commotion. El Dahr then proceeded to kick and choke members of the flight crew, attempting to get to the pilot's quarters. 'El Dahr observed the door open and then grabbed the Jet Blue FA by their collar and tie with one hand while using his other hand to grab the overhead compartment to gain leverage to kick.' The incident took place on a JetBlue flight from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday During the ensuing struggle, El Dahr began shouting in Spanish and Arabic, daring sky marshals to shoot him while the staffers scrambled to detain the rampaging rider. 'While he was yelling,' the affidavit stated, 'he was still holding the JetBlue flight attendant by their tie.' 'This resulted in the tie tightening and ultimately prevented the JetBlue flight attendant from breathing.' Eventually six or seven crew members were able to subdue the man, restraining him with flex cuffs. However, a raging El Dahr was able to snap the first pair of cuffs, causing the crew to resort to using multiple seat-belt extenders to form a makeshift straitjacket, while using another pair of cuffs and a flight attendant's neck tie to tie him to a seat. Just over an hour later, the plane managed to land safely in San Juan - where El Dahr was swiftly taken into custody. He now faces felony charges of interfering with a flight crew. Claims the murder of Sabina Nessa has been ignored by the British media because she is a 'woman of colour' can today be exposed as baseless by research showing the tragedy has been widely covered from the moment police named her. Tower Hamlets Councillor Rabina Khan made the smear on the Today programme this morning, saying that Twitter users had been complaining about the lack of 'attention' the case had allegedly received compared to the murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, who is white. Presenter Nick Robinson pointed out that the story has dominated the front pages, appearing on page one of a raft of newspapers including the Daily Mail, Mirror, Telegraph, Express and Guardian. A vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, and in solidarity against violence against women, at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south London People line up to place candles during a vigil for murdered 28-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke in south-east London Searches of newspaper and online archives also refute the allegation the story has been ignored. Sabina, a 28-year-old teacher, was named and pictured by police as the victim of the savage attack in a Twitter post at 5.30pm on Monday. The Evening Standard named and pictured Sabina at 6.30pm, followed by an article published on MailOnline by Daily Mail Crime Correspondent at 10pm, according to a newspaper archive service. The next day the Mirror did the same at 8.07am, followed by the Guardian at 9.34am and the Independent around three hours later. Not all titles have teams updating websites at night. By the end of Tuesday, every major national newspaper had covered the story. MailOnline has followed every development in the tragic case, and it has featured as the top story of the website every day since Tuesday. After Ms Khan mentioned the murder of Sarah Everard as an example of a story that had been widely covered, Mr Robinson pointed out the contrasts between both tragedies that would have influenced the level of coverage. 'Unlike the case of Sarah Everard who was missing for many days, meaning there was a focus on the hunt for her as well as the hunt for the killer, very tragically Sabinas body was found in the park and therefore there was not that sense of drama around the hunt.' Ms Khan went on to quote a study about the 'disproportionate' coverage given to white victims of crime compared to people from ethnic minorities. However, the figures that she quoted appeared to be from the US, not the UK. Sabina's horrific killing has sparked fresh fury from politicians, campaigners and members of the public that women are unable to walk the streets of Britain without fearing being attacked. MailOnline has widely covered this aspect of the case, with two articles specifically on the issue and numerous stories including comments from women's campaigners. Sabina was taking a five-minute walk to meet a friend at The Depot bar in Pegler Square near her home in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on September 17 at around 8.30pm when she was attacked. A member of the public found her body close to the OneSpace community centre in Cator Park on Saturday at around 5.30pm. Police today released new CCTV footage of the second man they are hunting over her murder - after arresting a 38-year-old over the horrific attack on the primary school teacher just yards from her front door. Anyone with information is asked to call the Met Police control room on 0208 721 4266. China's central bank has said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, sounding the death knell for the digital trade in China after a crackdown on the volatile currencies. The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated over the past year partly due to Chinese regulations, which have sought to prevent speculation and money laundering. 'Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities,' the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in an online statement Friday, adding that offenders would be 'investigated for criminal liability in accordance with the law.' China's central bank has said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal. Pictured: A worker adjusts crypto mining rigs in Sichuan province The notice bans all related financial activities involving cryptocurrencies, such as trading crypto, selling tokens, transactions involving virtual currency derivatives and 'illegal fundraising'. Bitcoin, which had already been falling before the announcement, sank by as much as 8.9 percent to $41,019 in European afternoon trading before recovering slightly later in the day. The central bank said that in recent years trading of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies had become 'widespread, disrupting economic and financial order, giving rise to money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities.' This was 'seriously endangering the safety of people's assets,' the PBOC said. While crypto creation and trading have been illegal in China since 2019, further crackdowns this year by Beijing warned banks to halt related transactions and closed much of the country's vast network of bitcoin miners. Friday's statement by the central bank sent the strongest yet signal that China is closed to crypto. Bitcoin, the world's largest digital currency, and other cryptos cannot be traced by a country's central bank, making them difficult to regulate. The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated over the past year partly due to Chinese regulations Analysts say China fears the proliferation of illicit investments and fundraising from cryptocurrency in the world's second-biggest economy, which also has strict rules around the outflow of capital. The crypto crackdown also opens the gates for China to introduce its own digital currency, already in the pipeline, allowing the central government to monitor transactions. In June, Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people had been arrested for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies. Several key Chinese provinces have banned the operation of cryptocurrency mines since the start of this year, with one region accounting for eight percent of the computing power needed to run the global blockchain - a set of online ledgers to record bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin values tumbled in May on the back of a warning by Beijing to investors against speculative trading in cryptocurrencies. 'China's ban on all cryptocurrency trading activity will have some short-term impact on currency valuation, but long-term implications are likely to be muted,' said Ganesh Viswanath Natraj, Assistant Professor of Finance at Warwick Business School. 'This ban will result in the migration of crypto investment opportunities to other hubs in Asia, such as Singapore's launch of the DBS digital currency exchange earlier this month,' he added. Advertisement Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed on Friday that nearly 30,000 Haitian migrants have been encountered on the US-Mexico border as they try to enter the country. Additionally he noted that the camp under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, which serves the length of the border, has been emptied. 'Nearly 30,000 migrants have been encountered at Del Rio since September 9 with the highest number one time reaching approximately 15,000,' he said at the daily White House press briefing. Meanwhile the BBC reported nearly 19,000 mostly Haitian migrants are heading towards the US. They are in Colombia waiting to cross the border to Panama, Colombian officials say. But, Mayorkas noted, 'today, we have no migrants remaining in the camp.' He revealed that 2,000 have been expelled on 17 flights, 8,000 have returned to Haiti voluntarily, 12,4000 are having their cases heard and 5,000 being processed That leaves 2,600 missing. Officials have said some have returned to Mexico. It comes after President Joe Biden on Friday vowed the border agents on horseback who tried to stop migrants crossing the into the US will 'pay' and face the consequences of their actions. The president called the photos of agents on horseback intercepting migrants 'horrible to see'. However the photographer who took the controversial images said the border agents did not whip the Haitian migrants after it was wrongly and widely reported that they did. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed on Friday that nearly 30,000 Haitian migrants have been encountered on the US-Mexico border Biden, who failed to address how to solve the border crisis in his remarks, said: It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. 'But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are. He was slammed by Meghan McCain in her DailyMail.com column who blamed him for encouraging the 15,000 Haitian migrants to come to the US. But if Biden started actively sending migrants home, he would offend The Squad and their progressive constituencies whose wrath seems to terrify him, she said. Photographer Paul Ratje, who took the images, said he didn't see anyone being whipped. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. It came as Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared the images to the brutality of slavery. Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's 'The View'. 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. Slide me The photo on the left shows the makeshift migrant camp under the Del Rio bridge in Texas teeming with people on Tuesday. On the right, workers clear debris from the site on Friday A Texas judge who has been keeping tabs on the number of migrants in the camp said only 'stragglers' remained of up to 15,000 people who camped on the banks of the Rio Grande Workers remove barricades from the Port of Entry after the migrant camp was cleared along International Bridge in Del Rio. Picture taken with a drone Heavy machinery was brought in on Friday to level the site of the camp and remove piles of debris after the removal of the migrants Migrants walk through a makeshift border camp along the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens, who has been keeping tabs on the number of people in the encampment, said only 'stragglers' remained of up to 15,000 people who camped on the banks of the Rio Grande bordering Mexico a week ago. The last body was removed from the camp at 11:41 am, Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez told DailyMail.com. Throughout the morning the last of those who had taken up residence in the squalid camp by the Del Rio International Bridge were bused to the offices of the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio. There they were processed before being placed on charter buses bound for Houston or San Antonio. They have ten days to report to authorities in those cities and given a court date. Some sat outside the Coalitions single story building for hours, others were placed on a bus within minutes of arriving. One couple the one dreadlocked woman clearly in some distress got a seat almost immediately. A Reuters witness said the shanty town-like jumble of makeshift shelters and tents had all but disappeared by Friday afternoon, with workers clearing the last debris, as seen in newly released photos from the scene. It's a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administration's policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it 'phenomenal news.' Many of the migrants face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the US, citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. A man carries a child as he waits in line with other migrants seeking asylum in the US to board a bus to Houston from Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition after being released from US Customs and Border Protection on Friday Several hundred Haitian have been released from detention in Texas on Friday Images of a US border guard on horseback unfurling a whip-like cord against Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande sparked widespread outrage As well as the Biden administration's contentious use of expulsion flights that have carried at least 1,400 back to instability in Haiti, Mexico has also sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states, far from the US border. Thousands more are in US detention centers and several hundred have been released in Texas. On Friday, Reuters reported that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had formally asked Brazil to receive some of the Haitians from the camp, according to two sources with knowledge of the request. Many of the Haitians arriving at the US border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries. President Joe Biden has faced widespread criticism in recent days over the expulsions to Haiti, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the US Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who said the Caribbean nation was a collapsed state. The US government in May extended temporary protection from deportation to Haitians in the United States, citing a political crisis, rights abuses, crime, and lack of access to food, water, and healthcare in the Western hemisphere's poorest country. Since then, Haiti's president has been assassinated and it suffered a destructive earthquake. Foote's resignation followed widespread outrage stirred up by images of a US border guard on horseback unfurling a whip-like cord against Haitian migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was 'horrible' and that 'people will pay' as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. 'There will be consequences,' Biden told reporters. 'It's an embarrassment, but it's beyond an embarrassment - it's dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are.' At least five more flights taking Haitians from the border camp were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website Flightaware showed. 'Those people will pay': Biden warns Border Protection agents will face 'consequences' for debunked claim they 'strapped' migrants, despite photographer saying he saw no such thing - as Kamala compares it to SLAVERY President Joe Biden on Friday vowed the border agents on horseback who tried to stop migrants crossing the into the US will 'pay' and face the consequences of their actions. The president called the photos of agents on horseback intercepting migrants 'horrible to see'. However the photographer who took the controversial images said the border agents did not whip the Haitian migrants after it was wrongly and widely reported that they did. Biden, who failed to address how to solve the border crisis in his remarks, said: It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. 'But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are. He was slammed by Meghan McCain in her DailyMail.com column who blamed him for encouraging the 15,000 Haitian migrants to come to the US. But if Biden started actively sending migrants home, he would offend The Squad and their progressive constituencies whose wrath seems to terrify him, she said. Photographer Paul Ratje, who took the images, said he didn't see anyone being whipped. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. It came as Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared the images to the brutality of slavery. Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's 'The View,' after the agents who were photographed seeking to corral Haitian immigrants were pulled back to the office amid an investigation. 'Well, first of all, I've been very clear about the images that you and I both saw of those law enforcement officials on horses I was outraged by it. It was horrible and and deeply troubling. There's been now an investigation that has been conducted, which I fully support and there needs to be consequences and accountability.' 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. Progressive Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were particularly outraged by the images, also comparing them to slavery. White House officials have publicly condemned the photos and officials met with black lawmakers to reassure them they were taking the matter seriously. But Friday marked Biden's first public comments on the situation. Images emerged earlier this week of U.S. Custom and Border patrol agents on horseback using their reins to chase after migrants, the majority of who were Haitians. Critics compared the photos - there was no video footage - to images of slavery, accusing agents of whipping people. Agents insist they were not using whips against the migrants, 15,000 of whom set up a makeshift camp underneath and around the Del Rio International Bridge over the last few weeks. They argued they were only using the reins to ward off immigrants. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the agents will not use horses at the border while the incident is investigated. And he revealed on Friday that there were no longer any migrants in the camp underneath the Del Rio International Bridge. 'Nearly 30,000 Migrants have been encountered at Del Rio, since September 9 with the highest number one time reaching approximately 15,000. Today, we have no migrants remaining in the camp,' he said during an appearance in the White House daily press briefing. He comment came amid confusion about where the Haitians are going. Some have been puts on flights back to their country. Others have been released in the United States while their asylum cases are reviewed. But it remains unanswered about where a few thousand of them are located. DHS said on Thursday that of the 15,000 under the bridge: 1,401 were sent back to Haiti on 12 flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are camped out beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. This left 5,000 unaccounted for. Mayorkas has now indicated that 2,000 have been released, but mystery still surrounds the whereabouts of the further 3,000. Mayorkas was asked repeatedly about how many Haitians have been released into the US pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings and repeatedly declined to provide a specific numerical figure. 'We believe it is a very small percentage of the total that assembled in Del Rio Texas, and that will be removed,' Mayorkas responded, on a day when the US special envoy for Haiti resigned in protest of US policy on deportations. The squalid border camp which held up to 15,000 at one point last weekend has now shrunk to under 3,000, as immigration officials rushed to release thousands of migrants into the US, but another camp is growing across the Rio Grande in Mexico. The camp had swelled to some 15,000 migrants at one point, with thousands seen wading across the Rio Grande River daily. Many are Haitians who were previously granted asylum in Chile, with some Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present. Mexican forces have surrounded a second camp that is growing on the Mexican side of the border, where some migrants are gathering to assess their chances of successfully entering the US illegally. Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) is starting to return migrants to the southern Mexican city of Tapachula so they can file asylum applications there. 'We're not taking them out of the country,' INM chief Francisco Garduno told Reuters. 'We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems.' Telling migrants eyeing the U.S. side of the border that it would be better to process claims before the media disappeared from Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, INM agents swept through the camp on Thursday beseeching them to go back to Tapachula. 'We're giving you this option,' INM official Montserrat Saldana told a cluster of migrants circled around her. 'All of you who cross the river are going straight to Haiti.' Meanwhile, US special envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned on Wednesday because he didn't want to be involved with the 'inhumane' deportation of Haitian migrants. 'I will not be associated with the United States [sic] inhumane, counterproductive, decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life,' Ambassador Foote wrote in his resignation letter. In the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foote said another reason for his resignation is that his recommendations to help Haiti have been 'ignored and dismissed'. 'Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed,' Foote continued, 'and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.' A State Department spokesperson accused Foote of 'mischaracterizing the circumstances of his resignation' and said some of his ideas were deemed 'harmful.' '[A]ll proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process,' a statement from the spokesperson reads. 'Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process.' 'For him to to say that his proposals were ignored is simply false,' the person added. The statement claims: 'It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.' Psaki reiterated the sentiments from the statement during her Thursday briefing, saying: 'I'm not going to detail that further.' Foote blamed Biden for making things worse in Haiti by backing the 'unelected' leader after the coup, claiming that 'picking the winner' will produce 'catastrophic results'. 'Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his 'political agreement' over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society,' he wrote. Foote added: 'The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive.' 'This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results,' he said. 'The negative impact to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere.' This year alone, around 1.3 million migrants were apprehended by Customs and Border Protection. Kamala compares the border crisis to SLAVERY: VP says images of Border Protection agents trying to push back Haitian immigrants evoked images of the worst moments of our history Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared images of US Border Patrol Agents seeking to push back Haitian immigrants gathered in Del Rio Texas to the brutality of slavery. Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's 'The View,' after agents photographed seeking to corral Haitian immigrants pulled back to the office amid an investigation. 'Well, first of all, I've been very clear about the images that you and I both saw of those law enforcement officials on horses I was outraged by it. It was horrible and and deeply troubling. There's been now an investigation that has been conducted, which I fully support and there needs to be consequences and accountability.' Harris, the nation's first black vice president, continued: 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. But the photographer who took the controversial pictures at the Texas border says that the images have been dramatically misinterpreted. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Paul Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. Meanwhile, President Biden promised on Friday the border agents in question would 'pay.' 'It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,' he said. 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history,' VP Kamala Harris said on ABC's 'The View' when asked about border agents using horses to push back Haitian immigrants Harris appeared to be picking up a line of argument from senior Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who made the same analogy earlier this week. She met with CBC members this week amid outrage from lawmakers about US policies sending Haitians back to their country following storms, an earthquake, and political turmoil. Waters called the actions by border agents 'worse than slavery days' while Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) called it 'white supremacist behavior.' 'We're saying to the president and everybody else: You've got to stop this madness,' Waters said during a press conference. 'And I want to know, in the first place, who's paying these cowboys to do this work?' she continued. 'They've got to be gotten rid of. They've gotten to be stopped. It cannot go on.' Harris compared the conduct of border agents to that 'used against African Americans during times of slavery' She called images of what she saw 'horrible.' A border agents' union said the riders were using split reins, rather than whips By Thursday, the White House announced that agents would no longer use horses at Del Rio. A border agent union said the agents were using split reins, not whips, as a method of controlling their horses. Harris kept her comments to the images, and avoided precise words about the conduct being probed. Still photographic images of the events show agents chasing down Haitian migrants, with reins in motion. Videos also show agents using horses to chase down migrants. Harris, who spoke remotely from New York after two cohosts on 'The View' tested positive for the coronavirus, also blasted the conduct she saw in comments earlier this week. 'What I saw depicted, those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were was horrible,' she said. On Friday, President Joe Biden made his own first comments on the matter saying people were being 'strapped.' President Joe Biden called the images of agents pushing back Haitians 'horrible to see' Slave Cabin, Barbour County near Eufaula, Alabama, USA, from Federal Writer's Project, 'Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives', United States Work Projects Administration, 1936 He called the images 'horrible to see' but didn't address the greater situation at the border, where thousands of migrants are camped out under a bridge as they wait to see if they can get into the United States. 'It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,' he said. Asked about providing greater opportunities for Haitians to get asylum, Harris was noncommittal. 'I feel very strongly, the president feels very strongly, we've got to do more,' she said. 'We have to do more in terms of supporting the Haitians who are returning to the island and returning to Haiti,' as well as doing more 'to support Haiti.' Two white students at Arizona State University were forced out of a 'multicultural learning space' after two female BLM activists took issue with the Police Lives Matter stickers on their laptops. The incident, which took place at the college's Phoenix campus on Thursday, was recorded by one of the woke activists before it was shared to their Instagram page. The footage begins with the white students sitting at a table studying before they are approached by two activists who state: 'You're offensive. Police Lives Matter? This is our space. You're making this space uncomfortable.' The two black activists, tell the white students they must leave, saying: 'You're white. Do you understand what a multicultural space means? It means you're not being centered.' 'White's not a culture?' one of the white students subsequently asks. Two white students at Arizona State University have been forced out of a 'multicultural learning space' after activists took issue with Police Lives Matter stickers emblazoned on their laptops Two activists (pictured) were seen yelling at the white students in the 'multicultural learning space' 'White is NOT a culture! You think whiteness is a culture? This is the violence that ASU [Arizona State University] does and this is the type of people that they protect!' one of the activists responds. She continues yelling: 'This white man thinks he can take up our space ... they think they can get away with this s**t!' she continues yelling. 'This is the only place on campus that does not center you, and you are still trying to center yourself which is peak white cis male bulls**t.' 'I'm not racist, I'm just studying,' one of the students replies. 'I pay the same f**king tuition as you. I'm working 60 hours a week while going to school because my parents don't just give me money!' The white students are then defended by an Asian peer (pictured) The activists continue to protest the Police Lives Matter sticker, saying it is 'affiliated with white nationalists'. 'These people kill people like me and like us, so you're promoting our murderers,' the other activists chimes in. The white students are then defended by an Asian peer, but the clash continues. The white pair eventually exit the 'multicultural learning space' saying that they are going to complain to the dean. ASU has not publicly responded to the video. The white pair eventually exit the 'multicultural learning space' saying that they are going to complain to the dean The activist was trolled on her Instagram account after sharing the footage. 'Really out there changing hearts and minds by going full Karen freak out on a f**king sticker lmao,' one wrote in the comments section. 'The people recording are racist themselves by discriminating someone for the color of their skin. Imagine wanting to fight racism by yelling and harassing people until they leave,' another chimed in. Advertisement Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared images of US Border Patrol Agents seeking to push back Haitian immigrants gathered in Del Rio Texas to the brutality of slavery. Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's 'The View,' after agents photographed seeking to corral Haitian immigrants pulled back to the office amid an investigation. 'Well, first of all, I've been very clear about the images that you and I both saw of those law enforcement officials on horses I was outraged by it. It was horrible and and deeply troubling. There's been now an investigation that has been conducted, which I fully support and there needs to be consequences and accountability.' Harris, the nation's first black vice president, continued: 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. But the photographer who took the controversial pictures at the Texas border says that the images have been dramatically misinterpreted. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Paul Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. Meanwhile, President Biden promised on Friday the border agents in question would 'pay.' 'It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,' he said. 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history,' VP Kamala Harris said on ABC's 'The View' when asked about border agents using horses to push back Haitian immigrants Harris appeared to be picking up a line of argument from senior Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who made the same analogy earlier this week. She met with CBC members this week amid outrage from lawmakers about US policies sending Haitians back to their country following storms, an earthquake, and political turmoil. Waters called the actions by border agents 'worse than slavery days' while Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) called it 'white supremacist behavior.' 'We're saying to the president and everybody else: You've got to stop this madness,' Waters said during a press conference. 'And I want to know, in the first place, who's paying these cowboys to do this work?' she continued. 'They've got to be gotten rid of. They've gotten to be stopped. It cannot go on.' Harris compared the conduct of border agents to that 'used against African Americans during times of slavery' She called images of what she saw 'horrible.' A border agents' union said the riders were using split reins, rather than whips By Thursday, the White House announced that agents would no longer use horses at Del Rio. A border agent union said the agents were using split reins, not whips, as a method of controlling their horses. Harris kept her comments to the images, and avoided precise words about the conduct being probed. Still photographic images of the events show agents chasing down Haitian migrants, with reins in motion. Videos also show agents using horses to chase down migrants. Harris, who spoke remotely from New York after two cohosts on 'The View' tested positive for the coronavirus, also blasted the conduct she saw in comments earlier this week. 'What I saw depicted, those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were was horrible,' she said. On Friday, President Joe Biden made his own first comments on the matter saying people were being 'strapped.' President Joe Biden called the images of agents pushing back Haitians 'horrible to see' Slave Cabin, Barbour County near Eufaula, Alabama, USA, from Federal Writer's Project, 'Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives', United States Work Projects Administration, 1936 He called the images 'horrible to see' but didn't address the greater situation at the border, where thousands of migrants are camped out under a bridge as they wait to see if they can get into the United States. 'It was horrible what to see, as you saw, to see people treat like they did - horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment is dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world, and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,' he said. Asked about providing greater opportunities for Haitians to get asylum, Harris was noncommittal. 'I feel very strongly, the president feels very strongly, we've got to do more,' she said. 'We have to do more in terms of supporting the Haitians who are returning to the island and returning to Haiti,' as well as doing more 'to support Haiti.' 'I never saw them whipping anyone!' Photographer who took pictures of mounted border agents confronting illegal migrants says his pictures have been misconstrued Paul Ratje said that photos he took at the border have been 'misconstrued' Photographer says that Border Patrol agents never actually whipped migrants Instead they were holding the long ends of their reins swinging in the air The images drew international uproar and hysterical reactions around the world Biden accused Border Patrol of 'strapping' and trampling migrants Advertisement By Keith Griffith for DailyMail.com The photographer who took controversial photos at the Texas border says that the images have been dramatically misinterpreted. Despite hysterical accusations that mounted Border Patrol agents chased migrants with whips, photographer Paul Ratje says that he saw nothing of the sort at the border in Del Rio on Sunday. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Ratje told KTSM-TV. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses, not holding whips. 'He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture,' said Ratje, who shot the photos from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river. The photographer who took controversial photos at the Texas border says that the images have been dramatically misinterpreted Photographer Paul Ratje (above) says that he did not witness whipping at the border The photos were taken as thousands of Haitian migrants poured across the border illegally at Del Rio, with up to 15,000 crammed into a squalid camp there at the peak of the crisis. 'Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses,' Ratje explained of his photos. Ratje is a photographer based in Las Cruces and has been in Del Rio since Friday. His photos drew international criticism for the Border Patrol after they were distributed worldwide by AFP. Critics said the images from were reminiscent of both cowboys attempting to herd livestock and times in history when horse-mounted police, prison guards or slave owners used whips against black people. The incident prompted widespread outrage and is under investigation. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties and the Department of Homeland Security said it has suspended the use of horses in Del Rio. President Joe Biden on Friday reacted to the photos, saying it was 'horrible' to see the way agents used horses block people from crossing the Rio Grande and he promised that 'people will pay' as a result. He claimed the photos showed migrants being 'strapped', an antiquated term that refers to beating someone with a leather razor strop. 'I've never seen them whip anyone,' Ratje said. The still images actually depict the mounted agents swinging the long reins of their horses 'Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses,' Ratje explained The photos drew international criticism for the Border Patrol after they were distributed worldwide by AFP 'It was horrible, what you saw to see them treat people like they did- horses running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous,' Biden told reporters. 'Those people will pay, theres an investigation underway now and there will be consequences,' he said. 'It's an embarrassment, but it's beyond an embarrassment - it's dangerous, it's wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,' Biden added. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended his department after the images went viral. The images 'do not reflect who we are as a country, nor do they reflect who the United States Customs and Border Protection is,' Mayorkas told the House Homeland Security Committee. 'I have ordered an investigation to be conducted of the events that are captured in those images,' he said. 'The facts will drive the actions that we take, we ourselves will pull no punches,' he said, promising a result 'In days and not weeks.' Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared images to the brutality of slavery. 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history,' VP Kamala Harris said on ABC's 'The View' when asked about border agents using horses to push back Haitian immigrants Harris went beyond earlier comments labeling the treatment 'horrible,' during an appearance on ABC's ' The View ,' after agents photographed seeking to corral Haitian immigrants pulled back to the office amid an investigation. 'Well, first of all, I've been very clear about the images that you and I both saw of those law enforcement officials on horses I was outraged by it. It was horrible and and deeply troubling. There's been now an investigation that has been conducted, which I fully support and there needs to be consequences and accountability.' Harris, the nation's first black vice president, continued: 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country.' 'Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad to know that that [Alejandro] Mayorkas the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,' she said. Michael Coghill, 33, was left with a fractured skull and a black eye after he was beat by the father of a 9-year-old who claimed was touched inappropriately by Coghill An Oklahoma father beat a pastor after he caught him inappropriately touching his nine-year-old son while the dad staked out school bus stop and recorded the incident, police say. By the time Oklahoma City Police arrived to the scene, Michael Coghill, 33, had been left with a fractured skull and a black eye. Coghill has been charged with indecent act to a child and is detained at Oklahoma City Detention Center after the father showed the recording to police. Oklahoma City Police did not respond to whether the child's father was charged in the attack when contacted by DailyMail.com. It was not the first time Coghill followed and interacted with the child at the bus stop, News9 reported. The boy told his parents that he had seen Coghill jogging in the area several times before and that on Monday he had touched him in a way that made the minor feel uncomfortable. Coghill, a pastor at Lakehoma Church of Christ, did not live in the neighborhood near Southwest 36th Street and County Line Road, where the school bus stop is located. Coghill did not live in the neighborhood near Southwest 36th Street and County Line Road Coghill (left) was a pastor at Lakehoma Church of Christ. The church revealed that they had ran a background check on Coghill and he had not previous assaults On Wednesday, the boy's father decided to take matters into his own hands and headed to the bus stop with his son. He parked the car where the child was visible, waited for Coghill to show up and recorded the alleged incident. 'While he was watching the school bus stop, our suspect ran by him, ran past the bus stop where the children were waiting. Turned around, came back and stopped where he touched the child,' Sgt. Dillon Quirk said. After recording the incident, the enraged dad confronted Coghill before pummeling him and leaving the cleric with a fracturing skull and cracked left orbital socket, cops said. Coghill's alleged behavior left neighbors in shock. 'There's hardly any words that are camera appropriate,' Lisa Ward, who witnessed the incident, told News9. 'It's just sickening. He knew the time he would be there every day, that was the hardest part, the most disgusting part,' Ward added. Lakehoma Church of Christ released a statement condemning Coghill's actions and saying he has been 'relieved from his duties.' Coghill's profile has since been removed from the church's website. Coghill has been charged with indecent act to a child and is detained at Oklahoma City Detention Center after the father showed the recording to police 'There's hardly any words that are camera appropriate,' Lisa Ward, who witnessed the incident said 'We were heartbroken to learn of the incident involving one of our adult ministers, and our hearts go out to the child and family involved. We were shocked at this news as he had a clean background check, and we have received no reports or claims against him during his tenure. Church leadership has no tolerance for any type of abuse and is meeting tonight to discuss next steps. We will cooperate with authorities as needed,' the statement said. 'Our church leadership has no tolerance for any type of abuse. Safety is our highest priority for our community, congregation and especially our children. These past years we have made significant efforts to secure our children's area providing the highest safety standards possible,' it added. Parents commended the boy's father on the Facebook post announcing Coghill's capture by police. 'That's how it should always be look out for everybody's children. Thank you for some real justice,' said Paula Howe. Cassi G Cage added: 'Street Justice and in the case of a perv bothering children .... Id say this beating was justified!!!!!' Lakehoma Church of Christ released a statement condemning Coghill's actions and saying he has been 'relieved from his duties' The Joe Biden I see today is not a man I any longer recognize. Nor does he represent the campaign so many Americans bought into as a clear alternative to Donald Trump's administration. As a candidate, Biden campaigned as a 'return to normalcy' and emphasized his decades of political experience to send a message that he would be a steady hand. He beat out more than twenty-five other candidates - including some of the most progressive, radical and proudly socialist candidates in the Democratic Party UNDER PRESSURE: If Biden started actively sending migrants home, he would offend The Squad and their progressive constituencies whose wrath seems to terrify him. HEAVILY CRITICIZED: Biden has threatened US Border Patrol Agents just for doing their jobs - despite it NOT being clear is they were even using their whips against the migrants Today Biden gives all the signs of having totally forgotten who and what got him to the White House. His policies and his messages are not signs of unity and moderation but of stubborn progressivism. His poll numbers are dropping significantly, and if he isn't careful he will lose the moderates, independents, and Trump-wary Republicans who elected him by placating eight extremely powerful members of the squad. The Squad is not what got Joe Biden to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and they represent a radical, loud but extremely small minority of the voting public. So why is he placating them? The focus of Washington this week was on attempt to deny promised Iron Dome funding for Israel. In the event it was a rare and crushing defeat for the Squad which led to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly weeping on the floor of the House. But nowhere do we see Biden's deferral to the Squad more clearly than on border policy. So far this administration's reaction to soaring numbers of desperate migrants pitching up on the southern border since they got into office has been appointing Vice President Kamala Harris immigration 'Tsar' and sending her and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas out to tell immigrants 'Do Not Come'. Tail wagging the dog: AOC and her Squad allies are feared by Biden and are pushing his border policy debacle Sadly it turns out telling migrants not to come when you don't actually mean it doesn't seem to work. Which is why they keep coming. The message migrants hear is the one President Biden and Vice President Harris sent when they raised their hands on the campaign debate stage agreeing that all undocumented immigrants should receive healthcare in this country. For many around the world, it is worth the gamble on the Biden administration to attempt to come into the country. Haiti is the current heart-rending example where thousands of arrivals have turned a corner of Texas into a hell every bit as squalid as the benighted country they are trying to escape. It's especially tragic for the Haitians who had already escaped their crime-ridden island for the relative safety of South and Central America and were tempted by Biden to trade-up for a new home in the United States. Because suspending repatriation flights for Hatians is effectively an open invite. What did they expect would happen? The simplest answer is almost always the correct one. And one can only assume it's because the White House does not actually want to do anything to stem mass illegal migration. Beyond building ever-more elaborate border defenses that will never really work, the only effective deterrent to migrants is the knowledge that even if they do set foot on US soil they will be deported. But if Biden started actively sending migrants home, he would offend The Squad and their progressive constituencies whose wrath seems to terrify him. And it seems that ultimately has shown to be more important to Biden than the independents and moderates in places like South Carolina and Arizona who got him where he is. Last I checked we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, and these migrants are not being tested for Covid, let alone vaccinated. Their impact on communities thousands of miles beyond the border is disruptive to jobs, housing, and welfare policies, and these surges send a message of lawlessness and lack of control and security on our border in a dangerous time. No wonder people believe the worst. One of my most vivid memories growing up around politics was attending a town hall in Iowa where a furious man asked about a so called 'universal highway', an internet rumor about a fantasy highway coming from Mexico, up through the United States and through Canada. Left to rot: Nearly 15,000 Haitians have spent the past two weeks living in disgusting and disease-ridden conditions under the Del Rio bridge The implication being that there would be a highway in which migrants could jump on and get off at any point in the United States. I have never forgotten the fear and anger in his voice. The universal highway is a bizarre urban legend spread on the internet to vulnerable voters. What isn't a fantasy is how deeply and intensely many voters fear and are against any idea of amnesty and open borders. President Trump ran on building the wall and although that is in many places a pipe dream, the message that he was committed to immigration policies that would at long last secure our southern border was not - and it is arguably one of the biggest messages that got him into the White House. Now he has gone and it is Joe Biden's turn. 'You campaign in poetry, you govern in prose' is an old political adage. President Biden certainly campaigned in poetry when it came to immigration reform and his overall approach to what every rational thinking person can agree is a difficult and heart wrench situation no matter what side of the immigration issue you fall on. But, translated into prose, his rhetorical poetry has become an open borders policy. The result are the scenes of misery under the Del Rio International Bridge that shame America. But what shames the White House? Not the fact that the Biden administration precipitated this crisis. No, for the past several days the entire focus of the White House and its cheerleaders in the liberal media has to been to demonize the Border Patrol attempting to bring order the chaos they have created. Yes, the pictures of agents on horseback forcing back migrants are upsetting. Although the Border Patrol and many experienced horse-people say the idea that they were whipping them with their reins counts as what normally comes out of the rear of their animals. Not that Biden cares less. This week Jen Psaki said Border Patrol won't be able to use horses any more. That's the definition of unserious and irresponsible. No horses? Great solution, Jen. And this morning the President gravely promised 'consequences' for the 'rough treatment'. But none for policy failures that put the Border Patrol and 15,000 migrants in each other's paths Biden's failure: Biden's rhetorical poetry has become an open borders policy. The result are the scenes of misery under the Del Rio International Bridge that shame America. What does HE have to say to the people who have risked their lives and the lives of their families seeking asylum in the United States because they took him at his campaign words? What about the policies and signals that inspired them to come here? It's not fair to the migrants to say 'don't come' when you don't really mean it. To encourage them to undertake these dangerous journeys put their lives and the lives of their families in imminent danger and beholden to the cartels. To endure terrible conditions, risk their lives and then send some home but not others, seemingly at random based on color-codes wristbands. Like the Afghanistan fiasco, this is a lose, lose, lose situation for President Biden. A new Pew Research survey says there has been a 13 percentage point decline in the share of Democrats and Democrat- leaning independents who approve of Biden's performance. His overall approval has sunk to 44 percent. As in so many areas, what matters to this White House is not enforcing policy but signaling the right virtues to the Squad and their media allies. What they don't care about are the migrants, the men and women we ask to police a now-chaotic and inconsistent immigration policy or the millions of American citizens from all communities who will have to live with the consequences. The disgraced head of Scotland Yards shambolic VIP sex abuse inquiry has been blocked from taking over Britains version of the FBI. Former Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse was a contender to succeed Dame Lynne Owens as head of the National Crime Agency (NCA). But in a major snub, the Home Secretary has ruled out promoting him to temporary head of the organisation after Dame Lynnes sudden retirement on health grounds last week. It is understood at least one victim of Operation Midland wrote to Priti Patel urging her not to make the gaffe-prone police chief interim director general of the NCA pending a permanent appointment. Disgraced: The disgraced head of Scotland Yards shambolic VIP sex abuse inquiry, Steve Rodhouse (pictured), has been blocked from taking over Britains version of the FBI Senior sources confirmed last night that Mr Rodhouse, currently joint deputy head of the NCA and its head of operations, will not be promoted. He is now facing an uncertain future, with senior Home Office figures describing him as a lame duck. One said: It is an indictment of his appointment that he is not seen as a suitable candidate to step up even on a temporary basis. It is a resounding vote of no confidence. Dame Lynne was seen as a critical ally and chief protector of Mr Rodhouse as he refused widespread calls to resign over his role in the Operation Midland fiasco. But it remains to be seen whether her successor will be so supportive of the ex-Met senior officer. In his previous job at Scotland Yard, Mr Rodhouse was gold commander of the forces VIP abuse inquiry, which ruined the reputations of several public figures including retired Armed Forces chief and D-Day hero Field Marshal Lord Bramall, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor. Senior sources confirmed last night that Mr Rodhouse, currently joint deputy head of the NCA and its head of operations, will not be promoted to succeed Dame Lynne Owens (pictured) as head of the National Crime Agency But in a major snub, the Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) has ruled out promoting him to temporary head of the organisation after at least one victim of Operation Midland wrote to her A judge-led inquiry identified 43 major blunders in Mr Rodhouses investigation, and Mr Proctor, who lost his job and home as a result of the false allegations of serial liar Carl Nick Beech, was paid 500,000 compensation by Scotland Yard. Lord Bramall and Lord Brittans widow each received 100,000 from the Metropolitan Police in out-of-court settlements. Mr Rodhouse also led separate shambolic probes into a false rape allegation made by a mentally ill Labour activist against Lord Brittan and true claims of sexual abuse made against Jimmy Savile while he was still alive. In his previous job at Scotland Yard, Mr Rodhouse was gold commander of the forces VIP abuse inquiry as a result of the false allegations of serial liar Carl Nick Beech (pictured) Yet despite running these three controversial investigations, Mr Rodhouse was promoted in 2018 to be director general (operations) of the NCA under Dame Lynne, his old boss from the Met and Surrey Police. He was the only one of her three deputies who has a policing background and would have been expected to step up to lead the NCA on a temporary basis. But because of his track record, putting him in charge even on an interim basis would have been extremely controversial. Mr Rodhouse has kept his job despite facing huge pressure to quit over his mishandling of Operation Midland which continues to fester after a whitewash inquiry by the police watchdog cleared him and four other officers of any misconduct. Earlier this year, six former home secretaries demanded a fresh probe into the VIP abuse inquiry and the watchdogs that cleared detectives of misconduct. In an interview with the Daily Mail in February, Lord Brittans widow attacked the culture of cover-up and lack of moral compass at the top of Scotland Yard. According to recent accounts, Mr Rodhouses pay package last year was around 265,000. The NCA said: The decision regarding who becomes the interim DG is a matter for the Home Secretary. The disgruntled worker who killed one and wounded 14 at a Kroger grocery story in Tennessee was a 29-year-old 'sushi chef' who was fired earlier that day, according to witnesses and police. UK Thang, a 29-year-old 'third-party vendor' at the Collierville Kroger, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting ten Kroger employees and four customers, Collierville Police Department Chief Dale Lane said during a press conference on Friday. ABC24's Brad Broders tweeted that Thang, who had previously lived in Utah before moving to Tennessee, had been fired from his job as a sushi chef earlier in the day before returning to the supermarket and opening fire. 'My sister was working till 2,' a woman wrote on Facebook. 'The sushi chef had disagreement with another employee and they had sushi chef leave or fired him and he came back. She heard first pop sound thought it was balloons then heard more. I cant imagine the horror they all felt.' UK Thang, 29, was identified as a 'third-party vendor' and the gunman who opened fire at Kroger in Collierville, Tennessee before killing himself Olivia King's son Wes shared this photo of his mother with her youngest son, Greg King. She was the only person to be killed during Thursday's mass shooting One person is dead and 15 others injured after a gunmen opened fire at a Kroger grocery store (pictured) near Memphis on Thursday, according to authorities A police officer walks towards the parking lot of the Kroger where a shooting occurred on September 23, 2021 in Collierville, Tennessee Thang had a relatively minor criminal history prior to Friday's mass shooting, cops said. 'I believe misdemeanor arrests but nothing related to violence,' Lane said. Lane revealed that authorities served a search warrant Thursday night at a nearby apartment complex, where they confiscated a number of electronics among other evidence, with one additional person at the residence being questioned. Thang shot and killed shopper Olivia King, 70, after she stopped by the supermarket following Thursday morning Mass. 'Our family is devastated by this senseless act of violence. We ask that you pray for the repose of the soul of our mother, Olivia,' one of her sons, Wes King, told ABC News. 'We also ask everyone for their prayers for all families and friends affected by the events today, as well as for God's mercy on the shooter and his family. Thank you.' Meanwhile, police said there were 'very serious' injuries among the 15 shooting victims, with five listed in critical condition at area hospitals, ABC reports. One patient has been discharged as of Friday, hospital staff confirmed to ABC News Thursday evening. Another victim was not shot but was hospitalized for a panic attack, according to police. An FBI agent steps over soft drink bottles and broken glass as he walks through a damaged entrance at a Kroger grocery store Friday Police say a gunman, who has been identified as a third-party vendor to the store, attacked people Thursday and killed at least one person and wounded others before killing himself Police respond to the scene of a shooting at a Kroger's grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee, on Thursday According to ABC News, some employees were forced to take refuge in freezers and locked offices after Thang opened fire around 1:30 pm Thursday afternoon. Another Kroger employee hid on the store's roof. Brignetta Dickerson, a cashier at the Collierville Krogers, told WATN that she fled to a back room with several shoppers, before Thang entered the room and again opened fire, shooting a customer in the stomach, an employee in the head and another employee in the cheek. Thang then left the back room and continued on with his shooting spree. 'All of a sudden, I went through the receiving department ... and here he comes right behind us and start shooting and he kept shooting and shooting and shooting,' she told WATN. Another customer, Tawana French, was walking towards the Kroger supermarket on Thursday afternoon when she saw adults and children alike running away from the store. People embrace following a shooting at a Kroger's grocery store in Collierville on Thursday A Kroger employee talks on a cellphone following a shooting at the site of Thursday's mass shooting at the Collierville Kroger's grocery store 'A split second later, I hear gunfire,' French said in an interview with ABC News Live Prime on Thursday night. 'I ran, ran, ran. Before I could get to my car, which was not very far at all, I heard even more gunfire. Rapid succession, just pow, pow, pow, pow, pow.' 'I just wanted to get to a safe place,' said French. As of Friday afternoon, Thang's car still remains in the Kroger parking lot, police said, as resources are called in to safely inspect and remove the vehicle. Meanwhile, ABC News reports that police plan to carry out several more search warrants at a few different locations, however Lane did not divulge any further information. Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard said the company was 'horrified and heartbroken over the senseless violence that occurred yesterday... resulting in the death of one customer as well as the assailant and injuries to several other individuals, including 10 of our associates and five customers' in a statement issued on Friday. A Haitian man who was among the nearly 15,000 migrants who were turned away from requesting asylum at the southern United States border will now do so in Mexico, forgoing the American Dream for a country where he said he's confident he can attain the same personal goals. 'My dream is not the United States, my dream is coming here and to work, to find employment,' Gilbert Betoux told Univision as he and dozens of Haitian nationals milled around Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance in Mexico City, almost 870 miles away from the squalid makeshift camp that was disbanded Friday under the Ciudad Acuna-Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. 'What I can achieve in the United States I can still achieve here,' he added matter of factly. By Friday, no migrants remained at the Texas border city encampment where the asylum seekers - most of them from Haiti - had gathered since last weekend. Haitian national Gilbert Betoux was among the nearly 15,000 migrants - most from Haiti - who converged at a makeshift camp under the Ciudad Acuna-Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, to seek asylum from the U.S. government. But he gave up his shot at the American dream, telling Univision on Thursday: 'My dream is not the United States, my dream is coming here and to work, to find employment. 'What I can achieve in the United States I can still achieve here' Workers clear debris from the site of a makeshift border migrant camp along the Ciudad Acuna-Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, where all of the nearly 15,000 migrants -most of them Haitian foreign nationals - who had gathered since last Saturday had been cleared out Migrants await to be processed along the Del Rio, Texas side of the Ciudad Acuna-Del Rio International Bridge after crossing the Rio Grande river into the U.S. from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico last Sunday Almost 2,000 people have been placed on flights and returned to Haiti, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. There are about 3,900 Haitians still being processed and awaiting to find out if they will be sent back to the Caribbean nation or if they will be placed in United States immigration court proceedings. Others were released in the U.S. with notices to appear in court or to report to immigration authorities. Patrick Jean was among several thousand who saw their dreams of reaching the U.S. dashed and then managed to cross back to Mexico, where he eventually joined Betoux and the rest of their fellow countrymen in the nation's capital to apply for asylum. 'I crossed to the bridge, but the way they had them there, it was unimaginable to see those things,' Jean told the network. 'That treatment is not for me. I did not like it, it was like if the human right does not exist there.' Patrick Jean, of Haiti, told Univision on Thursday that he decided to return to Mexico because of the inhumane conditions on the Del Rio, Texas side of the Ciudad Acuna-Del Rio International Bridge. Jean was among dozens of Haitian migrants who were in Mexico City applying for asylum Haitian migrants apply for asylum at Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance in Mexico City on Thursday. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent (left) drops off a migrant couple and introduces them to a worker with a humanitarian group after they were released from custody Friday in Del Rio, Texas While Mexico has been open to finding a remedy to the migrant crisis, it's not a given that Betoux, Jean and thousands of other Haitians will have their asylum petitions approved. Mexican official data show Haitians are already far less likely to have asylum claims approved in Mexico compared with many nationalities, even if their chances are starting to improve. Last year, of all asylum claims that were formally resolved, only 22 percent of Haitian cases won approval, compared with 98 percent for Venezuelans, 85 percent of Hondurans, 83 percent of Salvadorans and 44 percent of Cubans. So far this year, the Haitian number is up to 31 percent. Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. wait in line to board a bus to Houston from Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition after being released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Del Rio, Texas on Friday Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. board a bus to Houston after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Del Rio, Texas, on Friday Haitian immigrants wait to cross the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas, on Thursday Asylum requests have overwhelmed the Commission for Refugee Assistance, which is scheduling appointments months away, if at all. Some Haitians in Ciudad Acuna said they had left the southern city of Tapachula - which borders with Guatemala - because they were so fed up with waiting. Their decision to march towards the US-Mexico border sparked a series of confrontation over a five-day stretch in the southern state of Chiapas, highlighted the savage beating inflicted on a Haitian man by Mexican immigration agents as his son watched. 'It basically pushes Haitians out,' said Caitlyn Yates, a migration expert at the University of British Columbia. Soggy papers discarded in the grass near the Rio Grande showed that a Haitian man who applied for a humanitarian visa in August would have had to wait until December for an appointment. A father holds his exhausted son while waiting to cross the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas, on Thursday A new analysis predicts that the U.S. debt limit could be reached some time by mid-October, and a default that would lead to a financial crisis that could cost 6 million jobs. A 2021 debt limit analysis released by the Bipartisan Policy Center on Friday projected that if policymakers do not act on the debt limit, the Treasury Department will most likely have insufficient cash to meet all its financial obligations sometime between October 15 and November 4. Currently, the Republicans are refusing to increase the debt limit over concerns about Biden's vast spending plans. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Pelosi, McConnell and other Congressional leaders that 'extraordinary measures' currently being used to keep the government funded will likely run out some time in October President Joe Biden is hosting moderate and progressive lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday in an effort to pull his party together to get his legislative agenda passed 'New data demonstrate that Congress has only weeks to address the debt limit,' Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in a statement. 'If they don't, the U.S. government risks missing or delaying critical bills that will come due in mid-October that millions of Americans rely on, from military paychecks and retirement benefits to advanced child tax credit payments.' Moody's Analytics recently predicted that the US defaulting on its debt payments could be a 'catastrophic blow' to COVID-19 economic recovery and result in the loss of six million jobs, raising the nation's unemployment rate from 5.4 percent to nine percent. Congress has been at a stalemate over the debt ceiling and if they refuse to act it could force the federal government to delay its billions in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and active-duty military to November 1, according to Moody's. The US Treasury Department said it will run out of cash in October unless Congress raises its debt ceiling. The chart shows how the department predicts it will run out of money from now until October 20, when it owed more than $20billion to Social Security recipients McConnell has said that he does believe the debt ceiling should be raised, but that Democrats should do it on their own without Republican help using budget reconciliation A new report claims that a US default on federal debt would be 'catastrophic to the economy, as Republicans and Democrats in Congress try to reach a deal Moody's explained: 'The original intent of the debt limit was to be a forcing mechanism on lawmakers to remain fiscally disciplined.' The analysis also said after running out of cash the Treasury Department would be unable to meet 40% of all payments due through mid-November. 'How Treasury would operate in such an environment is unclear,' it said. 'Prioritization and delayed payments are two possibilities, but substantial uncertainty exists about operationalizing them.' According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, in order to function the Treasury could try to prioritize certain bill and delay others, but there is 'substantial uncertainty' about the functionality of that method. 'The reality would inevitably be chaotic,' the report said. Despite the threat of such a large economic downturn Republicans have refused to raise the debt ceiling because of the Biden administration's trillion dollars worth of spending plans. In August Democrats unveiled a $3.5trillion budget of funding hikes for economic and environmental programs. The 92-page measure laid the groundwork for legislation that - over a decade - would pour mountains of cash into their key priorities. That included money for education, health care and environmental programs, plus tax breaks for families - funded in large part by tax increases on the wealthy and on corporations. The Senate later passed a bipartisan version of the infrastructure bill last month with a price tag of $1.2trillion, which Democrats in the House said they wouldn't approve without approval of the $3.5trillion reconciliation package first. Joe Manchin, the most moderate Democrat in the Senate, said that he could not support the reconciliation as it stands. If he does not budge, the Congress could be at a deadlock where neither of the massive pieces of legislation will get through. Legendary Star Trek actor William Shatner will boldly go where no 90-year-old has ever been when he joins the crew on the next spaceflight by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Shatner, who played James T. Kirk on the classic TV show and subsequent movies, will take off in the New Shepard capsule in October for a 15-minute civilian flight, according to TMZ. The exact date has not been revealed. The Blue Origin flight will be recorded for a documentary that was rejected by Discovery and is now being negotiated by Shatner's team somewhere else. DailyMail.com reached out to Shatner's management and Blue Origin. Neither could confirm the report. Actor William Shatner, 90, is set to become the oldest man ever in space aboard the second civilian flight from Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin Bezos launched his first Blue Origin civilian flight on July 20 when he boarded the spacecraft with his brother, Mark Bezos, Dutch teenager Oliver Daemen, and test pilot, Wally Funk. Funk, became the oldest person to ever fly to space at 82 years old, a record that Shatner is now set to beat. Daemen's father, Joes Daemen, who founded private equity firm Somerset Capital Partners, bought Oliver's seat aboard the flight for over $20 million at auction. At 18 years old, he became the youngest person, first teenager, and first person born in the 21st century to travel to space. It is believed that the actor's spot aboard the spaceship is being comped. His fellow civilian astronauts have not yet been named. The Blue Origin New Shepard is scheduled to launch sometime next month Bezos launched into space in July as part of Blue Origin's first civilian launch Shatner, right, starred at Captain Kirk in the 1960's cult classic Star Trek: The Original Series Shatner commented on Bezos' space launch and the recent billionaire space race to begin space tourism. 'I know there is an argument to be made about popularizing space travel, and I've talked to a lot of travelers to space who are excited to get to Mars,' he told NBC. The actor mentioned Bezos' mission to Mars but called it 'ridiculous.' 'It takes a year and a half to get there. People will think it's like we're on a trip, on a cruise line. No, man! You're in zero gravity and it's hotter than hell and the air is putrid. 'Help me, I'm dying, but I'm dying slowly!' What a terrible fate.' He also noted the danger of space travel. 'If you basically have a flat tire in space, it means you die. It seems to me you're more likely to die there than on the Hollywood Freeway.' But Shatner ended discussing his perspective on morality. 'You know, at my age, you're constantly aware of mortality. Any moment of, 'Oh, I'm a little dizzy. Am I dying?' It's an interesting question.' Shatner has been criticized for his recent partnership with RT America for his science-themed talk show, I Don't Understand. US intelligence agencies have described the Kremlin-backed channel, which is registered with the federal government as a 'foreign agent' as 'Russia's state-run propaganda machine.' Advertisement Sabina Nessa's sister tonight broke down in tears, saying 'she left this world far too early' as she paid tribute to the primary school teacher at a vigil in southeast London close to where she was killed. It comes as Kate Middleton said she was 'saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets' as dozens of campaigners against violence gathered in Kidbrooke Village for a vigil for the 28-year-old primary school teacher. More than 500 campaigners and well-wishers gathered in Pegler Square with supporters arriving on foot, by bicycle and on the train to attend the memorial at the heart at the south London housing estate. Many had brought their young children, others had brought their dogs. Dozens lit candles and placed bunches of flowers as they stood around a makeshift stage to honour Sabina. And Downing Street also joined the vigil, placing a lantern on the front step of the prime minister's residence in memory of the killed primary school teacher. Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher who was attacked and killed while walking at about 8.30pm last Friday evening. Sister Jebina told the crowd: 'We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world far too early. Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can't get out of it. Our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words.' Sabina Nessa's sister tonight broke down in tears, saying 'she left this world far too early' as she paid tribute to her sister at a vigil just yards from where she was killed Sister Jebina told the crowd: 'We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world far too early. Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can't get out of it. Our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words' Sister Jebina Nessa broke down in tears as she paid tribute to her sister Sabina, a 28-year-old primary school teacher who was murdered yards from her south east London home Members of the public broke down in tears as they attended a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke, southeast London, tonight Hundreds of campaigners against violence and well-wishers gathered in Pegler Square with supporters arriving on foot, by bicycle and on the train to attend the memorial for Sabina Nessa tonight Campaigners against violence to women stood together tonight to remember Sabina Nessa who was cruelly killed just yards from her south London home Dozens lit candles and placed bunches of flowers as they stood around a makeshift stage to honour Sabina. Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher Well-wishers light candles, lay flowers and placards at a vigil for Sabina Nessa a week after she was killed in a case that police are yet to solve Well-wishers laid flowers and lit candles around a placard calling to 'end male violence' at a vigil in memory of killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Kate Middleton said she was 'saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets' as dozens of campaigners against violence turned out to remember Sabina Nessa who was killed while walking just yards from her home Downing Street joined the vigil, placing a lantern on the front step of the prime minister's residence in memory of the killed primary school teacher Together the crowd said her name, Sabina Nessa, as they vowed she would not be forgotten and her murder would not go unchallenged. The vigil took place just yards from where a man wanted by police has been captured on CCTV around the time of the killing. The film shows a white man in his 40's, dressed in a black hooded sweat-shirt, grey jogging bottoms and black trainers, leaving the scene. He appears to hide his face from the CCTV cameras which are mounted on the wall of an apartment block in the upmarket development's main square. Met Police have now identified this man as their prime suspect in the murder of Miss Nessa. The man was held at an address in Lewisham, southeast London, yesterday afternoon and was later released pending further investigation. Meanwhile a specialist search team scoured flower pots and drains around the square for clues to the murder. Other uniform officers kept a low profile during the vigil. Scotland Yard wanted to avoid a repeat of the disastrous scene earlier this year during a vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard. Met chiefs were accused of being heavy-handed with female demonstrators at the height of Covid-19 restrictions, when large public gatherings were banned. Police have since released a separate appeal for another man and a vehicle that was seen on CCTV in the area they hope to identify which could provide a breakthrough in the case The man, pictured with balding, dark hair in grey tracksuit bottoms, a dark-coloured hoodie and black shoes, was seen on CCTV in Peglar Square on the evening of Sabina's attack People light candles during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was murdered in south east London last Friday Well-wishers light candles, lay flowers and placards at a vigil for Sabina Nessa a week after she was killed in a case that police are yet to solve Signs reading 'Another woman. Another vigil. How many more?' and 'for her. For you Sabina... For all women... Everywhere' at a vigil tonight A makeshift memorial is seen during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was murdered in south east London last week Well-wishers and campaigners shed tears as they gathered for a vigil in memory of killed 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity and held burning candles while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher who was attacked and killed while walking at about 8.30pm last Friday evening Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry spoke at tonight's vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, as the murder investigation continues Hundreds of mourners and well-wishers gathered in Pegler Square tonight in memory of Sabina Nessa, a 28-year-old primary school teacher killed last week People light candles during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was murdered in south east London last Friday A woman lights a candle during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a 28-year-old primary school teacher who was killed in southeast London last Friday A woman holds her hands together in prayer as well-wishers gather in Pegler Square for a vigil in memory of killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Hundreds of mourners and activists gathered in Pegler Square tonight to mourn the killing of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Mourners and campaigners against violence towards women attended a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was killed in south east London last Friday Kidbrooke Village residents Roxana Chelaru and husband Ionut told how they no longer feel safe in their home. Roxana told MailOnline: 'We live two minutes from where this poor young woman was murdered. We walk our dog in the park where she was killed. Sometimes I walk him there at night when it is dark. 'We thought this was a nice place to live with other families. But now I don't feel safe. 'But tonight we want to show solidarity with this poor woman. This should not happen.' Husband Ionut added: 'It's very sad. Now I am worried about my wife. Often she must walk back from the station alone. After what has happened we don't want to live here anymore.' Michael Stacey and wife Seychelle brought their six year old daughter Olivia to the vigil because Sabina Nessa was her teacher. Mr Stacey, 42, a printer told MailOnline: 'I don't know what to say. It's a terrible thing to happen. She was a lovely woman and a great teacher. Olivia loved her. So we're here to pay our respects. It's the least we can do.' Supporters laid tributes to Sabina Nessa while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher who was attacked and killed while walking at about 8.30pm last Friday evening Hundreds of campaigners against violence gathered in Pegler Square with supporters arriving on foot, by bicycle and on the train to attend the memorial at the heart at the south London housing estate Together the crowd said her name, Sabina Nessa, as they vowed she would not be forgotten and her murder would not go unchallenged Well-wishers look on emotionally as hundreds attend a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a 28-year-old primary school teacher who was killed in south east London Mourners and activists gathered at Kidbrooke tonight in memory of Sabina Nessa who was found dead in Cator Park last Friday Mourners close their eyes as they gather to collectively mourn the death of Sabina Nessa who was killed in south east London last Friday Dozens of well-wishers lit candles and placed bunches of flowers as they stood around a makeshift stage to honour Sabina Members of the public broke down in tears as they attended a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke, southeast London, tonight MP for Lewisham East Janet Daby and MP for Eltham Clive Efford spoke at a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa in south east London tonight Jamie Klingler, co-founder of the Reclaim The Streets pressure group, said Londoners had to come together to defend women against violence. She told MailOnline: 'This has been a terrible tragedy and everyone has been affected by this latest act of violence. 'But the community has come together to stand up against violence to women.' Eltham MP Clive Efford told Ms Nessa's family: 'With everything that you are going through, these people are here for you.' He told the crowd that the police 'officers here are also parents and they are just as determined to see justice to Sabina's family as anyone else, I have witnessed that this week.' He also told those gathered that they will need to go back into their communities to make a difference in the way that women are treated, and the levels of respect given to everyone. To applause he said: 'If we want to make change here, and I am talking to the blokes, those sexist jokes that trip off the tongue at the coffee machine - that is where it starts. 'That is the small steps that create the environment where people feel they can become violent and aggressive towards women and girls.' 'If we are going to bring about change, we have to live that change and be that change as a business, a community, a police force, a council. It comes right from the top and goes all the way down.' Police thanked members of the public for sharing their appeal as they continue to ramp up efforts to identify a second man after police released CCTV footage of a bearded and balding man looking over his shoulder as healks down Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south-east London. The Met's Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: 'We want to thank those who have shared our image appeal over the last 24 hours it has gained a huge amount of coverage and we are extremely grateful for the public's help. 'We are now a week on from Sabina's murder and while we have made good progress with our investigation we must keep this appeal for information going and encourage anyone who has any information to come forward.' Police are urging anyone who might be able to identify the man and his vehicle to make contact with them immediately on 0208 721 4266 or by calling Crimestoppers completely anonymously on 0800 555 111. Women hold candles at a vigil for killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in south east London Dozens lit candles and placed bunches of flowers as they stood around a makeshift stage to honour Sabina. Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher People light candles during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was murdered in south east London last Friday Well-wishers laid flowers and lit candles around a placard calling to 'end male violence' at a vigil in memory of killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa A woman breaks down in tears during a vigil for 28 year-old teacher Sabina Nessa, whose body was found in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, south east London Together the crowd said her name, Sabina Nessa, as they vowed she would not be forgotten and her murder would not go unchallenged A woman holds a placard calling to 'End male violence' at a vigil tonight for murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Dozens of supporters flocked to Kidbrooke Village to honour the of the 28-year-old Primary school teacher who was murder a week ago today Well-wishers lay floral tributes ahead of a vigil for 28 year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, whose body was found in south east London last week Campaigners and well-wishers lit candles tonight at a vigil for killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa as a specialist search team scoured flower pots and drains around the square for clues to the murder Dozens of supporters flocked to Kidbrooke Village to honour the of the 28-year-old Primary school teacher who was murder a week ago today Members of the public attend a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, and in solidarity against violence against women, at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south London Campaigners against violence to women stood together tonight to remember Sabina Nessa who was cruelly killed just yards from her south London home as police continued to comb the site for clues People look at floral tributes for murdered 28-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke in south-east London ahead of a vigil tonight A forensic officer combs the area around Pegler Square as part of a murder probe into the death of 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa Meanwhile a specialist search team scoured flower pots and drains around the square for clues to the murder in Kidbrooke, south east London It comes as Ms Nessa's family released a new statement reiterating their shock over her horrifying murder as further details of the case were reported overnight. Footage showed Sabina being struck on the head by an assailant wielding a weapon just moments after she left her flat, before she was slung over his shoulder and dumped in a local park, it is claimed. Sabina's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam said: 'We as a family are shocked of the murder of our sister, daughter and aunty to my girls. 'There are no words to describe how we are feeling as a family at the moment. We did not expect that something like this would ever happen to us. 'I urge everyone to walk on busy streets when walking home from work, school or a friend's homes. Please keep safe. 'I ask you to pray for our sister and make dua (supplication) for her. May Allah grant her paradise.' Assistant Commissioner Rolfe said the Metropolitan Police is not asking women to change their behaviour when going out at night in light of the murder of Sabina Nessa. Experts have sealed off large parts of the park as their murder investigation continues. Pictured above: forensics tent in Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, where the teacher was found dead The Depot bar in Pegler Square, where Ms Nessa was due to go on a first date last Friday, according to her friend Meanwhile, Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry has said: 'The streets are safe for women, I'd like to reassure the public around that.' In a separate development, reports suggested the attack itself had been caught on CCTV. Sabina disappeared on Friday evening as she left home on a five minute walk to meet a man for a first date at a local pub. Her body was found in Cator Park, 200 yards from her home, on Saturday afternoon. The attack CCTV, first reported by the Daily Telegraph, shows an assailant apparently striking Sabina on the head with an object moments after she left her house. He then carries her over his shoulder in the direction of Cator Park, a police source told the newspaper. Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'Our team have been working tirelessly to find the person responsible for Sabina's murder and this has included an extensive trawl of CCTV, work which remains ongoing. 'We would ask anyone especially those in Kidbrooke and the wider area of Lewisham and Greenwich to take a careful look at these images to check whether you know who this man is or have seen him over recent days. 'Any information as to his identity or whereabouts could be vital for our investigation so we are asking you to share this image far and wide to ensure as many people as possible see it.' Furious campaigners and a handful of MPs demanded that public spaces be made safer for women in the wake of a string of high-profile murders this year. Reclaim These Streets, an organisation campaigning for the safety of women and girls which has organised a vigil for today, said: 'This is an epidemic of violence against women. Enough with reports, what is the actual plan to keep us safe and alive?' No one reported her missing after she failed to make the rendez-vous, said police, but her housemate has now spoken out on the horrifying ordeal and shared her unease. She told the Guardian: 'I never thought something like this could happen to her. I had been texting her and it's not like her to not reply to my messages. 'I don't feel safe living here now.' Earlier, detectives had speculated whether the attack had been carried out by a stranger and were 'keeping an open mind' on the killer's motive. Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry insisted the area remains 'safe for women' despite mounting pressure from women's safety campaigners who are urging officers to do more to protect them on Britain's streets. He said: 'The streets are safe for women, I'd like to reassure the public around that, I'd like to make sure that people are free to walk around free from fear and my officers will make sure that that can take place.' The primary school teacher, originally from Bedfordshire, is understood to have been just minutes from her home when she was attacked near the OneSpace Community Centre in Cator Park at around 8.30pm on Friday, September 17. Her body lay undiscovered for several hours because it was 'off the main park walkway', according to police. A post-mortem examination was inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out to establish a cause of death. 'I don't feel safe': Sabina Nessa's housemate tells of her shock and fear as Met detectives warn teacher's killer 'could strike again' and fury grows over women's safety By Jacob Thorburn, Rory Tingle, Nick Fagge and Katie Weston for MailOnline The housemate of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa has said she 'doesn't feel safe' living in the area after investigating detectives earlier warned the killer 'could strike again'. The 28-year-old left her home on Astell Road and was on her way to a first date in The Depot Bar in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, south east London on Friday night but never made it. Police understand she was attacked in a park at around 8.30pm, with her body being discovered by a member of the public almost 24 hours later near the OneSpace community centre hidden under a pile of leaves. No one reported her missing after she failed to make the rendez-vous, said police, but her housemate has now spoken out on the horrifying ordeal and shared her unease. She told the Guardian: 'I never thought something like this could happen to her. I had been texting her and it's not like her to not reply to my messages. 'I don't feel safe living here now.' Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry by the floral tributes at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south London, near to the scene where the body of Ms Nessa was found DCI Lawry (pictured centre) by the floral tributes at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south London, near to the scene where the body of Ms Nessa was found Ms Nessa's sister took to social media to commemorate her, writing: 'My beautiful, talented & caring sister. My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down Detectives are investigating whether she was killed by a stranger, leaving locals fearful of returning to the usually busy park often packed with dog walkers and joggers. Parallels are being drawn to the horrific murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard in March, amid fresh fury that women could not walk through Britain's streets alone without fearing for their lives. And in June 6 last year, sisters Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were stabbed to death in a Wembley park in a random attack by 19-year-old Danyal Hussein, who believed he was acting on the orders of a demon. Other women who live in the Kidbrooke area have also revealed they feel anxious when out alone - prompting one resident to offer to walk anyone home who does not feel safe in the community. Women face an 'epidemic' of violence, campaigners warn as Jess Phillips says it is 'a scandal that women don't feel safe on the streets' By Claire Ellicot, Political Correspondent for the Daily Mail Women are dealing with an 'epidemic' of violence, politicians and campaigners warned yesterday as they lamented the lack of progress since the death of Sarah Everard. The killing of Sabina Nessa, 28, in south London comes six months after Miss Everard's murder and a year after sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were stabbed to death in the capital. Sarah Everard: Murdered in March this year Jess Phillips, Labour's spokesman for domestic violence and safeguarding, said that it was 'not safe' to be a woman. She said 78 women had been killed in the UK since the death of 33-year-old Miss Everard in March and questioned the Government response. 'It is a scandal that women don't feel safe on the streets,' she said. 'It's not safe to be a woman whether that's in the workplace, school, university or home. There are too many examples every year.' Referring to Miss Everard, who was kidnapped, raped and killed by Met policeman Wayne Couzens while walking home, the MP added: 'We can't keep having this. We can't keep having someone being murdered and then a pilot here and a review there. 'The British public now demand proper women's safety laws, legislation, resources and strategy to stop this. We can't just keep being sorry.' She also demanded that the Government reclassify violence against women and girls as a 'serious crime' in line with terrorism and serious youth violence. Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were stabbed to death in Wembley last year Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said: 'Sabina Nessa's murder in a park at 8.30pm is devastating. 'Her murder is not a one-off but part of an epidemic of gendered violence. We demand justice for Sabina and safety for all women, on the streets and in our homes.' Campaigner Anna Birley, who founded the Reclaim These Streets movement, said yesterday: 'We often get told when the worst happens that the murder of a woman by a stranger in a public place is very rare and we are very safe. 'But the thing is, our lived experience of street harassment, cat-calling, a man exposing himself to us, tell us we're not safe, and murder is rarely the first crime someone commits.' She said the Government must urgently fix the 'deep-rooted culture of misogyny in British culture' by reforming the criminal justice system. The campaigner called for a higher conviction rate for rapists, anti-misogyny training for police, and lessons in schools to 'tackle toxic masculinity'. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned that women face an 'epidemic' of violence. 'I think this deserves the same priority as counter terrorism,' he said. He added that schools should teach boys to respect girls, and misogyny should be made a hate crime. Advertisement Last night, Ms Nessa's sister took to social media to commemorate her, writing: 'My beautiful, talented & caring sister. My inspiration to always put myself first & never let anybody put me down. 'Never in my life did I or my sisters or my mum or dad think this could happen to us. May Allah grant her Jannah. Ameen #SabinaNessa'. She added in a separate tweet: '3 sisters down to 2. Pls make dua for her. No mother or father should have to go through this, may Allah grant my parents ease.' Ms Nessa's cousin, Zubel Ahmed, described her as the 'most caring person, kindest, sweetest girl you could meet.' He told the BBC: 'She's just got a beautiful soul, she's a caring person, she's left behind two cats. When we were at her house the other day the cats were looking for her. 'As strange as that sounds it's just her nature to care for things, to care for people, for animals, and she's just going to be truly missed.' Detective Inspector Joe Garrity added: 'Sabina's journey should have taken just over five minutes but she never made it to her destination. 'We know the community are rightly shocked by this murder - as are we - and we are using every resource available to us to find the individual responsible.' Det Insp Garrity added the investigation was making good progress and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch: 'We believe there are still others out there who may have information that could help.' The friend described Sabina as a 'lovely, bubbly person' with 'loads of personality'. Sabina had moved into the newly built Kidbroke Village last summer. The friend said: 'It's a lovely place to live. The flat has a view of the duck pond and the park. 'So you can see where Sabina died from the balcony. It's horrible.' Sabina's date failed to notify police that she failed to make the rendez-vous, police have confirmed. DCS Lawry said: 'Sabine left her home address just before 8.30pm on Friday night. 'We understand that Sabina was planning on meeting a friend at The Depot pub. 'Her journey would have seen her walk through Cator Park. We believe as she walked through the park she was approached by an individual and fatally attacked. 'She was not reported missing and Sabina's body was sadly found by a member of the public at 5pm the following day.' Downing Street said the Prime Minister's thoughts were with the family and friends of Ms Nessa. A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: 'The Prime Minister's focus is on making sure that we make our streets safe for absolutely everybody, that's why we're investing the money we are in recruiting more police officers and which is why we, as I say, introduced the strategy when it comes to violence against women and girls earlier this year.' He added that Metropolitan Police officers will be attending a planned vigil for Ms Nessa on Friday. A man in his forties was arrested on suspicion of murder a few hours after her body was found by a dog walker. But yesterday he was released under investigation pending further inquiries. On Thursday, a 38-year-old man from Lewisham was arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody at present. Nessa's cousin Zubel Ahmed told ITV News the family remain 'inconsolable' and revealed she was just 'five minutes' from her own home. He said: 'The shock has not sunk in. She was a beautiful, kind, caring soul. I express my deepest sympathies for her sisters, mum and dad are absolutely devastated. 'Nothing is making sense to us, why was she taken from us we just don't know. She was the sweetest person, sweetest girl, I don't understand how someone can do this it's a big loss to our family.' The case has parallels to the killing of Sarah Everard, who was snatched off the street as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on March 3 by Met Police firearms officer Wayne Couzens. Her body was found a week later in woodland near Ashford, Kent, just yards from land owned by Couzens, 48. She had been raped and strangled. Six months later, and women are continuing to speak out about their lack of safety on British streets - with a recent poll finding as many as 48 per cent of women do not feel safe walking alone. Ms Nessa's death has sparked a wave of fury over women killed in public spaces in London this year - with campaigners urging action on the 'epidemic of violence' facing women. Campaign group Our Streets Now said: 'Please, stop telling us we're overreacting. Sabina Ness, Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman. And these are just the names that we remember. 'Male violence is killing us. It's restricting our right to be free and equal citizens. We need change, now.' There was an outpouring of grief and anger today after yet another apparent murder of a woman walking alone at the hands of a stranger just months after Sarah Everard's horrific death The Year 1 teacher had worked for just over a year at Rushey Green Primary School, three miles away in Catford. Before landing her first teaching job, she studied sociology at Greenwich University in south-east London and went on to complete a teaching postgraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire. Ms Nessa also had a qualification from Cambridge to teach English as a foreign language, and friends said she hoped to one day teach in the Middle East. Today, London mayor Sadiq Khan called violence against women and girls an 'epidemic' and called on men to be 'allies'. Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Mr Khan said misogyny should be made a hate crime, and harassment in a public space against women should be a criminal offence. He said: 'Between last year's International Women's Day and this year's International Women's Day, 180 women were killed at the hands of men across the country. 'We do have an epidemic when it comes to violence against women and girls. 'She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give and her loss is desperately sad. 'As a school we are supporting each other through this very difficult time, and we will be providing specialist support to those who need it.' It came as residents told MailOnline they now fear leaving their homes after dark following Ms Nessa's death. Forensics teams dressed in blue overalls are pictured combing through the grassy murder scene in Cator Park, south east London Forensic Officers in Cator Park, Kidbrooke, south London, near to the scene where the body of Ms Nessa was found A heavy police presence remains in the area days after the body was recovered as increased patrols have been promised. Pictured: Police stand watch at the crime scene in Cator Park Flowers left at the edge of the park where police have sealed off an area of meadow One resident aged 33 who only gave her named as Naey said: 'I've been wary of going out after dark every since I heard about them finding the body. 'I use the park to come from the station as a shortcut. There's always people coming and going. 'It's scary and unnerving that it has happened so close to the main road. There surely must have been witnesses. I can't quite believe it.' George Williams, 41, who has operated his mobile fish and chip van Billingsgate Wrap regularly from the new Kidbrooke Village apartment complex over the last three years, said: 'This is absolutely shocking. 'If it is a random attack by a stranger then it is extremely worrying for everyone who lives around here. I hope the police can catch whoever committed this terrible crime. 'The park is very open and exposed but is usually pretty busy with joggers and walkers. Surely someone must have saw something.' A police officer pictured at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south London. Officers revealed they were stepping up patrols and increasing their presence around the Kidbrooke Village neighbourhood for the next week Sabina's friends embrace as they pay their respects at the entrance to Cator Park, south east London on Tuesday On Friday, officers sealed off the area and were seen standing guard while investigators collected evidence Officers revealed they were stepping up patrols and increasing their presence around the Kidbrooke Village neighbourhood for the next week. Meanwhile, investigators told the Evening Standard that 'a number of crime scenes are in place' and a massive forensic inquiry is underway as they continue to investigate the alleged murder. A large section of Cator park between Cambert Way and the edge of the Kidbrooke Park Village housing development remains sealed off with police tape. The cordoned off area includes the One Space Community Centre, tennis courts and skatepark. A candlelit vigil in memory of the teacher is set to take place on Friday evening at Peglar Square. Organisers are encouraging people to bring their own candles to light as they pay respects to Ms Nessa. Reclaim These Streets, an organisation campaigning for the safety of women and girls which planned a vigil for Sarah Everard in March, said in a statement: 'We are angry and heartbroken to hear about the loss of yet another woman. 'This is an epidemic of violence against women. Enough with reports, what is the actual plan to keep us safe and alive?' Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean told the House of Commons: 'Every woman who loses their life is one woman too much and we are devastated to hear of the loss of the life of Sabina Nessa. Our hearts go out to the family. 'This is a Government that is passing legislation, setting out actions and tackling these horrific crimes and we are determined to see a reduction in them.' The hunt for wanted Brian Laundrie in alligator-infested Florida swampland has so far cost an estimated $1.2million and with no trace of him, a search and rescue expert has exclusively told DailyMail.com. Mike Hadsell who knows the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve search area intimately - added that Laundrie's parents could face the bill if it's proven they deceived police by wrongly telling them it's where he said he was heading last time they saw him. More than 50 searchers from the FBI plus cops in Laundrie's home town of North Port and several other law enforcement agencies are on their sixth day hunting for him in the highly dangerous and dense swampland. The FBI has now issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie, 23, in connection with the death of van-life girlfriend Gabby Petito, 22, whose body was found in a remote area of Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming on Sunday after she was reported missing. Brian Laundrie, 23, who was reported missing last week, remains a person of interest in the disappearance and death of fiancee Gabby Petito. The manhunt for Laundrie has cost about $1.2million as it enters its sixth day, DailyMail.com can reveal Laundrie's parents could face the bill if it's proven they deceived police by wrongly telling them it's where he said he was heading last time they saw him. Christopher and Roberta Laundrie were spotted in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, hours after leaving their North Port home Authorities are searching the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Florida, and have deployed the canine unit and police divers For five days of the Florida search he was classed a 'person of interest' and treated as a missing person himself. Gabby Petitio's body was found in the Spread Creek campsite in Wyoming on Sunday and the next day her death was ruled a homicide Former LA County Sheriff's deputy Hadsell, who runs the volunteer Peace River K9 Search and Rescue Association in Sarasota, said: 'I can accurately estimate they are spending $200,000 a day on this search. 'And if this thing turns out to be bogus and they can prove that the family misled law enforcement on this, the parents will get a bill.' Hadsell, who has led 160 missions with his group and is not on this hunt, attacked the spending on the search for Laundrie as a missing person. 'To see them blow more than a million bucks out here on this guy, is just like what the heck?' he told DailyMail.com. 'A lot of other people who end up missing need that money and need that help. And they just don't get it. And that is chaffing me on this whole thing.' He also revealed that insiders told him they have found no trace of Laundrie being there. 'Any time he would move, especially in the Carlton, he would leave trails because you sink in the mud,' he said. 'There would be evidence that somebody has been moving through there. And any K9 will pick that up. So far I've heard they've found none of that. If that's true, then Laundrie's probably not there.' Even if the wanted man is in the reserve 13 miles from his home, the expert believes Laundrie could not remain alive or undetected for more than a few days no matter what his amateur survival skills. He said: 'I'm very familiar with that reserve. It's like searching in Jurassic Park. It is a hostile and challenging environment utterly brutal. It's full of alligators, aggressive and highly-poisonous snakes, just about everything. 'There are lots of things in there that want to eat you or just kill you.' 'Even if Laundrie was an experienced survivalist, the chances of him being able to stay out there this long are very slim. 'It would be extremely hard to survive as long as this search has been going on. I doubt he would survive more than two to three days because of the dangers of the swamp, the alligators, the snakes and the bugs.' Search teams from multiple law enforcement agencies gathered Wednesday for a briefing before heading out into the 25,000-acre swampland Police divers joined the search for Brian Laundrie just before noon Wednesday with an airboat and dinghy Hadsell added: 'There are plenty of gators, but it's the snakes that are an even bigger danger. There are so many Water Moccasins and they are particularly nasty. They just attack everything. If you're on their turf they're going to come after you and pick a fight. 'That's why you see most everybody in this search sticking to the swamp buggies. It's because they don't want to get out into the water as there's too much danger. Former LA County Sheriff's deputy Mike Hadsell, who runs the volunteer Peace River K9 Search and Rescue Association in Sarasota, said: 'I can accurately estimate they are spending $200,000 a day on this search 'For Laundrie to hide out even for a short time, he would have to set up some kind of shelter. And that would be detectable from the air. He'd need a lot of water. It's not as if you can call an Uber guy to bring him a pizza once a day.' North Port Police Commander Joe Fussell, who is helping coordinate the teams, countered criticism of the search. 'We are not wasting our time out here,' he said. 'We are doing our due diligence to find Brian in an area that intelligence had led to us that he could possibly be in. 'So it is upon us to make sure we search this area as best as we can, massive as it is, we the resources that we have to try to find Brian.' Speaking inside the Carlton Reserve on a police video update of the hunt, he explained the pressures searchers are under. 'The staff that are out there searching, the get home and they're exhausted,' he said. 'They're out here working as hard as they can. I tell you the only break they have during the day is when they come back to get a bite to eat. And then they go back into the wilderness and they hit it hard again. 'When they get home, they shower, wash off the dirt from the day and that is probably about the amount of energy that they have before they have to wake up and come back out the next day. 'This is wearing on everyone. Everyone has a level of stress, everybody has the drive. And that's really what's carrying us through. It's the drive to try to find Brian and try to bring closure to this investigation.' 'We're looking through wooded areas, we're looking through bodies of water, we're looking through swampy areas. We have air units, we have drones, we have the swamp buggies, air boats, multiple law enforcement agencies, we have ATVs, UTVs and we have officers on foot as well. 'We are deploying every resource to get through any terrain we encounter in our search areas.' Laundrie's whereabouts are still unknown, with the manhunt entering its sixth day at a vast nature reserve in Florida (pictured) Police and FBI agents resumed their search of the Carlton Reserve, sharing photos of search dogs (above) If Laundrie is dead in the swamp, Hadsell said it probably won't be the searchers who find him first but large birds flocking around as they eye an easy meal. 'You have a better chance of finding him if he's dead,' he said. 'Not because the searchers would find him. It will usually be the buzzards that will find him. 'I'm sure the Fisheries and Wildlife guys are monitoring the birds to see if there is any bird activity in certain locations. That's one of the fastest ways to find a body.' The search is relying heavily on swamp buggy vehicles some at least 12ft high and with massive tires - bloodhounds, drones using infra-red detection technology and, it is understood, some helicopter activity. It began after Laundrie's parents Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55, told police he said he was heading to the reserve when they say they last saw him at their home on September 14. His silver Ford Mustang convertible which was eventually seized in the FBI dramatic raid on the family house on Monday was at an entrance to the reserve that night. It had a police note on it saying it should be removed from the area. That was two weeks after Laundrie arrived back alone in Gabby's white Ford Transit after the pair had been on a cross-country road trip that took them to Utah and Wyoming. Gabby was reported missing by her desperate mother Nichole Schmidt on September 11, ten days after Laundrie made it back to Florida. After vanishing, Laundrie was reportedly sighted in north west Florida, his home town of North Port and Alabama with all the sightings later discounted. There has also been speculation that he might have gone into the Carlton Reserve to commit suicide. However, Hadsell believes a body would have been found fairly quickly because he would have killed himself soon after entering. 'If Laundrie went to the reserve to commit suicide, he won't be deep in the woods,' said Hadsell. 'Statistics and analysis we use show that would not be the case. 'Generally if someone is going to the Carlton Reserve to commit suicide they are not going to go deep into the swamp to do that. 'They go in a short distance, finds a nice private spot and do what they are going to do. They do not go wandering off trails deep into the swamps.' Laundrie's parents were followed inside the Orlando Public Library by undercover agents who hovered in the aisles as they kept them under constant surveillance There has been speculation that Laundrie might have gone into the Carlton Reserve to commit suicide The Laundrie's were shadowed by undercover agents Thursday as they broke cover and drove 150 miles to Orlando to meet with an attorney, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Lawyer Steve Bertolino flew from New York to Florida specifically to meet with Brian's parents after a federal arrest warrant was issued for the missing 23-year-old on Wednesday. A convoy of unmarked vehicles first tailed Christopher and Roberta Laundrie as they left their North Port, Florida home and headed towards Orlando earlier this morning. In surreal scenes, undercover agents - believed to be with the FBI - followed the couple into the Orlando Public Library on Thursday and hovered in the aisles perusing 80s dance CDs and a Colombian art installation while keeping them under constant surveillance. Though it's not clear what they were doing in the library, it's now known that the couple met Bertolino in Orlando during their trip. 'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told DailyMail.com. 'The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.' Laundrie was last seen more than a week ago leaving his parents' home in North Port, Florida with a backpack and his whereabouts remain unknown FBI agents seized Brian Laundrie's silver Ford Mustang convertible during a dramatic raid of the family home on Monday. It was returned to the house by a tow truck crew Thursday morning Particularly deep water in the reserve at this time of year is adding to the danger for searchers. Huge areas are completely awash, with many sections waist-deep. 'This time of year is probably the worst time to be out there because of the heavy rains,' said Hadsell. 'This area is part of the watershed for the Mayakka River. So as the water moves this way from mid-state down to the Gulf of Mexico, it goes through the Carlton Reserve.' A special dive team from Sarasota County Sheriff's Department was called in on Wednesday, sparking speculation that searchers had found something significant. However, Hadsell explained: 'Probably one of the dogs raised an alert along the shoreline of deep water. I know they have cadaver dogs out there. 'If a dog alerts, they're going to mark it and they're probably going to decide if it's a good enough alert to throw a diver in there and take a look. 'The problem we have with areas like the Carlton is there is a lot of old pioneer and Indian graves out there. And the dogs will alert on those. So it could be an Indian grave out there that they found. The dogs will find stuff that is that old.' The search started at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which is 160-acre section attached to Carlton Reserve. It then switched to the main entrance to Carlton Reserve, closer to Venice, Florida. Hadsell said: 'Searches always start at the last known position. So assuming that the intelligence they got on the Mustang is accurate, they would start from that location and work their way out of there. 'All they are doing is expanding the search sectors from these certain areas that have been unproductive, so they will go further and see if they can find any trace of him out there. 'Knowing where somebody isn't is just as important as knowing where they are. And that's what they're doing right now, the process of elimination working their way through the map.' The 5,000 immigrants missing from Del Rio are fleeing south to Mexico City and Monterrey in a bid to avoid the Biden administration's deportation flights, DailyMail.com has learned. Thousands of Haitians have been seen purchasing tickets at the Ciudad Acuna bus station in the past two days and say they plan to disappear into the black economy while they raise funds for a fresh attempt to cross the US border. Most say they will not return to Del Rio but will instead pursue a more expensive route: paying a cartel smuggler to bring them across in the Rio Grande Valley or via the Arizona desert. Photos obtained by DailyMail.com show some of the Haitians gathered at the transport hub, with some showing off their tickets which state the destination as Monterrey. Others were seen buying tickets to Nogales a Mexican border city that is just 68 miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Thousands of Haitian migrants have been seen purchasing tickets at the Ciudad Acuna bus station in the past two days and say they plan to disappear Photos obtained by DailyMail.com show some of the Haitians gathered at the transport hub, with some showing off their tickets which state the destination as Monterrey Others were seen buying tickets to Nogales a Mexican border city that is just 68 miles south of Tucson, Arizona Most of the migrants say they will not return to Del Rio, but instead will pay a cartel smuggler to bring them across in the Rio Grande Valley or via the Arizona desert Monterrey, a city of five million people in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, is just over 300 miles south of Del Rio and within striking distance of other border cities such as Eagle Pass. Migrant expert Todd Bensmann of the Center for Immigration Studies told DailyMail.com: 'A lot of those Haitians fled. A Haitian migrant showed DailyMail.com his ticket at the bus station is Ciudad Acuna, Mexico 'They just fled back over that river and ran. Hundreds and hundreds of them that I saw. I personally saw. 'They told me they were fleeing because of the deportation flights.' One man said he had been purchasing food for his family in Ciudad Acuna when Border Patrol began loading buses. He said he had returned to find his wife and child gone and only realized what had happened when he received a call from his wife saying she had landed in Port-au-Prince. The man added: 'She called me on the phone. I am not taking this well.' He was among the hundreds of migrants purchasing tickets to other Mexican cities and said he would work in Tapachula while he works out whether to rejoin his wife in Haiti or find a way to get her back to Mexico. Bensmann says most made their way to the local bus station where they purchased tickets for other Mexican cities where they hope to be allowed to work. He said: 'A lot of them were in the bus station and it was full of them buying tickets to Tapachula, Mexico City and Monterrey. 'When I asked them, what are you going to do there? The answer was, well we're going to get Mexican work documents and wait until this [the deportation flights] passes. 'Then we're going to try it again.' The Biden administration has repeatedly refused to account for the whereabouts of 5,000 migrants from the Del Rio bridge encampment which numbered 15,000 at its peak last weekend. A makeshift border migrant camp is seen at daybreak along the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, on Wednesday The Biden administration has refused to account for the whereabouts of 5,000 migrants from the Del Rio bridge encampment which numbered 15,000 As of Thursday, the administration said 5,000 migrants were left in the Del Rio International Bridge camp, while 1,401 had been sent back to Haiti on 12 flights. A further 3,206 remain in ICE custody awaiting a decision on whether they will be expelled or allowed to apply for asylum in the US. Bensmann said the exodus had been fueled by texts from friends and family members who had found themselves back in Port-au-Prince or Cap Haitien following a deportation flight. He said the majority had no wish to return to Haiti but were also unwilling to return to their old lives in Chile or Brazil where most of the migrants have lived since a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 forced them out of their homes. 'They would far prefer Mexico over Haiti,' Bensmann said. 'They don't want to go back to Chile because for one thing, it's too far. 'The way they got here was through the Darien Gap jungle nobody goes the other way back through that passage. 'I suppose you could fly back to Chile but nobody wants to do that because if you can just find a way to stay in Mexico, deportation mania will pass and they'll just quietly cross over somewhere else where there's no media and no camp. 'They're just going to wait for another day and then they'll cross through. So if the administration is never able to account for another 5,000, there's only one explanation. T 'hey know how many came in for sure because they gave a ticket, a numbered ticket to every Haitian that entered and they logged it in a book. So they definitely know how many came in. 'If they can't account for four or five thousand, there is only one explanation for that and that's how many fled back into Mexico.' DailyMail.com learned that the majority of Haitians in Del Rio have actually come from Chile or Brazil, where they have been living as refugees for years, and only set off for the US after Biden opened the borders Bensmann added that the majority of those staying in Mexico were now looking for alternative places to cross such as in the Rio Grande Valley. He told DailyMail.com: 'Haitians have been surging on the southern border since at least January or February in very large numbers. 'They have mostly been going to the Rio Grande Valley area that's where all those big family units have been waved through and been given those personal recognizance papers in large numbers. And that's still happening. 'All these people really need to do is just pivot to the south. They need to pay cartels there but if they can get the money for it, they'll simply just cross in there where nobody seems to care that so many are crossing. 'About 600,000 people have been allowed to cross and get residency in the Rio Grande Valley alone in the last six or seven months. ' In total, 1.3m people have been picked up by Border Patrol on the southern border in the last eight months. It is unclear how many have been deported, although DailyMail.com has confirmed that the administration is running daily removal flights to Guatemala City and San Salvador, as well as Haitian hubs Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien. Prince Andrew has officially conceded proper service of process in the New York lawsuit filed against him by accuser Virginia Giuffre. In a joint stipulation filed on Friday in Manhattan federal court, Andrew's attorneys said that they had received copies of the summons and complaint in the suit, which alleges sexual assault and sexual battery. The concession follows a lengthy battle in which Andrew was accused of attempting to evade responding to the allegations in court by claiming that legal papers in the case had not been properly delivered to him. Publicly he has always denied Giuffre's allegations. The new stipulation signed by attorneys from both sides in the case requests the cancellation of an October 13 preliminary hearing, which had been set to argue over process service questions. Prince Andrew's attorneys confirmed in a court filing that they had received copies of the summons and complaint in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit Prince Andrew has conceded proper service of process in the New York lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre. Pictured: The Duke of York with Virginia Roberts, as she was know at the time aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell in London It also sets the date for effective service of process as of September 21. Under standard procedure, Andrew's legal team would normally have 21 days to file a response to the initial complaint, meaning the deadline would be October 12. The new filing requests that his response deadline be extended until October 29, a concession that Guiffre's team agreed to in return for a guarantee that Andrew would not attempt to challenge service of process. US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan will now have to rule on the joint request, which he is likely to accept as both parties in the case have agreed to it. The filing confirms that attorneys for the two sides met by telephone on September 21 to hammer out the agreement, as sources told the Daily Mail earlier this week. The latest development sets up Andrew, who is ninth in line to the British throne, for for a dramatic US court battle with his accuser. Sources tell the Daily Mail that the Duke intends to 'come out fighting' and use the civil court battle to repudiate Giuffre's accusations 'point by point, claim by claim' and, they hope, clear his name. In a joint stipulation filed on Friday in Manhattan federal court, Andrew's attorneys said that they had received copies of the summons and complaint in the suit American-born Giuffre, also known by her maiden name Virginia Roberts, has accused the prince of having sex with her on three occasions when she was 17, knowing she had been trafficked by his close friend, the convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. Giuffre alleges that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein (above) and that Andrew had sex with her knowing this Now 38, Giuffre is a married mother of three living in Australia. Andrew has strongly denied her accusations. But many in the princes circle are said to believe the attempts to skirt responding to the allegations in court have been both a legal and a PR disaster, allowing Giuffres lawyers to outwit and outplay them at every turn. For one person to sue another in a civil case, the claimant has to formally present legal papers to the other party to notify them of the action - also known as a service of process. The feud over the technicality began last week when Andrew's lawyer claimed that the legal papers had not been properly served in the UK, after they were left with a policeman at the gate of his Windsor mansion. Giuffre's attorney David Boies has scathingly described the actions of the opposing legal team as a game of hide and seek behind palace walls. Even Judge Kaplan made clear his irritation at the delay tactics last week, telling the princes US attorney Andrew B. Brettler: Lets cut out all the technicalities and get to the substance. But a source close to the Duke of York told the Daily Mail this week: Irrespective of media reports, the duke retains every confidence in his legal team and their strategy. Press Secretary Jenn Psaki slammed Facebook and Instagram and accused them of not doing anything to stop misinformation and affecting young girls' mental health in an interview Friday. Psaki appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe to talk about the many issues the Biden administration is facing, but co-host Mika Brzezinski took the opportunity to ask Psaki her stance on social media's effect on teenagers. Brzezinski cited an article by The Wall Street Journal that reported how Facebook's internal studies show that Instagram is toxic for young girls, yet the company has done nothing to address the issue. 'I mean, as a mother of a young girl, it makes me absolutely outraged the reports about Instagram affecting girls' mental health. That is outrageous,' said Psaki. Psaki has a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son with Democratic political aid husband Gregory Mecher, whom she married in 2010. Press Secretary Jenn Psaki accused Facebook and Instagram of not doing enough for young girls' mental health An article by The Wall Street Journal reported how Facebook's internal studies show that Instagram is toxic for young girls, yet the company has done nothing to address the issue. The report by the WSJ claimed that Facebook researchers had found that 32 percent of teen girls surveyed said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. The article accused Facebook of downplaying those findings. Brzezinski highlighted how difficult it was for lawmakers to hold big tech companies accountable, as Section 230 provides immunity to the platforms from becoming liable about what users post. 'The president thinks that one of these platforms has too much power, one of these platforms could do certainly much more to address all of these things you have referenced,' answered Psaki. Psaki also blamed the platforms of being complicit with the spread of misinformation by not acting on data they've collected of how misleading content travels online. 'We know that people are getting misinformation in the internet that is preventing them or prompting them not to have the vaccine,' she added. 'The president thinks that one of these platforms has too much power, one of these platforms could do certainly much more to address all of these things you have referenced,' said Psaki When asked about what could be done to tackle the issue with law, Psaki was doubtful. 'We'll have to see, there has to be appetite in Congress, there has to be a desire to get things done and change. But certainly elevating these issues, as a number of reporters have, as you have, as we tried to, is also important,' Psaki said. Psaki's revelations come less than two months after the Biden administration announced they would flag 'problematic' Facebook posts that spread misinformation. 'We've increased disinformation research and tracking within the Surgeon General's Office. We are flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation...It's important to take faster action against harmful postsand Facebook needs to move more quickly to remove harmful violative posts,' she said in July. On March 25, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left), Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (right), along with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, faced questions in Congress about their platforms' role in the current spread of misinformation. Dorsey admitted that Twitter had played a role in the January 6 Capital riot, after rioters used the platform to organize and plan their insurrection Press Secretary Jenn Psaki along with co-host Mika Brzezinski discussed Facebook's inaction Facebook and Instagram have said the companies attempt to remove misleading content, but misinformation still runs large in the platforms. On March 25, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, along with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, faced questions in Congress about their platforms' role in the current spread of misinformation. Dorsey admitted that Twitter had played a role in the January 6 Capital riot, after rioters used the platform to organize and plan their insurrection. Lawmakers subsequently pleaded with the tech companies to introduce stricter and more effective ways to fact-check information in social media. Big tech companies have recently been the subject of strong criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. In July, Donald Trump, who was banned form the platforms after the Capital riot on Jan 6, filed lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 'These companies have been co-opted, coerced and weaponized by government actors to become the enforcers of illegal, unconstitutional censorship,' Trump said. Advertisement An ABC insider has accused The View of 'monumental failure' after two of the show's stars were pulled off the air after testing positive for COVID-19 just seconds before they were scheduled to greet Vice President Kamala Harris. Co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were booted from Friday morning's live broadcast after returning the positive results at the eleventh hour. The bombshell news caused chaos on the show's set and forced Harris to delay her interview, which was eventually conducted via video link from another room at ABC's New York studios. 'This is a monumental failure on the part of the showrunner Brian Teta, ABC News' Kim Goodwin and Disney's Peter Rice,' the anonymous insider exclusively told DailyMail.com. 'This is a national security risk. Had Sunny and Ana actually met Kamala, she would've been at risk. What an utter waste of her time. I doubt we'll be able to book her again.' Hostin and Navarro were sitting on stage alongside co-hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin shortly after 10am Friday as they prepared to welcome Harris to their table. But the introduction was dramatically interrupted by showrunner Teta, who yelled for Hostin and Navarro to leave the room. Behar and Haines were left on stage, scrambling to fill air time. The pair spent several minutes taking viewer questions in scenes described by one columnist as 'an absolute trainwreck'. Harris was eventually set up in a back room, and conducted a shortened interview with Behar and Haines remotely. The ABC insider says Friday morning's broadcast blunder was indicative of the chaos that occurs behind the scenes at the daytime show. 'It shows how poorly mismanaged the show is... Kim Goodwin and Peter Rice need to step in and take control of this show, as it truly is a s**t show that they both have no control over.' The co-hosts looked stunned as they received the news ahead of the highly-anticipated interview The pair were dramatically ordered off set seconds before Harris walked out in front of a live audience, leaving producers scrambling The ABC insider told DailyMail.com that Behar - who is 78 years old - has been particularly concerned about contracting COVID, and that lax testing had put the veteran star at risk. 'Joy is an elderly woman pushing 80, regardless of her vaccination status, she needs to be protected and they have failed in their duty of care,' the source fumed. 'Over the summer, Joy had been very vocal to ABC management about her concerns returning to the studio, they could've exposed her to great danger. 'Remember Joy was one of the first hosts to work from home when the pandemic began. This is just simply unacceptable to do this to her. The source said The View's original co-creator, Barbara Walters, once had tight control over the production. However, they claimed the show has spiraled out of control since Teta joined six seasons ago. 'Brian has no control at all. Had Barbara Walters still been there none of this would've been allowed to happen. 'Barbara used to run this place with an iron fist, Brian just rolls over and let's chaos ensue. The hosts have too much power, they literally answer to no one. 'His a** should be on the line for this.' 'Barbara used to run this place with an iron fist': The source said The View's original co-creator, Barbara Walters, once had tight control over the production. She is pictured on her final day on The View in 2014 The source said The View's original co-creator, Barbara Walters, once had tight control over the production. However, they claimed the show has spiraled out of control since Brian Teta (pictured) joined six seasons ago. Harris' introduction was dramatically interrupted by showrunner Teta, who yelled for Hostin and Navarro to leave the room Harris did not come out to the stage, instead conducting her interview with Behar and Haines via video link from a room elsewhere at the ABC studios After Hostin and Navarro were taken off set, Behar was left to explain to the audience what had happened. 'Sunny and Ana both apparently tested positive for COVID. No matter how hard we try, these things happen,' she stated. 'They probably have a breakthrough case and they will both be okay, I'm sure, because they are both vaccinated'. A spokesperson from the Vice President's Office told DailyMail.com: 'The Vice President did not have contact with the hosts before the show. Her schedule today will continue as planned.' The VP flew back to Washington DC this afternoon, where she is expected to meet with the Prime Ministers of Australia, India and Japan. It is unclear when she will next see President Joe Biden face-to-face. The View hosts Sunny Hostin (second right) and Ana Navarro (far right) were dramatically ordered off set after testing positive for COVID ahead of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday Media critics and viewers were left aghast at the drama which unfolded live on air. 'Vice President Harris apparently is waiting backstage. Behar now taking questions from the audience. An absolute train wreck,' The Hill columnist Joe Concha tweeted. 'Two hosts (vaccinated) on @TheView were rushed off stage during the show after testing positive for COVID-19, following their self-righteous condemnation of the unvaccinated. You can't make it up,' Madison Gesiotto Gilbert wrote. Tomi Lahren chimed in: 'Wait wait WHAT?! These women on @TheView just get done preaching about COVID and health and safety and how bad the unvaccinated are and no sh*t in the commercial break 2 of them have to leave because they havewait for itCOVID!' She added: 'Well apparently the super health cautious ladies of @TheView may be the super spreaders they lecture you about!' It's unclear why ABC's COVID testing results were received at the 11th hour. It's also unclear how frequently Hostin and Navarro had been tested for the virus in recent days. The interview with VP Harris had long been in the works and had been vigorously promoted by the network in recent days. DailyMail.com has reached out to the network for comment. Joy Behar and Sara Haines were left scrambling after the news was announced. Harris' interview was delayed News of The View's COVID chaos comes on the same day that President Biden told frontline workers and those over the age of 65 who got the Pfizer vaccine to get booster shots. His order came after CDC director Rochelle Walensky overruled her own agency's advisory panel in a rare move late Thursday night and added a recommendation for COVID-19 vaccine boosters for people at risk because of their jobs. 'You're over 65 years of age, go get a booster. Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes, or you're a frontline worker like a health care worker or a teacher, you can get a free booster now,' Biden said in remarks at the White House Friday. The CDC committee voted against recommending use for those are at risk due to an 'occupational or institutional settings,' claiming there wasn't enough data to make such a recommendation. The decision only applies to those who have received the Pfeizer vaccine. The FDA has yet to weigh Moderna Inc's application for boosters and Johnson & Johnson Inc. has not yet filed an application. President Joe Biden urged 60 million Americans who got the Pfizer vaccine, primarily those over 65, to get booster shots Actor Michael K. Williams died inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse after ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine, an autopsy revealed. The New York Coroner's office ruled the 54-year-old's death accidental today, naming the cause as 'acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.' Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It can cause death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances. Earlier this month, it nearly killed comedian Kate Quigley, who unknowingly consumed fentanyl-laced cocaine at a Venice Beach house party. It wasn't immediately clear whether homicide detectives will be investigating Williams' death, but New York police previously said that they would launch an investigation to find his dealer. Michael K Williams died after consuming fentanyl-laced drugs inside his Brooklyn apartment Williams was discovered unconscious and facedown in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew on September 6. A doorman subsequently called 911 claiming Williams was 'unresponsive' and 'felt cold'. Medics rushed to the scene, but declared the actor dead at 2:12pm. Williams was best known for his role in the hit HBO series The Wire, which ran from 2002 to 2008. However, he also won praise for his role in last year's drama, Lovecraft Country for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He spoke frequently about his struggles with addiction, and described it as a daily struggle. He told NJ.com during a 2012 interview that he squandered his The Wire earnings on pot and cocaine. 'I was playing with fire,' Williams told the outlet. Williams was open about his struggles with addiction, and said he was 'playing with fire' New York's medical examiner's office found fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Williams' system 'It was just a matter of time before I got caught and my business ended up on the cover of a tabloid or I went to jail or, worse, I ended up dead,' Williams said. 'When I look back on it now, I dont know how I didnt end up in a body bag.' In February, Williams said he started therapy after being affected by filming Body Brokers, his final movie, and shortly after wrapping Lovecraft Country Williams shot to international fame playing gay stick-up man Omar Little in The Wire. President Barack Obama once described The Wire as his favorite show and Omar as his favorite character. He also drew raves playing Albert (Chalky) White in the hit HBO show Boardwalk Empire. Williams (pictured at right with The Wire costar Dominic West) starred on the series until 2008 The dangers of fentanyl were highlighted earlier this year following Quigley's overdose. She was among a group of friends to unknowingly ingest the opioid September 5 during a mass overdose that killed three others. Quigley survived but fellow comedians Fuquan Johnson and Enrico Colangeli (Rico Angeli), 48, and Natalie Williamson, 33, were found dead at the party after also overdosing. More than 83,000 have lost their lives to drug-related overdoses in the year-long period ending July 2021, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. An instructor at the Sandhurst military academy had an affair with a female officer cadet before she hanged herself in her room, it has been alleged. Two senior soldiers have been investigated by Army commanders and have been named as interested parties ahead of an inquest into the death of Officer Cadet Olivia Perks, the Mail can reveal. The 21-year-old was known to be a suicide risk before the male instructors, both significantly older than her, breached Sandhurst rules banning personal relationships with officer cadets. It is forbidden for staff at the world-famous academy attended by Princes William and Harry to engage in any intimate or physical conduct with trainees. Yet just days before Miss Perks killed herself, a colour sergeant invited her to his bedroom after they had been drinking. She spent the night there, triggering a chain of events which led to her death. A staff sergeant is also alleged to have had an affair with Miss Perks. Officer Cadet Olivia Perks, 21 (pictured) took her own life in February 2019 after an 'affair with an older male instructor' at Sandhurst Military Academy in Berkshire It is forbidden for staff at the world-famous Sandhurst academy (pictured above) to engage in any intimate or physical conduct with trainees According to sources, he admitted kissing her, but evidence has emerged suggesting their relationship was more serious. The Mail can reveal the colour sergeant was demoted and removed from Sandhurst. The staff sergeant may also face disciplinary action. The shocking circumstances behind Miss Perks death thought to be the only suicide by a female officer cadet in Sandhurst history are in an Army report to be released this year. It will find the instructors conduct breached Army values and standards and welfare provision to Miss Perks was inadequate. At the time of her death, she was on Sandhursts suicide vulnerability risk matrix. An inquest is due to be held in May next year. Miss Perks, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, took her life in February 2019. That morning, she was supposed to be on the range, honing her weapons skills. She declined, telling friends she had a meeting with her Company Sergeant Major, Richard Pask. The Mail has been told there was no meeting and CSM Pask found her in her room. Suicide notes were also found. At the time, Sandhurst commanders were investigating how Miss Perks had spent the night with a colour sergeant after a formal dinner a few days earlier. In a serious breach of rules, he had invited her into his bedroom in the sergeants mess. Miss Perks, whose erratic behaviour at social occasions was known to Sandhurst staff, accepted his invitation. Princes William and Harry both attended the world-famous Sandhurst Military Academy Both she and the colour sergeant insisted nothing inappropriate happened and they both remained fully clothed. Miss Perks left his room the next morning wearing her ball gown. She had to walk through the parade squad where her colleagues were gathered. A Sandhurst source said: Everyone else standing to attention and there was Olivia crossing the parade ground in front of her fellow cadets and the instructors. She told people afterwards how horrible it was. The instructors demanded to know where shed been. Senior soldiers went to his room. Apparently, he was still asleep in a chair wearing his formal attire. She was really scared what would happen to him and felt it was her fault. 'Olivia was in trouble for missing the parade but the commanders were much more angry with the colour sergeant. It was very stressful, particularly as she was convinced she was going to be dismissed from Sandhurst, which wasnt the case. Word of the incident soon reached a staff sergeant who is said to have challenged Miss Perks about it. The Mail has been told that the staff sergeant had been close to Miss Perks and admitted kissing her on several occasions. Evidence has also emerged that they spent weekends together. A Berkshire coroner has named both instructors as interested parties ahead of the inquest. Senior officers may be asked by Miss Perks legal representatives why she was not monitored more closely, given that she was considered at serious risk of self-harm. According to sources, senior officers may have failed to follow official guidelines for supervising those most likely to kill themselves. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last night that the Service Prosecuting Authority was considering charges against Sandhurst staff for failing to carry out their duties to protect Miss Perks. The 21-year-old was added to the suicide matrix after her behaviour on trips to Normandy and to a Royal Engineers base. A source added: The tragedy was Olivia was just a fortnight from completing her course. Shed succeeded against the odds. Miss Perks family declined to comment last night. An Army spokesman said: A Royal Military Police investigation has concluded and the matter has been referred to the Service Prosecution Authority. It would be inappropriate to comment further. For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a Samaritans branch Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's chief of staff resigned hours after the Republican got in a shouting match over abortion with Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell on the front porch of the U.S. Capitol Friday. 'After eight and a half months fighting the Socialist Democrats and RINOs in DC, it's time to move on,' Patrick Parsons said in a statement posted by the QAnon-believing congressman on Twitter Friday night. 'Marjorie Taylor Greene is an America's First superstar who has become one of the leading policy-influencers in our party today,' Parsons added. The announcement did not mention Friday's highly publicized back-and-forth. Instead, Parsons cited his desire to get back into grassroots politics. Patrick Parsons, pictured second from right in February, resigned as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's chief of staff Friday night, citing a desire to get back into grassroots politics Greene thanked Parsons for helping her fight 'Socialist Democrats' in a tweet above his letter Hours before he resigned, Greene heckled Democrats on the Capitol steps and got into a shouting match with Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell over abortion and civility 'She's shaken up Washington, D.C., stood up to the swamp and her own conference, disrupted business as usual and showed Republicans how to fight back and never back down,' Parsons said. 'Americans are seeing our freedoms threatened and taken away by the Communist Biden Administration running our nation today and I can do more to stop that threat working on the outside than in Congress, just as I did heading Georgia Gun Owners.' Greene thanked Parsons for 'helping me take the fight to the Socialist Democrats as I've transitioned into Congress.' It was not immediately clear who would replace him. Earlier in the day, a reporter for Business Insider captured Greene shouting at a handful of Democratic lawmakers, including Dingell, outside the Capitol, informing them that the 'border's wide open,' and that they were 'burning America down.' Rep. Debbie Dingell (left) yelled at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (right) for being 'so mean to all of your colleagues' Greene then moved down the steps where Democrats had been gathered for a 'Build Back Better for Women' event. A woman who wasn't identified told the anti-abortion lawmaker, 'Congresswoman, I wish you would stand with women,' which set the Georgia Republican off. 'Stand with women? I do! Stand with motherhood, how about that?' Greene responded. 'You know, there's unborn women, do they not have a right to life? Killing babies up until birth, are you serious right now? Why don't you stand with women. Stand with mothers. Stand with babies. It's a great gift,' the Republican firebrand responded. Greene stood off to the side and continued to engage. 'You should all be ashamed,' Greene screamed at a group of Democrats lining up for a photo-op. That's when Dingell, who had previously gone back into the Capitol, pounced. 'You should be ashamed of your incivility,' yelled Dingell, who was standing a few steps above Greene. Greene then turned her attention to the Michigan Democrat, telling the Georgia Republican, 'you're so mean to all of your colleagues.' 'You know what? Killing a baby up until birth is a lack of civility, it's called murder,' Greene said. 'Hey, what about the border down there? Lack of civility, how about lack of laws?' 'You know what? Killing a baby up until birth is a lack of civility, it's called murder,' Greene said Dingell shot back, raising her voice. 'We have lots of laws we follow and you should practice the basic thing you're taught in church - respect your neighbor!' 'Taught in church, are you kidding me? Try being a Christian and supporting life!' Greene said. 'You try being a Christian and try treating your colleagues decently,' Dingell screamed back. It's unclear if Greene realized she was shouting at a fellow member. 'Watch your step lady, you're going to fall down,' Greene said, after Dingell had wobbled on the steps. 'Control yourself!' Dingell has long been a fixture in Washington, taking over the seat of her late husband John, who served in Congress from 1955 to 2015, when he passed. Later Friday, Dingell used the altercation to boost her fundraising numbers. 'We know that women from Michigan get the job done, and today, Debbie stood up against a bully heckling her colleagues,' a fundraising email to reporters read, according to The Hill. Sajid Javid dramatically stepped in last night to ensure patients have face-to-face access to GPs. In a significant victory for the Daily Mail's campaign, the Health Secretary said he would slash red tape to give family doctors time to undertake more appointments in person. Mr Javid is looking at ways GPs can be saddled with less paperwork to encourage them to see more patients at clinics, this paper can reveal. By slashing bureaucracy, he hopes far fewer patients will have to make do with telephone or online consultations, reducing the risk that serious health conditions could be missed. But the Health Secretary will warn doctors that those who continue to provide an unacceptably low level of face-to-face access will be held to account. In a significant victory for the Daily Mail's campaign, the Health Secretary said he would slash red tape to give family doctors time to undertake more appointments in person By slashing bureaucracy, he hopes far fewer patients will have to make do with telephone or online consultations, reducing the risk that serious health conditions could be missed Earlier this week, the Health Secretary met leaders from the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs to discuss access to doctors and how the public can get face-to-face appointments. A senior government source said: 'GPs are doing a phenomenal job and we need to free up more of their time so they can focus on seeing patients rather than filing paperwork. 'That is why we are urgently looking at ways to cut bureaucracy in the system. For many people telephone appointments are more convenient but of course those who want a face-to-face appointment should be able to get one.' Additional support will be explored for GP practices that require it, while those performing to a poor standard will be held to account, the source added. The Mail launched its campaign on Monday following growing concerns that serious illnesses were being missed because too many appointments were being held remotely. Earlier this week, the Health Secretary met leaders from the British Medical Association and the Royal College of GPs to discuss access to doctors and how the public can get face-to-face appointments Before the pandemic, more than 80 per cent of GP appointments nationally were in person compared with just 57 per cent this July Before the pandemic, more than 80 per cent of GP appointments nationally were in person compared with just 57 per cent this July. The Health Secretary has already backed the Mail's campaign, saying: 'I am committed to ensuring everyone no matter who they are or where they live can choose to see their GP face to face and I am grateful to the Daily Mail for launching this campaign.' 'I had a phone chat... then nearly died' After almost dying twice, Colin Rawlings calls the lack of face-to-face appointments 'totally unacceptable' and warns: 'People are going to die.' The widower, 81, first had trouble in 2019 when a consultant treating him for a lung condition urged his GP to see him about a possible heart condition without success. Weeks later he needed emergency heart surgery. In March 2020 the retired businessman, pictured, of Saltdean, East Sussex, developed difficulty urinating and called several times for an appointment, but only got a phone consultation, which didn't help as he is hard of hearing. He later collapsed with sepsis and nearly died. He needed two days in intensive care and a week on a general ward. Advertisement Earlier this week Boris Johnson also spoke out in support of it, saying people were 'entitled' to see their GP in person. He told reporters on his trip to the US that thousands would 'suffer' unless the pre-pandemic system was reinstated. But GP leaders told the Commons earlier this week that face-to-face appointments would never return to pre-pandemic levels. Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, told MPs on Tuesday that Covid safety measures and high demand mean it is impossible to offer consultations to patients in person simply because they would 'like' one. However, oncologist Professor Karol Sikora, former director of the World Health Organisation's cancer programme, last night welcomed Mr Javid's intervention. He added: 'It is true that there is way too much paperwork for GPs. We need this to be streamlined and we need to be able to empower GPs to book scans themselves.' Dennis Reed, from pensioners' campaign group Silver Voices, said: 'This is an encouraging move and shows the Daily Mail's campaign is having an effect at the Department of Health. 'What we need now is a target for every GP practice on how many face-to-face appointments they should hold a carrot and stick approach.' Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, added: 'We're not there yet but these are promising signs... 'If a bonfire of paperwork helps free up more time for in-person appointments in local surgeries [then] I'm sure everyone would support it.' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wrapped up their first day in the Big Apple Thursday by hosting a meeting on vaccine equity with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) offices in the United Nations (UN) building. The couple released a statement on Friday on the Instagram account for their non-profit Archewell saying they had partnered with the WHO to host a 'dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity.' They were joined by some of the 'foremost leaders' on public health, they said, adding that they are 'eager to do our part' to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sussexes had been spotted emerging from the WHO offices at 885 Second Avenue in Manhattan late Thursday afternoon, carrying both WHO documents and documents featuring Archewell branding. The discussion on vaccine equity comes ahead of their appearance at Saturday's Global Citizen concert, which is also focused on the same mission. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wrapped up their first day in the Big Apple Thursday by hosting a meeting on vaccine equity with Chelsea Clinton and other health experts (above) 'In this room, we had a number of the foremost leaders on public health, pandemic preparedness, scientific progress, and community building,' the couple said in a joint statement. 'Today's meeting was a much-appreciated opportunity to learn from some of the most-respected experts who are working tirelessly to end this pandemic. 'Building on ongoing conversations we've had with global leaders over the past 18 months, today further reinforced our commitment to vaccine equity. 'We're so encouraged by the spirit of collaboration we heard throughout our conversation and are eager to do our part.' Meghan and Harry were joined at the meeting by Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation. Other attendees included: WHO assistant director-general Stewart Simonson, Director of Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services Loyce Pace, WHO Foundation CEO Anil Soni, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the UN's Under-Secretary General Winnie Byanyima. The couple released a statement Friday on Archewell's Instagram saying they had partnered with the WHO to host a 'dialogue on the urgent need to achieve global vaccine equity' Meghan and Harry are seen at the meeting which they said included some of the 'foremost leaders' on public health WHO director-general Ghebreyesus, who joined the meeting remotely, said he was 'grateful' to Meghan and Harry for their work on the 'critical conversation' on the vaccine. 'We're grateful to The Duke of Duchess of Sussex for working with us to bring together this critical conversation,' he said, reported Vanity Fair. 'We are at an important crossroads for vaccinating the world. 'It is only with collaboration, coordination, transparency, and creative thinking that we can make it through this pandemic together.' The Sussexes are among the famous faces who will appear on the 24-hour broadcast of Global Citizen Live Saturday. The event is being staged in Central Park and broadcast all around the world, with artists like Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Metallica and Coldplay scheduled to perform. It was set up with the aim of urging world leaders to adopt a vaccine equity policy to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. They were seen leaving the World Health Organization headquarters at 885 Second Avenue, carrying both WHO documents and documents featuring their Archewell Foundation branding Back in May, Meghan and Harry penned an open letter calling on the companies behind the COVID-19 vaccines to support this policy and ensure the shots are available to everyone. Thursday's vaccine equity meeting marked just one stop along Meghan and Harry's tour of New York City. On Friday morning, they paid a visit to PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem where Meghan read to students from her children's book The Bench. Meghan sported a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat and matching $1,680 pants for her visit to the public school which serves shelters for families without permanent homes. Her shoes are thought to be $665 Manolo Blahnik red suede pointed toe pumps. She accessorized her look with almost $300,000 worth of jewelry including her 271,000 engagement ring, a $3,300 diamond ring from her first engagement with Harry as his fiance, Princess Diana's 17,800 Cartier tank watch and a gold bracelet. Data from NYC Department of Education reveals an estimated 95 percent of students at the public school fall on the economic need index, meaning they face economic hardship, based on temporary housing, eligibility for public assistance and Census poverty rates. On Friday morning, they paid a visit to PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school in Harlem where Meghan read to students from her children's book The Bench Meghan sported a $5,840 Loro Piana cashmere coat and matching $1,680 pants for her visit to the public school which serves shelters for families without permanent homes The couple appeared to have worked up an appetite during the visit - designed to promote early literacy - as they then headed on to local soul food joint Melba's for a bite to eat (above) A total of 94 percent of students are also eligible for free meals, according to Public School Review. This compares to 51 percent of students across the state. The couple appeared to have worked up an appetite during the visit - designed to promote early literacy - as they then headed on to local soul food joint Melba's for a bite to eat. The couple kicked off the first day of their tour Thursday rubbing shoulders with New York lawmakers and UN officials as well as paying their respects to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero. Last night, Harry, 37, was then spotted in Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel chatting animatedly with the people at his table - with no sign of Meghan, 40, in sight. They are staying at the lavish hotel, where top-tier rooms cost up to $8,800 a night, during what is their first major public appearance since they shocked the world by stepping back as senior working members of the royal family last January. Advertisement First Lady Jill Biden visited Oakland Community College in Michigan on Friday along with Education Sec. Miguel Cardona to praise the return of in-person learning. 'We did our best with virtual learning. There are some things you cannot replicate through a screen. That is why I am so happy to be back in class in person. Aren't you?' The first lady, a teacher herself at Northern Virginia Community College, returned to the classroom to teach English and writing earlier this month. She also pushed for free community college as part of President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda. 'New jobs require new skills, and you see it right here in Michigan,' Biden said, according to The Detroit News. 'K-12 education is simply not enough to compete in a 21st-century economy.' Her husband's agenda provides $109 billion for two years' free community college. 'Community colleges are founded on the idea that no matter where we are, no matter where we come from or what struggles we've faced, all of us have the potential to grow and learn,' she said to a crowd at the campus in Royal Oak, Mich., 'to pursue fulfilling careers, to give back to our communities if only we are given the opportunity.' First Lady Jill Biden visited Oakland Community College in Michigan on Friday along with Education Sec. Miguel Cardona to push for free community college as part of President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda 'New jobs require new skills, and you see it right here in Michigan,' Biden, a full-time teacher herself at Northern Virginia Community College, said. 'Community colleges are founded on the idea that no matter where we are, no matter where we come from or what struggles we've faced, all of us have the potential to grow and learn,' she said to a crowd at the campus in Royal Oak, Mich. Cardona, too, said that free community college was essential for the growth of the nation, and would particularly help black and brown students who chose to forego higher education to avoid being saddled with debt. 'We know that when we provide free community college for all, it can serve as a foundation or a country's growth,' Cardona said. 'We must get free community college for every student.' 'It's not just about two years of community college. It's about being honest about our educational inequities and doing what is right to truly level the education field,' Cardona said. 'We know not all schools are resourced equally. Biden talks with Michigan Rep. Andy Levin as she arrives to speak at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak The first lady speaks with, from left, Chancellor Peter M. Provenzano, Jr., Levin, D-Mich., and Education Secretary Miguel Cardonas President Biden's agenda, wrapped into the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill Democrats are working to get through Congress, would also fund universal pre-K. Cardona has spent the last two days touring Michigan schools to promote early childhood education and literacy. Democrats have proposed a $3.5 trillion spending plan that in addition to universal pre-K and free community college, makes significant investments in climate change measures, health care and child care, and other significant expansions of the social safety net. The real figure is likely to be far lower, as Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have said they would never support a price tag so high. Manchin has over the summer balked at the idea of free tuition up front, but instead suggested forgivable loans for the first two years of college for those who graduate with an associate's degree. Democrats need to win him over to pass their spending bill without the support of Republicans. Keir Starmers first proper conference as Labour leader this weekend risks being overshadowed by his unpopular attempt to rewrite internal rules. The party will today try to show how it would improve the lives of millions of people, announcing fair pay agreements to guarantee minimum wages and conditions for workers in key sectors, starting with social care. But on the eve of the first in-person annual conference since before the pandemic, Sir Keir was still in talks with union barons over his bid to reduce the power of ordinary members to elect future leaders. He was hoping they would back his plan, paving the way for it to be put to the party faithful in Brighton today. Uneasy alliance: Keir Starmer's first proper conference as Labour leader this weekend risks being overshadowed by his unpopular attempt to rewrite internal rules as his deputy Angela Rayner (pictured together) also opposes it Sir Keir was hit by a backlash from major union bosses and Left-wing MPs on Wednesday. Insiders said his first attempt to secure agreement on his plan had been a car crash and a mauling. And he suffered another blow yesterday after it emerged that his ambitious deputy Angela Rayner also opposes the return of the electoral college. This system would scrap the one-member-one-vote rules that led to a landslide win for Jeremy Corbyn, instead giving greater weight to MPs and unions. According to The Guardian, Mrs Rayner has questioned the timing of the move as well as the principle behind it. Her private concerns emerged after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: I dont think it should be our focus. Even if Sir Keir secures the backing of union leaders, rank-and-file members could still scupper his plans. Labour members of Britains biggest union Unison said it was unthinkable that the leaders would change party rules to disenfranchise members. Sir Keir also faced dire warnings from his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn (pictured), who is still suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party over anti-Semitism Sir Keir also faced dire warnings from his predecessor. Mr Corbyn, who is still suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party over anti-Semitism, said: We meet at a time of great change and crisis, perhaps larger than any other time in my 50-plus years of party membership. The signs are that the party leadership wants to try to shut down debate, sideline the members and trade unions with the end result that Labour props up rather than challenges our broken political and economic system. Mr Corbyns ally Diane Abbott also made an outspoken attack on Sir Keir. She wrote online: When will it occur to Keir Starmer that the ludicrously undemocratic electoral college that he is trying to force through will not just make it easier to block Left-wing Labour leaders, it will make it easier for the Right to dump him when the time comes? Diane Abbott (pictured) also launched an outspoken attack saying the electoral college voting system 'will make it easier for the Right to dump him when the time comes' She also took aim at the Labour leaders 35-page essay on his vision for the country, tweeting: When Keir Starmer was campaigning for the Labour leadership he promised common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water, and a crackdown on corporate tax avoidance. Not a mention of these things in his new pamphlet. Sir Keir himself yesterday appealed to his party to focus on the future, not the past and offer a credible alternative to the Conservative Government, in the wake of the catastrophic general election defeat under Mr Corbyn. He told Londons Evening Standard: We need to show the country that we are a government in waiting with the hunger to win. The Labour leader will address the conference on Wednesday. Other shadow frontbenchers will also have the opportunity to set out their priorities. High-profile Jewish delegates have been warned they could face intimidation from hard-Left activists. Party members will vote tomorrow on the introduction of a new independent disciplinary system to judge anti-Semitism allegations a key demand of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). A Labour source said: I imagine the speakers will be heckled, and there could be a crowd outside the venue. High-profile Jewish delegates warned they could face intimidation from hard-Left activists during an anti-Semitism vote tomorrow and Jewish MP, Dame Margaret Hodge, (pictured) has been offered security advice by the party One prominent Jewish MP, Dame Margaret Hodge, has been offered security advice by the party. She said: People with concerns have been offered additional protection if they need it. Three years ago former Labour MP Luciana Berger had to have police protection at the conference due to threats. A Labour spokesman said: There is absolutely no place for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, and we do not tolerate any form of abuse. The EHRC found last year that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn broke equalities law over anti-Semitism, particularly over high-level interference in the disciplinary process. Labour is under fire for letting controversial Chinese firm Huawei take part in an event at the conference. One of the partys frontbenchers is due to appear at a drinks reception co-hosted by the telecoms giant, which was banned from the UKs 5G networks over espionage fears. Shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah will speak alongside representatives from Huawei accused of collusion with the Chinese state and British firms. One of Labour's frontbenchers, shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah, is due to speak at a drinks reception co-hosted by Huawei at the conference Mondays tech reception, organised by business group SME4Labour, is a fringe event. But it is taking place at a Brighton hotel within the conference secure zone, meaning Huawei employees are likely to have been given passes giving them access to the site. Huawei was also one of the partners at a business reception at the Liberal Democrats conference last weekend, at which leader Sir Ed Davey was present. It comes afer the telecoms giant Huawei was banned from the UKs 5G networks over espionage fears (file image) They will hold a similar event at the Tory gathering in Manchester, although no MPs are listed to appear there. Last night Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he was astonished the firm was allowed in the Labour secure zone and added it was particularly inept of the Conservatives too. A spokesman for Huawei said they were looking forward to discussing with delegates how technology can support the UKs drive to build back better. Persistent shoplifters should be spared jail and instead retailers could pay for their rehabilitation, a police chief has said. Donna Jones, an elected crime commissioner, believes short jail sentences for lowlevel criminals with drug addictions do not work and prison should be reserved for more serious violent and sex offenders. But her suggestion that shop owners could pay to help those who steal from them enraged the British Retail Consortium. It dismissed the proposal as 'irresponsible' saying it was 'little different to suggesting that households who are burgled should pay for the rehabilitation of the burglars'. Donna Jones, an elected crime commissioner, believes short jail sentences for lowlevel criminals with drug addictions do not work and prison should be reserved for more serious violent and sex offenders Miss Jones, who at 27 was the youngest ever magistrate in England and Wales, said: 'I think that we need a review of the way that sentencing in this country is done... 'Often for shoplifting, even if you are a prolific offender with 200 shoplifting offences, the chances are you might get six months and, therefore, you might do 12 weeks. 'Then you're out and actually is that really going break your addiction, or you're more likely to take drugs when you're in prison anyway, and then come out and just be carrying on the way that you were before? 'Are we just incarcerating people? Are we actually stopping them from reoffending?' Miss Jones, a spokesman for victims and serious crime for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said there must be a 'better way' to cut reoffending and make the country safer. One consequence would be to free up 'more prison spaces to lock up people that are really violent and dangerous for longer'. The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, who was elected as a Conservative, hailed a scheme in Birmingham to pay for intensive residential drug rehabilitation for career criminals as a 'beacon'. Two heroin and crack addicts turned their lives around after being selected by police for the Co-op funded rehab programme. They had committed 200 known offences. Miss Jones said: 'They would literally walk in the morning and take 200 worth of the goods. Then they would be back in again in the afternoon when they needed another hit. And this just carried on. 'And so they [the Co-op] decided to work with the police and with probation service and identify the individuals... and they paid for them to go through residential drug rehab.' She suggested retailers should work with police and police commissioners to find new solutions rather than calling 999 as officers often do not have the resources to attend. She told shop owners: 'Where you know you've got a problem, you can bet your bottom dollar the local policeman also know those people with problems.' Miss Jones added that she did not envisage making it mandatory for retailers to contribute, but suggested businesses consortiums could work more closely with police on the issue: I'm not saying that retailers should have to pay for this, but I am saying that I think people like myself, should be working with business consortiums in our area, working with the government, working with the Ministry of Justice to look at how we are spending the money that's spent on let's say restorative justice. Can we do it in a better way? Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, pointed out that shoplifters often attack staff when challenged. He said: 'It is irresponsible to suggest that shoplifting should not be treated seriously.' He added: 'The law enforcement response is already poor, with only 6 per cent of the daily 455 incidents of violence and abuse taken to court.' The legal settlement Prince Andrew hopes will get his sex assault case dismissed will not protect him from a lawsuit filed by his accuser Virginia Roberts, two sources have told the Mail. Lawyers for the Duke of York have asked to see a secret document signed in 2009 by Miss Roberts to resolve a civil case she brought against Jeffrey Epstein, claiming it will release the Queens second son from liability for her claims. But two people close to the case insist the confidential agreement does not apply to him, dealing a potentially major blow to Andrews chances of avoiding a courtroom showdown over her claims. The settlement releases lawyers, employees, agents and heirs from liability in connection with the Epstein case, the Daily Mail has been told. It did not include any additional provision for Andrew and did not mention him by name, it is understood. One source said: I dont see how this applies to Prince Andrew. Miss Roberts (C) claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew (L) three times when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein. The legal settlement Prince Andrew hopes will get his sex assault case dismissed will not protect him from a lawsuit filed by his accuser Virginia Roberts, two sources have told the Mail Miss Roberts claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein. She filed her bombshell lawsuit in New York last month. The Duke has repeatedly and strongly denied her allegations. The prospect of the settlement helping Andrew was raised this month by Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who Miss Roberts separately sued for defamation and battery. The case was dropped because he had given Epstein legal advice, meaning he qualified as a lawyer. Mr Dershowitz told this newspaper that he thought the settlement was an airtight defence for Prince Andrew, who Miss Roberts has sued for battery and infliction of emotional distress. Informed sources told the Daily Mail the legal agreement would do little to aid the Dukes defence. Lawyers for the Duke of York have asked to see a secret document signed in 2009 by Miss Roberts (pictured) to resolve a civil case she brought against Jeffrey Epstein, claiming it will release the Queens second son from liability for her claims. The filing acknowledges that the Duke was served with legal papers on 21 September. He would normally have 21 days to respond but both sides have agreed an extension until 29th October One source said: There is no Prince Andrew clause. Another said: This doesnt apply to friends or acquaintances. If Prince Andrew is relying on this for his defence, it wont go very far. A spokesman for Andrew declined to comment. Last night Andrews lawyers made their first official engagement with the case by filing a stipulation agreement at the New York court a statement jointly submitted by both sides of the basic facts they all agree on. The filing acknowledges that the Duke was served with legal papers on 21 September. He would normally have 21 days to respond but both sides have agreed an extension until 29th October. Covid infections have plummeted despite fears that the new school term would fuel an autumn surge. One in 90 people in England had the virus last week, with around 620,100 infected in total, testing by the Office for National Statistics revealed. This is down 18 per cent from a fortnight earlier, when one in 70 tested positive and estimated total infections stood at 754,000. The weekly ONS survey, based on random swab testing of 150,000 people, is seen by the Government as the most reliable measure of the epidemic. Covid infections have plummeted despite fears that the new school term would fuel an autumn surge In a further boost for hopes that the pandemic may be over, Government scientists said the R rate the average number infected by someone with the virus may have dropped below one for the first time since March. R is between 0.8 and 1 in England, meaning the epidemic is shrinking. ONS study leader Kara Steel said: Infection levels have decreased in England for the first time in several weeks, though rates remain generally high across the UK. Its encouraging that infection rates have continued to decrease among young adults, possibly reflecting the impact of the vaccination programme. Infections are highest in secondary schoolchildren, with around one in 35 testing positive, reflecting the fact that many in this age group are yet to be jabbed. But the ONS report shows cases have decreased or remained flat in every other age group. Last week Boris Johnson said further restrictions may be required under a Plan B this winter after scientists warned the virus could cripple the NHS again. No10 declined to say when Plan B including compulsory masks, vaccine passports and working from home might be introduced. Infections are highest in secondary schoolchildren, with around one in 35 testing positive, reflecting the fact that many in this age group are yet to be jabbed But scientists have suggested the NHS would begin to struggle if total hospital cases top 10,000. The latest data show admissions have fallen by 16 per cent in the past week and there are 7,124 Covid patients in hospital the lowest level since August. Current English hospitalisations, at 572 a day, are roughly half even the best case scenario in Sage models. Daily infections are currently averaging 36,000, with another 35,623 cases and 180 deaths reported yesterday. Experts have warned a back-to-school wave is still possible and that England could follow the trajectory of Scotland, where cases recently spiralled to record highs. Oxford University Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said: The very high prevalence in Scotland is a concern it is roughly double that of England. I very much hope England does not reach the level seen in Scotland. He added: Cases remain concentrated in the very young, who are the least likely to suffer illness and end up in hospital. As a result of vaccination, there is no going back to the death rates we saw early this year. n The Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation yesterday into a second Covid PCR testing company following customer complaints over missing test results. Dante Labs allegedly failed to deliver tests and/or results on time or at all and had been accused of using unfair terms and conditions, the CMA said. It came a week after the watchdog launched a similar probe into Expert Medicals. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has mocked President Joe Biden over his promises to tackle climate change via his 'Build Back Better' plan. During a climate rally in Berlin on Friday, she took the American president to task over comments he had made during an address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier in the week. 'As we move out of the pandemic, many are talking about using this as an opportunity for a green sustainable recovery, whatever that means,' 18-year-old Thunberg said. 'World leaders are talking about 'building back better,' promising green investments and setting vague and distant climate targets in order to say that they are taking climate action,' she added. 'When you look at what we are actually investing the money in the money that is supposed to be building back better it shows the hypocrisy of our leaders,' Thunberg said. 'We can still turn this around,' she said to cheers. 'We demand change, and we are the change.' During a climate rally in Berlin on Friday, Greta Thunberg took the American president to task over comments he had made during an address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier in the week Biden has promised to work with Congress to double funds by 2024 to $11.4 billion per year to help developing nations deal with climate change On Tuesday, Biden said the United States would double its financial contributions in order to help developing nations combat and adapt to climate change. He explained the 'Build Back Better' agenda to include initiatives to help reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and had the potential to include 'sustainable investment in projects' overseas. 'That's the idea behind the Build Back Better World,' Biden noted. Biden promised to work with Congress to double funds by 2024 to $11.4 billion per year to help developing nations deal with climate change. The funding would help achieve a global goal set more than a decade ago of $100 billion per year to support climate action in vulnerable countries by 2030. 'The best part is, making these ambitious investments isn't just good climate policy, it's a chance for each of our countries to invest in ourselves and our own future,' Biden told the annual gathering of world leaders. But Thunberg appeared to be unconvinced by Biden's pledge. 'The fact that we are in a crisis that we cannot build, buy or invest or way out of seems to create some kind of collective mental short-circuit among the people in power,' Thunberg said. 'And the longer they pretend that we can solve the climate crisis within today's system, the more invaluable time we will lose. 'It has been a very strange year and a half with this pandemic. But of course, the climate crisis has not disappeared,' she continued. 'It's the opposite - it's even more urgent now than it was before.' In Berlin, the participants marched through the government district of the German capital at a climate protection demonstration More than 100,000 people attended the 'Fridays for Future' protest in Berlin, Germany 'It's quite easy to understand why the world's top emitters of CO2 and the biggest producers of fossil fuels want to make it seem like they're taking sufficient climate action with fancy speeches. The fact that they still get away with it is another matter,' she also wrote on Twitter. The International Energy Agency who work with countries around the world to shape energy policies say only 2 percent of governments' recovery spending has been allocated to clean energy. The money falls well below what is needed to achieve international climate goals including net-zero emissions by 2050 or striving to keep global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius. An analysis by the World Resources Institute shows that even with the U.S. increasing its climate aid commitment to $11.4 billion by 2024, it pales in comparison to the $24.5 billion that the EU spent on climate aid in 2019. Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin, Germany The United Nations said last week that countries' commitments would see global emissions increase to be 16% higher in 2030 than they were in 2010 - far off the 45% reduction by 2030 needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Biden's commitment comes less than six weeks before the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Core elements of his climate change agenda remain tied to the fate of infrastructure and budget legislation under intense negotiation in Congress, raising the risk that he could arrive at the summit empty handed. Global leaders, including Biden, are expected to attend to draw up a solid plan to combat climate change. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin A former Labour MP appeared in court yesterday accused of making bogus expense claims. Jared OMara, 39, who unseated Nick Clegg at the 2017 general election, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and an eighth charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act. His former aide, 28-year-old Gareth Arnold from Dronfield, Derbyshire, denied six counts of fraud during the hearing before Sheffield magistrates. Jared OMara, 39, who unseated Nick Clegg at the 2017 general election, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and an eighth charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act OMara left the Labour Party following a string of controversies but stayed in office as an independent MP for Sheffield Hallam until he stood down at the 2019 election A third defendant, John Woodliff, 42, from Sheffield, denied a proceeds of crime charge. District judge Paul Goldspring said the case needed to be heard at Sheffield Crown Court. He gave the three defendants unconditional bail until their next appearance on October 25. OMara left the Labour Party following a string of controversies but stayed in office as an independent MP for Sheffield Hallam until he stood down at the 2019 election. The former MP, who has cerebral palsy and is on the autistic spectrum, was charged following an investigation by South Yorkshire Police detectives into allegations of expenses fraud. President Joe Biden left the White House Friday night together with first lady Jill Biden for a weekend away at Camp David at the end of a chaotic week that saw an impromptu border camp in Del Rio, Texas, cleared of thousands of Haitian migrants. Nearly 30,000 migrants had been encountered in Del Rio in the past two weeks but by Friday morning there were none left in the camp beneath the international bridge that links the U.S. with Mexico. More than 12,000 migrants will have a chance to make their case for protection before U.S. immigration judges, an estimated 8,000 voluntarily returned to Mexico, and 2,000 were expelled to Haiti. The fate of others detained is to be decided. At least five more flights from the U.S. border were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website FlightAware showed. Migrants were pictured taking shelter as they waited to be processed near the Del Rio International Bridge after crossing the Rio Grande into the U.S. in Del Rio, Texas Migrants are pictured sheltering along the Del Rio International Bridge at sunset last week In this aerial image the makeshift migrant border camp near the Del Rio International Bridge is seen after it was cleared in Del Rio, Texas, U.S. on Friday A Haitian migrant girl cries before leaving a makeshift camp in the Braulio Mendoza Park to move to the Terraza Fandango shelter, in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila state, Mexico, on Friday As well as the Biden administration's decision to send migrants back to Haiti, Mexico has also sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states. Many of the Haitians arriving at the U.S. border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries. U.S. President Joe Biden has faced criticism over the expulsions, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who described the Caribbean nation as a collapsed state. The crisis at the border comes ahead of a week that will likely define Biden's presidency. While Democrats look down a potential government shutdown and a debt ceiling showdown their their Republican counterparts, Biden is trying to get his massive $3.5 trillion budget bill through Congress - a key part of his 'Build Back Better' agenda. 'Let's just talk about it when I get through,' Biden answered when asked on the South Lawn if he was surprised that moderate Democrats are the holdouts on passing the plan. He answered, 'Yeah, but I'm negotiating with them, not you guys,' when asked if he knew what moderates wanted. 'Let's just talk about it when I get through,' Biden answered when asked on the South Lawn if he was surprised that moderate Democrats are the holdouts on passing the $3.5 trillion budget bill President Joe Biden (left) and first lady Jill Biden (right) walk out of the White House to Marine One en route to Camp David for a weekend away ahead of week that will define his presidency Progressives in the House won't sign onto Biden's bipartisan infrastructure plan unless they're assured the $3.5 trillion budget bill will pass too. Earlier Biden conceded that talks over his rebuilding plan have hit a 'stalemate' in Congress as he made the case for his expansive effort to recast the nation's tax and spending programs and make what he sees as sweeping, overdue investments. He told reporters on the South Lawn he had spoken with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday on where negotiations stood. Biden spoke at the White House as Democrats in the House and Senate are laboring to finish drafts and overcome differences between the party's centrist and moderate factions. Despite efforts by the president and congressional leaders to show progress, Biden cast the road ahead as long and potentially cumbersome, even with upcoming deadlines. 'Were getting down to the hard spot here,' Biden told reporters at the White House. 'Were at this stalemate at the moment.' Biden said the process is 'going to be up and down' but 'hopefully at the end of the day I'll be able to deliver on what I said I would do.' The president's acknowledgment of Democrats' disagreements - and they have serious differences over taxes, health, climate change and the ultimate price tag - contrasted with congressional leaders' more upbeat tone in recent days. Using carefully chosen words, top Democrats have seemed to be trying to create a sense of momentum as House votes approach. On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., predicted passage of both pillars of Biden's domestic agenda. One is a still-evolving $3.5 trillion package of social safety net and climate programs, the other a separate $1 trillion measure financing highway, internet and other infrastructure projects that's already passed the Senate with bipartisan support. 'We're going to pass both bills,' she told reporters. But she did not spell out how she and her Senate counterpart, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would resolve disagreements and distrust between their party's moderate and progressive wings that's stalled both measures. And there remained confusion about the voting schedule, which will be crucial. Pelosi promised House moderates last month that by this Monday, the chamber will consider the infrastructure bill, centrists' top priority. But progressives are threatening to vote to derail the infrastructure legislation until a final version of their favorite - the $3.5 trillion social and environment bill - passes the Senate and returns to the House. Progressives think delaying the public works bill would pressure moderates to back the larger measure. 'Were bringing the bill up, we will have a vote when we have the votes,' Pelosi told a reporter Friday about the infrastructure bill's timing. While she said debate would begin Monday, her remarks suggested that final passage of the public works legislation could slip. Pelosi also told reporters that 'the plan' was for her chamber to consider the $3.5 trillion package next week as well. It remained unclear how House-Senate bargainers would solve their differences over that bill that quickly. The president said his private meetings with some two dozen Democratic lawmakers this week in efforts to hasten progress and close the deal went well - describing the tone as collegial and with 'no hollering.' But as lawmakers raised objections over the sweep and scope of the plan, which is to be funded by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, Biden said he tried to get them focused on priorities - what they can and can't live with. President Joe Biden initally discussed negotiations on Capitol Hill during a Q&A reporters after addressing COVID booster shots Friday morning from the State Dining Room Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (left), Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (center) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (right) update reporters on Democratic efforts to pass President Joe Biden's 'Build Back Better' agenda on Thursday 'It's about paying your fair share, for lord's sake,' Biden said. 'There clearly is enough, from a panoply of options, to pay for whatever it is.' In a stark reality check, Biden suggested talks could drag to the end of the year. 'Its just going to take some time,' he said. Lawmakers are working nonstop and Biden is facing pressure to close the deal. Pelosi met Friday at the Capitol with her leadership team, and the House Budget Committee planned a rare Saturday session to take the strictly procedural step of sending the $3.5 trillion bill, as drafted by 13 other House panels, to the full chamber without any changes. Before the House votes on that measure, it is certain to change, perhaps more than once, to reflect compromises reached with Senate Democrats. Biden's big vision over his 'Build Back Better' campaign promise proposes expanding health, education and federal programs, with more services for Americans of all ages, while investing heavily in efforts to tackle climate change. All this would be paid for largely by hiking tax rates on corporations and wealthy individuals, those earning beyond $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for married couples. But centrist Democrats see the overall price tag as too much, while progressive lawmakers are hesitant to compromise any further after already having dropped even more ambitious ideas. A new DNA-based technique can accurately reveal the age of lobsters, a study reveals something that scientists have struggled to do until now. The researchers, at the University of East Anglia (UEA), identified changes in the DNA of the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) that accumulate with age. The changes can be identified in living lobsters, meaning the crustaceans still sought after as a delicacy no longer have to be killed to find out their age. Previously, it has not been known exactly how old lobsters can get. Some experts have estimated they could live on the ocean floor for as long as a century or more. But the new DNA-based technique could help manage lobster fisheries more sustainably, the UEA researchers report. The new study follows revelations from the British government in July that it will ban the act of boiling lobsters alive for consumption. The research team used a method that relies on quantifying DNA changes that accumulate with age within a European lobster (Homarus gammarus, pictured). Lobsters raised from eggs by the National Lobster Hatchery, so that the exact ages of individuals was known, allowed the researchers to calibrate their methods THE EUROPEAN LOBSTER Homarus gammarus, known as the European lobster, is a large lobster that can grow more than three feet in length. It is found at all British and Irish coasts on rocky substrata, living in holes and excavated tunnels from the lower shore to nearly 200 feet in depth. It is blue-coloured above with coalescing spots and yellowish below. The first pair of walking legs carry massive (but slightly unequal) pincers which can be 'formidable and dangerous'. Identifying features include large eyes, large claws and a short and spiny rostrum. Advertisement 'Until now, a lobster's age has usually been estimated using its size,' said study author Dr Martin Taylor from UEA's School of Biological Sciences. 'But this is inaccurate as individual lobsters grow at different rates. 'For a long time, it appeared that there was no accurate way to quantify a lobster's age. 'Some research suggested that you could tell a lobster's age by counting the rings in parts of their eyestalks and stomach a little like counting tree rings but you can't do that for a living lobster.' Previously, it has been 'very difficult or impossible' to age a lobster without killing it, and even then it is quite controversial, Dr Taylor told MailOnline. For the study, the researchers obtained lobsters raised from eggs at the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow so they would know their exact age. Once fully grown, they took tissue samples from the lobsters' claws and measured DNA methylation, which is known to decrease with age. Methylation of the DNA is the addition of a methyl group to one of the four DNA bases (in this case, cytosine). DNA is made up of four building blocks called nucleotides adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Homarus gammarus, known as the European lobster, is a large lobster that can grow more than three feet in length. This specimen is 4-5 years old A European lobster between 1-2 months. Previously, it has not been known exactly how old lobsters can get 'These changes are often referred to as epigenetic changes and sites within the DNA may become more or less methylated with age, frequently in a clock-like manner,' Dr Taylor told MailOnline. 'We selected markers that best correlated with known age to build an ageing model that was then used to age unknown age samples. 'A similar method has been used to determine chronological age in humans.' Researchers at the University of East Anglia claim to have solved the mystery of ageing lobsters DNA is made up of four building blocks called nucleotides adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C) UK MINISTERS TO BAN LOBSTERS FROM BEING BOILED ALIVE Ministers are planning to ban boiling lobsters alive as they look to extend new animal sentience laws to include crustaceans. The Government's new Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill - which is currently making its way through Parliament and will recognise animals as sentient beings - currently only covers vertebrates. But the legislation will reportedly be extended to also cover invertebrates, formally recognising that lobsters, crabs and octopuses feel pain. Boiling lobsters alive is already illegal in some countries like Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand. Read more: Ministers will ban lobsters from being boiled alive Advertisement The researchers identified a very strong relationship between age and these DNA modifications, allowing them to accurately estimate the ages of individual lobsters. When they applied this method to wild lobsters it predicted ages that generally aligned with minimum estimates of age based on size. The researchers say further validation is required across a wider range of known-age individuals and tissue types before the model can be used in fisheries management. The lobsters used in the study were up to around four years, but it's thought the European lobster can live until it's even more than 70 years old, and the American lobster (Homarus americanus) until it's 100 years old. 'If we catch a lobster and we want to age it that's 70 years, then we're extrapolating a long way beyond our known age range, so it starts to become much more difficult to be certain,' Dr Taylor told CBC. Also, the method has been calibrated on the European lobster. 'It could be developed for other species, but it would need a similar study using known age samples to calibrate the model,' Dr Taylor said. It was almost a decade ago that scientists in Canada reported being able to work out the age of a lobster by counting its rings, like a tree. Tress can be aged by measuring their girth specifically the rings that develop over time that increase that girth. Lobsters and other crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp, grow one ring each year in hidden-away internal spots. Before then, it was thought that when lobsters and other crustaceans moult, they shed all calcified body parts that might record annual growth bands, so scientists had tried to make educated guesses at the age of lobsters judged from their size. 'Lobsters have hard, inelastic shells and so in order to grow they must shed their old shell and replace it with a new one,' said study co-author Dr Eleanor Fairfield at UEA. 'However, lobsters of the same age don't always grow and moult at the same time. The new study follows revelation from the British government in July that it will ban the act of boiling lobsters alive. Boiling lobsters alive is already illegal in some countries like Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand 'For example, lobsters with more food or in warmer waters can grow more quickly, which makes it really hard to know how old lobsters actually are. 'It is crucial to be able to estimate how many lobsters of particular ages are present in a given area so that they can be sustainably harvested. Scientists have already used ribosomal DNA methylation levels to age mice, dogs and humans, but it had never been used in a wild, marine animal before, she added. The researchers suggest the technique shows great promise as a tool for improved management of the European lobster where information regarding the age structure of stocks is missing. 'Having an accurate indication of lobster age will help fisheries, scientists and conservationists alike to understand, manage and conserve our vulnerable lobster stocks, working hand-in-hand with proactive fisheries management strategies, such as stock enhancement,' said study author Dr Carly Daniels, head of production science and development at the National Lobster Hatchery. The technique developed at UEA in collaboration with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the National Lobster Hatchery has been detailed further in the journal Evolutionary Applications. SpaceX has shared footage of the moment its all-civilian Inspiration4 crew saw Earth from space for the first time, on board the Crew Dragon space capsule. The footage, filmed by Sian Proctor one of the four crew members along with Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux and Chris Sembroski shows the team opening the cupola, the huge domed window on Crew Dragon. The crew stare transfixed out the window as one of the men says 'Holy sh*t!' and the theme from '2001: A Space Odyssey' plays. All the while, surrounding objects including equipment and a stuffed toy float around in zero gravity in the background. The theme from '2001: A Space Odyssey' plays as the camera turns towards the cupola and the astonishing views beyond The Inspiration4 mission Dubbed Inspiration4, the mission was designed primarily to raise awareness and support for the pediatric cancer center, which successfully treated Arceneaux for bone cancer when she was a child. Although not the first time civilians have travelled to space, it is the first mission manned solely by civilians. The four-person team, under the command of Isaacman, launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Dragon only orbited Earth for three days, completing one orbit every 90 minutes along a customized flight path travelling at more than 17,000 miles per hour. Its progress was carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control. Advertisement Crew Dragon's window at the 'nose' of the space capsule was specially added to let the passengers take incredible panoramic views. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, said the design was 'probably [the] most "in space" you could possibly feel by being in a glass dome'. Inspiration4 launched in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience on September 16 atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean just before midnight on September 18. During their short flight, the team reached an orbital altitude of approximately 364 miles above the surface of the planet. This is the highest achieved since STS-103, a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in 1999, and the fifth-highest Earth orbital human spaceflight overall. The all-civilian crew of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission said the trip to space was 'awe-inspiring' and 'emotional' in their first interview since returning to Earth earlier this week. 'That last view of the Earth in the cupola made me emotional, because it was just so awe-inspiring, and I knew I'd be thinking about that for the rest of my life,' Arceneaux, 29, said in the interview. 'Our name is Inspiration,' Proctor added. 'To be able to capture that view and bring it back to Earth is special.' SpaceX 's Crew Dragon spaceship was equipped with a domed window for the world's first all-civilian mission to space Arceneaux and billionaire founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments Jared Isaacman, who purchased the flight Surrounding objects - including equipment and a stuffed toy - float around in zero gravity in the background The unique face crewmember Hayley Arceneaux pulls is clearly one solely reserved for seeing the majesty of Earth from space Arceneaux, who is a St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital physician assistant and was treated for bone cancer at 10 years old, added that she hopes the mission will inspire people, despite the fact she thinks of herself as an 'ordinary person.' 'Its hard for me to wrap my head around because I think of myself as an ordinary person, but I hope that people can relate to me,' she said. 'Ive had some difficulties in life, but I think everyone has in some way,' she continued. 'I think everyone has had to overcome something, and I just I hope that people can look at my story and know that holding on to hope, that there will be better days, is so important.' During their short trip, the team also took the time to answer questions from patients at St. Jude's in Memphis, Tennessee, such as 'Are there cows on the Moon?' and 'What kind of sleeping bag do you have?' Meet the Inspiration4 crew Jared Isaacman, 38 Jared Isaacman, 38 Issacman grew up in New Jersey and started dabbling in computer technical support and repair when he was just 14 years old. Two years later, he was offered a full time position and dropped out of high school to take the job - he later earned a GED. In 2005, Issacman founded a retail payment processing company named United Bank Card, which was later renamed Harbortouch, a point-of-sale payment company based in Pennsylvania. He was the founding CEO and retained that role in 2015 with the company having 'been profitable for over a decade. By 2020, the company had been renamed Shift4 Payments, Isaacman became the CEO, and the company was processing $200 billion in payments annually. Issacman piloted the craft and serve as spacecraft commander. Hayley Arceneaux, 29 Hayley Arceneaux, 29 Arceneaux, who is from Tennessee, was the first winner of a seat aboard the craft, who will become the youngest American in space and the first to make the journey with a prosthesis. At the age of 10, Arceneaux was treated for bone cancer and had surgery at St. Jude to replace her knee and get a titanium rod in her left thigh bone. She wants to show her young patients and other cancer survivors that 'the sky is not even the limit anymore.' Sian Proctor, 51 Sian Proctor, 51 Proctor was revealed as a winner this past March. She is an entrepreneur, educator, trained pilot and active voice in the space exploration community. She was selected as the top entrant of an independently judged online business competition that attracted approximately 200 entries and was conducted by the eCommerce platform Shift4Shop. And an independent panel of judges chose her space art website dubbed Space2inspire. Proctor, who studied geology, applied three times to NASA's astronaut corps, coming close in 2009, and took part in simulated Mars missions in Hawaii. Chris Sembroski, 41 Chris Sembroski, 41 The last seat was awarded to Sembroski, who donated and entered the lottery but was not picked in the random drawing earlier this month his friend was. His friend declined to fly for personal reasons and offered the spot to Sembroski, who worked as a Space Camp counsellor in college and volunteered for space advocacy groups. 'Just finding out that I'm going to space was an incredible, strange, surreal event,' he said in March. Sembroski served as the Mission Specialist and will help manage payload, science experiments, communications to mission control and more. Advertisement Last month, Arceneaux gave details of her six-month long training, which included centrifuge training, studying and 'spending lot of time in the simulator.' The crew began their journey at 4:07pm ET on September 15, when the four individuals emerged from Hangar X from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was also present to see the crew off and appeared to be just as excited as the team going to space on board a modified Crew Dragon module. When SpaceX first showed off the glass dome in March, Musk said the window would give the crew the 'probably most 'in space' ... feel' they could have in a glass dome One of the modifications was the cupola, or giant window, that let the four astronauts have a panoramic view of space in the modified Crew Dragon craft. The Inspiration4 crew splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida on September 18 at 23:06 UTC, bringing an end to their historic three-day mission orbiting Earth, 360 miles above the surface. The Dragon capsule descended towards Earth on four chutes before gently landing in the water as the module floated on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. The Inspiration4 capsule carrying four civilian crew members makes a safe return to earth as it lands in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday Four main chutes open as the Inspiration4 capsule descends back to earth after a three-day mission in space An 'accomplished jet pilot' according to Inspiration4's website, Isaacman, the commander of the mission, funded the trip in a private deal made with SpaceX. He said he wants the mission to show that space can be for everyone and not just a select few. 'I think if orbital space flight is just the exclusive domain of a couple of countries and a select few, I don't know how far we're gonna get,' Isaacman, 38, said. After months of anticipation, Apple's latest flagship phone, the iPhone 13, finally went on sale today. Fans around the world have been lining up outside Apple stores since the early hours of this morning to get their hands on the device. Desperate buyers have been pictured queuing up in front of Apple stores in London, as well as cities in Russia, China, Singapore, Australia and more, in an attempt to be some of the first around the world to become iPhone 13 owners. Earlier this month, Apple unveiled four new phones that make up the iPhone 13 range the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max along with a new Apple Watch and iPad mini. The iPhone 13 includes a sleek design and ceramic front shield, an advanced dual camera system that captures 47 per cent more light and a hefty increase in battery life 2.5 more hours than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 mini costs 679 ($699) and the iPhone 13 costs 799 ($799), which are the same prices as the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 released last year. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro costs 949 ($999) and the iPhone 13 Pro Max costs 1,049 ($1,099). As of Friday morning, most of the iPhone 13 range is listed as 'temporarily out of stock' on Amazon. People will be picking up models such as the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max A customer in the Apple Store in Regent Street, central London, as the new Apple iPhone 13 goes on sale in the UK Eager iPhone fans queue up in London to get their hands on the new device, which was announced by Apple earlier in September Customers get a round of applause as they enter the Apple Store London to spend their money on a new phone IPHONE 13 VS IPHONE 12 IPHONE 13 IPHONE 12 Colours Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink Red, Blue, Green, Black, White and Purple Capacity 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Size 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inches Weight 173 grams 162 grams Display 6.1 inches 6.1 inches Camera Dual 12MP camera system Dual 12MP camera system Some of the first new iPhone owners were in Sydney, where there is still a lockdown and strict social distancing measures due to Covid. Buyers have been pictured in the Australian city's Apple Store in Sydney wearing masks and keeping their distance from others. Due to the Sydney lockdown restrictions, customers are able to pick up their pre-ordered products with click and collect, but are not able to shop in-store. The new iPhone 13 is not a completely redesigned Apple smartphone, but includes subtle changes that improve performance and user experience. For example, the Face ID notch is 20 percent smaller than what is featured on the iPhone 12. The latest device is also powered by Apple's new A15 Bionic Chip, and includes an up to 50 percent faster CPU than the competition, along with delivering up to 30 percent faster graphics. Customers wait for their new iPhone while complying with social distancing inside the Apple Store on George Street on September 24, 2021 in Sydney Jun Matsuda receives his newly purchased iPhone Pro from an Apple Store staff member inside the Sydney Apple Store Matsuda kisses his newly purchased iPhone 13 inside the Sydney Apple Store. iPhone 13 Pro offers customers the most advanced camera system ever on iPhone, a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and is powered by A15 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone Jun Matsuda receiving his new Apple products from an Apple staff member inside the Apple Store on George Street on September 24, 2021 in Sydney, Australia Additionally the iPad mini and a new iPad also went on sale today. Due to current Covid lockdown restrictions in Sydney, customers are able to pick up their pre-ordered products with click and collect, but are not able to shop in-store iPhone 13 Pro offers customers the most advanced camera system ever on iPhone, a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and is powered by A15 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone. Additionally the iPad mini and a new iPad also went on sale today. Due to current COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Sydney, customers are able to pick up their pre-ordered products with click and collect, but are not able to shop in-store Apple CEO Tim Cook said 'These are the best iPhones we've ever created,' noting Apple's work to design the 'very best products and services to enrich people's lives'. Pictured is the inside of a store in Beijing, China on Friday People wear face masks at an Apple Store on the day the new Apple iPhone 13 series goes on sale, in Beijing, China Customers queue to get newly-launched iPhone 13 mobile phones at an Apple store in Hangzhou, China Customers test newly-launched iPhone 13 mobile phones at an Apple store in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang province The iPhone 13 has six cores and a specialised portion for running artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. And the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini both have larger batteries to give them more power than their predecessors. iPhone 13 Pro will last up to one and a half hours longer in a day than iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max will last up to two and a half hours longer in a day than iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple unveils a $329 iPad Apple's event opened with the unveiling of a new iPad that is three times more powerful than a Chrome book and six times more powerful than an Android Tablet. The iPad features the tech giant's new A13 Bionic Chip, giving it 20 percent faster performance than its predecessor with the A12 chip. Apple's Melody Kuna, a senior manager of iPad product design, who announced the upgraded device, said it features improved rear and front cameras. The iPad includes a 12 megapixel front-facing camera for better video calls, like on Zoom and includes a wider lens to capture more people in a single scene. The upgraded iPad costs $329 with 64GB of storage and goes on sale next week. Apple hosted its annual fall event on Tuesday, which opened with the unveiling of a new iPad that is three times more powerful than a Chrome book and six times more than an Android Tablet Advertisement Customers queue to get newly-launched iPhone 13 mobile phones at an Apple store in Hangzhou An Apple staff member talks with customer at the Apple store in The Mixc mall as iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, new iPad and iPad mini go on sale A customer wearing a face mask looks at an iPhone 13 at an Apple Store on the day the new Apple iPhone 13 series goes on sale, in Beijing, China iPhone 13 Pro ($999) and iPhone 13 Pro Max (1,099) are available in four finishes, including graphite, gold, silver, and the all-new sierra blue An Apple employee wearing a face mask speaks to a customer at an Apple Store in Beijing, China The 6.1-inch smartphone keeps the sleek design and ceramic front shield as its predecessor, but now boasts a diagonal camera lens design for the new dual system. Pictured, an Apple employee in Beijing, China People are seen wearing face masks are at an Apple Store in Beijing, China, September 24 Customers stand in front of an image of iPhone 13 devices at an Apple Store on the day the new Apple iPhone 13 series goes on sale, in Beijing, China Despite the range of upgrades being less substantial than last year, industry experts said Apple had still unveiled a range that would appeal to older iPhone users thinking about upgrading. 'The iPhone remains a core lucrative product for Apple as it represents a gateway to other devices and more importantly services,' tech analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said. 'While many will see some upgrades as incremental, there are millions of users who have yet to upgrade to 5G. 'Therefore, this so-called 'supercycle' moment is still relevant. 'The biggest challenge will be maintaining a premium for what some users will see as incremental upgrades. 'While the individual improvements may not seem to be much, collectively they will be significant in leading to the best iPhone experience for users.' Even poor weather conditions in Beijing, China didn't stop buyers from venturing out to get their iPhone 13 this morning The Pro line-up gets an makeover with an-all new flat-edge design and textured matte glass back. Both are also powered by the A15 Bionic Chip, a larger battery and power optimizations Apple iPhone 13 are pictured at an Apple Store on the day the new Apple iPhone 13 series goes on sale, in Beijing, China, September 24 People wait in line to purchase newly released products at the Apple Store in Orchard Road on September 24, 2021 in Singapore Inside the Singapore Apple Store on Friday where people try out the newly released products Apple announced September 14 the release of four variants of its latest iPhone 13, alongside other upgrades to its product lineup Haikal Putra (R) and Wayne Chang look at the iPhone box at the Apple Store in Orchard Road in Singapore The same Singaporean customers show off their purchases for the camera outside the store The new Apple IPhone 13 smartphones on display in the re:Store shop, Russia. The iPhone 13 mini costs $699 and the iPhone 13 costs $799, which is the same prices as last year The iPhone 13 has six cores and a specialized portion for running artificial intelligence algorithms. And the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini both have larger batteries to give them more power than their predecessors. Pictured, a shop assistant in Russia People gather outside the re:Store shop selling smartphones in Tverskaya Street Moscow, Russia The new iPhone 13 is not a completely redesigned Apple smartphone, but includes subtle changes that improves performance and user experience The melting of polar ice from Antarctica, the Arctic and Greenland is warping the Earth's crust with the effect felt thousands of miles away, a study has found. When ice sheets build up on the land, their weight causes the crust beneath the ice to sink a bit to compensate, much like how a laden boat sits lower in the water. As the ice melts, this weight is removed, and so the crust rises up again in response in a process that scientists call 'isostatic rebound'. While this up-and-down movement has long been understood, researchers led from Harvard University wanted to explore whether the crust might also shift sideways. The team analysed satellite data on polar ice losses from 20032018 to model the resulting impact on crustal motions. They found that melting Arctic and Greenland glaciers caused the ground to shift horizontally in much of the Northern hemisphere, and by up to 0.3mm in the US. And in some places even far from the melting ice the mass loss was surprisingly causing the crust to move more horizontally than it was rebounding vertically. Alongside showing that polar melting is impacting more than just sea levels, the findings provide a new way to measure ice mass changes by crustal topography. The melting of polar ice from Antarctica, the Arctic Islands and Greenland is warping the Earth's crust with the effect felt thousands of miles away, a study has found. Pictured: ice melting on the coastline of Greenland, as captured by a NASA aircraft on September 7, 2021 ENGLAND IS SINKING! One intriguing consequence of crustal rebound in the wake of the last ice age is that England is somewhat sinking. As the ice sheet that once covered the whole of Scotland melted, the north of the UK 'rebounded' from the removal of the mass that was holding it down. And, as a consequence, England, Wales and southern Island are descending, much like if they were on the other end of a see-saw. According to University of Durham geologists, Scotland could rise by up to 4 inches in some areas offsetting sea level rise derived as a result of global warming. England, however, may not be so lucky, with the experts having predicted subsidence of up to 2 inches over the same period amplifying sea level rises by around 1033 per cent. Advertisement The study was undertaken by earth scientist Sophie Coulson, formerly of Harvard University, and her colleagues. 'Scientists have done a lot of work directly beneath ice sheets and glaciers,' explained Dr Coulson, who is now based at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. 'So they knew that it would define the region where the glaciers are, but they hadnt realized that it was global in scale.' To explain how the loss of ice can affect the crust beneath it, Dr Coulson suggests envisaging a smaller-scale analogy. 'Think of a wooden board floating on top of a tub of water. When you push the board down, you would have the water beneath moving down. If you pick it up, youll see the water moving vertically to fill that space, she said. The shifting of the crust as the weight of the ice is removed from it can also create a positive feedback affect accelerating the ice loss. 'In some parts of Antarctica, for example, the rebounding of the crust is changing the slope of the bedrock under the ice sheet,' explained Dr Coulson. 'That can affect the ice dynamics.' Alongside the current melting, the researchers also said that some regions like the Arctic are also still moving as a result of much older changes in ice burden. 'The Arctic is an interesting region because, as well as the modern-day ice sheets, we also have a lasting signal from the last ice age,' Dr Coulson explained. 'The Earth is actually still rebounding from that ice melting.' This ice sheet covered what is now Northern Europe and Scandinavia for much of the Pleistocene Epoch, which ran from 2.6 million to 11,000 years ago. 'On recent timescales, we think of the Earth as an elastic structure, like a rubber band, whereas on timescales of thousands of years, the Earth acts more like a very slow-moving fluid,' added Dr Coulson. 'Ice age processes take a really, really long time to play out, and therefore we can still see the results of them today. 'Understanding all of the factors that cause movement of the crust is really important for a wide range of Earth science problems. 'For example, to accurately observe tectonic motions and earthquake activity, we need to be able to separate out this motion generated by modern ice-mass loss.' 'Scientists have done a lot of work directly beneath ice sheets and glaciers,' explained Dr Coulson, who is now based at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. 'So they knew that it would define the region where the glaciers are, but they hadnt realized that it was global in scale.' Pictured: predicted average crustal deformation rates generated by ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet from 200312 (top) and comparing years of low (2006) and high (2012) mass loss (bottom). Vertical motion is reflected by redblue shading, with horizontal motions depicted by the black arrows According to University of Ottawa earth scientist Glenn Antony Milne, understanding the scale of this movement will help clarify all studies of the planet's crust. 'Sophies work is important because it is the first to show that recent mass loss of ice sheets and glaciers causes 3D motion of the Earths surface that is greater in magnitude and spatial extent than previously identified,' he said. 'Also, one could look for this signal in regional and larger-scale global navigation satellite system datasets to, in principle, produce improved constraints on the distribution of ice mass fluctuations and/or solid Earth structure.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Advertisement NASA has unveiled new images and video of the 'most powerful rocket' the U.S. space agency has ever built, the Space Launch System (SLS), intended to have its first launch later this year. Contractors working on the SLS completed the Umbilical Release and Retract Test (URRT) on September 19 in preparation for the Artemis I mission, scheduled for November. The umbilicals - which connect the rocket to ground support equipment before launch - provide power, communications, coolant, and fuel to the rocket and Orion prior to ignition and liftoff. NASA showed off new images and video of the Space Launch System, scheduled to launch the Artemis I mission in November Contractors working on the SLS completed the Umbilical Release and Retract Test on September 19 The umbilicals provide power, communications, coolant and fuel to the rocket and Orion prior to ignition and liftoff Scroll down for video 'Previous testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility and in the VAB refined our designs and processes and validated the subsystems individually, and for Artemis I, we wanted to prove our new systems would work together to support launch,' said Jerry Daun, Jacobs Arms and Umbilical Systems Operations Manager, in a statement. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth (and further than the moon) over the course of a three-week mission During the test, several umbilical arms swung away from the SLS rocket, as they will on launch day, the next time they are used, Scott Cieslak, umbilical operations and testing technical lead, explained. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth around the moon over the course of a three-week mission. In addition to the new images, NASA showed a video of the test work being done on the SLS, including the different platforms retracting as part of the the URRT. The core stage of the SLS is 212 feet tall and weighs 188,000 pounds and will provide more than two million pounds of thrust at launch. Engineers working at Florida's Kennedy Space Center finished lowering the 212ft tall core stage between two smaller booster rockers on June 11 SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM CORE STATS Length: 212 feet Diameter: 27.6 feet Empty weight: 188,000 lbs Material: Aluminium 2219 Engines: 4xRS-24 Max Speed: Mach 23 Capacity: 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen Advertisement Together with the two solid rocket boosters, the SLS rocket will provide more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust to launch the first of NASA's next-generation Artemis Moon missions. Artemis I, which will be unmanned, will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion and is scheduled to launch in November. However, many have expressed doubt that NASA will meet this timeframe, given previous delays for the SLS. In subsequent missions, NASA is set to land the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface, before eventually heading to Mars. The Orion will eventually be stacked on top of the SLS and then assembly will be complete for Artemis I. This spacecraft, primarily built by Lockheed Martin, will stay in space 'longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before,' NASA has said previously. In June, NASA finished assembling the $18.6 billion SLS rocket, after having announced the project in 2011. In March, the core stage engines were fired for eight minutes - the time it takes for SLS to get from the ground up into space. SLS and NASA's Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the moon, are NASA's backbone for deep space exploration, fulfiling the goal of making lunar exploration sustainable. The plan is that in the future, astronauts will launch in Orion atop SLS, reach lunar orbit where they will dock with the Gateway, and be taken to the surface in a lander. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission, according to NASA. The volcanic eruption in La Palma has been photographed from space, revealing the bright orange lava flowing down the side of the Cumbre Vieja mountain range. It was taken during the day and shared on Twitter by satellite operator Maxar Technologies, made up of a series of images to highlight the severity of the eruption. This was one of two space-based images shared of the volcano, the other came from French astronaut Thomas Pesquet who is on the International Space Station. The eruption began on Sunday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of 6,000 people from the path of the flowing rivers of molten lava spewing from the volcano. More than 350 homes have been destroyed and significant damage has been caused to a banana plantation, schools and wider island infrastructure. It was taken during the day and shared on Twitter by satellite operator Maxar Technologies, made up of a series of images to highlight the severity of the eruption The eruption began on Sunday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of 6,000 people from the path of the flowing rivers of molten lava spewing from the volcano This was one of two space-based images shared of the volcano, the other came from French astronaut Thomas Pesquet who is on the International Space Station CUMBRE VIEJA VOLCANO The Cumbre Vieja is a mountain range and an active volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. It is known locally as 'old peak', with several volcanic craters on the summit. It erupted twice in the 20th century, in 1949 and again in 1971. The latest eruption started on September 19, 2021 and is expected to continue for weeks. There is some fear that the Cumbre Vieja may be on the edge of collapse. If this happens the western flank of the volcano would slide down westwards into the Atlantic ocean. This would lead to strong earthquakes across La Palma while it was sliding. Once it reached the sea it would create a mega-tsunami with a wave rapidly moving westward in the Atlantic. This would force the wave out towards the US, Bahamas and the Caribbean. They would get smaller as they cross the Atlantic but could be up to 50 metres as they hit the US east coast. Advertisement The new image, shared on Twitter by Pesquet who is currently serving his second tour on the ISS, highlights the drama of eruption. He said: 'The La Palma volcano in eruption. Set against the blackness of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean the bright orange glow is even more impressive.' La Palma is famous in the science world for the more than 20 astronomical telescopes sitting on its high hills, operated by dozens of different nations. Among them is the Swedish Solar Telescope, operated by Stockholm University, situated on the northern part of the island. The Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption happened on the south part of La Palma, so the staff and telescope were safe - and even captured the plume of the eruption. Another observatory was able to capture a timelapse video of the plume forming from the volcano far below them using webcams on the observatory. It seems the eruption is still ongoing, almost a week after the first expulsion, with loud bangs unnerving locals and sending shockwaves echoing through hills. The explosions around the volcano's mouth hurled molten rock and ash over a wide expanse today. As a precaution, emergency services pulled back from the area. Regional airline Binter temporarily halted flights due to a huge ash cloud. The lava destroyed almost 400 buildings on the western side of the island, home to nearly 85,000 people, a European Union monitoring program said. It said the lava stretches over 20,000 square feet and has blocked 9 miles of roads, causing islanders who make a living from farming and tourism to lose their livelihoods. Le volcan de #LaPalma aux Canaries. Dans lobscurite de locean, la lave orange vif est encore plus impressionnante. . The #LaPalma volcano in eruption. Set against the blackness of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean the bright orange glow is even more impressive.#MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/HkAhBhLR8N Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) September 22, 2021 The Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption happened on the south part of La Palma, so the staff and telescope were safe - and even captured the plume of the eruption The government of la Palma island said officials had recorded 1,130 quakes in the area over the past week as the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge shook with blasts of lava. On a visit to La Palma, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a package of measures to help get the island back on its feet and 'rebuild lives.' The Spanish government will provide aid for rebuilding homes and public infrastructure, such as roads, irrigation networks and schools, as well as relaunching the islands tourism industry, Sanchez said. The government of la Palma island said officials had recorded 1,130 quakes in the area over the past week as the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge shook with blasts of lava La Palma is famous in the science world for the more than 20 astronomical telescopes sitting on its high hills, operated by dozens of different nations He did not say how much money would be made available, but said a Cabinet meeting next week would provide more details. The blasts are sending ash up almost 15,000 feet into the air, the Guardia Civil police force said in a tweet. Authorities advised people to protect themselves from the ash with face masks. Two rivers of lava continued to slide slowly down the hillside, with experts doubting whether they would cover the remaining 1.25 miles) to the sea due to their slowing progress. One of the molten rock flows has almost ground to a halt and a second one is moving at between 4 and 5 meters an hour, the Guardia Civil said. Both are at least 33 feet high at their leading edge and are destroying houses, farmland and infrastructure in their path. Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months. Three months after the Pentagon released its highly-anticipated, albeit sparse report on the subject of 'unidentified aerial phenomenon' (UAPs), the U.S. government is looking into creating a permanent office to study the subject. As part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act from the House of Representatives, there is a provision to create a permanent office under the Secretary of Defense to investigate reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, according to NextGov, which first reported the news. The 5-page section of the 1,362 page report, which was included by Rep. Ruben Gallego, seeks to take on what the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force did with its report and make it permanent. Included in the duties of the proposed office would be to: 'Developing procedures to synchronize and standardize the collection, reporting, and analysis of incidents regarding unidentified aerial phenomena across the Department of Defense. Developing processes and procedures to ensure that such incidents from each military department are reported and incorporated in a centralized repository. Establishing procedures to require the timely and consistent reporting of such incidents. Evaluating links between unidentified aerial phenomena and adversarial foreign governments, other foreign governments, or nonstate actors. Evaluating the threat that such incidents present to the United States. Coordinating with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate. Coordinating with allies and partners of the United States, as appropriate, to better assess the nature and extent of unidentified aerial phenomena.' The section also proposes that a new UAP office deliver a report to Congress once a year for the next five years and even provide 'an update on any efforts underway on the ability to capture or exploit discovered unidentified aerial phenomena.' The legislation was passed on Thursday night by a 316-113 vote. The Senate Armed Services Committees version of the act does not include a permanent office for the investigation of UAPs. However, section 345 of the bill does seek to expand on what the aforementioned UAP task force provided earlier this year and have it produce additional reports, albeit in 'classified form.' Nick Pope, a former employee and UFO investigator for Britain's Ministry of Defense, said he welcomes the move if it occurs. '[This] is a further indication of the seriousness with which Congress approaches this issue,' Pope said in an email to DailyMail.com. 'I was particularly pleased to see the reference to coordination with allies and partners, because I know from personal experience that some of the UK Ministry of Defence's previous research and investigation will be relevant and helpful.' In June, Pentagon released its report on the subject of 'unidentified aerial phenomenon' (UAPs), however it offered no explanation for 140 of the 144 observations dating back to 2004. On June 25, the long-awaited report from the Pentagon on the subject of 'unidentified aerial phenomenon' (UAPs) offered no explanation for 140 of the 144 observations dating back to 2004 In August, more than two-fifths of Americans said they believed that UFOs are alien space craft, up from 33 percent in 2019. A similar survey published in July said two-thirds of all Americans believe extraterrestrial life exists, but almost 90 percent believe they are not a threat. One of the videos was captured off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, in 2015 (pictured) The other video shows the notorious 2004 'Tic Tac' incident (pictured) that was recorded over the Pacific Ocean The declassified June 25 report, which came from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, added that it lacks sufficient data to determine the nature of mysterious flying objects. 'In 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or flight characteristics,' the report reads. 'Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings. 'The UAPTF holds a small amount of data that appear to show UAP demonstrating acceleration or a degree of signature management. Additional rigorous analysis are necessary by multiple teams or groups of technical experts to determine the nature and validity of these data. 'We are conducting further analysis to determine if breakthrough technologies were demonstrated.' The term UFO has been more recently replaced by unidentified aerial phenomenon, especially in light of the US Pentagon declassifying three videos in April 2020. Engineers in Europe have demonstrated a way for moon colonists to make their own water and oxygen from lunar soil. In the experiment, hydrogen and methane was added to a mineral mixture simulating lunar soil and heated in a furnace to temperatures reaching over 1,830 degrees Fahrenheit, vaporizing the substance. After 'washing' the resultant gasses with hydrogen, water was separated out using a catalytic converter and condenser, with oxygen then extracted via electrolysis. In real-world applications, the methane and hydrogen byproducts would then be recycled through the system. 'Our experiments show that the rig is scalable and can operate in an almost completely self-sustained closed loop, without the need for human intervention and without getting clogged up,' Michele Lavagna, an aerospace engineer with Politecnico di Milano, who led the experiments, said in a release. Half of the soil on the moon is composed of silicon- and iron oxides, which are themselves about one-quarter oxygen. Scroll down for video A mineral mixture simulating lunar soil before (left) and after it's been vaporized in at temperatures reaching over 1830 degrees Fahrenheit. Half of the soil on the Moon is composed of oxygen-rich silicon oxides and iron oxides. Lavagna was part of a consortium of scientists from the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency and the German aerospace corporation OHB who demonstrated a prototype this week at the annual meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress, held virtually. The two-step process is similar to one already used on Earth but adapted to work with a mineral mixture approximating the surface of the moon. Rich in silica and metals, the solid by-product created by the process could be further refined for other uses, the scientists said. 'The capability of having efficient water and oxygen production facilities on- site is fundamental for human exploration and to run high-quality science directly on the moon,' Lavagna said in the release. In the second part of the two-step process, water is separated out from the resultant gasses using a catalytic converter and condenser, with oxygen then extracted via electrolysis. Pictured: a prototype device demonstrated this week at a virtual meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress 'These laboratory experiments have deepened our understanding of each step in the process,' she added. 'It is not the end of the story, but it's very a good starting point.' This week's demonstration is just the latest in a series of experiments conducted 'to optimize the temperature of the furnace, the ratio of the mixtures of gasses and other factors, according to the release. The researcher's analysis indicated processing the soil in small batches at the highest possible temperature generates the best results. The researcher's analysis indicated processing the soil in small batches at the highest possible temperature generates the best results. Pictured: An artist's rendering of a lunar outpost Other researchers have also been working to get oxygen from the lunar soil. In 2017, Thorsten Denk, an aerospace engineer with Spain's Plataforma Solar de Almeria, unveiled his plans for a reactor that would do the job. Denk's device only requires hydrogen brought from Earth for its initial useafter the first few hours it would recycle the element, dramatically cutting down on cargo weight. He claimed his machine made enough oxygen and water to supply six to eight astronauts. Engineers will need to develop ways to provide oxygen, water and even shelter on the Moon that don't require bringing heavy equipment. The cost to put anything in space is about $10,000 per pound, according to NASA Water is already abundant on the moon, albeit in a different state. A 2018 study published in Nature Geoscience determined water, in the form of OH - a more reactive relative of H2O - was all over the lunar surface rather than clustered at the poles. That means future lunar colonies could harvest water without having to bring it from Earth. Engineers developing ways to provide oxygen, water, shelter, and other of life's necessities to the Moon are hindered by how difficult and expensive it is to bring materials into space. The cost to put anything in space is about $10,000 per pound, according to NASA, Last week, scientists at the University of Manchester unveiled designs for a concrete-like building material made, in part, from human blood, urine and sweat. Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a glue-like substance made with human blood and other bodily fluids that could create highly durable concrete on the Moon Mixed with soil on Mars or the moon the glue-like substance, called AstroCrete, would create a building material 300 percent stronger than ordinary concrete, according to their report the journal Materials Today Bio. Each astronaut could produce enough excretions to expand their habitat to support an additional crew member. The team calculated that a crew of six astronauts could produce over 1,100 pounds of high-strength AstroCrete in a two-year Mars mission. The process hasn't been perfected, as 200 pounds of concrete is needed to construct just one square foot of a single-level home. The matriarch of a mega-pod of killer whales in the Pacific northeast has gone missing and scientists fear the worst. 'L47,' a 47-year-old orca who is a mother and grandmother many times over, was last seen in February, according to an alert from the Center for Whale Research (CWR). She's part of a large clan of whales known as the Southern Resident group, who all swim off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The group is composed of three closely related pods dubbed 'J,' 'K,' and 'L.' Researchers have been tracking the extended family for years and L47 is its most fertile membersgiving birth to seven calves that lived long enough to get alphanumeric 'names' like her. According to CWR, she was last observed on February 27, 2021, in Swanson Channel, northeast of Chesil Bank, where she 'did not appear to be in particularly poor condition.' However, the grand dame failed to turn up in early-summer surveys in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca conducted by the Canadian governmental agency Fisheries and Oceans Canada. L47, the matriarch of the Southern Resident community of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, is missing and presume dead, according to the Center for Whales Research This month, CWR encountered and photographed all of L-47's offspring and grandchildren but did not see her. 'Her repeated absence meets our criteria for declaring a whale missing and likely deceased,' the agency said. Older female orcas play a critical role for younger calves, who depend on them to find food when fish are scarce. 'As a mother and grandmother, L47's death may have severe consequences,' CWR said. L47, seen passing Cattle Point Light on the southeastern tip of San Juan Island in 2015, has not been observed since February A family tree indicating L47's extended family of children and grandchildren. Four of L47's offspring did not survive their first year In aquariums and marine parks, killer whales are lucky to reach their 30th birthday. In the wild, however, females can easily live to 50 and some have made it to 80 or even 90, according to National Geographic. Killer whales give birth to a single calf every three to ten years. They're still fertile until about 40, though four of L7's calves didn't survive their first year. Her three surviving offspring are L115, a 10-year-old son, and L83 and L91, two adult daughters raising sons of their own, L110 and L122. The Southern Resident community's numbers have plummeted in recent years as Chinook salmon has become more scarce. Pictured: L47 with her son, L115, and daughters L83 and L91 in 2017 Pictured: L47 with L115 in 2011. Due to her absence, L115 faces three times the risk of death in the next two years Due to her absence, the organization said, L115 faces three times the risk of death in the next two years and L110 and L122 now have six times the risk. Sadly L7 isn't the only missing member of the family: CWR reported K21, a 35-year-old male, hasn't been seen since July, when he exhibited 'extreme emaciation.' 'It was clear from the images of K21 collected in July that he would not survive much longer,' the group said. 'CWR can confirm that K21 is deceased, as our teams have repeatedly censused all of K pod without locating K21. While the Southern Resident community once numbered 200, it has shrunk considerably: The United States government listed it as endangered population in 2005, under the Endangered Species Act. Three years later, CWR's annual survey determined seven whales had perished, dropping the total population to 83, the largest decline in 10 years. At the time, researchers attributed those deaths to declines in Chinook salmon, the AP reported. With both L47 and K21 presumed dead, the Southern Resident killer whale population as of July 2021 is down to 73. L47 with daughter L83 and grandson L110 in 2008 The news isn't all depressing, though: Marine biologists have reported three of the remaining whales are pregnant. All three pregnancies appear to be in their late stages, the Washington Post reported. 'Their shape change was really prominent, so it was fairly obvious,' John Durban, a senior scientist at Southhall Environmental Associates, told the Post. 'When they're pregnant, they get a bulge below the rib cage, just like people.' During the summer and fall months, the three Southern Resident pods spend most of their time in Washingtons and British Columbias inland waters north and west of Puget Sound, according to the Marine Mammal Commission, though K and L will travel to the outer coasts of Washington and Vancouver Island for a few days at a time. From late fall through spring, the community spends the majority of its time on the outer Pacific coast, ranging from San Francisco to Southeast Alaska. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are about 2,500 killer whales altogether in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The 50,000 killer whales worldwide are most threatened by loss of prey, conflicts with boats, and pollution and oil spills. According to a 2018 study from the Zoological Society of London, global killer whale populations could be cut if half due to exposure to PCBs and other toxic chemicals. You don't have to wear a Halloween mask to avoid being detected by facial recognition software: a dab of makeup will do the trick, according to a new study. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel, developed an artificial intelligence that shows users where to apply some foundation or rouge to fool face-recognition algorithms into thinking they're looking at a different person. The researchers tested their scheme against ArcFace, a machine-learning model that takes two facial images and determines the likelihood they're the same person. The team used 20 volunteers (10 men and 10 women) in a real-world environment using two cameras and a variety of lighting conditions and shooting angles. Participants wearing 'adversarial makeup,' as recommended by the program, tricked the system 98.8 percent of the time. Normally ArcFace correctly identifies a visage about half (47.6 percent) of the time, but that plummeted to 1.2 percent with the makeup on. The researchers called that 'below a reasonable threshold of a realistic operational environment.' Scroll down for video Computer scientists at Ben Gurion University developed an AI that could recommend subtle makeup applications to fool facial recognition system. The AI creaed a digital heat map of a participant's face, highlighting areas that face recognition systems would likely peg as identifiable. Facial recognition programs look at what parts of a person's face are most identifiable. Data scientist Nitzan Guetta and her team attempted to mimic that approach, then determine how to subtly alter that unique feature without drawing too much attention. The AI developed a digital heat map of a participant's face, highlighting areas that face recognition systems would likely peg as highly identifiable. A digital makeup projection then indicated where to apply makeup to alter the contours of the person's face. A participant wearing makeup recommended by the AI program (top) was able to fool a facial-recognition system. His makeover had an intensity score of just 1.81, compared to 2.30 when he applied random makeup According to their study published on the open source server Arxiv, wearing makeup lowered the face recognition success rate from 42.6 percent to 0.9 percent for them, compared to 52.5 percent for 1.5 percent in men. 'Facial contouring may become more than a TikTok trend, and such makeup may become the next wave to protect one's privacy in public from automatic facial recognition systems,' Mariann Hardey, a professor at Durham University's business school, told New Scientist. While the participant is in initially recognized by the FR system (top), when they apply adversarial makeup (bottom), the system fails to pick them out. The intensity of the makeover was also recorded, and the average intensity score of the adversarial makeup was lower than random placement (2.64, compared to 2.85), 'while being more effective at dodging the [facial recognition]' the researchers said. The adversarial system was programmed to stick to natural hues when making recommendations. There are other makeup techniques, like CV Dazzle, that use intentionally jarring patterns, contrasting colors and asymmetricity to throw off facial recognition technology. But such outlandish makeup draws more attention to the wearer in the real world. Liverpool are interested in moving for disgruntled Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio in the near future, according to reports. Asensio, 25, is said to have threatened to leave the club in the winter transfer window over his lack of minutes, which may place the Anfield side on red alert. Despite him scoring a hat-trick this week against Mallorca, an exit for Asensio appears to be on the cards, and Liverpool may be primed to swoop. Liverpool are interested in moving in for disgruntled Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio Fichajes.Net claim that manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to rebuild his team, and views the Spain international as a superb signing. Having not been selected regularly this season, it is thought that Asensio will hold talks with Carlo Ancelotti soon, and he could be able to leave. While not being as star-studded as years gone by, Madrid are blessed with names such as Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Vinicius Junior, much to Asensio's frustration. It was reported by Sport that he has even threatened to quit the Bernabeu after feeling 'provoked' by Ancelotti. Asensio (left) has struggled for game time and is frustrated under boss Carlo Ancelotti (right) Left as an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Valencia, Asensio reportedly 'exploded' with frustration and remains unhappy with the role he has this season. The report states that Asensio was given the chance to move this summer, with Tottenham also interested in him, alongside Liverpool. Other reports back in August added Arsenal into the mix, but Liverpool are able to offer Asensio action in the Champions League. With two years left on his deal, Madrid are faced with the possibility of selling him and collecting a handsome fee if he requests to go. Jurgen Klopp reportedly believes Asensio would be the perfect signing to improve his squad Ancelotti has admitted he is aware of Asensio's frustration over his limited game time, but said that was 'normal' and a 'good' reaction. 'It's normal that those who aren't playing aren't happy,' Ancelotti said. 'If Marco Asensio or Isco or Luka Jovic aren't happy with not playing then that's normal, that's good. 'But, Asensio, Isco and Jovic are training well. Asensio, Isco and Jovic will have minutes. Asensio scored a hat-trick against Mallorca this week but has also threatened to leave Madrid 'I have to evaluate the condition of the players who have played. 'I'm thinking about making some changes [in the next match], but I need to see [Tuesday's] training session first. 'But yes, we're thinking about making some changes. It's difficult to pick the line-ups.' Asensio has made 134 appearances in LaLiga for Madrid since joining in 2016, and has also won the league title twice and two Champions League trophies. Liverpool are also reportedly in the chase for Borussia Dortmund frontman Erling Haaland Meanwhile, Liverpool are also believed to be chasing prolific Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland. The red-hot frontman has scored a sensational 11 goals in his first seven games in all competitions this season, picking up from where he left off last term. Mundo Deportivo claim Liverpool have joined the race for him, with Dortmund set to face an uphill struggle in their attempts to keep their prized asset. The report adds that Haaland will soon become an even more attractive investment for clubs, with his release clause dropping to 90m (77m) at the end of next June. Advertisement They have recently rekindled their romance. And Liam Payne and Maya Henry looked the epitome of loved up on Thursday evening as they arrived for Vas J Morgan's London Fashion Week party at Laylow, Notting Hill. Donning a sophisticated purple leather dress, Maya, 21, cosied up to her One Direction beau, 28, who opted for all-black attire, layered with a grey jacket which was adorned with white stripes on one sleeve. PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Liam Payne and Maya Henry looked the epitome of loved up on Thursday evening as they arrived for Vas J Morgan's London Fashion Week party at Laylow, Notting Hill Maya flashed a mystery ring as she joined Liam at Vas' party, but Texan model's 3million engagement ring was still missing The Texan model teasingly flashed a mystery ring for one of the snaps - however, she was not wearing the 3 million engagement ring Liam presented her with when he popped the question in August 2020, despite their recent reconciliation. The pair looked utterly smitten with one another, as they laughed candidly and cosied up for photographs. In one sweetly-captured moment, the influencer was caught beaming at the Sunshine hitmaker as he also struggled to keep the smile from his face. Adorable: In one sweetly-captured moment, the influencer was caught beaming at the Sunshine hitmaker as he also struggled to keep the smile from his face Sensational: The Texan model donned a sophisticated purple leather dress Outfit complete: Maya teamed the dress with strappy heels Host: Eyal stopped for a photo with party host Vas J Morgan Powna Sake sponsored the glamorous evening and all guests were treated to this drink exclusively throughout the evening. Maya was joined by popstar Jess Glynne, who graced West London in a cut-out crop top and plain trousers, also adding a beige oversized blazer to her evening outfit. The Hold My Hand hitmaker also rocked a beanie, chunky silver choker and hoop earrings. Earlier this week, Jess stepped out to join Dame Vivienne Westwood at London's Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. West London outing: The One Direction star opted for all-black attire, layered with a grey jacket which was adorned with white stripes on one sleeve Party: Maya was joined by popstar Jess Glynne, who graced West London in a cut-out crop top and plain trousers Evening attire: The Hold My Hand hitmaker also rocked a beanie, chunky silver choker and hoop earrings Splash of colour: Jess carried a bright yellow mini bag Reality stars: Love Island faces Eyal Booker and Montana Brown were also on Vas' star-studded list of guests Love Island faces Eyal Booker and Montana Brown were also on Vas' star-studded list of guests. Eyal cut a fashionable figure in a bomber jacket and graphic print tee, whilst stopping for a photograph with the host himself, who looked dapper in an open black shirt. Meanwhile Montana embraced the start of autumn in a high neck, cream jumper dress. Stepping out: Montana's knit dress was finalised by leather heeled boots Party: Eyal cut a fashionable figure in a bomber jacket and graphic print tee Chic: Model Neelam Gill flashed her abs in a bralette and baggy ripped jeans Arrival: 18-year-old Bobby Brazier also made a fashionable appearance in a V-neck jumper and jeans End of the night: Maya was spotted wearing her beau's jacket at the end of the evening Fun night: The couple left the star studded evening via a back door before catching a cab together Doting beau: Liam clearly didn't mind giving up his jacket for his girlfriend Loved up once more: Liam shocked fans when he announced the couple had split in June, but the pair have since reconciled Model Neelam Gill flashed her abs in a bralette and baggy ripped jeans, throwing on a plaid jacket to complete her look. 18-year-old Bobby Brazier also made a fashionable appearance in a V-neck jumper and jeans. The son of Jeff Brazier and the late Jade Goody complemented his look with suede Chelsea boots. Fan-favourite Gogglebox stars Keith and Lee did not feature in this week's episode of the hit show after being identified as close contacts of a confirmed Covid case. The Melbourne couple are currently in isolation after coming into contact with the infectious person, but have tested negative to the virus. The show's narrator Jo Van Es told viewers: 'This week, Lee and Keith can't be with us as they're identified as close contacts.' Off air: Fan-favourite Gogglebox stars Keith and Lee (pictured) did not feature in this week's episode of the hit show after being identified as close contacts of a confirmed Covid case 'They've tested negative and we look forward to seeing them back on the couch soon,' she added. The cast and crew of Gogglebox have had to make big adjustments this year due to outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria. Both the Delpechitra and the Elias families have been ruled out of this season as they reside in Covid hotspots in Sydney. Update: The show's narrator Jo Van Es told viewers: 'This week, Lee and Keith can't be with us as they're identified as close contacts. They've tested negative and we look forward to seeing them back on the couch soon' Other families made changes to how they record themselves. Isabelle Silbery is not watching with her mother Kerry and grandmother Emmie, who are both Zooming in from their own homes. Frontline worker Kaday has been watching from her own couch while best friend Chantel records via video link. Separated: Gogglebox families have made changes to how they record themselves. Isabelle Silbery isn't watching with her mother Kerry and grandma Emmie, who are both Zooming in Fan favourites Matty, Sarah and Jad have also been using Zoom to record. While some families have opted out of this season, one original household has returned: flatmates Adam Densten and Symon Lovett. Both Keith and Lee are expected to return to the show soon. Gogglebox airs 7:30pm Wednesdays on Foxtel Lifestyle, and 8:40pm Thursdays on Channel 10 Nearly three decades before his hit TV series The Nanny hit the airwaves on CBS, star Charles Shaughnessy is opening up about his kissing scenes with Fran Drescher. Shaughnessy, 66, played British Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield, who hires Drescher's Fran Fine to take care of his kids. The British actor opened up in an interview with People, revealing that his kissing scenes with Drescher, 63, upset his young daughters, while also talking the possibility of a reunion. Opening up: Nearly three decades before his hit TV series The Nanny hit the airwaves on CBS, star Charles Shaughnessy is opening up about his kissing scenes with Fran Drescher Upset: The British actor opened up in an interview with People , revealing that his kissing scenes with Drescher, 63, upset his young daughters, while also talking the possibility of a reunion Shaughnessy shares two daughters, Jenny, 31, and Maddy, 26, with his wife of 38 years Susan Fallender. The actor revealed that he recalled coming home from work one night, after his daughter seen an episode where he was kissing Drescher, and she was not happy. 'I came home one day, and Maddy was very upset. She had seen the show that night and said, "Daddy, don't kiss the girl." She wasn't very keen on all the Fran and Maxwell chemistry,' Shaughnessy said. Not happy: The actor revealed that he recalled coming home from work one night, after his daughter seen an episode where he was kissing Drescher, and she was not happy Following the successful Friends reunion on HBO Max, Shaughnessy opened up about the possibility of The Nanny reunion. 'It would be a lot of fun. It's hard because people see The Nanny now, it's 30 years old, so we're all different. I'm a lot older. She's a lot older. The kids are a lot older,' he said. 'You see that and you kind of want to recreate that, but it's un-recreatable. The train has left the station. We're down the tracks awhile,' he added. Reunion: Following the successful Friends reunion on HBO Max, Shaughnessy opened up about the possibility of The Nanny reunion Shaughnessy added that they can't, 'recreated that magic,' adding, 'you can create something else using some of the elements, but it's not going to be what it was originally.' As for a direct reboot of The Nanny, he said he has, 'questions about reboots in general,' though if someone asked him to revisit his character, he'd be, 'delighted.' The show, which Drescher co-created with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson and Prudence Fraser, ran for six seasons from 1993 to 1999. Magic: Shaughnessy added that they can't, 'recreated that magic,' adding, 'you can create something else using some of the elements, but it's not going to be what it was originally' Hit show: The show, which Drescher co-created with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson and Prudence Fraser, ran for six seasons from 1993 to 1999 Shaughnessy added that his favorite memories of the show over all those years involved some of the memorable guest stars. 'My most favorite thing about the show was the guest stars. We kicked off in episode 2 with Carol Channing and then went through all the sort of Broadway [stars], Marvin Hamlisch and Burt Bacharach,' he added. 'Then we went into Elton John. We had Ray Charles coming on as Auntie Yetta's boyfriend. Elizabeth Taylor!' Shaughnessy enthused. Memories: Shaughnessy added that his favorite memories of the show over all those years involved some of the memorable guest stars Lisa Rinna blasted Sutton Stracke after the reality star claimed she never received a thank you for inviting Rinna and Harry Hamlin to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party. Stracke alleged she invited the couple to the party 'a few years ago' during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live on Wednesday, but Lisa fired back fast enough for her response to make it to onto the show. 'We didn't come as your guests @suttonstracke. @eltonjohn invited us to his event, you asked us to sit at your table. So we did. Let's just make that clear,' Lisa hit back on her Instagram Stories. 'We didn't come as your guests': Lisa Rinna blasted Sutton Stracke after the reality star claimed she never received a thank you for inviting Rinna and Harry Hamlin to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party In a follow up post, Rinna said she had gone to the bash 'for years' and recalled attending the party while a contestant on Dancing With The Stars Stracke spilled the alleged tea after a fan asked if Rinna was 'reaching' for asking Garcelle Beauvais to thank him for his sauce. 'A few years ago - this is really bad,' Sutton said in response to the question. 'OK, I'm gonna do it. A few years ago, Harry and Lisa both came, I invited them to the Elton John gala, and they came with me as my guests. I never got a thank you,' Stracke claimed. After Lisa struck back on Instagram, Andy asked Sutton about Rinna's response. Strike a pose: Sutton claimed she had invited the couple to Elton's exclusive party 'a few years ago'; Lisa and Hamlin pictured at the bash in 2019 Not mincing her words: Rinna responded fast enough that Andy addressed her claim on WWHL 'Dancing the night away': In a follow up post, Rinna said she had gone to the bash 'for years' and recalled attending the party while a contestant on Dancing With The Stars 'Okay, see, we're gonna have words about this,' Sutton said. Andy added that Sutton confessed to him during the commercial break that tickets to the gala were priced at $10,000 a pop. 'I purchased them for them,' Sutton said, agreeing with Andy that she actually ended up buying a table. 'Perhaps they do not know that I actually bought those tickets for them,' the RHOBH star added. 'So maybe that's a miscommunication.' 'I purchased them for them': Sutton said in response to Lisa's response Pricey: Stracke told Andy that tickets to the gala cost $10,000 a pop The appearance came amid an explosive episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, which saw Erika admit she was close to a 'nervous breakdown' after learning her estranged husband Tom Girardi was going into a care facility. Erika filed for divorce from Tom last November shortly before they were both named as defendants in a federal lawsuit alleging embezzlement of funds meant for families of the victims of the fatal 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 plane crash in Indonesia. 'So yesterday was the hearing for Tom's conservatorship so that his brother could take over his affairs. So someone sent me an article about what was said in court,' Erika told Kyle and Lisa. Dramatic: The appearance came amid an explosive episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, which saw Erika admit she was close to a 'nervous breakdown' after learning her estranged husband Tom Girardi was going into a care facility 'And there was just this one piece of it that just really bothered me. It says Tom's brother asked the court to give him the authority to place Tom in ''a facility that treats neurocognitive disorders such as dementia'',' Erika said as she read from her phone. 'How do you feel about that?,' Kyle asked. 'Girl, I'm ready to have a nervous breakdown. Because regardless of what is going on with him legally, this is someone I was married to for 22 years,' Erika said. Erika then revealed that she had read the article last night before they had a group dinner. 'So I sat there with this last night,' she said. A flashback was shown of Kyle at dinner the previous night asking everyone how they were doing and Erika replying, 'I'm fearful'. Erika told Kyle and Lisa she was opposed to Tom being put in a group home because her grandmother was put into a home with 'very bad dementia' and died of Alzheimer's disease. 'This is a very difficult thing because I watched my grandmother die. And to see this happen again...,' Erika said in a confessional. Skye Wheatley was forced to apologise earlier this month after posting an 'insensitive' joke on Instagram about her sex life with boyfriend Lachlan Waugh. And it seems the backlash has taken a toll on the couple, who have since unfollowed each other on the social media platform, reports Outspoken the Podcast. The podcast, which documents the lives of social media influencers, was alerted by a listener on Thursday that Skye, 27, wasn't 'following her partner on IG anymore'. You ok, hun? Skye Wheatley (right) has unfollowed partner Lachlan Waugh (left) on Instagram following backlash to her joke about demanding sex even when he's not in the mood A cursory glance at Lachlan's account reveals he also isn't following his girlfriend. Despite this troubling sign, the Big Brother star did share a throwback photo on Thursday of herself and Lachlan from when she was pregnant with their son Bear. Her decision to post this seems to suggest the couple are in fact still together, despite no longer following each other on Instagram. 'This feels like forever ago... hard to believe Bear wasn't here a year ago. We can't picture our lives without him now,' she captioned the photo. Unfollowing: The Outspoken podcast, which documents the lives of influencers, was alerted by a listener on Thursday that Skye, 27, wasn't 'following her partner on IG anymore' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Skye and Lachlan for comment. It comes after Skye joked during an Instagram Q&A with fans on September 15 that she demands sex from Lachlan even when he isn't in the mood. When asked who was more dominant in bed, she responded: 'Hahahahaha me... but only when he's mad and says he doesn't want to have sex.' 'I am truly, deeply sorry': Skye was forced to apologise earlier this month after posting an 'insensitive' joke on Instagram about her sex life with boyfriend Lachlan 'Hahahahaha ain't nobody telling me no... I won't take no for an answer if I want sexy time,' she added. Skye's comments clearly upset some of her fans, as she returned to the platform less than 24 hours later to issue a grovelling apology. The mother of two apologised for her 'insensitive, triggering' words and promised to think twice before making similar jokes in the future. 'I won't take no for an answer': Skye had joked during a Q&A with fans on September 15 that she demands sex from Lachlan even when he isn't in the mood Ruffling feathers: Skye's comments clearly upset some of her fans, as she returned to the platform less than 24 hours later to issue a grovelling apology 'Hi guys, just wanted to jump on and address one of my comments made on my Q&As last night and my poor choice of phrasing. Lachlan and I have a healthy, balanced sexual life,' she wrote on Instagram Stories on September 16. 'I have never been in a situation with Lachlan where he [has] done anything he hasn't wanted to do sexually or vice versa. At no point would I ever do anything to another human being that they don't consent to.' Skye expressed regret for her 'poor choice of wording' and clarified that neither she nor Lachlan had ever forced or manipulated each other into having sex. No laughing matter: The mother of two apologised for her 'insensitive, triggering' words and promised to think twice before making similar jokes in the future 'I understand my words were completely insensitive and triggering and I am truly, deeply sorry for that. I am ashamed to have posted that without even considering the effect it could have on my followers,' she said. The Gold Coast influencer concluded her post by promising not to be so 'impulsive' when communicating with her large audience. 'I take full responsibility and am 100 per cent committed to making sure I take steps forward to make better decisions of what I say in the future,' she wrote. 'Please stop harassing us': Lachlan also responded to the backlash by posting a blunt message on Instagram Stories Lachlan also responded to the backlash on the same day by posting a blunt message on Instagram Stories. 'I can't believe I have to come on here and address this on my behalf. Don't f**king message me asking if "I'm okay",' the tradie raged. 'Come on guys honestly our sex is always consensual. What Skye posted was worded incorrectly. Please stop harassing us.' Skye and Lachlan met in 2017 after matching on Tinder. They welcomed their first child, a son named Forest, in December 2018, and a second son, Bear, was born on April 23. Martha Kalifatidis and her boyfriend Michael Brunelli recently said goodbye to their Bondi apartment and moved into their new home in Sydney. And on Thursday, popular social media influencer Martha, 33, gave fans a glimpse into their lavish new home as she showed off the freebies the couple had received. The property features an open-plan living space and kitchen with modern appliances and large glass windows. The house that Instagram built! Inside MAFS' Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli's lavish new home in Sydney... as they receive a tonne of freebies to decorate it with It also has a bifold door which opens to a courtyard space and offers incredible water views. The couple's spacious master bedroom features a large walk-in wardrobe. Martha also showed off the pair's new bowls and mugs sent as a housewarming gift from Ecology Homewares. Modern: Martha gave fans a glimpse into their lavish new home, which features an open-plan living space and kitchen with modern appliances and large glass windows Views: It also has a bifold door which opens to a courtyard space and offers incredible water views They also received a Nespresso coffee machine for their new kitchen. Meanwhile, Estee Lauder sent Martha a makeup gift set including three foundations, lipstick and mascara. Martha and Michael's relationship has continued to go from strength to strength after the pair found love on Married At First Sight in 2019. Spacious: The couple's spacious master bedroom features a large wardrobe space Last month, the influencer revealed plans to welcome a child with Michael. Martha told KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O show she's set to undergo explant surgery and won't be getting new breast implants because she would like to have a baby in the future. 'Are you going to get different implants or leave it as it is?' radio host Kyle Sandilands asked. Gifts: Martha also showed off the pair's new bowls and mugs sent as a housewarming gift from Ecology Homewares That's an expensive gift! They also received a Nespresso coffee machine for their new kitchen Martha said: 'I don't think I want to put anymore in especially if we are going to have a baby.' A stunned Kyle asked: 'When are you having the baby?' 'We will eventually. I'm not pregnant but I'm 33 so we have to get a wriggle on. It's going to happen sooner or later,' Martha explained. Sunrise host Matt Doran was left completely humiliated by Sam Mac on Friday's edition of the breakfast show. The cheeky weatherman trolled the TV host, who is currently filling in for David 'Kochie' Koch, during a live viewer quiz. Sam, 40, though it was hilarious when he asked viewers what Matt's last name is, but rather awkwardly, no one could give him the answer. Awkward: Sunrise host Matt Doran was left completely humiliated by Sam Mac on Friday's edition of the breakfast show 'The male host of weekend Sunrise is Matt who?' Sam asked viewers. After an awkward silence, Sam started laughing and screamed: 'It happened again!' 'Sorry I mean [the answer is] Matt Doran. He needs to work harder on that branding,' he joked. 'It happened again!' The cheeky weatherman trolled the TV host, who is currently filling in for David 'Kochie' Koch, during a live viewer quiz. Sam, 40, though it was hilarious when he asked viewers what Matt's last name is, but rather awkwardly, no one could give him the answer Sunrise host Natalie Barr found the whole exchange hilarious and couldn't contain her laughter at the desk. A clearly embarrassed Matt turned to her and asked: 'Will you stop laughing at that, every time you celebrate.' He added to Nat at the end of the segment: 'He [Sam] sets them up each time... but it's the fact you need a tissue each time and this uncontrollable hysteria I find particularly bruising.' Joker: Sam is known for his cheeky banter on air and often plays tricks on his colleagues Matt, 37, has had a successful career as a journalist, previously working for The Herald Sun, before going on to work for Network 10. He now co-hosts Weekend Sunrise with Monique Wright, 48, after stepping into the role in late 2019. He's engaged to Weekend Today producer Kendall Bora. Matt previously told Body and Soul about their playful rivalry for ratings, working on different TV networks. He said he feels torn when Weekend Today wins in the ratings. 'When that happens, I'm both thrilled and devastated. It's a reflection of the show and what Kendall has pulled together. But I don't want to get beaten!' He told the publication. James Arthur has settled a copyright lawsuit with The Script over his hit track Say You Won't Let Go. The former X factor star faced a legal dispute from the Irish band after they claimed the song was 'too similar' to their 2008 chart-topper The Man Who Can't Be Moved. According to The Mirror, the terms of the settlement are unknown after both sides agreed not to speak publicly about the deal. Legal dispute: James Arthur has settled a copyright lawsuit with The Script over his hit track Say You Won't Let Go (pictured in 2019) MailOnline has contacted James' and The Script's representatives for comment. Although the exact terms of the settlement are unknown, The Script's frontman Danny ODonoghue and the band's guitarist Mark Sheehan have been added as songwriters on James' most popular song. The Mirror reports that a source from the music industry said the settlement went ahead in December 2018. Lawyers allegedly filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles in May but an agreement was not reached until the end of the year. Plagiarism? The X factor star faced legal dispute from the Irish band after they claimed the song was 'too similar' to The Man Who Can't Be Moved (pictured in 2017) Back in 2018, when the lawsuit first came to light, James publicly hit back at the lawsuit during a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge appearance when he added his own verse to Jorja Smith's Blue Light. The Impossible hitmaker was covering the BRIT winner's single when he added his own spin to the song and called out the Irish trio, referring to them as 'jealous' and 'snakes'. Having performed his new song You Deserve Better first, James then launched into the hit, which he meshed with Dua Lipa's One Kiss, and insisted that the Dublin band will never see a 'dime'. 'You'll never see a dime': Back in 2018, when the lawsuit first came to light, James Arthur publicly hit back at the lawsuit during a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge appearance He began: 'Did you see tho desperate men call for desperate times. But they will never see a single flipping dime of mine. 'Im dynamite; every single line I write, inspired by life. You can get your lawyers to indict me. You rich fellows that jealous you would spite me. He continued: 'You should know I never follow The Script. I rip it up and I flip it; Im from the gutters of Britain. I went from nothin to millions, my fingers up in the system. 'Jealous': The Impossible hitmaker referred to the band as 'jealous' and 'snakes (pictured in 2013) 'So listen: check to check, check check to count my melody. Im all up in your business like Ron Jeremy. People keep on telling me Im meant for the top. Finishing: 'All the snakes full of jealousy are praying Ill flop. Youll do nothin except kick on a rock. Ill be so flippin high Ill be riding with Spock. I got money, the cars everything I ever wanted.' The Impossible hitmaker, who won the ninth season of The Xfactor show in 2012, was said to have used a similar 'melody and tempo' in his 2016 comeback song. Danny claimed James approached him and the rest of The Script when he was dropped by his label in 2015 to discuss ideas for new music - although he claimed they denied the meeting and the track was then released. Advice? Danny claims James approached him and the rest of The Script when he was dropped by his label in 2015 to discuss ideas for new music (pictured in September) Billboard report that Richard Busch from law firm King and Ballow lodged the suit on Monday at Los Angeles County Superior Court amid claims James generated $20million from his track which is allegedly too similar to The Script's track. The lawsuit around The Man Who Can't Be Moved, penned by Danny, Andrew Frampton, Stephen Kipner and Mark Sheehan, included Sony/ATV Publishing, Sony Music, Columbia Records, Ultra International Music Publishing, Third Verse Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing as co-defendants. Richard revealed in a statement at the time: 'Its widely known Mr. Arthur was dropped by his record label for public controversies, which caused a break in his career... It wasnt until the release of Say You Wont Let Go that he achieved worldwide success'. The lawsuit is demanding a jury trial with the ruling that James ripped off the song - with the defendants demanding 'all streaming, distribution, publishing and touring revenue connected to the song and is seeking statutory damages over the track.' Advertisement Three-time Grammy nominee Camila Cabello was ravishing in red at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Florida's Watsco Center in Coral Gables on Thursday. The Cuban-born, Miami-raised 24-year-old bared a shoulder in the Elie Saab belted ruffled mini-dress selected by styling duo Mariel Haenn + Rob Zangardi. Camila (born Karla Estrabao) accessorized her caliente creation with red patent leather Femme LA stilettos and jewelry by Grace Lee and KATKIM. Senorita! Three-time Grammy nominee Camila Cabello was ravishing in red at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Florida's Watsco Center in Coral Gables on Thursday Hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos coiffed Cabello's raven locks, make-up artist Anthony H. Nguyen applied her crimson pout, and nail artist Claudia Rosario painted her manicure. The climate change activist tweeted on September 15: 'I've grown to really be excited about fashion and style as a form of self expression in the past year.' Camila was at the awards ceremony in order to perform her new single Don't Go Yet. The Cinderella actress changed into a black beaded Zuhair Murad FW/21 couture collection dress for her performance. 'For my beautiful people and my Cuban land': The Cuban-born, Miami-raised 24-year-old bared a shoulder in the Elie Saab belted ruffled mini-dress selected by styling duo Mariel Haenn + Rob Zangardi Going up! Camila (born Karla Estrabao) accessorized her caliente creation with red patent leather Femme LA stilettos and jewelry by Grace Lee and KATKIM Glam: Hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos coiffed Cabello's raven locks, make-up artist Anthony H. Nguyen applied her crimson pout, and nail artist Claudia Rosario painted her manicure The climate change activist tweeted on September 15: 'I've grown to really be excited about fashion and style as a form of self expression in the past year' Taking the stage: Camila was at the awards ceremony in order to perform her new single Don't Go Yet 'Country and life!' The Cinderella actress changed into a black beaded Zuhair Murad FW/21 couture collection dress for her performance Missing from Cabello's side was her boyfriend of two years - three-time Grammy nominee Shawn Mendes - who did a secret show at Irving Plaza in Manhattan on Wednesday night. Only time will tell if the inseparable couple can keep their relationship going next year when they're both headlining major tours. Luckily, Camila and the Canadian 23-year-old will reunite in New York City's Central Park this Saturday to perform at the Global Citizen Festival. Cabello and Mendes originally met in 2014 while serving as opening acts on Austin Mahone's tour. 1,200 miles North: Missing from Cabello's side was her boyfriend of two years - three-time Grammy nominee Shawn Mendes - who did a secret show at Irving Plaza in Manhattan on Wednesday night Wonder The World Tour runs March-October! Only time will tell if the inseparable couple can keep their relationship going next year when they're both headlining major tours '70+ artists. 15 cities. 24 hours': Luckily, Camila and the Canadian 23-year-old will reunite in New York City's Central Park this Saturday to perform at the Global Citizen Festival Bad Bunny arrived to the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards wearing a powder blue suit alongside his girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri. At 22, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican rapper scored the most nominations of the evening, and he took home the vocal event hot Latin song of the year trophy for Dakiti. Nominated for eight trophies on Thursday were the Black Eyed Peas including J. Rey Soul, who famously replaced original singer Fergie in 2018. Rosalia - who wore a yellow Valentino gown and coat with pink opera gloves - was nominated for two trophies and performed Linda with Tokischa. Man of the hour! Bad Bunny arrived to the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards wearing a powder blue suit alongside his girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri Champ: At 22, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican rapper scored the most nominations of the evening, and he took home the vocal event hot Latin song of the year trophy for Dakiti Still going strong! Nominated for eight trophies on Thursday were the Black Eyed Peas including J. Rey Soul (2-R), who famously replaced original singer Fergie in 2018 Retro fifties look: Rosalia - who wore a yellow Valentino gown and coat with pink opera gloves - was nominated for two trophies and performed Linda with Tokischa Dominican rapper: Speaking of which, Tokischa showcased her eccentric style in a beige PVC hood and knee-high boots Speaking of which, Tokischa - a Dominican rapper - showcased her eccentric style in a beige PVC hood and knee-high boots. Prince Royce - standing out in a purple ombre suit - won the tropical song of the year trophy for his track Carita de Inocente and performed his song Lao A Lao. Karol G - rocking teal extensions and a strapless black gown - performed a medley of four songs and was nominated for eight trophies. Mexican singer Paquita La Del Barrio - wearing a caftan over a hot pink maxi-skirt - was there to perform Rata de Dos Patas and El Consejo. Dapper: Prince Royce - standing out in a purple ombre suit - won the tropical song of the year trophy for his track Carita de Inocente and performed his song Lao A Lao Mermaid realness: Karol G - rocking teal extensions and a strapless black gown - performed a medley of four songs and was nominated for eight trophies HBIC: Mexican singer Paquita La Del Barrio - wearing a caftan over a hot pink maxi-skirt - was there to perform Rata de Dos Patas and El Consejo Seventies inspired: Colombian crooner Juanes - opting for a mustard look - was there to perform his song Rebelion Stems: Natti Natasha - wearing a white bustier and leggy skirt - performed her track Noches en Miami and was nominated for the female hot Latin songs artist of the year trophy Colombian crooner Juanes - opting for a seventies-inspired mustard look - was there to perform his song Rebelion. Natti Natasha - wearing a white bustier and leggy skirt - performed her track Noches en Miami and was nominated for the female hot Latin songs artist of the year trophy. Showing a whole lot of skin on the red carpet in black attire were WWE wrestler Zelina Vega and singer Txna. Los Angeles actress Elizabeth Gutierrez wore a sparkly blue gown featuring massive ruffles around the shoulders. Leaving little to the imagination! Showing a whole lot of skin on the red carpet in black attire were WWE wrestler Zelina Vega (L) and singer Txna (R) Clouds: Los Angeles actress Elizabeth Gutierrez wore a sparkly blue gown featuring massive ruffles around the shoulders Silver screen: Mexican actress-singer Ninel Conde (L) donned a sheer Lucia Rodriguez gown while Mexican actress-singer Carla Medina (R) flaunted cleavage in a Edgar Lozzano creation Pastry puff: Loli's luck star Jacqueline Bracamontes was pretty in pink in a strapless high-low gown from Charlie Lapson La vie en rose! Looking daring in hot pink dresses were Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza (L) and Mexican influencer Kunno (R) Tangerine dream: And Playlist songstress Chiquis Rivera stood out in an orange Kimberly Larrianna dress Mexican actress-singer Ninel Conde donned a sheer Lucia Rodriguez gown while Mexican actress-singer Carla Medina flaunted cleavage in a Edgar Lozzano creation. Loli's luck star Jacqueline Bracamontes was pretty in pink in a strapless high-low gown from Charlie Lapson. Looking daring in hot pink dresses were Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza and Mexican influencer Kunno. And Playlist songstress Chiquis Rivera stood out in an orange Kimberly Larrianna dress. Spotlight: Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband #2 Marc Anthony might have lost the two trophies he was nominated for on Thursday, but he got to perform his song Pa'lla voy Rosalia in yellow: Rosalia hit the red carpet in a bold and stylish gown Red carpet ready: Rosalia complemented her yellow dress with gloves that went past her elbows Jonathan Bailey, who plays aristocratic rake Anthony Bridgerton in the television hit of the same name, and Hollywood leading man Taron Egerton, will star in a provocatively titled play about sexual identity and gender labelling, opening in the West End in the spring. The two hot young stars have been brought together by Marianne Elliott, the director whose recent, award-winning successes includes the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which starred Rosalie Craig, Patti LuPone and Bailey. Elliott said when she approached Bailey about the idea, she told him to run a bath, pour himself a glass of wine and read Mike Bartletts play Cock, which premiered at the Royal Courts Jerwood Theatre Upstairs 12 years ago with Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott in the lead roles. (The hot priest actor spoke with Egerton to share his experience of playing M in the original production; it helped that they share the same agent, Lindy King.) Jonathan Bailey, who plays aristocratic rake Anthony Bridgerton in the television hit of the same name, and Hollywood leading man Taron Egerton, will star in a provocatively titled play about sexual identity and gender labelling, opening in the West End in the spring Bailey, speaking from a villa in Tuscany, clarified Elliotts instructions: She added: Dont panic when you read it! He joked that he was enjoying a short, illicit vacation, during a rare break from filming the second season of Netflix smash Bridgerton, which will primarily focus on his character. Cock, said Bailey, is the study of one mans sexuality. That man is John the only one of the plays four characters to be named. His boyfriend bears the initial M, while the woman hes had an intimate relationship with is known as W. Ms father is F. Those roles are being played by Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels. Back in 2009, some saw the drama as a debate about Johns inability to decide who he should go with. But times have changed, Bailey argued. Taron Egerton is pictured above. The two hot young stars have been brought together by Marianne Elliott, the director whose recent, award-winning successes includes the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which starred Rosalie Craig, Patti LuPone and Bailey The fact is, he doesnt need to make a decision. People identify themselves differently than they did 12 years ago. It was ahead of its time. That title has remained a little tricky, though. Bailey said every time someone sends him an email concerning the play, it goes into junk. They now call it the Male Chicken Play or C- O-C-K to get it past the censors. Indeed, at one point during our conversation Bailey referred to it as the wiener play. He said people are nervous talking about sexual identity and this movement thats happening at the moment, with opening the binary structure. Later, Elliott said that the gender labels people get lumbered with are prohibitive and limiting, and that John, in Bartletts play, thinks hes more fluid than that. Possibly, we are all more fluid than that gay, straight, bi, trans, pans . . . she observed. She believes Bartletts piece will entice people into the theatre, to see the hot topic argued on stage. The play, she continued, is quintessentially theatrical because the audience have to use their imagination. You dont see the characters having sex, drinking coffee or sharing a meal, because theres no set. Words and actions indicate what theyre doing the rest, you see in your head. Egerton has already appeared in two of Matthew Vaughns Kingsman films and won a Golden Globe for his portrait of Elton John in Rocketman. Hes currently filming TV crime drama In With The Devil for AppleTV+. Cock will open at the Ambassadors Theatre for a 13- week season from March 5. Tickets on sale from 10am today www.cockthe play.co.uk. Before that, Elliott and producing partner Chris Harper head to New York to oversee the Broadway production of Company. Roger Michell, the film director who died this week aged 65, will be heralded (rightly) for his 1999 romantic classic Notting Hill. But I want to speak up for his other gems: Titanic Town, The Mother, Enduring Love, Venus, and forthcoming comedy The Duke. We last spoke at length about the Queen, for his documentary Elizabeth, for which he was studying hundreds of hours of footage of Her Maj. Watch out for... Rachel York, who will take over from Sutton Foster as nightclub evangelist Reno Sweeney in director and choreographer Kathleen Marshalls glorious revival of Anything Goes at the Barbican. Yorks first performance is on October 12. The brilliant Ms Foster has to head back to Broadway for The Music Man, with Hugh Jackman. Also, from October 19, Haydn Gwynne, left, will replace Felicity Kendal as Mrs Evangeline Harcourt. Two extra matinee performances have been added (October 27 and November 3). The final show is November 6. Montana Brown looked sensational in a cable knit mini dress as she stepped out for Vas J Morgan's London Fashion Week party on Thursday evening. The former Love Island contestant donned the backless ensemble for the glamorous evening while pairing it with knee high white boots. The 26-year-old styled her dark blonde tresses in a middle parting which fell down in soft waves over her shoulders. Wow: Montana Brown, 26, looked sensational in a cable knit mini dress as she stepped out for Vas J Morgan's London Fashion Week party on Thursday evening In keeping with the white theme, she had a white manicure on her fingernails while she had a perfectly applied layer of make up on her face. Earlier in the evening, she could be seen carrying a small quirky black bag in her hands as she entered the venue. The reality star and guests looked as if they were having a great time as they sipped on Powna Sake - who sponsored the event - throughout the evening. Stunner: The former Love Island contestant donned the backless ensemble for the glamorous evening while pairing it with knee high white boots Gorgeous: She styled her dark blonde tresses in a middle parting which fell down in soft waves over her shoulders. Montana is currently dating Mark O'Connor, a real estate executive, who attended Cardiff University and Henly Business School, according to a pal. In January, friends of Mark told MailOnline: 'He played rugby for Chiswick and Wales 1st Teams as a prop, and has a proprietary interest in Forge Gym London. 'That's likely how he met Montana. Amazing: In keeping with the white theme, she had a white manicure on her fingernails while she had a perfectly applied layer of make up on her face Details: Earlier in the evening, she could be seen carrying a small quirky black bag in her hands as she entered the venue 'He used to be out of shape and is now very much in shape. He's a very wild bloke to go on a night out with, drinks a lot. Very good fun to be with.' The source added: 'His father owns a huge development/construction firm which he will inherit.' MailOnline approached Montana's representatives for comment at the time. Drinks are flowing: The reality star and guests at the event sipped on Powna Sake throughout the evening Denham Hitchcock is back at work just a month after being hospitalised with a serious but extremely rare side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. The Seven News reporter, 44, shared a photo to Instagram on Friday of himself on a plane and wearing a face mask while on his way to film a Spotlight investigation. 'Well, this is strange back on a plane Leaving my two girls for a few weeks shooting a story for the next season of @7newsspotlight,' he captioned the post. Back to business: Seven News reporter Denham Hitchcock is back at work just a month after being hospitalised with a serious but extremely rare side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine Denham shares a one-year-old daughter, Kaia, with his wife, Mari. He added: 'Border closures and hermit kingdoms making things difficult.' It was revealed last month the veteran TV journalist had been rushed to hospital with an extremely rare side effect of the Pfizer jab. Health scare: It was revealed last month the veteran TV journalist had been rushed to hospital with pericarditis, an extremely rare side effect of the Pfizer jab Sharing photos to Instagram of himself hooked up to a series of heart-monitoring electrodes, Denham revealed he'd been diagnosed with pericarditis. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac-like tissue that surrounds the heart that holds it in place and helps it function. He claimed the condition had been caused by his first Pfizer shot, and called on the government to 'keep your damn promise' to open up Australia to the world. 'Well, this is strange back on a plane Leaving my two girls for a few weeks shooting a story for the next season of @7newsspotlight,' he wrote. Pictured with wife Mari and daughter Kaia 'I've battled over whether to send this post from hospital or not. But decided after 27 years of being a journalist who's primary goal is to discover the truth - it would be hypocritical not to,' he wrote. 'I'm NOT anti-vax. But I'm really not pro-vax either. I'm pro-choice - and pro-information to make that choice. 'Probably a little late to hospital - but here I am - diagnosed with pericarditis - or inflammation of the heart due to the Pfizer vaccine.' Hospitalised: Sharing photos to Instagram of himself hooked up to a series of heart-monitoring electrodes, Denham revealed he'd been diagnosed with pericarditis Denham shared the post from his hospital bed at Gold Coast University Hospital, 25 days after he received his first vaccine. He said at first he was experiencing a racing heart, pins and needles, and dizziness, but continued to think they were normal side effects. After three weeks, he was still suffering from severe symptoms, including sharp chest pain, chills, and the dizziness had become extreme. Side effect: Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac-like tissue that surrounds the heart that holds it in place and helps it function. Denham is pictured on The Morning Show 'Since being here I've contacted health professionals I know in Sydney, and while it's rare - it's certainly not isolated,' he added. 'One hospital has had well over a dozen cases like me.' Pericarditis and myocarditis have been observed in an extremely small number of people after receiving mRNA vaccines, of which Pfizer is one. Warning signs: He said at first he was experiencing a racing heart, pins and needles, and dizziness, but continued to think they were normal side effects The cases were disproportionately men under the age of 30 after their second dose of the jab. British data released last month found the rate of pericarditis was 3.8 cases per 1 million doses of the Pfizer shot. By July 8, the TGA was notified of 50 cases of pericarditis in Australia as a result of 3.2 million Pfizer doses. Rare: Pericarditis and myocarditis have been observed in an extremely small number of people after receiving mRNA vaccines, of which Pfizer is one 'In the current vaccine frenzy, no one is talking about this but it's clearly happening,' he said. 'If you want the vaccine and have any heart history it would be worth talking to your GP about your vaccine choice, especially as AZ [AstraZeneca] is readily available and does not have this side effect.' Denham said he wasn't discouraging people to get the Pfizer vaccine, but rather to evaluate their choices. She's rarely seen without makeup. But Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis proved on Friday she doesn't need lipstick, mascara or foundation to look her best. Despite saying she resembled a 'witch', the 33-year-old actually looked great as she showed off her natural complexion on Instagram Stories. Unmasked! Married At First Sight's Martha Kalifatidis, 33, showed off her natural complexion on Friday, proving she doesn't need lipstick, mascara or foundation to look her best Martha, who recently moved into a new home in Sydney with her boyfriend Michael Brunelli, filmed the video while making coffee. The Greek-Australian beauty looked incredible without makeup, and styled her short, dark hair loosely. She also said Friday marked her and Michael's three-year anniversary. Bare-faced beauty: Despite saying she resembled a 'witch', Martha actually looked great as she showed off her natural complexion on Instagram Stories 'So it's our three-year anniversary today... we obviously both forgot! I'm making Irish coffee to celebrate,' Martha said. 'Also this is why you haven't seen my face in days... I look like a witch!' Martha previously told Beauty Crew she keeps her skin looking youthful by drinking plenty of water and applying SPF sunscreen daily. Advice: Martha previously told Beauty Crew she keeps her skin looking youthful by drinking plenty of water and applying SPF sunscreen daily Martha, who has had a breast augmentation, nose job and lip filler, said on Kyle and Jackie O in August she was desperate to get Botox once lockdown ends. 'It has worn off,' Martha said. 'I do get it and it has worn off and I can see my forehead moving so much now!' New Zealand model Georgia Fowler welcomed her little girl Dylan Aman into the world on Monday. And the 29-year-old shared a heartwarming video to Instagram on Friday of a bonding moment between mother and daughter. In the black and white video, Georgia kissed her newborn baby's forehead. Mummy-daughter bonding: Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler kissed her baby daughter Dylan Aman in a heart-melting video shared to Instagram on Friday Gushing: Georgia, who has walked the runway for Victoria's Secret, captioned the video: 'My whole heart, Dylan Aman' Georgia, who has walked the runway for Victoria's Secret, captioned the video: 'My whole heart, Dylan Aman.' The model and her partner Nathan Dalah announced their daughter's arrival on Monday, sharing two photos to Instagram of the infant lying in her crib. Revealing her daughter's unique name, Georgia wrote: 'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much.' Congratulations! The model, 29, and her partner Nathan Dalah announced their daughter's arrival on Monday, sharing two photos to Instagram of the infant lying in her crib Georgia's army of celebrity pals quickly commented on the post, with footy WAG Rebecca Judd writing: 'Congratulations - she's a beauty.' Activewear mogul Pip Edwards added: 'So so beautiful! Congratulations.' Auckland-born Georgia revealed she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan back in April. Adorable: Revealing her daughter's name in the caption, Georgia wrote: 'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much' Parents: Auckland-born Georgia (left) announced she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan (right) back in April At the time, she shared the news by writing: 'We can't wait to meet you, little one.' 'It's been hard to keep this one quiet, but now it's pretty hard to hide,' she added. 'Nathan and I couldn't be happier to share our exciting news with you. We cannot wait to meet you little one and begin our next adventure together. The best is yet to come.' Married At First Sight star Booka Nile has spoken out after her former co-star Joanne Todd revealed she'd lost her job for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. The heavy metal musician, 31, shared a video to Instagram debunking the conspiracy theories anti-vaxxers spread that falsely claim the jab is unsafe. While she didn't mention Joanne by name, her clip seemed to be in response to the barber's earlier video addressing her opposition to the vaccine. Reaction: Married At First Sight star Booka Nile (pictured) has spoken out after her former co-star Joanne Todd revealed she'd lost her job for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine Booka captioned her video: 'My thoughts on some of the most popular Covid anti-vax theories. If you're someone who does believe one of the theories that I've commented on here, please don't get s**tty and abusive towards me for voicing my position or for trying to lighten the mood in the way I've delivered my thoughts.' She also encouraged her followers to 'base their beliefs about the Covid vaccines on empirical, peer-reviewed research and concrete evidence (not circumstantial).' 'Listen to the experts who have spent upwards of a decade studying their fields and understand it on a level that you do not. Anything less than this is unreliable and simply not good enough,' she added. 'Listen to experts': Booka shared a video to Instagram debunking the conspiracy theories anti-vaxxers spread that falsely claim the jab is unsafe. While she didn't mention Joanne by name, her clip seemed to be in response to Jo's earlier video addressing her opposition to the vaccine In addition to stressing the importance of getting scientific and medical information from legitimate sources, Booka specifically addressed in the video the false claims that Covid-19 vaccines cause infertility or sexual dysfunction. She joked: 'If you want to con the young fertile populations of the western world into getting the vaccine to sterilise themselves, then the answer is so obvious: put whatever is in the Covid vaccine into filler and Botox. 'No need for a pandemic, no need for border closures, no need for protests, no need for a global economic crash. Seems like it would have been a far easier approach.' It comes after Joanne Todd announced on Thursday she was no longer working at her usual barbershop in Melbourne, after being told to get the jab or quit. Despite being forced out of her job of 12 years, the mother of two hopes her clients will continue to visit her at her new salon space. 'I never thought that I would lose my job over a vaccine, but the positive thing is that I've set up my own barber space,' Joanne said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I'm jumping on here to reach out to all my regular clients and to the mums with the kids [whose] haircuts I used to do in Karingal. No jab, no job: It comes after Joanne (pictured) announced on Thursday she was no longer working at her usual barbershop in Karingal, Melbourne, after being told to get the jab or quit 'I won't be going back to that shop anymore, so anyone that I used to cut, or anyone who isn't getting the vaccine, please hit me up and I'll be happy to cut your hair.' Joanne said that despite the new government rules, she is willing to cut anybody's hair regardless of their vaccination status. 'I am happy to take the vaccinated or the unvaccinated,' she said. 'I'll be happy to cut your hair': Despite being forced out of her position, the mother of two hopes her clients will continue to visit her at her new salon space. Joanne also said she is willing to cut anybody's hair regardless of their vaccination status Joanne told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday: 'I'm not anti-vax. I just think we should have a choice and not lose our jobs over [the vaccine].' It comes after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that hair salons can reopen for the fully vaccinated once the 70 per cent vaccination target is reached. The coronavirus vaccine is a safe and vital measure being taken to protect the community from the spread of the virus. The vaccine makes you significantly less likely to become seriously ill with Covid, and also reduces the likelihood of transmission. Amber Heard has issued a subpoena toward the Los Angeles Police Department amid her ongoing legal issues with Johnny Depp in his $50 million defamation suit against her. Heard's legal team on September 20 had their subpoena cleared by Fairfax County courts clerk John Frey, according to Deadline. Heard's lawyers has requested information regarding LAPD officers who responded to a domestic disturbance between the former couple in Downtown LA in 2016. The latest: Amber Heard has issued a subpoena toward the Los Angeles Police Department amid her ongoing legal issues with Johnny Depp in his $50 million defamation suit against her In legal docs reviewed by Deadline, Heard's legal team requested authorities 'produce the books, documents, records, electronically stored information and tangible things' as well as body-camera footage, in connection with a May 21, 2016 visit police officers Melissa Saenz and Tyler Hadden made to the former couple's apartment at the Eastern Columbia Building. Heard's lawyers asked for 'all documents and communications of any nature respecting any investigation into whether Officers Saenz and Hadden followed LAPD policy, procedures and/or protocols' in the incident. LAPD Public Information Officer Jeff Lee told the outlet that the department does not 'comment on open or pending litigation,' while another police source informed the outlet that police have gotten the subpoena. Heard's legal team has specifically requested 'all documents and communications of any nature respecting any investigation of, and any disciplinary actions taken against' the aforementioned officers linked with their conduct spanning thru December of 2016. Heard and her partner Bianca Butti were seen in London last year Depp was seen at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on Wednesday The subpoena requests 'the audit trails for any deletions, modifications, or viewing of the body camera footage uploaded to evidence.com by Officers Saenz and Hadden during the period October 1, 2015 through August 1, 2016' as well as any related documents, according to the outlet. Both officers gave testimony (via satellite) last year during Depp's libel suit against the outlet The Sun over their reporting of the split, in which he was labeled him a 'wife-beater.' In the 2020 trial, Saenz told the court she 'did not see any injuries' on Heard amid her claims Depp had hit her face with a cell phone. Photos of Heard sporting injuries were seen publicly amid the marital split. Heard was seen on London in July of 2020 following a court outing in a previous Depp case The actor, known for playing Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, subsequently settled to pay Heard $7 million to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union and to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft told the outlet in January that the Austin, Texas-born actress 'has already been responsible for seven figures in donations to charitable causes and intends to continue to contribute and eventually fulfill her pledge.' Heard in January had requested the LAPD provide 'all documents and communications of any nature with Mr. Depp, and/or any of Mr. Depps agents, attorneys or others acting on his behalf from May 21, 2016' through the present, according to the outlet. Depp spoke publicly about his legal troubles on Wednesday while in Spain, saying that 'it doesnt matter if a judgment, per se, has taken some artistic license. When theres an injustice, whether its against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in - stand up, dont sit down. Cause they need you.' The Kentucky-born actor, who lost his role in Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts, was in Spain accepting the Donostia Award honors at the San Sebastian Film Festival. 'It takes one sentence and theres no more ground, the carpet has been pulled,' the actor said. 'Its not just me that this has happened to, its happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly, at a certain point they begin to think that its normal - or that its them. When its not.' The case is slated to arrive back in court in Fairfax County, Virginia in April of 2021. He starred on Packed To The Rafters alongside Jessica Marais for six years. And Hugh Sheridan says he was initially hesitant about filming the the show's new reboot, Back To The Rafters, without his best friend and co-star. Last year, fans were shocked when Jessica pulled out of the much-anticipated Amazon Prime reboot due to mental health reasons. Not sure: Hugh Sheridan has admitted he was hesitant about filming the Back to the Rafters reboot without co-star Jessica Marais 'How do you replace Jess Marais? How can you replace Rachel? And I wasn't even sure myself,' he said. 'But then the beautiful Georgina Haig steps in. She knew that there was this pressure to play this character, but she did a great job, She loves Rachel and she loves Jess and she would often be asking me about Jess and checking in on her.' Jessica was initially set to reprise her role of Rachel Rafter, after previously starring on the beloved Channel Seven drama from 2008 until 2013. Last year, fans were shocked when Jessica pulled out of the much-anticipated Amazon Prime reboot Back To The Rafters due to mental health reasons. 'How do you replace Jess Marais? How can you replace Rachel? And I wasn't even sure myself,' he said. Pictured Hugh and Jessica Jessica's former co-star Angus McLaren gave an update on how she is doing, earlier this month. 'Jessica is doing well... it was good to see her in Sydney,' the Melbourne-based actor told Daily Mail Australia. 'Yeah we definitely missed her on set, but the good thing about Jess is she lived quite close to me when I was in Sydney. So I actually got to see her, I really have a lot of love for Jess,' he added. The beloved Channel 7 series will return to Amazon Prime on September 17. Reboot: Jessica was initially set to reprise her role of Rachel Rafter, after previously starring on the beloved Channel Seven drama from 2008 until 2013 The new series will be set in the present time - six years after the show's final season. According to a synopsis on Mumbrella: 'Dave and Julie have created a new life in the country with youngest daughter Ruby, while the older Rafter children face new challenges and Grandpa Ted struggles to find his place. 'As Dave enjoys his new found freedom, Julie must reconcile her responsibilities to the family. They might not be under the same roof, but the same honesty, love and laughter bonds them more tightly now than ever before.' Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio glammed up in a plunging leopard-print dress during her visit to Russia on Thursday. The 40-year-old CAA Model swapped her white coat for a black motorcycle jacket, and she accessorized with stilettos and a black Chanel cross-body bag selected by stylist Heather Smith. Hairstylist Marina Roy coiffed Alessandra's brunette mane and make-up artist Carolina Gonzalez applied her glossy pout and peachy blush. Leggy lady: Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio glammed up in a plunging leopard-print dress during her visit to Russia on Thursday Ambrosio - who boasts 18.1M social media followers - enjoyed martinis and seafood fine dining at White Rabbit with her publicist Milan Blagojevic. Earlier, the glamorous globe-trotter strutted on the cobble stones of Red Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in a video set to rapper Iggy Azalea's 2014 hit Fancy. Alessandra - who became a US citizen on September 4 - also posed in front of the Kremlin Clock tower. Tourist: The 40-year-old CAA Model swapped her white coat for a black motorcycle jacket, and she accessorized with stilettos and a black Chanel cross-body bag selected by stylist Heather Smith Ready for her close-up! Hairstylist Marina Roy coiffed Alessandra's brunette mane and make-up artist Carolina Gonzalez applied her glossy pout and peachy blush Cheers! Ambrosio - who boasts 18.1M social media followers - enjoyed martinis and seafood fine dining at White Rabbit with her publicist Milan Blagojevic Ambrosio flaunted her cleavage in a black crop top beneath a white blazer and matching pleated pants and black peep-toe heels. The busy mother-of-two spoke about sustainable fashion and how beautiful Russian women are during an all-women's panel at an environmental conference sponsored by Russian radio. Meanwhile back in Los Angeles, Alessandra's boyfriend Richard Lee announced he shaved off his beard, sharing a before and after picture on Thursday. 'Moscow fancy': Earlier, the glamorous globe-trotter strutted on the cobble stones of Red Square in front of St. Basil's Cathedral in a video set to rapper Iggy Azalea's 2014 hit Fancy '#youalreadyknow': Alessandra - who became a US citizen on September 4 - also posed in front of the Kremlin Clock tower 'Business time!' Ambrosio flaunted her cleavage in a black crop top beneath a white blazer and matching pleated pants and black peep-toe heels Hard at work: The busy mother-of-two spoke about sustainable fashion and how beautiful Russian women are during an all-women's panel at an environmental conference sponsored by Russian radio Ambrosio went Instagram official with the LA Model on May 25, and they were first pictured canoodling in February at Nobu Malibu. Richard marks the 5ft9in stunner's first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with Alanui co-designer Nicolo Oddi last winter. Also missing from Alessandra's side were her two children - daughter Anja, 13; and son Noah, 9 - from her decade-long romance with Re/Done denim co-founder Jamie Mazur, which ended in 2018. '11:30am vs. 1:30pm': Meanwhile back in Los Angeles, Alessandra's boyfriend Richard Lee announced he shaved off his beard, sharing a before and after picture on Thursday Still going strong! Ambrosio went Instagram official with the LA Model (R, pictured Saturday) on May 25, and they were first pictured canoodling in February at Nobu Malibu Loves of her life: Also missing from the 5ft9in stunner's side were her two children - daughter Anja, 13; and son Noah, 9 - (pictured June 20) from her decade-long romance with Re/Done denim co-founder Jamie Mazur, which ended in 2018 On November 30, Rome Pays Off will publish lensman Stewart Shining's $95 230-page coffee table book featuring his 200 photographs of Ambrosio spanning two decades. The former Fyre Festival paid promoter co-founded her second swimwear brand GAL Floripa with her younger sister Aline and best friend Gisele Coria in March 2019. Alessandra - who retired her Victoria's Secret 'wings' in 2017 - previously ran her eponymous swimwear line ale by Alessandra from 2014-2018. They recently tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in Ibiza, Spain. And Australian model Jordan Barrett and his handsome new husband Fernando Casablancas looked like happy newlyweds as they attended a show at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday. Byron Bay-born Jordan, 24, looked edgy in a pair of oversized red harem pants teamed with a red and navy striped sweater. Here come the newlyweds! Aussie model Jordan Barrett attended a Milan Fashion Week show with his handsome new husband Fernando Casablancas on Thursday evening He added to his casual cool look with a pair of black slides and minimal gold accessories. Meanwhile, Fernando, 23, opted black trousers with a white singlet, layered with an oversized white knitted jumper on top. The genetically-blessed couple both had their heavenly long locks coiffed in a voluminous style. Once the formalities were over and Jordan had his photos taken on the media wall, the sweet couple enjoyed some down time at a pop-up cafe. Casual chic: Byron Bay-born Jordan, 24, looked edgy in a pair of oversized red harem pants teamed with a red and navy striped sweater Blue steel: Jordan shot the camera several sultry looks as he posed at the media wall Cute: Once the formalities were over and Jordan had his photos taken on the media wall, the sweet couple enjoyed some down time at a pop-up cafe It has been a busy time for the two, as earlier this week Jordan was spotted rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lily Moss at London Fashion Week. Last month, Jordan surprised fans when he married fellow male model Fernando in an intimate wedding in Ibiza. The ceremony was attended by no more than 15 of Jordan's closet friends, including Lila's famous supermodel mother Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger and American playwright Jeremy O. Harris. Congratulations! Last month, Jordan surprised fans when he married fellow male model Fernando in an intimate wedding in Ibiza 'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his Aussie family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia at the time. 'Champagne and cocktail drinks were flowing, it was very relaxed. Kate (Moss) brought out the rings, and really made sure it was special for him.' Jordan looked suave dressed in a black sleeveless silk top, which he wore unbuttoned paired with a matching pants. 'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia His beau Fernando meanwhile opted for a black mesh sleeveless top with matching pants. The striking model completed his look wearing a gold head chain from Messika by Kate Moss. Jordan - who is signed to Kate's modelling agency - appears to have a good relationship with Kate and her daughter Lila. He has gained six kilos during his recent 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine stay in Sydney, after returning to Australia with his wife Ann Simons to film the sixth season of Celebrity Apprentice. And Lord Alan Sugar, 74, was spotted stocking up on healthy food at an Eastern Suburbs supermarket on Wednesday as he vows to drop the weight. The British billionaire browsed the fruit and vegetable aisle, picking out an assortment of leafy greens. Lord Alan Sugar, sans the sugar! Celebrity Apprentice star was spotted stocking up on healthy greens at a Sydney supermarket on Wednesday after admitting he gained six kilos during his hotel quarantine stay The business magnate appeared to have just come from an exercise session, and was sporting a white collar T-shirt, a black jacket, blue runners and a Nike cap worn backwards. He first picked up a bunch of greens before peering at a table filled with bags of apples. On Thursday, Sugar said he went on a fifty kilometre bike ride as he tries to stay fit and shed the excess weight he put on in quarantine. '50k ride 3 times a week in Centennial Park Sydney to burn off the 6kg I put on in the 14 day quarantine,' the reality TV host Tweeted. The TV star also posted a picture of himself standing behind his sleek bike wearing an aqua blue helmet, sunglasses and a blue Holsten cycle jersey. Greener pastures: The British billionaire browsed the fruit and vegetable aisle, picking out an assortment of leafy greens Last weekend, Sugar was joined by his wife Ann as they went for a stroll and grabbed a coffee to go. The couple recently finished their mandatory 14 days of hotel quarantine on the 21st floor of The Sheraton in Sydney. The TV personality came under fire for jetting from the UK to Australia during the pandemic to film the sixth series of Celebrity Apprentice as many Australians are still stuck abroad. An apple a day! He first picked up a bunch of greens before peering at a table filled with bags of apples Married At First Sight star Joanne Todd has insisted she's not an anti-vaxxer, despite recently losing her job as a barber for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. In an interview with Yahoo! Lifestyle on Friday, the 40-year-old maintained she's not against getting the vaccine, but wants to 'wait a little longer'. Furthermore, Jo insisted that a video she shared to Instagram informing her clients that she wouldn't be returning to the salon had been 'blown way out of proportion'. Speaking out: Joanne Todd has insisted she's not an anti-vaxxer, despite recently losing her job as a barber for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine She said that while she's not opposed to the Covid vaccine, she does believe that people who choose not to get vaccinated are being treated 'unfairly'. 'I want people to know that I am not anti-vax at all. I do think it should be a choice,' she explained. 'I also think it's unfair how the unvaccinated are being treated for their own rights to not choose to get the vaccine. Clearing the air: In an interview with Yahoo! Lifestyle on Friday, the 40-year-old former Married At First Sight star maintained she's 'not anti-vax at all' 'I just believe that everyone should have a choice with their own bodies and not come with rules.' Jo - who has since set up a home salon - said she'll happily 'cut the unvaccinated and the vaccinated', insisting she 'won't discriminate'. 'I'm not saying I'll never get a vaccine. I am just choosing to wait a little longer,' she added. Creating controversy: Jo insisted that a video she shared to Instagram informing her clients that she wouldn't be returning to the salon had been 'blown way out of proportion' Jo was relentlessly mocked on social media after revealing she lost her job for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. While there was the usual chorus of 'good for you' and 'stand up for your rights' from anti-vaxxers, other Aussies said they had 'no sympathy' for the MAFS star. She was labelled foolish for choosing to walk away from her job of 12 years because of her stubbornness, with some fans saying they were unfollowing her on Instagram. Copping backlash: Jo has been relentlessly mocked on social media after revealing she lost her job for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine The coronavirus vaccine is a safe and vital measure being taken to protect the community from the spread of the virus. The vaccine makes you significantly less likely to become seriously ill with Covid, and also reduces the likelihood of transmission. In response to Jo saying she'd lost her job for refusing the vaccine, one fan asked her bluntly: 'Could you not just get vaccinated?' Divisive: While there was the usual chorus of 'good for you' and 'stand up for your rights' from anti-vaxxers, other Aussies said they had 'no sympathy' for her Others said she'd 'made her choice' and had to deal with the consequences, which for unvaccinated staff in the hair and beauty industry means not being able to work. 'Zero sympathy. She still gets a choice and she's made her choice - she wasn't fired,' one user commented on The Wash's Instagram account. 'You guys realise no jab, no play [a policy that disallows unvaccinated children from attending childcare centres] has been a thing for years among kids? 'Yeah, now it's for the adults and affects you directly you're all in uproar.' 'Over it': She was labelled foolish for choosing to walk away from her job of 12 years because of her stubbornness, with some fans saying they were unfollowing her on Instagram Made her bed: Others said she'd 'made her choice' and had to deal with the consequences, which for unvaccinated staff in the hair and beauty industry means not being able to work Stating the obvious: In response to Todd saying she'd lost her job for refusing the vaccine, one fan asked her bluntly: 'Could you not just get vaccinated?' Another commented: 'She made her choice and those are the consequences. I'm not sympathetic that she's taken that route and found out the hard way.' A third wrote: 'No sympathy whatsoever.' Several noted the irony of a barber offering health advice and also mocked women who refuse the vaccine but are all too eager to inject Botox, a toxin, into their faces. 'She's a hairdresser... of course I trust her with my health,' one fan remarked. Similar comments included: 'Yet she pumps her lips and face with injections but won't get the vaccine,' and, 'Bleaching your teeth to the nth degree? Yeah, nah, that vaccine is dangerous.' Ridicule: Several noted the irony of a barber offering health advice and also mocked women who refuse the vaccine but are all too eager to inject Botox, a toxin, into their faces Doubters: Others were skeptical that Todd would be able to retain her clientele after leaving the barbershop she'd work at for more than a decade Others were skeptical that Todd would be able to retain her clientele after leaving the barbershop she'd worked at for more than a decade. And one summed up the outrage perfectly with: 'Ah, yes. Thank God there are influencers to believe instead of scientists.' Todd announced on Thursday she was no longer working at her usual barbershop in Karingal, Melbourne, after being told to get the jab or quit. Despite being forced out of her job of 12 years, the mother-of-two hopes her clients will continue to visit her at her new salon space. Botox? Yes. Vaccine? No: Todd makes no secret of the fact she gets anti-wrinkle injections, but still doesn't want to get the safe and effective Covid vaccine Protest: Todd announced on Thursday she was no longer working at her usual barbershop in Karingal, Melbourne, after being told to get the jab or quit 'I never thought that I would lose my job over a vaccine, but the positive thing is that I've set up my own barber space,' Todd said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I'm jumping on here to reach out to all my regular clients and to the mums with the kids [whose] haircuts I used to do in Karingal. 'I won't be going back to that shop anymore, so anyone that I used to cut, or anyone who isn't getting the vaccine, please hit me up and I'll be happy to cut your hair.' Todd said that despite the new government rules, she is willing to cut anybody's hair regardless of their vaccination status. 'I'll be happy to cut your hair': Despite being forced out of her position, the mother of two hopes her clients will continue to visit her at her new salon space. Todd also said she is willing to cut anybody's hair regardless of their vaccination status 'I am happy to take the vaccinated or the unvaccinated,' she said. Todd told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday: 'I'm not anti-vax. I just think we should have a choice and not lose our jobs over [the vaccine].' It comes after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that hair salons can reopen for the fully vaccinated once the 70 per cent vaccination target is reached. Emergency! actor Tim Donnelly has died at the age of 77 amid complications after surgery. The late actor's older brother, director Dennis Donnelly, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died Friday at his Santa Fe, New Mexico home. Donnelly portrayed the role of firefighter Chet Kelly on the NBC show through its duration from January of 1972 thru May of 1977. The latest: Emergency! actor Tim Donnelly has died at the age of 77 amid complications after surgery, according to his older brother, director Dennis Donnelly The Kelly character, based out of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Station 51, was marked by his penchant for practical jokes. Other performers on the series, which was produced by late Dragnet legend Jack Webb, also starred Randolph Mantooth, Kevin Tighe, Robert Fuller, Julie London and Bobby Troup. Donnelly had also appeared on Webb-produced shows Dragnet 1967 and Adam-12, as well as on shows including The Smith Family, Hawaii Five-O, Project U.F.O., Vega$, CHiPs and The A-Team. He also appeared in the 1979 films The Clonus Horror and The Death of Ocean View Park. Donnelly portrayed the role of firefighter Chet Kelly on the NBC show through its duration from January of 1972 thru May of 1977 The Kelly character, based out of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Station 51, was marked by his penchant for practical jokes The Los Angeles County Fire Museum paid homage to the late actor with a statement. 'It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our friend, Tim Donnelly, on September 17th,' the museum said. 'Tim, as you know, played Chet Kelly on the show EMERGENCY! among many other roles during his acting career.' Donnelly's father Paul Donnelly worked at Universal Pictures as a vice president of production, while his mother Eileen was daughter to actor Pat OMalley. The actor is survived by daughter Ashley, brother Dennis, sister Kathleen and two grandsons. Advertisement Rihanna recruited some of the industry's most in-demand models, from Irina Shayk to Emily Ratajkowski to Behati Prinsloo, to walk in her highly-anticipated Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3. On Thursday evening, fans got their very first look at the brand's sizzling new lingerie looks during the fashion show's big premiere on Amazon Prime Video for its release on the streaming site the following morning. Irina commanded attention in a sexy snakeskin bodysuit with a large cut-out across the front that exposed her taut midriff while Emily was oozing confidence in a purple two-piece and Behati was turning up the heat in chainmail. Recruits: Rihanna recruited Behati Prinsloo, Irina Shayk and Emily Ratajkowski and more of the modeling industry's biggest names to walk in her highly-anticipated Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3. Resting in the crook of Irina arms was a lengthy snakeskin scarf that hung down to the floor as she posed in an incredibly sultry fashion while oozing confidence and sex appeal. The Russian beauty's brunette strands were slicked away from her face and made to look as if they were soaking wet while her make-up was flawlessly applied in a striking style. As for accessories, Irina, 35, was decked out in chunky gold jewelry from her ears to her wrists. For a touch of added glamour, Shayk wore a tight fitting gold belly chain across her midsection. She commanded the runway in a pair of strappy suede heels that added height to her already statuesque frame. Wild side: Irina commanded attention in a sexy snakeskin bodysuit with a large cut-out across the front that exposed her taut midriff Perfection: The Russian beauty's brunette strands were slicked away from her face and made to look as if they were soaking wet Golden girl: As for accessories, Irina was decked out in chunky gold jewelry from her ears to her wrists Statuesque beauty: She commanded the runway in a pair of strappy suede heels that added height to her already statuesque frame Her natural beauty was given an editorial spin, with make-up artists swiping sparkly red shadow across her eyes and a generous amount of lip gloss on her pout to catch the light. Behati meanwhile showed off her sassy side as she strolled down the runway with an army of futuristic femme bots trailing behind her - with all the stars of the show showing off their frame. The 34-year-old stunner, who is married to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, put her pert chest on display in a glistening metallic top that was held together by a cloth belt. Disco diva: Behati Prinsloo showed off her sassy side as she strolled down the runway with an army of futuristic femme bots trailing behind her Marvelous in metallic: The 34-year-old wife of Adam Levin put her pert chest on display in a glistening metallic top that was held together by a cloth belt Hot mama: Emily, who welcomed her son Sylvester into the world in March, showcase her impossibly toned abdominals as she stormed the runway in purple iridescent lingerie Bonding: Emily spotted taking snapshot with fellow model Nyjah Huston just before hitting the runway The look was finished off with a pair of cheeky underwear bottoms and some silver heels with straps wound tightly around her ankles. Behati added a bit of attitude to her walk by flipping her golden blonde hair back as she inched closer to the end of the runway. Emily, who welcomed her son Sylvester into the world in March, showcase her impossibly toned abdominals as she stormed the runway in purple iridescent lingerie. Total pro: Gigi Hadid, who just rang in her daughter Khai's first birthday over the weekend, put her best foot forward in a pair of chrome Mary Jane heels and glitzy jacquard robe Fearless: The 26-year-old wore nothing underneath besides a pair of tiny bikini-style bottoms that coordinated perfectly with her Hugh Hefner-inspired coverup Edgy: Adding an edge to her look, Gigi was given a blunt faux fringe and choppy side pieces that contrasted interestingly against her lengthy strands Finishing touches: She had a textured blue choker fastened around her neck while a single gold chain rested between her cleavage The 30-year-old slipped into a ruched strapless bra and some thong style bottoms that clung to her hips. Ratajkowski's dark brown tresses were worn in box braids and then styled into an avant-garde hairdo. Gigi Hadid, who just rang in her daughter Khai's first birthday over the weekend, put her best foot forward in a pair of chrome Mary Jane heels and glitzy jacquard robe. The 26-year-old wore nothing underneath besides a pair of tiny bikini-style bottoms that coordinated perfectly with her Hugh Hefner-inspired coverup. Step aside: Rihanna got in on the action as well by stepping out onto the runway in a red snakeskin corset and matching bottoms Switch up: She also appeared in a semi-sheer outfit made of black tulle and lace Hot! The 33-year-old mogul posed with her back arched and her manicured hands on her hips as she let her audience gaze at the elements of her bedroom-ready ensemble Adding an edge to her look, Gigi was given a blunt faux fringe and choppy side pieces that contrasted interestingly against her lengthy strands. She had a textured blue choker fastened around her neck while a single gold chain rested between her cleavage. Rihanna got in on the action as well by stepping out onto the runway in a red snakeskin corset and matching bottoms. The 33-year-old mogul posed with her back arched and her manicured hands on her hips as she let her audience gaze at the elements of her bedroom-ready ensemble. Timeless: Cindy Crawford looked undeniably glamorous in a satin floor-length gown with a dramatic leg slit Leggy: Crawford posed with her legs crossed over one another, giving a clear view of her strappy chrome heels All glamour: The 55-year-old supermodel posed on a spiral staircase with her lightened brunette strands styled to one side and her eyelids decked out in sparkly emerald shadow that matched gown Glitz: She also rocked gold wrist cuffs and statement clip on earrings The Only Girl hitmaker's raven tresses were softly styled in curls and she added a vintage feel with some black lace stockings. She also appeared in a semi-sheer outfit made of black tulle and lace. Cindy Crawford looked undeniably glamorous in a satin floor-length gown with a dramatic leg slit. The 55-year-old supermodel posed on a spiral staircase with her lightened brunette strands styled to one side and her eyelids decked out in sparkly emerald shadow that matched gown. Queen: Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon mastered the art of seduction as she posed pre-show on a bed covered in grey satin pillows and a comforter Throwback: The 24-year-old model channeled the 90s with a spiky updo and a side swept bag that was tucked behind her ear Latex: She slipped her toned figure into a latex bra, panties, and thigh high stockings that clung to her curves Jeweled: Lourdes had clear lucite necklaces layered around her neck, as well as chunky lucite bangles on her wrists. She also rocked barbed wire belly chain Crawford posed with her legs crossed over one another, giving a clear view of her strappy chrome heels. She also rocked gold wrist cuffs and statement clip on earrings. Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon mastered the art of seduction as she posed pre-show on a bed covered in grey satin pillows and a comforter. The 24-year-old model channeled the 90s with a spiky updo and a side swept bag that was tucked behind her ear. She slipped her toned figure into a latex bra, panties, and thigh high stockings that clung to her curves. Modeling chops: Vanessa Hudgens put her modeling skills to the test in a white iridescent lingerie look that left little to the imagination Oh so sheer: The 32-year-old actress' ensemble consisted of a sheer bra top, thong-style bottoms, and a mini skirt wrap Squad: James Baek, Janay Watson, Allie Weber, Shaholly Ayers, Vanessa Hudgens, Chavez Barrientes, Nicole Williams English, Sejal Sharma, and Valentine Alvarez storm the runway Lourdes had clear lucite necklaces layered around her neck, as well as chunky lucite bangles on her wrists. She also rocked barbed wire belly chain. Vanessa Hudgens put her modeling skills to the test in a white iridescent lingerie look that left little to the imagination. The 32-year-old actress' ensemble consisted of a sheer bra top, thong-style bottoms, and a mini skirt wrap. The High School Musical alum's raven tresses, similarly to Emily Ratajkowski's, were intricately braided at the scalp and then molded into two braids that hung down the front of her body. orce: Joan Smalls sizzled as she emerged in a chromatic crop top and matching mini skirt Party time! The 33-year-old supermodel clearly had a blast, often breaking out into dance while surrounded by her squad Killing it: Smalls oozed sex appeal by accessorizing with a thick choker necklace and a pair of stiletto heels Model behavior: Singer Sabrina Carpenter can officially add 'model' to her resume after appearing in Rihanna's star-studded Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Joan Smalls looked like the most popular girl in school as she emerged in a chromatic crop top and matching mini skirt. The 33-year-old supermodel clearly had a blast, often breaking out into dance while surrounded by her squad. Smalls oozed sex appeal by accessorizing with a thick choker necklace and a pair of stiletto heels. Singer Sabrina Carpenter can officially add 'model' to her resume after appearing in Rihanna's star-studded Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3. Performers: Besides the models and gorgeous talent, Amazon Prime audiences were also treated to a slew of performances throughout the show; Erykah Badu pictured Pop divas: Normani and BIA stunned as they treated fans to their musical stylings The 22-year-old songstress looked slender in a fishnet bodysuit layered over a classic black bra and panties. Besides the models and gorgeous talent, Amazon Prime audiences were also treated to a slew of performances throughout the show. Erykah Badu, Ricky Martin, Normani, and BIA took to the stage, while models focused on their respective runway treks. She spent a glorious three weeks away in Greece, soaking up the sun. And Zara McDermott's boyfriend Sam Thompson seems relieved that she's finally come home - writing a gushy post about her return on Thursday. Made In Chelsea star Sam, 29, took to Instagram to say: 'I missed you', alongside a sweet photo of the pair cuddling up together. 'I missed you': Sam Thompson gushed over his girlfriend Zara McDermott on Instagram on Thursday after she returned from three-week holiday to Greece Sam captioned the sweet image: 'Got this one back after 3 weeks apartsafe to say I missed you'. Zara, 24, then responded in the comments: 'Missed you so much' along with a string of red love heart emojis. The former Love Island contestant channelled cowgirl chic with her look, wearing a light wash denim jacket and light brown heeled cowboy boots. Reunion: Their reunion comes as he recently revealed he wants a baby with his girlfriend in the near future She styled her dark blonde locks in a straight style, and modelled a natural makeup look for their reunion. Sam looked ever-so handsome, sporting a navy blue V-neck jumper and light grey skinny jeans. Their reunion comes as he recently revealed he wants a baby with his girlfriend in the near future. 'Closer together': Sam told MailOnline that Zara cheating on him had actually brought them 'closer together' and he didn't want to be a 'really old dad' so wasn't far off starting a family Sam told MailOnline that Zara cheating on him had actually brought them 'closer together' and he didn't want to be a 'really old dad' so wasn't far off starting a family. The reality star gushed that Zara was the girl of his dreams and they were nearly ready to become parents but he did 'need to grow up a bit first'. He said: 'Ive hit a stage where Im doing my house up at the moment, I want to make it into a really nice adult home, Im nearly 30 and I'm with the girl of my dreams.' 'Not in the next year... but not in the too distant future. I dont want to be a really old dad. But I do need to grow up a little bit first.' The Made In Chelsea star's relationship was thrown into turmoil last year when Zara confessed to being unfaithful. But Sam quickly rekindled their romance and even made a lighthearted spoof of the Made In Chelsea scene where Zara begged for his forgiveness. Katie Price sparked mystery on Thursday as she shared a video seemingly showing her wearing her stolen 50,000 engagement ring from Carl Woods, 32. Last month, the glamour model, 43, was allegedly assaulted in an 'unprovoked 1.30am attack' which left her battered and bruised at an Essex home, after which it was reported that her custom-made, seven-carat ring was taken. Her latest video, taken during her trip to Turkey where she is having hair extensions fitted, caused confusion as she was seen wearing what appeared to be an identical piece of jewellery, although she may have had a replica made. Huh? Katie Price sparked mystery on Thursday as she shared a video seemingly showing her wearing her stolen 50,000 engagement ring from Carl Woods, 32 Katie was seen filming her lunch in the new video shared with her 2.6m followers, which appeared to be intended to show her food, however she frequently and seemingly deliberately had the eye-popping item of jewellery in shot. Following the video she also shared a striking snap to plug her beauty classes. She is yet to unveil new extensions which were fitted by her hairdresser Alper Damdelen. The social media activity comes in the wake of her former Love Island star fiance's repeated denials that he was the perpetrator of the attack, as he has posted several defiant pleas on Instagram while Katie has also denied they have split. After the drama, a source told told The Sun: 'Katie no longer has her ring. It cost thousands but went during the incident.' Wow! Katie proudly flashed her eighth diamond engagement ring on GMB in May Bold: Katie was seen filming her lunch in the new video shared with her 2.6m followers, which appeared to be intended to show her food, however she frequently and seemingly deliberately had the eye-popping item of jewellery in shot Bold: The social media activity comes in the wake of her former Love Island star fiance's repeated denials that he was the perpetrator of the attack Last month, a man, 32, was released on bail after he was arrested for assault and coercive control. Katie was taken to hospital after the alleged assault at a home where she was staying while her home is reportedly being renovated. Katie said she was attacked as she watched TV - forcing her to flee in terror to her son Harvey's nearby home. Pictures show the mother-of-five with bruises on her face and cuts on her lips. She said: 'I've got a big bruise, my face is all puffy, and I went to hospital. I'm still all dazed. I'm devastated. I ran away after being punched I ran to Harvey's house nearby and have now done damage to my feet, which I previously injured.' She said the alleged assault was 'unprovoked', adding: 'I was just sitting there watching telly when the assault happened.' New snap: Following the video she also shared a striking snap to plug her beauty classes Shock: Last month, the glamour model, 43, was allegedly assaulted in an 'unprovoked 1.30am attack' which left her battered and bruised at an Essex home, after which it was reported that her custom-made, seven-carat ring was taken A source said at the time of the incident: 'Katie is so upset and far too emotional to go back to the home she was attacked in. She's sent friends to pick up some stuff she needs from the Essex house so she's comfortable.' An Essex Police spokesman said at the time: 'A 32-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assault, theft and coercive and controlling behaviour has been released on bail until September 20.' It was reported on Thursday that Katie fled to Turkey with fiance Carl to 'clear her head and get new hair extensions' after she the attack. Katie has travelled abroad for a short break after furiously denying that she called the police on her husband-to-be amid whispers about the identity of the man who was arrested at her home following the assault. Hitting back: The TV personality has travelled abroad to have her hair done Announcement: Carl released a statement earlier this month A source told The Sun: 'Katie left for Turkey this morning - she needs a few days to clear her head after everything that's been going on'. Katie is 'visiting her trusted hairdresser Alper Damdelen' and revealed on Thursday that she was still having her extensions put in at 2.30am. The source added that Katie will return to the UK to fulfil her work commitments adding: 'She's going back to where she stayed after the surgery... 'She needs to relax and enjoy the sun for a few days. She'll be back for her make-up classes at the weekend, but needed to get away for a few days.' Hitting back: Former Love Island contestant Carl has taken to his Instagram Stories to reveal the toll the situation has taken on his mental health A day later The Sun added: 'Katie was desperate to get her extensions redone and there's only one man she trusts with her hair.' On Wednesday Katie insisted she never called the police on Carl. Amid whispers about who was the perpetrator and Carl's denial over involvement, Katie took to Instagram to write: 'FACT, I've ALWAYS said DON'T believe everything you read in the media and what Carl is saying is true. 'FACT I've NEVER called the police on Carl my police investigation I'm currently going through to a incident a few weeks ago is not to do with Carl.' Hitting back: She penned: 'FACT I've NEVER called the police on Carl my police investigation I'm currently going through to a incident a few weeks ago is not to do with Carl' In her comment under Carl's video, Katie went on: 'This man's mental health is so low and easy to say suicidal. Someone played what they thought was a clever game and involved media with inaccurate information'. Former Love Island contestant Carl had previously posted a statement on Instagram refuting all allegations that he was the perpetrator, and now he has taken to his Instagram Stories to reveal the toll the situation has taken on his mental health. He said: 'I've not been on Instagram for a long, long time. Let me tell you this past month has been one of the roughest of my life.' The reality star went on to reveal how the backlash and accusations were so severe, he was forced to take drastic action and go into hiding. Jessica Chastain nailed sartorial chic at the photocall for her new movie The Eyes Of Tammy Faye at San Sebastian Film Festival on Friday. The 44-year-old Golden Globe-winner looked sleek in her monochrome ensemble, which combined a black oversized blazer, tight-fitting dress trousers and a crisp white shirt. Yet Jessica still added a touch of Hollywood glamour to her look, donning a pair of large black sunglasses. Chic: Jessica Chastain, 44, nailed sartorial chic at the photocall for her new movie The Eyes Of Tammy Faye at San Sebastian Film Festival on Friday Ensemble: The Golden Globe-winner looked sleek in her monochrome ensemble, which combined a black oversized blazer, tight-fitting dress trousers and a crisp white shirt The star stepped out in a pair of sky-high black court heels as she held onto the blazer which was thrown over her shoulders. The auburn beauty styled her luscious locks into mermaid-style waves, leaving her curtain bangs to fall gently across her forehead. The actress kept her look natural for the daytime event, appearing to sport only a natural palette of makeup, including a slick of nude lipstick. Sleek: The star stepped out in a pair of sky-high black court heels as she held onto the blazer which was thrown over her shoulders Hollywood glamour: Yet Jessica still added a touch of Hollywood glamour to her look, donning a pair of large black sunglasses Having fun: The star appeared to have fun at the film festival, stopping for a quick boogie Her outing comes as the performer attended the photocall at the film festival for her upcoming movie. The forthcoming film documents the rise, fall, and redemption of American evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, who passed away in 2007 after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. The upcoming film is based on the 2000 documentary of the same name, and the cast also includes Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker. Mermaid locks: The auburn beauty styled her luscious locks into mermaid-style waves, leaving her curtain bangs to fall gently across her forehead Forthcoming film: The forthcoming film documents the rise, fall, and redemption of American evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, who passed away in 2007 after a battle with colon cancer Uh oh! The star recently revealed that her skin has been left in bad shape following her transformation into Tammy Faye Bakker Starring role: The Zero Dark Thirty actress stars as the late televangelist, who was known for caking her face in make-up, in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye The star recently revealed that her skin has been left in bad shape following her transformation into Tammy Faye Bakker. The Zero Dark Thirty actress stars as the late televangelist, who was known for caking her face in make-up, in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye. Jessica revealed wearing the heavy film makeup left her skin stretched out. 'I think for sure I've done some permanent damage to my skin on this,' she told The Los Angeles Times. Heavy makeup aftermath: 'I think for sure I've done some permanent damage to my skin on this,' she told The Los Angeles Times Good routine: 'Listen, I eat very pure and I take very good care of my skin and I stay out of the sun and all that stuff. But it's heavy,' said the redheaded beauty 'My art': Jessica Chastain pictured in her role as Tammy for her new film The Eyes Of Tammy Faye Worlds apart: The beauty looked worlds apart from her new role as she donned a glamorous mirrorball dress at the premiere last week 'Listen, I eat very pure and I take very good care of my skin and I stay out of the sun and all that stuff. But it's heavy,' said the redheaded beauty. 'And when you're wearing it all day every day the weight of it on your body, it stretches your skin out,' added the red carpet fixture. 'I finally took it off and I was like, "I look 50 years old!"' Jessica said with a laugh. 'No, I'm kidding. But it's fine. It's for my art.' The Eyes of Tammy Faye was released in US theaters on September 17. Advertisement Gemma Arterton was every inch the beauty queen as she was seen on-set of her new Sky Original show - a yet-unnamed adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling novel Funny Girl - on Thursday. The former Bond girl, 35, transformed into a Sixties siren while braving the chill on-set at Saint Anne's on the Sea to play Barbara Parker, a charismatic young woman who holds the title of Miss Blackpool. In an attempt to keep out the cold, Gemma started off the shoot in a black skirt and warm coat before peeling off the layers to wear just a white vest and knickers while her usually brunette locks were covered in an extremely voluminous blonde wig, teased into a time-appropriate beehive. Stunner: Gemma Arterton was every inch the beauty queen as she was seen on-set of her new Sky Original show - a yet-unnamed adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling novel Funny Girl - on Thursday Gemma was surrounded by a bevy of stunners, all of whom were vying for Barbara's beauty queen crown, which was placed on her head by the Mayor alongside a sash in a later scene. Preening and posing, the esteemed actress ensured she pulled all the poses of a beauty queen as she sashayed along the stage with her number 6 attached to her wrist. Her make-up look was much heavier than Gemma's usual look, as she was seen with lashings of smokey eye make-up and a brassy slick of bright lipstick to complete her transformation into Barbara. Later on in the day, she was in a wholly different ensemble as Gemma wrapped up in a brown coat with a tartan bobble hat and brogues - looking as though she was in some form of disguise. Sizzling: The former Bond girl, 35, transformed into a Sixties siren while braving the chill on-set at Saint Anne's on the Sea to play Barbara Parker, a charismatic young woman who holds the title of Miss Blackpool Look at me! She stole the show as the fellow beauty queens applauded the stunner Joining Gemma in the Blackpool-based miniseries will be Rupert Everett as Barbara's agent Brian Debehnam, David Threlfall as her father George, and Tom Bateman as dangerously charming actor Clive. Fans will have to wait until next year to witness the spectacle where Barbara finds her comic voice in a male dominated world. Having upped-sticks in order to call London her home, the leading lady is offered a part in a ground-breaking new sitcom which will have an impact on British comedy for decades to come. Gemma said: 'It's a heart-warming story of an ambitious woman with a dream of making people laugh it's going to be something special. It's an honour to be working with such an incredible team and be reunited with my first ever director, Oliver Parker.' Also joining the cast is Emily Bevans, Leo Bill and Matthew Beard, alongside previously announced Clare-Hope Ashitey, Arsher Ali and Alexa Davies. Wrapping up: In an attempt to keep out the cold, Gemma started off the shoot in a black skirt and warm coat before peeling off the layers to wear just a white vest and knickers while her usually brunette locks were covered in an extremely voluminous blonde wig, teased into a time-appropriate beehive Pageant princess: The pageant was designed to be the 1964 Blackpool Belle While Gemma, who played Strawberry Fields in 2008's Quantum of Solace, is certainly excited about playing Barbara, last year she said of her Bond role that she would not pick a similar role for herself anymore. The actress, from Kent, who had her big break when she was 21 with the Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, said her character didn't have much to do in the movie. Speaking to The Telegraph, Gemma, who has started her own production company, Rebel Park, which aims to involve women in all aspects of film making, said: 'I know I wouldnt choose a role like that now. Because she was funny and she was sweet, but she didnt really have anything to do or a backstory.' Happy days: She went on: 'It's an honour to be working with such an incredible team and be reunited with my first ever director, Oliver Parker.' Wow! Gemma said: 'It's a heart-warming story of an ambitious woman with a dream of making people laugh it's going to be something special' Gorgeous: Gemma's latest look is worlds away from her typical brunette beauty facade as, in true Swingin' Sixties style, the St. Trinian's star wears her luscious locks in an iconic beehive (pictured in character, left, and in 2019, right) She is a Funny Girl! Later on in the day, she was in a wholly different ensemble as Gemma wrapped up in a brown coat with a tartan bobble hat and brogues - looking as though she was in some form of disguise Who's that girl? Gemma went for a wholly different look later on as she wrapped up a heavy brown coat and walked with the assistance of a walking stick while sporting stylish brogues Old dears: She slept on the beach while seemingly pretending to be an older lady Comfy? She swapped her super glam look from earlier on for a more homely getup Gurning and grimacing: She was pulling silly faces while pretending to be an older woman Despite that, Gemma says she's still grateful to Quantum's producer Barbara Broccoli and for the doors the Bond franchise has since opened for her. In the 2008 movie, Strawberry Fields was an intelligence operative working at the British Consulate in Bolivia, charged with sending Bond back to London. She was the second Bond Girl in the movie after Olga Kurylenko's Camille Montes and became a romantic interest for Bond shortly after being introduced. Speaking of how her career has evolved since her Bond days, Gemma says she now feels more confident - and would happily challenge any uncomfortable on-set requests. The Sky Original comedy drama will be available on Sky Max and streaming service NOW in 2022 Careful! Gemma battled to keep her crown in her sky-high hairdo She gave the specific example of unplanned intimate scenes that may not have been in a script. She said: 'Youre thinking: Hang on, thats not in the script, and you havent even spoken to me about that... And at that point youre in front of all the crew and under pressure, when you should have dialogue way before that where you get asked: Are you cool with this,' she went on. She admitted she doesn't mind if she seems 'a bit difficult' now that she has an established career, whereas a younger version of herself wouldn't have wanted to 'challenge' it. Gemma went on to say she didn't experience sexism until she started working in the movie industry - adding that she's been 'a bit naive.' The Sky Original comedy drama will be available on Sky Max and streaming service NOW in 2022. Elegant: On Monday, Gemma was spotted on-set for her new Sky Original show, which is yet unnamed, for the first time on Monday, where she was seen transformed into a Sixties siren Sean Maguire has welcomed his third child with wife Tanya Flynn. The Once Upon a Time actor, 45, and the former police detective, 38, had their first daughter named Amelie Rose earlier this month. On Friday, the former EastEnders star shared a picture of himself and his two sons - Flynn Patrick, six, and Leo James, three, - posing with the family's newest addition. Family: Sean Maguire has welcomed his third child with wife Tanya Flynn (pictured with his two other sons Flynn Patrick, six, and Leo James, three) Happy: He penned in the caption: 'Feeling very grateful to my incredible wife Tanya for bringing our beautiful daughter Amelie Rose into the world' He penned in the caption: 'Feeling very grateful to my incredible wife Tanya for bringing our beautiful daughter Amelie Rose into the world. 'The boys & I couldn't be more in love with her. Our family is complete.' The post was met with hundreds of messages of congratulations and well wishes from friends and family. Sean and Tanya married in October 2012. Adorable: The couple announced in April that they were expecting their third child together, sharing a sweet family portrait in which one of their sons was pictured touching Tanya's belly The couple announced in April that they were expecting their third child together, sharing a sweet family portrait in which one of their sons was pictured touching Tanya's belly. 'Very excited to share the news. We are expecting a baby girl,' Sean wrote at the time. 'We couldn't be happier. The boys have no idea what's in store! #daddysgirl .' Along with his acting career, Sean regularly works with Oxfam International and recently co-organised a benefit in Los Angeles to assist the Syrian refugee crisis. Lasting love: Sean and Tanya -a former police detective - married in October 2012 (pictured last year) The actor previously told fan site Sean Maguire Daily that becoming a father has made him think about how it would impact the environment. He said: 'Where it once used to be 'Well, this will do me,' you now think of what the world will be like when [you] have a child. 'The first thing I think about when we talk about parenting. Climate change is a real thing. 'Being a parent is providing a safe future for our children and regardless of what your politics are, climate is not up for negotiation. Quality time: The actor previously told fan site Sean Maguire Daily that becoming a father has made him think about how it would impact the environment 'It's a real thing So, parenthood has made me feel more responsibility for that.' The actor originally found fame in teen drama Grange Hill, his first notable role, before appearing as troubled drug addict Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders. Sean left the soap in 1993 after a turbulent 11-months on the Square, during which his character suffered homelessness and depression before returning to Ireland in an attempt to reconnect with his parents. High times: The actor starred as troubled drug addict Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders before leaving the Square after 11 turbulent months in 1993 He has since enjoyed a successful career in the United States, with a steady stream of minor roles leading to recurring part in fantasy drama Once Upon A Time. Confirming the birth of his second son Leo in a December 2017 Instagram post, he wrote: 'Thank you to my incredible wife for giving me the best Christmas present imaginable. Leo James Maguire.' The actor and his former police detective wife's baby boy weighed in at 7lbs 1oz and was named after Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci. 'His name was inspired by da Vinci, who Ive been a lifelong admirer of,' Sean later told ET. 'We are so grateful to our amazing Doctor Purlow and all the staff at the hospital.' Sean became a United States Citizen last year so that he could cast his vote in the November Presidential election. Ariarne Titmus is taking a well-deserved break from swimming training. Speaking to Stellar on Friday, the 21-year-old says she is delighting in staying up late and enjoying snacks and wine. 'This is the first time in my life I've focused on things other than swimming, and I'm really enjoying it,' she told the magazine. Break: Ariarne Titmus (pictured) is taking a well-deserved break from swimming training. Speaking to Stellar on Friday, the 21-year-old says she is delighting in staying up late and enjoying snacks and wine 'I've enjoyed having that extra glass of wine and not worrying what time I'm going to bed because I have to get up early to train,' she added. 'I made a deal with myself that while I was on break I wasn't going to worry about what I was eating or weigh myself. 'And I wouldn't think about how hard training is going to be for me when I return.' Happy: 'This is the first time in my life I've focused on things other than swimming, and I'm really enjoying it,' she told the magazine. 'I've enjoyed having that extra glass of wine and not worrying what time I'm going to bed because I have to get up early to train' Ariarne cleaned up at this year's Tokyo Olympics, winning gold in the women's 400m freestyle and women's 200m freestyle. She also won silver in the women's 800m freestyle and bronze in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. After the Olympics, she remarked: 'What a crazy journey it's been'. No scales: 'I made a deal with myself that while I was on break I wasn't going to worry about what I was eating or weigh myself. And I wouldn't think about how hard training is going to be for me when I return' she added She added in an Instagram post from Tokyo: 'It's crazy to think in just a few hours I'll be out of here and on my way home from my first Olympic Games'. 'This has been an unbelievable experience with the most amazing team and I couldn't be prouder to be apart of it.' Last week, the swimmer also celebrated getting the key to the City of Launceston, her hometown in Tasmania where she grew up. Wins: Ariarne cleaned up at this year's Tokyo Olympics, winning gold in the women's 400m freestyle and women's 200m freestyle. She also won silver in the women's 800m freestyle and bronze in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay Score! Last week, the swimmer also celebrated getting the key to the City of Launceston, her hometown in Tasmania where she grew up Ariarne received the key on Friday in an official ceremony and was surrounded by family and friends, including her swimmer boyfriend Kyle Niesler. 'I was born and raised in Launceston and have wonderful memories from growing up here. I feel humbled and very special to continually be recognised by my home state and have loved my time back here this week,' she said of the honour. She is currently dating fellow Australian swimmer Kyle, and the pair recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. Phoebe Burgess never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion and style. And on Friday, she dressed to impress her social media followers as she showcased her new look in her latest Instagram post. The 31-year-old posed for a fun, impromptu photo shoot at her family's sprawling estate in Bowral, in Sydney's Southern Highlands. Simply chic: Phoebe Burgess (pictured) flaunted her chic $6000 designer outfit for an impromptu photo shoot at her parent's sprawling Southern Highlands home in an Instagram post on Friday She dressed in an outfit by SIR the Label - a $240 black sleeveless crew neck top teamed with a $200 sheer skirt both. The blonde beauty accessorised with a $4270 Bottega Venetta handbag and a pair of $1367 white sandals by The Row. The former WAG completed her look with a straw hat and sunglasses. 'Smells like summer,' she excitedly penned in the caption. Glam: She dressed in an outfit by SIR the Label - a $240 black sleeveless crew neck top teamed with a $200 sheer skirt both. The blonde beauty accessorised with a $4270 Bottega Venetta handbag and a pair of $1367 white sandals by The Row Summer stunner: The former WAG completed her look with sunglasses and excitedly wrote in the caption 'Smells like summer' Phoebe's chic outfit post comes after she set the drama of her ex-husband's appearance on SAS Australia aside to spend quality time with her children. The doting mother of two shared clips of her daughter Poppy, four, doing her makeup. She appeared equally excited to paint her mother's face and later used a lip brush on her as Phoebe held son Billy, two. The trio later looked content as they laughed while a made-up Phoebe kissed her children. Just like mum: Phoebe's chic outfit post comes after she set the drama of her ex-husband's appearance on SAS Australia aside to spend quality time with her children. The doting mother of two shared clips of her daughter Poppy, four, doing her makeup Quality time: She appeared equally excited to paint her mother's face and later used a lip brush on her as Phoebe held son Billy, two This comes after her ex-husband Sam admitted he had been unfaithful and had 'embarrassed' her during their four-year marriage in an episode of SAS Australia. During the episode, former South Sydney Rabbitohs player Sam, 32, confessed he had previously been unfaithful to Phoebe. 'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times. I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. That's true,' he confessed on camera. Drama: This comes after her ex-husband Sam Burgess (pictured) admitted he had been unfaithful and had 'embarrassed' her during their four-year marriage in a recent episode of SAS Australia Over: The couple ended their marriage shortly after Christmas 2018, three months after he was cleared of any involvement in an NRL 'sexting' affair. Despite reconciling briefly in early 2019, the couple called it quits for good in October the same year 'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... it would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be,' he said referring to the 2018 sexting scandal he was involved in. The couple ended their marriage shortly after Christmas that same year, three months after he was cleared of any involvement in an NRL 'sexting' affair. Despite reconciling briefly in early 2019, the couple called it quits for good in October the same year. News of the separation came just days after Sam announced his retirement from all sporting competitions with immediate effect on October 30, 2019, due to a shoulder injury. Advertisement Missoni's Spring/Summer 2022 designs seem to have a very clear motto - less is more. And on Friday, as the styles were showcased at Milan Fashion Week, stars including Bar Refaeli, Iris Law and Tina Kunakey led the front row faces assessing next year's hottest - and smallest - trends at the Enrico Cosenz 11 inside the Fonderia Macch. The Israeli model, 36, looked sensational in a crop top and trousers in the fashion house's thin knit material with a lurex thread, while the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, 20, looked a vision in green as she donned a sparkling cross-front frock and Tina Kunakey, 24, was showing off her figure in all its glory. Wow: On Friday, as Missoni's upcoming styles were showcased at Milan Fashion Week, stars including Bar Refaeli, Iris Law and Tina Kunakey led the front row faces assessing next year's hottest - and smallest - trends Bar looked stunning in her dazzling ensemble which helped show off her impossible taut stomach. Her crop top and trousers were paired with a matching coat which she draped over her shoulders loosely to add a casual touch to the stunning look. She kept things comfortable in flat black shoes. Her blonde hair was slicked to one-side in a flawless blow-dry while her make-up was perfectly applied to add a dazzling touch to the already shimmering ensemble. After attending London Fashion Week, Iris decided to immerse herself in even more style fun as she headed to Milan to put on a show-stopping display at the star-studded Missoni show. Wow: Missoni's Spring/Summer 2022 designs seem to have a very clear motto - less is more A vision: Bar looked stunning in her dazzling ensemble which helped show off her impossible taut stomach Stunning: Her blonde hair was slicked to one-side in a flawless blow-dry while her make-up was perfectly applied to add a dazzling touch to the already shimmering ensemble As she posed up a storm alongside her blonde pal Livvy Banks, Iris was sure to show off her model good looks and fashion worthy figure as she attended the event alongside a host of stars. The actress highlighted her incredible frame in the frosty green mini dress, which boasted shimmering lurex thread and a thin silver double-wrapped belt. She stepped out in a pair of shiny silver heeled sandals, elongating her toned and tanned pins while she carried a pair of sunglasses. She opted for a bold palette of makeup, sporting a dark and shimmery smoky eye. Sizzling: The beauty showcased her sizzling physique in the form-fitting number, which highlighted her ample assets Tina, who is married to Vincent Cassel, 54, looked sensational in her mini which made the most of her figure. Stunning: The French native looked stunning in the busy-printed number, which she teamed with a pair of daring cross-over gladiator heels - elongating her already toned pins Tina, who is married to Vincent Cassel, 54, looked sensational in her mini which made the most of her figure. Georgia May Jagger, 29, who is the daughter of Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and supermodel Jerry Hall, showed off her taut abs in a kooky gown which boasted a full length skirt and half-top which left her bikini on show. Georgia looked incredible as she stormed the runway for the brand, who are known for their chic, beachy styles and fine knits. Her hair was worn in wet lengths, with a mop-like fringe tickling her lashes in length while her make-up was dewy and fresh to go with the summer look. Wow: The model, 29, showed off her taut abs in the incredibly kooky gown which boasted a full length skirt and half-top which left her bikini top on show Stunning: Georgia posed alongside a model in a complementary ensemble Stunners: Elsewhere, Romeo Beckham's girlfriend Mia Regan had an awkward run-in with Brooklyn Beckham's ex Hana Cross as they both attended the Missoni Milan Fashion Week show Elsewhere, Romeo Beckham's girlfriend Mia Regan had an awkward run-in with Brooklyn Beckham's ex Hana Cross as they both attended the Missoni Milan Fashion Week show. The blonde bombshell, 18, who has been seeing David Beckham's second son, 19, for two years is thought to have been caught off-guard when she bumped into his elder brother's former girlfriend, 24, at the exclusive event. Hana and her beau Brooklyn, 22, called it quits in 2020 after eight months of dating after it was claimed David told the photographer to distance himself from his girlfriend following a slew of public arguments between the pair. Also heading out to the highly coveted event was Barbra Palvin, who cut a chic figure in a printed green and orange T-shirt and brown cycle shorts. In an interesting turn of style choices, the Victoria's Secret Angel, 27, paired her gym-worthy outfit with nude tie-strap heels and a burnt orange purse. Heading out: Also heading out to the highly coveted event was Barbra Palvin, who cut a chic figure in a printed green and orange T-shirt and brown cycle shorts Front row: The Hungarian native sat front row at the fashion show besides actor Rob Raco, 31, who looked handsome in a plaid overshirt and white slacks ensemble Beaming: The model beamed as she was pictured at the event in her busy-printed outfit The brunette beauty threw her luscious locks into a high ponytail, and modelled a natural, baby-faced makeup palette for the fashion show. The Hungarian native sat front row at the fashion show besides actor Rob Raco, 31, who looked handsome in a plaid overshirt and white slacks ensemble. The stars all came together to watch the fashion show in Milan, which showcased styles from Missoni's Spring/Summer 22 line. Looks included patterned beach-cover ups, through to ready-to-wear dresses and tiny bikinis ready for the next season. Metallics appear to be back in, with many of the models donning sparkling chrome looks on the catwalk. Autumn vibes: Chiara Baschetti embraced the autumn weather, stepping out in an oversized taupe and pastel striped cardigan Check me out! The backdrop was nothing short of sensational Sandra Oh looked ever-so chic as she stepped out in North London to run errands on Thursday. The talented actor, 50, put her best fashion foot forward in an oversized light brown plaid blazer, which she paired with a complementing pair of baggy trousers. Keeping things comfy in a pair of brown slippers, the Killing Eve star conspicuously peered out from above her sunglasses while looking at her phone. Emerging: Sandra Oh looked ever-chic in a brown trouser suit as she stepped out in North London to run errands on Thursday She had thrown a green handbag over her shoulder and while balancing a pair of paper shopping bags over her forearm. With her dark brown tresses tied into a messy ponytail, Sandra was joined by a pal dressed in double denim for a visit to Belsize Park's Artichoke Grocery Store. Killing Eve series three left viewers 'in tears' following the emotional finale that saw Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) decide to 'walk away' from each other. The 'will-they-won't-they' storyline that dominated the plot appeared to come to an end when Villanelle and Eve stood back-to-back on London Bridge and agreed to walk away and 'never look back'. Busy bee: She had thrown a green handbag over her shoulder and while balancing a pair of paper shopping bags over her forearm However in the final moments of the episode both Villanelle and Eve turned back around to look at each other - suggesting the two characters might end up together. The promise of a future relationship delighted fans, who begged for the next series to start with the two characters together. The episode also tied up loose ends of the series, including revealing Konstantin as Kenny's apparent killer. Security footage showed Konstantin (Kim Bodnia) arriving at the office and meeting with Kenny (Sean Delaney) hours before his death. Armed with the footage, Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) confronted Konstantin, with Paul (Steve Pemberton), Eve and Villanelle also in attendance. Emotional: Killing Eve series three left viewers 'in tears' following the emotional finale that saw Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) decide to 'walk away' from each other She came close to killing Konstantin but instead killed Paul, who was working for both MI6 and The Twelve. Konstantin, who had planned to leave to Cuba, left but Villanelle decided not to follow. The episode also saw Villanelle being rejected by Carolyn after she said she was ready to become an MI6 agent. Carolyn responded: 'What use are you to me to anyone?,' referring to the assassin's desire not to kill any more. The drama culminated in the conversation between Eve and Villanelle on the bridge, during which they discussed their future. Only recently, Killing Eve lead Jodie Comer, who plays assassin Villanelle, revealed at the 2021 BAFTA TV Awards that filming was due to start this month. Drama: The 'will-they-won't-they' storyline that dominated the plot appeared to come to an end when Villanelle and Eve stood back-to-back on London Bridge and agreed to walk away and 'never look back' The award-winning actress was asked by red carpet host Tom Allen: 'Season four of Killing Eve, have you started filming yet?' to which Jodie, 28, replied with: 'Tomorrow.' The actress added: 'I know, don't worry I've preordered my taxi, I'm not going to be hungover, I'm going to be sensible.' Jodie has previously said that she will miss playing her 'daring' character Villanelle ahead of Killing Eve's final and fourth series. The actress, who was nominated for the Leading Actress gong for her role at the 2021 BAFTA TV Awards, discussed the hit BBC series during a Q&A chaired by Rhianna Dhillon ahead of the ceremony at the time. Jodie was joined by fellow nominees Letitia Wright (Small Axe) and Hayley Squires (Adult Material) during the interview. Famous role: Jodie has previously said that she will miss playing her 'daring' character Villanelle ahead of Killing Eve 's final and fourth series (pictured as Villanelle in still) Talking about what she will miss the most about playing assassin Villanelle once Killing Eve airs its fourth and final series, Jodie admitted: 'Gosh, oh God I'm like: "Don't say that out loud!" Oh God, I just had so much fun. 'As long as there is truth in what you are saying, acting can be big and it can be bold and it can be in your face and it can be a bit ugly and it can be all of these different things like not everything has to be super subtle. 'I don't know another word that I can think of, but you know what I mean? I guess just to be a little bit more daring, you know. There's no need to feel silly about what it is that you may want to do. I've just had so much fun. 'I've been in such strange you know, funny situations and met some amazing, amazing people so yeah, I think that's what I'll miss the most.' Leading Actresses: Jodie was joined by fellow nominees Letitia Wright (Small Axe) and Hayley Squires (Adult Material) during the interview Jodie was also asked whether Villanelle would make a good Bond character and collaborating with Killing Eve creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who worked on the screenplay of the latest 007 film No Time to Die. The Liverpudlian joked: 'Oh, that would be a crossover. I don't know if Villanelle would allow it. I think she'd want her own. She'd be like I'm not being a Bond villain. 'If Phoebe Waller-Bridge is doing another film and wants to write that in, be my guest. I will do anything that woman does like hands down. But yeah, I'm actually excited to see that I feel like.' Jodie also discussed working with Sandra Oh who plays Villanelle's onscreen love interest and enemy Eve Polastri on Killing Eve. The end! Talking about what she will miss the most about playing assassin Villanelle once Killing Eve airs its fourth and final series, Jodie admitted: 'Gosh, oh God I'm like: "Don't say that out loud!" Oh God, I just had so much fun.' The actress said: 'There's just like a really strong connection and I feel like I found that, felt that the moment that I auditioned with her. It was the same with Kim Bodnia [he plays Konstantin Vasiliev]. 'You know, and in this series where we introduced Villanelle's mother like those relationships where you don't have to say an awful lot, you know we don't actually see each other an awful lot when we're off set. 'But then when you're on set and you're doing the material, it's all kind of fizzing away but she's been incredible to me. You know, to think of where this show started, you know. 'I remember her and Phoebe [Waller-Bridge] being like this show could be kind of a big thing! Like, you know we're just warning you so you can like prepare yourself! 'And so she's always kind of put her arm around me in that way. So yeah, I'm interested to see where series four goes.' It was revealed in March that Killing Eve's fourth and final season will air on television next year. It was confirmed by the show on Twitter that the much-loved spy thriller will draw to a conclusion with its fourth instalment in 2022. A promotional video shared on the programme's social media account at the time also revealed that filming will begin again this summer. Filming of the new series was previously halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, which restricted shooting the show's various European locations. News: It was confirmed by the show on Twitter earlier this year that the much-loved spy thriller will draw to a conclusion with its fourth instalment in 2022 Over a backdrop of London with the programme's protagonist stood on a bridge, the words 'Killing Eve season four films summer 2021', appeared on screen. Followed by 'premieres 2022, oh one more thing, the final season', while the show's theme tune played over the video. The clip was posted alongside the caption: 'Anything worth having is worth the wait.' Following the announcement, many fans of the BBC show took to social media to share their dismay that the programme was coming to an end. Russell T Davies is returning as the Doctor Who showrunner in a bid to save the show amid falling ratings - 12 years after he stepped away from the series. The 58-year-old screenwriter was responsible for bringing the sci-fi series back to screens in 2005 and he will return to helm the programme following the departure of current showrunner Chris Chibnall and Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker. Russell will be responsible for overseeing Doctor Who when it celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2023 and beyond. Exciting! Russell T Davies is returning as the Doctor Who showrunner - 12 years after he stepped away from the series Speaking about his sensational return, Russell said: 'I'm beyond excited to be back on my favourite show. 'But we're time-travelling too fast, there's a whole series of Jodie Whittaker's brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm I'm still a viewer for now.' Commenting on Russell's appointment, Chibnall said: 'It's monumentally exciting and fitting that Doctor Who's 60th anniversary will see one of Britain's screenwriting diamonds return home. 'Russell built the baton that is about to be handed back to him - 'Doctor Who', the BBC, the screen industry in Wales, and let's be honest everyone in the whole world, have so many reasons to be very excited indeed about what lies ahead.' Iconic: The 58-year-old screenwriter was responsible for bringing the sci-fi series back to screens in 2005 and he will return to helm the programme following the departure of current showrunner Chris Chibnall and Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker (pictured) Upcoming: Russell will succeed Chris Chibnall (pictured) who departs next year After bringing Doctor Who back to the BBC - 16 years after it was cancelled in 1989 - with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, Russell is credited with propelling the show into a global phenomenon and making it one of TV's biggest hits. He replaced Eccleston with Tenth Doctor David Tennant and also created two successful spin off series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures - which saw Elisabeth Sladen reprise her role as the beloved titular companion who travelled with Third Doctor Jon Pertwee and Fourth Doctor Tom Baker in the 1970s. After departing the TARDIS in 2009, Russell has created some of the most acclaimed dramas on TV, including Years and Years, A Very English Scandal and It's a Sin. Goodbye: Chris and Jodie (pictured) announced they will leave Doctor Who in a trio of Specials, culminating in an epic blockbuster Special to air in Autumn 2022 as part of the BBC's Centenary celebrations Star: After departing the TARDIS in 2009, Russell has created some of the most acclaimed dramas on TV, including Years and Years, A Very English Scandal and It's a Sin (pictured with Olly Alexander at the NTAs after their win for the show) The later - which starred Olly Alexander - focused on the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and recently won Best New Drama at the National TV Awards. It was reported in January that there has been a fall in Doctor Who viewership, which has been declining for five years. It was reported that Jodie and showrunner Chris had attracted just half the audience during their paring compared to what the Russell-led, David Tennant-fronted version of the show did. The Telegraph reported at the beginning of the year that episodes were drawing in fewer than 5million viewers. The paper added that such numbers are 'not dissimilar to when the show was axed in 1989'. In comparison, more than 10million viewers watched David Tennant's Doctor Who finale in 2010, according to The Guardian. However, episode Can You Hear Me? saw just 3.81 million viewers tuning in on the over-night ratings, which - according to website Cosmic Book News - was a 22% decrease since the first episode of Season 12, which aired ten months earlier. And in figures released in March 2020, the same month the series ended, Doctor Who's ratings slipped to its lowest since the show made a comeback in 2005. The season finale of series 12 had a total TV audience of 4.6million, making it the lowest Doctor Who has ever had. The previous all-time low was 4.7million in 2017. Series 12 saw an average viewership of 5.4million. Speaking about Russell's return, Piers Wenger, BBC Director of Drama, said: 'As the Thirteenth Doctor prepares to embark on new and extraordinary adventures, the winds of change are blowing bringing with them news to delight 'Doctor Who' fans across the globe. 'We are thrilled that Russell is returning to 'Doctor Who' to build on the huge achievements of Chris and Jodie. Thank you to the two of them and the team in Cardiff for all they continue to do for the show and hello Russell, it's wonderful to have you back.' Back in July Jodie confirmed she wouldn't be returning for another series after three seasons on the show. Several names have since been suggested to be the next star to take over the Tardis. Bookmakers Ladbrokes placed Olly Alexander at the forefront with 3/1, I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel with odds of 5/1, followed by Richard Ayoade and Kris Marshall, both with 6/1, and Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. In May, It's A Sin actor and Years And Years hitmaker Olly hit headlines with speculation about him taking the role of the Doctor. He revealed he would love to replace Jodie as the next Doctor Who, but remained coy over whether or not he has been formally approached. The singer and actor, 30, has become a household name thanks to his starring role in the Russell's show It's A Sin, Channel 4's hard-hitting drama about the AIDS epidemic and its devastating impact on the gay community. Impressive: After bringing Doctor Who back to the BBC - 16 years after it was cancelled in 1989 - with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, Russell is credited with propelling the show into a global phenomenon and making it one of TV's biggest hits He has since been mooted as a potential replacement for Jodie, with Russell - who worked closely with him on the six-part show - admitting he would be a perfect fit. Asked if he had been approached during a remote appearance on Capital Breakfast, Alexander said: 'I mean, if I was do you think I'd be able to tell you? It's true I am very indiscreet but my lips are sealed.' The star would become the fourteenth Doctor should he replace Whittaker when she finally leaves, and he admitted it would be a 'dream role' if it did actually happen. 'I think it would be amazing,' he said. 'It's an amazing role, and an amazing show.' While Michaela's name has been in the ring ever since whispers of Jodie's departure began at the start of the year and the rumours are growing increasingly feverish. New Doctor? Olly Alexander (left) and Richard Ayoade (right) have been tipped as potential replacements for Jodie on the show In January, Alex Apati of Ladbrokes predicted of the replacement: 'Jodie Whittaker's time in the TARDIS will be coming to an end and as things stand it's Michaela Coel who looks most likely to replace her.' The casting would be yet another string in I Will Destroy You star Michaela's bow, as she is also a screenwriter, director, producer and singer. And IT Crowd star RIchard Ayoade, 43, is not far behind Michaela in the odds as he looks to add to his impressive CV, which not only comprises acting but also hosting. Stepping in? Bookmakers Ladbrokes placed Olly Alexander at the forefront with 3/1, I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel with odds of 5/1 (pictured in June) In a poll by Metro, 38% revealed they would like to see Richard as the Doctor earlier this year and he has speculation rising among superfans. The news that Jodie was bowing out of the series left Doctor Who fans devastated, with many rushing to Twitter to share their sadness. One explained: 'JODIE WHITTAKER IS LEAVING DOCTOR WHO I WANT TO CRY,' while another added: 'Jodie Whittaker is leaving Doctor Who and I am going to be sad about this all year.' New gig? Jodie Comer is another name in the running for the high-profile role in the BBC show Jodie will first appear in the thirteenth season of Doctor Who set to air later this year and then in the first special, tipped to hit screens on New Year's Day 2022. A second special will air in spring 2022, with Jodie's final, feature-length appearance as the Doctor in which she will regenerate arriving in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC's centenary celebrations. Of her time on the show, Jodie said: 'In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. 'My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. 'And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories.' She added: 'We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. 'I don't think I'll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I've learnt forever.' Jodie concluded: 'I know change can be scary and none of us know what's out there. That's why we keep looking. Travel Hopefully. The Universe will surprise you. Constantly.' The BBC have said that plans for the new generation of Doctor Who will be announced 'in due course'. As the first woman to play the iconic role, Jodie has thrilled audiences with her portrayal of the Time Lord, winning the hearts of Doctor Who fans across the globe. In 2020, Jodie was voted 2nd Most Popular Doctor of all time, coming within a whisker of her friend David Tennant, in a poll of more than 50,000 fans for Radio Times. Big news: The BBC have said that plans for the new generation of Doctor Who will be announced 'in due course' Who is odds-on to replace Jodie as Doctor Who? According to Ladbrokes.co.uk, these are the favourites to succeed Jodie into the Tardis... OLLY ALEXANDER - 3/1 The It's A Sin actor and Years And Years hitmaker, 30, has already said he'd love to take over the Tardis. KRIS MARSHALL - 6/1 Kris, 47, was widely rumoured to be the 13th Doctor back in 2017 - could 2021 be the year he finally steps into the Tardis? JODIE COMER - 10/1 The Killing Eve star, 27, who has picked up an Emmy and a BAFTA thus far, is also one of the top names. REECE SHEARSMITH - 12/1 The League of Gentleman actor, 51, is currently an outside bet for the role. MICHAELA COEL - 5/1 Michaela, 33, won acclaim for her BAFTA-winning role in Chewing Gum and BBC/HBO drama, I May Destroy You - making her the hot favourite. RICHARD AYOADE - 6/1 The IT Crowd star, 43, is not far behind Michaela as he looks to add to his impressive CV. PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE - 8/1 The much-decorated Fleabag and Killing Eve is among the favourites for the role. JOHN BOYEGA - 10/1 The Star Wars actor, 28, has previously starred alongside current Time Lord Jodie in Attack the Block and branded her performance 'brilliant.' Advertisement She made a sizzling appearance during Rihanna's Fenty X Savage Vol 3 show. And Lourdes Leon was once again on top form as she arrived at the Versace runway show during Milan Fashion Week in Italy on Friday afternoon. The daughter of Madonna, 24, attended the fashion event with her skater boyfriend Jonathan Puglia - and the couple couldn't keep their hands off each other. Wow! Lourdes Leon was once again on top form as she arrived at the Versace runway show during Milan Fashion Week in Italy on Friday afternoon Lourdes and Jonathan wrapped their arms around each other and enjoyed a passionate smooch outside the catwalk venue. Despite arriving in a chic midi dress and knee-high boots, Lourdes was later seen covered up in a navy hooded jacket as she enjoyed a snogging session with her man. Jonathan slung his arm around Lourdes as they walked together in the Italian city, while Lourdes covered her face with a mask. Loved-up! The daughter of Madonna, 24, attended the fashion event with her skater boyfriend Jonathan Puglia - and the couple couldn't keep their hands off each other Low-key: Despite arriving in a chic midi dress and knee-high boots, Lourdes was later seen covered up in a navy hooded jacket as she enjoyed a snogging session with her man Mwah! Lourdes and Jonathan wrapped their arms around each other and enjoyed a passionate smooch outside the catwalk venue Daring display: Lourdes flashed her stomach in the two piece Walk this way: The model strutted out in front her beau as she arrived at the hotel Time for bed: The pair looked weary after the fashion show Earlier she was seen stepping out of a black Mercedes in the fashionable ensemble, while her sleek raven locks were worn loose. The model, who was carrying her essentials in a sheerling bag, was chatting away on the phone as she hopped out of the car. It comes after she opted for something more revealing in photos she shared to Instagram on Wednesday ahead of Rihanna's upcoming Savage X Fenty show. Arriving back at the hotel: Lourdes carried a tan bag and her heels after the show Wow! It comes after she opted for something more revealing in photos she shared to Instagram on Wednesday ahead of Rihanna 's upcoming Savage X Fenty show The model smoldered in a set of lustrous teal lingerie from the upstart lingerie brand. Lourdes put on a sultry pose with one leg popped that highlighted her thigh-high vinyl boots, which featured wide spool heels. She wore a matching long coat that was left open to reveal her taut tummy. Sweet: Jonathan slung his arm around Lourdes as they walked together in the Italian city, while Lourdes covered her face with a mask Arrival: Earlier she was seen stepping out of a black Mercedes in the fashionable ensemble, while her sleek raven locks were worn loose The fashion star added a jewel pair of panties with double straps and a thick strand of beads running across her hips. She gazed directly into the camera in another photo taken in a hotel room as she sat on the corner of the bed. Another sultry snap showed her leaning back against a balcony railing with her back arched and her underarm hair exposed. The raven-haired beauty had her hair intriguingly styled with with a straight wave running down the side of her face and several spiky strands poking out in every direction from a messy bun. She showed off the skimpy look with the teal trench coat tied up as she took a ride in an elevator with a cityscape framing her. Lourdes caption her post with a reminder for fans to catch the Savage X Fenty show when it premieres on Amazon Prime on September 24 Busy: The model, who was carrying her essentials in a sheerling bag, was chatting away on the phone as she hopped out of the car Jules Robinson recently vowed to lose 20kgs after signing on as the new face of weight loss company Jenny Craig. And on Friday, the 38-year-old revealed that she's shed more kilos than her son Oliver now weighs. The former Married At First Sight star, who revealed in August she had shed 11 kilograms already, shared the new in an Instagram post in which she was on a hike. Slim: Jules Robinson recently vowed to lose 20kgs after signing on as the new face of weight loss company Jenny Craig. And on Friday, the 38-year-old revealed that she's shed more kilos than her son Oliver now weighs. Pictured together In the photos, her 11-month-old son Oliver, was strapped to Jules' back as she headed up the lighthouse trail at Sydney's Palm Beach. 'When you carry your lil cub 400 meters up the #smugglerstrack to the lighthouse and you're left absolutely buggered,' she wrote in her caption. 'When we got to the top, my husband said 'you know you just carried not even all the weight you have lost!' Ahhh Yeah wow #prespective'. Wow! 'When you carry your lil cub 400 meters up to the lighthouse and you're left absolutely buggered,' she wrote in her caption. 'When we got to the top, my husband said 'you know you just carried not even all the weight you have lost!' Ahhh Yeah wow'. She added: 'I walked up there six months pregnant too. I'm not sure which one was harder'. Last month, Jules explained she had 'put on 20kgs' while was pregnant with her son Ollie, before losing nearly half of that after giving birth last October. Eight months postpartum, she revealed that '10 kilos slowly crept back on', until she returned to 'the weight I was when I gave birth.' Changes: Last month, Jules explained she had 'put on 20kgs' while was pregnant with her son Ollie, before losing nearly half of that after giving birth last October. Pictured in May 2021 Changes: Eight months postpartum, she revealed that '10 kilos slowly crept back on', until she returned to 'the weight I was when I gave birth'. By August, she had lost 11 kilos already on the new Jenny Craig program She went on to say she has been a 'size 12 to an 18' over the past two years, and has 'nothing but appreciation for my body'. But now little Ollie is almost one, she's ready to focus on herself - and is working with the weight loss company to guide her. 'Health is at the forefront of my mind,' she added. 'Feeling strong and ready to carry another baby takes precedence over all. I look forward to sharing my journey.' Ups and downs: She went on to say she has been a 'size 12 to an 18' over the past two years, and has 'nothing but appreciation for my body' Jules and her husband Cameron Merchant rose to fame on season six of Married At First Sight, which was filmed in 2018 and aired in 2019. They officially tied the knot in 2019 in a ceremony televised on A Current Affair. Their relationship went from strength to strength, and they welcomed their baby boy, Oliver 'Ollie' Merchant, in October 2020. Erika Jayne has been pictured leaving a gym in West Hollywood, after her estranged husband Tom Girardi claims she did know about his embezzlement scandal despite having said otherwise. The 50-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star - who was seen dressed in all-black workout gear - has so far stayed silent on the recent accusations. Giardi, 82, who once had an estimated fortune valued at $264million, was recently seen leaving a lunch at an upscale restaurant in Los Angeles with some friends when he was asked if Jayne knew about the situation. No comment? Erika Jayne pictured leaving the gym in LA after estranged husband Tom Girardi claimed she DID know about embezzlement scandal... despite saying otherwise on RHOBH A cameraman asked the disbarred and disgraced lawyer, via PageSix, about Jayne as he said: 'Did Erika know anything? Everyone wants to know.' Tom - who is accused of embezzling millions of cash meant for plane crash victims, and has been forced into bankruptcy - stood quiet for a few seconds before one of his friends tried intervening and eventually convinced him to keep walking. Before heading off, the co-founder of downtown Los Angeles law firm Girardi & Keese finally answered the question about the woman he's been married to since 2000 saying: 'I think she does.' Holding her head up high: It is unclear if Jayne plans to fire back at accusations made by her ex No longer expensive to be me: Jayne, 50, has had to cut back on her extravagant lifestyle since the scandal Jayne has repeatedly denied any knowledge of wrongdoing but fellow Housewives stars have reportedly said they were aware of the scandal. Camille Grammer claimed she heard of her and Girardi's financial difficulties at Andy Cohen's 2019 baby shower, Page Six reported. Fellow reality star Bethenny Frankel said Girardi's woes were the 'worst kept secret' in LA, claiming he owed her late ex-boyfriend Dennis Shields $500,000. Out in the open: Bethenny Frankel previously claimed that Jayne's financial issues were the 'worst kept secret in LA' Gotta go: Erika was seen heading off in a SUV after working out at the gym According to Page Six, Jayne remained silent when she was asked about Giradi's comments. Last month, DailyMail.com revealed that Girardi is now living in a senior living home in Burbank, California after saying goodbye to living lavishly in his $13 million Pasadena mansion. The former attorney is currently facing claims of allegedly embezzling settlement funds that were meant to help the families of plane crash victims. Interesting: The 82-year-old co-founder of downtown Los Angeles law firm Girardi & Keese finally answered the question about the woman he's been married to since 2000 saying: 'I think she does' Just before after DailyMail.com's revelation on August 23, it was revealed that Girardi - who has now been placed under a conservatorship - has been federally disbarred by California Federal Court. It's quite the change of scenery for Girardi, who has now moved out of his palatial Pasadena mansion, that was once on the market for $13million. Pricing for Belmont Village Senior Living in Burbank is said to be between $4,545 - $4,750 a month for a private suite. Doesn't seem too bothered: Meanwhile, Erika was seen partying it up at the grand opening of SUSHISAMBA at The Venetian in Las Vegas on Tuesday The facility has staff available 24/7, and boasts community chef-prepared dining with 24 daily choices of meals. Costing for the facility depends on the room type and level of care that is required. Girardi's move also follows claims from Jayne who said last week that she's been receiving death threats after it was claimed she allegedly spent $25million from Girardi's law firm on credit card purchases and fees for her glam squad. Lawyers for the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of the Girardi Keese firm allege the company transferred the money to Jayne's EJ Global LLC, according to a letter they sent to her lawyer, reports claimed last week. The letter will be filed with the bankruptcy court as a part of the legal proceedings, a source told the outlet. Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in November and has denied wrongdoing after the law firm filed for bankruptcy and he was accused of misappropriating $2million intended for victims of Indonesia's Lion Air 610 crash. Timothee Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Bill Murray were seen among a star-studded cast in the new trailer for Wes Anderson's upcoming film The French Dispatch. On Friday, Searchlight Pictures released a one-minute clip featuring scenes from the movie, which follows a group of journalists and is based on the writings of The New Yorker. Written and directed by Anderson, the film's all-star ensemble also includes Benicio del Toro, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Mathieu Amalric, Lyna Khoudri, Stephen Park and Owen Wilson. Stellar ensemble: Timothee Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Bill Murray were seen among a star-studded cast in the new trailer for Wes Anderson's upcoming film The French Dispatch The comedy drama, which is fully titled The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, is set in a fictional 20th-century French city and centers on three different storylines. The anthology film follows the development of a series of stories published in the titular magazine, and it opens with editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Murray) on the paper's last day. In the new trailer, which is intercut with lines from the film's reviews, student activist Zeffirelli (Timothee) smokes a cigar and soaks in a bathtub as he peers out to address journalist Lucinda Krementz (McDormand), who is seated on the toilet reading a manuscript. Taking a bath: Student activist Zeffirelli (Timothee) smokes a cigar and soaks in a bathtub as he peers out to address journalist Lucinda Krementz Reviewing his work: Krementz (McDormand) is seated on the toilet reading Zeffirelli's manifesto Giving feedback: 'Physically or metaphorically?' asks Zeffirelli asks. 'Both,' Lucinda replies 'Physically or metaphorically?' Timothee asks. 'Both,' she replies. In another scene, Swinton, who plays art critic J.K.L. Berensen, speaks from a podium. Imposing: In another scene, Swinton, who plays art critic J.K.L. Berensen, speaks from a podium 'I assure you it's erotic,' she says. Near the end of the clip, Zeffirelli opens the door of Howitzer's office. 'You're fired,' Howitzer tells him. 'Really?' Zeffirelli asks. 'Don't cry in my office,' Howitzer orders as Zeffirelli looks up to see a 'No Crying' sign above the door. Bad news: The trailer concludes with Zeffirelli opening the door of Howitzer's office. 'You're fired,' Howitzer says Boss: Murray plays editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. in the anthology film which follows the development of a series of stories published in the titular magazine on the paper's last day Ironic: 'Don't cry in my office,' Howitzer orders as Zeffirelli looks up to see a 'No Crying' sign above the door Seydoux, who plays prison guard Simone, trips up a man in wheelchair in another scene from the trailer. Food journalist Roebuck Wright (Wright) peers as he opens a door while chef and police officer Lt. Nescaffier (Park) whips up a meal in the kitchen. Travel writer Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) rides a bicycle down to the metro before appearing to crash. Copy editor Alumna (Moss) stands in front of a chalkboard on which one of the movie's glowing endorsements is written. In character: Seydoux, who plays prison guard Simone, trips up a man in wheelchair Food critic: Jeffrey Wright plays a food journalist Roebuck Wright Fiery: Chef and police officer Lt. Nescaffier (Park) whips up a meal in the kitchen Accident? Travel writer Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) rides a bicycle down to the metro before appearing to crash High praise: Copy editor Alumna (Moss) stands in front of a chalkboard on which one of the movie's glowing endorsements is written Del Toro's incarcerated artist character Moses Rosenthaler paints and has a conversation in prison with art dealer Julien Cadazio (Brody). Amalric, who plays The Commissaire, a policeman with a kidnapped son, looks anxious as he answers a phone while seated at a table. Zeffirelli's girlfriend and fellow student activist Juliette (Khoudri) is seen looking surprised. Creating a masterpiece: Del Toro's incarcerated artist character Moses Rosenthaler is seen painting Prison visit: Brody plays Julien Cadazio, an art dealer who visits Rosenthaler in prison Answering a call: Amalric, who plays The Commissaire, a policeman with a kidnapped son, looks anxious as he answers a phone while seated at a table What is it? Zeffirelli's girlfriend and fellow student activist Juliette (Khoudri) is seen looking surprised The French Dispatch wrapped production in 2019 and was originally set to premiere at the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the premiere had to be postponed. The film went on to have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021 and is set for release on October 22, 2021. She's been busy strutting her stuff on the runway in haute couture. And Irina Shayk proved she could nail street style too as she turned heads in a silk maxi dress and knee high boots during Milan Fashion Week on Friday. The Russian model, 35, made the glamorous outing alongside Stella Maxwell, 31, who put on a leggy display in leather-look trousers and platform boots. Stunning: Irina Shayk proved she could nail street style dressing as she flaunted her figure in a silk maxi dress and knee high boots during Milan Fashion Week on Friday Irina showcased her edgy sense of style as she took to the streets of Milan in the thigh-split black slip dress and the chunky matching boots. The brunette beauty's silk dress clung to her toned physique as she showcased her curves in the elegant ensemble. She let her long tresses cascade past her shoulders in loose waves and covered her face with a black protective mask and a pair of glamorous shades. Irina completed her stylish outfit with a unique pendant necklace and a large coral tote bag where she kept all her essentials for the busy day ahead. Pals: The Russian model made the glamorous outing alongside Stella Maxwell who put on a leggy display in leather-look trousers and platform boots Stylish: Irina showcased her edgy sense of style as she took to the streets of Milan in the thigh-split black slip dress and the chunky matching boots Wow: The brunette beauty's silk dress clung to her toned physique as she showcased her curves in the elegant ensemble Meanwhile, her fellow model Stella looked similarly chic in her low-cut leather-look trousers, which she paired with a black oversized blazer. Stella flashed a glimpse of her taut abs in the loose-fitting trousers which she styled with a skimpy Versace pink crop top. She wore her mid-length blonde tresses in a tousled style and covered her face with a black face mask and round-framed glasses. Stella completed her look with an enviable black shoulder bag and appeared deep in conversation with Irina as they made their way to their next fashion week event. Duo: Her fellow model Stella looked similarly chic in her low-cut leather-look trousers, which she paired with a black oversized blazer Model figure: Stella flashed a glimpse of her taut abs in the loose-fitting trousers which she styled with a skimpy Versace pink crop top Stella stepped out ahead of her breathtaking appearance at the Versace Spring/Summer 2022 collection runway show in a multicoloured silk dress. The accomplished model made walking in towering platform heels look easy as she wowed fashionistas in the side-split blue, green and pink dress. Her look had been elaborately accessorised with a matching bandana, large gold hoop earrings and electric blue eyeshadow. Work it: Stella stepped out ahead of her breathtaking appearance at the Versace Spring/Summer 2022 collection runway show in a multicoloured silk dress She's a natural: The accomplished model made walking in towering platform heels look easy as she wowed fashionistas in the side-split blue, green and pink dress Irina's stylish outing comes after she wowed in the premiere of Rihanna's highly-anticipated Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 on Thursday. Fans got their very first look at the brand's sizzling new lingerie looks during the fashion show's big premiere on Amazon Prime Video for its release on the streaming site the following morning. Irina commanded attention in a sexy snakeskin bodysuit with a large cut-out across the front that exposed her taut midriff. She wore her mid-length blonde tresses in a touselled style and covered her face with a black face mask and round-framed glasses and appeared deep in conversation with Irina Resting in the crook of Irina arms was a lengthy snakeskin scarf that hung down to the floor as she posed in an incredibly sultry fashion while oozing confidence and sex appeal. The Russian beauty's brunette strands were slicked away from her face and made to look as if they were soaking wet while her make-up was flawlessly applied in a striking style. As for accessories Irina was decked out in chunky gold jewelry from her ears to her wrists. For a touch of added glamour, Irina wore a tight fitting gold belly chain across her midsection. She commanded the runway in a pair of strappy suede heels that added height to her already statuesque frame. Kathy Hilton took to Instagram to reveal the real 'story' behind why she was seen leaving Craig's in a tablecloth toga on Monday night. Just days after sparking headlines with her eyebrow-raising look, the 62-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared a video with a highly-demanded explanation after 'lots of people' called to ask 'what's the dealio.' 'So, I wanted to let all of my friends from Instagram know, hear it straight from my mouthI want to spill the tea directly to you,' she teased on Friday. Too hot to handle! Kathy Hilton took to Instagram to reveal the real 'story behind' why she was seen leaving Craig's in a tablecloth on Tuesday night impromptu toga party! Hilton set the internet alight after she was photographed wearing a tablecloth while leaving Craig's restaurant in LA on Monday After hosting an auction with her daughters Nicky and Paris Hilton for more than two hours on a 'very hot' day to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, the socialite said felt like she was 'roasting and roasting' in her wool-lined plaid minidress. 'The whole thing was literally sticking to me...and I didn't have a chance to even have a Coca-Cola, water, a glass of wine or anything to eat because we were busy selling and selling and selling and raising money. We had a very successful auction,' she said. Afterward Kathy and her pal Vera went to grab a dinner at Craig's, but said the 'air conditioning was up so high' she 'had to take' her dress off. Resourceful: Kathy held up the tablecloth in her latest video and showed how she and a friend styled it into a gown 'So, I wanted to let all of my friends from Instagram know, hear it straight from my mouthI want to spill the tea directly to you,' she teased on Friday 'She [Vera] brought in this table cloth see, there's makeup on here because she took the table cloth...and she made it like it was a sarong,' the mom-of-four told fans. Kathy then called herself 'very resourceful' and joked she either had to make a wardrobe change or had to have gone home because she could move in the garment at one point. 'What can I tell you? I didn't have my fan with me,' she quipped referencing the fan she packed during her girls trip to Lake Tahoe with the cast of the RHOBH last year. Inside look: Kathy showed how wrinkled and sweaty her wool dress became 'The whole thing was literally sticking to me...and I didn't have a chance to even have a Coca-Cola, water, a glass of wine or anything to eat because we were busy selling and selling and selling and raising money. We had a very successful auction,' she said She concluded: 'I wanted to just let everybody know because everybody was up in arms wondering what happened.' Previously, when asked by photographers outside the restaurant about wearing a tablecloth, her friends claimed she was in a '[John] Galliano' dress. Both her girls commented on the post, with Paris writing,'That's hot [fire emoji] You are too funny!' 'You are very resourceful mom,' gushed under the post. The Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson appeared to be flouting lockdown rules in a social media picture that was posted by co-star Tamra Judge on Thursday. The duo were seen drinking mask-less at a restaurant in New York City, where you have to be vaccinated to dine indoors. However, Gunvalson, 59, stated earlier this move that she did not get vaccinated because of a 'health exemption' stemming from her 'underlying issues.' The star and Judge, 54, are currently filming a Housewives spin-off show and appeared to be celebrated by dining indoors, and partying around New York this week. DailyMail.com was informed this month from a source that the RHOC alum had contracted Covid-19, but the reality star denied this and said that it was just an 'unknown cold.' Did Vicki Gunvalson flout NYC vax rules? Real Housewives star and vaccine skeptic dines indoors with Tamra Judge at deli after filming spin-off show following COVID battle Gunvalson refused to confirm whether she had tested positive for the virus, adding that she has not been vaccinated due to a 'health exemption'. 'I have underlying issues, I cannot get the vaccine. I've got blood clots, I have a health exemption,' she added. The Covid-19 vaccine has been a contentious issue in Gunvalson's family. Letting loose: The pair appeared to be without a mask while in a car as they made their way around NYC Catching cold: The pair also appeared to be soaked as they walked the streets with wet hair Storming NYC: Vicki and Tamra, 54, are currently filming a Housewives spin-off show and appeared to be celebrated by dining indoors, and partying around New York this week All-stars: Vicki was also seen this week reuniting with the likes of Brandi Glanville, Eve Marcille, Phaedra Parks and Dorinda Medley in New York Earlier this month, her fiance Steve Lodge, who is running for governor of California, posted an angry video on social media after Real Housewives co-star Lisa Vanderpump announced her TomTom restaurant and bar in West Hollywood will require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for entry. 'Whatever happened to the right of privacy of your health records?' Lodge asked in a video posted August 3. 'I guess someone forgot to tell them that vaccinated people can also spread and get COVID.' The 59-year-old revealed she is not vaccinated due to a 'health exemption' but admitted it 'broke her heart' to learn her son Mike Wolfsmith (pictured) received the Covid-19 shot Meanwhile, Gunvalson's son from her first marriage, Mike Wolfsmith, revealed in an August 10 Instagram post that he got vaccinated - much to his mother's chagrin. 'What does your mom think about you getting the vaccine? I've heard she's an anti-vaxxer,' one follower wrote on Instagram, commenting on a picture of Mike getting the shot while wearing a mask. 'She said 'it broke her heart' lol,' Mike, 35, replied. 'She has terrible sources of information. Guns, American flags, and invisible sky fairies the All-American trifecta!' Wolfsmith, Gunvalson's son with ex-husband Michael J Wolfsmith, caused a stir on social media earlier in August after taking the opposite stance of his mother and revealing he's been vaccinated Replying to another commenter, the 35-year-old said he got the shot 'because I'm gonna be travelling around and don't want to be restricted. I almost rode it out! The MAGA Variant ruined it all!' Gunvalson told DailyMail.com that her son was telling the truth about her reaction. 'He's very liberal, my son is. I'm not,' she said. Gunvalson, who had starred on RHOC for 14 seasons, announced last January that she was leaving the show 'It did [break my heart he got the vaccine], because of all the people that are getting sick. It did break my heart. 'He already had Covid. It doesn't work.' Mike declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com. In July, the RHOC star traveled to Hawaii to visit her son, who has spent the last nine months there and recently decided to settle permanently in the Aloha State. The insurance industry professional posted pictures on Instagram of the two of them on a beach on July 3 with the caption 'Wore a collared shirt 2 nights in a row for my mom.' She also commented 'Date night with my son,' with a heart and fire emoji. Johnny Depp says he'd be happy to reprise his famous Pirates Of The Caribbean role, Captain Jack Sparrow, at children's birthday parties 'at this point' if it means he could act in the role again, amid claims Hollywood is 'boycotting him' as his legal woes rumble on. Depp first appeared in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise as the quirky seaman in 2003's first film and was last seen in the role in 2017's fourth sequel - appearing in all five movies of the series. And speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival this week, Depp, 58, said: 'The beauty of Captain Jack Sparrow for me is that I can travel with Captain Jack in a box, literally Captain Jack in a box... Iconic role: Johnny Depp says he'd be happy to reprise Captain Jack Sparrow, at children's birthday parties 'at this point' if it means he could act in the role again, amid his legal woes 'And when the opportunity is right I'm able to go and visit people and places where the smiles and the laughs and the things that are important, the most important things in the world, are on the line. 'So I still travel with Captain Jack and if I have the opportunity, whenever I do, I will go to these places. I'll go to somebody's house - man, I'll perform at your kid's birthday party at this point!' Depp appeared upbeat on Thursday as he emerged from his hotel at the festival after claiming his career has been harmed by the spread of cancel culture. The Hollywood star waved at fans while making his way towards a waiting car in the picturesque Spanish coastal city. Hollywood: Speaking this week, Depp, 58, said: 'The beauty of Captain Jack Sparrow for me is that I can travel with Captain Jack in a box, literally Captain Jack in a box...' Starring role: Depp first appeared in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise as the quirky seaman in 2003's first film, and appeared in all five movies of the series Depp was the recipient of the Donostia Award on Wednesday evening at the event. The actor had previously claimed he is a victim of cancel culture, warning that 'no one is safe' and urging those affected to 'stand up' for themselves. Speaking in San Sebastian, before accepting his honorary award at the film festival, Depp said the situation had become 'so out of hand.' In July 2020 he lost a high-profile case at the High Court in London, after The Sun newspaper described him as a 'wife beater' and he sued. Johnny's in town: Depp is in Spain for the 69th San Sebastian Film Festival, where he was the recipient of the Donostia Award on Wednesday evening Greetings: The Hollywood star waved at fans while making his way towards a waiting car in the picturesque Spanish coastal city His ex-wife Amber Heard filed for divorce in 2016, accusing him of verbal and physical abuse, and she testified in London. Depp lost his lucrative role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise in the aftermath of the case. Back in the U.S., Depp has recently won the right to proceed with a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard. Depp told the audience in Spain that he saw himself as a victim, and was concerned about the wider implications for society. Trophy: Depp receiving his Donastia Award last night at the film festival in San Sebastian Legal case: Depp has won the right to sue Heard (pictured in November 2011) in a $50 million libel case after a Virginia judge threw out the actress's plea to dismiss the suit Ahead of taking to the stage to accept his award, Depp offered his thoughts on cancel culture, and called on people to 'stand up' for those facing 'injustice.' 'It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgement based on what essentially amounts to polluted air,' he said, according to Deadline. 'It's so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe. 'It takes one sentence and there's no more ground, the carpet has been pulled.' Depp said that his concern was not just for himself. 'It's not just me that this has happened to, it's happened to a lot of people,' he said. 'This type of thing has happened to women, men.' He said: 'It doesn't matter if a judgement, per se, has taken some artistic license. 'When there's an injustice, whether it's against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in stand up, don't sit down. Cause they need you.' Heard claimed that Depp had attacked her, and her legal team showed photos alleging abuse Depp was reported by Deadline to be happy to answer questions about the recent state of his career, amid his ongoing lawsuit against Heard. But when a reporter asked about Spain's Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, which released a statement saying the award 'transmits a terrible message to the public', a festival organizer stepped in and prevented him replying, insisting he would only speak about his career. Depp later said that he was 'worried' that his presence at the festival would 'offend people,' and insisted he 'didn't want to offend anyone.' He praised the event, its director Jose Luis Rebordinos, and the mayor of San Sebastian for their 'undying support'. He thanked them for 'not buying what has been, for far too long, some notion of me that doesn't exist'. Depp added: 'I haven't done anything, I just make movies.' Depp said that he was dismayed by the current state of the film industry, in particular how streaming had taken off. Ahead of taking to the stage to accept his award, Depp offered his thoughts on cancel culture, and called on people to 'stand up' for those facing 'injustice' He said many people - him included - realized they were disposable. 'Hollywood is certainly not what it was,' he responded. 'The studio system, the grudge matches, the pandemonium and chaos of cinematic releases to streaming it is a case of, 'no matter what, I'm going to get mine'. 'That's where these people are coming from. 'They realize they're just a disposable as I am. Some more so. 'Large, large corporations take control of these things. As someone who takes part in the creation of cinema, how much more formula do we need from the likes of studios? How much more condescension do we need as audiences? 'I think that Hollywood has grotesquely underestimated the audience.' Depp was asked about the future of his Pirates of the Caribbean role of Captain Jack Sparrow, and said that the character would never leave him, and that no one could ever take the character away from him. The actor went onto say: 'It takes one sentence and there's no more ground, the carpet has been pulled,' and claimed it's happened to 'a lot of people' He then delighted the crowd with an impromptu Captain Jack impression, Deadline reported. Despite the mixed reception to his arrival at the festival, Depp was in high spirits as he headed to the photo call ahead of his acceptance of the award. His appearance in Spain came a month after he was cleared by a court to proceed with the $50 million defamation suit against Heard. In August, a Virginia judge ruled that he can proceed with the litigation, based on a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote saying she was a domestic violence survivor. She did not mention Depp in the story, though she publicly accused him of abusing her in their 2016 split. Depp and Heard are pictured at the premiere of The Rum Diary - the film on whose set they met in 2009. The pair married in February 2015, and divorced a year later The actor is trying to clear his name after losing a defamation suit against The Sun. His U.S. suit, filed in Fairfax County, Virginia, accuses Heard of creating a 'hoax' account of abuse. Heard had requested the libel suit against her, filed in March 2019, be thrown out, claiming the ruling in the UK case should swing any new cases in her favor because they both relate to domestic abuse allegations against Depp. But Judge Penny Azcarate ruled the statements made by The Sun and Heard were 'inherently different', and said the case should proceed. The ruling stated: 'The Sun's interests were based on whether the statements the newspaper published were false. '[Heard's] interests relate to whether the statements she published were false.' The ruling also noted that Depp filed the defamation suit against The Sun before Heard's op-ed was published - and that she was not named in the case against the British paper. In the December 2018 op-ed, the actress wrote: 'I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out.' Depp is pictured on July 29, 2020, outside the High Court in London during the case The UK's High Court ruled against Depp following an explosive three-week trial last July, finding allegations the actor was a 'wife beater' were 'substantially true.' Lawyers for The Pirates of the Caribbean star had asked two Court of Appeal judges to grant permission for him to challenge the ruling, with the aim of having its findings overturned and a second trial ordered. They claimed the judge in Depp's initial libel trial had not 'factually' considered all the allegations of violence against him and that they had 'fresh evidence' Heard had 'lied' about giving her entire $7 million divorce settlement to charity. They said that the charity claim influenced how her testimony was viewed, but the Court of Appeal ruled that it did not have an impact on the judge and that he would have reached the same conclusion on Heard being the victim of domestic violence. ITV has teased first-look scenes for upcoming Darling Buds Of May reboot The Larkins. Set to hit screens in October, the show sees the character of Mariette - famously played by Catherine Zeta Jones in the original series and now portrayed by Bridgerton actress Sabrina Bartlett - catch the eye of village newcomer Cedric 'Charley' Charlton (Tok Stephen). Charley arrives in the village to investigate the Larkins' tax affairs, but is soon distracted by the beautiful Mariette, with whom he falls head over heels in love. The Larkins FIRST LOOK! Trailer sees Catherine Zeta Jones' Mariette - now played by Sabrina Bartlett [pictured] - the object of MANY a man's affection in scenes from Darling Buds Of May reboot However, he quickly discovers that he has a romantic rival in the form of the handsome and mysterious Tom Fisher (Stephen Hagan). Mariette, on the other hand, may have plans of her own, which don't involve men. The new teaser portrays the chirpy family, much loved by the villagers, and the wandering eyes of the local men who seem mesmerised by Mariette. Ma and Pop Larkin are seen doting over their numerous children, enjoying family dinners, pillow fights and joking about adding more to their brood. 'It's love what gets us out of bed in the morning!' Pop - played by Bradley Walsh - says in the closing scenes of the teaser. New boy in town: Charley arrives in the village to investigate the Larkins' tax affairs, but is soon distracted by the beautiful Mariette, with whom he falls head over heels in love Snag: However, he quickly discovers that he has a romantic rival in the form of the handsome and mysterious Tom Fisher (Stephen Hagan). Mariette, on the other hand, may have plans of her own, which don't involve men The Chase host, 60, dons sideburns for the role - starring opposite Joanna Scanlan, 59, who plays Ma. Bradley, who is taking over the role of the wheeler-dealer which was played by David Jason in the 90s, has been seen filming in Faversham, Kent, in recent weeks. Arriving on ITV this Autumn is The Larkins, is the much anticipated new television adaption of H.E Bates' novel The Darling Buds of May. This new six-part series is written by screenwriter Simon Nye and aims to capture the warmth, optimism and escapism of The Larkin family for a modern generation. Set in the late 1950's, The Larkins is the story of a working-class family led by the golden-hearted wheeler dealer Pop Larkin (Bradley) and his wife Ma (Joanna), together with their six children. New role: The Chase host, 60, looked incredibly similar in his smart suit and sideburns as actor David Jason (right) who played the character in the Nineties Fiercely loyal to each other and their community, each Larkin family member has a strong work ethic, alongside a disinterest in authority. In the idyllic and beautiful Kent countryside, The Larkins have achieved a small patch of paradise where nothing is wasted and they enjoy life to the full. Speaking about taking on the role of Pop Larkin earlier this year, Bradley said: 'I'm thrilled to be asked to be part of this much loved and iconic series of stories. Matriarch: Among the cast is Joanna Scanlan, 59, (left) who takes over from Pam Ferris (right) as Pop's wife Ma Larkin 'The warmth and affection that H. E Bates has generated through his books is so uplifting and I cannot wait to be part of the Larkin family. It'll be a hoot.' ITV also confirmed several other new shows coming to its Autumn schedule on Thursday, including drama Stephen. This is a three part sequel to The Murder of Stephen Lawrence and stars Hugh Quarshie, Sharlene Whyte and Steve Coogan. The series portrays events from 2006, thirteen years after Stephen's death on the evening of 22 April 1993, from a racially motivated attack whilst waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham. Lookalike: Sabrina Bartlett (left) has been cast as Mariette in the ITV remake of The Darling Buds of May - the same role which catapulted Catherine Zeta Jones (right) to stardom A vision: The role was responsible for launching the career of Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, now 51, who portrayed Mariette in the original ITV series (pictured in 1991) Elsewhere, Martin Clunes returns in Manhunt where he reprises his role as the former London Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton. This new four-part drama, is the real-life story of the police pursuit of a notorious burglar and rapist, whose 17 year reign of terror left thousands of elderly people in South East London living in fear and is based on the diaries of Colin Sutton. Homeland writer and executive producer Patrick Harbinson has adapted The Tower for ITV. Starring Gemma Whelan, Emmett. J Scanlan, Tahirah Sharif and Jimmy Akimbola, the series is based on Kate London's best-selling novel, Post Mortem. Additionally, Angela Black is a Hitchcockian thriller that follows one woman as she risks everything she holds dear to fight back against the man who has suppressed and tormented her for most of her adult life. Original cast: The popular Nineties family drama, which was set in 50s, followed Pop Laarkin, his wife Ma and their children in all their antics (pictured the original cast) Making a return: Philip Franks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pam Ferris and David Jason starred in the original hit series It stars Joanne Froggatt, Michiel Huisman and Samuel Adewunmi and is written by BAFTA-nominated and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning producers and screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams. Line Of Duty's Anna Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling star in Hollington Drive and Ben Aldridge plays the lead in The Long Call alongside Pearl Mackie, Juliet Stevenson and Martin Shaw adapted from Ann Cleeve's novel of the same title. Other new shows including Gary Lineker's quiz show Sitting On A Fortune and Paul O'Grady has a new series called Paul O'Grady's Saturday Line Up. Elsa Hosk was all smiles when she was spotted out on a stroll with her baby daughter Tuulikki Joan Daly. On Friday, the 32-year-old Swedish-born model was seen pushing the seven-month-old infant's stroller down the sidewalk near their home in Pasadena. The former Victoria's Secret Angel beamed as she looked down tenderly at her infant. Good mood: Elsa Hosk was all smiles when she was spotted out on a stroll with her baby daughter Tuulikki Joan Daly The runway star showed off her toned legs and taut midriff in high-waisted orange leggings. Elsa completed her colorful athleisure ensemble with a cropped bright blue and black fleece jacket that featured a large black front pocket. Hosk sported a pair of white and black sneakers. The blonde beauty's long locks were parted down the middle and tied back in a ponytail. Out and about: On Friday, the 32-year-old Swedish-born model was seen pushing the seven-month-old infant's stroller down the sidewalk near their home in Pasadena Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the catwalk queen wore a blue surgical mask which she pulled underneath her chin during her outing. Hosk appeared to be in good spirits as she looked to the side and flashed a smile before gazing down at Tuulikki in her stroller. The day before, Elsa posted video of an Instagram Live that she hosted on human trafficking and sexual exploitation with Andrea Powell, founding director of Karana Rising. Motherly love: The former Victoria's Secret Angel beamed as she looked down tenderly at her infant Karana Rising is a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization that assists survivors of human trafficking Elsa received backlash last week after sharing a snap of herself completely naked while cradling Tuulikki in her arms for a trio of Instagram pictures. Soon after sharing the mommy and me snaps, her comments section was flooded by Internet mom shamers who criticized her for sharing a nude photo of her child - some even calling it 'child pornography.' In the caption of the video that Hosk posted on Thursday, she wrote: 'About a week ago I posted a pic of me and Tuuli in our most natural state and it evoked a lot of emotion from people that thought it was beautiful but also people who thought it was child exploitation. Starting a conversation: The day before, Elsa posted video of an Instagram Live that she hosted on human trafficking and sexual exploitation with Andrea Powell, founding director of Karana Rising 'It seemed to me that a lot of people out there are super passionate about advocating for children and want to have a conversation about what sexual exploitation is and maybe most importantly - how to help. She continued, 'Theres a lot of energy out there on social media and I think if theres a lot of people who are engaged by this topic so why not channel that energy into really learning about sexual exploitation and how we can actually make a difference. So I thought - this is a great opportunity and time to educate ourselves and have a conversation with a real expert! 'Andrea Powell is the co-founder of @wearekaranarising and a huge advocate for human trafficking survivors whom Ive known and worked with for over 10 years. Hosk went on to say, 'I became really passionate about this issue after I visited Andreas drop in center where I met survivors and learned more about her work and what sexual abuse/human trafficking looks like and that its actually extremely common and happening all around us. Responding to criticism: Last week, Hosk received backlash after posting a photo of herself and her child naked, with some even calling it 'child pornography' Teachable moment: Elsa said, 'Theres a lot of energy out there on social media and I think if theres a lot of people who are engaged by this topic so why not channel that energy into really learning about sexual exploitation and how we can actually make a difference' 'Andrea is one of my heroes and educates law l-enforcement, social workers and the public on this topic and is out there every day working with survivors. So Lets hear from her and learn how we can make a difference together,' the supermodel concluded, Last week, Elsa posted a scathing response to the criticism on her Instagram stories: 'If you think it's porn or a "thirst trap" shame on you, not shame on me.' Hosk explained that she loves being naked with her daughter because the skin to skin contact makes their bond even stronger, helping them connect. The image: Earlier in the week, Elsa shared a snap of herself completely naked while cradling seven-month-old daughter Tuulikki Joan Daly in her arms for a series of Instagram pictures The Stockholm native said that growing up in Sweden she was 'naked all the time' including at the beach, home, and in public, which 'was so natural to us.' Elsa said that in her country they were not taught that your body was 'something you had to hide away in fear of what strangers might think.' She wrapped up by saying she respects people's choice with what they do with their bodies, what they choose to post or not post. 'Don't worry about the safety of my baby, she is right where she belongs, literally in my naked arms.' In her element: The star went on to say that she loves being naked with her daughter because the skin to skin contact makes their bond even stronger, helping them connect Posing: The last image showed Elsa lounging on the bed while her daughter played besides her The trio of images featured the stunning views of New York City along with the caption: 'Let me tell you about the city where I fell in love with your dad...' In addition to the shot of her cradling Tuulikki, a second picture shows them on the bed looking at the views of the city. The final image shared featured Elsa lounging on the bed with her daughter playing besides her, the cityscape now off to the side. Elsa welcomed Tuulikki on February 11, 2021 with Tom, whom she began dating in 2015. She announced the birth with a sweet snap of the family of three adding in an explanation for the name: '2.11.21 Happiest day of my life meeting you. Proudest moment in my life giving birth to you. Named after two strong women, my mom and my grandma-in-law, you came into this world like super-woman with your fist next to your face.' Jayda Cheaves arrived in Jamaica earlier today to celebrate her 24th birthday. Update: Jayda was arrested, charged for gun possession after trying to depart the island. Original story continues below. The over the top YouTuber, who rose to fame after having a baby for Lil Baby, is now a multi-millionaire businesswoman. Last year, her on-again, off-again rapper boyfriend threw an Air Jordan party to mark her 23rd birthday but this year, she chose Jamaica to celebrate her lavish lifestyle. Just before boarding a private jet earlier today, she posted a video with the caption Iconic birthday trip loading. Three hours later she posted on her Instagram stories a video confirming her destination with a group of friends, as she toasted, We bout to have fuing fun and we bout to let our motherfking hair down and cheers to a safe time in Jamaica. Upon reaching the island they were whisked away via luxury shuttle to a lavish undisclosed location. Unable to contain herself, she basked in the islands secret beauty as she gave her fans a tour of her room and the larger-than-life bathrooms at a private house near the beach. Look at my roooom, private jacuzzi, wow the picturesyow this house though? Look at this shit though. This sh-t different, she said as it started to rain. This sh-t too fire, worth every penny and Ill do it again. Its the pirate chef for me, she added. Yo yall b-tches aint ever come to Jamaica like this though. Lets talk about it Jamaican fans of the personality have been keeping tabs. Jayda Wanda is in Jamaica? I serve a living God and he is speaking to me directly. Jayda, DM me for my address, one said. Another added, Jayda in Jamaica. Love that for her. Jayda has over 5 million Instagram followers and over 300 thousand subscribers on her YouTube account, where she is known to highlight ostentatious parties and makeup tutorials with friends and family. Her visit to Jamaica is sure to increase the attention on the islands luxury tourism products. Persons overseas were also delighted to see her posts about the island. Wow Jayda and her friends bout to have soo much fun in Jamaica, one wrote. Princessriaah said Jayda Just make me wanna go to Jamaica even more Tourism in Jamaica has been hard hit since the pandemic, however,,Tourism Minister Ed Bartlet said, With the return of the stopover visitor arrivals since June we have been seeing a steady growth towards pre-Covid-19 levels. Last week a cruise ship was allowed to dock in Ocho Rios with over 1700 passengers who were given preferential treatment to visit attractions, even as the island was experiencing a lockdown. Two more cruise ships are scheduled to port in Ocho Rios this week. Dancehall artist Kashmar was gunned down by persons unknown close to Salt River in Clarendon on Thursday. The Jamaica Constabulary Forces Corporate Communication Unit has since confirmed the shooting. Reports are that the Banga artist, 30, whose real name is Kavin Hill, was parked along on the side of the Salt River main road with friends, when two gunmen walked up to the group and opened fire. The men then fled the area. The injured victims were rushed to the hospital where Hill was pronounced dead. Kashmar is known for songs such as Choppa Lifestyle, Banga and Pretty Little Freak. Gulzar created a Christian charity named "Pukaar Project Southampton." This organization aimed to bridge the differences between different ethnic groups and foster cultural diversity and tolerance through art. By arrangement The future of the world lies in the young generation's hands. They are critical to the socio-economic development of any country. Without proper guidance, they could not address the challenges faced by the world today, such as climate change or increasing threats of cybercrime. Only healthy, productive, and fully engaged youth can be more resilient in the face of personal and social problems. If youth remain unguided, they become vulnerable to adopting negative habits and ruin their bright prospects. Whether they reside in developed or developing countries, young people need counseling to make better choices. One such individual who believes that youth can carve out a better future for the world is Romail Gulzar. A Soul with Big Dreams Born on 17th December in Lahore, Pakistan, Gulzar belonged to the Christian community. He always had the potential to achieve remarkable things in life. Unfortunately, his hostile surroundings harshly constricted his growth prospects. The stigma associated with his faith discouraged him from becoming a part of his surroundings. Living in Lahore, he always felt inadequate and incapable of attaining anything in life. He was treated as a second-class citizen. Gulzar's circumstances forced him to leave his home and move to Dubai in search of a better future. Although his circumstances improved, some of his past traumas followed him in the unforgiving heat of Dubai. Exhausted and on a quest for fairer treatment, Gulzar decided to seek asylum in the British Isles. In 2000, he moved to the United Kingdom and was finally granted official refugee status. During his initial years in Britain, Gulzar faced numerous challenges. Due to a lack of financial resources, Gulzar resorted to odd jobs to make ends meet. Despite living in a free land, his woes were far from over. Being a refugee, Gulzar received scorn from those who believed people like him were encroaching upon natives' land and resources. Back in Lahore, Gulzar did not have any power to fight back against the hate directed towards him; in Britain, he did. Staying Focused, Getting Things Done Gulzar created a Christian charity named "Pukaar Project Southampton." This organization aimed to bridge the differences between different ethnic groups and foster cultural diversity and tolerance through art. Pukaar frequently organized curry evenings, musical workshops, and band performances. Unfortunately, owing to a lack of funding, the charity had to be closed later. Nonetheless, it ignited a desire in Gulzar to further this noble cause by carrying out more projects in the future. As he was traversing his new homeland, Gulzar developed a unique inclination towards media. He viewed media as a fascinating tool to form connections, something he had always longed for. Despite his interest, he did not have the requisite skills to begin a newspaper or magazine. So to overcome his shortcomings, he enrolled in South Leicestershire College. There he took courses that enhanced his English language skills and instilled in him several valuable skills. While he was enrolled at college, Gulzar launched an independent news agency called "Pukaar News." It was a leading news agency based in the Midlands, with its head office in the heart of Leicester's Cultural Quarter. Pukaar News provided local and international news to television channels worldwide, offering an easy PR solution to many media businesses. The agency covered news, including stories from the UK, Europe, India, and Pakistan. Since its establishment, the public has admired Pukaar News for its humanistic local and international affairs reporting. It also played an instrumental role in improving young people's knowledge of current affairs. However, following the launch of Pukaar News, Gulzar was keen to learn more about different formats of journalism, so he then travelled to India and study in Film Journalism at the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT). Gulzar's passion for improving the lives of youth did not end with his founding of the news agency. After a few years, he founded Leicester's premier talent competition, "Leicester's Got Talent," an event that encouraged and celebrated the talents of local youth. The competition is currently in its eighth year and has seen previous winners realize their dreams and become better versions of themselves. Hard work and passion hardly ever go unnoticed. Over the past few years, Gulzar has received several notable accolades for his services to the community. In February 2005, he became the recipient of the "Recognition of Services to the Not-For-Profit Sector" award by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Gulzar's journey has been one of dedication, passion, and utmost diligence. He continues to inspire and help young people achieve their goals. Disclaimer: No Deccan Chronicle journalist was involved in creating this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content. The petitioners contention was that the state government had decided to stop financial aid to the private aided schools, junior and degree colleges by advising them either to run them on their own or hand them over to the government. (Representational DC Image) Vijayawada: The High Court has expressed its irritation over the AP government forcing managements of government-aided educational institutions to surrender them and their staff to it, despite the government claiming it is taking over only those that are willing to come by. A division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Goswami and Justice J. Umadevi heard a batch of petitions on Friday, challenging an ordinance and the GO 50, filed by the Sri Saraswathi Aided Upper Primary School correspondent D.V. Subba Rao, as also managements of several private aided schools and students. The petitioners contention was that the state government had decided to stop financial aid to the private aided schools, junior and degree colleges by advising them either to run them on their own or hand them over to the government. The court observed that though the government was claiming it was not forcing any educational institution to surrender its management to the government, the ground reality was different. The education officials are acting differently. The court said, If the officials intend to act smart, the court will act in a smarter manner on this issue. The court suspended the order issued by the Kadapa district education officer, which directed the staff to make the managements heed the call to surrender the posts in aided schools. The court directed school education commissioner China Veerabhadrudu to explain the issue and also the action taken against officials who were forcing the management of educational institutions to surrender their institutions and the posts to the government. Do attend the court in person, the court asked the commissioner and posted the next hearing to September 29. Petitioners counsel Subba Rao argued that education officials were subjecting the managements of aided educational institutions to surrender the aided posts to the government. Government pleader Raghuveer submitted to the court that they were not forcing any management for forcible surrender and said that only those willing to do so were being taken into government control. He informed the court that action would be taken against officials if they were found mounting pressure on school managements for surrendering the institutions to the government. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted US Vice President Kamala Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, who was a senior Indian government officer, in a wooden handicraft frame and a 'meenakari' chess set as they held their first in-person meeting, government sources said on Friday. Prime Minister Modi described India and America as "natural partners" in his meeting with Vice President Harris on Thursday at the White House during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy and in the Indo-Pacific. Noting that the prime minister had a "very successful" bilateral meeting with Harris, the sources said he gave very special gifts to the American vice president. "In a very touching gesture, PM Modi presented Vice President Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, Shri PV Gopalan, in a wooden handicraft frame. P V Gopalan was a senior and respected government officer who served in various positions," a government source said. Modi also gifted Harris a 'gulabi meenakari' chess set, the sources said, adding that the craft of 'gulabi meenakari' is closely associated with Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of the world and the prime minister's Lok Sabha constituency. Each piece on this particular chess set is remarkably handcrafted, the sources said. The bright colours reflect the vibrancy of Varanasi, they said. While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was gifted a 'silver gulabi meenakari ship', Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga was gifted a sandalwood Buddha statue, the sources said. The ship gifted to Morrison is also distinctly handcrafted and its brightness reflects Varanasi's dynamism, they said. Besides meeting Harris, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral meetings with Suga and Morrison on Thursday. Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday on an official visit to the US during which he will hold the first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden, attend the maiden in-person Quad summit and address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The tussle between forest department and podu land farmers is prevalent across all districts, including Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem. (DC file photo) KHAMMAM: Not only podu farmers but even forest officials, particularly field-level officers, who are to retrieve forest land from encroachers, are expecting a permanent solution from the cabinet sub-committee that has been constituted to look into the issue. The tussle between forest department and podu land farmers is prevalent across all districts, including Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem. Forest officials feel that political leaders are posing a problem than that of podu farmers. A Venkateswarlu, a forest range officer of Sattupalli, said that they are retrieving encroached forest land one stretch at a time after convincing podu farmers. The concept of Due Procedure of Law is paying dividends. Firstly, we issue notices to farmers first. They are asked to show ownership documents, failing which we explain the forest laws to them and indicate that they cannot get any rights, he said. A family of three in Regallapadu in Sattupalli range had 9 acres of revenue land in the same village and they encroached 14 acres of forest land. They are into podu and are claiming its rights. In the same village, a family with 9.5 acres of revenue land is tilling podu over 14 acres. Political parties come to their rescue whenever forest officials try to retrieve the forest lands. Venkateswarlu said, After a relentless fight, I succeeded in retrieving 130 hectares of forest land from the podu farmers between 2020-21 and 2021-22, he said. A forest range officer, on condition of anonymity, said Ten acres in Khammam district were allotted to a political party by podu farmers. How can we consider it as a land issue? We want a permanent remedy. There are some genuine claims by adivasis and they did not get pattas because they are ignorant. We are expecting the sub-committee to put an end to this turmoil. Radhika, forest range officer of Khammam, said We (forest officials) are deemed as villains by podu farmers. I retrieved around 150 hectares of forest land from encroachers. Karimnagar district collector R. V. Karnan interacted with beneficiaries who visited banks to find whether or not Rs 10 lakh sanctioned by the state government under Dalit Bandhu scheme had been deposited in their bank accounts. DC Image KARIMNAGAR: Karimnagar district collector R. V. Karnan said help desks are being established in all banks of the district for clearing doubts among beneficiaries about the Dalit Bandhu scheme, which is being implemented as a pilot project in Huzurabad constituency. He was speaking after inaugurating help desks at banks in Huzurabad, Jammikunta and Veenavanka mandals. He also interacted with beneficiaries who visited banks to find whether or not Rs 10 lakh sanctioned by the state government under Dalit Bandhu scheme had been deposited in their bank accounts. The collector asked people of Dalit communities not to worry, as the amount sanctioned by the state government will be made available to all eligible Dalit families. Beneficiaries who have not received a message on their cell phones can visit banks allotted to them and inquire about details at the help desk there. Karnan said until beneficiaries choose a self-employment avenue for themselves, Rs 2,475 will be deposited per month into their bank account against the deposited amount of Rs 10 lakh. He advised beneficiaries to choose units, which will give them more profits and help them develop economically. Bank managers Hari Ram Naik, P. Gopichand, B. Rakesh, V. Sai Krishna and Kishore, KDCC chief executive officer Satyanarayana, general manager Riyaz, RDO Ravinder Reddy, tahasildars Saritha and Raju, and lead bank manager K. Lakshman were among those present. There are few casting decisions as hotly anticipated as the question of who will be the next 007, with many expecting that a black Bond or even female Bond is on the cards. Daniel Craig, a somewhat reluctant Bond at times, has had one foot out of the tuxedo almost from the moment he took on the role back in 2006. But No Time to Die appears really to be his fifth and final outing, and so the rumour mill is back in action. Also Read: James Bond 'could be a man or woman' of any race or age, says Lashana Lynch For years, certain names have been closely linked to the role which has previously been played by stars including Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. Tom Hardy Craig was an attempt to toughen up Bond after Her Majesty's top agent was threatened by an American -- Jason Bourne -- and his grittier adventures. He was a massive success, with Casino Royale and Skyfall in particular seen as two of the best Bond films of all time, and returning the character to the style of the original novels by Ian Fleming. Tom Hardy, often a villain or at least an anti-hero in films like The Dark Knight Rises, Venom and Mad Max: Fury Road, would be a way to maintain that darker vision of Bond. He is currently the bookies' favourite in Britain, according to betting agency William Hill. Idris Elba A name that is often in the discussion is Idris Elba, known for The Wire, The Suicide Squad and hit BBC series Luther. He set social media tongues wagging in 2018 when he posted: "My name's Elba, Idris Elba" -- echoing Bond's famous catchphrase -- but he added soon after: "Don't believe the hype!" Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has repeatedly said that the next 007 "doesn't need to be a white man". That has triggered some sadly inevitable racist responses, but many feel Elba has the charisma to pull off the change. Lashana Lynch Broccoli seemed to rule out the possibility of a female bond, telling Variety: "I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that." But that hasn't stopped speculation around Lashana Lynch, a 33-year-old black British woman, who reportedly takes over the 007 handle at the end of No Time to Die. Craig, however, agreed with Broccoli's position, telling the Radio Times: "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour. "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?" Rege-Jean Page Having set millions of hearts aflutter with Netflix hit Bridgerton over the past year, another bookmaker's favourite is the young British-Zimbabwean actor. He has been self-effacing about the idea, telling US talk show host Jimmy Fallon: "If you're a Brit and you do something of any kind of renown, then people start saying the B-word." Tom Holland Less coy about his desire for a licence to kill is Spider-Man franchise star Tom Holland. Not content with being a superhero, Holland told Variety: "As a young British lad who loves cinema, I'd love to be James Bond. So, you know, I'm just putting that out there. I look pretty good in a suit." Also in the running There are plenty of other candidates, with Vogue recently offering a run-down that gave strong odds to "British-Malaysian dreamboat" Henry Golding, Bodyguard star Richard Madden -- or for a more cerebral twist on the character, Peaky Blinders lead Cillian Murphy. For now, lips are sealed at Bond HQ, with Broccoli saying: "You can only be in love with one person at a time. "For now, we just cannot think about anything beyond Daniel." Check out the latest DH videos here: US President Joe Biden is looking forward to his first bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday during which they are expected to discuss a wide range of priority issues, including combating Covid-19 and climate change, economic cooperation as well as Afghanistan, according to a senior administration official. While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this is for the first time that Biden will be meeting Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January. After Bidens inauguration, the two leaders have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US president. President Biden is looking forward to his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi in the Oval Office on Friday morning, ahead of the QUAD summit (later in the day), said a senior administration official familiar with the preparations of the maiden Biden-Modi summit. Read | Biden to host Indo-Pacific leaders as China concerns grow We will cover a number of priority issues that India is really, front and centre. including pandemic response, their response to climate change; we'll talk about technology issues, economic cooperation and trade as well as Afghanistan, said the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, India has been saying that its focus was to ensure that the war-torn country's soil is not used for terrorist activities against it. Among the issues also include discussion about new areas of cooperation, said the official on the eve of the India-US bilateral summit. In his departure statement on Wednesday, Modi said that during his visit, he will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Also Read | Top US CEOs appreciative of recent reform measures in India, says Shringla after their meetings with Modi Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said Modi and Biden, in their meeting, are expected to focus on further bolstering bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthening defence and security collaboration and boosting the strategic clean energy partnership. "The bilateral meeting (between Modi and Biden) will also feature the current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan, our stakes as a neighbour and a longstanding and a preferred development partner of Afghanistan," he said in New Delhi on Tuesday. "In this context, we would undoubtedly discuss the need to stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks," Shringla added. Shringla said the importance of smooth post-Covid travel, especially for students, is also an important factor and is expected to be discussed at the talks. Also Read | Kamala Harris source of inspiration for many around the world: PM Modi Biden and Modi are likely to be joined by their senior officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval, and Indias Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Following the bilateral summit, Biden in the afternoon would welcome Modi again at the White House for the first-ever in-person Quad summit. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan will also attend the summit. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. The resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is where China has been trying to spread its influence. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. Check out latest DH videos here Days after outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in made possibly his last ambitious push to diplomatically resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear programme, the North on Friday rejected his call for a declaration ending the Korean War, making it clear it has no interest in political statements unless they bring badly needed relief from crippling economic sanctions. Nuclear diplomacy between the US and North Korea has stalled over disagreements over a relaxation of the US-led sanctions in exchange for steps toward denuclearisation by the North. Analysts say North Korea is trying to use Moon's desire for inter-Korean engagement to pressure South Korea into extracting concessions from Washington on its behalf. Read more: North Korea rejects South Korea's calls for end-of-war declaration WHY IS MOON OFFERING A PEACE DECLARATION? The 1950-53 Korean War, in which North Korea and ally China faced off against South Korea and US-led UN forces, ended with an armistice, but there was never a peace treaty. In a speech at the UN General Assembly this week, Moon called for an end-of-war declaration while expressing hopes for a quick resumption of talks between the US and North Korea. He said such a declaration among the leaders of the Koreas, the United States and China would help achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moon's proposal was an attempt to break the stalemate as he nears the end of his term in May 2022. North Korea had initially supported South Korea's call for an end-of-war declaration when Seoul helped set up a summit between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and former US President Donald Trump in 2018 in which Kim aimed to leverage his nuclear weapons in exchange for economic benefits. Such an end-of-war declaration would make it easier for North Korea to demand that the United States withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease sanctions. But North Korea lost interest in the idea after talks between Kim and Trump collapsed during their second summit in February 2019. The Americans rejected North Korea's demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for the dismantling of an ageing nuclear facility, a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. WHY IS NORTH KOREA REJECTING MOON'S OFFER? On Friday, Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song issued separate statements rebuffing Moon's proposal. Kim Yo Jong's comments were directed toward Moon while Ri's were aimed at the Biden administration, but they communicated essentially the same message that North Korea isn't interested in an end-of-war declaration unless Washington first discards its hostile policies, a reference to the US-led economic sanctions and its military activities with ally South Korea. Ri said such a declaration would be premature considering US efforts to strengthen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which North Korea has increasingly used to justify the expansion of its own nuclear and missile programmes. Kim Yo Jong, who handles inter-Korean affairs, used softer language toward South Korea, saying the North is willing to resume constructive discussions over improving bilateral ties if the South abandons its hostility and double-dealing standards. She was clearly demanding that Seoul try harder to persuade Washington to offer concrete actions to resume negotiations, whether they be the relaxing of sanctions or suspension of US-South Korea joint military exercises, which North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. North Korea's statements on Friday show it has no expectation that Biden will accept Moon's call, said Park Won Gon, a professor at Seoul's Ewha Womans University. The North still has nothing to lose with the South proposing an end-of-war declaration again and it basically gave Seoul homework' to press Washington to meet its demands, Park said. The North could be trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, or create a rift in public opinion within South Korea by pressuring Seoul over the state of inter-Korean relations. WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR NUCLEAR TALKS? The North Korean nuclear issue receded from the centre of attention at this year's UN General Assembly with newer global challenges such as the coronavirus, rising US-China tensions and Afghanistan's uncertain future. But North Korea hates to be ignored, and its recent missile tests after months of relative quiet have raised speculation that Kim is once again flaunting its military might to wrest concessions from Washington if the long-stalled talks over his nuclear programme resume. Some experts say Kim is facing harsh domestic challenges, with pandemic-linked border closures further hurting an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and international sanctions. They say the sense of alarm could push North Korea to escalate its weapons tests in the coming months to pressure the world before offering negotiations to extract aid, at least until China begins pushing for calm ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics early next year. This month, North Korea tested a new cruise missile it intends to arm with nuclear warheads and demonstrated the launching of ballistic missiles from rail cars as it expands its arsenal of shorter-range weapons threatening US allies South Korea and Japan. Even while under a pandemic lockdown, North Korea continues to modernise its military, including nuclear weapons and various means of delivering them," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha, who sees little room for Moon to advance his peace agenda. The Biden administration has repeatedly offered dialogue and humanitarian engagement, but the Kim regime appears to want sanctions relief and de facto nuclear recognition in exchange for averting a crisis. Check out the latest DH videos here: The United States once again subtly nudged India to protect democratic principles as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first in-person meeting with American Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC early on Friday. They also discussed the threats posed by terrorist groups based in Pakistan to India and the United States. This was Modis first meeting with Harris after she scripted history becoming the first Indian-American to take over as the Vice President of the United States. He will have a meeting with President Joe Biden later. He will also attend the first in-person summit of the Quad, a coalition forged by India, Australia, Japan and the US to counter Chinas hegemonic aspirations in the Indo-Pacific region. I know from personal experience and from my family of the commitment of the Indian people to democracy and the work that needs to be done (so that) we can begin to imagine, and then actually achieve, our vision for democratic principles and institutions, Harris said as she and Modi addressed media-persons just before the meeting. Also read: PM Modi, Japanese Premier Suga reaffirm commitment for free, open Indo-Pacific ahead of Quad meeting Modi told Harris that India and the US, being the oldest and largest democracies in the world, were natural partners. President Joe Bidens administration has been over the past few months tacitly conveying concerns in the US about the perception that India was backsliding on human rights and freedom of speech and religion. As democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world and that we do what we must do to strengthen democracies at home, the US Vice President said. It is incumbent on our nations to of course protect democracies in the best interests of people of our countries. During her meeting with Modi, Harris made suo moto reference on issue of terrorism coming out of Pakistan and affecting the security of India and the US, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla later told journalists. The Prime Minister briefed the US Vice President about cross-border terrorism, which has been coming out of Pakistan and targeting India for decades. Shringla said that Harris stressed Pakistan taking actions against the terrorist organisations posing threat to the security of the US and India. She agreed with the Prime Ministers briefing on cross border terrorism and the fact that India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now and on the need to rein in, and closely monitor Pakistan''s support for such terrorist groups, the Foreign Secretary said. Modi and Harris exchanged views on recent global developments, including in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders discussed the Covid-19 situation in their respective countries, including ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic through expedited vaccination efforts and ensuring supply of critical medicines, therapeutics and healthcare equipment, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The two sides acknowledged the importance of collaborative action on climate change. PM Modi told the US Vice President about his governments push for increasing capacity to generate renewable energy and the recently launched National Hydrogen Mission in India. Modi and Harris also discussed areas of future collaboration, including in the space sector, Information Technology, especially emerging and critical technologies, as well as the cooperation in the healthcare sector. They acknowledged the vibrant people-to-people linkages as the bedrock of the mutually beneficial education linkages and the flow of knowledge, innovation and talent between our two countries, the MEA stated. Noting that Harriss ascent to the second-highest office in the federal government of the US was historic, Modi extended an invitation to her and her husband Douglas Emhoff for an early visit to India, so that people of the country could celebrate her achievement. Check out latest DH videos here: Two men pretending to be lawyers opened fire at a rival gangster inside a courtroom in the national capital on Friday afternoon killing him, an incident that also led to a dramatic shootout in which police shot dead the attackers within minutes. The incident, considered a massive security breach, appeared as if it were straight from a movie. Two men in lawyer's attire patiently waited for their target Jitender Mann 'Gogi', a wanted gangster who was brought to the court for a hearing, and pumped bullets into him as soon as he entered room 207 in Rohini Court. Acting swiftly, a special team of Delhi Police, which had brought Gogi, an undertrial prisoner, to the court from the prison, opened fire at the two attackers, as a few panicky people present inside the courtroom scrambled for safety. The attackers, believed to be members of Gogi's rival gang led by Tllu Tajpuria, were killed on the spot. #WATCH | Visuals of the shootout at Delhi's Rohini court today As per Delhi Police, assailants opened fire at gangster Jitender Mann 'Gogi', who has died. Three attackers have also been shot dead by police. pic.twitter.com/dYgRjQGW7J ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 An injured Gogi was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. "Police action was very swift. There are no reports of injuries to civilians. Two men wearing lawyers' uniforms attacked Gogi. The two also have been shot dead by police," Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said. Though there is security checking for litigants entering the premises, lawyers do not undergo any screening. AAP Delhi MP Sanjay Singh tweeted, "Where are you, Home Minister, Amit Shah? A big incident has happened in the capital of the country. In the temple of justice, there are echoes of bullets." Former IPS officer Dr NC Asthana tweeted, "More fundamental questions must be asked. How could a weapon be smuggled inside despite metal detectors in the first place? Responsibility to be fixed and complicity angle to be probed. Such incidents have taken place elsewhere too and probes never taken to logical conclusion." Delhi Police officials said the Commissioner would review the security arrangements in the courts. A detailed report will be submitted soon on how the weapons reached the court premises, they said. Gogi has over a dozen cases, including those of murder and extortion, registered against him in Delhi. A special team of Delhi Police has been taking Gogi for court hearings after one of his associates had fled from police custody while he was being brought to a court a few months ago. Police officials said that Gogi and Tillu were rivals and had been running extortion rackets for years. Around a dozen belonging to both sides were killed in rivalry in the past six years. The rivalry between both Gogi and Tillu goes back several years with one version claiming that it started during their student days. Tillu was arrested in 2015 and is presently lodged in Sonepat Jail. Gogi was arrested in March 2020 and was in custody since then. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India on Friday strongly rejected China's fresh comments blaming it for the Galwan valley clashes and asserted that the "provocative behaviour and unilateral" attempts by the Chinese side to alter the status quo in eastern Ladakh resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the mountainous region. Reacting to the Chinese remarks made earlier in the day, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said Chinese actions have impacted bilateral relations. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson had again claimed at a media briefing in Beijing that the Galwan valley clashes took place because India "encroached upon China's territory" and violated all agreements. "We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent," Bagchi said in response to a question on the fresh remarks by China. "It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity. This has also impacted the bilateral relations," he said. Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in deadly clashes with the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher. Also read: India, China engaged in war of words over Galwan Valley clash hours before Quad summit "As emphasized by the external affairs minister in his meeting with Chinese foreign minister earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols," Bagchi said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had met in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the SCO summit last week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that all the agreements and treaties signed between China and India on upholding the peace and stability in the area of the LAC have played an important role in upholding stability in the border areas. "Last year's Galwan valley incident took place because India violated all the signed agreements and treaties and encroached upon Chinese territory and illegally crossed the line," Zhao claimed. "We hope India will abide by all the signed agreements and uphold peace and stability in the border region with concrete actions," Zhao said in reply to a question on India's border patrol protocols. At the meeting with Wang on September 16, Jaishankar conveyed that the two sides should work for an early resolution of the remaining issues. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two foreign ministers agreed that the military and diplomatic officials of both sides should meet again and discuss resolving the remaining issues at the earliest. The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area in eastern Ladakh last month. In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian, Japanese and American counterparts held the first in-person summit of the Quad in Washington D.C., India and China had a war of words over the violent face-off at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020. Beijing held the Indian Army responsible for the clash with the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley. The Indian Army had lost 20 of its soldiers in the violent face-off, which had taken place 15 months back. The Chinese PLA had also suffered casualties but revealed the identities of its four slain soldiers only on February 19 this year. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Chinese government, said in Beijing that the series of agreements signed by China and India on maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two nations had played an important role in maintaining the stability in the border region. Get all the live updates of Quad Summit here The Galwan River Valley incident occurred last year because India violated the agreement signed by the two countries and illegally crossed the LAC and encroached on the territory of China, said Zhao. He said that China would expect India to strictly abide by the relevant agreements signed by the two countries and take concrete actions to maintain peace and stability in the border area. The Modi government sharply reacted and dismissed Beijings bid to lay the blame on the Indian Army. We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent, Zhaos counterpart in New Delhi, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said in a statement. New Delhi has been maintaining that the stand-off in eastern Ladakh had started in April-May 2020 because China had deployed a large number of troops along its LAC with India, flouting its 1993 and 1996 border peace pacts with India. The stand-off reached a flashpoint with the Galwan Valley clash. It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter the status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity. This has also impacted bilateral relations, the MEA said in the statement issued in New Delhi. It referred to what External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pointed out to the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Dushanbe on September 16. As emphasized by the External Affairs Minister in his meeting with the Chinese FM earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols. The Indian Army and the Chinese PLA mutually withdrew frontline troops from the northern and the southern banks of Pangong Tso as well as from the face-off point at Gogra Post earlier this year. But the stand-off remained unresolved in other locations along the LAC, even as one-and-a-half years passed since it had started. New Delhi and Beijing had the latest round of war of words just hours before the Prime Minister joined the US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for the first in-person summit of the Quad a coalition forged by India and the three other democratic nations to counter the hegemonic aspirations of China in the Indo-Pacific region. Check out the latest DH videos here: Indias long-delayed plans to overhaul its military are getting a new life as Prime Minister Narendra Modis government moves closer to the US and its allies, which are strengthening defense cooperation against China. Modi, who will attend a meeting of Quad leaders at the White House Friday along with Australias Scott Morrison and Japans Yoshihide Suga, is taking steps to undertake the biggest reorganisation of Indias military since independence in 1947. The moves to integrate the army, air force and navy -- which now operate with little coordination -- come as the US and UK work with Australia to put more nuclear-powered submarines in Asia-Pacific waters. Last month, a newly created Department of Military Affairs ordered the Indian Army unit overseeing the Pakistan border to draw up a plan for integrating with the navy and air force, according to officials aware of the developments. That model will be replicated throughout the country so the entire military is under a new operating structure by 2024, said the officials, who asked not to be identified due to rules for speaking to the media. Read | PM meets CEOs of US companies, invites them to invest more in India A more unified Indian armed forces would make it easier for the country to link up with militaries from the US and its allies in the event of a conflict. A key aspect of the AUKUS partnership announced last week by the US, Australia and UK involves interoperability in a range of defense areas -- something India currently lacks within its own forces. The Quad partners have previously found that they can only exercise with one Indian service at a time -- for example, the navy but no air force, or air force but not navy, said David Brewster, senior research fellow at the National Security College of the Australian National University who wrote the book India as an Asia Pacific Power. This severely hampers cooperation when many if not most operations will be joint. On Thursday in the US, Modi met separately with Morrison, Suga and US Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the Quad meeting at the White House. In a tweet, his office noted Indias shared values with the US and said cooperation was gradually increasing. Over the decades, Indian leaders kept military command and control divided to avoid coups that were once common in the neighborhood. While bureaucrats and military officials have resisted proposals for unification that have been around since the 1990s, mostly due to turf wars, the current structure is proving a disadvantage in countering China, which moved to a similar model as the US and Australia in 2016. The modernisation of the Indian military is underway to meet the regional challenges and technological changes, A. Bharat Bhushan Babu, a Defense Ministry spokesperson, said without providing more details on the plan. The Indian Navy, Army and Air Force didnt comment immediately. The reorganisation would create at least four theater commands: One in the west looking at Pakistan, another in the east focused on China, a maritime command for the Indian Ocean region and an air defense command, the officials said. The restive northern section of Jammu and Kashmir will remain untouched for now, they added. The move is designed to allow Indias military to operate seamlessly across land, sea, and air. The theater commands would pool warships, patrol craft, soldiers and fighter jets, and work with other missile and gun regiments that have a network of ground radars to handle threats along its disputed borders with China and Pakistan, the officials said. While China has the largest standing army in the world, with more than 2.1 million troops, India is second with a bloated ground force of 1.2 million regular soldiers and 960,000 reserves whose pay and pensions absorb most of the defense budget. The Indian Army estimates that organizing along theaters will yield economies of scale, cutting expenditure by about one-third while concentrating power in a single office: the Chairman of the Joint Staff Committee. Read | PM Modi meets Australian counterpart Morrison in US ahead of 1st in-person Quad Summit Indias siloed approach to training, planning and operations created a dissonance when working with other more modern militaries, said Anit Mukherjee, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Over the last five years, the challenges to the Indian military have grown manifold and it is an open question whether they have been able to match those challenges. The Indian Air Force in particular has opposed the concept of multiple theaters, arguing that its scarce resources will be spread too thin if they arent able to respond to threats in different parts of the country, officials said. The three services still dont have a common secure communication network, which was evident in 2019 when Indian Air Force jets fired missiles into Pakistan to destroy an alleged terror training camp in response to a suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir that left 40 soldiers dead. Indian Army units were put on alert but they werent told why or what to expect, according to a senior officer who asked not to be identified. While Indias military answers to elected representatives, a tradition of political non-interference has also allowed feuds between the three main services to flourish. That has also strengthened the army, which commands more than 60% of total military spending, leading to a greater focus on land borders over building the capacity to become a force in Indo-Pacific waters. The problem with Indias reorganisation so far is the tendency to reinforce army dominance of the defense force and reinforce a narrow focus on continental defense, said Brewster from the Australian National University. This may mean a reduced capability of Indian armed forces to project power around the Indo-Pacific region in cooperation with the Quad partners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday commenced his visit in Washington D.C. with meetings with the top brass of the multinational companies based in the United States, hard-selling his governments initiatives to draw more foreign investments to revive the Covid-hit economy of India, including the recently launched Production Linked Incentive scheme. Modi had separate one-to-one meetings with Cristiano Amon, Shantanu Narayen, Mark Widmar, Vivek Lall and Stephen Schwarzman, the Chief Executive Officers of Qualcomm, Adobe, First Solar, General Atomics Global Corporation and Blackstone respectively. They discussed prospects of the US companies investing or expanding existing investments in India. The Prime Minister and the Qualcomm CEO discussed investment opportunities offered in the telecommunications and electronic sectors in India. Modi pointed out that the Qualcomm could take advantage of the recently launched Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for electronic system design and manufacturing. He also highlighted recent efforts by his government to achieving self-reliance in production of semiconductors and to find long-term solution to the global chip shortage which started hitting the auto industry in India. Also Read | PM Modi to interact with American CEOs to highlight opportunities in India We're so proud of our partnership with India. We're happy with everything we're doing together with India, the Qualcomm CEO told journalists after his meeting with the Prime Minister. Amon conveyed to Modi that the Qualcomm was interested in exploring opportunities for production of semiconductors in India. He also evinced his companys interests in digital transformation programmes in India, a source aware of the discussion between the two said. The source quoted the Qualcomm CEO saying that India is a big market but the company also saw it as a big export market. It is the right time for the Government of India to not only encourage manufacturing for the market in India, but also plan to serve the need of other countries, he told the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister stressed that India had prepared 5G standards, and urged the Qualcomm to actively participate in the 5G rollout, as they did in case of the NAVIK. He also spoke about the new liberalised drone policy of the Government of India and said that Qualcomm could take part in new opportunities in the emerging market. The Prime Minister and the General Atomics CEO discussed investment opportunities in the defence technology sector in India. Lall appreciated the recent policy changes by the Modi Government to accelerate defence and emerging technology manufacturing and augment capacity building in India. Narayen of the Adobe expressed desire to bring videos and animation to every child in India. The Prime Minister told him that bringing smart education to every child is important and that made technology very significant. He said that the ground for digital education had been laid in the Covid-19 era and it should be taken forward now. Modi and Narayen emphasised on creating few centres of excellence in Artificial Intelligence in India. Modi told Widmar about Indias ambitious target of installing capacity for generating 450 GW of renewable energy. He also emphasised on Indias focus on manufacturing solar energy and said that the companies in the field of solar energy could take maximum advantage of the recently launched PLI schemes. Schwarzman briefed Modi about the Blackstones ongoing projects in India and its interest in further investments in the infrastructure and real estate sectors. The Prime Minister and the Blackstone CEO discussed investment opportunities in India, including the ones under National Infrastructure Pipeline and National Monetisation Pipeline. The Air India One with the Prime Minister on board landed at the Andrews Air Force Base near the US capital early on Thursday (6 pm on Wednesday Washington D.C. time). He was welcomed by T H Brian McKeon, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources at the US State Department. New Delhis envoy to Washington D.C. Taranjit Singh Sandhu was also present at the airport. Some Indian-Americans greeted the Prime Minister on his arrival in Washington D.C. Check out DH's latest videos: The Congress claims to have walked the talk by picking Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab chief minister. Of all the 29 states in the Indian union, Channi is the only CM who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The grand old party engineered the midnight coup to unseat Captain Amrinder Singh as competitive identity politics reached its crescendo ahead of the state Assembly polls five months hence. Unbeknownst to many, both the CM and the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Harpal Singh Cheema - are now from the Dalit community. Channi's appointment has well and truly brought the heartland identity politics to the gates of India's western frontier. Logically speaking, this could have happened much earlier in a state like Punjab, which has a 32 per cent Scheduled Caste population. But then, social constructs follow a life-cycle of their own. Various extraneous factors, including the two decades of militancy in Punjab, may have overwhelmed counter-currents of socio-political realignments and power dynamics. Read | 'Eye on Dalit votes, not their welfare', BJP hits out at Congress over Channi's appointment as Punjab CM The farm laws protests and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) 's attempts to unshackle itself of the role of the junior partner to a dominant regional ally in many states has, inadvertently or otherwise, unleashed the latest round of shake-up in Punjab. To better understand this shifting paradigm, one must first look at the pantheon of political leadership in Punjab. Before its division on linguistic lines and the creation of Haryana in 1966, the state was led by three non-Sikh chief ministers. The body polity of the Indian Punjab, as it has existed since 1966, has been dominated by the upwardly mobile, economically sound Jatt Sikh community. In the last 55 years, the only exception has been Giani Zail Singh's five years in power in the mid-1970s. The former president of India belonged to the Ramgarhia Backward community. All the other chief ministers - the Akalis and Congress - have come from land-proprietary castes. Zail Singh was also the first to attempt social engineering to align the SC vote bank with the Congress. The SC population in Punjab can be broadly subdivided into three clusters: the Mazhabi Sikhs and Balmikis, which comprise 42 per cent of the total Dalit population, Ad-Dharmis, Ravidasis, Ramdasi Sikhs, which together constitute another 41 per cent, while the remaining 17 per cent population belongs to other smaller castes groups. Also Read | Congress plays Dalit card in Punjab with eye on UP, Uttarakhand In 1975, Zail Singh decided to subdivide 25 per cent quotas for SCs in government jobs by setting aside 12.5 per cent exclusively for Mazhabi Sikhs and Balmikis on a priority basis. The government order was aimed to wean this sub-section away from the Akalis. The Mazhabi Sikhs, who constitute the largest homogeneous group within the Dalits of Punjab, were relatively more aligned to the Akali politics vis a vis the other Scheduled Caste communities. Similarly, the Balmikis, who live in and around urban clusters, were politically influenced by the BJP's earlier avatar, the Jana Sangh. The other non-Jatt leaders to have risen the ranks in the Congress was another Dalit Sikh from Jalandhar, Buta Singh. The eight-time MP was the lone Sikh face in the Rajiv Gandhi government after Operation Blue Star but had to shift bast to Jalore in Rajasthan to remain politically relevant. Buta Singh, however, could never come close to becoming the chief minister of Punjab. The second attempt to engineer a caste realignment to attain political power was initiated in 1996 by the Akalis when the faction led by Parkash Singh Badal decided to stitch a pre-poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Kanshi Ram, who hailed from a family of Ramdasia Sikh from Ropar district. The BSP had polled almost 20 per cent of votes in the 1991 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab. A year later, it had won a by-poll in Ferozpur to send one Mohan Singh to Lok Sabha - the first candidate to win a parliament election on the BSP symbol. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BSP alliance routed the Congress in the 1996 elections winning 11 of the 13-Lok Sabha seats of Punjab. The Badals, however, would soon change tack to befriend the BJP instead for the Assembly elections the following year. The Akali-BJP alliance won a landslide while the BSP was reduced to just one seat in the state legislature. Unlike in Uttar Pradesh, Kanshi Ram's experiments in Punjab failed as the SAD stitched an alternate winning social combination with the state's Hindu community by aligning with the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The BSP's performance in successive elections has shown little or no signs of revival. If anything, things have taken a turn for the worse. The Dalits as a political entity remain divided in the absence of a cohesive narrative and strong leadership. The SAD-BJP alliance, on the other hand, worked well for almost two decades as the BJP accepted the role of the minor partner in the Punjab National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The first signs of discomfiture emerged when the BJP won a clear majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and sought to emerge out of the shadow of its regional partners - not just in Punjab but in other states as well. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SAD boycotted an NDA meeting accusing the BJP and its ideological fount - the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate Rashtriya Sikh Sangat - of meddling in Sikh religious affairs. With the SAD finally ejecting out of the NDA in protest against the three central farm laws, the BJP started to draft its political strategy to fight and survive independently in Punjab. Borrowing heavily from its successful ventures in the other heartland states, it sought to build a social coalition of the Dalits, OBCs and urban Hindus to challenge entrenched players in the state politics. The party was the first to give a call for nominating a Dalit chief minister in the state if it won power in the 2022 Assembly elections. Former union minister Vijay Sampla, who was even denied a ticket to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, was appointed chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in earnest. Earlier this month, the BJP nominated former IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the chairman of the national commission for minorities. Lalpura is from the OBC Sikh community and was one of the three officers who arrested Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in 1981. The party recently welcomed Indrajeet Singh, the grandson of former President Giani Zail Singh, to its fold. Zail Singh, the only OBC chief minister of the state, hailed from the Ramgarhia backward community, which has a substantial presence in pockets of the Doaba and Manjha belts. BJP has also sought to send a message to the Sikh Community by appointing Lt. Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh as the governor of Uttarakhand. By projecting a Dalit CM and bringing in known and influential OBC faces, the BJP actively worked on a new caste coalition between the SCs, OBCs and non-Sikhs in Punjab aimed at the mobilisation of all 75 per cent non-Jatt Sikhs. This strategy's subtext was also to build a political narrative against the protracted anti-farm law agitations based on caste lines. In doing so, the BJP was taking a leaf out of the AAP's 2017 playbook. Arvind Kejriwal's efforts to aggressively woo Dalits in 2017 had more than bore fruits. The Delhi CM had promised to make a Dalit a deputy CM to win elections and form government, and his party had released a separate Dalit manifesto. Nearly half of the 20 seats the AAP won in the polls were from the reserved seats, and the Akalis were relegated to a poor third. The Akalis were the first to see through the BJP's game plan of resurrection in Punjab. The Badals walked the extra mile to patch up and revive the 1996 winning combination between the SAD and BSP, and Sukhbir Badal promised to appoint a Dalit deputy chief minister. The Congress party had to act and act fast. It referred to the very basics of the Indian polity by reworking the caste calculus. While others promised, it decided to bite the bullet and make Charanjit Singh Channi the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab. (The writer is a journalist) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH The leaders of the Quad countries the US, India, Japan and Australia -- are set to meet for the first in-person summit of the grouping on September 24 at the White House. It will be an important step towards shaping the Quad in the face of the emerging security architecture in the Indo-Pacific. This follows the March meeting of Quad leaders that led to formation of working groups on vaccine and climate change. There has been a degree of uncertainty over the Quad as it does not want to be viewed as a NATO-like alliance. All the Quad partners have witnessed a tumultuous couple of years in their relationship with a bellicose China. Due to its economic and military position, engagement with China has demanded delicate balancing and hasnt been without fissures that caused instability in the Indo-Pacific. The US and Quad Partners The Trump administration, disillusioned with the US alliances, presented challenges to allies eastwards and planted scepticism in bilateral relations. Disagreements over tackling China in East Asia have led Tokyo to choose duality in its free and open Indo-Pacific strategy so as to not overtly confront Beijing, especially in areas of economic and non-traditional security, while still upholding principles of the US-led liberal order in the region. Since the Biden administration has dubbed US alliances as its greatest assets, this summit is likely to bring reassurances for Japan. The US-Australia relationship has been characterised by doubt over the reliability of the US extended nuclear deterrence, the asymmetric nature of the partnership, and Canberras inability to accurately comprehend domestic American politics. However, a striking development has occurred with AUKUS, the recently announced Australia-UK-US pact, which largely allays any suspicion about Australian loyalties. A summit right after the announcement of AUKUS will need to clarify the roles Australia and the US will assume in the Quad. India is a strategic partner of the US and not a military ally. Unlike Japan and Australia, India is a nuclear power and relies on its own military capabilities. While that has allowed India to exercise autonomy and foster multi-alignment, it has also heightened insecurities. Sameer Lalwani, a Senior Fellow at Stimson Center, argues that Indias multi-alignment policy strengthens its regional position and even motivates Southeast Asian nations to resist Chinas advances without having to be a secondary partner in a formal US alliance system. Attempting to pressure India through CAATSA over the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system can seriously undermine American reliability for New Delhi. The summit offers an opportunity for clear and transparent dialogue on the course of the India-US relationship. Issues of the Indo-Pacific Chinas grey-zone activities coercive actions short of war -- have caused serious concern among the Quad partners. Beijings economic sanctions against Australia, the continuous aggressive posturing in East China Sea over the Senkaku islands dispute with Japan, and a violent stand-off with Indian troops in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh are all grey-zone tactics employed by Beijing. In the past 10 years, China has carried out 152 cases of grey-zone operations on 27 countries and the EU, including cyber intrusions. It would be surprising if the Quad summit fails to bring these grey-zone operations into focus and strategise at least a precursor to a response. The Quads actions can potentially encourage Southeast Asian nations in charting out similar strategies to deal with Chinese harassment in the South China Sea. The Spirit of the Quad highlighted ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific; this Quad summit must delve into a more granular level of working with ASEAN countries, particularly on maritime and cyber security. Given its own evolution from a minilateral, the Quad is positioned well to engage with other such groupings of the Indo-Pacific to ensure alignment of goals and avoid conflict of interest. Beyond the summit As newer groupings emerge with similar intent, like AUKUS, it will be important for Quad members to maintain cohesiveness for long-term impact. Open and early dialogue will be helpful in addressing friction among members to prevent losing sight of their common objectives. Australias decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines highlights the duress caused by Chinas aggressive rise, which is forcing countries in the region to reassess their defence postures. The Galwan Valley clashes prompted New Delhi to redeploy large numbers of its land forces along the border with China. It can be expected that the Indo-Pacific will be a theatre for more security arrangements as regional powers feel the heat of Chinas relentless, assertive stance. The Quad may be able to lead the way in maintaining regional security if its members can share among themselves military, technological and planning expertise to be better prepared against adversarial attacks. (The writer is a Research Analyst with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi) The tale of an apple farmer's woes, especially in marketing, is agonising. In the early 1990s, apples were marketed mainly in open markets in Chandigarh and Delhi. With the opening of APMC (Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) markets in the state, it was thought that apple producers would get better prices. However, with the apple marketing processes mostly unregulated, the apple-producing farmers remain a harried lot. Big market players and traders play an important role in deciding the prices of apples, and farmers find themselves compelled to sell their produce at prices these traders decide. The government plays no role in determining the prices, and this year there has been a massive crash in the prices of apples. Himachal Pradesh has a nearly Rs 5,000 crore apple economy. It comes to an economy of almost Rs 28,000 crore annually if one includes the ancillary add-ons of 'apple production and trade', according to Professor Vijay Thakur, former VC of Nauni university. The success story of apple production in Himachal dates back to the early 1970s when YS Parmar, first chief minister of the state, promoted apple plantations with massive state support. Opening horticulture universities, motivating people to plant apple saplings with the help of extension centres, subsidised pesticides and insecticides and above all intervening in the market were all crucial interventions at the government's behest. The government had even purchased cold storage outlets in Bombay (Mumbai) and Madras (Chennai) to ensure that farmers get a good price. However, post-1990s, with the neoliberal era setting in, the support of the state withdrew in a phased manner, and the cost of production of apples increased substantially. (Take, for example, in the current period, just the spray cost in an apple orchard bearing 1,000 trees is nearly Rs 1,70,000. A minimum of 10 sprays with each drum consuming 200 litres (17 drums consumed) with an average price of Rs 1,000 per drum, the cost shoots to such an exorbitant amount. The same drum cost Rs 300-400 a few years ago.) According to studies done by various farmers' groups and experts, the current cost of apple production is nearly Rs 34 per kilogram. However, the government has announced a support price of culled and tabled apples at Rs 9.50 per kilogram. Why big market players play a key role in deciding the prices is quite interesting to note. There are different categories of apples depending upon their size, quality, etc. The Adani Group has opened a chain of CA (controlled atmosphere) stores in the state but buys only high-quality apples. Though its total purchase is not more than 5 per cent of the total marketed apples, it plays an important role in deciding the prices. This is how it happens. Before Adani opens its store for purchase, the small traders start buying apples in various APMC markets in the month of June. Big players like Adani announce their purchase rate later, and the price offered per kilogram is far less than the open market sale. This year Adani announced Rs 18 less than the open market. This leads to a cascading effect, and the price in the open market crashes and falls lower than Adani's offer. This is how big players play a critical role in suppressing the prices. Those who argue for an open market and ridicule the present farmers' agitation on the pretext that open markets in the absence of MSP (minimum support price) will boost the farmers' incomes must learn lessons from the Himachal experience. The government's intervention, as pointed out earlier, is negligible. Though the state government has opened several APMCs in the state, appointing BJP leaders as its chairpersons, it hardly intervenes in the markets to ensure fair play in trading. The apple production in itself is an ecosystem that earlier was duly supported by the state. With the disruption in many layers from production to marketing, the challenge faced by the farmers is enormous, especially by the small and marginal farmers who constitute almost 90 per cent of the total apple producers. Their capacity to organise and form cooperatives, if not in production, at least in marketing, is limited. Some experiments, such as leasing a CA store, were done in the past, but only the wealthy farmers did these, but they too were unable to counter the existing system. Anger among farmers is simmering. A few days ago, state horticulture minister Mahender Singh was picketed and not allowed to come out of the meeting hall in Theog till he promised to look into their grievances. However, the BJP government is showing a lackadaisical attitude towards the apple prices fall. One of the reasons is that since the inception of the BJP, or its transformation from its earlier avatar, the Jan Sangh, it has opposed the formation of the state of Himachal Pradesh and is not as popular in the old Himachal - the region with bulk apple production. Secondly, the BJP is ideologically against subsidies. BJP's Shanta Kumar, chief minister of the state in the 1990s, withdrew the MSP on apples. In the subsequent agitation, three farmers were killed in police firing. But none of this can take away from the fact that this year there is a bumper harvest. More than four crore boxes, as against three crore last year, are expected. In such a situation, farmers not getting a good price could be perilous for the current state government. Is it any wonder then that the BJP was not, for the time being, keen to have four by-elections (three Assembly and one Lok Sabha) that were due in Himachal. (The writer is a former deputy mayor of Shimla) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. On the day of his ignominious ouster, Amarinder Singh proudly said he was wearing his regimental olive green turban, perhaps more to reassure himself that he at 79 remains a fighter. He later said he has a lot of "dum" (strength) still left in him. But the embattled Amarinder Singh can neither claim his ouster to have been a coup by the high command nor a move that took him by surprise. He saw it coming, but four-and-a-half years in the saddle as chief minister; it was too late for this scion of the erstwhile Patiala royals to make amends. His abrupt humiliating exit indicated that he had fallen out of favour with the Gandhis. His long-drawn equation with Sonia Gandhi proved worthless in the end, as it underlined a decisive generational shift, rightly or otherwise, in decision making by the junior Gandhi siblings - Rahul and Priyanka. Amarinder Singh claims Sonia Gandhi initially did not want him to resign. But things changed dramatically, and the writ of the junior Gandhis prevailed. A senior Congressman hailed Rahul Gandhi's bold decision on Punjab akin to the "Alexandrian solution to this Punjabi version of the Gordian knot." But did the Congress find a scapegoat in Amarinder Singh to tide over the prospect of anti-incumbency with just a few months left for the Assembly polls in this border state? That may unravel, but it has arguably made the situation slip from bad to worse. The Congress is bound to lose political traction with Amarinder Singh's exit, and rapprochement appears bleak. Amarinder Singh asserts he is not hanging his boots anytime soon, and his opponents can't be more in error to assume that Amarinder Singh can be written off. Off late, the Congress high command had been impatient with Amarinder Singh. His party men's escalating dissent against him, including hordes of Congress MLAs in Punjab, did not come about overnight. The anointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the state Congress president in the face of belligerent resistance by Amarinder Singh was the writing on the wall for him. Amarinder Singh's ministerial colleagues couldn't care less in slamming him over his alleged failures and below-the-mark performance. They even accused him of colluding with the Shiromani Akali Dal's Badals. Amarinder Singh's war on drugs had left much to be desired. His poll promises are still works-in-progress, and justice in the sensitive sacrilege cases still eludes. His accessibility to the public remained poor, and the governance of the state was outsourced to the bureaucracy. His select coterie had increasingly become an eyesore in the public perception. Amarinder Singh's ratings had plunged. But despite the odds stacked against him, the Congress was still seen as a frontrunner to regain power in 2022 and Amarinder Singh its best bet, at least until Sidhu, his principal detractor, arrived to challenge him. Amarinder Singh's ouster will not help the party square the circle in a short span ahead of the polls. The Akali Dal - BJP alliance had split, and the farmers' movement was there to advantage the Congress. The formidable Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to reap the harvest of Congresses internal strife. Amarinder Singh, for now, has chosen to keep his ammunition dry. His next move will determine to what extent his ouster might damage the Congress party. (The writer is a journalist based in Chandigarh) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH A 10-year-old student from Bengaluru has filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court challenging the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, which requires the language to be taught as a compulsory subject in classes 1-10 in all schools either as a first language or a second language. Keertan Suresh, a Class 4 student at the Bishop Cotton Boys School, requested the court to declare the Act unconstitutional as it does not exempt institutions affiliated to CBSE/ICSE. He was represented by his mother N Sujatha, a child rights activist. The court has ordered notice to the state government and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination in New Delhi. The principal of the school, where the petitioner is studying, has informed the guardians that Kannada will be taught as a second language while other preferred languages will be continued as a third language for classes 1-4 from the academic year 2020-2021. According to the petitioner, the provisions in the Act are contrary to the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, which confers right upon boards to regulate curriculum, as well as the objective of the National Education Policy, 2020. The petition said that the only provision in the Constitution which contains the expression mother tongue is Article 350A. According to the petitioner, Article 350A only casts a duty on every state to provide adequate facilities for instruction in mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups. The petitioner claimed it does not empower the state to interfere with the right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to establish and administer schools under Article 19 of the Constitution. The petitioner said that people with transferable jobs always opt for CBSE or ICSE schools to educated their children. It is submitted that such a stay might be a temporary stay and are always prone to transfers. A child who will be made to study Kannada as a second language will be put through great hardship and would be at a disadvantageous position if being transferred to another state in the subsequent year, the petition said. Watch latest videos by DH here: Released: September 24, 2021 Delco Arts Week being held October 2 through October 9 Delaware County Council Vice Chair Dr. Monica Taylor and Councilwoman Christine Reuther joined members of the Delaware County Arts Consortium at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford on September 22 to present a resolution declaring October 2-9 to be the 3rd annual Delco Arts Week. During this week more than 70 different performances, exhibits, workshops, concerts, tours, and other events will be taking place at 35 venues throughout Delaware County. Delaware County is rich in culture, talented artists and performers who enhance the fabric of our community, said Councilwoman Reuther, with Vice Chair Taylor adding that Despite COVID-19, the arts are thriving in Delaware County, and Delco Arts Week is going to bring an amazing assortment of art, music, theater, dance, and culture to our community. We cant wait! Some of the events include productions at the Hedgerow Theater, Players Club of Swarthmore, and the Colonial Playhouse, performances by the Delaware County Symphony, a Musical Instrument Petting Zoo for kids, the Delco Film Festival at the Foundry Church, art and dance studio open houses, outdoor festivals, concerts, an open mic night, and more. A complete list of the events planned during Delco Arts Week can be found at http://delcoarts.org/ The Delaware County Arts Consortium, formed in 2009 has representatives from ten different Delaware County organizations and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. They strive to advance the economic vitality of the nonprofit arts and culture community and promote the value of Delaware Countys cultural resources to the local community and beyond. The group has worked to create Delco Arts Week to showcase the arts in Delco and engage and introduce residents to the many unique artistic venues and experiences that Delaware County has to offer. SDLP councillor Brian Tierney has called on his fellow councillors to show their support for Derry's Universal Credit claimants. Cllr Tierney is introducing a motion next Thursday (September 30) calling for councillors to acknowledge the important impact of the planned 20 weekly cut to Universal Credit and for everything possible to be done to retain it. The councillor for the Ballyarnett ward said that in the absence of action from the British government the SDLP is calling on Sinn Fein Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to work with Finance Minister Conor Murphy, to uphold the 20 a week for the remainder of the financial year. He also called on them to commit to a long-term strategy to tackle poverty and social deprivation across Derry and Strabane. Cllr Tierney said: The extra 20 a week for Universal Credit claimants has made a huge difference to people across our council area, which has some of the highest levels of poverty and deprivation of anywhere on these islands. To remove it now when people are still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic is cruel and short-sighted. Families have just been hit with the large costs associated with children returning to school and we are months away from Christmas, this cut could not have come at a worse time. People are being faced with difficult decisions and wondering how they can heat their home and put food on the table in the face of the rising cost of groceries and gas and electricity bills. The British government arent going to do anything to protect the people of Derry. We need to take action into our own hands. The SDLP fought hard to ensure wed have control over welfare powers when others wanted to them to the Tories. Minister Hargey needs to get her Sinn Fein colleague Conor Murphy to pony up the 55m needed to cover this funding for the rest of the financial year. Im calling on all councillors to use their voice to stand up for Universal Credit claimants and support our motion and campaign against this cut. 55m is a small amount of money for our Executive, but the 20 a week could be the difference for some families between having to skip meals or being able to buy clothes for their children. Dr Anne McCloskey, has received an interim-suspension from practicing medicine for 18-months following following an Interim Orders Tribunal at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. The decision comes following allegations of the former Derry & Strabane councillor of spreading misinformation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. Although she had retired from practicing medicine back in 2019, she returned to work to help NHS staff during the Covid crisis. However, during that time, she had posted online about her scepticism of lockdowns and how serious the virus was to people's lives. One post likened the vaccine's administration to that of work done by the Nazis who experimented on humans in concentration camps. Dr McCloskey also featured in a nine-minute video where she said that many people have been coerced, bribed or bullied into being vaccinated against Covid-19 and that vaccines were malevolent. Dr McCloskey is now interim suspended while the General Medical Council (GMC) investigates. The GMC said: The tribunal directed an 18-month interim suspension but all such restrictions are kept under regular review while a full investigation is carried out. Doctors are unable to practice medicine in the UK while interim suspended. These tribunals do not determine the facts of what happened, but undertake a risk assessment of whether temporary protection is needed. The GMC investigated former Aontu councillor Dr McCloskey following a complaint made by Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin of the SDLP. She said: I requested the General Medical Council to consider two social media videos posted by a Derry GP. It is essential that medical professionals provide patients and the general public with the best possible advice with regard to vaccinations. There is overwhelming evidence that vaccinations provide protection against the worst effects of Covid. I am extremely concerned that anti-vaccination and Covid denying propaganda is discouraging some of our population from being vaccinated. That is extremely damaging to the health of our population. Derry continues to have a very high rate of Covid infection and the North of Ireland as a whole continues to suffer from a comparatively low vaccination rate. The medical profession obviously has a key role in tackling these issues. The sister of a Derry nurse who passed away 10 years ago has spoken of her delighted of an award being launched in honour of her memory. Mary Durkan said the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) decision to launch the Gabrielle Award was a fitting tribute to a life and legacy filled with passion, compassion and care to her sister. Gabrielle, known to family and friends as Gay, was a nurse at Altnagelvin Hospital. Ten years ago, the Durkan family lost Gabrielle to suicide. She was 28 years old. The former Thornhill College pupil was a popular figure within the nursing profession and across Derry. Of the award, Mary Durkan said: I'm delighted that RCN Northern Ireland has launched a special one-off bursary scheme for student nurses in memory of our Gay. This weekend marks the ten year anniversary of Gays passing. The Gabrielle Award is a fitting tribute to a life and legacy filled with passion, compassion and care. It is a timely nod to the ongoing heroic work of our nurses in the most challenging of circumstances, an acknowledgement of pressures facing students not least to student nurses and recognition of the important role of our unions. Mile buiochas to Ethan Deery Illustrations for his excellent artwork being used in the bursary application paperwork. The illustration, based on a photograph taken by Neil Thornton on her last day of work in Altnagelvin, captures Gays spirit beautifully. Best wishes to 18 year old Ethan who has just started a degree in Animation at Ulster University, Belfast. Thanks too to Nus-Usi, Queen's University Students' Union and Ulster University Students' Union for their support for the Gabrielle Award. A RCN spokesperson added: The RCN is delighted to launch the Gabrielle Award for pre-registration nursing students studying at Queens University, Ulster University or the Open University (NI). Sponsored by Mary and Isobel Durkan, the award is in memory of their sister Gabrielle who was a nurse. This award will give nursing students the opportunity to fund exploration of an aspect of nursing or healthcare they are passionate about and would like to explore further. It can be used to fund travel, attendance at a conference, developing a shadowing experience or another option that supports their topic of choice. The award is open to all fields of nursing. To apply for the Gabrielle Award please submit a proposal explaining your project, what you hope to gain from it and how you believe it will enhance your nursing knowledge and, importantly, patient care. The closing date for applications is 31 December 2021. Applications will be reviewed by a judging panel and the bursary (of up to 500) will be awarded in January 2022. A presentation event will be held at the RCN where award winners will have the opportunity to share their experiences with the bursary sponsors and an invited audience of nurse academics, clinical staff and leaders. For nursing students in the north of Ireland studying at Ulster University, Queen's University and the Open University, who require further information and an application form, email: claire.mcquillan@rcn.org.uk Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Antim: Mahesh Manjrekar eyes Diwali for big screen release; Says I will stage a dharna if theatres are not opened soon Back in May this year, viral reports suggested that Mahesh Manjrekars directorial Antim: The Final Truth might see a pay-per-view digital release alongside cinema halls, just like Radhe which also had a hybrid premiere. However, the Salman Khan and Aayush Sharma starrer is one of the most awaited films of the year and makers feel that only the silver screen can do true justice to the movie. Well, makers are now eyeing a Diwali release as they hope for theatres in Maharashtra to reopen soon. In a chat with Mid Day, Manjrekar was quoted saying, Antim is a film meant for the theatres. If cinemas open in Maharashtra by October and its high time they did we are planning to release Antim on Diwali. It is a film that [is targeted at the] Maharashtra territory. The Dabangg star went on to add that the team is not thinking of releasing the film on OTT platforms right now. He explained that it represents middle-class and lower-middle class audiences, who make films super hits by going to theatres. So it is bound to do well. He stated, I will stage a dharna if theatres are not opened soon. From a directors point of view, Manjrekar told Salman not to act in the film, and asked him to just let go. He feels the superstar has actually become the character for the project and added that Aayush has also done an exceptional job. Well, we are sure fans are eagerly waiting to see the magic on-screen. Naga Chaitanya believes pan-Indian films dilute regional sensibilities says, "My focus is always on Telugu" Pan-Indian film releases have slowly become a popular trend with popular stars from several film industries. With films like Bahubali, K.G.F, Saaho and many more the trend has caught on and now many filmmakers want to deliver their big budget films in multiple languages. While the trend may be growing, Tollywood star Naga Chaitanya says he wants to stick to Telugu cinema and possibly explore something in the Hindi space if the opportunity arises. The actor who is gearing up for the release of his film Love Story featuring Sai Pallavi was asked about actors expanding their horizons with pan-Indian releases about which the star told Indian Express, I have no idea about the pan-India market of films. Our Telugu culture is strong, and I feel that the regional sensibilities get diluted if we change a few points to make one subject suit pan-India. He also commented on his priority being Telugu films and his Hindi debut with Laal Singh Chadha and added, My focus is always on Telugu, and if I get a good opportunity to work in Hindi, I will attempt that. I got the opportunity of Laal Singh Chaddha magically, and everything happened organically. It was a great learning experience for me to spend nearly 50 days with Aamir Khan. Naga Chaitanya shot for Laal Singh Chadha in July with Aamir in Ladakh. He will reportedly be seen playing Aamirs friend in the film. Sushmita Sens Aarya nominated for 2021 International Emmy Awards; actress celebrates with a special post Bollywood star Sushmita Sen, on Thursday, shared her excitement on social media after her 2020 crime drama web series Aarya got nominated at the recently announced 2021 International Emmy Awards. The former Miss Universe took to her Instagram handle and shared a picture of the nominations. In the caption, an excited Sushmita wrote, "OMGGGGGG!!!! AARYA is nominated for Best Drama Series at the #InternationalEmmyAwards2021 @iemmys. Was busy dubbing for AARYA2...just got the news!!!! Yipppeeeeeee!!!! CONGRATULATIONS @madhvaniram @amitamadhvani @officialrmfilms @sandeipm @vinraw @disneyplushotstar @endemolshineind #teamaaryaa & THE MOST AMAZING CAST and CREW EVER!!!! To see INDIA on this list fills my heart!!!" She further thanked her team and also congratulated the other two nominees from India, "Thank you wonderful people....your love & appreciation for #Aarya is the very soul of this celebration!!! This Team truly deserves it!! Congratulations to @nawazuddin._siddiqui and @virdas for their respective nominations and for adding to India's pride!! I love you guys!!! #duggadugga." Directed by Ram Madhvani, Sandeep Modi, and Vinod Rawat, Aarya, an official remake of the popular Dutch crime-drama Penoza, bagged the nomination in the Best Drama Series category, where it will compete alongside Chile's El Presidente, Israel's Tehran and the British show There She Goes. Aarya, which marked return to acting after several years revolves around Aarya Sareen (Sushmita) who is a caring mother and a loving wife. She is quite simplistic in her approach and is unaware of the illegal business her husband is a part of. However, things go bad for their family after Aarya's husband Tej Sareen (Chandrachur Singh), a pharma baron, is mysteriously killed. The whole drug operation and illegal syndicate seek the death of his entire family. Seeing this, Aarya joins the gangs and becomes the Mafia queen and seeks revenge from those who killed her husband. In this process, she also takes care of her three kids. Apart from Sushmita, the series also featured Sikandar Kher, Manish Chaudhari, Namit Das, veteran actor Chandrachur Singh and Vinod Rawat in the first season. Post-production on the show's second season is underway. Winners for the 2021 International Emmy Awards will be announced by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on November 22 in New York. DHS is aware of the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that people 65 and older and certain populations who are at high risk of COVID-19 receive a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months after the completion of their Pfizer vaccine primary series. This decision follows the authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once CDCs clinical guidance becomes available, our experts will conduct a thorough review. After they complete their review, we will update our vaccination guidance accordingly. As we take these steps, we ask Wisconsinites to please be patient. There is ample vaccine supply, and everyone who is recommended for a booster dose will receive one. In the meantime, we continue to urge folks who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated. And while vaccination is the most important layer of protection against COVID-19, with the high-level of disease transmission in Wisconsin, DHS is urging everyone to add additional layers of protection including masking up indoors, staying home when feeling sick, and avoiding large indoor gatherings. Subscriber content preview By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING Global investors are watching nervously as one of China's biggest real estate developers struggles to avoid defaulting on tens of billions of dollars of debt, fueling fears of possible wider shock waves for the financial system. Chinese regulators have yet to say what they might do about Evergrande Group. Economists expect them to intervene if Evergrande and lenders can't agree on how to handle its debts. But any official resolution is expected to involve losses for banks and bondholders. . . . Subscriber content preview By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press KAMOURASKA, Quebec (AP) When the pandemic descended, the boundless vistas and insane sunsets of Kamouraska became a distant, unattainable dream for this bicyclist from Virginia. This is one of Quebec's most beautiful places and, for me, a yearly touchstone I could no longer touch. It finally came within reach. On Aug. 9, the day Canada conditionally reopened the border to U.S. tourists, my car with the bicycle was packed and ready to go. But I wasn't. I had put off the required coronavirus test too late to be sure I would have the results in time. . . . Subscriber content preview RENTON An industrial property at 715 Lind Ave. S.W. has sold for $4 million, according to King County records. The sellers were two locals who had owned the property for decades. The buyer was Lift II Lind 865 LLC, associated with Lift Partners of San Francisco, a regular investor in our market. . . . Subscriber content preview KIRKLAND The Sundown Apartments at 410 Lake St. S. in Kirkland sold for just under $10.3 million, according to King County records. The seller was CKLP LLC, a family group that had owned the property in for decades. . . . Donegal Live, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from Donegal Live for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. Donegal Live is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the U.K, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. After a break in 2020, the Big Beach Clean took place over the weekend and Clean Coasts were overwhelmed with the incredible support and commitment shown by communities across Ireland. The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that takes place in September at the end of the bathing season. Volunteers around Ireland were asked to register their clean up event and take part in a worldwide citizen science project, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy. This year, a record number of over 400 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed 42 tonnes of litter across the country. In addition, more volunteers joined clean-ups facilitated by Clean Coasts officers in 8 different locations around Ireland. In county Louth, volunteers organised clean-ups in 15 different locations, removing approximately 2.4 tonnes of litter. Moreover, Clean Coasts hosted a Big Beach Clean event at Templetown Beach on Saturday 18th September, where 12 volunteers removed an additional 98 kg of marine litter in addition to some larger items, such as tyres, a carpet, some buckets and a road barrier. Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, said: After a break in 2020 due to Covid, we were excited to host the Big Beach Clean again, but we didnt know what to expect. "This year there was a significant increase in clean-ups organised, but in a different format: we saw more people registering for clean-ups as individuals or within their household. Sinead continued: This year, there was an over 5% decrease in litter found across Ireland. Overall this is an incredible improvement. The work that Irish volunteers do all year round to tackle litter and less waste dropped by more conscious beach users mean that we are heading in the right direction! Big Beach Clean volunteers have also taken part in an excellent worldwide citizen science project that will help shape future policies and campaigns to help protect our ocean. The project entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts Marine Litter Data Cards. This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem. Once more, volunteers were asked to join the call to action, no matter how far from the coast, thanks to the involvement of An Taisce National Spring Clean programme. Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities and getting involved in the Big Beach Clean has been a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways tackle the problem at its source. The Dundalk Democrat, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Dundalk Democrat for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Dundalk Democrat is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the U.K, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. People around Dundalk are being asked to be wary of obstacles on roads and footpaths that may obstruct people in town with disabilities, as Make Way Day is held across the country. Make Way Day, an initiative from the Disability Federation of Ireland, is now in its fifth year and it aims to highlight the issues people with disabilities have with accessibility in public areas. John Morgan, a disability campaigner in Dundalk who is a wheelchair user, said that the campaign is all about raising awareness for the difficulties people with disabilities face. Speaking to students, Mr Morgan said that people with disabilities need to be respected, citing that 13% of the population in Ireland has some kind of disability. People need to respect us, 13% of people in Ireland have a disability, said Mr Morgan, and that this can take many forms, whether its diabetes or being paralysed. He said that in particular, issues with disabled parking have been significant for him in the past, with people without disabilities using them to park. According to Mr Morgan, the first excuse he hears is that people will only be parked there for a minute, but that doesnt wash with him. People with disabilities have enough things to overcome in their daily lives, without having to overcome something that society has implemented. Independent Cllr Maeve Yore said that the campaign had received great support from the Gardai, with two community Gardai, Garda Kate Patterson and Garda Daragh Prior joining Mr Morgan on his journey around Dundalk to highlight blackspots. Cllr Yore said that as the Gardai have stepped up, Louth County Council now needs to work to improve accessibility in Dundalk. The council need to step up and do a bit more, said Cllr Yore. The campaign itself was launched earlier today, with President Michael D Higgins recording a video message to highlight the campaign. Today, on Make Way Day, I encourage activists and concerned citizens alike, all over the country to reflect and highlight, for example, those challenges posed to those with disabilities arising from obstacles thoughtlessly left on the footpath in their way, said President Higgins. PORTALES - A Portales man is in jail, accused of fatally stabbing his cousin Saturday night. Jesse Lujan, 33, is in the Roosevelt County Detention Center with a first-degree murder charge in the death of Roy Courtney Lujan, 41. Jesse Lujan also faces two charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly discarding the knife used in the stabbing and clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack. The suspect made his first appearance Monday afternoon in Roosevelt County Magistrate Court. He is being held without bond pending a pretrial detention hearing in district court, where his charges were transferred. His case was assigned to the public defender's office, but court records had no specific attorney assigned to the case. Deputy District Attorney Quentin Ray told The News it was his understanding Roy Courtney was visiting his cousin, aunt and uncle when the incident occurred. According to an affidavit filed Monday in the magistrate court: n Portales police responded to an apartment in the 1100 block of West Fir at 9:56 p.m. and discovered Roy Courtney Lujan outside of the apartment front door with an apparent chest wound. He was transported to Roosevelt General Hospital, where he died from six stab wounds - including one to his heart. n The suspect's mother told investigators that Jesse said Roy was making fun of him, and told his mom to tell Roy to "get ... out of here or I am going to kill him." She said Jesse then went outside to where Roy Courtney was, attacked him as he was sitting in a chair and took off. The suspect's father said Jesse started running south across the street after attacking Roy Courtney. n Law enforcement found a steak knife they believed to be the weapon used in the stabbing near the apartment, and located Jesse on the 500 block of Avenue K just south of the apartment complex. EBRD and GCF provide financing of up to 25 million to Bank of Africa - BMCE Group Loan supported by technical capacity package and investment incentives funded by EU Funds to help citizens, SMEs and corporates with climate change mitigation and adaptation The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the European Union (EU) is providing a financial package of up to 25 million to Bank of Africa - BMCE Group to support Moroccos green transition. The financing, of which a total of 18.75 million will be provided by the EBRD and 6.25 million by the GCF, will be extended as subloans by Bank of Africa and its leasing subsidiary Maghrebail to local citizens, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and corporates for investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies. The new EBRD financing comes under the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) in Morocco, which is supported by the GCF, and will build on the successful cooperation in implementing the Morocco Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MorSEFF) programme. A comprehensive technical capacity package complemented by investment incentives, both funded by the EU, will support Bank of Africa - BMCE Group in the deployment of the programme. The EU considers this package to be a concrete help for companies to find and finance the solutions that are best suited to their transition to the green economy in Morocco. The loan agreement was signed by Antoine Salle de Chou, Head of the EBRDs office in Morocco, and Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi, Director and Delegate General Manager, representing Bank of Africa - BMCE Group. Bank of Africa - BMCE Group is the third-largest bank in Morocco and listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. The bank has been a partner of the EBRD since 2013, when a first trade finance facility was signed. Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD and became a country of operations in 2012. To date, the Bank has invested almost 3 billion in Morocco through 74 projects. EBRD urges Kazakhstan to act quickly on decarbonisation Kazakhstan must press ahead with decarbonisation projects that involve gas as a transition fuel while lenders can still finance them, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said in an interview at the end of her visit to the Central Asian country. It is very difficult to shift from coal to renewables quickly and you have this intermittence issue which will need to be addressed and at that point of time we believe gas will have a role to play in the transition, in particular, for example, for district heating projects, the President was quoted as saying. Learn more EBRD President pays visit to Kazakhstan The President of the EBRD, Odile Renaud-Basso. visited Kazakhstan this week. It was her first visit to Central Asias largest country and to the region as EBRD President. In Kazakhstan she met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Askar Mamin, First Deputy Prime Minister, EBRD Governor Alikhan Smailov and other senior officials in the capital Nur Sultan and in Almaty, the largest city. The EBRD President signed a major road project with the EBRD providing a US$ 240 million loan to the state-owned road company KazAvtoZhol for the reconstruction of a 204 km road section between the cities of Kyzylorda and Zhezkazgan. Ms Renaud-Basso also participated in roundtables on the development of a green economy, digitalisation and SME support in Kazakhstan. Learn more Kazakhstan state news agency Kazinform shared the news about the President's meetings with Kazakh President Tokayev and PM Mamin: We look forward to continuing the cooperation with the EBRD in the field of renewable energy sources, President Tokayev said. Learn more EBRD and EIB appeal for urgent climate action The Presidents of the EBRD and the European Investment Bank, Odile Renaud-Basso and Werner Hoyer, appealed for urgent action on climate change, while comparing their complementary work on tackling it in their overlapping regions in an online event this week. The presidents agreed that it was important for regional and global MDBs to align definitions, criteria, and methodology for issuing climate finance to create an orderly environment in which private capital feels comfortable operating. Learn more EBRD launches Energy Compact for its urban sustainability programme The EBRD is launching its own Energy Compact to support the energy transition, focussed on investments within its flagship urban sustainability programme, EBRD Green Cities. The Compact is a response to deliver United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to provide clean and affordable energy for all. Nandita Parshad, EBRD Managing Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, said: When it comes to addressing the climate emergency, cities must be front and centre. Learn more EBRD mobilises private sector for Covid-19 recovery The EBRD sees the contribution of the private sector as crucial for overcoming the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Odile Renaud-Basso told the virtual Global Covid-19 Summit. We will only build back better with the help of the private sector, she said in a pre-recorded message for the event, organised by the government of the United States and bringing together world leaders and private and non-profit sector representatives. Learn more Latvia steps up reform of state-owned enterprises Latvia is moving ahead with the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by endorsing a methodology for optimising capital and governance structures for such companies. The approach was developed in an advisory project with international partners and creates a letter of expectation as a new reporting tool. The goal is to bring Latvian SOEs to standards that can attract investment and meet the requirements in terms of disclosure and transparency to access capital markets. Learn more Uranium Legacy in Central Asia: Significant progress, but funding gap remains A funding gap of 40 million must be closed to finance urgent work addressing the imminent danger caused by radioactive and toxic waste in Central Asia, according to a new cost estimate published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during its General Conference in Vienna. Led by the EU, the international community established the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA) in 2015 to address the legacy of Soviet uranium mining in the region. Managed by the EBRD, the ERA has brought significant progress, with work at two critical sites in the Kyrgyz Republic approaching completion ahead of schedule and within budget. Learn more The publication World Nuclear News quoted Balthasar Lindauer, EBRD Director, Nuclear Safety, in its story in the report: "The renewed coordinated approach to remediation of uranium legacy sites in Central Asia will allow the EBRD to continue to work effectively and ensure safe and sustainable funding decisions. The steps taken should allow other donors to join the Environmental Remediation Account of the EBRD". Learn more Project signings and agreements Supporting climate mitigation and adaptation in Morocco The EBRD supported by the Green Climate Fund and the European Union (EU) is providing a financial package of up to 25 million to Bank of Africa - BMCE Group to support Moroccos green transition for on lending to local citizens, SMEs and corporates for investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies. Learn more Fostering trade in Jordan The EBRD is fostering export and import activities in Jordan by providing a US$ 50 million trade facility to the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance under the EBRDs Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) to enable the Housing Bank to provide cash financing for pre-export, post-import financing and local distribution. Learn more 10 million EBRD loan to Serbian producer of recycled cardboard The EBRD is supporting Umka, a leading manufacturer of recycled cardboard in the Western Balkans region and based in Serbia, with a 10 million loan as part of a comprehensive investment programme to help finance the upgrading of equipment for cardboard production, allowing the company to increase its output. Learn more Donors EBRD and EU support Ukrainian berry producer In Ukraine, the EBRD and the EU helped Amethyst Ole, a blueberry producer, to upgrade its production and boost exports. The company is one of the 470 Ukrainian businesses that have benefited from EBRD-EU4Business credit line funds. Learn more Supporting women entrepreneurs in Istanbul The EBRD and J.P. Morgan are launching an advisory support programme that provides access to know-how to selected women entrepreneurs in Istanbul. Following a competitive selection process, ten high-potential micro and small companies run by female entrepreneurs were chosen and announced. These are: Hadi Ham Yap, Esra Bridal, Ege Teknoloji Kimya, Nude Dansmanlk, Dogaclama Gda, Brev Bilisim, Buyuk Beden Stil, Ozge Makina Torna Pres, Skare Gda Pazarlama and Shamans Secret. Learn more Warsaw introduces interactive green 3D platform Warsaw is developing its Green City Action Plan (GCAP) and a roadmap on how to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, with the EBRD, Poland and TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Cooperation Funds support. A new interactive platform, developed as a virtual 3D hall, explains Warsaw's green vision and makes the process more inclusive and transparent, by allowing citizens to express their views and present their own proposals. Learn more Blue Ribbon welcomes Jordans Damamax The EBRD welcomed the Jordanian Damamax to its Blue Ribbon programme for market leading small and medium-sized enterprises. With funding from the EU, the Bank helped the company to roll out fibre optic networks in the capital Amman, bringing affordable high-speed broadband to local SMEs and households. Learn more The EBRD on social media We promoted our new Financial Sector Strategy and encouraged our audiences to have their say on it. Learn more Alana Rousso took part in an IMF discussion on state-owned enterprises in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia Learn more In the week of UNs food systems summit, the EBRD committed to support their transformation Learn more We welcomed Jordan's DAMAMAX to our Blue Ribbon programme for market leading SMEs. Learn more Were helping Ulaanbaater improve the quality of life for its people. Learn more Subscribe to instant email updates on EBRD news about topics such as coronavirus and climate finance. Sign up Tell us a little bit about yourself Born in Cork, but grew up in Inniscarra, and now living in the city with my husband Steve. I graduated from Crawford College of Art and Design in 2020, my final semester coincided with the first lockdown so I completed my degree at home. I was fortunate to be awarded student of the year by the Lavit gallery, where I got to exhibit my work last February. I also was awarded a show in the Joan Clancy gallery in Dungarvan, and I exhibited there in June. My final two exhibition awards are showing concurrently in St. Lukes Crypt (Sample Studios) and Studio 12 (Backwater Artist Group). I was really lucky to get studio residencies in Sample and Backwater studios. What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night? Well, before the pandemic I was a musician so I used to always work on a Friday night! Monday night in Callanans on Georges Quay is a musicians Friday. Lie ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you? Up with the lark usually! Does work creep into your weekend at all? Of course, especially when deadlines are near. If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you? Barcelona, with Steve in tow. Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries? Ahakista, what a great spot. Beautiful. Some of Deirdre's artwork. Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend? Whenever possible, it depends on everyones schedule, as most of my family and friends are musicians everyone is usually working at the weekend! Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator? I enjoy swimming in the sea when possible, or the pool. Entertain or be entertained? If its the latter do you have a signature dish? Be entertained! I serve dinner like a judge serves a sentence! We have so many places to eat out in Cork - where are your go to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal? For coffee Cafe Moly on Douglas St, lunch in Crawford Art Gallery Cafe, special meal would be in Cafe Paradiso. Sunday night comes around too fast.. how do you normally spend it? Chill out and listen to music. What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning? No alarms on a Monday! Anything else you are up to right now? I am delighted to have a two venue exhibition trail, titled In Habitat, In Transition, happening in St Lukes Crypt and Studio 12 on Wandesford Quay which is co-hosted and supported by Sample Studios and Backwater Artists Group. The work, which is about how the natural world is perceived within the urban environment, looks specifically at the experience of living in Cork city, and each venue shows a different response to this. St Lukes features an experimental painted sculptural piece, integrating a musical response composed by Paul Frost and recorded by violinist Mia Cooper (RTE Concert Orchestra). Studio 12 in the Backwater Artists Studios on Wandesford Quay features a series of paintings based on specific sites between the two venues. It runs until September 30 in St. Lukes Crypt and until October 8 in Studio 12. For more see deirdrefrost.comtarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> and paulfrost.ie About Sample-Studios: Sample-Studios is one of Irelands largest artist studios, with over 70 members based in Churchfield, Cork city. In addition to providing affordable creative workspaces, Sample-Studios presents a year-round programme of exhibitions in The Lord Mayors Pavilion in Fitzgerald Park and St. Lukes Crypt and provides artist residencies. This year, Sample-Studios marks its 10th anniversary with an ambitious programme of exhibitions, community outreach projects and education programmes. www.sample-studios.com @samplestudios About Blackwater Artists Studios: Located in an old three-storey warehouse and former grainstore on Wandesford Quay in the heart of Cork city centre, Backwater Artists Group provides a stable and supportive environment for artists, for the production of visual art and for the establishment of a professional art practice. Backwater currently supports 45 artists working in many different disciplines including painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, metalwork, photography, mixed-media installation and new media through studio and/or darkroom provision. Backwater Artists Group provides high quality, affordable individual purpose-built studios with security of tenure and 24-hour access for artists. https://backwaterartists.ie/ A VOW from the Department of Education to increase funding for staff at Cork Life Centre could ensure that the organisation has a bright future, director Don OLeary has said. Earlier this year, Cork Life Centre was told it would receive additional funding and teaching support, though it later transpired that the funding was not an income stream for the service. Instead, the Department of Education proposed that it would transfer surplus staff from other settings. In July, the centre withdrew from talks with the department following what they described as a lack of progress. However, subsequent to discussions an agreement was reached with regard to provisions for the academic year 2021/2022. A spokesperson for the department said the alternative arrangements now being put in place provide increased funding for staff already working in the centre, and do not involve external staff. Cautiously optimistic Speaking to The Echo, Mr OLeary said he is cautiously optimistic. Were on the edge of over the next couple of years, working in something that allows the staff to be paid properly, there will be continuity- continuity is hugely important for the children but there will be continuity for the staff, because they wont have to be moving to get a proper wage, he said. And thats huge. That in itself is massive. He said he is hopeful that the new arrangements will ensure a bright future for the voluntary organisation which offers an alternative learning environment to the young people of Cork. The department said it has committed that officials will continue to engage with Cork Life Centre, and the department is of the view that, in a spirit of partnership all parties can work together on the longer-term planning for education provision into the future. Mr OLeary added: Were delighted to be able to work with the young people we have and moving forward, hopefully, to be able to work with other kids into the future. A Midleton teenager caught dealing a variety of drugs worth over 60,000 got hooked on drugs from the age of 14 and now he has been given a five-year suspended jail term. Now only 19, he was caught with the ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis more than a year ago and his addiction dates back to when he was very young. David ODonovan was sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where Detective Garda David OShea confirmed that the young man had not been coming to the further attention of gardai since he was caught in April 2020. He was at risk of a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence but defence senior counsel Seamus Roche asked the judge to impose a fully suspended sentence on the basis of the defendants extreme youth when he became addicted and the extensive efforts he had made to rehabilitate. Mr Roche SC said, He is a young man who is attempting to rehabilitate himself. He has a very supportive family. He fell into this behaviour and found it hard to get out of it. In fact he was relieved to be found out. Judge Sean O Donnabhain said, He was significantly involved as a dealer in the Midleton area. He had significant quantities of drugs and he was known to gardai as a dealer. His progress including regular urinalysis and attempts to get work and rehabilitate are exceptional. The combination of his youth at the time of addiction, that he was fully addicted, his recovery and the manner in which he maintained recovery are wholly exceptional and allow me to impose a non-custodial sentence. The judge said five years would mark the seriousness of the matter and suspending it for a period of five years would act as a serious deterrent and moderator of the young mans future behaviour. The young man indicated he had been dealing in order to pay for a cannabis habit of several hundred euro a week. David ODonovan, with an address at Cherrywood Heights, Midleton, County Cork, previously pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy at Bailick, Midleton for sale or supply and to possessing cannabis for sale or supply at Cherrywood Heights in April of last year. Detective Garda Diarmuid O'Neill said the teenager was stopped and searched by gardai at Bailick in Midleton on April 1, 2020. Gardai uncovered cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy in two rucksacks. A follow-up search of Mr O'Donovan's house led to the discovery of another stash of cannabis along with weighing scales and plastic bags associated with dealing. Mr O'Donovan, who was 18 at the time of his arrest, was taken to Midleton Garda Station where he made full admissions in relation to his part in the buying and selling of drugs. Detective Garda O'Neill said the accused was a large scale supplier of a number of drugs in spite of his youth. He had no previous convictions. Defence counsel, Seamus Roche SC said that it was an immense source of relief for his client to be caught by gardai and that it prompted his rehabilitation. CYCLISTS railing against speeding motorists... No, not 2021, but the subject of the following letter that appeared in the Echo on Saturday, September 24, 1921. Dear Sir, It is positively disgraceful to see the rate at which some motor vehicles travel up and down the Western Road. I have witnessed some very narrow escapes of pedestrians and humble cyclists from being rolled over. Cyclists are using the footpaths instead of our streets and roads and can hardly be blamed. Not only does speed make the roads dangerous but look at the state of them. Huge layers of stones are deposited with no attempt being made to bring the steamroller into action, and tyres are soon ruined. Brother cyclists who use the footpath, do you not agree? Trusting to see things soon remedied. Footpath Cyclist, Cork One of the adverts in The Echo from 100 years ago. De Valera Seems Content There appears to be a growing feeling of optimism in Dublin regarding conditions for a peace conference, and President de Valera seems to be content with the circumstances under which Dail delegates will attend. Prime Minister David Lloyd George may well have found a formula acceptable to Sinn Fein leaders. He will, however, continue the uncompromising stance on the question of allegiance to the Crown. There is also undoubtedly a minority nationalist element that would, heedless of public opinion, land Ireland once more back into blood. Saved from Drowning Last night, shortly before midnight a man named David McCarthy, of 25, Abbey Street, fell into the river near the South Gate Bridge. His brother was walking with him at the time and jumped in after him, followed by Denis Murphy, a member of the Fire Brigade. All three were eventually pulled from the river by other members of the brigade. McCarthy was in a serious condition and removed to the South Infirmary but is recovering and is expected to be discharged today. Building Collapse Fatality Residents of Blackpool were startled by a terrible crash yesterday evening which many first thought was a bomb explosion. A disused store collapsed on Hattons Alley, wrecking one cottage, seriously damaging another, and crushing Mrs Manley. She died less than an hour after sustaining injuries of a very severe character. The front wall of the store fell across the lane, with most of the material landing on Mrs Manleys cottage on the opposite side. Her roof gave way, followed by the floor of the bedroom, and she was buried underneath in the kitchen where she had been sewing. It took a half an hour to uncover her. She was anointed and placed in the Corporation Ambulance for the North Infirmary, but died before it got there. Profiteering in Cork A meeting of the Special Commission for the Prevention of Profiteering was held in the Council Chamber of the Court House. The Inspector informed the Commission he had purchased a 4 lb loaf, or pair of bread, from 19 master bakers. In two cases it was deficient in weight, by 2 oz. and 4 oz. The necessary steps were taken to put a stop to this pernicious class of trading and substantial fines were imposed by a court of summary jurisdiction. The Commission studied prices from 1914 and concluded that reductions could and should be made before facing into a hard winter. Todays cost of living is very testing, especially on the unfortunate citizens who are idle through dearth of employment. Not least that which followed on the burning of the city. During the Commissions study a strange anomaly came to light. It was found margarine cost more than farmers best butter. Henry Ford Numerology City notable, Mr. John J. Horgan has an interesting article on Henry Ford in the current issue of Studies. Ford is now 58. Many years ago as an engineer in Detroit, he lived at 58, Begley Street. He completed his first petrol engine when he was half 58 and his son is now half 58. Fords father, who arrived in America from Clonakilty, was 58 when he bought a farm for Henry. It was exactly 58 plus half 58 years after his father was born that Ford put his first tractor on the market. And, despite the fact 5+8=13, Henry Ford is a millionaire! The Fatty Arbuckle Case The proceedings in connection with the Arbuckle Case have resumed in San Francisco. (The actor and director, was accused of the rape and manslaughter of the actress Virginia Rappe at a party, and despite eventually being acquitted, the trial wrecked his career.) NAND Flash Shipments have been below expectations for consumer electronics such as smartphones, Chromebooks, and TVs during this second half of the year. At the same time, demand remains sluggish for retail storage products including memory cards and USB drives according to the latest analysis of the NAND Flash market from TrendForce. Data centers and enterprise servers represent the only applications that show relatively strong demand. With the inventory level of the demand side steadily rising, the procurement momentum of NAND Flash buyers will become more constrained going forward. The gradual weakening of demand is also relieving the shortage of NAND Flash controller ICs. Taking account of these factors, TrendForce forecasts that quotes for NAND Flash products will begin to fall in 4Q21, and NAND Flash contract prices will register QoQ declines of 0-5 % for that period. For 4Q21, Contract Prices of Client SSDs Will Drop by 3-8 % QoQ, Whereas Contract Prices of Enterprise SSDs Will Rise Slightly by 0-5 % QoQ Countries in North America and Europe are gradually lifting COVID-19 restrictions as their vaccination rates rise. Consequently, schools and businesses in those countries have also reopened and resumed normal operation. Due to this development, the demand for Chromebooks, which are mainly purchased by academic institutions, has started to slide rapidly. The demand for consumer notebook (laptop) computers has slowed down as well. Among different types of notebook computers, only commercial models continue to experience growing demand. On the side of device manufacturers, the shortages of other types of non-memory ICs are disrupting the operations of ODMs. In particular, the prolonged nationwide lockdown in Malaysia has aggravated the undersupply situation for PMICs. This problem not only impacts the production of PCs and notebook computers but also affects the product assembly capacity of some SSD suppliers. Additionally, NAND Flash suppliers are rapidly raising production capacity for NAND Flash products that are 128 or higher in layer count. As a result, supply is gradually outpacing demand for SSDs. TrendForce believes that suppliers will become increasingly proactive in pricing in order to raise the consumption of their production output by customers and thus prevent excess inventory. Hence, contract prices of client SSDs are forecasted to make a downward turn in 4Q21 and register QoQ declines of 3-8 %. Regarding enterprise SSDs, customers in the data center segment have raised the volumes of their orders for two quarters straight, and their inventories have been climbing steadily as well. Therefore, the demand for enterprise SSDs will start to weaken in 4Q21. The procurement of enterprise SSDs by server OEMs will continue to be sustained by server shipments to medium and small enterprises in 4Q21. However, the total server shipments for the same period will be impacted by the ongoing IC shortage. Server shipments are forecasted to drop by nearly 9 % QoQ for 4Q21, and the demand bits related to enterprise SSDs will also fall by 7 % QoQ for the same period. Turning to the supply side of the enterprise SSD market, lead time has been prolonged for the enterprise SSD controller ICs from Intel because Intels main base for packaging and testing this kind of chip is located in Malaysia, which is now a COVID-19 hotspot. The situation is not expected to improve in 4Q21, so bit shipments of enterprise SSDs from Intel will shrink from 3Q21. Since Intels market share for enterprise SSDs is fairly large, the effect of the recent COVID-19 outbreaks in Malaysia on contract prices of enterprise SSDs will be significant. TrendForce currently forecasts that contract prices of enterprise SSDs will rise by 0-5% QoQ for 4Q21. The hike will be mainly caused by the lack of components on the supply side rather than an increase in demand. 5-10 % Reduction Projected for eMMC Prices The demand for major consumer products, such as TVs and tablets, has started to weaken after the conclusion of the traditional peak season of stocking, as well as the gradual withdrawal of subsidization policy from the US. The continuous elevation of the vaccination rate in European and American countries, followed by a progressive mitigation of lockdown measures in various countries and successive resumption of school operations, have yielded an apparent impact to the demand for notebooks and tablets related to education purposes, while the aggravated stocking from the buyers during 1H21 in fear of shortages in NAND Flash controller IC has increased the inventory level and further suppressed eMMC orders. Despite stable capacity for low density 2D MLC NAND, as well as confined supply of NAND Flash controller due to the full load capacity of 28/40nm processes from foundries, the prices have been deprived of support owing to the sizable depletion in end demand, where a prominent decrement of 5-10 % is expected for relevant products during 4Q21 after the substantial increase in 2Q21. 0-5 % Reduction Projected for UFS Prices TrendForce has downward revised the projections to the annual production of smartphones under the fluctuating COVID-19 pandemic status in Southeast Asia. In addition, the stocking demand for new iPhones and flagships of various brands will gradually decelerate upon entering 4Q21, while the peak season of stocking is soon to be transitioned to the imminent off season. Purchase dynamics of UFS are expected to further subside. Regarding supply, mobile clients are currently using similar layers in products to that of PC OEMs after the spontaneous incorporation of 1xxL by different brands during 1Q21, and the provision of products with higher layers is expected to amplify under PC products expansion of market satisfaction and the unmitigated component gaps of ODMs. UFS quotations are estimated to deteriorate by 0-5% in 4Q21 under enhanced supply and diminished demand. NAND Flash Wafer Prices to Sustain the Largest Quarterly Decrease of 10-15 % amidst Subsided Demand for Major Applications The demand performance for retail end products has been sluggish since the beginning of 2021 aside from the temporal nourishment from the related demand for a storage-based cryptocurrency (Chia) between April and May. Memory cards and USB flash drives have been sluggish in sales since 2Q21 due to the successive exacerbation of the pandemic status in India and Southeast Asia, and the sales of retail SSD from channels have been impeded owing to the shortages of graphics cards, which obstructs the bundling with assembled computers. The fluctuation of cryptocurrency prices, for which the plummeting had slightly improved the shortages of graphics cards at one time, has triggered another recovery in the demand for mining, and further inhibits the sales volume of SSD. It is worth noting that the diverted tendency between end products and upstream components has manifested considerable pressure to module houses. Pressure from the sales of NAND Flash wafer inventory is expected to gradually magnify for suppliers under the worse-than-expected demand for products such as notebooks, smartphones, and TVs. Few suppliers have signaled their willingness in active provision during 4Q21, though the continuously enlarging void of PMIC has instead entangled the shipment of finished enterprise SSD, which intensifies the sales pressure of NAND Flash wafer. Furthermore, YMTC, WDC, and Micron have initiated an active supply of 128, 112, and 176L product samples to module houses for testing and incorporation. The incorporation of higher layers will further refine shipment cost that will obtain additional room in price reduction for suppliers. 3D NAND wafer is expected to sustain the largest depletion among all product categories at 10-15 % during 4Q21. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Verwandte Artikel elektroniknet The Court of Appeals in the Sardinian city of Sassari has summonsed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to return to the court on October 4th at 11:30am. This was set down in the resolution by the president of this court, under which the pro-independence politician was released from prison without any precautionary measures. The resolution does not place any restrictions on Puigdemont's freedom of movement, nor on his departure from Italy. For now, those close to Puigdemont say that his desire is to continue with his planned agenda. The president was arrested yesterday by Italian police while travelling from Brussels to the strongly-Catalan influenced city of Alghero (called L'Alguer in the Catalan language). The prosecutor admits immunity The ruling by the judge of the Court of Appeals, Plinia Azzena, to which ElNacional.cat has had access, underlines that the prosecution has not requested interim measures because this would "seriously compromise", among other things, the right of Puigdemont as an MEP to participate freely in the meetings of the European Parliament. The prosecutor considers that the MEP's immunity is "still intact" when it comes to protecting his parliamentary activity and that interim measures would "seriously" compromise his right to travel freely to participate in sessions of the European chamber. In this regard, he cites Article 9.2 of Protocol No. 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of MEPs which states that while Parliament is in session, members may not be detained in any EU Member State. Coincides with the EU court The text of the Court of Appeals' ruling includes the arguments put by Carles Puigdemont's defence and the reasoning of the EU General Court, in the sense that the opening of procedures for preliminary questions in the Puigdemont case brings with it the suspension of the European Arrest Warrant against him until the Luxembourg court decides on those questions. In this regard, it also notes the arguments put forward by the EU General Court on the decision of Belgium justice against the extradition of fellow Catalan politician Lluis Puig and the preliminary questions presented by the Spanish investigating judge. Blow to Spain's Supreme Court All in all, the court's decision unequivocally rejects the Spanish Supreme Court's request based on the assertion that the European Arrest Warrant has been in force since it was issued in 2019. According to the investigating judge's argument, the preliminary questions he presented only affected the contention with Belgium due to the refusal of the courts of that country to extradite Catalan minister Lluis Puig, while in other EU countries the warrant remained in force. The decision of the Court of Appeals therefore represents a new setback to judge Pablo Llarena's legal prosecution against Carles Puigdemont, in addition to those already received in the German court in Schleswig-Holstein, in the various Belgian courts and in Scotland. Puigdemont was released this afternoon after spending the night in prison. The Spanish Supreme Court says the European Arrest Warrant against Catalan president Carles Puigdemont "was never deactivated." Sources in the Supreme Court have stated that the preliminary issue which had been raised by investigating judge Pablo Llarena in the EU Court of Justice only relates to a clarification on Belgium's decision to dismiss the extradition demand for a fellow pro-independence politician, Lluis Puig, and does not have any effect on the decision that could be made in Italy following the arrest of Puigdemont by police in Sardinia on Thursday evening. Despite this, when the EU General Court decided once again to lift Puigdemont's immunity last July, it did so on the grounds that there was no risk of the pro-independence politician's imminent arrest. The EGC denies any risk of arrest In a press statement, the vice-president of the EGC argued that the "urgent" requirement that Puigdemont had argued in his appeal, with reference to a risk of serious and irreparable damage, did not exist, because it had not been shown that he could be subject to imminent arrest. Puigdemont had called for interim protective measures until the resolution of his appeal against the petition approved by the European Parliament in March in response to a request from investigating judge Pablo Llarena. The General Court specifically argued that Puigdemont could leave Belgium to attend the European Parliament meetings in Strasbourg without having to suspend the European Parliament's decision. The reason was that the Luxembourg court considers - and the Supreme Court confirmed - that at the time when a preliminary issue is raised the whole procedure is stopped until the judge responds, and judge Llarena has preliminary issues pending. "Having suspended the criminal proceedings in question through this request, the execution of European Arrest Warrants has also been suspended, as Spain has indicated," the EGC said in its decision. (The full text of the EGC decision in Spanish is at the end of this article). The Supreme Court disagrees By contrast, the Spanish Supreme Court argues that the preliminary issues affect only the case of Belgium, since they refer to the decision of the courts of that country to reject the extradition of Catalan minister Lluis Puig, while it does not affect the European Arrest Warrant in other countries. This is what the judge of the Court of Appeal of Sassari, Sardinia, will have to resolve tomorrow after Puigdemont was arrested this Friday by Italian border police when he landed in L'Alguer from Brussels. The president is currently in custody awaiting a court appearance tomorrow. Since the EGC's suspension of the immunity of the three Catalan pro-independence MEPs, all three of them - Puigdemont, Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati - have travelled normally to Strasbourg, where they have participated in the meetings at the European Parliament, and to northern Catalonia - in French territory - without any problems. The Junts MEPs have informed the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, of Puigdemont's situation. Below, the Spanish-language version of the European General Court's ruling on July 30th 2021 once again lifting the immunity as an MEP of Carles Puigdemont (No English version was published by the Court). Juan Watterson and Michelle Haywood have both been elected to serve the Rushen constituency. RESULTS Michelle Haywood - 1386 Mark Kemp - 1163 Andrew Langan-Newton - 1109 Juan Watterson - 2384 Subscribe to get Energy FM News direct to your mobile device You can get Energy FM News delivered direct to your mobile device using one of the following methods. Newly MHKs invited to discuss education priorities Newly elected House of Keys members have been invited to meet with the school leaders union NAHT. NAHTs parliamentary briefing will keep up the momentum of the general election campaign, in which the union received widespread support from MHK candidates to put education at the centre of every they would do if elected to the Tynwald parliament. Candidates across the political spectrum signed the unions online pledge to put education at the heart of their campaigns. The pledge is part of a wider NAHT manifesto of priorities for education across the island, which featured in hustings organised by NAHT and attended by many of the election candidates. Max Kelly, NAHT Isle of Man branch secretary said: Our successful education-focussed hustings demonstrated the appetite amongst parents, students, teachers and school leaders for change, particularly with regard to funding and investment. We hope that all MHKs now deliver on the passion and commitment to education that was demonstrated in those gatherings. The parliamentary briefing is an invitation to every MHK to take the education agenda forward. We will set a date for it as soon as the Tynwald ceremonial inductions and governmental appointments have been made. Those who havent yet got round to signing our online pledge can do so as a public commitment to the keeping education at the heart of what they will now do in parliament. We look forward to working with all MHKs for a positive future for education on the Isle of Man. Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary said: We welcome the new MHKs to their seats. Education has been refocused for the better under minister Dr Alex Allinson, and we look forward to working with whomever is appointed to be minister for education in the new administration, as well as every MHK. We are pleased that so many candidates signed our pledge to place our priorities for education at the heart of everything theyd do if elected to the House of Keys. NAHTs manifesto identified our key priorities for education as meeting the needs of all children; wellbeing; funding and recruitment and retention of education staff. Education is the foundation for the Isle of Mans prosperity. The voice of our school leaders, their staff and pupils deserves to be at the forefront of policymaking and investment decisions. China is continuing to push forward in its cryptocurrency crackdown. The Peoples Bank of China says crypto transactions are illegal and called for a formal ban. It cited concerns about national security and the safety of residents' assets. The bank claims cryptocurrencies arent fiat currency and cant be circulated, as Bloomberg reports. Any transactions involving crypto are now deemed to be criminal financial activity. The bank told financial and internet companies to stop allowing crypto trades on their platforms. Foreign exchanges are banned from providing services to Chinese residents too. The rise of crypto has invoked an increase in money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities, the bank said. Those appearing to violate the rules will be investigated for criminal liability. Several agencies in the country are working together to clamp down on crypto use. The National Development and Reform Commission is looking to put a halt to crypto mining, as TechCrunch notes. The Sichuan local government banned crypto mining in June, prompting some miners to leave the country. The price of Bitcoin dropped from around $45,000 to approximately $41,500 on Friday morning, following the announcement. Michigan State Police has put a version of the 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV through its paces over the past week, and the Ford Pro all-electric police pilot vehicle seems to have met the agency's bar. According to Ford, it's the first EV that's passed the Michigan State Police's model year evaluation test. The #MustangMachE just became the first all-electric vehicle to pass the rigorous vehicle evaluation tests by the Michigan State Police. Another real-world application for EVs to help law enforcement agencies reduce their fuel usage and CO2 emissions, plus it's freaking FAST. pic.twitter.com/vZSXDqc2xU Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) September 24, 2021 The agency is one of two that runs annual evaluations of new model year police vehicles. Later this fall, it will publish the results of those tests for law enforcement agencies across the US. Michigan State Police assessed the EV's acceleration, top speed, high-speed pursuit and braking attributes, along with emergency response handling. The Department of Justice has reached an agreement with Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou that will let her return home to China, pending a judge's approval. Meng was arrested in Canada in 2018 on behalf of the US for allegedly violating American sanctions against Iran. She's been fighting attempts to extradite her to the US. Meng, who is in house arrest while on bail, will admit to some improprieties and in return, prosecutors will defer and eventually drop bank and wire fraud charges, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Meng remotely appeared at a federal court on Friday afternoon, with the Justice Department saying in a filing it will submit a "resolution" to the charges against her. Prosecutors claimed that Meng misled banks in 2013 about Huawei's connections to Iran. She denied the charges, for which she had faced up to 30 years in prison. Meng's detainment caused an international incident. Two Canadians were apprehended in China within days of Meng's arrest. The WSJ reports the deal with Meng could prompt China to release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Officials from the Trump administration are said to have offered Meng a similar deal last year, but she reportedly refused to admit to any wrongdoing. Biden admin officials reopened the talks in recent weeks, according to reports, and with Meng seemingly seeking a reunion with her family, she may have been more open to a compromise. A judge in Vancouver was expected to rule on Meng's possible extradition to the US later this year, following almost two years of hearings. Huawei and its subsidiaries are still facing charges in the US, including conspiracy to steal trade secrets and racketeering conspiracy. The company is not said to be part of Meng's deal and it will reportedly keep fighting the charges. The US and Huawei have been at loggerheads for several years. American officials have lobbied allies to avoid using the company's 5G telecoms gear due to national security concerns, though Huawei has insisted that its equipment is safe. US sanctions against the company led Google to block Huawei from Android updates, prompting its switch to HarmonyOS 2 (which is a fork of Android) on phones and tablets. Update 9/24 1:22PM ET: Noted that the Justice Department has agreed to resolve the charges in a court filing. Update 9/25 3AM ET: Meng is already on a plane back to China. According to The Wall Street Journal, her flight took off from Vancouver, British Columbia on Friday. With its September Xbox update, Microsoft has brought the new, Chromium-based Edge browser to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles. It supports a keyboard and mouse and will introduce new capabilities like access to Google Stadia, Discord, web apps and more. Microsoft started testing the Edge update on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S earlier this year, but today it's coming to everyone. Edge has been the default browser on Xbox One, but not the latest Chromium version that enables features like Google Stadia gameplay. It promises a "fast, secure and modern browsing experience right from your console," Microsoft wrote. It's nearly identical to the desktop version, with features like vertical tabs, collections and syncing of settings, favorites, history, tabs and more to other signed-in devices. As Reddit users have noted, though, it's missing extensions so you won't be able to use an ad-blocker for now. With mouse and keyboard support, gamers will find it far easier to use productivity apps. More importantly, you'll be able to play Google Stadia or Steam PC games with either a mouse and/or the Xbox controller. For now, there's no microphone support for live chats on Discord or other apps, according to The Verge. Microsoft also trumpeted the release of Play Later discovery, but it's not clear how that differs from the current Play Later features. It also re-announced the arrival of game streaming to PC via Xbox Game Pass cloud or using Xbox Remote Play. The new features are now available to all Xbox consoles. One of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's beefy bodyguards claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security while escorting them about New York City. Between jaunts guarding the pair, the bodyguard was observed outside the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan on Thursday, clad in a stylish grey suit and black wingtips that had been resoled with comfy sneaker bottoms. The guy allegedly told a Daily Mail UK reporter that he worked for the Department of Homeland Security, but he didn't say which agency. This raises a lot of questions, one of which is whether there is heavy government participation in the couple's trip to New York. On Thursday, Harry and Meghan was set to visit the 9/11 memorial and One World Trade Center with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Kathy Hochul. They also had a journey to UN Plaza, where the general assembly is in session, for an anticipated meeting with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. DHS did not immediately reply numerous requests for a comment. The Secret Service, Government Protective Service, and Homeland Security Investigations are just a few of the federal agencies that include sworn police officers (HSI), which makes the lack of details quite understandable. According to former Secret Service Agent Jonathan Wackrow however, the Secret Service generally exclusively guards visiting heads of state and their families while lesser dignitaries are protected by the State Department. ALSO READ: Gabby Petito's Missing BF Brian Laundrie 'Well-Equipped' To Evade Police in the Wilderness as Parents Refuse to Say Anything "Right now, under the United Nations General Assembly, it's all hands on deck for federal protection," Wackrow told DailyMail.com in a phone interview. "HSI have been brought in to provide supplemental protection... you may have this agent from HSI supplementing that detail," he said, justifying the Duke and Duchess' protective team. When Harry and Meghan have stood down from formal duties, they are still family members of the British head of state, according to Wackrow, and so might fairly anticipate some government security while in a high-risk location, such as Manhattan during the general assembly. "While they are not the head of state for the United Kingdom, they are part of the head of state's family and at times such as summits, global gatherings it is warranted they receive some level of protection, even if it is taxpayer funded protection,' he explained. Regardless of what people think of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle right now, or ever since they stepped down from their royal positions, it is undeniable that they would require some protection. "If something were to happen in New York, and the government were not extending protection to the Duke and Duchess, that would be a major diplomatic incident,' added Wackrow. While Wackrow provided good reasons, this can still raise a few eyebrows. Any news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ever since Megxit having any sort of security, does. It's considered a very big deal. People cannot help but wonder about who pays for the protection and who the two are anyway, in the grand scheme of things. ALSO READ: Billie Eilish Shares She Lost 100,000 Followers Just Because of This, 'It's Very Dehumanizing!' Will history repeat itself and make another royal leave the monarchy like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? In the past weeks, Princess Martha Louise of Norway sparked speculations she would be moving to the U.S. already and leave her royal life. The move would be easy as her current partner, Durek Verrett, is American. This is seemingly similar to what happened to Prince Harry when Meghan became his girlfriend. The couple, in the end, decided to relocate to the U.S. and turned their backs to their former senior royal duties. However, Princess Martha Louise of Norway addressed the rumors this week when she celebrated her 50th birthday. On September 22, the royal sat for an interview with Norway's state TV channel, NRK. She acknowledged the fact that she indeed said in February that she was considering moving to the U.S. She planned to come with her three daughters - Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn, and Emma Tallulah Behn. Her American boyfriend reportedly raised concerns as he felt being mistreated in the country. As a result, the 46-year-old no longer wanted to be in Norway, causing the royal princess to consider the exit. During the interview, she revealed she has "no plans to move right now," but it may still be where they would end up eventually. This assured that another exit would happen soon, although no one currently knows when exactly it would occur. Megxit 2.0: Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett's Relationship The succession of the line to the Norwegian throne would surely be in danger, as the 55-year-old currently stands fourth-in-line. Before considering her U.S. move, she previously lived in the U.S. in 2004 with her then-husband, Ari Behn. They divorced in 2017, and her ex-husband died in 2019. Princess Martha Louise confirmed her relationship with Durek in May 2019. READ ALSO: Prince George Faces Massive Change in Royal Life As Part of Aristocratic Tradition This year, the self-professed Shaman surprised the royal princess from the U.S. by gifting her with garnet stone and diamond jewelry set by designer Paige Novick. In an interview with People, Durek revealed that the jewelry represents their friendship and love. "We're star-crossed lovers across the sea, but our love is defined by friendship and devotion. It is through our friendship that we have built this ability to handle the distance between our hearts," he went on. READ MORE: Johnny Depp's Fans Calls For Justice As 'Fantastic Beasts' Trends Worldwide Willie Garson's cause of death has been disclosed. One day after Garson's death, the actor's obituary in The New York Times (via Fox News) revealed that he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. The same type of cancer killed several notable stars in Hollywood, including Alex Trebek, Bill Hicks, Alan Rickman, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jack Benny, among others. The obituary did not disclose further details on the diagnosis. No reports about hospitalization or any health-related articles about him ever emerged. Thus, the actor had been battling against the dreaded illness privately. His son, Nathen, shared a heartfelt tribute to his 57-year-old father after his passing. In his 2014 interview on TODAY's fourth hour, Garson once revealed that adopting him was the best thing he ever did in his life. "I love you so much papa. Rest In Peace and I'm so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much. I'm so proud of you. I will always love you, but I think it's time for you to go on an adventure of your own," Nathen wrote. Willie Garson Did Well Both As Actor and Father He surely had a fruitful life as he excelled both in his personal and professional lives. Before his death, Garson collected 170 acting credits under his belt, aside from the various supporting roles he successfully got. Some of his notable movies include "Hawaii Five-0," "Supergirl," "Just Shoot Me!" Big Mouth," "Girl Meets World," and "Mr. Belvedere," among others. His last social media post even spread kindness to the world, saying, "BE KIND TO EACH OTHER......ALWAYS. LOVE TO ALL. APRROACH KINDNESS." READ ALSO: Royal Heartbreak: How Prince Albert Hurt Queen Victoria Revealed in Newly Unearthed Letters His colleagues saw how good person he was that they could not help but control their emotions as they tried to pay tribute to him. His on-screen husband on "Sex and the City," Mario Cantone, called him a devoted friend for everyone. "He created one of the most beloved characters from the HBO pantheon and was a member of our family for nearly twenty-five years. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones," he wrote. Garson once highlighted the beauty of adoption, telling Medium's Authority Magazine that he decided to adopt an older child like Nathen since he knew he could not take care of a baby that well. READ MORE: Tom Hanks Canceled? Fans Alarmed As Internet Launches' One Has To Go' Trend At this point in time, Johnny Depp no longer feel the need to keep his desperation about being boycotted known. Although of course, he did so in his own fashion. In a new speaking opportunity, the actor says he'd be delighted to reprise his iconic "Pirates Of The Caribbean" character, Captain Jack Sparrow, at children's birthday parties already, if it just means he could play in the role again. This sounds a tad desperate, amid reports that Hollywood is 'boycotting him' as his legal troubles continue. Depp originally played the eccentric seaman in the "Pirates Of The" Caribbean franchise in the first film in 2003, and he was last seen in the fourth sequel in 2017, making him the only actor to appear in all five films in the genre. It was no doubt, both a magical and lucrative role for him, and something he could just forget, despite the alleged fallout with Hollywood. Speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival this week, Depp, 58, said: 'The beauty of Captain Jack Sparrow for me is that I can travel with Captain Jack in a box, literally Captain Jack in a box..." This sounds so sad and ingenuous at the same time. ALSO READ: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Receiving Federal Protection on First NYC Trip? "And when the opportunity is right I'm able to go and visit people and places where the smiles and the laughs and the things that are important, the most important things in the world, are on the line," he mused further. "So I still travel with Captain Jack and if I have the opportunity, whenever I do, I will go to these places. I'll go to somebody's house - man, I'll perform at your kid's birthday party at this point!" he said. Trust Depp to turn something that sounds so sad quite bearably funny. Although he does not sound he's joking at all. However, it is obvious that Depp was quite upbeat on Thursday as he emerged from his hotel at the festival after alleging his career has been harmed by the so-called cancel culture. The Hollywood star even managed to wave at fans while walking to a waiting car in the pretty Spanish coastal city. At the occasion on Wednesday evening, Depp received the Donostia Award. The actor has previously stated that he is a victim of cancel culture, warning that "no one is safe" and asking people who are afflicted to "stand up" for themselves. Before receiving his honorary prize at the film festival in San Sebastian, Depp claimed the issue had gotten'so out of hand," referring to his legal troubles with Amber Heard and the Sun Tabloid that labeled him a "wife beater." It can be recalled that he lost the high-profile lawsuit in the High Court of London in July 2020, and if things were already bad when the trial was happening, his career further went downhill after the loss. He even lost a great role in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise in the aftermath of the case. All is not lost however. Back in the U.S., Depp has recently won the right to proceed with a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife. ALSO READ: Gabby Petito's Missing BF Brian Laundrie 'Well-Equipped' To Evade Police in the Wilderness as Parents Refuse to Say Anything 2021-09-24 Maeci Consul Tommaso Claudi was awarded the "La Chiave d'Europa" award for his extraordinary contribution to the Italian Government's humanitarian operation during the emergency in Kabul. The award ceremony, promoted by the Municipality of Ventotene and the association "La Nuova Europa", took place yesterday, 23 September, in the Sala dei Mosaici at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi, Secretary-General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was present and had words of conviction in recognising the diplomat. "This is a very welcome initiative. The choice of awarding a young State official, a diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", said Sequi, "is a reason for pride for me. I consider it an acknowledgement of the work that diplomats from all over the world do every day in the country's service. Tommaso has demonstrated courage and a spirit of solidarity. He has been quick-witted. He has made us proud". Tommaso Claudi was awarded for his "extraordinary commitment to respect for civil rights and freedom. By putting himself at the service of the masses,' reads the motivation for the award, 'he opened the door to Europe to thousands of people fleeing from Afghanistan, bringing them to safety and accompanying them to freedom". The Mayor of Ventotene, Gerardo Santomauro, and the President of "La Nuova Europa", Roberto Sommella, presented him with "La Chiave d'Europa". "I am very honoured by this recognition, but it is a tribute to all the institutions," said Claudi. He stressed that the operation in which he played a leading role, in which 5,000 people, including Italians and Afghans, were rescued, "is more the result of teamwork than a personal experience. My work was the consequence of preparatory work'. On the motivations that drove him to courageous behaviour, he said: 'nobody on the ground asked why we were doing this. We took it for granted that it was our duty. We did not ask ourselves the motivation. If anything, we asked ourselves how to do it better. Ambassador Sequi stressed that "La Chiave d'Europa" award was "born from the spirit of the Ventotene Manifesto and demonstrate what solidarity among Europeans means. Today an Italian diplomat can find himself assisting in a crisis, even citizens of other EU member states, as Tommaso himself did in Afghanistan a few days ago. This continental solidarity is an achievement that has been painstakingly achieved over decades of integration. It should not be diminished, taken for granted or allowed to fade away". Claudi's award ceremony was also an opportunity to reiterate Italy's commitment to Afghanistan: "our country," said Ambassador Sequi, "will soon have a national action plan in support of the Afghan people, the result of a concerted programmatic effort by all state administrations, including the local ones. It is a "plan that will also involve civil society and will be based on five pillars: humanitarian assistance, the development of a structural response to the flow of refugees from Afghanistan to neighbouring countries and potentially to Europe, training initiatives for Afghan students, human rights initiatives with particular attention to women, political and diplomatic initiatives to define a strategy shared with international partners". The Insikt Group, the threat research division of Massachusetts-based Recorded Future, has said that media conglomerate Bennett Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL), Madhya Pradesh Police department, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which is responsible for the countrys national identification database, have targets of Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups. The US-based private cybersecurity company noted that India continues to bear the brunt of hostile cyber operations from Chinese state-sponsored groups. Earlier this year, Insikt Group documented a RedEcho campaign targeting Indias critical national infrastructure following a rapid deterioration in bilateral relations after both countries clashed on the China-India border. They also recently identified renewed RedFoxtrot operations targeting an Indian state-owned enterprise involved in the nuclear, space, and defence sectors. Following this theme of Chinese targeting of Indian entities, we have identified further suspected intrusions targeting the Indian media conglomerate Bennett Coleman And Co Ltd (BCCL), commonly known as The Times Group; the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI); and the Madhya Pradesh Police department. The UIDAI is the Indian government agency responsible for the national identification database, more commonly called Aadhaar, which contains private biometric information for over 1 billion Indian citizens. These intrusions were conducted by an activity group we track using a temporary designation, TAG-28, the Insikt Group said in a report. The report further stated that Chinese state-sponsored intrusions targeting news outlets is not a recent phenomenon. In 2013, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Bloomberg News were targeted by a Chinese group in a widespread intelligence-gathering operation following a series of published articles that were perceived as presenting China unfavourably. Subsequently, in 2014, pro-democracy news outlets in Hong Kong were targeted during the Umbrella Movement protests. TAG-28s Winnti campaign targeting BCCL is the latest in a long line of targeted intrusions against international media outlets. TAG-28, the report said, is highly likely targeted UIDAI due to its ownership of the Aadhaar database. Bulk personally identifiable information (PII) data sets are valuable to state-sponsored threat actors. Likely uses of such data include, but are not limited to, identifying high-value targets such as government officials, enabling social engineering attacks, or enriching other data sources, it added. Given the reach of The Times Group publications and their consistent reporting on the India China war, TAG-28s targeting of BCCL is likely motivated by wanting access to journalists and their sources as well as pre-publication content of potentially damaging articles focusing on China or its leadership, the report added. It is less likely that TAG-28 would gain access to media entities to interfere with publishing platforms by changing or disrupting articles supporting Chinese information operations, it noted. As of early August 2021, Recorded Future data shows a 261% increase in the number of suspected state-sponsored Chinese cyber operations targeting Indian organizations and companies already in 2021 compared to 2020. This follows an increase of 120% between 2019 and 2020, demonstrating Chinas growing strategic interest in India over the past few years. The Insikt Group observed about 5 megabytes of data transferred from the police department of Madhya Pradesh state. Pertinently, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had called for a boycott of Chinese products after June 2020 border clashes with India. BCCL detected about 10 megabytes of data downloaded from the network and almost 30 megabytes uploaded, possibly indicating the deployment of additional malicious tooling from the attacker infrastructure. The Associate Press quotes Rajeev Batra, chief information officer for Bennett Coleman, as saying that the company also received information on the suspected hack from CERT-In, the government agency that deals with cybersecurity threats, and responded to it several weeks ago. He further stated that Most of the data was in the DNS queries category, which got blocked/dropped at our defence infrastructure, said in an emailed comment. The companys own investigation of the hack classified the incident as non-serious alerts and false alarms, he said. The group has also identified a compromise in June and July of the Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, the government agency that oversees the national identification database. It suggested such a database could be used by hackers to identify high-value targets, such as government officials, enabling social engineering attacks or enriching other data sources. UIDAI told The Associated Press that the organisation has a well-designed, multi-layered robust security system in place and the same is being constantly upgraded to maintain the highest level of data security and integrity. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) Friday, September 24, 2021 September 22, 2021 Press Release Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) accepted the prestigious Hero Defender Award from the John P. Mayhugh Foundation in recognition of his outstanding work as an voice for veterans in Congress and for his steadfast leadership as both a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus. Following his acceptance of the award, Congressman Murphy offered a speech in support of his bipartisan bill, H.R. 1014, the Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act. If passed, H.R. 1014 would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a pilot program for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This important bill is part of Congressman Murphys longstanding effort to push meaningful legislation on behalf of the over 89,000 veterans in the Third District. You can watch Dr. Murphys full acceptance speech here. Full speech as prepared for delivery below: I am very much honored to receive this very prestigious award from the John P. Mayhugh Foundation, the Hero Defender Award. I am very grateful, as well to Colonel Mary Lowe Mayhugh USA (Ret.) for her untiring efforts on behalf of our military and veterans community to find ways to treat of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI). Studies have shown that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) could play a major factor in veteran deaths by suicide. A 2015 study found that as many as 500,000 veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan were diagnosed with PTSD. This staggering number has undeniably grown since the study was conducted, especially in the wake of the crisis in Afghanistan. Although these brave service members survived the terror of battle, all too often they dont survive the torment of their own thoughts at home and tragically take their own lives. Even those veterans who dont fall victim to their own thoughts, many must still cope with reliving their horrifying experiences abroad. This oftentimes has a tremendous negative effect on their relationships with loved ones and family members. Unfortunately, we are faced with a regrettable reality: there is not a cure for PTSD or TBI now. However, we can treat their symptoms. As a physician, I have found that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can be a helpful treatment for some people who suffer from PTSD and TBI. HBOT is conducted by placing a patient in a pressurized room or tube and pushing massive amounts of pure oxygen in the pressurized area. By delivering more oxygen to an individuals lungs, their blood can carry more oxygen to help heal cells in their body, including in the brain. I have used HBOT for over 30 years to heal infected areas and non-healing wounds in the body. Although more research needs to be done to determine how effective HBOT is in combatting PTSD and TBI, many who use this treatment have found it to be successful. PTSD and TBI are peculiar conditions, as different treatments vary for different people. Although HBOT may not be a treatment that helps Patient A, it may be lifesaving for Patient B. symptoms. Our veterans, who have valiantly served our country and sacrificed so much, deserve every remedy available to reduce the mental scarring caused by combat. Every veteran who suffers from PTSD or TBI should be afforded the opportunity to have HBOT if other treatments do not work. Thats why I introduced the Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act, HR 1014. If passed, my legislation would direct the Secretary of the VA to create a HBOT pilot program for veterans who suffer from TBI or PTSD funded by interested Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). While serving in the North Carolina State House of Representatives, I sponsored and passed legislation providing HBOT therapy for veterans in North Carolina. Now, as I serve the Third Congressional District of North Carolina, which is home to the sixth most veterans in the country (over 89,000), I am working to make this potentially life-saving therapy available to all veterans in our country. American veterans deserve every opportunity to enjoy the freedom that they fought so valiantly for overseas. It is Congresss duty to make sure that this is available to them. I thank you for the opportunity. I thank you for the award. And God bless our veterans we thank them for their service! and the Bill: << Click Here >> Summary: H.R.1014 117th Congress (2021-2022) Introduced in House (02/11/2021) Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a five-year pilot program to furnish, under the Veterans Community Care Program, hyperbaric oxygen therapy to veterans with traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder. SAN ANTONIO AT&T, the former Baby Bell that grew from San Antonio's largest corporate citizen into the world's biggest telecommunications company, stunned local business and government leaders Friday by saying it was moving its headquarters to Dallas. The move of about 700 executives and corporate support employees for the global telecommunications giant will begin in a few weeks and finish by early next year. About 5,300 jobs will stay in San Antonio and the city will remain the headquarters of AT&T Telecom Operations for 22 states. That was little consolation Friday for San Antonio leaders. "There was no inkling" a move was possible, County Judge Nelson Wolff said. "Everybody is just shocked, just like me." Company executives said getting closer to the telecom technology hub of Dallas and access to more direct flights were the key reasons for moving AT&T's head office. On ExpressNews.com: Jefferson: Learning from losses - What can San Antonio gain from hard truths about AT&T's departure? "We're a growing global company with customers and operations around the world," said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in a statement. "Being headquartered in Dallas will benefit our long-term growth prospects and human resources needs, and our ability to operate more efficiently, better serve customers and expand the business in the future." Local government and economic development officials had no hint that such a move was imminent. The AT&T board of directors approved the move Friday morning after executives studied the idea for several months. Houston operations should not be affected, local spokesman Dan Feldstein said Friday. The high-rise on the banks of the San Antonio River was headquarters first to Southwestern Bell Corp., then SBC Communications and then AT&T after the 1992 move of the one-time "Baby Bell" from St. Louis. But as the company grew and longtime CEO Ed Whitacre retired, the new leadership began exploring another move. "San Antonio is a wonderful city, but it can be a difficult place to get to and fly out of," said Jim Callaway, AT&T senior executive vice president of executive operations. Ripple through economy When Southwestern Bell moved to the city about 16 years ago, it had annual revenue of $9.3 billion, 60,000 employees and 11 million customers in five states. The acquisitions of Ameritech, Pacific Bell, BellSouth and its old parent company, AT&T Corp., and investments in new technology morphed the company into a global business. It now has revenue of $120 billion, 310,000 employees and 100 million customers in 50 U.S. states and 160 countries. The move is likely to ripple throughout the San Antonio economy. High-end houses will glut the market as executives put up their houses for sale. Fewer high-profile executives will be available to serve on nonprofit boards and help fill the coffers of groups such as United Way of Bexar County. And the city will lose the cachet of having a major corporate headquarters. "It's devastating. A headquarters operation not only has a huge multiplier effect, it provides leadership in your community and it's a high-profile factor in your business recruitment activities," said Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. "It helps you market your city. It's really a triple whammy." Times have changed Whitacre, who turned the reins over to Stephenson just a year ago, said in a phone interview that he thinks the conditions still exist that made San Antonio a great place for a corporate headquarters. But because he no longer works there, he said it isn't for him to judge. There were warning signs that Whitacre's departure and AT&T's rapid expansion could lead to the move. In 2006, as AT&T was wrapping up its acquisition of Atlanta-based BellSouth, the governor of Georgia and the mayor of Atlanta sought an audience with Whitacre with incentives in hand. But the EDF's Hernandez said then, "as long as Ed Whitacre is head of AT&T, we're pretty well-positioned." Whitacre moved Southwestern Bell to San Antonio even though a New York-based relocation consultant recommended against the Alamo City because its airport lacked direct flights. But times have changed and Dallas telecom technology businesses now boast 45,000 employees with corporate headquarters or U.S. offices of foreign companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawaei, Nokia, Nortel, RIM and Samsung. All are key suppliers to the telecom industry, according to AT&T. AT&T already has about 14,000 employees in Dallas, and the company has two buildings that are only partially occupied on South Akard Street across from the historic Adolphus hotel. The company also said it will save time and money by being close to a major airport hub. Can't replace icon AT&T executives expressed concerns to San Antonio city officials two years ago about the need for more efficient air service without layovers in Dallas or Houston, Callaway said. "They've done everything humanly possible to get direct flights, but there's only so much they can do," Callaway said. Wolff and Mayor Phil Hardberger met Wednesday with Stephenson to discuss the growth of direct flights at San Antonio International and about a joint parking project under consideration for AT&T properties. Wolff said Stephenson told him Friday that the board made the decision based on his recommendations. On ExpressNews.com: AT&T ending its relationship with Spurs While the company will still have 1,700 more employees in San Antonio than it did 16 years ago, "you don't replace this company," Wolff said. "You can't replace that kind of icon. It gave us a major presence you're just not going to be able to replace." Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Richard Perez said "all is not lost" with an economy that remains robust and still has a strong AT&T presence. Express-News staff writers Todd Bensman, Dino Chiecchi, Vicki Vaughan and Aissatou Sidime contributed to this report. Federal energy officials vowed to ensure that Texas improves its electricity grid and natural gas system after widespread blackouts during the February freeze led to more than 200 deaths and billions of dollars in property damage. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Reliability Corp. on Thursday presented their preliminary findings from the winter storm and outlined a series of familiar recommendations to prevent another catastrophic power failure as climate change brings about more severe weather that threatens the nations power grids. These recommendations, similar to the ones FERC issued in the aftermath of the 2011 Texas blackouts, would require power plants and natural gas producers to protect critical equipment from freezing temperatures, to update power generators that experience freeze-related outages and provide compensation for generators to recoup weatherization costs. This is a wake-up call for all of us, FERC Chairman Rich Glick said. We must take these recommendations seriously, and act decisively, to ensure the bulk power system doesnt fail the next time extreme weather hits. I cannot, and will not, allow this to become yet another report that serves no purpose other than to gather dust on the shelf. Glick said he was extremely frustrated that Texas energy regulators and the states grid manager ERCOT failed to heed FERCs recommendations after a February 2011 winter storm left more than 3 million Texans without power as the Super Bowl was played outside Dallas. After that storm, FERC warned ERCOT that power plants and natural gas producers had failed to adequately weatherize facilities. Subsequent recommendations were watered down into guidelines that few power generators and natural gas producers followed, Glick said. Had Texas followed FERCs guidance a decade ago, the state could have avoided Februarys deadly and devastating blackouts, he said. In this day and age, we have people that froze to death because of power outages. Thats beyond unacceptable, Glick said. The worst part about this, one of the points that frustrates me the most, is that some of it was avoidable. CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION: Failures of Power FERC is the federal agency that oversees the nations electric grids and natural gas pipelines, and NERC is a nonprofit group that oversees electric grid reliability and security in the U.S., Canada and northern Mexico. Its unclear how the two organizations will enforce their recommendations, given that Texass power grid operates independently from larger regional grids to avoid federal oversight. In a 31-page report published Thursday, FERC said the February winter storm caused the largest forced power outages in the nations history, and was the third largest blackout after the Northeast blackout in 2003 and the West Coast blackout in 1996. The February freeze was the fourth severe winter event over the past decade, knocking out 61,800 megawatts of power across the Midwest and South, including Texas and Louisiana. The Texas power grid managed by ERCOT received the harshest effects of the freeze. The storm knocked out an average of 34,000 megawatts of power on ERCOTs grid, nearly half of its record winter demand load of 69,871 megawatts. FERC said the biggest factors contributing to power plants failing were the lack of weatherization of critical equipment and natural gas supply issues at power plants. Nearly 58 percent of the power generators that went offline during the storm were natural gas plants. As a result, ERCOT ordered Texas power utilities to implement rolling blackouts to prevent the grid from a total collapse. At the worst of the storm, the grid manager ordered as much as 20,000 megawatts of power to be shed from the grid. These rolling blackouts left more than 4.5 million Texas customers including 1.4 million in the Houston area without power for three days as temperatures plunged. ERCOT in February said its grid was less than five minutes away from imploding, which would have necessitated a difficult reboot of the entire system, called a black start, that would have taken weeks if not months. Rolling blackouts were necessary, ERCOT said, to prevent that worst-case scenario. The rolling blackouts affected natural gas production and processing facilities, most of which werent exempt from emergency outages, which caused even more natural gas powered plants to go offline. While other electric grids in the Midwest were able to pull additional power from neighboring grids, ERCOTs was left stranded, which exacerbated the blackouts, Glick said. FERC recommended that ERCOT examine how it implements rolling blackouts and consider additional connections to other grids. ERCOT is essentially an island onto itself, in large part because Texas wants to avoid having its grid regulated in part by this commission, Glick said. In my perspective, that is very, very short-sighted and amounts to nothing more than cutting off your nose to spite your face. ERCOT did not respond to a request for comment. The Public Utility Commission, which oversees ERCOT, said it welcomed the federal recommendations as the Texas regulator looks to transform the grid. The lessons of Winter Storm Uri have been driving the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT in their shared, aggressive pursuit of market and infrastructure solutions intended to prevent a recurrence, PUC Chairman Peter Lake said. The Railroad Commission, which oversees Texas natural gas system, said it is studying the federal report and declined to comment further. Gov. Greg Abbotts office, which appoints regulators to the PUC, didn't respond to a request for comment. Michael Webber, an energy professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said that while the state Legislature passed some reforms mandating weatherization for power plants, it didnt ensure that natural gas producers and pipelines protect their facilities from freezing temperatures. Webber said he was glad to see FERC call out the natural gas system as a main culprit for the February blackouts. It was a big step in the right direction, but it didnt go far enough, Webber said of the Legislatures actions. I dont think these recommendations will be ignored this time. Its the second time in a decade and (hundreds of) people died. Itll get a different kind of sustained attention. Rating: Worth a drive Like so many restaurant workers at the height of the pandemic, Pear Chaisitthisinsuk found herself at loose ends last year. With hours slashed at the Thai place where she worked and no certain way to replace the lost income, she stayed home and immersed herself in cooking. All day, every day, a party of one with no outlet for sharing what she made. The flashbulb moment came late last year: I love cooking, she said. Why dont I start doing something on my own? The next day, I was meeting with the trailer builder. From that meeting came the inspiration for Aroy Ver, a trailer specializing in the food of Chaisitthisinsuks native Thailand. Aroy Ver, roughly very delicious in Thai, opened in February and in August moved to a regular spot just north of the Pearl at Broadway News, already home to two worth a drive food trucks in this series: Carnitas Don Raul and Mister Diablo. Aroy Ver fits right in. On ExpressNews.com: 52 Weeks of Food Trucks: Carnitas Don Raul on Broadway kicks off series with a worth a drive rating Best dish: The sweet caramelized glaze of grilled, marinated pork on a stick paired with the salty vinegar sharpness of nam jim jaew sauce made moo ping skewers ($12) the perfect entry point for the wider Aroy Ver experience. Other dishes: Chaisitthisinsuk calls what she does Thai street food, which is why you wont find the usual roster of pad Thai and tom kha gai soup. Instead, theres a lush, mild stew of sweet pork called moo wan ($11) and a Thai omelet called khai jiao ($9) with whorls and ridges like a topographical map of breakfast halfway around the world. To fire up the nostalgia of the Capri Sun generation, Aroy Ver packages its milky-sweet Thai tea ($4) in a sealed, cooled-down pouch with a pointy-ended straw for poking through. Mike Sutter /Staff Fried potatoes speak the universal language of outdoor festival food, and Aroy Vers Spin Spin Tato ($3.50) took it to a higher place with a perfect spiral-cut spud mounted on a stick and fried crispy where it should be, soft everywhere else, dusted with a funky blend of sour-spicy tom yum and cheese spice powders. Even a Thai standard like papaya salad got an overhaul, its crisp slices of papaya, carrot and peanuts served in a plastic cup meant to be shaken up with a little cup of tangy Thai salad dressing for an invigorating, made-to-order salad ($8). For more comfort and less street-food bravado, Aroy Ver came through with fortifying khao pad fried rice ($11) loaded with tender white-meat chicken chicken. Bouncy Aroy Bomb pork dumplings were outfitted with a blanket of cilantro and scallions ($9) and a quartet of crispy, cigar-size fried spring rolls ($5) were filled with glass noodles, ground chicken and a housemade sweet chile sauce Id pour over pancakes. Aroy Ver Location: 2202 Broadway at Broadway News, 210-907-9231, Facebook: @aroyverthefoodtruck Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. or sellout Wednesday-Sunday Takeout/delivery: Covered picnic table dining, takeout and third-party delivery available See More Collapse Speaking of something sweet, Aroy Ver showed command of a Thai classic with simple mango sticky rice ($5) and brought a sense of whimsy with little bears made from coconut milk and gelatin ($5). msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking Mary Morales first visited Jefferson Village in 1979 to apply for a stylist job at Vees Hair and Spa. Four decades later, she owns the salon and is preserving whats left of the strip malls storied past. When Jefferson Village opened in 1948, the shopping center up the block from Jefferson High School was the first of its kind in San Antonio and possibly the nation, an L-shaped wonder with tall, Art Deco signage and fresh Austin cut stone and green glazed tile. Today Vees is all that remains of the centers original 10 stores. The towering Jefferson Village sign is just a memory. The anchor spaces that once housed Sommers Drugs and Piggly Wiggly grocery are now repurposed event centers. And the shops in between that once sold baked goods, dresses and hardware now feature makeshift dance and fitness studios, a Dollar General and FOR LEASE signs. Which may explain why longtime Jefferson Villager Morales doesnt miss a beat when asked what keeps this old retail hub alive. Jerry Lara /Staff photographer Me, she said with a giggle, then added: Its the neighborhood that makes it special. (And) I guess the history of the neighborhood. Because youve got generation after generation coming back. On ExpressNews.com: A look at how San Antonio's Pioneer Flour Mills tower in Southtown has changed over the last 99 years Thomas Jefferson High School What really keeps Jefferson Village going after 70 years? The answer may well lie in its namesake, the historic neighborhood where residents young and old fuel the old shopping center with their memories as well as their spending money. (Its) knowing the history of what was going on in the neighborhood back then and what is going on now. Its keeping it alive, is what were trying to do, said Ted Guerra, past president and current board member of the Jefferson Neighborhood Association. Guerra moved to the Jefferson area about 20 years ago. He said the shopping center at Donaldson Avenue and Manor Drive is still standing thanks to shoppers and shop-owners alike who refuse to let Jefferson Village fade away or become another home to a Starbucks or other big-name retailer. Not that were against revitalization, Guerra said. Its (just) almost like, what do we want in our neighborhood? Because we drive up and down these streets coming home from work, driving our kids to school, whatever it is. Jefferson Village has been a part of the neighborhood since Nov. 15, 1948, when Red River Dave McEnery and his Western show kicked off a nighttime grand opening with literal dancing in the streets. On ExpressNews.com: Precious metal: San Antonio band Wyzard's 1984 EP sells for $1,000s - if you can find it Jerry Lara /Staff photographer Built by Woodlawn Park developer L.E. Fite, the $3 million shopping center debuted with 10 stores: Hom-Ond supermarket, Village Sporting Goods, Winns variety store, Naomis Gifts, Bowmans Beauty Salon (later Vees), Village Bakers, Wilsons Jewelry, Shepperd-Fraser Company department store, Blue Bonnet Shoe Shop and Sommers Drugs. Like the nearby school that inspired its name, Jefferson Village made national news in its early years. In 1949, the shopping center took first place in a national development contest sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. Jefferson Village also was said to be the first commercial strip in the country, according to a 2002 Near Northwest Community Plan and 2009 Jefferson Neighborhood Conservation District document, both filed with the City of San Antonio. Bob Cantu has called the Jefferson area home since the mid-1950s. Like most older residents who first frequented Jefferson Village back in the day, Cantu best remembers the soda fountain at Sommers Drugs. Though in his youth he mostly hung out at Sommers to read comic books while Jefferson students grabbed a cherry Coke or other soft drink. I have a lot of fond memories of coming up here as a kid, Cantu said during a walk-in to Vees for a haircut. It was diverse. There was a lot of neighborhood people that had their businesses here. So people felt comfortable coming here and doing business. On ExpressNews.com: This most puro San Antonio loteria game, Loteria de Comida, features all our Mexican and Tex-Mex food favorites Bowmans Beauty Salon was renamed Vees after original manager Vee McMasters, who was billed as Miss Vee, nationally known hairstylist for the salons 1948 opening. McMasters took over Bowmans in the early 1960s and likely changed the salons name to reflect who was in charge, said Morales. who became full owner of the salon in 2015. Morales remembers how much Jefferson Village has changed, and not always for the better. At one point in the 1980s, Vees was the only tenant aside from a Tupperware warehouse. But Morales also has fond Jefferson Village memories. After all, she met her future husband at Vees in 1991 when he showed up for a haircut in place of his mothers appointment. As for Jefferson Villages future, Morales said she sees more young adults moving back into the neighborhood. And theyre supporting their neighborhood businesses in the process. It takes a village, indeed. Express-News researcher Misty Harris contributed to this report. rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz WASHINGTON (AP) Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad" are showing they know how to get things done" in an increasingly complicated corner of the globe. Biden and his fellow leaders Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are all grappling with a rising China that Biden has accused of coercive economic practices and unsettling military maneuvering. They made no direct mention of China as they opened the group's first ever in-person meeting, but the Pacific power played a big part in the private talks. Suga raised concerns about China intentions in the South China Sea, where it's stepped up its military presence in recent years, and the East China Sea, where a long-running dispute about a group of uninhabited islets administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing is a point of concern. Suga also raised concerns about Chinese action towards Taiwan, said Japans foreign press secretary Tomoyuki Yoshida. On Thursday, Beijing dispatched 24 jets toward Taiwanese airspace after it submitted its application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact. The prime minister emphasized the importance of the peace and stability in the Taiwan strait, according to Yoshida. Following the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement pledging to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas. The Quad leaders also announced Japan would work with India on a $100 million investment in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drugs. They launched an initiative to bolster semiconductor supply chains. And they unveiled a new fellowship for graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to study at top U.S. universities. Biden has repeatedly made a case that the U.S. and likeminded allies need to deliver results on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other fundamental matters in what he's deemed a race between democracies and autocracies. Morrison and the others seemed to pick up that message at Friday's summit. We are liberal democracies, believe in a world order that favors freedom, Morrison said. "And we believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know thats what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region. Biden and Modi also met prior to the summit for a one-on-one meeting. The president played up ties to India referencing Vice President Kamala Harris' Indian heritage and even his own family ties to the subcontinent. Biden also made clear he saw tightening relations with the world's biggest democracy one that shares a neighborhood with China and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as vital for both sides. Ive long believed the U.S.-India relationship can help us solve an awful lot of global challenges," Biden said.. The Quad is an informal alliance formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Biden has sought to reinvigorate the alliance, putting a spotlight on a chief foreign policy goal: greater attention to the Pacific and a rising China. The alliance met earlier this year, virtually, and announced plans to boost vaccination manufacturing in India. The Japanese and Indian governments welcomed a recent announcement that the U.S., as part of a new alliance with Britain and Australia, would equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. That will allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give it an edge on the Chinese navy. But the announcement infuriated France, which accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back by squelching its own $66 billion deal to provide diesel-powered submarines. Tensions between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron eased after the two leaders spoke Wednesday and agreed to take steps to coordinate more closely in the Indo-Pacific. Michael Green, who served as senior director for Asia at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, said Japan and India welcome the United States-United Kingdom-Australian alliance because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as China massively builds up its naval forces. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has called it a reflection of outdated Cold War, zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception that will intensify a regional arms race. The meeting concluded a busy week of wider diplomacy for Biden, who addressed the U.N. General Assembly in which he stressed that the U.S. does not seek a Cold War with China. He also hosted a virtual global summit on COVID-19. Despite Australia and the U.S. taking multiple measures to counter Chinas economic and military power, Morrison left the White House meeting Friday determined to not publicly confront the Chinese. Were there to make the region stronger, more prosperous, stable. Its a positive initiative designed to lift the well being of the people," he said. The leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and emphasized in their joint statement the importance of denying any logistical, financial or military support to terrorist groups which could be used to launch or plan terror attacks, including cross-border attacks. The issue is of particular concern to the Modi government, which is concerned about elements of the Taliban government who have supported attacks on India in the past. Modi was expected to bring up Afghanistan during his meeting with Biden and to raise objections to the Talibans effort to get recognition at the United Nations. The Indian government also has concerns about the influence it believes Pakistans intelligence service exerted in how factions of the Taliban divvied up government offices in Kabul. Suga also raised concerns about North Korea. Pyongyang last week said it successfully launched ballistic missiles from a train for the first time, striking a target in the sea some 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. That test came after the North this month said it tested new cruise missiles, which it intends to make nuclear-capable, that can strike targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, a distance putting all of Japan and U.S. military installations there within reach. ___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed reporting. GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi coast man has been sentenced to 21 years and five months in federal prison for shooting and wounding a U.S. marshal in 2020. Joseph Dale Sonnier, 32, of Hancock County, was found guilty of assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in the July 21, 2020 incident, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca. Its always hard to talk about death, but especially so for a child grieving the loss of a parent, one whos struggling to cope with powerful emotions while the family contends with a loss of income that might make it difficult to pay the rent. Thats why the children who go to the nonprofit Childrens Bereavement Center of South Texas are given ways to express themselves without putting their feelings into words. Marian Sokol, the executive director, calls it the expressive arts. In an intake room, the children draw illustrations of their grief. One boy drew himself in a rainstorm with the word Why? scrawled all around him. There is a room with padded walls and a punching doll where they can take out their anger or use a drum set. In another room, a stage has been built into an artificial tree under a skylight where children can act out their emotions, fantasies and dreams. They need to be told in a language they understand or they need to be helped to understand that death happens, and it hurts. But they can feel that its okay to go on, Sokol said. Our vision for this center is that no child should have to walk that painful journey of grief alone. In the eight years Sokol has been leading the bereavement center it has grown into one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., serving 2,000 children and caregivers a year. With a staff of 12 full-time counselors, the center offers grief therapy sessions to individuals and groups, serving children and young people ages3 through 23. Thanks to a patchwork of funding raised under Sokols leadership from the city, county and local philanthropists it is all at no cost to the visitors. On ExpressNews.com: SA Lights: Catholic Worker House volunteer director 'inspires everyone around her' Steady growth In August, the near North Side center celebrated the opening of a 6,000-square-foot addition featuring a teen and young adult center with eight counseling rooms. It is the latest of several expansions overseen by Sokol. In 2017, the center opened a satellite location in Harlingen, in the Rio Grande Valley. That same year, it responded to the church shooting in Sutherland Springs by sending counselors into the areas schools. Then we decided we just couldnt leave, Sokol said. After winning a state grant to help with recovery efforts, the center opened a location in nearby Floresville, operating under the name Paloma Place. The center, which was founded in 1997 as a support group, also has five full-time counselors working in local schools, mostly in underserved areas on the South and West Sides. Sokol said she hopes to expand the school-based program to serve more families that cant make it to the center. Local philanthropist Harvey Najim, who donated money for the recent expansion, said the bereavement center serves as a model for similar facilities across the U.S. In describing Sokol, he offered a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt: People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care. She epitomizes that to the Nth degree, Najim said. She is one of the kindest, sweetest people that I think Ive ever known. I just really admire what she does. On ExpressNews.com: A 'champion' for dementia patients: San Antonio researcher has dedicated her life to treating Alzheimer's Linda Fugit, an interior designer and long-time volunteer at the center who helped come up with the colorful design for the expansion, credited Sokol with providing the initiative that has made the center one of San Antonios best-known nonprofits. The energy it takes to drag an entire cadre of people with you is enormous. You have to have the heart for it, and Marian definitely has the heart for it, she said. She takes the time. She goes to funerals, she has lunch. She just doesnt let go and I think thats her strongest asset, this insurmountable amount of faith and presence. Seeing potential The centers expansion could serve as the capstone of Sokols more than four-decade career in childhood development. She says that she hopes to retire in two years, though her plans dont always work out: She had been planning to retire when she was offered the job as executive director in 2013. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she came to San Antonio with her husband in the late 1960s when he enrolled in officer school with the Air Force. After he served in Vietnam, they were stationed for three years at Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo. The time they spent in Japan had a strong impact on Sokol, she said, giving her a love of travel she and her husband have been to 35 countries and of simplicity of design. They now have two children and two grandchildren. Upon returning to the U.S., she earned a doctorate in early childhood education from the University of Texas at Austin. I was just always fascinated by them, she said of children. Ive just always been fascinated by how this little tiny helpless baby can then fast-forward 18 years or so and youve got a young, budding college student, in some cases, or in others, you have someone whos frustrated, angry at the world. The children werent born any different. They just had different opportunities. She had planned to devote her career to teaching but instead became executive director of Any Baby Can, an early childhood development nonprofit she co-founded with a group of volunteers. After leading the nonprofit for 21 years, she took on a new role as president of the National SIDS Alliance, an advocacy group with a mission to prevent infants from dying in their sleep. On ExpressNews.com: West Side impact: Rod and Patti Radle built legacy of social change with decades of volunteer work The bereavement center, on West Olmos Drive, has none of the stark, fluorescent-lighted feel of many therapy centers. In some places it has a homey feel, with plenty of sunlight, artwork on the walls and a long wooden table for communal dinners of tacos or pizza. In other places it has the colorful and eclectic feel of an Antoni Gaudi building. The most striking area of the recent addition is the Peaceful Pathway, a hallway decorated with a tile floor of butterflies and lizards and a wall of artificial trees in front of a mural of San Pedro Creek, funded with a donation from SWBC. Butterflies are a common feature of the centers decor, serving as a symbol of transformation, Sokol said. Three walls have been turned into memory walls, decorated with framed photographs of the loved ones of children and young people who have come through the center. It just feels like family, and that what it needs to be, she said. Its a place where they can cry, but its also a place where they can laugh and can heal. It just feels safe. Pandemic challenges The past year and a half has been a challenging time for the center. During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to suspend all in-person therapy groups and conduct meetings by Zoom. The children grew tired of meeting online and they couldnt do the arts activities that are an important part of the centers therapy process, Sokol said. The center has resumed in-person sessions but kept them smaller and less frequent than before five days a week for individual counseling and four days for group sessions.All had previously been seven days a week. Depending on infection numbers, Sokol said she hopes to expand the in-person sessions this fall. The center was able to operate two camps this summer in the Hill Country. Typically, it operates three or four camps a year. Sokol is now working on creating an endowment to give the bereavement center more financial stability. In the past year, the center received its first estate gift. The next big step is to encourage more people to donate that way, she said. The center also offers therapy groups for parents who are bringing their children to use its services. When Manda Kelley and her family went through the center after the death of their son in 2013, she and her husband decided to attend adult therapy while their children went to sessions upstairs. On ExpressNews.com: In a city named after a saint, faith often lights the way forward The therapy helped them work through the many stresses and traumas of losing a child, she said, helping them with questions such as whether they should they hang a stocking for him at Christmas. Its one of those places where you just get to know the staff, Kelley said. It sounds kind of odd, I know, but Marian is the type of person who takes such a personal interest in the people who come through the center that she just gets to know the people. After her family became involved with the center, Kelley was asked to join its board about two years ago. She recalled that Sokol begins board meeting by telling a story about a situation she has dealt with at the center they can learn from. I think that Marians true gift is that shes compassionate, Kelley said. Its a big organization, with lots of staff and counseling, but she never loses sight of why the center is there and what the mission of the center is, which is to help children through a very, very difficult time in their lives, and get them to a place where theyre able to cope. Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has declared Friday as an ozone action day for the San Antonio area. It will be second day this week with possibly harmful levels of ozone pollution. Young children, the elderly and others who have respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema are more vulnerable to ozones effects. People with such conditions are advised to stay indoors or limit outside activity. The body of a missing San Antonio woman feared dead after her boyfriend's family told police he confessed to beating her until she stopped breathing may have been found in Comal County. Police on Thursday identified the woman who has been missing since Saturday as Crystal Iris Garcia, 33. Police have not confirmed whether the body found is hers. Garcias boyfriend, Francisco Javier Garcia Ventura, 29, was named by police as a murder suspect in a news release Thursday. He was arrested Sunday before he could board a bus bound for Mexico City on suspicion of tampering with evidence based on statements made to police by family members, according to an affidavit supporting his arrest. On ExpressNews.com: SAPD arrest man boarding a bus to Mexico after family call in a tip over the death of his girlfriend San Antonio police said they found a body Wednesday night in the northern portion of Comal County with the help of New Braunfels police and the Comal County Sheriffs Office. The location is north of Canyon Lake near a road that leads to San Marcos, which is where family members told police that Ventura said he disposed of Garcias body. Police said Thursday that they were waiting for Central Texas Autopsy to confirm whether the body found is Garcias. Positive identification of the remains will take several days, they said. On Saturday, Garcias mother called police around 4:30 p.m. to conduct a welfare check on Garcia at her apartment in the 3700 block of Wurzbach road. She told police that Garcia did not answer her phone or pick up her two children. No one was at the apartment, and officers did not file a report, officials said. The arrest affidavit notes that officers found all the lights on in the apartment and Garcias car in the parking lot. On Sunday, police were alerted to a bus station in the 7900 block of U.S. Interstate 35 South for a family disturbance. Three of Venturas family members gave video recorded statements that he admitted to beating his girlfriend to death and getting rid of her body, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators tried talking to Ventura, but he asked for a lawyer after they asked him how he received scratches on his face. On ExpressNews.com: Convicted murderer from San Antonio added to Texas' Most Wanted List Ventura remains in the Bexar County Jail, charged with tampering with physical evidence. His bail is set at $200,000. Detectives also noted the welfare check and obtained a search warrant to search Garcias apartment. They found blood spatter on a bedroom wall and noticed that a security camera mounted on a kitchen wall had been removed. Crime scene investigators also used a chemical called Bluestar that revealed heavy bloodstains throughout the residence. The stains had been washed or wiped off, investigators said. Security camera footage from another apartment shows Ventura arriving at the apartment Friday, police said. He is also seen leaving with a heavy-duty garbage bag, investigators said. jbeltran@express-news.net For over a year now, mathematician Juan B. Gutierrez and his team at the UTSA Biomathematics Research Group have received local and national attention. Rightly so. They designed predictive models to calculate the spread of COVID-19. Their predictions have been deadly accurate. Under his Twitter handle, @biomathematicus, Gutierrez, 48, has held fast to this fact: Carriers of infectious disease spread illness while showing no symptoms themselves. Along with the unvaccinated, asymptomatic carriers have kept the pandemic viable. Transmission rates will remain steady through the year. But that focus, vital as it is, has overshadowed his personal story, an extraordinary immigration story that put him on a trajectory to become chair of the University of Texas at San Antonios math department. Gutierrez, a native of Colombia, arrived in Florida in January 2001 to work for a U.S. company as a computer programmer. When the firm first hired him in Cartagena, he said anyone who could write two lines of code could land a job there. He was desperate for work after having published three books, two of them experimental electronic ones that garnered him national awards in Colombia. Those works have been studied and, to date, have inspired about a dozen academic dissertations, he said. His third book, titled Extreme Conditions in its English translation, was a work of science fiction and was predictive, too, describing the environmental degradation were seeing today. But by 1999 and 2000, he couldnt make a living amid his countrys most violent period. Hes part of a generation of Colombian exiles scattered around the globe. In February 2000, Gutierrez had $10 left when he got that job in Cartagena. It was risky to travel there, given hed likely face guerrillas and roadblocks, which were common then. Instead, he found deserted roads and a river on fire, black smoke everywhere. The scene was surreal. Ultimately, the company asked if he wanted to go to the United States. Gutierrez had applied for visas to several countries, but his U.S. visa, reserved for what he called an alien of extraordinary ability, arrived first. He laughed at the absurdity. He arrived in Florida barely speaking English but fluent in computer. Gutierrez was still interested in a literary career and applied for a masters program in creative writing at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He had to list a second option. A month after being rejected from the creative writing program, the math department welcomed him. His masters degree was in biomedical mathematics. He studied all the time, sometimes sleeping in the library. He also drank a lot of coffee. He waited patiently for his permanent residency card, which he needed to create a company already poised to obtain a contract to create an app for the Spanish ministry of industry, he said. The contract was worth $100,000, half of it up front. He celebrated by quitting his job and happily headed to the library. He bought coffee. The barista told him he looked radiant. They were married in 2012 and have two kids, ages 3 and 7. Life became normal. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics. Before 2020 and the coronavirus, Gutierrez was researching asymptomatic infection in the context of malaria, the queen of infectious disease complexity, he said. In February 2020, the Biomathematics Research Group built a predictive model that included every county in the country. In July, it projected 50,000 to 200,000 additional coronavirus cases and 750 to 3,500 more deaths by years end in the San Antonio area. Since July, the area has seen 67,000 new cases and almost 600 new deaths. Those numbers are likely to rise as temperatures cool and more people gather indoors for holidays and events. Several members of his family have survived COVID. Two have died. Gutierrez has begun a new research project on disinformation, which he said has accelerated COVID infections, fueled by those defying safety measures and refusing vaccines. The United States was targeted with disinformation by foreign, state-sponsored actors with incendiary ideas on social media, he said. Its why the United States has racked up such death rates. He said the evil of disinformation has prevented people from making sensible conclusions even when presented with accurate data. On Twitter recently,@biomathematicus called disinformation the biggest scourge of our time. eayala@express-news.net On Dec. 13, 2000, George W. Bush addressed a bitterly divided nation. For five weeks, the 2000 presidential election had hung in the balance while he and Al Gore slugged it out in the courts over recounts of the impossibly tight Florida vote. Finally, with a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court shut down the recount process and handed the election to Bush. Bush, a Republican who was then in the middle of his second term as Texas governor, consciously chose the chamber of the Texas House of Representatives a legislative body controlled at the time by Democrats as the site for his victory speech. He realized many Democrats would be reluctant to accept his victory and he wanted to send them a conciliatory message. I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation, Bush said. The president of the United States is the president of every single American, of every race and every background. Whether you voted for me or not, I will do my best to serve your interests and I will work to earn your respect. Putting aside Bushs subsequent failures as a chief executive, and the messy process that put him in office, his victory speech was an admirable work of statesmanship. It carried a doctrine which should be fundamental to our system: elected officials serve all their constituents, not just the ones who agree with them on everything; and governance is the product of a dialogue between differing perspectives, not something that one side dumps on the head of the other. Chip Roy doesnt adhere to that doctrine. The second-term Republican congressman, whose district includes parts of San Antonio, Austin and the Hill Country, made it clear on Tuesday what he thinks of any Texan who doesnt share his culture-warrior fervor. It all started when David Simon, the acclaimed creator of The Wire, announced that because of a divisive new Texas law which bans abortions after six weeks, he was changing his plans to film a new HBO series in this state. Roy shot back with a one-word tweet: Good. Simons announcement came one day before 52 companies including Yelp, Lyft and Ben & Jerrys signed a letter denouncing the Texas abortion law. When a Texas resident responded to Roy by expressing concern that Texas Republicans were putting more emphasis on culture wars/red meat issues rather than economic development, Roy shot back, If we lose the culture, we lose jobs and our economy. If you dont like how we do things in Texas, leave. Quickly. With one short social-media post, Roy defined the mentality that has rotted away the foundation of Texas government. In Roys mind, a differing opinion is not something to be respected. Its grounds for expulsion from the state. According to Roy, in order to be a Texan, you have to adhere to his social-conservative agenda. If you dont, you need to get the hell out. Can you imagine Bush, in December 2000, telling Gore voters that they needed to get on the Bush train or leave the country? Many observers have noted that the political figures who tend to be driven most by an old-west fantasy vision of Texas machismo and carry the most rigid view of what it means to be Texan are the ones who moved here from other places: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a son of Maryland; former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, a former Florida congressman; and Roy, a Maryland native who grew up in Virginia. In their minds, there is only one way to be Texan and one worldview that is acceptable. The political evidence tells a different story. A recent poll by the Dallas Morning News showed that 35 percent of Texans consider themselves Republicans, 30 percent Democrats and 34 percent independents. The poll also showed that 57 percent of Texans define themselves as either moderate or liberal. Only 37 percent call themselves conservative. In last years presidential election, Republican incumbent Donald Trump received 52.1 percent of the Texas vote, compared to 46.5 percent for Democratic challenger Joe Biden. All of this suggests that while were a Republican-dominated state, were by no means a state where everyone is in lockstep with the GOP agenda. If you estimate that the current split among voting-age Texans is roughly 55-45 in favor of the GOP, Roy is kissing off 10 million Texans who see the world differently than he does. Rather than showing a modicum of respect for their ideas, hes telling them they dont belong here. I saw Roy, during his 2018 race with moderate Democrat Joseph Kopser, demonstrate an ability to engage in thoughtful, civil discussions with someone who didnt share his ideology. But, then again, I also saw him respond to a December 2020 tweet from then-President-elect Biden by saying, On day one I will tell you to kiss my ass. That must be how Virginians show that theyre Texans. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick makes so many asinine statements, responding to them can become repetitive and tedious. There is a certain broken element to his comments there he goes again. But this is exactly why the most egregious of his words merit rebuke. We respond to Patrick not because he is capable of change, much less insight into what he says, but because so often what he says about minorities and immigrants undermines the best tenets and ideals of America, and because it is important to give voice, especially here in Texas, to an alternative moral worldview. As, no doubt, many readers are aware, Patrick recently appeared on Laura Ingrahams Fox News show where he sounded the alarm about thousands of Haitian asylum-seekers sheltering under a bridge in South Texas, calling it an invasion, and then made the argument that immigrants are coming to take over the country as part of a silent revolution. (Democrats) are allowing this year probably 2 million (immigrants), thats who we apprehended, maybe another million, into this country, Patrick told Ingraham. At least in 18 years, even if they all dont become citizens before then and can vote, in 18 years, if every one of them has two or three children, youre talking about millions and millions and millions of new voters and they will thank the Democrats and Biden for bringing them here. Who do you think theyre going to vote for? Patrick continued: This is trying to take over our country without firing a shot. Many have observed these comments invoke the white supremacist theory known as the Great Replacement, which warns of demographic change. I cant speak to Patricks intent or awareness of the Great Replacement does he understand the implications of what he says? but his comments are as nonsensical as they are disturbing. After all, the Biden administration has been shamefully denying asylum claims under the veil of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that uses COVID-19 concerns to expel migrants. That sad fact a moral failure of the Biden administration raises profound questions about the veracity of Patricks narrative, but there is also something fundamentally broken in his fearful worldview. The United States is a nation rich in diversity. There is no taking over of the country because diversity is the country. We are brown, Black and white. We are Asian American, Native American, Jewish, Christian, Muslim and nonbelievers. We are men and women, LGBTQ and straight, liberal and conservative. This nation belongs to all, not simply viewers who worship at the altar of Fox News. Beyond this, who knows how future Americans may vote. Why should Patrick and company cede any voter? Rather than fear a takeover, why shouldnt Republicans such as Patrick make a case to new voters based on ideas, principles and policies? The future is unwritten. (But, oh, how I wish I could write a brighter one for Texas and our nation.) The striking backdrop to Patricks comments is how they were made at a time when Texas is the leading example of demographic change, with census data showing there were approximately 4 million new Texans last decade. About 3.8 million of these new Texans were minorities: mostly Latinos, Blacks and Asian Americans. In short order, Latinos will be the largest racial demographic in the state. Naturally, this demographic change wont be reflected in new congressional maps. Instead, the voting power of minorities, at least those who often vote Democratic, will be diluted. Look no further than the proposed new map for Senate District 24, clearly redrawn to serve our very own former state Sen. Pete Flores, an affable Patrick acolyte who lost his District 19 seat in 2020 and now plans to voila! run again. Texas has a long history of stifling minority voters and distorting representation. Now it can do so without the guardrail of federal preclearance, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Courts evisceration of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. And lets also not forget a 2019 ruling that partisan gerrymandering is a political question, which, as Chief Justice John Roberts said, is beyond the reach of federal courts. All of this is to say gerrymandering is how Patrick and those he inspires fight demographic change without firing a shot. Josh Brodesky is editorial page editor. Email him at jbrodesky@express-news.net. In video footage that went viral, a family of Haitian immigrants is seen crossing the Rio Grande to return to the migrant camp under the Del Rio International Bridge. A Border Patrol officer on horseback yells at a man, Hey, you use your women? This is why your countrys (expletive), because you use your women for this. It echoed former President Donald Trumps 2018 remarks in which he called African nations, Haiti and El Salvador shithole countries and said the U.S. should welcome immigrants from Norway instead of Haiti. Asked on CNN about his reaction to mounted officers attempting to corral desperate human beings as if they were cattle, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, said, Its a very desperate situation and theyre doing Gods work, fighting everything they can. Juxtaposed with those images, the freshman representatives comments were jarring and appeared callous in a way I dont believe Gonzales intended. Hes acknowledging the work and responsibilities of Border Patrol agents but not endorsing abuse, physical or verbal. The last thing any of us want to see is the mistreatment of anyone, to include migrants, Gonzales also said. But when you have tens of thousands of people and only hundreds of Border Patrol agents, it creates a very desperate situation. The thousands of Haitians in the Del Rio migrant camp is the latest reminder of the decades-long failure on immigration by Democrats and Republicans. In a later interview with Fox News to counter how his comment was characterized, Gonzales said, Bottom line is the Border Patrol agents, what I said was I said theyre doing Gods work, keeping our borders safe. He also said he wouldnt accept demonizing Border Patrol agents. Of course, hes right. No profession, group of people or individual should be demonized. And as disturbing and horrific as the images are, weve also seen images of Border Patrol agents risking their lives to save immigrants, including children, from drowning. But Gonzales knows, from the Bible he reads, that doing Gods work is expansive and inclusive, and is work rooted in love. Not only in loving God but in loving all of Gods children. Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me. Matthew 25:40 Doing Gods work includes saving lives, like those saved by Border Patrol agents. Doing Gods work also includes allowing immigrants, many fleeing for their lives, to find new opportunities to build new lives. When they were few, in number, of little account, and strangers in the land, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm. 1 Chronicles 16:19-22 Doing Gods work includes not demonizing and scapegoating immigrants but treating them with dignity and being reminded that most of us were once strangers in strange lands. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:9-10 In talking about border security in his Fox interview, Gonzales said, The last thing any of us should want is another 9/11-type event to occur. Again, hes correct. But on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the U.S. Senates Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the number of U.S. domestic terrorism cases under investigation by the agency has doubled since spring of 2020. Doing Gods work to keep our nation safe means taking the threats within our border as serious as the ones outside our borders. Its not Haitians wishing Americans harm. Its other Americans. In her novel The Farming of Bones, the Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat writes: Those who die young, they are cheated. Not cheated out of life because life is penance, but the young, theyre cheated because they dont know its coming. Doing what we can to save immigrants and their children from being cheated and dying young is doing Gods work. cary.clack@express-news.net COVID-19 misinformation is killing our loved ones. Anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, and the politicians and blowhards who coddle them are injecting doubts, lies and dread into the national dialogue. Its dishonest rhetoric thats mucking up the conversation and confusing our family members, neighbors, friends and co-workers. As a result, our communities are losing people who should still be with us. And the tragic irony is that since hospitals are so full of unvaccinated COVID patients, some treatments that could save the lives of other patients may not be available. Thats the pain Hernaldo Chavezs family is grappling with. The 34-year-old San Antonio man succumbed to complications from COVID-19 on Sept. 18 after a five-week battle with the disease. On ExpressNews.com: How to talk about COVID-19 vaccines with hesitant family and friends Chavezs story is a sad and familiar one. A healthy, unvaccinated person catches COVID, winds up in the hospital, seems to improve, takes a bad turn and never recovers. His course mightve been different if there were more capacity at a higher level of care, but San Antonio-area hospitals have faced severe stress as the delta variant ravages the unvaccinated. Chavezs family wishes hed gotten vaccinated. They hope his story their pain helps others realize the grave risk of avoiding the shot. But, of course, theres no consolation in hindsight. Chavezs terrifying journey took him from Texas Vista Medical Center, where his family couldnt visit, to Kindred Long Term Acute Care Hospital, where his wife, Martha Lozano, and other family members stayed by his side. Doctors didnt think hed make it past 24 hours on a ventilator, but he battled for 12 days. He was a big, strong guy who took care of everybody, his older brother Jesus Tony Chavez said. As Chavezs condition deteriorated, Lozano learned of a Hail Mary treatment called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO. On ExpressNews.com: Family remembers father, daughters who died of COVID-19 within days Doctors use ECMO for various severe heart and lung problems. ECMO machines oxygenate and circulate the patients blood, which takes stress off the patients heart and lungs and gives them time to heal. Only two local hospitals Methodist and Brooke Army Medical Center are treating COVID patients with ECMO. Add to that, ECMO requires an intensive care bed and a team of specialists. In some cases, we can reduce a patients chance of dying from 80 to 90 percent down to 30 to 40 percent, Air Force Col. Phillip Mason, BAMCs Adult ECMO program medical director, said in a release. According to Lozano, Chavezs doctor at Kindred supported the bid to transfer him to Methodist, but no ICU beds were available. If only we couldve got him there, she said, while realizing they mightve avoided the ordeal if hed gotten the vaccine. Methodist Healthcare has 28 ECMO machines, and according to Dr. Paul Hancock, the networks chief medical officer, they are operating at full utilization and new patients with respiratory failure from COVID and non-COVID illnesses are placed on ECMO as equipment becomes available. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: With deaths up, patience ends: Vaccine mandate right Transferring Chavez to BAMC wasnt an option. Lozano asked if they could move him somewhere else in Texas or another state, but doctors didnt think he could survive a longer move. He was extremely kind and had a heart of gold. His kids and family were his world, said Lozano, who also lost a 28-year-old nephew to COVID. It had been a year of big wins for Chavez, his brother told me. Earlier this year, he and Lozano bought a house and new vehicles. Hed recently earned a promotion at Toyota. Hes always been an extremely hard worker, very dedicated, his brother said. He reached his peak this last year. Tony Chavez said his brother always worked to bring the family together staying connected with their parents, Humberto and Alma Chavez, and sister, Erika Marino. And even though Tony Chavez lives in Brownsville, the brothers stayed close, talking about fishing, hunting and all things outdoors. On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: Two Afghans, but only one journey to safety Chavez was also a jack-of-all-trades, Lozano said. He taught himself to weld, worked construction and roofing he could do and fix anything. Like many others, this close-knit family had concerns about getting vaccinated. We were very nervous and scared and skeptical of it all, Lozano said. He was scared of it. Tony Chavez also harbored concerns, but once his brother was hospitalized, that changed. He went into the hospital on a Friday, he said. And I took all my immediate family to get vaccinated on Saturday. Chavezs services were Thursday, and now Lozano pleads for people to get vaccinated. What Im going through is a complete nightmare, she said. And I dont want people to go through this same situation. brandon.lingle@express-news.net A federal report reveals what some of us already knew: There arent enough Latinos in the media. Latinos have likely grown accustomed to disproportionate representation, but that doesnt mean we should accept it. The U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday found Latinos are vastly underrepresented in media. This is part of a crusade for U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio native and Democrat who has been meeting with media executives to advocate for greater Latino representation. On Tuesday, Castro told the National Press Club that Latinos are left out of Americas narrative. Hes right. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, more than 18 percent of all Americans are Hispanics and Latinos 64 percent in Texas but Hispanics made up an estimated 12 percent of workers in the media industry, compared with an estimated 18 percent of the rest of the workforce. Journalism groups also have been sounding this alarm, urging more robust Latino representation. Awareness is important, but what good is any of it if nothing ever changes or continues to worsen? The analysis of census data found little increase in recent years in the overall representation of Hispanics in the media industry, which remained at an estimated 11 to 12 percent from 2014-2019. This despite demographic growth. The media industry represented in the report is broad: newspapers, periodicals, books and directory publishers; motion pictures, video and sound recording; radio and television broadcasting; cable and other subscription programming; and other information services. Even more damning is the dearth of Latinos in leadership positions 4 percent of senior and executive management, and 7 percent of first- and midlevel management. Latinos need more equitable media representation. This is a critical time in our country deadly misinformation is rampant, and the need for quality, trustworthy news from journalists who represent their communities is imperative. There has been some change. On Sept. 4, Rebecca Aguilar became the first Latina national president of the Society of Professional Journalists in its 112-year history. Aguilar, a freelance journalist based in Dallas who has 40 years of journalism experience, said in a statement that continuing to bring new diverse voices to SPJ is important. I want everyone to know that SPJ is for ALL journalists, professors and student journalists, and that everyones differences and experiences should be shared to make us a better organization, Aguilar said. Excellent. But what took so long? Latinos will know times have changed when these moments are no longer rare but routine. The local picture of Latino representation and other people of color is mixed, and our community knows it. On June 4, I wrote about a San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists audit supported by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists that found a lack of Latino anchors at local TV news stations. In my column, I also wrote about diversity efforts at the Express-News. On June 11, Express-News Publisher Mark Medici announced the addition of myself and two other Latinas Nora Lopez, executive editor of news, and Jess Elizarraras, executive producer of MySA.com to the masthead, a historic change he said he had been working on for some time. In July, the contract of Isis Romero, a beloved KSAT News Latina anchor, was not renewed. In a stunning social media post, Romero said her 11-year run with KSAT ended July 12. Neither Romero nor the station said why she was let go, citing a nondisclosure agreement, but locals myself included still lament her departure. We cant afford to lose Latino journalists, especially those who are known and trusted. Why would anyone listen, watch or read journalism they dont deem relevant or trustworthy? Media organizations and companies must begin or continue to forge change by hiring and retaining Latino journalists, but they need help. Universities, colleges and high schools must step up to ensure there are always quality Latino journalists in the pipeline. The message that brown people can maintain a rewarding career in journalism must be clear but first, it must be true. Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net Some readers think that, as a Mexican American, I have a soft spot for Latino immigrants. These readers also assume that my views would harden if we confronted a wave of immigrants who were non-Latino. Well, here we are. Thousands of migrants and refugees are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas. And theyre not coming from Mexico or Central America. Theyre from Haiti. And Im facing a bit of a conundrum. I dont suppose the White House can help me sort this out. The Oval Office is overwhelmed. Its hard to say which is more chaotic: the madness at the U.S.-Mexico border, or the Biden administrations incoherent strategy for dealing with the madness at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the height of the crisis, which occurred around mid-September, an estimated 15,000 refugees most of them Haitians, including men, women, children and infants braved the brisk currents of the Rio Grande and waded ashore near Del Rio. These desperate souls camped under bridges until they figured out their next move. That move depended entirely on what U.S. authorities decided to do with these uninvited guests. Until a few days ago, the plan of U.S. authorities was simple: deport scores of people back to Haiti, as quickly and quietly as possible. Authorities told reporters that they were going to remove as many as 1,000 people per day on what will eventually be seven daily flights. There was even a rough timeline: according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the entire initiative could be carried out over nine or 10 days, which would take us to the beginning of October. Now we learn that the repatriating is already underway. More than 1,100 refugees have been deported back to Haiti without immigration lawyers, asylum hearings or due process of any kind. This must have been quite convenient for the Biden administration. It was also quite un-American. The system is already rigged to the point where only about 25 percent of asylum claims are victorious. Given that the chances are slim to none, its cruel and unfair to take away slim. Meanwhile, just the rumor of impending deportations was enough to send thousands of Haitians retreating back to Mexico. But, in all likelihood, theyll be back in Texas soon enough to try their luck again. Why not? The Biden administration changes its immigration policy on a whim, sending mixed signals to the desperate. First, Mayorkas announces that Haitians should not come to Texas, or they will be apprehended and sent home to Haiti. Then, a few days later, the DHS Secretary told reporters: Many of the individuals who we encounter claim asylum and have a right to have those asylum claims heard as our laws provide. Sure enough. Three U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have now disclosed to reporters that more than 1,000 Haitians were discreetly allowed to enter the United States as part of the legal asylum process and given notices to appear in immigration court within 60 days. The one thing that no one can explain, it seems, is how these life-altering decisions are made. Does the Border Patrol flip a coin? Some migrants go back to Port-au-Prince, while others get to go on to Portland? Many of those headed back to the Caribbean havent lived in Haiti for more than a decade. They left after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Theyve been living in South America, in countries such as Chile or Colombia. It makes no sense to send these poor people to a place they no longer recognize, where after a series of catastrophic earthquakes, floods and mudslides nothing awaits them but destruction and despair. Now back to my conundrum. It turns out I dont have one after all. Just because the Biden administration is inconsistent and flip-flops between contradictory policies confusing the Haitian migrants and everyone else doesnt mean I have to do the same. If they can make it to one of our borders or ports of entry, any desperate person in the world has the absolute right to plead their case and roll the dice in a U.S. asylum hearing. Of course, these people dont have the right to stay permanently in the United States. They must earn that. But they have the right to try. In America, thats how we roll. And it explains why this land of second chances is often the first choice for many of those searching for new lives. About that, we ought to be damn proud. Today it is common to read about migrant caravans forming in Central America and then traversing Mexico en route to the U.S.-Mexico border. These caravans are, however, a very recent phenomenon, having first emerged during the fall of 2018 as the border-crossing strategy of many Central American migrants changed. Historically, unlawful immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border followed a standard model. Often with the help of smugglers (coyotes), migrants would as surreptitiously and stealthily as possible cross the border and make their way to the closest large urban centers, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio and Houston, where they were guaranteed relative anonymity and safety from law enforcement. They then would either stay in these locales or head to their final destination elsewhere in the United States. Today, many migrants, especially those from Mexico and those with criminal records, still follow this well-trodden path. However, a growing number of migrants, especially from the Central American Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and most recently Haiti, have adopted a different immigration strategy. Instead of attempting to cross the Mexico-U.S. border undetected, these migrants actively seek out U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, officials to whom they surrender and request asylum. Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans continue to migrate to the United States in large numbers. While pull factors in the United States and push factors in their homelands both play a role in their migration decisions, the latter are most salient. Conditions that drive these Central Americans to migrate include neighborhoods infested with vicious criminal gangs; some of the highest murder rates in the world; corrupt and abusive police officers; weak rule of law; feckless and corrupt political institutions; and endemic poverty. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Biden's hypocritical, inhumane response to Haitian asylum seekers Under the former model of unlawful migration, a premium was placed on stealth and secrecy. Under this new model, there is no such concern for either, since the migrant plans to immediately surrender to CBP officers. Their goal is to initiate the process of seeking asylum in the United States. The asylum process, for those immigrants who are able to cross the first asylum hurdle, will on average take one to two years before the case is finally adjudicated in the United States overburdened immigration court system. And the migrants hope is that while their case is moving through the asylum process at a glacial pace, they will be able to legally live and work in the United States, potentially establishing roots that will allow them to remain even if their asylum request is denied. Migrant caravans are a product of this new immigration paradigm under which many immigrants are no longer concerned about being on the CBPs radar. These caravans are generally organized via social media, often at the initiative of criminal elements who profit from the caravans. Since 2018, dozens of other caravans have formed in Central America with the goal of reaching the United States, and, most recently, caravans have included large numbers of Haitians. Once migrants make the decision to pursue asylum immediately upon arrival in the United States, opting to travel in a caravan is appealing for three main reasons. First, by joining a caravan, migrants are able to substantially reduce the amount they would otherwise pay to smugglers to assist them either alone or in a small group. Second, migrants benefit from the safety of a large and visibly organized group. Migrants traveling from Central America to the United States have to run a gantlet of organized criminal gangs, corrupt police and random thugs, and during their trip they are constantly at risk of murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and extortion. While traveling in a caravan does not eliminate these threats, it does reduce them considerably. Third, by traveling in a caravan, migrants get on the radar of nonprofit organizations that provide assistance on their journey through Mexico. These nonprofits provide food and water, and, at times, secure shelter. The rate of formation and success of caravans in reaching the U.S.-Mexico border depends in part on the attitude of the Mexican government. When the Mexican government turns either a blind or supportive eye to the caravans, they form with greater frequency and generally reach their destination successfully. When, however, the Mexican authorities, normally at the request or demand of the U.S. government, either block the caravans at the Mexico-Guatemala border or break them up during their trip through Mexico, the caravans form with lesser frequency and most often do not reach their destination. In the case of the recent Haitian migrants, initially the Mexican government allowed the medium-size caravans to pass through the country unfettered on their way to the normally sedate border town of Ciudad Acuna across from Del Rio. On ExpressNews.com: 'Beyond repulsive': Twitter reacts to images of border agents on horseback chasing away Haitians However, due to the humanitarian and public relations crisis for the Biden administration created by the arrival of more than 10,000 Haitian immigrants in Del Rio, the Mexican authorities have once again begun to make the passage of caravans through Mexican territory more difficult, suggesting that, at least in the short term, we should expect to see a steep decline in their number. That said, as soon as the Haitian migration crisis disappears from the front page, the U.S. pressure on the Mexican government will weaken, and, once again caravans will form in Central America and depart for the United States. This reality underscores the continuing need for comprehensive immigration reform in the United States, reform that would simultaneously provide for a secure border but also a humane, equitable and expeditious processing and adjudication of asylum claims. Mark P. Jones is the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and Baker Institute Political Science Fellow, Rice University. Forget the American dream the shameful manner our country has treated asylum-seekers from Haiti is a nightmare. The expulsion of about 2,000 Haitian immigrants without due process for asylum is a stain on the Biden administration, just as it is monumentally hypocritical. After all, the administration has extended temporary protection status for Haitians who have been in the U.S. since July 29, citing gang violence, political instability, food insecurity and political chaos. And yet it flew thousands of asylum-seekers at the border back to these very conditions. The stunning and cruel images last week of some 15,000 Haitian immigrants at the Texas-Mexico border town of Del Rio were heartbreaking and disturbing. At least one U.S. Border Patrol agent on horseback appears to use his reins as a whip. RAICES Texas, an immigration nonprofit, compared border agents on horseback rounding up Haitians to slave patrols. While conservative critics of the Biden administration have labeled this caravan a surge and invasion, we see it as the culmination of an international humanitarian crisis, reflecting an administration that has failed to deliver on humane immigration reform. The Trump administration set the bar low for immigration family separation, Remain in Mexico, the use of Title 42 to expel asylum-seekers during the pandemic yet the Biden administration also continues to fail asylum-seekers. There is no justification for the harsh treatment of those who deserve due process. America sent thousands of Haitians to their ravaged country, which suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010, flash floods and mudslides; is plagued by gang violence, poverty and food insecurity; and has been rocked by the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, an authoritarian figure. According to a Houston Chronicle article by Elizabeth Trovall, recent unrest led to the exodus of some Haitians, but many who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border were living in South America, especially Chile. However, since 2016, tens of thousands of Haitians have left Chile and other Latin American countries because of changing immigration policies, unstable economies, racism and xenophobia, with many making their way to the United States. In his Feb. 2 statement outlining steps to reform the U.S. immigration system, Biden promised to keep families together, address the root causes of irregular migration and streamline the legal immigration system. But Biden has continued the Title 42 Trump-era policy that claims to limit the spread of the coronavirus by denying due process. In a Sept. 18 statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the majority of migrants continue to be expelled under Title 42: Our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey. By the end of the week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had said the Del Rio encampment had been cleared. But 2,000 migrants were expelled to Haiti and 8,000 are waiting in Mexico. Whats needed is for the nation to consistently honor the due process afforded to asylum-seekers and muster the political will to update asylum law, pass comprehensive immigration reform, and address the root causes of exodus. Wishful thinking, we know. But given how politicized immigration is in this nation, and how inconsistent the Biden administration is on this issue, wishful thinking is all we have. A humanitarian crisis merits a humanitarian response. The Big Lie of widespread voter fraud and the falsehood that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election took further root in Texas late Thursday night. This is an ominous sign for the 2022 and 2024 elections. Believers in democracy take notice. Hours after the twice-impeached former president publicly demanded Gov. Greg Abbott back legislation for a forensic audit of the 2020 election, the Texas Secretary of States office suddenly announced a comprehensive forensic audit of the results from four of the states largest counties. Never mind that Texas is currently without a secretary of state. Do try to forget that the last secretary of state, Ruth Ruggero Hughs, an Abbott appointee, told lawmakers last spring the 2020 election was smooth and secure. Ignore that Republicans won up and down the ballot in 2020, and Trump prevailed in Texas with a 5.6 point margin. What matters is that Trump wants an audit, and now Texas Republicans are bending to his will, sparing no taxpayer expense to give him what he wants. The phantom from the secretary of states office it has yet to be mentioned who issued the announcement said that four Texas counties Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant will be audited. President Joe Biden won all those except for Collin. Because Trump won Texas the audit will do nothing to change the Electoral College count or the results in a national election that President Joe Biden won by more than 7 million votes. There have been presidential candidates and incumbent presidents who lost narrower elections than Trump, but who didnt whine and pout. We wish we could say that Texas Republicans are giving Trump his audit as if it were a cookie to pacify an upset child, but what they are doing is more insidious and threatening to democracy. By sowing seeds of doubt about the 2020 Presidential election, Texas Republicans such as Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton are harvesting distrust for the 2022 and 2024 elections, should Democrats do well. In his letter, Trump says the issues that arise will affect 2022 and 2024. Trumps lie that he was cheated out of office has been rebuked by more than 80 judges, many of them appointed by him. His Justice Department found no evidence of voter fraud. On the same day that Texas announced the audits, it was reported that the nearly six-month audit of Arizonas vote had been completed and reaffirmed Bidens win. In fact, the audit widened Bidens victory margin. Trumps bullying of Abbott in the letter, demanding that the governor act now and that this must be done this week underscores Abbotts political cowardice. What kind of governor, what type of leader, allows a private citizen living in another state to dictate an action so potentially harmful to faith in democracy? Abbott, always quick with a tweet or photo op, has been quiet in response to Trumps letter as well as to the announcement coming out of the Secretary of States office. Those who believe in democracy should be on edge. As political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt noted in their book How Democracies Die: When societies divide into partisan camps with profoundly different worldviews, and when those differences are viewed as existential and irreconcilable, political rivalry can devolve into partisan hatred. Parties come to view each other not as legitimate rivals, but as dangerous enemies. Losing ceases to be an accepted part of the political process and instead becomes a catastrophe. An audit of the 2020 election is absurd, but it also sets a dangerous precedent for 2022 and 2024. This is a disgrace. OKLAHOMA CITY Ianthe Davis ended her bartending shift at 4 a.m. one recent morning in Dallas. An hour later, a friend picked her up and drove her three hours up Interstate 35 to this capital city so she could get an abortion a procedure that became almost impossible to obtain in her home state of Texas after a new law went into effect this month. At a clinic in Oklahoma City, Davis was treated by another woman who was far from home, Dr. Rebecca Taub. The obstetrician and gynecologist travels once a month from her home in the East Bay to the small clinic, where she performs dozens of abortions over the course of two days. After the procedure, Davis and her friend turned around and drove home. As a bartender, Davis said, If I dont work, I dont make money. A Texas woman, an Oklahoma clinic and a California doctor: The scene offered a snapshot of the landscape under the Texas law that bans nearly all abortions after an embryonic heartbeat is detected usually around six weeks and makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse or incest. The new law also enables private citizens to sue anyone who either performs an abortion or aids and abets one and collect $10,000 plus their legal fees if they win the case. The law has narrow exceptions to protect the life of the mother or if continuing a pregnancy would cause substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. The Chronicle spoke to several women on a recent weekend who traveled from Texas to a one-story, mustard-brick building in suburban Oklahoma City called the Trust Women clinic, where Taub has been working. Clinic officials said they have seen a roughly 50% increase in patients overall since the new legislation took effect, including 110 women from Texas over the past seven days. That is as many as visited the clinic during all of August. The length of Davis journey is not unusual. Before the ban, the average woman of childbearing age in Texas lived 17 miles from the nearest abortion provider, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. Now, the average driving distance is 247 miles. The Texans most affected by the new law will be women of color, who constitute 70% of those who received abortions in 2019, according to Guttmacher. Abortion access is so limited in Dallas, the nations ninth-largest city, that Davis contacted a clinic there before the law took effect this month but was turned away. They said they wouldnt be able to perform the procedure, she said. Demand for the clinic was so strong that she would have been 14 weeks pregnant by the time an appointment was available. The new law confused Davis. She feared telling many people about her situation because if you do, you might get charged or something like that. I know there are $10,000 rewards for people who supply information about women obtaining abortions, she said. She had heard of clinics in Arkansas and New Mexico that were seeing patients, but Trust Women was closer. When she arrived in Oklahoma City, she was just a few days over six weeks pregnant. Davis said she understands placing limits on abortion. Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that provided women the right to have an abortion, permits the procedure until about 24 weeks, when the fetus can survive outside the womb. I do understand putting a limit, I get that part, said Davis, 27. Most people dont find out because its like, soon as hell. And then there are people who were raped. Davis had a supportive family and a friend willing to drive her to a clinic. But she said she knows other Texas women who, because they cant afford to travel out of state, are trying scientifically dubious methods of pregnancy termination that are popular online, like taking large amounts of vitamin C. But that just didnt sound that effective to me, she said. So I made the drive. She worried about the extreme measures that others confronting unwanted pregnancies might attempt. Its probably gonna get bad, Davis said. I mean, I heard one girl tried to drink bleach. The U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Texas to try to block the abortion law, saying it violates womens constitutional rights by creating an undue burden on those who want to have an abortion. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Texas. Until then, a steady stream of women like Davis will continue coming to the Trust Women clinic, where they will be greeted by doctors like Taub. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The 35-year-old East Bay obstetrician and gynecologist, clad in blue surgical scrubs, performs roughly two dozen abortions a day when she is in town because it is difficult for the clinic to recruit local doctors, a common situation in states where the procedure is culturally shunned and women are required to scale many hurdles to obtain one. To Taub, this is a form of activism. After seeing out-of-state patients and calls to the Oklahoma City clinic swell after the Texas law passed two-thirds of the calls to the clinic inquiring about services are now from the neighboring state she wants to do more. On this day, the waiting room was full of women seeking services they couldnt find close to home. The clinics halls and waiting rooms were full of affirming messages, including posters saying, We Love You! Everyone Loves Someone Who Had an Abortion and Prove Them Wrong. Theres an urgency to the work that people who work with the clinic follow because theyre activists and they believe in this work, Taub said. Since the Texas law took effect, her work has definitely taken on a new urgency. The people who work at the clinic see the urgency in the faces of women like Daffnay McCoy. She, too, had an appointment for an abortion scheduled in Dallas. But she said that when the law took effect, clinic providers there explained that things had changed: They could give her a sonogram, they said, but wouldnt perform an abortion. It kind of kind of freaked me out. McCoy said. I got hysterical and started panicking. I was hallucinating like I was going crazy. She said she has suffered from depression in the past and was worried that not being able to secure an abortion was about to bring me back to that dark place. McCoy was already so stressed by her job in the payroll department for a Texas company, she said, that she had been suffering minor seizures. She has two children and felt she wouldnt be able to adequately care for another. She said she is no longer with the father of her two children who also impregnated her most recently though he drove her to the clinic along with their children. McCoy said she wouldnt have known she was even pregnant if she hadnt gone to the hospital because she was ill. But at that time, I was already past six weeks, she said. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Once she arrived in Oklahoma City, wearing a T-shirt that said Fierce and Fabulous, she said she summoned an inner strength. She wished people who wrote the Texas law or those who criticize women for having abortions would be more empathetic toward women with unwanted pregnancies. You dont know how this life came about. You dont know if someone has been raped. Or if someone is going through an illness or a mental(ly unstable) state of mind. You just never know, she said. So to be on the safe side. I just feel as though no one should be obligated to make decisions for another individual. It just doesnt make sense. Judith said she felt the same way. The 33-year-old nurses assistant, who asked that her last name not be used because she does not want her family to know about her abortion, was five weeks along when she learned she was pregnant too far along to find a clinic that could accommodate her before the onset of the laws time limits. She left her home in Houston at 6:30 a.m. so she could arrive at the Oklahoma City clinic in time for her surgical procedure. She completed the 6-hour drive alone, but said it wasnt bad. I prayed. And I listened to my gospel music. It was worth it, she said, because she didnt feel healthy enough to have another child. She has diabetes, and her partner has kidney problems that will soon require dialysis. Plus, she already has four children. We both are sickly people. Were just not well, Judith said. If anything happens to us, whos gonna take care of our baby? Courtney, who also asked to be identified only by her first name, drove three hours to the clinic from a small town near Dallas. She was eight weeks pregnant. The 20-year-olds reasons for seeking an abortion were both personal and medical. She feared that if her devoutly Catholic family learned she was pregnant and unmarried, they would isolate me from the rest of the family. So going to term with this is not an option for me. She also has a medical condition that causes seizures, which had increased since she became pregnant. And so with that Im scared that being pregnant while having seizures could end my life, she said. She tried to find a clinic in Texas, but all of them said that they wouldnt do it because of the heartbeat bill, she said. Adding to her stress was a clutch of anti-abortion demonstrators beyond the 6-foot-high wooden picket stockade fence that surrounds the Oklahoma City clinic. As she walked inside, she said she heard them say, Youre committing murder. Youre sinning. If you need money, or a prayer, we can help. Your baby can be put up for adoption. Im sitting there having to bite my tongue. Literally having to bite my tongue to keep from speaking, she said. My arms are shaking, my hands are shaking, not even able to ignore them, because my emotions were being stirred up. Trust Women clinic officials are expecting the flood of Texas women driving north to grow. Theyre considering expanding their hours and adding staff, and are trying to recruit more doctors like Taub even if they have to pay to fly them into town. On Nov. 1, a similar fetal heartbeat bill is scheduled to take effect in Oklahoma. Abortion rights organizations are attempting to block it. Since the Texas ruling, Taub said some of her California colleagues have asked her about traveling to clinics like she does. But she has more immediate concerns about her patients once they leave Oklahoma and drive home to Texas. There are so many unknowns in how this law can and will be enforced that I am concerned that pharmacists in Texas may not fill prescriptions that they know come from an abortion clinic, even though they are not the medications that are going to enact the abortion, Taub said, referring to ibuprofen and anti-nausea medication she prescribes. Her advice to patients before they head back to Texas: I told them that they had to fill their prescriptions in Oklahoma. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer, and Gabrielle Lurie is a staff photographer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, glurie@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli, @gabriellelurie When the ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote that a perfect society could only exist if it were ruled by philosopher kings, did he have someone like Matthew McConaughey in mind? McConaughey seems to think so, as the Oscar-winning actor continues to muse about a potential bid against Gov. Greg Abbott. Its just, Im more of a folksy, philosopher, poet-statesman than I am a per-se definitive politician, McConaughey said this week in an appearance on the Set it Straight: Myths and Legends podcast hosted by members of the Texas-based band Midland. So I go Well thats a reason not to, but then I go Oh, well thats exactly why you should. Because politics needs redefinition. Asked if he was considering a bid against Abbott, McConaughey who calls himself a centrist but has not disclosed his political affiliation said hes measuring it and he intends to serve in some capacity even if its in a whole new category that I just create. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox McConaughey's Hollywood career has spanned roughly 30 years. He grew famous playing a 20-something who hung out in bars and hit on high school girls, became a staple in romantic comedies across the aughts, then pivoted to serious dramas during a period he has referred to as the McConaissance, winning the Oscar for best actor in 2014. He appeared on the podcast promoting Greenlights, a book he published last year about how to find success and happiness in life. There has been a tsunami of media speculation this year about whether McConaughey would run for governor, with Politico reporting in May that hed made phone calls and was considering it. The actor added fuel to the fire on the Fourth of July when he posted a heartfelt video saying America was going through puberty and calling for unity in the country. A recent poll from the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler found McConaughey out in front of Abbott by a few points. Former U.S. Senate candidate Beto ORourke is also reportedly strongly considering a run. But time is a flat circle as McConaughey said in 2014 because nothing has really changed since this spring. The actor has not committed one way or another. Im measuring what is my category, what is my embassy, because I have to remain a storyteller. Ive been given that gift. I love doing it, I have to remain an artist I have earned the right to enjoy that Saturday night part of life, that music part of life, McConaughey said. edward.mckinley@chron.com OKLAHOMA CITY Ianthe Davis ended her bartending shift at 4 a.m. one recent morning in Dallas. An hour later, a friend picked her up and drove her three hours up Interstate 35 to this capital city so she could get an abortion a procedure that became almost impossible to obtain in her home state of Texas after a new law went into effect this month. At a clinic in Oklahoma City, Davis was treated by another woman who was far from home, Dr. Rebecca Taub. The obstetrician and gynecologist travels once a month from her home in the East Bay to the small clinic, where she performs dozens of abortions over the course of two days. After the procedure, Davis and her friend turned around and drove home. As a bartender, Davis said, If I dont work, I dont make money. A Texas woman, an Oklahoma clinic and a California doctor: The scene offered a snapshot of the landscape under the Texas law that bans nearly all abortions after an embryonic heartbeat is detected usually around six weeks and makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse or incest. The new law also enables private citizens to sue anyone who either performs an abortion or aids and abets one and collect $10,000 plus their legal fees if they win the case. The law has narrow exceptions to protect the life of the mother or if continuing a pregnancy would cause substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. The Chronicle spoke to several women on a recent weekend who traveled from Texas to a one-story, mustard-brick building in suburban Oklahoma City called the Trust Women clinic, where Taub has been working. Clinic officials said they have seen a roughly 50% increase in patients overall since the new legislation took effect, including 110 women from Texas over the past seven days. That is as many as visited the clinic during all of August. The length of Davis journey is not unusual. Before the ban, the average woman of childbearing age in Texas lived 17 miles from the nearest abortion provider, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. Now, the average driving distance is 247 miles. The Texans most affected by the new law will be women of color, who constitute 70% of those who received abortions in 2019, according to Guttmacher. Abortion access is so limited in Dallas, the nations ninth-largest city, that Davis contacted a clinic there before the law took effect this month but was turned away. They said they wouldnt be able to perform the procedure, she said. Demand for the clinic was so strong that she would have been 14 weeks pregnant by the time an appointment was available. The new law confused Davis. She feared telling many people about her situation because if you do, you might get charged or something like that. I know there are $10,000 rewards for people who supply information about women obtaining abortions, she said. She had heard of clinics in Arkansas and New Mexico that were seeing patients, but Trust Women was closer. When she arrived in Oklahoma City, she was just a few days over six weeks pregnant. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Davis said she understands placing limits on abortion. Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that provided women the right to have an abortion, permits the procedure until about 24 weeks, when the fetus can survive outside the womb. I do understand putting a limit, I get that part, said Davis, 27. Most people dont find out because its like, soon as hell. And then there are people who were raped. Davis had a supportive family and a friend willing to drive her to a clinic. But she said she knows other Texas women who, because they cant afford to travel out of state, are trying scientifically dubious methods of pregnancy termination that are popular online, like taking large amounts of vitamin C. But that just didnt sound that effective to me, she said. So I made the drive. She worried about the extreme measures that others confronting unwanted pregnancies might attempt. Its probably gonna get bad, Davis said. I mean, I heard one girl tried to drink bleach. The U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Texas to try to block the abortion law, saying it violates womens constitutional rights by creating an undue burden on those who want to have an abortion. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Texas. Until then, a steady stream of women like Davis will continue coming to the Trust Women clinic, where they will be greeted by doctors like Taub. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The 35-year-old East Bay obstetrician and gynecologist, clad in blue surgical scrubs, performs roughly two dozen abortions a day when she is in town because it is difficult for the clinic to recruit local doctors, a common situation in states where the procedure is culturally shunned and women are required to scale many hurdles to obtain one. To Taub, this is a form of activism. After seeing out-of-state patients and calls to the Oklahoma City clinic swell after the Texas law passed two-thirds of the calls to the clinic inquiring about services are now from the neighboring state she wants to do more. On this day, the waiting room was full of women seeking services they couldnt find close to home. The clinics halls and waiting rooms were full of affirming messages, including posters saying, We Love You! Everyone Loves Someone Who Had an Abortion and Prove Them Wrong. Theres an urgency to the work that people who work with the clinic follow because theyre activists and they believe in this work, Taub said. Since the Texas law took effect, her work has definitely taken on a new urgency. The people who work at the clinic see the urgency in the faces of women like Daffnay McCoy. She, too, had an appointment for an abortion scheduled in Dallas. But she said that when the law took effect, clinic providers there explained that things had changed: They could give her a sonogram, they said, but wouldnt perform an abortion. It kind of kind of freaked me out. McCoy said. I got hysterical and started panicking. I was hallucinating like I was going crazy. She said she has suffered from depression in the past and was worried that not being able to secure an abortion was about to bring me back to that dark place. McCoy was already so stressed by her job in the payroll department for a Texas company, she said, that she had been suffering minor seizures. She has two children and felt she wouldnt be able to adequately care for another. She said she is no longer with the father of her two children who also impregnated her most recently though he drove her to the clinic along with their children. McCoy said she wouldnt have known she was even pregnant if she hadnt gone to the hospital because she was ill. But at that time, I was already past six weeks, she said. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Once she arrived in Oklahoma City, wearing a T-shirt that said Fierce and Fabulous, she said she summoned an inner strength. She wished people who wrote the Texas law or those who criticize women for having abortions would be more empathetic toward women with unwanted pregnancies. You dont know how this life came about. You dont know if someone has been raped. Or if someone is going through an illness or a mental(ly unstable) state of mind. You just never know, she said. So to be on the safe side. I just feel as though no one should be obligated to make decisions for another individual. It just doesnt make sense. Judith said she felt the same way. The 33-year-old nurses assistant, who asked that her last name not be used because she does not want her family to know about her abortion, was five weeks along when she learned she was pregnant too far along to find a clinic that could accommodate her before the onset of the laws time limits. She left her home in Houston at 6:30 a.m. so she could arrive at the Oklahoma City clinic in time for her surgical procedure. She completed the 6-hour drive alone, but said it wasnt bad. I prayed. And I listened to my gospel music. It was worth it, she said, because she didnt feel healthy enough to have another child. She has diabetes, and her partner has kidney problems that will soon require dialysis. Plus, she already has four children. We both are sickly people. Were just not well, Judith said. If anything happens to us, whos gonna take care of our baby? Courtney, who also asked to be identified only by her first name, drove three hours to the clinic from a small town near Dallas. She was eight weeks pregnant. The 20-year-olds reasons for seeking an abortion were both personal and medical. She feared that if her devoutly Catholic family learned she was pregnant and unmarried, they would isolate me from the rest of the family. So going to term with this is not an option for me. She also has a medical condition that causes seizures, which had increased since she became pregnant. And so with that Im scared that being pregnant while having seizures could end my life, she said. She tried to find a clinic in Texas, but all of them said that they wouldnt do it because of the heartbeat bill, she said. Adding to her stress was a clutch of anti-abortion demonstrators beyond the 6-foot-high wooden picket stockade fence that surrounds the Oklahoma City clinic. As she walked inside, she said she heard them say, Youre committing murder. Youre sinning. If you need money, or a prayer, we can help. Your baby can be put up for adoption. Im sitting there having to bite my tongue. Literally having to bite my tongue to keep from speaking, she said. My arms are shaking, my hands are shaking, not even able to ignore them, because my emotions were being stirred up. Trust Women clinic officials are expecting the flood of Texas women driving north to grow. Theyre considering expanding their hours and adding staff, and are trying to recruit more doctors like Taub even if they have to pay to fly them into town. On Nov. 1, a similar fetal heartbeat bill is scheduled to take effect in Oklahoma. Abortion rights organizations are attempting to block it. Since the Texas ruling, Taub said some of her California colleagues have asked her about traveling to clinics like she does. But she has more immediate concerns about her patients once they leave Oklahoma and drive home to Texas. There are so many unknowns in how this law can and will be enforced that I am concerned that pharmacists in Texas may not fill prescriptions that they know come from an abortion clinic, even though they are not the medications that are going to enact the abortion, Taub said, referring to ibuprofen and anti-nausea medication she prescribes. Her advice to patients before they head back to Texas: I told them that they had to fill their prescriptions in Oklahoma. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer, and Gabrielle Lurie is a staff photographer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, glurie@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli, @gabriellelurie STILLWATER, N.Y. (AP) Military veterans who carefully dug and sifted through clumps of dirt this month at a Revolutionary War battlefield in New York did more than uncover artifacts fired from muskets and cannons. The meticulous field work gave the veterans some dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries a familiar sense of camaraderie and mission. So while the archaeological dig at the Saratoga National Historical Park produced evidence from the tide-turning Second Battle of Saratoga, the teamwork behind the finds also benefited the veterans. We can all come together, share your battle stories, your deployment stories, and share your love for the history of what youre digging," said Bjorn Bruckshaw, of Laconia, New Hampshire, during a break on a recent hazy morning. Bruckshaw, 38, was part of a three-person crew that spent the morning digging small holes at spots that set off metal detectors, then searching though the damp clumps to uncover ... old nails, mostly. But the self-described Revolutionary War buff was loving it. Bruckshaw, an Army veteran injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq, is among 15 veterans taking part in the dig through American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, an organization that helps service members transition into the civilian world. While the group deals mostly with vets with disabilities, their focus is on what participants can do in the field instead of any injuries, said AVAR's Stephen Humphreys. In the military you're trained to be on time for everything," Bruckshaw said. So transitioning into the civilian world is a little bit harder for a lot of people. For me, it was a little bit difficult suffering from TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD from my combat injuries. But you have support groups like these. National Park Service archaeologist William Griswold said the team is looking for artifacts that shed more light on the Battle of Bemis Heights, or the Second Battle of Saratoga, on Oct. 7, 1777. The American victory over British and German soldiers is credited with persuading France to lend crucial support the fight for independence. The battle also burnished the heroic resume of future traitor Benedict Arnold, who was wounded in the leg and is memorialized here with a monument to his boot. While maps and journal accounts from the time describe troop movements during that fateful battle, artifacts can pinpoint movements and provide a reality check. For instance, historians know the British at Saratoga loaded their cannons with tin canisters packed with iron balls, or case shot, that spread out like shotgun blasts. Locations of the buried iron balls found here are being used to deduce more precisely where the cannons fired from. Its a good way to check a lot of these textual sources because in the fog of battle, people often make mistakes or embellish things, Griswold said. Field work was first conducted here in 2019, with supervision from the National Park Service's regional archaeology program. The American Battlefield Trust is a sponsor. Work was interrupted by the pandemic last year, but crews with shovels and metal detectors were back this month and wrapping up this week. Its partially about the chase, said veteran Megan Lukaszeski. You never know what youre going to find. You could dig and you could find nothing, or you could dig and find the most amazing things. After retiring from the Air Force, Lukaszeski went to school to study archaeology. The 36-year-old from New York has already taken part in AVAR excavations to recover remains at WWII crash sites in England and Sicily through the group's partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. She plans to get her master's degree and pursue archaeology professionally. For others, the work is more a chance to learn about archaeology while having some fun. Former Army Col. Tim Madere once hunted for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This month, the 68-year-old sifted dirt through a screen in a hunt for artifacts and shared laughs with other workers. The Savannah, Georgia-area resident said he has gotten over most of his PTSD, but believes you can never totally get rid of it. He sees this sort of field work as a good way for people to manage it. You hear their stories and then you tell yours so that we kind of get a better appreciation of what all these Americans did to protect the United States, he said. So its good to see other people, and theyre doing well. JERUSALEM (AP) In an unusually harsh speech, President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. He threatened to withdraw recognition of Israel a cornerstone of three decades of failed peace efforts if it failed to do so. Abbas delivered the vague ultimatum in a long, prerecorded address to the U.N. General Assembly in which he accused Israel of apartheid and ethnic cleansing, explosive terms rarely employed by the 85-year-old leader, who has long been committed to a two-state solution. If the Israeli occupation authorities continue to entrench the reality of one apartheid state as is happening today, our Palestinian people and the entire world will not tolerate such a situation," Abbas said. Circumstances on the ground will inevitably impose equal and full political rights for all on the land of historical Palestine, within one state. A one-state solution, while popular with some Israeli and Palestinian activists, would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish-majority state. No major Israeli or Palestinian party supports such an outcome. Abbas spoke against a backdrop showing the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, a flashpoint holy site sacred to Muslims and Jews, and a series of maps of the region showing Israel's territorial expansion over several decades of war and conflict. He said he was willing to negotiate final borders over the coming year but that if Israel did not ultimately end its occupation of territories seized in the 1967 war, then he would reconsider recognition of Israel. If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders?" Abbas said. He also threatened to confront Israel at the International Court of Justice. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. said Abbas had proved once again that he is no longer relevant. Those who truly support peace and negotiations do not threaten delusional ultimatums from the U.N. platform as he did in his speech, Gilad Erdan said in a statement. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab countries, territories the Palestinians want for their future state. It annexed east Jerusalem in a move not internationally recognized and withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005. The Islamic militant group Hamas won parliamentary elections a year later and seized Gaza from Abbas' forces in a bloody power struggle in 2007. Israel has made various offers over the years that it says would have given the Palestinians independence in most of the territories. But the Palestinians always the weaker negotiating party said each proposal fell short of granting them full statehood and resolving other core issues, like the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem. Palestinian recognition of Israel was the foundation of the 1993 Oslo accords that launched the Middle East peace process. Talks ground to a halt more than a decade ago, and Israel's current prime minister, Naftali Bennett, is opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is still widely seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict. Abbas' harsh rhetoric reflects widespread Palestinian frustration with the moribund peace process. But it could also be seen as a way of burnishing his nationalist credentials at home, where he faces a major backlash from Palestinians frustrated by his long rule and the increasingly authoritarian Palestinian Authority. A poll released this week found that nearly 80% of Palestinians want him to resign. Abbas' presidential mandate expired in 2009, but he has continued as head of the PA, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Abbas canceled the first Palestinian elections in 15 years back in April when it appeared his Fatah party would suffer an embarrassing loss. He was largely sidelined during the 11-day Gaza war in May, when support for his militant Hamas rivals soared. The death of a prominent critic of the PA while in the custody of Palestinian security forces in June sparked widespread protests in which the security forces beat and arrested several demonstrators. But Abbas is still viewed internationally as the representative of the Palestinian cause and a vital partner in the peace process. His forces coordinate security with Israel, targeting Hamas and other militant groups that both view as a threat a policy that has contributed to his unpopularity. Abbas has made veiled threats before, and is unlikely to follow through with the kind of drastic political decision that would spell the end of the PA, which was created through the Oslo accords. His government also relies heavily on aid from the international community, which remains committed to a negotiated two-state solution. ROME (AP) Tiny San Marino is one of the last countries in Europe which forbids abortion in any circumstance a ban that dates from 1865. On Sunday, its citizens can vote in a referendum calling for abortion to be made legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The ballot proposal also calls for abortion to be permitted beyond that point if the womans life is in danger or if her physical or psychological health are at risk due to fetal anomalies or malformations. Women in San Marino seeking an abortion currently go to neighboring Italy, which legalized the procedure in 1978. San Marino is one of the worlds oldest republics and has a population of some 33,000. The referendum was set for Sunday after some 3,000 Sammarinesi, as its citizens are called, signed a petition drive. About 65% of signatories are women, said Karen Pruccoli, a San Marino entrepreneur who spearheaded the drive. We had asked the political sphere to make a law'' legalizing abortion, Pruccoli said in a telephone interview Thursday. When we realized that the political sphere didn't want to enact a law, we decided to have the referendum. No opinion polls have been conducted. If Yes votes prevail, San Marino's Parliament will need to legalize abortion. Antonella Mularoni, who leads the No camp, noted that in San Marino, women, including minors, can receive free contraception at pharmacies as well as the so-called morning-after pill. But all abortion, for whatever reason, is a crime in San Marino, she stressed, and her campaign aims to keep it that way. When Sammarinesi go to Italy to access health care that might not be available in their homeland say, a transplant their public health service reimburses them, but not for abortion since it's a crime in San Marino. The Yes camp says that puts a financial burden on San Marino citizens who must go to Italy for an abortion. Critics of San Marino's abortion ban say it also penalizes women who have been raped. If you are prevented or if your access to the support services is hampered because of the stigma you may fear that because you dont want to make it known that you do not intend to carry on with the pregnancy then its even less likely that you will turn to the police and report the rape, said Joanna Nelles, executive secretary of the Council of Europe's monitoring mechanism for the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women. Nelles spoke with the AP in a phone interview Thursday. Younger women in San Marino tend to be more favorable toward abortion rights, Mularoni acknowledged. Many of the girls go to school in Italy. They consider (abortion) an acquired right. Pruccoli said young men in San Marino are supportive as well. "They study in Italy, they study abroad. They are more forward-thinking. They understand that San Marino can't have a law that's more than 150 years old,'' she said, referring to the 1865 ban on abortion. Other tiny countries in Europe are considering easing abortion bans. This spring, a lawmaker in European Union member nation Malta presented a bill to scrap part of the criminal code that makes abortion a crime punishable with up to three years in prison. The provision is rarely enforced, with the last known jailing for abortion occurring in 1980, according to Maltese officials. In Gibraltar, a tiny British territory on Spain's southern tip, voters in June endorsed legislative changes to ease an abortion ban and allow the procedure up to the 12th week of pregnancy if a doctor deems the woman's physical or mental health is at risk or if there is risk of a fatal fetal abnormality. Andorra, a microstate bordering Spain and France, has a total ban on abortion. Italy's abortion law, fiercely lobbied against by the Catholic church, allows health personnel to refuse to perform abortions for reasons of conscience. In some southern regions, as many as 80% of gynecologists have claimed conscientious objector status, leaving a shortage of available personnel, particularly in rural areas. These percentages (for objectors) are higher than those for practicing Catholics in Italy'' said Mularoni, who leads the No" camp ahead of the referendum. She attributes Italian doctors' refusal to perform abortions to them seeing sonograms that show fetal organs. "It's not just an argument of being Catholic,'' she said. Catholic teaching forbids abortion. Rights were slow to come for women in San Marino. They received the right to vote in 1960. A 1982 referendum seeking to end a law which stripped San Marino women of their citizenship if they married a foreigner failed. The law was later changed to allow them to keep their citizenship. ___ Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) A northern Virginia doctor pleaded guilty Friday to a nearly $2 million health care fraud scheme that involved medically unnecessary pain and scar creams. Leonard Rosen, 72, of Fairfax Station, has been a practicing obstetrician in the area since 1980. He admitted at a plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria that he struck a deal with a pharmacist to prescribe expensive compounded pain and scar creams and to direct those prescriptions to his pharmacies. Rosen received a kickback on the prescriptions. The scheme cost insurers $1.8 million. The pharmacist, Mohamed Abdalla, 48, of Allendale, New Jersey, was sentenced earlier this year to four years in prison. Rosen is scheduled to be sentenced in December. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. In the 1960s, California birthed the college-free-speech revolution. Today, some of its students clamor for restrictions on campus speech. According to a new survey, California in keeping with its mixed history on free-speech issues is home to both the nations best school for free expression and one of its worst. Claremont McKenna College and California State University, Fresno were two of the 159 colleges and universities profiled in the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings, a project sponsored by RealClearEducation, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and the research firm College Pulse. Over 37,000 students responded to questions about their views on campus speech. Sponsors used the survey responses to compile a composite score for each participating school. The rankings provide prospective students and their families with a valuable resource to evaluate a schools commitment to free expression. The top-ranked school in the 2021 Free Speech Rankings was Claremont McKenna College (CMC), a small liberal-arts college in southern California with fewer than 2,000 undergraduates. It topped second-ranked University of Chicago by almost full two points on the Rankings 100-point scale. Dialogue and debate are central to CMCs culture. The school sponsors The Athenaeum, a public-affairs program that brings a range of speakers to campus to meet with students and discuss important political and cultural issues. It dedicates several pages on its website to affirming and explaining the schools commitment to free expression. According to the Free Speech Survey, 54 percent of CMC students surveyed felt it was very or extremely clear that the administration protected free speech on campus. Eighty-nine percent of students believed that, in a speech-related controversy, CMC administrators would likely defend a speakers right to express his views. A review of recent history at CMC shows why students may have formed this perception. In 2017, CMC president Hiram Chodosh rebuked students for blocking the entrance to an Athenaeum lecture by conservative commentator Heather Mac Donald. The school later suspended five students for blocking the speech and posted Mac Donalds talk in full on the CMC website. In the end, the effort to silence [Mac Donalds] voice effectively amplified it to a much larger audience, Chodosh said. Sean Stevens, a senior research fellow at FIRE, told RealClearEducation that Claremont McKennas courage in the Mac Donald affair and its success in the survey are the results of strong leadership. He noted that CMC earned FIREs Green Light designation, meaning the schools code of conduct is free of serious threats to student expression. Compared to most of the other colleges we surveyed, the student body was very tolerant of controversial liberal and conservative speakers. While I would stop short of saying CMC is the model school, they rank in the top 50 on every component of our rankings and in the top two on half of them, Stevens said. At the other end of the rankings is 143rd-ranked Cal State Fresno, a public university in the San Joaquin Valley. As a public institution, Fresno State is required to protect students free-speech rights as provided by the state and federal constitutions. Ironically, it is the public Fresno State not private Claremont whose speech policies are incompatible with the First Amendment. More from this section Barnard and Columbia: Next Door Neighbors Are Miles Apart on Free Speech Fresno State has a policy in its student code of conduct restricting what students can say in electronic correspondence. The rule states that no e-mail or message shall be created or sent, nor Web pages created, that may constitute intimidating, hostile, or offensive material based on gender, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Prohibitions on offensive speech by public institutions are constitutionally dubious, FIREs Stevens said. This is one of the reasons why Fresno State has a Red Light rating, Stevens said of the policy; a ban on speech perceived to be offensive violates the First Amendment. Fresno, which did not respond to requests for comment, struggled in other survey categories. Only 33% of its students felt it was very or extremely clear that the school protects free speech on campus. Almost 50% of students said they would be uncomfortable expressing a controversial opinion in a common campus area. Some Fresno students reported feeling alienated for holding dissenting beliefs, particularly when they disagreed with a professor. In an English class as a freshman, my professor strongly supported Hilary Clinton and would talk about politics openly in class, one Fresno student said. None of what she discussed related to the topic of English. As much as speech policies and professor attitudes impact school cultures, perhaps no factor is more important than student tolerance that is, students willingness to hear and engage with ideas they disagree with. In this area, both Fresno State and CMC have reasons for concern. Seventeen percent of Fresno students surveyed said it was sometimes or always acceptable to shout down a speaker or prevent them from speaking on campus. At CMC, this figure was even higher, with 33 percent of students saying that such behavior is sometimes or always acceptable. Asked what he would tell those students, Claremont McKenna president Hiram Chodosh emphasized the importance of civil debate in a college environment. At CMC, we respect and engage in robust discussions around diverse viewpoints, including those with which we most strongly disagree, Chodosh said. We seek to examine the underlying basis for those disagreements, including any about the proper protections and limitations of free speech. This is how we can learn from disagreements and reach stronger levels of shared understanding. This is how responsible people serve and lead others, not through the sheer exercise of power, but through the power of persuasion. The re-opening of lamb exports to the United States could mean a 20 million boost for Welsh farmers, the red meat sector has said. Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has welcomed the prospect of the ban on lamb exports from the UK to the US being lifted soon, as announced earlier this week by Boris Johnson. The potential market for PGI Welsh Lamb in the US has been estimated to be worth as much as 20m a year within five years of the export restrictions being removed. A ban on both British lamb and beef imports to the US has been in place since 1989 due to concerns around BSE, commonly known as 'mad cow disease'. The sector initially led moves to lift the ban back in 2008. HCC, alongside Welsh government ministers, subsequently raised the issue several times with US officials. More recently, the cross-industry UK Export Certification Partnership has been engaged in technical work to help ensure that the industry was ready to resume exports if the ban should be lifted. Red meat production is vitally important to the Welsh economy, worth an estimated 652m in 2019, representing 41% of the total value of Welsh agricultural output. According to industry statistics, Wales produced 62,000 tonnes of lamb in 2020, with just 5% of the lamb produced consumed in Wales, 60% consumed in the rest of the UK and 35% in export markets. HCC chief executive Gwyn Howells said achieving market access for lamb to the US had been a long road: "It looks as if were nearly at the end of the journey," he added. The ban has not been necessary or justifiable for many years. But its taken a long effort and much technical work to overcome the various administrative hurdles." He explained there was a promising market for high-quality Welsh lamb in the United States, particularly in the hotel and restaurant trade on the east coast. Research by the body has shown that the trade could be worth 20m a year for the sector if it is able to achieve access and work on developing the market. Lifting this ban would be good news for Welsh sheep farmers and processors," Mr Howells added. "We look forward to hearing the details behind the announcement and are ready to grasp the opportunity should it arise. A Welsh government spokesperson said Wales "produces the best lamb in the world" and farmers had "worked tirelessly over the past few years to get this ban lifted". "News of potential progress is very welcome and we look forward to receiving further details." The US's ban on British beef was lifted in September last year in a deal thought to be worth 66 million over the next five years. A 21-year-old farm worker has died following a quad bike accident on a dairy farm in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway. The young woman fell off the quad bike at Gerranton Farm, and was discovered by another farm worker. The tragedy happened on Wednesday morning (22 September). Emergency services pronounced her dead at the scene. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Police Scotland has commenced. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: We were made aware of a 21-year-old injured after coming off a quad bike on a farm near Castle Douglas shortly after 11.15am on Wednesday, September 22. Emergency services attended but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. It comes just weeks after an 86-year-old man was killed after two agricultural vehicles collided on a north Devon farm. The incident happened on farmland at Flydon HilL, Heasley Mill, near South Molton on 29 August. Recently published figures show that a total of 41 people in Britain were killed in agriculture during the past year, including two children and seven members of the public. Almost twice as many people were killed on farms in England, Wales and Scotland compared to the previous year, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said. Adrian Hodkinson, acting head of agriculture at the HSE, said the causes of farming accidents and incidents were 'well known'. When we investigate life-changing farm workplace incidents we find, time and time again, that risks are not being removed or managed," he added. "The things to stop them are usually straightforward: putting on handbrakes; fastening lap belts in cabs; getting ATV training and helmets; putting cows and calves in fields without footpaths; stopping things before trying to fix or unblock them and so on. "It is far too common for people to accept risk is an inevitable part of the job this isnt the case, the guidance is easily available to manage the risks and prevent injury." Celebrity farmer Adam Henson is hosting a new podcast discussing how the British beef sector is working together to meet its ambitious net zero target. The three-part series 'The Sustainable Beef Podcast' explores the changes that beef producers are undertaking to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Mr Henson, who runs a beef and sheep farm in the Cotswolds, hosts the podcast in association with meat processors, ABP. In the first episode, Professor of Sustainable Beef Production at Harper Adams University, Dr Jude Capper, looks at the practical ways to reduce emissions. She says British beef farmers are in a strong position as the country consists of two-thirds of agricultural land that is unfit for growing anything but grass. This unique base lends itself to grow the most environmentally friendly beef in the world - its all about every producer doing a little better with every animal, every pasture, every system. "This will make a remarkable difference. If, for example, each farmer reduced the age of slaughter by even just a few days, it will have a positive impact. Adam Henson says the beef sector has to play its part in meeting the countrys net zero ambition, and this means big changes to how farmers run their businesses and how meat is produced. "The UK has some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from livestock; we are doing a good job and getting better all the time. "We have the opportunity to be a world-leader in sustainable meat production and we have a big PR job to do. " ABP, one of the UKs leading red meat processors working with 12,000 British farmers, has set up two demonstration farms in County Wexford in Ireland and on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border in England. These are to gather data on beef rearing systems and genetics to support farming businesses to produce more sustainably and efficiently. Group Sustainability Director at ABP, Dean Holroyd explains: We are seeing through our demonstration farms and producers that economic and environmental sustainability go hand in hand. "The most environmentally efficient animals are also the most economically beneficial. The Sustainable Beef Podcast is available on all the usual channels. Prices and demand at British Wool auctions continue to increase despite challenges in terms of haulage, transport and energy prices. The fifth British Wool sale of the 2021 season took place this week as the wool market continues to see strong demand and improving prices. The sale saw competitive bidding across the full range of types; prices increased as a result and there was a 99% clearance with 1.2 million kilos of wool sold. Once again there was particular interest in the Blackface wool as well as continuing interest in the Medium and Mule wool. Welsh Mountain was also sought after and specialist types such as Bluefaced Leicester once again achieved record prices. Since the start of the year auction prices have increased by over 35% with the average price in last weeks sale reaching 73p per kilo. The co-operative's mission is to drive sustainable demand for wool in order to maximise the value of it for its producers. It does this through the collective marketing of the clip on behalf of its members. Andrew Hogley, CEO British Wool, said the co-operative remained optimistic that the current strong demand would be sustained. He added that the recovery in the wool market would continue through the year and that this would result in further price improvement. "Every kilo of wool handled makes an important contribution to supporting British Wool," Mr Hogley said. "As we head towards winter and with over 1m kilos of wool being delivered into us this season from producers who did not deliver in the 2020 season, Id encourage any producers who still have wool on the farm to deliver this into us." 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Next Story : Femina Fab 40: Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Is An Inpiration For Millions Last year, when the second wave rendered many oxygen-less and the condition of those afflicted with COVID-19 seemed only to be spiralling downward, Priyanka Chopra Jonas used her social media standing and star power to raise funds and be of help to those suffering.From being an A-lister in India to putting the country in the spotlight on the global map, Chopra Jonas has not only summited success for herself but has also done it while working for her country. In 2021, she became an active investor in a number of start-ups, keen to invest in Indian companies especially those driven by women in the fields of beauty, tech and education. Her thought is that ideas are necessary, and can turn into currency when backed by a viable business plan addressing a gap in the market. The acclaimed actor has already invested in dating app Bumble and coding education start-up Holberton School, her latest being an investment in the US-based rental marketplace Apartment List.With every passing year, women are making huge strides, shattering glass ceilings and age-old societal conforms, and high time too! So, to me, every year is the year of women. If you just take 2021 as an example, women globally have been taking the lead across industries, from being instrumental in the development of the vaccine for COVID-19 to making strides in governance and leading from the front, be it in business, technology or entrepreneurship. In India, too, women have been consistently making a mark, be it at the Olympics, Paralympics or within the judiciary, where we have seen three women justices inducted into the Supreme Court, leading to the highest representation of women ever, she says.On the work front, 2021 has been a winning streak the year has witnessed the release of her critically-acclaimed production The White Tiger and her memoir Unfinished, the opening of Sona, her restaurant in Manhattan, and, more recently, the signing of a film with two other Bollywood bigwigs Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. Its been an interesting year for me, filled with new projects, the release of my memoir and the launch of my hair-care brand Anomaly, along with positive, empowering partnerships with brands such as Victoria Secret and Bvlgari, she says. It seems like Chopra Jonas is unstoppable in the truest sense of the word. Breaking glass ceilings with her professional commitments, she has also been tireless in her humanitarian efforts with the UN. A global icon, and a force to reckon with, we love how she says, When life gives you lemons, make grape juice, then sit back and let people wonder how you did it. Her journey ahead is how her memoir puts it unfinished.The Olympians represented the country on a prestigious platform. Some brought glory and others hope. The women who inspire us and make us believe that anything is possible, especially after the year that we have had. Women who have raised their voices and lent a voice to those who did not have one. There are too many to count, but this selection of 40 women will motivate us to hold our heads high while we march ahead. Samantha Samantha Samantha Next Story : Femina Fab 40: Digital Creator Kusha Kapila Takes On Challenges Women Face The Olympians who represented the country on a prestigious platform. Some brought glory and others hope. The women who inspire us and make us believe that anything is possible, especially after the year that we have had. Women who have raised their voices and lent a voice to those who did not have one. There are too many to count, but this selection of 40 women will motivate us to hold our heads high while we march ahead.ActorThe proud recipient of four Filmfare Awards, two Nandi Awards, four South Indian International Movie Awards and three CineMAA Awards, Samantha Akkineni is the darling of Tamil and Telugu cinema. Right from her debut as the beautiful Jessie in the Telugu movie Ye Maaya Chesave, simultaneously made in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, up until her latest release Jaanu,has impressed audiences with her charm and presence on screen. Some of her recent films, including Super Deluxe, Oh! Baby, and Majili have been examples of her histrionic versatility.In 2014, the actor set up the Pratyusha Support trust that serves the underprivileged by offering medical support to women and children and fulfilling the wishes of children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. In 2020,, along with Femina Miss India 2016 runner-up Sushruthi Krishna, started an online affordable apparel brand called Saaki. She also ventured into the field of education with the launch of a pre-school, the Ekam Early Learning Centre in Hyderabad.The icing ons cake for the year 2021 has to be the second season of The Family Man, the web series in which she plays the role of an antagonist, a rebel leader Rajalekshmi Sekharan, aka Raji. Referencing the suffering of those in the Tamil Eelam (a proposed state for Tamils in Sri Lanka), she is quoted as saying, Rajis story, though fictional to me, is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war.She recently wrapped up her scenes for historical drama Shakuntalam, due for release in November, and is shooting for the romantic film Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kadhal. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Engineers create a high performance all-solid-state battery with a pure-silicon anode SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Engineers created a new type of battery that weaves two promising battery sub-fields into a single battery. The battery uses both a solid state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode, making it a silicon all-solid-state battery. The initial rounds of tests show that the new battery is safe, long lasting, and energy dense. It holds promise for a wide range of applications from grid storage to electric vehicles. The battery technology is described in the 24 September, 2021 issue of the journal Science. University of California San Diego nanoengineers led the research, in collaboration with researchers at LG Energy Solution. Silicon anodes are famous for their energy density, which is 10 times greater than the graphite anodes most often used in today's commercial lithium ion batteries. On the other hand, silicon anodes are infamous for how they expand and contract as the battery charges and discharges, and for how they degrade with liquid electrolytes. These challenges have kept all-silicon anodes out of commercial lithium ion batteries despite the tantalizing energy density. The new work published in Science provides a promising path forward for all-silicon-anodes, thanks to the right electrolyte. "With this battery configuration, we are opening a new territory for solid-state batteries using alloy anodes such as silicon," said Darren H. S. Tan, the lead author on the paper. He recently completed his chemical engineering PhD at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and co-founded a startup UNIGRID Battery that has licensed this technology. Next generation, solid-state batteries with high energy densities have always relied on metallic lithium as an anode. But that places restrictions on the battery charge rates and need for elevated temperature (usually 60 degrees Celsius or higher) during charging. The silicon anode overcomes these limitations, allowing much faster charge rates at room to low temperatures, while maintaining high energy densities. The team demonstrated a laboratory scale full cell that delivers 500 charge and discharge cycles with 80% capacity retention at room temperature, which represents exciting progress for both the silicon anode and solid state battery communities. Silicon as an anode to replace graphite Silicon anodes, of course, are not new. For decades, scientists and battery manufacturers have looked to silicon as an energy-dense material to mix into, or completely replace, conventional graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Theoretically, silicon offers approximately ten times the storage capacity of graphite. In practice, however, lithium ion batteries with silicon added to the anode to increase energy density typically suffer from real-world performance issues: in particular, the number of times the battery can be charged and discharged while maintaining performance is not high enough. Much of the problem is caused by the interaction between silicon anodes and the liquid electrolytes they have been paired with. The situation is complicated by large volume expansion of silicon particles during charge and discharge. This results in severe capacity losses over time. "As battery researchers, it's vital to address the root problems in the system. For silicon anodes, we know that one of the big issues is the liquid electrolyte interface instability," said UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Shirley Meng, the corresponding author on the Science paper, and director of the Institute for Materials Discovery and Design at UC San Diego. "We needed a totally different approach," said Meng. Indeed, the UC San Diego led team took a different approach: they eliminated the carbon and the binders went with all-silicon anodes. In addition, the researchers used micro-silicon, which is less processed and less expensive than the nano-silicon that is more often used. An all solid-state solution In addition to removing all carbon and binders from the anode, the team also removed the liquid electrolyte. Instead, they used a sulfide-based solid electrolyte. Their experiments showed this solid electrolyte is extremely stable in batteries with all-silicon anodes. "This new work offers a promising solution to the silicon anode problem, though there is more work to do," said professor Shirley Meng, "I see this project as a validation of our approach to battery research here at UC San Diego. We pair the most rigorous theoretical and experimental work with creativity and outside-the-box thinking. We also know how to interact with industry partners while pursuing tough fundamental challenges." Past efforts to commercialize silicon alloy anodes mainly focused on silicon-graphite composites, or by combining nano-structured particles with polymeric binders. But they still struggled with poor stability. By swapping out the liquid electrolyte for a solid electrolyte, and at the same time removing the carbon and binders from the silicon anode, the researchers avoided a series of related challenges that arise when anodes become soaked in the organic liquid electrolyte as the battery functions. At the same time, by eliminating the carbon in the anode, the team significantly reduced the interfacial contact (and unwanted side reactions) with the solid electrolyte, avoiding continuous capacity loss that typically occurs with liquid-based electrolytes. This two part move allowed the researchers to fully reap the benefits of low cost, high energy and environmentally benign properties of silicon. Impact & Spin-off Commercialization "The solid-state silicon approach overcomes many limitations in conventional batteries. It presents exciting opportunities for us to meet market demands for higher volumetric energy, lowered costs, and safer batteries especially for grid energy storage," said Darren H. S. Tan, the first author on Science the paper. Sulfide based solid electrolytes were often believed to be highly unstable. However, this was based on traditional thermodynamic interpretations used in liquid electrolyte systems, which did not account for the excellent kinetic stability of solid electrolytes. The team saw an opportunity to utilize this counterintuitive property to create a highly stable anode. Tan is the CEO and cofounder of a startup, UNIGRID Battery that has licensed the technology for these silicon all solid-state batteries. In parallel, related fundamental work will continue at UC San Diego, including additional research collaboration with LG Energy Solution. "LG Energy Solution is delighted that the latest research on battery technology with UC San Diego made it onto the journal of Science, a meaningful acknowledgement," said Myung-hwan Kim, President and Chief Procurement Officer at LG Energy Solution. "With the latest finding, LG Energy Solution is much closer to realizing all-solid-state battery techniques, which would greatly diversify our battery product lineup." "As a leading battery manufacturer, LGES will continue its effort to foster state-of-the-art techniques in leading research of next-generation battery cells," added Kim. LG Energy Solution said it plans to further expand its solid-state battery research collaboration with UC San Diego. The study had been supported by LG Energy Solution's open innovation, a program that actively supports battery-related research. LGES has been working with researchers around the world to foster related techniques. Paper title "Carbon Free High Loading Silicon Anodes Enabled by Sulfide Solid Electrolytes," in the Sept. 24, 2021 issue of Science. Authors Darren H. S. Tan, Yu-Ting Chen, Hedi Yang, Wurigumula Bao, Bhagath Sreenarayanan, Jean-Marie Doux, Weikang Li, Bingyu Lu, So-Yeon Ham, Baharak Sayahpour, Jonathan Scharf, Erik A. Wu, Grayson Deysher, Zheng Chen and Ying Shirley Meng from the Department of NanoEngineering, Program of Chemical Engineering, and Sustainable Power & Energy Center (SPEC) University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering; Hyea Eun Han, Hoe Jin Hah, Hyeri Jeong, Jeong Beom Lee, from LG Energy Solution, Ltd. Funding This study was financially supported by the LG Energy Solution company through the Battery Innovation Contest (BIC) program. Z.C. acknowledges funding from the start-up fund support from the Jacob School of Engineering at University of California San Diego. Y.S.M. acknowledges the funding support from Zable Endowed Chair Fund. About LG Energy Solution LG Energy Solution is a global leader delivering advanced lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV), Mobility & IT applications, and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). With 30 years of experience in advanced battery technology, it continues to grow rapidly towards the realization of sustainable life. With over 24,000 employees working within its robust global network that spans the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia, LG Energy Solution is more committed than ever to developing innovative technologies that will bring the future energy a step closer. For more information, please visit https://www.lgensol.com. SYDNEY, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2021 has been a great one, with global markets continuing their one-sided rally towards all-time highs. The S&P/ASX 200 also marked its lifetime high of 7,632.8 on 13 August 2021, delivering a year-to-date (YTD) return of 10.78%. The major constituents of the index have had a major role in contributing to this bull run. Australia's largest miner, BHP Group had rallied 25.56% to AU$54.55 this year, on the back of escalating iron-ore prices. However, the recent softening of iron ore prices has eaten away its entire YTD return. Rio Tinto has also seen a sharp dip lately, eroding its peak YTD return of 20.64% to -11.14%. The big four banks - CBA, WBC, NAB and ANZ - are still holding onto their strong YTD returns of 21.35%, 28.6%, 19.07% and 19.34%, respectively. *Note: The referenced data in this report has been sourced from REFINITIV. Price information as on 23 September 2021. Is the market overbought now? 144 stocks in the ASX200 index are holding their ground with a positive YTD return, while only 56 stocks have fallen this year. Trend analysis of the broader market suggests a tough fight between bulls and bears, with respect to their relative momentum compared to their simple moving average. A total of 99 constituents of the S&P/ASX 200 are trading above their 60-day average, out of which 71 are above their short-term 30-day average. While, 129 stocks are trading below 30-day average, out of which and 101 are below their 60-day average. Kalkine believes that the long-term trend analysis is still weighted towards bulls. Of the 200 constituents of the S&P/ASX200, 129, i.e., 64.5% of the pack are comfortably trading above their 200-day moving average, which is considered to the be the "line of control" for bulls and bears. The remaining 71 stocks are trading in the bear's territory. Based on the way the short term and long-term momentum are set up, bulls might seem to be in control from a long-term perspective, but the short-term momentum is turning in bear's favour. Kalkine Media's research aims to analyze and understand the stock markets and its underlying risks and rewards. (www.kalkinemedia.com). Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633815/Kalkine_Media_Infographic.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1341740/Kalkine_Logo.jpg Contact Details: honey.bhargava@kalkinepr.com BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a news report from chinadaily.com.cn: President Xi Jinping expounded on China's positions on a range of important issues when he addressed the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly via video link on Tuesday. Here are some highlights: - China will solemnly commemorate the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. - It falls on each and every responsible statesman to answer the questions of the times and make a historical choice with confidence, courage and a sense of mission. - We must beat COVID-19 and win this decisive fight crucial to the future of humanity. - China will strive to provide a total of 2 billion doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to the world by the end of this year. - Facing the severe shocks of COVID-19, we need to work together to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative. - We need to foster global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced, forge greater synergy among multilateral development cooperation processes, and speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. - We should care about the special needs of developing countries. - China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. - Democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country, but a right for the people of all countries to enjoy. - Military intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm. - One country's success does not have to mean another country's failure, and the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries. - We need to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity, and reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games. - China has never and will never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony. - We must improve global governance and practice true multilateralism. - China will continue to bring the world new opportunities through its new development. - The UN should serve as the central platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and chart the course for the future of the world. - The United Nations should advance, in a balanced manner, work in all the three areas of security, development and human rights. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634007/Image1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634008/Image2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634023/image3.jpg VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 2021 / GGX Gold Corp. (TSXV:GGX)(OTCQB:GGXXF)(FRA:3SR2) (the "Company" or "GGX") is pleased to announce that it has retained the services of 360 Aviation Services Inc. (360) for Investor Relation Services. 360 Aviation Service Inc. a B.C. Corporation is an established capital markets advisory firm servicing Canadian small cap companies across the North American markets. 360 will provide strategic marketing, investor relations and capital markets communications services. 360 will arrange and attend meetings with investors, maintain ongoing contact and broaden relationships with the professional investment community on GGX Gold Corp's behalf. The agreement is for a term of six months and GGX Gold will pay a monthly fee of $4,500. The investor relations agreement remains subject to TSX-V approval. Barry Brown, chief executive officer of GGX Gold, stated: "We continue to focus on unlocking the value at our Gold Drop Property. The potential of a bulk sample at the C.O.D. vein will provide invaluable information to our team as we continue to advance the project." The Company also announces that it has granted 975,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.16 to its directors, officers, employees, consultants and investor relations. The options are exercisable for five years and will be cancelled 30 days after cessation of acting as director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company. Options issued for investor relations vest quarterly over a period of 12 months from the date of issuance. The stock options are not transferable and will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of grant and any applicable regulatory acceptance. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Barry Brown, CEO 604-488-3900 Office@GGXgold.com Forward Looking Statement This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the acquisition of certain mineral claims. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Revolver undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates, including that: the current price of and demand for minerals being targeted by the Company will be sustained or will improve; the Company will be able to obtain required exploration licences and other permits; general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; financing will be available if and when needed on reasonable terms; the Company will not experience any material accident; and the Company will be able to identify and acquire additional mineral interests on reasonable terms or at all. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; fluctuating prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition; potential inability to find suitable acquisition opportunities and/or complete the same; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the Company's public filings. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: GGX Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665389/GGX-Gold-Corp-Retains-360-Aviation-for-IR-Services Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 23, 2021) - SkyChain Technologies Inc. (TSXV: SCT) (OTCQB: SKTCF) ("SkyChain" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed its private placement (the "Offering") described in its news release on August 15, 2021. Under the Offering, the Company issued 320,005 units (the "Units") at a price of CDN$0.70 per Unit for gross proceeds of $224,000. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") and one whole non-transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Share at an exercise price of CDN$1.20 per Share until September 22, 2022 which is 1 year from the date of issuance. Certain directors, officers, insiders and control persons of the Company participated in the Offering and, as such, the Offering is a related party transaction as such term is defined in TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Ontario Securities Commission Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI61-101"). Ningtao Bill Zhang, Donald Gordon, and John Lee all participated in the Offering. The Offering is exempt from the requirements for a formal valuation set out in Section 5.4 of MI61-101 since the transaction is a distribution of securities for cash and neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, any of Ningtao Bill Zhang, Donald Gordon, and John Lee has knowledge of any material information concerning the Company or its securities that has not been generally publicly disclosed. The Offering has been approved by the Company's disinterested directors. The Offering is exempt from the requirements in Section 5.7 of MI61-101 for approval by its minority shareholders since the fair market value of the transaction is less than $2,500,000. SkyChain intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital. The Company will pay finder's fees of CDN$2,100 in cash in connection to a subscription introduced to this Offering. The securities issued under the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on January 23, 2022. Securities issued to certain employees of the Company pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to an additional hold period for a total of 12 months. About SkyChain Technologies SkyChain Technologies is a Vancouver based company providing Blockchain Infrastructure services and power solutions. To learn more, visit www.skychaintechnologiesinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bill Zhang President and CEO bill@skychaintechnologiesinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release. Statements in this news release may be viewed as forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. There are no assurances the company can fulfill such forward-looking statements and the company undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Such forward-looking statements are only predictions; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing the company, some of which are beyond the company's control. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97498 SINGAPORE, Sept 24, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - ACROMEC Limited (ACROMEC; SGX: 43F), a specialist engineering services provider, announced that subsidiary ACROMEC Engineers Pte Ltd (ACROMEC Engineers) through joint-venture associate Life Science Incubator Pte Ltd, has launched the first Life Science Incubator co-working laboratory space, with a ceremony on location at the German Centre, International Business Plaza, Singapore.The ceremony was attended by Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade & Industry, and others from the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, SGInnovate, A*STAR, NTUitiv and NUS accelerator. Members of Life Science Incubator's current network of some 20 industry partners, including Merck, also attended the event.Serving early-stage bio and pharma start-ups, companies and entrepreneurs in the MedTech, Biotech, Biopharma and FoodTech sectors, Life Science Incubator will provide flexible co-working laboratory spaces for research and development. With access to communal state-of-the-art technologies and facilities, start-ups will be able to fully focus on innovation and talent in science without having to think about hefty infrastructure capital.Said Niamh Madden, General Manager of Life Science Incubator, "Today marks the start of our exciting journey at the Life Science Incubator. We look forward to supporting science and technology start-ups and being an integral launchpad for their endeavours. With our strong network of partner companies, we are confident that the incubator will become a vibrant centre of entrepreneurship, technology and science."Said Mr Lim Say Chin, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of ACROMEC, "The successful completion and launch of the Life Science Incubator attests to ACROMEC's track record and success as a specialist engineering provider for controlled environments. We are excited to be a part of this vibrant ecosystem and will continue to serve companies and start-ups in the life science, biotech, healthcare, and research sectors."In July, the Group announced that wholly-owned subsidiary ACROMEC Engineers had entered into a joint-venture agreement with strategic partner Tako Ventures to build, own, and operate JVCo and co-working laboratory facilities. JVCo is 30% owned by the Group through ACROMEC Engineers, while Tako Ventures holds the remaining 70% stake, managing JVCo and the Life Science Incubator.ACROMEC Engineers undertook the design, construction, and fitting-out works for the 600 square meter Life Science Incubator's co-working laboratory facilities, which includes 8 suites, 51 lab benches, and 1 operating theatre.About ACROMEC LimitedSGX Catalyst-listed ACROMEC (SGX: 43F) is an established specialist engineering services provider with more than 20 years in the field of controlled environments. The Group has acquired expertise in the design and construction of facilities requiring controlled environments such as laboratories, medical and sterile facilities and cleanrooms. Amongst its customers, ACROMEC counts hospitals & medical centres, government agencies, educational institutions, research & development companies and multinational units, pharmaceutical, semiconductor manufacturing and engineering companies. For more information, visit www.acromec.com.ACROMEC share information through SGX (43F), Bloomberg (ACRO.SG) and ThomsonReuters (ACRO.SI).Analyst & Media contact:ACROMEC LimitedMr Jerry Tan, CFOE: jerry.tan@acromec.comWaterbrooks Consultants Pte LtdMr Wayne Koo / Ms RaihanaT: +65 6958 8002 / +65 9338 8166E: wayne.koo@waterbrooks.com.sg / raihana@waterbrooks.com.sgSource: Life Sciences IncubatorACROMEC EngineersCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Wellington, New Zealand--(Newsfile Corp. - September 23, 2021) - New Zealand Energy Corp. (TSXV: NZ) ("NZEC" or the "Company") announces that James Willis, the Chairman (non-executive) of NZEC since March 2015, has assumed the dual role of Chairman/Chief Executive Officer. The Company's former CEO, Michael Adams, will continue to serve the Company as a consultant. The Company thanks Mr. Adams for his service leading the Company as our CEO for the last 5 years. Mr. Andrew McGavin, an industry veteran with more than 20 years' experience, will take up a role as Manager, Commercial. NZEC is advancing work at the Waihapa-Ngaere fields to restore gas-lift from the 4 primary producers. The detailed design for the installation of a "right-sized' gas-lift compressor for use at the Waihapa Production Station is progressing. Subject to there being no on-going operations restrictions from New Zealand's latest COVID-19 lockdown, the company aims to return to continuous oil and gas production from these wells by year end. The Copper Moki Secondary Recovery Expansion Project, to enable increased water injection support, is expected to be online by end 2021. The Tariki 3D Seismic Survey data acquired from the start of Q3 appears to be of good quality and processing of this data is progressing well. An ongoing focus for the Company is managing operating costs at optimum levels whilst keeping corporate overheads in check. On behalf of the Board of Directors "James Willis" Chairman/CEO New Zealand Energy Corp. Email: info@newzealandenergy.com Website: www.newzealandenergy.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NEW ZEALAND ENERGY CORP. New Zealand toll-free: +64-800-924-427 info@newzealandenergy.com www.newzealandenergy.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97502 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 23, 2021) - Millennial Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ML) (FSE: A3N2) (OTCQX: MLNLF) ("Millennial" or the "Company") announces COVID-19 protocols for its special meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders ("Shareholders") and warrantholders ("Warrantholders" and together with Shareholders, "Voting Securityholders") scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on September 30, 2021 at 250 Howe St 20th Floor, Vancouver, BC V6C 3R8. At the Meeting, Voting Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be asked to consider and vote on a proposed acquisition of all of the common shares of the Company by a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. by way of a plan of arrangement as more fully set out in Millennial's management information circular dated August 26, 2021 (the "Circular") which is available under Millennial's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. In order to comply with government and venue requirements and to mitigate potential risks to public health and safety, in-person access to the Meeting will only be granted to those Voting Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders who (i) are Fully Vaccinated (as defined below) and who provide satisfactory proof of vaccination; or (ii) who have provided evidence of a Negative Test (as defined below) and who wear a mask and remain socially distanced from other Meeting participants. All attendees will be required to wear masks in all public spaces, including lobbies, elevators, reception area, meeting rooms and washrooms. Fully Vaccinated Voting Securityholders and Duly Appointed Proxyholders Voting Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders who are deemed fully vaccinated ("Fully Vaccinated") with a vaccine that is approved for use in Canada, include those who have received: two (2) doses of any of the following COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca, and who have waited 14 days after receiving their second dose; or one (1) dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and who have waited 14 days after receiving their first dose. Non-Vaccinated Voting Securityholders and Duly Appointed Proxyholders Voting Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders who are not Fully Vaccinated must contact the Company at info@millenniallithium.com by no later than 5:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on September 27, 2021. The Company will provide a rapid test to the Voting Securityholder and duly appointed proxyholder. Voting Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders must show a negative result on such rapid test (a "Negative Test") prior to attending the Meeting and remain socially distanced from all other persons at all times while in attendance at the Meeting. All Securityholders In order to ensure that all Voting Securityholders are able to cast their votes, Millennial strongly encourages Voting Securityholders to vote in advance of the Meeting using the Form of Proxy or Voting Instruction Form mailed to them with the Meeting materials . Comprehensive information with respect to how registered and beneficial Voting Securityholders may vote in advance of the Meeting is contained in the Circular. About Millennial To find out more about Millennial Lithium Corp. please contact Investor Relations at (604) 662-8184 or email info@millenniallithium.com. MILLENNIAL LITHIUM CORP. "Graham Harris" Chair, Board of Directors NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the timing of the Meeting and health protocols at the Meeting. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97505 ADELAIDE, AUS, Sept 24, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Agilex Biolabs, Australia's most experienced and technologically advanced bioanalytical laboratory and the only biolab in the region with a dedicated toxicology unit, has been selected as a finalist for the Most Successful Early Phase Research (Preclinical & Phase I) category in the Citeline Awards 2021.The Citeline Awards were created to recognize accomplishments across the biopharmaceutical industry, providing an opportunity for the industry to honor its highest achievers. Achievements across the spectrum of key R&D activities are celebrated, from successes in early and late-stage research, to advances in technological tools, to innovations in trial design and execution.Agilex Biolabs offers advanced bioanalytical services for biotech companies and delivers toxicology services to support pre-clinical and early phase research within their TetraQ, division.Dr. Peter Tapley, Director Toxicology at TetraQ, said the research submitted for the Citeline Award focussed on preclinical assessment of the safety and tolerability of a SARS-CoV-2 Sclamp protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine in rats."The preclinical toxicity studies conducted by TetraQ were required to enable the rapid approval and safe progression of the novel SARS-CoV-2 Sclamp subunit vaccine into clinical testing in healthy volunteers," he said."This research highlights the pathways that biotech companies can take for rapid vaccine development, and how the Australian research, regulatory and clinical infrastructure provides a supportive environment."The TetraQ safety studies conducted in support of the vaccine development were referenced in Watterson et al 'Preclinical development of a molecular clamp-stabilised subunit vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2' Clin Transl Immunology. 2021 Apr 5;10(4): e1269. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1269. eCollection 2021. The important contributions of TetraQ to the program were acknowledged by the inclusion of Drs. Brockman, Tran and Tapley as co-authors.A description of the clinical study facilitated by the preclinical toxicity study program was reported in Chappell et al 'Safety and immunogenicity of an MF59-adjuvanted spike glycoprotein-clamp vaccine for SARS-CoV-2: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial' Lancet Infect Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 19; S1473-3099(21)00200-0. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00200-0. This publication also included reference to vaccine serum antibody titre analyses conducted by Agilex Biolabs to support the clinical program. This contribution was acknowledged by the inclusion of Drs Tran and Tapley as co-authors. Although the development of this version of the SARS-CoV-2 Sclamp vaccine was ultimately discontinued the clinical study demonstrated the potential of the Sclamp vaccine technology.The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid development of a series of novel vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 in Australia, facilitated by the availability of high-quality contract research organizations such as Agilex Biolabs, and a favorable regulatory environment.Agilex Biolabs' TetraQ division offers a range of toxicology services to support early to late stage development programs. These services include exploratory toxicology and pharmacokinetics studies and GLP toxicology services. Studies requiring non-rodent species including dogs and non-human primates are conducted via our partner labs. Studies are also supported by Agilex Biolabs' world class bioanalytical and immunoassay services.Agilex Biolabs offers services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.Agilex Biolabs' world-class immunoassay and immunobiology laboratories feature state-of-the-art equipment including Gyrolab Xplore, MSD Quickplex 120, Luminex Magpix, BD FACSymphony A3 flow cytometer and soon to be released, digital droplet quantitative real-time RT-PCR.Australian clinical trials have remained open for business and Agilex Biolabs is a designated essential service so clients can be assured of study continuity.Agilex Biolabs has more than 140 staff which includes 85 dedicated laboratory staff, and supports client pharma and biotech companies from US, Europe and APAC.The 2021 Citeline Awards will take place October 14, 2021 in Boston, MA, USA.Book a confidential briefing with our scientists before you start your next clinical trial. https://calendly.com/agilexbiolabs/30minAbout Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/Agilex Biolabs, the Australian specialist bioanalytical and toxicology laboratory facilities for clinical trials, has more than 24 years' experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. It has successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials from around the world where eligible customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process, quality data and access to the world's most attractive R&D rebate of up to 43.5% on both nonclinical and clinical trial work conducted in Australia.Agilex Biolabs also offers toxicology services through TetraQ an Agilex Biolabs company, an established GLP toxicology facility in Australia.Agilex Biolabs has the leading certifications including OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.The company has recently expanded its main labs by more than 30% to accommodate biotech demand from APAC and the USA. In addition Agilex Biolabs has launched a new Immunobiology lab - watch the video here. https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/launch-of-immunobiology-laboratory/Agilex Biolabs specialises in bioanalysis of small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity, biomarkers and immunological pharmacodynamics assessments utilising LC-MS/MS, immunoassay (Mesoscale, Gyrolab, Luminex) and flow cytometry (BD FACSymphony A3, 20 colour cell analyser).Agilex offers pharmacodynamics services that include immunobiology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology to support immunology, cell biology and mode of action assays, including:- Immunophenotyping- Receptor occupancy- Cytokine release assays (whole blood or PBMC stimulation assays) and cytokine/biomarker profiling- PBMC assays and cellular mechanism of action assaysAgilex Biolabs Media Contact:Kate NewtonMedia@AgilexBiolabs.comSource: Agilex BiolabsCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Dubai, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 2021 / Terminus Group has officially inaugurated its first MENA headquarters in Dubai. The inauguration ceremony connected the MENA headquarters with the Beijing and Chongqing headquarters of the company. Mohammed Al Hashmi, Chief Technology Officer of Expo 2020 Dubai, and Nadimeh Mehra, the Vice President of District 2020, joined Victor AI, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Terminus Group over the cloud to witness the moment. (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter inauguration ceremony in Dubai) Victor pointed out that the inauguration of the MENA headquarters marks the further expansion of the company's global deployment. "Dubai is a bridge that connects the east with the west. With our newly launched headquarters in Dubai, we hope to work with the city and our partners including Expo 2020 Dubai and District 2020 to create an open innovative ecosystem that further brings the vitality of the new age and new technologies to the area and the world," Victor stated. (Victor AI, Founder and CEO of Terminus Group, at Terminus Group's MENA headquarter inauguration ceremony in Chongqing) During the ceremony, Mohammed Al Hashmi expressed congratulations to Terminus on the opening of its new MENA headquarters: "What Expo 2020 Dubai has with Terminus Group is more than just a partnership, it's a long-term alliance for the region and for the future that reflects the ties between UAE and China, politically, economically, and technologically. We're now only days away from the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai and we look forward to sharing our mutual adventures in human-centric innovation. Together, we're going to excite the world." (Mohammed Al Hashmi, Chief Technology Officer of EXPO, at Terminus Group's MENA headquarters inauguration ceremony in Dubai) In 2020, Terminus Group was announced by Expo 2020 Dubai as one of its Official Premier Partners and the only Official Premier Partner from China. The company's partnership with Expo consists of two phases. For the first phase, the company has provided Expo with its comprehensive AIoT capabilities and solutions, including 152 programmable robots that will deliver services such as sterilizing and catering. And in the second phase, following the Expo, the company will work with Expo to build a smart city in the District 2020 special zone, assisting the digital and intelligent transformation of the area. The inauguration of the MENA headquarters is a concrete step towards the fulfilling of the company's commitment to Expo as well as the company's global ambition. "Terminus Group has always been a company with global vision. We strive to leverage innovative AIoT technologies to tackle real-world challenges, alter future urban development, and finally benefit every person who lives in a city. Hopefully, the inauguration of our headquarters in Middle East and North Africa region will be the beginning of our global exploration and a great starting point of our successful story in the future," said Victor. (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter inauguration ceremony in Beijing) As the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai is drawing near, both Victor and Mohammed Al Hashmi expressed their great expectations towards the six-month long mega event and welcomed people around the world to participate in the largest event ever held in the Arab World, physically or virtually. (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter inauguration ceremony in Dubai) (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter) (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter) (Terminus Group's MENA headquarter) (Expo site overview) Kratos Fan 001-626-4568311 fan.lvwei@tslsmart.com United States www.terminusgroup.com SOURCE: Terminus Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665398/Terminus-Group-Inaugurates-Its-MENA-Headquarters-in-Dubai Tokyo, Japan--(Newsfile Corp. - September 23, 2021) - Recently, Dr. Plant entered the flagship store of COSME, the largest cosmetics specialty store in Tokyo, Japan, whereby "Chinese alpine plants" once again attracted great attention. Since becoming the first Chinese cosmetics brand to enter Japan in 2019, Dr. Plant has been exploring the path of international development of the brand, committed to conveying the concept of alpine plant skin care on a larger international stage. From the opening of a single-brand store in Japan to the appearance of alpine plant skin care products in the COSME flagship store, the international development of Dr. Plant has made positive progress. Dr. Plant products displayed in the COSME flagship store, the largest cosmetics store in Tokyo, Japan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/97516_d0afde6784ba1a42_001full.jpg In the process of international development, Dr. Plant has always focused on high-quality products in overseas markets, and conquered skeptical overseas consumers with high-quality alpine plant products. Dr. Plant knows that products need to have the backing of research in order to gain the interest of people. Therefore, in 2014 Dr. Plant joined forces with the Kunming Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, setting up the "Dr. Plant R&D Center", and bringing together experts and scholars in the fields of genomics, phytochemistry and ethnobotany to jointly decode more skincare effects of alpine plants using modern genetic technology. Through continuous scientific research and exploration, Dr. Plant has finally been able to launch skin care products made with extracts of among others dendrobium, purple ganoderma as well as snow lotus etc., condensing the essence of alpine plants as well as the wisdom of Chinese herbal skin care. These high-quality products are exported to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries and regions, and have been warmly received by overseas customers. Dr. Plant Hanfang Skin Care Science Research Center, Tokyo, Japan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/97516_d0afde6784ba1a42_002full.jpg Dr. Plant has succeeded in entering the Tokyo COSME flagship store not only because of the brand's core products. Dr. Plant's Hanfang alpine plant skin care formulas use essences of Chinese alpine plants. The effects of alpine plants are well documented. The product ingredients are mild and safe, light, and easy to absorb and can effectively relieve skin sensitivity problems of Japanese women. "Chinese alpine plants" are therefore welcomed by Japanese consumers. The Japan-made products sold in the Japanese Dr. Plant store are jointly developed by the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Japanese Hanfang Skin Care Scientific Research Center of Dr. Plant. The Dr. Plant Japan R&D Center has been established 9 years ago. It employs senior researchers which have previously worked for Shiseido, FANCL and other major international cosmetics companies. By integrating Japan's and China's innovative scientific research results, the brand has been able to successfully develop Japanese-made Dr. Plant products for sale in the Japanese and Hong Kong markets, using alpine plants as raw materials. In the COSME flagship store in Tokyo, Japan; the Japan-made Dr. PLANT dendrobium activating aging-resistance mask is loved by consumers To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8247/97516_d0afde6784ba1a42_003full.jpg As the first Chinese cosmetics brand to go overseas successfully, Dr. Plant continues to deliver its brand charm on a larger and wider international stage with its long-term global vision and products that highlight the results of scientific research. So far, Dr. Plant has more than 4,200 stores in more than 300 cities in Mainland China, Japan, Hong Kong, etc., its global membership has already exceeded 12 million with the brand influence continuing to increase. With the official launch in the COSME flagship store in Tokyo, Japan, the international development of Dr. Plant has reached a new breakthrough, demonstrating the brand strength of "making the world fall in love with Chinese cosmetics". Beijing DR PLANT Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Coco yangdefang@drplant.com.cn Website: https://www.drplant.com.cn/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97516 EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Dufry International AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Dufry expects positive impact from a new Spanish law, linking concession fees to passenger numbers 24-Sep-2021 / 07:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR Press Release (PDF) The Spanish Congress has yesterday passed a law, which modifies the concession fees in all Spanish airports linking the concession fee levels to the actual passenger numbers. This modification will last until passenger numbers are back to 2019 levels and is expected to have a positive financial impact on Dufry. The new law states that the Minimum Annual Guaranteed Rents (MAG) payable by the operators at Spanish airports pursuant to their concession contracts (i) are not owed for the period between March 15, 2020 and June 20, 2020; and (ii) will be proportionally reduced from June 21, 2020 onwards by comparing the lower volume of passengers at the Spanish airports to the 2019 passenger levels. This formula will stay in place until passenger numbers are back to the level of 2019. Dufry operates duty-free and duty-paid stores at 26 Spanish airports. The new law is expected to materially reduce the MAG claimed by AENA. The passenger numbers at Spanish airports have dropped by around 72% in 2020 and around 68% August YTD in 2021 compared to 2019 in each case. The P&L impact in 2021 and going forward will depend on the recovery of the passenger numbers at the Spanish airports. The specific accounting treatment under IFRS 16 and its timing as well as the impact on the cash flow are currently being reviewed. For further information please contact: DR. KRISTIN KOHLER Global Head Investor Relations Phone: +41 79 563 18 09 kristin.koehler@dufry.com RENZO RADICE Global Head Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Phone: +41 61 266 44 19 renzo.radice@dufry.com DUFRY GROUP - A LEADING GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAILER Dufry AG (SIX: DUFN) is the leading global travel retailer operating over 2,300 duty-free and duty-paid shops in airports, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations and downtown tourist areas, in more than 430 locations in 64 countries across all six continents. The Company, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is offering customers a first-class shopping experience, global brands, a unique market access and landlords a reliable, value-enhancing partnership. To learn more about Dufry, please visit www.dufry.com. Social Responsibility Dufry cares for children and supports social projects from SOS Kinderdorf in Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico, Morocco and Ivory Coast. SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-political and non-demonstrational organization established for orphaned and destitute children all over the world. Record consolidated revenues: 160m, up 45.6% (up 18.5% vs. H1 2019) Current EBITDA doubled to 31.4m EBITDA margin of 19.6% (up 5.5 pp vs. H1 2020 and 4 pp vs. H1 2019) Free cash flow: 31.6m (vs. 15.7m in H1 2020) Strong increase in operating cash flow: 36.3m (vs. 15.6m in H1 2020) Net cash (excluding IFRS 16 lease liabilities): 37.2m (vs. 25.0m at 31/12/2020) Paris, 23 September 2021 ROCHE BOBOIS SA (ISIN: FR0013344173 - Ticker symbol: RBO), a global benchmark on the high-end furniture market and the name behind the French Art de Vivre, today released its H1 2021 results. On 20 September 2021, the ROCHE BOBOIS SA Executive Board approved the half-year financial statements, following a limited review by the statutory auditors. Although the beginning of 2021 saw continued disruption due to forced store closures (particularly in the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland and Canada), the Group made a fast recovery thanks to the large volume of distance sales generated during the closures and a flood of new orders upon reopening. With the help of its suppliers, the Group has suffered limited raw material supply problems and is still able to deliver orders within normal lead times or keep delays down to the strict minimum. Accordingly, the outstanding retail sales volumes recorded during H1 2021 confirm the Group's confidence in posting record full-year earnings for 2021 with revenues of over 325 million and strong EBITDA growth. The trend in orders continued throughout the summer, with total year-to-date retail sales of 409.4 million at the end of August (up 38.3% versus 2020). 2021 also marks the 50th anniversary of Roche Bobois's flagship product, the Mah Jong sofa. To celebrate the occasion, the Mah Jong has been given a facelift with new upholstery from designers including Kenzo Takada, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Missoni Home and elegant pedestals that re-invent and enhance its contours and comfort. The Group is also investing heavily in the Roche Bobois and Cuir Center websites, soon to be backed by SalesForce Commerce Cloud plateform, in order to further improve ergonomics, online product customisation and e-commerce efficiency over the coming months. IFRS (m) H1 2020 H1 2021 Change (%) Sale of goods 95.3 140.9 +47.8% Royalties and other services 14.2 18.7 +31.7% Revenues 109.6 159.6 +45.6% Gross margin on sales 58.9% 59.4% +0.5 pp Current EBITDA 15.5 31.4 +102.0% EBITDA margin 14.1% 19.6% +5.5 pp EBIT before non-recurring items 0.4 13.8 +3,325% EBIT 0.4 13.7 +3,592% Net financial expense (1.3) (0.9) - Tax charge (0.3) (3.8) - Net profit/(loss) (1.2) 9.0 - Net profit/(loss) Group share (1.1) 9.0 - ROCHE BOBOIS SA posted H1 2021 revenues of 159.6 million, a strong increase of 45.6% (49.1% at constant exchange rates) from 109.6 million in H1 2020. Brisk sales were recorded in all regions, particularly the United States and Europe. Revenues were 18.5% up before the covid crisis two years ago.Gross margin was up 27.4 million driven by the sharp increase in volumes, and the gross margin rate increased 0.5 percentage points from 58.9% in H1 2020 to 59.4%, mainly driven by the geographical mix (strong growth in the US/Canada region). Operating expenses remained under tight control. Despite the increase in revenues, external expenses fell 1.7% to 34.4 million, close to the H1 2019 level. Although H1 2020 expenses were lower than H1 2021, at 28.7 million, the period was strongly impacted by the health crisis in terms of reductions in local advertising and trade fair conference expenses (1.4 million) and rent rebate negotiations (1.1 million). Staff costs reached 35.0 million, up 49.2% compared to H1 2020 and up 25.2% compared to H1 2019. This change is due to (i) the increase in commissions (variable compensation) due to strong growth in order intake and (ii) the sharp fall in furlough schemes and the related grants used by the Group in H1 2020 (3.7 million impact in H1 2020). Staff costs also include an expense of 1.2 million related to the bonus share plan (prorated as per vesting periods). Current EBITDA came to 31.4 million, up 102% compared to H1 2020 (at current and constant exchange rates), mainly driven by Roche Bobois France (6.2 million), Roche Bobois USA/Canada (3.9 million) and the Other Europe region (3.3 million). The EBITDA margin for H1 2021 was 19.6% at current and constant exchange rates, up 5.5 percentage points compared to H1 2020 and up 4 percentage points compared to H1 2019. After recognition of depreciation, amortization and impairment charges (16.3 million), EBIT saw a sharp increase to 13.8 million versus 0.4 million in H1 2020. After a net financial expense of 0.9 million and a 3.8 million tax charge, the net income came to of 9.0 million for H1 2021. Tight control of working capital and strong growth in operating cash flow Group free cash flow increased sharply from 15.7 million in H1 2020 to 31.6 million, up 101.7%. Working capital was kept under tight control and increased by 8.3 million as against 0.7 million one year ago. Operating cash flow rose considerably in H1 2021 to 36.3 million, up 133% from 15.6 million in H1 2020, enabling the Group to finance all capital expenditure requirements (6.8 million), dividend payments (4.9 million), interest charges (1.3 million) and purchases of minority interests (1.3 million) comprising the outstanding portion of the Deco Center 95 acquisition. The Group also fully repaid its 25 million state-guaranteed loan during the period. Cash and cash equivalents remained very high at 63.7 million at 30 June 2021 compared to 73.3 million at 31 December 2020. Gross borrowings totalled 26.6 million, down from 48.4 million at 31 December 2020. Lease liabilities, which are exclusively related to the application of IFRS 16, amounted to 136.1 million at 30 June 2021. Accordingly, net cash (excluding IFRS 16 lease liabilities) amounted to 37.2 million on 30 June 2021, compared to 24.9 million on 31 December 2020. Ongoing store opening plan Roche Bobois continued to roll out its international store opening plan by opening three new stores in H1 2020, including one owned store in Leeds Redbrick (UK) and two franchises in Huzhou and Xian (China). The Group also transferred the Barcelona store to a premium location in the immediate vicinity of Avenida Diagonal. The Group plans to open an owned store in Monaco by the end of the year. It also plans to carry out two new owned store developments in the United States (Florida and California), with work scheduled towards the end of 2021 and opening due very early in 2022. The Roche Bobois SA chain comprised 339 stores in 55 countries on 30 June 2021. 400 million retail sales mark reached at the end of August - 2021 financial guidance All brands combined, Roche Bobois SA retail sales reached a record 312.2 million in H1 2021, up 50% from 208.0 million in H1 2020 and up 26.9% compared to H1 2019, mainly driven by like-for- like growth across existing stores. Growth was particularly strong in the United States. The trend remained favourable in July and August. The Group posted total year-to-date retail sales of 409.4 million at the end of August, up 38.3% from 296 million at the same period last year, all brands combined (up 29% compared to H1 2019). Across the owned store chain, Roche Bobois and Cuir Center posted YTD retail sales of 222.7 million at the end of August, up 41.9% from 157 million in 2020. Furthermore, total order backlog for all brands at 30 June 2021 amounted to 131.2 million, up 27.4% from 103.0 million on 30 June 2020. On the light of these factors, the Company remains confident in the 2021 financial year and is now targeting full-year revenues of over 325 million coupled with a strong increase in EBITDA. Availability of the first half 2021 financial report Roche Bobois SA hereby announces that it has published and filed its financial report for the six months ended 30 June 2021 with the AMF (French financial markets regulator). This report may be viewed and downloaded from the Roche Bobois website: www.finance-roche-bobois.com About ROCHE BOBOIS SA ROCHE BOBOIS SA is a French family business founded in 1960. The Group operates in 55 countries and has a network of 337 owned stores and franchises (at 31 December 2020) marketing its two brands: Roche Bobois, a high-end furniture brand with a strong international presence, and Cuir Center, positioned in the mid-range market segment with an essentially French customer base. Through its Roche Bobois brand, the Group embodies the French Art de Vivre whose presence can now be felt on the world stage, with original and bold creations from talented designers (Bruno Moinard, Jean Nouvel, Ora Ito, Sacha Lakic, Christophe Delcourt, Stephen Burks, Kenzo Takada, Bina Baitel...) and partnerships with fashion and haute couture houses. Roche Bobois is also a committed partner in the world of culture and the arts. Including franchises, these two brands posted 2020 revenues of 484.5 million excluding VAT, to which Roche Bobois contributed 392.8 million and Cuir Center 92 million. Roche Bobois SA 2020 consolidated revenues came to 266.0 million. For more information please visit www.finance-roche-bobois.com CONTACTS Actus Finance - Anne-Pauline PETUREAUX Investor Relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 72 / apetureaux@actus.fr Actus Finance - Serena BONI Press Relations Tel.: +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 / sboni@actus.fr Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements do not constitute guarantees regarding the future performance of ROCHE BOBOIS. This forward-looking information covers the future outlook, growth and commercial strategy of ROCHE BOBOIS and is based on the analysis of future result forecasts and estimates of amounts that cannot yet be determined. By nature, forward-looking information involves risks and uncertainties, as it relates to events and depends on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. ROCHE BOBOIS draws your attention to the fact that forward-looking statements provide no guarantee of future performance and that its actual financial position, results and cash flow, as well as changes in the sector in which ROCHE BOBOIS operates, may differ significantly from those proposed or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this document. Moreover, even if ROCHE BOBOIS' financial position, results, cash flow and changes in the sector in which ROCHE BOBOIS operates were to be in accordance with the forward-looking information contained in this document, these results or changes may not be a reliable indicator of ROCHE BOBOIS' future results or developments. A description of events that could have a material adverse impact on ROCHE BOBOIS' business, financial position or results, or on its ability to achieve its targets, is given in Chapter 4 "Risk Factors" of the Base Document. GLOSSARY EBITDA = earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Underlying EBITDA equals Group pre-tax profit before deduction of interest, depreciation, amortisation and impairment charges on non-current assets, store opening costs and staff share-based payments, but after impairment of inventories and trade receivables. It shows profit generated by business activities regardless of financing conditions, tax constraints and the upgrading of operating assets. Non-recurring expenses (one-off, unusual or infrequent items) are excluded. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: yGxtk5hvlGvFnG9xZpVsmWhnmGmVk2GdamedlJdsk8qZmm6VmGhnl5fLZnBilmhv - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-71139-pr_hy2021_roche_bobois_def.pdf LUND, Sweden, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Colzyx AB (Colzyx) and the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) have signed the agreement for the first investment of EUR 1m in Colzyx by the EIC Fund. This investment is the result of the EUR 5.5 million in financial support from the Horizon 2020 / EIC Accelerator program that Colzyx was awarded December 2019. The support consists of a grant part and an investment part. The investment is made by the EIC Fund and has a total of EUR 3 million. The investment is part of the so called "blended finance" initiative. The present investment of EUR 1m is the first part, and the second part will be invested once Colzyx has reached specific development milestones. Colzyx develops a medical device product called WOUNDCOM in the field of wound healing and the investment will be used to complete the development WOUNDCOM, including a clinical study, for the CE marking required for market access in Europe. The need for new forms of wound healing products is great in the areas of infection after surgery, infection of acute and burn wounds, venous chronic leg ulcers and in chronic wounds in patients with diabetes. WOUNDCOM has the potential to be used in all the above situations, as well as in additional areas where there is a pronounced need for better and faster wound healing and a simultaneous effect against bacterial infections. The emergence and spread of multi-resistant bacteria pose serious threat to human health. It is predicted that within 20-30 years, more people may die because of infections by multi-resistant bacteria than by cancer. WOUNDCOM can play an important part in the fight against such infections by both accelerating wound healing and at the same time preventing infections with multi-resistant bacteria. "We are very pleased that we now have concluded the agreement with the EIC Fund. This investment will help Colzyx to accelerate the development of WOUNDCOM, aiming for a CE mark, said Eskil Soderlind, CEO of Colzyx. "The fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria is highly relevant and I am happy to announce the EIC Fund's investment in Colzyx, helping the company to bring their innovative wound matrix closer to the market." said Nicklas Bergman, member of the EIC Fund Investment Committee. For more information, contact: Eskil Soderlind, CEO, Colzyx AB. Phone +46 (0) 706 83 63 10, eskil@colzyx.com About Colzyx AB Colzyx is a biotechnology company focused on wound care. The company develops WOUNDCOM, a new innovative wound dressing that accelerates wound healing while having an antibacterial effect. Colzyx is located at Medicon Village, Lund. Read more at www.colzyx.com . The project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 947034. About the EIC Fund Established in June 2020, the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) is a breakthrough initiative of the European Commission to make direct equity and quasi-equity investments (between 500.000 and 15 million) in European high impact and deep tech start-ups and scale ups. With a long-term perspective, the EIC Fund invests in companies from any sector, across all EU member states as well as in associated countries. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialization of disruptive technologies. This is achieved by crowding-in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/colzyx-ab/r/colzyx-and-the-european-innovation-council-fund-sign-investment-agreement,c3419171 The following files are available for download: Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Mercedes-Benz becomes an equal shareholder of ACC along with Stellantis and TotalEnergies, each with 1/3 equity stake. Mercedes-Benz to provide technology and production know-how to Automotive Cells Company (ACC). The partners will accelerate ACC's development with an objective of at least 120 GWh of cell capacity by 2030. Regulatory News: Stellantis, TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) and Mercedes-Benz have entered into agreements to welcome Mercedes-Benz as a new partner of Automotive Cells Company (ACC). The transaction is subject to agreement on definitive documentation and customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Following its entry, the partners commit to increase ACC's industrial capacity to at least 120 GWh by 2030. ACC results from the initiative taken in 2020 by Stellantis and TotalEnergies, together with its affiliate Saft, and supported by the French, German and European authorities, to create a European battery champion for electric vehicles. The entry of Mercedes-Benz in ACC is a clear demonstration of its industrial progress and of the merits of the project, which it will strengthen. ACC's objective is to develop and produce battery cells and modules for electric vehicles with a focus on safety, performance and competitiveness, while ensuring the highest level of quality and the lowest carbon footprint. The updated ACC capacity plan will mobilize an investment of more than seven billion euros, which will be supported by subsidies and financed by equity and debt. The creation of this European battery champion will support Europe to address the challenges of the energy transition in mobility, ensure its security of supply of a key component for the electric car industry. ACC will be supported by a winning trio of partners that combine: A deep technological expertise in battery development with Saft, the affiliate of TotalEnergies, which has more than 100 years of experience in the field of long-life batteries and battery systems. which has more than 100 years of experience in the field of long-life batteries and battery systems. A leading global mobility player with Stellantis that has a clear mission to provide cutting-edge technology to ensure freedom of movement for all through distinctive, appealing, affordable and sustainable mobility solutions. that has a clear mission to provide cutting-edge technology to ensure freedom of movement for all through distinctive, appealing, affordable and sustainable mobility solutions. The research and development expertise of Mercedes-Benz, along with its support to the expansion of ACC's production facilities based on the brand's benchmark quality standards. "Mercedes-Benz pursues a very ambitious transformation plan and this investment marks a strategic milestone on our path to CO2 neutrality. Together with ACC, we will develop and efficiently produce battery cells and modules in Europe tailor-made to the specific Mercedes-Benz requirements," says Ola Kallenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG. "This new partnership allows us to secure supply, to take advantage of economies of scale, and to provide our customers with superior battery technology. On top of that, we can help to ensure that Europe remains at the heart of the auto industry even in an electric era. With Mercedes-Benz as a new partner, ACC aims to more than double capacity at its European sites to support Europe's industrial competitiveness in the design and manufacturing of battery cells." "We welcome Mercedes-Benz as a strategic partner who shares our ambition to accelerate ACC's leadership," said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. "Stellantis' electrification strategy is running full-speed ahead, and today's announcement is the next step in our plan to be the automotive frontrunner, with all 14 brands committed to offering best-in-class fully electrified solutions that meet demands of customers. This consortium leverages our shared technical expertise and manufacturing synergies, and continues to ensure that Stellantis leads the way the world moves in the most efficient, affordable and sustainable way." "We are delighted to welcome Mercedes-Benz as a new partner of ACC. This demonstrates the credibility of our initiative taken a year ago with Stellantis and will clearly support our ambition to create a European battery champion. Together, we are bringing all our skills to contribute to the sustainable development of mobility. This new step is another demonstration of TotalEnergies transformation into a broad energy company and of our willingness to extend our footprint in electric mobility. TotalEnergies will draw on the recognized expertise of its subsidiary Saft in batteries and on the industrial know-how of our partners to meet the strong growth of electric vehicles in Europe" said Patrick Pouyanne, TotalEnergies' Chairman and CEO. About ACC Automotive Cells Company (ACC) was founded in August 2020 and to date combines the expertise of three major companies with complementary skills and experience. ACC's ambition is to become the European market leader for car batteries that allow clean and efficient mobility for all. The R&D Center and testing facilities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine are just the beginning. About Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz AG is responsible for the global business of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans, with over 170,000 employees worldwide. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the world's largest manufacturers of luxury passenger cars. In its two business segments, Mercedes-Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with around 35 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. About Saft Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For more than 100 years, Saft's longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance on land, at sea, in the air and in space. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies, a broad energy group that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and electricity. We energize the world. www.saftbatteries.com About Stellantis Stellantis is one of the world's leading automakers and a mobility provider, guided by a clear vision: to offer freedom of movement with distinctive, affordable and reliable mobility solutions. In addition to the Company's rich heritage and broad geographic presence, its greatest strengths lie in its sustainable performance, depth of experience and the wide-ranging talents of employees working around the globe. Stellantis will leverage its broad and iconic brand portfolio, which was founded by visionaries who infused the marques with passion and a competitive spirit that speaks to employees and customers alike. Stellantis aspires to become the greatest, not the biggest, while creating added value for all stakeholders, as well as the communities in which it operates. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. Cautionary Note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for their acts or omissions. The terms "Company" or "TotalEnergies company" refer collectively to the company TotalEnergies SE and the companies it controls directly or indirectly. Such terms are used solely for the sake of convenience for purposes of the present communication. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005091/en/ Contacts: ACC: Matthieu Hubert: +33 (0) 6 88 05 16 26, matthieu.hubert@acc-emotion.com Mercedes-Benz: Aline Meiser: +49 (0) 176 30 900 064, aline.meiser@daimler.com Heike Rombach: +49 (0) 176 30 922 505, heike.rombach@daimler.com Saft: Elma Peters: +33 (0) 7 63 46 06 47; elma.peters@saftbatteries.com Stellantis: Pierre-Olivier Salmon: +33 6 76 86 45 48, pierreolivier.salmon@stellantis.com Valerie Gillot: +33 6 83 92 92 96, valerie.gillot@stellantis.com TotalEnergies: Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@totalenergies.com UTRECHT, Netherlands, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The successful Italian author Elena Ferrante has written a new lecture for the ILFU literature festival in the Netherlands. Ferrante herself never appears in public, and has kept her identity a secret for more than 30 years. Her lecture will therefore be read by three respected actresses of stage and screen in three different languages. The English version will be read by actress Olivia Colman, who will soon appear in the film adaptation of Ferrante's work The Lost Daughter. Like her novels, Ferrante's lecture, titled "A Skein of Written Words," promises to be a blazing plea for women's freedom, and will only be available for streaming as a video or podcast for 10 days (24 September to 3 October) via elenaferrantelecture.com. This year, the International Literature Festival Utrecht (ILFU) will present Elena Ferrante with the Belle van Zuylen Ring 2021, an award recognising the work of socially engaged writers. The award accompanies the Belle van Zuylen Lecture, which honours the memory of the famed Dutch Enlightenment writer Belle van Zuylen. Previous lectures were written by Jeanette Winterson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood. This is the first time that the lecture is not given by the author herself. Instead, three respected actresses of stage and screen will read Ferrante's lecture in three different languages. Ferrante's original Italian text will be read by Anna Bonaiuto, who acted in the adaptation of Ferrante's debut novel l'Amore Molesto (Troubling Love). The Dutch translation by Miriam Bunnik and Mara Schepers will be presented by Olga Zuiderhoek, who has starred in dozens of theatre productions and films. And the English translation by Ann Goldstein will be presented by none other than award-winning actress Olivia Colman, who will star in the upcoming adaptation of La Figlia Oscura(The Lost Daughter). Elena Ferrante Elena Ferrante became a global literary sensation with her four Neapolitan novels, a bestselling series that sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. The first two volumes, My Brilliant Friendand The Story of a New Name, have also been adapted for television. Elena Ferrante is this year's recipient of the Belle van Zuylen Ring, an international honour presented by the ILFU in collaboration with the City of Utrecht, a UNESCO City of Literature, in recognition of the work's explicit social engagement. Ferrante's lecture is a blazing plea for women's freedom and criticizes today's society that is still dominated by men: "Since Belle's time, we have modified every scenario, and yet we've remained bound and constricted within a language that expresses us only in part, we've remained bound and constricted within men's rules, within their daily abuses of power." About the ILFU ILFU is an annual festival and a daily online platform for literature. During our festival, we bring the world's best authors to Utrecht and publish commissioned works on our platform. ILFU aims to show that literature matters. In a time when many lament the decline of reading, the drastic reduction in numbers of libraries and the closure of one bookseller after another, ILFU offers a ray of hope. So many wonderful works are being written, and each year more people visit our festival and platform. Literature is both full of life and vital for a healthy society. The ILFU's guest authors in the past have included: Paul Auster, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nick Cave, Michael Palin, Jeanette Winterson, Louis Theroux, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Rachel Cusk, John Irving, Roxane Gay, Julian Barnes and Elizabeth Strout. Visit ilfu.com for more information. Practical information An online stream of Elena Ferrante lecture ( 30 minutes) by Olivia Colman, Anna Bonaiuto and Olga Zuiderhoek. Following the Award Ceremony the videos and podcasts of the three performances will be available at elenaferrantelecture.com for 10 days between 24 September and 3 October. Tickets: 5. Elena Ferrante Belle van Zuylen lecture 2021 Trailer: https://vimeo.com/612771984. Note for the editor Photos (please mention: Photography by Rob Schreuder), videos and press release through this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11nxyzEDxuz7qUE9b2eFTTtcHgFDG84Wc?usp=sharing. Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634050/International_Literature_Festival_Utrecht.mp4 Partnership with Coursera boosts the offering after pilot in Summer PRAGUE, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zentiva announces the launch of the Zentiva Academy, its new digital learning and development platform aimed at providing its employees with the best opportunities for their professional and personal growth. The program gathers a range of assets developed in-house by Zentiva-Talents and includes training by external partners as well. To boost the offering, Zentiva recently entered into a partnership with Coursera. Coursera, one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, provides access to high-quality content from top universities and industry partners such as Yale University, the Imperial College of London, and others. This partnership follows the successful pilot of the Zentiva Summer School, during which 300 employees could join courses such as TheScience of well-being, Creative thinking,Leading positive change through appreciative inquiry, and many more. Ines Windisch, Head of Corporate Affairs & HR: "The growth of our company offers great opportunities for our people. We care for our 4.500 talents across 30 countries, who are working smart and hard every day to fulfil our ambition to deliver high-quality, affordable medicines. Everyone has talent that needs to be discovered and unlocked; that is why we are happy to help them on this exciting path towards becoming better skilled. With the Zentiva Academy, we provide exclusive content from world-renowned universities and offer learning from anywhere and anytime in a digital environment. At Zentiva, we build our success on our people." "We are excited to partner with Zentiva to help employees advance their careers through job-based skills training," said Anthony Tattersall, Vice President of EMEA at Coursera. "Together, we will enable learners to develop the high-demand digital skills needed to thrive in the new economy." About Zentiva Zentiva is a producer of high-quality affordable medicines serving patients in Europe and beyond. With a dedicated team of more than 4,500 people and a network of production sites - including flagship sites in Prague, Bucharest, and Ankleshwar - Zentiva strives to be the champion of branded and generic medicines in Europe to better support people's daily healthcare needs. At Zentiva it is our aspiration that healthcare should be a right and not a privilege. More than ever, people need better access to high-quality affordable medicines and healthcare. We work in partnership with physicians, pharmacists, wholesalers, regulators, and governments to provide the everyday solutions that we all depend on. Visit us at www.zentiva.com About Coursera Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 87 million registered learners as of June 30, 2021. Coursera partners with over 200 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor's and master's degrees. Institutions around the world use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in fields such as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021. Media Contacts: Mounira Lemoui Head of Communications ZENTIVA GROUP, a.s. U Kabelovny 529/16, Dolni Mecholupy, 102 00 Prague 10 Cell: (+420) 727 873 159 / E-mail: mounira.lemoui@zentiva.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/788903/Zentiva_Logo.jpg European TopSoho S.a r.l. European TopSoho S.a r.l.: 250 million 4% secured guaranteed bonds due 2021 exchangeable into shares of SMCP S.A. (ISIN XS1882680645) 24-Sep-2021 / 09:10 CET/CEST European TopSoho S.a r.l.: 250 million 4% secured guaranteed bonds due 2021 exchangeable into shares of SMCP S.A. (ISIN XS1882680645) LUXEMBOURG - Media OutReach - 24 September 2021 - European TopSoho S.a r.l. (the "Company") hereby confirms that it did not redeem the 250 million 4% secured guaranteed bonds due 2021, exchangeable into share of SMCP S.A. issued by the Company (the "Bonds"), which matured on 21 September 2021, and that it has accordingly received a notification of breach from the Trustee. The Bonds are secured by shares of SMCP S.A. representing 37% of the capital of SMCP S.A. Further, if the Bonds are not redeemed by 30 September 2021, thus remedying this breach, an event of default under the Bonds will be deemed to occur. The Company is actively considering its options in relation to the current situation and will keep the market informed. About European TopSoho S.a r.l. European TopSoho S.a r.l. is an investment holding company established in Luxembourg. The Company is the controlling shareholder of SMCP S.A. which is a leading accessible luxury fashion company listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris. European TopSoho S.ar.l. is a subsidiary of Shandong Ruyi Technology Group Company Limited, the leading apparel manufacturer and fashion brands operator headquartered in Shandong, China. Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. HELSINKI, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quickly developed material technology company Betolar and JA-KO Betoni, a company reforming the concrete industry, are assisting Keliber, which is preparing a lithium mine in Kaustinen, Finland, in utilising the massive side streams typically produced in the mining industry. Tailings produced as a side stream in Keliber's mineral processing and analcime sand produced later in the lithium production process will be used in concrete production as aggregate at JA-KO Betoni's plant in Kokkola, Finland. The Geoprime solution developed by Betolar will replace cement used as a binder in concrete production with blast furnace slag produced through a steel industry side stream in Raahe, Finland. Replacing cement will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Low-carbon concrete can be used, for example, in the structures of Keliber's mine. "Significant environmental benefits arise in two ways. Firstly, replacing cement with materials refined from industrial side streams will drastically cut CO2 emissions from the raw material, to as much as one-fifth of current levels. Secondly, the use of side streams as the aggregate for concrete instead of natural rock material significantly reduces the use of virgin natural resources," says Chief Innovation Officer Juha Leppanen, the Founder of Betolar. Different side streams, which must be reused or deposited, are produced in mining activities. Most of these side streams are put in a waste rock stockpile at the mining site. Material reuse saves virgin natural resources. From Betolar's perspective, side stream materials are important future raw material sources whose utilisation in the more extensive industrial scale has only just started. "We wanted to ensure well in advance that the environmental impact of our lithium mines will be as low as possible. Our future side streams will not only be environmentally safe but will also enable the creation of new products and reduction of the use of virgin raw materials," says Hannu Hautala, CEO at Keliber. The concrete industry produces a significant proportion of human produced CO2 emissions. The proportion of cement used in concrete production amounts globally to approximately seven per cent of the CO2 emissions whereas the proportion, for example, of air traffic in normal times amounts to 2-3 per cent. With Betolar's solution, it is possible to replace raw materials used in the concrete production process in many concrete product groups, which can lead to up to 80% lower CO2 emissions. "The concrete industry needs new solutions to reduce emissions. Together with Betolar, we are developing several products in which cement is replaced with binders that are considerably less burdensome for the environment. We will invest in the production of new, more environmentally-friendly concrete products in Kokkola, Finland, which will create significant competitive advantage for our industry," says Jaakko Eloranta, CEO at JA-KO Betoni. Betolar - Keliber - JA-KO Betoni CONTACT: Media Inquiries: For Betolar: Jo Hooke, Gong Communications: Jo.Hooke@gongcommunications.com , +44 (0) 20 7935 4800 Jaakko Eloranta, toimitusjohtaja, JA-KO Betoni Oy, tel +358 44 066 5635, jaakko.eloranta@jakobetoni.fi Hannu Hautala, toimitusjohtaja, Keliber Oy, tel +358 40 712 2432, hanna.hautala@keliber.fi This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The following files are available for download: BAE Systems Applied Intelligence is adding market leading enhancements to its NetReveal Compliance Solution Suite to help organisations remain compliant in the complex and evolving money laundering and terrorist finance ecosystem. As the regulatory landscape shifts towards a more expansive view of banking responsibility, which encompasses cybersecurity, human trafficking and cryptocurrencies, BAE Systems is enhancing NetReveal and supporting services to provide financial institutions with agile solutions designed to adjust to these changing demands. "Our expertise in protecting financial institutions against changing threats lies in understanding criminal threats and risk regardless of the format, entity or industry," said Peter Fisher, Product Director for Financial Services. "As compliance moves to encompass evolving digital criminality, we use connected data and collaboration to help banks address their ever-expanding remit of responsibility." The latest enhancements in NetReveal encompass both product-based adaptability to augment existing compliance solutions and features to help organisations ensure compliance in an evolving criminal and regulatory landscape. Features include: Built in Criminal Offenses Scenario Library: NetReveal's AML Transaction Monitoring solution includes an added detection library of modern typologies and payment types including human trafficking and mobile payments NetReveal's AML Transaction Monitoring solution includes an added detection library of modern typologies and payment types including human trafficking and mobile payments Automated false positive reduction by an additional ~55%: Using a custom combination of machine learning and intelligent automation, NetReveal features Intelligent Event Triage for AML TM, CDD/KYC, Sanctions, PEP and Negative News, and Transaction Filtering. Additionally, NetReveal's "Weighted Words" understands and assesses name variances, factoring in nicknames, financial terms and synonyms to further refine alert results and reduce false positives by between 53 55% 1 Using a custom combination of machine learning and intelligent automation, NetReveal features Intelligent Event Triage for AML TM, CDD/KYC, Sanctions, PEP and Negative News, and Transaction Filtering. Additionally, NetReveal's "Weighted Words" understands and assesses name variances, factoring in nicknames, financial terms and synonyms to further refine alert results and reduce false positives by between 53 55% Smart, integrated 3 rd party data speeds up investigations: With Dun Bradstreet data automatically integrated into NetReveal, customer onboarding includes deep risk checks, at the click of a button With Dun Bradstreet data automatically integrated into NetReveal, customer onboarding includes deep risk checks, at the click of a button Augment your compliance investment: NetReveal's "Build your own Algorithm" uses intelligent analytics to enable users to create a copy, edit locally and apply custom algorithms to their own scenarios. Adding to NetReveal's Advanced Analytics Platform (AAP), Custom Data Fields takes advantage of the rich set of profiles and defines specific fields that are more predictive of suspicious behaviour in an organisation. NetReveal's AAP works alongside existing models/rules to identify unexpected suspicious events that existing rule-based detection would miss About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cybercrime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations. For further information about BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, please visit www.baesystems.com/financialservices About NetReveal NetReveal is a single, integrated platform for anti-money laundering compliance and fraud prevention enabling Financial Institutions to benefit from lower total cost of ownership across their compliance and fraud teams with a single solution. A comprehensive range of compliance and counter-fraud solutions can be deployed individually or collectively. 1 Based on internal post-processing tests View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005027/en/ Contacts: For UK: Nick Haigh, BAE Systems +44 (0) 7525 390982 nick.haigh@baesystems.com For USA: Brad Grantham, BAE Systems (919) 519-8528 brad.grantham2@baesystems.com MANCHESTER, England and SYDNEY, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Employsure Australia, part of the Peninsula Group, has won a landmark judgement with global implications concerning employment contracts. The decision was handed down by the NSW Supreme Court in the case of Employsure Ltd v McMurchy; Employsure Ltd v Kumaran [2021] NSWSC 1179 and means former employees of Employsure are now bound by an injunction preventing them from joining a competitor and using confidential information. The Court found that two former employees, a senior manager and a sales employee, had breached their contracts and fiduciary duties by deciding to take up and commence employment with ELMO Software, a direct competitor of Employsure and its BrightHR service. ELMO Software was found to have induced David McMurchy and Arumugam Kumaran into breaching their contracts and soliciting other, current Employsure employees to join them with the launch of BreatheHR into the Australian market. The Court accepted that the restrictions in Employsure's contracts of employment were all valid and will now proceed to deal with multi-million-dollar damages and costs. David Price, CEO at Employsure, says: "We thank and congratulate all involved in this decision and welcome the NSW Court's recognition and endorsement of the need to protect our legitimate business interests." Whilst not binding on the UK and Irish courts, this judgment is likely to have cross-jurisdictional application given the legal principles involved. Peter Done, CEO at the Peninsula Group says: "This decision is particularly important for small businesses, which often have the most to lose from contract breaches. I hope the ruling will give employers in Australia and worldwide the confidence to stand up to underhand behaviour and hold competitors and former employees to account." www.peninsulagrouplimited.com - Leading designer from Seoul Fashion Week advances into London Fashion Week - Seoul city supports designers from Seoul Fashion Week to be showcased at London Fashion Week, one of the four major global events with lofty standards - Seoul city hosting '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week'(October 7~15) as a 100% contact free & digital pre-production - Promotional video by 'Kai', the promotional ambassador, released on YouTube on the 15th... Introducing K-Fashion and Seoul Heritage to the World SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Seoul's leading designer Lee Chung-chung's LIE and the brand BMUET(TE) will be showcased at the 'London Fashion Week (9.17~ 9.22)' which is considered one of the world's four major fashion weeks alongside Paris, New York, and Milan. The Seoul Metropolitan city proposed an exchange with the British Fashion Council (BFC), which is proactively operating programs to nurture rising designers. As a part of the ongoing collaboration project, Seoul city is providing support for designers participating in Seoul Fashion Week to advance into the global London Fashion Week which has been reputable for its high standards to join. The concept for the 2022 S/S season of LIE started with the belief in the possibility of escaping the stagnant and faded reality from the pain and suffering caused by COVID, and to return to the beautiful days of Seoul in Belle Epoque, which means beautiful times in French. The splendor and elegance were reborn through the inspiration from the Belle Epoque era, and dynamic cuts, patterns, and elaborate tailoring were used to reflect the confidence of beautiful women. The concept for the 2022 S/S season of BMUET(TE) is Surplus Reality. This concept expresses a faerie deviance that escapes our daily ways of experiencing the reality to see it from a rather unfamiliar point of view. In addition, the '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week' will be held as a 100% contact free & digital pre-production from October 7 (Thursday). In particular, this Fashion Week plans to mark the start of the use of TikTok, the world's leading short-form platform used by 1 billion people around the world, to broadcast various contents such as backstage videos. The '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week' will encapsulate Gyeongbokgung, the best palace in Joseon, as well as other palaces from the Joseon Dynasty such as Deoksugung, Unhyeongung, and Gyeonghuigung, and the modern and contemporary buildings such as the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, the Proboke Seoul, and the DDP. Tourist attractions which hold the dynamic history of the 600 years of Seoul will be transformed into runways to guest visitors from all around the world. 'Kai' from EXO who has global recognition and fan base will appear as the global ambassador for the '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week'. The promotional video for Seoul Fashion Week which presents Kai wearing the look from the designer who will be showcased at this year's London Fashion Week through the support of Seoul city will be premiered on YouTube on the 15th (Wednesday). Seoul city stated, "The exchange with this year's London Fashion Week is an opportunity for our designers who grew up in Seoul to step into the international stage, notify the competitiveness of Seoul's fashion industry, and to have their potentials evaluated." Seoul city added, "We are promoting exchanges with not only the London Fashion Week, but also the Paris and Milan Fashion Week, which are also part of the four major fashion weeks." Furthermore, Seoul city stated, "We will do our best to elevate the reputation of K-fashion, revitalize the domestic fashion industry, and enhance the competitiveness of Seoul as a city through the upcoming 2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634188/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634186/image_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634187/image_3.jpg VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE:ELEM)(FSE:7YS) ("Element79 Gold", the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing progress within the Abitibi Subprovince targeting bulk tonnage style gold mineralization at its Dale Gold Property in Ontario, Canada. Mobilization has begun for Phase 1, focused on following up on historic prospecting which has returned up to 3.82 g/t gold.(1) Work Program Leadership and Team: A Long History of Mining Element79 Gold is pleased to have the experienced leadership of its director, Mr. Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc, P.Geo., and his team at Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation ("Fladgate") managing the Phase 1 program on the Dale Gold Property. The Fladgate team has historically worked with clients such as Barrick Gold Corporation ("Barrick Gold") (NYSE listed) and Newmont Corporation ("Newmont") (NYSE listed) and several names which have gone on to be acquired including Goldcorp, Inc. (acquired by Newmont), PC Gold Inc. (acquired by First Mining), and Placer Dome (acquired by Barrick Gold). Detailed Work Plan and Progress The Element79 Gold team is utilizing both historical data and the earlier Spring 2021 drone-based magnetometer survey to focus reconnaissance mapping, prospecting, and soil sampling. In addition trenching and channel sampling will carried out on existing gold showings identified by the vendors of the property which have returned up to 3.82 g/t gold.(1) The Company intends to pursue the Phase 2 work program (including 1,500m of diamond drilling) as recommended within the 43-101 Technical Report following favourable results from Phase 1.(1) Figure 1. 2021 Drone magnetic Survey, Total Field: The Property outline is in yellow. The Dale stock outlined by thin dashed line; potential gold bearing NE trending structures marked by thick dashed lines; late regional N-S faults marked by thick intermittent dashed line. 2020 Prospecting samples are marked by yellow triangles labelled with gold grade in g/t. Surrounding Area Hosts Some of the World's Largest Gold Deposits The Dale Property is a highly prospective early-stage gold project located in the Swazye greenstone belt, which is turn is part of the Abitibi Subprovince which hosts some of the world's largest gold deposits, e.g. the Timmins camp which has produced over 70 million ounces of gold (Figure 2). The Swazye greenstone belt is best known for hosting IamGold's Cote Lake deposit which contains 10.2 million ounces Measured and Indicated and 3.8 million ounces Inferred(2), and is located 50 km southeast of the Dale Property (Figure 2). The Cote Lake project received a Positive Construction Decision in July 2020(3) and plans to achieve commercial production in 2023. Figure 2. Simplified Regional Geology of the Dale Project Area, showing nearby significant deposits and producing mines.(5) Strong Gold Market Outlook Presents Prime M&A Environment Element79 Gold believes market conditions are ripe for value-driven gold acquisitions and is actively reviewing several advanced project acquisition opportunities. The Company expects to create significant additional value for its investors both immediately and over the long term as a result of its growing M&A pipeline. In fact, Goldman Sachs' latest research note forecast gold at USD $2000/oz in 3, 6, and 12-month horizons.(4) Element79 Gold Website Update: Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project The Company would like to bring attention to the first round of update content on its corporate website, www.Element79.Gold and www.Element79Gold.com highlighting its latest acquisition announcement, The Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project which is a structurally controlled mesothermal deposit with geology that is analogous to the famed Mother Lode District of California and the Bralorne Mine Complex of British Columbia. Unlike shallow epithermal deposits, mesothermal deposits can have significant depth extent measured in kilometers. The gold system at the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project has only been tested to a maximum depth of 400 meters (one hole) with the vast majority of the drilling being shallower than 200 meters. The company is busy compiling data and generating drill targets. Upon completion of its acquisition, the company intends to provide an update of its Work Program plans. Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director of Element79 Gold and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Element79 Gold Element79 Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mining properties for gold and associated metals. The Company has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Dale Property which consists of 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, Canada in the Timmins Mining Division, Dale Township. For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold or www.element79gold.com Contact Information: For corporate matters, please contact: James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer E-mail: jt@element79gold.com For investor relations inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Department Phone: +1 (604) 200-3608 E-mail: investors@element79gold.com Sources Element79 Gold makes no warranty as to the completeness, accuracy, verifiability, or suitableness of any of the information contained on the following third-party links and expressly undertakes no obligation to update the following links. (1) Element79 Gold Corp., May 4, 2021, 43-101 Technical report on the Dale Property, Section 9.6, available on SEDAR (2) IamGold Corp., February 17, 2021, Annual Information Form https://s2.q4cdn.com/610165863/files/doc_downloads/2021/02/FINAL-2020-AIF-Feb-17-2021.pdf (3) IamGold Corp., July 21 2020, News Release https://www.iamgold.com/English/investors/news-releases/news-releases-details/2020/IAMGOLD-to-Proceed-with-Construction-of-the-Ct-Gold-Project-in-Ontario-Canada/default.aspx (4) https://www.kitco.com/news/2021-07-21/Goldman-Sachs-is-looking-for-2K-for-Gold.html (5) Figure 2. A. Cote Lake Deposit: IamGold Corp., February 17, 2021, Annual Information Form https://s2.q4cdn.com/610165863/files/doc_downloads/2021/02/FINAL-2020-AIF-Feb-17-2021.pdf B. Island Gold Deposit: Alamos Gold Inc., March 23, 2021, Annual Information Form, https://s24.q4cdn.com/779615370/files/doc_downloads/2021/AnnualInformationForm2020/991-2020-Annual-Information-Form-March-30-2021-FINAL.pdf C. Borden Deposit: Probe Mines Ltd., June 10, 2014, 43-101 Technical Report: Mineral Resource Estimate Update, Borden Gold Project, Project No. V1393, available on SEDAR D. Jerome Deposit: Augen Gold Corp., August 6, 2011, 43-101 Technical Report on a Resource Estimate on the Jerome Mine Property, available on SEDAR E. Timmins Camp Gold Production: DigiGeoData, June 2021 Map https://digigeodata.com/area/timmins/ (6) Gitennes Exploration Ltd., May 4, 2021, News Release https://www.gitennes.com/site/assets/files/5689/snowbird_high_grade_gold_project_drilling_update.pdf (7) PC Gold Inc., Sept 15, 2014, News Release https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2014/09/15/1479477/0/en/PC-Gold-Increases-Pickle-Crow-Resource-Based-on-Initial-Resource-Estimate-for-No-22-and-23-Veins.html Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Technical Disclaimer This news release and related maps contain information about adjacent properties and properties with similar characteristics on which the Company has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties or properties that share similar characteristics are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company's properties. Readers are also cautioned that this news release contains historical technical information which is based on prior data prepared by previous property owners. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to confirm such information; significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required to do so. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the Company's business strategy; future planning processes; exploration activities; the timing and result of exploration activities; capital projects and exploration activities and the possible results thereof; acquisition opportunities; and the impact of acquisitions, if any, on the Company. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Consequently, forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, assumptions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "forecast", "potential", "target", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the duration and effects of the coronavirus and COVID-19; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; actual results of exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; commodity prices; variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; actual performance of plant, equipment or processes relative to specifications and expectations; accidents; labour relations; relations with local communities; changes in national or local governments; changes in applicable legislation or application thereof; delays in obtaining approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; government regulation; environmental risks; reclamation expenses; outcomes of pending litigation; limitations on insurance coverage as well as those factors discussed in the Company's other public disclosure documents, available on www.sedar.com . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. SOURCE: Element79 Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665346/Element79-Gold-Begins-Phase-1-Exploration-Program-on-the-Dale-Gold-Property-in-the-Abitibi-Subprovince-Ontario-Canada HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Aurubis AG (AIAGY.PK, AIAGF.PK) said its supervisory Board has extended CEO Roland Harings' Executive Board contract by five years. Roland Harings joined the Executive Board in May 2019 and has served as its chairman since July 1, 2019. With the extension, his contract now runs until June 30, 2027. Supervisory Board Chairman Fritz Vahrenholt stated: 'The company's management in the growth phase ahead of us is in good hands with Harings.' The company also announced that, beginning October 1, 2021, its Executive Board will consist of three members: CEO Roland Harings, CFO Rainer Verhoeven, and COO Heiko Arnold. Thomas Bunger, who has been on the Executive Board since 2018, will leave the company when his contract expires on September 30, 2021. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. New tool launches to help identify businesses committed to climate action LONDON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Race to Zero - the UN-backed global campaign rallying businesses, cities, regions, investors and other non-state actors to halve global emissions by 2030 - today launched a new tool to search for any member in their campaign . The tool is aimed at celebrating those entities who are committing to robust net zero targets. Provided for free by the world's leading analytics platform, Tableau, and the global leader in CRM, Salesforce, this search tool enables seamless filtering and searching of who's in the Race to Zero. Earlier this week, during the Opening Session of Climate Week NYC, Al Gore underscored the critical importance of transparency - the lack of which being a major reason why action to date has not been ambitious enough. Race to Zero's new visualisation tool, created using the Tableau platform, lists all entities in the campaign and contributes to building a clear picture of those stakeholders who are committed to robust net zero targets, sending a strong signal to those not in the list that they must step up. Each of the Race to Zero members is committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets. Together they form the largest alliance of non-state actors committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest. Race to Zero members all meet the minimum criteria required to join the campaign, and are managed by their Partner initiatives . The Tableau tool also helps track the sectoral progress towards specific, near-term tipping points for more than 20 sectors that make up the global economy, known as the 2030 Breakthroughs . Collectively, they articulate what key actors must do, and by when, to deliver the sectoral changes needed to achieve a resilient, zero carbon future by 2050 at the latest. At the launch of Climate Week NYC, the UN High Level Climate Action Champions announced that already over half of the main sectors of the global economy had reached breakthrough ambition . In each of these 15 sectors, from clean power, to pharma & medtech, to concrete & cement, at least 20% of the major companies by revenue are aligning around sector-specific 2030 goals -- in line with delivering net zero emissions by 2050 -- which include targets such as 60% renewable generation in the energy sector and 5% zero-emissions fuel in the shipping sector. Chris Lindsay, VP of EMEA Marketing, Tableau said, "For the first time anyone can easily search the Race to Zero database and find out who is - and just as importantly who isn't - committed to immediate climate action. We're proud to partner with Race To Zero on this transformative initiative." Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Action Champion, said: "Transparency is key for knowing how far we've come and how far we still need to go. We're very grateful for Tableau's and Salesforce's support in helping us showcase all our Race to Zero members and in tracking the systemic change underway across all sectors of the global economy. If you're not yet on the list, now's the time to join the Race to Zero and contribute to the 2030 Breakthroughs." Gonzalo Munoz, ChileCOP25 High Level Climate Champion, said: "I would like to warmly thank Tableau and Salesforce in helping to visualise clearly who is in Race to Zero - and by implication, who is not. This radical transparency is critical to us all racing to halving emissions by 2030 together, and I look forward to seeing the list of Race to Zero members continue to grow as well as the progress towards the 2030 Breakthroughs continue to accelerate. There is no time to lose." About Race to Zero Race to Zero is the UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors - including companies, cities, regions, financial, educational, and healthcare institutions - to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero carbon world in time. All members are committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets. Led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action - Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Munoz - Race To Zero mobilizes actors outside of national governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance, which was launched at the UNSG's Climate Action Summit 2019 by the President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera. About the 2030 Breakthroughs The 2030 Breakthroughs articulate what key actors must do, and by when, to deliver the systems change we need to achieve a resilient, zero carbon world in the over 30 sectors of the real economy. The 2030 Breakthroughs are derived from the Climate Action Pathways - a set of comprehensive sectoral roadmaps to achieve the Paris Agreement in line with 1.5C, developed by the UN High Level Climate Champions and the Marrakech Partnership. BH Macro Limited (a closed-ended collective investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registration number 46235) (The "Company") LEI Number: 549300ZOFF0Z2CM87C29 24 September 2021 RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held today, all Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 9 September 2021 were duly passed. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 2 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 3 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 4 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 5 19,017,084.64 8.826 38,903.54 0 6 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 7 18,967,276.58 8.826 88,711.60 0 8 19,002,489.27 8.826 53,498.90 0 9 19,035,460.37 8.826 20,527.81 0 Special Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 10 19,055,988.17 8.826 0 0 11 19,055,814.59 8.826 17.358 0 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. The above figures aggregate the proxy votes received on the US Dollar shares and Sterling shares in accordance with the respective voting rights applicable to each US Dollar share and Sterling share on a poll, being 0.7606 votes per US Dollar share and 1.471 votes per Sterling share. The Special Resolutions were as follows: Special Resolution 10 That the Company be and is hereby generally and unconditionally authorised in accordance with the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, as amended (the "Companies Law"), to make market acquisitions (as defined in the Companies Law) of each class of its shares (either for the retention as treasury shares for resale or transfer, or cancellation), PROVIDED THAT: (a.) the maximum number of shares authorised to be purchased shall be 418,760 shares designated as US Dollar shares and 3,582,388 shares designated as Sterling shares (respectively being 14.99 per cent. of the shares of each class in issue as at the latest practicable date prior to the date of publication of this document (excluding in each case shares held in treasury)); (b.) the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for a share shall be one cent for shares designated as US Dollar shares and one pence for shares designated as Sterling shares; (c.) the maximum price which may be paid for a share of the relevant class is an amount equal to the higher of: (a) 105 per cent. of the average of the middle market quotations for a share of the relevant class on the relevant market for the five business days immediately preceding the date on which the share is purchased; and (b) the higher of (i) the price of the last independent trade for a share of the relevant class and (ii) the highest current independent bid for a share of the relevant class at the time of purchase; and (d.) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the annual general meeting of the Company in 2022 unless such authority is varied, revoked or renewed prior to such date by a special resolution of the Company in a general meeting. Special Resolution 11 That, in accordance with Article 6.4 of the Articles, the Directors be empowered to allot and issue (or sell from treasury) 279,360 shares designated as US Dollar shares and 2,389,852 shares designated as Sterling shares (respectively being 10 per cent. of the shares in issue of each class as at the latest practicable date prior to the date of this notice (excluding shares held in treasury)) for cash as if Article 6.1 of the Articles did not apply to the allotment and issue (or sale from treasury) for the period expiring on the date falling fifteen months after the date of passing of this Resolution 11 or the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may before such expiry make offers or agreements which would or might require shares to be allotted and issued (or sold) after such expiry and the Directors may allot and issue (or sell) shares in pursuance of any such offeror agreement notwithstanding that the power conferred by this Resolution 11 has expired. Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END TISSIUM, a privately-owned medtech company developing biomorphic programmable polymers for tissue reconstruction, has announced its research has been selected for presentation within the scientific program at the 76th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. The event is scheduled to be held virtually and in-person from September 30 October 2, 2021 in San Francisco, CA. TISSIUMwill present the latest research on its novel Sutureless Nerve Coaptation System in collaboration with surgeons from NYU Langone, Brigham Women's Hospital, and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. TISSIUM is developing a portfolio of products that leverage its unique biopolymer platform based on a proprietary biocompatible, biomorphic and biodegradable material, which is a viscous, light-activated surgical adhesive. This novel material adheres strongly to tissue through mechanical interlocking, making it a highly unique tool that can act as an atraumatic means of tissue repair. Further, as nerve connectors are becoming an increasingly popular part of the surgical management of peripheral nerve injuries, TISSIUM has developed methods to 3D print its material into a range of off-the-shelf nerve "chambers" that offer unique features compared to traditional nerve connectors, like enhanced transparency, using cutting-edge digital light projection techniques. "The concept of striving for sutureless nerve repair is critical. Not only because of the difficulty and trauma from sutures, but perhaps to make a more coherent connection to facilitate axonal regeneration," said Randy Bindra, MBBS, FRACS, FRCS, Orthopedic Surgeon and global nerve repair thought leader. These exciting results demonstrate that TISSIUM's next-generation coaptation solution has the potential to improve the quality of nerve recovery, and they also suggest that there is a better, less invasive way of repairing nerves. About the results: The presented research consists of an animal study and surgical cadaveric simulations that quantify the potential of a PGSA (poly(glycerol-co-sebacate) acrylate) 3D polymer chamber and PGSA adhesive packaged together as a Sutureless Coaptation System and demonstrate its promise as an alternative to traditional nerve repair approaches such as microsutures, entubulation devices, and/or fibrin glue for strong and reliable sutureless nerve coaptation. Over time, rat nerves repaired with the Sutureless Coaptation System showed enhanced reinnervation and increased associated muscle weight and quality. In cadaver simulation, surgeons considered the sutureless system easy to learn and promising for digital nerve repairs, large diameter nerve repairs and for nerve grafting reconstructions. About TISSIUM: TISSIUM, a privately-owned medtech company based in Paris, France and Boston, USA is dedicated to the development and commercialization of products derived from its unique biopolymer platform. The company's products will address multiple unmet clinical needs, including atraumatic tissue repair and reconstruction. TISSIUM is developing a portfolio of products that leverage its proprietary family of fully biosynthetic, biomorphic and programmable polymers, which are the foundation of the company's technology platform. Currently, the Company has a pipeline of seven products across three verticals, including sutureless nerve repair, hernia repair and cardiovascular sealants. Each product is designed to enhance the tissue reconstruction process in a unique way. In addition, the company develops complementary delivery and activation devices for enhanced performance and usability of its products. TISSIUM's technology is based on world-class research and intellectual property from the laboratories of Professor Robert Langer (MIT) and Professor Jeffrey M. Karp (Brigham and Women's Hospital), who co-founded the company in 2013. For more information, please visit: www.TISSIUM.com and @TISSIUMtech. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005200/en/ Contacts: Investor relations Romain Attard Chief Financial Officer Tel: +33 1 76 21 72 28 rattard@tissium.com Twitter: @TISSIUMtech Press Jeanene Timberlake Tel: +1 646-770-8858 jtimberlake@rooneypartners.com Yoann Besse Tel: +33 6 63 03 84 91 yoann.besse@citigatedewerogerson.com SUDBURY, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Northern Superior Resources Inc. ("Northern Superior" or the "Company") (TSXV:SUP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Rodney Barber (BSc., PGeo.) as its Vice President Exploration. In addition, the Company is also pleased to announce that Mr. Donald Boucher and Mr. Michel LeBlanc have joined Northern Superior to support field exploration activities as Contract Staff. These highly qualified, registered geoscientists represent an additional 110 years of field exploration experience, a significant bolstering to Northern Superior's exploration team and geoscience capabilities. Dr. T.F. Morris (PhD., PGeo., FGAC, ICD.D), President and CEO of Northern Superior commented: "We are very pleased to have such an experienced and qualified group of professionals to assist in advancing Northern Superior's various exploration programs in Ontario and Quebec. We look forward to working with these highly skilled professionals in advancing the Company's 100% owned and key exploration projects in Ontario and Quebec: specifically, Ti-pa-haa-kaa-ning, Lac Surprise, Croteau Est and Wapistan. Mr. Barber (BSc., PGeo., Citation Applied Geostatistics) is a registered Professional Geoscientist with more than 35 years of mineral exploration experience. Previously employed as the Geology Superintendent at Barrick-Hemlo, Ontario, he extended the mine life by at least 18 years through the discovery and delineation of over 4.5 Moz of gold in reserves and resources. Mr. Barber was responsible for all aspects of production geology and exploration in the Williams underground and open pit mines. He is also an experienced exploration geologist, having managed grassroots to advanced exploration programs in a variety of settings. He holds extensive experience in greenstone-hosted gold deposits, both narrow vein and bulk tonnage, as well as experience in epithermal gold deposits, porphyry copper-gold, VMS base metal, komatiite associated nickel and pegmatite deposits. Mr. Barber holds a B.Sc. (Honors) from Laurentian University and a Citation in applied Geostatistics from the University of Alberta. Mr. Donald Boucher (BSc. Major Physics and Geology, Brock University, PGeo.) to assist with core drill programs in both Ontario and Quebec and to provide First Nation relations advice. Mr. Boucher brings over 45 years of geological and geophysical field exploration (gold, diamonds, base metals, coal), mineral project and corporate management experience in Canada and Greenland. He served with DeBeers Canada Exploration Inc. holding a variety of positions including Divisional Manager East/ Senior Exploration Geologist, Divisional Manager Canada and Technical Manager, Joint Venture Projects. Mr. Boucher also served as Northern Superior's Vice President of Exploration from 2007- 2012 before retiring from full time employment. He has also held various levels of field geologist and geophysical positions as an independent contractor, with Monopros Ltd. and Hudson Bay Exploration and Development. Mr. Michel Leblanc (Sciences Bachelor Geology, Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, PGeo.) to manage the Company's Lac Surprise core drill programs. Mr. Leblanc has over 30 years of field geology and exploration project management experience in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan. His primary focus is gold exploration, but he has also explored for Ni-Cu-EGP and uranium. He served as exploration manager for Queenston Mining, project manager for Northern Superior and Geonova Exploration Inc. and field geologist for a variety of Companies including Queenston Mining, Canalaska Ventures, Pacific Northwest Capital Corp., Falconbridge Ltd., Kinross Gold Corp., Corp. Miniere Inmet and SOQUEM. Further to these appointments, the Company has engaged Orix Geoscience (Sudbury) to assist in providing modelling services and additional personnel as required. About Northern Superior Northern Superior is a reporting issuer in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SUP, and the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol NSUPF. For further information contact: Thomas F. Morris PGeo., PhD., FGAC President and CEO Tel: (705) 525 -0992 Fax: (705) 525 -7701 e-mail: info@nsuperior.com www.nsuperior.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Northern Superior Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665360/Northern-Superior-Appoints-Mr-Rodney-Barber-Vice-President-Exploration-and-Adds-Key-Contract-Staff-To-Support-Exploration-Programs VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Komo Plant Based Foods Inc. (CSE:YUM)(OTCQB:KOMOF)(FRA:9HB) ("Komo"), a fast growing plant-based food company, today announces its successful uplisting from the OTC Pink Sheets to the OTCQB Venture Market (the "OTCQB"). Komo will commence trading on the OTCQB with the market open on September 24, 2021, under the symbol "KOMOF". The OTCQB is a U.S. based active trading platform recognized by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market. The OTCQB is OTC Markets Group's premier market for early stage, investor-focused U.S. and international companies. To be eligible, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws, be current in their disclosure, and have a professional third-party sponsor introduction. Komo's shares also have the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") eligibility in the U.S. DTC eligibility enables shares of Komo to be distributed, settled and serviced through DTC's automated processes, thereby taking advantage of the efficiencies created in the electronic method of clearing securities and the resulting cost benefits that DTC provides through accelerated settlement processes. "Listing on the OTCQB Venture is another important milestone and part of our long-term strategy to introduce Komo's compelling story to the U.S. audience," says Komo CEO William White. "The OTCQB listing expands our reach into the institutional and retail investment community within the United States, which promotes enhancing both visibility and liquidity with the access to both U.S. institutional and retail investors as we look to grow our global shareholder base." Komo also announces expansion of its strategic brand messaging campaign designed to align its corporate mission amongst the investor community across North America and Europe. Komo will continue to engage investor communications, financial research, and cross platform digital marketing service providers to increase public awareness regarding corporate activities, strategic plans, and the investment opportunity through the dissemination of Komo information extrapolated from publicly disclosed investor presentations and press releases. The Company will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker "YUM" and in Frankfort under the ticker symbol "9HB". About Komo Komo Plant Based Foods Inc. is a premium plant-based food company that develops, manufactures and sells a variety of plant-based frozen meals that are always hearty, satisfying, and made with wholesome ingredients. At Komo, our mission is to help make plant-based meals a staple on every dinner table by sharing our love for feel-good food that connects the people to the planet. We believe plant-based eating is the future and - Change can start with a single biteTM. Our experienced plant-based innovation and development team recreates vegan versions of traditionally cheesy and meaty classics, with 100% plants. Komo's products are sold direct-to-consumer through our eCommerce website and a distribution network of online and brick and mortar grocery, convenience and natural retailer channels. Our operating subsidiary Komo Comfort Foods launched in 2021 with our flagship products: plant-based Lasagna, Shepherd's Pie and Chick'n Pot Pie and has recently launched a new line - Komo Plant-Based Meal HelpersTM - versatile meal starters to allow the creation of many dishes at home. Learn more at: www.komocomfortfoods.com and follow on Instagram: @komocomfortfoods For further information, please contact: William White, President & CEO, Komo Plant Based Foods Inc. will@komoeats.com 1-866-969-0882 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or Komo's future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Komo's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, Komo's product development plans, its ability to retain key personnel, and its expectation as to the acceptance of its products by consumers constitute forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Komo disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: KOMO Plant Based Foods Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665391/Komo-Plant-Based-Foods-Uplisted-to-OTCQB-Venture-Market BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate Action Week - 2021 Zero Carbon Mission International Climate Summit (hereinafter referred to as "the Summit"), co-organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Phoenix TV, was held in Beijing on September 22. At the event, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huawei") won the WWF Climate Solver award 2020 for its world leading FusionSolar Smart PV solution. This year's Summit officially launched the annual Carbon Neutrality Action Leadership Award, which, based on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the UN-supported Race to Zero initiative, was designed to recognize individuals, teams and projects with outstanding performance in business commitment, innovation in technology, actions that produce results, and impactful communications, with the aim of encouraging companies to take actions that help mitigate climate change, driving various industries to set up emission reduction targets, and setting an example for taking such actions. The Carbon Neutrality Actor - Climate Solver of the Year award is a key component of the Carbon Neutrality Action Leadership Award, and is based on the WWF Climate solver program, an annual program launched in China in 2011. It aims to create favorable conditions for the promotion of climate technologies with revolutionary potential by identifying and selecting innovative low-carbon technologies, so as to contribute to the realization of the goal of keeping global average temperature rise below 2?. Since its launch in 2011, the award has recognized 34 innovative low-carbon technologies. Applications for the 2020-2021 Climate Solver Award opened in December 2020 and closed in March of this year. After rigorous compliance review, primary election, two rounds of evaluation by experts, accounting of emission reduction potential and on-site replies, the Huawei FusionSolar Smart PV solution was selected as the winner from a host of candidates. This year's selection criteria were particularly stringent. The on-site reply session examined not only the level of technical advance (20%), the economics (20%) and the maturity (15%) of the candidate technologies, but also their ecological and environmental benefits, growth potential and social benefits, accounting for 20%, 15% and 10% of the overall score, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, Huawei Digital Power had helped customers generate 403.4 billion kWh of electricity with green energy, saving 12.4 billion kWh of electricity consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by 200 million tons, equivalent to planting 270 million trees. The Summit, under the theme of "Global Carbon Neutrality and China's Role", invited more than 70 guests, including Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States; Tu Ruihe, the representative of UNEP China Office; Jia Feng, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of the Ministry of Environmental Protection; and Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International, to discuss topics including global carbon neutrality, corporate resolve for achieving climate goals, green finance, energy transformation, green building and low-carbon transportation. The event aims to bring together resources, fully mobilize corporate engagement in addressing climate change, and provide diverse guidance and services such as strategic planning, technology application, results demonstration, knowledge sharing and international exchanges for local governments and enterprises to achieve the goals for peak CO2 emissions and carbon neutrality. About Huawei Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, in the office, or on the go. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634298/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634299/image_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634300/image_3.jpg TOKYO, Sept 24, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (TSE: 4183) has teamed up with NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) to trial an AI-based system for forecasting changes in the prices of specific Mitsui Chemicals products that are sensitive to market conditions. Based on the results of this trial, Mitsui Chemicals intends to work toward the full introduction of an AI-driven demand forecasting system to avoid losses caused by price fluctuations and increase profits through appropriate procurement, production and sales.The trial was carried out using the dotData AI software platform developed by dotData, Inc., which automates all data science processes.BackgroundMitsui Chemicals has conventionally forecast trends in product demand from past price and profit trends, as well as from exchange rates and other data collated weekly, based on the knowledge and experience of the company's business staff. However, as globalization has progressed in recent years, making forecasts that anticipate sudden changes in market needs has become difficult, necessitating optimal control of not only output but also raw material procurement costs and quantities.TrialMitsui Chemicals selected for trial a number of company products that are prone to influence by difficult-to-forecast market conditions. The dotData platform supplied by NEC was used to analyze a diverse array of data, including daily and weekly inventory data for the products over the last few years, as well as plant operating rates and sales figures. dotData then automatically extracted the most valid of the innumerable potential features to build a high-precision price forecasting model.ResultsWhile there are still some areas requiring ongoing improvement, the trial revealed how dotData can be used for high-precision forecasting of the following month's price for a given product, enabling Mitsui Chemicals to price products more appropriately based on market trends, formulate better sales plans, and execute procurement and production in accordance with those plans. Mitsui Chemicals anticipates that the platform's adoption will lead to reductions in inventory worth several hundred million yen.The trial also provided fresh business insights that were not readily apparent to human analysts, such as identification of a correlation between any changes in X and the price of Y.Quotes from Each CompanyMasao Sambe, executive officer, Digital Transformation Division, Mitsui Chemicals*"Amid increasingly intense global competition, Mitsui Chemicals intends to become more competitive via the digital transformation of demand forecasting, tapping into advanced automated machine learning technology. This move will speed up our efforts to achieve corporate transformation focused on a customer-driven business model and solving social issues by reducing procurement costs, cutting lead times and reducing CO2 emissions through the optimization of distribution."MORI Hideto, Executive Director, NEC"Through our partnership with dotData, NEC has supported numerous clients to date in achieving digital transformations. The combination of dotData's market-leading technology and NEC's consulting capabilities will not only support Mitsui Chemicals' efforts to achieve innovative change but also contribute to resolving social issues through this initiative."FUJIMAKI Ryohei, Ph.D., CEO, dotData."We at dotData are excited to provide our high-precision AI-based forecasting and business insights to assist Mitsui Chemicals in its digital transformation and its efforts to solve the challenges faced by society. We look forward to achieving further progress with Mitsui Chemicals and NEC as partners in this collaboration.""Mitsui Chemicals established the Digital Transformation Division in April 2021. Focused particularly on business operations and supply chains, the Digital Transformation Division is working to speed up digital transformation efforts company-wide.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.Source: NEC CorporationCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. SALFORDS, England, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapiscan Systems Inc., ("Rapiscan") a subsidiary of OSI Systems, Inc., and Metrohm USA ("Metrohm") announced today that they have entered into an agreement to have Rapiscan distribute Metrohm handheld Raman spectrometer products globally through Rapiscan's Instruments Business Unit. The MIRA and the TacticID products use Raman spectroscopy technology to determine the chemical composition of unknown materials for defense, security, customs, and forensics applications. Metrohm's products use patented technologies to make measurements easier, faster, and more accurate. "We are excited to be teaming with Metrohm to broaden our product offerings for our customers using a technology that is complementary to those used in our trace detection systems," stated Dan Strellis, VP of Rapiscan's Instruments Business Unit. "These products are excellent at providing the user a tool to identify visible yet unknown materials that could be either a threat or benign in nature." "Metrohm USA is thrilled to work alongside Rapiscan Systems to expand their portfolio of global security and forensic products. Metrohm handheld Raman instruments, working together with Rapiscan security products, will help improve safety for travellers and workers around the world," stated Edward Colihan, President and CEO of Metrohm USA. About Rapiscan www.rapiscansystems.com About Metrohm Metrohm is one of the world's most trusted manufacturers of high-precision instruments for laboratory and process analysis. The company was founded in 1943 by engineer Bertold Suhner in Herisau, Switzerland, where it is headquartered to this day. Metrohm offers a comprehensive portfolio of analytical technologies ranging from titration and ion chromatography to near-infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as several other techniques. Metrohm sells its products and provides services through its own local subsidiaries and exclusive distributors in more than 120 countries worldwide. Our mission in a nutshell is helping customers from virtually every industry analyze and maintain the quality of their products at every stage in the manufacturing process and beyond. Since 1982, Metrohm has been owned 100% by the non-profit Metrohm Foundation. This foundation keeps to its purpose to support charitable, philanthropic, and cultural projects in eastern Switzerland and, above all, ensure the independence of the company. Photo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634433/Rapiscan_Systems.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices are somewhat sluggish Friday morning with traders weighing global crude demand and supply situation, and looking to take some profits after recent strong gains. Still, crude oil looks well on course to record a third straight week of gains with recent data showing a drop in crude inventories, and amid a somewhat slow recovery in output from the Gulf of Mexico region which saw severe disruptions due to the impact of two hurricanes. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for November are down slightly at $73.29 a barrel, after falling to a low of around 73.10 a barrel earlier. Brent crude futures are down $0.04 at $77.21 a barrel. WTI futures had gained 2.5% and 1.5% on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Data from Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed crude stockpiles dropped by 3.481 million barrels to 414 million barrels last week, the lowest level since October 2018. Gasoline stockpiles rose by 3.47 million barrels last week, while distillate stockpiles dropped by 2.55 million barrels. The EIA also said that oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico continue to return to production, and weekly output rose by 500,000 barrels per day in the most recent week. OPEC and allies, collectively known as OPEC+, will meet on October 4. Iraq's oil minister said on Wednesday that the group was working to keep crude prices close to $70 per barrel amid a recovery in the global economy. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an exciting return to in-person events, Procurement & Supply Chain Live comes to Tobacco Dock in London next week (28th & 29th September). Glen White, CEO of BizClik Media Group, said: "We are excited to have over 65 Procurement & Supply Chain Leaders at our inaugural Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE event in Tobacco Dock, London on September 28th/29th." Guests and journalists will network with and enjoy talks from leaders and key decision makers at some of the world's largest companies. Some highlights from the two days include: Tuesday 28th September Procurement's Ultimate Frontier with Ninian Wilson , Global SCM Director & CEO at Vodafone Procurement Company , Global SCM Director & CEO at Vodafone Procurement Company Keynote with Aurelien Faucheux , CPO at Aston Martin , CPO at Aston Martin Global Sourcing with Sheri Hinish , Global Executive Partner & Offering Leader, Sustainable Supply Chain at IBM , Global Executive Partner & Offering Leader, Sustainable Supply Chain at IBM Managing Large Scale Global Contracts with Robert Copeland , CPO at G4S , CPO at G4S 'Now What? Commercial Way Forward In Light Of A Global Pandemic' with Jacqui Rock , Chief Commercial Officer at NHS Test & Trace Wednesday 29th September 'Modern Approaches to Deploy Analytics and deliver on 5Cs' with Vikram Singla , Digital Transformation Lead at Oracle , Digital Transformation Lead at Oracle Cognitive Diversity with David Loseby , Managing Director at Barkers Commercial Services , Managing Director at Barkers Commercial Services Circular Procurement with Alex Jennings , CPO at DS Smith , CPO at DS Smith 'Watch out! - The Great Procurement Extinction Event Might be Coming' with David Wylie , Director of Commercial and Procurement at Thames Water , Director of Commercial and Procurement at Thames Water Digitalisation with Eric Cohan , CPO at HCL Technologies There is also a third, fully virtual day on the 30th September. Guests who can't make it to London are able to join on our virtual networking platform for the duration of the three day event. For a press pass to either day or both days of the event, journalists and publishers are invited to email events@bizclikmedia.com. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a new combination of two antibody treatments for management of two categories of Covid-19 patients. The antibody cocktail, known as REGEN-COV in the U.S. and Ronapreve in other countries, has already received emergency or temporary pandemic use authorizations to treat Covid-19 in more than 20 countries, including in the U.S., European Union, India, Switzerland and Canada. The treatment is also known as the Regeneron antibody drug cocktail as the U.S. biotechnology company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) holds the patent to produce the antibody treatment. The drug was successfully administered to former President Donald Trump when he tested positive for the disease last year. The addition of another therapeutic to the world's arsenal against the pandemic was approved by WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts Friday. The panel recommended a treatment combining two antibodies - Casirivimab and Imdevimab - for patients with non-severe Covid-19, who are at highest risk of hospitalization and those with severe or critical Covid-19 who are seronegative. Patients with seronegative status means those who have not developed natural antibodies against Covid-19 determined through accurate rapid tests. A mixture of Casirivimab and imdevimab monoclonal antibodies act like human antibodies in the immune system and help neutralize coronavirus's ability to infect cells. WHO's Conditional recommendation for patients with non-severe Covid-19 reads: Whereas casirivimab and imdevimab achieves a substantial reduction in the relative risk of hospitalization, the absolute benefit will be trivial or unimportant in absolute terms for all but those at highest risk for which the intervention should be reserved. The panel identified a risk beyond 10% of being hospitalized for Covid-19 to represent a threshold at which most people would want to be treated with casirivimab and imdevimab. Typical characteristics of people at highest risk include lack of vaccination, older people, or those with immunodeficiencies and/or chronic diseases such as diabetes. Conditional recommendation for patients with severe or critical Covid-19 reads: With benefits of casirivimab and imdevimab observed only in patients with seronegative status, clinicians will need to identify these patients by credible tests available at the point of care to appropriately apply this recommendation. Treatment with casirivimab and imdevimab is in addition to the current standard of care, which includes corticosteroids and IL-6 receptor blockers. The recommendations were accompanied by a call by WHO to producing companies and governments to address the high price and limited production of the Regeneron antibody combination and ensure safe and appropriate handling of the medicine. The antibody cocktail was developed by Regeneron and Swiss drug maker Roche Pharmaceutical. WHO said in a statement that given the high cost and low availability of the combination therapy, UNITAID is negotiating with Roche, which is currently manufacturing the drug for lower prices and equitable distribution across all regions, especially in low- and middle-income countries. WHO is also in discussions with the company for a donation and distribution of the drug through UNICEF, following an allocation criteria set by WHO. In parallel, WHO has launched a call to manufacturers who may wish to submit their products for pre-qualification, which would allow for a ramping up of production and therefore greater availability of the treatment and expanded access. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de MINNEAPOLIS (dpa-AFX) - Target Corp. announced its plans to hire 100,000 seasonal team members at its stores across the country for this holiday shopping season, though fewer than previous years. With this, the company aims to invest in more flexible scheduling, training, pay and benefits for its existing team members. In a statement, the company said it is also offering around 5 million more hours to its existing staff in total, which would result in more than $75 million more in pay for its current team. During the upcoming holiday season, store leaders will regularly check in with existing team members to understand their scheduling preferences and offer interesting candidates with opportunity to work additional hours. Already, hourly team members, on average, are working nearly 15% more hours than they were a year ago. The Minneapolis-based company will also provide all team members the opportunity to conveniently choose or swap shifts that align with their schedules through a new mobile scheduling app. Each year in 2019 and 2020, the retailer had announced pans to hire about 130,000 seasonal workers. The company noted that many seasonal team members will have the opportunity to remain with Target following the holiday season. Interested candidates can apply for seasonal store and distribution center positions. Store leaders will conduct pre-scheduled interviews with applicants who apply online. Target is also offering all store team members the option to go through back-up training in response to business growth and employee feedback. The retailer currently has more than 350,000 team members across the country. In 2020, the company invested an additional $1 billion more in the well-being, health and safety of team members compared with 2019. Recently the company has offered its U.S.-based part-time and full-time team members debt-free education assistance program. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PENTICTON, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / EastWest Bioscience Inc. ("EastWest" or "Company") (TSXV:EAST), reports that its self-storage focused subsidiary, 1290185 B.C. LTD, ("185"), has leased land in the heart of wine country Oliver, BC to open the next location in its self-storage portfolio. The Oliver location will be developed as an automated self-storage facility and is scheduled to be open in the first quarter of 2022. The initial site size will be two acres with an option to expand up to four acres. Situated on the route between Osoyoos to the south and Penticton to the north, the location will cater to both residents of the area and to the significant seasonal recreational population of the region. Rodney Gelineau, President and CEO of EastWest commented, "Oliver is an important strategic milestone for our self-storage offering. Situated in wine country, with an active recreational and seasonal population this location will be a catalyst for future self-storage locations." EastWest will provide further details as the Oliver facility is completed, anticipated to be Q1 2022. About EastWest Bioscience Group EastWest Bioscience is a vertically integrated wellness company with a multitude of business units and assets that allow for seed-to-sale supply chain management. We source our raw material, process, manufacture, test, brand, market, and distribute our products to our customers in Canada, the United States, and beyond. The Company owns and operates retail and manufacturing subsidiaries. The Company's retail subsidiary is the award winning, Canadian, natural health retail franchise - the Sangster's Health Centre's - with over 40 years of legacy in the health and wellness industry. Sangster's goal is to provide natural choices through quality products and educated advice for a healthy lifestyle. Sangster's Health Centres occupies a unique position in the industry, the stores provide vast knowledge and safe natural remedies for the prevention and treatment of disease and ailments. Sangster's introduction and development of over 202 exclusively labeled products (vitamins, mineral, herbs, proteins, natural body care and organic foods) catapulted Sangster's name and product into a large number of Canadian households. From a solid base in Saskatchewan, Sangster's has become a national brand name with franchise stores located across Canada. Orchard Vale Naturals is the Company's manufacturing arm that is certified with a Health Canada Site License and has GMP Certified NHP Manufacturing capabilities. Orchard Vale Naturals specialize in custom blends and production runs of all sizes, small to large, for top-quality products with quick turnaround times. Orchard Vale Naturals operate out of the 34,000 sq Health Canada licensed facility in Penticton, British Columbia that is owned by EastWest Bioscience and is the Head Office for all its Canadian operations. The Company's self-storage subsidiary 1290185 B.C. LTD ("185") is building a network of automated self-storage sites in British Columbia. The subsidiary's business model is designed to be low capex with highly scalable logistics. It is focused on secondary markets, consumer automation and innovative land partnerships, allowing it to move into new regions quickly, at scale and with minimal risk. EastWest hopes to build the forthcoming brand of 185 into a household name across Canada. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EASTWEST BIOSCIENCE INC. "Rodney Gelineau" Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director For Further Information: Company Website: www.eastwestbioscience.com Contact: Rodney Gelineau on 1-800-409-1930 or investors@eastwestscience.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the matters disclosed herein. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: EastWest Bioscience Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665381/EastWest-Adds-Oliver-to-Its-Self-Storage-Location-Portfolio NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Recently, LuxFi has proudly announced the launch of its platform to assist consumers by circumventing the existing challenges and creating a sustainable ecosystem in the luxury market. This comes in the form of the world's first asset-backed NFT marketplace for luxury assets, integrated with advanced technologies to allow permanent traceability, authentication and asset transferability. Buying luxury assets with Bitcoin? It becomes possible with LuxFi. With the vision to bridge the gap between real-world luxury assets and digital assets like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), LuxFi has announced the planned launch of its NFT marketplace. The introduction of LuxFi's marketplace allows everyone to buy, sell and invest in luxury assets through NFTs with the possibility of using cryptocurrency and traditional payment methods. The phygital world of luxury evolved into an integral part of the human experience. With the recent worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing demand for luxury assets, the luxury market has delved deeper into digital initiatives. The digital revolution has won over the hearts of consumers worldwide, and the prosperous global luxury market has displayed no signs of stopping soon. LuxFi's NFT marketplace With this marketplace, LuxFi is able to establish an ecosystem for buyers and sellers. As they are working directly with brands and manufacturers, the platform enables people to buy, sell and invest in luxury assets that are authenticated by professional verifiers in their network. The new owners don't necessarily need to redeem the physical products for future reselling, and their luxury asset-backed NFTs can be used as collateral for loans, or be sent and transferred in different games and live streaming platforms among other features. New owners can always redeem the physical items in the real-world. LuxFi's innovative platform goes beyond solving the pain points previously mentioned, it provides consumers with an alternative method to invest and potentially assists those who otherwise have difficulty accessing loan banking services to get financing services. LuxFi also collects data from global online and offline sales channels, as well as social media platforms for luxury assets. The data is analysed and benchmarked against global trends to provide accurate pricing for each NFT on the platform. A consumption item that was once viewed as mere satisfaction for consumers to splurge on, now possesses the ability to be transformed into assets that are not only valuable but also investible. LuxFi NFT marketplace's launch will surely garner attention from the public and revolutionize the luxury industry through its inventive use of blockchain technology. LuxFi is on its path to transform the luxury industry for a brighter future. Users can find out more about LuxFi's progress and developments through the social media below. Users may win a Rolex with 0.01ETH - LuxFi's NFTs auction and lottery on Sept. 26 LuxFi is grateful for all the genuine support that their community has given to them. To celebrate the upcoming launch of their NFT marketplace, LuxFi is going to hold its auction and lottery on Sept. 26 at 10:00am UTC until Oct. 3 at 10:00am. For each 0.01ETH, the participant will get one lottery ticket to get a chance to be a winner of the top prize, a Rolex watch NFT. Non-fungible tokens Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a form of token that provides the ability to tokenize assets online through a certificate of ownership, have inspired luxury brands and their recent evolutions. With an industry plagued by multiple challenges including counterfeiting, lack of transparency and illiquidity, NFTs have the potential to mitigate these risks and enable buyers and sellers to securely buy, sell and invest in luxury assets in the phygital world. Blockchain is the missing piece in the luxury market puzzle, it allows for the creation of physical-to-digital links between goods and their digital identities. A seal or serial number acts as the physical identifier, linking back to the product's "digital twin". This digital identity is what brands are currently betting on, and it's on the micro scale that experts are expecting blockchain to make a real difference. Looking forward, luxury brands will play an important role for authentication at the earliest manufacturing stage and the professionals in LuxFi's retailers network as verifiers for the existing luxury assets circulating in the market. It gives them the possibility to sell products linked to digital identities, fostering trust from the customer's side and improving the customer-brand relationship. Using blockchain technology, the entire lifecycle of any product can be monitored and tracked with a decentralized and tamper-proof digital ledger, all while maintaining the owner's privacy and security. Aidaa Wong, CEO and Founder of LuxFi said: 'New technologies are unlocking limitless possibilities in the luxury market. As the CEO and Founder of LuxFi, our goal is to build the world's first asset-backed NFT marketplace for luxury assets. I believe the whole industry is increasingly moving toward a more positive and sustainable ecosystem. The advent of blockchain technology was a huge milestone for many industries and today, blockchain is the new black in the luxury market. Through our NFT marketplace, we envision a secure place for people to use cryptocurrency to buy, sell and invest in authentic luxury assets. All of our NFTs value is backed by real-world data. We are looking forward to exploring further the multiple possibilities of what our luxury asset-backedNFTs, blockchain-based data intelligence system and ecosystem could offer. This is a revolutionary time in the way we consume luxury assets!" About LuxFi LuxFi is the world's first luxury asset-backed NFT marketplace, leveraging on a big data intelligence system and unique algorithm for automated data collecting and data processing. LuxFi eliminates counterfeiting while minting an NFT on their multi-chain blockchain network, and provides accurate NFT pricing that is backed by real-world data. IDO will take place in October 2021. Follow our social media for further details! Social Links Twitter: https://twitter.com/luxfiofficial Telegram Official Group: https://t.me/Luxfiofficial Telegram Announcement Channel: https://t.me/luxfinews Medium: https://luxfiofficial.medium.com Media Contacts Brand: LuxFi Contact: Media Team Email: info@luxfi.io Website: https://www.luxfi.io SOURCE: LuxFi View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/661965/LuxFi-Launches-the-Worlds-First-Asset-Backed-NFT-Marketplace-for-Luxury-Assets Company Signs A 3rd Agreement With Nationally Recognized Solar Engineer, KMB Design Group, To Lead Application Process Nationally Recognized Solar Engineer, KMB Design Group, Will Do Feasibility Study For 565 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY And Will Lead Application Process NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Green Stream Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK:GSFI) ("the Company") (https://greensolarutility.com), an emerging leader in the solar utility and finance space, today, announced that Anthony Morali, the Company's Advisor on Creative Solar Design has completed his Initial Design For 350 thousand foot, 3 Megawatt Roof Mount System for 565 Blossom Road Rochester, NY and that nationally recognized solar engineer, KMB Design Group, will do the feasibility study for the project. The Company previously contracted with KMB in order to have them conduct solar feasibility studies for three separate locations. This interconnection application is for the 565 Blossom Road Rochester, NY site. CEO James DiPrima said: "An Interconnection Agreement is a contract with a utility for distributed generated systems, including solar photovoltaics. The agreement is a written notice to a utility company of plans to construct, install and operate any system which will be connected to the grid and must be submitted prior to the start of construction. After the utility receives the required documentation, the application is reviewed for approval." Mr. Morali serves as the Creative Solar Advisor of Green Rain Solar, LLC, a division of the Company focused on development of next-generation solar greenhouses. Morali's unique design uses customized red greenhouse glass and seamless solar panels. Green Stream and Mr. Morali have been engaged in a joint partnership to develop these revolutionary greenhouses as well as other state-of-the-art solar projects in rapidly growing solar markets. CEO James DiPrima said: "We at Green Stream are pleased to officially welcome Mr. Morali as we continue to deepen our existing partnership. Anthony Morali is the founder of Morali Architects and Renewable Energy Development (R.E.D.) Mr. Morali's expertise in solar construction and design is renowned throughout the industry. We look forward to Mr. Morali playing a critical role in the design and development of our state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities throughout the United States as we continue to accelerate our expansion plans and generate value for our shareholders." As previously announced, Green Stream Holdings engaged with KMB, a nationally known, full service engineering solutions provider with extensive international expertise in the solar renewable energy field providing photovoltaic design and engineering services, to assist the Company in installing three ground-mount solar farms. KMB was hired to conduct solar feasibility studies for locations in the State of New York. Their studies will determine the most efficient configuration for the arrays, estimated production matters, utility interconnect feasibility & process, as well as to identify any potential incentive programs. About KMB Design Group KMB Design Group, LLC was founded by a team of seasoned professionals who have been working together for over 15 years. We are a service engineering solutions provider licensed in all 50 states of the United States and in Europe. We take a systematic approach to developing comprehensive solutions for our clients; guiding projects from conception through site acquisition, engineering and construction. Our extensive experience in the engineering and telecommunications industries provide a great foundation for a successful design firm. KMB's focus on technology and continuous improvement enables the firm to keep up with the latest innovations and provide state-of-the-art design solutions for our clients. KMB currently provides designs and engineering services for over 1,000 projects and 1,500 MW nationwide for a wide ranging size of solar installations. For more information, please visit: https://www.kmbdg.com or https://www.kmbdg.com/services/solar-engineering/ the survey for a 5th feasibility study site at 565 Blossom Road in Rochester, NY. The property owner of this fifth host site has signed an agreement. This new community solar host site encompasses a 350 thousand square foot roof array. ?About Green Stream Finance, Inc. Green Stream Finance, Inc., a solar utility and finance company with satellite offices in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, is focused on exploiting currently unmet markets in the solar energy space, and is currently licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and Canada. The Company's next-generation solar greenhouses constructed and managed by Green Rain Solar, LLC, a Nevada-based division, utilize proprietary greenhouse technology and trademarked design developed by world-renowned architect Mr. Antony Morali. The Company is currently targeting high-growth solar market segments for its advanced solar greenhouse and advanced solar battery products. The Company has a growing footprint in the significantly underserved solar market in New York City where it is targeting 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space for the installation of its solar panels. Green Stream is looking to forge key partnership with major investment groups, brokers, and private investors in order to capitalize on a variety of unique investment opportunities in the commercial solar energy markets. The Company is dedicated to becoming a major player in this critical space. Through its innovative solar product offerings and industry partnerships, the Company is well-positioned to become a significant player in the solar space. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Green Stream Finance, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, Green Stream Finance, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For All Inquiries Contact: +1 (424) 280-4096 president@greenstreamfinance.com Website: greensolarutility.com Phone number: (646) 669-7007 SOURCE: Green Stream Holdings Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665437/Green-Stream-Holdings-Begins-Application-For-3rd-Utility-Interconnection-Agreement-For-Anthony-Morali-Designed-350-Thousand-Foot-3-Megawatt-Roof-Mount-System Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) (WKN: A2JNFG) ("Altiplano" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the underground mining activity at the Farellon Copper-Gold (Cu-Au) mine located near La Serena, Chile with the announcement of completing the planned expansion of the Hugo Decline to the 360 m working level. The approximately 110 m expansion to the 360 m level is designed to provide two new mining access points along the NE and SW drifts where mining has begun (Figure 1.). This development work is part of the ongoing underground development and sustainability initiatives at Farellon. The Company is actively expanding the underground operations to increase efficiencies, improve grade and access new working mining headings. This work is conducted in tandem with diamond drilling and ventilation efficiency improvements currently in process. With access to the 360 m level, the Company is currently operating on numerous NE and SW headings, in addition to employing bench mining techniques to remove mineralized material from the floor and roofs between previous working levels. The next scheduled advance will be approximately 80 m to reach the 352 m level and is expected to begin in mid-November. CEO Alastair McIntyre commented "I am pleased to see the consistency of our development at Farellon with the addition of another working level. This development work ensures that we have sufficient working levels to improve output and manage grade as we work towards maximizing output and increasing revenues once the construction of the permitted mill has been completed." Figure 1. Illustration of Underground Operations at Farellon To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/97517_5b60d2361407a902_001full.jpg * The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with the production decision. Figure 2. Jumbo Preparing the Advance on the 360 Drift. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/97517_5b60d2361407a902_002full.jpg About Altiplano Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) is a Canadian mining company focused on the acquisition and development of near-term cash flowing assets and exploration projects of significant scale. Altiplano's goal is to grow into a mid-tier producer of copper, gold, and silver with immediate plans of generating profits from three cash flowing projects in 2021. Management has a substantial record of success in capitalizing on opportunity, overcoming challenges and building shareholder value. John Williamson, B.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document. Altiplano is part of the Metals Group of companies, managed by an award-winning team of professionals who stand for technical excellence, painstaking project selection and uncompromising corporate governance, with a proven ability to capitalize on investment opportunities and deliver shareholder returns. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD /s/ "John Williamson" Chairman For further information, please contact: Alastair McIntyre, President and CEO alastairm@apnmetals.com Tel: (416) 434-3799 Jeremy Yaseniuk, Director jeremyy@apnmetals.com Tel: (604) 773-1467 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the (TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify any historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the issuer is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Farellon mine was previously in production dating back to the 1970's with a reported historical production (to a depth of 70 m) yielding approximately 300,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.5% copper and 0.5g/t gold. This material was processed locally and sold to ENAMI. Altiplano is relying upon past production records, underground sampling and related activities and current diamond drilling to estimate grade and widths of the mineralization to reactivate production. The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with any production decision. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97517 Dr. Maria Maccecchini will present a corporate update on Tuesday, September 28 at 11:20am ET Berwyn, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE American: ANVS) ("Annovis" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that Founder, President and CEO Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D. will present at the virtual Cantor Global Healthcare Conference to be held on September 27-30, 2021. The presentation will be available during a live webcast on Tuesday, September 28 at 11:20am ET, which will later be available on the Annovis Bio website under the Events and Presentations section of the Investors & Media tab. For live access to the webcast during the presentation, please use this link: https://wsw.com/webcast/cantor12/anvs/2099440. About Annovis Bio, Inc. Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We have two ongoing Phase 2 studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. In the AD/ PD study our drug improves memory loss and dementia associated with AD, as well as body and brain function in PD. For more information on Annovis Bio, please visit the company's website: www.annovisbio.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of ANVS401 clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. ### Media and Investor Contact: Nic Johnson Russo Partners, LLC (303) 482-6405 nic.johnson@russopartnersllc.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97428. YANTAI, China, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On the evening of September 22, the 2021 Shandong Conference on Tourism Development kicked off in Binhai Square, Yantai. The theme of the conference is Welcome to Our Coastal Wonderland - Enjoy the Hospitality of Shandong, and the aim is to promote robust economic and social development by supporting cultural tourism, according to the People's Government of Yantai. This conference will be a unique, high-profile tourism expo, and to that end, has actively sought out wide public participation. It is characterized by a sense of openness and sharing, and will take opportunities to demonstrate achievements, exchange experiences, and showcase innovation and development. Publicity and promotion campaigns have been extensive. The conference arrangements include four major activities, namely the opening ceremony, a major cultural tourism show: A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai, a working session, and a project observation. Additionally, there will be four additional activities - a display of cultural tourism achievements of 16 cities in Shandong Province, a Yantai cultural tourism experience - The Pleasure of Traveling in Wonderland, the 2021 International Coastal Tourism Development Forum, and the Grand Yantai Carnival. In hosting this conference, Yantai brings to the table new cultural tourism products, promotes spending by travelers on those products, demonstrates the new image of the city and establishes a new development mechanism. Yantai is located at the foot of a mountain and prospers by virtue of its proximity to the sea. The legend of 'Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showing his own prowess' well known in this area. Attractions include the remains of Emperor Qin Shihuang 'visiting Zhifu and enjoying the raging sea' and of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty 'building a palace just south of Penglai Mountain'. Many long-cherished wishes reside in this city, such as Qiu Chuji's 'one word to stop killing and to save people's lives', Qi Jiguang's 'it is not my intention to seek dukedom, I hope the sea will be flat!' and Bing Xin's 'holy hometown'. Here, legends and inheritance have been splendidly performed, relics and allusions complement each other, mountains and seas annotate the past, and the fairyland reveals the future. It was honored with the United Nations World Habitat Award, and it is a national historical and cultural city, an outstanding tourist city in China, and, as it happens, the only international grape and wine city in Asia. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401816 Caption: Snippet from the opening ceremony of the Shandong Conference on Tourism Development Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401827 Caption: A sizeable cultural tourism show, A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401834 Caption: A sizeable cultural tourism show, A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Whittier Trust, which has an office in San Francisco, California was recently named one of the top five worldwide best Multi-Family Offices by STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners). The award applies to a team dedicated to meeting the comprehensive needs of multiple families and/or their trusts or branches of the same family. The judging panel will decide upon a winner (from the top five), which will be announced at the Virtual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 23. Whittier Trust was the only company named with offices in the Western United States. "It's an honor to have received this recognition from STEP," said Tom Frank, Executive Vice President, and North California regional manager of Whittier Trust. "Our work with families, wealth management, and legacy planning is key to our company mission, and so it's great to be recognized on a global level." "As a family office, we tailor our advisory services to each individual family's needs, which fits directly into our broader mission of helping families manage their wealth," added Frank. The Awards judges assess entries and shortlist five nominees per category. The judges are supported by a Panel of Experts selected by the judges and represent internationally renowned solicitors, lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, barristers, and trust companies. The award criteria include: The company team's approach to the listed MFO services which are core to the teams offering and which are outsourced and how they select and manage outsourced providers. Examples of how the team serves different generations of a client family and approaches the transition of wealth between generations. How the team identifies trends that will impact their client families and give an example of how the team has translated such a trend into meaningful service delivery. Examples of the team's skills and competencies, and its commitment to continued professional development and education. Explanation of the fee structure and why it is in the best interests of the clients. STEP is the global professional association for practitioners who specialize in family inheritance and succession planning. There are more than 21,000 members across 96 countries from a range of professions, including lawyers, accountants, and other specialists. About Whittier Trust Whittier Trust Company, together with its affiliate, The Whittier Trust Company of Nevada, Inc. (collectively, "Whittier Trust") offers a breadth of financial services and tailored investment strategies designed to meet clients' unique needs, goals, and values and has $19 billion AUA. Whittier Trust is the oldest and largest multi-family office headquartered on the West Coast. For more information, visit www.WhittierTrust.com. ### Contact: Brandi J. Fields Whittier Trust Email: BFields@whittiertrust.com SOURCE: Whittier Trust View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665445/San-Francisco-Based-Whittier-Trust-Named-Top-Five-Best-Multi-Family-Office Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (OTCQB: MCREF) (FSE: M1C1) (the "Company" or Metals Creek), is pleased to announce the Company has commenced drilling on the Ogden Gold Project in Timmins, Ontario. The Ogden Gold Project is a 50/50 Joint Venture with Newmont Corporation ("Newmont"), with the Company serving as the operator. The Thomas Ogden Zone (TOG) will be the main focus of this drill program with emphasis on further defining the orientation of high-grade cross cutting veins and mineralization as well as determining the spacial association of high-grade mineralization associated with cross-cutting structures and veins within these fold structures. Oriented core is being utilized. Assay results will be released as they are received and compiled. Michael MacIsaac, P. Geo and VP Exploration for the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for this release, and supervised the preparation of the information forming the basis for this release. About Metals Creek Resources Corp. Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont, including the past producing Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF). In addition, Metals Creek has signed an agreement with Newmont, under which Metals Creek can earn a 100% interest in the past producing Dona Lake Gold Project in the Pickle Lake Mining District of Ontario. Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO Metals Creek Resources Corp telephone: (709)-256-6060 fax: (709)-256-6061 email: astares@metalscreek.com www.MetalsCreek.com Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes Facebook.com/MetalsCreek To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97544. DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2021 / Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American:GORO) (the "Company", "We", "Our" or "GRC") has released its 2020 Sustainability Disclosure Topics & Accounting Metrics ("2020 SASB Report"), which uses the Value Reporting Foundation's Metals & Mining Sustainability Accounting Standard of reporting to outline the Company's progress on its sustainability performance in 2020 at the Don David Gold Mine in Oaxaca, Mexico. The team at Gold Resource Corporation holds itself accountable to the highest environmental, social and governance standards. Our commitment to acting responsibly and delivering excellence in sustainability allows us to deliver benefits to all our stakeholders, including our employees and local communities," said Allen Palmiere, President and Chief Executive Officer. The Company's 2020 SASB Report, available at https://goldresourcecorp.com/responsible-mining/esg-reports/, highlights significant progress achieved by the Company in 2020 when compared with 2019, including: A 38% decline in greenhouse gas emissions (or 23% decline related to tons of CO2 equivalent produced per tonne of ore processed). A 14.8% decline in the fresh water withdrawn per tonne of ore processed. A 31% decline in the fresh water consumed per tonne of ore processed. The percentage of tailings recycled through the paste plant rose to 26% from 5.7% in 2019. The declines in tons of CO2 equivalent are largely due to the conversion to the electrical grid from diesel generating capacity. We continue to focus on identifying opportunities to lower our power consumption and improve efficiency in this area. The declines in water consumption were due to the installation of the paste tailings plant as water is recycled back to the processing plant from this process. About Gold Resource Corporation Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer, and explorer with its operations centered on the Don David Gold Mine in Oaxaca, Mexico. Under the direction of a new board and senior leadership, the company's focus is to unlock the significant upside potential of its existing infrastructure and large land position surrounding the mine. For more information, please visit GORO's website, located at www.goldresourcecorp.com and read the company's Form 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors associated with its business. Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward- looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, the scope, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations, Company employees, and supply chains as well as the scope, duration and impact of government action aimed at mitigating the pandemic may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Also, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limitedto, those discussed in the Company's 10-Q filed with the SEC. For further information please contact: Ann Wilkinson Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Ann.Wilkinson@GRC-USA.com www.goldresourcecorp.com SOURCE: Gold Resource Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665382/Gold-Resource-Corporation-Issues-2020-Sustainability-Accounting-Standards-Report CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Sterilization Equipment Market by Product & Services (Instruments (Dry Heat), Services (Ethylene Oxide, Gamma, Steam), Consumables & Accessories (Sterilization Indicators), End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Pharmaceuticals) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Sterilization Instruments Market is projected to reach USD 20.0 billion by 2026 from USD 13.8 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 7.7%. Browse in-depth TOC on "Sterilization Equipment Market" 276 - Tables 50 - Figures 285 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=642 The Sterilization Instruments Market growth is largely driven by the rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections, growing number of surgical procedures, increasing focus on food sterilization and disinfection, growth in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and the increasing outsourcing of sterilization services. Sterilization Instruments segment accounted for the largest share of the global sterilization equipment market in 2020. Based on product & service, the Sterilization Instruments Market is segmented into sterilization instruments, sterilization services, and sterilization consumables & accessories. Sterilization instruments form the largest and fastest-growing product segment in this market. The growth of this segment is primarily driven by the rising incidence of HAIs, increasing number of surgeries performed, stringent regulatory mandates for infection control, and the growth in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. By end user, the hospitals & clinics segment accounted for the largest market share in 2020. Based on end user, the sterilization equipment market has been segmented into hospitals & clinics, medical device companies, food & beverage companies, pharmaceutical companies, and other end users. The hospitals & clinics segment accounted for the largest share of the Sterilization Instruments Market in 2020. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the increasing incidence of HAIs, the growing number of hospitals in Asian countries, the growing volume of surgical procedures performed, and the increasing government initiatives to curb HAIs Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=642 North America dominates the Sterilization Instruments Market The global sterilization equipment market is segmented into North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2020, North America was the largest regional market for sterilization equipment. The growing demand for sterilization technologies from the healthcare industry to minimize the occurrence of HAIs, the increasing number of surgical procedures performed, and the presence of key players in the region are the major factors supporting the growth of the market in North America. The major players in the sterilization equipment market are Steris plc (US), Getinge AB (Sweden), and 3M (US). Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=642 Browse Adjacent Markets: Medical Devices Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Sterilization Services Market by Method (ETO, Gamma, Steam, X-ray), Type (Contract Sterilization, Validation Services), Mode of Delivery (Off-site, On-site), End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Pharmaceuticals), COVID-19 Impact - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sterilization-service-market-183597324.html Infection Control Market by Product [Sterilization (Steam, Hydrogen Peroxide, EtO), Disinfection (Wipes, Liquids, Disinfectors), Services, E-beam, Face Masks], End User (Hospitals, Pharmaceutical Companies), COVID-19 Impact - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/infection-control-market-1084.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/sterilization-equipment-services-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/sterilization-equipment-services.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - BELGRAVIA HARTFORD CAPITAL INC. (CSE: BLGV) ("Belgravia Hartford", "Belgravia" or the "Company") is pursuing a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico against Cartesian Capital Group's affiliate, PolyNatura Corp., to recover an outstanding settlement payment in the amount of USD $12.2 million. Mehdi Azodi, President and CEO, reports: "In 2017, the parties entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which Belgravia agreed to sell its interest in the Ochoa potash asset to Cartesian related investors for a total of USD $15 million, comprised of two initial payments totaling USD $2.8M and two royalty streams with a value of USD $12.2 million. Through the lawsuit, Belgravia seeks a declaration from the court that the agreement governing the royalty streams is void and unenforceable because it grants Cartesian unfettered discretion to decide whether to perform. Belgravia further alleges, among other things, that Cartesian has breached the settlement agreement by failing to deliver a valid and enforceable royalty agreement and seeks damages in the amount of USD $12.2 million, which is the remaining amount owed for the sale of its interest in the Ochoa potash asset." Denver-based attorney, Stephanie A. Kanan of Snell & Wilmer has filed the lawsuit on behalf of Belgravia Hartford. About Belgravia Hartford Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. ("Belgravia" or the "Company") is a publicly traded investment holding company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Belgravia is focused on growing its assets and holdings and increasing its net asset value (NAV). Belgravia invests in a portfolio of private and public companies located in jurisdictions governed by the rule of law. It takes a multi-sector investment approach with emphasis in the resources and commodities sector. Belgravia and its investments are considered high risk holdings and it may expose shareholders to significant volatility and losses. For more information, please visit www.belgraviahartford.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding planned investment activities & related returns, the timing for completion of research and development activities, the potential value of royalties, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, the completion, results and timing of research undertaken by the Company, risks associated with resource assets, the impact of general economic conditions, commodity prices, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory, environmental, and governmental approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. For More Information, Please Contact: Mehdi Azodi, President & CEO Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. (250) 763-5533 mazodi@blgv.ca To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97559 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Algonquin Capital Corporation ("Algonquin") is pleased to announce that its first liquid alternative mutual fund, Algonquin Fixed Income 2.0 Fund (the "Fund") is now available to investors in the Province of Quebec. Algonquin Fixed Income 2.0 Fund is an actively managed, fixed income fund with the objective to generate positive total returns over the long term and to preserve capital. The Fund primarily invests in Canadian and US corporate fixed income securities, with the portfolio carrying an overall investment grade rating. Algonquin's liquid alternative mutual fund offering is an opportunity for investors seeking an enhanced fixed income strategy that will generate returns in the prevailing environment of ultra-low yields. The Fund is a complement to the traditional fixed income allocation of investors' portfolios. For more information, please visit https://www.algonquincap.com/algonquin-fixed-income-2-0/ or contact your investment advisor. About Algonquin Capital Corporation Algonquin Capital Corporation ("Algonquin") is a boutique Canadian fixed income investment manager. Algonquin was founded in 2014 and offers fixed income strategies focused on capital preservation while producing strong risk-adjusted returns. About Algonquin Fixed Income 2.0 Fund Algonquin Fixed Income 2.0 Fund is an Alternative Mutual Fund. Investors should read the Simplified Prospectus, Annual Information Form, and Fund Facts Documents and consult their registered investment dealer before making an investment decision. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and operating expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. An Alternative Mutual Fund is not guaranteed, its value changes frequently and its past performance is not indicative of future performance and may not be repeated. Payment of quarterly distributions is not guaranteed and paid at the discretion of the manager" therefore, it may vary from period to period and does not infer fund performance or rate of return. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97550. Paris, on 24 September 2021 Today, AgroGeneration and the European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund announce that they have come to a settlement regarding the ORNANE issuance contract (ORNANE) signed in 2018. In July 2019, proceedings about the ORNANE were brought before the Paris Commercial Court following a contractual dispute[1]. After several years of disputes before the French courts, AgroGeneration and the European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund represented by its management company European High Growth Opportunities S.A, have come to a mutual agreement regarding the ORNANE. On 16 September 2021, AgroGeneration and the European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund reached a binding agreement, formalized by the signature of a settlement agreement. This settlement agreement, which does not imply any recognition of liability, or the validity of the grievances raised on either side, should end all disputes between the parties. On the same day, the Board of Directors of AgroGeneration approved the terms and conditions of the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement provides for the allocation by AgroGeneration to European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund of existing treasury shares and a transactional indemnity of 1.5M to be paid by AgroGeneration in cash and 686,411 owned shares. The other terms of the settlement agreement provide for the termination of the issuance contract (ORNANE), the lapse of the outstanding ORNANE and the mutual release and waiver of proceedings, actions and counterclaims against the other party. AgroGeneration and European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund have agreed to proceed jointly with the homologation of the settlement agreement in the coming days and to notify the settlement of their disputes to the competent courts. *** About AGROGENERATION Founded in 2007, AgroGeneration is a large-scale producer of grain and oilseed. Following its merger with Harmelia, AgroGeneration today is ranked amongst some of the largest agricultural firms in Ukraine. The company's core business is grains and oil commodity crop farming, operating near 60,000 hectares of high quality agricultural lands in the East of Ukraine. All information on AgroGeneration's website: www.AgroGeneration.com Receive all AgroGeneration's financial information by e-mail for free by registering at: www.actusnews.com AgroGeneration +33 (0)1 55 27 38 40 investisseurs@AgroGeneration.com www.AgroGeneration.com Actus Finance Anne-Pauline Petureaux, Relations investisseurs +33 (0) 1 53 67 36 72 [1] Press release dated 8 July 2019 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mJmfZ5huYmiXmG9yY8qba2hnaW9kmZWca2qWk2FvZ8rFcHJolm+VmpzJZnBilmtt - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-71167-cp_agg_ehgo_en.pdf LONDON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of 25 years of one of the most popular girl bands across the world, the Spice Girls, Spotify has recreated the iconic Spice Bus from the film Spice World and taken fans on the journey of a lifetime in the form of a Spice Girls tour across London. The bus turned heads as it travelled through London, kicking off at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, where the iconic music video for "Wannabe" was filmed. Spotify's Spice Bus then journeyed around the capital and over Tower Bridge (thankfully just driving and not flying through the air as in Spice World). Spice Girls super fans on board the bus were treated to a dragtastic homage to the Spice Girls. The bus tour was hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race UK season one queen Baga Chipz taking inspiration from Ginger Spice. Accompanying Baga were contestants from the new series of Drag Race which premieres later this week, each drawing inspiration and paying tribute to their "spirit Spice Girl": Kitty Scott-Claus (Baby Spice), Ophelia Love (Sporty Spice), Vanity Milan (Scary Spice), and Ella Vaday (Posh Spice). 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the Spice Girls. Their debut, and most streamed track of all time (with over 600 million streams), "Wannabe" was released on the 8th July 1996, followed by the album "Spice" which launched in Japan on 19th September the same year before being rolled out globally, and has amassed an incredible 860 million streams in total over the years. Please see below for additional Spice Girls data points: Famous Five: Following in the footsteps of Wannabe, the other tracks making up the top five most streamed on the Spice album are: "2 Become 1", "Say You'll Be There", "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Mama". Leading Ladies: "Spice" is still one of the most popular albums. With over 860 million streams, it has racked up more streams than albums from other female icons, including Taylor Swift's " Taylor Swift " album, Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time", and fellow girl group Little Mix's "DNA". Gen Z(ig-ah-zig-ah): 18-24 year olds are revealed to stream the Spice Girls the most, showcasing how their music has the ability to not only inspire but also transcend to a new generation. Sulinna Ong, Spotify UK/IE, Head of Music says: "The Spice Girls have shaped the way the music industry operates today. Their message of female empowerment resonated across the world, no matter who you were or what you looked like - and continues into this day. The fact that 18-24 year olds stream the Spice Girls the most shows what an impact the girls continue to have around the world. Bringing back the Spice Bus is Spotify's way of giving a little something back to the fans who have flown the flag for Girl Power over the 25 years." Additional imagery of Spotify's Spice Bus can be found HERE. Decline in commercial invoicing to 1.5 million and IFRS revenue to 1.3 million in H1 2021 Significant increase in deferred revenues to 11.6 million at 30 June 2021 Significant reduction in operational expenses as part of the strategic roadmap announced in March 2020 Improvement in adjusted EBITDA, operating income and net income in H1 2021 Available cash at 6.4 million and free cash flow at -4.2 million at 30 June 2021 Around 9 million in commercial invoicing expected in full-year 2021 Filing of a proposed Simplified Tender Offer initiated by Aptar to acquire Voluntis' shares Cambridge (USA), Paris (France), September 24, 2021, 6:00 pm CET - Voluntis (Euronext Growth Paris, Ticker: ALVTX - ISIN: FR0004183960), a leader in the field of digital therapeutics, today announced its half-year results for 2021 as approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting today. The procedures for the limited review of the interim financial statements have been completed. The limited review report will be issued after verification of the half-year activity report. The half-year financial report will be published no later than October 1, 2021. Six months ended 30 June m 2020 2021 Commercial invoicing 5.8 1.5 Total revenues 1.9 1.3 Adjusted EBITDA (3.1) (2.2) EBITDA (6.1) (3.2) Operating income (7.7) (4.0) Net income (8.1) (4.2) Free cash flow 0.9 (4.2) Shareholder equity (4.6) (8.5) Available cash 11.0 6.4 Cash and cash equivalents net of financial debts 2.9 (2.4) Evolution of commercial invoicing and total revenues over the first half of 2021 As announced on September 15, 2021, Voluntis' commercial invoicing amounted to 1.5 million in the first half of 2021 compared to 5.8 million in the first half of 2020. This difference is explained by invoicing cycles that may differ from one year to the next, without giving any trend for the whole year, and by the slower completion of certain projects. Taking into account IFRS 15, the company's total revenues are 1.3 million in the first half of 2021, compared with 1.9 million in the first half of 2020. This difference is mainly explained by the very limited recognition, in the total revenues of the first half of 2021, of revenues related to new contracts signed in 2020 and 2021, and conversely by the recognition, in the total revenues of H1 2020, of revenues related to contracts that had reached their contractual end. In addition, deferred revenues increased significantly to 11.6 million at June 30, 2021 compared to 7.8 million at June 30, 2020. Improved half-year results thanks to operational cost reduction plan As part of the strategic roadmap presented by the company in March 2020, Voluntis has significantly reduced its operating expenses over the first half of 2021. In addition to refocusing its activity on oncology and renewing its partnership approach in diabetes, Voluntis has reduced its cost structure notably by implementing a human resources redeployment plan, which has resulted in an adjustment of the company's average headcount from 96 in H1 2020 to 74 in H1 2021. This reduction in operating expenses enabled Voluntis to record an improvement in its adjusted EBITDA, which stood at -2.2 million in H1 2021 compared with -3.1 million a year earlier. The company's operating income amounted to -4.0 million in H1 2021, a significant improvement on H1 2020 ( -7,7 million). After taking into account a 0.3 million reduction in the cost of net financial debt, Voluntis posted a net loss of -4.2 million for the first half of 2021, a significant improvement of 3.9 million compared to the first half of 2020 ( -8.1 million). Available cash and free cash flow at 30 June 2021 As of June 30, 2021, Voluntis had available cash of 6.4 million (compared to 11.0 million at the end of 2020) after taking into account a free cash flow of -4.2 million ( 0.9 million in the first half of 2020) and the continued repayment of the bond loan taken out with Kreos in April 2018. In August 2021, the balance of this loan was repaid early in the amount of 0.75 million. Annual commercial invoicing expected to be around 9 million euros Voluntis now estimates that it will be able to achieve a volume of commercial invoicing of around 9 million for the 2021 financial year, in line with the estimated range ( 8 to 12 million) previously communicated. Proposed Simplified Tender Offer initiated by Aptar to acquire Voluntis shares Following the acquisition by AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR) ("Aptar") on September 2, 2021, of a 64.6% majority stake in Voluntis share capital (on a non-diluted basis) from the company's reference shareholders and certain managers at a price of 8.70, Aptar filed with the French Markets Authority (the "AMF"), on September 10, 2021, a Simplified Tender Offer to acquire the remaining shares of Voluntis at the identical price of 8.70 per share. This offer is still subject to review by the AMF. # # # About Voluntis Voluntis creates digital therapeutics that empower people with chronic conditions to self-manage their treatment every day, thus improving real-world outcomes. Voluntis' solutions, combining mobile and web apps, use clinical algorithms to deliver personalized recommendations to patients and their care teams. For example, these recommendations are used to adjust treatment dosage, manage side effects or monitor symptoms. Leveraging its Theraxium technology platform, Voluntis has designed and operates multiple digital therapeutics, especially in oncology and diabetes. Voluntis has long-standing partnerships with leading life science companies. Based in Cambridge, MA, and Paris, France, Voluntis is a founding member of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance. For more information, please visit: www.voluntis.com Contacts ACTUS Media Relations Vivien Ferran vferran@actus.fr +33 (0)1 53 67 36 34 ACTUS Investor Relations Jerome Fabreguettes-Leib voluntis@actus.fr +33 (0)1 53 67 36 78 Voluntis Chief Financial Officer Guillaume Floch investisseurs@voluntis.com +33 (0)1 41 38 39 20 Alternative Performance Indicators : Commercial invoicing: reflects commercial activity and the achievement of technical or regulatory milestones during the period, which are often deferred or spread out in accordance with IFRS 15 (Upfront payments, exclusivity fees and perpetual licenses + Development and integration services + SaaS fees, royalties, maintenance & support) EBITDA: recurring operating income before depreciation, amortization and provisions. Adjusted EBITDA: corresponds to the EBITDA amended with the variation in prepaid income and deferred charges pursuant to the application of IFRS 15 (income invoiced for items over which control has not been transferred, expenses for the execution of items produced under customer contracts and not yet transferred). Free cash flow: cash flow from operations + cash flow from investing activities Consolidated income statement Six months ended 30 June In thousands of euros 2020 2021 Revenue 1 949 1 322 Other operating revenue 280 570 Total operating revenue 2 229 1 892 Personnel expenses (5 781) (3 157) Other operating expenses (2 596) (1 936) Net depreciation, amortization and provisions & operating provisions (1 506) (796) Operating income (7 655) (3 997) Financial income (390) (142) Taxes (30) (41) Net income (group share) (8 074) (4 180) Cash flow statement Six months ended 30 June In thousands of euros 2020 2021 Cash flow from operating activities 1 380 (4 023) Cash flows from investing activities (482) (157) Cash flows from financing activities (1 835) (479) CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (937) (4 659) Impact of exchange rate changes 7 3 OPENING CASH BALANCE 5 121 11 010 CLOSING CASH BALANCE 4 191 6 355 Consolidated balance sheet In thousands of euros 31/12/2020 30/06/2021 Assets Intangible assets 2 071 1 517 Tangible assets 405 1 977 Non-current financial assets 251 197 Other non-current assets 1 091 2 169 Non current assets 3 817 5 861 Receivables 844 2 032 Other current financial assets - - Other current assets 2 180 2 504 Cash on hand 11 010 6 357 Current assets 14 035 10 893 Total 17 853 16 753 31/12/2020 30/06/2021 Liabilities and equity Shareholders' equity (4 629) (8 507) Non-current financial debt 6 062 4 359 Non-current provisions and other non-current liabilities 7 219 10 790 Non-current liabilities 13 281 15 149 Current financial debts 2 088 4 381 Trade and other payables 7 112 5 730 Current liabilities 9 200 10 111 Total 17 852 16 753 Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Voluntis Group and its business, including its prospects and product development. Voluntis believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions. However, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, as they relate to future events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future, and on various risks and uncertainties, including those described in the 2020 Half-year Financial Report and the 2020 Annual Financial Report published by Voluntis on September 29, 2020 and April 22, 2021, respectively, copies of which are available on the Group's website (www.voluntis.com), and on changes in economic conditions, financial markets and markets in which Voluntis is present. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks that are unknown to Voluntis or that Voluntis does not consider material at this time. The occurrence of some or all of these risks could cause the actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Voluntis to differ materially from the results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed in such forward-looking statements. Voluntis disclaims any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: lXCflspsamaXx3FwZpZpmJVqbGllw5WVaJeVk2psmMjKbHFgmGmTZ8qWZnBilmxp - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-71173-voluntis_pr_hy_2021_en_vdef.pdf Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Canadian Palladium Resources Inc. (CSE: BULL) (FSE: DCR1) (OTCQB: DCNNF) ("Canadian Palladium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has arranged for and closed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") raising aggregate gross proceeds of $715,000 through 6,217,389 flow-through units (the "FT Units") of the Company at a price of $0.115 per Unit. Each FT Unit consists of one flow-through common share of the Company (a "FT Share") and one-half of one non-flow-through common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one non-flow-through common share at a price of $0.17 for a period of 24 months following the closing date. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used for expenditures which qualify as "Canadian exploration expenses" ("CEE") and "flow-through mining expenditures" both within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Company will renounce such CEE with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2021. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company has paid advisory fees of $46,550 and issued an aggregate of 404,783 compensation warrants to Red Cloud Securities Inc, who acted as advisor for the Private Placement. Each compensation warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one common share at a price of $0.115 for a period of 24 months following the closing date. The securities issued under this Private Placement are subject to a hold period and may not be traded until January 25, 2022. On behalf of the Board of Directors Wayne Tisdale, President & Director The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act) unless pursuant to an exemption therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations, including the proposed use of proceeds from the private placement. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, Canadian Palladium assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to several factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The CSE has neither reviewed nor approved the contents of this press release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Canadian Palladium Resources Inc. Wayne Tisdale, President and CEO T: (604) 639-4452 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97581 Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan"), hereby announces the filing by Ramot of a new patent application for a unique Cannabinoids exosome delivery platform - CLX, developed by Ramot and their researchers from Tel Aviv University. InnoCan holds worldwide exclusive option agreement to develop and commercialese the CLX and noticed Ramot on the intention to execute the option into full license agreement. The new patent application covers the ability and applications of a loaded exosome with Cannabinoids, enabling its precise release to target organs. This novel technique may allow better drug efficiently targeting different indications. Exosomes have emerged as promising nanocarriers for drug delivery and targeted therapy. Exosomes can act as "guided missile" targeting specific damaged organs and have an important role in cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes can be loaded with therapeutic ingredients to enhance their potential. The CLX (Cannabinoids Loaded Exosome) may hold the potential to provide a highly synergistic effect of tissue such as regeneration and anti-inflammatory properties targeting among other potential indications the recovery of infected lung cells and the Central Nervous System - (CNS) diseases. Figure #1: Prof. Dani Offen, of TAU, Iris Bincovich InnoCan CEO To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6922/97538_6dd2926e941c8ba8_002full.jpg. Prof. Offen of Tel Aviv University stated that, "The ability of loading a Cannabinoid to an exosome is not trivial and presented major challenges, which we have now overcome. The ability of such loading technique may open the door to treat a wide-range of different indications where the exosome and Cannabinoids each have therapeutic potential separately and together given their synergistic effect." "Innocan Pharma continues to lead the advanced development of delivery platforms that will shape the skyrocketing market of Cannabinoids-integrated Pharma," says CEO Iris Bincovich, "Our exceptional diversified team combined with the unique research capabilities are leading InnoCan to the stage-front of the Cannabinoids-Pharmaceutical industry." Innocan's relationship with Tel Aviv University Innocan Pharma Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, notified Ramot at Tel Aviv University, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University, of its election to exercise its option to enter into a worldwide exclusive license and research agreement with respect to CBD (or other cannabinoids) loaded exosomes, pursuant to the licensing terms already agreed on and set forth in the option agreement which was signed on April 17th 2020. The research and development initiative is led by Professor Daniel Offen, head of the Neurology Laboratory at Tel Aviv University in the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry. Professor Daniel Offen published over 150 original scientific papers on neurodegenerative diseases and is a co-inventor on over a dozen patents. He is a co-founder of several biotechnology companies developing gene and cell therapies for neurological disorders. Ramot is excited about the fruitful collaboration with Innocan and believes that the new patents and their tremendous potential will lead to new breakthroughs in the field of drug loading and delivery in therapeutics, said Keren Primor Cohen, Ramot's CEO. About Innocan Innocan Pharma is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms containing CBD. Innocan Pharma and Ramot at Tel Aviv University are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the Covid-19 Coronavirus using CBD. CBD-loaded exosomes hold the potential to help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administered by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections. Innocan Pharma signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to develop a CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release liposome to be administered by injection. Innocan Israel plans, together with Professor Berenholz, to test the liposome platform on several potential conditions. Innocan Israel is also working on a dermal product that integrates CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, topical treatments for the relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain. The founders and officers of Innocan Israel each have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally. For further information, please contact: For Innocan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com Lytham Partners, LLC Ben Shamsian CPA | Vice President Direct: 646-829-9701; Cell: 516-652-9004'Shamsian shamsian@lythampartners.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import/export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97538. Highlights Advance United acquires Doyle Property historic files and technical assets from TriOrigin Exploration, including detailed drill logs for 37 drillholes, geophysical surveys, geological mapping, and sampling. Drill hole T94-22 intersected 49.58 g/t gold over one meter and drill hole T95-34 intersected 17.49 g/t gold over one meter. Orix Geoscience contracted to complete the Compilation Report of historic documents and integration of recent 2021 work program using modern software and modelling techniques. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Advance United Holdings Inc. (CSE: AUHI) (FSE: 9I0) (the "Company" or "Advance United") is pleased to announce the Company has engaged Orix Geoscience to complete a Compilation Report of all assets on the Company's Doyle Property. The Company recently acquired TriOrigin Exploration's (now NewOrigin Gold Corp.) previous work products on the Doyle Property in the Batchawana Greenstone Belt in Northern Ontario, Canada which further exemplifies the value of the Company's business model to acquire and re-work data to modern standards and increase value. The historic work includes previously completed field work, which comprises detailed drill logs for thirty-seven (37) drill holes, Induced Polarization (IP) surveys, geological mapping and sampling. The most significant and recent exploration on the Doyle Property was carried out by Tri-Origin Exploration which included drilling programs from 1990 to 1995. These programs are deemed significant, and their geological observations support deposit model types being sought. The focus of the Tri-Origin work was on a model of similarity of the Doyle Property geology and mineralization to the Hemlo Depositi, which has produced over 21 million ounces of gold according to information published on Barrick Gold's website. Tri-Origin completed geological, geophysical, and geochemical programs and drilled a total of 37 drill holes for 8,053 m. Anomalous gold values were intersected in numerous drill holes and visible gold was observed in two holes. Drill hole T94-22 intersected 49.58 g/t gold over one meter and drill hole T95-34 intersected 17.49 g/t gold over one meter. Orix Geoscience Ltd., of Toronto, Ontario has been contracted to complete the Compilation Report of historic documents and integration of recent 2021 work program using modern software and modelling techniques. Modeling of the controls of gold mineralization and its relation to known geological and geophysical anomalies will assist in the preparation of effective and efficient work programs on the property. Orix is a Canadian geological consulting firm advancing strategic exploration and mining through the integration of data and innovative geological understanding, operating cohesively within three Canadian offices: Toronto, Winnipeg, and Sudbury. Orix is a multi-faceted team of diverse and motivated geologists and data experts whose specialized services include scanning, cleaning, reorganizing, digitizing, compiling, interpreting, and modeling large datasets, and boots on the ground support through to target generation and executing field programs. "We are very optimistic as we continue to build on the excellent results from past work on The Doyle Property to prepare a follow-up work plan for 2022 which may include drilling to further delineate and understand the potential deposit. This further exemplifies the value of the Company's business model to re-work data to document potential, quantifiable resources and reserves using current standards and modern technology, thus increasing the value of the property," states Advance United CEO Jim Atkinson. About the Doyle Property The Doyle Property is located approximately 92 kilometers southeast of Wawa, Ontario within the Batchewana Volcanic Belt of the Abitibi Province. The structural and geological architecture of the Batchawana Greenstone belt is conducive to a variety of gold depositional environments similar in nature and significance to other gold bearing deposits in Archean-aged greenstone belts hosted within the Superior Province. Noteworthy, these typically fall into the category of "orogenic gold deposit" types in brittle-ductile structurally related regimes similar to the Timmins Gold Camp, the Hemlo Gold Depositsii, and the gold deposits of the Doyon-Bousquet Camp in Quebec. Orogenic gold deposit types would be the focus of future exploration activities on the Doyle Property. The Doyle Property lies within the Batchawana Greenstone Belt of the Wawa-Abitibi Terrane. Both these Terranes are well known for hosting Orogenic Gold Deposits. Three styles of orogenic gold mineralization occur on the Property. These are, but not limited to: Gold-enriched semi-massive to massive sulphide horizons in a felsic tuff volcanic pile Lode gold auriferous quartz veins, and Disseminated gold in silicified and pyritized shear zones. The entire Doyle Property consists of a total of 109 unpatented mining claim cells and covers an area of approximately 2,365 hectares. Further details of the Doyle Property may be available in the Technical Report on Sedar and the Company's website is the coming weeks. About Advance United Advance United, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange in Canada under the symbol "AUHI" and the Borse Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany under the symbol "9I0". We are a different kind of Canadian junior mining company, one designed to succeed where other junior mining companies fail. We are involved exclusively in the acquisition and advancement of past producing gold mines - with no intent to bring them back into production or to mine them ourselves. Our expertise is in identifying and acquiring undervalued gold properties with significant historical work, which were uneconomic at the time, but we believe have economic value at today's price of gold. We fund the development of re-working historic data and applying modern technology to underwrite new qualified reports, document quantifiable resources and reserves to current standards, thereby recognizing the current value. Our purpose is to bring immediate and long-term value to our partners and shareholders while seeking to eliminate exploration risk, so that we can all advance united in the shortest possible time frame. For additional information about us, our projects, or to find out how you can get involved please visit www.advanceunited.ca. Contact Information James Atkinson P. Geo., CEO Email: jim.atkinson@advanceunited.ca Tel: (647) 278-7502 Qualified Person James Atkinson M.Sc., P. Geo., a Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Doyle Property, particularly with regards to historical sampling and regional government-mapped geology. However, the Qualified Person assumes that sampling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Doyle Property but may not be representative of expected results. Forward-Looking Information and Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to trading on the CSE and the focus of the Company's business. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "contemplates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's ability to increase the value of its current and future mineral exploration properties and, in connection therewith, any long-term shareholder value, the Company's ability to mitigate or eliminate exploration risk, and the Company's intention to develop a portfolio of historic gold properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue its business as described above. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other periodic filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances or actual results unless required by applicable law. _________________________ i https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/hemlo/default.aspx ii https://www.barrick.com/English/operations/hemlo/default.aspx To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97618 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. (TSXV: DWS) ("Diamond " or "the Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its press release of August 5, 2021, it has signed definitive purchase agreements (the "Definitive Agreements") to acquire (i) all of the issued and outstanding securities of Equity Wine Group Inc., owners of the Creekside Estate Winery and Queenston Mile Vineyards wine and cider brands (the "Equity Wine Acquisition"), and (ii) the Shiny Apple craft cider brand from Stonechurch Vineyards and Winery Holdings ("Stonechurch", such acquisition being the "Stonechurch Acquisition", and together with the Equity Wine Acquisition, the ("Acquisitions"). Completion of the Acquisitions will be dependent on Diamond issuing a total of $8.5 million in equity (comprised of the conversion of approximately $1.8 million of currently outstanding convertible debentures, and the remainder to be issued through its previously announced private placement ) . The Acquisitions are expected to be highly accretive to Diamond's current business, capture additional revenues, create brand expansion, further leverage the Company's infrastructure and deliver on cost saving synergies. The terms and conditions of the Definitive Agreements, and the particulars of the Financing, are unchanged from those disclosed in the Company's August 5, 2021 press release, except in respect of the Stonechurch Acquisition, which terms have been modified in that transaction's Definitive Agreement as follows: the Company has agreed to pay Stonechurch aggregate consideration of $2.5 million, which is unchanged from the Company's prior announcement. However, the purchase price will now be satisfied by (i) a closing cash payment of $1.1 million; (ii) a $1.1 million earn-out payment (deposited into escrow by the Company on closing), payable quarterly over the course of 12 months following closing depending on sales targets being met, and (iii) a $300,000 inventory holdback. It remains a condition to closing that Diamond and Stonechurch enter into a production and co-packing agreement whereby Stonechurch will continue to produce the Shiny Apple Brand under Diamond's monitoring and oversight for a minimum period of 2 years. The Acquisitions are subject to customary closing conditions, including of the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the Company's senior lender, Bank of Montreal, and closing of the private placement. The Company now expects to close the Acquisitions and the private placement on or around October 1, 2021. The Company expects the convertible debentures to be converted at the same time. About Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. is a producer of high-quality wines and a sales agent for over 120 beverage alcohol brands across Canada. The Company operates two wineries, one in Ontario and one in British Columbia, that produce predominantly VQA wines under such well-known brand names as 20 Bees, EastDell, Lakeview Cellars, Dan Aykroyd, Fresh, McMichael Collection, Seasons, Serenity, and Backyard Vineyards. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Trajectory Beverage Partners, the Company is the sales agent for many leading international brands in all regions of the country as well as being a distributor in the western provinces. These recognizable brands include Josh wines from California, Fat Bastard and Andre Lurton wines from France, Kaiken wines from Argentina, Blue Nun wines from Germany, Francois Lurton wines from France and Argentina, Felix Solis wines from Spain, Waterloo Brewing from Ontario, Landshark Lager from the USA, Marston's beers from England, Edinburgh Gin, Tamdhu, Glengoyne and Smokehead single-malt Scotch whiskies from Scotland, Barcelo Rum from the Dominican Republic, Becherovka Liqueur from the Czech Republic, C.K. Mondavi & Family wines (including Charles Krug) from Napa, Bols Vodka from Amsterdam, Koyle Family Wines from Chile, Pearse Lyons whiskies and gins from Ireland, Niagara Craft Distillers' beverages from Ontario, Fontana di Papa wines and Cielo e Terra wines from Italy. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to the economy generally; consumer interest in the services and products of the Company; financing; competition; and anticipated and unanticipated costs. While the Company acknowledges that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the views of the Company as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. FOFI Disclosure This press release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, "FOFI") about the Company's proposed acquisitions and their contributions to the Company's financial position, including future revenue and EBITDA, and components thereof, all of which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations and qualifications as set forth above under "Forward-Looking Information". FOFI contained in this press release was approved by management as of the date of this press release and was included for the purpose of providing further information about the Company's anticipated acquisitions. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any FOFI contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this press release should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. Not for dissemination in the United States Not for dissemination in the United States or for distribution to U.S. newswire services. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " U.S. Securities Act "), or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, a person in the United States or a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws, or compliance with an exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Not for dissemination in the United States or for distribution to U.S. newswire services. For more information, please contact: J. Murray Souter, President & CEO jmurraysouter@diamondwines.com 905.641.1042 Ext 234 Ryan Conte, Chief Financial Officer rconte@diamondwines.com Phone: (905) 933-8244 Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. 1067 Niagara Stone Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97612 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - eShippers Management Ltd. (TSXV: EPX.H) ("eShippers") wishes to announce it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement dated effective September 23, 2021 (the "Definitive Agreement") with ISON Mining Pte Ltd. ("ISON") and ISON's shareholders for its previously announced arm's length reverse take-over transaction of eShippers (the "RTO"). About the RTO Under the Definitive Agreement, eShippers will complete the RTO by acquiring from the ISON shareholders all of the outstanding shares of ISON, a corporation incorporated under the laws of Singapore, in exchange for the issuance of an aggregate of 29,655,750 common shares of eShippers ("Common Shares") to the ISON shareholders at a deemed price of $0.35 per share. Following the completion of the RTO, ISON will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of eShippers and the business of eShippers (following completion of the RTO, referred to as the "Resulting Issuer") will be the business of ISON, the directors and management of the Resulting Issuer will be reconstituted as described below, and it is expected that the Resulting Issuer will be listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") as a Tier 2 Mining Issuer. The RTO is subject to the approval of the Exchange. As a condition to the completion of the RTO, eShippers will complete a share consolidation on the basis of 1 new Common Share for each 2 old Common Shares (the "Consolidation"). The Consolidation is expected to be completed immediately prior to the completion of the acquisition of the ISON Shares. After completing the Consolidation, eShippers will have 7,031,079 new Common Shares issued and outstanding. Under the terms of the Definitive Agreement, eShippers will undertake a non-brokered private placement of up to 4,285,714 units of eShippers at a post-Consolidation price of $0.35 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 (the "Concurrent Financing"). The Concurrent Financing is expected to be completed concurrently with or immediately prior to the closing of the RTO. Each unit will consist of one Common Share and one-half of one warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance; provided, however, that if, following the closing date of the RTO, the volume-weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Exchange is equal to or greater than $0.75 for any 10 consecutive trading day period, the Resulting Issuer may, upon providing written notice to the holders of the warrants, accelerate the expiry date of the warrants to the date that is 30 days following the date of such notice. eShippers may pay finder's fees to eligible parties in connection with the Concurrent Financing, all in accordance with the policies of the Exchange. The net proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be used by the Resulting Issuer: (i) to complete and evaluate the exploration programs on ISON's gold projects as recommended in the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical reports described below, (ii) to satisfy ISON's obligations to maintain its interests in its gold projects, and (iii) for working capital purposes. As a condition to the completion of the acquisition of the ISON Shares, the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will be reconstituted to include three nominees appointed by ISON (being Mr. Christopher Eager, Dr. Marcelo de Carvalho and Mr. Adam Powell) and up to two nominees appointed by eShippers (being Mr. Ricardo Rossin and Ms. Virginia Olnick), subject to such director nominees being qualified to act as directors pursuant to the provisions of applicable law and acceptable to the Exchange. The newly reconstituted board of directors will appoint Mr. Eager as the President and CEO, Dr. Carvalho as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Geologist, and Mrs. Leah Hodges will remain as the Corporate Secretary of the Resulting Issuer. The newly reconstituted board of directors will also appoint a new CFO. Information about Mr. Eager, Dr. Carvalho and Mr. Powell is disclosed in eShippers' press release about the RTO dated May 11, 2021. Information about Mr. Rossin, Ms. Olnick and Mrs. Hodges are set out below. Mr. Rossin is a Senior Geochemist and Technologist, with over 15 years of recent global experience in the areas of environmental science, geochemical analysis, and mineral processing with a focus on Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining ("ASGM"). Mr. Rossin has been involved in gold mining projects in North and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He was a Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer for the Artisanal Gold Council, a not-for-profit organization that aims to create formal businesses and sustainable development in ASGM communities. Mr. Rossin was also an International Consultant in ASGM for the United Nations Industrial Organization, providing expert advice and support in various mining technology aid projects to developing countries, as well as supporting the development of National Action plans to reduce mercury use in ASGM under the Minamata Convention framework. He was also VP Technology for RGTM Gold Corp., a Canadian based company that focuses on sourcing responsibly produced gold from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Mr. Rossin is an expert in the design of field sampling surveys and has designed, installed and operated gold recovery systems and a variety of field equipment. Mr. Rossin also has extensive experience liaising with gold mining communities, businesses, and regulatory agencies with respect to reporting and responding to technical queries. Mr. Rossin has a Bachelors in Technological Chemistry from PUC-Campinas, and a Masters in Geochemistry and Metallogenesis from the University of Campinas, Brazil. Mr. Rossin is fluent in Portuguese. Ms. Olnick graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of British Columbia in 2009 and has been an active investor in the venture capital markets for over 20 years. She has completed the Canadian Securities Course as well as the Public Companies: Financing, Governance, and Compliance course from Simon Fraser University. Ms. Olnick is the CEO, Corporate Secretary and a director of Esstra Industries Inc., as well as a director of eShippers Management Ltd. and Nevado Resources Corporation. Mrs. Hodges is the principal of Benchmark Point Governance Corp., specializing in corporate and securities matters, with over 15 years of experience providing compliance, administration, and governance support to private and public listed companies in various sectors. Mrs. Hodges is a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits in British Columbia, has an Associate of Arts degree from Capilano University and is a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada. In connection with the RTO, eShippers will also change its name to "Resouro Gold Inc." or such other name as shall be designated by ISON. eShippers currently has 14,062,158 Common Shares issued and outstanding and after giving effect to the Consolidation, it will have 7,031,079 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Upon completion of the RTO, including the Concurrent Financing, the Resulting Issuer is expected to have a total of 40,972,543 Common Shares issued and outstanding, with the ISON shareholders holding 29,655,750 Common Shares representing approximately 72.4% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, the investors under the Concurrent Financing holding 4,285,714 Common Shares representing approximately 10.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, and the current shareholders of eShippers holding 7,031,079 Common Shares representing approximately 17.2% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Subject to the consent of the Exchange, eShippers will not seek shareholder approval to complete the RTO in accordance with the provisions of Exchange Policy 5.2 - Changes of Business and Reverse Takeovers since the RTO is not a Related Party Transaction (as defined in the rules and policies of the Exchange), no circumstances exist which may compromise the independence of eShippers or the interested parties (in particular, eShippers's directors and senior officers) with respect to the RTO, no aspect of the RTO requires the approval of shareholders of eShippers under applicable corporate and securities laws, eShippers is without active operations and is listed on the NEX board of the Exchange, and the Common Shares will resume trading on completion of the RTO. Notwithstanding the above, the RTO may be subject to Exchange Policy 2.10 - Listing of Emerging Market Issuers and, if applicable, eShippers and ISON will use their best efforts to satisfy all of the Exchange requirements that may be imposed pursuant to Policy 2.10. If applicable and as required, eShippers will hold a meeting of its shareholders to seek any necessary approvals of its shareholders. The completion of the RTO is subject to the satisfaction of various conditions as are standard for a transaction of this nature, including but not limited to: (i) receipt of all necessary consents, waivers, permissions and approvals for the RTO, including the approval of the Exchange; (ii) the Resulting Issuer satisfying the minimum listing requirements of the Exchange; (iii) the representations, warranties and covenants made by each party being true and correct in all material respects as of the closing date; (iv) no party being in material breach of its obligations under the Definitive Agreement; (v) no event or change occurring that would reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on either eShippers or ISON; (vi) the completion of the Concurrent Financing, as applicable; (vii) the issuance of the Common Shares in connection with the RTO being exempt from prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws; (viii) ISON providing eShippers with such financial statements for ISON as are required for the RTO; and (ix) if required, ISON providing eShippers with a formal valuation and/or title opinions acceptable to the Exchange. eShippers is not subject to a cease trade order and will not otherwise be suspended from trading on completion of the RTO. No finder's fees are payable in connection with the RTO. The Common Shares issuable in connection with the RTO may be subject to Exchange escrow or seed share resale restrictions and to hold periods as required pursuant to the requirements of Exchange Policy 5.4 - Escrow, Vendor Consideration and Resale Restrictions and applicable securities laws. Sponsorship of the RTO is required under Exchange Policy 2.2 - Sponsorship and Sponsorship Requirements unless an exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available. eShippers intends to apply for a waiver from the sponsorship requirements. There is no assurance that eShippers will be able to obtain such a waiver. The RTO will be completed pursuant to, and in strict accordance with, applicable corporate and securities law requirements and available exemptions under applicable securities laws. About ISON ISON is a private company existing under the laws of Singapore. ISON is the 100% owner of ISON do Brasil Mineracao Ltda. ("ISON do Brasil") which has acquired 100% of the mineral processes and rights for its Novo Mundo and Buracao gold projects (the "Projects") under definitive acquisition agreements. Novo Mundo Gold Project ISON and ISON do Brasil entered into a definitive acquisition agreement dated May 11, 2021 (the "ISON-NEXA Agreement") with Nexa Recursos Minerais S.A (formerly Votorantim Metais Zinco SA), a corporation existing under the laws of Brazil ("Nexa"), setting out the terms and conditions by which ISON agreed to purchase from Nexa three mineral processes and rights in the Novo Mundo gold project. The Novo Mundo gold project is comprised of 16,735 Ha and is located in the municipality of Novo Mundo in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Further details of the Novo Mundo gold project are summarized below and in the relevant NI 43-101 technical report. The Novo Mundo gold project property is the Qualifying Property (as defined in the policies of the Exchange) for purposes of the RTO. Buracao Gold Project ISON do Brasil entered into a definitive acquisition agreement dated February 26, 2021 (the "Buracao Agreement") with Amanda Santos Fonseca setting out the terms and conditions by which ISON do Brasil acquired a 100% interest in two mineral processes and rights in the Buracao gold project. The Buracao gold project is comprised of 3,995 Ha and is located at the border between the states of Tocantins and Goias, Brazil. Further details of the Buracao gold project are summarized below and in the relevant NI 43-101 technical report. The Buracao gold project is a material property of ISON. NI 43-101 Technical Reports The Novo Mundo gold project is the subject of a NI 43-101 technical report entitled "Independent Technical Report - The Novo Mundo Gold Project" prepared by GE21 Consultoria Mineral Ltd. ("GE21") and dated effective July 28, 2021, as the same may be further amended, restated or replaced. A copy of this technical report and additional information regarding the Novo Mundo gold project is available under eShippers' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Novo Mundo gold project is located within the gold mining district of the Alta Floresta Gold Belt, Mato Grosso (AFGB). This province has a SE-NW elongate extent of over 500 km, and most of the gold deposits and known gold occurrences are concentrated along zone in the eastern portion of the belt, where the Novo Mundo gold project is located. ISON has only recently acquired the property and therefore no exploration work has been conducted by ISON. However, historical information in the form of technical reports and various databases does exist that describe the drilling, geochemical, geophysical, and geological work completed by past exploration companies. These include several reputable mining companies such as RJK, Rio Tinto, Graben and Nexa. The drilling information contained in the data room ISON acquired from Nexa contains a total of 43 diamond drill holes amounting to 5501.56m. All the drill core from the campaigns completed by RTZ and GMS, comprising of around 4500m, are available in Nexa's core shed. The programme completed by GSM between 2011 and 2013 led to a "Final Exploration Report" being filed with the ANM-Brazilian Mining Agency in May 2015. This report presented a total geological resource in the area ANM 866.035/2009 of 1,691,179 tonnes with an average Au content of 2.99 g/t, amounting to around 160 thousand ounces. It is important to highlight that this resource was not completed to NI 43-101 standards and is entirely historic in nature and ISON and eShippers are not treating the historic estimates as current. The Resulting Issuer will be required to resample, infill drill and remodel the estimates to consider the estimates current. The characteristics of the main detected Au (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo) mineralization of the Novo Mundo gold project fall into two types: Firstly, gold of a disseminated hosted in muscovite/sericite quartz (chlorite) sulphide alteration zones of the host syeno-granites with rare quartz veining associated with and enveloped by potassic and propylitic hydrothermal alteration. Secondly, gold mineralization in vein structures is similar to epithermal gold narrow quartz vein deposits, controlled mainly by NW-SE fault zones. The type of disseminated mineralisation is considered similar to the deposit of X1 located 35 km SW in the same geological context. Based on the evidence of a close spatial relation of the gold deposits with granitic intrusions, the presence of hydrothermal alteration halos (mainly phyllic, potassic and propylitic), the dual mineralization styles of narrow veins and disseminated gold in a sericite (chlorite) -quartz -pyrite alteration zone) and the nature of fluid inclusions (magmatic and meteoric sources), a porphyry-epithermal magmatic-hydrothermal system is interpreted to be responsible for the gold deposits of Novo Mundo. Despite the only partial success of historical exploration campaigns, several geological, geochemical and geophysical anomalies observed in the historic data, are in the opinion of GE21, favourable targets that could lead to a potential expansion of mineralised zones in the area. The factors that contribute to this opinion are outlined below: Limited geological detail of the already detected mineralization with a very sparse and often shallow drilling grid. The presence of a hydrothermal alteration zone greater than 3km in extent altering the syenogranite. The presence of a significant anomalous structure is indicated by the integration of the geochemical, IP and magnetic anomalies that appear to coincide with the presence of circular geomorphological structures. Indications of continuity of the soil geochemical anomalies around this possible centre of mineralization and along tectonic structures identified in the geophysical data. Presence of IP anomalies in the historical IP surveys that have not yet been evaluated in detail by modern exploration work. Possible presence of a major and deeper high resistivity structure indicated by the exploratory IP-AMT section. The presence of tectonic lineaments highlighted by the magnetic survey with crosscutting main structure of NW-SE, E-W and NE, similar to the main gold mineralization structures in the Alta Floresta Gold Province (AFGP). Based on these observations and the possibility to implement a consistent exploration programme with advanced data integration, systematic geological and geochemical mapping, the use of modern geophysical surveys and targeted drilling campaigns, GE21 considers that there is potential for expansion of the gold resources. GE21 recommends the exploration strategy of the Novo Mundo gold project to be developed in two phases. The second phase should be contingent on positive results from phase one. Based mainly on data integration of the historical exploration data including drilling, geochemistry, geology, and geophysics phase one is to include: a programme to review, qualify and recover the historical data reflecting the more advanced geological understanding of this kind of mineralization and the discovery potential for porphyry-epithermal systems in the AFGP; conduct a closer-spaced soil geochemistry survey and complete detailed alteration and tectonic mapping in the main target area; undertake geophysical surveys over the most potential structures and targets; and execute a bulk sampling and evaluation programme for tailings and mineralised stockpiles, to understand the grade distributional and metallurgical characteristics of the mineralised zones. There are available stockpiles/tailings on some past informal mining sites e.g., Luisao. Contingent on positive results from phase one, phase two is to include: an initial diamond drilling campaign of around 5.000m supported and designed based on phase one results; Implement a consistent QAQC programme, density tests and accurate topography; part of this drilling programme can be executed in parallel to phase one after item a) where a closer grid of drilling is recommended; cover the remaining area with a closer soil geochemistry and mapping grid; execute an NI 43-101 compliant resource estimation and complete a PEA (Preliminary Economic Assessment) also to be submitted to ANM (Brazilian Mining Agency) as a PAE; and in case of positive results of phase one, as there are already available some near surface mineralised zones in the historical informally mined pits plus some mineralised stockpiles, there is also an opportunity to implement a Trial Mining Operation ("Guia de Utilizacao") for small scale mining and testing. GE21 elaborates on an estimated budget to implement the above recommendations. The budget for phase one is US$350,000 and the budget for phase two is US$1,375,000. The Buracao gold project is the subject of a NI 43-101 technical report entitled "National Instrument 43-101 Independent Technical Report - The Buracao Gold Project" prepared by GE21 and dated effective July 29, 2021, as the same may be further amended, restated or replaced. A copy of this technical report and additional information regarding the Buracao gold project is also available under eShippers' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Buracao gold project is located within the Proterozoic Brasilia Fold Belt (BFB), which stretches from Araxa in the south to Porto Nacional in the north. This province results from the Brasiliano-Pan African Orogeny 790 - 610Ma involving the collision between the Amazon and Sao Francisco cratons and the Parana Block of central Brazil. ISON has only recently acquired this property and therefore no exploration work has been conducted by ISON. Historical data from technical reports details the drilling, geochemical, geophysical, and geological work previously completed by Amazonia Mineracao and Paringa Resources. The drilling information according to the data room provided to ISON by the previous title owner represents a total of 26 diamond drill holes with 2,607m. The drill core from the campaigns completed by Amazonia Mineracao and Paringa Resources are available in the present core shed. GE21 reviewed the remaining core of MID-005-13. The geology of the Buracao Gold Project comprises quartzites and phyllites of the Arai and Paranoa Groups. In the NE quadrant of the project area, the Arai group consist of two formations: the upper phyllite and a quartzite. The Paranoa Group contains a phyllite-quartzite-carbonate succession that occupies the western side of the licence area. The gold mineralization in the Buracao gold project is a Neoproterozoic orogenic gold deposit consisting of quartz veins with sericite hydrothermal alteration in metasedimentary rocks (phyllites and quartzites) of the Arai Group. The area has been subjected to a polyphasic structural evolution and as a result, a major structural control is associated with auriferous zones. It appears this mineralisation is associated with a second phase of deformation, characterized by a dextral transpressive ENE-WSW movement, responsible for forming the NNE shear system. Several geological, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies are observed in the historic data, that when combined with the following favourable factors, present an opportunity to extend known mineralisation zones. The favourable factors include: Observation of visible gold in fresh veins exposed in the Trincheirao workings in a structure that had only just been targeted by the garimpo. This structure appears to be an antithetic vein structure if the Riedel model is applied to the main trend of historic workings. The lack of mineralized intersections in drill holes that were designed to drill directly below the garimpo workings indicates the structural control had not been fully understood. This, if considered with the point above, presents a good opportunity for ISON to re-evaluate the historical positioning of drill holes. The lack of significant soil anomalies but the high effectiveness of rock samples indicate soil geochemistry is not well suited to the Buracao region. The high frequency of outcrop within the project area invites a systematic and extensive outcrop sampling approach to regional exploration that may identify new target zones to follow up. The presence of an anomalous structure indicated by the IP anomalies was only partially followed up in previous ventures. There has been intermittent artisanal mining activity since the 18 th century that continues today. As such this indicates the area continues to deliver gold even in structures that have a long history of small-scale operations. Artisanal workings and the continuity of features related to mineralization such as structures, veins and alterations zones are observed along a 2km NNE trend. The northern extension of this trend is within Isons licences and has yet to be explored in detail. GE21 recommends the following exploration programme for the Buracao gold project to be completed in two phases with phase two contingent on positive outcomes of phase one. Phase one to include: Perform detailed lithological and structural mapping aiming to understand better controls on gold mineralisation. Included in this is detailed alteration mapping. Use the results of the mapping to generate a detailed litho-structural-alteration model. Characterise the vein type and vein paragenesis aiming to generate a vein type model. Undertake systematic sampling of the vein types and alteration zones to understand the gold distribution. Use this understanding to support the planning of more advanced exploration methods. Perform an integrated geophysical survey by IP, radiometric and ground magnetics to improve geological interpretations and test lithological and structural targets. Perform systematic 4 to 5m deep trenching across the potential areas followed by geological mapping. Undertake a systematic bulk sampling of surface material and intersected vein and alteration zones. Phase two to include (if phase one results are positive): After defining and understanding better the potential subareas perform a diamond drilling campaign following a consistent QAQC program, density tests and accurate topography. Perform a sampling survey on the tailings located across the project area. Aim to quantify their gold distribution and what mineral processing routes are required for treating the tails. Based on the results on phase 2b, evaluate the implementation of a bulk sampling and processing plant to treat tailing. GE21 elaborates on an estimated budget to implement the above recommendations taking in consideration a 12-month budget. The budget for phase one is US$350,000 and the budget for phase two is US$700,000. Additional Information Further details about the RTO, including further particulars of the business of ISON and the Resulting Issuer, the Projects and the Concurrent Financing, will be provided in subsequent press releases as required by the Exchange, as well as a filing statement of eShippers to be prepared and filed in respect of the RTO. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement, any information released or received with respect to the RTO may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of eShippers should be considered highly speculative. All information contained in this press release with respect to eShippers and ISON was supplied for inclusion herein by the respective parties and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party. Trading of the Common Shares has been halted and will not resume until completion of the RTO. Upon completion of the RTO. Issuance of the Final Exchange Bulletin and the resumption of trading in the Resulting Issuer's shares on the Exchange remains subject to the completing of customary filings required by the policies of the Exchange. Mario Conrado Reinhardt, MAIG and Ednie Rafael M. de C. Fernandes, MAIG, both of GE21, are each a "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, and have reviewed and approved the technical contents in this press release. Completion of the RTO is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the RTO cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the RTO will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the RTO, any information released or received with respect to the RTO may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of eShippers should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed RTO and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. For further information please contact Leah Hodges, Corporate Secretary of eShippers, by email at lhodges@benchmarkgovernance.com or by phone at (604) 377-0403. Notice on Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations regarding the future, including, but not limited to, eShippers's completion of the RTO and related transactions, the completion of the Concurrent Financing, the proposed use of the net proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer, the conditions to be satisfied for the completion of the RTO, the filing of eShippers' filing statement, the exemption from sponsorship and the resumption of trading. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of eShippers. Such factors include, among other things: the requisite corporate approvals of the directors and shareholders of the parties may not be obtained; the Exchange may not approve the RTO; sufficient funds may not be available or raised pursuant to any Concurrent Financing; and other risks that are customary to transactions of this nature. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits eShippers will obtain from them. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, eShippers undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97624 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - The Mint Corporation (TSXV: MIT) ("Mint" or the "Company") announces that further to its press release dated September 7, 2021 and its management information circular dated August 31, 2021 (the "Circular") it wishes to provide additional information pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), relating to the timeline, background, and summary of the negotiation process of the previously announced proposed debt settlement (the "Debt Settlement") and debt settlement agreement (the "Agreement") with Mobile Telecommunications Group LLC ("MTG"), Global Business Services for Multimedia ("GBS" and together with MTG, the "Creditors"), Mint Middle East LLC ("MME"), and Mint Gateway for Electronic Payment Services ("MGEPS"). To provide the shareholders of the Company ("Shareholders") additional time to consider and to vote upon the Debt Settlement, the Company will now hold its annual general and special shareholder meeting on October 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) (the "Meeting") (previously scheduled for, September 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time)). As such, the proxy cut-off time for the Meeting will now be October 5, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) . The Meeting will still be held at the Company's office located at 33 Bay Street, Suite 1700, Toronto, Ontario, but to mitigate the risk and spread of the COVID-19 virus, Shareholders are strongly encouraged to attend the Meeting virtually through dialing 1-855-473-1059, Participant Code: 0091269#. A new management information circular will not be mailed out to Shareholders in connection with the new date of the Meeting . A copy of the Circular was mailed out to Shareholders on September 2, 2021 and can be found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.themintcorp.com. Timeline and Background of Debt Settlement In June 2020, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") began discussing the urgency for the Company to clean-up its balance sheet, and in particular the Company's debt owing to the Creditors in the amount of approximately CA$20,000,000 (the "Debt"), which was secured against all assets of the Company and coming due on December 2021. In addition, there was approximately CA$2,000,000 in an interest payment due to the Creditors annually. On June 24, 2020, Vishy Karamadam, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company, initiated discussions with regards to restructuring of the Debt with the Creditors based off the Company's anticipated difficulties to meet the repayment obligations. Over the next few months, Mr. Karamdam and the Creditors held various discussions regarding the benefits of restructuring the Debt, which eventually led to the Company proposing a settlement of the Debt through a payment of C$10,000,000 - which was rejected by the Creditors. Throughout the discussion, Mr. Karamdam kept independent member of the Board, Vikas Ranjan abreast of the progress in the talks with the Creditors; and kept the rest of the Board members periodically updated on the progress - with the exception of Firas Al Fraih, as he is a director of GBS, and as such, the Company implemented a Chinese wall with respect to Mr. Al Fraih's involvement and he was not involved in any discussions or updates with respect to the talks from the Company's side. On December 15, 2020, the Creditors and the Company informally agreed on a framework for a settlement of the Debt being in the amount of US$10,000,000. In connection with this framework, the Company would receive from its United Arab of Emirates' entities (the "UAE Entities") a payment of US$11,000,000 (the "UAE Payment") to settle a previous inter-company debt (the "Inter-Company Debt") owed by the UAE Entities to the Company in the amount of C$40,000,000, an amount which was previously written-off by the Company. The Inter-Company Debt was initially provided through various advances to the UAE Entities beginning approximately 12 years ago to fund the working capital requirements of the UAE Entities' business. However, such advances were written off in connection with audit requirements of the Company over the years, as further disclosed in the notes of the Company's financial statements available on the Company's SEDAR profile. The Company had previously discussed the settlement of the Inter-Company Debt with the UAE Entities, but such discussions were never able to materialize into any proposals due to numerous parties holding the Debt and the Inter-Company Debt. Based off a draft letter of intent ("Letter of Intent") sent by the Company to the Creditors on April 4, 2021, which captured the agreed upon figure of the settlement reached around December 15, 2020, the independent members of the Board supported the proposed terms of the Debt Settlement, and the parties formally entered into the Letter of Intent on May 5, 2021. On July 9, 2021, based off the terms of the Letter of Intent, an initial draft of the Agreement was sent from the Company to the Creditors; the draft of the Agreement was largely based off the terms agreed to in the Letter of Intent. Nonetheless, one change in the terms between the Letter of Intent and the Agreement was the Company could settle the debt through a combination of consideration payable through a cash payment or assets-in-kind (rather than just a cash payment as stipulated in the Letter of Intent). This change was proposed by the Company to allow the Company to account for the type of consideration paid to it pursuant to the UAE Payment and to permit the Company to ensure suitable working capital flexibility to move forward upon completion of the Debt Settlement. On September 2, 2021, the Agreement was reviewed and approved by the independent members of the Board. Mr. Al Fraih was excluded from Board discussions with respect to the approval of the Debt Settlement. General Information About Payment Terms With respect to the form of payment to be paid by the Company to the Creditors pursuant to the Debt Settlement Agreement (i.e., whether it will be a cash payment, assets-in-kind, or a combination of both thereof), the Company will make that decision based off its analysis of its working capital requirements for funding for the future growth of the business of the Company and will determine the apportionment based off both this framework and the type of consideration received from the UAE Payment. As of the date of this release, the Company has not determined the breakdown of the consideration that will be paid to the Creditors. Any such assets to be paid in connection with the Debt Settlement may include real property located in the United Arab Emirates which may be received as part of the UAE Payment and will be subject to a valuation by an arm's-length third-party appraisal firm agreed to by the respective parties in advance prior to being used as payment. MI 61-101 Special Transaction MTG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBS, which is a "control person" of the Company. Accordingly the Debt Settlement is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Pursuant to MI 61-101, the Company will seek approval of the majority of minority shareholders ("Minority Shareholder Approval") of the Company with respect to the Debt Settlement at the Meeting. A copy of the form of Debt Settlement Agreement was attached to the Circular. ABOUT MINT The Mint Corporation through its majority-owned subsidiaries (the "Mint Group"), is a globally certified payments company headquartered in Toronto, Canada with its primary business in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Mint Group provides employers, employees and merchants with best-in-class financial services supported via payroll cards and the feature rich and linked Mint mobile application. Through its mobile enabled payments platform certified globally by MasterCard and UnionPay, Mint brings modern financial conveniences, at reasonable cost, to employers, merchants and consumers. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking" statements. These statements relate to future events or future performance and, in certain cases, can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated" "intends", "plans", "expects", "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases as statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "can", will", "might", "shall", "would" occur, or the negative forms of any of these words and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include the completion of the Debt Settlement pursuant to the terms of the Debt Settlement Agreement, the receipt of a cash payment in the amount of US$11,000,000, receipt of Minority Shareholder Approval pursuant to MI 61-101, and the use of the remaining funds for working capital purposes. All such statements involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, they should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: failure of the parties to fulfill the conditions of the Debt Settlement Agreement, business or economic risks which may cause additional financial difficulties for the parties of the Debt Settlement Agreement, the inability for the Company to receive the necessary shareholder, regulatory, or third-party approvals, and general market risks and fluctuations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of Mint believes are reasonable assumptions on the date of this news release, Mint cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in Mint's ongoing filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Mint disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Mint Corporation Vishy Karamadam, Chief Executive Officer 416-729-1363 www.themintcorp.com NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97628 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Chinese tech giants, Huawei, was set free from her detainment in Canada after the US Department of Justice came to a deferred prosecution agreement with Chinese diplomats on Friday. Wanzhou, detained in Canada since December 2018, was accused of misleading HSBC bank over the relationship between Huawei and another company Skycom, which could have resulted in the bank violating the US policies against Iran. She was kept on house arrest in Vancouver since then as the US wanted to extradite her. According to reports, the DOJ will hold off the prosecution until December 2022, dropping the charges altogether after that and Wanzhou will agree to the allegation laid out by the US that she intentionally made false statements to HSBC. The DOJ said that her admission 'confirm the crux of the government's allegations in the prosecution of this financial fraud -- that Meng and her fellow Huawei employees engaged in a concerted effort to deceive global financial institutions, the U.S. government, and the public about Huawei's activities in Iran.' The arrest became a subject of much tension between US and China as China immediately detained two Canadian citizens on charges of spying. Wanzhou, the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Huawei and a leader of the Chinese Communist Party, was freed on a personal recognizance bond without any collateral and is allowed to fly to China at her will. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX HUAWEI-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Flagler College Professor Receives Grant to Explore the Minorcan Peoples Heritage and Cultural Impact on St. Augustine Ever since Dr. Darien Andreu arrived on Flagler's campus in 1987, she felt a calling to share the story of the Minorcan people and their influence on St. Augustine. Thanks to the St. Augustine Foundation, she will finally get to tell their story. Dr. Darien Andreu is one of three Flagler faculty to be awarded dollars granted to the College by the St. Augustine Foundation. She has received $55,000 to explore further the Minorcan people's heritage and cultural impact on St. Augustine. This Minorcan Studies project will help define the Ancient City's identity and offer an immersive opportunity for Flagler College students to get involved in rediscovering history. The study aims to paint an inclusive picture of St. Augustine's history. One that acknowledges the crucial role Minorcans played in shaping the Ancient City's regional heritage. "Minorcan heritage is startlingly underappreciated. It's an old story. And it's a classic example of a group that immigrates to a new place, and along the way, they lose touch with their native language and the folkways of the old country," said Dr. Andreu As an Associate Professor of English, one way she hopes to raise awareness of the Minorcans is through literature: "I've been interested first in how Minorcans have been represented in literatureby William Bartram, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Cullen Bryant, Sarah Orne Jewett, Stephen Vincent Benet, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and more." However, the story of the Minorcan people stretches far beyond their representation in literature. Their story is deeply entangled in the rich history and cultural identity of St. Augustine. According to Andreu, the Minorcan people arrived in Florida in 1768 and came to St. Augustine in 1777. They escaped from New Smyrna, where they had worked beyond the agreed terms of their contracts as indentured laborers. Throughout the twists and turns of an ever-changing political climate, they remained in St. Augustine. Even after the British left and the Ancient City entered its second wave of Spanish rule, the Minorcans stayed. Presently, 26,000 Minorcans live in St. Johns County, and more are spread throughout the United States. "For 250 years, Minorcans have been a part of defining St. Augustine's history, and yet the whole sweep of their cultural heritage and influence has only been lightly studied. Their closest historical parallels are the Cajuns in Louisiana and the Amish (or "Pennsylvania Dutch"), both groups much more widely known," said Andreu. She continued, "With focus and effort, the Minorcan story can become invaluable to St. Augustine's national identity." Andreu's identity as a Minorcan has played an integral role in wanting to educate others on the history of the Minorcan people. Her Minorcan heritage stems from her father's side. Her father, like so many other immigrants, felt the need to disconnect from his Minorcan roots to live his American dream: "My father was born of both of a Minorcan father and mother. Like many recent Minorcans and people of ethnic communities, he did not find his heritage something to appreciate in his early years. It was my Irish-American mother who encouraged him," she said. Andreu continued, "This was during the 1960s, a time when X.L. Pellicer, a St. Augustine Minorcan, a banker and civic leader, began to promote Minorcans reconnecting with their Balearic Island homeland and celebrating their American story." Her father's reluctance to accept his heritage has inspired her to be a part of moving the Minorcans' story forward. She believes it's time to celebrate their lives through new books, websites, lecture series, and public outreach. "There need to be new oral histories of Minorcan folkways its musicians, artists, writers, and architects; its remaining shrimpers and fishermen; its lightkeepers and bridgetenders." The Minorcan studies project has the potential to not only enrich the St. Augustine community by garnering a new appreciation for the oldest city in America's longest residence, but it will significantly improve the lives of Minorcans in St. John's County. According to Andreu, "It will help transform how the Minorcans understand themselves and how the public values the Minorcan story. Given time and focus, the Minorcan story may become as important to St. Augustine's and this region's national identity as the Cajun and Amish heritage are to Louisiana and Pennsylvania." Flagler College now joins a select number of universities and colleges across the nation that have invested in their cultural heritage: The University of Mississippi at Oxford (Southern Studies), Berea College in Kentucky (Appalachian Studies), and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Cajun & Creole Folklore). Flagler students will get to play a crucial role in this study while also getting to engage firsthand with the community through experiential learning and service: "With this Minorcan Studies Project, students will have an opportunity to connect very directly with St. Augustine, this place they are calling home for these important years in their lives. They'll be part of advancing the richness of Minorcan heritage in the way that narrating a more complete and inclusive history of a people and place deepens an appreciation for it." More explicitly, Andreu envisions students will take on these specific roles: "I'm looking for students to film oral histories, assist with a Minorcan Speaker series, and build a Minorcan Studies website." These students will be presented with an extraordinary opportunity to accompany Dr. Darien Andreu on an exploration roughly 34 years in the making. One that will shed light on the immigrants who made St. Augustine the city we know and love today. Tagged As After rumours, we now have the first CAD-based renders of the upcoming Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsungs next flagship smartphone, thanks to @OnLeaks. This shows a 6.8-inch curved display, similar to the S21 Ultra We can expect a similar Quad HD+ Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate screen. A major change in the design is the square design resembles the Galaxy Note series. There is also a new P-shaped camera module with a significant camera bump. This will house quad cameras that will likely include a telephoto lens and a 3D ToF sensor. We can expect a 108MP rear camera. Another big change is the presence of the built-in S Pen slot for the first time in an S series phone, just like the Note series. The S21 Ultra was the first Galaxy S series phone to support S Pen with Wacom tech, but the S Pen was sold as a separate accessory and Samsung sold cases to hold the S Pen. The phone is said to measure 163.2 x 77.9 x 8.9~10.5mm (including the camera bump) and weigh 228 grams. Based on recent rumours, the phone will be powered by Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 898 SoCs depending on the market. The S22 is expected to come with Snapdragon SoC in India this time. It is said to pack a 5000mAh battery with 45W fast charging. Since the Galaxy S22 Ultra renders are out, we can expect the renders of the S22 and the S22 Plus in the coming days. Source Paxton, IL (60957) Today Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Press Release The guilty verdict against human rights activist Rusesabagina is a judgement on the world political system. It was public knowledge that Rusesabagina would never get a fair trial after the Rwandan President Kagame boasted of the efficiency of his services in bringing him to Rwanda and the Minister of Justice saying on Al Jazeera, all shame drunk to the dregs, that hiring the private plane to kidnap Rusesabagina was lawful. Members of Rwandan political and civil society organisations in exile grouped in The Rwanda Bridge Builders (RBB) as well as each and all people peace and liberty lovers were shocked because the world has so far failed to stand up to one of the smallest aid dependent Rwandan regime when it violates national and international law, especially when the victim is an EU citizen and a permanent resident of the United States and recipient of the US highest civilian medal. Mr. Rusesabagina received the presidential Medal of Freedom for his heroic role in saving Tutsi during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi while the current leadership that is trying him was busy lobbying the UN against sending of an international force to Rwanda to stop genocide. 1 RBB would like to thank the Belgian and the US governments for publicly denouncing the sham trial of Rusesabagina marked by lack of international standards including lack of confidential, unimpeded access to his lawyers and relevant case documents and lack of access to counsel of his choice. His lawyers have well-argued to prove that charges against Rusesabagina were false and that there was no credible evidence nor witnesses leading to the guilty verdict of Paul Rusesabagina. RBB calls on the international community and especially the US, Belgian governments, and European commission to apply international standards regarding violation of international law and of human rights. We invite, Brussels, London and Washington that imposed new sanctions against senior Russian officials over the poisoning attack and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny to do the same in the case of Rusesabagina who is an European citizen and permanent resident of the US. It is ironic that one of key players in the kidnap of Rusesabagina, the former Minister of Justice Mr. Busingye has been appointed as High Commissioner to the UK and probably, if nothing done, will join his new station very soon. RBB strongly believes that the trial of Rusesabagina is a show trial by the Rwandan repressive regime aimed at silencing genuine opposition by demonstrating that it can get to any critic including those who received the citizenship of other countries once they try to criticise the regime. It is also a test of international communitys resolve to defend and promote the values of peace, democracy, justice for all, equal opportunity, and human rights. We would like to recall that the current regime came to power through the barrel of the gun and is responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo as UN Mapping report points out. "The systematic and widespread attacks described in this 1 COURRIER-DU-30-AVRIL-1994-DU-FPR-INKOTANYI-SIGNE-CLAUDE-DUSAIDI-ET-GERARD-GAHIMA.pdf Going to the loo with a view sounds great but Cromwell can one up it by creating a band out of your pee! Yup you read that right! At the Cromwell Highlands Motorsport Park, there are a few fancy loos created by Tony Quinn, a Scottish-Australian-Kiwi entrepreneur. As the park's website explains, he "also happens to have a thing for toilets. We came up with a lot of different ideas about what we could do with the toilets, and Loo with a View floated to the top." The first is a drum, the second is a trumpet, and the third is a bass violin. Each starts playing music when you use it. When three people use them at the same time, things get rather entertaining (and weird). German DJ and producer Alex Ridha, better known as Boys Noize, is releasing a new studio album '+/-' (pronounced "Polarity"), out September 24. On August 25, Ridha shared the full details, artwork and tracklist from the LP that is slated for release on September 24 via his label, Boysnoize Records. This will be his fifth studio album. Give it a listen below! MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a leading finance broker, National Loans, a borrower's credit report plays an important role in the car finance approval process. Lenders will examine the credit report of a potential borrower when they apply for a car loan or other asset finance, including motorbike finance, using the information to determine a credit score. Poor credit history makes it more likely the application will be rejected. National Loans explains there are things a borrower can do to improve their credit score, such as paying down any outstanding debts by making more than the minimum monthly repayment, paying bills and other repayments on time and avoiding making multiple applications for credit over a short period of time. Saving up a bigger deposit will also work in a borrower's favour, says National Loans. Applying for a smaller loan makes a borrower less risky, which improves their chances of getting approved. Additionally, it can also reduce monthly repayments and the rate charged on the loan. Other options for those with a poor or limited credit history include having a relative or friend go guarantor on the loan. National Loans advises that the guarantor needs a good credit history and stable income. Borrowers should also only be applying for loans they can afford as lenders will look at their income and outgoings to help make an assessment. National Loans provides a car loan calculator on their website that borrowers can use to run the numbers. The car's running and maintenance costs should be factored into the budget. As National Loans points out, there are different types of car loans available, including secured or unsecured, fixed-rate or variable. Balloon payment car loans are another option. It's important for borrowers to choose the right type of loan that suits their circumstances. As an expert broker, National Loans can help borrowers get first-time approval on finance applications, like balloon car loans, even if their credit score isn't perfect. National Loans is the trusted expert for car loans and asset finance, working with Australia's top lenders to offer low-rate car loans and fast approvals to borrowers. To get a free quote, contact National Loans. MELBOURNE (HEAD OFFICE) Related Images Image 1: National Loans National Loans This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Philips or the Company) (NYSE: PHG) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 21-cv-04606, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Philips securities between February 25, 2020 and June 11, 2021, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Philipss securities during the Class Period, you have until October 15, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for informa tion about joining the class action] Philips operates as a health technology company in North America, Greater China, and internationally. The Companys products include, among others, Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices, as well as mechanical ventilators. Bi-Level PAP machines pump air under pressure into the airway of the lungs. Bi-Level PAP machines have a higher pressure when users breathe in and lower pressure when users breathe out. CPAP machines keep users airway open by providing a continuous stream of air through a mask. CPAP machines are devices prescribed to people with obstructive sleep apnea to keep their airways open during sleep. Bi-Level PAP and CPAP machines use Polyester-based polyurethane, a sound abatement foam, to reduce sound and vibration. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Philips had deficient product manufacturing controls or procedures; (ii) as a result, the Companys Bi-Level PAP and CPAP devices and mechanical ventilators were manufactured using hazardous materials; (iii) accordingly, the Companys sales revenues from the foregoing products were unsustainable; (iv) the foregoing also subjected the Company to a substantial risk of a product recall, in addition to potential legal and/or regulatory action; and (v) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On June 14, 2021, Philips issued a voluntary recall of certain of its Bi-Level PAP and CPAP devices, as well as mechanical ventilators, after finding that the sound abatement foam used in the devices can degrade and become toxic, potentially causing cancer. On this news, Philips stock price fell $2.25 per share, or 3.98%, to close at $54.25 per share on June 14, 2021. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Yalla Group Limited (Yalla or the Company) (NYSE: YALA).Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Yalla and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On May 19, 2021, Swan Street Research (Swan Street) published a report addressing Yalla, entitled Is Yalla Group a Multi $B Fraud? The Clubhouse of the Middle East UAE Tech Unicorn that Never Was. The Swan Street report alleges, among other things, that the Company inflates its metrics, including revenue, and characteries Yallas financial statements as not credible. On this news, Yallas American depositary share (ADS) price fell $1.31 per ADS, or 7.15%, to close at $17.01 per ADS on May 19, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com . New York City, US, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In August, G2 released its Fall 2021 report, with MarketersMEDIA recognized as a high-performer for the Press Release Distribution Software category. The first-timer was ranked 3rd in the category of High Performers among other competing services. According to the G2 report, the High Performer badge is awarded based on several criteria. MarketersMEDIA achieved high customer satisfaction scores compared to the rest of the category. 100% of users rated it 4 or 5 stars, and 80% of users believe it is headed in the right direction. The company also has vaunted a high rating for its quality of support, with 95% said they would be likely to recommend MarketersMEDIA. For 9 years, MarketersMEDIA has consistently provided great services and extensive media coverage. Currently, the press release distribution service offers syndication to over 500 media outlets worldwide. Along with that are some of the premium outlets they have partnered with include Yahoo!, APNews, StreetInsider, Digital Journal, AsiaOne, 50 US state news networks, and many more. Besides the growing number of media outlets, MarketersMEDIA will soon be renamed as MarketersMEDIA Newswire, with an upcoming revamped platform. Topping up on that, MarketersMEDIA has recently launched a new line of service for blockchain lovers. The blockchain press release service aims to deliver a better press release plan for customers who want to get their blockchain, crypto, NFTs, DeFi, and any related news releases out. For more information regarding the BiQ tools specifics, please visit https://marketersmedia.com/. About MarketersMEDIA Newswire MarketersMEDIA Newswire was founded in 2012 and has been in the line to provide premium but affordable press release distribution services. The newswire provides ease in mass syndication of press releases by offering customers the use of a single platform to publish their news to 550+ media outlets worldwide. Distribution includes globally recognized top-tier outlets such as Yahoo!, APNews, Digital Journal, StreetInsider, and much more. Website: https://marketersmedia.com/ Pune, India, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report, Cardiovascular Drugs Market size is projected to reach USD 63.96 billion at CAGR to 3.8% by 2026. The increasing demand for effective drugs and therapy is expected to aid the growth of the market. The rising R&D investment for innovative drugs and cardiovascular therapeutics will further accelerate the growth of the market. The launch of novel therapies by key players is likely to create growth opportunities for the market. For instance, Novartis AG and Blackstones Life Sciences announced the launch of Anthos Therapeutics for the development of cardiovascular drugs as there are large unmet needs for next-generation anti-thrombotic therapies in patients. Moreover, in 2014, a study was conducted by the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease accounted for more than 17.6 million deaths per year in 2016 and is likely to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/cardiovascular-drugs-market-100379 The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this Market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/cardiovascular-drugs-market-100379 For instance, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. introduced a cardiovascular drug called Eliquis (apixaban), which now has the highest sales and is demonstrated to be superior in terms of risk reductions compared to other drugs in the market. India based Natco Pharma announced the launch of the generic version of valsartan-sacubitril, a cardiovascular drug for the treatment of congestive heart failure. Novartis AG holds the patent in India for valsartan-sacubitril called Vymada. The launch of the new drug will create growth opportunities for the market in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, increasing awareness regarding cardiovascular health and the surge in product launches will boost cardiovascular drugs market growth. The introduction of several advanced drugs addressing the diverse treatment needs of cardiovascular diseases will further bolster the growth of the market. Quick Buy - Cardiovascular Drugs Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100379 Major key Players studied in report: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Pfizer Inc. Bayer AG Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AstraZeneca Sanofi Novartis AG Merck & Co., Inc. Gilead Sciences, Inc. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Others Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/cardiovascular-drugs-market-100379 Global Cardiovascular Drugs Market Segmentation: By Drug Type: Antihypertensive Antihyperlipidemic Anticoagulants Antiplatelet Drugs By Disease Indication: Hypertension Hyperlipidemia Coronary Artery Disease Arrhythmia, Others By Distribution Channel: Hospitals Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies By Geography North America (U.S. and Canada) Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of Middle East & Africa) Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/cardiovascular-drugs-market-100379 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. New York, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Overview: According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Research Report, type, end-user and Region - Forecast till 2028 the market is projected to be worth USD 195.89 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 4.71% during the forecast period (2021 - 2028). Market Competitive Landscape: List of the key competitors of the global Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market are listed as follows: Multisorb Technologies (U.S.) Desican Inc (U.S.) CSP Technologies, Inc (U.S.) R. Grace & Co (U.S.) Sanner GmbH (Germany) Capitol Scientific, Inc (U.S.) I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.) Oker-Chemie GmbH (Germany) Desiccare, Inc (U.S.) Clariant Global (Switzerland) Among others. Get Free Sample PDF Brochure https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4182 Market Research Futures Review on Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Desiccants are materials that aid in the absorption of moisture as well as introduce the optimum amount of dryness in the environment around the substances. In nature, they are both soluble and insoluble. These assist in removing excess humidity and have increasingly found their way into the pharmaceutical business. The global pharmaceutical desiccant market value is expanding swiftly as a result of widespread use for quality and strength preservation. Market USP Covered: Drivers: There is a significant increase in the aging population, a broadening of pharmaceutical business trends, and government intervention and initiatives. This would assure high-quality medical pharmaceuticals, which will be a major driver of the global pharmaceutical desiccant market growth. Restraints: The pharmaceutical desiccant market is being restricted by the implementation of stringent standards and fluctuating conditions. Pharmaceutical items must meet stringent quality control and performance standards. Desiccant suppliers must comply with pharmaceutical firms' quality management systems on a regular basis. The other factor hindering the pharmaceutical desiccants market growth is their unpredictable performance at different temperatures depending on their type. The temperature required by the product must determine the desiccant's temperature. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (185 pages) on Pharmaceutical Desiccant https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/pharmaceutical-desiccant-market-4182 COVID-19 Analysis: The pharmaceutical business has witnessed an unsettling slowdown in growth as a result of the global pandemic of COVID-19. Due to marketing difficulties in several geographical regions around the world, the pharmaceutical desiccant market is undergoing an economic downturn. The pharmaceutical desiccant market growth is susceptible to the country's economic growth in which it is located. Following the global spread of the coronavirus, there has been a new influx of drugs on the market, exacerbating the slowdown. Market Segmentation: The segmentation of the global pharmaceutical desiccants market is done by type and end-user. By type, the majority of the pharmaceutical desiccant market share is held by silica gel. This is because it is non-flammable, non-toxic, and porous in nature. By end-user, the tablets segment held the largest market share in the global market. Regional Insights: The APAC region is witnessing the highest pharmaceutical market growth on a global scale. The anticipated CAGR of this region is 4.77% due to a rise in manufacturing activities and an increase in the population of people requiring pharmaceutical desiccants. The market growth can be attributed to increased pharmaceutical desiccant output in China as well as a better utilization rate of the commodity in Chinese plants than in facilities in developed countries. China's elevated pharmaceutical desiccant is now employed as a matting reagent for plastics, paints, catalysts, and other anti-adhesives. North America holds the highest pharmaceutical market share in the world, owing to the region's strong pharmaceutical manufacturing base, favorable government regulations, and significant R&D expenditure. In 2018, North America had a market share of approximately 38%. Share your Queries https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4182 During the forecast period of 2019 to 2027, the European market for pharmaceutical desiccants is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.59%. The pharmaceutical industry's ever-increasing growth has aided in the expansion of the pharmaceutical desiccant market size. Economic benefits and increased disposable incomes have mostly led to the pharmaceutical market's rapid growth. Additionally, increased income levels, particularly for those in the lowest economic strata, as well as government measures to offer basic healthcare facilities, are predicted to boost the availability and affordability of pharmaceuticals for the population. This is predicted to stimulate the pharmaceutical industry's growth, resulting in higher use of pharmaceutical desiccants. Segmentation of Market covered in the research: Pharmaceutical Desiccant Market Information Report, By Type (Silica Gel, Activated, Carbonclay Desiccant, Molecular Sieves and Others), By End-Use (Tablets, APIs, Capsules, Diagnostic Kit and Nutraceutical Product Packaging), and By Region - Forecast to 2028 To Buy: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=4182 About Market Research Future: New York, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Pyrogen Testing Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth And Change" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06151695/?utm_source=GNW , GenScript, BioMerieux, Hyglos GmbH, Sanquin, Wako Chemicals USA, Inc., and Pyrostar. The global pyrogen testing market is expected to grow from $1.03 billion in 2020 to $1.20 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $1.78 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 10.4%. The pyrogen testing market consists of sales of pyrogen testing and related services by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that provide pyrogen testing to check the presence or absence of pyrogens in all aqueous parenterals.Pyrogen testing determines the presence of bacterial toxins in vaccines, biotechnological products, and drugs, which induces fever in humans. It also determines the presence of microbes and their metabolites in drugs during the manufacturing process. The main types of pyrogen tests are LAL test, in vitro test, and rabbit test.The LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate) test is a test for the determination of bacterial endotoxins, which uses the amebocyte lysate of the Limulus crab. The rabbit pyrogen test is a test in which a small amount of batched test material is injected into a rabbits bloodstream, and the body temperature of the rabbit is monitored. The products used for pyrogen tests include assays, kits, and reagents, instruments and related services, and are used in pharmaceutical and biologics, medical devices, and other industries. North America was the largest region in the pyrogen testing market in 2020.Asia Pacific is expected to continue to be the fastest growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. Companies are focusing on the evolution of various animal-free pyrogen testing methods such as monocyte activation assay (MAT) to overcome constraints of rabbit pyrogen testing method and LAL test, and to produce a human treatment of animals.MAT provides a high level of prediction of pyrogenic activity and also stimulates fever reaction better than the RPT or BET/LAL. MAT pyrogen testing method is used to detect both endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens, but the LAL test is limited to detect only endotoxin pyrogen. For instance, Merck focused on two MAT systems for the detection of pyrogens namely PyroDetect, PyroMAT. The rising investments in research and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries contributed to the growth of the pyrogen testing market.Pyrogen testing is used by pharmaceutical, biotech, and various drug manufacturing companies for the safe manufacturing and introduction of infection-free products into the market. For instance, in 2019, major players in the pharmaceuticals market Roche, AstraZeneca and Merck have invested heavily in R&D activities. Roche invested around $12 billion which represented 19% of its $63.3 billion in sales. Therefore, high investments in research and development by pharmaceuticals companies drive the pyrogen testing market. The countries covered in the pyrogen testing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06151695/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Dublin, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Aircraft Engine Market by Type (Turboprop, Turbofan, Turboshaft, Piston Engine), Platform (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, UAV), Component (Compressor, Turbine, Gear Box, Exhaust Nozzle, Fuel System), Technology, and Region - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The aircraft engine market size is projected to grow from USD 60.8 billion in 2021 to USD 92.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2021 to 2026. The market is driven by various factors, such as the rise in demand commercial aviation industry, growing demand for fuel-efficient aircraft engines and rising investment in the defense aviation sector. Increasing operation in the commercial aviation sector across various countries spread across different regions along with the rising demand for commercial aircraft will drive the demand for the aircraft engine market. Narrow-body aircraft is turning out to be an integral part of the commercial airline industry with countries such as the US, China, Israel, Turkey and others are investing heavily in operations related to the commercial aircraft industry. Whereas in the commercial aviation industry Boeing in its commercial outlook of 2020 reported that the demand for narrow-body aircraft is rising in the growing economic country such as India, China and others. Hence, the increasing operations in the commercial aircraft industry will drive the demand for the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. The aircraft engine market includes major players such as Safran SA (France), General Electric Company (US), Honeywell International Inc (US), Rolls Royce PLC (UK), and MTU Aero Engine (Germany). These players have spread their business across various countries includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. COVID-19 has impacted their businesses as well. Industry experts believe that COVID-19 has affected aircraft engines production and services globally in 2020. Turbofan aircraft engine type is projected to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period. Based on the type, the turbofan aircraft engines are projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. Turbofan engines are much more capable of flying at a higher altitude when compared to other engines, these engines also have less amount of noise as compared to others, they are the most suitable engine for long-range flights because of their lighter weight. The fixed-wing segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on the platform, the fixed-wing aircraft engines are projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. With the increasing demand for commercial aircraft across regions throughout the industry, the demand for aircraft engines is also increasing. A fixed-wing aircraft generates a forward thrust and is heavier than other aircraft that use wings to generate lift for flying. A fixed-wing aircraft uses forward airspeed to generate the lift. In a fixed-wing aircraft, the wings are not always static, and the pilot does not always have to fly the aircraft. The turbine is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on the component, the turbine is projected to grow at the highest CAGR for the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. A turbine is a rotary engine that Is used to extract energy from a flow of combustion gases. So, a turbine harnesses the kinetic energy of these gases and turns them into rotational motion. A turbine in an aircraft engine is composed of a series of blades and allows the flow of gases to enter the turbine which pushes the blade. This creates a rotational motion after which the gases are ejected which has lesser energy. Conventional aircraft engines are projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on technology, the conventional aircraft engine segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. A conventional aircraft is also referred to as an aero engine. It is the major power component for the propulsion system of the aircraft. The majority of the aircraft engines are either piston aircraft engines or gas turbine aircraft engines. Some of the major types of aircraft engines are turboprop aircraft engines, turbofan aircraft engines, turboshaft aircraft engines,s and piston aircraft engines. The North American market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026. North America is projected to be the largest regional share of the aircraft engine market during the forecast period. The key factor responsible for North America, leading the aircraft engine market owing to the rapid growth of the technologically advanced aircraft engine in the region. In North America, the rise in manufacturing industries and the growing aerospace and defense aviation industry is encouraging manufacturers of an aircraft engine to introduce technologically advanced and efficient products across various aircraft types. The increasing demand for aircraft engines and the presence of some of the leading players operating in the market, such as General Electric Company, Honeywell International Inc., Collins Aerospace, and Textron Inc. is expected to drive the aircraft engine market in North America. These players are focusing on R&D to increase their product lines and using technologically advanced systems, subsystems, and other components for manufacturing Aircraft engines. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Aircraft Engines Market 4.2 Aircraft Engines Market, by Component 4.3 Aircraft Engines Market, by Technology 4.4 Aircraft Engines Market, by Type 4.5 Aircraft Engines Market, by Platform 4.6 Aircraft Engines Market, by Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increasing Operations in Commercial Aircraft Industry 5.2.1.2 Rising Demand for Fuel-Efficient Aircraft Engines 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Cost of Aircraft Engines 5.2.2.2 Engine Component Manufacturing Challenges 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Rising Demand for Zero-Emission Aircraft 5.2.3.2 Growing Demand of UAVs for Commercial and Military Applications 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 COVID-19 Disrupting Operations of the Aircraft Engine Supply Chain 5.2.4.2 Stringent Regulatory Environment for Aircraft Engine Manufacturing and Mro 5.3 COVID-19 Impact on Aircraft Engines Market 5.4 Ranges and Scenarios 5.5 Technology Analysis 5.5.1 Full Authority Digital Engine Control (Fadec) 5.5.2 Predictive Maintenance 5.6 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customers' Business 5.6.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets for Aircraft Engines Market 5.7 Market Ecosystem 5.7.1 Prominent Companies 5.7.2 Private and Small Enterprises 5.7.3 End-users 5.8 Value Chain Analysis 5.9 Porter's Five Forces Model 5.10 Case Study Analysis 5.11 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 6 Industrial Trends 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Emerging Trends 6.2.1 Hybrid Engines 6.2.2 Ceramic Matrix Composite Technology 6.2.3 Predictive Maintenance 6.2.4 Technological Advancements and Continuous Improvement 6.3 Supply Chain Analysis 6.4 Impact of Megatrends 6.5 Innovations and Patent Registrations, 2012-2020 7 Aircraft Engines Market, by Type 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Turboprop 7.3 Turbofan 7.4 Turboshaft 7.5 Piston Engine 8 Aircraft Engines Market, by Platform 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Fixed Wing 8.2.1 Commercial Aviation 8.2.1.1 Narrow-Body Aircraft (Nba) 8.2.1.1.1 Rising Air Traffic Driving Growth 8.2.1.2 Wide-Body Aircraft (WBA) 8.2.1.2.1 Increasing International Passenger Air Travel 8.2.1.3 Regional Transport Aircraft (Rta) 8.2.1.3.1 Rising Demand for Regional Transport Aircraft in the Us and Asia-Pacific 8.2.2 Business and General Aviation 8.2.2.1 Business Jets 8.2.2.1.1 Increase in Corporate Activities Globally to Drive Demand 8.2.2.2 Light Aircraft 8.2.2.2.1 Advancements in Technology for General Aviation to Drive Demand 8.2.3 Military Aviation 8.2.3.1 Fighter Aircraft 8.2.3.1.1 Growing National Security to Drive the Market 8.2.3.2 Transport Aircraft 8.2.3.2.1 Increasing Use of Transport Aircraft in Military Operations to Drive Demand 8.2.3.3 Special Mission Aircraft 8.2.3.3.1 Growing Defense Spending and Territorial Disputes to Drive Demand 8.3 Rotary Wing 8.3.1 Commercial Helicopters 8.3.1.1 Expanding Applications of Commercial Helicopters 8.3.2 Military Helicopters 8.3.2.1 Advanced Military Helicopters Equipped with Next-Generation Sensors 8.4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 9 Aircraft Engines Market, by Component 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Turbine 9.3 Compressor 9.4 Gearbox 9.5 Exhaust System 9.6 Fuel System 9.7 Others 10 Aircraft Engines Market, by Technology 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Conventional 10.3 Hybrid 11 Regional Analysis 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Ranking of Leading Players, 2020 12.3 Market Share Analysis of Leading Players, 2021 12.4 Revenue Analysis of Top 5 Market Players, 2020 12.5 Competitive Overview 12.6 Company Product Footprint Analysis 12.7 Company Evaluation Quadrant 12.7.1 Star 12.7.2 Emerging Leader 12.7.3 Pervasive 12.7.4 Participant 12.8 Competitive Scenario 12.8.1 Deals 12.8.2 Product Launches 13 Company Profiles 13.1 Key Players 13.1.1 General Electric Company 13.1.2 Rolls-Royce plc. 13.1.3 Collins Aerospace 13.1.4 Safran Sa 13.1.5 Honeywell International, Inc. 13.1.6 Engine Alliance LLC 13.1.7 Textron Inc. 13.1.8 International Aero Engines 13.1.9 Mtu Aero Engines 13.1.10 Pratt and Whitney 13.1.11 Barnes Group Inc. 13.1.12 Williams International 13.1.13 Uec Aviadvigatel 13.1.14 Ihi Corporation 13.1.15 Lycoming Engines 14 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/f0ghnu TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World of Illumination, the producer of the world's largest drive-through animated light show, is moving into Tempe Diablo Stadium with a brand-new theme park already under constructionand it's slated to be bigger and better than ever. The Phoenix-based company, which has delighted visitors for the past four years with mesmerizing drive-through attractions, is set to unveil its most elaborate creation yet with increased interaction and larger-than-life displays. Located at 2200 West Alameda Drive, the new theme park will cover 1.1 million square feet of land and feature millions of colorful lights, fully synchronized to popular and beloved holiday music. In addition to seeing traditional characters like Santa, elves and reindeer, guests can expect to come face-to-face with soaring-high structures and an all-encompassing North Pole simulation complete with snow. "Phoenix is our home and we are working tirelessly to bring an awe-inspiring holiday spectacular to the Valley," said the Creative Team at World of Illumination. "This never-before-seen immersive experience is our grandest evolution yet, and we can't wait to share it with you." World of Illumination's all-new show at Tempe Diablo Stadium will be open nightly, including holidays, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM beginning November 17. To be the first to know details on the new theme park, including when tickets go on sale, visit www.worldofillumination.com. ### Media Contact: Stacey Kole Branded Pros stacey@brandedpros.com 480.221.5818 Related Images Image 1: World of Illumination World of Illumination's all-new theme park is under construction at Tempe Diablo Stadium. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Night of Guoyuan" Cultural Exchange Forum was held on September 17 at the Harvard University Club in New York, announced Jiangsu King's Luck Brewery Co., Ltd, a Chinese baijiu (liquor) company that hosted the forum. Nearly 100 people from the fields of business, culture, science and technology, diplomats from the United States, Russia, Japan, and South Korea to the United Nations, and overseas Chinese leaders attended the forum and the baijiu tasting reception. Baijiu culture forums like this are held every year in major cities outside China. They are one of the many efforts Chinese baijiu enterprises have made to expand global markets and continue what they achieved in the domestic markets. Making a legendary, world-class baijiu brand has become the new dream of Chinese baijiu enterprise leaders. Due to the vast differences in taste between Chinese baijiu and Western distilled spirits, Chinese baijiu exports have been stagnant for a long time. It is a huge contrast to the high reputation of Chinese cuisine in the world. Jiangsu King's Luck Brewery Co., Ltd. seemed to discover the silver lining. This brewery company from the hometown of Zhou Enlai, the founding premier of the People's Republic of China, launched the Chinese baijiu "Guoyuan". The brand, based on the idea of "Yuan" (bonds and connections of people) culture, has become a hit in the Chinese wedding banquet market and quickly joined the league of the country's top 10 baijiu brands. Jinshiyuan's high-end brand "Guoyuan" has been used for receptions hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Abigail Posner, the head of Strategic Planning at Google, told the forum that various opportunities and destinies connect the world, which echo the meaning of this baijiu brand. It may also serve as a key to Chinese baijiu's journey in the world. Abigail was amazed by the achievements of Chinese liquor enterprises in using high-tech innovations and green new technologies after she watched the photos of Jinshiyuan's intelligent brewing technology. Another participant, Charles Sullivan, and also a member of the Harvard University Club, firmly believes in the concept of "Yuan." Sullivan believes that "Yuan" is the chief spiritual force that determines whether people can get along with each other in a friendly way. Jinshiyuan Chairman Zhou Suming, once an English teacher, told the forum participants that Yuan culture strengthens family and social harmony as well as world peace. "By promoting the 'Yuan' culture, we encourage exchanges and mutual learning, and we believe it is essential for building our shared future together as humankind," said Zhou. Contact: Sasa Guan Email: tongguan@xinhuanetus.com Tel: 1-330-780-6068 Related Images Image 1 As the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, the "Night of Guoyuan" Cultural Exchange Forum was held on September 17 at the Harvard University Club in New York This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (Clear Blue) (TSXV: CBLU), the Smart Off-Grid Company, is pleased to announce that it has been featured on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail. Canadas Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Clear Blue Technologies earned its spot with a three-year growth of 75%. Our recognition by The Globe and Mail is a testament to the continued growth of our company, the strength of our team, and our dedication to sustainable and accessible smart off-grid power for all. We have a large global addressable market, an opportunity pipeline of $450 million, across the 37 countries where we currently operate, which is building, said Miriam Tuerk, CEO and co-Founder of Clear Blue. "As we indicated in our Q2 2021 MD&A, the global market for telecom tower power systems was US$4.47 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a 3.25% CAGR to US$5.25 billion in 2026, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence Market Research. With our current market share of under 1%, within this addressable market, we look forward to continued successes by our team. Clear Blue Technologies, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, off-grid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other critical systems. Recently, Clear Blue signed major partnerships with companies such as Parallel Wireless, NURAN and Facebook Research. About Canadas Top Growing Companies Launched in 2019, Canadas Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this years ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. As we look toward the future, Canadas Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges, said James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals. Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers. About Clear Blue Technologies Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 37 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. (TSXV: CBLU) (FRA: 0YA) (OTCQB: CBUTF) Legal Disclaimer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Investor Relations: Miriam Tuerk Co-Founder and CEO +1-416-433-3952 miriam@clearbluetechnologies.com http://www.clearbluetechnologies.com/en/investors Investor Relations: Nikhil Thadani Sophic Capital +1-437-836-9669 nik@sophiccapital.com About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canadas foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mails investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. Hong Kong, China, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Readen Holding Corp. (OTC Pink: RHCO), a Venture Capital Corporation, active in the Fintech, Online Payment and E-commerce industries, today announced that its wholly- owned subsidiaries, OkeApp and OkePay, have signed a Collaboration Agreement with Mezzofy, a leading Digital Coupon Platform in Asia. The strategic partnership would integrate existing Mezzofy merchants into OkeApp and OkePay instantly. Established in 2014 and headquartered in Hong Kong, Mezzofy ( www.mezzofy.com ) has led the transformation of the coupon industry over the last seven years. As a coupon solution provider for merchants, developers and marketers, Mezzofy has established a strong foothold in the Asian coupon market, and merchants are using Mezzofy app worldwide to issue coupons. The merchant base includes many well-known brands such as, MasterCard, Maxims Group, Starbucks, Giorgio Armani, GS1, NTT, Loreal, YSL and the list is growing every day. Mezzofy has handled an estimated 300 million coupons, which has a value of over 30 billion HK dollars, through over 10,000 outlets. The collaboration will allow OkeApp to have full access to Mezzofys merchant base, and Mezzofy will assist in the integration between OkeApp and the merchants. RHCO originally forecasted to sign between 8,000 and 10,000 new merchants on the OkeApp platform within the next twelve months in Hong Kong, which will eventually bring 4 million payment transactions per month. With this strategic partnership with Mezzofy, OkeApp will speed up the process of onboarding merchants. It will also further optimize the utilization of OkePay, a comprehensive back-end Payment Platform operated by RHCO, which accepts standard credit and debit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, UnionPay, along with Alipay, WeChat Pay and other mobile wallets and e-vouchers. Richard Klitsie, CEO of RHCO stated, Mezzofy is the most successful digital coupon platform globally, and we are excited to partner with Mezzofy. The collaboration not only brings OkeApp their existing merchants but will definitely realize OkeApp and Mezzofys potential to achieve an even higher level by joining forces. The newest version of OkeApp is available for download from Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Readen Holding Corp. is a publicly traded Venture Capital Corporation, with major holdings in the Fintech Industry and has been increasing its investment in E-commerce and E-payment sectors, such as: www.okepay.biz www.readies.biz www.oktoken.biz www.okepartners.com www.neckermanndirect.eu www.twopercent.hk www.fligrofood.com In addition, RHCO is a Hong Kong-based publicly traded investment company, with an operating history now spanning nearly 70 years. Its focus is to seek opportunities to acquire and grow businesses to generate sustainable cash flow and attractive returns over the long term, creating value for its shareholders. Readen Holding Corporation has subsidiaries and liaison offices in Europe and Asia. For further information, please contact RHCO at info@readenholdingcorp.com or +852 3950 5911 The RHCO corporate email address is info@readenholdingcorp.com The RHCO corporate website can be accessed at www.readenholdingcorp.com The RHCO Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/readenrhco This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Readen Holding Corp. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Readen Holding Corp. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Readen Holding Corp. or any other person. Contact Readen Holding Corp. info@readenholdingcorp.com +852 3950 5911 Attachments Houston, Texas, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Majic Wheels, Corp. (OTC Pink: MJWL) ("Majic" or the "Company"), a Delaware corporation, that is positioning itself as a player in the disruptive industries of fintech and software development by means of acquisitions, announces its subsidiary CGCX has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the PVBLIC Foundation, an innovative non-profit organization that mobilizes media, data, and technology for sustainable development and social impact around the world. Through this partnership, Majic Wheels Corp., and CGCX will contribute towards providing extensive support to a series of sustainable development and climate advocacy campaigns that will run through the rest of 2021. This partnership was specifically designed to showcase CGCXs global leadership and action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This partnership will include promotion of CGCXs thought leadership around blockchain technologies. Kicking off the series of campaigns, CGCX and Majic, will be joining the Together for the Planet'' event taking place on September 27, 2021 in Mexico City. This strategic event is set to unite public and private sector leaders in Mexico and the United States to lay the foundation for new partnerships that will prompt action in the run up to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, COP26, taking place in November. Together for the Planet event will be broadcasted on YouTube on September 30, 2021 at 3PM (EST). Registration is free at http://www.pvblic.org/togetherfortheplanet We are honored to be part of this initiative by the PVBLIC Foundation. We are very proud of the recognition we are receiving for our commitment toward sustainable development goals. I deeply believe that creating shareholder value can only be strengthened by our firm climate advocacy and sustainable development values. said David Chong, Chief Executive Officer of Majic Wheels, Corp. This latest development further increases the strength of the CGCX brand globally as an exchange and a thought leader on the impact of blockchain technologies on sustainable development initiatives. Our commitment to sustainable development is an important part of how we develop our products and services. Our Cryptocurrency mining operations which are set to begin in Q4 of this are a perfect example of this commitment. Our mining operations infrastructure was designed from the ground up to use efficient & renewable energy sources. Said Dr. Vin Menon co-founder of CGCX. Official partners include PVBLIC Foundation, the U.S. Department of States Office of Global Partnerships, and Industria Mexicana de Coca-Cola. The event convenes private sector, government, NGO, social entrepreneurship, youth, and innovation leaders and is the first in a series of engagements designed to organize new partners in Mexico and Latin America to advance climate action. This partnership will provide ample exposure to our company, leveraging our voice and support of high-level events and campaigns in partnership with the PVBLIC Foundation including the SDG Media Zone and the SDG Media Summit among other events. About Majic Wheels Corp. Majic Wheels Corp., a Delaware corporation, intends to position itself as a player in the disruptive industries of Fintech and software development by means of acquisitions and mergers. Majic Wheels Corp. is listed and traded on the Over-the-Counter Market under the trading symbol "MJWL". For more information about the Company visit: Our OTC Markets Profile: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/mjwl/overview Our website is: https://majiccorp.co/ Our Twitter account is: https://twitter.com/MajicCorp Our Discord: https://discord.gg/apolloassets About CGCX Ltd. Founded in 2018, Calfin Global Crypto Exchange CGCX set out to offer a highly sophisticated cryptocurrency exchange for a seamless & secure crypto trading experience. Unlike most exchanges that offer only cryptocurrency trading, CGCX caters to the larger blockchain community by providing four services under a single platform. CGCX Website: https://www.cgcx.io About PVBLIC Foundation Founded in 2012, PVBLIC Foundation is an innovative non-profit organization that mobilizes media, data, and technology for sustainable development and social impact around the world. PVBLIC connects public, private, and non-profit sectors, plugging innovations into social agendas and helping governments, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations amplify their impact through original programs, creative partnerships, and strategic donor funds. The foundation has managed programs and partnerships that have reached more than a billion people in 125 countries and inspired global action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PVBLIC Foundation: https://www.pvblic.org/togetherfortheplanet SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "believes," "expects," "potential," "plans," "suggests," "may," "should," "could," "intends," or similar expressions. Many forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue to enhance our products and systems to address industry changes, our ability to expand our customer base and retain existing customers, our ability to effectively compete in our market segment, the lack of public information on our company, our ability to raise sufficient capital to fund our business, operations, our ability to continue as a going concern, and a limited public market for our common stock, among other risks. Many factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond the company's control. Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made. SOURCE: Majic Wheels Corp. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: David Chong Email: info@majiccorp.co Attachment San Francisco, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the ever-growing interest in Mandarin language learning for both personal and professional reasons, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) San Francisco office announces a new opportunity for language instruction by Taiwanese teachers in the Bay Area. The first two such courses are located in the South Bay. Silicon Valley Chinese School takes place at Lynbrook High School in West San Jose for both in-person and virtual instruction (SiliconValleyMandarin.org). A second course for in-person instruction only is at the Growing Tree Learning Center in Saratoga (gtlc-chineselearning.com). While Mandarin teaching in the U.S. has a long history, its reach has mainly focused on the Taiwanese/Chinese community. Todays larger audience is mainstream, and the quality of this programs teachers and teaching methods are widely recognized for a practical approach. In Taiwan, Mandarin is the official language of its nearly 24 million citizens. More than 1.3 billion people are native speakers of Mandarin, and another 1.12 billion speak Mandarin as a second language. Americans may consider Taiwan as the most desirable place for international students that want to learn Mandarin Chinese. (Visit StudyInTaiwan.org.) Taiwan is the window to Asia for discovering beautiful places, meeting fascinating people, understanding the world in a whole new way. Via a fully immersive curriculum, American students can master conversation, while also learning to read and write traditional and simplified Chinese characters. Taiwan is an ideal place to learn Mandarin, said Director General Scott Lai of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco. Many people would like to learn Mandarin in a free and democratic nation. While access to language instruction in Taiwan has been paused by Covid, this local language instruction is an opportunity that provides a wonderful introduction. In the long run, we hope that more Americans will come to Taiwan to learn the language. About Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, San Francisco: TECO- San Francisco is one of 12 offices of Taiwan, ROC in the United States under the Washington D.C.-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Taiwan's de facto embassy. TECO-SF serves Northern California (above Visalia), Nevada and Utah. For information about Taiwan, visit: taiwanembassy.org About Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning: Launched in December 2020, the U.S. Taiwan Education Initiative provides a framework for increasing educational exchanges. Beginning in 2021, the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning is a new project under this initiative, with a plan for 15 language learning centers in the U.S. plus three in Europe in UK, Germany, and France. The San Francisco Bay Area has two Mandarin language centers, now expanding their reach beyond the Taiwanese/ Chinese community to the general public. Media Contact: Yuling Hung | yhung@mofa.gov.tw | Tel: 415-364-5607 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultra Resources Inc. (TSX-V: ULT) (Ultra Resources or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company is planning to start exploration work on its 100% owned Laguna Verde brine lithium project in Catamarca Province, Argentina. The Companys previous exploration work included systematic surface brine sampling, ground geophysical surveys and bench scale evaporation testwork. The planned work program will include drilling and carrying out pumping tests to determine aquifer capacity and yield based upon the targets identified through the geophysical surveys and brine sampling. The Company has obtained the drilling permit approved by the Catamarca Government and is communicating with the mining department regarding start date of work and other details. Ultra Resources will also communicate with the local communities at Antofalla and Antofagasta de La Sierra towns. These communities worked with the Company to complete the previous phases of exploration work. The Company is assessing qualified contractors and suppliers for drilling and pumping test work. Laguna Verde Brine Lithium Project Highlights Laguna Verde is a new brine lithium discovery where exploratory sampling conducted by Ultra Resources indicate lithium values in the range of 34.2 to 1,270 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm), magnesium values less than 1 to 7,920 ppm, potassium 804 to 15,800 ppm, and boron 65 to 2,190 ppm. The Laguna Verde area is marked by low magnesium to lithium ratios, in the range of zero to 10.2. In 2018, the Company also completed 39.2-line- kilometers of ground geophysical survey along eight exploration lines on the property, with azimuth of 137 degrees and 47 degrees from north. Total 312 Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) points and 430 gravity points were measured at a spacing of 100 metres. The survey results indicate high value brine lithium exploration targets in a salar core area of 3.4 square kilometers within a potential brine basin of 23 square kilometres and a thickness of 100 to 150 meters. Main points of the geophysical survey interpretation are provided below: The core area of 3.4 square kilometres (km 2 ) is with resistivity below 3 ohm and can be used for brine extraction on trial basis if feasible. The size of this core zone salar increases to 5.81 square kilometers at 125 m depth and to 9.44 square kilometres at 225 m depth below surface. A potential salar area of 23 km 2 is calculated based on the g-shaped area of gravity around the core zone. The surface of this salar area is covered by a high resistivity layer which is underlain by aeolian sediments and salt deposits. This interpretation will be confirmed by drilling and sampling. Gravity survey interpretation shows a major fault system exists to the east of the Laguna Verde Salar representing a 2.4-kilometer-thick Cenozoic basin, which requires further research. In 2018, a bench scale evaporation test of approximately 4,000 litres of brine sample from Laguna Verde was carried out in Ultra Argentina laboratories located in Salta. The density of the original brine sample was 1156 and its lithium concentration was 391 ppm. Two types of evaporation tests were conducted. The first test included evaporating 179 litres of brine sample in an external pool located outside to match natural evaporation conditions. The results indicate that in a period of five months, the brine volume was reduced from 16 cubic metres (m 3 ) to 3 m 3 and lithium concentration increased from 391 to 6,760 ppm. Major salts produced during this process were Halite, Felsobanyaite, Silvite, Lithium Sulfate and Potassium, Carnalite, Kainite and Gypsum. ) to 3 m and lithium concentration increased from 391 to 6,760 ppm. Major salts produced during this process were Halite, Felsobanyaite, Silvite, Lithium Sulfate and Potassium, Carnalite, Kainite and Gypsum. The second test was conducted inside in controlled conditions. The results indicated that the original brine volume of 2,326 m3 was reduced to 85.06 m3 and the lithium concentration went up from 391 to 7,370 ppm. Qualified Person The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., a qualified person, as defined by NI 43-101 who works as Vice President Exploration of the Company. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kiki Smith Kiki Smith, CFO About Ultra Resources Inc. Ultra Resources is an exploration and development company with a focus on the acquisition and development of lithium, gold, and copper assets. The Company holds a brine lithium property in Argentina, and hard rock spodumene type lithium properties at the Georgia Lake / Forgan Lake area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, and a brine lithium property in the Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, USA. The Company also holds other gold and base metals properties in Argentina. For further information, please contact the Company at: Attention: Kiki Smith Telephone: 778 968-1176 Email: kiki@ultraresourcesinc.com Website: www.ultraresourcesinc.com or view the Companys filings at www.SEDAR.com. ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Dynamics International (ADI), a global leader in industrial computing and connectivity, today announced the return of Dr. Selim Aissi as a Board of Directors Member. Dr. Aissi is a recognized technology and cybersecurity innovator and leader and received awards including the 2019 and 2021 CISO of the Year Award, Top 100 Global CISOs, and Most Influential CISOs. As an ADI Board Member, he will provide key insight and leadership to enable ADI to revolutionize Digital Engineering and Open Process Automation. "It's time to supercharge the board," said Scott James, ADI's President and CEO, "Since its release in 2018, the ADEPT industrial software platform has seen a succession of new program wins, innovation research breakthroughs, and adoptions for legacy platform modernization. Our scaling strategy is moving into its next phase, and we need a board of directors fit for purpose. Furthermore, we are taking an aggressive approach with cybersecurity. Dr. Aissi's contributions will be impactful across the organization. And we are thrilled that this expertise is returning to us in the form of a highly accomplished former ADI employee." Since his tenure as Section Head of Safety-Critical Embedded Software at ADI in the 1990s, Dr. Aissi has moved on to hold such distinguished roles as Chief Security Strategist & Architect at Intel and Vice President of Global Information Security at Visa. In his most recent role as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Ellie Mae, Dr. Aissi was instrumental in Ellie Mae's successful acquisition by Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) for $11 billion. Dr. Aissi earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. aerospace engineering degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Aissi has served as a Board of Directors Member and Board Advisor for several technology companies, venture capital firms, and security institutions, including TenEleven Ventures, Front Financial, MagicCube, FundingShield, Polly, Balbix, Dasera, State of California's Cybersecurity Task Force, the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC), UC Berkeley CISO Institute, and CISO Magazine. He co-authored the book Security for Mobile Networks and Platforms (Artech House). ADI Technology Growth Since its release in 2018, the ADEPT software platform has been delighting and empowering users of Digital Engineering and Open Process Automation (OPA) applications. Built on ADI's deep history with model-based systems engineering and open architecture real-time computing, ADEPT has quickly become a leading commercial real-time platform for rapid prototyping and all stages of test and evaluation to develop and test today's most complex, safety-critical, and/or mission-critical systems. About Applied Dynamics Applied Dynamics is a digital engineering and industrial digital transformation solutions company. We have been pushing the limits of simulation and real-time systems for over 60 years. To learn more about ADI and the ADEPT platform, visit www.adi.com or send an email to adinfo@adi.com. Contact: David Warner Applied Dynamics International 3800 Stone School Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA Email: press@adi.com Related Images Image 1: Dr. Selim Aissi ADI Welcomes Cybersecurity Innovator Dr. Selim Aissi as Board of Directors Member This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When it comes to running an eCommerce business, there are a variety of different factors to consider. An all-in-one eCommerce agency like 1Digital Agency is the perfect option for businesses that need a team on their side for everything from marketing to design. No matter what project a business is undertaking, having a professional eCommerce web design company available to make design improvements is an invaluable resource. One of the biggest issues that online stores have to contend with is bounce rates. Users will visit a website and then leave for a number of reasons without making a purchase. Sometimes a user might just not need the products or services that a business offers, but other times they will leave simply because they are not engaging with the site. Even businesses with the highest quality products in their field can suffer this problem if their website design is lacking. Adding creative design elements to a site is a great way to engage visitors and encourage them to continue to explore a site. Now, obviously, design improvements are not a cure-all for a high bounce rate, but they do have the added bonus of increasing engagement. The professional website designers at 1Digital excel at creating the kinds of designs that dramatically improve engagement times. The longer a user spends on a site, the more likely they are to convert. Even if they do not end up making a purchase, the longer a user spends on a website, the more likely they are to return and remember that business's brand. They say that word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising so making a site memorable is key for businesses who want to get people talking. In addition to being a top-rated eCommerce design company , the 1Digital team can accomplish pretty much any other task that an eCommerce business might need. Services include digital marketing campaigns, development services, eCommerce platform migrations, and versatile support packages. Most businesses that turn to 1Digital for design help will also work with their custom web development team to add new functionality to their sites. Their support packages are also a great way to make sure that any issues that arise down the road can be quickly addressed by a team that is already familiar with the site's architecture. For businesses that are serious about their website's performance, having a professionally designed site is a huge step in the right direction. The team at 1Digital Agency excels in producing the kinds of innovative designs that grab users' attention and keep them coming back. Businesses looking to improve the look and feel of their eCommerce website should call 888-982-8269 or send an email to info@1Digitalagency.com to speak to one of their eCommerce design experts. Related Images Image 1: eCommerce Design Company Online merchants searching for qualified eCommerce web design companies. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Tiverton, Ontario, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bruce Power has received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to take the next step forward for new isotope production becoming the first power reactor globally to commercially produce Lutetium-177, an innovative therapeutic isotope used in the treatment of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. This Project is an innovative partnership between Bruce Power, IsoGen, Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) and ITM and is a game changer for the supply of medical isotopes and the global medical community in the fight against cancer, said James Scongack, Bruce Power Chief Development Officer and EVP Operational Services. This is another important step forward to utilize our CANDU reactors to provide a new large-scale capacity for production in the medical isotope supply chain, cementing Canadas place as a global isotope superpower. Isogen is a joint venture between Framatome and Kinectrics to enable the use of CANDU reactors to produce medical isotopes needed to treat and diagnose patients with serious diseases world-wide. The Framatome team conducted extensive research and development in Canada and modified German technology for use in a CANDU reactor, which resulted in the first Isotope Production System in a power reactor for commercial production of therapeutic medical isotopes, said Curtis Van Cleve, President and CEO of Framatome Canada Ltd. We applaud our partners at Bruce Power for their commitment to innovation that supports the continuous production of both electricity and medical isotopes, and to harnessing the therapeutic power of nuclear energy. The Isotope Production System (IPS), designed and manufactured by Isogen, will be used to produce Lutetium-177, an isotope used in nuclear medicines that allows for targeted and precise treatments, destroying cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs. The irradiated Ytterbium targets obtained from the IPS will be processed at ITM premises, where the highly pure no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) Lutetium-177 will be produced in pharmaceutical quality. N.c.a. Lutetium-177 will be marketed globally by ITM under the brand name EndolucinBeta as well as leveraged for clinical supply to advance the companys own pipeline. ITM is a German based leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company focused on the development, production and global supply of medical radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. The license granted by CNSC today marks a critical milestone for Isogen on our mission to provide lifesaving medical isotopes to the world, said David Harris, CEO of Kinectrics. This approval showcases the advantages of bringing together the significant investments and capabilities of the partners to advance the technology, and develop the safety, engineering and licensing packages necessary to introduce such a cutting-edge technology in a safe and reliable manner without impact to normal reactor operation. It is great to see the progression in the installation of the Isotope Production System, which provides us with an additional reliable source to increase the scalability of our n.c.a. Lutetium-177 production for global supply as well as the further clinical development of our broad pipeline, commented Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM. We look forward to leveraging our long-term partnership with Bruce Power to deliver Targeted Radionuclide Therapy to cancer patients worldwide. Bruce Powers collaboration with Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) will see the partners jointly marketing new isotopes in support of the global fight against cancer while also working together in creating new economic opportunities within the SON territory by establishing new isotope infrastructure. Its very exciting times for SON as we move forward to the next phase of the Isotope project with Bruce Power, said Chief Lester Anoquot, Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation. Many members of our community have been impacted by cancer in some way. We are proud to play a leadership role in the global fight against cancer, while building economic opportunities in our community. The partnership, which includes an equity stake and revenue-sharing model for SON, is named Gamzookaamin aakoziwin, which means We are Teaming up on the Sickness in the traditional Anishinaabe language. The Gamzookaamin aakoziwin project will positively impact people worldwide, well beyond the borders of our community, said Chief Victoria Smith, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. This project is a groundbreaking development in the fight against cancer, and represents a positive step forward for the global medical community. For more information on Gamzookaamin aakoziwin visit www.fightingcancertogether.ca. The approved project will expand Bruce Powers established isotope production, and will solidify the company as an integral producer of critical medical isotopes increasingly being used in innovative nuclear medicine applications. Ontario continues to position itself as a world leader in the production of life-saving medical isotopes, said Energy Minister Todd Smith. The innovation of companies like Bruce Power and its partners is critical to ensuring increased capacity of isotope production to improve global access to these essential tools in the fight against cancer. Todays announcement is a big step forward in furthering the goal of long-term, sustainable, and flexible production of medical isotopes at the Bruce Power site. Bruce Power is one of the worlds largest producers of Cobalt-60 through its partnership with Nordion, used in the sterilization of single use medical equipment and in transformative cancer treatments like the Gamma Knife. Thanks to the investments being made into the Bruce Power site today we can look to the future and realize a vital role in providing life-saving medical isotopes to the world, while also supplying clean, reliable and low-cost electricity to Ontario, growing the economy and fostering innovation for decades to come, said Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce. Bill Walker, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, also offered his support and congratulations. The potential for growth in the isotope space provides an invaluable opportunity to leverage Ontarios established nuclear supply chain that has developed over the past several years and is recognized as a leader around the world in isotope innovation, development and production, said Walker. Most importantly isotopes are making a positive difference in peoples lives every day and I am proud to be a champion of the nuclear industry. The work to install the Isotope Production System is a part of the ongoing Life-Extension Program at the Bruce Power site, which began in 2016 and remains on track. As the commissioning process continues there will be additional regulatory hold points to allow CNSC staff to confirm operational readiness of the Isotope Production System (IPS) prior to the start of Lu-177 production. Bruce Power will finalize documentation and CNSC staff will review commissioning test results to verify the IPS meets its design and safety analyses requirements. LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that its nicotine-free and tobacco-free flagship product TAAT is now carried in more than 1,000 retail points of sale across the United States (to include Puerto Rico) approximately ten months after TAAT first launched in the United States in December 2020 in Ohio. Additionally, cumulative sales of TAAT in the United States now exceed 600,000 packs, amounting to a total of more than twelve million sticks each representing a better choice for smokers of legal age. In its August 17, 2021 press release, the Company announced that it had added distribution for TAAT in seven new U.S. states in just two months, shortly after announcing in an August 6, 2021 press release that its store count nationwide had reached approximately 500 points of sale. Less than two months later, this figure has approximately doubled with a confirmed total of more than 1,000 TAAT retailers following the addition of an entire 147-store chain in Michigan (announced in the Companys August 25, 2021 press release) as well as several retailers in the southern and western regions of the United States as shown in the map below. The interactive store locator map can be accessed on TryTAAT at the following link (must be 21+ to access): https://trytaat.com/pages/sca-store-locator In addition to the continued expansion of the market presence of TAAT in the United States, the Company has been planning launch initiatives in multiple overseas markets to include the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. This week, the first TAAT shipment to fulfill purchase orders from the Companys exclusive distributor for the U.K. and Ireland was dispatched from the TAAT contract manufacturers facility and is expected to arrive by the end of the month. Furthermore, the launch of TAAT in Puerto Rico could prove advantageous based on its excise tax being the highest in the United States at USD $5.10 per pack1, which can make TAAT an attractively priced alternative for smokers aged 21+ as a non-tobacco product. By comparison, the highest tobacco excise tax rate in the mainland U.S. is the District of Columbia at USD $4.50 per pack, with the lowest rate being in Missouri at USD $0.17 per pack, and an overall average of USD $1.91 per pack1. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/79f66c2e-372e-49ca-b7d0-7d9342849908 Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media. TAAT Chief Executive Officer Setti Coscarella commented, Our trade show exhibits have been a major catalyst for growth in the United States, as retail chain buyers and wholesalers who deal with tobacco products intuitively pick up on the value proposition of TAAT for smokers aged 21+ the second they step into our booth. We have had incredible velocity over the past couple of months in terms of gaining new U.S. store placements, and we could not be more excited for TAAT to begin hitting store shelves in the United Kingdom and Ireland as early as within the next couple of weeks with our first shipment to London currently en route. Sources 1 - https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0097.pdf On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. Setti Coscarella Setti Coscarella, CEO and Director For further information, please contact: TAAT Investor Relations 1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872) investor@taatglobal.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER. About TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. The Company has developed TAAT, which is a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to traditional cigarettes offered in "Original", "Smooth", and "Menthol" varieties. TAAT's base material is Beyond Tobacco, a proprietary blend which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique causing its scent and taste to resemble tobacco. Under executive leadership with "Big Tobacco" pedigree, TAAT was launched first in the United States in Q4 2020 as the Company seeks to position itself in the $814 billion1 global tobacco industry. For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com . References 1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes from new store placements of TAAT in the United States, arrival of the first shipment of TAAT to the Companys exclusive distributor for the United Kingdom and Ireland in September 2021. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees. Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms Fort Worth, TX, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just off of speaking to the the purveyors of human resource policy of major corporations at the national convention of SHRM in Las Vegas, social impact leader and Grandmother of Juneteenth, Ms. Opal Lee will continue her message of freedom in Jacksonville, Florida with several appearances and a book signing of her childrens book Juneteenth: A Childrens Story. This past June, President Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, with Lee, 94, beside him. She made national headlines with her walking campaign, gained more than 1.6 million signatures on a petition to mark the holiday and earned a credit in the film "Miss Juneteenth". Teaming up with Dr. Belay Reddick on his Change is Possible Tour, Ms. Lee will address several audiences while in Jacksonville as well as promote her book at One Bridge Connect on Sunday, September 25 at 3:00 PM. "It is an honor to have the presence of Opal Lee before young black entrepreneurs and the Jacksonville community. Her story will not only motivate but educate the importance of unity and collaboration," said businessowner Autumn Redding. "Her presence solidifies the mark we have made in the city where we can continue the celebration of freedom that she fought so hard to be nationally acknowledged," Redding said. On Monday, September 26 at 1:00 PM on the campus of Florida State College at Jacksonville, Ms. Lee and Dr. Reddick, a Jacksonville native who spent 16 years in a federal prison and worked his way to becoming a reentry expert which led to him being hired by FedEx Express, will share their life experiences of the fight for freedom and change with the students. Dr. Reddick has a passion and drive to serve others that is contagious. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him to continue building upon our success as it relates to reentry programs and Diversity Equity & Inclusion initiatives," said Brandon Tolbert, Vice President at FedEx Express. When you look in the dictionary, the word perseverance is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Opal Lee is the personification of perseverance, said Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Lisa Moore. "She never wavered in her drive and belief that Juneteenth should be recognized as a holiday for its importance and place in history, and we are appreciative of her willingness to share her story with the students, faculty and staff of FSCJ. Jacksonville is the second stop on the tour with the first in Memphis, TN in August. As a former elementary school teacher and school counselor, Ms. Opal advocates for the power of education in changing the world, and encourages parents and teachers to utilize Juneteenth: A Childrens Story to facilitate conversation and deeper learning about this important part of United States history. Copies of her book are available on all good online retailers and via Ms. Opals website www.opalswalk2dc.com. ### About Ms. Opal Lee Ms. Opal is the oldest living board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) that was founded and led by the late Dr. Ronald Myers, Sr., whose initiative is for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. To bring awareness to the cause, she started her Opals Walk 2 DC campaign in 2016, where she walked 2.5 miles to symbolize the 2.5 years that it took for slaves in Texas to know that they were free. Ms. Opal launched a petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday on Change.org, and in September 2020 delivered the 1.5 million signatures it had received to Congress. Ms. Opal believes that freedom should be celebrated from the 19th of June to the 4th of July. Head to https://adobe.ly/3hs3jg0 for more. About Unity Unlimited, Inc. Unity Unlimited, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose main mission is providing educational activities and resources to people, young and old, to foster unity and harmony within the community, the city, the state, the nation and the world regardless of race, culture or denomination. For more information visit: www.unityunlimited.org/ Attachment Denver, Colorado, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YES Communities announced a contest that will donate fifty $100 Staples gift cards to YES residents children to help cover the cost of school supplies for the year. The contest was developed to ensure that our residents children will have the basic resources to have a successful school year. This contest comes in response to the financial strain that the coronavirus might have caused families in our communities over the past year. This donation is supplied by the YES Communities charitable program, YES We Care. The children in our communities are our next generation, and we want to help them have a successful year of learning by providing funds for vital supplies they may need. Many of our communities provide tutoring centers and programs, such as The Path Project, that offer additional resources to support our kids and adults in the community, said Karen Hamilton, COO of YES Communities. In addition, we sponsor our annual Building Futures Scholarship Program that awards residents with continued education funds. The Back to School contest is open to YES Communities residents children. For more information and to apply, visit www.yescommunities.com Tune into the most recent episode of the YES Communities What Living Means podcast to learn strategies for both parents and children to find success in the new school year. Episode features a guest appearance from Ann Dolin, Founder of Educational Connections Tutoring. To listen, visit www.yescommunities.com/Podcast. About YES Communities YES Communities is a premier operator of manufactured housing communities and based in Denver, Colorado. YES has been recognized as the Manufactured Housing Institute's "Community Operator of the Year" from 2009 to 2019. For more information about Education Connections Tutoring, visit www.ectutoring.com. Attachment San Diego, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulse Electronics, a global leader in Ethernet Magnetics for LAN interface, has released their PulseChipTM 1Gigabit, 2.5Gigabit, 5Gigabit, and 10Gigabit single transformers to support standard and Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications for the commercial and industrial temperature rated environments. These new PulseChipTM transformers TC1000, TC1000P, TC2500, TC2500P, TC5000, TC5000P, TC10000, and TC10000P are being produced with fully automated winding, assembly, testing and packaging to ensure consistent performance, enhanced product quality and reliability while ensuring cost competitiveness. PulseChipTM transformers share the same small form factor package and footprint. This series is fully compliant with the REACH and RoHS directive. Also, they are compatible with all major PHY vendors. This series is suitable for a wide variety of applications, such as Networking and interconnect Devices, Servers, Switches, Router, Communication systems and any Digital Consumer electronics. Pulse is excited to introduce this new line of magnetics for LAN interface and Ethernet application next to providing robust performance with the small footprint and lower mass, which helps to reduce system size and weight. Habib Rashidi, Product Marketing Manager, Pulse Electronics For more in-depth information regarding the PulseChipTM construction, performance improvements and comparison with traditional solutions please see our white paper Automated Ethernet Transformers, PulseChipTM. The datasheet for PulseChipTM transformers provides all relevant parameters such as Inductance, Insertion Loss, Return Loss, DC Resistance, and input-output isolation, and tape and reel packaging. For more information on Pulses Ethernet products use our product finder to search our Signal Transformer/Ethernet Magnetics. Attachment PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gatik today announced a new investment of $85 million in Series B funding to significantly expand North Americas first autonomous Middle Mile logistics network. The round was heavily oversubscribed and brings the total amount raised by Gatik to $114.5 million. The round is led by new investor Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), renowned for supporting high-growth companies that disrupt current market alternatives with demonstrated technology. Existing investors Innovation Endeavours, Wittington Ventures, FM Capital, AngelPad, Dynamo Ventures, Trucks VC, Intact Ventures and others also participated. Several strategic investors were added, all of whom will contribute their unique experience and expertise to advance Gatiks mission. The logistics industry is experiencing unprecedented disruption driven by the explosive growth of ecommerce, and demand for more efficient goods movement, said Chase Koch, President of Koch Disruptive Technologies. Nowhere is this more pronounced than on the Middle Mile. Gatiks transformational autonomous technology and world-class team are defining the standard in B2B short-haul logistics by addressing the most prominent issues facing todays supply chain. We believe Gatik will be the first to commercialize autonomous technology at scale for the North American medium-duty trucking market. Gatik will use the funding to advance its commercial-grade autonomous technology, scale its fleet of Class 3-6 multi-temperature Autonomous Box Trucks across new markets in North America, grow with existing and new customers, and substantially increase its team size. With our exclusive focus on structured autonomy, we have unlocked lower costs, shorter delivery times, and sustainable, reliable capacity for our customers today, said Gautam Narang, CEO and Co-Founder, Gatik. Our long-term partnerships with the worlds largest retailers, strategic relationships with OEMs and fleet servicing & maintenance partners have allowed us to address critical supply chain challenges and build an industry-defining business. With this financing, we are ideally positioned to commercialize our solution at scale. Todays funding announcement coincides with Gatik making public its operations in Texas with multiple new customers. Since announcing its Series A financing in November 2020, Gatik has achieved a significant number of milestones including the launch of its new electric Autonomous Box Trucks with Walmart in Louisiana, and an industry-first partnership with Isuzu to implement OEM-grade redundancies for medium duty trucks critical for fully autonomous operations. Gatik is the only company in North America offering Class 3-6 Autonomous Box Trucks, deployed for Fortune 500 customers, generating revenue with every order. About Gatik Gatik , the leader in autonomous Middle Mile logistics, delivers goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of light and medium duty trucks. The company focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 retailers such as Walmart and Loblaw. Gatiks fleet of Class 3-6 Autonomous Box Trucks are live for customers in multiple markets including Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Ontario. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous technology industry, the company has offices in Palo Alto and Toronto. Gatik was recognized on the 2021 Forbes AI 50 list and as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. Media Contacts Richard Steiner, Gatik richard@gatik.ai 416-836-9185 Susan Donahue, Skyya PR susan.donahue@skyya.com 646-454-9378 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cab43068-fd3a-4520-b4db-69a6825a51a8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70ec2b7f-6dec-46ff-bfa8-c0d3869648c9 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/100f7328-7b85-4725-a5c7-d01cdffc85be https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/50d56a3b-4f5a-4d36-bc28-37df4ce7a712 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/627d077b-9bd4-45f9-bfcc-52013aa86383 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/79a02f48-a89f-47d0-ab4a-c9f3c7e19a71 Mercedes-Benz is taking an equity stake in European battery cell manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC) to scale up development and production of next-generation high-performance battery cells and modules. Mercedes-Benz announced in July that it will be ready to go fully electric by the end of the decade wherever market conditions allow. To reach that target, the company needs a total battery production capacity of more than 200 GWh by the end of the decade and therefore plans to build eight cell factories worldwide together with partners, four of them in Europe. Joining ACC is the next step on the luxury car makers strategic course from Electric first to Electric only. Together with ACC, we will develop and efficiently produce battery cells and modules in Europe tailor-made to the specific Mercedes-Benz requirements. This new partnership allows us to secure supply, to take advantage of economies of scale, and to provide our customers with superior battery technology. On top of that we can help to ensure that Europe remains at the heart of the auto industry even in an electric era. With Mercedes-Benz as a new partner, ACC aims to more than double capacity at its European sites to support Europes industrial competitiveness in the design and manufacturing of battery cells.Ola Kallenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG The entire ACC project will require an investment volume of more than 7 billion (US$8.2 billion) in a combination of equity, debt and subsidies to reach a capacity of at least 120 Gigawatt hours in Europe by the end of the decade. Mercedes-Benz will invest a mid-three-digit-million euros amount next year. In total, the investments are expected to remain below one billion Euros. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including agreement on definitive documentation and regulatory approvals. Mercedes-Benz will take a strategic 33 percent equity stake in ACC. Following the investment, we will hold two out of six seats on ACCs Supervisory Board alongside TotalEnergies and Stellantis as equal shareholders. Our goal is to continue to integrate the most advanced and sustainable battery cells in our EQ models. Therefore, we will provide our technological and production know-how to ACC. Mercedes-Benz will further complement high end cell development with its newly planned pilot plant Drive Systems Campus in Stuttgart from 2023 onwards. Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO ACC will supply Mercedes-Benz with high-performance battery technologies from its production locations from the middle of the decade. The battery cell manufacturer is examining the expansion of its production network to include further locations in Europe. Mercedes-Benz is pursuing widespread research and development activities in the field of battery technology. The company will contribute this expertise and support the expansion of ACCs production network based on the brands benchmark quality standards. With Saft, an affiliate of TotalEnergies, Mercedes-Benz has a partner with over 100 years of experience in the field of long-life batteries and battery systems for applications critical to safety, back-up power and electric and hybrid drives. Stellantis brings industrialization expertise to the joint venture through its brand diversity, size and global footprint. Together with its partners, Mercedes-Benz customers can benefit from the joint ventures unique combination of technological know-how, production experience and scale. With the investment, Mercedes-Benz is driving forward the industrialization of advanced and sustainable cell technologies in Europe. Mercedes-Benz is expanding its established partner portfolio in order to safeguard the degree of localization in the procurement of battery cells and modules as a key technology for the age of electric mobility. Mercedes-Benz relies on a modular, highly standardized battery kit that allows the integration of battery cells and modules from different development partners through uniformly designed components and interfaces. The aim of the partnership is the joint development of cells and battery modules that meet the high energy density, charging power and performance requirements of Mercedes-Benz. The joint expertise of the partners in cell technology and cell production means that distinctive variations in the modular system can be optimally realized with respect to cell chemistry and cell height. The partners are also exploring further leaps in battery technology, for example with regard to high silicon anode and solid-state batteries. With Ambition 2039, Mercedes-Benz is pursuing the goal of CO 2 neutrality along the entire value chain. The CO 2 -neutral production of battery cells is an important component, and a specific requirement for all partners. ACC will therefore primarily use electricity from renewable energies for the production of high-performance battery technologies. Other important sustainability aspects are the responsible sourcing of raw materials and the intelligent use of resources. For the battery cells, only battery raw materials which were extracted from certified mines will be used. In addition, the partners are reducing critical materials with the use of new technologies. For a closed raw material cycle, ACC battery cells will be more than 95% recyclable. The battery cell manufacturer is an important partner for the European Union to implement the sustainability requirements for a green battery in Europe as part of the Green Deal. ACC was founded in 2020 with the goal of becoming the European market leader for car battery cells and modules. The R&D center in Bordeaux (France) is operational and the pilot site in Nersac (France) will start production at the end of this year. GREENWICH The Board of Selectmen has unanimously approved giving the title of municipal agent for elderly persons to the person already doing the job Lori Contadino. The position as an advocate for local seniors was decided Thursday morning. Contadino is the towns director of the Commission on Aging and is very familiar with senior needs in town. She pretty much does all the duties here already, Steven Katz, the commissions chair, told the selectmen. We spoke with Commissioner of Human Services Demetria Nelson and she agreed Lori would be best suited for this role. The appointment took mere minutes and was made without debate and is for four years. Thanks for stepping up, Lori, First Selectman Fred Camillo said. The position of municipal agent for elderly persons is a state-mandated position and has been vacant for several years since the retirement of George OLoughlin. Contadino said she hoped assuming the title would be a chance to reach out to more people in need of help. In my opinion, this is bringing a higher recognition of the role that I already perform for the town in terms of being an advocate for older adults, providing information on resources and assistance with navigation of some of the complex systems that are out there for people applying with benefits, Contadino told Greenwich Time on Thursday after the selectmens vote. Im happy to be appointed into this role. It really is a role that Im currently performing without the designation until now, she said, adding she would be working closely with town government communicating any needs or problems with older adults so we can collectively try and improve services. Contadino said part of the advocacy position includes outreach and education: If theres someone in town who doesnt know about the Commission on Aging or doesnt know there is someone they can discuss issues of concern with, then this is a good way to get that word out there, Contadino said. Seniors who want to get in touch with her office can do so by calling 203-862-6710. The position has been part of state statute for nearly 50 years. Katz said the state was amending the regulations as of Oct. 1 to expand the roles of senior centers in Connecticut. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Catholic bishops in Canada apologized Friday unequivocally to Indigenous peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools, just as Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their Native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are said to have died. The images men on horseback with long reins, corralling Haitian asylum seekers trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico provoked an outcry. But to many Haitians and Black Americans, they're merely confirmation of a deeply held belief: U.S. immigration policies, they say, are and have long been anti-Black. The Border Patrol's treatment of Haitian migrants, they say, is just the latest in a long history of discriminatory U.S. policies and of indignities faced by Black people, sparking new anger among Haitian Americans, Black immigrant advocates and civil rights leaders. They point to immigration data that indicate Haitians and other Black migrants routinely face structural barriers to legally entering or living in the U.S. and often endure disproportionate contact with the American criminal legal system that can jeopardize their residency or hasten their deportation. Haitians, in particular, are granted asylum at the lowest rate of any nationality with consistently high numbers of asylum seekers, according to an analysis of data by The Associated Press. Black immigrants live at the intersection of race and immigration and, for too long, have fallen through the cracks of red tape and legal loopholes, said Yoliswa Cele, director of narrative and media at the UndocuBlack Network, a national advocacy organization for currently and formerly undocumented Black people. Now through the videos capturing the abuses on Haitians at the border, the world has now seen for itself that all migrants seeking a better tomorrow arent treated equal when skin color is involved. Between 2018 and 2021, only 4.62% of Haitian asylum seekers were granted asylum by the U.S. the lowest rate among 84 groups for whom data is available. Asylum seekers from the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, have a similarly low rate of 5.11%. By comparison, four of the five top U.S. asylum applicants are from Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. Their acceptance rates range from 6.21% to 14.12%. Nicole Phillips, legal director for the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said racism has long driven the American governments treatment of Haitian immigrants. Phillips, whose organization is on the ground helping Haitians in Texas, says this dates back to the early 1800s, when Haitian slaves revolted and gained independence from France, and has continued through decades of U.S. intervention and occupation in the small island nation. She said the U.S., threatened by the possibility of its own slaves revolting, both assisted the French and didnt recognize Haitian independence for nearly six decades. The U.S. also loaned money to Haiti so that it could, in essence, buy its independence, collecting interest payments while plunging the country into poverty for decades. This mentality and stigma against Haitians stems all the way back to that period, Phillips said. The U.S. violently occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934 and backed former Haiti dictator Francois Duvalier, whose oppressive regime resulted in 30,000 deaths and drove thousands to flee. While the U.S. long treated Cubans with compassion largely because of opposition to the Communist regime the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton took a hard line on Haitians. And the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for several nationalities, including Haitians and Central Americans. Over and over, the U.S. has passed immigration legislation that excluded Black immigrants and Haitians, and promoted policies that unfairly jeopardized their legal status in the country, advocates said. When they manage to enter the U.S., Black immigrants say they contend with systemic racism in the American criminal legal system and brutality of U.S. policing that has been endemic for people from across the African diaspora. The Black Alliance for Just Immigration, a national racial justice and immigrant rights group, largely defines Black immigrants as people from nations in Africa and the Caribbean. By that definition, AP's analysis of 2019 Department of Homeland Security data found 66% of Black immigrants deported from the U.S were removed based on criminal grounds, as opposed to 43% of all immigrants. Nana Gyamfi, BAJI's executive director, said crimes of moral turpitude, including petty theft or turnstile jumping, have been used as partial justification for denying Black immigrants legal status. We have people getting deported because of train fare, she said. Leaders within the Movement for Black Lives, a national coalition of Black-led racial justice and civil rights organizations, have pointed to the treatment of Haitians at the border as justification for their broader demands for defunding law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Last year, following the police killing of George Floyd, the coalition proposed sweeping federal legislation known as the BREATHE Act, which includes calls to end immigration detention, stop deportations due to contact with the criminal legal system, and ensure due process within the immigration court system. A lot of times in the immigration debate, Black people are erased and Black immigrants are erased from the conversation, said Amara Enyia, a policy researcher for the Movement for Black Lives. Ahead of a Thursday tour of the migrant encampment in Texas, civil rights leaders called for an investigation into the treatment of Black migrants at the border and for an immediate end to the deportation of Black asylum seekers. The camp is a catastrophic and human disgrace, the Rev. Al Sharpton said after an hourlong tour with several Black American leaders in Del Rio. We will keep coming back, as long as is necessary. At the border and in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where hundreds had already been sent on flights from the U.S., Haitians said there was no doubt that race played a major part in their mistreatment. They are grabbing people, they bother us, especially Haitians because they identify us by skin, said Jean Claudio Charles who, with his wife and year-old son, had been staying in an encampment on the Mexico side near Texas out of fear of arrest and deportation to Haiti. Claude Magnolie, a Haitian citizen removed from the U.S. this week, said he didnt see Border Patrol agents treating migrants of other nationalities the way he and others were treated: This is discrimination, that is how I call it, they are treating us very badly." And in Miami, immigrant rights advocate Francesca Menes couldnt believe her eyes as she watched images of the asylum seekers being corralled by men on horseback. My family is under that bridge, Menes said, referring to a cousin, his wife and their newborn who recently met up in a small border town in Texas. It took Menes cousin two months to make the trek from Chile, where he had been living with his brothers for three years to escape Haitis political tumult, violence and devastation. It made me sick, Menes said. This didnt happen with unaccompanied minors. You didnt see people riding on horseback, basically herding people like they were cattle, like they were animals. Menes outrage has only grown, as have her fears for her family. When she overheard her mother on the phone with family members this week, Menes said she wanted nothing more than to tell them to return to Chile. Weve actually tried to discourage our families, she said. People are looking for a better life. And we try to kind of ground our families: Do you know what it means to be Black in America? ____ AP staffers Maria Verza in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, Pierre Luxama in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed. Lo reported from Chicago. Morrison reported from New York City. Galvan reported from Phoenix. Morrison and Galvan are members of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow Galvan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/astridgalvan. Follow Morrison on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Seth Blumsack, Penn State (THE CONVERSATION) A busy 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing. The years 18th named storm, Sam, has become a hurricane. Meanwhile, some residents in the parts of Louisiana hit hardest by Hurricane Ida in late August are still waiting for their power to be restored. And thousands of Texas residents endured multi-day outages after Hurricane Nicholas in mid-September. Americans are becoming painfully aware that U.S. energy grids are vulnerable to extreme weather events. Hurricanes in the east, wildfires in the west, ice storms, floods and even landslides can trigger widespread power shortages. And climate change is likely making many of these extreme events more frequent, more severe or both. As a long-time researcher of the electric utility industry, Ive noticed that the U.S. tends to treat extended power cuts from natural disasters as an unfortunate fact of life. Even in states like Pennsylvania, where I live, that arent typically in the path of major tropical storms, a surprising amount of energy infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to extreme weather. But in my view, major energy disruptions are not inevitable consequences beyond our control. Rather, the rising number of large weather-related blackouts in recent years shows that utilities, regulators and government agencies arent planning for these events in the right way. Whats needed is an understanding that extreme weather events are fundamentally different from other kinds of power blackouts, and that resilience is not just about the grid itself, but also the people that it serves. How power companies plan for disasters In most areas of the U.S., power grids tend not to fail unless they are pushed really hard. Utilities have built a tremendous amount of redundancy into energy delivery systems extra generating capacity and transmission lines that can get electricity to customers if part of the system fails. Thats the right approach if major threats are things like equipment overloads on very hot days, or random equipment failures that could cascade into much bigger problems. Utilities and regulators have planned grid design around these kinds of failures for decades. And for the most part, this approach has worked well. Truly severe power outages from causes other than extreme weather dont happen very often in the U.S. The last really big one, on Aug. 14-15, 2003, affected some 50 million people across the U.S. Northeast and Midwest and southern Canada. Redundancy is a good strategy for keeping the grid stable following an unexpected malfunction of one or two pieces of equipment. It also allows utilities to do more of what they are good at building, maintaining and operating power grid infrastructure. But in the face of extreme weather events, the system needs a different kind of redundancy. Building more equipment in vulnerable places wont keep the lights on if the entire area is hit by a disruptive event all at once. In Louisiana, Hurricane Ida was so fierce that it took down multiple power transmission lines that feed electricity into New Orleans and surrounding parishes. Some of this damaged infrastructure had been upgraded or put in place following previous severe storms. Rethinking resilience planning Planning properly for resilience to extreme weather events requires doing some things differently. First, it means realizing that a lot of equipment in the same place will be affected all at once. One reason that Ida led to such large blackouts in New Orleans was that some older transmission lines going into the city hadnt been upgraded to withstand more severe weather, even though they ran beside new equipment. Second, the goal should be to get people the services that they need, not necessarily to keep the grid up and running, which is very costly and just wont be possible in all circumstances. This means thinking about solutions outside of the traditional utility business model for example, deploying lifeline systems such as solar panels, batteries or generators. This isnt how utilities traditionally do business, but it will tide people over while power companies make large-scale grid repairs after storms. Third, its time to acknowledge that the risks of extreme events are increasing faster than many utilities have been adapting their plans. For example, Pacific Gas and Electric in California has only recently incorporated wildfire risk into its transmission planning, and now is more seriously considering burying power lines. Entergy, which serves much of the area hit hardest by Ida, has upgraded its transmission design standards so that newer lines can withstand higher winds. This is a useful step, but it did not prevent catastrophic power outages during a period of dangerously hot weather. Utilities and regulators still assume that the scale and likelihood of many weather-related risks has not changed in the past several decades. As climate change accelerates, utilities and regulators should be working to understand which risks are changing and how. [Over 110,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] Some utilities, like those in New York, are learning from recent experiences with extreme weather events and trying to solve these problems. Con Edison, for example, has focused not only on restoration plans following extreme events, but has also tried to model and quantify the changing risks that it faces. Others, like those in Vermont and California, are weighing how they can achieve extreme-weather resilience as their grids become more dependent on renewables. How much money to spend for resilient grids is a major question. Whats already clear is that building more, bigger infrastructure is not necessarily better. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/long-power-outages-after-disasters-arent-inevitable-but-to-avoid-them-utilities-need-to-think-differently-167157. MOSCOW (AP) Russian election authorities on Friday officially announced the final results of last week's parliamentary vote, in which the Kremlin's party retained its supermajority amid widespread reports of violations and incidents of voter fraud. Russia's Central Election Commission has declared the election of the new parliament, or the State Duma, conclusive and valid," commission chair Ella Pamfilova said. The results gave United Russia 49.8% of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by parties. Another 225 lawmakers are chosen directly by voters, and United Russia candidates won 198 of those races. In all, the Kremlin-backed party, which has dominated the parliament for years, will get 324 out of 450 seats. Three other parties that usually toe the Kremlin line will take most of the remaining seats, along with the New People party, which was formed last year and is regarded by many as a Kremlin-sponsored project. Individual candidates from three more parties each won a seat, along with five independents. According to Pamfilova, voter turnout at the election which this year lasted three days due to the coronavirus pandemic stood at 51.7%, and a total of 40,605 ballots have been invalidated. We did everything we could, based on our understanding of honor and conscience, everything we could, and its up to you to judge," Pamfilova said. The vote, which was largely seen as part of President Vladimir Putin's effort to cement his grip on power ahead of the 2024 presidential election, excluded most opposition politicians and was marred by numerous reports of ballot-stuffing and other incidents of voter fraud. The opposition has denounced the results. Kremlin critics pointed to a number of individual Moscow races as evidence of alleged tampering. In those races, Kremlin-backed candidates were losing until the results of online voting, which was an option in Moscow and several other regions, came in Monday and they suddenly shot ahead. Candidates that lost in these races including those from the Communist Party, the second biggest political force in the Duma with 57 seats announced joining forces on Thursday to contest the results of online balloting in the Russian capital, in which nearly 2 million votes had been cast. The Communist Party has called for a rally in Moscow on Saturday and was urged by the authorities Friday to remove the announcements from its website, otherwise it would be blocked pressure that a party with seats in the parliament and which backs many of the Kremlin's policies has rarely faced before. Several party members have been detained this week after a small rally it staged on Monday over the election results. TODOQUE, Canary Islands (AP) A volcano in Spains Canary Islands kept nerves on edge Friday for a fifth day since it erupted, producing loud explosions, a huge ash cloud and cracking open a new fissure that spewed out more fiery molten rock. The archipelagos emergency services ordered the evacuation of scores of people from three villages on the island of La Palma and ordered residents to stay indoors in another. Already this week, almost 7,000 people have had to leave their homes. The prompt evacuations are credited with helping avoid casualties. Loud bangs from the volcanos mouth sent shock waves echoing across the hillsides. Explosions hurled molten rock and ash over a wide expanse. As a precaution, emergency services pulled back from the area. Regional airline Binter temporarily halted flights due to a huge ash cloud that rose 6 kilometers (almost 4 miles) into the sky. More encouragingly, Spains National Geographic Institute said it hadnt recorded any earthquakes in the area for 24 hours, after registering 1,130 over the past week amid intense seismic activity before and after the eruption on the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge. Also, the advance of the main river of lava slithering toward the sea slowed to 1 meter (about 3 feet) per hour. Both of the main lava flows are at least 10 meters (33 feet) high at their leading edges and have been destroying houses, farmland and infrastructure in their path since Sunday. The lava has destroyed almost 400 buildings on La Palma, including many homes, on the western side of the island of 85,000 people, a European Union monitoring program said. It said the lava stretches over 180 hectares (almost 20,000 square feet) and has blocked 14 kilometers (9 miles) of roads. Islanders make a living mostly from farming and tourism, and some may lose their livelihoods. On a visit to La Palma, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a package of measures to help get the island back on its feet and rebuild lives. The Spanish government will provide aid for rebuilding homes and public infrastructure, such as roads, irrigation networks and schools, as well as relaunching the islands tourism industry, Sanchez said. He did not say how much money would be made available, but said a Cabinet meeting next week would provide more details. Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greeces coast guard on Friday launched a search and rescue operation after a boat carrying around 150 people believed to be migrants ran into trouble off the country's southwestern coast. The coast guard said a passing cargo ship raised the alarm after coming across the wooden boat, which was taking on water, about 70 nautical miles (130 kilometers, 80 miles) southwest of the islet of Schiza off the coast of the Peloponnese. GREENWICH Ten more cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Greenwich Public Schools since Tuesday, bringing the total to 53 since school began. Just about half 26 of total cases have been designated resolved, according to the school districts online tracker. The new cases included two more service providers than Tuesday for a total of 21 students, three staff and three providers currently on the list as testing positive for COVID-19 spread across eight schools. A total of six cases are at the middle and high school level; the rest 21 are at the elementary schools, with the most cases at North Mianus and Hamilton Avenue, which are registering six cases each. The other schools with confirmed cases are Eastern and Western middle, Greenwich High, Glenville, New Lebanon and Old Greenwich. Of the current 27 active cases, 16 are listed as being contracted from outside activities or family, nine were considered undetermined and two were confirmed as having been contracted in school. Eight families have reported more than one case for a total of 20 individuals in those families affected. Under an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont, masks are required for everyone, regardless of immunization status, in schools statewide until at least Sept. 30. The governor has asked that his emergency powers and the mandates now in place be extended until Feb. 15. The five-month extension would need to be approved by the General Assembly in its special session next week. The Greenwich Board of Education also voted to approve a mask mandate through at least Sept. 30 and require social distancing in school buildings. As of Sept. 23, Connecticuts school submission summary of COVID-19 reported 855 cases of COVID-19 in public and private schools statewide during the week of Sept. 16 through 22. That was slightly lower than the week before, when 899 cases in public and private schools were registered. While 728 students in grades K-12 have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year, 89 percent of the cases have been found in students who are not vaccinated many of whom are still ineligible. The state has also reported 127 cases among staff, about 33 percent of whom were not vaccinated. The Greenwich Public Schools will continue to update the online COVID-19 on Tuesdays and Fridays, according to Jonathan Supranowitz, director of communications for the school district. The school district will also send letters to staff and families if they are impacted directly, he has said. A year ago, the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Greenwich Public Schools came in mid-September and, until late October, cases remained in the single digits districtwide. For the entirety of the 2020-21 school year, a total of 697 cases of COVID-19 were reported. Haiti - FLASH : US Special Envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote resigns Daniel Foote, the American Special Envoy to Haiti, 3 months after his appointment, resigns and denounces in his letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken the mass deportations of Haitian migrants ordered by the Biden administration and bluntly condemns the American decision, defends Haiti and exposes the consequences of American and international interference. A resignation which is a new blow for Joe Biden who sees himself criticized without detour by his own Emissary. Letter of resignation from Daniel Foote : "Dear Secretary Blinken, With deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, I resign from my position as Special Envoy for Haiti, effective immediately. I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life. Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own. The people of Haiti, mired in poverty, hostage to the terror. kidnappings, robberies and massacres of armed gangs and suffering under a corrupt government with gang alliances, simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy. The collapsed State is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will fuel further desperation and crime. Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti's unacceptable misery. Haitians need immediate assistance to restore the government's ability to neutralize the gangs and restore order through the national police. They need a true agreement across society and political actors, with international support, to chart a timely path to the democratic selection of their next president and parliament. They need humanitarian assistance, money to deliver COVID vaccines and so many other things. But what our Haitian friends really want, and need, is the opportunity to chart their own course, without international puppeteering and favored candidates but with genuine support for that course. I do not believe that Haiti can enjoy stability until her citizens have the dignity of truly choosing their own leaders fairly and acceptably. Last week, the U.S. and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statemem of support by for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his "political agreement" over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society. The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner - again - is impressive. This cycle of international political interventions in I laiti has consistently produced catastrophic resuhs. More negative impacts to Haiti will have calamitous consequences not only in Haiti, but in the U.S. and our neighbors in the hemisphere. Sincerly Daniel Foote" Following the resignation of Daniel Foote, US President Joe Biden announced Thursday the dispatch to Haiti next week of two emissaries: Brian Nichols Assistant Secretary for Americas Affairs and Juan Gonzalez Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of the Security Council national. They will meet with political and civil society actors to determine the best way forward to emerge from the crisis. See also: https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34484-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34332-haiti-usa-special-envoy-foote-returns-to-washington-after-a-meeting-marathon.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34301-haiti-politic-the-biden-administration-appoints-a-special-envoy-to-haiti.html HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : 1,239 Haitians expelled from the USA in 4 days Despite growing intervention from pressure groups, national and international human rights organizations, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the Biden Administration has no plans to suspend repatriation flights for the moment in Haiti.. According to Jean Negot Bonheur, the coordinator of the National Migration Office (ONM) 12 flights carrying a total of 1,364 Haitian migrants expelled from the United States (628 men, 332 women and 404 children) for a total of 1,364 were already welcomed in Haiti between September 19 and 22. On Wednesday a plane also landed in Cap-Haitien with 83 men on board Sunday September 19 3 flights carrying 327 migrants (104 women, 97 men and 126 young children) Monday, September 20 2 flights carrying 128 migrants, including 38 men. 45 women and 45 young children Tuesday September 21 4 flights carrying 446 migrants, including 232 men, 107 women and 127 children. Wednesday September 22 3 flights carrying 338 migrants, including 156 men, 76 women and 106 children. Note that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) grants each migrant 10,000 Gdes, food and hygiene kits. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 41 children with non-Haitian passports were deported this week to Haiti. Although their parents are Haitian, at least 30 children have Chilean passports, 9 have Brazilian passports and 2 have Venezuelan passports "The children were born in these countries, they speak Spanish very well." Chancellor Claude Joseph, when asked what would happen to these children, told CNN "We ask for solidarity in the region. I spoke to the Ambassador in Brazil and she told me that the Brazilians are ready to accept them with their families." Chile's immigration authority said on Thursday that children born in the country or with permanent residence would be welcome. Joseph added that he intended to speak with other regional governments whose citizens are among the deportees. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34820-haiti-flash-us-special-envoy-to-haiti-daniel-foote-resigns.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34812-haiti-migration-crisis-congresswoman-maxine-waters-revolted-and-angry.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34811-haiti-flash-haitian-migrants-from-del-rio-escape-during-their-bus-transport.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34807-haiti-politic-dhs-does-not-tolerate-abuses-against-migrants.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34805-haiti-justice-two-un-agencies-concerned-about-the-american-deportation-of-migrants-to-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34799-haiti-usa-democrat-nancy-pelosi-in-defense-of-haitians-stranded-at-the-mexican-border.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34797-haiti-migration-crisis-the-government-calls-for-solidarity-with-our-compatriots-in-difficulty.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34786-haiti-flash-joe-biden-orders-the-deportation-of-thousands-of-illegal-haitian-migrants.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34770-haiti-flash-thousands-of-haitian-migrants-detained-in-the-usa-in-a-makeshift-camp.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34734-haiti-politic-200-illegal-haitian-migrants-intercepted-in-mexico-returned-to-guatemala.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34669-icihaiti-chiapas-a-caravan-of-haitians-marches-towards-the-usa.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34658-haiti-mexico-muscular-interception-of-migrants-dozens-of-haitians-arrested-video.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34626-haiti-politic-more-expulsions-of-haitians-under-joe-biden.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34268-haiti-mexico-more-than-2-000-illegal-haitian-migrants-arrive-in-tapachula.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33352-haiti-flash-joe-biden-expels-more-haitians-than-donald-trump.html S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... End of the Horse Patrols in Del Rio On Thursday, September 23, the Department of Homeland Security said the use of horse patrols in Del Rio was suspended after footage of U.S. border patrol agents showing aggressive tactics against Haitian immigrants was broadcast on social networks. The agents of the American border patrol identified in these images have been placed on administrative charge pending an investigation. Postponement of the launch of the political agreement The ceremony to launch the implementation of the Political Agreement for peaceful and effective governance of the Interim period scheduled for Friday, September 24, 2021 at the hotel Le Ritz Kinam has been postponed to a later date, for logistical reasons, announced Samuel Henry Saturne, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Words of Joseph Lambert "Haitians, men, women and children have traveled thousands of kilometers, they have crossed forest and river before being chased by American cowboys. All because our country has slowly turned into a real death camp. Let's stop cunning to assume," Senator Joseph Lambert. 338 magistrates write to the PM 338 magistrates from the various jurisdictions of the country signed a petition and sent on September 16 an open letter to Prime Minister Ariel Henry in which they demand the installation of the members of the 4th Judicature of the Superior Council of the Judicial Police (CSPJ) before the judicial re-entry scheduled for Monday, October 4, 2021. Pan American Games : 3 taekwondoists will represent Haiti The Haitian Taekwondo Federation, announces that 3 taekwondoists Kenny Kazeau, Albert Aammar and Aliyah Shipman, will participate in the Juvenile Pan American Games which will take place in Cali, Colombia from November 25 to December 5. They find themselves in Group 2 and will defend our two-color against Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala and Puerto Rico. Chancellor Joseph concerned "I expressed to the Under Secretary of State for Hemispheric Affairs, Ambassador Brian Nicholls, my concerns and those of the Haitian Government regarding the way Haitians are being treated at the border with the United States. I also spoke with the ambassador about his visit to Haiti next week. We agreed on the urgent need for hemispheric solidarity to address this migratory problem," Chancellor Claude Joseph HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2021/09/24 | Source Korean movies opening today 2021/09/24 in Korea: "Agape Acts 29", "Stepdad and Mother-Daughter" Advertisement "Agape Acts 29" (2021) Directed by Sohn Young-ho With Ryu Jin-seok, Ji Mi-ri,... Synopsis In 2004, during the war between Iraq and USA, a pastor on a mission was arrested and detained in Al-Fallujah and was revived five times throughout his life. "Stepdad and Mother-Daughter" (2021) Directed by Lee Ha-II With Min Do-yoon, Ye Seul, Yoon Yool, Yeon Joo, Shin Yeon-ho, Jo Wan-jin,... Synopsis Seo-ra, an elegant woman from Louisiana, U.S., marries businessman Kyeong-han who does anything to make money. Kyeong-hwan was in a relationship with Mi-yeon, who was a bar madam, but after his marriage to Seo-ra, he tells Mi-yeon that he will now live as an elegant businessman. For Kyeong-hwan, however, there was a problem of sexual desire and madness when he saw clothes with no underwear in sight. One day, Seo-ra's biological daughter Yoo-na, appeared at Kyeong-hwan's newlywed house in a short skirt. Published on 2021/09/23 | Source New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "The Asian Angel" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Yuya Ishii With Sosuke Ikematsu, Choi Hee-seo, Joe Odagiri, Kim Min-jae, Kim Ye-eun,... Synopsis Tsuyoshi (Sosuke Ikematsu), who recklessly flew to Korea with his son believing in the words of his brother Toru (Joe Odagiri), who said he was doing well as a business in Seoul, is on the verge of throwing himself on the unfamiliar streets of Seoul because his brother was scammed by his partner. Then Toru seduces Tsuyoshi, who was frustrated by saying that he had a brilliant business item, and heads to Gangneung, and meets three siblings Sol (Choi Hee-seo), Bom (Kim Ye-eun), and Jung-woo (Kim Min-jae) who are filled with stories on the train to accompanies him. A fate that happened in a life full of bad luck! When we're desperate for miracles, we meet! Release date in Korea : 2021/10 Last updated 9/24/2021 at 11:57am From Office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana GREAT FALLS A Rocky Boys Indian Reservation resident accused of helping a Michigan fentanyl supplier distribute pills from his residence admitted a trafficking crime Thursday, acting U.S Attorney Leif M. Johnson said. Larry Albert Bernard, 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Bernard faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Morris set sentencing for Jan. 20. Bernard was... Edneyville's Staton is named county's top beginning teacher Edneyville Elementary principal Marsha Justice and schools Superintendent John Bryant surprised Haley Staton with Beginning Teacher honor along with administrators Wendy Frye and Scott Rhodes. Described as an emerging rock star in teaching, Haley S. Staton, an exceptional children teacher at Edneyville Elementary School, is Henderson County Public Schools nominee for the 2022 North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Beginning Teacher of the Year recognition. A homegrown educator who grew up in Henderson County, Staton was surprised Thursday, when Superintendent John Bryant and other members of the districts leadership team joined Edneyville principal Marsha Justice to deliver the honor. My school community here at Edneyville has shown me so much love and support, and for them, I am so thankful," Staton said. "I am honored to be Henderson County Public Schools Beginning Teacher of the Year and I look forward to many more fun-filled years here in Henderson County! I love getting to come to work every day and celebrate my students victories, both big and small." In speaking about Statons enthusiasm and love for the teaching profession, Justice said, Ms. Staton has high expectations for all of her students and she differentiates learning support for each of them. She provides a welcoming, respectful classroom that is conducive to learning. (Staton) evidences leadership habits in her professional and personal life. I would hire 100 Haley Statons if I could. She is a rock star! Jennifer Shelton, the school system's director of exceptional children education, said, Ms. Statons classroom is structured and engaging with a strong sense of community that she builds with her students and staff. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to support her students is evident in all she does. She is focused on helping her students reach the high expectations she sets for each of them. A graduate of West Henderson High School, Staton earned her bachelors and masters degrees in Teaching and Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is engaged to be married in October. Developed in 2019 by the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), the North Carolina Prudential Beginning Teacher of the Year award honors beginning teachers and aims to retain educators who show promise as excellent education leaders in North Carolina public schools. Principals from each of HCPS 23 schools nominate beginning teachers, and the Curriculum and Instruction staff select the overall district winner along with input from other stakeholders with knowledge of the various nominees work performance. Staton, along with 26 other regional finalists for the 2022 NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year award, will next attend a celebration and week of Teacher Leadership at NCCATs Cullowhee campus from Feb. 14-18, 2022. The NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year Selection Committee will review portfolios and interview all of the finalists. The 2022 NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year winner will be announced at a celebration event on Feb. 17. The NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year receives a $5,000 cash prize, participation in a GoGlobal NC trip, instructional supply funds for the teacher's school, and a diamond bracelet from Diamonds Direct. The runner-up will receive a $2,000 cash prize and all finalists receive travel expenses to participate in NCCAT professional development and leadership development. A FUNERAL for a Henley Hawks player who collapsed and died after a game was taking place today (Friday). David Hyde, who played at lock, was take ill after his sides National League 2 South match against Old Albanian at Dry Leas on September 4 and died later in hospital. The 29-year-old from Faringdon left his wife Katherine, who is responsible for the Hawks social media, and their young son, Tore. His funeral was taking place at North Oxfordshire Crematorium in Kidlington to be followed by a Celebration of Life event at Henley Rugby Club from 1pm. Mr Hydes family have asked guests to wear something orange as it was his favourite colour. They have requested no flowers but there will be chosen charities available to donate to at the crematorium. The appeal set up by the club has now raised more than 73,000 to support Mr Hydes family. The Hawks will play their first game since the tragedy against Clifton at Dry Leas tomorrow (Saturday). The postponed home fixture against Hinckley and the away match against Redruth will now take place on November 6 and February 5 respectively. The Clippers signed free agent guard Jordan Ford to a non-guaranteed contract on Wednesday and then waived him on Thursday, according to the transaction logs at RealGM and NBA.com. The move was a procedural one. Fords deal was likely an Exhibit 10 contract that will ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, L.A.s G League affiliate. The Clippers already controlled Fords NBAGL rights because he played for Agua Caliente in 2020/21 after going undrafted out of St. Marys. He appeared in 15 games for the G League squad last season, averaging 13.9 PPG and 3.4 APG with an impressive .471/.439/.923 shooting line in 27.2 minutes per contest. Industry Update Appointment 24 September 2021 Andrew Brooks Appointed Executive Chef At Weekapaug Inn in Westerly - RI, USA A former member of the Weekapaug Inn culinary staff, Brooks returns to the property after seven years of working in leading restaurants and resorts in Rhode Island and Florida. He joins Weekapaug Inn as Executive Chef following his most recent position as Executive Sous Chef at Ocean House. He previously served as Chef De Cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, where he was instrumental in the success of four of the resort's dining outlets. Other past experience includes culinary leadership positions at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. Recent Appointments at Ocean House Collection (OHM) Conny Andersson - General Manager 24 September 2021 Andersson brings more than 40 years of hospitality and culinary leadership to his new role as General Manager at Weekapaug Inn. His biography reads like a world tour, with positions throughout Asia, from Vietnam and Malaysia to the Kingdom of Bhutan. read more Louis Shapazian - Resort Manager 26 August 2021 Louis Shapazian has been promoted to the position of Resort Manager. In addition to overseeing the rooms division including accommodations, retail, bell, valet, reception and housekeeping, Louis will manage engineering, IT and spa, and will start to get involved in F&B and other aspects of representing the Executive Office. read more Supplier News 24 September 2021 Following a summer where stir crazy Americans finally fulfilled their travel plans in droves, with 71% getting adventurous and visiting new destinations for the first time, it appears the American wanderlust will continue into the fall. Tripadvisor today released its seasonal Fall Travel Index, revealing trends and the most in-demand popular destinations for the upcoming sweater-weather months. More than half (54%) of Americans report planning to travel this fall (between September 1 and November 30). This is down 13% from the chronically-busiest summer travel season, but notably up 4% from this past spring, and 10% higher than the number of people globally traveling this fall. Most people with travel plans aren't settling for just one getaway; 63% plan to take two or more trips this fall, still determined to make up for pandemic-lost travel time. And long weekend trips (between two and five days) will be most common. Where are they going? Throughout the pandemic, travelers preferred outdoor and nature destinations, avoiding crowded tourist spots. Now, the focus is gradually shifting back towards cities. In fact, big cities make up many of the top 10 destinations Americans are visiting this fall. Fear not, beachcombers refusing to give up your time in the sun, half of the most popular fall getaways still involve sunbathing: While the majority of Americans (84%) are staying in the U.S. for their fall trips, 16% are venturing out of the country. The most popular international destinations for Americans this fall are still relatively close to home: Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, respectively. "Although most of us aren't quite ready to vacation across the world, those who are traveling this fall are more willing to splurge," said Val Anthony, lead research analyst at Tripadvisor. "The average price for trips booked by Americans this fall is $776, compared to $588 globally, meaning Americans are spending significantly more on travel than the rest of the world. This could be a result of more family trips: 'Family hotels' are the most popular hotel style, while pools and 'family rooms' are among the most popular hotel amenities being searched on Tripadvisor in the U.S. right now." What activities are Americans falling for? The most popular experience types (bookable tours, tickets, and activities) this fall are historical tours, sightseeing cruises, cultural tours, and ghost & vampire tours - perfect for the more moderate autumn weather and scenic foliage. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. travelers plan to book a tour or activity for their fall trip, rising to a massive 80% of millennials. With activities like haunted ghost tours and whiskey tastings trending, it's no wonder young people are flocking to book experiences! Here are the top 10 most booked experiences this fall: The trending destinations for experiences this fall (places with the highest volume of experiences booked) are Nashville, Tennessee; Honolulu, Hawaii and Salem, Massachusetts, respectively. The small Massachusetts town known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials welcomes visitors from near and far as soon as the leaves start changing colors, chalk-full of tours and activities for lovers of all things spooky, including the most booked experience in the entire country this fall. Additionally, the most popular fall hotel check-in date in the U.S. is October 31 - perhaps Americans are traveling this Halloween to have their own haunted and chilling adventures. Other fall finds: Gen Z Americans are the most eager to travel this fall, with 62% planning to do so. This is followed by 60% of Millennials, 59% of Gen X, and just 40% of Boomers. Lahaina and Honolulu, Hawaii are the top two fastest growing destinations compared to fall 2020. Cleanliness remains a top priority, as Tripadvisor's Travel Safe filter is the most commonly used on-site. Most fall trips will be between 2-5 nights long, with 53% of travelers reporting to take a trip of that duration. 17% will stay only one night, 22% will stay 6-10 nights, and 7% will stay more than 10 nights. Methodology The data cited in this release was gathered and analyzed from three key sources: The pandemic shut down the cruise line industry for a year or more and not everyone was unhappy about it. Environmentalists have long criticized cruise ships for dumping sewage and other waste into the ocean and spewing pollutants including greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The pandemic provided a respite of sorts for the oceans and the air. Cruises, however, are back. With vaccination requirements and COVID-19 safety protocols in place, cruise ships again are sailing from ports such as Galveston. And the industry is taking steps to clean up its practices. Cruise lines are turning to liquefied natural gas to power their ships. LNG is a cleaner alternative to the cheap, dirty bunker fuels that ships burned for years and even the low-sulfur petroleum fuels that ships are using to meet international standards that went into effect last year. Carnival Cruise Lines, the Florida company that operates about 150 voyages a year out of Galveston, has three LNG-powered vessels either in service or on order. The Mardi Gras sailed on its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Fla., on July 31. Carnival Celebration is scheduled to enter service from Miami late next year and a yet-to-be-named cruise ship is on order for 2023. Disney Cruise Line, which also operates out of Galveston, has three LNG-fueled ships under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany through 2025. The first, called the Disney Wish, is scheduled to embark on its maiden voyage in June. TOMLINSON: Is Texas oil and gas entering its final boom cycle? The broader shipping industry cargo as well as cruise lines is shifting to cleaner fuels under stricter pollution standards adopted by the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations marine regulator. The IMO effectively banned the high-sulfur bunker fuel, made from the dregs of the refining process, and set a deadline for the industry to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2008 levels. LNG-fueled ships represent just a fraction of the cruise industrys fleet Carnival, for example, with its three ships and ultimately, experts say, cruise ships could be powered by methanol, biofuels or hydrogen to meet the requirements of a low-carbon world. But the technologies that would make these alternatives widely available are still being developed, the costs of these fuels are still high. The adoption of LNG by the crude industry again shows the potential of natural gas as a transition fuel as the world tries to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Much of success in lowering or limiting greenhouse gas emissions has come from the replacement of dirtier fossil fuels, such as coal, with natural gas. As far as shipping goes, LNG emits 10 to 20 percent less carbon dioxide than low-sulfur fuel oil. Natural gas is still a fossil fuel, and still emits carbon dioxide when burned, whether to generate electricity or power a truck. And the release of methane the main component of natural gas from drilling operations or leaks in pipelines remains a real impediment to natural gas future as a transition fuel. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas. The shipping industry, nonetheless, offers another market for natural gas, which is already enjoying strong demand and higher prices. Natural gas prices are approaching $5 per million British thermal units, more than double the prices of a year ago. Supplies are tight, and demand is only expected to grow as the winter approaches. Whether natural gas has a long-term future in the energy transition remains to be seen. But the short-term for natural gas and LNG producers is looking pretty good. marcy.deluna@chron.com Monday Connection Sessions: Job search networking hosted by JS101. 2-4 p.m. Registration: JS101.org/workshops. Tuesday Small Business Expo: Networking event hosted by Houston Young Professionals. 3:30 p.m., Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center, 6633 Travis. Speaker: Porscha Jackson, business development manager, City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity. Topic: Doing Business in Houston. Information: www.HoustonYoungProfessionals.com. Be Resilient and Capital Ready: Webinar hosted by SCORE. 10 a.m.-noon. Gain insight on how to apply for a small business loan and what information and documentation are needed. Information: www.houston.score.org. The Art of Marketing Yourself to People: Hosted by JS101. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Registration: JS101.org/workshops. Family Law 102: Virtual class hosted by Fort Bend County Law Library. 10-11 a.m. Registration: www.fortbend.lib.tx.us or call 281-341-3718. Wednesday COVID-19 Rapid Response: Staying on Top of Legal Changes in a Pandemic. Virtual demonstration of the Lexis advance database hosted by Fort Bend County Law Library. 2-3 p.m.Registration: www.fortbend.lib.tx.us or call 281-341-3718. Digital Marketing Clinic: Webinar hosted by SCORE. 6-8 p.m. Learn about the SEO (search engine optimization) mistakes that can hurt a website or cause long lasting damage. Information: www.houston.score.org. Interviewing in Todays World, Closing the Deal: Job search class hosted by JS101. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Registration: JS101.org/workshops. Thursday Networking on LinkedIn: Hosted by JS101. 10 a.m.-noon. Registration: JS101.org/workshops. State of Higher Education: Hosted by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Safari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464, Richmond. Information: www.FortBendChamber.com. Friday Cultivating Your Dream Job: Hosted by JS101. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Registration: JS101.org/workshops. Oct. 7 State of the Port: Hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership. 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar. Speaker: Ric Campo, chairman of the Port Commission for the Port of Houston Authority. Information: www.houston.org/events. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser Within a day of testing positive for COVID-19 in June, Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44, with diabetes and high blood pressure, Kelly, a certified nursing assistant, was having trouble breathing, symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room. When her husband, Joe, 46, fell ill with the virus too, she really got worried, especially about their five teenagers at home: I thought, I hope to God we dont wind up on ventilators. We have children. Whos going to raise these kids?' CHECK THE MAP: These are the most and least vaccinated Houston neighborhoods But the Kellys, who live in Seattle, had agreed just after their diagnoses to join a clinical trial at the nearby Fred Hutch cancer research center thats part of an international effort to test an antiviral treatment that could halt COVID-19 early in its course. By the next day, the couple were taking four pills, twice a day. Though they werent told whether they had received an active medication or a placebo, within a week, they said, their symptoms were better. Within two weeks, they had recovered. I dont know if we got the treatment, but I kind of feel like we did, Miranda Kelly said. To have all these underlying conditions, I felt like the recovery was very quick. The Kellys have a role in developing what could be the worlds next chance to thwart COVID-19: a short-term regimen of daily pills that can fight the virus early after diagnosis and conceivably prevent symptoms from developing after exposure. Oral antivirals have the potential to not only curtail the duration of ones COVID-19 syndrome, but also have the potential to limit transmission to people in your household if you are sick, said Timothy Sheahan, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who has helped pioneer these therapies. Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if given quickly. The medications, developed to treat and prevent viral infections in people and animals, work differently depending on the type. But they can be engineered to boost the immune system to fight infection, block receptors so viruses cant enter healthy cells, or lower the amount of active virus in the body. At least three promising antivirals for COVID-19 are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter, said Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is overseeing antiviral development. I think that we will have answers as to what these pills are capable of within the next several months, Dieffenbach said. The top contender is a medication from Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics called molnupiravir, Dieffenbach said. This is the product being tested in the Kellys Seattle trial. Two others include a candidate from Pfizer, known as PF-07321332, and AT-527, an antiviral produced by Roche and Atea Pharmaceuticals. They work by interfering with the viruss ability to replicate in human cells. In the case of molnupiravir, the enzyme that copies the viral genetic material is forced to make so many mistakes that the virus cant reproduce. That, in turn, reduces the patients viral load, shortening infection time and preventing the kind of dangerous immune response that can cause serious illness or death. So far, only one antiviral drug, remdesivir, has been approved to treat COVID-19. But it is given intravenously to patients ill enough to be hospitalized, and is not intended for early, widespread use. By contrast, the top contenders under study can be packaged as pills. Sheahan, who also performed preclinical work on remdesivir, led an early study in mice that showed that molnupiravir could prevent early disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The formula was discovered at Emory University and later acquired by Ridgeback and Merck. Clinical trials have followed, including an early trial of 202 participants last spring that showed that molnupiravir rapidly reduced the levels of infectious virus. Merck chief executive Robert Davis said this month that the company expects data from its larger phase 3 trials in the coming weeks, with the potential to seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration before year-end. Pfizer launched a combined phase 2 and 3 trial of its product Sept. 1, and Atea officials said they expect results from phase 2 and phase 3 trials later this year. If the results are positive and emergency use is granted for any product, Dieffenbach said, distribution could begin quickly. That would mean millions of Americans soon could have access to a daily orally administered medication, ideally a single pill, that could be taken for five to 10 days at the first confirmation of COVID-19 infection. When we get there, thats the idea, said Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases and immunology expert at Columbia University. To have this all around the country, so that people get it the same day they get diagnosed. Once sidelined for lack of interest, oral antivirals to treat coronavirus infections are now a subject of fierce competition and funding. In June, the Biden administration announced it had agreed to obtain about 1.7 million treatment courses of Mercks molnupiravir, at a cost of $1.2 billion, if the product receives emergency authorization or full approval. The same month, the administration said it would invest $3.2 billion in the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, which aims to develop antivirals for the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, Dieffenbach said. The pandemic kick-started a long-neglected effort to develop potent antiviral treatments for coronaviruses, said Sheahan. Though the original SARS virus in 2003 gave scientists a scare followed by Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, in 2012 research efforts slowed when those outbreaks did not persist. The commercial drive to develop any products just went down the tubes, Sheahan said. Widely available antiviral drugs would join the monoclonal antibody therapies already used to treat and prevent serious illness and hospitalizations caused by COVID-19. The lab-produced monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the bodys natural response to infection, were easier to develop but must be given primarily through intravenous infusions. The federal government is covering the cost of most monoclonal products at $2,000 a dose. Its still too early to know how the price of antivirals might compare. Like the monoclonal antibodies, antiviral pills would be no substitute for vaccination, Griffin said. They would be another tool to fight COVID-19. Its nice to have another option, he said. One challenge in developing antiviral drugs quickly has been recruiting enough participants for the clinical trials, each of which needs to enroll many hundreds of people, said Dr. Elizabeth Duke, a Fred Hutch research associate overseeing its molnupiravir trial. Participants must be unvaccinated and enrolled in the trial within five days of a positive COVID-19 test. Any given day, interns make 100 calls to newly COVID-positive people in the Seattle area and most say no. Just generally speaking, theres a lot of mistrust about the scientific process, Duke said. And some of the people are saying kind of nasty things to the interns. If the antiviral pills prove effective, the next challenge will be ramping up a distribution system that can rush them to people as soon as they test positive. Griffin said it will take something akin to the program set up last year by UnitedHealthcare, which sped Tamiflu kits to 200,000 at-risk patients enrolled in the insurers Medicare Advantage plans. Merck officials predicted the company could produce more than 10 million courses of therapy by the end of the year. Atea and Pfizer have not released similar estimates. Even more promising? Studies evaluating whether antivirals can prevent infection after exposure. Think about that, said Duke, who is also overseeing a prophylactic trial. You could give it to everyone in a household, or everyone in a school. Then were talking about a return to, maybe, normal life. (KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.) A controversial billboard advertising against COVID-19 vaccination mandates has been making the rounds across Texas and the U.S., and now Houston is its latest host. The billboard, best recognized by its bold message, "DON'T BE BULLIED" was spotted this week along Interstate 45, near 9000 North Freeway. A Minnesota organization, Citizens Council for Health Freedom, is the group behind the nationwide campaign and aims to build resistance to the vaccination mandates that the organization claims are currently being used as an effort to coerce Americans into getting the jab. "The vaccination mandates and the associated bullying of those who choose not to get the shot is '...a power grab in the name of public health,'" said CCHF president and co-founder, Twila Brase. COVID HELP DESK: Is Texas faring better or worse than the rest of the country in pandemic deaths? Billboards have appeared in the organization's home state of Minnesota, Idaho, Wisconsin, and several recently popped up in Texas. There are reportedly eight total statewide, including Dallas, San Antonio, Waco, Austin and Houston, according to a Kens5 report. The CCHF did not immediately respond to interview requests to confirm the number of Houston billboards. But advocates say vaccination mandates have nothing to do with bullying. "Its a public health measure for everyones safety," said Bhavana Lall, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine, who expressed frustration with the billboard. "Just like people wear seatbelts in the car, or they wear seatbelts on a plane. Theres no bullying associated with this. If you have a vaccine that could save your life, why wouldnt you save it? If youre trusting your doctor when youre ill, when you have high blood pressure, why arent you trusting them when theyre talking about the vaccine?" OnHoustonChronicle.com: New moms fight for their lives away from newborns, as Houston sees rise in pregnant COVID patients When it comes to mandates, Lall doesn't see the big deal with them especially given America's history with requiring vaccines. "Immunizations requirements are nothing new," she said. "Weve had these for years when students go to school they have to submit their immunizations records. Since there have been diseases, weve been using them to eradicate diseases. The reason we dont see polio is because weve had a vaccine." The Department of State Health Services has the authority to set immunization requirements by the Texas Education Code, Chapter 38. Under the code, a student must show acceptable evidence of vaccination against measles, polio, tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, among others, prior to entry, attendance, or transfer to a child-care facility or public or private elementary or secondary school in Texas. "So what is it about the COVID-19 vaccine?" Lall asked. "Theres no microchips in the vaccine, theres no conspiracy theory, its just to keep people safe." In Texas, 3,845,077 people have been partially vaccinated and 14,643,540 people have received all shots as of Wednesday based on data from the CDC. That means 65.4% of the population has received at least one shot. To reach herd immunity, about 85 percent of the total population would have to be completely immune, either through vaccination or a previous COVID infection, Dr. Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine told the Chronicle. How are Houston-area neighborhoods faring in the effort to reach herd immunity? Not so well, a Chronicle analysis found. The most recently available state data shows 52.4 percent of eligible Harris County residents of all ages are fully vaccinated and 61.9 percent have received at least one dose. A map shows the percentage of eligible Harris County residents who are fully vaccinated. More Texans have gotten vaccinated in the midst of the delta wave, but the state still has one of the highest mortality rates in the nation with more than 280 residents dying from COVID each day. And the drive toward vaccination rates that would lead to herd immunity isn't succeeding in many regions, including the Houston area, though some Texas cities are getting high percentages of their populations vaccinated. Many border counties are leading the state in vaccination rates, and in areas such as El Paso, 75 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. To reach herd immunity, about 85 percent of the total population would have to be completely immune, either through vaccination or a previous COVID infection, Dr. Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine told the Chronicle. Case rates also would have to be closer to 1 or 2 per 100,000 residents, he said. ARE MASKS HELPING? Here's a look at whether masks are slowing COVID spread in Houston schools So how are Houston-area neighborhoods faring in the fight to reach herd immunity? Not great. The most recently available state data shows 52.4 percent of eligible Harris County residents of all ages are fully vaccinated and 61.9 percent have received at least one dose. State data show the most vaccinated areas of Harris County are neighborhoods near Downtown and western areas, while more unvaccinated populations are prevalent in the northeastern, eastern and southeast areas. For a look at the percentage of eligible Harris County residents who are fully vaccinated, see the map below. Harris County vaccination rates can also be searched by ZIP code in the table below: It's largely the same pattern for the Houston metro area, which includes Harris County, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Liberty and Waller counties. Northeastern and eastern ZIP codes are some of the most unvaccinated areas, while areas closer to Downtown, northwest and southwest ZIP codes have higher vaccination rates. Fort Bend is the most vaccinated county of the nine that surround the Houston area, with nearly 75 percent of eligible residents fully vaccinated. On HoustonChronicle.com: Dr. Peter Hotez: Houston should be concerned that 'too many people' are not getting vaccinated For a look at the percentage of eligible Greater Houston area residents who are fully vaccinated, see the map below. Houston metro vaccination rates can also be searched by ZIP code in the table below: The information listed in the maps and charts in this story is sourced from DSHS and is current as of Sept. 20. DSHS releases its COVID vaccination data weekly. Vaccination rates in some areas may show a 100% rate with the number of residents receiving vaccines outpacing the total number of residents as listed in the Census. Julian Gill contributed to this report. For four weeks last spring, Dr. Peter Kwan heard the celebratory clang of cowbells to announce a patients discharge each day from his post in an inflated tent at a temporary hospital in New Yorks Central Park. Kwan, a Fort Bend resident who retired in late 2019 from Memorial Hermann Hospital Sugar Land after 33 years as a family-medicine doctor and instructor, quickly found himself tending to patients during the pandemic. In a way, it came just in time after he ended his career to focus on volunteering, he said. Along with 150 doctors, nurses and other health care workers, Kwan traveled in late March 2020 to New York as it suffered the countrys largest coronavirus outbreak. Each answered a call for volunteers to staff an emergency field hospital operated by Samaritans Purse, an evangelical Christian nonprofit founded and led by Franklin Graham, son of the late global televangelist Billy Graham. The organization, known for responding to the 2014 ebola outbreak in West Africa, mobilized its first domestic Disaster Assistance Response Team to relieve Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. The 1,100-bed facility was overflowing with patients ill with COVID-19, a new disease with many unknowns. How to help To aid medical personnel donating their time and skills to international disaster relief, visit samaritanspurse.org. See More Collapse They had patients all throughout the hallway; every day was full, just like a lot of places right now, Kwan said. Kwan arrived as crews finished assembling inflatable tents housing about 70 patients. For a week and a half, he was assigned to oversee a step-down unit that handled patients whose condition had worsened. It was the last step before the ICU, he said. There were no vaccines or treatments for the coronavirus, and doctors could offer only supportive care, Kwan said. Hed served on over a dozen medical missionary trips since 2007, but COVID-19 was especially nerve-wracking because he saw how patients could dramatically worsen in hours, he said. Ive done (work in) African war zones, in Iraq, with diphtheria in Bangladesh I have never been scared, said Kwan. But this time I told my wife, Heres where the insurance policies are you know, theres a chance I dont come back. This is the only mission Ive thought that. The sheer exhaustion of working every day challenged Kwan. We knew on DART there are no days off, he said. As more doctors arrived, 14- and 16-hour shifts became 12 hours, plus the time spent carefully being taped into a sealed protective suit and decontaminating after each shift. Youre seeing patients for 12 hours, but its an hour of getting ready, another hour of getting out of there, and the rest of the time you sleep thats all you can do, Kwan said. On his sole half-day break, he turned down a tour of Manhattan to nap at his apartment. Still, Kwan said he was heartened by seeing most patients survive. We celebrated by ringing a cowbell to let everybody know, he recalled. People not critically needed all come out and clap; its a send-off. Most New Yorkers wore masks and were serious about containing the pandemic, Kwan said. But some promoting COVID conspiracy theories protested outside the hospital. One guy had his camera on us all day long, said Kwan. Whenever a patient got admitted, theyd say, Oh, there goes another COVID actor. The hospital also attracted protests against Samaritans Purse, which required some volunteers to sign a statement of faith that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female, reported the New York Times. The groups president, Graham, is a vocal opponent of equal marriage rights and has made frequent comments against LGBTQ communities. The citys human rights commission ultimately found no evidence of discriminatory practices at the hospital, the Times reported. Kwan said he didnt treat patients differently because of their beliefs, and said despite potential differences in views, many businesses and residents stepped up with free food and hotel rooms for volunteer health care workers. There was a gentleman who didnt believe in anything we believed in, but he and his family really went in and helped us. He spent thousands of dollars giving us snacks, candy bars, soft drinks, he said. Every night at 7 p.m., people would come out of their apartments and bang on pots and pans. Kwan, who is waiting to hear from Samaritans Purse about serving in either a Mississippi COVID ward or disaster relief in Haiti, said one of his favorite Bible verses ends with, Here I am, Lord. Send me! But he added that what moved him most to volunteer was simply knowing all people can help. A lot of us with titles and degrees say, OK, Ill just do X, Y, or Z, but I think you just do whatever needs to be done, he said. Sometimes we have people who just go and talk to the victims or serve food. With the delta variant pushing hospitals to the brink and new variants emerging, Kwan said, all Houstonians have opportunities to serve. We still need people on the ground, maybe even just once or twice a year, get out there and do a weekend, he said. Everybodys got a talent, and you figure out what to do when the need is there. charlie.zong@chron.com Filing an income tax return without racking up preparation fees can be a daunting challenge, especially for low-income and elderly individuals. Last year, with the disruptions of COVID-19, these challenges seemed insurmountable for some. Yet a small group of volunteer tax preparers, based in the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center, were determined that the pandemic would not deter their mission to help people file taxes and receive much-needed refunds and stimulus money. Edna Lewis, a manager with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, led a group of volunteers through a tax preparation season that lasted two months longer than normal. The VITA program, established by the Internal Revenue Service to provide free tax preparation services, is administered by Baker Ripley, Texas largest charitable organization. The 2020 season was a bit different with all the COVID precautions, said Lucille Perkins, who works with Lewis as a VITA program manager. Edna went far above and beyond to be sure that we could continue to provide services. How to help If you need assistance with taxes or wish to volunteer to help, visit bakerripley.org/service.baker-ripley-tax-center to see if you qualify. See More Collapse The IRS extended the deadline for Texas taxpayers to file 2020 returns to June 15, but the VITA program was scheduled to end April 15, the traditional finish of the tax-filing season. Lewis, who retired from the Houston Independent School District, and her team of volunteers were having none of that. She still felt the need to continue the volunteer services, and she spoke with all the volunteers to see if theyd continue to volunteer and keep the site running, Perkins said. She was there saying, No, no, no. People are still coming in. People still need their taxes done. Lewis and the other volunteers found ways to serve clients while maintaining social distancing. For example, rather than meeting indoors, Lewis would arrange drive-up meetings with taxpayers all over town. I would tell people, if you want me to do your taxes, meet me at 11 oclock. Make sure you have all the documents that you need and put them in an envelope, she said. Just reach out your arm and pull up to where Im parked and give it to me. In other cases, taxpayers were provided with drive-up service to their homes. Lewis, for example, traveled to the home of woman who could not drive, picked up her tax documents, prepared the return and took it back to the woman to sign and mail. I go out of my way trying to help people, Lewis said. Last year was a hard time for everybody. Lewis has 25 years of experience as a tax preparer with the VITA program. A native Houstonian, she graduated from Kashmere High School in 1969. She married and cared for a growing family as she pursued her higher education over the next 18 years. She began taking classes at Houston Community College in 1972, and after receiving her associates degree she enrolled at the University of Houston-Downtown campus, attending classes part time while working at the school district and raising her family. In 1987, she received dual degrees, in math and accounting, from UH-Downtown. Lewis began her 30-year career in the HISD as a teachers aide. She later moved into a secretarial position and then into data management. She retired as the business manager of Scott Elementary School, in 2009, the same year that the VITA tax preparation program began offering services at the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center. Perkins, who has worked with her as co-manager in the VITA program for more than 20 years, said Lewis loves working with the people who come for help in preparing their taxes. Shes got a real good rapport with the taxpayer, Perkins said. Lewis said she inherited her desire to help people from her mother, who cooked and served food to homeless people she met on the street. She said she enjoys seeing the faces of the taxpayers, especially when they learn that theyre entitled to a refund. Doing taxes is a fulfillment for me, she said. Ive always been a helper. I open my door to everybody. Lewis has three daughters, 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Her husband, Marcus Cannon, a retired machinist, died in December. In addition to volunteering with the VITA program, Lewis is active in her church, the New Bethel House of Hope in northeast Houston, where she sings in the choir, serves on the mission board, and helps prepare food for church-sponsored events. Lewis also serves as the secretary and sits on the board of nonprofit East Houston Economic Development Co., which is working to develop a senior citizens community, featuring apartments and small shops, near Little York and Mesa roads. Jim Magill is a Houston-based writer. The Houston area is home to a vibrant and diverse Latino population that has made it one of the most successful and interesting regions in the country. From artists and activists to academics and authors, Houston is full of Latinos at the top of their fields who dont get the same daily recognition as politicians and athletes. For Hispanic Heritage Month, the Houston Chronicle is profiling 10 extraordinary individuals over four Sundays in Zest. Activism Cesar Espinoza Executive director of FIEL Houston BIO: Espinosa was brought to Houston by his family from Mexico when he was 6 years old. Despite exceling in school, he saw firsthand the limitations imposed by his immigration status and founded FIEL (Families Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en La Lucha) to advocate for other undocumented immigrants. Q: What role do immigrant and Latino communities play in making Houston what it is? A: Houston would not be Houston if it werent for the immigrant community. Just look at where the FIEL office is at, in the Gandhi District. Even though I was not privileged enough to travel outside of the U.S., I feel like the whole world has come to us, in this very community. You drive 10 minutes away, and youre in Chinatown. Right across the street, theres Indian food, Thai food, Ethiopian food, Afghan food. So, in a lot of ways, that culture and vibrancy has shaped Houston and kept Houston moving, not only prior to the pandemic but especially during the pandemic. More Information ONLINE: To see who else made the list of 10 extraordinary Latino leaders, visit HoustonChronicle.com/notablelatinos See More Collapse A lot of people ask why Houston did so well, and its because we have a vibrant workforce that never gave up. I think Houston has been shaped by immigrants, but in lots of cases the favor has not been returned. Lots of policies that could be driven, given that we have so many immigrants here, are still not there yet. Were moving in the right direction, with elected officials like Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and other folks, but theres still a lot of work left to do because for so long the immigrant community was overlooked in public policy and not taken into account. Q: What can Latinos do to support one another, and how can others help? A: One thing is we need to learn about corporate responsibility. Theres a lot of people in our community who have made a lot of money, but for whatever reason, a lot of times theyre not willing to give back. They think, As long as my family is taken care of, it doesnt matter. In other communities, they understand that if they are successful, and they can help other people be successful, then well all succeed. Thats something the Latino community has to learn here in Houston. It doesnt even have to be about money; it also is about connections. One of the things Im grateful for is that as my career went on in organizing, I met a lot of people who were willing to introduce me to other people, and they didnt ask for anything in return. So now I do that with other young people: I introduce them to the mayor, get them internships and mentor them because I believe in that same thing. Q: What do you come across in your work that gives you hope for Latinos in Houston? A: Im really hopeful for the new generation thats coming up; these people who are politically conscious. One of the promises I make to kids when we go out to talk to high schoolers is that if they ever want to run for public office, Im going to be the first person to make a campaign donation. I say that and I mean it because often in the Latino community, being a politician carries a stigma from our home countries people think youll be corrupt, cruel, a robador (crook) and that trickles down to people here, and they dont want to touch the subject. Its important that we empower young people to be progressive and passionate, and if they ever want to run for public office, then give them the tools to be successful. I hope that one day somebody remembers those words and comes and says, Im ready. And Ill say, Were ready for you, too. Business Laura Murillo President of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce BIO: Murillo grew up in Magnolia Park and has been the president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2007. Under her leadership, the chamber has grown to 4,000 members the largest such chamber in the country and grew its revenue from $150,000 to $2.6 million. Q: How has your upbringing shaped the way you approach your work? A: I feel that coming from the background that I did with my parents who came here as immigrants having a daughter whos been named one of the most powerful and influential women in Texas that nothing has been done on my own. Its been through the support and encouragement and doors that were opened for me that Ive been able to obtain that recognition and hopefully serve as an inspiration to others, Hispanic or not. The East End always serves as the backdrop of where I came from, and where we, as a community, are going. The champions in my life, theyre in a variety of capacities at very high levels and have played an important role in opening doors for me and others. People who are not Latinos have seen the value and the contributions that we can make, so its important that we see people who look like us and who come from backgrounds like ours achieving success. Q: Why is it important for Latinos to have a strong foothold in the business world? A: We represent 42 percent of the population and in Houston, our consumer spending is $55 billion. The decision makers in corporate America benefit from our contributions, not only to society but to the economy. So we are a driving force in the economy in terms of our consumption but also in terms of the workforce that we are providing. While we make many of those contributions, we still have room to grow, especially in the space of corporate America, on corporate boards and executive positions. Less than 2 percent of all corporate board seats across the country are filled by Latinos, and Im here to say that were here. We have the experience, we have the education, and we represent a large part of the market. Data and research have all shown that performance and revenue increase when you have women and minorities on public boards. Thats not a feeling; those are data points that are quantifiable. Q: Youve said you visualize things not for what they are but what they can be. What does that vision look like? A: We are the model city for diversity, equity and inclusion. People are watching what we do and the choices we make, and the caliber of people who have come here from all over the world and have gone on to be successful, affluent, wealthy, influential and powerful. It is something that is attainable even if you grew up in Houstons East End, in Magnolia Park, one of the oldest barrios in the city. It is an absolute possibility that if someone like me who has now had private meetings with eight presidents from across the globe and led a variety of different initiatives can do it, then it is certainly attainable. From where my parents were to where I am to where my daughters are, it shows that we can build this and set higher and higher goals. The next generation will have opportunities that we did not have. I believe that is possible. olivia.tallet@chron.com sam.kelly@chron.com Vogue released its newest "73 Questions" interview featuring Kylie Jenner Thursday and the reality TV star proved her love for the Bayou City. The video was part of a series in which the magazine asks celebrities and personalities rapid-fire questions while in their home. Interviewer Joe Sabia asked the beauty mogul everything from who the funniest Kardashian is, to whether she still watches old episodes of the hit E! show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, to what show she is currently obsessed with, her pregnancy cravings and more. Towards the end of the interview Sabia asked Jenner if she could live in any other city in the country where would she choose, and without hesitation, Jenner answered Houston. Her answer may not come as a surprise as Houston is the hometown of rapper Travis Scott, with whom she has a three-year old daughter, Stormi Webster, and the family has frequently been spotted around the city. Their most recent outing Sunday at the Houston Zoo inconvenienced many guests who aired their frustrations out on social media. The pair are now expecting their second child together. OTHER TRIPS: Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott share photos of Houston restaurants, spotted at Target In the Vogue interview, Sabia also asked Jenner to choose between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. Although she said it was a hard decision, she ultimately picked the Lakers. Could Jenner join the influx of Californians who have relocated to Houston in the last couple of years? HOUSTON MEETS CALIFORNIA: Travis Scott launches partnership with California cannabis company Net migration from California to Texas in 2018 and 2019 was between 45,000 and 50,000 people per year, which is about one-tenth of 1 percent of Californias population the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University found using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That has more than doubled since 2017 the year of Hurricane Harvey where the net migration was only 22,000. It's a trend that many realtors have witnessed firsthand. Mitch Beasley, of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, says he's particularly seen it within the last six months. "Theres a lot of activity from the west coast and east coast,"he said. "I think most are looking for a better cost of living and a more business-friendly environment." Martina Lemond Dixon is fed up. Her frustration with the current climate of county politics compelled the Humble ISD school board president to announce on Wednesday that she will be a candidate for Harris County judge in the 2022 election. Lemond Dixon made the announcement amongst a host of friends and supporters at Tin Roof Barbecue in Humble on Tuesday night and the well-funded candidate wants change. Transparency and accountability from our county government has been on a steep decline since our change in leadership in 2018, she said. Crime has dramatically increased, while funds from our flood bond have been politicized, and our county is continually divided for the sake of political advantage. Her decision to run, she said, came following what she considered a number of missteps by current county judge, Lina Hidalgo. The Observer reached out to the office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and has not received a comment at the time of publication. The first time I really took notice to what was happening in county politics was when Judge Hidalgo began to reprioritize the flood bond budget, she said. Like many other residents in Kingwood, Cypress, Midtown and thousands of others across the county, she flooded during Hurricane Harvey. As important as flooding was to county residents, Lemond Dixon also said she has been shocked by the rise in crime throughout the county. CHALLENGING ABBOTT: Matthew McConaughey still 'measuring' possible run for Texas governor Thats what really solidified my decision to run, she said. I talk with friends and family throughout the county, and everyone had the same complaint. Ive lived in the Houston area my entire life, and Ive never felt unsafe, especially in certain areas, she said. But thats no longer true for her. For crime to have risen 35 percent is outrageous, she said, quoting a KHOU report. I hear parents, moms particularly, telling me Im afraid to allow my kids to go outside and ride their bike, she said. She also saw a divided county court, and more political than ever before. Ive had experience with tough issues as the school board president in Humble ISD. We have 48,000 students, and were all at-large, elected school board members, she explained. We have the mindset that when we make decisions, we consider the entire district. There are very different communities in our district, but were all one. A balanced approach is really doing the right thing for the masses. She says she doesnt see that happening. I think in that role you have to think about the entire countyperiod, she said. Lemond Dixon said everyone has made mistakes. Lets own it and lets move forward and work together. Lets be reasonable with one another, the board president said. The first Republican to throw her hat into the fray for county judge, Lemond Dixon was raised in Houston and while in college, worked for Commissioner El Franco Lee as an intern manager for the Street Olympics program for four years. I didnt see this type of division. I felt like everyone was reasonable and worked together, she said. For me, thats what this is about. The North Shore graduate is building a grass roots campaign, similar to what led to her election in Humble ISD. She has already earned the early endorsement of State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Kingwood. Martina is a dedicated, hardworking public servant who always puts her constituents first. As county judge, Martina will always follow the law, stand strong against partisan games, and do whats right for our county, Huberty said. For weeks, Lemond Dixon has sought the advice of friends, colleagues, and other political figures trying to decide if this was the right decision for her. At her campaign launch party, she explained her peace came from a higher power. Its a God thing for me, she told supporters. It was heavy on my heart, and I prayed and I have peace, she said. She talked about the first sentence in the Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren and how Its not about me. BETO ENTERS RACE: 5 reasons Beto O'Rourke is a better candidate for Texas governor than he was for president in 2019 She expects she will have competition in the Republican primary but is ready for the challenge. We have already begun planning events and rallies throughout the county and some will be centrally located, she said. Im on the campaign trail every day with a lot of meetings. Lemond Dixon is an English language arts department chair in Spring ISD, serves on the Harris County Appraisal District Board, and as board president for the Humble ISD board of trustees. She says she will trade those three hats to lead the countrys third largest county if elected. With redistricting underway in the state legislature, Lemond Dixon is hopeful it will be finished in time for the March Primary elections. dtaylor@hcnonline.com Work to build a northbound three-lane frontage road along Texas 288 from County Road 59 to FM 518 in Pearland is set to be completed three to four months ahead of schedule, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, which is managing the $6.5 million project. Plans also include a U-turn lane under the CR 59 overpass and an access lane to Texas 288 main lanes. We have the single lane of the frontage road currently opened, and we plan to have the new 288 northbound exit ramp to FM 518 and the additional frontage road lane opened in early October, said Danny Perez, public information officer for TxDOTs Houston Division. Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole agreed that the project, originally slated to wrap up in February, is progressing quickly. He said city staff estimates it will be done by Thanksgiving or earlier. Its not often you see a project complete three months ahead of schedule, so it is really great to see this, Cole said, adding. It will be good to see it done for the Christmas shopping season. Partnership of entities funding the project SER Construction Partners is in charge of the construction, which is in the works about five years earlier than expected thanks to a partnership between Brazoria County, the Pearland Economic Development Corp. and the city of Pearland. The county contributed $1.5 million, PECD came to the table with $750,000 and the city contributed $3.72 million. TxDOT picked up the rest. Cole said residents have been patient during the construction phase, especially considering how congested the area has been historically. In general, the city really hasnt received many complaints about traffic issues during this construction, he said. Obviously, construction will cause some inconvenience, especially when you are changing entrances and exits to the SH 288 main lanes. But most people understand the overall benefits the project will bring. The project is expected to relieve traffic congestion and create access points for development east of the freeway. Cole said Pearland has benefited from continuous improvement in the area, including the toll lanes on Texas 288 that opened last November and the widening of FM 518 (Broadway) under the freeway underpass. We are seeing much better traffic flow, Cole said. Seeking to resolve neighborhoods smelly water In other construction news, City Council authorized a $596,037 contract to Scohil Construction Services in an effort to improve water quality in Oakbrook and Oakbrook Estates subdivisions. The work stems from repeated complaints from residents there about the taste and smell of their water. The city said the issue is not a health hazard. It has tried multiple ways to fix the issue, including flushing water lines and changing the source of the water but to no avail. The city concluded the problem was from due to the number of dead-end lines that were put in when the area was developed, which it says creates stagnant water and inhibits fresh water flow. This contract will include construction of approximately 4,500 linear feet of 6-inch water lines. To minimize disruption in the area, the lines will be installed using trenchless construction. The work will be centered in those two neighborhoods on streets such as Oak Lane, Oak Cluster and Oak Gate. The project will improve water flows to ensure fresh water is continuously flowing throughout the whole of the system, eliminating bad taste and odor, city officials say. Shadow Creek lift station upgrade coming City Council also recently approved a $946,990 contract with Nerie Construction to revamp and rehabilitate the Shadow Creek regional lift station. The work will include equipment replacement, structural repairs and addition of a natural gas-powered generator. Projects like these are aimed at keeping yearly maintenance costs down and prolonging the service life and reliability of this infrastructure. City Manager Clay Pearson said this is planned work on aging equipment west of Texas 288. He said this project is important since the lift station, which has been in operation since 2005, services the majority of the Shadow Creek Ranch area. Its been designed and is ready to go, he said. The work is expected to begin in April and last approximately 180-210 days. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) An Arkansas man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a flight attendant on a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Little Rock last year. Leon Anderson, 40, of Maumelle, pleaded guilty Wednesday to interfering with a flight attendant, federal prosecutors said. They said he grabbed a flight attendant several times during the February 2020 flight and made inappropriate sexual comments to him. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) A Dover man with a lengthy criminal record was charged Friday in the hit-and-run death of a retired police sergeant who was training for a cycling event to honor fallen law enforcement officers. Craig Sprowl, 45, of Dover, was arrested Friday morning at a hotel in Portsmouth and was charged with negligent homicide and conduct after an accident, state police said. He pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon, and a judge ordered him held without bail. The arrest came three days after Donna Briggs, 59, of Derry, was found down an embankment off Route 125 in Kingston. Briggs, who retired from the Hudson Police Department in 2013, was training for next months Police Unity Tour from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. The event raises money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum. Col. Nathan Noyes said video footage from nearby businesses, witness statements and other evidence led investigators to Sprowl. Our troopers, our local law enforcement officials and supporting agencies have worked around the clock for the last three days, so I can tell you theres a sense of relief. I think theres a sense of a small bit of accomplishment. But I think mostly our thoughts go out to the Briggs family in this tragic time, he said. According to a police affidavit, Sprowl initially denied driving the blue GMC Yukon on Tuesday but later said he had nodded off several times while driving it to work at a car dealership in Derry. He told an officer he drifted off the road and was woken up by either the sound of the rumble strips or a bang. Sprowl said he knew he had hit something, but didnt answer when asked why he didnt report the crash, police said. Sprowl stated he had seen on the news that a woman had been struck and killed ... and asked if he had killed her, police wrote. Sprowl was remorseful and apologetic. Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway said Sprowl lied to police about his whereabouts and hid the car in the woods behind his workplace. Part of Briggs bicycle seat was attached to the vehicle, she said. He had to have known that he struck someone, said Conway, who said Sprowl has past convictions for theft, simple assault, credit card fraud, drug possession and burglary, and that he has several cases pending. On Sept. 15, he crashed a different vehicle into a tree in Derry, but there were no charges in that incident. Sprowls attorney, Deanna Campbell, said her client has suffered from long-term substance abuse and mental health disorders and significant health problems. He attended the hearing by phone from the hospital, where he was being treated for diabetes. Despite his record, Sprowl had been doing well in the last year, having completed a drug court program and working many hours, she said. Its very easy to just look at his criminal history and identify him as someone who should be locked up with the key throw away. I dont mean to minimize the serious nature of these allegations but he is somebody who had been working very hard in the community to address his issues and this is simply a tragedy for all involved. Briggs spent 20 years with Hudson Police alongside Chief Bill Avery, who went to the police academy with her and started at the department the same day. He expressed relief at the arrest. It felt like the world was lifted off my shoulders when I received this information, he said. I can only imagine that the Briggs family feels the same, as well as other members of the law enforcement community in New Hampshire. Sprowls wife was charged with hindering apprehension. She is due in court Monday. NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) An Oregon school board has banned educators from displaying Black Lives Matter and gay pride symbols, prompting a torrent of recriminations and threats to boycott the town and its businesses. Newberg, a town of 25,000 residents situated 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland in gorgeous wine country, has become an unlikely focal point of a battle between the left and right across the nation over schooling. The City Council has condemned the action by the Newberg School Board. So did members of color of the Oregon Legislature and House and Senate Democrats. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is threatening to sue. The Oregon State Board of Education called on the school board to reverse course, saying student identities should be welcomed and affirmed. But the four conservative members of the seven-member board are digging in their heels. Member Brian Shannon, who proposed the ban, said lawmakers from Portland should keep out of the school district's business and instead focus on Portland, where homelessness is an issue. Opponents say the board has emboldened racists. On Sept. 17, a special education staffer at a Newberg elementary school showed up for work in blackface, saying she was portraying anti-segregation icon Rosa Parks in order to protest a statewide vaccine mandate for educators. She was immediately placed on administrative leave. The same week, word emerged that some Newberg students had participated in a Snapchat group in which participants pretended to buy and sell Black fellow students. Newberg Public Schools Superintendent Joe Morelock said there will be an investigation and disciplinary action meted out. Underscoring how deeply the board's action has cut, raw emotion was on display during a virtual public hearing of the board Wednesday night. Some speakers said the board's action is harmful. Others said the signs have no place in schools, saying they're political. Local resident Peggy Kilburg said they should be banned from schools, as well as signs supporting any political position, like National Rifle Association posters. Robert Till, who is gay and a sophomore at Newberg High School, said he is embarrassed to live in Newberg. He cited an estimate from the Trevor Project, a group that aims to end suicide among LGBTQ young people, that at least one LGBTQ person between the ages of 1324 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S. A simple pride or BLM flag in a classroom shows the love and acceptance that we need," Till said, his voice shaking with anger. "Pride flags can literally save someones life, and youre just going to take that away? School board chairman Dave Brown, who voted for the sign ban, declared in an earlier Zoom meeting that I'm not a racist. I work with and will always accept those around me no matter what," Brown said, an American flag pinned behind him. "I dont care if theyre gay. I dont care if theyre white or brown or Black. I work with everybody. Shannon defended the ban, which hasn't been imposed yet. I dont think any of us can deny the fact that these symbols are divisive," Shannon said. "Theyve divided our community and gotten our attention away from where it needs to be, just teaching the basic fundamentals of education. Opponents of the ban say it is the board that is being divisive and distracting from the challenges as educators begin in-person instruction with safety protocols after a year of remote teaching because of COVID-19. It has been difficult to see a community divided. You can see the anguish on both sides. It makes being an educator harder than it already was, said a faculty member at Newberg High School. Speaking on condition she not be named for fear of being harassed online, she said more students than ever are displaying gay pride and Black Lives Matter symbols on lockers, water bottles and laptops since the board took its vote in August. The ban does not apply to students. Alexis Small, a 15-year-old high school junior who is Black, believes the members who endorsed the ban simply don't approve of people who aren't like them. The message that I feel is hate," Small said in a telephone interview. "I mean, I cant say that this decision was made out of love or made out of whats best for people. I genuinely think that they did this out of hate. In June 2020 as Black Lives Matter protests roiled the nation after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis the board took a completely different stance, condemning racism and committing to being an anti-racist school district. But conservatives gained a majority in school board elections last May amid a light turnout, and everything changed. Tai Harden-Moore, a Black candidate who lost, recalls a nasty election. Comments on social media supporting her opponent called Harden-Moore un-American and claimed she hated whites, she said. Her campaign signs were ripped from the ground or left in place with tree branches placed on top. My sign, I've got my face on it, and so for them to put the branches on it, it was like this weird link to lynching for me, Harden-Moore said. Harden-Moore has joined a group called Newberg Equity in Education, which is advocating for inclusion and equity in Newberg schools. The Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce told the school board that it has received numerous phone calls and emails from people saying they will boycott Newberg, the valleys main town. As business leaders and owners, we are very concerned about the impact this has on our businesses and on the reputation of our community, the chamber said, the Newberg Graphic newspaper reported. Newberg Mayor Rick Rogers told the four conservative board members their actions can hurt the town, which features a dozen wine tasting rooms and a university founded by Quakers. While you may believe your actions only affect the school district, please know in truth your actions impact us all. To thrive, Newberg must be welcoming to all, he wrote. ___ Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky Police have released body camera footage of an arrest Wednesday in Pearland of the younger sister of a man recently killed by Houston police officers in a shootout that also left a veteran lawman dead. The woman, Johneisha Lewis, 19, was stunned with a Taser after she refused to get out of her vehicle during a traffic stop, video shows. An officer with the Pearland Police Department accused her of going more than double the speed limit in a school zone near Mary Burks Marek Elementary School and tried pulling her over. During the traffic stop, Lewis said she was on her way to pick up doughnuts with her young son. Footage of the encounter, released late Wednesday, showed an emotional, profanity-laced encounter in which Lewis screamed at the police officer and added that her brother, whom she did not identify by name, was recently killed. Court records show Lewis is the younger sister of Deon Ledet, who was shot and killed Monday in north Harris County during an exchange of fire with members of the Houston Police Department. Two officers William Jeffrey and Michael Vance were shot during their attempt to arrest Ledet on an outstanding warrant related to bond forfeiture on two drug possession charges. Jeffrey was killed. Why are you pulling me over leave me alone, Lewis said. You killed my brother. Im done. Relatives of Lewis declined to comment on the traffic stop. The video shows Lewis screaming out her window at the officer during the initial traffic stop and then driving away suddenly. The officer then follows on a motorcycle. Lewis soon stops again and another officer arrives to help with the traffic stop. The officer repeatedly asks her to put the vehicle in park, but she ignores him. Cries from a small child in the back- seat are soon heard as the encounter intensifies. One of the officers smashes a window in an attempt to remove Lewis from the vehicle, warning that she is under arrest and would be stunned with a Taser. A voice from the vehicles speakers an apparent phone call then informs the officers that Lewis is pregnant. She later identified the man on the phone as her husband. Im sorry. Shes very emotional right now, the husband states, though it is not apparent if the officers heard him. The Taser is then used and Lewis cries out, Help me. Ten minutes into the encounter, the officers manage to pull Lewis from the vehicle. She cries out that she is pregnant and again says her brother was killed by police. Were not trying to do that, the officer replies. In a statement, Pearland officials counted more than 50 commands that the officers gave her and said she ignored each of those attempts. The final findings of the review were that the officers actions were within policy, the statement continued. Amid sobs, while sitting handcuffed on the curb, Lewis brought up her brother again. He just died. I dont want to talk to police, she said. Im his baby sister. The officer wearing the body camera can be heard asking his colleagues who her brother was about 20 minutes into the encounter. I wonder if it was her brother who killed the officer and got killed, he said. Lewis was charged with evading arrest, resisting arrest, failure to display a drivers license and speeding in a school zone in connection with the traffic stop. She posted bail Thursday on $26,000 worth of surety bonds. nicole.hensley@chron.com Two juveniles have been charged in connection to the beating of a student at Houston ISDs Sterling High School, authorities said Friday. The charges arrived a week after the father of the freshman who was beaten spoke at a news conference, seeking answers from the district. A video of part of the beating circulated on social media shortly after the incident, which occurred on the second day of school last month. On the video, two boys can be seen talking to the victim during lunchtime before punching him in the face and head repeatedly. Authorities could not release much information about the charges due to the strict confidentiality of the juvenile justice system, said Dane Schiller, spokesman for the Harris County district attorneys office. We make charging decisions on a case-by-case basis, as we work hard with principals and police to ensure that students are not unnecessarily pulled into the justice system for youthful misconduct, said John Jordan, chief of the offices juvenile division. But when there are serious injuries, such as when bullying roils into violence, those incidents get our full attention. The student said the two others attacked him as he ate lunch, after accusing him of disrespecting their gang and telling him they had to fight to be cool. I started eating and they just started hitting me, the boy said last week. I could not remember the whole thing. I just saw black and I could not really remember that day. HISD officials issued a statement Friday saying the district was unable to comment on the case. alejandro.serrano@chron.com Houston-area school districts that require students and staff to wear face masks generally have experienced fewer COVID-19 cases, a Chronicle analysis of school-reported data shows. Some districts without mask mandates but located in counties where more individuals are fully inoculated against COVID-19 also have logged fewer COVID-19 cases per capita, the analysis found. Districts without mandates in counties where fewer individuals have been vaccinated experienced more cases per capita. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas still has one of the nation's worst COVID death rates at 280 per day, even as delta subsides For example, Houston ISD, the largest district in the state with nearly 200,000 students, had around four active cases per 1,000 students on Thursday. It requires students and staff to wear masks in its buildings and on its buses. Waller ISD, with almost 8,000 students, had roughly 11 cases per 1,000 students on the same day. It does not require face coverings. The numbers, which offer a snapshot in time of active cases, appear to reinforce what doctors have been saying for months: requiring or strongly encouraging masks can help reduce the spread of the virus, more so when paired with other strategies, such as vaccines and social distancing. We do know here, in the greater Houston area, school districts are sharing information, and were clearly seeing that the districts actively promoting masking are seeing less COVID, said Dr. James Versalovic, interim pediatrician-in-chief at Texas Childrens Hospital. We know this is politically sensitive, but were just trying to work with school districts to promote a safer academic environment for kids. The Chronicle looked at 26 area school districts, five of which require masks and one that only mandates face coverings for elementary school students. To calculate the per capita rates, the Chronicle divided the number of reported active student cases on Thursday by a districts enrollment as of the end of January. District enrollments for the 2021-22 school year will not be finalized until next month. The active case numbers come with caveats: Cases in some districts are considered active for 10 days after a positive test, the length of the recommended isolation period, regardless of an individuals actual condition; not all communities have the same rate of transmission outside of classrooms; and some districts share a total number of student and staff cases while a handful of others do not maintain dashboards for the public to see a daily snapshot. Those districts were not included in the analysis because current numbers were not available. The numbers also are self-reported, which has caused some parents to raise concerns about possible under-counts. Not everyone is gonna do the right thing, said Bobby Hinojosa, the parent of two elementary school students in Fort Bend ISD, of parents potentially not reporting positive cases. There are parents who dont think COVID is a big deal and parents who would rather not disclose that information. Experts cautioned the variables complicate the analysis. Still, they added, masks have been proven to be an effective mitigation strategy. It is not that easy or straightforward to interpret some of these numbers because there are just so, so many moving pieces, said Dr. Rashid Mosavin, dean and professor at Texas Southern Universitys College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Scientifically, what we do know for a fact and that is not an opinion is that the only way out of this pandemic is vaccination. Districts in counties with higher vaccination coverage tend to have lower per capita rates among students, with or without mask mandates. Fort Bend ISD, for example, does not require masking. For every 1,000 students in that district, roughly four were confirmed to have COVID as of Thursday. In Fort Bend County, 74.4 percent of residents over 12 were fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Lamar Consolidated ISD, also in Fort Bend County, reported about five students per 1,000 active cases on Thursday. The district does not require masks. State data incomplete Jon Charzynski, a father of two boys in Katy ISD, said county vaccination rates have not helped him much in deciding when it will be safe to send his children back to in-person learning. Its just hard because I dont know how the county-wide vaccine numbers translate to the zip codes my district is in, he said, adding that Katy ISD is situated in three different counties. Statewide, about 24 Texas students for every 1,000 have tested positive since the start of the school year, according to DSHS data compiled through Sept. 12. MOST VACCINATED AREAS: Is your Houston neighborhood fully vaccinated? Check our interactive map. The states dashboard listed total new cases reported during the week ending Sept. 12. The data, however, appears to be missing reports from hundreds of districts for that week. The state data also is retroactively corrected, with new cases added from earlier weeks that were missed in previous reports. TEA officials say the state data should be used to look at trends over time, and is not intended to show real-time case counts. Charzynski, who has been tracking cumulative cases in Katy ISD on his own website, said he also wonders if the recent four-day weeks due to Labor Day and a tropical storm may have caused a decrease in cases. Local school systems in counties with lower rates of community vaccination have seen more cases per 1,000 students, especially those that do not mandate masks. Waller ISD had the highest per capita incidence of COVID-19 among students out of the districts analyzed, recording roughly 11 cases per 1,000 students. Less than half 42.7 percent of the population over 12 has been vaccinated in Waller County, DSHS numbers show. A slice of the district is in Harris County, where 63.7 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated. In a message at the start of the month, Waller ISD Superintendent Kevin Moran said masks were strongly encouraged. The Texas Legislature, Gov. Abbott, and the Texas Education Agency have either completely banned or implemented unrealistic guidelines that prevent us from instituting some of the mitigation strategies used to keep our WISD family safe last year, Moran said. I want to focus on what we can do to help keep each other healthy and safe this year. We are continuing to encourage thorough hand washing and/or the use of hand sanitizer. If a student, staff member, or visitor wants a mask, but doesnt have one, we will provide them one. Cy-Fair, Deer Park, Santa Fe and Lamar Consolidated ISDs each had about seven cases per 1,000 students. Those districts do not require masking and are in Harris and Galveston counties, which have similar rates of vaccination. In Galveston County, 62.3 percent of the population is vaccinated. Aldine, Channelview and Galveston ISDs had roughly three cases per 1,000 students. At Spring ISD, there were roughly six cases per 1,000 students. All four districts require masks. Extraneous factors It is difficult to determine how mask mandates alone are affecting transmission of the virus in the region, said Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health in Dallas and author of the popular blog Your Local Epidemiologist. Schools with face covering requirements may be implementing other mitigation strategies, which clouds the data, she said. And other factors contribute to infection rates, such as community vaccination rates. When you look at these policy questions and try to analyze them, you have to take into account all of these extraneous factors, Jetelina said. Its just going to take a while for the data to play out to find out if theres a true causal link between mask mandates and case rates. Already, masking has been identified by medical professionals as a key to curbing spread. At Houston ISDs Sept. 9 Board of Trustees meeting, Superintendent Millard House II said the district had seen .6 percent positive cases among students since the start of the school year. Without, of course, the mask mandate, I dont think this would have happened, House said. We appreciate your support and where we are. The question for districts to implement such requirements remains politically divisive and legally unclear. Attorney General Ken Paxton has pledged to sue school systems that buck Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order barring government entities and school districts from issuing mask mandates. In the region, he made good on that promise two weeks ago when he sued Spring and Galveston ISDs. Last week, a Galveston County district judge denied Paxtons request for a temporary restraining order on Galveston ISDs mask mandate. On Tuesday, a handful of districts, including Houston and Spring ISDs, asked a state appeals court to block Paxton from pursuing lawsuits over mask mandates. The attorney general has seen both victories and losses in his legal effort to bring districts into compliance with the governors executive order. School districts have no appetite for legal fights, typically, and they generally are rule followers said Joy Baskin, division director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards. The idea of contradicting whats been put in place by the governor is not something a school district would take on lightly. They certainly dont do it because of a desire to be in a political fight of any sort. KIPP Texas Public Schools, for example, rescinded its mask requirement Wednesday after receiving a letter from Paxtons office threatening legal action. Dozens of districts, however, have defied the governors order, according to a list posted online by the attorney generals office. The list is not completely accurate. Midway ISD near Waco had been listed, but the district said it did not require masks. No absolute resolution has emerged from court rulings so far. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education this week launched a civil rights investigation into Abbotts ban on mask mandates in schools. On HoustonChronicle.com: City to offer free COVID-19 testing for Houston, Aldine ISD students and staff For some districts, the matter is too pressing to wait for any answers or guidance. In Texas City, school officials made the decision to implement a mask mandate the day before the start of the school year, said Dr. Terri Burchfield, deputy superintendent for support services. Despite anticipating push-back, Burchfield said she could count the number of students who have not complied since school began. On the other hand, some parents have been unsettled. She recounted a recent conversation with one such parent who was worried and upset about their kids constitutional rights. The exchange started with anger but the two kept talking, about the safety of other students and the safety of the parents child. Eventually, they reached an agreement: The parent was going to keep their child in the district with a mask. I really think that conversations just have to be about the data, you know, and take a little bit of the emotion out of it, Burchfield said. We are doing it for the best interest of the kids. hannah.dellinger@chron.com julian.gill@chron.com alejandro.serrano@chron.com Officials in El Paso County claim its largest city has reached the level of herd immunity from COVID-19, but state medical experts say its not that easy to discern. As of Sept. 20, 75 percent of El Paso residents 12 and older were fully vaccinated, according to Jorge Rodriguez, the assistant fire chief and emergency management coordinator for the city of El Paso. In a meeting with the El Paso County Commissioners Court, Rodriguez said the city is ahead of federal vaccination goals. That is in terms of herd immunity, something weve been working on as a community, Rodriguez said. Were the first city in Texas to receive this level of vaccines within a community were really proud of the effort to get to this point, and were seeing the benefits of it. But experts say the city is not yet at herd immunity levels, nor is the definition of such a level quite as cut and dry as some presume. Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, does not use the phrase herd immunity anymore because its so often misunderstood by government officials and can be used as a way to avoid COVID prevention measures, he said. SHARE YOUR STORY: We're looking to talk to health care workers about what it's been like on the frontlines of COVID Everyone wants it to be a percentage that we get to, and (the pandemic) is over, said Ben Neuman, chief virologist at Texas A&M Universitys Global Health Research Complex. But it doesnt work that way. Herd immunity is when the virus naturally controls itself without any further public health measures, such as using vaccines, face masks and social distancing, Neuman explained. The phenomenon requires an observation of cases and vaccine rates over a longer period of time. Its not cases went down this week, therefore weve hit it; we need more data, he said. Herd immunity is how you can explain that a vaccine is working by being able to look at the point where the virus started to control itself. Weve been trying to use it as a predictive tool. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, El Paso County has fully vaccinated 519,425 people over the age of 12. Thats 62 percent of the estimated county population of 836,062 people. Dr. Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine, does not believe El Paso has reached the necessary vaccination rate to claim herd immunity. Herd immunity is when theres not enough people to basically sustain the epidemic, Klotman said. And the way you know that, functionally, is that the case number would drop to very, very low levels. El Paso County recorded 1,448 positive cases and 111 COVID hospitalizations on Sept. 20, according to the county-city health department. Eight new deaths were attributed to COVID last week. For true herd immunity, Klotman said about 85 percent of the total population would have to be completely immune either through natural immunity from a previous infection or by vaccination. On HoustonChronicle.com: New moms fight for their lives away from newborns, as Houston sees rise in pregnant COVID patients What happens when you get the herd immunity is, the virus is always there theres always some susceptible people but the number of cases is always well below the number of people who are susceptible, Klotman said. Because the delta variant is hyper-contagious compared to previous strains, a larger number of immune people would be required to hit any level of herd immunity, said Dr. James McCarthy, chief physician executive for the Memorial Hermann Health System. With the alpha and beta variants early in the pandemic, one infected person could pass the virus to three others. With delta, one person can infect seven people, which is close to the transmission rate of measles and smallpox, he said. Polio needed vaccination of 80 percent to not spread in an immunized community, McCarthy said. We have measles outbreaks periodically because an infected person comes into a community that is not vaccinated at 95 percent, and it causes flare-ups. On HoustonChronicle.com: Are mask mandates actually helping Houston school districts slow the spread of COVID-19? Herd immunity cannot be reached without first immunizing children and adolescents, McCarthy said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will continue to review evidence that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective and safe for children between the ages of 5 and 11 before it issues emergency-use approval. Waning antibody strength can also factor into a communitys ability to reach herd immunity, he said. Pfizer has released information indicating its vaccines lose efficacy after six months, while Moderna loses strength after eight months, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to call for booster shots for vulnerable members of the population. Its reasonable to say the protection we gave to a 70-year-old in January has dropped significantly, which means they have the ability to spread the disease again if they get infected, McCarthy said. We know people who got sick last summer with the alpha strain are now getting infected with the delta variant. julie.garcia@chron.com twitter.com/reporterjulie Many Houstonians will soon have access to a COVID-19 booster shot following a Thursday decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to widen eligibility to a vulnerable population, including people with underlying health issues and those who face increased risk of infection from their job. Certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients, already are eligible for a third dose. Now, the CDC says people age 65 years and older, long-term care home residents and people age 50 to 64 years old with underlying health problems should also receive the booster shot six months after the initial Pfizer series. People in the 18- to 49-year-old age group with underlying medical conditions can also get the shot, as well as frontline healthcare workers and others with jobs prone to exposure. Its very comforting to know that we have that extra protection, since we are in the medical field, said Baylor nurse Liz Bernica, 64, who received her third dose Friday at the Baylor Medicine Vaccine Clinic. Personally, I do have a condition that puts me at higher risk, so I appreciate that extra layer of protection. Baylor College of Medicine was among the first to administer booster shots for its workers on Friday afternoon. Memorial Hermann will offer a third dose at a Saturday morning vaccine clinic at Ross Sterling Middle School in Humble and will offer more doses starting Monday at its walk-in clinics. Houston Methodist will also offer boosters starting Monday. St. Lukes Health expects to offer the additional doses as early as next week but did not release an exact date. Harris Health System will offer boosters for staff next Thursday and is preparing to offer the shots to more eligible people. On HoustonChronicle.com: ECMO saved this Houston COVID patient after months of devastation. Now she tells her story from home A number of CVS Pharmacy locations, including 495 throughout Texas, also began administering Pfizer boosters on Friday, the company announced. The CDCs decision opened up additional shots to millions of Americans and represented a new phase in the countrys effort to squelch the virus. The agencys guidance came down following days of contentious debate between advisers and American health officials over the need and eligibility requirements for boosters. Some experts worry the push for boosters may cast doubt on the initial doses. Evidence still shows the vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness, though Pfizers data showed waning immunity over time. About 64 percent of the countrys eligible population those 12 and older is fully vaccinated, and 75 percent have received their first dose. In Texas, 61 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated. The vast majority of COVID hospitalizations and death are among the unvaccinated. We will not boost our way out of this pandemic, warned CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. A CDC panel had originally excluded frontline healthcare workers younger than 65 from its recommendation, but Walensky took the rare step of overriding her own advisers. Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom was incensed at the panels initial decision to exclude healthcare workers, and grateful for Walenskys move. We owe it those individuals to protect them to the fullest, he said. Picture being a nurse, and you care day-in and day out in the ICU for critically ill, intubated patients with COVID they are knowingly at a much higher risk than the general public. He added that additional infections will force more doctors and nurses to quarantine, exacerbating staffing shortages. Boom said third doses are strongly encouraged for staff who received Pfizers vaccine but not yet required. Methodist was the nations first major health system to require the first series of shots for employees, triggering a lawsuit and the firing or resignation of 153 employees. He said he expects to mandate a full schedule of doses once additional data becomes available for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. A booster decision has not been made for people who received those shots. SHARE YOUR STORY: We're looking to talk to health care workers about what it's been like on the frontlines of COVID For now, mixing the Pfizer booster with the initial doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson is not recommended, said Kristin Wade, chief operating officer of clinical operations at Baylor College of Medicine. She said researchers are still studying how mixing the shots may affect immune responses. Studies are showing that Moderna vaccines arent waning as much, so people who got Moderna need to feel very comfortable that theyre still very well covered against serious illness, said Wade. Wade, who was fully vaccinated in January, also received her booster shot on Friday. She said the doses are especially important for frontline healthcare workers because they were among the first to be eligible, and therefore have a greater chance of waning immunity. I have relief that I now have moved through the next phase of what I can do to protect me and others, she said. Houston-area resident Dan Teel, 66, is eager to become eligible for a booster after he received the Moderna doses. He hopes the company will release more details next month. He said he has been cautious throughout the pandemic and feels fine, despite his diabetes. He is more concerned about people who flout vaccines altogether. I know people who wont take the vaccine and theres nothing I can say to make any difference, even though theyve known people who died and I know people who died, he said. julian.gill@chron.com Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The city health department will provide free on-campus COVID-19 testing to students and staffers at several Houston and Aldine ISD campuses through a partnership expected to start later this year. Schools in communities that have high COVID infection rates and low vaccination rates will be prioritized, HISD said in a statement Thursday. Parents at those schools will have to sign a consent form for their kids to be tested. Harris County leaders on Friday blasted the Texas secretary of states decision to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the 2020 election in four counties, including Harris, as a political ploy to appease conspiracy theorists and former President Donald Trump. County Judge Lina Hidalgo accused Gov. Greg Abbott of trying to curry favor with the former president, who on Thursday called for an audit of the Texas results, despite comfortably carrying the state in his unsuccessful bid for re-election. She likened the effort to audits in Arizona and Pennsylvania, which have failed to find major errors in vote tallying. There is no evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities in Harris Countys 2020 election, where a record 1.7 million voters participated. This does not deserve to be treated as a serious matter or serious audit, Hidalgo said. It is an irresponsible political trick. It is a sham. It is a cavalier and dangerous assault on voters and democracy. ELECTIONS: Texas has begun a 2020 election results audit in 4 counties. Here's everything you need to know Precisely who ordered the audits of election results for Harris, Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties, as well as what they would entail, remains a mystery. The Secretary of States Office distributed a news release Thursday evening, though the secretary of state post has been vacant since May and spokesman Sam Taylor did not respond to a request for comment. Harris County last year was the largest jurisdiction in the United States to use voting machines that did not produce a paper record. The county since has purchased new machines. County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said she was surprised by the secretary of states announcement, noting she had spoken with that offices staff hours earlier about an unrelated matter. Longoria said no state agency or department has provided her with any information about how the audit of Harris Countys election results will be conducted. After the 2020 contest, Longoria said her office conducted a partial manual review of mail ballots and electronic records from voting machines. Eleven months later, Longoria said she has turned her attention toward preparing for future elections. Im now being blindsided about an audit that we have no information on and no direction on, Longoria said. My job is protect the voters not just open up the books to whoever has a new conspiracy of the day, and let you run rampant with confidential election records. COUNTY JUDGE: Why the Humble ISD board president is challenging Judge Lina Hidalgo County Attorney Christian Menefee said the Texas audit is clearly being done in bad faith since it was announced just hours after Trump requested it. All three Harris County officials said they will comply with the law and any potential rulings from judges, but would otherwise not take the audit effort seriously. The goal of this is to intimidate our election workers and the folks who volunteer in elections, to undermine our confidence in democracy and to pander to a gentleman who lost an election 11 months ago, Menefee said. Were going to continue to push back where appropriate. Commissioners Court is divided over party lines on the audit. The two Democratic commissioners, Adrian Garcia and Rodney Ellis, said they agreed with Hidalgos criticism. Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said despite county elections officials assurances that the 2020 contest was conducted securely, he does not know if that is accurate. I think theres enough questions there, Ramsey said. Obviously, you need to go back and look at the numbers. Just because there hasnt been anything (found) at this point, doesnt mean it didnt happen. Thats why you do an audit. He did not elaborate on what those questions were. The other Republican commissioner, Precinct 4s Jack Cagle, was unavailable for comment Friday. zach.despart@chron.com Six days a week, two carloads of young activists and retirees carry bags full of documents out of an Asiatown restaurant, past the tantalizing aromas of simmering pork bone broth, Sichuan mala tang and kimchi soup. In a few hours, voter registration flyers left by the activists will hang from hundreds of doors at apartment complexes across southwest Houston. At Shabu House, an Asiatown staple since the early 2000s, serving the community means comfort food and civic engagement, said owner Deborah Chen. The restaurant specializes in the convivial Chinese hot pot, where guests order heaping platters of raw vegetables, tofu and delicately curled beef and lamb slices, cooking them in pots on the table. The menus wide range of cultural influences is an example of the sheer diversity that makes Houstons Asiatown unique in the country, said Chen. But aging restaurant owners are retiring, costs are rising and global competition from chain restaurants is intensifying, she said. Chen said traditional restaurants like Shabu House can succeed by taking a more active role in a local community centered around the meals and spaces they provide, which is what she did when she became a part-owner in late 2019. But it will require defying social norms that have kept many Asiatown businesses uninvolved in community activism. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. Pandemic displacement For decades, the southwest Houston neighborhood has been the culinary soul of many Asian American communities. More than a hundred Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and South Asian restaurants jostle for space on a five-mile stretch of Bellaire Boulevard. Asian grocery stores, salons, civic centers and ornate Buddhist temples round out a dazzling array of activities. RESTAURANTS: The ultimate guide to eating in Houstons Asiatown Many shops ran on thin profit margins in good years, Chen said. The pandemic-related downturn accelerated the loss of decades-old restaurants, and with them, complex culinary skills, she said. I think were the only hot pot place now that makes their pork bone broth completely from scratch, said Chen. Not every traditional restaurant is out of options. After Chen got involved with Shabu House, she began expanding the menu with Asian snack trays and milk teas, building on hot pots image as the ultimate comfort food to draw a more diverse crowd, she said. Hot pot is my favorite Chinese dish, I grew up eating hot pot with family, Chen said. When I got in, we added Taiwanese golden bread buns thats a pure childhood treat. It evokes childhood memories. It makes me remember my grandmother. But the pandemic soon slammed into Asiatown, devastating the community. In January 2020, a false rumor of a COVID-19 outbreak, fueled by social media and local political ads blaming Chinese people for the virus, emptied Asiatown shops well before the city locked down in March. At the time, Chen said, she was one of a few business owners willing to speak out against the rumor alongside local officials. Chen, an immigration attorney and Asian American activist, said shed planned to set a different example with Shabu House. I came into this wanting to create a community space, she said. I wanted to show that you can be a successful business and support community work at the same time. But Chen quickly faced financial shortfalls as local governments imposed restrictions on restaurant dining and and many customers stayed away. Like many traditional restaurants, Shabu House depended on a loyal base of multigenerational families that visited Asiatown regularly. If you take just the (Chinese) language schools alone, on a typical Saturday or Sunday, you have hundreds of families that are here to grocery shop or go see grandma, grandpa and take them out to eat with the grandkids, Chen said. Because of COVID, everyone was shut in. Each shopping plaza lost three to four restaurants, she said, including some of her childhood favorites. Shabu House became the only Asiatown restaurant to install anti-COVID curtains over booths, she said. But the safety measures couldnt convince many regulars to return. In the middle of COVID, July, August, we would have many days where wed have zero sales, Chen said. We just didnt believe it could ever be this bad. Personal savings and federal Paycheck Protection Program loans helped pay the bills. Chen said she had to get creative about serving and engaging the community. By fall 2020, Shabu House was stacked high with boxes of flyers promoting the 2020 Census, voter registration and pandemic rent relief. Waitstaff and volunteers with OCA-Greater Houston, an Asian American nonprofit that Chen helped lead, met daily to assemble and drop off the flyers at more than 200,000 residences in nearby neighborhoods. HITTING THE STREETS: How an Asiatown nonprofit brought the 2020 Census to 221,000 doorsteps Its an effort Chen and OCA-GH are repeating for the local election this fall. On a recent evening, plates clattered and hot pots roiled as waitstaff tended to guests and stuffed bags with flyers. Canvassers filed into the restaurant after finishing an apartment complex. Working at a corner table covered in OCA-GH paperwork, Chen said she was trying to keep Shabu House afloat despite losses from the February winter storm and the emergence of the delta variant, which has kept away families with elders. Chen said Shabu House, like most applicants, didnt receive any aid from the federal restaurant revitalization fund in June. She said she fears a lack of funds will further disadvantage traditional restaurants when Asiatown recovers. Some places did well because they were more mainstream, they had more money to spend on social media and they hired people to start marketing for them, said Chen. Most small mom-and-pop places couldnt afford that. Two regulars dining on a recent weekend said they have no plans to stop coming. Shabu House stands out above the rest for me, said Wesley You, a recent college graduate. It's where my family has been going for around 10 years now. Reading the OCA-GH flyers, You asked Chen if he could volunteer with the canvassing team. He said it was encouraging to see Shabu House serving as both a restaurant and a community service hub. Its super-unique and made me want to learn more about Asian American issues, You said. Uncertain recovery From her perch at the OCA-GH table, Chen could see everything at Shabu House but the future. More Texans are being vaccinated in time for hot pot weather, she said as tables filled up one evening. A week earlier, the restaurant had taken down its anti-COVID curtains after customers said it reminded them more of the pandemic than pandemic safety, she said. In the fall, Chen said, she would test new lunch box specials and bubble tea flavors to attract customers from a wave of Houstonians just discovering Asiatown. She was hopeful more regulars would gradually return, too. I think theyll come back because they like the food and they like the fact that we know their names, or at least what they want to order, Chen said. She paused, looking out at the evening crowd milling past a Taiwanese cafe, next to an acupuncture spa, next to a karaoke bar. A constellation of neon signs flickered as the sun set. Im planning to re-do the windows to put better pictures of our food, Chen said. And on the other side, to have information about community events. charlie.zong@chron.com A groundbreaking racially integrated art show is being honored in Houston on its fiftieth anniversary. The exhibit,originally in the heart of Houstons Fifth Ward, can now be viewed through the end of the month at the DeLuxe Theater. Art For The People celebrates The De Luxe Show with original Menil Collection photographs of the exhibit that brought Black paintings and sculptures to the forefront of the fine arts scene and made them accessible for the local community. The Menil Foundation sponsored the exhibit during a turbulent time in the nation when Black artists were denied equal opportunities sometimes for exhibits on their own communities and backgrounds, according to the Texas State Historical Association. More than 4,000 people attended the show in its first year . The show, said to be one of the first integrated exhibits in the nation, transformed the once-decayed De Luxe Theater back to life and helped solidify it as a mainstay of the community long after the exhibition closed. The exhibit now is available for viewing 12 pm - 8 pm Monday-Friday and 12 pm - 5 pm Saturday-Sunday through September 30 at The Deluxe Theater at 3303 Lyons Avenue. The show is hosted by the 5th Ward Cultural Arts Districts, and will also feature Houston and Fifth Ward artists, including David Graeve, Kaneem Smith, George Smith, Mel Chin, Jesse Lott, and Emily Sloan. The reason this historical and revolutionary art show was successful is because of the people of 5th Ward, Harrison Guy, Director of Arts and Culture at Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, the nonprofit that hosts the 5th Ward CAD, said in a release. Photographs from the Menil Collection archives will show former Congressman, then activist, Mickey Leland and state Sen. Barbara Jordan, neighborhood children gathered about as the artists were installing the exhibit, and much more. rebecca.hennes@chron.com Regarding Editorial: Dogs are on the agenda in the Texas Legislature, but not foster kids, (Sept. 22): My grandfather was born before the Civil War and didnt die until after the Korean War started. He had a favorite story that he told at any time that he could. He would say that he had had a successful life as he had raised five kids to adulthood and none of them had ended up in the state penitentiary or the state Legislature. As a lad I didnt understand why the adults always chuckled at this observation. I do now. Kent Marshall, Sugar Land I am puzzled by this editorial. Certainly, the lack of foster homes, abundance of children needing foster care, failure of parents to protect and care for their children, and overburdened caseworkers are cause for concern and worthy of new solutions. However, I dont see how objecting to the murder of unborn children has anything to do with this. All of these children in foster care were born in a time when their mothers could have legally aborted them, yet the mothers did not. Judy Ruhlin, Cypress National debt Regarding Opinion: Adding to the national debt is a bipartisan vice, (Sept. 20): Americas huge national debt is due to two factors: inadequate taxation of people and businesses that can easily afford to pay more, and a general denial of governments essential role of providing necessities when there is no adequate private sector provision. Politicians discovered in the 1980s that tax cuts are essentially a legal way to buy votes. This yielded an increase in the national debt from $930 billion in January 1981 when President Reagan took office to $2.6 trillion by 1988, all while Reagan put pressure on every cabinet department to cut spending. Joe Biden would have to add another $51 trillion dollars to the current national debt to match Reagans near-tripling of the debt. Meanwhile, we have neglected essential economic functions of government such as infrastructure, funding higher education, health care and paying down the national debt. A current concern is the depletion of both the Medicare and Social Security trust funds. A nation brainwashed during the Cold War to think that the private sector marketplace will provide all necessities refuses to grasp the critical need for the public sector. If we could make democracy work again, we would revel in the fact the people control the actions of government through their elected representatives. Michael Douglas Gilbert, Houston Political cartoon Regarding Opinion (Sept. 22): Wednesdays political cartoon (A14) depicts a guy watching TV. The TV announcer gives him one of the all too familiar Stand by and well bring you updates on the many disasters facing our country. In a pitiful attempt at humor, behind the viewer is the visage of Donald Trump peeking through the leaves of a potted plant with the comment, Miss me yet? First of all, the cartoon closely resembles a billboard from the early post-Bush era, depicting the dethroned president throwing out the same question. Hardly original. This pitiful attempt at humor plays to the right-wing messaging regarding the near infallibility of one Donald Trump, their noble leader. It also glosses over the reality that the disasters depicted in the cartoon can all be laid at the feet of the same Donald Trump and his minions. Just taking the vaccine disaster as an example, the COVID crisis now facing our nation can be almost entirely attributed to Trumps successful politicization of an otherwise medical problem. Trumps efforts are now boldly carried forward by his base and the Republican political machine which has sold out completely to that base. Political cartoons are supposed to expose some deeper truth. This one merely reflects ingrained biases of Trumps base. Michael Martin, Mission Bend Gasoline engines are dinosaurs Regarding Tomlinson: Is Texas oil and gas entering its final boom cycle? (Sept. 22): I agree with Tomlinson. Gasoline engines are on the way out. They are amazingly inefficient. A gallon of gasoline costs, on average, about twice as much as the comparable cost to run an electric car.. They stink. They are so complicated; they break down a lot. Not to mention global warming. No wonder California and New York have banned sales of gasoline-powered cars by 2035. Everyone, including Houston, is getting electric buses.General Motors will stop selling gasoline vehicles by 2035. Ford is taking reservations for its electric truck, the F-150 Lightning. My electric car gets 118 miles per gallon gasoline-equivalent. After 18,000 miles, I have never done any maintenance, not even an oil change. I just plug into a 110 volt outlet and, in the morning, it's charged. Nan Hildreth, Houston The Texas secretary of states office announced Thursday it had begun a full and comprehensive forensic audit of the 2020 election in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Collins counties. The announcement followed a request earlier in the day from President Donald Trump, who had asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to add House Bill 16 a proposal that would empower candidates and party chairs to request audits of the 2020 election and future contests to the legislative agenda. We're quickly running out of time and it must be done this week, Trump wrote to Abbott, whom Trump has endorsed for re-election over his three main Republican primary opponents. Texans know voting fraud occurred in some of their counties. Let's get to the bottom of the 2020 presidential election scam! Here's everything we know so far about the audit: How does an audit work? The secretary of state's office has not provided many details on how the audit is being conducted. House Bill 16, which has not been considered by the House, and a similar bill passed by the Senate propose allowing certain stakeholders to request an explanation and supporting documentation when they suspect a local election official had violated the law, or when they want more information about alleged irregularities in precinct-level election results. If they weren't satisfied, they could ask the Texas secretary of state to conduct an audit. Abbott gave the secretary of state this responsibility when he signed Senate Bill 1, the Republican priority elections bill to further stiffen Texas voting rules into law earlier this month. The secretary of state must audit the elections held in four randomly selected counties after November elections in even-numbered years. Two of the counties must have a population of at least 300,000. Speaking of secretary of state... The secretary of state's office is conducting the audit even though the position has been vacant ever since Ruth Hughs resigned in May after saying the election was "smooth and secure" something Democrats believe fueled her ouster. What local leaders are saying Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo: Donald Trump ordered Gov. Abbott to audit the 2020 Texas election and, like clockwork, TX just initiated an audit of Harris County voters. Democracy isn't a game. These fake audits are an affront to all voters, & pure pandering to the kinds of extremists that stormed our Capitol. Donald Trump ordered Gov. Abbott to audit the 2020 Texas election and, like clockwork, TX just initiated an audit of Harris County voters. Democracy isn't a game. These fake audits are an affront to all voters, & pure pandering to the kinds of extremists that stormed our Capitol. Former State Senator Don Huffines: Im glad President Trump is pushing Greg Abbott to pass a forensic election audit here in Texas. Together, we can force him to do things he doesn't want to do." Audit success rate in other states Since losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, Trump and his supporters have set out to reexamine the results of a number of swing states carried by Biden, arguing without evidence that those states were stolen from him through rampant election fraud. In most cases, these calls for election audits are disregarded. In Arizona, a hand recount has not only reiterated official results that showed President Joe Biden had won, but found that Trump lost by an even larger margin than earlier results declared, according to Newsweek. The hand count found Trump won 45,469 fewer votes than Biden, whereas earlier county results showed he lost by 45,109a relatively small discrepancy of 360. In Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers voted recently to launch a similar "forensic investigation," but the results have not been announced yet. GOP officials and voters have pushed for similar probes in at least four other states including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire. Who pays the bill? The secretary of states office said in a statement that it expects the Legislature to provide funding for the audits. State Rep. Jim Murphy, a Republican from West Houston, announced this week he is not seeking re-election to the Texas House. Murphy, the chair of the House Republican Caucus and House Higher Education Committee, is serving his seventh term in the Legislature. He has represented House District 133, which takes in the Energy Corridor and other parts of West Houston, from 2007 to 2009 and again since 2011. In June, Murphy had announced he would seek another term once his current one ends in January 2023. He did not say why he reversed course. It has been an honor and privilege to serve the great people of District 133 and the State of Texas these past seven terms, Murphy said in a statement. Im not going away anytime soon; Im just looking forward to lifes next great opportunity. Murphy, long involved with West Houston business development, served for more than 20 years as the founding president of the Westchase District, a 4.2-square-mile municipal management district that collects taxes from commercial property owners to fund improvements and services. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox A former school teacher, Murphy also was a trustee on the Houston Community College Board from 1997 to 2006. He joined the Legislature in 2007 after defeating one of his current Republican colleagues, Mike Schofield, in a runoff for an open seat. After narrowly losing the seat in 2008 during a wave year for Texas Democrats, Murphy won it back in 2010 and has retained it ever since. Murphys announcement comes with the Legislature on the verge of redrawing the states political maps, including the boundaries of all 150 Texas House districts. The process, known as redistricting, has prompted a rash of retirement announcements from Republicans, giving their party more flexibility to reshape their districts as they aim to retain the GOP majority in Austin. Murphy, however, is the first lawmaker from Houston to announce he is opting against re-election. Many of the other retiring lawmakers represent districts in rural areas of the state that are at risk of losing seats because they have not kept up with Texas overall population growth unlike Murphys West Houston district. Long considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the House, Murphy in recent years has drawn the ire of hardline conservative activists, who point to his low rating on a handful of conservative-run websites that track lawmakers votes and assign them a score. Republican lawmakers heaped praise on Murphy after he announced his decision on Thursday, however among them former House speaker Dennis Bonnen, who supported Murphy in his bid for House GOP Caucus chair. You were never afraid to speak the truth even if the truth wasnt popular or advantageous, Bonnen tweeted at Murphy. I will always be grateful for your integrity, loyalty, and friendship during our service together in the (Legislature). In 2017, Murphy was appointed chair of the House committee that oversees special purpose districts, a move that raised eyebrows, given his ties to the Westchase District. Though Murphy relinquished his position as president of the special purpose district upon winning election to the House in 2006, he continued to consult for the district through a newly formed company, serving as its general manager. The district paid Murphys company, which incurred some business expenses but had no other employees, more than $900,000 over a three-year period, the Chronicle reported in 2017. At the time, Murphy defended his dual work as a legislator and consultant for the district, which partially overlaps with his own seat. I think that my experience or expertise is a tremendous value-add to the committees work and to the state of Texas, he said. I have a reputation for fairness on all kinds of complicated legislation. We are going to listen to both sides. jasper.scherer@chron.com U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is raising the pressure on President Joe Biden and his administration to stop the mass deportations of Haitian migrants who have streamed into the Texas border town of Del Rio. Mass deportation is not the answer, the Houston Democrat said. A humanitarian response is what Haitian migrants need. Now. Jackson Lee said shell be meeting with Haitian migrants in Del Rio on Sunday to see conditions there. Her comments come as the Biden administration continues to face criticism from Republicans for not being more forceful in keeping migrants from crossing into the United States. Biden is also being blasted by Democrats and progressives, including Jackson Lee, over his use of a Trump-era public health order to immediately expel tens of thousands of migrants each month due to coronavirus concerns. IN-DEPTH: Haitian crisis reignites criticism of Bidens border policy from the left Jackson Lee, who has frequently visited Haiti during her 27 years in Congress, said she is worried that many of the Haitians are not getting a chance to make their case for asylum in the United States. Haitians have witnessed the assassination of their president and another debilitating earthquake that has affected over 800,000 people and killed thousands, she said. Many of the individuals that have fled to the U.S. southern border are attempting to escape political oppression, persecution, instability and state failure. Jackson Lee earlier this week made a similar point in an exchange with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a committee hearing in Washington. Jackson Lee said Houston is already home to many Haitian immigrants and we welcome them. She said images along the border of agents on horseback rounding up migrants are troubling and need to be investigated. These are cruel, inhumane, human rights abuses and a violation of domestic and international law, Jackson Lee said Friday. I maintain that we must humanely process Haitian asylum seekers at our border. Mayorkas, who visited Del Rio on Monday, insisted his agency is investigating the treatment of migrants and will not tolerate any abuse by agents. On Saturday up to 15,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, were amassed in Del Rio in a makeshift campsite under the Del Rio-Ciudad Acuna International Bridge. In response, the Biden administration surged 400 agents and officers to the Del Rio sector and began transferring thousands of migrants to border processing centers in other regions as well as flying many others back to Haiti or other nations of origin. Fewer than 9,000 migrants remained as of Thursday. jeremy.wallace@chron.com OKLAHOMA CITY Ianthe Davis ended her bartending shift at 4 a.m. one recent morning in Dallas. An hour later, a friend picked her up and drove her three hours up Interstate 35 to this capital city so she could get an abortion a procedure that became almost impossible to obtain in her home state of Texas after a new law went into effect this month. At a clinic in Oklahoma City, Davis was treated by another woman who was far from home, Dr. Rebecca Taub. The obstetrician and gynecologist travels once a month from her home in the East Bay to the small clinic, where she performs dozens of abortions over the course of two days. After the procedure, Davis and her friend turned around and drove home. As a bartender, Davis said, If I dont work, I dont make money. A Texas woman, an Oklahoma clinic and a California doctor: The scene offered a snapshot of the landscape under the Texas law that bans nearly all abortions after an embryonic heartbeat is detected usually around six weeks and makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse or incest. The new law also enables private citizens to sue anyone who either performs an abortion or aids and abets one and collect $10,000 plus their legal fees if they win the case. The law has narrow exceptions to protect the life of the mother or if continuing a pregnancy would cause substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The Chronicle spoke to several women on a recent weekend who traveled from Texas to a one-story, mustard-brick building in suburban Oklahoma City called the Trust Women clinic, where Taub has been working. Clinic officials said they have seen a roughly 50% increase in patients overall since the new legislation took effect, including 110 women from Texas over the past seven days. That is as many as visited the clinic during all of August. The length of Davis journey is not unusual. Before the ban, the average woman of childbearing age in Texas lived 17 miles from the nearest abortion provider, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. Now, the average driving distance is 247 miles. The Texans most affected by the new law will be women of color, who constitute 70% of those who received abortions in 2019, according to Guttmacher. Abortion access is so limited in Dallas, the nations ninth-largest city, that Davis contacted a clinic there before the law took effect this month but was turned away. They said they wouldnt be able to perform the procedure, she said. Demand for the clinic was so strong that she would have been 14 weeks pregnant by the time an appointment was available. The new law confused Davis. She feared telling many people about her situation because if you do, you might get charged or something like that. I know there are $10,000 rewards for people who supply information about women obtaining abortions, she said. She had heard of clinics in Arkansas and New Mexico that were seeing patients, but Trust Women was closer. When she arrived in Oklahoma City, she was just a few days over six weeks pregnant. Davis said she understands placing limits on abortion. Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that provided women the right to have an abortion, permits the procedure until about 24 weeks, when the fetus can survive outside the womb. I do understand putting a limit, I get that part, said Davis, 27. Most people dont find out because its like, soon as hell. And then there are people who were raped. Davis had a supportive family and a friend willing to drive her to a clinic. But she said she knows other Texas women who, because they cant afford to travel out of state, are trying scientifically dubious methods of pregnancy termination that are popular online, like taking large amounts of vitamin C. But that just didnt sound that effective to me, she said. So I made the drive. She worried about the extreme measures that others confronting unwanted pregnancies might attempt. Its probably gonna get bad, Davis said. I mean, I heard one girl tried to drink bleach. The U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Texas to try to block the abortion law, saying it violates womens constitutional rights by creating an undue burden on those who want to have an abortion. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Texas. Until then, a steady stream of women like Davis will continue coming to the Trust Women clinic, where they will be greeted by doctors like Taub. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The 35-year-old East Bay obstetrician and gynecologist, clad in blue surgical scrubs, performs roughly two dozen abortions a day when she is in town because it is difficult for the clinic to recruit local doctors, a common situation in states where the procedure is culturally shunned and women are required to scale many hurdles to obtain one. To Taub, this is a form of activism. After seeing out-of-state patients and calls to the Oklahoma City clinic swell after the Texas law passed two-thirds of the calls to the clinic inquiring about services are now from the neighboring state she wants to do more. On this day, the waiting room was full of women seeking services they couldnt find close to home. The clinics halls and waiting rooms were full of affirming messages, including posters saying, We Love You! Everyone Loves Someone Who Had an Abortion and Prove Them Wrong. Theres an urgency to the work that people who work with the clinic follow because theyre activists and they believe in this work, Taub said. Since the Texas law took effect, her work has definitely taken on a new urgency. The people who work at the clinic see the urgency in the faces of women like Daffnay McCoy. She, too, had an appointment for an abortion scheduled in Dallas. But she said that when the law took effect, clinic providers there explained that things had changed: They could give her a sonogram, they said, but wouldnt perform an abortion. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle It kind of kind of freaked me out. McCoy said. I got hysterical and started panicking. I was hallucinating like I was going crazy. She said she has suffered from depression in the past and was worried that not being able to secure an abortion was about to bring me back to that dark place. McCoy was already so stressed by her job in the payroll department for a Texas company, she said, that she had been suffering minor seizures. She has two children and felt she wouldnt be able to adequately care for another. She said she is no longer with the father of her two children who also impregnated her most recently though he drove her to the clinic along with their children. McCoy said she wouldnt have known she was even pregnant if she hadnt gone to the hospital because she was ill. But at that time, I was already past six weeks, she said. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Once she arrived in Oklahoma City, wearing a T-shirt that said Fierce and Fabulous, she said she summoned an inner strength. She wished people who wrote the Texas law or those who criticize women for having abortions would be more empathetic toward women with unwanted pregnancies. You dont know how this life came about. You dont know if someone has been raped. Or if someone is going through an illness or a mental(ly unstable) state of mind. You just never know, she said. So to be on the safe side. I just feel as though no one should be obligated to make decisions for another individual. It just doesnt make sense. Judith said she felt the same way. The 33-year-old nurses assistant, who asked that her last name not be used because she does not want her family to know about her abortion, was five weeks along when she learned she was pregnant too far along to find a clinic that could accommodate her before the onset of the laws time limits. She left her home in Houston at 6:30 a.m. so she could arrive at the Oklahoma City clinic in time for her surgical procedure. She completed the 6-hour drive alone, but said it wasnt bad. I prayed. And I listened to my gospel music. It was worth it, she said, because she didnt feel healthy enough to have another child. She has diabetes, and her partner has kidney problems that will soon require dialysis. Plus, she already has four children. We both are sickly people. Were just not well, Judith said. If anything happens to us, whos gonna take care of our baby? Courtney, who also asked to be identified only by her first name, drove three hours to the clinic from a small town near Dallas. She was eight weeks pregnant. The 20-year-olds reasons for seeking an abortion were both personal and medical. She feared that if her devoutly Catholic family learned she was pregnant and unmarried, they would isolate me from the rest of the family. So going to term with this is not an option for me. She also has a medical condition that causes seizures, which had increased since she became pregnant. And so with that Im scared that being pregnant while having seizures could end my life, she said. She tried to find a clinic in Texas, but all of them said that they wouldnt do it because of the heartbeat bill, she said. Adding to her stress was a clutch of anti-abortion demonstrators beyond the 6-foot-high wooden picket stockade fence that surrounds the Oklahoma City clinic. As she walked inside, she said she heard them say, Youre committing murder. Youre sinning. If you need money, or a prayer, we can help. Your baby can be put up for adoption. Im sitting there having to bite my tongue. Literally having to bite my tongue to keep from speaking, she said. My arms are shaking, my hands are shaking, not even able to ignore them, because my emotions were being stirred up. Trust Women clinic officials are expecting the flood of Texas women driving north to grow. Theyre considering expanding their hours and adding staff, and are trying to recruit more doctors like Taub even if they have to pay to fly them into town. On Nov. 1, a similar fetal heartbeat bill is scheduled to take effect in Oklahoma. Abortion rights organizations are attempting to block it. Since the Texas ruling, Taub said some of her California colleagues have asked her about traveling to clinics like she does. But she has more immediate concerns about her patients once they leave Oklahoma and drive home to Texas. There are so many unknowns in how this law can and will be enforced that I am concerned that pharmacists in Texas may not fill prescriptions that they know come from an abortion clinic, even though they are not the medications that are going to enact the abortion, Taub said, referring to ibuprofen and anti-nausea medication she prescribes. Her advice to patients before they head back to Texas: I told them that they had to fill their prescriptions in Oklahoma. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer, and Gabrielle Lurie is a staff photographer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, glurie@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli, @gabriellelurie Congressional Democrats on Friday passed sweeping legislation to uphold abortion rights, a move that follows Texas new virtual ban on the procedure and the U.S. Supreme Courts looming decision on whether to further roll back abortion access. The House vote is thought to be largely symbolic given that the law, the Womens Health Protection Act, is unlikely to overcome Republican opposition in the U.S. Senate. But it is the biggest step Congress has taken in years to counteract the hundreds of abortion restrictions passed by Republican-led statehouses, including in Texas, where the procedure is now prohibited after six weeks gestation, before most women know theyre pregnant. The vote was 218-211, with one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, in opposition. As a woman from Texas, I thank this body for responding with urgency to my beloved home states cruel law, depriving Texans of their constitutional rights, said Houston Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher. HEARING NEXT WEEK: Justice Department seeks to stop enforcement of Texas abortion ban The measure would protect a patients access to abortion and enshrine the ability of health care providers to offer the procedure prior to fetal viability without state restrictions such as requiring special admitting privileges for doctors or imposing sonograms and waiting periods. It also prohibits restrictions on abortion after fetal viability if the treating physician believes continuing the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patients life or health. Republican House members condemned the measure, saying it undercuts womens health and promotes infanticide. This bill is called the Womens Health Protection Act, but make no mistake, no woman is protected under this bill, said Dallas Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne. Rather, it authorizes killing for the sake of convenience. The legislation was brought for a vote this month after Texas enacted the strictest abortion law in the country, known as Senate Bill 8. That law, which allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps a pregnant person obtain an abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, took effect Sept. 1 when a divided U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. It does not include exceptions for rape or incest. IN-DEPTH: Anti-abortion laws used to exempt cases of rape and incest. Not anymore in Texas. The law is still being contested in court, with a hearing on litigation from the U.S. Department of Justice scheduled for next Friday in federal district court. At least two lawsuits have already been filed against a San Antonio abortion provider who says he violated the law earlier this month. Abortion providers in Texas asked the conservative-led Supreme Court on Thursday to take another look at their own challenge to the law, which targets judges and other state officials who they say will play an enforcement role. Abortions are now virtually unnavailable in the state, with nearly seven million women of reproductive age. Several Republican-led states have quickly moved to copy Texas, and conservative justices on Supreme Court could further roll back abortion access as early as next year, when they are expected to rule on a Mississippi case that criminalizes abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Proponents of the Mississippi law have asked the court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that first established the constitutional right to abortion. A bounty in order to stalk a woman The Senate version of the House bill passed Friday has 47 cosponsors. It would need at least 60 supporters to overcome a Republican filibuster. Abortion rights proponents have been calling for the legislation for years, and point to 2021 as a defining moment, not just because of the new Texas law. States have enacted nearly 100 abortion restrictions this year, surpassing the previous record of 89 in 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute. More than 1,300 anti-abortion laws have been passed since Roe, nearly half of them in the past decade. We cannot continue to go back, said Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat. We must move forward and protect our rights. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston likened the vigilante-like enforcement approach to the U.S. slave era, when rewards were offered to those who caught and reported escaped slaves. Under SB 8, people who sue to enforce the law can win at least $10,000 in damages. It actually sets a bounty reminiscent of eras of dastardly life in this country, the slave life, a bounty in order to stalk a woman, said Jackson Lee, a Democrat. I support this legislation because it upholds the constitution. Lawmakers on both sides spoke of their personal experience with abortions, miscarriages and births. Some leaned heavily on their faith when describing their decision to support or oppose the legislation. This bill eliminates protections for women and girls facing coercion, neglect, discrimination, it endangers their health and it ends the life of a living human being with a plan and a purpose from God, and who deserves to live, said Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Missouri Republican. We are here to defend that basic right to life. jeremy.blackman@chron.com As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Wheres my money? songwriters, publishers ask MLC Thanks to services claiming their safe harbor under the Music Modernization Act Title I giveaway, The Mechanical Licensing Collective recently came into $424,000,000, but has so far failed to disburse that money to songwriters and publishers. Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy If anyone connected to The Mechanical Licensing Collective, Inc. quango brings up the $424,000,000 black box payment that the MLC received in February as part of services claiming their safe harbor under the Music Modernization Act Title I giveaway, its usually in the context of claiming credit for the payment as in Arent we great, we got the services to pay $424,000,000 of black box money owed to songwriters. (Followed shortly by so wheres my bonus?) Notice whats not mentioned in that sentence? True, some services paid some money to the MLC which was required by Title I in order for the major infringers like Spotify to enjoy yet another safe harbor. But the payment was not made to songwriters or publishersit was made to the MLC quango, which is where it sits today, seven months later. How could this be, you say? Very simple. Nobody made sure that the MLC was in a position to pay the money out before they took the money in. This is the kind of thing that you would make sure is tied down in the two-plus years the MLC was operational before they got the money. You know, like when did Noah build the Ark? Before the rain. This is the kind of thing you might expect to be mentioned in the MLCs annual report which was due June 30 but seems to have been delayed. What should have happened, of course, is that the Copyright Office in its supposed oversight role for the MLC quango should be closely reviewing MLCs progress with paying out a half billion of other peoples money. This is what you would expect from a bit-in-the mouth hard-driving approach to oversight of hundreds of millions that Congress tasked to the Copyright Office. Ask yourself (or maybe the Library of Congress Inspector General) whether you think that a pre-New Deal federal agency that has never had enforcement powers is culturally suited to the kind of rigorous prosecution that the oversight role requires? Having created the MLC self-licking ice cream cone, does anyone seriously think that the Copyright Office will rock the boat, particularly when the lawyers seem very interested in landing a job at Spotify (regulated by the Copyright Office) or the National Association of Broadcasters both of which have an ontologically hostile relationship with songwriters? Do you think anyone at the MLC is looking over their shoulder because theyre afraid of the Copyright Office? And if they dont fear the oversight, what incentive do they have? Nobody else will be twisting their arms. So should it come as a surprise to anyone that people are asking wheres my money? Or that no one is answering? Share on: Human rights watchdog Freedom House says global Internet freedom has declined dramatically in Belarus, where last years disputed presidential election led the authorities to repeatedly restrict access to the Internet, increase social media surveillance, and detain and use "deadly force against online activists.According to the report Freedom on the Net 2021, published by Washington-based Freedom House on September 21, the "repressive campaign" by authorities against Internet liberty continued into this year, leading to a seven-point decline in the country's Internet freedom -- a drop surpassed only by Burma. Mass protests broke out across Belarus against alleged election fraud after the official results of a August 2020 vote handed authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term in office. The protest movement was met with a brutal crackdown on demonstrators and the opposition from Lukashenkas government, with hundreds of people being prosecuted and jailed. The opposition and the West have refused to recognize the results and called for a new, independently monitored vote. Lukashenka's postelection crackdown included the closure of the offices and blocking of the websites of TUT.by and Nasha Niva, two popular independent media outlets in the country, and the forced diversion in May of a Ryanair flight to Minsk to arrest opposition blogger Raman Pratasevich, the former editor in chief of the popular NEXTA channel on the Telegram messaging platform. Freedom on the Net is an annual report of human rights in the digital sphere. This years report assesses Internet access developments in 70 countries during the period spanning from June 2020 to May 2021. Overall, the report says global Internet freedom declined for the 11th consecutive year, with the greatest deterioration being documented in Burma, followed by Belarus and Uganda. 'Draconian Prison Terms' China ranked as the worst environment for Internet freedom for the seventh year in a row, with the authorities imposing "draconian prison terms for online dissent, independent reporting, and mundane daily communications." In the United States, "false, misleading, and manipulated information continued to proliferate online, affecting public acceptance of the 2020 presidential election results." That led to the countrys score declining for the fifth consecutive year. Officials in at least 48 countries have pursued new rules for tech companies on content, data, and competition to "subdue free expression and gain greater access to private data," according to Freedom House. Authorities suspended Internet access in at least 20 countries, and 21 states blocked access to social media platforms, while authorities in at least 45 countries are "suspected of obtaining sophisticated spyware or data-extraction technology from private vendors." Along with Belarus, Freedom House defines Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Iran as being "not free" countries regarding their level of the Internet freedom. Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan are described as "partly free," while Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, and Hungary are deemed to be "free." 'Labyrinth Of Regulations' In Russia, Freedom House says the government "added to the labyrinth of regulations that international tech companies must navigate in the country." It cited a January law introducing new fines for websites and platforms that fail to remove content the state deems "illegal," while legislation in February reinforced platforms' obligations to identify and remove banned content and required them to coordinate with the federal regulator regarding content moderation decisions. Iran was among governments that imposed "especially egregious sentences" against people arrested or convicted for their online speech. Ruhollah Zam, the manager of the popular Telegram channel Amadnews, was executed in December 2020 after he was accused of inciting violence during Iran's 2017 protests. Ruhollah Zam at his trial in Tehran earlier this year. SEE ALSO: 'Unjust And Barbaric': Execution Of Iranian Dissident Sparks International Outrage Internet users faced physical attacks in retribution for their online activities in dozens of countries, including in Azerbaijan, where one of them was beaten and forced to apologize by local police in January for Facebook posts in which he criticized local government officials. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/freedom-house-internet-freedom-belarus/31472660.html Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito visits the Norad Toy & Candy Co. on Thursday. Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy were finishing a statewide tour to 25 communities to talk about economic needs. State Rep. John Barrett III, Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy and Lawrence D. Andrews, president of Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp., walk Spring Street in Williamstown. Adams Theater owner Yina Moore welcomes the roundtable to the theater. David Moresi gives Polito and state officials are brief tour of the Norad Mill in North Adams. The lieutenant governor is delighted by the candy store. A lot of shopping going on. Polito meets with North Adams business leaders at Gallery 51. PreviousNext Polito, State Officials Hear From North County Business Leaders Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy with state Rep. John Barrett III at the first roundtable Thursday morning at the Log in Williamstown. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Business leaders at the three largest communities in North County had a similar message for state officials: There's lots of opportunities but the pandemic and other conditions are making it hard to find workers and raising costs for materials and supplies, and that infrastructure, including quality housing, is lacking. "What you have been through, what you have invested in the energy and the creativity that is represented here this is applicable and measurable and will lead you to succeed," said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito to the final roundtable at MCLA Gallery 51 on Main Street. "We will not allow you to fail." The North County trip to Adams, North Adams and Williamstown were the final stops on the Baker-Polito administration's "Statewide Small Business Tour" to tout the opportunities available from the $5.3 billion coming from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Gov. Charlie Baker in June had re-filed a proposal to use $2.9 billion of those monies to address homeownership gaps in communities of color, and invest in job training, addiction services and local infrastructure. About $350 million would be available for downtown investment in infrastructure. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy held roundtables in Williamstown and Adams, speaking with local business owners and officials. He was accompanied by state Rep. John Barrett III, Lawrence D. Andrews, president of Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp., Undersecretary of Business Growth Mark Fuller, and Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba. They joined Polito, who had been at the Big E and a charter school in Springfield, later in the afternoon for the final roundtable in North Adams, which state Sen. Adam Hinds also attended. Kennealy said the tour had started in Provincetown last week and would end in North Adams with visits to 25 communities. "Part of our mission on the tour is to see what's happening on the ground and figure out what are going to be the programming strategies that will be most impactful," the secretary said in Adams. "It could be additional help for small businesses, direct funding, it could be building on existing partnerships, it could be marketing, it could be infrastructure investments, shared streets and spaces grants. ... This whole area here is a great example of public/private collaboration, putting the public money in for infrastructure and having that leverage private investment so replicating that model across the state, it's going to be enormously helpful." A frequent refrain from business owners was the lack of help that's cutting into their ability to meet consumer demand. Karen Gosselin, owner of Spring Street Market & Cafe in Williamstown, told Kennealy that business was good but staffing was awful. "I'm frustrated when people say, 'Just pay your employees more.' I pay $18 to $20 per hour. I give a week's paid vacation. We close for a week in December and pay everyone during that week. I pay full health insurance benefits. How much more can I do?" she said. "My own unemployment rate more than doubled. That was like a final kick." Gosselin said the business, which used to be open until 6, was closing at 3 for a long time and just recently moved up to 5. In Adams, Jason Koperniak of B&B Micromanufacturing said he's had help wanted signs out in front of his business for so long there's weeds growing around them. "It's been tough. We do luck out and get quality employees but sometimes you need to hire three or four to grow," he said. Plus, he added, there's the long-term issues of getting the materials his business needs to produce the tiny houses that are shipped all over the country. "It's a great environment for business. It's a good problem to have for us but it's not a regional effect, it is beyond us for the most part, nationally and internationally." Lack of workers in the region also inhibits the ability for businesses to expand. Eric Kerns of Tourists resort in North Adams spoke of how when the motel was being built, it had to bring in framers from Cape Cod because there weren't enough tradesmen in area. "I think when we talk about workforce development, our problem is not qualitative, it's quantitative somewhat," he said. "I find it to be a great irony that we're sitting in this exhibition, it's about the immigrant experience in America. We don't have an immigrant experience in North Adams and we can very much use an immigrant workforce." Gallery 51 is currently hosting "Hostile Terrain," sponsored by the nonprofit Undocumented Migration Project in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students and faculty. "There's simply not enough trade-type workforce to be able to accomplish the kind of growth we'd like to see," Kerns said. "We're all experiencing same problem ... everybody who's trying to build out or do something to their house, experiences the same thing." Jennifer Stevens of Bear and Bee Bookstore on Holden Street told how she and her partner ended up building all the bookshelves in their store themselves because they couldn't find anyone to do it. She estimated that pushed their opening out a month at least. Then there's the issue of the many vacant buildings left behind as the city's population shrank there's opportunity in those buildings but they're also costly to update to contemporary codes. Stevens said this has been a discussion among people who would like to open a business. "You can't ask the small-business owners to go into a space and purchase and own and get up those costs to upgrade the building," she said. "So there's a real need to address that gap. A few small-business owners that we've met, we've been talking to who are very interested in starting businesses and maybe even purchasing their spaces, but there's a fear of jumping into that because you just don't have that cost to deal with the infrastructure problems of buildings that have been empty for decades in some cases." Polito joined the tour at Norad Mill, where David Moresi has been successful in helping businesses avoid the need to invest in upgrades by fitting out sections of the 1863 mill to their specific needs. Moresi & Associates also has its own team of carpenters and electricians and operates a property management and real estate division. So far its invested in about a half-dozen major projects and has renovated and flipped numerous residential properties. "We survived the pandemic. We did that by working with our tenants," he said. "Right at the start of the pandemic, we made it clear to all our tenants that we're going to work with you, we're all going to get through this." Kennealy makes a purchase at Bella Sky Gifts in Adams. In Adams, the roundtable was held in the empty Adams Theater that Yina Moore, an architect and designer, purchased with plans to rehabilitate. "From an arts and cultural perspective, I think we see tremendous opportunities, and also the challenges that comes with it," she said. "The amount of creative professionals that are moving into this area of the country is mind boggling. ... "Then the question is do we have the infrastructure to, you know, foster certain type of growth in certain areas, and then the theater is one infrastructure, this needs to be upgraded, but there's many other infrastructure that comes with it do we have the lodging, do we have the housing, do we have the hospitality? But these things come with the challenges everybody's sharing about with the supply chain. So I think collectively, we find out where the opportunities of growth are and then the challenges are something we can do together." Businesses also talked about the high prices they've had to deal with because of labor shortages in other areas including shipping. Dave Little, owner of Spoon soft-serve in Williamstown, said costs increases have gotten worse. "I just ordered 40,000 cups, and we paid double what we paid five months ago," he said. Ken Gietz, owner of Where'd You Get that?!, said business has been "terrific" since the economy opened up. But, he added, shippers can't get toys into the ports and there's a candy shortage. All of his supply chains are affected by what's going on. "We're on track to have our best year since we've been in business, and that's 30 years," he said, adding the pandemic continues to be a concern. "My problem now is there's no way to predict tomorrow. It's difficult to hire people. I don't know if we should be hiring or not because I don't know what restrictions are coming." David Nichols, owner of Bounti-Fare in Adams, said prime rib used to be $4 to $6 a pound and is now $15 a pound. Chicken wings that used to be about $4 a pound are now going for higher prices than some meat cuts. "I can go on and on. Haddock that was $3.75 a pound was literally $7 this afternoon," he said. "It's more than that. It's hit or miss. Sometimes you get products, sometimes you don't get the product, sometimes you get a lesser quality product." The roundtables also touched on the lack of affordable quality housing, concerns over a hot housing market shutting out local buyers, broadband to service more people working from home, the need for grants not loans for small businesses, investment in nonprofits that drive the economy, and how to encourage residents to buy local and keep dollars in the community. Amy Shapiro, business assistance director for the Franklin County Community Development Corp. that has partnered with the city on several projects, pointed to the successes from the administration's $700 million small-business grant program. "Because Mass Growth Capital Corp. was well-positioned, it got a tremendous amount of funding out to our region," she said. "They did it efficiently, it was seamless, and it also saved so many businesses." Mayor Thomas Bernard also brought up the need for a new public safety building in North Adams. "It's not always obvious but public safety is economic development," he said. iBerkshires Staff Writer Stephen Dravis contributed to this report. Author, Correspondent to Speak at MCLA Annual Public Policy Lecture Event NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Jamie Ducharme, an author and TIME magazine correspondent, will be Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 2021 Public Policy lecturer. She'll speak at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7, at the college's Church Street Center Auditorium. A remote viewing option will also be available, and both options are free and open to the public. Registration for the in-person event or for the virtual option can be done here. Ducharme covers health and science. Her work has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Deadline Club, and the Newswomen's Club of New York. Her first book, "Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul" a deep-dive into the e-cigarette company Juul Labs and an exploration of the complicated search for an alternative to cigarettes was published by Henry Holt in May 2021. Ducharme grew up in New Hampshire, earned a journalism degree from Northeastern University, and started her career as a health writer and editor at Boston magazine. In 2008, MCLA announced the establishment of the Public Policy lecture series, making public policy forums an ongoing part of the college's long-term speaker offerings, in complement to MCLA's major in political science and public policy. Chinese journalist and activist Sophia Huang Xueqin is feared to have been detained in China after disappearing on September 19. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses concern for Huangs safety and stands in solidarity with Huang who has faced harassment by Chinese authorities for exercising freedom of expression. There are concerns that journalist Huang Xueqin has been detained by Chinese authorities. Credit: Women's Media Centre Huang, a freelance journalist and leading campaigner for Chinas #MeToo movement, has reportedly not been contactable by friends since September 19, the day before she was supposed to travel from the Chinese city of Guangzhou to London, via Hong Kong. There are concerns that she and labour activist Wang Jianbing, who was with Huang to see her off, have both been detained by the authorities. Sources familiar with the matter said Wang may have been apprehended over incitement to subvert state power because of the gatherings he and friends held at his residence. The reasons for Huangs suspected detainment remain unclear. The 33-year-old feminist journalist had originally planned to travel to Britain to commence postgraduate studies at the University of Sussex, after being awarded the British governments Chevening Scholarship. Asked to comment on Huangs reported disappearance, a University of Sussex spokesman voiced concerns. "We are concerned about the safety and whereabouts of our student, he said. Our staff are liaising with Chevening to seek further details. Huang is known for her role in giving voice to Chinas version of the #MeToo movement in 2018 when she wrote a survey report on sexual harassment and assault cases faced by Chinese women working in journalism. In June 2019, she travelled to Hong Kong to protest the now-withdrawn extradition bill put forth by the Hong Kong government and blogged about her experience. In October 2019, she was subsequently detained over picking quarrels and provoking trouble and released three months later. The IFJ said, Huangs disappearance is concerning as detainment has been increasingly used by the Chinese government to suppress political dissent. The IFJ stands in solidarity with Huang, who has faced continual harassment by Chinese authorities for drawing attention to important issues in the public interest. IFJ in the news Every week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is compiling a list of the top news articles from across the world in which it is mentioned. Check all the international media coverage of IFJ, divided by language, in the period between 17 and 24 September 2021. English These are dark days for journalism in Afghanistan; we must support those who seek to shine a light , Equal times IFJ: 153 media outlets at risk of closure since Taliban takeover , the Frontier Post International Federation of Journalists slams Taliban , Malaysia Sun Afghan Newspapers Shut Down Due To Lack Of Funds & Information After Taliban Takeover , Republic world Afghan Radio Journalist Shot in Leg During Commute Home , VOA News The Taliban issue guideline for news outlets , Iran front page Media Watchdog Denounces Escalating Attacks On Journalists In Taliban-Led Afghanistan, Gandhara Afghan newspapers go online due to financial crisis, lack of information under Taliban , Yahoo!news China: Press freedom groups call for release of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, Catch news Pakistani Journalists Protest New Media Bill As Fresh Blow To Freedoms, Gandhara Journalists decry restrictions on reporting in Thailand , UCA News BBC Increases Salaries for All Kenyan Journalists , Kenyans.co.ke The thick of it journalists in Afghanistan , Association of European Journalists Francais With the Taliban taking over, the women journalists of Afghanistan have been put under extreme pressure and even threatened. Things have turned hostile for a large number of women journalists, causing a lot of fear and anxiety among them. Many were able to get out of the country but there are still many women journalists left behind. Women journalists living and working in IHK face the worst working conditions and constants threats on a daily basis. These journalists are vulnerable in many ways, and they are unable to do their work freely. All Pakistani journalists can relate to the situation faced by their colleagues in Afghanistan and Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) as they have a long history of working under dangerous circumstances. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) members, including its women section, stand in solidarity with the women journalists in Afghanistan and IHK. PFUJ President GM Jamali said commenting on the dangerous situation for women journalists in Afghanistan and IHK, PFUJ stands in solidarity with the media in Afghanistan and IHK especially the women journalists who are facing extremely dangerous conditions. PFUJ has always strived to strengthened the media and journalists, and has a long history of pushing back against aggressive forces. Our union has always worked towards strengthen women journalists in Pakistan and not only increased the number of women members in our unions but we have elected our first-ever women vice presidents Sheher Bano for PFUJ and Lubna Jerar for KUJ to give women more representation in the unions. We understand the importance of empowering the women journalists, who are a large part of our unions. PFUJ will not hesitate to extend support to the women journalists in the region especially in Afghanistan and IHK. Jamali added, The brave women journalists of Pakistan, Afghanistan and IHK have always stood up against all forces and never shied away from doing their job despite all odds. PFUJ is proud of these brave colleagues who have always proved themselves in even the most difficult situations". The PFUJ Secretary General Rana Azeem's said that "PFUJ stands behind our colleagues in Afghanistan and Indian Held Kashmir. We are aware of how vulnerable women journalists are in both countries under the circumstances. We demand that the international community unites to help them in any way possible." The PFUJ Vice President and all its members extend their support to female journalists working in Afghanistan and IHK. Speaking about the strong and vocal women of Afghanistan, especially the journalists, PFUJ vice president Sheher Bano extended her solidarity towards her sisters in profession in the war torn country. Terming them the lone voice for the rights of women of Afghanistan, she vowed to extend all out support to her sisters in profession in these testing times. After the establishment of the Taliban government, female journalists are concerned about their security and careers, added Sheher Bano. She said she has been watching media reports closely where many Afghan female journalists have expressed their concerns but she is hopeful that soon the Afghan government will announce a clear policy about the protection of women in general and female journalists in particular, as announced in various statements given by top Taliban government officials. Sheher Bano said, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists is standing by Afghan journalists, especially female journalists, and will extend all out support if any of them faced any difficult situation. Reiterating her support to Afghan female journalists, she announced her plan to convene a nationwide meeting of PFUJ women leaders to address future plans to extend support to Afghan women journalists. She urged the Afghan government to preserve the voice of free media, guarantee freedom of speech and safety of women journalists and ensure their career progression in a gender balanced society to ensure peace in the country. Commenting on the situation in IHK, Sheher Bano said Pakistani journalists were extremely concerned about the plight of journalists, especially female journalists where a ban on freedom of speech, threat to lives of journalists, suspension of internet for days and months, has crippled media for the past many years. She criticised the media policy of the Indian government, which is simply meant to control and curb media freedom and many journalists and media persons were apprehended, jailed, charged, interrogated, detained and threatened by the Indian forces for various reasons under this policy because the journalists were accused of not following the narrative of the government. She termed the new media policy released by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, as being against the norms of the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. And criticised the human rights violation faced by women journalists who often face disrespected or are abused by the Indian forces. She extended the PFUJs support to their colleagues in Afghanistan and IHK, at the same time praising the bravery of the female journalists who are performing their duties under extreme pressure, despite facing communication blackout, media gag, sexual harassment, intimidation and risk to their lives and career. She said, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has always supported press freedom in the region and has extended full support to journalists working in the countries of the region and beyond, through its strong statements in support of freedom of speech, which is the constitutional right of every individual. A journalist was hit in the head by a rubber-coated bullet fired by an Israeli soldier in a village east of Nablus in the West Bank on 22 September. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) in strongly condemning this latest attack. Israeli forces fire teargas during a demonstration by Palestinian protesters against the Israeli outpost of Eviatar in the village of Beita, north of the occupied West Bank, on August 13, 2021. Credits: JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP Photojournalist Nasser Ishtayeh was shot while covering a demonstration in the village of Deir al-Hatab after clashes broke out between a group of youth and the Israeli Defense Forces. The PJS said that they would seek justice for such crimes against journalists in the International Criminal Court. The IFJ has repeatedly condemned the deliberate targeting of journalists by Israel. In July 2021, IFJ called on the UN Human Rights Council to speak out on the issue: This [targeting of journalists] violates not just the rights of journalists, but also the rights we all have to receive information about events in Palestine." Nasser Ishtayeh has two decades of experience in covering protests and his work appeared in a wide range of media including AP or le Monde. He had already been targeted by Israeli Defense Force violence in the past. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: Journalists rights and safety must be guaranteed when covering demonstrations. The deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists must stop. We extend our support to Nasser and to the PJS". Following pressure from journalist unions, Bangkoks Metropolitan Police have conceded that the extended list of requirements for media workers covering anti-government protests in Bangkok was a misunderstanding. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) applauds the unions proactive defence of media access, with the result an encouraging step in maintaining Thailands press freedom. On September 17, Thai police issued numerous conditions that determined journalists ability to cover anti-government protests past Bangkoks 9pm COVID-19 curfew. Authorities mandated that all journalists must produce an official letter of permission from police allowing them to report on demonstrations, as well as a government-issued press card and a letter of assignment from their employer. Given the nature of the documents required, the stipulations disproportionately impacted freelancers access to the protests. A representative from the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) informed the IFJ that the organisation immediately contacted the relevant authorities to clarify the mandate and voice their concerns. Several hours later the deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police personally informed our representative that the force will no longer impose the restrictions and explained that the whole issue was a misunderstanding, the TJA representative said. Following this development, members of the media are permitted to continue to cover police operations against anti-government protestors during curfew hours so long as they carry sufficient identification. After the initial announcement, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) issued a statement decrying the restrictions. This is an onerous set of requirements for what should be routine media work, the statement reads. It is unacceptable that journalists should face the threat of arrest and prosecution while doing their jobs, simply because they cannot meet all these bureaucratic conditions. The IFJ said: The proposed arbitrary conditions aimed to obstruct press freedom and prevent journalists from covering significant events in the public interest. The IFJ urges Thai authorities to continue to allow journalists and media workers to perform their duties without obstruction. OPPO Philippines joins the latest business book, The E-Hustle: What the Countrys Best Digital Leaders Can Teach You About Launching and Growing Your Online Business, published by Bookshelf PH. This is the first time that the smartphone brand will be featured in a local business book to talk about some of its secrets to its business success. Han features in The E-Hustle book talking about the recipe for success of OPPO and what small businesses can learn about building their own business. The book covers everything new entrepreneurs need to know when navigating the world of e-commerce, especially in the Philippine context. OPPO, through its Vice President for National Sales Zen Han, delves into the business strategies of the brand in jumpstarting and growing its e-commerce presence. In The E-Hustle, Han shares the value of using the traditional marketing mix or the Four Psproduct, price, platform, and promotionsin forming an effective digital marketing strategy that can help any business drive awareness, engagement, and conversion. When implementing the mix in any marketing campaign, Han advises online entrepreneurs to have a complete understanding of their target market by studying their financial capabilities and priorities, as well as their digital consumption behavior on promotional and purchasing channels. By doing so, businesses have a better chance of reaching their target market and fulfilling their customers needs and wants. Han highlights in the book some of OPPOs notable campaigns in 2020 and the first half of 2021 as proof of the successful integration of traditional and digital marketing practices. These include strategies behind the #ShotOnOPPO Instagram promotion, influencer marketing maximization for its Reno series campaigns, and e-commerce centered product launches. The pandemic has tested and continues to test the strength and resilience of businesses in the Philippines, especially as we continue to alternate between different levels of lockdown that largely affect operations. But it also showed how e-commerce became the saving grace for many of them, including OPPO, Han said. I feel honored sharing my insights in The E-Hustle about e-commerce and marketing, along with other thought leaders in e-commerce, business, and innovation who share valuable knowledge on how new entrepreneurs can thrive online. More than just a provider of high-quality, value for money smartphones and wearables, OPPO has become an innovative brand that spearheads the creation of digital opportunities for Filipinos and the local e-commerce scene. Under Hans leadership, OPPO is able to achieve many great feats, such as being named the top smartphone brand in the Philippines in 2020, and inspire other businesses to survive and thrive amidst the pandemic and future crises. The E-Hustle is pivotal to OPPOs intention of strengthening its e-commerce platform to provide Filipinos with more access points to the best and leading smartphone technologies. The book also exhibits OPPO as an example of business excellence--with its success defying even a global crisis by staying rooted in its corporate philosophy, adapting better to the current economic landscape by sticking to tried and tested marketing techniques. OPPO was born a few years after the SARS outbreak in 2002, which is why the company has had enough experience navigating e-commerce while it was still in its infancy. Now with the pandemic, we already know how to pivot when needed and reorganize our operations to keep the business going, all while accommodating our customers needs with no fail. We hope that readers of The E-Hustle will be inspired by OPPOs journey in e-commerce and apply what they learn in their own business as well, Han said. The E-Hustle features some of the top e-commerce players in the Philippines who shared how they used different tools and technologiesfrom digital payments to livestreamingto carve out success. They also relayed their knowledge on the best strategies for establishing a digital store, building a supply chain on a mobile device, and making the most out of social media marketing. The E-Hustle is available in both physical and eBook copies for order here: bit.ly/TheE-Hustle Peggy Shell, an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) member in Colorado, is founder and CEO of recruiting agency Creative Alignments. We asked Peggy how to empower employees by developing a people-first culture. Here's what she shared. Leaders know how important employees are to their business, but how many intentionally build people-centered cultures? People-first cultures are rooted in a philosophy that values people over profits. The ironic twist is that when employees are valued as whole individuals and provided the opportunity for well-being, connection, and fulfillment, companies are generally more innovative, resilient, and even profitable. Leaders invest in creating sound business strategies, carefully crafted with logic, research, and best practices. However, results are often different than expected because the same strategic approach was not applied to culture. "The gap between strategy and results is people," says Kathie Sorensen, a principal partner at the Coffman Organization and author of Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch. "Regardless of what strategic path you take, it executes through people." Employees who are aligned with the company mission feel connected to leadership and know their talents are being tapped are actively engaged in work. Their energy is productive and they are rowing in sync toward shared goals. Conversely, employees who are disconnected from leadership and believe their energy is being wasted feel depleted and miserable. They will likely hamper progress. Studies show that culture-driven organizations experience 26 percent fewer mistakes, 22 percent higher productivity, 41 percent lower absenteeism, and 30 percent stronger customer satisfaction, writes Kris Boesch, author of Culture Works: How to Create Happiness in the Workplace. Employees are also twice as likely to recommend their company to a friend, making recruiting easier, and three times more likely to stay. As the CEO of a recruiting company, I believe that work should be additive to people's lives, not a drain. When people feel seen and appreciated for their whole self at work, they take well-being and positivity home, back to their families and communities. This creates a cycle of good. Here are four ways that companies in any geography or industry can create a people-first culture. Empower Employees to Be Leaders in Their Roles The face of leadership is changing. It's less about the person at the front of the room who knows the most dictating to the group, and more about collaboration between individuals adding to a solution or idea. People who have a voice and are valued for their contributions feel empowered, supported, and engaged. "Leadership can be democratized when CEOs put forth the high-level mission, values, goals, strategy, and behaviors for everyone to align around, and then empower employees to ask themselves, 'How can I move things forward?'" says Analiese Brown, vice president of talent and culture at CampMinder, a company that develops technology for summer camps and uses a people-first culture approach. "Building safe environments for sharing ideas and opportunities to learn from failure helps people step up as leaders in their individual roles." Listen Closely to Your People "Pay attention to what you are paying attention to," says Sorensen. "Gaining feedback at each step of your business will produce more transparent, richer conversations." When leaders are intensely interested in what's going on with employees, they can take meaningful, productive action. "Find out what's working and what isn't by looking to your team for answers, not just consultants or books," says Brown. "Have an authentic feedback loop in place and hear with empathy what your people experience. Then respond in material ways." Live Your Company Values Core values must be an integral, living part of your business at every level, starting with leadership. Words and actions from management must align, says Brown. If values are not modeled, confusion and cynicism build. "Leadership needs to get real with themselves. They are inspiring others to live values along with them," she says. Beyond promotions and bonuses, it's essential to have a process for employees to recognize each other when they exemplify core values. This helps people feel connected and "in it" together -- creating culture from the inside out. Hire Well The people you hire shape your culture. Look beyond job skills to see the whole person. Use core values in your hiring process by asking specific, behavior-based questions. Incorporate multiple people in the interview process to gain diverse perspectives. Be transparent and human-centric with candidates. Over time, everyone will gain a vested interest in creating the culture that supports your values, and your values will develop your culture. "Culture is alive and organic within a company," says Sorensen. "When someone joins a group, they will either make it better or worse. Attitudes are contagious, both positively and negatively." Anderson Cooper has shared the story of how his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, once offered to serve as his surrogate when she was 85 years old. Cooper told the anecdote on Thursdays episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, while promoting his new book Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, about his mothers family. On Colberts show, Cooper affectionately looked back on some of his mothers eccentricities. Vanderbilt was an artist, heiress, socialite, and fashion designer whose life was marked by family tragedy and was often the subject of sensational headlines. She was great, he told Colbert of Vanderbilt, who died in June 2019 aged 95. ... She was just kind of nutty. She would come up with ludicrous ideas. Cooper then recounted getting a call from his mother 10 years before her death, in which she told him: Honey, theres something I really need to talk to you about, and The most incredible thing happened: I went to the gynaecologists last week. The journalist then said his mother told him her gynaecologist had told her she could still bear a child at her age. Cooper, under the impression that Vanderbilt was considering having another child of her own, tried to gently talk her out of it but she quickly told him he had the wrong idea. When Cooper asked her to clarify, she said: Well, you can get an egg anywhere nowadays. What I was thinking is, you get an egg, fertilise it with your sperm, and Ill carry your child. Cooper said he was stunned and eventually told his mother: You know, Mom, I love you, but even for you, thats just bats*** crazy. Thats just nuts. Earlier in his conversation with Colbert, Cooper explained: Sometimes people wonder how during interviews I stay stone-faced and listen to people say bats*** crazy things: I grew up with Gloria Vanderbilt. David Simon, the creator of The Wire, has defended his decision not to film his new HBO series in Texas because of the states abortion ban. The restrictive abortion law, passed in Texas earlier this month, bans the procedure after six weeks and allows citizens to sue doctors and others who help people access procedures. Earlier this week, Simon said that he would not put female cast and crew members at risk by shooting his latest unnamed project in Texas, stating that the issue was beyond politics. While many praised Simon for his decision, he has also received a considerable backlash on Twitter, with critics arguing that refusing to film in Texas will negatively impact working professionals in the state and disenfranchise those who live there. My singular responsibility is to securing and maintaining the civil liberties of all those we employ during the course of a production, tweeted Simon. One critic wrote: People like David Simon want to boycott Texas because of civil liberties. I get that, but in reality there are women who work in film in TX. Taking away our $ helps nothing. If someone gets pregnant AND is out of work, how does that help? Double f***ed. To which Simon responded: Dead wrong. I am mute on any boycott. I am instead an employer and I personally must decide if it is ethical to ask employees to enter a jurisdiction which requires them to forgo THEIR civil liberties. It is not ethical for me to do so. Texas requires this forced move. Not me. Over 100 instances of alleged interference by the US in Hong Kongs affairs, including president Joe Bidens criticism of the countrys media freedom, were listed by China on Friday. The United States must not tolerate any force that is anti-China and stirs troubles in Hong Kong, or else it will only be lifting a stone to hit one's foot, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing. In the list posted on its website, the ministry accused former US president Donald Trump of interfering in Beijing's internal affairs, including in the signing of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act in 2020. Through the act, Mr Trump sought to end Hong Kong's special status and economic treatment under US law to sanction China for oppressive actions against the city. Under the Trump administration, the US Department of State announced sanctions on four officials of China's central government and the Hong Kong government for threatening the peace, security and autonomy of Hong Kong, the Chinese government claimed. Beijing also slammed Mr Biden for using media freedom as a pretext and calling the closure of the Apple Daily newspaper in June a sad day for media freedom and a signal of intensified repression by Beijing. The Chinese governments list of interferences mentioned a July incident, when the US Department of State website published a joint statement made by 21 countries expressing strong concerns about the closure of Apple Daily and the arrest of those who are opposed to China and attempt to destabilise Hong Kong. The statement also made groundless accusations against the law enforcement efforts of the HKSAR government [Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region], the Hong Kong National Security Law and the central governments policy on Hong Kong, the list said. Pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily was forced to shut down after a raid by 500 police officers on its headquarters and after the government froze key assets and bank accounts. Founder Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison for taking part in an anti-government protest in October 2019. China had strengthened its crackdown on independent media after pro-democracy protests sparked in Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing passed a national security law for Hong Kong that many critics said curbed freedom of expression and allowed easy prosecution of journalists and activists. Over the past two years, China has expelled several foreign journalists by refusing to renew visas. The list also mentioned White House speaker Nancy Pelosi and a breakfast meeting she had with The Christian Science Monitor, where she claimed the protests in Hong Kong were a beautiful sight to behold. She thus openly urged rioters to take illegal and violent actions against the central government and the HKSAR government, said the list. Former vice president Mike Pence's anti-China speech and former US secretary of state Mike Pompeos statements on Hong Kong too found a place in the list. Meanwhile, Mr Biden offered a safe haven to Hong Kong residents in the US, allowing thousands of people to extend their stay in the country. Thirty-nine protesters have been arrested after Insulate Britain blocked access to the Port of Dover following a string of previous demonstrations on the M25 motorway. More than 40 demonstrator sat down in the middle of the A20 in Kent, forming roadblocks on two of the main routes into Europes busiest port shortly after 8am on Friday. Lorry drivers could be heard sounding their horns, while some motorists remonstrated with the activists as two groups cut off access at the Eastern Docks roundabout and near the junction with Union Street for the Western Docks. The Port of Dover said traffic had resumed flowing in and out of the site at 11.21am however one lane of the A20 remains blocked after two protesters climbed on top of a tanker. They are reportedly glued to the vehicle, which is draped in an Insulate Britain banner and signs saying I want my children to survive, and Arrested 4 times because I am in mourning for life on earth. Kent Police confirmed 39 people had been arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and obstructing a highway following the demonstration. Chief Superintendent Simon Thompson said: The impact this disruption had on the local community and port-bound traffic is not lost on us and I would like to thank those adversely affected by it for their patience whilst we made the area safe again. Kent Police is working with the other forces, the CPS and partner agencies to gather evidence and ensure there are consequences for those who break the law. The demonstration came after the offshoot of Extinction Rebellion was threatened with imprisonment if activists returned to the M25 motorway where they caused chaos five times in the past fortnight. A spokesperson for the group, which wants the government to insulate and retrofit homes across the UK to cut climate emissions, said: "We are blocking Dover this morning to highlight that fuel poverty is killing people in Dover and across the UK. We need a Churchillian response: we must tell the truth about the urgent horror of the climate emergency. Police officers remove two Insulate Britain protesters from the top of a tanker at the Port of Dover after the glue themselves to vehicle (Gareth Fuller/PA) Change at the necessary speed and scale requires economic disruption. We wish it wasn't true, but it is. It's why the 2000 fuel protests got a U-turn in policy and gave (Tony) Blair his biggest challenge as prime minister. Confirming the protest activity, the Port of Dover said the port remained open but warned the public to check with ferry operators for updates and allow extra time for their journey. Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, said the port had implemented its tried and tested resilience plans in order to deal with the impact of the protest. He added: The port has consistently shown its ability to deal with such challenges and todays targeted activity shows once again the importance and symbolism of Dover to the nation as a critical trade and tourism artery on which the UK continues to rely. We are working with our customers and the police authorities in managing the situation and apologise to our community for any disruption being caused by a situation not of our making. Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) Kent Police confirmed 17 arrests had been made following the protest. A spokesperson for the force said: Kent Police is currently dealing with protest activity which is causing traffic disruption in Dover. At around 8.20am on Friday 24 September officers were called to reports that a group of people were obstructing the road on Jubilee Way, a second group were at Snargate Street at the junction with A20 and a third smaller group were on the A20 at the junction with Aycliffe. Officers are in attendance and are engaging with the individuals involved and 17 people have been arrested. The Snargate Street and A20 at the junction with Aycliffe sites are now clear. Kent Police is aware of the traffic disruption in the area and is working with partner agencies to minimise delays. The Port of Dover is Europes busiest ferry port, handling 17 per cent of the UKs trade in goods. It was used by an average of 6,200 road haulage vehicles every day last year. The blockage comes amid disruption to supplies across the UK due to a shortage of lorry drivers. Additional reporting by Press Association After a summer of record-breaking floods, wildfires and heatwaves, German climate activist Luisa Neubauer feels betrayed by the lack of urgency among world leaders to tackle the climate crisis. No political party dares to speak up about what needs to be done, she tells The Independent. But the 25-year-old is hopeful that the return of school strikers to the streets this week will help to refocus the worlds attention on the climate emergency: Its easy to ignore surveys and reports and studies, but its impossible to ignore young people on the street demanding climate justice, she says. On Friday 24 September, young people will protest in more than 1,500 locations across 92 countries as part of the global climate strike. Some half a million people around the world are expected to join the demonstrations to demand urgent climate action. It comes just over three years after Greta Thunberg, founder of the Fridays for Future movement, staged her first solo strike outside the Swedish parliament. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns may have dampened climate activism over the past year and a half. But with Covid restrictions easing, and just weeks to go until the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow, activists are taking to the streets with a renewed energy. The Independent speaks to some of those at the forefront of the global movement. Germany: Luisa Neubauer Luisa Neubauer, who aims to put pressure on the German government this week (Getty Images) Luisa Neubauer, the most prominent face of Germanys Fridays for Future campaign, is in the final stages of planning more than 400 separate climate strikes that will take place across the country today. Its no mean feat. The country is expected to see some of the biggest protests worldwide, two days before voters go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Plus Greta Thunberg is set to join the protests in Berlin. Neubauer highlights that the extreme weather events of the summer, both in Germany and abroad, have shaken many people out of their complacency over the climate crisis. I think a lot of people thought that [in Germany] we were in a way immune to climate disasters, Neubauer explains. Politicians and the media have been telling us that the climate crisis is something thats happening only in the far distant future, but never in the here-and-now. That changed in July, when devastating and deadly floods in Germany and Belgium pushed the climate crisis to the forefront of peoples minds. Research found that the record-shattering rainfall that caused the floods was made up to nine times more likely by human-driven global heating. But with days to go until the German elections, Neubauer and other activists are deeply disappointed by the lack of ambition among the countrys main political parties to confront the climate emergency. Right now there is no political party that has a plan to stay below the 1.5C target [accepted by countries under the Paris Agreement], Neubauer says. All we hear are empty promises. She adds: And those most affected in Germany cannot vote the youngest people. Thats why we need to fight on the streets. As well as urging the German government and other rich countries to drastically cut emissions, climate strikers are calling for them to provide assistance to vulnerable countries most affected by the climate crisis. Germany is the fourth country most responsible for the climate crisis in terms of historical emissions, Neubauer says. Theres a lot we have to make up for and pay back. Uganda: Hilda Flavia Nakabuye Hilda Flavia Nakabuye founded Fridays for Future Uganda, which now has more than 50,000 members (C40 Cities/YouTube) Ugandan activist Hilda Flavia Nakabuye is determined to make sure that the voices of activists from the most climate-vulnerable countries are heard at this years global strike. The 24-year-old student founded Fridays for Future Uganda in 2019 after she realised that the climate crisis was behind the droughts and floods that forced her family to sell off their land and leave their community. In just a few years, the group has attracted more than 50,000 members and is now the largest youth movement in Africa. Nakabuye says that while people all over the world heard about climate disasters across Europe and the US this summer, the crisis in Africa went unreported. When we have a flood in Uganda, or Kenya or Nigeria, its just business as usual, Nakabuye says. But if there is a flood in Germany, it will be everywhere in the news. The main focus of this years global strike is climate justice and Nakabuye is keen to make sure that the demands of the most affected people and areas (MAPA) are amplified. More than 20 climate strikes are planned across Uganda today. We are calling on the Global North to pay reparations to MAPA for historic emissions and injustices, Nakabuye says. She explains that these reparations could be used to help countries in the Global South adapt to the ongoing impacts of the climate crisis. Fridays for Future activists are also calling on rich countries to meet long-held promises to provide vulnerable nations with $100bn (73bn) funding each year to help them tackle greenhouse gas emissions, and to ensure vaccine equity around the world. Nakabuye adds: The entire continent of Africa is responsible for only 3 per cent of global emissions, but we are facing some of the worst effects of the climate crisis already. Over the past few months alone, there have been devastating floods in Uganda and Nigeria, deadly wildfires in Algeria and widespread famine in Madagascar driven by drought. More locally, Nakabuye hopes the climate strike will draw attention to the fight to save the Bugoma Forest, the largest remaining block of natural tropical woodland in Uganda, which is being cleared to make way for sugarcane plantation. Fridays for Future Uganda will also highlight the campaign to stop the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. If completed, the pipeline running from Uganda to Tanzania will be the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world. US: Liv Schroeder Liv Schroeder is part of protest taking place across the US (Liv Schroeder) Growing up in Washington and California, 19-year-old activist Liv Schroeder has also seen the impacts of the climate crisis firsthand, as wildfires grow bigger with every passing year. Her chronic kidney illness makes it hard for her to cope with heatwaves and air filled with smoke from wildfires. Schroeder says that last August she was told not to go outside of her building in Seattle due to wildfire smoke. Just one hour outdoors was equivalent to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes. It was this experience battling the impacts of extreme weather, as well as her passion for ocean conservation, that led Schroeder to join the Fridays for Future movement in the US and take on the role of National Policy Coordinator. The group is planning 168 separate climate strikes across the US on Friday, with the two biggest protests taking place in New York City and Los Angeles. Schroeder hopes that the protests will help reinstill hope among young people after a summer of climate-fuelled weather disasters across the US, from flash foods and power outages on the east coast following Hurricane Ida to wildfires and a once-in-a-millennium heatdome on the west coast. In this past year, lots of people have been grappling with climate anxiety and despair, she explains. But that fear and anger translates really well into action - theres a lot of energy behind this global climate strike. Fridays for Future US is also using the strike as an opportunity to unveil their national demands, including calls for Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency, and more climate seats in international, national, and local decision-making spaces. We want to channel the energy from the climate strikes into policy development, passing climate legislation and getting more people involved in the [Fridays for Future] movement, Schroeder says. She says that despite Biden being elected as a climate president, his policies do not go far enough in tackling the emergency. Anyone who isnt taking the boldest climate action possible is complicit in environmental destruction, she adds. UK: Scarlett Westbrook Scarlett Westbrook of the UK Student Climate Network is part of more than 50 climate strikes due to take place across the country (Scarlett Westbrook is member of the UK Student Climate Network and campaigns for climate education) Cop26 is at the forefront of Scarlett Westbrooks mind as she prepares to strike in London. With only weeks to go before the crucial climate talks in Glasgow begin, the 17-year-old member of the UK Student Climate Network warns that the event is still riddled with accessibility issues. Its not only about keeping global heating under 2C, she says. We need to take the world with us in the green transition and make up for our historic colonial debt. Westbrook points out that the UK-led conference could exclude delegates, campaigners and journalists from the most climate-vulnerable countries. The UK has only just begun administering Covid vaccines to those unable to obtain them elsewhere, and there are concerns over expensive accommodation and travel costs amid the pandemic. The Climate Action Network, which includes groups from more than 130 countries, warned earlier this month that these barriers made it impossible to ensure the Cop26 talks will be "safe, inclusive and just". Westbrook is also hoping the climate strikes will focus attention on Boris Johnsons lack of ambition in tackling the emergency as the UK gears up to host Cop26. Since the IPCC report was released, we havent had any meaningful policy solutions, she says. I think that shows how seriously Boris Johnson is taking the climate crisis. Released in August, the landmark IPCC climate report found that the international goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels risks slipping beyond reach without urgent and immediate action. But Westbrook is confident the global climate strike will be on the governments radar, with more than 50 strikes planned to take place across the UK today. She believes that the wave of school strikes in 2019, alongside Extinction Rebellion protests, played a key role in pushing then-prime minister, Theresa May, to declare a climate emergency. The fact that a lot of teenagers shouting with placards on the street caused that is momentous," Westbrook says. We know that we can put enough pressure on the government to make them take action. Can climate strikes really make a difference? From wildfires in Siberia to floods in China and landslides in India, the slew of climate-fuelled extreme events over the last year have been impossible to ignore. Unsurprisingly, this increasing awareness of the ecological emergency has led to a rise in climate anxiety, with young people particularly affected. A global survey earlier this month found that 75 per cent of young people believe that "the future is frightening". And yet, in such anxiety-inducing times, the Fridays for Future movement offers young people a glimmer of hope. "The beautiful thing about the climate strikes is that we can actually make a difference, German activist Luisa Neubauer says. We still have time to stop the most catastrophic climate scenarios from happening." Young people are taking to the streets in more than 1,400 places across the world on Friday to demand tougher action on the climate crisis. A protest first started by the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in 2018 has swelled into an international phenomenon. Today, there are more than 700 school strikes planned in Europe, nearly 200 in the US and 88 in sub-Saharan Africa. The crowds come just weeks before Cop26 the most important UN climate summit in years is due to take place in Glasgow. A recent UN assessment found that countries are still far behind the level of action needed to meet global climate goals. As young people head out to protest, The Independent examines their key demands as well as how they square with the latest science and pledges put forward by world leaders. End to fossil fuels A key demand of the Fridays for Future movement is for rich countries to drastically divest from fossil fuels and to end their extraction, burning, and use. In 2019, about 84 per cent of global primary energy came from the fossil fuels coal, oil and gas. And a recent landmark report from the UNs climate authority made it clear that burning fossil fuels is already impacting weather and climate extremes in every region of the globe. The UK, the main host of Cop26, is less ambitious in its approach. Boris Johnson and his government is instead calling for countries to consign coal power to history rather than all types of fossil fuels. While coal is the dirtiest of the fossil fuels, the latest scientific evidence shows that action on oil and gas will also be needed to limit the climate crisis. Watch live as Greta Thunberg joins the Fridays for Future climate strike in Berlin A study published in the journal Nature this month found that 90 per cent of coal and 60 per cent of oil and gas must be left in the ground if the world is to have even a 50 per cent chance of keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5C the international aspiration set by the Paris Agreement. And a major report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in May said there can be no further fossil fuel expansion if the world is to meet its climate goals. The Independents Stop Fuelling the Climate Crisis campaign is also calling for action on all fossil fuels ahead of Cop26. Climate cash for developing nations Another key demand of youth strikers is for leaders to recognise the inequalities embedded in the climate crisis. Since the start of the fossil fuel era, developing countries have caused the fewest emissions and yet tend to face the largest climate impacts, Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate explained on Monday. Historically, weve seen that the entire continent of Africa is responsible for only 3 per cent of global emissions. And yet Africans are already suffering some of the most brutal impacts fuelled by the climate crisis, Ms Nakate said. Weve seen many Africans lose their lives and countless more have lost their homes and their businesses This is why we will be striking on 24 September to demand climate justice. Leading young activists have called for developed countries to meet promises to provide $100bn a year to help developing nations both tackle and adapt to rising emissions. The pledge was first made in 2009 and countries were due to come up with the cash by 2020. Speaking on Monday, Ms Thunberg said that wealthy nations failure to deliver on promised funding just doesnt make sense. How can countries like mine expect other countries to take climate action if we, who are very much more historically responsible per capita than other countries, ignore it? Boris Johnson has also called for leaders to meet the $100bn pledge describing it as his main goal on his visit to the UN this week. However, his efforts to raise funds ahead of Cop26 could be hampered by the UKs decision to slash its own spending on foreign aid, campaigners warn. Green recovery from Covid-19 Climate strikers are also calling for a global, green, and just recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic began in 2020, experts have urged leaders to build back greener as Covid restrictions ease investing more in renewables and green jobs, and less in the fossil fuel industry. However, evidence suggests this advice has largely been ignored. An analysis by the UN published in March found less than a fifth of the money spent by major economies on long-term Covid recovery measures can be considered green. And in April, the IEA warned that global emissions from energy use are set to soar by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021 the highest annual increase since 2010 as demand for fossil fuels return to pre-pandemic levels. Ending violence against environmental defenders Another demand of climate strikers is for the world to take urgent action to tackle violence against environmental defenders. Data released this month showed that a record 227 people were murdered for defending their land and environment in 2020. In August, young Kenyan environmentalist and climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti told The Independent that the UK and the UN must do more to act on murders of activists. Nobody deserves to be murdered for standing up for nature, she said. If anything, we need to be protected. The UK has so far not prioritised ending violence against environmental defenders in its international climate efforts. Tackling climate and nature crises as one Many young climate activists, including Ms Thunberg, are calling on leaders to recognise the interconnections between the climate and nature crises. Earths biodiversity is in rapid decline and more species are at risk of extinction today than at any other time in human history. Some of the worlds leading climate and nature scientists have also issued calls for leaders to tackle the climate and nature crises together. In a major report released in June, they warned that solutions to tackle the climate crisis might worsen nature loss unless efforts are made to tackle both problems in unison. A town that was plunged underwater during a dam project has resurfaced after more than 60 years. The town of Rockport, in Utah, vanished entirely in 1957 five years after the White House green-lit the construction of the Wanship Dam, which created Rockport Reservoir. No more than 200 residents ever lived in the area before it was abandoned entirely, despite it being settled in as early as 1860, according to Utah State Parks. Just 27 families are thought to have lived in the little town, located in a narrow part of Weber Valley at the mouth of Three Mile Canyon, at the time the US government went ahead with plans to drown them out. However, drought conditions, which caused the water to recede to 26 per cent capacity in recent weeks, revealed the foundations of Rockport for the first time in 64 years. Drone test pilot Devon Dewey, who travelled to the site, recently shared striking drone images of the roads and house remnants that could be seen. It was really interesting to be standing at an overlook for the reservoir and to see faint traces of foundations of old homes and a road all below where the water would normally be, he told KSL News. Mr Dewey added the remnants of the former town are clearer from an aerial point of view. The whole area is pretty flat and uniform, so even though the foundations are old and mostly gone, you can still see them clearly if you know where to look, he said. Using a drone to get a higher perspective helped to see where structures once stood. Rockport residents at the time protested against the reservoirs development but the White House went ahead and purchased the valley, before submerging the whole community. Some of the buildings were removed so that they could be preserved for history. They were taken to Pioneer Village at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington. Following this years drought, the reservoir's boat ramp was closed for the summer. Only small boats and personal watercraft are being allowed on the water, though officials have advised people to do so at your own risk. Officials have said those interested in seeing the site should be cautious and use drones if they want to see the remnants of the ghost town. Despite the fact that water levels have declined, the ground may be muddy from years of being underwater making it less stable, they said. A giant sequoia has been significantly damaged by a wildfire in northern California as thousands of firefighters descended into the forest to try to save the ancient trees. The impacts from the Windy Fire, which has torn through several sequoia groves, is still being assessed. However the Bench Tree has been badly burned. The tree, so called because its base forms a natural seat, is one of the iconic Trail of 100 Giants, No smoke is visible in the Bench Tree after water-dropping helicopters doused flames in the tree top, according to official interagency report. The Windy Fire was ignited by lightning and is currently 6 per cent contained. It has spread across 49 square miles and is burning on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in the Giant Sequoia National Monument area of Sequoia National Forest. A specialist on the impacts of fire on giant sequoias has been drafted in from Yosemite National Park to examine the damage. Evacuation orders remain in place but no privately-owned structures have been damaged or lost. However a lookout post and a radio repeater in the Sequoia National Forest have been destroyed in the intense blaze despite being wrapped with fire-resistant material. Firefighters improvise and spray water from their mouths to control a small spot fire while waiting for a hose line during the Windy Fire in the Sequoia National Forest near Johnsondale, California on September 22, 2021 (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) To the north, the KNP Complex has grown to more than 30,000 acres in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, home to around 2,000 giant sequoias. The complex began as two separate fires earlier this month before merging, forcing closure of both parks. Crews are working along the Trail of 100 Giants, spraying hot spots around the Giant Sequoias and falling several smaller, burned hazard trees in that area, a report stated. More than 1,400 firefighters are now tackling the KNP Complex fire in Sequoia National Park, fire information officer Ana Beatriz Cholo told the AP. While the Giant Forest of Sequoias remains under threat, the smoke was expected to clear by late Wednesday allowing fire-fighting air crews to begin tackling the flames from above. Controlled burns are used in the grove of 2,000 sequoias to get rid of smaller vegetation and brush that can make fires more intense and spread flames into the treetops. So far, the worlds largest tree, named General Sherman, remains safe. Last week, park employees wrapped its base and other trees in aluminium foil blankets to try to save them if flames swept through the area. The ground around the trees is fitted with sprinklers and fire officials reported that they have been on continually to keep the area wet. General Sherman is more than 2,500 years old, and at 275-feet tall, is just 20ft shy of height of the Statue of Liberty. Lower portions of the giant Sequoia trees were wrapped in fire protective foil last week as the threat of wildfire intensified (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/AFP via Getty Image) This wildfire season in California is the second worst in modern history following last years unprecedented blazes which saw 9,600 fires destroy more than 4 million acres of land. Thousands of wildfires have erupted in California this year, destroying nearly 1.9m acres. The fires are being exacerbated by higher temperatures and persistent drought conditions linked to the climate crisis. Wildfire activity continues throughout the West, including 63 large fires. More than 3.1 million acres have burned this year in the US. In sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancers are the leading cause of female cancer deaths. As the founder of Community Healthcare Innovation Lab (CHIL) Artificial Intelligence Group, Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa is on a mission to change that. Having lost her mother to cervical cancer at age 13, and having herself survived breast cancer while in medical school, Nabuuma Kaliisa - now aged 26 - decided she wasnt going to allow other women in rural Uganda to go through the pain of living with cancer, simply because they had no access to screening and testing facilities. CHIL AI uses the latest technological advancements to offer services including AI guided consultation, Automated Referral, Automated Radiology Reports, Interpretation laboratory and Automated Drug Ordering, all accessed through their conversational chatbot accessible on various mediums. The system also allows disabled patients access to tele-health where this has previously been unavailable. The CHIL AI chatbot allows those with seeing and writing disabilities to have access to and navigate services using only voice prompts. CHIL AI also uses guided e-oncology services and drone-powered transportation to transport cervical cancer specimens from remote rural areas to laboratories. In 2019, 70% of all cancer deaths occurred in developing countries. Barriers to early detection include financial resources, distance from testing facilities and even the most basic information on cancer treatments. Many young Ugandan women find they have cancer only when it is in advanced stages and the cancer is untreatable. CHIL AI began by manufacturing cervical and breast cancer self-test kits and through its AI-powered mobile app called Keti, it allowed women to consult with oncology experts, have samples collected and sent to laboratories and have their test results interpreted and advised on what next steps to take. In recognition of her pionerring work, Nabuuma Kaliisa recently appeared on Forbes Africa 30 under 30 List. Now her company is rolling out products in other sectors such as agritech, fintech and drone technology, all targeted specifically at helping women. Under its new agritech business, the CHIL AI Group is offering farmers a solar cold shed technology solution that the company says can keep vegetable produce fresh for at least 24 days. Its other agritech solution, Lima, uses artificial intelligence to predict pests attacks among other agricultural support provisions for farmers. The new fintech branch has developed a smart card savings plan to help cancer patients afford upfront medical costs. Under its drone services branch, the company is offering drones for healthcare, e-commerce, and agriculture. This year the company has begun testing a robotics based service to automate its medical consultation, interpretation and referral services. Blake Lively has launched a new range of non-alcoholic mixers, named in honour of her late father. In various posts to her Instagram on Thursday, 23 September, the actor unveiled the secret project shes been working on for three years. Named Betty Buzz, it is a selection of sparkling drinks in five different flavours that can be drunk alone or mixed with alcohol. Im mortified that Ive spent three years obsessing over the exact bubble size and quantity for the perfect, highly explosive pops, she wrote in one story. Think of all I could have accomplished in the amount of times I tried 17 versions of Meyer Lemon club Soda, she said. Meyer Lemon Club Soda is one of the five flavours the others are lemon lime, grapefruit, ginger beer and tonic water. The brands name was inspired by Livelys late father, Ernie, who died in June. My dads name was Ernest Brown Jr but he was known as Ernie Lively. He gave up his last name when he married my mom and any success, he, or I, experienced has been in a name that isnt his, she explained in a press release. So when I was working hard to build this company, I wanted any success to be in a name that was meaningful to him. Betty was his mom and his sisters name. Also, Ernie would not be the best name for a mixer, she added. The concept of a non-alcoholic drink was inspired by Livelys own decision to not drink. Over the past many years of mixing but not drinking cocktails, it became clear mixers are the unsung heroes of the drink world and deserve just as much love as alcohol. The amount of time Ive spent on Betty Buzz is shockingly bad bandwidth management, she joked. Lively is the latest to join a growing list of celebrities who have ventured into the drinks industry. Earlier this year, supermodel Kendall Jenner announced that she had created her own Tequila brand, 818. In November 2020, Elon Musk launched Tesla Tequila and sold out within hours. Livelys husband Ryan Reynolds is also in the alcohol business, having acquired a stake in gin brand Aviation American Gin in 2018. Elsewhere, former couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are currently embroiled in a legal battle being dubbed the war of rose over their French vineyard. This week, Pitt filed legal papers in a Luxembourg court accusing his estranged wife of systematic obstruction of his management of Chateau Miraval. Both Pitt and Jolie have a 50 per cent stake in Quimicum, the holding company that owns the vineyard. According to papers seen by Page Six, Pitt has claimed that Jolie sold her stake to an anonymous buyer for 1. He alleged that she did not honour a prior agreement to offer him the chance to buy it first and that the sum is not serious given the value of the vineyard. All crypto-related transactions are illegal, Chinas central bank has said. The statement is the latest and most extreme intervention from the Peoples Bank of China, amid an ongoing crackdown on bitcoin and other digital currencies in the country. After having enjoyed a mostly positive day until the announcement, the value of cryptocurrencies dropped immediately after the news was announced. Bitcoin fell almost 6 per cent in an hour, for instance. The latest statement from official says that any business activities using digital currencies are illegal. Pointing to digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tedacoin, it says that all crypto is not legal compensation and should not and cannot be used in the market as money. It also covers companies that are operating exchanges, financial institutions that buy and sell cryptocurrencies, or other kinds of transactions. And the notice from the central bank also bans overseas exchanges that offer similar services to people who live in China, over the internet. It does not, however, seem to ban the possession of cryptocurrencies. As with other recent statements from Chinese officials, the latest notice from the central bank notes that speculation in digital currencies is on the rise, and that it is used for criminal activities such as gambling, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes, money laundering and more. It also says that it is seriously endangering the safety of peoples property. It also warns, as it has in the past, that virtual currency is not legal tender and that anyone participating in speculation around it will be forced to bear any losses themselves. Chinese clothing brand JNBY has apologised following backlash over a childrens t-shirt with the phrases let me touch you and welcome to hell. Just Naturally Be Yourself or JNBY responded to customer complaints after a mothers post about the item in question went viral online. BBC News reported that the womans family brought the piece for her four-year-old son without realising what was printed on it. She allegedly wrote on Chinese social media app Weibo: "Welcome to hell. Excuse me? Who are you welcoming?" Subsequently, JNBY buyers began sharing photos of other controversial pieces of clothing manufactured by the Hong Kong-listed brand. One Weibo user reportedly posted a picture of black coat that had the image of a person being shot with arrows, and text that read: The whole place is full of Indians. I will take this gun and blow them to pieces." JNBY issued an apology on the Chinese photo-sharing app Xiaohongshu amid customer complaints about inappropriate prints emblazoned on the brands childrens clothing line jnby by JNBY. The label said its designs were driven by the brands philosophy of freedom of imagination and that it wanted to create unique styles. But we also understand that whats most important is to pass on good values, JNBY added, promising to fuse innovative and creative designs with good values in the future. The Global Times reported that the pieces in question have since been removed from JNBYs online shop. According to the publicly-listed companys prospectus, there were 1,316 JNBY retail stores globally as of June 30, 2016. That number rose to 1,931 stores by the end of last year. The companys total revenue in the first half of fiscal year 2021 stood at $356 million, according to a Business of Fashion report. Medication abortion accounts for about 40% of all abortions in the U.S. The increasingly common method relies on pills rather than surgery, opening the possibility for abortions to be done in a woman's home rather than a clinic. It's an option that has become important during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Republican states move to restrict access to abortion generally, many of them also are limiting access to medication-induced abortions. Providers say medication abortion is safe and essential, especially as access to clinics in Republican-controlled states becomes more difficult. HOW DOES MEDICATION ABORTION WORK? Medication abortion has been available in the U.S. since 2000, when the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of mifepristone. A medication abortion consists of taking mifepristone, waiting 24 to 48 hours, and then taking misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which is essential to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding. The drugs are approved for use by the FDA up to 10 weeks of gestation. The method is considered by health professionals to be highly effective and safe, with pregnancies terminated in more than 95% of cases and serious complications in 0.4% of cases. According to the FDA, 3.7 million women used medication abortion between 2000 and 2018. In that period, 24 women died after taking mifepristone. The methods popularity has grown steadily. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, estimates that it accounts for about 40% of all abortions in the U.S. and 60% of those taking place up to 10 weeks gestation. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Abortion rights advocates say the pandemic has demonstrated the value of medical care provided virtually, including the privacy and convenience of abortion taking place in a womans home, instead of a clinic. Adding to its appeal: Clinics are few and far between in several states where Republicans have passed strict laws limiting access. Mississippi Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia are states that have just a single abortion clinic. Abortion providers say as access to clinics becomes more difficult, medication abortion can allow women to get abortions without facing the burden of traveling, which can be especially difficult and expensive for lower-income women. WHAT ARE STATES DOING TO RESTRICT IT? Abortion opponents, worried medication abortion is becoming increasingly prevalent, are pushing legislation in Republican-led states to limit access to the drugs. States have passed several measures to limit its availability. These include outlawing the delivery of abortion pills by mail, shortening the 10-week window in which the method is allowed and requiring women take the pills in a clinic rather than at home. Some states also require doctors to tell women undergoing drug-induced abortions that the process can be reversed midway through, a claim critics say is not supported by science. In 33 states, only physicians are allowed to provide abortion pills. In 17 states and the District of Columbia, they can be provided by advanced-practice clinicians. Clinicians providing the medication must be physically present when it is administered in 19 states, meaning abortion patients cannot take the drugs at home. Republican governors in Arkansas Arizona, Montana Oklahoma and Texas signed laws this year prohibiting abortion drugs from being delivered by mail. Such laws were largely seen as a response to the rise in popularity of telemedicine during the pandemic. The laws face legal challenges in Montana and Oklahoma. In Ohio, a judge temporarily blocked a law that would have banned the use of telemedicine for abortion pills while a legal challenge is underway. Some Republican legislatures also put limits on the point during a pregnancy when medication abortion can be provided. In Indiana and Montana, laws passed this year ban the medication after 10 weeks' gestation, and in Texas a newly signed law bans the medication after seven weeks. The Texas law is set to take effect in December. It passed just as Texas began banning nearly all abortions under a more far-reaching law, known as Senate Bill 8, which has become the nations biggest curb to abortion in a half-century. CAN MEDICATION ABORTION BE REVERSED? Eight states require counseling to promote the idea that medication abortion can be reversed through a high dose of progesterone after taking mifepristone. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not support prescribing progesterone for that use and says the reversal claim is not based on scientific evidence. Such laws are in effect in Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia. Court cases in Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee have blocked enforcement of these counseling requirements. In Montana, the law is set to take effect Oct. 1 but is being challenged in court. WHAT ARE THE FEDERAL RULES? At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration -- under federal court order -- eased restrictions on abortion pills so they could be sent by mail. But the FDA and its parent health agency, under the Trump administration, later argued the rules were necessary to ensure the pills were used safely. The rule requires patients to pick up the single tablet of mifepristone at a hospital, clinic or medical office and sign a form that includes information about the medications potential risks. The obstetricians and gynecologists association sued to overturn the rule, setting off a series of conflicting court decisions. Last April, the FDA again affirmed that women seeking an abortion pill would not be required to visit a doctor's office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy change applies only in states where there are no laws banning the use of telemedicine or requiring a physician to be present when the drugs are taken. The FDA policy also applies only as long as the COVID-19 health emergency lasts. Several medical organizations are pushing to make medication abortion permanently available through online prescribing and mail-order pharmacies. WHAT ARE WOMEN'S OPTIONS? Aid Access is one of several online initiatives that is offering to send women abortion pills by mail. It is led by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, a Dutch physician. The FDA, then under the Trump administration, sent a letter to Aid Access more than two years ago asking it to cease its activity, but the online drug provider has continued to send abortion pills to patients the U.S. The legality of the practice is ambiguous, but groups such as Plan C, which aims to raise awareness about self-managed abortions, provide information about where and how the drugs can be obtained online. Those groups say such access is especially important for women in places where abortion clinics face an ongoing assault by anti-abortion advocates and where lawmakers and governors are making it progressively harder for the clinics to remain open. If/When/How, a reproductive rights legal aid group, has tracked 24 cases since 2000 when women were prosecuted for self managed abortions. It is possible that someone could be targeted for investigation or arrest or prosecution, even in the absence of a law that actually makes it illegal, said Sara Ainsworth, policy director for the group. The junta that seized power in Guinea has ordered the central bank to freeze all government accounts in an effort to secure state assets and preserve the countrys interest. The move comes as a delegation of West African officials from the regional economic bloc known as ECOWAS arrives Friday in Guineas capital, Conakry, to meet with the military officers who toppled President Alpha Conde. The mediators from Ghana Nigeria Togo and Burkina Faso along with ECOWAS commission president Jean-Claude Kassi Brou are expected to press the junta to immediately return Guinea to constitutional rule. The 15-nation regional bloc suspended Guinea following Sundays coup led by Col. Mamady Doumbouya. The group has urged the coup leaders to assure the safety of the deposed president and others who have been arrested. Conde remains in the custody of the junta, who have only said that he is in a secure location with access to medical care. Doumbouya and the special forces that put the West African nation under military rule for the first time in over a decade have criticized Conde's government for corruption and the poverty of Guinea's people. The junta leader portrayed himself as a patriot of Guinea, taking power for the people who remained poor. However, experts say the coup happened after tensions increased between the army colonel and the president because of a recent proposal to cut some military salaries. The junta announced the temporary freezing of withdrawals on bank accounts related to public administrative and commercial establishments in all ministry departments and the presidency. The freeze also applies to the programs and projects of presidential initiatives, and outgoing members of the government as well as senior civil servants, administrators and financial authorities of the state. Condes removal by force came after he sought and won a controversial third term in office last year, saying the term limits did not apply to him. Conde was elected in 2010 in the countrys first democratic vote, with hopes that Guinea would see a fresh start after decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule and political turmoil. But in the years since, opponents say Conde failed to improve the lives of Guineans, most of whom live in poverty despite the countrys vast mineral deposits of bauxite and gold. Violent street demonstrations broke out last year after Conde organized a referendum to modify the constitution. The unrest intensified after he won the October election, and the opposition said dozens were killed during the crisis. ___ Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal. England is set to have diagnosed 95 per cent of people living with HIV within the next four years, making it likely that the country will have eliminated transmission of the virus by 2030, according to a new study. This places England on course to meet the ambitious global target set by Unaids for ending the AIDS epidemic by the close of the decade. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Public Health England (PHE) said the number of people living with diagnosed HIV aged 15 to 74 in England increased from 83,500 in 2013 to 92,800 in 2019. The proportion diagnosed steadily rose from 86 per cent to 94 per cent during the same time period, with the number of undiagnosed infections halving from 11,600 to 5,900. In addition, 98 per cent of those living with diagnosed HIV were on treatment, and 97 per cent of these were virally suppressed where the amount of HIV in the blood drops to undetectable levels, meaning they are unable to pass on the virus to others. This means that England beat the 90-90-90 world target set by Unaids for 2020 - that is, diagnosing 90 per cent of all people living with HIV across the globe, treating 90 per cent of positive cases, and achieving viral suppression among 90 per cent of those on treatment. Professor Daniela De Angelis, from the Medical Research Councils Biostatistics Unit at Cambridge and the studys senior author, said: Overall, we see a positive picture for the HIV epidemic in England, with a dramatic fall in the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV. We estimate we are ... on target to reach 95 per cent diagnosed by 2025 and to eliminate HIV infections by 2030. The study said that steep declines in transmission were estimated in all subgroups of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and in most subgroups of Black African heterosexuals. "The pace of reduction was less pronounced for heterosexuals in other ethnic groups and people who inject drugs, particularly outside London; however undiagnosed prevalence in these groups has remained very low, it added. Dr Valerie Delpech, head of the HIV Team at PHE and one the studys authors, said: "This research is good news and shows that combination prevention, and in particular HIV testing and early treatment, is working in England. She said that increasing the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among people deemed at higher risk of HIV has further amplified Englands response to end transmission of the virus. PrEP is a drug taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of contracting the virus. It has been shown to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV by up to 99 per cent. The study concluded that reductions in transmission and undiagnosed prevalence have corresponded to large scale-up of testing in key populations and early diagnosis and treatment. Despite the success in combating HIV within England, Dr Delpech warned that further reducing the number of people who remain undiagnosed with HIV infection will become very challenging in the coming years. She added: "This is particularly the case for heterosexuals who may not consider themselves at risk of HIV. "The priority must be to ensure that all sexual health clinic attendees are offered and encouraged to accept a HIV test, regardless of ethnicity, rather than the 73 per cent that currently do test. The research was funded by the Medical Research Council and PHE, and published in The Lancet Public Health journal. Earlier this week, the Elton John Aids Foundation, National Aids Trust and Terrence Higgins Trust urged ministers to ensure funding is provided to end HIV transmission in England during next month's Spending Review. Without the government allocating the necessary resources, the chance to end new cases of HIV by 2030 could slip from grasp, the charities said. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA They said more funds need to be ploughed into HIV prevention, testing and support for people living with HIV. Separately, the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS, warned that the recent decision to reduce the UKs overseas aid budget, from 0.7 per cent of national income to 0.5 per cent, could reverse decades of hard-won progress that has been made in cutting HIV transmission and death rates across the world. Baroness Elizabeth Barker, vice chair of the APPG, warned that the global response to the virus is teetering amid a perfect storm of waning political support, diminishing funds and the global shock of Covid-19. England is unlikely to need another full blown lockdown this winter, a leading scientific adviser to the government has said. Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), is moderately optimistic as England is yet to see a back-to-school surge in Covid infections. It comes after the latest NHS Test and Trace figures recorded 162,000 coronavirus cases in the week up to last Wednesday the lowest count since 30 June, before almost all social distancing restrictions were lifted. However, deaths have increased by 15 per cent week-on-week and cases have risen in school-age children. Professor Ferguson, dubbed Professor Lockdown for his work advising early in the pandemic, said: We cant rule out some need for additional measures, but I very much doubt we will need to go back into lockdown again. He added there could be a return to social distancing if there was a significant uptick in hospital admissions but that a full-blown lockdown was unlikely. As long as we can roll out the booster programme and the vaccination of teenagers as promptly as possible, Im moderately optimistic, he said. Professor Ferguson last week called for children to be vaccinated to boost the UKs immunity levels and stem the risk of a large winter wave of coronavirus. The epidemiologist said the UKs immunity levels were falling behind other European counties, such as Spain, Italy and France but that he hoped the country would not need another national lockdown. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Weve fallen behind a little bit. We were leading in Europe until recently and now several countries, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Ireland, have got higher vaccination levels than us and that is largely because they have rolled out vaccination of 12- to 15-year-olds faster. Government figures published on Thursday showed coronavirus cases had risen by 36,710 in one day, while a further 182 Covid-related deaths were recorded. Public Health England said Covid vaccinations were estimated to have prevented 123,100 people from dying in England. About 23.9 million infections have also been prevented by the vaccine rollout, along with 230,800 hospital admissions among people aged 45 and over. According to the latest figures, more than 89 per cent of all people aged 16 and over in England have now received one dose of vaccine, while almost 82 per cent are fully vaccinated. A 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering Sabina Nessa has been released under investigation as hundreds of mourners prepared to pay their respects at a vigil on Friday. Two men arrested on suspicion of murder in recent days have now been released pending further investigation, while police are hunting a third man captured on CCTV near where the primary school teacher was killed. Ms Nessa, 28, had been walking to meet a friend at a pub near her home in Kidbrooke, southeast London, last Friday when she was fatally attacked in nearby Cator Park. Her body was discovered by a member of the public the next day, having been hidden under a pile of leaves. The Metropolitan Police issued footage and images of the man they wish to speak to, which shows him walking in Pegler Square on the evening Ms Nessa was attacked. A 12-second clip shows a balding man wearing a black hooded coat and grey jeans, holding an orange object, looking over his shoulder and pulling at his hood as he walks down a path. Detectives have also released an image, captured in the same area, of a silver car they believe the man has access to and appealed for anyone who recognised either to contact the force immediately. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe urged anyone who may know the man to contact them. Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Mets Specialist Crime Command, said an extensive trawl of CCTV in the area continued and said information on the mans identity and whereabouts could be vital to the investigation. A Border Force IT failure has caused electronic passport gates to fail at airports across the UK. Travellers including journalist Louis Theroux reported huge queues at Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester airports, as well as at other locations. A spokesperson for Heathrow airport, which is the busiest in the UK, said: Were aware of a systems failure impacting the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force. This issue is impacting a number of ports of entry and is not an isolated issue at Heathrow. Our teams are working with Border Force to find a solution as quickly as possible. A spokesperson for Edinburgh airport said there was a nationwide Border Force IT issue, and that officials were working to resolve it. E-gates allow travellers with biometric passports to pass through border control without a manual inspection. Mr Theroux shared a photo of himself on Twitter, in what he called a human logjam at Heathrow. Other passengers reported that their planes were being held on the tarmac because of the nightmare queues inside the terminal. Some reported waits of at least two hours for passport control, and expressed concerns about overcrowding and a lack of measures to prevent the transmission of Covid. The Independent understands that there were no initial indications that the issue was caused by a cyber attack. The Home Office said that an unspecified technical issue had caused the failure, and that security at the border had not been affected. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 6 October 2021 A protester, wearing a mask of Johnson, holds a sign reading Question it all on the final day of the Tory conference Getty UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA A spokesperson added: This afternoon a technical issue affected e-gates at a number of ports. The issue was quickly identified and has now been resolved. We have been working hard to minimise disruption, and apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused. The Home Office has not responded to The Independents request for further detail on the technical issue or whether other services were affected. Controversial 10,000 on-the-spot fines for organising banned large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic should not have been introduced, MPs have said. Parliaments Justice Committee warned that the penalties must not be brought back if an increase in Covid cases sparks further restrictions. Sir Robert Neill, chair of the committee, said the government needed to learn lessons from previous mistakes to decide what model we should follow in the future. That the justice approach to the pandemic was not perfect in its early stages is understandable; to fail to learn valuable lessons to better prepare for the future would be much less so, he added. The speed and seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated restrictions that we previously thought unimaginable. New criminal offences were introduced to enforce them and it is right that the government acted quickly to create them. However, it is also clear that lessons need to be learnt and improvements made. A report published on Friday said the government should not have replied upon fixed penalty notices (FPNs) of increasing magnitude to deliver compliance with public health restrictions. Default penalties for breaking the first lockdown were set at 60, but steadily rose and the unprecedented 10,000 fines for organising gatherings of over 30 people were introduced in August last year. At the time, the government hailed it as a new deterrent on the breaches that put the public most at risk, such as parties and unlicensed music events. But the Justice Committee concluded: A 10,000 fine for a criminal offence is a penalty so large that only a court should issue it. When a court issues a fine, it takes into account the financial circumstances of an individual; this is not the case with fixed penalty notices the government should consider developing alternative means of ensuring compliance. There was no standardised way to contest coronavirus fines, other than refuse to pay them and risk prosecution. A Crown Prosecution Service review found that 18 per cent of charges under the Health Protection Regulations and 100 per cent under the Coronavirus Act were incorrect in the first year the laws were in effect. Where correct penalties were challenged in court, some judges reduced the fines dramatically because of the individual circumstances of each case. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA The committee called for ministers to review the wider regime for coronavirus fines, following widespread confusion over gaps between criminal law and non-binding government guidance. It cited evidence of misunderstanding by members of the public, police officers and even ministers, as law and guidance rapidly changed and diverged from each other. Blurring the line between government guidance and the law has potentially damaging long-term consequences, including for the rule of law, the report said. In a free society that respects the rule of law, only legislation can criminalise conduct, and it should be open to a person to decide whether to follow government guidance. The government has a responsibility to ensure that the public and the police have a clear understanding of the distinction between guidance and the law. The Justice Committee criticised the speed at which some coronavirus laws were implemented and the lack of full parliamentary scrutiny, urging the government to review its communications practices for the future. Members also raised concerns about the use of a controversial system that bypasses court hearings for coronavirus-related prosecutions. Analysis by The Independent suggested that by May this year, hundreds of people may have been wrongly convicted in Single Justice Procedure cases, which are decided by a single magistrate based largely on police evidence. People are notified of prosecutions by letter, and can be found guilty even if they do not enter a plea. The Justice Committee said the practice should be reviewed to assess if it provided the appropriate transparency for new and complex offences. Members called for a study to be conducted by the new UK Health Security Agency to review the effectiveness of the justice response to the pandemic and assess their appropriateness for future use. A government spokesperson said: The overwhelming majority of the public have played their part to control the virus but it is right that strong deterrents were in place for those breaching the rules most egregiously. As the committee notes, we were justified in acting quickly in the face of an unprecedented health crisis we have introduced measures to reduce transmission of the virus that have been proportionate and appropriate. The government will respond to the committees report in due course. A 91-year-old grandmother who became the first person in the world to have a Covid-19 vaccine has been given a booster jab, and urged others to do the same. Margaret Keenan returned to University Hospital Coventry, in the West Midlands - where she had the historic injection in December - to get her booster on Friday. Afterwards, she told reporters: I feel great, encouraging people to go for it. More than 350,000 people have booked a booster this week, the NHS said, as the latest stage of the fight against Covid-19 gets under way. More than 1.5 million people have been invited to book a booster vaccine. The over-50s, frontline health and care workers and those aged 16-49 at risk of severe illness who have had their second vaccine at least six months ago are being invited for a booster. Mrs Keenan, who has four grandchildren, was reunited with hospital matron May Parsons - also having her booster jab, as a frontline health worker - with the pair sharing a big hug. Ms Parsons administered Mrs Keenans first jab last year, when Mrs Keenan referred to them both as Maggie-May after they rolled up their sleeves. As the first person anywhere in the world to have a Covid jab at the start of the mass vaccination programme, she is part of the NHS campaign on the booster rollout. The nonagenarian, who retired from her job in a jewellers only five years ago, said: I think, for the few seconds it takes, (they should) go and have the injection because its saving their lives - their familys lives, and saving the NHS. Mrs Keenan, from Coventry, added: I dont really know what stops people from having it... theres nothing to be frightened of. Its protected me in the mind, as well. I feel quite confident now, going out, places I wouldnt have thought about before. Mrs Keenan said she had received loads of letters from some lovely people in places including Japan, Australia and the US. Im big news, she joked. Ms Parsons also urged people to take up a booster, saying we are not out of the pandemic just yet. The matron, who has worked for the NHS for almost 20 years since moving from the Philippines, also said she was concerned about the effect on wards this winter, with about 10 per cent of the UK population still having had no vaccine. She said: We are combatting different patients who are coming into our wards - this includes pregnant people who have not been vaccinated, and its a real worry for me. People are not thinking about protecting themselves and obviously their unborn babies. Its thought to be the hardest winter were ever going to face, with flu and Covid altogether. Ms Parsons said having the booster was really imperative if people want the maximum protection. Some Shell petrol stations are reporting that they have run out of fuel. It comes after BP, Tesco and Esso have warned of a lack of fuel at a number of their forecourts as a result of the HGV driver shortage. Shell said it was seeing increased demand for fuel at some of its petrol stations as worries over fuel running out of stock sent motorists to the pumps en masse to fill up their tanks since yesterday. A spokesperson for the Anglo-Dutch oil group said: We are seeing an increased demand today for fuel at some of our stations, which may in some instances result in larger queues. We are adapting our delivery schedules to ensure sufficient supplies for our customers. Motorists have been urged to fill up their tanks as normal, but hundreds of images have been uploaded to social media showing massive queues of cars outside forecourts. Edmund King, president of breakdown and recovery service the AA, said that there is no shortage of fuel. He said that thousands of forecourts are operating normally with just a few suffering temporary supply chain problems. Mr King added: It is now clear that there have been occasional delays over recent weeks that have been managed with hardly anyone noticing. This was a manageable problem. The Road Haulage Association has attributed to the shortage of HGV drivers to the Covid pandemic, Brexit, and long-standing problems with pay and conditions that has seen many drivers leave the profession. Transport secretary Grant Shapps has not ruled out deploying the army to forecourts or relaxing post-Brexit visa rules to ease a shortfall of about 100,000 lorry drivers. An anonymous ally of Boris Johnson is quoted by the Financial Times as saying that the PM is completely fed up with bad headlines on this and wants it sorted and doesnt care about visa limits any more. Rob Hollyman, director of Youngs Transportation and Logistics, has said that hauliers would breathe a huge sigh of relief if the government relaxes visa rules for lorry drivers. He said: Its been very tough. We have been very short of drivers. It would be a godsend. Mr Hollyman added that it was a very short-term, partial fix, and called for 24-hour, seven-day-a-week testing of drivers to clear a backlog of 40,000 people waiting to obtain their HGV licences. The grieving sister of murdered teacher Sabina Nessa broke down in tears on Friday as she addressed several hundred mourners at a vigil marking one week since the killing. "We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world far too early, Jebina Yasmin Islam told the huge crowd at Pegler Square in Kidbooke, southeast London. Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and cant get out of it our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words. No family should go through what we are going through. Nessa, 28, was attacked and killed near the square as she was on her way to meet a friend. A 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder was released under investigation earlier on Friday, while police are still hunting a man captured on CCTV near the scene. Several hundred mourners gathered for the vigil in Kidbrooke for murdered teacher Sabina Nessa (Lamiat Sabin) Moments before the vigil began, the Duchess of Cambridge said she was "saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets. "My thoughts are with Sabinas family and friends, and all those who have been affected by this tragic event, Kate tweeted. In March, the duchess privately visited the memorial to murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard in Clapham Common, south-west London, after the 33-year-old was killed by off-duty police officer Wayne Couzens. As the vigil was taking place, a statement from Ms Nessas uncle, Shahin Miah, said the family is devastated and distraught. The statement, read out at a parallel event at the east London mosque, he said: I appear before you with great sorrow. We have no language to speak in these difficult times. There is no place for suffering like this. We are grateful to all who have been hurt, protested, sympathised with, and expressed concern for the safety of women throughout the UK, not just you, but throughout the UK. Personal attack alarms were available at the vigil in Kidbrooke (Lamiat Sabin) Any adversity teaches us to be united, gives us the strength to fight against injustice. Sabina is our grief today, Sabina is our courage today. Community safety officers were at the event, handing out personal attack alarms to women. Banners at the event called for action to tackle violence against women, amid frustration at the lack of progress on protection. Nellie, 20, from southwest London, said: Her death is something I have absorbed as something that happens to women and that theres not really much we can do about it. Anna Birley, policy lead at Reclaim These Streets, said women should be safe regardless or what time it is and what they are wearing. The burden on women has to shift, she said. Men perpetuate that violence and as a society we are not good enough in calling that out. Six months after the death of Sarah Everard we are asking for the same basic things again, she added. Since Sarah died, nothing has changed. We are as vulnerable as ever. Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: Women are questioning their safety again. [Sabina Nessa] died while on a five minute walk from her house. Which is why the community is in such deep shock. She said she attended the vigil to show solidarity with the Kidbrooke community. She said that violence against women and girls needs to be tackled with a range of measures, including education of men and boys, and boosting investment in refuges, keeping parks and communities well lit, improving infrastructure, and addressing the under-reporting of sex-based crimes. She said: In politics, the instant reaction is more policing but more police officers do not always make us safer. Boris Johnson asked Brazil for an emergency deal to ease shortages of a food product lacking in the UK, the Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has claimed. Mr Bolsonaro did not name the particular product but said he had passed Mr Johnsons request to his agriculture minister Tereza Cristina. He wants an emergency agreement with us to import some kind of food that is lacking in England, the president said on his weekly webcast to supporters. A No 10 spokesperson disputed Mr Bolsonaros account saying it was not the UK delegations recollection of the conversation between the leaders, without giving further details. The British embassy in Brazil also rejected Mr Bolsonaros claim, saying the presidents remarks did not reflect the leaders meeting in New York at the UN General Assembly earlier this week. Mr Bolsonaro also said Mr Johnson also asked him to help increase Brazilian imports of whisky from the UK but he added in his social media talk that this was up to private business in Brazil and not his government. Shortages of fast-food chicken saw some Nandos outlets close last month, with food sector chiefs pointing to the shortfall in production workers who returned home after Brexit and a drastic lack of lorry drivers able to come to the UK. Food sector bosses have warned of further shortages of poultry and meat due to a sudden dearth of carbon dioxide used by the industry. Mr Johnson and other government ministers have repeatedly brushed aside suggestions there could be shortages of traditional Christmas fare such as roast turkey though suppliers have warned some families may have to do without this year. The British Poultry Council (BPC) has warned the industry was heading into a downward spiral towards supply chains seriously struggling. Ranjit Singh Boparan, the owner of Bernard Matthews and 2 Sisters Food Group, said earlier this week that the shortage of both CO2 and workers will affect the supply of turkeys for Christmas. The Brazilian presidents office has not yet responded to requests for clarification on the particular food product he believed had been requested. Brazil is the worlds third largest producer of poultry, including chicken and turkey, according to the Poultry World website. Additional reporting by Reuters The government has refused to suspend a free-trade deal with the Faroe Islands over whale and dolphin massacres, in defiance of calls from conservationists. Hunters caused widespread outrage last week when they wiped out a super-pod of 1,428 dolphins thought to be the worst bloodbath of the mammals in the islands history. Just 10 days later, they responded to the global revulsion by slaughtering 53 pilot whales only a few miles from the first massacre. Wildlife campaigner Dominic Dyer has called for ministers to suspend the 580m post-Brexit agreement that the government agreed with the Faroe Islands in 2019 until the slaughter ends for good. More than 21,000 people have signed a petition on the government website backing the plea in three days. The government told The Independent it is extremely concerned about the sustainability and welfare implications for the animals involved in these hunts but that it would not review the trade deal. Instead, it says it will continue to engage in a frank and respectful dialogue with the government of the Faroes. Zac Goldsmith, the minister for animal welfare, tweeted of the dolphin killings: This is one of the most sickening spectacles Ive ever seen. It shames our species. Known as the Grindadrap, the annual hunt involves herding whales and dolphins on to a beach where they are knifed to death as their blood turns the sea red. The practice has been branded barbaric, sick and sadistic but those who defend it say it is a tradition that does not risk driving the animals into extinction. Mr Dyer said: We are currently granting the Faroe Islands a preferential trade agreement worth over 500m a year its time for sanctions to stop this barbarism. The deal accounts for more than 25 per cent of the Faroes global trade, he said, with exports from the islands mostly fish sold in British supermarkets worth 582m a year. UK exports to the islands amount to 34m, said Mr Dyer, whose petition reads: If the UK is to be considered a world leader in the protection of marine mammals, it must use this leverage now. When asked by The Independent whether it would agree to suspend or review the deal, the Department for International Trade said it had no plans to do so. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said: The UK is strongly opposed to the hunting of any cetaceans and continues to call on all whaling nations, including the Faroe Islands, at every appropriate opportunity to cease their whaling activities in favour of well-managed, responsible tourism, such as whale-watching. We recognise there is a long tradition in the Faroe Islands of killing pilot whales and dolphins for meat and other products, and we wish to continue our frank conversations relating to cetacean conservation, to encourage them to stop these hunts. Government policy is to maintain diplomatic pressure on the islands to end the hunts and re-engage with the International Whaling Commission. Boris Johnsons wife, Carrie, and his father, Stanley, have previously joined campaigns against whaling outside the Japanese embassy in London. The government has won an interim injunction to prevent protesters from occupying the A20 and strategic roads linked to the Port of Dover after climate protesters blocked access this week. Kent Police arrested 39 people on Friday when activists connected to Insulate Britain - an offshoot of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion - blocked roads in and out of the cross-Channel ferry port at about 8.20am. The demonstration created long queues of vehicles, with several drivers expressing anger with the activists. Those who breach the injunction will be in contempt of court, putting them at risk of imprisonment and an unlimited fine, according to the government. We are absolutely committed to protecting the right to peaceful protest, but it is unacceptable that people cannot go about their day-to-day businesses and that businesses or critical supplies should be put on a knife's edge because of the reckless actions of a few protesters, transport secretary Grant Shapps said. I commend the work of Kent Police and the Port of Dover authorities today to quickly resolve the issue and keep our critical supplies moving, and I will do everything to prevent these sort of guerrilla tactics from putting people's lives at risk and keeping our emergency services away from the communities that need them. The injunction request came after members of Insulate Britain blocked parts of the M25 five times in the past fortnight, causing disruption for motorists and passengers who were caught up in miles of traffic. Speaking on Friday, Chief Superintendent Simon Thompson of Kent Police said: The impact this disruption had on the local community and port-bound traffic is not lost on us and I would like to thank those adversely affected by it for their patience whilst we made the area safe again. Kent Police is working with the other forces, the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and partner agencies to gather evidence and ensure there are consequences for those who break the law. One Insulate Britain protester, a 27-year-old called Stephanie, told the PA news agency that the groups actions were necessary to prevent chaos from climate change in the future. I want to be home with my family spending time with them, but if we don't do this they aren't going to have a future, she said. The government are not doing enough. On the current trajectory we are heading for chaos. The Port of Dover is Europe's busiest ferry port, used by an average of 6,200 road haulage vehicles every day in 2020, and handles 17 per cent of the UK's trade in goods. Additional reporting by PA Keir Starmer endured a car crash meeting with union chiefs on Friday afternoon in which he failed to drum up support for changes to Labour party rules. The opposition leader had wanted to rewrite the regulations for his partys internal elections in a move critics said was an attempt to gerrymander future leadership elections to the disadvantage of the left. But Sir Keir looked set to lose his first major conference battle after catastrophically misjudging the level of opposition to the move which would have ended one member, one vote and brought in an electoral college system whereby MPs and unions would hold most of the power. If all had gone to plan, Sir Keir would have won support for the change at the meeting on Friday afternoon before taking the proposal to the partys national executive committee (NEC) in the evening for approval and then on to conference next week. But after union leaders panned his proposals for a second time this week, Labour sources admitted on Friday evening that the proposals would not be brought to the NEC meeting. Allies of Sir Keir are now thought to be trying to negotiate a face-saving rule change that would give the leadership a desperately needed win to restore its authority and potentially still dilute the power of the left. But Sir Keirs critics from within the party celebrated the apparent death of the electoral college plan. Starmers attack on democracy is floundering, said Gaya Sriskanthan, co-chair of left-wing campaign group Momentum. This delay has been won by the grassroots members who have taken action to organise their delegates, lobby their unions, and mobilise ahead of conference. But its not over yet. We have to keep up the pressure to make sure this rule change, and all the other regressive changes concocted by the leadership, get comprehensively rejected. The NEC will meet again on Saturday morning, and Sir Keirs allies hope they will have agreed something concrete with union chiefs in advance that they can bring to conference. Sources say the meeting with the trade unionists on Friday afternoon was characterised by even those who are normally allies of Sir Keir giving the leader a hard time over the policy. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA As was the case earlier in the week, some unions were openly hostile to the proposals, with even moderates unconvinced. Before Fridays meeting, Unison, the countrys biggest union, appeared to set itself against the plan after a majority of members on its Labour Link committee, which governs its relationship with the party, released a statement saying they opposed the change. Sir Keir ordinarily has a majority on the partys NEC as long as he has support from moderate-led trade unions, but he failed to win their support for the proposals on this occasion. A return to the electoral college has little support in Labour ranks outside its Blairite right wing, which would benefit from such a change because it has minority support within the membership but a major caucus among MPs in the parliamentary party. The military could be deployed as lorry drivers to help tackle Britains growing fuel crisis, the transport secretary has said. Grant Shapps said the government would consider bringing in soldiers to drive trucks or train others if the drastic shortage of heavy good vehicle (HGV) drivers continued to hit the supply of petrol. BP was forced to ration petrol deliveries and close down some of its filling stations on Thursday, while Esso said a small number of its Tesco forecourts have also been impacted by shortages. Asked on LBC whether military could soon step in, Mr Shapps said soldiers could be deployed across a wide range of different things from of course helping to test, to helping to drive. The minister also told BBC Breakfast: With regards to things like whether theres a role for the military, obviously if there is, if that can actually help, we will bring them in. Mr Shapps added: There will be technicalities as to whether they can immediately switch over to commercial trucks and so on, there could be other roles for them such as in driver testing and training. I am ruling nothing out. Ministers have reportedly discussed whether soldiers should be put on standby to drive tankers to petrol stations if shortages continue. A contingency plan known as Operation Escalin would only be ordered if the situation got significantly worse, according to The Times. The transport secretary attempted to dissuade drivers from panic buying petrol telling motorists to carry on as normal and promising to move heaven and earth to keep good moving. Mr Shapps denied that Brexit was the culprit in the UKs dire shortage of lorry drivers, arguing that the split from the EU had allowed the government to bring in more driving tests. Ive seen people point to Brexit as if it is the culprit here. In fact, they are wrong, he told Sky News. Brexit actually has provided part of the solution of giving more slots available for HGV tests. Mr Shapps also told the broadcaster the wages for hauliers had been held down by importing cheap European, often eastern European labour, undercutting the domestic market and creating more long-term problems. He added: What I dont want to do, and Ive been hinting at this, is undercut with, as has happened before, cheaper European drivers and then find our drivers drop out because they are being undercut. That doesnt solve the problem, it just creates a new problem. Despite the increase in driving tests, Rod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) trade body said that the government had allowed the driver shortage to get gradually worse in recent months. We have got a shortage of 100,000 (drivers), he told BBCs Newsnight pointing to the 20,000 European drivers lost because to Brexit, on top of historic shortfalls in the workforce. Some of the UKs largest businesses and industry bodies have joined the RHA in asking the government to relax visa requirements to allow more overseas drivers to work in the UK. BP is understood to have asked the government for similar support on a temporary basis. New fossil evidence has rewritten the history of humans in North America, with footprints dating the first know human activity on the continent as far back as 23,000 years ago. That is 11,000 years more almost double than the previously thought date of 12,000 years ago, according to research published in the journal Science on Thursday. It places humans in the Americas before the last Ice Age, rather than after the ice sheets began melting, said Dr Sally Reynolds, a principal academic in hominin paleoecology at Bournemouth University. The fossilised footprints were found at White Sands National Park in New Mexico in the soft mud of an ancient lake that is now part of the Alkali Flat. "The oldest footprints in the Americas date to our site at White Sands at 23,000 years, which is a time where the ice sheets basically were at their maximum," Dr Reynolds said. "We thought that the humans could only travel down after the ice sheet receded, so were at about 12,000 years, and so for a long time many of the sites were thought to be capped by that maximum age when the ice-free corridor opened and the humans were able to travel down south." The footprints were first discovered by David Bustos, a resource manager at the National Park, when he heard about "ghost tracks" footprints that would appear when the ground was wet and disappear when it was dry. Scientists first confirmed the fossilised footprints were real in 2016, and carbon dating of aquatic plan seeds around the footprints published in Science this week placed the tracks to between 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. Most of the tracks were left by teenagers and younger children, plus a few adults, surrounded by tracks of mammoths, giant ground sloths, and dire wolves. Dr Reynolds said the discovery also has implications for the history of megafauna on the continent, with their extended co-existence alongside humans suggesting they survived longer before dying out from overhunting. "It may well be that the humans were harvesting these megafaunas as part of their killing and their hunting more sustainably in the earlier years," Dr Reynolds said. "And potentially through time as the populations grew, the balance of power shifted and the humans started overharvesting these mega faunas and that might have contributed to their demise." The identity of the woman killed in a supermarket mass shooting in Collierville, Tennessee has been confirmed by her family, after they released a statement on social media. The woman has been identified as Olivia King by her son who posted a statement on Facebook on Thursday night and asked for Gods mercy on the shooter and his family. The statement read: Our family is devastated by this senseless act of violence. We ask that you pray for the repose of the soul of our mother, Olivia King. We also ask everyone for their prayers for all families and friends affected by the events today, as well as for Gods mercy on the shooter and his family. Thank you. At least two people, including the shooter, were killed and 12 people were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Collierville Kroger grocery shop in an upscale Tennessee suburb on Thursday afternoon. The shooter died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the store, officials said. A total of 12 injured people were taken to hospital after the shooting, among them some seriously wounded, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said. According to a Kroger employee who was in the store working a cash register when the shooting broke out, the incident began with a sound she initially thought was balloons popping. "And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting," the store worker Brignetta Dickerson said. "And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach," Ms Dickerson said. The police officials received a call around 1.30 pm about the shooting and reached the store immediately, the police chief said. They found multiple people injured with gunshot wounds when they reached the building. Additional reporting by agencies The FBI is helping with the Pandoras box of investigations tied to Alex Murdaugh, a former lawyer accused of arranging his own death, South Carolina officials have confirmed. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said on Thursday that the FBI has already been assisting it for some time. I have been in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the United States Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina, SLED chief Mark Keel said in a statement. From very early on in this investigation SLED has utilized federal resources as needed. We will continue to call upon our federal partners as their assistance is needed to successfully investigate and prosecute specific aspects of these cases. In recent months, Mr Murdaugh, the heir to a long line of powerful lawyers in South Carolina, has been connected to a series of shootings and bizarre incidents. On 7 June, Mr Murdaugh called 911 to report that hed found the bodies of his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, near some dog kennels on their hunting property in Colleton County. Both were dead of gunshot wounds. Their murders remain unsolved. He is totally distraught, Mr Murdaughs attorney, Richard Harpootlian, later told NBC News. He did not murder them. Then, on 4 September, Mr Murdaugh himself was shot while changing a tire on the side of a road in Hampton County. He survived, and later admitted to police that he had arranged the shooting. A former client of his, Curtis Edward Smith, 61, was charged two days later with firing on him at Mr Murdaughs behest. Police say the plan was for Mr Murdaugh to die so his surviving son, Buster, could inherit $10m in life insurance money. He has been arrested and charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report. Mr Murdaughs lawyer says he has struggled with a decades-long addiction to drugs, and this played a role in his attempt at assisted suicide. For the last 20 years, there have been many people feeding his addiction to opioids. During that time, these individuals took advantage of his addiction and his ability to pay substantial funds for illegal drugs, Mr Harpootlian said in a statement. One of those individuals took advantage of his mental illness and agreed to take Alexs life, by shooting him in the head. Then, on 15 September, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced that it was investigating the death of Gloria Satterfield, a longtime housekeeper and nanny for the Murdaugh family. Ms Satterfield died in 2018 under mysterious circumstances. Mr Murdaugh told her family that she tripped and fell down some stairs at his home. But the Hampton County coroner, Angela Topper, thought Mr Murdaughs story didnt add up, and wrote a letter to SLED asking them to investigate. Meanwhile, Ms Satterfields sons, Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott, are suing Mr Murdaugh because they say he agreed to pay them a large settlement after their mothers death but they never received a penny of it. That settlement was for $505,000. But according to the sons lawyer, Eric Bland, new information shows theyre owed as much as $4m. The Independent has reached out to Mr Harpootlian for comment, but has not yet heard back. With so many cases related to Mr Murdaugh, it is perhaps not surprising that local investigators have called in the FBI for help. SLED agents continue to work diligently to bring justice to all victims in these cases, Mr Keel said on Thursday. As I have previously stated, our agents remain committed to following the facts no matter where they lead us. Federal prosecutors have indicted Brian Laundrie in the case of Gabby Petito, whose remains were discovered in Wyoming after an extensive nationwide search. The partner of the 22-year-old van blogger, whose death has been ruled a homicide, Mr Laundrie was travelling with Ms Petito on a cross-country road trip when she went missing. He returned to his familys home in Florida alone with the van the couple had been living in, and ultimately disappeared himself. Days later, when Mr Laundries parents reported his disappearance, a major manhunt was launched, which remains underway. The FBI announced the charge against Mr Laundrie on 23 September for alleged use of unauthorised access devices along with an arrest warrant. Heres everything we know about the missing man so far: Indictment Authorities had labelled Mr Laundrie a person of interest in Ms Petitos disappearance, as he was the last person known to have been with her before she went missing. The grand jury indictment against Mr Laundrie was not related to her death, but rather related to money he allegedly withdrew which affected interstate commerce. After Ms Petito was reported missing, Mr. Laundries lawyer released a statement saying his client would not be speaking to authorities on the advice of counsel. North Port Police, who said Mr Laundries lack of cooperation was hindering the investigation, tweeted a direct plea to the lawyer, asking for help. Mr Laundrie did not speak to police, but instead went missing, and has not been seen since 14 September, despite a couple of reported sightings that proved to be false. Whilst the warrant allows for his arrest, the facts and circumstances of Ms Petitos death are still been investigated. Where is Brian Laundrie thought to be? The search for Mr Laundrie is largely focused on the Carlton Reserve in Florida, which is close to the Laundries family home in North Port. Mr Laundries parents say he headed to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which connects with the reserve, for a hike on 14 September. He drove there in a silver Mustang, which they later collected and, according to their account, brought only a backpack with him. While authorities scaled back the search, they later returned to the area with divers to continue looking for signs of Mr Laundrie. Following a tip from Dog the Bounty Hunter, Mr Laundries parents confirm they went camping with their son between 6 to 8 of September, days before Ms Petito was reported missing, at the Fort De Soto Park in Floridas Pinellas County. Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito (Instagram/Brian Laundrie) Is he a survivalist? Mr Laundrie told friends and coworkers that he was skilled in outdoor survival, allegedly boasting to a co-worker that he had lived in a forest for weeks on just snacks. He also reportedly told a friend of Ms Petitos that he spent three months hiking alone in the Appalachians. However, experts have said the swampy region they are searching is particularly unforgiving with wild animals and dehydration, both potential dangers. Who is the Laundrie family? Mr Laundries father, Christopher Laundrie, 62, and mother Roberta Laundrie, 55, live in North Port, Florida. Mr Laundrie also has a sister, Cassie Laundrie, whose children Mr Laundrie and Ms Petito appear to have been close with. Ms Laundrie appeared on Good Morning America on 17 September, saying she had not spoken to her brother since he returned from his trip, but that Ms Petito was "like a sister and my children love her and all I want is for her to come home safe and sound and for this to be a big misunderstanding. Mr Laundries parents also appear to have had a close relationship with Ms Petito, as she lived with them for more than a year, as Ms Petitos mother Nicole Schmidt outlined in an open letter to the Laundries when her daughter was still missing. Roberta Laundrie was a Pinterest collaborator on a Life Goals Pinterest board created by Ms Petito that showed pictures of newlyweds with backpacks, and posts of baby clothes. Relationship with Gabby Mr Laundrie met Ms Petito at Bayport-Blue Point High School on New Yorks Long Island, according to Ms Petitos stepfather, Jim Schmidt. The pair began dating in March 2019 and got engaged in July 2020, according to posts on their Instagram accounts. Mr Laundrie wrote: My biggest fear is that one day Ill wake up and it will have all been a dream, because that is what every second has felt like since the moment we found each other. Till death do us part or until I wake up, Im so happy the answer was yes, Love you hunny. Ms Petitos mother Nichole Schmidt told the Daily Mail she believed the couple may have called off their engagement ahead of the trip because they were still so young. Mr Laundrie presented an idyllic picture of the couples relationship on social media, posting pictures of them kissing, and posing for pictures together smiling. But witness reports described a very different picture of Mr Laundries treatment of his partner. He was allegedly seen slapping and hitting Ms Petito in the Utah town of Moab weeks before she went missing. A 911 call was made by a Moab resident who witnessed the alleged altercation and was concerned enough to report it to authorities. Police later pulled their van over to find a crying and distressed Ms Petito, and Mr Laundrie with scratches on his face. "Weve just been fighting this morning. Personal issues," Ms Petito told police. One officer said in body-camera footage, that they considered Mr Laundrie to be the victim, although not at risk, and no further action was taken. Job Mr Laundrie does not appear to have been in full-time employment, but he did earn money selling his artworks online. On a Depop site called Bizarre Design, Mr Laundrie sold his artworks, including bookmarks, print stamps and t-shirts . Social media presence Mr Laundries social media accounts show a man presenting himself as outdoorsy, a loving and devoted boyfriend, and an artist with conspiratorial leanings. On Instagram, he railed against being brainwashed by the media and revealed a fondness for pop culture icons such as Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and the creator of the Hellboy comics, Mike Mignola. His posts are sprinkled with references to nature, and he showed admiration for film characters like Joaquin Phoenixs The Joker, violent video games like Hotline Miami, and the book Lullaby by Mr Palahniuk, in which a man investigates the death of his wife and child. Amid the ongoing manhunt for Brian Laundrie, a second woman has come forward to say that she gave him a ride while he was hitchhiking in Wyomings Grand Teton National Park on 29 August. His fiance, YouTuber Gabby Petito, was last seen in the region on 27 August at a Tex-Mex restaurant, where they allegedly had an argument. Norma Jean Jalovec, a resident of Florida, said that she realised that she had picked up Mr Laundrie and dropped him off at the Spread Creek dispersed camping area after seeing a TikTok video. The missing 22-year-old Youtubers remains were discovered from the same area on 19 September, after a week-long nationwide search. The FBI confirmed on 22 September that it was Petitos body, and have now ruled the death a homicide. According to Ms Jalovec, Mr Laundrie asked if she was going to Jackson. When she told him that she lives in the opposite direction, he asked her to drop him at the dispersed camping area. Everythings legitimate. Everythings corroborated. I already talked to the FBI, Ms Jalovec told Fox News. On 17 September, a woman named Miranda Baker said through TikTok videos that she and her boyfriend had picked up Mr Laundrie on the evening of 29 August. Federal prosecutors on Thursday indicted 23-year-old Mr Laundrie for alleged use of unauthorised access devices and issued an arrest warrant. He is a person of interest in the case. While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Petitos homicide, said Special Agent in charge Michael Schneider. We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI. Mr Laundrie was travelling with Petito on a cross-country road trip when she went missing. On 1 September, he returned to his familys home in Florida alone with the van the couple had been living in, and ultimately disappeared himself. Days later, when Mr Laundries parents reported his disappearance, a major manhunt was launched, which remains underway. The search for Mr Laundrie is largely focused on the Carlton Reserve in Florida, which is close to the Laundries family home in North Port. Mr Laundries parents say he headed to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which connects with the reserve, for a hike on 14 September. He drove there in a silver Mustang, which they later collected and, according to their account, brought only a backpack with him. Despite six days of intensive searches, officers have failed to find any trace of the man. On Thursday, a team of divers joined police and FBI agents using boats and helicopters in the search for him in the 25,000-acre swampy Florida reserve. A former co-worker of his said Mr Laundrie is well-versed in surviving in the wild. Petitos family went on a frantic search for their daughter after they stopped receiving texts from her and she did not make it back home with Mr Laundrie. Petitos mother last spoke to her on 25 August. The police in Utahs Moab town were called to a possible domestic violence incident after Petito and Mr Laundrie were seen engaging in a heated argument inside their van. After Petito was reported missing, Mr Laundries lawyer released a statement saying his client would not be speaking to authorities on the advice of counsel. The North Port Police, who said Mr Laundries lack of cooperation was hindering the investigation, tweeted a plea to the lawyer. The family of Petito had also called on the Laundrie family to help them find their daughter. Instead, Mr Laundrie went missing and has not been seen since 14 September. A California power company has been charged with manslaughter for its equipment sparking a 2020 wildfire that left four people dead and hundreds more homeless. Pacific Gas and Electric, the countrys largest utility company, has been charged on 31 counts by prosecutors over the Zogg Fire, which burned last year near the city of Redding. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced that the manslaughter and other criminal charges against the company including 11 felonies. Last year the company pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 blaze caused by its electrical grid that destroyed the town of Paradise in the deadliest US wildfire in a century. The Zogg fire broke out on began on 27 September 2020 and burned around 87 square miles of the Sierra Nevada, killing four people and destroying almost 200 homes. State investigators announced earlier this year that the fire started when a pine tree fell onto a PG&E transmission line. The company has already been sued by Shasta and Tehama counties for negligence amid allegations that the company had failed to remove the tree despite it being marked for that action two years earlier. PG&E has around 16m customers in central and northern California. In 2019 it filed for bankruptcy protection after its equipment was blamed for a string of fires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed 10,000 homes in Paradise. The company is still facing hundreds of lawsuits from that blaze but came out of bankruptcy last year after agreeing a $13.5bn settlement with around 70,000 wildfire victims. Most of those people are reportedly still waiting for payment from a trust created by the company. It is still on remains on criminal probation for a 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California, that killed eight people and which gave a federal judge oversight of the company. Both the judge and the states power regulators have criticised the company for failing to deal with trees that pose a danger to its power lines. The Associated Press contributed to this report A federal court has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, the missing fiance of Gabby Petito, the FBI has announced. According to the bureaus Denver, Colorado division, the warrant was issued on Wednesday. On September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr Laundries activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito, FBI Denver said in a tweet. Mr Laundrie, who had been Ms Petitos fiance, is still missing. Police have been searching for him at the Carlton nature reserve in Sarasota, Florida. Specifically, Mr Laundrie has been charged with fraudulently using someone elses debit card from 30 August to 1 September, spending or withdrawing $1,000 or more. He has not at this point been charged with Ms Petitos homicide, but has been a person of interest in her missing person case since she first disappeared. In a statement, the FBI added that it still needs any information on the case that the public can provide. While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms Petitos homicide, Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said. We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI. Mr Laundries lawyer, Steven Bertolino, told Fox News the warrant is unrelated to Ms Petitos death itself. It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise, the attorney said. The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.The Independent has contacted Mr Bertolino for further comment. Mr Laundrie hasnt spoken publicly about the case since he returned from the couples cross-country road trip alone on 1 September. Remains believed to belong to Ms Petito were located in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on 19 September. An autopsy confirmed that it was Ms Petito. A neighbour told Fox News that the Laundrie family went camping together shortly after the young man got back from the road trip. Since then, authorities have searched the Laundrie familys home in North Port, Florida, where the couple lived before setting off on their roadtrip. It is now an active crime scene. Police departments around the country are engaging in a massive manhunt for Mr Laundrie, who is believed to possess survival skills that would allow him to remain in the wilderness for months, according to friends. Sixteen different police agencies, using tools ranging from drones to trained divers, have joined in the search at the nearby Carlton Reserve nature area, 25 minutes away from the Laundrie home, though authorities have yet to find traces of Mr Laundrie. Mr Laundrie told friends he was going for a hike in the area before he left his parents home. Authorities also investigated a woodland in Baker, Florida, also nearby, after a trail camera caught sight of an unidentified man that may have been Brian Laundrie. Police also searched for Mr Laundrie in Alabama, where officers at the Mobile Police Department got a tip that he may have been in Tillmans Corner, 600 miles away from North Port. An eyewitness has told the FBI she saw Brian Laundrie alone and acting weird close to the site where Ms Petitos body was found in a Wyoming national park. Jessica Schultz told the San Francisco Chronicle she spotted the couples white Ford Transit van in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming several times in late August. It was only after she was sent a photo of Mr Laundrie by a friend that she realised the significance of the sighting and reported it to law enforcement. Ms Schultz also discussed her creepy encounter with the man she would later identify as Mr Laundrie on TikTok. Another witness has come forward and described seeing Mr Laundrie have an aggressive argument with a waitress at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on 27 August. If true, it would be one of the last sightings of Ms Petito before she was killed. Earlier that month police in Utah were called after witnessed saw a potential domestic incident between the couple, where both may have injured each other. Melissa Hulls, a visitor and resource protection supervisor at Arches National Park, told Ms Petito, 22, that the relationship appeared toxic after she found her sobbing in the back of a police vehicle. Gabby Petitos family have set up a charitable foundation in her name, and are asking people to donate to it in lieu of flowers for her memorial service. Ms Petitos father Joe Petito announced on Friday the family had formed the Future Gabby Petito Foundation. We thank you for all the support, Mr Petito said. In lieu of flowers for the service, please send donations for the Future Gabby Petito Foundation through the Johnny Mac Foundation at https://t.co/LuZ4fILZY0 or https://t.co/4jn0zukyIb We Thank you for all the support pic.twitter.com/MWGx2BGHmQ joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 24, 2021 Donations are being collected through the Johnny Mac Foundation, a charity set up by the family of former FDNY firefighter John McNamara who died of 9/11-related cancer in 2009 aged 44. Ms Petitos mother Nichole Schmidt is a longtime volunteer and board member at the foundation. Her husband Jim Schmidt, who assisted in the FBI-led search for Ms Petito, is the former chief of the Blue Point Fire Department in Long Island. The family announced a memorial visitation for Ms Petito, 22, will be open to the public. The memorial will take place at Moloneys Holbrook Funeral Home, in Long Island, New York, from 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Ms Petitos remains were located in the Bridger-Teton National Forrest in Wyoming on Sunday, and an autopsy confirmed her death was a homicide. The cause of death has yet to be released. Gabby Petitos uncle Steve Petito asks neighbors to light candles in memory of Ms Petito. (screengrab) On Thursday, Ms Petitos uncle Steve asked people to light a candle at the end of their driveway for his beautiful niece at 7pm on Friday. She touched the world, Steve Petito wrote in the post on Instagram. Events are being held at Ms Petitos home of Blue Point, and people are being invited to join A man on board a JetBlue flight from Boston to San Juan on Wednesday allegedly assaulted crew members and tried to storm the cockpit, according to an FBI affidavit. The passenger, identified as Khalil El Dahr, had to be restrained to a chair with several seatbelt extenders for the rest of the flight. According to the affidavit, Mr Dahr had reportedly attempted to make a phone call mid-air but was livid after he was unsuccessful. Less than 30 minutes in the air, he reportedly got out of his seat and rushed towards the cockpit screaming in Spanish and Arabic, asking to be shot. He was initially "corralled" by an attendant before a crew officer opened the cockpit door. Mr Dahr punched and kicked a flight attendant on his chest before strangling him with the crew's tie while trying to move towards the cockpit. The passenger "grabbed the JetBlue attendant by their collar and tie with one hand while using his other hand to grab the overhead compartment to gain leverage to kick," the affidavit said. After kicking the crew member the passenger allegedly again asked to be shot. During the assault it took six to seven crew members to restrain the passenger with plastic zip-tie handcuffs, the Daily Beast reported. The man however managed to break out of them and later was strapped to a seat using four seat belt extenders at the rear of the plane. Law enforcement officials met the crew upon its arrival in San Juan. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department and officials in six states filed a lawsuit to block a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines over claims that it will lead to higher flight fares. The companies announced their deal last year and have started coordinating flights in the Northeast. A minor participant in the 6 January Capitol riot has received a major tongue-lashing from a federal judge. Youve disgraced this country in the eyes of the world and my inclination would be to lock you up, but since the government isnt asking me to do that ... I wont, US District Court Judge Reggie Walton scolded defendant Anthony Mariotto at a hearing on Friday, according to Politico. The Florida local had been charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building, two counts of disorderly conduct, entering and remaining in the gallery of Congress, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. But as part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped all the charges except for the parading, to which Mr Mariotto pleaded guilty. The misdemeanor carries a maximum prison sentence of six months. According to the Department of Justice, more than 600 people have been arrested in connection to the 6 January assault, when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. Unlike many of the other rioters, Mr Mariotto is not accused of any violence or property damage. According to the criminal complaint against him, he was caught largely because he posted a Facebook photo of himself in the Senate Chamber. A tipster who knew him sent a screenshot of the photo to the FBI. Mariotto is clearly depicted in the screen shot Citizen 1 provided, an FBI agent wrote in the complaint. The screen shot depicts Mariotto in the Senate Chamber with the following caption Im in [sic] And there are just a few [sic] This is our house. On Friday, Judge Walton excoriated Mr Mariotto for his behaviour. I find it outrageous that American citizens would do what you did, the judge thundered, so you better walk the straight and narrow, sir, you understand? I do, your honour, Mr Mariotto answered sheepishly. The judge also posed a rhetorical question. What if the next time around, the Democrats lose the presidency and start a riot? he asked. I guess you think that would be all right, in light of what you did, right? No, Mariotto replied. Mr Mariottos sentencing is scheduled for 17 December. Until then he will be free on his own recognizance. Authorities in Kansas have launched a manhunt after a dangerous sex offender escaped from a psychiatric hospital by shaving his beard and posing as a doctor. The US Marshals Office warns that John Freeman Colt, 42, is a clear threat to public safety and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Colt had been deemed a high risk offender after being jailed in 2001 for aggravated sexual battery and attempted rape. He was detained indefinitely at Larned State Hospital in Kansas. John Freeman Colt, 42, is a clear threat to public safety (US Marshals Service) Colt is suspected of planning his escape for months. On the morning of 30 June, he shaved his long hair and beard, and placed blankets under his bedsheets to make it appear he was still sleeping. Using a fake staff ID badge, Colt convinced a new staff member that he was a doctor and needed help finding his way out. He passed through five secured doors and the outer perimeter gates, and was not reported missing for several hours. John Colt presents a clear threat to the community every day he is not in custody, said US Marshal Ronald Miller. He has been deemed a sexual predator, and the US Marshals consider his escape a major case and are devoting all available resources to his capture. Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King said that everyone is working together to bring this individual back where he is supposed to be. The state of Kansas deemed Colt too dangerous to be let back into the community when he completed a five-year prison sentence. He was indefinitely committed to Larned State Hospitals Sexual Predator Treatment Program in 2007. Authorities believe Colt could be travelling in state or national parks in Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas or Utah. Colt is described as 5 feet 7 inches (1.7m), weighs approximately 200 pounds (90kgs), has hazel eyes and brown hair. He has a tattoo of a heart with the letters BH on his left arm. He should be considered dangerous. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact local law enforcement, the USMS at 1-877-WANTED2 or send information to the US Marshals via the USMS Tips app. A survivor of the mass shooting at a grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee has described seeing her colleagues getting shot in the head and stomach. At least one person was killed and 12 were injured when a shooter opened fire at a Kroger grocery store near Memphis in what local police called the most horrific event in the towns history. The woman, who works at the store and was still wearing her blue Kroger apron, said: One of my coworkers got shot in the head, and a customer got shot in the stomach and in the arm. Another one of my coworkers got a little cut on top of his eye from the asphalt... I couldnt see [how it happened] because I was ducking and he was on top of everybody was covered. Officials said four people were in a critical condition on Thursday afternoon, while the shooter appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Collierville police chief Dale Lane told a press conference: We found people hiding in freezers, in locked officers, and they were doing what they had been trained to do run, hide, fight. I hate that we had to do it here. Run, hide, fight is a common mantra for people caught in mass shootings, instructing them to run first, hide second, and fight only as a last resort. In an era of frequent shooting massacres, it is now taught to school children starting as early as kindergarten. Chief Lane said: You know obviously its like every other community in the country, its horrific, we hate that it happened. but this is one of the most resilient communities in America. Police, firefighters and rescue crews descended on the location and set up a perimeter after the first reports of an active shooter at 1.30 pm local time. Two medical helicopters touched down at the site and the nearby Collierville High School was put in lockdown. The body of a missing Illinois Black student has been recovered by the police after a month-long disappearance and the familys accusation that officials were not taking his case as seriously as Gabby Petitos. Jelani Day, 25, a first semester graduate student from Illinois State University was missing since 24 August after last being spotted at ISU and at a store in Bloomington. His body was found floating in the Illinois river on 4 September about a mile from where the car was found, however, the police took almost three weeks in identifying him, WGLT News reported. On Thursday, officials confirmed that it was Day through forensic dental identification and DNA testing and comparison, the local news portal reported. Days case received extensive media coverage locally, however, his mother, when questioned by the media, said she was disappointed that her sons case did not receive enough resources as compared to another case being reported nationally. But do you not see us? Do you not see me? Do you not see my son? she asked. Her reference was to Gabby Petitos case which is receiving hours of media coverage as the FBI searched for the 22-year-old day and night. Days brother DAndre Day also told NBC News that it has been difficult to see the difference of treatment between the two cases of missing persons. I understand what [Petitos] family is going through because we are going through that right now, he was quoted by NBC as saying. Jelani just didnt disappear. Somebody knows what happened. Somebody needs to report what happened, he said. We need everybody involved, the same way they were involved with Gabby. Right after these statements from the family, the police confirmed the identification of the body. However, the cause of death is still isnt clear in the case of Day. Bloomington Polices public information officer John Fermon told news reporters during a virtual news conference that his disappearance and death was very suspicious. We can all agree that it was very suspicious, just unlike him, Mr Fermon said. It was one of those things, was it foul play or not? Mr Fermon also acknowledged the Day familys criticism that the case didnt receive as much attention at first. A lot of our high-risk missing persons just here in the city dont get the attention (they) deserve either, Mr Fermon said. Im happy this got out there. Well take the criticism. The FBI is now involved in the case, however, it's not clear when the agency was brought in. US prosecutors have reached a deal to allow Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to return home to China in exchange Ms Wanzhou, the daughter of Huaweis founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei is the Chinese, has been fighting extradition from Canada to the US since 2018, when she was arrested in Vancouver and placed under 24/7 house arrest. Known in China as the princess of Huawei, she was charged by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) with misleading HSBC bank in order to circumvent US sanctions against Iran, which she denies. On Friday, however, assistant US attorney David Kessler told a court in New York that the DoJ had agreed to defer prosecution against Ms Meng until December 2022 and drop its attempt to extradite her. In exchange, Ms Meng signed a statement of facts admitting that she had misled a major bank about Huaweis dealings with Iran, which can be admitted as evidence in a future trial if she breaks any other part of her agreement. Acting US attorney Nicole Boeckmann said: Mengs admissions confirm the crux of the governments allegations that Meng and her fellow Huawei employees engaged in a concerted effort to deceive global financial institutions, the U.S. government and the public about Huaweis activities in Iran. While acting as the Chief Financial Officer for Huawei, Meng made multiple material misrepresentations to a senior executive of a financial institution regarding Huaweis business operations in Iran in an effort to preserve Huaweis banking relationship with the financial institution. Speaking through a translator from Vancouver, Ms Meng confirmed the deal, while pleading not guilty to the charges. Ms Mengs release resolves a major front in the diplomatic and trade war between the US and China, which was started by former President Donald Trump but has continued under President Joe Biden. US officials have long accused Huawei, a Shenzhen-based telecommunications giant, of using its global clout to spy on other countries for the Chinese government, with which it has a close relationship. Huawei strenuously denies that, claiming the US is cynically targeting it as a tool of foreign policy. Lawyers for Ms Meng echoed that theme, describing her as a political bargaining chip. After Ms Mengs arrest, China detained two Canadian citizens, businessman Michael Spavor and diplomat Michael Kovrig, who could now have a brighter chance of release. The US has also been working to persuade allies to renounce Huaweis highly affordable telecommunications technology, which appears in national phone and internet networks across the world. The DoJ and Huawei did not respond to requests for comment. It started with threatening letters left at cell towers, then escalated to pipe bombs placed outside two cellphone stores. Federal authorities say a Michigan man took increasingly extreme actions - and warned that they could get worse - motivated by his unhappiness about immoral content on phones, including pornography and cursing. John Douglas Allen, 75, was arrested Wednesday and charged with extortion and attempted damage or destruction of buildings used in interstate commerce. The Whittlemore, Michigan, resident, a retired miner, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His attorney, Stevens J. Jacobs, could not immediately be reached for comment. According to federal court documents, threatening letters began appearing at telecommunications towers across Northern Michigan on Aug. 25. Sealed inside polka-dot-decorated envelopes, they were sent from the Coalition for Moral Telecommunication and addressed to AT&T, Verizon and all other Carriers. We are prepared to travel throughout this Country and begin distroying [sic] inner city tower communication unless the following is followed, one of the letters read. All telecommunication containing immoral content must be stopped. This includes cursing, the transmission of pornography, and all manner of indecent communication. It also demanded $5 million and warned that You may, if you like fight this, go to the Police, FBI, or any Government Agency. Understand this: If ONE of our people is arrested, now or in the future, your problems will begin. Investigators found three such letters at Northern Michigan cell towers - one in St. Ignace, another in Gould City and a third in Ontonagon Village. Then on the morning of Sept. 16, police went to a Verizon store in Cheboygan and an AT&T store in Sault Ste. Marie. Employees at both locations had discovered USPS boxes with wire coming out of them. The boxes were marked with the letters CMT. Each contained handcuffs. Handcuff Johnny was written on one and HJ on the other. In addition, both boxes contained language indicating that this was the last warning, and that next time, it would be during business hours, an arrest affidavit said. The FBIs explosives unit examined the boxes and determined that they were pipe bombs, one containing nails and the other metal BBs. If properly assembled and initiated, the agency said, the potential explosion could cause property damage, personal injury and/or death. FBI officials obtained surveillance video footage that showed a man placing the boxes. They undertook what the agency described as an exhaustive investigation to identify the suspect. They zeroed in on a vehicle the man was seen driving in the video, a maroon-coloured Chevrolet minivan, tracking down its owner in part because of a dealership sticker on its back bumper. They visited the dealership and got information on similar vehicles it had sold. One of them led them to Allen, who matched the characteristics shown on the surveillance footage. On Monday, FBI agents showed up at his home. Allen admitted creating the letters and leaving them at cell towers, the affidavit said. He also allegedly said he had made the pipe bombs and left them at the stores. He described what he wrote on the boxes, including the reference to Handcuff Johnny and the threat that next time, it would happen during business hours, said the affidavit. Handcuff Johnny referred to John Allens belief that he (i.e. Johnny) would end up in handcuffs as a result of his actions. He said he acted alone and there was no CMT group, describing taking action because he became dissatisfied with all of the immoral content. Allen is in federal custody. Hes set to make his next court appearance Friday. The woman killed in a grocery store shooting in Tennessee on Thursday was a widowed mother of three, friends said. Olivia King was one of 13 people shot, including employees and customers, friends told The Commercial Appeal. The suspected shooter was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the store, authorities said. On Facebook one of King's sons, Wes King, posted about his mother's death. He wrote that he had spoken to the trauma surgeon and learned his mother was shot in the chest. They tried to save her at the hospital to no avail, he wrote. I apologize for the graphic details, but this type of crime needs to stop being glossed over and sanitized. No one deserves this. Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the shooting broke out at a Kroger grocery in Collierville, a suburban community 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Memphis He said the remaining 12 victims were taken to hospitals, some with very serious injuries. Kroger worker Brignetta Dickerson told WREG-TV she was working a cash register when she heard what at first she thought were balloons popping. And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting, Dickerson said. And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach. Lane said police received a call about 1:30 p.m. about the shooting and arrived almost immediately, finding multiple people with gunshot wounds upon entering the building. He said a police SWAT team and other officers went aisle to aisle plucking panicked people from hiding and taking them out safely. He said the shooter was male but did not identify him further. We found people hiding in freezers, in locked offices. They were doing what they had been trained to do: run, hide, fight," the chief said. Lane said police were still investigating the shooting. We're going to carry this thing as far as we can to see and make sure that there's no else involved, Lane said, adding that there was no credible evidence that there was a second shooter. The chief also said that, As far as we know there wasnt any other incident that led up to this. Dickerson, the employee, said her co-worker, who is in his 20s, was shot in the head but able to ask her to notify his mother. I left her a voicemail that he was alert and talking, Dickerson said, unable to immediately reach her. Another employee, Glenda McDonald, described the chaotic scene to WHBQ-TV. I was walking back towards the floral department and I heard a gunshot, she said. It sounded like it was coming from the deli. And I ran out the front door and they had already shot the front door. Jason Lusk, 39, had just left a tool store beside Kroger when he heard some women screaming in the parking lot about a shooter. He didn't see the gunman, but heard 10 to 15 rounds in rapid succession at the grocery store. It sounded like they were directly over my head," he said, adding he could feel the concussion of every shot and knew the weapon was powerful. Even at a distance of some 40 yards, he said, he worried that he and others around him were in grave danger. As the firing started, I dove in front of my vehicle onto the ground to provide the most cover for myself and instructed the people around me panicking, trying to get into the cars, not to get in their cars, but to actually hide," he said. Then police arrived within minutes and they swarmed that place," Lusk said. He added that he used his phone to record at least two of the gunman's final shots, and then a final gunshot on his last recording of the SWAT team on the scene. At a new briefing afterward, the police chief Lane called it a sad day for his department. I've been involved in this for 34 years and Ive never seen anything like it," he said. The suspects vehicle was in the stores parking lot and remained part of the investigation, the chief said, adding investigators were trying to determine how events unfolded. Lets get through the investigation, Lane said. "Remember, were two hours away from the most horrific event thats occurred in Collierville history. Collierville is a growing suburb of more than 51,000 people with a median household income of about $114,000, according to U.S. census figures. Set in a rural and historic area, the town square has largely become known for its boutiques and bed and breakfasts. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure would possibly lead to more gun violence. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement that it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting and was cooperating with law enforcement. The company in 2019 asked its customers not to openly carry guns while visiting its stores. A Kroger spokesperson said the Collierville store will be closed until further notice. Lights were still on in the store after nightfall on Thursday, chrysanthemums set out front. The parking lot, entirely roped off with police tape, was still full of cars, with a heavy police presence. Neighboring businesses, including a fast food restaurant and an auto parts store, were closed. ___ Mattise reported from Nashville. Associated Press writer Carrie Antfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained Friday why she shed tears when after a contentious exchange on the House floor Thursday for Israels Iron Dome. The House of Representatives voted 420 to 9 to fund Israels missile defense system. Initially, Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York who is frequently critical of the Israeli government, voted no along with her progressive colleagues. But then the self-described democratic socialist congresswoman switched her vote at the last minute to present and was seen crying on the floor afterward. What we saw is a disappointment of just a willingness to rip our communities apart and put member safety at risk, Ms Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent. The vote also led to an exchange wherein Rep Ted Deutch of Florida, who is Jewish, accused Rep Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian, of being antisemitic for labeling Israel an apartheid state. "When there is no place on the map for one Jewish state thats antisemitism, and I reject that," he said at the time. Democratic Rep Debbie Dingell, of Michigan, who was with Ms Ocasio-Cortez, said she and Ms Ocasio-Cortez was upset because of the way the Iron Domes funding was brought to the House floor, saying how it never went through committee. Its very upsetting to people like she and I when its not in regular order, there were a lot of different opinions, Ms Dingell, who voted yes on the legislation, noting how Ms Ocasio-Cortez has a significant Jewish community in her district. The way that it was handled, and several of us have made it very well-known to leadership, it should never have been brought up that way and it should not have been out of regular order. When asked if there was still a stigma around politicians crying, Ms Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent, you tell me. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared to cry on the House floor after breaking with her fellow Squad members in a vote to fund Israels Iron Dome. The bill passed with a 420 to 9 bipartisan majority despite the Squads efforts, led by Ms Ocasio-Cortez, to nudge forward its agenda of withholding military aid to Israel. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cries on the House floor ( ) Among the no votes were Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who was accused of antisemitism by a fellow Democrat. The Squad earlier this week leveraged the urgency of raising the debt limit to withdraw $1bn in funding for the missile defence system from the Democrats earlier spending bill. But instead of standing by her opposition in Thursdays vote, Ms Ocasio-Cortez changed her vote to present at the last minute. Her tears were slammed as "theatre, and bad theatre at that" by critics like Meghan McCain in response the moment being reported by journalist Jake Sherman. "AOC seems distraught. She is in the middle of the house floor wiping away tears, crying into her colleagues shoulders," Sherman wrote on Twitter. Jerusalem Post columnist Emily Shrader said: "AOC literally in tears after voting present on the Iron Dome funding. More Jew hating theatrics from the squad". The Jerusalem Post, along with Politico, were first to report the push by the Squad to withhold funding from the Iron Dome, which defends Israeli civilians from rocket attacks. A diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post that the White House began reversing the decision almost immediately after it was announced, illustrating the divide between the Congress members from urban districts and president Joe Biden. That divide widened with heated exchanges on the House floor as moderate Democrat Ted Deutch, of Florida, directing a tirade at Ms Tlaib, who labelled Israel an apartheid state. "I cannot, cannot allow one of my colleagues to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives and label the Jewish Democratic State of Israel an apartheid state," Mr Deutch said on Thursday. I reject it. "When there is no place on the map for one Jewish state thats antisemitism, and I reject that," he added. Ms Tlaib later said Israel was a human rights abuser that was guilty of war crimes, adding that "Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system". Her comments echoed rhetoric from Ms Omar on Twitter this week as the party fractured over the funding to Americas ally. "We sold $175 billion in weapons last year more than anyone in the world to some of the worst human right abusers in the world," she said on Twitter. "Heres an idea: dont sell arms to anyone who violates human rights." After Democrats approved the funding, Israels Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid specifically thanked House majority leader Steny Hoyer, who was reportedly working behind the scenes to reassure Israel that the hold up to funding was only a "technical" issue. Mr Biden committed some time ago replenishing the Iron Domes capabilities after clashes between terrorist group Hamas and Israel in May. Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the oldest Republican senator at age 88 and a major player in securing confirmation of dozens of conservative federal judges, announced Friday that he will seek another six-year term. Its 4 a.m. in Iowa so Im running, Grassley said in a predawn tweet that included an image of him jogging. I do that 6 days a week. Before I start the day I want you to know what Barbara and I have decided. Im running for re-election a lot more to do, for Iowa. We ask and will work for your support. Will you join us? The decision by Grassley, who has served in the U.S. Congress since Jimmy Carters presidency, boosts Republican prospects for holding the seat next year, when control of the chamber will be at stake. Recent polling has shown Grassley with a sizable lead over Democratic challenger Abby Finkenauer. Perhaps Grassleys most consequential impact on the country has been his recent tenure as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a position that gave him significant influence in pushing through the nominations of dozens of judges during the Trump presidency as well as three Supreme Court justices, including the divisive nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh. In 2016, Grassley backed the decision by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to deny Merrick Garland, President Barack Obamas nominee to the high court, a vote let alone a confirmation hearing, keeping the seat vacant for about a year. With Democrats controlling the Senate, Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee. On legislation, Grassley joined with Democrats in pushing for criminal justice reform and built a reputation for heralding and protecting whistleblowers, frequently tangling with the Trump administration as the former president repeatedly fired inspectors general for the agencies and departments. Grassleys national lawmaking career began in 1975 with his election to the U.S. House; he secured the Senate seat in 1980. Even as his profile grew nationally, Grassley aimed to remain connected to the Iowans he represented and has done so most notably by regularly visiting 99 counties each summer to hear from voters. Recently, hes been one of the most visible Republicans in the Senate taking the lead on criminal justice reform. Grassley was an original co-sponsor of the First Step Act, a sweeping criminal justice bill passed during the Trump administration. And he is currently working with Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) on a criminal justice reform package that among other things would make it easier for elderly inmates to be released from prison and continue to erase racial disparities in sentencing for drug-related crimes. Finkenauer, a former Democratic congresswoman, hopes voters share her belief that Grassley is more concerned with remaining in power than representing the needs of everyday Iowans. My parents could not give me a trust fund or debt-free college, but they taught me about seeing work to be done and doing it, the 32-year-old said in July when she launched her Senate campaign. Its politicians like Senator Grassley and Mitch McConnell who should know better but are so obsessed with power that they oppose anything that moves us forward, Finkenauer added. Since the Capitol was attacked, theyve turned their backs on democracy and on us. But in the most recent Des Moines Register poll, the former lawmaker trailed Grassley by nearly double digits. It looked like he had some vulnerability, but a majority of likely voters still view him as a winner, pollster J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., told the Register in September. Fifty-five percent is not huge, but its solid at this point. Interest in Grassleys future had grown since he announced in September that he would make his decision public in November a year before the 2022 midterm elections. Grassley along with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) is one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the Senate, which has drawn increased criticism for having a makeup that is quite different from the Americans the lawmakers represent. And age is one of those areas where there appears to be a significant gap between lawmakers in the Senate and the American public. Grassley is not the oldest, as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is three months older. John Wagner contributed to this story. Washington Post Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an outspoken member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democratic Partys liberal wing, turned her fire on the Biden administration on Wednesday over shocking images of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, being confronted by US Customs and Border Protection. At a rainy press conference outside the US Capitol, Ms Waters and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus slammed the administration for continuing with the flat ban on entry for asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border, instituted under the Trump administration, which cited Covid-19 as a reason but had sought to dismantle the US asylum system long before the pandemic hit US shores. Im pissed. Im unhappy, and I'm not just unhappy with the cowboys who were running down Haitians and using their reins to whip them. I'm unhappy with this administration," said Ms Waters on Wednesday. We are following the Trump policy; he is the one that does not follow the Constitution and would not allow those seeking refuge to petition to enter the country. What the hell are we doing here? What we witnessed takes us back hundreds of years. What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery. Cowboys, with their reins ... whipping Black people, Haitains, into the water while theyre scrambling, falling down, she said. To President Joe Biden, she added directly: You gotta stop this madness. The White House and DHS confirmed on Thursday that the practice of using CBP agents on horseback had been temporarily suspended in the Del Rio region, but the US has already begun expelling some of the gathered Haitian migrants on flights back to Port-au-Prince without allowing any to apply for asylum. Typically, migrants must prove a credible fear of facing violence at home before being granted asylum in the US. More than 12,000 migrants, mostly Haitian are estimated to have arrived at a makeshift set of camps erected under and around the international bridge connecting the US and Mexico in recent days. Many previously fled Haiti for countries in South America before coming north to Mexico and eventually the US, according to media reports. Haiti remains devastated after an earthquake and tropical storm struck the island within a few days of each other earlier this year; recent weeks have also seen the assassination of the countrys president in his home. The growing controversy led on Wednesday to the resignation of the US special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who cited the administrations treatment of Haitian migrants at the border as inhumane in his resignation letter. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration wants an investigation into the treatment of migrants in Del Rio conducted as quickly as possible. "This has been an incredibly heart-wrenching issue. We've watched the photos of Haitians gathering under a bridge, many with families, and the horrific video of the CBP officers on horses using brutal and inappropriate measures against innocent people," she said. We're not going to stand for that kind of inhumane treatment and, obviously, we want this investigation to be completed rapidly, added Ms Psaki. Republican candidate JD Vance described a pregnancy following rape or incest as inconvenient during an interview where he came out in support of the Texas abortion law. The Senate hopeful from Ohio, and author of Hillbilly Elegy, was asked by Spectrum News this week if women should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term if it was the result of rape or incest. The question betrays a certain presumption thats wrong, Mr Vance said. Its not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, its whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society, he added. The question to me is really about the baby. We want women to have opportunities, we want women to have choices, but, above all, we want women and young boys in the womb to have a right to life. The question was prompted by the new, restrictive abortion law in Texas that bans the procedure after six weeks, at a time when most women dont know theyre pregnant. The law is likely to stop up to 90 per cent of abortions and doesnt make exceptions for rape or incest. Mr Vance defended the law, saying that in Texas, theyre trying to make it easier for babies to be born. He added that the fundamental problem with abortion law in this country is that it is unsustainable and unstable. Increasingly restrictive abortion laws have been passed in Ohio over the last ten years. A 2019 Ohio bill would have banned abortions after six weeks but a stay was ordered by a federal judge. The current state law bans abortion after 20 weeks with the only exception being a risk to the health of the mother. Mr Vances press secretary Taylor Van Kirk told The Daily Beast that the characterization of the candidates statements was inaccurate. Nowhere in the interview cited does JD actually say what The Daily Beast is dishonestly claiming he said. The transcript of the interview bears this out as that phrase is never uttered and JD even rejects the entire premise of the question he was asked by the interviewer, a statement said. The Daily Beasts pathetic attempt to put words in his mouth shows that theyve traded in any semblance of journalistic integrity to be full-on leftwing political activists. Republican candidate Josh Mandel is leading Mr Vance in polling ahead of the Republican primary scheduled for 3 May, 2022 after Senator Rob Portman announced his retirement. The 2022 Midterms will be held on 8 November. Both Mr Mandel, a former Ohio state representative, and former Republican state party chair Jane Timken, who is also running against Mr Vance, backed the 2019 Ohio abortion law. The Republican hopefuls are jostling for the support of pro-Trump voters, which has prompted criticism of Mr Vance who previously lambasted the former president for his ideology and character. Mr Vance was asked by Spectrum News about his newfound support for Mr Trump. Its not about rhetoric, its not about what somebody says or doesnt say, its about what they do, he said. Ohio voters gave their support to Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. The Independent has reached out to the Vance campaign for comment. Fox News White House reporter Peter Doocy has clashed with press secretary Jen Psaki in a heated exchange about pregnant women at the US-Mexico border. At Thursdays press briefing, Doocy asked about the situation at the border, where migrants routinely try to enter the United States. Were being told by our people on the ground that youre releasing pretty much all family units, said Doocy. Couples where the woman says that she is pregnant, or single women who say that they are pregnant and that no one has to actually take a pregnancy test unless they want to, so Are you suggesting that you dont believe when women say theyre pregnant? asked Ms Psaki. Is that a big issue? We think, at the border? Im not in charge of keeping the border secure, Doocy responded. Do you think pregnant women are posing a big threat to the border? Ms Psaki asked. To the border communities is that a big issue? You tell me, said Doocy. Im not aware of pregnant women being a big issue of concern to people at the border, said Ms Psaki. What I will note for you, Peter, is that, as I said earlier, there is a process. If people cannot be expelled under Title 42 for a range of reasons. Some of that is that countries they came from or other countries, including Mexico, may not be accepting families with children under the age of seven. They are placed in removal proceedings. Those removal proceedings require them to either go to a detention facility or require them to go get a notice to appear and including their biometric data and otherwise so that we can ensure where they are. Title 42 of the Public Health Service Act gives federal health officials the power to expel anyone who has recently been in a country with a contagious disease. It is ostensibly in place to prevent the spread of Covid, but critics say it was used as an unofficial anti-immigration measure by the Trump administration and is continuing to be used as such under Joe Biden. Nonetheless Fox News and other right-wing voices have accused the current administration of allowing too many people into the US. US vice president Kamala Harris hailed Indias Covid vaccination drive during her first meeting with the countrys prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Praising the countrys role in the global battle with the pandemic, she said: On Covid-19, our nations have worked together. Early in the pandemic, India was a vital source of vaccines for other countries. She also welcomed Indias decision to resume the export of vaccines, which was stopped in April as the country prioritised inoculating its own population following a surge in the infections during a crippling second wave. The crisis was compounded by a shortage of oxygen cylinders and hospital beds, leading to deaths, and an acute vaccine shortage in large states. When India experienced the surge of Covid in the country, the United States was very proud to support India in its need and responsibility to vaccinate its people, and I welcome Indias announcement that it will soon be able to resume vaccine exports," Ms Harris said in a joint statement issued with Mr Modi. It is of particular note and admiration that India is currently vaccinating approximately 10 million people a day as of today. India has vaccinated around 7 million to 8 million people a day this week. It inoculated 10 million people only on Monday. And though a record 25 million doses were administered on 17 September to mark the birthday of Mr Modi, this one-off drive is being scrutinised amid reports of data irregularities and fake certification. The pandemic in India has claimed over 400,000 lives by very conservative official figures, which many experts describe as an understatement. Meanwhile, Mr Modi called India and America natural partners owing to their similar values and geopolitical interests as he invited the Indian-origin vice-president to the country. The people of India are waiting to welcome you, he said. You are the source of inspiration for so many people across the world. I am completely confident that our bilateral relationship will touch new heights under President Biden and your leadership, Mr Modi, who had earlier endorsed the re-election of former president Donald Trump for 2020 , told Ms Harris. Recalling their phone conversation during the intense second wave of Covid in India, Mr Modi said: Like a family, the sense of kinship and so warmly, you extended a helping hand, the words that you chose when you spoke to me, I will always remember that, and Id like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. During their meeting the two leaders spoke at length about a range of issues, with Harris telling reporters they discussed ways of cementing the Indo-American strategic partnership, climate change and global threats to democracy. Indian officials said they also covered the Talibans takeover in Afghanistan and Pakistans role in supporting terrorist groups. Briefing reporters on the talks, Indias foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that when the issue of terrorism came up, vice president suo motu (without prompting) referred to Pakistans role in that regard. She agreed with the prime ministers briefing on the fact of cross-border terrorism, and the fact that India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now and on the need to rein in and closely monitor Pakistans support for such terrorist groups, he added. In 2019, Ms Harris had criticised Mr Modi after his Bharatiya Janata Party moved to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir. We have to remind Kashmiris that they are not alone in the world. We are keeping a track on the situation. There is a need to intervene if the situation demands, she had said in October 2019. Ms Harris has not commented further on the situation since assuming office. Mr Modis three-day trip to Washington will end on Friday after he meets president Joe Biden for the first time since the latter assumed the presidency. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has insisted that it is safe to send migrants back to Haiti, contradicting the former Special Envoy to the country Daniel Foote, who harshly criticized the Biden administration for its inhumane policy towards Haitian migrants. We have continued to study the conditions in Haiti, and we have in fact determined, despite the tragic and devastating earthquake that it is in fact, capable of receiving individuals, Mr Mayorkas said during a press conference at the White House on Friday. He also said that 17 expulsion flights have travelled to Haiti carrying around 2,000 people. Those who have not been expelled will be put in expulsion proceedings. Around 12,400 peoples cases will be heard by immigration judges, according Mr Mayorkas. I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life, Mr Foote said in his resignation letter on Wednesday. A large number of the migrants trying to enter the US are being removed under Title 42 a policy that began under the Trump administration and that allows the US to expel migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum if they pose a public health risk. During the pandemic, Title 42 has blocked many from entering the US at the southern border. Some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to put a stop to the removal of Haitians as their country faces multiple crises an earthquake recently killed more than 2,000 people and caused widespread devastation, the country has not managed to take control over the spread of Covid-19 and has a very low vaccination rate, and political chaos has gripped the country since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on 7 July. We designated Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for those Haitian nationals resident in the United States who are here prior to July 29, Mr Mayorkas said on Friday. And we were mindful of the assassination that occurred, and we were unsure of the results of that assassination in terms of the stability of the political order. Once a new leader took office, and things seem to settle down, we determined that the July 29 date was equitable to address the humanitarian relief of Haitian nationals already resident in the United States. We made a determination based on the legal standards and the facts are that in fact individuals could be returned to the country as a whole, he added. Mr Foote said the Haitian people are mired in poverty and are hostage to the terror, kidnappings, robberies and massacres of armed gangs and that theyre suffering under a corrupt government that has alliances with those gangs. Arguing against the deportation of Haitian migrants who travelled to the southern US border, Mr Foote said Haiti simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy. The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will fuel further desperation and crime. Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haitis unacceptable misery, he wrote. He added that Haiti needs immediate assistance and money to deliver Covid vaccines and so many other things. Blasting international political interference in the country, Mr Foote said that what Haitians really want is to choose their own path without international puppeteering and favoured candidates. Last week, the US and other embassies in Port-au-Prince issued another public statement of support ... for the unelected, de facto Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry as interim leader of Haiti, and have continued to tout his political agreement over another broader, earlier accord shepherded by civil society, Mr Foote added. The hubris that makes us believe we should pick the winner again is impressive. This cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results. More negative impacts to Haiti will have calamitous consequences, not only in Haiti, but in the US and our neighbours in the hemisphere, the former envoy concluded. It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement to The Independent. He failed to take advantage of ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure and chose to resign instead. US authorities are still searching for the parents of 303 children who were separated at the US-Mexico border under the Trump administration. Former president Donald Trump made aggressive immigration policies a hallmark of his time in the White House. Part of that was a policy of zero tolerance family separation which saw asylum almost halted at the border, and the deportation of adults. After Joe Biden entered the White House, his administration established a reunification task force in an attempt to reunite families forcibly separated by US Customs and Border Patrol between 2017 and 2018. The task force announced in June that an estimated 3,913 children were separated from their parents, most of whom had left the US on Trump-era deportation flights. US officials said in February between 600 and 700 children were still without parents, and since the task force began working on reunification, has reunited 50 families. More were reunited through court. CNN reported on Friday that the number had been reduced to 303 children, according to a Justice Department court filing this week. The search continues for 218 parents not believed to be in the US. Some 73 parents or caregivers are thought to be in the US but have not been traced. NBC News reported that there is no information whatsoever for parents of 12 children. In August , the reunification task force said it had identified nearly all children who were separated at the border. Some 337 children were still without parents then. It means that parents of 34 children have been found in the past month. The American Civil Liberties Union has criticised the Biden administration for being slow to reunite them. Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney on family separation, said in a statement that the 303 figure vastly understates the problem, and that many families were still not together. We have not even located 303 families but hundreds of more families who we have located still remain separated, Mr Gelerent told The Independent. Our hope is that through our negotiations with the Biden administration we can quickly begin reuniting the families we have contacted. It comes as Mr Biden faces scrutiny for the handling of an influx of mainly Haitian migrants at the border in Del Rio, Texas, where as many as 16,000 arrived in recent weeks. Many have been deported and others have been transferred to processing facilities after a week of chaos at a temporary migrant camp that was set up on the banks of the Rio Grande, which separates the US and Mexico. The Independent has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. Additional reporting by The Associated Press Nancy Pelosi has hit out at San Francisco's archbishop for calling abortion a form of child sacrifice, and stressed that women should have the free will to chose, amid a fierce debate on abortion rights in Congress. The House speaker, and a devout Catholic, said she was from a pro-life family who believed that it was a womans right to chose, when asked about the archbishops comments on Thursday. As The Washington Times reported, Ms Pelosi also criticised San Franciscos archbishop for commenting on what were, in her own words, a womans business. It comes as members of Congress prepare to vote on a bill House Democrats hope will codify the abortion rights of the Supreme Courts ruling in Roe v Wade, and which are currently under attack in Republican-controlled states. Archbishop Salvatore J Cordileone, discussing the Women's Health Protection Act, allegedly called the medical procedure a form of child sacrifice ahead of the House voting on the bill on Friday. He was reported as saying that the bill which would stop states such as Texas from rolling back womens rights was nothing short of child sacrifice, and clearly in reaction, among other things, to the recently passed Texas Heartbeat bill. The archbishop also stated that it was surely the type of legislation one would expect from a devout Satanist, not a devout Catholic. Responding to that criticism, Ms Pelosi added on Thursday that she was Catholic and that as a woman, it was my right to choose whether to have children. The Texas abortion law, and that being considered in other Republican states, reduce the time frame in which a woman can legally have an abortion in spite of opposition from medical professionals and women's rights campaigners. Ms Pelosi went on to say that her and the archbishop had a disagreement about who should decide this, and that she believed that God has given us a free will to honour our responsibilities. For us, [having a child] was a complete and total blessing, which we enjoy every day of our lives, but its not our business how other people choose the size and timing of their family, Ms Pelosi said. It comes as one Republican senator, Susan Collins, indicated that she would not support the Women's Health Protection Act bill when it comes in front of the upper chamber which could be next week. Rudy Giuliani has reportedly been banished from Fox News, as relations between the conservative network and Donald Trumps inner circle continue to sour. According to a report from Politico, the former New York mayor was cut from Fox & Friends morning shows coverage of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Mr Giuliani reportedly got a call from Pete Hegseth on 10 September where the Fox host apologized and said that he couldnt put him on. Fox News has disputed this version of events. A spokesperson for the network denied that Mr Giuliani was scheduled to appear on Fox & Friends that day, but declined to comment on whether he is barred from appearing on the network in general. According to unnamed sources who spoke to Politico, Mr Giuliani, who was mayor of New York City during the 9/11 attacks, was devastated. Rudy is really hurt, one source close to Mr Giuliani said, because he did a big favor for [Fox News founder] Rupert [Murdoch]. He was instrumental in getting Fox on Time Warner so it could be watched in New York City. According to Politico, the ban also extends to Mr Giulianis son, Andrew. Fox News denies this as well, citing Andrews multiple appearances on the network since he announced his run for governor of New York. Relations between Fox News and Mr Trumps allies have deteriorated since the 2020 presidential election. Mr Trump has insisted, falsely, that the election was stolen from him but Fox covered the outcome as all other major networks did as a victory for Joe Biden. In fact, Fox News called Arizona for Mr Biden before any other news network something that infuriated Mr Trump. (An audit of the Arizona results by Republicans confirmed this week that Mr Biden had won the state by an even larger margin.) Following the election, Fox News continued to put Mr Giuliani and other Trump allies on the air as they spread misinformation about the election, which eventually landed the network in hot water. Two voting machine companies, Smartmatic and Dominion, have sued Fox News for defamation regarding its election coverage, demanding billions of dollars in damages. Fox News has filed motions to dismiss both lawsuits, citing First Amendment protections of free speech. Both companies have also sued Mr Giuliani, who denies any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the companies in court. Dominions defamation lawsuit for $1.3B will allow me to investigate their history, finances, and practices fully and completely, Mr Giuliani told WABC. The amount being asked for is, quite obviously, intended to frighten people of faint heart. It is another act of intimidation by the hate-filled left-wing to wipe out and censor the exercise of free speech, as well as the ability of lawyers to defend their clients vigorously. It is not yet clear whether those lawsuits have played a role in Fox News alleged decision to ban Mr Giuliani. The Independent has reached out to Mr Giuliani for comment, but has not yet heard back. Texas officials have confirmed that they will audit the 2020 presidential election results in four large, urban counties as Donald Trump piles on the pressure for a statewide recount despite winning the state. The announcement came hours after the former president, who continues to falsely claim the election was stolen from him, urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to look into the results. The counties selected for audit include heavily-Democratic areas in Houston and Dallas. The results in Tarrant County, the states third-most populous county and the location of Fort Worth, will also be reviewed. Tarrant has long been heavily Republican but Joe Biden won the county in 2020. Collin County, covering the suburbs of Dallas, is also being reviewed. The county voted for Mr Trump in 2020. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, tweeted: Donald Trump ordered Gov Abbott to audit the 2020 Texas election and, like clockwork, TX just initiated an audit of Harris County voters. Democracy isnt a game. These fake audits are an affront to all voters, and pure pandering to the kinds of extremists that stormed our Capitol, she added. Mr Trump won Texas by 5.5 per cent, the smallest margin of victory for a Republican in the state since Kansas Senator Bob Dole beat President Bill Clinton by 4.9 per cent in 1996. President Jimmy Carter is the last Democratic presidential candidate to have won Texas after beating President Gerald Ford in 1976. In a statement on Thursday, the Texas secretary of state did not provide details on what had spurred the audits. Keith Ingram, the Texas elections administrator, said earlier this year that the 2020 elections in the state were safe and secure. Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties, the secretary of states statement read. The Independent has reached out to the office of the Texas secretary of state for comment. The office expects that the Texas state legislature will grant funding for the auditing process. It was not specified who would perform the audit. The top position at the secretary of state has been vacant since Ruth Hughs left the post in May. On Thursday, Mr Trump called on Governor Abbott to give the audit a green light because your citizens dont trust the election system. Mr Trump has falsely claimed that voter fraud caused him lose the election in Arizona. This week, an audit by Trump loyalists of the results in Maricopa County, where the major city of Phoenix is located, reconfirmed that Mr Biden had won the county by a greater margin. The audit cost almost $6m, with the state senate agreeing to spend $150,000, and around $5.7m donated by Trump allies. A virologist responsible for the White Houses response to the Covid pandemic under former president Donald Trump was reassigned to investigate purported cases of voter fraud last winter, emails obtained by the US Congress show. Pathologist Steven Hatfill, who advised the then-White House trade director Peter Navarro, repeatedly complained that election stuff was taking precedence over the plan to contain the coronavirus crisis. Now with the elections so close, Covid is taking a back seat, yet the disease is rearing it[s] ugly head again, Dr Hatfill said in emails in October 2020. These emails were obtained by the House select subcommittee investigating Trump administrations coronavirus response and were accessed by The Washington Post. Subsequent emails showed a shift in Dr Hatfills own priorities as his focus moved to the former presidents election challenges. In one email, he detailed his travel plans to Arizona following a close election in the state with 11 electoral votes. In yet another email following the electoral win of Mr Biden, Dr Hatfill said that he personally shifted over to the election fraud investigation in November. Since losing the November 2020 elections, Mr Trump and many of his supporters alleged poll fraud but all their legal challenges have failed. A day before the 6 January Capitol riots, when a colleague at George Washington University wrote to him asking why he was not fixing the virus, the virologist said: Because the election thing got out of control. I go where my team goes. Dr Hatfill was among the first to sound an alarm about the pandemic and show his skepticism regarding the White Houses response to it. In February 2020, he wrote to Mr Navarro that [i]n truth we do not have a clue how many are infected in the USA, adding that the first major wave of infections would begin in the US within the next 7 days. These emails were released earlier this month. He had also raised concerns about the Centre for Disease Controls Covid-19 response, for distributing ineffective test kits for coronavirus diagnosis, which he believed limited the ability to screen individuals for the infection. In March 2020, Dr Hatfill warned against the shortage of medical ventilators, as he urged the White House to ensure an adequate supply as quickly as possible. In September 2020, unsatisfied with the Covid-19 response, Dr Hatfill wrote to the then-chief of staff Mark Meadows that the president has been grossly misadvised by Covid Task Force on the proper pandemic response. Defending his subsequent involvement in the Trump campaign, Dr Hatfill said it was galvanised by his own dissatisfaction with the administrations response to the pandemic. From my perspective as a doctor, I was, and continue to be, frustrated with public health being treated as a political football, he told The Washington Post. Moreover, I was disgusted with the destruction of the National Pandemic Plan at the hands of conflicted petty bureaucrats; a plan that focused on early treatment and community outreach, rather than experimental vaccines and panic. North Korea is willing to engage with the admirable idea of declaring an end to the Korean War, provided South Korea ceases to be hostile, said Kim Jong-uns sister Kim Yo-jong. Ms Kim was responding to South Korean president Moon Jae-ins proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean War. She, however, stressed for the right conditions to be created first, before a formal end-of-war declaration is adopted. The 1950-53 Korean War had not ended with a peace treaty, but an armistice. This meant that technically, US-led forces are still at war with North Korea. Ri Thae-song, North Koreas foreign minister, had on Friday also rejected Mr Moons proposal to declare a formal end of the war and called it something premature, The Korea Times newspaper reported. He also said the end-of-war declaration has no legal binding force and would become a mere scrap of paper in a moment upon changes in situations. The declaration of the termination of the war is an interesting and an admirable idea. But it is necessary to look into whether it is the right time now and whether there are conditions ripe for discussing this issue, Ms Kim said in a statement carried by state-controlled news agency KCNA. She said that double-dealing standards, prejudice and hostile policies towards North Korea persist. Under such situation, it does not make any sense to declare the end of the war with all the things, which may become a seed of a war between parties that had been at odds for more than half a century, left intact, she added. She added that North Korea was willing to keep close contact with South Korea and engage in a constructive discussion about the relationship between the two countries if Seoul was not hostile towards us. Earlier in the week, in a speech at the UN General Assembly, Mr Moon declared that a formal end to the war between the two Korean countries would lead to a new order of reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Ri, however, said the declaration would lead to disastrous consequences that could upset the strategic balance in the region and push the two Koreas into an unending arms race. Earlier this year, Ms Kim issued a stern warning to the US and advised it against causing a stink at its first step in the region, if it wished to sleep well for the next four years. The comments had come in the wake of US secretary of state Anthony Blinkens and defence secretary Lloyd Austins visit to Tokyo and Seoul in March. An 88-year-old great-grandfather no longer faces the prospect of losing his home, after his community and a bank came together to raise $71,400 (37,900) after he mistakenly transferred his funds to the wrong person. Gordon Layton, from Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, had been trying to transfer the large sum of money to pay for a house that had been moved onto a block of land that he owned. By accident, Mr Layton moved the funds from his ING bank account to the wrong ANZ account on 14 June. Within hours of the transaction Mr Layton and his daughter, Jacqui Morrison-White, realised the error but were told that it was too late. Both banks told Mr Layton and his daughter that there was nothing they could do. While ANZ bank said they had requested the recipient return the money, the recipient allegedly refused, and withdrew the funds over the following days. Speaking on A Current Affair on Nine, Ms Morrison-White said that she was frustrated with the banks for not having done more to protect her father. I was angry because I believe the bank could have done more to stop the money disappearing. After all we told them it was a mistake on the day the money was transferred. She added: This is an 88-year-old pensioners money that means if we dont get it back my father has to sell his house to be able to pay the debt. How is that fair? In the days and weeks that followed the accidental transaction, the company that moved the house onto Mr Laytons land began demanding payment and threatened to pursue legal action if they did not receive the money they were owed. The octogenarians family began an online fundraiser to pool together resources to prevent him from losing the house. Between friends, family, and the wider community, enough money was raised to avert legal action on the part of the company. But Mr Layton had always intended to renovate the house, and no longer had the funds to do so. Ms Morrison-White said that she was determined to hold the banks to account and continued to follow up with them. Her efforts finally paid off. The ANZ bank has reached out to us directly, and they have said that they felt that there was a few internal processes of theirs that perhaps could have been carried out a little better, she told A Current Affair. Theyve actually agreed to reimburse by dad a significant amount of the $71,400. Not all of it, but certainly a huge amount of that $71,400 is coming back from ANZ, and we, we cant thank them enough. A spokesperson for the bank said: ANZ is pleased we were able to assist Mr Layton recover a substantial amount of the funds that were mistakenly transferred Mr Layton told A Current Affair that he was grateful for the banks response. I was obviously pleased and surprised because its not often that banks are so generous. I thought very good, thank you very much. A big thank you to everyone thats physically, morally or financially helped me, he added. Ron Stakenburg, the alleged recipient of Mr Laytons funds, appeared in court on Monday, on charges of stealing property of value exceeding $5,000. His trial will continue on 18 October. Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was granted bail today after being arrested on Thursday in Italy using a European arrest warrant. The 58-year-old MEP is free to travel but must return for another hearing on October 4 in Sardinia, where he was arrested. Mr Puigdemont stepped off a plane at Alguero airport on Thursday and was arrested in a move that could see him extradited to Spain to face sedition charges. The Catalan leader has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since fleeing Spain hidden in the boot of a car after a failed 2017 independence referendum, which was declared illegal by Spanish courts. Mr Puigdemont is wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition over his attempts to have the Catalan region break away from Madrid through the 2017 referendum. He was arrested under a European arrest warrant issued by Spain. Mr Puigdemonts detention comes a week after the left-wing Spanish government and regional Catalan authorities resumed negotiations to find a solution to Spains territorial crisis. Pere Aragones, the Catalan president who is a moderate supporter of independence, condemned the persecution of Mr Puigdemont. In the face of persecution and judicial repression, the strongest condemnation. It has to stop, he tweeted. Supporters of the former president held demonstrations on Friday in Barcelona. The Spanish government said it respected the decision of the Italian justice system. "The arrest of Mr Puigdemont corresponds to an ongoing judicial procedure that applies to any EU citizen who has to answer to the courts," it said in a statement. However, in Spain the arrest was applauded by conservatives and the far-right Vox party. Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, tweeted: This renegade coup leader has done a lot of damage to Spain, especially Catalonia. I hope that justice will sit him on the bench and condemn his crimes before the government puts him back on the street. The Catalan leaders lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, tweeted that the exiled separatist leader was arrested on his arrival in Italy, where he was travelling in his capacity as an MEP for a cultural festival there. He said the arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued in October 2019 that had since been suspended. However, sources from the Spanish Supreme Court, which issued the original warrant, said it had never been suspended. In March, the European Parliament rescinded immunity for Mr Puigdemont and two other pro-independence MEPs, a decision that was upheld in July by the EUs General Court. However, the exiled separatists have appealed against this decision and a final ruling by the EU court has yet to be made. The October 2017 referendum was held by Catalonias separatist regional leadership despite a ban by Madrid and the process was marred by police violence. A few weeks later, the leadership made a short-lived declaration of independence, prompting Mr Puigdemont to flee abroad. Nine others who stayed in Spain were tried and jailed for terms of between nine and 13 years. They were all pardoned in June. Catalonia is split on the issue of independence, with a recent poll for La Razon newspaper finding 49.4 per cent did not want to break away from Spain, while 45.7 per cent were in favour. Britains growing fuel and supply chain crisis which has seen petrol stations closed, empty restaurants and supermarket shelves and the government forced to subsidise carbon dioxide production has provoked significant comment in European newspapers. While the government has insisted the problems are largely caused by the pandemic, much of the media on the continent is pointing the finger at Brexit. The front page of the French outlet Liberation featured a finished roll of toilet paper with the final sheet emblazoned with Brexit, above the headline The future that failed to deliver. Labour shortages, disrupted logistics chains, missing products, departures of European citizens..., the paper wrote. With the gradual end of the Covid crisis, the United Kingdom begins to see in concrete terms the consequences of its exit from the European Union. The German magazine Der Spiegels coverage of the issue was headlined: In the kingdom of empty shelves and warned supply bottlenecks could become even more drastic. After Brexit, migrant workers from Eastern Europe are no longer welcome in the UK. And so the country is now missing 100,000 truck drivers and goods, the outlet wrote. The Barcelona-based daily La Vanguardia compared the empty shelves, closed KFCs, fruit rotting in the field and empty vending machines to the boycotted Cuba. Brexit and the pandemic have contributed to exacerbating a problem that has been brewing for a long time, and it is rooted in the low wages traditionally received by truckers, the newspaper reported. Due to Brexit and the devaluation of the pound, 14,000 [drivers] from Eastern Europe have returned to their countries of origin because they did not feel welcome and because of bureaucratic obstacles to travel. In an article on their website, Germanys public TV station ARD said Britons were facing a perfect storm of high fuel prices, the expiration of the pandemic boost to benefit payments and higher food prices in supermarkets. It likened the situation to the infamous Winter of Discontent from 1978-79, when hardship caused by crippling strikes ultimately brought down the government of the day. A similar theme ran through the coverage in Spains El Pais, which said not since the ominous decade of the seventies had Europes second largest economy struggled with such shortages. New, tougher post-Brexit immigration rules were preventing European workers who left the UK during the pandemic from easily returning to their jobs, the paper said. The Johnson government is reluctant to admit that its main political achievement, Brexit, may cause irreparable damage, at least in the medium term, to the countrys economy. Home Secretary Priti Patels response, with a harsh speech on immigration, is for employers to strive to train and hire British citizens. An online news site in Italy told its readers the traditional English Christmas dinner was now under threat because of the rise in gas prices caused by Brexit. The traditional Christmas dinner is at risk in England, where the British will have to contend with a shortage of meat on the supermarket shelves, the report from fanpage.it said. All of this can be traced back to Brexit: with the United Kingdoms exit from the European Union, gas has undergone such an increase in prices as to force the closure of two large fertilizer-producing plants in the country. The Quad is a sinister gang whose members are four ward mates with four different diseases who will become cannon fodder if they dare to take on China, warned Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party in Beijing. The ire expressed in the editorial was focused on the first in-person summit between the leaders of the so-called gang: the US, Japan, India and Australia, at the White House. The US president, Joe Biden, continued the newspaper, is putting America first even more than the former president, Donald Trump. The last meeting of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), held virtually in March, announced the delivery of a billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine to countries in Asia by the end of 2022. On this occasion, however, China and its aggressive policies is the main issue on the agenda. The group poses, strategically and militarily, more of a problem for Beijing than the much publicised Aukus agreement between Australia, UK and the US with its building of a nuclear submarine fleet for Australia. All four member states have substantial armed presence in the Indo-Pacific, are augmenting it to counter Chinese expansion, and all feel that they face a threat from China, although the language used to described that threat is tempered in public pronouncements. Two of the members have been in confrontation with China: India on the Himalayan border and Japan over disputed waters and Senkaku islands in the East China Sea. Last month the navies of the Quad countries carried out the Malabar exercises off the coast of Guam. It originated as an annual bilateral naval drill between the US and India in the 1990s, then fell into abeyance but has now been reinvigorated on a larger scale to include Japan and then Australia. In April, these navies took part in the La Perouse exercise in the Bay of Bengal with France, in line with the Macron governments decision to have a more prominent military presence in the Indo-Pacific. Despite the Aukus row between Australia and France over the cancellation of a submarine contract, more such exercises with French participation are expected to take place in the future. The fact that this is the first face-to-face meeting since the Quad was set up 14 years ago is a sign of the group seeking to play a much more effective role. And that has come about directly as a result of Chinas uncompromising approach on issues ranging from ownership of mineral-rich waters, crackdowns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, threats to invade Taiwan and the coronavirus pandemic. India had, until recently, been lukewarm about the Quad, but the clashes on its northern border with China appear to have concentrated minds in Narendra Modis government it is now an enthusiastic member. Yoshihide Suga, Japans prime minister, spoke on his way to Washington of Beijings growing military influence and unilateral changing of status quo which present a risk to Japan. Incursions by Chinese vessels near the Senkaku Islands took place on a record 157 days in a row earlier this year part of a steady rise in such incidents. Defence minister Nobuo Kishi added that Chinas actions have led to strong concerns in regards to the safety and security of not only our own country and the region but for the global community. Australia, which faced punitive Chinese tariffs on exports and cyberattacks after calling for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid, joined the Malabar exercises last year. It is now also part of Aukus, despite the fact that China remains its main trading partner and further sanctions by Beijing will undoubtedly hurt the economy. The talks between Mr Biden, Mr Modi, Mr Suga and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison are expected to be followed by an announcement on Covid and action on the climate crisis. They are also due to discuss cybersecurity and supply chains for semi-conductors and co-operation in developing 5G technology. Beijing has been accused of widespread use of cyberattacks and it currently effectively controls the semi-conductor market. The presence of Chinese companies in the telecoms infrastructure including, until recently, Huawei in the UK, has raised security concerns. China had, in the past, sought to dismiss the Quad as being of no consequence. Three years ago Wang Yi, foreign minister and state councillor, said the group was seafoam in the Pacific or the Indian Ocean; it may get some attention, but soon will dissipate. But by last year he was warning that it was a security threat and the new Nato in the region. Asked about the White House summit, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: It should not target any third party or harm their interest ... to form exclusive cliques targeting other countries wont be popular and has no future. Relevant countries should abandon outdated zero-sum game thinking and narrow geopolitical concepts, take a correct view of Chinas development, respect the hearts of the people in the region, and do more things that are conducive to promoting unity and cooperation of regional countries. But David Shullman, a China analyst with the Atlantic Council, held that Beijing should really get the lions share of credit for rejuvenating the Quad. Its aggressions against India, Japan and Australia, suppression in Hong Kong and threats against Taiwan have given leaders in the region a new sense of urgency and common purpose. Robert Emerson, a British security analyst, added: A lot of what is happening is made in China. The combative way the Chinese have driven through their policies was going to have consequences, and that is whats happening now. They shouldnt be surprised by this. What the papers say Alexandre Lacazette has dealt Arsenal a blow as he intends to run down his contract at the Emirates, reports the Daily Mirror. The 30-year-old will be able to enter talks with other clubs in January and move for free in the summer with Atletico Madrid among the potential suitors the paper adds. Liverpool could reignite their interest in West Hams Jarrod Bowen, the Liverpool Echo says. Jurgen Klopps side were linked with a move for the 20million-rated forward in the summer. Manchester United are looking to tempt Barcelona into selling Ousmane Dembele, reports the Manchester Evening News. The 24-year-old has been at the Nou Camp since 2017. Sticking with Manchester United and the Daily Express reports Tottenham will look to sign Anthony Martial in January, with the London club proposing Tanguy Ndombele moves in the opposite direction. Bayern Munich are reportedly keen on signing Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea, the Daily Mirror says. Rudigers contract at Stamford Bridge expires in June 2022 and talks on a new deal are not progressing. Social media round-up Players to watch Erling Haaland: Liverpool are the latest club to be linked with a move for the Dortmund player, writes Mundo Deportivo. Federico Chiesa: Borussia Dortmund will look to bring in the 23-year-old from Juventus if Norwegian Haaland leaves, reports Calciomercato. Marco Asensio: The Anfield club could also look to sign the 25-year-old from Real Madrid, according to Fichajes. This week, Rhode Island Superior Court judge Jeffrey A. Lanphear heard arguments from attorneys representing over 30 parents in a lawsuit attempting to overturn Gov. Dan McKee's executive order requiring students in Rhode Island schools to wear masks while in the classroom. In the lawsuit, the parents argue mask-wearing poses harm to students and negatively impacts their physical and mental health. They are attempting to overturn McKee's executive order on the grounds that it unconstitutional. Do you agree that the mask mandate should be overturned by the courts? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: An FIR has been registered against comedy show, The Kapil Sharma Show, for showing actors drinking alcohol during a skit set in a courtroom in one of the episodes. The complainant has stated that the actors, being under the influence of alcohol, have disrespected the court. Twitter The FIR has been registered by a lawyer in CJM Court, Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh. The case will be heard in court on Oct 1. TOI "The Kapil Sharma Show aired on Sony TV is very sloppy. They also make lewd comments on women. In one of the episodes, a court was set up on the stage and the actors were seen drinking alcohol in public. This is contempt of court. That's why I have demanded registration of FIR against the culprits under Section 356/3 in the court. Such display of sloppiness should be stopped," the lawyer was quoted as saying by India Today. TOI The episode had aired on Jan 19, 2020 reportedly. The repeat telecast was aired on April 24, 2021. As per the lawyer, this act brings disgrace to the court. Business software company Freshworks recently was in the news for its blockbuster IPO at the New York Stock exchange, which raised the company $1 billion while also making 500 of its employees millionaires overnight. Girish Mathrubootham Also Read: Over 500 Freshworks Employees In India Become Crorepatis. Around 70 Of Them Are Aged Under 30 The brainchild behind the companys success is Girish Mathrubootham -- the founder and CEO of Freshworks and his journey started with humble roots. Hailing from Trichy Rathnagirish Mathrubootham was born in March 1974, in a middle-class family. Son of a retired banker from the small town of Trichy, in Tamil Nadu, Girish started his schooling from Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School. Coming from a broken family after his father divorced his mother when he was just 7 and remarried three years later, left a strong emotional scar that made it difficult for him to understand relationships. He later went on to complete his graduation in B.E - Electricals and Electronics, from the Shanmugha Arts, Science Technology and Research Academy, in 1996, followed by a Masters In Business Administration from the University of Madras, specializing in marketing. Also Read: Chennai Startup Has Built Asias First Made-In-India Flying Car At 120 Kmph Speed ET Journey to his big break Girish worked at a number of companies, including HCL Cisco, eForce, AdventNetInc, before he finally worked with the tech giant Zoho where he served as the Director and Vice President of Product Management. While at Zoho, a comment on HackerNews, inspired him to start his own IT Helpdesk product in 2010 dubbed Freshdesk, based out of a 700 feet warehouse in Chennai, with his colleague Shan Krishnasamy. Also Read: IIT Delhi Startup Builds Advanced Material To Make Indian Flag Nearly Indestructible Freshdesk to Freshworks Freshdesk revolutionised the way customers interacted with the companies, using social media. Freshdesk offers companies to address customer complaints across different channels, allowing them to have information such as account details, subscriptions or payment information in a quick-accessible manner. It took eight years for the companys revenue to touch $100 million. Soon after in 2017, the company rebranded to Freshworks and set up its headquarters in California with global offices in India, Australia, the UK and Germany. The company today is worth Rs 95,000 crore or $13 billion with over 50,000 customers across the globe, including major brands like Hugo Boss, Honda, Toshiba, Cisco and others. Girish Mathrubootham Next chapter for Freshworks In a blog post, Mathrubootham shared the vision for the companys next chapter, Im very proud that Freshworks is a pioneer of Indian entrepreneurship and of our ability to blend the art of Indian design with the science of Silicon Valley scaling. Also Read: Infosys Developing Quantum Computing Tech For Indian Startups To Innovate On He added, Weve been on an incredible journey so far, working hard to build a company that is loved by employees and customers. Its day zero all over again for Freshworks as we start our public journey to build an iconic global software product company. For more cool science and technology news, keep visiting Indiatimes.com. And let us know if you would like to read more stories like this profile of Girish Mathrubootham of Freshworks. Top 5 tech blows of the week: In this weekly newsletter, we bring tales of misfortune and biggest fails from the world of technology. Tech favourites Apple and Facebook made the headlines this week while Google made an appearance for the ongoing antitrust investigation in India. Twitter, too, wasn't far behind - the company is now paying a hefty amount to settle alleged claims of fraud. Read the biggest blows from the world of technology for this week below: 1. Twitter's hefty settlement for "fraud" On September 20, Twitter announced that it was paying $809.5 (5,960 crores) million to investors, who claim to have been "deceived" by the social networking platform in regard to data. With this, Twitter may have successfully prevented the lawsuit from going into trial, which may have produced way more unfavourable conditions for the tech giant. Unsplash In 2016, Twitter investors claimed that the company had committed fraud by inflating its stock price. In addition, they alleged that the company fed them misleading data about user engagement on the social networking platform. Read why this is a big deal and why big companies avoid trials here 2. Google found to be engaging in illegal behaviour in India A report by Indian antitrust watchdog has alleged that Google engages in anti-competition behaviour in India to maintain its monopoly. The findings were revealed in a report undertaken by the investigation body of Competition Commission of India (CCI). The CCI also accused Google of pursuing anti-trade practices in the country. Unsplash If this account of Google's market practices in India is taken up in a court, Google could face hefty fines or other restrictions by Indian authorities. Read how Google stifles competition in India and what's next here 3. European Union makes USB-C mandatory across bloc In a dramatic turn of events, the European Union on September 23 mandated a single type charging mechanism for all smartphones in the bloc. With this, USB type-C is in effect the only way to charge your mobile devices in EU countries. This is bad news for Apple, which has stuck to its lightning charger for quite a while. The ruling also makes it mandatory to enforce type-C charging on tablets, headphones, consoles, etc. Unsplash EU claims the move is aimed at cutting down on e-waste. We're pretty sure Apple wouldn't agree. Many analysts also suspect that Apple may get rid of wired charging altogether to overcome this new obstacle. Read about the radical legislation here 4. Facebook is hiding content from watchdog groups A new investigation highlighted Facebook's attempts at hiding access to the content shared on its news feed feature through a new code. Apparently, the code prevents observer groups that assess the content on Facebook from collecting data about the kind of content being shared on the platform. Unsplash While Facebook claims that this change was made to make using Facebook easier for the visually impaired, the same investigation highlighted how it may actually be counter-productive. Is Facebook just trying to escape regulation? Find out here 5. Apple Vs Epic Games: Fortnite isn't coming back Apple has blacklisted the dearly beloved "Fortnite" game made by Epic Games indefinitely. Epic CEO revealed a document wherein Apple specifies that Fortnite would not be allowed to return to Apple's App Store until Epic and Apple reach a conclusion in their dispute. The problem is, this could take years. Reuters It appears that Apple is trying to ensure Fortnite doesn't come back on the store after Epic's protests against Apple's alleged monopoly were supported by a landmark US court ruling this week. Read all about the ruling and the ongoing tussle between Apple and Epic here Biggest tech blow this week: It's a tie! Both Twitter and Google suffered massive hits this week For more stories about the latest in technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com regularly. We publish Top 5 Tech Blows This Week every Friday evening. When 17-year-old P. Renganathan from Chennai, Tamil Nadu was trying to book a train ticket for one of his family members, he discovered a fatal flow in IRCTC's website. The teen's hacker sense led him to a huge vulnerability on Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation's (IRCTC) website which could have compromised data of millions of its users. "I was booking a ticket for one of my family members, I had an instinct that this particular bug called IDOR would be present for sure. It is a very common flaw found on applications like IRCTC", Renganathan told Indiatimes. On September 23, Renganathan was invited by Tamil Nadu's Minister for Information Technology, Thiru T. Mano Thangaraj to acknowledge the teenager's efforts in preventing a data leak from IRCTC's database. Renganathan How Renganathan found the flaw in 5 minutes The teenage tech wizard was then able to find the flaw in 5 minutes. "After booking the ticket, it took me five minutes to find this flaw", he told Indiatimes. In Renganathan's words, he simply went to the booking ticket history option on IRCTC portal and accessed the transaction ID which is written into the server through a backend code. With the 13 digital transaction ID and assistance from a tool, Renganathan was able to access tickets of other passengers, along with their personal details. In the code, he changed the basic numerical value that may be randomly assigned to all tickets, giving him access to essentially everything. Renganathan Also read: 16-Year-Old Pune Teen Captured Jupiter & Saturn On His Camera: He Shares With Us How He Did It After making a few tweaks in the code of the website's ticket booking portal, Renganathan found that he was able to access random transacation and ticket details of the passengers including train number, departure time, PNR number, status of the ticket, personal information of the passenger including names, gender and age. Why IRCTC can't relax yet While the 17-year-old's intentions were noble, other hackers may not be so benevolent. Renganathan explained to Indiatimes how black hat hackers could have "written a script that would have cancelled passenger tickets of 100,000 or a million people in a few minutes... even seconds". In addition, he claimed that criminal hackers could have scrapped all user data to be later sold on the dark web in exchange for any cryptocurrency like bitcoin. "But I have stopped this [attack]", Renganathan gleefully added while urging IRCTC authorities to check for "illegal activities that may have been done before" he discovered the flaw. Renganathan In fact, Renganathan is not so sure that IRCTC is out of the woods yet. Even though a fix has been initiated, a black hat hacker could easily bypass their fix, Renganathan suggested, while adding "they need to do more to close all the gaps". In the wrong hands, such access could have halted India's connecting lifelines - tickets could be cancelled, destinations changed. On a large scale, the whole IRCTC operation could have been gutted had the vulnerability not been identified by Renganathan. India needs to do more for its ethical hackers After detection from Renganathan, the flaw was acknowledged and fixed by IRCTC's CERT team in five days. But Renganathan believes there's a lot to be done yet for ethical hackers in India. "India has got a huge number of ethical hackers and security researchers. They can invite all of them [to seek help]", he said while referring to a single-line thank you e-mail which he received from IRCTC as acknowledgment. Renganathan "Ethical hackers could receive more recognition than just a thanks mail from the CERT team", he added, while referring to the Hall Of Fame recognition that he had received from the United Nations for gaining access to their internal coding projects including database passwords. "I reported the issue to them on December 4, 2020 and I was acknowledged in the United Nations Hall Of Fame on January 15", Renganathan said. He added that many companies that receive such tips from ethical hackers like himself fail to acknowledge the hacker and simply fix the issue on their end. Also read: Hacker Behind Largest Cryptocurrency Theft In History Returns Over $200 Million Currently in the final year of school, Renganathan has also found a flaw in LinkedIn wherein he caused the application to crash. "On LinkedIn, I found a vulnerability in their mobile application... Anyone can send a connection request with a personalised note of 300 letters... I was able to bypass this character limit with 100,000 characters". Our phones cannot render such huge characters, so every time a user clicked on his connection request message, the LinkedIn app would crash. As for the IRCTC vulnerability, the agency has fixed the data flaw for now. But as we step into the world of digital doomsday, such loopholes in large databases could leak the personal details of millions of Indians. Until then, let's hope the country is being protected by a fleet of young ethical hackers like Renganathan. For more on the latest coming in from the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com. Despite his many attempts to put restrictions on the H-1B program, denial rates for new applications were much lower in the waning months of former President Donald Trumps administration, primarily due to losses in federal court. (Representational image/Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. Modi invited Harris to India, to continue "this journey of victory. India, he said, is "waiting to welcome you. (photo via IANS/Twitter/ PMOIndia) After being pummeled by two tropical storms that submerged basements, cracked home foundations and destroyed belongings, Northeastern U.S. residents still in the throes of recovery are being hit with another unexpected blow: Thousands of families are now swamped with financial losses because they didnt have flood insurance. Most of those caught off guard by the intense downpours from the remnants of Hurricane Ida and Tropical Storm Henri lived in areas outside of coastal floodplains, making flood insurance an afterthought for most of the working-class families whose neighborhoods were among the hardest hit. When we called the insurance company, the first thing they told us is that they dont provide any assistance for anything thats caused by a storm. And they left it at that, Amit Shivprasad said, his rising voice echoing frustrations shared among his neighbors in the Jamaica section of Queens. For weeks now, Shivprasad and his parents have been crammed into a relatives apartment after New York City building inspectors declared their home uninhabitable. Floodwaters from Ida, exacerbated by overflowing storm and sewer drains, ripped through an exterior wall and drowned two of the familys tenants in a basement apartment. The storm killed about 50 people across the Northeast, many of whom drowned in basement apartments or in cars. It lashed the region less than two weeks after a drenching from Henri. Residents in Shivprasads neighborhood have long complained about inadequate drainage that makes flooding a frequent worry. This is not a flood zone, which is something I was shocked at, said Shivprasad, whose family home lies 4 miles inland from the nearest flood plain. If it were in a flood zone, the familys mortgage company would have likely required flood insurance. Among the roughly 10,000 homes in his neighborhood, just 16 were protected by flood insurance, according to a database compiled by the Association of State Floodplain Managers. Flood damage is not covered by homeowners or renters insurance policies. People without a flood policy have few options for getting help paying for damage, according to Loretta Worters, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute. They may be able to get federal assistance, she said, including low-interest loans and grants for damage. While officials are still calculating the losses believed to be in the billions of dollars residents wonder how theyll come up with the money to repair homes and replace belongings. Fans continue to whir in dank basements and dump trucks still make the rounds to haul away mildewed couches, squishy mattresses and now-useless electronics. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has already disbursed at least $22 million to nearly 5,200 families in New York City. More than 38,000 households have applied for aid. In New Jersey, assistance to some 39,000 families is still pending, while FEMA has paid out about $11 million to nearly 3,000 families. Thus far, about $10 million in flood insurance claims has been paid out in New Jersey to 6,000 policy holders, according to FEMA. In New York Citys five boroughs, about $3 million has been disbursed for 2,600 flood insurance claims. Flood insurance, offered through the National Flood Insurance Program, is generally required for mortgages on properties considered to have a roughly 1 in 100 chance each year of flooding _ but is optional for everyone else. Some see it as an unnecessary cost, even as severe weather now strikes with more frequency and greater intensity. You never know, particularly with the way the world is acting right now, when that flood is going to occur in your neighborhood, said Michael Wade, a FEMA spokesperson. All you got to do is look at this particular storm, he said, and youll see that people who didnt live in flood plains and who have never been flooded before all of a sudden they get inundated with 6 inches of rain an hour. Now they got problems. John and Roseann Kiernans neighborhood in Rossmoor, a sprawling senior living development in Monroe Township in central New Jersey, is 20 miles from the coastline and not near any major rivers. The Kiernans and others said they were told over the years that they didnt need flood insurance because the area isnt in a flood zone even though the neighborhood flooded in 2005. John Kiernans mother previously owned the house and had flood insurance that cost about $650 per year, he said. She died eight years ago, and they eventually let the insurance lapse. Now, the Kiernans estimate it will cost $100,000 to get their house back to a livable condition and replace their car. Their existing policy covered nothing, said John Kiernan, a retired corrections officer. The insurance company sent out some very nice, understanding people, they listened to everybody for an hour or so, then basically said, Youre not getting anything. So thats the way it is. Around the corner from the Kiernans, Joan Russo and her husband have lived in the same house for 16 years and moved in a few days before the flooding in 2005. Their house suffered extensive water damage during Henri, forcing them to move in with her sons family in another town. When we were getting our insurance, they said, Youre not in a flood area, theres no need for that, she said. You listen to the supplier and they say you dont need it, so you dont get it. Back in Queens, Sahadeo Bhagwandin worries about how he will get his family back home. Theyve been spending nights at a hotel, courtesy of the Red Cross, ever since the flooding. I dont know how Ill fix this, said Bhagwandin, a structural engineer, as he pointed to a thick fissure in his basement wall. It could cost upward of $125,000 to repair his homes foundation, which buckled after floodwaters gushed into the basement. Until a few years back, Bhagwandin said, he had flood insurance bought after a 2007 storm inundated streets but the policy was later canceled. Some of his neighbors, especially working-class immigrants who face language barriers, arent as familiar with the complexities of property insurance and might not have realized they needed separate coverage for acts of God like flooding and earthquakes. Even if they were aware of the risk of flooding, he said, their financial priorities might have been elsewhere. Its not a rich community, Bhagwandin said. People try to save every dollar they have to do something else with it, instead of buying flood insurance. Associated Press writer Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood A former insurance broker is going to prison for defrauding insurance companies and individual investors out of more than $1 million. U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Brian Bartz of Rochester, New York, who was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The defendant has also been ordered to pay full restitution to the victims in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that between January 2015 and January 2020, the defendant was employed as an insurance broker at several different life insurance companies, selling and servicing policies and receiving commissions and bonuses for selling such policies. In connection with his employment, Bartz submitted approximately 105 fraudulent policy applications in various individuals names without their knowledge, utilizing actual names, social security numbers and dates of birth. As a result, life insurance policies were issued, and the defendant was paid a total of $382,740.63 in commissions and bonuses to which he was not entitled. Bartz also used approximately $70,579.83 that he fraudulently withdrew from various bank accounts of unsuspecting clients in order to pay policy premiums on the fraudulent life insurance policies he obtained. In addition, Bartz defrauded his insurance clients and potential clients by falsely claiming to also be an investment advisor, persuading individuals to invest funds that he never invested nor intended to invest. Rather than investing such funds on behalf of his clients, Bartz used them to gamble or to pay back prior investors. To prevent victims from inquiring about their investments, Bartz issued fake account statements. The victims included a widow who invested a $332,500 payout from her deceased husbands life insurance policy with the defendant. Bratz stole all but $10,000 of that widows investment. In total, the loss amount for Bartzs schemes is approximately $1,026,668.46. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne Harris. Source: U.S. Attorneys Office, Western District of New York Topics Agencies Fraud New York This edition of International People Moves details appointments at UK insurer Aviva, broker Price Forbes Bermuda and the London Market Group. A summary of these new hires follows. Aviva Strengthens Exec Committee with Chief Risk Officer Montague and CIO Cummings UK insurer Aviva announced the promotion of Andrea Montague as chief risk officer. Montague joined Aviva in April 2020 as group chief financial controller and has previously worked at Royal London and Standard Life in senior finance and audit leadership roles, including deputy group finance director and chief internal auditor She and John Cummings, the current chief information officer, will both join Avivas Executive Committee, subject to regulatory approval. Both will report to Amanda Blanc, Group Chief Executive Officer. Before becoming CIO for the group, Cummings was previously CIO for Avivas UK General Insurance business. His career in technology has included roles at Vodafone and BT. His appointment to Avivas Executive Committee reflects the critical importance of technology and digital to Avivas transformation, said the company in a statement. *** Price Forbes Bermuda Names Wood to Launch Captive Management Operation Price Forbes & Partners (Bermuda) Ltd. announced the appointment of William Wood as senior vice president of its newly created Insurance Management unit. Wood is a 27-year veteran of the Bermuda re/insurance marketplace having served in a variety of disciplines. He joins after a brief term as director of Captives and Commercial Insurers at Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd., and before that he was CEO of Charles Taylors captives business for six years. Wood started his career in captive management before moving to the commercial re/insurance industry covering a number of roles in capital modelling, rating agency relationship management, accounting, underwriting and claims with XL Capital, Everest Re and Centre Solutions, before taking the position of treasurer and controller at Nissan Global Reinsurance Ltd. Price Forbes, part of top 20 global broker and the UKs largest independent broking platform, The Ardonagh Group, sees captive management as a natural fit to its reinsurance brokerage business as well as providing a platform for other business opportunities within the wider Ardonagh Group. As part of this initiative, Price Forbes Bermuda was recently granted an insurance managers license by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Established in 1892, Price Forbes & Partners Ltd. is an independent global specialty insurance broker with offices in London, Brussels, Dubai, Hamilton, Labuan, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch, Santiago and Hong Kong (where it has a minority share). Price is part of The Ardonagh Group, the UKs largest independent broking platform and a top 20 broker globally. *** Wagstaff Named CEO of London Market Group The board of the London Market Group (LMG) announced the appointment of Caroline Wagstaff as the LMGs permanent chief executive officer. This follows a period of six months from April to September this year when Wagstaff assumed the role on a temporary basis. Wagstaff has more than 25 years experience working in communications and marketing for the financial services sector. She most recently was a director for the London-based public relations firm Luther Pendragon, where she spent more than nine years. She founded Lucid Communication in 2005, which became part of Luther Pendragon in 2012. Prior to Lucid, Wagstaff was head of corporate communications at College Hill Associates. She also she spent nearly five years as head of marketing and communications at Lloyds of London (Sep 1997 May 2002), according to her LinkedIn profile. Caroline has done an excellent job since she joined the LMG in April. The board is delighted to be able to confirm that Caroline has agreed to change her title from interim to permanent as CEO, and this means that she will be now able to bring a longer-term view to bear, tackling big issues such as cultural change, climate change and technological change in the London market on behalf of our organisation and members, commented Matthew Moore, chairman of the LMG. The LMG brings together the specialist commercial re/insurance broking and underwriting communities in London. It is supported by the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA), Lloyds of London, the Lloyds Market Association (LMA) and the London & International Insurance Brokers Association (LIIBA). Topics Carriers Bermuda Italys Mediobanca SpA strengthened its grip over insurer Assicurazioni Generali SpA, boosting its stake to more than 17% just days before a board meeting that could decide the future of embattled Chief Executive Officer Philippe Donnet. The investment bank, already Generalis largest single shareholder, raised its holding from about 13% via a stock-lending mechanism, according to a statement late Thursday. Italian Tycoons Seek Allies in Battle Over Choice of Generalis Next CEO Generali Says Directors Support Keeping Donnet as CEO Mediobanca is looking to shore up its position amid an intensifying battle with two Italian billionaires who hold significant stakes in the insurer. Construction magnate Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone and Leonardo Del Vecchio, the founder of eyewear giant Luxottica, have long complained about both the investment banks influence over Generali and its management. The two have contended that Generali, Italys biggest insurer, has lost its way under Mediobancas watch, lagging behind its European main peers over the last 15 years, people close to the tycoons said. Mediobanca shares advanced as much as 2.9% in Milan trading, before trimming gains to 0.5% as of 9:48 a.m. Generali shares were up 0.7%. The clash between Mediobanca and a few other core shareholders of Generali is now self-evident, Fabrizio Bernardi, an analyst at Bestinver, wrote in a note. Banca Akros said in a note that Mediobancas move increases the likelihood of the reappointment of Mr. Donnet. Billionaires Pact The two billionaires earlier this month announced a pact that gives them joint control of about 11% of Generali. In addition to agitating for a management change, the duo is also trying to loosen the influence of Mediobanca. Theyve also gained the support of banking foundation Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, which joined their pact and currently holds a 1.3% stake. But a majority of Generalis board members last week backed Donnets candidacy for a third term. The insurers board meets Monday to discuss a list of directors to put to a shareholders vote next year. The two Italian tycoons may present an alternative list that excludes Donnet, people familiar with their plans said earlier this month. Complicating Mediobancas position: the fact that Del Vecchio holds a stake of as much as 20% in the lender. Hes criticized Mediobancas management for being too passive in seeking growth opportunities and for being overly dependent on Generalis profit. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Leadership Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. A federal judge in Kansas City has cleared a restaurant groups COVID-related business interruption claim for jury trial, finding that an 8th Circuit Court decision that found no coverage was owed in a separate case does not apply to a lawsuit that alleges SARS-CoV-2 was physically present. US District Judge Stephen R. Bough granted summary judgment dismissing claims against Cincinnati Insurance Co. for civil authority and ingress and egress coverages, but allowed K.C. Hopps claim that coverage was owed because the virus was physically present at its bars and restaurants to proceed to trial. Whether the virus was present on plaintiffs premises, whether it actually caused a physical loss or physical damage to plaintiffs premises, and the extent of plaintiffs damages due to that loss is a question of fact best left for a jury to decide, Bough wrote in his order. Bough is among a small minority of federal judges who have denied insurer motions to dismiss lawsuits seeking coverage for income lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the Barack Obama appointee issued three of the 22 orders by federal judges that rejected insurer motions to dismiss such claims. K.C. Hopps owns nine restaurants, bars, catering services and event spaces in the Kansas City metropolitan area, which spans both Missouri and Kansas. The company filed suit after Cincinnati denied its claim to recoup income lost after it was forced to curtail operations because of the coronavirus pandemic. Most federal and state judges have dismissed similar lawsuits. Whats more, the 8th Circuit whose jurisdiction includes Missouri on July 2 affirmed a ruling that a dental surgery practice could not recover income lost because of government orders that forced it to restrict operations because of the coronavirus. Boughs order, however, notes that the 8th Circuit did not address whether the physical presence of the virus on properties could cause a direct physical loss that is covered by an insurance policy. Oral Surgeons alleged in its lawsuit against Cincinnati Insurance that it lost income because of civil authority orders that restricted its practice to emergency care. However, the 8th Circuit did not determine that SARS-CoV-2 can never cause physical loss or physical damage,' Boughs order says. Bough also rejected Cincinnatis argument that no coverage would be owed even if there had been a physical loss because the restaurant group received more in forgiven Paycheck Protection Loans than its alleged losses. The judge said the PPP program was intended to ensure that employees continued to receive paychecks, not to reimburse business owners for lost income. On the other hand, Bough granted Cincinnatis motion to dismiss K.C. Hopps claims for coverage under civil authority and ingress and egress coverages because the government orders did not restrict the owners access to their properties. Insurance defense attorney Roy A. Mura told the Claims Journal after the 8th Circuit ruled that its decision would have limited impact because the appellate panel did not address the question of whether the physical presence of a virus can cause a physical loss or damage. He posted a brief analysis of Boughs opinion on his Linkedin page. To my knowledge, this is the first reported decision addressing the PPP loan argument, he wrote. Judge Boughs sidestepping of the 8th Circuits decision in Oral Surgeons is also interesting. Bough also allowed Studio 417 Inc. to proceed with a separate lawsuit against Cincinnati Insurance. That case has been consolidated with a lawsuit filed by another group of business owners who are pursuing coverage from Cincinnati Insurance for COVID-related income losses. The plaintiffs are seeking class action status. Topics COVID-19 Legislation Kansas Business Interruption The South Dakota Supreme Court, in an opinion released Sept. 23, agreed with a lower court ruling that two people on a motorcycle who were severely injured in a crash with a volunteer firefighting trainee cannot collect damages from the city of Pierre and its fire department. Lisa Tammen and Randall Jurgens were badly hurt and had their left legs amputated above the knees as the result of the August 1, 2016, crash in rural Hughes County. Firefighting trainee Gerrit Tronvold was on his way to a department meeting in Pierre when he ran through a stop sign and collided with the victims motorcycle. Tronvold was cited for failure to yield. The circuit court found that the city and the fire department werent liable for Tronvolds actions because he wasnt acting within the scope of his employment. Circuit Judge Thomas Trimble rejected arguments for exceptions to whats known as the going and coming rule that protects employers from liability in most instances when their employees are driving to and from work, KELO-TV reported. Supreme Court Justice Janine Kern wrote the opinion supporting the judges decision. Justice Kern said the exceptions didnt apply because neither the city nor the department exercised sufficient control nor received a sufficient benefit from Tronvolds commute. Employers commonly rely on their employees to drive their personal vehicles to arrive at work. This is especially true in rural America where neither public transportation nor car pooling (are) common, Kern wrote, citing a 1990 federal-court decision. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation South Dakota WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration is moving to protect workers and communities from extreme heat after a dangerously hot summer that spurred an onslaught of drought-worsened wildfires and caused hundreds of deaths from the Pacific Northwest to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Under a plan announced Monday, the U.S. Departments of Labor and of Health and Human Services as well as other federal agencies are launching actions intended to reduce heat-related illness and protect public health. White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy called heat stress a silent killer that disproportionately affects the poor, elderly and minority groups. While not as dramatic as wildfires or hurricanes, heat stress is a significant, real threat that has deadly consequences, McCarthy said in an interview. Overheated, Underprotected: Climate Change Is Killing U.S. Farm Laborers Many people dont recognize that heat stress is a real physical problem until its too late for them, she said. The effort to address heat stress comes as President Joe Biden is working with world leaders to hammer out next steps against rapidly worsening climate change. A June heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, exacerbated by climate change, caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses, In Louisiana, more than a million people, including the entire city of New Orleans, lost power when Hurricane Ida struck on Aug. 29. At least 12 of the 28 Ida-related deaths in Louisiana were caused by heat, according to the Louisiana Health Department. As part of the administrations plan, the Labor Department is launching a program to protect outdoor workers, including agricultural, construction and delivery workers, as well as those working indoors in warehouses, factories and kitchens. Farm and construction workers are at greatest risk of heat stroke and other problems, the White House said, but other workers lacking climate-controlled environments also face risks. Once-in-50-Year Heat Waves Now Happening Every Decade: U.N. Climate Report Rising temperatures pose an imminent threat to millions of American workers exposed to the elements, to kids in schools without air conditioning, to seniors in nursing homes without cooling resources, and particularly to disadvantaged communities, Biden said in a statement. As with other weather events, extreme heat is gaining in frequency and ferocity due to climate change, threatening communities across the country, Biden added, citing National Weather Service data that extreme heat is now the leading weather-related killer in America. Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is set to issue a new rule on heat illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings and will focus interventions and workplace inspections on days when the heat index exceeds 80 F (26.7 degrees Celsius). The White House called the rule a significant step toward a federal heat standard in U.S. workplaces and said officials will expand the scope of scheduled and unscheduled inspections to address heat-related hazards. The administration also will expand its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, to add programs to address extreme heat, the White House said. The program traditionally focuses on providing heat during winter weather, but also offers help with purchasing air conditioning units or paying electric bills for cooling assistance. Those programs will be expanded, and officials will conduct targeted outreach to ensure at-risk households are in a safe temperature environment, McCarthy said. The administration is expanding the use of schools and other public buildings as cooling centers. Washington Adding Emergency Heat Exposure Rules for Outdoor Workers School cooling centers save lives, McCarthy said. They are opportunities for people in every community to actually find relief at a time when they need it most. She urged communities to implement programs such as adopt a senior citizen to conduct wellness checks, making sure that elderly residents are drinking fluids and not overheating. That kind of personal touch is going to be the difference between an individual living longer and those that are passing away, basically unrecognized in their own homes, McCarthy said. The Biden administration has taken steps since its first days in office to tackle climate change. Biden last Friday announced a pledge with the European Union to cut climate-wrecking methane leaks. Increasingly grim findings from scientists conclude that the world is nearing the point where the level of climate damage from burning oil, gas and coal becomes catastrophic and irreversible. Those accounts represent a code red for humanity, Biden said Friday, citing a recent U.N. report that Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent. We have to act, and we have to act now, Biden said, evoking the damage and destruction he has seen in the United States, massive flooding in Europe and other global damage from the warming climate as natural disasters increase in number and severity. In the past few weeks, Biden has visited California, where firefighters are battling larger, fiercer and deadlier wildfires almost year-round, as well as the northeastern U.S. and Gulf Coast, where Hurricane Ida and its flooding killed scores of people. As part of the new effort, the administration is focusing on urban heat islands where temperatures in cities with fewer trees and higher pavement concentrations can be higher than in surrounding areas. The problem can be more severe in neighborhoods affected by discriminatory practices that deny services to residents of certain areas based on their race or ethnicity, the White House said, citing a recent analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency showing that severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately on minorities and underserved communities. The administration will expand urban forestry programs and other greening projects to reduce extreme temperatures and heat exposure, the White House said. The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, is launching a series of prize competitions focused on strengthening the nations resilience to climate change. The first competition will focus on new ways to protect people at risk of heat-related illness or death during extreme heat events or in connection with other disasters. Photo: Pedro Lucas, left, nephew of farm worker Sebastian Francisco Perez who died while working in an extreme heat wave, breaks up earth, Thursday, July 1, 2021, near St. Paul, Ore. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The head of the U.S. cybersecurity enforcement agency is a huge supporter of bipartisan legislation to mandate that operators of critical infrastructure report data breaches to the government. Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said she backs draft legislation from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to require certain private companies, federal agencies and government contractors to report cyberattacks to the agency. The proposed legislation is partly in response to a surge of major cyberattacks that targeted government agencies and critical industries, including Colonial Pipeline Co. and meat producer JBS SA. The hacks increased pressure on the Biden administration to bolster U.S. cyber defenses and fueled calls for federal legislation to require companies to share incidents with the federal government to assist in response and recovery. The panels chairman, Michigan Democrat Gary Peters, told Bloomberg that he hopes to incorporate feedback from the hearing and introduce the bill in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, similar legislation has been added to the must-pass defense authorization measure scheduled to pass the House this week. The earlier that CISA, the federal lead for asset response, receives information about a cyber incident, the faster we can conduct urgent analysis and share information to protect other potential victims, Easterly said in written testimony for the committees Thursday hearing. An increase in cyberattacks, particularly from ransomware, has hit the private sector particularly hard, which owns and operates 85% of critical infrastructure. Cyber incident reporting should be timely, Easterly said, ideally within 24 hours of detection. A draft bill from Peters and top Republican Rob Portman, from Ohio, proposed a 72-hour time frame for reporting. Incident reporting should also be broad-based and not limited to type or sector, Easterly said, adding that CISA and the U.S. Department of Justice should have joint authority over reviewing the reports from critical infrastructure operators as well as from federal agencies and government contractors. The mandatory report should include digital supply chain and ransomware attacks, she said. Chris Inglis, the countrys national cyber director, said at the hearing that cyber incident reporting would be profoundly useful and would be helpful in preventing future cyberattacks. Both Easterly and Inglis said they supported fines on companies as an enforcement mechanism for not reporting cyberattacks. Easterly, though, expressed skepticism toward the idea of using subpoenas for enforcements as proposed in the Peters bill. My personal view is that it is not an agile enough mechanism to allow us to get the information that you need to share it as rapidly as possible to prevent other potential victims, she said. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber A top Southern Baptist Convention committee agreed to fund a third-party investigation into its handling of sexual abuse allegations but held off on waiving its attorney-client privilege for the probe, delaying for the future a decision seen as a key demand of the thousands of Southern Baptists who set the review in motion. The Executive Committee allocated $1.6 million for Guidepost Solutions, the firm conducting the investigation into allegations it mishandled abuse cases, resisted reforms and intimidated survivors and advocates. They also agreed to taking more time to negotiate the contract and other legal questions related to the investigation. I think its a good step and I think that it shows our unity on the urgency of the matter, Executive Committee Chair Rolland Slade said. The decision, the latest action taken in the denominations ongoing public reckoning with the scandal, came at the end of the Executive Committees two-day business meeting in Nashville. The investigation, including the question of whether the Executive Committee would waive its attorney-client privilege, dominated discussion. The rule protects the confidentiality of communications on legal advice and some Executive Committee members raised concerns waiving it could impact litigation and insurance policies. Delegates, also known as messengers, voted overwhelmingly at their national gathering in June to create a task force charged with overseeing the third-party investigation. They also directed the task force to agree to the investigators recommended standards and best practices, including but not limited to the Executive Committee staff and members waiving attorney-client privilege in order to ensure full access to information and accuracy in the review. In August, the task force formally asked the Executive Committee to waive it, saying it is the will of the messengers and critical to the investigation. On Monday and Tuesday, Executive Committee members heard from key stakeholders about the investigation, asked questions about the risks of waiving privilege and disagreed over how much of this weeks discussions should happen behind closed doors. Julie Myers Wood, the CEO of Guidepost Solutions, told the Executive Committee waiving privilege is the only way to ensure that the investigation is viewed as fully credible, transparent and thorough and to show that the EC has and the Southern Baptist Convention has nothing to hide. On Tuesday, the members took hours to hash out what they ultimately approved, which also included asking the task force and Executive Committee officers to come up with a contract in seven days that did not waive attorney-client privilege. After the vote, Executive Committee member Joe Knott from North Carolina said they have a legal responsibility to be good stewards of the institution. Anyone who does harm to anyone else should be exposed and full courts of law brought down upon them. No one wants to cover up any crime, Knott said. However, there are also laws that govern fiduciary responsibility and we dont want to break those laws either. SBC President Ed Litton said in a statement that Tuesdays decision by the Executive Committee fell short of the mandate the delegates gave in June. Im disappointed that several known issues are only now being addressed with appropriate seriousness, but Im grateful the investigation will begin, Litton said. The investigation into the Executive Committee is expected to take several months. A written report of the findings is due to the task force before Southern Baptists meet in June for their annual denominational meeting. The report is expected to be made public along with recommendations from the task force about the next steps the convention should take. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Abuse Molestation A man who was punched and kicked in the head by Georgia police officers during a traffic stop four years ago has filed a lawsuit alleging the stop was unjustified and the officers used excessive force against him. Gwinnett County police Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni pulled Demetrius Hollins over in Lawrenceville, just outside Atlanta, on April 12, 2017. Video filmed by a witness shows Bongiovanni punching Hollins as Hollins stood with his hands raised after exiting his car. A second video shows Bongiovanni appearing to yell at a handcuffed Hollins, who then lies face-down in a left-turn lane of a busy intersection. Officer Robert McDonald runs up and immediately appears to stomp on Hollins head. Hollins, who was 22 at the time of the traffic stop, said during a news conference Wednesday that he still has some kind of PTSD from this situation. He filed the federal lawsuit earlier this month against Bongiovanni and McDonald, as well as former Gwinnett County police chief Butch Ayers and the county. The lawsuit says Bongiovanni pulled Hollins over without justification and then retaliated with excessive force after Hollins began using his cellphone to record video of the encounter. It says McDonald knew Hollins was not a threat when he arrived on scene but still kicked Hollins in the head and held him down with a gun pressed to his head. Both officers were fired the next day after video of the traffic stop surfaced and were subsequently charged with multiple crimes related to the stop. Working phone numbers for the two could not immediately be found Wednesday, and online court records did not list a lawyer for either man who could comment on the charges. The lawsuit also says Ayers, now the executive director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, was aware that officers in his department routinely used unnecessary physical force when making arrests and searches and that he signed off on use-of-force reports even though supervisors had decided to close the cases without further investigation or inquiry. It also says the countys use of force procedure was unconstitutional because it expressly authorized officers to use unnecessary, gratuitous, and disproportionate non-deadly physical force against citizens as a matter of routine procedure when making arrests and searches. The county allowed unconstitutional policies and practices in use of force investigations, discipline, training and supervision to continue unchecked for nearly 20 years, the lawsuit says. Ayers said in an email that he disagrees with many of the allegations in the lawsuit, but cannot comment further because the matter is under litigation. County attorney Mike Ludwiczak said the county does not comment on pending litigation. As so often is the case in instances of police brutality, the officers were untruthful in their reports and the truth came out because video existed, said L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Hollins. After this incident, he said, Gwinnett County prosecutors had to throw out dozens of cases because they could not rely on the reports filed by these officers. The people of Gwinnett County suffered because of these officers, Stewart said. Hollins was driving a red Acura Integra with no license plate and a brake light that did not work, and switched lanes three times without signaling, according to an incident report filed by Bongiovanni. The lawsuit says Hollins obeyed traffic laws, had two functioning brake lights and his vehicle tag was visible through the rear window. The lawsuit says the original stop was not supported by actual or arguable reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe he had committed a traffic offense or violated any other law. Even if the traffic stop had been justified, Bongiovanni acted in an objectively unreasonable manner in violation of Hollins rights, it says. In nearly 20 years with the department, Bongiovanni had previously reported 67 use-of-force incidents. Only four were investigated and only because of formal citizen complaints, the lawsuit says. He was ultimately exonerated in all four. Officers must file a report whenever they use physical force against a person, and supervisors are supposed to investigate that use of force to make sure it is justified and complies with department policy. But supervisors in the Gwinnett County police department routinely approved officers reports and closed the cases without any investigation, the lawsuit says. Almost all of Bongiovannis prior use-of-force reports lacked sufficient information to determine whether they were justified, the lawsuit says. Additionally, Bongiovanni and McDonald had a history of using excessive force when responding to calls together, the lawsuit says. Bongiovanni pleaded no contest in June 2019 to aggravated assault and battery and was sentenced to six months in a work-release program and 10 years probation. A jury in February 2020 found McDonald guilty of aggravated assault, battery and violating his oath of office, and he was sentenced to 10 years probation. The lawsuit, which was filed Sept. 10, asks for a jury trial and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys fees and legal expenses. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Georgia Law Enforcement California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a bill that limits warehouse employers like Amazon.com Inc. from setting productivity quotas, the first legislation of its kind in the United States. The new provisions require all companies using warehouse labor to disclose productivity quotas to employees and government agencies and bar use of algorithms that prevent employees from taking rests and bathroom breaks, thereby endangering their health and safety, the governors office said. The California State Senate this month approved the bill in a 26-11 vote. We cannot allow corporations to put profit over people, Newsom said in a statement, signing the measure into law. The legislation ensures workers cannot be fired or retaliated against for failing to meet an unsafe quota. While Newsoms office did not single out any company in the statement, the New York Times reported that the bill was written partly in response to high rates of injuries at Amazon warehouses. The rate at which Amazon workers suffer serious injuries was nearly double that of the rest of the warehousing industry last year, the newspaper reported, citing studies. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hardworking warehouse employees who have helped sustain us during these unprecedented times should not have to risk injury or face punishment as a result of exploitative quotas that violate basic health and safety, Newsom said. The California Retailers Association expressed disappointment that Newsom signed the bill, saying it will exacerbate our current supply chain issues, increase the cost of living for all Californians and eliminate good-paying jobs. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel) Topics California The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West. The Bureau of Reclamation recently declared the first-ever shortage on the Colorado River, which means Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will get less water than normal next year. By 2025, theres a 66% chance Lake Mead, a barometer for how much river water some states get, will reach a level where California would be in its second phase of cuts. The nations most populated state has the most senior rights to river water. While the reservoir on the Nevada-Arizona border is key for those three lower Colorado River basin states, Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border is the guide for Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah in the upper basin. Smaller reservoirs upstream of Lake Powell have been releasing water into the massive lake so it can continue producing hydropower. But any bump from the releases that started this summer isnt factored into the five-year projections, the Bureau of Reclamation said. The agencys projections show a 3% chance Lake Powell will hit a level where Glen Canyon Dam that holds it back cannot produce hydropower as early as July 2022 if the region has another dry winter. The latest outlook for Lake Powell is troubling, Wayne Pullan, the bureaus director for the upper basin, said in a statement. This highlights the importance of continuing to work collaboratively with the basin states, tribes and other partners toward solutions. Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoirs in the U.S., largely rely on melted snow. They have been hard hit by persistent drought amid climate change, characterized by a warming and drying trend in the past 30 years. Both have dipped to historic lows. The lakes had a combined capacity of 39% on Wednesday, down from 49% at this time last year, the Bureau of Reclamation said. The seven states that rely on the Colorado River signed off on a drought plan in 2019 to help prop up the lakes by voluntarily contributing water. All agree more needs to be done and are discussing what will replace a set of guidelines for the river and the overlapping drought plan when they both expire in 2026. The federal government also has formed a working group. The Bureau of Reclamations five-year projections are meant to help water managers better plan for the future using the best available data, said Jacklynn Gould, who oversees the lower basin for the agency. Its August projections are what determine water deliveries to the states. The agency says theres a 22% chance that Lake Mead will drop to an elevation of 1,000 feet (304 meters) above sea level in 2025. Federal officials have said water would become inaccessible to states downstream at 895 feet feet, often referred to as dead pool. The agency that supplies water to most people in Nevada has constructed straws to draw water from further down in Lake Mead as its levels fall. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Colorado Federal lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would change 19th century maritime liability rules in response to the 2019 boat fire off the coast of Southern California that killed 34 people. The bill would update the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, under which boat owners can limit their liability to the value of the remains of the vessel. In the case of the Conception, the scuba diving boat where an inferno trapped 33 passengers and one crew member in the bunkroom below deck, the boat was a total loss. The legislation would be retroactively applied to the families of Conception victims if it passes, officials said. The tragedy was one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent U.S. history. The bill, sponsored by California Democrats Rep. Salud Carbajal and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would mean that owners of small passenger vessels could be held legally responsible for maritime accidents. The owners would be mandated to compensate victims and their families regardless of the value of the boat after the incident. The 1851 law is a time-tested legal maneuver that has been successfully employed by owners of the Titanic and countless other crafts, some as small as Jet Skis. It has its origins in 18th century England and was meant to promote the shipping business. Carbajal, who represents the area where the Conception disaster occurred, said the 2019 fire prompted lawmakers to see how they could help the victims families. While nothing makes up for the loss, at the very least theyd get just and fair compensation thats owed to them, he told The Associated Press. The aftermath of this tragedy brought this to light. Feinstein, in a statement, said the law doesnt account for modern tourism such as commercial dive boats. The Passenger Vessel Association, a trade group, did not respond to a request for comment. Under the current act, the company Truth Aquatics and owners Glen and Dana Fritzler have to show they were not at fault in the Conception disaster. Even if the captain or crew are officially blamed, the Fritzlers and their insurance company could avoid paying a dime under the law. The Fritzlers suit to limit their liability remains ongoing in federal court. Attorneys for the couple did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Jeffrey Goodman, an attorney for the families, told AP the long overdue legislation may not really affect the Conception case because the Fritzlers do not have many assets to compensate the families. However, Goodman said the bill is important in a broader sense to hold boat owners and operators accountable. Removing the financial protections provided (to) them will promote maritime safety moving forward, he said. The National Transportation Safety Boards investigation of the disaster did not find the cause of the fire, but it blamed the vessels owners for a lack of oversight and said failing to post a night watch allowed flames to spread quickly. The Conceptions captain, Jerry Boylan, pleaded not guilty in February to rare federal manslaughter charges. Prosecutors say Boylan failed to follow safety rules before the fire broke out Sept. 2, 2019, by failing to train his crew, conduct fire drills and have a roving night watchman on the boat when the fire ignited. His case is pending. Boylan and four other crew members, who had all been sleeping above deck, escaped from the fiery boat after the captain made a panicked mayday call. Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Hillary Clinton expressed hope she can inspire young people in Northern Ireland as she prepared to be formally installed as chancellor of Queens University. The former US secretary of state, who is the first woman appointed as chancellor of the Belfast academic institution, will attend an installation ceremony in the city on Friday morning. It marks the latest chapter in the Clinton familys long association with Northern Ireland, with Mrs Clinton and her husband former US president Bill Clinton having been regular visitors to the region as enthusiastic supporters of the peace process. Hillary Clinton received an honorary degree from Queens University in 2018 (PA) I am so pleased to be in Belfast to be formally installed as chancellor of Queens University, the former presidential candidate said. Queens makes an enormous impact on the world around us in terms of research and innovation, and I hope to inspire and encourage the students of Queens to make their contribution to society to the best of their ability. I am proud of my longstanding connection with Northern Ireland and its people and look forward to continuing to make my contribution to the University over the next few years. Mrs Clinton was appointed to the role for a five-year term in early 2020 but her official installation was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fridays ceremony in the universitys Whitla Hall will also see honorary degrees awarded to 14 leading figures in the worlds of business, politics, sport, the arts, policing and education in Northern Ireland. Among recipients will be Derry Girls writer and creator Lisa McGee, former Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Sir George Hamilton and Irelands highest-capped female athlete, international hockey player Shirley McCay. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton arrive in Belfast in the 1990s (PA) President and vice-chancellor of Queens, Professor Ian Greer, welcomed Mrs Clintons installation. We are delighted that Secretary Clinton has been able to travel to Belfast to be formally installed as the Universitys 11th chancellor, he said. Secretary Clinton is an internationally recognised public servant who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to Northern Ireland. She has an enormous amount to offer the university and will continue to work as a key advocate for Queens on the international stage. It is also a pleasure today to award honorary degrees to 14 world-leading, highly distinguished individuals. We warmly welcome them to the Queens family. In 2018, Mrs Clinton was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Queens for exceptional public service in the US and globally, and for her contribution to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Five months after 12-year-old Calum Geary, who is deaf, appeared on the Late Late Show with his twin brother Donnacha, his dad Andrew says the family is considering High Court action to try to secure a better future for Calum. Getting a basic right for your child, an education, something thats enshrined in the Constitution, shouldnt be this hard, says Andrew Geary, as his family faces the arduous and costly prospect of mounting a High Court challenge in the hope of securing a full-time classroom Irish Sign Language (ISL) translator. Calum Geary, from Ballyhooly in Co. Cork, is profoundly deaf. His twin brother Donnacha, who has full hearing, has just started secondary school, while Calum is repeating sixth class. Calums only language is ISL, and without an in-classroom interpreter, Calums family says he cannot fully access the education which is his constitutional right. Calums father, Andrew, a sergeant working in Templemore Garda College, says he and his wife Helen, who have four sons, are exhausted from the constant fight to ensure that Calum gets the same rights as his brothers. He says they feel they have little option but to re-mortgage their home in an attempt to fund a High Court challenge. He says friends have begged them to start a GoFundMe, but he feels they have to keep that option in reserve, in case they lose. You have to look at the second chapter, because if you lose, you have to pay the States expenses, which are over 100,000, and thats how our democracy is functioning at the moment. Mr Geary says it is heart-breaking to see Calum who is an extremely intelligent child falling behind his brother Donnacha simply because the State will not provide Calum with a fully-qualified ISL interpreter to help him in the classroom. In April, Calum and Donnacha moved viewers of RTEs Late Late Show when they and Andrew spoke with presenter Ryan Tubridy, and Calum signed his concerns about the difficulties he faces, especially those caused by the lack of qualified interpreters in the classroom. In life, Ill always face challenges and barriers, Calum told Ryan Tubridy, noting that deaf students are at an immediate disadvantage in class, as pupils who have full hearing can read a book while their teacher is speaking. In sign language, youve to really stare at your teacher to try to get what theyre saying and it can be exhausting. Mr Geary notes with irony that in 1903, Calums great-great-great grandfather, Cornelius Geary, who was deaf and who was taught by deaf teachers, enjoyed a higher standard of education than Calum does in 2021, although he is quick to add that this is through no fault of Calums brilliant teachers. (Left to right) The Geary family: Barry, Matthew, Calum, and Donnacha with mum Helen. Calums father, Andrew, says he and his wife Helen are exhausted from the constant fight to ensure that Calum gets the same rights as his brothers. Calum is currently attending St Columbas National School in Douglas, in Cork, and Mr Geary says the school, which has 34 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from across Cork county, offers a wonderful facility to children like Calum, but he fears his son will struggle in secondary school without an ISL interpreter. Mr Geary says that while deaf successes are rightly celebrated, deaf people are 10 times less likely to go to third level, four times less likely to have a job, three times more likely to suffer some form of abuse during their lifetime, and 80% of deaf people leave school with the average reading ability of an eight or nine-year-old child. Theres no cherishing of children equally. The parents of children with special needs have to fight tooth and nail, and theyre still fighting a losing battle most of the time, unless by the grace of God or by luck they meet the right person at the right time who might open the door for them. The Department of Education has not responded to a request for comment. We're relying on the St Augustine approach right now when it comes to our corporation tax rate Lord make me pure, but not quite yet. This week, theres been a subtle but significant shift in this long-running saga. Weve moved from absolute brazenness to a muted acceptance of financial and political realities Weve been running out of road for a while now on our 12.5% rate. Its going the way of Leprechaun economics and the double Irish. We are being forced along the path to redemption by international OECD tax reforms. During his trip to the US, Taoiseach Micheal Martin acknowledged this by saying he could give no commitment to US companies either way on Irelands 12.5% rate. The change, when it happens, wont just be an economic one, but will also reflect a much-needed maturing in how we conduct our affairs and how we are viewed internationally. Raising rate will force Ireland to embrace a new reality It may also, through financial necessity, force us to face the reality of being an independent nation with a broadly-based tax base; where there exists a grown-up acceptance of things like water charges and property tax, rather than a place where its no great surprise that a good few billion euro in corporate taxes are serendipitously to be found to boost the State coffers just in advance of the budget. To set it in context, our favourable regime was introduced at a time when we were a poor nation with chronic unemployment and mass emigration. Lots of countries adopt measures to make themselves more attractive to foreign investment thats an age-old story and we got ages out of it. Our case internationally hasnt been helped by high-profile companies that availed of whats been on offer big international brands that everyone chases. These corporations play countries off each other to secure the greatest returns to their shareholders. Succession of governments insisted there was 'nothing to see here' Those shades of shadiness will finally be lifted along with a succession of taoisigh and ministers for finance adopting the Pinocchio approach by insisting to our international neighbours that there was nothing to see here as their political noses grew even longer. At home, its been an informal agreement between the government of the day and the main opposition parties that our corporation tax rate was a sacred cow in terms of being off the table for criticism given how much of a cash cow its been for the State coffers. Low corporation tax earned Ireland a poor reputation internationally However, outside of these shores weve had some top names call out our chicanery over the years. In the midst of the economic crash, US president Bill Clinton gave a speech in New York in which he spoke of the profound damage that had been done to the Irish psyche by our economic collapse and the impacted sense of shame that it had given to us as a nation. We would rise once again and be prosperous. But he did add that we were not to think that any economic management cannot be improved, and that clever things that we do, may not be tinged by a little arrogance carrying seeds of its own destruction. Nobel laureate and Princeton professor Paul Krugman coined the term Leprechaun economics in 'The New York Times' this summer under the headline 'Yellens New Alliance Against Leprechauns'. File Picture: Franck Robichon/AFP/Getty Images There was all the wrong sorts of publicity we got for our Leprechaun economics, a derogatory twist on one of our national emblems traditionally pictured sitting next to the crock o gold at the end of the rainbow. It was Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman who came up with that description in 2015 after figures showing the Irish economy grew by an incredible 26%. Needless to say, a slew of our politicians and experts lined up to explain why that did not reflect reality at all at all and was dramatically overinflated since it was mostly caused by the activities of our multinationals and aircraft leasing sectors. As Krugman himself might have put it, if it walks like a duck and quacks like one The same economist was back at it just a few months ago in a piece in The New York Times with the headline Yellens New Alliance Against Leprechauns. The Yellen referred to is the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen who urged finance ministers from the G7 the Group of Seven major advanced economies to set a minimum tax rate of 15% on the profits of subsidiaries of multinational corporations. 'Apple and the leprechauns' Krugman went on to tell the profit-shifting story of Apple and the leprechauns and how Apple had to report its earnings someplace, opting for international locations with low tax charges on these earnings, Ireland particularly. Apple's extraordinary tax arrangment with Ireland has been recounted by commentators including Yanis Varoufakis in the Irish Examiner in 2016 (see link in text below) and by Paul Krugman this year. File Picture: PA He looked back to 2014, where a big share of its world earnings was assigned to Apple Sales International, which was registered in Ireland for tax functions. In 2015, Krugman explained, some mixture of pressure from the European Commission and adjustments in Irish tax legal guidelines induced Apple to reassign lots of its intangible assets to its regular Irish subsidiary. How large a deal was this? On paper, Irelands gross domestic product all of a sudden jumped 25%, despite the fact that nothing actual had modified a phenomenon I dubbed leprechaun economics, a term that has stuck. (Fortunately, the Irish have a sense of humor.) Maybe we do have a sense of humour, but only when were running all the way to the bank, since the Irish ambassador to the US, Dan Mulhall, was moved to write a letter of protest to the newspaper saying this way of describing our tax policies relating to multinationals was an unacceptable slur. The ambassador went on to say that Ireland had proactively and diligently reformed our tax code in line with the new international norms agreed to thus far. Remember in 2016 how the EU Commission said Apple owed us 13.1bn in back taxes? The Commission has appealed the earlier ruling by the General Court of the CEJU that Ireland did not give the iPhone maker illegal state aid to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the EUs highest court. The former chief economist at the World Bank, Professor Joseph Stiglitz, laid bare our modus operandi around the time of the original Apple judgement. You were encouraging tax avoidance, you knew it, he said. You got a few jobs at the cost of stealing revenues away from countries around the world and thats the kind of activity that has to be stopped. Now the time for reckoning on our corporate tax rate looks like it is fast approaching given a few key factors such as the ability of US president Joe Biden to get a corporate tax deal through Congress. There are opportunities to avoid tax in lots of locations around the world for the clever accountants, and our arrangements will be less attractive for sure. The challenge will be to remain competitive and attractive to the companies that shop around the world for the best returns its just business to them. Ireland must play to other strengths We will be put on a more level playing field through the international moves but we are still a small country with an enviable international industrial base which will be aggressively targeted by other countries. We also have a lot going for us including our European location, that we are English-speaking, and our existing skillsets. Well miss it without doubt weaning ourselves off a river of cash like that will be tough but we will be able to look back with satisfaction and say we milked the situation for all it was worthwhile we could. But it is the right thing to do. Gabby Petito's fiance, whom police have sought for six days in connection with the 22-year-old travel blogger's death during their cross-country road trip, was charged on Thursday with fraudulently using her bank debit card. A search warrant was issued for Brian Laundrie, 23, after a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Wyoming indicted him on a single count of unlawfully using the card and Petito's personal identification number. He was not charged with her death. "While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a statement. "We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie's involvement in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI," Schneider said. Gabby Petito, 22, vanished while on a cross-country trip in a converted camper van with her fiance. Picture: FBI Denver via AP The indictment accuses Laundrie of spending $1,000 or more on the card between August 30 and September 1. Petito was last seen alive on August 24. Investigators appear to believe she was killed sometime from August 27-30. Americans have followed the case closely in the media since Petito was reported missing by her mother, Nicole Schmidt, on September 11. Ten days earlier Laundrie returned home to North Port, Florida, without her from the road trip. Petito's body was discovered on Sunday near the remote Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming. Coroner's investigators have ruled her death a homicide, but have not revealed the cause of death. Police and FBI agents using divers, tracking dogs and helicopters have been searching for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve wilderness area near North Port since Friday, when his parents told them that he had gone there to hike three days earlier. Search teams ended a sixth day of searching the alligator-infested wilderness as darkness fell on Thursday, saying they would resume the search on Friday. Petito's remains were found less than 1,000 feet (300 m) from where, on the evening of August 27, another pair of travel bloggers caught video images of the couple's 2012 white Ford Transit van parked along a dirt road. Petito, who was documenting the couple's "van life" road trip on social media, posted her final photo to Instagram on August 25, the same day that she last spoke to her mother by phone. The family believes the couple was headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming at the time. Schmidt received text messages from Petito's phone on August 27 and August 30, but suspects that someone other than her daughter sent them, according to investigators. In one text Petito's grandfather is referred to by his first name, which Schmidt says was out of character for her daughter. The second message said only "No service in Yosemite," the national park in California that Petito and Laundrie are not believed to have visited during their trip. Petito and Laundrie, who met at a Long Island, New York, high school, left New York in early July heading west and posted on social media as they traveled through Kansas, Colorado and Utah. On August 12, a 911 caller reported that Laundrie was slapping and hitting Petito in front of the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, Utah. Moab police stopped the van on a highway near Arches National Park. Body camera footage showed Petito crying as she described an argument that escalated into her slapping Laundrie as he drove. The officers did not detain the couple but told them to spend the night apart. Burma Beijing Tells Regime It Fears Attack on Its Oil, Gas Pipelines in Myanmar Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing visits a Chinese-owned factory in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone in Yangon in March after dozens of factories there were torched by unknown attackers. / CINCDS Chinese officials in Beijing and Yangon-based Chinese diplomats are concerned that forces inside Myanmar seek to instigate anti-China unrest and may be planning to attack Chinas twin oil-and-gas pipelines in the country. Several informed sources said the Chinese Embassy has conveyed its concerns to the military junta in Naypyitaw. Through the Myanmar Foreign Ministry, the Chinese on Sept. 20 asked the Myanmar junta to increase security for Chinese projects in Myanmar including gas pipelines, credible sources said. The Myanmar junta has alerted its police force, and security analysts believe the loosely organized civilian resistance groups known as the People Defense Force (PDF) may have a plan to sabotage the pipelines. The pipeline project spans nearly 800 km, comprising twin pipelines running in parallel from the port of Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State on the Bay of Bengal through Magwe and Mandalay regions and northern Shan State before entering China. Magwe is currently the scene of frequent clashes between regime forces and civilian resistance groups. Since the military takeover on Feb. 1, China has repeatedly insisted that the armed forces seizure of power from the democratically elected government is Myanmars internal affair, including at the UN Security Council (UNSC) and at Human Rights Council meetings. In February and March, the Chinese Embassy in Yangon faced daily protests demanding Beijing end its support for the Myanmar military. Moreover, anti-Chinese sentiment has emerged among the people of Myanmar in the form of boycotts of Chinese products. In March, Myanmar people issued a sharp response on social media after Beijing voiced serious concern over the security of its pipelines, saying whether or not they are blown up is an internal affair, mocking Chinas own rationale for blocking other nations attempts at the UN to condemn the military takeover. In March, 32 China-backed factories in the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone in Yangon were torched amid the regimes deadly crackdowns on protesters. China accused protesters of setting the factories alight, but protesters denied the allegations, saying the attacks were a plot by the military to justify harsher crackdowns. Thousands of Twitter users also issued warnings to Beijing, with one saying: If you are still concerned that whats currently happening in Myanmar is an internal affair, to blow up the natural gas pipeline that passes through Myanmar is also an internal affair. Lets see what you say. As anti-China protests grew in late February and March, Beijing held an emergency meeting with Myanmar officials from the Home Affairs and Foreign ministries. Bai Tian, the director-general of the Department of External Security Affairs under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asked the Myanmar military regime, known as the State Administration Council (SAC), to ensure the security of the oil and natural gas pipelines. In May, a deadly attack occurred on a group of security personnel standing guard at the pipelines off-take station in Mandalay Region. Military-owned Myawaddy TV reported on the incident, saying that three guards at the oil and natural gas stationas they put itin Singtaing Township, Mandalay were slashed to death by unidentified attackers. Chinas concern only intensified after the incident. After the attack, regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told Chinas Phoenix TV that the junta would protect all foreign investment, adding that anti-Chinese sentiment in Myanmar was just fueled by politics. In late August, Sun Guoxiang, a special envoy who served as Chinas point man in Myanmars peace negotiations between the previous government and ethnic armed groups, met Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and other officials during an unannounced visit. After the visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, We will work together with the international community to play a constructive role in Myanmars efforts to restore social stability and resume democratic transformation at an early date. You may also like these stories: Thirty Myanmar Police, Troops Defect in Chin State Since War Declaration Against Junta Brother of Slain Myanmar Pastor Says Regime Fails to Take Accountability for Atrocities Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Australian Advisor Appears in Naypyitaw Court Burma Fears of More Atrocities as Myanmar Junta Blocks Internet in Parts of Chin, Magwe Houses burn after junta forces opened fire on a residential area using heavy weapons and explosives in Thantlang, Chin State on Sept. 18. / CJ Myanmars military regime on Thursday cut off internet access across Chin State except for the capital Hakha, and in three townships in Magwe Region after committing a series of violent assaults in the areas, including shelling towns and burning down villages. Local are concerned that the internet blackout means the regime is preparing to use even more intense violence against anti-regime resistance groups in the affected areas. The mobile internet services of Myanmars three main telecom operatorsMPT, Telenor and Ooredoohave been blocked in Chin State since around 6 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, three Magwe Region townshipsGangaw, Hteelin and Myainghave faced internet blackouts since Thursday evening, according to local residents. The affected townships are strongholds of anti-regime resistance forces, which have inflicted heavy casualties on junta forces. Since late April, an estimated 300 firefights have erupted in Chin State between the military regimes forces and civilian resistance fighters of the Chinland Defense Force, most of whom are armed with homemade traditional hunting guns. During the firefights, nearly 500 junta soldiers and about 60 civilian resistance fighters have been killed, according to the CDF. Currently, Chin State is seeing fierce urban combat between junta forces and civilian resistance fighters, while all rural areas of the state are under the control of the Chinland Defense Force, a spokesperson for the CDF told The Irrawaddy on Friday. In response to the urban attacks by CDF units and the heavy losses sustained by its forces, the Myanmar military has bombarded residential areas of three Chin State townsThantlang, Hakah and Mindatin recent days. Last Saturday, after a shootout with members of the CDF left more than 30 regime soldiers dead, junta forces shelled a residential area of Thantlang, burning down 20 houses. Regime troops also gunned down a Chin Christian pastor who had left his home to help put out the fires caused by the militarys artillery barrage. After killing him, the junta forces cut off the pastors finger and stole his wedding ring and other belongings, including a watch and mobile phone. Thantlangs entire population of more than 8,000 people fled after junta forces began roaming the town and randomly shooting into houses on Sunday. Junta forces also raided and burned down several villages in Magwes Gangaw Township, killing more than 20 civilians during their operations against civilian armed resistance groups in the second week of September. Regime troops also killed three civilians including a teenager during raids on villages in Myaing Township, Magwe Region in mid-September. In one raid, a victim was burned alive inside a house by the junta forces. They also looted houses and torched motorbikes and an ambulance in a village. Some civilian resistance forces claimed the junta cut internet access because local residents and resistance groups are sharing information on every movement of the regime forces. Such information is very useful in planning ambushes against military regime troops in the region, a leader of the Peoples Defense Force-Gangaw told The Irrawaddy on Friday. The CDF spokesperson also said that by blocking internet access, the military regime wants to impose a blackout on news about their human rights violations and atrocities including shelling residential areas during clashes. Our people should be aware [of junta forces]. They have imposed an internet blackout so they can do whatever they want, the spokesperson said. He also urged the local and international communities to stay on the alert for any possible indications of human rights violations and atrocities by junta forces in Chin State during the internet blackout. The military regime earlier cut off internet access in several Sagaing townships including Kani, Mingin, Yinmabin, Pale, Shwebo and Budalin, as well as in Mandalay Regions Mogoke and Myingyan, on Sept. 14. Internet access has also been cut by the junta in the jade-mining town of Hpakant, Kachin State. All affected areas are strongholds of anti-regime resistance groups. The internet blackout is hampering residents access to information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as vocational learning, and has disrupted local businesses, as online money transfer services cannot be used. Since the parallel National Unity Government declared a Peoples Defensive War against it on Sept. 7, the junta has escalated its inspections, arrests, raids and acts of violence including burning down villages and shelling residential areas across the country, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kayah and Chin states. Meanwhile, local Peoples Defense Force units have stepped up their operations targeting junta troops. You may also like these stories: Villagers Displaced by Myanmar Military Regime Infected With COVID-19 UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Catastrophe in Myanmar Myanmar Junta Torches Village Twice in Two Days Burma Myanmar Junta Seeks to Arrest Doctor Assisting Displaced Persons in Chin State Dr. Aye Nyein Thu has been providing healthcare treament to internally displaced persons in Chin State. The Myanmar junta has announced it plans to prosecute Dr. Aye Nyein Thu, better known as A Nyein, who has been aiding and providing healthcare treatment to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chin States Mindat Township, for allegedly supporting local Peoples Defense Force (PDF) groups. Last week, junta forces arrested three volunteers delivering medical supplies to the doctor in the remote mountain town, which saw an exodus of thousands of residents after regime troops attacked civilian targets with artillery and engaged in random shooting throughout the town following clashes with PDF fighters. On Thursday night, the junta announced in its state-controlled media the arrests of the three volunteersKo Kyaw Htay and Ko Zaw Naing Win from Pauk Township, Magwe Region; and Ko Kyaw Kyaw Tun from Pakokku Township, Magwe Regionand the seizure of medical equipment including one portable X-ray machine, one anesthesia machine, an oximeter and medicines intended for delivery to Mindat. The report stated that the three had delivered weapons, ammunition, money, medicines and medical equipment to main suspect Dr. Aye Nyein Thu, who provides the Chinland Defense Force [CDF] with these supplies. It also claimed that Dr. Aye Nyein Thu provided assistance to members of the CDF on the orders of Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, the health minister in the shadow National Unity Government, for whom the junta has issued an arrest warrant. The report added that regime officials would take action against the detainees and called on the public to work together to secure the arrest of Dr. Aye Nyein Thu and associated suspects. After the junta launched bloody crackdowns on anti-coup protests in February, Dr. Aye Nyein Thu joined a team of volunteer healthcare professionals that provided emergency services in Mandalay and treated wounded civilians. When thousands of Mindat residents had to flee junta forces in May, leaving them without access to healthcare, she went there to help assist in the camps. According to the Mindat IDP camp management committee, around 25,000 to 30,000 people from Mindat and nearby villages have sought shelter in the temporary camps. This proves how cruel they are. Seizing medicines and medical supplies for IDPs is the same as preventing the saving of lives, said a member of the Mindat Peoples Administration Team, a local administrative group formed by local residents in the weeks following the Feb. 1 coup. The military arrests those who are working to help the IDPs and deliver supplies, and brings nonsense charges against them, he added. He said that recently, three other people working to provide food, medicines and other supplies to IDPs in Mindat were also arrested and charged. You may also like these stories: Woman Hospitalized After Being Beaten by Myanmar Junta Forces Fears of More Atrocities as Myanmar Junta Blocks Internet in Parts of Chin, Magwe UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Catastrophe in Myanmar Burma Myanmar Junta Torches Village Twice in Two Days Torched houses in Kyikone Village. / CJ Myanmars military regime burned down houses in a village in Sagaing Regions Taze Township on Friday, the second time in two days junta troops have torched the village, according to local residents. Regime soldiers raided Kyikone Village and set houses on fire after relatives of a policewoman living in the village were murdered by unknown assailants on Wednesday night. They came in a car and burned houses again. Yesterday, they torched the southern part of the village. Today, they torched the northern part, said a villager who wished to stay anonymous. He added, They torched the houses of National League for Democracy (NLD) members yesterday, and the houses that were torched today might also belong to NLD members. Perhaps they [junta forces] did it in reprisal for the murder of the police officers relatives. On Wednesday night, locals reported hearing an exchange of gunfire and then found family members of the policewoman dead. The victims reportedly included U Ye Myint, who was alleged to be a member of a Pyu Saw Htee group, a militia trained and armed by the junta, as well as his wife, daughter and grandchild. Details of the incident and the exact number of victims are still unknown, as some villagers fled immediately after the shootout, with most of the rest of the villagers following the next morning, according to a resident. On Thursday morning, U Ye Myints daughter, who is a policewoman, came with junta soldiers and set some houses in the village on fire. Junta troops came and torched the village following the incident. No one knows exactly what happened Wednesday night. His [U Ye Myints] three daughters are all policewomen. His son-in-law is a policeman, too. Some villagers fled on Wednesday night and some fled the following morning, said another resident. At least 18 houses were razed on Thursday after junta troops set them on fire, according to locals. Another 15 houses were destroyed in Fridays arson attack. Taze Townships Peoples Defense Force (PDF) denied responsibility for the murders of U Ye Myint and his family. We are based far from that village. And we dont kill innocent children or harm innocent civilians, said a member of the Taze PDF. We abide by the National Unity Governments policy [not to harm civilians]. We never do any harm to people who have nothing to do with the junta, he added. Kyikone village has around 100 households. Almost all the villagers have fled following the raids. Thousands of people from nearby villages have also fled the fighting in Sagaing Region You may also like these stories: Beijing Tells Regime It Fears Attack on Its Oil, Gas Pipelines in Myanmar Thirty Myanmar Police, Troops Defect in Chin State Since War Declaration Against Junta Brother of Slain Myanmar Pastor Says Regime Fails to Take Accountability for Atrocities Burma UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Catastrophe in Myanmar Village homes lie in ruins after being torched by regime soldiers in Taze, Sagaing Region. / CJ Urgent action is needed to prevent the situation in Myanmar from escalating into a full-blown conflict, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned on Thursday. Bachelets alert came in a new report from her office, the OHCHR, detailing widespread violations by the military against the countrys people, some of which may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes. With the spiral of violence that has rocked Myanmar since February showing signs of escalation into a widespread civil war, the UN rights chief called for more action on the part of the international community. Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, she noted that clashes now occur regularly between civilian fighters and government forces in many areas of the country where conflict has not been seen in generations. Presenting the new report on Myanmar to the council, Bachelet explained that it detailed many serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The country is also facing an economy in freefall, and the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemica human rights catastrophe that shows no signs of abating, she highlighted. Recent reports from the World Food Programme (WFP) warn that millions are facing growing food insecurity amid poverty, political unrest and economic crisis. Mentioning that military authorities have perpetrated the vast majority of human rights documented since the Feb. 1 coup, the report highlights that there has been heavy use of lethal force and mass arrests. Bachelet added that there is no sign of any efforts by the military authorities to stop these violations nor implement previous recommendations to tackle impunity and security sector reform, underscoring the urgent need for strong accountability measures. There are also reports of increasing fighting between the military and ethnic armed groups since the coup, displacing thousands, particularly in Karen, Shan and Kachin states, where the military has carried out indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery barrages, killing civilians, the report added. The national consequences are terrible and tragic, and the regional consequences could also be profound, Bachelet highlighted. Calling on the international community to redouble its efforts to restore democracy in Myanmar, Bachelet said it was essential to prevent the civil conflict from escalating further. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Torches Village Twice in Two Days Beijing Tells Regime It Fears Attack on Its Oil, Gas Pipelines in Myanmar Thirty Myanmar Police, Troops Defect in Chin State Since War Declaration Against Junta Burma Villagers Displaced by Myanmar Military Regime Infected With COVID-19 A displaced woman bathes her child in a forest in Kayah State. / FBR Karenni At least 40 civilians displaced by fighting in Kayah State have been infected with COVID-19. Hundreds of civilians from several villages in Demoso Township, Kayah State fled their homes following clashes between junta forces and Karenni resistance groups between September 7 and September 10. At least 40 of them have contracted coronavirus, and there are fears that more cases will emerge among the group in the future. They [the displaced people] are hiding in Demoso Township. We need medicines for those infected with COVID-19. As it is impossible to send them to healthcare facilities, they have to rely on home treatment. They desperately need medicine and food supplies, said a volunteer helping the displaced people. COVID-19 cases have surged in Kayah and hospitals are overstretched, according to volunteers. In some areas, displaced persons are too worried about the presence of junta soldiers to seek medical treatment. With military tensions running high in Demoso and Loikaw townships, limited access to roads and tight security checks by junta forces, volunteers said that it is difficult to transport medicines and food supplies for the displaced people. Civilians displaced by the fighting in Kayah State have to rely on aid donated by Karenni people living overseas and other individual and institutional donors. The aid is then distributed via the Karenni State Consultative Council. The military regime detained two volunteers on September 12 and 19 respectively who were transporting medicine and food to displaced persons in Loikaw Township. Kayah State has a population of 280,000 people, according to 2019 census data, and around 150,000 of them have been displaced by fighting over the past few months. COVID-19 cases have previously been reported among displaced persons. Although some victims have access to hospitals, many others, especially those hiding in forests, have to rely on self-medication and treatment. In the second week of September, 40 COVID-19 cases were reported at a monastery in Loikaw sheltering some 300 displaced persons. You may also like these stories: UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Catastrophe in Myanmar Myanmar Junta Torches Village Twice in Two Days Beijing Tells Regime It Fears Attack on Its Oil, Gas Pipelines in Myanmar Burma Woman Hospitalized After Being Beaten by Myanmar Junta Forces Ma Soe Mie Mie Kyaw. A woman detained by Myanmars military regime has been hospitalized in Dawei after she was beaten during her interrogation, according to sources close to her. Ma Soe Mie Mie Kyaw, a former English student at Dawei University, was detained on Monday night, along with three other people including a 13-year-old girl, in Dawei, the capital of Tanintharyi Region in southern Myanmar. Ma Soe Mie Mie Kyaw has the records of donations made to Peoples Defense Forces. She was beaten during her interrogation when she was asked about it. We are sure she is now in hospital, said a member of the Dawei University Students Union who wished to remain anonymous. Initially, Dawei University Students Union said that Ma Soe Mie Mie Kyaw had attempted to commit suicide by drinking methylated spirts after being tortured, and was then taken to hospital. But the secretary of the Dawei University Students Union said he could not confirm those reports. I am sure she is in the hospital. But I cant confirm if she took methylated spirits, said the secretary. Ma Soe Mie Mie Kyaw is now at Dawei Military Hospital. The man and woman detained alongside her Ko Soe Pyae Aung and Ma Shar Pyae Khin are being held at Daweis main police station. The 13-year-old girl was released by the regime. Last week, junta troops detained five people in Dawei, including three university students and a striking employee of the military-owned Myawaddy Bank and her husband. At least 1,120 people have been killed by the military regime since the February 1 coup and a further 6,698 detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Another 1,984 people are the subject of arrest warrants. You may also like these stories: Fears of More Atrocities as Myanmar Junta Blocks Internet in Parts of Chin, Magwe UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Catastrophe in Myanmar Myanmar Junta Torches Village Twice in Two Days The National Health and Medical Research Council has selected Link4 as an e-invoicing access point provider due to its strong track record in working with government agencies. We have to remember why e-invoicing is being implemented, comments Link4 CEO Robin Sands. E-invoicing helps small business and helps the economy. We are happy to be supporting NHMRC with this service," Sands says. According to Link4, in 2020, businesses lost $128 million to payment redirection scams. This figure is projected to be more than five times higher in 2021. Through business email compromise, scammers can intercept an invoice sent via email and change the invoice's payment details without the purchaser knowing. To address this, NHMRC is now able to receive Peppol e-invoices directly into their ERP system, without the need for emailed PDF invoices making the invoice process much more secure. Aside from security benefits, businesses that utilise e-invoice also increase their cash flow while receiving payments faster and spend less money on processing costs. Suppliers connected to the Peppol network will be able to receive payment from government agencies (such as NHMRC) within five days. "We are access point providers for The Treasury, Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources, APRA, AOFM and Geoscience Australia, notes Sands. "Our onboarding processes is what makes Link4 a leader in the field. We were also able to quickly onboard NHMRC without interruption to their staff or processes, concludes Sands. E-invoicing has become a high-profile digital service throughout Australia in 2020 and beyond, Link4 says. More than 100 agencies need to be Peppol e-invoicing compliant by 30 June 2022, with the Federal Budget including $15.3 million towards promoting e-invoicing adoption. Infrastructure, analytics and data management provider Hitachi Vantara's new Hitachi Cloud FinOps Services aims to help organisations optimise their cloud expenditure. Hitachi Vantara suggests that while using cloud resources accelerates innovation, agility, and growth. ungoverned on-demand consumption and unexpected costs tend to lead to budget overrun to the tune of thousands or even millions of dollars a year. So Hitachi Cloud FinOps Services has been designed to optimising cloud costs by providing visibility and management across multiple cloud environments. This, the company says, allows users to gain control over cloud spend with real-time visibility, right architectural choice and predictable usage; get more value from the cloud by balancing cost, speed, and quality; future-proof the organisation with best-in-breed cloud services. On average, this saves users 30%, Hitachi Vantara claims. "Managing cloud costs and investments across multiple cloud environments is complex, and it's easy to overspend on cloud services with limited visibility and predictability on utilisation," said Hitachi Vantara digital solutions business unit president Roger Lvin. "Hitachi Cloud FinOps Services addresses this complexity and lowers the total cost of ownership through mapping spend data, tagging, allocating shared costs equitably, and recommending data-driven cost take-out measures." Hitachi Cloud FinOps Services is delivered as a turnkey solution, including benchmarking current practices, recommending optimisations, and implementation of those changes with ongoing AI-enabled cost anomaly detection, budget alerts for cost visibility, cost recovery and predictability. Apple has issued a patch for a vulnerability in the kernel of its iOS and macOS operating systems, originally a zero-day, warning that it affected devices running iOS 13, and also the macOS Catalina platform. As usual, the company provided sparse details about the flaw, though it said it was aware of the issue being exploited in the wild. The issue was described as a type confusion issue in XNU. iOS 13 ow now officially not supported by Apple. The lack of detail was explained in this sentence: "For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available." And of the vulnerability, the boffins in Cupertino said: "A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges." Google researchers Erye Hernandez, Clement Lecigne and Ian Beer were credited with finding the flaw. More Apple 0days exploited in the wild (CVE-2021-30869)? ?? https://t.co/Yxq5ipYPpL ...nice find by Google! pic.twitter.com/D5a5Sy4k5N patrick wardle (@patrickwardle) September 23, 2021 This flaw took to 16 the number of zero-day flaws that have been reported in Apple's products this year. Google will release details of the flaw after 30 days, as per its official policy. Contacted for comment, Satnam Narang, staff research engineer at security outfit Tenable, said: "The latest zero-day flaw, identified as CVE-2021-30869, was discovered by researchers at Google Threat Analysis Group and Google Project Zero. "Details about the vulnerability will remain under wraps for at least 30 days by Google to allow for users to apply the newly available patches. However, it appears that CVE-2021-30869 was used as part of a vulnerability chain with a remote code execution flaw in WebKit. "Zero-day vulnerabilities are valuable for any attacker, but they are often mostly used by advanced persistent threat (APT) actors that have a limited set of targets. "While there are other more impactful vulnerabilities that users should prioritise, on a basic level, it is almost always a win to apply patches in a timely manner to ensure devices are protected." A researcher at a security firm that disclosed an issue with a protocol in the Microsoft Exchange mail server software has defended not having made contact with the company before releasing his findings, saying the issue had been known for seven years. Guardicore's associate vice-president of Security Research, Amit Serper, said in a tweet thread that Microsoft had plenty of time to either fix or address the issue, by releasing patches or else buying all the Autodiscover top-level domains. The latter option was being pursued by the Redmond firm right now, he added. 2021 has been the year of MSFT security PR SNAFUs and this is sadly no exception. https://t.co/FVc3rilsIW Jake Williams (@MalwareJake) September 23, 2021 On Wednesday, Guardicore released details of a flaw in an implementation of the Autodiscover protocol based on the POX XML protocol, that it said would leak Web requests to Autodiscover domains outside a user's domain, but within the same top-level domain. In the post, Serper also mentioned that four years ago, researchers from Share Security had shared details of how Autodiscover implementations for mobile email clients could cause such leaks. 5/n these issues. My view on the way Microsoft interacts with the research community had changed dramatically following this incident and I'll have to figure out how to approach these issues in the future. Now, I'd like to get on with my life so here are my cats. pic.twitter.com/yTPhAKKl3D Amit Serper (@0xAmit) September 23, 2021 Microsoft has not publicly released any reaction to Serper's findings, but told theThe Record"this issue was not reported to us before the researcher marketing team presented it to the media, so we learned of the claims today". Neither Microsoft nor Guardicore have responded to emails from iTWire seeking comment. Serper said Microsoft had come after him personally on LinkedIn, a site owned by Microsoft, as well. "Coming after me personally is disgusting and rather shocking to be honest... especially when there are research papers, blackhat talks, and news articles that are proving that these issues were known," he commented. Share Security presented their findings at the annual Black Hat conference. Serper said he was scheduled to meet staff of the Microsoft Security Response Centre soon. People will tell at you simply because they think you made them look bad. It's that simple. They'll often say it's for some other reason, but that's the real reason. David (@hcetamd) September 23, 2021 The Guardicore blog post also had mentioned viable mitigations, he said, and these could be put in place "fairly quickly and can help to significantly remove the risk of exposure right now". "Now, after almost 7 years, Microsoft are taking these issues seriously, buying domains and hopefully fixing these issues," Serper added. "My view on the way Microsoft interacts with the research community had changed dramatically following this incident and I'll have to figure out how to approach these issues in the future. Now, I'd like to get on with my life so here are my cats." And he tweeted out a picture of his cats! This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. FILE - In this Tuesday, March 9, 2021, file photo, member of European Parliament Carles Puigdemont prepares for an interview at the European Parliament in Brussels. The lawyer for Puigdemont says the former Catalan leader has been detained in Sardinia, Italy. Gonzalo Boye confirmed to the Associated Press that Puigdemont was detained on Thursday, Sept. 23. Boye wrote on Twitter that the former Catalan president, wanted by Spain for his role in an unauthorized referendum for independence, was being held under a European arrest warrant issued by Spain in 2019. Azerbaijan on Thursday launched its case accusing neighbour Armenia of racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing before the UNs top court, in a bitter tit for tat international court battle. Bakus claim comes just a week after Armenia lodged a similar case before the Hague-based International Court of Justice. Armenia has engaged and is continuing to engage in a series of discriminatory acts against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their national or ethnic origin, Azerbaijan said in its filing before the court. Echoing Armenias case against Baku, Azerbaijan said Yerevan has breached a UN treaty, the International Convention of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Through both direct and indirect means, Armenia continues its policy of ethnic cleansing, Azerbaijan said. Armenia incites hatred and ethnic violence against Azerbaijanis by engaging in hate speech and disseminating racist propaganda, including at the highest levels of its government, it said. The ICJ was set up after World War II to rule on disputes between United Nations member states. Cases usually take years to reach a conclusion. Decades of tensions over Azerbaijans breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted into a six-week war last autumn that claimed more than 6,500 lives. Armenia once again targeted Azerbaijanis for brutal treatment motivated by ethnic hatred, Baku said, referring to the hostilities. It ended in November with a Russian-brokered ceasefire under which Armenia ceded territories it had controlled for decades. Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan that broke away from Bakus control in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Around 30,000 people have died during the conflict. Baku asked the ICJ to institute emergency measures to protect Azerbaijanis while the case was being heard. Both sides have long traded accusations of rights abuses, including in last years war. In February, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan both addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council over their claims that the other side violated international law. Armenia accused Azerbaijani forces of targeting civilian infrastructure and destroying Armenian cultural and religious heritage. Azerbaijan, which was backed by Turkey during the conflict, for its part accused Armenian forces of war crimes. In December, Amnesty International urged Baku and Yerevan to urgently probe war crimes committed by both sides during the fighting. Its been an eventful twelve months for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). In August 2020 the Hague-based judges of this hybrid tribunal pronounced their verdict in the only case this court has brought to trial. They said one person, Hezbollah operative Mohamed Ayyash was guilty of the car bomb that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, while the other three accused were acquitted. In December Ayyash was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the five counts of which he had been found guilty. The judgment was weighty two thousand six hundred forty-one pages full of historical and forensic detail, analysing around 300 witnesses and 170,000 pages of evidence gathered over a period of fifteen years since the first international investigation into Hariris murder was sent to Lebanon. The judgment helped to set an historical record of how the Lebanese state was deliberately destabilised. Yet it could be overturned at any point. Ayyash, like all the accused in the case, has never appeared in court, and if an in-person trial was organised rather than the twelve years of in absentia hearings already held, the ruling would not stand. And then it crashed Last March the United Nations authorised another two years on the tribunals clock. The courts own documents said it was costing around 2.8 million euros per month at this point. The STLs annual report was preceded by the president Ivana Hrdlickova proudly describing the organisation a smart, lean and adaptable institution after some restructuring. Then in June came the crash. Just as the court was gearing up to start a second trial, against the same Ayyash and again in absentia, it suddenly announced that it was facing an unprecedented financial crisis and would have to shut by the end of July this year. It didnt even have the resources to complete the appeal phase of its first trial, let alone start a new one. It would be forced to lay off staff and work on draw down activities alone. In Beirut the predicted demise of the court caused barely a ripple. Between national economic collapse and efforts to get an international investigation into who should be held accountable for Lebanons biggest blast the Beirut harbour explosion in August 2020 the financial travails of an institution detailing distant history seemed remote. As the victims representative in the STL first case, Peter Haynes, points out, despite some good moments in the judgment, when judges specifically referred to reparations, ultimately nobody paid, and nobody was compensated. It took so long that some victims actually died during the process, he says. Before December last year, some 450 people were working at the court. Outreach was cut that month. Several waves of staff have been let go. More left in July including legal aid staff. Currently there are 132 employees and there will be another significant reduction before the end of the year, says Wajed Ramadan, the courts spokesperson. No buy-in for additional trials The substantial shortfall, and the unwillingness of donors to supply the STL with anything more than the basic necessities to avoid a rapid and disorderly shutdown of the Tribunals operations, according to the registrars filings, acted as a brake on any further aspirations the court may have had to conduct more trials. The registrar informed the judges that donors wanted a detailed drawdown plan, detailing staffing and other costs, as well as a clear timeline for completion. In fact, some funds have been conditionally pledged on the explicit condition that it be used for draw down activities only. That would include witness protection and storing sensitive materials. Staff who have now left, seem phlegmatic: It was bound to happen one day, said one who wanted to remain anonymous. But now the latest twist is that some funds have been secured, and a five-day appeals hearing in the first case will be held on October 4-8. The prosecutor is appealing against the not guilty verdict for three of the accused. It will be the first time this chamber will be ruling on substantive issues, rather than procedural matters. The STL Registrar David Tolbert told Justice Info that although they had lost a lot of staff and that the tribunal remains in a very difficult situation, its now in a better situation than back in June. Obviously having the appeal was very important, to close the case, says Tolbert. Donors were convinced of the necessity to provide funds for this. But there was no buy-in for further proceedings, says Tolbert. The planned second case, which dealt with three other car bombings, known as the connected cases under the courts statute, targeting other prominent Lebanese leaders, should be considered in permanent limbo. Once the appeals process in the Hariri trial is completed, the tribunal will become, according to a letter to staff, a dormant entity. Enough to get us through So does the court now have enough to finish what it started, and to close in a more dignified manner? I can say its enough to get us through, says Tolbert. In their August letter to staff members explaining how the court will be continuing, STL principals said they had secured seven million euros. Wajed Ramadan clarifies the figures: As per the 2021 revised budget, approved by the Management Committee on 19 July 2021, the Tribunal requires 5.7 million for the period from 1 August 31 December 2021. The 2022 Budget, approved by the [Management Committee] on 23 August 2021, is for 7 million. It includes the core activities such as the Appeals as well as transitioning to a dormant entity. Its not known which countries have contributed: Mostly traditional donors says Tolbert, meaning the STL Management Committee which includes representatives of Lebanon, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (Chair), Canada (Vice-Chair), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union sufficient numbers of them, he says, but not everyone. The UK is known to have taken a hard line on putting more funding in. But the Management Committee stuck jointly to the requirement that the court only be given a very narrow window of funds leading explicitly to a wrap-up of all activities as expeditiously as possible. Donors have become unwilling to allow more. It all just took too long and the international community lost patience, says Haynes. Former staff talk of how there needed to be tough decisions made on staffing way earlier. Management has stalled making tough decisions, says one insider who preferred not to be named. Bringing it to dormancy How to close the tribunal is now Tolberts focus. Officially called drawdown activities, the plans include measures related to the protection of witnesses, the protection of evidence and sensitive material, storing and archiving the work of the Tribunal, the disposal of assets, a review of the Tribunals contractual arrangements in order to determine which need to be terminated or renegotiated, steps related to the vacation of the Tribunals premises first in Lebanon and eventually in Leidschendam, the town next to The Hague where the STL is seated. Tolbert acknowledges that, even with donor support for tying all these loose remaining threads, its still a work in progress, to be honest. LOUISIANA - Cox Communications has welcomed Tracy Wirtz as Public Affairs Manager for its south Louisiana service area. Wirtz will focus on community relations, media relations and employee engagement, as well as charitable giving opportunities for Cox. She will be based in Lafayette. Im excited about joining a company that supports its employees and works toward a better community for everyone. The Cox team is truly dedicated to creating a great environment for the people who work there so they can stay centered on the customer, Wirtz says. Wirtz spent more than 30 years in broadcast media, most recently as an anchor at KLFY News 10. She developed a series to highlight Louisiana National Guard soldiers stationed in four countries in the Middle East and projects highlighting women in Acadiana who have made an impact on their communities. She graduated from UL Lafayette, is married to her high school sweetheart, and is the mother of three and grandmother of one. She has served on numerous boards in Acadiana and assisted public information officers with media relations. BATON ROUGE Gov. John Bel Edwards joined the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) in announcing the completion of restoration efforts on Trinity-East Island. The island was restored as part of the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island and Beach Nourishment project, which includes the restoration of West Belle Headland and Timbalier Island. The Terrebonne Basin project is using $167 million in funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and $3 million in state funds to restore 1,257 acres of marsh, dune, and beach in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. The completed Trinity-East project built over 2.5 miles of continuous shoreline and 301 acres of beach habitat on the historic barrier island. The newly completed Trinity-East Island project faced an immediate test with Hurricane Ida, and it passed, Gov. Edwards said. The projects success is a testament to the resiliency of our coastal projects and the importance of restoring and preserving Louisianas barrier island chain. Were excited to announce the completion of Trinity-East Island and the continuation of this 1,257-acre restoration effort on Timbalier Island and West Belle Headland." Trinity-East Island is part of the Isle Dernieres Wildlife Refuge, a once-popular resort island on Louisianas Southeast coast. The Last Island Hurricane of 1856 destroyed Isle Derniere, also known as Last Island, causing its eventual split into five individual islands including Wine, Trinity, East, Whiskey, and Raccoon. Despite facing one of the strongest hurricanes in our states history, Trinity-East Island fared incredibly well and sustained minimal damage, CPRA Chairman Chip Kline said. Hurricane Ida reaffirmed the necessity of protecting the systems that protect us. The Terrebonne Basin project serves both protection and restoration functions while playing an integral role in the coastal programs multiple lines of defense strategy. The projects next phase will include the restoration of 376 acres of beach and marsh on Timbalier Island and 97 acres of additional beach on West Belle Headland. Construction on Timbalier Island began on July 31. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) manages the Isle Dernieres Wildlife Refuge, which includes a portion of the Trinity-East project site. This project is an impressive example of the states commitment to protect coastal properties, as well as to provide critical habitat for birds and other species of greatest conservation need, LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet said. Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, said the landscape scale of the Terrebonne Basin project will drive long-term sustainability for the iconic wildlife populations of coastal Louisiana, as well as for the communities and industries that rely on these natural habitats as a first line of defense against storms and erosion. The Foundations $167 million investment in the Terrebonne project was made through our Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, which was established to help mitigate the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Trandahl said. As recently demonstrated by Hurricane Ida, these kinds of investments can provide both immediate and long-term benefits to local communities and wildlife habitat. The offshore sand source being used for restoration is provided through a mineral lease with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). "BOEM is pleased to work with our partners in restoring critical coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico region, said Michael Celata, BOEMs Gulf of Mexico Regional Director. "Using offshore sand resources is a smart way to protect communities from the accelerated effects of climate change. CPRA is the lead state agency charged with building and strengthening Louisianas coastal habitats as well as manmade protective structures. It also serves as the designated state representative in coastal partnerships with federal entities. Over nine million cubic yards of sediment are being used to complete this large-scale restoration project and provide improved storm surge protection to Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase said. Were proud of the planning and collaboration that went into ensuring the states largest barrier island restoration project is a success for the people and wildlife who call these parishes home. Local leaders including Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Gordy Dove and Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson joined in celebrating the completion of the islands restoration. Terrebonnes Barrier Islands serve a number of important purposes, Dove said. Not only do they offer critical habitat for wildlife and nesting migratory birds, they offer excellent fishing opportunities and protect our important coastal marshes, which are the breeding grounds for shrimp and fish species. But, most important for Terrebonne Parish, the barrier islands are our critical first line of defense against hurricane storm surge. They help to reduce hurricane-driven storm surge, which can be so damaging as it travels inland. The Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island and Beach Nourishment project is very much needed and welcomed. I want to thank Gov. John Bel Edwards, CPRA and its Chairman Chip Kline, and Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF for completing this critical barrier island restoration project on Trinity-East Island for Terrebonne Parish. Our critical barrier island chains help to protect our basin and knock down storm surge like we recently experienced during Hurricane Ida, said Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson. "Im grateful for our partnership with CPRA and their commitment to our coastal communities. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we preserve and maintain our barrier island chains, marshes, and levee systems across South Louisiana. Vegetative plantings will begin on Trinity-East Island this fall. For more information about the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island Project, visit https://coastal.la.gov/news/terrebonne-basin-barrier-island-and-beach-nourishment/. Squid Game, starring Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, Jung Ho Yeon and more, is dominating not just the Hallyu industry but also worldwide with the drama's global popularity. With almost a week since its premiere, the Hwang Dong Hyuk directed series gained numerous achievements, including being the first Korean drama to land the number one spot in Netflix U.S. Moreover, the nine-episode series ranked first in "Today's Top 10" in 40 countries worldwide. The mega-hit Kdrama Squid Game featured the 456 cash trapped participants who joined the survival game in hopes of taking home the staggering 40 million USD. Interestingly, the contestant needs to battle out against each other and undergo a series of death-defying take on children's games; however, only one will be declared as the winner. With the immense fame of the K-drama, let's get to know the Squid Game cast, starting with their Instagram! Jung Ho Yeon The 27-year-old South Korean beauty gained overnight fame after starring as Kang Sae Byeok in Kdrama Squid Game. Bearing No. 067, the model-turned-actress wowed the viewers with her impressive acting skills, illustrating a tough yet affectionate character. Due to the overwhelming support of fans, Jung Ho Yeon's Instagram followers started from 400,000 and immediately climbed to millions raking 2.3 as of this writing. Wi Ha Joon Another Squid Game cast that skyrocketed his fame due to the K-series is none other than Wi ha Joon. Fans might recognize the 30-year-old actor as he appeared in several dramas donning supporting roles, including Something in the Rain and 18 Again. However, his claim to fame was the thriller series where he played police officer Hwang Joon Ho. Kdrama Squid Game fans can catch the actor through his social media as he often shares a glimpse of his current and upcoming shows. Wi Ha Joon's Instagram currently has 1.1 million followers and counting. Lee Yoo Mi Squid Game cast definitely gained a ton of followers due to the Netflix series. Apart from the duo, another cast member who has rapidly increased her following is Lee Yoo Mi, who played Ji Young, a.k.a player no. 240. Although the actress had a brief appearance in the Kdrama, she received huge love from viewers and reportedly gained six times more followers on Instagram. From 40,000, Lee Yoo Mi's Instagram has amassed 772,000 followers as of this writing. Her recent posts featured behind-the-scenes with fellow Squid Game actors, including Jung Ho Yeon, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo Ryung. Anupam Tripathi The dystopian survival game also featured the Indian-born Anupam Tripathi. He took on the role of no. 199 player, Ali Abdul, the character who stole the hearts of viewers due to his strength and kindness despite being betrayed by a friend. Anupam Tripathi's Instagram now has 187,000 followers and randomly posts his experience on the set of Squid Game. In one post, he mentioned how thankful he is to be part of the Netflix series. "It feels like a dream. No words to express my gratitude to the people all over the world ,who all are loving and blessing Ali and Squid Game. Thank you to all," the caption reads. Lee Jung Jun Despite his short stint in the Kdrama, Squid Game cast Lee Jung Jun, also known as the cutie administrator who was killed after removing his mask, has been getting a lot of attention from fans. Due to his charming face, viewers went crazy and immediately searched highs and lows only to find his social media account. As of this writing, Lee Jung Jun's Instagram has 218,000 followers, and he is set to appear in "Best Mistake Season 3," led by Kang Yul and Lee Eun Jae KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills LANGLOIS, Ore. Oregon State Police is looking for information after a motorcycle rider was shot by the occupants of another vehicle along Highway 101 south of Langlois on Sunday. The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. just over a mile south of the Langlois community, OSP said. Both the motorcycle and the suspect vehicle were heading southbound at the time, and the agency indicated that the suspect was passing at the time of the shooting. The suspect vehicle is described as a four-door hatchback, possibly a Volkswagen. Inside were at least two people a man and a woman, both believed to be in their 20s or 30s. The man is described as tall and thin with short dark hair and a dark complexion. The woman is described as white with short hair, sporting pink or purple highlights. In an initial statement, OSP did not give any information about the condition of the victim. OSP has asked that anyone with information regarding this shooting or any information regarding the suspect vehicle to contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP and refer to Case #: SP21-268655. MEDFORD, Ore. A former bookkeeper pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges for embezzling more than $250,000 from her erstwhile employer, a Medford electric company. Traci Marang was hired on as a bookkeeper by Precision Electric in the beginning of April, 2018, according to the Jackson County District Attorney's office. Though the theft was not fully revealed until more than a year later, an investigation later found that she started stealing from Precision within days of being hired "using a multitude of different methods." According to the DA's office, between April of 2018 and February of 2019, Marang used company credit cards for her own use, deposited non-authorized company funds into her personal accounts, used company accounts to pay for her personal credit cards, used a business account for cash withdrawals, made money transfers from business accounts to her own accounts, and used the fleet vehicle fuel card for her own use. Medford Police arrested Marang in September of 2019 after Precision Electric performed an audit. She had previous convictions in Washington and California "for similar conduct," the DA's office said. Marang was living in Allen, Texas, prior to her court date on Thursday. Appearing in Jackson County, Marang pleaded guilty to one count of Identity Theft, four counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree, and one count of Falsifying Business Records. She was remanded into custody after her sentencing. Judge Timothy Barnack sentenced Marang to 42 months (3.5 years) in prison with two years of post-prison supervision. She was also ordered to pay restitution for more than $310,150. Precision Electric owner Jack Schmidt was present at the plea and sentencing hearing and spoke on behalf of the company, the DA's office said. John Sokolowski, president of the Kelowna branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, was among those participating in an online version of Remembrance Day in 2020. This year's fundraising drive is underway but it's uncertain if a traditional Nov. 11 event will again be staged in City Park. 24 Shares Share Its one of the last weeks in December. If it was any other year, I would have realized that Christmas is around the corner, the air would be filled with a different, radiant, joyful kind of energy, and most of us would be focused on all the lessons this year has taught us. Unfortunately, this year is not like any other year. The air feels dense and heavy. You cant see the pain and fatigue on peoples faces because theyre covered by the masks we wearbut you feel it every time you exchange glances when you walk by. Happiness feels forced. Christmas seems forgettable. Optimism seems fake. Were tired. Everyone is so tired. In every possible way. I make my rounds in the morning like I always do before the sun is uptoo early for any sick patient to be reasonably awake. I meet my 70-something-year-old patient who is here for symptomatic anemia from vaginal bleeding. It is not the first time she has been faced with this problem, and it is certainly not the first time she and I have discussed this very issue. Im not sure what to say to her. She doesnt want any formal evaluation. She doesnt want a higher level of care. She just wants to go home. Many physicians before me have already told her that her bleeding is most likely from malignancy. Even still, her mind isnt changed. Today, she wants me to meet her husband and talk with both of them about the whole situation and where we go from here. At table rounds, I am told that I need to discuss goals of care with my vaginal bleeding patient. I even need to mention hospice care as the most viable option at this time. Nothing can really prepare you for that kind of conversation. Medical school certainly did not. Im only 27. I havent thought about the ending of life. I barely know how to take care of myself. Im living off of burnt coffee and crackers I shoved in my mouth this morning. How am I supposed to have this conversation with them? I patch the advice I am given by my attending and upper levels together as I head back upstairs to have this dreaded discussion. I meet her husband at her bedside. He seems much younger than her. Maybe time has been much kinder to him. I open up with open-ended questions. What do you understand about the situation? What thoughts and concerns are running through your mind? I take a seat on the other side of her bed and do what I do the best in this worldlisten. They tell me about their marriage. Thirty-eight long, beautiful years that have been full of happiness but also great struggles. Her husband tells me about their financial troubles; they are close to losing their land and house if they cant make the payments they need to this month. He barely has money to buy the medication he needs to take due to his serious history of heart disease, let alone provide for his wife. They talk about disability, Medicare, Medicaid, and my heart begins to feel so very heavy. We talk about goals of care, with my patient being at the center of the discussion. She again tells me what she wants. No procedures. No specialists. She wants to go home. Her husband has agony etched on his face, but he supports her. She then asks me a question I was woefully unprepared for. What would you do if you were me? My ears start burning. My heart rate skyrockets. What would I do? Me? 27-year-old me? Me, who spent all of last night contemplating escaping to Cuba instead of doing whatever I am doing now? I breathe and calm down and tell them both plainly that I havent had to think about these decisions for myself. However, I have had endless discussions with my parents about these very same things. I put my mom in her shoes. I tell her how I would feel as her daughter. I tell her that my mom values quality of life over quantity of life, and I would have to support her in whatever decision she makes. I tell her that autonomy, even in such situations, is a powerful thing. This sits well with the both of them. They thank me for my time. Tell me how much I am appreciated. My heart feels warm and fuzzy but also so broken at the same time. I leave them alone together as I make the arrangements I need to. I walked away thinking that I helped my patient make an empowering decision in a destitute situation. The next morning, I make my rounds and see her again. I find her resting flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. I ask her how she is doing. If she could rest any last night. All I get from her is, I dont know. No eye contact. No nothing. Shes different. I try and probe further, but she resists. She now locks eyes with me and tells me bluntly to go away. I feel numb all over. I feel the nurses eyes behind me burning into my back. What happened between now and yesterday? She hates me now. The nurses probably think I am a horrible person. A terrible doctor. What have I done? I gently touch her hand and walk out of the room. The last time I will probably ever see her again. I cant blame her, though. One of the five stages of grief is depression. People push others away as a defense mechanism. They lash out. Its human nature. I cant blame her. But for some reason, I blame myself entirely. Im not one of those people who went into medicine wanting to cure cancer or to save the world with some heroic measures. I never wore that wool over my eyes. I did, however, want to feel like I could help people. Take away the pain. Abolish some suffering. Medicine, and the practice of it, only goes so far. I know this. Practically, I know this. In my heart, though, I feel like a failure when I cannot fix every broken situation that comes my waybut perhaps, they are never really mine to fix in the first place. Serene Selli is a family medicine resident. Image credit: Shutterstock.com EUGENE, Ore. -- Retired detectives have solved a Lane County murder mystery that began 44 years ago. It involves the shooting deaths of two teenagers from Eugene, and the killer wont spend a single minute in prison. For 31 years, Kurt Wuest has been solving Lane County crimes. Hes now retired but still focuses on the ones that remain unsolved. Wuest, Chuck Tilby, and Kirk Engdall make up the Cold Case Unit. Engdall is a retired state and federal prosecutor and Tilby spent 33 years with the Eugene Police Department. One of the coldest cases theyve been working on just heated up. This was a huge case, and everyone was talking about it, Wuest said. It was a Thursday, June 9, 1977. Two students from North Eugene High School, who were high school sweethearts -- Eric Goldstrand, 17, and Lliana Adank, 16 -- had driven up Highway 58 in Erics truck to the Fall Creek area for a picnic and a day of swimming and fishing. They were supposed to be home by 10 p.m.; however, earlier that evening Eric had called his father, Ted, to let him know he was having trouble with the truck. Eric told his father to come look for them if they werent home by then. When Eric and Lliana didnt show up, Erics father and mother headed up the highway. And when we got into his truck, we found their clothes, so we knew they had only their swimsuits on, Donna Berbach said. A deputy was called and they split up and searched while Donna waited. They found Llianas body. She had been sexually assaulted and shot to death. With fears they would disturb evidence and the crime scene, they backed out with intentions of investigating in the morning. They didnt tell Donna that Llianas body had been found, and Ted and Donna headed back to town. The next morning a large group showed up at their home, including their pastor. I had an idea it was the worst I could think, and they informed me had found him and he was deceased, Berbach said. Llianas cousin, Kathy Kloster, remembers getting the news. You know their lives were cut short so fast with so much to live for. Lliana was a fun-loving, happy, full-of-life person, just like Eric, Kloster said. Wuest said detectives did great work at the time with the tools they had, but the DNA collected never led to a match. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, causing 44 years of frustration. You take it personally. I mean, it's a couple of high school kids just having a picnic and fishing, and, just totally out of the blue, Wuest said. During those decades, technology advanced to the point DNA can reveal hair and eye color, race and even some facial features. That information was given to Parabon Labs for genealogy and forensics research. They actually gave us a picture of the individual, Wuest said. The picture and DNA helped them track it down to a family in Oakridge and one of three family members. Wuest said DNA from a cigarette butt eliminated one, meaning it was one of two brothers now living in Mesa, Arizona. As Wuest and his team were closing in, the brothers got into a fight with each other. The younger one was hurt and police were called. Just before they arrived, Ronald Albert Shroy committed suicide. Speculating, Wuest thinks he knows why. Part of his committing suicide is he's thinking this is coming, Wuest said. They contacted Shroy's brother and began asking questions. What kind of car was he driving at the time? Did he have a history of sexual assault? After six months of delays, a final DNA test confirmed Ronald Shroy was the killer and the cold case was solved. Families were notified, and Kloster said she'll never forget seeing Wuest's caller ID appear on her phone. He had called me a month earlier and said we're closing in, but you can't say anything, but I'll call you when we have a conclusion, so I knew, Kloster said. She said shed never entirely lost hope, and neither had Donna Berbach. I didn't think it was an impossibility, but I thought it was far reaching, Berbach said. Even though they know who the killer was, Wuest said the only people who knew exactly what happened and why are dead. Kloster said its painful, but she can live with that. It's a relief he's not going to be able to hurt anyone again, but there's a part of us who wanted to see him and know why and all those things we're never going to know, Kloster said. It feels good that I don't have to go to a trial. I would have been terrified that he would have gotten off, Berbach said. Berbach and Kloster said they're forever grateful for these dedicated detectives -- Wuest, Tilby and Engdall -- who didn't give up. They said other families in their position should remain hopeful too. But they have another message to another group: DNA and genealogy are game changers. And it should say to those criminals, just because you've made it this far, don't look over your shoulder cause one day they'll be knocking on your door, Kloster said. China is intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrencies. Chinese government agencies including the country's securities regulator and the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement on Friday that all cryptocurrency-related business activities are illegal and vowed to clamp down on illicit activities involving digital currencies. The agencies said that overseas crypto exchanges would be blocked from providing services to Chinese residents through the internet. Bitcoin fell about 5% on the news. Ethereum, another leading cryptocurrency, was down 9%. The agencies said that China would develop "new systems" to counter risks posed by cryptocurrencies. China will gradually start shutting down crypto mining operations, and no new mining projects will be permitted, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a separate statement. The announcements are the latest in a series of tough measures from China on cryptocurrencies. In May, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He told a group of finance officials that the government would "clamp down on bitcoin mining and trading activity" as part of its goal to achieve financial stability. And finance and banking watchdogs said that financial institutions and payment companies should not participate in any transactions related to cryptocurrency, nor should they provide crypto-related services to their clients. The measures aren't just about curtailing financial risk. The computers needed for bitcoin mining eat up a ton of computing power and electricity, raising concerns about the cost to the environment. China was on track to generate more than 130 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2024, according to a Nature Communications study. That's more than the total annual carbon emissions output from the Czech Republic and Qatar in 2016. That kind of output is also disastrous for China's ambitious climate plans. President Xi Jinping has vowed to make his country carbon neutral by 2060, and the country is already struggling to contain carbon emissions from other industries. -- CNN Business' Laura He contributed to this report The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. EUGENE, Ore. -- Franklin Boulevard from downtown Eugene to the Interstate 5 bridge was backed up for hours Thursday as University of Oregon students moved into the dorms. Hundreds of vehicles were seen bumper to bumper. RELATED: TRAFFIC WAS AT A STANDSTILL ON FRANKLIN BOULEVARD ON THURSDAY University officials said this was the biggest single move-in day yet with an estimated 2,700 students checking in. Along with the record number of students, officials said other factors also contributed to the heavy delays and backup. This includes COVID-19 safety protocols like verifying student vaccination status. The university also gave staggered check-in times throughout the day for students in each of the residence halls. But officials also believe some families came in early, causing more traffic jams. Parents driving their students to check-in weighed in. "This traffic is unbelievable, but I guess it's a little expected when thousands of students are moving in getting ready to start their school year," UO parent Melissa DeFrancisco said. Some students were seen leaving cars in the middle of traffic and walking to the check-in location on Franklin Boulevard and Agate Street just to get to their check-in appointments in time. One of those students was incoming freshman Isabella Ponce. "We've been stuck for about an hour so it's kind of crazy," said Ponce. "I think almost everyone is moving in today just because of how move-in works. So I'm going to try and walk and see how that goes." Some drivers were not trying to check in for move-in and ended up being stuck in traffic unknowingly. Sophomores Sophie Kirkwood and Anne Armstrong were trying to get to their sorority house when they were at a standstill on Franklin Boulevard near the intersection of Hilyard Street. "I've never seen traffic like this and I'm a sophomore," Kirkwood said. "It seems like we haven't even moved an inch." Other sophomores also said their check-in process last year for move-in was a lot easier. "This first day looking at traffic and the foot traffic on campus, it's just crazy," sophomore Sam Galyen said. "Eugene infrastructure, the roads are kind of iffy. They don't allow the best flow of traffic, but I guess the university could have done more over more days." University officials said some students in band and the Clark Honors College moved into dorms prior to Thursday. Campus police did get involved to patrol traffic and additional staff were added in to expedite the vaccine verification process. OAKRIDGE, Ore. -- Lane County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in looking for a missing Oregon man who was last seen near Oakridge. Lester Youngs Whitmeyer, 65, was last seen a few miles east of Oakridge near McCredie Hot Springs in June. He was staying in the area and had spoken to a family member on or about June 18. He was reported missing on July 2. Whitmeyer's belongings and vehicle were found in the Willamette National Forest east of Oakridge. The Lane County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team is searching in that area. Whitmeyer is white and has gray hair and brown eyes. He is 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. He is commonly seen with a beard and glasses and has ties to the Redmond area. If you have any information you are asked to call 541-682-4141, option 1. The Kilkenny People, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Kilkenny People and kilkennypeople.ie for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Kilkenny People is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he said. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the UK, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. Here's some background information about the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's report on the CIA and its detention and interrogation program. Facts The report, completed in 2014, is the result of an investigation into six years of detention and "enhanced interrogation techniques" used by the CIA against suspected terrorists in secret sites around the world. The 525-page report is a summary of a classified, 6,700-page review. The Senate Select Intelligence Committee spent more than five years analyzing approximately 6.3 million pages of documents, at a cost of $40 million. Among the report's conclusions: "The use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques was not an effective means of obtaining accurate information or gaining detainee cooperation." "The interrogations of CIA detainees were brutal and far worse than the CIA represented to policymakers and others." Republican senators on the committee did not participate in the study. Six of the seven GOP committee members issued a dissent, "We have no doubt that the CIA's detention program saved lives and played a vital role in weakening (al Qaeda) while the program was in operation." The Report By the Numbers One hundred nineteen detainees were held at CIA sites between 2002 and 2008. This is 20 more than previously reported by the CIA. One hundred thirteen were captured between 2002 and 2004. Thirty-nine detainees were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, which included sleep deprivation, waterboarding, prolonged standing, and exposure to cold. All but one of these interrogations took place before April 2006. At least 26 detainees were found to be held "wrongfully." Fifteen Guantanamo Bay detainees were held at CIA sites. At least five detainees were subjected to rectal rehydration. At least three detainees were waterboarded. (Abu Zubaydah, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri) At least one detainee died in custody, possibly due to hypothermia. Timeline September 11, 2001 - In an attack orchestrated by al Qaeda, 2,977 people are killed in New York City, Washington, DC and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in the worst terrorist attack in US history. September 17, 2001 - President George W. Bush signs a secret memo authorizing the CIA to detain suspected terrorists. February 7, 2002 - Bush issues an executive order that declares "members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces [as] unlawful enemy combatants who are not entitled to the protections that the Third Geneva Convention provides to prisoners of war." March 2002 - Alleged al Qaeda operative Zubaydah is captured in Pakistan. He is the first detainee held by the CIA. Over the next four and a half years, he is transferred to secret prisons around the world and subjected to numerous rounds of enhanced interrogation, including at least 83 instances of waterboarding. He also loses an eye while in custody. The CIA records 90 videotapes of Zubaydah in 2002, including some showing enhanced interrogation. August 1, 2002 - Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee signs a memo written by John Yoo that states that interrogation tactics such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation and slapping do not violate laws against torture when there is no intent to cause severe pain. September 4, 2002 - The CIA briefs House Intelligence Committee Chairman Porter Goss and US Representative Nancy Pelosi, the ranking Democrat on the committee, on the CIA's detention and interrogation program. It is the first of 40 CIA briefings before Congress that take place from 2002 to 2009. January 28, 2003 - CIA Director George Tenet issues a memo ordering that recordings be made of interrogations using enhanced techniques. March 1, 2003 - Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is captured in Pakistan. Over the next month he is waterboarded a reported 183 times. July 29, 2003 - At a meeting with national security officers and Vice President Dick Cheney, the CIA tells the White House that the use of enhanced "techniques has produced significant results." The agency also says during the meeting, "termination of this program will result in loss of life, possibly extensive." Others at the meeting are Tenet; CIA General Counsel Scott Muller; National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice; White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales; Attorney General John Ashcroft; Acting Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel Patrick Philbin; and counsel to the National Security Council, John Bellinger. September 16, 2003 - Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are briefed on the CIA program for the first time. June 2004 - Tenet issues a memo suspending the use of both standard and enhanced interrogation techniques, pending review. May 10, 2005 - Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Steven G. Bradbury gives reapproval to a number of enhanced interrogation techniques and says in a memo, "Several of the techniques used by the CIA may involve a degree of physical pain, as we have previously noted, including facial and abdominal slaps, walling, stress positions and water dousing...Nevertheless, none of these techniques would cause anything approaching severe physical pain." November 2, 2005 - The Washington Post reports on the existence of secret CIA prisons in Thailand, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. November 2005 - Jose Rodriguez, director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, orders that 92 tapes of terror suspect interrogations be destroyed. The tapes were made in 2002 and showed the interrogations of Zubaydah and al-Nashiri, including waterboarding. April 2006 - Bush is briefed for the first time on the specific enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA. June 29, 2006 - The Supreme Court rules that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions applies to detainees in US custody. September 6, 2006 - Bush publicly acknowledges the existence of secret CIA prisons overseas. He also announces the transfer of 14 captured al Qaeda operatives, including Mohammed, Ramzi bin al Shibh, and Zubaydah, to Guantanamo Bay. October 17, 2006 - Bush signs into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006, creating new rules for interrogations. "This bill will allow the Central Intelligence Agency to continue its program for questioning key terrorist leaders and operatives like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man believed to be the mastermind of the September the 11th, 2001 attacks on our country. This program has been one of the most successful intelligence efforts in American history. It has helped prevent attacks on our country. And the bill I sign today will ensure that we can continue using this vital tool to protect the American people for years to come. The Military Commissions Act will also allow us to prosecute captured terrorists for war crimes through a full and fair trial." July 20, 2007 - Bush signs an executive order specifying that the CIA is forbidden to use cruel or inhuman treatment - including insulting a person's religion or religious practices - when interrogating detainees, specifically suspected terrorists. November 8, 2007 - This is reportedly the last time the CIA uses enhanced interrogation techniques on a detainee. December 2007 - The New York Times reports that CIA terror interrogations were recorded in 2002 and the tapes were destroyed in 2005. April 2008 - The CIA ends its detention of terror suspects. January 20, 2009 - Barack Obama is sworn in as president. Soon after, he signs executive orders to close secret CIA prisons, ban coercive interrogations and close the Guantanamo Bay detention center within one year. March 5, 2009 - The Senate Intelligence Committee launches a review of the CIA's interrogation and detention program. August 2009 - Attorney General Eric Holder asks federal prosecutor John Durham to examine whether CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists were illegal. November 9, 2010 - The Justice Department announces that no criminal charges will be brought in the investigation of the destruction of CIA videotapes of terrorism detainee interrogations. Durham had been investigating the matter since 2008. June 28, 2011 - Durham recommends a criminal probe into the deaths of two prisoners in CIA custody but clears US interrogators of wrongdoing in all other cases. August 30, 2012 - The investigation into two deaths of CIA detainees ends with no prosecutions. December 13, 2012 - The Senate Intelligence Committee approves the study on the CIA's detention and interrogation program, by a 9-6 vote. April 3, 2014 - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence votes to send the report to the president for declassification. December 9, 2014 - The Senate committee releases the report. December 10, 2014 - The Justice Department announces that it does not plan to initiate any new criminal investigations as a result of the torture report. Law enforcement sources say if another country files an arrest warrant for a US official related to the CIA program, the Justice Department will not enforce it. June 2, 2017 - A Senate aide confirms to CNN that the CIA, CIA inspector general and director of national intelligence will return their copies of the 6,700-page Senate report to Congress. The decision means it's highly unlikely the report - which concluded that interrogation techniques such as waterboarding did not elicit useful intelligence from detainees - will be made public so long as Republicans control the Senate and the White House. Reaction Former CIA Director John Brennan - "It is our considered view that the detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques provided information that was useful and was used in the ultimate operation to go against [Osama] bin Laden." Former Vice President Dick Cheney - "What I keep hearing out there is they portray this as a rogue operation, and the agency was way out of bounds and then they lied about it...I think that's all a bunch of hooey. The program was authorized. The agency did not want to proceed without authorization, and it was also reviewed legally by the Justice Department before they undertook the program." Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales - "My initial reaction was disappointment, disappointment about the report generally because I don't know how much of it is true. Since it was signed only by Democrats, I don't know whether information that was in the report was placed out of context. I don't know what omissions of fact and evidence exists. And obviously, we know key participants, key witnesses, key players in this weren't even interviewed and for that reason, I think the report is terribly flawed." Former CIA Director Michael Hayden - "I think the conclusions they drew were analytically offensive and almost street-like in their simplistic language and conclusions." Former Secretary of State John Kerry - "It was right to end these practices for a simple but powerful reason: they were at odds with our values. They are not who we are, and they're not who or what we had to become, because the most powerful country on earth doesn't have to choose between protecting our security and promoting our values." Former Senator John McCain - "It is a thorough and thoughtful study of practices that I believe not only failed their purpose -- to secure actionable intelligence to prevent further attacks on the US and our allies -- but actually damaged our security interests, as well as our reputation as a force for good in the world." Former President Barack Obama - "These techniques did significant damage to America's standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. ST. PAUL, Minn. Governor Tim Walz says Minnesota will start giving out Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots. Federal health officials are recommending the booster shots for: - People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings - People aged 5064 years with underlying medical conditions - People aged 1849 years with underlying medical conditions - People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting, such as frontline medical workers, teachers, and first responders Our administration will always prioritize the health and safety of Minnesotans and right now that means getting our highest risk Minnesotans booster doses to keep their protection strong against the COVID-19 virus, says Governor Walz. We will begin giving boosters to Minnesotans who are eligible, which will help maximize protection for the most at-risk Minnesotans. We have enough vaccine to administer first, second, and booster doses and I urge every eligible Minnesotan to take advantage of these easy, safe, and free opportunities to keep yourself best protected against this deadly virus. Federal health experts are still reviewing data from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and will decide when recipients may be eligible for a booster shot. Walz says Minnesota will be ready to provide Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters when they are recommended. WEST DES MOINES, Iowa A booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is now available at Hy-Vee. The grocery store chain says the booster, recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is recommended at least six months after a second vaccine does for Long-term care facility residents Individuals ages 65+ Individuals ages 18+ with underlying medical conditions, (as outlined by the CDC) Individuals ages 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting Hy-Vee says federal health officials are strongly recommending that individuals receive the same vaccine manufacturer as their previous doses. At this time, there is not a booster dose authorized for Moderna vaccine recipients, nor is there an additional vaccine dose authorized for Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine recipients. A third dose of the Pfizer vaccine was authorized in August 2021 but Hy-Vee says there are differences between that and a booster dose: WASHINGTON, DC The U.S Department of Transportation is giving $7 million to the Rochester International Airport. The grant was announce Friday by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Critical investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state and country, says Klobuchar. By investing in the Rochester International Airport, we are supporting the economy of the region and enhancing public safety. The grant funding will help the airport extend and reconstruct runways and update taxiway lighting and pavement. "Rochester International Airport is a major transportation hub in southern Minnesota. In 2018 it reached a new annual record of 366,542 total passengers, says Smith. Even during COVID, the airport has continued to serve as an economic engine for the Rochester community by employing local Minnesotans and bringing business and opportunity to the area. This federal funding will help the airport better operate by making runway and taxiway improvements." ELK RIVER, Minn. (AP) The father and stepmother of an 8-year-old Minnesota girl whose emaciated body was found in the familys apartment last year after she was beaten and starved to death have both been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Thirty-year-old Brett Hallow and 28-year-old Sarah Hallow pleaded guilty earlier to second-degree murder in the beating and starvation death of Autumn Hallow. KSTP-TV reports that the sentence included enhancements for particular cruelty." Another child who lived in the family's Elk River home told police the couple would tie up the girl with a belt and put her in a sleeping bag, with only her head exposed. MASON CITY, Iowa-The North Iowa Community Credit Union warned members against a tax provision in the American Families Plan on their Facebook page Tuesday. The specific tax policy, which has since been left out from the reconciliation bill, would require financial institutions to report cash flows of at least $600 dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. The Biden Administration said the policy would reduce tax evasion and generate at least $700 billion in 10 years. However, banks across the country have expressed concerns over privacy violations. The Director of Government Affairs for the Iowa Credit Union League Gracie Brandsgard said the bank is concerned private member data will be compromised. "Our concern is having to report intimate details of people's spending habits to the government and allowing them to capture all of that. We have concerns about how that will remain private and secure," Brandsgard said. The tax provision could still be added to future legislation, as it is still a top priority for the Biden Administration. ST. PAUL, Minn. Governor Tim Walz is proposing a $10 million drought relief package for Minnesotas farmers and livestock producers. Historic drought conditions have created extreme stress and financial hardship for our farmers and livestock producers during an already difficult time for the agricultural industry, says Governor Walz. As governor, and as someone who grew up on a family farm, I stand with our farmers. This funding will provide much-needed relief to Minnesotas agricultural community and help ensure our farmers can keep feeding Minnesota and the world. The Governors proposal includes $5 million in rapid response grants for things like water tanks, pipelines, and water wagons, water hauling, wells, and irrigation equipment. Another $5 million would go to the Rural Finance Authoritys Disaster Recovery Loan Program to make zero-interest loans to ag producers whose operations are suffering from lack of rain. Minnesotas farmers are essential to our economy and to our communities, says Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. As weve traveled the state and heard directly from farmers, small and large, we know how critical relief is for families across Minnesota. This proposal provides meaningful support for our farmers and producers who have been hit hard by this years severe drought. Federal arrest warrant issued for Brian Laundrie for his 'use of unauthorized devices' after Gabby Petito's death, FBI says By Kim Bo-eun Korea's three major telecom companies are preparing to face lawmakers next month at this year's annual National Assembly audit, after another year of consumer complaints of subpar internet speeds. The Assembly's sub-committee overseeing information and communications technology plans to question executives of SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus over internet speeds on Oct. 5. KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo, SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho and LG Uplus CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik have been called to appear before the Assembly. Internet speeds have consistently been cited as a central point for the companies to address. Last year's audit also highlighted the telecom firms' lack of investment in network infrastructure and subpar performance of 5G network services. At that time, the companies committed to expanding coverage by increasing investments into base stations that can transmit at 5G speeds. But another controversy arose this year, ignited by a star YouTuber who claimed the upload and download speeds of his 10 gigabit-per-second internet connection plan was significantly slower than what his service provider KT advertised. His claim gathered attention, prompting the government to launch an inspection into the three telecom firms' internet speeds. Consumers have also launched a class action suit against KT. Korea ranked No. 2 in mobile internet speeds in 2021, according to Speedtest's Global Index, after the United Arab Emirates. But its ranking for fixed broadband was seventh this year, after Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Romania and Switzerland. Korea's ranking fell to fourth in 2020 from second in 2019. The Assembly audit could also question the telecom firms over their plans to establish more base stations. In 2018, the three mobile carriers submitted plans to set up 45,000 base stations on the 28 gigahertz bandwidth within three years. The 28 gigahertz stations enable faster speeds than the 3.5 gigahertz stations that are used by current services. However, the companies only had 125 of these high-bandwidth stations as of June. Korea Communications Commission Chairman Han Sang-hyuk asked the companies to expand investments to improve the quality of high-speed internet services. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Angola, IN (46703) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Mostly cloudy with some showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with some showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. ROME, SEP 24 - Italy's Rt COVID-19 transmission number and virus incidence both fell further while hospital admissions were slightly down in the weekly monitoring report from the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS). The Rt number was down from 0.85 to 0.82 in the week of September 1-14 while incidence was down from 54 to 45 per 100,000 inhabitants in the week of 17-23 September, the report said. Sicily, Calabria and the autonomous province of Bolzano had the highest incidence of COVID cases, the report said. Sicily showed an incidence of 79.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, Bolzano 70.6 and Calabria 63.6. Across Italy, the rate of occupancy of intensive care units fell from 6.1 to 5.4, with numbers falling from 554 on September 14 to 516 on September 21, the ministry and the ISS reported. With these data, Italy's regions are set to stay the same COVID-risk colour with just Sicily a moderate-risk yellow zone and the rest of the country low-risk white. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 24 - The Fridays for Future movement on the climate crisis demonstrated in over 70 cities across Italy on Friday. Ahead of the event, Premier Mario Draghi told the UN General Assembly: "We must act now, to safeguard the planet, our economies and future generations. "Over the past few years it has often been young people who have brought change and pushed us to do more. "It is our duty to listen to them because it will be they who will inherit the planet". The movement on Friday announced that there will be a major demo in Milan on October 1 with Greta Thunberg, the 18-year-old Swedish founder of the movement. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 24 - Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Sardinia Thursday night on a warrant from Spain for alleged crimes against public order and national security in his leading a short-lived split by the northern region from Madrid. Former Catalonia President Puigdemont was arrested on a European warrant issued by Spain upon his arrival at Alghero airport. Puigdemont, 58, will appear before a Sassari judge later Friday who will rule on a European judge's rejection of a request to revoke Puigdemont's parliamentary immunity. The Sardinian judge will decide whether to uphold the arrest warrant. Spain has requested the extradition of the former Catalan leader. The Spanish government said Friday he must submit himself to the action of justice like any other citizen. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 24 - An upcoming extraordinary Group of 20 summit on Afghanistan will aim to avert a catastrophe in the Asian country after the Taliban swept back to power after a 20-year US-led mission there, Premier Mario Draghi told the United Nations General Assembly Thursday evening. Draghi said the international community must act to avert "a social and civilian catastrophe". The summit's priorities, he said via videolink, would be humanitarian aid, security and human rights. The premier reasserted the need for multilateralism in dealing with global challenges including the COVID pandemic, the climate crisis, the economic recovery and the fight against inequality and food insecurity, as well as the resolution of conflicts and the fight against terrorism. "The last few months have confronted us with problems that we cannot solve on our own," he stressed. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 24 - Alitalia workers protesting major job cuts as the Italian flag carrier morphs into the slimmed-down ITA next month on Friday blocked the highway from Rome to Fiumicino Airport. Police tried to re-route the march, which was composed of several hundred people. Police sources denied using force to try and stop the marchers. They said officers had not baton-charged the demonstrators. Several thousand jobs are set to be lost in Alitalia's new incarnation ITA, which stands for Italia Trasporto Aereo and is scheduled to start operations in mid-October. Pilot and air crew pay is set to be almost halved. Management and unions for the new State-owned ITA are at loggerheads over the job cuts. ITA will start operations in mid-October with 2,800 employees handling the aviation activities, a number that will go up to a maximum of 5,750 by the end of its current business plan in 2025, the company has told trade unions. ITA expects to be fully operational from October 15. ITA will start out with a fleet of 52 aircraft, which will go up to 78 in 2022 with the arrival of new-generation aeroplanes, according to the new company's industrial plan. The fleet will further increase to 105 aircraft by the end of 2025, including 81 new generation aeroplanes (77% of the fleet) to reduce the airline's environmental impact and boost efficiency. The company will also introduce a new labour contract aimed at giving it greater flexibility and competitiveness. It aims to break even by the third quarter of 2023. (ANSA). SASSARI, SEP 24 - A Sassari judge on Friday released exiled Catalan Separatist leader Carlese Puigdemont from custody following his arrest on a Spanish extradition warrant but said he must stay in Sardinia pending a decision on the extradition. Puigdemont was arrested in Sardinia Thursday night on a warrant from Spain for alleged crimes against public order and national security in his leading a short-lived split bid by the northern region from Madrid. Former Catalonia President Puigdemont was arrested on a European warrant issued by Spain upon his arrival at Alghero airport. The Spanish government said Friday he must submit himself to justice like any other citizen. Puigdemont's lawyer said he would appeal Friday to the EU's general tribunal to try to get his parliamentary immunity back. The Italian justice ministry said it had played no role in the case, which was the sole preserve of the judges involved. Puigdemont's successor as Catalan president, Pere Aragones, called for his immediate release and said he would travel to Sardinia to be with the ex-leader who led the failed secession bid in October 2017. Puigdemont supporters demonstrated outside the Sassari court, calling for his release. Italy's formerly secessionist, now nationalist League party also said he should be immediately freed. (ANSA). Chennai, Sept 23 (PTI) Daily cases of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu witnessed an upward trend as 1,745 people were found to be infected on Thursday, pushing the overall caseload to 26,52,115. As many as 27 people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 35,427 till date, a medical bulletin said. Also Read | Leh-Ladakh Tour Package Launched By IRCTC; 7-Day Trip to Begin From Lucknow On September 26, Check Price And Package Details. With Tamil Nadu reporting an increase in the new infections over the last few weeks, the government accelerated its vaccination programme by announcing the third edition of Mega Vaccination camp scheduled to be held on September 26. The first edition of the mega inoculation drive was held on September 12 and the second on September 19. The number of recoveries were less than the new cases recorded today, with 1,624 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 25,99,567 leaving 17,121 active infections. Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Seeks Easing of Anti-Pollution Rules in NCR During Meeting To Improve Air Quality Ahead of Winter. With the health department focusing more on Covid-19 testing, a total of 1,60,057 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 4.59 crore till date. As many as four districts accounted for the majority of new infections with Coimbatore reporting 226 cases, Chennai 222, Erode 116 and Chengalpet 107 while the remaining was scattered across other districts. Five districts registered cases below 10, while there were no fresh deaths in 22 districts. Among the 27 fatalities reported, a 56-year-old man from Thanjavur was the lone victim to succumb without any comorbidity or pre-existing illness, the bulletin said. Meanwhile, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the government plans to hold the third mega vaccination camp on September 26 through 20,000 camps and appealed to members of the public to make use of it by extending their support to the government's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "On September 12, we conducted the first mega vaccination camp targeting 20 lakh vaccinations and administered vaccinations to 28.91 lakh people over all and during the second vaccination camp 16.43 people received the jabs as against the targeted 15 lakh doses", he said in a press release. "During the third Mega Vaccination Camp on September 26, we have set a target to vaccinate 15 lakh people through 20,000 camps. We urge members of the public to make use of it by extending their support to the government's fight against the virus", he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Two Chinese tourists discovered the hard way that giving the outlawed Hitlergruss or Nazi salute in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin is no laughing matter in Germany. The two men, ages 49 and 36, were quickly detained after police spotted them taking pictures of each other in front of the countrys most popular tourist spot Saturday while giving the stiff-armed Heil Hitler greeting that is illegal in Germany and punishable by up to three years in jail. The tourists, who were released after posting a total of $1,200 in bail set by a local judge, were the latest in a long line of foreigners to run afoul of the strict laws outlawing not only the Hitler salute but all Nazi symbols. The Nazi Party is banned in Germany. Its symbols, such as the Hitler salute and swastika, and imagery can only be used for teaching, in films or historical research, or in documentaries or films satirizing the Nazis. Advertisement Two British tourists were detained last year for the same offense as the Chinese tourists near the Reichstag, and a 30-year-old Canadian tourist from Quebec had to post $170 bail for performing the salute for a picture of himself taken by a German woman at the same locale in 2011. Scores of police and countless security cameras monitor the Reichstag building around the clock. We definitely treat this and all similar such cases as a serious violation of the law, said Patricia Braemer, a spokeswoman for the Berlin police. The law banning the use of symbols that violate the constitution applies not only to Germans but to everyone in Germany. Anyone coming here ought to know and respect the countrys customs. Although Germans learn extensively about the horrors of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, the Third Reich and the Holocaust in school and through the media, some Germans also get into trouble for flashing the Hitler salute in public thinking at first it is just for a laugh or as a lighthearted provocation. Two high school students from the northern city of Rostock were charged with displaying Nazi symbols for giving the Hitler salute on a class trip to a history museum in Berlin this year. They took pictures of each other giving the salute while standing in front of posters showing Hitler and his propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. When their teachers discovered the pictures, they made the students delete them from their phones. But the school principal later turned the students over to police. There are surely a lot more people around who give the Hitler salute than the police see, Braemer said. But the penal code is valid for everyone, and when we see it, we respond accordingly. Some German police officers have also been caught trying to make inappropriate Nazi jokes. One Berlin police officer assigned to guard the British Embassy there was suspended in 2004 after he gave a fellow officer the salute at the start of his shift and shouted, Heil Hitler. In 2007, a Berlin man who taught his dog named Adolf to give the Hitlergruss on command the German shepherd raised its right paw was sentenced by a local court to five months in jail. Kirschbaum is a special correspondent. The Biden administration has halted the use of horses by Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Texas following outrage over the aggressive tactics they employed to disperse Haitian migrants. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official announced on Thursday that they had temporarily ceased the use of the horse patrol in Del Rio. The official added that they would prioritize other methods for identifying individuals who might be in medical distress, CBS News reported. Various news outlets had captured videos and images showing horse-mounted border patrol agents chasing and aggressively dispersing Haitian migrants in the area. Some footage also showed agents swinging ropes used by horse riders while trying to block Haitian migrants trying to pass. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the decision to no longer use horses at the U.S.-Mexico border was made by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. She also called the images "horrible and horrific," NBC News reported. Mayorkas recently said that the photos of the Haitian migrants and horse-mounted Border Patrol agents troubled him "profoundly." Vice President Kamala Harris had also expressed her sentiments regarding the issue, saying she's deeply troubled about it. She added that human beings should never be treated that way. READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden's Administration Begins Deporting Haitian Migrants Staying Under Del Rio Bridge in Texas Border Patrol Agents on Horses Jen Psaki said they had taken specific actions regarding the "horrific photos" that "we're not going to stand for in this administration." ABC News reported that the Border Patrol agents caught on the videos and photos were put on administrative leave pending an investigation. Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley noted that "Haitian lives are Black lives," adding that officials must reverse course if they truly believe that Black lives matter. She also called on the Biden administration to stop deporting Haitian refugees back to Haiti. The administration's rapid removal of migrants has limited their access to humanitarian protection under the law, according to Democrats and immigrant advocates. But a DHS official said Thursday that removals would continue. Border Patrol Agent and Union Vice President Jon Anfinsen told ABC News that any use of whips, even on horses, would be out of line with agency policy. Anfinsen said that the agents are highly trained along with their horses. He added that these agents were doing exactly what they were trained to do. The photographer of the said images has also expressed his perspective on the issue. Photographer Paul Ratje told NPR that he thought the migrants "were quite scared," and there was "probably some panic" that made the Haitians ran around the horses. Haitian Migrants in The U.S. Two U.S. officials said that a lot of Haitian migrants in Texas are being released in the U.S. Many of them were released with notices to appear at an immigration office within 60 days. From Sunday to Tuesday, 10 flights had arrived in Haiti. The planes were designed to carry 135 passengers. Six of those flights had carried 713 migrants combined, according to NPR. U.S. officials did not say the exact count of migrants released in the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti had resigned. Daniel Foote, a career diplomat, blasted the Biden administration for deporting hundreds of migrants back to Haiti. He said Haiti would be unable to support the surge of migrants returning to the country because it's a "collapsed state." Foote added that he would not like to be associated with the U.S. inhumane and counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees, Reuters reported. He submitted his resignation letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and it circulated publicly on Thursday. READ MORE: 10 of 13 Killed in California Crash Were Mexicans Who Entered U.S. Through Hole in Border Fence This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: White House Says Apparent Use of Whips on Haitian Migrants Not Acceptable - From Reuters The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday issued a federal arrest warrant for Gabby Petito's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, over debit card fraud. According to the warrant, Laundrie, who is currently a person of interest in the disappearance and the homicide of Petito, committed a debit card fraud between August 30 and September 1. The warrant would allow law enforcement officers to arrest Petito's boyfriend. READ NEXT: Woman Claims Seeing Brian Laundrie' Acting Weird' Near Wyoming Campsite Where Gabby Petito's Remains Were Found In a tweet, the FBI Denver said the issued warrant was pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment for the use of unauthorized access devices related to Brian Laundrie's activities following Gabby Petito's death. On September 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr. Laundries activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito. pic.twitter.com/SSrBVbAeBs FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021 Denver FBI Special Agent In Charge Michael Schneider said the FBI and their partners across the U.S. will continue to investigate and assess the facts and circumstances of Petito's homicide. According to Laundrie's attorney, Steve Bertolino, the warrant issued to his client was related to the activities that occurred after the YouTuber's death and not about Petito's "actual demise." Bertolino said the FBI is focused on locating Brian Laundrie, adding that the "specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum." Florida Law Firm Offers $20K Reward For Information Locating Brian Laundrie A law firm in Tampa Bay, Florida has offered $20,000 reward money for those who can provide information on the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie. The Boohoff law firm announced it on Thursday, saying the $20,000 reward money will go to the first individual who can offer information that directly leads to finding Laundrie. The North Port Police Department was still unsuccessful in locating the missing Brian Laundrie on Thursday. Police halted their search at the Carlton Reserve in Florida without finding Gabby Petito's fiance. The North Port Police said they will be combing the area again on Friday. The ground search in the Carlton has been halted for the day. Nothing found. We will be back at it Friday. A federal arrest warrant has now been issued for Brian Laundrie. Please see @FBIDenver for details. pic.twitter.com/Q0uHTYrzA9 North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 23, 2021 Laundrie's parents earlier said that their son was going to that area before he went missing. Florida Cops Went Back to Brian Laundrie's Home Some cops of the North Port Police Department were spotted outside of Brian Laundrie's home on Thursday afternoon. It was unclear why the cops were back at Laundrie's home. Bertolino told Fox News that Laundrie's parents were on their way back home to North Port from Orlando. The lawyer noted that their trip has "nothing to do" with law enforcement. Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August. Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family. Gabby Petito's remains were found on Sunday at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in Wyoming. Her death is being investigated as a homicide. READ MORE: Search for Gabby Petito's Missing Fiance Brian Laundrie Expanded to Alabama After Cops Receive Tips of 'Seeing' Him There This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Brian Laundrie's Car Returned, Parents Leave With Police Escort - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay After responding to reports about an armed man on Wednesday morning, California authorities said a police officer in Oakland was shot. According to Fox News, the Oakland Police Department said the unidentified suspect was arrested when he surrendered after barricading himself inside a building during a standoff. Suspect Barricaded Himself in Oakland During a news conference, police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said the wounded officer was immediately transported to a hospital and is currently in stable condition. Armstrong noted that it was a difficult day for them. However, he said he was still thankful and felt very fortunate because the officer was doing well and being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. READ NEXT: Teen Confessed Shooting His Sleeping Mom in the Head After She Took Away His Cellphone Suspect in California Standoff Surrenders Authorities said a caller alerted the police department at around 6:30 a.m. regarding a man with a gun who was seen less than a mile north of downtown Oakland. Police said the suspect, who has yet to be identified, quickly fired shots at the officers after arriving at the 2100 block of Telegraph Avenue. FOX 2 News reported that the wounded officer and another officer returned fire to the suspect, hitting him. After getting shot, the suspect immediately ran inside the lobby of a nearby apartment building while holding a knife. The suspect then barricaded himself inside the apartment's lobby. This prompted Oakland police officers to establish a perimeter outside the building. Residents were asked to shelter in place during the standoff. The suspect, described by police as a man in his 50s, then started to injure himself by cutting his skin. Police said the suspect had barricaded himself inside for about two hours. At about 8:30 a.m., police negotiators and the mental health team were able to convince the man to surrender. Armstrong credited the successful negotiation to the mental health team, who played an "important role" in negotiating with the suspect and keeping the police officer alive, with only minor injuries. Police later recovered at the scene the knife and the gun allegedly used by the suspect. Police said an investigation was launched to determine whether the suspect was homeless and lived in a nearby encampment. Once the results were out, authorities would be giving the suspect the proper attention he needs. The city of Oakland has recorded its 100th homicide of the year on Monday. Based on last year's report, the city has recorded a total of 109 homicide cases in the entirety of 2020. The city currently has a population of 425,000 people. Armstrong said that this "is a sober reminder of how dangerous it is in the city of Oakland." He noted that the level of violence in the city "continues to be intolerable." READ MORE: California Ports Face Record-High Backlog of Cargo Ships This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Oakland Officer Shot, Injured; Suspect in Custody After Brief Standoff: OPD - From NBC Bay Area The U.S. government has tripled its reward for information leading to the capture of Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a longtime business partner of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The Department of State announced Wednesday it was increasing its offer from $5 million to $15 million for information that will result in the arrest and/or conviction of El Mayo, Daily Mail reported. The department said the increase in the reward money commensurates with his "leadership status in the Sinaloa cartel." The 73-year-old Sinaloa cartel boss is accused of conspiracy to possess and import five kilos of cocaine and more than 1,000 kilos of marijuana. His other charges include conspiracy to possess firearms in drug trafficking crimes and aiding and abetting. In a statement, Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said El Mayo is a longtime business partner of convicted Sinaloa cartel co-founder El Chapo and "is charged in several U.S. indictments along with El Chapo and his sons." The department added that the reward offer adheres to the derivative designations by the Treasury Department being made according to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The department said these actions are part of a whole-of-government effort to fight drug trafficking and transnational organized crime around the world and in Mexico. According to the 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Sinaloa cartel and its rival Jalisco New Generation Cartel were the top two providers of illegal drugs to the U.S. Sinaloa Cartel Boss Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Still on The Loose The reward for Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada's capture is now the second-highest offer for a Mexican drug trafficker, Mexico News Daily reported. El Mayo has never been imprisoned despite being involved in the illegal drug trade for many years. The highest reward of $20 million was for the capture of Rafael Caro Quintero. The former leader of the defunct Guadalajara Cartel was at the top of the DEA's Most Wanted list. Aside from being a drug cartel leader, Caro Quintero was also wanted for his involvement in the kidnapping and killing of DEA special agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison after he was convicted by a court in Mexico in 1989. But in 2013, he was released on a technicality and remained at large. Caro Quintero is reportedly a Sinaloa member now. READ NEXT: Sinaloa Cartel Ally Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada had been a huge topic during Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's trial, with his defense attorneys claiming that the true leader of the Sinaloa cartel was El Mayo, Insider reported. El Mayo was the longtime partner of El Chapo. The Sinaloa cartel's boss' lawyers said that El Mayo has been working with both the Mexican and American governments. They noted that El Mayo was the one bribing officials to steer clear of the legal chaos. Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzman's lead lawyer, earlier said that the world is focusing on El Chapo when it should be on El Mayo. Both El Chapo and El Mayo were among the people who established the Sinaloa cartel from the remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel after its leader Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989. The U.S. State Department said that El Mayo also has wide real estate holdings and has invested in multiple businesses in Mexico. El Mayo's son, Vicente Zambada Niebla, has testified against El Chapo and revealed the Sinaloa cartel's drug smuggling operations. El Mayo's son has told jurors about how El Chapo and even his father used submarines, airplanes, trains, and other vehicles to traffic drugs. A federal court found El Chapo guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, murder conspiracy, and use of a gun in crimes involving drugs. The Sinaloa cartel boss was convicted to life in prison in July 2019. He is currently detained at ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado. READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Son of El Chapo's Partner Gives Detailed Testimony About Sinaloa Cartel - From CBS News A woman has been arrested after being suspected as the person behind a Northern California wildfire, authorities said. The California blaze spread quickly, burning homes in the area and prompted evacuation operations on Thursday in a rural area in northern California. Suspect Behind latest California Blaze According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement that workers at a nearby quarry reported seeing a woman acting strangely. They also said that the woman trespassed in the area at Shasta County, where the Fawn Fire started Wednesday afternoon. Later Wednesday, the California Fire Department said a woman named Alexandra Souverneva walked out of the brush near the fire line and asked firefighters for help. She told the firefighters that she was dehydrated and in need of medical help. The 30-year-old woman was taken out of the area and was given treatment because of her condition and was evaluated. During an interview with Cal Fire and law enforcement, officers came to believe that Souverneva, a resident of Palo Alto, was the person responsible for setting the fire. Souverneva was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail for suspicion of "arson to wildland." On Thursday, a video was aired showing multiple houses burning close to the unincorporated Mountain Gate area. California officials said that the blaze destroyed 25 structures. However, the officials did not specify how many were residential or homes. Also, the number of affected individuals by the evacuation orders in the area was not immediately publicized. People living in other nearby areas were already warned to be prepared to leave their respective homes. As of Thursday afternoon, the fire was 5 percent contained. However, a Cal Fire report said as many as 2,000 structures could be in danger. Reports said the fire has already scorched more than 8.5 square miles or 22 square kilometers of heavy timber on steep, rugged terrain amid dry, hot, and gusty conditions. READ NEXT: California's Famous Giant Sequoia Trees Face Threats as Wildfires Continue Protecting California from Wildfires Based on the information from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires across California. So far this year, California fires have burned 3,671 square miles or 9,507 square kilometers. The wildfires destroyed commercial properties and other structures, including more than 3,200 homes. Among the California fires were two big forest blazes growing in the heart of California's giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Aside from its damage to structures and parks, the smoke from those fires also raised air quality concerns for the southern end of the Central Valley and flowed over greater Los Angeles. The smoke had darkened skies and caused inaccurate reports of mountain fires. Meanwhile, California officials on Wednesday shared how they protect Sequoia National Park's famous Giant Forest from the KNP Complex fire. The officials noted that for years, they have carefully set and controlled fires to burn away vegetation that can serve as wildfire fuel. The officials said the bases of several of the most famous giant sequoias were also wrapped in fire-resistant materials. Giant Forest has 2,000 sequoias, including the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree in the world by volume. READ MORE: 'Unknown Hazards' at Hiking Trail Where California Family Was Found Dead Closed to the Public This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: California Wildfires: Fawn Fire in Shasta County Causes Evacuations - From ABC10 Leinster Express, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Leinster Express for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Leinster Express is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the U.K, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. A midlands businessman who produced a steel tube during a dispute with another man over a 140,000 debt heard last week he might escape a conviction if the related civil case is settled. Judge Catherine Staines told Seamus Kane, Holmshill, Blueball, Tullamore, that she was considering applying the Probation Act but was not yet in a position to do so. Mr Kane, 55, was found guilty in July of producing an article capable of inflicting injury and likely to intimidate another, in the course of a dispute at Palfinger Ireland Ltd, Church Road, Tullamore on June 28, 2019. A day-long hearing had been told that the owner of a Cork shopfitting business, Eamon Brien, had called to Mr Kane's premises in Tullamore to discuss a 140,000 debt for work his company had done on the Spar store on the Arden Road. Words were exchanged during an argument and Mr Kane was seen on CCTV footage holding the tube, remonstrating with Mr Brien and then throwing it away. Judge Staines adjourned sentencing for Mr Kane to engage with the restorative justice service and having read the service's report last week, she said the accused had co-operated fully. Mr Kane had written a full letter of apology to the injured party Mr Brien, and following a request from Mr Brien that a donation be made to charity, the accused had donated 1,000 to the Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service. Alan Toal, BL, for Mr Kane, told Judge Staines that his instructing solicitor, Patrick Fox, Hoey & Denning, Tullamore, was holding 80,000 on account in relation to what his client would say was the differential between what is owed to the claimant and what was outstanding. He said the issue was in relation to remedial works which had to be undertaken. Mr Brien said over 140,000 was owed to him and Mr Kane had paid a 45,000 deposit. He said experts would have to be engaged to resolve the issues but on the matter before the District Court, Mr Kane wanted to demonstrate that he had listened very carefully to what the judge had previously said, hence the decision to hold the 80,000 on account towards the resolution they were hoping for. Mr Toal said his client was going beyond what was in the restorative justice report and was looking at the matter in totality. Mr Toal confirmed the civil action had not yet been resolved but he hoped it would be in time. In the meantime, Mr Kane's legal team wanted Judge Staines to know they had embraced everything she had said at the previous hearing very seriously because a conviction would be very serious for the accused. Judge Staines was told Mr Kane travels a lot for his business and a conviction would be catastrophic for him. Mr Toal said there was no suggestion that he was trying to buy his way out of trouble but rather he was demonstrating that he had complied with everything the court had indicated. He asked Judge Staines to be as lenient as she possibly could be and assured the court that Mr Kane would not be seen in court again for anything other than licensing matters. Judge Staines said she was anxious that the civil dispute would be settled because such cases could go on for years and years and years. However, she said she could indicate to Mr Kane that he would be left without a conviction if the civil matter was resolved because that was the background to the whole thing. The court was then told by Mr Fox that the civil case was scheduled for mention in the High Court on October 18. Mr Fox said he was waiting on a report on the remedial works and then talks would take place with the other side. Judge Staines said she would put the matter back and once the civil case was settled fairly between the parties she would apply Section 1.1. of the Probation of Offenders Act. She said the victim had requested through the restorative justice process that the civil matter would be resolved. Adjourning finalisation of the matter to December 8, Judge Staines said: The sooner it's settled, the sooner this will be over. Application of the Probation Act means that while a charge has been proved, the accused person is left without a conviction. At the hearing in July, after Mr Kane had pleaded not guilty, Mr Brien told the District Court he had been abused verbally over the phone by the accused about the debt arising from the shopfitting work in Tullamore in 2018 and numerous meetings had been cancelled. He said he then called to Mr Kane's place of business to discuss the debt but was told by the other man to Get the f... out of here and was threatened by Mr Kane as he stood less than two feet away from him with an iron bar. Mr Brien also said he had previously worked with Mr Kane on a Spar shop at Patrick Street in Tullamore for a smaller contract in the order of 25,000 and everything went very well and it was done properly and paid for; unlike the second job, which was done properly and not paid for. In his evidence, Mr Kane said he had been working in his workshop's steel cutting area when Mr Brian called and though he did get annoyed and angry, he denied holding a bar over Mr Brien's head. The background to the dispute over the amount owed was that Mr Brien's workers were still on site after the store opened and in January 2019 Storefit was told of different issues and meetings took place with a Spar representative and with Insomnia because the Insomnia coffee station was fitted the wrong way around. Mr Kane said he had no problem if Mr Brien repaired what had not been done and quantified what he was owed. Mr Kane said a civil case had been taken against himself and Cayenne Holdings, a development company of his which rents his properties out. Mr Kane said he had a lot of businesses and probably turned around close to 30m a year and had a lot of suppliers to pay but on the first Thursday of each month himself and his partner did the cheque run. Mr Kane denied telling Mr Brien to f... off out of the premises and instead had said Can you please leave? and pointed to the door. Though she did not believe Mr Kane intended to assault Mr Brien, Judge Staines said she believed the accused had the tube and banged it down during what was a highly aggressive encounter. Designs are not yet ready to proceed with a major multi-million overhaul of Portlaoise Garda Station which could take three years to build and is linked to an army project which is still on the drawing board. The Office of Public Works, which is overseeing the project, also confirmed that it must be carried out in tandem with a new Department of Defence building in Portlaoise consultation for which is still happeing. Responding to queries from the Leinster Express, the OPW confirmed that is designing the new station which is due be the HQ for Garda services in Laois, Offaly, Kildare - a policing area of 400,000 people. "The new station is being designed by the Office of Public Works. A design team has commenced work on the detailed design phase of this large scale and complex capital works project, which will involve the extension and refurbishment of the existing Garda Station and custody suite, along with the provision of additional accommodation for An Garda Siochana on the adjacent site currently occupied by the Department of Defence. Planning permission for this phase of the project was granted earlier in 2021," it said. Part of the site is used by soldiers prior to their deployment to duty in Portlaoise Prison. A new building has to be built elsewhere in Portlaoise to ensure the army is facilitated. A second option has had to been for the Defences Forces after an initial proposal to build off the Mountrath Road was deemed unsuitable. The OPW gave details of where this is at. "The project also requires the provision of new accommodation for the Department of Defence on the site of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) Training Centre, Portlaoise, which is subject to a planning submission under Part 9 of the Planning and Development Acts 2001 (as amended). A period of public consultation in relation to this development is currently underway," said the OPW. An update was also provided on possible timeframe. "Prior to commencing construction works, the OPW, An Garda Siochana and Garda Estate Management will discuss and review the phasing and decanting options for the project. Following the detailed design and procurement process, it is expected that a project of this scale will take between 24 and 36 months to construct," it said. The Garda Station project was included in the National Development Plan but this expires in 2021. A new plan is due to be published shortly. The OPW did not say if funding had been cleared for the new buildings. Laois TD and Minister of State Sean Fleming said recently that he was working on advancing the project. A Laois town that was recently picked as one of the 20 best places to live in Ireland, is in the running to win the 2021 IPB All Ireland Pride of Place award. Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Abbeyleix Bog committee members welcomed Pride of Place judge Declan Nelson to their town on September 20, after the town was nominated by Laois County Council to represent the county this year. The competition is based on communities demonstrating directly to the judges their pride in their place by oral presentations where they highlight community activities, culture and many other aspects that contribute to their pride of place. Abbeyleix Tidy Towns group made an excellent presentation to the judges highlighting the numerous initiatives that have been undertaken in the town over the years and plans for the future. The town was also recently in the news for its new residents, Irish tech billionaire John Collison who bought Abbey Leix House. The competition awards people coming together to shape, change and improve daily lives in their communities. Since it commenced in 2003, it has impacted on hundreds of thousands of people, all of whom are proud of their place. It is sponsored by IPB Insurances and hosted by Co-operation Ireland under its Local Authority Programme, and entries are nominated by their respective local authorities. Abbeyleix Tidy Towns Committee was established over 62 years ago in 1959 in an effort to galvanise the community to work together to ensure Abbeyleix was not only a great place to live but to work in and visit also. Over the years the committee grew and forged alliances with Laois County Council, schools and community groups building a momentum that is in evidence today by the achievements of the local organisation. Abbeyleix is a community that continues to be an attractive place to live, to work and to visit. Abbeyleix Tidy Towns focus is now on placemaking and on reimagining their beautiful heritage town as a smart and sustainable community that is fit for the 21 st Century. Abbeyleix Tidy Towns have an inclusive ethos and work hard to engage the wider community in their work. They promote a support local ethos and are currently working on significant flagship biodiversity and climate actions projects that will move the town forward on their journey to become a truly sustainable community. Best of luck to the Laois representative entrant in this years IPB All Island Pride of Place Competition in association with Co-operation Ireland, supported by Laois County Council. The Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin which includes most of Laois, has called on the Government to honour its commitment to take in refugees and "end the desperate system of Direct Provision Centres". Ahead of the 2021 World Day of Migrants and Refugees this Sunday September 26, Bishop Denis Nulty who is chair of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Care, has called on the Government to accelerate its implementation of the recent White Paper on the ending of Direct Provision, and for improvements in the processing of international protection, or asylum applications. Sunday marks World Day of Migrants and Refugees throughout the universal Catholic Church. Here in Ireland this occasion offers us yet another opportunity to reflect on how we as a nation of the developed world, treat those who come to our shores seeking refuge and help our fellow human beings, our brothers and sisters. "This is all the more so as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic: to ensure that people who are vulnerable are not neglected or left behind. I strongly reiterate Pope Franciss challenge in this years message for migrants and refugees, namely, that we no longer think in terms of them and those, rather only as us. So too during his visits abroad and as recently as Budapest and Slovakia Pope Francis challenges us to be bridge-builders. Let us welcome migrants and refugees across these bridges with our famous Cead Mile Failte. He is critical of the slow pace to close down the system coming from Government. However, at a State level, there seems to be a hesitancy to progress to make the lives of refugees and migrants safer, and to accelerate their integration. Evidence given to the Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions on 16 September showing delays in the processing of international protection, or asylum applications, are taking an unduly long time, with more than 5,000 people in the system and the median time to get a decision being over two years. In his World Day of Migrants and Refugees message, Pope Francis draws on the theme of social responsibility, in other words that we take responsibility for each other. The Holy Father reminds us that we are all in the same boat and called to work together so that there will be no more walls that separate us, no longer others, but only a single we, encompassing all of humanity. Pope Francis points to the need to be ever more faithful to our being catholic, to the universality of our calling as Christians to embrace everyone, to build communion in diversity, to unify differences without imposing a depersonalized uniformity. He adds that our societies will have a colourful future, enriched by diversity and by cultural exchanges. Consequently, we must even now learn to live together in harmony and peace. We in Ireland have seen many examples of how refugees and migrants have been welcomed and cared for by our communities most recently made visible by the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan, images which moved the world in recent months. A great many are being cared for and supported by Catholic agencies and organisations at a local and national level. This is what an Ireland of welcomes is meant to be. Crucially the State holds the central and lead role in this regard. It is therefore incumbent on those in authority to ensure that all is done to improve the lives of those coming to our shores for refuge or for work. Government must honour its commitment to take in refugees and to end the desperate system of Direct Provision Centres. Even the 2024 deadline for the ending of this cold and unacceptable system is too far away. Those who come to Ireland as refugees and migrants are people who can, and want to, contribute to our country. Society must honestly ask itself: why are we preventing refugees and migrants from offering their gifts and talents to help build up the wider community? This preventative approach denies our society the benefit of diversity, cultural exchange and progress. Bishop Denis Nulty is chairman of the Commission for Pastoral Care of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory. World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be marked throughout the Catholic Church on this Sunday, 26 September 2021. The theme of this day in 2021 is Towards an ever greater We and draws from the encyclical letter of Pope Francis on social friendship Fratelli Tutti (published 4 October 2020). A politician from the Green Party has explained his reasoning behind why he disapproved of a Kildare TD's social media post regarding a live export deal between Ireland and China. Martin Heydon, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, first mentioned the deal on his social media accounts last Saturday, where he welcomed the announcement (which was made by fellow Minister Charlie McConalogue) confirming access to the Chinese market for Irish sheep meat and breeding pigs. His post was met with a number of critics, including Cork Senator and Dail Deputy Dan Boyle. Senator Boyle, who is also the EU Climate Pact Ambassador for Ireland, quote-tweeted McConalogue's post thanking Heydon and captioned it: "I don't see exporting live pigs to China as something to celebrate." I don't see exporting live pigs to China as something to celebrate. https://t.co/pdROWobDj0 Cllr. Dan Boyle (@sendboyle) September 19, 2021 Speaking to The Leinster Leader, Senator Boyle explained his stance: "My concern is on a number of grounds." There are obvious animal welfare concerns with live animal transport, particularly over such a long distance." He continued: It is also an economic nonsense as we deprive our own economy of processing meat here." "Ultimately a food export policy that encourages so many food miles is environmentally devastating," he concluded. Minister Heydon's full statement on his official Facebook account read: "As Minister of State with responsibility for new market development, I welcome today's significant announcement on access to the Chinese market for Irish sheepmeat and breeding pigs." "My Department, in collaboration with the embassy of Ireland in Beijing, has pursued market access for sheep meat with the Chinese authorities over a number of years." He continued: "The agreement follows on from a successful inspection of Irish plants by Chinese auditors in August/September 2019 and Bord Bia has already conducted market insight research. "China is a substantial importer of sheepmeat and last year it imported 1.47bn worth of sheepmeat," Minister Heydon concluded. While live exports are currently legal in Ireland, many countries have banned them, citing ethical reasons. Tiglin, in collaboration with Wicklow County Council has secured two major awards at the Irish Council for Social Housing Community Housing Awards 2021, sponsored by Allianz, on September 23. The Biennial Community Awards were presented by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliand. Members of the public also had an opportunity to vote for the project they felt most deserved of recognition and Carraig Eden, a transitional supported accommodation residence ran by Tiglin in Greystones scooped the inaugural Public Choice Award. Speaking at the 2021 Community Housing Awards, Donal McManus, Chief Executive of the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) said: "Members of the public also voted wisely when they chose Carraig Eden for our first ever Public Choice Award. Receiving the highest number of votes from the more than 5,000 voters, the entry is a collaborative project between Wicklow County Council and the approved housing body Tiglin. The landmark building faced demolition and has been beautifully restored to provide 35 en-suite transitional supported accommodation units, operated by Tiglin. Judges applauded Wicklow County Council, who championed this project, demonstrating what can be done when the will is there. Aubrey McCarthy, Chairperson, Tiglin said; Carraig Eden bridges the gap that many fall into after rehabilitation. Its a buffer against people entering homelessness and Wicklow County Council said yes, lets fight for this. I salute the staff at Tiglin and residents at Carraig Eden who were willing to stand up and fight to save this vital service. We look forward to working with Wicklow County Council over the future. Gillian Power, Senior Executive Engineer, Wicklow County Council said This award is all about collaboration and Wicklow County Council couldn't have asked for a better partner in Tiglin. They are an amazing organisation who bring hope and support to people who have temporarily lost their way in life. The Carraig Eden facility, which had recently hosted a visit from President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is home to two guest speakers who shared the importance of having such support, safety and security for those who have made every effort to escape the crippling effects of addiction and the fear gripping reality of homelessness. Danny, having experienced the reality of living on the streets said Carraig Eden provided me with a place where people knew what recovery was and how to sustain it. It helped me put a value on my life. Aubrey McCarthy, Chairperson, Tiglin said: September is International Recovery Month, what a way to see the month draw to a close as the award recognises that those in recovery from addiction are deeply valued. It is such an honour that Tiglin, alongside Wicklow County Council, has taken hold of an award that recognises the collaboration that was behind this success and that the "Peoples Choice" award was also secured and given to Tiglin and WCC, a recognition that is on a national level. President Higgins recently visited the centre and met with the residents there. He was inspired and said Tiglin Carraig Eden is a place, where people who have had their participation in life disrupted, discover a new space and become full of hope and joy! A man who is charged with a car jacking incident in Newbridge had his case adjourned at Naas District Court. Before Judge Desmond Zaidan on September 22 was Stewart Wyse aged 28, with an address given in court as Apartment 3, Corbans Mill, Millbrook, Naas. At a previous court hearing, evidence was given that gardai received a report of an alleged hijacking of a Volvo vehicle at Morristown Biller, Newbridge at 11pm on September 13 last. It was alleged that the driver of the vehicle had a knife held to him and was told to get out of the car. It was also claimed in court that the knife cut his nose before he was pulled from the vehicle and kicked in the forehead. A day later, gardai in Newbridge went to Dublin where the defendant was arrested and a Volvo car key was found in his possession. The court heard that during interview the defendant admitted having the key and that he had no permission to take the vehicle. Sgt Brian Jacob told Judge Zaidan that the alleged victim had sustained injuries during the incident. Judge Zaidan was told in court on September 22 that Wyse remains in custody after bail was refused at the previous court appearance. The judge heard that Wyse is due to receive further legal advice from his solicitor this weekend. He adjourned the matter to Naas District Court on October 6. Minister for the OPW Patrick O'Donovan has broken his silence regarding allegations he was involved in a 'sting' operation to reveal who was leaking details from the Cabinet. The alleged leaks are regarding Katherine Zappones potential appointment as a special envoy. Minister O'Donovan was put on the spot live on air this Friday morning by Gillian Devlin, standing in for Joe Nash on Live 95's Limerick Today show. Questioning the Limerick TD, Ms Devlin said Senator Ronan Mullen had called for him and another minister to take a polygraph test over these allegations "you were involved in a sting operation to reveal who was leaking details form the cabinet". In response, Minister O'Donovan said: "To be honest about it I don't think it is a reasonable proposal. I don't know if that is a suggestion you could take seriously in a modern parliament in the 21st century." Ms Devlin said according to journalist Hugh O'Connell, of the Irish Independent, "You boasted to Fine Gael colleagues you had carried out a so-called 'sting' operation to find out who was leaking from Cabinet in relation to the Katherine Zappone appointment". Minister O'Donovan said he never comments on anything that goes on in relation to the Fine Gael parliamentary party. "I am not going to do that now. I operate on the basis that discussion in the Fine Gael parliamentary party - whether that is government level, in relation to councillors, in relation to TDs and senators - they are private. The Tanaiste was asked about this during the week and he answered it," said Minister O'Donovan. The Irish Independent reported earlier this week that Tanaiste Leo Varadkar spoke to Minister ODonovan "weeks ago". Kildare County Council (KCC) will present an online panel discussion featuring a panel of leaders from many aspects of local government and political life. "Women and Diversity in Local Government" will be hosted by Professor Mary Corcoran of Maynooth University. According to a statement from KCC: "The discussions will explore many inspiring careers as well as the challenges and opportunities of starting or sustaining a career in local government. " It added: "As Ireland works towards balanced participation and representation in political life, our panel will discuss access to opportunities for aspiring leaders, students or anybody unsure about how to approach a career in Local Government." Professor Corcoran will be in discussion with an expert panel comprising of: Cllr Naoise O Cearuil, Cathaoirleach and Mayor of Kildare, Kildare County Council Cllr Angela Feeney, Member of the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District Committee Cllr Chris Pender, Deputy Mayor of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District Committee Caitriona Gleeson, CEO, Women for Election Sonya Kavanagh, Interim Chief Executive, Kildare County Council Celina Barrett, Chief Fire Officer, Kildare County Council Audience members can submit questions for an individual panel member, or for collective discussion by the panel, in advance of the event by emailing members@kildarecoco.ie. KCC also wish to inform the public that it may not be possible for all questions to be addressed during the course of the one hour panel event. The panel discussion will be hosted online, via Vimeo webinar on Wednesday October 13, from 11am 12pm. Those interested in attending can register now via the following link: https://bit.ly/2XPK4Zk. The Leitrim Observer, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Leitrim Observer for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Leitrim Observer is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the U.K, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes Leitrim Observer, The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Waterford Live. THE Limerick Leader, as part of the Iconic Media Group, has signed an agreement with Google in a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Limerick Leader and its website for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Limerick Leader is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes says the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he said. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the UK, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported journalists in the Iconic Media Group in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. A MOTORIST who overtook five vehicles, including one being driven by an off-duty garda sergeant, has avoided a disqualification. After hearing the facts of the case, which was before Kilmallock Court, Judge Patricia Harney commented what happened was "every motorist's worst nightmare". She said the defendant, who pleaded guilty to careless driving, could have killed himself or others through his behaviour on the day. Gatis Vics, aged 33, of Groody Hill House, Dublin Road, Limerick was prosecuted in relation to an incident on the main N24 at Cluggin, Oola, on June 21, 2020. Inspector Pat Brennan said the incident, which happened at around 5pm, was observed by an off-duty garda sergeant who was driving in his personal car. He said a number of vehicles had slowed and entered a filter lane to turn right (off the main road) when the defendant overtook them all "at speed". He said oncoming traffic had to flash Mr Vics' car and that a number of vehicles had to pull into the hard shoulder to avoid a collision. Noting the defendant had pleaded guilty to careless driving having initially been prosecuted for dangerous driving, Judge Harney commented: "It sounds pretty much like dangerous driving to me". She said what happened is every motorist's "worst nightmare" and that the thought of meeting an oncoming car on the wrong side of the road "terrifies all of us". The judge noted Mr Vics, who works as a mechanic, had performed the overtaking manoevure on a "grand straight stretch of road" adding that there would have been "a couple of fatalities" had he done so on a bend. Having accepted his guilty plea to the lesser charge, she fined the married father-of-two 500. She added that she would exercise her discretion and would not impose a driving ban. While not a matter for the court, Mr Vics will receive penalty points on his driver's licence as a consequence of his conviction. A NEW documentary 'The Murder Files: The Killing of Jason Corbett' left his family "heartbroken" but convinced "the truth must, and will, come out". The programme was broadcast on Virgin Media One on Monday evening and is now available on the Virgin Media Player. The documentary tells the story from multiple perspectives of those closest to the case, featuring exclusive unseen police interviews with Molly and Tom Martens who have appealed their convictions for murdering the Limerick man at his home in North Carolina in 2015. Following the broadcasting of the documentary Jason's sister, Tracey Corbett Lynch wrote on Twitter it "broke our hearts". "Watching the awful reality of how Jason was killed, seeing the blood and fibres of someone we loved displayed so publicly; the place Jason called home, so exposed, was heartbreaking," said Tracey, who kindly gave the Limerick Leader permission to use what she posted on Twitter in an article. "To see the Martens take Jason's life and then attempt to sully his name compounds our suffering. But we know from all the messages of support in Ireland and in North Carolina, that the public will not allow Jason's killers to escape justice. "We hope the documentary helps those in need of support to have the courage to find it. It is with the strength and support of so many in Ireland and in North Carolina that we continue to fight for justice for Jason. We are praying a trial date can be set by the DA Garry Frank and his diligent team of attorneys," continued Tracey. She concluded her thread on Twitter by saying, "The truth must, and will, come out. #justicedelayedisjusticedenied" MICROSOFT and RTE Junior have launched an exciting new digital skills competition for Limerick primary schools, with a national head-to-head contest to take place next year. Participants from Limerick will be given the opportunity to learn to use Minecraft: Education Edition to help shape Irelands sustainable future. Those involved are invited to tune into rte.ie/learn from September 30, where they will be able to watch Dream Space TV which features specific lessons that will run for six weeks. Speaking at the launch of the competition Vice President of Microsoft International Operations James O Connor said: At Microsoft, we believe in the power of technology to inspire young people, ignite their imaginations, and help them to see the world in a variety of new ways. Our Dream Space experience is one of the ways in which we make this possible. Weve since reached over 40,000 students via our virtual offerings and at Microsoft weve been excited to see the impact that the experience has had on students and teachers right across the country. Delivered by the teachers of Microsofts Dream Space, the online lessons are designed to support teachers to deliver digital learning experiences in the classroom. Throughout the six weekly online episodes, students will be presented with challenges covering subjects from English, Maths, Science, Geography, SPHE and more. Microsofts Dream Space team will also provide each school with comprehensive teaching guides to ensure that participating schools are supported throughout the episodes and for their competition submission. Group Head of Children's and Young Peoples' Content at RTE Suzanne Kelly commented: Todays kids are digital natives and its vital that their experience of the global online community is a positive one. When the opportunity arose for RTE to connect with every kid in Ireland and show them how to code through gaming, we jumped on it. Everyone in the school yard knows what Minecraft is and now thanks to Dream Space TV and Minecraft: Education Edition, we're bringing it directly to every school in Ireland." With the necessary skills to participate in the competition developed during the first five episodes, in the sixth and final episode details of the nationwide competition will be revealed. It is during this episode, to be broadcast on November 11, that full details of the competition will be revealed, and students will be challenged to shape Irelands sustainable future through the medium of Minecraft. Schools will go head-to-head with the finals expected to take place in April 2022. Using the code provided in the post, primary schools in the Republic of Ireland can register for their Minecraft: Education Edition accounts at irelandsfutureismine.com. See rte.ie/learn for more. THE INQUEST into the sudden death of a man in his sixties revealed that he had tested positive for Covid. The garda who attended the unexplained death at a house in County Limerick at the beginning of the year said the male was discovered in a downstairs bedroom. The deposition of the last person to see him alive on the previous night was read out by Inspector Pat Brennan, of Bruff Garda Station. I called in. I put some coal into the fire. I watched TV with him and I left. I thought his face looked bloated but I put it down to the medication he was on. Nothing was out of place, read out Insp Brennan. Limerick coroner John McNamara said a Covid test was done on the deceased when he was brought to the mortuary. He tested positive for Covid. This was at a time when people hadnt been vaccinated. He was taken to Dublin for a post mortem, said Mr McNamara. The coroner said the pathologists report revealed pneumonia in his lungs and ischemic heart disease (heart problems caused by narrowed heart arteries). The cause of death was Covid-19 and his weak heart. The combination of both factors caused his death, said Mr McNamara. One of the family members in attendance at the inquest in Kilmallock Court asked if he was released from hospital too early? I cant say anything about that, said Mr McNamara. He had an underlying heart condition. Anybody with underlying conditions is more susceptible to Covid, he continued. Mr McNamara said the cause of death was Covid-19 contributed by ischemic heart disease. If he hadnt got Covid he could very well be alive today. Unfortunately I dont know, said Mr McNamara, who recorded a verdict of natural causes. Mr McNamara expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. On behalf of Limerick gardai, Insp Brennan expressed his sympathies. At the end of the inquest, one of the mans family said: Thank you very much for everything. THE Limerick All-Ireland hurlers provided one of their greatest assists to date, when they stole the show at a West Limerick wedding earlier this month. Hearts and minds were touched at The Woodlands Hotel on September 3, as Mike and Michelle Hartnett tied the knot, 13 years after their first encounter at Ballintemple. Hurling mad, the couple were gob-smacked and in awe when they set their eyes on their wedding cake, which depicted the 2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling team in exquisite detail. We didnt see it until we walked into the room on our big day. We didnt know what to expect. We were absolutely thrilled. All the kids were staring at it in all its detail, counting players and picking out their favourite hurlers such as Cian Lynch. We couldnt have asked for a better surprise, the Ballinabearna bride expressed. The cake was produced by Deborah Guerin, who runs Cakes by Deborah based in Askeaton, specializing in bespoke and wedding cakes. Labelling her creation as a big talking point at the wedding reception and the perfect reflection of the couple, this was the second time that Deborah had taken to her chosen field for the Harnetts. In 2018, she created a special Limerick jersey themed cake to mark the couples engagement, which took place at the final whistle of that historic win over Galway in Croke Park. Michelle remembers little of the proposal, having been so caught up in the tide of emotions that followed. Having welcomed their son Donnacha into the world five months ago, the couple are really looking forward to togging out at future Limerick hurling outings along with their extra squad member. We cant wait to be going as Mr and Mrs Hartnett. Once our boy is old enough to hold a hurley and catch a ball, he will be going with us to every game. AN advert for a room in Limerick which offers tenants a rate of 600 a month but no kitchen access has been published online. With demand for accommodation locally remaining high, the posting relating to a property at Ballinacurra Road, just outside the city centre is offering space on a five-days a week basis, but crucially with no access to the kitchen. The landlord, who also lives in the complex, states on the advert since removed from the web that it would suit third or fourth year students, or post-graduates. But the offer has been criticised, with Richard ODonoghue, the only Limerick TD on the Oireachtas housing committee saying: We have students who come down here from all over the country, and to only give them accommodation from Monday to Thursday, and no access to a kitchen? Would you like it if it was your child being treated the same? He plans to raise the matter before the committee. If the accommodation on offer was not owner-occupied, then access to a kitchen would be a pre-requisite. However, according to guidance from Citizens Information, if you rent a room in a landlords home, the agreement is different. Since you are considered to be in the property at the landlords consent or invitation, normal tenant protections are not in place. Crucially, the guidance states, there is no legal requirement for your accommodation to meet minimum physical standards, unless youre a Hap tenant. Local councillor Michael Murphy, who chairs the councils housing strategic policy committee said: It sounds poor. But when youre a student and you cannot secure accommodation, youre forced to look at options like that. But it doesnt sound right or fair. Mr ODonoghue has issued an appeal to anyone with a spare room in Limerick who can accommodate students to help them out, pointing out that the first 14,000 in income is tax-free. The Independent TD also made the point this could allow students to work part-time, which in turn may help plug some of the gaps in the hospitality and retail sectors. Since the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, many restaurants and cafes have not been able to fully re-open due to a lack of people to work in these premises. GARDAI have responded to recent criticism by insisting they have adequate resources available in the Abbeyfeale area. Last week, Cllr Liam Galvin publicly called for dedicated garda cover in the town at weekends in order to prevent anti-social behaviour. And he has written to Superintendent Aileen Magner asking for a special meeting of the local Joint Policing Committee to discuss the issues that, he claims, have been brewing in the town. Over the last six weekends alone in our town, there has been a serious increase in anti-social behaviour, he said at a meeting of the Newcastle West Municipal District. On one of those weekends, he pointed out, a man had to be hospitalised. That same weekend, he claimed, there was no garda car available in the district. He then raised what happened the weekend-before-last and said he had spent all day last Monday meeting people about what had happened. Cllr Galvin described in detail what is alleged to have happened in the vicinity of the Fr Casey statue in the Square. The nearest garda car was Kildimo, he claimed adding that squad cars had to come from County Kerry. Following last weeks meeting, the Limerick Leader requested a response from the Garda Press Office. While An Garda Siochana does not specifically comment on the deployment of resources, a number of additional gardai have been assigned to Abbeyfeale over recent weeks and local garda management is satisfied that adequate resources are currently available in Abbeyfeale, it stated. Policing is dynamic and demands and resources vary on an ongoing basis. An Garda Siochana operates a Regional Control Room strategy which ensures that garda resources are available to respond to calls for service from the public, including situations where a local resource is not immediately available, added the spokesperson. Gardai insist local members in Abbeyfeale and the wider Newcastle West District have "a strong working relationship with and continue to work closely with stakeholders in the town" to allow for dialogue and for concerns to be raised. "An Garda Siochana consistently encourages anyone who is the victim of crime or who has witnessed a crime or antisocial behaviour to report the incident to gardai, so that it can be responded to and investigated fully," said the spokesperson. TWO local bar owners have said they do not believe government plans to allow longer licensing hours will materially impact Limerick. Mick Dolan, who runs Dolans in the Dock Road, and local Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) representative Paul Flannery, of Flannerys in Shannon Street, spoke after reports that the government is expected to approve the drafting on new licensing laws in Ireland. This could pave the way for some venues to open as late or early depending on how you look at things as five oclock in the morning. But Mr Flannery said he does not think this would be feasible in Limerick due to a smaller population base then other cities. The soundbites we have been hearing of five and six am opening would only occur in a small percentage of cases. Will it work in the likes of Limerick, Cork, Galway or Waterford? Probably not. I think the main population zones of Dublin, where you have footfall, it may or may not work, he told Business Leader. However, even where there is this population, he feels the novelty might eventually wear off. It will be a novelty, you might use it once in a blue moon. They say they want to bring these licensing laws in, while at the same time, want to reduce the number of car accidents the morning after the night before. It feels like the right-hand is not talking to the left, he said. Mr Dolan said simply: I dont see Limerick pubs and venues opening until 6am. The governments night-time task force reported back last week, making a series of recommendations on how to improve the twilight economy. There are 36 proposed actions, including the pilot of new night-time economy advisors in six cities and towns, the modernisation of the licensing regime, and much-improved transport operations. This is something that is important to Mr Flannery, who said: With everything closing at 11.30pm each night of the week, youve a huge influx in people out onto the street. The taxi services cannot cope, and youve a lot of people struggling to get some because the volume of cabs simply is not there. Transport has to be key in the strategy. He pointed out many people run from his bar ahead of closing time in order to catch the last bus home which may or may not turn up. Mr Dolan, meanwhile, said he is disappointed more of a focus was not placed on the insurance challenges venue owners now face. He said: Since Brexit, a lot of English companies have left Ireland and its difficult to get insurance. Theres no competition, I think theres only one company left. The firm we had are gone, weve moved onto a new company, and were still negotiating with them to open up venues. The businessman also wants to see reforms of the licensing costs, pointing out that his Dock Road venue would pay up to 60,000 a year for this purpose. Its an awful lot of money to pull back, he said, The cost for one late license is crazy. Youre paying 410, then solicitors fees. Its just crazy. MINISTER for the OPW Patrick O'Donovan has broken his silence regarding allegations he was involved in a 'sting' operation to reveal who was leaking details from the Cabinet. The alleged leaks are regarding Katherine Zappones potential appointment as a special envoy. Minister O'Donovan was put on the spot live on air this Friday morning by Gillian Devlin, standing in for Joe Nash on Live 95's Limerick Today show. Questioning the Limerick TD, Ms Devlin said Senator Ronan Mullen had called for him and another minister to take a polygraph test over these allegations "you were involved in a sting operation to reveal who was leaking details form the cabinet". In response, Minister O'Donovan said: "To be honest about it I don't think it is a reasonable proposal. I don't know if that is a suggestion you could take seriously in a modern parliament in the 21st century." Ms Devlin said according to journalist Hugh O'Connell, of the Irish Independent, "You boasted to Fine Gael colleagues you had carried out a so-called 'sting' operation to find out who was leaking from Cabinet in relation to the Katherine Zappone appointment". Minister O'Donovan said he never comments on anything that goes on in relation to the Fine Gael parliamentary party. "I am not going to do that now. I operate on the basis that discussion in the Fine Gael parliamentary party - whether that is government level, in relation to councillors, in relation to TDs and senators - they are private. The tanaiste was asked about this during the week and he answered it," said Minister O'Donovan. The Irish Independent reported earlier this week that Tanaiste Leo Varadkar spoke to Minister ODonovan "weeks ago". The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has directed a luxury hotel chain to pay 2 crore as compensation to a woman observing that "she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model." A bench of President RK Agrawal and Member Dr SM Kantikar awarded compensation after noting that women are no doubt cautious about their hair, spend a handsome amount on keeping them in good condition, and are emotionally attached to them. The commission noted that complainant Aashna Roy was a model for hair products because of her long hair and had done modeling for big hair-care brands but due to haircutting against her instructions, she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model. She was also working as a Senior Management Professional and earning a decent income. She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence in cutting her hair and could not concrete her job and finally, she lost her job," the bench said in an order dated September 21. Apart from this, the hotel, ITC Maurya, is also guilty of medical negligence in hair treatment, the commission said, adding that her scalp was burnt and there is still allergy and itching due to the fault of the staff. A bare perusal of the WhatsApp Chat adduced by the complainant reveals that the hotel had admitted the fault on their part and by offering the free hair treatment tried to cover it, the NCDRC added. The complaint is allowed partly and we are of the considered view that it would meet the end of justice in case the complainant is granted compensation of 2,00,00,000. Hence, we direct the Opposite Party No.2 to pay a compensation of to the Complainant within eight weeks," it ordered. In April 2018, complainant Aashna Roy visited a salon at the Delhi-based hotel a week before an interview and specifically asked for long flicks covering her face in the front and at the back and four-inch straight hair trim from the bottom". However, she alleged that the hairdresser did not abide by her instruction and chopped off her entire hair leaving only four inches from the top and barely touching her shoulders. She complained about this to the management of the Salon, who in turn offered her a free hair treatment, which she claimed caused permanent damage due to excess ammonia, which resulted in excessive irritation in her scalp. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Joe Biden for the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders on Friday. The Indian PM is on a three-day visit to the United States Earlier today, PM Modi held delegation-level talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments. During his meeting with President Biden, PM Modi will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, said a departure statement. Earlier, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla had informed that PM Modi and Biden will review robust and multifaceted" India-US bilateral ties and also discuss measures to bolster bilateral trade and investment ties between the two nations. The current regional security situation following the recent developments in Afghanistan will also be discussed in the bilateral meeting, he had said. Regular exchange of high-level political visits has provided sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation, while the wide-ranging and ever-expanding dialogue architecture has established a long-term framework for India-US engagement. The frequency of high-level visits and exchanges between India and the US has gone up significantly of late. These include the earlier 2019 visit of PM Modi to the US and former US President Donald Trump's visit to India in 2020. Also Read: PM Modi meets Kamala Harris, Suga, Morrison on Day 2 in US; top-3 developments These have been strengthened by the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which is led by the heads of foreign and defence ministries of India and the US. The outcomes generated by these visits have been instrumental in further strengthening and developing the multifaceted ties between the two countries. Biden will also host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders' Summit on September 24, which will be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. "As a part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, they will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, climate change and education. Earlier in April this year, President Biden spoke with PM Modi on a phone call, committing that the United States and India will work closely together in the fight against COVID-19. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. This is his first foreign visit beyond the neighbourhood since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. PM Modi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and senior officials. (With agency inputs) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The U.S. special envoy for Haiti, Ambassador Daniel Foote, has resigned his post in protest over the Biden administrations decision to conduct large-scale deportations in response to a surge of Haitian migrants. In a letter dated Wednesday, two months from the date of his appointment, Mr. Foote wrote: I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti," calling attention to rampant gang violence in the country. He characterized U.S. policy toward Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, as flawed, accusing administration officials of distorting or ignoring his recommendations. Citing poverty, gang violence and government corruption, Mr. Foote wrote that the Haitian people simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy." State Department spokesman Ned Price on Thursday disputed Mr. Footes characterization of events, saying administration officials had held multiple senior-level policy conversations on Haiti, where all proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process." He described Mr. Footes claim that his recommendations were ignored as false, and said the administration conducts policy debates on an array of issues. It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation," Mr. Price said. He failed to take advantage of ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure and chose to resign instead." Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that Mr. Footes ideas had included U.S. military intervention in Haitia move she said was a bad idea" and wouldnt solve the countrys problems. Mr. Foote couldnt be reached to respond to Ms. Shermans assertion. In his resignation letter, Mr. Foote described the Haitian government as collapsed and unable to provide for the security or basic needs of the population. He warned that an influx of refugees will fuel further desperation and crime," in turn spurring more migration to the U.S. He called on the U.S. and the international community to support the Haitian peoples efforts at self-determination, rather than seeking to direct the course of the countrys politics from afar. Mr. Foote also criticized international support for Prime Minister Ariel Henry, whom he called the unelected, de facto" leader of the country. The Department of Homeland Security said that it sent nine deportation flights, carrying about 1,400 passengers, back to Haiti from Sunday through Wednesday. Flight-tracking data show that five more deportation flights were en route from Texas to Haiti on Thursday. The government is deporting the Haitian migrants under a public-health authority known as Title 42, which the administration says allows it to rapidly expel migrants at the border to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the U.S. That process denies the migrants a chance to ask for asylum, a process that a federal judge ruled illegal last weekthough he halted the effect of his decision for two weeks. Administration officials believed the flights were necessary to break a cycle of Haitian citizens, many of whom had been living and working in countries in South America, from migrating to the U.S. They believe that, once deported citizens land in Haiti, word of their arrival will spread quickly through social media and deter more from attempting to enter the U.S., according to people familiar with their thinking. Though Haitians have been coming to the border at an unprecedented clip already this year, the pace picked up in recent days, leading to the makeshift border camp under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Approximately 4,000 migrants were still living in a makeshift camp under the border-crossing bridge in Del Rio, down from a high of about 14,000 over the weekend, according to DHS officials. The officials told reporters Thursday they believe several thousand Haitians had fled back into Mexico. The flights represent a significant escalation in the Biden administrations immigration-enforcement strategy, after it teetered for months over how to handle asylum-seeking migrants at the southern border. Before now, the administration was allowing most families with children a chance to make an asylum claim in the U.S., because Mexico wouldnt accept many of them back under Title 42. Only recently, it began returning Guatemalan migrants back to Guatemala on planes, and the administration is in negotiations to start similar expulsion flights to El Salvador and Honduras as well, according to a person familiar with the plan. Haitian migrants have been a particular source of tension inside the Biden administration, with advisers splitting even before the July assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise over whether it was ethical to deport people back to a country roiled by political unrest, according to people familiar with the matter. In May, the administration offered about 100,000 Haitians living in the U.S. illegally a temporary reprieve from deportation on humanitarian grounds, under a program known as Temporary Protected Status. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security continued deporting newly arriving Haitians, though it briefly paused flights following the Aug. 14 earthquake. Mr. Foote, a career foreign-service officer, was appointed on July 22 following Mr. Moises assassination. He was tasked with working with Haitian leaders and the international community to facilitate long-term peace and stability and support efforts to hold free and fair presidential and legislative elections," Mr. Price, the department spokesman, said at the time. He was assigned to coordinate the multiagency U.S. effort to assist Haiti in the aftermath of Mr. Moises assassination, which triggered a power struggle and heightened instability. His role was additional to that of the U.S. ambassador to the country. Mr. Footes previous assignments include service as the deputy chief of mission in Haiti, and as the U.S. ambassador to Zambia. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall By Helena Merriman PublicAffairs. 318 pp. $28 - - - After the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, desperate Germans trapped inside East Germany tried many creative ways to escape to the West, often with deadly consequences - the guards shot to kill. But every once in a while, a plan was so audacious and so skillfully executed that its plotters believed that with some extraordinary luck, they would make it to freedom. One such daring endeavor is chronicled by BBC presenter and producer Helena Merriman in "Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall." Merriman's book originated as an immensely popular BBC podcast. After its launch in November 2019, more than 5 million listeners downloaded the podcast, which focused on a group of students who in the summer of 1962 dug a 148-yard tunnel beneath the Berlin Wall through which 29 people escaped. Each of the 10 episodes lasts 15 to 20 minutes and includes re-created sounds of digging, muffled traffic, the exertions of the excavators and ominous footsteps on sidewalks above. Actors join actual participants in the escape to recount what was an extraordinary flight to freedom. One of the central characters in Merriman's book is Joachim Rudolph, an engineering student who had managed to escape earlier during the building of the wall; he slipped from East to West with some friends during the sliver of time between the laying of the concrete and the raising of the barbed wire. At his university Rudolph met two Italians, Luigi "Gigi" Spina and Domenico "Mimmo" Sesta, who set out to free friends in East Berlin. Their imaginative concept was to dig a tunnel not from East to West, "as the border guards might predict," but rather from West to East. Rudolph was from the East and knew the landscape; he was an engineer who understood construction, and his wartime experience and the murder of his father by the Russians gave him a special commitment to a successful getaway. At one point, Rudolph rigged a secure communications system beneath the tunnel sophisticated enough to evade the East German secret police, the Stasi, who were experts in eavesdropping. Using two World War II U.S. Army telephones, workers digging the tunnel were able to communicate with others back at the starting point. When the tunnel was about 33 yards long - with more than 100 to go - a water leak that had begun slowly turned into a gusher. As water filled the tunnel, "the wooden boards that once held the earth back [were] floating on top of the water, almost touching the ceiling and every hour, chunks of the tunnel wall [fell] in," Merriman writes. On the chance something could be done, Sesta and Spina went to the water utility department and lodged a vague complaint. The official there asked if they were digging a tunnel and told them that the leak could be fixed if they just told the West German intelligence services what they were doing. In a city crawling with spies and informants, Sesta and Spina took an enormous leap of faith - and were rewarded. The leak stopped, the water was drained, and the digging continued. Merriman writes broadcast news prose and constantly (and distractingly) pivots into the present tense, deploys single-sentence paragraphs to end chapters (one can almost hear the music swell) and, despite the wealth of information she had from Stasi files, offers novelistic details she couldn't possibly have known: Siegfried "gulps a mouthful of beer," and Evi's "stomach churns" right before "Renate's stomach plunges" two paragraphs later. The watch-me-write quality takes getting used to. But once you do, it hardly matters - you start to care about these people, to feel the taut urgency of their work and despair at the cruelty of a system that was as deranged as it was effective. Merriman weaves together three separate but deeply connected narratives: the first, a remarkable feat of subterranean construction by some very brave men; the second, the omnipresent stranglehold of the not-secret-at-all police state on the entire population; and the third, a groundbreaking, award-winning NBC documentary that aired in December 1962 - arguably the first reality show in television history. The Stasi, one of the most powerful secret police forces on Earth, was primed to crush any efforts to flee the East and had mastered infiltrating every layer of society: neighbors informed on neighbors, parents on children, wives on husbands. Siegfried Uhse, a gay hairdresser, was originally from the East, but he lived in West Berlin. He was once arrested by West German police - homosexuality was illegal - and was given a suspended sentence. He was nabbed by the Stasi on Oct. 2, 1961, for smuggling cigarettes and alcohol into the East. After hours of interrogation, he acknowledged his homosexuality and signed a "letter of commitment" pledging his support to the "security forces of the GDR in their righteous fight." He became a Stasi agent, choosing the rather odd code name Fred. He was a natural spy. His greatest success was infiltrating a different network of college students in the West who were organizing the escape of more than 50 people. He informed on them, resulting in their interrogations, subjugation to brutal psychological warfare and years in the notorious Hohenschonhausen prison. Paying for Rudolph's tunnel was a problem. Enter Reuven Frank, one of the most senior producers in the NBC news division, and Piers Anderton, NBC's Berlin correspondent, who wanted to tell the story of an escape from East Berlin not retrospectively but in real time. Anderton found Spina and Sesta and persuaded NBC to subsidize the tunnel in exchange for filming the process, an arrangement that even then skirted journalistic ethics, not to mention geopolitical norms. A day before the escape was to take place, Frank returned to Berlin and looked at more than 20 hours of footage. "As he watches the tunnellers digging, cart-hauling, dirt-emptying, sweating, shaking, exhausted . . . he knows this is unlike anything he's ever seen." It was nothing compared with what cameras captured the night of Sept. 14, 1962, when 29 elderly couples, young marrieds, children, babies, single men and women were filmed emerging, wet and muddy and terrified, into the West. In December, after wrestling with the Kennedy administration, which was reluctant to have an American television network meddling in international diplomacy, "The Tunnel" aired. "Over the next seventy-eight minutes, in eighteen million homes, people who so far have only seen short news reports about the Berlin Wall, people who had little understanding of what was happening in the city, watch the story unfold," Merriman writes. And that was that. Rudolph returned to his studies and married one of the escapees. Frank won three Emmys for the film. Uhse had many minor triumphs that resulted in 89 arrests. But his experience of being a willing spy, eager to please and betray, offers an idiosyncratic case study of the Stasi operations in East Germany. By 1977, perhaps stricken by conscience, he stopped working for the secret police and even volunteered for Amnesty International. "Like a sleepwalker jolted awake," Merriman writes, "it's as though Siegfried had looked back at everything he'd done and didn't like what he'd seen." And of course in 1989, the wall, that embodiment of repression, of failed centralized economies, of control over all forms of communication and of a subjugated population, came down. Meanwhile, other walls sprang up, from the southern border in the United States to Zimbabwe and South Africa, dividing people in the far corners of the world. "There is one thing they all have in common," Rudolph tells Merriman in their last meeting. "Wherever there's a wall, people will try to get over it. . . . Or under it." - - - Marianne Szegedy-Maszak is the editorial operations director for Mother Jones, a ghostwriter and the author of "I Kiss Your Hands Many Times: Hearts, Souls, and Wars in Hungary." Click here to read the full article. The Finnish Film Affair industry event awarded the upcoming feature Bubble with top honors for its fiction in progress pitch on Thursday, capping a competition in which six projects presented a wide range of stories, settings and styles. Mainly Finnish productions pitched their films, some seeking international partners, with most hoping for sales, festival and distribution deals. Bubble, the story of a teenage girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother announces she is divorcing her father to be with her lesbian lover, was described by director Aleksi Salmenpera as a heartwarming dramedy focusing on the challenges facing teens in dealing with departures from their comfort zones. While the protagonist of the story, 16-year-old Eveliina, is, like most teens, liberal in her beliefs, this liberal thinking doesnt extend to her parents, as producer Minna Haapkyla put it. In scenes that are both tense but also tinged with ironic humor, Bubble shows the earnest teen trying to understand her parents while dealing with the usual challenges of establishing her own identity, demanding answers while struggling to manage her emotions and insecurities. Haapkylas shingle, Rabbit Films, one of Finlands leading independent production companies, specializes in creating original TV formats and producing Finnish TV dramas and comedies and has sold shows to 200 territories. Salmenpera defined his process in writing Bubble with co-writer Reeta Ruotsalainen as exploring its characters and dialogue on the guiding principle that the story feels real. Salmenpera, whose past films have screened at Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto and San Sebastian, won four Jussi awards Finlands national film prize for the 2018 drama Void. Finnish Film Affair, the industry days that run alongside the Helsinki International Film Festival, attracting 400 mainly in-person delegates this year, also awarded its documentaries in progress and development award at the pitch session to Kaisa Rastimos Nasrins Voice. The film, whose details remain confidential due to its sensitive subject matter, is about a young woman standing up to oppression. It is produced by Image Club. Nasrins Voice competed with eight other Finnish and international co-production docs, including the story of a former musician whose discover of a 100-year-old string instrument in a trash heap sparks an investigation through Europes wartime and Cold War history, The Cello by Kira Jaaskelainen. Other subjects included outlaw social media phenoms, Finnish pop music icon Alma, a fight for the repatriation of Sami cultural artifacts from museums, a Spanish mining strike re-enactment that grows into a real-life movement, and the story of a lone photographer who has discovered the return of a nearly extinct wild cat population, Lynx Man, directed by Juha Suonpaa and producer Pasi Hakkio of Wacky Tie Films. The documentary project award includes a 3000-euro package from Avek, Finlands Promotion Center for Audiovisual Culture, to be used for international marketing. The third prize of the night, for the Nordic Selection, four projects from across Scandinavia and Iceland, went to Katrine Brocks The Great Silence, a drama centered on a nun hoping to escape family crises in the quietude of a Catholic convent in Denmark. Her peace is shattered upon the arrival of her alcoholic brother, who is determined to go to battle over an inheritance. Brocks describes the Danish production with Monolit Film and producer Pernille Torne as a story taking on the burdens of guilt and shame and characters trying to hide our ugliest sides. The Great Silence is Brocks debut feature, winning out over Icelandic kids-starring musical comedy 12 Hours to Destruction, a Swedish relationship dramedy in rhyming verse, Locals, and Norwegian film Thomas in the Multiverse, which explores the clash of alternative lives an obsessive scientist may be living in other dimensions. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Sky has unveiled the official trailer for the fifth and final season of Gomorrah, Italys cult crime series produced by Sky Studios and ITV-owned Cattleya in collaboration with Germanys Beta Film, which is the shows international distributor. Gomorrah 5 is set to air locally on Nov. 19 after world premiering as the closing event of the CannesSeries fest on Oct. 13. The show is based on an idea by Italian writer Roberto Saviano who wrote a best-selling mob expose by the same title. The final instalment of the hyper-realistic skein, which is Italys biggest TV export, will bow on Sky in Germany in December, and in the U.K. later this year. Gomorrah will soon also be coming to HBO Max in the U.S., home to the previous four Gomorrah seasons as well as the shows spin-off film The Immortal, which is an integral part of the narrative. The trailer of the fifth season, which Variety is previewing exclusively, is filmed in Naples, Rome and Riga, capital of the Baltic Republic of Latvia, and shows Salvatore Esposito once again playing mob boss Gennaro Genny Savastano who is forced into a bunker at the end of the fourth season. It teases the return of Marco DAmore, once again starring as Ciro Di Marzio, the member of the Savastano clan who entered into conflict with Genny, and was thought dead at the end of season 3, and as revealed in The Immortal resurfaced in Latvia. Get ready for a showdown. Ivana Lotito also returns as Azzurra, who, abandoned by Genny, must do whatever it takes to keep little Pietro safe, far from his father and everything he is associated with, and Arturo Muselli who once again plays Enzo Blue Blood, the former king of Naples Forcella hood who is devoured by guilt for having caused the death of too many partners in crime. Besides Gomorrahs well-established characters who are getting ready for a showdown that appears increasingly invevitable the trailer also introduces several new cast members. Domenico Mimmo Borrelli (5 Is the Perfect Number) plays Don Angelo known as O Maestrale, the ferocious Ponticelli boss who will prove to be crucial for Gennys war against the Levantes clan and to allow him to get back Secondigliano, according to press materials. Tania Garribba (The First King) plays Donna Luciana, O Maestrales wife, a woman with a ferocious character just like her husband and a cunning and refined intelligence. Carmine Paternoster, who starred in Gomorrah, the Matteo Garrone film that preceded the show, has also joined the shows cast as O Munaciello, one of the Secondigliano bosses. The first five episodes and the ninth are directed by actor-turned-director DAmore, who previously helmed two episodes of Gomorrah season 4 and The Immortal, which acts as a narrative bridge between the fourth and fifth seasons, while episodes 6-8 and 10 are directed by Claudio Cupellini, at the helm since the shows start. Both are artistic supervisors. The 10 new episodes of Gomorrah which The New York Times last year rated number five among its top 30 international shows of the past decade are written by head writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, who also wrote the series bible with Saviano. Gianluca Leoncini and Valerio Cilio rounded out the team of writers. Cattleya partner Gina Gardini served as executive producer throughout all five seasons. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Guns N Roses have dropped another new song from their Chinese Democracy-era sessions called Hard Skool. It follows their performance and subsequent official release of Absurd, a reworking of their previously unreleased Silkworms. In the driving song, frontman Axl Rose doles out tough relationship lessons, where being stubborn and ungiving could get you kicked to the curb. You had to play it cool, had to do it your way/You had to be a fool, had to throw it all away, he sings. Too hard school, and you thought you were here to stay/If that were true it wouldnt matter anyway. Guns N Roses dont leave you hanging out to dry, however. In the audio video they shared, the 800 number scrawled across a locker in the clip amusingly leads to Americas hottest talk line. The band is currently on tour, and last week during their stop at the Etess Arena in Atlantic City frontman, Rose discussed the first song that was written for Guns N Roses, Dont Cry. Earlier in the month, the band welcomed surprise guest Dave Grohl to their BottleRock festival set to perform Paradise City, though it was cut midway through the performance due to curfew rules in Napa Valley. Click here to read the full article. The major entertainment unions issued a joint statement of solidarity with the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees on Friday, as the craft union looks towards a strike authorization vote next week. The statement was signed by the heads of SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, East, and the Teamsters. On behalf of our hundreds of thousands of members working across film and television, we stand in solidarity with our I.A.T.S.E. brothers, sisters and kin, the labor leaders said in the statement. The basic quality of life and living wage rights theyre fighting for in their negotiations are the issues that impact all of us who work on sets and productions. We stand with the I.A.T.S.E. Talks between IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have broken down. The union seeks improvements on meal and rest periods, longer turnarounds between production days, and improved rates on streaming projects. The 13 West Coast IATSE locals which represent most below-the-line workers are set to vote on a strike authorization starting on Oct. 1. The results will be announced Oct. 4. The vote is seen as a way to give IATSE negotiators more leverage at the bargaining table, and does not mean that a strike is necessarily imminent. But the union, which tends to quietly ratify contract amendments every three years, is making a much more public and aggressive stand this time around. If the vote is approved, IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb would have the power to call a strike, ordering 60,000 workers off the job from coast to coast. The joint statement of support was signed by Lesli Linka Glatter, the DGA president; Russell Hollander, the DGA national executive director; Fran Drescher, the SAG-AFTRA president; Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the SAG-AFTRA national executive director; James P. Hoffa, the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Michael Winship, the president of WGA East; and Lowell Peterson, the executive director of WGA East. The leadership of WGA West issued a separate statement of support for IATSE on Thursday. We stand with our sisters and brothers of IATSE in their worthy fight for safe working conditions and a fair contract, said the statement from the top three WGA West officers, Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney and Betsy Thomas. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Say youre hitching a ride at the side of a lonely highway, and two cars slow down at once. One is driven by Anton Chigurh, the taciturn, helmet-haired serial killer played to Oscar-winning effect by Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. At the wheel of the other is Blanco, the grayly respectable factory CEO essayed by the same actor in The Good Boss. Seems like an easy choice, though by the end of the latter film, you might be inclined to take your chances with the psychopath. Blanco probably wont kill you; not by his own hand, at least. But with each chaotic plot turn of Spanish director Fernando Leon de Aranoas anti-corporate comedy, it becomes clearer that Blanco is the blandest possible incarnation of pure evil: a man with nary a principle, much less a personality, to his name. Yet as played with an inspired fusion of mundanity and menace by Bardem his natural earthy charisma tamped down beneath shapeless suiting, wire-rimmed glasses and a lank, frosted swadge of executive hair hes curiously riveting, and the best reason this amusing but gazpacho-temperature satire has for being. Needless to say, hell also draw international distributors to a comedy that might otherwise be quite local in appeal. Dont treat me like a boss, Blanco keeps telling people with a thin gray smile. You shudder to think how fast it would vanish if you did anything but. We first encounter him giving a smarmy pep talk to the employees at his company, a manufacturer of industrial scales a detail that Leon de Aranoa will go on to stress for all the metaphorical value its worth, as social imbalance abounds in his busy story. All smiles and handshakes and repeated mentions of community, its a performance for the benefit of a local journalist, visiting to big-up the factory in a commissioned puff piece. But its also a rehearsal of sorts for a presentation that looms larger in Blancos mind: A national committee will soon be arriving to determine the companys suitability for a prestigious business award, and everything has to be perfect. Once the visitors are gone, however, that entails a little harsh housekeeping. Among various downsizing measures, longtime employee Jose (Oscar de la Fuente) is summarily dismissed, and doesnt take it well: Destitute, he sets up camp on a strip of neutral land by the factory entrance, progressively ratcheting up the volume of his one-man protest. Within factory walls, meanwhile, everything is far from hunky-dory. Blancos right-hand man, Miralles (Manolo Solo), is distracted by marital woes and flailing professionally a weakness his boss isnt above exploiting for the good of the company, even as he drags Miralles to strip clubs in supposed solidarity. Blancos own marriage to world-weary fashion boutique owner Adela (Sonia Almarcha) hasnt been sacred for years: Attractive new intern Liliana (Almudena Amor) is evidently the latest in a long line of disposable grooming prospects, proving the icky subtext of his public statement that relationships here go beyond what it says in the contracts. Yet their one-night dalliance isnt as strings-free as Blanco initially assumes. Cue a shift in register from brittle workplace comedy to broad bedroom farce, though one a bit lacking in elastic snap. At two hours, rather intricately stuffed . The satire, too, lacks poison-arrow sharpness and specificity, beyond the general point well taken that corporations protect only their keepers. Still, with its wry outlook and flashes of visual jokery, The Good Boss is significantly livelier than Leon de Aranoa and Bardems last collaboration, the shrill, sudsy Escobar biopic Loving Pablo. Yet it is altogether a world away from their first, on the gentle, empathetic blue-collar drama Mondays in the Sun 19 years ago. (That was Spains surprise Oscar submission over Pedro Almodovars Talk to Her in 2002, and The Good Boss is currently one of three films shortlisted by Spain along with Almodovars Parallel Mothers, as it happens for the honor.) Mondays was a study of working-class men left jobless and adrift by the closing of a shipyard: Nearly two decades later, the new films sympathies are in much the same place, though its less privileged characters get short shrift in favor of a slippery, unctuous protagonist-villain. Sometimes the devil simply does have the best lines, not to mention the worst wigs: Bardem knows that better than most. Reviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival (Competition), Sept. 22, 2021. Running time: 120 MIN. (Original title: El buen patron) Running Time: 2 hours Production (Spain) A Reposado PC, Mediapro Studio production. (World sales: MK2 Films, Paris.) Producers: Fernando Leon De Aranoa, Jaume Roures, Javier Mendez. Executive producers: Patricia De Muns, Pilar De Heras, Laura Fernandez Espeso, Eva Garrido, Marisa Fernandez Armenteros. Crew Director, screenplay: Fernando Leon de Aranoa. Camera: Pau Esteve Birba. Editor: Vanessa Marimbert. Music: Zeltia Montes. With Javier Bardem, Manolo Solo, Almudena Amor, Oscar de la Fuente, Sonia Almarcha, Fernando Albizu, Tarik Rmili, Rafa Castejon, Celso Bugallo. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All checkpoints leading to the interior of the United States from Laredo were closed Friday night and unmanned for about 12 hours through Saturday morning, allowing people to potentially travel freely through them without being inspected. These are not checkpoints directly on the border, rather ones that are already well within the United States on highways which act as an additional last line of defense such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Inspection Station checkpoint north of Laredo at mile marker 29 of Interstate 35, the highway that leads up to San Antonio. Now nearly a week later, CBP still has yet to say just why that decision was made and who made it. And some local leaders seem to be as stumped as everyone else on how that could occur. The closure of the checkpoints, which seems to have come in response to sending agents instead to Del Rio to assist with the migrant influx there, meant typical checks for those smuggling narcotics or people were not done. LMT reached out to CBP regarding the decision through numerous avenues but was provided no comment regarding the important closures. At this time, CBP does not have further comment on your inquiry, said a statement from CBP public affairs officer Sara A. Melendez. Many local officials LMT spoke to said they were completely in the dark regarding the decision, and that to this day, the CBP has not addressed who even made it. There were some that thought the choice was made by Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew Hudak including Hector Garza, the president of the National Border Patrol Council but Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) disputed that. Cuellar said that the order did not come from Hudak directly. The congressman stated that Hudak was instructed by upper-level authorities in the department to gather all possible manpower and head to the Del Rio location. Cuellar was one of the few public officials briefed about the closing of the checkpoints, and he had just crossed them an hour before they were shut down. Meanwhile, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina stated that he called Hudak the next day to figure out simply what was going on and to express that it was a bad precedent that should not have occurred. I did not know that they were going to be unmanned ahead of time, but when I did find out, I immediately called the chief as I do have a very good relationship and good rapport with him, Tijerina said. I called him the next morning and I wanted to know if that is going to go on for the weekend or the week, and what was going on, and he basically just gave a notice then when I called him it was already up and running. I think the chief is doing everything that he can. ... However, I told him that I was a little bit disturbed, and he told me that he understood but stated that it was not his first option and that he hoped that he had more boots on the ground. Tijerina expressed that he does not condemn the decision made, but the overall result was definitely something that troubled him. I did not like it at all that we had our checkpoints unmanned, he said. Another local leader who also was caught by surprise regarding the news was Texas State Sen. Judith Zaffirini (TX-D-21). She stated that she found out about the news on Facebook upon being asked a question about it. As she is a state official and immigration is a federal issue, she is not briefed in the same fashion as when state issues exist. However, she said she called Sheriff Martin Cuellar who had informed her that the checkpoints had closed but were already reopened. According to Zaffirini, based on the information available to her, the decision to close the checkpoints were made in response to the influx of migrants living in dangerous conditions at the Del Rio International Bridge. She added that she does not believe the CBP would have reassigned officers and closed the checkpoints if they had not deemed it necessary for the safety and security of those in Del Rio. State Rep. Tracy King (TX-D-80) who also represents an area of Laredo and southern Webb County, recently went to Del Rio to survey the area and attested the situation is overwhelming. But he said the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas DPS, Texas National Guard and local officials were diligently working together to handle the unprecedented migrant surge to the best of their ability. I do not believe there is much danger, King added. But this is definitely a humanitarian issue and needs quick, swift attention. From the Border Patrol perspective, one of the few who did comment on the situation was Garza. And the president of the National Border Patrol Council stated that the checkpoints have closed in the past due to vehicle accidents or construction, but this was the first time they closed for an issue regarding migrants. Garza stated that he believes drugs and people were probably smuggled in during that time frame as people found out that these areas of inspection had been closed. Knowing the type of traffic that goes through the Border Patrol checkpoint, we are sure that many had loads of drugs and human smuggling events went through, Garza said. Although we have no concrete evidence, but based on the history of the trucking that goes through there, we are sure that did happen, and we have to keep in mind that the I-35 checkpoint was not the only checkpoint that was closed. It was all of the checkpoints in the Del Rio sector and all of the checkpoints in the Laredo sector. Zaffirini, however, said that no elevated threat was detected due to the few hours in which the border checkpoints were shut down, despite the assumption they might have allowed for the criminal element to take advantage of the sudden situation. There is no evidence that we experienced any security breaches or that our country became vulnerable to many threats while the Laredo border checkpoint was closed, she said. To the contrary, Sheriff Martin Cuellar told me that Border Patrol officials asked county and state law enforcement officials to assist in providing security for our region. Several Laredo area Border Patrol agents continue to work in the Del Rio sector to help with the surge of migrants. Garza said he has stayed up to date with them regarding the situation. He said they are being assisted by Texas Department of Safety Troopers and other members of law enforcement. Although Garza hopes the checkpoints are never unmanned and closed again, he does believe this could happen once again depending on how bad the situation continues to be in Del Rio or other areas as migrant surges are expected in other parts of the border as well. I think that the situation on the border dictates operations, and in this case, as we continue to see a migrant crisis in Del Rio and people coming into along the border in large numbers, then we know that Border Patrol operations are going to be affected, Garza said. Garza suggests hiring more Border Patrol agents. He also said another solution that has been proposed to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas has been to ask CBP officers working on the land bridges to assist agents at the checkpoints. One solution he says the Border Patrol offices are not considering is training regular civilians to help with monitoring checkpoints in case this were to happen again. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com A man is wanted by the Laredo Police Department for allegedly burglarizing a vehicle. Authorities identified him as Noe Armando Garcia, 35. He has a warrant out for his arrest for burglary of a vehicle. The case dates back to Aug. 14. At about 7:05 p.m., Laredo police officers responded to a burglary of a vehicle report in the 3200 block of Cleveland Street. A man stated someone had attempted to steal the catalytic converter to his 2004 Toyota Tacoma. He allegedly spotted the male underneath his vehicle and started to approach him. The male is alleged to have then immediately fled the scene in a beige Chrysler. The complainant then noticed his catalytic converter had been damaged. An initial report was filed. LPDs Auto-Theft Task Force investigators opened a case and would identify the suspect as Garcia through the course of the investigation. He remains at large. Garcia is 5-foot-6 and weighs 210 pounds. His hair and eyes are brown. To report his whereabouts, call Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Information leading to an arrest may be rewarded with up to $1,000. COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Two women who had been strangers prior to Thursdays mass shooting at a Tennessee supermarket clenched each others hands and fought back tears Friday, as they gathered at a vigil to pray for healing from the previous days rampage at a Kroger where the shooter worked. Hollie Skaggs and Sara Wiles happened to be running errands at the same Kroger in Collierville. A day later, after a gunman killed one person and himself and wounded 14 others, Skaggs called Wiles her guardian angel. Its been a very trying last few hours, Skaggs said, her voice trembling. Sara and I didnt know each other before. But now, I told her from the beginning when we came out, shes my guardian angel. Im just grateful for her. We ran and hid and heard everything. It was very, very traumatic. We just ask that you pray for us for peace and sleep. Thats one thing thats kind of hard. The gunman, identified by police as UK Thang, worked in a sushi business at the store and was the son of refugees from Myanmar who had settled in Nashville, a family friend said. Police have described Thang as a third-party vendor who worked at the grocery store on a daily basis. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound within a couple of minutes of officers arriving at the Kroger in the upscale suburb outside of Memphis. The victims included 10 employees and five customers, police said. On Friday, some of the wounded were still in critical condition and fighting for their lives, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said at a morning news conference. Lane identified the woman who was killed as Olivia King. Friend Maureen Fraser said King was a widowed mother of three grown sons. Fraser said King was kind of quiet, kind of shy, but also "a little bit feisty because (she'd) been on her own with the support of her family, friends and church. King was a devout Catholic who attended Mass nearly every morning, including the morning of the shooting, Fraser said. She was a very generous person and would always do what she could to help people. Fraser said. That included passing Fraser's family an envelope of cash one year when her husband was out of work. King was worried they wouldn't be able to get Christmas presents for their children. Fraser said the money wasn't necessary, but King insisted on helping. On Facebook, one of Kings sons, Wes King, wrote that he had spoken to a trauma surgeon and learned his mother was shot in the chest. They tried to save her at the hospital to no avail, he wrote. I apologize for the graphic details, but this type of crime needs to stop being glossed over and sanitized. No one deserves this. Police searched the shooters home Thursday and removed electronic devices. We all want to know the why, Lane said of the shooters motive. But today, less than 24 hours (after the shooting), were not ready to tell you that. The shooters parents live in Nashville and are part of a community of Christian refugees from Myanmar who have settled there, according to Aung Kyaw, a friend of the family who came to pray with them at their home on Friday. Kyaw said Thang worked at a sushi business that operated inside the Collierville Kroger, though he wasnt sure what the arrangement was with the grocery store chain. Kyaw said Thangs parents were very upset about their sons involvement and were praying for all the people involved. Kyaw came to the door of the parents home at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Antioch area of Nashville. Kyaw said he did not know the son personally. The shooter, acting alone, did not appear to target anyone specifically as he rampaged through the building Thursday afternoon, police said. The entire shooting was over within minutes as first responders swarmed the scene. Lane said the outcome could have been worse but said officers of every rank quickly responded and were joined by off-duty firefighters. Nobody wants to go into that scene, I can promise you," Lane said. I mean, there were bloody people running out of that building, and there was not one blue uniform that hesitated, from the bottom all the way up. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure could lead to more gun violence. Lee said Friday that the new law strengthened penalties that come into play when violent crime occurs. The constitutional carry bill applies to law-abiding citizens," he said. What happened yesterday was criminal activity, violent criminal gun activity. And those are separate issues. The constitutional carry piece of legislation we passed, in fact, strengthened penalties for violent gun criminals, and we need to continue to find ways to attack violence and violent crime and well keep doing that. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement Friday confirming that the shooter was a third-party vendor but declined to provide additional details. The Collierville store will be closed until further notice but will continue to provide pay and other support to employees, the statement said. ___ Mattise and Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. LONDON (AP) The British government is seeking a legal injunction against climate protestors who blocked the entrance to Europe's busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis and fuel poverty in the U.K. Vehicles were stuck in lines as more than 40 protesters from the climate group Insulate Britain blocked the main road into the Port of Dover. The English Channel port handles 17% of the U.K.s trade in goods. Police said officers made 39 arrests. We wont tolerate reckless behaviour on motorways or ports (Dover this morning), Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter. Im therefore seeking a further injunction to prevent this disruption. The protest group, which blocked London's orbital M25 highway on five days this month, apologized for the disruption but said it was "the only way to keep the issue of insulation on the agenda and to draw attention to how poorly insulated homes are causing ill health, misery and early death for many thousands of people." The group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, has called for better insulation of U.K. homes in order to cut emissions and energy costs. Britain, like other European countries, is facing a spike in natural gas prices that is likely to cause home heating prices to soar as the U.K. heads into winter. The British government already has a court injunction against the highway protesters, meaning the group's members could be jailed if they block the M25 again. The Dover blockade comes amid disruption to supplies across the U.K. due largely to a shortage of truck drivers. Supermarkets have reported a shortage of some goods, and a handful of gas stations have closed. The U.K government has urged people not to panic buy. Environmental activists, many of them students taking time out from school, staged rallies around the world on Friday to call for tougher action on climate change. Courtesy photo /U.S. Border Patrol Two migrants have died in the ranch lands surrounding Laredo over the last few days, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Recently, the Laredo Sector received 13 distress calls from migrants who were lost in the ranch areas surrounding the Gateway City. Laredo, authorities said on Thursday. SEATTLE (AP) The Washington state Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a 46-year sentence for a man who killed his friends little sister when he was 17, finding the punishment focused more on retribution than rehabilitation. Timothy Haag of Longview was initially sentenced to life without parole for choking and drowning 7-year-old Rachel Dillard in a bathtub in 1994. But in 2018, after the U.S. Supreme Court found that automatic life sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional, Haag was resentenced to at least 46 years a term that could have seen him released at age 63. The state Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Cowlitz Superior Court Judge Michael Evans failed during resentencing to properly weigh the significant evidence of Haag's rehabilitation behind bars, which included good behavior, a high school diploma, work in the prison chapel and kitchen, and his religious conversion. Six of the nine justices also said a 46-year sentence for a juvenile is unconstitutional because it amounts to the equivalent of a life sentence, depriving them of a meaningful chance to return to society. The ruling builds on a steady trend in state and federal courts of recognizing that children must be treated differently from adults when they commit crimes, even heinous ones. I had 25 years of conduct the justices could look at that exemplifies what the courts have been saying about how children have a greater capacity for growth and rehabilitation, Mary Kay High, Haag's appeals lawyer, said Thursday. They want to make it very clear to trial courts that mitigation is what requires consideration and weight at these hearings. In resentencing hearings for people who committed crimes as juveniles, retributive factors must count for less than mitigating factors, Justice Helen Whitener wrote in the ruling. The resentencing courts inversion of this balance clearly misapplies our statutes and our precedent. The court awarded Haag a new sentencing hearing, though the justices did not suggest what might be an appropriate prison term. Haag had serious social and emotional troubles as a teen. He grew up in poverty, was bullied at school, abandoned by his father, mistreated by his stepfather and struggled with shame over his sexuality and attraction to his friend, Rachel Dillard's half-brother, Alex. Haag claimed that he killed the girl to punish her family for the way they treated Alex Dillard like dirt including abusing him and forcing him to live in a rat-infested garage. Alex had left the home to escape the abuse, compounding Haag's feelings of abandonment, psychologists testified. At his resentencing hearing, he asked the judge for leniency. The minimum possible sentence, 25 years, could have seen Haag released less than two years later. "There is nothing I can say to make up for what I did, Haag said, according to an account in The Daily News of Longview. I hate myself for it. But Rachel's family vehemently opposed Haag's release. Her mother described how even decades later she continued to lose sleep over her daughter's death, and her father warned the judge of eternal hellfire should he help Haag. In issuing the sentence, Judge Evans noted the difficulty of balancing a vile, cowardly and particularly heinous multistep strangulation and drowning of a defenseless, 65-pound little girl committed by a 300-pound, 17-year-old young man with Haag's troubled background, his youthfulness at the time of the killing and his stellar track record in prison. While the high court was unanimous in finding that the judge's decision failed to give enough weight to Haag's rehabilitation, the justices disagreed on another point: whether a 46-year term for a teenager was unconstitutional because it amounted to the equivalent of a life sentence. Six of the justices said it was. Three others said there was no need to answer that question in Haag's case, with one of them, Justice Debra Stephens, saying 46 years was not necessarily unconstitutional for a teen. Longford farm family, the Fitzpatricks from Lisryan, were named as the Farm Development award winner at the 2021 NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards ceremony at Moorepark Dairy Open Day. Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington was the special guest and the overall winners were the McCarthy family, from Limerick and supplying Kerry Agribusiness. Eugene Fitzpatrick farms in Lisryan, Co Longford, with his wife Deirdre and children, Ruth (7) and Conor (6). Eugene is a second-generation farmer, and a first-generation dairy farmer as his father originally had a suckler farm. Eugene took over the farm around 18 years ago, began the transition into dairy farming and has worked to expand the herd since. Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said; The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards are a unique way of celebrating what is truly special about Ireland. The passion and dedication of Irish family farms, together with our unique farming system, has helped build a strong reputation for Ireland as a high-quality, sustainable food producer. While we face significant challenges as an industry, it is important to celebrate our dairy farmers who are ambassadors for the industry, committed to maintaining exceptional standards in milk quality and sustainable farming. All twelve finalists underwent a detailed assessment by an expert judging panel including Professor Pat Wall from UCD, Dr David Gleeson from Teagasc and Dr Jack Kennedy, Deputy Editor of the Irish Farmers Journal. They were judged on sustainable farming practices, milk quality, technical knowledge, and animal welfare on-farm practices. A mother of five who picked up a credit card she found on the ground has escaped criminal conviction despite repeatedly attempting to 'tap and pay' for items in a Longford retail store. Maria Potova (31), of 14 Curbro House, Great Water Street, Longford, was in attendance at last week's sitting of Longford District Court charged with five counts of theft and handling stolen property offences arising out of an incident at Kellehers Spar, Main Street, Longford on August 13 2021. Ms Potova did not speak during last week's hearing as her solicitor Frank Gearty handed over 25 by way of compensation to the court. He said the card had been found by the accused on the floor and after being told she was lucky by a friend and another associate, Ms Potova entered the store and fraudulently attempted to use the card. She was obvious to the people (shop workers) on CCTV and now she has been brought to book and is facing conviction, added Mr Gearty. He also insisted the incident was out of character for a woman who had never been in court previously and had been resident in Ireland for well over a decade. Judge Seamus Hughes said given Ms Potova's previously unblemished past, her early plea and the fact compensation money had been handed into court, he was of a mind to spare the accused of adding of a criminal sanction to her name. As such, he issued Ms Potova with Section 1 (2) of the Probation Act. The Longford Leader, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Longford Leader for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Longford Leader is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the UK, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. An extra bank holiday could be granted to frontline workers in recognition of the role played by them during the Covid-19 pandemic. Latest reports suggest the introduction of another bank holiday to the Irish working calendar is being mooted to reward the workers. In addition to that, there is speculation about a boost in the minimum wage, rising from the current rate of 10.20 per hour to 10.50 per hour. Those who worked on the frontline could also be in line to receive a once off payment from Government as an extra top-up. Should the bank holiday proposal go ahead, it would mean the number of annual bank holidays would increase to 10. Speaking in the Dail, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said calculating the bonus in a fair way was complicated. There were people who put in enormous extra hours... but there are also people who didnt. That mightnt have been through any fault of their own, it was just that their services were reduced or shut down and they werent redeployed," he said. Arts & Culture By Ls Cohen Published: September 24 2021 We dug into the archives to find these pictures from Long Island history. Enjoy these old-time pictures of Long Island farms and farm equipment. East Hampton Town Truck with Silos in Background - This image shows a truck labelled "Town of East Hampton". The front of the truck appears to be deconstructed or damaged in some way. Two silos are visible in the background. This photograph was either taken or collected by Amagansett historian and librarian Carleton Kelsey. Photo: Amagansett Historical Association. East Hampton Library, Long Island Collection. Taken in 1902 this photograph captures a woman feeding chickens, pictured with a young boy and dog, on a farm located on the South Fork of Long Island, New York. Back of the photograph inscribed, "Katherine, On your 40th (somewhere before mine). Love, Jennifer". Photo: Amagansett Historical Association. East Hampton Library, Long Island Collection. The description accompanying this photo in the collection of the West Hempstead Public Library and West Hempstead Historical Society says: Black and white photo of Edwin C. Duryea standing in horse-drawn wagon. Duryea Farm was located on Hempstead Avenue and Chestnut Street. Duryea farmland extended from Chestnut Street to the point formed at the intersection of Woodfield Road and Hempstead Avenue. Duryea worked from 3 a.m. until 10 p.m. carrying goods to market along the wooden planks of Hempstead Jamaica Turnpike. Toll to Jamaica was 18 cents and an additional 14 cents to East New York. Duryea "built" three schools and a fire department in West Hempstead. In 1887, he returned with his farm wagon from Jamaica loaded with office furniture for the new Hempstead Bank. Photo: West Hempstead Historical Society. In the late 1880s, a few farmers in Eastport began raising Pekin ducks commercially on local streams and uplands. By 1900, William H. Pye was producing 36,000 ducks annually as the largest duck grower in the area. By 1915, Eastport was known as the center of the thriving duck industry on Long Island and restaurants throughout the world were serving Long Island Duckling. Click here to read Crazy Facts About Long Island Duck Farming. Courtesy of the Westhampton Beach Historical Society. Escaping the political upheaval in their homeland, Martin and Anna Wesnofske travelled from Poland to the United States in the 1870s. The German-speaking Wesnofskes settled in what is now the Queens/Nassau border on the Hempstead Plains and bought their first farm in 1892 where they raised seven children. Their kids migrated eastward, bringing their farming traditions with them. On Long Island if you were a farmer, chances are you were growing potatoes. (By the 1940s up to 80% of all farming on Long Island was dedicated to potatoes.) For more images and history about potato farming on Long Island click here. Old County Road, Hicksville, Nassau County, NY. Martin and Anna Wesnofskes oldest son, John, and his Speedwell truck (Sept 15, 1915). Loading the Speedwell for market with produce from the mule drawn field wagon. License plate is 1914. John was an early user of truck transport to market. In the picture you see Johns oldest son, Joseph, and and farm hand Bill Gordon loading produce for market at his Hicksville farm. The farm was located at today's intersection of Old County Road and the east side of today's Wantagh State Parkway. Photo: Courtesy of Ed Wesnofske. Picking Potatoes (1919). By 1919 mechanized digging drawn by tractors had arrived but picking potatoes and placing them in burlap sacks in the fields was still hand labor. Notice steel wheels with large cleats for traction in fields. The youngest five of the ten John Wesnofske children are picking. Photo: Courtesy of Ed Wesnofske. (Circa 1948). Grandson Remi Wesnofskes farm in Melville, N.Y. A Boggs constructed wooden loader, an early mechanical assist in removing the need for human effort to elevate bagged material of both raw planting components and finished potato produce bags onto trucks as you see in this photo. Photo: Courtesy of Ed Wesnofske. Tech & Science, Nature & Weather, Business & Finance By Chris Boyle Published: September 24 2021 "Long Islands offshore wind resources are abundant and must be harnessed so that clean, affordable, and renewable power can be delivered," Suozzi said. As a committed environmentalist and pro-labor and business advocate, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D Long Island, Queens) organized a conference with industry leaders from prominent wind energy companies, labor and environmental groups, and local manufacturers to create a win, win, win forum for Long Islands wind supply future. At the conference, which was held recently at LIUs Tilles Center, keynote speaker, Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, and panelists discussed Long Island offshore wind projects, the state of the local supply chain, and what local manufacturers can do to prepare to enter the supply chain. Working together, all groups in attendance committed to finding paths forward to ensure Long Island emerges as the premier source of wind energy in the country. As an environmental leader in Washington for offshore wind energy, Suozzi has routinely advocated for New York to lead our nation in the development of offshore wind. In 2020 and 2021, Suozzi sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior calling for the issuance of final Wind Energy Area (WEA) and subsequent lease auctions in the New York Bight. Fortunately, New York has already selected five offshore wind projects that will power over two million NYC and Long Island homes. Doing the hard work to bring business, labor and environmentalists together can make wind energy a win, win, win for everyone! Long Islands offshore wind resources are abundant and must be harnessed so that clean, affordable, and renewable power can be delivered to fight climate change, provide high-paying, high-skilled union jobs, and make money for New York businesses. We have convened top leaders from our business, labor, and environmental communities to help us grow our wind future. Lets get it done! said Suozzi. Among the speakers and panelists at Fridays conference were: Liz Shuler, President, AFL-CIO; Siri Espedal Kindem, President, Equinor Wind US; Amanda Schoen, US Public Affairs Specialist, Vestas Wind Systems; Grant Van Wyangaarden, Head of Procurement, rsted; Ross Gould, Vice President for Supply Chain Development, Business Network for Offshore Wind; Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Stephen Nolet, Senior Director, TPI Composites; Peter Lion, Senior Advisor, Offshore Wind NYSERDA; and Tom Montalbine, President, Roman Stone Construction. School & Education, Business & Finance By Chris Boyle Published: September 24 2021 County releases survey to help equitably administer ELC reopening funds to districts. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has released a survey for school officials to help swiftly administer ELC Reopening Schools funding to the independent public and private schools in Nassau County. New York State recently announced that Nassau County is set to receive just over $19 million in Federal funding (via ELC Reopening Schools) to distribute to schools for COVID-19 testing, and related expenses. Our school districts have done a fantastic job navigating this pandemic and we are committed to making sure they can continue to safely deliver a top-notch education to our children. Our schools had to pick up the cost of adjusting to new protocols and mandates in order to reopen their doors and Nassau will continue to assist our school districts to receive the funding they need to keep our children in the classroom, said County Executive Curran In order to ensure an efficient and streamlined process for schools interested in receiving ELC funding, Nassau County will assist by administering the funds for this program. To understand the needs of schools, the County is requesting each district and private school institution responds to a brief survey, sent to each district today, to help the County gauge interest and need. The County expects to have the results of the survey by September 23 and is aiming to accept formal applications through the Boost Nassau Portal by mid-October. The categories of allowable expenses for ELC Funds include: Personnel Laboratory equipment used for COVID-19 testing Collection supplies, test kits, reagents, consumables, and other necessary supplies Personal Protective Equipment Hygiene and cleaning supplies Hardware and software necessary for reporting to public health Tools that assist in the rapid identification, electronic reporting, monitoring, analysis, and evaluation of control measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, that may be translatable to other diseases (e.g., GIS software, visualization dashboards, cloud services). Contracts with academic institutions, private laboratories, other non-commercial healthcare entities, and/or commercial entities that may provide all or part of the screening testing needs. Software or systems to assist with laboratory resource management, quality management, biosafety, or training needs. Leasing/purchasing vehicles and/or costs associated with transporting individuals to get tested Portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems Expenses associated with outreach and assistance School districts were among the many institutions that incurred unexpected expenses due to COVID-19. Expenses like new HVAC filters, new barriers in classrooms and communal spaces, enhanced cleaning, and many other costs put a burden on their budgets, which in turn can be passed onto the local taxpayer. Earlier this year, the County began to offer consulting services to school districts to help them navigate FEMA reimbursements, ESSER funding and additional grant assistance to help protect taxpayers and make sure schools can maximize federal dollars. Districts interested in this assistance can contact the County by calling 516-281-6144. Our school districts have done a tremendous job throughout the pandemic under incredibly difficult circumstances, said Dr. Robert R. Dillon, District Superintendent for Nassau BOCES. We are grateful that the County and especially County Executive Laura Curran continues to recognize the needs of the school districts and look for ways to support them. We are looking forward to working with Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to ensure that available funding is expeditiously allocated to best address the needs of our school districts. We look forward to receiving the Countys survey and I am sure our school district superintendents will make responding to the survey a high priority, said NCCSS President Dr. Tonie McDonald. Local News, Business & Finance By Chris Boyle Published: September 24 2021 Bayshore senior residence in the town of Islip features 75 affordable apartments for adults 55 and older. Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the completion of a $30 million housing development in the hamlet of Bay Shore in Suffolk County. The Bayshore Senior Residence provides 75 affordable homes for households with at least one resident age 55 or older. The LGBT Network will operate a senior center on the building's ground floor. "New York State's communities thrive when everyonenot just the wealthy and privilegedhas a safe and affordable place to call home," Governor Hochul said. "That's why my administration will fight to achieve housing equality for all, especially for New Yorkers who identify as LGBTQ and are often disproportionately impacted by homelessness and housing discrimination. The Bayshore Senior Residence is another example of our commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to decent housing that they can afford with the care and support they need to thrive." The Bayshore Senior Residence includes 75 apartments affordable to households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the Area Median Income. The project's developer is The D&F Development Group, LLC. Twelve apartments are reserved for households in need of supportive services provided by the LGBT Network. The property also features an 8,000 square foot state-of-the-art senior center operated by the LGBT Network on the building's ground floor, which offers services and programming related to health and wellness, food and nutrition, and the arts. The development is conveniently located near retail shops, transportation, recreation, and medical services. Each apartment has Energy Star appliances and central air conditioning. The building has a laundry room, a community room, an intercom system and security cameras. Eleven apartments are accessible for persons with mobility or hearing impairments. State financing for Bayshore Senior Residence includes Federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $19 million in equity and $3.2 million in subsidy from HCR. Additional financing was provided by CPC/New York City Employees Retirement System, Suffolk County, a deferred developer fee, and D&F/LGBT Network equity. HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Our road to recovery from the pandemic relies on our commitment to justice and our efforts to serve those who need our support the most. Through our partnership with the LGBT Network and the D&F Development Group, we have created a safe and welcoming living environment for 75 households and a brand-new senior center that will benefit and enrich the LGBT community in Suffolk County. The $32 million Bayshore Senior Residence offers an array of services and programming that will empower residents to live proud, active, healthy and fulfilling lives. Projects like this one honor New York's diversity and expand opportunity and inclusivity for all." The Bayshore Senior Residence is part of the state's unprecedented $20 billion, five-year Housing Plan to make housing accessible and combat homelessness by building or preserving more than 100,000 affordable homes and 6,000 with supportive services. Since 2011, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has invested more than $366 million in Long Island that has created or preserved nearly 3,000 affordable homes. Peter G. Florey, Principal of The D & F Development Group, LLC, said, "We wish to thank NYS Homes & Community Renewal, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, town of Islip, town of Islip Industrial Development Agency, POKO Partners, LLC, Xenolith Partners, LLC, the Long Island Housing Partnership and of course, the LGBT Network who provided essential funding and support to make this first of its kind housing possible. Without this support, this incredibly important development would not have been possible." Dr. David Kilmnick, President/CEO of the LGBT Network, said, "We are proud and honored to open the nation's first suburban LGBT/LGBT-friendly affordable housing & our 3rd LGBT Community Center on Long Island. The support we have received from the groundbreaking several years ago to this moment is a testament to how far our community has come and how we continue to work collaboratively and collectively to embrace the LGBT community in our region. While we still have a long way to go, the new housing and LGBT Center along with the health, human services and advocacy programs that will be provided will ensure that our LGBT elders age gracefully without fear of discrimination and will proudly display, embrace, value and celebrate their lives. We need to make sure we honor and take care of our LGBT elders as it was this generation who fought so hard for the rights we all have today." Senator Phil Boyle said, "I'm pleased to welcome the first LBGT-Friendly affordable senior apartment complex to the Hamlet of Bay Shore. In addition to providing affordable housing, the state of the art senior citizen center, run by the LGBT Network will be extremely beneficial to the residents. I thank the State Housing and Community Renewal Agency for providing $3.2 million in funding that helped to make this historic housing project viable." Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, "Affordable housing is critical to growing our downtowns, and it's not just young people looking for these types of apartments, its seniors looking to downsize and take a break from the maintenance of owning a home. This LGBT-friendly development, the first of its kind here on Long Island, will provide our seniors who may have previously struggled to find a place where they felt they belonged, a permanent, safe home right here in Suffolk County." (Alliance News) - Advertising giant WPP PLC will pay USD19 million to settle charges brought by the US over allegations of bribery in India and other emerging markets, the American securities regulator announced Friday. WPP undertook an "aggressive business growth strategy" that led officials to repeatedly ignore or not respond to warning signs of corruption as it bought interests in local agencies in "high-risk markets," the Securities & Exchange Commission said in a news release. A subsidiary in India continued to bribe government officials there despite receiving seven anonymous complaints related to the conduct, said the SEC, which also cited "other schemes and internal accounting control deficiencies related to WPP's subsidiaries in China, Brazil, and Peru." The order chronicles conduct between 2013 and 2018 and charges WPP with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. WPP agreed to the financial penalties and to cease and desist from the conduct, the SEC said, though the company did not admit or deny the claims. "As the Commission's order recognizes, WPP's new leadership has put in place robust new compliance measures and controls, fundamentally changed its approach to acquisitions, cooperated fully with the Commission and terminated those involved in misconduct," WPP said. Shares in WPP closed 0.6% lower in London on Friday at 991.00 pence each. source: AFP Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Lekoil Ltd on Friday said it has now been served with a civil action in the Superior Court of New Jersey regarding the termination of former chief executive Olalekan Akinyanmi. Lekoil, which is an oil and gas exploration and production company with a focus on Nigeria and West Africa, said it will defend any claims in civil action from Akinyanmi. The civil action alleges a breach of contract in the termination of Akinyanmi. "The action alleges breach of contract in termination his employment contract; seeks declaratory relief for the award of bonuses for past services; seeks to employ set off of any termination payments due under the employment contract or the bonuses against the sum due under the CEO loan; and alleges defamation for issuing the RNS's related to the termination of his contract," the company said. So far, the legal advice received by the company does not suggest any grounds for any of the above claims to be successful, Lekoil said. In early June, Lekoil announced the termination of Akinyami's contract due to an unspecified "corporate governance breach". A week later, Lekoil explained that Akinyanmi in late 2020 took on the role of CEO of Lekoil Nigeria Ltd, without Lekoil's consent. "The company will seek to ensure that Akinyanmi be restricted from continuing in this role as CEO of Lekoil Nigeria, as per the provisions of his employment contract with the company. The company reserves its rights to challenge the validity of any actions in breach of these provisions and would advise relevant parties to seek the relevant legal advice," the company said at the time. Lekoil shares were down 1.1% at 0.92 pence each in London on Friday afternoon. By Greg Roxburgh; gregroxburgh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Scirocco Energy PLC on Friday said the Ruvuma joint venture - in which Scirocco owns a 25% legacy position - has awarded a seismic acquisition contract to Africa Geophysical Services Ltd. Africa Geophysical Services is based in Muscat, Oman and is a land seismic data acquisition and processing company. Under the deal, AGS will collect 338 square kilometres of seismic data that will focus on the proposed location for the Chikumbi-1 well in the Ntorya gas field in Tanzania. AGS intends to start activities in the location in October. "The award of the seismic acquisition contract is exciting news and marks an important milestone for the Ruvuma project. Following the recent award of the two year licence extension, the project is now entering a period of operational activity designed to understand the full potential of the development - a key value inflection point," said Scirocco Chief Executive Officer Tom Reynolds. Tanzania focused gas project developer Aminex PLC - which holds a 75% working interest through subsidiary Ndovu Resources Ltd - noted the awarded contract. Shares in Scirocco Energy were 3.0% higher at 0.95 pence on Friday in London, while Aminex's shares were up 4.0% at 0.70 pence. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The UK Serious Fraud Office on Friday said Petrofac Ltd has pleaded guilty to 7 bribery offences. Shares in the Jersey-based provider of services to the oil and gas industry were 23% higher in London on Friday afternoon at 133.50 pence each. "Following requisition by the Serious Fraud Office, Petrofac Ltd attended Westminster Magistrates' Court where the company was charged with seven separate offences of failing to prevent bribery between 2011 and 2017," the SFO said. After being heard at Westminster Magistrates' Court, the case has been sent to the Crown Court, which the regulator explained is in line with the legal procedure for SFO cases into serious and complex financial crime. The SFO added: "The next hearing will take place on Monday 27 September at Southwark Crown Court, where pleas from the defendant will be entered. Petrofac Ltd has reported its intention to plead guilty, following a plea agreement it has entered into with the Serious Fraud Office." By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserve. (Alliance News) - The UK Competition & Markets Authority on Friday said it is considering whether the acquisition by CHC Group LLC of Babcock International Group PLC's oil & gas aviation businesses will lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the UK. The London-based aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering company announced the sale of its oil & gas aviation business in March. The business, part of Babcock's aviation segment, is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland and provides offshore oil and gas crew transportation services in the UK, Denmark and Australia. Irving, Texas-based helicopter services company CHC purchased the businesses for GBP10 million, and the sale was completed in September. The CMA has launched its merger inquiry by notice to CHC and Babcock on Thursday, and has a deadline of November 18 to make its phase one decision. The regulator's invitation to comment also closes on October 7. Shares in Babcock International were marginally lower at 378.70 pence on Friday in London. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. LIVONIA, Mich. Madonna Universitys residence halls are at capacity with 420 students for the 2021-2022 academic year, which is the largest residential population in the schools history. In response to the increased demand for a residential university experience, Madonna administrators, staff, and students took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a third residence hall; part of the Universitys five-year plan to expand on-campus housing. The steady rain did not deter the ceremony, Thursday, Sept. 23. We seem to have a tradition of breaking ground in the rain, joked Madonna University President Michael Grandillo, Ph.D., referencing the May 2019 downpour for the Welcome Center groundbreaking. Our academic programs are attracting students from greater distances, and more and more students want to have the residential college experience. Madonna has once again partnered with University Housing Solutions (UHS) for this project. Grandillo expressed his gratitude to UHS Founder Frank Murphy for investing in Madonna. Murphy made the largest-ever gift to the University. At the groundbreaking, Jim Schmidt, UHS president, shared how excited his team is to partner with Madonna, as the two institutions share very similar missions and values. We look forward to being part of the Madonna community for a very long time, said Schmidt. Before hardhats were donned and ceremonial shovels were dug into the muddy ground, Fr. Charles Morris, assistant professor of religious studies and philosophy at Madonna, blessed the ground, and added sprinkles of holy water to the sprinkles that were heaven-sent. The three-story residence hall will hold nearly 100 students and it will feature two sections on either side of a common student lounge and dining area on each floor. The fully-furnished bedrooms will include private closets, and desks for each student. The residents on each floor will share private bathrooms, common laundry space, and common lounge space that includes a full kitchen and seating area. About University Housing Solutions Based in Powell, Ohio, UHS has more than 30 years of experience in developing student housing projects. From site selection, planning and financing, through construction, UHS provides full-service support throughout all phases of the project. # # # Spanish airport operator Aena could lose up to 1.5 billion euros of revenues between 2020 and 2025 after Spain passed a law on Thursday pegging retail tenants' rent to air traffic until footfall reaches pre-pandemic levels. The much-disputed minimum annual guaranteed rents owed to Aena will be reduced in direct proportion to the passenger flow in each local airport, according to the text of the law, and will remain as such until travel returns to 2019 figures. The legal change is set to protect all food, drink and retail businesses whose rental contracts with Aena were active on March 14, 2020, the day Spain went into COVID-19 lockdown. "This is a sector which will head straight towards bankruptcy otherwise," said lawmaker Pedro Quevedo of the centre-left Nueva Canarias party after reading the proposed law. Lawmakers voted in favour of the new legislation by a majority of 178 to 16. Aena, which expects traffic at its airports to recover to 2019 levels only in 2026, said in a statement it will evaluate "all judicial implications of the norm and will take all possible actions to the defend the social interest of the company." The company said the estimate is partial and it cannot fully fathom the cost of the new regulation. The shares of the company were down 1.7% in afternoon trading after the vote. Madrid's Barajas airport and Barcelona's El Prat, Spain's international hubs, received around 48% fewer passengers in August of this year than in the same month in 2019. Global duty free group Dufry and food merchant SSP, both tenants in Aena's network of airports, declined to comment on the regulatory change. With the two goals and two assists he registered in Real Madrid's 6-1 win against Real Mallorca on Wednesday night, Karim Benzema has a total of eight goals and seven assists so far this season. This means that the France international has participated in 68 percent of Real Madrid's goals in 2021/22, as he has been directly involved in 15 of the 22 goals they have sent into the back of the net. Benzema's numbers can only be compared with those of Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 15 times, and Erling Haaland, who has 11 goals and has four assists in eight games. The Real Madrid No.9 has been extraordinary in 2021, as he has been involved in 34 Real Madrid goals, scoring 23 and providing 11 assists. Lewandowski has 34 goal involvements too (31 goals and three assists), and the two men are followed by Lionel Messi (23 goals and eight assists) and Haaland (24 goals and seven assists), who have 31 goals involvements each. Kylian Mbappe comes fourth with 16 goals and six assists (25 involvements), tied with Romelu Lukaku, who has scored 16 times and produced nine assists. Benzema has found the back of the net 287 times with Real Madrid and is close to overtaking legend Carlos Santillana, who netted 290 goals in a 17-year career at the club. The 33-year-old has now also reached 200 LaLiga Santander goals and only Cristiano Ronaldo (312), Raul Gonzalez (228) and Alfredo Di Stefano (216) have scored more times than him with Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus M.Barysevich visits Egypt On September 22, 2021, Cairo hosted the sixth round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Egypt with the participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikalai Barysevich and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt Badr Abdel Aty. The consultations were also attended by the Deputy Ministers of Tourism, Supply and Internal Trade, Education and Scientific Research of Egypt. The Sides discussed the entire range of issues on the Belarusian-Egyptian agenda, as well as regional developments. The participants of the meeting noted the positive dynamics and results of the implementation of specific projects of industrial cooperation, discussed bilateral steps to promote contacts in the field of education, scientific, technical and humanitarian cooperation, improving the legal framework. A special attention was paid to the issues of trade, economic, credit and investment cooperation of the two countries. The agenda of the next meeting of the Belarusian-Egyptian intergovernmental commission, as well as the modality of holding the third Belarusian-African economic forum were discussed. The Sides stressed their readiness to carry out further active interaction and provide mutual support in the international organizations. During his visit to Cairo, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus also met with First Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry of Egypt Ahmed Maghawry Diab, Assistant Secretary General of the League of Arab States on political issues Khalil Ibrahim Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce Alaa Ezz, Chairman of the Egyptian part of the Belarusian-Egyptian Business Council Ahmed Kelani, Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Sustainable Development Motaz Raslan, as well as with representatives of Egyptian business. print version Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei participates in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (second day) On September 23, 2021 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, took part in the first Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter. Background Information: The Group of Friends is an informal association of like-minded states in the UN, which was created at the initiative of Venezuela in July 2021. The Group includes Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela, Iran, Cambodia, China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, Palestine, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea. The goals of the Group are to oppose unilateral coercive measures, to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the participating countries in accordance with the principles of international law, to promote joint initiatives aimed at protecting and strengthening the authority of the provisions of the UN Charter. During the meeting, V.Makei made a statement in which he emphasized the importance of the member states adherence to the principles and goals of the UN Charter which is a fundamental document aimed at promoting global peace and security, resolving international conflicts and advancing sustainable development. Minister focused the attention of the participants on the need to take joint efforts to counter unilateral coercive measures, which today pose a threat not only to the sustainable development of the participating countries, but also directly to their sovereignty. V.Makei stressed that Belarus consistently opposes the practice of using unilateral coercive measures as an instrument of foreign policy and calls on the world community to unconditionally eradicate them in accordance with the principles of international law. Following the meeting of the Group of Friends, a joint political Declaration was adopted with the aim to intensify multilateral efforts in advancing the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. During the meeting of Vladimir Makei with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Felix Plasencia, the parties stressed the need to intensify comprehensive interstate dialogue and impart dynamics to cooperation in trade and economic sphere. The issues of organizing a visit to the Republic of Belarus by the Special Envoy of the President of Venezuela to hold meetings with Belarusian partners and discuss the entire spectrum of areas of bilateral cooperation were discussed. The Ministers noted the coincidence of positions on all issues of the international agenda, agreed on close coordination of actions within the framework of multilateral efforts aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty of the UN Member States. At the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Bui Thanh Son, Vladimir Makei stressed the importance of resuming personal contacts at the highest and high levels which were temporarily interrupted due to the pandemic. Special attention was paid to the prospects of development of the Belarusian-Vietnamese trade and economic cooperation, including increase in supply of the Belarusian trucks and creation of joint ventures. The Foreign Minister of Vietnam confirmed his interest in using the potential of the signed Free Trade Agreement between the Member States of the EAEU and Vietnam to promote the Vietnamese products to the Eurasian market. The Ministers noted that the planned opening of the Consulate General of Belarus in Ho Chi Minh City will further contribute to deepening dialogue between the countries in all spheres. The parties also discussed the issues of interaction between Belarus and Vietnam in international organizations, including mutual support in elections to the UN bodies. V.Makei met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique, Veronica Makamo Dlovo. The Foreign Ministers noted recent intensification of political contacts and discussed the prospects for the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. They noted the importance of mutual support in international organizations, agreed to take a number of concrete steps on the bilateral and multilateral tracks. On the initiative of the Jamaican side, a meeting was held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith. During the meeting, the parties discussed the priority areas of cooperation in the UN and reached the agreement on mutual support in elections to the UN structures. V.Makei had a conversation with the Estonian Foreign Minister, Eva-Maria Liimets, during which a wide range of issues of mutual interest were raised. A meeting was held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Faisal Mekdad, during which the counterparts exchanged views on the development of the internal political situation in Belarus and Syria as well as on a number of issues on the international agenda. The ministers discussed the possibility of holding in the near future the next meeting of the Joint Belarusian-Syrian Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, exchange of high-level visits. Faisal Mekdad expressed gratitude to the Belarusian side for organizing rehabilitation of Syrian children, as well as for humanitarian assistance, which is regularly provided to Syria by our country. A meaningful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto, took place. The Foreign Ministers exchanged their views on topical issues of the international agenda and prospects for deepening bilateral cooperation. V.Makei attended the UN Food Systems Summit. The important role of sustainable food systems in the attainment of the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development, as well as the input of Belarus to the global food security were noted in the statement of Minister. (in Russian) Minister drew attention to the fact that the unilateral sectoral sanctions against the major exporting States of vital raw materials used in agriculture, including potash mineral fertilizers, pose a direct threat to food security, putting the population of vulnerable countries at risk of hunger. It was underlined that such actions are incompatible with the declared care for people by many Western States. V.Makei called to reject the use of sanctions, inconsistent both with the Charter of the United Nations and the UNGA resolutions. print version AG Nessel Joins Coalition Voicing Concern Over Disparate Treatment of Haitian Refugees AG Nessel Joins Coalition Voicing Concern Over Disparate Treatment of Haitian Refugees Attorney General Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Public inquiries: 517-335-7622 September 24, 2021 LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 16 other attorneys general in sending a letter to President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressing concern over the treatment of thousands of Haitian refugees currently seeking humanitarian aid along the border in Texas. The coalition also urged the administration to reevaluate its rush to unfairly expel refugees to Haiti. In their letter, the coalition is calling on the Biden administration to ensure federal officials treat Haitian refugees with dignity and compassion. The attorneys general are also urging the administration to exercise its authority to give Haitian nationals seeking refuge in the United States the same due process other immigrants and refugees receive by assessing each Haitian refugee on a case-by-case basis, rather than continuing a disparate immigration policy that rushes the repatriation of Haitian refugees to a country that has suffered from political unrest after the assassination of their president and a humanitarian crisis on the heels of a devastating earthquake and tropical storm. "The refugee crisis in Texas is a tragic one and I recognize the difficult policy concerns it poses for the United States," Nessel said. "That said, refugees and asylees who come to this country, fleeing violence and other extreme circumstances, deserve our respect and understanding. Those traveling to our border have already experienced humanitarian and governance crises in Haiti - we must not allow a callous welcome to be their first experience in America." In recent days, photographs and video emerged of U.S. immigration officials using inhume tactics, including charging at and attempting to whip Haitian refugees, in Del Rio, Texas. This comes as thousands of refugees continue to flee Haiti as the country faces unprecedented political upheaval following this summer's presidential assassination and struggles to rebuild critical infrastructure after a destabilizing August earthquake. In their letter, the coalition commends the federal government's commitment to investigating the inhumane tactics of U.S. immigration officials in Texas and for its recent decision to increase the number of refugees who will be allowed into the United States. However, the coalition also expresses concern over the continuation of a summary deportation policy that is forcing many Haitian refugees seeking asylum or other humanitarian assistance in the United States to return to Haiti without any consideration of the legitimacy of their claims for asylum. The coalition asserts that Haitian refugees deserve the same due process as all other individuals attempting to immigrate or flee to the United States, and the circumstances of every Haitian seeking refuge in the United States should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The attorneys general argue that this individualized evaluation should factor in both the time a person has been away from Haiti and the circumstances he or she will likely face if forced to return amid Haiti's current humanitarian and governance crises. The attorneys general note that the federal government has several tools at its disposal to address the dire conditions Haitian refugees are facing in Del Rio, including the president's ability to exercise discretionary refugee admission authority during a humanitarian crisis. In the event of an unforeseen emergency refugee situation, the president has authority to designate a number of refugees to be admitted into the United States that is separate from the annual cap on immigrants allowed into the U.S. The attorneys general point out that the admission of Haitian refugees is justified by the grave humanitarian concerns currently facing the people of Haiti. The coalition also suggests that the administration could invoke country-specific measures to allow these migrants to legally remain in the United States while conditions in their country of origin are too hazardous for them to safely return. Additionally, the U.S. attorney general may parole a refugee into the United States. The coalition argues that the administration should exercise its discretion, which the law expressly provides, to demonstrate compassion and fairness in the treatment of those Haitians seeking refuge in our country. Schramm's Mead Awarded 2021 Ag Exporter Rising Star Award For immediate release: September 16, 2021 Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724 Ferndale, MI - Today Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Gary McDowell presented the "2021 Michigan Agriculture Exporter Rising Star Award" to Schramm's Mead. Schramm's Mead, located in Ferndale, is a leading producer of mead, the fermented beverage from honey. "It's tremendous to see come to fruition what I have known for a long time, which is Michigan's entrepreneurial spirit mixed with food and ag know-how is a powerful combination," said McDowell. "This unique company is poised to help showcase the diverse, quality products made here." Founded in 2012 by Ken Schramm, the company has already achieved significant growth in foreign and domestic markets over the past decade. The company's product line focuses largely on styles containing richly flavored fruits, unique varietal honeys, and bold spices. Exported products include items with names like Michigan Apple, Erik the Red, The Statement, Raspberry, and more using Michigan ingredients. Schramm's Mead actively exports to the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan experiencing over 200 percent export sales growth year-over-year from 2019 to 2020. Demand for the products in several markets has been extremely high with some releases selling out within a matter of hours. "Two words which express our corporate philosophy are quality and fidelity," said Ken Schramm, President & Founder. "Schramm's Mead has always used quality as its most distinct and important means of establishing brand and product differentiation. The use of Michigan Balaton cherries a good example of a practice that serves that principle." The award review committee consisted of representatives from Michigan State University, the US Commercial Service, Comerica Bank, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith P.C., the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Van Andel Global Trade Center. The decision was made based on export growth in the past three years, job creation from exporting, and ability to enter new markets. To be eligible for this award, more than 50 percent of a company's product must be grown, processed, or manufactured in Michigan, and exports must have contributed a substantial amount to a company's overall growth. For more information on past winners and MDARD's International Marketing Program, visit: Michigan.gov/AgExport. ### Photo 1: Schramm's Mead Receives Rising Star Award Photo 2: MDARD Director Gary McDowell and Ken Schramm, Schramm's Mead MDCR Director John E. Johnson, Jr. Issues Statement Congratulating Dr. Robert L. Green on East Lansing School Renamed in his Honor MDCR Director John E. Johnson, Jr. Issues Statement Congratulating Dr. Robert L. Green on East Lansing School Renamed in his Honor Vicki Levengood levengoodv@michigan.gov September 24, 2021 LANSING, MI--John. E. Johnson, Jr., Executive Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, has issued the following statement congratulating Dr. Robert L. Green, Ph.D., Dean and Professor Emeritus of Michigan State University, on the renaming of East Lansing's Pinecrest Elementary School in his honor. "Dr. Green is a home grown civil rights icon. He is a man who worked alongside America's greatest civil rights leaders, while waging his own courageous battle to buy the home of his choosing. Dr. Green will be remembered far beyond the boundaries of East Lansing; his fight to buy a home in that city was the first successful legal challenge against redlining anywhere in the country. It is fitting that a man who has dedicated his life to educating educators is now honored by the community where he lived and worked with a school renamed in his honor. Congratulations, Dr. Green." The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was created by the Michigan Constitution to safeguard constitutional and legal guarantees against discrimination. The Commission is charged with investigating alleged discrimination against any person because of religion, race, color or national origin, genetic information, sex, age, marital status, height, weight, arrest record, and physical and mental disability. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights serves as the operational arm of the Commission. # # # This week, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials from Lansing visited the Upper Peninsula to meet with constituent groups at key meetings. DNR Natural Resources Deputy Shannon Lott and Wildlife Division Chief Jared Duquette attended meetings Wednesday of the Upper Peninsula Habitat Workgroup in Ishpeming and the DNR's Western U.P. Citizens' Advisory Council in Marquette Township. "The U.P. stakeholders are among our most passionate, and seeing them in person means a great deal to all of us," Lott said. "I have missed traveling throughout the U.P. over the last 18 months, and my time here was well spent to get reconnected to all of them." Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2021 Contact: Press@Michigan.gov Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan Wireless charging advances Governor Whitmer's goals for EV adoption and environmental sustainability in Michigan PONTIAC, Mich. - While participating in the opening ceremony at Motor Bella today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new initiative to develop the nation's first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in the U.S. right here in Michigan. The development of a wireless dynamic charging roadway in Michigan is a step forward in addressing range anxiety and will accelerate the transition to all-electric transit fleets in Michigan, and beyond. "Michigan was home to the first mile of paved road, and now we're paving the way for the roads of tomorrow with innovative infrastructure that will support the economy and the environment, helping us achieve our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "This project reinforces my commitment to accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure in Michigan and will create new opportunities for businesses and high-tech jobs amidst the transition to electric vehicles." The Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification that will deploy an electrified roadway system that allows electric buses, shuttles and vehicles to charge while driving, enabling electric vehicles to operate continuously without stopping to charge. Electrified roadways have the potential to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles by consumers and fleet operations alike by enabling continuous vehicle operations and turning public streets into safe and sustainable shared energy platforms. As the first in the nation to deploy this forward-looking infrastructure, Michigan continues to secure its reputation as a leader in future transportation solutions and accelerate progress toward our carbon neutrality goals. MDOT will release a Request for Proposal on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 to design, fund, evaluate, iterate, test and implement the Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot along a one-mile stretch of state-operated roadway in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. This partner will work closely with MODT, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on this project. The RFP (Requisition 3524) will be posted to eProposal; which can be accessed through MILogin at MILogin for Third Party or at the following link starting on September 28. "At MDOT, we know the future of mobility involves connectivity, and this initiative dovetails nicely with our other successes linking vehicles and infrastructure through technology," said MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba. "This is a model we will build on across the state to further promote the governor's broad and ambitious vision." To date, MDOT has activated the largest vehicle-to-infrastructure technology deployment - nearly 600 miles - in the United States, including a first-of-its-kind connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) corridor. Michigan is also home to the most diverse collection of automated vehicle and drone testing environments in the world, more mobility-related patents than any other state, and more engineers per capita than anywhere else in the world. Today's news builds on announcements by the administration in the past month, including the first round of Michigan Mobility Funding Platform funding grants to accelerate mobility and EV investments in the state, a robot delivery program to address last-mile delivery challenges in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood; Detroit Smart Parking Lab, a new public/private sector collaboration launching the nation's first-of-its-kind, real-world test site for parking solutions, also in Corktown; and a MOU between Michigan and Ontario on cross-border activities to spur technology innovations and transportation solutions that enhance crossings by land, air, and water. "We're in the midst of the most significant shift in the automotive industry since the Model T rolled off the assembly line more than a century ago, and Michigan is once setting the course manufacturing the vehicles of the future and deploying charging solutions that make EV adoption more widely available" said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. "This electrified roadway has the potential to accelerate autonomous vehicles at scale and turn our streets into safe, sustainable, accessible and shared transportation platforms." Learn more about how Michigan is leading in transportation mobility and electrification visit www.michiganbusiness.org/mobility. # # # Governor Whitmer Appeals FEMA Denial to Add Macomb and Oakland Counties to Major Disaster Declaration Governor Whitmer Appeals FEMA Denial to Add Macomb and Oakland Counties to Major Disaster Declaration FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2021 Contact: press@michigan.gov Governor Whitmer Appeals FEMA Denial to Add Macomb and Oakland Counties to Major Disaster Declaration LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced the State of Michigan is appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) denial to expand the Major Disaster Declaration in southeast Michigan to include households in Macomb and Oakland counties. The request was made following heavy rainfall and flooding across southeast Michigan in late June. "The impact of these storms has been widespread, affecting multiple counties in Michigan. We know, nearly three months later, many families still need help recovering, which is why I'm appealing their decision to get the resources that Michiganders need right now," said Governor Whitmer. "We will not stop working with our federal partners to ensure our communities get assistance to recover from the damage caused by these unprecedented events. And I will continue to advocate for the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill so that we can build more resilient infrastructure to the effects of severe storms." The appeal follows the completion of additional joint preliminary damage assessments with federal and local officials to validate the extent of damage to homes across Macomb and Oakland counties. If added to the federal declaration, households affected by the flooding in Macomb and Oakland counties would be eligible to apply for assistance to include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and businesses recover. On June 25 and 26, heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in southeast Michigan, damaging infrastructure and private property. On June 26, Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Wayne County, later adding Huron, Ionia and Washtenaw Counties. By declaring a state of emergency, the governor made available all state resources in cooperation with local response and recovery efforts in the designated area. On July 13, Governor Whitmer sent a letter to President Biden requesting that he declare an emergency disaster for the state of Michigan. On July 15, President Biden issued a disaster declaration allowing individual assistance for Wayne and Washtenaw counties. On August 27, Governor Whitmer requested Oakland and Macomb Counties be included in that disaster declaration. On September 2, FEMA denied that request. To read the appeal letter, click here. ### PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Youre lucky, the U.S. officials said. Youre going to see your family. The authorities had called out numbers corresponding to raffle-like tickets the Haitians had been issued when they were detained after crossing the border into Texas. As each number was called, another bedraggled immigrant stood up. Everyone was happy, recalled Jhon Celestin. But I was not happy. I saw it was a lie. The prize was a one-way trip back to the place they had so desperately wanted to escape. And so it was that Celestin arrived in Haiti aboard the last flight Wednesday to the capital of Port-au-Prince, a city the 38-year-old left three years ago in search of a better-paying job to help support his family. He is among some 2,000 migrants that the U.S. expelled to Haiti this week via more than 17 flights, with more scheduled in upcoming days. Staying in Haiti is not an option for many of them. Like Celestin, they plan to flee their country again as soon as they can. It had stopped drizzling as Celestin left the airport and stepped out into streets choked with dust and smoke, carrying a bag in one hand and his 2-year-old daughter in the other. Chloe, born in Chile, looked around quietly at her new surroundings as Celestin and his wife asked to borrow someones phone to call a taxi. It would be more expensive, but they didnt want their toddler riding on a motorcycle a common means of transport in city where vehicles must veer around smoldering garbage dumps, heavy traffic and the occasional burning barricade. After a 35-minute ride, they arrived at a house whose basement they would share with a cousin who had been expelled from the U.S. the day before. The home is located a couple blocks away from where 15 people were killed in a shooting rampage in June, including a journalist and political activist. Among those charged was a police officer. This is not what I imagined, being here, said Celestins wife, 26-year-old Delta de Leon, who was born in the Dominican Republic to a Dominican father and a Haitian mother. But here I am, although I hope to leave soon because the one thing Ive never wanted for my daughter is for her to grow up here. Haiti has more than 11 million people; about 60% make less than $2 a day. A cornerstone of its economy is money from Haitians living abroad -- $3.8 billion a year, or 35% of the countrys GDP. The Haiti to which the migrants are returning is more violent, more impoverished and more politically unstable than the one they left. It is struggling to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti in August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes. Thousands of people live in squalid shelters after their homes were razed in recent months as a result of rampant gang violence. Celestin and his wife dont plan on staying long. On his first day back in Haiti, Celestin spent several hours sprawled on the queen-sized bed he shared with his wife and daughter. He chatted on the phone with his sister, who lives in Chile, and with friends elsewhere as he planned his familys departure. He paused only to get a haircut and to figure out how to pick up a money transfer, since he had previously sent all his identification documents to his family in Miami in hopes he would be reunited with them with this month. The new plan is to return to Chile, where he built homes as a construction worker after obtaining a visa. With the pandemic drying up jobs and freezing the economy, the family decided to try their luck at the U.S.-Mexico border, traveling by foot, bus and boat at night for about a month. What hurt me the most, what frustrated me the most, was the dead people I saw, migrants who died along the way, said de Leon. The toll of that trip, the conditions at the border and the recent deportation flight with a sick child -- Chloe had developed an incessant cough while the family camped under a Texas bridge -- meant de Leon didnt sleep much her first night in Haiti. I cried because I dont want to be here, she said. De Leon intends to cross the border into the Dominican Republic with her daughter as soon as possible to reunite with her father, sister and brother while her husband flies ahead to Chile. But first, the family planned to go to the coastal city of Jacmel in southern Haiti to see more relatives, a risky trip because it entailed crossing gang-controlled territory. Buses often form convoys for safety, and sometimes pay gangs for safe passage. The violence in that neighborhood has reached such high levels that Doctors Without Borders recently closed its clinic there after 15 years. Breakfast on that first morning in Haiti consisted of spaghetti and bits of avocado. Normally, Chloe has milk and fruit, but de Leon said she was waiting on a money transfer to buy some basic food items. She worried about her daughters health, and about her future. The future I want for her is a better life, a more comfortable one, the kind a poor person can give their children, she said. If that life has to be in the United States, so be it. If it has to be in Chile, let it be in Chile. But let it be a better life. On their second day in Haiti, the couple decided to take the risk and go to Jacmel. A minibus waited as Celestin and de Leon grabbed their bags and put on new shoes they had bought earlier that morning: black-and-white sneakers for him, white sandals for her. Na pale! Celestins cousin called out to them in Creole -- Well talk! And the couple boarded the minibus, placing their little girl between them as they embarked on the treacherous road to Jacmel. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. PHOENIX (AP) A Republican-backed review of the 2020 presidential election in Arizonas largest county ended Friday without producing proof to support former President Donald Trumps false claims of a stolen election. After six months of searching for evidence of fraud, the firm hired by Republican lawmakers issued a report that experts described as riddled with errors, bias and flawed methodology. Still, even that partisan review came up with a vote tally that would not have altered the outcome, finding that Biden won by 360 more votes than the official results certified last year. The finding was an embarrassing end to a widely criticized, and at times bizarre, quest to prove allegations that election officials and courts have rejected. It has no bearing on the final, certified results. Previous reviews of the 2.1 million ballots by nonpartisan professionals that followed state law have found no significant problem with the vote count in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix. Biden won the county by 45,000 votes, key to his 10,500-vote win of Arizona. For many critics the conclusions, presented at a hearing Friday by the firm Cyber Ninjas, underscored the dangerous futility of the exercise, which has helped fuel skepticism about the validity of the 2020 election and spawned copycat audits nationwide. We havent learned anything new, said Matt Masterson, a top U.S. election security official in the Trump administration. What we have learned from all this is that the Ninjas were paid millions of dollars, politicians raised millions of dollars and Americans trust in democracy is lower. Cyber Ninjas acknowledged in its report that there were no substantial differences between the group's hand count of ballots and the official count. But the report also made a series of other disputed claims the auditors say should cast doubt on the accuracy and warrant more investigation. Trump issued statements Friday falsely claiming the review found widespread fraud. He urged Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican vying for his party's U.S. Senate nomination, to open an investigation. Brnovich, who has been criticized by Trump supporters for not adequately backing the review, did not commit: I will take all necessary actions that are supported by the evidence and where I have legal authority," he said in a statement before the report was made public. Republicans in the state Senate ordered the review under pressure from Trump and his allies, subpoenaing the election records from Maricopa County and selected the inexperienced, pro-Trump auditors. It took months longer than expected and was widely pilloried by experts. Still, the Arizona review has become a model that Trump supporters are pushing to replicate in other swing states where Biden won. Pennsylvanias Democratic attorney general sued Thursday to block a GOP-issued subpoena for a wide array of election materials. In Wisconsin, a retired conservative state Supreme Court justice is leading a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 election, and this week threatened to subpoena election officials who dont comply. Backers also called for additional election reviews in Arizona on Friday. None of the reviews can change Bidens victory, which was certified by officials in each of the swing states he won and by Congress on Jan. 6 after Trumps supporters, fueled by the same false charges that generated the audits, stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to prevent certification of his loss. The Arizona report claims a number of shortcomings in election procedures and suggested the final tally still could not be relied upon. Several were challenged by election experts, while members of the Republican-led county Board of Supervisors, which oversees elections, disputed claims on Twitter. Unfortunately, the report is also littered with errors & faulty conclusions about how Maricopa County conducted the 2020 General Election, county officials tweeted. Election officials say that's because the review team is biased, ignored the detailed vote-counting procedures in Arizona law and had no experience in the complex field of election audits. Two of the report's recommendations stood out because they showed its authors misunderstood election procedures that there should be paper ballot backups and that voting machines should not be connected to the internet. All Maricopa ballots are already paper, with machines only used to tabulate the votes, and those tabulators are not connected to the internet. The review also checked the names of voters against a commercial database, finding 23,344 reported moving before ballots went out in October. While the review suggests something improper, election officials note that voters like college students, those who own vacation homes or military members can move to temporary locations while still legally voting at the address where they are registered. A competent reviewer of an election would not make a claim like that, said Trey Grayson, a former Republican secretary of state in Kentucky. The election review was run by Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, whose firm has never conducted an election audit before. Logan previously worked with attorneys and Trump supporters trying to overturn the 2020 election and appeared in a film questioning the results of the contest while the ballot review was ongoing. Logan and others involved with the review presented their findings to two Arizona senators Friday. It kicked off with Shiva Ayyadurai, a COVID-19 vaccine skeptic who claims to have invented email, presenting an analysis relying on pattern recognition that flagged purported anomalies in the way mail ballots were processed at the end of the election. Maricopa County tweeted that the pattern was simply the election office following state law. 'Anomaly' seems to be another way of saying the Senates contractors dont understand election processes, the county posted during the testimony. Logan followed up by acknowledging the ballots that were provided for us to count ... very accurately correlated with the official canvass. He then continued to flag statistical discrepancies including the voters who moved that he said merited further investigation. The review has a history of exploring outlandish conspiracy theories, dedicating time to checking for bamboo fibers on ballots to see if they were secretly shipped in from Asia. It's also served as a content-generation machine for Trump's effort to sow skepticism about his loss, pumping out misleading and out-of-context information that the former president circulates long after it's been debunked. In July, for example, Logan laid out a series of claims stemming from his misunderstanding of the election data he was analyzing, including that 74,000 mail ballots were recorded as received but not sent. Trump repeatedly amplified the claims. Logan had compared two databases that track different things. Arizona's Senate agreed to spend $150,000 on the review, plus security and facility costs. That pales in comparison to the nearly $5.7 million contributed as of late July by Trump allies. Maricopa County's official vote count was conducted in front of bipartisan observers, as were legally required audits meant to ensure voting machines work properly. A partial hand-count spot check found a perfect match. Two extra post-election reviews by federally certified election experts also found no evidence that voting machines switched votes or were connected to the internet. The county Board of Supervisors commissioned the extraordinary reviews in an effort to prove to Trump backers that there were no problems. ___ Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed. Attorneys for the federal government have opposed Dylann Roof's request for a new appellate hearing, arguing that the South Carolina man was properly convicted and sentenced for the 2015 racist slayings of nine members of a Black congregation. In court documents filed Thursday, federal prosecutors argued that a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals correctly ruled last month that the government had proven its case against Roof, despite his protestations on several points. The Courts rulings were correct, and there is no reason to revisit them, federal prosecutors wrote. In 2017, Roof became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Authorities have said Roof opened fire during the closing prayer of a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled. He was 21 at the time. In his appeal, Roofs attorneys argued that he was wrongly allowed to represent himself during sentencing, a critical phase of his trial. Roof successfully prevented jurors from hearing evidence about his mental health, under the delusion, his attorneys wrote, that he would be rescued from prison by white-nationalists but only, bizarrely, if he kept his mental-impairments out of the public record. The 4th Circuit panel initially found that the trial judge did not commit an error when he found Roof was competent, unanimously upholding his conviction in August and issuing a scathing rebuke of Roofs crimes. No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did, the judges wrote. His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose. Earlier this month, Roof filed a request that the full court consider his appeal, arguing that the judges' decision interpreted too broadly the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes Congress to regulate commerce among the states. By accepting the governments argument that a combination of factors including Roofs use of the internet to post his views and research the church constituted interstate commerce, Roofs lawyers wrote, the panels decision amounted to an amorphous, unprecedented, and all-encompassing standard for federal Commerce Clause jurisdiction over local crime, effectively nullifying states traditional police power in that arena. In their response, government attorneys wrote that the appellate court issued a fact-bound ruling that Roofs use of the internet both to select Mother Emanuel as his target and magnify his offense by posting his racist, violent call to action only hours before the attack fulfilled the Commerce Clause connection. Should the court grant Roof a full hearing, it remains to be seen who exactly would hear the case. All of the judges in the 4th Circuit, which covers South Carolina, have recused themselves; one of their own, Judge Jay Richardson, prosecuted Roofs case as an assistant U.S. attorney. The panel that heard arguments in May and issued Augusts ruling was composed of judges from several other appellate circuits. Along with his request for a full-court hearing, Roof also asked that either U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts designate a panel to consider the rehearing petition or the 4th Circuits chief judge designate other judges from within that district to make up such a panel. If unsuccessful in his direct appeal, Roof could file whats known as a 2255 appeal, or a request that the trial court review the constitutionality of his conviction and sentence. He could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court or seek a presidential pardon. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) COVID-19 booster shots are being made available to Minnesotans who are eligible to receive them under the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health officials announced Friday. Minnesotans who got the Pfizer vaccine can get a booster shot at least six months after their initial series if they fall into certain categories as defined by the CDC, including those 65 and older and others with underlying medical conditions. Federal health experts are reviewing data from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and will decide when people who received those vaccines may be eligible for a booster shot. COVID-19 data released Friday show the state is still in the grips of virus. Health officials reported 2,997 newly confirmed or probable cases and 27 newly reported deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 8,076 since the pandemic began. Health officials say they expect the state will reach the benchmark of 700,000 overall cases in a few days. These are numbers we had hoped we would not see again, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Friday. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Minnesota has risen over the past two weeks from five deaths per day on Sept. 8 to 11.29 deaths per day on Sept. 22. A total of 752 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, including 213 in intensive care units, officials said. St. Cloud Hospital says its intensive care unit has been full of COVID-19 patients for about two weeks, forcing the facility to expand its ICU and delay care for patients with other conditions. Dr. George Morris, CentraCare Healths medical incident commander, told the St. Cloud Times that about 90% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were unvaccinated. Because COVID has taken up so many ICU beds, we are now having a hard time placing people who have had car accidents or strokes or heart attacks, Morris told the Star Tribune. So even if you dont have COVID, your care is affected by the pandemic. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Nebraska lawmakers advanced new congressional boundaries Friday that could make it harder for Democratic presidential hopefuls to pick up one of the state's five Electoral College votes, as they've done twice since 2008. Nearly all Republicans in the one-house, officially nonpartisan Legislature endorsed the measure a sign that the newly drawn, Omaha-area district could be more favorable to the party in both U.S. House and presidential races. Nebraska Democrats quickly denounced the plan. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that allow their Electoral College votes to be split. Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden claimed one each in 2008 and 2020, respectively, despite handily losing the statewide, GOP-dominated vote. The new map advanced by lawmakers would keep all of Omaha within the 2nd Congressional District, as Democrats had wanted, but also add neighboring, Republican-heavy Saunders County. The new district would also keep several conservative-leaning Omaha suburbs. The 36-10 vote was largely on party lines, with six Democrats breaking ranks to support the plan. Two more votes are required before it goes to Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts. Lawmakers had previously been deadlocked, with Republicans not having enough votes to overcome a Democratic-led filibuster. The deal followed several days of closed-door negotiations among members of the Redistricting Committee. Earlier in the week, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers warned that he would end the special legislative session and postpone a decision on the maps until January if lawmakers failed to reach an agreement. This has been a very tough and emotional operation," said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, chairwoman of the Redistricting Committee. Linehan, a Republican, initially proposed a map that would have split Douglas County, one of the few places in Nebraska where Democrats are competitive. Democrats blasted the proposal as gerrymandering drawing districts to favor the party in power. Several said they wouldn't budge in their opposition. The new plan still adds a lot of Republican voters to the district via Saunders County, a stretch of farmland and several smaller towns that's currently part of the more conservative 1st Congressional District. Sen. Justin Wayne, the leading Democrat on the Redistricting Committee, voted against the plan and said he would try to change it before lawmakers get to the next of three required votes. Wayne had tried unsuccessfully to include all of Democratic-leaning Bellevue in the Omaha-focused district. I don't necessarily agree with what the congressional maps are," he said. The Nebraska Democratic Party said the map was drawn specifically to include a plot of land recently purchased by Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, who represents the district. Bacon has said he had planned to build a home and move there in 2022. This is a partisan map meant to rewrite the direction of (the district)," said Jane Kleeb, the party's executive director. Kleeb said her party will continue organizing and outwork the GOP in the district, with a focus on clean water, strong public schools and jobs. Hilgers praised lawmakers for working through a very complex and difficult process" and advancing the maps without delay. Waiting until the Legislature's next regular session in January would have forced state officials to delay the May 2022 primary, which includes races for local offices, the U.S. House and governor. Lawmakers also reached a compromise on legislative maps that will cost western Nebraska one of its seats to accommodate rural population losses and gains in Omaha and Lincoln. Several rural, conservative lawmakers bemoaned the deal and the growing power of Omaha and Lincoln and argued that senators ignored other alternatives. Sen. Matt Williams, whose district will move from western Nebraska to fast-growing suburban Omaha, said he agreed to the shift for the good of the state. The plan won initial approval, 43-5. I've chosen to focus on the bigger picture," said Williams, who is ineligible to seek reelection because of term limits. ___ Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte BERLIN (AP) Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany's parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns. The idea for a global "climate strike" was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg's solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again. Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure. We can still turn this around, she said, to cheers. We demand change, and we are the change. Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the main parties weren't far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Neubauer has referred to Sunday's election as the vote of the century," arguing that the decisions taken by the next government will influence the country's efforts to tackle climate change for decades to come. The issue has been a major topic during the election campaign. Friday's rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults. Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert at the Berlin rally, said he hoped older Germans would consider the issue when casting their votes on Sunday. The majority of voters are older than 50 and determine the outcome of the election, Bohrenfeldt, 36, said. I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren. Civics teacher Anne Kokott, cradling her infant son, Enzo, said she hoped Friday's large turnout would signal the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis and perhaps have an impact on undecided or older voters. Today is important because of the election, Kokott, 36, said. Christiane Koetter-Lietz, who attended with her children and grandchildren, said she would be voting for Germany's Green party, which has campaigned for tougher measures to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions. We have water catastrophes, fire catastrophes, the world is burning. This is the very last warning," said the 69-year-old from the western town of Unna. Across the street from the protest, two young climate activists pressed on with a hunger strike meant to draw politicians into making public commitments on climate policy. Henning Jeschke, 21, started his fast on Aug. 30, initially as part of a group of seven, with the others having since dropped out, most this week. In their place, another hunger striker joined Jeschke. Both have said they would escalate and begin refusing liquids. Organizers initially said Jeschke and Lea Bonasera would stop taking liquids Thursday evening, but Jeschke's father, Eckart, said the more severe protest is to begin Saturday morning. The hunger strikers are demanding that Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, seen as a front-runner for becoming Germany's next chancellor, acknowledges publicly that the country faces a climate emergency. A German government official said pressure from young climate activists already had resulted in concrete policies in recent years, from higher carbon prices to billions of euros (dollars) being invested in greener technologies. We also have a new mood across society, where politicians don't have to explain why they're doing something to protect the climate anymore. They have to explain why they're not protecting the climate, German Environment Ministry spokesman Nikolai Fichtner said. In Prague, the Czech Republics capital, hundreds of students and environment activists shouted Now or never, and displayed banners with slogans and statements such as Climate justice, and We want a healthy planet for our children. Small groups of young climate protesters held demonstrations in multiple Indian cities on Friday, calling on politicians and big businesses to ramp up their ambitions for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to a raft of climate pledges. Just because there is a pandemic doesnt mean you stop working around the climate crisis, said Srijani Datta, a youth climate activist in New Delhi. Global warming also has been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters head to the polls for a general election on Saturday. All parties running for seats in the North Atlantic island nations parliament acknowledge global warming as a force of change in a sub-Arctic landscape but disagree on how to respond to it. While many of the protests worldwide were restrained family affairs, activists in Britain blocked the countrys busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis, as well as fuel poverty in the U.K. ___ Karel Janicek in Prague and Rishabh R. Jain in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate LANSING, Mich. (AP) Former legislative leader Tom Leonard announced his candidacy for Michigan attorney general on Friday, again seeking the Republican nomination he won in 2018 before losing to Democrat Dana Nessel in the general election. Leonard, a DeWitt lawyer, is the third candidate to enter the GOP field. Republicans will endorse and later formally choose their nominee at conventions next year. Leonard's announcement coincided with the start of the biennial, three-day Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island. It came about a week after former President Donald Trump endorsed attorney Matthew DePerno, who filed a lawsuit falsely claiming election fraud in Antrim County and has criticized GOP lawmakers for not pursuing additional audits in the state, which Trump lost. Ive served alongside law enforcement. Ive worked with crime victims and their families. I know what it takes to get the job done and keep people safe," Leonard said in a statement in which he accused Nessel of not defending police and using the office for political activism. Leonard, whom Trump nominated in 2019 to be U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan, was never confirmed due to objections from Michigan's two Democratic senators. He lost to Nessel by 2.8 percentage points but fared better than other top-of-the-ticket Republicans. The former House speaker has remained active in GOP politics since leaving at the end of 2018 due to term limits, serving as the state party's finance chair. In response to the announcement, Nessel's reelection campaign touted her work such as expanding the consumer protection division, securing more than $800 million from the drug industry for the deadly opioid crisis and suing the makers of forever chemicals known as PFAS. Nessel tweeted that Leonard spent Thursday hobnobbing with billionaires he's work so hard to represent throughout his career while she was in Detroit setting up an event where people who cannot afford a lawyer can get help clearing their criminal records. ___ Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 WARSAW, Poland (AP) An Iraqi migrant died near Polands border with Belarus and another was hospitalized with COVID-19, Polish border guards said Friday. The death raises to five the number of fatalities among migrants who are trying to cross into European Union member states Poland and Lithuania from Belarus through an area of thick woods and bogs. The Iraqi migrant died despite efforts to revive him. Polish officials have attributed the earlier deaths to hypothermia and exhaustion. Border guards posted on their twitter account that one of a group of Iraqi migrants who were apprehended some 500 meters inside Poland from its border with Belarus died of a probable heart attack. The other migrant was taken to hospital after testing positive to a COVID-19 test. Human rights organizations are concerned with the plight of the migrants - mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan - who are trying to reach the EU. Two United Nations agencies have requested access to asylum-seekers stranded at Belarus border with Poland and Lithuania. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and other officials are planning a visit soon to assess the situation at the border. A spokesman for the European Commission, Adalbert Jahnz, said on Friday it was essential for Poland to carry out border management duties effectively, but also urged the authorities to ensure that the people at the border are given the necessary care and assistance. Polands government insists its main task is to guard the frontier against the migrant influx and accuses Belarus' Moscow-backed government of organizing it. Warsaw has so far disregarded EU suggestions that the blocs border and coast guard agency, Frontex, assist with guarding the border. Jahnz said it's the Commission's view that deploying Frontex at the border would be a very good idea" but that it's up to Poland to request that. Poland's government spokesman Piotr Mueller has said that using Frontex would not change the situation and that Poland's forces are doing the job well. The Polish and Lithuanian governments have introduced states of emergency on 1 kilometer (0.6 mile)-wide strips along their border with Belarus that deny entry to anyone except border guards, the military and security services. They also are building razor wire fences along their border with Belarus. Poland and Lithuania have been receiving an unusual number of Middle East and African migrants and refugees arriving from Belarus in recent months. The migrant influx began after Western countries introduced sanctions on Lukashenkos government over the countrys disputed August 2020 presidential election and a crackdown on the opposition. ____ Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Missouri lawmakers who want to halt all public funds to Planned Parenthood are recommending that the Legislature give Republican Gov. Mike Parsons administration authority to cancel abortion providers' Medicaid contracts based on behavior in other states deemed illegal or unethical. The Senate Interim Committee on Medicaid Accountability and Taxpayer Protection approved a report with that recommendation on Thursday. Planned Parenthood is Missouris only abortion provider. Special Forces underwater training has resumed and relocated after a brief halt this week following a soldier's death during a swim at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. The Army identified the soldier on Friday as Staff Sgt. Paul Lincoln Olmstead, 29, who died Tuesday during a water training exercise at the Joe Swing Park Reservoir by the base, according to a press release. It was the second Army fatality in recent months during water training, after Staff Sgt. Micah Walker died in Florida in July. A Utah National Guard Green Beret, Olmstead had been training at the Maritime Assessment Course, or MAC, a grueling 10-day school where Special Forces soldiers demonstrate their water survival skills. The course consists of multiple swimming examinations and has troops spend extended time underwater holding their breath. Olmstead went underwater during a swim and did not resurface. His body was recovered Wednesday and the incident is under investigation. Olmstead served in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group. Read Next: How a Public Affairs Snafu Led to News Reports of a Fake Shooter at Fort Meade Maj. Dan Lessard, a spokesperson for 1st Special Forces Command, said training was suspended on Wednesday but resumed the following day after safety protocols were reevaluated. Training for the course was moved from the reservoir to a swimming pool, which was considered a more controlled environment. It's unclear if the location of Olmsteads training, in a reservoir, contributed to his death or if switching to pools will be a permanent change for MAC students. "Sometimes we expect this sort of thing in combat, but not during training, which makes this difficult for the unit and especially the family," Col. Paul Peters, commander of 19th Special Forces Group, said in a press release Friday. MAC is a prerequisite for the seven-week Combat Diver Qualification Course, or CDQC, one of the Army's toughest schools that certifies troops to conduct combat operations underwater. Olmstead's death follows an incident in July where Walker, 31, of 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, died during CDQC at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. Janice Burton, a spokesperson for the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, told Military.com in an email that training was also halted for a day after his death, but investigators found no cause for safety concerns. "Immediately after SSG Walker's death, cadre halted training to review all safety protocols related to dive training and certification," Burton told Military.com. She said that based on initial findings it appeared safety measures were more than adequate in Walkers case. Walker's autopsy was still not complete, according to Burton. It was unclear when a cause of death would be identified or why the investigation had taken more than two months to complete. In Nov. 2016, Staff Sgt. David Whitcher, 30, also died during dive training. Like Walker, he was a CDQC student. He was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. Underwater training comes with an added layer of danger similar to other military specialties such as airborne and explosive ordnance disposal, and thus troops receive small supplements to their pay. In the airborne, for example, 13 soldiers died during jumps between 2012 and 2015, according to the Aerospace Medical Association. Lino Miani, the president of the Combat Diver Foundation and a retired officer who commanded a dive team in 1st Special Forces Group, said the water creates uncertainty and a level of danger despite strict fitness standards and safety protocols. "It requires so much training to know how your body is going to respond and know how to use the equipment. Water is inherently unpredictable," Miani told Miltiary.com. One former dive instructor told Military.com that classes are typically small, and that students undergo strict physical exams before being allowed in the course. All training has multiple medical professionals on site as well as observers who effectively act as lifeguards. Additional medical personnel are also available to quickly respond to emergencies. Its unclear, given the typical supervision for dives, why Olmsteads body was not found until the next day after his death. The former dive instructor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said one safety precaution is keeping classes small, so instructors can easily track every student. After each class graduates, safety precautions are reexamined. One [recent] class had almost as many instructors as students," the instructor said. Olmstead joined the Utah Army National Guard, Feb. 8, 2016, and had served as a Special Forces engineer sergeant since Oct. 11, 2019. He was an honor graduate of the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course and a graduate of the Special Forces Sniper Course. He is survived by his wife and two children. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. The Air Force has sent the last of a batch of 17 of its oldest and most worn-out B-1B Lancer bombers to the boneyard. The final plane flew out of Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Thursday, to the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, which houses the vast majority of retired Air Force aircraft. The first B-1 to be retired in this batch flew to the boneyard in February. The divestment of roughly one-quarter of the service's B-1s leaves it with 45 in its inventory -- a major step in the Air Force's effort to prepare to bring the B-21 Raider long-range strike bomber, which is still under development, into service. The B-1B fleet, which the Air Force started flying in the 1980s, worked particularly hard during the wars of the last two decades, and continued maintenance woes meant it saw some of the greatest issues with availability for operations in the service. Now-retired Gen. Timothy Ray, when he was serving as head of Air Force Global Strike Command, told reporters in 2019 that the B-1 had been "overextended" in repeated deployments to the Middle East. Later that year, Gen. John Hyten, now the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that just six of the 62 B-1s then in the fleet were fully able to fly missions. Bringing those 17 B-1s back into a mission-capable status until the new B-21 comes online would cost anywhere from $10 million to $30 million per plane, according to the service. Retiring them instead allows Air Force Global Strike Command to concentrate its maintenance resources on keeping the remaining bomber fleet working. Read Next: How a Public Affairs Snafu Led to News Reports of a Fake Shooter at Fort Meade The Air Force plans to retire all its B-1 and B-2 Spirit bombers by the 2030s, leaving it with a bomber fleet consisting of B-21s and rebuilt B-52 Stratofortresses with upgraded engines. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday that manufacturer Northrop Grumman is now constructing five test B-21s. The first B-21 is expected to have its first test flight next year, and the service could begin fielding it later this decade. Thirteen of the batch of 17 B-1s are at the Davis-Monthan boneyard, where they will be kept in good enough shape that their parts can be cannibalized to repair other bombers. The other four retired B-1s were divided between Edwards, where one will be a tester aircraft on the ground; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where one will serve as a prototype for testing structural repairs; the National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita, Kansas, where one will be digitally mapped; and the museum at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, where one will be put on display. The Air Force previously retired 33 B-1s in 2003. -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey. Related: The Air Force Just Retired the First B-1B Bomber As you exited the military, your focus may have been to find a job. Any job. Securing employment meant you could secure housing, start your civilian life and transition into your next career. Maybe you chose a great job where your skills, talents and passions aligned and youre thriving in your post-military career. Or maybe youre one of the many veterans who arent working in jobs that match their skills, training and abilities. In other words, underemployed. A study by LinkedIn showed that 37% of veterans find themselves underemployed after exiting the military. This is a challenge not only to the veteran, but to the employers who may believe they have hired the right person for the right job, only to learn they are not thriving. How to Tell if Youre Underemployed Working in a job thats beneath your skills isnt necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps you enjoy not having to oversee others and are working in a non-leadership role. Maybe you like being able to stop thinking about work when you clock out at 5 p.m. Or maybe youre not using the sophisticated training you received in the military, but you enjoy the creativity of your work more now. I recently spoke with a former Naval Ballistic Missile Defense operator who shared, Now, as a marketing associate with a consumer products company, I get to think about how to position cereal to families. I no longer work with the stress and anxiety of my previous life. While she may have been classified underemployed because her skills as a BMD operator were not utilized, she is thriving and happy in her new career. Underemployment is a real problem for veterans who desire to use their skills and training more fully, but are not able to secure employment that enables them. Furthermore, its a problem if: Their skills and abilities are not valued or appreciated in a current role. They are bored, uninspired and unmotivated. They seem to know more about the work and how to do it than their peers (or even management). They work fewer hours, in less visible and important ways, than theyre qualified to do. Being underemployed restricts their ability to qualify for benefits they want or need. Realizing youre underutilized, undervalued and underemployed is a bad feeling. You may question your decision-making process (why did I agree to this?), your ability to evaluate opportunities (how could I not see this coming?) or your self-worth (am I only worthy of this kind of work after my military career?). What to Do When Youre Underemployed If you realize youre not in a job where youre living up to your potential, there are steps you can take and questions to answer: 1. Carefully list out the skills, certifications, training and experience you have that qualifies you to do more at either your current workplace or another. Export those skills that are transferable to the work youre doing today, remembering that the work you did that was unique to the military may not transfer. 2. Review the job description for your current role. Did you choose a position that did not require the level of training you have? This could mean that while youre qualified to do more, the need may not be there from your employer. 3. If you are doing work that could be expanded to leverage your talents, consider who is doing that work today. Are they qualified in ways youre not? 4. Does your employer clearly understand the depth of your skills and training? Did you unders Updated on 24 September 2021 at 4pm to include clarification from DICGC The Union government has announced that the Deposit Insurance & Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) would be paying a maximum of Rs5 lakh to depositors of 21 banks, including Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank and Gururaghvendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, within 90 days or by 29 December 2021. However, unlike all other cooperative banks that have gone into liquidation, PMC Bank is actually in the process of a revival and has many large depositors, including employees of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Many customers, who have well over Rs5 lakh deposited with PMC Bank and Gururaghvendra Sahakara Bank, are confused about the announcement. Does it mean that they can claim Rs5 lakh now and will still be entitled to the rest of their money if the PMC Bank achieves a turnaround under Centrum Financial Services Ltd (CFSL) along with Resilient Innovation Pvt Ltd? Some large depositors believe that accepting Rs5 lakh from the deposit insurance corporation would be considered a 'full and final settlement'. The finance ministry and RBI are silent on the matter, although they ought to have offered a complete explanation about why they have made an exception for PMC Bank, especially after granting in-principle approval to an acquirer. This is only the second time in the history of RBI that deposit insurance is being paid without liquidating the cooperative banks the previous time was also under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which made an exception for Madhavpura Mercantile Cooperative Bank of Gujarat, which went bust due to its involvement with scamster Ketan Parekh in 2001. While tabling the amendment in Lok Sabha, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, (The) DICGC Bill is effective from now, but PMC Bank, and Guru Raghavendra Bank that are already under stress but which are not under moratorium, which may have administrator sitting and sorting the business out, even their depositors will benefit and get Rs5 lakh within 90 days. If the bank goes into liquidation, DICGC is liable to pay the liquidator the claim amount of each depositor up to Rs5 lakh within two months. However, suppose the bank is reconstructed or amalgamated or merged with another bank. In that case, DICGC pays the difference between the total amount of deposit or the limit of insurance cover in force at the time, whichever is less and the amount received by him under the reconstruction or amalgamation scheme. It is done within two months from the date of receipt of the claim list from the transferee bank or chief executive officer (CEO) of the insured or transferee bank, as the case may be. Bankers, as wells former senior officials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), opined that depositors should accept the offer from DICGC and submit the form for willingness to the insured bank. G Jaganmohan Rao, former managing director (MD) of Bank Note Paper Mill India Pvt Ltd, who worked as principal chief general manager (PCGM) in the department of banking supervision of RBI, says, We do not know the terms and conditions of the deal between PMC Bank and Centrum Financial Services. If the bank has assets and the administrator thinks they have surplus money, they may prioritise depositors for emergency or medical expenses. However, only the RBI can clarify on this. All those involved in the PMC Bank resolution are not disclosing anything. Moneylife attempted to contact the CEO of PMC Bank and the RBI, but we have no clarity. A senior official from Centrum Financial replied to our message saying, We have no comment to offer here. According to Kaza Sudhakar, former MD of Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd and former PCGM in RBI, all deposits under one name will receive up to Rs5 lakh from DICGC. Under the DICGC rules, depositors who have deposits above this amount will be treated as unsecured creditors. However, since PMC Bank is not liquidated, depositors may get paid more money if and when RBI issues a notification. On 24 September 2019, RBI had imposed strict restrictions on the Mumbai-based Bank. PMC Bank was also barred from carrying out most of its routine business transactions, and depositors were restricted to withdraw only Rs1,000 from their accounts at that time. On 5 November 2019, the limit was increased to Rs50,000. In June last year, this limit was raised to Rs1 lakh, with which the central bank had said that more than 84% of the depositors of PMC Bank would be able to withdraw their entire account balance. Former banker Abhay Datar, who is also a counsellor at Moneylife Foundation and former managing committee member of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, says, Without waiting further, depositors of PMC Bank can at least receive maximum Rs5 lakh, including interest, from DICGC against their all deposits. This does not mean that depositors who have more than Rs5 lakh will not receive their money. They may receive, but it depends upon the deal between PMC Bank and Centrum Financial. As per the terms and conditions in this deal, depositors may receive their balance amount. Strangely, RBI has not provided any clarity on the deposits because several investors with large deposits are in dire need of money after the COVID pandemic, and they need to be told in no uncertain terms whether accepting the insurance money will compromise the rest of their money. Meanwhile, depositors need to know that even if they have multiple accounts with these banks, they will be aggregated and insurance cover is available up to Rs5 lakh in maximum. Suppose more than one deposit accounts, like savings, current, recurring or fixed deposits (FDs), are jointly held by individuals in one or more branches of a bank in which their names appear in the same order. In that case, balances held in all these accounts are aggregated, and DICGC would pay a maximum of Rs5 lakh. However, suppose individuals open more than one joint account in which their names are not in the same order. In that case, deposits held in these joint accounts are held in different capacities and rights. For such deposits, insurance cover will be available separately up to Rs5 lakh to every such joint account where the names appearing in different order or names are different. Further, the bank has the right to deduct its dues from the amount of deposits on the cut-off date. The deposit insurance is available after netting such dues. UPDATE In a clarification, the DICGC stated, "In terms of section 18 A (7) (a) of the Act, where the Reserve Bank finds it expedient in the interest of finalising a scheme of amalgamation or compromise or arrangement or reconstruction in respect of insured banks, the date on which the Corporation shall become liable to pay depositors of such insured banks may be extended by a period not exceeding ninety days. It is noted that in the case of the PMC Bank there may be a need to invoke the provisions of section 18 A (7) (a) of the Act. The revised date for submission of claims and the procedure to be followed in respect of payment of deposits in this bank will be communicated separately." This means the depositors of PMC Bank will have to wait for some more time to get their money back from the lender. September 24, 2021 NY Times Acknowledges U.S. Failure In Russia - Adds More To What Caused It The U.S. finally acknowledges the utter defeat of its major manipulation strategy in Russia. The news comes in form of a New York Times analysis of Russia's recent Duma election. The core sentence: Dismal results for the opposition in an election last weekend that was not free or fair only drove home a mood of defeat. The election underscored the grim reality that Russias pro-Western and pro-democratic opposition, a focus of American and other Western countries policy toward Russia for years now , has no visible strategy to regain relevance. All the millions of dollars invested and thousands of CIA framed 'news' reports about Russia's opposition launched in 'western' outlets like the NY Times have been in vain. One would think that the above insight would lead to some reflection about how or why the strategy has failed. Was it probably wrong to support 'liberal' clowns like Navalny who are actually too fascist to be acceptable to more than 2% of the Russian electorate? Was there a way to achieve a different outcome by looking at the real problems Russians have with Putin's neo-liberal economic policies? Was is false to pay no attention to the real opposition in Russia, the one that gets real votes? Unfortunately the rest of the piece shows that the NY Times author is unable to discuss or to even ask such questions. He instead continues with false claims about Russia's democratic system: The Central Election Commission reported as usual after Russian elections a landslide for parties and politicians loyal to President Vladimir V. Putin. The vote in parliamentary elections cleared a seemingly easy path for Mr. Putin to seek a fifth term as president in 2024. There was no such landslide for parties and politicians loyal to Putin. In fact Putin's party, United Russia, only got 49% of the votes, a loss of 5 percentage points from the 2016 election. It also lost 19 of its seats in the parliament. The Communist Party was the winner in this election. It gained 6 percentage points from 13% in 2016 to 19% in 2021 and 15 new parliament seats. That significant move is not mentioned at all in the NYT writeup: The pro-government party, United Russia, won just short of 50 percent of the national vote, and 198 out of 225 seats allocated in district-level elections. The Communist Party of Russia, which runs in elections as an opposition party but votes with United Russia once in Parliament, came in second place, with 19 percent. Three other parties, all seen as loyal to Mr. Putin, also won seats. No candidates in open opposition to Mr. Putin entered Parliament. The claim that the Communist Party is voting with United Russia is outright false. It may have done so on some issues of national importance, like the return of Crimea to Russia, but surly votes against most other laws and the budget resolutions United Russia supports. The other three parties are likewise opposed to Putin and most of his policies. They, like the Communists, would vote him out if they had the majority needed to do that. It didnt help that Google and Apple, under pressure from the Kremlin, removed an app promoting candidates Mr. Navalny had endorsed just before the vote. A depper analysis of the fate of the candidates Navalny's 'smart voting' promoted would be of interest. But to go there the NY Times would have to tell you this: I discuss Alexei Navalnys smart voting scheme in the light of the list of preferred candidates for this weeks Russian parliamentary elections just issued by Navalnys team. There are 225 single member constituencies up for grab. Team Navalny recommends one candidate per constituency and suggests voters cast their ballot for thar person, as the candidate most likely to beat the ruling United Russia party. So who does Navalny recommend? Communists mostly (61% of the total), plus some from the left nationalist Just Russia, and the occasional person from other parties. But only a handful of liberals. In short, voting smart means voting Communist. Now tell me, please, whats so smart about that? As I argue in my article, precious little. The NY Times author can not acknowledge those facts because he hates the communists even more than he hates United Russia: With Russias pro-democracy groups now crushed, the center of gravity of the Russian political opposition may shift in other, unappealing directions, wrote Tatyana Stanovaya, a nonresident scholar at the Moscow Carnegie Center. The Communist Party, for example, has shifted toward open confrontation with the Kremlin with an ideology of Soviet revival more extreme even than Mr. Putins. Weren't we just told above that the Communist Party 'votes with United Russia once in Parliament'? Now it suddenly is in 'open confrontation with the Kremlin'? How can both claims, just a few paragraphs apart, be true? Hint, the aren't. And the claim that the Communists have 'an ideology of Soviet revival more extreme even than Mr. Putins' is just blatant nonsense. Putin hates the Soviet ideology and openly rejects it. What he works on is a national revival of Russia by means of a neo-liberal economic policies. The Communist are opposed to that. They reject the neo-liberal economic system. They want to re-nationalize big companies and re-introduce an income distribution system that favors the working class over capital owners. Acknowledging those difference would actually help the NY Times reader to make sense of this paragraph: But the disillusionment is economic. Most street protests in Russia in recent years have been provincial labor actions that gained little national notice, said Yekaterina Schulmann, an associate fellow at Chatham House, a trend the Communist Party is well positioned to exploit. Those labor actions also gained no international notice. The NYT's Moscow bureau might by a reason why that is the case. If the NY Times had reported on those labor actions, instead of the clownery around Navalny, it probably could have made a difference. If U.S. support over the last two decades would had gone to some nationalist minded social-democratic party in Russia, instead of the fake 'liberals', the election outcome this year would probably have been different. But that would have required factual reporting from Russia and a non-ideological analysis of Russia's political and economical system. Neither of which is available at the upper levels of the U.S. of A. Posted by b on September 24, 2021 at 18:04 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page A Dallas-based poet with West Texas roots -- Logen Cure -- has written a queer, coming-of-age poetry book, chronicling the difficulties of growing up in Midland. It took a really long time to publish this book, she said. I sent this book out for a couple of years but received loving rejections then found Deep Vellum, which was very interested in local and Texas books. She said the hardest part about placing her book out there in publishing is the fact that it is a "very queer book." Welcome to Midland is a queer coming-of-age novel in verse that tells a story, Cure said. It has a central characteristic speaker. It is also a cultural and historical documentation of Midland. When people think of Midland, they think of the Bush family and Baby Jessica, she said. The book delves into what makes Midland what it is, including the oil industry. She also focuses on the survivors, such as plants and animals that thrive out here. Want to check it out? Purchase the book at https://store.deepvellum.org/products/welcome-to-midland. See More Collapse Cure said that when she was in high school she was the only "out" person she was aware of. "There was no community in Midland for LGBTQIA people while I was living there," she said. "I was absolutely isolated. That is part of what the book is doing. The audience I imagine interested in the book are people who grew up somewhere like that which can be harsh and isolating." Cure shared her poem Supernova with the Reporter-Telegram. Leah asked for stars so I drove past the end of the roads where mesquite trees narrowed the caliche path. My headlights illuminated stark angles of cactuses, glinted in wide eyes of some lone creature a fox? I killed the engine and desert concealed us in abiding darkness. Windows down, together we faced the galaxy, resplendent, at once immediate and impossibly distant. All evening, in rooms full of strangers, her easy laughter chased emptiness from my chest. Now, alone, I mirrored the stillness of her starlit face, partook of her silence, gave thanks in the vast cathedral of night. Cure graduated from Lee High School, then attended Texas A&M for her undergraduate degree. Cure earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is an English professor at a community college in Fort Worth. She curates Inner Moonlight, a monthly podcast reading series for The Wild Detectives in Dallas. She started working on poems for the book in 2012. It ('Welcome to Midland') was different from anything else I had ever written, she said. Telling that type of sustained story in a different voice than what I am used to writing in. I asked myself what would happen if I imagined the protagonist is indeed heroic. My poetic voice prior to that point had been fairly dark. I let the speaker be the hero of the piece. The art in the book was done by another Midland native, Ashley Henderson. Illustrations include that of a horned lizard, roadrunner and oil rig and other West Texas representations. While writing the poems, Cure also asked herself that if she was a young person what it would mean to survive in a harsh environment. Researching for the book made her think about Midland differently and learn knowledge she never would have known. This book was a journey in and of itself, she said. It took a long time to write, but I think I did what I set out to do which was to tell a very honest but hopeful story about a very specific place. NEW YORK (AP) Some of the nation's most aggressive COVID-19 vaccine mandates are scheduled to take effect Monday in New York amid continued resistance from some to the shots, leaving hospitals and nursing homes across the state and schools in New York City bracing for possible staff shortages. Many health care workers, including support staff such as cleaners, have still not yet received a required first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine days before a Sept. 27 deadline. That's the same deadline for teachers and school workers in New York City to prove they've received at least one shot. That left the prospect of potentially thousands of health care workers and teachers being forced off the job next week. Despite calls from unions and administrators to delay the mandates, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio showed no signs of backing down. Every single person who is in your care has the right to know that there is no chance they will be infected by the person in charge of protecting them and their health, Hochul, a Democrat, said Thursday. Hospitals and nursing homes were preparing contingency plans that included cutting back on elective surgeries and, at one hospital, halting maternity services. Nursing homes were limiting admissions. The states largest health care provider, Northwell Health, was keeping thousands of volunteers on standby. We would like to see some more time to be able to comply and implement the vaccine mandate, because at the end of the day its a situation where were very concerned about our ability to care for the patients, said Tom Quatroche, CEO of the Erie County Medical Center Corporation, which operates a busy 573-bed hospital in Buffalo. It anticipates that about 10% of its workforce, or 400 staff members, might still be unvaccinated Monday. Under a contingency plan, the hospital said it would suspend elective inpatient surgeries, temporarily stop accepting ICU transfers from other institutions and reduce hours at clinics. New York is not the only state to require health care workers to get vaccinated. But it has been especially aggressive in pushing for wider vaccinations to help limit the spread of the virus. The mayor and governor said workers had plenty of time to get the shots. The mandate for state health care workers was announced this summer. New York City announced in July that its teachers would need to either get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 weekly, but it then revoked the test-out option in August. While most school workers have been vaccinated, inducing nearly 90% of teachers as of Thursday, unions representing New York City principals and teachers warned that could still leave the 1 million student school system short of as many as 10,000 teachers, along with other staff such as cafeteria workers and school police officers. Those who dont provide proof of a shot by the end of Monday will not be allowed to return to classrooms Tuesday, which will leave principals scrambling overnight to make sure they have enough substitutes, educators warned. The unions said that while they've encouraged everyone to get vaccinated, some schools could be dangerously low on staff Tuesday. They pleaded for the mayor to delay the mandate after a judge refused to halt the rule. We are concerned. Very, very concerned," United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said. Mark Cannizzaro, the president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, said some schools have as many as 100 staff members not in compliance. De Blasio insisted the city was ready. Weve been planning all along. We have a lot of substitutes ready, the Democrat said in a radio interview on Friday. A lot is going to happen between now and Monday but beyond that, we are ready, even to the tune of, if we need thousands, we have thousands. The mandate for health care workers comes as hospitals are already reeling from staff shortages due in part to rising demand, workers retiring and weary employees seeking other jobs after 18 months of the pandemic. There is one option for health care workers who don't want to get the shot, which is to apply for a religious exemption. That would buy them until at least Oct. 12, while a federal judge considers a legal challenge arguing that such exemptions are constitutionally required. Meanwhile, a state judge in Albany agreed to set aside a Monday deadline for court employees to get a first vaccine shot and would hear arguments next week on whether to extend the stay. The CSEA, which represents 5,800 workers, argued that the mandate should have been negotiated and not imposed unilaterally by the court system. Earlier, another judge threw out a last-minute effort Friday by seven health care workers and Republican Niagara County legislator John Syracuse to delay the health care mandate. With time ticking down on the health care mandate, Northwell Health was trying to persuade thousands of holdouts to get vaccinated, including individual meetings with staffers. The systems personnel chief, Maxine Carrington, said they're seeing a lot more appointments being scheduled. Ive had personal conversations with team members, and I was asked by one: Are you really going to fire us on the 27th? And I said, lets put that aside for a minute and lets talk about saving your life. Why dont you want to get vaccinated? Carrington said. She said staff that refuse the inoculations will "no longer be qualified for employment. As of Thursday, about 90% of Northwell's 74,000 active personnel had been vaccinated. Still, the hospital system acknowledged that it did not expect full compliance and had more than 3,000 retirees, volunteers and health care students on standby, should they be needed. The University of Rochester Medical Center, in the states fourth largest city, announced a two-week pause in scheduling new elective procedures at its Strong Memorial Hospital beginning Monday. It also is temporarily closing two urgent care centers. One wild card is no one knows if a burst of health care workers will simply wait until the last minute to get a jab. One hopeful sign: New York-Presbyterian, one of the state's largest hospital systems, had imposed an earlier vaccination deadline on its workers midnight Wednesday and reported fewer than 250 of its 48,000 staffers had failed to comply. Spokesperson Alexandra Langan said in an email: For those who chose not to comply, they will not continue to work at NYP. New York state has been averaging just under 5,000 new COVID-19 cases per day with around 2,300 people hospitalized. Thats far worse than in late June, when around 300 people were testing positive each day statewide. ___ Hill reported from Albany. Associated Press writer Marina Villeneuve, in Albany, contributed to this report. BERLIN (AP) Pope Francis has decided to leave in office a prominent German archbishop who faced criticism for his handling of the church's sexual abuse scandal, but the pontiff also gave the cleric a spiritual timeout of several months after he made major errors" of communication, the Vatican said Friday. The pope is counting on the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the Vatican said in a statement. But at the same time it is clear that the archbishop and the archdiocese need a time for a pause, renewal and reconciliation. That, it said, prompted Francis to grant Woelki's request for a break that will run from mid-October to the beginning of March. Woelki has become a deeply divisive figure in the German church. A report commissioned by the archbishop and issued in March found 75 cases in which eight high-ranking officials including Woelkis late predecessor neglected their duties to either follow up on, report or sanction cases of alleged abuse by clergy and lay church employees, and failed to take care of the victims. Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse, previously a senior church official in Cologne, was faulted for 11 cases of neglecting his duty. Hesse offered his resignation to Francis, who eventually rejected it last week. The report absolved Woelki himself of any neglect of his legal duty with respect to abuse victims. He subsequently said he made mistakes in past cases involving sexual abuse allegations but made clear he had no intention of resigning. Woelki infuriated many local Catholics by citing legal concerns to keep under wraps a first report on how local church officials reacted when priests were accused of sexual abuse. He commissioned the new report an 800-page investigation based on church files and put together by a German law firm. A pair of papal envoys were dispatched to Cologne in June to investigate possible mistakes by senior church officials in handling past sexual abuse cases and the overall situation in the church there. As a result of their findings, Francis decided to reject resignation offers by two auxiliary bishops in Cologne, the Vatican said. As for Woelki, there was no indication that he acted illegally or that he tried to cover anything up by holding back the first report on church officials' response, it added. The Vatican also stressed Woelki's determination to work through the abuse scandal. However, it pointed to major errors, particularly at the communication level on Woelki's part. That contributed significantly to a crisis of confidence in the archdiocese that is unsettling many of the faithful, the Vatican said. Woelki himself acknowledged mistakes in communication, and said: I am sorry for that, I regret it. During Woelki's absence, auxiliary bishop Rolf Steinhaeuser will run the archdiocese as an apostolic administrator. The head of the German Bishops' Conference, who has criticized Woelki's crisis management, said he hopes that a process of reconciliation will start in Cologne. I can't judge whether this can lead to a fundamentally different situation within a few months, Limburg Bishop Georg Baetzing said in a statement. Much depends on how Woelki uses his time off, he added. The head of the influential German lay group ZdK, or Central Committee of German Catholics, said that he couldn't understand the pope's decision to keep Woelki and it prevented a process of renewal. The instrument of a timeout is not enough, Thomas Sternberg said. It is completely unclear what could stand at the end of such a timeout and it is not suited to restoring lost confidence. La Brooy Named Shapiro+Raj Life Sciences Practice Leader In the US, brand and marketing insights company Shapiro+Raj has promoted Lisa La Brooy to the role of Senior Vice President, leading the company's Life Sciences practice. Headquartered in Chicago, with additional offices in New York and Pune, India, Shapiro+Raj was formed in 2014 when business transformation specialist Zain Raj acquired a majority interest in independent MR firm Shapiro. La Brooy (pictured) joined in 2016 as Insights and Strategy Director of its Health Wellness Practice (formerly known as CarbonSix), and more recently, served as VP, in charge of the New York Office. Earlier she worked for Hall & Partners as Strategy Director, and Forethought Research as Senior Insights Consultant, having begun her career at Research International. In her new role, La Brooy will lead client teams for the firm's pharmaceutical, health and wellness clients. She will also be involved in identifying and developing methodological innovations in collaboration with S+R's Brand Strategy group, while collaborating with other colleagues to expand the firms' Digital Insights and Intelligence practice. Commenting on the promotion, Raj said: 'Lisa has been a terrific leader in bringing our mission of delivering market-ready insights to life. Using innovative methods inspired by behavioral sciences and empowered by our tech platforms, she has sparked transformative outcomes for our clients. This promotion is a recognition of her leadership and ability to make an impact as Shapiro+Raj continues to grow.' Web site: www.shapiroraj.com . NEBO Three Pike County residents are facing federal charges after being accused of coercing a minor into sexually explicit conduct and recording the act. The indictment in U.S. District Court in Springfield was handed up Sept. 9 but not unsealed until Friday, when the last of the three was arraigned in federal court. The three-count indictment, which is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not proof of guilt, asserts that the three men Anthony M. Westemeyer, Bobby J. Warner and Michael Wallace, all of Nebo in May enticed a child to engage in explicit conduct and that it was recorded and stored on a computer. The indictment said all the alleged acts took place in Pike County and involved Westemeyer, 33, and Warner, 37, on May 4 and May 9 and Westemeyer and Wallace on May 12. Wallace, age unavailable, was arrested Sept. 10 in Nebo and Warner was arrested Sept. 13 in Pittsfield, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of Illinois. The two were ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins to be detained and the U.S. Marshals Service lodged a detainer for Westemeyer, who is presently in custody in Pike County Jail. During Fridays arraignment, Schanzle-Haskins also ordered that Westermeyer be detained pending trial. Law enforcement authorities asked that anyone with information related to the investigation contact the Department of Homeland Security Investigations at 217-547-2100. Agencies involved in the investigation include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Illinois Attorney Generals Office, Pike County Sheriffs Department and the Pike County States Attorneys Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Seberger and Tanner K. Jacobs. If convicted, each of the three could face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. Nursing homes across the region are moving to get both staff and residents fully vaccinated ahead of the deadline for a mandate from Gov. J. B. Pritzker that all health workers in Illinois receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A recent study shows nursing homes are working to reach that goal. Aperion Care Jacksonville, 1021 N. Church St., is on track to meet the deadline, but its not there yet, said Ashley Smith, the facilitys director of nursing. Most of our residents are vaccinated, Smith said. They dont have a problem with taking it. Currently, 88.9% of residents at Aperion have been vaccinated which is above state and national average. Aperion has not required the vaccine or forced the vaccination issue so far, but Smith sees that happening down the road, she said. According to the Medicare database, Aperion Care in Jacksonville is below both state and national averages, with only 30.8% of its staff being vaccinated as of Sept. 5. I think the staff will get there, said Smith, who put the current staff vaccination rate closer to 50%. Aperion remains cautious with visitors, allowing them outdoors only. During the past several months, the facility has had only one positive COVID-19 case, Smith said. We had one, but she came from the hospital and she ended up being in quarantine here, she said. White Hall Nursing and Rehab Center, Jacksonville Skilled Nursing and Rehab and Prairie Village Healthcare Center also were asked for comment but, as of Thursday afternoon, had not provided one. Pritzkers COVID-19 vaccine mandate for educators, college students and most health care workers went into effect Sunday. The deadline for health care workers to receive their first vaccine dose is Oct. 14; deadline for the second dose is Nov. 18. The statewide average vaccination rate is 86% for nursing home residents and 64.5% for staff. The national vaccination average is 84.1% for nursing home residents and 63.7% for staff. Here are the vaccination percentages for west-central Illinois nursing homes as of Sept. 5, which are the most recent available on Medicare databases. Morgan County Aperion Care, Jacksonville Residents: 88.9% (above state, above nation) Staff: 30.8% (below state, below nation) Heritage Health-Jacksonville Residents: 92.8% (above state, above nation) Staff: 85.6% (above state, above nation) Jacksonville Skilled Nursing and Rehab Residents: 88.5% (above state, above nation) Staff: 59.2% (below state, below nation) Prairie Village Healthcare Center Residents: 92.8% (above state, above nation) Staff: 83.6% (above state, above nation) Brown County Heritage Health-Mount Sterling Residents: 92.5% (above state, above nation) Staff: 79.5% (above state, above nation) Cass County Heritage Health-Beardstown Residents: 92.9% (above state, above nation) Staff: 73% (above state, above nation) Walker Nursing Home, Virginia Residents: 92.3% (above state, above nation) Staff: 57.1% (below state, below nation) Greene County White Hall Nursing and Rehab Center, White Hall Residents: 85.4% (below state, above nation) Staff: 42% (below state, below nation) Jersey County Jerseyville Manor, Jerseyville Residents: 94.7% (above state, above nation) Staff: 66.4% (above state, above nation) Jerseyville Nursing and Rehab Center, Jerseyville Residents: 94.2% (above state, above nation) Staff: 73.4% (above state, above nation) Willow Rose Rehab and Health, Jerseyville Residents: 94.4% (above state, above nation) Staff: 69.4% (above state, above nation) Macoupin County Carlinville Rehab and Health Care Center, Carlinville Residents: 81.5% (below state, below nation) Staff: 45.6% (below state, below nation) Hallmark Healthcare, Carlinville Residents: 80.5% (below state, below nation) Staff: 51.2% (below state, below nation) Heritage Health-Carlinville Residents: 93.4% (above state, above nation) Staff: 66.7% (above state, above nation) Heritage Health-Gillespie Residents: 93.3% (above state, above nation) Staff: 93.2% (above state, above nation) Heritage Health-Staunton Residents: 100% (above state, above nation) Staff: 86.6% (above state, above nation) Robings Manor Rhc, Brighton Residents: 100% (above state, above nation) Staff: 70% (above state, above nation) Sunrise Skilled Nursing and Rehab, Virden Residents: 89.8% (above state, above nation) Staff: 55.2% (below state, below nation) Pike County Barry Community Care Center, Barry Residents: 94.7% (above state, above nation) Staff: 46.6% (below state, below nation) Eastside Health and Rehab Center, Pittsfield Residents: 95.2% (above state, above nation) Staff: 64.2% (below state, above nation) Pittsfield Manor, Pittsfield Residents: 90.4% (above state, above nation) Staff: 40.4% (below state, below nation) Schuyler County Rushville Nursing and Rehab Center, Rushville Residents: 93% (above state, above nation) Staff: 50.6% (below state, below nation) Scott County Scott County Nursing Center, Winchester Residents: 96.7% (above state, above national) Staff: 61.1% (below state, below national) Felix Marquez | AP Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 17 other attorneys general joined Thursday in sending a letter to President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over concerns about how Haitian refugees are being treated while seeking humanitarian aid along the Texas border. The attorneys general are asking the administration to reevaluate its process in returning refugees to Haiti and to ensure that federal officials are treating refugees with dignity and compassion. BEARDSTOWN Houston Memorial Public Library will receive $14,450 through a state program to mentor middle school and high school students. The Project Next Generation grants are going to 28 public libraries statewide. The mentoring program works with students to develop skills to use various technologies, achieve success through project-based learning, and gain life skills such as effective communication, goal setting and conflict resolution, according to Secretary of State Jesse White, who also serves as state librarian. I am committed to improving the lives of at-risk youth in Illinois, White said. I established this program to give students an opportunity to receive hands-on experience with the latest technological tools at their local library. Statewide, $530,104 in grants were awarded by the Illinois State Library using federal Library Services and Technology Act funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Grants are awarded to public libraries serving culturally diverse, low-income and under-served populations. BRUSSELS (AP) As tensions between France and the United States simmered this week over an Indo-Pacific defense deal that sank a multi-billion-dollar French submarine contract, a French general handed the baton of a key NATO command center to a fellow French air force officer. At a ceremony Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia, Gen. Philippe Lavigne took charge of Allied Command Transformation, where NATO does its strategic thinking, from Gen. Andre Lanata, who had led the center for three years. The handover cemented Frances place at the head of one of the military alliance's two strategic command centers, and NATOs only headquarters in North America. French officers have held the post since 2009, when Paris reversed a 1966 decision to pull out of NATOs command structure. Lavignes nomination was announced in May. It was not influenced by the shambolic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that damaged U.S. credibility, or the submarine contract rift, which led to the recall of French ambassadors and rumors that Paris might once again leave NATOs integrated military structure. Indeed, the command handover illustrates that even amid the kerfuffle over the defense pact between the U.S., Britain and Australia and fresh calls for Europe to end its U.S. military dependence, France remains firmly anchored in the alliance. I fully understand Frances disappointment. At the same time, NATO allies agree on the big picture, on the most important challenges, and that is that we have to stand together to confront global challenges, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told The Associated Press this week. To ease tensions, U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in. A statement after their phone call conceded that Europe can provide its own security. The U.S., it said, recognizes the importance of a stronger and more capable European defense, that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to NATO. To help France swallow the loss of its massive contract in Australia to U.S. nuclear submarine makers, Macron won a commitment from Biden to boost support for French-led counter-terrorism operations in Africas restive Sahel region. A face-saving offer was needed, because Frances reaction to the AUKUS defense agreement was almost as surprising as the announcement of the pact itself. Paris claimed it got a stab in the back from its allies. For many European officials, the heated French reaction was partly due to the election cycle in the EUs two heavyweight countries. Germans voted Sunday and French citizens head to the polls in April. Some said it was just a question of waiting "for the dust to settle. That said, the fallout from the chaotic Afghanistan exit and the U.S. maneuvering for the defense contract have disappointed many allies. Some see early in the Biden presidency a continuation in form, if not in style, of former President Donald Trumps America First policy. With the U.S. now focused on the threat posed by China, calls are multiplying for Europe to ensure its strategic autonomy to avoid debacles like the chaotic evacuations from Kabul's airport. The idea of a 5,000-strong rapidly deployable EU stand-by force is being floated. The reality, however, is that NATO already has a similar contingent the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, with around 5,000 ground troops that officials can quickly deploy to respond to security threats. The challenge beyond getting 30 nations to agree to use it is drumming up equipment and personnel, including from many of the 22 EU countries that are also members of the worlds biggest security alliance, so it's difficult to see how a European force might be resourced. Moreover, there is no consensus in Europe to establish a separate force. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all count on the U.S. security umbrella to deal with an increasingly assertive Russia. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark backed Biden and warned France on Thursday against turning concrete challenges, which will always exist between allies, into something they should not be. Germany is caught in the middle. The trauma of the Trump years convinced Germany to indulge Frances vision of strategic autonomy without ever fully endorsing it, said Noah Barkin, senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund think-tanks Asia Program. Frances fierce reaction to its lost submarine deal puts Germany in the awkward position of having to choose between its closest ally in Europe and a Biden administration that has worked overtime to lure Berlin into its orbit, Barkin said. Ultimately, its unlikely that the French-U.S. spat will pose more of a threat to NATO, or Frances place in it, than, say, the security challenge posed by Turkeys purchase of Russian missile defense systems. As he took command in Norfolk on Thursday, Lavigne said that NATOs adaptation is the only possible way to collectively overcome threats of all kinds, be it terrorism, conventional and nuclear, or emerging threats from new domains like cyber, space or cognitive warfare. I am here to serve NATO, and I will devote, as always, all my will, the French general said. Nearly 20 months into the pandemic, it still is not known how much money has been fraudulently paid out of Illinois unemployment system during that time. After Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order in March 2020, unemployment filings skyrocketed as people were laid off because of the decrease in economic activity. That unemployment hangover lasted for months, with backlogs of unemployment claims stacking up over time. The result: Illinois unemployment trust fund debt is around $5 billion. Taxpayers already are paying interest on that debt, with around $10 million due for this year and up to $60 million due after the next year if the debt isnt paid off. In the spring, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said it has stopped 1.7 million fraudulent claims. But, during an Illinois House hearing Thursday, director Kristin Richards still couldnt quantify how much has been paid out. Some states have put out their rough estimates, Richards said. Weve not yet been in a position to do so. But those rough estimates have largely been focused on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. PUA was the temporary unemployment program the federal government set up for independent contractors and the self-employed. When pressed for an estimate of how much fraud theres been, Richards still couldnt say. One thing that is clear is a trend seen across the country, said Jon Coss of Thomson Reuters. What weve literally seen (are) claims come in from as many 150 countries to another state unemployment system, Coss said. Coss said the hackers knew what they were doing. This includes the use of technologies like bots, IP spoofing software and email wildcards, Coss said. Criminals are also taking advantage of a large number of data breaches to use stolen IDs and create synthetic, sometimes referred to as Frankenstein, IDs to steal funds. While Illinois Department of Innovation and Technologys Adam Ford said efforts are ongoing to secure state systems from bad actors with updated technology, there still needs to be a point of contact for beneficiaries. A place where they can call in and say hey, this did not work for me, how else can I verify I am who I am so that I can continue to take advantage of these services, Ford said. Prior to his death, Los Angeles Sunday night talk show host Terry Anderson used to open his broadcast with a heads up to his listeners: If you aint mad, you aint paying attention. Most Americans are paying attention to the wide-open southwest border, and the Afghan nationals influx. But, to use Andersons vernacular, Americans aint paying enough attention, and they aint angry enough. The combination of an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants that will cross the southwest border this year, a minimum of 50,000 Afghans, and the probability of an increase in the refugee admissions cap that President Biden promised to raise to 125,000 from President Trumps 15,000 will dramatically alter the nations demographics, and might, over time, forever restructure America. Some will reject as alarmist the claim that Bidens refusal to enforce existing immigration law will lead to Americas demise. But, as Anderson prophetically warned, pay attention. The border crossers, the Afghans and the resettled refugees whatever number they end up being are here permanently. The new arrivals will soon receive lawful standing either through parole, temporary protected status or asylum petitions. To pretend that the Biden administration isnt 100% committed to legalizing the border crossers and evacuated Afghans refugees admitted under the Refugee Act of 1980 guidelines are lawfully present is to have been dozing since Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. White House press secretary Jen Psaki asserts that the arriving Afghans have been carefully vetted, that theyre U.S. allies who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. against the Taliban, and that some hold Special Immigrant Visas. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also insists arrivals will undergo careful screening and security vetting. But the State Department in its second quarter report that recounted SIV issuance procedures found that the processing time is 703 days, which means that U.S. officials cannot possibly have properly vetted most of the 24,000 already arrived Afghans. Moreover, State and Homeland Security Departments data from January through March showed that Afghan SIV denial rates hit 84%; 137 SIVs were approved, while 728 were denied. Rejected were those whose service doesnt meet the SIV bar, and they appealed. The State Department said that of the 713 appeals filed during the second quarter, 601 were denied again. Heres where the U.S. actually is vis-a-vis Afghan resettlement. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refuses to say how many Afghans will ultimately resettle in the U.S. Those that are often officially referred to as SIV holders are in fact applicants with, based on the State Departments second quarter 84% denial rate, little chance of approval. Most of the arrivals have no approved visa of any type, cannot be accurately classified as refugees, and are therefore ineligible for social services, including Medicaid and cash assistance that theyll rely on during their initial resettlement, and beyond. Mayorkas has granted many Afghan arrivals humanitarian parole, an immigrant status that, unlike civilian parole, has no supervisory officer. Paroled Afghans come and go freely from their temporary military housing. But parole doesnt include Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, employment assistance and medical service. To correct what it views as unfair, the State Department began an Afghan Parolee Support Program. According to multiple resettlement officials involved in drafting the plan, parolees will be helped with taxpayer-funded housing, transportation, food, cash, clothing, legal counsel and other services. Over the short-term, the millions of foreign nationals that have illegally crossed the Southwest border, the Afghan evacuees, and the soon-to-be resettled refugees will receive lifetime valid employment authorization that will allow them to compete in the U.S. labor market to the detriment of American workers and recent college graduates. With between 5 million and 6 million unemployed Americans, looser labor markets hurt job seekers. Over the longer term, chain migration will allow the thousands of Afghans as well as the border surgers and the new refugees to petition extended family members. Princeton University immigration scholars found that the average immigrant sponsors 3.45 nuclear and non-nuclear family relatives, a multiplier that creates a population boom. The Biden administration is either clueless about the adverse effect of its immigration enthusiasm on citizens futures or, more likely, is indifferent to sovereign America. Joe Guzzardi is a Progressives for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. He can be reached at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org. Biden hosts Indo-Pacific leaders as China concerns grow View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad are showing they know how to get things done in an increasingly complicated corner of the globe. Biden and his fellow leaders Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are all grappling with a rising China that Biden has accused of coercive economic practices and unsettling military maneuvering. They made no direct mention of China as they opened the groups first ever in-person meeting, but the Pacific power played a big part in the private talks. Suga raised concerns about China intentions in the South China Sea, where its stepped up its military presence in recent years, and the East China Sea, where a long-running dispute about a group of uninhabited islets administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing is a point of concern. Suga also raised concerns about Chinese action towards Taiwan, said Japans foreign press secretary Tomoyuki Yoshida. On Thursday, Beijing dispatched 24 jets toward Taiwanese airspace after it submitted its application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact. The prime minister emphasized the importance of the peace and stability in the Taiwan strait, according to Yoshida. Following the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement pledging to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas. The Quad leaders also announced Japan would work with India on a $100 million investment in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drugs. They launched an initiative to bolster semiconductor supply chains. And they unveiled a new fellowship for graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to study at top U.S. universities. Biden has repeatedly made a case that the U.S. and likeminded allies need to deliver results on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other fundamental matters in what hes deemed a race between democracies and autocracies. Morrison and the others seemed to pick up that message at Fridays summit. We are liberal democracies, believe in a world order that favors freedom, Morrison said. And we believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know thats what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region. Biden and Modi also met prior to the summit for a one-on-one meeting. The president played up ties to India referencing Vice President Kamala Harris Indian heritage and even his own family ties to the subcontinent. Biden also made clear he saw tightening relations with the worlds biggest democracy one that shares a neighborhood with China and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as vital for both sides. Ive long believed the U.S.-India relationship can help us solve an awful lot of global challenges, Biden said.. The Quad is an informal alliance formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Biden has sought to reinvigorate the alliance, putting a spotlight on a chief foreign policy goal: greater attention to the Pacific and a rising China. The alliance met earlier this year, virtually, and announced plans to boost vaccination manufacturing in India. The Japanese and Indian governments welcomed a recent announcement that the U.S., as part of a new alliance with Britain and Australia, would equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. That will allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give it an edge on the Chinese navy. But the announcement infuriated France, which accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back by squelching its own $66 billion deal to provide diesel-powered submarines. Tensions between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron eased after the two leaders spoke Wednesday and agreed to take steps to coordinate more closely in the Indo-Pacific. Michael Green, who served as senior director for Asia at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, said Japan and India welcome the United States-United Kingdom-Australian alliance because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as China massively builds up its naval forces. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has called it a reflection of outdated Cold War, zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception that will intensify a regional arms race. The meeting concluded a busy week of wider diplomacy for Biden, who addressed the U.N. General Assembly in which he stressed that the U.S. does not seek a Cold War with China. He also hosted a virtual global summit on COVID-19. Despite Australia and the U.S. taking multiple measures to counter Chinas economic and military power, Morrison left the White House meeting Friday determined to not publicly confront the Chinese. Were there to make the region stronger, more prosperous, stable. Its a positive initiative designed to lift the well being of the people, he said. The leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and emphasized in their joint statement the importance of denying any logistical, financial or military support to terrorist groups which could be used to launch or plan terror attacks, including cross-border attacks. The issue is of particular concern to the Modi government, which is concerned about elements of the Taliban government who have supported attacks on India in the past. Modi was expected to bring up Afghanistan during his meeting with Biden and to raise objections to the Talibans effort to get recognition at the United Nations. The Indian government also has concerns about the influence it believes Pakistans intelligence service exerted in how factions of the Taliban divvied up government offices in Kabul. Suga also raised concerns about North Korea. Pyongyang last week said it successfully launched ballistic missiles from a train for the first time, striking a target in the sea some 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. That test came after the North this month said it tested new cruise missiles, which it intends to make nuclear-capable, that can strike targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, a distance putting all of Japan and U.S. military installations there within reach. ___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed reporting. By AAMER MADHANI and JOSH BOAK Associated Press Ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont detained in Sardinia View Photo BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain after a failed secession bid for the northeastern region in 2017, was detained Thursday in Sardinia, Italy, his lawyer said. Puigdemont, who lives in Belgium and now holds a seat in the European Parliament, has been fighting extradition to Spain, which accused him and other Catalan independence leaders of sedition. Lawyer Gonzalo Boye said Puigdemont was detained when he arrived in Sardinia, where he was due to attend an event this weekend. The circumstances under which Puigdemont was taken into custody were not immediately clear. Boye wrote on Twitter the ex-regional president was detained under a 2019 European arrest warrant, even though it had been suspended. Police at the airport in northern Sardinia didnt answer phone calls Thursday night, while police in the city of Alghero said they werent aware of his detention. The European Parliament voted in March to lift the immunity of Puigdemont and two of his associates. In July the three EU lawmakers failed to have their immunity restored after the European Unions general court said that they did not demonstrate they were at risk of being arrested. Sardinian media reported earlier in the week he was due to attend an event in Alghero on Sunday, so his presence on the Mediterranean island had been expected. Sardinian media had also reported that Puigdemont was invited by a Sardinian pro-separatist group. Puigdemonts office said in a statement that he had traveled to Alghero from Brussels to attend a folklore festival where he was detained upon arrival by Italian police. On Friday Puigdemont will appear in front of a judge in the city of Sassari who would rule on whether he should be freed, the statement said. Puigdemont and a number of his separatist colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal. Nine Catalan separatists received prison sentences for their role in the 2017 referendum ranging from nine to 13 years. They were pardoned in July. By RENATA BRITO Associated Press Severe Brazil drought reignites debate over daylight saving View Photo RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Dyane Rodrigues used to enjoy strolling along Rio de Janeiros iconic Ipanema beach after a hot summers day. Daylight saving time meant her workday went by faster, and ended early enough for her to take in the golden sunset, the 28-year-old said from her fruit stand, a stones throw from the seashore. That changed in 2019, when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro did away with the practice of changing clocks. The idea behind daylight saving time had been to make most of long summer days natural light, delaying by one hour the time at which households switch on their lamps. But the president said daylight saving no longer made sense, as it yielded little in energy savings and forced Brazilians to commute in the dark, and many experts agreed. But once again, daylight saving known here as summer schedule has surged to the fore. Brazil is in the throes of its worst drought in 91 years, which has returned the specter of power rationing. The operator of the hydroelectric-reliant grid is reviewing the scope of benefits sacrificed by the 2019 change, and federal lawmakers discussed its return this week. Associations linked to the tourism and service industries, sensing opportunity to boost evening business, are chiming in with their support. Since implementation in 1931, summer schedule has divided Brazilians between those who bathe in morning light and those like Dyane who prefer their sunsets. Governments wavered in decades that followed, adopting it some years but not others. Starting in 1985, when drought caused blackouts and water rationing, summer schedule was renewed each year by presidential decree. It became a fixture in 2008. A decade later, a Senate-led poll of nearly 13,000 people found them roughly split, with 55% in favor of ending summer schedule. Bills proposing the change didnt advance, so Bolsonaro ended the practice by decree. He admitted hed never been a fan, and cited studies showing negative impact on peoples biological clocks. People like Dyane were disappointed, but at the time almost no one was worried about electricity. Fast forward two years, and Brazils reservoirs are dwindling. In a country where almost two-thirds of power comes from hydroelectric generation, low rainfall has serious consequences. The situation is so bad, Bolsonaro asked Brazilians on Sept. 23 to stop using elevators when possible, and to take much healthier cold showers. Help us, Bolsonaro pleaded on his weekly Facebook broadcast. Reservoir levels in the southeast and center west regions are lower than in 2001 when the country last experienced an electricity crisis; power was rationed for eight months. Since then, the country has installed thermoelectric generation plants as a costlier backup supply, but experts say it wasnt enough. This week, the governor of Minas Gerais, Brazils second most populous state, warned power could run out at any time. The system was not made to function with a situation like this one, said Roberto Brandao, senior researcher at the electricity sector studies group of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The only reason why were not seeing greater problems is because of the economic crises of the last few years, and lower consumption than expected. This years drought comes at the tail-end of nearly a decade of lower-than-usual precipitation, and some experts have linked this such extreme weather to climate change. Amazon rainforest deforestation also reduces evaporation of moisture that then travels on air currents to provide rainfall far afield. Bolsonaros opponents have blamed him for a delayed response to a problem experts flagged months ago. Others say this isnt a problem that can be solved from one year to the next, nor by one administration. Frankly, the (power) sector is not designed to face such bad hydrology, said Brandao, who foresees possible rationing this year. Energy minister Bento Albuquerque, who said Bolsonaro had been briefed on a looming water crisis in October last year, has dismissed critics. Brazil has introduced a water scarcity electrical rate, increased energy imports from Argentina and Uruguay, accelerated infrastructure projects that can distribute power from the less affected northeast to the south, and created a national committee that can swiftly reverse regional rules to optimize power and water usage. Earlier this month, Albuquerque asked the grid operator to analyze the benefits of restoring summer schedule, which his ministry said it is still examining. But on Sept. 17, Albuquerque said there is no need for summer schedule to return in 2021. According to a 2016 Brazilian study from the State University of Mato Grosso, daylight saving existed in 76 countries, including the U.S. and Europe. Many countries across the world have chosen to abolish it. In 2016, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reintroduced daylight saving time to save energy, overturning a decree signed by his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The European Parliament carried out a study in 2018 among member countries, in which 84% of the people said they were against adjusting their clocks twice a year. Ultimately the decision falls to Bolsonaro. His press office referred e-mailed questions about whether he was considering a U-turn nor when a decision is expected. In July, he reiterated his aversion, saying most Brazilians are against it because it alters the biological clock. But that was before his energy minister asked for complementary studies and before the matter, once again, reached Congress. Representatives of the restaurant, services and tourism sectors participated in a public hearing this week after sending a letter to Bolsonaro saying they could benefit from daylight saving. An extra hour of daylight would lure welcome business after losses suffered amid pandemic restrictions on activity. One of Bolsonaros closest allies from the private sector, Luciano Hang, a department store magnate, has also voiced his support. Most of the hearing happened in a livestream on the Lower Houses YouTube channel. While business association representatives patiently walked lawmakers through their PowerPoint presentations, a handful of Brazilians posted impassioned comments showing the divergence over daylight saving. SUMMER SCHEDULE YESSSSS, one of them wrote. WE CAN ENJOY MUCH MORE OF THE DAY WITH OUR KIDS #ComeBackSummerHours Another user wasnt convinced: NO SUMMER SCHEDULE!!! SUMMER SCHEDULE NEVER AGAIN!!! AP journalist Marcelo Silva de Sousa contributed to this report. By DIANE JEANTET Associated Press Confiscated drugs by TCSO View Photo Sonora, CA A Mi-Wuk Village woman already wanted on a felony warrant stemming from a DUI crash with her toddler in the vehicle was arrested on drug charges yesterday the man with her remains on the loose. While patrolling the area of Microtronics Way and Camage Avenue, near Tuolumne Road, in Sonora Wednesday (Sept.22) morning, a Tuolumne County Sheriffs Deputy came across a man and woman digging through a dumpster. The male took off running, but the female, 33-year-old Stephanie Foster of Mi Wuk Village, stayed put. Sheriffs Spokesperson Nicco Sandelin relayed that during questioning, Foster admitted to having a warrant for her arrest. It involved a DUI crash in March where her pickup hit a Kiosk at the Indian Rock Center on Mono Way in East Sonora while her one-year-old daughter was in the truck, as detailed here. A vehicle at the scene was searched and turned up a bag on the back seat of the vehicle. Sandelin detailed, Inside the bag was drug use paraphernalia, packaging material, live ammunition of various calibers, and over 130 grams of suspected methamphetamine separated in eight various amounts. Additionally, a second bag was located containing over three grams of suspected heroin and almost two grams of suspected methamphetamine. It was determined that the first bag belonged to the male and the second to Foster. She was arrested for her felony warrant, possession of heroin, and possession of methamphetamine. While deputies combed the area for the male suspect he was nowhere to be found. Sandelin added, Due to the investigation, the identity of the male subject is not being released at this time. FDA approved booster dose View Photo The FDA announced its authorization of booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for certain populations. Mariposa Public Health clarifies the Emergency Use Authorization allows for booster doses in those that received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine over six months ago, and who fall into one of three categories; 65 years or older, 18 to 64 years old at high risk of severe COVID-19, 18 to 64 years old whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 puts them at high risk of serious complications of COVID-19. Public Health further adds regarding the high-risk qualification, We are gaining more clarity on what specific parameters are for these two categories and hope to have further information available soon. Public health also notes, If you did not receive the Pfizer vaccine originally and are wondering about boosters, please stay patient as the data is being gathered and analyzed. We will share updates and information as we receive them. If you have concerns about immunity and are moderately to severely immunocompromised, please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or speak with your primary care provider or specialist about your specific needs for additional doses. If you are eligible for the Pfizer booster or an additional dose as references above, please visit myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment. Additionally, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) completed its meeting today and Mariposa Public Health updates, They agreed to the boosters of those 65 years and older and made recommendations for those 50 64 with underlying medical conditions. They did not recommend vaccinations for those 18 49 or those with higher risk institutional or occupations exposure. The next step will be to follow the guidance released from CDPH. More vaccine information is here. Tuolumne Public Health reports 12 new COVID-19 cases since yesterdays report. There are 162 active cases including 8 who are hospitalized. The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County is down to 40.7 per 100,000 population. A total of 4,456 have been released from isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, there have been 100 deaths and 1,620 inmate cases, for a total of 6,338 Covid cases. Of Tuolumnes eligible population to be vaccinated 55% have been vaccinated. Todays newly reported cases include 6 cases age 17 or younger and 3 cases are age 60 and older. The gender and age breakdown is; 2 girls age 0-11, 1 girl and 3 boys age 12-17, 1 man age 18-29, 1 man age 30-39, 1 woman age 40 to 49, 1 woman and 1 man age 60 -69, and 1 woman age 70 to 79. Of the 12 new community cases, 10 were unvaccinated and 2 were vaccinated. The California Department of Corrections reports 2 active cases in the inmates the Sierra Conservation Center oversees which includes all of the Southern Conservation Fire Camps. There are 11 correctional facilities in the state managing more active inmate cases. Calaveras County Public Health reports zero new Covid cases since yesterdays report, active cases decreased to 82, last weeks high was 125. The active cases include 3 current Covid hospitalizations.Since the pandemic began Calaveras has had 505 Covid-19 positive people who are 17 and under and 594 Covid-19 positive people 65 and over. Calaveras has vaccinated 52.7% of their eligible population. Long COVID, Calaveras County Public Health shares A recent study found that 1 in 3 people aged 18+ who tested positive for COVID-19 reported at least 1 symptom 2 months after the positive test. Rates were higher among those 40 and older and those with pre-existing conditions. Symptoms of long COVID include: fatigue, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, and muscle or joint aches. The term long COVID is used to describe symptoms experienced from weeks to months by persons recovering from COVID. Being fully vaccinated lowers your risk of severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. People should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID. It has not yet been shown how long you are protected from getting COVID again after you recover from COVID. Vaccination helps protect you even if youve already had COVID. Dont wait. Vaccinate. In Calaveras, mobile vaccination clinics now do COVID-19 testing. For COVID-19 testing times and locations go to: https://covid19.calaverasgov.us/. Walk-ins only for COVID-19 testing. No appointment needed. Register online to reduce waiting time: https://bit.ly/3wpNEUU COVID-19 Testing Public health recommends if you believe you have been exposed to COVID, schedule an appointment to get tested 5 days after exposure and if you are having any symptoms, please get tested right away. The Tuolumne County State testing site is open 7 days a week beginning from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Appointments can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123 the same website and phone number can be used to schedule tests in other counties. Testing is also available through some pharmacies, at Rapid Care, the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider. COVID-19 Vaccines Public Health continues to strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, as the most important step we can take to reduce the spread of disease and prevent serious illness and death, as well as reduce the impact to our healthcare system. In addition, the continued practice of other preventive actions like wearing a mask in public, keeping your distance, avoiding crowds, washing hands, and staying home when sick will help slow the spread of the virus. Vaccine appointments can be made at local pharmacies and through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255. Anyone 12 and older is eligible for a COVID vaccine, Pfizer is approved for anyone age 12 or over. As detailed here healthcare workers are required to be vaccinated by September 30. The Pfizer vaccine requires 3 weeks between doses and the Moderna requires 4 weeks. The J&J vaccine requires only one dose. Call or email with any questions you may have Tuolumne is available at (209) 533-7440 Health@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov, Mariposa at (209) 259-1332 or mariposacovid19@gmail.com more numbers are available on our COVID-19 vaccine page here. County/Date Tier Color Active Cases New Cases Total Cases COVID Deaths Amador 9/22 128 21 3,000 50 Calaveras 9/23 82 8 3,343 71 Mariposa 9/22 75 8 1,007 12 Mono 9/23 62 1 1,292 5 Stanislaus 9/23 2,146 118 72,838 1,250 Tuolumne 9/23 162 12 6,338 100 California GOP Will Look To Recharge After Recall Loss CA GOP Convention Keynote Speaker - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu View Photo San Diego, CA The California Republican Party will strategize after Governor Gavin Newsom fended off a recall attempt last week. 62.5-percent of state voters opposed the recall and 37.5-percent were in favor. The top GOP vote-getter, when asked to pick a replacement, was talk radio host Larry Elder, with 48-percent. Democrat Kevin Paffrath was second with 9.8-percent, and Republican Kevin Faulconer was third with 8.3-percent. A three-day convention begins today in San Diego where party leaders and delegates will discuss a new path forward. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu will be the keynote speaker. The Republican Party now accounts for about 24-percent of registered voters in the state, while the Democratic Party has 47-percent. Democrats hold all statewide elected positions in California and hold the majority in both houses of the state legislature. The most recent success for Republicans has been with US House of Representatives, where the GOP took four California seats from Democrats in 2020. Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo Sonora, CA Following this weeks FDA approval, many locals who received the Pfizer vaccine over six months ago are now eligible for a booster shot. Interim Tuolumne County Health Officer, Dr. Eric Sergienko says those who are strongly recommended to get it are people over 65 years old and those who live in long-term care facilities. In addition, those who are also eligible include anyone 18 and up with underlying health conditions and those over 18 who work in high-risk occupational settings (such as healthcare, correctional facilities, and adult living facilities). The booster is only available to those who received the Pfizer vaccine. Boosters for others, like Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, could be available later, pending federal approval. The booster is the same vaccine that was administered earlier and is designed to fend off waning levels of protection. Whether boosters will be a yearly occurrence, Dr. Sergienko says, As COVID moves from a pandemic disease to an endemic, we may see just like influenza, a variant-specific, or strain-specific, booster shot each year. It is hard to predict. We dont know what the disease is really going to do. The public health department is encouraging those interested in the Pfizer booster to sign up via MyTurn.ca.gov. You can also check directly with local pharmacies. On a different topic, earlier this week we reported that the Sonora City Council voted 4-0 to move forward with the downtown Christmas parade, pending approval from Public Health, and Caltrans. Public health has responded to the council, and there is still some gray area regarding how and if it will proceed. Public Health Director Michelle Jachetta updates, We sent a letter to the city with the current state and local guidance. The City Administrator is out of the office until early next week, and it is my understanding that they will review it when she gets back in, and make a determination. Jachetta says the letter indicates there is no state prohibition on events under 10,000 participants. However, there is a local public health recommendation to postpone gatherings of over 50 people. If they cant be postponed, safety measures should be taken. They include having it be held outside (which it is), that all participants be fully vaccinated, and that people wear masks (since it would be difficult to social distance at the outdoor downtown event). Jachetta clarifies, It is not a prohibition. Theyll have to make that determination (whether to have parade), considering the local health recommendations, and then go from there. Dr. Sergienko also weighs in, We ask everyone to consider the potential risks, and then how to mitigate those risks. It is hard for us to predict what the level of disease activity will be when the parade is held (Friday after Thanksgiving). He cites that there was a spike in cases following this years Mariposa County Fair, which is a reason why mitigation measures are recommended. They said it: Leaders at the hybrid UN, in their own words They said it: Leaders at the hybrid UN, in their own words View Photo UNITED NATIONS (AP) Many leaders saying many things about many topics that matter to them, to their regions, to the world: Thats what the U.N. General Assembly invariably produces each year. And each year, certain voices dominate. Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts delivered in pre-recorded speeches or from the rostrum at the United Nations after a yearlong pandemic break from leaders who might have not captured the headlines and airtime on Thursday, the third day of the 2021 debate. ___ The frequency and ferocity of hurricanes, floods, forest fires, landslides, volcano eruptions, and earthquakes that devastate entire cities and population centers in rural areas, sometimes with a significant number of deaths, should draw everyones attention, from governments, nongovernmental organizations, the academy, scientists, civil society, to the need for concerted efforts to protect planet Earth, our common home, which has been giving us increasingly clear signals that she is not happy with how we treat her, and is defending herself in the most violent manner possible. JOAO LOURENCO, president of Angola ___ Our decisions today matter. I repeat: Our decisions today matter. LAURENTINO CORTIZO COHEN, president of Panama ___ The policies and plans to avert further catastrophes have been negotiated and adopted in the U.N.s hallowed halls, only to meet lackluster implementation attempts and sit idly on bookshelves and in hard drives while the world moves on and battles new crises and shocks. LIONEL ROUWEN AINGIMEA, president of Nauru ___ We are in an ever-accelerating world, more disunited, more anxious, more pessimistic and more individualistic. A world in which almost no one knows where we are going, or even where we would like to go. Resolving problems in the moment, bouncing from crisis to crisis, until we reach one we cant resolve. NAYIB BUKELE, president of El Salvador ___ During more than 40 years of war and instability, which the Afghan people are not to blame for, Afghanistan has become a geopolitical platform; and the world is well aware of the consequences of the horrible events of September 2001. The suffering Afghanistan should not be dragged into the abyss of imposed bloody wars again. EMOMALI RAHMON, president of Tajikistan By The Associated Press Womens voices at UN General Assembly few, but growing View Photo NEW YORK (AP) With cascading crises casting a pall over the proceedings at this years United Nations General Assembly, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova had this reminder on the first day of debate: We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable the women, the girls, the minorities. But gender parity at the worlds preeminent forum of leaders still seems far out of sight. Eight women were speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. Just five women spoke across the first three days of the summit. On Friday, three vice presidents and five prime ministers including Bangladeshs Sheikh Hasina and New Zealands Jacinda Arden were taking the rostrum or giving their address in a prerecorded video. As the first female president in the history of my country, the burden of expectation to deliver gender equality is heavier on my shoulder, said Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania. When it comes to such equality, she said, COVID-19 is threatening to roll back the gains that we have made, Hassan was the lone woman to address the General Assembly on Thursday. Despite those 13 women making up less than 10% of speakers over the first four days, the 13 represent an increase from last year, when just nine women spoke over the course of the session. There are also three more female heads of state or heads of government 24 than there were at this point in 2020. There can be no democracy, no security and no development without one-half of the humankind, Estonia President Kersti Kaljulaid said Wednesday, also underscoring womens vulnerability in society. The theme of vulnerability has been at the forefront during a week haunted by the ever-looming specters of climate change, coronavirus and conflict. Most of the speeches have taken on the tenor of pleas issued at the precipice, batting away the summits theme of building resiliency through hope. Dire predictions were not limited to the General Assembly. At a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, the high-level officials urged stepped-up action to address the security implications of climate change and make global warming a key part of all U.N. peacekeeping operations. They said warming is making the world less safe, pointing to Africas conflict-plagued Sahel region and Syria and Iraq. Vice President Isatou Touray of Gambia, located in the Sahel, highlighted what many African nations have long called another deficit in inclusion: the powerful Security Council itself, which she called one of the last holdouts of reform. Africas quest for greater representation on the Security Council is legitimate, just and overdue, she told delegates Friday. Africa has no permanent representative on the council. Scores of leaders have already spoken, and many have left New York altogether. But some of the most anticipated countries have yet to deliver their addresses to fellow leaders. North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan all perennially but also lately much in the news are expected to close out the final debate session Monday afternoon. It remains unclear who will represent Afghanistan, where the U.S.-backed government fell last month after American forces withdrew and a resurgent Taliban reclaimed power. Friday alone promised fireworks, with a slate of speakers from countries roiled by internal and external conflict. The president of ethnically divided Cyprus opened the proceedings Friday, followed by Lebanon, which is also riven by internal strife. Taking stock of our declarations and decisions over time, I must confess that I feel like many of you a deep sense of disappointment, said Nicos Anastasiades, Cyprus president. A sense of disappointment because I witness a widening gap between words and deeds, between the auspicious declarations and commitments which are made and the results of the measures that we promise to deliver. The morning plenary saw addresses from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the prime minister of Armenia, lambasted Thursday in Azerbaijans speech in the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh war and responding in kind. The afternoon was to see both Albania and Serbia, perpetually at odds over Kosovo, as well as a Pakistan that is feeling pressure on its eastern border with India and its western border with Afghanistan. Pakistan and India, which speaks Saturday, are historically eager users of the right of reply function, which allows diplomats to lob polemics defending their countries in response to speeches from unfriendly nations. That window of opportunity opens Friday night, after the leaders speeches conclude. While leaders have avoided entirely succumbing to hopelessness, a sense of near-futility pervades. As Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley put it in an engaging, at times off-the-cuff speech read off her phone: How many times must leaders come to talk and not be heard before they stop coming? ___ Follow Mallika Sen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mallikavsen By MALLIKA SEN Associated Press France pledges support for Lebanons new prime minister View Photo PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Friday Lebanons new prime minister at the presidential palace, wishing him success and promising France would continue to support the crisis-struck country. In Beirut, protesters pelted commercial banks with eggs and rallied against the political class for obstructing the probe into last years devastating port blast. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is on his first foreign trip after taking office, days after his government was confirmed by parliament a move that ended a 13-month deadlock that came as Lebanon is struggling with an economic meltdown and rising poverty. You have an immense and historic responsibility, Macron told Mikati during a joint press conference at the Elysee. We will do everything to help you succeed. Throughout Lebanons crisis, France had taken the lead among the international community in helping the small Mideast country, a former French protectorate. Paris has hosted aid conferences and pushed for reform, and last year, Macron presented Lebanese politicians with a road map for policy change and reforms and scolded them for failing to form a government. But his hands-on approach failed to expedite government formation or bring about major change. On Friday, Macron said Lebanon faces a humanitarian emergency and promised France would help in efforts to mobilize the international community to respond to the most urgent needs. We have an opportunity to advance concretely on the path of reforms, Macron said, adding that international support can provide more help once energy and public finance sector reforms are launched. The path is arduous and the task is difficult, Macron said. We are here. France will remain at the side of the Lebanese people. Mikatis government is expected to undertake critically needed reforms while grappling with rising public anger and tensions resulting from the deepening hardships. He said he will be counting on Frances support during talks with the International Monetary Fund to negotiate a recovery package, a priority for the new Cabinet. I assured Mr. president of my determination to implement as soon as possible with my government and with the support of the president of the republic, Michel Aoun, and with the support of the parliament the necessary and imminent reforms to regain confidence and give back hope to reduce the suffering of the Lebanese people, Mikati said, speaking in French. Mikati has said he would lift subsidies by the end of September as Lebanese foreign reserves run dangerously low and the central bank can no longer support its $6 billion subsidy program. A billionaire businessman and one of the richest men in Lebanon and now a third-time prime minister Mikati is widely seen as part of the entrenched political elite. Few believe he can chart a path for reform with a government that leaves power in the hands of the same political parties the public blames for corruption and mismanagement of Lebanons resources. Dozens of Lebanese protested outside several private banks in central Beirut on Friday, demanding access to their hard currency deposits that have been de facto locked since the financial and economic crisis unfolded in late 2019. The protesters hurled eggs and tomatoes at the bank buildings, prompting angry bank employees to shout at them and Lebanese security forces pushed the crowd back. Private banks have imposed informal capital controls, limiting withdrawals, transfers and effectively preventing access to foreign currency accounts. The national currency has since been in a free fall, losing more than 90% of its value. Underlining one of the first hurdles facing Mikatis government, families of the victims of the massive August 2020 explosion at Beiruts port decried on Friday what they say is continued political interference in the domestic probe looking into what caused the blast and bringing those responsible to justice. In a statement, they called for international protection for the lead judge in the investigation, Tarek Bitar, suggesting his life and that of his family may be in danger following reported threats. Covering up the truth of the port explosion will be dangerous for the unity of Lebanon, it said. One of the key demands of both the international community and Lebanese campaigning for reforms has been the independence of Lebanons judiciary and accountability for corruption and political violence. French prosecutors have opened investigation into money-laundering allegations against Lebanons central bank governor. Lebanese media recently revealed that Bitar had received threats, purportedly from senior members of the powerful militant Hezbollah group who are allegedly getting impatient with the course of the investigation and threatening to remove him. After the leak, Bitar reported the threat to prosecutors. Hezbollah has not commented on the threat but the leader of the Iran-backed group had in the past criticized Bitar for an allegedly politicized investigation. No Hezbollah member has been implicated in the investigation and its concerns with the probe are unclear. Meanwhile, two former ministers accused of intentional negligence that led to the port explosion, have asked the countrys highest court to replace Bitar, the second judge to lead the complicated and thorny investigation. The first was removed earlier this year after similar challenges in court. ___ El Deeb reported from Beirut. By ANGELA CHARLTON and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press Migrant camp along Texas border shrinks as removals ramp up View Photo DEL RIO, Texas (AP) Haitian migrants milled around makeshift shelters held up with giant reeds, as wind blew dust through the camp littered with plastic bottles and overflowing trash bags. Some migrants sat on plastic paint cans or the ground while others hung clothes to dry on the bamboo-like carrizo cane. All waited to learn their fate at a dramatically diminished Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 migrants had gathered just days ago under a bridge between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. About 4,000 remained on Thursday, Department of Homeland Security officials said. The number had peaked on Saturday, as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the crossing. But the United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and fresh condemnation from civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and UNICEF. DHS officials said about 1,400 migrants had been sent to Haiti on 13 flights, rapidly expelled under the pandemic public health authority known as Title 42. Another 3,200 were in U.S. custody and being processed, while several thousand have returned to Mexico, DHS officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief journalists about an ongoing operation. Mexicos immigration agency had estimated late Wednesday there were as many as 600 migrants in Ciudad Acuna. The riverside camp appeared to hold that many at its peak, while other migrants were scattered through the city in hotels and private homes. A city official said Wednesday that Mexican authorities had removed about 250 Haitian migrants from the city since Sunday evening. Still, several thousand migrants returning to Mexico from the Del Rio camp seemed an exaggeration. Haitians camped in Mexico awoke Thursday surrounded by security forces, with a helicopter thundering overhead and state police trucks spaced every 30 feet or so between their tents and the waters edge. After anxious minutes of indecision, dozens of families hurried into the river to cross at a point where there was only one municipal police vehicle, calculating it was better to take their chances with U.S. authorities. Guileme Paterson, a 36-year-old from Haiti, appeared dazed. It is a difficult moment, she said before beginning to cross the Rio Grande with her husband and their four children. Things are going badly, said Michou Petion, carrying her 2-year-old son in her arms toward the river. Her husband carried bags of belongings and several pairs of sneakers dangled around his neck. The U.S. is deporting a lot to Haiti, now I dont know if I can enter or leave, Petion said. Texas Department of Public Safety officials allowed journalists to visit the camp later Thursday but prevented them from talking to migrants. For those who remained, food, shelter and medical care was being provided to those who need it, U.S. officials said. At one point, two men riding in an ATV emblazoned with Homeland Security approached a group of women holding infants and said in Spanish: We have food for the baby. The women approached the men, who handed them a small container. A low dam that had been used to cross from Mexico into the U.S. was closed, and a worker picked up mounds of discarded belongings that included cellphone chargers, clothing and Styrofoam containers. Sharpton said Thursday that he toured the camp and witnessed a real catastrophic and human disgrace. A handful of protesters, some wearing camouflage hats from former President Donald Trumps 2020 campaign, shouted through the entirety of Sharptons remarks. Del Rio is not a racist city. Del Rio is a loving, caring community, one protester yelled while Sharpton spoke to reporters. Sharpton vowed to continue to come back and stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. Some Haitians are being allowed to remain in the U.S. at least temporarily to seek asylum or to stay under some other claim to residency, with notices to appear later before immigration authorities. DHS officials declined to specify the number but said they are people with particular vulnerabilities, which can mean they have young children or are pregnant, or because the U.S. doesnt have capacity to hold them in detention, especially during the pandemic. There are no plans to stop expelling other migrants under Title 42, despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The provision was put in place by the Trump administration in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But the Biden administration has used Title 42 to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled the regulation was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt its use, but the Biden administration on Monday appealed the decision. Officials said Thursday that the U.S. State Department also is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided in those countries to return, but the issue is complicated because some no longer have legal status there. Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed only in July, wrote Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes. I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life, he wrote. Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own. The career diplomat was known to be deeply frustrated with what he considered a lack of urgency in Washington and a glacial pace on efforts to improve conditions in Haiti. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false, Price said. UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns, and about 40% in Del Rio are children. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. DHS officials said about two-thirds of those under the bridge are families and the rest are single adults. But even as the number of Haitian migrants gathered in Del Rio dwindled, a few groups of Cubans were seen walking along a dirt road toward the camp at the bridge on Thursday. As a group of three men approached, a DPS officer yelled out, We got migrants! One of the men said in Spanish: Were here. We made it to the country of liberty. __ Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna. AP journalists Julio Cortez in Del Rio, Texas, Joshua Goodman in Miami, Matthew Lee in New York, Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. By MARIA VERZA and JUAN LOZANO Associated Press Nebraska advances new congressional map that could help GOP View Photo OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Nebraska lawmakers advanced new congressional boundaries Friday that could make it harder for Democratic presidential hopefuls to pick up one of the states five Electoral College votes, as theyve done twice since 2008. Nearly all Republicans in the one-house, officially nonpartisan Legislature endorsed the measure a sign that the newly drawn, Omaha-area district could be more favorable to the party in both U.S. House and presidential races. Nebraska Democrats quickly denounced the plan. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that allow their Electoral College votes to be split. Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden claimed one each in 2008 and 2020, respectively, despite handily losing the statewide, GOP-dominated vote. The new map advanced by lawmakers would keep all of Omaha within the 2nd Congressional District, as Democrats had wanted, but also add neighboring, Republican-heavy Saunders County. The new district would also keep several conservative-leaning Omaha suburbs. The 36-10 vote was largely on party lines, with six Democrats breaking ranks to support the plan. Two more votes are required before it goes to Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts. Lawmakers had previously been deadlocked, with Republicans not having enough votes to overcome a Democratic-led filibuster. The deal followed several days of closed-door negotiations among members of the Redistricting Committee. Earlier in the week, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers warned that he would end the special legislative session and postpone a decision on the maps until January if lawmakers failed to reach an agreement. This has been a very tough and emotional operation, said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, chairwoman of the Redistricting Committee. Linehan, a Republican, initially proposed a map that would have split Douglas County, one of the few places in Nebraska where Democrats are competitive. Democrats blasted the proposal as gerrymandering drawing districts to favor the party in power. Several said they wouldnt budge in their opposition. The new plan still adds a lot of Republican voters to the district via Saunders County, a stretch of farmland and several smaller towns thats currently part of the more conservative 1st Congressional District. Sen. Justin Wayne, the leading Democrat on the Redistricting Committee, voted against the plan and said he would try to change it before lawmakers get to the next of three required votes. Wayne had tried unsuccessfully to include all of Democratic-leaning Bellevue in the Omaha-focused district. I dont necessarily agree with what the congressional maps are, he said. The Nebraska Democratic Party said the map was drawn specifically to include a plot of land recently purchased by Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, who represents the district. Bacon has said he had planned to build a home and move there in 2022. This is a partisan map meant to rewrite the direction of (the district), said Jane Kleeb, the partys executive director. Kleeb said her party will continue organizing and outwork the GOP in the district, with a focus on clean water, strong public schools and jobs. Hilgers praised lawmakers for working through a very complex and difficult process and advancing the maps without delay. Waiting until the Legislatures next regular session in January would have forced state officials to delay the May 2022 primary, which includes races for local offices, the U.S. House and governor. Lawmakers also reached a compromise on legislative maps that will cost western Nebraska one of its seats to accommodate rural population losses and gains in Omaha and Lincoln. Several rural, conservative lawmakers bemoaned the deal and the growing power of Omaha and Lincoln and argued that senators ignored other alternatives. Sen. Matt Williams, whose district will move from western Nebraska to fast-growing suburban Omaha, said he agreed to the shift for the good of the state. The plan won initial approval, 43-5. Ive chosen to focus on the bigger picture, said Williams, who is ineligible to seek reelection because of term limits. ___ Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte By GRANT SCHULTE Associated Press Court indicates it may wait to rule on Georgia abortion law View Photo ATLANTA (AP) A federal appeals court seemed to indicate Friday that it would wait until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a case that seeks to overturn its landmark decision guaranteeing a womans right to an abortion before ruling on the appeal of a lower courts ruling blocking a restrictive Georgia abortion law. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in December on an attempt by Mississippi to overturn the high courts decision in Roe v. Wade, which affirmed the right to an abortion. Mississippis law would ban abortions later than 15 weeks into a pregnancy. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday on whether it should overturn a lower court ruling that permanently blocked a 2019 Georgia law that would have banned most abortions once a detectable human heartbeat is present. As early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women realize theyre expecting, cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart. Abortion is currently available in Georgia up to 20 weeks into pregnancy. Circuit Chief Judge William Pryor asked lawyers for both sides whether the case should be stayed until the Supreme Court rules in the Mississippi case. Attorneys for both sides said they would be fine with that. I think thats the prudent way to proceed, Pryor said. Youre both saying you dont have a problem with that. Dont you agree, though, that thats really what we ought to do? I mean its not every day that we can allow the Supreme Court to do some work for us. Elizabeth Watson, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Reproductive Freedom Project, pointed out that Mississippis 15-week ban would outlaw substantially fewer abortions than Georgias more restrictive law. Just over a month after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law in May 2019, The ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights sued on behalf of Georgia abortion providers and an advocacy group to block the law. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled in July 2020 that the law was unconstitutional. The state appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit. The court rejects the state defendants argument that the statutory purpose solely concerns promoting fetal well-being, Jones wrote. Instead, he wrote, the laws specific references to Roe v. Wade and established abortion related precedents indicate that its purpose was to ban or de facto ban abortion. The law included exceptions for rape and incest as long as a police report is filed. It also provided for later abortions when the mothers life is at risk or a serious medical condition renders a fetus unviable. The law also would have granted personhood to a fetus, giving it the same legal rights as people have after birth. The landmark 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade declared a fundamental right to an abortion prior to viability of the fetus. Planned Parenthood v. Casey narrowed that in 1992 to say states cant place an undue burden in the way of women seeking an abortion prior to viability. Jeffrey Harris, a lawyer for the state, argued that Jones should have heard from state experts who would have testified as to why it makes sense to use the detection of a heartbeat as a threshold. Pryor said it seemed that still would not clear the undue burden standard. It seems to me that, at least based on the stipulated record, you couldnt possibly win, he said. Georgias so-called heartbeat law was one of a wave of laws passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in recent years to attack those rulings as anti-abortion activists and lawmakers saw opportunity in a new conservative Supreme Court majority. Harris also rejected arguments that defining a fetus as a natural person is unconstitutionally vague and said Jones should have allowed common sense fetal well-being provisions of the law that dont have to do with abortion to take effect. Pryor indicated the state seemed likelier to succeed on those issues. Watson argued that the purpose of the law is to ban abortion, both explicitly and by changing the definition of a natural person to include fetuses. For that reason, she said, the whole law must be blocked. Opponents of the law have said changing the definition of a natural person to include fetuses would change hundreds of Georgia laws without consideration of their context. They say it could criminalize all sorts of health care that has nothing to do with abortion. The state has said thats not the case. Fridays arguments came amid a heightened focus on abortion. Not only did the Supreme Court recently announce its intention to hear arguments in the Mississippi case, earlier this month it allowed a restrictive Texas abortion law to take effect. While the landscape on abortion seemed settled when Jones ruled last year, the ground began to shake with the Texas ruling, University of Georgia law professor Ron Carlson said. The court did not rule on the constitutionality of that law, which also bans abortions once cardiac activity is detectable, but declined to block enforcement while a challenge to the law unfolds. That Texas ruling, it seems to me, is a straw in the wind that abortion laws are going to be freshly scrutinized by this Supreme Court, Carlson said. By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Monomoy Girl, a champion who won the Breeders Cup Distaff and Eclipse Award as a filly and mare in a stellar racing career, has been retired after sustaining an injury at Churchill Downs. Spendthrift Farm, part of an ownership group that included My Racehorse and Madaket Stables, announced on its web site Wednesday that Monomoy Girl was injured Tuesday while training at the storied track. Trainer Brad Cox said the seven-time Grade 1 winner came back a little off on her right front leg following a routine gallop. X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the sesamoid bone. Monomoy Girl will not need surgery, Cox added, though the injury ends a dominant racing career featuring 14 wins and three seconds in 17 starts. Her achievements include the 2018 Kentucky Oaks as a 3-year-old and first Distaff victory on the way to winning the Eclipse Award as top filly. She earned $4,776,818 and just awaits her spot in the Hall of Fame. We knew as a barn we werent going to do anything with her if she wasnt 100%, Cox said Thursday in a release from Churchill Downs. It took us awhile to get her back last year. Shes rewarded us in such a big way. She owes us nothing and will always be special to us. Monomoy Girl will return to Spendthrift Farm in Lexington to become a broodmare, though her breeding plans were not immediately known. The Kentucky-bred chestnut daughter of Tapizar and Drumette by Henny Hughes finished second in her final start in April at Oaklawn Park as a 6-year-old. That ended a six-race winning going back to November 2018 at Churchill Downs, where she won the Breeders Cup Distaff by a length over Wow Cat. Monomoy Girl missed the next 18 months with an injury before returning to dominate her 5-year-old season, capped last November by a 1-length win in the Distaff at Keeneland and second Eclipse Award as top older dirt female. Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said the farm and its partners were disappointed but wanted to stay focused on the decorated mares health. He added, Shes an all-time great and we look forward to the next chapter of her career and giving her a great life on the farm at Spendthrift. LONDON (AP) Roger Michell, the British stage, television and film director whose movies include the indelibly popular romcom Notting Hill, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 65. Michells family said in a statement that he died on Wednesday. They didn't disclose the place or cause of death. It is with great sadness that the family of Roger Michell, director, writer and father of Harry, Rosie, Maggie and Sparrow, announce his death at the age of 65 on September 22nd, said the statement released through Michells publicist. Born in South Africa, where his father was posted as a British diplomat, Michell began his directing career with British theaters including the Royal Court, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He made acclaimed television series in the 1990s, including adaptations of Hanif Kureishi's novel The Buddha of Suburbia and Jane Austens Persuasion. On the big screen, his biggest commercial hit was Notting Hill, the Richard Curtis-penned comedy about an awkward romance between a movie star played by Julia Roberts and a London bookshop owner, played by Hugh Grant. After its release in 1999 it was for a time the highest-grossing British film in history, and Michell followed it with Hollywood thriller Changing Lanes, starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. He was courted to direct a James Bond film the one that became Quantum of Solace but turned it down because, he later said, the movie had everything, but no script. He largely made films in Britain, often drawing superb performances from actors. They include 2003 release The Mother, with Anne Reid and Daniel Craig; the next years Enduring Love, based on an Ian McEwan novel and again starring Craig; and Venus, which gained Peter OToole an Academy Award nomination in 2007. Later films included Hyde Park on Hudson, a 2012 historical drama starring Bill Murray as President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Daphne du Maurier adaptation My Cousin Rachel, starring Rachel Weisz, released in 2017; and The Duke, a real-life art heist story starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren that premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. At the time of his death he was working on a documentary about Queen Elizabeth II. Michell was married twice: to actor Kate Buffery, and after their divorce to actor Anna Maxwell Martin, from whom he was separated. He is survived by both women and by his four children, two from each relationship. Theres a story in the Catholic Church about the miraculous apparition of the Lady of Fatima (or the mother of Jesus) to three young shepherds in Portugal. The kids were drawn to a bright light that beckoned them back once a month from May to October in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal. Every month, theyd be joined by a few more people. With every reappearance, the bright lady allegedly shared secrets with the kids and encouraged them to pray the Rosary with intentions for world and personal peace. Inspired by those events from more than a century ago, Paula Basaldua, Leticia Liscano and Ester Salas-Martinez will host a Public Square Rosary Crusade open to people of all denominations on Oct. 16 at noon as a part of the greater America Needs Fatima campaign. The event will be at 7th Street Park near the Girl Scout building. This is a nation-wide campaign in which volunteers organize similar gatherings to whats planned for Plainview in communities all over the country. One has been hosted in Plainview every year since about 2008, though the first time it was held at a park was in 2010. Salas-Martinez said the last apparition was reported on Oct. 13, 1917. The organizers tried to get the local Rosary prayer event as close to Oct. 13 as they could, she added. The event organizers will lead attendees in Rosary prayers. Its just praying praying for our nation, said Basaldua. Were asking God to intercede. While they (Basaldua, Liscano and Salas-Martinez) understand praying a Rosary is a practice of the Catholic Church, they dont want that to deter anyone who may be interested in joining. Seated in Liscanos living room on Tuesday, the women said they want all who are interested to join them in prayer. The event is anticipated to last one hour. Those who attend are encouraged to take chairs, blankets and umbrellas for shade. Masks are also encouraged, as is social distancing during the event. The greater goal of the event is to bring our community together, Liscano said. Support each other with everything we do. While two of the kids involved died young, the third became a Carmelite nun and died when she was 93. The story of their encounters lives on and resulted in the creation of a religious tourism destination in Portugal. Those interested in reading more details about can visit Portugal.com to learn more. The list of prayer intentions for Plainviews prayer event will be noted with this story online at myplainview.com. Intentions: LONDON (AP) Hundreds gathered Friday in southeast London to light candles and to mourn for slain primary school teacher Sabina Nessa while demanding an end to violence against women. Nessas death as she walked through a park to meet a friend a few minutes from her home is the second high-profile killing of a young woman this year in London, and fueled concerns that women aren't safe on the streets of Britain's capital. Nessa, 28, was found dead in Kidbrooke, southeast London on Sept. 17. Detectives believe she was attacked during what should have been a five-minute walk to meet a friend at a nearby pub. The Duchess of Cambridge expressed her sorrow in a tweet signed with her initial to indicate it came from her personally and wasn't posted by a staff member. The former Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, also offered personal condolences after the death of Sara Everard, 33, who was abducted and killed in March as she walked home in another part of the city. I am saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets,'' the duchess tweeted. My thoughts are with Sabinas family and friends, and all those who have been affected by this tragic event. C The primary school teachers family made an impassioned plea for women to keep safe as people prepared to pay their respects at the vigil. What happened to Sabina is every parents nightmare and every womans worst fear,'' London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ahead of the vigil. Her death is a tragedy, and I stand with the community in Kidbrooke and Londoners across our city, united in grief and united in our determination that justice is done. Police on Friday released CCTV footage of a man who was seen along Nessa's route on the night she was killed, asking anyone who recognizes him to contact them immediately. Another man arrested in connection with the investigation was released Friday. Nessas death came just six months after Everard's slaying shocked the country. An off-duty police officer has admitted raping and killing her. Thousands took to the streets to mourn her death and denounce violence against women, clashing with police who sought to enforce COVID-19 restrictions limiting large gatherings that were still in place at the time. By contrast, Friday night's vigil near where Nessa's body was found was peaceful. Khan has described violence against women as a national epidemic. He said more than 180 women have been killed by men across England from March 2020. Halima Begum, a friend of Nessa's family, urged those attending the vigil to show solidarity for women across London. All we can do is hope for no more horrendous instances like this, and the countless others these past few months, she said. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain after a failed secession bid for the northeastern region in 2017, was detained Thursday in Sardinia, Italy, his lawyer said. Puigdemont, who lives in Belgium and now holds a seat in the European Parliament, has been fighting extradition to Spain, which accused him and other Catalan independence leaders of sedition. Lawyer Gonzalo Boye said Puigdemont was detained when he arrived in Sardinia, where he was due to attend an event this weekend. The circumstances under which Puigdemont was taken into custody were not immediately clear. Boye wrote on Twitter the ex-regional president was detained under a 2019 European arrest warrant, even though it had been suspended. Police at the airport in northern Sardinia didnt answer phone calls Thursday night, while police in the city of Alghero said they werent aware of his detention. The European Parliament voted in March to lift the immunity of Puigdemont and two of his associates. In July the three EU lawmakers failed to have their immunity restored after the European Unions general court said that they did not demonstrate they were at risk of being arrested. Sardinian media reported earlier in the week he was due to attend an event in Alghero on Sunday, so his presence on the Mediterranean island had been expected. Sardinian media had also reported that Puigdemont was invited by a Sardinian pro-separatist group. Puigdemont's office said in a statement that he had traveled to Alghero from Brussels to attend a folklore festival where he was detained upon arrival by Italian police. On Friday Puigdemont will appear in front of a judge in the city of Sassari who would rule on whether he should be freed, the statement said. Puigdemont and a number of his separatist colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal. Nine Catalan separatists received prison sentences for their role in the 2017 referendum ranging from nine to 13 years. They were pardoned in July. WASHINGTON (AP) Restaurant and hotel owners struggling to fill jobs. Supply-chain delays forcing up prices for small businesses. Unemployed Americans unable to find work even with job openings at a record high. Those and other disruptions to the U.S. economy consequences of the viral pandemic that erupted 18 months ago appear likely to endure, a group of business owners and nonprofit executives told Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday. The business challenges, described during a Fed Listens virtual roundtable, underscore the ways that the COVID-19 outbreak and its delta variant are continuing to transform the U.S. economy. Some participants in the event said their business plans were still evolving. Others complained of sluggish sales and fluctuating fortunes after the pandemic eased this summer and then intensified in the past two months. "We are really living in unique times, Powell said at the end of the discussion. Ive never seen these kinds of supply-chain issues, never seen an economy that combines drastic labor shortages with lots of unemployed people. ... So, its a very fast changing economy. Its going to be quite different from the one (before). The Fed chair asked Cheetie Kumar, a restaurant owner in Raleigh, North Carolina, why she has had such trouble finding workers. Powell's question goes to the heart of the Fed's mandate of maximizing employment, because many people who were working before the pandemic lost jobs and are no longer looking for one. When or whether these people resume their job hunts will help determine when the Fed can conclude that the economy has achieved maximum employment. Kumar told Powell that many of her former employees have decided to permanently leave the restaurant industry. I think a lot of people wanted to make life changes, and we lost a lot of people to different industries," she said. I think half of our folks decided to go back to school. Kumar said her restaurant now pays a minimum of $18 an hour, and she added that higher wages are likely a long-term change for the restaurant industry. We cannot get by and pay people $13 an hour and expect them to stay with us for years and years, Kumar said. Its just not going to happen. Loren Nalewanski, a vice president at Marriott Select Brands, said his company is losing facing similar challenges, as many former employees, particularly housekeepers, have left for other jobs that have recently raised pay. Even the recent cutoff of a $300-a-week federal unemployment supplement, he said, hasn't led to an increase in job applicants. People have left the industry and unfortunately theyre finding other things to do, Nalewanski said. Other industries that didnt pay as much perhaps ... are (now) paying a lot more. Jill Rizika, president of Towards Employment, a workforce development nonprofit in Cleveland, said she sees the striking disconnect every day between companies that are posting millions of job openings and people who are struggling to find work and escape poverty. About 60% of the people her organization helps find jobs have criminal records, she said, and 65% have only high school diplomas. Many parents, particularly mothers, are still unable to return to full-time work. They have tried to work but because of outbreaks, children are being sent home from day care or school, making their schedules impossible to manage, Rizika said. Or the digital divide intervenes: A young mother tried remote work but didnt have sufficient broadband to make it work. Small businesses are also grappling with rising costs, with little relief in sight, some participants said. The Fed has accelerated its plans to begin pulling back on its low-interest-rate policies, in part because of concerns about rising inflation. Larry Andrews, president of Massachusetts Growth Capital, a state agency that supports small businesses, said that on a recent tour of the state, one cafe owner told him that a case of eggs had skyrocketed in price since the pandemic hit. Another restaurant owner said that a jug of cooking oil had risen from $17 to $50 if you can get it. The speed and intensity of this downturn and the rapidity of the recovery in many areas are without modern precedent, Powell said in prepared remarks at the start of the event. Business plans have been reworked, outlooks have been revised and the future continues to be tinged with uncertainty. NEW YORK (AP) With cascading crises casting a pall over the proceedings at this year's United Nations General Assembly, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova had this reminder on the first day of debate: We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable the women, the girls, the minorities. But gender parity at the world's preeminent forum of leaders still seems far out of sight. Eight women were speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. Just five women spoke across the first three days of the summit. On Friday, three vice presidents and five prime ministers including Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina and New Zealand's Jacinda Arden were taking the rostrum or giving their address in a prerecorded video. As the first female president in the history of my country, the burden of expectation to deliver gender equality is heavier on my shoulder," said Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania. When it comes to such equality, she said, "COVID-19 is threatening to roll back the gains that we have made, Hassan was the lone woman to address the General Assembly on Thursday. Despite those 13 women making up less than 10% of speakers over the first four days, the 13 represent an increase from last year, when just nine women spoke over the course of the session. There are also three more female heads of state or heads of government 24 than there were at this point in 2020. There can be no democracy, no security and no development without one-half of the humankind, Estonia President Kersti Kaljulaid said Wednesday, also underscoring women's vulnerability in society. The theme of vulnerability has been at the forefront during a week haunted by the ever-looming specters of climate change, coronavirus and conflict. Most of the speeches have taken on the tenor of pleas issued at the precipice, batting away the summit's theme of building resiliency through hope. Dire predictions were not limited to the General Assembly. At a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, the high-level officials urged stepped-up action to address the security implications of climate change and make global warming a key part of all U.N. peacekeeping operations. They said warming is making the world less safe, pointing to Africas conflict-plagued Sahel region and Syria and Iraq. Vice President Isatou Touray of Gambia, located in the Sahel, highlighted what many African nations have long called another deficit in inclusion: the powerful Security Council itself, which she called one of the last holdouts of reform. Africa's quest for greater representation on the Security Council is legitimate, just and overdue, she told delegates Friday. Africa has no permanent representative on the council. Scores of leaders have already spoken, and many have left New York altogether. But some of the most anticipated countries have yet to deliver their addresses to fellow leaders. North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan all perennially but also lately much in the news are expected to close out the final debate session Monday afternoon. It remains unclear who will represent Afghanistan, where the U.S.-backed government fell last month after American forces withdrew and a resurgent Taliban reclaimed power. Friday alone promised fireworks, with a slate of speakers from countries roiled by internal and external conflict. The president of ethnically divided Cyprus opened the proceedings Friday, followed by Lebanon, which is also riven by internal strife. Taking stock of our declarations and decisions over time, I must confess that I feel like many of you a deep sense of disappointment, said Nicos Anastasiades, Cyprus president. A sense of disappointment because I witness a widening gap between words and deeds, between the auspicious declarations and commitments which are made and the results of the measures that we promise to deliver. The morning plenary saw addresses from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the prime minister of Armenia, lambasted Thursday in Azerbaijan's speech in the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh war and responding in kind. The afternoon was to see both Albania and Serbia, perpetually at odds over Kosovo, as well as a Pakistan that is feeling pressure on its eastern border with India and its western border with Afghanistan. Pakistan and India, which speaks Saturday, are historically eager users of the right of reply function, which allows diplomats to lob polemics defending their countries in response to speeches from unfriendly nations. That window of opportunity opens Friday night, after the leaders' speeches conclude. While leaders have avoided entirely succumbing to hopelessness, a sense of near-futility pervades. As Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley put it in an engaging, at times off-the-cuff speech read off her phone: How many times must leaders come to talk and not be heard before they stop coming? ___ Follow Mallika Sen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mallikavsen The Plainview Professional Firefighters Association is selling tickets through the end of October to raise money for a local non-profit cancer organization in Plainview. Flyers of the shirts show theyre dark blue with a pink outline of a Maltese cross with a firefighter helmet with the words Fighting For A Care on the front and a smaller similar-looking logo on the front. Social media has certainly played a role in the case of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who went missing while on a cross-country road trip with her fiance, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie. Earlier this week, Petitos body was found in Wyoming, and authorities determined her death was a homicide. As the case continues to develop, Laundrie's whereabouts remain unknown. He was last seen by his parents in North Port, Florida on September 11. There were alleged reports swirling around that Laundrie had been spotted everywhere from other parts of Florida all the way to Alabama, with none confirmed. But the latest social media theory regarding activity on Laundries Instagram and Spotify accounts could be a major piece to the puzzle. Related: The Gabby Petito Case: How Social Media Completely Changed the Crime-Solving Landscape Many have been closely following Laundries Instagram account, @bizarre_design_ for activity, and a video started making its rounds on social media earlier this week that alleges Laundrie "accidentally" went live on Instagram. The video, which has made its rounds on TikTok and Twitter, shows what appears to be the person filming it on a boat in the middle of the water. Many suggested that the video could be a decoy in an attempt to throw off police and the public. Some are saying that #BrianLaundrie accidentally went live on Instagram for 2 seconds. Here is a still image taken from the video. Do the shoes look familiar to anyone?#GabbyPetito#BrianLaudrie pic.twitter.com/WRV78nr2kB Cheyenne W (@FalkorPhoenix) September 21, 2021 I doubt it was in accident, one user wrote. He did it to let us know he got away. Hes so smug that way. Multiple comments suggested that Laundrie was headed for Cuba, though others pointed out that if he really wanted to escape, he probably wouldnt keep his phone, because it could be used to track him. The alleged Instagram was not saved to Laundrie's account, and the video did not include a screenshot of Laundrie's handle attached to it, so it is undetermined as to whether or not the live video was actually from his account. Related: Brian Laundrie Still Missing as Gabby Petito's Death Pronounced a Homicide Perhaps another clearer clue that Laundrie (or someone with access to his logins) still has access to social media lies in his playlists portion of his Spotify account. One Twitter user discovered that Laundries account, Nomadic Statik, deleted the title of a playlist called Mtn tops on September 21, something that cannot be auto generated by the Spotify platform and has to be manually done. Ok guys what the fuck. The name on the Mtn Tops playlist on Nomadic Statik Spotify profile just disappeared. Literally right now as I was checking! #BrianLaundrie #gabypetito pic.twitter.com/OBzlPdAuvD Gerard (@gwayathat) September 22, 2021 On September 22, the same user noticed that the playlist van vibin had also been wiped from his account, and by early Thursday morning, another user noticed that all of Laundries playlist titles had been deleted along with photos of Petito that were used for the playlist covers. He just deleted the picture of gabby from the mellow yellow playlist, one user noticed on September 22. As of Thursday afternoon, both Laundries Instagram and Spotify accounts were public. Bug bites are better than being brainwashed by the media, his Instagram bio read at the time of this report. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved One of San Antonio's newest radio voices is leaving the city. Friday morning marked the last day for Joe Pesh, better known by his on-air moniker "Big Joe," on country music radio station Y100. Pesh's candid goodbye to San Antonio was shared on the station's official Facebook page on Friday afternoon. Pesh joined the San Antonio airwaves alongside co-host Beth Boehm in May 2020 after the exit of J.R. Jaus. Pesh shares in his post that he was "scared and hopeless" after losing his previous job in Indianapolis, Indiana at the start of the pandemic. The San Antonio hiring felt like a godsend and he planned on spending a lot more time here, but he's making the "tough decision" to move closer to home. He says the health of his mother and grandmother are declining and he needs to prioritize family. "From the bottom of my heart thank you to the entire Y100 Family for welcoming me with open arms. I will never forget you," Pesh writes in his post. The announcement was met with sadness from fans who say they enjoy starting their mornings with the Y100 duo. They also wrapped Pesh in support. "San Antonio will be the first to say family always comes first," Facebook user April Fuentes tells Pesh. Boehm is also backing her co-host's choice. "Sending all of the well wishes on your next chapter, putting your family first is the right thing to do," she writes online. For close to 30 years, Hemisfair visitors were greeted by an arch that looked as if it was plucked from Disneyland's main gate entrance, complete with Medieval-like font, pennants, and lots of lights. The "HemisFair Park" arch set the scene for Night In Old San Antonio photos, when yards and yards of streamers were tied to its railings, and New Year's Eve celebrations, when thousands of San Antonians filled the park to ring in a new year. While the archway held no official historic significance, local memories are fastened to it much like the NIOSA backdrop. One nostalgic party-goer dedicated Fiesta medal designs to the memory. The arch in question was installed in 1988, 20 years after HemisFair '68, the World's Fair that put San Antonio tourism on the map. In February 2015, crews dismantled the arch chunk by chunk as part of a multimillion dollar plan to reinvent the park and reestablish the original, pre-fair street grid where South Alamo and Nueva meet. TOM REEL/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS At that point, Hemisfair CEO Andres Andujar told the San Antonio Express-News the importance of the arch to locals was not lost on leadership and said plans to relocate the it would be considered. We recognize that part of the community has an attachment to it, he said. We are respectful of that attachment; and because of it, we are deconstructing it, storing it and looking for a special place for it. We recognize that. We dont want to diminish our city or discount the feelings that people have for various elements of HemisFair. Six years later, MySA readers can still speak to the "attachment" they had to the big hunk of metal that Andujar mentioned. Janie Ramirez remembers the arch serving as the backdrop for milestone high school memories, like formal dances and prom. She says the glowing arch plus her poofy, pink dress with a bow made for the perfect Polaroid shot. Ruby Delgado says the the lights were like a beacon illuminating her downtown bike rides. Others say the arch played a part in their childhood memories, when even the things that are mundane to adults seem to be made of fairy tales. For them (and myself) it marked the entrance to what seemed like a mystical forest, where everyone's favorite wooden playground was nestled beneath the trees. TOM REEL Like our readers, the entryway is buried in my young memories. My grandmother drove me to high school in my early years. Most days she was late (or maybe it was my fault) and we'd zoom from the Southside, through downtown, to my campus, Providence High School. The HemisFair Park arch was always an unofficial halfway point in my mind. If we could pass it by 7:45 a.m., I just might slip in to home room on time. Around that time, I also saw my first and only Taylor Swift concert right under the arch. Before becoming one of the world's highest-paid celebrities, the then country crooner was part of a free concert series tied to the 2004 NCAA Men's Final Four. She performed earlier in the day, but by dusk thousands packed in around the arch to watch the main act, The All-American Rejects, play hits like "Move Along" and "Swing, Swing." "Gives You Hell," one of the band's biggest hits, hadn't been released yet. By 2015, I was working at the San Antonio Express-News/MySA and remember reading the headlines of the dismantling like a gut punch. Now, the arch still exists in some capacity, but remains out of sight and in storage. Thea Setterbo, director of communications for Hemisfair, provided this update on the famed archway: "There are no current plans for the arch," she says. "It's still in storage after being disassembled and remains to be seen whether it can structurally be reused." There aren't any official plans for the piece of San Antonio nostalgia, but take in mind the city's inventive ways of holding on to parts of our past. The gondolas of bygone skyride have spots throughout Hemisfair. Outside of the Hemisfair, there's the old Walgreen's neon sign on Houston Street. TOM REEL Is there room to tap in to its magical appeal and bippity boppity it back for one week only, during NIOSA, to set the scene like the Frontier Town windmill? With new restaurants coming to the Hemisfair area, could the arch find a new life as a decorative piece? The Hemisfair, part of the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp., underwent a rebrand and dropped the "Park" and uppercase "F," but maybe with some tweaking, the arch could served as an entry to the area, like San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter sign? We're just floating ideas here. Surely, Hemisfair would have a final say on the future of the arch. The arch may not have a historic designation, but that doesn't mean it's without a space in San Antonio hearts. Students at Floresville High School call for justice after recent sexual assault allegations. High school students walked out of class Friday to protest the school district after reports of sexaul assault allegations surfaced late last week. One student posted a video to Tik Tok showing dozens of students walking down one of the school hallways wearing shirts covered in fake bloody hand prints. Others were holding signs calling for justice. Floresville ISD spokesperson Kim Cathey says about 60 to 70 students participated in the protest. A statement posted to the FISD website says the students were allowed to express their concerns. "The administration has investigated all allegations of assault and has taken the appropriate action to address them through the student code of conduct and with law enforcement," the statement says. The district goes on to say that it will not comment further on the allegations due to the ongoing investigation. Edward A. Ornelas, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Fireworks will illuminate downtown skies Friday night, a little more than a week after another unpublicized explosion left residents puzzled. On Sunday, September 12, the downtown area was caught off guard by a lengthy fireworks show. Residents took to social media looking for a cause for celebration. MySA discovered the show was part of a private event hosted at the Tower of the Americas. While the show provided an unexpected Sunday spectacle, some San Antonians said they would've appreciated a warning. Talk about Sunday scaries... WASHINGTON Lizzie Pannill Fletcher's political career became something of a trophy to Washington Democrats in 2018 after she won the Houston-based 7th Congressional District long a bastion of Texas Republican leadership. The seat was once held by the late President George H. W. Bush, and one of Fletcher's most prominent constituents is U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. The 7th was designed to be a safe Republican stronghold, but the 46-year-old former trial attorney snatched it away three years ago. And while many of her classmates from the 2018 Democratic wave lost reelection in 2020, she held on against a formidable Republican opponent. Any day now, she'll find out how intent Texas Republicans are on taking the seat back. The Texas Legislature is poised to unveil its proposed maps for new Texas Congressional districts, and some expect they'll redraw the 7th in a way that dooms Fletcher's chances of winning there again. Fletcher is well aware she is in political purgatory. Ive always known that this is just part of the process and theres so much happening here, that perhaps its good that its not my focus, she said in an interview. Its on my radar that my job is to represent my constituents and certainly hearing what Ive heard, knowing what I know, I do feel a responsibility to try to protect the district and to protect them. During two terms in the U.S. House, Fletcher has been a somewhat overshadowed presence, a quietly loyal party member among the boisterous pack of Democrats who took back the chamber in 2018. She is a strong fundraiser amassing more money this cycle than any Texas other Democratic member. She does not create headaches for party leadership and avoids the bombast of modern social media politicking. But redistricting is blood sport, and Republicans this time around have an even freer hand to carve up the state for partisan advantage after the U.S. Supreme Courts 2013 decision gutting key provisions of federal laws that protected voters of color. No Texas Democrat is more often cited as a likely victim of the redistricting pen than Fletcher. Whether or not Republicans take an aggressive posture toward her could set the stage for the next decade in the Texas congressional delegation. Much of the animus toward her in the Republican consultant class is rooted in geography: Fletcher represents a seat that was never meant to be competitive, let alone held by a Democrat. Two of the previous congressmen elected there are Republican legends: the elder Bush and former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer. Fletcher does not run from that history. Shes loosely in touch with the Bush camp, and when she met this week with one of her interns from the University of Texas who is part of a program named for Archer, Fletcher was quick to point out that he once represented the district. While some Republicans take umbrage with this, she is a creature of her hometown. Reared in the Afton Oaks neighborhood during the 1980s oil bust, she attended the citys most elite private school. She left the state for her undergraduate degree and law school, but returned in 2006 to work for Vinson & Elkins, one of the most politically wired firms in town. Prior to her run, she was a partner at Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing law firm. Now, as the congresswoman, she has two grown stepchildren and lives with her attorney husband near the area where she grew up. She came to this political place in early 2017. Fletcher joined the wave of political neophytes who ran for Congress in a backlash to the election of former President Donald Trump. She ultimately defeated U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a longtime Republican who had mostly faced nominal Democratic opponents in the past. Her first election was so crucial to national Democrats that they sent one of their most effective surrogates the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis to campaign with her at African American worship services the weekend before the election. That day still imbues her Washington office, where she displays several framed photos of herself with Lewis from that day, and another from a pre-pandemic 2020 march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma where the civil rights icon was nearly beaten to death by police decades earlier. Houston iconography also abounds coasters with one of the local area codes, 713 and her older sisters art work celebrating the city. There are two framed maps of the 7th Congressional District which includes much of west Houston and its suburbs. What that district will look like after the Legislature is done drawing new maps is now one of the most debated questions in Texas politics, and the merciful scenarios for Fletcher are limited. Its an open secret that House GOP leadership wants to elevate her 2020 rival, retired veteran Wesley Hunt. And after Republicans held onto the Legislature last year, speculation began about how to draw maps in a way that would make it impossible for her, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat also elected in 2018, to win reelection. Given that House Democrats only have an eight-vote margin, it was easy to see early this year how the road to a majority for Republicans must pass through Texas, and through Fletcher's district. When youre looking at the big picture ... You definitely have heard people saying there is an effort to take back the House through redistricting, she said. I dont think its a good idea to take back the House by not letting people vote, she said, referencing the recently passed state voter access bill. I also dont think its good to take back the House by dismantling districts that are effectively performing for their constituents. Theres also a frustration in GOP circles that Fletcher has a Teflon shield. She tends to vote with her party but is perceived locally as a moderate. They argue she is weak on the districts main economic sector fossil fuels. The 7th Congressional District has long been home to many of the great oil barons. Its a charge that can bring flashes of subtle ire to Fletchers normally cheerful disposition. Already, a Republican group aligned with national GOP leaders called American Action Network has made a small television buy tying her to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The House GOP campaign committee is also keeping an eye on Fletcher. Texans are paying more for gas and groceries because Lizzie Fletcher keeps supporting Democrats socialist spending sprees, said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Torunn Sinclair. It will cost her reelection. But eight state and national Republican operatives with direct ties to the Texas delegation warned in interviews that an aggressive effort to unseat Fletcher could endanger the Republican incumbents who surround her district: U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul of Austin, Dan Crenshaw of Houston and Troy Nehls of Richmond. Historically, the Legislature listens to the sitting Congressional Republicans when they redraw maps, and McCaul, as a senior Republican, is serving as a point person between the state lawmakers and his GOP colleagues. While early details of the new districts remain closely held, some Republican sources said they sense survival instincts are setting in among the federal Republicans. Meaning, few are excited about the notion of pulling conservative voters from nearby Republican incumbents districts to take out Fletcher. Instead, the map drawers could decide to leave Fletcher alone, and siphon Republicans from her district to bolster the long term reelection chances of Republicans in neighboring districts. But that might hurt Fletcher in a different way: Her district could end up including many new Democratic voters unfamiliar with her, leaving her vulnerable to a primary challenge from an established Houston Democrat. While incumbents across the country carried a bit of anxiety around the Capitol this week, Fletcher's fate remains the focus in Texas. By all appearances, Fletcher likes serving in Congress. She has a coveted seat on the U.S. House and Energy Committee, which has oversight of the oil and gas industry, and shes begun branching out on national television to discuss a key issue she ran on as a candidate, abortion rights. But if the maps bring bad news her way, she will have some difficult choices to make. I dont know that Ive thought through my process, she said, describing how she will sort out her political future. But Im generally most concerned about making sure that my constituents get the representation they deserve." At this point, all options are on the table, she said. When asked if that included retirement, she laughed: Im too young to retire, right? But there is another option. The 2018 wave was consequential in Texas partly because it gave Democrats a farm team for the first time in decades. Fletcher could run for a different office. If I think I have something to offer, or if I think I can contribute ... I have to kick the tires for a long time before I feel confident that I can do a job here, but I think Ive done a good job here, she said. As for the psychology of this strange, once-in-a-decade political dance, she said the sheer volume of legislation before the congress this week an abortion bill, a potential government shutdown, House Democratic efforts to convince the Senate to take up a voting bill has kept her too busy to dwell. I cant control everything, so Im in a pretty good place, and Im going to see what my options are and make my decisions, she said. Its not much of a process. But you know, Im going to see what my options are, and I tend to be pretty analytical, and so Im sure Ill think for a long time, and well see. You never know, right? The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Yves here. This post, which consists largely of the translation of an article in a top Russian strategy publication, provides useful detail on Chinese submarine capacity and prospects. By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears Following last weeks meeting in Washington of Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne (lead image left), the Australian defence minister and their US counterparts, a strategic military and basing agreement was announced between Australia, the UK and US (AUKUS). This is being reinforced with summit meetings in Washington this week. The declared target of their war-making preparations is China. Australian strategy against Russia in the Pacific region follows in lockstep with the US. But for the time being the Russian enemy, and Russian submarine and surface fleet operations in the Indo-Pacific region, are not being discussed by Australian officials in public; at least not to the extent when President Vladimir Putin last visited Australia in November 2014 with a nuclear-powered, nuclear armed naval escort. Ahead of schemes for strategic warmaking in the Pacific, the US, the UK and Australia are also engaged in proxy war operations. These have accelerated recently in Myanmar, where Russia and China are allied in support of the military government of General Min Aung Hlaing. Next, from both sides, state bribery, subversion, putsch-making, and other special operations are likely to accelerate in the Pacific islands from Fiji to Papua-New Guinea. For the moment, the initial reaction to AUKUS from the Russian Foreign Ministry has been as close to uncritical as the ministry can be. We noted the plans, announced by Australia, said spokesman Maria Zakharova last Thursday, to build nuclear-powered submarines as part of an enhanced trilateral security partnership agreed yesterday by the United States, Great Britain and Australia. We proceed from the premise that being a non-nuclear power and fulfilling in good faith the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Australia will honour its commitments under this document, as well as the IAEA Safeguards Agreements along with its Additional Protocol. We hope that Canberra ensures the necessary level of cooperation with the IAEA in order to rule out any proliferation-related risks. The first detailed technical and strategic assessment of the AUKUS scheme has followed this week in Vzglyad, the leading strategy publication reflecting the Russian General Staff and GRU assessments. A translation from the Russian article by Alexander Timokhin follows. Source: https://vz.ru/ The headline is ironic: How Australias nuclear submarines will bring to China to its knees. In a few years, another country with a nuclear submarine fleet will appear in the world Australia. What kind of submarines will this country receive from its allies, what kind of combat capabilities do they provide, and according to what scenario can they be used to contain Chinas military power? Everything is learned by comparison. What are the eight multi-purpose nuclear submarines that Australia will receive (not to be confused with submarines armed with ballistic missiles)? Lets compare them with other fleets. First, take the example of China, against which (at least, so they say) everything is being planned. Now China has only nine multi-purpose nuclear submarines, with low stealth. Three of them are Project 091; these are old and noisy vessels that have almost no combat value. The remaining six are Project 093, more modern boats, which, however, are inferior to modern American and British ones. In fact, only these six have a real combat value, and it is this number that should be taken into account. I must say that the Chinese have made tremendous progress if we start from their initial level. Their submarines are already armed with good torpedoes and means of countering enemy torpedoes. But they are still very far from British Astutes or American Virginias. The Jin-class Type 094 Chinese ballistic submarine. Its successor, the Type 095, is under construction read this. The Type 096 is still being designed. For more, click to read and https://www.csis.org/ The first of the British Navys Astute-class submarines in construction; for details, read. A US Navy Virginia-class submarine in construction; for details. Theoretically, the Virginia of the latest modification (the block, as the Americans say) will be able to be used when delivering a high-precision massive non-nuclear strike on Chinese territory. In this case, the Australians will be able to increase the American salvo. In the future, when the Americans finish their hypersonic missile program for the Navy, this strike may also be very fast. It will be a separate story if the Americans again trample on international norms of behaviour and deploy nuclear weapons on Australian submarines before the war. Then, using cruise or hypersonic missiles, Australia will be able to cause China (and not only it) simply monstrous damage. And just ordinary Tomahawks with their fast, surprise launch can cause considerable damage to the side attacked and the tactical and technical characteristics of the Virginia will allow you to secretly approach even a well-guarded shore and deliver a sudden and unexpected blow. Naturally, this is true if Australia builds Virginias with vertical missile launch installations, and not Astutes, which can only use Tomahawks through torpedo tubes. There is no answer to this question yet. In the event of a war more or less close to a classic naval war, these submarines will create an additional threat to China, and China will be required to allocate additional forces to this threat, which it will need very much in a war with the United States and Britain, even without Australia. The Chinese are taking care of their fleet and developing it. They have anti-submarine surface forces and anti-submarine aviation, but when performing combat tasks outside the combat radius of their base (coastal in colloquial language) aviation, the problem of combating enemy submarine forces will become quite acute for China. Chinese surface ships will be subjected to air strikes by Australian based and American carrier-based aircraft; anti-submarine aircraft will not be able to work without cover; in fact, all tasks will have to be solved by Chinese nuclear submarines. They do not reach the western (that is, the future Australian) level yet, and they will be forced to act against heterogeneous enemy forces (submarines, anti-submarine aircraft, surface ships) without support. How will China respond? China has hope there are new multi-purpose nuclear submarines being created, designated in the foreign press as Type 095, and in China itself 09-V. According to visual assessment of images of the boat, it is clear that China is trying to introduce a large number of technical solutions that increase the stealth of the submarine and the range of detection for its underwater targets. It is clearly visible that the boat is being created specifically for combat. But what success the Chinese will have is an open question, and most importantly, even these boats will not see superiority in quality; ideally there will be approximate parity. At the same time, if the current pace of updating the submarine forces in China continues, then China will be inferior to the Americans and the British in numbers even without Australia, and even more so with it. These new boats are still in planning stage China has not built any of them yet. And another hostile nuclear submarine fleet will definitely require the Chinese to invest very quickly and very seriously in expanding their production; that requires time, money, and resources. Can China ignore this threat? No. Here is just one of many examples. Geographically, Australia can completely block the connection between China and the Indian Ocean: there is a direct exit there and this is not controlled by China in any way. China only has the Strait of Malacca, which with its new submarines Australia will be able to block from the Indian Ocean. Or go past Australia itself, with the same submarines and its aircraft. There is no other road by which a large amount of oil can be supplied to China. CLICK TO ENLARGE Australia would never have had these opportunities in this form if it had continued its work on the purchase of non-nuclear submarines from France. A non-nuclear (in fact the same diesel-electric) submarine is not capable, for example, of going under water at a high speed, as the Virginias and Astutes can, and secretly, without a critical increase in noise. A non-nuclear boat needs to deliver fuel to the combat service area, an atomic one does not need to a nuclear submarine is not tied to nearby bases or to fuel, and it can operate disproportionately more freely than a diesel-electric one, even with an air-independent power plant. In combat, a nuclear submarine also has a lot of advantages, up to the possibility of sometimes getting away from the enemys torpedo by running. For a hypothetical Australian-French non-nuclear submarine, this would be impossible. The hydroacoustic complex on the Virginias is generally difficult to compare with something, and this is the range of target detection and the range of shooting at it. Now China, in addition to measures to counter the submarine fleet of the United States and Great Britain, will also have to take into account Australia, which wants to get a nuclear submarine more powerful than anything that China has at present. What does the battlefield look like in numbers? If we start from how many of the Virginias are already built and under construction to go into service by 2036, when the Australians want to get their eight submarines, then we can assume that there will be about 20 units. And they will not be able to throw everything at China; some of the submarines will be needed in case of emergency operations against Russia. Thus, an additional eight Australian submarines will increase the number of units opposing China by at least a third, compared only with American submarines. This is even more than the British will be able to give for the war with China. China will have to increase both the submarine and other fleet forces by a comparable number. In general, for China, these eight additional enemy submarines are a fresh handful of bones in the throat. Thats about what the Americans planned to do with the British. Thats what eight nuclear submarines are. This is what caused the reaction of the Chinese to the news. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the transfer of nuclear submarine construction technologies to Australia harms the nuclear non-proliferation regime and exacerbates the arms race, as well as the fact that the United States and Great Britain extremely irresponsibly apply double standards. These admonitions, of course, will not have any effect. And what does this mean for Russia? If Australia wants to have eight multi-purpose submarines by 2036, then by that year we will ideally have four Yasen-class vesselsin the Pacific Ocean the Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok and, presumably, the Perm. The Russian Navys Yasen-class Kazan, June 2021. As for the future boat of the project 545 with the code-name Laika, the form in which the Laika was presented to the president in December 2019 indicates the deliberate obsolescence of the project. And most importantly it is extremely doubtful that these boats will be in service by the mid-thirties. This is another example of how many there will turn out to be eight nuclear submarines in one theatre of military operations. However, the western partners may have difficulties in implementing these wonderful plans. Is everything so simple? There is one aspect in all of this that can complicate everything. The production of as many as eight nuclear submarines, stuffed with high-tech systems to the brim, is not an easy matter. If we assume that the Australians will build some kind of ready-made project, for example the Virginia, then in any event they will up to 14 years for the construction of eight nuclear submarines if they start next year. This is an ultra-fast pace for eight units; the Americans themselves take five years to build one Virginia from the popint of laying the keel to delivery to the Navy. Is it possible for the Australians to meet the deadlines? Yes, but only in an expansive way laying more submarines a year than the Americans. And this requires, firstly, shipyards in sufficient quantity to build submarines; secondly, workers and engineers; and thirdly, the supply of components from the United States, which can become the bottleneck of the project because of the existing crisis in American shipbuilding. Does Australia have all this in the right amount? The allies will not be able to help them there; they do not have enough themselves. And if the Australians build some kind of British project either the Astute or, as is now rumoured in Britain, the future project of a British multi-purpose submarine, which should replace the Astutes, then nothing will work out. Britain is barely coping with the construction of its submarines by itself, including the part played by related companies. In the case of the Astutes, some of the related parties are from France engaged by by the Anglo-Saxons. On the other hand, the British can in this way compensate for the losses of the French from the broken Australian contract for non-nuclear submarines. Still, the problem of timing will also arise in this case. The Australians seem to understand this. On Sunday, September 19, the Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said that Australia will not wait until its nuclear submarines are built, but will buy or lease British or American ones. This is quite possible. However, not with British submarines, but more likely with American ones, although such a scheme would not lead to the desired increase in antiChinese forces; there would still be as many submarines against China, just some of the flags would change. But, firstly, by the time the construction of their series is completed (even if not all and with a delay), the Australians will already have experience working with nuclear submarines, and secondly, the United States now has problems with repairing its submarines (they do not pull, as they say), and renting some of their ships to Australia for the Americans will in fact mean their salvation as combat units, even under a foreign flag. In general, it is possible to make Australia a country with a nuclear submarine fleet quickly. Moreover, the authors of this initiative have an extremely serious reason for all this. Such gigantic investments and sharp political turns are not carried out just like that. The hegemony of the Anglo-Saxons in the world is seriously shaken, both because of their own internal weakness, and because of the growth of China, and the sabotage of their system of power by Russia. It is quite obvious they will not give up their power over humanity and the benefits resulting from this in a favourable fashion. It is worth recognizing that the world is on the verge of war. Australias agreement with the United States and Britain says exactly this. An ordinary world war with tens of millions of dead, as one option, or with hundreds of millions; after all, no one has canceled nuclear weapons. Such a war is almost inevitable. Moreover, knowing what deadlines the partners set for themselves, you can roughly understand the time for which they are preparing the hot phase. And looking at how other countries are preparing for the next world war, its time for us to take a critical, honest and non-biased look at how we are preparing for it. Yves here. Ive been reluctant to say much about AOC because readers have such strong opinions about her. And those opinions seem to reflect unrealistic expectations about what she can do as a single and generally isolated representative (if you think Im making that up, just look at the hearings on private equity in 2020 and see how nearly all the Dems were just as fawning towards the industry as Republicans). The press creating and playing up The Squad is another manifestation. It represents the frankly condescending view that women of color of course must make common cause, when they each represent different districts with distinct priorities. And even with the Democrats having a thin majority in the House, they dont constitute a swing bloc. Having said that, I dont buy the progressive loyalist view that AOCs tax the rich gown gambit was a success. Both Sanders and Warren had ambitious (but sadly not well conceived1) plans for taxing wealth that got a good bit of attention during their campaigns. So I dont see AOCs photo op advancing the cause. Aside from toying with ending stepped up basis at death, the Biden tax proposals go only after income, not wealth and so are vastly more modest. However, I dont think the Met appearance hurt AOC either, despite the photos of her, unmasked, with servers wearing their Covid cooties gear. But I do wonder if AOC has been in DC so long that shes lost some of her political theater skills. It would have been a much more powerful gesture for her to have set up hard by the runway into the Met, in that same dress, and been feeding homeless people. Having homeless people swarm the approach to the event would have been vastly more awkward for the monied guests than having AOCs dress in the room with them. It would have taken some planning, since dispensing hot food would likely have gotten into all sorts of regulatory thickets. But what about big care packages, maybe also including rain ponchos? Perhaps distributed from cars and trucks with MD plates (the police let those vehicles, like ones with diplomat plates park anywhere)? It would have taken more effort, but it would have carried more punchand might inspire other political organizers and homeless groups to stage similar feedings outside other big ticket charity events. It also seems sad that what passes for the left is so desperate for any hint of success that it will over-hype the actions of its allies. By Sonali Kolhatkar, the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute New Yorks Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs recent Met Gala dress caused a stir for sporting the bold message Tax the Rich. The progressive lawmaker, who is known for being media-savvy, donned a simple white gown with the blood-red wording emblazoned across the back, designed by a Brooklyn-based brand called Brother Vellies. Attending the gala on a free ticket (wealthy elites usually pay tens of thousands of dollars to be seen at the annual event known for its outrageous and eye-catching fashion), Ocasio-Cortez seized the opportunity to amplify her simple, yet powerful, political message. She explained to the press, When we talk about supporting working families and when we talk about having a fair tax code, oftentimes this conversation is happening among working and middle class people (on) the senate floor. She added, I think its time we bring all classes into the conversation. In other words, she was aiming her message of higher taxation of the wealthy directly at the faces of those elites, with the press as witness. The congresswomans dress, however, was criticized not just by the rightDonald Trump Jr. called her a fraud because she wore, [t]he tax the rich dress while shes hanging out with a bunch of wealthy leftwing elitesbut by liberals too. CNN host Chris Cuomo bizarrely ranted that because she is a member of Congress for a poor district, she should be fighting their fight all the time. He added, I think she was having it both ways. I think theres a poser aspect because she likes to be with those people, implying that Ocasio-Cortez likes to hobnob with wealthy elites while ignoring the fact that it took courage for her to confront those same elites with a bold call to tax them. Some on the left balked at the dress for similar reasons, such as John Ganz writing for Gawker. Ganz, who called Ocasio-Cortez a working-class hero and ostensibly supports her, critiqued her Met Gala dress as lame. And juvenile. And sad. His appraisal, which appears to reflect much of the liberal and left-wing critique of the congresswoman, is based on the question of whether it makes sense to demand taxation of the rich while evidently enjoying the celebration of glamour and wealth. Had Ocasio-Cortez showed up at the Met Gala with her complimentary ticket making a fashion statement based purely on apolitical theatrics (like other celebrity attendees), she likely would have received even more criticism from all sides. Perhaps her critics would have been happier with her forsaking the opportunity to make a political statement altogether by refusing to attend. If Ocasio-Cortezs Met Gala stunt was performative, it was by design and at the very least consistent with her political persuasion as a democratic socialist and her support of bills and proposals to levy hefty tax rates on millionaires and billionaires. Recall the Kente cloth scarves that liberal Democrats wore while they knelt for cameras at the Capitol to mark a moment of silence for George Floyd whose police killing sparked a national uprising. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who were among those kneeling, subsequently failed to introduce or even support the BREATHE Act championed by the Movement for Black Lives that was meant to hold law enforcement accountable for racist police brutality. Instead, Schumer, Pelosi, and other Democrats backed the reformist Justice in Policing Act, indicating that their support for Black Lives Matter has been largely performative. Meanwhile, for an example of right-wing performative fashion that was just as sincere as Ocasio-Cortezs (albeit appallingly callous), one need look no further than former First Lady Melania Trump. Her infamous green jacket worn during a 2018 visit to an immigrant child detention center sported the sentence, I really dont care, do u? The message on her jacket, clear as day, was an intentional performance that reflected her lack of concern about the optics of family separation. Regardless of whether or not Ocasio-Cortezs dress was appropriate, she provoked a strong reaction, which in turn sparked a discussion of the words adorning her dress. Coming at the same time that Congress is considering a massive $3.5 trillion spending bill that includes a modest rewriting of the U.S. tax code to garner more revenues from the top earning tiers, the message on the dress was apropos. It was also fitting that Ocasio-Cortez donned the controversial dress right around the 10th anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, which aimed a razor-sharp focus on the worlds wealthy. That movement sparked a new level of class consciousness among the American public using language such as we are the 99 percent to identify the obscenely rich as the source of unequal power and wealth and put them on the defensive. The right-wing pushback against taxation of the rich has been relentless, eager to cast the wealthy as benevolent caretakers of the economy. Fox Business echoed a popular statistic, saying, The richest households paid 40.1% of all federal income taxes in 2018, adding that, [t]he share of taxes shouldered by the nations richest individuals has climbed over time, as if to suggest that wealthy Americans are becoming more generous. That assessment conveniently plays down the critical fact that the rich suck up a disproportionate (and increasing) percentage of all earnings. The mistaken notion of the wealthy as generous revenue generators, as Jonathan Chait explains, turns the fact that rich people account for a massive share of the income pool into a reason to see them as mistreated. Chait also reminds us that the statistic that Fox Business cited focuses only on federal taxes, not all taxes. When accounting for all taxes, the rich pay a much lower percentage of revenues. Increasingly, higher taxation of the rich is a very popular proposal, rejected by only the very wealthy and their allies, which is why the reactionary responses to Ocasio-Cortezs dress are so puzzling. When put into the context of the modest proposals to restore the tax code to pre-2017 levels, the message is hardly radical, and indeed, some on the left have used the tax the rich message as a jumping-off point to pithily demand its time to eat the rich. Others have expanded the conversation to remind us that the Met Gala is an opportunity for wealthy Americans to write off donations, suggesting that Ocasio-Cortezs dress could have sported the (somewhat less catchy) slogan, This Event Is a Tax Loophole for the Rich. USA Today used the story of Ocasio-Cortezs dress as a jumping-off point to identify who qualifies as wealthy enough to face higher taxation and to clarify that [m]ost U.S. households will not see a tax increase. This is an important counterpoint to head off the standard right-wing argument against higher taxes, which plays on fears that taxes will rise for all Americans. The dress also sparked a conversation around the fact that the U.S. tax system has become regressive over time and that the Democrats modest proposal to increase the top marginal income tax rate and add a surcharge on incomes of over $5 million, will barely dent Americas long slide from progressive taxation. Ocasio-Cortez herself has continued the conversation, explaining in her Twitter post about the dress that the increased tax revenues are necessary for funding bread-and-butter progressive policies. She wrote, The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich. ____ 1 You can pull in pretty much the same amount of tax over time, ie, achieve as much wealth redistribution, through a much tougher estate tax than annual wealth taxation. But I despair of it working; the IRS has lost every large estate tax case since the early 1990s and theres no reason to think a beefed up agency would fare much better. (Natural News) Strong volcanic eruptions have hit the Canary Islands and Iceland in the past year. Now, a major eruption is also marked as imminent at an Alaskan volcano. According to volcanologists, a major volcanic eruption is to be expected at Semisopochnoi on Unyak Island in western Alaska. Seismic observations on the island show increasing eruptive activity. Scientists have upgraded the Aviation Color Code and Volcano Alert Level to a red warning as the volcanos ash plume rose to 15,000 feet into the atmosphere. The volcanos ash emissions have increased both in frequency and intensity and are now visible on satellite images as it rises above the weather clouds. The ash cloud, which is blown by high winds, has extended to approximately 60 miles to the southeast of the volcano. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), explosions have been observed throughout the day, and an increase in sulfur dioxide gas emissions has been observed in satellite data. Volcano sits on the Ring of Fire Semisopochnoi is located on the easternmost land in the United States, just 9.7 miles west of the 180th Meridian in Alaska. It is part of the Aleutian Islands, a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller other islands. These islands sit on the northernmost area of the so-called Ring of Fire, a path along the Pacific Ocean that is characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. These eruptions and earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics under and around the Pacific Ocean where continental plates move and collide with each other, creating the seismic activity that the Ring is famous for. The AVO is responsible for issuing Aviation Codes and Volcanic Activity Alert Levels. When a volcano eruption is imminent or underway, with significant emission of volcanic ash expected in the atmosphere, the code becomes red. It says additional explosions and ash plumes are possible. This could be problematic for trans-Pacific Jets that fly near the volcano on Asia to North America routes because volcanic ash can create significant harm to jet engines that fly through them. Just a small amount of ash could cause a total engine failure. While seismic and volcanic activity is expected to continue, there is no tsunami warning yet as of reporting time. (Related: Three volcanoes in Alaska are erupting, spewing lava, steam and ash.) Along the 800-mile stretch that is Alaskas Aleutian Island chain, three volcanoes also erupted at the same time in August this year, with at least two of them spewing low levels of ash and steam. However, they did not pose a threat to nearby communities, nor did they disrupt any air travel. Matthew Loewen, a research geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory said that Alaska has a lot of volcanoes and it is typical to see one eruption a year. While having three erupting at the same time is less common, it does still happen. Loewen said that its been around seven years since three volcanoes erupted in Alaska at the same time, but the recent unrest has kept them monitoring campaigns, considering the danger that volcanic ash brings to airplanes passing over the area. Its keeping us on our toes. Its definitely exciting and a busy time for us up here, he said. The Alaskan volcanoes are not the only ones under watch in the United States. Two others one in Hawaii and one near Guam are also showing signs of activity. Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has experienced a series of earthquakes recently but has not erupted. Pagan, near Guam, also exhibited some activity. Get more updates about the latest volcanic activities at Disaster.news. Sources include: StrangeSounds.org Weatherboy.com NBCNews.com SmithsonianMag.com (Natural News) For the crime of prescribing ivermectin to his patients, a French doctor by the name of Jean-Paul Theron was arrested at his home and dragged out by police officers working on behalf of the medical police state. Footage watch below shows a mob of masked jackboots forcefully pulling Theron out of the building against his will as his neighbors and other onlookers scream in horror at the tyranny taking place: Video de l'interpellation de Dr Jean-Paul #Theron medecin liberal ( Polynesie francaise ) " Laissez moi tranquille" dit il Vise par une plainte du Conseil de lordre des medecins son delit il traite avec le protocole du Pr Raoult a base divermectine. Honteux #LiberezTheron pic.twitter.com/A2aklc8Cct LE GENERAL 0FFICIEL (@LE_GENERAL_OFF) September 20, 2021 Therons arrest happened at the behest of the Council of the Order of Physicians, which filed a complaint against him for saving lives with ivermectin rather than ending lives with vaccines. The incident occurred on September 19 right as Theron was in the middle of consulting with a patient. He reportedly received three other complaints as well from other Branch Covidian entities that accused him of malpractice for administering ivermectin. A former public health doctor who retired in 2020, Theron currently practices medicine non-contracted, meaning he is independent. He adopted the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) treatment protocol of Dr. Didier Raoult, who is also being persecuted for helping Chinese Virus patients heal. Dr. Raoults protocol involves the use of ivermectin, zinc and a drug called dazitromicin. Many people have been cured of the Wuhan Flu using this approach, including many of Therons patients. The West is being exterminated by the Branch Covidians Because ivermectin, zinc and other safe and inexpensive remedies cut into the profits and depopulation agenda of the medical deep state, doctors who administer them increasingly face persecution from police officers who are just obeying orders. Backing the blue, in other words, now means supporting full-scale medical fascism in whatever shape it takes form. In France, that looks like licensed medical doctors being dragged from their homes like actual criminals and humiliated in the streets. In the United States, it currently looks like doctors being threatened with having their medical licenses revoked should they be caught prescribing ivermectin to their covid patients. In India, on the other hand, ivermectin is widely administered and even handed out for free by the government. Almost nobody is dying there, and almost nobody is taking the vaccines. Unlike much of the rest of the world, India is not seeing mass hospitalizations or deaths from the Chinese Virus because ivermectin is the norm there and Fauci Flu injections are not. There is a direct correlation between high vaccine compliance and high rates of disease and death. Conversely, low vaccine compliance means a healthier population, especially when other remedies like ivermectin are used in place of the shots. This is why Theron had to be stopped. He was helping too many people to recover from Chinese Germs and that is not the point of the plandemic. The real goal is to depopulate primarily the West, followed by everyone else once the superpower nations are subdued under the heavy boot of medical fascism. If you dont think we are at a tipping point worldwide, then you need to wake up, wrote one commenter at Citizen Free Press. Globalists / Marxists are taking over while everyone sits back in denial. The big reset is coming, wrote another. Covid, voter fraud, and worldwide ruling by decree is just the beginning. Another called on the Living God to judge any and all who seek to enslave and harm people for trying to do what is right to help others and fight evil and injustice. May the Lord Almighty vindicate his righteousness and rebuke those who serve the dark Lord Satan, this person added. Covidism really is a religion of mass genocide. To learn more, visit ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: CitizenFreePress.com FranceTVinfo.fr NaturalNews.com (Natural News) According to whistleblowers from the Department of Health and Human Services, there is a federal conspiracy to suppress widespread injury and death caused by the experimental covid-19 vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a set of deceptive coding rules that hospitals must follow. These rules allow doctors to mis-classify severe illness and death in the recently vaccinated, coding it instead as an unvaccinated covid case or an unvaccinated covid death. In the past eight months, over six hundred thousand medical emergencies and over fourteen thousand deaths have been documented by the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). Most of these injuries occur within the first two weeks after vaccination. The CDC rules classify almost all of these issues as unvaccinated covid cases and deaths because a patient is not considered fully vaccinated under the CDCs rules until fourteen days after their second dose. By obscuring hospital data in this manner, the CDC can falsely advertise deaths, using the data as propaganda to claim that the unvaccinated are causing a health crisis, when the medical system is actually being engineered to cover up all the deaths and injuries caused by the vaccines. HHS whistleblower exposes government conspiracy to cover up vaccine deaths and coerce compliance Now a federal whistleblower from the Department of Health and Human Services is coming forward with new testimonial evidence about this conspiracy. Jodi OMalley, a registered nurse with HHS, reached out to Project Veritas to expose how the experimental covid vaccine is not doing what its purpose was. (This is assuming the intentions behind the vaccine were good in the first place.) In the interview, OMalley said, Ive seen dozens of people come in with adverse reactions. She said that the government is not gathering covid vaccine data and is hesitant to report it. If we are not gathering data and reporting it, then how are we going to say that this is safe and approved for use? OMalley questioned. OMalley recorded her conversations in the DHHS emergency room with Dr. Maria Gonzales, Dr. Dale McGee and registered nurse Deanna Paris. OMalley told Gonzales: So how come after 18 months, we havent had any research? Isnt that fishy to you? Gonzales responded: It does it is fishy. OMalley said: Its super fishy. McGee stated: Its not that it hasnt been done. It hasnt been published, thats why. Gonzales said: It hasnt probably been done because the government doesnt want to show that the darn [COVID] vaccine is full of sh*t. In another exchange, Paris said: Its a shame they [government] are not treating people [with COVID] like theyre supposed to, like they should. I think they want people to die. OMalley asked: How many have you seen that have gotten vaccinated here? Paris responded: That got sick from the side effects? A lot. OMalley said: A lot! Paris stated: Have you seen it too? OMalley added: Yeah, and Im like, whos writing the VAERS reports? Paris said: Nobody because it takes over a half hour to write the damn thing. HHS not reporting vaccine injury and death, as required by law Doctors are required to report any adverse reaction or fatality to VAERS, but according to these testimonies, this legal process is being circumvented to protect the vaccine industry. According to HHS testimony, many vaccine injury reports arent even being documented as vaccine deaths are swept under the rug en masse. OMalley explained she had a moral obligation to speak out about this. You know, like what kind of person would I be if I knew all of this this is evil at the highest level. You have the FDA, you have the CDC, that are both supposed to be protecting us, but they are under the government, and everything that weve done so far is unscientific, OMalley said. She chose to speak up after watching one of her colleagues be coerced into taking the shot even though she didnt want to, then dying from it. At the end of the day, its about your health, and you can never get that back and about your freedom, and about living in a peaceful society, and Im like, no. No. This is the hill that I will die on, she said, explaining that she is not afraid to speak out and face retaliation from the government because her faith lies in God and not man. Watch the interview on Brighteon: Sources include: BigLeaguePolitics.com NaturalNews.com Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Ill do one more mind experiment with you: If everyone on the planet were to get Covid and not get treated, the death-rate globally would be less than half a percent. Im not advocating for that, because 35 million people would die. However, if we follow the advice of some of the global leaders like Bill Gates who said last year said 7 billion people need to be vaccinated then the death-rate will be over 2 billion people! SO, WAKE UP! THIS IS WORLD WAR 3! We are seeing a level of malevolence that we havent seen in the history of humanity! Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, Author of The Zelenko Early Treatment Protocol that saved thousands of Covid-19 patients. (Zelenko schools the Rabbinic Court, Rumble; start at 11:45 minutes) (Article by Mike Whitney republished from Unz.com) Did the regulators at the FDA know that all previous coronavirus vaccines had failed in animal trials and that the vaccinated animals became either severely ill or died? Yes, they did. Did they know that previous coronavirus vaccines had a tendency to enhance the infection and make the disease worse? Yes. Did Dr Anthony Fauci know that coronavirus vaccines had repeatedly failed and increased the severity of the infection? Yes, he did. (See here: Fauci on ADE) Did the drug companies conduct any animal trials prior to the FDAs approval that would have convinced a reasonable person that the vaccines were safe to use on humans? No, they didnt. Did they complete long-term clinical trials to establish whether the vaccines were safe? No, there were no long-term clinical trials. Did they conduct any biodistribution studies that showed where the substance in the injection goes in the body? They did, but the data was not made available to the public. Do the contents of the vaccine largely collect in various organs and in the lining of the vascular system? Yes, they do. Do large amounts of the substance accumulate in the ovaries? Yes. Will this effect female fertility and a womans ability to safely bring a baby to term? The drug companies are currently researching this. The results are unknown. Does the vaccine enter the bloodstream and collect in the lining of the blood vessels forcing the cells to produce the spike protein? Yes. Is the spike protein a biologically active pathogen? It is. Does the spike protein cause blood clots and leaky blood vessels in a large percentage of the people that are vaccinated? It does, although the blood clots are mostly microscopic and appear in the capillaries. Only a small percentage of vaccinees get strokes or suffer cardiac arrest. Should people be made aware of these possible bad outcomes before they agree to get vaccinated? (Informed consent) Yes. Did the FDA know that Pfizer had identified vaccine-associated enhanced disease, including vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease, as an important potential risk? Yes, they did, but they did not demand that Pfizer fix the problem. Heres more: The FDA noted that Pfizer, identified vaccine-associated enhanced disease, including vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease, as an important potential risk. The EMA similarly acknowledged that vaccine associated enhanced respiratory disease was an important potential risk that may be specific to vaccination for COVID- 19. Why neither regulator sought to exclude such dangers prior to emergency use authorization is an open question that all doctors and patients are entitled to ask. Why medical regulators failed to investigate the finding that large vaccine particles cross blood vessel walls, entering the bloodstream and posing risks of blood clotting and leaky vessels is yet another open question again. (Open Letter to the EMA and European Parliament, Doctors for Covid Ethics) Did the drug companies vaccinate the people in the placebo group after the clinical trials in order to conceal the difference in the long-term health outcomes between the two groups? That is the conclusion a rational person would make. So, they nuked the trials? Yes. Did the FDA largely shrug-off its regulatory duties and abandon its normal standards and protocols because a It wanted to rush the Covid vaccines into service as rapidly as possible? b It knew the Covid-19 vaccine would never meet long-term safety standards? We dont know yet, but the adverse events report strongly suggests that the Covid-19 vaccine is hands-down the most dangerous vaccine in history. Is the FDA rushing the boosters without proper testing?. Yes, it is. Heres a clip from author Alex Berensons latest at Substack: Pfizer basically hasnt bothered to test the booster AT ALL in the people actually at risk it conducted a single Phase 1 trial that covered 12 people over 65. The main Phase 2/3 booster trial (beware efforts to cover multiple phases of drug research at once, you want it bad you get it bad) included no one over 55. No one. As in NONE. (Are you kidding me, Pfizer, volume 1 gazillion, Alex Berenson, Substack) Have the boosters been modified or improved to meet the changes in Delta variant? No. Is there any additional risk in taking a booster-shot after already taking two experimental gene-based vaccines in less than a year? Considerable risk. Heres more from the Doctors for Covid Ethics: Given that booster shots repeatedly boost the immune response to the spike protein, they will progressively boost self-to-self immune attack, including boosting complement-mediated damage to vessel walls. Clinically speaking, the greater the vessel leakage and clotting that subsequently occurs, the more likely that organs supplied by the affected blood flow will sustain damage. From stroke to heart attack to brain vein thrombosis, the symptoms can range from death to headaches, nausea and vomiting, all of which heavily populate adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. As well as damage from leakage and clotting alone, it is additionally possible that the vaccine itself may leak into surrounding organs and tissues. Should this take place, the cells of those organs will themselves begin to produce spike protein, and will come under attack in the same way as the vessel walls. Damage to major organs such as the lungs, ovaries, placenta and heart can be expected ensue, with increasing severity and frequency as booster shots are rolled out. (Open Letter to the EMA and European Parliament, Doctors for Covid Ethics) So, its the double-whammy. On the one hand, the booster will perform largely like the original vaccine, penetrating cells and forcing them to produce spike protein which, in turn, generates blood clots and leaky blood vessels. And, on the other, the newly-produced S proteins trigger a damaging immune response in which the complement system attacks and destroys the cells that line the inside of the blood vessels. Every additional booster will intensify this process weakening the vascular system and increasing the clotting. If the Doctors are correct in their analysis, then we could see a sharp uptick in all-cause mortality in the heavily-vaccinated countries in less than a year. Cardiac arrests are already rising. Heres another question thats worth mulling over: Was there any reason for the regulators at the FDA to think that these problems would not arise following the launching of the vaccine campaign? No. They should have known there would be problems as soon as they saw that the vaccine did not stay in the shoulder as it was supposed to. The vaccine wasnt supposed to enter the bloodstream and spread across the body leaving billions of spike proteins in its wake. (The spike protein is a cytotoxin, a cell killer. It is not an appropriate antigen for stimulating an immune response. It is a potentially-lethal pathogen that poses a threat to ones health even if it is separated from the virus.) Nor was the vaccine supposed to trigger Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) which is the condition we hinted at above when referring to vaccine-associated enhanced disease. Heres a brief explanation: ADE has proven to be a serious challenge with coronavirus vaccines, and this is the primary reason many have failed in early in-vitro or animal trials. For example, rhesus macaques who were vaccinated with the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV virus demonstrated severe acute lung injury when challenged with SARS-CoV, while monkeys who were not vaccinated did not. Similarly, mice who were immunized with one of four different SARS-CoV vaccines showed histopathological changes in the lungs with eosinophil infiltration after being challenged with SARS-CoV virus. This did not occur in the controls that had not been vaccinated. A similar problem occurred in the development of a vaccine for FIPV, which is a feline coronavirus. (Is the Coronavirus Vaccine a Ticking-Time Bomb?, Science with Dr. Doug) Is this what we are seeing right now? In all the countries that launched mass-vaccination campaigns early (Israel, Iceland, Scotland, Gibraltar and UK) cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising faster in the vaccinated portion of the population than the unvaccinated. Why? Are they really experiencing a fourth or fifth wave or have the vaccines generated inactivity-enhancing antibodies that make the disease worse? This 2-minute video helps to clarify whats going on: Vaccines are made to a specific variant. And when that variant mutates, the vaccine no longer recognizes it. Its like you are seeing a completely new virus. And, because that is so, you actually get more severe symptoms when you are vaccinated against one variant and it mutates and then your body sees the other variant. The science shows, that if you get vaccinated in multiple years (for the flu), you are more likely to get severe disease, you are more likely to get viral replication, and you are more likely to be hospitalized. We are seeing the same thing in Covid with the Delta variant. So we are actually mandating that people get a vaccine when they can actually get more sick when they are exposed to the virus...In fact, this week, a paper came out that showed thatwith the Delta variant when you are vaccinated your body is supposed to make antibodies that neutralize the virus, but they were supposed to neutralize the old variant. When they see this new variant, the antibodies take the virus and help it infect the cells. (Expert testimony on mandatory vaccinations, Dr Christina Parks PhD., Rumble, start at minute 5:05) Repeat: If you get vaccinated in multiple years, you are more likely to get severe disease, you are more likely to get viral replication, and you are more likely to be hospitalized. With the Delta variant when you are vaccinated . the antibodies take the virus and help it infect the cells. This is ADE, and this is probably why hospitalizations and deaths are rising among the vaccinated in Israel, UK and the rest. True, the Delta variant is less lethal than the Wuhan virus but, unfortunately, that rule does not apply to those who have been vaccinated and whose antibodies promote the uptake of the virus into their cells. This increases the viral replication function that increases the severity of the disease. In short, people are getting sicker because they were vaccinated. Heres another short video that helps to explain: The vaccine-induced antibodies will stand up against the virus. and once a virus is under pressure; it changes, it becomes a variant, and the variant cannot be stopped by vaccine-induced antibodies.Vaccine-induced antibodies. also shut down your innate immune system so variants can come straight through and infect those that are vaccinated. That is viral immune escape, and that means that the vaccinated are defenseless against variants. This is no longer a pandemic of Covid-19. It is a pandemic of variants And there is something called recombination, and recombination means a vaccinated host can be infected by more than one variant at a time. If a vaccinated host is co-infected by more than one variant, the variants will mix DNA, and change and camouflage and produce a super variant. And if a super variants are produced, nothing can stop them. And already they are saying that the latest variant to come out is vaccine resistant. And this is just the beginning. Dr Geert Vanden Bosche warns that if we do not immediately stop mass vaccination campaigns around the world, the world will experience an international catastrophe of mass mortality. I didnt say that, he did. The vaccinated are a threat to us all. (Viral Immune Escape Explained, Dr. Michael McDowell, Rumble) Its not the variant that intensifies the disease, its the fact that the vaccine targets one narrow endpoint, the spike protein, that gradually adapts to survive. As the virus progressively learns to avoid the vaccine, vaccine-induced immunity wanes. Natural immunity produces broad, robust immunity to the whole virus not merely one part of it. It is strong and enduring. So how will the vaccinated fight new forms of the virus, after all, the vaccine is not a medicine that overpowers a particular pathogen. It is a subtle (genetic) reprogramming of the immune system that forces ones cells to produce a particular version of the spike protein. Boosters that stimulate production of the same protein will have only modest impact. In short, boosters are still fighting the last war. Also, as we mentioned above, coronavirus vaccines tend to create antibodies that enhance infectivity when they encounter adapted forms of the virus. That means that millions of inoculated people will now face forms of the virus for which they have almost no protection and for which their compromised immune systems can only provide limited help. Heres more from the article above: Right now, the fatality rate of the virus is estimated to be approximately 0.26%, and this number seems to be dropping as the virus is naturally attenuating itself through the population. It would be a great shame to vaccinate the entire population against a virus with this low of a fatality rate, especially considering the considerable risk presented by ADE. I believe t his risk of developing ADE in a vaccinated individual will be much greater than 0.26%, and, therefore, the vaccine stands to make the problem worse, not better. It would be the biggest blunder of the century to see the fatality rate of this virus increase in the years to come because of our sloppy, haphazard, rushed efforts to develop a vaccine with such a low threshold of safety testing and the prospect of ADE lurking in the shadows. (Is the Coronavirus Vaccine a Ticking-Time Bomb?, Science with Dr. Doug) Blunder, he says? It wasnt a blunder. It was deliberate. The Covid-19 vaccine was supposed to fail like all the coronavirus vaccines before it. Thats the point. Thats why the drug companies skipped the animal testing and long-term safety trials. Thats why the FDA rushed it through the regulatory process and suppressed the other life-saving medications, and silenced all critics of the policy, and pushed for universal vaccination regardless of the risks of blood clotting, cardiac arrest, stroke and death. And thats why the world is on the threshold of an international catastrophe of mass mortality. Its because thats how the strategy was planned from the very beginning. The vaccine isnt supposed to work, its supposed to make things worse. And it has! Its increased the susceptibility of millions of people to severe illness and death. Thats what its done. Its a stealth weapon in an entirely new kind of war; a war aimed at restructuring the global order and establishing absolute social control. Those are the real objectives. It has nothing to do pandemics or viral contagion. Its about power and politics. Thats all. Read more at: Unz.com and Genocide.news. (Natural News) It has now become obvious that the vaccines being injected into populations worldwide are a failure. (Article by Vasko Kohimayer republished from LewRockwell.com) The evidence is simply overwhelming. Consider the following: Fact #1: The vaccines do not stop the spread of Covid infection. There are countless breakthrough cases being reported all over the world. Moreover, some of the most vaccinated countries have the highest rates of infection transmission. Israel is a case in point. An early leader in vaccination, it also has the highest infection rate on the planet. And this by a large margin. Needless to say, most of the infected have been vaccinated. A recent piece in the National Geographic describes just how serious the situation is. The title of the article is Evidence mounts that people with breakthrough infections can spread Delta easily. The subtitle says it all: A new study finds that this dominant variant can grow in the noses of vaccinated people as strongly as in unvaccinated people. In other words, as far as the transmissibility of the Delta variant is concerned vaccination makes no difference. Fact #2: The vaccines do not substantially reduce severe Covid or death. The majority of the seriously ill or dying in highly vaccinated countries have been vaccinated. In Britain, for example, 75 percent of all deaths are among the vaccinated. And this is happening in a country that has a vaccination rate of about 70 percent. According to a report from the Jerusalem Post, the overwhelming majority of those who died of Covid in Israel in the first half of July fifteen out of twenty people were fully vaccinated. In an interview with an Israeli news channel, Dr. Kobi Haviv, who is medical director at Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem, stated that 95 percent of severe covid cases at his hospital are fully vaccinated. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who serves as director as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observed that the Israeli data suggest increased risk of severe disease amongst those vaccinated early. According to a recent report by the UK government agency Public Health England, those who received a Covid vaccine are more than three times more likely to die from the Delta variant than unvaccinated individuals. To put it another way, according to this report receiving the vaccine actually increases ones chance of dying from Covid-19. For more data and information on this you can read the article titled The Vaccines Do Not Stop Severe Covid or Death here. Here are the two indisputable facts: The vaccines do not stop the spread of infection. The vaccines do not substantially prevent severe Covid or death. What is to be concluded from the above? The answer should be obvious: the vaccines do not work. Considering all the evidence, it is remarkable that anyone would think or say otherwise. If the vaccines worked, the picture would look entirely different If the vaccines worked, highly vaccinated countries would have low incidence of Covid infection. If the vaccines worked, severe Covid or death among the vaccinated would be a rare occurrence not the norm. Are we still able to see the obvious? Tragically, many people have been frightened and brainwashed to the point where they are unable to make the right deduction from the facts before their eyes. The facts clearly show that these vaccines have failed, because they do not accomplish what effective vaccines should accomplish: namely, to limit the spread of a disease and substantially reduce the incidence of severe instances of that disease. The claim by President Biden and other government officials and establishment scientists that we must protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated is another indication of this. If the vaccines were effective and conferred protection what would the vaccinated have to fear? Boosters are a direct acknowledgement of vaccine failure by the manufacturers and the governments that are forcing these vaccines on their populations. If the vaccines really worked there would be no need for boosters, especially not so soon after the initial shots were given. In some countries an absurd situation is taking place even as we speak: some people are still getting their initial vaccines while concurrently other people are receiving their boosters in acknowledgement of the inefficacy of these same vaccines. How can something like this be allowed to take place in supposedly sane and rational societies? Before even having completed its booster program, Israeli authorities are already planning the next round of boosters. The plan is to administer these toward the end of this year. This is nothing short of astonishing. By planning a fourth round of injections, the Pfizer scientists and Israeli government officials acknowledge that the boosters that are being currently given are not truly effective. On September 13, with most of Israeli population having received three doses the two initial ones plus the booster the country posted its highest daily case count ever. That day Israel recorded 11,800 new cases. This was substantially more than what the country was experiencing at the height of the flu season in the third week of January when most of the population was unvaccinated. This month Israel is also experiencing more deaths than it did at the same time last year when no one was vaccinated. Needless to say, most of the deaths at this time are among the vaccinated. On September 13 of this year, there were 238 people ill with Covid in intensive care in Israel. On the same day last year, the number stood at 143. At that time there were no vaccines. This means that the three doses of vaccination that have been injected into most of the population coincide with an increase of 60 percent in ICU hospitalizations. How could such a situation arise if the vaccines were even remotely effective? Not only does the Pfizer vaccine do none of the things that good vaccines should do, it seems to make matters worse. Could the failure be more obvious? The vaccine debacle is without question the greatest public health scandal in history, and it is unfolding in plain view for everyone to see. There should be protests and resistance to this travesty. And yet many are still obediently lining up to get their shots. The ability of large swathes of the population to grasp reality has been deeply impaired. No matter what the data or the facts, the bulk of the people just cannot see the obvious. Gaslighting by the Covid establishment has succeeded to an unprecedented degree. They the manufacturers, the media, the politicians will, of course, tell you that the boosters work, but this is exactly what they told you about the original vaccines. Do you still remember it? This claim turned out to be a complete lie, as the numbers show. And now they are trying to shove another lie down the peoples throats and into their arms. We ask again: what would you conclude about vaccines that do not stop the infection or substantially prevent the incidence of severe disease and death? And what would you conclude about the efficacy of boosters which they are already planning to supersede by another round of boosters? Can you see the obvious? Can you grasp the reality that stares us straight in the eyes? Read more at: LewRockwell.com and Vaccines.news. (Natural News) The Maricopa County forensic audit results have been leaked, and if the draft documents are correct, they already show over 54,000 fraudulent, faked and otherwise invalid ballots more than five times the margin of victory for Joe Biden. (See the draft table below.) And this is from just one county alone: Maricopa. If the same holds true across other counties in Arizona, the fraud vastly exceeds 100,000 ballots. (Pima, Pinal, Cochise, etc., havent even been audited yet.) That means Biden didnt win. The election was rigged. The lying left-wing media is going to try to gaslight the nation and falsely claim the audit proves Biden somehow did win. Thats a brazen lie, like saying 2+2=5. (But what else would you expect from the media these days?) If Biden won the state by 10,000 votes, and the forensic audit of just one county turns up 54,000 invalid ballots, the election outcome is invalid and must be decertified while other counties are audited to get the full picture across the entire state. Interestingly, Texas has just announced a full forensic audit of the 4 largest counties in the state, all dominated by dishonest Democrats and their relentless vote fraud. This is going to have huge implications in the 2022 mid-terms, if we even make it that far. Watch Boris Epshteyn discuss the shocking Maricopa County forensic audit results with Steve Bannon on the War Room podcast: The illegitimate Biden regime is about to resort to desperate measures to distract the nation with crisis theater As the truth about all this begins to seep into the consciousness of the American people, the illegitimate Biden regime will be seeking to unleash desperate measures to distract the American people with another engineered crisis of some sort. We see the next 7 days as a high risk window of opportunity for the deep state to pull something huge 9/11-scale, or even bigger. Beyond those 7 days, the rest of this calendar year remains ripe for such deep state shenanigans. One of the most likely events seems to be a staged takedown of communications and power infrastructure to prevent people from communicating, all conveniently blamed on a cyber attack from China. This self-inflicted cyber attack would then be used to justify America launching kinetic warfare against China and suddenly were in the middle of World War III, with Biden claiming, Now is the time for all Americans to come together and stop paying attention to divisive election audits. See how easy that is to pull off? Other possible crisis theater scenarios could include Biden bombing other countries, attempting to arrest US governors, setting up highway vaccine checkpoints, setting off a domestic terrorism nuke on a US city, staging a massive false flag shooting, and so on. At this point, theres no crime the Democrats wont commit in order to distract people from the truth. They are, after all, already waging biological warfare on the American people and the entire US military. Theyre already in kill mode with covid, and Biden has already restricted monoclonal antibody supplies to red states an act of war targeting his political opponents. As I warned yesterday, we are also expecting CCP-led biowarfare operators to release a Super MERS strain in US cities in the coming months. This Super MERS strain was, of course, funded by Fauci and the NIH, laundered through EcoHealth Alliance and Peter Daszak. Its a bioweapon with a 30+% kill rate, and the EcoHealth Alliance proposal to DARPA also cited aerosolized release of skin-penetrating nanoparticles which are the deadly spike proteins that cause blood clots and kill people. In todays Situation Update podcast, I delve into these possible scenarios and share wisdom on how we can all prepare for whats coming. The summary of this advice is: Follow your preparedness plan. Focus on preparedness so you can make it through the engineered disruptions. Be ready for supply lines to collapse, including food supply lines. Be chill. Dont be provoked into violence, and dont allow the fake news media to seize control of your consciousness through the use of fear. Recognize that when crisis events occur, they are theatrics designed to manipulate the weak-minded. Be ready to take a leadership role in the rebuilding of society after the collapse of this one. The Biden regime is collapsing by the day, and they will likely try to take down America, its economy and its national currency, too. Get full details in todays podcast here: Brighteon.com/d3138854-5dc3-489b-b8aa-5dc691991e75 I will post a new podcast tomorrow, Saturday, to discuss the Maricopa forensic audit results. Find that podcast and many new interviews at: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport (Natural News) The Israeli Ministry of Health announced that the Green Pass for vaccinated individuals expires six months after the second dose, and six months after the third or booster shot. The vaccine pass grants access to nonessential venues such as restaurants and bars. To continue accessing these places, one is required to get a booster shot five months after the second dose to reset the clock and extend the eligibility of the pass for another six months. This news comes as Israel rolls out boosters to its population. The health minister already granted access to the third shot to those over the age of 12 who have received their second shots at least five months prior. Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said on Sunday that the third dose is already available to everyone. The pass applies to anyone over the age of three. Children who arent eligible for the vaccine can still prove their COVID-19 status with a free antigenic test provided by the government. Vaccines remain highly protective against severe disease and death, but their efficacy against infection wanes over time, prompting Israel to roll out boosters to help curb its populations rising cases. Israel has been administering COVID-19 booster shots for over a month: the third dose of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccines first became available to seniors over the age of 80 in late July, and the country has been gradually extending the age eligibility since. There had been about 1.9 million Israelis who have received their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of September 19. WHO holds moratorium on boosters The United States is also set to roll out its own booster shots to Americans who received their shots over eight months ago. Other countries like the U.K., Germany and France also announced that they will roll out their third shots to more vulnerable populations beginning September. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) issues a moratorium on booster shots until the end of the year, saying that vaccine boosters for the fit and healthy are a luxury item. (Related: Even the WHO says booster shots are unnecessary, but Bidens White House prefers to listen to Big Pharma: BOOSTER covid shots coming to the USA.) Rich countries with large supplies of the vaccines should refrain from offering booster shots, and offer them to poorer countries instead. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said that he was appalled after hearing comments from a top association of pharmaceutical manufacturers that vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots for people in rich countries and first jobs in poorer nations facing shortages. I will not stay silent when companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the worlds poor should be satisfied with leftovers. Because manufacturers have prioritized or been legally obliged to fulfill bilateral deals with rich countries willing to pay top dollar, low-income countries have been deprived of the tools to protect their people. Tedros also previously called for a moratorium on boosters through the end of September, but some wealthy countries have already considered plans on offering third shots of vaccines to their vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, or those who re immuno-compromised. While Tedros acknowledged that third doses may be necessary for at-risk groups, he noted that the WHO does not want to see widespread use of boosters for fully vaccinated, healthy people. In the U.S., White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the nation has already donated and shared about 140 million doses with over 90 countries more than the donations of all other countries combined. She also said that the president and his administration have a responsibility to do everything they can to protect their own people. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations said that about 1.5 bullion COVID-19 vaccine doses are now being produced every month, with a total of 12 billion set to be produced by the end of the year. Get more COVID-19 related updates at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Disclose.TV BusinessInsider.com APNews.com (Natural News) The Chattanoogan recently published the resignation letter of a Tennessee nurse who quit her job due to the creeping onslaught of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny. After being told that she would have to get vaccinated for the Chinese Virus in order to continue receiving a paycheck, Maria Wright, RN, decided that this was the final straw and that she would no longer be able to continue working in the system. Wright explains in the letter how things were a mess at her job even in the early days of the plandemic. PPE (personal protective equipment) was always in short supply and the rules changed almost daily, making it difficult to make sense of the situation. Almost right off the bat, Wright could see that things did not make sense. The face masks staff were given, for instance, clearly stated on the box that they were not for medical use. It was also clearly written that these coverings did not protect against the Wuhan Flu. Even so, Wright and her coworkers were forced to wear them for 12 hours every day, which made it difficult to breathe and stay oxygenated. On top of that, many workers decided to quit long before the vaccines were even released, putting additional strain on an already difficult situation. I remember one morning in particular administrators met us at the door to give us small bags of candy just before Christmas 2020, then we were delivered a $15 gift card through the mail at home but paid our own taxes on our paychecks, Wright recalled about some of the other strange things that were happening at the time. Honestly why did you not keep your candy, cheering, and signs and just pay the small taxes for each gift card? I did not feel like a hero at all, I felt expendable just as I do now. Forced medicine is medical rape The straw that broke the camels back, though, was when the facility demanded that Wright and all of her colleagues take one of Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed injections in order to remain employed. As a medical professional with a strong educational background, Wright could not reconcile being told that she must take an experimental medication against her will in order to remain part of the operation. If anyone is educated and informed enough to make a conscious decision of medical treatment, vaccination, or health plan I am 100% qualified to make that decision for myself and my children, Wright says. I am a patient and staff advocate. We at the bedside educate each patient, as it is their right, of their care plan and medications. Our patients have a RIGHT to refuse any treatment or medication for whatever reason they choose, and I will stand beside them on their educated decision. If a patient chose to refuse lifesaving treatment and would rather go home to pass peacefully then I support their decision, this is what we do! I do not force treatment on patients against their will because this is against the law, unethical and immoral. I must also advocate for myself too because no one else obviously will. Especially since the risks of taking these injections are high, Wright was not about to comply just because it was being demanded of her. She is concerned about what mRNA genetic reprogramming might do to her body, not to mention the fact that the jabs are made from aborted human fetal tissue. As part of Wrights op-ed, The Chattanoogan included multiple responses from readers who understand Wrights position and support her fully in it. It turns out that freedom of choice in medicine is popular among ordinary people, if only politicians and public health officials felt the same way. The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine tyranny can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: Chattanoogan.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Before the presidential election last year, the New York Post broke a story about Hunter Biden that implied Joe Biden might have abused his power as Vice President in dealings with Ukraine. Facebook put a fact-check label on the story and cut its distribution. Twitter deleted links to it and started suspending users for sharing it something it later apologized for. (Article by Cindy Harper republished from ReclaimTheNet.org) While I will intentionally not link to the New York Post, I want be clear that this story is eligible to be fact checked by Facebooks third-party fact checking partners. In the meantime, we are reducing its distribution on our platform, Andy Stone, Facebooks policy communications director, tweeted at the time. This is part of our standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation. We temporarily reduce distribution pending fact-checker review. But the fact-checker review has never come. Stone has refused to respond to journalist Glenn Greenwalds questioning on the issue. In a series of tweets, Greenwald shared screenshots of messages he sent to Stone that have not been answered. The journalist asked Stone two questions: 1) Did Facebook in fact conduct the fact-check on the reporting about the Biden family that Mr. Stone referenced in your October 14 tweet announcing its suppression and, if so, what was the outcome of it? If such a fact-check was performed, does Facebook intend to make its findings public at some point? 2) what is your reporting relationship to Anna Makanju, if any, and did she play any role in Facebooks decision to suppress this reporting? Anna Makanju was Joe Bidens senior policy adviser for Ukraine. At the time of flagging the Hunter Biden story, Makanju was Facebooks global policy manager for content regulation. This week, Politico confirmed much of the story that was first reported by the New York Post, causing Facebook to face more heat over censorship of the story, with some accusing Facebook of election interference to protect Joe Biden. Politico Playbook reported from Ben Schreckingers new book The Bidens, which investigates the revelations that were suppressed by Big Tech giants. A person who had independent access to Hunter Bidens emails confirmed he did receive a 2015 email from a Ukrainian businessman thanking him for the chance to meet Joe Biden. The same goes for a 2017 email in which a proposed equity breakdown of a venture with Chinese energy executives includes the line, 10 held by H for the big guy? the Politico wrote. Emails released by a Swedish government agency also match emails in the leaked cache, and two people who corresponded with Hunter Biden confirmed emails from the cache were genuine. Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org and FacebookCollapse.com. (Natural News) Hundreds of people are trying to get their money back from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after the agency raided and seized the contents of safe deposit boxes in Beverly Hills, California but failed to produce evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. Back in March, the FBI raided the safe deposit boxes of over 800 people that they rented from U.S. Private Vaults, a store at a strip mall in Beverly Hills, California. The FBI then confiscated all the contents of the safe deposit boxes, which amounts to around $86 million in cash and other valuables, such as jewelry. The FBI claims criminals were using the safe deposit boxes to store loot. But the agency has not provided any evidence that the vast majority of individuals who rented them had done anything wrong. Prosecutors have only been able to point out 11 individuals with pending charges or past criminal convictions. (Related: Disband the FBI.) One of the innocent people whose belongings were stolen by the FBI was Joseph Ruiz, an unemployed chef who stored $57,000 in the safe deposit box. Ruiz went to court to get his money back, and a judge ordered the FBI to tell Ruiz why the agency was trying to confiscate his money. An FBI agent responded by claiming there was probable cause that Ruizs money came from drug trafficking. The FBI agent alleged that Ruizs income was far too low for him to have that much money. The agent even tried to claim that Ruiz was an unlicensed marijuana dealer because he had a side business selling bongs made from old liquor bottles. The agent also said a dog had smelled unspecified drugs on Ruizs cash. In response, Ruiz produced detailed financial records showing the source of his life savings was legitimate. When faced with this evidence, the FBI dropped its false accusation and returned his money. It was a complete violation of my privacy, said Ruiz. They tried to discredit my character. About 300 people who own safe deposit boxes in U.S. Private Vaults are contesting the illegal confiscation of their goods. Ruiz and 65 others have filed court claims saying the raid and seizure of assets were unconstitutional. One class-action suit involving Ruiz and six other safe deposit box owners is seeking the destruction of all records generated by the raid. The plaintiffs see the case as an alarming sign of law enforcements efforts to criminalize financial privacy. The governments theory is that having cash makes you a presumptive criminal, and I think that every American should be worried about that, said Robert E. Johnson, a lawyer representing Ruiz and the six others. They pulled a bank heist in broad daylight, said Ruiz. They didnt even apologize. Other lawyers representing other box holders claim the FBI is attempting to money grab to obtain large sums of cash for the Department of Justice. FBI has very little evidence to support its seizure of assets Apart from the 11 individuals with pending charges or histories of criminal convictions, the FBI has produced little evidence to justify the seizure of the assets. The federal agents said the use of rubber bands and other normal methods of organizing and storing cash in safe deposit boxes are indications of money laundering or drug trafficking. This claim has not been supported by any evidence. The FBI also pointed to the fact that their dogs were alerted to the scent of narcotics on most of the seized cash. But the FBI also said it deposited all of the money it seized in a bank, making it impossible to verify the agencys claim that the dogs came into contact with narcotics. You actually dont know anything until that currency is run through a lab, said Mary Cablk, a scientist from Nevada and an expert witness on drug dogs. Cablk pointed out that a dog alerted to drug residue on cash might be complete bunk or might be valid. The only other evidence the FBI has to justify its illegal seizure of assets is that U.S. Private Vaults was indicted back in February for allegedly conspiring with customers to deal drugs, launder money and structure transactions to avoid government detection. This case remains dormant, and no individuals have been charged. The prosecutors allege U.S. Private Vaults deliberately marketed itself to criminals by emphasizing the ability of the business to rent out safe deposit boxes anonymously. The owner of U.S. Private Vaults, Michael Poliak, also allegedly made money from illegal marijuana sales and healthcare fraud. Learn more about the blatantly illegal actions conducted by the FBI at FBICorruption.news. Sources include: News.Yahoo.com DailyCaller.com (Natural News) Undercover journalism organization Project Veritas has scored another major school, secretly filming a Food and Drug Administration employee who talked about forcing Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccine against their will and listing them in a Nazi Germany- like national registry, while also making racist and bigoted comments. The staffer, FDA economist Taylor Lee, said in the undercover video clearly that he not only supports the notion that all Americans should be vaccinated for the virus, but that they should be forced to do so if they otherwise refuse. Whats more, he goes on to detail just exactly how it would all work if he were in charge. Census goes door-to-door if you dont respond. So, we have the infrastructure to do it [forced COVID vaccinations]. I mean, itll cost a ton of money. But I think, at that point, I think there needs to be a registry of people who arent vaccinated. Although thats sounding very [much like Nazi] Germany, he says in the video. Nazi GermanyI mean, think about it like the Jewish Star [for unvaccinated Americans], Lee added. Go to the unvaccinated and blow it [COVID vaccine] into them. Blow dart it into them, he noted. Drones Drone darts. Easy. Like the fundings there. Its easy to do. At this point, I dont care about your bodily autonomy, Lee would go on to say in the video. BizPac Review noted further: He also appeared to suggest sending all unvaccinated Americans to Texas and then sealing off the state from the rest of the country. The FDA staffer also had a conspiracy theory about why blacks are among Americans who have been most hesitant, as a demographic, to get vaccinated. So, if you put every anti-vaxxer, like sheep, into like Texas and you closed off Texas from the rest of the world, and you go, Okay, you be you in Texas until we deal with this [pandemic], said Lee. I think that a lot of the time so theres also this issue of I remember reading about how with COVID [vaccine] trials, they were having an issue recruiting African American people. It was because of a different medication the government tried to do that was specifically designed to kill African Americans, he went on. Oh, so like a mistrust thing, says the Project Veritas undercover journalist in response. Yeah, Lee replied. But this thing [COVID vaccine] is safe, though, the journalist said. We know that now, but like again, I think there is still this big mistrust and like its deep-rooted, Lee says. Yeah. Cant blame them [African Americans], the journalist offered. I cant. But at the same time, like, blow dart. Thats where were going. The FDA employee also said that wealthy white people have been far more willing to take the vaccine because theyre educated, while going on to say he has no issues at all forcing Americans to get a vaccine and that he would be more than happy to help out. Im gonna go door-to-door and stab everyone [with the COVID vaccine], Oh, its just your booster shot! There you go! he said. The lunatic FDA staffer also indicated that very often officials at the agency employing him serve as political advocates instead of the unbiased, non-partisan scientific experts they are supposed to be. There are political appointees [at the FDA] that are generally scientific advisors or are appointed by the president or the commissionTheyre being paid based on if the other people are staying in power, he claimed. Unfortunately, everyone ends up playing politics, but I dont think that the career scientists are I think that its the people that theyre unfortunately having to report to because these political appointees are being put in place and thats part of like the Senate confirms the people to then just pick their people, said Lee. Sources include: BizPacReview.com ProjectVeritas.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) While medicines such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin have shown efficacy against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), mainstream media still refuses to acknowledge them. Now, pastor and physician Dr. Stella Immanuel talks about the truth behind these treatments in the latest episode of her show Health With Dr. Stella Immanuel on Brighteon.TV. In the latest episode of her show, Immanuel shares how these treatments are already being used outside the U.S. and how theyve helped save lives in these countries. In addition, she also relays her own experiences combining these with vitamins C, D and zinc to treat her patients and keep them safe from the disease. You can watch the episode below or on Brighteon.TV. Immanuel has fought for hydroxychloroquines use against COVID-19 Immanuel first entered the mainstream consciousness after a video she made about how the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine can cure COVID-19 a must watch. This went in line with the former Presidents stance that hydroxychloroquine works in treating early stages of the disease. Many doctors think it is extremely successful, the hydroxychloroquine coupled with the zinc and perhaps the azithromycin, Trump said. Many doctors think its extremely good, and some people dont. I happen to believe in it. I would take it. As you know, I took it for a 14-day period. And as you know, Im here. I happen to think it works in the early stages, he added. Trump was later reported to have used the drug himself when he caught COVID-19 late last year. During this, he stated that he experienced no problems when he took the drug. Its safe, it doesnt cause problems, he said. I had no problems, I had absolutely no problems. I felt no different. I didnt feel good, bad or indifferent and I tested, as you know, it didnt get me. Immanuel herself has previously stated that she had already successfully treated hundreds of COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine. This is despite efforts by mainstream media to discredit the drug, and by regulators to prevent its use. (Related: WHISTLEBLOWER: Doctors prevented from treating COVID with hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, lots of people will die.) Since then, shes also thrown her support for ivermectin, the anti-parasitic drug that has also been shown to work against COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin work best together with vitamins In the latest episode of her show Health With Dr. Stella Immanuel, Immanuel supports her arguments for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin by sharing how they are actually being used in countries outside the U.S. I know many countries that have started treating patients with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, she says And because of that many lives have been saved. She then implores her readers to listen to not ignore the truth so that they can keep themselves safe from COVID-19. Dont be one of those lives that even though you know the truth, you dont do anything about it, she states. And then you end up being one of the people that is a casualty. She then talks about how its important for people to use both hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to keep themselves safe from COVID-19. She notes that not one drug is enough and that people should also take vitamins C, D and Zinc. She notes that Zinc in particular is important as it is a very potent antiviral. The only issue with zinc that she sees is that it doesnt have a way to get into cells to kill viruses. However, hydroxychloroquine is able to open channels that zinc can use. Immanuel supports her arguments by saying that her patients who are taking vitamins alongside these medicines are doing well against COVID-19. Were taking care of a lot of COVID patients and well have been from day one. I will tell you right now we are probably hitting 80,000 patients between prevention and sick patients, she says. People are getting sick, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. And Ill also say that hydroxychloroquine works, ivermectin works, everybody should get on it. You can catch more about how these medicines can help fight COVID-19 by watching Health With Dr. Stella Immanuel, every Wednesday from 5 6 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. For more on how hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin can fight COVID-19, follow AlternativeMedicine.news. Sources include: Brighteon.com CNBC.com TheDailyBeast.com (Natural News) For years, Natural News has reported about how the FBI has gone completely rogue by working harder to entrap people into invented crimes and acts of terrorism than actually stopping crimes and acts of terrorism. One of the most recent, egregious examples involved the FBI entrapping a bunch of good ol boys in Michigan who like guns and have a right-leaning perspective in a plot to kidnap unpopular Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the COVID-19 lockdown queen of the upper Midwest. No way those guys were ever going to actually kidnap the governor, but for rogue FBI agents, they would have never been in trouble for anything. Now, we see with the latest Russiagate charge from special prosecutor John Durham involving an attorney for a Hillary Clinton-linked law firm, who reportedly lied to FBI agents, it is clear, again, that this agency is out of control, a net zero to actual law enforcement, and a major threat to our constitutional liberties. The FBI, in short, needs to go away, and were not the only ones who believe that. In ignoring the latest John Durham indictment, most of the media and official Washington are ignoring the elephant between its written lines: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. wrote last week in The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Durham, the special counsel appointed to investigate the governments handling of the Russia collusion mess, levels a single criminal charge against Michael Sussmann, then a lawyer for the Democrat-linked firm Perkins Coie, he added. In delivering to the FBI fanciful evidence of Trump-Russia collusion a few weeks before the 2016 election, Mr. Sussmann is alleged to have lied to the FBIs chief lawyer, James Baker, claiming he was acting on his own behalf and not as a paid agent of the Clinton campaign. You may recall that Perkins Coie was the go-between law firm that took money from Hillary Clintons failed 2016 presidential campaign and gave it to former MI6 agent Christopher Steele to concoct the Russia dossier that contained fake salacious revelations about then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trumps non-existent collusion with Mother Russia. But thats for another day. As for the Durham case, Jenkins explains more as it pertains to the FBI: Already you might be rolling your eyes. Mr. Durham provides ample reason in his own indictment for why the FBI would have known exactly whom Mr. Sussmann was working for. If Mr. Sussmann didnt lie at the time, Mr. Baker may have lied since about what transpired between him and Mr. Sussmann. Either way, we are free to suspect the FBI would have found it useful to be protected from inconvenient knowledge about the Clinton campaigns role. The same FBI then was busy ignoring the political antecedents of the Steele dossier, also financed by Mr. Sussmanns law firm on behalf of the Clinton campaign, information that the FBI would shortly withhold from a surveillance court in pursuit of a warrant to spy on Trump pilot fish Carter Page. He goes on to note that the FBI, during Obamas waning months and under the leadership of then-Director James Comey, was already hip-deep in the 2016 election. Comey would rely on info he and the bureau knew to be fake that would be Steeles dossier and that they knew was financed by Trumps Democratic rival, but would ignore it and allow a hoax counterintelligence probe to be launched into Trumps campaign anyway. Ask yourself: In what way, in anyones memory, has the FBI covered itself in glory? The Larry Nassar case, in which it failed to pursue a serial abuser of teenage gymnasts? The Noor Salman case, in which it trumped up a failed prosecution of the innocent and abused wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter? The Hatfill case, in which it attempted to railroad an innocent scientist over the 2001 anthrax attacks? Jenkins posited. And lets not forget all of the entrapment cases the bureau has invented since 9/11 to justify its existence and bigger budgets. This rogue agency needs to be disbanded, period, and allow all federal law enforcement to be handled by the U.S. Marshals Service, where it should have never left. Sources include: WSJ.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) An Israeli mother takes on the challenge of informing the world about the lives shattered, derailed and taken by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in Israel. The mother of two boys, who identified herself as Avital, has read thousands of testimonies and spoken with hundreds of people to come up with a 67-minute video titled The Testimonies Project. The video can be viewed in full here. It can also be viewed on the same site per category: heart problems, neurological, vaginal bleeding, blood clots, inflammations, skin problems and disease outbreak. In the past months, Ive been hearing about more and more people I know who experienced severe adverse effects shortly after receiving the Pfizer shot. I also noticed that no news company, journalist, reporter or anyone investigated these events thoroughly and published the data, says Avital. Then, they started administering this experimental vaccine to our children. Thats when I decided to take on this task. Avital admits it has not been easy. She says that most of the victims of COVID-19 vaccines are afraid to be exposed because of the hostility around the subject. But eventually, she has been able to reach the brave ones who agreed to share their unpleasant vaccine experience with the world. What can I tell you? Your son goes to sleep and in the morning you find him dead. Its horrible, says a father named Meir who lost his fully vaccinated son Daniel Jacob to cardiac arrest. Ali, 41, has suffered two strokes after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I have no illness background, and suddenly two midlife strokes? Im honestly just waiting for the third one to end it, he says. (Related: Mississippi man described as young and healthy suffers debilitating stroke immediately after COVID vaccine.) Gavriel, 57, has had open heart surgery just hours after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. My rabbi convinced me to get vaccinated. They give me the shot and then three hours later I felt pressure in my stomach. Suddenly I was hot. I took off my clothes, says Gavriel. I told my brother to call an ambulance. They took me to the hospital, did x-rays. They said, you had a hole in the main artery of the heart. I found myself on the operating table and had open-heart surgery. Healthy young man diagnosed with myocarditis A perfectly healthy 27-year-old has nearly lost his life after getting vaccinated. I decided to get vaccinated because I wanted to go on a vacation with my partner. A week after I got the second dose, I felt a certain pressure in my chest a burning sensation, like my heart is about to burst out of my chest, says Nir Tal. He has been diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that has been linked to mRNA vaccines like Pfizers. (Related: Cardiologist says no case of COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis is mild.) They diagnosed it on the spot. They brought the echo device to the ER [emergency room] and brought all devices there because my body temperature went up to about 40 degrees Celsius. My legs were paralyzed. I felt really bad, Tal says, adding that he has made a mistake when he took the vaccine. Myocarditis reduces your hearts ability to pump and can cause rapid or abnormal heartbeats. Severe cases of myocarditis can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. Signs of myocarditis include chest pain, breathing problems, abnormal heartbeats, rapid breathing, fever and fainting. Healthy middle-aged woman diagnosed with pericarditis Elinor, 41, has not suffered any adverse effects after getting her first dose. But she started experiencing chest pains after the second dose. The doctor asked me what happened. I told him I came to see the nurse due to chest pain. I wanted to make sure I can go home. Im a healthy person. I dont smoke. Im an athlete. I dont take any medication, Elinor says. The doctor has told her that theres an irregularity in her electrocardiogram (ECG). After another round of ECG test, as well as x-ray and echocardiogram, Elinor has been diagnosed with pericarditis. I was really scared because I did not know anything about pericarditis. Whats the meaning? Does this mean I have long-term damage? Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, a sac-like structure with two thin layers of tissue that surround the heart to hold it in place and help it work. A small amount of fluid keeps the layers separate so theres less friction between them as the heart beats. It can be life-threatening when too much fluid gathers in the pericardium. Excess fluid puts pressure on the heart and doesnt allow it to fill properly. Less blood leaves the heart, causing a dramatic drop in blood pressure. Healthy senior diagnosed with atrial fibrillation Esti, 76, has been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after getting the second dose of the vaccine. Atrial fibrillation is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. (Related: Top foods to avoid and to eat when diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.) She has experienced fatigue, nausea, headaches and irregular heartbeat after the first dose, but a cardiologist still encouraged her to take the second dose. Before the vaccine I was really healthy. No high blood pressure, no diabetes. None of the things people my age have, Esti says. Many others have shared their horrible experience after getting vaccinated. Itzhak, 32, says: After the second shot, I had a fever. I was in bed for almost a week. About a month later, I started feeling something bad was happening to me. My heart was pounding hard, and I feel like I cant even stay seated. My heartbeat wakes me up and I cant function normally. Naama, 53, says: My face went pale. I felt things that I never felt before. I started getting shivers, horrifying headaches. My heart is beating irrationally. I checked my blood pressure at home and it was dangerously high. This is how I was for a whole month. I was scared to death. One of the COVID-19 vaccine victims perfectly sums up the vaccination drives of governments around the world: Its a disaster an international disaster. Were lab rats. Thats the truth. Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: VaxTestimonies.org NaturalHealth365.com (Natural News) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has found that Medicare insurers drew $9.2 billion in federal payments in one year through questionable billing practices. One company has received approximately 40 percent $3.7 billion of the questionable payments despite enrolling only 22 percent of Medicare Advantage customers. Federal investigators have found that 20 companies benefited disproportionately from the amount in question. These findings add to the growing suspicions surrounding Medicare Advantage insurers, which offer private plans under the federal benefit program. The inspector generals report focuses on certain procedures used by insurers to document health conditions, which helps determine how much they are paid. The investigators have said that the findings raise concerns that insurers might be manipulating the process to improperly boost federal payments. (Related: Corruption, fraud and bureaucracy cost US healthcare system up to $272 billion annually.) Jacqueline Reid, who has led the HHS OIG team, says that the company highlighted in the report definitely stood out and looked quite different from the other companies. Data analysis reveals the biggest beneficiary in scheme While the UnitedHealth Group is not named in the report, federal data compiled by analysts at BMO Capital Markets shows that enrollment share during the period covered in the report closely matched that of the industry giants, which is the biggest player in Medicare Advantage. In a statement, UnitedHealth says: UnitedHealthcares in-home clinical care programs provide significant benefits to seniors and for years have been valuable offerings to ensure our members continue to receive cost-effective, appropriate care. Our Medicare Advantage risk-adjustment program is transparent and compliant with CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] rules. CMS oversees the Medicare Advantage program. A CMS spokeswoman points to responses included in the report. Here, it said the recommendations would be taken under consideration and that CMS is committed to ensuring that diagnoses that [Medicare Advantage organizations] submit for risk adjustment are accurate. The report has focused on enrollment and documentation in 2016, and the resulting payments in 2017. The payments the companies receive from the federal government are tied to the health status of their customers. Patients with more and more serious diagnoses generally draw higher payments from the health plans. The HHS inspector generals investigation focused on two controversial strategies used by Medicare Advantage companies to tally diagnoses. In one, the insurers or their contractors review patients charts for evidence of diagnoses that doctors did not specifically flag. The other involves health-risk assessments (HRAs) that are often conducted by the vendors in patients homes. Both strategies are allowed under Medicare rules, but our findings raise concerns about the extent to which certain Medicare Advantage companies may have inappropriately leveraged both chart reviews and HRAs to maximize risk-adjusted payments, the report says. Diagnoses dont match records of services to patients The report has focused on diagnoses generated by these two methods that arent found in the insurers records of services rendered to patients. These imply that patients didnt get the care tied to the diagnoses. According to the report, the suspect diagnoses were linked to around $9.2 billion in payments to Medicare Advantage plans in 2017. The 20 companies that have benefited disproportionately together drew 54 percent of that total while representing 31 percent of enrollment. The remaining 46 percent have gone to 142 companies that collectively enrolled 69 percent of the Medicare Advantage membership. The unnamed large company highlighted in the report has generated about 58 percent of the payments in the analysis drawn by HRAs. Its share has been particularly large in payments tied to certain diagnoses, such as respiratory arrest, protein-calorie malnutrition and major depressive, bipolar and paranoid disorders. The reports recommendations include having CMS take additional actions to determine the appropriateness of payments and care for the one Medicare Advantage company that substantially drove risk-adjusted payments from chart reviews and HRAs. The total number of people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans has risen to more than 26 million this year, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis released in June. That is about 42 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries, up from 31 percent five years ago. Federal prosecutors and investigators are now paying more attention Federal prosecutors and investigators are now taking a closer look at concerns that insurers are inflating the risk scores that result from documenting enrollees diagnoses. In March last year, federal prosecutors sued Anthem Inc. for allegedly reaping overpayments from the federal government by failing to delete inaccurate diagnosis codes. In April, the HHS OIG released an audit of diagnosis codes submitted by Humana Inc. that found the company was overpaid about $200 million for 2015. Humana, the-second biggest Medicare Advantage provider after UnitedHealth, said at the time that the inspector generals methodology is inconsistent with statistical and actuarial principles. It added that it would work cooperatively to resolve the review. The HHS inspector general also released reports last year and in 2019 looking at the industrys diagnosis-documentation practices. In July, federal prosecutors announced that they were intervening in whistleblower suits focused on risk-score documentation against Kaiser Permanente. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice joined another whistleblower action, suing Buffalo-based insurer Independent Health Association. The suit alleged that Independent Health submitted diagnosis codes that werent supported by evidence. Fraud during COVID-19 pandemic Fraud in the industry extends through the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (Related: New York healthcare network under investigation for fraudulently distributing COVID-19 vaccines.) In May, federal prosecutors charged several people from different states in multiple COVID-related fraud schemes. In Arkansas, a man who owns two testing laboratories was charged with healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the U.S. of more than $88 million. The man allegedly used access to beneficiary and medical provider information from prior lab testing orders to submit hundreds of fraudulent claims for urine, drug and other tests. Some of the falsely submitted claims were for beneficiaries who were already dead. In New Jersey, a doctor allegedly ordered expensive and medically unnecessary cancer genetic testing for Medicare beneficiaries that attended a COVID-19 testing event that he participated in. The man also allegedly billed Medicare for services to beneficiaries that he never provided, totaling about $19 million in healthcare fraud schemes. Also in New Jersey, a man who was a partner at a diagnostic testing lab allegedly offered kickbacks in exchange for respiratory pathogen tests that were improperly bundled with COVID tests and billed to Medicare. The man allegedly paid and received bribes in a scheme totaling $5.4 million. In New York, charges were brought against two people who owned several pharmacies and sham pharmacy wholesaling companies for allegedly committing health-care fraud, wire fraud and money laundering totaling $45 million. The two and their co-conspirators allegedly acquired billing privileges for multiple pharmacies. They also allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare by abusing emergency COVID-19 rules to avoid otherwise applicable limits on refills for expensive drugs. Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to healthcare fraud schemes during the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: WSJ.com Justice.gov CNBC.com (Natural News) A prominent medical journal has retracted a letter it published back in February 2020 mocking the idea that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) might have come from a Chinese laboratory. EcoHealth Alliance head Peter Daszak tried to argue in the paper that Chinese Germs could have only come from bat meat sold at a Chinese wet market. He suggested without any evidence whatsoever that there was no foul play involved and that it was all just a big coincidence. Well, since that time Daszaks claims have been thoroughly debunked. Even the mainstream media now admits, based on the latest evidence, that the original story about the Fauci Flus mysterious appearance makes no sense and that there must be more to the story. The journal in question, The Lancet, finally caught up with the times by retracting Daszaks embarrassing letter, especially now that it has been confirmed that Daszak conspired with Shi Zhengli, the bat lady researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), to cook up synthetic, genetically modified (GMO) bat coronaviruses. Not only has The Lancet pulled Daszaks letter from its archives, but it replaced that letter with another that chastises Daszak and the other 26 scientists who slapped their name on it for writing this garbage in the first place. Most of the Daszak letter signatories have direct ties to China In the new letter, a team of 16 scientists argues that all scientific journals, including The Lancet, should open their columns to in-depth analyses of all hypotheses. As scientists, we need to evaluate all hypotheses on a rational basis, and to weigh their likelihood based on facts and evidence, devoid of speculation concerning possible political impacts. More importantly, science embraces alternative hypotheses, contradictory arguments, verification, refutability, and controversy. The letter goes on to suggest that the way Daszak and others like him have been going about conducting their science is a departure from the true scientific method. Departing from this principle risks establishing dogmas, abandoning the essence of science, and, even worse, paving the way for conspiracy theories, the letter goes on to state. Instead, the scientific community should bring this debate to a place where it belongs: the columns of scientific journals. As it turns out, 26 of the 27 people who signed Daszaks February 2020 letter were later discovered to have direct ties to China. Daszak himself also has direct ties to China. The Lancet also retracted another study that opposed the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for treating the Wuhan Flu. It turns out that three of the four authors of that paper later apologized for presenting false data that had been fabricated in order to push vaccines instead. They are legally liable for all of the propaganda they pushed to try to defeat Trump, whether its on the origins of the virus or hydroxychloroquine, explained former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro during an appearance on Steve Bannons War Room program. Fake television doctor Tony Fauci is also complicit in all this fraud. Two months after Daszak got his now-retracted letter published in The Lancet, he emailed Fauci to thank him for publicly standing up and stating that the scientific evidence supports a natural origin for COVID-19 from a bat-to-human spillover, not a lab release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. From my perspective, your comments are brave, and coming from your trusted voice, will help dispel the myths being spun around the viruss origins, Daszak added in his letter to Fauci, dated April 18, 2020. Chinese Virus deception is everywhere, as you can probably tell. To keep up with the latest news, be sure to visit Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: WND.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The message coming directly from San Franciscos Mayor about wearing Covid masks is that if youre going to a really important event, in your opinion, theres no need to worry about the pandemic at all. You can take off your mask and youll be fine, if the event is very special. Therefore, by her theory, its all mental. Immunity is just mental, in her opinion, especially if its a cultural event. Get rid of that mask and forget about social distancing and enjoy yourself, shes saying. She also believes the spike protein injections provide 100 percent immunity, 100 percent of the time, and for 100 percent of people injected. Thats good news for many Californians who thought, before Mayor London Breed clarified everything for everyone, that the pandemic could spread at anytime and to anyone, regardless of race or cultural identity, even at uplifting events. Looks like you actually CAN smile through the pandemic, if someone popular says you can, like when the Japanese Health Ministry told all their people they could smile and drink beer and be immune to the radiation poisoning from the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. BLM members, rioters and party attendees somehow immune to all US laws and now the Covid virus pandemic I Was Feeling the Spirit I Wasnt Thinking About a Mask says the San Fran Mayor who was violating her own Covid safety demands of the populace under her scamdemic rule. Do as I say, not as I do, is her credo. Be sure all children are masked at school all day, cutting their oxygen supply and limiting their cognitive abilities, while the Emperor wears no clothes (no mask) and parties away while Rome burns. Funny how her last name is breed like how shes breeding the pandemic with her own hypocrisy, fake rules and haphazard partying. The BLMers (along with Antifa) were allowed to riot in the streets of every large Dem-run city, break into stores, set cars on fire, beat people (some to death) and no charges were brought to them. Now, BLMers are immune to the pandemic whenever they are engaging in cultural activities, so why arent the rest of us also? Go anywhere, take off your mask, and just say that its an exciting cultural event for you, and nobody can blame you for breaking any rules, just like the Mayor of San Fran. Tell every child in every school in America to declare that school is a fun, cultural event and nobody has to wear masks ever again. Perfect. London Breed is Falling Down when it comes to honesty, integrity and respect By now, we all know the masks are useless, in fact, they breed (pardon the pun) bacteria, infections and pneumonia for the wearers. Plus, weve seen practically every single elitist who declares the masks be mandated frolicking around at parties and events unmasked, kissing people, hugging everybody, shaking hands and laughing away. Then no apologies when they get caught, just excuses for not needing them at the time, and NONE of it is science-based. Pure hypocrisy and fraud on display by Mayors, Governors, Senators, Representatives and the fake President, Resident Biden. Do you like Jazz? Take off your mask. The Mayor says you are immune to disease when enjoying cultural stuff. Are you going anywhere where you will be near famous people? Thats exciting. Take off your mask, because excitement prevents disease, according to head politicians in Democrat-run cities everywhere. Are you Jewish, or Black, or Hispanic, or Asian? Take off your mask, because its cultural and anyone who presses you to put it back on is a racist who doesnt respect culture, ethnicity, religion and successful people. Heres more from Mayor Covid-Breeder: I dont know about you, but if you know who the legendary Bay Area musicians are, I dont care where youre sitting, youre gonna get up and start dancing, , I got up and started dancing because I was feeling the spirit and I wasnt thinking about a mask. I was thinking about having a good time and in the process I was following the health orders. So by thinking about having a good time, shes following the health orders. Her words. Are you, or is someone you know suffering from SPS Spike Protein Syndrome? Tune your truth news dial to Pandemic.news for updates on the war against dirty vaccines and communism, and how to keep your family happy, healthy and safe. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news NaturalNews.com TruthWiki.org NaturalNews.com TheGatewayPundit.com On Monday, the Bezos Earth Fund promised $1 billion to assist in the protection of susceptible nature and Indigenous peoples all over the world, with Congo Basin, the tropical Pacific Ocean, and the tropical Andes being an initial focus. The $1 billion pledge aims at protecting 30% of land and sea from mass extinctions and climate change by 2030. After 2021's focus on conservation, the fund said that in years to come, its intention is to back up efforts concerning landscape restoration and food system transportation. The pledge is the greatest to date from the fund of $10 billion, which Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, launched in 2020 to combat climate change. This year, payment will kick off, with attention on places where there's outstanding need and opportunity, and also regions where native peoples play a major role in conservation programs. Also Read: Growing Tiger Population Gives Hope for Wildlife Conservation Climate Change In a statement, one of the richest people in the world, Bezos, said: "By coming together with the right focus and ingenuity, we can have both the benefits of our modern lives and a thriving natural world. I hope this commitment inspires others to make their own pledges to protect and conserve nature and help in the fight against climate change. A job this big needs many allies." Bezos, who retired as chief executive of Amazon in July, long elevated many climate initiatives which his company made over the years. Amazon has sponsored a network of wind and solar farms which is among the long-term aims of promoting its global infrastructure with 100% renewable energy. But Amazon has also been condemned for its participation in climate change, specifically its increasing greenhouse gases produced by its fleet of airplanes, vans, and trucks that distributes packages to its customers. Justice40 Initiative A number of Amazon workers have noted that the pledge which Bezos made in September 2019 to make the company carbon neutral by 2040 seems ambitionless compared with commitment which Microsoft made to be carbon negative by 2030. Earlier this month, the fund publicized that it is promising $203.7 million this 2021 toward the battle against the climate crisis, with a greater amount going to organizations holding up a program from the Biden administration called the Justice40 Initiative, whose aim is to give benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy efforts to underprivileged communities. It also offered $791 million in grants in 2021 to about 16 organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservancy. In a statement, Bezos said: "The natural world is not better today than it was 500 years ago, when we enjoyed unspoiled forests, clean rivers and the pristine air of the pre-industrial age. We can and must reverse this anomaly." Related Article: Conservation or Preservation: What's the Difference? For more news, updates about conservation and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! Thousands of male tarantulas will travel the road in quest of a mate from the end of August to the beginning of September, according to the annual tarantula migration in Colorado. According to a Colorado State University publication, the tarantula migration begins in southeastern Colorado at the end of August and lasts into September. A southern migration follows, which usually peaks in October. If the cold weather doesn't kill them first, all males usually die within months of the mating season. Colorado's Great Tarantula Migration According to The Denver Channel, one of the greatest sites to see these tarantulas is Comanche National Grassland near La Junta, Colorado. Because this is in southeast Colorado, expect a peak in mid-September. The Great Tarantula Migration, according to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat, will have two other fantastic places to witness this natural occurrence are north of Ordway on Highway 71 and between La Junta and Kim on Highway 109. Aphonopelma echinum (also known as the Colorado chocolate brown), aphonopelma coloradanum, and aphonopelma hentzi, also known as the Oklahoma Brown Tarantula, are among the tarantula species found in Colorado during the fall breeding season. The leg span of these hairy eight-legged insects can reach 11 inches, which is about twice the length of a $1 bill! Related Article: 4-Year-Old Insect Lover Found Super Rare Stinglees Bees in her Secret Place Mating Season and Migration Male tarantulas use their hair and legs to sense vibrations in a tunnel approximately a foot beneath the earth to identify a female mating partner. Unfortunately, they only mate once before dying, frequently at the hands of the female they mate with. According to the Durango Herald, a male tarantula will walk roughly a half-mile a day looking for a female mate. Tarantula Mating Tarantula mating is probably one of the strangest animal reproduction rituals. It's unlike anything else we've seen in the animal realm, and it functions in a completely different way thanks to tarantulas' unusual bodies. It all starts with male and female spiders reaching sexual maturity. Males do not live much longer than females after they reach maturity, whereas females do. Males who have reached sexual maturity will usually go through an "ultimate" or final molt and "hook out," which means they will have their tibial hooks as well as bulbs at the end of their pedipalps. This is a physical marker of sexual maturity. Therefore many won't be surprised to find this male tarantula constructing a sperm web in preparation for mating. Tarantulas perform a courtship dance. Certain body language cues and rituals exist, just as they do in many other animals. One of these is "drumming" or "tapping," which a tarantula may use to indicate interest in a potential spouse. For example, a male tarantula may tap his pedipalps or legs on a female's web in a courting setting to determine whether she is interested and alert her to his presence and intent. If she's receptive, she might return the drumming as a signal for him to approach. Also Read: Chaos Ensues as Swarms of Cicadas Disturb Weather Radar, Causing Car Accident For the most recent updates about the environment and the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The recent increase in drought and heatwave have affected global agriculture resulting in rapid decline. A new study enumerates the negative consequences of climate change and hot growing seasons on crop production around the world. Study shows that 20 percent in parts of the United States, and up to 40 percent in eastern Europe and southeastern Africa are suffering from crop loss due to rising temperatures and combined effects of heat and drought. Meanwhile, in places with cooler climate like northern United States, Canada and Ukraine, these combined effects of may reduce projected yield gains from warm temperatures alone. Climate risks of crops from global warming have long been identified but compound effects of heat and water availability on food crops are quite overlooked, according to authors. Authors demonstrate in their study the heat sensitivity of key global crops and combining factors of local temperature and moisture in the climate system over the course 1970-2013. Compound impacts of heat and drought Historical data suggests that yields of maize and soybean are about 40 percent more sensitive to heat in areas where heat and drought are prevalent, compared to places with warm climate but does not suffer from insufficient water. This is basically because drought conditions make crops particularly thirsty and the soil has no means of cooling itself, as no water evaporates on it. However, compound impacts of heat and drought were less important for other crops, such as wheat or rice. In fact, the warming climate benefited them in places including Asia. With that being said, greenhouse gases that continue to arise could destroy overall supplies of staple foods, thus also raising the risks of higher food prices and reduced food security, regardless if the country is developed or not. Lead author Corey Lesk, a researcher at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said that the study "uncovers a new risk to crop production from climate warming that we believe is overlooked in current assessments." Also read: 'Toxic Soup' from World's Largest Mass Extinction Led to Similar Event Today Introduction of new crop varieties to resist compound climate extremes "As the planet continues to warm, water and heat may get more strongly interrelated in many regions, making droughts hotter and heat waves drier," Lesk added. "Plants will increasingly lack water when they need it most, and historically this has been especially damaging for crops." In light of the study, the authors imply that although sensitivity of crop yields to heat alters as warming rises, variety of crops may generate a different response as what their results yielded. Lesk recommend that the study should motivate the industry to "introduce new crop varieties that can resist the colliding extremes." Moreover, "robust adaptation of cropping systems will need to consider this underappreciated risk to food production from climate change," authors wrote. For more news and updates about nature and similar topics, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Also read: Are Rechargeable Glow-in-the-Dark Plants the Better Alternative for Electric Lights? Residents are wondering how climate change is generating increasingly devastating tropical storms after another record hurricane season. The people living along America's coastlines have undoubtedly felt the effects of a hectic and devastating hurricane season, and experts believe climate change is a role in how intense hurricane seasons have grown in recent years. 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is on par with the record-breaking pace set by the 2020 season. As a result, meteorologists are likely to use a supplemental list of storm names for the second year in a row, with 17 named tropical systems in the basin this year, six of which are hurricanes: 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes in a typical Atlantic hurricane season. "We had four severe [storms] that tore houses apart from last year to this year during hurricane season," Pamela Winkworth, a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas, told AccuWeather's, Bill Wadel. Warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, according to climate experts, are generating more powerful tropical storms and hurricanes. "The ocean accounted for more than 90% of the warming on Earth between 1971 and 2010, and most of that heat will ultimately have to be released into the atmosphere," said Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. Related Article: Meteorologists Predicts that the Atlantic Hurricane Season Will Inevirably Be More Aggressive Water Temperature Climate Central reported in 2020 that water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic during hurricane season have risen around 1.85 degrees Fahrenheit during the last 100 years. As a result, storms have a larger potential for intensifying - sometimes fast - when paired with a warming climate, resulting in increased consequences on humans. "You also have more moisture in the atmosphere in general because of a warmer planet," Ilissa Ocko, a climate scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, told Wadell in a recent interview. "So when we get precipitation... from a hurricane, there's more rain to fall and to flood an area." Rising Sea Levels According to scientists, warmer seas are contributing to sea-level rise due to various causes, such as thermal expansion and the melting of ice sheets and coastal glaciers. However, any increase in sea level poses a threat to coastal populations already vulnerable to severe storms. "A lot of land ice is melting from mountain glaciers and ice sheets, and that's dumping additional water into the ocean," Ocko said, "and a storm pushes all that water ashore, which is known as a storm surge." According to scientists, warmer seas are contributing to sea-level rise due to various causes, such as thermal expansion and the melting of ice sheets and coastal glaciers. However, any increase in sea level poses a threat to coastal populations already vulnerable to severe storms. Climate Change and Worsening Storms As a result of climate change, hurricanes are becoming more frequent and perhaps stronger. The probability of more extreme weather events and natural disasters, such as tropical storms and hurricanes, increases as the average world temperature rises. Also Read: NASA Warns Moon's Wobble Might Drastically Affect Tide, Causing Severe Flooding For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Norwich drug worker takes a dive with her client Norwich drug worker takes a dive with her client A remarkable substance misuse worker from the Matthew Project is heading for the skies with her teenage client. On Friday October 1 substance misuse and mental health nurse worker Paula Carruthers will be taking on the challenge of a lifetime a tandem skydive at UK Parachuting centre, Beccles, to raise funds for The Matthew Project. Paula says: 'I'm doing this because this young person asked me to do it with him. He wanted to sky dive and he said he would struggle to get the money together to pay for it so we came up with this plan. Staff at The Matthew Project will go as far as they can to support those that they work with. Jumping out of an aeroplane at 13,000 ft a first for them both, so this will be a test of bravery. However, having struggled through some tough times, this young person is ready for the challenge and as always, has the support of his Matthew Project worker. If you would like to donate, scan the bar code above or visit the fundraising website . Eldred Willey, 24/09/2021 SAN DIEGO (AP) California Republicans are undeterred after a failed effort to unseat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election and are taking aim at seats in Congress and the Legislature in the 2022 elections, Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said Friday. Speaking at a sparsely attended lunch at the start of a three-day convention, the party's top official acknowledged the recall results were disappointing but argued the GOP ranks remained motivated going into midterm elections when the party that controls the presidency typically loses seats in Congress. Also Republicans hope to install House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker, if the party can capture just a handful of seats. Democrats hold 220 House seats, Republicans 212, with three vacancies. We are mobilized and we are energized, she said. We are going to continue to take the fight to Democrats. Still, the weekend will see its share of soul-searching and finger-pointing over the recall loss, and the party faces the harsh reality that Republicans haven't won a statewide race in California since 2006. Millan Patterson pointed to victories in 2020, when Republicans regained four California House seats. While the GOP remains predominantly white, the party won those seats last year with diverse candidates two female South Korean immigrants and two men who are sons of immigrant parents from Mexico and Portugal and by tapping into voter discontent over high taxes, spiking crime rates and homelessness. We are hard at work recruiting another class of great GOP candidates that reflect your district in Californias rich diversity, she said. California is losing one House seat because of once-a-decade reapportionment, when districts are redrawn to reflect population shifts. That will cut Californias representation to 52 House seats, still the largest of any state. Its difficult to make predictions about specific districts until new boundaries are announced later this year, which could shade some districts more Democratic, others more Republican. But the scuffle already is underway. The American Action Network, a conservative group with ties to House GOP leadership, has been running TV ads in Democratic Rep. Josh Harders district in the Central Valley. They fault congressional liberals for runaway spending and taxes and seek to link Harder to Pelosis socialist agenda. Inevitably, the recall failure will set off a fresh round of introspection over how the party can become more competitive. Newsom beat back the attempt to remove him with a landslide margin. It has become routine California Republicans lose big, statewide races, debate change, then lose again. In the last two U.S. Senate races, a Republican couldn't even finish among the top two vote-getters in the primary, meaning the candidates facing off in the general election were both Democrats. With the recall loss, What did we learn? What can we change? asked Matt Shupe, who heads the Contra Costa County Republican Party and advised GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Faulconer during the recall. Six months ago, I thought the recall was ours to lose. Then we lost it. Shupe said unsupported claims of a rigged election circulated by former President Donald Trump and some other Republicans might have depressed turnout. Another disappointment in his home county was a lack of volunteer enthusiasm those campaign foot soldiers who knock on doors and make phone calls to drive up turnout. While 400 people signed up to help, only about 30 participated, he said. A generation ago, California was a reliable win for the GOP in presidential elections. The Republican-rich suburbs of Orange County, south of Los Angeles, were a foundation block in the modern conservative movement that led to the rise of the Reagan revolution. Over time, a changing economy and growing diversity reshaped the states politics, giving California its prominent Democratic tilt. Election losses have led to friction over whether the party needs to adjust its political compass. Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a GOP centrist elected in a 2003 recall election, once recommended distilling the state partys platform into as little as a single page focusing on lower taxes, limited government and a strong national defense, while avoiding national schisms over gay rights, gun control and abortion. It didnt happen. The latest round of self-examination comes as the national GOP continues to search for a way forward after Trumps tumultuous presidency. The state party has long been unsettled by rivalries between moderate and conservative factions. Turnout in the recall fell well below expectations Trump earned 6 million votes in his losing effort in California against Joe Biden in 2020, but only about 4.5 million voted to recall Newsom. And even in the midst of a heated campaign the state GOP continued to shed voters a drop of nearly 50,000 between February and August, leaving the party with about 24% of registered voters statewide. Democrats account for nearly 47%. Among possible replacement candidates in the recall, the centrist Faulconer was trounced by Larry Elder, a conservative radio talk show host who supported Trump. Elder got nearly 50% of the votes among 46 candidates. But the contest was rendered irrelevant when voters chose to keep Newsom. Longtime conservative activist and blogger Steve Frank, who unsuccessfully sought the party's top job in 2019, said frustration within the GOP ranks could lead some activists to start operating outside the umbrella of the state party. They didnt see the state party being a factor in the recall, Frank said. Lacking a meaningful voter-registration effort you expect to lose. WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) A man who tied up his ex-girlfriend in her New York apartment during a violent fight and stuffed her in a suitcase where she suffocated and was found dead in Connecticut a week later was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday. Javier Da Silva, 26, a Venezuelan immigrant who authorities say had overstayed his visa at the time of the 2019 killing, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti in federal court in White Plains, New York. Da Silva pleaded guilty to a kidnapping charge last year in the death of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes, a bookstore worker who lived in New Rochelle and aspired to become a tattoo artist. Reyes' mother, Norma Sanchez, called Da Silva a selfish, greedy and soulless person as she spoke at the sentencing hearing. You, Javier, deserve nothing but pain and rejection, Sanchez said. Da Silva cried as he apologized to Reyes' family during the hearing. No words can express how repulsed I am by the acts I committed, he said. I will never forgive myself for that. I cannot ask (her family) to forgive me because I dont deserve it. I would like them to know Im very sorry. Briccetti called Da Silva an evil person and said the killing of Reyes was sickening. Prosecutors disagreed with Da Silva's lawyers' comments that Da Silva was remorseful, saying he showed no remorse after leaving Reyes for dead in the suitcase and then using her debit card to withdraw more than $5,000 and selling her iPad. Javier Da Silva committed a horrific kidnapping that resulted in the death of a young woman, U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement Thursday. Valerie Reyes ... was in the prime of her life when it was senselessly ended by Da Silvas abhorrent act. Da Silva previously admitted that he and Reyes got into a violent fight at her apartment in late January 2019, about nine months after they broke up. During a court hearing last year, he said he bound her feet and arms, put tape over her mouth and put in her in a suitcase while she was still alive. Da Silva said he dumped the suitcase in a wooded area of Greenwich, where it was found a week after the fight. A medical examiner said Reyes suffocated and died of homicidal asphyxia. Da Silvas lawyers said he fled political and economic turmoil in his native Venezuela in 2017 to make a better life for himself in the U.S. He was living in New York City and worked as a short-order cook and cashier at a restaurant when he killed Reyes, according to court documents. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A major U.S. port was the target last month of suspected nation-state hackers, according to officials. The Port of Houston, a critical piece of infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, issued a statement Thursday saying it had successfully defended against an attempted hack in August and no operational data or systems were impacted. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly initially disclosed that the port was the target of an attack at a Senate committee hearing Thursday morning. She said she believed a nation-state actor was behind the hack, but did not say which one. We are working very closely with our interagency partners and the intelligence community to better understand this threat actor so that we can ensure that we are not only able to protect systems, but ultimately to be able to hold these actors accountable, she said. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the hack was concerning and said the U.S. needed to push back against these nation-state actors who continue to probe and to commit these crimes against our public and private sector entities." The hack involved ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, a password management program. Easterly's agency, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a joint advisory last week warning that the vulnerability in the software poses a serious risk to critical infrastructure companies, defense contractors and others. Cybersecurity has become a key focus of the Biden administration. A devastating wave of cyberattacks has compromised sensitive government records and at times led to the shutdown of the operations of energy companies, hospitals and schools. The SolarWinds espionage campaign, which the U.S. government said was conducted by Russian hackers, exposed the emails of 80% of the accounts used by the U.S. attorneys offices in New York and affected several other departments. The Associated Press reported in June that suspected Chinese state hackers had recently targeted telecommunications giant Verizon and the countrys largest water agency. WATERBURY Officers seized more than 4,000 bags of heroin and other drugs from three Waterbury homes Wednesday, according to the Waterbury Police Department. Around 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Waterbury Police Departments Vice and Intelligence Division, along with the Street Crimes Unit, Gang Task Force and Drug Enforcement Agency, raided three Waterbury homes connected to an ongoing narcotics investigation, officials said. The homes were on Lounsbury Street, Oak Street and Industry Lane. These agencies have been conducting an ongoing narcotics investigation into three people that worked in tandem to distribute heroin throughout the city, according to the police department. Officers found 3,068 bags of heroin in the home of 24-year-old James Black on Industry Lane, police said. Officers also discovered three handgun magazines, a box of ammunition, packaging material and $2,751 in cash, according to police. Black was arrested and charged with possession of an ounce or more of heroin and operating a drug factory. He was held on a $500,000 bond, according to the police department. Inside 24-year-old Kupenda Momma Bonds home on Lounsbury Street, officers found 1,160 bags of heroin, 3.6 grams of raw heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, 202 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, baggies and scales, police said. Officers also discovered a .31 caliber Derringer powder pistol, a handgun magazine and $464 in cash, police said. Bond was arrested and charged with operating a drug factory, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of an ounce or more of heroin, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal possession near a school zone, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver and illegal sale or transfer of a firearm. She was held on a $500,000 bond, according to police. Officers also went to the home of 39-year-old Efrem Duke Collins home on Oak Street. There, they found $32,845 in cash, 486.5 grams of marijuana, nine bags of heroin and 16.5 grams of crack cocaine, the police department said. Collins was arrested and charged with possession of an ounce or more of heroin, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, illegal possession near a school zone and sale of cannabis over 8 ounces. Collins bond was set at $50,000 and he was later released, according to the Waterbury Police Department. In 2020, there were 1,150 overdoses involving fentanyl and 205 overdoses involving heroin statewide, according to data from the Connecticut State Department of Public Health. Those struggling with substance abuse issues can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for a free and confidential treatment referral or for more information. Next Monday, the Connecticut legislature will go into special session to vote on whether to approve Gov. Ned Lamonts request to extend his extraordinary powers by continuing to declare two states of emergencies one for public health and the other for civic preparedness. The governor declared these emergencies on March 10, 2020. He is asking for another 150 days until Feb. 15, 2022. Thatll be nearly two years of being in dual emergencies. The governor is a constituent of mine in District 149. I reached out to ask him why he is seeking this extension and he was gracious enough to return my call. The governor said he needs these powers to be able to respond to any surge in COVID cases. It is reasonable for the executive to have the ability to declare emergencies and act with expediency, as Gov. Lamont did at the start of the pandemic. However, as of Sept 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions COVID Data Tracker, 75.44 percent of Connecticuts population has received at least one dose and 68 percent are fully vaccinated. These percentages consistently put Connecticut among the top three states in the nation for highest vaccination rates. Being creative with ideas for vaccination incentives, such as free admission to the zoo or Dunkin Donuts gift cards, does not require emergency powers. But being able to order mandates does. Theres the rub. The governors leadership during this crisis, although well-intentioned, was not flawless as he like Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York adopted a policy of creating COVID-only nursing homes combining COVID positive elderly residents with other COVID patients. By early summer of 2020, nearly 90 percent of COVID deaths recorded in Connecticut were of nursing home patients. This shows that the exercise of emergency powers is not a saving grace and can bring about unintended harmful results. When I pointed out the example of other New England governors who had given up their emergency powers, Gov. Lamont said the Massachusetts governor had delegated those powers to the state health commissioner. He said that if I found him to be heavy-handed I would definitely not like to be ruled by Connecticuts new health commissioner, Dr. Manisha Juthani. Indeed, I want a government that understands its proper role to protect individual rights. The state Legislature is able to provide a system of checks and balances. Emergency powers have the effect of removing those checks. At the start of the pandemic, nearly everyone tolerated violations of their rights, such as forced shutdowns of private businesses that hurt folks ability to make a living, because the situation was so unexpected, felt imminently dangerous, and required immediate action. Today, it is a different story. COVID is evolving but there is no emergency when, as of Sept 22, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reports that Connecticut has 325 people hospitalized with COVID in a state of 3.6 million souls and is using only 4.18 percent of its inpatient beds for COVID. Gov. Lamont remarked to me that he thought he was doing a better job than the Florida governor in keeping people safe. By American principles, a good job by a leader is done by protecting peoples freedoms and leading us through tough and scary times as free people, not by being our benevolent king, even if the majority of people ask for a benevolent king. Thank you, Gov. Lamont, for your service, but I respectfully remind you Connecticut is the Constitution State. It is your role to address real emergencies and to share information as transparently and timely as possible with the people, so that we are equipped with the best and latest information to make our own decisions, which I believe does not require an extension of your emergency powers. I am doing my job as a state representative to guard the role of the legislature in protecting individual rights. This has nothing to do with partisan politics; it has everything to do with abiding by the structures of government set forth in the Constitution. Any state representative who votes Yes on Monday to extend the governors powers for another 150 days is abrogating their constitutional duty to serve as a check on and a balance to executive powers. State Rep. Kimberly Fiorellos 149th district includes parts of Greenwich and Stamford. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Our County Editor Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com. UPDATE, 5:12 p.m.: OTTAWA Bloomington Police Department spokesman John Fermon said Thursday afternoon that the investigation of the Jelani Day missing-person case did not slow down after a body that was identified today as Mr. Day was found Sept. 4 along the Illinois River near Peru. That didnt stop because a body was found, Fermon said. He said Bloomington and Peru police, the LaSalle County Sheriffs Office and Illinois State Police have continued to investigate, with the FBI joining the investigation a couple weeks ago. Fermon said said most of the details of the investigation cant be released because the case is ongoing. In most missing-person cases, he said, an investigation is not launched until 10 days after a person is reported missing. But Days case was out of the ordinary. His mother, Carmen Bolden Day, said her son called her at least once a day, but he failed to call her Aug. 24 or 25. It was just so unusual and somewhat suspicious, Fermon said. This is not normally how missing-persons (cases) go. He said time will tell whether the case is a homicide, noting the LaSalle County Coroners Office has more information on the condition of the body. Mr. Day was last seen on camera Aug. 24 going into a store in Bloomington. His vehicle was found Aug. 26 in a wooded area near Peru. His mother said she was told her sons billfold was found on the street. A witness told police a person was seen dropping the billfold. Some questioned why there was not more public scrutiny regarding the case of Day, a Black man, compared to the national attention for Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old White woman from Florida who disappeared while on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend and whose remains were recently found in Wyoming. The Day case changed within the past week, and Fermon said he welcomed the additional publicity. We got 50-something (news outlets) across America talking about this case, he said. A lot of our high-risk missing persons in the city dont get the attention they deserve, either. There is one teenage girl in the Chicago area, a 16-year-old who might be in Guatemala. Well take the criticism. Part of our job isnt to release all the details. From the get go, it got a decent amount of media attention," he said. "The story has taken off more the last few days. Fermon said Mr. Day, an Illinois State University graduate student who was studying to be a speech pathologist, was a beloved person, as evidenced by the large number of people who volunteered to help with the search. Jelani was a great person and had so many friends. People were reaching out to help. People who touch others in a personal way ... kind of get that reaction, he said. We have had people driving out of their way a couple hours to search or email offering to help however they could. Fermon said police began receiving additional information to target a larger area around LaSalle-Peru. Family members expressed frustration that DNA test results were being delayed. I think the coroner up there said the state police crime lab ... there is a backlog up there," Fermon said. "I think they ran out of a testing agent. Im hearing that third party." He said the department's cybercrimes unit was actively involved in the investigation. Original story, published 3:29 p.m.: OTTAWA A body discovered Sept. 4 along the Illinois River near Peru has been identified as Jelani Day, 25, of Danville. The LaSalle County Coroners Office said the identification was confirmed through forensic dental identification and DNA testing. LaSalle County Coroner Rich Ploch said the cause of death is unknown. He said further investigation and toxicology tests will be conducted. Mr. Day, a student at Illinois State University, was reported missing Aug. 25. Family members had said they had last spoken with him in the evening hours of Aug. 23. He was last seen at the ISU campus Aug. 24. His vehicle was located Aug. 26 in a wooded area near Peru. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Pregnant and lactating women have been excluded from all clinical trials with the new messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2). The presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in breastmilk and its immunological protection is well-known. A new study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth studies the presence of antibodies in breastmilk and the immune responses of lactating women when compared to non-lactating women after vaccination using the BNT162b2 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Study: COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and antibody response in lactating women: a prospective cohort study. Image Credit: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock.com Vaccination and human milk Neonates have an immature immune system. In the first months of their life, they receive immunological protection through breastfeeding. There are several characteristics of lactating mothers that may affect the presence of antibodies in human milk. Some of these can include previous infections, age, genetic factors, and immunity. Human milk contains secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) (SIgA), IgM, and IgG antibodies. SIgA represents 90% of the antibodies present in breastmilk and is essential in defending mucous membranes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have declared that lactating women should be offered the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Further, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine does not recommend lactating women stop breastfeeding after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. There is no data on the potential risks or benefits to babies breastfed by women vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination against influenza during pregnancy causes specific antibody production through lactation. The same principle may be extrapolated to mRNA vaccines. A previous study on 31 lactating women suggests that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines result in humoral immune responses in lactating women which are comparable to those observed in non-pregnant populations. This study also confirmed the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies are present in breastmilk. In the current study, the researchers aimed to determine the blood antibody profile of lactating women as compared to non-lactating women after vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine. Furthermore, the researchers were interested in determining whether antibodies can transfer to the infant through breastmilk. Measuring antibody response after vaccination In the current prospective cohort study, 24 healthcare workers were included, of which 14 were lactating and 10 were non-lactating women. All eligible participants underwent vaccination with the BNT162b2 Pfizer vaccine. Clinical data related to demographics, date and type of delivery, breastfeeding details, the timing of COVID-19 vaccine doses, and post-vaccination symptoms were registered through a written questionnaire. A blood sample was collected from all participants one to three weeks after they had received the first and second dose of vaccination. Simultaneously, breastmilk was collected from lactating women on the same days. Levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies including spike IgG, IgA, and IgM were quantified in post-vaccination blood and breastmilk. Antibody quantification was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein. Post-vaccination antibodies in serum and breastmilk Both lactating and non-lactating women exhibited no differences in terms of age, smoking habits, comorbidities, and post-vaccination side effects. Furthermore, none of these participants reported a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. All women developed immunity after vaccination and showed positive serum IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies after the second dose. IgG levels were dominant in both lactating and non-lactating women. However, the non-lactating women had higher levels of IgG antibodies after the first dose. In lactating women, IgM and IgG antibodies increased after the 2nd dose. The breastmilk of lactating women showed modest levels of antibodies, particularly IgG at 42.9%. Notably, high levels of IgG were associated with a longer duration of breastfeeding, although this association was moderate. Limitations of the study No antibody testing was performed before vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that the participants were previously infected by SARS-CoV-2. However, since the participants were health workers, they were routinely tested and none of them reported prior infection. Notably, the sample size included in this study was small; therefore, the findings cannot be generalized. More than 90% of the population show antibodies against at least three human coronaviruses. The possibility of cross-reactivity during antibody testing cannot be denied. Implications of the study There is not much known about COVID-19 vaccine immunization and breastfeeding. Furthermore, there is also little evidence indicating the transfer of antibodies to breastmilk after the COVID-19 vaccination. This is the first study to relate the duration of breastfeeding with higher levels of antibodies in breastmilk. While the presence of antibodies in breastmilk is reported, immunization through breastfeeding has yet to be verified. Thus, additional clinical studies are required in lactating women to address scientific-based recommendations. As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-triggered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began to rage over the world, public health authorities recommended various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce viral transmission while vaccines and specific antiviral and antibody-based drugs were developed. However, with the identification of newer SARS-CoV-2 variants within a year of the detection of the wild-type strain, it became clear that this outbreak would persist longer than initially expected. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* examines how these variants confer a competitive advantage on the virus, fueling further transmission and mortality. Study: Spatiotemporal Analyses Illuminate the Competitive Advantage of A SARS-Cov-2 Variant of Concern Over a Variant of Interest. Image Credit: Shutterstock Background In the current study, the researchers explored how the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Iota (B.1.526) variants circulated together in the New York area between December 2020 and April 2021. To this end, they used the data on virus strains by geographical location, the temporal and spatial spread of the virus, with map-based analysis. The Alpha variant emerged in late 2020 and was found to exhibit significantly higher transmissibility and immune escape capabilities. This led to the declaration in December 2020 that the Alpha variant was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC). The Alpha variant contains the N501Y mutation, which alters its immunodominant receptor-binding area (RBD) antigen and enables immune evasion, as well as enhancing spike-cell binding. Another mutation in this variant is the deletion del60-70, which is associated with higher infectivity. The Iota variant likely emerged in the Bronx, New York late in 2020. It rapidly increased in prevalence locally, leading to its being declared a variant of interest (VOI). Like the Alpha variant, the Iota variant was also found to contain immune evasion mutations like spike E484K, which is also common to the Beta and Gamma VOCs. The E484K mutation has been shown to allow SARS-CoV-2 to escape neutralization by some monoclonal antibodies. The S477N spike mutation is also found in approximately 30% of Iota sequences and is thought to have arisen independently at least twice. This mutation may make the strain more transmissible, as it affects the RBD. Nonetheless, this lineage was not linked to increased severity of disease, higher reinfection rates, or breakthrough infections. Such data comes from the genomic surveillance of COVID-19. The current study used genomic data from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) sequencing program to allow researchers to compare the transmissibility of these two variants. Study findings The study included approximately 8,500 SARS-CoV-2 sequences, comprising 6% of all new cases during the study period. The Alpha and Iota variants made up 13% and 10.6% of the total samples, respectively. The mean age of COVID-19 patients decreased overall, from 49.6 years in December 2020 to 46.5 years during the study. From December 2020 to February 2021, the proportion of the Alpha strain remained below 15% in the Metro and Capital region. However, its prevalence began to increase in March 2021, which is when it reached 75% by the end of that month. The prevalence of the Alpha strain continued to rise throughout April. However, this rise was slowest in the Metro region, where it made up 40% or less by this time point. Conversely, the Iota variant was detected much earlier in December 2020 and increased in prevalence to 10% of Metro samples by the end of the month and 40% by the end of January 2021. Furthermore, by early March 2021, the Iota variant accounted for 60% of all new infections and continued to account for half of all samples through April 2021. Other regions saw a smaller proportion of under 40%, with the smallest rise in the Western region at under 15%. Taken together, by the end of April 2021, the Alpha and Iota strains accounted for 80% of all new COVID-19 infections. The researchers found that the Iota strain was able to establish itself in the city, with its dense network of interactions, whereby it spread to numerous places around the New York City region. The presence of this strain state-wide was delayed until March, with a low sustained proportion of infections that primarily remained within the Metro region. Comparatively, the Alpha variant rose to prominence in upstate New York, where the proportion of infections caused by the Iota variant was low, thus indicating a limited capacity to compete with the latter. Nonetheless, the Alpha variant eventually spread through the southern part of the state and ultimately became prevalent state-wide by February 2021. In the New York City area, the Alpha variant became the dominant strain by April 2021, thus indicating the important role of the founder effect. SARS-CoV-2 variant clusters identified from retrospective multinomial space-time scan analysis and COVID-19 incidence by ZIP code tabulation area, December 2020 through April 2021. In other words, the Alpha variant was able to establish itself as an endemic coronavirus, even though the Iota variant was the more fit of the two. Initially, both viruses showed hotspots near the New York City metropolitan area. However, while the Iota strain moved slowly northwest, the Alpha rapidly expanded into the upstate area of northwest New York in March and April 2021. The direction of spread changed from the southeast towards the northwest in April, thereby indicating the contribution of the extensive and rapid transmission of the Alpha variant in the Western part of the state. Clusters of infection also showed a shift from non-Alpha and non-Iota variants to the Iota variant, and finally to the alpha variant between December 2020 to April 2021. Implications The current study provided information on the fluctuation in the incidence of COVID-19 state-wide, from a peak in December 2020 to January 2021, with a smaller peak from the end of March 2021 to early April 2021. This represents the first wave for most of the state and the second wave for New York City. The spread of the initially dominant Iota variant was limited to New York City and its immediate surroundings by the numerous introductions of the Alpha variant, with its markedly higher transmissibility. The Alpha variant quickly became the dominant circulating strain in all regions where the Iota had not yet established itself, as observed in western New York in March-April 2021. At the same time, the sustained dominance of the Iota variant in the Bronx as compared to many other regions indicates that even with its higher reproductive number, the Alpha variant found it more difficult to displace it as compared to other lineages circulating in these areas. The current study demonstrates the value of using such analytical methods to compare the transmissibility and relative fitness of different variants of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the same region at the same time. In this case, the VOI B.1.526 emerged in New York City, stunting the spread of the VOC B.1.1.7, which immediately became dominant in other parts of the city where the Iota had not obtained a foothold. Our research highlights the dynamics of inter-variant competition at a time when B.1.617.2 (Delta) is overtaking B.1.1.7 as the dominant lineage worldwide. Taken together, this work may help understand how SARS-CoV-2 variants interact with each other against a background of newer and fitter strains. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information The European medical radionuclides programme sets out to substantially change the European landscape for novel and emerging medical radionuclides. Nuclear therapy and molecular imaging are widely used at hospitals for new promising medical procedures. They can drastically improve the outcome for many medical conditions and in particular enable the treatment of disseminated cancer. However, its effective development has long been limited by the difficult access to radionuclides, which are not yet commercially available. With PRISMAP - the European medical radionuclides programme - this is about to change. The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI being part of PRISMAP is one of the providers of radionuclides. In nuclear medicine, a radioactive substance is introduced into a patient and finds its way to specific biological targets in the body. Depending on the radioactive properties of the radionuclide, it may emit radiation that can be detected with external detectors to visualise the distribution of the nuclide in question (SPECT, PET imaging); alternatively, it may emit charged particles like - or -- particles that deposit their energy locally (within micrometre to a few millimetres, that is, from the size of a cell to the size of a metastasis), thereby only destroying cells located nearby, e.g., to treat a cancer with targeted radionuclide therapy (TRNT). Out of the more than 3,000 different radionuclides that scientists have synthesized in the laboratory, only a handful are regularly used for medical procedures, mostly for imaging, though the interest in TRNT has been growing in the last few years. One of the main limits to the development of novel radio-medicinal products is the access to radionuclides during the development and early biomedical research phases. Within PRISMAP - The European medical radionuclides programme, this development phase can be enabled by giving medical researchers access to novel radionuclides of high purity. Production of radionuclides The radioactive elements that are used in nuclear medicine are not available naturally and must be synthesized in the laboratory. There are two main paths: neutron irradiation in a nuclear research reactor and proton, deuteron, or alpha irradiation with a particle accelerator. The size and energy of the particle accelerator determine which radionuclide can be produced: Small, compact machines are found in many hospitals, providing access to the radionuclides used today. However, higher-energy machines are needed to produce novel radionuclides which are currently not available. Purification of radionuclides When producing those novel radionuclides, new challenges appear: One is the co-production of unwanted radioactivity, which affects the quality of the medicinal product, may induce adverse effects to a patient, and can cause serious difficulties for waste management in a hospital environment. To address this, novel purification techniques are required. Within PRISMAP, techniques will be developed based on physical mass separation and radiochemistry to achieve high-purity radionuclide production that is appropriate for medicinal products. Access and translational research In order to support the ongoing research across Europe and beyond, immediate access to novel radionuclides will be provided by PRISMAP. A single-access platform has been established via their website, where the production and support capabilities are presented. A network of world-leading European facilities, including nuclear reactors, medium- and high-energy accelerators, and radiochemical laboratories, has been established to offer the broadest catalogue of radionuclides for medical research. Mass separation is available at the CERN MEDICIS facility to provide the physical separation of isotopes of an element. This is completed by a network of biomedical research facilities that may host external researchers to perform their research close to the production facility when the radionuclides are not suitable for long transport to their institution, or when the European licencing for novel radionuclides has not yet been obtained. Access to radionuclides and associated facilities will be granted on an excellence selection basis, by applying for access to radionuclides and, if necessary, to the complementary biomedical facilities, via the PRISMAP online access platform. A selection panel consisting of experts in the fields of radionuclide production, molecular imaging, and radionuclide therapy will select the best projects from the applicants. The first call for proposals will be launched before the end of 2021 for applications in the first quarter of 2022. It will be open to any interested party. Looking to the future In the fast-evolving landscape around nuclear medicine, PRISMAP is also focused on the future. The European Commission has expressed its commitment to tackle the societal impact of cancer through the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and, in particular, the SAMIRA Action Plan unveiled earlier this year, including the establishment of a European Radioisotope Valley Initiative. Through the PRISMAP consortium of 23 academic and research institutions across Europe, development towards the upscaling of the production of these novel radionuclides will be investigated, in the form of novel production technology, new purification methods, and proof-of-concept investigations showing the development of new treatments from test bench to patient care, directly feeding this European-wide plan. As a consortium serving a starting researcher's community, PRISMAP is looking to become a more established community and to welcome new facilities to enlarge the programme's capabilities. Novel facilities are on the horizon, such as the Jules Horowitz Reactor in CEA Cadarache (France), the ISOL (at) MYRRHA mass separator facility at SCK CEN (Belgium), the new SPES accelerator complex in the INFN's Legnaro National Laboratories (Italy), the European Spallation Source in Lund (Sweden), and finally both the new SPIRAL2 facility at GANIL (France), which has recently accelerated its first beams, and the FAIR facility in GSI (Germany), whose construction is progressing. Those new facilities will directly benefit from the findings within PRISMAP towards increasing the production capacity across Europe. New data will be generated and compiled towards the immediate and smooth adoption of the novel radionuclides in medical environments through collaboration between research hospitals and metrology institutes. All the new findings will be used towards creating new teaching material for professionals in the various fields of this multidisciplinary domain, as well as for training the next generation of professionals and advising the European Commission on these emerging radionuclides. The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is one of the main partners of the PRISMAP consortium. Researchers are using its large-scale research facilities SINQ (Swiss Spallation Neutron Source) and Injector 2, along with the IP2 irradiation station, to produce radionuclides for medical purposes. Radionuclides are coupled to a molecular complex, docking selectively to tumor cells in the body, and can destroy them with their particle radiation. The Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences is one of the few research organizations in Switzerland that are able to develop radiopharmaceuticals not only for research purposes but also for clinical trials. Currently, the registration process towards clinical trials using the promising therapeutic radionuclide terbium-161 is in progress. Furthermore, as part of the new Swiss Infrastructures (BFI) project IMPACT (Isotope and Muon Production with Advanced Cyclotron and Target Technology), an upgrade is envisaged at the high-intensity proton accelerator facility (HIPA), intended for the period from 2024 to 2028, in order to make it possible to produce new radionuclides for diagnostics and therapy Nuclear medicine research is a truly multidisciplinary approach, and to move forward, bridges between physicists, engineers, radiochemists, inorganic chemists, structural biologists, clinicians, medical physicists, dosimetrists, pharmacologists, and oncologists need to be built. PRISMAP - The European medical radionuclides programme, will certainly support the implementation of a multidisciplinary working concept in practice. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases has released its final report, which outlines a new race-free approach to diagnose kidney disease. In the report jointly published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD) and the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), the NKF-ASN Task Force recommends the adoption of the new eGFR 2021 CKD-EPI creatinine equation that estimates kidney function without a race variable. The task force also recommends increased use of cystatin C combined with serum (blood) creatinine, as a confirmatory assessment of GFR or kidney function. The new approach may report a different eGFR and could alter the stage of kidney diseases in some people. Patients should learn their latest eGFR and uACR to assess if the new eGFR calculations change their kidney disease status or stage. Patients and healthcare professionals can use a patient-friendly eGFR calculator that uses the new equation to determine a non-race-based calculation to assess their kidney function. It is important for patients to speak with their doctors to determine if this may affect their treatment and care going forward. More than 37 million adults in the United States have kidney diseases and 90% are not aware they have diminished kidney function. A disproportionate number of these people are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. These Americans also face unacceptable health disparities and inequities in healthcare delivery. The NKF-ASN Task Force organized its work, which took place over a period of 10 months, into three phases: 1) clarify the problem and evidence regarding eGFR equations in the United States; 2) evaluate different approaches to address use of race in GFR estimation; and 3) provide recommendations. The group identified 26 approaches for the estimation of GFR and narrowed their focus by consensus to five such approaches. The final report was drafted with considerable input from hundreds of patients and family members, medical students and other trainees, clinicians, scientists, health professionals, and other stakeholders to achieve consensus for an unbiased assessment of GFR so that laboratories, clinicians, patients, and public health officials can make informed decisions to ensure equity and personalized care for patients with kidney diseases. The results of research into suicide rates in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic show that rates fell despite a simultaneous increase in unemployment. The researchers say the measures put in place by the Canadian government to reduce insecurity during the stringent shutdown of the economy offer suicide reduction lessons for governments globally, even after the pandemic has passed. The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, compared suicide rates in Canada between March 2020 and February 2021 with the same period the year before. The rate reduced from 10.82 deaths per 100,000 in 2019/20 to 7.34 deaths per 100,000 in 2020/21. It was projected that in Canada there would be an increase in completed suicides, or 'deaths of despair' unless financial provisions and social programmes, as well as other services including mental health programmes, were immediately initiated to specifically address aspects of insecurity including economic and housing." Dr Roger McIntyre, Lead Researcher, Mood Disorder Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Toronto The researchers describe how the Canadian government provided financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians of $2000 (CAD) every month for up to 28 weeks and $1250 (CAD) to students every month for up to 16 weeks. Leniency on mortgage payments was recommended and there was increased funding for emergency childcare provisions. In addition, funding was deployed for emergency psychiatric services in the form of access to 24/7 crisis lines as well as the provision of psychotherapeutic and counselling services at no charge to Canadian residents. Dr McIntyre added: "It is noteworthy that the observed decrease in the Canadian suicide rate alongside an increase in rates of psychological distress, mental illness and reports of suicidality reflects the multifactorial and discrete phenomenology of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic." He concluded: "A national imperative in Canada, and globally, should be to reduce suicide rates. Government interventions that broadly aim to reduce measures of insecurity, as well as provide social support and timely psychiatric services, should be prioritised as part of a national suicide reduction strategy, not only during but after the termination of the COVID-19 pandemic." Within a day of testing positive for covid-19 in June, Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44, with diabetes and high blood pressure, Kelly, a certified nursing assistant, was having trouble breathing, symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room. When her husband, Joe, 46, fell ill with the virus, too, she really got worried, especially about their five teenagers at home: "I thought, 'I hope to God we don't wind up on ventilators. We have children. Who's going to raise these kids?" But the Kellys, who live in Seattle, had agreed just after their diagnoses to join a clinical trial at the nearby Fred Hutch cancer research center that's part of an international effort to test an antiviral treatment that could halt covid early in its course. By the next day, the couple were taking four pills, twice a day. Though they weren't told whether they had received an active medication or placebo, within a week, they said, their symptoms were better. Within two weeks, they had recovered. "I don't know if we got the treatment, but I kind of feel like we did," Miranda Kelly said. "To have all these underlying conditions, I felt like the recovery was very quick." The Kellys have a role in developing what could be the world's next chance to thwart covid: a short-term regimen of daily pills that can fight the virus early after diagnosis and conceivably prevent symptoms from developing after exposure. "Oral antivirals have the potential to not only curtail the duration of one's covid-19 syndrome, but also have the potential to limit transmission to people in your household if you are sick," said Timothy Sheahan, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who has helped pioneer these therapies. Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if given quickly. The medications, developed to treat and prevent viral infections in people and animals, work differently depending on the type. But they can be engineered to boost the immune system to fight infection, block receptors so viruses can't enter healthy cells, or lower the amount of active virus in the body. At least three promising antivirals for covid are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter, said Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is overseeing antiviral development. "I think that we will have answers as to what these pills are capable of within the next several months," Dieffenbach said. The top contender is a medication from Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics called molnupiravir, Dieffenbach said. This is the product being tested in the Kellys' Seattle trial. Two others include a candidate from Pfizer, known as PF-07321332, and AT-527, an antiviral produced by Roche and Atea Pharmaceuticals. They work by interfering with the virus's ability to replicate in human cells. In the case of molnupiravir, the enzyme that copies the viral genetic material is forced to make so many mistakes that the virus can't reproduce. That, in turn, reduces the patient's viral load, shortening infection time and preventing the kind of dangerous immune response that can cause serious illness or death. So far, only one antiviral drug, remdesivir, has been approved to treat covid. But it is given intravenously to patients ill enough to be hospitalized, and is not intended for early, widespread use. By contrast, the top contenders under study can be packaged as pills. Sheahan, who also performed preclinical work on remdesivir, led an early study in mice that showed that molnupiravir could prevent early disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid. The formula was discovered at Emory University and later acquired by Ridgeback and Merck. Clinical trials have followed, including an early trial of 202 participants last spring that showed that molnupiravir rapidly reduced the levels of infectious virus. Merck chief executive Robert Davis said this month that the company expects data from its larger phase 3 trials in the coming weeks, with the potential to seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration "before year-end." Pfizer launched a combined phase 2 and 3 trial of its product Sept. 1, and Atea officials said they expect results from phase 2 and phase 3 trials later this year. If the results are positive and emergency use is granted for any product, Dieffenbach said, "distribution could begin quickly." That would mean millions of Americans soon could have access to a daily orally administered medication, ideally a single pill, that could be taken for five to 10 days at the first confirmation of covid infection. "When we get there, that's the idea," said Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases and immunology expert at Columbia University. "To have this all around the country, so that people get it the same day they get diagnosed." Once sidelined for lack of interest, oral antivirals to treat coronavirus infections are now a subject of fierce competition and funding. In June, the Biden administration announced it had agreed to obtain about 1.7 million treatment courses of Merck's molnupiravir, at a cost of $1.2 billion, if the product receives emergency authorization or full approval. The same month, the administration said it would invest $3.2 billion in the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, which aims to develop antivirals for the covid crisis and beyond, Dieffenbach said. The pandemic kick-started a long-neglected effort to develop potent antiviral treatments for coronaviruses, said Sheahan. Though the original SARS virus in 2003 gave scientists a scare followed by Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, in 2012 research efforts slowed when those outbreaks did not persist. "The commercial drive to develop any products just went down the tubes," said Sheahan. Widely available antiviral drugs would join the monoclonal antibody therapies already used to treat and prevent serious illness and hospitalizations caused by covid. The lab-produced monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the body's natural response to infection, were easier to develop but must be given primarily through intravenous infusions. The federal government is covering the cost of most monoclonal products at $2,000 a dose. It's still too early to know how the price of antivirals might compare. Like the monoclonal antibodies, antiviral pills would be no substitute for vaccination, said Griffin. They would be another tool to fight covid. "It's nice to have another option," he said. One challenge in developing antiviral drugs quickly has been recruiting enough participants for the clinical trials, each of which needs to enroll many hundreds of people, said Dr. Elizabeth Duke, a Fred Hutch research associate overseeing its molnupiravir trial. Participants must be unvaccinated and enrolled in the trial within five days of a positive covid test. Any given day, interns make 100 calls to newly covid-positive people in the Seattle area and most say no. "Just generally speaking, there's a lot of mistrust about the scientific process," Duke said. "And some of the people are saying kind of nasty things to the interns." If the antiviral pills prove effective, the next challenge will be ramping up a distribution system that can rush them to people as soon as they test positive. Griffin said it will take something akin to the program set up last year by UnitedHealthcare, which sped Tamiflu kits to 200,000 at-risk patients enrolled in the insurer's Medicare Advantage plans. Merck officials predicted the company could produce more than 10 million courses of therapy by the end of the year. Atea and Pfizer have not released similar estimates. Even more promising? Studies evaluating whether antivirals can prevent infection after exposure. "Think about that," said Duke, who is also overseeing a prophylactic trial. "You could give it to everyone in a household, or everyone in a school. Then we're talking about a return to, maybe, normal life." Natural infection or vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) confer considerable protection against reinfection and reduce the risk of severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, reports on decaying neutralizing antibody (Ab) levels against SARS-CoV-2 have raised questions regarding long-term immunity. Sporadic breakthrough infections have been reported after vaccination due to lower antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, prompting consideration of booster doses. Therefore, urgent studies are needed to identify factors associated with protection to assist in the future deployment of vaccines. Diana Zhong and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University have conducted a cohort study on healthcare workers (HWs) to probe SARS-CoV-2 spike Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Ab levels, comparing their decay in vaccinated individuals with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. A pre-print version of the research paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer view. Cohort of healthcare workers The HWs included in the study had either a serum sample collected post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (defined as positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR) (n=98), and/or a serum sample collected 14 days after the second dose of an mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (n=1,960). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify Abs in the serum and linear regression models, adjusting for vaccine type, age, and sex, were used to compare post-vaccination Ab levels. Waning IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 following infection and vaccination in HWs: Panel A demonstrates serum spike S1 IgG antibody measurements in healthcare workers 14 days following dose two of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (blue line), 14 days following dose two of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in those without prior SARSCoV-2 infection (orange line), and in those following SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR test and before vaccination (black line). Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR prior to first dose of mRNA vaccine. The x-axis represents days of follow-up from infection or vaccination, rather than calendar time, such that 49 HWs contributed to both natural infection and post-vaccination groups, respectively. The lines represent median IgG as a function of days following mRNA vaccination or natural infection, based on natural cubic splines (2 degrees of freedom) for each group. Shaded areas represent 95% Confidence Intervals. Panel B illustrates serum spike S1 IgG antibody decay after mRNA vaccination among participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection 90 days before vaccination (light blue line) and > 90 days before vaccination (dark blue line). The lines represent median IgG following mRNA vaccination over time using natural cubic splines (2 degrees of freedom). Shaded areas represent 95% Confidence Intervals. Major findings Serum spike IgG Ab levels were higher after vaccination than after natural infection. Individuals with prior infection before vaccination continued to have higher serum IgG Ab levels, at 1, 3, and 6 months (following completion of 2nd dose of vaccine, or following natural infection), when compared to individuals with infection alone or those with vaccination alone. Individuals with PCR confirmed infection > 90 days before vaccination had higher post-vaccination Ab levels than individuals infected 90 days before vaccination by approximately 10 percent, as studied at 1 and 3 months. Longer interval between infection and first vaccine dose enhances Ab response In agreement with another study comparing extended vaccine dosing intervals, the authors suggest a longer interval of at least 90 days between infection and first vaccine dose (second exposure) for enhanced Ab response. Subsequently, the booster dose which provides a third exposure induces a more durable Ab response. "Vaccination after natural infection reduces risk of reinfection," the team concludes. The researchers also highlight the need to inquire whether the improved post-vaccination Ab durability in prior infected individuals is attributable to the number of exposures, the interval between exposures, or a complex interplay between natural and vaccine-derived immunity. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. A new Johns Hopkins Medicine mathematical model to predict how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) spreads in urban areas will play a major role in a federal initiative aiming to reduce the incidence of HIV infections in the United States by 90% between 2020 and 2030. As part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) program, the model will be used to forecast HIV incidence in 32 U.S. cities when implementing specific interventions to reduce transmission of the virus. In a study published Sept. 21, 2021, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Anthony Todd Fojo, M.D., M.H.S., and colleagues describe their model, an algorithm that splits each city's population into categories of race, age, sex and HIV risk factors, and estimates the number of HIV infections associated with each one. We calculated the number of HIV infections per subgroup and then predicted what would likely happen if cities adopt particular interventions." Anthony Todd Fojo, M.D., M.H.S. Fojo says potential citywide actions could include increasing viral suppression (reducing HIV virus counts to an undetectable level) among people with HIV, more frequent testing to diagnose HIV, and encouraging the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescription drugs that prevent HIV infection. "For some cities, it may make more sense to focus on getting people's HIV controlled. For others, it may be more important to encourage preventive medications," Fojo says. "To achieve a 90% reduction over the next 10 years, the model predicts it will likely take a combination of both, along with increased testing." The model described in the new study shows that if current trends continue, HIV incidence overall in the 32 cities might fall by 19% by 2030. With a modest increase in testing, preventive medications and better virus suppression across the population, those cities could improve that result to a reduction of between 34% and 67%. Predictions of drops in HIV incidence also can be estimated for interventions in specific populations. For example, the model predicts that, if 25% of young Black and Hispanic men who have sex with men used PrEP and were tested twice a year to more rapidly identify HIV, and 90% of those already with HIV could achieve viral suppression, cities could achieve a 13% to 68% reduction in HIV incidence across the whole population. When interventions include people who inject drugs and all men who have sex with men, the incidence of HIV could be reduced from 48% to 90%. Thirteen of the 32 cities could achieve more than a 90% reduction in incidence with large-scale interventions that include heterosexuals. Fojo and his colleagues also have developed a web tool to help cities develop individualized plans. He says he hopes public health officials will use this resource to make cost-effective intervention decisions for their communities. If popular wisdom holds that music is good for the soul, science is increasingly seeking to better understand how music can affect the body, brain, and mind, as evidenced by the 2020 publication of the first World Health Organization report on health and music. In response, the newly established University of Ottawa Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI) has made it its core mission to delve deeper into how musical intervention can affect health, developing the knowledge, innovative therapeutic practices, and solutions that can contribute to improving the health of populations. The driving force behind this interdisciplinary initiative, which stands at the intersection of music, health sciences, social sciences, engineering, and medicine, is Faculty of Arts Professor Gilles Comeau, who has been appointed as director of the Institute for a five-year mandate. He is joined by the MHRI associate director and Faculty of Health Sciences professor Anna Zumbansen, who will bring her own complementary expertise to the Institute's leadership. "We want the Institute to become recognized as a major research hub and a reference in the field of music and health. A place where scholars, clinicians, caregivers, and music educators can exchange knowledge and work together to investigate and demonstrate, through a science-based approach, the benefits of music practice and therapy on physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health," says Gilles Comeau. Born out of Comeau's vision and leadership, the MHRI will roll out interdisciplinary, participatory, and action-based research initiatives to measure how learning and practising music can affect children with hearing loss, seniors with cognitive and motor impairments, as well as people suffering from mental health problems. The MHRI is a cradle for interdisciplinary research partnerships that bring together top talents from the faculties of Arts, Health Sciences and Social Sciences, and the Professional Development Institute at the University of Ottawa. The Institute has also partnered with external organizations, including Carleton University; the University of Ottawa's Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, the Bruyere Research Institute, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) (Education), and the Lotus Centre for Specialized Music Education. These partners will contribute their expertise to a roster of forward-thinking and scientifically creative initiatives. Researchers from the University of Montreal and the University of British Columbia will also be among the Institute's valued research partners and steering committee members. The creation of the Music and Health Research Institute is innovation in action. The Institute's multidisciplinary approach to the study of the interaction between music and health is distinctive and strongly aligned with our strategic research goal of enabling lifelong health and wellness. The high-calibre partnerships formed by Professor Comeau promise to advance research that will help improve the well-being of all Canadians." Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research, University of Ottawa Music and Health Research Institute The partnerships and research that were developed through the Piano Pedagogy Research Laboratory and the Musicians' Wellness Centre, both founded by Comeau and now under the umbrella of the Institute, were instrumental in establishing MHRI's collaborative research synergies, including the Canadian Network for Musicians' Health and Wellness, which answers musicians' calls for better prevention, better treatment and better support for the physical and psychological problems associated with playing an instrument. One MHRI initiative will advance research into the factors involved in maintaining the well-being, autonomy, and health of seniors, who will make up 25% of the population by 2030 according to Statistics Canada. "Music Making with Elderly People" is a major research initiative that the Institute will carry out with The Royal and Bruyere. It will examine how the brain functions responsible for attention, balance, gait, or a patient's psychological and mental state can be affected by multi-tasking musical interventions that combine rhythmic bodily movements, ear training, tapping, clapping, vocal or instrumental improvisation, and playing percussion instruments. This partnership will give the uOttawa-based project an additional foothold at the Orleans-based campus of Bruyere and at The Royal, thus giving the project better access to a larger pool of seniors and patients with whom to push forward research. "We are particularly excited to partner with the MHRI at uOttawa to generate and apply new knowledge to serve people living with mental illness", says Florence Dzierszinski, who is president of the University of Ottawa's Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal and vice-president, research, at The Royal. "We particularly look forward to our first project, which focuses on music and aging, and will see the establishment of a music and mental health research clinic, which will be designed by researchers, clinicians, program leaders, and people with lived expertise, and will be connected to our cutting-edge technological platforms, including our Brain Imaging Centre," says Dzierszinski. We are excited to be a key partner with the new Music and Health Research Institute and further study the benefits of music at Bruyere," says Heidi Sveistrup, CEO and chief scientific officer of the Bruyere Research Institute and vice-president, research, and academic affairs at Bruyere. "The science is clear music-making and moving to music have important cognitive, emotional and physical health benefits." Studying musical engagement and interest in children and youth with hearing loss is yet another key initiative for which the CHEO Research Institute will develop innovative clinical practices. This research will measure the effects of music learning on the central auditory, cognitive, and neurological systems of hearing-impaired children. Dr. Ryan Rourke, a surgeon with the divisions of pediatric otolaryngology and audiology, sees opportunities to expand CHEO's involvement in the MHRI to different departments with the goal of understanding how music can help children with a variety of conditions. "MHRI is set to be a pioneering force in the field," says Erin Parkes, PhD, the founder and executive director of the Lotus Centre for Specialized Music Education, a partner organization that helps students with exceptionalities. "There has been so little work done in this area, and this partnership has the potential to truly change the landscape in special music education." The Institute will strive to ensure that its research and knowledge mobilization activities reflect its commitment to increasing access, inclusive, and equitable access to musical interventions. Brian Ray Vice-Dean Research at the Faculty of Arts "The Faculty of Arts is proud to be a partner in this initiative. Professor Gilles Comeau has consistently contributed to the advancement of research in the School of Music at the Faculty of Arts, as well as in several other fields. Professor Comeau's scholarship is creative, engaged and rigorous; under his direction, we can expect exciting things from this new interdisciplinary research hub." Lucie Thibault Dean at the Faculty of Health Sciences and member of the MHRI's steering committee "The Music and Health Research Institute is a prime example of the priorities of our faculty's strategic goal to support inter-and multi-disciplinary research. Music has a direct impact on our health and well-being and the Faculty of Health Sciences is honoured to collaborate closely with the Faculty of Arts to partake in the next steps of this valuable research." Rafik Goubran Vice-President (Research and International), Carleton University "Carleton University is pleased to partner with the University of Ottawa on this important initiative that will investigate the role of music in society and its impact on health outcomes, especially on conditions such as dementia and anxiety. This partnership is a welcome addition to the many successful collaborations between our two institutions and will enhance our continued research productivity and shared vision." Natalia D'Angelo got sick right after school started in August. She was driving a school bus for special education students in Griffin-Spalding County School System about 40 miles south of Atlanta and contracted covid-19. One of her three sons, Julian Rodriguez-D'Angelo, said his mother, who was not vaccinated against the covid virus, had a history of health problems, including Graves' disease and cancer. Rodriguez-D'Angelo said his mother "was pretty certain" she got covid from her work duties. He added that D'Angelo's assistant on the same bus also had the disease, and that his mother said some kids on the bus did not wear masks, even though it is required. The virus spread through the whole family, including her husband, Americo Rodriguez, who came with her to the U.S. from Uruguay 20 years ago. But D'Angelo's illness grew worse, and she was hospitalized at a Griffin hospital in mid-August. On Aug. 28, she died. She was 43. D'Angelo is among at least 12 school bus workers in Georgia including three in the Griffin-Spalding district who have died of covid since the beginning of the school year. News reports and a Twitter feed called "School Personnel Lost to Covid" show that school bus drivers in at least 10 states have died of the disease since August. The deaths raise questions about whether school bus drivers are at higher risk of getting covid. But medical experts are split. It's difficult, if not impossible when local infection rates are high, to determine how any particular bus worker became infected whether it occurred at home, in a community setting or on the job. The buses should be relatively safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires that masks be worn on public transportation, including all school buses, public or private and regardless of whether the schools themselves require masks. "There's no enforcement of that,'' said Ronna Weber, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. "Police are not going to board a school bus" to make sure the students are wearing masks. As with school employees in general, statistics on the number of covid deaths are sparse, without any central government repository, according to the National Education Association union. The Florida Education Association, though, lists seven bus workers among the more than 70 school staffers in the state who have died since July. The School Personnel Lost to Covid account says more than 185 bus drivers have died of the disease during the pandemic. An estimated 500,000 school buses nationwide operate on a given day. Many drivers are retirees from previous occupations, so age and health conditions could contribute to the deaths. "Every life is an unfortunate loss," said Weber. Xiaoyan Song, chief infection control officer at Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D.C., said drivers are not at increased risk of getting covid from students because they see children up close for only a second or two, when the kids board and exit the bus. It typically takes several minutes of exposure to an infected person to transmit the virus, she said, adding that drivers face forward with their backs to students while driving, which also diminishes their risk. She said driving with windows open is another factor that can limit transmission of the virus. But Ye Shen, an associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, believes drivers face a greater risk. Shen, lead author of a JAMA Internal Medicine study on covid transmission on buses in China, noted that the vehicles are enclosed spaces in which ventilation can be poor, creating an environment with a high risk of covid transmission. The danger of airborne transmission is significantly reduced if the kids and the driver are all wearing masks, Shen said. In the China study, no one was wearing a mask and there was a high rate of virus transmission. "Kids often don't fully comply with the mask rule," Shen added. Risks may climb within school districts that lack mask mandates, he said. The Bulloch County school district in southeastern Georgia has no mask mandate in classrooms or buses. In early September, Bulloch district bus driver Norma Jean Carter, 55, died of covid. Besides mask-wearing, the CDC recommends that, whenever possible, drivers and monitors open bus windows to increase air circulation. Bus surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected after each use of the vehicle, the agency said. Even when precautions are taken, the fears surrounding covid have worsened a nationwide shortage of school bus drivers. Michael Cordiello, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local chapter in New York City, representing more than 8,000 school bus workers, said more drivers have retired in 2021 than in previous years. Officials in several states are working to find solutions to the shortages, and some are requesting that their governors send National Guard troops to help. A Wilmington, Delaware, school is paying its students' parents to drive buses. Some regular drivers have had to work extra shifts. "Our drivers are scared to death," said Jamie Michael, president of Support Personnel Association of Lee County, a union in southwestern Florida that represents bus drivers and other school staffers. One county school bus driver there died of covid in mid-August, she said. It is unknown where the woman was infected. She said five drivers then quit Sept. 7 and the county school district is about 100 drivers short of what it needs. The district requires drivers to wear masks, and they try to ensure that at least some windows are kept open on the bus no matter the weather. "It's a scary time for anyone working with students," Michael said. Drivers in the district get paid between $16 and $23 an hour depending on seniority, amounting to $31,000 to about $45,000 annually. Michael said drivers like to keep the seat behind them vacant to allow for physical distancing, but that is not always possible due to demand for rides, especially amid driver shortages. The Griffin-Spalding district temporarily switched to remote learning for students after D'Angelo, another bus driver and a bus monitor died of covid. Several more have been infected since school started Aug. 4, said Adam Pugh, spokesperson for the Griffin-Spalding County School System. The school district added a mask requirement early in the school year. "No one has an exact answer" as to why the district's bus workers have been hit so hard, he said. Many buses are being driven with windows open, and the vehicles are sanitized between routes, Pugh added. Julian Rodriguez-D'Angelo said his mother "loved being a bus driver and never missed work. She drove for years." He said he doesn't blame the students but does feel anger about district policies. The delta variant, the dominant strain of covid, "is spreading like crazy," he said. He added he doesn't think students should have been in school amid the surge. The vaccination rate in Spalding County for all residents, 37%, is far below the state's 46% rate. Both rates are below the national average. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly around the globe, and excess mortality was seen worldwide in the initial outbreak. Mass vaccination programs, drug repurposing, and monoclonal antibody treatments have contributed to controlling the disease's spread and severity, but worries remain over the rise of variant strains. Of particular concern is the Delta variant, which is known to escape both natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Researchers from the Harvard School Of Medicine have taken this opportunity to investigate the number of excess deaths during the initial spread of the Delta variant. A preprint version of the study is available on the medRxiv* server while the article undergoes peer review. Study: Absence of Excess Mortality in a Highly Vaccinated Population During the Initial Covid-19 Delta Period. Image Credit: Lazy_Bear/ Shutterstock The study The researchers examined data from the Massachusetts Department of Health, including total deaths, COVID-19 attributed deaths, and weekly coronavirus cases. They used five years of previous data from the US Census and statistics from the Centers For Disease Control in their seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (sARIMA) model to determine expected and excess deaths within given periods. These models are the traditional choice for handling data with a trend over time. Unlike the regular variant, sARIMAs can also forecast data with a trend that can be affected by seasonal changes in data. From there, the scientists examined excess deaths compared to COVID-19 deaths during the first wave, second wave, and then during the spread of the Delta variant. They also took into account vaccination, both state-wide and in individual counties. Between March and June 2020, when COVID-19 originally spread to the US, there were over 100,000 cases, 7878 attributed deaths, and 7775 excess deaths. Excess deaths are the number of fatalities exceeding the previously expected number. More excess deaths were recorded in early March than Covid-19 attributed deaths- possibly due to a lack of testing. However, COVID-19 attributed deaths have remained above excess deaths since this point, which suggests that some deaths were misattributed to the disease. This could be through misdiagnosis or merely as COVID-19 contributed to the death rather than the primary cause. Between July and September 2020, COVID-19 cases fell to just over 25,000, with 1334 COVID-19 attributed deaths. Deaths in total were lower than expected, which the researchers theorize is due to deaths that would have occurred in this time being 'pulled forward' by the pandemic. Between October 2020 and March 2021, the second wave of COVID-19 hit the USA, and cases rose dramatically to 466,100. Deaths caused by COVID-19 also rose, reaching 7603, while excess deaths were once again lower, at 3282. This pattern continues throughout the spring of 2021. The Delta variants arrived in large (above 10% of cases) numbers in Massachusetts in June 2021. While cases hit just under 58,000, widespread vaccination proved effective, and only 342 deaths were attributed to the disease. Once again, not only were no excess deaths reported, but fewer deaths occurred than expected. This was not the case in 2 counties, which saw a rise of over 10% of excess deaths. These were the least two vaccinated counties in Massachusetts. Figure. Weekly all-cause excess deaths in Massachusetts (blue line) and Covid-19-attributed deaths (orange line) in Massachusetts. The baseline (gray line) was determined using sARIMA and reflects five years of population growth, weekly mortality data, and population changes owing to the total cumulative excess deaths recorded during the pandemic. Conclusion The authors determine their findings indicate that vaccination remains effective in preventing the more severe forms of the disease, as well as lowering deaths attributed to COVID-19, even against alternate variants of the disease. This comes as welcome news as other studies have begun to record lower immune responses and anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) activity among antibodies gained through immunity to the strain of the disease originally seen in Wuhan, China, is lower against the Delta variant. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread worldwide, causing a global health and economic crisis. While many countries are beginning to control the disease using mass vaccination programs, COVID-19 still poses a significant threat. Study: Estimates of presumed population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 by state in the United States, August 2021. Image Credit: Gargantiopa/ Shutterstock Growing vaccine hesitancy has been shown to slow the creation of herd immunity, and strains such as the Delta variant appear to be able to evade some level of both natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Researchers from RTI International have investigated publicly available data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the proportion of the US population that has become immunized against the disease. A preprint version of the study is available on the medRxiv* server while the article undergoes peer review. Background Herd or population immunity is characterized by a high enough proportion of a population being immunized against the disease to prevent further transmission - enough that the R0 (measure of the degree to which the pathogen is contagious) is below one. This is important to minimize the risk of disease for immunocompromised people who cannot take traditional vaccines. Population immunity thresholds are high for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - somewhere between 50% and 83% - and even higher for variants such as the Delta strain, which is likely between 80% and 90%. Knowing the current level of immunity in the population is important for public health policy, especially for removing restrictions that help keep transmission down. The study To calculate the immunity present in the population of each state, the researchers calculated the population likely immune due to infection - taking into account reports of seroprevalence that indicate that a proportion of infected individuals do not develop immunity. The data for seroprevalence per state is provided by the CDC from blood samples from tests unrelated to COVID-19. The researchers only used estimates from tests that use the nucleocapsid protein as the target. While this does allow for a comprehensive picture of immunity from infection, it also massively decreases the number of potential data points as the vast majority of tests look for antibodies that target the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Following this, the scientists calculated the percentage of individuals who had been fully vaccinated and those that had been partially vaccinated. This was taken from estimates reported by the CDC. To calculate the percentage immunity through vaccination, they multiplied the population who had received a vaccine by the vaccine perceived protection. If unknown, they assumed the vaccine was 85% effective. Vaccine efficacy in this manner does not necessarily mean 85% of people will be immune, and 15% will not be - it is more a measure of the host's ability to fight the virus once vaccinated. These calculations allowed them to split the population into four categories: immune due to vaccination and infection, immune due to infection, immune due to vaccination, and not immune. For certain analyses, these categories were split into 'immune' and 'not immune.' The results for each state were then compared against population immunity thresholds. The researchers then performed a sensitivity analysis to investigate the effect of loss of immunity over time. Their final estimates were compared against the states' own estimates. Across the USA, they found a wide range of results, both in previously infected and currently immune. Generally, high immunity levels were associated with either high vaccination rates or high previous infection levels, followed by moderately successful vaccination programs. Many states show low overall immunity, with four states showing over 50% of individuals remaining at risk of contracting the disease and a further 19 states hovering near 40%. This data could be important for informing public health policy, especially the establishment of/removal of restrictions designed to fight disease transmission. Another key point the authors highlight is the vaccination of children, which generally remained low. Schools potentially provide potent grounds for COVID-19 to spread, so achieving the high population immunity levels required to prevent transmission amongst under 18-year-olds could be paramount. Figure 3. Percentage of the population vaccinated for COVID-19 and/or previously SARS-CoV-2 infected by state as of August 26, 2021. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information Social media users who view images of healthy foods that have been heavily endorsed with 'likes' are more likely to make healthier food choices, a new study has found. The research, by psychologists from Aston University's College of Health and Life Sciences, found that study participants who viewed highly liked mock Instagram posts of fruit and vegetables ate a significantly higher proportion of grapes than cookies, with consumption of grapes increasing by 14 percent more calories, compared to those who viewed highly liked high-calorie foods. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Appetite, investigated the acute effect of socially endorsed social media posts on participants' eating behavior. The 169 participants, who had an average age of 21 years old (but total ages across the group ranged from 18 to 48), were asked to look at mock Instagram posts of different types of food, that either had a few or a lot of 'likes', and later given access to grapes and cookies to consume. As well as viewing images of fruit and vegetables, participants also looked at less nutritious foods such as cakes and biscuits, and non-food images such as stylish interior designs. However, the researchers found that the participants went on to consume a larger proportion of grapes after viewing highly liked images of fruit and vegetables, compared to the other images. Aston University psychology Ph.D. student Lily Hawkins, who led the study alongside supervisor Dr Jason Thomas, said: "The findings of the study suggest that not only exposure to healthy food images on social media, but those that are also heavily endorsed with 'likes', may nudge people to choose to eat more healthy foods, in place of less nutritious foods." What we see others approve of eating and post about eating on social media can affect our actual eating behavior and could result in a greater consumption of healthier meals and snacks." Lily Hawkins, psychology Ph.D. student, Aston University "One reason for this may be because thinking that others 'like' and eat fruit and vegetables nudges participants to alter their behavior in order to fit in with what they perceive to be the norm." The most recent figures from the NHS's Health Survey for England showed that in 2018 only 28 percent of adults were eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. In Wales, this was 24 percent, in Scotland 22 percent and in Northern Ireland around 20 percent. Children and young people across the UK had even lower levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. The study findings suggest that social media could be used in future as a way to encourage healthier eating - by encouraging users to follow more social media accounts which have highly liked nutritionally balanced posts, also containing healthier foods. The researchers said the next stage of their work will trial an intervention using real Instagram accounts, to test whether asking people to actively follow more social media accounts posting images of highly liked nutritionally rich foods, can encourage people to consume more fruit and vegetables over a sustained period of time. Professor Claire Farrow, Director of Aston University's Applied Health Research Group, whose work has contributed to the national Child Feeding Guide resource, added: "We know that social interactions can strongly shape what, when and how much we eat. These findings highlight the important role that social media has in shaping those influences online." "The findings suggest that people do not simply passively view information about what other people are eating online, but that this digital information can shape our food preferences and choices, particularly when we think lots of other people like certain foods. It is promising that exposure to healthy foods, and likes of those foods, was related to greater intake of healthy foods." "Further research is needed to explore whether and how these findings can be translated into digital interventions to help support individuals who want to make healthier food choices, and to understand how social media platforms can be used as a tool to support healthy eating behavior." Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA has been detected in air samples of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wards, depicting airborne dissemination of the virus. The UK repurposed several general wards into specialized intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitals faced a lack of beds. However, these wards did not have the capacity for frequent air changes. Despite healthcare workers using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) with the capacity to filter medium and large size droplets, viral transmission from patients to hospital staff is commonplaceattributed to the inhalation of viral particles in small (< 5M) aerosols. Furthermore, nosocomial infections continue to plague healthcare systems; reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission can enhance safety for healthcare workers and patients. Studies have found that improved ventilation coupled with ultraviolet (UV) light sterilization is a better preventive measure than respiratory protective equipment. It was proposed that portable air filtration systemscapable of combining high-efficiency particulate filtration and UV light sterilizationmay be an achievable solution for warding off respiratory SARS-CoV-2. Setting University of Cambridge researchers conducted a study in two repurposed COVID-19 units in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK, between January and February 2021. During this time, the alpha variant (lineage B1.1.7) accounted for >80% of the circulating SARS-CoV-2. This study, posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, aimed to provide evidence of the removal of SARS-CoV-2 and microbial bioaerosols using portable air filters with UV sterilization. The study was conducted in a repurposed surge ward and surge ICU. The surge ward managed patients requiring simple oxygen therapy or no respiratory support, wherein no aerosol-generating procedures were performed. An AC1500 HEPA14/UV sterilizer was installed in this ward. Patients in the surge ICU were managed through invasive and non-invasive respiratory support with non-invasive mask ventilation, high flow nasal oxygen or invasive ventilation via endotracheal tube or tracheostomy. A Medi 10 HEPA13/UV sterilizer was installed in this ward. The air filters were fixed prior to the initiation of the three-week study. In the second week, the air filters were switched on and run continuously for 24 hours per day providing approximately 5-10 room-volume filtrations per hour. The study entailed a crossover evaluation with the primary goal of detecting SARS-CoV-2 in various size fractions of air samples from the surge ward and surge ICU with and without air filtration, with UV sterilization. To detect the presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 and other microbial bioaerosols National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) two-stage cyclone aerosol samplers and multiplex qPCR assays were employed. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in the number of pathogens detected when the air filter was on and off with statistical significance being inferred when p values were 0.05. Location of the air filters and room layout. A) Layout of the room on the surge ward with four beds. B) Layout on the surge ICU with six beds including the addition of the additional bed to increase occupancy (labelled with rad box). Locations of the NIOSH air samplers indicated by *. The air filters were installed in the marked locations and set to operate at 1000 m3/hour. The rooms volumes are approximately 107 m3 and 195m3 respectively. Fresh air was not supplied or extracted in these areas. Effectiveness of the air filter in the ward In the first week, when the air filter was not active, SARS-CoV-2 could be detected on all five sampling days in both medium and large (>4M particle size) particulate fractions, but not on the small (<1M) particulate filter. In the second week, when the air filter was switched on and run continuously, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in any of the sampling fractions. Thereafter, sampling was repeated with an inactive air filter. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in medium and large particulate fractions on three out of five days of sampling, along with multiple viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens. In contrast, when the air filter was operational, only yeast was detected. Additionally, microbial bioaerosols decreased significantly. Effectiveness of air filter in ICU Meanwhile, the ICU elicited limited evidence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 on weeks one and three (filter off) but detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a single sample in the medium particulate fraction on week two (filter on). Use of the air filtration device significantly (p=0.05) reduced microbial bioaerosols even in the ICU. Discussion Recent data from studies indicate that exertional respiratory activitysuch as those in COVID-19 patientsincreases the release of 1-4 M respiratory aerosols. However, conventionally defined aerosol-generating procedures such as high flow nasal oxygen and non-invasive ventilation reduce aerosol generation during exertion. This study concurs with such data, postulating that precautions may be more important in the wards. The low burden of SARS-CoV-2 in ICU can be due to multiple factors a higher level of aerosol PPE used, patients, being in later stages of the disease where viral replication is less pronounced, higher viral loads in the lower rather than upper respiratory tract in critically ill patients and use of a respiratory device that reduces aerosol generation. In the ICU, reduction in microbial bioaerosols with a functional air filtration system indicates that the device was equally effective. While multiple building codes propose air filtration to reduce the transmission of airborne diseases, these have not been updated taking COVID-19 into consideration. This presents the first report depicting the successful removal of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings using combined air filtration and UV sterilization technology. The observations confirm that air filtration devices may help in reducing the risk of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. (Newser) Not only is the drought in the southwestern US the worst on record, it's not over yet, say researchers who leave no doubt the severity is connected to climate change. A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and independent researchers found the 20-month period from January 2020 to last month was the third-warmest such stretch on record, as well as the driest. Records have been kept since 1895, per Axios. Droughts' effects can build and compound each other, worsening the damage. The researchers found that happening this time. Their report addressed: story continues below The roots. Two straight dry winters kept total precipitation to the record low for the Southwest, aided by a failed 2020 summer monsoon, per the Washington Post. Six states covered by the reportArizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utahposted temperatures that were the third highest ever recorded. Those two factors worked together to shrink the snowpack and increase soil evaporation, bringing drought to most of the West. Water worries. The federal declaration of Lake Mead's shortage led to less water from the Colorado River being allocated to Arizona, as well as other states; 40 million people count on the Colorado's water. Power problems. As electricity demand rose during the heat waves to run air conditioners, low reservoir levels throughout the region contributed to power blackouts. Climate change. Although the first drop in precipitation probably was random, the high temperatures can't be explained by normal fluctuations. Computer models and analysis show greenhouse gas emissions have caused the atmosphere to need more moisture from the planet. The backdrop is the first megadrought, which began in 2000, caused by climate change, a co-author said. The prognosis. Conditions will stay dry and warm at least into next year, researchers say. One wet season won't fix much; reservoirs and rivers in the Southwest need several years of high precipitation to end the drought. Moreover, the Southwest is headed toward a more arid future unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut, researchers say. (Read more drought stories.) (Newser) A federal grand jury has indicted Brian Laundrie, accusing the fiance of Gabby Petito of using a debit card that wasn't hiswhich will allow police to arrest him once he's found. The Wyoming indictment says Laundrie used the card and its PIN for more than $1,000 in charges from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, CNN reports. Police think Petito died between Aug. 27 and Aug. 30. The filing didn't say whose card it was. The FBI agent in charge tweeted that the warrant means Laundrie, who's been called only a person of interest in the case, now can be arrested and that the investigation is continuing. story continues below Crews searched for Laundrie again Thursday in a Florida wilderness preserve and planned to resume Friday, per the AP. A lawyer for his family issued a statement saying the indictment is related to events after Petito's death, not her killing; her remains were found Sunday in Wyoming. Laundrie has not been charged with any other crime. The agent on Thursday asked anyone who knows where Laundrie is to contact the FBI. "No piece of information is too small or inconsequential to support our efforts in this investigation," Michael Schneider said. People gathered at events to honor Petito, who was 22 when she was killed. "We won't forget about you. We won't let your light dim," an organizer said to mourners at a vigil in Salt Lake City on Wednesday evening. She added that, "We will remember other women or children who are missing," as well. A roadside memorial was growing in Petito's hometown of Blue Point, New York. "This is so sad," one woman said Thursday. (Read more Gabby Petito stories.) (Newser) Update: Relief has turned to devastation for the owners of a "miracle home" that initially escaped the lava flow that has destroyed more than 600 other homes in the Canary Islands. The home on La Palma owned by retired Danish couple Inge Bergedorf and Ranier Cocq has now been consumed by lava, the BBC reports. "We have lost everything," Cocq tells El Mundo from his home in Denmark. "Inge and I are devastated." The lava flow reached the ocean for the first time on Tuesday evening. Our original story from Friday follows: story continues below A flow of lava from an eruption in the Canary Islands has destroyed hundreds of homesand left one directly in its path still standing. Images show the "miracle home" on La Palma and a small area of surrounding land intact between rivers of lava, the Guardian reports. It belongs to a retired Danish couple in their 80s, who have not returned to the Spanish island since the start of the pandemic, the BBC reports. Ada Monnikendam, a La Palma resident whose company built the home around 30 years ago, tells El Mundo that owners Inge and Ranier Cocq are relieved the home has survivedbut they're very worried about friends in the area who have lost everything. "They are devastated and frustrated for being so far away," Monnikendam says. "They don't want to talk to anyone because they won't stop crying." At least 350 homes have been destroyed on the western side of the island, along with schools and other buildings, by two streams of lava from an eruption that began Sunday, reports the AP. One stream has almost completely stopped while the other has slowed to around 13 feet an hour from an estimated 2,300 feet per hour Monday. But the stream is also growing wider and thicker, raising fears that it will cause much more damage instead of flowing straight to the sea. Scientists say the flow of lava from the island's first eruption in 50 years could last weeks or months. (Read more volcano stories.) (Newser) As far as closing arguments go, it was a comparison that got attention if nothing else. After a six-week sex-trafficking trial, a lawyer for R. Kelly wrapped things up by comparing his client to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday. The BBC reports attorney Deveraux Cannick explained Kelly led a playboy lifestyle that jibed with the sex symbol image his record label created for him. "Where's the crime in that?" he asked, while accusing the prosecution of trying to get witnesses to lie under oath. "You heard about a man who treated these women like gold. He bought them bags more expensive than cars." story continues below Cannick likened King's fight to be granted the rights guaranteed to him by the Constitution to, as the New York Post puts it, Kelly "trying to hold the government to account by making prosecutors prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." As for where King comes in, Cannick Cannick shared lines from King's "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, saying "Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press." He said King worked to make the government "be true to what's on paper," and "that's all Robert is trying to do." As for how prosecutors wrapped things up, The AP reports Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth Geddes "gave an exhaustive recitation" of what the government says proves Kelly's guilt, referencing tactics from the predator playbook" like isolating victims in hotel rooms or forcing them to adhere to degrading rules. "It is now time to hold the defendant responsible for the pain he inflicted on each of his victims," Geddes said. "It is now time for the defendant, Robert Kelly, to pay for his crimes. Convict him." Regardless of what the jury decides, the New York Times suggests this is just the end of the beginning: Kelly "will remain in deep legal jeopardy. The attention will shift to Chicago, where he will face his third criminal trial on child pornography and obstruction charges, and he faces additional state charges in Minnesota and Illinois." (Read more R. Kelly stories.) (Newser) A tween in the Netherlands who wanted to see his sick grandma knew it would be safer for her if he got his COVID shot first, but his father refused to let him get vaccinated. So the boy took matters into his own handsand took his dad to court. Per court documents cited by the BBC, the 12-year-old from Groningen wanted to visit his grandmother "in the last stages of her life" with metastatic lung cancer, but he feared if he saw her sans vaccine, it could be "life-threatening" to her if he had COVID, didn't know it, and infected her, per Deutsche Welle. story continues below Enter Dutch law, which says that while children 12 and over can get vaxxed, both parents need to consent. If the parents don't consent or agree with each other and the case comes before a court, the law dictates that the judge should rule in the child's best interest. In fact, ABC News notes that the Dutch government's website advises kids that "you can ultimately decide for yourself to get vaccinated" if parents balk. In this case, the boy's parents are separated, and while the mother was OK with him getting vaccinated, the father wasn't, and court papers note the boy "found it difficult to talk to his father and felt his pleas were not being heard," per DW. On Thursday, Judge Bart Tromp of Groningen District Court sided with the boy, dismissing the father's assertions that the COVID vaccine is "in a test phase" and could affect his son's future ability to father children. Tromp also noted that, despite the risk of severe illness in children being lower than that of adults, kids could still come down with long COVID, and that the dad's worries of long-term side effects "lack any factual foundation," per ABC. Tromp also ordered that the boy be able to receive the vaccine "shortly," before his father could appeal. The case of a child bringing his parents to court over a COVID vaccine is believed to be one of the first of its kind, note the BBC and ABC. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.) (Newser) North Korea rebuffed South Koreas push for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to restore peace, saying Friday such a step could be used as a "smokescreen covering up the US hostile policy" against the North. In a speech at the UN General Assembly earlier this week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his calls for the end-of-the-war declaration that he said could help achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song dismissed Moon's call as premature so long as US policies were unchanged, the AP reports. story continues below "It should be clearly understood that the declaration of the termination of the war is of no help at all to stabilizing the situation of the Korean Peninsula at the moment," Ri said. He said American weapons and troops deployed in South Korea and its vicinity and regular US military drills in the region all point to the US hostile policy toward (North Korea) getting vicious day by day." The Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un struck a milder tone later Friday. Kim Yo Jong said her country is willing to resume talks with South Korea if it doesnt provoke the North, reports the AP. To achieve the end-of-the war declaration, she said: "We must ensure mutual respect toward one another and abandon prejudiced views, harshly hostile policies, and unfair double standards toward the other side first." Her proposal came days after North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months and South Korea performed its first test of a submarine-launched missile. (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) The path has been cleared for COVID vaccine booster shots for millions of Americans. A CDC panel endorsed Pfizer booster shots for older people Thursday but split with the FDA's approval on a key issue: It didn't recommend booster shots for workers, including teachers and healthcare workers, whose occupations put them at higher risk of exposure, the Washington Post reports. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, however, overruled the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices panel late Thursday and recommended booster shots for frontline workers between the ages of 18 and 64. The New York Times describes Walensky's move as "highly unusual." story continues below "As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact, Walensky said in a statement, per the AP. "At CDC, we are tasked with analyzing complex, often imperfect data to make concrete recommendations that optimize health. In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, the American Academy of Pediatrics liaison to the panel, tells the Times that Walensky's decision is surprising, but the panel's vote on the issue was close and she agrees with the move. Walensky endorsed the three decisions that the panel did vote in favor of: boosters for people over 65, nursing home residents, and people with underlying health conditions that put them at severe risk. The White House is expected to roll out a plan for booster shots as soon as Friday. Officials say the third shots will be offered to eligible people whose last shot was at least six months ago. The CDC says that after booster shots are introduced, people who have received two vaccine doses and qualify for a third will be considered fully vaccinated whether they get a booster shot or not. More than 2 million immunocompromised Americans have already received extra vaccine doses, Politico notes. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.) (Newser) Jessica Chastain transforms into Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, an intimate look at the late televangelist's life, based on the 2000 documentary of the same name. Directed by Michael Showalter, the filmalso starring Andrew Garfield as Tammy Faye's preacher husband Jim Bakkerhas a mediocre 66% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes but is nonetheless generating Oscar buzz for Chastain. Four takes: "As a couple, the Bakkers are made of the stiffest cardboard." But "you won't be able to keep your eyes off Chastain," also a producer of the film, who "gives Tammy Faye the inner life the movie needs," writes Peter Travers at ABC News. "Her tour de force aims to redeem Tammy Faye's reputation as a cultural joke in clown makeup" and "is about to fire up the Oscar race for best actress." story continues below Going beneath the makeup and garish clothes, the star presents Tammy Faye "as a relentlessly earnest and childlike charmer with a heart of gold ... without being too cartoonishin and of itself an impressive feat from one of our most naturalistic actors," writes Lindsey Bahr at the AP. But the film glosses over Tammy Faye's motivations in the fraud and corruption that marked the couple's fall from grace, "as though an audience couldnt handle a narrative where she can be both good and greedy." Garfield, meanwhile, plays his part "with admirable restraint and just enough smarm." "The Eyes of Tammy Faye may have fake eyelashes in abundance, but it has no teeth," writes Alison Willmore at Vulture. While an impressive Chastain "does a lot of singing and crying, thickens her vowels into a Minnesota accent, dresses in an increasingly outrageous array of '60s, '70s, and '80s outfits, and dabbles in puppetry," the film, adapted by screenwriter Abe Sylvia, "is unable to decide if it wants to understand its subject or make fun of her, and ends up never really committing to either." The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern argues Chastain is "the only reason, though a good one" to see the film, which puts the televangelist couple "at the center of a carnival of sanctimony and cupidity populated by broad caricatures, as if the real-life models hadnt caricatured themselves sufficiently." Chastain gives "a performance that's entirely original and amazing for its intensity. But "the film is perfunctory at best as social history and adds little or nothing to our understanding of how pastors as flawed as the Bakkers can attract such enormous flocks." (Read more movie review stories.) (Newser) A passenger tried to rush the cockpit of a JetBlue flight on Wednesday before kicking and choking a flight attendant, according to an FBI affidavit. The man identified as Khalil El Dahr had become angry after trying unsuccessfully to make a phone call about an hour before the flight from Boston was due to land in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a flight attendant told the FBI, according to the document obtained by the Daily Beast. About half an hour later, he allegedly rushed toward the cockpit, shouting in Spanish and Arabic to be shot, per ABC News. story continues below A flight attendant "corralled" the passenger until a pilot opened the flight deck door, at which point the passenger allegedly grabbed the flight attendant by the collar and tie. El Dahr choked the flight attendant, then kicked him in the chest, all while shouting for the pilot to shoot him, the affidavit reads. "While he was yelling, he was still holding the JetBlue flight attendant by their tie," which "resulted in the tie tightening and ultimately prevented the JetBlue flight attendant from breathing." Six or seven crew members were able to restrain the man in flex cuffs, though he soon broke out of them. The crew then used a new pair of flex cuffs, four seat-belt extenders, and a flight attendant's neck tie to restrain him to a seat, according to the affidavit. He now faces felony charges of interfering with a flight crew. This comes amid a surge in attacks on airline workers, with more than 4,300 incidents of unruly passengers reported to the FAA so far this year. Only a day later, a 32-year-old passenger on a Hawaiian Airlines flight departing Honolulu was arrested for third-degree assault after allegedly punching a male flight attendant twice, per Hawaii News Now. The airline said the incident was "unprovoked" and the flight attendant had been "walking down the aisle." The alleged assailant, Steven Sloan, Jr., could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of assaulting an airline crew member. The flight attendant "was shaken up but is doing well," the airline said. (Read more unruly passenger stories.) (Newser) A fire that erupted Wednesday in California's Shasta County has quickly spread to cover 5,500 acres, forcing thousands of people out of their homes. It's also prompted an arrest. Cal Fire and Shasta County Fire said employees spotted a white woman trespassing on property accessed through two quarries in the unincorporated Mountain Gate area north of Redding before the fire was spotted "in a deep and remote canyon" within that area, per KCRA. The employees said the woman was "acting irrationally," according to the statement. story continues below Firefighters were battling the flames around 8pm Wednesday when a woman identified as 30-year-old Alexandra Souverneva of Palo Alto "walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters stating she was dehydrated and needed medical treatment," the statement adds. During an interview, "information was gathered leading officers to believe Souverneva is responsible for causing the fire." The agencies did not say how the blaze began, but note the Shasta County District Attorney's Office is recommending the charge of "arson to wildland." Some 4,000 residents were evacuated Thursday as the so-called Fawn Fire spread from 1,200 acres in the morning to 5,500 acres by evening, when it was just 5% contained, per KCRA. Officials blamed high winds and said at least 25 structures were destroyed, per CBS Sacramento. Gizmodo shares scenes that look "like something out of an apocalyptic horror movie." Shasta College canceled all in-person classes for Friday as the fire neared its Redding campus, per KHSL. Some 9,000 firefighters are currently battling 10 large wildfires across the state. (Read more California wildfires stories.) / They Tried to Flee the Kroger Gunman. He Followed Them 'He kept on shooting, shooting, shooting,' a cashier says after shooting in Collierville, Tenn. (Newser) Update: Derek Chauvin's request to have a public defender assist him with his appeal of George Floyd's murder has been shot down by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Star Tribune reports Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said Chauvin failed to prove that, as the law requires, he cannot afford one "through any combination of liquid assets and current income." Chauvin's assets and debts weren't specified, but Gildea said that he isn't barred from applying for a public defender in the future, should his situation change. Our original story from Sept. 24 follows: story continues below Derek Chauvin filed to appeal his conviction and sentence just ahead of the 90-day deadline Thursday. The former Minneapolis police officer, who is now three months into a 22.5-year sentence for the murder of George Floyd, outlines 14 issues with his trial, the Star Tribune reports. He argues that Judge Peter Cahill abused his discretion when he refused requests for a delay to the trial and a change of venue, along with a request for jurors to be sequestered. Chauvin also argues that the judge refused to allow him to strike "clearly biased" jurors for cause, reports the AP. Chauvin also argues that Cahill was wrong not to force Morries Hall, the man who was with Floyd on the day of his arrest, to testify. Hall invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when he was called to testify for the defense. Chauvin also filed a motion asking for the appeals process to be put on hold until the state Supreme Court reviews a decision to deny him a public defender, reports Reuters. Chauvin said he has no attorney and has no income apart from prison wages. His case was funded by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Associations legal defense fund, but their "obligation to pay for my representation terminated upon my conviction and sentencing," he wrote. The Star Tribune notes that the murder conviction of former Minneapolis officer Mohamed Noor was reversed last week, making Chauvin the only officer in Minnesota convicted of an on-duty murder. (Read more Derek Chauvin stories.) (Newser) The search for Jelani Day, a grad student who disappeared in Illinois a month ago, is over. The Bloomington Police Department confirmed Thursday that a body found floating in the Illinois River on Sept. 4 has been identified as the 25-year-old Illinois State University student, USA Today reports. Day, who was pursuing a master's degree in speech pathology, was last seen on campus and at a pot dispensary in Bloomington on Aug. 24. He was reported missing the next day and his car was found in a wooded area in Peru, 60 miles north of Bloomington, on Aug. 26. story continues below Police say the body was identified through dental records and DNA comparison. The cause of death has not been determined. "Foul play or not, it's unusual," says Bloomington police spokesman John Fermon; an investigation is ongoing. The Black student's disappearance got fresh attention in recent days amid criticism of the amount of media attention paid to the Gabby Petito case, NPR reports. His mother, Carmen Bolden Day, said that while she doesn't object to the media and law enforcement paying a lot of attention to Petito, she wishes her son was getting the same amount of attention. "It makes me mad because this young white girl is getting that attention and my young Black son is not," she told local media. Fermon said Thursday that while Day's case didn't get much attention nationally, it had been relatively prominent locally from the beginning. "We're lucky the story actually exploded as well as it did, which may or may not have led to the tips that came in," Fermon said, per CNN. "We've had people going out of their way, drive a few hours, just to walk around." Illinois State University President Terri Kinzy, describing Day as "kind, intelligent, and caring," told students Thursday that a celebration of his life is being planned. (Read more missing person stories.) (Newser) Joe Biden's poll numbers are going south. An average of polls at FiveThirtyEight shows that more people disapprove (49%) of him than approve (45%), a sharp reversal from the start of his presidency, when 53% approved and 36% disapproved. The decline has largely occurred over the last two months, notes the Pew Research Center, thanks to big factors such as the chaotic Afghanistan pullout, rising COVID cases, and trouble with his domestic agenda in Congress. Related coverage: The problem: At the Cook Political Report, Amy Walter writes that the issue is a serious one for Biden and Democrats because "these early mistakes go directly to the very rationale of his presidency; that it would be low drama and high competence." She adds that it's not unusual for a first-term president to go through a rough patch, and the big question is whether Biden can pull out of it. However, the longer he's in the White House, the more expectations will rise, and it won't be enough for Democrats to rely on the he's-not-Trump argument. story continues below In context: Biden's critics on the right already are pronouncing him a failure, and Susan B. Glasser at the New Yorker finds this just as ridiculous as when progressives anointed him the second coming of FDR in the spring. "It was too soon then to nominate him to a place on Mount Rushmore; it is too soon now to consign him to the ash heap of history," she writes. "What we might be seeing, instead, is a bit of a return to normalcy in American politicsthe kind of normalcy in which a Presidents job-approval rating goes up or down depending on how people think he is actually doing." Biden's critics on the right already are pronouncing him a failure, and Susan B. Glasser at the New Yorker finds this just as ridiculous as when progressives anointed him the second coming of FDR in the spring. "It was too soon then to nominate him to a place on Mount Rushmore; it is too soon now to consign him to the ash heap of history," she writes. "What we might be seeing, instead, is a bit of a return to normalcy in American politicsthe kind of normalcy in which a Presidents job-approval rating goes up or down depending on how people think he is actually doing." From the right: At the National Review, Jim Geraghty ticks off Biden's troubles, including those mentioned above, plus border issues and friction with France and China. "Biden, Antony Blinken, and the rest of the presidents team spent a lot of time patting themselves on the back and declaring that 'America is back!' after taking office," he writes. "But as autumn arrives, they look naive, unprepared, slow-footed, and in over their heads. A flailing president is a failing president." At the National Review, Jim Geraghty ticks off Biden's troubles, including those mentioned above, plus border issues and friction with France and China. "Biden, Antony Blinken, and the rest of the presidents team spent a lot of time patting themselves on the back and declaring that 'America is back!' after taking office," he writes. "But as autumn arrives, they look naive, unprepared, slow-footed, and in over their heads. A flailing president is a failing president." From the right, II: Matt Lewis is even more scathing in the Daily Beast. "Its starting to feel like the wheels are coming off for Joe Biden at the job hes been dreaming of since he first arrived in the Senate in 1973," he writes. This applies to the both the domestic and global fronts. Lewis notes that he has previously criticized former President Trump's "childish approach to governing ... but it turns out that dunking on him and signifying responsibility without actually achieving better results isnt nearly enough." Matt Lewis is even more scathing in the Daily Beast. "Its starting to feel like the wheels are coming off for Joe Biden at the job hes been dreaming of since he first arrived in the Senate in 1973," he writes. This applies to the both the domestic and global fronts. Lewis notes that he has previously criticized former President Trump's "childish approach to governing ... but it turns out that dunking on him and signifying responsibility without actually achieving better results isnt nearly enough." Unwanted comparison: Meanwhile, two separate pieces in the New York Times this week make a similar point that Democrats won't likethat in regard to Afghanistan and the border, Biden appears to be borrowing from the Trump playbook. One is a news analysis by Michael D. Shear, Natalie Kitroeff, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, and Eileen Sullivan, and the second is a column by Frank Bruni. "Biden is a far cry from Trump," writes Bruni. "Hallelujah. But that doesnt mean that hes untouched by Trump." (Read more President Biden stories.) (Newser) Germany's political parties prepared to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters Friday, two days before a national election that will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel after 16 years in power. Merkel's center-right Union bloc, with Armin Laschet as its candidate for chancellorship, has made small gains in the polls in recent weeks. But it remains narrowly behind the center-left Social Democrats, headed by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, reports the AP. The Greens, who are putting forward their own candidate for chancellor for the first time, are trailing in third place, but they could play kingmakers when it comes to forming a government. story continues below About 60.4 million Germans are eligible to vote for a new parliament on Sunday. The strongest party will seek to form a governing coalition. Experts say one reason why this year's German election is tighter and less predictable than usual is that the candidates are relative unknowns to most voters. "It's certainly not the most boring election," says Hendrik Traeger, a political scientist at the University of Leipzig. "There were those in which Angela Merkel stood as the incumbent and it was simply a question of [whom] she would govern with." This time, Merkel's party has struggled to energize its traditional base, which has so far failed to warm to Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state. "The key question is whether these voters will overcome the Laschet hurdle and vote for the Union despite Laschet," says a rep for the polling company Forsa. "Or will they abstain from the vote or even choose another party." Climate change has been cited as the most important issue by many in this election. Youth groups plan to stage a large protest outside the chancellery on Friday to demand tougher action on that front. The economy and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic have also played an important role during the campaign, while migration has been less of a concern to many voters than in 2017. Foreign policylargely absent from the campaignbecame an issue during the final TV debate Thursday, with the Greens calling for a tougher stance on China. (Read more Angela Merkel stories.) (Newser) The average age of Californians who have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began is 73. But it's dropping quicklydown to 67 since April, the Los Angeles Times reports. It has to do with vaccinations, health experts say. More than 80% of adults over 50 and seniors have been vaccinated, state data show, while the rate is 76% for younger adults and 63% for ages 12 to 17. Those rates are higher than those in many other states, but that still leaves many people unvaccinated, and they're contracting the virus at higher rates than Californians who've had the shots. story continues below In addition, men are making up a higher share of COVID-19 fatalities. Men accounted for 54.6% of COVID-19 deaths a year ago and 58.9% as of August. There's a vaccination gap there, too: 47.6% of California's vaccine doses have gone to men, though they make up 49.7% of the eligible population. Los Angeles County reports its death rate for all groups has been increasing lately among the unvaccinated. For the state overall, new infections and hospitalizations have plunged lately, and California's rate of new cases is now the lowest in the US. But health officials aren't relaxing yet. The state is making plans for a push to administer more vaccinations and booster shots as soon as possible, per Cap Radio News. As many as 250,000 people could want the booster, said the state's secretary of Health and Human Services. "We're working hard to make sure, not only are we prepared to provide it, but those who are eligible know that they're eligible and know when the time is right to come in," said Dr. Mark Ghaly. (Read more California stories.) You've finally done what you always said you would: you turned your brilliant idea into a business! Turning a passion project, whether it's an independent clothing line, a health food startup, or an arts and culture vlog, into an actual company takes a lot of hard work, so you have every right to be proud. However, the hard work doesn't stop there. You also have to build up your brand and gain a following, a task that is a lot harder to do now than it used to be. According to Oberlo, there were 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S. in 2020. While the influx of small businesses is good for the economy, it also means a lot of competition. Thanks to the worldwide shift to online retail, the digital marketplace is a lot more crowded than before the pandemic. Whether you're just starting out or trying to grow your brand further, you're going to have to work smarter, not just harder, to get the word out about your business. Low-Cost, Creative Marketing Ideas for Your Up-and-Coming Business When you're just starting, you likely have to work with a limited marketing budget. Thankfully, however, there are many ways to build your brand and grow your customer base without spending a fortune. To get you started, try out these offline and online marketing ideas. Use the "Velvet Rope" Strategy Finding the right balance between accessibility and exclusivity is tricky, but it's worth it. The right amount of exclusivity can help build desire among your customers and turn your product or service into a "might buy" into a "must-have." The velvet rope strategy is best for businesses whose target audiences are interested in luxury or high-end products or services. For example, if you have a perfume business, you could release a limited line of fragrances. If you design clothing, a collection of one-off pieces will make your customers feel special and might entice them to buy. Give Free Stuff Everybody loves getting stuff for free. You can use this universal truth to your advantage in many ways. Incentivize opt-ins to your newsletter with discount codes and vouchers-this encourages your customers to buy from you again and rewards them by saving them money with their purchase. Make sure that your offer is clearly communicated on the call-to-action text of your sign-up links. You can also do it old school and give away actual physical items. Stickers, keychains, and other goodies used or seen regularly will help remind your customers of your brand. You can include a freebie in every purchase or run a contest and send a swag bag to the winner. Add a Blog to Your Website Starting a blog is a low-effort, low-cost way to dip your toes into the world of content marketing and its many benefits. Creating quality, sharable content and posting it on your site: Drives traffic Builds your credibility Establishes your brand as a leader in your niche Helps convert website traffic to leads Boosts engagement Provides value to your customers If you have a vlog or a podcast, you can repurpose your video or audio content by turning it into a written post. Just export the transcribed text from your media, and edit or tweak it to make it more readable and engaging. Use Your Car for More Than Errands If you spend a lot of time driving to and from your day job, sitting in traffic, or driving to the store, consider this an opportunity to promote your brand offline. You could put magnetic car signs on your vehicle with your website address or even a QR code leading to your social media page. They can help you promote everything from a new clothing collection to a virtual members-only event for your loyal customers. Plus, unlike painting your car or decals, they're not permanent, and they won't leave your car with sticky glue residue. You can remove them or put them back anytime you want. Partner Up With an Influencer According to a report by CivicScience, nearly 15% of Americans between 18 and 24 years of age have purchased something in the last six months because an influencer recommended it. Working with an influencer can widen your reach, increase awareness of and build trust in your brand, and boost your business' credibility. It's not just big brands that can work with and benefit from influencer talent. Even small businesses and independent brands can reap the benefits of influencer marketing. The key is to find a promising new influencer who shares your company's values and has a similar audience to yours. By nurturing and supporting your partner influencer and maintaining your relationship, you get to benefit even more when they hit the big time. Of course, you'll need to do your due diligence. Make sure their followers are real, ask for references, and check the numbers-their engagement rate, follower count, and other important details. For Best Results, Mix It Up Successful marketing strategies use a mixture of online and offline marketing methods. You'll need to experiment a bit to find out what works best for you. But, you must create clear goals at the outset and find ways to measure how well your marketing efforts are doing and if you're getting good ROI. Try to focus on high-impact, low-cost methods for now. When your business grows bigger, you can delve into larger-scale strategies that deliver bigger rewards. Meta title: Creative Marketing Ideas for Your Lifestyle Brand meta desc: Flex your creative chops and market your lifestyle brand in innovative ways. Read this post by Signazon for tips on getting the word out about your business. https://www.signazon.com/car-magnets/ magnetic car signs TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments has announced the procedure for Umrah (minor Hajj) and prayer permits in the Great Mosque of Makkah and visiting the Prophets Mosque. The procedures are as per the directives issued by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The ministry called on licensed Umrah operators and all citizens and residents to ensure registration on Muqeem App and use Tawakkalna and Eatmarna apps to show their health status (vaccinated) ahead of receiving the Umrah permits. Opening an account on Eatmarna is possible only after updating the visitors immune health status on the Tawakkalna application. Vaccination is a must for Visa Only those who had taken two doses of coronavirus vaccine or completed 14 days after taking the first dose of the vaccine or recovered after infection are entitled to obtain an Umrah visa, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said. Saudi Ministry had stated that they would only allow pilgrims who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the infection. Umrah visas will only be issued to fully vaccinated individuals. Saudi Health authorities have approved vaccines for all above 12 years of age. Reports say, foreign pilgrims must be vaccinated fully against COVID-19 with Pfizer/BioNTech: Comirnaty, Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria, Johnson & Johnson: Ad26.COV2.S or Moderna: mRNA-1273 Pilgrims vaccinated with Sinopharm: BBIBP-CorV and Sinovac: CoronaVac will also be allowed entry, provided they have taken a booster shot of either Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson. Saudi also requires pilgrims to be in excellent health conditions and adhere to protocols for ensuring the safety of pilgrims coming from abroad. SR1,000 fine Entering masjids without a permit will attract a fine of SR1,000. Authorities also will not allow unauthorised vehicles in the central region around Makkah. Worshippers are also required to arrive on time to avoid losing their time slots. The instructions coincide with the safe Umrah season for 1443 AH for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens. 10 million pilgrims According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, 10 million pilgrims have successfully performed Umrah since Oct. 4, 2020, following the launch of its safe Umrah procedures and the gradual return of pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques. The ministry also revealed issuing more than 12,000 visas since the Kingdom began to welcome pilgrims from other countries on Aug. 10 this year. Officials aim to reach a capacity of 3.5 million pilgrims, visitors and worshippers a month. Abdulfattah Mashat, the deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, said the capacity is 70,000 pilgrims a day currently. International visitors should register their vaccination status on an online platform 72 hours before travelling to the Kingdom. NEW MILFORD For several months, New Milford has been preparing for another flurry of vaccinations, which include boosters or third shots for adults and possible first-time inoculations for children under 12. Health Director Lisa Morrissey said the town has lined up volunteers and nailed down clinic scheduling so that as soon as they said go, we were ready. Were really going to be hitting the release button, she said. This week a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel voted against COVID vaccine boosters for the general population, but approved third doses for people ages 65 and up and high-risk individuals. On Wednesday, the FDA approved Pfizer boosters for those over age 65 and people at high risk for severe disease. This includes those who work in settings where frequent exposure is likely. Immunocompromised people have already begun receiving third doses. In Connecticut, nearly 20,000 have already received one. On Monday, Pfizer said its vaccine trials in children aged five to 11 have been safe and highly effective, and the company aims to secure FDA approval in time for Halloween. The New York Times has reported that children now account for one in five cases of COVID-19. It definitely is really promising, Morrissey said. Were not surprised. Weve been really following the developments really closely over the past few weeks. For now, its a waiting game. Morrissey has been fielding questions from families about a child vaccination timeline since the spring. Just this week, she said she was standing at the school bus stop when a neighbor asked if she had the inside scoop on eligibility expansion. Morrissey told the woman she was waiting, just like everyone else was, to hear the news. I think its an anxious excitement, she said of parents of young children awaiting approval. The health director often sees parents bringing their new 12-year-olds in for a vaccine, since Pfizer has been approved for children 12 and older. Almost every single clinic, Ive said happy birthday to someone, Morrissey said. Rolling out child vaccines New Milfords health team has been meeting weekly with the schools to discuss rollout plans, in addition to other pandemic-related concerns. Vaccination plans include specialized clinics for children. Many of the volunteer staff administering vaccines have a background in pediatric medical care, Morrissey said. Were not anticipating that were going to have to change things over much, she said. One thing that will change, however, will be the speed at which people are cycled through the clinics. Morrissey wants to make sure the vaccinators take time to explain the vaccination process to the children, while ensuring the children are comfortable. As such, theyre going to have to slow it down a little bit, Morrissey said. Area residents had mixed reactions when it came to child vaccines. A Facebook query posted by Hearst Connecticut Media on the topic yielded more than 130 responses, including a heated debate. Roxbury resident Michelle Cole said young children should not be forced to get the vaccine. No one should be coerced, she said, adding there are too many unknowns, still. Bethel resident Paul Improta had the opposite view, and said child vaccines should not be feared. I say Yes to the shots, and let the kids be free to come and go without the mask. I trust in science, Improta said. These types of vaccines are nothing experimental. I get a flu shot every year. He recalled his childhood, receiving a variety of vaccines, and said he never had an adverse reaction to any of them. I remember when I was child lining up for the TB (tuberculosis) shot in school, as well as the Rubella Umbrella vaccine, he said. I'm 60 years old, didn't become autistic, was never impotent, and haven't grown a third head yet. And, yes, I had the Pfizer shots back in the spring. Christine Baluha, of New Milford, said shes cautiously optimistic about the Pfizer vaccine being approved for children. Once it has full FDA approval, my plan is to talk to my pediatrician and get my oldest daughter (age 5) vaccinated, she said, adding she and her husband are both vaccinated and have elderly immunocompromised parents that they see regularly. Additionally, she said now that our daughter is in kindergarten and is exposed to many more people with many views on vaccines and masking, she wants her to be as protected as possible. She said she believes in science and I believe that doctors and scientists are making recommendations based on the information they have. Some residents said they had questions about the safety of the vaccine for their small children or grandchildren. Were really hoping that a decision is made soon so we can really start giving answers to people in the community, Morrissey said. WASHINGTON (AP) An officer in the nations capital has been indicted on a murder charge for his role in a fatal vehicle accident during a police chase that sparked two days of protests and clashes. Federal prosecutors announced Friday that Terrence Sutton, 37, was indicted on second-degree murder, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in connection with the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who died after a pursuit in Washington, D.C. in October 2020. Hylton died after his moped crashed into a car while he was being pursued by Sutton and other police officers. City police regulations forbid high-speed pursuits over minor traffic violations. Police have said officers tried to stop Hylton because he was riding his moped on the sidewalk without a helmet. Body camera footage released by the Metropolitan Police Department showed the officers in a police cruiser chasing Hylton for several blocks with their lights flashing, at one point doing a U-turn when Hylton reverses course right in front of the cruiser. The chase continues into an alley. When Hyltons vehicle emerges from the alley, it slams into the passenger side door of a passing car. The pursuit appeared to violate the departments policy prohibiting chases. A police lieutenant, Andrew Zabavsky, 53, who prosecutors say was the highest-ranking officer at the scene, was also indicted on conspiracy and obstruction charges. Prosecutors allege he withheld information from other police officials and delayed notifying internal investigators about the incident. Sutton and Zabavsky pleaded not guilty in court Friday. Sutton's attorney, J. Michael Hannon, said the policeman believed he was the victim of a tragic double-cross of his commitment to law enforcement, The Washington Post reported. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said Friday that the department would fully cooperate with the U.S. Attorneys office, noting, This is the process of accountability. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi legislative leaders said Friday that they are asking Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to call the House and Senate into special session to enact a medical marijuana program and approve financial help for hospitals. They also want legislators during the session to authorize death benefit payments for law enforcement officers and first responders who die of COVID-19 and set aside money for shelters that help victims of child abuse and domestic violence. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn, both Republicans, told reporters that they believe legislators could handle the business quickly possibly in as little as one day. Only a governor can call a special session and set the agenda. Reeves has not said what he will do. Staff from the governor's office and Legislature met together to discuss it today, and we are looking forward to engaging further, the governor's spokeswoman, Bailey Martin, said Friday. Hosemann and Gunn said hospital executives are having difficulty retaining enough nurses and other workers during the COVID-19 pandemic because some are being lured away to make more money working for private contractors. We're in a crisis, Gunn said. Legislative leaders are proposing that Mississippi give some of its federal pandemic relief money to hospitals to provide financial incentives for employees. They did not specify an amount. Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said Friday that current state law allows payments of $100,000 to survivors of law enforcement officers or first responders who die because of the job. He said the law does not allow such payments for officers or responders who die of COVID-19, but he wants legislators to update the law to authorize those payments. Hosemann and Gunn are asking Reeves to put that on a special session agenda. Hosemann and Gunn said shelters that help abuse victims have lost money during the pandemic, partly because of a decrease in payment of court fines. They want the state to cover those financial losses. A few legislators have been negotiating for months on how to create a medical marijuana program. In May, the Mississippi Supreme Court tossed out a medical marijuana initiative that voters approved last November. Justices ruled that Mississippis initiative process was out of date and the medical marijuana proposal was not properly on the ballot. The legislative proposal is not identical to the voter-approved initiative. The proposal would allow local governments to limit where the marijuana could be grown, processed or sold. That was not in Initiative 65. The two lead negotiators Republican Sen. Kevin Blackwell of Southaven and Republican Rep. Lee Yancey of Brandon said Thursday that passing a bill would take a three-fifths majority because of tax provisions, and leaders of the House and Senate believe they have have enough votes lined up. Yancey said the proposed program would help people with debilitating illnesses such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or cancer. He also said that if the bill becomes law, cities and counties would have 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana growing sites, processing facilities and dispensaries. But if local governing boards decide to do so, voters could petition for an election to overturn that decision. Blackwell said if a city or county opts out of allowing facilities, people who live in those places would still be able to possess and use medical marijuana. ____ Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus. Todd Rosenberg/AP Absent from Chicago since February 2020 due to the pandemic, Riccardo Muti walked into Orchestra Hall and started to rehease Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, Eroica. It was a very, very emotional moment when I walked on stage and I went to the podium because the orchestra was united for the first time with their music director in the concert hall, Muti said during a telephone interview Thursday, two days after the first rehearsal and before the Chicago Symphony Orchestras opening night of the season. We played immediately the `Eroica,' which I dedicated to the musicians of the orchestra and all the musicians in the world that have been separated and been in suffering because of the virus. WHITBY, ON, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers, a leading insurance brokerage in Ontario, is proud to announce it has been recognized as one of Canada's Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine. Launched in 2019, Canada's Top Growing Companies aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses across the country. Organizations are ranked based on their three-year growth and this year's list features 448 companies. Mitchell & Whale placed No. 436 and earned its spot with three-year revenue growth of 55%. "To be recognized alongside the most successful and boldest innovators in Canada is where we've always aspired to be," said Adam Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell & Whale. "Our success has been driven by the unique talents that we have on our team and their passion and dedication for finding creative solutions that meet our customers' evolving needs. Thinking differently and venturing beyond the established boundaries of our industry is how we differentiate ourselves." Over the last decade, Mitchell & Whale has grown from $2.5 million in gross written premiums to over $51 million. Its accomplishments have earned a number of awards including Brokerage of the Year from the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario in 2018 and being named to Canadian Business Magazine's Growth 500 list of Canada's fastest-growing companies in 2019. This past May, Mitchell & Whale announced plans to grow into a top-20 national brokerage with $1 billion in gross written premiums by 2030. As part of this large-scale transformation, the company will be investing more than ever before in talent, technology, data and brand while continuing to create industry-leading customer experiences for its increasing client base. "Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this year's Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies," says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. "Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers." "As we look toward the future, Canada's Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges," says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. "The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals." About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mail's investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About Mitchell & Whale: Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers is a family-run business operating since 1948. An insurance brokerage based in Whitby, the company serves tens of thousands of customers across Ontario. Mitchell & Whale was voted the #1 insurance brokerage in the province by the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) in 2018 and named one of the country's fastest growing companies by Canadian Business Magazine in 2019. Learn more at mitchellwhale.com. SOURCE Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers Ltd. For further information: MEDIA CONTACT - Shawn Despres, Head of Communications, 1-800-731-2228 ext. 229, [email protected] Related Links https://mitchellwhale.com/ The meeting came amid the rising concerns over the new travel rules issued by the UK. Dr Sharma said that the meeting will be instrumental in resuming socio-economic ties between the two countries. After meeting British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis here, National Health Authoritys CEO Dr RS Sharma on Thursday said that he looks forward to deepening ties between the health bodies of the two countries. The meeting came amid the rising concerns over the new travel rules issued by the UK. Dr Sharma said that the meeting will be instrumental in resuming socio-economic ties between the two countries. Echoing his excellency @AlexWElliss views, this will be instrumental in resuming socio-economic activities between India and UK. We also look forward to deepening ties between @AyushmanNHA and @NHSX, as we collaborate to build a digital continuum of healthcare services, Dr Sharma said in a tweet. Earlier, Ellis said the excellent discussions were an important step forward in our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect the public health of UK and India. Excellent technical discussions with @rssharma3 @AyushmanNHA. Neither side raised technical concerns with each others certification process. An important step forward in our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect public health of UK and India, Ellis tweeted. The UK issued a revised travel advisory on Wednesday and said that Covishield is qualified as an approved vaccine. It approved individuals with a full course of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea or Taiwan. But the list does not include India. This advisory will be applicable from 4 am (local time) on October 4. The Summit on Friday would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the first in-person Quad leaders meeting along with leaders of the US, Japan, and Australia in Washington on Thursday. President Joe Biden will be hosting the first in-person Quad leaders summit comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the US. As part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi along with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and their Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year, the Ministry of External Affairs has said. The leaders will review progress made since their first virtual Summit on March 12, 2021, and discuss regional issues of shared interest. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change, and education. The Quad consists of four countries: the United States, Australia, India, and Japan. The Quad works on a far broader agenda, which includes tackling security, economic, and health issues. The Summit on Friday would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. A US official has said that hosting the Quad fundamentally is a demonstration of the priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations designed to focus on 21st-century challenges. Ahead of his Quad meeting, PM Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India. On March 12, the first-ever virtual summit of the top leaders of Quad comprising of PM Modi, United States President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Suga, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison took place. During the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), the four leaders stressed a free, open, and rule-based Indo-Pacific region that is anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. He had earlier addressed the Global COVID-19 Summit called by US President Biden. The Prime Minister held meetings with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga, Australian PM Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India on Thursday. He also held delegation-level talks with Harris. Biden is scheduled to host PM Modi at the White House on September 24. This is going to be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President on January 20. PM Modis US visit will conclude on September 25 with an address at the United Nations General Assembly focusing on the pressing global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change, and other important issues. PM Modi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and senior officials. The high-level session of the UNGA began on Tuesday in New York. The theme for this years General Debate is Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations. Ahead of leaving for the US to participate in Quad Leaders Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his visit will be an occasion to strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States, Japan, and Australia. During meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison briefly mentioned the rationale from the Australian side in seeking to initiate the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) trilateral security pact. India and Australia resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, the Ministry of External Affairs informed on Thursday. The MEAs statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit in Washington DC today (local time). The meeting between PM Modi and his Australian counterpart was the first in-person meeting in the post-pandemic period, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said in a special briefing on the Prime Ministers visit to the USA. The last bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Morrison was the Leaders Virtual Summit held on June 4, 2020, when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, he added. The Prime Ministers reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, read the MEA statement. The meet between two prime ministers came a day ahead of the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit. US President Joe Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit, which will be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. During the meeting, the Prime Ministers discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. They noted with satisfaction the regular high-level engagements between the two countries, including the recently held first India-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Dialogue, the MEA said. The Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). In that context, they welcomed the visit to India by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as PM Scott Morrisons Special Trade Envoy for India, and noted the commitment of both sides to achieve an early harvest announcement on an interim agreement by December 2021. As per the MEA statement, the Prime Ministers underlined the need for the international community to address the issue of Climate Change on an urgent basis. In this regard, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environmental protection. Both leaders also discussed the possibilities of providing clean technologies. The Prime Ministers agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closely together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience. Both leaders lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora to Australias economy and society, and discussed ways to enhance people to people ties. The Prime Minister mentioned that the Indian community was well looked after during Covid crisis in Australia. There was also appreciation of contribution of Indian diaspora in Australia, Shringla said. Prime Minister Modi renewed his invitation to Prime Minister Morrison to visit India. Earlier today, PM Modi met five global CEOs for potential investment in India. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. PM Modis US visit will conclude on September 25 with an address at the United Nations General Assembly focusing on the pressing global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues. This is Prime Minister Modis first visit abroad beyond the neighbourhood since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Bad Bunny is the champion of the Billboard Latin Music Awards, taking home artist of the year honors and a whopping 10 trophies. Among the awards received Thursday by the urban music superstar were Hot Latin Song of the Year for Dakiti and album of the year for YHLQMDLG. PHOENIX (AP) Donald Trump supporters hired by Arizona Senate Republicans to review the 2020 vote count are preparing to deliver their findings on Friday, the climax of a bizarre quest to find evidence supporting the former presidents false claim that he lost because of fraud. Nearly every allegation made by the review team so far has crumbled under scrutiny. Election officials in Arizona and around the country expect more of the same Friday from the review team they say is biased, incompetent and chasing absurd or disproven conspiracy theories. Every time Trump and his supporters have been given a forum to prove this case, they have swung and missed, said Ben Ginsberg, a longtime Republican election attorney and vocal critic of Trumps push to overturn the election. The unprecedented partisan review focused on the vote count in Arizona's largest county, Maricopa is led and funded largely by people who already believe that Trump was the true winner, despite dozens of lawsuits and extraordinary scrutiny that found no problems that could change the outcome. Theyve ignored the detailed vote-counting procedures in Arizona law. Despite being widely mocked, the Arizona review has become a model that Trump supporters are eagerly pushing to replicate in other swing states where Biden won. Pennsylvania's Democratic attorney general sued Thursday to block a GOP-issued subpoena for a wide array of election materials. In Wisconsin, a retired conservative state Supreme Court justice is leading a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 election, and this week threatened to subpoena election officials who don't comply. In Arizona, five people are scheduled to publicly outline the findings for two top Republicans in the state Senate chamber, including Doug Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, a cybersecurity consulting firm with no election experience. He served as the head of the review team despite his prior work to promote stop the steal election conspiracies. Shiva Ayyadurai, who has developed a loyal following for promoting COVID-19 misinformation on social media, will discuss his review of signatures on mail ballots. It's not clear why he is qualified to do so. Ayyadurai, who is known as Dr. Shiva to his fans, has a Ph.D. but is not a medical doctor. Ben Cotton, a computer forensics expert, will outline his analysis of vote-counting machines. Cotton has walked back his allegation that a key elections database was deleted. Also scheduled to speak are Ken Bennett, a former Republican secretary of state, and Randy Pullen, a former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Both served as liaisons between the Senate and the review team. Theyve been tight-lipped about their findings, but Bennett told a conservative radio host this week that he will have a brief report about where Maricopa County failed to meet and comply with state statutes and election procedures. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, controlled 4-1 by Republicans, has vehemently defended the vote count. Republican Chairman Jack Sellers has called the review a grift disguised as an audit. GOP Supervisor Bill Gates said Thursday that the review's reliance on funding from out-of-state Trump allies means the findings won't be believable. The people who are funding this audit, the people who have called for this audit, we all know what they want it to find, Gates said. They want it to find that Donald Trump won Maricopa County. The Senate has agreed to spend $150,000 on the audit, plus security and facility costs. That pales in comparison to the nearly $5.7 million contributed as of late July by Trump allies. Another county supervisor, Clint Hickman, has been the subject of an outlandish conspiracy theory claiming a fire that killed 120,000 chickens at his familys egg farm west of Phoenix was a ruse to destroy evidence of Trumps victory. Maricopa County's vote count was conducted in front of bipartisan observers, as were legally required audits meant to ensure voting machines work properly. A partial hand count found a perfect match. Two extra post-election reviews by federally certified election experts also found no evidence that voting machines switched votes or were connected to the internet. The Board of Supervisors commissioned the extraordinary reviews in an effort to prove to Trump backers that there were no problems, but Senate President Karen Fann and others backing her partisan review were unpersuaded. Election experts predict the report could misinterpret normal election procedures to claim something nefarious or elevate minor mistakes into major allegations of wrongdoing. Theyre minor procedural issues, and to try and amplify them to the point where they cast doubt on the election is nothing more than sore loserism, said David Becker, a former lawyer in the U.S. Department of Justice voting section who founded the Center for Election Innovation and Research. Biden won Maricopa County by 45,109 votes and Arizona by 10,457 votes. Minor procedural issues wouldn't affect a margin that large, Becker said. In July, Logan laid out a series of claims stemming from his misunderstanding of the election data he was analyzing, including that 74,000 mail ballots that were recorded as received but not sent. Trump repeatedly amplified the claims. But they had innocuous explanations. Fridays report stems from a process that began nearly a year ago. Trump and his allies, after their claims of election fraud were repeatedly dismissed in court, searched frantically for a way to block the certification of Bidens victory on Jan. 6. Two top Republicans in the Arizona Senate came through, issuing a sweeping subpoena for all ballots in Maricopa County, the machines that counted them and a trove of election data. They said they would use the materials to conduct a forensic audit. A court battle over the validity of the subpoena delayed the delivery of materials until April, three months after Biden took office. The review was supposed to take about 60 days but has been repeatedly set back, most recently because Logan and four others on his team contracted COVID-19. The review has energized Trump supporters who hope it will prove he was the legitimate winner of the election and lead to his return to the White House, despite extraordinary scrutiny finding no fraud that would affect the elections outcome. Theres no constitutional mechanism to reverse the certification of Bidens victory. Fann, the Senate president, says the review is not intended to overturn the 2020 election but will find ways the Legislature can improve election laws. Even as the Arizona review nears the finish line, Trump supporters are pushing for a repeat in other swing states where Biden narrowly won, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Not all Republicans, even in the Senate, trust whatever results will come out of the review. Theyre going to have to justify their existence, so theyre going to have to come up with something, GOP Sen. Paul Boyer said Thursday. And God knows what that is. ___ Associated Press writer Bob Christie contributed. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A St. Thomas University student accused along with a prominent Minnesota GOP donor of child sex trafficking pleaded not guilty to numerous charges Thursday in federal court. Gisela Castro Medina, the former chairwoman of the Minnesota college's Republican Party chapter, made her initial appearance virtually before U.S. Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson, who agreed to a request by lawyers on both sides that allows Medina to await trial at a halfway house. Medina, who was arrested in Florida in August, answered a series of yes or no questions from the judge and said she understood the conditions of her pretrial release, which include GPS monitoring. Court documents allege that Medina and Republican operative Anton Lazzaro conspired to recruit and solicit people under the age of 18 to engage in commercial sex between May and December of 2020. Lazzaro has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has said he is being falsely accused and did not commit the crimes. Federal prosecutors allege Medina acted as Lazzaros recruiter, reaching out to girls on social media and setting up meetings with Lazzaro. Medina is also accused of trying to buy the silence of the girls once Lazzaro learned they were underage. Lazzaro has connections to prominent Minnesota Republicans and managed the campaign of Republican Lacy Johnson, who made an unsuccessful bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar last year. The former leader of the Minnesota Republican Party and Lazzaro's close friend, Jennifer Carnahan, resigned from her post last month after Lazzaro was charged in federal court. She had been under pressure to step down before the indictment was unsealed and insisted she knew nothing about the allegations against him. The meatloaf was the talk of the town Tuesday. Patrons have taken notice of an ambitious directors efforts to raise the quality of meals the Community Soup Kitchen offers four days a week in New Haven and one night a week at a new Hamden initiative. But with the soup kitchen board opting to discontinue the latter program after Oct. 13, questions arose about Hamden residents being able to get their gourmet food fix. Joshua Watkins, executive director at the soup kitchen, said he is determined that they will. The program may not be with the Community Soup Kitchen but ... I am committed to making sure that there is a program there in the spring to continue to feed the citizens of Hamden, he said. Heres a list of area soup kitchens. The Community Soup Kitchen offers free meals at Hamdens Keefe Community Center every Wednesday as part of a pilot program Watkins launched in June, he said. The satellite soup kitchen is near and dear to the Hamden residents heart. Both in Hamden and at CSKs longstanding New Haven soup kitchen on Broadway, Watkins sought to up his teams cooking game when he took over in January. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media I like to shock and awe and give them something that they wouldnt expect, like restaurant quality-type things, he said. This is really how I feel about feeding people, like I want them to feel like they have the same options as anyone else does. At Keefe, soup kitchen meals have included veal shank with a black bean, corn and tomato salad, baked ziti with garlic bread, lemon chicken with rainbow quinoa and shrimp and grits. I wanna serve the unexpected at the soup kitchen because my grandmother always told me if youre gonna feed somebody a meal, why would you give something to people you wouldnt eat yourself? Watkins said. This weeks menu featured teriyaki chicken wings, sweet chili chicken wings and Caesar salad. Watkins comes up with many of the recipes himself. My moms actually an executive chef and Ive been around the kitchen my entire life, he said. His team has noticed the change. Robert Jackson, CSKs community client services coordinator, said (Watkins) stepped the food up big time. What message does serving high-quality food send to clients? It tells them that theyre worth it, Jackson said. Yesterday we made meatloaf, he said of Tuesdays New Haven meal. I was home hearin about it after work. Harold Glass, CSKs chef, confirmed the meatloaf was a hit. I made meatloaf yesterday. It was the talk of the town, he said, adding that it ran out so quickly he didnt get to try any himself. Jim, a client who asked to be identified by his first name only, agreed. That was the best meal of the week so far, he said. Its like restaurant food. Jim said he has been visiting the soup kitchen for 20 years. He lives on a fixed income and sometimes runs out of money to buy enough groceries, he said. CSK helps him make up for that gap. The food is high quality, he said. People think soup kitchen and they think less great of a meal but its not. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media filr photo Pilot program A client at the New Haven location, Jim also started visiting the Keefe Center when CSKs meal program there launched. Recently, it looked as if CSK would continue the hot meals program long-term. What started as a pilot program to have the Keefe Community Center serve as a satellite location for Community Soup Kitchen will soon be formalized with a long-term agreement and a commitment of financial contribution to help support and expand upon this exceptional public service, said a Sept. 8 release from Hamden Mayor Curt Balanzo Lengs office. But the New Haven Register has obtained a copy of an email sent to Leng from Watkins that indicates the CSK board of directors unanimously determined not to continue the pilot program. That decision was made Sept. 20, Watkins later said. Furthermore, the Board determined to terminate CSKs provision of cooked food and meals to Hamden, but directed me to provide surplus groceries and food to Hamden when available, according to the email. Asked about the exchange, Watkins said he would personally ensure a hot meals program returns to the Keefe Center in the spring. He said CSK pulled out of the Hamden meals service effective Oct. 13 because it has to fill contracts with warming centers. But CSK will continue to provide supplies for the Keefe Centers free farmers market and for its food pantry, according to Watkins. Watkins also said he is working as a consultant for Hamden to help it come up with a long-term plan to address food insecurity. Ultimately, he envisions a hot meals service that would operate seven days a week, he said. The news about the pilot program comes as another initiative aimed at feeding Hamdenites ends. Hamden Public Schools sent an email to the community Wednesday announcing the Hamden Middle School Drive-Up & Go Free Food Distribution would cease operations effective Sept. 28. CSK does not run that program. Connecticut Foodshare is working with Hamden Schools to resume services as soon as possible. When a new Mobile Pantry site is available, we will let you know, the email said. Leng said, We remain 100% committed to continuing and expanding this pilot program, hopefully with Community Soup Kitchen (CSK) who have been amazing partners. In addition to the hot meal program, CSK has also and will continue to run our new Tuesday Keefe Community Center Farmers Market and will continue to provide food to the Hamden food bank. To date CSK has provided 8,207 hot meals to residents in-need, 63,000 pounds of food distributed from our Keefe Community Center and provided our Hamden Food Bank with 25,000 pounds of food, he said in a statement. Unprecedented assistance for our residents and something we will continue, hopefully with CSK. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com Poor air quality is an ongoing issue in many Connecticut classrooms, and an airborne pandemic and climate change have only made matters worse. But local districts and municipalities say they cant afford to front the bill. At a press conference on Thursday, union leaders and association heads called on the state to improve school HVAC systems and air quality, including temperature, humidity and contaminants like mold. A recent survey of school teachers showed that was a major concern for most respondents. Speakers sought support from the General Assembly, and asked they approve a state spending plan using federal funds for HVAC repairs, and include air quality updates in state education department bond funding for school construction. Weve declared the problem just too hard to solve, and at the expense of the educators and the students, said Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, the states largest teachers union. We stand strong with our partners here today, asking that our politicians step up and take care of our students and our teachers and our communities. For many educators at the event, including Dias, the problem of poor climate is a personal one. My classroom environment was on the second floor of a building built in the 50s, said Dias, a Manchester High School math teacher. I had two windows that overlooked a blacktop roof that basically radiated heat back into the classroom. My classroom could easily become 95 degrees with 78 percent humidity. And that was incredibly uncomfortable, she said. But more importantly, its just not conducive to learning. Representatives for Gov. Ned Lamonts office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. State Rep. Kathleen McCarty, R-Waterford, who sits on the Education Committee, said she supports taking a look at the issue. I do believe that we need to have air quality looked at in all our schools, she said, and to be sure that every child has a healthy, safe environment in which to learn. Acknowledging these projects can take a long time, McCarty suggested they evaluate schools needing immediate attention, and put temporary fixes in place for the meantime. Then, she said, all parties can work collaboratively on long-term solutions and find a way to share the costs so that its reasonable. Fran Rabinowitz, the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, recalled her own time as interim superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools, where she had to make tough decisions as a result of uninhabitable air quality. I have let kids go home, half day, because the conditions for teaching and learning were just atrocious, said Rabinowitz. The heat in the buildings was so high that I deemed it to be unsafe for our children. Our children could ill afford to lose that learning time in school, she added. Both the teachers union and superintendents association conducted surveys to understand the scope of the problem. While the vast majority 97 percent of teacher respondents reported their schools HVAC and ventilation systems were substandard, just over a quarter said their concerns have been actively addressed. A random sample of nearly 1,000 educators were included in the union survey. The Connecticut Education Association said the teachers union does not have a precise dollar amount of how much it would cost to update all air quality systems in the state, according to Donald Williams, the executive director. In a poll of more than 100 school districts, superintendents reported 233 elementary schools and 42 high schools dont have air conditioning in the buildings. There are roughly 1,200 public schools in Connecticut. The Lamont administration conducted its own survey last winter to evaluate air quality and contaminant like mold, reported Connecticut Public Radio, but public record requests from the station have been denied. Since early August the state has declined to release results until its report is complete. Rabinowitz suggested some federal funds pouring into towns and school systems can be put toward air-quality projects, but the money isnt there to support them in full. Districts that have chosen to allocate Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief dollars into air quality assessments and updates have seen the line item swallow up out-sized shares of recovery funding. Much of New Britains $50 million in the latest round of schools funding round has been earmarked for building repairs and HVAC system upgrades, according to a press release circulated for the press conference. In Bridgeport, the district is in the process of installing air purification units in cafeterias and securing an order for classrooms and offices. The district is also in the design phase to put air conditioning in two schools and could replace units at another. And about $1.65 million in Stamford will be used on air quality projects at three schools through the city. Its not enough, and we cant depend on the local districts and local municipalities to do this alone, Rabinowitz said. We need state help. Other speakers said theyve heard the suggestion that updates should be paid for locally but called on the state to partner with them to assure air quality is satisfactory for everyone in school buildings. The statement ignores that in many towns across Connecticut, the expense of replacing an outdated or dysfunctional air quality system is more than the entire allotment the town receives in (American Rescue Plan) funding, said Joe DeLong, the executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. I am optimistic that it is on the General Assemblys radar, he added, and that we have a lot of supporters within the General Assembly who, while maybe not ready to commit to exactly what the solution is, believe that its a very real issue and want to maybe be involved in. At the local level, Michelle Embree Ku, who sits on the Newtown school board, said a failure to adequately fund these projects outside of municipalities could lead to inequities from town-to-town. I worry that without the state and federal support, there will be disparities in whether towns and cities can garner the support from taxpayers and locally elected officials needed to address these long-term issues in all of our schools, she said. NEW HAVEN The city is one step closer to having another taproom and brewery within its borders. John Kraszewski Jr., owner of Armada Brewing, has received site plan approval for improvements to 190 River St., which was extensively remediated and approved for development in 2017. The brewery and bar will be located in a historic 2-story masonry building at the corner of River and Lloyd streets. Kraszewski said there will be no seating at the bar on the first level, but there will be seven tables seating 28 people. On the second floor, Kraszewski said it will be more of a lounge area with seating at the bar on two sides. There also will be four 2-person tables around the facility and the couch area for a total of 40 customers on this level. Kraszewski said the manufacturing space will be on the right side of the first floor, where there will be several vessels for making the beer. The product is then moved into fermenters for 14 days before it is carbonated, packaged in kegs and placed in coolers for serving and retail sale. The beer made on the premises is consumed on site or sold to customers there. Armadas main production and distribution location, where it produces four core beers as well as more than a dozen seasonal beers, will remain in East Haven. The product is distributed to locations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida. Armada Brewing will seek a special exception its last needed approval for the manufacture of beer on River Street at the Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 29. Kraszewski said he was excited by the City Plan approval and is looking forward to the BZA hearing. The estimated 6,000-square-foot taproom and brewery is one of two breweries proposed for River Street. The second one, much different in size, is the New England Brewing Co., currently in Woodbridge. Jaigantic Studios, an ambitious proposed movie and digital production company owned by actor Michael Jai White, raised concerns about both breweries on the street. Jaigantic has expressed the need for contiguous space along River Street, but New England Brewing already has a memorandum of understanding with the city for 100/142 River St. for its business. New England Brewing will need 65,000 square feet of space some 8 acres at 100 River St. and 2 acres at 142 River St. Jaigantic has a memorandum of understanding for 46-56 River Street and 112 Chapel St. with the city for phase one of its plans. New England Brewing Co. is the largest craft brewing company in the state. East Rock Brewing is the only brewery so far in New Haven that has a taproom and cans and distributes from a facility in the city. BAR brews on site in New Haven, but does not can and distribute; Rhythm Brewing is domiciled in New Haven, but does not brew here, according to Deputy Economic Development Director Stephen Fontana. Fontana said progress is being made on both the NEBC proposal, which is being undertaken by the Eclipse Development Group, and Jaigantic, with discussions centering on environmental issues. The parking lot for Armada Brewing, which is adjacent to the building, will accommodate 19 vehicles. It will remain the same as approved in 2017 with the exception of moving one of the handicapped spaces directly in front of the door. Commission Chairwoman Leslie Radcliffe asked how close the parking lot was, looking to customer safety and convenience and depending on how much of the beer they tapped into. Kraszewski said the facility would promote responsible drinking. The only addition to the earlier approval for the site is two concrete pads to elevate chilling and cooling equipment above the 100-year flood elevation and removal of an existing concrete driveway. There also will be panels installed over the garage doors for flood protection. The site was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, but it has been capped with asphalt paving. An Environmental Land Use Restriction prevents digging under the cap and only allows industrial/commercial uses. There will be three bike racks inside the building and a number outside under a future easement with the city. The site was part of the Bigelow Boiler Manufacturing Co., which extended from 190 to 198 River St., a major site for fabrication of large industrial boilers during New Havens industrial heyday starting in the late 19th century. Portions of Bigelow on 198 River St. are being bulldozed for safety reasons, but 190 River was renovated by G.L. Capasso in an agreement with the city. Capasso, whose business is on Lloyd Street, also plans to remediate one of four buildings at 198 River St., the only one not scheduled to be razed. Radcliffe told Kraszewski she was looking forward to when the sign will be up for Armada Brewing and we can park our bikes and have some beer. NEW HAVEN Family, friends and colleagues gathered at St. Mary Parish Friday to mourn Officer Joshua Castellano, remembering him as a man of irrepressible energy and heart. Castellano, a seven-year member of the department, was killed last Friday in a crash in Las Vegas. He was 35. As he began his sermon, the Rev. John Paul Walker noted Castellano kept a quote from the Book of Joshua on or near him at all times I command you, be strong and steadfast, do not fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go. It was a perfect piece of Scripture for a police officer, Walker said, both as a sentiment and a theological choice. The passage, he said, is spoken to the biblical Joshua, as he is told to consider the concept of law without fear. Thus it points to something very important for us, a truth that is true for all times and all places the inherent goodness of the law. For we who are citizens, the law protects us; it defends us. The law, ought to at least free us from fear and protect us from all harm, said Walker. Being protected and defended from fear and from harm, so as to live in authentic freedom, is something good and I would say something holy. Walker said the nobility of Castellanos life, through his work to better the world and sense of self-sacrificial love for those around him, brought to mind the example of Jesus Christ, who, according to the faith, gave up himself so the legacy of sin and death, the mourning and crying and pain that is ours for a time in this world, might not have the final say. Officer Jeremy Mastroianni, Matthew Sapienza and Interim Chief Renee Dominguez shared memories of Castellano. Mastroianni said Castellano was his best friend, as well as his partner within the department. He opened his remarks with a story. As they worked together, Mastroianni said, Castellano routinely would take something dear to Mastroianni his phone, his keys and jokingly require him to compliment him three times before returning them. Mastroianni would refuse; theyd go back and forth for hours. But today, Mastroianni said, Castellano would get his wish. You were the coolest kid I ever met. The stuff we went through together was crazy; it was like a movie, said Mastroianni. But through all the running and gunning, all the jokes and laughing, you had my back no matter what. You were loyal to a fault. Id follow you to the darkest, pitch black corners of the city, and I felt good because I was with you. Mastroianni said he and Castellano routinely got into foot chases with potential suspects; it became a hallmark of their time together. They called each other Nitro Hawk and Turbo Falcon, playing on a coffee offered by Dunkin Donuts; they loved telling stories. Mastroianni said he had asked Castellano to be his best man at his wedding next year. His voice thick with emotion, Mastroianni chuckled as he said that he had bought an expensive bottle of whiskey to give him on the occasion. Now, Mastroianni said, he would save the bottle. When the time came, he said share it with his future son, whom he would name Joshua, and tell of his friend. I never told you this, but you were my big brother. I looked up to you so much, said Mastroianni. I love you, Josh. We all love you. Were going to tell your stories forever. Sapienza said he had known Castellano for a long time. He said writing his remarks had been a struggle it had been difficult to be in positive and uplifting place given the grief and pain of the moment. Regardless, he felt compelled to get there, as its what Castellano would have done. Josh was never a complainer. He never was woe is me. He would always cheer you up, but I cant even remember the last time I had to cheer him up. And I think thats because he was all about making the most of life, said Sapienza. He found or created fun in every situation. It didnt matter where you were or what you were doing if Josh was around, you were going to be cracking up over something. Sapienza said Castellano served as an example of what really matters in life. He was one of the smartest people he ever met, in a way a thousand diplomas couldnt touch; he made true friends in every aspect of his life. He came from ordinary, humble beginnings and he became one of the most loved people in this entire city, and everywhere else he went, said Sapienza. He did it one friend at a time; friend by friend by friend, he garnered all of our love. Dominguez said she was honored to have the chance to speak, but troubled by it how could she adequately describe what Castellano meant to his colleagues, sum up all the love they had for him? She noted she had drafted Castellano from the academy and served as his first supervisor. She needed an officer who could walk the beat in a high-crime housing complex, hand out candy to delight children at Halloween, garner respect and bring comfort to those in pain at crime scenes. Castellano, she said, could do all those things, and brought spirit and verve to his efforts. Asked to hand out candy, he replied, I have the perfect costume, Dominguez said. Every supervisor he ever worked for fell in love with him. Every one of us wanted 10 more Joshes. We wanted to fill every new vacancy with Josh, because he was just that good. He just got it, said Dominguez. He gave 100 percent, never complained, and did it with a smile. Dominguez credited Castellanos mother, Denise, for raising him to become the kind of man that not only made him an officer loved by his peers, but his supervisors and the community members he served. The department would be with Denise, she said, now and in the future, providing whatever was needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to mow the lawn. Dominguez noted she had said last week that Castellano had that thing you cant teach. Another officer clued her into what that thing was, she said. It was heart, which in the department is an acronym: honor, excellence, accountability, respect, tenacity. I have no words to make this loss easier for any of us, said Dominguez. To the men and women of the NHPD, honor Josh by continuing to do what Josh loved to do, the way Josh would want us to do it. Rest easy Josh; we will take it from here. After the remarks had concluded, in leading prayers, Walker noted that those in attendance would have the chance to greet Castellano again one day, in accordance with the faith. Castellanos earthly remains were ushered out of the door as the service concluded, carried with care on their way to their resting place. In a letter released Monday by New Haven police spokesman Officer Scott Shumway, Castellanos family said that amid their unimaginable heartbreak and grief over the tragic loss of Joshua, we are comforted by the overwhelming love and expressions of support from Joshuas Police Officer family, his friends and the Yale community. Joshuas life was a gift, and we are grateful that he could share part of it with his colleagues at the New Haven Police Department and with the countless community members he encountered while proudly serving on the police force, the familys letter said. Joshua approached his life and work with unmatched passion and excitement, and his genuine love for people was infectious. Robert Ferraro, 34, a fellow New Haven police officer, is charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving in connection with the fatal crash. Authorities contend Ferraro was driving a 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan around 4 a.m. Sept. 17 when he entered an intersection at a high speed and began to lose control. He allegedly then drove off the side of the road, hitting a 2021 Ford Mustang, utility poles, landscaping and a fire hydrant, authorities said. The car turned onto its roof, ejecting Castellano from the vehicle. He later died at the hospital, according to a release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. New Haven Officers Matthew Borges and John Truhart, as well as two women from San Antonio, Texas, also were in the vehicle and suffered minor injuries, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The report alleged Ferraro showed signs of impairment and allegedly refused to participate in any standardized field sobriety tests. New Haven officer refused field sobriety test after crash that killed fellow officer, report says Defense attorney Gabriel Grasso said Thursday that Ferraro and Castellano were close friends from high school and were in the police academy together. He said the two, with two other friends from the academy, had an annual tradition of taking vacations together. Every year they do a trip for whoever can make a trip. For the last couple years because of COVID they hadnt done a trip. It was the first trip in a while and they were here for the weekend to be tourists in Las Vegas, he said. It is a huge, huge devastating loss thats being felt, he said. Brian Zahn contributed to this story. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com About 270,000 state residents 65 and older will be eligible for Pfizers COVID booster shots starting Friday, following the approval of the expansion of the vaccine program late Thursday afternoon by federal health authorities. Those who have been inoculated with Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots will have to wait a little longer, however. Gov. Ned Lamont, in what has become a rare update on the pandemic for state reporters, said Thursday that about 800 vaccination sites are preparing for the booster program and people can locate nearby vaccinations sites by going to ct.gov/covidvaccine. He praised the states high rate for vaccinations - with 80 percent of adults inoculated - and its low infection rate, stressing that those who self identify as immune-compromised or are essential workers will be allowed to join those 65 and over at clinics, hospitals and pharmacies, for the boosters. That development, along with a seven-day infection average that remains below 3 percent, made Dr. Manisha Juthani, the states new director of public health, optimistic that Connecticut is on a positive track in the battle against the delta variant in the pandemic. I do think that we seem to be reaching the place where we have plateaued and (are) potentially going further down, which is very good news for Connecticut, said Juthani, a veteran infectious disease specialist from Yale said during her first news conference. I think we need to continue our vaccinations efforts so that we can try to prevent any sort of surge that might come this winter, Juthani said. I think its unclear at this point whether something else may happen, but I think things are looking very promising at this point. As we get children eligible for vaccinations as well, there is the possibility that we will continue to look better and better. About 680,000 eligible adults in the state have not been vaccinated. About 430,000 people have received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine six months ago or longer, about 270,000 of whom are 65 and over. The other 160,000 are under 65. Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief operating officer who has led the administrations pandemic efforts, noted that 15,000 people a week are getting their first doses of vaccines. I think some of that has been a function over the last month or two of the delta wave and concerns around that, he said. There has obviously been a number of employers, including the state, and the vaccination rates that are driving vaccinations. Juthani said that those who have been vaccinated already have effective immunity against COVID, but those who have not been inoculated create a hindrance in the states overall defense against the virus. She suggested that patients discuss with their physicians the issues of whether their immune-system issues warrant getting in line right away for a booster. The way I understand the language, is that for those that would be at high risk of complications for COVID-19, Juthani said. Lamont and Juthani believe that by the end of October, vaccines a fraction of the current strength will be approved for children ages 5 through 11. Thatll mean that we can start getting young people in our schools vaccinated, Lamont said. And that may mean we can take a second look at our protocols, as time goes on. The state Department of Public Health reported Thursday a 2.28-percent daily infection rate and a 2.7-percent rate over the previous seven days, while a month ago it was about 3.5 percent. Over the last week there were an additional 36 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 8,483 since March 17, 2020. There was a net increase of 13 patients in state hospitals since Wednesday, with a total of 282 hospitalized. In April of 2020, at the height of infections, 1,972 people were hospitalized. For me, the relative good news is that in each of these waves, the severity goes down a little bit and thats in large part because of the vaccinations and the management weve had over the last - you know - year and a half, Lamont said. As we continue to keep our society open, our schools open, our service sector open, were able to do this, keeping you safe despite each of these different hits. Starting Monday, state employees will be required to be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID tests. If they do neither, they risk suspension without pay, but the overall issue is still being negotiated with bargaining units. Lamont and Juthani warned that it is the beginning of the flu season and recommended vaccinations because after a record low influenza rate last year, it could become much worse this winter. The governor said that negotiations with school bus drivers throughout the state are active in attempt to keep them on the job next week. I just tell the bus drivers youre in a tight congregate setting, a bus, surrounded by kids who arent vaccinated. Were trying to keep you safe and were trying to keep them safe. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Several people employed in Rhode Island's health care industry have filed a federal challenge to the state's coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers, alleging it is unconstitutional because it does not allow religious exemptions. Employees of state-licensed health care facilities in the state are required to be vaccinated by Oct. 1 or they risk losing their jobs. The state extended the deadline a month in certain cases where firing unvaccinated workers would compromise patient safety. Most other states allow for religious exemptions, according to the suit. Rhode Island is not an island unto itself, according to the complaint filed Thursday by attorney Joseph Larisa Jr. If across America religious exemptions can be accommodated consistent with patient safety, then as a matter of law and logic, the same applies here. The four plaintiffs are identified in the lawsuit only by a single initial. They are described as a doctor; a nurse; a hospital clerk who attends medical school; and a health unit coordinator at a hospital. One plaintiff was fired after requesting and being denied a religious exemption. The others face termination when the mandate takes effect. The plaintiffs wish to keep their identities anonymous to avoid harassment in the present environment, the lawsuit says. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the vaccine mandate on the grounds that it will lead to religious discrimination. Spokespeople for Gov. Daniel McKee and the state Department of Health said they could not comment on pending litigation. ___ PFIZER BOOSTER SHOTS Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available to certain segments of Rhode Island's population, the state Department of Health announced Friday. They include people 65 and older and residents of long-term care settings regardless of age; people ages 5064 with underlying medical conditions; and people ages 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission based on their jobs. The state's announcement came the day after the Food and Drug Administration granted an additional emergency use authorization for the administration of booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for people at least six months after their last Pfizer shot. Approximately 130,000 people in the state may be eligible under the approved guidelines, the agency said. Demand is expected to be high and the the state expects to make minor changes in online vaccine registration systems in the coming days to reflect new eligibility, the statement said. More than 710,000 people in the state are already fully vaccinated, or about 77% of the eligible population, the department said. ___ DETENTION FACILITY OUTBREAK Dozens of detainees and several staff members at a Rhode Island jail have tested positive for COVID-19 this week, according to the facility's warden. Fifty detainees and seven staff members at the publicly-owned but privately-run Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls have tested positive, Warden Daniel Martin said in a statement Thursday. The outbreak started when one detainee tested positive last week. In response, the facility has stepped up testing. We have been in contact with the RI Department of Health on our existing COVID protocols which include testing and quarantining every incoming detainee for 14 days, mandatory mask usage for staff and detainees, and thorough sanitization of common areas/surfaces, Martin wrote. We have added additional protocols based on RI DOH guidance which include ongoing, mandatory testing of detainees and staff, and not allowing detainees from different pods to come into contact with each other, he said. The facility houses many people being detained by federal immigration authorities. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Using apocalyptic images, three presidents and seven foreign ministers warned Thursday that a warmer world is also a more violent one. At a ministerial meeting of the Security Council, the officials urged the U.N.s most powerful body to do more to address the security implications of climate change and make global warming a key part of all U.N. peacekeeping operations. The leaders and ministers pushing for more U.N. action said warming is making the world less safe, pointing to Africa's conflict-plagued Sahel region and Syria and Iraq as examples.. Micheal Martin, Irelands president, who chaired the meeting, said climate change is already contributing to conflict in many parts of the world." And Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said climate change is a war without gunfire so to speak that causes economic damage and losses in lives no less dire than actual wars. The effects of climate change are particularly profound when they overlap with fragility and past or current conflicts, said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "And when natural resources like water become scarce because of climate change, grievances and tensions can explode, complicating efforts to prevent conflict and sustain peace. Our lives and daily realities are at the nexus of climate change insecurity, said Ilwad Elman, a Somali-Canadian peace activist. The impact of climate change and environmental degradation are also changing what it takes to build peace ... because we are experiencing climate-related shocks and stresses. The Security Council first discussed the impact of climate on peace and security in 2007 and has held a number of meetings about it since, most recently in February. But it remains off the councils agenda because of divisions among members. That means there can be no legally binding resolutions or official requests for action. Irelands Martin said he recognized the different views bit if the council is to meet its responsibility to maintain international peace and security, it must have the information and tools to analyze and address climate-related security risks. For years, academics who study conflict and climate change have been highlighting how events like a once-in-a-millennium Syrian drought have exacerbated conflicts without being the sole causes. It's a more nuanced approach to understanding conflict and to developing tools that reduce its impact on societies. Look at almost every place where you see threats to international peace and security today, and youll find that climate change is making things less peaceful, less secure, and rendering our response even more challenging, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. He cited a list of nations including Syria, Mali, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia. We have to stop debating whether the climate crisis belongs in the Security Council, Blinken said, and instead ask how the council can leverage its unique powers to tackle the negative impacts of climate on peace and security. Russian and Chinese diplomats reiterated their countries objections to putting climate change on the agenda of the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, when other U.N. and international forums are addressing the entire climate issue. There is a Russian saying that ... too many cooks spoil the broth, said Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky. He accused council members of introducing a completely unnecessary political component to an already complicated and sensitive discussion. Chinese U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said the council must refrain from using a wholesale approach, saying that not all war-torn countries were plunged into chaos because of climate change. Both Russia and China, which is the worlds top emitter of climate-damaging pollution, stressed their countries' commitment to cut emissions. So did Blinken for the United States, the second largest carbon polluter, and India, the third-largest, which also said climate change doesn't belong on the council agenda. Reenat Sandhu, a deputy Indian foreign secretary, said singling out one cause of conflict is counterproductive." Climate change may enhance conflict, but cannot be determined as a reason for it," she said. Oversimplification of causes of conflict will not help in resolving them nor can it justify extreme policy measures. We need to bring back our focus to where it should be combating climate change." Still, most of the leaders who spoke Thursday morning painted a gloomy picture for the planet as a whole. They said climate change needs to be fought in the same way the world is battling the coronavirus because, for the planet, it is a matter of life and death. Decisions at the November U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland will decide whether this decade will be remembered as the decade when we started to save the planet or the beginning of the end, said Estonia President Kersti Jaljulaid. At the General Assemblys annual gathering of world leaders on Thursday, Angola President Joao Lourenco said Earth has been giving us increasingly clear signals that she is not happy with how we treat her, and is defending herself in the most violent manner possible. And the previous evening, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will host the climate negotiations in Scotland, gave a speech that started with a lesson on extinction among mammals and then reminded the world that humans, too, are mammals. Our grandchildren will know that we are the culprits. And theyll know that we knew that we were warned, Johnson said. And they will ask themselves what kind of people we were to be so selfish and so shortsighted. ___ Borenstein, an Associated Press science writer, reported from Washington. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A man died in Kentucky after gunfire broke out involving two vehicles on a Louisville highway, police said. Shots were fired on Interstate 264 around 5:40 a.m., and one of the vehicles crashed into a wall, Louisville police spokesperson Dwight Mitchell told news outlets. It wasn't clear whether the man died as a result of the shooting or the wreck. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi House and Senate negotiators said Thursday that they have agreed on a proposed medical marijuana program. Leaders are expected to ask Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to call the Legislature into session to put the plan into law. The step comes months after the Mississippi Supreme Court tossed out a medical marijuana initiative that voters approved last November. Justices ruled in May that Mississippi's initiative process was out of date and the medical marijuana proposal was not properly on the ballot. The legislative proposal is not identical to the voter-approved initiative. The proposal would allow local governments to limit where the marijuana could be grown, processed or sold. That was not in Initiative 65. The two lead negotiators Republican Sen. Kevin Blackwell of Southaven and Republican Rep. Lee Yancey of Brandon said Thursday that passing a bill would take a three-fifths majority because of tax provisions, and leaders of the House and Senate believe they have have enough votes lined up. Yancey said the proposed program would help people with debilitating illnesses such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or cancer. This is compassionate relief, Yancey said. This is not a recreational thing. Yancey said that if the bill becomes law, cities and counties would be have 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana growing sites, processing facilities and dispensaries. But if local governing boards decide to do so, voters could petition for an election to overturn that decision. Blackwell said if a city or county opts out of allowing facilities, people who live in those places would still be able to possess and use medical marijuana. Blackwell said negotiating details of the bill was a long process. It's not a perfect bill, by any stretch of the imagination, he said. Some details: Marijuana for medicinal use could only be grown indoors. The state Department of Agriculture would be in charge of licensing and regulating businesses that grow, process or transport the products. Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson has said he does not want the department to have that role as long as marijuana is illegal under federal law. Yancey said the Agriculture Department could set a contract with another entity, such as the Board of Pharmacy, to handle the duties. The state Department of Health would regulate medical marijuana testing facilities and research facilities. It also would license the physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and optometrists who recommend medical marijuana for patients. The Health Department also would license patients who receive medical marijuana and the caregivers who might need to buy it for them. The license for a patient or caregiver would cost $25 a year, and each caregiver also would pay $37 for an annual criminal background check. The Department of Revenue would regulate dispensaries. Cultivation businesses, where the plants are grown, would have to have at least some owners who are Mississippi residents. One person or business could own no more than one cultivation site, one processing site and five dispensaries. Medical marijuana could be smoked, used in products such as creams or drops or used in food products such as gummies or drinks. Limits would be set on how many one person could obtain in a month. ____ Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus. A New Haven police officer allegedly refused a field sobriety test after police said he was driving a Rolls Royce in Las Vegas involved in a crash that led to the death of a fellow officer, according to an arrest report. The crash occurred around 4 a.m. on Sept. 17 while Officer Robert Ferraro, Joshua Castellano and two other New Haven officers were on vacation in Las Vegas. Castellano died. An arrest report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stated Ferraro, 34, was driving a Rolls Royce at a high rate of speed. The car flipped over and Castellano was ejected from the SUV. A witness who called in the crash to authorities said the passengers in the car, who all suffered minor injuries, performed chest compressions on Castellano, according to the report. An inspection of the car allegedly showed that no one in the Rolls Royce was wearing a seat belt before the crash, according to the arrest report. When a patrol officer arrived on the scene, he noted Ferraro had watery eyes and allegedly a strong odor of alcohol, the report said. The report alleged Ferraro showed signs of impairment and allegedly refused to participate in any standardized field sobriety tests. Ferraro was arrested and taken to the Clark County Detention Center. Officers later got a search warrant to draw his blood for evidence, but the results of the two blood drawings were redacted from the report. Ferraro is charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. The officer, who is on administrative leave, posted bond Tuesday but had remained in custody. A judge took Ferraro off of house arrest Thursday, allowing him to come back to Connecticut. Ferraros next court appearance is Oct. 7. liz.hardaway@hearst.com TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Reported sexual assaults have sparked large protests on college campuses in at least seven states just weeks into the new school year, which advocates say reflects both a greater vulnerability among students who spent last school year learning remotely and a greater ability among young people to make themselves heard on the issue. Such protests aren't new, but there seems to have been an unusually large number already this semester, with demonstrations over the past month at schools in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri. Protesters have accused their schools of doing too little to protect students and being too lenient with on the accused. Those pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence also say the protests are being led by students familiar with the #MeToo movement and cases like that of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and Bill Cosby. And they say a protest on one campus inspires them on others. It is this national push that were starting to see for accountability of colleges, said Tracey Vitchers, executive director of Its On Us, a nonprofit focused on building a movement to combat sexual violence on campuses. More than half of sexual assaults against students occur between the start of fall classes and the Thanksgiving break, and generally freshmen and transfer students are the most vulnerable to sexual assault because they aren't familiar with the campuses and haven't solidified their social networks. Victims' advocates call the period the red zone. Were in a period of a double red zone, said Shiwali Patel, senior counsel for the National Womens Law Center, who also directs its efforts to provide justice for assault survivors. We have the first-year students and the second-year students who are now being on campus for the first time. The wave of protests started after a student reported being sexually assaulted at a University Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity house just before midnight on Aug. 24. Police received a separate report about a wild party there. The following night, about 1,000 protesters surrounded the fraternity house. Police are investigating the assault report and the university temporarily suspended the fraternitys operations as it reviews the group's conduct. Protests at the University of Iowa began less than a week later against a chapter of the same fraternity over a year-old allegation of sexual assault that authorities are still investigating. In Kansas, students protested at the University of Kansas,Wichita State University and Topeka West High School last week over various reported assaults, and students at Auburn University in Alabama and Eastern Michigan University also held demonstrations. Protests this week included one at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. At Central Methodist University, a small Missouri liberal arts school between Kansas City and St. Louis, about 50 students protested this week in support of Layla Beyer, a 19-year-old sophomore who said a fellow music student sexually assaulted her during the first semester of her freshman year. The Associated Press typically doesnt identify sexual assault victims, but Beyer allowed her name to be used. The university said it can't comment about an individual student's case, but spokesperson Scott Queen said, "There will be ongoing discussions regarding the topics addressed at the protest. Beyer reported the assault and said she received a no-contact order against her assailant, who played the same instrument and was constantly around. But she said he repeatedly violated it without facing serious consequences. A lot of times, survivors dont have anybody to stand up for them besides themselves, Beyer said. Administrators at other colleges have said theyre committed to helping victims and educating students about appropriate behavior. University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green outlined plans that included expanding from two members to four a team that helps victims, and improving training and education about sexual assault. Eastern Michigans new initiatives include annual training for students and separate training to encourage people to intervene if they see inappropriate behavior. It also is considering the future of a fraternity at the center of multiple sexual assault allegations. Students speak out, protest and take action because they want to see their institutions respond with the same level of anger, determination and commitment to keep their communities safe, said Walter Kraft, Eastern Michigans vice president of communications. Vitchers said helping survivors is no longer enough. She said universities must educate students to prevent assaults and punish the perpetrators and groups fostering an environment in which sexual violence is viewed as normal or no big deal. Older advocates said current students have better access to social media and embrace activism more readily than their predecessors. Angela Esquivel Hawkins, a Stanford University administrator and CEO of a group that helps victims' friends and families, said students now are wiser about things such as choosing hashtags to make messages trend on Twitter. The more iterations of social media that come up in the future, the more that people are going to get more and more connected and more and more savvy about how to organize and be efficient in their efforts, Hawkins said. At the University of Iowa, 18-year-old freshman Amelia Keller and her friends turned to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to rally people to the recent protest at the school. Keller also has worked with a campus group advocating for rape victims. We want to be able to trust and depend upon those who claim to care about the protection of vulnerable students, Keller said in texts to The Associated Press. Right now, we cannot. At Eastern Michigan, 18-year-old freshman Abbie Francis helped organize last week's protest at that school and used an app to attract dozens of members within two hours to a new Sexual Assault and Rape Awareness group. Eastern Michigan students also held a protest in March. Everyone that I have talked to in the past few weeks has expressed that they feel extremely unsafe, she said in an email to The Associated Press. At Central Methodist, Beyer said she felt forced to choose between dropping out of band or having to face her assailant frequently despite repeatedly telling administrators that he should be the one to leave. She said the administrators completely invalidated me. And Beyer said she lost her passion for music because of the assault and her subsequent treatment. She dropped her music education major and is now majoring in psychology instead. You get to the point where, no ones hearing you and nobodys doing anything for you," Beyer said. "Having students, especially ones that go to your school, to be by your side and stand up for you, it means a lot. ___ Ballentine reported from Columbia, Missouri. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are currently on surveillance across the country to a... Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are currently on surveillance across the country to arrest those allegedly using carbide to ripen fruits before selling. Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of the agency who disclosed this at a sensitization campaign in Onitsha, Anambra State on Friday, warned sellers of fruit such as oranges, banana, plantain and many others to desist from using carbide to ripen them or risk being arrested. The DG warned that carbide has enormous negative implications on the health of the people, hence, should not be used on fruits, stressing that it could cause, liver diseases and many other health challenges. The DG who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs of the agency, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, however, appealed to Nigerians to be on the alert and report anyone found using the substance to ripen fruits to the nearest NAFDAC office or any law enforcement agency. In the past four years, we have been intensifying efforts to tackle the menace. We have held several sensitization fora for fruit and vegetable sellers across the country. This time around, we are taking the campaign to another level by going from community to community and getting the people enlightened and sensitize them about this ugly practice. This is because cases of cancers, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis that have been noticed in various hospitals across the country are traced to some of these sharp practices. To that extent, NAFDAC is intensifying its campaign and also appealing to fruit sellers to stop the practice and also cautioning prospective buyers to be vigilant about the nefarious activities of some people. All hands must be on deck to enlighten our people to allow fruits ripen naturally as it is obtained in the past. But now people just want to make quick gains at the detriment of public health. We are appealing to Nigerians to be on the alert and NAFDAC will not hesitate to deal severely with anyone that is apprehended for ripening fruits with carbide because our officials are already on surveillance watching, she warned. The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has appealed to the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call off the... The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has appealed to the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call off their ongoing industrial action. Abubakar urged NARD members to embrace dialogue rather than striking. He made the appeal during the opening ceremony of the 20th Conference of the National Pediatric Surgeons of Nigeria (APSON) on Friday in Sokoto, NAN reports. The monarch said doctors should dialogue with the government using elders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders. He urged doctors to also respect the court order to resume work in the interest of the nation. Abubakar said the strike should be the last option in resolving industrial conflict, especially for medical workers whose responsibility has to do with saving lives of citizens. Precious Chikwendu, a.k.a Snow White, estranged wife of ex-minister Femi Fani-Kayode, has filed a suit at a Federal High Court, Abuja, s... Precious Chikwendu, a.k.a Snow White, estranged wife of ex-minister Femi Fani-Kayode, has filed a suit at a Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking the enforcement of her fundamental human rights. The plaintiff in the suit filed against Fani-Kayode, Inspector-General of Police, his officers and men (joined as defendants), is claiming the sum of N800m as damages. Other respondents were the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Commissioner of Police, FCT, CSP James Idachaba (OC Legal CID), FCT Command. The plaintiff said she was demanding the said amount because of the roles of the respondents in intimidating and harassing her during the pendency of her custody suit. Specifically, Chikwendu, in the suit filed by her lawyer, Abdul-Aziz Jimoh, asked the court to restrain the IGP, his officers and men from intimidating and harassing her in any form, pending the hearing and determination of her suit seeking the custody of the four children she had with Fani-Kayode. The applicant is also asking an order enforcing her fundamental human rights as she was apprehensive of an imminent violation of such rights in actualisation of alleged threats to her life by Fani-Kayode and in the face of the nonchalant and refusal of the first, second and third respondents (IGP, DIG Force CID and CP FCT) to investigate her genuine petitions of threat to life against the fifth respondent (Fani-Kayode). Chikwendu sought for a declaration that she was not bound to honor the invitation of the first to fourth respondents in relation to a purported conspiracy and forgery of court records during the pendency of suit no CV/372/2021 between her and the fifth respondent. In an affidavit in support of the application deposed to by Chikwendu, she averred that, I was in a most tempestuous and violent relationship with the fifth respondent (Fani-Kayode), a qualified legal practitioner, a politician and a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The fifth respondent and I have four children together and I am forcefully separated from our children, who are all minors. Consequent upon the unbridled violence perpetrated against me by the fifth respondent and the forceful separation from our children, I filed a suit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with Suit No CV/372/2021. Rather than allow the contending matters placed before the FCT High Court to be determined by the honorable court, the fifth respondent has persisted in using the Police officers under the control of the first respondent (IGP) and supervised by the second respondent (Commissioner of Police FCT) incessantly to intimidate and harass me with a view to interfering in the adjudicatory powers of a competent court of justice. Chikwendu said she had also petitioned the Commissioner of Police, FCT, the third respondent, alleging threats to her life by the fifth respondent and that the Police Commissioner had refused to act on her petition, thus prompting her to go to court to enforce her fundamental human rights. The Buhari Media Organisation, BMO, on Thursday, accused the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed of working for... The Buhari Media Organisation, BMO, on Thursday, accused the spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed of working for Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President. BMO claimed that Baba-Ahmed was discreetly running errands for Saraki. The group made the remark while berating the NEF spokesman over his criticisms of Buhari government. Baba-Ahmed had said the North regrets working against former President, Goodluck Jonathan, while ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 presidential election. However, BMO said NEF was made up of some persons who are the interests of a few disgruntled politicians. BMO stated this in a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke on Thursday. The group said Baba-Ahmed was criticizing Buhari due to his inability to get appointed into the current Federal Government. The statement reads partly: We need to let Nigerians know what the so-called Northern Elders Forum is. For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state that Baba-Ahmed is on a revenge mission because he was not appointed into the administration of President Buhari. It is also common knowledge that he is running errands for his former boss, Bukola Saraki, under whom, as president of the Senate, he served as the Chief of Staff. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his leadership position to ensure s... Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his leadership position to ensure stability in West Africa, in terms of democracy and good governance. According to a statement by Femi Adesina, spokesperson to the president, the UN secretary-general said this at a meeting with Buhari on Friday, at the 76th session of the United Nations general assembly (UNGA) taking place in New York. According to the UN scribe, Africa, especially West Africa, was generally seen as an ocean of stability and good governance, but was deeply concerned at recent reversal of fortunes in democratic rule in some parts of the West African sub-region with coups overturning elected institutions, Adesina said. He, therefore, urged President Buhari to continue to show leadership as he looks up to Nigeria to help stabilise the sub-region in terms of democracy and good governance. On terrorism, the secretary-general commended the efforts of Nigeria on this global phenomenon, assuring the Nigerian leader of the United Nations continued support in her efforts to address the prevailing security and humanitarian challenges that have arisen, especially with the internally displaced persons. He also commended Nigerias efforts on climate change, expressing willingness of the world body to cooperate with the country in this regard. President Buhari applauded Mr Gutterres for his global leadership and the success of the 76th session. He assured the secretary-general that Nigeria had achieved appreciable successes in tackling the insecurity caused by terrorists and bandits. The president also thanked him for the global organisations intervention in activities towards reducing the effects of climate change, especially with the support for the Great Green Wall programme, which is aimed at arresting desertification across the Sahel as well as the campaign against deforestation in Nigeria. Adesina added that the president also expressed commitment to supporting the UN towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Officials are urging the public to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible fearing a twindemic could be on the horizon. Pexels Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Dave Ecklars attempt to protest the citys pathetic sanitation situation by dumping a truckload of garbage at City Hall was pretty much a complete failure. He hadnt even finished unloading the reeking, leaking heap of garbage bags from his rental truck when the cops arrived. He was cuffed and issued a summons for illegal dumping. Then he was offered a choice: Either pick up the awful mess or get hauled off to the hoosegow. Television crews had not scrambled to report on his social disobedience. Nor had a crowd gathered just a few unamused cops and two or three amateur videographers, who documented the denouement of his smelly misadventure on their iPhones. Protester David Ecklar 4.jpeg Protester David Ecklar was busted on Sept. 19 for dumping garbage bags at City Hall In the stultifying afternoon heat, Ecklar found himself on Perdido Street, at the cusp of exhaustion, cursing the citys inequities and injustices, as he heaved the garbage into the back of an actual garbage truck that had been summoned to the scene. Ecklar said that after he swept the sidewalk in the shadow of City Hall, he sarcastically took a theatrical bow to the police officers in attendance, then headed home. There was a big futility factor to what I did, he recalled in a telephone conversation days later. It was Sisyphean to move those bags." Ecklar's brainchild started to germinate in mid-September when Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced a do-it-yourself trash removal option. In lieu of predictable garbage pickups, citizens were invited to haul their household garbage to a refuse depot themselves. This rankled Ecklar, but it also inspired him. On Sunday, Sept. 19, he rented a panel truck from Home Depot and set out to fill it with the garbage bags piling up in his Holy Cross neighborhood. Ecklar found that trash pickup is like electricity: You dont realize its there until its gone. Hes not sure how long his neighborhood had been waiting for the trash truck to pass by. Sometime after Hurricane Ida, the official trash bins had been emptied, but the plastic bags of overflow refuse had been left behind. It was a mess. +6 Mayor LaToya Cantrell unveils $20 million emergency sanitation plan amid trash crisis In the most sweeping measure yet aimed at ending New Orleans' trash crisis, Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Thursday said the city had hired four eme Ecklar said he posted his plan to pick up trash on a neighborhood website and strode the streets on Sunday, clanging a pair of cymbals, to alert neighbors to the garbage removal opportunity. It was like, Bring out your dead, bring out your dead,' he said. As he heaved bag after smelly bag into the back of the rental truck, he commiserated with fellow frustrated residents, jokingly asking them to give me one good reason not to take this to City Hall. Ecklar estimates that 15 neighbors encouraged him to feel free to share their garbage with the municipal government. It was a mutual joke, he said. In truth, he said, he planned to fill the truck and take the trash to the city-sanctioned drop-off point on Monday. As best he knew, it was closed on Sunday. But at a crucial point, the joke became an imperative. Ecklar said he encountered an older woman who seemed more concerned with his well-being than ridding herself of her accumulating garbage. She warned him to watch out for maggots. Her goodwill in the face of post-hurricane challenges stirred him to action. The pressure of civility had become too much to bear. Ecklar, 55, knows something about pressure. Hes a professional diver, who plunges into the Gulf of Mexico to patch holes and make repairs on oil industry pipes. He calls himself an underwater plumber. He was born near Dayton, Ohio, but hes lived in New Orleans for 20 years. He said that divers have a reputation for recklessness. Anybody who got into diving has a poor sense of decision-making, he said, laughing. Protester David Ecklar 2.jpeg Protester David Ecklar was busted on Sept. 19 for dumping garbage bags at City Hall Ecklars neighbor Belinda Moody tried to talk him out of taking the garbage to City Hall. She saw him pass by, picking up garbage, and went out to greet him. He said, Im just a citizen, just picking up the rubbish,' Moody recalled. When he suggested he might take the trash to City Hall, she warned him that his protest would only result in arrest, a fine, and maybe jail. It wasnt worth it. But, she said, he was already geared up. So Moody contacted neighbors, hoping to drum up some Holy Cross support for his City Hall protest, and called television stations to seek coverage. She also volunteered to meet Ecklar on Perdido Street to video whatever transpired. Upon arrival, his first act was to try to rally support by crashing his cymbals near a bus stop, she said. But the bus riders werent interested. Ecklers protest was a big, clear, loud message that only I saw, Moody said. Protester David Ecklar 3 .jpeg Protester David Ecklar was busted on Sept. 19 for dumping garbage bags at City Hall It didnt take City Hall security guards long to notice Ecklar tossing trash onto the sidewalk near the entrance to the building at about 5:15 p.m. In a few minutes an NOPD patrolman arrived and brought Ecklars subversion to a halt, placing him in cuffs. Soon, Ecklar said, a more senior officer showed up, sized up the situation, and offered Ecklar an ultimatum. He said, 'Either pick up the trash, or well take this to the next level, Ecklar recalled. Ecklar interpreted the next level to be the Broad Street jailhouse. So, dressed in a well-soiled scarlet T-shirt and shorts, the dissident began undoing his demonstration. Ecklar admits that he gave the cops a piece of his agitated mind, cursing with abandon, ranting about the citys failures and arguing that he hadnt actually illegally dumped garbage but merely moved it from Holy Cross to Perdido Street. +3 Trash haulers go un-fined by City Hall despite claims of being held to account None of New Orleans three city-contracted waste hauling companies have received fines of any kind since at least the beginning of 2010 desp Amy Stelly, an urban designer who happened to be passing by, misunderstood the situation entirely. She thought she was witnessing City Hall benefiting from trash removal, while much of the rest of the city waited, so she stopped to video the scene. There was this poor guy putting trash in the trash truck, she said. I thought he was a city employee. I thought the city was getting their trash picked up. Ecklar describes himself as an idealist. He said he wanted to be an anonymous exemplar, an everyman taking a stand for the greater good in the face of a civic crisis. He said he thought the highly publicized Trash Parade that took place the day before his one-man protest was "silly." He said that if everyone in the city had just dropped off a bag of trash at City Hall, the problem would be solved by now. Or maybe not. In the wake of his interrupted protest, nothing much has changed, from his perspective anyway, Ecklar said. There was no effective result, he said. As of Friday morning, I havent seen a trash truck. Nobody said, Lets get down to Holy Cross to shut this guy up. On Sunday, after Ecklar finished sweeping the City Hall sidewalk, a sanitation worker arrived to spray the dumpster juice with scented disinfectant. Ecklar went home to take a bath, and in the end, it was all washed away. Days after Hurricane Ida decimated the regions electric grid, Chelsea Raine Brauwn was confronted with an unusual dilemma: What should she do with 150 pounds of bacon? Brauwn is the facility manager and event coordinator for First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, which sits on the corner of Jefferson and Claiborne avenues in the Freret neighborhood. The church complex comprises a commercial kitchen, along with a walk-in refrigerator and freezer. Since it received power the Wednesday following Idas landfall much earlier than most local businesses and residents Brauwn knew there was something she could do to help. I was talking to one of my buddies with the New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance, and realizing how many places had to let go of their food because they couldn't refrigerate it, said Brauwn, who has worked in the restaurant industry. It was a massive thing that we can give back to the community by storing food here. Soon after sharing the news, Brauwn received produce from Louisiana Fresh and food donations from local grassroots organizations, including The New Orleans Mutual Aid Group, which runs a food warehouse in the St. Roch area. They couldn't manage all the donations that were coming in. So they contacted me through the New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance, said Brauwn. They began offloading food here. Those deliveries included the massive amount of bacon. So Brauwn consulted with Jyl Benson, a member of First Unitarian Universalist Church, freelance food writer and chef. She has amazing culinary experience and she was eager to help out, said Brauwn. Putting all the pieces together, we realized we could produce all the food that was coming in into meals. Brauwn and fellow congregants produced more than a thousand meals, brimming with savory morsels of bacon. Initially, they set up a serving station outside the church and fed the community. But after electricity began returning to homes throughout New Orleans, Brauwn noticed a drop-off of people needing hot meals, day-to-day. Another collaboration They shifted their focus to food production, knowing the meals could be frozen and delivered to communities still struggling. Southern Solidarity and the Greater New Orleans Caring Collective stepped in to help. Southern Solidarity supports the citys unhoused population. The Caring Collective, a nonprofit born during the pandemic, delivers boxes of food and premade meals to people who lack the financial or physical resources to purchase groceries. Both groups rent space on the church grounds. After the hurricane, we all were thinking of different ways to help, said Brauwn. They called on their supporters for donations of all kinds from nonperishable foods and bottled water, to baby supplies and personal care items. Soon, the churchs gym was filled with items, neatly arranged on rows of folding tables. CrescentCare donated protective gear. The groups that produce the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee sent 300 tents. Individuals have delivered relief resources, and theyve offered their time. The response has been really incredible to have people coming out of the woodwork, both to donate and to volunteer, said Brauwn. Dan Bingler, who is actively involved with the Caring Collective and Southern Solidarity, spends time at First Unitarian Universalist Church organizing supplies and coordinating logistics for group projects whether its cleaning catch basins or bringing meals to the Seafood Workers Alliance. We move into many different needs, Bingler said. A variety of aid The gym-turned-hurricane relief hub inside the church is divided into two sections, he explained. One side holds supplies reserved for certain organizations, such as United Houma Nation. On the other side, items are simply grouped into different categories, including illustrated books and art supplies. Children need those comforts, Bingler said. Volunteers visiting Terrebonne, Plaquemines and other hard hit parishes will stop by the gym, grab a bin, and fill it with the resources they know they will need. Bingler notes that he collaborates with groups who are already working in those parishes, and builds relationships with people they are helping. We identify the families we're assisting so that we can keep up with them and treat them like our neighbors, he said. Its not just, Hey, we're going to come help this one time, but, We're going to check back on you and make sure you're still doing OK. And then when the next hurricane hits, we already have community. Brauwn, also thinking ahead, hopes to create a community kitchen inside First Unitarian Universalist Church and some sort of financial system so she can pay people for their time. She works part-time for the church and serves as the communications manager for the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy. We were running on pure volunteer hours, Brauwn said. Not only were those hard to come by after all of this, because people were dealing with their own recovery efforts, but we need somebody to direct the program. You can't ask a volunteer to work a full day of work for so many days out of a week without being able to pay them. Most people can't afford to do that in their regular lives. A community works together on its garden after Ida Just weeks after Hurricane Ida passed through southeast Louisiana, neighbors were working to help one another remove storm-downed trees, clean The St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office has just begun equipping its enforcement deputies with body cameras thanks to a contract with Axon Enterprise to outfit all patrol, traffic and civil deputies, according to Sheriff Randy Smith. As one of his first actions for the new fiscal year, Smith said he signed the contract in an effort to improve transparency. The $1.6 million, five-year contract includes not only the cameras but also the necessary training and, more importantly, the storage and records management for the cameras and footage. Axon will provide the training. Smith said purchasing body cameras has been one of his priorities since taking office in 2016, and when he exhausted all opportunities for grant funding to purchase the cameras, he made the cuts necessary to find the money in the agencys general fund to buy them. This tool will help increase and promote transparency and accountability within the ranks and within the community we serve. Body cameras put everyone, deputies and citizens alike, on their best behavior, the sheriff said. Law enforcement making some 'Night Out' changes Oct. 1 is the deadline for a requesting that a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputy attend individual National Night Out activities will be held locally on Oct. 6. Registration is available on the sheriff's website, www.stpso.com, under "Community Programs." National Night Out is a nationwide crime prevention event designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts and unite communities. It is a chance to learn about crime prevention while celebrating individual communities and spending time with neighbors and local law enforcement. Representatives from various divisions of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office will participate , but because of COVID-19 concerns, neighborhoods are asked to host several smaller parties as opposed to having one large party to keep the numbers low at each. Attendees are also asked to wear masks and practice social distancing measures when possible. The Mandeville Police Department also is participating in National Night Out events on Oct. 6, and any neighborhood group that wants an officer to attend is asked to contact Officer Eddie Vanison at (985) 626-9711 as soon as possible. Citizens in other municipalities interested in having a law enforcement officer attend a Night Out event should contact their local police department. Because of COVID-19 concerns, the Mandeville Police Department opted this year not to host its usual event at the Trailhead for fear of drawing a large crowd. Chamber of Commerce plans to retain board for extra term Due to the COVID-19 pandemics impact on St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce operations, the interruptions of business support events and chamber finances, the group's board is recommending that all that all existing directors remain in place to serve one additional year to their current term. Each is a director in good standing and has committed to accept all responsibilities of directorship for one additional year, Chamber officials said. The year 2020 was to be the first of three transition years for the parishwide chamber, but the interruptions caused by COVID-19 and resulting economic plunge led to decisions to preserve and maintain the integrity of the organization during the ongoing recovery. The governance and policy-making responsibilities of the chamber are vested in its board, which controls the group's property and directs its finances and affairs. And a review of bylaws allows members in good standing to service an addition year under certain circumstances. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Also, additional advisory board members will be appointed by the board chairman for one-year terms in order to enhance communications with other business groups and nonprofits. The bylaws also allow the nomination of additional candidates by a petition of at least 50 chambers members but that it be filed with the Nominating Committee by noon on Oct. 2. If no additional candidates are presented by qualified petition, the current directors will be declared elected for one additional year of their originally elected term. The 2018-20 directors are: David Boudreaux, division manager, Hancock Whitney Bank; Paul LeBlanc, managing partner, Arbor Lending Group LLC; Lisl Blitch Moyer, executive director, New Heights Therapeutic Riding Center; and Ryan Myers, CEO, F.H. Myers Construction. The 2019-21 directors are: Tony Adams, group manager, Iberia Bank; Erin Cowser, assistant commissioner for legislative affairs, Board of Regents; Kyle Kent, president, Kent Design Build Inc.; David Landry, partner, Carver Darden LLC; Kathryn LeBlanc, president/CEO, Cedarwood School; Jennifer Messina, vice president of development, Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West; Chairman Tom Meyer, vice president, Benefit Planning Group & Wealth Management; and past chairman Townsend Underhill, president of development, Stirling Properties LLC. The 2020-22 directors are: Sarada Bonnett, event director, Covington Three Rivers Art Festival; Carrie Calvin, CPA, director of accounting/auditing, Bourgeois Bennett; Alan Case, vice president, Lowry-Dunham, Case & Vivien Insurance; Joan Coffman, CEO, St. Tammany Health System; John Herman, CEO, Northshore Region, Ochsner Health System; David Hursey, principal governmental services representative, Cleco; Kendra Maness, publisher, Slidell Magazine; Louis Ochoa, owner, The Sadie Jane; Colin Shea, benefits consultant, Gilsbar; and Sandy Badinger, CEO, Slidell Memorial Hospital. Hewitt lauded for support of St. Tammany Corp. goals State Sen. Sharon Hewitt was lauded as a St. Tammany Champion of Economic Development by the St. Tammany Corp. for her efforts during the 2020 First Extraordinary Legislative Session and the 2020 regular session. Chris Masingill, the corporation's CEO, said Hewitt continues to provide ongoing support of resources and tools for business retention, expansion, and attraction at the state level, and champions sustainable economic development in the parish as a partner of the St. Tammany Corp. The award also acknowledged Hewitt's efforts to secure additional funding to local entities and to provide St. Tammany Corp. with critical resources to continue economic development activities while the local economy experiences the ongoing effects and impacts of the pandemic. We started our St. Tammany Champions of Economic Development campaign in May 2019 to highlight the importance of economic development in St. Tammany and to honor public servants, business and community leaders who support job growth, wealth creation and the efforts of St. Tammany Corporation," Masingill said. "Sen. Hewitt is very deserving of this honor. Marty Mayer, the St. Tammany Parish Development District board president, said Hewitt, fosters collaboration among stakeholders and partners to build coalitions as a tireless leader in workforce development, talent retention and STEM education. Road work planned The town of Abita Springs, in conjunction with the state Department of Transportation and Development, will install two new stop signs at the intersection of Main Street and La. 435 on Oct. 5, making the crossing a three-way stop. Signage will be installed at the approach to each sign to warn drivers to stop ahead. To allow for asphalt paving on Interstate 10, a partial road closure will affect all eastbound and westbound lanes is expected to begin Sept. 27 and end Oct. 10. The closure will have alternating travel through the area nightly from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., weather permitting, from the Twin Span Mile Post 260.05 through the I-10/I-12/I-59 interchange Mile Post 267.4. GOP endorsements made The St. Tammany GOP at the endorsement meeting held Sept. 17 at the St. Tammany Parish Chamber endorsed candidates for the Nov. 3 election. They included: president, Donald J. Trump; U.S. senator, Bill Cassidy; U.S. representative 1st Congressional District, Steve Scalise; public service commissioner, Eric Skrmetta; district judge 22nd JDC Division 3, Ellen M. Creel; district attorney 22nd JDC, Warren Montgomery; justice of the peace Ward 1 (two to be elected), Peter J. Lalanne Jr. and Amy Murphee; justice of the peace Ward 2 (two to be elected), Susan Tingstrom Leonard and Anne Thompson; justice of the peace Ward 5, Joe Tosterud; and justice of the peace Ward 8, Michael Tassin. Also, constable justice of the peace Ward 2, Marcus King; constable justice of the peace Ward 4 (two to be elected), Jane Eshleman and Jonathan Witman; constable justice of the peace Ward 6, Lee Williams III; constable justice of the peace Ward 7, Greg Chabreck; and constable justice of the Peace Ward 10, Matthew "Matt" King. For falsely and repeatedly reporting that their flight luggage had been lost, two New Orleans area men have been charged with stealing more than $550,000 from commercial airlines, federal prosecutors said Friday. Pernell Anthony Jones Jr, 31, of Kenner and Donmonick Martin, 29, of Chalmette are accused of collaborating to submit more than 180 claims over five years to American, Alaska, United, JetBlue and other airlines for nonexistent lost luggage. +2 New indictment in brazen 18-wheeler crash scheme alleges more lawyers involved The latest federal indictment over a brazen scheme to crash vehicles into 18-wheelers for insurance money names seven new defendants accused o As part of the plot, Jones flew on commercial airlines under fictitious names and with fake identification from 2015 to last year, the government contends. When he arrived at his destinations, he allegedly reported his luggage was lost and requested compensation from the airlines, which mailed him reimbursement checks. Martin agreed to allow his home address and PayPal account to be used for receipt of reimbursements, and on one occasion falsely reported a lost bag himself at Louis Armstrong International Airport, prosecutors alleged. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The U.S. attorneys office charged both defendants Thursday in bills of information. The agency didnt elaborate on how Jones, Martin and other alleged co-conspirators were caught. Jones is charged with conspiracy and mail fraud, Martin with conspiracy. If convicted, Jones could be sentenced to as long as 20 years in prison, Martin to as long as five years, although maximum sentences in federal court are rare for first offenders. Neither man could be reached Friday at publicly listed telephone numbers for them. They have not entered pleas in the case. This article was co-published with ProPublica and produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with WRKF and WWNO. As Sojourner Gibbs pulled out of her parking space at a Sams Club in Jefferson Parish one afternoon last summer, she felt the familiar, sickening symptoms of diabetic shock. Weakness, confusion. She began to sweat and shake uncontrollably. And then, Gibbs said, panic set in. Her car lurched forward. She hit the brakes. Her groceries jostled in the back. People started honking. A concerned woman approached. Im a diabetic! I need help! Gibbs yelled. The woman called 911. Dispatcher notes show a report of a Black female sitting/screaming in a gold Ford Expedition. Appears scared. Moments later: Needs EMS. Jefferson Parish sheriffs deputies arrived quickly. Gibbs, a doctoral candidate in public policy, thrashed in the front seat, her body stiffening. She recalls telling deputies she was diabetic. The sheriffs department report says she told deputies to go away. As deputies converged, Alicia Dardar pulled up. She immediately thought of George Floyd, who a month earlier had been killed by a Minneapolis police officer. She started recording. Dardars video shows four deputies dragging Gibbs out of her SUV. Gibbs cries, I dont know why youre doing this. Then a deputy grabs one of Gibbs legs from underneath her, sending her face-first into the dirt. They secure her hands behind her back with zip ties. When paramedics arrived, Gibbs blood sugar level was 17 milligrams per deciliter. Levels below 40 milligrams can be critical, even fatal. Over the next few months, Gibbs would file a complaint with the sheriffs internal affairs division, hoping officers would face consequences. But no official ever interviewed her, and the officers were exonerated. Had the incident played out in New Orleans, Gibbs pursuit of answers might have had very different results. Thats because a 2013 agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice prompted dramatic improvements in policing, turning the troubled New Orleans Police Department into a model of reform. But the DOJ has never launched an investigation into law enforcement in Jefferson Parish, where policing looks a lot like it did in New Orleans a decade ago. There are wide racial disparities in the people shot by officers, and the department offers little transparency in cases where force is used and a flawed internal affairs process that critics say protects problematic deputies. Records and data collected by ProPublica and WWNO support the claims many Black residents have made for years: that deputies treat residents and residents of color in significantly different ways. More than 70% of people who deputies shot at during the past eight years were Black, more than double the 27% of the parishs population that is Black, an investigation by WWNO and ProPublica found. Similarly, 12 of the 16 people who died after being shot or restrained by deputies during that time were Black. No deputy was found at fault in any of those deaths, according to sheriffs records, court documents and news reports. The disparities resemble those at the Louisiana State Police, which has come under heavy fire recently over a pattern of violence directed at Black arrestees. At that agency which Black lawmakers have asked the Department of Justice to investigate 67% of incidents where police used force in recent years have targeted Black Louisianans, the Associated Press reported Sept. 9. Black people make up nearly one-third of the states population. The Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office's public accounting of incidents where officers used force on residents lacks transparency. In response to public records requests, the Sheriffs Office could not say how often deputies use force. The office refused to provide copies of complaints against deputies. Sheriff Joe Lopinto declined to be interviewed for this story and did not respond to written questions. Gibbs said she had heard of abuses by Jefferson Parish deputies for years, but she never saw herself as a potential victim. I thought as long as I do the things Im supposed to do, Id be OK, she said. We pay our taxes. We have a very nice home. We go to work. We go to school. We educate our children. Across the parish line Jefferson Parishs explosive growth in the last half of the 20th century was largely a function of White New Orleanians fleeing the city. For years, its voters were reliably conservative. But Black people now account for more than a quarter of Jefferson Parishs population, and Latinos 15%. And while Jefferson voters supported Donald Trump in the past two presidential elections, they also twice chose Gov. John Bel Edwards over a Republican. The sheriff has traditionally been a towering figure. The late Harry Lee, who was sheriff for 28 years, called his job the closest thing there is to being a king in the U.S. Lee, perhaps Jeffersons most popular politician until his death in 2007, embraced controversial tactics like racial profiling. He once declared: If there are some young Blacks driving a car late at night in a predominantly White area, they will be stopped. When Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans in 2005, it prompted a large crowd of mostly Black people to attempt to cross the Crescent City Connection into Jefferson Parish. They were turned back by JPSO deputies and Gretna Police Department officers, at least one of whom fired a shot in the air. The blockade led to protests and allegations of racism. Ultimately what happened three days later on the Danziger Bridge overshadowed the episode. There, NOPD officers shot six Black people who were trying to flee the flooded city, killing two. Police attempted to cover up the murders by planting evidence, fabricating witnesses and falsifying reports. That incident and others triggered a federal investigation of NOPD, which highlighted racial disparities in policing, routine use of excessive force and a failure to discipline officers. Those tend to be hallmarks of agencies the DOJ targets for consent decrees. Jonathan Smith, a former DOJ official who helped oversee the investigation into NOPD, said that a lack of accountability is probably the most important thing Ive seen in every department where theres been a problem. That gives people impunity to engage in bad conduct. A department that polices itself Since the consent decree, any time a New Orleans police officer uses any force, it triggers an internal affairs investigation. The NOPD now prohibits neck holds, warning shots, shooting at moving vehicles and pistol-whipping. Officers must intercede when they suspect a colleague is using excessive force. The JPSO has none of those rules. Instead, its policy is that deputies should only use as much force as necessary. It does not include a list of prohibited actions. It states only that when a deputys use of force causes injury, the deputy must complete a report, while a ranking officer determines if there are any witnesses or evidence. Its not clear that JPSO tracks how its officers use force at all. In response to requests, the department provided only records of shootings, though the vast majority of use-of-force incidents do not involve shootings, experts say. For a long time, New Orleans system was similarly broken. But after the DOJ intervened, the NOPD created a board that reviews all incidents and publishes the findings in an online database. The number of times NOPD officers have reported using force has fallen by more than half over the past five years, from 754 incidents in 2015 to 338 last year, due largely to improved training, according to the consent decree monitor and criminal justice experts. My son has a bullet wound Calls for reform at JPSO intensified last summer when, amid nationwide protests over Floyds death, it emerged that the Sheriffs Office had failed to acknowledge that a deputy shot 14-year-old Tremall McGee months earlier. Tremall and three friends had run from deputies in March 2020 after being pulled over in a stolen car. Tremall, who was unarmed, was trying to squeeze under a shed when a deputy shot him in the shoulder. Tremalls mother, Tiffany McGee, said she tried for months to get answers about her sons shooting. But when she asked to file a complaint, she was sent to the internal affairs division, which told her to contact the FBI. The FBI sent her back to the Sheriffs Office, where detectives referred her to the head of the gun violence unit, who told her their officers hadnt shot at anyone recently. When McGee pressed the sergeant, he asked, He was shot with a firearm, not a Taser? according to a recording of their conversation. My son has a bullet wound, she replied. That is never going to go away. At 14 years old, OK? Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up McGee finally turned to the media. Lopinto acknowledged the shooting, but said he hadnt made it public out of concerns for the boys privacy. Attempts to reach the deputy for comment were unsuccessful. We have the authority to defend ourselves, he said. And guess what? Theres people out there that shoot at us. Lopinto also dismissed the boys injuries as non-life-threatening and accused the people suing him of spreading a false narrative for the sake of trying to get a payday. In response to the familys lawsuit, the Sheriffs Office said its deputies actions were reasonable under the circumstances and accused Tremall McGee of negligence. There have been at least 35 incidents in which a JPSO deputy shot at someone since 2013, according to records provided by the Sheriffs Office, but when WWNO and ProPublica requested investigative reports on all of them, the organizations received only 16 files. The Sheriffs Office withheld the rest, saying they were still under investigation, were the subject of litigation or involved juveniles. In at least 12 of the 35 cases, deputies accounts were disputed, the records show. Of the 40 people deputies shot at during the past eight years, 29 were Black. Thanks to the consent decree, NOPD now typically releases body camera footage within 10 days when an officer shoots someone or a suspect is hospitalized or killed. Each shooting triggers independent reviews of witness interviews, autopsies and disciplinary hearings. In New Orleans, people can have faith in the process, said Stella Cziment with the New Orleans Independent Police Monitor, a civilian oversight agency. Theres a lot of eyes on that decision, and a lot of evidence behind that decision. +10 Modesto Reyes family lawyers and Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto battle over autopsy results Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto and attorneys for the family of the man slain by one of his deputies traded interpretations of dueling au In Jefferson Parish, by comparison, people alleging abuses by deputies have turned to the courts. Nearly twice as many lawsuits have been filed against JPSO deputies as against NOPD officers since 2013, though NOPD has about 50% more officers. As with the shootings, three-fourths of the plaintiffs in the Jefferson Parish lawsuits were Black. The litigation highlights problems in how the Sheriffs Office handles some of its most serious cases. While it conducts criminal investigations to see if deputies violated the law, the Sheriffs Office has repeatedly said in court filings that it did not conduct internal affairs investigations into high-profile deaths in police custody. Eric Parsa, 16, died in January 2020 after deputies including one who weighed more than 300 pounds sat on his back for at least nine minutes while he was facedown in a parking lot, according to court records. The coroner ruled the severely autistic boys death was an accident as a result of excited delirium, with prone positioning as a contributing factor. The family filed a lawsuit against the Sheriffs Office, which issued a press release saying the suit was rife with false claims and malicious accusations and claiming that Parsa had attacked his father and deputies were trying to control him. William Most, who represents Parsas parents, asked through discovery if the Sheriffs Office conducted an internal affairs investigation. The answer was no, according to court filings. Most also asked about the May 2018 death of 22-year-old Keeven Robinson, whose family claims he died after deputies beat and choked him. Lopinto told reporters he suspected Robinsons death was due to a combination of asthma and poor air quality. But the coroners office ruled his death a homicide by asphyxiation and said his injuries were consistent with someone squeezing his neck or choking him. +13 2 years after Keeven Robinson killed in struggle with JPSO deputies, DA says no criminal charges More than two years after Keeven Robinson was fatally choked during a struggle with Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office narcotics officers, Jeff As with Parsa, the Sheriffs Office said it did not conduct an internal affairs investigation into Robinsons death. Sam Walker, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said the absence of internal investigations into such deaths is inconceivable. I dont think this occurs anywhere else, he said. A flawed complaints process The lack of internal investigations has predictable consequences. When WWNO and ProPublica filed a public records request for copies of all complaints against JPSO employees during the past two years, the Sheriffs Office refused to fulfill it, calling it overly burdensome and an invasion of privacy. The agency said it couldnt even provide the number of complaints filed, stating such a number does not exist. When the news organizations then sought substantiated complaints only, the Sheriffs Office provided one report. It involved a deputy who was suspended for three days after being accused of slapping and choking a patient in an ambulance. Walker said the public release of outcomes into internal probes is vital when assessing whether misconduct is being rooted out. If you find out one out of every 50 [complaints] is sustained, that indicates a failure to really investigate and take seriously complaints about use of force, Walker said. Between 2017 and mid-2020, Jefferson Parish substantiated only one complaint. Over the same period, NOPD substantiated 247. No body cameras Its been more than a year since Dardar shot video of sheriffs deputies dragging Gibbs out of her vehicle. Its the only footage Gibbs has seen of the incident. Thats because the JPSO remains one of the few large U.S. law enforcement agencies that does not use body cameras. By 2016, about 80% of American police departments with at least 500 sworn officers were using them, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. Many more have adopted them since. Last year, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office entered into a $1.6 million, five-year contract that covers purchasing cameras, training officers on their use and storing footage. The Gretna Police Department followed suit in May. Its something that is good for the community, its good for the officers, Police Chief Arthur Lawson said. If the officer is acting inappropriately or violates our policies, it gives us a tool there. Lopinto, however, has pleaded poverty, saying storage would cost at least $1.9 million annually. The JPSO has an annual budget of about $100 million. After the McGee shooting, the state House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution requesting that Lopinto, by Jan. 1, 2021, present a plan to implement body cameras. Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Harvey, the author of the resolution, said there is a parish-wide consensus in support of the technology. But Lopinto has yet to present a plan. About three months after Gibbs filed her complaint with the Sheriffs Office, she received a short letter saying the investigation into her complaint had been concluded and that all four deputies had been exonerated. +4 Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office an outlier on body cams as criticism swirls around deadly force A shooting last month that left a Black welder dead in Marrero after he bolted from deputies was only the latest episode of fatal force by Jef This means that the investigation and reviews have determined that the facts do not reflect a violation of this Departments Code of Conduct, the Sheriffs Office wrote. Gibbs said the letter retraumatized her. But she was not surprised. If you want to perpetuate a certain conduct, you keep that person moving forward, she said. Institutions protect institutions. In response to a lawsuit Gibbs later filed against the Sheriffs Office, the department defended its deputies actions as reasonable under the circumstances and wrote that Gibbs, by virtue of her own actions and conduct, was guilty of negligence. When a reporter told her that the deputy who grabbed her leg from underneath her, sending her face-first into the dirt, was the same person who shot 14-year-old Tremall McGee, she put her head in her hands and cried. Hannah Fresques of ProPublica contributed data analysis. Mariam Elba of ProPublica contributed research analysis. Gordon Russell with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate contributed reporting. Louisiana State Police detectives have jailed a New Orleans man on charges of selling fake driving school certificates. The agency opened the investigation after the state Office of Motor Vehicles reported suspicions about 211 certificates it received, said Trooper Kate Stegall, a spokesperson for Troop B. Certificates of drivers education are required to obtain a Louisiana drivers license. Detectives tracked the documents to a business called Professional Legal Services in Gretna, Stegall said. The company was owned and operated by Prentiss Martin, 56. Detectives served a search warrant at the business and seized items used to make counterfeit documents, State Police said. They obtained a warrant to arrest Martin and booked him with 211 counts of forgery, Stegall said. He was being held Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of a $260,000 bond. Stegall said she did not have other details, such as the price of the phony certificates. None of the people who submitted the counterfeit certificates has been arrested, Stegall said. A dump truck careened into large exit sign on Interstate 10 in New Orleans, leaving metal scaffolding draped across the westbound lanes and snarling traffic in both directions for hours Friday afternoon. New Orleans police have not released any information about injuries related to the crashes, which occurred about 3:15 p.m. near the City Park Avenue and Metairie Road exits. The dump truck was heading eastbound on I-10 when the driver lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a support pole in the median for an I-10 West overhead sign marking the West End and Florida boulevard exits, according to New Orleans police. The sign, which stretches across all three lanes of I-10 West as well as the exit ramp, fell to the ground, blocking the roadway. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Two of the three lanes re-opened just before 4:30 p.m., the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said. But traffic congestion stretched onto the Crescent City Connection, to the Terry Parkway exit of the West Bank Expressway. Scene at the collapsed sign that have made a mess of the interstate in both directions from the West End exit pic.twitter.com/DFlNfJLxdc Keith Spera (@KeithSpera) September 24, 2021 Meanwhile, the dump truck's crash on I-10 East closed the far left lane, causing congestion that extended to Transcontinental Boulevard in Metairie, according to authorities. A number of secondary crashes were reported due to the heavy traffic in both directions, though the exact number was not immediately available. Roseburg, OR (97470) Today A few passing clouds. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. The characters in his mosaics may appear to have been roughed up but they are built into an armature thats solid, something the artist likes about the medium. Theyve definitely been through something, but those experiences theyve had to negotiate are maybe the ones that have left good scars, said Johnson. The Broken Nine for the Met were inspired in part by Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, which he read during quarantine with his family in Bridgehampton, N.Y., and also by the religious figures in Peruvian paintings. Theres a real autonomy in each character. They dont have to be tragic, he said. Ian Alteveer, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art who led its acquisition of The Broken Five, a 2019 work on view there, finds the figures wonderfully ambiguous. They could be stand-ins for the artist himself or witnesses facing the world and the horror of it all, Alteveer said. They also could be more magical than that strange new beings on the brink of a brand-new world. For Johnsons show at Kordansky, titled Black and Blue, he used Louis Armstrongs song of the same name as a departure point. In a new series called Bruise Paintings, his motif of the anxious face is now almost completely abstracted, rendered in a frenetic freehand with a palette of blues and repeated across linen in vast grids. The C.D.C.s advisers acted on what they described with considerable frustration as scant research, mulling over conflicting data points that seldom pointed in one direction. In the end, the panel unanimously endorsed booster shots for adults over 65 and for residents of long-term care facilities, who most clearly will benefit. The committee also backed the shots for people 50 to 64 with medical conditions that leave them at risk for severe Covid-19, as well as those 18 to 49 who have certain medical conditions, based on an assessment of their individual needs. Only Americans who already have received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will qualify for booster shots. The panel was not asked to judge whether people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines should receive the additional doses, which have not been authorized by the F.D.A. Several experts on the C.D.C. panel nevertheless urged a mix-and-match strategy, saying that they could see little reason not to offer a Pfizer-BioNTech booster to someone who qualified but had received, for example, the J. & J. vaccine. Some members warned that delivering multiple rounds of booster shots, available periodically when authorized, would tax an already burdened health care system. The C.D.C. panels guidance followed weeks of internal disagreement and public debate among American health officials and advisers. In mid-August, President Biden announced plans for a booster rollout, but scientists and regulators were quick to point out there was little research on who might benefit and how the doses should be distributed. The F.D.A.s acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock, said on Wednesday that the agencys authorization would allow for booster doses in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others. The condo board at the supertall tower 432 Park Avenue, one of the most expensive addresses in the world, is suing the developers for $125 million in damages, citing multiple floods, faulty elevators, intolerable noise caused by building sway, and an electrical explosion in June the second in three years that knocked out power to residents, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. The nearly 1,400-foot-tall tower, designed by the firm of star architect Rafael Vinoly, first came under scrutiny in February, when The Times revealed many of the claims made in the new suit. This case presents one of the worst examples of sponsor malfeasance in the development of a luxury condominium in the history of New York City, referring to the developers, CIM Group and Macklowe Properties, according to the complaint filed with New York State Supreme Court. The damages include the estimated cost to repair some 1,500 construction and design defects in common elements of the building that were identified by an engineering firm hired by the condo board; it does not include potential punitive damages, or separate lawsuits that individual residents might file. The damages could rise, said Jonathan Adelsberg, a partner at Herrick Feinstein, which is representing the condo board, which residents took over from the sponsor in 2020. A federal arrest warrant was unsealed on Thursday in Wyoming for Brian Laundrie, the elusive fiance of Gabrielle Petito, charging him with debit card fraud as the authorities continued to search for him as a person of interest in the investigation into the killing of Ms. Petito. The single-count indictment, which was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, Wyo., charged Mr. Laundrie with a single felony count of using unauthorized access devices related to a Capital One bank debit card at the end of last month. The authorities did not say whether the debit card belonged to Ms. Petito. The move by federal prosecutors came as the search for Mr. Laundrie, 23, continued at a nature reserve in Florida, where his parents said they believed he had gone. Ms. Psaki said that the White House had been horrified by the images of the agents on horses rounding up migrants and that Mr. Biden, whose administration has faced the highest level of border crossings in decades, was working to develop a humane immigration system. Still, criticism from immigration advocates continued building on Thursday over the decisions as to who could stay and who could not. More than two in three Haitian migrants who have been expelled from the border and returned to Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital, are women and children, according to initial estimates from UNICEF. Meanwhile, conservatives criticized the Biden administration for admitting so many others. It was unclear on Thursday how many Haitians had been deported as opposed to being allowed to enter the country and await asylum hearings. All told, nearly 2,000 Haitians had been returned to Haiti by late Thursday, about 40 percent of them family units, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. Resettlement groups said they were aware of about a roughly equal number from Del Rio who had been given permission to stay in the country. Under President Donald J. Trump, the asylum system was essentially brought to a halt, as almost no migrants were allowed to enter the country while their claims for protection were heard; instead, they were required to remain in Mexico, often settling in decrepit camps near the border. By contrast, the Biden administration has allowed more to enter, and remain in, the United States while their asylum cases unfold. Olivia King was a regular parishioner at Catholic Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, Tenn., attending a service there on Thursday morning only hours before she was killed in a mass shooting at a Kroger grocery store. Everyone needs to be more like Olivia, said Maureen Fraser, the vice mayor of Collierville, who had been friends with Ms. King since they both moved to the town in the mid-1990s. Kind, generous, caring, selfless. Ms. Fraser said that one Christmas season, Ms. King gave her family an envelope filled with money, knowing that Ms. Frasers husband was out of a job. Ms. Kings husband died in 2005, Ms. Fraser said, and she had lived with one of her three sons and his children before they recently moved to Ohio. Linda Evangelista, the supermodel made famous in the 1990s, said she had become brutally disfigured and unrecognizable after a cosmetic body-sculpting procedure that had turned her into a recluse. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, she referred to filing a lawsuit, saying that she was taking a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years. She added: To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiqs CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised. Ms. Evangelista, 56, said that after the fat-freezing procedure she developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a side effect in which patients develop firm tissue masses in the treatment areas. At the United Nations annual gathering of world leaders this week, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke ambitiously about international cooperation and a new diplomatic approach for a post-Trump America. But nearly all their diplomatic efforts at a pared-down U.N. General Assembly were shadowed and complicated by the legacy of President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Biden soothed strained relations with France in a call with President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday. Mr. Blinken met in New York with his French counterpart on Thursday. But French officials openly likened the Biden administration to Mr. Trumps in its failure to warn them of a strategic deal with Britain and Australia that they said muscled them out of a submarine contract. In a fiery address to the global body on Wednesday, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran suggested that there was little difference between Mr. Biden and his predecessor, invoking their respective foreign policy slogans: The world doesnt care about America First or America is Back. WASHINGTON Democrats are facing agonizing choices over what to keep and what to drop from their expansive $3.5 trillion social safety net package, as they labor to pacify the most conservative lawmakers in their ranks who have balked at its cost and scope. With moderates and liberals feuding over competing priorities, Democrats have a variety of options for cutting the package down to size, from jettisoning proposed programs outright to curtailing them or using gimmicks to control their cost. But they have little room for error given their slim majorities in Congress, where they need the support of every Democrat in the Senate and all but a few in the House to deliver it to President Bidens desk. Top Democrats inched toward narrowing the differences in their ranks over the bill on Thursday, claiming progress on what they called a framework agreement on how to finance the plan. But they offered no details about what programs would be included or what the total cost would eventually be, and left crucial disagreements unresolved about which tax increases would be included, and how large they would be. Among the issues at stake even if the price tag remains at $3.5 trillion are how long to maintain monthly payments to families with children, incentives for companies to transition to clean fuels, and the scale of tax increases for wealthy people and corporations. The Biden administration has deported more than 2,000 Haitians since last week, a nearly even mix of single adults and families, out of the more than 12,000 that have been apprehended in a small Texas town by border officials, according to internal accounts. Another 3,900 Haitians are in government custody and will be deported or put into removal proceedings, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Thursday night. Nearly 4,000 of the migrants have been released with instructions to report to immigration officials, and thousands more are in the process of being interviewed, according to an official familiar with the information who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said during a news briefing on Thursday that officials had intended to rapidly turn away all of the single Haitian adults and migrant families who arrived since last week after crossing the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas. But some migrant families, she said, have been allowed to stay, including some families with young children, because some authorities in Mexico would not accept migrant families with young, vulnerable children. Limited shelter capacity in Mexico has also hindered the administration from turning away some families, she said. Gira Sarabhai, an architect, designer, curator and historian who helped establish some of the most important design institutions in postcolonial India, giving her a hand in shaping generations of designers, artists and craftspeople, died on July 15 at her home in Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. She was 97. Her death was confirmed by her nephew Suhrid Sarabhai. As a young woman, Ms. Sarabhai was friends with a whos who of the worlds top modernist designers and architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, B.V. Doshi, Buckminster Fuller, Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Calder. She trained under Wright at Taliesin, his estate in Wisconsin, and was part of the team that worked on Wrights spiral design for the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan. (While in New York, she struck up a friendship with the composer John Cage, who tutored her musician sister, Gita.) Ms. Sarabhai returned to a newly independent India in the late 1940s and found that the country needed designers who could bridge the traditional with modernity. She plunged into numerous projects, designing modernist residential buildings and collecting Indian textiles. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that she wants New Zealand to get as close as possible to vaccinating 90 percent of its total population, a level that she said would allow the nation to avoid future lockdowns in response to the coronavirus. The government is reviewing a new study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, that shows that lockdowns would not be necessary once vaccination levels reached 90 percent, Ms. Ardern said in Auckland on Thursday. She declined to set a target, instead urging residents to get a shot and saying that she hoped New Zealand would have one of the highest vaccination rates. So far, over a third of the nation has received is fully vaccinated and 65 percent is at least partly vaccinated, according to Our World In Data. The more people are vaccinated, the fewer restrictions we will have to live with in the future, Ms. Ardern said. It all comes down to vaccination. The Joyce Theater, open to audiences again, has been transformed. I dont mean by the new seats, which look like brighter, cleaner versions of the frumpy old ones. I mean by the presence of Ragamala Dance Company, the Minneapolis-based troupe that is inaugurating the theaters in-person fall season. For Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim, the stage floor and backdrop are a pristine white. Over a set of wide steps at the rear hang bells at various heights. Three pools of water, shallow and rectangular, reflect light. The place is elegant and serene. Varanasi (formerly called Benares), located on the Ganges River, is an ancient city, holy to Hindus, who travel there to be cleansed by its sacred waters or cremated after death. Ive been there myself, and while I remember the spiritual light on the steps of the riverfront ghats, my American tourist recollections are mainly of sensory overload and crowds. BASEL, Switzerland Psychologists call it the mere exposure effect: Humans like what they already know, whether people, places, products or works of art. There was certainly a reassuring familiarity about most of the works on display at the 51st edition of Art Basel, which opened for previews on Tuesday and runs through Sunday. After three pandemic postponements since June last year, with online editions in the meantime, this was the first major in-person international art fair to be held in Europe since March 2020, when Tefaf Maastricht closed early after an exhibitor tested positive. The emphasis is on the staid and the predictable, said Matthew Armstrong, a New York-based art adviser and curator, of this years edition. People want the reassurance of what they know, he added, having noted, like many others, the preponderance of modern and contemporary paintings by established names. Armstrong was among the fairs few American attendees after the U.S. State Department had issued a Covid-19 do not travel advisory for Switzerland on Aug. 30. All visitors, wherever they come from, are required to wear masks and wrist bands showing proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test result. But there was no evidence that the fragment with writings from Mark had been filched. It was still at Oxford, and the society later said that Obbink had acknowledged showing it to Carroll but insisted he had not offered it for sale. (The society in 2018 said it had revised its earlier provisional dating of the fragment as being possibly from the first century, and said it more likely dated from the late second or early third.) The plot thickened, though, in 2019, when a copy of a 2013 contract between Obbink and the Hobby Lobby surfaced. The contract certified that Obbink, the seller, owned four pieces of fragmentary Greek manuscript with writing from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that were dated at about 100 AD. An attached document included citations of verses from those Gospels that corresponded with writing on Exploration Society texts. The Museum of the Bible said through a spokesman that it had turned over a copy of the contract to Exploration Society officials in 2019 because it felt obligated to let the society know that museum officials believed they had uncovered what appeared to be fraudulent activity. Around the same time, Brent Nongbri, a history of religions professor at a Norwegian school, published a copy of the contract, saying he had received it from a scholar affiliated with the Bible museum. Part of the contract appeared designed to keep the sale secret. Obbink was allowed to retain temporary custody of the items and the right to conduct scholarly research into them. The contract also called for the buyer and seller to safeguard and keep confidential all information regarding the subject matter of the scholarly research. The thing is, all those guys, they all took their careers very seriously, Harris said. To some extent, his father fed that image, he added, to the detriment of his reputation as an actor. Because now its hell-raiser Richard Harris, he said. Always that first. Sometimes the children of celebrities bristle at any mention of their family connections; but bring up Richard Harris, and his sons face brightens. (And make the mistake of referring to Richard Harris, a proud Irishman, as being part of the great tradition of English theater, and you can expect a playful rebuke: Not English! Thems fightin words.) Harris takes pride in his connection to that theatrical legacy not only that of his father but also that of Peter OToole, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton and the rest. I grew up admiring them as sort of distant mentors that you look up to, trying to figure out how they did it, he said. But I was also very attracted to the American tradition, watching Montgomery Clift and James Dean and Brando, Hackman and Hoffman and Pacino and De Niro. Always looking for how they do it. How does Robert Duvall do that? It took a lot of convincing to get Harriss parents to come see him act when he was at Duke. To be honest, none of them really had any expectations, hopes or confidence really that I would do anything other than stink the stage up, he said. His father finally gave in and came down to see him, post-graduation, in the play Entertaining Mr. Sloane. I remember so clearly hearing the first laugh I got from him in the audience, in the first five minutes, Harris said. He was really surprised and thrilled. Horror affords us the opportunity to really look at ourselves and the things that scare us, that disturb us, as a society and individuals, he said. Its incredibly powerful. The Haunting of Hill House was infused with Flanagans own experiences with death in his extended family, including specific imagery from his life. But Midnight Mass, he said, is by far his most personal work it is inspired by some of his most persistent fixations, as well as his experiences with religion and addiction. It begins with a young man and the aftermath of a terrible accident. After years in prison looking for God not only in the Christian Bible but also in every holy text he can lay his hands on Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns to his childhood home on an isolated island to stay with his family. Soon after, following the arrival of a young, jeans-wearing priest (Hamish Linklater), strange things start happening. Some seem like gifts from an all-loving God; others not so much. Either way, a higher power appears to be taking an active interest in worldly affairs. Thats right: After having successfully taken on Jackson, James and King, Flanagan is taking on God. Charles Sellers, a historian whose work on early-19th-century America helped overturn the postwar consensus that democracy and capitalism developed in tandem by showing that in fact they were more often at odds, died on Thursday at his home in Berkeley, Calif. He was 98. His wife, the historian and philosopher Carolyn Merchant, confirmed the death. The son of a Carolina farm boy turned oil executive, Dr. Sellers drew inspiration from his own familys rise to material wealth, even as he idealized the life they and America had left behind and castigated the competitive, commodified capitalist lifestyle that subsumed them. Capitalism commodifies and exploits all life, I conclude from my life and all I can learn, he said at a conference in 1994. Such language often got Dr. Sellers labeled a Marxist. He wasnt one, but he was a radical, both in his writing and in his politics especially during the 1960s at the University of California, Berkeley, where he spent most of his career. Image In Dr. Sellerss best-known book, he argued that the rapid expansion of capital and industry in the 19th century did more than just create a new economy; it altered everything, including the way people worshiped, slept and even had sex. He was best known for his book The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America, 1815-1846, published in 1991, in which he argued that the rapid expansion of capital and industry during that period did more than just create a new economy; it altered everything, including the way people worshiped, slept and even had sex. Thubrons latest, The Amur River: Between Russia and China, is hence not entirely new territory for him. Though the Amur, called the Heilongjiang in Chinese, is longer than the Indus and as politically consequential as the Rio Grande, it remains largely unknown in the West. Beginning about 500 miles east of Russias Lake Baikal and almost that far from any significant human settlement, it spills into the Pacific just past the grim, Russian harbor town of Nikolaevsk, Thubrons final stop. Because it forms the border between Russia and China for more than 1,000 miles, much of its length is off limits even to travelers as determined as Thubron. Perhaps to make up for it, he begins his journey at the source of the source: the marshlands of northern Mongolia where another river, the Onon, is born in a trickle that, when it crosses into Russia, becomes the Shilka and eventually the Amur. Even where it is not a highly militarized border zone, this is forbidding country. In Mongolia, Thubron passes through the Khenti Strictly Protected Area, a vast reserve of mountain, swamp and steppe that includes the birthplace and legendary burial site of Genghis Khan. There are no roads, so he travels on horseback with local guides, and breaks an ankle and two ribs for his effort. In Russia, the climate is bleak, the isolation profound. Already sparse populations are dwindling fast. Only on the Chinese side, where Thubron spends relatively little time, is there much infrastructure or social vitality. There, cities are sprouting almost overnight, forests giving way to factories and farms. Thubron hires guides, hitches rides, hops a train when he has to, and chats up whomever he can. The Russians, it turns out, fear and resent the Chinese. The Chinese feel much the same about the Russians, though with perhaps less fear than contempt. Their shared history is not a pretty one. In 1689, after Manchu armies uprooted Cossacks from forts they had established throughout the region, the czar ceded the Amur basin and much of Siberia to Beijing. By the mid-19th century, China had been hobbled by rapacious European powers, including and particularly by Britain. In 1858, Russia took back all lands north of the Amur. It was hardly worth it. The Amur, difficult to navigate even when it wasnt frozen, formed a poor highway to the Pacific. The towns that Thubron visits on the Russian side are dour, alcoholic, near-abandoned. On the Chinese side, new cities gleam with the future. There, the pace of change is so furious, the past is all but lost. U.S. recommendations on booster shots A U.S. government advisory panel has recommended booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine for adults over 65, for people ages 18 to 64 with underlying conditions and for residents of long-term-care homes, but it declined to endorse additional doses for workers who might have higher exposure on the job. The White House is likely to begin promoting and rolling out a plan for booster shots as soon as today, in keeping with the administrations intention to begin offering the additional doses this week. In one recent poll, about three-quarters of vaccinated Americans said they would opt for a booster if the doses were available. Boosters for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients werent up for debate before the panel. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing data for a Moderna booster, but it has not received an application from Johnson & Johnson. Several experts supported a mix-and-match strategy and signaled that they would revisit the issue as new data emerged. Analysis: For adults over 80, theres strong support for booster shots to prevent severe diseases and hospitalization, our reporter Apoorva Mandavilli says. Theyre at high risk, and their immunity isnt great to begin with and falls off quickly, she said. Its less clear for younger people, she added. There, the data is not yet showing a drop-off. 10. And finally, its not about you. Its about the hurricane. The National Hurricane Center, the government agency that tracks big storms, is posting weather updates that feel just a bit too personal for some Twitter users. Kate Still a Poorly Organized Depression, one read, prompting thousands of retweets containing variations of me, too responses. Struggling Kate Not Expected to Last Much Longer, another said, as the storm strengthened and quickly weakened a few weeks ago. The agency acknowledged that the jokes were intentional, but it said forecasters take a lighthearted tone only when a storm presents no threat to land or life. Have a comical evening. David Poller and Bryan Denton compiled photos for this briefing. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com. Here are todays Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. If youre in the mood to play more, find all our games here. China intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrency on Friday, declaring all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies illegal and issuing a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency mining, the power-hungry process in which vast computer networks compete for newly created crypto tokens. Bitcoin, the worlds largest cryptocurrency, dropped as much as 7 percent, to around $41,100, on the news, but recovered somewhat as the day went on. The clampdown in China comes as the countrys central bank has been testing its own digital currency, the electronic Chinese yuan. A notice posted by the central bank explicitly called out Bitcoin and Ether, the two most popular cryptocurrencies, for being issued by non-monetary authorities. George Selgin, an economist and senior fellow at the Cato Institute, said that creating a central bank digital currency and making crypto transactions illegal were part of the Chinese governments broader effort to channel citizens away from popular private financial services providers, such as AliPay and WeChat. A state-controlled digital currency would allow the government to collect data and keep tabs on citizens everyday transactions and would make it easier for the government to control access to an individuals funds, among other concerns. For companies, that means three things. First, we have to acknowledge the mental and emotional stress of people and provide resources and support and recognize that just because were experiencing the same pandemic, that doesnt mean were having the same experience. Second, we need to find ways to bring more flexibility to work life, and not assume face time or travel time is equivalent to output and value creation. And third, we need to get people back together and we need to build connections. It just feels better when you can be with colleagues. Companies that fail on those three dimensions are really in a very vulnerable position regarding their work force. Beyond all that, what are the factors you believe are contributing to the labor shortage? Its a robust economy, and people are bullish about growth and looking to invest, so there are a lot of jobs posted. Frankly, the government provided a lot of support. Weve turned off the immigration tap, and that used to be the release valve. Peoples flexibility to make different choices is higher than one would have expected it to be. So I think workers are not rushing to take a job, and demanding more. When kids werent going to school, they laid off all the bus drivers. Now theres plenty of demand, but finding bus drivers is not so easy because some of them made different choices with their lives. You have to be well trained to take on that job. Thats not a job that just anyone can or should do. So even in a profession like that, when we disrupted our work force, people dont just come back in a heartbeat. Weve known that climate change is an issue for decades. Why are C.E.O.s now seemingly so motivated to do something about it? Theres a tendency to say, If I change the way you think, youll change the way you behave. But its not actually that true. Thats a psychologists view of the world. A sociologists view of world is, If you want to change someones behavior, change the context around them, and they will respond to that context. What weve seen over the last two years is really a reshaping of context. This is the No. 1 topic, certainly in Europe, in many parts of the U.S. and in other parts of the world. And its clear that the investment required to address it is real. Were going to spend hopefully $3 trillion to $5 trillion a year for 30 years transitioning the global economy. Theres a lot of business to be done there. Companies are realizing that if they dont move, they risk being disrupted. Put that whole bundle together. I think we reach a tipping point. But so few companies seem to be taking the meaningful steps that will really reduce emissions on the global scale that is needed. Prosecutors in Northern California filed criminal charges against Pacific Gas & Electric on Friday in connection with the deaths of four people last year in a wildfire that was linked to the utilitys equipment. The Shasta County district attorney brought the charges including manslaughter, along with other felonies and misdemeanors in connection with the Zogg fire, which burned more than 56,000 acres and destroyed 204 buildings near Redding. An investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined that the fire was caused when a pine tree came into contact with electrical lines owned and operated by PG&E. PG&E said it had cooperated with the investigation. While criminal prosecutions of corporations is rare, one of the primary reasons to charge a corporation criminally is a finding that illegal behavior is widespread, its serious, its offensive and its so persuasive that the only appropriate action is criminal charges, Stephanie A. Bridgett, district attorney for Shasta County, said at a news conference on Friday. My office has made such findings. Send questions about the office, money, careers and work-life balance to workfriend@nytimes.com. Include your name and location, or a request to remain anonymous. Letters may be edited. Not So High Holidays I recently started a corporate job and am wondering about how to handle my observance of the Jewish holidays this fall and in the future. This year, Im using vacation and personal days and taking some unpaid hours. If I am responsible for work each week that cant be done in advance and if I have a much-shortened week because of an important holiday, can I reasonably ask for some accommodation? Or is it all on me to figure out how to complete the work in less time? Can I ask to work on a federal holiday, like Labor Day, so I wont be so behind? Im in a hard spot because my religion is important to me, but I dont see how in the culture of my current workplace, or perhaps because of the expectations set by my manager, I can do my work and observe the holidays. Do I forgo my religion so I am not out of a job or is my workplace required to meet me halfway? Anonymous Unfortunately, there is no federal law mandating time off for religious holidays. That said, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does say you cant be treated differently because of your religious background. To that end, your employer does have to provide you reasonable accommodation, so long as it doesnt impair the employer. You can and should ask for accommodations for your religious observance. Approach your manager with a specific plan for the fulfillment of your responsibilities when your faith requires you to take time off. How do you think you can both honor your faith and fulfill your professional responsibilities? Is there a colleague with whom you can share your workload during the holidays? Can you work longer hours on the days around the time you take off for religious observance? When sharing your plan, make it clear youre open to feedback and also make sure, looking ahead to next year, that you give plenty of notice for whatever plans you make to be put in place. I hope your manger is receptive to this conversation. You should not have to choose between your faith and making a living. Struggling to Step Back Last year, my husband and I moved to our long-planned retirement city. We both left behind very fulfilling careers. My husband is now fully retired while I chose to continue to work. At 62 years old, I knew I didnt want what to be the boss any longer and I was grateful to find employment doing similar work Id previously done but with far less responsibility. Im surprised by how hard it is to make this adjustment. Since Im in a new community, I dont have the same credibility and network I had in my past 20-year career. I keep reminding myself that this is what I wanted, but I still feel diminished at times. Can you suggest any resources that can help me get on with this next phase of my life? Anonymous, Arizona Adjusting to a change in professional standing can be overwhelming. After a career of leading, you are figuring out how to follow, while holding your head high. And you should. Please, be more generous with yourself. This is a major life change. It will take time to adjust and get to know who you are becoming. Perhaps reframe how youre thinking about this. You are not at all diminished. You were so accomplished and secure in yourself that you could take a step back. Youre now prioritizing other aspects of your life which, at 62, makes perfect sense. After a lifetime of working hard and pursuing a successful career, you can spend more time figuring out who you are beyond your professional identity. You have the benefits of a job income, health insurance, a way to occupy your time without the intensity and pressure of being the boss. I hope, in time, you can recognize this opportunity as a blessing and embrace the possibilities of your future. Although about 90 percent of the systems educators and 80 percent of support staff members have gotten at least one shot, thousands of workers have not. That could cause staff shortages in some schools. Educators who choose not to get vaccinated will be allowed an unpaid one-year leave with their health insurance intact. But they will not be allowed to enter school buildings starting Tuesday. Unions that represent educators and other school staff members are warning of disruptions for students and have urged Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay enforcement of the mandate. New York States vaccination requirement for health care workers is among the largest mandates of its kind that is set to take effect in the United States, with weekly virus testing not permitted as a substitute measure. How it goes and whether it leaves hospitals understaffed will be closely watched. California is requiring health care workers there to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, and a similar mandate in Maine will not be enforced until Oct. 29. New Yorks willingness to risk large-scale layoffs of health care workers comes amid a national nursing shortage, and the requirement is facing numerous legal challenges. We give patients a Bill of Rights, and they are able to choose what procedures or tests or medications they want to put in their system, said Gregory Serafin, a registered nurse at the Erie County Medical Center, and the lead plaintiff in a New York lawsuit that seeks to stop the mandate. Health care workers deserve the same medical autonomy to make those decisions. Depending on how many health care workers are fired, the policy could also test the resiliency of New Yorks health care system. Hospitals across the state are activating emergency staffing plans that they typically reserve for natural disasters or, more recently, surges in Covid-19 cases. Volunteers, students and retirees will fill vacancies, along with traveling nurses. Northwell, which has 77,000 employees, believes it can weather any loss of employees without the care of patients being affected. The Erie County Medical Center is not as sure. On Monday, the hospital had 553 inpatients, its busiest day on record. A big reason the hospital is so crowded is that it cannot discharge as many patients as usual to nursing or group homes, because they are also limiting admissions in anticipation of their own staff shortages because of the vaccine mandate. The death this month of Michael K. Williams, the Brooklyn actor most famous for his memorable portrayal of a gay stickup man in The Wire, was caused by an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl, New York Citys medical examiner said on Friday. Mr. Williams, 54, was found dead in his apartment in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn on Sept. 6. The medical examiner said the official cause of death was acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine. A longtime representative for Mr. Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The presence of multiple drugs in Mr. Williamss system at the time of his death does not necessarily indicate whether he took those drugs together or separately, or whether he used them knowingly or unknowingly. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 50 times more powerful than heroin and is cheaper to produce and distribute, has seen increased use in the United States in recent years as an alternative to heroin or prescription opioids. It has also contributed to a rise in fatal overdoses among older people and African-Americans. During the past few months, Rikers Island has been the site of sequential atrocities so stark that this week four members of New Yorks congressional delegation called for its immediate closure. Among the most recent was the death, a few weeks ago, of 24-year old Esias Izzy Johnson, who had spent the previous month trying and failing to be released on bail and his final hours, his family claims, screaming for medical help in vain. Just two weeks ago, Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, touring the jail with other elected officials, witnessed a man try to hang himself with a bedsheet. On Sunday, Isaabdul Karim became the 11th person to die in custody at Rikers this year. Mr. Karim died in the midst of a medical emergency after what his lawyers have said were weeks without the proper care. He had arrived at the jail 31 days earlier on a minor parole violation. But only 48 hours before he died, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law directed at ending the practice of detaining people for precisely these sorts of transgressions ones that include missing curfews or appointments with parole officers, or failing drug or alcohol tests. New York State was incarcerating people for these violations at a rate nearly three times the national average, and advocates for criminal justice reform had been pushing for the change for a long time as one means of dealing with the crises that have been escalating at Rikers. Mr. Karim would have been eligible for release only a few days after he died. Situated in one of the most forward-thinking cities on earth, Rikers gradually and then seemingly all at once has joined the ranks of the worst jails in the world, its early history having suggested a far more promising outcome. The 400-acre island, which had been serving as a garbage dump, opened as a jail site in the early 1930s, to replace the century-old penitentiary located farther south in the East River, on another island, Blackwells, where barbarism was endemic and which a visiting Charles Dickens once identified as a listless madhouse. Varo would live in Mexico for the rest of her life, with the exception of a year in Venezuela. She made her best work fanciful, haunting, personal and metaphorical in the 1950s and early 60s in Mexico City. There she formed a circle of exiled artist friends, including the Hungarian Surrealist photographer Kati Horna, the Austrian Surrealist artist Wolfgang Paalen and the British Surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, with whom she found camaraderie and shared ideas. Varo and Carrington would see each other almost every day, either in the middle of the day to go to the market or later in the evening for dinner, and they would discuss what they were working on, said Wendi Norris, who organized Indelible Fables, a solo exhibition of Varos work, at her San Francisco gallery in 2012. I believe that a lot of their narratives were born out of these conversations that they had. Norris said that the two had often worked through similar ideas parsing the theories of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung and the mystic philosophers George Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky but that they would manifest them in different ways. While Carrington was free in her painting, Varo was exacting. Her precision the single hair brushstrokes and the way that she was thinning the paint to get a lustrous layered effect is beyond masterful, Norris said by phone. Varo was interested in proportion and scale, as her father had been, and she would draft preliminary sketches carefully. It sometimes took her months to complete a single small painting. She was very deliberate, Norris said, and, in a way, patient. In other areas, too, Ms. Merkels approach fell short. Her handling of the euro debt crisis helped secure the future of the bloc, but at the cost of leaving the underlying dynamics overindebted southern countries and an unbalanced monetary union untouched. Her conciliatory approach to Russia, not least over the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, looks ever more untenable as President Vladimir Putin ruthlessly consolidates his regime. And while her inclination to avoid censuring Hungary and Poland for their breaches of the rule of law protected the bloc against disintegration, it sidestepped essential questions about the character of Europe. In Ms. Merkels absence, European leaders including Germanys next chancellor, whoever that is will need to determine the blocs future course. How will it navigate the increased rivalry between America and China? To what extent will it embark on a more autonomous defense strategy? And how will it combat the rise of the far right? At home, a similar pattern prevailed. Look at the economy. Yes, Germanys export surplus came to an all-time high during Ms. Merkels tenure, and G.D.P. reached a record high in 2019. But it has come at the cost of an increased some say excessive dependence on the Chinese market, something Ms. Merkel has done little to address. Whats more, by shielding Germanys car industry from more ambitious carbon-emission goals, Ms. Merkel has in effect exonerated managers from the need to innovate. Thats one reason German car companies are scrambling to keep up with their American and Chinese counterparts. Then theres climate change. Trying to protect key industries and fearing to impose too much change on voters, Ms. Merkel refrained from any far-reaching plan to cut emissions until late in her tenure. And though the share of renewable energy grew to 45 percent during her time in office, many experts agree that on its current trajectory, the country will not meet its goal of being carbon-neutral by 2045. Despite being seen abroad as the climate chancellor, Ms. Merkel has taken only very minor steps toward confronting the defining issue of our time. It all adds up to a country at once cozy and cosseted, ignorant of the dangers waiting in the wings. Ursula Weidenfeld, an economics journalist and the author of a recent biography of the chancellor, has likened Ms. Merkels Germany to the Shire in J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings. Peaceful and prosperous, soothingly old-fashioned, self-satisfied to the point of delusion and naive in a likable yet unnerving way: The analogy is apt. Ms. Merkel protected the Shire, which is what Germans expected of her and why she won four national elections in a row. But in doing so, she fostered its peculiar detachment from the world and its unwillingness to change, innovate or even discuss different ways forward. The chancellor also became stuck in her ways. Humble and unpretentious, she saw herself as a servant to her country. But in return for her service, dedication and competence, she came to expect demand, even blind trust. She has grown increasingly impatient with the forever chatter of Germanys political class. This kind of thing was hardly unusual at the time, filling a space that would later be occupied by television variety shows. But that means they were forgotten as soon as they closed, unless they were recorded as cast albums. But in 1943 that tradition was just beginning. Only a few shows both successful and esteemed got that treatment, like Oklahoma! A serious Black-themed hit like Carmen Jones was recorded; a goofy white hit even by the likes of Cole Porter, Something for the Boys, was not. Add that Waller is primarily assessed by jazz specialists who have little interest in musical theater. And then there is the most poignant issue, which is that the score of Early to Bed vanished after the tour. There is no full score extant to play from; the parts the instruments played in the orchestra dont survive. Instead, there are just piano sheet music versions of about six of the songs. Its as if all we had from Fiddler on the Roof were sheet music of five songs and we could listen only to oldsters talking about how good the show was. Or we could dig around a bit and find a little more. A small, diligent and brilliant off-Broadway company called Musicals Tonight, led by Mel Miller, embarked on finding out what the rest of Early to Bed was like in 2009 and found unpublished sheet music of a few more of the songs. Then it contacted a surviving cast member, the tap dancer Harold Stumpy Cromer, who recalled what he could 65 years later! of four songs that were never cast as sheet music. Between the published and unpublished sheets, recordings by Waller and others and Cromers recollections, it is clear that Waller wrote a distinctly yummy score. Anyone who knows Wallers work knows that he never wrote a bad melody. Between his melodies and the lyricist George Marions always clever and sometimes naughty words encompassing brassieres and orgies, among other things the songs in Early to Bed made for an evening of joy. Reviewers at the time thought so, and they were right. Ever since I saw the Musicals Tonight production of Early to Bed in 2009, Ive been trying to retrieve even more of what people liked so much in 1943. Its been a detective story. Waller left behind a cache of handwritten musical sketches for the show, which eventually wound up in get this his sons lawyers sons garage in Tenafly, N.J.! I drove to that mans house to get a look and copy it all and smoked out what is likely one of the four songs that remained lost in their original version in 2009. Then a little while ago, my friend Alex Hassan, a brilliant pianist, found an unpublished sheet music version of another lost song in a collection of work by Don Walker, who scored the songs for the orchestra. Which gets to the politics of this scheme. If Pence were to disregard the rules and the history and seize control of the counting process, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would presumably have suspended the joint session, which relies on the consent of both chambers of Congress. With a stalled and incomplete count because of a standoff between Pence and Pelosi, the legal scholar Ned Foley writes in a separate Election Law Blog post, the Twentieth Amendment becomes the relevant constitutional provision. Meaning, in short, that at noon on Jan. 20, Pelosi would become acting president of the United States. Pence would lose authority as vice president (and president of the Senate) and the joint session would resume, with Congress putting its stamp of approval on Bidens victory. And lets not forget that a series of moves of the sort envisioned by Eastman would spark national outrage. The howls would not just come from congressional Democrats; they would come from the 81 million voters who Pence would have summarily disenfranchised. It is conceivable that Trump and his allies would have prevailed over mass protests and civil disobedience. But that would depend on the support of the military, which, if the actions of Gen. Mark Milley were any indication, would not have been forthcoming. None of this should make you feel good or cause you to breathe a sigh of relief. Consider what we know. A prominent, respected member in good standing of the conservative legal establishment Eastman is enrolled in the Federalist Society and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas schemed with the president and his allies in the Republican Party to overturn the election and overthrow American democracy under the Constitution. Yes, they failed to keep Trump in office, but they successfully turned the pro forma electoral counting process into an occasion for real political struggle. It was always possible, theoretically, to manipulate the rules to seize power from the voters. Now, its a live option. And with the right pieces in place, Trump could succeed. All he needs is a rival slate of electoral votes from contested states, state officials and state legislatures willing to intervene on his behalf, a supportive Republican majority in either house of Congress, and a sufficiently pliant Supreme Court majority. As it happens, Trump may well run for president in 2024 (he is already amassing a sizable war chest) with exactly that board in play. Republican state legislatures in states like Georgia and Arizona have, for example, used claims of fraud to seize control of key areas of election administration. Likewise, according to Reuters, 10 of the 15 declared Republican candidates for secretary of state in five swing states Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada have either declared the 2020 election stolen or demanded that authorities invalidate the results in their states. It is also not unlikely that a Republican Party with pro-Trump zealots at its helm wins Congress in November of next year and holds it through the presidential election and into 2025. If Trump is, once again, on the ballot, then the election might turn on the manipulation of a ceremony that was, until now, a mere formality. Here, Ill return to where I started. If this happens, it would be a revolutionary change. In this world, the voters, as filtered through the Electoral College, no longer choose the president. It becomes less a question of the rule of law and more one of power, of who holds the right positions at the right time, and especially, of who can bring the military to their side. To the Editor: Re Skip Booster Shots. Give Vaccines to Africa, by Matshidiso Moeti (Opinion guest essay, Sept. 20): Dr. Moeti is to be congratulated for her excellent essay drawing attention to the growing Covid-19 vaccine inequity. Covid-19, perhaps more than any other event in our history, is demonstrating that we are a genuine global community. Achieving vaccination rates of 80 percent in some high-income countries is outstanding, but no one can relax while vaccination rates of 3.6 percent exist in other areas such as Africa. Covid-19 has been somewhat of a litmus test for how far we still have to go with equity. For too long equity has been framed as an us and them issue, with the very small us group controlling the vast majority of resources for the very large them group. The most potent lesson from Covid-19 is that its all us. Providing booster shots to healthy, low-risk individuals while large numbers of potentially at-risk people have had no vaccination at all is deplorable. No one will be safe until we are all safe. Equity is not just good for everyone; its essential to our survival. Timothy A. Carey Kigali, Rwanda The writer is director of the Institute of Global Health Equity Research at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda. After the Dixie fire destroyed the Gold Rush-era town of Greenville on Aug. 4, evacuation orders came down for much of Indian Valley, where my family lives, in the northern Sierra Nevada. Most people left, but some three or four dozen decided to stay behind, hoping to defend their property. They included the areas handful of cattle-ranching families, Native American people from the Maidu tribe living on ancestral land, a few business owners and people hoping their presence would help save uninsured homes. What they had in common was that they were not wealthy and went back a long time in the area. Are there people in other rural areas in these fires paths who arent evacuating either? According to Amanda Stasiewicz, an environmental studies professor at the San Jose State University Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, people in some ranching and agricultural communities around the Western U.S. are also opting to stay and defend, as fires spread, and in some states, ranchers are getting certified to do various firefighting duties. In Australia, there has been a Prepare, Stay and Defend or Leave Early policy, which offers people an alternative to evacuating, unlike in the U.S., where the policy is Ready, Set, Go! (Australias policy came under scrutiny after a number of deaths, though.) Not to evacuate is dangerous, and most people think there is no safe way to do it. But it is worth reporting on, I think, as more and more rural residents and others, of course will be confronted with fires in years to come. What was it like for those who stayed behind in Indian Valley? It wasnt easy. The National Guard set up checkpoints. Once you left, you couldnt come back. There were long power outages. No trash collection; no mail. Something happened to a fiber-optic cable, so there was no Wi-Fi, either. It was easy for people to feel cut off, and frustrated, too, as they saw resources like fire engines and aircraft come and go, sent to new fronts on the giant fire. Why was there frustration toward firefighters? On the ground, locals were collaborating with firefighters in various ways. And yet in the episode, you can hear my relative Vanessas frustration with firefighters. As I mention in the piece, this was in part frustration with how firefighting resources were being diverted, often to areas with bigger populations and more infrastructure, which is the policy of the U.S. Forest Service. By mid-August, resources were stretched very, very thin. There were around 100 large, uncontrolled fires in the American West, and the Dixie fire alone had spread to cover 1,000 square miles. Many of the choices on where to send resources were being made from afar, based on fire behavior and what was being threatened. But for these rural residents, it was easy to feel vulnerable to those choices. How do you keep the water out when it seems unstoppable? That is the question that keeps Carrie Moore glued to her phone whenever it rains, scanning weather radar apps to try to determine whether the basement of her Sunset Park rowhouse will flood. Its why sandbags now line her back door, and why she and her husband, Ryan Moore, 42, stayed up until 4 a.m. the night Hurricane Ida dumped a historic amount of rain on New York City. They spent the next night and early morning bucketing out sewage and storm water that had overflowed from the basement toilet and shower, rushed in through the sump pump, and seeped in through the foundation. Despite the efforts, their finished basement filled with a foot of water. With the intensity of rains that weve been getting, its progressively getting worse, and so flooding just seems to be a regular occurrence, said Ms. Moore, 42, an architect and the president of the 37th Street Block Association, which includes the homes between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. I know I cant win when it comes to water coming into our house. The water is going to win. Ms. Moore blames a sewer main on her block for the backups that have damaged her home and many others. Until Ida, the Moores, who have owned their house for five years, had been able to limit the sewage overflows to the basement bathroom, even as storms became stronger and more frequent. But now, as they rip out drywall and pull up their ceramic tile floors in the main living area of the basement, theyre grappling with a question shared by many across the region: What, if anything, can they do to keep this from happening again? When Caroline Matthews is asked where she first met Connor McCarthy, she says simply, We met in graduate school. Ask Mr. McCarthy, a self-described adventurer, that same question, and he will say, We met hiking in the Himalayas on a Buddhist meditation retreat. As it turns out, both versions are true. Connors version of how we met is more colorful than mine, as it is more of a reflection of who he is, said Ms. Matthews, 32. She first crossed paths with Mr. McCarthy, 33, in December 2016 while both were studying for an M.B.A. at Stanford, which sponsored a trip to Bhutan. The theme was the Business of Happiness. Once upon a time, Cesare Badoglio, who puts his age at between 80 and 99, was the spirit whisperer for some of the brightest talents in Italian fashion. At his popular weekend events in Milan at the Hotel Verdi, Mr. Badoglio tarot reader, astrologer, fortune teller threw cards for Franco Moschino and Gianni and Donatella Versace, among others. He was a constant psychic adviser to Enrico Coveri, the color-loving Italian designer, whose whirlwind success Mr. Badoglio claims he predicted and even kindled thanks to a vision of sequins that then became the Coveri signature. The designer was so convinced of Mr. Badoglios powers that he tried (and failed) to convince the card reader to join his business. Sadly, he died in 1990 at just 38 years old. You cant predict everything, Mr. Badoglio said recently, his eyes wet. Though the Italian fashion world may have become marginally less superstitious since then, some style insiders still seek Mr. Badoglios predictions. When Leslie Arffa was asked what she thought were Samir Doshis best qualities, she cleared her throat, and hesitated with evident emotion. Hes incredibly kind and thoughtful, she said. I never met anyone before that I never got tired of spending time with. Ms. Arffa added that he was also very attentive, and a very diligent, hardworking person who has taught me a lot about being focused, and he always keeps me laughing. Ms. Arffa, 29, who recently completed a clerkship with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on the Supreme Court, will start as a litigation associate in the fall at the Washington office of Sullivan & Cromwell. Mr. Doshi, 30, is a former law clerk to Raymond J. Lohier Jr., a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He now serves as a Bristow Fellow at the office of the solicitor general in the U.S. Justice Department in Washington. Before the pandemic, I measured the distance between me and Matt in increments of travel. Fifteen hours by car from Ventura, Calif., to Santa Fe, N.M. If I flew, it was two hours in traffic to LAX, then a two-hour flight to Albuquerque and another hour on the shuttle bus to the adobe casita where he stayed up late with the porch light on, waiting for me. Sometimes I would go to the smaller, mission-style airport in Santa Barbara, which was 30 minutes away, then take two connecting flights from there, praying not to get stuck in Phoenix or Denver, though I often did, losing precious hours at airport gates. When Matt came to see me, it was the same, except I waited up for him. Matt and I met years earlier in Santa Fe while working as editors at the same magazine. We were friends before we started dating. Two years in, as we were approaching the point of deciding how serious we were about each other, I got a job offer in Ventura. It was a good opportunity, but it didnt make sense for Matt to leave his job to come with me, or for me to pass it up and stay. We were in our late 20s by then, trying to figure out our lives and work and relationships, a process made more difficult by high costs of living and careers in an industry that often felt like it was fading before our eyes. Its to their benefit for there to be comments on everything, Mr. Earley said. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment about Mr. Vollers lawsuit. For Facebook, which has long insisted that it is a neutral vessel for public discourse, the courts ruling may offer a type of indirect amnesty. While the company may still face defamation suits in Australia, plaintiffs there will be more likely to take local people and media companies to court. And if adopted more widely, the view endorsed by Australias court could stifle the sort of freewheeling discourse that often keeps users glued to social media. The ruling extends liability for user comments to anyone with a public Facebook page, not just news outlets. For example, the administrator of a Facebook community could be sued for comments left under a post, even if the administrator was unaware of them. The Australian ruling comes at a moment when many places around the world are grappling with how to assign accountability for what is said on social media. In the United States, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act holds that online platforms have automatic immunity from what people say in third-party comments. The legislation, which has been called a gift to the internet because of its pro-speech stance, has recently come under scrutiny from both sides of the political spectrum, though for opposite reasons. Democrats have argued that Section 230 should be repealed so that social media companies can be held accountable for misinformation and hate speech spreading widely on their platforms. Republicans who dislike the law say online platforms are using it to silence conservative views. LISBON Gus Van Sant is no stranger to experimental biopics: Last Days, his lyrical, nearly dialogue-free meditation on the end of Kurt Cobains life, shunned every convention of the genre. Yet Andy, his Andy Warhol-inspired stage debut, which had its world premiere at the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon this week, may be Van Sants oddest tribute to date. For starters, its a musical. Warhol duets with the modernist art critic Clement Greenberg; Valerie Solanas sings, gun in hand, before opening fire inside the Factory. Its a bold choice for a movie director making theater for the first time, and Van Sant, 69, didnt just contribute the script. He is also listed as the stage designer and composer of Andy. (Paulo Furtado, a Portuguese musician who goes by The Legendary Tigerman, is credited with the musical direction, as well as the arrangement for most numbers.) While Andy is an unexpected outcome, Van Sant has had a Warhol project in mind for over three decades. In the late 1980s, he developed a screenplay for Universal Pictures with Paul Bartel, in the hope that it would star the actor River Phoenix. After Phoenix died in 1993, the project was shelved. The importance of worship and social justice A few doors down from the Oak Bluffs Inn, the 150-year-old interdenominational Union Chapel hosts a summer series, inviting preachers and speakers from all over the country. Being invited to preach is considered a huge honor, and I met many people who traveled to Oak Bluffs to support their home-church pastors on their assigned Sunday. This summer, visitors had to show proof of full vaccination to enter the chapel, masks were required and chairs were spaced out. Still, churchgoers spilled out of the building and onto the lawn, listening to the morning message through open windows and doors. Rev. Dr. Kevin R. Murriel rents a home in Oak Bluffs each summer, visiting from Atlanta, Ga. He served as a guest preacher at Union Chapel this year, the youngest on this summers program. Though he describes the island as a balm and an oasis to Black visitors, he nonetheless cautions against viewing it as paradise. No matter where you travel as a Black person in the United States, we always have to deal with systemic injustice, he said. Just because we go to the Vineyard doesnt mean that we escape the realities of being Black in America. Rev. Murriel, 35, feels that Black Vineyarders were more eager this year than ever to worship, after more than a year of mourning the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and navigating the broader social reckoning brought on by the Black Lives Matter protests. When people come to the Vineyard, and they come to worship, theyre coming for hope. One thing that has not changed throughout the generations among Black visitors is their commitment to social justice. The Marthas Vineyard Museum is filled with anecdotes and memorabilia from Black Vineyarders who, during the social unrest of the mid-20th century, traveled South to deliver supplies, assisted the Freedom Riders and were active throughout the era of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, in the era of Black Lives Matter, younger generations of Black Vineyarders are also working for equality. Jelani Williams, 22, of Washington, D.C., is part of the fifth generation of his family to summer on the Vineyard, in a house purchased by his great-great-grandmother in 1944. He serves as a chair of Black Student Athletes at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is entering his senior year, and believes that his time spent on Oak Bluffs has helped instill a sense of identity and resilience that he carries in his everyday life, including playing college basketball. On the heels of federal officials endorsement of booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for many fully inoculated Americans, some states announced plans for getting even more shots in arms. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended on Friday morning vaccines for frontline workers, as well as for people older than 65 and many people with underlying health conditions, overruling an agency advisory panel. Individuals must also have received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Tens of millions of Americans woke up eligible for booster shots. In one recent poll, about three-quarters of vaccinated Americans said they would opt for a booster if the doses were available, and some sought them out long before they were authorized. Federal officials recommended self-attestation on Friday as the best method to determine who could get a booster dose. Weve worked closely with partners including governors, pharmacies, doctors, long-term care facilities, and other providers, so that eligible Americans are able to get a booster shot at roughly 80,000 places across the country, including over 40,000 local pharmacies, Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said at a news conference on Friday. Withholding I met a romantic interest who was unvaccinated. Upon my discovery, I refused to go home with him. He got vaccinated the next day. He claims there were myriad reasons, getting hard to do things in New York, etc. but the timing is suspicious! Juliette Hainline, Brooklyn Persistence I nagged and nagged and nagged some more. I did this by sending almost daily texts and emails about how safe the vaccines are, how bad Covid is, how many people are dying, and how she was being selfish by not getting the vaccine. She said she got it because she could not take it anymore, and that it was worth the risk as long as I did not send her any more articles on Covid. Charlie, Florida Ultimatums I persuaded my partner of 21 years to get the vaccine by telling him that he could not come back home, or into the house, unless he gets the vaccine. In addition I said that there was no path forward for the two of us together unless he got the vaccine. He got vaccinated and he did it for love, not because he believed he should get it! Now fully vaccinated, he is telling me and others that he is protected, and I heard him trying to convince his aunt and cousin to get the vaccine. I am so so happy that he is vaccinated. Carol F. Rosenthal, Long Island, N.Y. Firsthand experience It wasnt something I said, honestly. My boyfriend was steadfast in his refusal to get the vaccine, whereas I received the two-shot Pfizer vaccine when I was eligible in March. What convinced him was coming down with Covid. He brought it home to me. He got horribly sick, and swore he would never go through that again. I had a mild case that was something like a cold. The contrast between our two cases convinced him the vaccine works and it was worth it to him to get vaccinated. Sherry, Athens, Ga. An open conversation I helped my friend by truly listening to her questions and concerns. I did not should all over her! I understood her feelings of fear even though I did not have the same fears. I tried hard to not be judgmental and to simply explain how and why I got the shot. She is now fully vaccinated. A few weeks ago she helped her childhood friend get their shot, too. Dont give up on your loved ones! Amy M, Alexandria, Va. It was unclear if the Kroger employees in Collierville had undergone any training, and the company did not respond to a message asking about its protocols. Still, some of them were praised for their efforts amid the chaos. Were learning of truly heroic acts that included associates, customers and first responders selflessly helping to protect and save others, Kroger said in a statement on Friday. People inside the store used any crevice or obstacle they could find as a hiding place or as a barrier to protect themselves from the gunman. One employee fled to the roof. It is unclear how long the attack lasted, or the path the attacker took inside the store. It was over in a matter of minutes, Chief Lane said. In all, 10 workers and five customers were shot. One woman, a customer identified by family and the authorities as Olivia King, was killed. Fourteen others were hospitalized with gunshot wounds; their conditions had stabilized by Friday, the authorities said. We didnt lose anybody overnight, Chief Lane said. But, he added, There are still some people that are battling. We started the official first day of school on Aug. 9. We had more cases in the first week of school than we had in any week during last years pandemic. That immediately scared us. The majority of them were students. And even when we looked at the staff, we were starting to see breakthrough cases of vaccinated staff. So thats what drove our decision to first have a mask mandate, and then we followed it up with a vaccine mandate. I decided to do the vaccine mandate because the governor wouldnt allow me to ask for vaccination proof for my staff. I said, we cant manage through this pandemic if I dont even have the basic information. To this date, we are the only district in Texas that has had this vaccine mandate. We are still fighting in court. So far, Ive only had 10 staff out of 8,000 that have said, Im not going to get a vaccine. We do have about 120 requests for exemptions for either medical or religious, but again, that is out of 8,000 employees. Did you meet with Governor Abbott over the last year and a half? We were all in a pandemic. There was very little done in terms of interaction. I have a huge respect for the state education commissioner. He and I have a great relationship. I was always giving him a heads-up whenever we were going to do something. But other than that, I never had any direct contact with the governor. Did the political environment play a factor in your decision to leave? No, not at all. Not so much about Covid. One of the factors that did play in me going back to Chicago, not only is it my hometown, but when I met Mayor Lori Lightfoot, I found that her values were aligned. She is a champion for our children in poverty, she is a champion for our children of color. The last time we spoke, you expressed a need for bold leadership around coronavirus vaccines. So far, just one large school district Los Angeles Unified has required vaccines for students. Do you plan to mandate vaccines for students in Chicago? Penny Harrington, who, after years of fighting gender discrimination in the Portland, Ore., Police Bureau, became its first female police chief and the first woman to head a major city police department in the country died on Sept. 15 at her home in Morro Bay, Calif. She was 79. The cause was leukemia and respiratory arrest, said Janne Reddell, a friend. Ms. Harrington made a career of breaking glass ceilings in Portland: She was the first woman there to become a detective, a sergeant, a lieutenant and a captain before shattering the highest one of all, becoming chief. That was in 1985, when Ms. magazine declared her woman of the year. Harvard Law School named her one of the 10 most influential women in law in 1986. But her ambition to do the same work as men and receive equal pay for it came at a cost she was locked in a constant, dispiriting struggle with what she called the boys-only club, which led to a rocky tenure as chief and a forced resignation after just 17 months on the job. She was nevertheless able to leverage her experience to become one of the nations foremost experts on women in policing. She consulted for dozens of police departments on hiring women, served as an expert witness in discrimination cases, and founded the National Center for Women and Policing, a Los Angeles-based organization that promotes the hiring of women at all levels of law enforcement. Democratic authors of the measure heralded the House vote as historic, given what they described as mounting threats to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a right to abortion. They framed it as a sharp rebuke to the Supreme Court for allowing the Texas law prohibiting most abortions after six weeks to go into effect earlier this month. If the justices over there in that building wont act, this House of Representatives will act, said Representative Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat and a longtime backer of abortion rights. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called for the measure to be considered soon after the Texas decision, lashed out at the court for failing to intercede to block the new law, arguing that it had ignored 50 years of precedent on abortion. When this court embraced this shameful Texas law, they brought shame to the United States Supreme Court, she said before the vote. What were they thinking, or were they thinking, or were they were just rubber-stamping what they were sent to the court to do? Republicans uniformly opposed the measure, which they called extreme and said would lead to abortions at all stages of pregnancy and overturn hundreds of state laws. They said the measure went far beyond codifying Roe and should more rightfully be called the Abortion On Demand Until Birth Act. President Biden on Friday urged people who are not yet eligible for coronavirus booster shots to be patient, while suggesting eligibility could expand rapidly. He said that his administration was looking to the time when were going to be able to expand the booster shots, basically across the board, and that boosters for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines were likely in the offing. So I would just say, itd be better to wait your turn in line, wait your turn to get there, Mr. Biden said. His remarks came hours after Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for frontline workers, as well as for people older than 65 and many people with underlying health conditions, overruling an agency advisory panel. Individuals must also have received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Her move, though highly unusual, aligned C.D.C. policy with the Food and Drug Administrations endorsements over her own agencys advisers. The presidents Friday remarks were the second time in two months that he had suggested boosters would be available to everyone. And they were issued on the same day that Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the C.D.C. director and one of the presidents political appointees, came under fire for allowing boosters for a broader group of people than her agencys own immunization panel recommended. Taken together, the announcements by Mr. Biden and Dr. Walensky did not sit well with all of the scientists who advise them, raising questions about the presidents pledge to always follow the science as he fought the pandemic. While some of them credited the C.D.C. director for charting a course through uncertain waters, others warned that politics had intruded on scientific decisions something that Mr. Biden had promised to avoid after the blatant pressures seen during the Trump administration. Everybody uses this statement follow the science very glibly, and I think that the science here did not warrant picking out a group of people and saying that you may be at more risk for acquiring an infection, said Dr. Sarah S. Long, a member of the C.D.C.s advisory committee, referring to the groups of workers who were made eligible for booster shots. Dr. Long, who is a professor of pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine, said that a president telegraphing his opinion before the formal public health process undermined the expert advisers, calling it a violation of the checks and balances built into the system. She also criticized Dr. Walensky for expanding the number of people eligible for the boosters. If that pattern of reversals were to extend beyond boosters, she said, that would be the end of the vaccine program as you know it. The C.I.A. recalled its Vienna chief of station this month, after agency leaders concluded he failed to take adequate steps to address a series of mysterious health episodes in Austria in which intelligence officers and diplomats fell ill with symptoms similar to Havana syndrome, according to current and former officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel movements. The names of agency station chiefs are highly classified. As an increasing number of intelligence officers, military personnel and diplomats have been injured in new incidents, frustration is growing among victims groups and inside government. The Biden administration has so far been unable to conclude what is causing the unexplained health incidents, which were first recorded in 2016 among diplomats and C.I.A. officers serving in the American embassy in Havana. The ouster of the Vienna station chief came as Pamela Spratlen stepped down this week as head of the State Departments task force studying the episodes, according to diplomats. Victims groups said Ms. Spratlen viewed the health incidents skeptically, moved slowly to improve health care and failed to meet regularly with injured individuals. The State Department did not make Ms. Spratlen available for comment and declined to comment on the criticism of her. Vienna has emerged as the most recent concentration of injuries, with some American officials affected inside the embassy and some in their homes, according to former officials. The incidents in Vienna have injured well over 25 people, according to former officials. The cluster of injuries in Vienna was earlier reported by The New Yorker; the recall of the station chief was earlier reported by The Washington Post. House Democratic leaders on Friday said they would take up both a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and a far-reaching, multitrillion-dollar social safety net plan next week, as they worked feverishly to bridge deep divisions within their ranks that are holding up President Bidens top two domestic priorities. To placate moderates who were resisting voting for the $3.5 trillion budget plan, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California committed last month to hold a vote by Monday on the infrastructure package, which passed the Senate over the summer. But progressives have said they will not support that bill until Congress acts on a $3.5 trillion plan to provide vast new investments in education, health, child care, paid leave and climate programs and raise taxes on the rich. The plan to move forward on both was a bid to head off a liberal revolt and salvage the chances for both measures. In remarks on the House floor, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, said the chamber would begin considering the infrastructure bill on Monday, and that a floor vote later in the week on the second package was possible. At the United Nations annual gathering of world leaders this week, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke ambitiously about international cooperation and a new diplomatic approach for a post-Trump America. Mr. Bidens U.N. speech on Tuesday depicted an America whose withdrawal from Afghanistan had turned a page on 20 years of war after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Now, he said, the United States is embarking on a new era of cooperative diplomacy to solve global challenges, including climate change, the pandemic and rising authoritarianism. The comments offered a grand homage to internationalism and a stark contrast to Mr. Trumps undiplomatic bluster. But the speech also came amid growing complaints that some of Mr. Bidens signature policy moves carried echoes of Mr. Trumps approach. French officials openly likened the Biden administration to Mr. Trumps in the recent failure to warn them of a strategic deal with Britain and Australia that they said muscled them out of a submarine contract, though Mr. Biden soothed the strained relations to some extent in a call with President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday. Mr. Blinken met in New York with his French counterpart on Thursday. WASHINGTON In the Pacific Northwest, the aging Interstate 5 bridge, a main artery between Oregon and Washington, is at risk of collapsing in a major earthquake. Across Appalachia, abandoned coal mines leaking toxic pollutants are a threat to public health. And along the Gulf Coast, states like Louisiana are forced to consider novel evacuation routes to ease traffic on inland highways that often become clogged before powerful hurricanes. Proposed solutions to these challenges, and others across the country, have come into focus for state leaders and transit officials as the House is poised to take up a sprawling $1 trillion infrastructure package whose future is increasingly uncertain. For years, officials have been forced to balance an overwhelming backlog of repairs and upgrades to highways, bridges and roads against more sweeping, longer-term projects. But an infusion of nearly $600 billion in new federal aid could change that calculus as states are freed to consider more ambitious ideas that align with President Bidens vision for a generational overhaul of the countrys aging public works system. Still, even as lawmakers in both parties agree that such money is gravely overdue, the measures fate is in limbo as the liberal and moderate flanks of the Democratic Party have clashed over whether to pass the bill before a $3.5 trillion spending plan. House Republican leaders have also urged their members to oppose the package. Want to read quietly next to each other in Riverside Park? I texted a friend one Sunday afternoon in July. I was exhausted from staying out too late the night before and filled with the dread that clings to those final hours of the weekend but I didnt want to be alone. Meet there at 1? she wrote back and I packed my backpack, excited to spend another afternoon both alone and together with a friend. The term parallel play usually refers to young children playing independently alongside one another, but it can also be a valuable way to think about adult relationships. Mildred Parten, a sociologist, first identified the concept in her 1929 dissertation as one of six categories of group play in early childhood. Although not a discrete developmental phase, engaging in parallel play is an important part of how toddlers learn to interact with others, share and become social beings. Think about kids quietly building their own separate towers with blocks or running around the playground without really interacting. Though theyre not engaging with each other, these children are also not playing entirely alone. For adults, what makes parallel play different than two people ignoring each other in the same room is a secure foundation underpinning their relationship, explained Dr. Amir Levine, a psychiatrist and co-author of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find And Keep Love. Parallel play is one of the hallmarks of secure relationships, but it has to be done right, Dr. Levine said. Its all about availability. If you know that the other person is available and that, if you need them, they will pay attention to you, then you feel secure. When you dont have a secure relationship, attempting to act independently of your friend or partner while sharing the same space can backfire. Im often reminded of a Reddit post that went viral last year about a 33-year-old man who destroyed the blanket his 21-year-old girlfriend spent six months knitting because he was feeling ignored. Dr. Levine said, The same behavior can be seen from two different places: if the person feels secure, they will not mind the knitting, et cetera. It will feel magical to be able to do things in parallel under the same roof. But, if the person feels uncared for, then these things make them feel alone. Theoretically, in a more secure relationship, he could have taken up his own living room hobby and spent quality time with her. HONG KONG As far as the trappings of a healthy democracy go, Hong Kongs upcoming legislative election has them all. Hundreds of politicians hand out leaflets in the tropical heat. Posters remind residents of voter registration deadlines. During a preliminary ballot on Sunday, the government touted a record 90 percent turnout rate. All the ingredients are there except one: any uncertainty about the outcome. The legislative election, set for December, is the first since the Chinese government ordered sweeping changes to Hong Kongs election system to ensure its favored candidates win. Some opposition groups have pledged to boycott in protest, and the largest of them, the Democratic Party, will decide this weekend whether to follow. But Hong Kong officials have warned that a boycott could violate the citys expansive national security law. After all, an election doesnt look valid if the opposition doesnt show up. CHANDIGARH, India After the deadliest clashes in half a century with China, Indias military has taken emergency measures to reinforce a 500-mile stretch of the border high in the Himalayas. In the past year, it has tripled the number of troops in the contentious eastern Ladakh region to more than 50,000. It has raced to stock up on food and gear for freezing temperatures and 15,000-foot altitudes before the region is largely cut off for much of the winter. It has announced that an entire strike corps, an offensive force of tens of thousands more soldiers, would be reoriented to the increasingly contentious frontier with China from the long, volatile border with Pakistan. Indias military is now grappling with a reality that the country has feared for nearly two decades: It is stuck in a two-front conflict with hostile neighbors and all three are nuclear armed. And it comes as India increasingly finds itself isolated in its broader neighborhood, part of the global security backdrop to President Bidens discussions on Friday with India, Australia and Japan, the group known as the Quad. The deal to release Meng Wanzhou could reduce a nettlesome conflict in U.S.-China relations. President Donald J. Trump took an aggressively adversarial stance toward China, castigating Beijing for what he called unfair trade policies, blaming it for the coronavirus pandemic, blocking Chinese technology companies from the lucrative American market and imposing heavy tariffs on Chinese exports. The Trump administration also accused Huawei of stealing technology from its Western rivals. Since coming to office, President Biden has also taken a tough position on China. He has sought to establish the United States as a democratic counterpoint to the authoritarian country, stressing the importance of the West being independent from Chinese technology companies like Huawei, the maker of next-generation communications networks. But American officials have also sought common ground in areas like climate change and now the Huawei deal. In their first conversation in seven months, Mr. Biden spoke in early September with President Xi Jinping of China, expressing concern over Chinas cyber-activities while arguing that the leaders of the worlds two largest economies could set aside their differences to work together on measures to address global warming. It was only the second time that the leaders had spoken since Mr. Bidens inauguration, a measure of the rising tensions between the two nations as they seek to tame each others global influence. When Meng Wanzhou was arrested by the Canadian authorities in the Vancouver airport while changing flights December 2018, she suddenly became one of the worlds most famous detainees. Her arrest made at the United States request for her extradition on fraud charges provoked a storm of recriminations from China, landed Ms. Meng in legal limbo, and put Canada in the middle of a fight between two world powers. Ms. Meng has been a public face of Huawei. She began her career there more than 25 years ago and rose to become one of the companys top executives, with responsibilities that included announcing its financial results. Here is what to know about the Chinese tech executive. Who is Meng Wanzhou? A polished executive, Ms. Meng is the chief financial officer of the Chinese tech giant Huawei and the eldest daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei. Dr. Walensky is reversing the decision to not recommend use of a booster dose in persons at high risk for occupational or institutional exposure, Dr. Cohn wrote in the email. I am hoping to share this news with you before you see it in the press. Dr. Walenskys decision to go against her own agencys advisers came as a surprise to at least some of her staff members: The C.D.C. directors endorsement of the advisory committees recommendations is typically just a formality. Hours before her statement, agency insiders predicted she would stick with the usual protocol because doing otherwise would undermine the process and upset the advisers as well as her own staff. But experts outside the C.D.C. said Dr. Walensky may have had no choice but to align herself with the F.D.A.s decision. Theres a complexity here, because Dr. Walensky was part of the White House announcement on boosters, noted Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Walensky said providing booster shots to health care workers and others who risk contracting the disease on the job would best serve the nations public health needs. She approved the panels decision to endorse third shots for people over 65, patients in nursing homes and other institutional settings, and those with underlying medical conditions. Dr. Walenskys decision revealed the continuing divisions and confusion among federal regulators and outside advisers about how to contain the virus nearly two years into the pandemic. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for certain frontline workers. But the C.D.C.s advisers disagreed that the doses were needed by so many healthy people. BERLIN Hundreds of thousands of young people around the world on Friday returned to the streets in the first global climate protest since the coronavirus pandemic forced them into lockdowns. Protesters gathered in Bangladesh, in Kenya, the Netherlands and in many other countries. But nowhere was the call to action more urgent than in Germany, where an estimated several hundred thousand people turned out in more than 400 cities, putting pressure on whoever wins a national election Sunday to put climate protection at the top of their agenda. Greta Thunberg, the 18-year-old climate activist who started the Fridays for Future protests in Stockholm in 2018 by skipping school as a way of shaming the world into addressing climate change, made a guest appearance at a protest in Berlin. Yes, we must vote and you must vote, but remember that voting will not be enough, she told the crowd, urging them to stay motivated and keep up the pressure on politicians. An Italian court released a former leader of Spains Catalonia region from jail on Friday, a day after his arrest on a warrant seeking his return to Spain for trial over a failed independence bid he led four years ago. The court ordered immediate freedom for Carles Puigdemont and did not restrict his movements, meaning that he can leave the country. That left it unclear whether he would appear for further court proceedings on the request to send him back to Spain and, if not, whether Italy would have any way to compel him. Mr. Puigdemont is a member of the European Parliament, giving him a degree of legal immunity, and detaining him would have compromised his right to travel freely to participate in the meetings of the European Parliament, said the courts decision, provided by his lawyer and verified by The New York Times. What charges does Mr. Puigdemont face? If he is eventually returned to Spain, he faces trial on sedition charges for his leading role in an unsuccessful attempt to declare Catalonia an independent state in the fall of 2017, following a referendum that the Spanish government and courts had declared illegal. Those demonstrations, in the midst of a national pandemic lockdown, spilled over into broader protests denouncing the heavy-handed policing of an early vigil for Ms. Everard. But many say little has changed in the months between the two killings, both of which took place during the evening in relatively public parts of London. Activists have called not just for increased policing, but for an overhaul of the criminal justice system that would ensure steeper penalties for gender-based violence and a focus on early education on the issue. Aisha K. Gill, a professor of criminology at the University of Roehampton, said, How many more women have to die before there is a real sense of action and systemic change, and a response to the way the system is failing victims of violence at every single level? She added that cases involving women of color had not led to the same level of public anger as those involving white women. Countless women of color have died during this epidemic of violence against women, she said. The Metropolitan Police said Thursday that a 38-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder in Ms. Nessas killing. They released closed-circuit television images of another man and a vehicle they said could be connected to the case, issuing an appeal to the public for information. At the vigil on Friday night, women carried signs listing the names of those killed by men over the last year. Community groups passed out personal alarms and leaflets about street safety. Dozens laid flowers in the nearby park where Ms. Nessas body was found. The Best of Late Night This Week Trish Bendix Reporting on culture Pool photo by John Angelillo This week, seven late-night hosts took part in Climate Night, in hopes of raising awareness about climate change. Otherwise, they focused on news about the Pfizer vaccine; BTS attending the U.N. General Assembly, shown; and Donald Trump suing his niece. Heres what they had to say The New York Times News Quiz, September 24, 2021 Did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz to see how well you stack up with other Times readers. A Muslim man from Indias Uttar Pradesh reportedly tried to divorce his wife of two years because she doesnt bathe daily, and they fight every time he asks her to. Personal hygiene is an important part of a relationship, and in some cases, it can become a serious enough issue to warrant the end of said relationship. Case in point, a Muslim man in India who decided to divorce his wife because she refused to bathe every day. He claimed to have repeatedly asked his wife to bathe more often, but every time the issue came up, their discussion ended in a verbal spat. Ultimately, he turned to the controversial triple talaq to break off the marriage, even though the two had a one-year-old child together. Photo: tookapic/Pixabay The man, during counseling, repeatedly and firmly told us that he wants to end terms with the woman. He also gave an application to us to help him get a divorce from his wife as she does not bathe every day, a counselor with the Women Protection Cell said. Upon learning of her husbands decision, the wife, who hails from Uttar Pradeshs Kwarsi village, turned to Aligarhs Women Protection Cell, saying that she wanted to stay married and asking for help to ensure that happened. A woman gave us a written complaint stating that her husband has given her triple talaq on the pretext of not bathing every day. We are providing counseling to the couple and their parents to save their marriage, a representative of the Women Protection Cell stated. We are trying to counsel the man to not break his marriage with his wife as it is a minor issue and which can be solved. We are also trying to make him understand that their divorce can also affect the upbringing of their child. Photo: Eric Ward/Unsplash Because the reason for the divorce application does not fall under any violent act or crime against women, the wifes petition to the Womens Protection Cell cannot go forward, but the organization hopes that the couple will be able to resolve the matter with the help of counselling. Believe it or not, this sort of case is not as rare as you might think. Just last year we wrote about an Indian woman who divorced her husband because he didnt bathe often enough, and a couple of years earlier we had a Taiwanese man who divorced because his wife only bathed once a year. Rubenstein Public Relations is named agency of record for Panther Protocol, an interoperable privacy solution company focused on the needs of decentralized finance traders and investors. Panther Protocol plans to leverage Rubenstein Public Relations' media connections and expertise in the blockchain, crypto, privacy and technology industries as it works to expand its consumer base and market share. Panther Protocol co-founder and CEO Oliver Gale said that in addition to the agencys expertise in those markets, Rubenstein Public Relations was chosen for its ability to deliver comprehensive branding, messaging strategies and top tier results. Darby Communications, an Asheville, NC agency representing outdoor, wellness and mountain lifestyle companies, signs on as PR agency of record for Devils Foot Beverage Company, a craft soda maker specializing in farm-to-can beverages. The agency will work to spread awareness of Devils Foots line of non-alcoholic beverages made with organic and locally sourced ingredients. It will also promote the latest flavor collaboration from Devils Foot, Bens Friends Sparkling Peach Lemonade, as well as the brands distribution expansion to Alabama. When we met the folks at Darby Communications, we knew they were a perfect match for our brand, combining their experience with their local and national connections, said Devils Food co-founder and president Ben Colvin. Mannfolk Public Relations adds beauty expert Heather Marianna and her brands Beauty Kitchen and Marianna Naturals to its roster of fashion and beauty clients. Mannfolk PR has designed a nationwide multi-media brand-building campaign for the client that involves outreach to both national and regional press, digital social media collaborations and other activations aimed at generating awareness and interest in the Heather and the products. Marianna first gained recognition for her YouTube channel where she gave easy-to-do beauty solutions using everyday household and kitchen pantry ingredients. Offaly Express, as part of Iconic Media, has signed an agreement with Google as part of a new initiative to support Irish media. Google will license high-quality news content from the Offaly Express for News Showcase, Googles new product experience and licensing programme for news. The Offaly Express is part of the Iconic Media Group, which has 22 regional newspaper titles throughout the country. Google News Showcase supports news publishers by giving them a new way to curate their high-quality content on Googles News and Discover platforms, connecting their readers with the news that matters to them and a deeper storytelling experience. Editorial Operations Director with Iconic Media Group, Brian Keyes said that the agreement with Google is an endorsement of outstanding local journalism and the ever-increasing need of local readers to access quality, local content which is important to them. It ensures that our readers continue to have access through our many websites across the country to quality content, and our readers will benefit considerably from the Google News experience. It is really exciting to be part of this project and a boost for all our talented journalists, he added. Nearly 1,000 news publications globally have signed deals for News Showcase since last year, in countries including India, Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Australia, Czechia, Japan, Colombia, the U.K, Austria and Argentina, with discussions underway in a number of other countries. Google is one of the worlds biggest financial supporters of news and Google News Showcase is the latest investment in its ongoing commitment to support journalism around the globe. Google has already supported Iconic Media journalists in a number of ways, including training, as well as products like Google News and Search which send valuable traffic to news sites. The full list of publications and websites from the Iconic Media group currently participating in Google News Showcase includes The Limerick Leader, Kildare Now, Derry Now, Offaly Express, Donegal Live, Dundalk Democrat, Longford Leader, Tipperary Live, Leinster Express, Carlow Live, Kilkenny People, Leinster Leader, Leitrim Observer, Waterford Live. A MAN did not know what came over him when he stole nearly 142 worth of toys from the Tesco store in Tullamore, his solicitor told the local District Court. Gregorz Jamroz, 45, of 43 Cartron Breac, Lisbrack Road, Longford admitted the theft from the store at Cloncollig on July 23 last. Sergeant James O'Sullivan said the toys had been placed in one bag and the man paid for a number of other items but not the toys and left the store. He had no previous convictions. Defending solicitor Donal Farrelly said Mr Jamroz, a Polish father of two, aged 21 and 14, had been living in Ireland for a number of years. He did not know what came over him because he was in good employment, had his own home and his own mortgage. He was ashamed of what he had done and brought 200 to court as compensation. Judge Catherine Staines applied the Probation Act but warned Mr Jamroz that he would only get that chance once. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged governments to rise above past controversies and join together to combat racism and related discrimination. Two decades on, the inequalities and suffering they generate for Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, indigenous people, migrants and members of ethnic and religious minorities including victims of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism continue to hold back all our societies and harm both sustainable development and social cohesion. Bachelets statement during an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) during the United Nations General Assembly. The DDPA is a comprehensive, action-oriented document that proposes concrete measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Adopted at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), it addresses a range of issues and contains recommendations and practical measures Racism and racial discrimination still permeate institutions, social structures and everyday life in every society, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Structural racism and systematic injustice still deny people their fundamental rights. But, Guterres said there is hope to be found in the movements for racial justice and equality led by young people and women, which have emerged with unprecedented force, reach and impact. This new awakening has created momentum that we must seize upon, he added. Current events show how now, 20 years on, the DDPA is still relevant, said Domonique Day, Chair of the Working Group on People of African Descent. For example, most States ignored early indications that people of African descent would be particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the DDPAs guidance noting the contributions of race to health disadvantage, she said. Today, stark racial disparities continue to characterize COVID-19 infections, severity, and mortality. Reparations and racial justice for people of African descent The event focused on reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent, an issue that many speakers said was at the epicentre of the document. Millions of the descendants of Africans who were sold into slavery remain trapped in lives of underdevelopment, disadvantage, discrimination and poverty, said President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. He called on the United Nations to put the issue of reparations on its agenda. We support the adoption of special measures, including affirmative action programmes and targeted financial assistance, as restitution to communities whose ancestors were sold into slavery, he said. We further support all measures being undertaken to address the historic and contemporary discrimination against people of African descent. In the DDPA, States agreed that slavery and the slave trade were crimes against humanity and should always have been so. States also recognized that colonialism has led to racism and racial discrimination and that Africans and people of African descent, people of Asian descent and indigenous peoples continue to be victims of its consequences. Many of the speakers during the panel discussions said reparatory justice is crucial for reconciliation, prevention of conflicts and the creation of societies based on fairness, equality, respect and solidarity. High Commissioner Bachelet urged States to recognize the continued burden of past and contemporary forms of racism and exclusion on people of African descent and go beyond symbolism and look at the actual political, human and financial costs that will be required to achieve true reparatory justice. To recognize the past and truly leave no one behind in future, it will be important to promote equality not only within, but also among countries transforming our world towards social, economic and environmental sustainability, and I would encourage greater international engagement on these issues of reparatory justice, she said. 24 September 2021 Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments, has closed its second fund with approximately $1.1 billion in capital commitments. The Houston-based firm said it wrapped up Ara Fund II far above an initial $650 million target. Ara last year secured roughly $400 million for its predecessor vehicle. Ara Fund II received commitments from a diverse set of returning and new institutional investors in North America, Europe, and Asia, including public pensions, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and foundations. "We are extremely gratified by the very strong interest in Fund II and pleased to welcome several well-respected institutional investors to our limited partner base," said Charles Cherington, Managing Partner of Ara Partners. "We particularly appreciate the support of our returning investors from Fund I and look forward to pursuing strong returns for all of our partners through an investment portfolio that is actively reducing GHG emissions, carbon, and waste." Led by Managing Partners Troy Thacker and Charles Cherington, Ara invests "in companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe that have the potential to achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions," the firm said. Such companies could be in the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. Fund II already has invested in five companies, and a s...................... To view our full article Click here Nueva Ocotepeque, Honduras (Date Published) not submitted Although tourism is impacted globally, Hotel Sandoval operating in the western part of Honduras lives and breathes comfort, tranquility and tourism. Whether you are looking to visit the south of Honduras for business and/or adventure, Hotel Sandoval has you covered. Their spacious rooms, restaurant, and pool area offer the best of both worlds. The restaurant on-site, open-air pool area and patio, and fast WiFI Have a good time event In The Bedroom Again! Maasalong Male Enhancement Reviews can assist you with resuscitating your release sexual combination with no issue! Do you feel as you don't have the sexual wanting you once did? Also, would you say you are trying to get amped up for sex nowadays? Possibly you're not getting as hard as you need to, or you can't remain hard for your entire The indigenous MBT proves to be on par with any contemporary in its class across the globe. Infused with 72 new features and more indigenous content from the Mk-1 variant, the tank would ensure effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night. New Delhi: In a big step towards achieving 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed an order for the supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun Mk-1A worth Rs 7,523 crore for the Indian Army on Thursday (September 23). In an official statement, the Ministry informed that the order for Arjun Mk-1A has been placed with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai. The order will further boost the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector, said the Ministry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had handed over the MBT Arjun Mk-1A to Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane in Chennai on February 14 this year. Terming it as 'state-of-the-art', the Ministry said MBT Mk-1A is a new variant of Arjun Tank designed to enhance firepower, mobility and survivability. Infused with 72 new features and more indigenous content from the Mk-1 variant, the tank would ensure effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night, as per the statement. The Ministry said that it has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by incorporating numerous upgrades on Arjun MBT, the in-service main battle tank with the Indian Army. The MK-1A is equipped with accurate and superior firepower, all-terrain mobility and invincible multi-layered protection provided by an array of advanced technology systems. It can take on the enemy during day and night conditions and in both static and dynamic modes. By virtue of these capabilities, this indigenous MBT proves to be on par with any contemporary in its class across the globe. This tank is particularly configured and designed for Indian conditions, and hence it is suitable for deployment to protect the frontiers in an effective manner. This production order to HVF, Avadi, opens up a large avenue in defence manufacturing for over 200 Indian vendors, including MSMEs, with employment opportunities for around 8,000 people. This will be a flagship project showcasing the indigenous capability in cutting edge defence technologies. The MBT Arjun Mk-1A has been designed & developed by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and other laboratories of DRDO, within two years (2010-12). The development activities commenced in June 2010, and the tank was fielded for user trials in June 2012. It took only two years to develop and field the MBT Arjun Mk-1A for user trials from the user requirement. The extensive trial evaluation was conducted in various phases covering over 7000 km (both in DRDO and user trials) of the automotive and substantial firing of various ammunitions during 2012-2015. Courtesy: ANI The meeting will be held in Vigyan Bhawan where Chief Ministers of all the ten Naxal-affected states or their representatives will apprise about the current situation in their states and the progress of developmental projects. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting with Chief Ministers of ten Naxal-hit states in Delhi on Sunday (September 26) to review the current status and to discuss future road map for security and development issues, said official sources. "The meeting is significant as it is learnt to push fresh strategy in the fight against the left-wing extremism (LWE) in 10 Naxal affected states," official sources told ANI. The meeting will be held in Vigyan Bhawan where Chief Ministers of all the ten Naxal-affected statesChhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh- or their representatives will apprise about the current situation in their states and the progress of developmental projects. As per sources, a similar Naxal meeting is held every year once or twice as per the need of the situation. "Due to Covid-19, this meeting did not occur last year," said sources. Chief Ministers and their representatives will share the measures taken by their state administration to handle Naxals. Director Generals of Police along with chief secretaries of these ten states and heads of paramilitary forces will also attend the meeting where Intelligence Bureau (IB) is expected to make a presentation on the issue. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, IB Director Arvind Kumar and senior Home Ministry officials will be attending the meeting. Sources said that an invitation was sent from Union Home Minister Shah's office earlier this week to take stock of Naxal activities and discuss measures on how to tackle Naxalism. The meet will have a special emphasis on Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, as well as to ensure a proper bonding with state government and police with paramilitary deployed there during Naxal operations. The centre is stated to be planning to intensify operations in Naxal-affected areas in Chhattisgarh, where major attacks were witnessed in the last few years, hitting security forces. The mass killing of 22 security personnel on Chhattisgarh on April 3 in one of the biggest Naxal attacks this year would be the hot topic of the meeting, said sources, adding "intelligence and other lapses would be discussed with a plan not to repeat such things in future by taking a lesson from the incident". The role of Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) Cobra and Bastariya battalions in Chhattisgarh in the fight against Naxals would also be focussed, said the sources. "The Centre's main emphasis is to capture top Naxal leadership or invite them to surrender and mix up with main strengths to help the government in creating development and peace in LeW states," they said. Sources said that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and their Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray are expected to attend the meeting as these leaders earlier this week took a state-level review of the Naxal situation. While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may send a representative for the meeting, and her Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel is yet to take a call. States like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which have skeletal-level Naxal cadres, are also expected to join the meeting. Reports shared by Central agencies from time to time with the MHA have hinted towards the weaker situation in Naxal leadership due to some deaths. Reports said police, as well as paramilitary camps, are reaching interiors of the affected districts. Over three dozen Communist Party of India (Maoist) senior Naxals have reportedly left the group in May, June and July to avail medical treatment due to COVID-19, which has led to a leadership crisis. Haribhushan, the head of CPI (Maoist), Telangana Unit, died in June because of COVID-19. His wife Dhradha, a Naxal commander, also succumbed to COVID-19. According to the Chhattisgarh police, nearly 100 Naxals, including Sujata, a member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, succumbed to COVID-19. Besides, the sources said, over 300 operations carried out in Naxal hit states so far has weekend their operations. Courtesy: ANI He said that since 2014 the terrorists are not able to carry out their plans as there is very good coordination between the security forces and intelligence agencies under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra on Thursday (September 23) said that none of the efforts of terrorists will be successful as the country is in "safe hands with a robust system". Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister said, "Our neighbouring country has been continuously trying to spread instability in our country for a very long time through its intelligence agency. We have foiled their every effort. Right now, some terrorists associated with such modules have been arrested. Information has also come about them." He said that since 2014 the terrorists are not able to carry out their plans as there is very good coordination between the security forces and intelligence agencies under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Mishra's remarks came against the backdrop of the intelligent inputs that Pakistan's ISI is planning a major attack in India in the coming festive season. "In every global platform and summit, we have raised concerns about the fact that Pakistan is promoting terrorism, endangering the entire world. As the technology progresses, they (terror organizations) are doing new experiments. They chose crowded places and the festive season. However, any such attempts by terrorists will not succeed, as we have a robust system. The country is in safe hands," Mishra said. The Minister informed that six terrorists were arrested last week and added, "As long as there are countries like this (Pakistan), these terror organizations would continue to try such attempts in the world. But, we want to assure people that none of their efforts will be successful." Last week, Delhi Police Special Cell busted a Pakistan organized terror module and arrested six operatives, including two ISI-trained terrorists. The arrested suspects were planning to carry out targeted killings and blasts across the country, as per the police. Courtesy: ANI Hindu Genocide Day is being observed on September 25 to remember victims of 1921 Moplah riots The Hindu Genocide of Malabar in the erstwhile Madras Province in 1921 was not an isolated event but a culmination of a slew of communal outbreaks which were happening intermittently throughout the 19th century. According to records, Malabar had witnessed nearly 51 such communally-inspired incidents of violence by Mappilas, mostly against hapless and unarmed Hindus. However, the events in 1921 differ in its scale, scope and degree even though the ideology, inspiration and the tools of motivation of the Mappila masses remained consistent. The Malabar rebellion was a well-planned jihad against the British and the Hindu population. Fanatic Mappilas had indulged in mass killings, loot, rapes since August 1921. It spilled over to four taluks of Malabar spanning an area of 2,000 square miles. They (Moplas) established the Khilafat Raj, crowned a King, murdered and plundered abundantly, and killed or drove away all Hindus who would not apostatise. Somewhere about a lakh people were driven from their homes with nothing but the clothes they had on, stripped of everything Annie Besant, Leader of Home Rule League Malabar comprised of the present-day districts of Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, and parts of Kasargod. Of the total population of nearly 1 million, Mappilas formed nearly 32 per cent. In ErnadTaluk, which was the epicentre of the rebellion (which is roughly the present day Malappuram district), Muslims were in a majority. In terms of participation of the Mappilas, we can say with some amount of certainty that a large percentage of the Mappila population of that area were either an actively or passively participated in the mayhem. According to the official sources, nearly 2,500 of Mappila rioters were killed, 1,652 were wounded, 5,955 were captured, nearly 40,000 were surrendered of which many of them were tried and convicted. This figure indicates that there was a widespread participation of ordinary Mappilas, including women and children. Beginning with the year 1920 there occurred in that year in Malabar what is known as the Mopla Rebellion. It was the result of the agitation carried out by two Muslim organisations, the Khuddam-i-Kaba (servants of the Mecca Shrine) and the Central Khilafat Committee. Agitators actually preached the doctrine that India under the British Government was Dar-ul-Harab and that the Muslims must fight against it and if they could not, they must carry out the alternative principle of Hijrat. The Moplas were suddenly carried off their feet by this agitation. The outbreak was essentially a rebellion against the British government. The aim was to establish the kingdom of Islam by overtihrowing the British government BR Ambedkar As far as Hindu victims are concerned, we do not have any official figures. Yet from the writings, statements of victims and available documents, we can conclude the riots claimed thousands of lives about 10,000. Estimates shows that nearly 300 temples were partially or fully damaged, properties worth crores of rupees belonging to Hindus were looted or burned. Nearly 2 lakh Hindu refugees reached in various relief camps in neighbouring districts. One can vouch that no Hindu family were remained unaffected in Eranad. The unspeakable violence committed by the Mappila mobs against unarmed and hapless Hindus was not an ordinary crime. By its entire attribute, it should be called as genocide. According the definition of the term genocide by Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, killing members of a group or causing serious mental or bodily harm with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national or religious group can be termed as genocide. The intent of the Mappilas was very clear. They were determined t o over throw the British Raj and to establish an Islamic kingdom, a Mappila Raj, with their own Islamic king, flag, seal and other paraphernalia, to be administered on the basis of Islamic legal system called Sharia. However, very soon they found that this idea of Islamic State wont be acceptable to the Hindus who constituted not less than 30 per cent of the population. Even the Hindu Congress leaders, who till then were supporting the khilafat cause, found that the actual khilafat in their own homeland is a nasty idea. They soon disassociated with the violence and left the region to safer places, leaving the ordinary Hindus at the mercy of marauding jihadi gangs. Soon after the outbreak of the rebellion, Mappilas turned against Hindus, whom they were alleged to have collaborated with the British. Hence to eliminate the problem of Hindus, they pursued a policy of looting, destruction of Hindu properties, discretion of temples, mass killings, rapes, forced conversion, etc., which resulted in mass exodus of Hindus. This was the method the Mappilas chose to deal with kaffir issue. The events happened in Malabar in 1921 is having an uncanny similarity with Armenian Genocide of 1915-16. In both the places, the Islamists wanted to have a final solution to the non-Muslim problem. In Malabar, nearly all the Hindus were forced to vacate their farms and homestead and were to move to safer places. Else, they were captured, killed or compelled to convert. Jihadi goons ambushed the convoys of refugees and many were killed, robbed and raped. Those Hindus, who were fortunate to reach relief camps in Kozhikode or Shornur, lost everything except what they wore. One of the unique kinds of barbarism which distinguish the Malabar Hindu genocide was the beheading and throwing half dead bodies in to open well, even before they actually died. In one instance, in a remote village called Tuvvur, near Nilambur, a party led by the infamous VariamKunnathKunjahammad, the most notorious rioter, had collected Hindus from the neighbouring village who were blamed to have assisted British Army. These unfortunate souls were taken to the top of a barren hill and were tried by a Sharia court. Having found to be guilty, they were beheaded and were thrown to an open well. Many of the victims were half dead. Similar kinds of atrocities were unleashed in MuthuMana, in Kozhikode Taluk where it was said that three such wells were filled by dead bodies of the victims who were beheaded by jihadi goons. Many others were taken to riverside and beheaded; some others were burned to death. Women were the worst sufferers of this tragedy. Scores of women were raped; many were forced to marry the same jihadi goon who killed her kin. Many were abducted and taken to far off places. Even the pregnant women were not spared. "I dont know why our politicians accepted Gandhis Khilafat agitation. With the mentality of the ordinary Mahomedan it was bound to produce the reaction it has produced: you fed the force, it gathered power and began to make demands which the Hindu mentality had to rise up and reject. That does not require Supermind to find out, it requires common sense. Then, the Mahomedan reality and the Hindu reality began to break heads at Calcutta. The leaders are busy trying to square the realities with their mental ideas instead of facing them straight... Sri Aurobindo However, after Independence, a concerted attempt was launched to whitewash Hindu genocide by describing it as a peasant uprising, and as a freedom struggle. Communist government under EMS Namboodirippad, had even granted Freedom fighter pension to these rioters and religious fanatics who participated in the ethnic cleansing of Hindus of that region. On the other hand, Armenians who survived the genocide went ahead to document the event and made every effort to bring the truth before the world. As a result, World is observing April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. It is in this context that Hindus of Kerala have decided to observe September 25 as Hindu Genocide Day. This particular day was chosen because it was on this day in 1921 that Tuvvur tragedy had happened. "A very important factor which is making it almost impossible for Hindu-Muslim unity to become an accomplished fact is that the Muslims cannot confine their patriotism to any one country. I had frankly asked (the Muslims) whether in the event of any Mohammedan power invading India, they (Muslims) would stand side by side with their Hindu neighbours to defend their common land. I was not satisfied with the reply I got from them Even such a man as Mr. Mohammad Ali (one of the famous Ali brothers, the leaders of the Khilafat Movement-the compiler) has declared that under no circumstances is it permissible for any Mohammedan, whatever be his country, to stand against any Mohammedan. Rabindranath Thakur In an interview to the Times of India (18-4-1924) For us, observance of the Hindu Genocide Day is not for opening up new hostilities. Yet, Hindus of the Kerala is of the firm belief that justice has not been done to the victims and the bitter truths are deliberately suppressed. By whitewashing the Genocide, and by rewarding the rioters, it added insult to the injury. This scheme of things must go. This day is observed because present day and the future generation must realize the scale and depth of the violence and atrocities committed upon our forefathers so that we learn the right lesson from it. It will also strengthen our resolve that we Hindus wont allow such genocide to be repeated again; despite of the fact that a few Muslim groups are still nursing the dream of re-establishing the Khilafat again. Eternal vigilance is the price that the Hindus have to pay for securing their freedom, liberty and dignity. 1400 migrant Muslim encroaches family evicted, 1983 acres of government land cleared. Eviction to continue till the last family is evicted. Muslim migrants brutally killed 8 Hindu youth in the same area during Assam agitation. Hindu farmer was killed in a grazing field in the same location in 2017, too. Guwahati: Attack on police and the district administration team at the Dhalpur eviction site by thousands of migrant Muslims was pre-planned by PFI, said BJP MP Dilip Saikia. Thousands of Muslims gathered at the eviction site in Dhalpur under Sipajhar constituency in Darrang district, attacked the police and officials to resist the eviction in the government land on Thursday (September 23). The BJP National General Secretary and local MP Dilip Saikia said around 5000 migrant Muslims attacked 400 police personnel surrounding them with stone, bamboo and sharp weapons. He also informed that these places are the epicentre of drug smuggling and various illegal and anti-national activities. All the attackers and miscreants were not locals. They were brought to the site to attack police with a pre-planned module, Saikia added. Assam government spokesperson and cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika informed PFI is active in the state. After the ban on the Indian Mujahideen (IM), PFI actively worked amongst migrant Muslims in Assam. He also pointed out that after the ban on IM, its members are now working for PFI in Assam. Hazarika added that during the anti-CAA protest, PFI was mobilising the protest led by some Muslim leaders and a group of Muslim miscreants. High-level police sources told 'Organiser' that trained organisers designed the attack on police in Dhalpur. When the encroachers agreed to vacate the place after discussion with the Deputy Commissioner, a group of miscreants hiding in vegetation in the pace started stone pelting on police. They attacked in a bow style, surrounding the police force with sharp weapons. This design is practised by organisation's like PFI, the police source said. The whole episode of land grabbing by illegal migrant Muslims came to light when these people brutally killed one Assamese farmer, Ananda Das in November 2017. MP Dilip Saikia said the migrant Muslims are practising economic, population and religious aggression in these areas. They forcefully grabbed the lands belonging to the indigenous people. They are grabbing fertile government lands and earning crores of rupees through cultivation. In the last several years, they destroyed many Hindu religious institutions and grabbed lands belonging to temples and others. The migrant Muslims encroached almost 23 thousand acres of land in the Dhalpur, Garukhuti areas, Saikia added. Political Adviser to Assam chief minister and MLA Jayanta Malla Barua said that the attack on police in Dhalpur was pre-planned. Nearly 5000 people were gathered at the eviction site to prevent the eviction. These people were imported from other places to attack the eviction team. He added that this type of attack on the police force is a dangerous trend, and Assamese people should seriously think about it. Barua further added that 8 Assamese youth were brutally killed by these migrant Muslims in 1983 during the Assam agitation in the same place. Former AGP minister Jaynath Sharma's brother Dayaram Sharma, Bhavani Goswami, Jatin Sahariya, Muja Borah, Dimbeswar Deka, Khite Deka and Haragovinda Goswami were brutally killed in the same place where the police attack happened yesterday. After killing Assamese youth in 1983, they dare to attack the police. The aggression and brutality of these people has only increased, MLA Barua added. In a press conference at BJP Assam headquarters, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita told the media that the party demands a high-level inquiry of the attack on the police. The migrant Muslim encroaches were agreed to vacate the place after discussion with the Darrang Deputy Commissioner and the superintendent of police. But while the meeting was going on, some miscreants attacked police and started pelting stones. How and where they got those stones in the riverbank areas is questionable, Kalita added. There are no concrete constructions in the river bank Dhalpur area. Small boats are the only medium of communication to the place, so getting large numbers of stones to attack police creates serious doubt that there must be a third force instigating the people to attack police. There must be an enquiry to find out the truth, Kalita added. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered an inquiry into the incident by a retired judge of the Guwahati High Court. Nine police personnel were injured in the attack by migrant Muslims on Thursday. Three attackers were killed, and eight were injured in police firing. So far, the district administration has evicted 6000 bighas of encroached lands. Navdeep Singh, Station house officer (SHO) of Bhikhiwinid Sahib, told ANI that they opened fire at the police personnel in an attempt to evade arrest. Tarn Taran: Punjab Police has arrested three terror suspects from Bhagwanpura village in Punjab's Tarn Taran. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the suspects. Navdeep Singh, Station house officer (SHO) of Bhikhiwinid Sahib, told ANI that they opened fire at the police personnel in an attempt to evade arrest. "Based on secret information, we set up a checkpoint and intercepted them. But they tried to flee and fired at police officials. However. we overpowered and arrested them," said the SHO. Singh further informed that the three accused have links Garam Khyali movement, but it is yet to be investigated. "We also got to know about their kingpin operating from Canada and associated with the Garam Khyali movement, further probe is on as we have taken them in custody," he said. The police officer also informed that recovery of three pistols, two plastic explosives, and two hand grenades have been made. Courtesy: ANI Journalists were moved out mid-way during a press conference and question-answer session with Biden himself and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office in the White House. New Delhi: A date with media freedom, to put it sarcastically. It did not happen with a 'Hindutva' man, Narendra Modi of India. Worse, it did not happen under 'whimsical and moody' Donald Trump. It all happened in front of 'Democrat' Joe Biden, supposed to be the virtuous President - who by 'design' is also a darling of Indian liberals, 'freedom of speech' lovers and even 'Pegasus victims'. Journalists were moved out mid-way during a press conference and question-answer session with Biden himself and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office in the White House. In an extremely bizarre episode, journalists were asked to move out midway when Johnson was responding. The White House officials did the unique honour to 'democracy' and 'world of freedom of expression'. Most journalists were later found shell-shocked. All these to shield Joe Biden from being asked 'questions'? Imagine this happened even in a district in India with a second or third rung BJP leader! The choicest of phrases would have been thrown - Hitler, demagoguery, autocrat, Hindu fascists! Apparently, to Biden's surprise, Boris Johnson opened the floor to the questions, and subsequently, the drama unfolded! Hail, 'superpower' and the world's Greatest Democracy! There could be plenty of reasons for Biden to avoid the press. His 'Afghanistan fiasco' is now legendary. He irked a longtime friend of the US, France, by his now-famous AUKUS alliance and the UK and Australia. Did he apologize to French President Emmanuel Macron? Some sceptics would say the tenure of Joe Biden as the powerful American president is becoming weirder and more bizarre and unpredictable every day. There are other serious problems - the COVID-19 crisis is back again in the United States. Is this 'the America' - that is 'back'? - Something Democrats would proudly declare? Lately, a survey revealed the worst. His declining popularity, and if that was not enough, the Americans seem to endorse Donald Trump! The latest survey reveals as against 46 per cent of Biden, 48 per cent of respondents favour his predecessor, Trump. Other figures would also go against him and his admirers and party men and women. At least 51 per cent of those surveyed said Trump was a 'better' President, and Biden was acceptable among the remaining 49 per cent. Biden and his team and 'spin masters' would have to get things corrected soon as the 'declinism' came after June. Joe Biden's popularity in June was 62 per cent approval, falling to 52 in July, and now the graph is down to 48 per cent. "I shouldn't have been such a wise guy," Biden pompously said once. Well, it's for anyone now to take up the debate further! Beijing is much concerned about the CPEC, which is the centrepiece of the BRI. The sluggish pace of work, frequent terror attacks and incidences of corruption have slowed it down. Beijing: China's highly touted Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) seems to be losing its sheen everywhere, as various issues, including work at a slow pace and terror attacks, slow down the China Pakistan Economic a slow (CPEC) progress. According to the Hong Kong Post, Beijing is much concerned about the CPEC, which is the centrepiece of the BRI. The sluggish pace of work, frequent terror attacks and incidences of corruption have slowed it down. Irked by Prime Minister Imran Khan, many Chinese companies have made complaints about the Pakistan government for "negligible growth" for the past three years. "They are crying. Chinese ambassador has complained to me that you (Pakistan) have destroyed CPEC and no work was done in the past three years," said Saleem Mandviwalla, chairperson of Pakistan's Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development. Out of 77 CPEC projects, just 15 could be completed since it was announced in 2015, according to Hong Kong Post. Another major concern that has grappled Beijing with is the attacks on Chinese nationals working on the CPEC projects. In July 2021, nine Chinese national workers were killed in an attack on a bus in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The frequent attacks made China annoyed. It demanded Pakistan "to take practical and effective measures" to ensure that similar incidents would not happen again, it said. In August, two children were killed while three others, including a Chinese national, were injured in a suicide attack targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals near the East Bay Expressway in Gwadar, Balochistan. China stated that all relevant departments at "all levels" in Pakistan must take "practical and effective measures" to implement strengthened security measures. The embassy also asked Pakistan to ensure proper treatment of the injured Chinese national, who was been shifted to a hospital in Gwadar for treatment, The Express Tribune reported. Courtesy: ANI To be recognized as legitimate, it needs to be all-inclusive at home and needs to profess and practise the contemporary civilized worlds principle of peaceful existence with other nations. The Taliban regime is fallacious on both counts. Will the United Nations Credentials Committee let the current Taliban regime in Kabul represent Afghanistan and deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly that is currently being held in New York? Impartial observers say it must not. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from the Taliban government to let it represent the country at the Assembly. The Credentials Committee, which is supposed to report to the UN Assembly on this subject, should recommend rejecting the Talibans claim. The observers argue that a government in modern times must be legitimate to represent a nation. To be recognized as legitimate, it needs to be all-inclusive at home. In its conduct of international relations, a legitimate government needs to profess and practise the contemporary civilized worlds principle of peaceful existence with other nations. The Taliban regime is fallacious on both counts. At home, the Taliban regime is overwhelmingly Pashtun in character. It completely ignores women and other ethnic minorities, such as Hazara Shiites, who account for about 20 per cent of the Afghan population. No doubt, there are a couple of Uzbek and Tajik members in the Taliban government. Qari Fasihuddin Badakhshani, for instance, is a Tajik and the Taliban regimes new chief of military staff. But such elements are exceptions. Besides, they are close to radical Islamists. The Taliban regime has no consideration for the principle of peaceful co-existence in its approach towards other nations in the world. The very culture of the Taliban is one of sectarian hatred and violence against other faiths and nations. In a media interview, the Taliban has long clarified what it wants in Afghanistan. It is for an Islamic system, where Shura or council would make decisions and representatives of people contribute to the process. In view of such ground realities, it is crystal clear that the Taliban regime in Kabul today is illegitimate. The United States and other democracies would do well to lead the international community and prevail on the UN Credentials Committee to reject the Talibans claim to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations. The member-states of the Quadthe United States, Japan, Australia and Indiaare among the worlds leading democracies in the contemporary world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in New York to address the UN General Assembly. He is likely to meet US President Joe Biden, Japanese and Australian Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Scott Morrison at a Quad Leaders Summit on the sidelines of the UNGA session. Modi, Biden, Suga and Morrison could discuss the Taliban issue and devise ways to checkmate the evil. Also, the Quad leaders could reach out to other heads of state, especially from the democratic nations, who are currently in New York, to attend the UN session and solicit their support to counter the Taliban claim. (The writer is a Delhi-based journalist) Turkey hopes Islamabad will side with Ankara and move away from Saudi Arabia, if it supports Pakistan in the Kashmir issue. Turkey is an Islamic country bridging Europe and Asia. It is a developing country and is the twentieth largest in the world by nominal GDP and the eleventh-largest by PPP. It is a founding member of the Organization of Islamic Countries. Indias relations with Turkey were established in 1948. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to India in 2008 and then Turkish President Abdullah Gul to India in 2010. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the G20 Summit held in Antalya on 15-16 November 2015 on the margins of the Summit, the Prime Minister had bilateral talks with President Erdogan. President Erdogan paid a state visit to India from 30 April -1 May 2017. A high-level delegation and a 150-strong business delegation accompanied him. President Erdogan was conferred an honorary degree by Jamia Milia Islamia University. Five bilateral agreements were signed during the visit. Indias economic engagement with Turkey saw new momentum. Bilateral trade grew 22% to cross US$8.6 billion in 2018. However, the relations between the Two Countries divulged after Turkey first raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2019. When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Pakistan in February 2020, he again spoke about Kashmir. Turkey is also one of the few countries (along with Malaysia and China) that supports Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), allowing Pakistan to escape being placed on the FATF blacklist for terror funding. Turkeys support to Pakistan over Kashmir is a part of its attempt to counter Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are rivals in the Muslim world and by backing Pakistan, Turkey hopes Islamabad will side with Ankara and move away from Saudi Arabia. Along with this, there are other factors like first, political divergences between Ankara and New Delhi began when India was excluded from the Turkey-led dialogue on Afghanistan in 2010. Second, Turkeys attempts to block Indias membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Third, the issue of the Gulen Movement, which Ankara declared as a terrorist organization in May 2016. The Turkish government put pressure on the Indian government to close Gulen schools in Delhi and elsewhere. Fourthly, rise in defence ties between Turkey and Pakistan. Last, President Erdogan is speaking a language similar to Pakistan without understanding the unity and diversity of India, its culture, and history. Is Turkey the noble nation and is it speaking a language of conciliation? If we see Turkeys past and present history, it is really horrible and scary. Turkey has committed the most inhuman Armenian genocide where over 1.5 Million Armenian, Assyrian and Pontic Greek subjects were deprived of food and water and subjected to robbery, rape, and massacre. Armenian women and children were forcibly converted to Islam and integrated into Muslim households. Massacres and ethnic cleansing of Armenian survivors were carried out by the Turkish nationalist movement. 33 Nations, including the US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, Brazil, have formally recognized the Armenian genocide. On 10 Mar 2017 United Nations accused Turkey of massive destruction, killings & many other serious human rights violations against 15% of its Kurdish minority. Turkey is killing its own people and is using aerial bombardments, torture, forced displacements, destroy villages, arbitrary arrests, murder disappeared Kurdish journalists, activists & politicians. India is also responding to the nefarious design of Turkey. When Erdogan raised the Kashmir issue at the UNGA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded by holding meetings with the president of Cyprus, Prime Ministers of Armenia and Greece on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly earlier. All these states have various disputes with Turkey. Later, in October 2019, Modi cancelled his visit to Turkey and a lucrative $2.3 billion naval deal with a Turkish defence company. India cut its defence exports to Turkey and also reduced imports from Turkey. India also condemned Turkeys military operation in Northern Syria in October 2019. Recently, when Erdogan again raised the Kashmir issue during his visit to Pakistan, India said, These remarks reflect neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy. They distort events of the past to advance a narrow-minded view of the present; and warned, These developments have strong implications for our bilateral relationship. Turkey should not interfere in Indias internal matters and become a pawn of Pakistan by speaking its language. Meanwhile, India pushed forward its relations with Armenia. Recently, India secured a $40 million defence deal with Armenia. As per the deal, India will be supplying Armenia with four weapons locating radars. India is standing with Cyprus. Cyprus remains divided over the competing interests of majority Greek Cypriots and citizens of Turkish descent. Cyprus is an internationally recognized nation and a member of the European Union. On the other hand, Turkey is the only nation to recognize the breakaway self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and support an extremist regime. The international community and the UN Security Council condemned the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in 1983; the proclamation was declared to be invalid. Turkey's interest lies in either a two-state solution to the ethnically divided island nation or the annexation of the Turkish dominated regions. The recent discovery of oil in the region gives it additional incentive. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his Cyprus counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and said Turkey's relevant UN Security Council resolutions in respect of Cyprus are adhered to by all. Finally, one can say that India wants a peaceful global world, excluding jihadis, cross border terrorists and non-state actors. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party, the AKP, has often been described as Islamist and authoritarian who is following the same old genocide policy against minority and its own people. If a country like Turkey sides with Pakistan and starts supporting the acts of Lashkar E Taiba, Jamaat Ud Dawa, Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS, India can't help but fight them with full power. India looks at its foreign relations from the point of view of nation-states rather than religious communities. India has been implementing this stance by forging close ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE and many Middle East Nations. If any nation thinks they can penetrate the countrys populous minority and use the India network for Jihadis benefit, it is their foolishness, Reality is Kings, Empires, Rulers came and disappeared, but the Nation of India always remains permanent and will move ahead.. Harris acknowledged the presence of terror groups in Pakistan when asked whether the issue of Pakistan emboldening Taliban came up during the discussion between PM Modi and the US Vice President. Washington: US Vice President Kamala Harris has 'suo moto', referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism and asked the country to stop supporting terror groups during the first-ever meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Thursday (local time). Shringla said, "When the issue of terrorism came up, the Vice President suo moto referred to Pakistan's role in that regard." Harris acknowledged the presence of terror groups in Pakistan, said Shringla when asked whether the issue of Pakistan emboldening Taliban came up during the discussion between PM Modi and the US Vice President. "In that context when the issue of terrorism came up. The Vice President suo moto referred to Pakistan's role in that regard. She said that there were terror groups working there. She asked Pakistan to take action so that these groups do not impact on US security and that of India," the Foreign Secretary said during a special briefing. "She agreed with Prime Minister's briefing on the fact of cross-border terrorism and the fact that India has been a victim of terrorism several decades now and the need to rein in and closely monitor Pakistan's support for such terror groups," added Shringla. PM Modi held the meeting with VP Kamala Harris at the White House. The two leaders exchanged views on recent global developments, including Afghanistan, and reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. PM Modi, who is in the US for a three-day visit, met Harris earlier in the day. Shringla said that discussions between the two leaders were "substantive and they lasted over an hour". "The meeting reflected warmth and cordiality. Discussions covered a number of areas which included COVID-19, climate change, the issue of terrorism, cooperation in the technology sector including cooperation in cyber security, space etc," Shringla said. Courtesy: ANI Twenty-five thousand young people from Slovakia gathered in the Lokomotiva Stadium in Kosice on Tuesday evening, 14 September, for a meeting with Pope Francis. After listening to the greetings and testimonies of some of them, the Pontiff delivered his speech. The following is the English text. Dear young people, dear brothers and sisters, dobry vecer! [good evening!] I was pleased to listen to Archbishop Bernards words, and to your testimonies and questions. The questions were three, and I would now like to try, with you, to come up with some answers to them. Let me start with Peter and Zuzka, and your question about love between two people. Love is our greatest dream in life, but it does not come cheap. Like all great things in life, love is magnificent, but not easy. It is our greatest dream, but not easy to explain. I will steal your words. You said: We began to look at this gift with totally new eyes. You are right: we need to have new eyes, eyes that are not taken in by appearances. Dear friends, let us not trivialize love, because love is not simply an emotion or feeling, even though it may start that way. Love is not about having everything now; it is not part of todays throwaway culture. Love is fidelity, gift and responsibility. Today, being really original and revolutionary means rebelling against the culture of the ephemeral, going beyond shallow instincts and momentary pleasures, and choosing to love with every fibre of your being, for the rest of your life. We were not put here just to make do, but to make something of our lives. If you think about some of the great stories you read in novels, or see in unforgettable movies or hear in some moving tale, there are always two things that go together. One is love, and the other is adventure, heroism. They always go together. For our life to be great, we need love and heroism alike. If we look to the crucified Jesus, we find both boundless love and the courage to give ones life to the utmost, without half-measures. We also have before us Blessed Anna (Kolesarova), a heroine of love. She tells us to aim high. Please, dont let your lives just pass by like so many episodes in a soap opera. And when you dream of love, dont go looking for special effects, but realize that each of you is special, each of you. Every one of us is a gift and we can make our own lives a gift. Other people await you: your communities, the poor... Dream of a beauty that goes beyond appearances, beyond cosmetic impressions, beyond the fads of the moment. Dream fearlessly of creating a family, having children and raising them well, spending your life in sharing everything with another person. Dont be ashamed of your faults and flaws, for there is someone out there ready to accept and love them, someone who will love you just as you are. This is what love means: loving someone as he or she is, and this is beautiful. Our dreams reveal the kind of life we want. Great dreams are not about powerful cars, fashionable clothes or wild vacations. Give no heed to those who appeal to dreams but instead peddle illusions. Dreaming is one thing; having illusions is another. Those who peddle illusions by speaking about dreams use happiness as a ploy for something else. We were created for a joy that is much greater. Each of us is unique. We were put in this world to be loved for who we are, and to love others in our own unique and special way. Life is not a game, where we can sit on the bench, waiting to be called. No, each of us is unique in Gods eyes. So never let yourselves be homogenized, or turned into a nameless piece on an assembly line. None of us is standard issue; instead, we are unique, free and alive, called to live a love story with God, to make bold and firm decisions, to accept the marvelous risk of loving. So I ask you: Do you believe this? Is this your dream? I would like to give you another bit of advice. For love to be fruitful, dont forget your roots. What are your roots? Surely, they are your parents and especially your grandparents. Take heed: your grandparents. They prepared the soil in which you have grown. Cultivate your roots, visit your grandparents; it will do you good. Ask them questions, take time to listen to their stories. Today, there is a danger of growing up rootless, because we feel we always have to be on the go, to do everything in a hurry. What we see on the internet immediately enters our homes; just one click and people and things pop up on our screen. Those faces can end up becoming more familiar than those of our own families. Bombarded by virtual messages, we risk losing our real roots. To grow disconnected from life, or to fantasize in a void, is not a good thing; it is a temptation from the evil one. God wants us to be firmly grounded, connected to life. Never closed, but always open to others! Grounded and open. Understood? Grounded and open. Yes, but you are going to tell me that the world thinks otherwise. We talk a lot about love, but we see another principle at work: people are only concerned about themselves. Dear young friends, dont let this affect you; dont be disheartened by the things that are not right, by the evil all around us. Dont be dismayed or yield to those who tell you that nothing will ever change. Once you start believing that, you will soon yield to pessimism. Have you seen the face of a pessimistic young person? Have you seen what kind of face he or she has? An embittered face, a disappointed one. Pessimism makes us sick with bitterness, it ages us from within; your youth will quickly grow old. Today, there are so many disruptive forces, so many people ready to blame everyone and everything, spreaders of negativity, professional complainers. Pay no attention to them, no, for pessimism and complaining are not Christian. The Lord detests glumness and victimhood. We were not made to be downcast, but to look up to heaven, to others, to society. But when we do feel downcast because at certain moments in life everyone is a little downcast, we all know what this feels like when we do feel downcast, what are we to do? There is one infallible remedy that can put us back on our feet. Petra, it is what you said: go to Confession. Did you hear Petras words? The remedy of Confession. You asked me how young people can overcome obstacles on the path to Gods mercy. Here too it is a matter of how we see things, of looking to what really matters. If I were to ask all of you what you think about when you go to Confession dont answer out loud I am quite sure your answer will be our sins. But let me ask you, and please answer me, are sins really the centre of Confession? Does God want you to approach him thinking just about yourself and your sins; or about him? What does God want? That you approach him thinking about him or about your sins? What does he want? What is central, our sins or the Father who forgives everything? It is the Father. We do not go to confession to be punished and humiliated, but as children who run towards the Fathers loving arms. And the Father lifts us up in every situation, he forgives all our sins. Listen well to this: God always forgives! Understood? God always forgives! I will give you a little piece of advice: after each Confession, sit still for a few moments in order to remember the forgiveness you received. Hold on to that peace in your heart, that inner freedom you are feeling; not your sins, which no longer exist, but the forgiveness that God has granted you, the caress of God the Father. Just hold on to that; dont let it fade. The next time you go to confession, think: I am going to receive again the embrace that did me so much good. I am not going to stand before a judge, but before Jesus, who loves us and heals us. Now I would like to give some advice to priests: priests should feel that they take the place of God the Father who always forgives, embraces and welcomes. In Confession, let us give God first place. Once he is in charge, everything becomes beautiful and Confession becomes the sacrament of joy. Yes, joy; not fear and judgement but joy. It is also important for priests to be merciful. Never curious or inquisitorial, but acting as brothers who convey the Fathers forgiveness, brothers who accompany others in this embrace of the Father. Someone might say, But I am ashamed, I cant get over the embarrassment of going to confession. This is not a problem; in fact, feeling ashamed is a good thing. In life, feeling ashamed sometimes does you good, because it means you are not happy about what you did. Feeling ashamed is a good sign, but like any other sign, it points to the road we need to follow. Dont let shame imprison you, because God is never ashamed of you. He loves you in the very place where you feel ashamed. And he loves you always. I will tell you something not in my original text: in my country, we call those brazen individuals who do all the wrong things shameless. One last thing. You may say: But Father, I cant forgive myself, so how can God forgive me if I am always falling into the same sins? Listen, is God ever offended? Is he offended if you go to him and ask for forgiveness? No! Never. God suffers when we think that he cant forgive us, because that is like us telling him: Your love is not strong enough! Saying to God, Your love is not strong enough is not good! Instead, God rejoices in forgiving us, time and time again. Whenever he picks us up, he believes in us as if it were the first time. He never grows discouraged. We are the ones who get discouraged, not he. He does not label us as sinners: he sees us as children to be loved. He does not see us as lost causes, but as beloved and hurting children; and then he feels all the more compassion and tenderness. So never forget, whenever we go to confession, there is a party in heaven. May it also be so on earth! Finally, Peter and Lenka, you experienced the cross in your lives. Thank you for your testimony. You asked how young people can be encouraged not to be afraid to embrace the cross. To embrace: that is a fine verb. Embracing helps us overcome fear. Whenever someone embraces us, we regain confidence in ourselves and also in life. So let us allow ourselves to be embraced by Jesus. Because when we embrace Jesus we once more embrace hope. We cannot embrace the cross all by ourselves; pain, in and of itself, saves no one. It is love that transforms pain. So let us embrace the cross, always with Jesus and never alone! When we embrace Jesus, joy is reborn. And the joy of Jesus helps us find peace, even in the midst of sorrow. More than anything, dear young people, I want this joy for you. I want you to bring it to your friends. Not sermons, but joy. Bring joy! Not words, but smiles and fraternal closeness. Thank you for listening! Let me ask you one last thing: do not forget to pray for me. Dakujem! [Thank you!] Now let us all stand and pray to God who loves us. Let us pray the Our Father. A renewed understanding of contemporary challenges in light of the Wisdom of the Cross: this is Pope Francis wish expressed in a Letter sent to the Superior General of the Passionist Fathers on the occasion of the International Theological Congress, which opened on Tuesday, 21 September, at the Pontifical Lateran University, promoted by Gloria Crucis Chair of the Pontifical Athenaeum as part of initiatives for the Third Centenary of the religious congregation. The theme of the work, which concluded on Thursday 24, was The Wisdom of the Cross in a Pluralistic World. The following is the English text of the Popes Letter. To Rev. Father Joachim Rego, c.p. Superior General of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ I extend a cordial greeting to the participants in the International Theological Congress, which will take place at the Pontifical Lateran University from 21 to 24 September 2021, on the theme The Wisdom of the Cross in a Pluralistic World. This event is part of the Jubilee Celebrations for the Third Centenary of the foundation of the Passionist Congregation and aims to further study the current situation of the Cross within the framework of multiple contemporary contexts. In this sense, it corresponds to the desire of Saint Paul of the Cross to ensure that the Paschal Mystery, the centre of the Christian faith and the charism of the Passionist religious family, is proclaimed and disseminated in response to divine Charity, and that it addresses the expectations and hopes of the world. The Apostle Paul speaks of the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christs love (cf. Eph 3:18). Contemplating the Crucified One, we see every human dimension embraced by Gods mercy. His kenotic and compassionate love touches, through the Cross, the four cardinal points and reaches the extremes of our human condition, joining in a mysterious way the vertical relationship with God and the horizontal relationship with humanity, in a fraternal union that the death of Jesus has definitively made universal. The immense saving power unleashed by the weakness of the Cross reveals to theology the importance of an approach that knows how to combine the loftiness of reason with the humility of the heart. Before the Crucified One, theology is also invited to address the most fragile and concrete conditions of men and women and to set aside polemical methods and agendas, joyfully sharing the labor of study, and confidently seeking the precious seeds that the Word scatters amidst the jagged and sometimes contradictory plurality of cultures. The Cross of the Lord, a source of salvation for people of every place and every time, is therefore vibrant and effective also and above all at a crossroads, such as the contemporary one, characterized by rapid and complex changes. Very appropriately, therefore, the Theological Congress aims to study the Sapientia Crucis in various contexts such as the challenges of cultures, the promotion of humanism and interreligious dialogue, and the new scenarios of Evangelization associating scientific reflection with a series of illustrations that attest to its beneficial impact in different areas. Therefore, it is my hope that by promoting fruitful theological, cultural, and pastoral interactions, this initiative will contribute to a renewed understanding of contemporary challenges in light of the Wisdom of the Cross, in order to foster evangelization faithful to Gods design and attentive to humanity. While offering my cordial best wishes for these days of study, I invoke the protection of the Holy Virgin and Saint Paul of the Cross, and I cordially impart to the speakers, organizers and those who take part in this important gathering the Apostolic Blessing, and I ask everyone to continue to pray for me. Rome, St. John Lateran, 1 July 2021 Pope Francis journey/pilgrimage, which began with his participation in the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, ended in Slovakia with Mass celebrated before more than 60 million faithful at the national Shrine in Sastin, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Sorrow, along with its opposite, joy, was indeed one of the recurring themes in the Holy Fathers words in his last addresses and homilies. Previously, in Tuesday afternoons meeting/dialogue with 25,000 joyful young people in the stadium in Kosice, in response to a question, the Pope had pronounced a very firm affirmation on the topic: We cannot embrace the cross all by ourselves; pain, in and of itself, saves no one. It is love that transforms pain. So let us embrace the cross, always with Jesus and never alone! When we embrace Jesus, joy is ... This content is reserved for Subscribers Dear Reader, access to all editions of LOsservatore Romano is reserved for Subscribers. Click here to subscribe Subscribe by 30 September to take advantage of the promotional price of 20 per year. On Wednesday morning, 22 September, Pary Gul, offered Pope Francis her wedding ring as a reminder of her husband who is missing following the Taliban takeover, and an item of clothing that belonged to him and tells the story of a life of suffering. Before the General Audience in the Paul vi Hall, the Holy Father accepted the ring on one condition: that Pary Gul keep it as a token of friendship and a sign of hope. The womans hope could be seen in the eyes of her three daughters Adila, Robina and Setara and those of her son Nasim. They are between 14 and 24 years old, Her daughters sos messages sent via their smartphones led to setting up their incredible flight from Kabul. They were taken to the Bergamasco area of northern Italy where they will be able to begin their new lives, thanks to a network of solidarity, coordinated by ... This content is reserved for Subscribers Dear Reader, access to all editions of LOsservatore Romano is reserved for Subscribers. Click here to subscribe Subscribe by 30 September to take advantage of the promotional price of 20 per year. MANISTEE The Manistee County Democratic Party will hold a rally for womens reproductive rights next month. The event is set to take place at 11 a.m. on Oct. 2 at Manistee City Hall. This rally, as well as rallies and marches simultaneously taking place in all 50 states, is a sister event to the national womens march happening in Washington, D.C. The John Alden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution has held two commemorations during the month of September. The Chapter meeting on Sept. 11 included a memorial to the 9/11 victims and survivors. The main program was a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with members enjoying a video Voices from the Tomb;" this video can be found on YouTube. It details history of the tomb as well as what it takes to be one of the Honor Guard. Harvey "Leon" Syckle is celebrating his 100th birthday. He was born in El Reno, Oklahoma, but grew up in Midland. He married Frances Foster on Jan. 1, 1942. They will celebrate their 80th anniversary this coming January. They have four children: Pat, Joanna, Lee and Nancy. Leon is a World War II veteran. He was in the Army Air Corp where he served as a radio operator. Leon worked for Dow Chemical Co., retiring from the power department after 35 years with the company. He was a square dance caller for several square dance clubs in the area in his younger years. He and Fran currently live at Riverside Place Senior Living and enjoy watching the Detroit Tigers on TV. A celebration is planned for Sept. 25 at Riverside Place Senior Living. Join Live Oak Coffeehouse in paying it forward next week for Midland Neighboring Week, beginning Sept. 27. All week long, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, the coffeehouse has a preloaded gift card to surprise customers with free coffee. Customers can participate by adding to the gift card. "We would love for you to join the fun so that we can blitz as many neighbors as possible! Ask your baristas how to add to the gift card," reads Live Oak's flier for the event. Additionally, the shop is offering a coffee blend called "Love Your Neighbor" that was designed to help give back to the community. The coffeehouse is offering discounted small bags of "Love Your Neighbor" coffee for people to give to their neighbors, friends and family as gifts during Midland Neighboring Week. You can place an order for the "Love You Neighbor" blend mini bags using the QR code in the image above and pick up your order on Sept. 24 or 29. Each bag costs $4. When you purchase a bag of this blend, $2 from every sale goes to non-profit organizations with local impact such as Midland's Open Door, the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan, Be the Bridge and Midland Area Community Foundation Flood Relief Fund. So far, the shop has been able to give more than $1,000 back to these community organizations. "It doesn't get much better than that. Enjoy amazing coffee while you buy local and give local and love local," reads the shop's website. Midland Neighboring Week is set for Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. Leading up the big week, the Daily News is partnering with organizers to run vignettes featuring Midlanders discussing what it is like being a neighbor in Midland. Read one of those here. In Midland County, the board of commissioners have proclaimed this year's October as Cultural Awareness Month, beginning with Midland Neighboring Week, which is an effort to encourage neighboring, communication and inclusivity throughout the Midland community. Similar to National Good Neighbor Day, which takes place annually on Sept. 28 to promote welcoming and positive relationship-building in our neighborhoods, Midland is extending this tradition to a week-long effort. The Midland County Board of Commissioners approved the proclamation declaring Midland Neighboring Week from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 and October as Cultural Awareness Month in a board meeting on Sept. 7. Midland County added 81 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths between Thursday, Sept. 23, and Friday, Sept. 24. COVID-19 numbers reported from Sept. 23-24 Midland County: 81 cases and four deaths were added; pandemic total is 8,084 cases, 767 probable cases, 111 deaths and three probable deaths. Bay County: 106 cases and one death were added; pandemic total stands at 11,863 cases, 808 probable cases, 352 deaths and 16 probable deaths. Gladwin County: 36 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 2,286 cases, 457 probable cases, 62 deaths and four probable deaths. Isabella County: 78 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 6,425 cases, 1,126 probable cases, 99 deaths and five probable deaths. Saginaw County: 153 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 22,701 cases, 1,681 probable cases, 629 deaths and 21 probable deaths. The state added 6,080 cases and 82 deaths between Thursday and Friday. Overall, Michigan is at 1,008,069 cases and 20,863 deaths. Recovered According to the Midland County Health Department website, which was updated Sept. 20, 7,554 Midland County individuals have recovered from COVID. The state reported that as of Sept. 17, a total of 906,096 persons have recovered. Testing Midland Countys seven-day rolling positivity rate on Sept. 22 was listed at 11.2%, and Gladwin County's was listed at 13.6%. Our 12-county region was listed at 13.1% and Michigan was at 8.7%. MidMichigan Health statistics As of Sept. 20, MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland was listed as having a 84% bed occupancy, with 23 COVID patients and three in the ICU. MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin was listed as having a 25% bed occupancy, with two COVID patients and none in the ICU. Both medical centers reported having at least 15-30 days worth of personal protection equipment (N95, surgical masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection) on hand. Schools As of Thursday, Sept. 23, Midland Public Schools reported 135 staff/students were close contacts to an individual who was confirmed COVID-19 positive and 29 staff/students were currently tested positive for the virus. Schools with one or more staff/student confirmed positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday include Dow High (5), Midland High (5), Jefferson Middle (4), Northeast Middle (5), Central Park Elementary (4), Chestnut Hill (1), Siebert Elementary (1) and Woodcrest Elementary (4). On Monday, the state's website listed two schools in the Midland area among its new outbreaks: Meridian Junior High with four students and Meridian Early College High with 11 students. Midland County vaccinations The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard lists Midland's completed vaccine rate is 65.6%. Currently, the vaccines are not authorized to be given to those under age 12. Midland County Health Department is hosting a weekly walk-in COVID vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday on the second floor of the Midland County Services Building, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland. Future COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Midland County are listed at www.co.midland.mi.us/HealthDepartment/COVIDVaccineInformation.aspx. Those with questions may call 989-832-6380 or email MCDPH@co.midland.mi.us. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tess DeGayner. Saturday, Sept. 18 11:01 p.m. Police responded to a "mental petition" near the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue. 10:56 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to an Edenville Township residence for a wellbeing check of a 28-year-old couple and their four children per request of their friend. The deputy spoke with the family; the children were inside sleeping and appeared to be properly cared for. 10:11 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to Homer Township to be "on the lookout" and attempt to locate a gray Nissan SUV that was driving all over the roadway. The deputy located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop in Greendale Township; "enforcement action" was taken. 9:30 p.m. While investigating an unrelated incident, a deputy made contact with a 28-year-old Coleman male with two child support warrants outside of Midland County. The male was subsequently arrested and transported to the Midland County Jail without incident. 3:25 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township residence regarding a verbal argument. A 58-year-old male reported a 55-year-old male was yelling at him from across a road. Both parties were contacted and advised to ignore each other. The 55-year-old male agreed that he was wrong and shouldn't have yelled. 2:40 p.m. Police responded to a crash in the area of Eastman Avenue and Joe Mann Boulevard. 2:24 p.m. A deputy stood by while Midland Police investigated an assault complaint. A 57-year-old Rhodes man was later arrested for assault without incident. 1:45 p.m. A 69-year-old Lincoln Township female reported her 15-year-old granddaughter ran away from the house. The 15-year-old was found by a 51-year-old Lincoln Township female walking down the road with a suitcase. She reported finding the juvenile and a deputy responded to her location to transport the juvenile back to the residence. The juvenile was returned to her grandmother and mother. 7:24 a.m. Police responded to property damage near the 300 block of Rodd Street. 5:59 a.m. A 26-year-old Newaygo man was arrested for driving under the influence after a traffic stop in Porter Township for speeding. The male was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident. The male's vehicle was turned over to a friend who arrived on scene. 2:37 a.m. Police responded to a dispatch regarding destruction of property, located near West Ellsworth and Ashman streets. 12:52 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Larkin Township storage facility regarding a suspicious noise coming from inside one of the garage storage units. The deputy assisted the 44-year-old female manager with checking the unit and she advised it appeared OK. On Thursday the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation supporting Israel and its Iron Dome defense system, which is used to intercept rockets launched at Israel. U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, was one of the many lawmakers to vote in favor of the legislation. In May of this year, the terrorist organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched more than 4,300 rocket attacks and Iron Dome intercepted 90% of those that were directed at Israeli cities, Moolenaar reports in a statement his office issued this week. After Israel defended itself against these attacks it became necessary to replenish the supply of Iron Dome interceptors, which are co-produced in the United States and Israel. The Iron Dome saved countless lives earlier this year when it intercepted terrorist rocket attacks aimed at the people of Israel. This vital technology is made possible by the strong partnership between the United States and Israel, and todays legislation will help ensure Israel has the resources it needs to defend itself in the future, Moolenaar stated. The partnership between Israel and the United States helps keep Americans and Israelis safe at home and abroad, and we must always work together to protect our citizens against terrorists who wish to do us harm. The Associated Press reports the U.S. began financially supporting Israels development of the Iron Dome system about a decade ago and has provided about $1.6 billion for its production and maintenance, according to the Congressional Research Service. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets fired into Israel. The House on Thursday voted 420-9 to provide $1 billion for Israels Iron Dome missile defense system, according to the Associated Press. The bill needs to be approved by the Senate before it can be signed into law. COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A gunman attacked a grocery store in an upscale Tennessee suburb on Thursday afternoon, killing one person and wounding 12 others before he was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the store, authorities said. Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the shooting broke out at a Kroger grocery in Collierville, a suburban community 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Memphis. He said the gunman shot 13 others and himself, and that 12 of the victims were taken to hospitals, some with very serious injuries. Kroger worker Brignetta Dickerson told WREG-TV she was working a cash register when she heard what at first she thought were balloons popping. And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting, Dickerson said. And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach. Lane said police received a call about 1:30 p.m. about the shooting and arrived almost immediately, finding multiple people with gunshot wounds upon entering the building. He said a police SWAT team and other officers went aisle to aisle plucking panicked people from hiding and taking them out safely. He said the shooter, whom he described as male, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. We found people hiding in freezers, in locked offices. They were doing what they had been trained to do: run, hide, fight," the chief said. The identities of the shooter and the victims were not immediately released. Lane declined to reveal more about the suspect at a news briefing Thursday evening, citing the ongoing investigation and search warrants that will be carried out. We're going to carry this thing as far as we can to see and make sure that there's no else involved, Lane said, adding that there was no credible evidence that there was a second shooter. The chief also said that, As far as we know there wasnt any other incident that led up to this. Dickerson, the employee, said her co-worker, who is in his 20s, was shot in the head and asked for his mother to be notified. I left her a voicemail that he was alert and talking, Dickerson said, unable to immediately reach her. Another employee, Glenda McDonald, described the chaotic scene to WHBQ-TV. I was walking back towards the floral department and I heard a gunshot, she said. It sounded like it was coming from the deli. And I ran out the front door and they had already shot the front door. Jason Lusk, 39, had just left a tool store beside Kroger when he heard some women screaming in the parking lot about a shooter. He didn't see the gunman, but heard 10 to 15 rounds in rapid succession at the grocery store. It sounded like they were directly over my head," he said, adding he could feel the concussion of every shot and knew the weapon was powerful. Even at a distance of some 40 yards, he said, he worried that he and others around him were in grave danger. As the firing started, I dove in front of my vehicle onto the ground to provide the most cover for myself and instructed the people around me panicking, trying to get into the cars, not to get in their cars, but to actually hide," he said. Then police arrived within minutes and they swarmed that place," Lusk said. He added that he used his phone to record at least two of the gunman's final shots, and then a final gunshot on his last recording of the SWAT team on the scene. At a new briefing afterward, the police chief Lane called it a sad day for his department. I've been involved in this for 34 years and Ive never seen anything like it," he said. The suspects vehicle was in the stores parking lot and remained part of the investigation, the chief said, adding investigators were trying to determine how events unfolded. Lets get through the investigation, Lane said. "Remember, were two hours away from the most horrific event thats occurred in Collierville history. Collierville is a growing suburb of more than 51,000 people with a median household income of about $114,000, according to U.S. census figures. Set in a rural and historic area, the town square has largely become known for its boutiques and bed and breakfasts. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure would possibly lead to more gun violence. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement that it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting and was cooperating with law enforcement. The company in 2019 asked its customers not to openly carry guns while visiting its stores. A Kroger spokesperson said the Collierville store will be closed until further notice. Lights were still on in the store after nightfall, chrysanthemums set out front. The parking lot, entirely roped off with police tape, was still full of cars, with a heavy police presence. Neighboring businesses, including a fast food restaurant and an auto parts store, were closed. ___ Mattise reported from Nashville. Associated Press writer Carrie Antfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Guinea's ruling junta announced on Thursday that it is easing the night curfew, which will now run from midnight to 4am instead of from 10pm to 6am, following a reduction in infections and deaths from COVID-19 New York, US (PANA) - The head of Libya's Presidency Council said on Thursday that he will hold an international conference in October to build support for a Libyan-owned and led stability plan, warning that his country faces serious challenges that could undermine elections set for December Photo: (Photo : Octavio Jones/Getty Images) The FBI confirmed that Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old "Van Life" blogger reported missing by her family, died by homicide. The authorities had issued a warrant of arrest for her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, her companion, during a summer cross-country road trip that led to her disappearance and death. In a statement, the FBI in Denver said that Laundrie would be indicted for unauthorized access to devices relating to his activities after the death of his girlfriend. The arrest warrant will allow the authorities to put Laundrie behind bars as they continue investigating Petito's homicide. Locating Laundrie is also a priority so he could address this indictment in the right forum. Petito's boyfriend had also disappeared days after returning home solo from the cross-country trip. The FBI had named him as a person of interest in Petito's disappearance and homicide. Today's official #FBIDenver statement and the arrest warrant for Mr. Brian Laundrie are attached. pic.twitter.com/eV1IY4l681 FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 23, 2021 Read Also: Gabby Petito Case: Vlogger Mom Says Dead Son Guided Video Evidence for FBI Gabby Petito's "Van Life" Blog In June, Petito and Laundrie started their cross-country trip to visit various national parks from the Laundrie family home in North Port, Florida. The couple had been together for more than a year and stayed with Laundrie's parents. They used Petito's white van for the trip and posted photos and videos of their adventures on social media for her "Van Life" blog. In July, Petito and Laundrie arrived in Colorado and then Utah, visiting the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado) and the Mystic Hot Springs (Utah). However, by the time they stayed longer in Utah, disputes between the couple emerged and warranted the intervention of the Utah cops. The Sheriff's Office in Grand Country released the 911 call of a witness claiming that he saw Laundrie slapping and hitting his girlfriend. This happened sometime on August 12. The police also released photos of the pair as they responded to the report and tried to pacify the domestic dispute. The couple denied that Laundrie hit Petito, but they admitted they were arguing and that she slapped her boyfriend. The cops talked to the pair separately and advised them to sleep in different rooms to cool down. The authorities assessed the situation as a mental/emotional breakdown but believed no one was in danger of domestic assault. Days later, on August 19, Petito uploaded the first video for their "Van Life" journey on YouTube. Some of the clips showed the couple as very affectionate towards each other. On August 24, Utah cops confirmed that they saw Petito checking for hotels in the city. On August 25, Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, whom she was regularly texting and calling during the trip, received what would be her daughter's final call. Schmidt said that her daughter sounded very excited to start the YouTube channel and seemed OK. Petito also made her last post on Instagram on August 25. Where and When Gabby Petito Disappeared The FBI believes that Petito might have disappeared somewhere in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming between August 27 to 30. A witness claimed on TikTok that they encountered Laundrie at the Grand Teton National Park on August 29. The witness offered to give Laundrie a ride because he told her that he was camping alone while Petito stayed behind to work on their social media sites. On September 1, Laundrie returned to Florida using Petito's white van without her. By September 11, Petito's family in Long Island filed a missing person report. Meanwhile, Laundrie and his family said they would speak to the cops and the media only through their lawyers. On September 17, Laundrie's family said that their son had disappeared. They last saw him on September 14 after he told them that he was going to the Carlton Reserve to camp out. The family refused to say if they had been in touch with him since. The authorities searched the reserve using drones but did not locate Laundrie, now tagged as a person of interest. On September 19, the FBI confirmed that they found a body in Bridger-Teton National Park "consistent with the description" of the missing young woman. Three days later, the coroner confirmed that it was Petito's body, and she died by homicide. Related Article: Parents of Gabby Petito Ask Brian Laundrie's Family for Information About Missing Daughter Photo: (Photo : Ina FASSBENDER / AFP) New Jersey has imposed a mask mandate for toddlers in daycare centers, along with the staff and parents. Despite the criticisms, Gov. Phil Murphy has defended the order, saying that it's based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. In a press briefing, Murphy said that the decision to require kids in the ages of two years old above to wear a mask inside public places doesn't bring his government any joy. However, if this will keep people "as safe and as healthy as possible," then the state will follow the health guidelines, as what neighboring states have done. Dr. Christina Tan, the state epidemiologist, said the risk of transmission is higher among the unvaccinated. New Jersey's Department of Health has been monitoring cases of young victims, some of whom have died from COVID-19. Thus, they are recommending a mask mandate for toddlers to minimize the virus spread in the community. Read Also: Coronavirus Pfizer Vaccine for Children Age 5 to 11 Shows Safe and 'Robust' Antibody Response Holding a COVID-19 briefing. WATCH: https://t.co/gfdYibSMDt Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 22, 2021 Not Advised by WHO However, Sen. Kristin Corrado has written Murphy about the mask mandate and cited that the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend mandating kids below five years old to mask up. She also asked about any data citing daycare centers are high transmission sites to justify the reason for the order. Sen. Holly Schepisi, along with other parents, expressed their resistance to the mandate because they believe it is harmful to young kids who might not even keep the face mask on. "As a mother, I had a hard enough time keeping a diaper on my kids at that age," the senator said. But Dr. Steven Tobias, a psychologist at the Center for Child and Family Development, said that his grandson in daycare has gradually desensitized from wearing a face mask that he sometimes forgets to take it off. The doctor said it would be pointless to keep the mask on if the child becomes resistant, so he advised parents to remove it before this happens. To convince young kids to mask up, parents might need to discuss how special masks are. It might even help to make a big deal about getting the child his own protective covering. Under any circumstances, parents should never force their toddlers to wear masks. New York Mask Mandates for Toddlers Meanwhile, New Jersey's neighbor, New York, has also issued a mask mandate at daycare centers but business owners slammed the decision because it could force facilities to shut down. According to Fox News, some parents have pulled out their kids from daycare, and more could follow if the policy won't change. Michelle Smith of the TLC Adventures in Child Care said that the mandate does not make sense as toddlers will not comply. Parents are also upset that Gov. Kathy Hochul took the decision from the parents as they are forced to comply. Both New Jersey and New York's vaccination rate is at 63 percent (fully vaccinated), way above the U.S.'s general population of 55.6 percent (fully vaccinated). Related Article: American Airlines Responds to Family Kicked off a Flight as Toddler Had No Face Mask This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions aYo Intermediaries Ghana Limited, a leading microinsurance companyhas increased its maximum premium from GH 4 to GH 6 to give more to its existing and potential customers. The move is to enhance customer experience. Announcing this change, which took effect in August 2021, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of aYo Ghana, Francis Gota, said: We also want to give the customer the flexibility to choose the maximum they want to be deducted from their airtime each month. The new changes would enable existing and new Recharge with Care customers, low to middle income earners and MTN subscribers between the age of 18 and 65years to accumulate benefits up to a maximum of GH6,000.00 for life and GH120.00 for hospital cover each month. Additionally, existing and potential customers would receive more cover and make insurance accessible and affordable to every Ghanaian. Mr. Gota added that new customers would have the ability to choose the maximum premium when setting up an autoboost feature, while customers would choose from either GH4.00 or GH6.00. Existing customers will have the ability to set up their maximum from the aYo USSD menu. The current maximum sum assured on MyHospital to be increased from GHC100.00 to GHC120.00, he said. aYo Ghana a reliable partner in a period of uncertainty The outbreak of the COVID pandemic has amplified the importance of the micro insurance sectors role in the economic resilience of low-income households. For customers of aYo this past year has been one of their best years in spite of the uncertainties. Through tailor-measured policies, aYo has become a most reliable partner to many households offering relevant, accessible, and easy-to-use insurance solutions that give absolute peace of mind to Ghanaians and their financial wellbeing. In line with aYo's promise to guarantee the safety of its customers in case of any eventualities, a total of GH2,421,787 claims have been paid to more than 8,000 people since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 alone, 8,405 customers received a total of over GH2.5million funeral and hospital cash benefits. Since its inception, aYo Ghana has leveraged the wheels of technology: through the use of mobile phones and tailor-made insurance products to penetrate the insurance market which has persistently had a low penetration rate to make insurance accessible to all classes of people, including low-income earners, underserved communities, among others in Ghana. Over six million MTN subscribers are now covered by aYo. With its two main products, namely, Recharge with Care and Send with Care, aYo Ghana provides hospital and life insurance cover to MTN customers who sign up for any of these insurance policies. How to sign on and file a Claim To sign up to the Recharge with Care, dial *296#, select option 1 and then follow the prompt. Customers can either sign up for MyLife or MyHospital or both and pay a premium of GH6.00 valid for 30 days. To file claims, dial *296#, select option 1, and from the drop list option 7, followed by the prompt. Subscribers with valid claims will be paid directly to the claimants mobile money wallet. MTN MoMo subscribers can send MoMo through aYo Send with Care by dialing *170#, select option 1 (transfer money) and then option 3 (Send with Care) on the mobile money menu to get up to GH30,000.00 hospital and life insurance cover and up to GH3000.00 life cover for their family members (receiver of the Momo). Instructively, aYo intermediaries Ghana Limited is a registered microinsurance company incorporated under the companies code of Ghana and a subsidiary of aYo Holdings (Based in South Africa), a joint venture between MMI Holding and MTN Group. Established to distribute insurance solutions to MTN subscribers in Ghana and Africa, our operations are regulated by the National Insurance Commission of Ghana, and underwritten by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Ghana. aYo offers hospitalization and life insurance coversto customers through its two insurance products- Send with Care and Recharge with Care. The Recharge with Care and Send with Care offer life and hospital insurance cover every time customers recharge their MTN airtime. Customers can get up to GH120.00 for each night they are admitted at the hospital to support hospital admission bills and up to GH6,000 life cover for themselves and one family member who is registered on the policy. Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ministry of Energy is working closely with the Ministry of Finance to secure a 100 percent import waiver on electric vehicles to the country. The initiative is to help drive the penetration of electric vehicles into the Ghanaian automobile market. Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, said this at the opening of the first E-mobility Conference and Exhibition by the Energy Commission, in partnership with the Energy Ministry, in Accra. The event, which was organized under the Drive Electric Initiative, was on the theme: E-mobility in Ghana: Opportunities and Challenges. The Minister said while the talks were ongoing they were also putting together other measures to drive further growth and the sustainable utilization of electricity. He said as part of the incentives the Ministry of Finance would put in measures that would encourage people to move into the adoption of electric vehicles. "These vehicles are expensive and people need these incentives to be able to adopt the initiative of moving onto electric vehicles," he added. Dr Prempeh, who had a test drive in one of vehicles on display, said stakeholders were already addressing their needs of bringing those vehicles before the implementation of regulations. He said people had brought in the electric vehicles even before the completion of regulations by the Energy Commission and they must be commended. He called on stakeholders and policymakers to work together to devise policies, strategies, regulations and standards to bring about solutions and promote electric vehicles and other green initiatives in the country. "We cannot take our climate change mitigation efforts for granted," he added. The Minister advised that individuals and companies installing charging stations in residential, office and public spaces registered with the Energy Commission and adhered to the highest standards in anticipation of the charging station standards and regulations. According to the International Energy Agency, there are over 10 million electric vehicles in operation worldwide, making it clear that the world was moving away from conventional automobile engine vehicles to electric ones. "This shift makes it necessary for Ghana to move with the times and ensure that our country does not become a dumping ground for used fossil-fueled vehicles," he said. Dr Opoku Prempeh said the outcome of this initiative would immensely contribute to a reduction in vehicular pollution and carbon dioxide emissions which were very significant in meeting Ghana's target as captured under the Ghana Nationally Determined Contribution. Electric vehicles are the future and the future is here with us, he said. The Minister said the countrys current energy situation and climate targets called for creative initiatives, and the Drive Electric initiative was one of such. Mr Fredrick Obeng Adom, the Deputy Minister of Transport, expressed the hope that the conference would offer an opportunity to share insight on some of the opportunities as well as challenges to the adoption and uptake of Electric Mobility in Ghana. He said among the challenges facing cities around the world, particularly those in developing countries, was the rising traffic congestions and its attendant emissions, which had been increasing at a much faster rate than previously anticipated. He said most countries in Africa, including Ghana, were experiencing rapid motorization and urbanisation coupled with uncontrolled urban sprawl adding: The road transport sector remains a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Anthony Boye Osafo-Kissi, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bui Power Authority, said the collaboration of the Energy Commission and the Energy Ministry in promoting electric vehicles and the drive to productively utilise the excess electricity in the grid system was a step in the right direction. He said the Authority was undertaking various renewable energy endeavours to ensure continuous generation of electricity from clean sources. We are of the strong view that our generation from clean sources will go a long way to fight Climate Change, he added. Mr Osafo-Kissi said the deployment of renewable energy to meet growing demand of future generations was, therefore, an excellent approach to help mitigate climate change. We have also contributed significantly to another clean source of power generation, which is Ghanas nuclear power programme.., he said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has started a nationwide vaccination exercise which will end on September 29, 2021. The campaign which started today Friday, September 24, is for Ghanaian citizens who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', asked Ghanaians who have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to go along with their I.D card as well as the vaccination card they received after their 1st dose. However, unvaccinated Ghanaians above the age of 17 can go with only a valid Photo ID card when visiting any of the designated centres within their respective regions for them to be vaccinated. Dr Kuma-Aboagye is hopeful that this exercise will help the country attain herd immunity. Meanwhile, the United States of America is set to donate some 1.3 million Pfizer vaccines to Ghana. Listen to Dr Kuma-Aboagye in the video below Your browser does not support iframes. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Head of Monitoring at the Foresty Commission, Charles Owusu says he agrees with the statement by the Ghana Police Service disclosing the missing but found 'pregnant' woman in Takoradi, Josephine Panyin Mensah was never pregnant. The Acting Director-General of Public Affairs of the Police Service, Kwesi Ofori, in an interview with Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' noted that preliminary investigations showed no medical records proving the woman was pregnant within the period she went missing. The victim, now a suspect, according to a Police statement released on Thursday, September 23; during interrogation mentioned the European Hospital in Takoradi as the hospital for her antenatal reviews and assessment but investigations indicate "medical records at the facility suggest that the lady visited the hospital without pregnancy somewhere in October last year". The news about the woman not pregnant has stirred emotions as her family and friends insist she was nine (9) months pregnant and up for delivery before she went missing which has now turned out to be a kidnap, from victim's statements after being found. She has been arrested together with other three people on conspiracy charges. Discussing the matter during 'Kokrokoo', Charles Owusu sought to find out any proof from the woman or her family to the contrary of the Police statement. To him, a lot of things don't add up because if indeed the woman was pregnant, there surely will be medical records to substantiate her claim. However, for the hospital she says she went to for antenatal care to refute her claims, Charles Owusu believes the Police statement has been authenticated. ''I agree with the Police on their findings that it's not true the woman was pregnant . . . because I'm not sure two hospitals will say the woman isn't pregnant while she is.'' ''What do they gain from that? . . . if indeed it's true she was kidnapped, how did they (kidnappers) deliver her of her baby? And if indeed she gave birth somewhere, how did she easily return from such condition?'' he questioned. He called on the angry friends and relatives defending the woman to ceasefire. "We plead with those making noises and invoking curses to be calm," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The personal assistant to the Western Regional Minister, Justice Acquah, has disclosed that an amount of GHS 3,000 was given to the Regional police administration to be paid as ransom to the suspected kidnappers in the controversial Takoradi Kidnapping-Pregnancy saga. The money was paid by the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko for the release of Josephine Panyin Mensah, the woman at the centre of the brouhaha. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Justice Acquah, said that the payment of the ransom by the police was made in collaboration with the mother of the woman. At the point of the payment, the mother was collaborating with the police to find the exact location of the woman. The Minister gave the money to the police to give to the kidnappers because he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. It was an amount of GHS 3,000 given to the police through the Regional Commander. But the kidnappers initially demanded an amount of GHS 500 and increased it to a GHS 1,000 Already police have said the Takoradi woman who supposedly went missing before she was found, was never pregnant, as her family had claimed. In a statement issued on Thursday, September 23, 2021, Police said a thorough medical examination by the medical doctors at the Axim Government Hospital revealed that the missing woman was never pregnant within the period under review. Following this development, police are now treating the woman, who was said to have gone missing on September 16, as a suspect, in the case. After being found at Axim on September 21, Josephines family said she had lost the baby during the period she was missing. Police also said, she may have conspired with other persons over her possible planned disappearance. Three people have also been arrested for further questioning on possible conspiracy charges following this development. According to police, Josephine said she attended the European Hospital in Takoradi for the antenatal reviews and assessment. But Medical records at the facility suggest that the lady visited the hospital without pregnancy somewhere in October 2020. The police conclusion comes after a similar assertion by the Western Regional Minister sparked controversy. The Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said his information was based on a preliminary security report he had from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). Husband disagrees But Josephines husband, Michael Simmons, insisted that his wife was carrying a pregnancy. The police also raised concern with the incidence of staged kidnappings in the Western Region where people conspire to create self-kidnapping incidents to make money out of ransoms. A team with support from the National Headquarters has been put together to quell this emerging crime in the Western Region. Source: citinewsroom/facebook Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, convicted of the murder of African-American man George Floyd in 2020 has decided to appeal against his conviction. Chauvin was sentenced to over 22 years in jail after kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes in March 2020. His death sparked mass protests against racism and police brutality in the US and all over the world. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges, was barred from owning firearms for life and also told to register as a predatory offender. Derek Chauvin, a white man, says there were issues with the jury at the trial and that it should not have taken place in the US state of Minneapolis, citing bias against him. According to court documents filed on Thursday, September 23, Chauvin alleges that the trial judge abused his discretion at several key points of the case, including denying a request to postpone or move the hearing from Minneapolis due to pre-trial publicity. Chauvin also said he had no legal representative for the appeal process as the Minnesota police department's "obligation to pay for my representation terminated upon my conviction and sentencing", Chauvin then asked the US Supreme Court to review an earlier decision to deny him a publicly-financed lawyer. Chauvin, 45, was given 90 days from the date of his sentencing on 25 June to appeal against his conviction. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Tyrone Marghuy, one of two Rastafarian boys in a legal battle with Achimota School has reportedly topped his class in Science and Elective Maths. The Rasta student excelled in the exams despite his inability to study with the class against the backdrop of his predicament in relation to his admission. Its alleged that the headmistress has withheld the rest of the results following the development. We were waiting for the rest of the results. So I asked him this morning if the rest of the results are in, but he said no because they said the headmistress or somebody said no the rest of the results shouldnt be given to them anymore, father of Marghuy revealed in a circular. He however expressed fear the authorities might tamper with the rest of the results of their ward under the current circumstances. I am hoping they dont manipulate the rest of the results, Marghuys father said. I suspect they want to hold onto it because they dont want it to go public because it will be a disgrace to the school because if the boy didnt study with the class and still beat them in the exams the parent noted. Meanwhile, Oheneba Nkrabea, the other Rasta student has currently been enrolled at Ghana International School(GIS) in Accra. Kasapa News sources say the parents of the Rasta student moved their ward to the prestigious international school after they learnt of the Attorney Generals decision to appeal against the High Courts ruling that went in their favour earlier this year. The news about Ohenebas move has been kept under wraps as the legal challenge to overturn a high court ruling travels its full throttle. Appeal The Achimota School board and the Attorney-Generals Department have filed an appeal to challenge the Human Rights High Courts order for the school to admit the two dreadlock-wearing students. The Achimota School per the appeal said, the court among other things erred by indicating that the rules and regulations of Achimota School with regard to ensuring uniformity in appearance is unlawful and interferes with the manifestation of ones religious rights. The school board has therefore filed the appeal to have the entire judgment set aside and the plaintiff ordered to comply with the schools regulations if he (Tyrone Marhguy) chooses to be a student of the school. The AGs office has also filed an appeal on the case, asking the court to uphold Achimota Schools arguments and rule in favour of the school. The notice of appeal said the judge who adjudicated that matter and gave victory to the two boys failed to get the plaintiffs to provide evidence of their claims. The AGs office also said the judge erred in claiming that Achimota School had interfered with the right to the education of the boys. The learned Judge erred when she held that the regulation of the 1st Respondent requiring that students keep their hair low amounted to an illegal and unconstitutional attempt to suspend the manifestation of the Applicants guaranteed freedom to practice and manifest his religion Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Police Service says it has introduced urgent additional security measures in the wake of a spike in robbery incidents in the national capital, Accra. Several robbery cases have been reported in recent times, raising concerns about the safety of residents in the capital. Just recently, a daylight robbery incident at Achimota led to some robbers bolting with GHS29,000 snatched from a 33-year-old woman, while a bystander sustained gunshot wounds. Just this morning [Friday, September 24, 2021], two separate daylight robbery incidents have been reported in Accra. The Police believe these security measures will deal with the security threat. It promised a GHS 50,000 reward for any individual who will volunteer information leading to the arrest of robbery thugs believed to be involved in the robbery incidents. We, therefore, plead with residents to bear with us with regard to the scaled-up security measures to deal with this threat. We have placed a financial reward of fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis on information that will lead to the arrest of these thugs, the Police said in a statement. It also advised the persons who intend to withdraw huge sums of money to exercise caution or contact the Police for assistance for such transactions. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The 28-year-old Takoradi woman Josephine Mensah found a few days after reportedly going missing has pleaded with the Police not to prosecute her after confessing she was not pregnant. She admitted to not being pregnant to Police Psychologist and Health workers at Effia Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region on Friday, Police sources have told 3newscom. She has since been whisked to the Takoradi Central Police Station, the sources added. Earlier official complaints lodged by her husband at the police station on Friday, September 17 indicated that she was heavily pregnant and had been kidnapped. But after being found at Tolanu, a suburb of Axim, exactly five days later, she was without her supposed nine-month pregnancy. This heightened fears about the turpitude of her alleged kidnappers in the Western Region. The controversy took another dramatic twist as the police administration disputed claims that GH3,000 ransom was paid to the alleged kidnappers. Aide to the Western Regional Minister, Justice Acquah, had said the minister gave an amount of 3,000 to the police to facilitate the release of the lady. At the point of the payment, the mother was collaborating with the police to find the exact location of the woman. The Minister gave the money to the police to give to the kidnappers because he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. It was an amount of GHS 3,000 given to the police through the Regional Commander. But the kidnappers initially demanded an amount of GHS 500 and increased it to a GHS 1,000, he said in an interview. But the police administration says it is unaware of such payments. Nothing of the sort came before the police here in Accra and we distance ourselves. The police administration distance itself from such matters, Director-General, Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori said. The Ministers aide however stands by his comments. He insists the money was given to the police for the purposes of paying a ransom. He spoke to Komla Adom on TV3s Midday Live. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Huawei Ghana in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MOCD) has organized a 10-day residential training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for 50 ladies from eight universities across the various regions in Ghana. The program which commenced on Monday, September 20, 2021, is expected to climax on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, under the Tertiary edition of the Ministry of Communication and Digitalizations Girls in ICT Program aimed at equipping the participating ladies with introductory skills and knowledge in latest Technologies like Artificial intelligence, Cyber Security, Storage, Big Data, Internet of Things and Cloud Service. The Honorable Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Mrs Ursula Owusu- Ekuful, who doubles as the patron of the Girls in ICT initiative and the Special Guest of Honor at the opening ceremony encouraged trainees to exhibit enthusiasm and commitment throughout the training period. As the maiden event and the first for you ladies benefitting from the initiative, I wish to encourage you to focus on the training and the business competition as well. I also hope that going forward you will become ambassadors to preach the ICT gospel to the younger ones in the primary and SHS schools. The Minister commended Huawei for the support and effort they have invested in ensuring that the program comes off successfully. According to her, the workshop is one of the modules that the MOCD is introducing to the Girls in ICT Initiative and with support from Huawei, the Ministry looks forward to making it an annual program. The Director of Public Relation, for Huawei Ghana, Mrs. Jenny Zhou expressed the telecom giants delight in partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization to ensure that more ladies are trained in the latest ICT technologies. Mrs. Zhou mentioned that in line with Huaweis Women In Tech and Seeds for the Future Program this year, Huawei is also looking forward to developing more local skilled ICT talent with a higher number of female participation, as a means of contributing its quota towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, of attaining gender equality and empowering all women and girls through ICT. At Huawei, we believe that technology innovation can be led by women, and technology in its end can empower women, she said. The Director-General of Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), Mr. Richard Okyere-Fosu, revealed that GIFEC has instituted their ICT capacity building program which focuses on providing ICT capacity for teachers and students in the second cycle and basic schools in Ghana. According to him, GIFEC has executed these projects to provide avenues for children and women and support them to become higher achievers. The Head of the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence, Dr. Collins Yeboah Afari, also applauded Huawei for contributing immensely to the success of the program. He encouraged the students to take the training seriously and called on Huawei for collaboration, to train more women and girls in latest information communication technologies. As part of the program, students are expected to embark on Team Projects, Mentorship and Career Guidance Sessions, and also have fun activities like Industrial tours and walks to enable them socialize whiles learning from the best in the tech industry. Huawei has dedicated this years edition of its flagship CSR program, Seeds for the Future to ladies offering STEM courses at the university. Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Admitting the African Union to an expanded G21 would have the same galvanising effect within Africa that the EUs participation in the G20 has within Europe, strengthening policy co-ordination and coherence across the fifty-four (54) African economies. These were the words of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 22nd September 2021, when he took his turn to address the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, in the United States of America. According to President Akufo-Addo, with the African Union at the table, the group suddenly would have representation for fifty-four (54) more countries, 1.3 billion more people, and $2.3 trillion more output. This extraordinary increase in representation will add just one seat to the table, and about ten minutes to the discussion. The President was, however, confident that it will redefine global policy co-ordination to enable a more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable world to emerge. Reiterating the commitment of Africa in the fight against Climate Change, he maintained that the fight is better-advanced if we are able to maintain the crucial balance between economic, political and environmental imperatives positions that we will be articulating in Glasgow, at the COP 26 Conference, which should form part of the new Global Compact. Time for Africa Marshall Plan The President stated that even before the pandemic outbreak, many had concluded that the current structure of global economic co-operation, designed some 77 years ago, has proven inadequate to finance infrastructure and economic transformation in developing countries. According to him, given the incapacity of the global financial system to produce the necessary outcomes to finance sustainable development, we need a constructive review. COVID-19 is a historic opportunity to rethink global economic co-operation, based on all economies of mutuality, equity, sustainability, and collective prosperity. COVID-19, the President said, has resulted in decreased revenues to the tune of some $150 billion, with African economies still reeling from the economic impacts of the pandemic. African governments have already spent scarce reserves fighting the pandemic, and providing social protection to millions of affected households. Ghana has been advocating that innovative financing must also address structural challenges beyond responding to immediate fiscal needs, by providing mechanisms to facilitate investments in health infrastructure, technology, the environment, and people that would bolster resilience and equitable recovery, he said. President Akufo-Addo noted that the International Monetary Funds historic $650 billion SDR allocation should be seized upon as a catalytic effort to leapfrog Africa to the next level of human development, and ensure sustained global prosperity. African leaders have advocated for a prudent and transparent channelling of at least twenty-five to thirty-five percent (25%-35%) of SDRs, that is one hundred and sixty to two hundred and thirty billion dollars, from wealthier to vulnerable countries, one hundred billion dollars ($100 billion) of which should be dedicated to Africa. We welcome the support of the European countries, represented at the Africa Summit in France, the IMF, the G7 and G20, to some SDR redistribution, he stressed. The President continued, The IMFs historic $650 billion SDR allocation offers a unique opportunity to provide additional financial resources to address the vast and surging inequities the pandemic has laid bare, and a crisis to come. Africas allocation is some thirty-three billion dollars ($33 billion). If there was ever a time for an African Marshall Plan, it is now! The Marshall Plan, officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative passed in 1948 for foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $114 billion in 2020) in economic recovery programmes to Western European economies after the end of World War II. Proceeds of channelled SDRs, President Akufo-Addo reiterated, should fund vaccine acquisition and manufacturing, climate and green investments, and a pan-African Stability Mechanism like the European Stability Mechanism, that would safeguard financial stability on the Continent. A part of the redistribution, he added, should also fund the recapitalisation of the African Development Bank and Afreximbank to support industrialisation, private-sector job creation and the African Continental Free Trade initiative. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Tamale South Constituency Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called on the Police Administration to properly investigate and punish officers involved in the assault of some residents of the constituency over alleged electricity theft. This was contained in a statement issued by the Tamale South Constituency Executives of the NDC signed by Mr Abdul Ganiyu Sandow, Communication Officer of the Constituency, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Wednesday. The statement said, "In as much as we commend the Inspector General of Police (IGP) with the swiftness with which he interdicted the officers in uniform, we expect that the assault will be properly investigated and proper punishment be meted out to those recalcitrant Police officers." Some Police officers were caught on videos that went viral on social media on Tuesday beating some residents of Nakpanzoo and Lamashegu, suburbs of Tamale, for allegedly engaging in illegal electricity connections. Subsequently, the Police Administration on Tuesday issued a statement announcing that it had interdicted the four Police officers involved in the assault of the residents and that they would face Service Inquiry subject to the regulations of the Ghana Police Service. The NDC's statement said, "We deem the action by the Police as uncouth and unprofessional." It said, "On the substantive issue of electricity power theft, we do not subscribe to it, and will seize every opportunity to condemn and discourage such acts." Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vice-president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has stated that Ghanas 2020 polls that saw the re-election of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was free and fair. Vice-president Harris made this known on Thursday, 23 September 2021, when she held bilateral talks with President Akufo-Addo at the White House, with the aim of strengthening the ties of cooperation and friendship that exist between the two countries. Addressing a press conference prior to the holding of a closed-door meeting between the pair and their delegations, the US Vice-president indicated that Ghana and the United States share a commitment to democracy. We, these two nations, share commitment to democracy, she noted, adding: Last December, the people of Ghana voted in a free and fair election that demonstrated your nations commitment to democratic principles and institutions. We share a view that all people must have a voice in their future, that our democracies are stronger when everyone participates and weaker when anyone is left out, the US Vice-president said. Ghanas main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its 2020 flag bearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, rejected the election results and described it as fraudulent. The NDC accused the Electoral Commission of rigging the polls for Mr Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party. Mr Mahama sought redress at the Supreme Court in Ghanas second election petition but the apex court upheld the results of the presidential election. The apex court said the petitioner failed to prove that the winner did not cross the constitutionally-required threshold of more than 50 per cent of the votes cast. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Kenyan Government has banned a film about two gay lovers branding the movie an 'affront to culture and identity' and 'demeaning of Christianity'. The Kenya Film Classification Board on Thursday September 23, said the documentary was 'unacceptable and an affront to [the] culture and identity of the deeply Christian country which has long criminalised homosexuality. Directed by a Kenyan filmmaker, 'I Am Samuel' depicts a romantic relationship between two men living in Nairobi and has aroused the ire of the country's censors for promoting 'same-sex marriage as an acceptable way of life'. The authorities said the documentary sought to propagate 'values that are in dissonance with our constitution, culture values and norms'. 'Worse still, the production is demeaning of Christianity as two gay men in the film purport to conduct a religious marriage invoking the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,' KFCB boss Christopher Wambua said in a statement, declaring it 'blasphemous'. 'Any attempt to exhibit, distribute, broadcast or possess the restricted film within the Republic of Kenya shall, therefore, be met with the full force of the law.' 'I Am Samuel' is the second gay-themed film to be banned in Kenya, following a 2018 decision to stop cinemas from showing 'Rafiki', a lesbian love story which became the first Kenyan movie to premiere at the Cannes film festival. The ban on 'Rafiki' ('friend' in Swahili) was later overturned by a court, and the film opened to sold-out audiences in Nairobi. Homosexuality in several African countries is a taboo, and gays often face discrimination or persecution with penalties that include imprisonment of up to 14 years. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Barely 24hours after former Member of Parliament of Katamanso with the New Patriotic Party Hopeson Adorye put out a viral video claiming Twene Jonas' stay in the United States may soon be over following the latters run-in with immigration authorities, the Ghanaian vlogger and social commentator has resurfaced in extraordinary circumstances. Hopeson, took social media on Wednesday, to share a video of him revealing that he had gone to the workplace of Jonas to meet the internet sensation who usually portrays a rosy lifestyle in the USA and known for his strong criticism of Ghanaian leaders on social media. Twene Jonas jumped into social media prominence with live video sessions where he tackles issues facing the average Ghanaian and national development. He is noted for his comical yet aggressive manner of putting leaders on their feet. But according to Hopeson, his investigations unearthed that Jonas had lost his job after he was found to be yielding fake documents and was currently perching in the house of a Ghanaian preacher at Queens. Additionally, he disclosed that US law enforcement is frantically searching for Jonas to deport him to Ghana because hes an illegal migrant and doesnt have proper documents to reside in the country. Hours after Hopeson's video went viral, Twene Jonas popped up and sought to discredit Adorye's claims by flaunting a new iPhone 13 Pro Max to prove that he's still living a good life in Heaven on earth. As if that was not enough, elder sister of socialite has also unleashed her anger on the Ghanaian politician. Jumping to the defence of her little brother, she, in a video in an Instagram, charged on the former Member of Parliament daring him to leave her brother alone and face her instead. Watch Hopeson Adorye's video below which partially explained the reason behind the sudden disappearance and unexplained hiatus of Twene Jonas from social media. Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Big Events Ghana, organisers of the annual Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards, has announced that winners of this years edition of the awards will be rewarded with plots of land. The RTP Awards scheme recognises outstanding media personalities and media houses whose works show exemplary leadership towards building a vision and a future for Ghanas media platform. Chief Executive Officer of Big Events Ghana, Prince Mckay, in an interview with Cape Coast-based Kastle FM said, Over the years RTP Awards has given so many prizes to our cherished winners from brand new home theatres to television sets to all winners. He said this is a shift from the usual plaques that were given to winners in previous years. We have taken winners to Dubai before for a whole expense paid trip and it was a kind of learning experience with fun, he added. The CEO, however, revealed that this years edition of the event will award 15 personality winners who will poll the most votes. According to him, We have over the years given award winners so many things, so last year, we started giving out plots of land to the winners. Definitely, this year too, we will share plots of land to the winners but this time around, it is for only 15 of the personality winners with terms and conditions. Last year, broadcaster Stacy Amoateng was named RTP Personality of the Year and also picked up RTP Television Development Show Host of the Year Award. Kwami Sefa Kayi and Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi (Bola Ray) took home the RTP Personality of the Decade 2010-2020 Award. Last years event, which was graced by a large number of radio and television personalities as well as a section of creative industry stakeholders, was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Within 24 hours of the news that a "No Place for Hate" mural in downtown Boyertown had been defaced, community members rallied to re-affirm their rejection of hate and plans were underway to restore the iconic image. On September 23, Russias TASS state news agency reported that Vadim Krasnoselsky, leader of Transnistria, the unrecognized separatist republic inside Moldova, backed the presence of Russian troops as peacekeepers in the territory. According to TASS, Krasnoselsky made his comment during a meeting with Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the Federation Council (Russias upper house of parliament). TASS quoted Krasnoselskys press service as saying: "The positive role of the peacekeeping operation on the Dniester was emphasized as well as the lack of an alternative to the existing format of the mission until the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic and the Republic of Moldova finally settle their relations." The TASS piece added: Russian peacekeepers were brought into the conflict zone on July 29, 1992, under the Agreement on the Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Dniester Region of the Republic of Moldova. The agreement was signed on July 21, 1992, by the Russian and Moldovan presidents in the presence of the Transnistrian leader. Both of those claims are highly misleading. Although some Russians are serving as peacekeepers in Transnistria under the aegis of the Joint Control Commission, they are only a small portion of the estimated 1,400 Russian troops overall. And there is missing context. Moldovan President Maia Sandu, in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly the day before Krasnoselsky met with Kosachev, reiterated her call for Russian troops to leave Transnistria. She also called for liquidation of the Soviet-era arms depot at Cobasna in northern Transnistria. Sandu first called for the removal of Russian forces from Transnistria in December 2020, the same month she took office. Then, as now, Russian officials met her call with obfuscation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that the Russian troops in Transnistria were mostly guarding the arms depot, and that a pullout would leave that site unsecured. Polygraph previously fact-checked that claim and similar ones and found them misleading. The Russian troops that are not operating under the authority of the Joint Control Commission are not neutral peacekeepers and are accused of propping up the separatist state and its military. They have held joint military exercises with the Transnistrian armed forces. It was the intervention of Russian troops in 1992 that secured Transnistrias de facto autonomy from Moldova. Since then, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have repeatedly called for Russia unconditionally to remove its troops from Moldovan territory. Russia and the OSCE signed an agreement in Istanbul in 1999 that set a deadline for Russian troops to leave by 2002. Nothing has budged. As for the security of the arms depot at Cobasna? Transnistrias role in the global illicit arms trade has been documented. Viktor Bout, the currently-imprisoned arms dealer once known as the Merchant of Death, used to operate in Transnistria. Maia Sandu has made a counterproposal on peacekeeping in Transnistria that the armed Russian troops be replaced by a civilian monitoring mission under the auspices of the OSCE. COLLIERVILLE, TENN. A gunman who killed one person and wounded 14 others in a Tennessee grocery store did not appear to target anyone specifically as he rampaged through the building on a sunny Thursday afternoon, police said. The entire shooting was over within minutes as first responders swarmed the scene. On Friday, some of the wounded were still in critical condition and fighting for their lives, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said at a morning news conference. Still, the outcome could have been worse, he said. The shooter, a "third-party vendor" who police said worked at the store on a daily basis, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound within a couple of minutes of police arriving at the Kroger in the upscale suburb outside of Memphis. The gunman, who Lane said acted alone, was later identified by Major David Townsend as UK Thang. Police searched his home Thursday and removed electronic devices, Lane said. "We all want to know the why," Lane said of the shooter's motive. "But today, less than 24 hours, we're not ready to tell you that." The victims included 10 employees and five customers. Lane identified the woman who was killed as Olivia King. Friends told The Commercial Appeal she was a widowed mother of three. On Facebook, one of King's sons, Wes King, posted about his mother's death. He wrote that he had spoken to the trauma surgeon and learned his mother was shot in the chest. "They tried to save her at the hospital to no avail," he wrote. "I apologize for the graphic details, but this type of crime needs to stop being glossed over and sanitized. No one deserves this." Kroger worker Brignetta Dickerson told WREG-TV she was working a cash register when she heard what at first she thought were balloons popping. "And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting," Dickerson said. "And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach." Lane said police received a call around 1:30 p.m. about the shooting and arrived almost immediately, finding multiple people with gunshot wounds upon entering the building. He said officers of every rank ran into the building and were joined by off-duty fireman. There was no delay in providing medical help, he said. "Nobody wants to go into that scene, I can promise you," Lane said. "I mean, there were bloody people running out of that building, and there was not one blue uniform that hesitated, from the bottom all the way up. We're in there trying to help." Lane said a police SWAT team and other officers went aisle to aisle plucking panicked people from hiding in freezers and locked offices and taking them out safely. Jason Lusk, 39, had just left a tool store beside Kroger when he heard some women screaming in the parking lot about a shooter. He didn't see the gunman, but heard 10 to 15 rounds in rapid succession at the grocery store. "It sounded like they were directly over my head," he said, adding he could feel the concussion of every shot and knew the weapon was powerful. "As the firing started, I dove in front of my vehicle onto the ground to provide the most cover for myself and instructed the people around me panicking, trying to get into the cars, not to get in their cars, but to actually hide," he said. Collierville is a growing suburb of more than 51,000 people with a median household income of about $114,000, according to U.S. census figures. Set in a rural and historic area, the town square has largely become known for its boutiques and bed and breakfasts. Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest state to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without first clearing a state-level background check and training. The measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee over objections from some law enforcement groups and gun control advocates concerned the measure would possibly lead to more gun violence. The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a statement Friday morning saying it was "horrified and heartbroken" by the shooting and was cooperating with law enforcement. The company in 2019 asked its customers not to openly carry guns while visiting its stores. The statement confirmed that the shooter was a third-party vendor but declined to provide additional details and referred questions to the Collierville Police Department. The Collierville store will be closed until further notice but will continue to provide pay and other support to employees, the statement said. ___ Mattise and Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Carrie Antfinger in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. Breeze Airways has parked a 42-foot-long model aircraft in downtown Charleston as part of a free travel promotion. The upstart carrier placed the exhibit on Sept. 24 outside the Charleston Visitor Center at 375 Meeting St., where it will be on display through Oct. 8. Visitors who post social media selfies with it can qualify to win one of 14 free trips to any of the 11 destinations the Utah-based airline offers with nonstop flights from Charleston. For each day BreezeBird is in place, the carrier will give away 10,000 BreezePoints, good for one roundtrip ticket from the Lowcountry to New Orleans; Pittsburgh; Hartford, Conn.; Tampa, Fla.; Louisville, Ky.; Norfolk or Richmond, Va.; Akron/Canton or Columbus, Ohio; Huntsville, Ala.; or Providence, R.I. To enter the daily drawing, visitors to the aircraft must follow Breeze Airways on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other social media outlet and post a selfie photograph in front of BreezeBird with the hashtag #BreezeBirdinCharleston. The winners will be announced at the end of the 14-day exhibit, according to spokesman Gareth Edmondson-Jones. The aircraft model, which was custom-built by Atlantic Models in Medley, Fla., has a wingspan of 32 feet and weighs 2,500 pounds. Breeze Airways launched its startup flights in May from Charleston to 16 cities across the U.S., including nearly a dozen from the Lowcountry. For more information, go to: https://tinyurl.com/k92ezevk. COLUMBIA Former governor and United Nations World Food Program Director David Beasley said he's concerned U.S. politics and society in general has become uncompromising and uncivil, a problem exacerbated by disinformation online. "I'm really worried were going the wrong direction," he said. "People are really divided, unnecessarily so." Beasley spoke Sept. 24 alongside University of South Carolina interim President Harris Pastides and U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Director-General Audrey Azoulay in an event hosted by the university on the importance of freedom of the press and the battle against disinformation. Theres plenty of mis- and disinformation and restrictions even about what we can say," Pastides said after hearing from a Filipino journalist facing criminal charges for her reporting. "The methods of keeping us in check (in the United States) may be less tyrannical but they can be equally effective," he said. Beasley told the crowd about his years in the S.C. Statehouse 13 years as a Democrat followed by four as a Republican, during which time he served a number of years as the nation's youngest majority party leader before being elected to a single gubernatorial term from 1995-99. "We stood up for what we believed in, we respected each other and we argued in a civil fashion," he said. "We would vote, win or lose, and we'd walk off the floor as friends. But today it seems like everybody goes to the corner and doesn't respect the other." Beasley expressed hope in the next generation to bring unity. "Whether it's Washington or Columbia, S.C., or at city hall, we need to come back to being that American society, respecting one another regardless of our differences. And we need to quit just hollering at each other," he said. "It will lead to conflict; I see it every day," Beasley added. The World Food Program won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its multi-pronged efforts to combat hunger, and Beasley accepted the prize on behalf of the agency. It operates in 83 nations and 80 percent of their work is in areas of conflict and war, Beasley said. "You think it can't happen to America? I can take you to places that were wonderful places to live not too many years ago," Beasley said. In politics, in particular, Beasley said divisions and tensions already are high. Disinformation, which was the topic of the Friday forum, just elevates that. "The biggest issue we face is how to forgive each other and talk to each other respectfully," Beasley said. "Our future depends on it, and the rest of the world depends on America getting it right again." Asked about his future plans, Beasley said he's focused on a $6 billion fundraising campaign as 20 million people are projected to die globally this year of hunger. "Feeding children right now is the only thing I'm fixated on," Beasley said. Paul Bodamer and Todd Mathis had one of Columbias best-documented and best-sounding friendships. Bodamer, an insurance executive who became one of the states great music producers in his off time, and Mathis, a vital and endlessly eclectic presence on South Carolinas folk and rock scene, met in 2009, and later partnered to run the local label Jangly Records. (online copy corrected) Bodamers studio of the same name eventually merged with GEM Recordings, where he maintained his own boutique presence as High Fidelity Recordings. Among the many rock and jazz artists he recorded, Bodamer helped Mathis with pretty much everything he put out during that span, from experimental recordings as Interuptons of the Mind to refined solo outings to more raucous offerings from his band American Gun. Our friendship was a friendship started in music and started in recording music, Mathis reflected to Free Times, but it branched out from there and our families became closer. Columbia lost Bodamer in August 2020 at the age of 52. To pay tribute to his friend and important presence on the local music scene, Mathis in June issued the four-song EP To Paul. The songs collected represent various aspects of their relationship. The opening cover of Wilcos Theologians, a beautiful rendition filled out with gauzy pathos by Zena Strings (a string quartet that features Mathis wife), was initially performed at Bodamers funeral. It points to the importance of religion in the producers life (he was an ordained minister) and the hours he and Mathis spent talking about music. One More Time is a cover of Faster Stereo, the band Bodamer and Mathis formed with acclaimed North Carolina producer and musician Mitch Easter (Lets Active). The loping travelogue Me and Paul, a Willie Nelson cover, works for obvious reasons. And I Love You, the lone original tune, directly tackles Mathis grief at losing his friend Im writing this song just in case / Your spirit is out there floating among the airwaves / And maybe, just maybe, just maybe someone else needed to hear / The words / I Love You. I did it for therapy, Mathis said of the EP, adding that it was healing for both him and for Carl Burnitz, who produced the album. Burnitz learned at Bodamers side, and worked with him at GEM Recordings. I don't really necessarily believe in an afterlife, but you know, it wouldn't surprise me if there is one. I've been proven wrong many times before, Mathis continued. So if there is something out there and (Bodamer) could hear it, that'd be pretty cool. As Burnitzs inclusion on the EP indicates, Bodamers impact stretched beyond his work with Mathis. It always amazed me what he was capable of with everything that he was doing, Burnitz recalled. I never found a moment where he wasn't actively working on a project. As you mentioned, you know, he had his full-time gig. And then of course, he had his family, which he prioritized. But even so with those really, really demanding parts of his life, he still made time to work in the studio, on projects with artists and to do mixing and mastering if he couldn't actually get into the studio itself. Both Burnitz and Mathis praised Bodamers ability to know when to push things in the studio, and when to lay back and let the music speak for itself. A lot of times you go into studios, and they have a mic on the snare drum and a mic on each tom and stuff, Mathis offered. But when you go to a show and you listen to a band, you're not like, Oh man, that tom hit sounded awesome. Or, I mean, you don't need 10 mics on the drums; two, three mics is all you need. I guess the less is more is the thing that he always, always went back to. That's one thing that I got from him. Bodamers role in the local jazz scene was as big or bigger than his contributions to rock and folk. He recorded jazz musicians frequently, working many times with trumpeter Mark Rapp, including one of the final albums from local saxophone legend Skipp Pearson, teaming with ColaJazz to donate a day of studio time to that effort. Bodamer was a founding board member for that local nonprofit, which looks to boost the citys jazz scene. He was a huge supporter, a huge advocate for jazz music and for acoustic music in general, offered Rapp, ColaJazzs founder and executive director. He ran his studio in a way that allowed a lot of musicians to record and make great music and not break the bank. Mathis had similar thoughts to share about his friend. Paul supported so many musicians and would record so many musicians and would not charge them a penny, he said. He had the means to do it, and he was gracious enough to do records. GEORGETOWN Georgetown County has a new county attorney after eight months without one, county administrator Angela Christian announced Sept. 24. Jay Watson will replace Wesley Bryant starting Sept. 27 as Georgetown County attorney, who left in January to be a Judge Advocate General's Corps officer, a legal advisor with a branch of military concerned with military justice and law. Tommy Morgan with Smith Robinson Law served as interim Georgetown County attorney, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach said. Bryant joined as the county's first full-time attorney 12 years ago, so the length of the position's vacancy isn't precedented, Broach said. The administrator took her time with applicants so as to ensure the right choice was made, Broach added. According to the press release, Watson is a graduate of Campbell University School of Law and of Regent University, where he earned a Master of Arts in Public Policy. For 26 years, he worked as an attorney with Watson Bailey Ciochina, LLP in Asheville, N.C., where he represented individuals, families, small businesses, nonprofits and national companies in a variety of civil and criminal matters, including civil litigation, criminal and traffic offenses, business incorporations, transactions, and contracts and mediation. Watson has been a licensed member of the South Carolina and North Carolina bar associations since 1995, and is also a certified mediator with the courts of South Carolina and North Carolina. Prior to practicing law, he worked with the North Carolina Governors Crime Commission, where he assisted law enforcement agencies statewide to establish and operate criminal justice programs for special drug enforcement task forces, juvenile justice and domestic violence programs, and special prosecution teams under grants through the U.S. Bureau of Justice. GREENVILLE A former lawyer for the Greenville County Sheriff's Office has been suspended from practicing law after the state's Supreme Court ruled he lacked competency and failed to comply with court directives. Lance Sheek is suspended for one year, according to a court order for suspension on Sept. 22. For a period during the brief stint of former Sheriff Will Lewis, who was convicted of misconduct and expelled from office, Sheek served as general counsel. At the height of the controversy in 2018 over Lewis' pursuit of an affair with a subordinate employee, Sheek resigned. He cited the ability to represent the agency had been "effectively hindered" by the employee's lawsuit against the sheriff, according to his resignation letter. The suspension stems from two state Court of Appeals cases that date back to 2010. In the first, Sheek filed an appeal in October 2010 that failed to follow court procedure, according to the Sept. 22 order. The court's clerk repeatedly warned Sheek that the case could be dismissed but didn't get a response. The case was dismissed in March 2011, but reinstated two months later after a Sheek request. The case was dismissed again in October 2011 but reinstated a second time with numerous deadline extensions. The court made a final dismissal in February 2013. In the second matter involving a 2011 case, the order states that Sheek had another case dismissed after he was dishonest about failing to order a transcript. The opposing lawyers pointed out the deficiency, and Sheek attributed the error to requesting the transcript from the wrong source. However, according to the order, records show that wasn't true. That case was dismissed in September 2012. The Supreme Court justices in the unanimous order on Sept. 22 cited previous infractions for similar conduct that resulted in a reprimand in 2012 and a letter of caution in 2005. During the Lewis saga, Sheek resigned as general counsel in April 2018 after citing in his resignation letter a "fracturing of the command staff" and repeated leaks to the media in the case. Lewis' high-profile trial in 2019 laid bare the dysfunctional condition of the states largest law enforcement agency. In 2017, a personal assistant to the then newly-elected sheriff posted on a personal blog accusations that Lewis sexually harassed and assaulted her in Charlotte during a trip billed as business related. During the trial, witnesses testified that the assistant rose through the ranks at a pace not in line with her experience and that Lewis showered her with unnecessary benefits. On a business trip to Charlotte, the two had a sexual encounter. Also during the trip, the assistant said she awoke to Lewis forcing himself on her. The assistant resigned her position after refusing to accompany Lewis on a trip to Reno, Nev., and making clear she didn't want a sexual relationship. This past August, the state Supreme Court shot down Lewis' last-ditch appeal to his misconduct conviction, which resulted in a one-year prison sentence. This week, the Supreme Court disciplined two other Upstate lawyers, Shawn Campbell and Kenneth Shabel, both of Spartanburg, who once shared a law practice. In a Sept. 22 order, the court suspended Campbell for four months after his firm failed to pay federal payroll taxes and mishandled the accounting of funds. The court reprimanded Shabel, citing poor accounting practices and failure to pay payroll taxes that were delegated to his law partner and office manager. Data released by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Sept. 24 shows more than 12,000 South Carolinians have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. DHEC reported 111 confirmed and 13 probable deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2020 to 12,080. More than 2,000 of those deaths have been recorded during the current third surge of the pandemic. Statewide numbers New cases reported: 2,602 confirmed, 889 probable. Total cases in S.C.: 677,058 confirmed, 164,542 probable. Percent positive: 9.4 percent. New deaths reported: 111 confirmed, 13 probable. Total deaths in S.C.: 10,498 confirmed, 1,582 probable. Percent of ICU beds filled (with COVID-19 and other patients): 82.95 percent. S.C. residents vaccinated In South Carolina, 59.7 percent of people who are eligible for the vaccine have received one shot, and 51.1 percent of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated. Hardest-hit areas As of Sept. 24, Greenville (381), Spartanburg (249) and Anderson (207) counties saw the highest totals of newly confirmed cases. What about tri-county? Charleston County had 101 new cases on Sept. 24, while Dorchester had 72 and Berkeley had 59. Deaths DHEC releases county-level data regarding COVID-19 deaths and the ages of those who have died from the virus on Tuesdays. According to the data published Sept. 21, at least 399 people in South Carolina died from the virus Sept. 12-18, and their ages ranged from pediatric (17 and younger) to elderly (65 and older). Horry County recorded 30 COVID deaths that week the highest number in the state. Health officials have reported that the vast majority of patients who are dying from the coronavirus at this stage of the pandemic are unvaccinated. Hospitalizations Of the 2,325 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Sept. 24, 551 were in the ICU and 386 were using ventilators. Student, teacher and faculty cases DHEC's weekly school report shows 38,107 staff and students have been isolated since the start of the school year, meaning they tested positive for COVID-19. An estimated 166,198 have been quarantined since the start of the school year. These estimates are likely low because some schools did not provide data for the report. Variants of concern DHEC sequences a small, random sample of positive COVID-19 cases each week to determine which variants of concern (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) are circulating in the state. According to data published by the agency on Sept. 24, 2,822 samples have been identified as variants of concern over the course of the pandemic. Of those, 1,576 have been identified as the delta variant, which health officials say is now the dominant strain in South Carolina. What do experts say? South Carolina physician Dr. Gerald Harmon, who is now serving as president of the American Medical Association, applauded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 24 for recommending a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for health care professionals. Given that we are in the midst of a global pandemic that continues to cause widespread illness and death, we must do everything we can to protect our frontline health care professionals, Harmon said in a prepared statement. We believe this recommendation is a critical step to preserve our nations health care capacity and prevent illness among those who have continued to put their own health and safety at risk to care for patients. If you need a coronavirus vaccine or a booster shot, go to vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. NORTH CHARLESTON About $18.2 million will be awarded to Lowcountry nonprofits and state agencies to help crime victims, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said. Wilson made the announcement at a news conference on Sept. 23 at North Charleston City Hall. He was joined by dozens of nonprofit staff members, law enforcement officers and state representatives. One of the reasons we do this is because we want this community to know that people are ready to serve them should they ever find themselves in the unfortunate position of being a victim and or survivor of a crime, Wilson said. At least 25 organizations in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester and Hampton counties would receive the grant money, which will primarily be federal funding from the Victims of Crime and Violence Against Women acts. The Attorney Generals Office awarded more than $32 million in grants statewide. Money coming through the grant programs will go specifically toward helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking and other violent crimes, through services such as evidence-based therapies and specialized law enforcement training, Wilson said. One grant recipient is the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center within the Medical University of South Carolinas department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. The center has received Victims of Crime Act funding for about 25 years, Alyssa Rheingold of the treatment center said. The center provides mental health counseling for adults and kids who have experienced traumatic events, case management, as well as outreach services such as specialty programs for survivors of sexual assault and victims of crime within the Hispanic community. The center has used the grant money to expand its services, particularly for traditionally underserved populations, being able to tailor services to their special needs, Rheingold said. Grant money in the past has paid for more clinicians and case managers, free treatment and even vehicles, so staff members can visit victims wherever they are, she said. The center's pediatric collaborative care program also receives its own portion of the funding, used to provide screenings, therapy and case management to children and their caregivers, said Rochelle Hanson, who heads the program. We do know that when children experience a crime or are a victim, when its untreated, it doesnt just go away, she said. And then they infiltrate all the other different areas of their life. They dont do well academically, they dont achieve occupational status. So if we can nip it in the bud, we can potentially prevent, or at least reduce the risk, for those longer-term problems. Hanson hopes the program will eventually be able to expand, with the continued support of the funding, she said. David Morris, a victim advocate with the Charleston County Sheriffs Office, said the money will help provide services to victims. Some grant money for the Sheriffs Office will pay to continue covering the costs of victim advocates. Our services cost money, plain and simple, Morris said. So the more that we get, the better services that we can offer. Morris, who works at the countys detention center, helps notify victims once suspects in their cases have been arrested and booked into jail. He continues to update the victim as the court case makes its way through the system, including whether suspects may be released. Not only is it a victims right to be kept in the loop, but it also makes them feel involved, Morris said. Theyve already been through a terrible situation, he said. We dont want to make that worse. So we want them to feel that they have support, and they have somebody that actually cares. This years grant funding cycle will begin Oct. 1, when agencies will start receiving the money allocated to these projects. SUMMMERVILLE A Cane Bay High School teacher has become the target of protests and social media backlash after a video surfaced of the teacher allegedly using a racial slur. In a video posted to TikTok, viewers can hear someone saying the n-word, noting that it was rooted in racism. The video opens with one individual commenting that "it's not even the right flag, it's literally rooted in racism." Another individual, whom the school district confirmed as the teacher, can then be heard responding, "So is (the 'n-word'). They're both rooted in racism, y'all." Berkeley County School District spokeswoman Katie Tanner said the district is aware of the video and that the clip captures a portion of a classroom conversation around words and objects rooted in racism. "The teacher did make the statement that a racial slur, which the teacher identified out loud, is rooted in racism," Tanner said. The situation is still under investigation, and BCSD officials said it is being addressed in accordance with school and district policy. Students of Cane Bay High School organized an in-school protest on Sept. 21 in response to the teacher using the slur. A press conference is planned for 9 a.m. Sept. 24 at the steps of Cane Bay Trail. Organized by Justin Hunt, a local activist and president of Stand as One, he said they organized the press conference to show their solidarity with the students. "The victims are the students," he said. It's sad that we even have to take action over stuff like this. He also said he wants people to understand that they're not upset over the conversation around the slur alone. If the teacher had just used an abbreviated format of the word or if she had just alluded to it, there wouldn't be a problem, he said. He argues that the teacher should've had enough awareness and education to know not to say the word. It's because she said it in its entire format," Hunt said. She has to be terminated." A Change.org petition was also posted online demanding the termination of the teacher. As of Sept. 23, the petition had more than 1,100 signatures. Since the situation involves personnel, details from BCSD are limited. District officials did not identify the teacher. "Berkeley County School District promotes a welcoming and supportive environment that celebrates and values diversity and respect for all students, employees, and stakeholders," Tanner said. HAMPTON Alex Murdaughs legal team has requested a probable cause hearing before a Hampton County judge, a sign they could seek to dismiss some or all of the criminal charges filed against the prominent attorney after his botched assisted suicide over Labor Day weekend. Meanwhile, legal and financial firms are seeking to distance themselves from the disgraced lawyer as he faces a wave of embezzlement and fraud accusations. The Hampton law firm that Murdaughs great-grandfather founded in 1910 issued a statement Friday that none of its lawyers were aware Murdaugh has suffered from opioid addiction over the past 20 years. The office of Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick also said it was not involved in a lawsuit filed against Murdaugh after the familys housekeeper died in an apparent fall. PMPED said its lawyers were stunned at recent allegations that the housekeepers family received none of the millions of dollars it was owed from the settlement. And Forge Consulting, a Georgia-based financial firm, has released a statement claiming no involvement in or knowledge of any financial schemes Murdaugh is accused of carrying out. The company said it contacted law enforcement when it learned Murdaugh might have used the Forge brand on his bank accounts. The developments are just the latest in the rapid unraveling of Murdaughs personal and professional lives, which began in earnest June 7 with the still-unsolved slayings of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul at the familys hunting lodge. Now, authorities have opened no fewer than six separate investigations involving the Murdaugh family, including accusations Murdaugh stole a substantial amount of money from his former law firm. Playing defense Murdaugh also faces up to 20 years behind bars in connection with the staged shooting he survived on Sept. 4. The State Law Enforcement Division charged Murdaugh with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report after he admitted he orchestrated his own murder. Murdaughs attorneys have said he wanted to die during a fit of depression but believed his $10 million life insurance policy would not pay out to his remaining son, Buster, if he committed suicide. So Murdaugh, the 53-year-old heir to a legal dynasty in Hampton County, had his drug dealer shoot him instead, Murdaughs lawyers have said. In a brief Sept. 23 filing, Murdaugh attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian requested a preliminary hearing to assess whether probable cause exists on all three charges. The filing included no details about which charges the attorneys might want dismissed, or why they believe those charges might not meet the probable cause standard. Under S.C. law, defendants have a right to such preliminary hearings within 10 days of requesting one. Preliminary hearings are sometimes conducted like mini-trials. Prosecutors must present reasonable grounds for showing the crime was committed and that the defendant committed it. That usually means a lead investigator is called to testify about evidence the state has collected to establish probable cause. While the courts clearly instruct attorneys not to use these hearings as fishing expeditions, they can often function as a valuable tool for the defense to learn just what evidence the state has against the defendant. Griffin and Harpootlian declined to comment further on the request. PMPED's statement Meanwhile, Murdaughs former law firm hasnt rushed to his defense. Instead, after accusing Murdaugh of embezzling from the firm and forcing him out, PMPED sought Friday to distance itself further from the man at the center of this Southern murder mystery. In a statement on its website, PMPED said it never represented Murdaugh in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs late housekeeper. The firm said it was surprised to hear that money tied to a settlement in that case has gone missing. "His insurance company hired counsel to represent him," the law firm said. SLED is now investigating what happened to the millions of dollars Satterfields sons were supposed to receive. PMPED also insisted that none of its attorneys have spoken with anyone who was aware of Murdaughs addiction to opioids. Murdaughs attorneys have said he embezzled firm money to fuel a 20-year addiction that worsened after the deaths of his wife and son this summer. Like many of you, we have lots of questions about Alex and what has recently come to light, the law firm said. We dont know the answers, but we will continue assisting law enforcement and other authorities in efforts to find the truth. Harpootlian, one of Murdaugs lawyers, said on Sept. 24, he was not surprised the firm is trying to distance itself from Murdaugh, calling it a prudent business decision. The firm is pursuing what is best for them, Harpootlian said. That is to be expected. Asked about PMPEDs statement about Murdaughs addiction, Harpootlian said: Im not an addiction expert. Nor am I an expert in how people appear while on opioids. He declined to comment further. The firm insisted the money Murdaugh stole will not affect current or future operations at the company, or any of its clients. Fake Forge? A second firm, Forge Consulting, has felt compelled to also distance itself from Murdaugh after allegations that missing money from the Satterfield wrongful death settlement was funneled to a bank account for a fake company named after Forge. Documents show a settlement in that case, negotiated after Satterfields unexplained death in 2018, amounted to about $4.3 million, including attorneys fees. But the May 2019 settlement, which appears to bear the signature of Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen, was never filed in court, and none of the money ever reached Satterfields sons, their new attorney said. Eric Bland, an attorney for Satterfields sons, has alleged the scheme tried to mimic the real company, Forge Consulting, that is often hired by attorneys. Forge Consulting uses annuities to split large lump-sum settlements into smaller payments and directs the money to insurance companies, trusts and other financial institutions. In a Sept. 17 interview on NewsNation, Bland said the alleged scheme required several procedural checks to be overridden. Cory Fleming, an attorney who is friends with Murdaugh yet represented Satterfields sons in the original lawsuit, should have consulted with his clients about taking a structured settlement, Bland said. The check should have been sent to the personal representative for Satterfields estate, who should have reported to the probate court where it went, Bland said. Whats more, a portion of the money didnt immediately belong to the sons; it should have been distributed by the probate court. Multiple attempts to reach Fleming and Chad Westendorf, a banker who was appointed the personal representative of Satterfields estate, were unsuccessful. Mullen has not returned multiple phone calls and emails from The Post and Courier over the past week. Mullen's involvement with the Satterfield settlement has come under scrutiny, in part, because she approved the deal just a month after she recused herself from a separate lawsuit involving the Murdaugh family. In her recusal order, Mullen did not explain why she felt she needed to step aside. But her reasoning will dictate whether her involvement in the Satterfield matter was appropriate, according to Robert Wilcox, former dean of the University of South Carolina's law school: If she'd determined she couldn't hear a case involving the Murdaughs, it would be inconsistent to approve the settlement. Bland said the settlements appeared to total roughly $4 million. Only $505,000 was reported in public court records. None of it went to Satterfields sons, who have filed a new lawsuit against Murdaugh to recover the money. I believe that this case is at the epicenter of whats going to happen ultimately in Hampton County, Bland said in the interview, calling it an indictment of the South Carolina justice system. Later, he added: There are a lot of lawyers who know what happened in this case in that town, and a lot of people are contributing information. Forge Consulting released a statement this week to our South Carolina friends and clients reiterating they were not involved in the alleged scheme. We had no knowledge of nor anything to do with the reported inappropriate bank account that included Forge in its name, which Alex Murdaugh purportedly used, Forge Consulting CEO Spooner Phillips wrote. When we learned of the possible existence of such an account, law enforcement officials were immediately contacted - along with others who are investigating - to offer our assistance. NORTH CHARLESTON Authorities are investigating after a 44-year-old woman was found fatally shot the morning of Sept. 20 at a hotel. North Charleston police were dispatched about 8:30 a.m. after an employee of Red Roof Inn reported she found a woman dead in room 313 at the hotel, located at 7480 Northwoods Blvd. The Charleston County Coroner's Office identified the woman Sept. 23 as Lauren Bishop. The coroner's office said Bishop died the day before her body was discovered from a gunshot wound. Bishop was arrested by North Charleston police in July 2018 and cited with prostitution, according to jail records. A North Charleston Municipal Court clerk confirmed she was found guilty of the offense. In December 2020, she again was cited with prostitution and public intoxication in Myrtle Beach. She was tried in absence for the violations and found guilty, a municipal court clerk said. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Voting allows qualified citizens to have a say in who will represent them in local, state and federal elections. Too many Americans cannot vote because they have not registered or kept their registration information current. Voter registration is the first step. The League of Women Voters established National Voter Registration Day in 2012. It celebrates our democracy, promotes free and fair voter registration. A person must be 18 years old by Election Day to register. Once registered, voters must keep their information current. If people move or change names, they must update that information. This can be done online at VOTE411.org or scvotes.gov and in person at the Department of Motor Vehicles. A person also can update this information at a local voter registration drive; by downloading a form at scvotes.gov, printing it, filling it out and mailing it in; or by going in person to the county voter registration office. Convicted felons who have completed their sentence and parole, and made restitution may reapply for voter registration. People convicted of misdemeanors can vote so long as they are not in jail on Election Day. College students may register to vote in South Carolina by using their dorm address as their physical residence. If they do so, they cannot vote in their home state. More questions can be answered by going to VOTE411.org and scvotes.org. Questions also may be directed to the county voter registration office where one lives. Registration deadline for the Nov. 2 general election is Oct. 3. People live by the government they elect. Local elections give us people who make the rules and regulations of the areas where we live. Whether selecting candidates for city council election, school board or as mayor, your vote has direct consequences on our daily lives. Every election is important. On Tuesday, this years National Voter Registration Day, register to vote or check your voter information to be sure it is current and encourage others to do the same. ELIZABETH S. JONES Vice president for Voter Services League of Women Voters SC Lincoln Inn Road Columbia Streets deteriorate Im convinced that the city of Charleston must be working on a new street flooding solution. As you move around the city, notice the condition of the sidewalks, potholes, cracks in the roadbeds, puddles along the curbs and the backed-up drains. Is it part of the Dutch Dialogues to let the city infrastructure deteriorate in order to absorb more flood water? TERRY TSURUTIS Bull Street Charleston Lawsuit frivolous An article in Tuesdays Post and Courier was about a small group of families suing the Charleston County School District for its mask requirement. The plaintiffs talked about intruding on their personal freedom. This would be fine if they didnt ignore the fact that failure to wear a mask in a group setting, such as a school, places their own children at risk, and, more importantly, places the students around them at similar risk. It has been repeatedly decided that personal freedom does not give one the right to put others at risk. Unless the parents of the children involved can demonstrate that their children do not have COVID and test for this weekly, they need to obey the rule. Multiple interpretations of the Constitution do allow people to do what they wish, but it has been repeatedly ruled that ones personal behavior cannot place others at risk. This lawsuit should be thrown out along with other foolish and outlandish claims that wearing masks puts the wearer at risk. FRITZ SAENGER JR. Lettered Olive Lane Mount Pleasant Vaccine concerns I am employed by Charleston County and find myself the target of the recently adopted vaccine mandate passed by County Council. I am not vaccinated against COVID-19, but I am not anti-vaccination, having recently received pneumonia and shingles vaccines. There are sound reasons for me to be wary of COVID products. I have an undetermined issue with my heart. Recent studies have shown a small but increased risk to those with existing heart issues. If I obtain a vaccine waiver, I will be required to be tested, at my expense, every week. Many constantly say to believe the science. Vaccinations alleviate the severity of a disease when you are afflicted by it. It is not a panacea of protection. The CDC website confirms that people who are vaccinated can still contract COVID and subsequently transmit it to others. Until I get answers about my condition, every person, vaccinated or not, is a potential threat to me. Forcing mandatory testing on the unvaccinated is a punishment of coercion. County Council is callously following the dictates of the Biden administration. President Biden even stated, We must protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated. This insanity may cost me my job, a job I like and do very well. I may be a lone voice crying out, but someone needs to. WILLIAM MACON Jefferson Avenue Goose Creek COLUMBIA In a switch-around, the state Senate won't come back in October to take up redistricting or even maybe talk about mask mandates. Senate President Harvey Peeler said Sept. 24 the Senate panel drawing new, post-census voting maps won't be ready by mid-October, which means there will be no redistricting proposals for the full chamber to debate until later this year. The Senate panel has taken testimony around the state for how to redraw the lines for its members and congressional districts, but it has given an Oct. 8 deadline for the public to submit their own proposed new maps. Senate Judiciary Chairman Luke Rankin has said it may be November before his committee has its own proposal. The House is still holding hearings around the state for House and congressional lines. Each chamber is responsible for redrawing its own districts. The two must jointly approve U.S. House maps. House Speaker Jay Lucas also announced this week the House would not return in October to take up any spending bills, meaning the bodies would not work at the same time. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! "With the Judiciary Committee requiring additional time to complete redistricting, the Senate will have no bill to debate," a message from Peeler's office said. "Without the House convening, I find it unnecessary for us to adopt legislation authorizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies and Savannah River Site settlement monies and have these bills languish in the House until January," Peeler, R-Gaffney, said in canceling the Senate's planned Oct. 12 return. Peeler's original announced intent was to debate new post-census voting lines and how to spend $2.5 billion in federal COVID aid the Legislature controls, as well as $525 million from a settlement with the Department of Energy over plutonium at the Savannah River Site. Those matters are on hold for now. Others had also viewed the October session as a potential opportunity to amend or revoke the Statehouse's mandate that no public dollars be used to enforce mask-wearing in schools. Insights Lately, weve been hearing a lot about the unhappy fate of women and girls in Afghanistan now that the Taliban has again assumed power. The ed Read more Junior Larry Hillbroom admitted to federal drug charges filed against him in Idaho. Hillbroom, 37, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He is being held at the Bonner County Jail awaiting sentencing in federal court in Coeur dAlene scheduled for Feb. 8, 2022. Hillbroom, and others, were accused of smuggling the drug through international airports between North Idaho and Guam and Palau in 2015 and 2016, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Idaho. Authorities said Hillbroom and his co-actors used several different methods to smuggle the drugs, including concealing it in shampoo containers and carrying the substance on themselves. After arriving in Guam and Palau, Hillbroom would apparently work with locals to sell the meth. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Morgan Kenney, 35, and Zachary Craig Carlson have since admitted to their part in the drug conspiracy. Sean Robert Wathen, 49, who was also indicted with Hillbroom, awaits trial in November. In a news release, acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bonner County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, Idaho State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which led to charges. The meth conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1 million and at least three years of supervised release, Post files state. Hillbroom is one of the four DNA-proven children and heirs of DHL founder Larry Hillblom. Hillbroom won a share of $90 million from the $550 million estate left behind by his father though he's been reported to have said his fortune has shrunk. We wrote here about the fact that far-left House Democrats, mostly the Squad, blocked inclusion of funding for Israels Iron Dome defense system as part of the continuing resolution to fund the government. They were able to block anti-terrorist spending because the Democrats House margin is so slim that they cant afford even a minor number of defections. Steve then wrote about the fact that Democratic leadership introduced a stand-alone bill to fund Iron Dome that passed the House 420-9-2, with that principled, courageous firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voting present. Reportedly AOC originally voted No on Iron Dome funding, but then changed her vote to Present and was seen sobbing on the House floor. It sounds like there is a story there, of the sort that people known in earlier times as reporters might have inquired into. The no votes give us a pretty good list of open House anti-Semites, bearing in mind that there may be others (like AOC, most likely) who would have liked to vote against the appropriation but found it imprudent to do so. Is someone who votes against helping to protect our ally Israel against terrorist attacks an anti-Semite? Not necessarily; one can imagine other theories on which a legislator might cast a No vote. But take a few moments to watch Rashida Tlaib deliver an emotional harangue against Iron Dome which is, in fact, nothing but a harangue against Israel as an apartheid state, with all the usual nonsense. The animus is palpable. And it helps to remember that the only thing Iron Dome does is shoot down rockets that terrorists have aimed at Israeli civilians. Tlaib would prefer that the rockets get through, especially since the recent crisis, she says, was manufactured by Israel: WATCH: Anti-Semite Rep. Rashida Tlaib accuses Israel of "apartheid," "manufactured" terrorists attacks against them pic.twitter.com/2Vgucn2Squ RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 23, 2021 I would say that Tlaib stands exposed as a bigot, but if you look at the responses to her tweet, you will see that she is not the only one. Steve Descano is the left-wing, Soros-backed commonwealths attorney for Fairfax County, Virginia. We tried to rally support for his opponents first a Democrat, then an independent when Descano sought the chief prosecutors job in 2019. Descano prevailed in part because of the extraordinary financial backing of Team Soros. In addition, his promise not to prosecute low-level crimes such as marijuana offenses probably resonated with many Fairfax County voters. Now that hes the countys chief prosecutor, Descano receives low marks from even some members of the defense bar. His office is said to be poorly run. Moreover, Descanos sympathy for criminals isnt limited to the low-level kind. It extends to vicious child molesters. The pervert in question is Oscar Zaldana, age 53. He was charged with molesting a young girl, a relative, for a period of seven years. This period included a years-long stretch when the abuse occurred at least once a week while the girl was in grade school. Zaldana was also charged with molesting a second girl who was not a relative. Zaldana entered a guilty plea. Under the plea deal agreed to by Descano, his sentence is capped at around 17 years. Judge Thomas P. Mann reluctantly accepted this deal because, in his view, it met the loose standard in Virginia for evaluating plea agreements. However, Mann had harsh words for Descano. According to the Washington Post: The Fairfax County judge told the girl who sat sobbing in his courtroom Monday that she had been victimized twice once by the man who had sexually abused her for years and a second time by the prosecutors who handled her case. Make no mistake, Judge Thomas P. Mann said in a stinging rebuke at a sentencing hearing. Your government has failed you. Mann called the plea deal that the office of Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano had reached with Oscar Zaldivar woefully inadequate. . . . Mann called Zaldivar the worst kind of predator for molesting his young relative when she was between the ages of 5 and 10. (Emphasis added) Zaldivar was indicted on three counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of sodomy in connection with the abuse of the relative. He was indicted on abduction with intent to defile and one count of sexual battery in the case of the girl who is not a relative. Under Virginia law, the sodomy counts carry a mandatory life sentence, since the abuse occurred between an adult and a child under 13. The other counts carry maximum sentences of more than 80 years in prison. Descanos predecessor, Raymond Morrogh, offered Zaldivar a plea deal that waived the mandatory life sentences and capped his prison term at 30 years. However, Zaldivar rejected that deal. The pervert can thank George Soros, along with Descano, for getting off so easily. We shouldnt be surprised that Descano agreed to a woefully inadequate sentence for a child molester. The lefts critique of the criminal justice system isnt of the soft libertarian variety. Leftists believe our system is rotten to the core. They see criminals of all kinds (other than right-wingers) as victims of society. Thats where Descano is coming from. As the Washington Post says in its report on this case, hes one of a wave of liberal prosecutors who have won election in recent years across the nation, promising to take a less punitive approach and to undo historical inequities in the justice system. Yes. But Descano didnt promise to go easier on sex offenders. Unfortunately, no one will undo the current inequity to crime victims like the little girl Zaldano abused for seven years and her family. As the childs mother said: The judge can give me 1,001 words of relief, but none of them are going to return the peace of which he spoke of during the sentencing hearing. My worst fear is to think that my daughter goes out on the street after he gets out of prison and she runs into him. Descano is fine with that possibility. Fairfax County voters should not be. Currently, there are two efforts to recall Descano. Fairfax County residents should consider supporting them. I suppose that is an evergreen headline, since Americas public schools are a disaster in pretty much every way. But what prompts it at the moment is the Richfield, Minnesota school district. Richfield is a modest suburb of Minneapolis, not the kind of tony place you might expect to go off the deep end. Richfields schools are in the news today, with this headline from a local TV station: Richfield High School commits to offering more plant-based protein meals. Not a lot of controversy there: Richfield High School is the first high school in the country to sign the Forward Food pledge committing to increasing its plant-based options, the Humane Society of the United States announced Thursday. By the end of 2024, 20% of the menu items offered to students will be plant-based. The school will update the Humane Society of the United States, a collaborator with Forward Food, to track its progress on reaching that goal. This is what our press, which wears blinders on purpose, considers a newsworthy story. Here is another one, from an alternative source, Alpha News: Sex-ed curriculum used in Richfield schools asks students to role play gay sex scenarios. Old-fashioned newsmen might have considered that a more promising headline. Activists are concerned that Minnesotas Richfield Public Schools district uses a sexual education program that asks straight students to role play homosexual relationships and teaches kids about anal sex. I have never quite understood why school kids need to be taught about anal sex. It was not part of the curriculum when I was growing up. There was a Richfield school board meeting at which parents complained: This type of teaching has no place in our schools, one speaker said, while another alleged that the district was not transparent with parents about the graphic nature of the curriculum. Parents are intentionally being deceived and misled about what their children are being taught, she said. One can say more broadly that administrators and teachers in our public schools habitually lie to parents about what is going on in their classrooms. The Alpha News article describes the 3Rs sex ed curriculum to which Richfield has subscribed: These scenarios ask students to pair up, pretend they are in gay or lesbian relationships and navigate the process of deciding whether or not to have sex. One activity in the curriculum directs a male student to pretend his name is Morgan, a boy who is very active in his schools LGBTQ club, while another student pretends to be Terence, a closet homosexual who wants to have sex with Morgan. In this scenario, Morgan plans a secret rendezvous and the two role-playing students are asked to make a decision about whether to have sex. Another of these scenarios has students pretend they are transgender and make a decision about having sex with a woman. Seriously, did no one notice that this is completely insane? This lesson plan includes a note for teachers that explains how straight boys might have a homophobic response to being asked to engage in gay role playing. Whoa, really? It gives me hope to learn that some boys, at least, will react normally to this perversity. Then we have instruction in anal sex, beginning in kindergarten: 3Rs also begins to teach students about anal sex during the programing designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. For this age group, anal sex is discussed in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention [Ed.: Are kindergartners spreading a lot of AIDS? Somehow I doubt it.], but by the time students are in the upper grade levels, anal sex is routinely listed alongside vaginal and oral sex as one of the normal options for intimacy. For many thousands of years, people have figured these things out on their own. Is the upcoming generation so lame that it needs instruction in the normal options for intimacy? Could we maybe teach them to multiply and divide instead? Naturally, the trans fad takes pride of place: The language of transgenderism is also introduced at the earliest levels of the 3Rs curriculum. In one lesson designed for kindergartners, the teacher is directed to refer to a woman as a person with a vulva. I dont know, I was probably a little slow, but I am pretty sure I was well beyond kindergarten when I first encountered the concept of a vulva. Could we maybe have a little Winnie the Pooh here? Of course, we cant forget the transvestites in our elementary schools: First-graders are also asked to read a picture book called My Princess Boy, a controversial story based on a real five-year-old boys experiences with cross-dressing. First graders! Lets get them started young down the path to bizarre unreality. I am sure that somewhere in America there are three or four school districts that have not succumbed to left-wing madness. But it is highly unlikely that you live in one of them. There are two options: 1) get your kids out of the public schools at the earliest possible moment, or 2) run for your local school board. School board elections are the Battle of Gettysburg of our time. We need to win them, or we will lose our country forever. My point, and I do have one, is that the Biden administration is whipping the American people daily with lies misrepresenting basic facts bearing on our national sovereignty and security. The point bears specifically on the matter of CBP agents on horseback seeking to round up illegal Haitian immigrants at the border. I cant keep up with the administrations lies in this matter. I give up. Absent an irresistible impulse to repeat myself I do feel at risk this may well be the finale. Yesterday the Biden administration acceded to the lie that CBP agents on horseback whipped Haitians at the border. I say acceded, but its worse than that. First they regurgitated the lie and then they promoted it by banning the use of agents on horseback to stem the tide of illegals. Biden and his officials who have undermined the agents and put them further at risk are in a land somewhere beyond contempt that should be reserved for serious enemies of the United States. #BREAKING: Jen Psaki announces that horses will now be BANNED from being used in Del Rio by Border Patrol agents, citing the "horrible and horrific" use of them to prevent Haitian illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S. pic.twitter.com/hlyZeJVbU2 Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 23, 2021 Samantha Sansevere is the producer of the Justice & Drew show on KTLK in the Twin Cities and is a serious horsewoman. She adds a good point regarding the use of horses by CBP agents. Horses are more well suited for different types of terrain compared to ATVs or other motorized vehicles. To eliminate their use is just nonsensical. #tcnt https://t.co/EChpt9Z62i Sam Sansevere (@samsansevere) September 23, 2021 I have found Twitter a useful source of information to get a handle on the reality beyond the lies. Here are a few tweets from Todd Bensman with helpful links. Featured in the UKs Daily Mail today https://t.co/T5Q12KB3sK Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) September 23, 2021 Why Del Rio? I wrote all about why way back in Marchhttps://t.co/2amDBo2GD7 Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) September 22, 2021 the reason Haitian migrants discard their Chilean and Brazilian ID cards over here on the Mex side is to obscure from asylum reviewers that they were already safely and prosperously situated for years and years before coming for the American upgrade pic.twitter.com/8eCwzxyvpM Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) September 22, 2021 As I have been noting along the way, Bill Melugin of FOX News has been a valuable source on Twitter. In addition to lying, the approach of the Biden administration to the invasion is the redistribution of Haitians and other illegals around the United States. Do Americans understand this? NEW: The migrant camp in Del Rio is being rapidly cleared out. Most of the makeshift structures have been bulldozed. Most migrants from our area gone. About 3,000 left last check. Im back to LA now to recharge. My colleague @Jeff_Paul is now here for border coverage. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/11KILSjLzZ Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 23, 2021 And Peter Doocy of FOX News has done a good job contending with the psychedelic Jen Psaki. We await an accounting beyond yesterdays lies. Curtis Houcks Twitter feed is helpful here. DOOCY TIME: "There are 15,000 migrants under the Del Rio bridge Saturday. If you add up the ones that you say were expelled or released, it's less than 5,000. Say there's 5,000 that are still left. Where is everybody else?" Psaki: "I'm happy to get you a more fruitful rundown." pic.twitter.com/QRH4kVHRVq Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 23, 2021 This Houck tweet goes back a day or two, but it fits my theme this morning. P.S. I wrote up @BillFOXLA Melugin's incredibly thorough and devastating fact-check of the Biden administration in an item over at @NewsBusters (which includes the *full* transcript) https://t.co/uNtOBjpGJE Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 23, 2021 Brit Hume has a good eye for quotable quotes. There were no whips: "Law enforcement officers are forced into unprecedentedly tough situations by politicians and try their darndest to do their jobs under the hostile scrutiny of left-leaning critics and media bent on attacking and undermining them." https://t.co/czkTYmvRbv Brit Hume (@brithume) September 22, 2021 Brian Lonergan takes up the larger issue in the American Greatness column National Sabotage by Immigration. Subhead: If there is one truly existential issue for America in 2021 and beyond, it is immigration. Well said. The lying is of course part of a larger pattern. At the Examiner Hugo Gurdon calls it White House whoppers. Is that a whopper or are you just unhappy to see me? Gurdon notes the administrations daily denial of obvious truths, many of which are on video played on TV while Dems are spinning at full throttle. They seem to think lumpen proles can be persuaded by flat denials to disbelieve what they see with their lying eyes. He elaborates: Recent falsehoods are jaw-dropping. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified to Congress on Sept. 22 that the southern border is no less secure now than under the previous administration. Simultaneously, TV viewers watched thousands of illegal aliens stream across the Rio Grande, gather in a squalid camp, then take buses into the American heartland. Even in Trumps last month as president, after Biden invited migrants north saying, You should come, illegal crossings rose only to 74,000. They are now running at three times that rate more than 200,000 a month. Gurdon concludes his column on an optimistic note that may or may not be warranted. We have not even plumbed the depths of yesterdays lies and there are more to come. Any time Chinenye Igwetu talks about the murder case, the images of her slain sisters last moments flood her mind. These bring fresh pains, and tears drop down her cheeks. A trigger-happy police officer had shot Chinenyes 23-year-old younger sister, Linda Igwetu, on July 4, 2018, around Ceddi Plaza, in the central area of Abuja. It occurred at about 3 a.m. on the day Linda was to pass out from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a scheme mandatory for under-30 Nigerian graduates. On July 3, Linda, who usually closed from the customer service organisation where she was observing the one-year national youth service at about 11 p.m., had stayed out with colleagues after leaving work to celebrate her successful completion of the scheme. At about 4.35 a.m. on July 4, her sister, Chinenye, got a distress call. Lindas colleague who called from Garki Hospital, had asked her to hurry down. As Chinenye would find out, Linda, while returning home in a car with her colleagues, had been hit by a bullet fired from a police post. Benjamin Peters, a police inspector, was identified by his colleagues as the man who pulled the trigger on the moving car. On getting to the hospital, Chinenye met her sister in a pool of her blood, gasping. Linda died at about 6 a.m. on July 4, 2018 without the necessary first aid, Chinenye wrote in her petition to the panel set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the aftermath of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest to investigate cases of police brutality. Mr Benjamins bullet had pierced the youth corps members chest region, snuffing her life out at a time she was bubbling with the joy of her imminent successful completion of the year-long NYSC scheme. Tormenting search for justice As Chinenye spoke from the witness box when she appeared before the 11-member panel of enquiry in Abuja on November 5, 2020, her mind was again flooded by graphic images of Linda abandoned in a pool of her blood as life gradually ebbed away from her gasping body. Overwhelmed by emotion, she broke down in tears, wondering aloud if justice would ever be done, after an earlier attempt through the Nigerian senate had failed. The chairperson of the #EndSARS panel, Suleiman Galadima, who is a retired Justice of Nigerias Supreme Court, along with the panels secretary, Hilary Ogbonna, took turns to assure Chinenye of justice. Over 300 petitioners, according to the data shared with our reporter by Mr Ogbonna, approached the Abuja #EndSARS panel with their complaints of police brutality. Many of them are relatives of victims or direct victims of police brutality. Some like the Igwetu family, had also, in futility, explored other fora to get justice, with some even obtaining court judgments that have been hard for them to enforce. Due to the uncertainties of the Nigerian justice system, victims or their relatives often have to go to different fora, including the courts, in chase of justice, an absurdity the likes of Chinenye find tormenting because of the agony of having to retell their tragic stories at every turn. The NHRC, which set up the federal governments panel of enquiry on police brutality in Abuja, said in March that 44 of the petitions submitted were about enforcement of judgments awarding damages against the police for rights violations. The commission added that 20 of the petitions considered in just one day had a total of N575.8 million in judgment debts against the police. The compensations in the judgments, according to the commission, were awarded in cases bordering on extra-judicial killing, unlawful arrest and detention, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, alleged enforce disappearance, confiscation of property, among others. Hopes dashed Sadly for the over 300 petitioners looking up to the panel for justice, their hopes have been dashed. In March, the panel declared a two-week Easter break. Six months after, the same length of time it was given at its inauguration in November 2020 to turn in its report, the panel has yet to resume sitting. It last sat on March 24, and as its timetable seen by this reporter showed, it was supposed to resume sitting on April 7, but that never happened. I have made calls, I have asked questions and what I have even heard is that we should forget about it and move on with our lives, Chinenye said when asked by PREMIUM TIMES if she had got any assurance that the panel would resume sitting any time soon. About six minutes into her phone conversation with our reporter, Chinenye broke down in tears as she recalled her torturing experience seeking justice. There is an emotional rollercoaster that comes with recounting the story, reliving the experience all the time and at the end of the day hope is dashed, she said in disappointment. The Abuja panel has been crippled by a lack of funding from the federal government, our reporter has confirmed, but it is not a fact the NHRC or members of the panel would publicly admit. The executive secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, and the secretary of the #EndSARS panel, Mr Ogbonna, have, in their frantic effort to keep petitioners hopes alive, given shifting explanations for the aborted sitting of the panel. At a press conference in June, Mr Ojukwu said the panel was using its break to collate reports from some states where sitting has ended. On his part, Mr Ogbonna said the panel was busy confirming the judgments some petitioners had brought for enforcement, a process he said was being hampered by the judiciary workers strike at the time. Funding crisis cripples #EndSARS panel Despite the window-dressing, the inability of the panel to sit is caused by lack of funding, and it is a reality some of the petitioners, their lawyers, NHRC officials, and members of the panel are aware of, PREMIUM TIMES understands. They told us logistics. They said the federal government has refused to release any funds for it (the panel), Chinenye said when asked by our reporter if she had been told why the panel had stopped sitting. Also, the leader of the team of lawyers engaged by the NHRC to guide and advise the panel, as well as interrogate complainants and witnesses during proceedings, Chino Obiagwu, confirmed the crippling impact lack of funds has had on the panel. The panel started well with a commendable stride. It stopped because the human rights commission has not received funding from the government to be able to cope with the expenses associated with the panel such as payment of the allowances to members of the panel, and provision of stationeries and other logistics, Mr Obiagwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said. He described the situation as very disturbing because a lot of victims and their families have put their hope and high expectation in the panel. Frank Tietie, a human rights lawyer who also served in Mr Obiagwus team, corroborated this point in a separate interview. It appears the government intended that the panel failed by starving it of funds from the very beginning and making sure it did not have funds all through its sittings, Mr Tietie said. He added that, apart from non-payment of allowances to panel members and the lawyers, the panel was finding it difficult to meet its basic operational needs such as stationeries. According to him, it was also hard for the panel to buy water or tea for members routine meetings. There was no way the panel was going to be able to continue sitting that way, Mr Tietie said. A representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the panel, John Aikpokpo-Martins, refrained from giving reasons the sittings had stopped. As a member of the panel, I would not want to speak on why the panel has not been sitting, Mr Aikpokpo-Martins, who is NBAs 1st Vice President, said. He noted that the panel had only sat for four weeks in the year, and described the suspension of the panels sittings as a sad situation. Panel hasnt received funds, but FG not the problem When contacted by this reporter, the panels secretary, Mr Ogbonna, assured again that the panel would soon come back, saying, this time, that a retreat was being held to determine which role the newly inaugurated governing council of the commission would play in the panel. If the government had inaugurated them long ago, we might not even have had the #EndSARS panel. But now that we have had a panel, and the panel is already sitting, we are working on a mechanism that will ensure both the governing council and the panel can co-exist, he said. He confirmed that the NHRC had yet to receive any funding since the panel started sitting in November 2020, but added, We dont really think that the federal government is the reason why we are not sitting. We are not sitting because we dont have to have two parallel bodies sitting at the same time, the panels secretary said. According to him, the federal government called for a budget which we have submitted, adding that the executive secretary of the commission had been following up on the release of the funds. The federal government is working on it, but I cannot tell you how soon or how long that they would do that. I am sure they have their competing priorities, Mr Ogbonna said. What I can tell is that we are committed to ending this work. Out of 300 petitions, only 60 concluded, 50 being heard With only 60 petitions concluded by the panel, while 50 others were being heard before sittings stopped in March, Mr Ogbonna said we are still a long way to concluding over 300 petitions we have. We are still a very long way from finishing, but the commission is committed to ensuring that the panel continues its work, and completes everything by the end of this year. He noted that the panels tenure would likely be extended like that of Lagos, expressing hope that we are probably hoping that all of us conclude sitting at the same time. Birth of #EndSARS panels The federal government scrapped the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a tactical unit of the Nigeria police notorious for its brutality, following the October 2020 #EndSARS protest. It also promised extensive police reforms, which many Nigerians say have yet to be done. The National Executive Committee (NEC) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with governors of the 36 states of the federation as well as some top federal government officials as members, also passed a resolution for the setting of the panels of enquiry and recommended that state governments should set aside about N200 million as compensation for victims. The panels of enquiry were set up in 29 states and Abuja to investigate police brutality complaints of Nigerians, recommend sanctions against erring police officers and award compensations to complainants in deserving situations to assuage their pains. As of August, at least 2,791 police brutality petitions had been submitted to the panels in the 29 states and Abuja. PREMIUM TIMES had confirmed nine states that did not set up the panel. They comprise five of the North-western states Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara; and two states in the North-east Borno and Yobe. Mr Osinbajo said in August through a statement issued by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, that the panels of enquiry had finished their assignments in 28 states. But he was silent on the state of the federal governments own panel that had stopped sitting for months. Federal government not leading by example Officially referred to as the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations by the Defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the 11-member panel sitting in Abuja to hear complaints of police brutality from different parts of the country, has not had another sitting since its last on March 24. Mr Obiagwu, the senior advocate serving on the panels legal team, said by its failure to fund the panel, The federal government has not led by example. The allegations of murder, torture, and ill-treatment by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is widespread and I think there is something that the federal government should have taken keen interest to provide accountability to ensure that those who are responsible are brought to justice, he said. A Lagos-based lawyer, Tope Temokun, who represented some petitioners at the #EndSARS panel in Ondo State, said the lack of funding of the federal governments panel might be indicative of a diversionary tactic to stop overwhelming youths restiveness and resolute moves to confront the anti-people polices configuration and operations. Nothing has changed. Police brutality is back in the form of a revenge mission against the youth, he said. Mr Tietie, who shared similar thoughts on the issue, also suggested that the non-funding of the panel could be a calculated step that foretells uncertainties about payment of the compensations the panel might recommend if it concludes its sittings. We are talking about even money for the panel to do its work for which it was set up by a presidential fiat, yet it was not funded to carry out that work. Are you now going to be talking about the issues of compensation? Officials keep mum on funding Both Mr Osinbajo, whose office is monitoring the #EndSARS panels across the states through the NEC platform, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who oversees the NHRC, refused to comment on the funding of the #EndSARS panel and its crippling impact. Mr Osinbajos spokesperson, Laolu Akande, asked our reporter to direct enquiries to the NHRC. On his part, the AGFs spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, did not respond to our reporters calls and the message sent to his phone. A video clip of a female Nigerian soldier assaulting a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Cross River State, Nigerias South-south, has caused outrage among Nigerians. The corps member, Ifeyinwa Ezeiruaku, is seen in the 32-seconds clip, kneeling down, while the soldier, identified as Chika Anele, a lieutenant, kept scooping what looked like dirty water and then pouring it all over her. The video ended with the soldier slapping her victim. The corps member, Ms Ezeiruaku is doing her mandatory NYSC programme at the 13 Brigade headquarters of the army, in Calabar, where the incident happened. Reports said the soldier and the corps member had an argument before the incident. The army, on Thursday, said it was embarrassed by the incident, and apologised for it. The Nigerian Army wishes to tender unreserved apology to the victim, her family members, friends, National Youth Service Corps and to Nigerians in general for the unwholesome treatment meted out to the corps member, the army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement. Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier-general, said the erring officer has been identified and would be made to undergo regimental orders (trial) in line with the extant provisions of the Armed Forces. This act is not only condemnable, but unprofessional and against established precepts of discipline in the Nigerian Army, he added. CrossRiverWatch, an online newspaper, said Ms Ezeiruaku was being held hostage on Thursday by the NYSC authorities in Cross River, who were allegedly insisting that she must leave Calabar for Lagos. The NYSC spokesperson in the state, Peter Enuma, was also said to be putting pressure on reporters not to report the incident. When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Enuma on Thursday he said the NYSC headquarters in Abuja was handling the matter. He refused to comment on the well-being of the assaulted corps member and other issues around the incident. Nigerias worsening human rights records under President Muhammadu Buharis administration has been of concern to citizens and civil society organisations in the country. In the neighbouring state of Akwa Ibom, a 28-year-old university student, was tortured to death by the police in August. In what appears to be a bold volte-face, the authorities at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have admitted that copies of its pamphlets containing security tips for staff and corps members contain the embarrassing clause that advises corps members to prepare for ransom payment if abducted. The organisation, however, noted that it realised that different copies of the pamphlets are in circulation with some containing the clause and others not. The NYSC spokesperson, Adenike Adeyemi, in a terse message to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday noted that the organisation was already investigating the situation. The reaction followed this newspapers insistence that copies in its possession contain the clause, and queries the rationale behind the hurried rebuttal earlier issued by the organisation on the matter. Mrs Adeyemi, in a short response, simply wrote; We realised different copies are in circulation. We are investigating. Backstory On Thursday, the page containing the advice for the corps and staff on reaching out to the family and friends when plying such routes it described as high risk had flooded the social media. The handbook, which is titled; Security Awareness and Education Handbook For Corps Members and Staff, on its page 56, advised both corps members and (and staff) travelling on high-risk roads to alert their family members, friends and colleagues to have someone on hand to pay off the ransom that could be demanded in case they are kidnapped. The document lists such roads to include Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Lokoja-Okene, or Aba-Port Harcourt roads. The document is produced by Watchcon Security Consultancy Services a private security outfit, in collaboration with the headquarters of the National Youths Service Corps. More tips The pamphlet, on page 57, advises both the staff and corps members on how to conduct themselves when kidnapped, saying; Do not antagonise your captors, be polite and operate with reasonable regards. It also advises the corps members and its staff to show reasonable cooperation to the abductors, and that they should establish personal relationship with your abductors as soon as possible. It further added; The kidnappers may ask for contact persons, do not mention your place of work, but your close friends and parents. They will reach them to negotiate for your release. Advise your friends involved in the negotiations, they should be friendly with the captors. Take no risk by attempting to escape, even as it urges abductees not to attempt to be a hero making making efforts to escape. Make no statement to the media after your release without official clearance but share your experience with close associates, it further counsels. Rebuttal But in its statement issued earlier on the matter, a copy of which it made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, NYSC described the clause in circulation as the handiwork of mischief-makers. The reads in part; The attention of Management of the National Youth Sevice Corps has been drawn to a fake release making the rounds on the social media to the effect that Corps Members travelling on high risk roads should alert their families, friends and colleagues in order to have somebody to pay off the ransom that could be demanded in the event of being kidnapped. Management wishes to emphatically state that the clause mischievously quoted is not embedded in NYSC Security Tips pamphlet which was put together by a highly respected retired security expert. Management wishes to appeal to the general public to always clarify issues with the Scheme. The organisation, therefore, advises Nigerians to always verify things before sharing them on social media, saying it has offices in all the states of the federation, as well as the 774 Local Government Areas in the country for enquiries. Please, be wary of falling prey to the antics of mischief makers out to ridicule the Scheme, it added. Backlash Following the discovery of the clause, Nigerians have flooded the social media including Twitter, which was banned by the Nigerian government, to criticise the document. Many also described the rebuttal by the organisation as an open lie, saying they were shocked that a public organisation would be so bold to continue its defence in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 76TH SESSION OF UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK, USA FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER, 2021 Protocols: Mr. President, Let me, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I would like to assure you of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation throughout your tenure. 2. I would like to commend your predecessor, His Excellency, Mr. Volkan Boskir, for the many remarkable achievements recorded during his tenure, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Permit me to congratulate the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on his re-election and commend his strong commitment to making the UN more alive to its responsibilities. 4. I also want to express my gratitude to him for re-appointing Ms. Amina Mohammed, as the Deputy Secretary General to assist him in discharging his heavy responsibilities. Mr. President, 5. The theme of this years General Assembly Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of the people, and revitalise the United Nations, sums up our common desire to rescue our planet, recover our economies, and restore hope to all the peoples of the world. 6. In this regard, my delegation will continue to support the United Nations, as the indispensable forum for international cooperation and the cornerstone of the multilateral system, rooted in respect for international law, including international human rights law and predicated on a rules-based order. Mr. President, 7. I want to thank the international community for the concerted response to COVID-19. The solidarity and drive to contain the first truly global health emergency of our time is a pointer to the many things we can achieve if we work together. 8. On our part, Nigeria has made strenuous efforts to contain the virus and halt its deadly onslaught on our people. Our efforts have been rewarded with moderate success. 9. At the outset, we recognised detection and contact tracing to be important tools in combating the virus. In this connection, from a mere four laboratories with testing and detection capacities, we ramped up the facilities to over 140 centres today. 10. Similarly, we built isolation centres and emergency hospitals wards in record time all over the country. We carry out genomic sequencing in designated laboratories across the country with a view to detecting variants in circulation. 11. In addition, over 40,000 health care workers have recently been trained on Infection, Prevention and Control measures with the support of various partners. Through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, we have established 16 infectious disease treatment centres located within our Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres. READ ALSO: 12. Nigeria remains grateful for the assistance received from our partners and friends all over the world. Vaccination is the key to our safe emergence from the pandemic. We fully support the COVAX initiative from which we have benefitted. We also thank the United States of America, Turkey, India, China, European Union, and others for the vaccines provided. 13. Despite the acknowledgement however, I would like to reiterate my call for a fairer and more equitable distribution of vaccines to all countries so that, together, we can fight and contain the pandemic. The rising wave of newer and more contagious strains, makes this even more urgent. No country can afford the socio-economic implications of prolonged shutdown. It is imperative to underscore that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Mr President, 14. Nigeria remains deeply concerned over the illicit trade, transfer, and circulation of small arms and light weapons. Their excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread in many regions of the world are having devastating humanitarian and socio-economic consequences, especially on the continent of Africa. 15. It is on this note that my delegation calls for the world wide application of the Arms Trade Treaty to codify accountability in conventional arms trade, which is critical to the security of nations. This is in recognition of the need for a broad-based global partnership in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes, including terrorism and piracy. Mr. President, 16. We must deal not only with the symptoms of conflict but also the immediate causes that fuel conflicts in the first place. These include poor and undemocratic governance, human rights abuses, poverty, ignorance, injustice and inequalities. 17. There are no easy solutions to these conditions. They require long term investments and more effective international cooperation. In this connection, my delegation underscores the importance of promoting peaceful, unfettered, and inclusive participation of states in global actions towards conflict prevention. This will facilitate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063. 18 In West Africa especially, our democratic gains of the past decades are now being eroded. The recent trend of unconstitutional takeover of power, sometimes in reaction to unilateral changes of constitutions by some leaders, must not be tolerated by the international community. Nigeria fully supports the efforts by ECOWAS to address this growing challenge and appreciates the support of both the African Union and the United Nations. In this regard, I would like to reiterate that as leaders of our individual Member-States we need to adhere to the constitutional provisions of our countries, particularly on term limits. This is one area that generates crisis and political tension in our sub-region. Mr President, 19. Nigeria is fully committed to nuclear non-proliferation and has always supported the view that it should involve all States. 20. Disarmament Conventions deserve the support of all states, small, large, nuclear or non-nuclear. Nuclear weapons remain the ultimate agents of mass destruction, and their total elimination should be the final objective of all disarmament processes within the broad spectrum of goals being pursued by the United Nations. 21. In this regard, Nigeria would participate actively in the forthcoming Review Conference of the Nuclear Prohibition Treaty and also the First Meeting of States Parties to the landmark Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, scheduled to take place within the first quarter of 2022. 22. Nigeria regards these upcoming events as important steps towards the realisation of a world free of nuclear weapons. We are, therefore, supportive of any diplomatic efforts in this direction. We hope that the upcoming NPT review conference would lead to a successful outcome that would facilitate the denuclearisation of the world. We would do our part to ensure such an outcome. Mr. President, 23. Terrorism continues to dominate security discourse worldwide. In Nigeria, Boko Haram terrorists group, though fragmented by internal strife and weakened by our defence forces, is still active and preying on soft targets. Nigeria will continue to work closely with UN Counter-Terrorism bodies and entities with a view to bringing this scourge to an end. 24. Nigeria has spared no effort in addressing the challenges of terrorism posed by the activities of Boko Haram in North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, as well as banditry in the North-West and North-Central Nigeria. The Nigerian Security Forces have recorded considerable success in the fight against terrorism. As a result of the renewed vigour of our military, many terrorist fighters are voluntarily surrendering to our security forces. 25. I and three other Nigerian Heads of State served actively as peace keepers and Nigeria continues to support peacekeeping efforts. We know the sacrifice involved, we also know how important peace keeping is for those in vulnerable situations. Nigeria will continue to play its part fully in supporting United Nations peacekeeping operations within Africa and beyond. Mr. President, 26. The impact of climate change is already with us in Nigeria, manifesting in various ways: conflicts trigger; food insecurity, drying up of lakes; loss of livelihood, and youth migration, among others. The trend is the same in many other countries that are threatened by forest fires, rising sea levels, drought and desertification. 27. In the circumstances, we intend to build a climate-resilient economy that effectively aligns with the SDGs and that has great potentials to unlocking the full opportunities in different sectors of the economy, while protecting the resources for present and future generations. I know, in several ways, this is also a familiar story in many countries. 28. As leaders, we must create inclusive and gender-sensitive policies that address all issues connected to climate action, from mitigation to resilience. 29. Nigeria believes that protecting our planet and its biodiversity and climate are important to our collective survival. That is why, we are working on a transition to low carbon economy, consistent with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. President, 30. Combating illicit financial flows and ensuring the recovery and return of illicitly acquired assets have the potential to provide resources in the immediate term for financing development in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 31. Similarly, corruption across national borders has huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions, particularly in developing countries. 32. It deprives national Governments of resources needed to provide adequate and meaningful sources of livelihood for their citizens. The latter gives rise to more irregular migration patterns, with unwholesome consequences for inter-state and human relations. 33. I, therefore, call on all leaders to demonstrate the much-needed political will by supporting the recommendations for systemic reforms made by the FACTI Panel. 34. We support establishing modalities for a global coordination mechanism at the United Nations Economic and Social Council to systematically monitor illicit financial flows and strengthen financial integrity for sustainable development, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. Mr. President, 35. On the issue of debt, we have seen that developing countries have been faced with unsustainable debt burdens even before the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of new wave of deepening debt, where vital public financial resources are allocated to external debt servicing and repayments at the expense of domestic health and financing for critical developmental needs. 36. I must commend the current initiatives by the international financial institutions and the G20 aimed at significantly mitigating the economic situation of the indebted countries and urge for more efforts in this regard. 37. Therefore, there is an urgent need to consider expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to include all Developing, Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States facing fiscal and liquidity challenges. In addition, a review of the eligibility criteria for debt suspension, including outright cancellation, is needed for countries facing the most severe challenges. Mr. President, 38. Nigeria reaffirms that international trade is an engine for development and sustained economic growth, as well as the global eradication of poverty. 39. My delegation would like to reaffirm the critical role that a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system can play in stimulating economic growth and development. 40. Fair and equitable trade would eventually eliminate the need for aid. My country and indeed all African countries do not intend to stay indefinitely looking for aid. All we need is a fair and equitable system of international trade. 41. We, therefore, call for a reform agenda that will engender better recovery from this crisis, build resilience to future shocks and pursue transformative development strategies that can deliver the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. President, 42. The global food system has, in recent times, been impacted by several factors such as population growth, availability and accessibility of arable land and water resources, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. 43. Increased competition for resources such as land, water, and energy, has affected food access and supply, particularly in developing countries. Climate change and unpredictable shocks, such as the current global pandemic, further exacerbate vulnerabilities in the global food system, requiring the UNs urgent attention. 44. The Government of Nigeria remains determined to improve the productivity and incomes of small-scale farmers by promoting equal access to land, technology and markets, sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices. 45. At the heart of Nigerias post-COVID-19 response is the Economic Sustainability Plan, which has a major component, called the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Programme where we seek to leverage suitable technologies to build a resilient food system for the country. 46. An integral part of our food systems transformation strategy is to create an enabling and supportive environment to implement these policies in a participatory manner. 47. Global efforts to mitigate and sustain food systems must involve key stakeholders, including Governments, farmers, investors, multilateral organizations, regional bodies, international financial institutions, private partners and civil society organizations. Mr. President, 48. Nigeria has been steadfast in safeguarding human rights, including the advancement of women, the protection of children, the protection of the rights of people living with disabilities, the treatment of migrants, refugees, returnees and displaced persons as well as, the promotion of fundamental freedoms through all legitimate means. In this regard, my delegation commends the positive example of leaders like Prime Minister Jacinda Arden of New Zealand. 49. In this context Nigeria calls for collective global action through a Treaty to end all forms of violence against women and girls of all ages. 50. Nigeria remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the advancement of human rights within its shores and beyond. This is so even in the context of a vicious decade-long onslaught by terrorists against Nigerians, quite contrary to unwholesome reports by some who hardly verify what they state against us. 51. The recent rise in hate related crimes globally underscores the urgent need to continue our engagement about racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related intolerance. It is sad to note that the issue of racism remains alive globally. 52. We are beginning to forget our affirmation of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of every individual as enshrined in the UN Charter. No society can claim to be free or just if it deprives anyone of these rights. 53. Nigeria has long been a principled fighter against racism and all forms of discrimination inspired by its African experience. In the past, racism oiled the machine of slavery and colonialism. Today, racism drives hate crimes and institutional discrimination. In all this, Africans and people of African descent are among the major victims. 54. Cognizant of these, I commend Member States for adopting by consensus the resolution on the Establishment of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent on 2nd August 2021. I am confident that this forum will make significant impact in the quest to end race-related vices and injustices. Mr. President, 55. No reform of the United Nations system is more urgent than that of the Security Council. Stakeholders around the world are asking how such power could be concentrated, with scant representation. The intergovernmental negotiations have taken too long, some 15 years. We must avoid going in cycles. Consensus has been achieved in some of the elements of this reform, especially that of the representation of Africa on the basis of the Elzuwini consensus and the Sirte Declaration. It is unreasonable to expect unanimity in this matter. The issue, indeed, is about justice, not unanimity. Without justice, the legitimacy (even efficacy) of our Organization is called to question. We can and must make substantial, irreversible progress on Security Council reform in the current session. Mr. President, 56. Connected to this, is the question of justice, fairness, and equity in respect of the Palestinian people. The situation in the Middle East is long-standing and gives cause for concern. Nigeria encourages Israel and Palestine to re-engage in dialogue based on relevant UN resolutions and Initiatives. The two-state solution has the support of the international community and is widely acknowledged as the path to lasting peace. Mr President, 57. Our organization is at the peak of the multilateral system. It is also the pre-eminent body for solving our current and emerging challenges, and for developing norms that are protective of us all. We need to re-commit to it, rejuvenate it to better serve us. Nigeria re-affirms its faith in the United Nations and is further resolved to continue to work with all Member-States for peace and security, development and the protection of human rights. In the current moment, hope for these, is dependent on how we assist each other to get COVID-19 out of all countries, regardless of their classification. We can and must do so. 58. In this regard, let me close my statement by paying special tribute to a great and humane internationalist, and an exemplary practitioner of multilateral cooperation. I am speaking of Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Federal Republic of Germany. As she exits the stage, we wish her well. I thank you. Despite criticism back in Nigeria over his numerous loan requests in the past few years, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday appealed to rich nations and international financial institutions for outright debt cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges in the wake of the COVID-19. He particularly urged G20 countries to extend their debt suspension initiatives to all developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing states facing fiscal and liquidity challenges. He made the appeal during his speech at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The presidents plea comes amid criticisms from Nigerians over his administrations consistent borrowings. His most recent request for an external loan was sent to the Senate on September 14. In his letter, the president sought the lawmakers approval to borrow $4 billion and 710 million loan from bilateral and multilateral organisations to fund the deficit in the 2021 budget. He had said the loan request, an addendum to the 2018-2020 borrowing plan, is needed for some critical projects. He also asked the lawmakers to approve grant components of $125 million. The request came barely two months after the National Assembly approved his earlier request to borrow $8.3 billion and 490 million loans contained in the initial 2018-2020 borrowing plan. It triggered outrage from the opposition party, PDP. While the party cautioned the NASS against approving the request, saying it could set the countrys debt profile skyrocketing without a feasible repayment plan, the APC said the loans are for the good of the country and well-being of the citizenry. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Borno senator, Ali Ndume, who belongs to the ruling APC, also faulted the presidents borrowing plan describing it as increasing and worrisome. The presidents handlers have always argued that the government is only borrowing for capital projects and not for consumption as done by past governments. Buharis appeal But, developing countries, Mr Buhari said, have been faced with unsustainable debt burdens even before the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of a new wave of deepening debt, where vital public financial resources are allocated to external debt servicing and repayments, at the expense of domestic health and financing for critical developmental needs. I must commend the current initiatives by the international financial institutions and the G20 aimed at significantly mitigating the economic situation of the indebted countries and urge for more efforts in this regard. Therefore, there is an urgent need to consider expansion and extension of the debt service suspension initiative to include all developing, least developed countries and small island developing states facing fiscal and liquidity challenges. In addition, a review of the eligibility criteria for debt suspension, including outright cancellation, is needed for countries facing the most severe challenges, Mr Buhari told world leaders at the assembly. Reforms The Nigerian leader called for reforms of international trade that would engender recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, build resilience to future shocks and pursue transformative development strategies that can deliver the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Nigeria reaffirms that international trade is an engine for development and sustained economic growth, as well as the global eradication of poverty. My delegation would like to reaffirm the critical role that a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system can play in stimulating economic growth and development. Fair and equitable trade would eventually eliminate the need for aid. My country and indeed all African countries do not intend to stay indefinitely looking for aid. All we need is a fair and equitable system of international trade, he said. Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines The president also used the occasion of the speech to renew his advocacy for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, outlining steps Nigeria had taken to achieve moderate success in containing the virus and halt its deadly onslaught in the country. He added: Nigeria remains grateful for the assistance received from our partners and friends all over the world. Vaccination is the key to our safe emergence from the pandemic. We fully support the COVAX initiative from which we have benefitted. We also thank the United States of America, Turkey, India, China, European Union, and others for the vaccines provided. Despite the acknowledgement, however, I would like to reiterate my call for a fairer and more equitable distribution of vaccines to all countries so that, together, we can fight and contain the pandemic. The rising wave of newer and more contagious strains makes this even more urgent. No country can afford the socio-economic implications of a prolonged shutdown. It is imperative to underscore that no one is safe until everyone is safe. He said Nigeria had intervened to halt the pandemic, adding, at the outset, we recognised detection and contact tracing to be important tools in combating the virus. In this connection, from a mere four laboratories with testing and detection capacities, we ramped up the facilities to over 140 centres today. Similarly, we built isolation centres and emergency hospital wards in record time all over the country. We carry out genomic sequencing in designated laboratories across the country with a view to detecting variants in circulation. In addition, over 40,000 health care workers have recently been trained on Infection, Prevention and Control measures with the support of various partners. Through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, we have established 16 infectious disease treatment centres located within our Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, he said. Fight against terrorism On terrorism, Mr Buhari told the UN General Assembly that Nigerias security forces had recorded considerable success in the fight against terrorism. As a result of the renewed vigour of Nigerias military, many terrorist fighters are voluntarily surrendering to our security forces, he said. The president noted that while terrorism continued to dominate security discourse worldwide, in Nigeria, Boko Haram terrorists group, though fragmented by internal strife and weakened by our defence forces, is still active and preying on soft targets. Nigeria will continue to work closely with the UN Counter-Terrorism bodies and entities with a view to bringing this scourge to an end, he added. The country would spare no effort in addressing the challenges of terrorism posed by the activities of Boko Haram in North-east Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, as well as banditry in the North-West and North-Central Nigeria, the president said. I and three other Nigerian Heads of State served actively as peacekeepers and Nigeria continues to support peacekeeping efforts. We know the sacrifice involved; we also know how important peacekeeping is for those in vulnerable situations. Nigeria will continue to play its part fully in supporting UN peacekeeping operations within Africa and beyond, he said. A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu, has admitted to the partys ignorance of the countrys situation before selling its Change! mantra to Nigerians ahead of the 2015 General Elections. With President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate and its assurance of better security and socio-economic development to citizens in record time, the party won the election thus ending the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Aliyu said inadequate knowledge of the situation in the country at the time was a mistake the APC made during the electioneering. He stated this during a political discussion on Politics Today on programme on Channels Television on Thursday. He featured on the programme alongside a member of a newly formed political group, Rescue Nigeria Project, Usman Bugaje, and a chieftain of the PDP, Umar Ardo. Mr Aliyu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives under the defunct ANPP, described the APCs promises as assumptions which have continued to serve as yardsticks to measure the performance of the Buhari administration in the last six years. Although the administration has recorded some modest success in terms of infrastructural development, that did not come without mounting debt profile and worsening insecurity situation across the country. Sometimes, let me concede, when we were in the opposition, there were certain assumptions that you made out of ignorance, sometimes out of sheer mischief. When we were in the opposition, we came all round the country demonstrating against fuel hike. That time, we were ignorant, that is the truth, I agreed. When we came to realise and we later thought what Jonathan did was not wrong, in fact subsidy should go. Now we have come to know that there are certain indices that cant continue to be subsidizing. This is the reality, Mr Aliyu said, highlighting the depth of corruption among other assumptions the party made as opposition. He dismissed the speculated dilemma of the APC to present a candidate as acceptable as Mr Buhari in the 2023 General Elections. The former lawmaker said the incumbent president had never been the best candidate the ruling party could offer but a candidate favoured by the electoral system. He also admitted to the corrupt tendencies of some of the party members despite the promise to wipe out corruption in the country. Im not telling you that there is no corruption in the country; corruption is still going on but this time around, you dare not sit and discuss corruption in the open. Back in the days, you sat around the table and you shared contracts, money and so on when PDP was in government. Im not telling you that there are no corrupt people in our government, absolutely there are! Some of them are already being investigated, Mr Aliyu said. A magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos has given a 30-day remand order for Samuel Philips, the dismissed police sergeant who reportedly shot Monsurat Ojuade, a teenager, at the Surulere area of Lagos. The magistrate, Adeola Adedayo, gave the remand order on Friday following the application for remand by the police counsel when the defendant was presented at the court. Mrs Adedayo ordered a 30-day remand of the defendant, at the first instance, pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). Mr Philips was arrested by the Lagos police command for allegedly shooting Ms Ojuade at her residence at Mogaji street, Surulere, on September 11. The incident happened while the police went on a raid at the area around 10:30 p.m. According to the account of the deceaseds family, the deceased was closing their shop located in the front of their house when they saw people running. The deceased and her sister were reportedly running into the compound when the police officer fired a shot into the compound, hit Ms Ojuade, and caused her death. Mr Philips, who has been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force, following the conclusion of his orderly room trial, will be tried for murder, the police said. READ ALSO: During the proceedings on Friday, the magistrate granted the application of the prosecutor to remand the defendant pending the DPP advice and commencement of his murder trial at the High Court. The defendant was represented by Doyin Shobiye, while the deceaseds family was represented by Israel Mbaebie. Mr Mbaebie, the counsel to the family, prayed the court to urge the police to change its stray bullet narrative as to how the deceased died. The bullet that killed Monsurat Ojuade was not a stray bullet but a case of premeditated murder on the part of the killer police(man). Mr Mbaebie also said the police did not make the orderly room trial of the suspect public. He added that the family was also notified of the arraignment of the suspect late. The police on Friday morning communicated the dismissal of the ex-sergeant from the Force, adding that he would be charged to court. Our clients frown at this disrespectful and lackadaisical attitude of the police and also wonder how it has been easier for them to organise an orderly room trial of the so-called killer police without making public their finding till date and now, arraignment without making public the full identity of the culprit as earlier demanded by our clients, Mr Mbaebie said. Following the submissions of the counsels, the magistrate, Mrs Adedayo, granted the remanded request and adjourned the matter to October 25 for further hearing. The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for SARS-related abuses and other matters has awarded the sum of N19.2 million in compensation to victims of police brutality. The recipients include Akinmade Akinrolabu (N1.5 million), Sanusi Oluwakemi (N750,000), Patrick Michael (N3 million), Ayomide Oyewunmi (N1 million), Adeshina Adeosun (N10 million), and Oluwatosin Odebode (N3 million). PREMIUM TIMES reported how Ayomide Oyemide, a minor who has now been compensated with N1 million, was handcuffed by the police officers attached to the Ajah area of the state. Mr Oyewunmi said that it took the intervention of the stations DCO and instruction from the higher authority not to detain the minor in the cell adding that his son was traumatised following the incident. His father had in May on his behalf demanded financial compensation of N25 million. Doris Okwuobi, the panels chairperson, in her ruling said the 14-year-old was subjected to fear and exposed to danger and is entitled to compensation and apology from the police. Also, a relative of the late Adeshina Adeosun received N10 million compensation on behalf of their family. Funmilayo Adeosun, the deceased child who witnessed how her father was fatally shot by the police, told the panel in February that his body was also seized by the police attached to the Olosan station in Mushin. Mrs Okwuobi ordered the Lagos police to provide the deceased body for burial. She advised that the Nigerian police officers be trained on how to handle a crowd and a riotous situation. She also recommended that the security operatives should be psychologically evaluated adding that the police must resist random shooting. President Muhammadu Buhari has renewed Nigerias position on the urgent reforms of the UN Security Council, saying the 15 years intergovernmental negotiations on the issue have taken too long. Mr Buhari made the demand in his address at the UN General Assembly on Friday, in New York. No reform of the UN system is more urgent than that of the Security Council, he said. Stakeholders around the world are asking how such power could be concentrated, with scant representation. The intergovernmental negotiations have taken too long, some 15 years. We must avoid going in cycles, he said. According to him, a consensus has been achieved in some of the elements of this reform, especially that of the representation of Africa on the basis of the Elzuwini consensus and the Sirte Declaration. It is unreasonable to expect unanimity in this matter. The issue, indeed, is about justice, not unanimity. Without justice, the legitimacy (even efficacy) of our Organisation is called to question. We can and must make substantial, irreversible progress on Security Council reform in the current session, he said. The Nigerian leader also used the occasion of his speech to address the situation in the Middle East, adding that the issue is about the question of justice, fairness, and equity in respect of the Palestinian people. The situation in the Middle East is long-standing and gives cause for concern. Nigeria encourages Israel and Palestine to re-engage in dialogue based on relevant UN resolutions and Initiatives. The two-state solution has the support of the international community and is widely acknowledged as the path to lasting peace, he said. Mr Buhari reaffirmed Nigerias faith in the UN as the pre-eminent body for solving current and emerging challenges, as well as developing norms that are protective of all. He pledged that Nigeria would continue to work with all Member-States for peace and security, development and the protection of human rights. In the current moment, hope for these, is dependent on how we assist each other to get Covid-19 out of all countries, regardless of their classification. We can and must do so, he said. Mr Buhari also paid special tribute to the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, describing her as a great and humane internationalist, and an exemplary practitioner of multilateral cooperation. After years in power, Mrs Merkel is to retire as chancellor after a general election in Germany on Sunday. (NAN) Some members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday got the treatment ordinary Nigerians face with delayed and cancelled flights at some major airports in Nigeria. The spokesperson of the House, Ben Kalu (APC, Abia), Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos), Henry Achibong (PDP, Akwa-Ibom) and others were left stranded at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano while on a committee assignment. The lawmakers were to board Azman Airline for an official assignment with the Committee on Petroleum Upstream and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) but waited for hours unattended for a flight that was earlier scheduled to take off at 12:30 p.m. thereafter shifted to 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 9:45 p.m. and finally to 12:15 a.m. Mr Kalu, the House spokesperson was left fuming while speaking with journalists at the airport. He said, It is important the people we represent know where we are and the National Assembly knows we are still stranded here. And as we speak to you, nobody is at the counter to address us, not even the manager. He added, In the hall, a lot of Nigerians are left stranded. There are other Nigerians who are stranded and we are witnessing this firsthand and we are feeling it. Some of the citizens abandoned here. We are raising this call for common Nigerians. Sometimes, when citizens bring their complaints before us, it feels as if they fabricated it but this one we are involved and we are seeing this for ourselves. Mr Kalu noted that the lawmakers will raise the matter with the Ministry of Aviation and Consumer Protection Council. We dont know when we are leaving here and we have shown interest to find out from the Ministry of Aviation and Consumer Protection Council what is happening to the Aviation sector as soon as we return, he said. There have been several complaints Nigerians over flight delays and outright cancellation without prior notice or explanation. In July, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced that airlines shall reimburse passengers their tickets after two hours delay. Despite the stiff penalty, Nigerians continue to experience flight delays. The meeting of the Zoning Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ended in Enugu without resolution on a new zoning arrangement for the party. It has therefore scheduled another meeting for next week. The 44-member committee headed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, met in the state on Wednesday and Thursday to zone party presidency as well as the National Working Committee (NWC) offices of the party. The meeting ended at about 7p.m.on Thursday. A source, who attended the closed-door meeting, told PREMIUM TIMES that the committee could not reach a consensus on the matter after hours of deliberation. He said the committee has therefore scheduled another meeting for next week but did not state exactly when the meeting will hold. No, we are yet to reach a conclusion. We will be meeting next week for another meeting and we will make our position public, said the party chieftain, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak. Members of the committee at the meeting were Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, who is its deputy chairman, the deputy governor of Zamfara State, Aliyu Mohammed, who is also the secretary. Other members in attendance were former Senate Presidents, Pius Anyim and David Mark, former governors Babangida Aliyu, (Niger); Ayo Fayose (Ekiti); Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto); and Sule Lamido (Jigawa). Abubakar Baraje, Kabiru Turaki, Sunday Okoye, Dan Orbih, Kema Chikwe, Osita Chidoka, Chidi Lloyd, Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Emmanuel Nwaka and Donatus Udeh were also at the meeting. Earlier, while declaring the meeting open, Mr Ugwuanyi said the committee had no mandate to zone the presidential ticket but only the offices in the NWC. Our Committee is strictly limited to the PDP National Executive Offices to be contested at the 2021 PDP National Convention scheduled for the end of October, 2021. We have no mandate to zone political offices such as President or Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said, The governor asked members to be frank, open and constructive in their proposals and debates, and also exhibit consistency with the enormity of their mandate. He said: The membership and leadership of this committee have been carefully selected as it is composed of very experienced, competent and eminent Nigerians who are desirous of repositioning the PDP to play its role not just as the main opposition political party in Nigeria but to build a party that offers alternative policy proposals and hope to Nigerians that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. The committee was constituted by the National Executive Committee of the opposition party at its 93rd meeting in Abuja on 9 September. This newspaper had predicted the possibility of a stalemate at the meeting given the sensitivity of the zoning issue. The PDP has slated its National Convention for October 30 and 31, and there has been a rigorous push from the southern and northern blocs of the party for the presidential ticket. Going by the partys tradition, if the position of the national chairman is zoned to the South, the presidential candidate will automatically emerge from the north. According to the current formula fashioned out in 2017, the south produced the national chairman, while the north produced the presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 election. If the position of national chairman is zoned to the South, there is a likelihood of micro-zoning the position since there are three zones in the region, namely south-west, south-east and south-south. On September 5, Guineans woke up to the news of a military coup against the president, Alpha Conde. What started as rumours were confirmed when footage of Mr Conde in the hands of military officers circulated on social media. The disgraced president and now captive was driven around the streets of Conakry to the crowds jubilations. The coup effectively ended 82-year-old Mr Condes contested third term, which he won after a change to the countrys constitution allowed him to run in the October 2020 elections. His constitutional manoeuvring drew protests from Guineans in which about 400 people were arrested. Many political figures and social activists were jailed, while some died in detention. As with previous regimes, victims of political repression have not seen any justice. This lack of accountability is a major problem holding back Guineas transition to democracy and stability. To remove coups from the countrys political culture, leaders need to promote and uphold justice and systematically end impunity. The military overthrow brought back the perennial tension between the democratisation and militarisation of politics. The latter seems to be gaining ground in West Africa. Experiences under various military governments since the 2000s show that, with a few exceptions, insurrections are no longer staged by generals. Most recent coup leaders have come from the lower military echelons largely captains and sometimes colonels. This exposes the vulnerability, if not a lack of cohesion, in the national security apparatus. This is the third military intrusion in Guineas national politics since the countrys independence in 1958. At the death of its first president Ahmed Sekou Toure in 1984, Colonel Lansana Conte staged a coup and then held onto power for 24 years until his death in 2008. He was quickly replaced by another military leader, Captain Moise Dadis Camara, in an ouster that plunged Guinea into several years of violent political repression. As the countrys first democratically elected president, Mr Condes assumption of office in 2010 raised hopes for democratic progress, political stability and better management of the countrys vast natural resources. Instead, his rule epitomised the failure of a political opponent who swept to power on a democratic agenda only to later scorn and abuse it. Guineas coup seems to have received the endorsement of most citizens because of Mr Condes bad governance and repression, and the countrys widespread poverty. National, regional and continental responses to Guineas key governance challenges havent been effective. Ironically, while in office, Mr Conde did not realise that he had made himself vulnerable by weakening systems that provide checks and balances, and using the military rather than citizen-based legitimacy to maintain power. His legacy will cost the country dearly. By changing the constitution to allow his third-term bid for president, and stoking tensions between communities, the scene has been set for political trouble. Guinea now faces the daunting challenge of planning another transition. This will be its fifth attempt since 1984 to embrace and move closer to genuine democratic rule. The country will likely see a flurry of diplomatic attention with partners seeking to guide the transition back to political normalcy. The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States have suspended Guineas membership. Both bodies are committed to helping stabilise the country along with other external partners such as France, which expressed support for a quick return to constitutional order. The transition process should be driven by Guinean citizens. Social and political actors need a role in assessing the causes of instability and designing a new political pact that can withstand future manipulation. The recent coup gives Guinea this opportunity. The countrys past experiences are rich in lessons on the use of political violence to acquire and maintain power. These need to be incorporated into new democratic institutions to guarantee their resilience and sustainability. As civil society and political representatives meet to chart the transition, more attention is needed on institution building and adherence to the rule of law rather than the shallow concept of a government of national unity. Contrary to popular sentiment, the recent succession of coups in West and Central Africa (two in Mali in less than a year, then Chad and now Guinea) should not raise questions about the applicability of democracy in Africa. Rather, the problem stems from faulty governance systems that thrive on corruption, a lack of accountability and decades of weak service delivery. African countries need to systematically address the ambiguities related to bad governance and unconstitutional changes of government. There is plenty of evidence from the AU and other policy discussions about the conditions that legitimise these processes, such as authoritarian rulers, ineffective constitutional arms of government, and military involvement. The AU and regional economic communities should prioritise how to deal with unconstitutional retention of power among their member states. A good place to start the process of removing coups from a countrys political culture is to openly condemn and sanction leaders who abuse their power. David Zounmenou, Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate resignation and prosecution of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for allegedly condoning the looting of the nations wealth. In a statement on Thursday in Abuja, the opposition party said it was calling for Mr Emefieles resignation on the strength of a recent statement allegedly made by the APC Interim National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe. It said Mr Akpanudoedehe revealed on national television that the CBN governor was supervising the stealing of money from the bank. Our party calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately invite Emefiele for questioning over allegations by the National Secretary of the illegal APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, that the CBN governor supervised over the pillaging of the nations vaults under his watch, the statement by the PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Nigerians were shocked when Senator Akpanudoedehe, on Channels TV programme Politics Today of Wednesday, September 15, 2021, revealed that the CBN governor supervised over the stealing of money in the apex bank, a development for which he must be investigated by the EFCC and if found ound wanting, prosecuted. We have waited for a week for Senator Akpanudoedehe to recant on his statement or for Emefiele to repudiate the APC National Secretary. Our party insists that beyond Akpanudoedehes allegation, the tenure of Emefiele as CBN governor under the APC administration has witnessed colossal failures of monetary and fiscal policies, requiring him to vacate the office and hand himself over for investigation. READ ALSO: The opposition party noted that when Mr Emefiele took office as CBN Governor in 2014, the naira exchanged for N164 to a dollar, adding that Today, in the hands of Emefiele and the APC, the naira has tumbled to near N600 to a dollar, putting the nations economy on its knees. The PDP added, Painfully, under the leadership of Emefiele, the CBN has failed in its core mandate of managing the economy and took a dive into propaganda, with claims that do not reflect the harsh economic reality on the ground. The PDP therefore urges the EFCC not to allow this revelation to be swept under the carpet as it borders on serious economic sabotage which sanctions are clearly spelt out under our laws. APC responds But responding, the All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the call to remove Mr Emefiele. The ruling party also said its interim secretary was deliberately misquoted to discredit the current administration. Our attention has been drawn to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delusional call for the resignation of Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over phantom allegations. PDP has based its call on a deliberate misrepresentation of a recent television programme interview I granted. A look at the PDP statement shows that the writer for apparently mischievous reasons did not quote verbatim, the porported statement. The recordings of my recent television programme reaction to the massive stealing perpetuated by previous PDP governments are publicly available. No where was Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor accused of any wrongdoing as being mischievously misrepresented by the PDP, Mr Akpanudoedehe said. The secretary said as stated in the television interview, the APC is not in the habit of joining issues with a sinking PDP which has lost its credibility. He sated further, As a failed opposition party, PDPs current delusions is apparently a result of its leadership crisis, lost electoral value and general failure in the eyes of Nigerians. Nigerians are still waiting for PDPs honest apology to Nigerians for its mindless pillage of our national resources, abuse of public institutions and the diversion of procured loans to fund its political activities and line the pockets of its cronies and family members. The House of Representatives has denied having frosty relationship with the Senate over delay in concurrence on bills passed by either of the two chambers. Spokesperson for the House, Benjamin Kalu, stated this on Friday when he briefed journalists on the activities of the 9th assembly. There is no friction between us; we should stop building mountains out of a molehill. There is no supremacy and no contests. The two chambers know their mandate and how to manage their expectations based on the Constitution; let us not import things into the relationship. The National Assembly has only one chairman, who is the President of the Senate and we work in collaboration toward fulfilling our mandate. The senate cannot work without us and we cannot work without them, he said. He said the lawmakers would not leave any stone unturned at ensuring that Nigerian got the best from them. READ ALSO: Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) amendment bill sent by President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Kalu said the lawmakers would look at it dispassionately. He said that no piece of legislation was perfect without room for improvement, adding that the PIA was not an exception. This PIA has shown that the president is a democrat who has retraced his steps for good. The President felt that the embroidery of this structure does not reflect that which is capable of enhancing national unity and cohesion, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 69 bills passed by the House were awaiting concurrence by the Senate. (NAN) While TETFund has been playing an inspiring role in promoting the production of knowledge in Nigeria, it needs to deepen this role by helping to bridge the gap between the town and the gown in the creation of more usable scholarships that solves social problems directly. And also by further serving as a catalyst for the synergy between academics involved in novel scholarship with the world of public policy-making, and governance. It is heartwarming to learn that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has set up training programmes for lecturers and heads of public tertiary institutions in the North-Eastern region of Nigeria to enhance their writing skills, especially in research grants proposals. As part of efforts to concretise this arrangement, a workshop was organised recently due to the low level performance of some of the university teachers in the geopolitical zone. The Executive Secretary of the TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, in the workshop opening address, was full of lamentation on why Nigerian universities and academics have failed to gain respectable global recognition. While tracing an historical perspective, he observed that much of the past research from the region were not solution-driven, which led to the lack of major recognition of these academics. Interestingly, it is equally noteworthy that many outstanding academics do not possess the same distinct prowess in communicating, and they also lack the skills to play the role of educators in public discourse. This tendency is also because many do not see it as part of their role to be enablers of the making of public policy, and as a result of this, academics only focus on linking up with and communicating essentially within their scholarly communities, and remaining disconnected from the general public, which reduces their relevance in society. An example is evident with the advent of the Internet and social media. While these have been disruptive in the way information is being exchanged, the huge uptake in the use of these technologies now reveal that society presently has instant access to news, stories and general information at they happen. In terms of its implication for the academy, although there are numerous platforms for open access journals, open online courses and other emerging forms of educational technology, neither the general public nor policy makers have sufficient information on or awarenes about the value or utilities of these platforms for the promtion of the public good. Therefore, instead of expecting people outside the academic world to go to them, academic researchers need to find creative ways of bridging the gap between the town and the gown, by connecting the world of arcane scholarship with the provision of solutions to local problems in communities through the writing of commentaries or contribution to columns in popular newspaper/magazines in their respective specialities. Or even by working with social movements that enable the presentation of their research findings to the public. Supporting the stance of the TETFund boss was the Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Professor Mohammed Abdulazeez, who stated that the institution he leads is working firmly to proffer solutions to the highly voltile and protracted farmer/herder crisis across swathes of the country. The above development will not only give them and their works visibility to be placed into practice, but also opens academics to the unvarnished truth of socially relevant concerns that require their intellectual engagement. Supporting the stance of the TETFund boss was the Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Professor Mohammed Abdulazeez, who stated that the institution he leads is working firmly to proffer solutions to the highly voltile and protracted farmer/herder crisis across swathes of the country. Abdulazeez also further revealed that ATBU has found out that herders actually need not move around from place to place with their cattle, and ranching could essentially even increase their yield. Although, many Nigerians, both literate and illiterate, can testify to the numerous issues affecting the country, from huge challenges in the security, economic, health and education sectors of the country, yet there is need for a deeper concert with the government by the intellectual and scholarly community in finding ways of tackling these issues. Certainly, research activities and fields vary significantly in terms of their quests and objectives, and furthermore, the utility of research is highly dependent on the discipline and scope of the researchers. Still, academics well positioned and equipped with the skills to contribute greatly to current knowledge on emergent issues in the world today. The processes of research and the application of its findings for social utility and the betterment of the nation have in recent times emerged as central activities of the Western academy. And, this is directly linked to how research has become the most long-lasting and effective means of boosting sustainable development in health, economic, education and security sectors. To exercise the pertinence of academic research, the main criteria for selecting World Class Universities are based on the ability of these centres of excellence in scholarship to push out recommendations that impact the resolution of real life situations, in manners that advance the trajectory of the human experience. While there are government agencies and organisations that have the mandate to serve as catalysts for the production of the knowledge thats usable for social advancement, notably the TETFund, the very tenuous and fragile connection between the town and the gown needs to be upgraded and strenghtened. This would be an antidote to the issue of policy failure in the Nigerian environment. In Nigeria, despite the series of developmental strategies put in place by successive administrations, all attempts to generate meaningful progress has failed. One may even be curious to ask if those development plans were mere facades for the prententions of governments at working, or why was it so difficult to generate epistemological schemes with favourable and life-enhancing outcomes, despite the bountiful intellectual and natural resources in the country? In Asian countries, which have as much diversity as the Nigerian society, a good number of them have maintained consistent growth patterns over several decades in sectors such as agriculture. They have also developed highly sophisticated systems of mass education, which have advanced their huge technical and technological capabilities. These were achieved by the development of socially relevant knowledge, which was a synergey between scholarly research and development in application to social needs. The roles of the intellectual and scholarship in these spaces were of primal essence, and these keep evolving and expanding. Of course, the point of our situation in Nigeria is not so much about the possibilities of what academic research can and should do, but about building a sturdy national culture of engagement between the scholarly outcomes of academia and public policy makers. There needs to be continuous support and dialogue between these critical flanks and also the general public, to generate and culture of socially relevant research that that have wider uptake in society. While there are government agencies and organisations that have the mandate to serve as catalysts for the production of the knowledge thats usable for social advancement, notably the TETFund, the very tenuous and fragile connection between the town and the gown needs to be upgraded and strenghtened. This would be an antidote to the issue of policy failure in the Nigerian environment. One way this relationship can be strengthened is through the creation of advisory committees; for instance, an ad-hoc or formal forum of academics and other experts that can provide advice on how to enhance usable knowledge, alongside the development of expert networks in this regard. While TETFund has been playing an inspiring role in promoting the production of knowledge in Nigeria, it needs to deepen this role by helping to bridge the gap between the town and the gown in the creation of more usable scholarships that solves social problems directly. And also by further serving as a catalyst for the synergy between academics involved in novel scholarship with the world of public policy-making, and governance. This would ultimately enhance the mandate and impact of TETFUnd as a socially relevant intervention agency. Zubaida Baba Ibrahim writes from Gwarinpa, Abuja. Email: Zubaida71@live.com He was a very cultured human being, very well read. I was always astonished at the vast number of books he had read and continued to read from when I knew him to the end. He was a very polite, kind and gentle soul. Although we were friends for over four decades, we never really agreed on anything and our friendship was based on disputations philosophical, ideological and historical. We always agreed to disagree. I lost a good fried, Dr Obadiah (Obed) Mailafia on Sunday, at the young age of 64 years, apparently to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, another casualty in the long list of distinguished Nigerians lost to this dreadful disease. As I always say to all my friends and relations, take your vaccination, follow the prescribed protocols and pray. I knew Obed from our student days at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). He was just a year behind, and I knew him from his first year 1975-1976. He was a very cultured human being, very well read. I was always astonished at the vast number of books he had read and continued to read from when I knew him to the end. He was a very polite, kind and gentle soul. Although we were friends for over four decades, we never really agreed on anything and our friendship was based on disputations philosophical, ideological and historical. We always agreed to disagree. It all started in the 1975-76 session when my Marxist-Leninist Study Group identified him as excellent material for the revolutionary cadre. Dear reader, at that time, everybody in ABU, or at least in our Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, was a Marxist, or at least pretended to be one. We were aware at that time that Obed was already reading Marxist literature, so I engaged him with confidence to join. He rejected the idea of becoming a Marxist outright and provided his reasons. Marxists, he argued, were materialists who were cocooned in a monocausal vision of history, while he was a humanist with a multi-causal vision that respected not just material conditions but also the spiritual, cultural and other dimensions of existence and change. Secondly, he accused us of being intellectually one-sided in our approach, because we focused too much, he thought, on Marxist texts and not the writings of dissidents who had lived in the Soviet Union and knew what socialism really was in practice. He had, for example, read the works of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who was one of the greatest critics of Soviet socialism and devoted his life in exile to criticising communism. I respected his vision and although he rejected the invitation to become a Marxist, we remained friends. I asked him to look at Nigerias Gini coefficient, which clearly shows the widening gap between the poor and the wealthy. He agreed, arguing that he left the academy and went into banking, first at the African Development Bank, and later the Central Bank of Nigeria, precisely to help create the conditions for opening doors for more people to join the path to wealth creation. On graduation, we both joined the staff of the Political Science Department as graduate assistants, did our masters degrees, and both of us had our French sojourn at the International Institute of Public Administration, a fancy new name for the old Ecole Coloniale, established in 1900, to train colonial officers. Subsequently, it was converted to an institution to train officials from the former colonies. The French government later took the decision to take in Anglophones and gave scholarships to Ahmadu Bello University, also to the universities in Ife and Nsukka, to go there. I was in the 1084-85 set, while Obed was in 1985-86 set. We learnt to speak French, appreciate cheese and red wine, and read French philosophers, in addition to learning international diplomacy and international relations. After that point, Obed moved from Ahmadu Bello University to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, becoming one of Nigerias leading experts in strategic studies, while I returned to my post in Zaria. In mid-career, we both decided to go out again and do our doctoral studies. I returned to France, while Obed went to Oxford. He decided to divert from strategic studies to business and finance; a move that surprised me. I told him he was too smart and well-read to engage in such a pedestrian path based on pushing people towards the profit motive, but he defended his choice arguing that business and finance could be as exciting as strategic studies. He felt that that those of us from the socialist tradition were too focused on poverty alleviation strategies and by so doing we box ourselves into work on the meagre reduction of poverty for the masses, who never get to move out of poverty. His own vision, he declared grandiosely, was to extend the frontiers of wealth creation to the people. I asked him to look at Nigerias Gini coefficient, which clearly shows the widening gap between the poor and the wealthy. He agreed, arguing that he left the academy and went into banking, first at the African Development Bank, and later the Central Bank of Nigeria, precisely to help create the conditions for opening doors for more people to join the path to wealth creation. I have lost a great friend and confidant. I feel the pain of his lovely wife, Margaret, who hosted my family and I so many times over the years and the children. May his soul rest in perfect peace and may his lifes work be a blessing to all of us. He was initially reluctant to accept the offer to be Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, thinking his ambition should be more Pan-African but he later took the decision that Nigeria is so important to Africa that helping push the Nigerian needle forward is in itself a fillip to African development. In the CBN, he was deeply engaged in the debt part-repayment and part-forgiveness from the Paris Club process, arguing that it would free resources that could be used to place Nigeria on the path to people-centred development. Then suddenly, in a three-hour saga, President Olusegun Obasanjo and Charles Soludo conspired to bundle him out of the CBN. It was a huge blow to him, not because he needed the job, but because he felt that the opportunity to contribute to national development was cut in an unfair way and in a context in which he had done no wrong. He tried to get back to the job for some time but it did not happen. It was at that point that he began to believe in some conspiracy theories. That brings me to the third set of disputations we had. In the last phase of his life, he became an ardent advocate of the conspiracy theory about the Fulani seeking to colonise Nigeria and engage in Jihad against the Christian community. This is a very emotive and raw issue and it is too early to go into the details. Suffice it to say that over the past decade, we had many arguments and as was usual in our relations, we completely disagreed on the fundamentals. What I would say with certainty is that Obed genuinely believed in what he was saying and was not playing to the gallery or playing politics, with such serious matters. The gentleman that he was would never allow him to say what he did not believe in. I have lost a great friend and confidant. I feel the pain of his lovely wife, Margaret, who hosted my family and I so many times over the years and the children. May his soul rest in perfect peace and may his lifes work be a blessing to all of us. A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. All Praise is due to Allah, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him), is His servant, and His Messenger. O You who believe, Be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, an awe-inspired awareness, and die not except as Muslims. O You who believe, Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory. O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Be conscious of Allah, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah always watches over you. Dear brothers and sisters! As you know, Islam is often described as a religion that emphasises the use of violence in its dawah method. The stereotype is formed by a number of literature and media that depicted Islam as a religion of violence. Respected servants of Allah! Events in Afghanistan are unfolding rapidly. The whole world is waiting to see what happens next. Will there be more bloodshed, revenge, and waves of refugees fleeing for safety? Or will there be a different outcome, one that stops the violence and brings a new era of peace and reconciliation in that troubled land? Fourteen and a half centuries ago, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) entered the gates of Makkah as a conqueror. But he entered without violence. He forgave his enemies. He conquered their hearts instead. With his 10,000 well-armed men, he could easily have hunted them down and punished them. They had killed, tortured, and oppressed so many of his followers for so many years. There could have been a bloodbath in Makkah. But the Messenger of Allah, who is a mercy to the world wasnt a man of revenge. Allah Almighty says: And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a Mercy to all the worlds. The people of Makkah waited in fear and trepidation for what might come. They all knew the ancient tradition of tribal justice, and they expected the worst. But the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) announced a general amnesty, saying that he forgave those who had harmed him and his people, just as Prophet Yusuf (AS) forgave his brothers. The response was incredible. Not only was there a collective sigh of relief, but people were so grateful for mercy that the entire population of the city abandoned idol worship and became Muslims. The Talibans, who nowadays have the power to take revenge, might well consider this wonderful example from history. In recent times, Nelson Mandela showed mercy when he became President of South Africa, after 27 years in prison. He forgave his oppressors and invited them to confess their sins at a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This became a model for the peace accord in Northern Ireland, in which Mandelas advisers played a big part. He knew Imam Abdurrahman Bassier, who came to lead the Jumuah prayers for Muslim prisoners on Fridays. Mandela admired Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He loved Muslims and appointed Abdullah (Dullah) Umar as Minister of Justice in South Africas first multiracial government. We can only hope that in Afghanistan and elsewhere, Muslims and other leaders around the world can win over the hearts and minds of their enemies by being merciful. Our world today has suffered more than its fair share of violence and revenge. Let us all pray for peace and reconciliation. Let us turn to Heaven and ask Allah to help us and to help those who have lost their homes and loved ones in wars, ethno-religious crisis, tribal crisis, fires, floods, and droughts in so many parts of the world. Respected brothers and sisters! Allah is Muqallibul qulub, The Turner of hearts, so let us turn our pleas to heaven, as Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught us in one of his favourite Duas/supplications: Ya Muqallibul qulub, Thabbit qalbi ala dinik (O Turner of hearts, (please) turn my heart towards Your religion). The power of mercy was clearly shown in many examples during the lifetime of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). When the people of Taif chased him out of their city, abusing him and stoning him till the blood flowed, the Angel of Mountains offered to crush the city and destroy its people. But Allahs Praised One, resisted, saying that he wasnt the Prophet of revenge. He was the Prophet of mercy. Perhaps their children will become Muslim one day. And they did. Another example. Hind, the widow of Abu Sufyan, offered to free Wahshi Ibn Harb, an Abyssinian slave, if he would kill Hamzah, the brave warrior and an uncle of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Wahshi was a skilled javelin thrower. He used that skill to deadly effect in the Battle of Uhud, when he killed Hamzah (RA). Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) suffered indescribable pain and grief. Even so, after the battle, he forgave his uncles killer, and invited him to Islam. It is said that Wahshi at first did not respond to the invitations. He was now a free man, but killing Hamzah was a heavy price for his freedom. He was so overcome with guilt and remorse. He felt that what he had done was unforgivable. His sin was beyond redemption. He felt that the hellfire was all that was he deserved. Then he heard this verse from Surah Az-Zumar (Quran, 39:53): Say (on My behalf), O servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allahs mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. On hearing this, Wahshi found a glimmer of hope in his dark clouds of despair. Surely, if Allah would forgive him, then all was not lost? He made his way to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), where he declared his Shahadah. For the rest of his life, he was one of the foremost soldiers in the ranks of the Muslims. My brothers and sisters! Let us learn to be more merciful in all our relationships. Let us be merciful to husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and neighbours. We have our best example in our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Finally, let us reflect on these two Hadith: Allah will reward gentleness what He will not reward for harshness. [Muslim] Be merciful to those on earth and He Who is above the heavens will be merciful to you. Dear brothers and sisters! Islam is the religion of peace and mercy for all creatures. But, now-a-days, some ignoramuses have spread misconception about the Islam, that as, it is the religion of sword for terror. But, the actual fact is that, Islam is the religion of peace and it condemns extremism and violence. Islam promotes the peace, calm, harmony, and tranquility in society. Islam is a peaceful religion, its best examples, we can see, in the practical life of Noble Prophet (Peace be upon him). He was the Messenger of Allah Almighty to convey the message of honesty, piousness, peace, mercy, integrity, and love. He had never done any activity which indicate act of terrorising, misconduct, racism and violation against humanity. Even though, he showed the mercy on animals, insects and plants. The world knows him, as a Mercy into the world. From the life of Noble Prophet (Peace be upon him), it is concluded that Islam is the religion of peace and humanity. It did not spread by the forced of sword, rather, it spread by its golden quality. All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers. Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761. This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Safar 16, 1443 A.H. (September 24, 2021). The police in Akwa Ibom State have received the autopsy report on the University of Uyo student, Kubiat Akpan, who was tortured to death in August by some police officers in the state. The autopsy, conducted by a pathologist from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, confirmed that the student was tortured to death according to a source. The pathologist presented the report on Monday to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Amiengheme Andrew, at the police headquarters in Uyo, a police officer told PREMIUM TIMES, Thursday. The autopsy report, as reported earlier by this newspaper, invalidates the claim by the police that the late student died of illness. The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, Odiko MacDon, had said Mr Akpan, before his arrest and eventual death, was being investigated for robbery and cultism, a claim that a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong dismissed as false and irresponsible. Mr Effiong is a lawyer to the deceased. The statement by Odiko MacDon, as far as I am concerned, must have been issued under the influence of alcohol, Mr Effiong said. READ ALSO: There was never a case of armed robbery or cultism against the deceased at any time. This was just a young boy who was picked up randomly by the police for reasons they are yet to disclose to us, taken into custody and tortured to death. The lawyer later told reporters in a press briefing that the police wanted to secretly dispose of the students corpse after his death. Mr Effiong said the officers who took the corpse to the mortuary refused to identify themselves, a fact that has been confirmed by PREMIUM TIMES. PREMIUM TIMES on Friday asked Mr MacDon, what would be the next step in the case, now that the autopsy report has been submitted, but the police spokesperson said he was busy with the visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Akwa Ibom and, therefore, could not answer the question. Meanwhile, the civil society organisations in the state have been calling on the police authorities in Nigeria to ensure that the slain student gets justice. An assistant superintendent of police, Joweigha Michael, who led the team that arrested the late Mr Akpan, was arrested and detained over the incident, on the order of the police commissioner. It is unclear, for now, whether the officer and his colleagues would be charged or not. The Nigerian Police Force say they have dismissed a police sergeant, Samuel Philips, for allegedly shooting a teenager in Lagos. Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, said the dismissed officer will also be charged to court. In a statement by Mr Ajisebutu on Friday, the dismissed sergeant went through a police orderly room trial following the shooting incident that happened on September 11. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Monsurat Ojuade, an 18-year-old girl, was shot in their compound at Mogaji street, Surulere, on the date as mentioned earlier. According to the family members, the incident happened around 10:30 p.m., while the deceased and siblings were closing their shop located in front of their house. We got information that some policemen were picking up people. They were raiding and normally anytime that they are out, they pick innocent people. Immediately they ran inside, they shut the gate, the policemen were forcing the gate to open it, people in the compound ran inside their rooms, the sister to the deceased narrated. She said while the deceased and her sister were running into the compound, a policeman fired a shot, which hit Ms Ojuade, leading to her death. Following the shooting incident, the Lagos police command released a statement that they have arrested and detained the killer-cop and that he would undergo trial. The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, also paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, to sympathise with the family. In his statement on Friday, Mr Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, said the trial led to the officers dismissal. This is to inform the general public that Sgt Samuel Philipps who was tried for the shooting incident of 11th September, 2021 that led to the death of Monsurat Ojuade has been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force. He was dismissed after conclusion of his orderly room trial. The suspect will be charged to court today for murder. Recall that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had promised that the matter would be properly investigated and that justice would be served. This action is, therefore, done in fulfilment of that promise, Mr Ajisebutu said. The dismissed officer will be arraigned at the Yaba Magistrate Court on Friday for murder charges. A senior police officer, Kazeem Abonde, was on Thursday lynched by hoodlums at Ajao Estate area of Lagos State. Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, confirmed this in a statement on Friday. Mr Ajisebutu said the incident happened during a raid of identified flashpoints in the area and enforcement of the ban on use of motorcycles in restricted areas in the Estate. The police spokesperson said although the operation was successful, with some suspects arrested, hoodlums laid siege for the police officers at the entrance of Ajao Estate, and killed Mr Abonde in the process. Mr Abonde was a Chief Superintendent of Police (CPS) and the former divisional police officer of Ajangbadi police division. PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that the deceased senior officer was preparing for his retirement in a few months. The Lagos State Police Command lost one of its finest officers during a raid on criminal hideouts in Ajao Estate, Lagos State yesterday 23rd September, 2021. The incident happened when tactical teams of the Command comprising men drawn from RRS, Taskforce, Ajao Estate Division and other divisions were carrying out raid of identified flashpoints and enforcing the ban on use of motorcycles in restricted areas in the Estate and similar places in the State. After the successful operations which led to the arrest of some of the suspects, other criminal elements and hoodlums in their large number laid siege to the exit of the Estate and attacked the policemen with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. READ ALSO: Unfortunately, during the fatal attack, CSP Kazeem Sumonu Abonde attached to the Operations Department of the Command was brutally killed by the hoodlums, the police spokesperson said in the statement. The deceased officer, who was seen lying in the pool of his blood, was reportedly hit on the head with an object. The police spokesperson added that the DPO of Ajao Estate, Abdullahi Malla, who is also a CSP and other police officers sustained injuries. Mr Ajisebutu said the corpse of the deceased officer has been deposited at the Yaba Mainland Hospital for autopsy. Raid of criminal hideouts in the state and enforcement of the ban of motorcycle on selected routes is part of the routine activities of the Lagos police command. Mr Ajisebutu said this exercise is a proactive approach aimed at curtailing activities of armed robbers and other criminal elements in the state, as similar exercises were carried out in the past in other parts of the state which have resulted in reduction in crimes in the areas. Reacting to the incident, theCommissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, condemned the attack on his men and vowed that the hoodlums would be brought to book. According to the statement, Mr Odumosu has directed that a discreet investigation into the incident and charged officers to ensure that all suspects responsible for the dastardly act are arrested. The Commissioner of Police has promised that this mournful incident would not dampen the morale of the Command or discourage it from carrying out its statutory duties of protecting lives and property of the Citizens in Lagos State, the statement read. The police in Lagos have rescued a debtor, Reuben Alozie, who was tied to a stake by his creditor, over an unpaid debt of N4.6 million at Ebute-Metta area of Lagos. Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, said the rescue was made possible following a report by the victims wife. According to the police, the creditor has tried several means to recoup his money to no success. He thereafter resorted to self-help by tying the debtor for about 24 hours before the police came to his rescue. Mr Ajisebutu said the creditor has been arrested by policemen attached to the Denton Police Station, while the victim was rescued. The suspect tied the victim to a stick with ropes at No. 29, Abeokuta Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos from 22nd September to 23rd September when he was eventually rescued by the police. According to the suspect, he resorted to self help after several efforts to recover his money from the victim failed, the statement read. Mr Ajisebutu said the victims wife, Angela Reuben, reported at the police station that her husband was deprived of his liberty by the suspect who held him hostage, a report which led to the rescue operation. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, warns Lagosians against taking the law into their own hands instead of taking legal actions to seek justice. Mr Odumosu directed that the suspect be transferred to the Commands Tactical team for diligent investigation and prosecution. CASABLANCA, Morocco, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International and S2M jointly announced the ambitious partnership to accelerate digital financial inclusion across the African continent. This new achievement will allow S2M to provide UnionPay payment services to its customers with a high level of performance, uptime and security. The partnership will further assist the innovative digital payment solutions expansion, adding value to the African economy and promote financial inclusion. "We are delighted with this new achievement; thus, strengthening our strategic partnership with UnionPay International. We continue to meet the African ecosystem needs, which is in constant search of innovation, flexibility, and adaptability to the shifting consumer behavior". Mr. Mohamed Amarti, Vice President, S2M Group. "We are delighted to collaborate with S2M as the chosen partner for a long-term investment in Africa", said Mr Luping Zhang, General Manager of UnionPay Africa Region. "We support S2M's innovative and customer-centric initiatives in driving financial inclusion. Together, we continue to contribute towards the global payment ecosystem". As an industry leader in the African market for over 35 years, S2M serves the African payment landscape through its headquarters in Morocco, its subsidiaries in Tunisia, and a vast network of reliable partners. S2M serves more than 180 institutions on four continents. Its customer-centric digital strategy focuses on providing innovative, accessible, convenient and functional products and services 24/7. S2M serves the entire payment ecosystem, including financial institutions, telecom operators, oil companies, retailers, aggregators, health and e-government players, and money transfer operators with innovative payment solutions. S2M is committed to supporting and building the continent's national economies through innovation, enabling it to meet customers' ever-changing demands and expectations in this digital age. With over 1.6 billion UnionPay cards issued in 70 countries and regions globally, UnionPay has expanded its acceptance network to 180 countries and regions in recent years. At present, UnionPay cards are widely accepted in Africa across all sectors, effectively meeting the diverse purchasing needs of UnionPay cardholders visiting and living on the continent. Over 10 African countries have issued UnionPay cards, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, eSwatini, Madagascar and Mauritius. The Nilson Report (Issue 1154) shows that UnionPay ranks first among all card schemes in card issuance and transaction volume worldwide. UnionPay has launched various innovative payment products in Africa in response to the worldwide digital transformation and financial inclusion. Related Links www.unionpayintl.com SOURCE UnionPay International TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the influx of clinical trials, more data is being generated and must be collected, monitored, managed, and shared. The pharmaceutical industry is continuously striving to reduce complexity, streamline business processes and workflows, and increase efficiency in analysing the data. The first such webinar will take place on Tuesday, Oct, 5, 2021 at 11:30 am (GMT-4). Entitled "How Automation Plays a Key Part in Accelerating Drug Delivery Approval" the webinar will present: The pharmaceutical industry challenges in validating clinical trial data and the implications on timelines and accuracy The first of its kind AI solution developed with Pfizer to advance and speed up data handling processes The business opportunity Future trends - where will the industry be in 5 years with respect to clinical programming practices? Speakers for the first webinar will be Craig Lipset, Former Head of Clinical Innovation Pfizer, Hugh Donovan, Former EVP Clinical Research Services Parexel, Yael Gozin, Head Nonclinical Reg. Writing & Submissions, Takeda Yoran Bar, CEO of Beaconcure and Illan Carmeli CPO at Beaconcure. Attendees can register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EB3WbQU1R066m14rS6wbZg. About Beaconcure Beaconcure developed an ML/NLP-driven analytics platform that is designed to support the life science industry in validating the content of clinical trials. With their technology, Beaconcure helps pharmaceutical companies and CROs to significantly improve the quality of their outputs (clinical reports, safety analysis etc.) by identifying programming issues, specification deficiencies, and data inconsistencies. With their first-of-its kind solution, the algorithms convert various clinical data formats in any layout into a semantic and dynamic database, to which any required segmentation rule, crosscheck and analysis can be applied. All defined errors and anomalies are identified, with 99.7% accuracy, in a matter of hours, drastically reducing clinical data processing timelines and increasing the quality of the output. Learn more about Beaconcure solution at https://beaconcure.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633903/Beaconcure_Logo.jpg Beaconcure contact: Orit Veinerman VP Marketing [email protected] SOURCE Beaconcure Related Links https://beaconcure.com FP Markets' Head of Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Craig Allison, hailed the victory: "For the third consecutive year, FP Markets has been voted the 'Best Global Value Forex Broker' proving that our commitment to providing superior trading experiences for our customers is paying off. Picking up the 'Best Forex Trading Experience in the EU' for the first time is also an honour, and being appreciated by new traders around the world shows that we are heading in the right direction and demonstrates that FP Markets is increasingly recognized globally as the best destination for clients for overall trading experience given our market-leading tight spreads and award-winning fast execution. The appreciation from our own traders is doubly satisfying as we continue to strive to improve FP Markets' products and services." FP Markets offers over 10,000 trading instruments offering traders access to CFDs across Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, and Cryptocurrencies, making it one of the largest offerings in the industry and offers eight platforms, including MT4, MT5 and Iress. Over the past 16 years, FP Markets has learned that the combination of consistently tight spreads and fast execution, coupled with cutting-edge platforms, a wide product range, and first-rate customer support are the key ingredients that give serious traders the confidence to trade. Since the year of its establishment in 2005, Australia's Best Forex Broker 2020 continues to expand its product offering, giving traders the ability to trade under some of the best trading conditions in the industry. Notes to Editors About FP Markets: FP Markets is an Australian-regulated global Forex Broker with more than 16 years of industry experience. FP Markets offers highly competitive interbank Forex spreads available from 0.0 pips and leverage up to 500:1*. Download FP Markets' Mobile App and trade on-the-go across several powerful online platforms like MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5, WebTrader, and IRESS. The company's outstanding 24/5 multilingual service has been recognized by Investment Trends as home to some of the most content clients in the industry, having been awarded "The Highest Overall Client Satisfaction Award" five years running from Investment Trends. FP Markets has been awarded the "Global Forex Value Broker" in three consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021) at the Global Forex Awards. For full details of our wide-ranging offering, visit https://www.fpmarkets.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633728/FP_Markets.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1574261/FP_Markets_Logo.jpg Related Links https://www.fpmarkets.com SOURCE FP Markets LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- September 27th marks the first anniversary of Azerbaijan's unprovoked invasion of the Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh), where for 44 days the region's indigenous Armenian population were subject to a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing . Armed with Turkish drones and illegal cluster munitions , Azerbaijani forces routinely bombarded civilian populations resulting in the destruction of schools, homes, medical facilities and cultural sites , displacing up to 100,000 people. In areas seized during the course of Azerbaijan's offensive campaign, captured Armenian servicemembers and civilians were subject to torture, mutilation and summary execution at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign terror-linked militias deployed by Turkey - which provided military and logistical support to Azerbaijan during the course of the war. Hundreds of prisoners of war and civilian captives remain in Azerbaijan's illegal detention to this day, where they continue to face severe abuse and torture . Both during and since the fighting, Armenian cultural heritage sites have been desecrated and destroyed, mirroring efforts by the Azerbaijani government to destroy any trace of Armenian civilization in other historically Armenian regions - including Nakhijevan, where the Azerbaijani government undertook the systematic erasure of up to 28,000 cultural monuments in the early 2000s. Even after a trilateral statement - mediated by Russia - signed on November 10, 2020 put an end to active hostilities, Azerbaijan's belligerency continued; as it sought to consolidate territorial gains, and encroach into the Republic of Armenia itself. Today, it is estimated up to a thousand Azerbaijani troops remain entrenched illegally within parts of Armenia, where they have established checkpoints preventing the free transport of people and goods within the sovereign borders of Armenia. Azerbaijan has also continued its policy of belligerency towards Armenia through its continued state-sponsored propagation of anti-Armenian racism (Armenophobia). The opening of a " War Trophy Park " in Baku displaying racist caricatures of Armenians being killed and taken hostage, the use of genocidal symbolism in state postage stamps depicting Artsakh being chemically cleansed, and the praise of Enver Pasha - one of the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide - at a victory parade following the war attest to Azerbaijan's genocidal intent. Despite widespread reports of Azerbaijan's violations of international humanitarian law, the response of the international community to the brazen act of aggression has been nothing short of negligent. Azerbaijan and Turkey have demonstrated through their ongoing persecution, dehumanization and aggression against the Armenian people that they are neither able nor willing to secure the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh - reinforcing the urgent need to ensure the right to self-determination by means of remedial secession for the Armenians of Artsakh is upheld. For the Armenian people, Azerbaijan's assault on Artsakh could not help but evoke the traumatic memory of the Armenian Genocide - as many feared Azerbaijan's wanton targeting of civilian communities and hateful rhetoric heralded a continuation of that still-unpunished crime against humanity perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, its allies and its successors. Azerbaijan's conduct since the end of the war has not inspired confidence that a peaceful resolution to this crisis is on the horizon. The Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region (ANCA-WR) calls on the United States to work with fellow co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - which oversees the mediation of the conflict resolution process - to ensure a long-term resolution to this crisis through a status-determination process for Artsakh, which remains the only means of protecting the fundamental human rights and ensuring the basic political, economic and cultural freedoms for the Armenians of Artsakh in the face of the ongoing existential threat represented by Azerbaijan. SOURCE Armenian National Committee of America Western Region GREEN BAY, Wis., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) today announced it will release third quarter 2021 financial results on Thursday, October 21, 2021, after market close. The Company will host a conference call for investors and analysts at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (CT) on the same day. Interested parties can access the live webcast of the call through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, http://investor.associatedbank.com. Parties may also dial into the call at 877-407-8037 (domestic) or 201-689-8037 (international) and request the Associated Banc-Corp third quarter 2021 earnings call. The financial tables and an accompanying slide presentation will be available on the Company's website just prior to the call. An audio archive of the webcast will be available on the Company's website approximately fifteen minutes after the call is over. ABOUT ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) has total assets of $34 billion and is Wisconsin's largest bank holding company. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Associated is a leading Midwest banking franchise, offering a full range of financial products and services from more than 200 banking locations serving more than 100 communities throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, and commercial financial services in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Texas. Associated Bank, N.A. is an Equal Housing Lender, Equal Opportunity Lender and Member FDIC. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements made in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes any statements regarding management's plans, objectives, or goals for future operations, products or services, and forecasts of its revenues, earnings, or other measures of performance. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "should," "will," "intend," "target," "outlook," "project," "guidance," or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations and, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements include those identified in the Company's most recent Form 10-K and subsequent SEC filings. Such factors are incorporated herein by reference. Investor Contact: Ben McCarville Vice President | Director of Investor Relations 920-491-7059 | [email protected] Media Contact: Jennifer Kaminski Vice President | Public Relations Senior Manager 920-491-7576 | [email protected] SOURCE Associated Banc-Corp Related Links www.assocatedbank.com " Balaji joins us at a pivotal point in Astreya's expansion, as clients entrust us with solving their unique problems using emerging technologies. Balaji is a visionary and innovative engineering leader, who is the ideal person to build and lead our Astreya Next Gen Engineering Portfolio of Services. His business acumen, technical ability and industry experience in developing and delivering next-generation engineering solutions & services will be critical to our portfolio diversification and innovation strategy. Our board and I welcome him to the Astreya Executive Team and wish him exceptional success in expanding global solutions, brand footprint, and revenue opportunities." said Andrea Bendzick, Chief Operating Officer of Astreya. Balaji is a growth evangelist and innovation vanguard having expertise in stimulating transformational growth for large IT brands & amplifying value driven business outcomes for end clients. He brings more than 20 years of business success with a rich and diversified experience range across a wide spectrum of organizational functions such as delivery management, customer relationship management, practice development and P&L management. He has a deep passion towards envisioning and developing disruptive products, solutions and services & creating market demand leveraging next generation technologies such as AI/ML, Hyper-automation, Advanced Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud-Infrastructure, Augmented & Virtual reality (AR/VR) to name a few. Over the past few years, he has been instrumental in co-creation and implementation of advanced technology and business solutions for various industry segments. In his last role as Vice President & Global Client Partner at Infogain Corporation, he was responsible for establishing & enhancing customer relationships alongside global delivery and P&L for strategic & large accounts. Before joining Infogain, he made a remarkable impact in the strategic growth journey of Infosys especially in the Retail, CPG and Banking sector helping customers in their respective digital transformation journeys and played a vital role in establishing strategic practice delivery centers to support the agile global delivery models. Balaji holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology from prestigious Anna University, Chennai, India. About Astreya Astreya is the leading IT solutions provider for some of the world's most recognizable and innovative organizations. Our journey started in 2001 in the heart of Silicon Valley and reaches 33 countries with over 1500 IT professionals. We enable businesses to make better decisions, achieve operational efficiency and gain a competitive edge. The Astreya advantage is centred around focus and clear vision, world-class talent, and innovative technology: Creativity is in our DNA. Our dedicated Software and Service Innovation teams bring best in class technology and tools to bear for our clients. Follow us on LinkedIn SOURCE Astreya Related Links http://www.astreya.com The latest Coffee for the Troops event runs from September 25 through October 23, 2021. During this time, Books-A-Million customers can donate a bag of Joe Muggs Coffee when they check out at the store or cafe and personalize their donations with messages of gratitude. Soldiers' Angels handles distribution of the coffee, which is always met with heartfelt thanks. "This fall's Coffee for the Troops campaign couldn't come at a better time," said Amy Palmer, president and CEO of Soldiers' Angels. "With everything our service members have been dealing withfrom the ongoing pandemic to the situation in Afghanistana moment to stop and enjoy a cup of coffee will be a much-needed pick-me-up. We are so grateful to Books-A-Million and their customers for their continued support of this campaign." Since its initial run in 2012, Coffee for the Troops has continually surpassed its donation goals. ABOUT BOOKS-A-MILLION Books-A-Million is a well-established source for books, toys, games, collectibles and gifts for every age and interest. Operating more than 200 locations in 32 states as well as a thriving online store, Books-A-Million delivers top-notch customer service and remarkable value through special offers, exclusive sales, and the award-winning Millionaire's Club. Books-A-Million has seen exponential growth over more than 100 years in business, from its humble origin in 1917 as a newsstand in Florence, Alabama, to its current status as the second-largest bookseller in the United States. Find your nearest Books-A-Million store at booksamillion.com/storefinder, and follow Books-A-Million on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. ABOUT SOLDIERS' ANGELS Soldiers' Angels is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and their families. Founded in 2003 by the mother of two American soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Soldiers' Angels "Angel" volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel, and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways. (Tax ID# 20-0583415.) Learn more at soldiersangels.org. CONTACT Melanie Smith Vice President, Marketing 205.909.3517 [email protected] SOURCE Books-A-Million, Inc. Related Links http://www.booksamillion.com All major aspects, including detailed analysis of market overview, market drivers, opportunities, and potential applications, are covered. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis is focused to help businesses make better decisions. Top Key players of Carpets And Rugs Market: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Inter IKEA Holding BV Interface Inc. Milliken and Company Mohawk Industries Inc. Oriental Weavers Group Tai Ping Tarkett Group The Dixie Group Inc. Victoria Plc The carpets and rugs market will be impeded by intense competition from LVTs. However, growth in the number of residential and commercial construction activities will drive market growth during the forecast period. To Learn About Other Drivers, Trends, And Challenges, Download Our Free Sample Carpets And Rugs Market Segmentation: Carpets And Rugs Market Split by End-user Residential Commercial Carpets And Rugs Market Split by Geography North America APAC Europe MEA South America The regional distribution of the carpets and rugs market is considered for analysis, the result of which is utilized to estimate the performance of the international market during 2021-2025. The carpets and rugs market research report sheds light on foremost regions: North America, APAC, Europe, MEA, and South America Imperative Insights on the following aspects: What was the size of the global carpets and rugs industry by value in 2020? What will be the size of the global carpets and rugs industry in 2025? What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the global carpets and rugs industry? How has the industry performed over the last five years? What are the main segments that make up the global carpets and rugs market? Wish to Subscribe? Register for a 14 Day Free Trial Today! Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: Area Rugs Market by Application, Product, Distribution Channel, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Home Textile Retail Market by Product, Distribution Channel, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 The carpets and rugs market research report presents critical information and factual data about the carpets and rugs industry, with an overall statistical study of this market based on market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread trends and opportunities are also taken into consideration in the carpets and rugs market study. The product range of the carpets and rugs industry is examined based on their production chain, pricing of products, and the profit generated by them. Various regional markets are analyzed in the carpets and rugs market research report, and the production volume and efficacy across the world are discussed. Why buy? Identify growth strategies across markets Track competitor gains and losses in market share Know the financial performance of competitors with better insight The carpets and rugs market research report analyzes various key segments based on end-user and geography. The regional distribution of the carpets and rugs market across the globe is considered for analysis, the result of which is utilized to estimate the performance of the carpets and rugs market during 2021-2025. Browse Carpets And Rugs Market-related details. Download Our Free Sample! Table of Content: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by End-user Market segments Comparison by End-user Residential - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by End-user Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Inter IKEA Holding BV Interface Inc. Milliken and Company Mohawk Industries Inc. Oriental Weavers Group Tai Ping Tarkett Group The Dixie Group Inc. Victoria Plc Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Us: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio CALVERT CITY, Ky., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CC Metals & Alloys, LLC ("CCMA") announced that Dave Tuten, Plant Manager at CCMA's Calvert City, KY production facility, intends to retire from the company on October 1, 2021, after five years of service. Chris Cobb, who joined CCMA in 2005 and has since worked in a variety of capacities, will succeed Mr. Tuten as Plant Manager. "I am extremely proud of the CCMA's team's accomplishments and resiliency," said Tuten. "I am retiring from CCMA with full confidence in the company's continued performance, and I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition to Mr. Cobb and setting the stage for further success in the years ahead." Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber, partial owners of CCMA, issued the following joint statement: "Dave represents the finest in local leadership and his guidance took this plant and this community through tough times, and he has been critical to our success. We are enormously grateful for his contribution to our organization and wish him the very best in this next chapter. Building upon the positive momentum Dave has helped us achieve, we look forward to welcoming Chris Cobbs into his new role and are confident in his experience to help propel CCMA to the next level of performance." Earlier this month, CCMA announced it had reached a Labor Agreement with International Union, United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America and its affiliated Local Union No. 523, ensuring over 100 good-paying union jobs to Kentuckians and bolstering the region's manufacturing footprint. About CC Metals and Alloys, LLC: Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Calvert City, KY, CC Metals & Alloys, LLC (CCMA) is a leading producer and supplier of high-grade ferrosilicon alloys, elements essential in the manufacturing of iron and steel. CCMA's 400,000 square foot, ISO 9001 certified facility utilizes three submerged arc electric furnaces, which operate around-the-clock, to produce over 100,000 metric tons of various types of ferrosilicons. The company offers over 35 competitively priced products including 18 different ferrosilicons and more than 20 different magnesium ferrosilicon inoculants, which are crushed and sized on-site to meet its clients' exact specifications. Through its trading partner, Felman Trading Americas, Inc. ("FTA"), CCMA has long supplied a significant portion of the demand needs for ferrosilicon in the United States, as well as in other countries in North, Central and South Americas. For more information, please visit: http://www.ccmetals.com/ SOURCE CC Metals and Alloys, LLC Related Links http://www.ccmetals.com NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Russian-American cellist Nina Kotova released her second album with Warner Classics on September 10, 2021. Kotova is joined by the brilliant Brazilian-born pianist Jose Feghali, a laureate of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, who died tragically in 2014 at the age of 53. Nina Kotova Nina Kotova and Jose Feghali The album features traditional Romantic works for cello by close friends Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann, and fellow German composer Max Reger, in a program that spans 65 years of musical history. Inspired by Pablo Casals' advocacy and dedication to honoring Bach's suites for solo cello, Reger composed his Suite no. 2 in 1914 in response to the quintessential works by Bach. In addition to and alongside the release of the Album, Nina Kotova has collaborated with the legendary actor Robert Redford, multimedia environmental artist Sibylle Szaggars Redford and film and videography editor Thomas McBee to create and release a multimedia NFT (non-fungible tokens) shortly after the release of the audio album. This rare one of one NFT comprises a solo cello track of the music of Max Reger from Nina Kotova's album alongside videography by Sibylle Szaggars and Thomas McBee accompanied by Robert Redford's narration. This NFT based upon Nina Kotova's release is a ground-breaking effort to introduce crypto native art into the rarified world of classical music. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds that have been raised from the ultimate sale of the NFT will be contributed to The Way of the Rain Inc., a non-profit organization founded by Sibylle Szaggars Redford that promotes public awareness and support for the protection of the Earth through the arts and performance. Listen here: https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/brahms-reger-schumann About Nina Kotova: http://www.ninakotova.com For more information, contact: Jaime Morton Artspromo 413-259-1227 [email protected] SOURCE Nina Kotova Related Links http://www.ninakotova.com CHANDLER, Ariz, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chandler Innovations, the city's business incubation and entrepreneurial development program, is proud to celebrate one of its company's scaling successes. Skynetwest, a UAS (unmanned aerial systems) service provider based in Chandler, Arizona, recently announced a merger with Soaring Eagle Imaging, a UAS company in Brandon, Mississippi. The merger created the new entity, Soaring Eagle Technologies, and has expanded the reach and bandwidth for the organization. Noah Ruiz, the former CEO of Skynetwest, now Director of Operations for the west coast for Soaring Eagle Technologies, is a Chandler native and proud veteran. Ruiz is pleased with the merger and committed to continued company growth while keeping roots in Chandler. "Chandler is my home and where I started the company," said Ruiz. "Chandler Innovations provided me with the tools and knowledge I needed to get to this point of growth faster and to scale the business strategically." The technology services offered by the company use drones for infrastructure inspection, mapping, and data collection. Earlier this year, Skynetwest was awarded a waiver and permission by the FAA to conduct BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations. This designation provides the company the ability to extend its scope. Diana White, CEO of Chandler Innovations, couldn't be happier for the team. "I have watched Noah take his company from a small operation to the national organization it is today," said White. "This is just one of many success stories we see with our founders at Chandler Innovations. Chandler is a City of Innovation. Our job is to support founders and provide the resources they require to become scalable companies. Noah and his team exemplify this." Read more in the company Press Release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/soaring-eagle-imaging-and-skynetwest-unite-to-launch-soaring-eagle-technologies-301381021.html?tc=eml_cleartime Chandler Innovations Incubator accepts applications year-round, with classes starting every few months. Visit https://www.innovationsincubator.com/apply-now.html to learn more and apply to the program. For more information about Chandler Innovations, visit innovationsincubator.com. For more information about Soaring Eagle Technologies, visit https://soaringeagle.com/ About Chandler Innovations: Chandler Innovations is a business incubation program for tech-focused businesses. The program is sponsored by the City of Chandler and powered by Moonshot at NACET. Chandler Innovations offers programs for entrepreneurs and founders throughout the year. It also provides entrepreneurship mentoring and community events. Contact: Diana White CEO, Chandler Innovations [email protected] SOURCE Chandler Innovations Incubator Related Links https://www.innovationsincubator.com/ SINGAPORE, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZKBox, the ZK-Rollups-based layer 2 NFT protocol backed by L2 Labs, today rolls out its white paper and official website, committed to providing real-time NFT minting, trading, deposit and withdrawal services free of charge. Why creating ZKBox? With Non-Fungible-Tokens (NFTs) booming and NFT marketplaces exploding, the total trading volume of NFTs have surged to new highs, with $2.5 billion in sales in the first half of 2021, an overwhelming spike from just $13.7 million in the first half of 2020. The daily trading volume on OpenSea alone peaked at $322.9 million on August 29, according to Dune Analytics data. Behind such prosperity, high barriers remain in the NFT sphere that cannot be ignored. As described in the ZKBox white paper, the considerable cost in buying NFTs and paying commissions and Ethereum gas fees have turned many crypto users off. Additionally, an NFT buyer often has to wait for a long time before the transaction is confirmed on Ethereum due to low TPS and severe congestions while risking a transaction failure. Almost all users of popular NFT marketplaces, such as OpenSea, Nifty Gateway, FTX, Mintable, etc., are faced with these obstacles as long as they are buying and selling NFTs on the Ethereum network. Nevertheless, if shifted to the layer 2 network, the minting, issuance and circulation of NFTs can be much faster and simpler with a better user experience. That is exactly what ZKBox can do. Three reasons to use ZKBox As ZKBox unveils its official website, the layer 2 protocol announces three major advantages no Gas fees, highly efficient, and ultra-secure. For one thing, ZKBox users can mint, trade, or transfer NFTs on the Layer 2 network with zero Gas fees. For another, users can deposit or withdraw NFTs between Ethereum Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks within seconds using ZKBox. To ensure the same level of security as Ethereum, ZKBox allows users to keep private keys by themselves and leverages the layer 2 scaling solution, ZK-Rollups, to guarantee the state consistency of Ethereum layer 1 and layer 2 with zero-knowledge proofs. "While eliminating block confirmation time, ZKBox can process up to thousands of transactions per second theoretically," according to the White Paper. Summary Looking ahead, ZKBox aims to improve its layer 2 network performance continuously, support more types of NFTs, and bring its solution to all NFT marketplaces to contribute to a paradigm revolution in the blockchain world. About ZKBox Through its Layer2 NFT protocol based on ZK-Rollup technology, ZKBox enables influencers, artists, celebrities, widely recognized brands, creators and ordinary users to create, transfer, trade NFTs on the Layer2. ZKBox supports NFT transactions between Layer1 and Layer2 networks and supports ERC-721 standards, which are crucial in establishing a framework for NFT transactions and improving asset liquidity. SOURCE ZKBox "Through hands-on science experiments, the DNALC NYC will increase science literacy and help youth in this country's largest and most diverse city understand how DNA and genetics play a critical role in their health and life decisions," said CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman. CSHL is the largest provider of biotechnology instruction at the precollege level in the U.S., engaging more than eight million students across the globe in hands-on experiments with DNA. CSHL's first New York City-based DNALC program, called the Harlem DNA Lab, was opened in 2007 in partnership with the NYC Department of Education. "CUNY is proud to welcome Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Center to the New York City College of Technology, where it will provide an invaluable new source of hands-on STEM education for thousands of New York City students, many of whom come from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences," said CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez. "In addition to providing top-notch educational experiences and to inspiring young minds, the DNA Learning Center will expose pre-college learners to CUNY and to the resources and inclusive opportunities that can help them pursue and achieve their educational goals." The DNALC NYC is the newest and largest of thirteen CSHL DNA Learning Center teaching facilities in the U.S. Equipped to welcome students, teachers, and families from all five boroughs, the facility at City Tech has six teaching lab classrooms, two computer labs, a cafeteria, and a public exhibition space. Students from 5th12th grade will benefit from school field trips, after-school and weekend labs, and summer camps. Scholarships are available for students from underrepresented communities, making their DNALC NYC experiences tuition-free. A dozen City Tech classes, in areas such as genetics, anatomy and physiology, and molecular and cell biology, will be taught in the new, specialized labs once full in-person instruction is possible. Two of the DNALC NYC lab classrooms are dedicated to college-level research courses specially-designed for City Tech students. "I am thrilled to welcome Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Center to Brooklyn," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. "This state-of-the-art facility will be a hub for hands-on STEM laboratory education for all New York City students, and a destination for families to learn about genetics, genealogy, and more. With grants allocated for initial outfitting and an exhibit, the Brooklyn Borough is proud to be a major supporter of this flagship Center and we look forward to a prolific partnership." "For over thirty years, the DNALC has worked with students and teachers to develop unique curiosity-driven, hands-on lab experiences that bring science into a student's life," said David Micklos, founder and executive director of the CSHL DNALC. "We invite every student in New York City to come to the DNALC NYC and analyze their own DNA." "City Tech is privileged to have partnered with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on the development and operation of a flagship DNA Learning Center," said Russell K. Hotzler, president of City Tech. "The Center will serve New York City schools and become the go-to place in New York City for the public to explore and understand DNA science, the genetic heritage shared among all people, and its impact on human health and society. Such understanding could not be more relevant to the current challenges presented by COVID, and to those yet to come. The Center's activities also complement City Tech's focus on promoting STEM education across a diverse student body and scaling up discovery-based undergraduate research." Nearly $30 million was raised by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to establish DNALC NYC at City Tech. Generous donations include founding contributor Laurie Landeau Foundation and major contributors Achelis and Bodman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, Carson Family Charitable Trust, Ellen and Casey Cogut, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Jerome Levy Foundation, Terry and Bob Lindsay, The Perkin Fund, Pfizer Foundation, Alison Holtzschue and Doug Schloss, Simons Foundation International, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Danielle and Paul Taubman, Thompson Family Foundation, and Anne Wojcicki Foundation. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program annually hosts more than 12,000 scientists. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and the DNA Learning Center with programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu About DNA Learning Center Established in 1988, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is the largest provider of biotechnology instruction at the precollege level in the United States. DNALC operates 13 teaching laboratories in Cold Spring Harbor, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Sleepy Hollow. Each year 30,000 precollege students conduct hands-on experiments at a DNALC or receive intensive lab instruction from DNALC staff at their schools. More than 23,000 middle- and high-school students have attended our week-long summer camps Eight licensed centers operate in the U.S., Singapore, Austria, China, Nigeria and Mexico. Renowned for devising means for young people, teachers, and parents to conduct sophisticated experiments with DNA, the DNALC also has a robust presence on the Internet, powered by a team of multimedia innovators. About CUNY The City University of New York is the nation's largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation's first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City's five boroughs, serving over 260,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY's mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University's graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city's economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city's workforce in every sector. CUNY's graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur "Genius" Grants. The University's historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. About City Tech City Tech is the largest public college of technology in the northeast. More than half of the teaching space at the college is specialized labs, where students work side-by-side with faculty, many of whom had successful careers outside of academia before they began teaching. City Tech has more students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines than any other college in New York City. This is reflected in graduates annually earning starting and mid-career salaries among the highest in the U.S. At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and at the center of major transportation hubs, City Tech is a resource for all of New York. SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Related Links http://www.cshl.edu The 10th anniversary of the awards, which can be found in the October 2021 issue of Fast Company , recognize people, teams, and companies that transform businesses, organizations, and society through design. One of the most sought-after design awards in the industry, Innovation by Design, is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation, recognizing the people, companies, and trends that have steadily advanced design to the forefront of the business conversation. Obstetric MR is a next-generation mixed reality training solution designed to help learners bridge the gap between theory and practice faster than ever before. Comprised of a Microsoft HoloLens 2 preloaded with proprietary software for the VICTORIA S2200 maternal and neonatal patient care simulator, Obstetric MR provides an unparalleled training tool for medical schools, nursing schools, and hospitals worldwide. This new mixed reality system uses advanced holographic imaging technology that allows the wearer to see inside VICTORIA and observe the dynamic physiology and anatomy underlying child birth deliveries. Obstetric MR brings digital learning content into the physical simulation exercise, allowing participants to link knowledge and skill through an entirely new hands-on learning experience. "We are proud to be recognized by Fast Company for the thoughtful and innovative approach that our team put into the design of Obstetric MR which is used to prepare the next generation of healthcare practitioners," said John Eggert, Gaumard's Executive Vice President. "At Gaumard, we are passionate about our mission to develop and design technology that meets the needs of the medical community it supports." James Archetto, Gaumard's Vice President, U.S. Direct Sales, added, "Gaumard has harnessed mixed reality technology to bring healthcare education to a new level bridging the physical and digital world. Obstetric MR technology synchronizes precisely anatomically detailed holograms with the physical world to enable learners to interact with mother and baby in an extensive range of birthing scenarios that learners may never encounter until clinical practice, providing an unparalleled learning experience." "Design is not just a beauty contest," said Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "It's something that can change the world and create solutions in a time when we face pressing global issues such as systemic racism, climate change, and a global pandemic. Many of these entries showcase these challenges while providing hope for the future through their steadfast commitment to elevate design." The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company's own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact. Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 28, 2021. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/2021 About Gaumard Scientific Gaumard Scientific is recognized by health care educators and students worldwide for its commitment to innovation with the development of the most advanced patient simulation technology. Gaumard designs and manufactures simulators at its global headquarters in Miami and markets them directly in the U.S. as well as through distributors in 70 countries. Gaumard's customer base includes militaries, emergency medical services, major teaching hospitals and nursing schools. Gaumard's product launch timeline reflects the company's unwavering commitment to innovation. In 2000, Gaumard launched the revolutionary family of NOELLE maternal and neonatal care simulators that changed the way training is conducted. In 2004, Gaumard pioneered the use of fully tetherless technology with the introduction of the family of HAL simulators. In 2014, the company introduced VICTORIA, its most advanced maternal and neonatal care simulator as part of the NOELLE family. In 2017, Gaumard introduced Super Tory, the first newborn simulator developed to meet the challenges of neonatal care specialists training in real environments. Pediatric HAL, the world's most advanced pediatric patient simulator and the first capable of simulating lifelike emotions through dynamic facial expressions, movement and speech was launched in 2018. For company and product information visit www.gaumard.com. Follow Gaumard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GaumardInFocus ; on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gaumardsimulators ; on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/gaumard-scientific ; and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/gaumardmedsimulators . About Fast Company Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com. Company Contacts: International Sales: Peter Eggert Senior Vice President, Vice President International Operations (800) 882-6655 [email protected] U.S. Direct Sales: James Archetto Vice President, U.S. Direct Sales (800) 882-6655 (305) 484-3309 Mobile [email protected] Media Contacts: Russo Partners: David Schull (212) 845-4271 (858) 717-2310 Mobile [email protected] SOURCE Gaumard Scientific Related Links https://www.gaumard.com DUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market by Application (Jammers, Missile Defence, Counter Countermeasure), Platform (Military Aircraft, Military Helicopters, Unmanned Systems), Product, and Region - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 11.6 billion in 2021 to USD 14.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.2% in terms of value during the forecasted period. The major growth drivers for this market include rising global concerns, increasing technologies supporting avionics to integrate the countermeasure systems in aircraft and focus on increasing the fleet size. The military aircraft segment of the market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2021 to 2026 The growth in the Airborne Countermeasure Systems market is expected to drive the growth of the three platforms proportionately. The requirement of military aircraft in battlefield for surveillance and threat detection capabilities, is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Based on product, the Self-Protection EW Suite segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on operations, Self-Protection EW Suite segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The requirement of electronic suites helps in protecting the aircraft by shielding and reducing human loss and increasing capabilities, and investments in R&D towards these systems are helping the growth of market for Airborne Countermeasure Systems. Based on application, the Counter Countermeasure Systems equipment segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Growing demand for counter countermeasure systems due to their high demand for antijamming and deception techniques in countermeasure applications are projected to increase the growth of the Airborne Countermeasure Systems market. The North America region is estimated to account for the largest share of the Airborne Countermeasure Systems market in 2021 The North American region is estimated to lead the Airborne Countermeasure Systems market in the forecast period. The growth of the North America Airborne Countermeasure Systems market is primarily driven by increasing focus on increasing investments in Airborne Countermeasure Systems technologies by countries in this region. In addition, factors including increasing geopolitical tensions and increased defense-related expenditure are expected to drive the demand for Airborne Countermeasure Systems market in the region. Well-established and prominent manufacturers of Airborne Countermeasure Systems systems in this region include Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (US), and Raytheon Technologies Corporation (US). Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increased Acquisition of Unmanned Systems Because of Rising Transnational and Regional Insecurity 5.2.1.2 Upgrading Existing Fighter Jets and Procurement of Advanced Fighter and Transport Aircraft 5.2.1.3 Increasing Need for Missile Detection Systems 5.2.1.4 Increasing Demand for Military Helicopters 5.2.1.5 Electronic Warfare Capabilities Deployed on Unmanned Systems 5.2.1.6 Growing Popularity of Modern Warfare Methods 5.2.1.7 Technological Advancements in Airborne Warfare Systems 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Concerns Over Possibility of Errors in Complex Combat Situations 5.2.2.2 Regulatory Constraints in Transfer of Technology 5.2.2.3 Lack of Accuracy and Operational Complexities in Airborne Countermeasure 5.2.2.4 Lack of Standards and Protocols for Use of AI in Military Applications 5.2.2.5 Lack of Infrastructure for Advanced Communication Technologies 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Enhanced System Reliability and Efficiency of TWT-based Solutions 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 High Cost of Deployment 5.2.4.2 Inability to Address Multiple/Diverse Threats 5.2.4.3 Sensitive Nature of Military Data 5.2.4.4 Minimizing Weight and Size of Devices while Maintaining Advanced Features 5.2.4.5 Complexity in Designs 5.3 Ranges and Scenarios 5.4 Impact of COVID-19 on Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market 5.5 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer's Business 5.5.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets for Airborne Countermeasure Systems Manufacturers 5.6 Average Selling Price Analysis, 2020 5.7 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market Ecosystem 5.7.1 Prominent Companies 5.7.2 Private and Small Enterprises 5.7.3 End-users 5.8 Technology Analysis 5.8.1 Dual Color Missile Approach Warning System (DCMAWS) for Fighter Aircraft 5.8.2 Next-Generation Jammers (NGJ) 5.8.3 AI Across Battlefield 5.9 Use Case Analysis 5.10 Value Chain Analysis of Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market 5.11 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.12 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 5.13 Trade Analysis 6 Industry Trends 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Technology Trends 6.2.1 Software-Defined Airborne Countermeasure System 6.2.2 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) 6.2.3 Lidar Technology 6.2.4 Adaptive Radar Countermeasures (ARC) Technology 6.2.5 Next-Generation Sensor Systems 6.2.6 Electronic Counter Countermeasure Systems 6.2.6.1 ECM Detection and Radiation Homing Weapons 6.2.6.2 Frequency Hopping Spread-Spectrum (FHSS) 6.2.6.3 Pulse Compression 6.3 Supply Chain Analysis 6.4 Impact of Megatrends 6.4.1 AI and Cognitive Applications 6.4.2 Machine Learning 6.4.3 Deep Learning 6.4.4 Big Data 6.5 Innovations and Patent Registrations 7 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market, by Product 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Jammers 7.2.1 Increasing Use of Jammers in Interfering with Enemy Radiofrequency 7.2.2 Radar Jammers 7.2.2.1 Emission of Radiofrequency Waves and False Waves to Distract Enemies 7.2.2.2 Electronic Jammers 7.2.2.2.1 Increased Adoption of Electronic Warfare Technologies and Integrating with Jamming Systems 7.2.2.2.2 Barrage Jammers 7.2.2.2.3 Sweep Jammers 7.2.2.2.4 Spot Jammers 7.2.2.2.5 Pulse Jammers 7.2.2.2.6 Digital Radiofrequency Memory (DRFM) Jammers 7.2.2.3 Mechanical Jammers 7.2.2.3.1 Protecting the Aircraft from Emerging Missile Threats Through Decoy Systems 7.2.2.3.2 Corner Reflectors 7.2.2.3.3 Decoys 7.2.2.3.3.1 Towed Decoys 7.2.2.3.3.2 Active Decoys 7.2.2.3.3.3 Drone Decoys 7.2.2.3.3.4 Flare Dispensers 7.2.2.3.3.5 Chaff Dispensers 7.2.3 Communication Jammers 7.2.3.1 Use of Electromagnetic Energy in Preventing Radio Communications 7.2.4 Remote-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Jammers 7.2.4.1 Countering Wireless Command IEDs Through Jamming to Protect Civilians and Military Personnel 7.3 Self-Protection EW Suite 7.3.1 Increasing Performance of Electronic Systems Influenced by Electronic Countermeasure Systems 7.4 Infrared Countermeasure Systems 7.4.1 Protection of Aircraft from Heat-Seeking Ground to Air Missiles 7.4.2 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) 7.4.2.1 Increasing Adoption of Optronic Countermeasure 7.4.3 Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) 7.4.3.1 Employing Both Threat Tracking and Defensive Measure Capabilities Against Missiles 7.5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Systems 7.5.1 Preventing Military Friendly Fire Incidents and Aiding in Detecting Potential Adversary Incursions 7.6 Missile Approach Warning Systems (MWS) 7.6.1 Adoption of Advanced Electronics Aiding in Threat Detection and Tracking Capabilities 7.6.2 IR Missile Warning Systems 7.6.2.1 Increasing Use of IR Sensors in Missile Warning Systems 7.6.3 Pulse-Doppler Missile Warning Systems 7.6.3.1 Identification of Approaching Missiles 7.6.4 Ultraviolet Missile Warning Systems 7.6.4.1 High Probability of Warning in High Clutter Background Environments. 7.7 Laser Warning Systems (LWS) 7.7.1 Detection of Threats Against Laser-Guided Missiles 7.8 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) 7.8.1 Alerting Pilots Regarding Hostile Radar Activity 7.9 Electronic Counter Countermeasure Systems 7.9.1 Adoption of Anti-Jamming Techniques to Counter the Countermeasures 8 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market, by Platform 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Military Aircraft 8.2.1 Fighter Aircraft 8.2.1.1 Fighter Aircraft Use Various Countermeasure Systems Like Radar to Navigate, Acquire Targets, and Engage Them 8.2.2 Transport Aircraft 8.2.2.1 Transport Aircraft are Fitted with Modern Countermeasure Systems to Enhance Situational Awareness 8.2.3 Trainer Aircraft 8.2.3.1 Trainer Aircraft are Fitted with Missile Warning Systems to Offer Student Pilots Hands-On Experience 8.2.4 Special Mission Aircraft 8.2.4.1 Increasing Need to Detect Cross-Border Infiltrations to Drive Demand 8.3 Military Helicopters 8.3.1 Military Helicopters Locate and Track Friendly & Enemy Forces by Carrying Out Air-To-Air & Air-To-Ground Surveillance 8.4 Unmanned Systems 8.4.1 Small UAVs 8.4.1.1 Small UAVs Offer Anti-Jamming Capabilities in Areas That May be Hardly Approachable by Humans 8.4.2 Tactical UAVs 8.4.2.1 Technological Advancements in Unmanned Battlefield Surveillance Systems to Drive Demand 8.4.3 Strategic UAVs 8.4.3.1 Strategic UAVs are Versatile as They Offer Mine Detection and Combat Capabilities 8.4.3.2 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs 8.4.3.3 High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAVs 8.4.4 Special Purpose UAVs 8.4.4.1 Special Purpose UAVs Perform Multiple Missions Like Reconnaissance, Operations, and Battle Damage Assessment 8.4.5 Aerostats 8.4.5.1 Need for Surveillance to Monitor Border Disputes and Drug Trafficking to Drive Demand 9 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market, by Application 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Jamming 9.2.1 Increased Adoption of Jammers in Confounding Enemy Radar and Communication Systems 9.3 Missile Defense 9.3.1 Threat Detection Against Missile Systems 9.4 Counter Countermeasure 9.4.1 Eliminating Effects of Electronic Countermeasures 10 Regional Analysis 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Ranking Analysis of Key Market Players, 2020 11.3 Market Share Analysis 11.4 Company Evaluation Quadrant 11.4.1 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market Competitive Leadership Mapping 11.4.1.1 Star 11.4.1.2 Pervasive 11.4.1.3 Emerging Leader 11.4.1.4 Participant 11.4.2 Airborne Countermeasure Systems Market Competitive Leadership Mapping (SME) 11.4.2.1 Progressive Companies 11.4.2.2 Responsive Companies 11.4.2.3 Starting Blocks 11.4.2.4 Dynamic Companies 11.4.2.5 Competitive Benchmarking 11.5 Competitive Scenario and Trends 11.5.1 Product Launches 11.5.2 Deals 12 Company Profiles 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Key Profiles 12.2.1 L3Harris Technologies, Inc. 12.2.2 Raytheon Technologies Corporation 12.2.3 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) 12.2.4 Lockheed Martin Corporation 12.2.5 BAE Systems PLC 12.2.6 Northrop Grumman Corporation 12.2.8 Cobham PLC 12.2.9 Leonardo S.p.A. 12.2.10 Elbit Systems Ltd. 12.2.11 Thales Group 12.2.12 Rheinmetall AG 12.2.13 Aselsan A.S. 12.2.14 Flir Systems 12.2.15 Teledyne Technologies International Corp. 12.2.16 Hensoldt AG 12.2.17 Indra Sistemas SA 12.2.18 Safran 12.3 Other Players 12.3.1 Collins Aerospace 12.3.2 Cohort PLC 12.3.3 Curtiss-Wright Corporation 12.3.4 Terma AA 12.3.5 MAG Aerospace 12.3.6 Lacroix SA 12.3.7 Chemring Countermeasures 13 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x3f5sg Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass continues to support the music community during the Covid-19 pandemic with a new philanthropic effort aimed at immediate relief needs and more equitable recovery. Today, the world-renowned roots music festival reveals plans for a total of one million dollars in new grants shared between Sweet Relief Musicians Fund , East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative's Esther's Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project and the Tenderloin Museum 's "Sounds of the Tenderloin" project. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, HSB has prioritized supporting the local and national music community in this time of unprecedented need. Over the past two years, grants have totaled $4.1 million, including $550,000 raised from more than 3,000 generous donors during the broadcast of last year's joyful, quarantine-produced film " Let The Music Play On " . "It's clear that COVID-19, and the current spread of the Delta variant, continue to deeply affect our music communities, and that new support is needed," says Frances Hellman, one of the directors of the Hellman Foundation , which funds and oversees Hardly Strictly Bluegrass as part of the legacy of founder Warren Hellman. "We hope that these grants will not only provide some economic relief to the artists and workers who make live music possible, but also help to lift up some of the most highly-impacted neighborhoods as we begin to recover from this historically challenging period." The new grants respond to the current needs of the music community at this point in the pandemic: direct funding for vulnerable community members via Sweet Relief Musicians Fund; and forward-looking support for new projects promoting a more equitable recovery in the underserved, culturally-rich Bay Area neighborhoods of West Oakland and the Tenderloin. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass' support will allow Sweet Relief to provide hundreds of new grants of up to $1,000 to musicians and workers. This year, grants will honor HSB's long connection to the San Francisco Bay Area and New Orleans, which are both focal points of this year's festival and centers of roots music. Eligible SF/Bay Area counties are: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin; eligible New Orleans parishes are: Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, and St. Tammany. Sweet Relief 's COVID-19 Fund is open and will accept applicants on a rolling basis; however, due to expected demand, applications are recommended by October 31, 2021. Says Aric Steinberg of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, "Our music community is still in crisis. Artists, crews and all of the talented individuals who work in the live music industry are still fighting for their financial lives. The Delta variant has been another devastating blow, and the community is in desperate need of immediate financial assistance. With the support of partners like HSB, we are able to provide emergency financial assistance to artists and crews during this unprecedented emergency. Grants are used to pay for vital living expenses such as medical bills, rent, food and clothing." East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative's Esther's Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project is a neighborhood-led effort to restore a historic West Oakland jazz and blues venue, closed for years, and establish a new community-centered home for music and art with a performance venue, cafe, and artist housing. Small outdoor gatherings are planned for this fall. Noni Sessions of East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative says, "The Esther's Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project is a project that brings transformationalmost a transmutationof a decades-long deserted building into a generational asset. Esther's will once again be the living legacy of the history and culture of West Oakland. Support from organizations like Hardly Strictly Bluegrass guarantees our future by investing in our present." The Tenderloin Museum's "Sounds Of The Tenderloin" project seeks to uplift and celebrate San Francisco's historic nightlife district, once home to a thriving jazz and swing scene before becoming world famous as a major cultural center for the hippy, folk and rock explosion of the 60s and 70s. "Sounds of The Tenderloin" is designed to bring this unique neighborhood's diverse and often underinvested community together with music fans from the wider Bay Area through several months of live performances, beginning this fall with Covid-safe, small-scale live music shows at outdoor and indoor venues throughout the neighborhood. This program will celebrate the Tenderloin's rich legacy of jazz, blues, and rock music, support the recovery of the city's live music scene, and bring the joy of music back to the local community in an accessible way. "With the support of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, we will be able to bring accessible, live music programming rooted in the Tenderloin's undersung cultural history to one of SF's lowest-income communities, which has endured the many devastating effects of the pandemic with amplified intensity," says Alex Spoto of The Tenderloin Museum . "Through Sounds of the Tenderloin, we will create experiences that will foster strength, resilience, and connection in the heart of San Francisco." Last year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass relief was focused on Bay Area venues that had been shut down by shelter-in-place, had no government aid in sight at that time, and needed an immediate and urgent lifeline. Support was given to Ashkenaz, Bottom of the Hill, El Rio, Eli's Mile High Club, Geoffrey's Inner Circle, La Pena, Mystic Theatre, Felton Music Hall, Red Poppy Art House, The Back Room, The Chapel, The Ivy Room, The Lost Church, The Monkey House, and The Starry Plough, as well as national and regional direct funding to the artists themselves. With this latest effort, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass seeks to recognize, appreciate and care for the people who lend their creativity, heart and hard work to the American roots music community in the Bay Area, New Orleans and beyond. Following their decision to move this year's festival from its usual home in Golden Gate Park, and create a pandemic-safe alternative for their artists and audience, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass dedicated themselves to producing something sensational, in keeping with their tradition of providing music fans with an entirely free, world-class festival. Beginning Friday October 1st at 1pm Pacific, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass' 21st annual festival will broadcast 15 live and 12 pre-recorded performances over three days via HSB's website , Facebook , YouTube . The formidable line up includes Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Mavis Staples, Cedric Watson, Dom Flemons, Terence Blanchard, Valerie June, Las Cafeteras and more. Tune in live to watch the festival: Friday October 1st, Saturday October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd from 4:00pm EST/ 3:00pm Central/ 1:00pm Pacific. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Facebook , YouTube About Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Over the last two decades, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has grown from a one-day local attraction to a world-renowned three-day festival that attracts more than half a million people - a one of a kind, annual, free music festival spanning multiple stages across the bucolic Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The event features an array of eclectic bands each year - from roots and Americana, to funk, rock, soul and more. The festival prides itself on being able to delight concertgoers with new and unexpected acts every year alongside annual favorites such as Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle. The Hellman Foundation, directed by the four children of festival founders Warren and Chris Hellman, oversees the festival. It was the wish of Warren Hellman, and his family, to make a gift to the people of San Francisco - and the world - of a free annual music festival that features and celebrates American "roots" music, and its many outgrowths, and in doing so fosters joy, creativity, freedom, peace, collaboration, love of music, mutual respect, and spiritual community. In 2019 the Festival hosted over 80 bands on 6 stages. In 2020 its impressive livestreamed event broadened its reach to an international audience and garnered over a million views. 2021's global livestream and launch of HSBTV, available to Apple TV and Roku users around the globe, promises to expand the festival's audience exponentially; a new era for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and an exciting gift for roots music fans internationally. About EB PREC & Esther's East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) is a trailblazing land and housing organization that facilitates BIPOC and allied communities to organize, purchase, and steward land and housing on their own terms. Their model brings deep community engagement squarely into the process of property acquisition, development, and business feasibility. Their community activation work provides the organizational, financial, and technical inputs that increase communities' ability to self-organize around housing solutions. EB PREC is grounding a landscape-shifting Black Arts Community enterprise into the rapidly changing landscape of historic West Oakland, California. The Esther's Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project is their third community owned real estate acquisition project since their launch in 2018. They seek to anchor the revival of West Oakland's historic 7th Street landscape through their $4.8 million community-led property acquisition and development project that serves as the first phase of EB PREC's 7th Street Cooperative Cultural Corridor Revitalization Plan. About The Tenderloin Museum The Tenderloin Museum's mission is to promote the history and character of the Tenderloin neighborhood by offering educational, artistic, and charitable activities that support the neighborhood's current vibrancy, future potential, and enhanced economic development. The Tenderloin neighborhood is one of the most misunderstood and maligned in San Francisco, with a rich, complex history that remains undiscovered by most residents. At the same time, the Tenderloin is one of the few affordable places left in the city, home to one of its highest populations of low and moderate-income people and a diverse "melting pot" of people from around the world. After many years of planning and community input, the Tenderloin Museum opened its doors to the public in 2015 and was received with open arms by the community- over 2,500 people visited the museum in its opening months, including 40 school groups, and weekly public programs have been frequently sold out. The museum also hosts more than 100 walking tours each year led by neighborhood residents. The quality of our offerings has been recognized both internationally, as one of the Ten Best New Museums in the World by The Guardian, and locally, by the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, SF Weekly, SFist and others. Media Contact: Chloe Walsh [email protected] SOURCE Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Related Links https://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/ Health Management Associates acquires Wakely Consulting Group, premier source for healthcare actuarial consulting. Tweet this "Wakely is widely recognized for its exceptional healthcare actuarial expertise, providing clients with pivotal insights and tools to better understand their business and the environment in which they operate. Such services are a critical component for any organization's sustained success," Rosen said. "I am excited to welcome such talented and accomplished professionals to the HMA team as we continue to expand upon the ways we can help our clients thrive." Once the actuarial component of a broader Wakely organization, Wakely Consulting Group was founded in 1999 and currently has six offices across the country. In 2017, Wakely Consulting Group earned its certification as a Women's Business Enterprise. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with the HMA team. It's clear that HMA attracts the top experts in the country and that they have built a preeminent consulting firm. I'm confident the combined companies will create more opportunities for our actuaries and consultants, which have been key to Wakely's success up to this point," said Julia Lambert, Wakely president. "Over the years, Wakely consultants have worked closely with HMA in navigating the evolving healthcare landscape. I look forward to the new solutions, expanded services and deeper expertise that the combined companies will be able to deliver to our clients and the industry." Wakely will continue to operate as Wakely Consulting Group, an HMA Company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1985, HMA is an independent, national research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation. Clients include government, public and private providers, health systems, health plans, community-based organizations, institutional investors, foundations, and associations. With more than 20 offices and over 300 multidisciplinary consultants coast to coast, HMA's expertise, services, and team are always within client reach. HMA: https://www.healthmanagement.com/ Wakely Consulting Group: https://www.wakely.com/ SOURCE Health Management Associates Related Links http://www.healthmanagement.com SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelivation Technologies, a medical device company with a growing product portfolio announced today that they are officially launching the Advantage-C PEEK Interbody Fusion Device during the 36th Annual NASS Meeting in Boston September 29-October 2, 2021. The Advantage-C device is designed to be used in skeletally mature patients in levels C2-T1 in conjunction with fixation for ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) procedures. Advantage-C was developed to optimize fusion, while maintaining elasticity that is similar to bone and radiolucency of the cage body. President Amit Sinha stated, "We are looking forward to a successful launch of Advantage-C and the myriad of efficiencies this device will bring to both surgeons and hospital systems. Advantage-C is the basis for our rapidly growing interbody platform that will see continued innovation and product releases over the next year." CEO Rob Anderson added, "Our growing line of interbody devices further drives home our commitment to bring cost-effective spinal solutions that consistently provide superior clinical results to the market. On behalf of the executive team, I am very impressed how quickly our R&D team worked to bring this device to market." About Intelivation Technologies Intelivation Technologies, dedicated to research and development, is focused on bringing game-changing products to market that make patients' lives better. For further inquiries, interested parties may email [email protected]. SOURCE Intelivation Technologies CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT), a global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food and beverage industry, announced today the promotion of Robert "Bob" Petrie effective October 7th to the position of Executive Vice President and President, Protein. He succeeds Paul Sternlieb, who provided notice of his resignation from JBT in connection with his acceptance of the Chief Executive Officer position at an industrial public company, that is not competitive to JBT. Since 2016, Bob has led JBT's Protein EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) business, and at the start of this year assumed additional responsibility for JBT's Protein business in Asia. He joined the Company in 2009 when Double D Food Engineering Ltd, where he was Managing Director and a shareholder, was acquired by JBT. During his tenure, he has progressed through several engineering and commercial leadership roles with increasingly complex responsibilities, earning an outstanding reputation among employees and customers. Before joining Double D, Bob held various engineering, quality, and operational positions at NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR). He holds a BSc in Engineering and Manufacturing and a post-graduate degree in Business Studies from Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland. "Bob's exceptional leadership and business acumen, combined with his technical engineering expertise, make him a valuable addition to the executive team," said Brian Deck, JBT's President and Chief Executive Officer. "On behalf of the entire JBT organization, I would like to thank Paul and wish him much success in his new position," continued Deck. "During his four-year tenure as President, Protein, Paul was instrumental in the completion of four successful acquisitions and delivered impressive growth and margin expansion for the business." Paul has agreed to continue in his current role until October 7th to provide a smooth transition. JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food & beverage industry with focus on proteins, diversified foods and automated system solutions. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for multi-national and regional customers through its FoodTech segment. JBT also sells critical equipment and services to domestic and international air transportation customers through its AeroTech segment. JBT Corporation employs approximately 6,200 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing and sourcing operations in more than 25 countries. For more information, please visit www.jbtc.com. Investors & Media: Kedric Meredith +1 312 861 6034 SOURCE JBT Corporation Related Links http://www.jbtc.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer patient advocates, researchers and pharmaceutical industry partners will be joining forces for the inaugural KRAS Kickers Connect conference held here this weekend. The event, an in-person and virtual hybrid featuring world renowned scientists and patient advocate leaders, will be held Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel in Charlotte. "Until very recently," says Terri Conneran, KRAS Kickers Founder and Charlotte lung cancer patient/survivor, "the prognosis was dismal for cancer patients with the KRAS biomarker. For four decades, KRAS was considered 'undruggable.' Now, though, because of promising clinical trials and new therapeutics, we are celebrating the Pipeline of Hope for KRAS cancer patients with recent FDA approval of the first targeted therapy and more on the horizon." The event was made possible by leading pharmaceutical companies committed to improving the prognosis for people with the KRAS biomarker facing a cancer diagnosis, including Platinum Sponsors Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim and Mirati Therapeutics. The KRAS biomarker, or gene mutation, is the most common cancer biomarker, accounting for one-third of all cancers. It is the most identified mutation in the deadliest of cancers: lung, colorectal, pancreatic and others. Conneran founded KRAS Kickers to connect people to current research, resources, and community with a knowledgeable KRAS network of information and support. In addition to patient advocates, other distinguished speakers include the following: Jessica Buscho , a Stage IV colon cancer patient/survivor, who keeps informed about progress in cancer treatment and clinical trials. Learning about scientific advancements encouraged her to enter a clinical trial and advocate for increasing patient access. , a Stage IV colon cancer patient/survivor, who keeps informed about progress in cancer treatment and clinical trials. Learning about scientific advancements encouraged her to enter a clinical trial and advocate for increasing patient access. Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan , Anheuser Busch Chair in Medical Oncology and Director of Medical Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis , who researches molecular alteration in lung cancer. , Anheuser Busch Chair in Medical Oncology and Director of Medical Oncology at School of Medicine, , who researches molecular alteration in lung cancer. Russell H. Greenfield , M.D., Senior Director of Employee Whole Health for Whole Health Institute, former medical director of Novant Health Integrative Medicine, who develops national models for complementary and alternative therapies. , M.D., Senior Director of Employee Whole Health for Whole Health Institute, former medical director of Novant Health Integrative Medicine, who develops national models for complementary and alternative therapies. Pasi A. Janne, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School , Director of Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana- Farber . , Director of Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana- . Darryl McConnell , Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Research Site Head at Boehringer-Ingelheim Regional Centre Vienna, Austria , who focuses on discovering new therapeutics for cancer. The conference will be livestreamed and recorded for registrants. ABOUT KRAS KICKERS KRAS Kickers members engage with leading doctors, researchers, and advocates to learn about new developments and clinical trials, connect to resources, build community, and share their stories to give hope to others with a common goal to kick cancer's KRAS! KRAS Kickers is a part of the Dusty Joy Foundation (LiveLung), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances education, early detection, and empathy to people impacted by lung cancer and other cancers triggered by specific biomarkers. For more information visit kraskickers.org. PRESS CONTACTS: Terri Conneran, 704.299.0814, [email protected] Dusty Donaldson, 336.302.7714, [email protected] SOURCE KRAS Kickers NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PM360, a leading life sciences marketing industry trade publication, announced the winners of their 13th annual Trailblazer Awards during a virtual event on Thursday, September 23, 2021. The awards recognize outstanding companies, marketers, brand managers, and cutting-edge initiatives within the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics industries. In total, 67 winners were named across eight overall categories: Companies of the Year, Marketer of the Year, Marketing Team of the Year, Vanguard Award, Imagination Award, Lifetime Achievement, Brand Champions, and Initiatives. "When the world was in need of hope as we witnessed the toll of a global pandemic, our industry delivered more than thatit delivered solutions," says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. "This year's winners prove that even when circumstances are at their worst, our industry is capable of achieving extraordinary things. While this certainly includes their work to directly address COVID, the achievements being recognized cover a wide range of therapeutic areas, communication initiatives, and support programs that ensured doctors, patients, and caregivers had what they needed, no matter the obstacles." All of the winners were celebrated at a virtual party that also featured a Best Half-Dressed Contest, a dance party, and the comedic stylings of the night's emcee, Judy Gold, who is an Emmy-award winning actress, comedian, and writer. Each of the winners were judged and selected by the PM360 Editorial Advisory Board, a cross section of experts from across the industry. The judges are asked to evaluate the following criteria for each category: Company of Year (innovation, talent development, and social responsibility); Brand Champions (innovation, leadership, communication, analytical, and organizational skills); Initiatives (content, format, success in reaching targeted audience, and overall quality); Marketer of the Year (the individual who best exemplifies the most insightful, forward-thinking, and transformative marketing ideas, and actions in the industry); Marketing Team (the team who best exemplifies those same qualities); Vanguard Award (an industry pioneer who developed a new service, strategy, product, or technology that had the most impact on the industry); Imagination Award (an industry leader who demonstrated the courage to stand apart from the conventional industry norms by imagining and then realizing a radical idea); and Lifetime Achievement (an industry veteran who has transformed the business through leadership, wide-ranging influence, and original contributions.) This year's Lifetime Achievement Award Winner was Ed Wise, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Health Group. As a creative leader at CDM early in his career, Wise authored many award-winning campaigns for Pfizer brands including Zithromax and Diflucan, and he penned the now-famous Bob Dole "Courage" commercial for the launch of Viagra. Wise later became President and then CEO of the CDM Group, but in 2016 his role expanded significantly as he led the formation of Omnicom Health Group (OHG), the global collective of dedicated healthcare communications companies within Omnicom. OHG has grown into one of the largest healthcare communications groups in the world, serving over 100 life sciences clients through 14 agencies. "For nearly 40 years, Ed has left his mark on our industry through both iconic campaigns and a leadership model that has changed how agencies today operate," says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. "More recently, the formation of OHG fulfilled his vision of an 'independent-minded network, brilliantly connected.' As the leader of one of the largest healthcare communications groups in the world, Ed continues to transform the industry through revolutionary strategies and offerings that provide better ways for clients to connect with all healthcare stakeholders." Some of the other big winners include Moderna as this year's Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company of the Year, while Zimmer Biomet was named the Medical Device/Diagnostics Company of the Year and Novavax took home Specialty Pharma Company of the Year. Additionally, Calcium was named the Advertising Agency of the Year for the third consecutive year and DeepIntent was given the honor of Supplier/Vendor of the Year. PM360 will publish profiles of this year's Trailblazer winners in its October issue and on its website. This year's PM360 Trailblazer winners include: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT Ed Wise, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Health Group IMAGINATION AWARD Dave Guiga, Head of Respiratory & Immunology Portfolio Acceleration, AstraZeneca VANGUARD AWARD Joe George, Director, Marketing Technology COE, AbbVie MARKETER OF THE YEAR Zoe Cohen, Vice President of Product Marketing, Doximity, Inc. MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR SILVER WINNER ORLADEYO Brand Team, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR GOLD WINNER ENSPRYNG Launch Team, Genentech and Agency Partners: Intouch Group, VMLY&R, Heartbeat, and CMI COMPANY OF THE YEAR: PHARMACEUTICAL/BIOTECH Moderna COMPANY OF THE YEAR: MEDICAL DEVICE/DIAGNOSTICS Zimmer Biomet COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SPECIALTY PHARMA/BIOTECH Novavax COMPANY OF THE YEAR: ADVERTISING AGENCY Calcium COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SUPPLIER/VENDOR DeepIntent BRAND CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS Autoimmune: Larry McNally, Associate Director, Immunology Marketing, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Cardiology: Patrick L Sutton, Executive Director, Patient & Specialty Services, Cardio-Renal-Metabolic, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Central Nervous System: Paul Lowman, Director of Marketing, Neurodegeneration/Multiple Sclerosis, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson Dermatology: PJ Cadman, Marketing Lead Dermatology, UCB Pharmaceuticals Diabetes/Metabolic Disorders: Kevin Conway, Director, U.S. Metabolics Marketing, Alexion Pharmaceuticals Diversity/Multicultural: Angela Guh, Senior Marketing Manager, U.S. Oncology, Amgen Gastrointestinal: Noel Moossa, MS, MBA, Associate Director, OCE Paid Media, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Hematology/Oncology: Melanie Nicholson, Executive Director, Immunoncology Global Product Strategy, Global Strategy and Corporate Development, Incyte Corporation Infectious Disease: Megan Shultis, Director, U.S. Consumer Lead, Adult Pneumococcal Vaccine Marketing, Pfizer Innovation: Paul Vega, Associate Director, ENTYVIO, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited USA Managed Markets: AJ Ahuja, Director, Market Access Strategy and Marketing, ViiV Healthcare Medical Device/Diagnostics: Hillary M. Titus, Director of External Communications, BioReference Laboratories, Inc. Men's Health: Rozita Passarella, Vice President, Marketing, Clarus Therapeutics Ophthalmology/Optometry: Mike Goeren, Senior Marketing, Genentech Orthopedics/Musculoskeletal Disorders: Jeff LaConte, Lead, VELYS Robotics & Digital Surgery, Global Strategic Marketing, DePuy Synthes, The Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson Rare Diseases: Christine Kingsbury, Senior Director of Marketing, Recordati Rare Diseases Inc. Respiratory: Adam Boshell, Sr. AD Interstitial Lung Disease Marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim Women's Health: Nicole Yohn, PhD, Associate Director, Marketing, Gilead-Kite Oncology INITIATIVE WINNERS APP/DIGITAL SOLUTION OR SUITE SILVER WINNER VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution (DePuy Synthes, the Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson, Elevate Healthcare, Next/Now) APP/DIGITAL SOLUTION OR SUITE GOLD WINNER Plan B One-Step: "Ask B" Chatbot (Foundation Consumer Healthcare, CultHealth) CONSUMER WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE SILVER WINNER "EVEN THE ODDS" (Amgen, Emcay) CONSUMER WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE GOLD WINNER EYSUVIS, "MYEYSUVIS" (Kala Pharmaceuticals, QBFox Healthcomm) CO-PROMOTE OR PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE SILVER WINNER "Real Chemistry Partners with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to Engage Healthcare Providers and Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence" (The Ad Council, Real Chemistry) CO-PROMOTE OR PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE GOLD WINNER REXULTI Customer Driven Non-Personal Promotion (Otsuka, Lundbeck, The Bloc) DATA/ANALYTICS INITIATIVE SILVER WINNER MG United (argenx, closerlook) DATA/ANALYTICS INITIATIVE GOLD WINNER ACTICS by EVERSANA (EVERSANA) DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER "Storied Eyes" Campaign (Horizon Therapeutics, Area 23, An IPG Health Company) DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER Enbrel (Amgen, Arnold Worldwide) DIRECT-TO-PATIENT CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER Yescarta "More Than Hope" Campaign (Kite Pharmaceuticals, AbelsonTaylor) DIRECT-TO-PATIENT CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER Takeda Hemophilia Starter Kit (Takeda, Snow Companies) HCP EDUCATION SILVER WINNER Elevating the Standard of Cardiovascular Care for Women (Amarin Pharma Inc, Healthcare Consultancy Group) HCP EDUCATION GOLD WINNER U.S. and Global CV Augmented Reality Strategies, Honest Abe, Dr Rose, and Chen (Boehringer Ingelheim, Confideo Labs) INTERACTIVE MARKETING PROGRAM SILVER WINNER Acthar Town (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Patients & Purpose) INTERACTIVE MARKETING PROGRAM GOLD WINNER VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution (DePuy Synthes, the Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson, Elevate Healthcare, Plexus Productions, Brawl Agency, FleishmanHillard) PATIENT/CONSUMER EDUCATION SILVER WINNER aHUS Journey Patient Resource Kit (Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Snow Companies) PATIENT/CONSUMER EDUCATION GOLD WINNER "The Lowdown on Low Blood Sugar" (American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, JPA Health) PERSISTENCE/ADHERENCE PROGRAM SILVER WINNER MyMSTeam Treatment & Adherence Resource Center (EMD Serono, MyHealthTeams) PERSISTENCE/ADHERENCE PROGRAM GOLD WINNER CIMplicity Nurse Support Program (UCB, VMS BioMarketing) POINT OF CARE SILVER WINNER PatientPoint Wait-Time Communication Platform (PatientPoint) POINT OF CARE GOLD WINNER HCP and Patient Multichannel Educational Marketing Program (Insulet, InStep Health) PRODUCT/SERVICE LAUNCH SILVER WINNER "Launching Restylane Kysse During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (Galderma, Real Chemistry) PRODUCT/SERVICE LAUNCH GOLD WINNER TRODELVY, "Trojan Horse" (Gilead-Kite Oncology, Brick City Greenhouse) PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER "Go for Three" (OMNI Surgical System, Schaefer Advertising Co.) PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER "Say Goodbye" (AngioDynamics, Fingerpaint) PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE SILVER WINNER U.S. BREZTRI "Coming Soon" Campaign (AstraZeneca, Real Chemistry) PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE GOLD WINNER CIN Risk Disease Awareness (BeyondSpring, Proximyl Health) SALES AID SILVER WINNER Engaging Sales Collateral to Bring New Hope and Treatment for Patients With Diabetic Gastroparesis (Evoke Pharma, EVERSANA ENGAGE) SALES AID GOLD WINNER Taking a patient-centric approach to engaging physicians in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) (Merck, Langland) SELF-PROMOTION SILVER WINNER Rare Disease Day - Data Points to Rare (Intouch Group) SELF-PROMOTION GOLD WINNER "Connect'ability" (JPA Health) SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER Know Your CLL (Janssen Biotech, Pharmacyclics, MicroMass, An Ashfield Health Company) SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER BRCA Blue Unbranded Prostate Cancer Campaign (Clovis Oncology, CultHealth) UNBRANDED CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER No Time to Wait (Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, Carat & iProspect, Havas Media, Heartbeat, Publicis North America, Real Chemistry) UNBRANDED CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER "MS in Harmony" (Bristol Myers Squibb, Ogilvy Health) VIDEO/TV CAMPAIGN SILVER WINNER Fostering Meaningful HCP Engagements Through Videos: WAKIX HCP Video Series (Harmony Biosciences, Synchrony Healthcare Communications, Blue Visual Effects, BTK Communications Group) VIDEO/TV CAMPAIGN GOLD WINNER Wake Up & RYBELSUS Launch Campaign (Novo Nordisk, CultHealth) About PM360 PM360 is the premier, must-read magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics, and medical device industries. Published monthly, PM360 is the only journal that focuses on delivering the full spectrum of practical information necessary for product managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to succeed in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment. The journal's targeted and insightful editorial focuses on issues that directly impact critical decision making, including: Planning and implementation of cutting-edge strategies, trends, the latest technological advances, branding/marketing, advertising/promotion, patient/professional education, sales, market research, PR, and leadership. Additionally, the "360" in the title signifies the span of this critical, how-to info with personal and career insights for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. By providing the full circle of enriching content, PM360 is truly an indispensable tool for busy and productive marketing professionals to stay at the top of their game. SOURCE PM360 ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PS Furniture is launching a revolutionary handgun bulletproof table that can be transformed into a protective shield in seconds. Sudden ballistic violence can occur anywhere, and the Revolution Shield is a visually ordinary looking table which can provide quick protection from potential gun violence. This Revolution Shield Table will stop a bullet. Coinciding with the official product launch, PS Furniture is hosting a media event at Oak Ridge Gun Range in Orlando, Fla., on September 28, 2021 at 9 a.m. to demonstrate the durability of the Revolution Shield to protect against handguns. Handguns are involved in about 78 percent of mass shootings, and this product has the potential to save lives during the increasing number of active shooter situations. The local Orlando community has been heavily affected by gun violence in recent years, and as part of the event PS Furniture is donating this life-saving device to the local Orlando Police department. Roger Clark, executive vice president of PS Furniture, says, "The Revolution Shield is a critical investment for schools, hospitals, concert venues and other public spaces that are subject to possible mass shootings." PS Furniture has created flexible furniture solutions for more than 100 years, and Amulet is a leader in innovative ballistics protective technology. Their combination of expertise created the Revolution Shield to transform the future of the safety space. Media Contacts: Roger Clark [email protected] 414-559-3017 Melanie Parncutt [email protected] 443-643-6199 SOURCE PS Furniture NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") of Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted in May 2021 (the "IPO"), of the important November 15, 2021 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Waterdrop ADSs pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Waterdrop class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2158.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 15, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO's registration statement featured false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Waterdrop had achieved a substantial portion of its historical revenue growth through illicit means that ran afoul of Chinese rules and regulations governing the insurance industry; (2) Waterdrop had been ordered by the Chinese government to shut down its mutual aid platform because of its failure to comply with Chinese law; (3) Waterdrop was under investigation by regulatory authorities for continued violations of Chinese law; (4) as a result of the foregoing, there existed a material undisclosed risk and substantial likelihood that Waterdrop would face severe adverse actions by regulatory authorities following the IPO; (5) Waterdrop's operating losses had increased more than four-fold in the first quarter of 2021 as a result of the cessation of its mutual aid business and rapidly growing customer acquisition costs; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, the IPO registration statement's representations regarding Waterdrop's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, and financial results and trajectory of the Company in the lead up to the IPO, were materially false and misleading, and lacked a factual basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Waterdrop class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2158.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Related Links www.rosenlegal.com For nearly four decades, Sigma Gamma Rho has supported the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children. Since 2008, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is comprised of the Divine Nine Greek organizations including Sigma Gamma Rho has collectively raised more than $3 million in support of the St. Jude mission. Sigma Gamma Rho has raised nearly $500,000 for St. Jude prior to announcing this $1 million commitment. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., was founded on the principles of uplifting the community through sisterhood, leadership, and service. The Sorority's slogan, "Greater Service, Greater Progress," underscores this commitment. Because of generous donors and partners like Sigma Gamma Rho, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. This pledge includes a three-year sponsorship for the St. Jude Walk/Run during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. This year's virtual event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 25. To enhance the experience, a St. Jude Walk/Run mobile app is available via the Apple app store and Google Play. "Members and affiliates of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. are purpose-driven, compassionate leaders who find St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to be an incredibly meaningful cause because its mission is lifesaving and impacts the world," said Rasheeda S. Liberty, International Grand Basileus & Board Chair, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. "This year's virtual St Jude Walk/Run is representative of our commitment to the wellness of youth for the past 100 years. Sustainable impact and long-term community engagement are the basis for our $1 million Centennial gift to support patients and their families seeking treatment from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." In 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to bring awareness to pediatric cancer, which remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. The St. Jude Walk/Run celebrates the strides St. Jude is making to better understand, treat and defeat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, including sickle cell disease. "St. Jude and Sigma Gamma Rho are united in supporting children facing catastrophic diseases and saving lives across the globe," said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "We're honored to celebrate the selflessness and generosity of Sigma Gamma Rho. Their commitment supports St. Jude's new six-year, $11.5 billion strategic expansion plan to accelerate groundbreaking research and treatment happening at St. Jude every day." Community support remains critical today for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital because unlike any other hospital, the majority of its funding comes from individual contributions. Visit stjude.org/together to make a donation and learn more about how St. Jude is treating and defeating childhood cancer. For information about this year's virtual St. Jude Walk/Run, visit stjude.org/walkrun. Incorporated in 1922, Sigma Gamma Rho has served as a home for thousands of collegiate and professional women looking for a place to share inspiring life experiences, learn new things, conquer life challenges, thrive in society, and uplift the community through sisterhood, scholarship, and service. There are more than 500 chapters in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, and in 2022, the Sorority will celebrate its centennial year. About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel. SOURCE ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Related Links http://www.stjude.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Sabrina Meng have reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in a case bringing federal charges against Ms. Meng for bank and wire fraud. In 2018, Ms. Meng was arrested in Canada in connection with the U.S. charges, and since that time, she has been living in Canada while a Canadian court considers the United States' request for Ms. Meng's extradition. Zuckerman Spaeder partner William W. Taylor, III, one of the lawyers who represents Ms. Meng, issued the following statement: "I'm very pleased that Sabrina Meng and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and it has been approved by Judge Donnelly. Under the terms of this agreement, Ms. Meng will not be prosecuted further in the United States and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated. She has not pleaded guilty and we fully expect the indictment will be dismissed with prejudice after fourteen months. Now, she will be free to return home to be with her family." Contact: William W. Taylor, III, +1 202.778.1810, [email protected] SOURCE Zuckerman Spaeder Related Links https://www.zuckerman.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- September 25 is National Food Service Workers Day, and Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe will be dedicating this occasion to recognize its current employees on social media, the company's website and in Taziki's restaurants. It is also Taziki's hope that sharing their employees' stories will encourage others to join the Taziki's team. "Taziki's cultivates an employee environment that is collaborative and nurtures employee growth within the company," said Amy Parman, Director of Training at Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. "The difference in working at Taziki's compared with other restaurant brands is that we provide extended flexibility and unique opportunities." The labor shortage is making existing restaurant workers' jobs more difficult, contributing to burnout and the vicious cycle that has helped drive away some potential employees. Like so many other employers across the country, Taziki's has been searching for the most innovative ways to attract and retain employees. Two of the companies that Taziki's has partnered with are EnGen and Workstream both to recruit team members and also to further employees' development within the company. With the support of EnGen , Taziki's is fostering inclusion of immigrant and refugee employees in the hospitality industry through on-the-job language learning. "Life is short. We believe people should be able to love where they work, believe in what they do, and love who they get to work with. There's never been more opportunities to find a job and turn it into a career, and at the right place, find balance with both living and making a living. Which is why we're driven to provide as many opportunities as possible to anyone who shares this vision and we'll provide the tools, like EnGen, and training to help this come true," said Dan Simpson, CEO at Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. Due to training with EnGen, Eduardo Martinez, a Taziki's employee, used the EnGen program and after five years ascended to General Manager. Throughout the process he gained confidence in his English by improving the intrapersonal connections between his coworkers and customers. Dayanna Vasquez, a Taziki's employee in Richmond, VA who has been learning English through EnGen, said English learning helped her advance through Taziki's to a customer-facing role. "I no longer need a translator to communicate with coworkers," said Vasquez. "Learning English was a boost to my career, and it is a gift that lasts forever." EnGen's language learning platform trains skilled immigrants and refugees for in-demand jobs in industries like hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare. It has also helped them to achieve their real-world career goals, including better communication with colleagues, easier communication with colleagues, receiving a job offer and pay raises. "By offering English training at work, restaurants like Taziki's can equip talented employees, like Eduardo and Dayanna, with the language skills they need for promotion and advancement. Removing English as a barrier helps employers foster a collaborative and equitable work environment," said Katie Nielson, Chief Education Officer at EnGen. To make the hiring process fast and easy for new team members, Taziki's has also been working with Workstream , a hiring platform built on text automation. With Workstream, Taziki's gives candidates the ability to quickly apply for jobs, schedule interviews and onboardall from their phone. "Workstream keeps Taziki's employee search streamlined," said Parman. "All the way from using an app, to screening an applicant, to paperwork, they have helped us recruit fantastic candidates." Taziki's favorite Workstream feature is Text to Apply. Wherever they are across the country, any applicant can simply text TAZJOBS to 31063 and immediately see openings on the team closest to them. This fast and relevant feature has enabled Taziki's to connect with candidates quickly, a must in today's hiring landscape. "Job seekers today are considering many more opportunities than in the past, and Taziki's is standing out from the crowd by making the process simple and immediate for them," said Sam Lee, Head of Customer Success at Workstream. "By making it easy for applicants to apply, automatically run through critical screening questions, and schedule interviews from their phonesin a matter of secondsTaziki's has taken the friction out of the hiring process. This also allows Taziki's more time to focus on their customers and staff." "Today's restaurant workforce is rapidly changing," said Simpson. "Managing a business and hiring is hard but Taziki's has had great support along the way. Our new as well as seasoned employees are extremely valuable to us. We are thankful to support their growth at our restaurant and spotlight them on National Food Service Workers Day." Images related to Taziki's celebration of National Food Service Workers Day can be found here. About Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe is a rapidly expanding brand, named one of America's fastest growing leaders by Inc. 5000 in the fresh-casual industry. Having more than tripled in size since 2011, Taziki's has over 90 restaurant locations, spanning across 18 states nationally. Development plans include building the brand in existing markets, as well as entering new areas across the country by 2023. The essence of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe is defined by serving fresh ingredients and hand-cut meats daily. The Mediterranean influence in their name echoes across their best-in-class, chef-inspired cuisine but is intentionally approachable for any person, anywhere. Taziki's takes pride in their made-from-scratch food that nourishes customers daily and the artisanship that goes behind doing so without the use of fryers, or microwaves. Taziki's mission is to create an environment that combines extraordinary food with meaningful human connection. About EnGen EnGen is a Public Benefit Corporation that helps immigrants and refugees achieve self-sufficiency, economic mobility, civic participation, and a better quality of life through virtual English language education. Prior to launching in 2020, the award-winning language learning platform was built and refined for ten years and informed by data of over four million learners. Available on desktop, tablet and mobile, EnGen offers customized learning pathways that adapt to language level, real-world interests, and career goals. Learn more at https://getengen.com About Workstream Workstream is a hiring platform and mobile app that connects job seekers to hourly positions and, on average, reduces time to hire by 70%. Founded by three immigrants, CEO Desmond Lim, CTO Max Wang and CPO Lei Xu, the platform is used by more than 10,000 hiring managers in the U.S. and helps hire front line workers: caregivers, nurses, delivery drivers, take-out restaurant staff, gas station attendants, etc. Learn more at workstream.us. Contact: Julie Wade Senior Director of Marketing Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe [email protected] 205-547-3645 SOURCE Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TerraCap Management LLC, a privately held investment firm with its headquarters in Naples, Florida, announced today the sale of Eastpointe. Eastpointe is a 3-story Class B office building located in Tampa, FL and consists of approximately 82,000 square feet. The property was built in 1987 and has a 2-story parking garage. The property was 96% occupied at the time of sale. TerraCap Management "This sale wraps up disposition of the last income producing asset stabilized as part our strategy of repositioning distressed commercial assets in the Florida market. The last remaining asset in this portfolio is mixed use/commercial land, acquired in bulk and in the process of being sold in residential and commercial development parcels as planned," said Steve Hagenbuckle, Managing Partner. Managing Partner Bob Gray commented, "Eastpointe was acquired during the upswing in the recovery during the financial crisis. Combing a tightening market with completion of significant capital improvements to the property, pushing rate, and building occupancy, we are providing the buyer with a property we expect to be a stable asset for years to come." TerraCap acquired Eastpointe in March 2014 as part of a two-property acquisition. The other building in the acquisition, Lakeview, sold in May 2018. During its hold period, TerraCap invested capital into the roof, HVAC, parking lot, parking garage, restrooms, and signage. After signing Circle K to a 10-year deal for approximately 19,000 square feet and extending the approximately 36,000 square foot anchor tenant Pharmerica through 2025, Eastpointe reached 96% occupancy, and TerraCap began moving the property towards a disposition. Rick Brugge, Mike Davis, and Rick Colon of Cushman & Wakefield, with support from Ryan Jenkins and Zach Eicholtz, represented the seller, TerraCap, in the transaction. TriOut Advisory acquired the property. "With continued positive population and job growth, investor sentiment for office investments in central Florida remains strong," Brugge said. About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2020, the firm had revenue of $7.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter. About TerraCap Management LLC TerraCap Management LLC considers thematic factors such as business formation, employment growth and population growth on a market-by-market basis, as most metros and submarkets have different economic-based industries and therefore move through their economic cycles differently. TerraCap makes moderate strategic overweighting or underweighting to markets, depending on the specific economic drivers influencing supply and demand. The Investment Manager has been in operation since 2008 with its headquarters located in Naples, FL, the firm also has offices in Tampa, FL, Atlanta, GA, and Denver, CO. As operators, TerraCap believes it can make decisions more efficiently while leveraging expertise from property to property. The firm has over seven million square feet of commercial assets within its portfolio, with over one billion dollars of assets under management. More information can be found at terracapmgmt.com. For More Information, Contact: Steve Good 239.898.4454 TerraCap Management LLC SOURCE TerraCap Management LAS VEGAS, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) today announced the fifth annual Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit will take place on November 4 at the UNLV Greenspun Hall Auditorium with a simultaneous live webcast for virtual attendance. Summit 2021, also sponsored by the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, will bring together community sector leaders and youth with lived experience of homelessness in a day-long forum designed to harness new understandings and approaches emerging during the global pandemic and through racial justice developments to refine and adapt the strategies outlined in the Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness. "Through the tremendous challenges our community has faced during the past year and a half, we've found unexpected opportunities to re-think how to better serve vulnerable youth," said Arash Ghafoori, CEO, NPHY. "As service providers and community leaders become more creative in tackling new problems, innovative solutions are coming to the forefront. We have a huge opportunity to evolve the Movement to End Youth Homelessness to better serve vulnerable youth, and Summit 2021 will begin that process." Summit 2021 plans include: A featured panel discussion to identify new resources and promising practices for solving the youth homelessness crisis, including Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts ; Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones ; Chris James , state coordinator for education services for youth experiencing homelessness at the Nevada Department of Education; Tim Burch , Clark County Administrator of Human Services; Christina Vela , Chief Executive Director, St. Jude's Ranch for Children; and Theresa Butler , outreach coordinator for Young Adults in Charge (YAC). Robert Ulmer , Ph.D., dean of the University Nevada Las Vegas Greenspun College of Urban Affairs will moderate. An update on the Movement to End Youth Homelessness from NPHY An educational and thought-provoking performance by young leaders with lived experience of homelessness An interactive community input session to outline new priorities for the Movement The Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit was established in 2017 to address the region's severe youth homelessness crisis. For years, Las Vegas/Clark County has ranked in the top major metropolitan areas with the largest numbers of unaccompanied homeless children and youth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Nevada also has had one of the highest rates of unsheltered homeless children and youth living alone on the streets, with the overwhelming majority of these youth located in Southern Nevada. In 2018, the community came together at the second annual Summit to introduce the first-ever Southern Nevada Plan to End Youth Homelessness, outlining solutions for sustainable change. While the Plan achieved numerous successes in its initial years, recent events have both necessitated adjustments and revealed new opportunities to address the current environment and risk factors for youth homelessness. "Truly solving this crisis and creating a safety net for vulnerable youth will take every organization public and private as well as all citizens working together to ensure no young person has to face a lack of shelter or the resources they need to grow and flourish," said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs at Sands. "We challenge the community to get involved in one of our region's most critical issues." Summit 2021 will follow safety protocols for in-person attendance at UNLV, including requiring attendees to wear face coverings, and a livestream will provide a virtual option for attendance. To register for the in-person and virtual options or for more information, attendees can visit nphy.org/summit21. About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) For the past 20 years, NPHY has been the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through our core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY's programs stabilize homeless teens' lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through our work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. Strengthening and complementing our high-quality direct services for homeless youth, NPHY is dedicated to advocating with and for the Vegas Valley's homeless youth population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among Nevada's youth. For more information or to support our life-changing work for homeless youth, please visit www.nphy.org. About Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) Las Vegas Sands is the world's preeminent developer and operator of world-class Integrated Resorts. We deliver unrivaled economic benefits to the communities in which we operate. Sands created the meetings, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE)-based Integrated Resort. Our industry-leading Integrated Resorts provide substantial contributions to our host communities including growth in leisure and business tourism, sustained job creation and ongoing financial opportunities for local small and medium-sized businesses. Our properties include The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, and the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd. , we have developed the largest portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao , The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao , The Londoner Macao and The Parisian Macao , as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula. Sands is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. We deliver a great working environment for our team members worldwide, drive social impact through the Sands Cares community engagement and charitable giving program and lead in environmental performance through the award-winning Sands ECO360 global sustainability program. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com . Contacts: Lanette Rivera Kristin Koca Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Las Vegas Sands [email protected] [email protected] 702-969-2196 702-414-3218 SOURCE Las Vegas Sands EDISON, N.J., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Rd., the cannabis dispensary franchise from Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), announced today the signing of its newest agreements for New Jersey and Virginia alongside continued expansion across the Northeast region. The brand's growth strategy is twofold, including both helping interested entrepreneurs enter the complex industry while also partnering with existing dispensary owners via its Local Alliance Program. The expansion is a key function of Unity Rd.'s mission to keep dispensary ownership and the wealth that comes along with it local. New Jersey The New Jersey agreement was signed with an experienced entrepreneur whose familiarity with franchising drew him to the investment opportunity. Dish Patel and his business partner will join the strong list of three franchise groups that have signed with Unity Rd. to bring the brand to New Jersey they're all awaiting legislation to clear them for development. The agreement was signed with an experienced entrepreneur whose familiarity with franchising drew him to the investment opportunity. Dish Patel and his business partner will join the strong list of three franchise groups that have signed with Unity Rd. to bring the brand to they're all awaiting legislation to clear them for development. Virginia As investors line up for the opportunity to bring Unity Rd.'s business model to their communities, Laurin Wallace , along with two business partners, signed on recently to bring a Unity Rd. shop to the Old Dominion state. As investors line up for the opportunity to bring Unity Rd.'s business model to their communities, , along with two business partners, signed on recently to bring a Unity Rd. shop to the state. Maine Unity Rd. also supported their Maine group in securing a lease and are now working with them on applying for a dispensary license. This group was originally planning to develop Unity Rd. in Massachusetts but pivoted to pursue opportunities in Maine to break into the burgeoning industry sooner. The state's adult-use market launched in October 2020 and has been flourishing. This past August, it exceeded $10 million in sales for the first time in one month. Learn more about the Unity Rd. franchise opportunity and its Local Alliance Program, contact [email protected] or 720-923-5262, or visit unityrd.com. The Unity Rd. Dispensary Franchise Offers the Safety Net Prospective Cannabis Entrepreneurs Need to Succeed "I know what it takes to run a successful business I've spent years turning franchises around into successful investments for franchisees," shared Patel. "Because of this, I know exactly what to look for in a franchisor the high level of support, education and training along with a strong infrastructure is a must. I've been anxiously waiting to enter the franchise industry officially as a franchisee, but have been selective a lot of brands get it wrong. That said, I'm confident about this next move with Unity Rd. The potential with this brand and this industry is incredible. This shop is really just the first step of our journey with Unity Rd., we plan to expand throughout Jersey and beyond." Unity Rd. offers the safest route for local cannabis entrepreneurs looking to stake their claim in the fast-growing, complex industry. In addition to offering the franchise opportunity to entrepreneurs who may be new to the industry, Unity Rd. also partners with existing dispensary owners via its Local Alliance Program, providing access to the buying power, resources and supportive network normally reserved for multi-unit operators. The dispensary franchisor's time-tested Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and veteran team guide franchise partners through every operational function of the business, whether it be assisting with cash flow, product selection or the ever-changing regulations. "The Northeast has been on our radar for quite some time, making the announcement of these agreements that much sweeter," said Unity Rd.'s VP of Franchise Development Justin Livingston. "The cannabis industry and all its complexities can be intimidating, leaving even the most capable of investors and operators unsure of where to start. As part of the Unity Rd. network, our partners can operate their dispensaries more efficiently resulting in more time to focus on growing the business rather than managing it. We're offering the supportive network and tools they need to reach new heights and achieve their business goals." The brand is actively seeking qualified franchise partners throughout the entire Northeast region who would benefit from the systems, processes and ongoing support the franchise offers. Just this past July, Unity Rd. successfully launched its first franchised dispensary in Boulder, Colorado. The franchise brand also has multiple agreements signed with more than 15 entrepreneurial groups who are in various stages of development across eight states. Unity Rd. franchise partners now receive even more resources, supply chain connections and guidance as the brand was acquired earlier this year by Item 9 Labs Corp., an award-winning cannabis operator and publicly traded company on the OTC. The combination of the Unity Rd. cannabis retail franchise and premium Item 9 Labs products makes Item 9 Labs Corp. the first national, vertically integrated cannabis franchise company in the US. Known for its impressive catalogue of products, Item 9 Labs currently offers 75 active cannabis strains and 150-plus differentiated cannabis vape products as well as premium concentrates. As Unity Rd. grows its franchise network, Item 9 Labs plans to develop or partner with cultivation facilities in states where Unity Rd. franchise partners open cannabis retail shops. This move will give Unity Rd. operators front-of-the-line access to a reliable product supply chain. ABOUT UNITY RD. : Unity Rd. is bridging the two previously disconnected worlds of cannabis and franchising. The industry trailblazer is the first to bring the cannabis dispensary franchise model to the United Stateswith duality of prowess in both industries to back it up. Built up from a collective 200 years in the legal cannabis industry and franchising, the company helps eager operators enter the complex industry with ease. The marijuana franchise pioneer offers its partners the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. Launched in 2018, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with more than 15 entrepreneurial groups across the country. Recently, it was named one of the top cannabis retail leaders in the nation by MJBizDaily magazine and one of the "Best Cannabis Companies to Work For" in both the dispensary and cultivation categories in Cannabis Business Times' elite 2020 list. The company is also the first cannabis business to earn a Franchise Times Dealmakers award. For more information, visit unityrd.com. Media Contact: Liz Robinson Fishman PR [email protected] 847-945-1300 SOURCE Unity Rd. Wilshire Quinn, a national portfolio bridge lender and debt fund manager based out of San Diego, funded the loan in less than 21 days. The property is comprised of 175 parking spaces and is currently operated by Los Angeles based Shamrock Parking, Inc. "Parking lots in dense metropolitan areas, which have historically been a strong asset class, have come under pressure during Covid as their revenues have decreased. As a result, traditional lenders have shied away from offering loans on these types of properties. We feel that lending on prime parking assets, at conservative loan-to-value ratios, will continue to result in solid returns for our Fund," CEO and Chief Investment Officer Christopher Garcia said. The new owner of the property intends to submit plans to construct a large parking structure on the site and then obtain traditional construction financing. Garcia added, "Our no-nonsense asset-based lending approach continues to resonate with real estate investors who cannot afford delays with their transactions. Our bridge lending platform will continue to be a solid alternative for those who require fast underwriting, total transparency, and clear communication during the loan process." ABOUT WILSHIRE QUINN Wilshire Quinn (www.wilshirequinn.com) is a national portfolio bridge lender and debt fund manager based out of San Diego, California. Since 2011, Wilshire Quinn has provided senior debt financing ranging from $200,000 to $10,000,000 on a variety of property types, including but not limited to: non-owner-occupied residential properties, multi-family properties, condos, hotels, assisted-living facilities, entitled land, parking lots, office buildings, industrial buildings, and retail centers. Wilshire Quinn works directly with real estate owners and mortgage professionals nationwide. Loans are made or arranged by Wilshire Quinn Income Fund, LLC pursuant to California Finance Lenders Law license #603J060. Wilshire Quinn Capital, Inc. serves as manager of the Wilshire Quinn Income Fund, LLC. The information above is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. Nothing contained in the information above is an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Any such offer to purchase securities will be made only through the Private Placement Memorandum of Wilshire Quinn Income Fund, LLC. Contact: Emily Mesetz 619-872-6000 SOURCE Wilshire Quinn Capital - China will solemnly commemorate the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. - It falls on each and every responsible statesman to answer the questions of the times and make a historical choice with confidence, courage and a sense of mission. - We must beat COVID-19 and win this decisive fight crucial to the future of humanity. - China will strive to provide a total of 2 billion doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to the world by the end of this year. - Facing the severe shocks of COVID-19, we need to work together to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative. - We need to foster global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced, forge greater synergy among multilateral development cooperation processes, and speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. - We should care about the special needs of developing countries. - China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. - Democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country, but a right for the people of all countries to enjoy. - Military intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm. - One country's success does not have to mean another country's failure, and the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries. - We need to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity, and reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games. - China has never and will never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony. - We must improve global governance and practice true multilateralism. - China will continue to bring the world new opportunities through its new development. - The UN should serve as the central platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and chart the course for the future of the world. - The United Nations should advance, in a balanced manner, work in all the three areas of security, development and human rights. SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn Unprecedented demand continues to drive strong pricing across nearly all equipment categories FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros.' latest Texas auction attracted 12,600+ online bidders from 64 countries to compete for 4,300+ items consigned by 600+ sellers. As a result of this unprecedented demand, Ritchie Bros.' Fort Worth auction generated US$57+ million in gross transaction value. "We continue to drive record-breaking demand, with bidders up 17% from last September, and we have the best auctioneers in the business working to get our consignors every extra bid," said Chuck Roberson, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. "Leading up to and during the auction, we safely welcomed thousands of interested buyers to inspect assets in person. The market is strong right now and buyers are proving it with very aggressive bidding. It's a great time to sell and we have a ton of upcoming opportunities, including our final Fort Worth auction of the year in December." Approximately 92% of the assets in the September Fort Worth auction were sold to U.S. buyers, including 43% to Texans, while the remaining 8% was sold to international buyers from as far away as Belgium, Ecuador, and Taiwan. Leading up to the event, online equipment views per lot and PriorityBids were up 9% from last September. Five Big Sellers in Fort Worth: 2020 John Deere 850L WLT cable plow US$485,000 2012 Kobelco CK1100G 110-ton crawler crane US$315,000 2012 Caterpillar D8T crawler tractor US$255,000 2018 Western Star 4900SB quad-axle hydro vac truck US$250,00 2018 Freightliner Coronado 122 day cab truck tractor US$117,000 AUCTION QUICK FACTS: FORT WORTH, TX (SEPTEMBER 2021) Gross Transaction Value (GTV): US$57+ million Total Registered Bidders: 12,600+ Total Number of Lots: 4,300+ Total Number of Consignors: 600+ Ritchie Bros. will sell more than 50,000 equipment items and trucks in its upcoming events, including a Great Lakes Regional Event on Sep. 28 - 29 and a Rocky Mountain Regional Event on Oct. 6 7. The company also has weekly featured online auctions at IronPlanet.com and a daily reserved option with Marketplace-E. About Ritchie Bros.: Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media. SOURCE Ritchie Bros. NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After seven long years in the making, the New York City-based, upscale cannabis company Cigalar officially unveils its brand website to the world. Having assembled a brand-exclusive lineup of top-tier CBD hemp, Delta 8 and THC-O products, Cigalar intends to upend the industry, and redefine the meaning of "euphoria." As a collaboration between three fathers, close friends and entrepreneurs, Cigalar brings a creative, synergistic energy to its products, packaging and marketing. "We see Cigalar as a symbol of trust and transparency, in that we want our customers knowing we have the purest, safest and rarest cannabis out there," said Mike Mack, a founder and partner of Cigalar. Among its all-star lineup of products, customers will find upwards of 29% CBD, Oregon-grown, organic hemp flower, nano-emulsified Delta 8 gummies, natural leaves, as well as five distinct THC-O disposable vapes. Standing by the potency of its cannabis, Cigalar provides COAs for its entire product line, and insists on only using the highest caliber Delta 8 THC and THC-O in its flowers, gummies, moonrocks, hashish and disposable vapes. As per the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, Cigalar may legally sell its organic, hemp-derived Delta 8 and THC-O products to anyone over the age of 21 (in 37 of the 50 United States). Unlike other competitors in the cannabis industry, Cigalar can defend the purity of its Delta 8 THC and THC-O, without any need for secrecy. The purity of its cannabis products, in Cigalar partner and founder Frank Nahoum's own words, "comes down to the fact that we use Delta 8 and THC-O distillates instead of isolates. With distillates, you can eliminate the chance of any residues or contaminants and guarantee that you've safely converted all of your CBD to Delta 8 THC or THC-O." Only a high-end, mobile-first eCommerce store would fit the Cigalar Brand and the quality of its cannabinoids. The founders hired local Brooklyn copywriter Tom di Mino, and the creative powerhouse of Web Nerds Media led by Emilio Aguilera in Fort Lauderdale, FL, to commission their site and imbue it with the personality and aesthetics it deserved. With its sleek, dark background, dynamic visuals, and exquisite copy, the Cigalar website is an online cannabis shopping experience all its own. "Being entrepreneurial at heart, Cigalar is all about encouraging people to share their passion and charisma for cannabis, and celebrate their own success at the same time," explained Oz Sanon, founder and partner of Cigalar. Anyone may apply to be a Cigalar brand ambassador, wholesale buyer, or affiliate directly on Cigalar's website. As the company grows, it envisions taking a community-driven approach to its online and in-person events, where customers will have first-dibs at the newest and hottest cannabis products out there. Contact: Tom di Mino 732-759-5647 [email protected] SOURCE Cigalar Related Links www.cigalar.com Ada's platform puts the benefits of AI into the hands of non-technical teams. Its automation-first approach introduces employees across the entire CX lifecycle, revenue, and marketing teams to a new generation of skills in building bots, as well as managing and optimizing automated customer experiences . Ada breaks old operating models and provides digital-first brands with a platform to proactively engage and interact more with customers, as they scale, not less as is customary today. "As a proudly Canadian company, we're honored to be a part of this list alongside some of the most innovative companies in the world," said Mike Murchison, co-founder and CEO of Ada. "Ada has experienced tremendous growth in the last year, bringing in hundreds of new, international clients and scaling our digital-first team to over 400 members from eight different countries. We're excited to continue to bring exceptional results for our clients and be recognized for our work in 2021." The accolade comes on the heels of significant accomplishments for Ada, including being named as part of LinkedIn's Top Startups in Canada , an annual ranking of companies that have remained resilient during tumultuous times, continuing to attract investment, employees, and attention. Additionally, Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global marketing, sales and advertising technology industry, also recognized Ada as the "Best Overall Conversational Marketing Company" in its fourth annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards just last month. Launched in 2019, the Canada's Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. "As we look toward the future, Canada's Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges," says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. "The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals." "Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this year's Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies," says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. "Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers." About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mail's investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About Ada As the market leader in Automated Customer Experience (ACX), Ada is the only conversational AI platform purpose-built to support a scalable, automation-first customer experience strategy. By uncovering new opportunities for revenue, Ada's automation is designed to transform reactive CX models to proactive, personalized profit generators. A global company, Ada's automation and AI enables clients around the world, like TELUS, AirAsia, and Zoom, to increase valuable interactions across the entire customer journey and empower CX professionals to succeed. Media Contact: Calen McGee [email protected] SOURCE Ada "Our team has worked tirelessly over the past two years to continually test and refine our technology to not only deliver unparalleled results but to also be the most efficient and sustainable way to cultivate cannabis commercially," said Brian Hajdarovic, chief operating officer at Adaptiiv. "We have the unique benefit of having our own beta facility - we are constantly running our equipment under real-world conditions and ensuring that our products are ready to meet the demands and expectations of the modern-day cultivator and facility operator." Adaptiiv has been officially selected to provide its entire suite of products and integrated system for the new 87,000 sq. ft. facility in Mass. An owner's representative for the new facility shared why Adaptiiv was selected for this competitive project: "I've been a systems guy for a long time, and Adaptiiv has thoroughly impressed me with its product suite. The mechanical dehumidification equipment is ideal for cannabis cultivation and uses far less energy than any of the competition. The controls are first class, and the lights are the icing on the cake. Adaptiiv has a robust, reliable and sustainable system working in harmony." Leader in Sustainability and Energy Efficiency "Investing in the Adaptiiv system gives our clients two significant advantages: significant reduction in OpEx ranging between 40-60% depending on the baseline comparable and, as markets mature and cannabis becomes commoditized, the cost per/lb. decreases dramatically," added Hajdarovic. Adaptiiv's chilled water system leverages its patented line of equipment to create the most efficient dedicated commercial system for indoor cultivation on the market. "We have worked with a multitude of utility companies around the country each one has independently verified the efficiencies of the system with our largest captured incentive to-date being 51% of the total CapEx," said Ken Bouquillon, head of cultivation at Adaptiiv. "Our integrated system allows our clients to maximize revenues through consistent product yield and quality while doing so at a much lower operating cost. We also bring all the critical aspects of a commercial job to the table to streamline and simplify what is traditionally a complicated process." From a cultivation perspective, Adaptiiv provides purpose-built equipment designed specifically for commercial applications resulting in lower labor requirements through automation (SAAM), reducing the risk of crop loss through an integrated system with best-in-class environmental controls (at scale), and power and flexibility to drive best-in class yield and quality (LEDs & HVACD). Manage Large Scale Cultivation Systems with Single Control Platform System Automation & Management (SAAM) is the industry's first true industrial IoT control platform and a full facility management system integrating environmental controls, building management systems, and seed-to-sale. SAAM allows owners and operators to consolidate an entire cultivation facility under a single control platform. SAAM is designed to automatically target vapor pressure deficit (VPD) through Adaptiiv's proprietary sequence of operations, PID Loops, and cannabis-driven algorithms. As the grow environment changes throughout the grow cycle, SAAM "speaks" to the equipment systems with specific operating instructions to hold VPD, RH, and temp set-points (automatically, in real-time). Investment in Technology for the Future As a true end-to-end solutions company, Adaptiiv has a curated network of strategic partners to streamline design and engineering, increase speed to market and decrease chances of project delays. Hajdarovic was the former Vice President at GE Capital in the industrial lighting space and finance liaison for Current Powered by GE, the former commercial lighting business for GE. He is joined at Adaptiiv by an executive team that includes 15 years of cannabis cultivation and operations, commercial lighting, and Wall Street experience. Adaptiiv's Chairman Ross Bevevino, industry veteran and co-founder of Mollitiam Capital, a U.S.-focused cannabis private equity fund, invested in Adaptiiv and accelerated the launch of the company this year. "Adaptiiv is the only ancillary company we have backed as it is the first truly sustainable and ESG qualified cannabis cultivation business we have encountered," said Bevevino. "The integrated system creates the cost savings, efficiencies and scalable grow solutions for institutional cost management which is where the U.S. cannabis supply chain is headed." In addition to the patented equipment, Adaptiiv also provides an array of design and full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering services from load calculations and facility layouts, through system start-up and commissioning. About Adaptiiv Adaptiiv Grow Technologies is the leader in purpose-built, energy efficient, cannabis cultivation technology. The Adaptiiv solution includes a first of its kind fully integrated cultivation system designed for indoor commercial cultivation. Adaptiiv's suite of patented products: Liquid Cooled LEDs, HVACD, IoT Control Platform (SAAM) are combined to create the most environmentally sustainable and energy efficient cultivation system for indoor cannabis. The flexible system is designed to handle the unique environmental operating parameters and set points required in cannabis cultivation and deliver unmatched crop yield. For more information visit, https://www.adaptiivgrow.com/. SOURCE Adaptiiv Grow Technologies Related Links https://www.adaptiivgrow.com Technavio offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario & the overall market environment. Download a Free Sample Report The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Aptiv Plc, Continental AG, DENSO Corp., Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., Intel Corp., Magna International Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Valeo SA, Veoneer Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG are some of the major market participants. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Automotive ADAS Market in China 2021-2025: Segmentation Technology BSD PAS DMS FCW Others Application Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43919 Automotive ADAS Market in China 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the automotive ADAS market in China provides a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the market. The report also covers the following areas: Automotive ADAS Market in China size size Automotive ADAS Market in China trends trends Automotive ADAS Market in China industry analysis The adoption of ADAS technologies will offer immense growth opportunities. However, the ongoing slowdown of the economy in China will hamper market growth. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive ADAS market in China are designed to provide entry support, customer profile & M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Related Reports on Consumer Discretionary Include: Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Integrated Drive Unit Market -The hybrid and electric vehicle integrated drive unit market have the potential to grow by USD 11.86 billion during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 57.94%. Download a free sample report now! Heavy-duty Truck Suspension System Market -The heavy-duty truck suspension system market has the potential to grow by USD 4.47 billion during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will decelerate at a CAGR of 1.66%. Download a free sample report now! Automotive ADAS Market in China 2021-2025: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025 Detailed information on factors that will assist the automotive ADAS market in china growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive ADAS market in china size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive ADAS market in china Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of the automotive ADAS market in china vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020-2025 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application Passenger cars - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Commercial vehicles - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Application Market Segmentation by Technology Market segments Comparison by Technology BSD - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 PAS - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 DMS - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 FCW - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Technology Customer Landscape Volume drivers Demand led growth Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Aptiv Plc Continental AG DENSO Corp. Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd. Intel Corp. Magna International Inc. Robert Bosch GmbH Valeo SA Veoneer Inc. ZF Friedrichshafen AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations Technavio's in-depth market research reports now include a thorough analysis of the COVID-19 impact on various markets to help industry leaders navigate their business through the new normal. Receive Latest Free Sample Report in Minutes About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Related Links https://www.technavio.com/ OMAHA, Neb., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As members of Congress debate its merits, Omahans are weighing in on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bipartisan legislation has already passed in the Senate, and the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill as soon as September 27. Voters find a lot to like in the Act. A recent poll taken to gauge public support showed that planned investments in roads and bridges, broadband, clean energy jobs, and a better electric grid were seen favorably among respondents. The poll, commissioned by The Nature Conservancy and the Greater Omaha Chamber, was conducted among 350 registered voters in Nebraska's 2nd congressional district by New Bridge Strategy, a Republican polling firm, between September 14 and 16. The margin of error is +5.24%. More than two-thirds of voters say they want their member of Congress to support the infrastructure plan. Ninety-three percent of those polled felt that "strengthening and making our infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, or drainage systems more resilient so it can better withstand the impacts from hurricanes or floods" was important, with 75% saying it was "extremely" or "very" important. Climate-oriented policies in the bipartisan infrastructure bill had broad acceptance among the respondents, including respondents who self-identified as Republicans. "The proposed set of actions natural disaster prevention, emissions reduction, public transit, and clean energy technologies are the right ones to meet this moment," said Michael Fuhr, Interim Director for he Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. "There's a real recognition in the state that nature-based solutions are smart investments." A majority also indicated that producing clean energy is "very important" to fund with this plan; three-quarters of those surveyed (and majorities across party lines) said that "climate change is happening." Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer cited the bipartisan nature of the proposal when she cast her "yes" vote last month. "This framework recognizes the Senate's successful past bipartisan work. From roads and bridges to ports, airports, waterways and broadband, core infrastructure is a key responsibility of the federal government," she said. The potential economic benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, such as providing job training, were also popular among respondents. "Investment in infrastructure creates a two-pronged benefit. First there are the immediate jobs and capital allocation for the construction and execution of the improvements," said David G. Brown, President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. "Second are the long-term effects created by the advancements. We make jobs available today and in two years we support more jobs through the increase of rural broadband, for example. Economic development requires you to play the long game; investing today for even greater returns in the future." The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries and territories: 38 by direct conservation impact and 34 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter. The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration. SOURCE The Nature Conservancy NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has added key challenges and trends for converted paper product manufacturing industry profiles on their platform. All 8,500+ paper company profiles will now contain 50+ company data points, including a list of potential challenges which are expected to impact market participants over the next few years. Snapshot of key challenge impacting BizVibe's converted paper product manufacturing industry group. One challenge which is being highlighted is increasing labor costs. With margins always under threat from competitors and other external forces, industry players are also struggling with rising labor costs. Increases in minimum and average wages due to government regulations or tight competition are impacting the costs that operators incur when securing even typically low-skilled jobs. The pinch is more prominent for businesses that have a higher proportion of permanent staff. By identifying such challenges, BizVibe is helping users analyze which suppliers are right for their business, while allowing them to efficiently monitor the risk of doing business. Get Free Access to all Industry Challenges Key Insights Provided for Converted Paper Product Manufacturers In addition to analysis on how key challenges are expected to impact businesses, BizVibe company profiles contain numerous high-quality insights to help users discover, track, compare, and evaluate suppliers or sales prospects. These insights include: Relevance and influence of industry trends and challenges, segmented by region Press releases and news coverage referencing key trends and challenges Risk of doing business score, segmented by operational, financial, compliance, and country risk Top company competitors at the global, regional, and national levels Names of top company decision makers, including job titles and social profiles Company financials such as annual revenue, profitability ratios, and management effectiveness View 50+ Company Data Points for Free Converted Paper Product Categories BizVibe's platform provides access to over 10 million buyer and supplier company profiles. Businesses from more than 200 countries are categorized into 40,000+ product and service categories, each providing detailed insights tailored to the needs of procurement and sales teams globally. The converted paper product manufacturing industry group features 8,500+ company profiles categorized into 20+ product and service categories, enabling clients to identify and connect with potential new business partners across diverse market segments. Product and service categories for the converted paper product manufacturing industry include: Corrugated cardboard Folding cartons Food storage containers Coffee sleeves Disposable diapers Get Free Company Profile Access for all Categories BizVibe for Buyers and Sellers BizVibe is a modern B2B platform dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers from around the world. Powered by the latest best-in-class solutions, BizVibe is designed to help companies generate leads, shortlist suppliers, request proposals, and identify global companies. Evaluate companies side-by-side to compare key metrics and initiate productive partnerships. Buyers use BizVibe to discover suppliers from among more than 5 million companies using advanced search filters and comparison tools. Features for buyers include: Shortlist potential suppliers Track and compare companies Set up custom news alerts Quickly create and customize RFIs Explore BizVibe's buyer services: https://www.bizvibe.com/buyers Sellers can take advantage of BizVibe's smart sales intelligence tools to discover, evaluate, and communicate with prospects across 300+ categories. Features for sellers include: Identify and qualify sales prospects Receive customized prospect recommendations Analyze and evaluate potential buyers Integrate CRMs for efficient data transfer Discover BizVibe's seller tools: https://www.bizvibe.com/sellers About BizVibe BizVibe has been conceptualized and built by a team based out of Toronto, Bangalore, and London. We are a branch of Infiniti Research and have dedicated units in all three locations. BizVibe helps buyers find the most relevant suppliers from around the world and helps sellers target prospects who need their products and/or services. For more information, please visit www.bizvibe.com and start for free today. Contact BizVibe Jesse Maida Email: [email protected] +1 855-897-5880 Website: https://www.bizvibe.com/ SOURCE BizVibe Related Links https://www.bizvibe.com/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=prn&utm_campaign=t6_bsh_week38_2021&utm_content=3222 DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no surprise that national park visitation is increasing as more people opt to spend more time outdoors. With the continued increase in foot traffic, there is a growing need to invest more into the National Park System including its infrastructure, trails and open spaces so millions of visitors can truly enjoy all the benefits nature has to offer. As part of its commitment to building a better world with all hardworking people, Carhartt has been actively supporting its consumers' passion for the outdoors from manufacturing the right gear to advocating for the outdoor recreation industry. With that in mind and in recognition of National Public Lands Day (Sept. 25), Carhartt, America's premium workwear company, is proud to announce that it will provide $750,000 to the National Park Foundation (NPF) over the next three years. As a supporting partner of NPF's Communities and Workforce initiative, funds will be used to support service corps, local community and workforce development organizations that provide on-the-job training for members, enabling them to develop leadership skills, build teamwork, and learn about public lands career paths. "For more than 130 years, Carhartt has built rugged and durable gear for hardworking people, on and off the job understanding that after a day of hard work, there's nothing better than the great outdoors," said Todd Corley, Senior Vice President of Inclusion and Sustainability at Carhartt. "However, there is an increased need for the workforce that maintains the beauty and safety of these public spaces, so we're honored to partner with the National Park Foundation to help strengthen the communities and crews who work day-in and day-out to make our public lands enjoyable today and for generations to come." Bound by shared values, the partnership will enable service corps programs to continue providing the necessary resources to promote job training, education and preservation with a focus on inspiring and diversifying the next generation of outdoor workers and leaders. Carhartt is committed to helping people find a rewarding path in the skilled trades or workforce education opportunities. "National parks are the landscapes on which we build community together," said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "For many participants, service corps provide a first-time experience in a national park, inspiring a lifelong connection to these special places." Service corps are community organizations which engage young adults and veterans in projects that address recreation, conservation, disaster response and community needs. Members of a service corps crew gain valuable skills that can be leveraged for careers in their local communities, potentially with the National Park Service, with other federal land management agencies like U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and Bureau of Land Management, or with conservation organizations in both the public and private sectors. For more information on Carhartt and its efforts to build a better world, please visit www.carhartt.com. About Carhartt, Inc. Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 5,500 associates worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company's founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com. About the National Park Foundation The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at www.nationalparks.org. Contact: Amy Hellebuyck Spencer Stewart Carhartt, Inc. Zeno Group for Carhartt (313) 749-6322 (903) 357-9547 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Carhartt Related Links http://www.carhartt.com COLLIERVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MyWorkChoice, the leading flexible staffing and workforce management company, today announced a new partnership with Carrier, a leading global provider of building and cold chain solutions, at their manufacturing facility in Collierville, Tennessee. The new partnership will provide workers with dependable full-time and part-time jobs while also giving employees true flexibility to choose their work schedules from the convenience of a mobile app. "Given today's demands, flexibility is a critical component to maintaining a dependable workforce," says Tana Greene, co-founder and CEO of MyWorkChoice, the first-to-market solution that delivers a community of dedicated W-2 workers to businesses in the community. "It's a win-win for workers and businesses who want to eliminate absenteeism and have the ability to scale up or down with a dedicated community of engaged workers." With an employee retention rate of over 90 percent, MyWorkChoice has successfully filled the labor needs of partner companies and continue to expand across the United States with clients such as GE Appliances, Ryder, Ulta Beauty, Chewy.com and other Fortune 500 Companies. Jobs range from light industrial and warehouse work, to call center jobs. Those interested in applying for full-time flexible work in Tennessee are encouraged to apply here. MyWorkChoice MyWorkChoice is focused on helping forward-thinking companies build the workforce of the future. Through a flexible scheduling platform and proprietary app and community of W-2 employee, we bridge the gap between hourly workers who seek flexibility and employers who demand a dependable workforce. For more information contact [email protected] or visit myworkchoice.com SOURCE MyWorkChoice Related Links https://myworkchoice.com/ BOSTON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Creatio, a global software company that provides a leading no-code/low-code platform for process management and CRM, today announced that its Founder and CEO Katherine Kostereva has been named the winner of a Silver Stevie Award in the Female Entrepreneur of the Year category. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business , now in its 18th year, honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world's premier business awards. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 business professionals from around the world working on eight juries. According to the judges, Kostereva was recognized for "making the complex simple." She had a vision of creating a world where any business idea could be automated in minutes. Thanks to her determination, excellent leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit, she grew Creatio into a global company with over 650 employees in six offices around the world. "Her creative and innovative solutions towards automation of any ideas well as developing skill set for anyone to create an app or process set is an admirable achievement," notes one of the judges. Creatio combines an intuitive no-code platform, best-in-class CRM and a robust BPM in a single solution to accelerate sales, marketing, service and operations for mid-size and large enterprises. Katherine Kostereva has also been named Top 25 SaaS Influencers: Ones to Watch in 2021, Top 50 SaaS CEOs and Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS in 2018-2020, the Winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the Female Entrepreneur of the Year category in 2020, the Executive Leader of the Year in the 7th Annual 2020 Customer Sales and Service World Awards, and more. About Creatio Creatio is a global software company providing a leading low-code platform for process management and CRM. The company combines an intuitive low-code platform, best-in-class CRM and a robust BPM in a single solution to accelerate sales, marketing, service and operations for mid-size and large enterprises. Creatio is highly recognized as a market leader by key industry analysts and together with hundreds of partners, operates in 110 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.creatio.com. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Contact: Vera Mayuk +1 617 765 7997 [email protected] SOURCE Creatio BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- China Online Education Group ("51Talk", or the "Company") (NYSE: COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, today announced that it will report its second quarter 2021 unaudited financial results on Tuesday, Sep 28, 2021, before the open of U.S. markets. The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Sep 28, 2021 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on Sep 28, 2021). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: United States Toll: +1-888-394-8218 International: +1-323-701-0225 Mainland China Toll: 400-120-9101 Hong Kong Toll: 800-961-105 Hong Kong-Local Toll: +852-3008-1527 Participants should dial-in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "China Online Education Group." Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com. A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until Sep 28, 2021, by dialing the following telephone numbers: United States Toll: +1-888-203-1112 International Toll: +1-719-457-0820 Replay Access Code: 6658686 About China Online Education Group China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company's mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company's online and mobile education platforms enable students across China to take live interactive English lessons with overseas foreign teachers, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified foreign teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students. For more information, please visit http://ir.51talk.com. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: China Online Education Group Investor Relations +86 (10) 8342-6262 [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente +86 (10) 6508-0677 +1-212-481-2050 [email protected] SOURCE China Online Education Group BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. ("Clearwater Analytics" or the "Company"), a leading provider of SaaS-based investment accounting, reporting, and analytics solutions, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 30,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $18.00 per share. In addition, the Company granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 4,500,000 shares of its Class A common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The shares of Class A common stock are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on September 24, 2021 under the symbol "CWAN." The offering is expected to close on September 28, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are acting as lead bookrunners and as representatives of the underwriters for the offering, with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Piper Sandler & Co. and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. acting as additional bookrunners. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., D.A. Davidson & Co., AmeriVet Securities, Inc., Loop Capital Markets LLC, Penserra Securities LLC, R. Seelaus & Co., LLC and Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC are acting as co-managers for the offering. A registration statement relating to this offering was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 23, 2021. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: [email protected] ; 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: ; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at [email protected] ; or 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at ; or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attn: Prospectus Department. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Clearwater Analytics Clearwater Analytics is a global industry-leading SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, compliance, risk, performance and reporting. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $5.6 trillion in assets for clients that include leading insurers, asset managers, corporations, pension plans, governments, and nonprofit organizations helping them make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Investment professionals around the globe trust Clearwater to deliver timely, validated investment data and analytics. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the initial public offering. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations and projections regarding its business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those in the Company's registration statement filed with the SEC. SOURCE Clearwater Analytics In a survey of residents of the two states during this period of political upheaval, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at CMC compared attitudes of California and New York voters toward the power to recall public officials, their governors' performances, and problems facing the states. Unlike other recent polls that have focused exclusively on the views of California voters regarding Governor Newsom and the recall process leading up to the California recall election, the CMC-Rose Institute Poll provides a comparison of public opinion in these two, large, Democratic statesone of which allows for the recall of elected officials, while the other does not. The poll, designed by the Rose Institute and conducted by YouGov, surveyed 2,000 respondents in California and 1,675 in New York between August 30, 2021 and September 10, 2021. CMC Profs. Andrew Sinclair and Ken Miller oversaw and developed the poll comparing political attitudes in California and New York states. Sinclair and Miller discussed the survey this week on KPCC's "Air Talk" with Larry Mantle. Key Findings Among other findings, the poll shows that: A large majority of Californians (70.6%), including nearly all Republicans (92.5%) and independents (84.3%), as well as most Democrats (56.2%), believe the people should retain the power to recall governors. Similarly, nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers (65.2%), including a narrow majority of Democrats (52.2%) would like to gain the power to recall governors in their state. In California , support for the recall power was greater among the more populist wings of the two parties. The survey categorizes Democratic respondents as either "Progressive" or "Center-Left" and Republicans as either "Old GOP" or "Trump GOP." While Republicans overall were more likely than Democrats to express support for the recall process, Trump GOP respondents registered the strongest support (95.8% support), and Progressive Democrats expressed greater support (59.7%) than center-left Democrats (49.4%). When it came to applying the recall power against Gavin Newsom , Californians were starkly divided along partisan lines. Fully nine in ten Californians who identify as or lean Republican (90.4%) supported the recall of Governor Newsom, while a nearly identical percentage of Californians who identify as or lean Democratic (89.7%) opposed the recall. (Independents in the survey fell in the middle, supporting the recall by 58.8 percent.) Partisanship overrode all other factors in the recall vote. Although respondents expressed concerns about a range of problems facing the state, including Covid-19, crime, homelessness, wildfires, and other issues, these concerns ultimately did not cause voters to deviate from recent partisan voting patterns. Opposition to the recall (approximately 60% in the poll) closely tracked support for Newsom in the 2018 election (61.9%) and for President Biden in 2020 (63.5%). Put another way, respondents in the survey generally assigned blame for their state's problems to the opposite partyDemocrats blamed Republicans and Republicans blamed Democrats. For example, with respect to the response to Covid-19 In California, only 11% of Democrats disapproved of how Governor Newsom had handled the Covid-19 pandemic. In New York, only 16% of Democrats disapproved of Governor Cuomo's pandemic response. Republicans, on the other hand, reversed these numbers: 83% of Republican identifiers disapproved of Newsom's response to the pandemic. Former Governor Cuomo in New York fared only slightly better, with 76% of respondents who identify with the GOP registering their disapproval of his pandemic response. For more findings and other information, see http://roseinstitute.org/poll-cany2021/ or contact Prof. Andrew Sinclair, [email protected] | (626) 376-1105. About the Survey The CMC-Rose Institute Poll was sponsored and funded by the Rose Institute of State and Local Government and Claremont McKenna College. It was conducted under the direction of Kenneth P. Miller, Director of the Rose Institute and J. Andrew Sinclair, a faculty fellow at the Institute, with support from Rose Institute student researchers. The survey was implemented online by YouGov between August 30, 2021 and September 10, 2021. It includes a sample of 2,000 registered California voters and 1,675 registered New York voters. It includes post-stratified weights, computed by YouGov, that take into account gender, age, race, education, and the 2016/2020 presidential vote. The overall margin of error for the California registered voters sample is 2.53%, with a slightly larger margin of error for the weights produced just to match likely voters. The margin of error in the New York registered voter sample is 2.83, a slightly larger weight reflecting a slightly smaller group. Media Contact: Gilien Silsby 213-500-8673 [email protected] SOURCE Claremont McKenna College Related Links http://www.cmc.edu HONG KONG, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883,NYSE: CEO, TSX: CNU) today announced that Bozhong 19-4 oilfield comprehensive adjustment project has commenced production. Bozhong 19-4 oilfield comprehensive adjustment project is located in the south of Bohai Sea, with average water depth of about 21 meters. In addition to fully utilizing the existing processing facilities of Bozhong 25-1 oilfield, the project has built a new eight-legged central equipment platform. A total of 25 development wells are planned, including 18 production wells, 7 water injection wells. The project is expected to reach its peak production of approximately 11,000 barrels of crude oil per day in 2022. CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in Bozhong 19-4 oilfield comprehensive adjustment project and acts as the operator. - End - Notes to Editors: More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com. *** *** *** *** This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expected future events, business prospectus or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the expectations and predictions of the Company depends on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition to differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to the Company and its controlling shareholder being listed in the list of the U.S. for sanction against companies with alleged ties to the Chinese military, those associated with fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, macro-political and economic factors, changes in the tax and fiscal regimes of the host countries in which we operate, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, environmental responsibility and compliance requirements, the Company's price forecast, the exploration and development activities, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, HSSE and insurance policies and changes in anti-corruption, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering and corporate governance laws. For a description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see the documents the Company files from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 20-F filed in April of the latest fiscal year. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations. *** *** *** *** For further enquiries, please contact: Ms. Jing Liu Manager, Media & Public Relations CNOOC Limited Tel: +86-10-8452-3404 Fax: +86-10-8452-1441 E-mail: [email protected] Bunny Lee Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group Tel: +852 3150 6707 Fax: +852 3150 6728 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE CNOOC Limited DENVER, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 40 National venture capitalists and 45 CEO/Founders of venture backed tech companies, the 2021 Colorado Venture Summit is coming back in a big way after postponing in 2020.This year's main event will take place on September 30th at the Rally Hotel in McGregor Square, right in the heart of Downtown Denver. The main event is almost sold out and will close once 140 attendees are qualified to attend. The main event offers over 7 hours of unstructured networking, with the addition of more opportunities for one on one meetings. Tickets to the main event include a private dinner for attendees and VCs to continue their conversations from the day and build upon relationships. Following dinner, the event will conclude with an evening party which welcomes non-venture backed tech founders and CEOs, as well. The evening party will be hosted at McGregor's Square Plaza and registration is now open. This part of the event garners an additional 300+ attendees of non-venture backed tech companies. Registration for the evening party closes on September 28th. "With the support of our many sponsors, including Signature Bank, Cooley and KPMG founding sponsors, as well as some of our long time ecosystem partners like Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network and Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association, we're excited for a full day of direct one on one meetings which fuels Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region's tech scene", said Jody Shepherd, Managing Director at Service Provider Capital and Co-Chair of Colorado Venture Summit. Colorado Venture Summit offers an exclusive opportunity that is focused on making connections that drive business. Tens of millions of dollars have been invested from Summit connections to date. Colorado Venture Summit invites members of the media to be in attendance. For more information and to check eligibility, please visit https://coloradoventuresummit.com/ About Colorado Venture Summit Colorado Venture Summit is an exclusive curated attendance event and the premier venture capital event in the Rocky Mountain region. The focus of the summit is to make connections that drive business, using round table discussions and one-on-one meetings to help venture capital investors and tech CEOs create mutually beneficial business partnerships. To learn more about the summit, or to register, visit www.coloradoventuresummit.com/ Contact: Farra Lanzer [email protected] 970-542-3284 SOURCE Colorado Venture Summit Related Links http://www.coloradoventuresummit.com/ WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced that, following approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on guidance from the organization's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), select CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations are now offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot to eligible populations beginning today, Friday, September 24. Following guidelines set by ACIP and CDC: People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series People aged 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series People 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risk receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risk People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series Individuals who initially received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine are not eligible for a booster at this time, per guidance from the public health agencies. "We have the experience and the infrastructure to play a leading role in administering booster shots to eligible populations," said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health. "We also continue to make it as convenient as possible for the unvaccinated to receive their first doses." Individuals interested in receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster or their initial vaccine series are strongly encouraged to make an appointment at CVS.com or MinuteClinic.com to ensure they are able to access the correct vaccine at a convenient time and location. Currently, each participating CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic location is offering either the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, not all three. When scheduling an appointment on cvs.com, patients will be asked to provide the manufacturer and date of their last COVID-19 vaccine and will be able to schedule an appointment for a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose if they have had two previous doses with the same vaccine at least six months prior. Per guidance from the CDC, patients will be asked to self-attest to their eligibility as defined by the eligibility guidelines, to help reduce barriers to access for these select populations. CVS Health has administered more than 34 million COVID-19 vaccines and 32 million COVID-19 tests across the country to-date. The company has played a prominent role in administering third doses to the immunocompromised and is prepared to provide booster shots from other manufacturers, as well as expand vaccine eligibility to ages 5-11, as soon as authorized to do so by public health agencies. About CVS Health CVS Health is the leading health solutions company, delivering care in ways no one else can. We reach more people and improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and our nearly 300,000 dedicated colleagues including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health whether that's managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications, or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system and their personal health care by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Learn more at www.cvshealth.com. Media contact Matthew Blanchette [email protected] 401-524-6185 SOURCE CVS Health CEO Daniel Faber commented "Our robust RAFTI [the Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface] system was designed to refuel large US Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and commercial assets in geostationary orbit, so commencing operations in this orbit will be an important milestone for us. This GEO tanker will have the capability to store propellant for up to 15 years, though of course we provide the fuel that satellites need, where and when they need it." Orbit Fab's tanker gets to geostationary orbit aboard a Spaceflight Inc. Sherpa-ES orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), using a novel trajectory that takes it first around the back of the moon. Launching on a SpaceX rocket alongside Intuitive Machines' IM-2 lunar lander, the mission is facilitated by the newly-formed GeoJump, which is offering rideshare missions to GEO in partnership with Spaceflight. James Bultitude, Orbit Fab's Chief Engineer, described the mission. "This is the first tanker in this orbit, and Spaceflight has come up with a new way to get us there efficiently. Hydrazine fuel will be available for delivery as soon as it arrives, though we intend to take some time to demonstrate our long-term storage technology. When it's not making a fuel delivery, we will be parking our tanker a few hundred kilometers away from the geostationary belt so as not to clutter up the orbit." Orbit Fab has attracted significant financial support including US defense giants Lockheed Martin (through its venture arm Lockheed Martin Ventures) and Northrop Grumman Corporation, Japanese trading conglomerate Marubeni (through Marubeni Ventures), and leading satellite and launch insurer Munich Re (through Munich Re Ventures). The company recently announced that it is moving its headquarters to Colorado, supported by nearly $5M in economic incentives from the Colorado state government. About Orbit Fab: Orbit Fab believes a bustling in-space economy is a precondition to permanent jobs in space. By providing a ubiquitous supply of satellite propellant in Earth Orbit (branded Gas Stations in Space), the company improves existing space business models (communications and Earth observation) and helps open new industries like space tourism, manufacturing and mining. Backed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Munich Re Ventures, and Marubeni Ventures, Orbit Fab has racked up a number of world-firsts: the first ever commercially available in-space refueling port (RAFTI), the first ever private company to resupply the International Space Station with water, and the first ever satellite fuel depot. The future for satellites is no longer restricted to the fuel they are launched with. Orbit Fab delivers the fuel and other materials that are needed, where and when they are needed, to enable business models never before thought possible. SOURCE Orbit Fab Related Links orbitfab.com TSX.V:DME U.S.OTC:DMEHF Frankfurt:QM01 VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSX.V: DME) (U.S. OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company. Desert Mountain Energy Corp. announces that it granted on September 22nd, 2021, subject to any necessary regulatory approvals, incentive stock options to purchase in aggregate 275,000 shares of its Common Stock. The options have been granted to directors, officers and consultants of the Company. Said options were granted under the Company's Stock Option Plan and are exercisable for a period of 3 years at a price of CAD $2.83 per Share. They are subject to the Company's customary vesting policy. ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded exploration and resource company focused on the discovery and development of rare noble gas fields in the U.S. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries. We seek safe harbor "Robert Rohlfing" Robert Rohlfing Executive Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp. Related Links https://desertmountainenergy.com/ Tourism Director General Joy Jibrilu stated, "We at the Ministry of Tourism look forward with excitement to working under the new leadership of Minister Cooper, who will bring to our Ministry the wealth of knowledge and experience he has garnered from his lifetime career as a successful leader in the private sector. Minister Cooper's energy and sharp business acumen are exactly what is needed as our Ministry continues the thrust toward tourism recovery amid an ongoing pandemic." Minister Cooper acknowledges that all of the core business in The Bahamas is driven by the international community and that understanding of the international context of business is absolutely critical to the sustainable expansion of The Bahamas' Tourism, Aviation and Investments sectors. As one who has achieved much success in private sector leadership, Mr. Cooper assumes the helm of the nation's number one business with an acute awareness of the monumental task that lies ahead. He relishes the opportunity to rise to the challenge in the service of his beloved country. Minister Cooper is the youngest of 12 and is married to Cecelia Cooper. They are the proud parents of three children. His early struggles pushed him to be courageous, resilient and humble; qualities which served him well as he climbed the corporate ladder to become Chairman & CEO of BAF Global Group and President & CEO of BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas) Ltd. He was the inaugural Chairman of the Insurance Advisory Committee and founding Director of The Bahamas Venture Fund. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a Distinguished Toastmaster and serves on various private sector Boards. Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper is the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Member of Parliament for the Exumas and Ragged Island constituency. ABOUT THE BAHAMAS Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook , YouTube or Instagram . PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation [email protected] Weber Shandwick Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Related Links http://www.bahamas.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) providers put the health and safety of the children and families they serve at the forefront of every decision they make. This is the case now more than ever as our nation works to combat the rapidly spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus and any future variants that might emerge. To that end, nine of our corporate membersBright Horizons, Cadence Education, Childcare Network, KinderCare Education, Learning Care Group, Little Sprouts, The Malvern School, The Nest Schools and New Horizon Academyhave implemented policies that require all their staff to be vaccinated against or undergo weekly testing for COVID-19. Our remaining members strongly support and unequivocally recommend employees getting the vaccine, and many are in the process of developing and rolling out similar policies. As leaders in the child care industry, we are incredibly supportive of the new measures proposed by President Biden to require vaccination for both government workers and those at private businesses with 100 or more employees. We recognize that such measures are necessary to help protect our children, employees and their families, especially because the vaccine is not yet available for the children in our care. While children had been relatively safe from the coronavirus throughout much of the pandemic, the Delta variant is a reminder that the pandemic is not over, and we must act accordingly. ECEC and its members stand ready to do everything in our power to protect our children, employees and families. ECEC providers have demonstrated their leadership throughout the pandemic, keeping their doors open and implementing extensive health and safety measures to serve our nation's essential workforce. We continue to adapt so our communities can return to normal and families can feel secure knowing we are doing all we can to keep the children in our centers safe from the coronavirus. Vaccines will also help protect our teachers, allowing them to safely interact with the children in their care. Vaccinations are the most effective tool we have to fight this virus, and ECEC providers are committed to providing the safest learning environments possible. As the federal and state governments continue to implement vaccine requirements, we strongly urge that coverage for the cost of testing be taken into consideration. States should consider making tests available for free or creating grant funds with money from the American Rescue Plan Act to cover the cost of testing. ABOUT ECEC ECEC is a nonprofit alliance of the leading multi-state/multi-site child care providers, key state child care associations, and premier educational service providers, representing over 7,000 programs serving nearly a million children in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and select international locations. ECEC serves as the unified collective voice for providers of high-quality programs and services that support families and children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. They are advocates for federal and state policies that expand access to and affordability of results-driven, high-quality early childhood programs. SOURCE Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC) CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "eGRC Market with COVID-19 by Offering (Software and Services), Software (Usage and Type), Type (Policy Management, Compliance Management, Audit Management, and Risk Management), Business Function, End User, and Region Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global eGRC Market size is projected to grow from USD 36.1 billion in 2021 to USD 60.7 billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.9% during the forecast period. The major factors contributing to the market growth include the growing need to meet stringent compliance mandates and get a holistic view of policy, risk & compliance data, and increasing data & security breaches. These factors lead to the growing need for precise eGRC solutions, which support organizations to effectively manage Governance Compliance Risk (GRC) programs for driving the growth of the eGRC industry. Browse in-depth TOC on "eGRC Market" 457 Tables 50 Figures 360 Pages Ask for Report Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1310 Among deployment mode, cloud segment to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The use of eGRC solutions is increasing acroCloud-based eGRC solutions are becoming popular as they offer a cost-effective and efficient way to manage governance, risk, and compliance. As cloud-based solutions offer a wide range of benefits, the adoption of the same is increasing among various industries. The adoption of cloud-based eGRC solutions is increasing among SMEs as these solutions are budget-friendly and easy to deploy. Cloud-Based eGRC vendors offer GRC solutions to help organizations automate compliance, as well as control monitoring processes. Furthermore, it enhances the visibility into risk exposure. Hence, vendors are projected to deploy eGRC solutions to leverage the benefits offered by the cloud. Healthcare vertical to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The use of eGRC solutions is increasing across all verticals to manage the challenges associated with risk and compliance. Verticals that are leveraging eGRC solutions include Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), telecommunication, energy & utility, government, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & natural resources, retail & consumer goods, Information Technology (IT), transportation & logistics and others. Among these, the healthcare vertical is expected to grow at the highest growth rate, owing to the growing need to manage various standards and ensure compliance requirements for regulations. The healthcare sector is constantly focusing on enhancing the services delivered to patients. While delivering the best services to patients and staff, clinics and hospitals must assess and control various risks with regards to patient safety, federal regulations, and medical errors. In addition, risk and compliance management solutions enable healthcare service provides to consolidate the information in the form of silos to manage risk and compliance in the organization. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1310 North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period North America is contributing maximum in terms of revenue generation in the global eGRC Market. The region is witnessing major developments in the eGRC space. Multiple vendors across the region are involved in developing innovative products and solutions. They are focusing on the integration of advanced technologies, such as Analytics, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning (ML). Among all the countries of North America, the US is expected to lead in terms of the adoption of eGRC solutions. The growing business complexities and changing regulatory requirements are expected to drive market growth in the region. Major vendors in the global eGRC Market include IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), SAP (Germany), SAS Institute (US), ServiceNow (US), Thomson Reuters (Canada), Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands), Dell EMC (US), FIS (US), Software AG (Germany), RSA Security (US), MEGA International (France), Ideagen (UK), Mphasis (India), MetricStream (US), Protiviti (US), SAI Global (US), ProcessGene (Israel), LogicManager (US), Quantivate (US), Riskonnect (US), NAVEX Global (US), Alyne(Germany), and Lexcomply (India), StandardFusion (Canada). Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Cybersecurity Market with Covid-19 Impact Analysis by Component (Software, Hardware, and Services), Software (IAM, Encryption, APT, Firewall), Security Type, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cyber-security-market-505.html RegTech Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Application (Risk and Compliance Management, Identity Management, Regulatory Reporting, AML and Fraud Management), Vertical, Deployment Type, Organization Size, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/regtech-market-63447434.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/enterprise-governance-risk-compliance-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/enterprise-governance-risk-compliance.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Alphabet and Google Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat Calls on Global Community to Join Compact in Address to United Nations General Assembly NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading energy buyers, suppliers, solutions providers and governments announced today the formal launch of the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All and the UN Energy. The Compact represents a new global effort to accelerate the transition to a carbon-free electricity sector to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. SEforALL and Google made the announcement today during the United Nations High level Dialogue on Energy in New York. In addition to Google, founding signatories of the Compact include The AES Corporation, Orsted, EDP, the city of Des Moines, Iowa, the government of Iceland, and others. A carbon-free electricity sector is the foundation for creating a net-zero emissions global economy. Electricity generates 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and is key to decarbonizing other sectors of the economy, including buildings, transport, and industry. Meeting this challenge will require a rapid acceleration in the pace of clean energy deployment, the development of advanced carbon-free energy technologies, and significant policy changes. SEforALL and Google are calling on companies, governments, and other stakeholders to join the Compact in the lead up to November's COP26 Conference in Glasgow and commit to advancing policies, procurement practices, tools, and data that are critical to fully decarbonizing the world's electricity systems. The Compact lays out a set of principles and actions that actors can take to adopt, enable, and advance 24/7 Carbon-free Energy, focusing on hourly decarbonization of local and regional electricity grids. "The world is at a crossroads. We can either continue with business as usual or embrace change that leads to a more sustainable and equitable future. This starts with making the important link between energy and climate. The Energy Compacts that have been put forward as part of this historic UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy have resulted in ambitious commitments and actions that will help address energy poverty while working towards decarbonization. The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact represents a critical partnership across business, countries, cities and others that will propel us closer to our 2030 Global Energy Goals," said SEforALL CEO & Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General Damilola Ogunbiyi. "Tackling climate change requires government and business to work together with urgency and focus. The Compact is the first collective action group to bring together companies, national and local governments, and other stakeholders to drive innovation and investment in 24/7 carbon-free electricity grids, and we are hopeful that it will facilitate significant progress. Time is not on our side-- we need to act now-- and we look forward to others joining with Google in our efforts," said Google CFO Ruth Porat. Founding signatories of the Compact include: 8 Rivers Capital, The AES Corporation, ClearTrace, the city of Des Moines, Iowa, EDP, Energy Tag, Fervo Energy, FlexiDAO, Google, the government of Iceland, Iron Mountain, the city of Ithaca, New York, LevelTen Energy, M-RETS, Orsted, Power Ledger, Statkraft, Tomorrow, and X. Signatories of the Compact commit to advance the procurement practices, market mechanisms, policies, technologies, and energy data transparency needed to enable the rapid and cost-effective achievement of 24/7 carbon-free energy for all. "As a developer of cutting-edge clean energy solutions, 8 Rivers is excited to work with Google and the world-class partners in this Compact to accelerate the global energy transition to a 24/7 carbon-free power system, so anyone can access reliable clean electricity any hour of the day," said 8 Rivers Capital Chief Executive Officer Cam Hosie. "Taking action against climate change is the most important and urgent issue facing us today, and AES is proud to join the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact. Together, we're co-creating new solutions, such as the first-of-its-kind agreement to supply 24/7 carbon-free energy to Google's data centers in Virginia, that will accelerate a smarter, greener energy future," said AES President and Chief Executive Officer Andres Gluski. "As we strive for a net zero future, it's clear that corporations who are among the largest energy consumers need solutions to help them accurately manage and track power-related emissions. We are proud to support and enable the transition to a carbon-free energy future," said ClearTrace Chief Executive Officer Lincoln Payton. "I want to commend and thank the many global partners who join me in supporting the transformation of electric grids to 'absolute zero' - or full decarbonization - by adopting, enabling, and advancing the 24/7 CFE Compact Statement. Our commitment as a City to decarbonized energy systems supports a future for clean energy and ensures that all residents have access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy," said Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Cownie. "EDP is thrilled to join the Global Compact for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy. We are proud to be at the forefront of the development of new technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of electricity systems and promote the globalization of access to clean energy," said EDP Chief Executive Officer Miguel Stilwell Andrade. "24/7 carbon-free energy is a critical development in energy procurement practices and EnergyTag is delighted to be a signatory of this Compact. EnergyTag is an industry-led, non-profit initiative to define and build a market for granular energy certificates, which enable consumers to verify the source of their electricity consumption on an hourly basis and harness consumer demand for 24/7 carbon-free energy to drive investments," said EnergyTag Founder Dr. Toby Ferenczi. "24/7 carbon-free energy is the next step in advancing progress to address climate change. Fervo Energy is excited to sign on to this important effort and to continue driving forward geothermal innovations to create a truly carbon free grid," said Fervo Energy Chief Executive Officer Tim Latimer. "At FlexiDAO, we provide software solutions and advisory to help companies achieve their net-zero goals and become true leaders of the energy transition. For this reason, we are extremely excited to partner with Google and to join the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact," said FlexiDAO Chief Executive Officer Simone Accornero. "Iron Mountain recognizes both the urgent need to decarbonize our energy grid and the opportunity we have as an energy buyer to make a meaningful impact. We support the ultimate ambition of meeting each kilowatt needed every hour with generation from a local carbon free source and have made this a cornerstone of how we buy and consume power," said Iron Mountain Director of Energy and Sustainability Chris Pennington. "Carbon free electricity is essential to achieve full decarbonization. By joining the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, the City of Ithaca, N.Y., reiterates its commitment to expanding access to carbon free electricity as a pathway to a clean energy future," said Director of Sustainability for the City of Ithaca, New York, Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres. "Matching every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption with carbon-free electricity sources requires a transformative approach to energy procurement, and LevelTen is committed to building the software solutions required to give more organizations this opportunity. Together, with our network of energy and sustainability advisors, we look forward to helping more energy buyers achieve their 24/7 carbon-free goals," said LevelTen Energy Chief Executive Officer Bryce Smith. "M-RETS is excited to participate in this initiative as the first registry to support an hourly REC claim in partnership with Google. This initiative is an important step in facilitating a data driven renewable energy market," said M-RETS President and Chief Executive Officer Ben Gerber. "rsted's vision is to create a world running entirely on green energy, and this includes meeting demand every hour of every day. We already know the solutions to get a long part of the way towards 24/7 renewable energy and we're committed to facilitating the last difficult stretch of the journey together with our partners," said rsted Senior Vice President - Region Continental Europe Rasmus Errboe. "The movement to 24/7 renewables with hourly matching through PPAs and RECs is the best solution to scale renewable energy because it puts a price signal on when and where power is needed and supports an energy system that is stable, low cost and low carbon. The Powerledger platform can stamp the time and location data from clean energy production onto renewable energy certificates and other commodities, enabling energy retailers like eKwateur and RE100 companies on registries like M-RETS to seamlessly trade, match and manage their portfolios on an hourly basis," said Powerledger Chairman & Co-Founder Dr. Jemma Green. "With the increased penetration of renewable energy on the grid, it becomes even more crucial to measure emissions at a high resolution. At electricityMap we're very excited to see this initiative come to fruition, and we hope that it will help bring the measurement of emissions closer to the physical reality," said Founder and CEO of Tomorrow Olivier Corradi. "We are proud to join this crucial Compact. At X, we recognize that the complexity of decarbonising the grid in the time required to tackle climate change requires commitment and collaboration of governments and businesses throughout the value chain and across the world to the actions necessary to design and operate a decarbonized power grid. Our moonshot is to work with partners to develop and apply advanced computing to support the design and operation of a decarbonized, affordable, reliable and resilient power system," said X Vice President Audrey Zibelman. Each signatory will capture their specific commitments in their own Energy Compact, an innovation introduced by SEforALL and backed by UN-Energy as a key outcome of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy. The Energy Compacts are public and trackable commitments, with specific actions, made by governments, companies and others to achieve energy transition goals by 2030 including universal access to affordable and clean energy. For more on the Energy Compacts registry, visit https://www.un.org/en/energycompacts/page/registry. For more on the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, visit https://www.un.org/en/energy-compacts/page/compact-247-carbon-free-energy. Stakeholders across the energy ecosystem are invited to sign on to the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, and can do so by contacting Sustainable Energy for All at [email protected]. NOTES TO EDITORS About Sustainable Energy for All Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement on climate. SEforALL works to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential. SEforALL is led by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Follow her on Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. For more information, follow @SEforALLorg. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633951/SEforALL_Logo.jpg For further details on the reports or any interview requests, please contact: Sherry Kennedy Sustainable Energy for All [email protected] [email protected] +43 676 846 727 237 SOURCE SEforALL Related Links https://www.seforall.org ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Realtors has been named as one of the "Top Workplaces" in Central Florida. The Orlando Sentinel operates the "Top Workplaces" recognition, relying on Philadelphia-based research firm Energage to oversee the confidential and unbiased study. The annual rankings are based on an anonymous workplace culture survey filled out by company employees. Florida Realtors' employees filled out the survey online, and neither the state Realtor association nor the Orlando Sentinel saw the responses. "Creating a culture of trust and empowerment is an everyday process," says Florida Realtors CEO Margy Grant. "When given the opportunity to do the right thing at the right time, employees will choose to do so when they feel trusted and empowered. At Florida Realtors, we invite our employees into the discussion for our mission to be the 'Voice for Real Estate in Florida.' They are as important to our brand as any of our products, tools or services." Florida Realtors has 120 employees working in its Central Florida office, which is located just north of Orlando International Airport at 7025 Augusta National Drive in Orlando, Fla. The workplace survey categorized companies by size: Legacy Workplaces 34 or fewer employees Small Workplaces 35 to 149 employees Midsized Companies 150 to 499 employees Large Workplaces 500 or more employees Florida Realtors ranked No. 12 in the Small Workplaces category. Florida Realtors recently celebrated 100 years of service. Its first meeting took place in 1916, when 68 real estate brokers from 16 Florida communities met in Jacksonville for the first convention. Today, Florida Realtors is the largest professional trade association in the state with more than 200,000 members and it recently became the largest state Realtor association in the U.S. It's made up of 51 local and regional Realtor associations or boards. Membership is voluntary and includes residential and commercial agents and brokers, as well as appraisers, real estate counselors, property managers, real estate specialists and related industry affiliates. In addition to the Central Florida office, the association also has a Public Policy office in Tallahassee. "I am excited to have our people recognized for the critical work they've been doing to drive the real estate industry in Florida," says Florida Realtors Director of Human Resources Chris Mini. "People are the heart of every organization, and the people at Florida Realtors work together to create a collaborative and values-driven organization which in turn transitions to exceptional service for our Realtor members." See the full 2021 list of the Top Workplaces in Central Florida at the Orlando Sentinel. Florida Realtors serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its more than 200,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors Newsroom is available at http://floridarealtors.org/newsroom. SOURCE Florida Realtors Related Links http://www.floridarealtors.org LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Galen College of Nursing is pleased to announce Dr. John Lundeen EdD, RN, CNE, has been selected for the fifteenth class of fellows to be inducted into the prestigious National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education. Dr. Lundeen will join nineteen distinguished nurse educators in the 2021 induction ceremony at the Honors Convocation on Saturday, September 25, during the 2021 NLN Education Summit. Fellows represent a prominent list of leading nurse educators affiliated with top-ranked teaching hospitals, academic institutions, and other organizations committed to advancing the quality of health care in the U.S. and globally. As Program Director for the online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Galen College of Nursing, Dr. Lundeen leads the development and implementation of the MSN Nurse Educator track. Drawing from his extensive experience in nursing education, Dr. Lundeen ensures the Galen curriculum prepares graduates to teach in academic settings through scholarly inquiry and leadership. His focus is helping transform nursing education and development in clinical settings, as well as support and direct faculty development. "Since joining Galen in 2019, John has been a tremendous asset to our online MSN program and we are thrilled his accomplishments and thought leadership are being recognized by the NLN. His steadfast commitment to the continuous growth and professional development of nursing is prevalent in everything he touches at our institution," Galen's CEO Mark Vogt said. "This honor is reserved for some of the most esteemed educators in nursing, and we're so proud that John is helping change the lives of our MSN students seeking career advancement in nursing education and leadership. Well deserved!" Before his appointment at Galen, Dr. Lundeen was an associate professor and nurse anesthesia simulation coordinator in the Ida Moffett School of Nursing at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was on faculty for 11 years. At Samford, Dr. Lundeen had the opportunity to teach in the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral nursing programs. He also taught in the DNP program and served as chair of the school's Faculty Development Committee and co-chair of the university's ad hoc Committee on Faculty Assessment. In addition to his faculty role, Dr. Lundeen has served at the national level as a Governor-at-Large on the National League for Nursing's (NLN) Board of Governors since 2014. Previously, he served as a member of the CNE Certification Commission and as chair of the CNE Test Development Committee. As a scholar, he has published articles on evaluation and certification. Most recently, Dr. Lundeen contributed a chapter to the NLN's Clinical Nurse Educator Competencies: Creating an Evidence-Based Practice for Academic Clinical Nurse Educators. The Academy of Nursing Education fosters excellence in nursing education by recognizing the wisdom of outstanding nurse educators. In a competitive application process, the Academy of Nursing Education Review Panel takes into account applicants' contributions to innovative teaching and/or learning strategies; nursing education research; faculty development activities; academic leadership; promotion of public policy initiatives that advance nursing education; and/or collaborative educational, practice, or community partnerships. For more information, visit NLN.org. About Galen College of Nursing Founded over 30 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing schools in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, Galen offers master's, baccalaureate, associate, and practical/vocational nursing programs, to over 8,000 students on its campuses in Louisville and Hazard, KY.; San Antonio and Austin, TX; Nashville, TN; Tampa Bay and Miami, FL.; Cincinnati, OH; and online. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Programmatic accreditation status for Galen's multiple programs and nationwide campuses can be found here. Contact: Andy Stillwagon, Brand Communications Director (502) 387-7476 (cell) [email protected] SOURCE Galen College of Nursing Related Links http://galencollege.edu/ DUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Aluminum Extrusion Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Pipes & Tubes, Shapes), by Application (Electrical & Energy, Building & Construction), by Region (MEA, APAC), and Segment Forecasts, 2021-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global aluminum extrusion market size is expected to reach USD 104.15 billion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 7.8% over the forecast period. Increasing investments in infrastructure and residential construction is projected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Emerging economies of Asia Pacific, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa are witnessing increasing investments in the residential and infrastructure sector owing to the rapid urbanization, rising per capita income levels, and growing population. For instance, in the economic budget of FY 2020-21, the Indian government announced around USD 1.41 trillion funding for infrastructure projects in the country. The Indian government is set to develop 6,500 projects under its National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) over the next five years. Besides the construction industry, growth in the automotive & transportation sector is also expected to play a crucial role in driving the market growth. Aluminum, being a lightweight material, helps in curbing emissions from automobiles. Also, due to various stringent government regulations regarding carbon emissions, automobile companies are preferring this material over steel for automotive manufacturing. The Covid-19 pandemic has created disruptions in the value chain of the industry across various countries, such as China. However, the country is all set for a strong rebound in its economic activities, following the relaxation of economic and social controls since April 2020. Where the other major economies of the world reported a negative GDP for the second quarter (April-June) of 2020, China registered a GDP growth of 3.2%. The economic growth of the country has helped soften the impact of the pandemic for the remainder of 2020. Aluminum Extrusion Market Report Highlights The shapes product segment generated the largest revenue share of 80% in 2020 and is estimated to retain the leading position over the forecast period The growth of this segment is attributed to the increasing demand for channels, tubing, and angles in various applications, such as construction, architectural and automotive components, computers, and domestic appliances In terms of revenue, the automotive & transportation application segment is expected to grow at a steady CAGR of 6.9% from 2021 to 2028 Properties, such as flexibility, durability, and corrosion-resistance, enable usage of aluminum extrusion in automotive & transportation applications, thereby driving the segment growth Asia Pacific was the dominant regional market in 2020, in terms of revenue, and is expected to maintain its position growing at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period was the dominant regional market in 2020, in terms of revenue, and is expected to maintain its position growing at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period Stable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the manufacturing sectors of China , India , South Korea , Indonesia , and Singapore is one of the key factors driving the APAC regional market , , , , and is one of the key factors driving the APAC regional market The market is highly competitive in which most of the players are focusing on creating their differentiation factors. The establishment of an efficient sales channel is of key significance for the manufacturers in the market Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Aluminum Extrusion Market Variables, Trends & Scope Chapter 4. Aluminum Extrusion Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 5. Aluminum Extrusion Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 6. Aluminum Extrusion Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis Chapter 7. Competitive Analysis Chapter 8. Company Profiles Hindalco Industries Limited Arconic Corporation Norsk Hydro ASA Constellium N. V. Kaiser Aluminum Alupco Gulf Extrusions Co. LLC Balexco Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company QALEX China Zhongwang Holdings For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/26iij2 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Vials, Bottles, Cartridges & Syringes, Ampoules), by Drug Type (Generic, Branded, Biologic), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2021-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pharmaceutical glass packaging market size is expected to reach USD 7.46 billion by 2028. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2021 to 2028. The demand for pharmaceutical glass packaging is projected to be driven by the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in emerging economies, especially in the Asia Pacific region. The cost sensitivity in the healthcare sector and the growing significance of biotech drugs have resulted in the establishment of stringent regulations related to drug delivery products. Many pharmaceutical drugs manufacturing companies are focused on increasing the shelf life of a drug and are therefore making investments in the research and development of glass vials. The newly developed products are expected to aid the growth of glass vials due to the expansive number of applications. The generic drug type segment is expected to witness the fastest growth in terms of revenue as well as volume over the forecast period. This is due to the significant increase in the volume of generics in the country, which is estimated to face a rapid change in the market dynamics primarily due to the increased competitive intensity and customer consolidation. Glass packaging is highly preferred in the pharmaceutical industry as it is easy to sterilize with heat and does not react with most of the drugs and medicines being chemically inert. The colored glass packaging can protect the medicines from different wavelengths, including UV rays of the sun. Additionally, glass is easily available all over the world and can be recycled, which has made it an ideal material for the packaging of pharmaceutical products. The market in North America is expected to witness steady growth in the years to come on account of global key players present in the region. With the rising volume of generic drugs, glass packaging has been increasingly adopted owing to the preexisting established supply chain. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has positively impacted the market growth due to the growing use of pharmaceutical glass packaging in the packaging of immunity-boosting drugs. Companies in the pharmaceutical glass packaging industry have been trying to improve product strength to reduce breakage during the filling of vials. In September 2019, Corning Inc. got approval from the FDA to market its Corning Valor Glass, which enables superior chemical durability and improves resistance to breakage, damage, and particulate contamination. For instance, Gerresheimer AG, a key German-based pharma glass packaging manufacturer, has developed a metal-free 1 ml Gx RTF long Luer Lock syringe. This particular syringe uses a new technology in which the pin used to shape the cone is made of a special ceramic material instead of the conventional tungsten or alternative metal. Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Report Highlights In terms of revenue, the generic drug type segment led the market and accounted for a 71.2% share in 2020. Distrust in the quality of unbranded generic medicines by physicians/patients, high out-of-pocket patient spending for drug purchases, and insufficient government promotion of unbranded generics are likely to promote the use of branded generic drugs over the coming years The ampoules product segment accounted for the largest volume share of 74.7% in 2020. Glass ampoules have been widely used in packaging injection drugs. Ampoules are one of the most used glass-based primary packaging for injectables, and their growth is clearly being seen in the cost-sensitive markets of emerging nations Glass delamination has been a growing concern and has been emphasized by the FDA for better compatibility testing of containers and drugs. The development of glass vials by pharma packaging manufacturers that reduce the chances of delamination and breakage is estimated to result in the continuation of the trend of glass vials occupying a major market share over the coming years Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Market Variables, Trends & Scope Market Lineage Outlook Parent Market Outlook: Glass Packaging Market Related Market Outlook: Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping Value Chain Analysis Raw Material Trends Major Raw Materials Analysis Type 1 - Borosilicate Glass Boric Oxide Type II Treated Soda Lime Type III Regular Soda Lime Procurement Best Practices Manufacturing Trends Technology Trends Sales Channel Analysis Regulatory Framework International Organization for Standardization Occupational Hazard and Safety Management Certification U.S. Food and Drug Administration Market Driver Analysis Growth of Pharmaceutical Industry in Emerging Economies Commodity Value of Glass Increased with Recyclability Market Restraints Analysis Increased Relevance of Alternate Source Challenges Associated with Glass Surface Major Deals & Strategic Alliances Analysis Joint Ventures Mergers & Acquisition New Product Launches & Capacity Expansion Companies Mentioned Corning Incorporated Nipro Corporation SGD S.A. Stolzle-Oberglas GmbH West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Schott AG Gerresheimer AG Bormioli Pharma S.r.l Shandong Medicinal Glass Co., Ltd. Beatson Clark Ardagh Group S.A. Arab Pharmaceutical Glass Co. Piramal Enterprises Ltd. Sisecam Group Owens- Illinois , Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rdexhd Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackie Maynard, Vice President of Digital Engagement for HealthCrowd, a leading communications platform-as-a-service innovator in healthcare, will present a webinar hosted by ACO Exhibit Hall on September 28 at 12:00pm. The presentation, "The True Story of How One Health System Moved the Patient Experience Needle" will help attendees better understand how to coordinate communications across departments for optimal member experience and improved CAHPS scores for medication adherence, member satisfaction and targeted HEDIS measures. Key learnings include: Determining if your departments communicate to members in silos Deciding where to start with digital outreach Building scalable, relevant campaigns Expanding outreach across communities Health systems and ACOs can register for this virtual event by visiting the ACO Exhibit Hall website: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7179841033277662224 About the Speaker Jackie Maynard is a Vice President of Digital Engagement for HealthCrowd. In this role she has helped healthcare organizations activate their members to foster healthy actions by leveraging digital outreach. Jackie is a graduate of University of Maine at Farmington with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation. About HealthCrowd HealthCrowd is the leading consumer engagement company that successfully orchestrates healthcare communications to drive healthy actions and consumer satisfaction while managing compliance. Our technology platform enables organizations across the healthcare spectrum to control, coordinate and analyze all communications to their members and patients. We serve 4 out of 5 of the country's top managed care organizations. We manage lives in 34+ states. By changing consumer perception, we are increasing health insurance and health system literacy, making consumers better partners with the healthcare ecosystem. For more information, visit https://www.healthcrowd.com . Media inquiries: Leslie Groves [email protected] SOURCE HealthCrowd Related Links https://www.healthcrowd.com VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Deep-South Resources Inc. ("Deep-South" or "the Company") (TSXV: DSM) reports that at the Court hearing on September 16, 2021, the High Court of Namibia ordered the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia to file the documents supporting the decision of the Minister to refuse the Haib Copper licence renewal. After the filing of the Ministry's documents, Haib Minerals (the subsidiary of Deep-South holding the licence) will have until October 21, 2021 to supplement or amend its own documents filed on July 20, 2021. The Court will hold another hearing on October 28, 2021, to define the further procedures with regards to the review of the decision of the Minister. The Company will provide regular updates in this regard and any other matter concerning this situation. As disclosed in our press release dated June 16, 2021, the Company had received notice from the Ministry informing the Company that its application for the renewal of its EPL had been denied citing the Company's inability to advance the EPL to Pre-Feasibility and complete the proposed drilling program as planned. The Company maintains that the Ministry was kept well apprised, with no objection on their part, of a proposed change from the Pre-Feasibility study to an upgraded Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and commencement of a full feasibility study. The latter was already started at the time of the refusal. Moreover, the Ministry issued all permits required for the drilling program and are well aware that Deep-South has completed the drilling program. As a result of the Minister's refusal to renew the Licence, the Company terminated all work on site and proceeded with the retrenchment of its employees on site. The Company is vigorously contesting the decision by all means necessary and available under the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act (the "Act") and other applicable laws of Namibia. In its application for renewal and subsequent representations made to the Ministry, the Company maintains that it clearly demonstrated having met all criteria under the Act to justify the renewal of its Licence. About Deep-South Resources Inc Deep-South Resources is a mineral exploration and development company Deep-South growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets in significant mineralized trends and in proximity to infrastructure in stable countries. In using and assessing environmentally friendly technologies in the development of its copper project, Deep-South embraces the green revolution. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information contained in this news release which are not statements of historical facts may be "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule", "understand" and similar expressions identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the Minister's refusal to renew the Company's Licence, the Company's intention to contest the Minister's decision before the Courts of Namibia and the outcome of such proceedings. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Deep-South, are inherently subject to significant technical, political, business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Factors and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: political risks associated with the Company's operations in Namibia; the failure of the Namibian Government to comply with its continuing obligations under the Act to allow for the renewal of the Licence; the impact of changes in, or to the more aggressive enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices; the inability of the Company and its subsidiaries to enforce their legal rights in certain circumstances. For additional risk factors, please see the Company's most recently filed Management Discussions & Analysis for its quarter ended ended February 28, 2021 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as many factors and future events, both known and unknown could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary or differ materially from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated by reference. Accordingly, all such factors should be considered carefully when making decisions with respect to Deep-South, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release is made as at the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE Deep-South Resources Inc. Brosnan, the 20-year-old son of actor and producer Pierce Brosnan and filmmaker and journalist Keely Shaye Brosnan, proclaimed a FEED ambassador after traveling to Sri Lanka with Bush Lauren and Clarins company chairman Christian Courtin-Clarins in 2019, to document firsthand how WFP's work on the ground has been supporting children and helping develop the regional economy. "Traveling to Sri Lanka was an eye-opening experience," Brosnan spoke of the impact the trip had on him. "I was drawn to Clarins and FEED's mission to help solve childhood hunger through school feeding. This school meals program gives children a sense of belonging, community, and an education. A little goes a long waycollectively, small actions can make a lifechanging difference for those who need it most." Following Brosnan's film release in 2019, Paris and his brother Dylan Brosnan became the 2020 Golden Globe Ambassadors; they announced during the award show the impact of school meals, and their commitment to spread awareness about the impact of school mealsespecially to a younger generation that's looking for ways to change the world. WFP's school feeding programme is a powerful way to better engage vulnerable children in education and to help them thrive. Research shows that when children are given school meals, attendance doubles and academic performance greatly improves, enabling kids to learn, grow, and thrivewhile empowering them to change their lives and the futures of their communities. One of the most inspiring aspects of this partnership is the support provided to WFP's Home Grown School Feeding initiative, which sources crops from local farmers to feed schoolchildren, thereby supporting the local economy and providing children with food that is safe, diverse, nutritious, and local. To fund these efforts, Clarins and FEED tap into the prestige beauty brand's global reach and influence. During the Clarins Gift with Purpose FEED promotions each spring and fall, Clarins guests at Macy's, Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales, and clarinsusa.com may purchase a cosmetics tote bag or pouch featuring the brand's logo and the number "7" indicating that the purchase has helped provide seven school meals for kids (inside are trial-size products as a thank-you token). "The number we put on every FEED bag or accessory connects customers with the cause in a tangible and shareable way," says Bush Lauren. "Each meal we are able to help provide truly makes a difference to the child who receives itfor some, it may be the only meal they receive all dayand an entire school year of consistent meals can truly change a life." Not only do guaranteed nutritious meals give children the energy they need to focus and learn, they also give parents an incentive to send their children to schoolespecially helpful for girls in countries where female education may not be as valued. The partnership with FEED is a natural fit with Clarins' core values and mission. "I met Lauren 10 years ago, and very quickly we realized we shared the same values, the same spiritrespect for the environment, for life, for people," explains Courtin-Clarins. "Clarins believes that real beauty is expressed by taking action to make the world a better place. And we want to do more, the work is not over. Our children are the future. We owe it to them to provide education, nutrition, and good health." Through Brosnan's film, Clarins and FEED hope to further raise awareness about how people can create a real, measurable difference in the fight against childhood hungerby making the world a better place for present and future generations, one meal at a time. The full film can be viewed on the ClarinsUS YouTube channel and clarinsusa.com. Beginning today, September 24, 2021, in honor of the 10-year partnership and Hunger Action Month, for one week (up to $10,000), Clarins will donate funds to help provide 10 school meals for every social media post featuring a throwback school photo, tagging #ClarinsxFEED, @clarinsUSA, and @feed, to drive more awareness to the importance of school meals and help fight childhood hunger here in America, through support of No Kid Hungry. About Clarins Founded in a professional Parisian beauty institute by Jacques Courtin-Clarins in 1954, Clarins has become the #1 prestige skincare brand in Europe. More than 65 years later, the brand remains family-owned and is distributed in more than 140 countriesoffering skincare innovations for face and body, men's, and makeup. With unique expertise in Phyto-chemistry, Clarins Laboratories are considered pioneers in the fields of plant science and technology. The brand values are rooted in an ongoing dialogue with women, an abiding respect for nature and people, and commitments to sustainable sourcing, including Le Domaine Clarinsour organic farm and open-air laboratory in the French Alps. Clarins is accelerating its sustainable actions to become a Certified B Corporation by 2023. Currently carbon neutral, the company will further reduce its carbon footprint by 30% and become 100% plastic neutral using 100% recyclable packaging by 2025. Partners include: Pur Projetmore than 440,000 trees planted to date, Plastic Odysseya three-year expedition across three continents, 30 stopovers to fight against plastic pollution, and FEEDmore than 36 million school meals provided to children in need by the end of 2021. Lucas Petry, Clarins Communications Manager [email protected] Melissa Reidhead, Clarins Senior Director, Communications [email protected] About FEED FEED is a social-impact driven lifestyle brand on a mission to end childhood hunger, through the sale of good products that do good. Founded by Lauren Bush Lauren in 2007, FEED was born out of the desire to create a tangible, transparent, and shareable way for people to engage with the issue of worldwide hunger, using their everyday purchasing decisions. Every single product FEED makesfrom the bags and accessories they are known for to the coffee they serve at the FEED Shop & Cafe in Brooklynhelps provide school meals domestically and globally when purchased through the brand's incredible on-the-ground giving partnersthe UN World Food Programme, No Kid Hungry, and Akshaya Patra. To date, FEED has helped provide more than 120 million mealsand counting. Megan Heacock, Manager Community and Content [email protected] About the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Assisting around 100 million people in over 80 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. The global average cost of a WFP school meal is just $0.25. Vincent Browne, World Food Programme, Communication Officer, Rome [email protected] About No Kid Hungry No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. A one dollar donation to No Kid Hungry can help provide up to 10 meals to kids in need. Marcus Guthrie, No Kid Hungry, Corporate Partnerships Manager [email protected] SOURCE Clarins USA Related Links https://www.clarinsusa.com SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Group. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high quality medicines for the treatment of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune and other major diseases, today announced that the first patient with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis has been successfully dosed in a Phase 2 clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05003531) of recombinant anti-interleukin 23p19 subunit antibody injection (R & D code: IBI112) in China. Study CIBI112A201 is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of IBI112 at different doses administered subcutaneously in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous injection of IBI112 at different doses in Chinese subjects with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The safety of drugs and the difference of administration interval between different therapeutic regimens will also be investigated, so as to provide dose information for Phase 3 clinical studies. This is also the first Phase 2 clinical study of domestic innovative drugs targeting IL-23p19, which is a significant milestone. Professor Jianzhong Zhang from Peking University People's Hospital, principal investigator of the study, stated, "The pathogenesis of psoriasis is complex. Psoriasis is difficult to treat, and the patients often suffer for a lifetime. Currently about 2% to 3% of the world's population suffers from psoriasis; about 80% to 90% of patients have plaque psoriasis, and nearly one third of the cases are moderate to severe. There are about 6 million patients with psoriasis in China. According to the literature, IL-23 monoclonal antibody has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its favorable efficacy and safety profiles. IBI112 is a novel IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody independently investigated and developed by Chinese enterprises. The results of Phase 1 clinical trial showed favorable safety and tolerability as well as potential advantages in the route of administration. We hope that IBI112 will be successful in the Phase 2 clinical trial, and provide an alternative treatment option for Chinese patients with psoriasis." Dr. Qian Lei, Executive Director of Medical Sciences and Strategies of Special Diseases of Innovent, stated: "With the introduction of biologics drugs such as adalimumab and IL-17 into the clinic, compared with traditional systemic treatments, they undoubtedly offer alternative treatment options for patients with psoriasis, but there is still room for further improvement in terms of efficacy, safety, as well as maintaining a durable effect. Recently, a new generation of drugs targeting IL-23 has attracted special interests due to its excellent efficacy and favorable safety profile. IL-23 plays a key role in T cell-mediated response and is regarded as a pivotal initiator of immune-mediated diseases. In contrast to IL-17 monoclonal antibody, antibodies against IL23p19 have significant advantages in terms of generating a durable effect. IBI112 plays an anti-inflammatory role by blocking IL-23-mediated signaling pathway and has the potential to treat autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD). Currently, there is no self-developed IL-23p19 inhibitors on the market in China. Results from the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study of IBI112 has confirmed its favorable safety and tolerability profiles, and has preliminarily demonstrated its potential to serve a more patient-friendly treatment regimen. We are greatly encouraged that it can provide strong foundation for the subsequent clinical development. Based on this, in collaboration with our study sites, we are confident to advance the clinical development of IBI112 in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis as well as other indications to fulfill our mission of providing high-quality innovative biopharmaceuticals that are accessible to the vast majority of patients." About IBI112 IBI112 is a monoclonal antibody independently developed by Innovent, with independent intellectual property rights. This product specifically binds to IL-23p19 subunit, thereby preventing IL-23 from binding to cell surface receptors, resulting in the inhibition of IL-23 receptor-mediated signaling pathway. Preclinical data demonstrated that IBI 112 has a, clear target and well-elucidated mechanism of action, and significant anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting that it may provide a more effective treatment option for patients with psoriasis or other autoimmune diseases. About Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory and systemic disease mediated by both genetic and environmental factors, which can occur in all age groups with no gender preference . The typical clinical presentation includes scaly erythema or plaque with localized or widespread distribution. It is, a lifetime long noninfectious condition, which is very difficult to treat. Psoriasis can be classified into psoriasis vulgaris (including guttate psoriasis and plaque psoriasis), pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis and arthropathic psoriasis. Approximately, 80 ~ 90% of patients have plaque psoriasis, and nearly 30% of the cases are moderate and severe. There are significant differences in the prevalence of psoriasis around the world, with more than 6 million patients in China. At present, in China, the main systemic treatments include methotrexate (MTX), cyclosporine A, retinoic acids and biological agents. Since 2019, psoriasis treatment in China has gradually entered the era of biological agents. About Innovent Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop, manufacture and commercialize high-quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high-quality innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, metabolic and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK. Since its inception, Innovent has developed a fully integrated multi-functional platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 26 valuable assets in the fields of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune disease and other major therapeutic areas, with 5 products TYVYT (sintilimab injection), BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection) and Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor) officially approved for marketing in China, 1 asset's NDA under NMPA review, sintilimab's Biologics License Application (BLA) acceptance in the U.S., 5 assets in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials, and an additional 15 molecules in clinical studies. Innovent has built an international team with advanced talent in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many global experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hanmi and other international partners. Innovent strives to work with many collaborators to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com. and www.linkedin.com/company/innovent-biologics/. Note: Sintilimab is not an approved product in the United States. BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection), and SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection) are not approved products in the United States. TYVYT (sintilimab injection, Innovent) BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection, Innovent) HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection, Innovent) SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection, Innovent) Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor, Incyte Corporation). Pemazyre was discovered by Incyte Corporation and licensed to Innovent for development and commercialization in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. Innovent does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly. These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of Innovent with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond Innovent's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, Innovent's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions. Innovent, the Directors and the employees of Innovent assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialize or turn out to be incorrect. SOURCE Innovent Biologics VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: KLD) (OTCQX: NWRCF) (FSE: 3WQ0) ("Kenorland" or "the Company") today announced that its common shares received approval from The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") of New York, NY and are now DTC eligible. DTC eligibility allows the Company's shares to be more easily and economically transferred between brokerage accounts electronically within the United States. DTC is the largest securities depository in the world, providing clearing and settlement efficiencies for brokers, as well as various other services. With DTC eligibility, existing investors benefit from potentially greater liquidity and execution speeds. This also opens the door to new investors that may have been previously restricted from the Company's common shares and simplifies the process of trading the common shares in the United States. About Depository Trust Company (DTC) Depository Trust Company (DTC) was founded in 1973 and is a New York corporation that performs the functions of a Central Securities Depository as part of the US National Market System. DTC manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through DTC are considered to be "DTC eligible." DTC annually settles transactions worth hundreds of trillions of dollars, processes hundreds of millions of book-entry deliveries, and custodies millions of securities issues worth tens of trillions of dollars issued in the United States and over 100 other countries. Since 1999 it has been a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a securities holding company. About Kenorland Minerals Kenorland Minerals Ltd. (TSX.V KLD) is a mineral exploration Company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Kenorland's focus is early to advanced stage exploration in North America. The Company currently holds three projects in Quebec where work is being completed under joint venture and earn-in agreement from third parties. The Frotet Project is held under joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Ltd. (SMMCL), the Chicobi Project is optioned to SMMCL, and the Chebistuan Project is optioned to Newmont Corporation. The Company also owns 100% of the advanced stage Tanacross porphyry Cu-Au project as well as an option to earn up to 70% from Newmont Corporation on the Healy Project, both located in Alaska, USA. Further information can be found on the Company's website www.kenorlandminerals.com Kenorland Minerals Ltd. Zach Flood President and CEO Tel: +1 604 363 1779 [email protected] Kenorland Minerals Ltd. Francis MacDonald Executive Vice President Tel: +1 778 322 8705 [email protected] Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects', "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Kenorland Minerals Ltd. WESTBURY, N.Y. and BARCELONA, SPAIN, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: KCAC) ("Kensington") and Wall Box Chargers, S.L. ("Wallbox") today announced that they have determined the exchange ratio to be 240.990816528527 as of the anticipated date for Closing (as defined below) in accordance with the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of June 9, 2021 (the "Business Combination Agreement"), among Kensington, Wallbox B.V. ("Holdco"), Orion Merger Sub Corp. and Wallbox, pursuant to which, among other things, Kensington and Wallbox will enter into a business combination. Capitalized terms used in this press release but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Business Combination Agreement. Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement, at the closing of the business combination (the "Closing"), (i) each outstanding Class A ordinary share of Wallbox (including each such share resulting from the conversion of Wallbox's convertible loans prior to the Closing by the noteholders thereof), and each outstanding Class B ordinary share of Wallbox will be exchanged by means of a contribution in kind in exchange for the issuance of a number of Holdco Class A ordinary shares, nominal value EUR 0.12 per share of Holdco ("Holdco Class A Shares"), or Holdco Class B ordinary shares, nominal value EUR 1.20 per share of Holdco, as applicable, and (ii) each share of Kensington Class A common stock and Kensington Class B common stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than certain customarily excluded shares) will be converted into and become one share of new Kensington common stock, and each such share of new Kensington common stock will immediately thereafter be exchanged by means of a contribution in kind in exchange for the issuance of Holdco Class A Shares, whereby Holdco will issue one Holdco Class A Share for each share of new Kensington common stock exchanged. The exchange ratio as of the anticipated date for Closing is higher than the exchange ratio (calculated in accordance with the Business Combination Agreement as of the date of the initial signing of the Business Combination Agreement) that was set out in the proxy statement/prospectus, dated September 20, 2021, that was filed by Kensington with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and distributed to its stockholders. About Wallbox Wallbox is a global technology company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy. Wallbox creates advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine users' relationship to the grid. Wallbox goes beyond electric vehicle charging to give users the power to control their consumption, save money, and live more sustainably. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 80 countries. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Barcelona, the company now employs over 700 people in its offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com. About Kensington Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: KCAC) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock purchase or similar business combination with a business in the automotive and automotive-related sector. The company is sponsored by Kensington Capital Partners ("KCP") and the management team of Justin Mirro, Bob Remenar, Simon Boag and Dan Huber. The company is also supported by a board of independent directors including Tom LaSorda, Nicole Nason, Anders Pettersson, Mitch Quain, Don Runkle and Matt Simoncini. The Kensington team has completed over 70 automotive transactions and has over 300 years of combined experience leading some of the largest automotive companies in the world. For additional information, please visit www.autospac.com. Additional Information This communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving Wallbox Chargers, S.L. ("Wallbox"), Wallbox B.V. and Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II ("Kensington"). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In connection with the proposed transaction, Wallbox B.V. has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a registration statement on Form F-4 that includes a proxy statement of Kensington in connection with Kensington's solicitation of proxies for the vote by Kensington's shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction and other matters as may be described in the registration statement. Wallbox and Kensington also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction and a proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to holders of shares of Kensington's Class A ordinary shares. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE FORM F-4 AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Wallbox and Kensington are available without charge at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, from Wallbox's website at www.wallbox.com. Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus can be obtained, without charge, from Kensington's website at www.autospac.com. Participants in the Solicitations Wallbox, Wallbox B.V., Kensington and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Kensington's shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. You can find more information about Kensington's directors and executive officers in Kensington's final prospectus dated February 25, 2021 and filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests is included in the proxy statement/prospectus. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above. No Offer or Solicitation This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom. Caution About Forward-Looking Statements The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding Kensington's proposed business combination with Wallbox, Kensington's ability to consummate the transaction, the development and performance of Wallbox's products (including the timeframe for development of such products), the benefits of the transaction and the combined company's future financial performance, as well as the combined company's strategy, future operations, estimated financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "are designed to," "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Wallbox disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Wallbox cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of either Kensington or Wallbox. In addition, Wallbox cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to the following uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Wallbox's and Kensington's future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements herein: Wallbox's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of Wallbox to grow and manage growth profitably following the business combination; risks relating to the outcome and timing of the Company's development of its charging and energy management technology and related manufacturing processes; intense competition in the electric vehicle charging space; risks related to health pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that Wallbox may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the possibility that the expected timeframe for, and other expectations regarding the development and performance of, Wallbox products will differ from current assumptions; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Kensington or Wallbox, the combined company or others following the announcement of the business combination; the inability to complete the business combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Kensington or to satisfy other conditions to closing; changes to the proposed structure of the business combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations; the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the business combination; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations of Kensington or Wallbox as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; costs related to the business combination; changes in applicable laws or regulations; and underlying assumptions with respect to shareholder redemptions. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could different materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in Kensington's periodic filings with the SEC, and the proxy statement/prospectus of Wallbox B.V. in the registration statement on Form F-4 filed with the SEC. Kensington's and Wallbox B.V.'s SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Contacts: For Wallbox Investors ICR, Inc. [email protected] Media ICR, Inc. [email protected] For Kensington Dan Huber [email protected] 703-674-6514 Related links: http://www.wallbox.com https://www.autospac.com SOURCE Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II Related Links https://www.autospac.com The Seoul Metropolitan city proposed an exchange with the British Fashion Council (BFC), which is proactively operating programs to nurture rising designers. As a part of the ongoing collaboration project, Seoul city is providing support for designers participating in Seoul Fashion Week to advance into the global London Fashion Week which has been reputable for its high standards to join. The concept for the 2022 S/S season of LIE started with the belief in the possibility of escaping the stagnant and faded reality from the pain and suffering caused by COVID, and to return to the beautiful days of Seoul in Belle Epoque, which means beautiful times in French. The splendor and elegance were reborn through the inspiration from the Belle Epoque era, and dynamic cuts, patterns, and elaborate tailoring were used to reflect the confidence of beautiful women. The concept for the 2022 S/S season of BMUET(TE) is Surplus Reality. This concept expresses a faerie deviance that escapes our daily ways of experiencing the reality to see it from a rather unfamiliar point of view. In addition, the '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week' will be held as a 100% contact free & digital pre-production from October 7 (Thursday). In particular, this Fashion Week plans to mark the start of the use of TikTok, the world's leading short-form platform used by 1 billion people around the world, to broadcast various contents such as backstage videos. The '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week' will encapsulate Gyeongbokgung, the best palace in Joseon, as well as other palaces from the Joseon Dynasty such as Deoksugung, Unhyeongung, and Gyeonghuigung, and the modern and contemporary buildings such as the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, the Proboke Seoul, and the DDP. Tourist attractions which hold the dynamic history of the 600 years of Seoul will be transformed into runways to guest visitors from all around the world. 'Kai' from EXO who has global recognition and fan base will appear as the global ambassador for the '2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week'. The promotional video for Seoul Fashion Week which presents Kai wearing the look from the designer <(BMUET(TE)> who will be showcased at this year's London Fashion Week through the support of Seoul city will be premiered on YouTube on the 15th (Wednesday). Seoul city stated, "The exchange with this year's London Fashion Week is an opportunity for our designers who grew up in Seoul to step into the international stage, notify the competitiveness of Seoul's fashion industry, and to have their potentials evaluated." Seoul city added, "We are promoting exchanges with not only the London Fashion Week, but also the Paris and Milan Fashion Week, which are also part of the four major fashion weeks." Furthermore, Seoul city stated, "We will do our best to elevate the reputation of K-fashion, revitalize the domestic fashion industry, and enhance the competitiveness of Seoul as a city through the upcoming 2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week." SOURCE Seoul Metropolitan Government Subsequent to its discovery, the size and shape of the Hapa target was defined by infill soil sampling on a 100m x 100m grid within the anomalous area (Figure 2). To date, rock chip and channel samples along creeks have assayed as high as 1.29% copper and 0.33% molybdenum. Copper and molybdenum mineralization occurs as disseminations and blebs in granodiorites, as porphyry-style quartz vein sets and as banded sulphide-rich veins comprising pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite and molybdenite (Figure 3). Native sulphur has also been noted in outcrop and an elevated soil sulphur anomaly coincides with copper, molybdenum and tungsten anomalies in that soil survey data, all indicative of porphyry mineralization. The copper and molybdenum anomaly forms an irregular "bullseye" with a diameter of approximately 1,000m when contoured at the 400 ppm copper and 20 ppm molybdenum levels. The host rocks are hydrothermally altered and locally faulted granodiorite, granodiorite porphyry and diorite magmas of the Zamora batholith. Late, localized porphyry dikes cut intrusive rocks. Figure 2. Soil sample locations with contoured copper and molybdenum and rock chip sample results for those returning >0.3% copper. Figure 3. Hapa rock samples and mineralization styles. Geological mapping along creeks at Hapa has delineated an elliptical zone of sericite-quartz (phyllic) alteration, approximately 1 km in diameter which coincides with the soil copper and molybdenum anomalies. Close to the centre of the phyllic zone is a narrow window of potassic alteration (potassium feldspar (Figures 4 and 5). Outboard of the phyllic zone, the hydrothermal alteration changes to propylitic, characterized by a chlorite-epidote-carbonate-magnetite mineral assemblage. This concentric zonation of hydrothermal alteration minerals is typical of copper porphyry deposits. Figure 4. Geology of the Hapa target with superimposed soil copper geochemistry. Luminex interprets that a porphyry copper intrusion is located underneath the geochemically anomalous area of Hapa indicating good preservation of the phyllic and underlying potassic alteration zones and the potential for secondary copper enrichment. The target area centres on a rugged hill, possibly the product of differential uplift between two formative faults that facilitated emplacement of the porphyry system (see Figure 5). Figure 5. Schematic geological cross section (upper) and comparable surface view (lower). Qualified Persons Leo Hathaway, P. Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration of Luminex and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed, verified and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release and has verified the data underlying that scientific and technical information. About Luminex Resources Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV:LR,OTCQX:LUMIF) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminex's inferred and indicated mineral resources are located at the Condor Gold-Copper project in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador, including the Tarqui and Pegasus projects, which are being co-developed with BHP Group plc and Anglo American respectively. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminexresources.com/. To receive news releases please sign up at https://www.luminexresources.com/contact/contact-us/. LUMINEX RESOURCES CORP. Signed: "Marshall Koval" Marshall Koval, CEO and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE Luminex Resources Corp. MEXICO CITY, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxcom Telecomunicaciones S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: MAXCOM A, OTC: MXMTY) (" Maxcom " or the " Company ") announces that Transtelco Acquisition III, S. de R.L. de C.V. (the " Offeror "), today initiated, in accordance with the Mexican Stock Exchange Act (Ley del Mercado de Valores or "LMV") and the General Regulations for Issuers and Other Participants of the Stock Exchange (Disposiciones de Caracter General Aplicables a Emisoras y a Otros Participantes del Mercado de Valores (the " Regulations ") a mandatory acquisition tender offer (the " Equity Tender Offer ") to acquire through Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V., S.A.B. de C.V., S.A.B. de C.V., up to all of the shares representing the capital stock of the Company, which represent 276'471,081 ordinary, nominative, without par value, subscribed and fully paid series "A" shares, at a purchase price of $2.20 (two Pesos 20/100, Mexican pesos), per share. The period of the Equity Tender Offer, under the LMV and the Regulations and, in terms of the corresponding Offering Memorandum, will be 20 business days, which may be extended by the Offeror at its sole discretion, complying with the requirements of the Law. The Equity Tender Offer period is expected to conclude, if not extended, on October 21, 2021. Yesterday, Transtelco Holding, Inc. ("Transtelco") launched a cash tender offer (the " Notes Tender Offer ") to buy the outstanding principal amount of the 8% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the " Notes ") issued by Maxcom, as well as a solicitation of consents to amend the indenture governing the Notes (the " Consent Solicitation "), the foregoing pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Notes Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation Statement made by Transtelco, as of September 23, 2021. The Notes Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation will remain in effect until October 21, 2021 unless extended at the request of Transtelco. Furthermore, the successful conclusion of the Equity Tender Offer is conditioned upon the successful completion of the Notes Tender Offer and vice versa, among other conditions. In the case of the successful closing of the Equity Tender Offer, this would result in a change in control of the Company, consequently triggering the mandatory redemption of the Junior Pay-in-Kind Notes (the " Junior PIK Notes "), we estimate that the amount payable to Junior PIK Notes holders would be approximately USD$7.6 million, assuming the implicit Equity Value generated in the acquisition of the Company. If both processes are successfully concluded, Maxcom expects that the outcome would be key to improving its financial viability as well as the continuity of its operations, and would constitute a decisive step in consolidating its value proposition in the medium and long term. Contrarily, in case of an unsuccessful conclusion of both processes, Maxcom would continue analyzing different alternatives, including a potential reorganization procedure, in order to safeguard the continuity of its operations, prioritizing always the fulfillment of the legal and fiscal regulatory framework, as well as the interests of our collaborators and clients. For more information on the Equity Tender Offer, the Notes Tender Offer, and the Consent Solicitation, please visit the Company's website: http://ri.maxcom.com/. Maxcom appreciates the permanent support from all its stakeholders and confirms its commitment to maintaining close communication with the investing public. About Transtelco Headquartered in El Paso, Texas, Transtelco is a leading global digital infrastructure solutions provider, which includes a state-of-the-art long-haul and metropolitan fiber network in the Southwestern U.S., Mexico and Latin America. It offers Dedicated Internet Access, Long-Haul & Metro Transport, Colocation and Telephony services to global telecom carriers and blue-chip enterprise customers. Transtelco's differentiated bi-national and bi-cultural approach allows it to consistently deliver superior results to customers and exceed expectations. Transtelco delivers services over its own infrastructure that spans over 15,000 miles from Los Angeles to Dallas and Tijuana to Mexico City through a unique network that provides route diversity, redundancy and protection. For more information, visit transtelco.net. About MAXCOM Maxcom launched its commercial operations in May 1999, holding its headquarters in Mexico City. Maxcom is a facilities-based telecommunications provider that uses a "smart-build" approach to deliver last-mile connectivity, metropolitan and long-distance transportation services, colocations and other value-added services, both to the enterprise segment and to the national and international carrier segment. Maxcom provides its services through a fiber optic network of more than 8,500 kilometers, which allows it to have points of presence in the main cities of Mexico. The information in this press release is the exclusive responsibility of Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, SAB de CV, and has not been reviewed by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) or any other authority. The trading of these securities by an investor will be made under such investor's responsibility. For more information contact: Rodrigo Wright Mexico, D.F., Mexico (52 55) 4770-1170 [email protected] SOURCE Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links http://www.maxcom.com Memphis mass shooting marks the first time new BERC network has responded to a major blood emergency. Tweet this According to Nelson Hellwig, CEO of the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS) which coordinates BERC logistics and administration, the importance of and need for the blood reserve is evident by its activation only two weeks from its launch announcement on September 9th. "The long-term drop off in US blood collections has put practically every community at risk for running dry in the face of mass casualties," Hellwig said. "Our transfusion safety net is already saving lives and certainly will be doing so again many, many more times." Hellwig adds, "This early demonstration of BERC's value can only help strengthen it. I am confident we are going to see many more blood centers signing up to support BERC by committing stand-by units as part of the weekly rotation of shared responsibility. Vitalant will hopefully be an easy recruit because they have already experienced the benefits of this vital collaboration." This event will also motivate blood donors, says John Armitage, MD, CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. "People who give blood are healers who want to see the maximum benefits come from their giving acts," Armitage said. "BERC essentially supersizes their generosity beyond the patient impacts by helping to reduce injury consequences on the community and to boost positive results from the heroic efforts of first responders and medical teams." The original seven BERC blood centers are Carter BloodCare (Dallas), Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank (Harrisburg), The Community Blood Center (Appleton, WI), Houchin Community Blood Bank (Bakersfield, CA), Oklahoma Blood Institute (Oklahoma City), South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (San Antonio), and We Are Blood (Austin). The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps was founded in 2021 to meet the immediate transfusion needs of partner centers when faced with a large-scale emergency situation that requires blood transfusions. To learn more and see a list of participating blood centers, visit bloodemergencyreadinesscorps.org. Carter BloodCare is an independent, community blood center providing transfusion resources to more than 180 medical facilities in 50-plus counties of North, Central and East Texas. The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization is one of the largest blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 blood products annually to meet hospitals' requirements for their patients. Services include collection, processing, specialized laboratory testing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products. Visit CarterBloodCare.org. Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank is a not-for-profit, community based blood program, committed to providing a quality blood supply, responsive to community needs, in a cost effective manner. For more information, visit cpbb.org. The Community Blood Center was established in 1955 and continues today as an independent nonprofit providing a safe and reliable blood supply to hospitals in Northeast Wisconsin, the Northwoods and upper Michigan. CBC has donor centers in Appleton, Oshkosh, Little Chute and Woodruff, plus hosts over 100 blood drives every month. For more information, please visit communityblood.org. Houchin Community Blood Bank and its donors save lives by providing blood supplies to the communities we serve. Since we opened our doors in 1951, our community has saved countless lives through blood donations. We will continue our commitment to service at a local level while leading our organization into a new era of innovation and expansion. For more information, visit hcbb.com. Oklahoma Blood Institute is the 6th-largest independent blood center in the nation, providing more than 90% of Oklahoma's blood supply to over 160 hospitals and medical facilities. For more information, visit obi.org. The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) is a nonprofit community blood center that provides blood, plasma, platelets and other blood components to more than 100 hospitals and healthcare providers throughout Texas and beyond. For more information, visit biobridgeglobal.org. We Are Blood has drawn Central Texans together since 1951 to provide and protect the community blood supply. By inspiring people to donate locally and to take pride in this precious shared resource, we're making sure all Central Texans will continue to have access to life-saving blood when they need it. For more information, visit weareblood.org. The Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS) is a nonprofit organization, formed in 2010, with the purpose of creating a new model for community blood banking. ACTS is committed to delivering innovative blood services solutions to hospitals and their patients through unique collaboration of nonprofit, independent blood centers. For more information, visit actscorp.org. SOURCE Oklahoma Blood Institute Related Links http://obi.org Fans start gaining perks with the first purchase and earn one battle pass level, plus exclusive content for every five cans purchased. Players will receive a multi-tier badge that upgrades with more Monster Energy purchases. And as an even bigger reward, Monster Energy is taking 10 grand prize winners and their guests on an action-packed trip to Montreal, Canada. Fit for a true legend, the trip is full of racing, paintballing, and ziplining in true Monster experiential fashion. "Monster Energy is excited to partner with Apex Legends to serve up exclusive prizes for our customers with this iconic gaming title," said Monster Beverage Corporation CMO Daniel McHugh. "We look for partnerships that embrace our bold spirit and culture, and we know that the Apex Legends players have the same outlook." Rally your squad and get one of Monster Energy's three limited-edition Apex Legends cans to power up in Apex Legends and life. With exclusive legend skins, weapon skins, gun charms, and holosprays up for grabs, Monster Energy drinkers will be ready to become Apex Legends. The limited-edition Monster Energy Apex Legends cans will be available in 16 and 24 oz. in Original Green, Lo-Carb, and for the first time included in a can promotion, Zero Ultra. Special Monster Energy Apex multipacks will also be available in 4 and 12 packs of Original Green, Lo-Carb, and Zero-Ultra, and in 24 packs of Original Green. For more information on Apex Legends and Monster Energy, visit apexlegends.monsterenergy.com . About Monster Energy Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, eSports or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, gamers and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com. SOURCE Monster Energy Related Links http://www.monsterenergy.com/ WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has issued a proclamation recognizing September 20-24, 2021 as Clean Energy Week in the state in conjunction with the fifth annual National Clean Energy Week (NCEW). Last year, more than half of the nation's governors signed proclamations officially recognizing Clean Energy Weeks in their respective states. In his 2021 proclamation, Governor Sisolak praises the state's hybrid geothermal-solar power planta first-of-its-kindand cites that Nevada ranks fourth in the nation in installed solar capacity. "Thank you, Governor Sisolak for recognizing the important role that clean energy plays in addressing Nevada's economic and energy needs through your Clean Energy Week proclamation," said Heather Reams, chair of NCEW and executive director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). "Today, 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are created outside of the United States. This means that U.S. energy and climate policy must foster innovation and commercialization pathways that work as well for Nevada as they do for India. The fifth annual NCEW and the Policy Makers Symposium will provide a bipartisan platform to learn more about what is ahead for clean energy and build the necessary bridges between policy, finance, and innovation to make strides in this critical area." "Nevada's energy sector is strong thanks to abundant renewable energy resources, modern infrastructure, and incentives that attract energy developers from around the world," said Governor Sisolak in his proclamation. "Adoption of clean energy and transportation electrification are critical to reaching Nevada's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and thus our climate action goals." Founded in 2017, NCEW brings together government officials, industry associations, businesses, non-profits, and advocates in the clean energy space for events in Washington, D.C., and across America. The weeklong recognition honors the clean energy sector's contributions to America's economic strength while reducing global emissions. Among the unique programming offered throughout the week, the NCEW Policy Makers Symposium will convene lawmakers, energy advocates, and private sector leaders for enlightening and influential clean energy and climate policy discussions. Additional information about NCEWincluding sponsorship opportunities, in-person events, examples of how businesses and communities can show their support, and registration for the Policy Makers Symposiumis available at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/. National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), described by POLITICO as "a veritable who's who of the Clean Energy World," is an annual awareness week to recognize the value of clean energy including abundant job opportunities, economic growth, energy independence, consumer choice, lower energy prices, and a cleaner environment. Follow NCEW on Twitter (@NCEWConf) and Facebook (NationalCleanEnergyWeek) for event updates. www.nationalcleanenergyweek.org SOURCE Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions First Generation Wealth distills its authors' decades of experience advising prosperous families into three principles: Don't Mistake Wealth for Legacy, Distinguish Between Your Business and the Business of Your Family, and See the World Through the Next Generation's Eyes. "Later generations are often blamed for squandering family wealth, but we challenge that assumption," said Cronje, Balentine's Chief Executive Officer. "First generation wealth creators have a unique responsibility and opportunity to craft their legacy and influence the course of their family's wealth." In a clear and insightful narrative rich with examples and anecdotes, Balentine and Cronje lay out guiding principles, critical questions, and actionable steps to help ensure the successful transmission of wealth and legacy through generations. "During our careers, so many of us are so wholly immersed in our companies that we don't take time to think through communication around money within our own families," said Frank Blake, former chairman and CEO of The Home Depot. "First Generation Wealth provides a thoughtful road map to help navigate issues around wealth and legacy." Written for families of all wealth and complexity levels, First Generation Wealth is a must-have for those who wish to translate wealth into long-term fulfillment and meaning. Published by LINX, the title is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Robert Balentine is Chairman of Balentine. He has advised entrepreneurs and business leaders as well as their families for more than 40 years on matters relating to wealth and legacy. A seasoned entrepreneur, Robert has built, bought, and sold businesses, and has counseled clients on managing both their businesses and their wealth. The inaugural recipient of the Metro Atlanta Chamber's 2013 Business Person of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, Robert is often quoted in publications such as Barron's and Forbes. Adrian Cronje, Ph.D., CFA, is a founding partner as well as CEO and chief investment officer of Balentine. Educated as an economist at Cambridge University, Adrian is an active member of the prestigious CFA Institute, presenting frequently on a regional, national, and international level. Adrian is a charter member of TiE Atlanta, an organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship with a focus on giving back to the community. In 2010, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Adrian one of Atlanta's 40 under 40, an honor designating the region's up-and-coming business and community leaders. Source: Balentine https://balentine.com www.firstgenerationwealth.com Disclosures: Those who provided reviews of First Generation Wealth were not compensated via credits or other benefits from Balentine for his participation. First Generation Wealth is being made available for informational purposes only. It expresses the views of Robert Balentine and Adrian Cronje as of the date published and such views are subject to change without notice. No representation, warranty or assurance of any kind, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein and Balentine LLC disclaims any liability for use by any party. Balentine is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Balentine's investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request. SOURCE Balentine Related Links balentine.com Baijiu culture forums like this are held every year in major cities outside China. They are one of the many efforts Chinese baijiu enterprises have made to expand global markets and continue what they achieved in the domestic markets. Making a legendary world-class baijiu brand has become the new dream of Chinese baijiu enterprises' leaders. Due to the vast differences in taste between Chinese baijiu and Western distilled spirits, Chinese baijiu exports have been stagnant for a long time. It is a huge contrast to the high reputation of Chinese cuisine in the world. Jiangsu King's Luck Brewery Co., Ltd. seemed to discover the silver lining. This brewery company from the hometown of Zhou Enlai, the founding premier of the People's Republic of China, launched Chinese baijiu "Guoyuan". The brand, based on the idea of "Yuan" (bonds and connections of people) culture, has become a hit in the Chinese wedding banquet market, and quickly joined the league of the country's top 10 baijiu brands. Jinshiyuan's high-end brand "Guoyuan" has been used for receptions hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Abigail Posner, the head of Strategic Planning at Google, told the forum that various opportunities and destinies connect the world, which echo the meaning of this baijiu brand. It may also serve as a key to Chinese baijiu's journey in the world. Abigail was amazed by the achievements of Chinese liquor enterprises in using high-tech innovations and green new technologies after she watched the photos of Jinshiyuan's intelligent brewing technology. Another participant, Charles Sullivan, and also a member of the Harvard University Club, firmly believes in the concept of "Yuan." Sullivan believes that "Yuan" is the chief spiritual force that determines whether people can get along with each other in a friendly way. Jinshiyuan Chairman Zhou Suming, once an English teacher, told the forum participants that Yuan culture strengthens family and social harmony as well as world peace. "By promoting the 'Yuan' culture, we encourage exchanges and mutual learning, and we believe it is essential for building our shared future together as humankind," said Zhou. SOURCE Jiangsu King's Luck Brewery Co., Ltd. SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11 is now available on Amazon and at global retailers through IngramSpark! It's the kind of story we need right now, America at its best. Based on over 100 interviews, memoirs and hundreds of news articles as well as personal experience, and with nearly 200 color photos, Oregon Loves New York documents the Flight for Freedom, a moment when Americans came together. Cover: Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11 Portland, Oregon Mayor Vera Katz hugs a New Yorker at the 2001 Columbus Day Parade. Over Columbus Day weekend, three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, 1,000 courageous Oregonians led by Portland Mayor Vera Katz took 62 flights through 12 airports to New York City to show the terrorists they had not shut down American life and to boost the city's struggling economy. What they found were fellow Americans who needed more than money, they needed their hearts. "The symbolic commitment to be a part of the recovery of New York from these horrible attacks meant a great deal to all New Yorkers and sent a very positive message to the entire nation," said former New York Governor George Pataki. "The Flight for Freedom demonstrated that people from 3,000 miles across the continent felt comfortable and safe in the streets, and that message got out in the rest of the country." The Oregonians marched in the Columbus Day Parade, rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, held a memorial service at Union Square, appeared on Good Morning America, spoke at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine's Blessing of the Animals, sponsored a Chinatown banquet for 700, and other activities. Easy to spot in T-shirts and buttons with two Douglas firs and "Oregon Loves New York," Freedom Fliers were stopped, hugged, and thanked by raw, shell-shocked New Yorkers. Oregonians embraced them, listened to their 9/11 stories, and were called to be present in more ways than they could have anticipated. No other community brought its citizens together in a similar effort. The Flight for Freedom was a selfless, volunteer effort. Packages started at $379 for airfare and two nights at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Author Sally Ruth Bourrie covered the Flight for Freedom for the Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe. Learn more at https://sallybourrie.com and https://oregonlovesnewyork.com. "Oregonians of a previous age, they walked 3,000 miles to go there, despite hardships and some fear that our forebears had. Oregonians of our time showed courage to board airplanes at a time of severe restriction and insecurity and showed with their wallets and their shoe leather that hearts were one with New Yorkers. "This was a bright, shining moment for Oregon." - Former Oregon Senator Gordon H. Smith "Something powerful happened in New York. We had a rare opportunity to experience the healing power of human-to-human contact and to honor our highest nature." - Jan Woodruff, Portland State University, Freedom Flier CONTACT: Sally Bourrie [email protected] 301-608-8070 503-730-7738 (cell) Facebook: @FlightForFreedomBook2021 Twitter: @FlightYork Instagram: oregon_loves_ny SOURCE Sally Bourrie Jaguar Wave introduces mmWave radio product line for 5G applications at PTEXPO September 27-29 TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Peraso Technologies Inc., a leader in the development of mmWave technology and IEEE 802.11ad chipsets, today announced that Jaguar Wave Technology will be introducing a line of mmWave digital radio products which include Peraso's multi-gigabit baseband and 60 GHz mmWave phased-array chipsets at the PT Expo China 2021, in Beijing beginning September 27th. Jaguar Wave's products are targeted to bandwidth demanding applications in the 5G network. These applications include: data backhaul, smart city connectivity, railway communications, security and surveillance, smart factories and disaster contingency back-up networking. Critical features include: High bandwidth, with data rates exceeding 2Gbps Low latency Easy installation with automatic beamforming Low cost of installation and ownership Small antenna size with small visual impact Interference resistance with mmWave frequencies and anti-interference technology Secure data and management traffic Ron Glibbery, Peraso's co-founder and CEO commented, "We are impressed with Jaguar Wave's products and pleased that they have selected Peraso to provide key mmWave components. Jaguar Wave's introduction of these radios to the Chinese market is a great opportunity for both companies to address the growing demand for data bandwidth in 5G applications. We look forward to continuing the relationship and expanding access to markets that need high performance, cost effective, carrier class products." Jaguar Wave invites visitors to their booth number 4530, Area E, Main Venue, Beijing National Convention Center. About PTEXPO PT Expo China (PTEXPO) is the ICT ecosystem's leading event, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. First presented in 1990, the event is committed to building up a dynamic platform for the ICT ecosystem, providing an international platform and networking opportunities in the aspects of ICT policies, research & development, applications, market trends, and investment. PTEXPO attempts to connect and satisfy all of players in the ICT ecosystem, regarded as an inspiring business hub in China and across the globe. About Shenzhen Jaguar Wave Technology Co., Ltd. Established in 2016, Jaguar Wave is dedicated to development and application of mmWave in all scenarios. Faster, Smarter, Trustworthy is the core of mmWave technology and our mission is to make it more user friendly. More than 30+ pending patents and a multi-million dollar in-house laboratory operated by Ph.D team gives Jaguar Wave a competitive edge and we are committed to become the leader of 5G mmWave technology in China. Visit www.jaguarwave.com About Peraso Technologies, Inc. Peraso is a global leader in the development of 5G mmWave silicon devices, developing mmWave technology since its inception in 2008. The company's 60 GHz chipsets and solutions are compliant with the IEEE 802.11ad and 802.11ay specifications and have been adopted for interoperability certification by the Wi-Fi Alliance under the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WiGig brand. Peraso is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. For more information, visit www.perasotech.com. FOLLOW US: Facebook| LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Peraso Technologies Inc. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG) will hold a conference call on Monday November 1, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific Time) to discuss its third quarter results. The public can access the conference call through a simultaneous webcast. The link is provided below and will also be available from the PG&E Corporation website. What: Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Call When: Monday November 1, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time Where: http://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/events-and-presentations/default.aspx A replay of the live conference call and webcast will be archived through November 8, 2021 at http://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. Alternatively, a toll-free replay of the conference call may be accessed shortly after the live call through November 8, 2021 by dialing (800) 585-8367. International callers may dial (416) 621-4642. For both domestic and international callers, the confirmation code 9548628 will be required to access the replay. Please contact Investor Relations at [email protected] if you have any questions. PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG) is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 24,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news. SOURCE PG&E Corporation Related Links http://www.pgecorp.com HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) announced that Ping An has been voted the Most Outstanding Company in China Insurance Sector in the Asia's Outstanding Companies Poll 2021 by Asiamoney. This is the fourth consecutive year Ping An has won this title. The Asiamoney poll, covering 13 Asia Pacific capital markets, recognizes Asia's most outstanding listed companies in each market and sector in areas such as financial performance, management team excellence, investor relations and corporate social responsibility. This year, more than 1,070 fund managers, buy-side analysts, bankers and research analysts cast nearly 6,000 votes to select the 191 most outstanding listed companies. In 2021, Ping An continues to execute its "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies. It is pursuing high quality development, driven by the reform of Ping An Life and digital empowerment. The Group continues to explore innovative business models to strengthen its ecosystems in financial services, healthcare, auto services and smart city services. In the first half of 2021, Ping An achieved a 21.0% annualized operating ROE, with operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rising 10.1% year-on-year to RMB81,836 million. Operating profit of the technology business for the first half of 2021 increased 14.2% year-on-year to RMB48,809 million. The Group will pay an interim dividend of RMB0.88 per share in cash, up 10.0% year on year. Ping An also continues to improve corporate governance and integrate the core philosophies and standards of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) into its corporate management. This year, Ping An adopted the best practices of global corporate governance, optimized the structure of the board of directors, and enhanced the independence and diversity of the board of directors. Among its 15 board members, approximately 53% have overseas working experience. All board members maintain a high level of professionalism and have extensive practical experience in key fields including corporate management, legal, investment, insurance, banking, finance and technology. Ping An actively supports decarbonizing the global economy. The Group announced a comprehensive upgrade of green finance activities in five areas: green company, green assets, green insurance, green public welfare and green technology. As of June 30, 2021, Ping An's total responsible investment amounted to nearly RMB1.21 trillion and the balance of green loans reached RMB57.1 billion. Ping An has pledged to increase its green investment and green credit to RMB400 billion and its green insurance to RMB250 billion by 2025. Ping An also aims to achieve carbon neutrality across the company's operations by 2030. In terms of social responsibility, Ping An continues to promote its Ping An Rural Communities Support Program. As of June 30, 2021, the Group provided RMB36.024 billion for poverty alleviation and industrial revitalization. Ping An said, "We thank the capital market for its recognition of our corporate governance, overall strategy, operating performance, shareholder returns and corporate social responsibility. We have enhanced our corporate governance structure and integrated financial business under the brand philosophy of 'Expertise makes life simple.' We are committed to providing customers with 'worry-free, time-saving and money-saving' integrated financial services. Ping An will continue to explore and adopt the best practices of leading global companies, and create sustainable value for our shareholders, employees, society and the environment." About Ping An Group Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is a world-leading technology-powered retail financial services group. With over 223 million retail customers and 627 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "pan financial assets" and "pan health care", covering the provision of financial and health care services through our integrated financial services platform and our ecosystems; in financial services, health care, auto services and smart city services. Our "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" transformation strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 6th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2021 and ranked 16th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2021. Ping An also ranked 49th in the 2021 WPP Kantar Millward Brown BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list. For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN. SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. Related Links www.group.pingan.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC: PTBS), the one bank holding company for Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, announced today they will present at the investor forum hosted by Boenning & Scattergood on Monday, September 27, 2021. A copy of Potomac Bancshares' presentation can be found on their Investor Relations website at https://ir.mybct.bank. About Potomac Bancshares, Inc. Founded in 1871 and celebrating their 150th year of service, BCT - Bank of Charles Town, also known as The Community's Bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS). With approximately $672 million in assets as of June 30, 2021, the Company conducts operations through its main office, an additional eight branch offices, and two loan production offices. BCT's offices are located in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties (WV), Washington County (MD), and Loudoun and Stafford Counties (VA). The Bank provides various banking products and services including free access to over 55,000 ATMs through the Allpoint network plus online and mobile banking for individuals, businesses, and local governments. The Bank also offers commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans. The Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction to perm loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. For over 60 years, BCT Wealth Advisors has provided financial management, investment, trust, and estate services to its clients. In 2019 and 2020, the Bank was named a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker. In 2018, Forbes named BCT a "Best In State Bank" for Maryland. The Company's shares are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." For more information about Potomac Bancshares, Inc., and the Bank, please visit our website at www.mybct.bank. SOURCE Potomac Bancshares, Inc. Related Links http://www.mybct.bank/ CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Drew Barrymore has joined Quorn USA in a multi-year business partnership as the brand's first-ever "Chief Mom Officer" (CMO). In her role, the globally recognized entertainer will help Quorn extend its mission to provide healthy food for people and the planet, with a focus on the U.S. "This partnership is very personal for me. As a mom of two daughters, I know the importance of having affordable, easily accessible and delicious options that I feel good about serving my kids. I love this brand because the integrity of its mission truly motivates me and I'm honored to be joining as Chief Mom Officer," explains Barrymore. "I'm so excited to work closely with the Quorn USA team!" The collaboration will coincide with several new product launches this fall, including Quorn Meatless ChiQin Cutlets and Quorn Meatless ChiQin Wings. On an ongoing basis, Drew will work directly with the brand to help develop new products, create recipes in partnership with the brand's Executive Chef Stephen Kalil and share content on how to incorporate more meat alternatives into mealtime. This partnership expands on a recent announcement from Quorn on plans to extend its U.S. presence through newly appointed leadership and a state-of-the-art Culinary Development Center. A significant investment from parent company Monde Nissin Corp. will position Quorn for accelerated growth with the intent to ultimately become the king of alternative chicken globally while simultaneously driving awareness across domestic audiences. "From our first conversation with Drew, it was evident that she was the right partner for our brand due to her familiarity with the product," said Quorn President Judd Zusel. "Beyond that, she embodies the spirit of our current consumers and we see the potential for her to inspire our current and future business ventures. We are excited for her to lend her culinary, creative and business expertise to the brand, as well as her experience as a consumer and mom." For updates on what's to come from Quorn and Drew Barrymore, be sure to follow along @QuornUSA or @drewbarrymore on social media. About Quorn At Quorn we are on a mission. A mission to get more people into delicious meat free meals. A mission to provide healthy food for people and the planet. A mission to bring people together and kickstart a movement because together, our food choices can create a healthier planet. All Quorn products are powered by Quorn's mycoprotein, a source of protein that is high in fiber and low in saturated fat. To make mycoprotein, we don't start with livestock, we take a natural, nutritious fungus Fusarium venenatum -- that grows in the soil. We then use the age-old process of fermentation the same process used to create bread, beer and yogurt to grow mycoprotein. And because producing mycoprotein uses 90 percent less land and water than producing some animal protein sources, it is a more sustainable and nutritious protein source for a growing global population. Visit Quorn.us to learn more or check out our recent coverage for our Meatless Nuggets in The Washington Post and Food & Wine Magazine. SOURCE Quorn USA Related Links https://www.quorn.us TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Relay Medical Corp. ("Relay" or the "Company") (CSE: RELA) (OTCQB: RYMDF) (Frankfurt: EIY2) addresses a recent revelation about the widely-used Hikvision1, a Chinese state-owned surveillance and connected security camera manufacturer, whereby a critical vulnerability was discovered in more than 100 million connected devices currently operational in the market. The Hikvision vulnerability affects dozens of IoT device companies, including devices affiliated with brands such as Toshiba, Honeywell, Panasonic, Hyundai and Hitachi.2 Hikvision owns approximately 40% of the global surveillance and security camera market.3 Hikvision has admitted a 9.8 vulnerability score which is "the highest level of critical vulnerability" and is estimated to impact more than 100 million connected devices operating in the market.4 "Recent Hikvision news demonstrates a widespread problem of software weaknesses and vulnerabilities that are hidden in the software components of connected products this is meant to be addressed by NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) and its SBoM software transparency initiative. It's another example of why software and hardware companies need to have internal product security hygiene and processes in place that provide a singular, transparent view into all their products. Cybeats offers holistic supply chain security starting from the design phase, while also continuously assessing, monitoring and eliminating threats in real-time of critical operating devices," said Dmitry Raidman, CTO and Co-founder of Cybeats. Cybeats Provides Preventative Solutions Cybeats products directly address the Hikvision vulnerability by providing secure by design and SBoM management capabilities, and we recommend: A) Product vendors and manufacturers to start integrating SBoM generation in their processes earlier in manufacturing and development stages B) Product consumers should start requesting the SBoMs for products they procure and resell, including any white labeled devices such as currently vulnerable Hikvision security products C) Both manufacturers and consumers will need to start utilizing SBoM for various security and compliance use-cases, as regulatory mandates on software & SBoM are a widespread requirement Malwarebytes5 identified that Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) rebrand Hikvision cameras and sell them as their own. It could take quite some time before all of these other potentially vulnerable devices are identified. Hikvision is PRC government-owned6 but banned by the US-government7. It is the world's largest video surveillance manufacturer and a generally hidden supply chain to many Western companies. Given the deployment of these cameras at sensitive sites, critical infrastructure is potentially at risk. Cybeats Provides Active Defense Solutions Having the Cybeats agent integrated into a connected device, such as those affected by this Hikvision vulnerability, would have provided real-time actionable protection to affected brands that were identified by ipvm8, such as Toshiba, Honeywell, Panasonic, Hyundai and Hitachi. Cybeats supports manufacturers (such as surveillance and security camera companies) to build connected devices with security in mind, beginning in the design phase throughout the product life-cycle. Lastly, Cybeats IoT RASP capabilities can provide actionable data about the device's operating state, and allow for threat elimination in real-time as new attacks emerge. Once a device vulnerability is found, Cybeats's SBOM Studio can provide insight into which devices are affected, and which to recall or which to provide a firmware update. This provides manufacturers with fleet management tools along with efficient and accurate firmware updates to the affected devices. Other Recent Cyber Attacks IoT cyber attacks have escalated in 20219, according to Kaspersky10. IoT cyberattacks more than doubled with roughly 1.5 Billion IoT attacks occurring from January to June 2021. The study was conducted using software honeypots11, which emulate IoT devices as a proxy for vulnerable hardware endpoints. The findings also confirm that the pandemic has exacerbated IoT vulnerabilities by prolonging device usage in household settings. Many of these devices whether intended for enterprise or personal use lack adequate security protocols.12 This Hikvision vulnerability news also follows the breach of Tesla13 security cameras, which came along with the hacking of jails and hospitals. The live feeds and data of 150,000 surveillance cameras, collected by Silicon Valley startup Verkada Inc., were breached in March 2021.14Vulnerabilities like these can result in significant service disruptions, as exemplified in the Mirai botnet attack15 from 2016 whereby the hackers used a botnet of IoT devices including webcams, routers, and DVRs to 'take down' the internet in North America for multiple days. Many prominent corporations, including CNBC, Amazon, Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, and Paypal, experienced outages of their website and client server issues, causing shutdowns and service delays lasting several hours.16 RECENT NEWS: Relay shares the highlights from their Cybeat's SBoM webinar, where notable NTIA past and present employees, Allan Friedman and Tom Alrich, respectively, participate in the discussion about the State of Cybersecurity. The highlights and YouTube recording can be found here: https://bit.ly/3hZTh82. SUBSCRIBE: For more information on Relay or to subscribe to the Company's mail list visit: https://www.relaymedical.com/news. About Relay Medical Corp. Relay Medical is a technology innovator headquartered in Toronto, Canada focused on the development of novel solutions in the diagnostics, AI data science and IoT security sectors. Relay recently acquired Cybeats Technologies, a platform which offers a holistic approach to cybersecurity and addresses the $73 billion IoT security market through their Software Bill of Materials and microagent solution. Cybeats provides real-time cybersecurity for connected devices, critical infrastructure, automotive, medical and IoT (Internet of Things) sectors. The Company held a Special Meeting to approve a Name Change on September 20, 2021 as the Company's core competencies and product offerings have organically grown beyond the medical device industry, and this expansion into new industries and businesses will be reflected in the Name Change. The Company's new name will more aptly and effectively communicate the business and its commercial verticals. Website: www.relaymedical.com Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the technology described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. SOURCE Relay Medical Corp. Related Links https://www.relaymedical.com/ BATH, England, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International science publisher SelectScience has been praised by a representative of HM Queen Elizabeth II for its work during the pandemic. The warm words came from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset Annie Maw, as she presented the SelectScience team with the UK's most prestigious business award, the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category, at their annual meeting. "In these last 18 months, the kind of work you're doing has really saved lives," said Mrs Maw. Based in Bath, UK, SelectScience is a pioneering digital communications company that provides trusted information and resources to scientists around the world at the forefront of advancements across multiple scientific disciplines, including critical fields such as COVID-19, cancer research, drug discovery, sustainability, food quality, clinical diagnostics and many others. It's the second time SelectScience has won the Queen's Award for its exceptional performance in international trade, and Mrs Maw noted a remarkable conversation its founders Arif and Louise Butt had with Her Majesty the Queen when they accepted the award the first time, in 2013. "What the Queen said to you is so in touch with now," said Mrs Maw. She said, 'We need to communicate better about science, we need to do that, because it's costing lives. How could she ever have known what was going to happen in these last 18 months?" SelectScience has been spearheading online communication in science for more than two decades, connecting scientists and scientific manufacturers through peer-to-peer product reviews and resources such as webinars, eBooks and revolutionary video platform, The Scientists' Channel. When COVID-19 struck, it responded fast, launching new virtual events and other online resources to support the industry through the crisis and ensure vital scientific collaboration could continue. Herself a former nurse, Mrs Maw added: "What you're doing is all about today and tomorrow. You're the sort of company we're lucky to have in Somerset; young people ought to know about centers of energy like this." Receiving the coveted award, SelectScience CEO Kerry Parker thanked the SelectScience team of around 50 employees, its many manufacturer partners and the scientific community around the world, Mr and Mrs Butt, and Vespa Capital who partnered with the company earlier this year. Vespa Capital Director Khidhr Shafiq said they only invest in two out of over 100 businesses each year and explained why they had chosen SelectScience, praising its positive, progressive, problem-solving and energetic culture. "It's clear you're providing quality and a really valuable service," he said. Founded in 1998 and renowned for its innovation, SelectScience has established an enviable market position, serving high-quality digital marketing solutions to the science industry, including the world's top 10 manufacturers of scientific laboratory equipment. The team has dedicated its 2021 Queen's Award to the scientists, healthcare professionals and scientific manufacturers who have risen to the challenges of the pandemic. The SelectScience Virtual Neuroscience Summit takes place on October 5, 2021, and its Virtual Biopharmaceutical Summit launches on November 9, with more to follow in 2022. About SelectScience: SelectScience is an innovative digital publisher and marketing company within the science industry, providing vital information to scientists around the world through rich editorial content, virtual events and fully moderated peer-to-peer lab product reviews. The SelectScience team is passionate about promoting scientists and their work, as well as enabling online conversations to help accelerate critical research and scientific excellence. SOURCE SelectScience OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Today, RVezy, North America's most trusted peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, is pleased to announce that it placed 18th on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies. Canada's Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. RVezy earned its spot with three-year growth of 2768%. Launched in 2016, RVezy enables RV owners to make money by renting out their RVs when not in use. Often referred to as the "Airbnb" of RVs, RVezy has become a market leader in peer-to-peer RV rentals across North America, with recent growth accelerated by the pandemic. "When the pandemic hit in 2020, travellers turned to road trips, camping, and RVing as a safe alternative to the traditional flights and hotels. When families discovered how safe and convenient it was to explore the great outdoors in an RV, word got around," said RVezy co-founder Michael McNaught. "Demand was so high over the past two years that we started to run out of RVs on our platform. With high demand forecasted again for next season, we encourage RV owners to consider renting out their RV with RVezy. It's a great way to earn a significant income with complete peace of mind." About Canada's Top Growing Companies Canada's Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking. The full list of 2021 winners and accompanying editorial coverage is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazine out now and online. About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics, and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mail's investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About RVezy RVezy is North America's most trusted RV rental marketplace, providing outdoor enthusiasts with a safe and affordable way to rent unique and authentic RVs from private owners. As an owner-first platform, RVezy has empowered thousands of RV entrepreneurs to share their passion and earn additional income when their RVs are not in use. With comprehensive insurance coverage, 24/7 roadside assistance, an easy-to-use app, and best-in-class support, RVezy is the easiest and most secure way to rent an RV. SOURCE RVezy Inc Related Links rvezy.com PHOENIX, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) ("SinglePoint" or the "Company"), a company focused on providing renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient applications to drive better health and living, today announced it has entered into an equity financing agreement with GHS Investments, LLC ("GHS") to raise up to $10,000,000. The agreement is on a look-back basis and there are no make-up provisions, a true non-toxic equity investment. GHS is a leading private investment and management group providing financial solutions for high potential small cap enterprises. GHS has made investments into multiple successful portfolio companies in the nano-market cap space that are seeking capital to measurably grow and scale their existing businesses to take advantage of emerging market sectors. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with a forward thinking and strategic firm like GHS Investments," said the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Wil Ralston. "Since I assumed the role of CEO and Chairman in May 2021, I have accelerated planned strategic actions that have led to immediate fundamental improvements within our core business units. Direct Solar America, Energy Wyze and Box Pure Air are all gaining traction and additional access to capital will only enhance the strategic market opportunities. Continuing relationships with firms like GHS that provide access to growth capital enables us to execute our strategic plan focused on accelerating revenue and becoming profitable within our subsidiary businesses, which ultimately benefits our stakeholders and shareholders." In the past twelve months GHS has provided multiple rounds of strategic capital. Which supports SinglePoint's growth and improved the company's balance sheet which was a key component in being able to recently uplist to theOTCQB: April 21, 2020 : SinglePoint entered an Equity Financing Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement with GHS. Pursuant to the Equity Financing Agreement GHS agreed to purchase up to $7.0 million . SinglePoint subsequently filed a S-1 registration statement that was deemed effective on July 29, 2020 . : SinglePoint entered an Equity Financing Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement with GHS. Pursuant to the Equity Financing Agreement GHS agreed to purchase up to . SinglePoint subsequently filed a S-1 registration statement that was deemed effective on . December 18, 2020 : SinglePoint entered a Class B Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement with GHS, for a purchase price of $400,000 of Class B Preferred Stock. : SinglePoint entered a Class B Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement with GHS, for a purchase price of of Class B Preferred Stock. January 28, 2021 : SinglePoint entered a Securities Purchase Agreement with GHS, whereby GHS agreed to purchase, in tranches, up to $1.0 million of the Company's Class C Preferred Stock. : SinglePoint entered a Securities Purchase Agreement with GHS, whereby GHS agreed to purchase, in tranches, up to of the Company's Class C Preferred Stock. March 11, 2021 : SinglePoint entered a Securities Purchase Agreement with GHS whereby GHS agreed to purchase, in tranches, up to $2.0 million of the Company's Class D Preferred Stock. Matthew Schissler, member of GHS, stated, "SinglePoint is attractive to us on several levels, trends are accelerating and converging as more households and businesses look to capitalize on the benefits of energy creation via solar and other renewable energy. We also see an increasing need to provide high quality, American-made indoor air quality solutions using proven technologies that enable a safe return to enclosed indoor environments at school or at work. We are very confident in the management team's ability to continue to execute and we are excited to play a key role in the Company's continued growth." Recently the Company announced forward looking guidance related to its solar-centric subsidiaries, EnergyWyze and Direct Solar of America, including ramping up residential and industry B2B sales targeting $1,500,000 in monthly revenue and FY2022 annual revenue projections for solar-centric businesses increased to $20,000,000 USD. This guidance is based on reviewing and improving lead costs and conversion rates, which ultimately will increase the number of closed projects. This creates a formulaic, mathematical, data-based approach to revenue growth. Those key defined input variables, lead cost and conversion rates, will be a function of increasing spend on the number of leads and appointments for solar installations. Other recent operational highlights include: Launch of EnergyWyze and Direct Solar America collaboration on revenue scaling initiatives; Launch of B2B SolarCXM and AI technology for solar business; and Box Pure Air announced additional school orders for clean air solutions and increased ventilation utilizing the new Apex 2.0 model, which is designed for industrial and commercial deployment in large, high-traffic areas within schools. Since the announcement, Box Pure Air has received several new purchase orders and more importantly Box Pure Air is starting to receive multiple follow-on purchases from schools, as the approximate $190B in Federal Funding allocated specifically to improve ventilation in schools starts to be deployed at the state and local levels for procurement. About SinglePoint Inc. SinglePoint Inc. is a renewable energy and sustainable lifestyle company focused on providing environmentally friendly energy efficiencies and healthy living solutions. SinglePoint is initially focused on building the largest network of renewable energy solutions and modernizing the traditional solar and energy storage model. The Company is also actively exploring future growth opportunities in air purification, electric vehicle charging, solar as a subscription service, and additional energy efficiencies and appliances that enhance sustainability and a healthier life. For more information, visit the Company's website (www.singlepoint.com) and connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investor Contact: JTC Team, LLC Jenene Thomas 833-475-8247 [email protected] SOURCE SinglePoint Inc. Related Links https://www.singlepoint.com/ The bus turned heads as it travelled through London, kicking off at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, where the iconic music video for "Wannabe" was filmed. Spotify's Spice Bus then journeyed around the capital and over Tower Bridge (thankfully just driving and not flying through the air as in Spice World ). Spice Girls super fans on board the bus were treated to a dragtastic homage to the Spice Girls. The bus tour was hosted by RuPaul's Drag Race UK season one queen Baga Chipz taking inspiration from Ginger Spice. Accompanying Baga were contestants from the new series of Drag Race which premieres later this week, each drawing inspiration and paying tribute to their "spirit Spice Girl": Kitty Scott-Claus (Baby Spice), Ophelia Love (Sporty Spice), Vanity Milan (Scary Spice), and Ella Vaday (Posh Spice). 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the Spice Girls. Their debut, and most streamed track of all time (with over 600 million streams), "Wannabe" was released on the 8th July 1996, followed by the album "Spice" which launched in Japan on 19th September the same year before being rolled out globally, and has amassed an incredible 860 million streams in total over the years. Please see below for additional Spice Girls data points: Sulinna Ong, Spotify UK/IE, Head of Music says: "The Spice Girls have shaped the way the music industry operates today. Their message of female empowerment resonated across the world, no matter who you were or what you looked like - and continues into this day. The fact that 18-24 year olds stream the Spice Girls the most shows what an impact the girls continue to have around the world. Bringing back the Spice Bus is Spotify's way of giving a little something back to the fans who have flown the flag for Girl Power over the 25 years." Additional imagery of Spotify's Spice Bus can be found HERE. Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634700/Spotify_Spice_Girls.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634687/Spotify_Spice_Girls_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634688/Spotify_Spice_Girls_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634689/Spotify_Spice_Girls_3.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634690/Spotify_Spice_Girls_4.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634691/Spotify_Spice_Girls_5.jpg SOURCE Spotify Related Links https://www.spotify.com Michael Richardson has 30 years of nursing experience in emergency care, hospice, pediatrics, oncology, and transplant services. As a former wound care certified nurse, he spent several years managing telehealth wound services and served as a board member for the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO). Additionally, Michael has held several director-level positions in patient safety and risk management at large private and not-for-profit health systems, most recently as Assistant Director of Risk Management at Memorial Health Systems, one of the largest healthcare systems in South Florida. At St. Bernard Hospital, he will be responsible for directing a new patient safety and quality department, ensuring that healthcare services are provided with an intense focus on reaching a goal of zero harm, preventing errors and delivering patient satisfaction. "Michael believes that 'zero harm' is achievable within healthcare by engaging employees, patients, and families in patient safety principles and by fostering a culture of transparency and trust," said Charles A. Holland, President and CEO of St. Bernard Hospital. "St. Bernard Hospital is taking a more deliberate approach to achieving excellence in safety and quality of care. Under his leadership, we will continue to improve and reach our goal to be recognized for an unwavering commitment to excellent healthcare on the South Side." Michael demonstrated a measurable reduction in hospital-acquired conditions, increased "near miss" reporting, and improved patient safety in prior roles. "I am very excited to join the team at St. Bernard Hospital," Richardson said. "I welcome this as an opportunity to enhance the existing culture of patient safety and quality, which aligns with the hospital leadership's goals of excellence in patient care and the hospital's mission, vision, and values." St. Bernard Hospital has served the Englewood community and Chicago's South Side since 1904 as an essential safety-net community hospital. It has 174 licensed beds and offers primary and specialty care. More than 81,000 people receive care from St. Bernard Hospital annually, with nearly 80% being Medicaid recipients. The hospital provides millions of dollars in charity care every year. Media contact: Jessica Bee, (773) 966-4079, [email protected] SOURCE St. Bernard Hospital BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TAL Education Group ("TAL" or the "Company") (NYSE: TAL), a leading K-12 after-school tutoring services provider in China, today announced that the board of directors of the Company has appointed Dr. Alex Zhuangzhuang Peng, currently the Vice President of Strategy, as the Chief Financial Officer, effective from November 1, 2021. Dr. Rong Luo has decided to resign from the position of Chief Financial Officer to pursue another opportunity, effective from October 29, 2021. Dr. Luo will begin the hand over process and will also serve as a senior consultant to the company after his resignation. "On behalf of TAL Education Group, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Rong for his dedication and valuable contribution to the Company during his 7-year tenure as CFO. Rong's professional expertise, leadership, integrity and fairness will be missed. We wish him the best in his future endeavors," said Mr. Bangxin Zhang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAL. "We are confident that there will be a smooth transition as Alex will serve as the Company's CFO with his valuable expertise and experiences and that the Company will be able to drive its business growth under the continued leadership of Alex." Dr. Peng has served as TAL's Vice President of Strategy since March 2020. Prior to his role with the Company, Dr. Peng has extensive experience in corporate strategy and management matters. His previous professional experience includes General Manager of Business Strategy in Microsoft's Greater China Region, consultant and then partner at the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company in Beijing. Dr. Peng holds his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University and his PhD in mathematics from Princeton University. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Information regarding these risks and uncertainties is included in the Company's reports filed with, or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and TAL Education Group undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. About TAL Education Group TAL Education Group is a leading K-12 after-school tutoring services provider in China. The acronym "TAL" stands for "Tomorrow Advancing Life", which reflects our vision to promote top learning opportunities for Chinese students through both high-quality teaching and content, as well as leading edge application of technology in the education experience. TAL Education Group offers comprehensive tutoring services to students from pre-school to the twelfth grade through three flexible class formats: small classes, personalized premium services, and online courses. Our tutoring services cover the core academic subjects in China's school curriculum as well as competence oriented programs. Our ADSs trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "TAL". For further information, please contact: Echo Yan Investor Relations TAL Education Group Tel: +86 10 5292 6658 Email: [email protected] SOURCE TAL Education Group Related Links http://www.100tal.com/ Startups now can get Testim's advanced UI test automation Professional features for free. Tweet this Growing startups, especially those in software-driven businesses, are shipping new releases weekly, daily, or even faster. Manually testing their rapidly changing applications for regressions can put the brakes on innovation. Yet, creating automated tests using coded open-source frameworks takes too long and requires updates every time your application changes. Now with the free Startup plan, small companies can finally access the full benefits of test automation as they grow their application and business. The Professional plan includes advanced features like a scheduler, TestOps dashboard, email validation, pull requests, and test lifecycle status that are critical to integrating with your CI/CD pipelines and scaling your quality in your application. Are you a startup that wants a full-featured platform for fast authoring of self-healing UI tests? Qualify now. About Testim Founded in late 2014 with offices in Sunnyvale and Tel Aviv. Testim uses AI to help organizations improve quality and accelerate software releases. Testim's AI-powered test automation platform speeds authoring of stable automated UI tests. Hundreds of customers including Microsoft, JFrog, and Wix run millions of tests using Testim every month. http://www.testim.io CONTACT: Shawn Jaques, [email protected] SOURCE Testim Related Links www.testim.io This conference will be a unique, high-profile tourism expo, and to that end, has actively sought out wide public participation. It is characterized by a sense of openness and sharing, and will take opportunities to demonstrate achievements, exchange experiences, and showcase innovation and development. Publicity and promotion campaigns have been extensive. The conference arrangements include four major activities, namely the opening ceremony, a major cultural tourism show: A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai, a working session, and a project observation. Additionally, there will be four additional activities - a display of cultural tourism achievements of 16 cities in Shandong Province, a Yantai cultural tourism experience - The Pleasure of Traveling in Wonderland, the 2021 International Coastal Tourism Development Forum, and the Grand Yantai Carnival. In hosting this conference, Yantai brings to the table new cultural tourism products, promotes spending by travelers on those products, demonstrates the new image of the city and establishes a new development mechanism. Yantai is located at the foot of a mountain and prospers by virtue of its proximity to the sea. The legend of 'Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showing his own prowess' well known in this area. Attractions include the remains of Emperor Qin Shihuang 'visiting Zhifu and enjoying the raging sea' and of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty 'building a palace just south of Penglai Mountain'. Many long-cherished wishes reside in this city, such as Qiu Chuji's 'one word to stop killing and to save people's lives', Qi Jiguang's 'it is not my intention to seek dukedom, I hope the sea will be flat!' and Bing Xin's 'holy hometown'. Here, legends and inheritance have been splendidly performed, relics and allusions complement each other, mountains and seas annotate the past, and the fairyland reveals the future. It was honored with the United Nations World Habitat Award, and it is a national historical and cultural city, an outstanding tourist city in China, and, as it happens, the only international grape and wine city in Asia. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401816 Caption: Snippet from the opening ceremony of the Shandong Conference on Tourism Development Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401827 Caption: A sizeable cultural tourism show, A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=401834 Caption: A sizeable cultural tourism show, A Heartfelt Pledge of Love for Yantai SOURCE The People's Government of Yantai STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- US lumber prices reached unprecedented highs in the 2Q/21. For example, the costs for 2x4 framing pine lumber inthe US South averaged almost $800 /m 3 in May, up from $210 /m 3 as recent as February 2020 and nearly four times as much as the 20-year average price for southern yellow pine. The costs for sawlogs, typically accounting for 60-70% of the production costs when manufacturing lumber, have seen only relatively small adjustments throughout the first half of 2021 in the key lumber-producing regions of North America , according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The favorable lumber price/sawlog cost ratio has resulted in record-high profits for lumber companiesacross the continent. /m in May, up from /m as recent as and nearly four times as much as the 20-year average price for southern yellow pine. The costs for sawlogs, typically accounting for 60-70% of the production costs when manufacturing lumber, have seen only relatively small adjustments throughout the first half of 2021 in the key lumber-producing regions of , according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The favorable lumber price/sawlog cost ratio has resulted in record-high profits for lumber companiesacross the continent. Canadian lumber prices have spiked similarly to US prices, with record highs in May followed by sharp declines during June through August. Canada and the US reduced lumber exports overseas in the first half of 2021 due to the strong US lumber market. The most significant decline came in North American shipments headed to China , which fell from over 1.9 million m3 in the 1H/20 to only 820,000 m 3 in the 1H/21. Two of the four largest lumber exporters in Europe , Sweden , and Germany increased their shipments substantially during the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The significant rise in exports from Sweden and Germany was in sales to the US. Both countries have benefited from not only larger export volumes but also substantially higher lumber prices. In May 2021 , average export prices for Sweden and Germany were up 83% and 93% from May 2020 , respectively. The most significant changes in trade by the major European lumberexporters in 2021 have been increases in intra-continental sales and a decline in shipments to China , the US, and the MENA region. Softwood lumber imports to China fell by 24% y-o-y in the first half of 2021. Although importation rose in the 2Q,the 1H/21 import volume has been the lowest first half in six years. It is interesting to note that China's consumption of foreign softwood lumber as a percentage of the total usage of both lumber and logs was at its lowest level in over ten years, reports the WRQ. China's supply from all countries except Ukraine has declined from 2020, with the most significant reductions having been in imports from the US and Sweden . In contrast, importation to China from Chile and Russia has been relatively less impacted. The costs for lumber in China have sky-rocketed this year, reaching their highest levels on record. Canadian lumber prices have gone up the most as they have been heavily impacted by the alternative market in the US. From late 2020 to July 2021 , Chinese import prices for lumber from British Columbia were up about 60% during this period. Are you interested in the worldwide wood products market? The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) is a 75-page report established in 1988 and has subscribers in over 30 countries. The publication tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber, and pellets and reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions worldwide. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com CONTACT: Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom [email protected] www.woodprices.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/the-record-high-lumber-prices-in-the-us-shifted-global-lumber-trade-flows-in-the-first-half-of-2021,c3420839 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/1902/3420839/1472561.pdf WRI - Market Insights 2021 Global Lumber Markets Sep 2021 SOURCE Wood Resources International LLC Dallas, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shade Store, the leader in custom window treatments, returns to the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas, Texas for the second year as the exclusive window treatment partner. The custom products that The Shade Store produced in collaboration with 20 internationally-acclaimed designers demonstrates how transformative window treatments can be. "The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas is a platform for our community to demonstrate the power of design - both in the incredible work of the designers to transform individual rooms into statements of their talent and in the efforts of the house as a whole to make a positive impact," said Ian Gibbs, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Shade Store. "We are inspired everyday by the designers that we work with and Kips Bay gives us the opportunity to support them and to showcase the wide range of capabilities that The Shade Store has to help them realize their visions." Since 1973, the Show House has been a must-see event for thousands of design enthusiasts, renowned for sparking interior design trends throughout the world. In 2020, Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club expanded with another location in Dallas, Texas. The second annual Dallas Show House will open to the public on September 24, 2021. "For more than four decades, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House has raised critical programming funds for youth who need it most thanks to generous sponsors like The Shade Store," said James Druckman, President and CEO of the New York Design Center, and President of the Board of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. "We are thrilled that they have partnered with us for another year in Dallas, bringing the brand's thoughtful approach, beautiful designs, and artisanal craftsmanship to this year's group of talented designers." The Show House features a striking variety of different types of custom window treatments ranging from simple Roman shades and woven wood shades to dramatic drapery and elaborate valances and cornices. Each designer's concept utilized throughout the 2021 home features The Shade Store's hand-crafted material using a combination of the 1,300+ in-stock fabrics or C.O.M. fabrics that designers provided. The brand is also debuting its newest collection with exclusive materials designed by renowned interior designer and Show House participant, Martyn Lawrence Bullard. About The Shade Store The Shade Store is a premium custom window treatment company with a rich heritage in luxury textiles and interior design. Its exclusive collection of more than 1,300 in-stock fabrics and materials provides customers with an unparalleled amount of style and customization options. Every window treatment is proudly handcrafted in the USA, hung and tested for quality assurance and ships free in 10 days or less. With 100+ showrooms nationwide, The Shade Store offers a complete range of in-person and virtual design services for consumers and design-trade clientele, including swatches, complimentary professional window measurements and photo rendering. Additionally, the company is an advocate for environmental sustainability: For every purchase made, the company provides the 'Gift of Shade' by planting a tree in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. For more information about The Shade Store, please visit http://www.theshadestore.com. SOURCE The Shade Store MOSCOW, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) today announced the Russian single-component Sputnik Light vaccine against coronavirus has been approved by the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA). Sputnik Light vaccine is based on human adenovirus serotype 26 which is the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine. Immunization with Sputnik Light in Egypt will help to speed up the vaccination of the population and create herd immunity in a shorter time frame in the most populated country of the Middle East with over 100 mn people. In February 2021, the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine was also approved in Egypt. Both Sputnik Light and Sputnik V vaccines have been approved by EDA under the emergency use authorization procedure. Sputnik Light is safe and highly effective as demonstrated by real-world vaccination data in a number of countries. In particular, the data from the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina) shows 78.6-83.7% efficacy among the elderly. In Paraguay, Sputnik Light is 93.5% effective during the ongoing vaccination campaign according to the country's Ministry of Health. Thanks to its safety and efficacy, the single-component Sputnik Light vaccine is now both used on a standalone basis and studied in combination with vaccines from other producers in a number of countries. The heterogeneous boosting approach ("vaccine cocktail" using human adenovirus serotype 26 as the first component and human adenovirus serotype 5 as the second component) was at the core of Sputnik V, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus. With this approach proving successful in creating a longer and more durable immunity against the coronavirus, RDIF took the lead in initiating partnerships with other vaccine producers to conduct joint studies on the combination of the first component of Sputnik V with other vaccines. Such studies are currently ongoing in Argentina, Azerbaijan, UAE and other countries. Key advantages of Sputnik Light: Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26)) of Sputnik V the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus. Sputnik Light has proven effective against all new strains of coronavirus, as demonstrated by the Gamaleya Center during laboratory tests. Sputnik Light is compatible with standard vaccine storage and logistics requirements. The Sputnik Light vaccine is based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector platform that has proven to be safe and effective, with no long-term side effects, as confirmed in over 250 clinical trials conducted globally over the past two decades (while the history of use of human adenoviruses in vaccine development started in 1953). Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling RUB 2.1tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 1 mn people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at rdif.ru SOURCE The Russian Direct Invest Fund (RDIF) BALTIMORE, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation , an award-winning nonprofit, unveils its exceptional 30 Featherstone College Scholarship Award recipients. These outstanding students from Baltimore City and across the state of Maryland receive up to $3,000 scholarships for their stellar academic performance. This year's impressive honorees include notable Featherstone winners such as Joseph Manu, a Coppin State University student, who made it to finals of the Tokyo Olympics for track and field. The Featherstone Foundation's college and career readiness initiatives provide merit-based scholarships to first-generation college students and honors academic excellence from communities who are traditionally underrepresented in higher-education. The winners will be honored during a virtual awards ceremony Friday, September 24, 2021 at noon live streamed on the Foundation's Facebook page . During the event: Monica Mitchell , founding board president, Lillie May Carroll Jackson School , will receive the Foundation's 2021 Changemaker Award that honors an influential leader who has made significant contributions to the community. , founding board president, , will receive the Foundation's 2021 Changemaker Award that honors an influential leader who has made significant contributions to the community. Travis E. Mitchell , senior vice president & chief content officer, Maryland Public Television , will provide the keynote address. , senior vice president & chief content officer, , will provide the keynote address. Mariana Diaz, deputy consul, Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC , will provide special remarks. "We are delighted to partner with the Featherstone Foundation to provide special scholarship awards that support the higher educational aspirations of outstanding students of Mexican origin living in the United States,'' said Mariana Diaz, deputy consul, Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC. "State Farm is delighted to support the Featherstone Foundation in their efforts to make higher education more attainable and accessible during these economically challenging times," said Gail Moody, owner, State Farm Agency. "Our work helps ensure that graduation can be more attainable by lessening the financial burden and substantial economic strain that students face in pursuit of higher education," said Toria Hawkins, executive director, William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation. This year's student honorees will attend Coppin State University, Goucher College, Morgan State University, Mount St. Mary's University, Northwestern University, Towson University, University of Maryland, College Park, and The University of Baltimore. Since 2017, the Featherstone Foundation has awarded over $156,000 in scholarships through 72 awards to students from 19 countries from 11 institutions. Featherstone partners include Annie E. Casey Foundation, Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, D.C., Fulton Bank, Howard Bank, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Wells Fargo, State Farm and a host of individual donors and university matches. Learn more about the event, here . The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation creates sustainable solutions to bridge the opportunity divide for underserved communities. SOURCE The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation Related Links http://www.thefeatherstonefoundation.org RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Edelweiss flower is native to alpine regions in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. The flower's name will compel many to begin to hum the song of the tune written for Sound of Music, filmed in Salzburg, Austria. Now, this celebrated flower adorns and lends its name to the wool Edelweiss Clog from Stegmann. "This is such a fun, bright shoe, though still very classic," says Stegmann USA President Andy Jacobs. "We're excited to launch it before the holidays hit. It will be the cutest gift for anyone on your list." The Edelweiss clog is offered in four styles: two cork sole colorways--Ocean and Graphite--and a polyurethane sole option in Ocean and Graphite as well. The retro embroidery is back by very popular demand from Stegmann clog loyalists. Embroidered in Tyrol, Austria, the floral ribbon pays homage to the Alpine heritage of the 130-year-old Stegmann brand The retro embroidery is back by very popular demand from Stegmann clog loyalists. Embroidered in Tyrol, Austria, the floral ribbon pays homage to the Alpine heritage of the 130-year-old Stegmann brand. Each wool upper is crafted in Stegmann's private facility in Austria. The Edelweiss clog was part of the Stegmann clog line during the 80's and 90's but was discontinued nearly 10 years ago. The brand says that they received so many customer requests for this clog that they've long been planning a re-introduction of the Edelweiss. The Edelweiss clog is offered in four styles: two cork sole colorways--Ocean and Graphite--and a polyurethane sole option in Ocean and Graphite as well. Boasting the same quality construction and materials as Stegmann's most popular shoes, the Edelweiss fits and feels just like the Original 108 and WoolFlex clogs. "Stegmann shoes have an amazing design that contours to our arches and provides the right amount of support," says podiatrist Dr. Bradley Schaeffer of TLC's My Feet Are Killing Me. From the heel cup in the back to the metatarsal pad in the front, the contoured cork and latex soles offer orthopedic-level arch support and comfort. The metatarsal toe pad provides cushion that relieves pain in the feet and back related to plantar fasciitis and other challenges. Five-star review after five-star review on the Stegmann website document the relief the shoes bring to its customers. One recent customer wrote: "I have worn Stegmanns for over ten years and I have not found a more comfortable shoe. I have difficulty with shoes because of a toe problem, so I thought I'd try these shoes in 2010 and I never looked back." Stegmann recently released its first Mary Jane and Mule shoe designs and is set to release a Chukka boot later this fall to round out a complete range of footwear options for women. Samples are available upon request for coverage. Email [email protected] More about Stegmann: Born and based in Austria, the Stegmann brand has been handcrafting wool felt comfort footwear since 1888. Famous for its iconic styling, seamless wool upper and contoured comfort sole, this timeless heritage brand is poised for growth in the US with fresh styles and finishes to bring sophisticated comfort to new admirers and loyal fans. For more information about Stegmann, visit stegmannusa.com Media Contact Megan Wilson 540-894-6245 [email protected] SOURCE Stegmann Clogs Related Links http://www.stegmannusa.com "The future of this plant is unlimited," said Srini Matam, president of TMMWV. "We are well positioned for the next 25 years as innovation and advanced manufacturing lead the way. We continue to build more efficient engines and transmissions, and we are deeply engaged in hybrid technologies and robotics." While supporting Toyota's global mission of "bringing the joy and freedom of movement to all," this plant in rural Buffalo, West Virginia, has grown and expanded in the past 25 years. The only Toyota plant in North America that makes both engines and transmissions producing nearly 20 million powertrains since 1996. that makes both engines and transmissions producing nearly 20 million powertrains since 1996. The only Toyota plant in North America to produce hybrid transaxles (for the Sienna and Highlander). to produce hybrid transaxles (for the Sienna and Highlander). The only Toyota plant worldwide that produces under one roof this stable of engines: ZR 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, GR V-G 3.5-liter and TNGA 2.5-liter 4 cylinder. Since its inception, TMMWV has had 11 expansions. Coinciding with the 25-year anniversary celebration, The Toyota USA Foundation awarded a $189,000 grant to West Virginia University Institute of Technology. The grant supports a new after-school computer science program for middle schools in four West Virginia counties: Putnam, Kanawha, Fayette and Raleigh. "This is an investment in our future," said Carolyn Long, WVU Tech campus president. "The program will help young people see the opportunities ahead and give them the tools to pursue interests in robotics, cybersecurity, game development and more. We hope that this will be a model program that will expand throughout the state." Shamaya Morris, a production group leader at TMMWV, said it is a smart investment for the future. "The first thing I tell people is that Toyota West Virginia is an advanced manufacturing facility. We program and set up robots to work around people and alleviate the burden of heavy lifting and repetitive motions. We make it safe for the team members on the floor. We use the brawn behind the robot but need the team member's brain and cognitive abilities." Meantime, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice points to Toyota's staying power and overall investment in the Mountain State. "I could never thank the incredible folks at Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia enough for all the goodness they've brought to the town of Buffalo and our entire state over the past 25 years," Gov. Justice said. "Their commitment to our communities and our people has been off-the-charts. Toyota has been a wonderful partner to our great state and is a shining example of how a global company can truly thrive in West Virginia. I congratulate them on a quarter century of success and wish them all the best in the years and decades to come." For Matam, the common denominator for the plant's success is the 2,000 team members. "The ability of our people to adjust and learn new advanced manufacturing principles is incredible. From our folks on the line to the engineers and across the board, it's very humbling to see so many individuals come together to make the best possible engines, transmissions and transaxles in the world." And, for Jacob Plasters, a senior engineering manager, it's the ability to carve out your own personal niche that makes TMMWV attractive. "For anyone out there who is graduating from high school or college and going to join the workforce, my advice is to find your passion. I'm allowed to follow my passion where I can work as a team, but also, have continuous improvement which are part of the Toyota Way on a day-to-day basis. I have a very fulfilling career. At Toyota West Virginia, we are moving forward together." Media Contact George Gannon 304-593-8096 About Toyota Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships. Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30 million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021. To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. SOURCE Toyota Motor North America Related Links www.toyota.com DUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The US Home Furnishing Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2021-2025 Edition)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The US home furnishing market has shown rising trends over the past few years and is expected to grow at a rapid pace over the forecasted period (2021-2025). The US home furnishing market is primarily driven by growing e-commerce and m-commerce penetration, rising personal disposable income, growing urbanization population, recovering home furnishing share of wallet, growing consumer interest towards home decor etc. However, the market is facing some challenges such as shifting consumer trends & expectations, rising material cost, skilled labor shortage etc. Market trends such as augmented reality and virtual reality, technological advanced stores, and rising demand for luxury home furnishing is expected to propel the growth of the market in the coming years. The report provides a detailed analysis of the US home furnishing market in terms of value, growth and segments. An analysis of the global home furnishing market has also been included in the report in order to highlight the position of the US with respect to the global market. Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall US home furnishing has also been forecasted for the period 2021-2025, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., Williams-Sonoma Inc., Target Corporation, and Wayfair Inc. are some of the key players operating in the home furnishing market of the US, whose company profiling has been done in the report which briefs about business overview, financial summary, and business strategies of these major companies. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 Introduction to Home Furnishing 2.2 Global Home Furnishing Market Overview 2.3 Home Furnishing Market Segments 3. Global Market Analysis 3.1 Global Home Furnishing Market Analysis 3.1.1 Global Home Furnishing Market by Value 3.1.2 Global Home Furnishing Market by Region (The US and Rest of the World) 4. The US Market Analysis 4.1 The US Home Furnishing Market Analysis 4.2 The US Home Furnishing Market: Product Type Analysis 4.3 The US Home Furnishing Market: Distribution Channel Analysis 5. Competitive Landscape 5.1 The US Home Furnishing Market Players Financial Comparison 5.2 The US Home Furnishing Players Positioning by Household Income 5.3 The US Furniture & Furnishings Retail Industry Landscape 5.4 The US Kitchen Furniture Market by Players 6. Company Profiles Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. Williams-Sonoma Inc. Target Corporation Wayfair Inc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tfquot About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- USClaims, the longest continuously operating pre-settlement funding firm in the U.S., was selected by The Silicon Review as one of the Top 50 Innovative Companies to watch in 2021. This coveted designation is reserved for a select few who are spearheading positive transformation in their respected category of business. "We are proud to be recognized as one of the top innovative companies to watch this year and the only litigation funding company to make the list," said Steve Bashmakov, CEO of USClaims. "We have improved our process and uncovered efficiencies which streamline the speed in which our clients receive the financial resources necessary to see their personal injury case to fruition. As the longest operating pre-settlement litigation funding firm in the United States, we aim to change the perspective of the pre-settlement funding industry and, most importantly, to become a major asset to trial attorneys." USClaims over the past 25 years has been helping plaintiffs and attorneys in the battle to protect their clients' rights. Help comes in the form of non-recourse financial support to personal injury victims. This financial support provides injured plaintiffs the means to pay their personal bills to ensure they can see their case through to settlement. Litigation financing is often sought out by a plaintiff with a personal injury case and a pending lawsuit applying for an advance. USClaims will review their request, discuss their case with the handling law firm and once approved, a purchase agreement is sent and ultimately the funds are forwarded to the plaintiff, typically within 24 hours. These funds can be used for personal expenses, such as medical bills, tuition, and utilities. Unlike credit cards, personal loans, and other sources of financing, the plaintiff and their attorney have no obligation to pay USClaims unless the case is successful, and proceeds are received. Providing litigation financing at the speed and volume in which USClaims does is just one of the many reasons why they were recognized as a top innovative company to watch. Mr. Steve Bashmakov closed by saying "Our mission is to make Litigation Funding Simplified . As we invest in our company and our people to deliver on this promise, we aim to continue innovating in this space for years to come." About US Claims: For 25 years, USClaims ( www.USClaims.com ) has been one of America's largest providers of non-recourse financial support to personal injury victims, some of whom may have suffered catastrophic injuries from defective products, unsafe premises, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents. This financial support provides the injured plaintiff with the means to pay bills and endure the often long and arduous litigation process. USClaims is here to help plaintiffs and their attorneys stay in the fight. For additional information on USClaims' pre-settlement funding, please call (877) 872-5246 or visit USClaims.com. SOURCE USClaims The new development will sit within The Clublands of Antioch, a 1,000-unit master-planned community with approximately 450 existing homes. The village of Antioch is a tranquil suburban community with a small-town aesthetic and a downtown district featuring tree-shaded sidewalks and colorful vintage storefronts with cafes, bars, and specialty shops. Appealing to families and young professionals alike, the community is located in the highly desired District 34 school district and features convenient access to transportation nodes including the Antioch Metra Station, Interstate-94, Illinois 47, and Savage Road. The financing was arranged by Eric McGlynn, Managing Director within Walker & Dunlop's Capital Markets group and a member of its Build-For-Rent (BFR) and Single-Family Rental (SFR) Practice Group. The loan was provided by CoreVest Finance, a division of Redwood Trust that is a leading provider of debt to residential investors and developers. The floating rate, nonrecourse loan includes a two-year initial term in addition to one six-month extension option. Joakim Mortensen, Chief Client Officer at CoreVest, stated, "This is an exciting build-for-rent project in an interesting market. While we have been financing purpose-built rentals since our inception, it's our first project with Moda Homes. We were delighted to partner with the Walker & Dunlop and Moda Homes teams and look forward to the development of this community." Said Mr. McGlynn, "We are very pleased to have closed our first loan with CoreVest and Moda Homes in Chicagoland. Moda has significant land holdings in the area and big plans for developing additional communities, and CoreVest has been a great partner in helping to make that vision a reality." Once complete, The Clublands of Antioch will include a mix of one- and two-story luxury homes averaging 1,719 square feet, all with two-car garages. Homes include open, modern floor plans, quartz countertops, white cabinets, craftsman trim, hard surface floors and stainless-steel appliances. Situated on approximately 40 acres, the community features direct lake access to Homer White Lake, a community park, walking trails, and is adjacent to the 500-acre Raven Glen nature preserve, which includes trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Future amenities will include a pool, clubhouse and fitness center. Walker & Dunlop's BFR & SFR Practice Group is comprised of 12 experts strategically positioned across the business to finance and sell these specialty communities. Our national team provides expert guidance on property sales, debt origination, and the structuring of equity to generate optimal returns and strategic relationships for our clients. The team is active with over fifty groups in the space, which range from institutional clients, homebuilders, multifamily developers, and individual investors. With an active pipeline of over $1.9 billion of transaction volume, the team has extensive experience executing on lending, capital brokerage, or investment sales opportunities. For more information on our Build-for-Rent practice group or to connect with an expert, visit our website. About Moda Homes The project developer, Moda Homes, is the owner and developer of over 3,000 suburban Chicago residential lots. The Moda team develops, constructs and owns residential properties in the most sought out locations in the strongest employment corridors throughout Chicagoland. Properties are located in great school districts with close proximity to major transportation arteries and near commuter rail stations. About Walker & Dunlop Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. The company provides a comprehensive range of capital solutions for all commercial real estate asset classes, as well as investment sales brokerage services to owners of multifamily properties. Walker & Dunlop is included on the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and was ranked as one of FORTUNE Magazine's Fastest Growing Companies in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Walker & Dunlop's 900+ professionals in 40 offices across the nation have an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction. About CoreVest Finance CoreVest is the leading lender to residential real estate investors, nationwide. It offers long-term loans for stabilized rental properties as well as short-term bridge loans, investment credit lines and build to rent programs. With more than $10 billion in loans funded and 100,000 units financed, CoreVest offers attractive rates, rapid timelines and closing certainty. The company works directly with borrowers and brokers. For more information, visit www.corevestfinance.com. SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc. Related Links https://www.walkerdunlop.com AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterloo Sparkling Water, known for its authentic fruit-inspired flavors and lively carbonation, is excited to announce it is the Official Sparkling Water of Austin City Limits Music Festival 2021, recognized as one of the nation's premier music festivals. In the latest addition to its coast-to-coast Sippin' Different Festival Ticket Giveaway series, Waterloo is offering the chance to win a pair of General Admission tickets for each of the upcoming ACL weekends -- in addition to fun Waterloo gear and free cases of Waterloo. Official rules and details on how to enter the ticket sweepstakes are available at @waterloosparkling on Instagram. "Waterloo is thrilled to be the Official Sparkling Water of the ACL Music Festival," said Waterloo Chief Executive Officer Jason Shiver. "With our roots in Austin and as supporters of live music around the country, we are a natural for ACL. We celebrate our community, its authenticity and the creativity of musicians everywhere." Waterloo will be on site for both weekends of ACL Fest (10/1-10/3 and 10/8-10), which will feature 100+ performances on eight stages in Austin's Zilker Park. In the VIP South Lounge, Waterloo will provide complimentary samples of fan-favorite Waterloo flavors and feature a mocktail bar and a live art experience. Waterloo mixologists will be mixing up LooRita (Lemon-Lime) and Black Cherry Fiz (Black Cherry) mocktails, while the live art experience will feature Austin-based artist Jiminai. Complimentary Waterloo samples will be in lounges for artists, fans and media. Waterloo will also be available for purchase at all concessions throughout the venue. Visit @waterloosparkling on Instagram for details on how to enter the ACL ticket giveaway with #waterlooACLsweeps.The two lucky winners of the ACL tickets will join other winners of Waterloo's Sippin' Different Festival Ticket Giveaway series, which included passes to Lollapalooza (Chicago), Sea.Hear.Now (NY Metro), Dirtybird Campout (San Francisco Bay Area) and Ohana Fest (LA Metro). From coast to coast, Waterloo celebrates the creativity of musical artists and fans who live life to the fullest. Supporting the healthy, active lifestyles of music fans in Austin and nationwide, all Waterloo varieties are made with Non-GMO Project Verified flavors and purified carbonated water, bringing forward uniquely true-to-fruit taste and aroma with zero calories, zero sugars or artificial sweeteners, and zero sodium. Waterloo Sparkling Water is available at retailers nationwide. For additional information, please visit drinkwaterloo.com. ABOUT WATERLOO SPARKLING WATER Founded in 2017 and independently owned, Waterloo Sparkling Water offers fruit-inspired flavors and aromas with a lively amount of carbonation for a uniquely authentic and refreshing anytime drink. Waterloo has been challenging expectations from the start, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit and independent thinking that Austin is known for. We at Waterloo aim for moments of 'wow' with sparkling waters that are a refreshing change from the usual. Made with Non-GMO Project Verified flavors and Whole30 Approved, Waterloo is free of calories, sodium, sugar and artificial sweeteners. For the benefit of its fans and the environment, Waterloo has only ever been produced in aluminum cans made with BPA-free liners. Waterloo Sparkling Water is sold at retailers nationwide. For the latest news, join the 'Loo community at drinkwaterloo.com or follow @waterloosparkling on Instagram and Facebook. #wesipdifferent #doyouwaterloo SOURCE Waterloo Sparkling Water Related Links http://www.drinkwaterloo.com LONDON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Race to Zero - the UN-backed global campaign rallying businesses, cities, regions, investors and other non-state actors to halve global emissions by 2030 - today launched a new tool to search for any member in their campaign . The tool is aimed at celebrating those entities who are committing to robust net zero targets. Provided for free by the world's leading analytics platform, Tableau, and the global leader in CRM, Salesforce, this search tool enables seamless filtering and searching of who's in the Race to Zero. Earlier this week, during the Opening Session of Climate Week NYC, Al Gore underscored the critical importance of transparency - the lack of which being a major reason why action to date has not been ambitious enough. Race to Zero's new visualisation tool, created using the Tableau platform, lists all entities in the campaign and contributes to building a clear picture of those stakeholders who are committed to robust net zero targets, sending a strong signal to those not in the list that they must step up. Each of the Race to Zero members is committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets. Together they form the largest alliance of non-state actors committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest. Race to Zero members all meet the minimum criteria required to join the campaign, and are managed by their Partner initiatives . The Tableau tool also helps track the sectoral progress towards specific, near-term tipping points for more than 20 sectors that make up the global economy, known as the 2030 Breakthroughs . Collectively, they articulate what key actors must do, and by when, to deliver the sectoral changes needed to achieve a resilient, zero carbon future by 2050 at the latest. At the launch of Climate Week NYC, the UN High Level Climate Action Champions announced that already over half of the main sectors of the global economy had reached breakthrough ambition . In each of these 15 sectors, from clean power, to pharma & medtech, to concrete & cement, at least 20% of the major companies by revenue are aligning around sector-specific 2030 goals -- in line with delivering net zero emissions by 2050 -- which include targets such as 60% renewable generation in the energy sector and 5% zero-emissions fuel in the shipping sector. Chris Lindsay, VP of EMEA Marketing, Tableau said, "For the first time anyone can easily search the Race to Zero database and find out who is - and just as importantly who isn't - committed to immediate climate action. We're proud to partner with Race To Zero on this transformative initiative." Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Action Champion, said: "Transparency is key for knowing how far we've come and how far we still need to go. We're very grateful for Tableau's and Salesforce's support in helping us showcase all our Race to Zero members and in tracking the systemic change underway across all sectors of the global economy. If you're not yet on the list, now's the time to join the Race to Zero and contribute to the 2030 Breakthroughs." Gonzalo Munoz, Chile COP25 High Level Climate Champion, said: "I would like to warmly thank Tableau and Salesforce in helping to visualise clearly who is in Race to Zero - and by implication, who is not. This radical transparency is critical to us all racing to halving emissions by 2030 together, and I look forward to seeing the list of Race to Zero members continue to grow as well as the progress towards the 2030 Breakthroughs continue to accelerate. There is no time to lose." About Race to Zero Race to Zero is the UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors including companies, cities, regions, financial, educational, and healthcare institutions to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero carbon world in time. All members are committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets. Led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Munoz Race To Zero mobilizes actors outside of national governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance, which was launched at the UNSG's Climate Action Summit 2019 by the President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera. About the 2030 Breakthroughs The 2030 Breakthroughs articulate what key actors must do, and by when, to deliver the systems change we need to achieve a resilient, zero carbon world in the over 30 sectors of the real economy. The 2030 Breakthroughs are derived from the Climate Action Pathways - a set of comprehensive sectoral roadmaps to achieve the Paris Agreement in line with 1.5C, developed by the UN High Level Climate Champions and the Marrakech Partnership. See also: Upgrading Our Systems Together SOURCE Race to Zero New York, Sep 24 : US Vice President Kamala Harris met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral discussions. Please find below the full transcript of Harris' remarks before the meeting: "Mr Prime Minister, it is my honour to welcome you to the White House and to Washington D.C. It is my understanding that this is your first trip outside of South Asia for at least the last 16 months. On behalf of the President (Joe Biden) and myself, we are honoured to welcome you for this visit. India, of course, is a very important partner to the United States. Throughout our history, our nations have worked together, have stood together to make our world a safer and stronger world. Mr Prime Minister, when you and I last spoke in June, we talked about how our world is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. And the challenges that we face today have highlighted that fact -- be it Covid-19, the climate crisis, and the importance of our shared belief in a free and open Indo-Pacific region. On Covid-19, our nations have worked together. Early in the pandemic, India was a vital source of vaccines for other countries. When India experienced a surge of Covid in the country, the United States was very proud to support India in its need and responsibility to vaccinate its people. And I welcome India's announcement that it will soon be able to resume vaccine exports. It is of particular note and admiration that India, I'm told, is currently vaccinating approximately 10 million people a day, as of today. On the issue of the climate crisis, I know that India and you take this issue quite seriously. The President and I believe very strongly that the United States working together with India can have not only a profound impact on the people of our respective nations, but on the world itself. And as it relates to the Indo-Pacific, the United States, like India, feels very strongly about the pride of being a member of the Indo-Pacific, but also the fragility and the importance and strength as well of those relationships, including maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. Finally, as democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world and that we maintain what we must do to strengthen democracies at home. And it is incumbent on our nations to, of course, protect democracies in the best interest of the people of our countries. And, Mr Prime Minister, I look forward to discussing how our nations can continue to best work together to strengthen our relationship around our mutual concerns, around the challenges we face, but also the opportunities that those challenges also present. I know from personal experience and from my family of the commitment of the Indian people to democracy and to freedom and to the work that may be done and can be done to imagine and then actually achieve our vision for democratic principles and institutions." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York, Sep 24 : Hailing US Vice President Kamala Harris' barrier shattering rise to her country's highest political office, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Harris a "source of inspiration for so many people across the world", ahead of an India-US bilateral at the White House on Thursday. Find below the full transcript of Prime Minister Modi's remarks before the meeting: "Excellency, first of all, I'd like to express my gratitude for the warm welcome back you have extended to me and to my delegation. Excellency, some months ago, we had an opportunity to talk to each other on the phone. We had a detailed discussion at that time. And the way you spoke to me so warmly and so naturally, I will always remember that. Thank you so much. It was, Excellency, if you remember, a very difficult time. India was confronted with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic -- a very difficult time for us. But so -- like a family, the sense of kinship and so warmly you extended a helping hand, the words that you chose when you spoke to me -- I will always remember that, and I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Like a true friend, Excellency, you had given a message of cooperation and very full of sensitivity. And immediately after that, we found that the US government, the US corporate sector, and the Indian community all came together to help India. Excellency, President Biden and yourself, you took up the leadership of the United States in a very challenging atmosphere and challenging times, but within a very short period of time, you have had many achievements to your credit, whether that be Covid, climate, or the Quad. On all these issues, the US has taken very important initiatives. Excellency, amongst the largest democracy and the oldest democracy, between India and the US, we are indeed natural partners. We have similar values, similar geopolitical interests, and, also, our coordination and cooperation is continuously increasing. To strengthen the supply chains, Excellency, and as far as the new and emerging technologies are concerned, and space, these are areas of special interest for you. These are areas which are of interest to me too and a special priority. And these -- and these are areas where our cooperation is very important. Excellency, between India and the US, there are very vibrant and strong people-to-people connections that we have. You know that all too well. More than 4 million people of Indian origin, the Indian community is a bridge between our two countries -- a bridge of friendship. And their contribution to the economies and societies of both our countries is indeed very praiseworthy. Excellency, your being elected as the Vice President of the USA itself has been such an important and historic event. You are the source of inspiration for so many people across the world. I am completely confident that under President Biden and your leadership, our bilateral relationship will touch new heights. Excellency, continuing on your -- this journey of victory, Indians also would want you to continue that in India and, therefore, they're waiting to welcome you. And therefore, I extend to you specially an invitation to visit India. Once again, Excellency, let me thank you and express my gratitude for this very warm welcome." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Sep 24 : Although cheered by the fact that none other than the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday backed enhanced ambition and stricter loosening of purse strings from the rich nations, India's academics and climate experts are sceptical whether or not it will have any impact. The experts also doubt Guterres' half-hearted chiding of the rich nations without giving due consideration for the developing world's position. Demanding much bolder climate action from G20 nations, Guterres has said, "Developed countries must uphold their promise to deliver - before COP26 - $100 billion dollars in climate finance annually to the developing world." The Secretary General's remarks came in wake of inadequate climate action by many countries, especially the rich nations, ahead of the COP26, the annual climate change negotiations meet at Glasgow from October 31. He has also urged the member states to show "more ambitions" in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by COP26. "Collectively, we need a 45 per cent cut in global emissions by 2030," he said. Before and after the Paris Agreement of 2015, India and other countries from the global south - mostly comprising Asia, Africa and South Americas - have been demanding rich countries to fulfil their commitments towards climate finance, that too from the government exchequer and not private finance. The global south, especially India, has also been demanding enhanced emission cuts by the rich nations. The debate has been raging even more as the countdown has begun for the COP26 at Glasgow. To his credit, Guterres did say that "quality of this finance is also key" and "Grant financing is essential, as loans will add to already crushing debt burdens in the most climate-vulnerable countries." Chief Executive Officer of the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) Chandra Bhushan had a basic doubt about even the terminology of climate finance. "Entire time, the debate has gone into a maze of climate finance. The developing countries say, they don't need concessional loans or investment but the grants, while the rich nations say, 'We have already given USD 70 billion, we will arrange rest.' But it is not clearly spelt out what exactly would be this $100 billion." "Only if that $100 billion is entirely or at least 2/3rds in grant, then only it will make sense," he emphasised. Pointing out that even during the pandemic, India has been raising its ambition, for example, increasing the share of Renewable Energy from 300 GW to 400 and then 450 GWs, Managing Director at The Nature Conservancy, Annapurna Vancheswaran, said, "This calls for some conscience from across the world." "How do you make the intention more greener? It can't just be a couple of countries from the developing world doing something. There should be and must be a much louder echo from the developed world," she said referring to the less than expected contributions by the rich world in working towards an equitable climate negotiation. Ajay Jha from the not-for-profit MAUSAM (Movement for Advancing Understanding on Sustainability and Mutuality) is skeptical on both counts, the emission targets and the climate finance talk. "I really doubt if his statement will make a difference. If there has to be an influence on the industrialized countries, more than the UN Secretary General's appeal, it would be the recent IPCC report that will influence the industrialized nations. The countries will now need to respond in positive manner, there is no alternative," he said. Pointing out that everybody is hell bent on net zero targets by 2050, Jha said, "Instead, what is needed is to declare short term goals and act accordingly." Criticising UN Secretary General's statement about "Collectively, we need a 45 per cent cut in global emissions by 2030," the climate activists, who has participated as an observer at previous COPs, said, the principle of CBDR, the 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility' should not be forgotten wherein rich nations reduce emissions far more than the developing nations. India has been taking cudgels on behalf of poor, developing countries demanding more carbon space for aspirations and growth that will need emissions and urging the rich nations to cut down on their emissions as it is because of their historic emissions that there has been so much global temperature rise. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, Sep 24 : The Joe Biden administration is preparing for a possible government shutdown in the event that current funding runs out on September 30, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said. "It's consistent with longstanding practice across many administrations for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to simply remind agency senior staff of the need to review and update orderly shutdown plans," Psaki said at a press briefing on Thursday, referring to the OMB. "This is not formal guidance being given, it's just a reminder, we're seven days out, and we need to be prepared, of course, in any event of any contingency. So we see this as a routine step and one just to be prepared in any event of what could happen," Xinhua news agency quoted her as saying. Psaki noted that the Biden administration is taking steps to mitigate the impacts of a potential government shutdown on US pandemic response, economic recovery, or other priorities. "The fact is shutdowns are incredibly costly, disruptive, and damaging. Direct public health efforts can generally proceed during a shutdown because they're exempt, and that is certainly our intention," she said. Psaki's comments came after the US House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed a bill that would prevent a federal government shutdown and suspend the debt limit on government borrowing into December 2022. The bill now heads to the Senate, where the Senate Republicans have vowed to block it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell signaled on Monday that Republicans would help pass a short-term government funding bill only if Democrats separate it from a plan to suspend the debt limit. "Depending on what happens there, we will keep government open by September 30th, which is our date, and continue the conversation about the debt ceiling," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday at a press conference, adding Congress will find a way to avert a government shutdown next week. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York, Sep 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison met in Washington ahead of the Quad Summit to discuss their countries' bilateral relations, especially defence partnerships given their importance as bulwarks of democracy in the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking to reporters after their meeting on Thursday, Morrison described Modi "a dear friend and great friend of Australia" and said, "We had a very good discussion about our defence partnerships. That was particularly progressed at the most recent 2+2 meeting of defence and foreign ministers." This was the first in-person meeting of the two leaders in the post-pandemic period, although they had held a virtual meeting in June. They will be meeting again on Friday with President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Sugo of Japan at the Quad summit. Morrison disclosed that he had spoken to Modi the night before the announcement last week of the tripartite defence pact between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS), which will have an impact on the Indo-Pacific region. He said that there was "keen interest" in AUKUS and the plan to deploy a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines "from our partners in India, and well-received. And looking forward to see how that continues to progress." The US announced last week that it was going to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. An Indian Ministry of External Affairs readout of the Washington meeting said that Modi and Morrison reviewed the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of their countries since the June encounters "and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region." The readout said that they "expressed satisfaction" on the progress towards a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and noted their commitment to "achieve an early harvest announcement on an interim agreement" by the end of the year. Morrison said that Australia's Trade and Investment Minister Dan Tehan and India's Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal will be meeting in New Delhi next week and added, "Prime Minister Modi and I tasked our teams to be ambitious when they sit down next week to look at our trade opportunities, particularly in the area of digital trade arrangements." With a view to fighting climate change, he emphasised cooperation in clean energy and low-emissions technology. "At our meeting today we agreed to go forward with a low emissions technology partnership, a partnership that will focus on hydrogen development, ultra low-cost solar programs, to support their energy transition," he said. "We'll work together closely with our good friends in India, to work with the comparative advantages that Australia has, particularly in the area of hydrogen, and working together with their manufacturing capabilities so they can realise that in their own country," he added. Another area they dealt with was cooperating to ensure the reliable availability of critical minerals, which are especially important for the hi-tech sectors. Morrison said, "Prime Minister Modi and I share a passion around that project, because they are also involved in that supply chain at various different points, and it's important that we have the choice that exists in world markets around these issues. We want to play a stronger role here." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Prayagraj, Sep 24 : The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Prayagraj, has directed the superintendent of the Naini central jail to provide security as per the jail manual and other laws to Anand Giri, an accused in the death of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) president Mahant Narendra Giri. Anand Giri had moved an application before the court on Thursday, claiming a threat to his security inside the jail. The CJM Harendra Nath further directed that Anand Giri will henceforth be produced before the court through video-conferencing. According to district government counsel (criminal), Gulab Chandra Agrahri, who represented the state during the court proceedings, the CJM examined the application of Anand Giri and while taking into consideration the sensitivity of the issue and passed the order to provide security in accordance with the jail manual. Anand Giri is accused of abetting the suicide of Narendra Giri, whose body was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in Baghambari Math under the limits of Georgetown police circle in Prayagraj on September 20. In his suicide note, the Mahant had accused Anand Giri, besides two others, of mental harassment. Later, an FIR was lodged against Anand Giri and two others under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Georgetown police station here. Subsequently, Anand Giri was arrested by the police, and after interrogation, was produced before the court of CJM on September 22. He was remanded to judicial custody and sent to Naini central jail. The case has now been taken over by the CBI for investigation. September 24 : Cinema Halls are now opened but still some makers are going the OTT way to release their films. Vicky Kaushal starrer Sardar Udham will also have a digital release. The film directed by Shoojit Sircar will release on Amazon Prime this coming October. Sharing the poster of the film, Vicky wrote, "My heart is filled with love as we bring to you the story of a revolutionary. This October, watch #SardarUdhamOnPrime." Directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar, 'Sardar Udham' showcases the journey of a revolutionary freedom fighter best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer in London to take revenge for 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar. Image Source: Instagram/vickykaushal09 Vicky Kaushal's 'Sardar Udham' to release on Prime Amazon this October Vicky will portray the role of Udham Singh in the film. The film also stars Banita Sandhu and Amol Parashar alongside him. The film which was long due for its release will now release on Amazon Prime in October. On the work front, Vicky has a list of films in his kitty. He will be seen in 'Sam Bahadur' which is directed by Meghna Gulzar. The film is based on the life of Sam Manekshaw who was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, and the first Indian Army Officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal. The film also features Manoj Bajpayee in a prominent role. He will also be seen in 'The Great Indian Family'. Manushi Chillar will be seen opposite him in the film. He is also a part of 'Mr. Lele'. Kiara Advani will be seen as his love interest in the film. Los Angeles, Sep 24 : Hollywood star Daniel Craig has been appointed as an honourary Commander by the British Royal Navy, the same rank held by his famous character 'James Bond'. The 53-year-old actor feels "truly privileged and honoured" to have been given the title. "I am truly privileged and honoured to be appointed the rank of Honorary Commander in the senior service," he said. First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the British Royal Navy, who worked closely with Craig and the crew on latest Bond movie 'No Time To Die' said the organisation's work was very similar to that done by the spy, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Radakin said: "I am delighted to welcome honorary Commander Daniel Craig to the Royal Navy. Our honourary officers act as ambassadors and advocates for the service, sharing their time and expertise to spread the message about what our global, modern, and ready Royal Navy is doing around the world. "Daniel Craig is well known for being Commander Bond for the last 15 years - a naval officer who keeps Britain safe through missions across the globe. That's what the real Royal Navy does every day, using technology and skill the same way as Bond himself." Craig plans to support existing service personnel in his new role. Radakin added: "I look forward to him getting to see more of our sailors and marines over the coming months and years." Ahead of the release of 'No Time to Die', Craig came face-to-face with the navy's real-life Commander Bond. Lieutenant Commander Frances Bond said: "I really enjoyed speaking to Daniel Craig and the rest of the cast. It was fascinating to hear their perspectives on working with the armed forces and learning a bit about the world of Hollywood." Mexico City, Sep 24 : Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said said that Haiti's political instability coupled with poverty and violence are driving mass migration northward through his country to the US. "There is a lot of political instability (in Haiti), let's not forget that the president was assassinated and that there is a lot of conflict," the President told journalists here on Thursday. While, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was shot dead on July 7, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook the country seven days later, killing at least 2,200 people and causing severe damages, Xinhua news agency reported. Lopez Obrador said the Mexican government has been unable to complete the delivery of more than 1,000 tonnes of food and aid for earthquake victims due to the violence, with one Mexican ship facing "attacks and shootings" as it approached Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. "There is a very difficult situation in Haiti that has to be taken into consideration" when analysing the recent surge in undocumented migrants, the President said. Lopez Obrador reiterated his proposal to tackle mass migration by addressing its root causes, such as joblessness, with the support of the U.S. government and other nations. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Stockholm, Sep 24 : Due to the uncertainty of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Nobel Prize laureates will receive their awards in their home countries for the second year running, the Nobel Foundation announced. The traditional banquet will be cancelled, but the award ceremony will be held at Stockholm's City Hall on December 10 in the presence of a local audience, Xinhua news agency quoted the Foundation as saying in a statement on Thursday. The event will be broadcast on TV and on the Nobel Foundation's social media channels. "I think everybody would like the Covid-19 pandemic to be over, but we are not there yet," Vidar Helgesen, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation, was quoted as saying in the statement. "The Nobel Prize is a global phenomenon. Every year, laureates from different continents are selected. Uncertainty about the course of the pandemic and international travel possibilities is the reason why the 2021 laureates will receive their medals and diplomas in their home countries. "As our traditional events assume new shapes, we are looking forward to reaching even more people around the world by using new formats and digital solutions -- spreading the knowledge, inspiration and hope that the Nobel Prize stands for," Helgesen added. Each year on December 10, a ceremony is held in the Swedish capital to mark the anniversary of the death of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. On that day, the annual Nobel Prizes are awarded. Traditionally, the Laureates attend the award ceremony and the banquet in person, and participate in a series of Nobel Week activities, such as lectures and concerts. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Nobel Prize winners received their awards in their respective countries, and the ceremony was broadcast online. Last year's banquet was also cancelled. Kolkata, Sep 24 : The death of two minor girls -- 13-year-old Anushka Nandi from Bandhab Nagar Colony and 12-year-old Sneha Banik from the Motijheel area -- who were electrocuted after coming in contact with an electric pole, a portion of which was submerged in a waterlogged area, has exposed the state government's inability to protect lives from unsafe and faulty electric supply system. In the last two days, 13 people died of electrocution in the waterlogged streets of Kolkata and its adjoining areas. "There are many open ends of wires inside the uncovered boxes at the base of electric lamp posts. When the streets are waterlogged, these live wires remain submerged under the water and the posts become electrified. People -- unaware of this -- touch the lamppost and get electrocuted," an official of the state electric supply corporation said. That was the case of Anuska and Sneha. Anushka inadvertently touched an electric pole while crossing a waterlogged street, Sneha, too, got electrocuted while trying to save her friend. The minors, both students of Class 6, were rushed to the state-run RG Kar Medical Hospital, but were declared dead on arrival. The death of the duo is not an isolated example. On Wednesday evening, Deepak Chowdhury (65) got electrocuted in the waterlogged streets in the Agarpara-Tarapukur area in North 24 Parganas district. He had accidentally touched an exposed electrical wire submerged in the waterlogged street in front of his house. On Tuesday, three residents of the same family died at Khardah in North 24 Parganas district -- Raja Das, his wife Poulomi Das and their son Subho Das -- died after they touched the electric pole in an effort to support themselves while crossing the road. Senior Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy visited the bereaved families of the minor girls on Thursday and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each. However, Anushka's mother refused to accept the compensation amount, saying they were willing to pay Rs 4 lakh to the government instead, if it would bring her daughter back. Minister for Power Arup Biswas did not make any comment on the issue. An official of the state power department on condition of anonymity claimed that generally, the department takes precautions before every monsoon. "This year we took precautions. But at certain places, there was excessive rainfall without any forecast. But we are trying to stop such mishaps. But people will also have to be careful," he said. The death of 13 people has triggered political controversy as well. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari asked the CESC to give Rs 50 lakh each to the families of the victims. The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) is a private body that is solely responsible for supplying power to Kolkata and suburbs. "The Chief Minister has given charges of electricity to private bodies who are not bothered about anything. The CESC has crores of turnover and they should give 50 lakh rupees to the affected and Mamata Banerjee should offer them a job and apologise in public," said Suvendu. BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh said that the people should be aware and also the Trinamool Congress government will make up several alibis just to hide their 'incapability'. Mysuru : , Sep 24 (IANS) In a major development in the Mysuru gang rape case, the victim has identified her attackers, a month after the assault, during an identification parade in the district prison here in Karnataka, the sources said on Friday. The victim, 23-year-old MBA graduate, recorded her statement before the magistrate in open court under IPC Section CrPC 164 on September 22. She was brought to the Mysuru district prison under tight security on Thursday for the identification parade, according to sources. As the accused stood in a file along with other men, the victim identified all her attackers. The process was video recorded, sources said. The victim has recorded her statement before the magistrate for about 45 minutes and gave a detailed account of her traumatic experience. The Mysuru police investigating team which faced steep obstacles during their probe, is now confident of getting the culprits maximum punishment. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated in the state legislative assembly that the prosecution will seek the death penalty for the accused. The seven-member gang from Tamil Nadu had attacked the victim in an isolated place near Chamundi hills in the limits of Avalahalli police station on August 24. The victim had gone there with her male friend late evening after attending her classes. The accused had apparently pre-planned the attack. They assaulted the couple and hit the male victim with a small boulder on his forehead. Later, they had dragged the lady to bushes and took turns to rape her. They had demanded Rs 3 lakh from the victim's friend, police sources said. Her friend called his father to arrange for the money. The accused rapists had again assaulted them before leaving the place. The father of the male victim rushed to the spot in his car and rushed them to the hospital. The victim was in an unconscious state and she was carried by the boy's father into the entrance of the hospital from the parking lot as she was not in a position to walk, sources said. After the incident, the victim declined giving a statement to the police and her parents also flatly denied any cooperation. The special team though managed to arrest all the accused. The opposition Congress attacked the ruling BJP for not insisting on taking the statement of the victim accusing them of trying to protect the real accused. They also demanded to initiate legal action against the victim for denying to record her statement. The special team which kept in touch with the family of the victim, who had moved their daughter to Mumbai managed to convince the family and finally got the statement recorded before the magistrate successfully. Now they have also completed the procedure of identification parade. The issue has reverberated in the state assembly and all members recommended stringent punishment to the accused persons in the case. Patna, Sep 24 : After a series of cases where poor villagers have received crores of rupees in their bank accounts, a daily wager learnt that he was having Rs 9.99 crore in the Union Bank of India, Supaul branch. Interestingly, the labourer named Vipin Chauhan claims that he never opened an account in any bank. Chauhan, a native of Sisauni locality in Bihar's Supaul town went to the customer service point (CSP) outlet of the Union Bank of India to open a job card for MGNREGA on Thursday. When the official of the CSP outlet checked Vipin Chauhan's financial status using his Aadhar Card number, he found that an account already existed in his (Vipin Chauhan) name. Adding to Chauhan's shock was the fact that the savings account, which was in his name, had a Rs 9.99 crore deposit. "I have approached the concerned bank branch, the officials have checked the details of the account. It was opened on October 13, 2016 and the transaction of crores of rupees took place in the account in February 2017. The bank official did not find my photograph, signature or thumb impression. Only the Aadhar Card number is mine. At present, Rs 9.99 crore still remain in the account," Chauhan said. The bank officials searched the account opening form but it was not found in the branch. "We have freezed the bank account after it came to our knowledge. The internal investigation is currently underway to find out if other accounts were used in the transactions with this account," said an official of Union Bank of India. This is not the first case in Bihar. An elderly person Ram Bahadur Shah of Singari village under Katra police station in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district received Rs 52 crore in the bank account. Another incident appeared in Katihar district when two school students of Class 6 -- Ashish Kumar and Gurucharan Biswas -- received Rs 6,20,11,100 and Rs 90,52,21,223 respectively in their bank accounts on September 15. Both the children are natives of the Pastia village in Bagahura Panchayat. They have bank accounts in Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank. Besides, a person named Ranjit Das also received Rs 5.5 lakh in his bank account. Das refused to return the amount. He claimed that PM Narendra Modi had promised Rs 15 lakh to every country man and it was the first installment of Rs 5.5 lakh. As he did not return the money, the bank had registered an FIR against him. He is currently lodged in jail. New York, Sep 24 : The US strongly supports France strengthening ties with India, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said amid a diplomatic row between Washington and Paris over their roles in the Indo-Pacific region. "Both France and the US have very strong interests in strengthening even more our respective relationships with India. This is something that we strongly support," Blinken said here on Thursday. He made the statement in reply to a reporter who referred to a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked if the US would welcome a "nuclear submarine alliance" between New Delhi and Paris. But he did not directly address the issue, saying only: "I'm not going to get into any specific hypotheticals about the future." There has been speculation that France may want to sell India nuclear-powered submarines, which the US has reportedly refused citing the likelihood of opposition to the sale from Congress. India is a member of the Quad along with the US, Australia and Japan, which promotes security and development in the Indo-Pacific region and aims to stand up to Chinese aggressiveness, but it also has strong ties with France. France's dispute with US and Australia arose over Washington's offer of nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra that resulting in it scuttling a deal worth about $50 billion to buy French diesel-powered submarines. In a very strong reaction, France withdrew its ambassadors from the US and Australia in protest. India is already a major defence customer of France, buying 36 Rafale fighter jets worth about $8 billion as well as anti-tank missiles. India has an indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine and in the past had leased them from Russia. It may want to augment the locally developed submarines with more advanced models. The Washington-Canberra submarine deal coincided with the announcement of a defence pact between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS) that further alienated France which saw it as an attempt to curtail its role in the region. At the news conference, Blinken tried to make amends to Paris by praising a French-driven European strategy for the Indo-Pacific unveiled last week. "We very much welcome European engagement and French engagement and leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and that's a point that bears emphasis," he said. "The European Union strategy that came out on the Indo-Pacific a few days ago, a strategy in which France played a leading role in developing, is one that we very, very strongly welcome... One area where we will look to deepen our cooperation and collaboration is in the Indo-Pacific." On the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Blinken said that "there is very strong unity of approach and unity of purpose" among the members of the Security Council and "well over 100" nations in insisting that it follow certain norms. The expectations set in a Council resolution include freedom of travel; making good on commitments to not allow Afghanistan to be used as a launching pad for terrorism; upholding basic rights, including for women and girls and minorities; allowing and indeed protecting humanitarian assistance, and having inclusive governance, according to Blinken. The international community is looking to the Taliban to make good on these commitments, he said. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, Sep 24 : Superstar turned politician Kamal Haasan has called upon his party cadre, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), to actively participate in gram sabha meetings. The actor turned politician urged the cadres that the gram sabhas are the basis of democratic process and that they must take part in them. Gram sabha, which was last held in the state on January 26, 2021 will be held on October 2 in all the districts except the nine where elections to rural local bodies are being held. In a statement addressed to the cadres on Thursday, Kamal Haasan said that they should reiterate the importance of grama sabha meetings to the people and must encourage their participation. He said that the ruling party and the opposition were trying to make sure that the grama sabhas are not held regularly. The actor, politician also said that the Covid-19 situation was a good excuse for the ruling class to not hold the sabha meetings. He said while election meetings and government swearing-in ceremonies were being held with public participation, the ruling party and the opposition ensured that grama sabhas were not held citing Covid-19 pandemic. He said that issues like degradation of the environment, Tasmac liquor shops and neglected water bodies must be raised in the grama sabhas. Haasan said that the resolutions passed in the grama sabha meetings have high values and that the people must participate in large numbers. He also insisted on the cadres that they must conduct a door to door awareness on the importance of grama sabhas and ensure participation of people in large numbers as the issues that are of importance to the day to day lives can be discussed. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Sep 24 : In a late night meeting which ended after 2 a.m. on Friday, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi gave his nod to a list with proposed names for the Punjab cabinet expansion, sources said. Some new faces are likely to be inducted but it will not be entirely new and people from all backgrounds will be given chance to serve in the Channi cabinet. Rahul Gandhi met Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with state in-charge Harish Rawat and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal late Thursday. Ahead of the meeting Rahul had separate meeting with Rawat. The party does not want to drop all the ministers in the past cabinet as it will strengthen former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's side. These MLAs could be crucial ahead of elections. The former chief minister has spoken out in public that he is upset over the way his exit was engineered and that he was humiliated for not being taken into confidence before the big move. He disclosed that he had offered his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi three weeks earlier but she had asked him to continue. "If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have," he said, adding that "as a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back". Amarinder Singh has also said that he would fight Navjot Singh Sidhu's elevation to Punjab Chief Ministership tooth and nail, and was ready to make any sacrifice to save the country from such a "dangerous man". Amarinder Singh said he will pit a strong candidate against Sidhu in the 2022 Assembly polls to ensure his defeat. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Prayagraj : , Sep 24 (IANS) A bag found in the room of Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri's room has added yet another angle to his mysterious death. An investigating officer said on Friday that the bag bears the name of Baba Sweet Shop, Alwar (Rajasthan). This shop is known for its 'kalakand' sweets. The bag, however, did not contain any sweet box. Investigating agencies are now trying to find out who had brought the bag and whether it contained just sweets or something else. The bag appears to be new. "It appears that someone had come from Alwar recently and had met the Mahant. We are trying to trace the person and find out if there is any connection with Anand Giri," the officer said. It may be recalled that Anand Giri belongs to Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Sources said that the residents/ workers of the Bagambhari Math were getting increasingly defensive and claimed that they had no knowledge of any visitor from Rajasthan in the recent weeks. The security personnel of the Mahant who are also being interrogated, have denied having any knowledge of the visitor. Agra, Sep 24 : The special MP/MLA court in Agra has issued a non-bailable warrant against former union minister and Etawah MP Ram Shankar Katheria for failing to appear before the court in connection with an 11-year-old case registered against him and his party colleagues by Agra Cantonment GRP in 2009. Special judge Neeraj Gautam fixed the next date for final arguments on September 27. Additional district government counsel, Shashi Sharma, said that the BJP MP was booked on September 26, 2009 by Agra Cantt GRP for staging a protest in support of lawyers demanding a bench of the Allahabad High Court in Agra. He along with other party workers, including former MP Babulal Chaudhary, had allegedly halted the train operations while staging the protest on a railway track. The GRP had registered a case under various sections of the Indian Railway Act on a complaint filed by the then station manager of Raja Mandi station, Indravir Singh. Sharma said that Katheria's statement was recorded in the court on September 16. On Thursday, he was required to be present in the court, but he and his lawyer did not turn up. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Amazon has been of late and also for sometime now making some contradictory statements about its legal expenses in India. The company has claimed that it incurred a meagre expense of Rs 52 crore towards legal fees in FY20. This is out of the total expense of Rs 1,967.5 crore shown as "legal professional charges" in financial statements of Amazon Seller Services Private Limited as sourced from the website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Amazon Seller Services Private Limited is among the myriad subsidiaries the company operates in India. The online retailer has stated that "legal professional charges" incurred by it in FY20 include professional services such as customer research, merchant onboarding services, customer service cost, outsourcing, tax consultants, logistic support services, etc. This is misleading given that Advertising promotional expenses is a separate line item in the company's financial statements, and it typically includes expenses associated with customer acquisition and marketing. Payment to consultants for taxation matters and audit services are also included in the separate line items in its financial statement. It is worth noting that Amazon Seller Services Private Limited has spent Rs 2,640.3 crore under Advertising promotional expenses in FY20, up 13.28% from Rs 2,330.7 crore in FY19. The total expenses related to "legal professional charges" for FY19, and FY20 is a stupendous Rs 3,407.6 crore, that is possibly larger than the combined revenues of leading law firms in the country. The statement made by Amazon with regards to its legal expense in India does not hold water for anyone who is informed. It is incumbent on the company to explain to what effort it has spent Rs 3,407.6 crore from one subsidiary alone towards what it has accounted for as 'legal professional charges'. Amazon has been at the centre of controversy after reports of bribery charges against its legal representatives and associated legal firms in India. The company is facing an inquiry by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over alleged anti-competitive practices and a parallel inquiry by Enforcement Directorate for violation of domestic laws. The Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGI) has also issued a show cause notice to one of its subsidiaries, Cloudtail, for evasion of GST and indirect taxes. Amazon has also legally challenged Future Group's deal with Reliance Retail to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehouse businesses to Reliance Retail Ventures. Johannesburg, Sep 24 : South Africa's flag carrier has resumed flights after more than a year ago amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the company's restructuring. South African Airways (SAA) 317 took off from the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday to the Cape Town International Airport with 123 passengers on board, reports Xinhua news agency. The airline said its flights to five African capital cities such as Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka, and Maputo would also resume soon. SAA's interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo said the goal was to ensure the airline succeeded. "Our journey back to the skies has not been easy and I pay tribute to our dedicated workforce in all areas of the business. People in every facet of the business want nothing more than for SAA to succeed and for us to build a new airline based on safety and exemplary customer service," he said in a statement. Kgokolo said the impact of the pandemic on the aviation sector meant that SAA would not be "returning to all routes immediately". "We will continually monitor developments in the aviation sector by analysing data and insights to help rebuild our full flight schedule to the right places at the right time," he said. The SAA underwent restructuring after experiencing financial challenges. The government announced in June this year that the airline had acquired a new private equity partner Takatso Consortium who would be the majority shareholder. London, Sep 24 : The German administration spearheaded by the left-of-centre Social Democrats (SPD), an anticipated scenario after Sunday's general election, is unlikely to indicate a major shift in Berlins policy towards India. The present centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU)-led coalition government already contains SPD's Heiko Maas as Foreign Minister. He is expected to remain in this position, thereby ensuring continuity. However, the concerns of the current dispensation of Chancellor Angela Merkel on purported human rights issues pertaining to the Narendra Modi government could come under the scanner even more than at present. Germany is Europe's economic powerhouse. It is India's leading trading partner in the continent and one of the largest investors in India. Some 1,700 German companies operate in India, providing directly or indirectly an estimated 400,000 jobs, assessed the German radio and TV network Deutsche Welle (DW). "The long (14 year) pursuit of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU (European Union) and India has come to be seen as a major dampener," DW commented. It quoted "experts" as saying ties with India have "over-promised and undelivered" for years. In DW's opinion: "India's own democratic record has become a matter of concern, with organisations such as Freedom House stressing this year that political rights and civil liberties have deteriorated since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014." However, worsening relations with China require a different German approach to the Indo-Pacific. Along with France, Germany now sees India "as a possible bridge" to the region. Manisha Reuter of the European Council on Foreign Relations, told DW: "It's only in the last couple of months, maybe in the last year, that the relationship has become a more strategic one." At this important juncture of a general election, though, the Indian Ambassador's post in Berlin has been vacant since June. The SPD could come to power for the first time in 16 years, without entering into a coalition with its competitor the CDU. Merkel, leader of the CDU, has been Chancellor since 2005, but is retiring at the end of this term. A poll of polls on September 22 gave the SPD 25 per cent of votes and the CDU with its partner in Bavaria, the rightist Christian Social Union 21 per cent. The Greens are projected to get 15 per cent, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) 11 per cent and the Left 7 per cent -- all potential constituents in a SPD-led coalition. Professor Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter and only child of Indian National Congress President in the 1930s Subhas Chandra Bose and an SPD leader in the Bavarian city of Augsburg, was cautious. "Many (voters) are still undecided," she said. But what doesn't seem to be in doubt is that the SPD candidate for chancellor, who is Finance Minister Olaf Scholz in the prevailing CDU-SPD grand coalition, enjoys a higher approval rating than his rival, CDU's Armin Laschet. The CDU has ruled Germany for 50 of the past 70 years. Nonetheless, barring a last minute surge in its favour, it could looks like being unseated. Bengaluru, Sep 24 : The Karnataka government is all set to get the roads audited to ensure quality and fix responsibility for their poor condition in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has assured to get the auditing of all roads done following complaints about their pathetic condition in Bengaluru. Replying to a question by Congress MLC P.R. Ramesh, Bommai on Thursday said that from 2015 both the Union and state governments and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have released Rs 20,060 crore for the construction and management of roads in all 198 wards of the Bengaluru city, Bommai said. Under the Smart City Project, the construction of 26 roads has been taken up. As many as 46 roads are being developed under the Tender Sure model at a cost of Rs 426.60 crore, he said. "In the last five years, though thousands of crores have been spent, the quality of roads remained substandard and a large number of roads are full of potholes. To end this, auditing of all roads will be done in Bengaluru," Bommai stated. Once the auditing is done, all details pertaining to the year of construction of roads, details of contractors, in-charge engineers and maintenance period everything will be available. In case of non-maintenance, the government can initiate action and fix responsibility on officers, Bommai said. C.R. Ramesh, Congress MLC while highlighting the plight of roads in Bengaluru, said, if the expenditure on roads by the government is considered, it occurs that Rs 1.50 crore to Rs 2 crore has been spent for the construction of every one-kilometre road. "Whoever gets the contract for building roads should ensure maintenance for 5 years. No one is bothering about maintaining the road after construction. Magadi road is full of potholes a few months after construction work," Ramesh said. Los Angeles, Sep 24 : An extreme wildfire in northern California which has expanded to 1,200 acres in just 24 hours, has led to multiple mandatory evacuation orders, under which over 4,000 residents have fled from their homes. Dubbed Fawn Fire, the fire started some 19 km north of Redding city on Wednesday night, and raged through Thursday afternoon, Xinhua news agency quoted the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) as saying. "I would call it extreme," Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Foxworthy said on Thursday afternoon. "There are quite a few mandatory evacuations, and they're coming out continuously. I would advise people to look at the latest information from the sheriff's department," Foxworthy added. The Fawn Fire has forced 4,000 people to evacuate and "affected" 30,000, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet without elaboration. Cal Fire also announced on Thursday that a 30-year-old woman, Alexandra Souverneva, was arrested on fire-related charges in the area where the blaze started. Cal Fire said that it would submit the case to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office, recommending Souverneva be charged with "arson to wildland". Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large and active wildfires, the latest data from Cal Fire showed. Wildfires in the state has burned 9,507.9 square km of land this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. In California, a mandatory evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to livelihood. Barmer, Sep 24 : In 2002, villagers from around 10 villages in Rajasthans Barmer district were successful in saving three bighas of their sacred land, locally known as oran, from being allotted to a stone mining company by the district administration. The allocation was cancelled after a three-month-long battle which saw the community come together to protest this threat to their source of firewood, water and livestock feed. But that was just the beginning. Over the years, they have had to fight many times to save their oran from encroachers, miners and the government. They continue to fight till today. Orans are groves of trees, with a rich diversity of traditional flora and fauna and water bodies, considered sacred and preserved by the locals in this desert state. Orans, which derives from the Sanskrit word 'aranya' meaning 'forest' or 'wilderness', were often set aside by Rajasthan's feudal lords for religious purposes. An Oran ensures food and fodder for the community and the large herds of camels, sheep and goats in times of famine. Orans are preserved in the name of local deities; they are open to the whole community, irrespective of caste or creed, as long as the villagers follow certain rules governing its use. Tradition dictates that not a single tree or plant from here is cut, for example; only seasonal grazing of livestock is allowed. Wrangling with the bureaucracy But increasingly, these common lands have been allotted by the administration to mining, solar and other industries, to the detriment of the ecological health of the land. Most recently, the villagers in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district are engaged in a movement to protect their sacred land from being allotted to wind and solar energy companies. Residents allege that power companies and the sand mafia have encroached upon the Degrai Mata temple at Devikot in Jaisalmer. Durajan Singh, secretary at Degrai Mata temple and member of Oran Bachao Samiti, said that around 60,000 bighas had been set aside for the 610-year-old temple by the former royals of Jaisalmer. According to Singh, post independence when the land settlement process was initiated, this Oran was designated as government revenue land but villagers remained unaware of its status until 1999, when solar companies started cutting down trees to set up power plants. Following protests, the state government agreed to designated 24,000 bighas as Oran land but no decision was taken about the remaining land, despite sustained demands and protests by the locals. Singh said that for the past few years the government has been allotting land to the power companies like Adani Power and ReNew Power from this undesignated 36,000 bighas but now it has started allotments on the registered Oran lands as well. Villagers of more than a dozen villages have been protesting for the past six months against these allotments. Recently, they took out a 60-km long procession to mark their protest. Sumer Singh Bhati, a local resident and social activist who is actively participating in this 'Oran aandolan' (protest) said: "In the last few years, the government has allowed private power companies and sand mining firms to recklessly cut trees and destroy the Oran land. If it is not stopped, communities will have to pay the price in times of need." Image Source: IANS News The villagers now want the government to register the remaining land as protected oran land that can't be allocated to private or state players. They cite the precedence of the people of Asada village in Barmer sitting in Satyagraha (non-violent protest) in 1952 to save around 800 bighas of Oran land, forcing the government to finally recognise and register it as such. They simply want the implementation of the Rajasthan government's acceptance in 2018 of the recommendation by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for the inclusion of sacred groves such as Orans and 'Dev vans' as forest land. An oasis in the desert Author of Oran-Hamara Jeevan and regional director at Nehru Yuva Kendra, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Bhuvnesh Jain, pointed out that these Orans played an important role in biodiversity conservation by preserving the endemic, endangered and economically important plant species. Jain further stated that Orans are home to many types of grasses, herbs, medicinal plants, shrubs and trees, which are on the verge of extinction. It is also the habitat of many animals and birds like godawan (great Indian bustard), deer, and jackal. Technically speaking, he said that the Sariska, Ranthambore and Desert National Park are all pasture lands or Orans. According to Jain, Orans were once considered an important lifeline in the desert. But with passing time and urbanisation, people started ignoring it and its importance has somewhat lessened. But for pastoral communities, Orans are still, quite literally, an oasis in the desert. According to Sumer Singh Bhati, a resident of Sanwta village in Jaisalmer who is actively involved in the Oran protection movement, their region has one of highest populations of camels in the state. Over 5,000 camels are dependent on the Degrai Mata temple Oran alone. Malaram Godara, a resident of Araniyala village in Barmer, said that Orans are a big source of support during the frequent droughts this part of Rajasthan experiences. He explained that during such situations, people are still able to manage at least drinking water for the community and, more importantly, fodder and water for their thousands of livestock. Mal Singh Jamara's family has approximately 500 camels, 1,000 goats and 130 cows. Despite owning such a large herd, he has never had to worry about droughts in the past as the livestock were guaranteed food at the Orans. Image Source: IANS News "But for a few years now, power companies have been disturbing the oran land by cutting down the trees. Our cattle are not even safe from the power lines laid on the ground. In recent months, many endangered animals like the Great Indian Bustard have died due to the high tension lines," he said. Pradeep Pagariya, an agricultural scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Barmer, said that the Oran was not only vital for the community but is also an important buffer against pollution, the dense green cover helpful in preventing the development of sand storms in the desert. They further play a critical role in maintaining the quality of air and reducing pollutants. "But modernisation and mismanagement have resulted in the destruction of this ecosystem," said Narendra Tansukhani, a Barmer-based social activist who participated in the Oran Aandolan. Preserving the community's heritage and rights Aman Singh, Chief Coordinator of Krishi Avam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan, wrote: "It is a pity that Orans, which are unique examples of Gene Pool Conservation based on the socio-cultural value system i.e., traditional biodiversity conservation methodology has not attracted much attention from scientists, foresters and policymakers." Tansukhani said that for many years, they have been demanding that these oran lands be declared as heritage sites. Image Source: IANS News It is only recently that the Rajasthan government, in a long-overdue action under the Rajasthan Biological Diversity Rules, has initiated the process to declare seven sacred groves of western Rajasthan as heritage sites. Jain, in coordination with Rajasthan's revenue department, conducted a survey on the Oran lands in the Jodhpur region. Data revealed that there is a total of 1,34,749.75 hectares of Oran land in 1,759 villages of the Jodhpur division. These lands will now be officially exempt from being allocated for industry and being encroached upon. As such, Orans are simply defined in the revenue records as 'Culturable Waste Land' which allows the government to distribute these land for other purposes. Therefore it is the need for policy and necessary legislation to legally and constitutionally uphold the community's right to own and manage these Orans, which should be declared as forests or grazing land with the ownership of communities, according to Singh. (The author is a Barmer-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.) -- Syndicated from IANS September 24 : Priyanka Chopra bids adieu to summer and welcomed the fall season as she shared a bunch of pictures looking back at summer in the UK, where she has been working for quite some time now. The Sky is Pink actress, who has been staying in London for filming her upcoming show Citadel, took to her Instagram handle, and shared a series of pictures that include a picture of an outing with her brother Siddharth Chopra. In a photo, the actress is seen enjoying her daily dose of caffeine followed by spending some fun time by a lake while wearing a stylish jersey. One of the pictures also features her on the streets of London. Priyanka captioned the post as, "Summer, youve been good to me #TBT #GoodbyeSummer #HelloFall." Image Source: Instagram/priyankachopra Priyanka Chopra bids adieu to summer and welcomes fall Nick Jonas also shared a picture on his Instagram stories, giving a hint of having a delicious Indian meal at Priyankas restaurant Sona in New York City. Nick shared a picture of the food menu at Sona, kept on a platter. Remember This family dinner, the message at the top of the menu read. The menu listed buckwheat bhel, dhaba dal tadka, Goan fish curry, butter chicken, and gajar halwa. Priyanka recently visited the US to celebrate Nicks birthday on September 16. She shared a birthday post for Nick and wrote, Love of my life. Heres wishing the kindest most compassionate loving person I know a very happy birthday. I love you baby...Thank you for being you. Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka has been in London since late last year, while Nick Jonas was in Los Angeles. Currently, the actress is completing Citadel along with Richard Madden. She also has Matrix 4 with Keanu Reeves, a dance reality show with husband Nick Jonas, and another show with Mindy Kaling in her kitty. Recently, Farhan Akhtar has signed her along with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif for his film, Jee Le Zaraa. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Indian Defence Ministry signed contract worth around Rs 22,000 crore with Airbus Defence and Space, Spain on Friday for procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for the Air Force. Of these 16 aircraft are to be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain and 40 are to be manufactured in India. These 56 C-295MW transport aircraft will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The C-295MW aircraft is a transport aircraft of five to 10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology. It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo. On September 8, the government had approved procurement of 56 transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space S.A for the Indian Air Force. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft. Sixteen aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of signing of the contract and 40 will be manufactured in India by TATA Consortium within ten years of signing of the contract. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. All 56 aircraft will be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite. "The project will give a boost to the aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread over the country will be involved in manufacturing parts of the aircraft," the ministry had said. This will provide a major boost to the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' (Self-Reliant India Campaign) as it offers a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter into technology intensive and highly competitive aviation Industry. The project will augment domestic aviation manufacturing resulting in reduced import dependence and expected increase in exports. A large number of detail parts, sub-assemblies and major component assemblies of aero structure are scheduled to be manufactured in India. The programme will act as a catalyst in employment generation in the aerospace ecosystem of the country and is expected to generate 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3000 indirect jobs and an additional 3,000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 42.5 lakh man hours of work within the aerospace and defence sector of India. It will involve development of specialised infrastructure in form of hangars, buildings, aprons and taxiways. During the process of manufacturing in India, it is expected that all the suppliers of TATA Consortium, who will be involved in special processes, will gain and maintain globally recognised National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) accreditation. "Before completion of deliveries, 'D' Level servicing facility (MRO) for C-295MW aircraft are scheduled to be set up in India. It is expected that this facility will act as a regional MRO hub for various variants of C-295 aircraft," the ministry had said. In addition, the original equipment manufacturer will also discharge its offset obligations through direct purchase of eligible products and Services from the Indian Offset Partners giving further boost to the economy. Reacting on the development, Ratan Tata said, "The clearance of the joint project between Airbus Defence and Tata advanced systems to build the C-295 is a great step forward in the opening up of aviation and avionics projects in India. "The C-295 is a multi-role aircraft with several reconfigurations to meet mission requirements. "It envisages total manufacturing of the aircraft in India. "It will create a domestic supply chain capability to international standards, which has never been undertaken before. "The Tata group congratulates Airbus and the Indian defence ministry for this bold step in fully building this state-of-the-art multi-role aircraft in India in support of the 'Make in India' thrust to bolster the country's equity framework. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Panaji, Sep 24 : Six persons, five belonging to Nagpur in Maharashtra and one Rajasthan, were arrested on Friday for allegedly running an IPL betting racket in the port town of Vasco, Goa police said. Police have seized two laptops, mobile phones, television sets and other betting paraphernalia from the persons arrested. "We acted on a tip-off that accused persons were accepting bets from a rented premise in the Vaddem area of Vasco," a Goa Police spokesperson said. The arrested persons have been booked under the relevant sections of the Public Gambling Act. Latest updates on IPL 2021 Madrid, Sep 24 : Spain's King Felipe VI, his wife Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez travelled to La Palma to meet the people affected by the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island. Since the eruption began on Sunday afternoon, the lava has destroyed over 350 houses and covered over 165 hectares of land to a depth of up to 15 metres, reports Xinhua news agency. Over 6,000 people from the island's population of just over 80,000 had been evacuated, including the inhabitants of Todique, which lies on the path of the lava flow. The flow has been descending towards the sea at a speed of approximately four metres an hour. Firefighters are currently attempting to channel the flow away from as many homes as possible, while emergency services are working to clear volcanic ash off flat roofs to avoid the danger of collapse. Thursday's trip was the Prime Minister's second visit to La Palma in five days. The regional president of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, and Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska were also present during the visit. This military installation has been turned into temporary accommodation for those displaced by the eruption. Afterwards, King Felipe and Prime Minister Sanchez also spoke to representatives of the security forces and rescue services, who are overseeing operations. On Wednesday, the Vulcanology Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) estimated the eruption could last for 24-84 days. The volcano currently emits between 6,140 and 11,500 tons of sulphur dioxide (SO2) every day. Although six roads on the island have been closed due to the eruption, La Palma airport remains open. New Delhi, Sep 24: Chinas State Councillor and foreign minister Wang Yis pitch to lift sanctions against the Taliban is a thinly argued case, based on sweeping conclusions. Speaking at a virtual G-20 meeting on Afghanistan, Wang said that economic sanctions against Afghanistan must end, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement citing its top diplomat. The subtext of the Chinese argument is that the Taliban have formed a legitimate government that somehow reflects the popular will. Last month Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said after the Taliban swept into power that "China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan." So did the Afghan people "independently determine" whether they wanted the Taliban to be their legitimate ruler? Certainly not. On the contrary, by all standards of democracy, the Taliban have failed the legitimacy test. Neither have they been elected, nor has their rule been legitimised through a referendum or any other form of democratic validation by the people of Afghanistan In fact, the illegitimacy of the Taliban "caretaker government" is startling. The final line up of the governmental ministers has been handpicked by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. It is a matter of record that Pakistan's spy chief, Faiz Hameed was flown into Kabul to cobble together a pro-Islamabad government after fistfights broke out in various factions of the Taliban over the distribution of portfolios. Following the fracas, Hameed ensured that the more "moderate" Doha faction represented by the likes of Mullah Baradari and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai was completely side-lined. Instead, luminaries of the Haqqani network-a proven asset of the ISI, known for establishing their narco-terror empire in the AfPak Badlands -- got plum posts. Consequently, the Haqqanis formed the core of the new pro-Pak government in Kabul. Further, the illegitimacy of the Kabul government is blaring as it excluded the country's sizable minorities, including ethnic Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks from positions of power, leaving almost entirely the majority Pashtuns in the cockpit. Yet, China is batting for the Pak backed narco-dictatorship that has seized power in Afghanistan. By calling for the lifting of sanctions that would primarily benefit the dangerous Haqqanis, China's approach smacks of crass opportunism. Haqqanis have blood on their hands and bounties over their heads. But the mandarins from Beijing hope that by entering into a Faustian bargain with the Haqqanis and their underwriters in Pakistan, they would manage to taper down support for the Uyghur separatism in Xinjiang, even if it meant feeding international terror. In the end, China is supporting an illegitimate Taliban in the hope that its unprincipled approach would help fulfil its grand geo-economic and geopolitical ambitions. It is well-known that, lured by Afghanistan's vast resources, the Chinese want to raise a vast geo-economic empire with an extended China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as its vital artery. The Taliban is well aware of the Chinese ambition. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has been quoted as saying that Afghanistan wants to be incorporated in the CPEC. So far CPEC starts from the Pakistani port of Gwadar in the South and terminates north at Kashgar in China's Xinjiang region. A spur can be added which will extend CPEC into neighbouring Afghanistan, allowing the flow of Afghan minerals and raw materials to Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea. "China is a big country with a huge economy and capacity -- I think they can play a very big role in the rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan," Shaheen told China Global Television Network (CGTN), mirroring an illegitimate Taliban's quest for finding a reliable and supportive big power that approves of its fractious dictatorship. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Dubai, Sep 24 : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Venkatesh Iyer may have made millions of fans and followers across the globe with his entertaining style of batting in the last two matches -- against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) -- but the Indore-born 26-year-old is himself a huge fan of Sourav Ganguly and has modelled his game and technique on the lines of the former India skipper. Picking up from where he had left off against RCB, where he had clobbered an unbeaten 41 off 27 deliveries to guide KKR to a nine-wicket win with 10 overs remaining, Iyer scored his maiden IPL century and guided his side to a 7-wicket victory against MI on Thursday evening. In a post-match show, Iyer said that he always had the desire to play for KKR only because Sourav Ganguly was its "captain initially". "KKR was the first franchise that I wanted to be a part of only because dada (Sourav Ganguly) was the captain initially, so I really wanted to get into KKR first and got picked. That was a dreamy moment for me, to be honest," said Iyer. "I am a huge fan of dada. Dada has millions of fans across the globe and I'm one of them and dada has played a huge role in my batting. Indirectly, I used to bat right-handed when I was very young but I wanted exactly to replicate dada... looking at him, the way he hit sixes, the way he batted, the way he bowled. I think, he has played a huge role unknowingly in my life. I'm really grateful for that," Iyer said. Iyer has been a revelation in Dubai with even his skipper Eoin Morgan singling him out for praise and Iyer says that the opportunity he got was all because of a positive attitude he kept during lockdown. "When you are under lockdown, I think I was really waiting for my opportunity... was very positive that I would get my chance and every activity that I did was directed towards how I was going to play in the match. Whatever practice I did... I think it's paying dividends." A great Rajinikanth fan, Iyer says his life's biggest moment wold be when he meets the legendary acror. "My life's biggest moment would be when I meet him. I've seen each and every Rajini-starrer film. I remember I was in Indore and especially went to Chennai, bought a ticket at a local theatre to watch his match. I'm such a diehard fan of him. "My favourite dialogue 'My path is a different path' (translation) is my life's motto," added Iyer. KKR will next play Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on September 26. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, Sep 24 : The US House select committee investigating the Jan 6 Capitol riot issued the first batch of subpoenas against four allies of former President Donald Trump, asking them to appear before it for depositions. The subpoenas were sent to former top White House adviser Steve Bannon, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, and former Pentagon Chief of Staff Kash Patel, Xinhua news agency reported. They were asked to produce documents related to the riot no later than October 7, and appear for depositions in the following week. "The Committee is investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6 attack and issues relating to the peaceful transfer of power, to identify and evaluate lessons learned and to recommend corrective laws, policies, procedures rules, or regulations," read a statement issued by Democratic Congressman of Mississippi Bennie Thompson, who serves as Chairman of the select committee. In separate letters sent to each of the four former officials, the committee asked them to provide information on their involvement either in the lead-up to or in the aftermath of the riot. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a key member of the select committee, has warned that those who defy the subpoenas could face charges of criminal contempt. Republicans have claimed that the select committee, whose members are mostly Democrats, is nothing but a tool for Democrats to gain partisan interests. Some 140 police officers were reportedly injured when confronting Trump's supporters who breached the Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Capitol riot left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer. Four officers who responded to the riot reportedly died by suicide within seven months. Trump was impeached by the Democrat-led House on one article of inciting insurrection on January 13 before being acquitted by the Senate. He was the first-ever sitting American President to have been impeached and tried twice. Seoul, Sep 24 : Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Friday deemed South Korean President Moon Jae-In's proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean War an "admirable idea". In a statement, Kim Yo-jong however said that Pyongyang is willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if Seoul ceases to be hostile towards it, reports Yonhap News Agency. "The declaration of the termination of the war is an interesting and an admirable idea. ... But it is necessary to look into whether it is the right time now and whether there are conditions ripe for discussing this issue," she said in the statement carried by Pyongyang' official Korean Central News Agency. "We have willingness to keep our close contacts with the South again and have constructive discussion with it about the restoration and development of the bilateral relations if it is careful about its future language and not hostile toward us." Kim Yo-jong's statement came after Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song rejected Moon's proposal as "something premature". Earlier this week while addressing the UN General Assembly, Moon proposed the two Koreas and the US declare a formal end to the 1950-53 war. Seoul and Pyongyang are still technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The happenings in the Punjab Congress have given a new impetus to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state after the Shiromani Akali Dal broke away from the NDA. The BJP is now using Amarinder Singh's statements to corner the ruling Congress government in Punjab and the Gandhi family. Amarinder Singh, who was instrumental in forming the Congress government in Punjab, has given a golden opportunity to the BJP to attack the Congress. The BJP, which had been politically attacking Amarinder Singh in the last several years, has launched blistering attacks against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Congress high command (Gandhi family) with the help of Amarinder Singh's recent comments against Sidhu and the Congress. Dushyant Gautam, the BJP National General Secretary and Punjab BJP in-charge, in an exclusive conversation with IANS recently had raised questions about Sidhu's friendship with Pakistan after citing Amarinder Singh's recent statements. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar questioned the silence of the Gandhi family (Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi) over the statements made by Amarinder Singh. BJP Chief National Spokesperson Anil Baluni and R.P. Singh or Punjab BJP President have all raised serious allegations against the Congress citing Amarinder Singh's recent statements. Calling him a 'nationalist ' the BJP is targetting the Congress high command for removing Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Chief Minister's post. Many political questions are being raised about this new found love of the BJP for Amarinder Singh. Questions are also being raised about how the BJP is targeting Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was earlier associated with the BJP, on the basis of statements made by a former Congress Chief Minister. A BJP leader told IANS that as far as the saffron party's new found love for Amarinder Singh is concerned, the party stands with every person who loves the country and wants to strengthen its national security. He reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in the past that neither the Congress considers Amarinder Singh as its Chief Minister nor the latter considers himself as a Congress Chief Minister. The BJP leader also reminded that every time the Union government conducted surgical strikes, including taking strict measures against terrorism and Pakistan, Amarinder Singh has always supported the Union government, adopting a different political stand from the Congress high command. Nationalism, border security, terrorism and Pakistan -- all these are considered to be the core issues of the BJP. Amarinder Singh's statements are proving to be a shot in the arm for BJP. When asked what would be the political impact of the BJP's new found love for Amarinder Singh, the BJP leader said in politics the doors are open for every politician but 'Captain Saab' (referred to Amarinder Singh) himself needs to clearly come out in the open. Rishikesh, Sep 24 : The Tehri Dam Project in Uttarakhand reached a milestone as it achieved full capacity of 830 metres, for the first time ever. Though the project has been providing the much-needed 1000 MW power and other benefits such as drinking and irrigation water, flood moderation, fishing, tourism etc. for the past 15 years, yet its full potential had remained elusive. The Tehri reservoir could not be raised to Full Reservoir Level (FRL), of EL 830 metres due to different issues. However, with the Centre and the state governments' efforts, this mammoth task was achieved after the pending rehabilitation issues of the project were resolved by THDC India. The Uttarakhand government permitted raising the Tehri reservoir level to EL 830 metre on August 25, 2021. Prior to this permission, dam authorities were not allowed to raise it to full level and full potential as water and power were not getting fully utilized. The Tehri Dam Project is a multipurpose hydro power scheme on the Bhagirathi river and is the third highest among earth fill dams and tenth highest among all dams. The project consists of a 260.5m high earth and rock fill dam, and four machines of 250 MW each in an underground power house. The project has a capacity to store about 2,615 MCM of surplus flood water during monsoon. Post monsoon, the stored water provides irrigation support to 8.74 lakh hectares of land in the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh; and also provides around 300 cusecs of drinking water to Delhi for about a 40 lakh population and 200 cusecs to Uttar Pradesh for some 30 lakh population. The project has also enabled the farmers of the Tehri command area to cultivate upto three crops a year. The dam also ensures sufficient discharge by releasing additional water in the Ganga river during the lean period for different "holy Snans" and "Parvas" at Haridwar and Prayagraj. It also ensures sufficient water discharge in the Ganga by additional releases during the "Kumbh Mela". The Tehri power plant provides 1000 MW of power and more than 3,000 million units of energy annually to the northern grid, of which 12 per cent goes to Uttarakhand free of cost. The project was conceived in 1949 and was cleared by the Government of India in 1986 as a joint venture company of the Governments of India and Uttar Pradesh. A techno-economic agreement between India and Russia was signed in 1986. THDC India Ltd. (formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation) was incorporated to implement the scheme in 1988. The safety of the dam and its impact on the quality of water and the environment had also been contentious issues. Several government departments and panels of scientists and experts were constituted to deliberate on these issues and after their recommendations, the construction of the main dam started in 1990 with the raising of the upstream coffer dam. Seismic safety of the dam was again reviewed by Indian and Russian experts. The Govt. of India approved the implementation of the project in 1994 and actual construction of dam works started in 1995. The construction of project structures continued with intermittent protests and could finally be completed in 2005. The commissioning of the project could start in October' 2005 when the High Court of Uttarakhand allowed closure of last diversion tunnel (T-2) to start filling of the Tehri reservoir. Subsequent to commencement of initial filling of the reservoir in October 2005, commissioning of the 4 units of the power house also started, one by one and the project was fully commissioned in July 2007. The initial filling of the Tehri reservoir was a challenge as the Tehri dam was the 1st earth and rock fill dam of such a height in India. THDCIL took every precaution, reviewed available literature about the initial filling of high dams worldwide and consulted hydro project experts to frame the dam filling program along with the program of regular monitoring of the structures through instruments installed and geodetic observations. After closure of last Tunnel T-2 in October 2005, the reservoir gradually filled above EL (+) 638m up to EL (+) 785m by October 2006 i.e. till completion of 1st filling season. Thereafter, from November 2006 to June 2007, the reservoir depleted back to EL 740m. Till the year 2020, the reservoir was filled up to EL 828m, as GoUK permitted THDCIL to raise the reservoir level upto that level only. Permission for filling up to EL 830 million was granted by the state government this year in August, 2021. The reservoir touched EL 828m on 11th September and thereafter filling was done to reach EL (+) 830 m on 24th September, 2021. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Four friends, who were without jobs but dreamt of earning a quick buck and leading a lavish lifestyle started gambling, only to be arrested by the Delhi Police, an official said here on Friday. According to the police, they received a tip-off that some people were gambling at T-86 in Sarai Kale Khan, here, and if a timely raid is conducted, they could be apprehended. On basis of the information, a team of five policemen immediately swung into action and raided the location under the direction of senior officials. "There the team found four persons sitting diagonally gambling with proper setup. On seeing the police party, they tried to run away but were caught," the police said. The accused persons were identified as Babu, Yaadram, Rakesh, and Armaan, all residents of Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi. The police have registered a case and arrested all the four accused under sections 3, 4, and 6 of the Delhi Public Gambling Act at the Sunlight Colony police station and also recovered Rs 10,130 in cash, one calculator, and a deck of playing cards with slips. No previous involvement has been found against all the four, the police said. On sustained interrogation, the accused disclosed that they are close friends and had no work to earn their livelihood. All four of them said they started gambling as they wanted to "earn quick money in a short time", however, were caught by the police. Besides, they also wanted to live a lavish lifestyle. The police said all of them were addicted to alcohol and smoking. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Following fresh intelligence inputs that terrorists may hit the Army bases and government buildings in Uri and adjoining areas, the security arrangements of these establishments have been scaled up and they have been asked to remain on high alert. Sources, quoting the fresh intelligence input, said that some missing ultras can target the Army bases, posts or government buildings in this sector or in the adjoining areas. They also said that the Army officials have been asked to scale-up security arrangements near the military setups in Uri and nearby areas, to remain on high alert and also strengthen the peripheral security and have adequate number of sentries on the watchtowers. Similar arrangements have to be made for the important government buildings too, they further said. The officials in the security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir also said that despite the deep combing operations in the Uri sector for the last three days to flush out the terrorists, the absconding terrorists are traceless which raises a serious security threat. The administration had suspended the mobile Internet for three days so that these ultras could not contact their local handlers and restrictions on the movement of the residents were also made, but nothing has come up so far, sources said. It is now believed that they might have the support of local handlers who may have arranged a safe place to hide in for a while. On September 18, the security agencies had sounded alert that six terrorists from Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) had sneaked into the Indian Territory in Uri sector with a huge cache of arms and ammunition. The officials, who were privy to the operational developments, also confirmed that the Army had also inputs that a fresh group of infiltrators had sneaked into Uri via Gawahalan village on the border which was earlier used by the Pakistani terrorists to attack the military base in Uri in September 2016. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Pakistan and China have agreed to keep unchanged the tariff and tax policies relating to power sector contracts and arrest and prosecute the attackers of the July 14 bus tragedy at Dasu at the earliest, Dawn news reported. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday after the much-delayed JCC meeting, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who co-chaired it, said the two sides had agreed to the need and importance of enhanced security not only for CPEC projects but also Chinese labourers working in Pakistan, following the Dasu incident. Both sides agreed to "arrest those guilty of heinous crime and get them sentenced by courts at the earliest", the Dawn news report said. Umar said the Chinese side raised the issue of security and the Pakistani side agreed that spectrum of economic cooperation was expanding, SIZs were coming up, investments were flowing in and Chinese workers were working in many areas, even outside the CPEC, and hence the need for security had also increased. He said work on the Dasu hydropower project had not resumed yet but that was not part of the CPEC. The Chinese has been agitating build-up of power sector dues going beyond $1.4 billion, creation of a revolving fund for automatic payments and an increase in withholding tax rates after the agreements were signed. Pakistan has been seeking changes in tariff structure for independent power producers to reduce financial burden in line with tariff discounts secured from other IPPs to address the circular debt pressure. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Realising the fact that Other Backward Castes (OBC) will play a decisive role in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP OBC wing will launch a massive campaign to highlight the community specific works done by the government and also to reveal how the Congress has betrayed them over the years. According to national president of OBC Morcha Dr K. Laxman, the state executive meet of OBC Morcha in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand was held recently and chief ministers of both states Yogi Adityanath and Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the meetings in their respective states. "In the meeting of both state executives, it was decided that the OBC Morcha of the party will reach out to the people to make them aware about the decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upliftment of the backward classes," Laxman said. Highlighting the important decision of the Modi government, he further said, "Some of the major decisions of the Modi government includes giving Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, giving representation to 27 OBC ministers in the Union council of ministers, 27 per cent reservation in medical education and others." The OBC Morcha president claimed that the Congress has always suppressed the interests of the backward sections of the society and made only false promises. "The way Congress opposed the resolution in the Rajya Sabha showed its real attitude towards the backward classes. Despite being in power for a long time and even after the recommendations of Kaka Kalelkar Commission in 1950 and Mandal Commission in 1979, no concrete steps were taken by the Congress in the direction of fulfilling the interests of the backward classes," he added. Another party leader pointed out that the OBCs are an influential and decisive vote bank in Uttar Pradesh and played an important role in the rise of the BJP in recent times. "OBCs are electorally important in Uttar Pradesh. This time we are also trying to win support of all the OBC communities, especially of non-Yadav," a party insider said. A senior party functionary pointed out that OBC votes also play an important role in Uttarakhand. "OBC vote share in Uttarakhand is not huge like Uttar Pradesh, but the community plays an important role," he said. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions and PMO Jitendra Singh on Friday accused the successive Congress governments in the past of underplaying Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's contribution and legacy. Speaking after inaugurating the Digital Exhibition on Life and Contribution of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in North Block here, he said 'it was indeed an occasion of redemption when we seek to restore the deserved glory of our unsung heroes and undo the injustice done to them by history, for whatever reason'. Noting that the nation owes it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reviving and reminding us of the contribution of unsung heroes and unsung freedom fighters including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Baba Saheb Ambedakar, Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Sardar Patel, Singh said that their sacrifices and achievements were always downplayed by successive Congress governments for political and dynastic considerations. The Minister also said that during this year, the Central Government will showcase unsung heroes and little-known groups and events of the Freedom Struggle during the year-long celebrations to mark 75 years of India's Independence and added that several events, exhibitions and lecture series will be organised to underline their contribution. Mentioning that the next 25 years of journey of "Sankalp se Siddhi" will definitely establish India as a Vishwaguru, he said that there was a need for the young generation to take a pledge to rededicate themselves in the service of the nation and also to become aware of the contributions and sacrifices of unsung heroes and freedom fighters. Referring to Prime Minister's flagging off the 'Padyatra' (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad on March 12 this year and inauguration of the curtain raiser activities of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' Singh said the Mahotsav will be celebrated as a 'Jan-Utsav' in the spirit of 'Jan-Bhagidari'. The Minister also reiterated that the celebrations will continue till August 15, 2023 and will have five pillars such as 'Freedom Struggle', 'Ideas at 75', 'Achievements at 75', 'Actions at 75' and 'Resolves at 75' as the guiding force for moving forward keeping dreams and duties as inspiration. Patna, Sep 24 : A district court in Bihar's Madhubani agreed to a bail plea of two extortionists and attempt to murder undertrials on the condition that they will together feed five Dalit children half a liter of milk each everyday for six months. The Additional Session Judge (ADJ-I) Avinash Kumar accepted the bail plea of Shivji Mishra and Ashok Mishra on Friday. Kumar had earlier granted bail to an accused, Lalan Kumar who involved in attempt to rape case, on the condition that he will be washing the clothes of 2,000 women of the village for 6 months. Shivji and Ashok, had demanded money from Bhagwan Kumar Jha. When the latter refused to pay up, they attacked him with a knife and also rammed him with a bike. A case was registered in Jhanjharpur police on March 22, 2021. Amit Ranjan Thakur, the government lawyer said that the accused filed for bail after spending 160 days behind the bars. "During the hearing of the case, both of them expressed their desire to do social work after getting out of jail. "The accused also said that they are cattle farmers. Shivji has three cows and Ashok two and each of them produce five liters of milk per day," Thakur said. "Keeping this in view, the ADJ directed Shivji to give half liter milk each to three Dalit children and Ashok will do the same to 2 Dalit children for next six months," Thakur said. "Both of them have also been directed to take certificates from parents of all these children after six months followed by signatures of Mukhiya (Village head), Sarpanch, ward councillor and MLA of respected areas and then submit the certificates in the court," Thakur said. "ADJ Avinash Kumar, with his decision, has given a social message to fight against malnutrition," he said. New York, Sep 24 : Nearly three and a half years after Avicii's death, his estate is announcing a new documentary on the life and music of the Swedish artiste born Tim Bergling, reports Bilboard.com. Set for release in 2023, the film will feature newly produced material and includes interviews with Bergling's family, friends and colleagues, along with never-before-seen archive footage and interviews with Bergling himself. The film is being billed as a look at the "music and the artiste who defined an era and changed the world of music forever, and is an up-close, intimate, and epic story about his unparalleled successes and his struggles to cope with the pressure." Produced by Swedish director and cinematographer BjArn TjArnberg and Candamo Film in cooperation with Swedish National Television, the documentary is being shot by Swedish director Henrik Burman, who also directed the 2020 doc 'Yung Lean: In My Head'. "My goal is to provide an honest and new perspective on both the artist Avicii and Tim's life," Burman said. "I want this to be a film that surprises the audience and challenges the public's image of Sweden's biggest international artiste of today and, in doing so, also shine a light on what his music has meant to so many people." The new film is not the first documentary on Bergling, with 2017's 'True Stories' capturing the producer in the era when he was winding down his touring schedule in the wake of his much publicized period of burnout. This documentary caused controversy for its depiction of Bergling in what turn out to be the latter part of his life, and is no longer available on Netflix. Swedish DJ, remixer, record producer, musician, and songwriter Tim Bergling was known professionally as 'Avicii'. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first record deal. He rose to prominence in 2011 with his single 'Levels'. His debut studio album, 'True' in 2013, blended electronic music with elements of multiple genres and received generally positive reviews. The lead single, 'Wake Me Up', topped most music markets in Europe and reached number four in the United States. Bergling retired from touring in 2016 due to health problems, having suffered from stress and poor mental health for several years. On 20 April 2018, he committed suicide while living in Muscat, Oman. In 2019 his third album, Tim, was released posthumously. Jaipur, Sep 24 : The Rajasthan police have arrested a thief, originally a resident of Bihar, who frequently used to visit Jaipur in a plane from Bangladesh, then made a recce of the city dressed as a poor man, slept on the city streets and returned in a plane after committing a robbery in the city. The thief has been accused of thefts amounting to crores of rupees. As per police officials, the accused, identified as Mohammad Rajjak, was a resident of Katihar, but was staying in Bangladesh since the last few years. He used to travel frequently in a plane to commit robberies at plush locations in Jaipur and then went back by air. He married thrice by changing his identity and has been staying with a different wife after each theft. However, none of his wives knew about him being a thief. Police identified him after scanning CCTV footage in the city. They arrested his accomplice first and got information about him. Upon coming to know that he has left Jaipur with wife and kids, they contacted the Uttar Pradesh police and he was caught with the help of the railway police. The accused had planned to escape to Bangladesh from Kolkata via train from Kanpur. As he had conducted many robberies, the police checked CCTV footage and he was seen roaming on the streets in a 'vest' and 'lungi' in these areas. Thereafter, the police started tracking him. When asked, the accused said, "I used to reach Jaipur in a plane, do recce in undergarments and departed from the city by air after my task (theft) was over." He was staying in Bangladesh with his second wife and kids in Dinazpur and also had a passport. "I used to escape to Bangladesh after committing robberies in Jaipur," he revealed. He committed over 7 robberies in the Pink City with his accomplice Salim. The accused knew every lane and bylane of the city and had done a complete recce of the city wearing a 'vest' and 'lungi'. Police said that the accused was seen outside many locations where thefts had taken place. Also, at times, he was seen sleeping on the footpaths. Investigations are on to learn if there are other people involved along with him, as police officials say it is difficult for only two of them to conduct thefts at so many places. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The travel and tourism industry has urged the government to restore the Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) benefit to 7 per cent, as was paid earlier, to support the sector that is one of the worst-hit by the pandemic. In a representation to the Commerce Ministry, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has said that while the decision to release SEIS scrips for FY20 for tour operators is a welcome move, it is disappointing that the benefit has been reduced from 7 to 5 per cent. "Last one and a half years has been one of the worst phases for the tour operators and in light of the debilitating hardship endured, it is urged that the government restores SEIS benefit to 7 percent as was paid a year before," IATO President Rajiv Mehra said. For the last 18 months, inbound tour operators had almost zero income with several of them folding up their businesses. In view of this, the SEIS benefit was awaited for a long time as this would provide some financial succour to help the tourism sector tide over this crisis. During the deliberations, the government was requested to raise it to 10 per cent as a one-time measure, however, the lowering of the benefit and capping it to Rs 5 crore has disappointed the industry. The reduction to 5 per cent will impact the small and medium tour operators while cap of Rs 5 crore will badly impact the large tour operators. "Tourism has contributed significantly to the exchequer and has been a major employer as well. In a distressful situation like this, the tourism sector looks for assistance from the government for survival and revival," the IATO said in a statement. Under SEIS Scheme, exporters of selected services were entitled to a incentive on the net foreign exchange earned in the form of duty credit scrips. These SEIS scrips could be used to pay import duty or can be encashed by selling it to any importer. Mumbai, Sep 24 : Mumbai City FC have secured the serves of forward Ygor Catatau on a season-long loan from Brazilian side Madureira Esporte Clube. The Brazilian striker started his professional career with Madureira before making the jump to the first team in 2015 and was loaned out to clubs like Barra da Tijuca and Boa Esporte in his initial years. Catatau then signed on a one-season loan deal with CR Vasco da Gama, where he featured in the Brasileiro SArie A and Copa do Brasil during the 2020/21 season. Earlier in March 2021, the 26-year-old player was loaned to SArie B side EC Vitoria, where he made 27 appearances for the club and scored three goals, including one assist to his name. Catatau's move to Mumbai City FC will be his first experience playing outside of his native Brazil. "Joining Mumbai City and coming to the ISL is a new challenge for me in my career and I'm extremely excited about it. For all of us at the club, we want to deliver in what I'm aware is going to be an important season for us. I'm ready to give my very best to our fans and I hope we can enjoy great moments together," Ygor Catatau said. New Delhi, Sep 24 : An exceptional travelogue highlighting Uttar Pradesh's rich culture, diversity is set to be released Discovery Communications India aims to put the spotlight on livelihood through the MSME sectors and accelerate economic development under 'One District One Product' (ODOP), a vital scheme set up by the government to preserve the indigenous crafts and artisans and boost the economy of the MSME sector. The documentary -- 'Heritage Trails, One District, One Product' in association with the Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) government is hosted by popular TV actor, Gaurav Chopra, who takes the audience through this enlightening journey as he visits cities like Agra and Varanasi. The show will give the audience an immersive experience as Chopra learns to and makes products with the local artisans, understanding the correlation of these products on their livelihood and welfare. This special documentary will reveal the true indigenous side of Uttar Pradesh while elaborating on the government's efforts to promote and rescale its local crafts and products that give the state its identity. The program provides access to technology, raw material, design, better packaging, marketplace, increasing employment and skills, among others with a motive to empower them and provide a global platform to these artisans. This special series also highlights items in UP that are found in no place else -- like the old and classic Gulabi Meenakari and Marble Inlay work. Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 'ODOP' said, "When we speak of culture and legacy, the one word that comes to mind is India. Being a diverse and secular country, every part of India, including Uttar Pradesh, oozes tradition in numerous forms and it is important to protect it in every way possible. Our association with the Discovery for ODOP initiative is a step towards spreading awareness, protecting, and propagating the rich heritage of our country and generating self-employment." "We at Discovery, are delighted to partner with Uttar Pradesh government for this one-of-a-kind documentary which beautifully captures encouraging stories and puts a spotlight on the state's art and rich culture of Uttar Pradesh. We can't emphasize enough this commendable programme by the government which not just provides livelihood to the district but also showcases India's culture and art forms in a global market. Hoping our viewers find it equally enlightening and empowering," said Megha Tata, Managing Director -- South Asia, Discovery Inc. Host Gaurav Chopra shares his experience, "A much needed, great initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government to support and restore its local art and culture. I am glad that Discovery presented me with this opportunity to host the series, giving me a chance to learn and experience our rich culture while connecting with the locals who have been keeping it alive. It was truly a magnificent experience to be on-ground and see the great potential in these indigenous craftsmen and artisans." Catch the exclusive premiere of 'Heritage Trails, One District, One Product' on Discovery Channel and discovery+ on September 25, 2021. The audience can also watch it on Discovery Turbo and Discovery Science. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Mumbai, Sep 24 : Television actress Neha Marda has revealed how she has kept the 'freshness' alive in her long-distance marriage of nine years! Neha tied the knot with Patna-based businessman Aayushman in 2012 and ever since has been living in a long-distance marriage, her workplace being Mumbai. However, the couple has managed to keep the bond alive. Talking about the same, Neha shared: "Every time I get a leave, we plan to meet up. I still remember, just after I got married, I got a show called 'Doli Armaanon Ki' and I was shooting for it in Mumbai. Every month, I would travel to Patna for 6 - 7 days to be with him. Aayushman would also try to travel to Mumbai whenever possible." Revealing how they've kept the magic alive in so many years, the actress further said: "This want of meeting each other and spending time with each other, made our bond stronger. The crux of our relationship is that the long-distance marriage is working smoothly. I think because of the distance and both of us chasing each other to meet, the freshness is alive." "Being a daily soap actor, it is difficult to take leaves at times, but we are working it out and the team of 'Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti' has been very supportive," she added. On the work front, Neha features on the Zee TV daily soap 'Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti'. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, Sep 24 : Rapper Badshah has collaborated with Delhi-based rapper, lyricist and composer Sachin Bali a.k.a. Bali for a new single titled 'Feel Hai'. The groovy, upbeat single is expected to be a break from Badshah's usual lyrical game in the hip hop scene. It will also have a touch of Bali's wit and dry humour. The music video has been shot against a quirky backdrop. Talking about the single, Badshah shared: "Feel Hai is a vibe. Bali is an incredibly unique artiste and Feel Hai is my jump at entering a brand new flow. Really looking forward to this one!" "Feel Hai is a laid back and chill track like no other. Badshah Bhai is doing something never seen before. This is definitely a sound for the masses. Feel Hai Bhai Feel Hai!" added Bali expressing his excitement at the collaboration. 'Feel Hai' will be releasing on September 29 under the label of Warner Music India. Chennai, Sep 24 : 'Give back our land or get us our jobs' is the demand to the Tamil Nadu government from 22 persons whose grandfathers had given their land to Hindustan Motors Ltd in 1968. The demand is going to echo at the sit-in protest to be held on October 1 at the Tiruvallur district collectorate. The 22 persons as well as over 150 contract workers are demanding employment in PCA Automobiles India Private Limited -- a joint venture between global automotive manufacturer Stellantis Group and the C.K. Birla group. They were earlier employed by Hindustan Motors Ltd/Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Ltd at its Tiruvallur car plant rolling out Japanese Mitsubishi Motors Corporation's models like Lancer, Pajero and also under contract manufacturing deal for Isuzu Motor's MU 7 model. Later about 175 permanent workers and over 150 contract workers were retrenched by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation and the plant was transferred to PCA Automobiles. "We were retrenched despite an agreement signed between the two joint venture partners that the workers will be absorbed by PCA Automobiles," H. Ismail, one of the retrenched workers whose grandfather's land was acquired by Hindustan Motors in 1968. "It was based on this Employee Transfer Agreement, Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation got permission from the Tamil Nadu government to transfer the plant and other assets to PCA Automobiles. Post transfer of assets, the workers - permanent and on contract - were sent out," E. Srinivasan, Secretary of the Hindustan Motors Land Giving Farmers Progressive Association told IANS. "Hindustan Motors acquired about 356 acres of agricultural land from 1968 at Tiruvallur. Initially it bought the land directly from the owners. But it was not able to get the extent it wanted and sought the District Collector's help. Later the company deposited the land cost with the government treasury and the government transferred the land to the company," Srinivasan added. At that point of time, the District Collector had assured that the land owners will be employed by the company in the Hindustan Motor's earthmoving equipment plant at Tiruvallur. "The land cost was so low that many landowners did not make efforts to get their money from the government treasury as the expenses incurred would be higher," Srinivasan added. However, the landowners were not given employment as promised earlier and after protesting Hindustan Motors employed 82 persons - mostly the grandsons of the landowners - in 1980s. "After a decade of protests another batch of 82 workers were hired as trainees in 1997," Srinivasan said. Srinivasan and Ismail said Hindustan Motors confirmed the trainee workers only after 10 years. Hindustan Motors hived off a sizable portion of the land for its car plant to roll out Mitsubishi Motors Corporation's models like Lancer, Pajero. And some workers of the Hindustan Motors' earthmoving equipment division were transferred to the car plant. Some years later, the Indian company transferred the plant to Hindustan Finance Corporation and then to PCA Automobiles while sending out permanent and contract workers. Hindustan Motors sold its earthmoving equipment division (that made dumpers, loaders and others) to Caterpillar, US. Barring the 22 workers whose grandfathers had given their land to the factory and some others, the majority of the permanent workers had agreed to take lump sum compensation from Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation. "The company had deposited the lump sum in our bank accounts without our consent. We wrote to the company, Tamil Nadu government and also to PCA Automobiles stressing our demand for jobs and the amount deposited would be treated as our monthly wages," Srinivasan said. After the job loss, life for all the workers turned upside down. "We were not able to get proper employment in other companies as age was against us. Many workers joined car service stations and others at a wage of Rs 8,000 per month, after drawing about Rs 50,000 per month. Our families are still in dire straits," S. Gandhi, Former Secretary of the worker's union at Hindustan Motor Finance, told IANS. According to Srinivasan, the PCA Automobiles plant has about 190 acres of land of which about 150 acres are vacant. "We want our land back so that we can do farming and manage our families," Srinivasan said. The former car plant workers are going to protest at the Tiruvallur Collectorate as it was the then Collector who had spoken to their grandfathers to give up their land and assured of employment in the factory. "Our land is there. The old owner - C.K.Birla group and new owner Stellantis Group - are also there. The car plant is also rolling out Citroen brand cars. Only we are not there. This is not just," Ismail and Srinivasan remarked. Despite several rounds of talks between the former workers, PCA Automobiles in the presence of the District Collector and other officials, there has been no progress on the issue, the former workers said. "We have seen four District Collectors. Everyone knows about the Employee Transfer Agreement signed between Hindustan Finance Corporation and PCA Automobiles and its subsequent breach. But still no progress," Ismail said. According to them, the sit-in protest at the Tiruvallur Collectorate to be flagged off by CPI MP K. Subbarayan, is expected to help them. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 : The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police has arrested two persons for possessing illegal firearms, the police said on Friday. "The STF arrested two criminals from Bhapur area of Dhenkanal, seized 10 illegal firearms (9 country-made shotguns and one revolver). Further investigation is on," the STF said in a tweet. The two accused were identified as Kalandi Nayak of Cuttack district and Shyam Sundar Sitha of Dhenkanal. Based on intelligence inputs about manufacture or sale of illegal firearms by some criminals in Dhenkanal district, a team of STF officers conducted a raid and arrested two criminals, it said. During the raid, the STF seized 9 country-made firearms and one country-made revolver along with other incriminating material from their possession. The STF has registered a case under the Arms Act and further probe is on. During preliminary investigation, the police have found that the seized country-made firearms were manufactured by criminals of Dhenkanal district, who were involved in a number of cases related to illegal manufacturing of firearms in the district and other areas. Their identity has been established and steps are being taken to apprehend them, the STF said. Since 2020, the STF has seized 56 firearms and 91 rounds of live ammunition. Imphal, Sep 24 : After the widespread condemnation of the assassination of an influential tribal leader by unidentified militants, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Friday publicly apologised for the police inaction leading to the abduction and gunning down of Athuan Abonmai. The Chief Minister said that 16 policemen including some troopers of Manipur Rifles have been suspended as Abonmai was shot dead soon after he was whisked away by gunmen from Tamenglong district headquarters on Wednesday. His bullet-riddled body was found on Thursday evening. Talking to the media at his office, Singh said that after getting reports that the policemen were mere onlookers while Abonmai was being dragged out and bundled into a waiting jeep, I wondered how the morale of the police had lowered to such an extent. "Police should have taken swift action and saved the life of Abonmai. We have suspended 16 police personnel including a few officers for dereliction of duty," said the Chief Minister, who holds the Home Department. He said that Manipur Director General of Police L.M Khaute has constituted a high level committee headed by Radhashyam Singh, Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) while two other IG rank officials K. Kabib and Kamei Angam Romanus would be the members. The Chief Minister said that his government would seek National Investigation Agency investigation if there are reasonable grounds of doubt of a nexus between some policemen and the terrorists. Singh said: "As the Home Minister and head of the government, I expressed my sincere apology to the bereaved family and the people for the cowardly action of murder of a popular public leader." Abonmai, the former president of Zeliangrong Baudi, a tribal-based local council in Tamenglong district and a leader of the Naga People's Front (NPF), had been abducted on Wednesday when the Chief Minister, accompanied by his ministerial colleagues, visited the hill district bordering Assam and Nagaland to inaugurate some projects as a part of the state's 'Go to Hills' campaign. According to the police officials, the tribal leader was reportedly abducted while he was on his way to attend the Chief Minister's programme. Local media reports said that 20 armed cadres of a hill-based extremist outfit kidnapped Abonmai near Pallong village. Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the incident with no militant group claiming responsibility for the abduction and killing of the tribal leader. Many organisations condemned the incident and demanded an explanation from the perpetrators on the motive behind the assassination. Manipur Congress working president Keisham Meghachandra Singh describing Abonmai as the voice of unity and integrity of Manipur, said his assassination must be taken with the utmost seriousness and the perpetrators must be punished. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Madras High Court's observations that reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in the NEET-All India Quota (AIQ) medical seats can be implemented only with the approval of top court's Constitution bench. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and B.V. Nagarathna observed that the high court had made "unnecessary observations". It noted that the high court was examining a contempt petition, which sought implementation of OBC reservation in NEET-AIQ, therefore observations on 10 percent EWS quota was transgression of its jurisdiction. The Centre had moved the top court challenging the observations made by the Madras High Court. Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, representing the Centre, contended that the high court should not have made the observation, while it was exercising its contempt jurisdiction. The top court noted that after the high court found no contempt, it has gone into wider spectrum. "There the high court has really erred... when you are in contempt jurisdiction, you just need to see if the order has been complied or not," it said. The high court, through its August judgment, had dropped a contempt of court plea filed by the ruling DMK against Centre on implementing reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in AIQ medical college seats. On Friday, DMK's counsel submitted that the issue is "complicated", and the Centre's plea could be heard with other petitions challenging the EWS/OBC quota in the NEET-AIQ. The high court had observed: "The additional reservation provided for economically weaker sections in the notification of July 29, 2021 cannot be permitted, except with the approval of the Supreme Court in such regard." It had noted that the Constitution bench is examining the correctness of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which provided reservation. Centre had moved the top court aggrieved with this observation. The Supreme Court, however, clarified it is not saying anything on the merits of the EWS quota in NEET-AIQ, and it is only setting aside high court's observation, as it transgressed the limits of contempt jurisdiction. "We are not expressing opinion on the merits of the case since the points will arise in a bunch of petitions pending adjudication," the bench noted. The top court will continue to hear, on October 7, the petitions challenging the Centre's notification to implement OBC, and EWS quota in NEET-AIQ. Bengaluru, Sep 24 : The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to the state government in connection with the petition filed by a 10-year-old boy studying in Class 4, questioning the decision to make the Kannada language compulsory. Keertan Suresh, studying in Bishop Cotton's Boys School in Bengaluru, represented by his mother N. Sujatha, challenged the constitutional validity of the Kannada Language Learning Act, which makes the teaching of Kannada mandatory as a first or secondary language from Class 1 to 10 in all schools including those affiliated to the CBSE and ICSE. The petition claimed that the Act is harsh, draconian, and discriminatory and also violates the spirit of the Constitution. Seeking to stop the Karnataka government from implementing Act, 2015 in institutions that teach CBSE and ICSE streams, the plea says: "The law imposes unreasonable restrictions and violates Articles 19 and 30 of the constitution. It does not take into account the student being resettled in the state after the transfer of parents." The bench, headed by Justice R. Devdas, that took up the case ordered notice be issued to the Karnataka government. Chennai, Sep 24 : The south Tamil Nadu police has received brickbats after having failed to prevent murders and beheadings here, including in the districts of Dindigul and Tirunelveli. People living in these areas are worried whether these killings are similar to the ones that took place in the mid 90s as well as reprisal killings in the name of caste. It was only after strong police intervention that these areas had returned to normalcy. Twentyeight-year-old Sudheer Kumar, a young IT professional from Tirunelveli who works in a multinational company at Chennai, told IANS, "I am very much ashamed to tell people that I belong to Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu after all these beheadings in my home district. The fight in the name of caste and reprisal killings after several years for revenge is taking us back to the stone age. I won't go back home till the situation turns normal." A farmhand, Sankara Subramanian from the Thevar caste, was murdered on September 13 and his decapitated head was found at the Gopalasamudram cremation ground. This gave the police a vital clue behind the murder of Subramanian as in 2013, Manthiram, a Dalit man was also murdered in the same way. In a case of retaliation, on September 15, a gang murdered a Dalit, Mariappan (35), cut off his head and placed it at the spot where Sankara Subramanian was murdered. Mariappan was accused in a murder case of 2014. Police arrested six persons including Manthiram's son Maharaja(20) for the murder of Sankara Subramanian and eight people were arrested for the murder of Mariappan. While both these murders took place in Tirunelveli district within a span of two days, in another gruesome incident, a woman Nirmala Devi (70) the fifth accused in the murder of a Dalit leader, C. Pasupathi Pandian, was murdered and her head severed and kept in front of the residence of Pandian. Nirmala Devi was charged in the murder of Pandian after she had given asylum to the suspected assailants of the Dalit leader. The incident occurred in broad daylight in Dindigul district on September 23. In another incident, 38-year-old Stephen Raj was murdered and beheaded on September 23 evening by bike-borne assailants. His decapitated head was left at the spot where he was murdered at Anumantharayan Kottai. The police could not ascertain the reason behind the murder of Stephen Raj and is probing whether it had any connection with the murder of Nirmala Devi on the same day. The killings and counter killings in South Tamil Nadu districts in the name of caste have kept the police on its toes. South Zone Inspector General of Police TS Anbu, who is camping in Tirunelveli, told media persons that the police will crush the gangs who are taking the law into their hands and that no criminal raj would be allowed in South Tamil Nadu. A retired senior police officer said that the situation is worse than in 1995 when bus services were stopped in the evenings for 40 days at a stretch due to caste killings and reprisals. He said that those days there were police officers who had fire in their bellies and who were go-getters but now there are officers whose knees shake when confronting an irate mob. With Tirunelveli having rural local body elections on October 6 and October 9, political parties have called upon the police to ensure that the law and order situation improves. AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam has called upon Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to ensure peace and harmony in South Tamil Nadu and not to allow killings and counter killings to happen in the area. A social activist, Shyam Krishnan of Tirunelveli, said that a caste-dominated criminal eco-system is evolving in the area, openly collecting funds to fight cases in the court for the criminals who have committed the murders and severed heads. He said that amounts ranging upto Rs 20,000 are being paid by affluent people belonging to the same caste to fight the criminal cases. Sources in the police said that they had information of a particular community having raised money to the tune of Rs 3 crore to fight the criminal cases and to engage good lawyers. Dr. M.K. Krishnan, social scientist and former Professor of Social Sciences at a foreign university who is from South Tamil Nadu, told IANS, "Until and unless the hero tag is removed from the criminals who kill and severe the head of a person, these criminal acts would continue. There needs to be proper awareness and education among local youths that killing a person and severing his head is not heroism. Sadly this is not happening in several parts of South Tamil Nadu and caste is still a major factor that decides human behaviour. Authorities have to take strong measures but proper awareness is a must to prevent such incidents in the future." Srinagar, Sep 24 : Following the rising number of daily new coronavirus cases, authorities on Friday imposed 10-day long curfew in parts of J&K's Srinagar district to check the surge. An order issued by District Magistrate Mohammad Aijaz said that strict curfew shall come into force from Friday itself in areas falling under Zadibal and Lal Bazar municipal wards. All educational institutions, shopping malls, and other businesses shall remain closed during the 10-day long curfew and only essential services would be allowed. Stand-alone milk, vegetable, and grocery shops have been exempted from curfew restrictions in these areas. London, Sep 24 : Scientists at Wuhan -- the Chinese city where Covid-19 emerged -- planned to alter coronaviruses and release them into bat caves in 2018, nearly two years before the pandemic kicked off, according to new leaked documents. The documents were reportedly accessed by a group of amateur sleuths called 'DRASTIC', who, with few resources, are working to reveal the "dark secrets" of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). DRASTIC stands for "decentralised radical autonomous search team investigating Covid-19" and it has set itself the mission of exploring the origins of SARS-CoV-2. According to the group, a project named DEFUSE headed by Dr Peter Daszak, president of US-based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, proposed to reduce the threat of bat-borne coronaviruses by genetically enhancing them and releasing them among bats in Yunnan around 2,000km south west of Wuhan in 2018, the Daily Mail reported. The project aimed to stop new viruses jumping from bats into humans. They also wanted to create a genetically-enhanced virus that could infect humans easier, according to the leaked documents. DRASTIC revealed that the research proposal would have involved "advanced and dangerous" research into bat coronaviruses in cooperation with the WIV and other facilities. Moreover, the research would qualify as Gain of Function (GoF) -- a process that can be used to make viruses more dangerous so that humans can investigate them and improve understanding, the Newsweek reported. However, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) refused to fund the $14.2million project over concerns it would put the "local communities at risk", the report showed. The leaked documents add to the lab-leak theory that coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from the WIV lab in Wuhan. The documents come after a whistleblower sensationally claimed China deliberately spread Covid at a military tournament two months before the rest of the world knew about the deadly virus. But, China has on its repeatedly insisted the virus spilled naturally into humans from bats. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, Sep 24 : After the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Congress has shifted its focus to the Dalits and the party has already started wooing them through Punjab. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of Dalit leaders on Friday and invited the community to the Congress. He said on Facebook, "Had an interesting discussion with leaders from the Dalit community this morning. Come rain or shine, we will stay true to our resolve for equal opportunities for all sections of the society. Jai Hind!" The delegation was led by former MP Udit Raj who said that "the community is thankful for the appointment of Channi and Rahul Gandhiji discussed the issues pertaining to Dalits in the country." The Congress aim is to make inroads in the northern Indian states in this community which has gone away from the Congress and are with the BJP and regional parties. Ahead of the elections, Congress leader Harish Rawat had set the ball rolling that he wants to see a Dalit community leader as Punjab Chief Minister. The Congress even challenged Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati who criticised the party for the tokenism, and asked if Mayawati can declare a CM candidate in Punjab as the BSP is in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal there. The Congress is on an overdrive after the swearing in of Channi. Party spokesperson Surjewala said that the Congress has created history by appointing Punjab's first Dalit CM in Charanjit Channi and the Congress leaders term it a masterstroke. Randeep Surjewala had said, "Let time record that this decision will singularly fortify social justice and open new doors of empowerment for our Dalit, Backward and disadvantaged brothers & sisters across India." The Congress focus is now on Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as in both the states Dalits comprise around 25 percent votes. In UP the BSP has a stronghold in the community while the BJP has made inroads in non Jatav Dalits through its social engineering formula and admitting leaders from the BSP, while in Uttarakhand Rawat's statement is to woo the community in the state. Mumbai, Sep 24 : Bhojpuri actor Pradeep Pandey, who is known as 'Chitu' in the Bhojpuri film industry, will be seen on screen on October 1 in his next film 'Prem Geet 2'. He will be seen alongside actress Shilpa Pokharel. Talking about the freshness of this film's script, he said: "This film is completely new, which has a wonderful combination of action and emotion along with romance. The songs of the film have been shot at many great locations. I hope the audience will like this film very much." The trailer of 'Prem Geet 2', made under the banner of Pashupatinath Productions presented by Ratnakar Kumar, was recently released on the official YouTube channel of Worldwide Records Bhojpuri. Ratnakar Kumar, MD, music company Worldwide Records said, "'Prem Geet 2' is a musical love story. In this you will get to see many colors of love. We are going to release it on 1 October across India. Now theaters are opening slowly. There is tremendous music in this film, which will attract the audience towards it." Directed by Sonu Khatri, the movie also stars Amit Shukla, CP Bhas, Rohit Singh Matru, Sudha Jha, Indrasani Mishra, Ranjit Sharma, Bablu Khan and Ajay Kumar in pivotal roles. Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 : A journalist has died while another person is missing after a boat of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), deployed to rescue a wild elephant trapped in the Mahanadi river in Cuttack district, capsized on Friday, officials said. According to sources, a wild tusker got stranded near the Munduli barrage while trying to cross the Mahanadi river. The elephant was unable to move due to the strong current in the river. The ODRAF team then launched an operation to rescue the elephant. Two employees of regional news channel Odisha Television (OTV) -- chief reporter Arindam Das and cameraperson Prabhat Sinha -- were also there in the rescue boat, which overturned and capsized due to the strong current in the river. Soon after the incident, a rescue team brought six persons to the shore while another man is still missing, a police officer said. The rescued persons were rushed to the SCB Hospital in Cuttack where the doctors tried to resuscitate Das (39) but it was too late. The condition of Sinha, who has been admitted to the ICU, is stated to be critical, said Bhubanananda Maharana, emergency officer at the hospital. Three ODRAF personnel are also undergoing treatment at the hospital, he added. Forest department officials have now been asked to conduct the operation to rescue the elephant, said Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh. Sources said a herd of 17 elephants were on their way to Chandak forest from Nuasasan in Athagarh when one tusker was swept away by the strong current in the river in the wee hours of Friday. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and senior journalists, among others, have condoled the demise of Das. New Delhi, Sep 24 : A Taliban spokesperson has lashed out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, describing him as a 'puppet who was 'not elected by the people of Pakistan'. The spokesperson in an interview urged Pakistan not to interfere in Afghanistan's affairs, the Friday Times reported. "Imran Khan is also called 'selected' and a 'puppet'. We don't want anyone to interfere in our affairs, just like we don't in other countries' affairs," the Taliban spokesperson said, Naya Daur Media tweeted. Earlier, in an interview on Wednesday, Imran Khan had said that Afghanistan cannot sustain with a 'puppet' government. Responding to Khan, the Taliban spokesman said in the interview, "You are talking about Imran Khan, that he wants an inclusive government in Afghanistan? Pakistan is itself in deep trouble and facing many difficulties. Imran Khan himself has not been elected, he has not become prime minister with the consent of the Pakistani nation," Friday Times reported. The spokesman said, "In Pakistan, the people are saying that the current government is the puppet of Pakistan Army. The overall fundamental rights of major and minor ethnicities of Pakistan are not being given. All ethnicities of Pakistan are not happy with the current government. That's why they call it a puppet government of the army." "And to a large extent, they are right, as this is a reality. But still, as an Afghan, I have no right to call Imran Khan a puppet," he said. "Or that I start interfering in their government affairs or start saying that I don't like this Pakistani government. The same we want from others, to stop saying that they don't like this Afghan government and want an inclusive government", the report said. The spokesman said, "No one should say anything about our system of government, that it is the mullah's government or an extremist government or a government of people wearing turbans." The spokesman said the Taliban "don't accept any foreign interference" in their system of government. "Everyone should focus on their own country, and should work for the solution of the problems their people are facing. There are so many problems in Pakistan, but we have never talk about them and neither have we given any suggestions to Pakistan for these problems, because we respect their sovereignty. We want the same respect from Pakistan," he said, as per the report. The spokesman also made a veiled threat in the interview. "Those who respect us and don't want the Afghan soil to be used against them, it will not be used against them. For those who want to interfere with our soil, we also have the right to interfere in theirs," he said, as per the report. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in) New York, Sep 24 : President Joe Biden is looking forward to his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and they will discuss Afghanistan and priority areas that India is "front and centre of", according to a senior administration official. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in the White House at 11 a.m. (8.30 p.m. in India) for the first time after Biden became the President. Later, they will participate in the Quad summit with Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia at 2 p.m. (11.30 p.m. in India). Briefing reporters about the two meetings, the official said: "President Biden has spoken with Prime Minister Modi on the phone a number of times and has been in virtual summits, but this is their first in-person meeting and will cover a number of priority issues that India is really front and centre of, including pandemic response, their response to climate change." They "will talk about technology issues, economic cooperation and trade, as well as Afghanistan and new areas of cooperation that both governments have been discussing", the official added. Asked about China's aggression against India, the official said: "We have seen actions by China that has ramped up tensions with neighbours. It's not unique to India; we've seen it in other circumstances as well and -- with Australia, with the South China Sea. And we've seen an increase in wolf warrior diplomacy in Europe." "I can assure you that Indian friends are very clear-eyed about both their desire to make sure that they are working closely with -- in communication with China to try to avert these sorts of difficulties, but also remaining resolute as well." On the summit, the official said that Biden has "indicated that he wanted to take this institution -- that's an informal gathering of leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific -- and basically lift it both to the leader level and to ensure that we are working together to build better lines of communication and strengthening cooperation and habits of cooperation amongst us". "The leaders are hopeful for an opportunity in an intimate setting to sit down and talk about issues of mutual interest and concern" as they discuss "critical issues that are confronting the Indo-Pacific -- issues associated with climate change, with matters relating to Covid", advancing infrastructure and cooperating on space and cyber-related issues. The official said that after the Quad summit with Biden, "the Quad members will meet with Vice President (Kamala) Harris for a detailed discussion on basically the capacities associated with resilience in each of our countries and compare notes on what we think is important as democracies go forward". About Biden's approach to the Indo-Pacific and the Quad, the official said that it "indicates that the Biden administration understands that the challenges of the 21st century will largely play out in the Indo-Pacific, and we are doubling down on our efforts". But reflecting the US ambiguity about the nature of the Quad and the ambivalence about institutionalising it, the official said: "I do want to underscore that the Quad is an unofficial gathering, although we have a number of working groups and we are deepening cooperation on a very daily basis." "It is also the case that it is not a regional security organisation. We are going to address particular issues associated with the challenges confronting the Indo-Pacific in the current environment. And I think that's what the leaders want to focus on," the official added. The official said that a "critical point" to note is that "we are coming out of a period of really long and consequential conflicts, and we are now doubling down on diplomacy". "This Quad is part of a larger fabric of engagement that you will see -- that you've already seen evidence of with very high-level bilateral engagements with security partners, other steps that we've taken." The Malabar Exercise included the navies of all the Quad countries in August and asked if similar joint exercises would be held with the infantries, the official said that while the naval exercise has expanded in recent years, "regularised" to include all four countries, "I'm not aware of any current discussion to go to infantry." "Developing these habits of cooperation and increasing just sort of communication and thinking about different areas of interoperability is quite important," the official added. Asked about the specific outcomes of the Quad summit, the official said that they will be announcing "a supply chain initiative, and the effort is really a detailed joint initiative to map overall capacity; identify respective vulnerabilities; and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components". A critical shortage of semiconductors has hampered the post-Covid recovery in some areas where the chips are essential ingredients. "We're also going to announce a 5G deployment and diversification effort, and this is to support the critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse, resilient, secure telecommunications ecosystem," the official said. The official added: "And we're launching an effort -- sort of a 1.5 industry dialogue -- on Open RAN (radio access network) development and adoption. So this is actually a quite well-articulated game plan about how the four countries will work together." Open RAN is an advanced system that allows different software and equipment to work together. The official said that another programme that will be unveiled is to give 25 scholarships to students from each of the Quad countries to work on master's or doctoral degrees in STEM areas at leading US universities. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Mumbai, Sep 24 : Spelling cheers, the Maharashtra government has decided to slash the working hours for all women police personnel in the state from the current gruelling 12-hour long duties to a manageable 8-hour shift daily, top officials said on Friday. The decision was announced by Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey and welcomed across the police and political spectrum. Lauding the initiative, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule said this would help policewomen balance better their duties at home with families and the Police Department. She thanked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil for the decision that would benefit the women cops. Incidentally, in 2018, the Mumbai Police had implemented 8-hour shifts in police stations after a pilot project launched in 2016, and even regular weekly offs were being given to all policemen in the city, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Maharashtra has a police strength of around 200,000, including a little more than 15,000 policewomen, spread across the 36 districts, with the largest chunk of nearly one-third in Mumbai alone. Kolkata, Sep 24 : A West Bengal IPS officer posted as ADG in the state Criminal Investigation Department, Gyanwant Singh was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in a multi-crore coal smuggling case at the agency's New Delhi office on Friday. Sources in the ED said that Gyanwant Singh was questioned by the investigators under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED officials believe that there was involvement of some police officers in the case and as Gyanwant Singh was ADG (Law and Order) between 2019 to 2021 when the smuggling took place, the investigators wanted to know from Singh whether he was aware of the coal smuggling taking place in Birbhum, West Burdwan, Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal. And if he was aware, what action was taken against the smugglers. The ED also claims certain police officials of the state, especially of Bankura Police Station, were involved in transporting cash in official police vehicles. Ashok Mishra, a police officer from Bankura Police Station, was earlier arrested by the ED. Gyanwant Singh, a 1993 batch IPS officer, was heading West Bengal's law and order till March 2021. After Trinamool Congress' Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee and law minister Moly Ghatak, he is the fourth person to get a call from the central agency investigating the coal scam. Though Rujira Banerjee refused to go to Delhi, Abhishek Banerjee went to the ED office in New Delhi on September 6 and was interrogated for nine hours. He was again called the next day but he refused to go. Later the ED issued a fresh notice and asked him to appear on September 21 which he avoided again. Ghatak also skipped the interrogation for the second time. The case, under criminal sections of the PMLA, was filed by the ED after studying a November, 2020 FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. A local Anup Majhi alias Lala is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case. The ED had earlier claimed that Ghatak was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. According to ED sources, the investigators have spoken to more than one person in this connection, collected information and recorded their statements. The name of Ghatak has come up on several occasions during these interrogations. Apart from the ED, the CBI is also investigating the coal scam. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court has ordered removal a banner of the Union government with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from its official e-mails. According to a senior officer familiar with the development, a photograph of the Prime Minister, along with slogan "sabka sath sabka vikas sabka vishwas", was attached at the foot of the official emails by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The NIC has been directed to use the picture of the top court instead. Some of the lawyers practicing in the top court had lodged a complaint regarding this issue. A top court official said: "Late last evening it was brought to the notice of the Registry of the Supreme Court of India that the official emails of the Supreme Court of India were carrying an image as footer which has no connection whatsoever with the functioning of the judiciary." He further added that NIC, which provides the email services to the apex court, was directed to drop that image from the footer of the emails originating from the Supreme Court. "It was further directed to use the picture of the Supreme Court of India, instead. NIC has since complied with the directions of the SCI," he said. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla presented BEST MLA award to Former CM and BJP MLA BS Yeddyurappa during joint session of the Legislative Assembly at Vidhana Souda, also seen are Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Chief Minister of Karnat Image Source: IANS News Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla presented BEST MLA award to Former CM and BJP MLA BS Yeddyurappa during joint session of the Legislative Assembly at Vidhana Souda, also seen are Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Chief Minister of Karnat Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, Sep 24 : Karnataka former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa was honoured with the best legislator's award by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the legislative assembly ahead of the joint session address on Friday. Legislative assembly Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri while announcing the award in the joint session said Karnataka will have the best legislator award for members of the legislative assembly from this year on the lines of the best parliamentarian award given in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha annually. Yediyurappa stated that he has honestly attempted to fulfil the aspirations of the people in the temple of democracy. "I have accepted the award with all humility," he said. Om Birla while addressing the historical joint session in the Karnataka legislature organized to commemorate the 75 years of India's Independence on the subject 'Democracy - Safeguarding democratic values', said stalling of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings in a planned manner is not a good development. Parliamentary democracy in India has been strengthened over the years. The successful conduct of 17 parliamentary elections and more than 300 assembly elections since independence in India provided a mirror to the strong democratic roots in the country, he said. Transfer of power has also been peaceful and harmonious in the country. The parliamentary democratic system has been accepted as the best system to run a country across the world, he said. "However, pre-planned stalling of parliament proceedings are not in the highest traditions of principles of democracy. Democracy allows for differences of opinion. It is good to debate and differ. But, raising slogans in the parliament is not a good trend. The legislators should focus on law-making and meaningful discussions," he noted. The state unit of the Congress party boycotted the joint session address by Om Birla. Former Chief Minister and JD (S) leader of the House H.D. Kumaraswamy said that the party does not want to show disrespect to the Lok Sabha Speaker and they are attending the joint session. JD (S) legislator K. Annadani raised slogans asking that the speech be made in the Kannada language as soon as Om Birla began his speech in Hindi. Mumbai, Sep 24 : India's stock market bull run propelled the benchmark equity index S&P BSE Sensex above the 60,000-mark milestone on Friday with the last 5,000 points coming in just 42 days. Overall, it took took Sensex 246 days to accumulate the last 10,000 points. The 30-scrip sensitive index crossed the milestone just after the pre-open session on the back of a rally driven by large caps with many index heavyweights touching their respective highs. The Sensex opened at 60,158.76 points from its previous close of 59,885.36 points. Similarly, NSE Nifty50 traded above the 17,900-mark, but failed to reach the 18,000-level. In terms of sector, realty, IT, media and telecom indices were the best performers since May 18, 2021, while auto, pharma and metal indices rose the least. Amongst the BSE 200 stocks, JSW Energy, Mindtree, IRCTC and Mphasis have risen more than 100 per cent over this period. LTI, LTTS, Godrej Properties and Zee Ent are the other large gainers. The market cap of all the listed companies clubbed together crossed Rs 250 lakh crore. In the day's tarde, realty, telecom and IT indices rose the most, whereas power, metals, consumer durables, and healthcare indices fell the most. Globally, shares were on the edge on Friday, hurt by persistent uncertainty around the fate of debt-ridden Chinese real estate major Evergrande, even as increased risk appetite drove US stocks and treasury yields higher. At the end of Friday's trade session, the Sensex gave up some early gains but managed to end on a positive note. Consequently, the Sensex closed above 60,000 points for the first time ever at 60,048.47, higher by 163.11 points or 0.27 per cent from its previous close. The NSE Nifty50 closed at 17,853.20 points, higher by 30.25 points or 0.17 per cent from its previous close. "Nifty is now close to 18,000 and once that round number is achieved, we could see a broad-based correction in the markets," said Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities. According to Siddhartha Khemka, Head, Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services: "Domestic sentiments are buoyant as economic recovery is happening faster than expected, which is well-reflected in improving macro-data points. In addition, strong liquidity, falling Covid-19 cases, healthy vaccination drive, upbeat corporate commentaries and low cost of capital too provided support to this rally. "However, the valuations have reached stratospheric levels, especially for a lot of the desired high quality names across sectors. Thus, bottom-up stock picking approach is becoming difficult for the investors." Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said: "Weak global market did not affect the upside momentum of the domestic market which hit record highs boosted by realty and IT stocks. India is seizing a sweet spot in the global equity market with the increase in domestic investors. "However, profit-booking was noticeable in mid and small cap stocks, which were under pressure and it can continue in the short term. Realty stocks continued to outperform the other sectors owing to an increase in property registrations and cut in stamp duty (Karnataka) and home loan rates." New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre's reply on a PIL alleging export of iron ore in the form of pellets, a methodology adopted by some private firms to avoid export duty. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO Common Cause, cited top court judgments on iron ore mining and export before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana. He contended that a parliamentary committee had emphasised the export of iron ore should be discouraged, as this natural resource is meant for domestic consumption. After hearing the arguments in the matter, the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, asked the Centre to file its response in the matter within four weeks. Bhushan added that a 30 percent export duty has been levied to discourage export of iron ore, but some companies have found a way to skirt this heavy duty. He said companies are exporting iron ore in the form of pellets, which helps them to avoid the duty. Advocate M.L. Sharma, who had filed a PIL on the same matter, appeared before the top court as a caveator. He claimed that Bhushan has used the content of his petition and urged the court to not entertain his petition. The bench took strong exception to this intervention in an ongoing and told Sharma to allow Bhushan to argue his matter. "Notice (on Sharma's petition) has already been issued. Does it stop Bhushan from filing another case," it noted. It clarified that it is allowing Bhushan's plea, which does not mean that the court have disallowed Sharma's petition. Concluding the hearing on the matter, the bench told Sharma: "We respect you. You expose things for good causes. But others are also entitled to file PILs." The top court, in January this year, had sought response from Centre and 61 iron exporting firms on a PIL filed by Sharma seeking a direction to the CBI to register an FIR for exporting iron ore to China since 2015. San Francisco, Sep 24 : A self-proclaimed Elon Musk 'fanboy' has managed to accumulate a Tesla position worth over $4 billion. According to Electrek, despite his incredible wealth, Koguan Leo has been keeping a relatively low profile, until now. A Google search won't bring up a lot other than that he is a graduate from Columbia University and New York Law School and he founded the SHI International Corp, a large IT company. More recently, he made news for buying the $54 million Singapore penthouse of James Dyson -- famous for his vacuums, the report said. The Chinese-American billionaire has become active on Twitter of late, and he comments a lot on Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk. He even described himself as an 'Elon fanboy'. On his Twitter account, he claimed to be the third-largest individual Tesla shareholder. As per the report, no public record could confirm this and Leo claimed that it is due to him holding the shares in several accounts, but he sited Tesla's head of investor relations, Martin Viecha, who confirmed the fact. Leo apparently owns over 6.2 million shares of Tesla, which are currently worth $4.6 billion. That would indeed make him the third-largest Tesla shareholder behind Musk and Larry Ellison. Kolkata, Sep 24 : Considering the recent natural calamities and the state government's problem to reach out to the affected areas, the state government has decided to develop four permanent helipads in South 24 parganas so that the administration can expedite the evacuation of people affected by natural disasters. A In July this year the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas P Ulaganathan, sent a proposal to the transport department to develop four permanent helipads in the district. There, he said, South 24 Parganas have witnessed multiple major natural disasters in the past few years and it becomes difficult for the administration to evacuate people immediately due lack of infrastructure. A He proposed to develop four helipads in the district which will not only help in evacuating people from the district but also help in reaching out to the distressed people of the neighbouring districts like North 24 Parganas and East and West Midnapore as well. A Sources in the state secretariat said that Chief Secretary of the state Harikrishna Dwivedi has given a go-ahead Ato build helipads as per the proposal. Necessary instructions have been given to the Public Works Department for construction of helipads. These helipads will be constructed in Gosaba, Patharpratima, Kakdwip and Diamond Harbour-2 blocks. A According to administration sources, six acres of land have also been identified for the construction of four helipads It has been decided that the helipads will be set up at Gosaba Gram Panchayat for the farmers' market, Pathar Pratima Gopalnagar Gram Panchayat area, Srinagar Gram Panchayat area of Kakdwip and Mathur Gram Panchayat area of Diamond Harbor-2 Gram Panchayat. A It may be mentioned here that in May 2020, severe Cyclonic storm Amphan (Cyclone Amphan) struck West Bengal. The district also suffered when severe cyclone Yaas hit the coast of Odisha. In both the cyclones, large areas of South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore were severely affected. Though loss of lives was avoided because of prompt action by the state government. A Sources in the state government said that the rescue operation was delayed because the helicopters had to take off from Kolkata. "If there were helipads in the district then we could have evacuated the people faster. We could have given them better medical facilities. So, the construction of helipads will help in better disaster management," an official said. New York, Sep 24 : US President Joe Biden said: "Mr Prime Minister, we're going to continue to build on our strong partnership", as he sat down with India's leader Narendra Modi in the Oval Office for their bilateral meeting on Friday. He also made a reference to Vice President Kamala Harris's Indian heritage during the opening segment of their meeting, the first in-person meeting after he had become President. Before their meeting, a senior US official said that Biden was looking forward to their meeting they will discuss Afghanistan and priority areas that India is "front and centre of". Agartala, Sep 24 : Amidst the hectic political activities by all the major parties in Tripura, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday appointed former Minister and seasoned politician Birajit Sinha as the party President in the northeastern state and chose five leaders as Working Presidents. Surprisingly, the outgoing state party President Pijush Kanti Biswas, a lawyer, did not find any position in the new committee even as a former Chief Minister and former state Presidents were accommodated in the new body. Biswas, who on August 21 resigned and announced he was quitting politics "for the time being", withdrew his resignation the same day following the request of the party high command. Sinha, 69, who was a Minister in the Congress led Tripura government (1988-1993), was appointed the state party President for a record third time as he had held the post earlier on two occasions (2000-2003 and 2010-2012). Sinha's appointment as the state party chief has been made at a time when many Congress leaders like Subal Bhowmik, Prakash Das (ex-Minister), Mujibar Islam Majumder, Md. Idrish Mia, Tapan Dutta, Panna Deb, Baptu Chakraborty have quit the party and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) when West Bengal's ruling party began its hectic political activities on July 25. Many other Congress leaders are also reportedly talking with the TMC leaders. Eying the next assembly elections, which is one-and-a-half years away, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition CPI-M, the Congress besides the TMC have started hectic political activities in Tripura. According to a statement of the All India Congress Committee General Secretary K. C. Venugopal on Friday, the party's interim President Sonia Gandhi has also appointed five Working Presidents for Tripura - Mohammad Billal Miah, Professor Manik Deb, Sushanto Chakraborti, Purnita Chakma and Dr Pradip Bardhan. In the jumbo Tripura Pradesh Committee, 10 Vice-Presidents, 18 General Secretaries, 29 Secretaries, 16 members and a treasurer were appointed while a 35 member executive committee was constituted comprising a former Chief Minister, former state party Presidents and senior leaders. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Chinese authorities said on Friday that all cryptocurrency-related businesses are illegal and called for the exit of cryptocurrency mining projects. Up to three-quarters of the world's supply of bitcoin has reportedly been produced in China, but the process consumes vast amounts of electricity, and energy produced by coal-burning plants is a massive contributor to air pollution, Global Times reported. Over the past several months, several large virtual currency mining centres in China, including in southwest China's Sichuan Province and north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have announced to shut down cryptocurrency mining projects partly out of consideration for energy consumption. Virtual currencies have no legal tender status, the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, said in a notice on Friday. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Tether are not issued by the monetary authorities and have no legal tender power, and therefore should not and cannot circulate as a legitimate currency, it said. "All the illegal financial activities are strictly banned and will be eliminated in line with laws," said the PBC, noting that those who committed crimes by engaging in relevant illegal financial activities shall be prosecuted for liabilities. The statement is an extension of the country's intensifying regulation on cryptocurrencies beginning from a meeting of the State Council's Financial Stability and Development Committee in May. The meeting signalled that a further crackdown on virtual currency trading and mining activities is part of efforts to fend off financial risks from the root, Global Times said. On Friday, ten other government agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security listed cryptocurrency mining as a sector to be eliminated. In addition, the statement said that government agencies will step up enforcement and firmly stop electricity generation firms, especially smaller ones, to provide electricity for cryptocurrency mining activities, while it's strictly banned for mining firms to self-supply electricity. New Delhi, Sep 24: The United States is believed to have conveyed its unhappiness to Pakistan over Islamabad's role in the composition of the interim Taliban government in Kabul. The message was delivered loud and clear to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Thursday night. This was the first in-person meeting between the two after three telephone phone conversations since Joe Biden took over as the US President in January, earlier this year. Washington had in the G20 meeting on Afghanistan the day before listed five key action areas for the regime in Kabul if it is seriously seeking legitimacy and support from the international community. Blinken had made it clear that the caretaker cabinet in Kabul does not fit the bill when it comes to that. He had reminded everyone that it is overwhelmingly from one ethnic group, exclusively male, and of course includes people who are notorious for attacks on US and coalition forces as well as civilians. Before starting his meeting with Qureshi at a hotel in New York on Thursday, the US Secretary of State indicated that the future of the bilateral and economic relationship between the two countries could well depend on what happens in Afghanistan in the coming months. "A lot to focus on, starting with Afghanistan and the importance of our countries working together and going forward on Afghanistan," said Blinken. "Appreciate the work that Pakistan has done to facilitate the departure of American citizens who wish to leave as well as others, but a lot to talk about there as well as our own bilateral relationship, including the economic relationship between our countries and working in the region as a whole," he added. Pakistan's role in bringing the Taliban back to power in Afghanistan has never been a state secret. The presence of ISI chief Faiz Hameed in Kabul before the joint Taliban-Pakistan operation against the Afghan resistance front in Panjshir valley has also left many neighbouring countries, including Tajikistan, fuming. "You Mr. President will try your influence with the Tajik and we will try our best with the Pashtun or the Taliban," Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had told Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe last week. With the US saying that there's "quite a lot of convergence" about what Washington needs to see from the Taliban as nobody, including the Chinese, seem to be satisfied with the present Taliban regime, there are enough warning signs for Islamabad to spot. Qureshi told Blinken that the same international community, which is holding the Taliban to their commitments, also has the moral obligation to help the Afghan people with the growing humanitarian crisis. "The world should not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan," said the Pak foreign minister. He also said that Pakistan is committed to "facilitating inclusive political settlement" in Afghanistan, a statement not many would be satisfied with given what has happened in Kabul over the past few weeks. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 24: After emerging as a frontline state for countering China in the newly formed Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) military alliance, Canberra is showing all signs of developing its own Military Industrial Complex. The first signal that Australia could become a formidable military hardware manufacturer came, when the AUKUS trio decided to manufacture eight nuclear submarines at Adelaide. Full details have not been revealed, but the Financial Review, an Australian publication is reporting citing a former Defence Department official that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)is likely to build versions of the latest US or British submarines. These nuclear-powered subs will have better weapons and sensors than their Chinese counterparts, including torpedoes, mines and cruise missiles that can target rival ships and buildings. Specifically, the Australian version of an American Virginia class or British Astute class is on the radar, the official said. But the brand-new subs might not be ready within a decade. Consequently, the RAN could lease a less potent Los Angeles class submarines from the US as stopgap. An Astute class submarine costs an estimated $2.6 billion when constructed in Britain. It can carry 38 torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can strike buildings and ships 1,700 km away. The Virginia class submarines, the latest from the US arsenal are costlier, with a price tag of $3.2 billion. But they also have a more lethal punch on account of the 65 missiles they can carry, besides torpedoes. The US decision to manufacture a new version of drones in Australia is also adding to Canberra's emerging Military Industrial Complex. As reported by India Narrative earlier, the US aerospace giant Boeing announced on Wednesday that it will assemble its unmanned Loyal Wingman planes in Toowoomba city, Queensland state. It has already completed the first test flights earlier this year. News agency AP quotes Scott Carpendale, MD of Boeing Defence Australia, as saying that the new aircraft uses artificial intelligence to operate in tandem with manned aircraft and was conceived, designed, and developed in Australia. Importantly, this will be the first military combat aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in half a century. Boeing Australia is currently developing six of the aircraft in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force. Carpendale said the Australian government seems happy about the Loyal Wingman's capabilities. "There's a significant interest from other countries," Carpendale added. The drone is being built in a facility at Wellcamp Airport, owned by Wagner Corp. Wagner chairman John Wagner said he hopes a defence and aerospace precinct at the airport will attract more companies in similar fields. This venture is believed to be the first of its kind by Boeing outside North America. Last year Australia had increased its defence budget owing to tensions with China. A Reuter's report said that the country will increase defence spending by 40 per cent over the next 10 years. The increased budget will go into buying anti-ship missiles as well as developing hypersonic missiles. Speaking at the launch of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update in Canberra, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: "We want a Indo-Pacific free from coercion and hegemony. We want a region where all countries, large and small, can engage freely with each other and be guided by international rules and norms". In yet another announcement, Australia had earlier this year announced that it would upgrade its ports in the Northern Territories with US help. Australia plans to spend $580 million to upgrade four northern military bases and hold war games with the United States as well as military exercises with countries in the region. (With inputs by Rahul Kumar) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 24 : Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been called to Delhi for the third time on Friday evening after meeting Rahul Gandhi late on Thursday night with the meeting continuing till 2 am. Sources said that he has been called for last minute fine-tuning of the Punjab cabinet after some state leaders urged the party high command to address their concerns. Some new faces are likely to be inducted in the state cabinet, but it will not be entirely new and people from all backgrounds will be given chance to serve in the Channi cabinet. Rahul Gandhi met Channi along with the party's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal late on Thursday. Before that, Rahul held a separate meeting with Rawat. The party does not want to drop all the ministers in the past cabinet as it will strengthen former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's side. These MLAs could be crucial ahead of the Assemby elections in Punjab scheduled next year. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Observing that Rajasthan and Haryana have failed to comply with its earlier direction to remove illegal constructions and encroachments in the Aravalis, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked both the states to take prompt action and submit reports within next three months. The NGT's principal bench directed the Haryana and Rajasthan Chief Secretaries to appoint officials to oversee the compliance of its order. While hearing a petition regarding the issue on Wednesday, the tribunal specified that the officials deputed to oversee the matter should not be of the rank not below that of Additional Secretary. "The nodal officers may file compliance reports, after ascertaining all the facts, within three months, before the Tribunal," the bench, headed by NGT Chairman Adarsh Kumar Goel, said. The petitioner, an NGO, had approached the NGT regarding the illegal construction and encroachments in the ecologically fragile Arvali mountain ranges. There are more than 1,000 illegal structures in the Aravalis spanning over three districts of Haryana - Faridabad, Nuh and Gurugram. It claimed that the structures erected in the Arvalis include farmhouses, nurseries, slums, and dwelling clusters. Similarly, illegal structures have been established in the Aravalis in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the NGT was informed. Following the NGT's earlier direction on the matter, the Rajasthan government on June 22 this year had told the bench that remedial action has been taken against illegal encroachments. At the same time, the Haryana government had also, in its report, mentioned that action has been initiated against illegal encroachment in the Aravalis. However, the NGT was not convinced with either of the reports. Commenting on illegal encroachments in Ankhir and Mewla Maharajpur villages of Faridabad and in Nuh, it said: "We find that action taken is not adequate nor is the information furnished complete. It is not clear whether the illegal constructions have been demolished, which is an important step in addition to initiating prosecution and issuing show cause notices." The next hearing in the matter is slated for January 28, 2022. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Friday asserted that the force is determined to act against any organised criminal activity in the national capital. Asthana's comments, in an interview with IANS, came against the backdrop of Friday's dramatic murder of most wanted gangster Jitender Singh Mann, alias Gogi, in a Delhi courtroom by two assailants from the rival Tilu gang, dressed in lawyers' garb. "The police is completely determined and if any organised crime activity happens in Delhi, then effective legal action will be taken against the criminals," he said. Asthana apprised IANS that the case has now been transferred to the Crime Branch. "The Crime Branch and the Special Cell of Delhi Police will now investigate whatever incident happened today as such an incident is not possible without proper planning," he said. He assured that there will be a full investigation into the and appropriate legal action will be taken. The city police chief also that that Gogi's gang used to run extortion rackets and he was arrested some time back. As such gangsters have tried fleeing from the police custody, he said, the police team had taken a very strong squad to the court to prevent such an eventuality. He said that both the assailants were quickly neutralised by an "effective counter move" of the police personnel present there. As gangster Gogi was being presented in the Rohini court for hearing in a case against him, the assailants suddenly took out their weapons from under their lawyer's robes and opened fire at Gogi, who collapsed immediately. A lawyer, who was inside the courtroom at the time of the incident, told IANS that everything happened so fast that they were not even able to take a breath. "The firing began just seconds before the hearing in the case of gangster Gogi. Even Judge Gagandeep Singh was sitting inside the courtroom," he said, adding that there was utter chaos in the courtroom. The police personnel guarding Gogi immediately retaliated and gunned down the attackers. "There was an exchange of at least 30-35 rounds of fire between the cops and the attackers," an eyewitness said. Sources said that the attackers were from the Tilu Tajpuria gang and the Delhi Police's Special Cell had input about the possibility of such kind of an incident. New Delhi, Sep 24 : After the Congress' Punjab saga ended with Charanjit Singh Channi replacing Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister, winds of change seem to have started blowing in Rajasthan with former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot meeting ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi twice in a week's time, the latest on Friday evening. The meetings gain significance ahead of a possible cabinet reshuffle in the desert state. Pilot had met Rahul Gandhi in the national capital over the last weekend, while he called on him again on Friday evening, this time in the presence of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. The meetings have given momentum to the speculation that some serious political considerations are going on behind the scenes, though there is no official word on it from either side yet. The meetings have reportedly created uneasiness in Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's camp in Jaipur, sources said, as the Congress high command is believed to be upset with Gehlot's delaying tactics with regard to the cabinet reshuffle. So there may be a Punjab-like operation in Rajasthan as well if things do not change. Rahul Gandhi has also discussed the issue with Rajasthan Speaker C.P. Joshi, whom he met last week before leaving for Shimla. There is a strong buzz in the Congress that Pilot will return as the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief, or may be even as the Chief Minister ahead of Assembly elections scheduled in 2023. Gehlot may be appointed as the Congress General Secretary, Organisation, or the party's Gujarat in-charge, a responsibility he had held in the past. He may also be appointed as the Working President to curb all the simmering dissent in the party, given that another senior leader Kamal Nath seems reluctant to leave Madhya Pradesh. The party is likely to push for a reshuffle in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to put its house in order in different states. This has raised hopes in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where two CM aspirants -- T.S. Singh Deo and Pilot -- are waiting for their turn. In the 2018 Assembly polls in Rajasthan, the Congress had won 99 out of 200 seats. Gehlot was then made the Chief Minister even though he was not the CM face during poll campaign. The Lok Sabha polls were held five months after the Assembly elections, in which the Congress drew a blank in Rajasthan, losing in all the 25 seats. The next Assembly polls are scheduled in 2023, and the party is reportedly contemplating a new CM face so that the 2019 Lok Sabha results are not repeated in the 2024 general elections. Some major changes are expected in Rajasthan in the coming few days. In fact, the party's Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken had said last week that the roadmap is ready for cabinet expansion and organisational rejig in the desert state. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Progressive climate actions being undertaken by many Indian states as they strategically shift towards increased use of renewable energy. This came to light on Friday at a discussion organised by The Climate Group on the sidelines of the annual New York Climate Week, and at a time when the UN calls for no further build of coal across the world and countries, companies, states and regions world over are committing to bringing down emissions to net zero by mid century. The plans of states are well placed to achieve long-term energy transition and net zero targets. For instance, Gujarat is on the path to significantly reducing emissions as they choose to rely on renewable energy alone to meet all future power needs. New analysis from GERMI shows that the share of coal power generation in the state will come down to 16 per cent by 2030, from the current 63 per cent as it aligns with the 450GW revised national renewable energy target. The state is also setting up the world's largest grid-scale battery storage in the Kutch region and is one of India's largest markets for electric two-wheelers. The analysis shows that not only will Gujarat not need to build any further thermal coal assets, but it will also have to consider retirement of plants which are either old or polluting. Developing a retirement package for these coal plants will hold the key. This will make economic sense given that the cost of renewable energy is less than new coal power. Electricity sector in India contributes to 40 per cent of emissions. Ladakh is working towards an enormous 10 GW of renewable energy capacity with solar and wind power, and it is setting up a 50MWh battery storage capacity --India's largest so far. Additionally, NITI Aayog has appointed TERI to facilitate an action plan and embed carbon neutrality in every department of the state as part of its Vision 2050 development plan. Ladakh's Power Development Secretary, Ravinder Kumar, said: "We have begun the exercise to convert Ladakh to carbon neutral territory in the next few years with every department working on five year exit plans. We have begun installing solar and geothermal projects to replace the polluting DG sets. Electric and hydrogen vehicles are being given a push to reduce emissions from transport." On developing the low carbon pathway for Bihar, state's Principal Secretary, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Dipak Kumar, said: "The state has begun work on developing a low carbon pathway by 2040. Over the next two years, we will study the level of our emissions and give policy suggestions to bring down emissions to a minimum by 2040." The event was hosted ahead of COP26, the annual climate conference to be held in Glasgow from November 1-14, and the findings come at a time when the recent IPCC report has warned of unprecedented climate impacts if nations do not reign in their emissions. New Delhi, Sep 24 : India's airspace map for drone operations has been released and is available on aviation regulator DGCA's digital sky platform, an official statement said on Friday. The drone airspace map comes as a follow-through of the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 which were released by the government on August 25, the PLI scheme for drones released on September 15, and the Geospatial Data Guidelines issued on February 15. "All these policy reforms will catalyse super-normal growth in the upcoming drone sector," the Civil Aviation Ministry statement said. It said the interactive map demarcates the drone operational zones across the country. In the green zone, airspace up to 400 feet has been designated for operations. It is, however, reduced to 200 feet above the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport. "In green zones, no permission whatsoever is required for operating drones with an all-up weight up to 500 kg." "Yellow zone is the airspace above 400 feet in a designated green zone, above 200 feet in the area located between 8-12 km from the perimeter of an operational airport, and above ground in the area located between 5-8 km from the perimeter of an operational airport." "Drone operations in yellow zone require permission from the concerned air traffic control authority - AAI, IAF, Navy, HAL etc as the case may be." The yellow zone has been reduced from 45 km earlier to 12 km from the airport perimeter. A red zone is the 'no-drone zone' within which drones can be operated only after a permission from the Central government. "The airspace map may be modified by authorised entities from time to time." "Anyone planning to operate a drone should mandatorily check the latest airspace map for any changes in zone boundaries. The drone airspace map is freely available on the digital sky platform to all without any login requirements," the statement said. Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 : In view of the Bharat Bandh call given by farmer unions on September 27, the Odisha government has asked its employees of major offices in Bhubaneswar to reach office by 9.30 am on that day. State's Special Secretary, Home, Santosh Bala has advised Secretaries of all departments to ask their officers and employees working at the Lok Seva Bhawan, Kharavela Bhawan, Rajiv Bhawan and the heads of departments to reach office at least by 9.30 a.m. on the day of the protest to facilitate their smooth entry. This direction was issued as the government apprehended that the protestors may stop vehicular and rail traffic, close down business establishments, and picket government offices, banks and educational institutions. As a precautionary measure, the front gates of the Lok Seva Bhawan (State Secretariat) will be closed at 10.15 a.m. on that day and all the passage will be regulated through rear gates. However, the connecting gate between the Red Building and Main Lok Seva Bhawan will remain open, Bala said. The government has restricted entry of visitors to these above office buildings on the strike day. Persons having prior appointment and have urgent meetings will be given entry passes on the recommendations of the department concerned by the Special Secretary, Home. The visitors will leave immediately after the meeting, she said. All the employees have been advised to remain in their seats and attend to their duties without undue movement. Demanding scrapping of three farm laws brought by the Modi government, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organization of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers' agitation, has given the call for Bharat Bandh this September 27. Congress and left parties have extended their support for the strike. Chandigarh, Sep 24 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has handed over a regular letter of allotment to the Aditya Birla Group for setting up a paint manufacturing facility in Panipat with an outlay of Rs 1,140 crore, the government said on Friday. An allotment of 70 acres of land to the company has been made, a government statement said. Company officials called upon Khattar here and assured to complete the unit in the shortest possible time. The allotment has been made under the Mega Project category by inviting online applications. The unit will provide direct employment to 550 people and help boost industrial growth of the area through proliferation of ancillary units, said the statement. Kolkata, Sep 24 : The bypoll to the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency took a critical turn after acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Rajesh Bindal, on Friday questioned the exigency of the by-election, besides asking who will take the financial responsibility of this election. The division bench comprising Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj also refused to take on record the affidavit filed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the PIL petition challenging the decision of the poll panel to prioritise the by-election in Bhabanipur, from where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to contest on September 30. The bench was hearing the PIL underscoring the special request received by the EC from West Bengal Chief Secretary to hold by-election in Bhbanipur. The Chief Secretary in the letter addressed to the EC had mentioned that there would be a 'constitutional crisis' if the by-election is not held in Bhowanipore on an urgent basis. "Some people contest elections and win and then they resign for various reasons. Now someone is resigning to give someone a chance to win from the seat again. Who will bear the cost of this election? Why should the tax-payers' money be spent for this election," the bench asked. Earlier, the court had asked the Election Commission to file an affidavit regarding the contents of the notification issued by it dated September 6 in view of the arguments raised by the petitioner. The court wanted to know from the poll panel why by-election was only allowed in Bhabanipur, and why did the commission think that if by-election is not held there immediately, it would lead to a constitutional crisis. The bench came down heavily on the poll panel for filing the affidavit in an incorrect format and also observed that the affidavit did not contain any specific averments pertaining to the issues raised. "Nothing is mentioned in the affidavit, who filed it? We cannot take this on record," Bindal said. Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, appearing for the petitioner, also contended that such an affidavit must not be taken on record and pointed out that vital averments had not been affirmed in it. "Is this the kind of affidavit that the highest constitutional authority should submit," Bhattacharya asked. Advocates Dipayan Chowdhury and Sidhant Kumar, appearing for the Election Commission, contended that the affidavit had been prepared in 'great hurry' and thus contained errors. Accordingly, the court's leave was sought to file a fresh affidavit. However, the bench declined to accede to the request by observing that it is not keen to take any pleading on record now since the hearing of arguments has already been completed. Itanagar, Sep 24 : The Indian Army has airlifted six villagers, who had gone on a hunting trip to the far reaches of Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh where they were struck by lightning on Thursday night, Defence sources said on Friday. The villagers suffered critical burn injuries in the lighning strike. A Defence spokesman said that the hostile terrain precluded evacuation by foot. The Dao Division under the aegis of Spear Corps provided immediate first-aid to the victims and carried them to safe locations. Two army helicopters were mobilised in the mountainous valley bordering China, which evacuated the victims to Dinjan where they were provided critical medical care at the Military Hospital, the spokesman said. The local people of Dibang Valley expressed their gratitude to the Indian Army for the swift and effective intervention to quickly rescue the lightning-hit people. New Delhi, Sep 24 : The BJP's West Bengal unit was completely unaware about former Union Minister Babul Supriyo's plan to exit the party and his sudden joining of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress came as a shock, a party leader said. The leader said that they did not expect the sudden exit of Supriyo within the three months of being dropped as minister. "The way Supriyo announced to quit politics in his social media post and later on clarified that he would continue to serve his Lok Sabha constituency, there was a general belief that the former Union Minister will remain in the party. Party leadership had the feeling that he will actively participate in party activities but no one expected that he would leave the party. "Many senior leaders were in touch with Supriyo and he never hinted that he was going to leave the party," he said. Another party functionary said that no one thought that Supriyo would join the Trinamool after the BJP named him one of the star campaigners for the West Bengal bypolls. On July 7, Supriyo was dropped from the Narendra Modi government and soon announced his decision to quit politics. He had also said that he is resigning as MP. On August 2, however, Supriyo, after a meeting with BJP chief J.P. Nadda, had said that he will continue to serve as MP "I will remain an MP and fulfil my constitutional duties as MP but not participate in politics. I also gave up my official bungalow and central security provided to me. There is politics beyond the constitutional post and I withdraw myself from it. I will not join any other party," he had said after meeting Nadda. On September 10, the BJP announced Supriyo as one of the star campaigners for the by-polls, but on September 18, he switched parties. New York, Sep 24 : "We're launching a new chapter in the history of US-Indian ties and taking on some of the toughest challenges we face together," President Joe Biden said on Friday as he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi began their summit in a fast-changing world throwing up problems and new issues at dizzying speeds. After their meeting, Modi tweeted: "Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change." Speaking before the formal start of their meeting, Modi told Biden: "I find that under your leadership, the seeds have been sown for the Indo-US relations to expand, and for all democratic countries in the world, this is going to be a transformative period. I can see that very clearly." The shared democratic values of the two countries was a thread weaving them together. "Democratic values, traditions to which both countries are committed, I find that importance of these traditions will only increase further," Modi said. Biden said: "Our partnership is more than just what we do. It's about who we are. It's rooted in our shared responsibility to uphold democratic values, our joint commitment to diversity." Both leaders spoke of the Indian diaspora, another factor that is binding the two nations together. India-US relations are "about family ties, including four million Indian-Americans who make the United States stronger every single day", Biden said. Modi said: "You mentioned, there are more than four million Indian Americans who are participating in the journey of progress of America. When I look at the importance of this decade, and the role that is going to be played by this talent of the Indian Americans, I find that the people-to-people talent will play a greater role and Indian talent will be a full partner in this relationship. And I see that your contribution is going to be very important in this." The two leaders mentioned Gandhi Jayanti that comes up next week. "As the world celebrates Mahatma Gandhi's birthday next week, we're all reminded that his message of nonviolence, respect, tolerance matters today maybe more than it ever has," Biden said. "Mahatma Gandhi always used to talk about the principle of trusteeship, trusteeship of the planet," Modi said turning to environment, a subject dear to Biden. "It means that the planet that we have, we have to bequeath it to the following generations, and this sentiment of trusteeship is going to assume more and more importance globally, but also between the relations between India and the United States, and it is these ideals that Mahatma Gandhi espoused," he said. "The responsibility of global citizens is only going to go up." Biden referred to the Quad summit where they will be joined by Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia, and said: "The Prime Minister and I are going to be talking today about what more we can do to fight Covid-19, take on the climate challenges that the world face, and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, including with our own Quad partners." Modi profusely thanked Biden for his efforts to continue building relations with India and recalled that their meeting in 2014 while Biden was Vice President and discussed the ties between the two countries. He said: "You had laid out a vision for India-US relationship in great detail. And really, that was a vision that was inspirational. And today, Mr. President, as President, you are making all efforts and taking initiatives to implement that vision." "I see is that this is the third decade of the 21st century, this is the first year of the third decade. And I see that when I look at the entire decade, I find that under your leadership the seeds have been sown for the Indo-US relations to expand," Modi said. New Delhi, Sep 24 : Close to a hundred young climate activists reached the Delhi Secretariat on Friday to seek the status of their list of demands presented to the Delhi government in March. "On March 19, we came here with a list of seven demands in total for a greener and sustainable Delhi. That time, five of us were let into the Secretariat, where we met Reena Gupta (Advisor to the Delhi Government). Our petition was signed and we were asked for a month's time for the petition to be reviewed. However, due to the second wave of Covid-19, the meeting could not take place and since then we have not been updated even once on those demands," Srijani Dutta, a Youth for Climate activist and a student of sociology at The Hindu College, told IANS. "Inside the Secretariat, there was a very tokenistic response of signing the copy of demands. However, nothing followed after that. Therefore, this time we wanted the officials to come outside of the Secretariat so that they could be held accountable in front of everyone," said the 19-year-old, adding that the group also started a twitter storm, tagging @CMODelhi (Chief Minister's Office Delhi) and @AapKaGopal (Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai), but to no avail. Just as the conversation around Climate Change and Global Warming started gaining momentum across the world, a series of strikes and protests were proposed to be organised on a chosen day or week by several global, national and local environment groups at their respective places. The aim of these series of protests that now take place every six months is to highlight the green issues to their elected representatives, asking them to act on the climate change crisis on an emergency basis. Although toned down due to the pandemic for the last two years, the climate activists aged between 19-30 years were as active as ever with their street art, recycled placards with catchy phrases and pride flags outside of the Chief Minister's Office. Similar protests were carried out in 17 other locations, including Bengaluru, Jammu, Patna, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Agra, Meerut, Kolkata, Thane, Thiruvananthapuram, among many others. The demand draft was prepared by the young activists of Fridays for Future (FFF) and Youth for Climate (YFC), India. It emphasised the need to reinvigorate participatory mechanisms around development projects by means of revitalising the ward sabhas, eliminating systematic encroachment via local communities participation in deciding what's best for their area, carrying out a tree census, formulating a Heat Action Plan to prevent heat-related deaths, systemic reform in waste management practice, starting the six packages under Interceptor Sewer Project (ISP) for a cleaner Yamuna and reduction in private vehicle usage. Another activist named Akash Arora (25) who runs a sustainable agriculture initiative in Uttar Pradesh shared the reason behind his participation in today's strike. "I believe this issue is bigger than all of us. We all will be impacted in one way or the other by climate change. This is also the reason why I chose to work in sustainable agriculture as people often complain about how chemicals are used in fertilisers and manure to produce almost everything that they eat. Other than that even a minor fluctuation in the weather, in terms of rain or heat can devastate the crops, which affects the livelihood of farmers." As the strike came to an end, FFF coordinator, Laksh said that two of their people were called inside the Secretariat building this time as well. "All we seek is accountability but I am not too hopeful about it." On the inclusiveness of the climate strike movement in India, Laksh said: "Climate issue is a very intersectional issue and those who feel the whole brunt of the climate crisis are the marginalised communities like the LGBTQ+. Therefore, intersectionality be it in terms of class, caste or gender, needs to be brought to the centre of the discussion. That is why we have queer people in our groups who advocate for their rights and we incorporate their expertise in our demands as well." During the 2019 global strike, more than 14,000 people signed up for 26 events that took place across India and over 2,000 students had come together to demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare an immediate climate emergency in the country. New Delhi, Sep 24 : A bitter strife between two rival gangs, constantly escalated by regular bloodbaths, was the prime reason behind the killing of gangster Jitender Singh Mann, alias Gogi, at a local court in Delhi on Friday. In an incident that seemed ripped from a Bollywood potboiler, Gogi was shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini on Friday by two assailants from the rival 'Tillu' gang, dressed in lawyers' garb. The two assailants were subsequently shot dead by the police as the incident led to chaos and panic in the courtroom where the judge had commenced proceedings. The Tillu Tajpuriya gang has been involved in killing various members of the Gogi gang, and Friday's broad daylight murder was a result of several clashes that broke out between the rival gangs in the last one year. In February 2020, notorious criminal and a member of Gogi gang, Pravesh, had killed Tillu gang's Pawan. To avenge this murder, Tillu Tajpuriya entrusted the responsibility killing rival gang members on his henchman named Akshay, who along with his companions carried out a series of attacks on the Gogi gang. In July this year, a gangwar broke out between the two groups in Karala, with the entire area resonating with the sound of gunshots. In the incident, a bike-borne man named Nilesh was shot several times by the miscreants. As the police investigation progressed, it was revealed that the brother of the deceased Nilesh was associated with the dreaded Gogi gang. "After the broad daylight murder of Nilesh, his brother Pravesh was seeking revenge," a source told IANS. Gogi was running the gang along with dreaded criminals Lawrence Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra and Kala Jathedi. Gogi's known enemy Tajpuriya operates the gang from Tihar Jail, along with dreaded gangsters Naveen Bali, Kaushal and Neeraj Bawana. Chennai, Sep 24 : A special court in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore on Friday sentenced a woman victim's brother to death and 12 others, including her father and other relatives as well as two policemen, to life imprisonment in a 2003 'honour' killing case. Convicting the 13 accused, while acquitting two, of the murder of inter-caste couple S. Murugesan and D. Kannagi, Special Judge for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes cases, S. Uthamaraja, sentenced Kannagi's brother D. Maruthupandian, 49, to death besides slapping a penalty of Rs 4.5 lakh. "The caste-related murders created a black mark on the society and Kannagi's death should be the last in Tamil Nadu," said the judge, as he imposed the life sentences to Kannagi's father C. Duraisamy, 68, her brother D. Rangasamy, 45, relatives Kandavelu, Jothi, R. Mani, R. Dhanavel, V. Anjapuli, K. Ramadoss, G. Venkatesan, and N. Chinnadurai. The court also fined each of them Rs 4.5 lakh. Then Inspector, M. Sellamuthu, and then Sub-Inspector, K.P. Tamilmaran, were also sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to hush up the case. They also have to pay Rs 3 lakh each to the victim's kin. The court discharged Murugesan's relatives, S. Ayyasami and P. Gunasekharan, saying that they were forcibly brought to the cremation ground and they did not have anything to do with the murder. A heavy police posse was present in the court premises fearing retaliatory attacks against the family of Murugesan or to other Dalit families in the area after the verdict came. According to prosecution, Murugesan, a Dalit, fell in love with Kannagi, a Vanniyar community girl, while they were studying at the Annamalai University. The couple eloped and tied the knot on May 5, 2003, at the Cuddalore sub-registrar's office without informing their relatives. However, Kannagi's family was searching for them, and when they found them, they confined Murugesan and tortured him. Later, the couple was taken to a nearby cashew grove in Pudukooraipettai village and forced to consume poison, resulting in their death. The bodies were cremated the same day. Murugesan's father Samikannu had filed a case at the Virudachalam police station, but Chellamuthu, who retired as a DSP, and Maran did not deliberately take action even after coming to know about the incident. Subsequently, a case was registered on July 17, 2003 and after investigation, a charge sheet was filed against eight accused - four from each family - by the police. However, Murugesan's father moved the Madras High Court for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation and his plea was granted. The agency took over the probe and registered a case on May 21, 2004. After thorough investigation, it filed a charge sheet on October 14, 2005 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chengalpattu against 15 accused, including the two police officials. New Delhi, Sep 25 : Lawyers in Delhi have announced a one-day strike on September 25 to protest the firing incident in Rohini court on Friday afternoon that left three gangsters dead. District courts bar associations Coordination Committee Chairman, V.K. Singh, in a notice, said that they have resolved in a meeting that working in all the courts of Delhi will be suspended due to revision of security norms on account of the unfortunate incident in Rohini Court, Delhi. "Members of all district court bar associations are requested to cooperate and abstain from their work on 25-9-2021," the notice read. As top gangster Jitender Singh Mann, alias Gogi, was being presented at the Rohini court, two rival gang members, dressed in lawyers' attire, opened fire at him, killing him. The assailants were subsequently shot dead by police. A woman lawyer was also injured during the firing. Guwahati, Sep 25 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma suspects the role of a third party in Thursdays violence in which two persons were killed and 20 others were injured after a mob clashed with the police during an eviction drive in Darrang district of the state. The eviction drive was launched by the police and the district administration to vacate 4,500 bighas (602.40 hectares) of government land illegally encroached by several hundreds of families of Bengali-speaking Muslims. The Chief Minister said that the drive went on smoothly till Wednesday, and only 60 families had to be evicted on Thursday. But around 10,000 people with lathis etc. gathered at Sipajhar to put up a massive resistance, he said. "Where did they come from? Who brought them," Sarma asked while addressing an official function and said that to reveal the truth, the government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident to be conducted by a retired Gauhati High Court judge. Sarma said that Thursday's violence was perpetrated, even as he promised to the All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) that all the landless households would be provided with six bighas of land. The CM also strongly disapproved the act of a photographer who was caught on camera stomping on the body of a dead/injured person during the violence. The police have subsequently arrested the photographer, who was engaged by the administration to record the eviction drive. Rejecting the demand of the opposition parties to suspend the Darrang District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, the Chief Minister requested the Congress leaders to watch the entire video footage of the incident in which around 10,000 people came armed with sticks and spears and attacked the policemen first. Darrang district Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma happens to be the Chief Minister's younger brother. Earlier in the day, a Congress delegation from Guwahati led by its state unit chief Bhupen Kumar Borah visited Darrang and staged a demonstration outside the DM's office. The Congress has also submitted a memorandum to Governor Jagdish Mukhi demanding a judicial probe into the matter headed by a sitting judge of the Gauhati High Court. The Congress demanded that the eviction drive be kept in abeyance until a suitable resettlement plan is announced by the government. "The police personnel, who were deployed for the eviction drive and were responsible for the barbaric act, should also be given exemplary punishment and adequate compensation should be announced for the victims' families," the party demanded, as it asked the government to convene an all-party meeting along with the stakeholders to finalise a realistic plan for the affected families. The All Minority Organisations Coordination Committee, which includes the AAMSU and the Jamiat-e-Ulema, among others, had jointly called a 12-hour shut down on Friday in Darrang district to protest the police action even as an uneasy calm prevailed in the district. The Assam government had earlier declared that the vacated land would be utilised for agricultural purposes and training would be given to 500 indigenous youth in farming, including piggery and pisciculture, for the purpose. The state government has undertaken eviction drives in many districts to evict people who are illegally occupying government lands in different parts of the state. New Delhi, Sep 25 : Forest and wildlife personnel in Delhi have been directed to dress up in Khaki shirts and pants and wield a baton during their time on the field, Delhi's Department of Environment, Forests and Wildlife has notified. Issued on Thursday, this notification came a day after four of the Forests and Wildlife Department's employees were attacked by bootleggers in the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary on the Delhi-Haryana border. The injured included one deputy range officer and two wildlife guards. According to the department, the khaki uniform and baton will provide the officials an identity while also strengthening the law enforcement in the forest area. The Thursday incident could have been prevented if the personnel were wearing a badge or uniform as they represents some kind of authority, a forest official said, adding that after the new changes they will be taken more seriously and there will be no scope left for non-compliance. Under the new code, a peak cap will be donned by personnel forests, wildlife inspectors and forest rangers with a black ribbon around it affixing letters DFW (Department of Forests and Wildlife) made of white metal. Whereas, forest and wildlife guards will don a khaki felt hat and carry a whistle. For the baton, the notification reads, "Forest Guard and Forester shall keep with them a stick (lathi)/ polycarbonate baton in performing their duties." While men will donn khaki shirts and pants, women personnel may wear Salwars, Kurtas, Dupattas, colours of which should be same as that of shirts and trousers, it added. On September 23, around 25 people attacked a forest team with rods after being confronted by them. Most of the smuggling takes place during night and these bootleggers are often carrying weapons like knives and sticks with them, an official said, adding that the department has intensified its efforts against this. New Delhi, Sep 25 : The massive vaccination needs to be complimented with Covid-appropriate protocols during festive season, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health. He made the remarks during an interactive session for representatives of All India Radio, Private FMs and community radio stations held on Friday on the need to create awareness about the importance of following Covid Appropriate Behaviour during the upcoming festival season. Speaking on the importance of the medium in delivering public interest messages, he said that India has successfully controlled Covid-19 cases in record time by ramping up its test-track-treat and vaccination strategy. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with UNICEF hosted the session with radio stations to create awareness about the importance of following Covid Appropriate Behaviour during the festivities. The session was attended by around 150 radio representatives involved in programming and presentation of radio programs from across India. Addressing the session, Agrawal cautioned that though Covid-19 cases are reducing across India, the virus is still around and any complacency at this stage can lead to yet another surge. "The country will soon be reaching a historic landmark of 100 crore vaccination. While victory over virus is in sight, we cannot let this hard-earned victory slip from our hands due to Covid-fatigue. So, I urge people not to let their guard down during the upcoming festive season", said Agarwal. He asked all the participants to amplify public interest messages such as importance of both the doses of vaccines, and the need to follow Covid protocols during festivals in country's collective fight against virus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York, Sep 25 : Vice President Kamala Harris is an Indian American, but could President Joe Biden also claim an Indian link and be a cousin of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi? "Are we related," Biden jokingly asked Modi based on a relative who had gone to India and settled in Mumbai after Modi told him that he brought along documents about the possible relative. At the start of their bilateral summit, Modi said, "When I showed the Prime Minister to his seat, I pointed out that seat is occupied almost every day by an Indian American. The Vice President's mother was from India -- a scientist and a remarkable woman." Kamala Harris's mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris immigrated to the US and became a cancer researcher. Biden recalled his possible relative's sojourn and Modi told him he had brought documents about the possible relative Captain George Biden, who had gone to India as a soldier of the East India Company that began the colonisation of India. "He apparently stayed and married an Indian woman. And I've never been able to track it down. So, the whole purpose of this meeting is for him to help me figure out," Biden said amid laughter. Modi said, "You have talked today -- spoken in detail about the Biden surname in India. And, in fact, you had mentioned that to me earlier too. Well, after you mentioned it to me, I hunted for documents. And today, I have brought along some documents." "Maybe we'll be able to take this matter forward," Modi said without offering him Overseas Citizenship of India. "Maybe those documents could be of use to you," he said. And Biden popped the question to more laughter, "Are we related?" Recounting the story of the Biden of Mumbai, the president said that when he was elected to the Senate as a 29-year-old kid in 1972, before I was sworn in, I got a letter from a person named 'Biden' - last name - from Mumbai." He said he didn't follow it up. When he recounted the story at a meeting at the Bombay Stock Exchange in 2013 during a visit as vice president, he said, "The Indian press asked me: Do I have any relatives in India?" "The next morning, I had a press conference going away, and the Indian press said - someone spoke up and said, 'You have five Bidens in India'," the president said. Proud of his Irish heritage and mindful of Ireland's history of British colonialism, he said of the possible relative working for the East India Company, "That's hard for an Irishman to admit." Biden recalled that back in 2006 when he was vice president, he had laid out the hope that by 2020 "India and the United States would be among the closest nations in the world with one another." At the start of their meeting Modi, dressed in white pyjama kurta and dark waistcoat, made the namaste gesture. Biden stretched out his hands and embraced Modi. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Atlantic Honda welcomes the new 2022 Honda Insight The 2022 Honda Insight is the new addition to the Atlantic Honda dealerships lineup. Loaded with impressive features, the 2022 Honda Insight is an ideal sedan for drivers looking for a stylish hybrid sedan. With an advanced powertrain and powerful engine, the sedan offers a premium driving experience. The hybrid sedan comes in two trim levels, EX and Touring. Honda enthusiasts who are intrigued by the 2022 Honda Insight can explore the dealerships website to learn about the trim levels available at the lot. The interior of the sedan boasts premium style and offers available amenities like a moonroof. In addition, the sophisticated hybrid comes with plenty of modern connectivity features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The online inventory of the dealership displays the available 2022 Honda Insight trims along with the features they offer. Customers can also find information about the other Honda models available on the lot or visit the dealership to take the new hybrid sedan for a test drive. Interested buyers are encouraged to visit the dealerships website for more information on the hybrid sedan. For more information, customers can contact the dealership by calling 631-892-7266 or by visiting the dealership in person at 1375 Sunrise Highway, Bay Shore, New York, 11706. Being recognized as a cutting-edge technology solution by a reputable organization such as TAI further underscores the innovation of mobile box dimensioning for todays modern warehousing and distribution environments," said Matt Miller, Founder and CTO of 4DMobile. 4DMobile, provider of workforce productivity technologies, is proud to announce its xDIM Mobile Dimensioning software has been nominated for The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) 2021 Prometheus Awards for Creative Technology Solution of the Year. The annual awards unite innovators and leaders from technology, business, education, and government to celebrate the year's most momentous achievements. In the category of Creative Technology Solution of the Year, 4DMobile is joined by other finalists such as Hy-Vee, Inc., John Deere Financial, Kingland Systems, and Principal. Launched in June 2021, xDIM Mobile is a box measurement system utilizing 3D camera technology on rugged tablets for a variety of warehousing, shipping, and distribution applications. The software quickly collects accurate dimensions and calculates volume and DIM weights, improving space utilization and load planning in warehouses, shipping containers, delivery trucks and more. Data transfers directly to its intelligent, cloud-based analytics dashboard, xDIM Insight, for complete visibility to all measurements captured within the organization. The patented, mobile, point-and-click measurement solution is easy to use anywhere and by anyonehelping companies increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and optimize space. It is the first measuring software of its kind to perform on a tablet. We are honored to be nominated for this distinguished award, said Matt Miller, Founder and CTO of 4DMobile. Being recognized as a cutting-edge technology solution by a reputable organization such as TAI further underscores the innovation of mobile box dimensioning for todays modern warehousing and distribution environments. Its been exciting to see our customers experience high value and quick return on investment with xDIM. We are grateful to the TAI Prometheus Awards selection committee for the recognition. Winners will be announced during the 2021 Prometheus Awards dinner on November 4, 2021, in Des Moines, IA. About 4DMobile Founded in 2016 by Matt Miller, 4DMobile is a companion company of MobileDemand with a mission to elevate workforce productivity and optimize space with innovative and convenient computer vision and mobile applications. Learn more at 4dmobilesoft.com. # # # Acadian Capital Ventures is the Acadiana region's first-of-its-kind venture capital firm. NFTs are going to change every industry in the world and we have the opportunity to revolutionize the way that cultural institutions engage digitally, drive revenue, and preserve history through the permanence of the blockchain. Acadian Capital Ventures, the Acadiana regions first seed-stage venture capital firm, is investing in Iconic Moments, the first NFT marketplace exclusively for museums and cultural institutions around the world. Acadian Capital Ventures joined VentureSouth, Cultivation Capital, Techstars, and Red Stick Angels as investors in the Iconic Moments seed funding round. Iconic Moments is the second investment in Acadian Capital Ventures growing portfolio. Based in Lafayette, La., Acadian Capital Ventures seeks out startup companies in communities often overlooked by venture capital and provides access to seed funding and mentorship. Iconic Moments partners with a growing network of history, sports, and art museums and archives to create NFTs (non-fungible tokens) of art, video clips, audio clips, and other artifacts sourced from the museums collections. The partner museum retains ownership of the original piece while the limited-edition NFTs are generated from the original piece. Iconic Moments was created by the team behind Pass It Down, a digital storytelling company based out of Baton Rouge. Pass It Down currently works with museums and cultural centers around the world including Porsche, Procter & Gamble, and the Museum of Broadcast Communications to create interactive experiences through its cloud-based digital design platform. Acadian Capital Ventures investment in Iconic Moments will support the companys growth as it creates the cultural heritage industrys first NFT marketplace. That growth includes hiring additional staff and enhancing the Iconic Moments blockchain marketplace ahead of its launch in late 2021. Thanks to Acadian Capital Ventures for believing in our vision to create a new and sustainable model for the cultural heritage industry, said Pass It Down and Iconic Moments CEO Chris Cummings. NFTs are going to change every industry in the world and we have the opportunity to revolutionize the way that cultural institutions engage digitally, drive revenue, and preserve history through the permanence of the blockchain. In 2020, NFT transactions worldwide totaled $200 million. In the first quarter of 2021, there were more than $2.1 billion in NFT transactions. Smart contracts, as well as blockchain ledgers, have dramatically changed the way that we buy, sell, and own digital assets and will continue to evolve well into the future, said Acadian Capital Ventures Managing Director Skip Boudreaux. Chris and the entire Pass It Down/Iconic Moments team are dedicated to bringing this technology, along with industry know-how, directly to these historical and cultural institutions so that they do not get left behind. About Iconic Moments Iconic Moments is the worlds first NFT marketplace for the worlds museums, archives and cultural institutions. Created by the team behind digital exhibit design platform Pass It Down, Iconic Moments gives individuals the opportunity to own a piece of history or art while generating new and sustained revenue for its museum partners. The Iconic Moments NFT marketplace will launch in late 2021. For more information about Iconic Moments, visit http://www.iconicmoments.co. About Acadian Capital Ventures Acadian Capital Ventures is the Acadiana regions first-of-its-kind seed-stage venture capital firm based in Lafayette, La. Acadian Capital Ventures aims to find overlooked opportunities and hidden gems of the entrepreneurial world and connect them to funding. Acadian Capital Ventures utilizes its deep network and partnerships with local angel investor networks and other venture capital firms across the country, along with viewing hundreds of pitches every year at local and regional startup events, business accelerators, and business incubators. For more information about Acadian Capital Ventures, visit https://acadian.vc. Intelligence Node, a leader in AI-driven retail intelligence and competitive analytics, experienced unprecedented sales velocity since inception with an open sales pipeline that is 4.7x the pre-pandemic volumes. The company also announced the launch of new products to capitalize on the growing eCommerce market - PriceIntelligence AI, a new price optimization app for Shopify customers and Digital Shelf Analytics, a capability to understand and improve search, content, and user review sentiment around a specific product or category. 2020 saw tremendous eCommerce growth with $2 trillion being spent globally online during the year. The pandemic coaxed both enterprise and SMB retailers to pivot to selling online - rapidly increasing the adoption rate of retail enablement platforms like Shopify. As compared to 2019, the Shopify eCommerce platform grew 86% in 2020 to $2.9 billion in revenue and serves over 1,700,000 retail businesses today. Intelligence Node responded by expanding its advanced analytics offering, battle-tested by Fortune 500 clients, to the SMB market with the soft launch of its PriceIntelligence AI app on the Shopify ecosystem. In addition, the Company has launched a new solution, Digital Shelf Analytics, to complement its pricing and assortment solutions for the enterprise retail segment. The new offering is a strategic addition to address the evolving needs of the eCommerce ecosystem which is forecasted to reach $4 trillion by 2024. Weve seen hyper-growth and accelerated sales velocity since the start of 2021. We are closing larger deals at a faster pace, acquiring new enterprise customers every week, including Fortune 500 customers and category leaders like Nestle, Lenovo, LVMH, Prada, and Schwarz Gruppe." said CEO, Sanjeev Sularia. Launching our Digital Shelf Analytics solution positions us to offer a broad suite of capabilities to retailers and brands - everything from competitive pricing to content audits and customer review sentiment. To better align its offerings with the evolving eCommerce market, Intelligence Node has also completed an extensive rebranding effort. In addition to a new, contemporary brand identity and customer centric website design, Intelligence Node has also refreshed its product names, segmented to better serve brands and retailers. Our rebranding aims to amplify our mission and align our messaging to speak to the needs of our core audience, forward-thinking brands and retailers," explains Leela Gill, Global VP of Marketing and Design at Intelligence Node. In addition, retailers and brands will now find our unique product solutions packaged under one product name that speaks to their segment. We believe this new alignment will help further accelerate our revenue growth. The new product names, features, and design are just part of Intelligence Nodes overall mission to democratize retail by offering fast, accurate, and reliable eCommerce data to its customers so they can offer shoppers the best choices. In an environment surrounded by uncertainty with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, Intelligence Node remains bullish on its growth trajectory. As retailers and brands embrace the criticality of digital transformation and eCommerce leadership, Intelligence Node is uniquely positioned to be the partner of choice for large global players and the competitive SMB market. About Intelligence Node Intelligence Nodes mission is to provide the most comprehensive data-rich eCommerce perspective of the consumer buying journey to retailers and brands so they can thrive in the Age of Amazon. We offer a real-time retail eCommerce intelligence platform that empowers businesses to drive product level profitability and grow margins using data-driven competitive insights, AI-driven pricing, MAP monitoring and more. Intelligence Node has the worlds largest product and pricing dataset with unmatched accuracy, at 99%, which feeds the growth of more than $600 billion in retail revenue globally. Our proprietary patented algorithms are delivered via SaaS portal, file feed, or APIs, providing rapid plug & play accessibility. We are the platform of choice for global retailers and brands, including category leaders like Nestle, Lenovo, LIDL, Prada, and many others. Learn more about the company at http://www.IntelligenceNode.com. Dennis M. Prokop, author of the Mystery of Eagle Falls trilogy, has completed his new book Dream Vacation: a captivating tale that follows ex-naval diver and human behavioral analyst Nicolas Falco, who has decided he needs some time away from his anxiety-filled Washington, D.C., job. With his two sons away at college and the allure of revisiting his passion for scuba diving calling his name, Nick heads for the crystal-clear waters of the remote Caribbean islands of Roatan and Utila. Author Dennis M. Prokop begins his novel, writing, It was early Saturday morning, January 2, 2010. Like many recent early mornings, Nicholas Falco was standing in his front foyer of his upscale Baltimore, Maryland, townhouse, suitcases packed and piled in front of him as he patiently waited for his ride to the Dulles International airport. He had logged over eighty hours at work during this Christmas holiday season, while most of his coworkers had enjoyed their time off to spend with their family and friends. But this trip was not going to be business related. His current division manager, Harold Bias, had finally agreed to give him some time off from work. Nick had lobbied for some serious time off for years, and for whatever reason, Harold finally agreed. Then totally out of character for him, knowing one of Nicks passions in life was scuba diving, Harold gave him a state-of-the-art underwater divers watch as a thank-you for all his extra effort at work. Published by Page Publishing, Dennis M. Prokops compelling tale intensifies as a wife Nick has not seen in years and a confusing mix-up with the CIA conspire to sabotage his attempt to enjoy the serene tropical islands. With a possible pirate treasure worth a kings ransom at stake, Nick must sort through his past, a CIA probe, and a two-hundred-year-old mystery before he can hope to relax and enjoy his dream vacation. Readers who wish to experience this original work can purchase Dream Vacation at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Julia M. Davis, a retired schoolteacher, social worker, county director for the Department of Child Services in Indiana, and great-grandmother who lives with Eugene, her husband of fifty years, and enjoys praying, reading, writing, exercising, swimming, living for and talking with the Lord, has completed her new book Praise, Worship, and the Word: Powerful Weapons of Warfare: a thoughtful reflection on the spiritual lessons learned on her own faith journey. The author has learned, from experience, how God moves in the hearts, minds, and lives of people who spend time with him in praise, worship, and studying the Word. When asked the question, What do you want people to learn from your years of experience in living for God? the author responded that she would like to download and regurgitate her life experiences regarding praise, worship, and the study of the Word into the hearts and lives of young people so that they will come to know the voice of the Lord, learn to listen to him, and follow his leading. You cannot go wrong if you follow where God wants you to go and what he wants you to do. We should ask God to, Order my steps in thy word (Psa. 119:133). The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4). Praise, Worship, and the Word opens you up to receive what God has to say to you, show you, and how he wants to lead you. You cannot follow God if you dont listen to him. When Alice asked the question, Would you tell me, please which way I ought to go from here? The answer was If you dont know where you are going, any road will take you there (Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland). Listen to the voice of God, and you cannot go wrong. Published by Page Publishing, Julia M. Daviss engrossing book is an inspiring choice for avid Christian readers. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Praise, Worship, and the Word: Powerful Weapons of Warfare at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Beanworks by Quadient is pleased to announce it placed No. 112 on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies. Canadas Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Beanworks earned its spot with three-year growth (2017-2020) of 502%. Despite the global pandemic, Beanworks saw 70% year-over-year revenue growth in 2020, triggered by accounting teams growing reliance on digital solutions. Beanworks automates the accounts payable processes of nearly 800 customers that currently process more than $17 billion (CAD) annually through the platform. Beanworks, which was acquired by Quadient in March 2021, is trusted by major brands such as Ticketmaster, McDonalds, Holiday Inn, and more. This recognition is the culmination of a meteoric rise for Beanworks, said Karim Ben-Jaafar, the President of Beanworks. Now more than ever in our hybrid-work world, we are witnessing the growing need for companies to automate their accounts payable processes. We are thankful for the trust our customers have placed in us, and our success is also a testament to our employees commitment to innovation and excellence in customer experience. Launched in 2019, the Canadas Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this years ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canadas foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics, and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mails investment in innovative data science means that, as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About Beanworks by Quadient Beanworks by Quadient is an essential all-in-one cloud-based accounts payable automation solution for the worlds accounting teams. Beanworks helps companies transform their AP workflows from end to end and empowers accounting teams to succeed by giving them complete control over their AP processes remotely, from anywhere in the world. For more information, visit http://www.beanworks.com. About Quadient Quadient is the driving force behind the worlds most meaningful customer experiences. By focusing on three key solution areas, Intelligent Communication Automation, Parcel Locker Solutions, and Mail-Related Solutions, Quadient helps simplify the connection between people and what matters. Quadient supports hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide in their quest to create relevant, personalized connections and achieve customer experience excellence. Quadient is listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and is part of the CAC Mid & Small and EnterNext Tech 40 indices. For more information about Quadient, visit http://www.quadient.com. Unfortunately, identity theft is a common crime. Thieves often steal your or your childrens personal information without your knowledge. Once thieves have your information, they can use it for their benefit. Central Florida Bonding launches their newest blog targeted at educating consumers about identity theft. According to the United States Department of Justice, identity theft is defined as all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another persons personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. Central Florida Bonding invites consumers to visit their website to learn more about identity theft, types of identity theft, how ones identity is stolen, and how consumers can protect themselves from identity theft. Hadi Khouri, owner of Central Florida Bonding, states, Unfortunately, identity theft is a common crime. Thieves often steal your or your childrens personal information without your knowledge. Once thieves have your information, they can use it for their benefit. Common types of identity theft include: Financial theft Medical theft Criminal identity theft Child identity theft Tax-related theft Khouri adds, Criminals obtain your personal information in various ways including: stealing your mail, picking through your trash, shoulder surfing, skimming, phishing and vishing, or by stealing your purse or wallet. To help prevent theft, we advise that you check your accounts frequently, keep your personal information safe, shred personal paperwork, get your mail as soon as possible, monitor your credit report, keep your purse and wallet secure and next to you, and to be aware of your surroundings. To read the entire blog visit: https://cfborlando.com/identity-theft-a-crime/ In addition to bonding for identity theft, Central Florida Bonding bails clients out of jail for numerous charges including theft, DUI, domestic violence, assault, battery, drug trafficking, child neglect, and more. A bail bond agent is available 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week, and 365 days of the year. To start the bail bond process, defendants, their family members or friends are encouraged to call 407-841-3646. All of the bail bond agents at Central Florida Bonding are experienced and knowledgeable. Khouri states, Face it, being arrested can be a scary experience. You are facing the unknown with no guidance. This is where our bail bond agency can help. We have been serving Central Florida since 1979. You can rely on our experience to help guide you through the bail bond process. Our bail bond agents can assist you with paperwork, explain the bail bond process, and answer questions that you may have about the criminal justice system. Dont go it alone, please call us at 407-841-3646. This bail bond agency serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, Lake, and Brevard counties. Central Florida Bonding is licensed to post bonds across the state of Florida and across the United States with affiliated bail bond agencies. Central Florida Bonding is located at 2911 39th Street, Suite 300, in Orlando, Florida. Their Orlando bail bond office is in the Cox Plaza across form the 33rd Street Jail (Orange County Jail). For more information to learn how bail bonds work and how a defendant can bond from jail for drugs, alcohol, driving with a suspended license, road rage, identity theft or any other charge, call 407-841-3646 or visit https://cfborlando.com/. General Assembly chamber hall at the United Nations headquarters building. CGTN AMERICA releases CHINA UNVEILS NEW MEASURES TO PROMOTE GREEN DEVELOPMENT AT THE 76TH UNGA The General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is under way at UN headquarters in New York City, with climate change, COVID-19, and security dominating discussions during the annual gathering. After pledging to strive to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China has taken another step in the pursuit of green development. On September 22, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the UN General Assembly via video from Beijing. President Xi said China will increase its support for other developing countries in promoting green and low-carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement. The UN chief also underscored that: Accelerating the global phase out of coal is the single most important step to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement within reach. In his video speech, President Xi also discussed the fight against the pandemic, economic recovery, international relations, and global governance. Permanent Representative of China to the UN, Zhang Jun, told media that President Xi's speech shows China's courage and sense of responsibility as a responsible major power. Click here for more about all CHINA UNVEILS NEW MEASURES TO PROMOTE GREEN DEVELOPMENT AT THE 76TH UNGA and to view the report: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-22/China-leads-green-development-with-another-practical-step-13KX5J87auI/index.html (This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.) Dr. Charles "Chuck" Duva and Dr. Elizabeth "Beth" Duva We are deeply grateful to Chuck and Beth for their tremendous generosity in supporting excellence in education and innovation. - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University President P. Barry Butler Charles Chuck Duva, M.D., and his wife Elizabeth Beth Duva, Ph.D., longtime community leaders in Volusia County, Florida, have made a generous half-million-dollar gift to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The gift will kick-start an ambitious $5 million Embry-Riddle fundraising initiative to elevate the schools Launch Your Venture competition. As lead benefactors, the Duvas will help transform Launch Your Venture into the worlds top aviation and aerospace competition for entrepreneurs. The annual contest supports startups with game-changing ideas to advance the aviation, aerospace and engineering industries. Since 2017, the Launch Your Venture competition has rewarded aspiring entrepreneurs ready to scale up promising, disruptive new technologies. Past winners of the competition have included, as examples, Embry-Riddle Research Park tenant Reamonn Soto, founder and CEO of Sensatek Propulsion Technologies, and Mike Geldart, CEO of GRD Biomechanics. This gift marries our passion for Embry-Riddle as well as the broader community that we love, said Dr. Chuck Duva, who serves on the universitys Board of Trustees. Beth and I hope that our contribution to this new endowment fund at Embry-Riddle will stimulate additional entrepreneurship and help companies start, grow and stay in our area. Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler commended the couples gift. We are deeply grateful to Chuck and Beth for their tremendous generosity in supporting excellence in education and innovation, Dr. Butler said. The Launch Your Venture competition recently expanded to serve entrepreneurs throughout the State of Florida, and it has already created high-paying jobs. Now, with the Duvas support, we can elevate the program even further to promote economic development and strengthen Volusia Countys reputation as a great place to launch tech startups. In 2012, the Duvas established the first-ever aerospace engineering fellowship to support doctoral students at Embry-Riddle. Were strong supporters of education and we really want to see our local community thrive, Dr. Duva said at the time. The Duvas have previously emphasized that you cant have too much education. Dr. Churck Duva is past president and chief executive officer of DuvaSawko. Currently, he is a board member of a new enterprise formed in 2021 called Ventra Health, after acquiring two additional healthcare revenue-cycle management companies, which also provide practice-management, headquartered in Ormond Beach, Florida. After completing his bachelors degree in biology, he earned a Doctor of Medicine degree, and he further holds a graduate degree in medical management. Dr. Beth Duva, a registered nurse, holds a Ph.D. in holistic nutrition as well as bachelors degrees in special education and sociology and a masters degree in teaching. In 2016, DuvaSawko became a Nexus Partner, later replaced by Duva Enterprises, with Embry-Riddles John Mica Engineering and Aerospace Innovation Complex (MicaPlex), the cornerstone facility of the universitys Research Park. David White, Director of North America CM.com, a global leader in cloud software for conversational commerce, announces David White as their new Director of North America who will oversee the entire go-to-market strategy for the United States, Canada, and Mexico. White brings with him over 23 years of combined experience in project and sales operations management, extensive client relationship management, and has held several senior executive leadership roles. White will be charged with hiring and developing the foundational commercial organizations within sales, operations, and support as CM.com continues its aggressive expansion of CPaaS, Marketing, and Customer Experience solutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Most recently, White acted as the Strategic Partnership Manager for CM.com North America where he architected and spearheaded the Indirect Sales distribution model, encompassing clients for the North American company expansion in 2021. Hodny Benazzi, General Manager at CM.com, commented: We recognize that North America presents a huge opportunity for us to bring our suite of conversational commerce solutions to a new market and were excited to welcome David into this position to help us drive forward our business goals. Hiring experienced SaaS leaders, coupled with our continued investment in the region and broad product offering will ensure that we become an established player. We look forward to supporting our US customer base as they continue to implement new technologies to engage with their customers and deliver truly exceptional customer experiences. Construction Specifications Institute Today we recognize the hard work, accomplishments, dedication and generosity of CSI professionals, says CSI Awards Chair George Wade Bevier, FCSI, CCS, CDT. The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is proud to announce 26 individuals, organizations, and chapters who received CSI Awards and Honors and 24 chapters recognized with Outstanding Chapter Commendations during the CSI Celebrates event on Sept. 23 in Nashville. Today we recognize the hard work, accomplishments, dedication and generosity of CSI professionals, says CSI Awards Chair George Wade Bevier, FCSI, CCS, CDT. Each and every award and honors recipient has demonstrated professional excellence, outstanding leadership and exceptional innovative abilities. 2021 Distinguished Membership Two members received CSIs highest honor, Distinguished Membership. Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS, and Casey F. Robb, FCSI, Lifetime Member, CCPR, CDT, both performed distinguished services to CSI and the construction industry in fields of activity related to the purpose and mission of CSI. Since the first award in 1954, only 54 members have earned this illustrious honor. Medcalf receives this distinction posthumously for his extraordinary efforts to contribute, educate, practice, mentor, and live the technical principles of the construction industry with tremendous passion and precision as well as creating an historical legacy in print, audio, visual, and social media at multiple CSI chapters and regions, and at the national level. Robb, a staple in CSI for the last 35 years, has served at all levels of the organizationchapter, region, and Institute. He is a Former President, a CSI Fellow, and the current Chancellor of the College of Fellows. He receives this prestigious honor for his efforts in the education of design and construction professionals; providing outstanding leadership and professional development; and being a trusted advisor in training and mentoring CSI members and non-members alike. 2021 Class of Fellows Fellowship recognizes those who provide exceptional service to CSI. Only a few more than 400 CSI members and former belong to the exclusive CSI College of Fellows, established in 1959. Fellows are selected based on their outstanding contributions in one or more of these areas: the advancement of construction technology, the improvement of construction specifications, education, or service to the Institute. I am incredibly proud of these deserving industry professionals, says CSI 2021 Jury of Fellows Chair Sheldon Wolfe, FCSI, Distinguished Member, CCS, CCCA. Each individual has their own unique skills and talents, their own career track, and their own way of contributing. CSI awards recipients have contributed much and in varying ways to CSI and the construction industry. All of us have the potential to make exceptional contributions and to be recognized by CSI for those contributions. Edwin Avink, FCSI, honored for his distinguished and passionate work in education programs and publications, creative and inspiring mentorship of new CSI members and others the construction industry, and for more than 30 years of active leadership in the Grand Rapids Chapter and the Great Lakes Region. Susan Bliss, FCSI, recognized for her contributions to improve construction specifications, education, and service; for passionate and creative mentorship; for outstanding and inspiring work in education programs, videos, and publications; and for many years of active participation in the Dallas Chapter Certification Committee. Dean M. Bortz, FCSI, awarded for his constant pursuit of improving the student experience by establishing the Construction Specifications student chapter at Columbus State Community College; for developing content and editing numerous education curricula and publications; and for mentoring and advising others; for providing scholarships and initializing grants; and for connecting CSI and its resources to institutions of higher learning. 2021 Chapter Cup The Chapter Cup is awarded to the CSI chapter with the largest percentage increase in total membership. This year, the Chapter Cup is granted to the CSI Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter, which reported a 13% growth in membership during 2021 fiscal year. 2021 Outstanding Chapter Commendation This year, 24 CSI chapters are recognized for their work and accomplishments in governance, finance, administration, communications, programming, and membership. These chapters include: Akron-Canton, Baltimore, Boston, Central Pennsylvania, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth, Grand Rapids, Greater Lehigh Valley, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Mississippi, Mt. Rainier, Nashville, New Jersey, Phoenix, and Puget Sound. Hans William Meier Award for Innovation of Certification Program CSI Chicago Chapter Certification Committee Communication Awards Grand Rapids Chapter, Los Angeles Chapter, Memphis Chapter, Phoenix Chapter, Portland Chapter, and Geremy Mendelson Environmental Stewardship Award Ironwood Mills, JLG Architects, RTA Architects Outstanding Contribution Award Akron-Canton Chapter, Billy J. Mathis, FCSI, CDT, and the Portland Oregon Chapter Construction Specifier Article of the Year Award Filling the Voids Differentiating Between Concrete Coating and Polishing by Chris Bennett, CSI, CDT; Bill DuBois, CSI, CCS; John Guill, FCSI, CCS, CCCA; Keith Robinson, FCSI; Rae Taylor, Ph.D., and Jonathan Ware. Moll/Betts Student Excellence Award Each recipient receives a $2,500 and $1,000 cash award respectively and a one-year membership in CSI. Katia Isabel Lucey Sanz, CDT and Blake Gneiting, CSI-S, CDT received the highest student scores for the CDT certification exam. Congratulations to this exemplary group of 2021 CSI Award and Honors recipients, says CSI CEO Mark Dorsey FASAE, CAE. We salute all of you and the significant contributions youve made to the advancement of CSI and the commercial construction industry. For a full description of all CSI Honors and Awards, visit https://www.csiresources.org/institute/honorsandawards/awards. About Construction Specifications Institute Founded in 1948, CSI is a national not-for-profit association of more than 6,500 members dedicated to improving the communication of construction information throughout continuous development and transformation of standards and formats, and education and certification of professionals to improve project delivery processes. CSI members work tirelessly to effectively communicate the designers vision, the material producers solutions and the constructors techniques to create outstanding facilities that meet facility owners objectives. For more information visit: http://www.csiresources.org/home. This month, CommLab India, the top provider of rapid eLearning and blended learning solutions, celebrated 21 years of successful corporate training with a heart-felt Thank You to their most precious assets loyal employees, customers, and vendors. CommLab India kickstarted their celebrations on September 1st The Foundation Day with a series of cross-learning seminars with different teams giving creative presentations to the entire CommLab India family on their processes, strengths, unique challenges and innovative solutions, and more. CommLab Indias motto of teams that learn together grow together provided a wonderful opportunity for all concerned to experience the power of inspired collaboration. On another note, various competitions were conducted online painting, cooking, chess, to name just a few. The activities culminated on September 9th with employees and their families participating in a grand virtual event. CommLab India presented gifts and special mementos to its loyal employees, celebrating the fact that almost half of their staff had stayed with them for more than 5 years! Families too got special gifts and the opportunity to share their feelings about CommLab India. Though subdued due to the social distancing, this celebration of CommLab Indias values was an opportunity for everyone to reconnect and rejuvenate. Speaking at the event, RK Prasad, CEO & Co-Founder, CommLab India, reiterated that loyalty is CommLab Indias greatest strength and what keeps it going. He also remembered CommLab Indias journey that started with one computer and two people with a vision to help ordinary people achieve extraordinary things. The inspiring speech made old timers nostalgic and left an indelible mark on newcomers minds. And adding icing to the cake was the fact that CommLab India bagged the second spot among the best mobile learning solutions providers and also ranked seventh among the top eLearning gamification companies. These awards testify to CommLab Indias position as a leading provider of all rapid eLearning solutions with speed, scale, and quality. About CommLab India: CommLab India, with more than two decades experience in the learning industry serving 100 International customers in 30+ countries, is one of the most sought-after global leaders for rapid eLearning solutions. It has been ranked first among top providers of Rapid eLearning for 2021 and Blended Learning Solutions for 2020 by eLearning Industry. With its formidable authoring tool expertise and decades of experience in corporate training and instructional design, CommLab India offers rapid eLearning solutions for speed, scale, and value with any authoring tool for: My greatest passion is to teach the subject of entrepreneurship and support those who innovate companies that can also create social impact in some way Nick Sarnicola arrived at Democracy Preparatory Academy to speak to the students about entrepreneurship. This comes as no surprise after he donated $25,000 through his non-profit, Next Generation Entrepreneurs (Next Gen). Sarnicola is a lifestyle entrepreneur, sales leader, business catalyst, master team builder, and philanthropist with more than two decades of experience in building billion-dollar sales teams and transforming aspiring professionals into multi-millionaire entrepreneurs. In 2016, Sarnicola donated $200,000 as a permanent endowment to start the Rooks-Sarnicola Entrepreneurial Institute in West Michigan which currently supports seed capital to aspiring entrepreneurs attending the institute while attempting to kickstart a new business. Part of the endowment supports the school in continually empowering young entrepreneurs in the inter-cities with business funds, ongoing education, training and mentorship. Now, Sarnicola wants to continue supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through the Democracy Preparatory Academy. Through a motivational delivery to the students on May 19th at 10am, Sarnicola will personally give an introduction to entrepreneurship and provide a powerful display of the values and soft skills necessary to become a successful entrepreneur. My greatest passion is to teach the subject of entrepreneurship and support those who innovate companies that can also create social impact in some way, said Sarnicola, Founder of Next Gen. My business partner, Blake Mallen and I started as 19-year-old entrepreneurs who self-taught ourselves everything when it came to building billion-dollar brands. But, we wish we had had the education, training and support early on to help set us up for success. So, were doing everything we can to support vision-driven entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey and give them short-cuts to success. Its the whole reason why Next Gen was born. Next Gen was founded by Sarnicola in 2011 who initially donated $1 million to help educate, equip and financially support the next generation of entrepreneurs in starting businesses. In 2016, it partnered with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to collaborate on offering summer camps, after-school programs and in-school entrepreneurial curriculum designed to empower youth to turn business dreams into realities. A lot of us growing up werent educated or encouraged to become entrepreneurs and were instead pressured to pursue the traditional path of graduating college, getting a corporate job and working our way up from the bottom, said Blake Mallen, Next Gen Advisory Board Member. Our vision is to inspire and support passionate, talented college students like Jake and Cody to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams now, instead of getting stuck on a career path that doesnt serve them. To help support a young entrepreneur through the Next Gens educational workshops, training programs and seed capital investments, visit http://www.thenextgen.org. About Nick Sarnicola and Blake Mallen Nick Sarnicola and Blake Mallen are the Co-Founders of two global lifestyle brands, Vi and Liv, providing platforms that power health transformations, inspire people to turn their Bucket List into a Liv List, and create social impact worldwide. They are noted keynote speakers and are featured in industry publications on the topics of entrepreneurship, leadership and personal growth. Nex Gen Info: http://thenextgen.org/ Connect @nicksarnicola and @blakemallen. eCapital Corp. (eCapital), a leading alternative finance provider in North America to small and medium-sized businesses, today announced that it has named Jeffrey Duclow as Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer. Duclow brings more than 30 years of expertise providing working capital financing to staffing companies. In this role, Duclow will be responsible for new business origination, sourcing and structuring of financing for staffing company owners throughout North America, supporting eCapitals mission to empower staffing companies by accelerating their access to capital. Duclow joins eCapital from Wells Fargo Capital Finance, where he held the position of SVP, Business Development Officer for the Staffing Services Group. Prior to that, he held business development management positions at Evergreen Funding, which was later acquired by Wells Fargo. Jeff is an exceptional business development professional, and we are thrilled to have him join the team, said James Poston, CPA, CMA, Chief Sales Officer of eCapital. As a seasoned commercial finance professional with deep ties to the staffing industry, he will be instrumental in supporting financing requirements to staffing companies. About eCapital Corp. eCapital Corp. is committed to supporting small and middle-market companies in the United States, Canada and the UK by accelerating their access to capital through alternative financing solutions like invoice factoring, factoring lines of credit and asset-based lending. Through its Commercial Finance and Freight Factoring divisions and its portfolio companies Advantedge Commercial Finance Ltd. and Gerber Finance, Inc., eCapital offers alternative finance solutions to a broad set of industries. Based in Miami, Florida, eCapital is an innovative leader in providing flexible, customized funding to businesses. For more information about eCapital, visit eCapital.com. Growth is not just a byproduct of our hard work, however. It is our responsibility, one we take very seriously, as we are on a collective mission to change the world. Canadas Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Goalcast earned its spot with three-year growth of 865%. Goalcast, a leading empowering media company from Montreal, is on a mission to redefine the media industry for good. Last year the company announced its plans to expand into original production and significantly grow the team. With those plans well underway, its revenue growth has followed, allowing the team to scale quickly by further investing in quality content and top talent. CEO and co-founder of Goalcast, Cyrus Gorjipour, shared Seeing Goalcast on this list for a second year in a row is incredible. I see how hard the team works every day and it is amazing for us to be recognized alongside other respected companies in Canada as a Top Growing Company. He continued, Growth is not just a byproduct of our hard work, however. It is our responsibility, one we take very seriously, as we are on a collective mission to change the world. Focusing on the calibre of stories they tell, rather than the quantity of videos published, is a significant component of Goalcasts growth strategy that is yielding results. Chief Content Officer and co-founder, Salim Sader, adds We are constantly evolving as storytellers and adapting to the needs of our audience. Unlike Hollywood productions which take years to produce, we are able to create and release a video in a matter of weeks and get real-time feedback from those who watch and engage with our content. Our focus has been on leveraging our audience insights and continuously raising the bar so we can tell even more meaningful stories. This approach has contributed greatly to our growth. Launched in 2019, the Canadas Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this years ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. As we look toward the future, Canadas Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges, says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals. Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers. Greenberg Traurig Continues Expansion of Global Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice; Adds Brian E. Greer in New York Greenberg Traurigs restructuring practice is continually active in addressing clients needs, including out-of-court restructurings and related matters; many of which are the result of conditions brought about by the pandemic. said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Executive Chairman. Citing a continued uptick in activity, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP expanded its global Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice with the addition of former Dentons partner Brian E. Greer as a shareholder in the firms New York office. Greer will find familiar faces at Greenberg Traurig. He previously worked with Oscar N. Pinkas, chair of the firms New York Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice, while both practiced at Dentons. Greer also recently worked on a case with John Houghton, who joined Greenberg Traurig earlier this month, as the chair of the firms London Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice. Greer has substantial experience representing creditors, debtors, equity investors and directors in cross-border and domestic restructuring matters, both in and out of court. He guides clients through complex restructurings, bankruptcies, liquidations, and other stressed or distressed situations. Greenberg Traurigs restructuring practice is continually active in addressing clients needs, including out-of-court restructurings and related matters; many of which are the result of conditions brought about by the pandemic. Adding Brian and John highlights our best-in-class approach to meet the changing needs of clients on a global scale and with the urgency for which the firm is known, said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Executive Chairman. Brian is a significant asset to our practice given his broad experience. He is a magnet for financial investors because he understands how to proactively help them address opportunities that may arise in complex distressed situations, Pinkas said. The fact that John, Brian, and I have previously worked together is just another plus and demonstrates that we strategically bring in high caliber attorneys at the right time and for the right reasons. Greers practice spans a multitude of sectors including financial services, hospitality, commercial real estate and real estate investment trusts (REITs), healthcare, oil and gas, energy, construction, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, information technology (IT) consulting, and life sciences. The addition of Brian along with Oscar and John further rounds out the team and gives us the opportunity to represent an increasingly wider spectrum of clients across a broad range of needs. Brians addition to the New York office is particularly important given our strong practice there, said Shari Heyen and David Kurzweil, Co-Chairs of the firm's Global Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice. The continuous growth of my financial investor practice is key to furthering my goals, as is playing an additive role within the global team, Greer said. The firms unique position in the marketplace and its enviable domestic and global platform across areas of practice and sectors were central to my decision to come here. The added bonus was being able to continue to work with Oscar and John. Greer, who also regularly helps clients capitalize on opportunities as purchasers, sellers, and lenders in distressed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, has been recognized by IFLR 1000 as a restructuring and insolvency Highly Regarded attorney and by the Legal 500 U.S. as a leading restructuring attorney. He earned his J.D. from The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and a B.A. from Stony Brook University. About Greenberg Traurigs Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice: Greenberg Traurigs internationally recognized Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice provides clients with deep insight and knowledge acquired over decades of advisory and litigation experience. The team has a broad and diverse range of experience developing creative and effective solutions to the highly complex issues that arise in connection with in- and out-of-court reorganizations, restructurings, workouts, liquidations, and distressed acquisitions and sales. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the firms vast resources and invaluable business network, the team helps companies navigate challenging times and address the full range of issues that can arise in the course of their own restructurings or dealings with other companies in distress. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0-Plus Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com The Energy & Natural Resources Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP will participate in the 2nd annual World Hydrogen Congress, Oct. 4-6 in Amsterdam. Greenberg Traurig Amsterdam Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Global Hydrogen Group Marijn Bodelier and Greenberg Traurig Germany Local Partner Martin Borning will both be presenting on panels at the Congress which connects leading senior energy executives from around the world. The World Hydrogen Congress will provide a full program of curated content, panels, and debates on topics including policy, demands, hydrogen case studies, strategy and national plans, technology innovations, and cost curves. Bodelier will speak on a panel titled "Planning and Executing Successful Hydrogen Projects" on Oct. 5 from 2:00-2:40 p.m CEST. Following Bodeliers panel, Borning will present "Storage and the Development of Global Hydrogen Markets" alongside Heike Bernhardt, technical director at DEEP.KBB, from 3:20-3:40 p.m. CEST. Bodelier focuses on public law, environmental law, and real estate. He is regularly involved in international transactions and projects where public law aspects are a key-element. Bodelier has particular experience in litigation and contracts with respect to real estate developments, permitting processes, expropriation, and renewable energy projects. Borning focuses on advising on transactions and projects in regulated industries, including joint ventures, co-operations, and corporate restructurings. He has longstanding experience advising companies and corporations in the energy and transportation sectors. Furthermore, Borning advises investors, operators, and developers in the areas of renewable energies, mobility, and digital infrastructure. Among his clients are national and international corporations, manufacturers and operators of commercial vehicles and rail vehicles, infrastructure funds and infrastructure financiers, as well as public sector companies. Other Congress attendees from Greenberg Traurig include Shareholders William Garner (Houston), Christian Schede (Germany), Sabine Schoute (Amsterdam), Partner Pietro Caliceti (Milan), and Associate Jan Herfkens (Amsterdam). World Hydrogen Congress interviewed Garner on hydrogen and its use as an energy source. Click here to watch the interview. About Greenberg Traurigs Energy & Natural Resources Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Energy & Natural Resources Practice has broad transactional, regulatory, and litigation experience across most sectors of the energy industry, including oil and gas, LNG, electricity, coal, wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, and water. The firms exceptional multi-office platform, including key offices in major energy centers, enables us to serve and implement legal strategies for energy clients throughout the U.S. and internationally. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Elliot Bogod "In the course of his twenty-plus years in real estate, Elliot had personally sold over $2 billion worth of Manhattan residential and commercial real estate." Elliot Bogod is a real estate author, educator and blogger, and Founder and Managing Director of Broadway Realty, a major New York real estate brokerage. In the course of his twenty-plus years in real estate, Elliot had personally sold over $2 billion worth of Manhattan residential and commercial real estate, including residences in such prominent buildings as Time Warner Towers, Trump International Tower, Trump Riverside Boulevard, Fifteen Central Park West, 10 West End Avenue and The Plaza Condominium Residences, among many others. A notable thought leader in the real estate industry, Elliot contributes articles to Forbes, NY Real Estate Magazine, and Real Estate Weekly, and is regularly quoted by Brick Underground, Commercial Observer, Apartment Therapy and other prominent publications. Elliots popular luxury real estate blog presents detailed overviews of the most remarkable new and converted buildings, with an abundance of details and rich, high-quality photographic illustrations. A member of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Realtor Association of Miami-Dade County, Elliot was among the first in a group of thirty top Manhattan brokers to receive a NYRS (New York Residential Specialist) designation from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). Elliots professional pedigree is certified by New York Real Estate Institute, Real Estate Division at the Academy of Continuing Education and the Gold Coast Real Estate School. Elliot Bogod resides in Manhattan with his wife and two children. He is a continuous contributor to multiple nonprofits and a member of Wall Street Synagogue. His International bestselling book is available on Audible, Barnes& Noble, and Amazon. Visit Elliot Bogod's Haute Residence Profile: https://www.hauteresidence.com/member/elliot-bogod/ ABOUT HAUTE RESIDENCE Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and experienced real estate partners. The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts. HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end residential developments, celebrity real estate, and more. Access all of this information and more by visiting http://www.hauteresidence.com Roberta Ingletto "With a wide sphere of influence, Robertas network consists of contacts both locally in South Florida and around the world." Roberta Ingletto started her luxury real estate journey in 2001 in South Florida. Originally from Brazil, her junior studies brought her into Switzerland before coming to Miami to obtain a Bachelors Degree in Business & Finance from the University of Miami. Shortly after graduating, Roberta became a Florida Real Estate Broker, opening her own brokerage in 2004. Since then, Roberta has furthered her education and expertise by studying at Harvard Universitys advanced program for negotiation, and by acquiring certifications including: Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLMHS), Accredited Staging Professional (ASP), Investment analysis (CCIM), and was a Licensed Mortgage Broker. She is currently a member of the Master Brokers Forum, and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of New York. Over the years, Roberta has acquired an extensive knowledge of the luxury real estate market in South Florida, primarily in the areas of Brickell/Downtown, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, South Miami, Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, and Sunny Isles Beach. With a wide sphere of influence, Robertas network consists of contacts both locally in South Florida and around the world. She is seen as a connector and has represented buyers and sellers with properties all over from New York City to London to Brazil to Portugal, Greece, Spain and Uruguay. Her exceptional communication, negotiation, and business skills have led her to close numerous deals, amounting in millions of dollars worth of properties in both residential and commercial transactions, recognizing her as a Top Producer. Compounding on her invaluable assets, Roberta is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Robertas ultimate goal has always been and continues to be to bring value to all. The real estate market has changed drastically from what it used to be 20 years ago, especially because of the ongoing development of technology and the internet. Information that used to only be accessible through an agent is now readily available to the general public online. This is where Roberta believes that as professionals we need to add value where technology cant. She does this by sharing her professional insights on the market, facts, statistics, risks & returns for any purchase or sale. Always envisioning the big picture and thinking in the long-term about her relationships and the property investment, Roberta makes it a priority to be knowledgeable, honest and transparent throughout the entire transaction and with the reality of the market. Keeping her clients best interest at heart, Roberta provides all the information needed so her clients are able to make the best decision that benefits their needs and priorities. Visit Roberta Ingletto's Haute Residence Profile: https://www.hauteresidence.com/member/roberta-ingletto/ ABOUT HAUTE RESIDENCE Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and experienced real estate partners. The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts. HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end residential developments, celebrity real estate, and more. Access all of this information and more by visiting http://www.hauteresidence.com It is most critical to keep supporting content creators in telling Pacific Islander stories. Without storytellers, we cant continue to preserve our heritage through the language of multimedia. Leanne Ferrer Leanne Kaiulani Ellen Kang Ferrer was a force of nature. An inspiring and tireless leader, storyteller, mother, friend, advocate, and visionary, Leanne was a beacon for the independent film community in Hawaii, across the Pacific, and beyond. She passed away earlier in August surrounded by family and friends. The loss of her presence is profound. We send her husband, daughter and son our deepest appreciation for sharing her with us. Leanne left an indelible mark on Hawaii and countless Pacific Islander media artists, as well as partners and collaborators across the film community. The legacy of her impact lives on in innumerable spaces: from Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC), where she was Executive Director, to the Hawaiian Media Makers that she spearheaded, to her early years at PBS Hawai'i. She nurtured and influenced the likes of Chelsea Winstanley, Heperi Mita, Heather Giugni, Sergio Rapu, Alika Maikau, Ciara Lacy, Lisette Marie Flanary, Ty Sanga, Kumu Hina, Erin Lau, and many more. Leannes legacy lives on in the many people whom she cared for and nurtured. Leanne joined PIC in 2008 as a program manager, became the director of programming and in 2013 ascended to the role of Executive Director. In her 13 years of service she was a passionate advocate for public media, its critical role in a democratic society and its power to inform, educate and engage communities across the country. With her passion, Leanne navigated PIC to new horizons with a particular focus on normalizing Pacific Islander stories as part of America's, and the world's, growing ethnic and cultural diversity. She co-created Pacific Heartbeat, the only public television series by and about Pacific Islander people, culture and experiences, which has been running for 10 years. Leanne oversaw numerous productions in partnership with the National Multicultural Alliance, PBS, the WORLD Channel, American Public Television and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. As the digital world opened up to audiences far and wide, Pacific Pulse was born to showcase Pacific Islander stories and talent through innovative short films. Leannes realization that connecting media makers to network and share knowledge was of the utmost importance to supporting a thriving creative community, which resulted in the PIC Media Makers Summit, Hawaiian Handbook for Media Protocol and the Hawaiian Media Makers Database. Prior to joining PIC, Leanne worked for Disney Films and PBS Hawai'i. She also served as the previous Board President for Hawaii Women in Filmmaking, founding member and advisory board member of the Hawaiian Media Makers and the Hawaii Film Foundation at Nuumealani. Through everything that she did, Leanne led with love, conviction, compassion and generosity. In a recent interview, Leanne said, It is most critical to keep supporting content creators in telling Pacific Islander stories. Without storytellers, we cant continue to preserve our heritage through the language of multimedia. Though we grieve, the PIC family is also celebrating Leannes life and legacy by continuing to be champions and advocates for Pacific Islander makers and content. Leanne had a vision for a thriving Pacific Island media landscape thats fair, inclusive, and equitable for Pacific Islander media makers in front of and behind the camera. Like Leanne, our work will be carried forward with authenticity, compassion, care, and aloha. More About Leanne: To read more about Leanne and her life visit: https://www.alohaforleanne.com/ For a tribute from PICs Board member, Regina Meredith, visit: https://youtu.be/mE6tiWikgCg Thoughts & Reflections from Leannes colleagues, collaborators, and friends: I consider Leanne a dear friend and one of the greatest collaborators I have ever had the honor of working with. Our co-creation of Pacific Heartbeat is without a doubt one of the brightest moments of my career. Leanne had a big heart, which she always shared openly and generously. She was a tireless champion for Pacific Islander storytellers across the globe. ~ Robert Pennybacker, VP, Learning Initiatives, PBS Hawai'i As the leader of Pacific Islanders in Communication, Leanne Kaiulani Ferrer was an outspoken advocate for the representation of Pacific Islanders in public media. For nearly a decade, she was a prominent member of the National MultiCultural Alliance (NMCA), where her impact extended to the representation of the entire BIPOC community. We will miss her bottomless generosity, her warm and boisterous laugh, and her critical and thoughtful insight. We deeply mourn the loss of our colleague and friend, but Leannes legacy is a reminder that cultural diversity benefits us all. The NMCA expresses its sincere condolences to Leannes family, friends, and colleagues. ~ National MultiCultural Alliance Leanne was my daily dose of inspiration. She gave us the opportunity to reach our greatest potential. And she always made me laugh. ~ Heather Giugni, filmmaker The world is lightening with a flaming soul. With Leanne's passing, the Pacific audiovisual community has lost one of its most ardent defenders. She was an amazing woman and still is, through her legacy. Committed, voluntary and with exceptional kindness. A typically Oceanian and unfailing humor, laugh and smile. She devoted her whole life to hard work to value and promote the indigenous audiovisual industry, by indigenous people. May her convictions turn into legacy for all of us who suffer tremendously from her loss. 'Ia maita'i i to 'oe tere e Leanne. E mihi atu matou 'ia 'oe. 'A fano ma te hau." ~ Mareva Leu, Festival Director, FIFO I just wanted to acknowledge the immense support that she [Leanne] gave me... the tools, training, and connections to be doing what I am today. Beyond that, the emotional support you've all provided in navigating an industry that is just now seeing the value of our BIPOC voices has been immense. ~ Sergio M. Rapu, filmmaker "IDA will miss Leanne. She was a tireless advocate for the Pacific Island community and committed to ensuring the community's fair and accurate representation in front of and behind the camera. Her role has been vital to helping our nation and the world understand the Pacific Island experience and integrating that experience into the global nonfiction narrative. Her passing is felt deeply by IDA and the documentary community. But know that her impact is timeless. ~ Rick Perez, Executive Director, International Documentary Association I was 16 years old when I first met Leanne through Pacific Islanders in Communications. She was one of the first people to give me an opportunity in film and who made me feel worthy of this path. ~ Erin Lau, filmmaker The first time I met her was on a visit to the PIC office. She was so warm and welcoming, and I will never forget---barefoot! I remember thinking...that is how I work in the office, and how I always love to work! It was refreshing to see an executive doing the same. We talked story, and I left feeling inspired, thinking she exuded aloha in a way we all should aspire to. ~ Lauren Kawana, filmmaker I was reflecting on the first time I met Leanne, when she visited our office in 2013 to talk to the staff about PIC during one of our Knowledge Sharing presentations. Her visit made such a deep impression on me and to this day I still think back on that visit every time I learn about and see a program with PIC support; I think about how passionate she was about supporting Pacific Islander filmmakers and stories. Most of all, I appreciated her warm personality and generous spirit I think she could tell I was more nervous as a host than she was as a guest speaker, so she put me at ease by making the event feel more like a family visit. ~ Michael Kinomoto, Supervising Producer, ITVS AmDoc mourns the loss of Leanne Ferrer, executive director of PIC and fearless champion for Pasifika stories on screen. Several of us have worked closely with Leanne over the years, whether programming films for public media or producing events and convenings around the country. We will remember her true aloha spirit and are proud to be part of her legacy of sharing Pacific Islander stories with audiences everywhere. Mahalo, Leanne! ~ American Documentary Leanne treated all the people in her life with compassion and understanding, and her work with the utmost dedication and care. Her enthusiasm, infectious smile, and contributions to public media will long be remembered and inspire all of us at CPB for years to come. ~ Pat Harrison, CPB President and CEO ### About Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC): Established in 1991, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is the only national public media organization that supports media content and its makers to work together to promote a deeper understanding of Pacific Islander history, culture and contemporary issues that define our communities. PIC addresses the need for media content that reflects Americas growing ethnic and cultural diversity by funding independently produced media, and by providing hundreds of hours of innovative media by and about Pacific Islanders to American public television including its flagship series Pacific Heartbeat. PIC funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , the National Endowment for the Arts and WESTAF/Andrew Mellon Foundation. For more information about Pacific Islanders in Communications and Pacific Heartbeat, visit http://www.piccom.org and follow us on social media: Twitter: @PICpacific | facebook.com/piccom | Instagram: @picpacific Minnesota Governor Tim Walz supports the incentive to inspire solutions that streamline mental health and addiction services, making them more accessible This competition challenges individuals and organizations to work together The Infinite Campus Foundation announced a $1 million prize today for the creation of a regional mental health and addiction network. Charlie Kratsch, founder and CEO of Infinite Campus, an educational software company, pledged the amount for the most innovative idea to streamline access to mental health services. In recent years, more light has been shed on the importance of mental health. While some patients are served adequately, others are severely underserved. Navigating state-operated services and various healthcare systems to access the correct care has become too complex and confusing for those who are searching for help when they need it most. This statewide competition challenges individuals and organizations to work together to create a network of service providers with a central hub giving those in need a one-stop shop to find the services best suited for them, said Charlie Kratsch, who is launching the competition through his Blaine-based software companys charitable arm. The $1 million prize will be awarded to one or more eligible nonprofits who can best demonstrate their ability to create a regional network of mental health and addiction service providers, create or identify a central hub through which the public can access the network, and document their experiences so they can be shared with future networks. On Friday, September 24, Governor Walz attended a press conference to lend his support to this innovative approach. "More Minnesotans are seeking mental health treatment than ever before, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made those who struggle with their mental health and substance abuse more vulnerable. This competition will spearhead innovation to help Minnesotans gain access to affordable mental health care and ensure they have the support needed to stay healthy." Nearly half of all Americans will experience mental health issues in their lifetime, and roughly 25 percent will have a diagnosable condition in any given year. Behind those numbers are real people and their families, and Kratsch can speak to this firsthand. Ten years ago, he and his wife, Brenda, saw no signs before their 17-year-old son had a psychotic episode and needed immediate mental health treatment. While their son eventually received the help he needed, Kratsch and his family realized how challenging it can be for someone in crisis and their family to even know where to start when it comes to accessing mental health services. Its difficult, if not impossible, to navigate the complexities of the current mental health system, said Kratsch, who has directly funded other mental health initiatives. The problem isnt so much a lack of resourcesits finding the right mix of resources and coordinating them. Nowhere is the need for improved mental health service delivery more evident than in law enforcement. We are seeing a rise in the number of people with mental health issues in the jail, said Commander Dave Pacholl, who oversees the Anoka County Jail. A new streamlined system and approach would help the arrest-jail-court cycle. It would also benefit the community because you are not constantly spending resources on people in that situation when you dont need to. If you can more effectively take care of people with mental health services, everyone will be better off. Lori Kordell, a mental health advocate and Executive Director of Operation No Limits, a nonprofit that strives to enhance the lives of at-risk youth, believes that Kratschs challenge is much needed. In 2009 she was driving her son and his friends when another driver, who was trying to end his life, hit her car at a high rate of speed. While all involved survived the crash, it was at that moment Kordell knew something more needed to be done to help those with mental health issues. Charlie has the spirit and resources to make this network successful and help the people who need it most, Kordell said. We cant continue to try and fix a broken system. We need to do things differently and this challenge is exactly what is needed. About the Infinite Campus Foundation The charitable arm of Infinite Campus was founded in 2009, and its primary focus is to identify and support programs and services in the Twin Cities north metro communities that serve teens with mental health issues. The foundation has contributed millions of dollars through financial and material donations. More information about the competition will be posted on the Infinite Campus Foundation website Chemi SpA and KELIX Bio Ltd have announced the sale and purchase of Chemi Pharma Ltd (a subsidiary of Italfarmaco S.P.A.), an injectable oncology manufacturing business located in Malta. KELIX Bios acquisition is a significant addition to the groups existing oncology manufacturing infrastructure adding high quality, world class production facilities that will serve the Companys market access objectives. While the divestment will allow Chemi to focus on its core business, this state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will further enhance Kelix Bios strategy of improving access to oncology therapies across global emerging markets. Dario Giusti, Chemis Managing Director and Vice President of Industrial Operations commented: We at Chemi are pleased to have reached such an agreement with KELIX Bio. KELIX Bio has an ambitious development plan that provides an exciting future for our former colleagues and a path to fully exploit the potential of the Malta manufacturing site. As part of their mission to improve access of pharmaceuticals across emerging markets, KELIX Bios acquisition of Chemi Pharma (Malta) provides both a high quality manufacturing asset and a team of highly skilled professionals. Hocine Sidi-Said, Chief Executive Officer at KELIX Bio added: The acquisition of the Chemis Malta manufacturing site is of strategic importance to our group. It comes not only with EU and US quality standards, but it also contributes an amazingly talented contingent of men and women aligned with our vision. My colleagues and I look forward to working with them. ### About Chemi SpA: Chemi SpA is part of the Italfarmaco Group, a specialty pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Italy. The company is engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of both branded prescriptions and non-prescription products. Italfarmaco is present in over of 60 countries across 5 continents. It employs over 3,000 employees and operates manufacturing sites in Italy, Brazil, Spain, and Chile. Italfarmaco anticipates a 2021 annual sales turnover of 800 million euros. Italfarmacos products address such therapy areas as womens health, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, as well as immuno-oncology and musculoskeletal conditions. Chemi SpA supports Italfarmacos mission to use both marketed drugs and compounds in development to address the unmet needs of patients. About KELIX Bio: KELIX Bio, is a specialty generic business focused on Emerging Markets which seeks to compete through innovation and cost leadership. Led by its cofounders, Hocine Sidi Said and Alhadi Alwazir, KELIX Bios mission is to affordably develop and commercialize complex specialty products in jurisdictions historically deprived from access to such medications. Through its buy and build strategy, Kelix Bio has manufacturing operations in India, Egypt and Malta and markets its products in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. KELIX Bios current investors include Development Partners International (DPI), the CDC Group, the UKs publicly owned impact investor, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This successful transaction was coordinated with the support and expertise of VINC Advisory an M&A specialist focused on life sciences. Media Contacts Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Atlas Copco Compressors LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Atlas Copco Compressors LLC, alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Atlas Copco Compressors LLC is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCV30874. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Atlas Copco Compressors LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in Labor Code Sections 201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. According to the lawsuit filed, Atlas Copco Compressors LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones and personal home offices in order to complete their job duties. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Atlas Copco Compressors LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Mannfolk Public Relations is proud to announce it has officially signed beauty expert Heather Marianna and her brands Beauty Kitchen and Marianna Naturals to the agencys growing roster of fashion and beauty clients. Heather first gained recognition for her YouTube channel where she gave easy-to-do beauty solutions using everyday household and kitchen pantry ingredients. Her videos had gained such wide popularity that Heather was inspired to launch her own skincare lines. For Heather and her beauty products, Mannfolk PR has designed a nationwide multi-media brand building campaign that involves outreach to both national and regional press, digital social media collaborations, and other activations aimed at generating awareness and interest in the Heather and the products. During the last two decades of industry wide changes in the media landscape, Mannfolk PR has been among the consistent and dependable agencies in the business. Many point to its expansion toward more digital media services as particularly advantageous, offering clients assistance in social engagement efforts, creating experiential events, and adjusting to the current scope of media requirements of content creation and influencer-based campaigns. Since its inception, Mannfolk PR has been widely cited for successful launching emerging fashion brands and beauty products. But it has since diversified into related markets such as health and fitness, sustainability, hospitality, as well as experts in various professions. Because of its presence in Los Angeles and New York, Mannfolk PR also became the agency of choice for event launches, large scale store openings, charity events, brand activations, product placements, fashion presentations and more. Brands seeking entry into the American market rely on the agency for consumer growth, name recognition, and expansion within the United States. ABOUT MANNFOLK PR Recognized by industry authorities as among the countrys most dependable public relations agencies, MANNFOLK PR has offices in New York and Los Angeles with a showroom located in the heart of Hollywood focused on providing celebrity and fashion influencer access to its multi-category clients. The agency specializes in representing a wide range of fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands in establishing relevant visibility and presence in a competitive media environment in the US. It has also been instrumental in introducing international fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands into the local market and in launching numerous mainstream luxury beauty and fashion brands both in the US and abroad. Martello Technologies Group Inc., (Martello or the Company) (TSXV: MTLO), a leading developer of enterprise digital experience monitoring (DEM) solutions with a focus on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, is pleased to announce it placed No. 148 out of 448 companies on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies, moving up the rankings after placing 205th in 2020 and 206th in 2019. Canada's Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Martello earned its spot with three-year growth of 297%. "Martello is thrilled to be recognized for the third consecutive year on Canada's Top Growing Companies list, moving up significantly in ranking and revenue growth this year," said John Proctor, President and CEO of Martello Technologies. "We have reached key milestones over the last year, including joining the prestigious Microsoft Global Solutions Alliance Program, introducing our Partner Program for Managed Service Providers as well as launching the Vantage DX single platform DEM solution for Microsoft 365 and Teams. Martellos Vantage DX solution provides monitoring and analytics that offer actionable insights into the performance and user experience of Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, no matter where the user is located. The Company provides this solution to companies of any size, having recently launched its Partner Program, in which managed service providers (MSP) and value-added resellers (VARs) can elevate their Microsoft 365 service offering for small and medium businesses with Martello DEM. Launched in 2019, the Canadas Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this years ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. As we look toward the future, Canadas Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges, says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals. Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers. Related Resources -Vantage DX Overview -Vantage DX Use Cases -Webinar: Optimizing Microsoft Teams Voice When Returning to the Office Only Complicates Things. Register Now. -E-Book by Microsoft MVP Nick Cavalancia: Working in the New Normal: Optimizing Microsoft Teams Performance for the Modern Workplace About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canadas foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mails investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About Martello Technologies Group Martello Technologies Group Inc. (TSXV: MTLO) is a technology company that provides digital experience monitoring (DEM) solutions. The companys products provide monitoring and analytics on the performance and user experience of critical cloud business applications, while giving IT teams and service providers control and visibility of their entire IT infrastructure. Martellos software products include unified communications performance analytics, Microsoft 365 end user experience monitoring and IT service monitoring and analytics. Martello is a public company headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with employees in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region. Learn more at http://www.martellotech.com We began work on Dfinity, Chainlink and AFX like projects more than 5 years ago...at that that time, we focused on public markets and securities exchange integrations, which would necessarily require scalability, the separation of transactions and data, and carefully linked sourcing Intellectual property will become increasingly important to partners and investors in blockchain projects as competition grows and regulation increases. Regulation will raise project costs and lengthen launch times, making intellectual property awareness and ownership an organizational necessity. The universal goal for cryptocurrencies and digital money has been fast and safe protocols with high liquidity and low transaction costs. Scalable real-world applications remain challenged due to legacy code, DeFi orthodoxy, and collisions with non-crypto regulation, such as the recent troubles for coin lending platforms. Each of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and the newer protocols have accepted some mix of trade-offs across security, speed, and functionality. As the community has expanded the use cases for digital money, there have been two consistent challenges. First, the race to expand functionality continues to prove that single level protocols are unlikely to accommodate non-crypto applications without material speed and cost (gas) concessions. Second, institutional users will demand integrity of prices and data sourcing which requires robust approaches to links, data storage, and audit. Even early hybrid blockchain protocols which based their original efforts on trustless and distributed data sourcing, have now adopted persistent and tractable data storage. True Returns US Patent No. 10,025,797 (797) is based on pioneering and foundational work which integrates on-chain and/or off-chain data across blockchains and ledgers. Its unique forward looking approach holds many benefits for the most important sectors in todays economy including digital money, healthcare, pharma, global trade, financial services, and data sciences. In particular, 797 is expected to be integral to layering approaches over the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains which seek to expand the speed and functionality of early digital money. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Gary Gensler has recently characterized the current state of digital money and stablecoin lending as Poker Chips and a Wild West Casino. During the expected transition from leaving the regulators behind to bringing the regulators along, demonstrable and effective intellectual property will become increasingly important to blockchain and cryptocurrency organizations. US Patent No 10,025,797 is currently on auction as a smart contract assigning NFT here on Opensea.io. The NFT is titled US Patent No. 10,025,797 with Unlockable Prospective Licensee and Litigation Candidate Content. Detailed information relating to the Patent, the technology, and other True Return System properties is available at truereturnsystems.com. Media Contact: Janet Leung True Return Systems LLC (203) 442-1497 janet.leung@truereturnsystems.com About True Return Systems LLC True Return Systems LLC is a financial-technology consulting company operating in Connecticut. True Return Systems LLC holds, invents and manages a portfolio of financial patents directed at blockchain, securities exchange middleware, and brokerage platform systems. "Premier's achievements prove its commitment to preserving relationships with its customers. This makes them an ideal complement to our network of top regional family run cold storage providers..." said Russell Leo, Chief Executive Officer, RLS Logistics. RLS Logistics, a leading third party cold chain 3PL, through its affiliate RLS Partners, recently welcomed Premier Refrigerated Warehouse, Fort Worth, TX, as the latest warehouse partner and member of the RLS network of cold chain solutions providers; and will now be known as RLS Premier. This addition gives frozen and refrigerated food manufacturers in the Texas Triangle Region, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and other southern states access to the RLS network. RLS Premier, a 3PL warehouse, brings over 40 years of cold chain experience and a team of industry veterans. A leading cold storage warehouse for frozen and refrigerated foods in the Dallas Fort Worth, TX area, RLS Premier offers temperature controlled warehousing, less than truckload shipping, tempering, cross docking, and other value added services. While RLS Premier is currently located in Fort Worth, TX, it will be relocating to a newly constructed facility that is slated to open later this year in Burleson, TX. The new warehouse will more than triple RLS Premier's storage capacity. In addition, the state of the art facility will be cooled by way of an ALTA EXPERT Refrigeration System using non-ammonia, non-hazardous refrigerants, bolstering RLS' sustainability initiatives. RLS Premier's strategic location and dedicated team will be the beachhead for the RLS network of family owned temperature controlled warehouse providers in the Texas Triangle. "As a boutique cold storage warehouse, our team always strives to provide high quality and personalized services for our customers. We look forward to collaborating on transportation opportunities and enhancing our technology to serve our customers better. Partnering with RLS is a natural fit because we share the same principles and commitments for serving our customers; additionally, RLS brings a wealth of knowledge and support for our growth strategy," said Ron Buford, President, and Regional Partner, RLS Premier. Starting Sept. 27, Michael Black will be joining RLS Premier as Vice President of Business Development. Black brings over 40 years of cold chain experience with the last ten years as a Regional Director of a large national cold storage provider. Black and Buford are no strangers to working together. They were previously partners in several endeavors including, past board presidents of the Tarrant Area Food Bank in Fort Worth, TX, managing Texas Cold Storage together, and board members of the IARW (GCCA), which Buford is currently Chairman. "I am excited to be part of the RLS family business. RLS' entrepreneurial approach to value driven logistics and eCommerce solutions is a winning strategy." Black continues, "Similar to Ron and me, RLS creates long standing partnerships with an eye toward tomorrow." RLS Premier's addition supports RLS' focus on becoming a top tier network of regional leading, family owned cold storage warehouse providers. As a family run business, RLS Premier holds similar values in operating: responsive customer service, solid customer relationships, loyalty, and entrepreneurialism. RLS' network provides a refreshing alternative to national conglomerates for expansion minded food manufacturers that are used to working with family run warehouses. "Premier's achievements prove its commitment to preserving relationships with its customers. This makes them an ideal complement to our network of top regional family run cold storage providers. Our future together is bright, and we welcome them to our family," said Russell Leo, Chief Executive Officer, RLS Logistics. ABOUT RLS PARTNERS: Headquartered in Mt. Laurel, NJ, RLS Partners is a joint venture formed by seasoned industry professionals and an industry leading family owned cold chain 3PL, RLS Logistics. By creating a network of best in class cold chain operators, RLS will offer its customers a top tier regional platform with a national scale supported by service levels only a family operated company can provide. 24/1: What Would America Trade for Bowe Bergdahl: a gripping look behind the scenes of a daring rescue mission. 24/1: What Would America Trade for Bowe Bergdahl is the creation of published author Randy Herbert, a Christian, a combat veteran, a father, a husband, a former narcotics detective, and a native Idahoan. Herbert shares, A patriot serving in the US Armed Forces, Randy Herbert was shocked and disheartened when in 2009, he learned the Taliban had captured an American POW. Along with the rest of the world, he watched the news updates on Bowe Bergdahls status, wondering about how our only POW was going to hold up in the hands of the Taliban or even see a chance to come back home alive. As more personal information about Bergdahl began to emerge, so did some surprising coincidences that linked the two service men, to include they were both from the same home state in the US, but have never met, even to this date. When Petty Officer Herbert signed on to his second tour in 2012, it was at the request of his master chief to attend the deployment with others who had not gone before. He did not have any way to know the coincidences would continue, would lead him down a path that would interest the very same people who knew where Bergdahl was being held and what it would take to get him released. While many are familiar with the capture and release of Bowe Bergdahl, most only know what was reported by the media or what was known at the time. This book, 24/1, is an astonishing first-person account of how Bergdahls release was made possible. Gods own plan ensured that this Army soldier and American citizen was not going to be left behind. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Randy Herberts new book is an engaging exploration of his military life. Herberts story is a thrilling experience that offers a unique perspective on a famous rescue mission. Consumers can purchase 24/1: What Would America Trade for Bowe Bergdahl at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about 24/1: What Would America Trade for Bowe Bergdahl, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Inspiration4 Plush Dog With BRITTO Pet Collar Returned From Space I hope to inspire people, children especially, to get interested in art, the work St. Jude is doing, science, and making the world a better place," he said. "I want people to know you can always go farther even to the stars! - Romero Britto Romero Britto, internationally renowned artist, and founder of the Happy Art Movement partners with St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital creating custom art celebrating Inspiration4, the space mission with St. Jude as its charitable beneficiary featuring the first all-civilian spaceflight crew. Romeros contributions to Inspiration4 include an original painting that he completed live on stage for auction, appropriately titled, "Our Future", art coloring pages that the crew worked on while in space, an iconic BRITTO collar for Inspiration4 plush dog that just returned from orbit (highest bid at $10,500), and a shirt design to be unveiled in November amongst other donations to raise funds for the noble cause. BRITTO joins the super-exclusive group of brands such as Estee Lauder Inc., Tesla, Red Bull, and Kit Kat that have sent items to space, a new frontier on the possibilities for lifestyle brands to influence consumers back on Earth. About Romero Britto Romero Britto, founder of the Happy Art Movement, is an internationally renowned artist who has created an iconic visual language of happiness, fun, love, and hope all its own inspiring millions worldwide. Britto is considered the most licensed artist in history, is a frequent speaker at the World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland), and is an activist for more than 250 charitable organizations, but most of all, he is an artist who believes that art is too important not to share and that he has a role as an agent of positive change. To learn more about Romero Britto and BRITTO visit http://www.britto.com or follow @romerobritto on Instagram. About Inspiration4 The Inspiration4 mission, commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments [NYSE:FOUR] and accomplished pilot, was ideated by Isaacman to send a humanitarian message of possibility, represent a new era for human space exploration, and inspire support for St. Jude. For background on the Inspiration4 crew, see the original crew announcement from March 2021 as well as crew bios at Inspiration4.com. Inspiration4 launched from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 14, 2021. Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon re-entered Earth's atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida. To learn more about Inspiration4 and how to support this historic journey to space, visit http://www.Inspiration4.com and follow the mission on social media on Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4) to receive the latest news. About St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude wont stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on small businesses across the country. Following months of closures and an economy that's been unpredictable, small businesses are starting on their path to recovery and they're thriving. As financial expert Scott Crockett points out, though, many small businesses have already been negatively impacted by the pandemic, particularly minority-owned businesses that often had fewer fall-back funds. The question now is how can lenders equitably and effectively make capital available to help these struggling small businesses restart and grow? That's the main topic of the Lend360 conference in Dallas, Texas, at which Scott Crockett will be a panelist. The panel, titled "Unlocking Small Business Lending with a Data-Driven Approach," will be held on Tuesday, October 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. The Lend360 conference itself will run from October 4 through October 6 at The Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The panelists include Scott Crockett, Everest Business Fundings CEO; Brian Epling, an associate at Bradley; Mark Ruddock, the CEO of Nuula; and Ido Lustig, the chief risk officer at BlueVine. This panel will delve into the shortcomings of traditional underwriting methods in our post-pandemic world. It will also discuss how lenders can use real-time data to help through the underwriting process of small business loans and also what types of data from small businesses the lenders should consider when they are analyzing risk. Financial experts such as Scott Crockett have a unique industry insight into the above topics, which makes them a great source of information for lenders and small business owners around the country. To learn more about the conference, visit http://www.lend360.org. About Scott Crockett Scott Crockett is the founder and CEO of Everest Business Funding. He is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Mr. Crocketts track record includes raising more than $250 million in capital and creating thousands of jobs. Scott has founded, built, and managed several finance companies in the consumer and commercial finance sectors. Japanese language version of the SmartEquip platform. We are very pleased to bring SmartEquip technology to the Japanese rental industry, notes Tatsuo Miyazawa, CEO of Diamond Construction Equipment. SmartEquip announces the commercial launch of its services in the Japan market, operated in partnership with Tokyo-based Diamond Construction Equipment Corp. The SmartEquip Network is now fully operational in Japan, with a growing number of Japanese suppliers having gone live, and with the first major Japanese rental company having entered pilot phase. The two companies quietly finalized the terms of their partnership in March of 2020, and since then have fully internationalized and commercially launched the platform in the Japanese market. Several Japanese suppliers have joined the Network alongside manufacturers who were already active in North America and in Europe, and who are seeking to expand their reach and support of the Japanese market. SmartEquip has long sensed tremendous opportunity in Japan, notes Alexander Schuessler, SmartEquips Founder and President of its International Group. Rental penetration rates are very high, equipment ownership runs long, and operational efficiency and equipment lifecycle management improvement have a monumental impact on profitability both for rental companies, as well as the manufacturers who supply and support them. These factors together represent the perfect setting for our value propositions. Prior to entering into definitive partnership agreement in Q1, 2020, we worked with Diamond Construction Equipment for three years to forge a strategy for the Japanese market. It is extremely gratifying to witness the SmartEquip Network commercially operating in Japan and to see a daily increase in the number of orders running through our platform, adds Schuessler. We thank the Diamond team for the close partnership we were able to build together, for the vision we jointly formed for this industry, and for the learning our two companies experienced, both together and from one another. We are very pleased to bring SmartEquip technology to the Japanese rental industry, notes Tatsuo Miyazawa, CEO of Diamond Construction Equipment. Rental companies in Japan have long known that technology can improve profitability by reducing labor costs and by increasing the financial utilization of equipment. It is exciting to be able to launch these opportunities for profitability in our market, and to do so with an elegant technology solution that is both easy to implement and very user friendly. We thank SmartEquip for our partnership and look forward to expanding this footprint very quickly together over the next couple of years. About SmartEquip SmartEquip (https://www.smartequip.com) is the leading technology standard for equipment lifecycle management, service and procurement support for the global construction industry. The platform provides a seamless brand-enhancing experience for fleet owners, manufacturers, and distributors of complex equipment. SmartEquip enhances ROI for all Network participants by increasing equipment uptime, improving both technician wrench time and transaction accuracy, while reducing the total cost of equipment ownership. The SmartEquip Network (https://www.smartequip.com/our-network/supplier-manufacturer-network/) currently supports more than 600 OEM brands, with over 95,000 users across more than 42,000 equipment locations globally. The Network supports over $1 billion in parts transactions annually and the company is led by veterans of construction, technology, and data sciences. Founded in 2000, SmartEquip is positioned to define tomorrows dynamic and evolving equipment industry. About Diamond Construction Equipment Diamond Construction Equipment Corp. was founded in 2013 and is co-owned by the four largest Japanese equipment rental companies and Mitsubishi Corporation (https://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/). The company provides a variety of new services and functions to address common challenges in the equipment rental industry in Japan. These include providing "long term re-rent" solutions as an alternative procurement strategy to minimize fleet owners' capital risks; logistics solutions to optimize rental equipment delivery; and SmartEquip technology to improve equipment utilization and reduce lifecycle costs for fleet owners. The Beljanski Foundation Nathan has made it his lifes mission to educate millions of people how to reduce cancer risk and take back their health with evidence-based solutions. The Beljanski Foundation announces that Nathan Crane has been named to its Board of Directors. An award-winning author, inspirational speaker, plant-based athlete and 20x award-winning documentary filmmaker, Mr. Crane is dedicated to educating and empowering people to live a healthy and fulfilling life. For over 40 years, The Beljanski Foundation has been dedicated to the research and development of nontoxic treatments for cancer and other chronic diseases. Members of the Board of Directors are experts in the fields of health, wellness and philanthropy and bring broad knowledge and experience to governing the nonprofit. Nathan has made it his lifes mission to educate millions of people how to reduce cancer risk and take back their health with evidence-based solutions. With more than 15 years of experience in the health and wellness field, Nathan will bring a unique and dynamic perspective to our team, and we couldnt be more excited to have Nathan provide his expertise to help the Foundation grow," said Sylvie Beljanski, Founder of The Beljanski Foundation. I really think science is the modern language of our time, and so many people need science to even consider that they have other options when they have a cancer diagnosis. I love the work The Beljanski Foundation is doing, because it helps to bring science forward in a way that supports our bodys natural abilities to heal. I am excited about being involved in a nonprofit organization that is doing cutting edge research and helping to get more science out to the world about natural solutions for helping people with cancer. I want to get this information out to more people around the world and inspire more people to support this important mission, said Mr. Crane. The Beljanski Foundations most recent research project is focused on funding studies on the potential beneficial effects of Golden Leaf of Ginkgo biloba for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Nathan has already played an instrumental role in helping to raise funds and continues to help bring awareness to this project. Nathan has reached millions of people around the world with his inspiring messages of hope, healing and transformation as Director of Cancer; The Integrative Perspective, Host of the Conquering Cancer Summit, and Creator of the Becoming Cancer-Free Masterclass. He has received numerous awards including the Accolade Film Competition 2020 Outstanding Achievement Humanitarian Award and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the California Senate for his work in education and empowerment with natural and integrative methods for healing cancer. To learn more about Nathan Crane, visit https://nathancrane.com. The Beljanski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in New York City. Its mission is to study and share knowledge of effective, non-toxic natural solutions that work alone and in synergy with traditional western medicine. At the core of integrative medicine, these values are the legacy of Mirko Beljanski, PhD (1923-1998), a French biologist who uncovered the link between environmental toxins and carcinogenesis at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Visit http://www.beljanski.org to learn more about: Today the Jazz Depot, home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, announced its new brand, website and social media pages that focus on celebrating jazz and gospel in the Tulsa community. The Jazz Depot is currently closed to the public except for special events while it undergoes an extensive renovation to improve the buildings facilities and Hall of Fame memorabilia displays. The Jazz Depot is open for weekly special event performances that are free to the public, including: Jazz Depot Jazz Jam, every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eicher Wednesdays, featuring Shelby Eicher and special guest performances, every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Modern Oklahoma Jazz Orchestra Practice, every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, located in the Jazz Depot, is dedicated to preserving, promoting and illuminating the true art forms of jazz, blues and gospel music by featuring Oklahoma artists who have made a significant contribution to its development. The Jazz Depot has created a special place on the new website to continue to honor and recognize those inducted into the Hall of Fame while the museum located inside the Jazz Depot is being renovated. The Jazz Depot is located at 5 S. Boston, Tulsa, OK 74103. For events, tracking renovation progress and other updates, visit the Jazz Depot website, JazzDepotLIVE.com or follow the Jazz Depot on Facebook. About the Jazz Depot The Jazz Depot is a historic venue in the heart of downtown Tulsa. In 1927, the modern art deco was built as the Tulsa Union Train Depot that operated until 1967. Since then, the building was used as offices, as part of the 2025 Vision Funding in 2007, and as a community venue to celebrate the jazz, gospel and blues music in Oklahomas history. The Jazz Depot hosts special music events and is home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. The worlds first e-learning platform centered around luxury. The leading luxury affinity marketing and business networking group, The Luxury Network International, has officially launched The Luxury Network (TLN) Academy, a virtual learning initiative for individuals keen to join the elusive luxury community. This world-class platform provides access to exclusive courses comprised of videos created by iconic professionals who share the inner workings of their craft. Through many different perspectives, learners will develop critical tools to help them appreciate and contextualize their area of interest. "Our objective is to allow those interested in luxury and are eager to learn the secrets of the trade to acquire the tools needed to succeed directly from the masters of the industry," said Fares Ghattas, The Luxury Network Academy founder and The Luxury Network International's Global CEO. "Staying up-to-date with trends and constantly enhancing and developing one's knowledge is more crucial than ever in these times of global downsizing," he added. The self-study courses feature world-class experts in various fields such as Sascha Lilic, Tom Meggle, Judi James, Peter Rear, Shanyan Koder, William Hanson and many more. The courses are designed to allow the learners to move at their own pace to gain a valuable in-depth understanding of their chosen topic. These exclusive videos are created to be impressive, informative, inspirational, and impactful. Access to the material may be purchased by the public, including the network's official members and clients. For more information, please visit https://tln.academy/about Local 5G services to solve issues From November 2021, the consortium will begin preparation of the demonstration project to be conducted at St. Marianna University of School of Medicine. transcosmos inc. is honored to announces that the company's proposal submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) for its public appeal for "The fiscal 2021 development demonstrations for realizing local 5G services to solve issues" has been chosen by the MIC. As a representative of a four-party consortium formed for the initiative, transcosmos has made a proposal titled "Enhance and strengthen medical service system by improving medical operations at metropolitan hospitals by sharing visual information and utilizing AI analytics and other advanced technologies." By conducting a demonstration experiment using the local fifth-generation mobile communication (local 5G) at St. Marianna University School of Medicine (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture), transcosmos aims to increase hospital survival rates with highly advanced medical treatment. At the same time, the company expects that the use of local 5G will make a significant contribution to achieving work style reform for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. With transcosmos being the representative, the four-party consortium, which is composed of Kawasaki City, St. Marianna University of School of Medicine, and NTT DOCOMO, Inc. will conduct the demonstration experiment. Proposal Overview (Underlying challenges and background) 1. Challenges facing community medical services Given the rapidly growing demand for emergency medical services, community medical services are required to increase their capacities to accept emergency patients at relevant medical institutions, and to increase and enhance critical care centers. In addition, under the current environment today, enhancing emergency medical service system that can address mass-casualty incidents has become a pressing task for sustainable community service planning. 2. Long working hours of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals The report on "The 18th Review Meeting on Emergency/Disaster Medical Services System" (November 20, 2019) has pointed out that doctors tend to work for long hours in medical institutions that accept more than 2,000 emergency patients transported by ambulance a year, which calls for an appropriate allocation of medical resources. In addition, long working hours of not only doctors, but also nurses and all other medical professionals have become a heightened concern under the prolonged COVID-19 crisis. (Planned demonstration experiment on solutions for the challenges) (1) Share comprehensive visual information by using easy installation 360 cameras and other tools. Share subjective visual information with the use of smart glasses (2) Share visual information of patients transferred by stretchers in hospitals (3) Share remote CT images without depending on the existing systems (4) Transfer mass X-ray video data (5) Assess the position of endotracheal tubes without depending on the existing systems Planned technology demonstration experiment The consortium plans to validate the feasibility of the followings in the medical field. (1) Measure local 5G radio wave propagation characteristics (2) Refine radio propagation model (3) Build more flexible local area network with the use of radio wave reflectors Demonstration experiment timeline and future plans From November 2021, the consortium will begin preparation of the demonstration project to be conducted at St. Marianna University of School of Medicine. transcosmos will announce further details of the project once fixed. *transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries. *Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies. About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 168 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ This Alzheimer's Disease Research Center award from the National Institute on Aging is "a game-changer that will take our research and care to the next level." - Sudha Seshadri, MD, UT Health Science Center San Antonio. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, working in close collaboration, have been announced as a new National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimers Disease Research Center (ADRC). The South Texas partners are joining 32 other centers in the national network, which the NIA established in 1984 to promote research collaboration, encourage data sharing and open science, and offer information and clinical trials for patients and families affected by Alzheimers and related dementias. The NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and ADRCs are NIH Centers of Excellence. No other Texas institution or consortium is an ADRC currently. Texas is the third most populous state in the country, has the second highest number of deaths related to Alzheimers disease, and is home to a Mexican American Hispanic population that is among the fastest growing U.S. demographic segments, said Sudha Seshadri, MD, professor of neurology at UT Health Science Center San Antonio and founding director of its Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimers and Neurodegenerative Diseases. This federal designation by NIA will be transformational as we seek cures and provide the best possible care, based on the most up-to-date knowledge and technology, to the families of South Texas and throughout our state. Gladys Maestre, MD, PhD, UTRGV professor of neurosciences, is director of the Rio Grande Valley Alzheimers Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RGV AD-RCMAR), the first federally funded Center of Excellence at the university. What truly distinguishes UTRGV is our focus on the future and our willingness to take risks to shape the future, Dr. Maestre said. Alzheimers disease takes a higher toll among Hispanics, and through the partnership with the team in San Antonio and the network of other ADRCs, we will be positioned to make discoveries needed to change the trajectory of pain caused by the disease. UT Health Science Center San Antonio established the Glenn Biggs Institute with Dr. Seshadris arrival in December 2017. Starting a couple of years earlier, the institution had raised more than $40 million from the community for a comprehensive center to serve families impacted by Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases. Community leaders Glenn and Ann Biggs were the inspiration. After his Alzheimers diagnosis, the couple struggled to find such care. Mr. Biggs died in May 2015. There is currently no means to prevent or cure Alzheimers disease, UT Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, said. It is a condition that not only devastates the patient, but also family and friends as they helplessly witness the inevitable decline. Glenn would be so pleased that this prestigious NIH Center of Excellence has been awarded to help the families of our region and the state that he loved. Both UTRGV and UT Health Science Center San Antonio put together this program with a great deal of philanthropic support from the local community that was affected by this disease, as well as with state and university support, Dr. Seshadri said. This NIH Center of Excellence designation is a national recognition of their efforts. Unique perspectives UTRGVs RGV AD-RCMAR was established in 2018 with funding from the National Institute on Aging. Its location on the South Texas border with Mexico and its predominant Hispanic population affords the center close and unique perspectives. It leads initiatives across UTRGV colleges and administrative departments to work with patient advocacy groups, community-based organizations, private and public health care providers, state and federal agencies, and other academic institutions to enhance the diversity of the workforce in minority aging research. Dr. Maestre said the growing group of diverse researchers are studying the disproportionate health and economic burdens of Alzheimers disease in Hispanics, and hope to accelerate cutting-edge research programs, interventions and health care services for the prevention, care and treatment of dementia tailored to Hispanics and health care providers in region. UTRGV President Guy Bailey, PhD, said this collaboration between UT Health Science Center San Antonio and UTRGV is a key step in expanding research opportunities that will help enhance the quality of life for countless Hispanics in South Texas. As a region, we share a family of cultural, physical and societal ties that make the formation of this NIA-designated Alzheimers Disease Research Center so important, Dr. Bailey said. We are grateful to the National Institute on Aging, our colleagues at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, and all the researchers, faculty and staff who have worked so hard for more than a year to create this important center. The new designations impact As an ADRC, the South Texas center immediately becomes part of the national conversation, Dr. Seshadri said. Our research discoveries and the insights we learn from our patients and families about what is important to them will become part of a very large national dataset for ADRC scientists and health policy experts to use, and we will be part of shaping the research as well as rapidly learning from the wisdom of all our colleagues at the other centers. It will be a game-changer that will take our research and care to the next level, Dr. Seshadri said. The Biggs Institute is firmly committed to finding answers for Alzheimers and related dementias, as evidenced by the launch of our Brain Bank, which includes donated autopsy brains and spinal cord tissue, said Robert Hromas, MD, professor and dean of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health Science Center San Antonio. Our investigators are leveraging these resources to find new treatments for brain aging and degeneration. Community engagement is a prime emphasis of every ADRC. Michael Hocker, MD, MHS, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, said he is excited about the opportunities this new collaborative research center will bring, not just for faculty and staff, but also for medical students looking to pursue an area of specialty research into the impact of Alzheimers disease on the areas predominantly Hispanic population. UTRGV is committed to transforming the health of the region, and this is another step we will take to improve the aging population who suffer from Alzheimers in South Texas. We will conduct much of this clinical care and research at our soon-to-open Institute of Neuroscience in Harlingen, where we will evaluate and treat patients with neurologic conditions including dementia, Alzheimers and other neuropsychiatric diagnoses. We also will conduct clinical trials and other research to improve neurologic and behavioral conditions, Dr. Hocker said. This research could have significant impact for the Hispanic community, South Texas and, we believe, well beyond. Dr. Maestre said advanced research in dementia and minority aging is key to reducing health disparities among Hispanics in South Texas, and the collaboration with UT Health Science Center San Antonio is a major step forward. By working together, we are building infrastructure and a system for data collection that will attract and support diverse expert multidisciplinary researchers, she said, so we can expand this important research aimed at reducing the impacts of Alzheimers disease on families in South Texas and beyond. An under-studied population Combining the strengths of two Alzheimers disease institutes into one ADRC offers many advantages. For one, research and care outreach to families will extend from San Antonio and surrounding areas to McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville and all parts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and to each county in between. The entire region is majority Hispanic in population. Hispanics are an under-studied population in dementia research, said Dr. Seshadri, a physician-researcher who has authored many genetic studies of large populations. Although our center will study all people, we are in an ideal location to place a strong focus on Hispanic families. Newly studied populations enable us to find new genes and new treatment targets that are of relevance to people throughout the world. We will also continue to train the next generation of researchers from diverse backgrounds, and to translate our findings in culturally relevant ways to the community, including, most importantly, affected individuals and their caregivers. We thank the wonderful people of San Antonio and South Texas whose vision, generosity and support have brought us to this point; we will continue to partner with them to learn more and better ways to prevent, treat and support our community, our patients and their families. NIA-designated ADRCs serve as major sources of discovery into the nature of Alzheimers disease and related dementias and into the development of more effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis, care and therapy. The South Texas center was funded by NIH grant P30AG066546. ABOUT UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SAN ANTONIO The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the countrys leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated 39,700 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways We make lives better, visit http://www.uthscsa.edu. Stay connected with UT Health San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimers and Neurodegenerative Diseases is dedicated to providing comprehensive dementia care while advancing treatment through clinical trials and research. In addition to patient care and research, the Biggs Institute partners with the School of Nursing at UT Health Science Center San Antonio to offer the Caring for the Caregiver program. ABOUT UTRGV The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund a public endowment contributing support to The University of Texas System and other institutions. UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016. We are hiring remote customer service roles for some of the most wonderful retail, beauty and tech brands. As a working Mom, I know it isnt easy right now. I can guarantee they will have maximum flexibility - be cherished and appreciated. Sally Hurley- CEO VIPdesk has hired hundreds of customer service professionals for its luxury retail clients throughout the remainder of 2021 and expects the hiring to result in an increase of 130% from the prior year. As a woman-owned B Corporation, the company has a workforce comprised of 84% women, understands that employees who are working parents need maximum flexibility right now. With more than 20 years operating with a remote team, VIPdesk has built a supportive culture that is extremely attractive for candidates looking for a career where they can balance work and family. VIPdesks expansion into more than 40 states and Canada provides team members the opportunity to move and maintain the work they love. Covering multiple time zones, the company announced it is offering candidates flexible customized schedules during core business hours in addition to an attractive benefit package, paid leave and a $250 bonus. VIPdesk is a leading BPO with over 20 years of experience operating with a work-from-home customer service operation. This means the company understands how to support remote team members and still maintain a connection with one another. The companys clients rely on VIPdesks expertise to attract individuals that love customer service and are excited to support B Corps, luxury retailers, fast growing tech companies and premium brands that care deeply about delivering an elevated customer experience. As a working Mom, I know it isnt easy right now with so many unknowns. We know remote work and while we may not be able to offer a $3,000 signing bonus, I can guarantee they will be cherished and appreciated. I am so proud of our team and the lengths to which they go to support one another. To me this is what really matters. said Sally Hurley, CEO of VIPdesk. Jen Vinciguerra, SVP People & Culture added, After attending the Society for Human Resources annual conference and hearing the focus on employee wellness, work life balance and flexibility, we feel we are aligned with our priorities. Im really proud of the fact that we are supporting our team members through these challenging times. We work really hard to support our team through whatever challenges they may face. Our award-winning culture is what make us unique." As a certified B-Corp, VIPdesk enthusiastically embraces the philosophies of this purpose-driven community which works toward reducing inequality, lowering the levels of poverty, contributing to a healthier environment, building stronger communities, and creating more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. VIPdesk has published numerous blogs, podcasts and webinars at http://www.vipdesk.com offering tips on how to be successful in this challenging environment. During these difficult times, caused by the unprecedented impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic, VIPdesk has been able to maintain its culture with an ENPS of 60+. About VIPdesk VIPdesk, a premium provider of outsourced customer experience solutions, utilizes a remote team of customer service professionals located throughout the U.S., to provide customer service for amazing brands looking to elevate the customer experience. As a certified B-Corp, woman-owned corporation and Top Workplace winner, VIPdesk is on a mission to elevate the human experience. Talented team members of VIPdesk not only excel in delivering superior customer service but are passionate ambassadors of the brands they serve. VIPdesks suite of services include outsourced customer service from traditional to digital contact channels, full AI and assisted AI solutions, CX Insights, social media management, back-office support and customer experience consulting. Visit http://www.vipdesk.com for more information or @VIPdesk on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. After writing more than two dozen books inspired by Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse mythology, Rick Riordan heads into the ocean for his latest adventure. In Daughter of the Deep, he makes his first foray into science fiction with a contemporary reimagining of Jules Vernes classic submarine-piloting antihero, Captain Nemo. The novel explores Nemos legacy through the experiences of his latest descendant, 14-year-old Ana Dakkar. PW spoke with Riordan about how this project represents a number of firsts for him. We also chatted briefly about the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, whose most recent releases include The Cursed Carnival: and Other Calamities, an anthology featuring all of the imprints authors so far; and the third in Kwame Mbalias Tristan Strong series, Tristan Strong Keeps Punching, which shares a publication date with Daughter of the Deep. Daughter of the Deep is inspired by Jules Vernes scientific romances, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island, which both featured Captain Nemo and are considered some of the earliest examples of modern science fiction. What drew you to these books, and what aspects were you most excited to introduce to your audience? Jules Verne is a writer Ive been fascinated with for as long as I can remember. I have to confess, I didnt read his novels when I was a kid. They were difficult for me to get through. I was introduced to his worlds through movie adaptations like Disneys 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Classics Illustrated comic editions. They were a great doorway for me into some of those stories I didnt feel ready to appreciate yet. Later, I read the actual novels and found them fascinating. I appreciate Vernes forward thinking in terms of what humanity can accomplish if we set our minds to it. And I loved the idea of having a submarine that can just disappear into the ocean and travel the world unseen. I also loved the idea of Nemo, whos a rebel and a man without a country who follows his own rules. Hes a captivating character. I spent years researching submarines and underwater exploration and cutting edge 21st-century technology regarding marine warfare, and then extrapolated backwards to what Jules Verne considered cutting edge, and came up with a hybrid vision of what it would look like if Nemo had invented technology far ahead of his time, sort of like Leonardo da Vinci. In The Mysterious Island, [the characters] hint at the idea of cold fusion [by pulling hydrogen from the ocean as an infinite source of energy]. I also incorporated the concept of the supercavitation drive, which is like a warp drive for underwater vehicles. That would be pretty nice if you were Nemo. As an Indian American teenage girl, Ana Dakkar represents a different background and set of experiences than your earlier protagonists, such as Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, and Apollo, all of whom are white males. What prompted this choice of heroes, and how did you make sure her voice felt authentic? Something I felt merited updating is talking about Nemo as Prince Dakkar, an anti-colonialist Indian noble. He was a man ahead of his time, but he wasnt recognized as a scientist. He fought oppression, and was ostracized and branded a rebel and a terrorist by the powers that be. That legacy made me wonder what his descendants would be dealing with today. I thought it would be interesting to explore Nemos motivations and how that would inform the way Ana sees her own family legacy. Ana is my first solo female protagonist. A lot of readers asked me for this, and it was time I did it. It was a challenge, and something I was conscious of as I created her character and tried to inhabit her mental and emotional space. I wrote her as I thought made sense, and I was careful to get a couple of really great sensitivity readers who had some wonderful suggestions. Obviously, there are some stories that are better told by other authors, and in this case, I thought about it. I was dealing with creations by Jules Verne, who was French in the 1800s, and I was extrapolating from his characterization of Nemo and creating a sequel and reinterpretation of what hed done. I felt it was fair for me to make the attempt, but it was still important for me to have a lot of test readers to give me feedback. Im pleased with the way it worked out. A lot about this book has been a first for me: my first female hero, my first science fiction and non-mythology book. Its still about the ocean, like Percy Jackson, though. It took more than a decade of thinking about it, letting it percolate in the back of my mind before I was ready to tell this story. Over the past few years, youve scaled back your writing schedule to focus on one book a year, and youre concentrating on standalones rather than longer series. What are you working on currently, and can we expect a sequel to Daughter of the Deep or something stemming from your story about Finn Mac Cumaill in The Cursed Carnival? Id love to do both of those things. Right now, I have another manuscript in progress on Celtic mythology thats not directly related to my Finn Mac Cumaill story. When thatll come out, Im not sure. I have several irons in the fire, but I really have scaled back because of the other things Im working on. There will be a book coming out in 2023 thats set in Percy Jacksons world, which Im very excited about, but I cant tell you anything definite yet. Theres some other stuff that well announce during the release tour for Daughter of the Deep. The continued success of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint still blows me away. Everybody has embraced the idea behind the imprint, from librarians and booksellers to teachers and readers, and the authors are just wonderful. Im not sure how weve managed it, but theyve become a family, and are so supportive of each other. We have a lot of great things coming up. Were branching out into the young adult side of things with Daniel Jose Older, whose novel Outlaw Saints comes out next May, and its his most ambitious and exciting book yet. Im thrilled to promote all of these books. The worlds they open up to readers are fabulous, and it means so much for kids to see themselves reflected in the stories, to see the folklore and mythology they grew up with represented. Im happy I can be a cheerleader for these authors. Youve been granting fans brief insights and updates into the production of the live-action Percy Jackson series for Netflix. What can you tell us about the current state of this and your other media adaptations, such as the Kane Chronicles movie? The Percy Jackson series is being done with 20th Studios, and well be airing on Disney+. We dont have the formal green light yet, but Im confident were in good shape. Theyre waiting to see a few more scripts from us to make sure everything looks good, but I think everybody is operating under the assumption that this is going to move forward. Theyre talking about things like studio space and the preliminary casting process. Nothing super concrete, but the writers room has been meeting for about two months now. Its a wonderful group of people, and I feel very good about the direction the writing is taking. I dont want to jinx anything, but this is going to be a dynamite show. The first season will be the story of The Lightning Thief. The beauty of things is that the lens has shifted just enough that we can offer new insights into why things happened and whats going on in other spaces or behind the scenes while Percys doing whatever. We can offer more nuance and depth to the story. Were all assuming this will be a five-season event that covers all five of the Percy Jackson books, so thats how were thinking about writing and casting and budget. The bad thing about making the announcement when we did is that everyone has to wait with us in real time while we figure out the nuts and bolts. Meanwhile, The Kane Chronicles is going to be developed as a feature film for Netflix, starting with The Red Pyramid. But thats still in the writing phase. Were doing revisions on the first draft of the script now. Once we have it where everyone is happy, well start showing it to directors and go from there. Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. Disney-Hyperion, $19.99 Oct. 5 ISBN 978-1-368-07792-7 The publishing industry paid tribute yesterday to Dick Robinson, the chairman, president, and CEO of Scholastic, who died unexpectedly on June 5 at age 84. The 85-minute YouTube live event, entitled, A Tribute to Dick Robinson: A Life Celebrated in Stories, was emceed by Scholastic senior v-p Billy DiMichele and featured approximately two dozen speakers sandwiched between photo and video montages of Robinson, many of the images featuring Robinson with various Scholastic authors, employees, even characters from books. During the first hour, there were 1,250 live viewers of the event, which was live-streamed from Scholastics headquarters in New York City, though some speakers beamed in from elsewhere. The speakers, beginning with the actress Goldie Hawn, ranged from celebrities like former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Laura Bush, to authors J.K. Rowling, Ruby Bridges, and Suzanne Collins, to former and current employees, from Scholastics new CEO, Peter Warwick, to Jerry Wilson, a warehouse employee for the past 39 years, who described Robinson as a great man whose memory will live on. If there was a common theme to the eulogies, it was that Robinson was a gracious, warm, and generous man who seemed to know the names of all 10,000 Scholastic employees, treated his authors with respect, and spent every day of his adult life working to advance literacy for all children. He was a visionary, Hawn said, kicking off an hour of eulogies. But more importantly, to me, he was a walking ray of sunshine. He was a kind, intelligent, and compassionate man, Clinton said, who gave his life to making literature exciting and accessible for young readers all around the world. Dick always believed that reading and access to books was a fundamental right, not a luxury. From Harry Potter to the Magic School Bus, he understood the transformative power of books and the need for every young person to be equally able to experience these adventures, to learn, to connect with each other along the way. Rowling remembered Robinson attending a party in New York City for her 25 years ago, before Harry Potter was released; that evening, Rowling read an excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. She recalled Robinson calling her the next morning and telling her that he had been so intrigued by her reading that hed subsequently read the novel for the first time to find out what happened. He told her, she said, I think youve written a really amazing book. She added, That meant the world to me. He took the trouble to call a first-time author to tell her that he thought her book was amazing." Dick made literacy his lifes work. He grasped how the ability to read could change lives, and he set about guaranteeing that right for every child, one book at a time, Collins said. When it came to spreading literacy, Dick was the conductor; and the rest of us, we were members of the orchestra. A cellist or a bass drummerevery musician is important, but still only one player in the overall composition. He knew how to arrange those musicians and broadcast their eclectic voices around the globe. He was proud of the people who worked for him and he created an atmosphere where the sense of family was very real, Brian Selznick said. All over the world children have stories to share, Selznick added, to live inside of, to dream upon, because of Dick Robinson. Even if they never knew his name, their names would have mattered to him. Generations of children have grown up being part of a family they might not known existed, because of Dick. We have relatives in almost every corner of the world and the river that connects us runs deep. The event's final speaker, actor Alec Baldwin, spoke of meeting Robinson only because they lived in the same apartment building. "This bright-eyed older gentleman" introduced himself, Baldwin said, "He said the word 'Scholastic' and muted the word 'Scholastic' like some people mute 'Harvard' or 'Juilliard.' He was humble in a way you rarely see anymore." Baldwin concluded by exclaiming, "How I envy all of you who have known this man for many years when my own friendship with him was just beginning. Dick wasisa gentleman of the old school. Enormously successful, yes, but he was also humble and kind to me and to my family at the elevator and beyond." Scholastic reported higher sales and a smaller loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 ended August 31, 2021 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2021, and while it said business is improving in most areas, it did point to some headwinds which all publishers are facing: rising costs and disruptions in the supply chain. At an operating level, total revenue rose 21%, to $259.8 million, and the operating loss was cut to $32 million, from $57 million. Since the pandemic hit, Scholastics biggest trouble spot has been its book fairs, which had a 57% decline in fiscal 2021. In what it acknowledged is a quiet summer period for the fair and club business, Scholastic nonetheless said it is seeing some encouraging signs: fair revenue went up 21%, to $16 million, and club sales rose 17%, to $6.8 million. Scholastic president and CEO Peter Warwick told analysts in a conference call that, in addition to higher sales in the first quarter, the company has seen more positive trends in the second quarter, with rising orders from schools and teachers for its clubs and fairs as well as higher revenue per fair. The company has reopened 43 fair distribution centers to meet the renewed demand, and CFO Ken Cleary said that Scholastic has raised pay for employees at those centers. While Warwick said that fair revenue will not return to pre-pandemic levels this year, he noted that Scholastic expects to see steady improvement throughout fiscal 2022. In another example of the impact of labor shortages, Cleary noted that, at Scholastic's main distribution center in Jefferson City, Mo., limited staff resources have resulted in a backlog of orders for the company's book clubs. Cleary added that Scholastic expects to work through the backlog over the next few weeks, specifically after increasing wages at the site. The third part of Scholastics childrens publishing and distribution group, its trade book publishing arm, had a great quarter, with sales up 27%, to $93 million. Sales were driven by strong demand for books by a number of its most popular authors and series, including Dav Pilkeys Dog Man series, the Baby-sitters Club Graphix and Baby-sitters Little Sisters Graphix, Five Nights at Freddys, the Bad Guys, and Nat Enough. Scholastic's Klutz division also has a good quarter. While Scholastic is expecting a good fiscal 2022 as demand for its products increase, Cleary noted that the year offers both challenges and opportunities, pointing to rising costs for labor, paper, printing, and transportation. To meet the printing crunch, Scholastic said it will continue to diversify its supplier base, including using more North American printers. With the conflicting positive and negative trends, Scholastic did not offer a forecast for how fiscal 2022 will finish. It's that time of year: it's ALA's annual Banned Books Week. This year's event is themed "Books Unite Us, Censorship Divides Us" and is set to run from September 26 through October 2. And it comes at a time, ALA officials said this week, when LGBTQIA+ books and books that focus on racism and racial justice are being challenged for removal from library and school bookshelves in alarming numbers. In 2020, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services, affecting 273 books. The office also noted a growing focus on demands to remove books that addressed racism and racial justice or those that shared the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. That trend made national headlines this week when students in York, Pennsylvania, sucessully protested the banning of a trove of resources. According to the local York Daily Record, Central York High School Principal Ryan Caufman in August sent staff members a list of articles, videos, books, mainly focused on Black and Latino representation, that were banned from the school district. But on Monday, in the wake of growing opposition, led by the students, the school board voted unanimously to reverse the ban. Each September, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community: librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers to highlight support for the Freedom to read. Having the freedom to read, especially books that extend beyond our own experiences, expands our world and the ability to celebrate our differences, said ALA President Patty Wong, in a statement. Sharing stories that are important to us means sharing a part of ourselves which fosters understanding and inclusion. We should not take the freedom to read for granted and we encourage communities everywhere to stand up against censorship and read a challenged or banned book. Having the freedom to read, especially books that extend beyond our own experiences, expands our world... Banned Books Weeks features a host of events, including an opportunity to highlight titles that appear on the ALAs 2020 Top 10 Most Challenged Books. For the third year in a row, George by Alex Gino was the No. 1 most challenged book of 2020, with critics frequently citing its LGBTQIA+ content. Among other titles on the 2020 list, which is compiled by the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, is Something Happened in Our Town: A Childs Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin, which was challenged for a supposedly promoting "anti-police" views. Meanwhile, bestselling author Jason Reynolds is the inaugural Banned Books Week 2021 Honorary Chair. Two of Reynolds' recent books, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely) and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi) were among the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020. Among the events set for Banned Books Week, readers can join Reynolds for a live-streamed conversation on Sept. 28, from noon1 p.m. CT on the Banned Books Week Facebook page. Other celebration highlights include ALAs annual Dear Banned Author program that invites readers to send tweets and letters to authors. ALA also will continue to host its Stand for the Banned Read-out, where participants submit videos of themselves reading from banned and challenged titles. Video submissions will appear on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel. Additional information regarding Banned Books Week and celebrations as well as promotional tools are available on the ALA's Banned Books home page, or follow Banned Books Week on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to get the latest updates. Content will include telenovelas, original series, Brazilian films, news and sport, through broadcasting of seven linear channels: TV Globo, Multishow, GloboNews, GNT, VIVA, SporTV and Premiere. Globoplay will be available in more than 20 countries, including Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the UK and Switzerland. Raphael Correa Netto, Globos international business director, said: We are very happy to expand Globoplay's frontiers to new territories. Now, more experienced, we have taken a new step with the business in Europe and Canada. Globo streaming offers a universe of possibilities to subscribers through films, telenovelas, original series and many other incredible products present in the platform. From here on, we will be even closer to our audience, who can watch any content whenever and wherever they want through Globoplay. We are a rare pair in American politics. One of us, a Republican, bemoans governments involvement in peoples lives and its innate ability to make things worse. The other, a Democrat, believes if government doesnt address Americas biggest problems, from climate change to social equity, no one will. We dont agree on much of anything but we do agree on three important things: The American political system is failing. The American political system will not self-correct. To force a correction, we must change the incentive structure for elected officials. In the best of times, our elected officials aim to serve the public interest despite the failing system, and do so in a fiscally responsible way with the consent of the governed. In the worst of times, as were witnessing today, our leaders are held captive by the system and weaponize a zero-sum politics, which results in catastrophic setbacks for the country. But whatever the moment in time, each of us has the power to choose what to fight for, and who to fight with. The two of us, conservative and liberal, have chosen to put our partisanship aside and fight together as co-directors of a new organization the Institute for Political Innovation with one purpose: forcing this critical correction in our political system so that elected officials value solving policy problems over political problems. We still believe the distinct fundamentals of our party platforms are essential to our worldview, but we also detest that our party officials bow to small groups of extreme voters and special interests, and as a result, rarely reflect, respect, or even consider cross-partisanship. Maybe youre like us. Maybe you are losing faith in your elected leaders and question their motivations. Youre right to. Like rational actors in any industry, elected officials are self-interested and respond to incentives first and foremost being their election prospects. As our founder, Katherine Gehl, a business leader and originator of Politics Industry Theory, has said to tens of thousands of people as weve built our movement, In our current system, there is no connection between our elected officials solving problems and the likelihood of their getting reelected. How do we reconnect those interests in the most powerful and achievable way? The answer is simple. Start with what determines the ruling incentives: a party primary election. As many Americans are starting to understand, the party primary is the election that matters today. More than 80% of the House of Representatives won their seat in their party primary a race as low on truth-friendly tactics and voter participation as it is high on wedge issues and out-party hate. In the rare case where the general election is relevant, winning doesnt require a majority due to plurality voting, or first-past-the-post voting, a relic brought over on the boat from Britain. Taken together, party primaries and plurality voting force candidates further to the right or the left and make pariahs out of cross-partisan negotiators. We can change this, and quickly, by adjusting how primaries work and by making the general election the election that counts. Its already happening with what we call Final-Five Voting, a partisan-agnostic two-step innovation. Final-Five Voting uses a single, top-five primary in which all qualified candidates, regardless of party affiliation, face all voters, regardless of party registration. The top five vote-getters proceed to the general election where voters rank them in order of preference. The winner is the one who receives true majority support over 50% either in the first round or through a series of instant runoffs. The beauty of Final-Five is its simplicity: More choice in candidates means more voice for voters and better results from our elected officials. Candidates from all parties get to make their case in the primary and if their ideas (along with their party identifications) carry them to the general, they are empowered to campaign to the entire electorate not just the plurality slice if they want to win. From there the whole legislative calculus changes. With the threat of getting primaried eliminated and the injection of electorate-wide accountability through ranking in the general election, officials will have to do their jobsnegotiate, make deals, navigate the complex trade-offs of legislation that solves big problemsor lose their jobs. While this sounds great in theory, is it doable? Yes. Thanks to the citizens of Alaska who were fed up, Final-Five style elections already exist. In 2022, Alaska will follow this methodology. But does it work? Yes. Just a few days after Alaskans adopted better elections, the state legislature brokered passage of a budget that was previously headed toward an inevitable government shutdown. Why did this happen? Because legislators now know that when theyre up for reelection, theyll need to answer to the general electorate for what they did (or didnt) do. Accountability is back in Alaska and every state in the union is empowered to make the same changes, today. Again, we dont agree on much. Wed probably be more comfortable arguing from across the table than working shoulder to shoulder and if we do our jobs right in advancing Final-Five Voting, that will be our reward, with one critical difference: Our parties ideas will be more powerful than the next primary election. Solomon Lieberman (D) is a co-executive directors of The Institute for Political Innovation, a non-profit founded based in Chicago. Good morning, its Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting or educational. Todays come from Abigail Adams in 1776. As this country was being founded, Americans faced a highly contagious pathogen far more lethal than coronavirus. This one was called smallpox. The pandemic that hit in March of that year threatened to derail the American Revolution. The only reason it didnt is that George Washington ordered all his troops inoculated. So yes, there is a precedent for what President Biden did, and a profound one. Yes, the Battle of Saratoga turned the tide in the war for independence against Great Britain. But if Gen. Washington had not ordered the Continental Army to get the 18th century version of a vaccine, Gen. Horatio Gates wouldnt have had enough troops to repel the redcoats trying to march on Albany. But smallpox also threatened the civil population on these shores, especially around Boston. In the summer of 1776, Washington was defending New York City from attack as the Founding Fathers ratified the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. From her Massachusetts home in what was then called Braintree (but is now Quincy), Abigail Adams and her family were at the epicenter of the smallpox outbreak. But it also was the epicenter of inoculation efforts. While her husband distinguished himself at the Second Continental Congress as possessing (in the words of one anonymous delegate) the clearest head and firmest heart of any man in Congress, Abigail was trying to keep herself and her children alive by having them inoculated, which itself was a dangerous and painful procedure. Ill have some of her words in a moment. First, Id point you to RCPs front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following: * * * Consequences of Failure: The Politics of Saigon and Kabul. Andrew E. Busch considers the fallout for Gerald Ford and the GOP vs. what could await Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats next year and beyond. How Final-Five Voting Can Save Our Dysfunctional Politics. Solomon Lieberman and Aaron Menenberg hail the system -- which will be used next year in Alaska -- as a remedy for polarization. Double Talk on Recalls. At RealClearPolicy, Todd Carney compares Democrats criticism of the process in California vs. their support for it when governors faced recalls in Wisconsin and Alaska. Virginia Is Not a Progressive Haven. Also at RCPolicy, Katie Rodgers spotlights polling that counters any impression Old Dominion voters want their state to mirror New York or California. Tread Carefully When Trying to Fix Big Tech. Sam Bowman warns that proposed solutions to social media content censorship could bring a new set of problems. Reorienting Americas Pakistan Policy. At RealClearDefense, Steve Thomas explains why its time for the U.S. to acknowledge that the military, not the civilian government, wields true power in the South Asian nation. Flaring Fret-o-Meter Over Stocks Is Actually a Good Sign. At RealClearMarkets, Ken Fisher argues that theres a flip side to indicators of an impending decline in prices. Methane Emissions Tax Could Backfire. At RealClearEnergy, Benjamin Zycher asserts that the proposed fee will have a minuscule impact on reducing greenhouse gases while passing the cost on to consumers. * * * In mid-July 1776, as the fledgling country was basking in the euphoria of the Declaration of Independence written by a Committee of Five that included her husband, Abigail Adams and her four children -- daughter Nabby, who was about to turn 11; John Quincy, 9; 6-year-old Charles; and Thomas, not yet 4 -- made the 10-mile trek into Boston. They were joined by many others. Such a spirit of inoculation never before took place, the town and every house in it, are as full as they can hold, Mrs. Adams wrote her husband. I had many disagreeable sensations at the thoughts of coming myself, but to see my children through it I thought my duty, and all those feelings vanished as soon as I was inoculated, and I trust a kind providence will carry me safely through. Inoculation at that time didnt consist of a shot in the arm that hurts no more than a pinprick. In was a painful ordeal than entailed being actually infected with the disease. It killed some people, up to 10% in some cases. It made everyone sick. God grant that we may all go comfortably through the Distemper, the physical part is bad enough I know, Abigail wrote to John on July 13, 1776. I knew your mind so perfectly upon the subject that I thought nothing but our recovery would give you equal pleasure, and as to safety there was none. The Soldiers inoculated privately, so did many of the inhabitants and the paper currency spread it everywhere. I immediately determined to set myself about it, and get ready with my children. I wish it was so you could have been with us, but I submit. Before that letter arrived, John Adams learned from others in the Boston area what Abigail was doing. His concern, and fear, are palpable even when one reads his letter 245 years later. I am informed that you were about taking the Small Pox, with all the children, he wrote. It is not possible for me to describe, nor for you to conceive my Feelings upon this occasion. Nothing, but the critical state of our affairs should prevent me from flying to Boston, to your assistance. With the pandemic making the postal delivery even more sporadic than usual, the letters from this couple, who often addressed each other as Dearest Friend, were crossing in the mail. Each knew this, but was vexed by it nonetheless, and worried. In a July 21 letter, Abigail wrote, I have no doubt but that my dearest Friend is anxious to know how his Portia does, and his little flock of children under the operation of a disease once so formidable. I have the pleasure to tell him that they are all comfortable though some of them [are] complaining. Nabby has been very ill, but the eruption begins to make its appearance upon her, and upon Johnny. Tommy is so well that the Dr. inoculated him again today fearing it had not taken. Charly has no complaints yet, though his arm has been very sore. By late August, it seemed touch-and-go for Little Charles, who is weak and feeble, as she wrote on Aug. 29. But as September dawned, he had pulled through. This is a beautiful morning, Abigail wrote on Sept. 2. I came here with all my treasure of children, have passed through one of the most terrible diseases to which human nature is subject, and not one of us is wanting. And thats our quote of the week. Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com In a few weeks, Virginia will hold an election, and I will have to make a decision. In the past, it would have been no contest. I'd have voted Republican. But now, though Terry McAuliffe leaves me cold, I will vote for him. I guess that makes me a single-issue voter. What is that issue? Take a quick tour with me of the current Republican Party. In the past 12 months, we've witnessed true integrity and more than a little courage on the part of some Republicans. Aaron Van Langevelde was an obscure, 40-year-old lawyer who was serving on the Michigan state board of canvassers in November 2020. The board has four members, two from each party. Facing pressure from MAGA world, the other Republican on the board withheld certification of Michigan's vote. Van Langevelde stood his ground, saying: "As John Adams once said, we are a government of laws, not men. This board needs to adhere to that principle here today. This board must do its part to uphold the rule of law and comply with our legal duty to certify this election." Van Langevelde should have been hailed as a hero. Instead, he was booted from his post on the board of canvassers by the Michigan Republican Party. He and his family received death threats and had to request police protection. Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, should also have become a GOP pin-up. Though harassed and "lightly threatened," as Rep. Madison Cawthorn might say, by the president of the United States, he refused to lie and cheat. Raffensperger and his family were forced to move out of their home for a week in November and have continued to receive the ugliest kind of threats and harassment even months after the election. One warned that "you and your family will be killed very slowly." Did the Georgia delegation rise up in disgust? Did they rally to Raffensperger's defense? No. I wish I could say that they were merely silent -- though that would have been incriminating enough. But no, both Republican senators at the time, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, called on Raffensperger to resign. Loeffler and Perdue were involuntarily retired in January -- who could have guessed that alleging vote rigging isn't the greatest way to goose turnout? -- but they better represent the spirit of the GOP than Raffensperger. At the state party convention in June, Raffensperger was formally censured, and Gov. Brian Kemp was roundly booed. A few months later, Donald Trump found a willing lickspittle to challenge Raffensperger for reelection, Rep. Jody Hice. Trump is also supporting two other secretary of state candidates in swing states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 election. All Trump-endorsed candidates recite the lie that the 2020 election was fraudulent, that Democrats always cheat and that Trump deserves to be sitting in the Oval Office today. It's the same around the nation. In Washington state, nobody's idea of a Republican stronghold, the local GOP, jazzed by a pillow huckster and inspired by right-wing talk, are looking to mimic Maricopa County's embarrassing "forensic audit" spectacle. The Ohio Republican Party's central committee voted in May to censure Rep. Anthony Gonzalez and nine other members because they voted to impeach Trump. Of course, now that these public servants have learned of Trump's legal adviser's six-point plan to overturn the election, they've rescinded the censures and investigations of illusory fraud and issued sincere apologies, right? No, instead Gonzalez has announced that he's not seeking reelection amid rumors that he and his young family have received threats. In Nevada, the GOP formally censured the Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske for failing to challenge the election results. In Michigan, the Calhoun County Republican Party censured Rep. Peter Meijer for his impeachment vote. Wyoming's GOP did the same to Rep. Liz Cheney, and the Arizona GOP did likewise to Gov. Doug Ducey merely for certifying his state's electoral vote. Cheney was bounced from her leadership position in the House Republican Conference. The Arizona GOP, of course, is further beclowning itself with the never-ending search for bamboo fibers. In Michigan, the Macomb County GOP censured three Republican state senators whose committee failed to find voter fraud, and the executive director of the state GOP, Jason Roe, was forced to resign after saying: "Frankly, continuing to humor [Trump] merely excuses his role in this. Given how close it was, there is no one to blame but Trump." In May, more than 500 activists rallied outside GOP headquarters denouncing Roe as a "traitor" and demanding his ouster. They got their pelt. So, there really is only a single issue I will vote on in 2021 -- truth. The Republican Party, in Washington and nationally, has become a conspiracy of liars. As such, it threatens the stability of the republic. Even a seemingly inoffensive candidate such as Glenn Youngkin has given aid and comfort to this sinister agenda by stressing "election integrity" in his campaign. It doesn't change a thing to reflect that he's almost certainly insincere. He stopped talking about it after winning the primary, suggesting that all the "integrity" talk was just a sop to MAGA voters. Still, a victory for him will send a message that the Republican Party is normal again, a party that good people can support. It's not. It's a cult dedicated to lying, rewarding liars and punishing truth tellers. I will not vote for it. COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM Coldplay and South Korean boy band BTS have joined forces for a new song titled "My Universe." ADVERTISEMENT Coldplay uploaded to YouTube Friday a space-themed lyric video for the track that features handwritten lyrics from both Coldplay and BTS in English and Korean. "You, you are my universe/ And I just want to put you first/ And you, you are my universe/ And you make my world light up inside," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sings. "My Universe" is available to stream through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal and Deezer. A music video for the song from director Dave Meyers is coming soon. The single will appear on Coldplay's upcoming ninth studio album titled Music of the Spheres, which will be released on Oct. 15. The album will also contain the single "Higher Power." Martin and BTS recently teamed up to discuss BTS' song "Permission to Dance" and the #PermissionToDance challenge on YouTube series Released. The Killers took the stage on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. ADVERTISEMENT The rock band performed for a live audience on top of 30 Rock plaza during Thursday's episode of the NBC late-night show. The Killers kicked off their set with "Dying Breed," a single from their sixth studio album, Imploding the Mirage, released in August 2020. The Killers then performed "When We Were Young," the lead single from their second album, Sam's Town, released in 2006. The Killers released a new album, Pressure Machine, and a music video for the song "Quiet Town" in August. The album was inspired by Nephi, Utah, the small Southwestern town where Killers frontman Brandon Flowers lived from ages 10 to 16. "We were discussing [Brandon] moving to Nephi as a kid and being stuck in the middle of nowhere," drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. said. "And during COVID-19, it started to feel like we were in the middle of nowhere." "I discovered this grief that I hadn't dealt with," Flowers added. "Many memories of my time in Nephi are tender. But the ones tied to fear or great sadness were emotionally charged. I've got more understanding now than when we started the band, and hopefully I was able to do justice to these stories and these lives in this little town that I grew up in." The Killers kicked off a tour in support of Pressure Machine in August. Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd star in The Starling, Audra McDonald hosts the 74th annual Tony Awards and Billie Eilish, along with other music stars, will be perform at Global Citizen Live this weekend. ADVERTISEMENT In addition, Hamish Linklater portrays a mysterious priest in Midnight Mass, Foundation brings Isaac Asimov's novel series to life and AEW presents night two of its Grand Slam event. Here's a rundown on some of the films and television shows that are set to be released this weekend. Films 'The Starling' -- Netflix Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are a couple both undergoing therapy following a tragic loss in The Starling, which comes to Netflix on Friday. McCarthy also encounters a territorial bird who helps her rediscover her capacity for love. Co-stars include Kevin Kline Laura Harrier , Rosalind Chao and Kimberly Quinn. Theodore Melfi serves as director. 'Controlling Britney Spears' -- Hulu Hulu presents this follow-up to documentary Framing Britney Spears, titled Controlling Britney Spears, which comes to the streaming service Friday at 10 p.m. EDT. This latest entry in the New York Times Presents series brings back director Samantha Stark and producer Liz Day to explore Spears' life with a conservatorship and shows how the pop star was constantly monitored. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! TV 'Foundation' -- Apple TV+ Showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer adapted Isaac Asimov's award-winning novel series of the same name in Foundation, which premieres Friday on Amazon Prime Video. The sci-fi drama follows Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) who predicts the fall of the Empire and journeys with other followers to preserve the future of civilization. Co-stars include Lee Pace, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey. 'Goliath' Season 4 -- Amazon Prime Video Billy Bob Thornton returns as Billy McBride in the fourth and final season of Goliath, which will premiere Friday on Amazon Prime Video. McBride, after surviving Season 3, will be going after big pharma and butting heads with J.K. Simmons. Co-stars include Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde, Bruce Dern, Diana Hopper, Julie Brister and Geoffrey Arend. 'Midnight Mass' -- Netflix Hamish Linklater is a mysterious priest in new supernatural horror series Midnight Mass, which premieres Friday on Netflix. Linklater's priest arrives at the isolated island community of Crockett Island where unexplained and miraculous events start happening. The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan created the series. AEW 'Grand Slam' Night Two -- TNT AEW will present night two of its huge Grand Slam event during Rampage on Friday at 10 p.m. EDT on TNT. Adam Cole will be teaming up with The Young Bucks to face Jurassic Express and Christian Cage. CM Punk will also be in action against Powerhouse Hobbs and Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston will be battling Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki in a Lights Out match. 'Global Citizen Live' -- ABC News Live, Apple TV, Twitter, YouTube, ABC, FX Global Citizen Live, a concert featuring Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez and more, will air across multiple platforms on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. EDT through ABC News Live, Apple TV, Twitter and YouTube. FX will begin coverage at 3 p.m. EDT, with ABC at 7 p.m. EDT. Lizzo, Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran, Demi Lovato, Adam Lambert, H.E.R., Chloe x Halle, OneRepublic, Ozuna, The Lumineers, 5 Seconds of Summer, Doja Cat, Black Eyed Peas and more are also performing. 'Elvira's 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special' -- Shudder Elvira will celebrate her 40th anniversary with a new special, which streams on Shudder Saturday starting at 8 p.m. EDT. Elvira will be adding commentary to a selection of horror films that include Elvira, Mistress of the Dark from 1988, House on Haunted Hill from 1959, The City of the Dead from 1960 and Messiah of Evil from 1973. 74th Annual Tony Awards -- Paramount+ Six-time winner Audra McDonald will host the 74th annual Tony Awards, which airs Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT exclusively on Paramount+. The ceremony honors excellence in Broadway. The Tony Awards will be followed on Sunday by musical special The Tony Awards Presents Broadway' Back, which airs on CBS starting at 9 p.m. EDT. Leslie Odom Jr. is hosting the special, which will celebrate Broadway returning after the COVID-19 pandemic. WWE 'Extreme Rules' -- Peacock Universal Champion Roman Reigns will defend his title against The Demon Finn Balor at WWE Extreme Rules, which streams Sunday on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. EDT. SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch will also be defending her title against Bianca Belair after The Man shockingly defeated Belair in mere seconds at SummerSlam. 'BMF' -- Starz Starz will explore the true story of crime family The Flenorys in new drama BMF, which premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on Starz. Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory Jr. portrays his father Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory in the series with Da'Vinchi as Terry 'Southwest T' Flenory. The two brothers go on to form one of the most influential crime families in the U.S. Snoop Dogg has a recurring role on the series, along with Arkeisha 'Kash Doll' Knight and Wood Harris. La La Anthony is a recurring guest star. Simran Kaur Malhotra is the current health editor and a member of the D&I committee. As a pre-med student, she is majoring in anthropology & minoring in global health. Simran is the founder and CEO of UGA Doctors Without Borders. Associated: AHCJ; AAJA Follow SIMRAN KAUR MALHOTRA Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Women must continue to test the system in order to amend its weaknesses. The only way to do so is to fight the hard fight with our voices. The Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, or CLASE was founded in 2003, and its work is designed to serve the teachers of first and second-generation students who are predominantly Latino. Fungi pottery on display at Brattleboro Claywork as organizers get ready for the inaugural Fungi Fest that starts on Oct. 8 and runs to Oct. 30. Pastor Jeremy Kirk will lead a union service at West Dover Congregational Church this Sunday. A number of churches throughout Windham County will participate. The church is located at 104 Vermont Route 100 in Dover. Stephen Gordon, CEO of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, right, talks to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., about various issues facing the hospital on March 31, 2017. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 52F. Winds light and variable. Townshend Elementary is envisioned to be part of a central campus along with Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School next door. Peter Sterling is the executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont, made up of businesses and others who believe that Vermonts energy use must be from 100% clean and renewable sources. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. Tim Wessel currently serves in his 5th year on the Brattleboro Select Board, after serving as both chair and vice-chair. He writes twice monthly on the convergence of politics and policy in Windham County. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer. EAST HAVEN The state Department of Public Health is working with the Caroline Manor care facility to relocate some of the residents of the Caroline Manor care facility where two employees overdosed Wednesday while the owner addresses multiple alleged state fire code violations, Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli said Thursday night. Caroline Manor had a surprise inspection last month during which 19 alleged fire code violations were found, according to the towns fire marshal. The facility currently is in the midst of responding to the Aug. 26 inspection, which resulted in a rather lengthy list of state fire code violations, said Marcarelli. After meeting with the owner Thursday, It appears the ombudsman has worked with the staff to relocate voluntarily some of the clients, Marcarelli said. The remainder will be able to stay until the violations are corrected. Marcarelli said he was told the residents being moved must be relocated within 15 miles. Only about 6-10 will remain in the facility, which he earlier said has about a dozen residents. Those remaining will not occupy the portion with violations, Marcarelli said. The building is protected with a sprinkler system, which offers a level of protection, he said. Marcarelli shared documents on the inspection Thursday, the day after two employees of Caroline Manor allegedly overdosed on fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Marcarelli said the two workers were found purely by happenstance by a visiting nurse and had it not been for that, they could have expired. State Department of Public Health spokesman Chris Boyle said, The Connecticut Department of Public Health is currently on-site and conducting an investigation at Caroline Manor Resident Care Home in East Haven. Counseling services are available for the current residents there. No further updates on the investigation are available. Messages seeking comment were left with owner Tim Conroy of Higganum. A man found in the basement Wednesday was in cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated by firefighter paramedics, Marcarelli said. A woman found on a stairway was in respiratory arrest. She was administered Narcan and resuscitated, he said. Their names had not been released Thursday. The visiting nurse had stopped by to bring her client his medication and found the woman near the top of a stairway, breathing irregularly, according to a recording of her 911 call that police released Thursday. The nurse reported the possible overdoses around 3:07 p.m., said police Capt. Joseph Murgo, who identified the person she was speaking to as Dispatcher Lindsay Martus. The two employees were the only staff members working at the time they were found, leaving no one to supervise or watch over the residents of the facility, Murgo and Marcarelli said. Marcarelli, asked how there could only be two staff members present in the middle of the afternoon, said Caroline Manor is licensed as a board and care facility, which is different from a skilled nursing facility, with different licensing and inspection requirements. The people that reside there cant live on their own but they can care for themselves, Marcarelli said. The employees will prepare meals and just look after the residents ... but theyre not doing health care. Marcarelli said he believed Caroline Manor, which from the outside looks more like a large house than a nursing facility, has around 12 residents, although he didnt know the exact number. Marcarelli, who met with Department of Public Health officials Thursday, said, The real issue is the code violation. The state is involved based upon the fire marshals re-inspection, the fact that the building owner has failed to get in touch with us and now Wednesdays two overdoses, he said. While there were electrical issues, The real issues involve egress doors, Marcarelli said including the fact that one of the buildings two front doors has been boarded up and several interior doors have been removed. This incident is an active, ongoing investigation, and developing situation that is a coordinated effort between our police department, our fire department, and the (state) Department of Public Health, said Mayor Joe Carfora. Most importantly, all involved want to make sure that patients are appropriately protected and cared for, he said. With that being said, I have confidence that if the investigation warrants criminal charges, an arrest will be made. According to an Aug. 30 letter to Conroy from Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Charles Miller, inspectors found 19 violations, including electrical and wiring issues, multiplug adapters used in place of permanent outlets, improper use of extension cords, failure to provide and properly maintain fire extinguishers, failure to install fire extinguishing equipment in a cooking exhaust hood and failure to provide required emergency lighting. The facility was given 30 days to correct the violations. It was due to be reinspected on Oct. 6, said Murgo. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com MIDDLETOWN A Middletown man was freed on a $50,000 bond after reportedly answering his door, and confronting authorities with a shotgun in hand after allegedly threatening a victim over the course of 30 phone calls, according to court records. Three city police officers were called to an unknown address Saturday at about 5:40 p.m. on a harassment complaint. The victim said Ian Orlacchio of Newfield Street had showed up at their residence at 5:30 a.m. that day and ripped off the screen door and banged on a sliding door, demanding to be let in, according to a police report. The victim estimated the damage Orlacchio caused at $100, authorities said. Though he eventually left, however, Orlacchio allegedly called the persons cellphone more than 30 times between 5:30 and 6 a.m. even after the victim asked him to stop, according to police. The individual answered the call one time, and recognized the accusers voice as he reportedly said they would regret not talking to him, according to police. When officers knocked on Orlacchios door, he allegedly opened it with a Remington 12-gauge shotgun in hand, so they drew their firearms, police said. They eventually subdued the suspect and arrested him, police said. Orlacchio appeared to smell of alcohol, and he was reportedly slurring his words, according to officials. When questioned, he told them he had drank a lot, court documents show. He refused to take a breathalyzer test, the report said. Orlacchio was charged with illegally carrying a firearm under the influence of drugs/alcohol, second-degree harassment, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree breach of peace, records show. He was released on a $50,000 bond and is expected in Superior Court at Middletown Nov. 1. Orlacchio has several convictions in Middletown. The convictions include violation of probation in 2015 and 2016; two counts of third-degree assault also in 2015; and third-degree assault in 2016, judicial records show. In Danielson in 2015, Orlacchio was also found guilty of narcotics possession, and sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after six months, with three years of probation; as well as violation of probation, according to the judicial website. WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) A man and a 10-year-old child were injured in a shooting in Waterbury, police said. Officers responded to a report of a shooting near Congress Avenue just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the Waterbury Police Department said in a news release. When they arrived at the shooting scene, the officers found evidence of gunshots but no victims, police said. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old man and a 10-year-old child arrived at Waterbury Hospital with gunshot wounds, police said. The child had been shot in the ribs and the man had been shot in the leg, they said. The victims' injuries were not life-threatening, police said. No arrests have been made. KENT Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy is offering a series of guided hikes. All events are free. Thos who plan to attend are asked to send an email to events@ctland.org. Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Housatonic Heritage Hike at Macedonia State Park on the Cobble Mountain Preserve, accessible from the park. The trail passes along Macedonia Brook and includes a steep ascent to a rocky outcrop on the blue-blazed Macedonia Ridge Trail. The blue-blazed Macedonia Ridge Trail passes through NCLCs Cobble Mountain Preserve. According to members. NCLC has protected 192 acres of land surrounding Macedonia State Park, including 86 acres of ridgeline and the northwestern hillside of Cobble Mountain. The hike is 2.5 miles and includes a steep climb and descent. It is a challenging and invigorating climb. You will be rewarded with amazing views of the Taconic and Catskill Mountain ranges. This hike is part of the annual Housatonic Heritage Hikes offered each fall across the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. Space is limited. To get to 159 Macedonia Brook Road: From the center of Kent, follow Route 341 west from the junction of Route 341 and Route 7. Turn right onto Macedonia Brook Road. Stay left at the intersection of Macedonia Brook and Fuller Mountain Roads. Look for Macedonia State Park signs. Oct. 10, Grand Opening of New Trails at the Mallory Preserve, Sherman Town Center, 15 Route 39 North, Sherman. In June, members celebrated the new lower loop trail. They have completed the more challenging upper loop. Members will lead hikes of the lower trail, an easier hike, and the newly constructed upper loop, a more challenging hike. Register for a specific hike by emailing events@ctland.org. Guided hikes of the upper loop will be held at 10 a.m. and noon; lower loop hikes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. THose who wish to hike alone can pick up a trail map. The rain date is Oct. 11. Oct. 24, Wildlife Tracking Hike at Kahn and Nostrand Preserves, 56 Squire Hill Road, New Milford, 1-3 p.m. Learn how to spot the signs of native habitants. Led by NCLC and Summer Hoogenboom, wildlife biologist and NCLC volunteer, participants will take a guided walk and learn the basics of wildlife tracking and general facts about Northwest Connecticuts animals. Space is limited. email events@ctland.org to save your spot. For all events: Dress for the weather and bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, and a hat. Wear closed-toed, sturdy shoes that you do not mind getting dirty. Hikers may encounter mosquitoes, ticks, thorns, and bees. If you are allergic to insect stings, bring an epinephrine auto-injector. COVID-19 Instructions for all events: Because of the continuing risk posed by COVID-19, do not attend if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days; you have knowingly been in close contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has had symptoms of COVID-19; you have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days; or you do not feel well. Social distancing will be encouraged. All participants should bring masks when social distancing cannot be maintained. TORRINGTON A group that wants to use the Torrington Teen Center for community activities got a final answer from the City Council this week and the answer was no. Mark and Holly Dailey approached the Recreation Department last year with a proposal, which included cleaning up and repairing the East Albert Street building, no strings attached. They wanted to use the building to show movies and hold their own activities. The Daileys attended Mondays City Council meeting, asking members to consider their request. City attorney Vic Muschell, however, said the departments decision was final. Their request falls under parks and recreation; we dont have oversight over park and rec, Muschell said. Thats basically it in a nutshell; they were told their proposal was unacceptable to the park and recreation board, and thats where it stands. Council member Ann Ruwet defended the recreation boards right to make its own decisions. Theres a process in place, and I understand you dont like the results, but we have to follow the rules on what we can act on and what we cant, she said. Otherwise, the process doesnt work. We cant act on this. Council member Paul Cavagnero agreed. An end run to the City Council is not a precedent the council wants to establish, he said. I know how strongly (the group) feels about this, but youve followed a process and this is the outcome. The Daileys were disappointed. As someone recently put it to us, There is a need for more choices for everyone, while the City Council needs to trust their boards and committees, they also have an obligation to be sure they are doing a good job on the behalf of the taxpayers, Mark Dailey said. We believe that our proposal deserved a closer look based on what we believe is substantial interest on social media. The Daileys set up a Facebook page to find support for their plan, and gained 457 followers who are interested exclusively in this proposal, they said, and pointed to the recreation departments 1,849 followers for the whole city. It is our understanding that the city is now planning to invest in more activities as well as after school help and social support for the teens. We are very pleased to see advancement in this regard, Mark Dailey wrote. (We) feel it necessary to point out that there are two distinct functions for the facility. The basement has been used exclusively for the Teen Center. We believe the purpose of the upstairs was intended for and should be used to provide to the general public, easily accessible, regularly scheduled programs and activities for all ages. Due to limited Park and Recreation budget, we are proposing volunteer staffing. This would not cause any financial or staffing burden on the city. Since it appears that the building is going to be open for more activities for teens, we are still hoping to gain use of the upstairs for all ages, as a safe and healthy environment for all, he wrote. Holly Dailey claimed there were examples of the City Council involving itself in outside decisions, and cited the closure of the city pool this summer as a clear example. Mayor Elinor Carbone said the recreation departments decision was for the best, since the school district is adding a program at the teen center this fall. Torrington Public Schools are bringing the states LEAP program to the teen center, and will be providing two staff members, six computer stations, 20 iPads, desks and chairs, she said. The program is designed to provide supports to students who dont have the equipment they need. Staff members will work with students at the center for 10 hours a week. This is a phenomenal opportunity, Carbone said. The teen centers a great place to have this program. According to the education departments information, posted at https://rb.gy/mgn7wc, LEAP is a contracted partnership between the state Department of Education and the Regional Educational Service Centers to support school districts. Funding for the equipment and staff members comes from the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund. Indvidual RESCs are working with LEAP districts in their regionl to conduct a self-assessment, engage community providers, agree on a plan to engage families through positive ... home or community visits and connect them to programs and supports, according to the website. Torrington is an Alliance District, which are identified by the state as school systems with among the lowest test scores and reflect a need for improvement. The Alliance District program was initiated in 2012-13. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) An investigation into a spate of drug overdose deaths in the Lincoln area was traced back to fentanyl-laced cocaine stolen from a Nebraska State Patrol evidence locker, leading to two arrests, authorities announced Friday. Lincoln police and the patrol revealed at a news conference the arrest of Anna Idigima, 35, and George Weaver Jr., 36, both of Lincoln, on suspicion of distributing illicit drugs. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Recent satellite images show North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, a sign that its intent on boosting the production of bomb materials, experts say. The assessment comes after North Korea recently raised tensions with its first missile tests in six months amid long-dormant nuclear disarmament negotiations with the United States. The expansion of the enrichment plant probably indicates that North Korea plans to increase its production of weapons-grade uranium at the Yongbyon site by as much as 25%, Jeffrey Lewis and two other experts at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey said in a report. The report said the photos taken by satellite imagery company Maxar showed construction in an area adjoining the uranium enrichment plant at Yongbyon. It said a satellite image taken on Sept. 1 showed North Korea cleared trees and prepared the ground for construction, and that a construction excavator was also visible. The report said a second image taken on Sept. 14 showed a wall erected to enclose the area, work on a foundation and panels removed from the side of the enrichment building to provide access to the newly enclosed area. The new area is approximately 1,000 square meters (10,760 square feet), enough space to house 1,000 additional centrifuges, which would increase the plants capacity to produce highly enriched uranium by 25%, the report said. Nuclear weapons can be built using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea has facilities to produce both at Yongbyon. Last month, earlier satellite photos of Yongbyon showed signs that North Korea was resuming the operation of other facilities to produce weapons-grade plutonium. North Korea calls the Yongbyon complex the heart of its nuclear program. During a summit with then-President Donald Trump in early 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered to dismantle the entire complex if he was given major sanctions relief. But the Americans rejected Kims proposal because they viewed it as a limited denuclearization step. Some U.S. and South Korean experts speculate North Korea is covertly running at least one additional uranium-enrichment plant. In 2018, a top South Korean official told parliament that North Korea was estimated to have already manufactured up to 60 nuclear weapons as well. Estimates on how many nuclear weapons North Korea can add every year vary, ranging from six to as much as 18 bombs. In the past week, North Korea launched both ballistic and cruise missiles toward the sea in tests seen as an effort to diversity its missile forces and strengthen its attack capability on South Korea and Japan, where a total of 80,000 American troops are based. Experts say both types of missiles could be armed with nuclear warheads. Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear arsenal and acquire more sophisticated weapons unless Washington drops its hostility against his country, an apparent reference to U.S.-led sanctions and its regular military drills with Seoul. But Kim still maintains his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles directly targeting the U.S. mainland, suggesting he wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) A woman was shot and wounded after she tried to run over an officer with her car, a North Carolina police chief said. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings says officers responded to a call from a beauty supply store at around 4 p.m. after reports of shots being fired inside and outside the store, news outlets reported. WATERBURY A woman was shot Thursday evening near John Street, according to the Waterbury Police Department. Police were called to John Street around 6:24 p.m. Thursday for a weapons complaint. After investigating the area, they found evidence of shots fired. Officers were later told that a woman was dropped off at a local hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the buttocks area, police said. Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Waterbury Police Departments Detective Bureau at 203-574-6941. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 203-755-1234. SHERMAN State police have identified the man killed in a weekend fire at his Sherman home as 76-year-old Richard Genalski. The residential fire, located on Route 55 West, was reported to Sherman officials Sunday around 6:22 p.m. While two people in the home were able to escape, Genalski was trapped in the basement, according to the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department. Once firefighters arrived, they noticed the basement was fully involved and fire was spreading throughout the home, the fire department said. Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the fire, but the home suffered catastrophic damage and collapsed, the fire department said. Detectives with multiple agencies were able to find Genalskis remains the next day around 2:35 p.m., police said. Eighteen dogs and one chicken were rescued from the property. One of Genalskis family friends is collecting donations for the dogs through New Milfords Regional Animal Control facility. Richie was a family friend of mine, said Taylor Hoffman, a New Milford resident working with Clatter Valley Farm CSA. My own family dogs growing up are dogs from this man, so I have dogs at home that look just like these dogs that are in the pounds now. These are dogs that are my dogs brothers and sisters. Genalskis remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington for examination. The medical examiner determined the cause of death as accidental and the result of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, police said. The Sherman Fire Marshals Office, Connecticut State Polices Fire and Explosion Investigative Unit and the Western District Major Crime Squad are investigating the fire. The Sherman Volunteer Fire Department said Monday that there is no indication of a crime related to the fire. Staff writer Sandra Fox contributed to this report. liz.hardaway@hearst.com WINSTED The proposed changes for an ordinance regulating noise need a little more work and wont be made official until October or even November. Selectmen discussed the towns two proposed ordinance changes one for blight, and the other for noise during their Sept. 20 meeting. The blight ordinance, with changes that include adding a blight enforcement officer and regulating notifications and the amount of time a property owner has to respond to violations, will be posed on the town website, townofwinchester.org, and is likely to be approved by selectmen at their Oct. 18 meeting. Changes to the noise ordinance include allowing existing businesses to be grandfathered, meaning that if their machinery or operations were in place before the changes were proposed, they can apply for a variance to continue. But according to the ordinance, if a business is sold to a new owner and changes to equipment or operations are made, the new owner must apply for a special exception permit to comply with the new regulation. The changes to the noise regulation also include a request from the police department, which is in charge of enforcement, to purchase decibel-level measuring equipment to conduct tests in response to a complaint, to determine whether or not the noise is a violation. Town attorney Kevin Nelligan wrote the ordinance changes, which have since been reviewed by Town Manager Josh Kelly and the Board of Selectmen. Bill Lamoin, owner of Swells Car Wash, discussed the noise regulations with the Board of Selectmen. I had one suggestion for the change of ownership; it would help if there were words in the ordinance to give people guidance as they decide whether or not to apply (for a variance), Lamoin said. If you consider the record of the business, and if theyre in compliance, dont make it harder for them to sell. Make it business-friendly. We want to make the change of ownership in the ordinance to make sure theres a smooth process, Kelly said. Thats whats being requested of us. Otherwise, its up to the board on how they want to proceed. We can notify existing businesses in various areas of town, to give them an opportunity to apply for a variance. Mayor Candy Perez said she agreed with grandfathering clause, to a point. What Im worried about is, what constitutes grandfathering? she said. We want to help businesses that have been there, emitting the same noise as before, but what about those that are using unregistered or new equipment, or have started new activities on site? Do we let them get their variance and then enact the ordinances? Selectman Candace Bouchard said any new equipment at a business should be tested with the decibel measuring equipment. So, we need to get this equipment, before we put this ordinance in place, she said. Also, if youre selling the property and theres no change to the equipment at the time of the sale, I dont see the need for a variance at all. Selectman Jack Bourque was also concerned about a new business owner adding equipment. If its going to be louder, then well still need them to apply for the variance, he said. Its not an easy answer. Perez reminded the board that there was no hurry to adopt the noise ordinance until we get it right. We can grandfather existing businesses and make sure the sale of a business is covered, she said. Maybe we dont need a grandfather clause at all ... What Im hearing is that we are not going to move on this right now. The board also agreed that all existing businesses should be notified by the town in advance about the changes to the noise regulation. This way they cant say they didnt know, Bouchard said. Some of them dont live (in town). They need to know. The board tabled the motion to approve the noise regulation and agreed to have Kelly go back to the wording and rewrite it, with possible input from the town attorney. I will go over it again and create a communication plan, Kelly said. This way, we can show people how to be a better neighbor, Bouchard said. Were letting people know that were really looking at this. I am Steve Wallace, a resident homeowner of Torrington. I would like to publicly endorse Stephen Ivain, who is campaigning to become the mayor of our city. Stephen is a longtime resident of Torrington with a strong understanding of the citys history and its related heritage. He is running for mayor with the knowledge that our various neighborhood communities are generally underserved by the current administration; Stephen intends to learn specifically just what these fellow citizens need and want from our citys government, and to then equally support and promote their growth and involvement in Torrington. While the current administration is attempting to window dress the city, it is merely a ploy at election time, as investigation can readily determine. Very little has been done of late to help support new, blossoming business endeavors here, and some who try end up facing insurmountable obstacles, such as unrealistic tax assessments. Underserved populations abound in any city, of course, but I believe that Torringtons can be much better served by a mayor who is willing to hear their concerns and to help address their problems here. Emmy Awards 2021: Kangana Ranaut Lauds Nawazuddin Siddiqui As He Bags Nomination The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for the International Emmys on Thursday. With a total of 44 nominees spanning across 11 categories, Indian celebrities accounted for three nominations. Among them was Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor for his role in the Netflix series, Serious Men. Actor Kangana Ranaut took to her Instagram account on Friday to congratulate the actor on the occasion. Read more Ajay Devgn Poses With Son Yug In Throwback Pic From Their 'short September Break' Superstar Ajay Devgn, who celebrated his son Yug's 11th birthday in the Maldives recently, uploaded a throwback picture of the duo, reminiscing his 'short September break'. The actor was accompanied by his son and the latter's cousins as they embarked to the island nation earlier this month, with Ajay shooting Into The Wild with Bear Grylls. Hailing it as one of the 'many defining moments' the actor's recent upload showcases the father-son duo were seated comfortably as they enjoyed the ocean views. Read more Parineeti Chopra Croons 'Kalank' Title Track With Brother; Impresses Varun Dhawan Apart from impressing fans with her acting prowess, actor Parineeti Chopra was a complete surprise package with her singing talent. The actor who had crooned Teri Metti's title track, recently left her fans stunned again after she crooned Kalank's title track with her brother Shivang Chopra. Read more Priyanka Chopra Inspires Parineeti's Latest 'sunburnt' Pic From Maldives, Former Reacts Actor Priyanka Chopra has inspired her cousin and actor Parineeti Chopra's latest look in a photo from her beach vacation on Friday, September 24. Parineeti has recently jetted off to the Maldives with her parents and brother Shivang Chopra. In the latest post, she has shared a stunning photo of herself wherein she can be seen flaunting her toned body wearing a red monokini. She captioned the post as, Sunburnt. Read more Dia Mirza Says 'it Was Tough' After She Steps Out To Work Leaving Newborn Son, Pens Note Actor Dia Mirza, who recently welcomed baby boy Avyaan Azaad Rekhi home, after he was in the NICU for four months, stepped out for work for the very first time leaving her son behind. The actor who was out merely for four hours took to Instagram and explained how it was a tough task. In a special note addressed partially to her son, Dia thanked her team for managing things well. Read more Image:@Instagram/kanganaranuat/ajaydevgn/parineetichopra Global sensation Priyanka Chopra, who has been quite vocal about the need to donate vaccine doses to the countries with low and 'middle-income', was delighted to know that leaders at the Global Vaccine Summit have decided collectively to help such countries. She took to Twitter and announced that the leaders at the global vaccine submit have vowed to extend a helping hand and get the people vaccinated by the next year. Priyanka, who was elated to hear the news, wrote, Great news! At the Global Vaccine Summit, world leaders committed to helping low & middle-income countries vaccinate 70% of their populations by next year!! I applaud these crucial commitments and also the dedicated efforts of @UNICEF to ensure relief efforts are equitable (1/2) (sic). In the following tweet, the Sky is Pink wrote that ensuring that the most vulnerable countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines is the right thing to do. She further mentioned that Vaccine equity is crucial. Ensuring the worlds most vulnerable have access to COVID-19 vaccines is not only the right thing to do but the ONLY thing to do. Vaccine equity is crucial. The longer this lasts, the higher the risk of new variants. Lets END this pandemic.Together #DonateDosesNow #UNGA (2/2) (sic), reads Chopras second tweet. Priyanka Chopra hails leaders at Global Vaccine Summit Great news! At the Global Vaccine Summit, world leaders committed to help low & middle income countries vaccinate 70% of their populations by next year!! I applaud these crucial commitments and also the dedicated efforts of @UNICEF to ensure relief efforts are equitable (1/2) PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) September 23, 2021 Ensuring the worlds most vulnerable have access to COVID-19 vaccines is not only the right thing to do, but the ONLY thing to do.Vaccine equity is crucial.The longer this lasts, the higher the risk of new variants.Lets END this pandemic.Together#DonateDosesNow #UNGA (2/2) PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) September 23, 2021 This year the summits attendees included the leaders of the U.K., Canada, South Africa, and Indonesia, private-sector figures, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's administration is set to announce that United States will purchase an additional 500 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine doses to donate to low and lower-middle-income countries. Senior officials of the United States' authorities mentioned the update while previewing the Global Summit to end the pandemic. The pledge to donate, which will start in January 2022, will bring the total promised US vaccine donations to more than 1.1 billion. The doses are expected to be shipped around this time next year, President informed during his address. According to various media reports, the current vaccine donation announcement is on top of the 500 mn doses promised at the G7 summit in June. The US has so far shipped out nearly 130 million doses, nearly double the number it had brought for domestic use. Image: PTI/Pixabay Daniel Craig who is awaiting the release of his latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, has achieved a special feat. Daniel Craig who will be seen playing the titular role in the film has been appointed honorary Commander in the United Kingdoms Royal Navy. The official Twitter handle of James Bond shared the news on the micro-blogging site while expressing his honour and privilege. Daniel Craigs new James Bond film, No Time to Die, is all set to release in Indian cinemas on September 30. The official James Bond Twitter page shared Daniel Craigs photo in the Royal Navy uniform and wrote, Daniel Craig has been made an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy. Commander Craig said: I am truly privileged and honoured to be appointed the rank of Honorary Commander in the senior service." First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said in a press statement that: I am delighted to welcome honorary Commander Daniel Craig to the Royal Navy. Our honorary officers act as ambassadors and advocates for the Service, sharing their time and expertise to spread the message about what our global, modern, and ready Royal Navy is doing around the world. Daniel Craig is well known for being Commander Bond for the last 15 years. Daniel Craig has been made an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy. Commander Craig said: I am truly privileged and honoured to be appointed the rank of Honorary Commander in the senior service. pic.twitter.com/5pPDdznejE James Bond (@007) September 23, 2021 With the release date of the film No Time To Die inching closer, the actor is busy promoting his film. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time To Die will continue the thrilling journey of Craig chasing a villain who has kidnapped a scientist. Touted as one of the longest-running James Bond films clocking in at a runtime of 2 hours and 43 minutes, the movie will also feature Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, and Ana de Armas. Delayed due to the pandemic on multiple occasions, the film is scheduled to be released in U.S. theatres on October 8. Before No Time to Die, the lead actor has played James Bond in Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre.No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig's final outing as the British spy, James Bond. The trailer of the upcoming release was dropped last year in September. Image: Twitter/@007 Emmy award-winning actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus joined Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy in the upcoming Netflix comedy feature to be directed by Kenya Barris. The film was announced earlier in August, with Hill and Murphy playing the lead roles and the former co-writing and co-producing the venture. Actor Dreyfus shot to fame after appearing in the HBO political comedy Veep, which won her nine Emmy awards for her stellar performance. Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the 60-year-old has joined the team of the upcoming Netflix comedy feature starring Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy in the lead role. The untitled venture will be directed by Kenya Barris, known for his work in BlackAF, blackish and more. Dreyfus will reportedly play the role of Jonah Hill's mother. She took to her Instagram to express her excitement over the news by writing, ''So, this is happening!''. More on Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy's comedy flick The plot for the comedy feature will revolve around Hill and Murphy experiencing the generation clash, cultural differences and modern love. It will also touch upon the societal expectations of modern love and how these dynamics affect and shape relationships. Marking the reunion of Murphy with Barris since their stint together in Murphys upcoming venture Coming 2 America. The film is written by Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris, while the latter will direct it. The duo will also produce the venture under the Khalabo Ink Society banner and Strong Baby shingle, along with Kevin Misher via Misher Films. Barris is all set to make his directorial debut in feature films with this project. Mychelle Deschamp and Hale Rothstein (from Khalabo Ink Society), David Hyman, Charisse Hewitt Webster, Strong Babys Matt Dines and Ali Goodwin and Misher Films' Andy Berman will serve as Executive producers for the film. On the work front, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the senior actor forged an impressive resume in Hollywood with over a dozen of successful movies and shows under her belt like Deconstructing Harry, Enough Said, Downhill and more. She was recently seen in Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Image: AP As India struggles to fight the deadly COVID-19 virus, it reported 31,382 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday with 32,542 recoveries and 318 deaths in the past 24 hours. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), out of the total infections, the active cases account for 0.89%, the lowest since March 2020. Currently, there are 3,00,162 active cases in the country. Meanwhile, Kerala has recorded 19,682 COVID cases and 152 deaths on Thursday, September 23. To date, 3,28,48,273 patients have recovered from COVID-19 as Indias recovery rate stands at 97.78 per cent. Furthermore, the Health Ministry states that the daily positivity rate stands at 2.00 per cent that has been less than 3 per cent for the past 25 days. Also, the weekly positivity rate stands at 2.07 per cent which has been below 3 per cent for the last 91 days. India's COVID vaccination drive To date, India has administered a total of 84,15,18,026 COVID vaccine doses across 56,082 vaccination sites. Earlier on September 21, the Health Ministry announced that states and union territories have received more than 80.13 crores COVID-19 vaccine doses and more than 4.52 crore balance and unused doses still available. In a major milestone achievement, India administered over 2.5 crore vaccine doses against Coronavirus on September 17. While on September 16, the Ministry informed that India has exceeded the average daily COVID-19 vaccination rate of the world's 18 major countries. The world's 18 major countries have administered 81,70,000 (8.17 million) doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. India has administered 85,40,000 (8.54 million) doses. Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia are among the nations on this list. Meanwhile, providing details on the overall population, the ministry said that almost 99% of healthcare workers, 100% frontline workers, and 66% population aged above 18 have received their first doses, whereas 84% healthcare workers, 80% frontline workers, and 23% of people aged above 18 has received their second doses. COVID-19 threat in Kerala Kerala still remains under the threat of the deadly virus as it continues to report a high number of infections on a daily basis with an increasing death toll. Some of its districts contribute the maximum number of cases including Thrissur reporting the highest followed by Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Malappuram, Palakkad, Alappuzha, and Kannur. Image: PTI Applauding Centre's efforts towards eliminating terror attacks in India, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra on Thursday, 23 September, said that none of the terrorists' plans will work as the country is in "safe hands with a robust system". The Minister said that the terrorists are unable to execute their plans since 2014, as the security forces and intelligence agencies share good coordination. Ajay Kumar Mishra told ANI, "Our neighbouring country has been continuously trying to spread instability in our country for a very long time through its intelligence agency. We have foiled their every effort. Right now some terrorists associated with such modules have been arrested. Information has also come about them." Responding to the intelligent inputs over Pakistan's ISI planning to attack India during the festive season, Mishra said, "In every global platform and summit, we have raised concerns about the fact that Pakistan is promoting terrorism endangering the entire world. As the technology progresses, they (terror organisations) are doing new experiments. They chose crowded places and the festive season. However, any such attempts by terrorists will not succeed as we have a robust system. The country is in safe hands." Further informing that six terrorists were arrested last week, he added, "As long as there are countries like this (Pakistan), these terror organisations would continue to try such attempts in the world. But, we want to assure people that none of their efforts will be successful." Pakistan's terror plot The terror attacks were planned in 3 populated cities during the ongoing festive season, with the whole operation being coordinated by Dawood Ibrahim's brother - Anees Ibrahim. Two arrested terrorists named Osama and Zeeshan had been trained in Pakistan and were working under the instructions of the ISI to operate the terror plot, the police revealed. They had been tasked with conducting a reconnaissance of different suitable locations in Delhi and UP for placing IEDs for the blast, they added. Later Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director (ADG) Mukesh Singh confirmed to Republic Media Network on September 18, that they are in touch with the Delhi police special cell in relation to the multi-state anti-terror operation that is underway. He further highlighted the evolution of weapons and techniques used for terror attacks. (With inputs from ANI) Image: PTI/ANI Washington, Sep 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison here ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance, including the Indo-Pacific. The meeting between Modi and Morrison came a week after they spoke over phone and reviewed the rapid progress in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including through the recent 'two-plus-two' dialogue, and exchanged views on regional developments and the forthcoming Quad meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the post-pandemic period. The last bilateral meeting was the Leaders Virtual Summit held on June 4 last year when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. During the meeting here, Modi and Morrison discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance, it said. The Prime Ministers resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, the MEA said. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. According to the MEA statement, in their meeting, Modi and Morrison reviewed the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and welcomed the visit to India by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as Morrisons Special Trade Envoy for India, and noted the commitment of both sides to achieve an early harvest announcement on an interim agreement by December 2021. They underlined the need for the international community to address the issue of climate change on an urgent basis as Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection, it said, adding that both the leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies. Modi and Morrison agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience, the MEA said. Both leaders lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora to Australias economy and society, and discussed ways to enhance people to people ties, the statement added. Prime Minister Modi also invited Morrison to visit India. Earlier, Office of Prime Minister Modi said on Twitter: Advancing friendship with Australia. PM @ScottMorrisonMP held talks with PM @narendramodi. They discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at deepening economic and people-to-people linkages between India and Australia. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi termed the meeting as another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia. Another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia! PM @narendramodi and @ScottMorrisonMP met today. Discussed regional & global developments as well as ongoing bilateral cooperation in areas related to Covid-19, trade, defence, clean energy & more, Bagchi said on Twitter. The meeting assumes significance as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 11 held the 'two-plus-two' talks in New Delhi with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton. It was the first meeting between the prime ministers of India and Australia since the AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership was unveiled last week by US President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Morrison. The AUKUS partnership, seen as an effort to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, will allow the US and the UK to provide Australia with the technology to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. Australia said its decision to join a security alliance with the US and the UK is aimed at developing capabilities that can contribute along with India and other countries in deterring behaviour that threatens the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. In the first reaction from India on the contentious alliance, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday said that the new security agreement among the US, the UK and Australia is neither relevant to the Quad nor will have any impact on its functioning, and they are not groupings of a similar nature. Shringla said while the AUKUS is a security alliance among the three countries, the Quad is a plurilateral grouping with a vision for a free, open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Quad comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. US President Biden is hosting the first in-person Quad summit at the White House on September 24 to be attended by Modi, Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Developments in Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to expand cooperation for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific are set to be the central focus of the four-nation grouping Quad. France reacted angrily to the formation of the new AUKUS alliance as it resulted in Paris effectively losing a multi-billion dollar deal to build 12 conventional submarines for Australia. France is also upset over its exclusion from the alliance. China has also slammed the formation of the AUKUS. PTI CPS ZH AKJ CPS (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, clicked 27-years ago, where the Indian Prime Minister is seen as a tourist outside the White House has resurfaced on social media ahead of PM Modi's White House visit. The old picture showing PM Modi as a Washington DC tourist was shared by 'indianhistorypics' on Twitter with the caption, "1990s: Narendra Modi Standing Infront of The White House In America. (sic)" 1990s :: Narendra Modi Standing Infront of The White House In America pic.twitter.com/1JYKpJ6JEH indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) September 23, 2021 The time when PM Modi was a tourist in Washington DC The picture of PM Modi, captured in 1994 during his visit to Washington DC, shows him without his distinctive beard, which has now become characteristic of his image. PM Modi is seen alongside G Kishan Reddy, who is presently the Minister of Development of North Eastern Region of India. As soon as the picture resurfaced, it caught netizens' attention and has generated various reactions, garnering over 11,000 likes. One Twitterati commented, "If a man from a humble origin can manage to visit USA... it shows his strong determination & management skill wch gets him whatever he desires. First time MP..becomes PM of worlds largest democracy & changes d direction of Indian politics in one shot.. creates history. (sic)" If a man from a humble origin can manage to visit USA... it shows his strong determination & management skill wch gets him whatever he desires.First time MP..becomes PM of worlds largest democracy & changes d direction of Indian politics in one shot.. creates history Anjiv Kumar (@AnjivKumar) September 23, 2021 Another user wrote, "Who knew at that time, that he would become PM of the largest democracy in the world. (sic)" Who knew at that time, that he would become PM of the largest democracy in the world... jack (@jackck_8) September 23, 2021 A third person commented, "Now after 31 years he's gonna be welcomed in the same white house, no one could have even thought a small man from a Mehsana, Gujarat will be invited to white house one day. Epic (sic)". Now after 31 years he's gonna be welcomed in the same white house, no one could have even thought a small man from a Mehsana, Gujarat will be invited to white house one day. Epic Jayrajsinh Dodia (@JayrajDodia24) September 23, 2021 PM Modi was in the United States at the invitation of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), as Reddy pointed out in a Facebook post from 2014. Late Ananth Kumar, India's former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals, was also a member of the team. Other photos from the Minister's remarkable journey to the United States with Prime Minister Modi were also shared by Reddy on his Facebook handle. PM Modi's White House visit On September 24, US President Joe Biden will welcome Prime Minister Modi at the White House. PM Modi will also attend the QUAD Summit in the White House, following an in-person meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris and bilateral talks with President Joe Biden. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States for a three-day visit, where he met with global CEOs today ahead of bilateral talks with President Joe Biden, the in-person QUAD Summit, and the UN General Assembly Address. (Image: @PMOIndia/@IndiaHistorypic/Twitter) In a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said the Mamata Banerjee-led party's ultimate goal is to separate West Bengal and create a greater Bangladesh. Speaking to reporters, President of BJP West Bengal Sukanta Majumdar added that the TMC was weak, and did not have an ideology as strong as that of BJP. The statement of Sukanta Majumdar comes after TMC's spokesperson Kunal Ghosh called the BJP a 'gas balloon without any ideology'. "BJP's ideology is strong. Many people including Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had tried to suppress our ideology but they could not. Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are not as big leaders as Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Even if they win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal it will be just 42. How will they challenge the BJP which is a national party? 'Those who believe in the ideology of BJP can never join TMC' Sukanta Majumdar also took the opportunity to address Abhishek Banerjee's remark that 'if the TMC opens its gates all BJP leaders will join it'. The newly-appointed president of BJP's West Bengal said, "Abhishek Banerjee says anything. Those who believe the ideology of BJP...who say Bharat Mata ki Jai from their heart, they can never join TMC." Last week, Former BJP MP Babul Supriyo joined the TMC. Babul Supriyo, who had just a few days ago quit politics and had vowed to work for his consistency without being associated with any political force was seen joining the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC in the presence of senior leader Derek O'Brien and MP Abhishek Banerjee. In reference to Supriyo jumping from BJP to the TMC, Abhishek Banerjee had said "if the TMC opens its gates all BJP leaders will join it". "Many BJP leaders are in communication with TMC leadership. They are not satisfied with BJP. Babul Supriyo joined today, another wants to join tomorrow. This process will go on. Wait and watch," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had said. He had added, "BJP is just a gas balloon. BJP does not have any ideology. Nobody can adjust to their anti-people policies that is the reason people are leaving the party." West Bengal has been witnessing a reverse trend of leaders rejoining TMC from BJP after the assembly elections results. Earlier, BJP heavyweight Mukul Roy and his son Subhranshu Roy had joined TMC. (With inputs from ANI) Life expectancy for men in the United Kingdom has declined for the first time in the last 40 years, according to a recent study by Office for National Statistics (ONS). Life expectancy for women, however, remained unchanged. According to the findings, the decline recorded in the life expectancy of men primarily stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic which claimed over 1.3 lakh lives in the UK. The ONS report revealed that a male child born between 2015 to 2017 was predicted to live for 79.2 years. However, for male newborns between 2018 to 2020, the number dropped to 70 years. Women's life expectancy, on the other hand, remained relatively constant, with 89.2 years for babies born between 2015 to 2020. The study also predicted that further declines may occur in the coming years before life expectancy begins to improve. Life expectancy expected to improve after end of COVID pandemic Experts have, however, opined that the ONS projection does not imply that male kids born between 2018 to 2020 will definitely live shorter lives. Pamela Cobb, of the ONS Centre for Ageing and Demography, said that the data may change once the coronavirus pandemic is completely over as these projections are based on the notion that current mortality rates, which are extraordinarily high, will continue for the rest of someone's life. It is likely that after the coronavirus pandemic is over and the repercussions for future mortality are recognised, life expectancy may begin to improve again, Cobb explained, adding that usually, life expectancy in the UK and around the world rises over time, with only a few exceptions. According to Oxford University research, the COVID-19 pandemic caused life expectancy to drop across most European countries and the United States in 2020, on a scale not seen since World War II. 'SARS-CoV-2 virus will weaken over time' It must be mentioned here that the creator of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Dame Sarah Gilbert said that deadly coronavirus will have no space to evade the immune system in the coming days. His statement comes a month after the World Health Organisation warned that COVID-19 may be nearing some kind of stage of 'endemicity.' Gilbert further claimed that the virus will weaken over time which will eventually stop the deadly infection from spreading. Explaining further about the spreading tendency of the virus, the scientist said that the SARS-CoV-2 virus would grow less virulent over time. (Image: Pixabay/Representative) Since United Kingdom refused to accept African COVID vaccine certificates, Chief of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr John Nkengasong questioned the "confusing" policy. Why is the UK sending vaccines to Africa if they would not recognise its validity, the health agency chief asked. It is to be noted that last week the Boris Johnson-led government removed several countries from its "red list." Most countries receiving the AstraZeneca vaccines, which were identical to those made in Europe, were left out. The move was met with muted outcry from Africa and India as well. Speaking at a news briefing African CDC Chief Dr John warned that the UK's reluctance could have "far-reaching implications" for vaccine campaigns leading to enhanced COVID vaccine hesitancy. He also asserted, the "message creates confusion within our population...creating more reticence, reluctance for people to receive vaccines." Perplexed by UK's stance, he questioned the "solidarity and co-operation" that was deemed necessary to "emerge from this pandemic." UK's decision to necessitate travellers outside EU countries to quarantine for 10 days also infuriated the African mass. They dubbed the policy as "discriminatory." The fresh vaccine-linked curbs have also enraged Indian travellers, who will be considered "unvaccinated" if inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccines (called Covishield in India). According to reports, the African and the Indian authorities have taken up the matter with the UK authorities to find a common ground for "mutual recognition" of the vaccine certificates. World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Africa, Dr Richard Mihigo also echoed the ideas of Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in this regard. British High Commission in Kenya has also said that it is working with the government to reach a mutual decision. New UK COVID vaccine rules Abiding by the latest developments around the world, the UK PM Johnson government unveiled its new International COVID-related travel rules that will be effective from October 1. Reportedly, the government revoked its multi-disciplinary "red, green, amber traffic light system" to a single "red list" to simplify travel measures for arrivers from around the world, the Associated Press reported. Under the reformed UK COVID vaccine rules, people administered with double doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca and a single shot of J&J will be pre-approved "under vaccination program in Europe, UK." Meanwhile, the UK has left other nations like Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland to decide its health and travel policies on its own. With inputs from AP Image: AP (representative) The people of Namibia have been protesting outside the country's parliament. The protesters have been demanding the renegotiation of the deal with the German government, reported Africa News. The Namibian Parliament was debating about the settlement agreement with the German government after Germany recognised committing genocide during its colonial occupation. The people marched to the Parliament and were shouting against the agreement between the German and Namibian governments. In the footage that emerged, infuriated demonstrates stormed the parliament building in Namibia amid the debates. Addressing the parliament on September 22, Esther Muinjangue, president of the opposition National Unity Democratic Organisation party asserted that many of the opposition parties and affected community have been rejecting the deal, reported Africa News. Muinjangue added that the document aimed for reparations instead of restitution. People protest against Germany-Namibia settlement agreement Defence Minister Frans Kapofi defended the agreement by saying it was "an achievement, of some measure". Kapofi added that the German government committed to responsibility for the genocide. Furthermore, the defence minister stated that they had taken up the issue of reparation amount, reported Africa News. On September 21, the opposition parties and members of the genocide community handed over the petition to Prof. Loide Kasingo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who received it on behalf of the Speaker Prof. Peter Katjavavi. The people of the affected community have been demanding restarting the negotiation with the German government that included the people of affected communities. In May this year, the German and Namibia governments had agreed to the deal in which the German government committed to spending $1.3 billion, focusing mainly on development projects, according to AP. The agreement was the result of more than five years of talks with Namibia. Germany and Namibia authorities began talks in 2015, after more than 10 years of the visit of the then-Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. Reportedly, Zeul had offered Germanys first apology for the killings. Image: Twitter/@ed28990343 Inputs from AP Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Zhao Lijian voiced opposition to sanctions imposed by the United States on Ethiopia and extended support for the African nation. The White House has imposed sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in a conflict gripping the Tigray region. According to the reports, the ten months of conflict have forced hundreds of thousands of people into famine. Zhao, during a press briefing on September 22, Wednesday, termed the sanctions an "unnecessary step" by US authorities. He said that the Communist government always holds that international law and basic norms governing international relations must be adhered to in state-to-state relations. China opposes wanton pressure through sanctions or the threat of imposing sanctions to interfere in other countries internal affairs, Zhao added. Further, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson appealed to the United States to prudently handle the issues of Ethiopia and urged to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the African country. "We believe that Ethiopia, as China's important cooperative partner in Africa, has the wisdom and capability to properly resolve internal differences, and hope the country could achieve national reconciliation and restore peace and stability at an early date," Zhao said during a press conference on Wednesday. 'US sanctions are meant to bring relief to the long-suffering people' It is worth mentioning that the 10-month conflict in the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia has grown from a political fight into a more serious war threatening stability in and around the African country. The fighting has triggered Africa's most populous country to witness the world's largest hunger crisis in a decade. Despite multiple warnings of invoking sanctions by the US, the country has not replied on a positive note. Subsequently, US President Joe Bidens executive order gives the Treasury and State departments authority to impose sanctions against leaders of all sides in the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the executive order "underscores our resolve to use every appropriate tool at our disposal to bring relief to the long-suffering people of the region." (With inputs from ANI and AP, Image: ANI) A COVID-19 vaccine booster programme will open for vulnerable people in Ireland. Taking to Twitter, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that over seven million vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far and that they have "one of the highest vaccination rates anywhere in the world". In the video shared on Twitter, Donnelly said that the authorities will begin booster shots for immunocompromised people from next week. Booster shot for immunocompromised people Speaking about the third-dose campaign, Donnelly said that the HSE and clinical workers are "working really well" to identify and contact the people who are eligible for the third dose of vaccine. Donnelly stated that more than 91% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated. Stephen Donnelly said that Ireland has one of the highest vaccination rates anywhere in the world. He also spoke about "vaccination week", which will take place at colleges and universities from Monday. Donnelly said that it will provide a great opportunity for the students to get vaccinated, irrespective of whether it's the first dose or the second. From next week our COVID-19 vaccine programme will begin third doses for immunocompromised. College vaccination week also takes place with pop-ups in third-level college. Here's an update. #ForUsAll@roinnslainte @HSEImm @HSELive @merrionstreet pic.twitter.com/Jm2m4sCMP9 Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) September 24, 2021 Irish Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid told RTE's Morning Ireland that people who with serious immune system will be informed about their appointment of a booster shot of the COVID vaccine. Appointments will start being administered on Wednesday and the third dose of the vaccine will first be given on Friday. Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Paul Reid said that the authorities would contact the people who are deemed at the highest risk. Reid added that the risk would be determined by clinical teams. Reed stated that the booster programme will be completed over a period of five to six weeks. Paul Reid further mentioned that they have been working with the National Immunisation Advisory Council (NIAC), who set out the recommendations for the booster programme. COVID-19 situation in Ireland According to Ireland Health Ministry, as of September 23, the overall tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 380,720. The total number of fatalities due to coronavirus stands at 5,209. 3,759,608 have received one dose of COVID vaccine while 3,408,067 people have been fully vaccinated. Image: PTI Following the "confusion" created by the United Kingdom's new laws regarding ID cards and passports, concerns have been raised over the fact that the European Union citizens residing in the United Kingdom might not get permission to board flights into the nation. As per the Guardian, the European Union nationals, who do not have post-Brexit permission to remain in the UK, will be unable to utilise their EU, EEA, or Swiss national ID cards to enter the nation from 1 October. Under post-Brexit immigration regulations, EU residents, who are not permanently residing in the UK, will be obliged to produce a passport for visa stay or short visit. However, those who are settled in the UK can keep their ID cards till the year 2025. Although, EU member countries have granted British citizens simple residency rights, yet, the UK government has divided EU nationals into three categories such as pre-settled recognition and settled status for those who have lived in the nation for less than five years or for five years or more, and the third category for the 450,000 EU citizens, who are still waiting for the Home Office's decision that whether they will be given a certificate. New laws create degree of complication for airlines As the UK has not provided any physical citizenship certificates to EU nationals residing in the country post-Brexit, Brussels believes that airlines would fail to recognise the difference at boarding gates. To avoid any confusion, the airline authorities will have to connect to a government portal and verify the passenger's status using a digital code generated on their laptop or phone. The issue was discussed during a conference of the UK-EU specialised committee on individuals' rights last week, which included representatives from the European Commission and the British government. According to the Guardian, one EU ambassador stated that the laws are quite transparent in the UK, yet the main concerns are that the airlines are unaware of the law. According to the Guardian, campaign groups for the rights of EU citizens are also worried. The3million's head of policy, Luke Piper stated that the change in the regulatory will create an additional degree of complication for airlines. Further, Ryanair airlines added that the passengers, who are having resident status in the UK as well as those who are not restricted to EU pre-settlement and settlement procedures, will continue to be allowed to fly towards the UK with the ID cards. (Image: AP) Germany's political parties prepared to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters Friday, two days before a national election that will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel after 16 years in power. Merkel's center-right Union bloc and its candidate for chancellorship, Armin Laschet, have made small gains in the polls in recent weeks. But it remains narrowly behind the center-left Social Democrats, headed by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. The Greens, who are putting forward their own candidate for chancellor for the first time, are trailing in third place, but could play kingmakers when it comes to forming a government. Merkel's party has struggled to energize its traditional base, which has so far failed to warm to Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state. "The key question is whether these voters will overcome the Laschet hurdle and vote for the Union despite Laschet" said Peter Matuschek of the polling company Forsa. "Or will they abstain from the vote or even choose another party." The Union bloc will hold its last big rally in Munich, while the Social Democrats are holding an event in the western city of Cologne. The Greens will stage their rally in nearby Duesseldorf. Climate change has been cited as the most important issue by many in this election - youth groups plan to stage a large protest outside the chancellery Friday to demand tougher action on climate change. "When making their election decision, people naturally don't just look at one issue, but actually want to know which party they are most likely to trust to solve this multitude of problems. In other words, topics are one thing, but what people trust the parties to do is another decisive factor," Matuschek said, adding that the issue of climate is the most important for the Green voters, but for many other voters, groups or party supporters, it is an important issue, but only one among many. The economy and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic have also played an important role during the campaign. About 60.4 million Germans are eligible to vote for a new parliament on Sept. 26. The strongest party will seek to form a governing coalition. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) In a major development, the Embassy of India in Italy has informed that the country has recognised India's Covishield COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Indian Embassy, the Covishield vaccine has been recognised after the G-20 Health Ministers' meeting between India's Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and his Italian counterpart Roberto Speranza. In addition, the outcome is also a result of the efforts taken by India's External Affairs Ministry and Italy's Ministry of Health, the Embassy added. As Italy becomes the latest country to recognise India's Covishield vaccine manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the Embassy also informed that Indian vaccine cardholders are now eligible for a Green Pass to travel to Italy. This comes amid the row with the United Kingdom over the recognition of the Covishield vaccine. As an outcome of G20Health Ministers' meeting btw Hon'ble @mansukhmandviya & Italian Health Minister @robersperanza coupled with @MEAIndia persistent efforts @MinisteroSalute recognises India's Covishield. Indian vaccine CardHolders are now eligible for GreenPass@SerumInstIndia India in Italy (@IndiainItaly) September 24, 2021 United Kingdom recognises Covishield; Indian travellers still to quarantine The United Kingdom on Wednesday revised its travel advisory and accepted Serum Institute of India (SII) manufactured Covishield as an 'approved vaccine'. The UK faced a massive backlash from India after it had repeatedly refused to recognise the India Covishield vaccine. Many asserted that UK's decision reeked of 'vaccine bias' or 'vaccine racism'. Apart from India, several countries were on a similar list. Even so, Indian travellers have been asked to still undergo a mandatory quarantine upon their arrival, despite being fully vaccinated with Covishield. "Formulations of the 4 listed vaccines such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda qualify as approved vaccines," the advisory said We are engaging with the government of India to explore how we could expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India, a British high commission spokesperson said yesterday. The non-recognition of the Covishield vaccine was also External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, during his meeting with UK's new foreign secretary. Jaishankar had asserted that the non-recognition of Covishield was a discriminating policy and said that the decision impacts the citizens travelling to the United Kingdom. Image: PTI/Twitter- @robersperanza Spain is planning to ban the sale of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic from 2023. The supermarkets and grocery stores will be prohibited to sell plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables to customers from 2023, El Pais reported citing sources familiar with the initiative. As per the report, this measure has been mentioned in the decree drafted by Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition. The report mentioned that the new regulation on fruits and vegetable packaging will apply to products weighing under 1.5 kilograms. Reportedly, the new regulation also includes measures to motivate people to buy loose, unpackaged produce and use of non-bottled water. A ministry spokesperson told El Pais that the new regulation will be introduced the combat the "overuse of packaging" in an effective manner. The spokesperson further added that the plastic pollution "has exceeded all limits". Spain to ban sale of fruits and vegetables wrapped in plastic The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, headed by Teresa Ribera held discussions with leading business associations and environmental groups. Ribera asked them to share some of the main guidelines included in the draft decree. Notably, similar legislation in France will come into effect next year. As per the El Pais report, the decree aims to include European Union rules into Spain's legislation. The report further mentioned that the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency will decide on the products that will be incorporated in the new regulation. The decision has been reportedly taken after environmental groups, including Greenpeace have been for years advocating to ban the wrapping of fresh produce in groceries and supermarkets, as per the El Pais report. Julio Barea of Greenpeace, has welcomed the government move but added that how the ban will be applied, needs to be seen. Reportedly, the government is making efforts to motivate retailers to sell fresh produce without packaging and the customers could use their reusable containers. The report citing the source mentioned that one of the main aims of the draft decree is to make packaging 100 per cent recyclable and reduce the sale of plastic bottles for drinks by 50 per cent by 2030. Image: Shutterstock/RepresentativeImage China has asked Pakistan to further upgrade the security of Chinese personnel and projects under the bilateral economic corridor in the country, a media report said on Friday. The Chinese demand came after the July 14 bus blast in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in which 13 people, including nine Chinese personnel, were killed. Pakistan's Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, speaking to the press after co-chairing the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said both sides agreed to arrest those guilty of the heinous crime and get them sentenced by courts at the earliest, the Dawn newspaper reported. On July 14, a bus carrying Chinese engineers and construction workers exploded before falling into a deep ravine in the Dasu area of the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Chinese nationals were engaged in building a dam, which is part of the USD 60 billion CCPEC. At least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals and two Frontier Corps soldiers, died and 39 others were injured. China termed the incident "a bomb attack". So far, it is not clear if the blast was caused by a technical failure or the vehicle was hit by an explosion. Vice-chairman of National Development and Reform Commission, China, Ning Jizhe co-chaired the meeting on Friday. The JCC -- mandated to convene twice every year -- had not met after November 2019 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. China and Pakistan mutually agreed to raise the security of CPEC projects and Chinese workers in the country, the Dawn quoted Minister Umar as saying. The minister said since the bus blast work at the Dasu Hydroelectric project site had stalled, adding that the project was no longer part of the CPEC. Acknowledging the Chinese side's request for security, Umar said Pakistan realises that the scope of projects being handled between the two countries was increasing and so security needs to be upgraded as well. Meanwhile, the "iron brothers" decided to keep tariff and tax policies unchanged in the power sector. The CPEC connecting China's resource-rich Xinjiang province with Pakistan''s strategic Gwadar port in Balochistan is regarded as the flagship project of the multi-billion Belt and Road Initiative, the pet scheme of Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at furthering China's influence globally with Chinese funded infrastructure projects. In addition to the CPEC, China has invested in more than 200 projects in Pakistan. India has objected to the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (Image: AP) Afghan nationals are losing their lives at Spin Boldak after Pakistan restricted entry at the key international section to Pakistani and Kandahar identification cardholders. The latest move by Islamabad has escalated tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban as the terrorists are calling on the neighbouring country to open the border on urgent humanitarian grounds. As per news agency ANI, Mohammad Sadiq Sabery, the authority in charge of the border area in Kandahar said, "Pakistan is creating problems." Earlier this month, a huge number of Afghans rushed to the entry checkpoint of the Pakistan border, which led to at least one casualty. Notably, the patrol authorities on the Afghan side of the border have claimed that several people have died in the last week, from either dehydration or heatstroke as they were unable to access life-saving medical assistance in the Chaman district. ANI stated, citing a New York Post report, that witnesses have claimed two more Afghan citizens lost their lives near Mazal gate on Wednesday afternoon (local time). Mazal gate is comparatively a less frantic exit to the primary thoroughfare and is designated for local families and special cases. The news agency quoted a woman witness saying, "Three months ago, I went to see a doctor there [Pakistan], and the doctor has asked me to return to carry out an operation...But they are not allowing us." Another individual, as per ANI stated, It is very difficult; they [Pakistan] are allowing no one in. They don't accept the Afghan National ID [Tazkira]. Pakistan has restricted entry at key sections Reportedly, Pakistan has decided to restrict entry at the key international intersection to only Pakistani or Kandahar identification cardholders. But as per the accounts of those still left stranded on the Afghan side, the gates have been shut to almost everyone. The New York Post article has also stated that trucks have been backed up for miles, their perishables left unused because of the brutal September heat. Meanwhile, families are starving and scared as Afghanistan continues to fall into a severe economic crisis. The area has become a "military zone" in the past several days, as per Taliban officials who now patrol the packed space. IMAGE: AP The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has informed that thousands of Afghan citizens, who have taken shelter in neighbouring nations following the Taliban's take over of Afghanistan last month, require global refugee protection. As per figures published in a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, almost 4,000 Afghans were believed to be new refugees in Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan between 1 January and 22 July 22 2021, shortly before the Taliban overthrew the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan government. The UN agency data revealed that the number of new Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries had risen by almost nine times to 35,400 by September 22. The data also revealed that at least 19,300 additional Afghan immigrants have gone to Iran this year, with 10,800 going to Pakistan and 5,300 to Tajikistan. UNHCR on Afghanistan refugees UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was in Afghanistan from September 12 to September 15, to inspect the condition of the nation, after which he asked for immediate and ongoing assistance for Afghans residing in the country. Furthermore, the UNHCR stated that the border crossings by Afghans seeking shelter in regional nations have been restricted till now. Grandi had also visited neighbouring Pakistan to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with the countries authorities and to include Pakistan's assistance in the ongoing humanitarian efforts. The UN High Commissioner was in charge of overseeing continuing UNHCR activities in Afghanistan, including the deployment of a convoy of vehicles from Pakistan at a UNHCR facility in Kabul. While the UNHCR has not yet seen substantial refugee flows outside of Afghanistan, Grandi stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of Afghans who may be forced to leave the boundary and have urgent protection requirements. According to the recently published UNHCR report, there was increasing Afghan migration to Iran, mostly via illegal land roads, and possible refugee migration to Pakistan via normal routes across the border. Internally displaced people (IDPs) remain a major issue in Afghanistan. The total number of mass movement proportions is over 3.5 million people fleeing their houses to other parts of the country. UNHCR support for internally displaced people UNHCR supported about 340,000 internally displaced individuals in Afghanistan from January 1, 2021, to September 18, 2021. Non-food items were distributed to 181,000 people, hygiene kits were provided to 120,000 people, sanitary kits were supplied to 20,000 women and girls, family tents were given to 12,000 people, and monetary assistance was offered to 4,000 people with particular needs, the UN body informed. UNHCR added that vehicles delivered nearly 2,400 tents from Pakistan to Afghanistan. Approximately 7,300 plastic blankets, 11,520 comforters, 5,700 kitchen utensils, and 10,000 jerrycans were sent in another delivery. UNHCR has supplied basic assistance goods like this to over 180,000 individuals since January 2021 which also includes 6,500 individuals in the last week. (Image: AP) In a big endorsement of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Ahmad Massoud on Friday delivered his first speech at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. As per Afghanistan's local media Amaj News, National Resistance Front leader Ahmad Massoud joined the one-day meeting held at the University of Cambridge via video conferencing and also delivered a speech. The theme of the meeting was 'Ahmad Shah Massoud and the Future of Afghanistan'. Ahmad Massouds message for the International Ahmad Shah Massoud Conference at University of Cambridge . 1/2 @AhmadMassoud01 pic.twitter.com/ozBIn2Jv9b Panjshir_Province (@PanjshirProvin1) September 24, 2021 Earlier, 20 MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) tabled a motion for a resolution, inviting Ahmad Massoud to address the European Council and the European Parliament. This motion pertaining to the current situation in Afghanistan was moved on behalf of Renew Europe, which has a strength of 98 MEPs. Member of European Parliament, Bart Groothuis, speaking to Republic, stated that he 'commends' Ahmad Massoud's resistance against the radical insurgents' hegemony in Afghanistan and opined that the NRF leader should address the EU. It is pertinent to mention that the Taliban is making continuous attempts to get its government recognised. However, the international communities, except for a few countries like Pakistan and China, are not in no mood to recognize the terrorist group's legitimacy on the throne of war-torn Afghanistan. Recently, the Taliban nominated its Doha office spokesperson Suhail Shaheen as an ambassador to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the hardline fundamentalist group that recently formed a government in Kabul and has been drafting controversial policies in violation of human rights, has sought to make address the UN summit. However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a stern warning to the Taliban, stated that terrorist group will not get any aid unless it forms an inclusive government. Ahmad Massoud resists Taliban takeover Ahmad Massoud is the son of late Afghan politician and military commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who is revered for his heroic fight against the Taliban. He was assassinated by suicide bombers on September 9, 2001, two days before the 9/11 terror attack. While Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates after the Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, 2021, the NRF under the leadership of Massoud and Afghanistan's 'caretaker' President Amrullah Saleh tried their best to prevent the terror group from capturing Panjshir. (Image: AP/@NRFSoldier/Twitter) Sanaa, Sep 24 (AP) Flighting flared up this week between Yemen's Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in the country's southern province of Shabwa, killing 35 from both sides, tribal leaders and security officials have said. Clashes are now in their third day in several districts of the largely government-controlled province, including Bayhan and Usaylan, said the officials and the elders Thursday. Dozens have been wounded on both sides, they said. Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north of the country, forcing the internationally recognised government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore the government to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis. In Shabwa, government forces regained control of some of the areas that Houthis had captured earlier this week, the officials said. The officials and the elders spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media. The rebel offensive on Shabwa is believed to be aimed at disrupting a key line of communication through which pro-government reinforcements are sent to the central province of Marib, where fighting has been raging for several months. The rebels have accelerated their push to take Marib in recent months, while escalating cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition has launched dozens of airstrikes on towns in Marib including Rahbah, Sirwah and Madghel to back pro-government ground forces. (AP) MGA MGA (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that a global defense mechanism was needed to aid the fight against the pandemic. Szijjarto used his address to warn of the dangers of migration if the global health crisis is not curtailed. "The more serious the healthcare related and economic related impacts of the COVID are, the more people will hit the road and the more people will migrate," Szijjarto said. Szijjarto also pledged his country commitment to protecting its national borders. "We will protect our border. We will withstand the pressure. And we will continue to stick to our own right to make our own decision, whom we allow to enter the territory of our country and with whom we are ready to live together," the foreign minister said. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Following a bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that India and Australia resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. According to the MEA's statement, the two leaders reviewed progress achieved since the Leaders Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. The MEA statement read, The Prime Ministers reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders' Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. It added, During the meeting, the Prime Ministers discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. They noted with satisfaction the regular high-level engagements between the two countries, including the recently held first India-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Dialogue. Another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia! PM @narendramodi and @ScottMorrisonMP met today. Discussed regional & global developments as well as ongoing bilateral cooperation in areas related to Covid-19, trade, defence, clean energy & more. pic.twitter.com/4d4npxDPky Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 23, 2021 India-Aus to work closer to overcome post-pandemic challenges Further, as per the press note, Morrison and PM Modi also underlined the need for the international community to address the issues of climate change on an urgent basis. The PM highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environmental protection. The MEA informed that the two leaders even discussed the possibilities of providing clean technologies. The Prime Ministers agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience, the MEA said. PM Modi and his Australian counterpart lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora towards Australias economy and society. Both the dignitaries discussed ways to enhance people to people ties. PM Modi renewed his invitation to Prime Minister Morrison to visit India, the MEA said. The statement comes after PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Morrison on the sidelines of the QUAD Leaders Summit. The meeting between the two was the first meeting in the post-pandemic period. It is worth mentioning that the last bilateral meeting between Morrison and PM Modi was the Leaders' Virtual Summit held in June 2020, when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. (Image: Twitter) In the Northern Mexican city of Monterrey, a shelter with a capacity of 700 has expanded outside with tents to accommodate the 1,500 Haitian migrants that had arrived since Sunday. Mexico is trying to keep more migrants from reaching the northern border at a time when a camp along the Texas border has dramatically decreased. Days ago, up to 15,000 people were in the border camp. Selomourd Menrrivil, 43, left Tapachula to Monterrey with his family after seeing the situation developing in Ciudad Acuna and Del Rio. He and his wife arrived in Monterrey Sunday with their two teenage daughters. "Without work we can't do anything," said the Cap-Haitien native who lived for five years in Santiago, Chile, before heading north. "If we have work and paperwork, it's okay." Their ultimate destination remains the United States. Bus lines are not allowed to sell tickets to migrants without proper documentation. Unlike the thousands of Haitians who have been straddling the Mexico-United States border on both sides of the Rio Grande for the past week, some have decided to stay in Mexico. Haitian migrants flocked to the offices of the Mexican Commission for Attention to Refugees in Mexico City to request asylum. Most of them arrived from Tapachula by bus, and many have spent several years in Chile before venturing North. Mexico plans to begin direct flights to Haiti, initially targeting Haitian migrants already in Mexico's detention centers who have not applied for asylum. From January to August, the refugee agency received more than 77,000 applications for asylum, already above the previous record in 2019. About 19,000 of those came from Haitians. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) In a step forward, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended the use of Regeneron antibody cocktail- casirivimab and imdevimab for treating severely ill COVID-19 patients. It is noteworthy that the Regeneron drug is was the first-ever WHO-recommended treatment against Covid-19. The casirivimab and imdevimab cocktail therapy treatment was adopted by the US and also used for treating former President Donald Trump. Currently, the international organisation has urged the manufacturers to regulate the price of the Regeneron drug and ensure equitable distribution of the same. On Friday, WHO had particularly appealed to the producers to "reduce the price" after acknowledging the cost associated with the treatment. In a separate statement, the UN agency also requested manufacturers to distribute the cocktail treatment equitably worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. " WHO cautions in order not to exacerbate health inequity and limited availability of the therapy, patients who are non-severe and at higher risk for hospitalisation be treated and those that are severe or critical with seronegative status (those who have not developed natural antibodies against COVID-19 determined through accurate rapid tests) be treated; as these two patient groups are the patients that stand to benefit most from the treatment, the statement said. As per Al Jazeera, Roche has priced the Regeneron drug at $820 (Rs. 59,750) for India, $2000 for Germany and $2100 for the US. Initially, it was priced somewhere between $1,500 and $6,500. Following its successful implementation in treating Trump, the stock prices of the company shot up to $63bn in October 2020. What is Regeneron drug? All you need to know Roche's antibody cocktail 'Casirivimab and Imdevimab' treatment, formally known as Ronapreve antibody treatment for COVID-19, was first created by a Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche in collaboration with US-based BioPharma Regeneron. The trials have proven effective to reduce serious illness among patients and treat mild symptoms of COVID-19. The antibody cocktail is administered to treat mild to moderate coronavirus disease in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-COV2 and are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease. In May, India approved the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of Roche's cocktail treatment earlier in May 2021 to cope with the massive second wave of coronavirus that hit the country. The decision was taken based on data filed with the U.S. regulators and the scientific opinion of a European regulatory panel. The news was confirmed by Roche Pharma India MD V Simpson Emmanuel. In June, Japan has approved the EUA of Roche's antibody treatment for COVID-19 in the country after India. The cocktail treatment is also authorised in the United States and European Countries. Currently, Regeneron has filed for patent applications in at least 11 low and middle-income countries, said Medecons Sans Frontiers (MSF). Image: AP In a key development, the White House on Friday, September 24, hosted the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders' Summit. The summit had in attendance the leaders of all the member countries of Quad. US President Joe Biden, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australia's PM Scott Morrison, and Japan PM Yoshihide Suga took part in the summit. In his opening statement, the host - US President Joe Biden, said that the summit can be seen as 'democratic progress', citing that the US, India, Australia, and Japan share the same world view, and have a common vision for the future. President Biden asserted that the four countries were coming together to deal with the challenges of the present age - starting from COVID to climate change. 'We are making excellent progress,' President Biden to Quad member states "When we met six months ago, we made concrete commitments to advance our shared and positive agenda. I am proud to say today that we are making excellent progress in our motives in the Indo-pacific region," said President Biden. The US President highlighted that their vaccine initiative is back on track to produce an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine in India to boost global supply. Also, he pointed out the action on climate change with a new partnership on 'zero emission'. Concluding his statement, the US President said, "We are four major democracies who have come together. We know how to get things done, and live up to the challenges of the present age." After Joe Biden, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australia's PM Scott Morrison, and Japan PM Yoshihide Suga made their respective opening statements. According to reports, the summit will touch upon a variety of subjects like climate change, 5G technology, supply chains, critical infrastructure, and regional security. A study of documents released by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) made a shocking revelation that the UK government paid an amount as low as 104.17 (Rs 10,500) to an individual as compensation for damages incurred in clashes between British forces and insurgents in Afghanistan. The document showed the UK had rolled out a hefty sum of 688,000 (Rs 6.9 crore) as compensation for the deaths of 289 civilians in Afghanistan. Individual payments, however, ranged from 500 (Rs 50,500) to less than 200 (Rs 20,200). The analysis of the official documents revealed that an average of 2,380 (Rs 2.4 lakh) was paid to the families of those who suffered fatalities or injuries caused by the conflict in the Taliban-ruled country. The overall tally also included disbursement of 397,000 for 240 people who suffered injuries between 2006-2013. According to a Daily Mail report, analysis of the UK MOD by the charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) also included payouts for 189 death, including those of at least 16 children. The total sum donated to the families suffering from the death of at least one member amounted to some 291,000. UK's lowest payout The individual payments varied from 500 to 200, the lowest being 104.17 paid for fatality and property damage in Helmand Province in February 2008. Another household that suffered a loss of a 10-year old child was offered a sum of 586.42 in 2009. According to the BBC, the amounts were lower than the amount paid to the owner of a damaged crane or "a loser of six donkeys." The data obtained under the Freedom of Information requests were aimed to ascertain the impact of the British Military on civilian lives in Afghanistan. As per the analysis, at least 7,000 people claimed compensation from the British Army during combat operations in Helmand up until 2014. The UK MoD always sought to minimise the risk of civilian deaths through "rigorous targetting processes," Daily Mail reported. "Every civilian that is a tragedy...(a) risk that can never be removed entirely," an MoD spokesperson had said. Maximum child deaths occurred in Helmand Reportedly, most of the deaths occurred in Hemland due to fierce combat between UK and Taliban forces. The youngest casualty being that of a three-year-old, who, the BBC reported, was "killed by shock" during mine clearance operations by the British Army. In December 2009, at least four children were "shot and killed" by International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF). As per the records, a sum of 4,223.60 was paid a month later to compensate for the loss. The true figure of minor deaths during the tenure was around 86 with cases including deaths mentioned under terms of "daughter", "son," "nephew," etc. "These files do not make for easy reading. The banality of language means hundreds of tragic deaths, including dozens of children, read more like an inventory," said Murray Jones, the author of the AOAV. The casualties reported were assumable "just a fraction of the true number" of the overall deaths. The total amount of recorded compensation paid was determined by the common law principles, Daily Mail said quoting the AOAV author. The factors considered were "pain", "suffering" and "financial loss." (Image: AP/Representative) In a continued attack on Pakistan over its dirty game of terrorism, US Vice-President Kamala Harris took suo motu cognizance of Pakistans role during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, September 23. India has always stood strong against the act of terrorism and has emphasized the role of its neighbour in aiding terror groups. Vice President referred to Pakistan's role in regard to terrorism and said there were terror groups that were operating in that country. As quoted by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the reporters, On terrorism, US VP Kamala Harris suo motu referred to Pakistans role in that regard. She said that there were terror groups working there. She asked Pakistan to take action so that these groups dont impact US security and of India". Highlighting the need to move forward in accordance with democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world, Harris said that democracies around the world are under threat. She said to restore democratic function, we must strengthen democracies at home and it is incumbent on our nations to of course protect democracies in the best interests of the people of our countries. US exposes Pak terrorism The US is miffed with Pakistan over its support to the Taliban amid the Afghanistan takeover. Several US lawmakers and commentators demanded severe against Islamabad and disengagement with Pakistan. New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez and Idaho Republican James Risch, The top two members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, both demanded action against Pakistan for double-dealing in Afghanistan". While Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, asserted, We need to understand the double-dealing by Pakistan and providing a safe haven to the Taliban." PM Modi to meet Joe Biden Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Joe Biden on the second day of his trip to the United States to discuss the Afghanistan situation along with other bilateral issues. This will be his first meeting with Biden after he became the US President in January this year. During the 'Quad Summit', Biden and Modi will hold meetings with the leaders of Australia and Japan, to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region concerning China's growing dominance in the world. On September 14, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had said in a statement that the leaders will review progress made since their first virtual summit on March 12 and discuss regional issues of shared interests. (Image: PTI/AP) The Chairman of the Mahindra and Mahindra group, Anand Mahindra, has reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the United States Vice President Kamala Harris' meeting. He said that both leaders are at the pinnacle of power and they got there from "modest beginnings". In a tweet, Mahindra said, "Cynicism about politics & politicians is not in short supply. But I hope the significance of this encounter is not lost on us. One Indian & another of Indian origin. At the pinnacle of power at opposite ends of the globe. And they both got there from modest beginnings." Cynicism about politics & politicians is not in short supply. But I hope the significance of this encounter is not lost on us. One Indian & another of Indian origin. At the pinnacle of power at opposite ends of the globe. And they both got there from modest beginnings. https://t.co/Jwyo6Uk2fV anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 24, 2021 PM Modi-Kamala Harris meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US VC Kamala Harris, who has Indian roots, met on Thursday. The two focused on strengthening the India-US strategic partnership, regional issues of common interest, including Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. When the issue of terrorism came up, Harris referred to Pakistan's role in that regard. She also asked Islamabad to take action so it does not impact India and America's security. "On terrorism, US VP Kamala Harris suo motu referred to Pakistans role in that regard. She said that there were terror groups working there. She asked Pakistan to take action so that these groups dont impact US security and of India," Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said. On Friday, PM Modi met US President Joe Biden held an in-person bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden. In the first remarks, the POTUS said that he has known the Indian Prime Minister for years. He said that the US-India ties and bound to be stronger. "The PM and I'll be talking about COVID, climate change, Indo-Pacific," he said and added that COVID is the main focus for now. A house in the Canary Islands has successfully managed to dodge being engulfed by lava from an erupting volcano in the Cumbre Vieja National Park of the Canary Islands in Spain. As per BBC, the residence in La Palma has been nicknamed a "miracle house" on social networks. On Sunday, September 19, the volcano started to erupt, in which over 200 houses have been damaged, and more than 6,000 people have already been displaced. The only house made by bricks & concrete. (@alemonmay) September 23, 2021 $10 says this turns into another AirBNB novelty listing Tim Joseph (@timjosephuser) September 23, 2021 House rates will be hot for this place...oh wait Sumit Lingala (@SumitLingala) September 23, 2021 The eruptions of the Cumbre Vieja volcano are still progressing, and geologists are unsure how long it will persist. The image of the house which managed to escape the surrounding rivers of lava from the Canary Islands volcano is shot by photographer Alfonso Escalero. According to El Mundo, the house is owned by a retired Danish couple, Inge and Ranier Cocq, who have not yet been there since the COVID-19 pandemic commenced. As per BBC, the 'miracle house' was built by Ada Monnikendam along with her husband. Ada stated that the couple told her that they were relieved that the house has survived the catastrophe. Ada further claims that the pair told that they have acquaintances in the region who have lost everything as a result of the volcanic eruption. The status of lava flowing from Canary Islands volcano Several houses, school institutions, and some banana fields have been swallowed by the lava. When the lava will hit the water, it might produce hazardous gases, according to local authorities. According to the Associated Press report, the movement of lava on the island slowed substantially on Thursday, raising concerns that the molten rock may spread out farther in the upcoming period, causing additional devastation rather than just pouring out into the sea. While hitting a plain on Wednesday, a 600-meter-wide lava flow decreased to four metres (13 feet) per hour, stated the local authorities. It was travelling at 700 metres (2,300 feet) per hour on Monday, a day after the explosion on La Palma. Maria Jose Blanco, the chief of the National Geographic Institute in the Canary Islands revealed that a second stream of lava has come to a standstill. Blanco further stated that though the seismic activity on the island of La Palma has dropped to a "low" level, yet, molten rock continues to spew from the volcano. The lava has thickened as the speed has dropped. Authorities claimed it reached a height of up to 15 metres in some areas. It presently spans 166 hectares (410 acres) and is the place of residence for approximately 350 people. The lava flows might persist for weeks or months, according to scientists. The administration of the Canary Islands has announced the intention to purchase two housing projects for individuals who have been displaced and are homeless. As per BBC, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain has travelled directly from La Palma to New York for a brief visit to attend the United Nations General Assembly and will be returning soon to the Canary Islands to supervise emergency efforts. (Image: AP) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised Pfizer vaccine's booster shots for Americans above the age of 65 along with some younger adults who have underlying health conditions and the people involved in regular jobs. The people falling under these categories are at a higher risk of getting infected with the COVID-19. Earlier in the month of August, the FDA amended an emergency use authorisation for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for immunocompromised people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also in its recent meeting made certain recommendations regarding people who can get booster shots and their eligibility. According to AP, scientists are concerned with the US government's plan regarding the need of providing vaccine boosters all adults. This came after a government advisory panel on September 17, Friday rejected the plan of providing the third jab of Pfizer vaccine to people. This decision came as a huge blow to the Biden administration's decision of vaccinating the population amid surge of the Delta variant. CDC booster vaccine eligibility While FDA has allowed booster shots for anyone above the age of 65 followed by young people with underlying health conditions, CDC has made certain recommendations which include people eligible for the booster shot. According to it, people receiving cancer treatment, an organ transplant, stem cell transplant, suffering from moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency, having HIV infection, and undergoing active treatment with high dose drugs fall under the booster vaccine's eligibility criteria. In a release issued by the FDA, people associated with healthcare, grocery workers, the homeless, shelters, and teachers will receive the vaccine. It further said that the vaccinated Americans will receive their third dose after 6 months of their second dose. Today, we amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered at least 6 months after completion of the vaccines primary series in certain populations. https://t.co/xF8h0kmF61 pic.twitter.com/3dsIhM9MoV U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) September 22, 2021 The decision of the CDC regarding the third shot is yet to be taken as the experts are still speculating about the rationale for boosters. About 22 million Americans will be eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID booster jab, according to a bulletin released by the CDC. More than half of them are above 65 years of age. However, those having health issues and administered with Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines can get the third dose while others will have to wait since the FDA is yet to release a decision on their booster shots. (With Inputs from AP) Image: AP In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Leon Panetta, former US Secretary of Defence and ex-CIA director, said that India is an extremely important ally for the United States, particularly for security reasons. He also exposed the Taliban and Pakistan for their role in supporting terrorism. "This is about the Indo-Pacific, the ability of our countries to work together. We're facing challenges from China, Russia, terrorism from that region," Panetta, who was the CIA chief from July 2011 to February 2013 when al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed, said. He further said that there is a tremendous opportunity for US and India for confronting the challenges of both countries together be it the "pandemic, economic issues, AI." He asserted that our (India and US) ability to defend and prosper in the future will depend on how strong our relations are with each other. Former CIA director praises QUAD Leon Panetta said that the key to providing prosperity depends on strong alliances. "Ability to provide peace and prosperity depends on whether we have strong alliances. Quad is one of such alliances," he said. The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) is a strategic dialogue between India, Japan, Australia and the United States. Panetta on Taliban, Pakistan & China The former CIA chief criticised the Taliban government and their Afghanistan takeover. He said that the Taliban is going to provide safe haven to terrorism. "Pakistan was using their relationship with terror as leverage. Obama never trusted Pakistan so we had to do the operation ourselves on Osama," he said. Panetta further stressed that "we must be vigilant with Pakistan." Panetta also advised the Xi Jinping administration to not trust the Taliban. "China ought to be aware that they are dealing with someone who doesn't play by rules," he said. His remarks come on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden. The duo will also attend a QUAD meet with Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japan PM Yoshihide Suga. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President Kamala Harris held their first in-person meeting in the Washinton DC on Thursday, 23 September, during which they exchanged views on recent global developments and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. While speaking at a special news briefing, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that PM Modi and Harris appreciated India-US bilateral relationship. He also said that Harris noted that India had made a very very swift recovery from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister had a bilateral meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris. This was the Prime Minister's first formal interaction with the Vice President. He had earlier spoken to her on the telephone. And the meeting which was the first in-person meeting was warm and focused on several substantive issues of discussion, Shringla said. He added, Both Prime Minister and Vice President appreciated India-US bilateral relationship. Glad to have met @VP @KamalaHarris. Her feat has inspired the entire world. We talked about multiple subjects that will further cement the India-USA friendship, which is based on shared values and cultural linkages. pic.twitter.com/46SvKo2Oxv Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 The Foreign Secretary said that PM Modi and Harris even took note of the ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic through expedited vaccination. Shringla also informed that PM Modi invited the US Vice President and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff to visit India soon. He added that the invitation was accepted. PM Modi, US VP discuss areas of future collaboration Separately, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the US Vice President and PM Modi expressed happiness at their first in-person meeting. The two leaders warmly recalled their June 2021 telephonic conversation, and exchanged views on recent global developments including Afghanistan. They even discussed the COVID-19 situation in their respective nations and acknowledged the importance of collaborative action on climate change. The MEA statement read, The two leaders discussed the COVID-19 situation in their respective countries, including ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic through expedited vaccination efforts, and ensuring supply of critical medicines, therapeutics and healthcare equipment. It added, Prime Minister (Modi) spoke about India's push for increasing renewable energy and the recently launched National Hydrogen Mission. He also emphasised the importance of lifestyle changes to promote environmental sustainability. Further, as per the statement, PM Modi and Harris also discussed areas of future collaboration, including space cooperation, IT, as well as cooperation in the healthcare sector. They acknowledged vibrant people-to-people linkages as the bedrock of the mutually beneficial education linkages and the flow of knowledge, innovation and talent between our two countries, the MEA said. (Image: Twitter) One person was killed and 12 others were injured in a violent mass shooting at a grocery store in the state of Tennessee in the United States, according to police. The incident occurred near Collierville which is about 35 miles east of the city, Memphis, on Thursday afternoon. Police from other jurisdictions had rushed to the Kroger grocery store to cooperate with the investigation. The gunman died of a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound at the site. During a media briefing following the incident, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane remarked that it's the most heinous crime in the history of Collierville. He further said the shooter shot 13 people, including himself, and that 12 people were transported to hospitals, some with life-threatening wounds. As per the Independent, apparently least four of them were in serious condition. Victims at Tennessee grocery store shooting Brignetta Dickerson, a Kroger employee, informed WREG-TV that she was operating a cash register when she heard what she believed were balloons exploding at first. She went on to say that the shooter came inside and went on to shoot. While he continued shooting, Dickerson said that one of her coworkers was shot in the head, whereas one customer was wounded in the stomach. Glenda McDonald, another worker in the Kroger flower department, informed USA Today that when she heard the first gunshot, she simply fled out the doorway leaving everything behind. She even witnessed a supermarket bagger and a client being shot. Police action for Tennessee grocery store shooting Police Chief Lane said officers got a call about the incident around 1:30 p.m. and responded quickly, discovering numerous victims with gunshot wounds when they entered the premises. According to him, a police SWAT squad and other policemen searched the store aisle by aisle for anyone seeking shelter or hiding and transported them to protection. He even added that the police had discovered individuals hiding in freezers and closed offices. Lane said they did exactly the way they are trained to hide from any shooter. According to BBC, the assailant has not been recognised, and no motive has been offered. Police are looking into claims that he was a Kroger worker. Several ambulances and helicopters have arrived on the site to transfer the injured to a local hospital. The chief said that the perpetrator's vehicle was parked in the store's parking area and stayed there as part of an ongoing investigation. As per AP, Collierville is a developing suburban with a population of over 51,000 individuals and a typical family revenue of over $114,000 dollars. Tennessee has become the fourth state previously this year to authorise most individuals aged 21 and up to carry a handgun before even passing a state-level background check and training. Republican Gov. Bill Lee approved the bill into legislation. (Image: AP) Democratic lawmakers recently slammed the Joe Biden administration for its treatment of Haitian migrants at the Southern border after pictures showing border patrol officials using aggressive tactics surfaced. According to CNN, nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus demanded answers from officials over the incident that took place at the US-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas. The Democrats railed against the Biden administration officials who are yet to provide an explanation on what led to these instances at the southern border. The members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, director of public engagement and former Congressman Cedric Richmond, and Tina Flournoy, Vice President Kamala Harris' chief of staff on Wednesday, 22 September. They reiterated that they plan to respond to the actions by Customs and Border Protection with congressional action. In a statement, they said that they wanted humanitarian assistance for the migrants and an investigation of the violence against Haitian migrants. The Democrats even demanded public release of the results of the investigation and further called for the removal of Customs and Border Protection agents identified in photos on horseback brutalizing migrants. The lawmakers included CBC Chairwoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio and Reps. Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas, Barbara Lee of California. Gregory Meeks of New York, Troy Carter of Louisiana, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Yvette Clarke of New York, Ritchie Torres of New York and Steven Horsford of Nevada. They said that the treatment of the migrants will not be tolerated. DHS Secy warns migrants against illegal crossing Meanwhile, the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, on the other hand, travelled to Del Rio last week to warn migrants who amassed there against illegal border crossing. Mayorkas issued a stark warning and said, If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life. While over 6,000 Haitians and other migrants were removed from an encampment camp in Texas, Mayorkas defended the decision and called it challenging and heartbreaking. His statement included a response for immediately expelling migrants and for using horse patrols to stop them from entering the town. The US official and US Border patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that they would look into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips and their horses to push back migrants. However, both the officers also added that they saw nothing apparently wrong based on photos and videos. Ortiz said that it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers. He added that he would investigate to make sure there were no unacceptable actions by the agents. (With inputs from AP) A United States judge has directed the social media giant Facebook to let the Gambia government access the deleted posts where Myanmar officials promoted hate against the Rohingya people. As per The Verge report, the order by the District of Colombia came after Facebook rejected a request for the data by the Gambia government. The West African country seeks to use the same posts in a genocide case before the International Court of Justice in the Hague. The Gambia has accused Myanmar of violating the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide. Facebook has admitted that Myanmars military used its website to paint the Rohingya Muslim minority as a terrorist group. The now-deleted posts promoted mass murder, displacement, and other human rights abuses. The social media giant has provided the information separately to the United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). However, Facebook rejected Gambian prosecutors requests to access the data as extraordinarily broad and invasive, as per the report. The US magistrate judge Zia Faruqi ruled that the relevant Facebook posts were not meant as private communications that receive extra legal protection. The order quoted by The Verge states, Although some of the pages were nominally private, the Myanmar officials intended their reach to be public, and in fact, they reached an audience of nearly 12 million followers adding that Making their accounts and pages private would have defeated their goal of inflaming hate in the widest possible audience. US judges order doesnt criticise Facebook Notably, the order by the US judge does not criticise Facebook for deleting the content from the public domain. However, the order does say that the social media giant has not shown that giving the private backups of the same data now would be burdensome or violate any kind of users privacy. Faruqui reportedly wrote in the ruling, Facebook taking up the mantle of privacy rights is rich with irony. News sites have entire sections dedicated to Facebooks sordid history of privacy scandals. Additionally, Facebook is also asked to produce any other non-legally privileged records from its own investigation into the role that the social media platform played in the genocide of the Rohingya community. The records could reportedly help the prosecutors in the Gambia to determine how Facebook connected seemingly unrelated accounts to Myanmar government officials including which accounts were operated out of the same locations. However, the judge dismissed Gambias request for a deposition where the social media platform would explain the documents. Faruqui also said in the order that he came to praise Facebook, not to bury it. But he denounced the company for failing to cooperate with the Gambian government in the latters investigation. He reportedly wrote, Facebook can act now. It took the first step by deleting the content that fueled a genocide. Yet it has stumbled at the next step, sharing that content...Failing to do so here would compound the tragedy that has befallen the Rohingya. Facebook's response to the ruling In a statement to The Verge, a Facebook spokesperson has also said that the company is reviewing Faruquis decision. The spokesperson said, We remain appalled by the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar and support justice for international crimes adding that, Weve committed to disclose relevant information to authorities, and over the past year weve made voluntary, lawful disclosures to the IIMM and will continue to do so as the case against Myanmar proceeds. IMAGE: AP/Pixabay United States Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. During her interaction with PM Modi, Harris acknowledged Pakistan's sinister role in assisting and aiding the terror groups operating from its soil. Therefore, Kamala Harris has asked Pakistan to take action against the terror groups. However, it is also pertinent to mention here that the United States has also funded Pakistan over the years. Therefore, Harris' statement on Thursday also puts forth a question related to the same issue. Will the United States cut off or stall its foreign aid to Pakistan? US assistance to Pakistan According to the United States embassy in Pakistan, the country has committed over USD 6 billion in civilian assistance and emergency humanitarian response since 2009. In addition, it has also been stated that the United States was the top donor during Pakistan's 2019-2020 fiscal year. "Since 2009, the U.S. government has committed over $5 billion in civilian assistance to Pakistan and over $1 billion in emergency humanitarian response. During Pakistans 2019-2020 fiscal year, the United States was once again the top donor country to Pakistan of on-budget, grant-based assistance," the US Embassy in Pakistan website reads Apart from this, the embassy website also states that the US has committed Pakistan with USD 32.5 billion in civilian and military support since 2002. However, the US Vice President's statement may also indicate that Pakistan might be in a fix when it comes to receiving foreign funding from the US. Moreover, if foreign funding is cut off for Pakistan, which is already debt-ridden will only further its economic woes. Back in 2018, former US President Donald Trump too had come down heavily on Pakistan for failing to take action against terrorism. The Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and the Taliban active on its soil. Pakistan might face current account deficit of $12-17BN in 2021-22: Pak PM's ex-aide Recently, a veteran bureaucrat and former aide to Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, Dr Waqar Masood Khan predicted that Pakistans economy will be under increasing pressure during the ongoing fiscal and likely to face a current account deficit of USD 12 to 17 billion for 2021-22. Quoting Khan, the Dawn reported that Pakistan's balance of payments crisis is likely to be severe. Washington, Sep 24 (PTI) US Vice President Kamala Harris, during her maiden meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has "suo moto" referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism, saying that there were terror groups working in the country and asked Islamabad to take action so that it does not impact on America and India's security. Prime Minister Modi held the meeting with Vice President Harris at the White House on Thursday during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. When the issue of terrorism came up, the Vice President suo moto referred Pakistan's role in that regard (of terrorism), Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters when asked if the issue of Pakistan's role in terrorism came up during her meeting with Prime Minister Modi. According to Shringla, Harris said that there were terror groups that were working in Pakistan. "She asked Pakistan to take action so that this will not impact on US security and that of India. She agreed with the Prime Minister's briefing on the fact of cross border terrorism, and the fact that India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now and on the need to rein in, and closely monitor Pakistan's support for such terrorist groups, Shringla said. Harris said that it is incumbent on the two nations to protect democracies in the best interests of people of the two countries. "As democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world. And that we maintain what we must do to strengthen democracies at home and it is incumbent on our nations to of course protect democracies in the best interests of people of our countries, she said. Their meeting comes a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meeting between Modi and President Joe Biden and the Quad Leaders' Summit at the White House on Friday. PTI LKJ RS RS (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met United States Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday. During their meeting, both leaders discussed an array of issues and topics, including Pakistan-backed terror groups. In a big embarrassment for Pakistan, Harris acknowledged its sinister role in assisting and aiding the terror groups. Therefore, the US Vice President has asked Pakistan to take action against terror groups operating on Pakistan's soil. India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla informed that the meeting between PM Modi and US VP Harris were substantive and lasted for an hour. He added that when the issue of terrorism came up, Kamala Harris referred to Pakistan's role in that regard. "She said that there were terror groups that were working there. She asked Pakistan to take action so that these groups do not impact US security and that of India. She agreed with the Prime Minister's briefing on the fact of cross-border terrorism and the fact that India had been a victim of terrorism for several decades now and also the need to reign in and closely monitor Pakistan's support for such terrorism," he added. US VP Harris rakes up Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism; What it means for India? Harris' acknowledgement of Pakistan's nefarious role in backing terrorist groups comes at a critical juncture as PM Modi during his visit is expected to deliver his address at the United Nations General Assembly. Apart from several other looming issues, PM Modi will also raise the issue of terrorism and the need to combat it. Therefore, Harris' statement on Pakistan reaffirms India-US commitment to counter-terrorism and extremism. Speaking about Pakistan's role in terrorism, Harris categorically stated that the former should initiate action so that terror groups do not impact the security of the US and India. In addition, the United States has hit out at Pakistan on many occasions with the most recent one being related to the crisis in Afghanistan. As the United States left Afghanistan after two decades, it also blamed Pakistan for playing a role in Afghanistan. Even US lawmakers on multiple occasions have brought up Pakistan's role in terrorism. New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez and Idaho Republican James Risch had hit out at Pakistan. This indicates that the US is calling for action against terror groups based in Pakistan. The development surrounding this issue further cement India's stand against Pakistan and its role in aiding terror groups. The ruling Chinese Communist Party underscores its claim that Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests were fomented by foreign powers. Chow Hang-tung, a member of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, speaks to reporters at the June 4th Museum in Hong Kong in a Sept. 5, 2021 photo. China on Friday accused the United States of trying to undermine stability in Hong Kong, as the organizers of a now-banned candlelight vigil marking the Tiananmen massacre considered whether to disband when the group meets at the weekend. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China stands accused of acting as the agent of a foreign power, with leaders Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho, and Lee Cheuk-yan arrested on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," and the group's assets frozen. Chow was arrested on Sept. 8 and denied bail, while Lee and Ho are already serving jail terms linked to their activism, while four other Alliance members, Tang Ngok-kwan, 53, Simon Leung, 36, Chan To-wai, 57, and Tsui Hon-kwong, 72, have been charged with "failure to comply with a notice to provide information." In letters to members from jail, Ho and Lee called on the group to consider the safety of its members and partners. "Dear friends," the identical letters dated Sept. 17 and 18 read. "We believe that the best way forward is for the Alliance to disband on its own initiative, given the current climate." "We understand that the Alliance will hold an extraordinary general meeting on Sept. 25 to decide on this matter," the two letter said. "We publicly call on all Alliance members to support its dissolution." Chow disagreed, saying she would prefer to "hang on until the bitter end," even if it meant risking a longer prison term. She said in a Facebook post on Sept. 23 that she had been warned by a pro-CCP informant that she could face more serious consequences if the group didn't disband, although dissolution didn't mean it wouldn't face further persecution by the authorities. China on Friday accused the United States of trying to destabilize Hong Kong by meeting with democracy campaigners, sanctioning Hong Kong and Chinese officials linked to police violence and a "national security" crackdown on dissent, and burning electronic candles on the anniversary of the June 4, 1989 massacre. Listing dozens of meetings with pro-democracy figures including Democratic Party co-founder Martin Lee, former colonial-era chief secretary Anson Chan, and Umbrella Movement student leader Joshua Wong dating back to March 2019, China's foreign ministry said the U.S. had "colluded with those who are opposed to China and attempt to destabilize Hong Kong." The list also cited every piece of U.S. legislation passed to support and assist Hong Kong protesters, including the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, as well as then President Donald Trump's Executive Order 13936 on Hong Kong Normalization, which suspended the city's preferential treatment as a free port on the grounds that it could no longer be considered a separate jurisdiction from the rest of China. It quoted Trump as saying on Oct. 7, 2019 that Hongkongers "are flying the American flag," and referring to the protesters as "the great people over there," along with the sanctioning of dozens of high-ranking Hong Kong and Chinese officials, including Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, over the violent treatment of protesters during the 2019 anti-extradition movement and over the implementation of the national security law. 'Meddling, interfering' The U.S.' vocal support for the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper and its jailed founder Jimmy Lai was also cited as evidence of "meddling in Hong Kong affairs and wantonly interfering in China's internal affairs," according to the 100-item list posted on the ministry of foreign affairs website. It also cited official U.S. commemoration of the Tiananmen massacre by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which ended weeks of student-led protests on Tiananmen Square. "On June 4, 2021, the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong lit up electric candles inside its the office window in support of the so-called candlelight vigil staged by those who are opposed to China and attempt to destabilize Hong Kong," the list said. The action was listed under "making unfounded charges against ... law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong police in an attempt to undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability." The list also cited a ban on U.S. exports of police equipment to Hong Kong, including tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and stun guns, as well as an export ban on dual-use high-tech products to Hong Kong. The accusations come as Hong Kong police targeted dozens of civil society groups, journalists, rights activists, and protesters under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020. The law forms part of Beijing's claims that recent waves of popular protest for greater democracy and against the erosion of Hong Kong's promised freedoms were instigated by hostile foreign powers intent on undermining CCP rule and destroying social stability in Hong Kong. Jimmy Lai and several senior journalists at the now-defunct Apple Daily face charges of "collusion with foreign forces" under the law, after the paper called in editorials for sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials. China's list cited a July 7-11, 2019 visit by Lai to Washington, where he met with then vice president Mike Pence, then secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and other Trump officials. "Jimmy Lai lobbied for U.S. intervention in Hong Kong affairs, and discussed with the U.S. side developments in Hong Kong surrounding the amendment bill and the so-called "autonomous status of Hong Kong", for which he received positive response from the U.S. side," it said. Subversion charges Friday's list cited a July 14, 2020 statement by Pompeo supporting a democratic primary that led to "subversion" charges for 47 participants under the national security law, because it tried to maximize the number of pro-democracy candidates winning seats in Hong Kong's legislature. It also listed a July 31, 2020 statement by then White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany voicing Washington's opposition to the disqualification of opposition candidates from running for election in Hong Kong. Joseph Cheng, former politics lecturer at Hong Kong's City University, said the list could mean more sanctions are in the pipeline against U.S. individuals and organizations. "Their criticism of U.S. support for democracy is that it interferes in the internal affairs of other countries," Cheng said. "This list can be used to support further sanctions against U.S. enterprises or political figures." He said it would also likely be used as evidence in cases brought under the national security law. "The list shows that Beijing ... regards the charges and suppression of civil society groups and the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong as justified because they are in cahoots with foreign powers," Cheng said. "This list could also form part of the evidence they bring against these groups and individuals [in court]." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. A Chinese national who fled China after supporting the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong to seek political asylum in the Netherlands says his father has been arrested by police in his home city of Chongqing. Wang Jingyu, 19, who holds permanent residency in the United States, was arrested by United Arab Emirates police on , en route to Istanbul, and eventually released after calling on the international community for help. He is currently in the Netherlands, where he has applied for political asylum. Wang said via his Twitter account on Sept. 12 and 13 that he been informed by Chongqing's state security police that his mother Han Qing and his father Wang Bin had been detained. One email said his father is being held under criminal detention for allegedly "planning to travel to Hong Kong to foment chaos." "On Sept. 12 I got an email from a public account belonging to the Chongqing state security police saying ... that he is being held under criminal detention," Wang told RFA in a recent interview. "The next day, when I called the Chongqing police department, they told me that both of my parents had been detained," he said. "This latest detention isn't the first time my parents were detained." "My parents have been called in for illegal questioning and placed under surveillance at their home [for months]," he said. "I haven't been able to get in contact with my parents at all." "I don't know why [they have detained them now]," Wang said. Wang was detained in absentia by police in his hometown, the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, after he cast doubts on state media reporting after thousands of Indian and Chinese troops faced off in at three or four locations in the western Himalayas after Beijings forces intruded into Indian territory, according to Indian security officials and local media. But China denied breaching the LAC near the Galwan River in Indias snowy and mountainous Ladakh region. Indian and Chinese troops later disengaged from the southern and northern banks of Pangong Lake, in an operation begun on Feb. 10, 2021. Wang left China while he was still in high school, after he was targeted for making comments in support of the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong, he told RFA in an interview this week. "I commented [on social media] that there must be a reason why the Hong Kong rioters, as they were described in the Chinese media, were attacking [the Hong Kong police]," he said. "Then the school brought my parents in ... and expelled me from the school. The reason they gave was my problematic political views, which were having a seriously negative impact on the image of the school," he said. Arrest in Dubai Wang said he didn't think about fleeing China until later, however, when his parents were notified that he could be arrested by the state security police. "My parents used their connections to send me to Shanghai, where I could get a new passport, because my old passport had been confiscated by police," he said. "After I got the new passport, I traveled to Hong Kong from Shanghai." The State Department called his arrest in Dubai "a human rights concern," and U.S.-based activists made representations to U.S. officials in a bid to stave off his forcible repatriation to China. Wang was freed and dumped aboard an onward flight to Istanbul in a single outfit of clothing and flip-flops, holding nothing but his phone and a passport, just hours after The Associated Press began asking questions about his case, the agency reported on . An official source in Chongqing told RFA that China expects its extradition partners -- of which the UAE is one -- to arrest people transiting through their airports. Wang and his fiancee Wu Huan arrived safely in the Netherlands after a harrowing ordeal in which the pair were snatched from flights and hotels, illegally detained, and mistreated, all the while under the constant threat of repatriation to China. Wu, who flew out to Dubai to help Wang, was herself kidnapped on by Dubai officials in the Bur Dubai Police Station Detention Center, where she was held for three days. She was handed over to the Chinese consulate and illegally held by them until , when she escaped and managed to board a flight to Ukraine. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. It seems that she doesnt know when to hold her tongue, and she also lacks humility, said a Ryanggang province official. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, holds a bouquet during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam March 1, 2019. The shrill attacks against South Korea and the United States that have made international headlines for North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns younger sister are viewed inside the country as evidence of her arrogance and inexperience, government officials told RFA. Kim Yo Jong, believed to be 33, has made a name for herself in recent years for her comments in state media that lob crude insults at Seoul, Washington and refugees from her familys regime. Some of her greatest hits include calling people who escape from North Korea mongrel dogs and human scum, warning the Biden Administration not to cause a stink in its first step, and calling South Korean President Moon Jae-in a parrot raised by America. In her most recent statements, Kim offered a yellow light on President Moons speech at the U.N. General Assembly this week calling on North Korea, the U.S. and China to officially end the Korean War, saying it was admirable but setting conditions for formally ending the 1950-53 conflict. "What needs to be dropped is the double-dealing attitudes, illogical prejudice, bad habits and hostile stand of justifying their own acts while faulting our just exercise of the right to self-defense," she said in a statement. "Only when such a precondition is met, would it be possible to sit face to face and declare the significant termination of war, Kim Yo Jong said. Although public dissent is scarce and heavily punished, North Koreans grumble regularly in interviews with RFA about their economic plight, corruption, and incessant government demands for labor and cash. Many North Koreans, including some government officials, are not fans of Kim Yo Jong, either. The people dont think too highly of Kim Yo Jong because she always shows up and spits out harsh words at every important occasion in foreign relations, an official in the northern province of Ryanggang told RFAs Korean Service. Since her brothers rule began in 2011, Kim Yo Jongs rise to power in her own right led to her becoming an alternate member of the Politburo in October 2017. Truly weird group She was introduced on the international stage when, as part of a North Korean delegation to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, she was seated near then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during the opening ceremony. International media took notice of the seating arrangement and widely published video and images of Kim and Pence, but they did not exchange words. She spent a year away from the politburo starting in April 2019 but was reinstated in April 2020. At the time, her brother was rumored to be having health issues and some experts believed she could have been an option to replace him if he were to die. But she was demoted during the ruling Korean Workers Partys Eighth Party Congress in January, becoming a regular member of the Partys Central Committee, with her rank reduced from first deputy director to deputy director. Though she is now only one of many deputy directors of the Central Partys Propaganda and Agitation Department, Kim Yo Jongs statements on inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. relations still boost her public profile, said the Ryanggang official. Kim Yo Jong serves as a calculated spokesperson to reveal Kim Jong Uns position and views, and by speaking out bitter statements about foreign relations, especially about North-South relations, she is internally acting to specifically emphasize that she is the sister of Kim Jong Un, said the source. In June of last year, one day after North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office within its territory, Kim Yo Jong responded to a speech made two days earlier by South Koreas Moon, calling it sophism full of shamelessness and impudence. Then, who has professed blind and dumb to our advices to adopt attitude and stand of a master responsible for the north-south relations and thrown away trust and promise just like a pair of old shoes? she said. In January, she referred to the South Korean government as a truly weird group hard to understand, after Seouls joint chiefs of staff revealed that North Korea had held a midnight military parade at the opening of the eighth congress of the ruling Korean Workers Party. They are the idiot and top the world's list in misbehavior as they are only keen on things provoking world laughter, said Kim Yo Jong. No achievements or experience RFA reported in May that government officials were scared to be in her presence because rumors that she had officials executed for getting on her nerves had spread. Perhaps because deputy director Kim is still young, it seems that she doesnt know when to hold her tongue, and she also lacks humility, the Ryanggang official said. Officials often say at private gatherings, I hope that Kim Yo Jong doesnt show up here and there and act up, said the source. Another source, an official in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, told RFA that Kim Yo Jongs lofty position would be impossible if not for her proximity to her brother, and noted that although their father also put his sister in a position of power, she actually deserved it. Kim Jong Il put his only sister Kim Kyong Hui on the Politburo, but that wasnt until 2010 when she was over 60, and long after she had loyally helped him for a very long time, said the second source. Kim Jong Un hastily promoted Kim Yo Jong when she was in her late 20s when she had no achievements or experience This is so different from what his father did, said the North Hamgyong official. Another contrast between the two situations, is that Kim Yo Jong is very visible to the North Korean public, whereas her aunt mostly stayed out of headlines. Kim Kyong Hui did not reveal herself often and quietly assisted Kim Jong Il but Kim Yo Jong is not like that. No matter how important her work is, it does not look good to the general public that she shows up here and there and acts lightly, said the second source. Kim Jong Un lived abroad in his childhood and does not have many people he can absolutely trust within the regime, according to the second source. It seems he thinks that the only person he can trust is his sister. But it goes against the partys ideology and principles that prohibit nepotism, said the second source. Still in office after gaffes The second source said that Kim Yo Jongs recent demotion might have been a punishment from her brother. He may have felt at that time that it was not good for his sister to show off everywherebut she still remains in power, said the second source. Hosting the Kim siblings is a nerve-wracking experience for government officials, the source said. High-ranking officials are always anxious and feel like they are walking on thin ice when they are around Kim Jong Un. They feel like they have to read his mind. How stressful it must be to have to be careful around Kim Yo Jong as well, because shes always hovering around him, said the second source. Experts remain divided on the possibility of Kim Yo Jong becoming the countrys ruler if her brother dies. Some say that her increased exposure in recent years is a clear indication that she is next in line. In my view, Kim Jong Un had made the decision to make Kim Yo Jung his successor, Joseph Detrani, former US Special Envoy for Six Party Talks with North Korea, told RFA. Keeping the leadership in the Kim family is important for Kim Jung Un and it would resonate with the people and senior leaders in the North. Some may view her, if Kim Jong Un were to pass suddenly, as too inexperienced, but being part of the Kim family would address those concerns, Detrani said. Soo Kim of the RAND Corporation told RFA that true extent of her influence remains largely speculative despite her growing presence on the scene. We can assume that since she remains in the leadership, has been seen in public during high-profile events, and serves from time to time as her brothers mouthpiece, Kim Yo Jong maintains potential in the regimes leadership, (->.) Kim Yo Jongs recent demotion was taken by some as an indication that she is not the successor, but her influence does not appear to have changed, according to Su Mi Terry of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In terms of succession, I still think that she's somebody that is most likely to succeed, even though you cant say that for sure because they don't really have a succession plan, Terry told RFA. Given that their focus is so much on this blood line, I do think that she's definitely the most likely contender if something were to happen to Kim Jong Un, Terry said. The lack of a named successor could cause major problems for the regime, Ken Gause of the Virginia-based CNA thinktank told RFA. There would probably be some sort of collective leadership in which Kim Yo Jung would be part of that, representing the Kim family equities behind the scenes, but it's no guarantee that she would be able to step in and take over for him, said Gause. It will really depend on the power dynamics at the time that he becomes incapacitated or dies that will determine who will rise to the top, Gause said. Reported by Chang Gyu Ahn and Sangmin Lee. Translated by Jinha Shin. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Twenty at one work site are paid after they cut off power to the project, but more than a hundred are still waiting for their pay. Lao workers are shown at a Laos-China Railway work site near the capital Vientiane in a screen grab from video. More than a hundred Lao workers building a China-backed high-speed railway connecting that country with Laos have gone without pay for almost two months, prompting one foreman to cut power to the project to force payment to his men, Lao sources say. The laborers, who work in two villages in the capital Vientiane for several Chinese subcontractors, had been told they would be paid for their work at the end of each month, but one worker said their pay had been held back. We finished all our work, but our Chinese employer wouldnt pay us, the worker in Dong Phonhae village in Vientianes Hatxayfong district told RFA on Sept. 16. He said he would pay us later today or maybe tomorrow, but he never did, he said. We havent been paid since last month, and we have no money left to buy food. Were from Luang Prabang province, and weve been working here for four months, he said. Our employer promised yesterday that he would pay us today, but today has almost gone and we still havent gotten anything, another Dong Phonhae worker said, with a third worker from the same village saying he has never been paid. Im new here and have been working for more than a month, but Ive never been paid. And my coworkers havent been paid for almost two months. The employer keeps saying, Tomorrow, tomorrow, he said. A fourth worker frustrated by the delays said he would quit his job on the rail line as soon as he is paid. As soon as I receive my money, Ill go back home to Oudomxay province and wont come back again, he said. Also speaking to RFA, a foreman at the Dong Phonhae village work site said he has about 100 laborers working under his supervision. They earn between one million kip (U.S. $100) and two million kip each month, and the company still owes us all together 100 million kip for the work we did in August and the first half of September. A different group of workers from Dong Phosy, a second village in the district, said they had also not been paid by their Chinese subcontractor on the Lao-China Railway Project or almost two months, with one worker saying they had completed all the work assigned by their employer but had still not been paid. Many of us quit, and some others are still waiting for their money, the worker told RFA on Sept. 17. 'He never showed up' Another worker on the same work site told RFA the same day that their employer after speaking with his business partner had promised the day before to pay them that evening but never showed up. We waited until 11:00 p.m., and today its almost noon but no one has come now, either, he said. Our employer has given no reason so far why he cant pay his workers their salaries, another Dong Phosy worker said, adding that some workers at his work site had given up waiting for their money and had now returned home. I dont have any money for travel, myself, so I have to wait for my pay, he said. A fourth worker from the same village who had worked at the site for more than a month said his own promised salary was three million kip [$300] per month, but that he had not been paid anything at all. Our employer just disappeared, he said. My wife and I cant go anywhere, because we have no money. We will just have to wait to be paid. Im not expecting any payment from our employer anymore, and Im going back to my home in Borikhamxay province, a fifth Dong Phosy worker said. Labor officials keep asking me for a record of the work Ive done and proof that I havent been paid, but I dont have anything that I can show them. Most of the other workers here are still waiting, too, and the authorities arent helping us, he said. A constant dispute Other workers at Dong Phosy said the Lao workers and their Chinese employer are in constant dispute, with one worker saying their employer sometimes complains to district officials that assigned work is sometimes left undone, saying they wont pay the men until the jobs are completed. The workers sometimes say they cant finish their work because its raining too much, he said. Many Lao workers are not serious about their work, added a Lao supervisor working for the Chinese subcontractor on the Dong Phosy site. They dont work hard. Some fall asleep on the job, some others are high on meth, and some steal. The employers cut off their wages and sometimes call the police on them, he said. The workers must continue their fight for their pay, though, a labor expert said, speaking like other RFA sources on condition of anonymity for reasons of personal security. They should first keep demanding their payment from the employers, and if that fails, they have the right to sue their employers in court, he said. Lao laborers working for Chinese companies need to have a contract clearly stating when and how much a worker will be paid, though, said one former employee of a Chinese company working in Vientiane. If you dont have that contract, its hard to sue your employer, he said. Speaking to RFA, an official at the Lao Labor and Social Welfare Ministry said his ministry has not yet received a complaint from the unpaid workers, and suggested they launch a formal complaint so that the ministry can help them. Requests for comment from the Chinese companies working in Vientiane went unanswered. Some are now paid Around 20 of the unpaid workers in Dong Phonhae have now been paid, one villager said on Sept. 21, adding that he quit as soon as he received the two million kip [$200] that was owed to him. Ill look for a new job somewhere else. Here, the payments come too late, he said. Around 20 of us got our pay after we cut off power to the work site. The employer paid our money right away, another worker said. But almost all the workers who received their money have now gone home. More than 100 other rail workers employed by other Chinese subcontractors here have not gotten their pay yet and are still waiting, he said. Work on the $5.9 billion Lao-China railway link began in December 2016, with the project expected to lower the cost of exports and consumer goods in Laos and boost socioeconomic development in the landlocked nation of nearly 7 million people. The 260-mile railway connecting Luang Namtha province on the Lao-China border to the capital Vientiane is part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative of infrastructure lending and construction to support trade with China, and is now almost 94 percent complete. China is Laos largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner after Thailand. Reported and translated by Max Avary for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney. Human Rights czar Michelle Bachelet urges the international community to act before it is too late. A soldier stands guard next to protesters holding signs during a demonstration against the military coup outside the Central Bank of Myanmar in Yangon, Feb. 15, 2021. Myanmars junta has destroyed the countrys economy, education, health, and social protection systems and led it to the brink of collapse, the United Nations said Thursday in a report detailing a litany of rights violations by the military that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report, compiled by the Office of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and, documents how security forces have killed, imprisoned, tortured and denied various rights to the people of Myanmar from the militarys Feb. 1 coup detat until mid-July, and is based on interviews with more than 70 victims and witnesses. The coup has evolved into a human rights catastrophe that shows no signs of abating, the OHCHR said in its report, released for the 48th regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council taking place from Sept. 13 to Oct. 8. For this reason, the international accountability efforts that have been supported by the Human Rights Council must be pursued and enhanced Member States must act urgently to prevent a further disintegration of Myanmar into a nationwide armed conflict or state collapse. In a statement accompanying the report, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the international community, including the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to ensure that the situation does not spiral out of control. There is no sign of any efforts by the military authorities to stop these violations nor implement previous recommendations to tackle impunity and security sector reform, she said. This underscores the urgent need for strong accountability measures. It also runs in the face of commitments made to ASEAN leaders to cease the violence and begin a constructive dialogue among all parties. Myanmars military has attempted to justify its overthrow of the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government by claiming the party had stolen the countrys November 2020 ballot through voter fraud. The junta has yet to provide evidence of its claims and has violently repressed anti-coup protests, killing at least 1,121 people and arresting 6,718 others, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). In April ASEAN leaders agreed to a five-point consensus that would see the junta end violence in the country and enter into dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the countrys political crisis, however few measures have been implemented and the military has instead ramped up a crackdown on its opponents. This handout received courtesy of an anonymous source on Sept. 18, 2021 shows people attempting to extinguish a fire as houses burn in Magway division, Sept. 10, 2021. AFP Litany of abuses The U.N. report documented at least 50 detention-related deaths up to mid-July and spoke with family members whoif permitted to see the bodies of their loved ones prior to disposalreported visible signs of injuries to victims, including bruising, broken noses and ribs, head injuries, sewn-up incisions, and burn marks. In many cases, families received no information about medical examinations or investigations into causes of death. Children have been subject to arbitrary detention and processed through military interrogation centers, the U.N. said, while also allegedly subjected to torture and ill-treatment in custody. The report said that the militarys four cuts strategy of cutting off its enemies access to funding, food, intelligence and recruits violates a range of human rights as well as international humanitarian law in certain situations, including by launching punitive reprisals against communities following skirmishes with Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militias or during searches, which led to killings or injuries and forced displacement. In one example, in late May, the military responded to the takeover of several police stations and bases by a joint force of PDFs and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Kayah state and southern Shan state with heavy weapons and airstrikes in populated areas, resulting in more than 55 reported civilian deaths. Remains found after fighting subsided in June included 22 bodies exhibiting signs of execution, the report said. The U.N. also documented a rise in criminality, targeted killings and use of explosive devices by unidentified actors between February and July, including more than 130 deaths from shootings and stabbings since May alone. It said a majority of those targeted were said to have been current or former area administrators or suspected military informants. The juntas actions have taken place against the backdrop of a decimated healthcare sector struggling with a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 that has killed 17,266 people and infected nearly 452,000, as well as a growing loss of investor confidence that has crushed the countrys economy. The U.N. found that by April, around 200,000 garment workerspredominantly womenhad reportedly lost employment, as did as many as 400,000 construction workers. Health facilities, personnel, transport, and supplies have been subject to direct attacks by security forces, the report said, with the World Health Organization (WHO) recording 248 incidents between Feb. 1 and the end of June. The report concludes that the numerous human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of international humanitarian law, may amount to war crimes [and] crimes against humanity. The national consequences are terrible and tragicthe regional consequences could also be profound, Bachelet said of the reports findings. The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late. Attempts by RFAs Myanmar Service to contact the office of the juntas spokesperson for comment on the reports findings went unanswered Thursday. Protesters hold up a three-finger salute during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon, July 11, 2021. AFP Tougher approach taken Aung Myo Min, the NUGs Human Rights Minister, applauded what he said was a much tougher approach by the U.N. to hold the junta accountable for its actions. This time, her report covered more serious crimes, such as crimes committed during the armed conflicts and human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings, he told RFA. In July, Bachelet had called for international pressure to end the violence in Myanmar, but her office did not equate the rights violations in the country to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, told RFA that the report made it quite clear that crimes against humanity are taking place again in Myanmar and that ultimately the situation is sliding backwards to a worst-case scenario. They're finding not only that theres excessive use of force and deadly force against protesters but also systematic use of torture and abuses. And she is trying to sound the alarm to the international community to say, look, something has to stop here because the situation is so bad in Myanmar that we are now facing a human rights crisis of major proportions. While Western countries, including the U.S., have leveled sanctions against the junta for its actions, observers have called for stronger measures, such as an arms embargo. Robertson said the report now puts the onus on the international community to move forward with comprehensive sanctions and other actions he said would force the junta to end its repression of the people of Myanmar. We do need them to redouble efforts, he said. That is quite clear, and she is making the correct call by demanding that the big question is whether the international community will do so. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Facebook was slow to respond to concerns about how its platform played a role in Myanmars persecution of its Rohingya minority, a US judge says. Men armed with knives and slingshots walk past the ruins of a burning house in Myanmar's Rakhine state where thousands fled following a military crackdown, Sept. 7, 2017. A U.S. magistrate has ordered Facebook to release records and deleted content which, he said, helped stoke attacks against Rohingya by Myanmars military including during a 2017 offensive that unleashed a massive exodus of refugees into Bangladesh. Zia M. Faruqui, a federal judge in Washington, ruled in favor of The Gambia, which is seeking evidence of genocidal intent for its lawsuit filed against Myanmar at the International Criminal of Justice. In his ruling on Wednesday, Faruqui declared that the social media powerhouse, by its own admission, was too slow to respond to concerns about how the online platform played a role in Myanmars persecution of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority. Facebook has admitted that Myanmar authorities used Facebook as part of a coordinated campaign of hate against the Rohingya. Yet the scope and underlying proof of this conclusion is unknown to The Gambia, Faruqui wrote in his ruling. The investigation records will illuminate how Facebook connected the seemingly unrelated inauthentic accounts to Myanmar government officials. Specifically, these records may show which accounts or pages were operated by the same officials or from the same government locations. He noted that in 2018, Facebook began deleting accounts and other content used by Myanmar government agents. The Gambia seeks these records for evidence of genocidal intent necessary to support a finding of responsibility for genocide of the Rohingya, Faruqui ruled. Finishing his 32-page order, Faruqui noted that Facebook took a first step by deleting content that, in his words, fueled a genocide, but then did not share the content. Facebook can act now, he said, adding, Failing to do so here would compound the tragedy that has befallen the Rohingya." Locking away the requested content would be throwing away the opportunity to understand how disinformation begat genocide of the Rohingya and would foreclose a reckoning at the ICJ. Paul Reichler, a Washington-based attorney representing the tiny West African nation of The Gambia in the ICJ lawsuit, praised the ruling. It enables us to obtain from Facebook the deleted messages, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on Thursday, noting that the platform was used to deliver information to military units regarding attacks on the Rohingya. Facebook was one of the main weapons, he said. I am disappointed that Facebook was not willing to produce the messages voluntarily. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request from BenarNews for comment, but Agence France-Presse obtained a statement from the company. Were reviewing this decision. We remain appalled by the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar and support justice for international crimes, a Facebook spokesperson said in the statement. Weve committed to disclose relevant information to authorities, and over the past year weve made voluntary, lawful disclosures to the IIMM and will continue to do so as the case against Myanmar proceeds, it said, referring to the U.N. Human Rights Councils Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. In January 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Myanmar to protect Rohingya from genocidal acts, in response to the lawsuit filed by The Gambia two months earlier. The 17-judge panel based in The Hague unanimously supported the imposition of measures to force Myanmar to refrain from destroying evidence of alleged crimes that could be used in future hearings. One month later, a senior International Criminal Court prosecutor told reporters in Dhaka that those responsible for committing genocide against Rohingya would be prosecuted. Reichler said he did not know when the Facebook content would be turned over, noting the company has the right to appeal the magistrate judges ruling to a higher court. I dont think that would be worth their time, he said. A vehicle carrying Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi drives past protesters after a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, for a case filed by Gambia alleging genocide against the Rohingya population, Dec. 10, 2019. [Reuters] The judge issued his ruling days after The Wall Street Journal released an investigative series, The Facebook Files. The fourth part of the series included reporting that shed light on how the company did not do enough to stop incitements to violence while hate speech in Myanmar proliferated in 2018. Facebook executives described the Myanmar violence as a wake-up call to the companys responsibilities in the developing world, the report said. In Dhaka, Munshi Faiz Ahmad, former chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said he believed Faruquis ruling would assist in efforts to prove allegations against Myanmar officials. We have seen a huge amount of anti-Rohingya posts and comments in Facebook when the Myanmar military and the vigilante groups in the country carried out genocide and crimes against humanity, he told BenarNews. But whatever Facebook releases about the anti-Rohingya posts and contents would definitely corroborate the charges brought against Myanmar and the individuals involved in and responsible for the genocide and crimes against humanity at the international courts, said Ahmad, a former ambassador to China. $180 million for Rohingya The ruling came on the same day that Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the American ambassador to the United Nations, announced that Washington was donating another $180 million to assist Rohingya refuges in Bangladesh, Myanmar and elsewhere. The funding brings the total committed by the U.S. government to $1.5 billion, of which, $1.2 billion has gone to support 900,000 Rohingya refugees in southeastern Bangladesh, the U.S. State Department said. That includes the 740,000 Rohingya who crossed the border seeking shelter after Myanmars military launched its offensive in Rakhine state in August 2017. The funds also provide support to 472,000 Bangladeshis affected by the influx. We commend the people and Government of Bangladesh, who have responded generously to the refugees who have arrived in Bangladesh. However, more assistance is required, said Ned Price, the departments spokesman. We urge other donors to come forward now with additional funds to sustain and increase support for the Rakhine state/Rohingya refugee crisis. In addition, the State Department reiterated its support for the citizens of Myanmar. In the aftermath of Burmas Feb. 1 military coup detat and brutal military crackdown, our commitment to the people of Burma, including Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as members of other ethnic and religious minority groups, remains unwavering, Price said referring to Myanmar by its former name. The donation follows a U.S. pledge in May of $155 million toward the nearly $1 billion goal set by the UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, to support Rohingya in Bangladesh. It also came days after the Biden administration announced plans to allow 125,000 refugees to enter the country beginning in the Oct. 1 fiscal year, including 35,000 from the Near East and South Asia. A State Department spokesman said the United States would not discriminate based on country of origin. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. At least 3,000 soldiers and police have switched sides since the Feb. 1 coup. Police stand after they seized Sanchaung district in search of anti-coup demonstrators in Yangon, Myanmar, March 8, 2021. Around 450 soldiers and police in Myanmar have broken with the military junta over the past two weeks to join the resistance movement in opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the countrys democratically elected government, defector groups told RFA. On Sept. 7, the countrys shadow National Unity Government (NUG), made up opposition figures including former lawmakers who were part of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party and lost power in the military takeover, called on soldiers and police to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) of government employees who refuse to support the junta. According to the NUGs ministry of defense and Peoples Embrace, a group for defectors from junta security forces, 453 soldiers and police officers answered the call, bolstering the defectors ranks to around 3,000. Since the announcement of the Peoples Revolution on Sept. 7, an average of 33 people a day have contacted us, Naing Htoo Aung, the permanent secretary of the NUGs ministry of defense, told RFAs Myanmar Service. The 453 new personnel represented a 20 percent rise over the two-week period, the secretary said. Prior to that announcement, a total of about 1,500 soldiers and 1,000 police defected according to statistics from Peoples Embrace and the Facebook page of the Myanmar Police CDM Channel, another group of defectors. RFA attempted to contact junta spokesman Maj. Gen Zaw Min Tun for comment, but he could not be reached. The Myanmar Police CDM Channel said that among the 453 newcomers, about 50 had already joined the CDM and about 400 were waiting for the right opportunity to leave their units. Another defector soldier group, the Peoples Bosom, told RFA that many junta soldiers are starting to realize they are on the wrong side. There are more and more soldiers and police personnel who dont like what the army is doing to the people and they are becoming aware of the unrelenting efforts made by the NUG for the country, Capt. Lin Htet Aung of the People's Bosom said. The captain said that if more police and soldiers defect, the junta will become weaker and relinquish its power with less bloodshed. A member of a military family who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFA that the military has laid down tighter movement orders for soldiers and their families to prevent them from joining the CDM. Getting a pass to go off base is now impossible except for health reasons, and even with a pass they are allowed to leave with only the clothes on their backs. They dont even allow merchants on base. Soldiers and families have to go through a series of major steps to leave the family quarters, the source said. You can only leave if you are allowed to go. Even if you get permission, you cannot stay overnight. The military also does its part to cultivate political opinions that align with the junta among families living on base. Military officers often tell soldiers families that Aung San Suu Kyi had failed to do anything to improve the country over the past five years, and that it was not acceptable that a woman should be in charge of the military leaders, another source who lives on a military base told RFA. Despite the juntas best efforts, he said, many in the military are skeptical of the coup. The junta in an official statement said its leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met with military family members in Lashio on Sept. 19, nearly eight months after the coup, to explain that he had taken over state power because of voter registration errors during the 2020 elections, a claim that the junta has never proven. A resident of Myingyan in the central region of Mandalay, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said soldiers should join the CDM because they are now fighting not for the country and the people, but for the military dictators. "They have to join the CDM. When a person does something, it should be according to his beliefs. Those working under the junta are not fighting for the state or for the people. So what they are doing is totally meaningless, the Myingyan resident said. It would be wrong for them to fight for the junta. They cannot earn the love and respect of the people, and there will be no dignity or financial gains for them, said the Myingyan resident. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Ilham Tohti is serving a life sentence for separatism for his work to end discrimination against Uyghurs. A framed photo of jailed Uyghur economist and human rights activist Ilham Tohti sits on a table during the award ceremony for his 2019 Sakharov Prize at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Dec. 18, 2019. Human rights activists on Thursday called on China to release jailed Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, sentenced seven years ago to life in prison for separatism, for his advocacy work in northwest Chinas Xinjiang region, while his daughter says his family does not even know his whereabouts. An economist at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, Tohti pushed for a peaceful solution for Uyghur issues and equal rights for the persecuted group, submitting his proposals to the Chinese government for improving relations between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. Tohti also ran the Uyghur Online website, formerly at uyghurbiz.net, set up in 2006 as an advisory platform for Uyghur intellectuals to promote voices from within their community. The website also drew attention to the discrimination facing Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) under Beijings rule, as authorities tried to assimilate the ethnic group by restricting religious practices and use of the Uyghur language. The Chinese government shut down the website several times prior to Tohtis formal arrest in January 2014, citing the politically sensitive nature of its content. He was convicted by the Urumqi Intermediate Court on Sept. 23 of the same year following a two-day trial. It has been seven years since Chinas unlawful imprisonment of Professor Ilham Tohti. While the international community has called on China to release him from prison China has neither released him nor revealed his current whereabouts and health condition, said Dolkun Isa, president of the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress. We call on the United Nations to urge China to release Professor Tohti, he told RFA. The European Parliament, which awarded him the 2019 Sakharov Prize, should continue to push for professor Tohtis freedom. The repression of the Uyghurs has gotten progressively worse since then. China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a network of detention camps since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers set up to fight extremism among Uyghurs and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has mistreated Muslims living in Xinjiang, but camp survivors and former guards have described widespread abuses in interviews with RFA and others. Other abuses against members of the 12-million-strong Uyghur population include torture, sexual assaults, forced abortions and the sterilization of detained Uyghur women, and efforts to reduce population growth in the region thorough birth control and population transfer policies. As international awareness of the situation in XUAR has grown, the United States and the legislatures in several European countries have deemed the treatment of Uyghurs and others in the XUAR as constituting genocide and crimes against humanity. We should speak out Tohtis daughter, Jewher Ilham, said that her family doesnt know whether authorities have kept her father in the same prison during the past seven years or moved him. Since 2017, nobody from our family has been allowed to visit him, she told RFA. We were told that he was in the No. 1 Prison in Urumqi [in Chinese, Wulumuqi] before, but since we were not allowed to visit him, we are not sure if he is in the same prison or not, Jewher said. So far nobody has had any contact with my father. Whenever we call the prison, they never pick up the phone. Tohtis daughter also said that authorities also had sentenced one of her cousins to 10 years in the prison. The Chinese government should not only allow my family to visit him and visit my cousin, but they should also be released immediately along with all the other innocent Uyghur people who are locked up in the prison and in the camps, she said. The Germany-based Ilham Tohti Initiative commemorated the seventh anniversary of Tohtis sentencing with a plea to governments and international bodies to press for his release. [W]e call on the Chinese government to publish official information on [the] whereabouts and conditions of Ilham Tohti, unconditionally release him and his students, and urge the international community, including the U.N. human rights institutions, the governments, the European Union and all human rights NGOs to press for his freedom, said a statement the group issued Thursday. During a video conference on Thursday hosted by the Ilham Tohti Initiative, Chinese human rights activist and lawyer Teng Biao said that Tohti was given a harsh sentence of life imprisonment, whereas a Han Chinese dissident who was convicted on separatism charges would have received a sentence of two to five years in jail. Most Han Chinese people dont know whats happening in Xinjiang, and we dont say anything [about] the genocide, he said. So, we should speak out for Ilham Tohti, for the persecuted Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. I really hope the world, especially the Western democracies, can stop their appeasement policy and [not] be an accomplice of the Communist Party leadership, Teng added. Enver Can, founding president of the Ilham Tohti Initiative and moderator of the panel, said there is a changing situation in Europe which sees the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) getting too powerful and too dangerous for Western democracies. I hope very much that they build a grand coalition and stand up against the CCP expansion and against the CCPs violation of human rights, especially against the Uyghurs in this case, he said. Tohti, 51, has received more than 10 international human rights awards since his sentencing, including the Martin Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2016 and the Sakharov Award for Freedom of Thought in 2019. He also was nominated for the Norwegian Nobel Committees Peace Prize in 2020. Reported by Alim Seytoff and Mihray Abdilim for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff and Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A professor and popular Vietnamese dissident said Thursday that he has received death threats by phone after publishing a series of social media posts criticizing the use of Chinas coronavirus vaccines in Vietnam. Mac Van Trang, known for his critical voice on sociopolitical issues in Vietnam, said he received threatening calls after he posted stories on the Chinese vaccines on his Facebook page, including a letter he wrote to the Ho Chi Minh City leaders, advising them not to accept millions of doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. One recent evening, an anonymous man called me on the phone, saying that I shouldnt keep talking about it and should behave myself; otherwise I would put my life in danger, Trang told RFA. He also said that people are dying, and its good to have vaccines, and it would be a crime to prevent it. Therefore, I should mind my tongue! Vietnam is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases with the spread of the more contagious Delta variant, and large areas of the country of more than 98 million people have been under lockdown. Only about seven percent of Vietnamese adults have been fully vaccinated. On Thursday, Vietnam reported a total 728,435 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including nearly 9,500 news ones, and more than 18,000 deaths with 236 new fatalities. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health decided to allocate an additional 8 million doses of Chinas Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Van Thinh Phat Group to 25 cities and provinces, the countrys Tuoi Tre News reported. But citizens throughout the country have expressed concern, fearing the Sinopharm doses might produce hidden side effects, Ngo Tri Long, former rector of the Ministry of Finances Price and Market Research Institute, told RFA in an earlier report. Trang, 83, was a long-term member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, but he resigned on Oct. 26, 2018, when the party decided to discipline Chu Hao, a well-known intellectual who criticized the government. Trang currently lives in Ho Chi Minh City and posts critiques of sociopolitical issues on his Facebook page. It was not the first time that he had received such calls, Trang said, adding that threats were made after he spoke out about sensitive incidents in Vietnam, including a deadly land-rights dispute in January 2020. At that time, about 3,000 security officers raided a hamlet in Dong Tam commune to intervene in a long-running dispute over a military airport construction site about 25 miles south of Vietnams capital Hanoi. In our society, there are many people who have been indoctrinated for a long time that whatever contradicts the [Communist] Partys policy and guidelines is considered hostile, he said of the threats he has received. From the general secretary, prime minister, and president to others in the government, they always talk about enemies and hostile forces, Trang said. This has created a dangerous mindset among party fanatics who exist when the party exists, and who see anyone who criticizes it as a hostile force. In addition to the 8 million new shots, Vietnam has received roughly 50 million vaccine doses, including 20 million Sinopharm doses more than six million of which were donated by China and five million of which were purchased by Ho Chi Minh City, Tuoi Tre News said. Before the new allocation, 5.5 million Sinopharm vaccine doses had been administered to people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh province, Hai Phong city, Binh Duong province, and Dong Nai province, the report said. Vietnams President Nguyen Xuan Phuc traveled to Havana last weekend for an official visit, where he met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and finalized a deal for Vietnam to buy 10 million doses of Cubas Abdala vaccine. Italy has also promised to donate 800,000 doses of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam, raising Romes commitment to Hanoi to over 1.6 million doses through the COVAX program co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the World Health Organization; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Moscow police and city officials have warned the Communist Party against following through with calls for a gathering in the Russian capital on September 25 to protest the results of last weekend's elections. Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has also ordered the publishers of the party's website to delete references to such an event, according to two Communist candidates. Doubts have persisted among rivals of the ruling United Russia party and outside observers over the September 17-19 State Duma elections in the face of bans on opposition candidates and allegations of irregularities that helped propel President Vladimir Putin's allies to a new supermajority. But Russia's Central Election Commission announced on September 24 that it had validated the election results. Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova announced that United Russia won 324 seats in parliament -- 19 fewer than in 2016 but enough to allow it to change the constitution and cement Putin's grip on power ahead of a possible run in the 2024 presidential election. The Communists have insisted publicly that their event on September 25 is a meeting of deputies and therefore does not require official approval. But the Moscow mayor's office, the prosecutor's office, and city police have all issued warnings against unsanctioned activities, and said participants will be held accountable. Reports quote city officials as saying gatherings violate anti-pandemic restrictions. Roskomnadzor, meanwhile, sent a letter threatening to block the Communist Party website over its posting of details of the planned gathering. Many opposition allies of jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny had been barred from running for office and accused the authorities of censorship. Navalny's Smart Voting election-guide app, intended to evade United Russia's stranglehold on state media and politics, disappeared from the Apple and Google online stores on September 17, the day voting started. Moscow police on September 23 detained municipal deputy Sergei Vlasov and two other participants in a Communist Party demonstration on Pushkin Square three days earlier. Ekho Moskvy quoted opposition Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov as saying he was also detained on September 24. Meanwhile, Moscow police on September 24 announced the administrative prosecution of 30 participants in the Pushkin Square demonstration against the election results. A group of independent municipal and regional deputies has launched a petition demanding all results from all of the elections throughout Russia be invalidated due to numerous violations and irregularities in the voting. With reporting by Ekho Moskvy Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has told the United Nations that his country is willing to engage in talks to achieve a sustainable peace in the South Caucasus region following last year's war with neighboring Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia is ready for a constructive dialogue, which should lead to the establishment of sustainable and lasting peace in the region," Pashinian told the UN General Assembly on September 24 in New York. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the territory and some surrounding areas had been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces since the early 1990s. The two sides have skirmished regularly over the years. Internationally mediated negotiations under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), involving the so-called Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, the United States, and France, have been unable to produce a lasting settlement of the conflict. In September 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive that resulted in Baku regaining control of the surrounding districts, and much of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. The sides agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire in early November, resulting in in the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to the conflict zone. Some 6,000 people were killed in the fighting. It is unclear how many more prisoners remain in captivity on either side. Tensions since the signing of the cease-fire have remained high, with scattered reports of exchanges of gunfire. "We propose to complete the process of the return of prisoners of war, hostages, and other captives without delay," Pashinian said. "It is also necessary to resume the peace process for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs," Pashinian added With reporting by TASS The European Union is urging Russia to adhere to the norms of "responsible state behavior" after a cyberattack campaign targeted a number of member states. "Some member states observed malicious cyberactivities, collectively designated as Ghostwriter, and associated these with the Russian state," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on September 24 on behalf of the bloc. "Such activities are unacceptable as they seek to threaten our integrity and security, democratic values and principles, and the core functioning of our democracies," he said. The statement comes after Germany's prosecutor-general opened investigations earlier this month into a number of recent cyberattacks targeting German politicians -- attacks that the German Foreign Ministry has blamed on Moscow. Russia rejected the allegations, which came ahead of Germanys parliamentary elections on September 26. According to Borrell, the Ghostwriter cybercampaign has targeted "numerous members of parliaments, government officials, politicians, and members of the press and civil society in the EU," with the hackers "accessing computer systems and personal accounts and stealing data." He said the EU and its member states "strongly denounce" these activities, and warned the bloc would "consider taking further steps." He did not provide further details. On September 6, the German Foreign Ministry said the government had "reliable information" that the recent series of cyberattacks targeting politicians could be attributed to actors in Russia, "specifically to the Russian military intelligence service," known as the GRU. Germany and other EU members have accused Russia of cyberattacks in the past, with Moscow denying any involvement. Iranian authorities have confirmed the death of prisoner Shahin Naseri, who had claimed he witnessed the torture of champion wrestler Navid Afkari before his execution on homicide charges. Prison officials on September 23 said they are investigating the cause of death in Naseri's case. Two days earlier, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group quoted "informed sources" as saying Naseri had died under suspicious circumstances in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary after being transferred to solitary confinement. The rights group said the source told it that Naseri had been transferred to an unknown location on the anniversary of the execution of Afkari, who had been convicted of murdering a security guard during mass anti-government protests in 2018. Afkari was hanged on September 12, 2020, despite an international outcry after he said he was tortured into making a false confession, while his attorney said there was no proof of his guilt. Iran's judiciary dismissed the torture claim. Naseri claimed he witnessed Afkari being subjected to a heavy beating by two plainclothes agents and that he had heard him screaming. In an audio message recently obtained by RFE/RLs Radio Farda, Naseri said he was a witness to medieval torture against Afkari. He also said that authorities had threatened him not to testify about Afkari. We found out today that he was held in solitary confinement in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary to prevent him from making phone calls and giving interviews to news outlets, IHR quoted an unnamed source as saying on September 22. The source added that Naseri was not suffering from any health issues and that he was not considered suicidal. A statement by the General Directorate Of Prisons of the Tehran Province issued on September 23 said Naseri died 45 minutes after being taken to a prison clinic where resuscitation efforts, including cardiac massage and artificial respiration, failed to save him. The statement, which said Naseri was serving a prison term for fraud, theft, and forgery, added that the cause of his death was being probed and will be announced later. Following the announcement, the head of Irans Prisons Organization ordered a special probe into Naseris death, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported on September 23. The report said a deputy on health, correction, and education to the Prisons Organization had paid a visit to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary and "closely" examined the death of Naseri while also speaking to his cellmates. Separately, the police said Naseri was arrested five days after Afkari and that the two men did not have any contact as they were held in separate branches, Naseri for fraud and Afkari for homicide. The police statement said Naseri had a record in several provinces for criminal offenses ranging from fraud, to forgery and theft. Meanwhile, lawyer Babak Paknia said on Twitter that Naseri had contacted him on September 20 and asked for help. He didnt offer more details. Naseris death is the latest case of someone dying without official explanation while in custody in Iran. In a report released on September 15, Amnesty International said it had recorded at least 72 such deaths in custody since January 2010 despite credible reports that the deaths were the result of torture or other ill-treatment, or the lethal use of firearms and tear gas by officials. The rights group said not a single Iranian official has been held accountable for these deaths. The top U.S. military officer says the United States should explore ways to expand its military contacts with Russia as a way to increase trust and avoid a miscalculation. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said allowing things such as observers at each other's combat exercises would increase transparency and reduce the risk of conflict. We need to put in place policies and procedures to make sure that we increase certainty, to reduce uncertainty, increase trust to reduce distrust, increase stability to reduce instability in order to avoid miscalculation, and reduce the possibility of great power war, Milley said. Thats a fundamental thing that we should try to do, and I am going to try to do it. Milley made the comments on September 23 after meeting his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, in Finland on September 22. Milley said that military contacts between the two powers currently are largely limited to senior leaders such as the defense secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the supreme allied commander for Europe. But he said allowing military service chiefs to form stronger relationships with their Russian counterparts and allowing observers at exercises are ideas worth exploring. Milley, who spoke with an AP reporter and one other reporter traveling with him back to the United States, declined to detail the contents of his talks with Gerasimov, but a statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested that more open communication was discussed. The meeting was a continuation of talks aimed at improving military leadership communication between the two nations for the purposes of risk reduction and operational deconfliction, the statement said. Milley said that military-to-military contacts with Russia have worked in the past to de-escalate tense situations. Without being specific, he said there were a couple of incidents that occurred between us and the Russians over the last two years that triggered calls between Milley and Gerasimov. The U.S. and Russia increased cooperation on nuclear security and other defense issues after the end of the Cold War, but the relationship deteriorated after Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in 2008 and Russian troops remained in Georgia's regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Tensions spiked again in 2014 when Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and its military intervened in eastern Ukraine. In response to the invasion of Crimea, Congress in 2016 limited cooperation with Russia, prohibiting military-to-military cooperation until Russia ends its occupation of Ukrainian territory and aggressive activities. The law was later amended to say that it does not limit military talks aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. With reporting by AP The Polish border guard service says an Iraqi migrant has died near the countrys frontier with Belarus, the fourth such death in the area over the past week amid a surge in illegal migration across the European Union's eastern flank that officials accuse Minsk of fueling. In Brussels, the EU executive said on September 24 that allowing border guards of the EU border agency Frontex on the border with Belarus would be "a very good idea." "It is essential for Poland to carry out border management duties effectively. However, this should not come at the expense of human life. We urge member state authorities to ensure that people at the border are given the necessary care and assistance," a European Commission spokesman told a news conference. Earlier in the day, the Polish Border Guard announced that a group of immigrants from Iraq was detained last night 500 meters from the border with Belarus. "One of the men, despite having been resuscitated by a patrol and an ambulance team, died (probably of a heart attack)," it said on Twitter, adding that another person was taken to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. Poland and Lithuania are facing a surge in migrants, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan, crossing over from Belarus in what European officials say is retaliation by Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka for sanctions against him and his regime by the bloc. The two EU member states have declared states of emergency that deny entry to some border regions to anyone except border guards and security services. They are also building razor wire fences along their border with Belarus. Warsaw has not invited Frontex staff, saying so far that it can manage the situation. The Polish Border Guard reported more than 3,500 attempts to cross the border illegally from Belarus last month. More than 5,000 attempts have been recorded since the start of September. On September 19, the Polish authorities said the bodies of three people who had allegedly tried to enter the country illegally were discovered in the border area with Belarus. A fourth person was also found dead on the Belarusian side of the border. Following the deaths, the International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency requested immediate access to asylum seekers stranded at Belarus's border with Poland and Lithuania. The two agencies said in a statement they were following with growing concern, reports of pushbacks of people at these borders. Groups of people have become stranded for weeks, unable to access any form of assistance, asylum or basic services. Many were left in dire situations, exposed to the elements, suffering from hypothermia. Some were rescued from swamps." Addressing the UN Human Rights Council on September 24, the world body's human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, called on Belarus's neighbors to protect asylum seekers. "I take this opportunity to remind all governments that under international law, no one should ever be prevented from seeking asylum or other forms of international protection," Bachelet said, adding that illegal migrants and asylum seekers are entitled to food, water, and medical care. She also said that any asylum claims should be examined individually. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki insisted that Poland was providing assistance, writing in a Facebook post, "We try to help and save the lives and health of all illegal migrants who have crossed the border into Poland and have been found in time. The inflow of migrants at the Polish and Lithuanian borders began after the EU imposed several rounds of financial penalties against Lukashenka, his inner circle, and key state-owned companies in response to Lukashenka's brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, the opposition, and independent media following a disputed presidential election in August 2020. The opposition says the election was rigged, while the EU, the United States, and other countries have refused to recognize the official results of the vote and do not consider Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, to be the country's legitimate leader. Bachelet told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that more than 650 people were believed to be imprisoned on politically motivated charges, and there had been no genuine investigations into police brutality and mistreatment. Yury Ambrazevich, Belarus's ambassador to the UN rights council, rejected her report as being full of "unfounded statements and false accusations." U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Moeling denounced what he called the "politically motivated trials and severe sentences that have followed" in Belarus. With reporting by Reuters If Russian comedians think the authorities don't share their sense of humor, perhaps they can be forgiven: evidence supporting such suspicions is mounting. In recent months and years, several stand-up comics and other performers have faced prosecution. Last summer, Aleksandr Dolgopolov fled Russia after he was threatened with criminal charges over a joke he made about President Vladimir Putin. And last month, the Interior Ministry banned comic Idrak Mirzalizade from the country for life after he made fun of habits he suggested many Russians share, though a court later suspended the ban. The latest episode in this crackdown appears to be taking place in the Primorye region of Russia's Far East, thousands of kilometers from Moscow and the epicenter of its stand-up scene. This week, a court in Ussuriisk, north of the regional capital, Vladivostok, sentenced two local actors to short jail stints because of their appearances in an online comedy sketch ribbing local officials and the ruling United Russia party. The show in question is a series of comedy sketches featuring Vitaly Nalivkin, a fictional official who brutishly harangues corrupt subordinates, fights forest fires, and trumpets various made-up draconic initiatives in Ussuriisk and surrounding areas, like forced vaccination at gunpoint. The show often alludes to actual Russian government policy, not always in a flattering way. On September 21, the actor who plays Nalivkin, Andrei Neretin, was jailed for two days on charges of "disrespecting society" after he allegedly cursed in a public place. Neretin was ultimately fined 500 rubles ($7). Two days later, an actress on the show was sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined 1,000 rubles ($14) for wearing a police uniform on set without official permission, a violation of Russian law. Larisa Krivonosova, 43, had played the role of Marina Vulf, a fictional Interior Ministry spokeswoman who local media report was a parody of real-life spokeswoman Irina Volk. The series has been airing online for more than two years and is wildly popular, with many episodes posted to YouTube gathering upwards of 2 million views. But coming in the wake of a major crackdown on dissent in Russia, which was stepped up in the weeks before parliamentary and local elections on September 17-19, it has clearly ruffled some feathers. The plot of its latest installment may give a clue as to why. In the episode, which has more than 700,000 views on YouTube, Nalivkin uses a rocket launcher in a bungled attempt to neutralize a hidden bomb that turns out to be a bag of carrots. In the process he destroys a banner promoting United Russia and replaces it with another -- which has an uncanny resemblance to a famous photo of Putin in which he sits in an armchair with his hands splayed, posing for a cover photograph for U.S. publication Time. Intimidation of comedians is not a new thing in Russia. During Putin's first term as president, between 2000 and 2004, the popular TV satire Kukly (Puppets) was removed from the air amid reports that Putin -- whom it parodied, among other officials -- had taken personal offense at his depiction. Exiting the Ussuriisk courthouse on September 23, Krivonosova told a local news site that she had previously had "certain run-ins with law enforcement." But she made no bones about what she suggested was the political nature of her jailing and fine. "Clearly someone wasn't happy about my career trajectory," she said. "Stars are made not in days, but in seconds." The Siberia.Realities desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service contributed to this report A top manager of Russian natural-gas producer Novatek has been arrested in the United States on tax-evasion charges related to offshore bank accounts allegedly holding tens of millions of dollars. The U.S. Department of Justice said on September 23 that Mark Gyetvay was arrested after a federal grand jury in Florida indicted him the day before. Novatek is Russia's biggest independent producer of natural gas. Gyetvay has served as the face of the company to Western investors and is listed as deputy chairman of the management board on the company's website. Gyetvay is accused of defrauding the United States by concealing his ownership of offshore assets and by failing to pay taxes on millions of dollars of income. As part of his compensation package as Novatek's chief financial officer from 2003 to 2014, Gyetvay allegedly received stock options or other stock-based compensation. Beginning in 2005, Gyetvay allegedly opened the first of two Swiss bank accounts to hold these assets, the Justice Department said. The accounts at one point had a total value of more than $93 million. "Over a period of several years, Gyetvay allegedly took steps to conceal his ownership and control over the foreign accounts and associated assets, such as removing himself and making his then-wife, a Russian citizen, the beneficial owner of the accounts," the Justice Department said. The department's news release did not identify Gyetvay's wife. It said Gyetvay, who worked as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the United States and Russia, holds both U.S. and Russian passports. Despite being a CPA, Gyetvay allegedly did not file his U.S. tax returns on time, did not file all required forms for foreign bank accounts, and some of the tax returns he did file allegedly were false, the Justice Department said. Novatek said in a statement on September 24 that it had yet to receive any official notification or requests from the U.S. government on the case. "Novatek has not received any official inquiries or other documents from the U.S. authorities or other countries regarding Mark Gyetvay. The company is currently investigating the circumstances of the incident. This situation does not and will not affect the company's activities," Novatek said in the statement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow was watching the case and was ready to provide diplomatic assistance. However, he added that Russia cannot interfere in the matter as it is an internal U.S. tax issue. If convicted, Gyetvay faces decades in prison on charges of wire fraud, tax evasion, assisting in preparing a false tax return, and failure to file a tax return. The United States is one of the few countries that requires its citizens to file and pay taxes on their worldwide income even if they live and earn their money abroad or spend the entire year outside the U.S. This means that high-earning Americans working overseas often must file and pay taxes in both the U.S. and their country of residence. The U.S. has a progressive tax rate that tops off at 37 percent for single filers earning more than $518,400. President Joe Biden has proposed doubling the size of the Internal Revenue Service by hiring nearly 87,000 new workers over the next decade as part of a plan to catch tax cheats. The case against Gyetvay is similar to a case filed last year against Russian-born billionaire Oleg Tinkoff, who was charged with failure to pay taxes on wealth earned abroad. Tinkoff pocketed a vast fortune when he sold shares in TCS Group Holdings, a digital-financial-services company operating in Russia, in 2013. Tinkoff lived for a period of time in the United States and acquired a passport, obligating him to pay U.S. taxes. Tinkoff gave up his U.S. passport in 2013 but still owed an "exit tax" that applies when people give up their U.S. citizenship. With reporting by Reuters Local media in Serbia report that several people were injured when a public transport bus veered off the street into a children's playground in the capital, Belgrade. Some reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying the injured included children. But there was no official confirmation of the number injured as the authorities continued to investigate the afternoon incident in a residential section of the city's Zemun neighborhood. One video showed a woman scrambling to reach a young child before the red city bus plowed at speed into a parked car. Images showed smashed equipment where the bus had torn through the playground. Based on reporting by AP, RTS.rs, Nova.rs, Telegraf.rs, and rs.N1info ARJUN KAPOOR AND TARA SUTARIA IN EK VILLAIN RETURNS Mumbai: Tara Sutaria, seen in multiple films that were featured with popular Bollywood actors and actresses. She in 2019, made her debut with Student Of The Year 2 starred Ananya Panday and Tiger Shroff. Her second film was with Marjaavaan starred Sidharth Malhotra, Riteish Deshmukh, and Rakul Preet Singh. The latest news now came in that the actress is now busy with Ek Villain Returns, this forthcoming project of hers to stars multiple actors including Arjun Kapoor, John Abraham, and Disha Patani. Advertisement Tara remarked her opinion about the movie that even though this is a multi-starrer film but she has been the part of the film that has a good space for everyone. High on co-existing with co-stars in film projects, she adds, Even though there are so many actors in this film I dont feel the pressure at all because we all have so much to do in the movie. Advertisement About Ek Villain Returns she says, When you see this film, you will realize that theres so much for all of us to do in the movie. Each of our (actors in the film) stories has a wonderful way of communicating in their way in this project. The actress also extends a special thanks to the director of the film for handling it all well. She shares, It is a director who puts that on you (gives equal opportunities to all actors in one film). When we have a wonderful-wonderful man like Mohit Suri behind us then there is no need to worry. He never made us feel no less than anyone. He is unique in his way of doing things. NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI FOR 'HEROPANTI 2' SHOOTING IN LONDON Mumbai: Most popular and one of the finest actors of b-town, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been located in London for some time now. He shooting there for his upcoming action entertainer 'HEROPANTI 2'. In the movie, he will be portrayed as a villain. Advertisement Sharing some glimpse of his shoot, Nawazuddin said, We have been shooting for a train sequence here and we needed rain for that specific shoot. We shot it on three different days, and can you believe it, every time there was natural rainfall. Every time we reached the location, it was raining; strangely, it feels like the weather is supporting our shoot schedule (laughs). Advertisement This movie will be leading by Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria, directed by Ahmed Khan. The actor has nearly wrapped up the shoot of his parts in Heropanti 2 and will be returning home soon. Recently, Nawazuddin Siddiquis kids, Shora and Yani moved to Dubai and attending their online classes there. When asked the actor about his chance to catch up with them, he responded, I have not been able to meet the kids now, maybe, after a month, I will visit them. NO SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE TODAY FOR PRTC AND PUNBUS AND ALL BUS STANDS WILL REMAIN CLOSED FROM 10 TO 12 NOON CHANDIGARH: Contract employees of PUNBUS, Punjab Roadways, and PRTC have started protesting against the appointment of the new Chief Minister in Punjab. Bus stands across the state will remain closed for two hours on Friday from 10 am to 12 noon. During this time no bus can get in or out. Those who are going to travel at this time may find it difficult to sit inside or outside the bus stand. Advertisement Gurpreet Singh, district head of the Contract Employees Union, said that during the last Captain's government, they had jammed Chakka. It was then decided that the salary would be increased by 30%. Then it will be increased by 5% every year. At the same time, we were asked for a week. Despite this, the government has not yet issued any notification. As a result, the workers have to start fresh. Advertisement Union President Gurpreet Singh said that on September 27, the workers would join the Bharat Bandh in support of the farmers. The government will be warned of a gate rally on October 6. Even after this, if no hearing is held, there will be a complete strike from October 11 to 13. After this, the house of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi will be cordoned off on October 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Scott Morrison Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Honorable Scott Morrison on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit in Washington DC, USA, on 23 September 2021. The meeting held this time between the two leaders post-pandemic period was the first time. The meeting which was lastly held bilaterally between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Morrison was the leader's Virtual Summit held on 4 June 2020, when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Advertisement The meeting held discussed the broad range of issues of bilateral, regional, and global importance. The issues were noted with proper satisfaction and regular high-level engagements between the two countries, including the recently held first India-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Dialogue. They expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). In the same aspect, they even welcomed the visit to India by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as PM Scott Morrisons Special Trade Envoy for India and mentioned the commitments made by both sides to achieve the earliest announcements made on the interim agreement by December 2021. Advertisement The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for the international community to mention the issue of Climate change on an urgent basis. In this case, Prime Minister Modi featured the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection. Both the leaders also discussed the possibilities of providing clean technologies. The Prime Ministers agreed that as of the two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closely together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter-alia to increase the supply of chain resilience. Both leaders praised the massive contribution of the Indian diaspora to Australias economy and society and discussed ways to enhance people-to-people ties. Prime Minister Modi renewed his invitation to Prime Minister Morrison to visit India. He tweeted about his meeting with his 'good friend' PM Scott Morrison. Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday requested the Center to help the state in getting the authorization of Cash Credit Limit (CCL) for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), 2021-22 from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expeditiously. Keeping in view the coming Kharif season, the Chief Minister had detailed deliberations which lasted for one and a half hours with the Union Secretary, Food and Public Distribution Sudhanshu Pandey, who called on the former at his office this afternoon. Advertisement During the interaction with the Chief Minister who was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, the Union Secretary complimented the enormous contribution of Punjab in the national food pool in terms of both wheat and paddy. Acceding to the request of the Chief Minister to allow current procurement of paddy according to the previous norms, Pandey informed him that GoI has already decided to procure paddy in the state as per the existing norms during the current paddy season starting from October 1, 2021. The Chief Minister informed the Union Secretary that for the future also the revised norms should only be finalized by taking all the stakeholders including the Punjab Government and Associations of farmers, arthiyas, and mills into confidence as imposing these unilaterally would mean a great setback to Punjab. Expecting a bumper paddy crop during the current season, the Chief Minister told the Secretary that the Government of India has fixed a target for procurement of 170 LMT of paddy. However, as per state agriculture production estimates, 191 LMT of paddy is expected during the KMS 2021-22 for which elaborate arrangements are already being made. He sought fulsome support and cooperation from the Center to ensure smooth and hassle-free procurement as per the production target of the Agriculture supported by the Remote Sensing Data. Showing concern over the slow movement of food grains stacked in the state godowns, the Chief Minister asked the Union Secretary to immediately tie up with the railway authorities to get these godowns vacated so that additional space could be created for the storage of fresh paddy/rice. Responding to this issue, the Union Secretary informed the Chief Minister that Chairman, Railway Board has already allowed 70-80 racks daily for transporting food grains from Punjab to various destinations across the country. He also emphasized the need to have close coordination between the Deputy Commissioners and the Senior Regional Manager, FCI Punjab Region to facilitate the fast movement of food grains already stored in the godowns. Advertisement Agreeing to the proposal of the Union Secretary to install more E-pos (point of sale) machines in all the government fair price shops to encourage other multi-tasking activities like collection of electricity bills, telephone bills and other utility like payment of insurance premium, mobile recharge, etc., the Chief Minister directed the Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies Punjab to coordinate with the Center for implementation of this scheme in the right earnest. The Chief Minister said that he will personally hold a meeting soon to review the progress of this scheme which would enhance the income of the owners of the fair price owners. The Chief Minister further said that Punjab is experiencing unprecedented rains for the last 10 days and as per metrological predictions, it is expected that the same would continue for another spell of 5-7 days. Due to the vagaries of nature, it is expected that some quality issues may arise at the time of harvesting. Therefore, the Chief Minister requested the Union Secretary to allow the relaxation in norms instantly, if need to be. Advertisement The Chief Minister also requested that more impetus should be given to the agro-industry. Responding to it, Union Secretary proposed that GoI will support Rice Bran Industry so that surplus production of rice can be absorbed within the state. The Chief Minister also requested Union Food Secretary that a special scheme for organic farming may be started so that dependency on the rice-wheat cycle can be replaced by ecologically sensitive and sustainable agriculture practices. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Hussan Lal, Principal Secretary Finance KAP Sinha besides Special Principal Secretaries to CM Rahul Tiwari and Kamal Kishor Yadav, and Secretary Food & Civil Supplies Gurkirat Kirpal Singh. Punjab Launches Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2021 Chandigarh: Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Punjab (DWSS) has launched the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 intending to achieve National ranking on basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters. Divulging the details, a spokesperson informed that Jaspreet Talwar Principal Secretary launched SSG at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) Chandigarh in the presence of Amit Talwar Additional Secretary, Rakesh Sharma, Mission Director Swacch Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG), and all District Sanitation Officers and State SBM (G) team. Advertisement Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary Speaking on the occasion, Amit Talwar outlined the objectives of SSG 2021. He explained areas of marking under SSG 2021 like Self Reporting, Direct Observation, and Citizen Feedback and also shared his experiences and best practices from SSG 2019. He informed that the survey will be conducted from 25th Oct to 23rd Dec 2021. Further, he emphasized Citizen FeedBack; one of the key components of SSG 2021. The district teams were advised to prepare a meticulous media plan for the success of SSG 2021. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Mission Director SBMG gave an overall view of Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021. Amit Talwar Additional Secretary, Advertisement During the keynote address Jaspreet Talwar mentioned that in Punjab, the survey will be carried out by an Independent Survey Agency; M/s Ipsos Research Pvt. Ltd., and 521 villages will be randomly selected for the survey. 10 households and 5 public places from each selected village will be evaluated on various Swachhta parameters. The main objective of SSG 2021 is to encourage large-scale citizen participation performance comparison of districts & states, ascertain the progress of Swachhata on the ground, solicit feedback from citizens and evaluate the implementation of Solid & Liquid waste management in the districts. She emphasized that the collective effort of District Administration, Department of Rural Development of Panchayats, and other stakeholder departments, Gram Panchayats need to put in their best efforts for conducting SSG 2021 on the ground. She also reiterated that citizen feedback is the most important component of this survey and districts need to organize extensive awareness campaigns making it a peoples movement. SSG 2021 will foster a spirit of healthy competition amongst the districts to top in national raking which will be a matter of pride for the entire State. Dr. Anoop Tripathi, M&E Expert SBMG, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Advertisement Dr. Anoop Tripathi, M&E Expert SBMG, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, GOI provides the necessary impetus to the districts at the State Level Launch. Dr. Anoop appreciated the State and shared that Punjab is amongst the first State in India which has launched Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021. He also gave his valuable inputs for the effective implementation of SSG 2021 in the districts. A detailed presentation was given by Jaspreet Singh, Manager Operations, Ipsos Research Pvt. Ltd on SSG Framework & Ranking Protocol. The live demonstration for reporting on IMIS was also given to the participants. All the queries raised by the participants were also addressed one by one. All Additional Deputy Commissioners (Development), officers from the Department of Rural Development & Panchayats, Social Staff attended the launch virtually from their respective districts. PM H.E. SUGA YOSHIHIDE OF JAPAN METS PM NARENDRA MODI WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets PM H.E Suga Yoshihide of Japan at the Quad Leaders Summit in Washington DC on 23 September 2021. Both the Prime Ministers expressed their happiness to have an in-person meet for the first time. Advertisement Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Suga for his commitment and leadership, both as Prime Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary earlier, in enabling great advances in the India-Japan Special Strategic & Global Partnership over the last few years. Modi even managed to felt thankful to Prime Minister Suga for successfully hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games amid a global pandemic. They even heartily recalled their three telephone conversations since September 2020, when PM Suga took office as Prime Minister of Japan. The Prime Ministers discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to resolve it. They highlighted the increasing importance of digital technologies and in this regard positively evaluated the progress in the India-Japan Digital Partnership, especially in start-ups. They exchanged views on further collaboration in various emerging technologies. Discussions also took place on climate change issues and green energy transition, and the potential for Japanese collaboration with Indias National Hydrogen Energy Mission. Advertisement Both the Prime Ministers reviewed the multi-faceted relationship between the two countries and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan. They reasserted their commitment towards a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. They even agreed to enhance bilateral security and defense cooperation, including in the area of defense equipment and technologies. Even Prime Ministers embraced the increasing economic engagement between the two countries. They welcomed the launch of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) between India, Japan, and Australia earlier this year as a collaborative mechanism to enable resilient, diversified, and trustworthy supply chains. Prime Minister Modi accented the need to develop bilateral partnerships in manufacturing, MSME, and skill development. Prime Minister Suga informed Prime Minister Modi that to operationalize the Specified Skilled workers (SSW) agreement which was signed earlier this year, the Japanese side would be undertaking skill and language tests in India from early 2022. Advertisement The two leaders also welcomed the progress in bilateral developmental projects in Indias North Eastern Region under the India-Japan Act East Forum and noted possibilities for further enhancement of such cooperation. The two Prime Ministers maintained their commitment to proceed with the efforts of facilitating the smooth and timely execution of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. Prime Minister Suga expressed confidence that the strong encouragement to be attained by the India-Japan partnership in the last few years will continue even under the new administration in Japan. Prime Minister Modi conveyed that he was looked forward to welcoming the next Prime Minister of Japan to India for India-Japan Annual Summit shortly. For the same, he tweeted about his meet with the Prime Minister of Japan. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. From Jessica Shaw, Director of Audience and Anna Buchmann, Engagement Editor: The Chronicle is thrilled to welcome back Gwendolyn Wu, a former Hearst Fellow who is returning to the newsroom as the writer of the flagship Bay Briefing newsletter and an engagement reporter. Along with the other members of our engagement team, she will write stories that digest the most important news of the day, answer readers questions and help people make decisions. Wu first joined The Chronicle in 2018, covering breaking news and crime. In 2019, she continued her Hearst Journalism Fellowship at the Houston Chronicle, writing the Houston How-To column and producing the Texas Inc. business newsletter. After the coronavirus pandemic hit, she also covered COVID-19 and the health care industry. A native of Los Angeles, Wu graduated from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in history and sociology. As a California native, I'm honored to move back to the best coast and rejoin the talented staff at The San Francisco Chronicle, Wu said. I've long admired the work of this newsroom and how passionate its journalists are about bringing compelling stories and useful information to its readers. The Bay Area, with its rich diversity, has always felt like a second home to me, Wu added. I hope that my work on Bay Briefing will continue to tell their stories. About The San Francisco Chronicle The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle. After the pandemic shut down all of his construction sites last year, San Jose homebuilder Dan Dang decided to start a new kind of real estate venture. First came a YouTube channel, then a Facebook group with the same name Nha Cua My, or American homes in Vietnamese. More than 33,000 people have joined since then to swap real estate listings, ask loan questions and get advice about avoiding housing scams. His goal was sharing the wealth, but all the activity also led to a new business opportunity in Texas: Dang started buying houses and opened a new investment company in a place that reminds him a lot of his own Silicon Valley hometown. I kind of fell in love with Austin, Dang said of the Texas capital. Its a young town. Its a small town. But its growing. For years, the debate about California-to-Texas migration has pitted low-cost, anti-regulation Texas against higher-income, socially liberal California. But after a surge in both states housing markets during the pandemic, a new report from Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin compares how the nations two most populous states really stack up when it comes to factors influencing daily life from housing affordability and homelessness to average income, education, health care and air quality. Californians still make about 30% more money, the report found, though only about 56% of Golden State residents own their homes compared with 66% of Texas residents. The Lone Star state has also pulled ahead in attracting new residents, high school graduation rates and several environmental metrics. For these states that have long taken opposite political approaches, the question is how much familiar affordability issues could hobble each state as residents like Dang deepen the financial and personal connections between them. Right now market forces are telling California, Get your s-- together, said report co-author Mark Duggan, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. This exodus thing I think its a risk. From 2015 to 2019, some 367,000 Californians moved to Texas, census estimates show, compared with about 197,000 people who moved from Texas to California. Despite brutal recent crackdowns at its southern border, Texas has also started to outpace California on international migration, which for decades has provided the Bay Area a huge pool of engineers, nannies, restaurant workers and other immigrant residents. With 29.1 million residents spread across 269,000 square miles, Texas is physically bigger but less populated than California and its 39.5 million residents spanning 164,000 square miles. On the ground in Austin, Dang is seeing increasing interest from immigrant and international home buyers, who in his experience are often looking for places to invest money earned at tech jobs or from fast-growing economies in places like Vietnam and Hong Kong, where its often harder to buy property. Hes now taking frequent trips to Texas with Bay Area business partners like Trinh Wong, staying in Airbnbs and going on home scouting trips with local Realtors they met in the Facebook group. So far this year, Dang said hes purchased several properties in Austin and recently started a new branch of his business there. Wong is looking to invest in retail space, hotels and Airbnbs near offices for companies like Samsung, Google and Apple. Everything is growing that comes with the jobs, Wong said. The market here is the same as the Bay Area. And like the Bay Area, chasing tech money has also led to complications. Lana Nguyen, one of the Austin Realtors whom Dang and Wong met on Facebook, said the market has calmed down slightly after a peak of around 20 offers on many homes earlier this year. But she said many longtime homeowners are afraid to sell because of fears that they wont be able to find a new house. Dang said several of his homes in Austin were purchased from seniors looking to sell after property taxes rose sharply in recent years a far cry from Californias controversial property tax law that locks in rates when a home is purchased. Theres no Prop. 13 in Texas, Dang said. I feel kind of bad, but its something that Texans have to decide for themselves. Duggan sees the divide in how Texas and California tax residents as a key way to compare what the states are getting in return for drastically different spending patterns. Where Texas relies on rising property taxes to fund schools and limits spending on other social services, Californias higher income taxes on wealthy earners helps allow the state to generate and spend about 60% more than Texas each year. Still, he said, Californias homeless rate is four times higher than in Texas, non-white students are less likely to graduate high school in California, and necessities like electricity are half as expensive in Texas. After an unemployment crisis during the pandemic, Duggan notes that California also now has the highest deficit for jobless benefits of any state in the country, thanks to a system that disproportionately taxes employers of low-income workers. In California, there is this idea of Oh, we care about the poor, Duggan said. But on this metric we are literally the worst. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. These are the kinds of glaring political differences that Marie Bailey hears about a lot as she cruises around the Dallas suburbs in her bright pink Tesla Model S with the license plate MOVE2TX. Bailey is a Realtor who moved four years ago from Orange County to a 2,000-acre housing development in Prosper, Texas, then started running party bus tours for other prospective California transplants. Now the founder of the 34,000-member, conservative-leaning Move to Texas from California! Facebook group does several individual tours a week. Of late, post-pandemic job offers and backlash to COVID-19 health orders are driving the interest. A lot of people are moving because of some of the vaccine mandates, Bailey said, adding, Im not an anti-vaxxer. In this frenzied environment, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has several opportunities to determine what happens after a failed recall attempt that he cast as a referendum on former President Donald Trump. Newsom has signed several significant housing reform bills in recent weeks, though many in the industry wonder if it will be enough to address the states pattern of permitting fewer than half as many new homes as Texas each year. Rising crime rates are another challenge in both states. While Texas incarcerates people at a 72% higher rate, according to federal data cited in the new Stanford report, California spends significantly more on police at $526 per resident, compared with $302 in Texas. More frequent natural disasters are another common challenge in recent years for each state, knocking out power for extended periods. But so far, Texas has kept electricity prices lower and suffered fewer power outages than California. Despite the many big questions about both states futures, Sailesh Thakker is still spending his weeks responding to frantic calls from investors every time a new tech office is announced in Austin. The former Walmart.com software architect moved to Austin to become a real estate agent last March after buying two houses in the area while he was still living in the South Bay. Now, about 80% of his business comes from other individual investors looking to buy houses in Austin, many back in California. Hes developed a system of FaceTime tours, electronic document signatures, then dispatching a local notary to finalize the deal remotely a virtual version of what feels a lot like the housing boom he watched over the last decade in the Bay Area. We think, Oh, it cannot go any more than this, Thakker said. But then it again goes up. Lauren Hepler is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hepler@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LAHepler Good morning, Bay Area. Its Friday, Sept. 24, and gymnastics superstar Simon Biles has a lot to say to Ann Killion as she arrives on tour in the Bay Area. Heres what you need to know to start your day. Since Los Angeles Unified became the first large school district in the U.S. to require COVID vaccines for eligible students, several districts have followed, including three in the East Bay this week. But will state officials step in? California health secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly has suggested a statewide mandate is under consideration, though no action is imminent. California actually has a long history of school vaccine mandates. In the 1920s, students were required to get shots for smallpox before entering school. Now, K-12 students are required to be vaccinated against nine infectious diseases. But issuing such orders for COVID-19 is unprecedented in many ways. Erin Allday explains why. Moderna versus Pfizer: Experts weigh in on the comparative effectiveness of the two vaccines in light of recent studies. Is the R.1 variant in the Bay Area? What to know about the highly mutated coronavirus strain. S.F. restaurants are dealing with a drop in business and conflicts with diners after the city required proof of vaccination for most indoor activities. Californias largest ongoing prison outbreak is linked to a staff member, but also coincided with the mistaken early release of more than 50 prisoners from mandatory quarantine. Around the Bay Courtesy Barri Bonapart 2019 A Pacific Heights feud over a tree: A state appeals court, citing a San Francisco ordinance, has ordered removal of a homeowners Monterey pine that blocks a neighbors view of San Francisco Bay. Also: S.F. property owners sue the city over a pandemic rent relief law. Local small business ... or chain? El Farolito, the San Francisco-born string of taquerias, cannot open a new location in North Beach under the citys ban on chains. Texas abortion law: These Texas women got abortions from a California doctor after the states ban. Here are their stories. Also: Speaker Nancy Pelosi brushed away criticism from S.F.s archbishop over the abortion rights bill the House will vote on this week. Reshaping the skyline? A proposed apartment tower near UC Berkeley would be by far the tallest structure at the corner of Oxford and Center streets. Destructive trend: A national viral TikTok trend in which students record themselves vandalizing school restrooms has prompted some Bay Area campuses to take action. Another chancellor: City College of San Francisco trustees, seeking stability after a decade of financial and managerial upheaval, are expected to approve the schools ninth chancellor in eight years. Stimulus checks: A third batch of Golden State stimulus checks will be disbursed to Californians in early October. Very distressing: S.F. protesters rally against treatment of Haitians at the Texas border. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Sporting Green Ashley Landis/Associated Press This weekend, Simone Biles will be in the Bay Area headlining her Gold Over America Tour. The celebrated gymnast, who made worldwide headlines with her mental health struggles at the Tokyo Olympics, told The Chronicle that speaking out on the subject is bigger than any medals. I can help people. Theyre not alone. Were going through this together. Her tour addresses mental health, with both a solo performance by Biles that she describes as emotional and a spoken word performance by Katelyn Ohashi, the former UCLA gymnast whose floor routine became a viral sensation, writes Ann Killion. Also: Six decades later, the Giants unofficial song Bye Bye Baby keeps going strong. Bay Briefing is written by Kellie Hwang and Anna Buchmann and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com. City College of San Francisco trustees, seeking stability after a decade of financial and managerial upheaval, on Thursday unanimously approved the schools former financial head as its ninth chancellor in eight years. David Martin, currently the superintendent-president of the Monterey Peninsula Community College District, won high marks from City College students, staff, faculty and administrators after a tumultuous year during which hundreds of classes were cut and instructors took a pay cut to save even more from elimination. Martin served as chief financial officer at City College from 2015 to 2017 and holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Drexel University. Dr. Martin brings a wealth of knowledge about our college and community, Shanell Williams, the trustee president, said in announcing the new chancellor. She praised his proven commitment to transparency, collaboration, and equity. Such familiarity is likely to be useful at City College, where faculty and students dont hesitate to speak out when leaders make missteps. Martin will earn a base salary of $315,000, nearly 13% less than the last permanent chancellor, Mark Rocha, who earned $361,352 and was placed on paid leave in March 2020 as the college plunged deeply into the red. Months later, college accreditors imposed enhanced monitoring on City College because its finances were in the danger zone. Enrollment critical for revenue stood at a low of 55,000 full- and part-time students before the pandemic, then appeared to plunge by 45% during the crisis to 30,000, although state officials warn that COVID-era numbers are unreliable. Interim chancellor Rajen Vurdien navigated the roller coaster last spring by announcing layoffs and class cuts. To stave off the worst of those, the faculty union agreed to salary cuts of up to 14%. Days later, in May, the trustees offered Vurdien a $20,000 bonus on top of his $340,000 salary to stay an extra three months while they looked for a permanent chancellor. After The Chronicle wrote about the offer, the deal fell apart. The trustees then hired Deputy Chancellor Dianna Gonzales as the colleges fifth interim chancellor in eight years. Trustee Alan Wong told The Chronicle that the college has balanced the budget and said he is looking forward to Martin setting a new tone. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. I am really excited because we now will have a permanent chancellor who can bring stability and experience to the college, Wong said. Martin, a certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner, said in a statement that he is excited for the opportunity. He was hired as the Monterey Peninsula college districts permanent chancellor in October and will leave that post after one year on the job. Martin begins his new job at City College on Nov. 1. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov In a flurry of decisions last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both approved booster shots for certain groups who got the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The decisions fall short of the Biden administrations original plan to offer boosters to everyone by Sept. 20, but officials in both agencies said theres not enough data to justify doing so yet, and that all vaccines are still very effective in preventing severe disease and death in less vulnerable populations. With all the changes, heres the latest on who can get a booster shot and how: With the latest guidance, who is currently eligible for a booster shot? As of last week, Pfizer recipients who are over 65, live in a long-term care facility or are over 18 and at risk for a severe case of COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions are eligible for a booster shot if they got their second dose at least six months ago. Also included are people at high risk of exposure due to their job. If you are severely immunocompromised which includes a variety of conditions like being actively treated for cancer, having an organ or stem cell transplant or advanced or untreated HIV you are eligible for a third dose if you got either Pfizer or Moderna. Data shows that for people in this category, the first two shots do not produce enough antibodies. The CDC says that 3% of the U.S. population falls into this category including around 800,000 Californians, according to the California Department of Public Health. The FDA is likely to authorize boosters for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines later this year. What underlying health conditions are included with the latest guidance? In addition to people who are severely immunocompromised, people over 18 with conditions like chronic lung disease, obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and dementia can also get a booster shot, but only if they received Pfizer more than six months ago. The CDC has a full list of conditions and recommends you consult your doctor about whether youre eligible. What occupations are included? As of Friday morning, both the FDA and the CDC have approved boosters for certain occupations that are at high risk of exposure to the virus. That includes health care workers, emergency responders, teachers and day care staff, among other frontline jobs. What about people who got Moderna? If youre severely immunocompromised, you are eligible for a booster. But for everyone else, the CDC and FDA still do not recommend a booster shot both groups say that there is not enough data yet to consider boosters for recipients of Moderna. What about people who got Johnson & Johnson? The FDA, CDC, state and local health departments still dont recommend booster shots for people who got the J&J vaccine, citing a lack of sufficient data. On Tuesday, however, Johnson & Johnson released results from a clinical trial showing that a second shot of its vaccine can be 94% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19, up from 74% with just one dose. The company has submitted its findings to the FDA. In San Francisco, people who received J&J can get a supplemental shot of an mRNA vaccine if they want it, even though it is still not required or recommended, as long as they consult with their doctor first. Im eligible. How do I get my shot? Booster shots are being given out in the Bay Area in much the same way as they were for previous doses including through pharmacies, clinics and doctors offices, according to the San Francisco health department. If youre eligible and got your last Pfizer dose at least six months ago, you can get a shot right away. Walgreens and CVS both announced Friday that eligible individuals can get the booster at any location that offers the vaccine. For Walgreens, you can either walk in or book an appointment, while CVS strongly encourages scheduling an appointment ahead of time. The California health department also released a vaccine action plan on Wednesday promising to ensure that booster shots for eligible people are available immediately through pharmacies, primary care providers, schools and mass vaccination clinics. What are the side effects? Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Generally, though information is still limited, CDC and health officials say that reactions to the third dose so far have been similar to that of the original two-dose series. The most common reported side effects were fatigue and pain at the injection site, the CDC says, and were mild to moderate. We dont think that the booster dose in particular will have side effects that are different either in quality, in nature or severity than from the other two doses, Dr. Ahmad Kamal, COVID-19 director of health care preparedness for Santa Clara County, said. For those who received a third dose speficially of the Pfizer vaccine, a preliminary CDC report released Sept. 28 found side effects were similar to the second dose, most commonly fatigue, headache, and a sore arm. The symptoms lasted about one or two days. The CDC said its study identified no unexpected patterns, but it will continue to monitor vaccine safety, including the safety of additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and provide data to guide vaccine recommendations and protect public health. Im not eligible yet. Should I be worried? Officials maintain that all vaccines are still effective in preventing severe disease and death, especially in the groups not yet eligible for the booster. Vaccinated Americans need to be reassured that vaccines continue to be effective at preventing severe disease and death, Dr. Jorge Salinas, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at Stanford, said before the approvals this week. Im eligible, but I havent gotten my booster yet. Am I still considered fully vaccinated? Yes. The CDC said Friday that its definition for fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnsons vaccine will not change even with the third dose recommendation. I think we need to have more experience with our third shot and have more people eligible and recommended to receive it before we change that definition, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said in a White House COVID-19 briefing. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev Noah Berger/Special to The Chronicle 2017 An injury collision on the Bay Bridge Friday morning has caused a backup of traffic onto the bridge from Emeryville, Oakland and Berkeley. The California Highway Patrol reported that injuries on Interstate 80 westbound lanes of the bridge east of Yerba Buena Island were blocking traffic, creating a severe backup. The town of Dedham, Mass., just south of Boston, has dedicated a park to William B. Gould, who was born into slavery in 1837, escaped, fought for the Union Navy in the Civil War, and later founded a church in Dedham that he helped to build. The name may sound familiar, because Goulds great-grandson, William B. Gould IV, is an emeritus law professor of labor law at Stanford and a widely published writer, whose works include an edited version of his ancestors wartime diary. He is also a former chairman of both the National Labor Relations Board, appointed by President Bill Clinton, and the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown. My hope is that this is what will take the place of the now falling statues of Confederate leaders like Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, Gould said in remarks prepared for Thursdays dedication ceremony at the 1.3-acre park in Dedham. I know from his diary that the honor given to Jefferson Davis Confederacy through national memorializations would-be King Jeff, as WBG called him would be anathema to my great-grandfather. Steven Senne / Associated Press He noted his great-grandfathers diary entry after Lees surrender in 1865: On my return on board I heard the Glad Tidings that the Stars and Stripe[s] had been planted over the Capital of the D--nd Confederacy by the invincible Grant. While we honor the living soldiers who have done so much we must not forget to whisper for fear of disturbing the Glorious sleep of the many who have fallen. Martyrs to the cause of Right and Equality. The Civil War veteran, his great-grandson said, would have been horrified by San Francisco demonstrators who toppled a statue of Ulysses S. Grant in Golden Gate Park in June 2020, and would also have objected to the San Francisco school boards short-lived plan to rename Abraham Lincoln High School. The protesters noted that Grant, commander of Union forces in the war that ended slavery, had previously owned a slave, whom he freed in 1859. Later, as president, he started wars against Indian tribes. Protesters against Lincoln focused on his order to execute 38 Dakota Sioux Indians after the Dakota War in 1862, when he also commuted death sentences of 265 tribal members. Current protests are understandable, Gould said, but Civil War stalwarts like Grant and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman who supported slavery while advocating more humane treatment did so much to dismantle the system, notwithstanding their imperfections. Steven Senne/Associated Press William B. Gould was born in Wilmington, N.C., in November 1837, the son of an enslaved woman and a white man, and was later enslaved by a peanut farmer. In 1862, he and seven other Black men escaped in a small boat that they rowed 28 miles down a river to the Atlantic, where they were spotted and picked up by a Union ship. The men were kindly received, Gould wrote in his diary. But they were classified as contraband, the governments label for former slaves on naval ships, and Gould after swearing allegiance to the government of Uncle Samuel, as he described it was given the rank of first class boy, the highest then available to Black sailors. He was promoted to the equivalent of a petty officer after the rules were changed. Gould sailed on ships that blockaded Confederate ports during the war, to block exports and weapons shipments, and chased some vessels across the Atlantic to Europe. His ship was off the coast of Spain when the war ended. Provided by William B. Gould IV / Stanford Law School Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. After being discharged, he settled in Nantucket, Mass., and married Cornelia Read, who had moved there from Wilmington when she was freed from slavery in 1857. The couple later moved to Dedham and had eight children. Gould trained as a plasterer, became a building contractor and helped to construct churches and when he found shoddy work in one of them, his great-grandson said, he had all the plaster ripped out and restored it at his own expense, nearly bankrupting him. From this moment on, his stature in Dedham was enhanced, as was the name Gould, the Stanford professor said. His great-grandfather was baptized at an Episcopal church in Dedham after serving as one of its founding parishioners. He also served as the local commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veterans association, and led Memorial Day celebrations in the town. It wasnt clear where Gould had learned to read and write, but his diary included quotes from Shakespeare, his great-grandson wrote. He died in 1923, at age 85. I feel my knowledge of him has carried me through difficult portions of my life, said his great-grandson, who is now 85. Recalling the turbulence he encountered from congressional Republican leaders in his final years as head of the National Labor Relations Board in the 1990s, Gould said, Going through his diary, I realize that what I was dealing with was nothing compared to challenges that he faced. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Groups of farmworkers and environmentalists asked a federal appeals court Friday to reject the Biden administrations 15-year reapproval of paraquat, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to Parkinsons disease in many studies. Paraquat kills weeds on cotton, soybeans, almonds, grapes and other crops, and has become one of the nations most commonly used herbicides, particularly in California and some Midwestern states, where its application has doubled in the past decade. It is banned, however, in 32 countries, including China whose government owns Syngenta, the chemicals principal manufacturer and much of the European Union. The Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump proposed in 2020 to renew U.S. registration of paraquat for 15 years, the renewal period set by law, while banning nearly all aerial spraying of the herbicide. In August, President Bidens EPA director, Michael Regan, approved the 15-year renewal and went further by allowing aerial use in most agricultural areas, while requiring buffer zones of 50 to 75 feet around residential communities. The chemical is approved only for commercial use and not for homeowners. After a thorough review of the best available science ... EPA has not found a clear link between paraquat exposure from labeled uses and adverse health outcomes such as Parkinsons disease and cancer, the agency said in a news release Aug. 2. That decision puts EPA on the wrong side of science, history and the law, said Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a lawyer for the nonprofit Earthjustice, which asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn the reregistration of paraquat and return the issue to the agency for reconsideration. He said numerous studies have found a connection between paraquat and Parkinsons disease, a debilitating nervous system disorder. One 2011 report by the National Institutes of Health found that users of the herbicide were 2 times more likely than non-users to develop Parkinsons. Kalmuss-Katz said paraquat has also been found to cause kidney and respiratory problems. He said the EPAs decision to allow aerial use is particularly dangerous for farmworkers, and the proposed buffer zone is inadequate to protect residential communities. It is unconscionable that EPA so devalues the lives of farmworkers as to allow the continued use of this harmful, toxic pesticide, said Jeannie Economos, pesticide safety coordinator for the Farmworker Association of Florida, one of the groups Earthjustice represented in the case. Other plaintiffs include the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, the Pesticide Action Network, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research, founded by the actor who was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 1991. They plan to tell the court that the EPA ignored overwhelming scientific evidence and failed to follow proper legal standards for registering herbicides, Kalmuss-Katz said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Even if EPA had questions about the science, the solution is not to ignore the effects (of reapproval) but to require further study, the attorney said. This is a chemical that is so toxic and so dangerous that it should not be in widespread use. In August, the EPA ordered a ban on all food-crop uses of another commonly used pesticide, chlorpyrifos, after the Ninth Circuit court told the agency in April to prohibit or severely limit its use. Studies have found that the chemical can cause brain damage in children. California banned its use in 2019. The EPA declined to comment on the paraquat lawsuit. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Healdsburg Police Department A Healdsburg man charged with drowning his 4-year-old daughter in a baptismal font in 2016 pleaded no contest to the voluntary manslaughter charge Wednesday. Gerardo Mendoza was arrested Nov. 20, 2016, when he took his unconscious daughter, Maria, to the Healdsburg police station after submerging her in a baptismal font inside the nearby St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. He had been smoking methamphetamine for three days and believed his daughter and 9-year-old son were being attacked by evil. Shasta County prosecutors are pursuing charges of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. over the 2020 Zogg Fire, which killed four people and destroyed more than 200 structures outside Redding. District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced at a news conference Friday that her office had filed a 31-count complaint in Shasta County Superior Court alleging that PG&E had committed 11 felonies and 20 misdemeanors in connection with the devastating fire and some other blazes in the region. California investigators previously concluded that the Zogg Fire started when a pine tree fell on a PG&E power line. Bridgetts decision to prosecute PG&E over its role in the fire compounds the various legal challenges faced by the company and threatens to expand its already lengthy criminal record. Though a corporation cant go to prison, PG&E could face more fines and corrective actions ordered by the court, Bridgett said. Bridgett said PG&E should have removed the tree in question and failed to do so, resulting in needless death and destruction. They failed to perform their legal duties, Bridgett said. Their failure was reckless, it was criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people. Bridgett said her offices investigation was not finished and that prosecutors would continue building their case in an effort to hold others including individuals responsible for the Zogg Fire. Bridgetts complaint accuses PG&E of four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and seven felony counts of recklessly causing a fire. Most of the charges are about the Zogg Fire, but three of the fire-causing counts relate to other blazes that burned in Shasta County in 2020 and 2021. The alleged misdemeanors include negligent fire starting, failure to comply with regulations and negligent emission of air pollution. PG&E pushed back on the charges in a lengthy statement and more than 5-minute video from Patti Poppe, CEO of the PG&E Corp. parent company. She noted that the company had resolved many legal claims from Zogg Fire victims as well as claims from Shasta and Tehama counties. Poppe said PG&E accepts that it caused the fire but does not believe its actions were criminal. This was a tragedy, Poppe said. Four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them ... criminalizing their judgment is not right. Failing to prevent this fire is not a crime. Those killed by the Zogg Fire included an 8-year-old girl, Feyla McLeod, and her mother, Alaina Rowe McLeod. Karin King and Kenneth Vossen also died in the fire. More than 56,000 acres burned in Shasta and Tehama counties after the fire ignited near Igo on Sept. 27, 2020 one year ago Monday. Bridgett had previously signaled that she would charge PG&E with crimes related to the Zogg Fire, announcing in a brief social media post in July that her office had concluded the company was liable but had not yet determined the nature and grade of the charges. Its not the only recent fire thats resulted in a criminal case against PG&E. In April, Sonoma Countys district attorney filed criminal charges against PG&E in connection with the 2019 Kincade Fire, which destroyed 374 structures near Geyserville. That case is ongoing. Also, last year, PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and one felony county of unlawfully causing a fire in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history that virtually leveled the Butte County town of Paradise. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The company is still serving federal probation because of felony convictions that arose from the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. And PG&E may have caused the behemoth Dixie Fire still burning in the northern Sierra Nevada around and beyond Lake Almanor. State officials are investigating whether the fire started after a tree hit a PG&E power line, and the company has already been hit with civil lawsuits because of the fire. Civil suits from the Camp Fire and other past wildfires caused by PG&E prompted the company to seek bankruptcy protection in January 2019. The company emerged from bankruptcy last summer after reaching a deal to pay billions of dollars to fire victims. Its time that they change, and change does not come by doing nothing, Bridgett said of PG&E leaders. Those that lost loved ones need justice. They need someone to fight for them. They need to have those that are responsible for killing their loved ones to be held criminally responsible, especially since this fire was completely preventable. Bridgett said PG&E had a duty to remove the pine tree that led to the start of the Zogg Fire. PG&E contractors had marked the tree for removal in 2018 and it had a significant, visible defect in its trunk, she said. But the company has disputed the notion that it negligently left the tree in place. In her statement, Poppe said that two arborists had walked the stretch of power line where the fire started and determined the tree could stay in place. PG&E also removed thousands of trees in the area, she said while stressing various other company efforts to prevent fires. My coworkers are not criminals, Poppe said. We welcome our day in court so people can learn just that. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris State officials have linked a quickly spreading coronavirus outbreak at a Central Valley prison to an infected staff member, but would not say whether the employee was vaccinated. The spike at North Kern State Prison, which jumped to 137 active cases as of Friday from 15 two weeks ago, coincided with the premature release of 51 prisoners from mandatory 14-day quarantine into the facilitys general population earlier this month. A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson said the mistaken release of those inmates on Sept. 7, two days before their quarantine ended, had nothing to do with the outbreak, saying they all tested negative the day they were sent into general population. Within an hour of being made aware of the premature movement, the incarcerated persons were moved back to their quarantine housing without incident, spokesperson Dana Simas told The Chronicle. All 51 persons had received their mandatory 12th day COVID test prior to the movement and were awaiting results to come back. All tests returned negative, and there is no link between this premature move and the current COVID-19 outbreak. Simas said its unclear why those prisoners were released early. The largest current prison outbreak in the state continues to show the vulnerability of Californias incarcerated population and those tasked with overseeing it. The North Kern prison includes a reception center where incarcerated men are brought to be evaluated and transferred to a permanent facility. The prison has the second lowest vaccination rate among the states major prison facilities with 53% fully vaccinated. That represents a higher rate than the facilitys staff, with 51% fully vaccinated. Prison officials recommend vaccinations to prisoners and employees, but they are not mandatory. Some prison health care staff will be required to have vaccinations by Oct. 14, Simas said. There are 66,246 prison employees statewide, and 56% are fully vaccinated. Only 44% of prison guards are vaccinated. On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Jon S. Tigar heard arguments on a request for him to order mandatory vaccination for all prison workers in the state and those inmates working in vulnerable positions. A prison health receiver, J. Clark Kelso, who has held oversight over prisoners health issues since 2008, requested the order, saying the lack of vaccinated staff violates prisoners constitutional rights. If it gets into an institution it becomes very difficult to restrain the expansion, Kelso said during an hour-long Zoom hearing. Gregg Adam, an attorney for the prison guard union, argued that 99% of prisoners have been offered the vaccination that would provide them protections. He said outreach should give guards more time to get vaccinated and warned that any vaccine requirement could lead to security issues. Prison Law Office attorney Rita Lomio, however, called those scare tactics and told the judge of the more than 5,000 one-on-one counsels with prison guards to convince them of the efficacy of vaccines, only 5% agreed to a shot. A state corrections attorney said the efforts by California should be applauded because now, among 99,000 prisoners in the system, only 253 have COVID infections. North Kern, in the Kern County city of Delano, is not the first state prison to have a coronavirus mishap. In May 2020, prison officials and medical staff created a public health disaster when they botched a transfer of prisoners to San Quentin and Corcoran state prisons, according to a blistering report released in February by the Office of Inspector General. That outbreak led to the death of two dozen inmates. San Quentin now has zero cases. Simas said North Kern had a small initial outbreak in August, but the active cases spiked dramatically in early September. She said officials used contact tracing and linked it to a staff member. As of Sept. 17, 20 employees at the prison had active cases. The North Kern prison staff has had 717 cases during the pandemic sixth most in the prison system including one death. A spokesperson for the prison guard union declined to comment on the North Kern situation. One Northern California mother learned of the outbreak through a desperate letter sent from her son, who is serving time at North Kern. I believe the prison system is attempting to do their best, but ... COVID protocols and quarantine must be followed, said the mother, who requested anonymity, citing fears of retaliation against her son. The Chronicle granted her request in accordance with its anonymous sources policy. There have been five prisoner COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic at North Kern, none from the recent spike. Simas said there were no hospitalizations this month either. In the prisoners Sept. 11, five-page letter to his mother, shared with The Chronicle and written four days after the ill-advised release, he painted an alarming picture of life in Dormitory Charlie-East. Just this morning I awoke to a cacophany (of) sneezing, hacking, spitting and groaning, he wrote. The guys showing the worst symptoms were the old ones, anyone over the age of 50 looked like a pale-faced, hacking walking zombie. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Simas confirmed that 31 of the 51 prematurely released inmates were sent to Charlie-East. The prisoner who wrote the letter was vaccinated at a county jail. He pleaded with his parents to share what was happening at the jail with the prison ombudsman and media. Inmates were given masks and told to wear them, yet the officers themselves often times were not wearing masks, he wrote. Simas said all personnel at North Kern are required to wear masks while on the property and all inmates are provided cloth facial barriers, too. We are immediately responding to the increase in positive COVID-19 cases at NKSP with coordinated efforts to increase the frequency of testing, conduct contact tracing, and implement isolation and quarantine measures to mitigate spread of COVID-19, she said. The prison with 3,874 inmates and 1,476 staff has a program to limit movement and maintain social distancing by staggering dining and recreation, among other restrictions. Transfers to and from the facility have been limited. The prison is conducting mass testing on inmates, and staff are required to test twice a week regardless of vaccination status. No one has been hospitalized or died from the recent outbreak, Simas said. The mother of the North Kern prisoner said she believes her son is finishing his second quarantine. Hes struggled with a serious addiction for seven years, leaving her fearing for his life. But hes been sober more than six months while incarcerated, and she had been hopeful. I am proud of his sobriety, and I pray he makes it out of there alive, she said. I would be devastated if a virus cut his life short. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni Trees are among natures wonders but a neighbors growing arbor can also eliminate a residents treasured scenic views. Now a state appeals court, relying on a San Francisco ordinance that seeks to resolve treetop feuds, has ordered a Pacific Heights couple to take down a sprouting Monterey pine that stands between their next-door neighbors home and the bay. The neighbor, now 81, moved into the San Francisco home with her now-deceased husband in 1976 and testified that they chose the site largely because of its unobstructed view of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and lands to the north. The pine was planted next door by a prior resident in 1999 and, by the time the case went to trial in 2019, had grown to about 32 feet, with widening, thickly growing branches. The trees rapid growth in both height and breadth obstructs the views of landmarks and vistas that could once be seen from the neighbors ground floor, Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ross, who had visited the site during the nonjury trial, said in a December 2019 order to remove the pine under San Franciscos 1988 Tree Dispute Resolution Ordinance. In a ruling Wednesday upholding Ross order, the First District Court of Appeal said the city has the authority, under state law, to resolve tree view obstruction disputes between adjoining landowners, as it seeks to do in its ordinance. San Franciscos law isnt the only one of its kind. Berkeley and Oakland also have tree-dispute resolution ordinances, and in 1968 a state appeals court upheld an ordinance in Tiburon that required a homeowner to cut down trees that stood between a nearby apartment building and the bay. The court said Tiburon was entitled to promote its aesthetic values by preserving sunlight, much like it can regulate the height of buildings or fences. The San Francisco ordinance has been invoked in multiple cases, most notably by Larry Ellison, the billionaire chief executive officer of Oracle Corp., who sued a downhill neighbor in 2011 to seek removal of three redwoods and an 80-year-old acacia that he said were obscuring the view of the bay from his Pacific Heights mansion. The suit was settled with an agreement to trim the trees. Barri Bonapart, a lawyer for Ellison in that case, also represented the woman in Wednesdays ruling. She said her client, a retired actuary who heads two charitable nonprofits, has asked to have her name withheld because shes afraid of being harassed. When the woman and her husband first entered the house and saw the magnificent views, they were sold, Bonapart said. You could see all the way from Marin Headlands, out to the Pacific Ocean, and then the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Sausalito, Belvedere, Tiburon and Angel Island. She tried everything she could to work with her neighbors to find a collaborative solution, Bonapart said. Unfortunately, they were always adamant that they would never agree to restore her views unless they were ordered to. After the ruling, she said, her client simply told her, I am optimistic about the future. A lawyer for the neighbors did not respond to requests for comment. They could appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The earlier owners were still living next door in 2011 when Bonaparts client first asked them to remove the pine, and offered to pay for it. The current residents bought the home in 2012, when they were living abroad, moved in several years later, and proposed to prune the tree but not to remove it, saying it provided them with shade and privacy. After mediation failed, their neighbor filed suit in 2018 under the 1988 San Francisco ordinance, which declared the rights of property owners to restore their views lost due to tree growth on an adjoining property. The ordinance provides alternate remedies, including tree-topping and thinning, but Judge Ross found, and the appeals court agreed, that the only workable solution in this case was to remove the tree. Pruning might have worked when the pine was smaller, but it has grown too much now to be thinned or topped in a way that would restore the view, Justice Ioanna Petrou said in the 3-0 ruling. She cited arborists testimony that the tree provides little shade or privacy to the homeowners and could be cut down without disturbing the soil. Under the ordinance, both households would share the costs of removal, which an arborist has estimated at $1,800. The court also upheld Ross order of $47,300 in penalties against the homeowners for an email their trial attorney had sent to their neighbors mortgage lender claiming removal of the tree would destabilize the property an apparent attempt, the court said, to get her loan canceled. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko In Oakland, students age 12 and older will soon have to get COVID-19 vaccines, with exemptions for personal belief reasons, perhaps starting in January. In neighboring Piedmont, a student vaccine requirement that wont allow for religious exemptions will go into effect Nov. 17. And a half-hour drive south, students in Hayward will have to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 17 or submit to weekly testing. A patchwork of student vaccine mandates emerged Wednesday after school boards in these three Alameda County school districts which educate a combined 58,000 students voted to require eligible students to get vaccinated in an attempt to limit coronavirus cases, which have already disrupted in-person instruction this school year. Meanwhile Berkeley Unified and West Contra Costa Unified are also considering forcing students to get the shots. The districts following in the footsteps of Los Angeles and Culver City (Los Angeles County), which were the first to require student vaccinations span from tiny, wealthy Piedmont to large, diverse Oakland, which has a high share of low-income students. While the mandates each differ in their timelines and exemptions, the recent embrace of student vaccine mandates raises questions about whether Californias public health leaders should create uniform, statewide rules as most districts take wait-and-see approaches, at least for now. The idea of local school boards across California deciding whats required for vaccination to enter into school scares me, Oakland school board member Mike Hutchinson said Wednesday. Hutchinson, who voted against the districts vaccine mandate, said the fact that a local school board was deciding what effectively are public health matters was a failure of action from state leaders who should be setting the rules. Still, the three school districts moved forward with their requirements, viewing them as the most effective way to limit disruptions at a time when students are yearning for a return to normalcy after the pandemic kept many of them from attending school in person for more than a year. Wednesday nights virtual discussions in Oakland and Hayward, among the regions largest districts, illustrated the complexities of enforcing vaccine requirements as districts chart their own paths. The Oakland board grappled with how to enforce a vaccine requirement for students and whether a mandate would essentially push vaccine-hesitant families out of the district, instead. About 54% of the citys 12- to 17-year olds are fully vaccinated, according to city of Oakland data referenced in Oakland Unifieds resolution. Samantha Pal, a student director on the Oakland board, said many students appear to support a mandate, but remain concerned about alienating students and families with such a strict policy, especially kids whose parents dont want them vaccinated. The Hayward school board struggled with similar questions Wednesday night before ultimately deciding on a vaccinate-or-test requirement that goes into effect Dec. 17 a date Superintendent Matt Wayne said the district decided on to motivate as many students as possible to get shots ahead of the holiday travel season. Ginny Curtin, a Hayward Unified pediatric nurse practitioner, said many of the districts families of color do have very significant concerns about being vaccinated and that the districts wealthier schools have much higher vaccination rates than its lower-income schools. Unvaccinated children are missing more class time compared with their vaccinated peers, Curtin said, though some parents have been incentivized to vaccinate their kids after it began affecting their ability to learn in person. Under Haywards quarantine policy, unvaccinated students exposed to a close contact have to quarantine even if they arent symptomatic, whereas vaccinated students in the same scenario do not. We see this as the only route to basically stopping the flow of kids being excluded from school, and thats why were looking forward, Curtin told the school board. While more Bay Area school boards could, and are likely to, take up similar student vaccine mandates in the coming weeks, many school districts remain hesitant about moving ahead with student mandates. San Francisco Unified is in the latter group, with no student requirement currently. When asked Thursday whether the district is planning a student vaccine mandate, spokesperson Laura Dudnick said only that it is instead focusing on operating four new vaccine clinics at school sites and finding ways to encourage everyone to eligible to get vaccinated. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Several Bay Area school administrators told The Chronicle that state leaders should be the ones to clarify requirements as vaccines for 5- to 11-year olds gain expected approval in October. Sequoia Union High School District in San Mateo County wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom this month urging the Legislature or state Department of Public Health to weigh in. County Superintendent Nancy Magee told The Chronicle more districts have written letters to state legislators and the governor calling for a statewide requirement. California already requires various immunizations, such as measles, polio and hepatitis B, for students to attend public schools, meaning theres precedent for the state to add COVID-19 to that list, said Arnab Mukherjea, chair of the public health department at Cal State East Bay. He described vaccine mandates in schools as a good and necessary step. We have to use every tool at our disposal, including the tools of public policy, to be able to make sure that our schools remain safe places for in-person instruction, Mukherjea said. Because if anything, the pandemic taught us that despite the best efforts of school districts and teachers, the shift to online education resulted in a tremendous amount of learning loss. Students vaccine requirements, for now, lie with individual school districts and again have put local school boards in the center of controversial, politically divisive and consequential public health decisions. A statewide mandate does provide justification for board members as they do this work, instead of placing them as the arbiters of public health decisions, said Troy Flint, spokesperson for the California School Boards Association, which is not yet lobbying the state for such a requirement. He said a state mandate would mean losing local control at a time when different communities have vastly differing views on how to approach COVID mitigation. So, I dont think there are any easy answers. Ricardo Cano is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ricardo.cano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByRicardoCano El Farolito, the iconic San Francisco-born string of taquerias, cannot open a new location in North Beach under the citys ban on chains, San Francisco Planning Department Chief of Staff Dan Sider said on Thursday. El Farolitos plan to open at 1230 Grant Ave. was met with excitement by fans of one of the Mission Districts favorite burritos, but the proposal has been up in the air since questions were raised last month about whether the city would consider the business a chain. The citys planning code defines a business with 11 or more locations and standardized signage or branding as formula retail. However, a review is only triggered when there are plans for a 12th location, according to the agency. Some El Farolito locations are named El Favorito and have slightly different signs or branding logos, but after a review, the city determined that the proposed El Farolito on Grant Avenue would still be the business 12th location. Given the codes prohibition of formula retail uses in North Beach, this new El Farolito would not be allowed, Sider wrote in an email to The Chronicle. The city notified the owners on Tuesday but hasnt heard back, Sider said. There could, however, be a path forward to open a slightly different El Farolito. If the owners made sufficient changes to the proposed taqueria or one of the other locations, such as changing the menu or the signage, it would no longer be considered a chain, Zoning Administrator Corey Teague told co-owner Irene Lopez in an email on Tuesday. They could then, in theory, open in North Beach. Siblings Irene and Santiago Lopez, whose father Salvador Don Chava Lopez opened the first El Farolito in 1983, now run the business. They did not immediately respond to an interview request. As of Thursday, they had not filed any permit applications to move forward with opening the Grant Avenue taqueria. For some, El Farolitos proposed expansion raises questions about whether the citys retail restrictions should be more flexible and distinguish between local, family-run businesses that are growing and massive corporate companies like Starbucks or Gap. Chains are completely prohibited in North Beach, Chinatown and Hayes Valley. In other San Francisco neighborhoods, businesses can seek a conditional use authorization to open. A new petition calling on the city to reform broken zoning restrictions has collected hundreds of signatures in less than 24 hours. Danny Sauter, a former president of North Beach Neighbors who unsuccessfully ran for the District 3 supervisor seat in November 2020, started it on Wednesday to gather support for El Farolito. Something is broken if we treat a small, family owned Mexican restaurant the same way as a Starbucks or a McDonalds, Sauter wrote in the petition. We should reshape these outdated rules to help fill empty storefronts and allow small businesses that are growing, but are not yet truly chains, to open in North Beach and neighborhoods across San Francisco. As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had collected nearly 800 signatures, including from owners of North Beach businesses, Sauter said. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents North Beach and helped to pass the original formula retail ban in 2004, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sauter said the city could amend its rules to be friendlier to growing but still small businesses by increasing the threshold of locations to 19, and by allowing businesses to make their case for opening through a conditional use process. This could help spur the recovery of small businesses, Sauter said, particularly in a neighborhood like North Beach with high vacancy rates. This is a really illustrative case of where formula retail is not working as intended, but there are going to be other cases like this, he told The Chronicle. How can we update these laws to make sure were welcoming small businesses rather than keeping them out? Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany If youve heard people talk about red blends anytime lately, chances are theyre referring to a particular type of wine: an inky, dark, richly flavored cuvee thats inexpensively priced, usually under $15 a bottle. These days, the term most commonly refers to a wine engineered for a mass-market palate, which typically means it has a not-insignificant amount of residual sugar. Megahit wines like the Prisoner, 19 Crimes and Apothic each of them a kind of kitchen-sink concoction of grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Merlot and more popularized the category. These big wines have conditioned a whole new set of drinkers to wander into a wine shop and say, Where are the red blends, please? Despite the specific connotation that the phrase has taken on, however, red blends are a wine tradition as old as time, and these industrial cuvees are sorry representations of the larger category. If youve ever drunk a red Bordeaux, a Cotes du Rhone or Chateauneuf du Pape, youve had a red blend. Any red wine thats not a varietal wine that is, composed of a single grape variety, like Pinot Noir or Sangiovese is a red blend. And there are much, much better red blends to drink than the heavy, sweet-tasting examples youll find at the big-box store. California winemakers are getting especially creative now. Many are combining grape varieties that arent typically seen together, making a compelling case for some unorthodox pairings. A far cry from the mass-market versions, many of todays most exciting red blends are exceedingly delicate light on color, texture and alcohol. In fact, vintners here are increasingly experimenting with blending red and white wines together, creating red blends that may veer closer to pink. Here, Ive highlighted six of my favorite California red blends right now. They vary in weight, and Ive listed them roughly in order from lightest-bodied to fullest-bodied. All are ideally suited to this time of year as warming and satisfying as a pumpkin spice latte but far less cloying. So make yourself a salad with the last gasp of summer tomatoes or fix up a bowl of squash soup and dig into these beauties. As I recently reminded my readers, all reds these six included may taste better with a slight chill. Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Tessier Soul Love California NV ($26, 12.8%): This wine from Bay Area winemaker Kristie Tacey presents as a light red, though it is actually half made up of Riesling, a white wine. It has some peach and honeysuckle flavors from the Riesling, and the remaining half Mourvedre and Trousseau, a red grape most closely associated with Frances Alpine growing regions adds a little bit of bite and a pleasant earthiness. From the moment you first smell it, taking in its aromas of apricot and cherry pie, youll know: This is a very fun wine. (Available from Flatiron and San Francisco Wine Trading Co.) Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Broc Amore Blendo Mendocino County 2020 ($30, 12%): Brocs Love red seems to be everywhere these days, and for good reason: Its an exuberant, quaffable wine at an affordable price. This other cuvee, Amore Blendo, is a great alternative to the Love red thats a little bit lighter and, yes, a little bit funkier. The blend of Barbera, Primitivo and Sauvignon Blanc tastes like blood-orange peel, red cherries and even hints at sour Warheads candy. Give the wine a few minutes to open up in your glass after youve poured it; though tightly wound at first, it opens up as it gets to know you. (Available from Broc.) Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Idlewild Flora & Fauna Red Wine 2019 ($24, 12.9%): Perennially one of the best values in Italian-inflected, California-grown wines, Idlewilds Flora & Fauna red mixes Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, three grapes that grow in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. Dusty tannins frame flavors of strawberry and salami, finishing with a little bit of that rustic astringency that Piedmontese wines often convey. Its a young wine that has some bite to it, with enough acidity to stand up to a rich meal. (Available from Bottle Barn and Idlewild.) Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Land of Saints GSM Santa Barbara County 2019 ($22, 14.3%): Heres a red blend cut from a tried-and-true recipe: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, three grapes known to harmonize so beautifully together that theyve become a widely used acronym, GSM. Grenache dominates here, imbuing the wine with suggestions of vanilla and strawberry buttercream. Its silkier and more immediately gratifying than many of the other wines in this list, generous with its charms. (Available from Flatiron and Solano Cellars.) Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Whitcraft Rojo Grande San Luis Obispo County 2017 ($30, 12.83): The obscure grape Lagrein comprises half of this blend. Rarely seen in California, Lagrein is native to far-northern Italys Alto Adige region. Whitcraft Winery, located in downtown Santa Barbara, has bought Lagrein grapes from a vineyard in Paso Robles for years, but winemaker Drake Whitcraft stopped buying the fruit after 2018, reasoning that Lagrein was just a little too tannic for his tastes. Despite its aggressively tannic nature, he managed to eke out some lovely wines that are squarely in the medium-bodied camp, blending Lagrein with Syrah. This, the penultimate vintage of the Rojo Grande, is floral and plummy, with a refreshing bitterness and a jolt of acidity that carries across the palate. (Available from K&L, Flatiron and Whitcraft.) Esther Mobley / The Chronicle Alma de Cattleya Red Wine Sonoma County 2019 ($27, 14.1%): This is the big wine of the bunch. By combining Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave has created a zesty, spicy, peppery wine, full of dark-fruit flavors like blackberry. Its plush texture and woodsy accents make it great with grilled meats. (Available from Bottle Barn, Wine.com, Vintage Wine Merchants and Alma de Cattleya.) Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Mandates that children be vaccinated before attending school date back more than a century in California. But issuing such orders for COVID-19 is in many ways unprecedented, and the prospect is putting health and school officials across the state in a tricky spot. Since Los Angeles Unified earlier this month became the first large school district in the United States to order all eligible students be vaccinated against COVID, a small but growing number of districts have followed, including Oakland Unified last week. On Thursday, the secretary of Californias Health and Human Services Agency suggested a statewide mandate was under consideration, though no action was imminent. School vaccine mandates are not unusual, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the health secretary, said during a news briefing Thursday. We actually have a long tradition ... of vaccine requirements in schools. But in the past, vaccine mandates have come almost exclusively from state legislatures. In the 19th century, some local schools or counties ordered smallpox vaccination for children, but since then mandates have always come from state legislation, not local, state or federal health orders, and not from school districts. And the mandates arrived not amid an evolving global crisis, but after decades or longer battling a well-established disease and years of vaccine development. Not since smallpox have we seen requirements like this, ordered in patchwork fashion across the state, said Dr. Loring Dales, who ran the immunization branch of the California Department of Public Health for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2003. There have been furious debates for other vaccines in schools some parents would want something new to be required and other parents would not. But it just didnt happen. Californias childhood vaccination mandate was established in the 1920s; at the time, it only required students get shots for smallpox before entering school. But it set a framework to add more vaccines as they were developed and federally licensed. Currently, K-12 students are required to be vaccinated against nine infectious diseases, including polio, measles and, most recently, chickenpox, which was added in 2001. Smallpox was dropped as a requirement in the 1960s, after the virus had been eliminated in the U.S. The goals of school vaccine mandates go beyond simply protecting children from harmful and even deadly disease. Mandates can prevent school outbreaks, which can force principals to send home entire classrooms or shut down campuses. They also improve community-wide immunity, which can slow down the spread of disease across all age groups. School requirements provide a catch-point to get everyone vaccinated against diseases that spread in other parts of the world, said Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious disease expert and former California health officer. Measles has been largely eliminated in the United States because, for more than 40 years, every kindergartner in every state has been required to get vaccinated. Mandates work, because most people want their kids to go to school, said Dr. Art Reingold, a UC Berkeley infectious disease expert. Some parents may be hesitant, and if they had the option they might not vaccinate their children, but under pressure theyll go along with it, he said. You can argue whether mandates are OK or not from a moral or ethical or political point of view, but they work. Traditionally, new vaccine requirements are added by the Legislature, after years of safety and efficacy studies, and once scientists have worked out key details, such as at what age children should be vaccinated and how many shots theyll need. Many health and legal experts said its premature to expect that process to be applied to COVID vaccines before the end of this year. A vaccine hasnt yet been approved for children under 12; authorization is expected as early as next month for kids 5 to 11. And for children 12 to 15, the Pfizer vaccine the only one available for the age group is still under emergency authorization and not yet fully licensed. Theres scant evidence of whether children will need boosters or which vaccines might work best for them. And, at least so far, it appears that schools are able to open safely and prevent most transmission with masks and other protective efforts. That means there doesnt appear to be an urgent need statewide to order vaccination to keep children in classrooms, some policymakers said. For school-aged kids, I think we still need to get more information, said state Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, a pediatrician who has introduced legislation tightening school vaccine mandates in the past, and is seen as the most likely to bring up similar legislation for COVID at some point. Pan said he supports school districts moving ahead with mandates if they believe the local situation warrants it; he wrote a letter backing Los Angeles Unifieds Sept. 9 decision. But in terms of a statewide law, were not quite there yet, he said. If something really dramatic happens, if this fall suddenly everything explodes in schools, then there is a conversation to be had, he added. That would include input from the governor, he said, and would require a special session of the Legislature, which is on recess through the rest of the year. Any other means of ordering school vaccinations statewide or local would be unprecedented and likely face legal challenges, said Dorit Reiss, an expert in childhood vaccinations at UC Hastings College of the Law. That would include the state health department issuing a mandate for all eligible children, or mandates from school districts or county health officers. The state health department already has required teachers across California be vaccinated against COVID or tested weekly. But a mandate for students probably would be a more volatile issue, and state health officials might be reluctant to take that approach without the public feedback thats part of the legislative process, said Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases UC Davis Childrens Hospital. I can imagine if they did it by fiat that there would be a backlash, he said. Clearly some districts have already decided to gamble on mandates. Reiss said county health officers may do the same. Its unprecedented, and that would make anyone hesitate, but theyve been doing unprecedented things for a while, Reiss said. Even the mask orders were legally new, and they did them anyway. So far, no county health officers appear eager to order all children vaccinated, even in places like San Francisco that have issued mandates for adults in many spaces and occupations. In the Bay Area, part of the reason may be generally high vaccination uptake among children 12 and older who are already eligible; in some counties, more than 90% of that age group is at least partially vaccinated. Before they issue orders, health officers may prefer to see if they get similarly high rates among 5- to 11-year-olds once theyre eligible. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Weve been very careful to use the health officer authority at the local level in places where we feel like there are things that cant be done by others. Weve tried to be judicious, said Dr. Nicholas Moss, the Alameda County health officer. That plays into not just schools, but all of our policy considerations. In his county, school districts in Oakland and Piedmont have vaccine mandates for children, and Hayward will require kids to be vaccinated or tested weekly. Thats certainly reasonable for educators to make decisions that directly affect their school community, Moss said. Were glad to have kids back in schools, and we think it is happening safely and can be done safely, he said. This conversation about children getting vaccinated is going to play out over some time. Oakland Unifieds mandate, approved Wednesday, does not set a deadline for when students must be vaccinated, and the superintendent said it was unlikely to be implemented before the end of the year. Los Angeles Unified is requiring all students 12 and older to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 10. In districts that have moved ahead of the state with mandates, supporters have said they felt an urgent need to get every child vaccinated to prevent outbreaks, protect the greater community, and keep students from becoming infected and missing school or suffering severe illness, an unusual but not unheard-of outcome in kids. This decision wasnt made lightly. It was made first and foremost to maintain safety in our schools, said Dr. Smita Malhotra, medical director for Los Angeles Unified, who added that seeing pediatric hospitalizations climb in other parts of the country raised further concern that the need to vaccinate was urgent. A lot of our students come from communities that have been largely impacted by the pandemic. By making this decision we would prevent further hospitalizations and trauma for our students. Our goal is to get back to normalcy at some point, she said. So we are using every tool in the toolbox to get there. Marin County parent Carl Krawitt offers his own community as an example of just how powerful a tool school mandates can be. In 2015, his family led a rebellion against a loophole in the state law that allowed parents to easily opt out of vaccinating their children a loophole that had resulted in a significant drop in vaccination rates and was blamed for the largest measles outbreak in California in 25 years. At the time, Krawitts son, Rhett, was recovering from treatment for leukemia, and because of his depressed immune system, he couldnt be vaccinated against measles. Krawitt was furious that parents in Marin County then a hotbed for anti-vaccination attitudes were not vaccinating their children and putting his son at risk. He worked with Sen. Pan to pass legislation that did away with personal exemptions that made it easy for parents to choose not to vaccinate their kids. In the years since, vaccination rates in Marin County have climbed from 85% for incoming kindergartners to nearly 95%. And the county once famously mocked by comedian Jon Stewart as home of science-denying affluent California liberals has among the highest COVID vaccination rates in the United States: 97% of eligible residents have had at least one shot. Rhett Krawitt, now 13 and fully recovered from cancer, is among the 97%. Peoples hearts and minds were changed because of mandates, Carl Krawitt said. Public opinion changes when you pass a law about something. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday The worst of Californias summer COVID-19 surge is likely over but with the highly contagious delta variant, that might mean the state levels off at higher case rates than after previous surges. California is considering requiring children 12 and older to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to attend school. Many people whove waited to get their COVID-19 vaccine in San Francisco cited the citys first-in-the-nation requirements for joining in public life and returning to work and because of growing social pressure. Resources on COVID-19 and Californias reopening: For detailed maps and new city-by-city Bay Area data, check out The Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Latest updates: These S.F. neighborhoods are still below the 50% vaccination mark: At least 79% of San Francisco residents have gotten one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine but residents in some neighborhoods are still lagging on getting their shots. Only 45% of people in the citys Lakeshore district and 49% of those who live on Treasure Island have received their first vaccine dose, according to data published Friday by the city. That number climbs to 58% in the Presidio and 59% in the Lone Mountain/USF neighborhood, but both still fall well below the city average. In both the Marina and Haight-Ashbury, 67% of residents have received a vaccine, compared to 95% of those who live in the Financial District/South Beach, 91% in Bayview and 90% in Mission Bay. Oldest restaurant in Fishermans Wharf faces eviction: Castagnolas, the oldest continuously running dining establishment on San Franciscos famous wharf, is facing eviction after falling $300,000 behind on rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port of San Francisco is suing the restaurant, which has been shuttered since shelter-in-place orders first hit in March 2020, for over $300,000 in unpaid rent, according to a lawsuit filed this week in San Francisco Superior Court. Castagnolas, which is located at the intersection of Jefferson and Jones, claims to have invented the Dungeness crab cocktail. CDC will not change its definition of fully vaccinated despite boosters: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that despite the new recommendations for a third vaccine dose, or booster shot, for some Americans who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the definition of fully vaccinated will remain the same. We are not changing the definition right now of fully vaccinated, she said during a White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday. I think we need to have more experience with our third shot and have more people eligible and recommended to receive it before we change that definition. The CDC currently considers individuals fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnsons vaccine. Warriors forward banned from home games until vaccinated: Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who has declined to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to NBA sources, will not be able to play in the teams home games at Chase Center until he receives his shots, according to San Francisco health department policy. The city states that vaccination requirements apply to all patrons and staff at large indoor events with 1,000 people or more because so many people will be gathered together in an indoor space, including performers and athletes. San Francisco does not accept negative test results in place of proof of vaccination, even with a medical or religious exemption. 75% of eligible Americans vaccinated against COVID-19: The United States hit a new vaccination milestone on Friday as 75% of eligible Americans, ages 12 and older, have received at least one dose of a vaccine, the White Houses COVID-19 data director Cyrus Shahpar said in a Twitter post. Lets add more!, he said. California approves CDC booster recommendations: The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup on Friday endorsed the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Workgroup provided its confirmation to the governors of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington today recommending third doses of the vaccine for people 65 and older, people living in a long-term care facility, and people 50-64 with underlying medical conditions. The group also said people ages 18-64 who received the Pfizer vaccine may also receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine after six months if they are high-risk for virus transmission. Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. With todays Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommendation, California is ready to go on day one to begin administering Pfizer-BioNTech boosters to eligible Californians, in addition to our continued work in reaching those who remain unvaccinated to protect communities. Vaccines save lives, and boosters are a critical next step towards better protecting Californians from COVID-19. Federal contractors must be vaccinated by Dec. 8: The White House said Friday that federal contractors must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8. The announcement from the Office of Management and Budget will affect millions of workers. It follows an executive order signed by President Biden in September that mandated vaccinations for federal contractors. All covered contractor employees must be fully vaccinated by the first day of the period of performance on a newly awarded covered contract, the guidance says. New vax requirement at City College of San Francisco: Beginning Nov. 8, CCSF will require everyone who enters its buildings to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Those exempted from the shots will have to show a negative COVID test. Vaccination will also be required to register for spring semester classes, with sign-ups beginning on Nov. 29. Students and employees can begin uploading vaccination status on Oct. 1. A new daily pill to treat COVID? Scientists are working on it: The pharmaceutical company Merck is working on an oral antiviral treatment called molnupiravir that could revolutionize the treatment of COVID-19. The company is currently in phase 3 of a trial of the daily pill originally developed to treat the flu, in the hopes that it could also prove to be effective against the coronavirus. The company plans to seek emergency use authorization for the treatment in the U.S. by the end of the year, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has already put in a purchase order for 1.7 million doses. Pfizer is reported to be working on an oral antiviral treatment option as well. The one antiviral drug currently approved to treat COVID is remdesivir, which is given intravenously to patients who are hospitalized. Mask requirements in schools significantly cut COVID transmission, studies show: Universal masking in K-12 schools effectively stops the spread of the coronavirus and minimizes disruptions to in-person education, according to three separate studies published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agencys researchers found that school districts without a universal masking policy in place at the start of the school year were 3.5 times more likely to have COVID-19 outbreak and counties without masking requirements saw the number of pediatric COVID-19 cases increase nearly twice as quickly since schools reopened. The CDC recommends a multi-layered strategy to mitigating outbreaks in schools, including universal masking, vaccination, testing and physical distancing. Walgreens and CVS to make boosters available today: Walgreens announced on Friday morning that its stores are now offering a third Pfizer shot to anyone eligible based on guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The company said in a statement that those who qualify can walk into any Walgreens location offering the shot, or schedule an appointment online. CVS announced its pharmacies will be ready to deliver additional doses later today. In a statement, the company said, We are reviewing the CDC guidance and will be ready to provide the booster dose at CVS Pharmacy and select MinuteClinic locations that offer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine later today. We strongly encourage customers to schedule an appointment in advance at to ensure they are able to access the correct vaccine at a convenient time and location. Two Northern California counties fall into CDCs low virus transmission tier: Modoc and Sierra counties are among the first to reach the low category for community transmission in the United States following the summer COVID-19 surge driven by the delta variant. Most Bay Area counties are now in the substantial transmission category of the agencys four-level tier system ranked from high, substantial, moderate and low having fallen out of the worst category that grips a majority of the counties in the country. As of Friday, California is the only state not classified as having high virus transmission levels. Costco reinstates purchase limits on toilet paper and water because of delta surge: The warehouse retailer confirmed it is once again limiting the amount of toilet paper and water customers can purchase in its stores due to supply chain issues tied to the current COVID-19 surge in the United States. Were putting some limitations on key items like bath issues, roll towels, Kirkland Signature water... related to the uptick in the delta-related demand, Costco CFO Richard Galanti said in a call with analysts on Thursday. He added that mounting transportation costs and a shortage of truck drivers would likely cause price increases across its stores. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. CDC director endorses vaccine recommendations, with the addition of high-risk workers: Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsing COVID-19 booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, the Associated Press reports. The advisers said boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents, and those ages 50 to 64 who have underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot. Walensky decided to make one recommendation that the panel had rejected: endorsing boosters for those ages 18 to 64 years who are health care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus. She noted that such a move aligns with an FDA booster authorization decision earlier this week. The category also covers people who live in institutional settings that increase their risk of exposure, such as prisons or homeless shelters. S.F. ready to roll out boosters, shots for children 5-11: The San Francisco health department said Friday that it is ready to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, as well as shots to children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old, once approved by federal and state officials. We will be prepared with a collaborative approach from the citys robust network of nearly 100 vaccination sites from doctors offices to clinics, pharmacies, and more, the department said in a statement. There will be several high-volume vaccination sites available across the city, as well as four school-based locations. We anticipate a capacity to administer 25,000 vaccine doses per week across these sites to collectively meet demand from eligible children, adults seeking first-time vaccination, and third-dose boosters for those who qualify. The time frame for when the vaccine will be approved for children aged 5-11 is still uncertain. Two hosts of The View test positive before Harris appearance: Moments before introducing Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, two hosts of ABCs The View were pulled from the shows live broadcast after they learned they tested positive for COVID-19. Harriss interview was moved off the set and to another room in the New York City studio. Hosts Sonny Hostin and Ana Navarro tested positive with breakthrough infections, the shows other hosts confirmed. The White House said Harris did not interact with them before her appearance. Biden advises those eligible for boosters to get them, others to wait: President Biden on Friday urged those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. He said he would get his shot as soon as he could. Its hard to acknowledge Im over 65, but Ill be getting my booster shot, Biden said. Its a bear, isnt it? But Biden asked those who are not part of the eligible groups to wait their turn. Were also looking to the time when were going to be able to expand the booster shots basically across the board, he said. So I would just say itd be better to wait your turn in line. Is the R.1 variant in the Bay Area? What to know about the highly mutated COVID strain: A new coronavirus strain is making headlines this week after being linked to an outbreak at a Kentucky nursing home, where the variant, known as R.1, infected both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Read the story here. Nurses say UC Davis Medical Center is overwhelmed: Registered nurses at UC Davis Medical Center held a virtual press conference on Wednesday to raise awareness around critical staffing and patient safety issues at the hospital intensified by the delta COVID surge. Yesterday when we were three nurses short, no one wants to come in extra, Jenny Managhebi, a registered nurse who works in cardiology, told KCRA. Every department is sending out text messages and emails. Nurse managers are saying, Call staffing. Come in help us. Were short. A hospital spokesperson told the station UCDMC is meeting staffing standards set by the state and has increased hiring through the pandemic. 60% of S.F. restaurants saw a drop in business following vaccine mandate, survey shows: The Golden Gate Restaurant Associations new survey results focus on impacts of the San Franciscos recent vaccination mandate. The vaccine mandate is only one aspect of a dip in business, however: Many owners also attribute it to concerns about the delta variant and the typical late-summer slowdown. Read the story here. Top California health official says state is mulling vaccine requirements for kids: Mark Ghaly, Californias Secretary for Health and Human Services, said on a press call Thursday that the state is considering requiring vaccine for school kids. That conversation is part of what were considering as a state but no definitive active decision is being made at the moment. Ghaly said California officials are watching how such requirements play out in some districts that have adopted them. Read the story here. CDC panel recommends Pfizer boosters for seniors, nursing home residents: In what is one of the last major steps in the booster recommendation process, the vaccine advisory group of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend boosters for Pfizer recipients who are 65 and up and nursing home residents. It also voted to recommend boosters for people 50-64 with underlying health conditions, and (based on individual risk/benefit) people 18-49 who have underlying conditions. In contrast to the FDA, it voted against recommending boosters for people at high risk of infection because of their jobs a group that would have included health care workers. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Many of Californias 2.5 million health care workers will be among the first Americans who can get COVID-19 booster shots, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided early Friday to recommend a third Pfizer dose for them and other high-risk groups. The development followed an unusual but brief moment of disagreement between vaccine advisers at the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the two federal agencies that set U.S. COVID vaccine policy. Ultimately, both the FDA and the CDC agreed to endorse boosters for people 65 and older, nursing home residents, adults with underlying conditions, and adults who live or work in settings that put them at high risk of exposure or transmission. Friday afternoon, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Group scientists in California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada aligned with the CDCs recommendations, opening the door for Californians in those groups to officially seek boosters. But the path to endorsement this week had been bumpy. The FDA on Wednesday authorized boosters for health care workers because of the higher risk of exposure they face on the job. Then on Thursday, the CDCs vaccine advisory panel disagreed, voting against recommending boosters to adults under 65 who face higher risk of infection or transmission at work including health care workers. Just hours later, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that the agency is in fact recommending boosters for health care workers. The CDC almost never overrules its advisory panel. In a statement Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said California will begin providing boosters to eligible groups right away. Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, Newsom said. Vaccines save lives, and boosters are a critical next step towards better protecting Californians from COVID-19. For now, boosters are limited to Pfizer recipients who got their second dose at least six months ago. Pfizer is the only vaccine manufacturer so far to receive federal authorization for a third dose. Moderna this month applied for FDA authorization for a booster shot, but regulators have not yet authorized it. Johnson & Johnson has not yet applied, though the company shared data this week showing a second dose boosts protection. The decision to approve boosters for health care workers could move the vaccination goalpoast for Californias doctors, nurses and other providers, who are already under one of the strictest vaccination requirements in the country. Under a state order announced by Newsom last month, all California health care workers must be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30. Unlike many other states, California does not give health care workers the option to test out of the vaccine requirement by getting tested once or twice a week, unless they get a medical or religious exemption. It is unclear whether California will now require health care workers to get a booster in order to be considered fully vaccinated and, if so, whether it would extend the deadline past Sept. 30. Walensky on Friday signaled that boosters are recommended but not required, saying that the CDC is not changing its definition of fully vaccinated right now. The CDC considers someone fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or the first dose of Johnson & Johnson. We are preparing and considering what it would mean for 2.5 million health care workers in California and looking at how it impacts the requirements we have for so many of those individuals to be vaccinated, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California Health and Human Services secretary, on Thursday, said before the CDC recommendations came out. When asked Friday whether the state will require health care workers to get a third dose, now that the CDC has advised boosters for them, a spokeswoman for Health and Human Services referred to the governors written statement. The statement did not address whether boosters would be required. Large studies on vaccine efficacy have shown that health care workers who are vaccinated remain generally well protected against COVID. One study of about 4,200 frontline workers and health care personnel from December to August found that the vaccines were 73% protective against symptomatic infection about five months out. Federal authorities said they included health care employees among those recommended for boosters in part to protect a workforce thats been strained nationwide during the pandemic. Several studies in the U.S. and Israel have found signs of waning protection over time, though the vaccines hold up well at preventing severe illness. But even mild disease can force someone out of work for a week or longer. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Most of these health care workers actually have pretty good immunity, so I think its really hard to tie their employment to a third shot or a booster at this time, said Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. I also dont see it as being a big problem. Many people who got the first two doses are clamoring to get a booster of anything. Well see how that plays out. As Californias Sept. 30 deadline nears, its not clear whether the vaccination mandate has improved uptake among health care workers. The California Department of Public Health collects vaccination rates only for nursing home staff, so the rates in other health care settings including hospitals and a wide variety of outpatient clinics are not known across the state. In the Bay Area, three of the regions largest providers Sutter, UCSF and Stanford say 95% or more of their workers are fully vaccinated. A fourth, Kaiser, says 90% of its employees and 97% of its physicians are vaccinated. Very few workers 3% or less, according to Stanford and UCSF have sought or gotten religious or medical exemptions. All four providers required their health care workforce to get vaccinated even before the state mandate was announced. The state order does not spell out consequences or enforcement mechanisms for health care workers who do not get vaccinated and who do not get a religious or medical exemption. A Stanford spokesperson said they are prepared to place unvaccinated health care workers on unpaid administrative leave until they get vaccinated. Similarly, Kaiser said it could put such workers on unpaid administrative leave starting Oct. 1, and if they are still not vaccinated by Dec. 2, they could be terminated. Our goal is not to end anyones employment, said Kaiser spokesman Karl Sonkin. Its to ensure that our workforce, patients, and communities are safe as possible from the virus. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho BEIJING (AP) Trying to dispel investor fears, some Chinese banks are disclosing what they are owed by a real estate developer that is struggling under $310 billion in debt and say they can cope with a potential default. The announcements came as Evergrande Group promised to talk with some individual investors in its debt. Other creditors waited to see whether Beijing will step in to oversee a restructuring to prevent financial disruption. Evergrandes struggle to meet government-imposed debt limits has prompted fears a default might disrupt the Chinese economy or global financial markets. Ratings agencies say a default is likely. Economists say Beijing can prevent a credit crunch in China but wants to avoid bailing out Evergrande while it tries to force companies to reduce debt levels. One of Evergrandes biggest lenders, Zheshang Bank Co., said it is owed 3.8 billion yuan ($588 million) and has sufficient collateral. The overall risk is controllable, the bank said in a written answer to questions on a website run by the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It said a risk situation ... will not have a significant impact on the bank. Others, including Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Ltd., gave no financial figures but said their lending was small, tied to individual projects and secured by claims to land. The Pudong bank said it was in close communication with Evergrande. Changshu Rural Commercial Bank Co. in the eastern province of Jiangsu said it is owed 3.9 million yuan ($600,000). The biggest state-owned commercial lenders including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. didnt respond to questions. Evergrande was caught by stricter borrowing limits imposed on real estate last year by regulators who are trying to reduce surging debt levels the ruling Communist Party worries might drag on economic growth that already is in long-term decline. Regulators have yet to say what Beijing might do, but economists say if the ruling party gets involved, it probably will focus on making sure families get apartments they already have paid for, rather than trying to bail out banks or other creditors. Evergrande is one of Chinas biggest private sector conglomerates, with more than 200,000 employees, 1,300 projects in 280 cities and assets of 2.3 trillion yuan ($350 billion). It owes creditors some 2 trillion yuan ($310 billion). Other major developers such as Vanke Co., state-owned Poly Group and Wanda Group have not reported similar problems. But hundreds of smaller developers have shut down since regulators in 2017 started tightening control over financing. On Friday, investors in Evergrande debt who gathered at its headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen said the company agreed to hold a phone meeting with them. Dozens of police officers with six vehicles stood guard outside the building. There was no word on whether that meeting took place, but an investor from Shanghai said he talked separately with Evergrande employees and was told the company has little cash and no concrete solution. The man asked not to be identified by name to avoid attracting attention to himself and wouldn't say how much money he had at stake. Also Friday, Evergrande's electric vehicle unit, which has a separate stock market listing in Hong Kong, said it suspended paying some expenses due to a serious shortage of funds. Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group Ltd., which also has a health care business, said it was talking to potential new investors but had reached no agreements. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Evergrande said earlier it negotiated details of an interest payment due Thursday to banks and other bondholders in China but gave no details. The company has yet to say whether it will make an $83.5 million payment that was due Thursday on a bond abroad. It has 30 days before it is declared in default, but economists say the company appears to be focused on repaying creditors within China. British bank HSBC Holdings PLC, reported earlier to be an investor in the bond, declined to comment. Meanwhile, Evergrande is offering to repay some creditors by handing over apartments and other property. The offer applies to investors who hold a total of about 40 billion yuan ($6 billion) of debt issued by its Evergrande Wealth unit. News reports say they usually are retail customers, employees of Evergrande contractors and the companys own workforce. ___ Associated Press video producer Caroline Chen in Shenzhen contributed. BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (AP) Not afraid of ghosts and things that go bump in the night? The purportedly haunted Rhode Island farmhouse where the spooky happenings that inspired the 2013 horror movie The Conjuring" occurred hit the market Thursday for the scary price of $1.2 million. Realtor Mott & Chace Sothebys International Realty in its listing called the 14-room, 3,100-square-foot (about 290 square meters) home on 8.5 acres (3.5 hectares) in Burrillville one of the most well-known haunted houses in the United States." Legend has it, the home is haunted by the presence of Bathsheba Sherman, who lived in the house in the 1800s, the agency said. To this day, countless happenings have been reported." The movie wasnt filmed at the home, but was based on the experiences of the Perron family that lived there in the 1970s. The home last sold in 2019 for $439,000 to a family who described themselves as paranormal investigators and hosted events at the site and rented rooms overnight for people eager for a scare. Before that, the previous owners didn't complain about ghosts, but about fans of the movie who showed up at all hours and trespassed on the property. EATONTON, Ga. (AP) A Georgia inmate was found guilty of murder Thursday in the slayings of two prison guards shot during a bloody escape in 2017, leaving the jury to decide next whether the crime warrants a death sentence. The Putnam County jury took just a few hours to convict Donnie Rowe of malice murder and other crimes in the killings of Sgt. Christopher Monica and Sgt. Curtis Billue, news outlets reported. The two Baldwin State Prison officers were shot with one of their own guns on a prison transport bus. One of Rowe's defense attorneys told jurors there was no question he had committed serious crimes. Still, lawyer Adam Levin said during closing arguments Thursday that prosecutors had failed to prove that Rowe intended for either of the guards to die. Monica and Billue were transporting prisoners by bus in June 2017 when Rowe opened an unlocked security gate separating the guards from the inmates. Fellow inmate Ricky Dubose followed Rowe through the gate. Rowe used chains from his shackles to strike Monica, who had fallen asleep, while Dubose grabbed a gun from a weapons box and fired seven shots that killed the officers. The fugitive inmates were arrested in Tennessee days later. Security cameras on the bus recorded the violent escape southeast of Atlanta, while roughly 30 other prisoners witnessed the killings from the back of the bus. Rowe's defense attorneys hoped to spare him a possible death sentence by arguing Rowe didn't know Dubose would kill the guards. Donnie Rowe didnt shoot, Donnie Rowe did not kill," Levin told the jury. Donnie Rowe did not intend to kill. Donnie Rowe is not guilty of malice murder. District Attorney Wright Barksdale argued that Rowe had been the key that opened the gates of hell by hatching the escape plot, WGXA-TV reported. It was a calculated crime that took both of them to complete, Barksdale said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In addition to the security video, jurors got a firsthand look in the courthouse parking lot of the bus where the slayings occurred. They also heard from more than witnesses, from the man whose car the inmates stole right after fleeing the bus to a homeowner in Rutherford County, Tennessee, who grabbed a pistol and called 911 after seeing Rowe and Dubose walking toward his house. He testified that the exhausted fugitives laid down and surrendered. Rowe did not testify. His defense attorneys played the jury audio and video of Dubose saying he was the one who shot both officers. Then the defense lawyers rested their case. Following the verdict, Rowe's trial enters a penalty phase in which the jury will have to decide whether to sentence him to death or to life in prison. Rowe was already serving a sentence of life without parole for an armed robbery conviction when the guards were slain four years ago. Dubose will be tried separately for murder and other crimes. REDDING, Calif. (AP) A woman has been arrested on suspicion of starting a Northern California wildfire that spread rapidly, burning homes and prompting evacuation orders Thursday in a rural community, authorities said. Workers at a nearby quarry reported seeing a woman acting strangely and trespassing in the area in Shasta County where the Fawn Fire was sparked Wednesday afternoon, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. Later Wednesday, Alexandra Souverneva walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters and told them she was dehydrated and needed medical help, Cal Fire said. Souverneva, 30, was taken out of the area for evaluation and treatment. During an interview with Cal Fire and law enforcement, officers came to believe Souverneva, of Palo Alto, was responsible for setting the fire, officials said. She was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney. KRCR-TV aired video Thursday of multiple houses burning near the unincorporated Mountain Gate area north of the city of Redding. Officials said 25 structures were destroyed, but didn't specify how many were homes. The number of people affected by evacuation orders was not immediately known. People living in other areas were warned to be prepared to leave. About 2,000 structures were threatened. The fire scorched more than 8.5 square miles (22 square kilometers) of heavy timber on steep, rugged terrain amid hot, dry and gusty conditions. It was just 5% contained. Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California fires have burned 3,671 square miles (9,507 square kilometers) this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. Those fires include two big forest blazes growing in the heart of Californias giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Smoke from those fires raised air quality concerns for the southern end of the Central Valley and flowed over greater Los Angeles, darkening skies and causing mistaken reports of mountain fires. On Wednesday, officials showed reporters how Sequoia National Parks famous Giant Forest has been protected from the KNP Complex fire by years of using carefully set and controlled fires to burn away vegetation that can serve as wildfire fuel. The bases of some of the most famous giant sequoias were also wrapped in fire-resistant materials. Giant Forest has 2,000 sequoias and includes the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. The fear of catastrophic fire coming through that section of the national park has been greatly reduced because of the combination of the prescribed burns and the low intensity of the fire that moved into part of the forest, said Ed Christopher, deputy fire director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. And because of that, we feel that the majority of the trees in this Giant Forest area should come out of this event like they have for the past thousands of years, he said. Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. The KNP Complex began as two fires ignited by lighting on Sept. 9. The fires later merged into one and have charred more than 56 square miles (145 square kilometers). Sequoia and adjacent Kings Canyon National Park have been closed. Several communities are under evacuation orders or warnings for people to be prepared to leave. There was no containment. Nearby, the Windy Fire has burned through nearly 77 square miles (199 square kilometers) on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in Sequoia National Forest, including Giant Sequoia National Monument. It was just 6% contained. Also ignited by lightning on Sept. 9, the Windy Fire has forced the evacuation of small forest communities, but no privately owned structures had burned as of Thursday morning. A fire lookout structure and a radio repeater site on a peak were destroyed by the blaze. The fire has moved through several groves of giant sequoias and damaged one of the big trees on the famed Trail of 100 Giants. An expert from Yosemite National Park was expected to examine the groves Thursday. COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) The board of trustees of a northern Idaho community college has fired the schools president in what one board member who opposed the move called 100% retaliation. The board with a 3-2 vote Wednesday fired Rick MacLennan, ending his five-year term. Board Chair Todd Banducci and two other board members didnt explain their votes to fire MacLennan. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Gov. Tom Wolfs administration became so concerned about how three cases of neglect or abuse of older people were handled in Philadelphia that it is ordering improvements at an agency there, but officials are refusing to disclose what happened to those three people, or whether they are alive. The Aug. 6 letter by Wolf's Department of Aging secretary, Robert Torres, came weeks after staff at the state agency began raising alarms, including that caseworkers' caseloads were above the limit in state law. Torres' letter went to the president of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, a nonprofit with a state contract to field and respond to calls about elder abuse and neglect in the city. A copy requested by The Associated Press was heavily redacted. The redactions left it unclear whether those three adults are alive or dead, and both the department and the nonprofit have refused to disclose what exactly happened to them. The AP is appealing the redactions. But an internal email in late June by the director of the department's protective services office may give details about one case. In it, Denise Getgen wrote to a colleague to ask why a PCA caseworker would find out that an older person is possibly sick and dehydrated, and incapacitated and then not act immediately to assess and/or address these serious medical concerns? Two of the cases had been terminated, or closed, while one remained active, Torres' letter said. Among other things, Torres ordered PCA to retrain its staff on medical risk and intervention and write a policy on when caseworkers must see potential victims in person and on what to do when a caseworker cant get in touch with a potential victim. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging is one of 52 local agencies across Pennsylvania, some of which are county-run while others are nonprofits, that field calls about elder abuse or neglect. They employ caseworkers to investigate and coordinate with doctors, service providers and if necessary, law enforcement. In recent years, the number of such calls have risen, according to state data. Most calls involve an elderly person who lives alone or with a family member or caregiver. Poverty is often a factor. Philadelphia has been one of the lowest-rated agencies in the departments stoplight-colored rating system for grading county-based agencies after state inspectors periodically review a sample of cases. The department doesn't publicly post those ratings, but has provided them upon request by the AP. Najja Orr, PCA's president, said in an interview Wednesday that the pandemic has worsened long-standing difficulties in recruiting people to do the demanding job of a caseworker. PCA's biggest challenge over the past few months has been staffing, while hot temperatures made the summer a trying stretch, as Philadelphia saw three heat advisories, Orr said. The agency is working to hire more caseworkers, satisfy Torres' requests and follow state laws, Orr said, even as he acknowledged that caseworkers are struggling to balance large caseloads. Our goal is to make sure that we hone in on those areas and to try to identify the areas that theyd like us to strengthen and then work very collaboratively, closely with them, Orr said. Torres' Aug. 6 letter is one of the department's starkest warnings in recent years to any of the county-based agencies it oversees. In it, Torres said the cases are very concerning and that the letter is a formal notification of non-compliance. The Department requires assurances that sufficient and appropriate actions are being taken to protect older adults from all types of abuse and that responsive, quality protective services are being delivered in Philadelphia County, Torres wrote. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Should a county-level agency fall short, Pennsylvania reserves the right to take over the task, or fire it and hire some other agency. It has never done that. Asked what it would take to consider firing PCA, Torres said he hopes it won't come to that. A transition could be complicated and he believes PCA's leadership is committed to improving, Torres said. I think its important that Philadelphia Corporation knows Philadelphia," Torres said. "And I want to do the best we can to help prop them up and get them through this situation." For weeks before Torres' letter, department staff had been raising an alarm about what they were seeing in Philadelphia, according to internal emails released to the AP under a Right-to-Know Law request. Some emails were heavily redacted. On May 3, Getgen, director of the department's protective services office, emailed PCA officials to tell them that she did not understand why we are still finding cases like this (incomplete investigation, incomplete documentation, gaps of time between investigative activities, etc.)," despite repeated state interventions. Getgen told Torres on May 19 that, I continue to have serious concerns about the performance" of PCA. A couple of days later she told Orr that many PCA caseworkers had well over 30 active cases, the limit in state law. On June 29, she alerted Torres to two very recent and concerning cases at PCA, although the details and outcome of those cases was not disclosed. ___ Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter. Over 12,000 Haitians trekked thousands of miles, across countries and continents, through horrific conditions, including starvation, sickness, rape and sodomy to get to the U.S. for sanctuary. The wealthiest and most resourced country on the planet told them to go home. Not just told them screamed it at them laced with vile, race-base obscenities, manifesting in arguably the largest and fastest mass deportation since the last time we expelled Haitians. The last thing America wants is more Black people. The images are grotesque. Black folks being herded like cattle. Like dogs. Whipped with horse reins. Charged by cops on horses. Huddled under a bridge. Sweltering in 104-degree heat. Humans seeking asylum and the American dream. What a nightmare. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki says she doesnt think anyone who sees the video of Haitian immigrants being charged with a horse would think it was appropriate. You know what else aint appropriate, Jen? Denying asylum seekers the chance to seek refuge in America. U.S. law states that any person fearing for their safety based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion may be considered for refugee status. They are supposed to go through an actual process to determine if they are eligible not packed onto planes and shipped off to the very place they fled from. With the exception of my ancestors and Native Americans, who in this country does not descend from those seeking refuge, asylum or simply a better life? I forgot. That is a white privilege. Or better stated, a privilege for the white. Instead of honoring the law, a Democratic administration is continuing the inhumane legacy of Trumps immigration policy through the invocation of Title 42, an obscure law designed to protect the nation from diseases overseas, as the New York Times put it. Even prior to COVID, Trump adviser Stephen Miller devised using this loophole to stop asylum seekers, despite being told it was illegal. Immigration advocates were hopeful this barbaric policy would fade away into the sunset along with the president who first invoked it. But, well, here we are. Trump made it clear he didnt want immigrants coming to the United States from shole countries. Apparently Biden doesn't either. In case you werent clear: shole means Black. Haitians are not the only immigrants making their way into our country. They are, however, the only ones being deported thousands at a time. Whats happening in Texas harks back to the days when Black bodies were chased down by the first police (slave catchers) on horseback with whips for doing little more than seeking freedom. Sanctuary, if you will. These are the moments where Black folks remember that regardless of which party dominates the White House, our conditions, and those of our people around the globe impacted by U.S. imperialism, rarely change. No one should be surprised by how Haitians are being treated in Texas. It is simply a continuation of the dehumanizing and degrading way this country has consistently treated the most famous revolutionaries in the world. See, the Haitian Revolution makes colonizers mad. Mad and scared. Then and now. To prevent other uppity Black folks from getting any wild ideas, global superpowers like the United States and France have been making Haiti pay ever since. Why are Haitians at the border in the first place? As explained by the Bay Area activist group Haiti Action Committee: Many fled Haiti years ago as it descended into terror following the U.S.-orchestrated coup against Haitis democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in 2004. After the coup, many left the country ... (as a) UN occupation shattered the economy and brought about a massive cholera epidemic. Many came from Brazil and Chile, where they had been recruited for low-wage labor after the earthquake of 2010, and then forced out when no longer needed. Additionally, many Haitians reported being the recipients of racist terror in Latin American countries after the economic downturns, particularly in Brazil after the Olympics. Add to this the recent earthquake in Haiti, which killed over 2,200 people and left hundreds of thousands without shelter, and the recent assassination of its president. Now, the United States government, which bears such great responsibility for this migration, is loading up plane after plane for deportation to Haiti, which does not have the capacity to handle these refugees. Rather than absorb our responsibility and obligation, or fulfill our hollow promise of welcoming the worlds tired and the poor, America is expelling Haitians in the most degrading ways it can imagine. America should be ashamed of itself. As a Black American, Im ashamed because I havent done nearly enough to amplify the alarm bell being rung by brave Haitian activists and their Black American allies. Im ashamed because, despite a wealth of political study, I didnt understand how Haitian liberation was tied to my own. And Im ashamed because I live in a country with shole policies when it comes to Black people. This is America. Your America. Still. Cat Brooks is an award-winning actress, playwright, the executive director of the Justice Teams Network, the co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project and the co-host of UpFront on KPFA. Its been three weeks since Texas passed the most restrictive abortion law in the country. Since the law went into effect, women have been crossing state borders to obtain abortions, including at one small clinic in Oklahoma. Chronicle photographer Gabrielle Lurie has been shadowing one Bay Area gynecologist who has been traveling to the clinic once a month to help provide abortions in the area, where access is difficult, even before the Texas ban took effect. Lurie joined Fifth & Mission host Cecilia Lei to talk about the women she met at the clinic, and what it was like to be on the front lines of this consequential moment in womens reproductive rights. Scroll down to read a brief excerpt of Cecilia Leis interview with Gabrielle Lurie, and click the player or the app badges above to listen to the full story. Cecilia Lei: I understand you spent time with some of the women who traveled there, some from very far away to get an abortion at this clinic. Where were they coming from? Gabrielle Lurie: Yeah, I was really grateful to be able to meet some of these very brave women who came from Dallas, from Houston, from smaller towns like Grandview, Texas. And each one had a different story. Many of them didn't sleep and traveled through the night or woke up very early the next morning just to make sure that they could make their appointment. Cecilia Lei: And did the women share what was happening in Texas when they sought help over there? What were they being told by medical providers? What kinds of options were even available to them after the law passed? Gabrielle Lurie: Each woman that I interacted with was different. One of them initially thought that it was a myth that there was this heartbeat bill. And, you know, another one had had an appointment and they told her they could no longer help her. And she said she went into a panic because she was worried that she would go into a deep depression. And so each person was really grateful that they were able to find an appointment because they realized that they weren't going to be able to get the services they needed in Texas. And I think every woman I spoke to told me that they would have traveled 10, 12, you know, 14 hours, whatever it took to be able to get the medical procedure that they needed. Cecilia Lei: The Texas law bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, which is earlier than when most women even find out that theyre pregnant. For these women who passed the six-week mark, why were they looking to get an abortion? Gabrielle Lurie: Each woman had a different reason for wanting to get an abortion. And some of them were medical and some of them were just the point in their lives that they were in. You know, Courtney, who was 20 years old, who I spoke to, who didn't have full support of her family and friends, started having seizures recently. And the seizures got worse when she was pregnant and she was afraid for her life. She was very much fearing that she could die as a result of her pregnancy. And so she said that she was choosing her life over, you know, an unborn child. Cecilia Lei: I want to play a clip of your conversation with Courtney. Heres what she had to say about the difficult choice she was making by coming to this clinic Gabrielle: So what would you have done if this clinic wasn't available to you? Courtney: I would have tried to force a miscarriage. I'm that desperate at this point because I know what would happen if I would go to term. ... Even if I would have been prosecuted somehow for murder or attempted murder, I still would have done it because at least I'd be alive. Cecilia Lei: Gabrielle, who else did you meet at the clinic and what were their reasons for choosing abortion? Gabrielle Lurie: I met a woman named Judith, who was 33, who really touched my heart because she had driven from Houston, Texas, it had taken her 6 hours. She had left her four children at home, and she was sick. She has very severe diabetes that she's been struggling with since she was 7 years old. And it creates neuropathy in her hands and feet. And she was really struggling through her pregnancy, losing weight, not keeping anything down. And her husband or rather partner has kidney failure. And she felt like there was no way that she could safely take care of a baby. Cecilia Lei: Lets listen to a bit of your conversation with Judith. Judith: I prayed and I listened to my gospel music. But I mean, people go through things and I know I was going through something and I really wasn't ready to bring a baby into this world. Me neither. A father. We both were sickly people and we're just not ready just if anything is to happen to us, who's going to take care of our baby? Gabrielle Lurie: Talking to Judith was definitely the most moving for me, knowing that she drove 6 hours and she had to turn around and drive straight to her sister's funeral, her sister, who had just died of diabetes. And, you know, she said at one point before getting the surgery, she said, You know, I am attached, but I know I can't go through with it. I tell him I'm sorry, but it's very hard when I feel his movements in my body. And I think that no one goes into these clinics thinking that they're excited about killing a baby. You know, they go in with a heavy heart and make a decision that is best for them at that time. And I heard that over and over again. Brothers James and Andre Keys live just 2 miles from where they grew up in Bayview-Hunters Point six decades ago. But instead of a house, they now call a 40-foot RV parked beside Candlestick Point State Recreation Area home. Its a step up from the Cadillac parked behind it, where they used to sleep along with James girlfriend. The brothers said that ever since the bank foreclosed on their mothers home after she died more than a decade ago, theyve struggled to afford housing in their hometown. Andre, who is retired, bounced between shelters across the city, while James and his girlfriend, who depend on disability benefits, stayed with a friend until more than a year ago. Thats when they joined the growing number of people living in vehicles on Hunters Point Expressway between the vacant former Candlestick Park lot and the state park. There, they found a beautiful bayfront view, but no electricity, bathroom or showers, forcing them to bury their waste and depend on a generator until it broke. Times got rough during this epidemic, James, 59, said this past week under a hot midday sun. Were not begging, but we need people to help us. The pandemic exacerbated unemployment and homelessness while limiting shelter capacity across San Francisco, leading to an explosion in the number of inhabited vehicles in the area. A state parks spokesperson said the recreation areas bathrooms, parking lots and campsites were closed to protect park resources from the encampments, but some argue those closures caused trash and human waste to pile up. The department said it supports the city on finding solutions to resolve issues in and around the park. On Wednesday, roughly 92 vehicles ringed the trash-lined browned grass of the state park. Last month, the city found that the southeast neighborhood that includes Candlestick Point had 62% of all the inhabited vehicles in San Francisco a total of 677 cars, RVs and trucks. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Everyone agrees the situation is untenable and inhumane, but a proposal to provide 150 spots for RV-dwellers in an unused parking lot in the state park is meeting with opposition from some area residents. In mid-September, Supervisor Shamann Walton, whose district includes the area, announced the plan to turn the lot into a city-run vehicle triage center. The site would allow unhoused people living in vehicles to park, and provide security, toilets, showers, electricity and case managers to help people find housing. Safe parking sites are an increasingly common stopgap measure to help people in the absence of affordable housing. Berkeley will soon open a similar site and Oakland already has, while Richmonds effort was delayed, but Candlestick may be the biggest proposal yet. San Francisco ran a smaller temporary site at Balboa Upper Yard until earlier this year and approved funding to open two more the second location undetermined. The Bayview proposal supported by Mayor London Breed came out of a homelessness working group of state and city officials, nonprofits and residents who met for 19 months. The group asked Assembly Member David Chiu to secure $5.6 million to set up the site, and the city is footing $6 million in operating costs over the next two years. The timeline for opening is uncertain, pending approval from the Board of Supervisors. Some neighboring homeowners, who say the city let trash, sewage and illegal activity fester there, oppose the safe parking site, arguing the city is warehousing homeless people in a heavily Black neighborhood already struggling with historic environmental and economic problems. Instead, they want to see them spread across the city. But many people living in vehicles are from the Bayview and cant just be shipped off to other neighborhoods, said Michelle Pierce, director of Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates. Chiu, who lives near Candlestick, said in a statement that while I appreciate that some would prefer we moved the center elsewhere, thats not realistic given how many unhoused people already live here. Walton, who also lives nearby, said he understood frustrations and concerns. The vehicle triage center is the exact remedy that is needed to address their concerns, he said. The city hasnt removed all vehicles because of a no-towing policy for inhabited vehicles, said city spokesperson Francis Zamora. Instead, agencies have tried to help, providing a portable toilet from December 2020 to February 2021, when federal funding ran out. Crews still take away debris at least three times a week and leave more than 100 trash bags weekly for residents. Homeless outreach workers have offered shelter options, but only a couple of people have moved, said Emily Cohen, spokesperson for the homelessness department. She added that people living in vehicles are less likely to take a shelter offer than those staying in a tent. Cohen said the proposed site should have enough space to offer everyone along the expressway a spot, then the road will be cleared. Half a dozen people, including the Keys brothers, told The Chronicle they would be willing to move in. Im ready ... as long as they say, You can stay, its safe, there are showers, said Carlos Macay, 67, sitting Wednesday outside the RV in which hes lived for 20 years. An old friend of the Keys brothers, he said what he really needs is housing. Farther down the road, Peggy Nathan, who shares an RV with her husband, Gilly, and their Chihuahua, Chiquita, said the site sounded like a step up, but wondered whether there was a catch such as rules about curfews or visitors. She has a permanent supportive housing unit in the Mission, but only uses it for showering and storage because its cramped and has a shared bathroom. The couple prefer living in their RV. Gilly works five or six days a week in construction when jobs are available. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. We are trying to get a home, Gilly said. Its just that rent is too expensive. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Down the road at Gilman Playground, half a dozen homeowners held a news conference Wednesday to oppose the proposal. Shirley Moore, vice president of the Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association, said neighbors feel unsafe and ignored after complaining to the city about problems there. She and others said the neighborhood, already struggling with toxic waste sites and delayed development, cant absorb the site. Were not being NIMBYs, but something has to be done, Moore said. This is another opportunity for them to solve homelessness at our expense. All we want is equity in the community. We feel sorry for the people who are unhoused, but we need to spread the unhoused ... throughout the city. Neighbor Timothy Alan Simon said he wants to see an equitable distribution of vehicles in more well-off parks. But Chris Whipple, another board member from the same neighborhood association, supports the proposal. Its not about bringing poverty into the Bayview, its about helping folks out of poverty who are already here, he said. Gwendolyn Westbrook, the CEO of United Council of Human Services, which runs shelter sites and delivers food to people living in vehicles, said the living situation doesnt make people criminal or bad. They dont have any housing. They have to stay someplace, so we need to do something until we can provide housing for them, she said. The community needs to join us to help people and stop being so selfish. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench Nearly 200 members of the San Francisco Police Department have applied for a religious exemption from the citys employee vaccine mandate, the highest number of waiver requests from any city department, by far. About 91% of the citys 35,140-person workforce is fully or partially vaccinated, but 2,706 employees, or 7.7%, still have not been vaccinated. Meanwhile, 1.4% of workers 489 havent reported their status. The rules require employees who work in high-risk settings, like police officers, to be vaccinated by Oct. 13. All other employees must be fully inoculated by Nov. 1. In the 2,835-member police force, 366 employees are unvaccinated. Of the unvaccinated, 193 want religious exemptions and eight have requested medical exemptions. The others have not requested any waivers. Its unclear how many of the unvaccinated police staff are front-line officers and how many work in administrative roles. The Department of Human Resources said 157 exemptions have been tentatively approved, but officials are still reviewing the requests. San Francisco was the first large city in the country to require all of its employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, unless they have a valid religious or medical exemption. Even if waivers are accepted, unvaccinated employees could still be reassigned to another role, put on leave, asked to work from home or let go from their jobs if they continue to refuse the shot, according to the Department of Human Resources. Thats because some jobs, like being a police officer, cant be performed from behind a desk or online. And if unvaccinated officers continue to interact with those in the community, they could put themselves or others at risk, the department said. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The only way out of the pandemic and to protect our workers, is to ensure that as many people as possible are vaccinated against COVID-19, Mawuli Tugbenyoh, chief of policy for the Department of Human Resources, said in a statement. The damage that COVID-19 has done to our communities, health and livelihoods is now preventable. In total, the Department of Human Resources has received 296 religious exemption requests and 21 medical exemption requests from city employees. That includes 34 religious exemption requests from the Sheriffs Department, 16 from the Fire Department, six from the Department of Public Health, and one from Mayor London Breeds office. Employees may apply for an exemption if a medical provider attests that they have a medical condition or restriction that affects their eligibility for a vaccine. According to the Department of Human Resources, those with a sincerely held religious belief that prohibits them from receiving a vaccine may also request an exemption, although it did not specify which religions qualify. The citys policy states that employees must fill out a form and answer all relevant questions regarding the religious belief, practice or observance that prevents them from getting the COVID-19 vaccination. They may also be required to submit additional information such as letters from a religious leader, articles from religious scholars or excerpts from religious or sacred texts. The department said it would review requests for accommodation on a case-by-case basis. The deadline arrives as San Franciscos coronavirus case numbers come down from the worst of the summer surge, fueled by the delta variant. Nearly 80% of the eligible population has at least one dose, but officials are still scrambling to vaccinate the hold-outs as data shows that the vaccines are extremely safe and effective at preventing severe COVID-19. Employees may not substitute weekly testing for a vaccine. The Police Department is not the only city agency with unvaccinated employees: As of Thursday, city data shows there are 583 unvaccinated employees in the Municipal Transportation Agency, 333 in the Department of Public Health, 322 in the Public Utilities Commission and 119 in the Fire Department. Its unclear how the police force or any other city agency would handle suddenly losing employees who are forced out or quit over the vaccine mandate. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Matt Dorsey, a police spokesman, said officials are still working with the Department of Human Resources to get clarity on how the city will be handling requests for exemptions from the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy under its religious accommodation provisions. Tony Montoya, the president of the police officers union, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. San Franciscos vaccine requirement has caused an uproar among some employees: The union representing sheriffs deputies threatened a wave of resignations if the city enforces its policy. Public safety of San Francisco has turned into the Wild West and will get worse when officers quit due to the vaccine mandate, the union wrote on its Facebook page last month. Also last month, a firefighter sued the city over the requirement to report his vaccination status because it is our religious belief that it is important to keep said information to ourselves and not let it fall into the hands of those who do not have our best interests at heart. Meanwhile, the Police Department is moving forward on suspending the few employees who have refused to share their vaccination status. By law, all city employees had to report whether or not they are vaccinated by Aug. 12. Its unclear how many other departments are moving forward on disciplining employees. At a news conference this week, Police Chief Bill Scott said eight employees in the department refused to report their vaccination status and are going through due process, which includes a hearing on the potential suspension. Were in a global pandemic, where over 600,000 people have lost their lives. We all have to do our part, Scott said. Our leadership and our mayor has been very clear on what she wants to see from all of our departments to make the situation better. Trisha Thadani and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani, @meganrcassidy Longtime San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera is likely to be approved to lead the citys Public Utilities Commission next week, an appointment that could lead to a flurry of changes within City Hall. The commission plans to vote on Herreras $395,000-a-year employment contract at Tuesdays meeting, according to an agenda posted online. If approved, Herrera will then step down as head of the City Attorneys Office, a position hes held since 2001. Then comes a number of potential changes on the city and possibly state level. Soon after the commission votes on Herreras contract, Mayor London Breed will appoint a new city attorney. Her pick is widely expected to be Assemblyman David Chiu, who has represented Assembly District 17 since 2014. If Chiu is chosen, Gov. Gavin Newsom would then call for a special election two weeks after Chiu officially leaves his seat, and the race to replace him must be held between 126 and 140 days after his departure. Two big names in San Francisco politics are already expected to make a run for the empty seat: David Campos, chief of staff to District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and current District Six Supervisor Matt Haney. If Haney wins, then Breed will choose his replacement on the Board of Supervisors. That could greatly benefit the mayor since she would likely pick a supervisor who is more politically aligned with her. In April, Breed nominated Herrera to lead the Public Utilities Commission after the agencys former chief, Harlan Kelly, resigned Nov. 30 in the wake of FBI charges. Kelly was accused of accepting bribes from a city contractor and permit consultant. Whoever she picks as the new city attorney will oversee an office that has spent the past year-and-a-half investigating a wide-ranging City Hall corruption scandal. Herreras contract negotiations have taken much longer than many anticipated. In a brief interview last week, Sophie Maxwell, president of the PUC, said these things take a while. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Youre negotiating contracts and he has another job that hes getting out of. So there has been a lot going on, she said. The commission also had to get an outside attorney to negotiate and review the contract, she said. Herreras appointment, and the domino effect it could have on San Francisco politics, comes after a tumultuous year in City Hall where much of the attention was spent on the pandemic. Now, the attention will be turned to multiple campaigns and elections through next year. The new city attorney will have to run in the June 2022 primary to keep the seat. But even before that, voters might also have to vote in a recall election of three San Francisco school board members later this year or early next. District Attorney Boudin also faces a recall effort, with signatures to qualify for the ballot due in October. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani At Schroeder's, the hofbrau and beer hall in San Francisco's Financial District, the typical lunch crowd mostly consists of office workers on lunch breaks, and the evening crowd usually consists of the same workers in search of post-work drinks. "We get people from all the banks, a bunch of law firms, real estate firms, and Salesforce is just three or four blocks away," said owner Andy Chun. "They've been great customers. Anyone you can think of who's working downtown would visit us. Its all an ecosystem." But offices have mostly remained closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And restaurants and bars in the Financial District and SoMa areas are barely hanging on. "We finally reopened in June when the [COVID] numbers looked good and when we looked at return-to-office plans for Salesforce and other companies," Chun said. "In July, things picked up, but then delta hit, plans got delayed and August was just a disaster." "We reopened at the end of July, and it's cost us $30,000 just to be open in that time," said Leilani Mason, the owner and operator of Southside Spirit House, a SoMa bar that often serves Salesforce, LinkedIn and Yelp employees. "We heavily depend on the happy hour crowd, thats our bread and butter. But a week after we reopened, the city said, 'Just kidding, the pandemic isn't over even if you're vaccinated and we all need to wear masks,' and then offices pushed back their reopening plans. We have no customers at happy hours, and we're having our staff come in but there's no one for them to serve." The delta variant of COVID-19 caused a summer spike in cases and hospitalizations across the San Francisco Bay Area primarily among unvaccinated residents. In response to the uptick, San Francisco and seven other Bay Area counties imposed an indoor mask mandate in early August that applied to all residents, regardless of vaccination status. Now, however, cases and hospitalizations are falling off fast. Office spaces are indoor areas where the mandate still applies, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health acknowledged to SFGATE two weeks ago that officials are aware that many offices are waiting for the mandate to be lifted before resuming in-person work. "Wearing a mask in a grocery store for a little while is not a big issue," Chun said. "Wearing a mask in a restaurant when you get to take it off to eat and drink is not a big issue either. But for the Financial District's offices, people dont want to come into an office if they have to mask up for 10 hours, especially if they're vaccinated. People are not coming back until that's removed, and we wont have customers until it's removed. There is definitely a financial cost." The city's health officer, Dr. Susan Philip, told SFGATE that San Francisco is "increasingly" looking at softening some portions of the mandate before others, with officials specifically scrutinizing the office-space mandate and potentially tying it to vaccination rates in offices. "The decision-making will involve the level of vaccination status at a given workplace," Philip said. "We're not ready yet, so we're just thinking about what that might look like, and that's part of the information that's going to go into the thinking and the planning of what that might look like." Cases and hospitalizations have decreased even further in the two weeks since Philip spoke to SFGATE. When SFGATE followed up with the city's health department after Mayor London Breed critiqued the city's mask mandate after being caught in violation of it ("I'm vaccinated, I don't need to wear a mask to take a picture every single time. I don't want to," Breed said of why she had her mask off indoors for an extended period of time), the department had no new updates and said, "We will make adjustments as needed based on science and data, and maintain a regional approach on COVID-19 mitigation strategies, when possible." For many Financial District and SoMa restaurant and bar owners, that's an unsatisfying response. "As long as employees are required to be masked all day, companies will say there's no reason to come back," said Simi Grewal, co-founder of DECANTsf, a SoMa wine bar. "As soon as the mask mandate came back, our business dropped off and there's been no sense of urgency now that things are getting better. I'm not opposed to a mask mandate if it's needed to slow the spread, but it's affecting how businesses operate because we dont have customers around." "It'd be great if the [Department of Public Health] could put specific, metrics-based off-ramps into its policies," Chun said. "It could be transmission rates, which is not the greatest metric I guess because it only shows virus spread and COVID is endemic now. Maybe it should be tied to hospitalization levels because that's what the vaccine protects against the most. But the department should put in specific off-ramps to give us hope, because were ready to get back to work." Jaime Hiraishi, the owner of Wine Down, another SoMa wine bar, believes that the economic impacts of delayed return-to-office plans will extend beyond just restaurants and bars. "People will go out of business if offices dont open soon," she said. "That will have a big effect on the city and what it looks like when tourists come in and are looking for things to do. This impacts not just us but San Francisco as a whole, and that's something we need to be thinking about." All of the restaurant and bar owners who spoke to SFGATE were supportive of the city's proof of vaccination requirement, which requires establishments to screen customers for proof of vaccination for entry. Cara Patricia, another co-founder of DECANTsf, said, "Asking people to mask makes them stay home, but having a vaccine mandate offers them the freedom to know everyone theyre going to come into contact with is safe." However, on the topic of the office mask mandate and the general idea that there's little-to-no costs to mask mandates, the group was less supportive. "I absolutely disagree with the idea mask mandates have no cost," Mason said. "Theres a huge cost to mask mandates and we're seeing how the office one is destroying businesses in the Financial District for sure. Its hurting me, it's hurting my workers, it has costs." A 30-year-old woman from Palo Alto who graduated from Caltech with degrees in chemistry and biology was arrested Thursday on suspicion of starting the Fawn Fire that's burning north of Redding and has forced more than 2,500 people to evacuate their homes. Alexandra Souverneva was booked at the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of "arson to wildland." This charge could carry an enhancement upon conviction because of California's current state of emergency over wildfire danger. The Shasta County District Attorney's Office released new information on the suspect Friday afternoon and said Souverneva had a working lighter in her pocket at the time of her arrest. Mike Chapman/AP "Cal Fire has conducted a preliminary investigation and already made the determination that the fire was in fact arson," District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said in a press conference. "We received the report yesterday and today we announced that we have filed felony arson charges against her, not only for arson but also for committing an arson during a state of emergency. The maximum penalty she currently faces is nine years in prison." Bridgett added the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be made based on the final outcome. "We are aware there are possible additional fires here in our county that she may be linked to as well as other charges in other fires statewide," Bridgett said. "That is still an ongoing investigation." The Fawn Fire sparked Wednesday, grew to 3,500 acres in less than 24 hours and exploded Thursday afternoon amid breezy conditions, threatening the Mountain Gate neighborhood. Cal Fire said the fire was first reported at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in a remote canyon on property adjacent to the J.F. Shea and Mountain Gate quarries. Employees of the quarry reported seeing a female trespasser "acting irrationally" before the fire erupted, Cal Fire said. Later that night at 8 p.m., the woman walked out of the brush and approached firefighters who were actively battling flames, Cal Fire said. She said she was dehydrated and needed medical treatment. Cal Fire interviewed the woman, who was identified as Souverneva, and arrested her on suspicion of starting the fire. She is being held on $100,000 bail, according to county records. Souverneva graduated from Palo Alto High school in 2009, the Campanile, the school's newspaper reported. She later attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated in 2012 with degrees in chemistry and biology, the university in Pasadena confirmed. The Campanile said Souverneva tutored local students in chemistry, and her LinkedIn page indicated she worked for AJ Tutoring in 2020. AJ Tutoring client Hannah Ramrakhiani told the Campanile that she and other Palo Alto Unified School District students worked with Souverneva during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is so smart and such a good chemistry tutor, and she was always so nice and calm, Ramrakhiani said. SFGATE contacted several employers, including AJ Tutoring, listed on Souverneva's LinkedIn page, but didn't immediately hear back. Updates: See Cal Fire's Shasta-Trinity Unit Twitter feed. Evacuations: Visit the Shasta County Sheriff's Twitter feed. Map: Find an evacuation map at ZoneHaven. A California wildfire, located 225 miles north of San Francisco near Redding, spread wildly Thursday afternoon. Winds pushed flames from a remote canyon into a highly populated area east of Interstate 5, triggering a flurry of evacuations with thousands of Shasta County residents leaving their homes. Winds calmed overnight and the blaze just south of Shasta Lake grew minimally, going from 5,500 acres Thursday evening to 5,850 acres Friday morning. The blaze is 10% contained and more than 9,000 structures are threatened, Cal Fire said in its Friday morning report. KRCR-TV aired video Thursday of multiple houses burning near the unincorporated Mountain Gate area north of the city of Redding. Officials said 25 structures were destroyed. Cal Fire said 25 structures were destroyed and KRCR noted most of these are in the Poco Vista, Woodchuck Trail, Stockton/Sunrise areas. A 30-year-old Palo Alto woman is accused of setting the fire. Alexandra Souverneva was booked Thursday at the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of "arson to wildland." The fire was first reported late Wednesday afternoon at Fawndale Road and Radcliff Road, which is five miles northeast of Shasta Lake, and Cal Fire reported Wednesday afternoon that flames were spreading rapidly. Driven by winds, fire activity picked up Thursday afternoon and the city of Redding sat in the shadow of a massive smoke cloud pumped out by the blaze. "I would call it extreme," Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Foxworthy said at 1:30 p.m. Thursday "The fire is still on the east side of I-5. The fire is in steep rugged terrain and starting to burn in amongst some homes. The biggest threat would be along Old Oregon Trail and Bear Mountain Road area." Foxworthy added, "There are quite a few mandatory evacuations, and they're coming out continuously. I would advise people to look at the latest information from the sheriff's department." AlertWildfire/Handout Cal Fire said the fire started Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. in a remote canyon on property adjacent to the JF Shea and Mountain Gate quarries. Employees of the quarry reported seeing a female trespasser "acting irrationally" before the fire was started, Cal Fire reported. Later Wednesday, Souverneva walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters and told them she was dehydrated and needed medical help, Cal Fire said. Souverneva, 30, was taken out of the area for evaluation and treatment. During an interview with Cal Fire and law enforcement, officers came to believe Souverneva was responsible for setting the fire, officials said. She was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney. Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California fires have burned 3,671 square miles this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. The Associated Press contributed to this story. San Francisco released its contingency plans Friday morning for how it will vaccinate children when the Food and Drug Administration gives emergency use authorization to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11. The city is following in the footsteps of Marin County, which announced a preliminary plan last week. The city said in a statement that it will tap into the pre-existing network of nearly 100 vaccination sites at doctor's offices, clinics, schools, pharmacies and more to get shots into kids' arms. The anticipated authorization of the vaccine for kids comes after the FDA announced authorization of Pfizer booster doses for individuals 65 years and older and other high-risk groups. San Francisco said in the statement it is prepared to start administering these but will prioritize those who need first and second shots. The city is encouraging people to reach out to their health care providers for information on getting boosters. "We anticipate a capacity to administer 25,000 vaccine doses per week across these sites to collectively meet demand from eligible children, adults seeking first-time vaccination, and third-dose boosters for those who qualify," the city said. "We must underscore that our highest priority will be to ensure access to first and second doses for all members of our community, including children ages 5-11 when they become eligible." While Marin County provided specific dates for mass vaccine sites geared to kids in anticipation of the Pfizer vaccine getting emergency approval next month, San Francisco didn't name dates for large-scale events. Marin County has tentatively scheduled vaccine events over three consecutive weekends: Oct. 30 and 31, Nov. 6 and 7 and Nov. 13 and 14. They're also launching an education campaign. "We know many parents will want to seek counsel from their pediatrician or family physician, so we are also working to build the capacity for family doctors to provide the COVID-19 vaccine in their offices," Laine Hendricks, a spokesperson for the Marin County Department of Public Health, wrote in an email. "We are reaching out and meeting with pediatric practices to look at vaccine administration, refrigeration/storage, etc. In this sense, Marin County Public health would be a supplement to what pediatricians are offering." Hendricks added that the goal in Marin County is to administer a first dose to 75% of eligible children within one month of when the vaccine receives emergency authorization. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccine data for kids between ages 5 and 11 is coming soon and could be submitted to the FDA by the end of September, CNBC reported. Then, it is up to the FDA to take their time, and then make a decision, Bourla said during an interview at Research Americas 2021 National Health Research Forum. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a house designed and built by the man who built your favorite rides at Disneyland? Now, you can. If you have an extra $2.7 million to shell out, that is. One of Disneylands original Imagineers the term the company uses to describe the people who envision and build its theme parks Fred Joerger was handpicked by Walt Disney himself to create miniature models of some of the most legendary Disney movies and Disneyland ride concepts in the 1950s and '60s. FALLS CHURCH. Va. (AP) A northern Virginia school system said it is removing two books from school libraries, including an illustrated memoir that contains explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children, after a parent expressed concern about them at a school board meeting. Stacy Langton, a parent in the Fairfax County school system, questioned the school board at a public meeting Thursday about the books' availability in high school libraries. As she quoted from explicit passages in the book, a school board member interrupted her and chastised her for using explicit language. Another school board member defended the books by saying they are available only in high school libraries, not in grade schools. On Friday, the school system initially said it was conducting a review. Later in the day, it said it was pulling Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison from circulation pending a more detailed review. Two committees made up of staff, students and parents will assess both books and make recommendations to the assistant superintendent of instructional services who will make a final decision as to whether FCPS continues to provide access to these books in our high school libraries, the school system said. Gender Queer" publisher Oni Press issued a statement Friday saying that limiting the book's availability is short-sighted and reactionary. Oni Press supports Maia Kobabe for the truth and strength in sharing eir story, and hope to be a home for others who want to share their own stories with the world. The fact is, GENDER QUEER is an important, timely piece of work that serves as an invaluable resource for not only those that identity as nonbinary or genderqueer, but for people looking to understand what that means. Online inventory systems showed both books were widely available throughout high school libraries in the Fairfax County system. One school, Robinson Secondary, serves grades 7-12. Indeed, one or both books are available in school systems throughout the region, including Loudoun County, Arlington County, Alexandria and Montgomery County, Maryland, schools, according to online catalogs. Langton, in an interview Friday, said she had never spoken up at a school board meeting before, but the books were so obscene that she had to speak up. She said she heard about the books earlier this month at a school board meeting in Texas, and became curious whether they were available. Sure enough, the books her in her son's school library. The books are actually so much worse than I ever would have imagined. So much worse, she said. Gender Queer," an illustrated memoir, contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation. The novel Lawn Boy contains graphic descriptions of sex between men and children. Both books were previous winners of the American Library Associations Alex Awards, which each year recognize ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18. Langton said the fact that school board members felt compelled to interrupt her when she read graphic passages aloud illustrates her point about the books' inappropriate nature. I was very angry that they cut me off, she said. The controversy is the latest to befuddle Fairfax County's school board, and other across Virginia and the country as conservative parents object to masks in schools, anti-racism curriculum, and policy changes requiring transgender students be referred to by their preferred pronouns. Asra Nomani, who attended Thursday's meeting and serves as vice president of strategy and investigations at Parents Defending Education, a recently formed advocacy group, said the high-handed response from the school board to Langton's concerns reflects the divide between activist school board members and parents. "It's very unfair to demonize and marginalize parents, because they have serious concerns," Nomani said. One school board member, Karl Frisch, offered a defense of sorts on Twitter, saying Thursday night that nothing will disrupt our Board's commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, families and staff. Nothing. But he was not explicit about whether his tweet was in response to Langton's comments. He declined comment Friday. A new problem may be bubbling up for residents of the lurching Millennium Tower in downtown San Francisco. The building's tilt now about 22 inches to the west due to the northwest corner sinking about 18 inches may be causing lateral sewage pipes to not drain correctly and has already resulted in some plugging on the third floor, according to a letter from the chief engineer to the city, obtained by NBC News. More for you Make cleaning your shower drain less gross with the ShowerShroom A separate San Francisco Department of Building Inspection report filed Aug. 27, obtained by SFGATE, saw "evidence of water intrusion through the basement walls of the subterranean levels and signs of past settlement," from the tower's earlier sinking. "The team identified several areas in which seals on building drains exiting the building appeared to be leaking ground water from outside the building to the inside," the report reads. The team also observed "water seepage from the basement wall into the sewage ejector room." The letter states that the inspectors "did not find any observable variation" from their previous inspection in March. Doug Elmets, spokesperson for the Millennium Tower homeowners' association, told SFGATE that the document "clearly states that DBI found no changes in piping since their last inspection which occurred in March 2021." Chief engineer Ronald Hamburger added, there are not current effects that compromise either building safety or habitability. As settlement and tilting has now returned to pre-construction levels, we do not anticipate any will occur. In the email from Hamburger, obtained by NBC, the engineer told the city that sewer lines must slope (minimum of 1/8 per foot) to enable efficient flow of material, and that at-risk drains will experience decreased slope and may become a problem. He added that third floors drains that have seen plugging must be maintained with periodic chemical flushing. The news comes after the tower abruptly sank another inch over a period of weeks in July in the middle of the massive foundation fix on the tower, causing work to stop. A report found that the fix itself was likely causing further sinking. The moratorium came after 39 of the 52 new piles had been installed as part of the $100 million perimeter pile upgrade. Supervisor Aaron Peskin has called for a new independent review of the project. I would like there to be a pause until we know what were doing, and I think that construction should not resume until we can panel the best experts that this country has, Peskin told KPIX. The August halt on the construction fix was initially planned to last two to four weeks. It is now unclear when it might resume. The real-estate titan that purchased PG&E's historic San Francisco headquarters in May just announced what it plans to do with the towering structures on Market Street. The Houston-based firm Hines is partnering with the National Pension Service of Korea on a $2.5 billion development project that they boast is the "largest deal along Market Street in San Francisco in the last 10 years." As first reported by the Commercial Observer, Hines plans to turn the historic offices into two "modern office projects" and one "multifamily development." Of those two developments, one will be a revamp of an early 20th century office complex spanning 600,000 square feet. Hines will maintain the facade and the lobby, but gut the remainder of the property for "modern functionality," according to the firm. The Pacific Gas & Electric Building on 77 Beale Street will be completely redone, and "repositioned" toward Mission Street, Hines said in a release. With that reorientation will come a new name: 200 Mission. Its last proposal for the purchase is called "50 Main," a 600-unit apartment complex across the street from the Hines-owned 101 California. Hines, which also owns Transbay Block Tower 4 and formerly owned the Salesforce Tower, purchased the massive offices for $800 million in May from the electric company. The Hines vision for this important block in the heart of downtown San Francisco is great news for the future of our city, said Mayor London Breed in a statement shared on Hines' website. Meanwhile, PG&E will move into its new Oakland headquarters in the first half of 2022, and promised in May that the sale's "net gain" would be passed onto customers. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Jackson police are investigating separate overnight shootings that left two people dead in Mississippis capital city. The two killings bring the citys homicide total to 109, WLBT-TV reported. The first shooting happened Thursday night on Lynch Street, where a man was shot multiple times, police said. The second shooting happened just after midnight, in the early morning hours Friday, on McWillie Drive in north Jackson. In that killing, a 40-year-old man was shot in the head. Few other details were released Friday morning. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Three people have been arrested in Tennessee and charged with felony murder in a shooting death this year in Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Jamar Quarles and two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, were located in Memphis and taken into custody, the Marshals Service said Thursday. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) A U.S. Air Force airman on trial on charges of kidnapping a Mennonite woman in New Mexico, fatally shooting her and dumping her body in northern Arizona, had tried unsuccessfully to cover his tracks after the January 2020 killing, a prosecutor told jurors Friday in opening statements. Prosecutor Ammon Barker said Mark Gooch got his car professionally detailed, asked someone to hold onto his rifle and, two days after the killing, returned to the forest clearing outside Flagstaff, Arizona, where the body of 27-year-old Sasha Krause had been dumped and would be discovered several weeks later. Though Goochs cell data showed he drove from metro Phoenix to a Mennonite community in Farmington, New Mexico, and then to the Flagstaff area, the prosecutor said Gooch initially deleted his location history from a different digital account a Google account during the time of the killing. In that sense, the defendant didnt cover his tracks he highlighted them, Barker said, adding that Gooch later deleted all location history information from his Google account. Goochs attorney Bruce Griffen told jurors that his client had no connection to Krause, had cooperated with investigators and wasnt trying to hide anything. The state has really no motive whatsoever to try to suggest that a peaceful, nonviolent person who didnt know this individual would had have any reason whatsoever to abduct, let along harm, Griffen said. Gooch, 22, was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in metropolitan Phoenix at the time. He told investigators he was near Farmington about a seven-hour drive when Krause went missing because he had been seeking out Mennonite churches for the fellowship. Gooch grew up in the Mennonite faith in Wisconsin but never officially joined the church, he told investigators. Gooch maintains that he did not kidnap or kill Krause and has pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and theft charges. Krause disappeared while going to get reading materials to prepare for an upcoming Sunday school course. Authorities say her body was found with head injuries and in the same clothing she was wearing when she disappeared. On the day Krause went missing, Griffen said Gooch went to Flagstaff to ski at a resort, but it was closed because of the pandemic. He then decided to drive to Farmington, realized there wasnt going to be a church service that day and headed back to to the Phoenix area, Griffen said. Griffen emphasized to jurors that there were no witnesses to the crimes. Authorities said a state crime lab report showed a bullet taken from Krauses skull was fired from a .22-caliber rifle Gooch owned. Griffen told jurors that ballistics evidence gathered in the case cant be conclusively linked to his clients rifle. Goochs cellphone was the only one communicating with the same cell towers as Krauses phone before hers dropped off west of Farmington, authorities said. Prosecutors arent sure why he targeted Krause. Other evidence from prosecutors will include text message exchanges between Gooch and his brothers where he talked about surveilling Mennonite churches in metropolitan Phoenix and praising one for ticketing a Mennonite during a traffic stop. MIDFIELD, Ala. (AP) A police officer in an Alabama town near Birmingham is free on bond after being arrested on charges of animal cruelty. Midfield Police Officer Cameroun Tremble, 46, surrendered at the Jefferson County Jail on Thursday to face two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. He was released after posting $3,000 bond. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Alaska plans to emphasize telework for state employees for the next month as the COVID-19 pandemic strains Alaska's health care system. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in a memo to state department leaders this week, said the state must take measures to protect its healthcare infrastructure while still providing essential government services to its residents. He writes that, effective Monday, the state will emphasize telework to the maximum extent practical, while still maintaining public facing presence and services. This is to be in effect until Oct. 29, he said. A determination on any possible extensions will be made later, he said. Brian Penner, director of the union that represents supervisory employees, told the Anchorage Daily News the decision was welcomed. Weve been hearing from supervisors who are not only concerned about their own safety, but concerned about the people they supervise, he said, adding that the action "shouldve happened earlier. Alaska is in the midst of what state health officials have described as a surge in COVID-19 cases, with more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than during a prior surge late last year, according to the state health department. Health care leaders say hospitals face capacity issues, with staffs overtaxed. The highly contagious delta variant is a likely contributor to the current case counts, along with vaccination rates, waning immunities and the degree to which people mask, keep their distance or engage in other mitigation steps, according to the department. More than 6,000 state employees were asked to work from home last year. That shifted earlier this year to a hybrid system where employees could work from home or the office. Jake Metcalfe, executive director of the states largest public employee union, said a drawback of that system is that it may not be applied equally to every employee because individual departments or agencies make the decisions. HELENA, Mont. (AP) A therapeutic boarding school in northwestern Montana, which state inspectors learned had once made boys sleep outside in winter conditions without proper clothing as punishment, closed on Friday. Staffers confirmed to the Montana State News Bureau on Tuesday that the 16-bed Wood Creek Academy near Thompson Falls was shutting down. A message had also been posted on the program's website, which had been pulled down by Friday. Wood Creek Academy, a residential boarding school for boys ages 13 to 18, had been the subject of two complaints filed with the state within the past year and inspections uncovered other infractions. The state health department sent inspectors to the boarding school in January in response to a complaint. The inspection found two boys ran away from the school one morning in January and Wood Creek Academy staff waited for more than an hour before calling law enforcement. As punishment for running away, staff prohibited the boys from having any interaction with their peers for three days. Such punishment is prohibited under state regulations. The inspector reported the boys also were sent to sleep in shorts and T-shirts in tents as nighttime temperatures dipped as low as 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius). A 17-year-old boy who sneaked out at night in August 2020 was located in Seattle about three weeks later. He had been at the boarding school for more than two years, his mother told the Missoulian. An investigation that year found the program also had used excessive physical exercise as punishment, which is prohibited by state rules. In March 2021, the state health department approved Wood Creek's corrective plan, which included installing a nighttime alarm and using checklists to document rounds every 30 minutes at night. A corrective plan reached in May called for better documentation. The Department of Public Health and Human Services was aware of Wood Creek Academy's closure, but spokesperson Jon Ebelt said the department did not revoke the facility's license. An investigative series by the Missoulian newspaper into the private therapeutic boarding school industry in Montana led lawmakers to place oversight of such programs with the health department in 2019. It had been mostly self-regulated by industry members prior to that. Within a month of taking over regulation of the programs, the health department removed 27 children from the Ranch for Kids near Eureka and later revoked its license. By late 2020, eight of Montana's 19 programs had closed. With Wood Creek Academy's closure, nine licensed therapeutic boarding school programs remain. NEW YORK (AP) Actor Michael K. Williams died of acute drug intoxication in what New York City's medical examiner said Friday was an accidental death. Williams, known for playing Omar Little on The Wire and an Emmy Award nominee this year, had fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine in his system when he died Sept. 6 in Brooklyn. Williams, 54, was found dead by family members in his penthouse apartment. Police said at the time that they suspected a drug overdose. The city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said it would not comment further. A message seeking comment was left with Williams' representative. Williams had spoken frankly in interviews in recent years about his struggle with drug addiction, which he said persisted after he gained fame on The Wire" in the early 2000s. I was playing with fire, he told the Newark Star-Ledger in 2012. It was just a matter of time before I got caught and my business ended up on the cover of a tabloid or I went to jail or, worse, I ended up dead. When I look back on it now, I dont know how I didnt end up in a body bag. New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in an interview shortly after Williams death that he had spoken with the actor earlier this year about collaborating with the department on community outreach. Williams had been working with a New Jersey charity to smooth the journey for former prison inmates seeking to reenter society, and was working on a documentary on the subject. Another project involved reaching out directly to at-risk youth. This Hollywood thing that you see me in, Im passing through, Williams told the Associated Press last year. Because I believe this is where my passion, my purpose is supposed to be. Omar, a rogue robber of drug dealers based on real figures from Baltimore, was hugely popular among fans of The Wire, which ran on HBO from 2002 to 2008. Williams also starred as Chalky White in HBOs Boardwalk Empire from 2010 to 2014 and had roles in the films 12 Years a Slave and Assassins Creed. Williams was nominated this year for an Emmy for supporting actor in a drama series for HBO's Lovecraft Country, but lost Sunday to a star of The Crown. Williams was remembered in the ceremony's In Memoriam segment. LIMA, Peru (AP) The body of Abimael Guzman, the leader of Peru's brutal Shining Path insurgency who died on Sept. 11, was cremated Friday. The cremation took place after Congress in the South American nation expedited a debate on a law to dispose of Guzman's remains. His ashes will be scattered at an undisclosed date and place. REDLANDS, Calif. (AP) A Southern California school district has agreed to pay $11 million to settle a lawsuit filed by seven victims and alleged victims of a former middle school teacher who is serving a 74-year prison sentence for sexual abuse. The San Bernardino Sun reported Thursday that the settlement by the Redlands Unified School District ends litigation initially comprising four separate lawsuits involving Sean Ramiro Lopez, who taught English at Clement Middle School. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) More than a year after protesters toppled a statue of a Spanish missionary on the grounds of the California Capitol, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Friday to replace it with a memorial for the state's Native Americans. A statue of Father Junipero Serra had stood in Capitol Park since 1967. He was a Roman Catholic pries who established a string of missions from San Diego to San Francisco in the late1700s and used them as centers to convert members of nearby tribes to Christianity. But many natives were forced to live and work at the missions and subjected to beatings and other abuse. Thousands died. Serra was given sainthood by Pope Francis in 2015, a controversial decision that brought sharp criticism from those who see Serra as a colonialist who destroyed Native American tribes and their cultures. Last summer, the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer prompted nationwide protests over racial injustice. On July 4, 2020, protesters tore down the Serra statue on the Capitol grounds. Protesters also tore down Serra statues in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Assemblyman James Ramos, a Democrat from Highland and a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, authored a bill to replace the statue on the Capitol grounds with a memorial for Native Americans in the Sacramento area. It's one of several laws Newsom signed on Friday dealing with Native American issues. Todays action sends a powerful message from the grounds of Capitol Park across California underscoring the states commitment to reckoning with our past and working to advance a California for All built on our values of inclusion and equity, Newsom said in a news release announcing the signing. Last year, Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento called it the statue's removal an act of vandalism that does little to build the future. He wrote there is no question California's indigenous people suffered during the colonial period but said Serra denounced the system's evils and worked to protect the dignity of native peoples. His holiness as a missionary should not be measured by his own failures to stop the exploitation or even his own personal faults, Soto wrote. The law allows tribal nations to plan, construct and maintain the monument. But it could be awhile before the monument is built. The law says the tribes need permission from the Joint Rules Committee before they can begin construction. The committee has imposed an unofficial moratorium on new memorials until the Department of General Services develops a master plan for the Capitol Park grounds, according to a legislative analysis of the law. Capitol Park contains at least 12 memorials, including ones honoring veterans and firefighters. Last year, state officials removed a statue from the rotunda of the Capitol depicting Christopher Columbus. The statue had been the centerpiece of the rotunda since 1883, donated by a banker who had advocated for California's Capitol to be built in Sacramento. Legislative leaders removed the statue of Columbus because they said it was out of place "given the deadly impact his arrival in this hemisphere had on indigenous populations. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday overruled a recommendation by an agency advisory panel that had refused to endorse booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine for front-line workers. It was a highly unusual move for the director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, but aligned CDC policy with the Food and Drug Administrations endorsements over her own agencys advisers. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday recommended the boosters for a wide range of Americans, including tens of millions of older adults, and younger people at high risk for the disease. But they excluded health care workers, teachers and others whose jobs put them at risk. That put their recommendations at odds with the FDAs authorization of booster shots for all adults with a high occupational risk. Walenskys decision was a boost for President Joe Bidens campaign to give a broad segment of Americans access to boosters. The White House had come under criticism for getting ahead of the regulatory process. The White House could begin promoting and rolling out a plan for booster shots as soon as Friday. That would be in keeping with the administrations previously announced plan to offer the additional doses this week. The CDCs statement arrived well past midnight, a sign of the complicated and confusing decision-making surrounding the boosters. The CDC advisers similarly spent two days debating who should get boosters and when, and could not agree on whether occupational risk should qualify as a criterion. I am surprised that Dr. Walensky overturned one of the four ACIP votes today, and I believe others will be as well, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious disease expert at Stanford and the American Academy of Pediatrics liaison to the committee. But the vote on boosters for occupational risk was close, Maldonado said, and agreed with Walenskys decision. This addresses not only waning immunity but those at high risk of exposure, Maldonado said. Minutes before Walenskys statement, Dr. Amanda Cohn, who oversaw the two-day meeting of the panel, tried to prepare the advisers for the directors decision. Dr. Walensky is reversing the decision to not recommend use of a booster dose in persons at high risk for occupational or institutional exposure, Cohn wrote in the email. I am hoping to share this news with you before you see it in the press. Walenskys decision to go against her own agencys advisers came as a surprise to at least some of her staff members. The CDC directors endorsement of the advisory committees recommendations is typically just a formality. Hours before her statement, agency insiders predicted she would stick with the usual protocol because doing otherwise would undermine the process and upset the advisers as well as her own staff. But experts outside the CDC said Walensky may have had no choice but to align herself with the FDAs decision. Theres a complexity here, because Dr. Walensky was part of the White House announcement on boosters, noted Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Walensky said providing booster shots to health care workers and others who risk contracting the disease on the job would best serve the nations public health needs. She approved the panels decision to endorse third shots for people over 65, patients in nursing homes and other institutional settings, and those with underlying medical conditions. Walenskys decision revealed the continuing divisions and confusion among federal regulators and outside advisers about how to contain the virus nearly two years into the pandemic. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for certain front-line workers. But the CDCs advisers disagreed that the doses were needed by so many healthy people. Whatever the scientific reservations, millions are expected to seek out booster shots. In one recent poll, about three-quarters of vaccinated Americans said they would opt for a booster if the doses were available. State health departments generally follow the recommendations of the CDC. But many Americans were scrambling for boosters even before the FDAs authorization, typically by finding a cooperative pharmacist or by claiming to be unvaccinated. The CDCs advisers acted on what they described with considerable frustration as scant research, mulling over conflicting data points that seldom pointed in one direction. In the end, the panel unanimously endorsed booster shots for adults over 65 and for residents of long-term care facilities, who most clearly will benefit. The committee also backed the shots for people 50-64 with medical conditions that leave them at risk for severe COVID-19, as well as those 18-49 who have certain medical conditions, based on an assessment of their individual needs. Only Americans who already have received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will qualify for booster shots. The panel was not asked to judge whether people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines should receive the additional doses, which have not been authorized by the FDA. Several experts on the CDC panel nevertheless urged a mix-and-match strategy, saying that they could see little reason not to offer a Pfizer-BioNTech booster to someone who qualified but had received, for example, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Some members warned that delivering multiple rounds of booster shots, available periodically when authorized, would tax an already burdened health care system. The CDC panels guidance followed weeks of internal disagreement and public debate among American health officials and advisers. In mid-August, Biden announced plans for a booster rollout, but scientists and regulators were quick to point out there was little research on who might benefit and how the doses should be distributed. The FDAs acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock, said Wednesday that the agencys authorization would allow for booster doses in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others. But some members of the committee said there was little evidence to suggest that vaccinated teachers, and even health care workers, were at risk of repeated exposure to the virus. The decision reflected fears that such a broad recommendation would effectively throw the doors open to an all-adults booster campaign. My sense was that the committee felt that that was sort of a hole that you could drive a truck through, Dr. Paul Offit, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the FDAs vaccine advisory panel, told reporters at an online briefing Thursday. Over the two days, the panel wrestled with the publics expectations for COVID vaccines, the safety of third doses and how a booster program would affect nursing home residents. Booster doses alone would not turn back the pandemic, some scientists noted: Only vaccinating the unvaccinated would do that. We may move the needle a little bit by giving a booster dose to people, said Dr. Helen Talbot, an associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. But, she added, the hospitals are full because people are not vaccinated. The advisers also grappled with a lack of clarity on the goal of the vaccines: Should it be to prevent all infections, or to forestall severe illness and hospitalization? Many suggested that booster doses could do only the latter, and that trying to thwart all infections was impossible. That reasoning supported limiting who should receive the doses, the experts said. On Thursday, CDC scientists presented models indicating that, if booster doses were to slightly increase peoples protection against hospitalization, the additional shots could prevent more than 2,000 hospitalizations for every million doses given. But it was not clear how long additional protection from a booster would last, raising the prospect that boosters would need to be given repeatedly. Boosters can reduce infections in nursing home residents, who are among those at highest risk. Even so, cases in nursing homes will persist when community transmission is high, according to a modeling study presented at the meeting. The advisers also wrestled with the practicalities of endorsing a booster shot for only Pfizer-BioNTech recipients, when close to half of vaccinated Americans have received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. I just dont understand how, later this afternoon, we can say to people 65 and older, Youre at risk for severe disease and death, but only half of you can protect yourselves right now, said Dr. Sarah Long, a pediatrician and infectious diseases expert at Drexel University College of Medicine in Pennsylvania. Committee members also expressed concern Thursday that some recommendations particularly that certain younger Americans be allowed booster shots after an assessment of individual risks would mean that only the wealthy and educated would gain access to additional shots. Some experts seemed to suggest Wednesday that it might be better to hold off on recommending any booster shots until recipients of all three vaccines could qualify for them. Modernas booster authorization may arrive in a few days to weeks. The company has applied to the FDA for authorization of a booster shot carrying half the dosage given in the first two shots, which has complicated the agencys deliberations. Some global health experts have criticized the Biden administration for pushing booster shots when much of the world has yet to receive a first dose. But analysts noted that even if the United States distributes booster shots, there should still be considerable excess vaccine supply this year, and they urged the government to begin sending the extra doses abroad. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a sheriffs office did not have to turn over records about a fatal shooting by a deputy, a ruling that broadly interpreted an exemption for investigative records and prompted a sharply worded dissent by the court's chief justice. With one sweeping stroke, todays decision spells the end of public access to law-enforcement records that are connected in any way to an investigation, Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote. "Hidden now from the public eye are body-cam videos, dash cam videos, 9-1-1 recordings, and anything else that is remotely connected to a crime or even potential crime. After today, as to law-enforcement agencies at least, the statute might as well be titled the Closed Records Act. Lagniappe, a weekly news outlet, had filed a lawsuit after being denied records related to the 2017 shooting of motorist Jonathan Victor. The incident was investigated by the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit and a grand jury cleared Baldwin County Sheriffs Office Cpl. Matt Hunady in the shooting. Hunady fatally shot Victor after a one-car accident in which Victor ran off the interstate. Justices on Friday upheld a lower courts ruling in favor of the Baldwin County sheriffs office denying the records to Lagniappe. Justices ruled the records fall under an exemption for investigative records. Lagniappe had sought records including dashcam, bodycam and third-party video; the audio from any 911 calls or radio communications; photographs from the scene; autopsy records; and communications such as emails, text messages, and other forms of messaging. The court majority wrote that the records were covered by the investigative exemption. All materials requested by Lagniappe are related to the incident regarding Cpl. Hunady, which was the subject of a criminal investigation. The very wording of Lagniappes request, seeking all the records related to the shooting, seeks such investigative material. ... Thus, the investigative-privilege exception applies, justices wrote. Law enforcement officials did show news outlets video taken from the body camera of the deputy who shot Victor and video from a bystander after the grand jury decision. FOX10 reported Victor approached Hunady while in a shooting stance despite multiple commands to stand down. No gun was found on Victor or in his car, but he had a pair of scissors and investigators said his wrists were bleeding. But Lagniappe co-publisher Rob Holbert says the news outlet only obtained the full records when they became evidence in a civil lawsuit filed by Victor's family, and said they revealed a "troubling set of circumstances that ultimately led to Mr. Victors death." Holbert said the court's decision, massively widens the definition of investigative materials in this case, to include video of the actual occurrence that sparked a subsequent investigation. "This ruling leaves it up to the police to police the police. If this is Alabamas definition of open records, were in a world of hurt," Holbert said. NEW YORK (AP) New York City faced mounting pressure Friday to solve its spiraling jail crisis, with members of Congress calling for a federal civil rights investigation and a court-appointed monitor blasting the city for a failure of leadership amid staggering violence, self-harm and the deaths this year of at least 12 inmates. U.S. District Judge Laura Swain, overseeing a jail consent decree, said on an emergency conference call Friday that the city's notorious Rikers Island jail complex is clearly in a state of danger and crisis." On the call, lawyers for inmates and city government debated the monitor's latest recommendations for reversing deteriorating conditions and debilitating staff absences. They include requiring new inmates be processed within 24 hours, instead of lingering in intake for days, keeping inmates involved in violent altercations locked in their cells, reiterating to guards their duty to stop self-harm, and bringing new perspectives by allowing the city to hire wardens and fill management positions from outside the city's system. This is an urgent matter of life and death and it needs relief today," said lawyer Mary Lynne Werlwas, the director of the Prisoners Rights Project at the Legal Aid Society, noting the deaths of two inmates since Sunday. As that was happening, Mayor Bill de Blasio said hell go to Rikers Island next week to see problems first hand his first time there since 2017. His announcement followed recent tours of the facilities by elected officials and advocates whove highlighted a humanitarian crisis of squalor and suffering behind bars. City Councilman Joe Borelli said he visited Rikers Island Thursday night and that conditions there were worse than Ive seen before, and worse than you imagine. Borelli, a Staten Island Republican, said that prior to visiting he thought colleagues who'd gone to Rikers were being hyperbolic, but I can report to you it is not hyperbole. More city jail inmates have died this year than in any of the past three years. There were seven deaths in 2020, three in 2019 and eight in 2018, according to the city's Department of Correction. At least five deaths this year were suicides, the most since 2005. A city report last week showed sharply higher rates of violence, serious injuries to inmates and assaults on staff compared with previous years. In a letter Friday to President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Democratic members of the citys Congressional delegation called for a federal civil rights investigation of the city's jails. They said that the federal government had a duty to step in and provide much needed oversight and accountability for the staff, officers, and detainees that reside on Rikers Island. We cannot continue to allow Rikers Island to deteriorate to the point that it is no longer a safe place for those in custody or those who work in the jails, the representatives said. A message seeking comment was left with the Justice Department, whose intervention in a decade-old inmate lawsuit over jail conditions spurred a settlement leading to a consent decree and the jail system's federal monitor. The government is, of course, alarmed at the extraordinary level of violence and disorder in the jails, and the city's ongoing failure to comply with the core provisions of the consent judgment," Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Powell said on Friday's emergency conference call. Four New York Congressional Democrats sent a letter Tuesday to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio demanding that inmates be released and Rikers be closed immediately. The city had said it plans to close the facility by 2027. The federal monitor, Steve J. Martin, said on the emergency conference call Friday that the city's jail system needs a back to basics overhaul he dubbed Corrections 101" while overworked guards continue to leave doors unsecured, abandon posts and ignore signs of distress. He excoriated city officials for failing to present not one concrete solution to lingering security concerns. In one recent incident, Martin said, officers failed to immediately respond as an inmate attempted to hang himself in their sight line some 6 feet away, and an officer walking directly in front of the cell did nothing. Eventually, the guards did notice the man, got him down and he survived, Martin said. Swain called the guards' behavior absolutely unacceptable. It is unacceptable to be willfully ignorant of self-harm behavior, to ignore self-harm behavior or signs of it. It needs to be communicated immediately, Swain said during the three-hour call. There is no good reason for anybody to think that thats acceptable. And to the extent anybody misunderstands, that has to be communicated immediately. Uniformed personnel at the city's jails has plummeted, from a staff of 10,862 in the 2017 fiscal year to 8,388 in 2021. The guards union says 7,600 of staff are correctional officers and the rest are in supervisory roles. At one point in the summer, one-third of guards were out sick or medically unfit to work with inmates, the city said. Additionally, an untold number of guards went AWOL. The city, struggling to fill jail posts, said it is offering incentives, including extra overtime pay, and bringing in food trucks and providing late-night rides home for jail guards who work extra shifts. Since last week, it's been cracking down on officers who don't show up for work. City lawyer Kimberly Joyce said Friday that 55 jail guards have been suspended 30 days without pay for failing to report for duty. ___ Associated Press reporters Michelle L. Price and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. ___ On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) A 35-year-old Connecticut police officer killed when his colleague crashed a car while allegedly driving under the influence in Las Vegas was laid to rest Friday and remembered as a dedicated and respected cop with a passion for the job. Funeral and burial services were held for Joshua Castellano, a seven-year member of New Haven police who lived in Branford. Dozens of police officers joined family and friends for the funeral at St. Mary Parish in New Haven after a procession of officers on motorcycles escorted a hearse carrying his coffin to the church. Burial followed at a New Haven cemetery. Officer Jeremy Mastroianni said a tearful goodbye to his partner and best friend during a speech at the church service. Castellano, who was fast on his feet and could run down any suspect, was to have been his best man at his wedding next year, he said. You were the coolest kid I ever met, he said. "Through all the runnin and gunnin, the jokes and laughing, you had my back no matter what. You were loyal to a fault. Id follow you into the darkest, pitch-black corners of the city and I felt good because I was with you. Castellano's relatives did not give speeches at the service. Castellano was killed in the Sept. 17 crash as he and other New Haven officers were vacationing in Las Vegas. A fellow officer and good friend who was driving the rented Rolls Royce, Robert Ferraro, was charged with felony driving under the influence. Ferraro, two other New Haven officers and two women who were also in the car suffered minor injuries, police said. Ferraro posted $100,000 bail and was freed Thursday with plans to return to Connecticut while his case is pending, his lawyer said. New Haven police placed him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Acting New Haven Police Chief Renee Dominguez said department personnel are devastated by Castellano's death. At the funeral, she said he was the type of officer that had that thing, that thing we can't teach, that thing you are born with, that thing that makes good police officers great and great police officers exceptional. She said that thing was heart. New Haven police released a statement by Castellano's family earlier in the week describing their unimaginable heartbreak and grief. Joshua approached his life and work with unmatched passion and excitement, and his genuine love for people was infectious, the family said. The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that a Vermont couple cannot be prosecuted in state court for drug violations with evidence seized by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. The court, in a 3-2 decision, said the federal law used by the Border Patrol agent to search the Vermont car after it was stopped during a roving patrol just south of the Canadian border in August 2018 did not comply with the state constitutional guarantee against unreasonable searches. Evidence obtained in violation of the Vermont Constitution may not be admitted at trial in a state prosecution because such evidence eviscerates our most sacred rights, impinges on individual privacy, perverts our judicial process, distorts any notion of fairness, and encourages official misconduct,'" said the majority decision, written by Justice William Cohen, who was citing an earlier case. The decision sends the criminal cases against Brandi-Lena Butterfield and Phillip Walker-Brazie, both of Richford, back to the lower court for reconsideration. The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued the case before the Supreme Court, said it was an important decision protecting Vermonters' rights. The strong privacy and dignity protections embedded in our state constitution are a source of state pride and the courts decision reaffirms and expands those rights," Vermont ACLU General Counsel Jay Diaz said in a statement. Orleans County State's Attorney Jennifer Barrett, whose office prosecuted the case, did not immediately return a message Friday seeking comment. Ryan Brissette, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Friday the agency was reviewing the decision and would have no comment at this time. Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan, whose office supported the defendants in the case, said the decision shows the Vermont Constitution protects Vermonters regardless of federal government involvement. The case began in August 2018 when U.S. Border Patrol agent Jeffery Vining, who was conducting a roving patrol on Vermont Route 105 in the town of Jay just south of the Canadian border, saw a vehicle he considered to be suspicious. Vining stopped the car, which was being driven by Butterfield. Walker-Brazie was a passenger. The agent allegedly smelled unburned marijuana. He asked for permission to search the vehicle, which was denied. The car was then searched by additional Border Patrol agents using a federal law that allows warrantless searches near the border. The search discovered marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The border agents called the Vermont State Police. The couple was charged with state drug crimes. Butterfield and Walker-Brazie moved to suppress the evidence seized from their car because their vehicle did not cross the border and Vining knew, based on Butterfields registration, that Butterfield lived in Vermont. The Orleans County State's Attorney argued the search was legal. The trial court agreed, saying Vining had reasonable suspicion because he observed unusual activity in an area close to the border that has historically been used for smuggling. In a dissent, Supreme Court Justice Karen Carroll and Harold Eaton said the agent acted properly and the majority decision was inconsistent with our controlling precedents, as well as the caselaw of most other jurisdictions. LONDON (AP) British energy firms are rationing supplies of gasoline and closing some petrol pumps the latest in a string of shortages that have seen McDonalds take milkshakes off the menu, KFC run short of chicken and gaps appear on supermarket shelves. A big factor behind the problems is a lack of truck drivers. The U.K. is short tens of thousands of hauliers, as factors including Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic converge to create a supply-chain crunch. Officials urged motorists not to panic-buy petrol after BP and Esso shut a handful of stations because there were not enough trucks to get gas to the pumps. The advice would be to carry on as normal, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Friday. Despite the plea, lines of cars formed at some gas stations across the U.K. as drivers filled up just in case. As concern over the disruption mounts, the haulage industry is pressing the government to loosen immigration rules and recruit more drivers from Europe to avert Christmas shortages of turkeys and toys. The government is resisting that move, and scrambling to lure more British people into truck driving, long viewed as an underpaid and underappreciated job. Driving isnt seen as a 21st-century sexy vocation, said Laurence Bolton, managing director of the National Driving Centre, a family-owned school for truck drivers in the London suburb of Croydon. But that is starting to change. Boltons school has seen a 20% increase in applicants since the U.K.s pandemic restrictions eased earlier this year, with bus drivers, laid-off hospitality workers and even former airline pilots seeking to retrain as truckers, a suddenly in-demand and increasingly well-paid occupation. It opens up the opportunities, said 31-year-old Stephen Thrower, who works as a van driver but is training on trucks. Its more of a job for life. As a trainee trucker practiced reversing a huge rig between orange cones at the schools asphalt lot, Bolton reeled off the ingredients that have made for a trucking crisis. Britains departure from the European Union prompted some European workers to head home. The British government closed a loophole that many drivers used to keep tax payments down. COVID-19 lockdowns halted driver testing for months, stopping the flow of new truckers. Countries including the United States and Germany are also facing a driver shortage. But the U.K.s problem has been worsened by Brexit. Britains full departure from the EU last year ended the right of the blocs citizens to live and work in the U.K., making it harder for firms to employ the eastern European drivers that many had come to rely on. The pandemic also disrupted labor markets around the world, throwing millions of people at least temporarily out of work. An estimated 1.4 million Europeans left Britain for their home countries during the pandemic, often to be closer to family. Its uncertain how many will return. Britains trucking industry is lobbying for truck drivers to be added to the shortage occupation list, which would make it easier to recruit drivers from Europe. There are similar calls from Britains farming and food processing industries, which are short of fruit-pickers and meat-packers. The Conservative government has refused, saying British workers should be trained to fill the jobs. Weve continually allowed our domestic market to underperform by essentially having wages undercut by people coming in prepared to do the job for less, and in pretty bad conditions sometimes, Shapps told lawmakers Wednesday. And thats the wider picture that were determined to resolve. In an attempt to ease the shortage, the government has extended the number of hours drivers can work each week, increased trucker testing and streamlined the training process. One change means drivers no longer have to qualify on a rigid truck before moving up to huge tractor trailers. Bolton generally welcomes the government moves, but has concerns about the safety of letting drivers move straight from cars to 18-wheelers. I dont care if youre the best car driver in the world its 16 meters (54 feet) long, he said. Shapps said the situation is improving week by week as more new drivers pass their tests. But businesses warn the solution won't be quick or easy. Ian Wright, chief executive of industry group the Food and Drink Federation, said the driver drought is part of a huge shakeup of labor markets and supply chains around the world. Its going to get worse, Wright said at a recent seminar organized by the Institute for Government think-tank. We should get used to the fact that occasionally empty shelves is going to be the new normal. For trainee truck drivers, thats good news. Wages are up, and some firms are offering free training, signing bonuses and other incentives. A driver for a big supermarket can make up to 50,000 pounds ($68,000) a year, more than many teachers, police officers or even lawyers. Its absolutely a drivers market right now, Bolton said. They know theyre in demand. And its sort of turned into a bit of a bidding auction for lorry drivers at the moment which is great because its been a long time coming. Cadhene Lubin-Hewitt, a London bus driver preparing to take his truck-driving test, started thinking about making the move when he got laid off last year because of the pandemic. News of the truck driver shortage convinced him he is doing the right thing. The 32-year-old hopes to work for a big supermarket or delivery company, and says he doesnt worry about the loneliness, or the stress. He finds long-distance driving relaxing, like going to a spa. I wouldnt find it boring at all, he said. Id just blast (the music) higher, and go down the road smiling and singing. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia's Capitol Complex will offer a place for people to dispose of unused or expired medications next month as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, officials said. The new Safe Zone at the bus turnaround next to the Culture Center will serve as a collection site on Oct. 23, a statement from the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security said. BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union on Friday warned Russia against allowing hackers to attack data bases or spread disinformation in some of the 27 member countries just as Germans were preparing to go the polls for weekend parliamentary elections. Some EU member states have observed malicious cyber activities, collectively designated as Ghostwriter, and associated these with the Russian state, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. Such activities are unacceptable as they seek to threaten our integrity and security, democratic values and principles and the core functioning of our democracies, Borrell said. The European Union will revert to this issue in upcoming meetings and consider taking further steps. Borrell said the attacks have targeted several members of parliament, government officials, politicians, media workers and civil society. He did not name the countries concerned. He said the EU and its member countries strongly denounce these malicious cyber activities, which all involved must put to an end immediately. We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to the norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace. German security officials said Friday that there had been a cyberattack on the Federal Statistical Office, which also oversees Sundays election. Marek Wede, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the attack appeared to have affected a development server used for the national census, rather than election infrastructure. As far as we can tell at the moment, the internal election server wasnt affected by this attack and as such there is no threat to the conduct of the federal election, he said. Earlier this month, Germany protested to Russia over attempts to steal data from lawmakers in what it suspected may have been preparation to spread disinformation before the vote. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin said that the hacker outfit called Ghostwriter had been combining conventional cyberattacks with disinformation and influence operations, and that activities targeting Germany have been observed for some time. They include the use of phishing emails, among other things, to get hold of the personal login details of federal and state lawmakers, with the aim of identity theft. In July, the head of Germanys domestic intelligence said the agency had seen an uptick in phishing attempts on the private email accounts of federal and state lawmakers and their staff since February. But he said that few attempts were successful, and it appeared little damage had been caused. ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. TUPELO, Miss. (AP) A former police officer in North Mississippi accused of stealing from suspects has pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor theft charges in federal court. Dustin Rambo also pleaded guilty this week to a charge of lying to a federal agent, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. Prosecutors agreed to drop another charge that accused the 34-year-old Rambo of sexual battery on a woman in his custody. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A former official who had been responsible for licensing in an Alabama county is free on bond after being indicted on several counts, including using her public office for personal gain. Attorney General Steve Marshall on Thursday announced the arrest of former Tuscaloosa County License Commissioner Lynne C. Robbins on charges of using her public office for personal gain, theft of property in the first degree and seven counts of computer tampering. Robbins surrendered to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office and was released on $10,000 bond. It was unknown if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf. Robbins, 56, of Tuscaloosa, served as license commissioner until her resignation in February 2020. The use of public office for personal gain charge involves a series of checks Robbins wrote to her office that were returned unpaid for nonsufficient funds, Marshall's office said in a news release. Robbins is accused of using her position to avoid paying the returned-check fee assessed in bad-check cases and to avoid repaying the face amounts of the unpaid checks, the release said. The theft charge relates to an alleged scheme employed by Robbins, between January 2016 and Dec. 3, 2019, to take cash belonging to the office. The computer tampering charges relate to specific instances where Robbins altered data in the license office's computer network to facilitate an alleged embezzlement scheme and to hide the scheme from discovery by county or state officials, the release said. The charges against Robbins were brought after separate cases against Robbins were referred to the attorney generals office by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and the Alabama Ethics Commission. Further details were not released. If convicted, Robbins faces between two and 20 years in prison on the use of office for personal gain and theft charges. Each computer tampering charge carries between a year and a day to 10 years in prison. MOUNT VERNON, Ind. (AP) A former town marshal has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a southwest Indiana sheriffs deputy in the head last weekend, critically wounding him. Paul Wiltshire, who was also shot when officers returned fire, was formally charged following his release Wednesday from a hospital, said Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Todd Ringle. Wiltshire, 70, was being held without bond at the Warrick County Jail, the Evansville Courier & Press reported. Online court records show Wiltshire is scheduled for an initial hearing on Monday, but they do not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The former New Harmony town marshal allegedly opened fire from inside his home on Sept. 18, striking Posey County Sheriff's Deputy Bryan Hicks in the head after the deputy and other officers responded to a call at Wiltshires New Harmony home. A probable cause affidavit states that the shooting began when Wiltshire allegedly threatened to kill his wife and shoot anyone who came to (the) residence. Hicks, 41, remains in critical but stable condition at an Evansville hospital, police have said. Ringle told the Courier & Press on Monday that he would not release any updates on the deputys condition unless something bad happens or something really good happens. His shooting was the first officer-involved shooting since at least 1994 in New Harmony, a historic Wabash River town about 180 miles (289.7 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. The shooting occurred as New Harmony was hosting an annual German festival called Kunstfest. GENEVA (AP) Germany and France said they and other European Union countries have nominated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia for a second term as director-general of the World Health Organization. This marks the first time that a candidate for the top job at the U.N. health agency has not been nominated by the home country. Tedros, who goes by his first name, has been in the global spotlight over the organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic over the last 19 months - an epochal crisis that eclipsed all else throughout his term that began in 2017. The election for the next WHO director-general, which carries a five-year term, takes place at the agencys next annual assembly meeting in May. PARIS (AP) French authorities have launched an investigation into the asphyxiation death of a 37-year-old man after subway security agents detained him in the southern city of Marseille. The death Thursday came as arrest techniques have been under heightened criticism in France following multiple cases of abuse or fatal arrests. An investigation is ongoing for voluntary violence causing involuntary death which will determine the circumstances of the mans death and the proportionality of the agents response, the Marseille prosecutor's office said Friday. According to the Marseille subway agency RTM, the man was stopped after getting out of the train and before exiting the station. RTM CEO Herve Baccaria told The Associated Press the man was aggressive and punched an agent. According to the prosecutor, he resisted being stopped. The mans mother told local newspaper La Provence that he had a mental disability that prevented him from understanding things and explaining himself clearly. The prosecutor's office did not respond to queries about the case, including about his reported disability. The man was brought to the ground by RTM agents, who called the police. According to the prosecutor, by the time police arrived, he was unresponsive. He was put in the recovery position but died despite attempts to revive him. Baccaria said the station's cameras were functioning but it is unclear whether they captured the incident, as it may have happened in a blind spot. For Olivier Cahn, a criminal justice expert at the state research institution CNRS, at first look, there is no problem with the arrest, theres a problem with the person dying of it. Because of it, there is a question of necessity and proportionality, Cahn told the Associated Press. The technique the agents used to immobilize the man is not clear. RTM agents are trained to immobilize and stop a person whose behavior is deemed needing the intervention of police, Baccaria said. France's Interior Ministry has been reassessing police arrest methods, particularly in the wake of the global protests unleashed by George Floyd's death in Minnesota last year. France's government banned the chokehold arrest technique earlier this year. Police used the method on Cedric Chouviat in 2020, a delivery driver who was asphyxiated during a police stop, a case that called national attention to the issue. ALBANY The five-person board that will oversee New Yorks cannabis industry was finalized this week, nearly six months after the state legalized recreational use of the drug. Gov. Kathy Hochul filled the final two positions on the panel with Reuben R. McDaniel, III, who currently heads the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, and Jessica Garcia, a labor organizer with a background in immigration advocacy. They will join board chair Tremaine S. Wright as well as legislative picks Adam W. Perry and Jen Metzger on the body that will have ultimate control over licensing and operations for the states adult-use cannabis industry. A separate Office of Cannabis Management, led by recently confirmed Christopher Alexander, will head up day-to-day operations of the cannabis industry in New York, which will include marijuana sold for recreational use as well as some hemp products and the existing medical cannabis program. "New Yorks cannabis industry has stalled for far too long, Hochul said in a statement announcing the addition of McDaniel and Garcia. I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running. New Yorkers without medical approval have been allowed to possess and use small amounts of marijuana since March 31. But in spite of the right to possess and use the drug, there are currently no legal sales in the state. The five-member Cannabis Control Board is responsible for working to set the rules that will eventually establish an industry of legal growers, processors and sellers. McDaniel was confirmed as the president and CEO of DASNY just over a year ago. He has mainly spent his career in the financial sector, with early experience as a public school board chair. His professional biography on the DASNY website identifies him as an investment banker with more than 30 years of experience in financial services, including public finance, personal wealth management, corporate finance and private equity. Garcia is assistant to the president of the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Union. She has also been deputy political director at the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, and directed programming at New Immigrant Community Empowerment in New York City. Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had faced criticism from state lawmakers who spearheaded the bill to legalize adult-use cannabis across the state for delaying his nominations on the marijuana oversight bodies. Key players in the cannabis industry across the state also voiced their concern about a slower-than-expected roll out of key components of law. This cant be a two, three year roll out, it just cant, thats just going to crush small businesses, Kaelan Castetter told the Times Union over the summer, speaking as vice president of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association. I think the real issue is if New Jersey can stand up a program a lot quicker than New York. Its so close. Hochul took a different path on the cannabis industry from her first week in office at the end of August, when she called the process a priority that needed to wrap up as soon as possible. Initial projections from March estimated it could take at least 18 months after legalization to kick off sales across the state. The administration has not specified how previous nomination delays could affect the industrys projected timeline. WASHINGTON (AP) The House passed legislation Friday that would guarantee a womans right to an abortion, an effort by Democrats to circumvent a new Texas law that has placed that access under threat. The bill's 218-211 approval is mostly symbolic, as Republican opposition will doom it in the Senate. Still, Democrats say they are doing all they can to codify the Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade decision after the Supreme Court recently allowed the Texas law banning most abortions in the state to take effect. The court will hear arguments in December in a separate Mississippi bid to overturn the landmark decision. Despite the long odds in his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement after the vote that Congress must assert its role to protect the constitutional right to abortion and that the Senate would hold a vote in the very near future. Codifying the Roe ruling would mean creating a right to abortion in federal law, a monumental change that would make it harder for courts and states to impose restrictions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a tremendous difference in Democrats efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision shameful and counter to its own precedent. Pelosi said just ahead of Friday's vote that it should send a very positive message to the women of our country but not just the women, to the women and their families, to everyone who values freedom, honors our Constitution and respects women. No Republicans voted for the legislation, which would supersede state laws on the subject, give health care providers the right to perform abortions and patients the right to receive them. Republicans argue it would prevent states from setting requirements like parental involvement and could weaken laws that allow doctors to refuse to perform an abortion. The legislation isn't about freedom for women, it's about death for babies, said Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri. She said it would eliminate protections for women and girls who may be coerced into having abortions. It ends the life of a living human being with a plan and a purpose from God and who deserves to live, Hartzler said. Only one member crossed party lines Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who voted against the bill. The vote came as Democrats have spoken boldly about fighting the Supreme Court which has a more conservative tilt after Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed last year but struggled privately to find an effective strategy. They control Congress by the slimmest of margins, including the evenly split 50-50 Senate, making the prospects of a successful legislative response difficult. The party has split, in some cases, over how far Washington must go to preserve access to abortions. Liberal lawmakers backed by advocates of reproductive rights who helped power President Joe Biden to office want to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court to rebalance power, changing the rules if needed to lower the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate to advance legislation. Democrats can either abolish the filibuster and expand the court, or do nothing as millions of peoples bodies, rights, and lives are sacrificed for far-right minority rule," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. This shouldnt be a difficult decision. But other Democrats Biden among them have been wary of such a move. Biden supports the House bill and called the courts ruling on Texas an unprecedented assault on a womans constitutional rights." He has directed multiple agencies to conduct a government-wide effort to ensure women have abortion access and to protect health care providers. But he has not endorsed the idea of adding justices to the Supreme Court, instead forming a commission to study the idea. The court's decisions on abortion could prompt political tensions among Republicans, as well. Former President Donald Trump was able to secure three new conservative Supreme Court justices because Republican leadership in Congress led by GOP leader Mitch McConnell paved the way. Now, as the court upheld the strict new Texas aw outlawing most abortions in the state, the political fallout will test the limits of that strategy. Women and advocates of abortion rights are quickly mobilizing to take on not just those Republicans, but also the big businesses that backed them, aiming squarely at those that contributed to many of the Texas Republicans behind the abortion law. They will be met with a fierce response from women and people across the country, said Sonja Spoo, director of Reproductive Rights Campaigns at UltraViolet, an advocacy organization, in an interview. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who supports abortion rights, says the Texas law is harmful and extreme and she supports codifying Roe. But she says the House bill goes way beyond that and could threaten the rights of doctors who refuse to perform abortions on religious or moral grounds, for example. I support codifying Roe, and I am working with some of my colleagues in the Senate on legislation that would do so, Collins said in a statement. GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) A northern Indiana man convicted in his uncles fatal 2015 shooting insulted a judge with profanity before he sentenced him to 63 years in prison. A jury found Charles David Bussard, 31, guilty of murder in August in the January 2015 slaying of his uncle, Byron Bussard. He was sentenced Thursday, The Elkhart Truth reported. Authorities believe Byron Bussard, 45, was shot in the remote house he and his nephew shared near Bristol, and that his body was then burned along with the mattress to his bed. Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno said Thursday that Bussard not only burned his uncle's body but he also ground up the remaining bones and flushed them down the toilet. Byron Bussards disappearance went unsolved until Charles Bussard contacted authorities in 2020 and told detectives he was the only person on the planet who could shed light on his uncles disappearance. During Thursday's sentencing, Bussard insulted the judge while recounting what he said were his uncle's last remarks to him before he shot him to death. Im gonna say to you what my uncle said to me right before he got shot," Bussard said before using an expletive. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Its almost certain that Afghanistans Taliban rulers won't get to speak at this year's U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders. The Taliban challenged the credentials of the ambassador from Afghanistans former government, which they ousted on Aug. 15, and asked to represent the country at the assemblys high-level General Debate. It began Tuesday and ends Monday, with Afghanistans representative as the final speaker. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that as of Friday, Afghanistans currently recognized U.N. ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, who represents former president Ashraf Ghanis now ousted government, is listed as speaking for the country. The key reason is that the General Assembly committee which decides on credentials challenges has not met, and is highly unlikely to meet over the weekend. Assembly spokeswoman Monica Grayley said Wednesday the nine-member committee generally meets in November and will issue a ruling in due course. The Taliban, who overran most of Afghanistan last month as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country after 20 years, argue that they are now in charge and have the right to appoint ambassadors. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Talibans newly appointed foreign minister, Ameer Khan Muttaqi, said Ghani was ousted as of Aug. 15 and that countries across the world no longer recognize him as president. Therefore, Muttaqi said, Isaczai no longer represents Afghanistan and the Taliban was nominating a new U.N. permanent representative, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen. He was a spokesman for the Taliban during peace negotiations in Qatar. We have all the requirements needed for recognition of a government, Shaheen told The Associated Press on Wednesday. So we hope the U.N., as a neutral world body, recognize the current government of Afghanistan. When the Taliban last ruled from 1996 to 2001, the U.N. refused to recognize their government and instead gave Afghanistans seat to the previous, warlord-dominated government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. It was Rabbanis government that brought Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, to Afghanistan from Sudan in 1996. The Taliban have said they want international recognition and financial help to rebuild the war-battered country. But the makeup of the new Taliban government poses a dilemma for the United Nations. Several of the interim ministers -- including Muttaqi -- are on the U.N.s so-called blacklist of international terrorists and funders of terrorism. Credentials committee members could also use Taliban recognition as leverage to press for a more inclusive government that guarantees human rights, especially for girls who were barred from going to school during their previous rule, and women who werent able to work. The committees members are the United States, Russia, China, Bahama, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Sweden. A U.S. State Department official said earlier this week that the committee, would take some time to deliberate. So it appears the Taliban are going to have to wait, and Isaczai will speak about a country where the government he represented fled without its army putting up a fight. RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) The cinematic escape of six prisoners who tunneled out of an Israeli penitentiary earlier this month shone a light on Israel's mass incarceration of Palestinians, one of the many bitter fruits of the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have passed through a military justice system designed for what Israel still portrays as a temporary occupation, but that is now well into its sixth decade and critics say is firmly cemented. Nearly every Palestinian has a loved one who has been locked up in that system at some point, and imprisonment is widely seen as one of the most painful aspects of life under Israeli rule. The saga of the six, who were eventually recaptured, also underscored the irreconcilable views Israelis and Palestinians hold about the prisoners and, more broadly, what constitutes legitimate resistance to occupation. Israel classifies nearly every act of opposition to its military rule as a criminal offense, while many Palestinians see those acts as resistance and those engaged in them as heroes, even if they kill or wound Israelis. Israel has granted limited autonomy to the Palestinian Authority, which administers cities and towns in the occupied West Bank and is responsible for regular law enforcement. But Israel has overarching authority and the military regularly carries out arrest raids even in PA-run areas. Israel seized the West Bank along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. The Palestinians seek an independent state in all three. ___ SYMBOLS OF STRUGGLE The Palestinian prisoners held by Israel include everyone from hardened militants convicted of suicide bombings and shootings that killed Israeli civilians to activists detained for demonstrating against settlements and teenagers arrested for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Israel says it provides due process and largely imprisons those who threaten its security, though a small number are held for petty crimes. Palestinians and human rights groups say the system is designed to quash opposition and maintain permanent control over millions of Palestinians while denying them basic rights. Mass incarceration of Palestinians is a means to control the population, to stifle political activity, to keep a lid on turmoil and activism, said Dani Shenhar, the legal director of HaMoked, an Israeli group that advocates for the rights of detainees. Four of the escapees were known militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Of the more than 4,600 Palestinians currently held by Israel in connection with the conflict known as security prisoners more than 500 are serving life sentences. A similar number are being held without charge in so-called administrative detention, perhaps the most controversial aspect of Israel's military justice system. Qadoura Fares, head of the Prisoners Club, which represents current and former Palestinian prisoners, said they are all freedom fighters." We see them as symbols of the Palestinian people's struggle, he said. Alaa al-Rimawi, a Palestinian journalist with the Al-Jazeera television network, said he has spent a total of 11 years in prison in several stints over the last three decades over allegations related to political activism, but was never convicted of anything. The Israeli military declined to comment. In 2018 he was arrested while working as the West Bank director of Al-Quds TV, which is affiliated with the Hamas militant group that runs the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Al-Rimawi says he is not a member of Hamas or any other group. He said he was accused of inciting violence against the occupation by publishing stories about home demolitions and Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. He was released after 30 days but barred from working as a journalist for two months. On separate occasions earlier this year, he was briefly detained by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which also suppresses dissent. Existence in a prison is like being in the grave, al-Rimawi said. And then you come out of it, and you feel like you came back to life after death. ___ THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED Many are jailed for violations of the sweeping Israeli military orders that govern the 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Those include belonging to a banned organization and taking part in demonstrations, which are generally considered illegal. Hundreds of minors are arrested every year, mostly charged with stone-throwing. Palestinians from the West Bank detained on security-related charges are prosecuted in military courts, while Jewish settlers living in the territory and held for similar offenses would be subject to civilian courts. Palestinians are rarely released on bail, and most believe it's futile to contest charges in military trials that can drag on for months or years. Instead, most cases are settled by plea bargains, contributing to an estimated conviction rate of more than 95%. Maurice Hirsch, who served as the top military prosecutor from 2013 to 2016, attributes the high conviction rate to resource-strapped prosecutors only bringing indictments when cases are solid. He says acquittals are not unheard-of, pointing to a recent case in which a Palestinian policeman was acquitted in the shooting death of an Israeli. Defendants "choose to take the plea bargains because they understand that they will be convicted because of the evidence," he said. He insists the trials are fair, saying they have the same procedural rules as Israeli civilian courts. All evidence must be shared with defense lawyers, and the military judges issuing verdicts are legal experts outside of the normal chain of command, he said. But Shenhar said lawyers for Palestinians "know its futile to try to defend your client in court." He wont be acquitted in the end, and hell stay longer in prison, he explained. "So the system is rigged. ___ LIFE IN PRISON Escape is extremely rare the last major prison break was decades ago but Israel has released hundreds of prisoners over the years as part of political negotiations or in exchange for captured Israelis. Within the prisons, Palestinians have organized themselves and won concessions over the years through hunger strikes and other collective action, a source of frustration for many Israelis. We become hysterical, like overprotective mothers, reacting to every terrorist who threatens to fast, Israeli journalist Kalman Liebskind wrote in a recent column in the Maariv newspaper. Palestinians say life in prison is hard enough. So-called security prisoners are usually barred from making phone calls, but some manage to smuggle in cellphones. Otherwise, their only link with the outside world is visits by lawyers and family members. Relatives coming from the West Bank require military permits, meaning that some prisoners, including minors, can go months without seeing loved ones, said Shenhar. Al-Rimawi recalls a stint in prison in the mid-2000s in which his wife, who had given birth after his arrest, was unable to visit him for more than a year. My wife eventually visited me and brought a boy with her. I said, Who is this?' and she said, "It's your son.' ___ Associated Press reporter Jelal Hassan contributed to this report. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) The stroke came suddenly. He didnt remember falling, but the bump seen later on his head was evidence of his collapse. His wife was two hours away, so he was home alone and vulnerable. The familys 7-year-old sable German Shepherd, Ellie, bolted for help. Suffering a hereditary condition that can cause joint pain and lameness, the dog opened no fewer than three gate latches by herself before hopping like a kangaroo to a neighbors nearby house, barking furiously for attention. The neighbor, Dan Burton, 51, of Gainesville, walked the agitated Ellie back to her owners home, realized the unfolding medical crisis and dialed 911. His dog was out, and I was bringing em home, and hes just out of it, Burton told the dispatcher, according to a recording obtained of the 911 call. Hes not his usual self. He doesnt know my name. Its almost like, you know, a stroke of sorts. Ellies owner, Lothar Weimann, 68, was slurring his speech. He protested that he felt fine, failing to recognize the life-and-death stakes he was experiencing. Hes walking around, Im trying to get him to sit down, Burton told the dispatcher on the call. I think he had a fall. In an interview, Burton recalled the scene: It didnt take long to visually see that something wasnt right. The case of the really good girl who may have saved her owners life in north-central Florida is the latest story of canine heroism demonstrating the special bond between our dogs and their masters. Behavioral experts said some breeds can detect subtle fluctuations in blood pressure or other physiological changes, but the true nature of dogs turning to heroes is a persistent mystery. It just goes to show that very complex and deep relationship that we can have with dogs, that they literally can look at us and get a whiff of our scent and go, Well, thats different, said Stephanie Roberts of Ocala, Florida, who owns Procyon Training LLC and shelter manager for the Humane Society of Marion County. I think thats amazing. In the Florida case, which happened May 27, the 911 dispatcher told Burton to ask Weimann to smile, raise both arms in front of him and repeat the phrase, the early bird catches the worm. Burton said even through his neighbors German accent, he heard him garble the phrase. Ironically for the safety of paramedics en route the dispatcher instructed Burton to lock away Weimanns dogs before they arrived. Forty minutes after the stroke, a rescue truck rolled into the neighborhood. Weimann climbed aboard the ambulance himself, leaving behind Ellie and another shepherd, Willy. The rescue crews concise notes on official records of the emergency run described the situation as male, conscious, breathing. He was at the hospital 16 minutes later. Four months later and now released from the hospital, Weimann said doctors confirmed he had experienced a stroke. While being treated, he was diagnosed with heart problems and Type 2 diabetes, which is common in older adults and managed by losing weight, exercising and eating well. Weimann said he lost 25 pounds after his ordeal. Looking back, he remembered coughing and feeling feverish that day, possible precursors to his stroke. Weimann, a driver for an airport rental car company and former professional dog trainer, said Ellie and Willy regard him as the leader of their pack. Interviewed at his home, he said life has been unrecognizable since his stroke and he was still recovering, struggling to use his desktop computer or keep his balance enough to walk with his beloved dogs. But he was alive, thanks to Ellie. A dog is always a very honest, very true kind of character, Weimann said. I will always say that dogs are the better humans. Its good to have them around. If you have a dog, you have a companion for life. ___ This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporters can be reached at kbausch@freshtakeflorida.com and mhernandezdlc@freshtakeflorida.com ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) U.S. prosecutors have charged three men with a leaving special viewing platform and getting too close to bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. The U.S. attorney's office filed charges this week in the August 2018 incident. Spokesperson Lisa Houghton said the office doesn't discuss the timing of cases. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Irans new foreign minister said Friday the country will return to nuclear negotiations very soon, but accused the Biden administration of sending contradictory messages saying it wants to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal while slapping new sanctions on Tehran and not taking an iota of positive action. Hossain Amir Abdollah said the government, which took power last month, believes that President Joe Biden keeps carrying close to his heart the thick file of the Trump sanctions against Iran, even while seemingly pursuing negotiations. Former President Donald Trump routinely denounced the nuclear accord as the worst deal ever negotiated and withdrew from the agreement in 2018 after an ill-fated attempt to bring the other parties Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and Iran on board with additional restrictions. After withdrawing, Trump embarked on what he called a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, re-imposing all the U.S. sanctions that had been eased under the deal and adding penalties. In a media briefing on Irans new foreign policy, Amir Abdollah was very skeptical about the Biden administrations real intentions, stressing that actions are more important than empty but beautiful words, and so is the comportment and behavior of the United States toward Iran. Irans top diplomat sharply criticized additional sanctions imposed by the Biden administration, as well as its refusal to give a green light for Iran to access millions of dollars of its money frozen in South Korea and Japanese banks to buy COVID-19 vaccines and medicine, and suddenly asking Britain to stop payment of 42-year-old debts. While standing up new sanctions against Iran, he said, the United States can't keep speaking of returning to the nuclear deal, even holding bilateral talks with Iran, and criticizing Trump policies. This includes telling Iran through diplomatic channels that Biden wouldn't have ordered the U.S. airstrike that Trump did in January 2020 which killed Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani. Recalling that Iranians have a long, rich history and ancient civilization behind them, Amir Abdollah said the United States of America must speak with a civilized tone and tongue with the people of Iran, not the language of threats, of pressure and sanctions. The past 42 years, since the Iranian revolution, have made clear the language of threats will not work against the great people of Iran. Biden and his team have made a U.S. return to the deal one of their top foreign policy priorities. The deal was one of President Barack Obamas signature achievements, one that aides now serving in the Biden administration had helped negotiate and that Trump tried to dismantle. Amir Abdollah said the new government is reviewing the files of the nuclear negotiations in Vienna and will return to the talks very soon because constructive negotiations can lead to tangible, verifiable results. He added, We see negotiations as an essential and important tool of diplomacy. The Biden administration implored Iran on Thursday to quickly return to talks on its nuclear program, which were suspended in June ahead of the Iranian elections, warning that the window for negotiations may soon close. A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition that he not be identified by name, said U.S. patience is wearing thin and that further delays while Iran continues to expand its nuclear capabilities, including enriching uranium to higher levels, could lead Washington and its partners to conclude a return to the landmark nuclear deal is no longer worthwhile. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, speaking to reporters in Washington, said the Biden administration has seen the foreign ministers statements that Iran will return to negotiations very soon but hasnt received clarity on what precisely that means. For our part, we are ready to return to Vienna and to conclude our negotiations quickly before the window of opportunity to return to the JCPOA closes, he said. We have made very clear that we are ready to do so ... and its important to pick up those talks where they last left off in June. He said the other JCPOA parties have also agreed on the need to resume talks as soon as possible. Amir Abdollah said Irans expectations are that all parties return to the Vienna negotiations and then fulfill their commitments under the 2015 agreement in a complete and verifiable way. On Iranian foreign policy more broadly, the foreign minister said, Iran wants contacts and has set agendas with all countries around the world except Israel, which Iran does not recognize. That includes with its regional rival Saudi Arabia, he said. Good, constructive conversation is ongoing between Tehran and Riyadh, Amir Abdollah said, and Iran has made dynamic proposals toward ending the six-year war in Yemen and restoring peace to the regions poorest country which is facing the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, the minister said, Iran has been supporting and working toward the formation of an inclusive government in that country. Amir Abdollah stressed that the United States should take action constructive action, measurable action. Have no doubt, he said, that if they wish to continue their previous language towards Iran and previous comportment towards Iran, the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not remain tied. ___ Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed papers Wednesday seeking to dismiss a lawsuit in a family feud over the care and finances of her 88-year-old father because he has died. William O. Fitch departed this life on September 22, 2021, the attorney general wrote in the court papers filed that day in Marshall County Chancery Court. Lynn Fitch has been in a court dispute with her 80-year-old stepmother, Aleita Fitch. Chancery court records show Aleita Fitch filed a lawsuit against Lynn Fitch on April 1. That was after the attorney general moved her father from an Oxford hospital in late March without his wifes permission to another hospital before finally transferring him to a nursing home, said Aleita Fitch's attorney, Ray Hill. Aleita Fitch was not able to visit her husband for 78 days and did not know where he was, Hill said. An obituary for Bill Fitch on the Holly Springs Funeral Home website Thursday initially did not list Aleita Fitch among the family members, but her name was added later. Hill said the attorney general sent state bodyguards unannounced to Aleita Fitch's home, the family farm and the hospital where Bill Fitch was being treated, and they took money, firearms and personal belongings from the house without permission. Lynn Fitch said in court documents that she did not want her stepmother knowing where Bill Fitch was being treated because Aleita Fitch was emotionally and verbally abusive. John Mayo, the attorney generals personal lawyer, said the decision to move him was made after consulting her fathers physician. A hospital staffer filed a vulnerable adult complaint against Aleita Fitch after voicing concerns about her mistreatment of her husband, the lawyer said. When Lynn Fitch visited her father in the hospital, he appeared confused, delirious and malnourished, had limited mobility, and was generally unable to care for himself, the attorney generals lawyer wrote in a court document. She said Aleita Fitch failed to tell her and her sister about a stroke and heart attack their father had in January. Bill Fitch also was diagnosed with dementia, and that was not disclosed to his daughters. Aleita Fitch said Lynn Fitch had been making business decisions for her husband, including the decision to shut down operations at Fitch Farms, a hunting retreat where guests can stay in the home of Confederate general and the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest. Bill Fitch purchased the Forrest home in Hernando, moved it 40 miles (64 kilometers) to Fitch Farms and restored it. Lynn Fitch said in court documents she did not seek sole control over her fathers finances but wanted a conservator appointed to prevent Aleita Fitch's squandering and endangerment of assets. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) The Navajo Nation on Thursday reported 45 more COVID-19 cases and one additional death. The latest numbers pushed the tribes totals to 33,682 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll now is at 1,437. Navajo officials are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel. Officials said all Navajo Nation executive branch employees will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus by the end of this month or submit to regular testing. The new rules apply to full, part-time and temporary employees, including those working for tribal enterprises like utilities, shopping centers and casinos. Any worker who does not show proof of vaccination by Sept. 29 must be tested every two weeks or face discipline. The tribes reservation is the countrys largest at 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: ___ Supreme Court hasnt ruled on COVID-19 vaccines or universal vaccination CLAIM: After a legal challenge from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a group of scientists, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and canceled universal vaccination. THE FACTS: The Supreme Court has not issued any rulings regarding the safety of coronavirus vaccines and Kennedy, a lawyer who has advocated against vaccines, called articles sharing the claim misinformation. Dozens of posts making the false claim link to blogs that regularly publish hoaxes and misinformation. The claim has been circulating for months and recently reemerged as new vaccine requirements issued by the federal government take effect. The articles and posts include a supposed quote from Kennedy. But Kennedy told The Associated Press that the articles are false, as is the quote. The quote is fabricated, Kennedy said. Clearly somebody made it up and is promoting it because the same quote keeps coming back no matter how many times I deny it. Furthermore, there is no legal case that matches the one described in the articles. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled in a case involving a challenge to a Covid-19 vaccination requirement, Joanne Rosen, a senior lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote in an email to AP. Rosen has studied the legislative precedent for vaccine mandates. While Kennedy said he has been a part of more than 30 lawsuits on the subject of vaccine safety, those are at different stages of the judicial process and none have appeared before the Supreme Court. Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in Atlanta contributed this report. ___ Medical journal did not suggest vaccines are unsafe in pregnancy CLAIM: The New England Journal of Medicine posted a correction earlier this month that backtracked on its earlier statements. The journal now admits the COVID-19 vaccine may not be safe for pregnant women. THE FACTS: The medical journal did not backtrack or suggest that COVID-19 vaccines could be unsafe for pregnant women, as vaccine critics have falsely claimed on social media. Posts online misrepresent the journals Sept. 8 correction, which addressed an update in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, while still arriving at the same conclusion: that the vaccines were not found to be harmful to pregnant people. The CDC updated an original report on vaccines in pregnant people to address an issue about how the risk calculation was performed, according to Jennifer Zeis, director of communications and media relations for NEJM Group. The initial CDC report, published online in April and in print in June, included only a small portion of people who had been vaccinated early in pregnancy. An accompanying editorial based on that incomplete information included an estimated risk for miscarriage before 20 weeks of pregnancy and said the risk was within the expected range for the pregnant population as a whole. NEJMs correction deleted that wording, along with the risk estimate. The same day, the journal published a CDC research letter that included additional data and estimated that the risk for miscarriage among individuals vaccinated early in their pregnancies ranged from 14% to 19%, which the authors said was within the expected risk range for pregnant people generally. March of Dimes statistics indicate that 10% to 15% of people who know they are pregnant miscarry, but the nonprofit says as many as half of pregnancies may end in miscarriage. The exact number isnt known, because some people lose their pregnancies before they realize they are pregnant. The CDC data on which the NEJMs conclusions were based included people who didnt realize they were pregnant until after they were vaccinated. The CDC on Aug. 11 urged all pregnant people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to protect themselves and their children. Leading obstetrician groups also have recommended the vaccines for pregnant individuals, who face an elevated risk of severe illness if infected with the coronavirus. - Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in Los Angeles contributed this report, with additional reporting by Associated Press writer Lindsey Tanner in Three Oaks, Michigan. ___ Public commenter, not FDA, falsely claimed COVID vaccines kill many CLAIM: Experts with the Food and Drug Administration revealed that the COVID-19 vaccines are killing at least two people for every person they save. THE FACTS: FDA experts did not say this, and strongly refuted this false claim in an email to The Associated Press. A speaker who is not affiliated with the FDA made these statements during the open public hearing portion of a Sept. 17 FDA vaccine advisory panel meeting. The 15-member panel of outside experts held an eight-hour streamed meeting to make recommendations on the use of booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. In the days after the meeting, social media users and bloggers began misattributing several statements from the livestream to FDA panelists, when they were actually made by independent speakers during a public comment period. FDA Panel Member Says COVID Vaccines are Killing More Than Theyre Saving During Youtube Livestream, read a headline on a blog post shared widely in conservative Facebook groups. However, this unsubstantiated claim actually came from Steve Kirsch, an independent speaker unaffiliated with the FDA, a YouTube video of the meeting shows. Abby Capobianco, an FDA press officer, confirmed that none of the comments in the open public hearing session came from FDA employees or advisory committee members. She said the FDA does not screen remarks by speakers for the open public hearing portion of the meeting. To support his argument, Kirsch referenced data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a CDC- and FDA-run database of unverified reports of adverse events that occur after receiving a vaccine. But the VAERS system does not determine whether a vaccine caused the events that are reported. The FDA requires health care providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS, even if it's unclear whether the vaccine was the cause, Capobianco said. More than 380 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the U.S., and reports of death after vaccination are rare, according to the FDA. Meanwhile, research shows COVID-19 vaccines are safe and extremely effective at preventing severe COVID-19 disease and death. The vaccines also have continued to provide strong protection against the highly contagious delta variant. Kirsch did not respond to a message requesting comment. Another post that was widely shared online falsely claimed the FDA advisory panel had said the unvaccinated are more educated on the vaccine than most people who have gotten it, and that experts cannot disprove concerns made by anti-vaccine advocates. But the vaccine advisory committee did not make those statements, either. Similar comments were made by Dr. Joseph B. Fraiman, an emergency medicine physician in New Orleans, during the open public hearing portion of the meeting. Fraiman confirmed to the AP that he is not affiliated with the FDA or the vaccine advisory committee and said some of his wording was changed and taken out of context in the online posts. In his comments to the committee, he was urging the FDA to pursue larger booster vaccine trials that he argued could help counter vaccine hesitancy. Several days after the Sept. 17 meeting, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky decided Thursday that people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 and up who have chronic health problems should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine booster once theyre six months past their last Pfizer dose, Ali Swenson, with reporting contributed by Associated Press writers Sophia Tulp in Atlanta and Terrence Fraser in New York. ___ There was no interruption in Englands vaccine rollout for kids ages 12 to 15 CLAIM: The COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children between the ages of 12 and 15 in England is being suspended due to an error with the paperwork. THE FACTS: The U.K.s public health agency, Public Health England, confirmed that a vaccine rollout for children ages 12 to 15 was not suspended nor delayed, contrary to false claims on social media. Earlier this month, the chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland recommended that children in that age group be given a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the AP reported. On Monday, Englands National Health Service announced that the rollout began, and will be carried out in hundreds of schools this week. A false tweet linked to a video claims the Child jab rollout is in disarray and multiple schools canceled because of paperwork issues. Basically, jab rollouts across schools in England are being suspended because Public Health England havent sent out the correct paperwork, something called the Patient Group Direction, says a man in the video, falsely portraying the situation. A representative for Public Health England confirmed to The Associated Press in an email Tuesday that vaccinations were not halted for those 12 to 15 years old and there will be no delay or suspension. The agency said that the Patient Group Direction, which is the legal framework, was in place for the jabs. Associated Press writer Arijeta Lajka in New York contributed this report. ___ Voters did not register to vote in North Dakota using identical details CLAIM: When registering to vote in North Dakota, 23,000 people used the same phone number. THE FACTS: An erroneous tweet circulating on Twitter claims that 23,000 people used the same phone number to register to vote in North Dakota. The tweet originally claimed that the voter registration occurred in North Carolina but was updated in the replies to say North Dakota. Since North Dakota does not have voter registration, that would be false, Secretary of State Al Jaeger told The Associated Press. In a separate tweet, the same user claimed that 23,000 people used the same phone number and the address of a prison when voting in North Dakota. Jaeger said that would be impossible, too. And, If they tried using the same address when voting, our systems would have quickly identified the duplicate addresses and that it was a prison, Jaeger said. By our law, a citizen that is incarcerated cannot vote. Voters in North Dakota are asked to show an acceptable form of identification such as a drivers license as proof of address and then the election officials search for their name on a precinct voting list. If a voters name is not on the list, the election board will attempt to verify the voters name and address. The state has numerous small precincts which allow electoral board officials to quickly verify who is voting in their precinct, according to the Secretary of States Office. Donnell Preskey, executive director of The North Dakota County Auditors Association, said voters can bring in supplemental information to prove their address like a utility bill or bank statement when voting. The county employees go into their system to verify that the person lives in their county, she said. If it doesnt match up, they contact the voter. Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed this report. ___ Video clip was manipulated to add anti-Biden chant CLAIM: A video clip shows a speech in Virginia by President Joe Biden being interrupted by chants of F--- Joe Biden. THE FACTS: The original video, from July, does not include those chants; the clip was altered to add that audio. The video captures remarks by Biden at a campaign event for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. When Biden spoke, he was interrupted by hecklers speaking out against a pipeline project. A White House transcript shows that some audience members were yelling, Stop line three! a reference to a pipeline replacement project in Minnesota opposed by environmental groups and some Ojibwe tribes. Others in the crowd responded with yelling and chants supportive of Biden, as the president said: Thats alright no, no, no, no, let him talk. That clip is now circulating on social media with different audio, falsely suggesting Bidens speech was interrupted by chants of F--- Joe Biden. Some posts sharing the clip note that the chants were added and not part of the original video. But others do not. In an Instagram post liked more than 6,000 times, the manipulated clip was used at the start of a video montage showing people shouting the same phrase elsewhere, primarily at sporting events. F Joe Biden in Virginia Speech, reads text that appears on top of the clip in the video. Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck ___ Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Kentuckys only public historically Black university will need emergency funding to stay open through the end of the year, Kentucky State University's vice president for finance told lawmakers Friday at a budget hearing. We are confident were going to be able to make it to January. We believe we can make it through April, Gregory Rush said. Kentucky State University announced in August that it owes about $13 million, which includes $3 million in vendor invoices and about $5 million to clear construction invoices. The report came after several KSU officials resigned, including a board member and chief financial officer. The universitys former president, M. Christopher Brown, left the job in July amid concerns about the schools finances and lawsuits alleging misconduct by campus officials. However, in April, KSU reported it received positive results from its annual independent financial audit, with a budget surplus of $2.3 million for fiscal year 2020. After the turmoil, Gov. Andy Beshear quickly ordered a review into university finances by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. The councils president, Aaron Thompson, said the council is compiling an improvement plan and appropriation recommendations for the next biennial budget. Both are required by the governors executive order for the university to be considered for additional funding. Persistent student debt owed to the university is also contributing to the school's financial woes, Rush said. Ill be perfectly honest, I think part of the issue over the past three years, or four years is that we have not had a full student body that has satisfied their balances, he said. Part of the reason our enrollment declined just a bit this year is we began enforcing that this fall. KSU has announced that it will dedicate some federal coronavirus relief funds to clear tuition and fee balances owed to the institution from March 13, 2020, to July 30, 2021. What were doing in great detail now, is making sure that the campus is organizationally stable, that finances get back to square one, Thompson said. State Senate budget chairman Chris McDaniel expressed concern over whether to continue the school, given the university's lower enrollment and graduation rates. In 2017, McDaniel said, KSU conferred 401 degrees for an average cost to the state of $66,000 per degree. In 2019, the school produced 205 degrees, breaking down to $123,000 per degree, he added. So the financial case to be made is that there should not be a Kentucky State, he said. That we should give these kids full tuition, send them to University of Kentucky, send them to University of Louisville, but there are larger cultural implications at play as well. Kentucky's General Assembly will consider the state budget in the upcoming regular legislative session, which begins in January. ___ Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's top lobbyist, a man linked to an ongoing federal bribery probe but never charged, resigned Friday after three years on the job. Legislative Director Dan McCarthy cited the pace and grind of the job and referred to predecessors who warned him against serving more than two years. I know I've run quite a bit over my two year commitment but I think now is the right time to resign as your Legislative Director, McCarthy wrote in his letter to the Republican DeWine. Federal prosecutors charged five individuals last year, including the then-House speaker, with orchestrating a $60 million bribery scheme to assure the 2019 passage of a bill bailing out two nuclear power plants. Prosecutors say the scheme also involved killing efforts to put a petition on the ballot to overturn the bailout. The power plants were operated at the time by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. McCarthy is a former FirstEnergy lobbyist who was president of one of the dark money groups, Partners for Progress, which has been implicated in the alleged bribery scheme. McCarthy has said his actions were legal and DeWine's office has said it has no indication McCarthy is a target of the probe, which continues. Details in July court filings said Partners for Progress appeared to be independent while actually being controlled by FirstEnergy. FirstEnergy admitted to hand-picking the organizations three leaders, including McCarthy, and funneling $15 million in FirstEnergy cash through the nonprofit to another dark money group, Generation Now. Generation Now pleaded guilty to its role in the scheme in February. In addition, FirstEnergy has admitted to using dark money groups to fund the bailout effort, and agreed to pay $230 million and other conditions so prosecutors wont forge ahead with a criminal case against the company. Last month, two Democratic state lawmakers asked the state watchdog to investigate the involvement of several DeWine officials including McCarthy in the bribery scheme. Two of five men charged in the scheme have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Two more, including ex-Speaker Larry Householder, have pleaded not guilty and are fighting the charges. A fifth man killed himself with charges pending against him. ___ AP reporter Andrew Welsh-Huggins contributed to this report. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday called a special session of the Legislature to address redistricting of the state's federal and state legislative districts. Stitt said the session will begin Nov. 15 to draw new district maps for for all 101 state House seats and 48 Senate seats and for the states five congressional districts. EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Authorities say DNA technology has allowed them to solve the 1977 slayings of two teens in Oregon. The culprit, the Lane County Sheriff's office said Thursday, was a man who killed himself in Arizona earlier this year. KOIN reports that North Eugene High School students Lliana Gay Adank and Eric Shawn Goldstrand went to a picnic grounds on June 9, 1977. Their parents called the Lane County Sheriffs Office when they didnt come home. Adank, who was 16, was sexually assaulted and shot to death in a secluded area. Goldstrands body was found in nearby brush. Police say the 17-year-old had also been shot to death. Police searched the area and put up roadblocks at the time but the teens killer wasnt found. Fingerprints and latent DNA samples from the crime scene were collected, but there were no matches at the time. The suspects DNA was sent back for analysis in July of 2020 using modernized genealogical technology and a match was made. The DNA results identified former area resident Ronald Albert Shroy. Shroy was 23 years old at the time of the murders. Investigators said he moved out of Oregon in the early 1980s and had been living in Mesa, Arizona since 2008. Authorities were preparing to arrest Shroy and present the case to a grand jury when Shroy was reportedly involved in an unrelated domestic violence incident and took his own life on Feb. 24, 2021. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A Prince Georges County police officer accused of pointing his duty weapon at another driver while off duty in Annapolis has been charged with assault and suspended without pay, county police announced Thursday. Cpl. James Thornley was traveling home from work in his personal vehicle on Aug. 26 and was still in uniform when the alleged incident happened, police said in a news release. No one was injured. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A federal judge on Friday handed down a second blow to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's contentious order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements, ruling that Knox County Schools must implement a mask mandate to help protect children with health problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer's decision also blocks Lee's order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. This is the second time in a week that Lee's order has been placed on pause as families and advocates across the state have filed a handful of lawsuits amid spiking virus case numbers in schools. In Shelby County, while the school district had implemented a strict mask mandate, a federal judge indefinitely banned Lee's order after families argued the governor's executive order endangered their children. "It is real, and likely. Knox County students are being infected right now, every day, at a rate of 162 students every day ... and the threat of harm is therefore (immediate)," Greer wrote in his 56-page ruling. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lee told reporters Friday that he couldn't talk about the specific litigation but pointed out that there had been multiple lawsuits against mask mandates. There are very strong opinions on both sides of this. I think thats why the strategy we took, which allowed districts to provide a requirement but gave parents an opt-out, was a good way forward," Lee said. "And we still believe thats the right direction. The lawsuit was filed by four families in Knox County who have children with medical conditions and are too young to qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine. The suit alleges that Lee and the Knox County Board of Education have failed to protect their disabled children from the virus and hurt their ability to attend in-person classes by allowing others to opt-out of a mask mandate. Lee's legal team had fought to uphold his executive order by pointing out that Knox County's school board had voted against adopting a mask mandate at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. The Republican's attorneys argued that any time a state is enjoined by a court from effectuating statutes enacted by representatives of its people, it suffers a form of irreparable injury. Greer disagreed, asking what about when an elected officials actions frustrate a public entity seeking to prospectively comply with the ADA, or with any other federal law? This is the issue in this case, and it is one that is itself fraught with concerns over the guarantees of a democratic process. ___ Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Dyane Rodrigues used to enjoy strolling along Rio de Janeiro's iconic Ipanema beach after a hot summer's day. Daylight saving time meant her workday went by faster, and ended early enough for her to take in the golden sunset, the 28-year-old said from her fruit stand, a stone's throw from the seashore. That changed in 2019, when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro did away with the practice of changing clocks. The idea behind daylight saving time had been to make most of long summer days' natural light, delaying by one hour the time at which households switch on their lamps. But the president said daylight saving no longer made sense, as it yielded little in energy savings and forced Brazilians to commute in the dark, and many experts agreed. But once again, daylight saving known here as summer schedule has surged to the fore. Brazil is in the throes of its worst drought in 91 years, which has returned the specter of power rationing. The operator of the hydroelectric-reliant grid is reviewing the scope of benefits sacrificed by the 2019 change, and federal lawmakers discussed its return this week. Associations linked to the tourism and service industries, sensing opportunity to boost evening business, are chiming in with their support. Since implementation in 1931, summer schedule has divided Brazilians between those who bathe in morning light and those like Dyane who prefer their sunsets. Governments wavered in decades that followed, adopting it some years but not others. Starting in 1985, when drought caused blackouts and water rationing, summer schedule was renewed each year by presidential decree. It became a fixture in 2008. A decade later, a Senate-led poll of nearly 13,000 people found them roughly split, with 55% in favor of ending summer schedule. Bills proposing the change didn't advance, so Bolsonaro ended the practice by decree. He admitted hed never been a fan, and cited studies showing negative impact on peoples biological clocks. People like Dyane were disappointed, but at the time almost no one was worried about electricity. Fast forward two years, and Brazil's reservoirs are dwindling. In a country where almost two-thirds of power comes from hydroelectric generation, low rainfall has serious consequences. The situation is so bad, Bolsonaro asked Brazilians on Sept. 23 to stop using elevators when possible, and to take much healthier cold showers. "Help us," Bolsonaro pleaded on his weekly Facebook broadcast. Reservoir levels in the southeast and center west regions are lower than in 2001 when the country last experienced an electricity crisis; power was rationed for eight months. Since then, the country has installed thermoelectric generation plants as a costlier backup supply, but experts say it wasn't enough. This week, the governor of Minas Gerais, Brazils second most populous state, warned power could run out at any time. The system was not made to function with a situation like this one, said Roberto Brandao, senior researcher at the electricity sector studies group of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The only reason why were not seeing greater problems is because of the economic crises of the last few years, and lower consumption than expected. This years drought comes at the tail-end of nearly a decade of lower-than-usual precipitation, and some experts have linked this such extreme weather to climate change. Amazon rainforest deforestation also reduces evaporation of moisture that then travels on air currents to provide rainfall far afield. Bolsonaro's opponents have blamed him for a delayed response to a problem experts flagged months ago. Others say this isnt a problem that can be solved from one year to the next, nor by one administration. Frankly, the (power) sector is not designed to face such bad hydrology, said Brandao, who foresees possible rationing this year. Energy minister Bento Albuquerque, who said Bolsonaro had been briefed on a looming water crisis in October last year, has dismissed critics. Brazil has introduced a water scarcity electrical rate, increased energy imports from Argentina and Uruguay, accelerated infrastructure projects that can distribute power from the less affected northeast to the south, and created a national committee that can swiftly reverse regional rules to optimize power and water usage. Earlier this month, Albuquerque asked the grid operator to analyze the benefits of restoring summer schedule, which his ministry said it is still examining. But on Sept. 17, Albuquerque said there is no need for summer schedule to return in 2021. According to a 2016 Brazilian study from the State University of Mato Grosso, daylight saving existed in 76 countries, including the U.S. and Europe. Many countries across the world have chosen to abolish it. In 2016, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reintroduced daylight saving time to save energy, overturning a decree signed by his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The European Parliament carried out a study in 2018 among member countries, in which 84% of the people said they were against adjusting their clocks twice a year. Ultimately the decision falls to Bolsonaro. His press office referred e-mailed questions about whether he was considering a U-turn nor when a decision is expected. In July, he reiterated his aversion, saying most Brazilians "are against it because it alters the biological clock. But that was before his energy minister asked for complementary studies and before the matter, once again, reached Congress. Representatives of the restaurant, services and tourism sectors participated in a public hearing this week after sending a letter to Bolsonaro saying they could benefit from daylight saving. An extra hour of daylight would lure welcome business after losses suffered amid pandemic restrictions on activity. One of Bolsonaro's closest allies from the private sector, Luciano Hang, a department store magnate, has also voiced his support. Most of the hearing happened in a livestream on the Lower Houses YouTube channel. While business association representatives patiently walked lawmakers through their PowerPoint presentations, a handful of Brazilians posted impassioned comments showing the divergence over daylight saving. SUMMER SCHEDULE YESSSSS, one of them wrote. WE CAN ENJOY MUCH MORE OF THE DAY WITH OUR KIDS #ComeBackSummerHours Another user wasn't convinced: NO SUMMER SCHEDULE!!! SUMMER SCHEDULE NEVER AGAIN!!! AP journalist Marcelo Silva de Sousa contributed to this report. WINDSOR, Va. (AP) A man was fatally shot during a fight at a Virginia warehouse on Thursday and authorities said theyre searching for the suspect, the victims coworker. Isle of Wight Sheriffs deputies and Windsor Police officers responded to a report of a shooting at Safco Products and found a man who had been shot. The man, identified as Rakim Breedin, 26, of Como, North Carolina, died on the way to a hospital, sheriffs office spokesman Capt. Tommy Potter said. NEW YORK (AP) Liberty and Fraternity, yes. Equality, not so much. Born of a revolution fought for liberty, ties between the United States and its oldest ally, France, have long been fraternal, but they've also been marked by deep French unease over their equality. French concerns about being the junior partner in the relationship boiled over last week when the U.S., Britain and Australia announced a new security initiative for the Indo-Pacific, aimed at countering a rising China. The AUKUS agreement scuttled a multibillion-dollar submarine deal that France had with Australia, but, more alarmingly for the French, pointedly ignored them, reinforcing a sense of insecurity that has haunted Paris since the end of World War II. France has long bristled at what it sees as Anglo-Saxon arrogance on the global stage and has not been shy about rallying resistance to perceptions of British- and German-speaking dominance in matters ranging from commerce to conflict. Successive American presidents through the decades have ignored French warnings about military involvements from Indochina to Iraq. France's lessons learned in Vietnam and Algeria didn't translate. And, when France has on occasion supported military interventions, notably in Syria in 2013, the Americans have pulled back. Thus the latest affront, AUKUS, resulted in an explosion of ire, with the French loudly protesting and recalling their ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia while shunning the British in an overt manifestation of centuries of rivalry. The French argue they are a natural partner for an initiative to blunt Chinas growing assertiveness in the Pacific, with far more territory, troops and influence in the region than Britain, whose empire has shrunk to just one inhabited island there. As such, they would have expected to have been consulted, particularly by a U.S. administration that ostensibly champions multilateral diplomacy and values allies. It leaves an unpleasant taste of being disdained and sidelined, said Pierre Vimont, a former French ambassador to the United States who is now at Carnegie Europe, a branch of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. France was totally left out by this new alliance even if we didnt want to be a party to it. And, while Biden administration officials raised eyebrows over the intensity of the French reaction, many acknowledge that the announcement of the initiative was handled poorly with little to no thought to how Paris would respond. Indeed, the joint U.S.-French statement following the Wednesday make-up call between Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron said the two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners. Privately, some American officials see the rollout of the submarine deal as clumsy. Heres a new ANGLO SAXON bromance partnership with our besties, the Brits and Ozzies. No Gauls allowed, a veteran diplomat who was not authorized to speak publicly to the matter said in an email. That sense of resentment is palpable among French academics and leaders, especially those who barely concealed their disgust at President Donald Trump and his brash and brusque America First ideology and heartily welcomed the arrival of Biden and his America Is Back mantra. France is disappointed because it didnt expect this from the Biden administration, which it thought would be much more multilateral and trans-Atlantic, and even Francophile, said Laurence Nardon of the French Institute for International Relations. In fact, Biden's top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is a fluent French speaker who grew up and went to high school in Paris. And despite the fallout from AUKUS, Blinken still plans an official visit to Paris in early October. Yet, French anger over the snub was such that a normally routine meeting between Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York this week became an issue, leading to uncertainty about whether it would actually take place. When it finally did, on Thursday, a day after Biden spoke to Macron, the French foreign ministry said the meeting was aimed at restoring confidence, but Le Drian said "it would take time to end the crisis between our two countries and would require actions. The American account of the meeting made no mention of a crisis or restoring confidence but did give a nod to Indo-Pacific issues and the need for close cooperation with France and other European allies and partners active in the region. Operationally, the alliance is still functioning. A French general quietly took over a major NATO command center in Virginia this week from another French officer, as previously planned. And French officials this week repeatedly reiterated their commitment to cooperation with the U.S. against Islamic extremists in Africa. But scars from the submarine saga will run deep. Rebuilding trust "wont be easy, it will take time," said a senior French official, who was not authorized to be publicly named discussing the matter. It will involve huge work, intensive work. ___ Charlton reported from Paris. Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris contributed. MIAMI (AP) Far from land, Hurricane Sam strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for Sam, which was about 990 miles (1,595 kilometers) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday night. It was moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph). CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (AP) Several hundred students at a suburban St. Louis high school staged a walkout after racist graffiti was found in two separate Parkway Schools high schools. Students at Parkway Central High School walked out of class in protest on Thursday, a day after the racial slurs were found in boys bathrooms in Parkway Central and Parkway North. Students and staff have said its not the first time racist speech has disrupted operations at the schools. The Associated Press with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision accompanied the conservation group Sea Shepherd this summer on an 18-day voyage to observe up close for the first time the Chinese distant water fishing fleet on the high seas off South America. Chinas deployment to this area of the Pacific Ocean is no accident. Decades of overfishing have pushed its overseas fleet, the worlds largest, ever farther from home. U.S. and regional governments fear that the Chinese fleets push into the Americas could spur illegal fishing of endangered species and threaten even thriving ones like the Humboldt squid, the main target of the explosion in industrial fishing off South America. Here are some key takeaways: 1. Of the 30 vessels the AP observed up close, 24 have been accused of labor abuses or showed signs of possibly violating maritime law. Specifically, 16 ships either sailed with their mandatory safety transponders turned off, broadcast multiple electronic IDs or transmitted information that didnt match its listed name or location discrepancies that are often associated with illegal fishing, although the AP saw no evidence that they were engaged in illicit activity. Six ships were owned by companies accused of forced labor including one vessel, the Chang Tai 802, whose Indonesian crew said they had been stuck at sea for years. 2. The number of Chinese-flagged vessels dedicated to squid fishing in the south Pacific has surged 10-fold from 54 active vessels in 2009 to 557 in 2020, according to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization, or SPRFMO, an inter-governmental group of 15 nations charged with ensuring sustainable fishing in the area. Meanwhile, the size of its catch has grown from 70,000 tons in 2009 to 358,000 last year. Critics say regional fishing management organizations that operate on the basis of consensus are powerless to block China from registering vessels with links to illegal fishing and abuse. 3. The Chinese fleet is able to fish for sometimes years at a time because they can offload their catch at sea into a network of giant refrigerated vessels, or reefers, capable of hauling more than 15,000 cubic meters of fish enough to fill six Olympic-sized pools to port. Giant tankers provide cheap fuel heavily subsidized by the Chinese government, adding to the environmental burden. The 12 reefers active in the Pacific this past July had at least 196 encounters with fishing vessels during that period, according to satellite data analyzed by Global Fishing Watch, a U.S.-based group that supports sustainable fishing. __ This story is a joint project between The Associated Press and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision. __ AP Writer Joe McDonald and AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing, AP Global Investigations intern Roselyn Romero in San Luis Obispo, Calif. and AP Writers Edna Tarigan and Nini Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report. Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas election officials said Thursday night they were auditing the 2020 results in four large counties hours after former President Donald Trump, continuing to falsely claim the election was stolen, pressed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for a ballot review. Trump won Texas last year by 5.5 percentage points, the closest margin of victory by a GOP presidential nominee in decades. The Texas Secretary of State's Office did not say what prompted the announcement in an evening news release. Earlier this year, Keith Ingram, the office's elections administrator, said the 2020 elections in Texas were safe and secure." The audited counties will include the major Democratic strongholds around Houston and Dallas, as well as Tarrant County, which for years has been the largest GOP-controlled county in Texas but went for President Joe Biden last year. Under existing Texas laws, the Secretary of State has the authority to conduct a full and comprehensive forensic audit of any election and has already begun the process in Texas two largest Democrat counties and two largest Republican counties," the statement read. It went on to say the office expects the Legislature to provide funding for the audit. It was not clear who would conduct the review, and a spokesman for the office did not return a message late Thursday. The Secretary of State is appointed by the governor in Texas but has remained vacant since Ruth Ruggero Hughs stepped down in May. An Abbott spokeswoman did not respond to questions about the announcement late Thursday. Trump called on Abbott to conduct an audit of the Texas election in a statement earlier Thursday, saying your citizens don't trust the election system." Trump has falsely claimed that claimed that voting fraud and irregularities cost him electoral votes in Arizona, where on Friday his supporters hired to review the 2020 vote count are expected to deliver their findings. The other county in the Texas review is booming Collin County, in suburban Dallas, which went for Trump last year. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat and the county's top elected official, swiftly criticized the move. Donald Trump ordered Gov. Abbott to audit the 2020 Texas election and, like clockwork, TX just initiated an audit of Harris County voters. Democracy isnt a game," she tweeted. Thousands of Connecticut state employees, K-12 teachers, school bus drivers and day care workers were among those being urged to get vaccinated or else get tested for COVID-19 in the waning hours before Gov. Ned Lamont's executive orders requiring vaccinations for certain employees takes effect on Monday. State employees were reminded to upload their vaccination status, applicable weekly testing results or medical and religious exemption requests by midnight on Sunday to a third-party app. Please also set aside enough time Friday or this weekend to complete the process and dont leave reporting until the last minute in case you encounter any issues. Employees who do not complete the process will be subject to unpaid leave and possible separation from state service, Department of Administrative Services Commissioner Josh Geballe wrote in an email sent to affected state employees on Thursday. Geballe noted that it could it could take several days next week to manually input submissions and fully assess individual compliance" and any resulting actions. As such," he wrote, "all employees should report to work on Monday as usual and continue to report normally until and unless notified otherwise. State officials are uncertain how many affected workers may not comply with the order. Some issues still remain with state employee unions leaders, including the exact nature of the consequence for not complying with the executive order, and whether there should be a cash incentive associated with being vaccinated, according to an update posted Thursday night by the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition. Despite such outstanding issues, Lamont's administration has reached a formal agreement with the state employee unions that represent mostly executive branch workers. For example, unvaccinated workers' state health insurance will now cover the cost of the first four COVID tests at locations not providing free testing. Also, unvaccinated state employees will be allowed to use sick time, personal leave, vacation time or other accruals to cover the work time lost in order to get tested. But Geballe warned on Thursday during a news briefing with Lamont that workers will have to eventually pay for these tests. Theres a very simple solution to this. Just get vaccinated, he said. Meanwhile, school officials across the state were waiting Friday to see how many of their workers might forgo vaccinations and the required testing. Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, said her members believe most of their teachers and staff will be vaccinated or tested in time. For the most part, what superintendents are telling me, they will be compliant with the testing by midnight on the 26th. It may take a few days ... to get the testing processed, but they will be tested or vaccinated," said Rabinowitz, who has heard of isolated incidents of staff who refuse to be tested or vaccinated, and subsequently won't be allowed on school property. Meanwhile, Rabinowitz said she's heard from school bus companies that as many as 300 bus drivers may refuse to get vaccinated and tested, and therefore won't be allowed to work. She said that will only exacerbate an existing shortages of bus drivers. I hope that the bus drivers reconsider and either get tested or vaccinated, she said. Lamont said Thursday that his administration has been working to accelerate getting additional bus drivers in place in order to bring students to school next week in case large numbers of school bus drivers decide not to get required vaccinations or testing. The governor's orders also require employees at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities, to get their first shot of a two-dose vaccine and have an appointment for a second vaccine dose by Sept. 27. Their employers face a possible $20,000-a-day fine for any violations. Monday's deadline comes several days before Lamont's executive authority is set to expire on Sept. 30. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly is meeting next week to consider extending those powers until February. ___ This story has been corrected to show that long-term care employers, not employees, face a possible $20,000-a-day fine for violating the vaccination mandate. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Aid to Afghanistan should be made conditional to ensure the protection of womens rights and access to education under the rule of the Taliban government, a panel of high-level speakers said at the United Nations on Friday. Since taking control of the country last month when the U.S.-backed government collapsed, the Taliban have allowed younger girls and boys back to school. But in grades six to 12, they have allowed only boys back to school along with their male teachers. The United Nations says 4.2 million children are not enrolled in school in Afghanistan, and 60% of them girls. The Taliban have also said female university students will face restrictions, such as a compulsory dress code, and will not be allowed in the same classrooms as their male counterparts. Additionally, the subjects being taught will be reviewed, the new government said. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that by and large, were very concerned about measures restricting girls access to education since the Taliban took control of the country following the U.S. withdrawal and collapse of the Afghan government in August. I think the international community here, first and foremost, has to draw on the expertise, on the leadership of Afghan women... to stop the reversal, to remain in school, she said in the U.N. panel that focused on ways to support girls' education in Afghanistan. The virtual discussion took place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where the Taliban have requested to speak as representatives of Afghanistan. Mohammed said aid to Afghanistan can absolutely be made conditional on education for girls and women. She said the United Nations and the international community can help ensure Afghanistans economy does not collapse and that educators and health care workers continue to be paid. This is where we have to really have resolve that recognition comes with your ability to be part of a global family that has a certain set of values and rights that must be adhered to," she said. Education is up front and center, especially for girls and for women. Afghanistan, which relies heavily on foreign aid, faces near total poverty resulting from political instability, frozen foreign reserves and a collapsed public finance system. This month, U.N. donors pledged more than $1.2 billion in emergency assistance to help provide a lifeline to Afghanistan. The executive director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, said such aid gives the United Nations some leverage in tackling both the humanitarian emergency and the emerging human rights emergency in Afghanistan. UNICEF is responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children. The Taliban, while promising inclusivity and an open government, have excluded women from their all-male Cabinet and set up a ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice in the building that once housed the Womens Affairs Ministry. During the previous era of Taliban rule in the 1990s, before they were ousted by a U.S.-led coalition, girls and women were denied an education and were excluded from public life. More than 100,000 people have fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover last month, including thousands of female activists, students and intellectuals. The first revelation of the Quran that came to the Prophet Muhammad was iqra," which means read", said Fawzia Koofi, first woman deputy speaker of parliament in Afghanistan. She spoke on the panel from Qatar. To the international community... my message would be to emphasize on girls' return to school, Koofi said. She asked participants to realize that an Afghanistan that is oppressing more than half its population cannot be a reliable partner in the world. Activist Malala Yousafzai, who serves as a U.N. messenger of peace, said the world cannot make compromises on the protection of womens rights. Yousafzai was shot in the head on her way home from school as a teenager in 2012 by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan's Swat Valley for her campaigning for girls' education. The Taliban's atrocities are countless," she said. My worry is that this will continue in Afghanistan. My worry is that the same situation will repeat all over again." Mohammed, the U.N. deputy secretary-general, noted the Prophet Muhammads wife, Khadija, was a successful businesswoman whom he supported in her business an observation she said can be used by countries in the region to show that youre not outside of Islam, youre not outside of the preachings of the Quran, when we promote the rights of women and girls. ___ Dubai-based Associated Press correspondent Aya Batrawy has covered the annual U.N. General Assembly since 2019. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ayaelb BOISE, Idaho (AP) The U.S. Department of Defense is taking input on its plan to build an advanced mobile nuclear microreactor prototype at the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho. The department began a 45-day comment period on Friday with the release of a draft environmental impact study evaluating alternatives for building and operating the microreactor that could produce 1 to 5 megawatts of power. The department's energy needs are expected to increase, it said. A safe, small, transportable nuclear reactor would address this growing demand with a resilient, carbon-free energy source that would not add to the DoDs fuel needs, while supporting mission-critical operations in remote and austere environments, the Defense Department said. The draft environmental impact statement cites President Joe Biden's Jan. 27 executive order prioritizing climate change considerations in national security as another reason for pursuing microreactors. The draft document said alternative energy sources such as wind and solar were problematic because they are limited by location, weather and available land area, and would require redundant power supplies. The department said it uses 30 terawatt-hours of electricity per year and more than 10 million gallons (37.9 million liters) of fuel per day. Powering bases using diesel generators strains operations and planning, the department said, and need is expected to grow during a transition to an electrical, non-tactical vehicle fleet. Thirty terawatt-hours is more energy than many small countries use in a year. The department in the 314-page draft environmental impact statement said it wants to reduce reliance on local electric grids, which are highly vulnerable to prolonged outages from natural disasters, cyberattacks, domestic terrorism and failure from lack of maintenance. The department also said new technologies such as drones and radar systems increase energy demands. But critics say such microreactors could become targets themselves, including during transportation. Edwin Lyman, director of Nuclear Power Safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit, said he questioned using microreactors at military bases either at home or abroad. In my view, these reactors could cause more logistical problems and risks to troops and property than they would solve problems, he said. And unless the Army is willing to spend what it would take to make them safe for use, especially in potential combat situations or foreign operating bases, then I think its probably unwise to deploy nuclear reactors in theaters of war without providing the protection they would need. He said the reactors would likely be vulnerable during transport. There is always going to be a way that an adversary can damage a nuclear reactor and cause dispersal of its nuclear content, he said. The Idaho National Laboratory is on the U.S. Department of Energys 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site in high desert sagebrush steppe, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Idaho Falls. All prototype reactor testing would take place on the Energy Department site. The lab is considered the nations leading nuclear research lab, and has multiple facilities to aid in building and testing the microreactor. The Defense Department said a final environmental impact statement and decision about how or whether to move forward is expected in early 2022. If approved, preparing testing sites at the Idaho National Lab and then building and testing of the microreactor would take about three years. Two mobile microreactor designs are being considered, but the department said detailed descriptions are unavailable as both are in early stages of development. The department said both designs are high-temperature gas-cooled reactors using enriched uranium for fuel. The type of enriched uranium to be used can withstand high temperatures, allowing for a reactor design that relies primarily on simple passive features and inherent physics to ensure safety, the draft environmental impact statement states. Building the mobile reactor and fuel fabrication would be done outside Idaho, and then shipped to the Idaho National Laboratory where the final assembly, fuel loading and a demonstration of the reactor's ability to operate would occur. That demonstration would include startup testing, moving the reactor to a new site, and testing at the second location. The second location would mimic a real-world situation by testing the reactor's ability to respond to energy demands. The department said the microreactor would be able to produce power within three days of delivery and can be safely removed in as few as seven days. LOS ANGELES (AP) U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, a prominent figure in national Democratic politics who was on President Joe Biden's short list when he was considering a vice presidential pick, is planning to run for Los Angeles mayor, a person familiar with her plans said Friday. Bass' entry into the race would immediately reshape the 2022 contest that already has attracted a slew of candidates. She also could provide historical milestones as the city's first female and second Black mayor. The first Black mayor, Tom Bradley, also was the city's longest-serving. He ran LA from 1973 to 1993. The person with knowledge of Bass' plans spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, saying the congresswoman is expected to announce her candidacy next week. My sense is that it is a go, the person said. Bass, 67, was a physician's assistant and community organizer who became the first Black woman speaker of the state Assembly in 2008. She is close to Biden as well as to her fellow Californian who leads the House San Francisco's Nancy Pelosi. Bass, serving her sixth term in the House, previously headed the Congressional Black Caucus. Bass grew up in the Los Angeles area she now represents. Her district includes the historically black neighborhoods of South Los Angeles and Crenshaw, along with the University of Southern California and mid-city section of LA. A statement issued by Bass spokesman Zach Seidl did not confirm or deny that she would run, only that she is considering entering the race. He said with the city facing the duel crisis of homelessness and the pandemic she does not want to see these two issues tear the city apart. Los Angeles has to come together. She would take charge of a deeply troubled city that has been trying to deal with not only an out-of-control homeless crisis but soaring housing costs, spiking crime rates and its notorious traffic. The city's current mayor, Democrat Eric Garcetti, is barred by law from seeking a third term. He has been nominated by Biden to serve as ambassador to India. Those seeking to replace Garcetti include city Councilmen Kevin de Leon Joe Buscaino, City Attorney Mike Feuer and business leader Jessica Lall. WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) A judge sentenced a Waterloo man on Friday to up to 60 years in prison for the beating death of a 72-year-old maintenance man. Judge Brad Harris sentenced Martavis Tayshon Wise, 30, after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter with a dangerous weapon and other charges in the death of Johannes Rodenburgh, of Waterloo. He had initially been charged with second-degree murder. MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate on Friday scheduled confirmation votes next week for four of Gov. Tony Evers' Cabinet secretaries. Confirming the governor's pick for top-level administration posts had been a pro forma courtesy that morphed into a yearslong partisan battle waged by Republicans after the Democratic Evers was elected in 2018. Scheduled for approval on Tuesday are Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson; Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romanski; Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary Missy Hughes; and Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dawn Crim. All of them won unanimous, bipartisan support in committee votes. Not on the list is Sandra Naas, Evers' pick to replace Fred Prehn on the Natural Resources Board. Prehn, who was appointed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, has refused to step down until Naas is confirmed, even though his term is over. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit trying to force Prehn off the board, but a judge dismissed it. Kaul is appealing. Also not scheduled for a vote are Karen Timberlake, who is leading the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as secretary of the Department of Health Services and Anne Pechacek, secretary of the Department of Workforce Development. All of them have been serving in their roles. But until they are confirmed, the Senate has the power to fire them by voting against confirmation. That's what Republicans did to former agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff, who was elected to the Senate last year after he was fired in 2019. Evers, who made a highly unusual personal appearance in the Senate the day of that vote, later called the Senate's action political B.S." and amoral and stupid. Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said the governor was grateful the Senate was taking action on the governor's Cabinet secretaries and dozens of other appointees to a variety of lower-level boards, committees and commissions. A couple of the more prominent positions up for confirmation include Wisconsin Ethics Commission administrator Daniel Carlton and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority executive director Joaquin Altoro. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin high school student on Friday won a federal lawsuit she brought against a sheriff who threatened her with jail time early in the COVID-19 pandemic if she didn't remove social media posts saying she had the virus. U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig ruled that Amiyah Cohoon's constitutional right to free speech was violated when a Marquette County sheriffs deputy in March 2020 demanded the Oxford teenager take down her Instagram posts post or face arrest. "The First Amendment is not a game setting for the government to toggle off and on, the judge wrote. It applies in times of tranquility and times of strife. The Wisconsin Institute for Liberty and Law filed the lawsuit against Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath and a patrol sergeant. Luke Berg, the attorney who filed the case, said "this decision underscores that First Amendment rights cannot be dispatched with in an emergency. More importantly, law enforcement has no business trying to regulate the social media posts of local teenagers. Samuel Hall, attorney for the sheriff and the Marquette County Sheriffs Department, said at the time the lawsuit was filed that the girls messages caused distress and panic within the school system and law enforcement acted at the request of school health officials in a good faith effort to avoid unfounded panic. Hall did not immediately return a message Friday seeking comment on the ruling. The judge said the sheriff's office defense that it was acting in the greater good of the community does not insulate it. Demanding a 16-year-old remove protected speech from her Instagram account is a First Amendment violation, the judge said. Cohoon, who was a sophomore in the Westfield School District in Marquette County last year, had a severe respiratory illness with symptoms matching those of COVID-19 during a spring break trip to Florida, the lawsuit said. She tested negative, but her attorney said that doctors told the girls family that she likely had the virus but missed the window for testing positive. The girl posted about her experience on March 26, 2020. Her first Instagram post showed her looking out a window with the message, i wont be back for a while longer due to me ... having the COVID-19 virus....I dont want the attention its just the truth. A second post, showing her in a hospital bed hooked up to what appears to be an oxygen mask, included the caption, Winning the fight with Covid-19. It was that post that the sheriffs deputy had a screen shot of and demanded she remove, according to her attorney. At the time, Marquette County had had just two confirmed cases of COVID-19. As of Friday, it has had 1,652 confirmed cases and 24 deaths, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. ROME (AP) Hundreds of Alitalia workers blocked a highway exit outside Rome's main airport on Friday in a protest vent their anger that most of the airlines staff will soon lose their jobs. As of Oct. 15, Alitalia, long financially ailing, wont exist anymore. The new company being formed, called ITA, says it will only keep some 2,800 of 10,000 of Alitalias employees. Like their counterparts in Oakland, most public school students in the Piedmont Unified School District must now get vaccinated against COVID-19, following a vote by the school board Wednesday night. Vaccine-eligible Piedmont Unified students as of Wednesday, have until Nov. 17 to provide proof they have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the school board policy revised Wednesday night. Piedmont Unified's school board voted 5-0 in favor of the policy. The board for the Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday night approved a vaccine mandate for students 12 and older, excluding students who are exempt by law or receive a personal belief exemption. Piedmont Unified students who become age-eligible after Wednesday have eight weeks after they are eligible to show they are fully vaccinated. Students who are unvaccinated and do not have an exemption from a licensed doctor will be moved to independent study, according to the policy. Students who receive an exemption from a doctor must be tested for COVID-19 once a week. Several people expressed support for the new policy when they spoke during the public comment period at Wednesday's board meeting. One person got emotional expressing their support. Board President Cory Smegal expressed dismay over having to make the decision at the school district level. With the statewide commercial eviction moratorium ending next week, San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai is calling on the city to provide rent relief for the city's small businesses struggling with unpaid back rent. Safai first introduced the COVID-19 Commercial Rent Relief Fund back in July, which would provide financial support for landlords or certain commercial tenants who were unable to pay rent because do the pandemic. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the ordinance at Tuesday's board meeting on first reading. Safai said he is currently in negotiations with Mayor London Breed over the fund. Safai is hoping the fund will be able to provide grants ranging from $25,000 to $35,0000 to cover commercial back rent, impacting some 1,000 businesses. The grants would require rent forgiveness for tenants as part of lease negotiations, as well as minimum three-year lease extensions. The Lafayette City Council on Monday will decide whether to spend $50,000 to hire experts to assess how many trees PG&E needs to cut down to access its own gas lines running through the city. In 2014, PG&E started the Pipeline Pathways project, which entailed removing trees adjacent to its gas transmissions pipelines, so first responders could have easier access to potential problems and crews could have better access to pipelines for inspections. The utility giant told the City of Lafayette they would have to cut down more than 1,200 of its trees. Which, as one could imagine, didn't go over very well with some members of the community. In 2015, PG&E updated its list, saying it would only need to chop down 272 trees. That was also the year they renamed their project the Community Pipelines Safety Initiative. Two years later, the city and PG&E reached a tentative agreement that the utility would pay mitigation fees for each tree removed, plant new trees, and would receive approval from the city before cutting trees down. In 2018 - after being sued (along with the city) by a group called Save Lafayette Trees - PG&E decided it only needed to cut down 207 of Lafayette's trees. Then the utility filed for bankruptcy, sued Lafayette over its previous tree agreement, and everything was put on hold PG&E still wants to cut down at least 200 trees in Lafayette, and the city finally wants to clarify the details as part of settlement discussions over that lawsuit. Both sides began meeting earlier this year, discussing an agreement by which both sides would bring in their own gas pipeline and tree experts to jointly develop criteria for a risk assessment evaluation of the trees in question. The process "allows both parties to have a say in how the trees are evaluated and provides another opportunity to minimize the removal of trees while still ensuring the safety of the pipeline," a staff report for Monday's council meeting says. "If this process is successful, it could result in the resolution of the city's ending litigation with PG&E." The Lafayette City Council meets virtually at 6 p.m. Monday and can be seen on the city's YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/LoveLafayetteYouTube. Parents and teachers in the Oakland Unified School District will donate $100,000 toward keeping their schools public following a settlement with the district in a alleged police brutality case, organizers with a coalition to preserve public education in the city said Thursday. The case settles claims of police brutality at a board meeting in October 2019, when parents and teachers protested the closure of Henry J. Kaiser Jr. Elementary School at 25 S. Hill Court. Despite the protest by organizers with coalition Oakland Not For Sale and others, the school closed. School district officials decided it will reopen next year as a preschool. The amount of the settlement is $337,500 in damages, with $100,000 going toward supporting school board candidates who want to keep schools public instead of converting them into charter schools, for example. At least some school board members will be elected as soon as next year. State officials announced their plan Thursday to roll out COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to eligible residents once they are fully approved by the federal government. The state intends to ensure that enough doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and vaccine administrators will be available to meet demand once boosters are fully approved for people over age 65 and those at high risk to contract the virus and develop serious illness. The state's MyTurn vaccination scheduling tool will soon add a booster vaccine eligibility screen and send alerts to state residents if they are eligible, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health. Santa Clara County Supervisors may approve $25 million next week to build 10 new interim housing sites around the county. The proposal, introduced by Supervisors Joe Simitian and Otto Lee, allocates $2.5 million for each site in American Rescue Plan dollars to fund the development and operational costs of 10 sites for five years. Simitian and local leaders gathered at the site, operated by nonprofit LifeMoves, to introduce the proposal coming to the board of supervisors on Tuesday. It's a site they are hoping to replicate throughout the county "10 times over," LifeMoves CEO Aubrey Merriman said. This is because it is a cost-effective site that can be built quickly to provide houseless residents with shelter and services to help them move into supportive housing. The sites are built out of converted shipping containers that are about 40 square feet in size. Each unit costs between $50,00 to $200,000 per unit and can take less than six months, Merriman said. In comparison, a traditional shelter can take years to build at a cost of $400,000 to $800,000 per unit, supervisors said. LifeMoves Vice President of Real Estate and Operations Joanne Price said it's also a cost-effective method because it saves taxpayers money. She said at the Mountain View site, with all the services, staff and development costs, it's about $75-$95 a night per person and bed. By comparison, the cost to leave someone chronically homeless in Santa Clara County is about $227 a night, according to a 2015 report by housing advocacy group Destination: Home. LifeMoves would be the operator of the 10 sites if the board proposal is passed on Sept. 28 and use the Mountain View site as the model. At the location, there are 100 rooms that house about 100 adults and 20 children. Eighty-eight of the rooms are single occupancy that can be shared by two people and 12 rooms are designated for families of up to five people. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, storage space, a desk and a bed. The National Weather Service forecast for Friday for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for sunny skies with highs in the 60s and 70s along the coast and Bay to the 80s and 90s inland. Overnight lows will be mostly in the 50s. Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Pololu Valley is one of Hawaiis most significant coastlines, and to Native Hawaiians, one of the most sacred. The largely unspoiled valley has also been the focal point of debate this year. A proposed development deal between a local real estate corporation and the Department of Land and Natural Resources planned to consolidate land on the valley floor in exchange for a 13-lot subdivision along the valley ridge and add a five-acre parking lot to accommodate the areas massive influx of visitors. Residents, particularly from the Native Hawaiian community, were opposed to the project. Now, a grassroots movement has emerged in order to protect the beloved valley. More: 'Maderna' tourist wanted after evading mandatory court hearing in Hawaii. Chloe Mrozak, 24, was arrested late last month on suspicion of falsified vaccination documents. Read more. Flight attendant assaulted on Hawaiian Airlines flight. The FBI is now investigating the matter. Read more. Hawaii told tourists to stay away. Did they listen? Some tourism officials say yes. Read more. Last weeks top story: A guide to the restrictions, vaccine requirements for Hawaii travel during COVID. If you do go to Hawaii, here is what you need to know. On Hawaii is curated by deputy managing editor and Hawaii editor Fiona Lee. You can contact her at Fiona.Lee@sfgate.com. Close to everything and brimming with potential, the oldest listing to hit the market on Realtor.com this week deserves a toast. Raise your glass to a 4.6-acre vineyard estate in Pennsylvania that dates to 1683around the same time William Penn founded the state. On the market for $1.2 million, the home awaits a buyer to write its next chapter. This week's list of vintage properties also includes a handful of sweet cottages, a Colonial in Rhode Island on the National Register of Historic Places, and a South Carolina home from 1740 filled with formal finishes for distinguished entertaining. None of these homes has lost its looks over the past three centuriesand many have never looked better. Scroll down and have a look for yourself. Price: $1,200,000 Year built: 1683 Vineyard estate: Can you convert this 17th-century structure back into a gorgeous single-family home? This eight-bedroom, 6,755-square-foot stone mansion is currently set up as an office. Inside, you'll find wood floors, ornate finishes, high ceilings, custom millwork, and a home gym with views of a paver courtyard below. The gated 4.6-acre property comes with a vineyard, detached garage, and office space with private entrance. Glen Mills, PA Realtor.com Price: $725,000 Year built: 1710 Waterman-Winsor House: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and meticulously restored by architects and craftsmen, this farmhouse is a slice of paradise. The four-bedroom home features two chimneys, eight working fireplaces, pine floors, as well as beveled gunstock posts and beams. The 2-acre property comes with three barns for storage, plus apple trees. Smithfield, RI Realtor.com Price: $350,000 (now off-market) Year built: 1712 Wooded bliss: Surrounded by peace and quiet and steeped in history, this four-bedroom home attracted a buyer in less than a week. Set on 3.3 acres, the two-story Cape Cod is walking distance to town and a number of local establishments. Kingston, NH Realtor.com Watch: $3.8 Million Castle in Maine Lords Over the Landscape ___ Price: $924,90 Year built: 1710 Bucolic Bucks County: Renovated and filled with light, this four-bedroom farmhouse now features two staircases, a gym, walk-up basement, and tons of storage. Outside, the 1.36-acre lot features a huge backyard with pergola and veranda as well as a lovely entry courtyard with fountain. New Hope, PA Realtor.com Price: $400,000 Year built: 1726 New meets old: Updated over the years, this quaint two-bedroom home features rustic stone walls, a kitchen updated in 2008, and large windows. Outside, the 2.5-acre retreat includes a creek and parklike setting. Thornton, PA Realtor.com Price: $950,000 Year built: 1735 Fresh and fun: A teal front door and soft sea-foam exterior offer clues to the light and airy interiors of this historic home. Offering loads of windows and gleaming hardwood floors, the residence is truly an antique gem. For sale for the first time in 20 years, the home is highlighted by wood beams, an updated kitchen, and even solar panels. Just shy of an acre, the property is close to shops, schools, and commuter routes. Acton, MA Realtor.com Price: $1,500,000 Year built: 1740 Georgian Colonial: Sitting between three Colonial churches, this 4-acre horse property was originally built for Sen. Nathan Smith and his wife, Sarah McCracken. It includes a six-bedroom, 3,636-square-foot main house, which was expanded way back in 1790. On the grounds, you'll find a 400-year-old maple tree, a 300-year-old sycamore, a barn with horse stalls, and a fenced pasture. Roxbury, CT Realtor.com Price: $999,000 Year built: 1740 Montclair original: Once owned by the town's first mayor, this five-bedroom home offers great spaces for entertaining. Of course, the pool in the backyard wasn't there in 1740, but is a welcome addition for a buyer in 2021. Inside, details include stained-glass windows, an updated kitchen, and numerous upgrades. In addition to the pool, there's a custom outdoor kitchen, spa, and waterfall. Montclair, NJ Realtor.com Price: $895,000 Year built: 1740 Western views: Soft pastels run throughout this charming three-bedroom cottage, from the blush pink front door to the whitewashed deck out back. Filled with period details and close to shops and restaurants, this is a fairy-tale residence waiting for a buyer to sweep it off its feet. Sharon, CT Realtor.com Price: $4,450,000 Year built: 1740 William Vanderhorst House: Immaculately updated without losing one iota of its charm, this five-bedroom home is filled with formal living spaces. For relaxation, there's a rooftop terrace with views of Charleston church steeples plus a walled brick courtyard highlighted by a fountain. Charleston, SC Realtor.com The post Built in 1683, This Week's Oldest Home Is a Pretty Pennsylvania Estate appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Theres something magical happening in Long Beach, California. Here, you can eat some of the best Cambodian food in the state and perhaps the country. You can bike for miles along the glistening ocean. You can drink pickle backs and beer at one of the oldest taverns west of the Mississippi, Joe Josts. And you can pick up a pair of roller skates at Pigeons and zoom across town to your hearts desire. Its here I found myself, begrudgingly, after living for about five years in San Francisco. I moved to Long Beach to commute to graduate school in Orange County, and reader, I did not want to go. Sandy beaches have never really been my thing. Sublime is hardly my favorite rock band. And dont get me started on all that sunshine. What would I do without my fog and hills? But what I found in Long Beach is a thriving community, friendly neighbors, rocking dive bars and one of the best vintage shopping streets in California. It's a place where you can still be on the coast and live the classic Southern California lifestyle. Anne A./Yelp Though its the seventh largest city in California, itself a state larger than many nations, Long Beach is under-appreciated; its tempting to draw on the old travel writing cliche hidden gem to describe it. In the southwestern corner of Los Angeles County, tucked away next to a major port south of Palos Verdes, Long Beach abuts the border of Orange County. While I did miss the hills and the fog, I found Long Beach with its college-town vibe, plethora of parks, and romantic, if oddly out of place, canals to be one of the most livable cities in this notoriously unaffordable state. Rents are reasonable by California standards my fiance and I paid $2,650 for a gorgeous (and huge) Tudor-style two-bedroom just a ten-minute walk from the beach. It had parking, a backyard and original stained glass windows. The average rent in the city for a two-bedroom is now $3,528, according to Apartment List, still less than the $4,476 it costs on average to rent a two-bedroom in San Francisco. What does Long Beach have that San Francisco doesnt? For one, canals. You can walk or boat along the canals in neighboring Naples a former tidal estuary thats now home to gondolas and a much-loved Christmas parade. Long Beach is also home to an iconic steamship, the Queen Mary, though it is currently shuttered (and at risk of capsizing). Locals also swear it is haunted, but if ghosts don't bother you, you can sip a strong martini aboard the ship during non-COVID times. MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press/MediaNews Group via Getty Images Long Beach has a large downtown with office buildings and high-rise residential towers, restaurants and shops, but I favor the quieter Fourth Street, also known as Retro Row. There, you can snag rare vintage clothing and furniture for decent prices, eat tater tots at a restaurant-bar called The Social List and catch a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Art Theatre Long Beach. The list goes on. But the most magical thing about Long Beach is undoubtedly the diversity of generous, friendly people. When I lived there, this San Franciscan was shocked by the kindness of the locals, who almost always say hello in passing and sometimes offer to help carry your groceries to your door. The vibes are slower here, more relaxed and less hurried than the states larger cities. And unlike some parts of Los Angeles County, you dont have to deal with as many influencers and starlets. MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press/MediaNews Group via Getty Images My friends in trendy neighborhoods like Echo Park and Silver Lake called Long Beach the boonies. It took about 45 minutes without traffic and in Los Angeles, theres always traffic to get from my house to east LA, where most of my acquaintances lived, which could sometimes be frustrating. It often felt like everything was happening somewhere else. But the quieter pace of less-gentrified Long Beach made it the perfect place to hunker down, study and experience a version of Southern California without the hype or trendiness of the more-trafficked corners of greater LA. My cats could roam free in our communal backyard. I could take a book to the beach on any given weekday. And my walks along the paved ocean path at sunset were awe-inducing. Will I ever leave San Francisco to move to Long Beach again? Definitely not. But for a brief interlude, I found peace and welcome there, whether it was browsing for books at Page Against the Machine, slurping down pizzas at the horror-themed Fourth Horseman or noshing on handmade pasta on the patio at Ellies (arguably the best restaurant around). In Long Beach, I found a coastal California city that felt like a throwback to an earlier era, one in which working writers, artists, musicians and students can still live comfortably among the Art Deco architecture and palm trees though I never did get to smoke a doobie with Snoop Dogg. Rain returned to the San Francisco Bay Area forecast Friday morning with weather models showing a slim chance early next week. It's still too soon to provide many details but models are in agreement that the system is likely to be weak when it reaches the area. More for you I wore these Northside rain boots for a week in winter weather National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Gass said the system is similar in strength to the front that passed over the region last weekend, which delivered minimal rain, mostly to the North Bay. Some spots in the North Bay received one-tenth of an inch, while the greater region saw a couple hundredths or no rain. But amid a drought marked by two, consecutive dry winters, any rain is beneficial. "Theres a slight chance Monday into Tuesday in that 10% to 20% range," said Gass, noting the probability of rainfall in the Bay Area. "The greatest likelihood of that happening would be the North Bay." The Bay Area has seen above normal temperatures in recent days and the warm weather, especially in inland valleys, will continue Friday. Saturday marks the start of a cool down with afternoon highs in the 60s along the coast and inland. The system coming from the north will reach the Pacific Northwest on Sunday before arriving in Northern California Monday. The best chances for measurable rain in the Golden State will be north of the Bay Area, but the North Bay could likely see some light showers. "The moisture with this system isn't anything to be excited for, but enough to yield light rain where the dynamics can set up," the weather service's forecast said. Last weekend's rain and this upcoming system are signaling the start of the rainy season. Gass explained that these early season storms often lose energy and dissipate as they move from the Pacific Northwest into Northern California. "This system looks like that," he said. "Most of the rain will stay north of us and in the Pacific Northwest." Tamil cinema's current comedy king actor Yogi Babu represented Vivekh in Hyderabad and received the Best Actor in a comedy role. At the function, he remembered Vivekh and gave a very emotional acceptance speech. SIIMA honored the later veteran comedy actor Vivekh in the recently concluded grandiose event in Hyderabad for his phenomenal performance in the Tamil film Dharala Prabhu. After reaching Chennai, Yogi Babu went personally to Vivekh's house, met the family, and gave away the award. This proves what a humble person Yogi is! This act of Yogi is winning hearts. Touched by the lovely gesture of SIIMA and Yogi Babu, Vivekh's daughter tweeted: "Thank you @siima for honouring my dad with the award for Best Actor In a Comedy role - 2020 for Dharala Prabhu. Thank you very much @iYogiBabu anna for receiving it and bringing it home. Thanks to the team of #DharalaPrabhu As always, grateful and indebted to the fan", popped up a tweet from Vivekh's handle last night. This is the first tweet post the demise of the actor and many fans have expressed their joy. Harish Kalyan, who played the lead in Dharala Prabhu also thanked SIIMA. "For a second my eyes widened to see #Vivek sirs tweet. I just wish things were just the same. Taking & keeping all our #DharalaPrabhu memories close to my heart. Thanks @siima for this Miss you Doctor Kannadasan !! Your fan always". Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines, the two prominent private airlines in Nepal, are planning regular mountain flights from Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Kathmandu, Sep 24 (IANS) Airlines in Nepal are going to resume scheduled mountain flights over the Himalayas following a suspension that lasted form more than four and a half months due to Covid, targeting mainly domestic and Indian tourists, industry representatives said. "We conducted a chartered mountain flight for some Indian tourists last Saturday (September18)," Rupesh Joshi, marketing and sales director at Buddha Air, told Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "Starting from the coming Saturday, we shall conduct one flight a week in the Himalayan mountains for sightseeing." Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson for Yeti Airlines, said his company has been conducting chartered mountain flights for a month and is preparing to resume scheduled flights from Sunday. "Tickets have already been sold for Sunday's flight," he said, adding Yeti initially plans one flight per week. Mountain flights were halted along with the suspension of domestic flights on May 3 after the second wave of the pandemic struck Nepal in April. Domestic flights resumed on July 1, but the airlines did not restart mountain flights at that time. Mountain flights fly close to the Himalayas from the west to the east, as Nepal has eight of the world's 14 tallest peaks in the world, including the highest Mt. Everest. In the absence of foreign tourists, Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines are offering a discounted fare of 8,500 NPR ($71) and 8,848 NPR ($74) to attract domestic and Indian tourists. The country's airlines has lost about 25 billion NPR in potential earnings due to flight restrictions enforced after the first and second waves of the pandemic hit the country in early 2020 and April this year, according to a recent report of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. --IANS ksk/ In an audio message released to the public on Thursday, Hun Sen said the latest outbreak occurred at the pagoda in the capital city Phnom Penh, with at least 45 infections confirmed so far, reports Xinhua news agency. Phnom Penh, Sep 24 (IANS) Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has advised the Health Ministry to consider suspending the ongoing two-week Kan Ben festival following a Covid-19 outbreak at a Buddhist pagoda. The pagoda had been shut down, he said, warning that any gathering at pagodas during the festival could lead to the mass transmission of Covid-19, especially the Delta variant. "I really worry that after this festival, the number of infected people and deaths will increase. That can pose serious risk to the nation and can destroy our plan to reopen schools," said Hun Sen. "I'd like to urge the health ministry to consider whether we can suspend this festival or not," he said. "If it cannot be suspended, the number of the festival goers must be reduced to the fewest, allowing only two or three persons to bring food and other necessities to the monks at the pagodas." The two-week Kan Ben festival began on Wednesday throughout Cambodia. During the period, Buddhists visit pagodas to make offerings to monks in order to dedicate to their relatives and loved ones who had passed away. Devotees believe that everything they offer to the monks will reach their dead ancestors or relatives and in return, the dead will bless them with luck, health and wealth. Kan Ben is part of the Pchum Ben festival or the Ancestor's Day, which is one of the important festivals in Cambodia. This year's Pchum Ben festival falls on October 6. The Southeast Asian country has so far reported 106,619 confirmed Covid cases and 2,176 deaths. --IANS ksk/ Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 24 (ANI): Mumbai Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized drugs worth Rs 18 crore and arrested a 40-year-old female passenger at Mumbai airport on Thursday, AIU officials said. "The accused was travelling from Zambia to Mumbai on Wednesday for a temporary business trip. However, around 3.584 kgs of heroin were intercepted from her which was concealed in her trolly bag," the officials added. During the process of interrogation, it was revealed that the female passenger earlier travelled from Zambia to Addis Abba and then reached Mumbai for business purposes. The official informed that the accused is identified as Chilufya Seketi from Zambia. Further investigation is underway. (ANI) The study, posted on the preprint server Research Square and not peer-reviewed yet, showed that the similarity of parts of the new viruses' genetic code with SARS-CoV-2 reinforces claims that Covid-19 has a natural origin. At the same time, their discovery means there are numerous coronaviruses with the potential to infect people, Nature reported. London, Sep 24 (IANS) Scientists have found three viruses in bats in Laos that are more similar to SARS-CoV-2 than any other known virus, media reports said. The finding is both "fascinating, and quite terrifying", David Robertson, a virologist at the University of Glasgow, the UK, was quoted as saying. According to researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and the National University in Laos, the new-found viruses contain receptor binding domains that are almost identical to that of SARS-CoV-2, and can therefore infect human cells, Nature reported. To find the virus, the team took saliva, faeces and urine samples from 645 bats in caves in northern Laos. They found viruses in three horseshoe (Rhinolophus) bat species, which were each more than 95 per cent identical to SARS-CoV-2. The new viruses have been named BANAL-52, BANAL-103 and BANAL-236, the report said. Further, the scientist with the discovery of bats living in caves in Laos carrying a similar pathogen to Covid suggests a natural spillover rather than a lab-leak. "When SARS-CoV-2 was first sequenced, the receptor binding domain didn't really look like anything we'd seen before," Edward Holmes, a virologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, was quoted as saying. This caused some people to speculate that the virus had been created in a laboratory. But the Laos coronaviruses confirm these parts of SARS-CoV-2 exist in nature, he said. "I am more convinced than ever that SARS-CoV-2 has a natural origin," said Linfa Wang, a virologist at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. Relatives of SARS-CoV-2 have previously also been discovered in Thailand, Cambodia and Yunnan in southern China, the report said. Together, the study demonstrates that southeast Asia is a "hotspot of diversity for SARS-CoV-2 related viruses", Alice Latinne, an evolutionary biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society Vietnam in Hanoi, was quoted as saying by Nature. Researchers at the Pasteur Institute had last year described another close relative of SARS-CoV-2, called RaTG13, which was found in bats in Yunnan. It was 96.1 per cent identical to SARS-CoV-2 overall and the two viruses probably shared a common ancestor 40-70 years ago -- similar to the new-found viruses. However, there are still missing links to the origins of the pandemic, the researchers said. For example, the Laos viruses don't contain the so-called furin cleavage site on the spike protein that further aids the entry of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses into human cells. The study also doesn't clarify how a progenitor of the virus could have travelled to Wuhan, in central China, where the first known cases of Covid-19 were identified -- or whether the virus hitched a ride on an intermediate animal. Answers might come from sampling more bats and other wildlife in southeast Asia, which many groups are doing, the report said. --IANS rvt/arm In a statement on Friday, Ramadoss said Rajapaksa was taking such a stand now after the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has intensified gathering evidence of crimes committed during the almost three-decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka. Chennai, Sep 24 (IANS) S. Ramadoss, the founder-leader of the PMK, said that the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's promise to engage the Tamil diaspora on civil war-related issues is a "political drama". The PMK leader called upon the international community to support and back the move to collect evidence on the war crimes. He asked the Central government to take measures to ensure that those who were involved in the crimes against the Sri Lankan Tamils are punished. In the statement, Ramadoss also called upon the Centre to pave the way for a separate Tamil Eelam through the UN. Tamil political parties have been vehemently demanding that there should be a proper trial on the Sri Lankan Civil War in which thousands of Tamil people lost their lives. Tamil politicians and political parties have been arguing that former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was behind the Tamil 'genocide' and that certain foreign forces had backed the government when the war came to an end in 2009. --IANS aal/ksk/ New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, on Thursday entered into a research collaboration with the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, a Vietnamese pharmaceutical company which is developing a new vaccine for Covid-19. THSTI has been at the fore front of research on Covid vaccines. A team of Nanogen Pharmaceutical led by Pham Sanh Chau, the Ambassador of Vietnam to India, visited THSTIA to sign the MoU on Thursday. Speaking on the ocassion, Pramod Garg, Director, THSTI, highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation between India and Vietnam in the field of science and technology besides other areas. Garg thanked the Vietnam ambassador for facilitating the pact between THSTI and Nanogen Pharmaceutical and hoped that this collaboration will add another vaccine to strengthen the collective fight against the pandemic. Pranay Verma, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, talked about the wider areas of collaboration and appreciated the efforts of the government of India in supporting and helping Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic, including supply of oxygen tankers and concentrators. Pham Sanh Chau also expressed his gratitude to THSTI and MEA for extending their support to evaluate the vaccine candidate, NanoCovax, developed by Nanogen. He said that these collaborations will have a far-reaching positive impact on India-Vietnam's friendly ties. Chau said that this MoU will pave the way for more such opportunities between India and Vietnam and contribute to vaccine research in both the countries. --IANS avr/arm Washington had in the G20 meeting on Afghanistan the day before listed five key action areas for the regime in Kabul if it is seriously seeking legitimacy and support from the international community. This was the first in-person meeting between the two after three telephone phone conversations since Joe Biden took over as the US President in January, earlier this year. Blinken had made it clear that the caretaker cabinet in Kabul does not fit the bill when it comes to that. He had reminded everyone that it is overwhelmingly from one ethnic group, exclusively male, and of course includes people who are notorious for attacks on US and coalition forces as well as civilians. Before starting his meeting with Qureshi at a hotel in New York on Thursday, the US Secretary of State indicated that the future of the bilateral and economic relationship between the two countries could well depend on what happens in Afghanistan in the coming months. "A lot to focus on, starting with Afghanistan and the importance of our countries working together and going forward on Afghanistan," said Blinken. "Appreciate the work that Pakistan has done to facilitate the departure of American citizens who wish to leave as well as others, but a lot to talk about there as well as our own bilateral relationship, including the economic relationship between our countries and working in the region as a whole," he added. Pakistan's role in bringing the Taliban back to power in Afghanistan has never been a state secret. The presence of ISI chief Faiz Hameed in Kabul before the joint Taliban-Pakistan operation against the Afghan resistance front in Panjshir valley has also left many neighbouring countries, including Tajikistan, fuming. "You Mr. President will try your influence with the Tajik and we will try our best with the Pashtun or the Taliban," Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had told Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe last week. With the US saying that there's "quite a lot of convergence" about what Washington needs to see from the Taliban as nobody, including the Chinese, seem to be satisfied with the present Taliban regime, there are enough warning signs for Islamabad to spot. Qureshi told Blinken that the same international community, which is holding the Taliban to their commitments, also has the moral obligation to help the Afghan people with the growing humanitarian crisis. "The world should not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan," said the Pak foreign minister. He also said that Pakistan is committed to "facilitating inclusive political settlement" in Afghanistan, a statement not many would be satisfied with given what has happened in Kabul over the past few weeks. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Chatbot experience and WhatsApp connectivity are provided by Dotgo Lagos, Nigeria - BetaCare, an innovative provider of digital healthcare services in Nigeria, has launched a WhatsApp chatbot to provide a seamless consultation experience to patients virtually. Especially during COVID-19, many patients may feel hesitant towards visiting hospitals or clinics, or in general would like to avoid all the hassle and queues at the healthcare facilities. In such a scenario, BetaCare chatbot can be an effective solution wherein the patients get their required consultation without the need to step out of their homes. The WhatsApp chatbot experience is built by Dotgo, a cloud communications provider of rich business messaging solutions. Dotgo is an official a WhatsApp Business Solutions Provider (BSP), providing APIs to brands and developers for sending and receiving WhatsApp messages. BetaCare decided to launch its service on WhatsApp as it is the most preferred messaging platform in Nigeria. Around 93 percent of smartphone users in Nigeria use WhatsApp, bringing the BetaCare WhatsApp service to customers in every part of the country. Expert doctors of various specialties are available for consultation on BetaCare. Patients can reach out for medical consultation by sending a WhatsApp message at +234-904-715-2190, or from the Dotgo Bot Store. Basic details such as name, age, gender is asked followed by booking an appointment. A payment link is sent to the patient. Once the payment is made, the patient is connected to a doctor inside the Betacare chatbot itself, without the need to reveal the doctors personal number. BetaCare chatbot is listed on Bot Store, the worlds largest open directory of RCS and WhatsApp chatbots. Users can scan the QR code or click on the Connect-Me button to initiate a medical consultation. We are excited to launch our healthcare chatbot and live agent solution with Dotgo. Their expertise and knowledge have helped us build a transformative healthcare experience for our customers, bringing expert medical advice from a doctor into their WhatsApp. With WhatsApp being one of the widely used messaging apps having more than 2 billion users across the globe, we would like to leverage its potential to streamline healthcare solutions, and to enable patients to have seamless consultation experience, says Tosin Obafemi, CEO, BetaCare. Telehealth consultation is on the rise during the pandemic, as there is anxiety from the patients to visit clinics or hospitals in-person. Dotgo is delighted to work with BetaCare and help them provide quality health care virtually and seamlessly over WhatsApp, using Dotgos APIs and services, says BarinderpalMumick, VP Operations and Business Development at Dotgo. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Shanghai/London: Chinas most powerful regulators on Friday intensified the countrys crackdown on cryptocurrencies with a blanket ban on all crypto transactions and mining, hitting bitcoin and other major coins and pressuring crypto and blockchain-related stocks. Ten agencies, including the central bank, financial, securities and foreign exchange regulators, vowed to work together to root out illegal cryptocurrency activity, the first time the Beijing-based agencies have joined forces to explicitly ban all cryptocurrency-related activity. The Peoples Bank of Chinas directive is part of Xi Jinpings regulatory crackdown. Credit:Bloomberg China in May banned financial institutions and payment companies from providing services related to cryptocurrency transactions, and issued similar bans in 2013 and 2017. The repeated prohibitions highlight the challenge of closing loopholes and identifying bitcoin-related transactions, though banks and payment firms say they will support the efforts. Coles and Woolies are proving an attractive lure to property investors, with two neighbourhood shopping centres in Melbournes north and west selling for a combined $70.7 million. The neighbourhood centre attributes that catch investors attention COVID-19 proof tenants that generate reliable income are also boosting their prices, with yields on one property dropping below 4 per cent. Melton Station Square Shopping Centre was snapped up by a syndicate of local investors for $43 million. Credit: The Woolworths supermarket giant has offloaded its new Greenvale Lakes centre, along with a BWS liquor outlet and two other speciality shops, to a Melbourne-based accountant for $27.7 million, on a sharp yield of 3.95 per cent. The mall in Roxburgh Park, about 25 kilometres north of the city centre, was constructed by Woolworths last year and is in one of Melbournes booming outer growth suburbs next to a McDonalds and yet-to-be-built service station. Intimacies makes elegant architecture of the unmissable spectre of colonialism. Kitamura is a writer who can create large shadows from the smallest of objects and her plotting provides an object lesson in the ambiguity of human relationships. As in Rembrandts paintings, subtlety is key to Kitamuras achievements. She brings her talent for imagery and close reading of relationships to the story of an unnamed translator in an unnamed court in The Hague. Katie Kitamuras Intimacies is an existential thriller with a shadow text about the systems, the narratives, and the ambiguities that position the way we relate to each other and the way we see ourselves. The American writer who has authored three novels, including A Separation renders the intricacies of human relationships with the lustre and soulfulness of a Dutch painter. When the colonialism theme arrives it is dramatised in a painting by the 17th-century Dutch artist Judith Leyster, whose The Proposition comes to stand for the ambiguous and sometimes fraught power relations in the book between genders, races, and classes. Credit: The painting represents two irreconcilable subjective positions: the man, who believed the scene to be one of ardour and seduction, and the woman, who had been plunged into a state of fear and humiliation. This schism echoes several of the books themes and contrasts. The power relations can be read as between nations and states, rather than only between men and women. Intimacies dramatises these power relations in the plot of trial of an unnamed African dictator. Through its protagonists eyes, its possible to see a clear atrocity as something that has shadows and more. Like The Proposition, in which the narrative of seduction or assault is ambiguous, so the story of the courts attempt to enforce universal human rights and restorative justice is portrayed both as a worthy attempt to get to the truth, and a disingenuous attempt at imposing Western values on a charismatic African leader. As the translator is drawn into the preparation for the accuseds trial and the defence attorney argues for a nuanced strategy, the former dictator treats her like a distraction. She becomes aware of how his charisma and popularity among supporters coexist with an inability to believe in the atrocities hes been convicted of. This becomes a metaphor for the ambiguous power relations captured by the Leyster painting, which transform the translator from a subject into an object. The narrator says: I interpreted for the former president, that I remained there, in that room with those men, until they no longer wanted me. So many people are physically demolished by parenthood. Are you physically fit despite parenthood or because of it? I spent most of my earlier life being a writer and academic. I invested all my time in my brain, which meant I was not very physically fit. I finished the first draft of The Sympathizer days before my first son was born. Around that time, I decided I have to get in shape for all of this. So I dropped down to my college weight and started running. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, Ive [now] gained 20 pounds [nine kilograms]. But Im still strong enough to carry my children in my arms. And I can beat my eight-year-old son at tag. What are you liking and disliking about hitting 50? The number itself is very depressing, but every other aspect of my life is pretty good, and better than its ever been in the past. Theres been wisdom. Theres been literary success. Theres been fatherhood: my first child was born when I was 42 and my last one at 48. And Im in the best physical shape of my life. Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects were told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics theyre given. This week, he talks to Viet Thanh Nguyen. The American writer, 50, is the author of the short-story collection The Refugees. His latest book, The Committed, is a sequel to his novel The Sympathizer, which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. What is your worst habit? Either midnight snacking or midnight drinking. Take your pick. I do both. When I was writing The Sympathizer, I would take a combination of scotch and Ambien [sleep medication] to help me sleep at night. It worked great. But the problem was Id end up eating and drinking and totally forgetting about it. The next morning, I would be like, Wow, what happened to all the chips and whisky? Now I do it without the Ambien. Loading MONEY When you and your family fled Vietnam as refugees for the US in 1975, your family lost a fortune. What kind of fortune? My parents were born poor and didnt have very much education. They basically had to work their way up. But they were very entrepreneurial, talented and driven and, by 1975, they had become very successful small businesspeople [with a jewellery and motorbike parts store, among others]. They owned their own home and their own car which was very rare in Vietnam back then. They were lucky in that they were able to sew gold into their clothes the typical kind of Asian refugee story and come to the United States with something, which is better than nothing. But they also then had to rebuild everything. The stereotype is that Asian parents expect us to be certain things: architects, engineers, doctors. Youve pursued academia and writing. What have those conversations been like with your parents? My older brother became a medical doctor; he also went to Harvard and Stanford, so he set a very high bar. When I said I was going to get a doctorate, they were like, Well, its not a medical doctorate, but at least its a doctorate. Telling them I was a writer was just going too far, because there was no way to explain what a writer was in terms of a job or income or anything like that, so being a professor was my day job. The Pulitzer Prize changed all of that. BIOGRAPHY: The Countess from Kirribilli, Joyce Morgan, Allen & Unwin, $32.99 In Clive James version of his Australian childhood, Unreliable Memoirs, the author calls himself The Kid from Kogarah. The young Clive, only child of a war widow, is seen in time and place, schooling and friendships. And when James makes the break with home and begins a life in England, the Kid from Kogarah is still part of him. I thought of the Kid when I began to read The Countess from Kirribilli. It wasnt just the sound of the parallel titles, but the expectation that this new biography of the writer best known as Elizabeth von Arnim would have something to say about cultural change from Australia to England. Elizabeth von Arnim, seen in 1940, was separated from her second husband for many years but still called herself Countess Russell. Credit: In fact, the Australian element barely exists. The child who was to become a countess twice over was only three years old when her family transplanted itself to England. Her father kept his business connections with Sydney, but for Elizabeth (first known as Mary or May) the experience of growing up was almost entirely English, with long stays in Switzerland. The much-travelled Elizabeth never returned to her birthplace. It didnt interest her. FICTION: Empires, Nick Earls, Vintage, $32.99 Lets have a look at the new novel from Nick Earls. On the front cover the I in Empires is a model figurine of Napoleon. The back of the book tells us the times and places in history well be visiting, and that it explores the empires we build and the interconnectedness of all things. Its almost as if the cover doesnt trust the inside of the book to do its job. Its a chamber piece at first, as we encounter Mike, a forty-something Australian becalmed in a small Alaskan ski resort town in 2018. He is a novice realtor, his ski-instructing days ended by a shattered knee, as he negotiates a stepson and a relationship almost withered by grief. Earls is at his best here: the tentative male bonding, Mikes determination to step up, his blameless guilt. Nick Earls is sometimes slowed down by the dense mass of his research. Credit: Earls doesnt seem to think his readers are very perceptive, though, and makes Mike remember from his school physics lessons that with every breath we all take in a few molecules of Caesars last breath. Eventually, after a lot of expository dialogue full of signposts, Napoleon makes his first entrance, and we are primed to keep an eye out for him from now on. If Mears extraordinary gift as a writer was to make manifest lifes beauty and cruelty so that reading her is to be reminded of the poetics of existence in the physical world as well as the numinous mysteries beyond Brennans gift is to render Mears unabridged, but still partial and contingent. As Drusilla Modjeska has noted, at the heart of every biography is a paradox. The biographers task is unenviable: to reanimate a life lived in all its multiplicity and contingency to create a narrative whole. Fortunately for Mears, who died in 2016 after an adventurous life and garlanded literary career, the biographer Bernadette Brennan has done a masterful job in ferrying the reader to shore from the swell of stories. A biography offers a single version of a life, but like the great Australian writer Christina Stead before her, Gillian Mears knew life is lived in multiple ways, adrift on an ocean of stories. Mears lived her stories as deeply and richly as she could, often against great odds, as if she knew her time in the sea was fleeting. Gillian Mears found immediate success with The Mint Lawn, which won the Vogel award. Credit: The short life of Gillian Mears who loved life with a blazing joy but chose to die with dignity at 51 after years struggling with multiple sclerosis is delivered to us in what might be called its full female embodiment, since sex and the body, and what it means to inhabit femaleness, was central to Mears as a writer and as a person. So porous were the boundaries between her life and fiction that during the course of my research I often became confused, admits Brennan at the outset. This is gendered biography, far removed from the cool male remoteness of what Modjeska calls Great-Man biographies. Mears friend David Malouf told Brennan that often the gap between the social person and the writing is great. In Gillian, it was very close and to Brennans credit she allows readers to appreciate the full complexity of this closeness. Mears was of the generation of female Australian writers who came after Helen Garner (Brennans previous subject), and she found success from the start. Her first novel, The Mint Lawn, won The Vogel Award in 1991 and over the next 30 years her novels, stories and poetry won everything from Premiers Literary Awards to Commonwealth Writers Prizes to the ALS Gold Medal. Her third and final novel, Foals Bread, which won the 2012 Prime Ministers Literary Award for Fiction (and the Age fiction book of the year), was written amid great physical, emotional and financial distress, since by then she was in a wheelchair and needed full-time care. There is alarm over the potential for mass beach gatherings across Sydneys eastern suburbs on Friday night to spawn fresh clusters of COVID-19 due to lagging vaccination uptake in the area. Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said the illegal gatherings of large groups were extremely frustrating for authorities. The majority of people are doing the right thing, she said. A small group of people is imperilling themselves and everyone else. Police moved along a large number of people who gathered at North Bondi on Friday night. Credit:Media Mode Cr Masselos called council rangers to step up their patrols on Saturday afternoon after visiting Bondi beach and witnessing groups beginning to gather, although they were keeping their distance. Ive called the rangers to go down and keep an eye on it, she said. They are there already. She said the main problems were surfacing after 7pm when council rangers clocked off for the day. Its difficult to control, it really is, she said, adding that she was particularly concerned given the areas vaccine uptake was starting to fall behind the rest of the citys. Cr Masselos said the situation underlined the need for a new vaccination hub in the eastern suburbs. We have 110 active cases and the number is increasing, Cr Masselos said. Irresponsible behaviour like this is only adding to the potential risk of our number going up. We were initially one of top LGAs to get first dose vaccination and we are now the third lowest. NSW Police enjoyed a quieter day on Saturday after they were called in to break up huge crowds at Bondi and Manly on Friday night, vastly beyond the five-person limit on gatherings. At Manly, a number of move-on directions were issued as well as at least three fines to people in breach of the public health orders. While in Bondi, police were also forced to move people on after crowd numbers continued increasing throughout the night. The revellers left beer bottles, cans and other garbage strewn across the esplanade in their wake. Cr Masselos said police had been fining people who were coming to the beaches from outside of the area and breaching the five-kilometre travel restrictions. Police are checking peoples number plates, she said. In one instance they found a driver licence buried in the sand from a person that was from out of the area. I was saddened by this article. As someone who used to work at a federal court, I am well aware of the gulf between the expectations of justice voiced by ordinary people, particularly first-time users of court services, and the jaded, professional attitudes of the judges, lawyers and others who provide them. I feel very sorry for Kate. But most of all, I feel sorry for Australia and our tragic inability to be even within cooee of having an egalitarian society. Pelham Wellspring Yarraville, Vic Anatomy of a sexual assault trial This article [September 11] was disturbing and deeply saddening. Disturbing in terms of the murkiness around whether not definitively saying No equals consent. Deeply saddening in that one party returns to a heros rapturous welcome and standing ovation, while the others heartbreak can only be imagined: Its not known how Kate is faring: Good Weekend did not hear back on a request for an interview. Deborah Morrison Malvern East, Vic Send us a picture or Instagram one of Good Weekend in your life, using the hashtag #goodweekendmag. We choose one each week to publish here and in print. Loading It is time for a professional jury system to be used in sexual assault cases. Amateurs making judgments in such a complicated and fraught space is not acceptable. As a recent jury member considering a sexual assault case, I was distressed at the innate bias against a fair hearing. Day one of the trial, one juror declared the claimant was in it for the money. Another said he had a friend at school who had falsely claimed rape and had regretted it ever since. Another said that all young people take drugs, as if this explained something. In the courtroom, some members were unable to follow the information presented (and there was a lot of it). Heavily edited videotape was played by the defendants legal team to show a look, a smile, a possible discussion indicating the claimants willingness for a sexual liaison, when the full playing of the video clearly did not support this. The physical injuries of the claimant were considered insufficient by some to demonstrate rape, as if this was a necessity to prove the case. The most telling part was when the jury retired to decide on a verdict. After a reasonably lengthy trial, we knew as a jury that there would be no agreement. It was clear that there were those who were against conviction from the get-go. At least four members strongly believed the penalty of prison time was too much. They discussed how this would ruin the life of the accused, whereas the claimant would get over it. Name and address withheld Good Food I salivated over Karen Martinis Vietnamese beef stir-fry recipe [September 11] and made an oath to try it. Result? From my 14-year-old daughter: OMG, this is the best thing youve ever made. Elaine Deayton Melrose Park, NSW Got it made Ive been sewing since I was 18 Im now 33 and my entire wardrobe is now pretty much made by me. I consider what I need, browse for patterns, carefully choose fabric and then get to work. Clothing shouldnt be fast or cheap if it is, someone else is paying [September 3]. The Melbourne sewing community is rich and thriving, supported by incredible retailers dive in! Ash Bolitho Brunswick, Vic Queenslanders will not have to wear masks if they are sitting down, in a minor change to mask rules ahead of the NRL grand final. Queensland recorded no new COVID cases on Friday, with 20 active cases in the state all contained in hotel or home quarantine. Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said people can now take off their masks if they are sitting down, even if they are not eating or drinking. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images The government announced that if people were sitting down, they would be able to take off their mask, even if they were not eating or drinking. Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the rule applied across the board. A hatchback driven by an elderly man has ploughed into a popular Gold Coast coffee shop, resulting in five customers and bystanders being taken to hospital with injuries. The Mitsubishi Mirage driver, 83, did not need to go to hospital and was being questioned by police. Paramedics said everyone was very lucky there were not more serious injuries, considering how busy the area was with pedestrians. Emergency services were called to Starbucks at Broadbeach at 1.43pm on Friday, with nine ambulances part of the response to the triple-zero call. Queenslanders should take advantage of the relaxation in the mask mandate announced on Friday because it will probably be much tougher by the end of the year, experts say. As the state recorded no new cases of coronavirus on Friday, the Queensland government announced a slight easing of mask restrictions. In all venues where people take their mask off to eat or drink, such as pubs, clubs, cafes and even cinemas, people can now take their mask off once they are seated. Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the state could afford to make the change because, unlike NSW and Victoria, there was virtually no virus in the Queensland community. Universities are urging the federal government to recognise Chinese COVID-19 vaccines to help open the door for the return of Chinese students. State and federal governments on Friday approved a plan to allow up to 500 international students to NSW by the end of the year. The plan requires all students be fully vaccinated with vaccines recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, including Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and AstraZeneca. However, this precludes students from key markets including China. Universities in NSW are looking forward to hundreds of international students returning by the end of the year under a pilot program. Credit:Louise Kennerley NSW Vice-Chancellors Committee convener, Professor Barney Glover, urged the TGA and ATAGI to move quickly to advise the government about how people with non-approved vaccines, including those from China and Russia, can enter Australia under certain quarantine arrangements. That work is vital, he said. It needs to be a high priority. If you want to open your borders you need to have a broad vaccination strategy. The shock departure of Senate President Scott Ryan from federal Parliament nine months earlier than planned has sent the Victorian Liberals scrambling to organise a complex process to choose his successor. Party powerbrokers were on Friday afternoon rushing to test the numbers for Senator Ryans replacement, who announced he would quit his position as presiding officer and the Senate within the next month, creating a casual vacancy for the Victorian branch of the party. Senate President Scott Ryan will retire earlier than planned. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Simon Frost, a senior aide to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, is among the likely candidates along with Greg Mirabella, the husband of former MP Sophie Mirabella who narrowly missed out on replacing Mitch Fifield after he left following the 2019 election, and state party treasurer Owen Guest. In a statement on Friday afternoon, Senator Ryan said he had informed his upper house colleagues that he intended to resign ahead of the scheduled resumption of Federal Parliament on October 16. Noise complaints at Brisbane Airport will by investigated through a community forum that will include former Queensland premier Rob Borbidge and former senator Claire Moore. The study into aircraft noise at the airport will be the third since the opening of a $1.1 billion parallel runway in July 2020. The study into aircraft noise at the airport will be the third since the opening of a $1.1 billion parallel runway in July 2020. Credit:Getty Residents complaints increased seven-fold the first month after the runway opened, culminating in the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman beginning an investigation into complaints in December 2020. In July 2021 Airservices Australia announced an investigation into the complaints, as part of its 12-month review of Brisbane Airports runway operations. Singapore: Singapore made work-from-home the default and tightened rules to allow a maximum of two people to meet in restaurants or other social settings, as it seeks to rein in mostly mild cases that could otherwise quadruple in two weeks and overburden hospitals. Primary school students will have to shift to learning from home, while booster shots get extended beyond seniors to a younger age group, the government said on Friday. Singapore has strengthened rules to curb a COVID-19 outbreak despite the fact most of its population is vaccinated. Credit:Bloomberg The moves, which take effect from September 27 for about a month, appear to shift away from the countrys stated transition toward living with the virus. About 80 per cent of the Singapores population is fully vaccinated. With health officials expecting daily cases to jump to around 6000 from about 1500 currently, the government wants to curb that increase and avoid a hard lockdown. This resolve may soon get severely tested even though four in five people are already vaccinated in Singapore. Paris: France has no immediate plans to restore diplomatic relations with Australia, as Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson move to heal a damaging rift triggered by the Morrison governments new pact to counter China. The French President and British Prime Minister spoke over the phone on Friday, local time two days after an angry Macron held a similar bridge-building call with United States President Joe Biden. French President Emmanuel Macron has been angered by Australias decision to axe a major submarine contract. Credit:AFP A high-level French government official told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that it was far too soon to even consider when its ambassador to Australia, Jean-Pierre Thebault, would return to Canberra after being recalled amid the fallout from a shock deal for the US and UK to help Australia build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. While Morrison alerted Macron to the deal via a text shortly before the deal was announced, he told a press conference in Washington DC that he had spoken with the leaders of both India and Japan in advance about Australias new submarine defence strategy. Berlin: Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germanys parliament, led by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg stands onstage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Credit:AP Photo/Markus Schreiber The idea for a global climate strike was inspired by Thunbergs solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again. Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure. If Britain were still in the EU, some of the power might shift across the English Channel. But in a post-Brexit world, London cannot expect to speak on behalf of the continent. So many heads are turning toward Paris. The German elections are being seen in France as an opportunity for a reset, where whoever comes in will have less stature than Macron does and whereby Frances influence in Europe would be increased, said Nicholas Dungan, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The French option Macron has been preparing for this moment. He has repeatedly sought to emphasise his foreign policy experience, drawing a contrast with the German chancellor candidates, who spent most of their televised debates bickering about domestic politics. Macron also has spent years outlining his vision for Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron, winking at a colleague during a European summit on September 17, has been pushing his vision for post-Merkel Europe. Credit:AP In 2017, after another German election, he delivered a sweeping speech at Sorbonne University, arguing that the best response to ascendant nationalists was to acknowledge the EUs shortcomings - it is too weak, too slow, too inefficient - and then to work to make it stronger and more united. He has reprised the theme many times. But his proposals - to integrate European defence, reform the euro zone, develop a common asylum policy and impose a new tax on US tech giants - have not been enthusiastically embraced. The French President has lately been using the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal - and a fight with the Biden administration over the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal - to reiterate a call for European strategic independence. Other EU leaders have said they stand with France in the submarine spat, and they are equally frustrated about Afghanistan. Still, the idea of an EU military is far from becoming a reality. Macrons mandate as Europe-wide leader may depend in part on how much progress he makes when France takes over the Council of the EUs rotating six-month presidency in January - as well as on his showing in Frances presidential election next April. His main competitor, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, has a radically different view of the European project. Loading To the question who will take the mantle, you already know the answer: It will be Macron, an EU diplomat said, speaking anonymously to offer a candid assessment. The next question is: Will he retain the mantle? The determining factor, the diplomat said, may be whether Macron can learn to compromise. Macron has the tools and the chance to, for now, fill that void, the diplomat said. But he will only stay there in that position if he manages to bridge the gap between him and his way of doing things, and the east and the north and everybody else. That was Merkels way. Merkels critics, however, sometimes hold that against her. They say she delayed decisions at the EU level in an effort to preserve consensus and avoid conflict - and while doing so allowed for the erosion of democratic norms in countries such as Hungary and Poland. Her approach even earned its own verb: Merkeln, meaning to dither or bide ones time. During the Merkel era, one always tried to handle and solve things among the 27, often postponing until the very last minute the required solutions for Europe, because of Merkels conviction that results could only be yielded by standing together, said Sandro Gozi, a veteran Italian politician who now represents France in the European Parliament as part of Macrons centrist Renaissance list. I believe Macron and Draghi can make all the difference here, Gozi said. The Italian contender The French President and Italian Prime Minister were dubbed Europes new power couple by Politico in July, amid reports of a transalpine bromance. The two men, separated in age by 30 years, are both former investment bankers, longtime EU boosters and have similar goals for the 27-nation bloc, especially on fiscal policies, where both favour further financial integration. Draghi has been positioning himself to take on a greater leadership role, observers say. He was a prominent voice in Europes reaction to the Afghanistan withdrawal, pushing for an emergency summit of the G20, criticising the EUs disorganised stance on accepting refugees and calling President Biden during the evacuation efforts. In March, Draghi made headlines when he blocked the export of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the EU to Australia amid a shortage inside the bloc. And he has been talking of using nearly 200 billion in EU money to enact an epochal pandemic recovery. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has the skills and experience to fill Merkels shoes, but is compromised by Italys struggling economy. Credit:ANSA But his own sway may be limited by the size and influence of his country. The problem across history is not only who you are, but the kind of car youre driving, said Orsina, of Luiss Guido Carli University. Some things, you can only do if youre Germany, otherwise its that much harder, regardless of the leaders personality. A number of other leaders will be elbowing for a more important role, including Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Both share one obvious trait with their counterparts in France and Italy: theyre all men. After Merkels departure, council summits risk taking on the feel of an old boys club, said Open Societys Schwarzer. Theres a certain element of having a female leader at the table - the balance will shift in that regard, as well, and that does make a difference in group dynamics, she said. Not only what happens in the room, but the reception of politics. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Donald Trump with other world leaders at the G7 summit in Quebec in 2018. Credit:German Federal Government/AP Some Europeans are sure to welcome Merkels egress as a chance for potential realignment and more substantive reforms to the EU Washington: The American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, opening a major new phase in the US vaccination drive against COVID-19. CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late on Thursday (Friday AEST). The advisers said boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those aged 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given at least six months after their last Pfizer shot. However, Walensky decided to make one recommendation that the panel had rejected. The US CDC has approved a Pfizer booster for older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. Credit:AP The panel voted against recommending a booster for 18 to 64-year-old healthcare workers or those who have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to COVID. The Quad summit offers an opportunity for Biden to burnish his foreign policy credentials and show that he is rallying fellow democracies to compete against China. In March, the Quad leaders promised to share a billion vaccine doses with developing nations in the Asia-Pacific, with India operating as the manufacturing hub. But that plan was delayed by the Delta variant surge in India. Rebooting this vaccine diplomacy initiative will help Biden deliver on his vow that democracies beat autocracies at delivering important practical outcomes for the world. Biden will be hoping to project a sense of competence and to avoid the type of blow-back that greeted the AUKUS announcement. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi will oversee the Quads vaccine diplomacy as his nation will produce the bulk of the jabs. Credit:AP Narendra Modi: The US and Australia are leading the push to contain Chinas regional ambitions at the Quad, but it is India who has the most at stake. Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist, leads the country that poses the biggest long-term economic threat to Chinas dominance of Asia. The relationship between the two ancient civilisations has ebbed and flowed over centuries but came to a head last year with violent clashes along their Himalayan border. For now, India remains reliant on security support from other Quad partners in the broader Indo-Pacific, but it is about to do the heavy lifting in another key area: vaccine diplomacy. No other member has the capacity to produce vaccines on the same scale as India. The Quad members will help fund the production and distribution of vaccines from India to poorer countries across the Indo-Pacific. China has been supporting dozens of countries in the region with millions of doses while India prioritised domestic distribution due to its Delta outbreak. The shift will both help contain the pandemic and give the Quad group some diplomatic leverage as they attempt to soften what has been a military and security-focused grouping for the past two years. New York: Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges have been released from prison and flown out of the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday, hours after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies resolved criminal charges against her in a deal with the US Justice Department. Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer and the daughter of the companys founder, on a US extradition request. Many countries labeled Chinas action hostage politics. The deal with Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer and the daughter of the companys founder, Ren Zhengfei, calls for the Justice Department to dismiss fraud charges late next year in exchange for Meng accepting responsibility for misrepresenting her companys business dealings in Iran. Over the last three years my life has been turned upside down: Meng Wanzhou reads a statement outside the court in Vancouver. Credit:Bloomberg The arrangement, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, resolves a years-long legal and geopolitical tussle that involved not only the US and China but also Canada, where Meng has remained since she was arrested at Vancouvers airport in December 2018. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of Sint Maarten would like to address the two articles regarding the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) that were published in The Daily Herald earlier this week. In these articles, SMHDF expressed its disappointment about the funding allocation decisions of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. Since the inception of the Trust Fund in 2018, 369 SMHDF units have been repaired, totaling US$ 1.06 Million. Worth noting is that the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) is making the final preparations to refurbish the 64 Belvedere tower apartments. These repairs, which have an estimated value of US$ 5.4 Million, have already been tendered and are scheduled to commence in the next few months. As it relates to the announcement of SMHDF to increase the rent of their tenants, the Government will be seeking further information from SMHDF. With respect to the statement of SMHDF that it was never asked to meet with the Steering Committee to properly present its case and explain the reasons why funding is so important, the Government wishes to clarify that the procedures to submit proposals to the Steering Committee are formally set. Once the Council of Ministers supports a proposal that has received the necessary technical input from stakeholders, it is submitted to the Steering Committee for consideration. The representative of Sint Maarten in the Steering Committee receives instructions through the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers on the position of the Government in the Steering Committee. Third parties are not offered the opportunity to present their case to the Steering Committee. On the statements made by the Steering Committee, the Government wishes to clarify that support from the Trust Fund, with the repair and new construction of low-cost housing, has been proposed on several occasions without setting a definitive amount. In a letter to the Steering Committee in March 2020, the Government estimated that a total amount of 22 million US Dollars would be needed for repairs in Belvedere. With this letter, the Government also reconfirmed its support for a potential housing project and highlighted possible financial support for SMHDF as part of such a project. At the request of the Government, a Rapid Housing Sector Assessment was conducted by the World Bank, and extensive technical assistance was offered to SMHDF over the last few years. A review of the financial situation of SMHDF showed the need for structural improvements with the financial management of the Foundation. The recommendations as outlined in the Assessment are intended as a framework for discussion with the Government about possible actions to improve the housing market in Sint Maarten. The Steering Committee met several times to discuss a potential housing project based on the outcomes of the Rapid Housing Sector Assessment and the financial review of SMHDF. Initially, a decision on a housing project was not made, as it was not clear whether there would be sufficient funds remaining in the Trust Fund for such a project. In July 2021, on the initiative of the Government, the Steering Committee agreed to earmark 20 million US Dollars for a potential housing project and requested the World Bank and the NRPB to prepare a detailed proposal for final decision-making. In preparing this proposal, the World Bank and the NRPB have also been requested to consider the opportunities of blended financing to increase the available envelope. The Government intends to bring other financial parties to the table in the preparation of this project. In the coming months, consultations with stakeholders and possible project partners are scheduled to take place, including with SMHDF. Unfortunately, SMHDF made its statements publicly without having further dialogue with government on the earmarked funds. In closing, this Government would like to emphatically state that our priority has always been to solve Sint Maartens dire lack of access to adequate housing, and we will continue to seek opportunities to remedy this during the current governing period. Is it relates to the announcement of SMHDF to increase the rent of their tenants, Government will also be seeking clarifications on the decision to enforce such. PHILIPSBURG:--- The main items on the agenda of the meeting between Minister Richardson and State Secretary Knops on Thursday, September 23, 2021, were the status of the discussions with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in connection with building a new prison, the Plan of Approach for the Pointe Blanche prison, measure H.11 of the Country package for Sint Maarten which concerns the further strengthening of Sint Maartens border control agencies with the assistance of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and the status of the Function Book for KPSM. Accompanying Minister Richardson to the meeting with State Secretary Knops was Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus. Minister Richardson and State Secretary Knops agreed on the way forward in the discussions with UNOPS and affirmed their commitment to finalizing the process. Both are dedicated to have the realization of a new prison soonest and have agreed that within the coming weeks, important milestones must be achieved. Further discussions, regarding a clear timeline towards this end, will take place on a technical level. Discussing the first days of her work visit to the Netherlands, Minister Richardson shared with the State Secretary that her visit has already provided much-needed insight into how prisons function in the Netherlands and how Sint Maartens detention facilities compare to these institutions. The opportunity offered to see Dutch prisons, has now more than ever strengthened Minister Richardsons resolve to have a new prison facility built on Sint Maarten. Minister Richardson further shared with State Secretary Knops her great appreciation for the enthusiasm that she received from the prions directors and their support staff and their willingness to assist Sint Maarten with the challenges to its prison system. As a result, Minister Richardson expressed to State Secretary Knops that she truly wishes to build on the opportunity presented, to further realize collaborative efforts between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten, and will be contacting the State Secretary and his colleagues within short to discuss ways on how to proceed in the short term. The Plan of Approach for the Pointe Blanche prison was written at the end of 2017 by persons from the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), who came to Sint Maarten from the Netherlands after hurricanes Irma and Maria severely damaged the prison. Although written several years ago, due to circumstances the recommendations of that plan have not yet been implemented. To implement the recommendations of the Plan of Approach, the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations embarked on a search for a program manager to lead the execution of the plan. Mr. Robert Kievitsbosch was appointed as program manager for the Pointe Blanche prison and arrived on Sint Maarten on August 1, 2021. Minister Richardson informed State Secretary Knops that Mr. Kievitsbosch has hit the ground running and has been instrumental in ensuring that the Minister sees various versions of penitentiary institutions in the Netherlands. Minister Richardson has now been exposed to various styles of operations that have great rehabilitation programs, skill development, and various levels of safety, security, and specialist care offered to clients. Mr. Kievitsbosch was requested by Minister Richardson to continue to connect with his network in the judicial chain to forge partnerships and explore the willingness to assist Sint Maarten with its efforts to improve both the detention facility of the Point Blanche Prison and the Miss. Lalie Center. Minister Richardson informed State Secretary Knops that to ensure that measure H.11 of the Country Package is executed as agreed upon, former Lt. Governor and former Minister of Justice Dennis L. Richardson has been appointed to lead the process and development of the plan of approach connected to the measure H.11, which will outline how Sint Maartens border control agencies with the assistance of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, will be further strengthened. Under the guidance of Mr. Richardson, the heads of the relevant departments meet regularly to establish the plan of approach. The group is supported with technical assistance to produce the first draft of the plan of approach. This draft will provide a framework of the scope of areas that, once finalized, will be managed by a policy for the actions the authorized border authorities will have to act and execute their work on in the effort to better protect and manage migration activities, visitors, shipments that enter and exit Sint Maarten etc. Measure H.11 can be considered a continuation of the border strengthening project (Onderlinge Regeling Versterking Grenstoezicht Sint Maarten) that came into effect in 2018. That project with the financial and technical assistance from the Netherlands saw to it that Sint Maartens border protections agencies such as Immigration, Customs, and the Coastguard received the necessary resources and capacity building to improve their operations. The final topic discussed with State Secretary Knops was the Function Book for KPSM. Minister Richardson advised State Secretary Knops that the Function Book for the Ministry of Justice contains the functions books for all the departments that fall within the Ministry of Justice including KPSM. The advice from the Council of Advice on the draft Function Book was recently received by the Ministry of Justice. The recommendations have been studied and many of them have already been incorporated in the updated version of the Function Books. Minister Richardson expects the Function Books to be finalized within the coming weeks and assured State Secretary Knops that she will keep him informed. PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, September 23, 2021, in her pursuit to forge relationships and seek opportunities for Sint Maarten youth in the Kingdom, Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson visited the Royal Netherlands Marechaussees Education, Training, and Knowledge center in Apeldoorn, better known as the OTC. At the OTC Minister Richardson and her delegation received a warm welcome from Commander of the OTC Frank Rippens, deputy Commander of the OTC Willemijn Arends, and their colleagues. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee also referred to as the KMAR has been supporting Sint Maarten through the assistance that is being provided to the Border Protection and Mobile Unit of the Immigration and Border Protection Services (IBP) and to the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM). At the OTC Minister Richardson first received an in-depth presentation on the overall structure, mission, vision, and operations of the KMAR. As part of its ongoing support to Sint Maarten, based on the mutual regulation on border control of 2018 (Onderlinge Regeling Versterking Grenstoezicht Sint Maarten), and continued in the joint protocol to further strengthen border control along with Aruba and Curacao of 2021, the KMAR has developed an educational curriculum that also includes an E-Learning environment specifically designed for Sint Maarten recruits and Immigration officers. During the discussions, Minister Richardson inquired with the Commander and Deputy Commander of the KMAR if there was any interest at the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee in promoting the organization as a learning and career institution in the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom. Deputy commander Willemijn Arends expressed her pleasure to receive this question from Minister Richardson as did Commander Frank Rippens, who advised that in fact becoming a more inclusive organization is something that the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee finds worth pursuing. While at the OTC Minister Richardson also met with Sint Maarten's local Immigration officer Mr. Rignald Gressman who is currently in the Netherlands following a course to become Sint Maartens first certified document three expert (DOC 3) after he successfully obtains his certification. Documents specialists are charged with examining travel and identity documents or other documents to determine their authenticity for the Immigration organization as well as external partners. In their daily operations, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee increasingly has more technical resources at its disposal to become a more effective organization. While visiting the OTCs Educational Development department, Minister Richardson was offered a glimpse into a virtual reality training setting, through a VR-simulation headset, created to enact real-life scenarios that will help to sharpen KMAR officers' skills, knowledge, and responses in daily operations. "Visiting the Royal Netherlands Marechaussees Education, Training and Knowledge center and seeing their operations firsthand was quite impressive. I am truly grateful for the experience and the warm welcome received and the willingness and dedication expressed to continue to assist Sint Maarten in strengthening its borders" Minister Richardson stated. ~ A policy is like placing a band-aid over a life sore.~ PHILIPSBURG: --- The distribution of long lease land to voters during an election is a known taboo for politicians on St. Maarten, it is one of the reasons why the Ministry of VROMI is fought for during coalition negotiations. In most cases, the best negotiator wins. Members of Parliament that were either commissioners or ministers are guilty of receiving parcels of land for themselves their family members, close friends, and party supporters. However, the 2016 land distribution by the former Minister of VROMI was nothing more than a fraud, which benefitted a then member of parliament and politician since he contested the parliamentary elections. The action of the former minister of VROMI and the member of parliament seems to be accepted by members of parliament of the St. Maarten parliament. Not one of them condemned the land distribution because at one point they too benefitted, or they distributed land to people the same way since there is no policy or legislation in place. Some of these very politicians that are today defending the 2016 land distribution at Vineyard Heights received erfpact land and sold it within one day. Economic rights for long lease land were also sold at least one member of parliament was investigated and fought several legal battles for the same thing. In 2017 several persons received land on the ring road that led to the arrest of a former minister. The only reason that minister escaped was that there is no policy in place and most of all because judicial procedures were not respected. On Thursday, the members of parliament fired questions to the minister of VROMI about the land distribution even though they have firsthand knowledge of what transpired over the years. PFP MP Raeyhon Peterson shared his version of what took place in 2016 when he dealt with the Vineyard Heights land distribution, however, MP Peterson did not mention his name was among the 54 persons that were to receive land. Parliamentarians need to work by putting laws in place. Peterson said during his presentation that his faction will be presenting a motion while a motion is also expected from National Alliance faction leader William Marlin. It is the hope that Members of Parliament will not take the people of St. Maarten for fools by presenting a motion for a policy to be put in place because they all know that any policy can be scrapped by any minister, and in fact, a policy is like placing a band-aid on a life sore. Instead, these members of parliament should earn the salaries they are paid and work on legislation that would curb the abuse of land distribution. In fact, MP Peterson is a lawyer and former employee of the Ministry of VROMI, MP Claudius Buncamper another veteran civil servant that worked at the ministry of VROMI for over 25 years, former Ministers of VROMI, and senior politician MP William Marlin has the required knowledge for the drafting of laws, while MP Christopher Emmanuel knows exactly what land distribution caused him. In fact, it is time for Members of Parliament especially those that chose to grandstand on the floor of parliament pool their resources and fix the problem once and for all. Right now there are at least 5 Members of Parliament that either worked or were Ministers of VROMI so its time to get to work. PHILIPSBURG:--- A moment of curiosity captured Giovanni Johnson, who went from a delivery driver at SXM beer to now being in the final steps of becoming the first local brewmaster for SXM beer. Giovanni shared his story; One day, I stopped behind the brewery and saw the brewmaster standing on a platform throwing something inside a big stainless-steel barrel. A stomach-teasing aroma, with a smell like when you pour a warm cup of milk onto cereal or cornflakes. When this aroma filled the air, I asked, what he was doing, he replied, using the brewers term, Im mashing in, which in other words means to extract starch and sugars from grain that will be your potential beer wort. My curiosity was sparked, I went home and learned all I could about the beer-making process. Co-founder Scott Brockie took quick notice of Giovannis passion for brew making and encouraged him to keep paying attention to the process and to learn. With deep belief, Scott shared, You will be the next brewmaster. Since opening SXM beer, Scott had dreamt of having a local person as the brewmaster, as the SXM beer slogan says, My Island My Beer. Theres a sense of pride among the SXM brewery team, as Giovanni is in the final stages of becoming the first brewmaster for the company. Co-founders Scott Brockie and Pascal de Lacaze saw the potential in Giovanni, built his confidence, and believed he could do the job. What I will enjoy when I become a brewmaster, is being able to pass on the knowledge and experience to others in St.Maarten. Stated Giovanni. SXM brewery also provides tours, adding a layer of personal connection to the product, guests will use their five senses in this hands-on experience, and the storytelling element is heightened by having Giovanni connect his personal love for what he does and how the company was started. Visitors will also learn about the beer-making process, for example, it takes eight glasses of water to make one glass of beer. Business sectors will require ongoing support, stated Minister Lawrence who is optimistic to see growth in the economic sector. He spoke of an initiative to provide cost savings for business owners who locally produce what they sell. The Local Produce Product Initiative will aim to provide incentives, for example, water and electricity costs, to all business owners who locally manufacture and produce in St. Maarten, a similar model could follow other sectors. Scott Brockie, was asked his thoughts on this initiative, his response was; We are St. Maartens largest brewery with over 8,500 square feet. When making beer we are using water, malted grains, hops, and yeast. But the number one ingredient is water. Most people think it takes 1 L of water to make 1 L of beer. This is not the case. It takes 7 to 8L to make 1 L of beer. It also takes a mass amount of energy to run all the equipment in the factory. We feel that in order for local producers in SXM to be competitive with other imported brands we should receive reduced and competitive electricity and water rates. We are hopeful that in cooperation with our government we can make this happen. I know the government of St Maarten wants entrepreneurial investment on the island in the manufacturing sector so that products can be locally consumed or exported off the island. We are a good example of this diversification. We at SXM Beer not only want this for ourselves but for other companies producing products on the island. We feel that reduced rates could be a good initiative for more manufacturing businesses to want to invest on the island. The Minister wants to promote and encourage locals to use their creative talents and produce locally, he would like to see businesses to not only remain here but to invest and see new business opportunities. Minister Lawrence would like to thank MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten, who made the connection to SXM brewery. How to build smarter, more secure cities from the ground up Today, we live in a technology-obsessed age. Whichever way you look, its hard to avoid the increasing number applications, products and solutions that continue to redefine the boundaries of what we previously thought possible. From autonomous vehicles and edge computing to 5G and the Internet of Things, all facets of our lives are continuing to evolve, thanks to an endless stream of differentiated innovations. In this article, well be focusing on the latter of these - the Internet of Things (IoT). Deployment of IoT technologies Smart homes, smart utilities, smart retail, smart farming, smart supply chains and many of the other smart versions of sectors that were already familiar with, are all called as such because of the implications of IoT. Indeed, it is a technology that has manifested itself in billions of devices, which today underpin the truly transformational levels of connectivity that we see across industries of all shapes and sizes. The statistics speak for themselves. According to Statista, over US$ 1 trillion is expected to be spent on IoT technology worldwide, in 2022. Be it added convenience, efficiency, productivity or intelligence, many benefits are poised to emerge from this spike in IoT-related activities. Yet to say this digital transition is going to be entirely positive would be naive. Threats faced by smart cities It is said that by 2040, 65 per cent of the worlds population will be living in cities Lets consider smart cities. It is said that by 2040, 65 per cent of the worlds population will be living in cities. To accommodate such an influx, without facing significant logistical issues, with limited space and infrastructure, policy makers have begun to recognise that these urban environments need to become not only larger, but smarter as well. As a result, the global smart cities market is on the rise. Statista states that, globally, technology spending on smart city initiatives is expected to double from US$ 81 billion in 2018 to US$ 189.5 billion in 2023. Threat of attackers with expanding IoT landscape The challenge here is that such a stark uptick will drastically expand the IoT landscape, presenting more opportunities than ever to threat actors. As connectivity and computing power is distributed more widely across large-scale outdoor networks, hackers will scale-up their own operations in tandem. According to a Nokia report from October 2020 (based on data aggregated from monitoring network traffic on more than 150 million devices globally), IoT devices now account for roughly 33 per cent of all infected devices, up from the 16 per cent estimated in 2019. Whats more concerning is how these figures are translating into real world events. 2021 alone has already witnessed an attack on a water plant in Oldsmart, Florida, which was designed to poison residents drinking water. Furthermore, Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest fuel pipelines in the US was also hacked, earlier this year, resulting in major shortages across the countrys East Coast. Security through IoT authentication From weak password protection, a lack of regular patch updates and insecure interfaces, to insufficient data protection, poor IoT devices management and an IoT skills gap, there are plenty of weaknesses existing within the IoT ecosystem, which continue to provide open goals for attackers. To defend against such lethal threats, security-by-design and open standards should be the guiding principles of IoT, working to prioritise security, interoperability and robust, internet-based protocols to mitigate risks. Device authentication and encryption A sound place to start is to make device authentication and encryption the central pillars of your IoT security architecture A sound place to start, in this regard, is to make device authentication and encryption the central pillars of your IoT security architecture. The goal is to be able to prove that each and every device joining a network is not malicious, with tell-tale signs being rogue code, for example. By ensuring each device is uniquely identifiable with digital certificates and therefore, properly authenticated when joining a network, you can ensure no tampered devices are able to infiltrate your overarching network. Using technologies, such as Hardware Secure Element Critically, passwords should be avoided altogether, these vulnerable to being stolen and cracked. And, while a similar vulnerability lies in the fact that all secure devices contain a private key, you can leverage technologies, such as Hardware Secure Element (a chip designed specifically to protect against unauthorised access, even if the attacker has physical access to the device), as an extra layer of defence. Digital certificates are not the only option available in protecting those IoT devices that, if tampered with, could become the cause of physical threats. Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) can also be used to prevent tampering. Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) Through Physical Unclonable Function (PUF), a form of IoT device fingerprint is developed from the unique make up of a piece of silicon, which can be used to create a unique cryptographic key. Unlike digital certificates, a secure infrastructure can be achieved through PUF, without the need for any additional hardware, as the key is not only stored securely, but it also becomes invisible to hackers, when the device is not running. The importance of encryption Use of AES encryption within radio chips, to scramble messages on the move, is the method adopted at Wi-SUN Alliance Now, lets turn attentions to encryption. The use of AES encryption within radio chips, to scramble messages on the move, is the method that we have adopted here at Wi-SUN Alliance. Its a means of maximising data security, but also reducing power consumption in the devices themselves. Beyond AES encryption, its also worth considering topography at the design stage. Indeed, mesh networks are advantageous for several reasons. They are more reliable, allowing data to be re-routed, should devices lose contact unexpectedly. Transmissions usually travel shorter distances, which improves power efficiency and performance, and frequency hopping functionality prevents attackers from jamming signals, which could deny the service altogether. Open standards and interoperability But where do open, interoperable standards fit in? As is defined by the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS), interoperability enables a computer programme to communicate and exchange information with other computer programmes, allowing all programmes to use that information. Open standards then allow any vendor of communications equipment or services to implement all standards necessary, to interoperate with other vendors. This is incredibly useful from a security perspective. It means that all specs are stress-tested and verified by many users, and that any vulnerabilities are quickly detected, and remediated, enhancing security and reliability. Need for open standards Equally, open standards can accelerate time-to-market, reduce costs and ensure products are usable, with a variety of manufacturers processors and radios, with a steam of publicly available protocol stacks, design information and reference implementations available that can help build and future-proof secure products. Indeed, large-scale corporate IoT networks alongside smart cities, smart utilities, and other key smart infrastructure will only continue to evolve, in the coming years. With the immense threats of attackers in mind, these systems must prioritise security-by-design, both now and in the future. Madrid (Spain), September 23, 2021 (SPS) - Saharawi delegation, composed of Oubi Bachir, representative for Europe; Aliyen Kentawi, Director General for Africa in the SADR Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Abdulah Arabi, representative for Spain, holds important meetings with the different political forces in the Spanish Senate to address the current situation in Western Sahara and the impact of the conflict on the stability and development of the Maghreb region and the efforts of the Sahrawi Republic to promote the political process interrupted by Morocco with the violation of the stop on November 13, 2020. The meeting held with the political forces present in the Senate takes place in a context marked by the resumption of the war in Western Sahara and the unprecedented deterioration of the human rights situation in the occupied areas by Morocco. Worrying events in the Maghreb region and the Mediterranean shoreline were also addressed, marked by a hostile policy from Rabat towards its neighboring countries.SPS 125/090/TRA There was both good and bad news on the local face-to-face duplicate front this past week. Two clubs in the area drew their highest total of players to one of their games, while another club appears to have thrown in the towel insofar as attempting to resume live games. Taking the bad news first, the Seven Notrump Bridge Club in North Stamford did not hold a game scheduled for this past Tuesday after only four tables turned up for its game on the previous Tuesday. No further games are scheduled on the clubs website. Elsewhere, The Hartes Club in White Plains, just a 15-minute ride from downtown Greenwich, drew eight tables including several from Greenwich to its game this past Monday, its highest total since live duplicate resumed in July. The clubs other weekday games, however, showed only a slight improvement. Also, the Bridge Deck, another Westchester Club not far from Hartes, drew 10 tables to its face-to-face game on Monday. So it appears that players are very slowly returning to the tables in Westchester, while the same is not true, for whatever reason, in Connecticut. Todays quiz: Here is the second of the current series of quizzes testing your ability to see beyond your own cards and visualize your partners hand. In the following problem, you are given an auction followed by three hands your partner might hold, but only one of which actually fits the bidding shown (you are not given your own hand). Which of the three hands do you think partner has? The bidding: You-1C; Partner-1S; You-2C; Partner-2D. Partner could hold: Hand a) S AK83 H 653 D KJ84 C 102; Hand b) S Q10653 H 64 D AKQ8 C 52; Hand c) S K8754 H 62 D A8432 C 7. Answers: When holding two or more biddable four-card suits and 10+ points opposite an opening bid, the proper initial action is to bid the cheapest suit first (sometimes called one-over-one or bidding up the line). Therefore partner cannot have hand a), with which the correct response to one club would be one diamond. Hand c) is also not possible, since with only seven points opposite a minimum opening, partner should pass in the interests of safety rather than bid two diamonds, which would force partner to bid again. With hand b), though, partner would be correct both in showing spades first, as he has more of them, and also in bidding again over two clubs, since it is still possible that the combined hands could contain enough points for game. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Days after outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in made possibly his last ambitious push to diplomatically resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program, the North on Friday rejected his call for a declaration ending the Korean War, making it clear it has no interest in political statements unless they bring badly needed relief from crippling economic sanctions. Nuclear diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea has stalled over disagreements over a relaxation of the U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for steps toward denuclearization by the North. Analysts say North Korea is trying to use Moons desire for inter-Korean engagement to pressure South Korea into extracting concessions from Washington on its behalf. ___ WHY IS MOON OFFERING A PEACE DECLARATION? The 1950-53 Korean War, in which North Korea and ally China faced off against South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces, ended with an armistice, but there was never a peace treaty. In a speech at the U.N. General Assembly this week, Moon called for an end-of-war declaration while expressing hopes for a quick resumption of talks between the U.S. and North Korea. He said such a declaration among the leaders of the Koreas, the United States and China would help achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moons proposal was an attempt to break the stalemate as he nears the end of his term in May 2022. North Korea had initially supported South Koreas call for an end-of-war declaration when Seoul helped set up a summit between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 in which Kim aimed to leverage his nuclear weapons in exchange for economic benefits. Such an end-of-war declaration would make it easier for North Korea to demand that the United States withdraw its 28,500 troops in South Korea and ease sanctions. But North Korea lost interest in the idea after talks between Kim and Trump collapsed during their second summit in February 2019. The Americans rejected North Koreas demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for the dismantling of an aging nuclear facility, a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. ___ WHY IS NORTH KOREA REJECTING MOON'S OFFER? On Friday, Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song issued separate statements rebuffing Moons proposal. Kim Yo Jongs comments were directed toward Moon while Ris were aimed at the Biden administration, but they communicated essentially the same message that North Korea isnt interested in an end-of-war declaration unless Washington first discards its hostile policies, a reference to the U.S.-led economic sanctions and its military activities with ally South Korea. Ri said such a declaration would be premature considering U.S. efforts to strengthen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which North Korea has increasingly used to justify the expansion of its own nuclear and missile programs. Kim Yo Jong, who handles inter-Korean affairs, used softer language toward South Korea, saying the North is willing to resume constructive discussions over improving bilateral ties if the South abandons its hostility and double-dealing standards. She was clearly demanding that Seoul try harder to persuade Washington to offer concrete actions to resume negotiations, whether they be the relaxing of sanctions or suspension of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, which North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. North Korea's statements on Friday show it has no expectation that Biden will accept Moons call, said Park Won Gon, a professor at Seouls Ewha Womans University. The North still has nothing to lose with the South proposing an end-of-war declaration again and it basically gave Seoul homework to press Washington to meet its demands, Park said. The North could be trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, or create a rift in public opinion within South Korea by pressuring Seoul over the state of inter-Korean relations. ___ WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR NUCLEAR TALKS? The North Korean nuclear issue receded from the center of attention at this years U.N. General Assembly with newer global challenges such as the coronavirus, rising U.S.-China tensions and Afghanistans uncertain future. But North Korea hates to be ignored, and its recent missile tests after months of relative quiet have raised speculation that Kim is once again flaunting its military might to wrest concessions from Washington if the long-stalled talks over his nuclear program resume. Some experts say Kim is facing harsh domestic challenges, with pandemic-linked border closures further hurting an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and international sanctions. They say the sense of alarm could push North Korea to escalate its weapons tests in the coming months to pressure the world before offering negotiations to extract aid, at least until China begins pushing for calm ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics early next year. This month, North Korea tested a new cruise missile it intends to arm with nuclear warheads and demonstrated the launching of ballistic missiles from rail cars as it expands its arsenal of shorter-range weapons threatening U.S. allies South Korea and Japan. Even while under a pandemic lockdown, North Korea continues to modernize its military, including nuclear weapons and various means of delivering them," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha, who sees little room for Moon to advance his peace agenda. The Biden administration has repeatedly offered dialogue and humanitarian engagement, but the Kim regime appears to want sanctions relief and de facto nuclear recognition in exchange for averting a crisis. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A Tennessee jury has convicted a man of wounding his boss after being fired from his job at a fast-food restaurant, a prosecutor said. The Criminal Court jury on Wednesday convicted Kevin D. Owens, 24, of attempted first-degree murder and using a firearm with intent to commit a dangerous felony, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich's office said. ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) The U.S. should explore ways to expand its military contacts with the Russians, potentially to include allowing observers from each country to watch the other's combat exercises, in a broad effort to increase transparency and reduce the risk of conflict, the top U.S. military officer said Thursday. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met in Finland for six hours Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff. Speaking to two reporters traveling with him back to the U.S., Milley said that military contacts between the two great powers are currently largely limited to senior leaders such as the defense secretary, the chairman and the supreme allied commander for Europe. But he said the U.S. might look into allowing the military service chiefs to form stronger relationships with their Russian counterparts which is currently not allowed. That way, for example, naval leaders could reach out to avoid conflict when there are tensions at sea. We need to put in place policies and procedures to make sure that we increase certainty, to reduce uncertainty, increase trust to reduce distrust, increase stability to reduce instability in order to avoid miscalculation and reduce the possibility of great power war, Milley said. Thats a fundamental thing that we should try to do, and I am going to try to do it. Allowing observers at exercises and other changes, he said, are worth exploring. "We might not do it, but we should at least take a look at it, Milley said. Milley declined to detail the contents of his talks with Gerasimov, but a Joint Staff statement appeared to suggest that transparency was discussed. The statement said the meeting was focused on the military and that both sides seek increased transparency to reduce misunderstanding and increase stability. Milley's comments Thursday come in the midst of a furor over calls he made during the final turbulent months of Donald Trump's presidency to assure his Chinese counterpart that the United States was stable and wasnt going to suddenly go to war with or attack China. Milley has argued that the calls were routine and perfectly within the duties and responsibilities of his job to reassure an adversary and ensure strategic stability. Trump, however, has labeled his calls to the Chinese as treasonous, and some Congress members have called for him to step down. As the debate roiled in D.C., however, Milley was thousands of miles away doing much of the same thing: speaking to his military counterparts both allies and adversaries in a series of meetings in Europe. America's relationship with Russia has been precarious. After a period of post-Cold War cooperation on nuclear security and other defense issues, the relationship between Washington and Moscow took a nosedive, particularly after Russian forces entered the former Soviet republic of Georgia in 2008. Tensions spiked with Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its military intervention in eastern Ukraine. More recently, the U.S. has blasted Russia's attempts to interfere in American elections and linked Moscow to widespread cyberattacks, including the SolarWinds espionage campaign that exposed 80% of the email accounts used by the U.S. attorneys offices in New York and several other departments. In response to the Ukraine invasion, Congress in 2016 severely limited military cooperation with Russia. The law prohibits military-to-military cooperation until the secretary of defense certifies that Russia has ceased its occupation of Ukrainian territory and aggressive activities. The law was later amended to state that it does not limit military talks aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. Milley on Thursday said that military-to-military contacts with Russia have worked in the past to de-escalate tense situations. Without being specific, he said there were a couple of incidents that occurred between us and the Russians over the last two years that triggered calls between Milley and Gerasimov. Such calls, he said, are done with the full knowledge of the administration, and often are at the White House's request. In those cases, he said, the calls were successful in calming things down. That could have never happened had I not gotten to know him a little earlier, said Milley. Despite all the friction between the two countries, the U.S. also finds itself looking to Russia for some possible help in fighting extremists in Afghanistan. The U.S. is struggling to secure basing rights and other counterterrorism support in countries bordering Afghanistan. And there have been signals that the U.S. would like Russia to ease its opposition so it can better monitor, and if needed strike, al-Qaida and Islamic State militants who may seek to attack America again. _____ AP National Security writer Robert Burns contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) Fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers reported Thursday. The first footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park in 2009. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey recently analyzed seeds stuck in the footprints to determine their approximate age, ranging from around 22,800 and 21,130 years ago. The findings may shed light on a mystery that has long intrigued scientists: When did people first arrive in the Americas, after dispersing from Africa and Asia? Most scientists believe ancient migration came by way of a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. Based on various evidence including stone tools, fossil bones and genetic analysis other researchers have offered a range of possible dates for human arrival in the Americas, from 13,000 to 26,000 years ago or more. The current study provides a more solid baseline for when humans definitely were in North America, although they could have arrived even earlier, the authors say. Fossil footprints are more indisputable and direct evidence than cultural artifacts, modified bones, or other more conventional fossils, they wrote in the journal Science, which published the study Thursday. What we present here is evidence of a firm time and location, they said. Based on the size of the footprints, researchers believe that at least some were made by children and teenagers who lived during the last ice age. David Bustos, the park's resource program manager, spotted the first footprints in ancient wetlands in 2009. He and others found more in the park over the years. We knew they were old, but we had no way to date the prints before we discovered some with (seeds) on top, he said Thursday. Made of fine silt and clay, the footprints are fragile, so the researchers had to work quickly to gather samples, Bustos said. The only way we can save them is to record them to take a lot of photos and make 3D models, he said. Earlier excavations in White Sands National Park have uncovered fossilized tracks left by a saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, Columbian mammoth and other ice age animals. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark has died at the age of 71, the court announced Friday. She had been diagnosed with cancer. According to a news release, Clark died overnight after 16 years in her role, serving the longest tenure of her counterparts on the court while she was on the bench for more than 1,100 Supreme Court cases. Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who selects Clark's replacement, called her a trailblazer for women in the legal profession. Clark was appointed to her seat in 2005 by former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen and served as chief justice from 2010 to 2012. Chief Justice Roger Page said Clark, better known as Connie, loved the Tennessee judicial system and has made it better in immeasurable ways. As her colleague for the past five and one-half years, I observed her tremendous work ethic," Page said in the news release. "Her keen mind was surpassed only by her kind and caring heart. She truly tried her best to decide each case based on the applicable law and nothing else. All but one of the remaining justices Sharon Lee, whom Bredesen also appointed were appointees of former Gov. Bill Haslam, signaling a likely shift further rightward for the court with an appointment by Gov. Lee. The Governors Council for Judicial Appointments will recommend three candidates to the governor, who will make his pick. The GOP-supermajority Legislature must confirm the selection. For now, the Supreme Court will hear cases with four justices, as it has done many times previously, including in 2016 when Justice Gary Wade retired and before Page was appointed, said court spokesperson Barbara Peck. Clark notably was reelected in judicial retention elections in 2006 and 2014, when she was one of three Democratic justices, including Lee, who withstood a conservative campaign against them. Justices serve eight-year terms. Their next retention elections are in 2022. Our friendship strengthened over the years as we faced challenges together such as the contested retention election in 2014 and through our laughter and good times when we joined with fellow women judges at our Tennessee Chicks Rule dinners, and when we traveled to Cuba to study their judicial system," Justice Lee said in the release. I saw first-hand Justice Clarks tireless dedication to her faith, her family, her friends, the judiciary, and access to justice for all. Before joining the court, Clark served as director of the Administrative Office of the Courts from 1999 to 2005. She became the first female trial judge to serve rural counties in Tennessee when former Democratic Gov. Ned McWherter appointed her in 1989 to the 21st Judicial District of Williamson, Hickman, Perry and Lewis counties. She served in numerous initiatives within the court system and was involved in bar, community and religious organizations in Middle Tennessee and nationally for more than four decades. She taught fellow judges at the National Judicial College, American Academy of Judicial Education and the American Institute for Justice, and taught students at the Vanderbilt University School of Law and the Nashville School of Law. She also was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church in Franklin, where she served as lay leader. She was the court's liaison to the Access to Justice Commission starting in 2014, helping the panel recently to hit a long-term goal of having at least half of all Tennessee attorneys provide pro bono legal services each year. The 1979 Vanderbilt University Law School grad practiced law in Nashville and Franklin, becoming one of the first woman partners at a large Nashville law firm in 1984. Her appointment in 2005 made her the fourth woman to serve on the state Supreme Court. She was only the second woman to become chief justice in Tennessee. Since 2008, the majority of Tennessee's high court justices were female. With Clark's passing, there are now with two men and two women until a replacement is installed. STAMFORD Westover Elementary School was briefly placed in lockdown Friday afternoon after a 911 caller reported hearing two loud bangs, police said. Capt. Richard Conklin said the school was placed into lockdown as a precaution as police investigated the area for any evidence of a shooter or shots fired. However, police have not found any evidence to suggest there was a shooting, he said. We have no confirmation that there were shots fired, said Lt. Michael Noto. Someone heard a noise they thought could be a gunshot. We got no other calls of anyone hearing a gun shot. As of 3:10 p.m., Conklin said the lockdown at the school has been lifted. Vowells Marketplace at 118 Highway 12 is permanently closing its doors by the end of next month after seven years of grocery store service in Starkville. 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"On September 20, as many as 102 pharmacies were active in testing with free tests offered by the Ministry of Health. In the last three weeks 30 pharmacies have been approved for this purpose. The steps will continue. (...) For the testing part pharmacies can charge a fee. Here is their choice whether they do it or not," Baciu told a news conference. Referring to the treatment with monoclonal antibodies, Andrei Baciu stated that three agreements were signed by the European Commission, Agerpres.ro informs. "Thus, there are five molecules [monoclonal antibodies] with a significant potential to receive a marketing authorization in the next period and the monoclonal antibodies are known to have been used in the USA, where there is another approval system. In Romania these were part of some clinical trials. The European Commission has already signed three agreements for these monoclonal antibodies, and I want to convey that Romania is also a party to these agreements. In October or early November they will most likely receive the marketing authorization. It was an announcement by the European Medicines Agency that an authorization would be issued on one of these molecules on November 11," the secretary of state explained. In the past 24 hours, entry was denied to Romania for 49 foreign citizens, which did not fulfill the conditions set by law, announced on Friday the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF). Furthermore, exit was not allowed for 11 Romanian citizens for various legal reasons, the IGPF adds. According to the source, approximately 117,500 persons, Romanian and foreign citizens, with over 36,500 vehicles (of which 14,000 trucks) have conducted control formalities through the border crossing points at the level of the entire country in the past 24 hours. Entering the country were 56,000 persons with 18,500 vehicles, while 61.500 persons were exiting with 18,000 vehicles. The border with Hungary was crossed by approximately 35,600 persons with 17,100 vehicles (6,700 trucks), of which 20,300 persons were exiting, using 8,500 vehicles. In what regards specific activities, in the competence areas - border crossings and the green frontier - border policemen, in the past 24 hours, started proceedings regarding 46 illegal acts (29 felonies and 17 misdemeanors) committed both by Romanian and foreign citizens. Independently, or in collaboration with other institutions, border policemen discovered undeclared goods (which were to be illegally brought into Romania), which exceeded the admitted customs cap or were suspected of being counterfeit, worth in total 85.800 RON. The value of fines issued is over 8,000 RON. Energy means security, and the decarbonisation process cannot be without nuclear power, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said on Thursday after the ministerial meeting of the Transatlantic Partnership for Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) held in Poland in Warsaw, according to a press release of the Ministry of Energy, sent to STIRIPESURSE. "I've said that energy means security, and the process of decarbonisation cannot be without nuclear power. At the same time, during the meeting with our partners in the U.S., I've discussed the cooperation in the field of energy in the context of the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the U.S. and the Romania-U.S. Agreement for cooperation in relation to the nuclear-energy projects in (southeastern) Cernavoda. I look forward to working together with our U.S. partners to promote our energy and climate security, to develop projects for nuclear cooperation, but also for the development of the rare metal industry in Romania. I also had fruitful discussions with my colleagues from Poland, Serbia and Ukraine regarding the development of joint investment projects to strengthen energy security," Virgil Popescu said. According to the source, the Romanian official pleaded for the adoption of a strategic vision on the development of our energy system that would be focused on mitigating climate change and on ensuring a fair and equitable transition.The Transatlantic Partnership for Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC), in Warsaw, Poland, was organised under the aegis of U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Polish Minister for Climate and Environment Michal Kurtyka, and brought together high-level representatives from the European Commission and the states participating in the P-TECC.On the meeting's sidelines, the Romanian Minister of Energy had meetings with both Jennifer Granholm and the Special Representative of Poland for strategic energy infrastructure, Piotr Naimski, as well as with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mining and Energy of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlovic, and with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine, German Galushchenko. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, meets on Monday, in Bucharest, with President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Florin Citu, during the NextGenerationEU series of visits, representatives of the Community Executive announced. According to the agenda of the EC head, she will also visit, together with the president and prime minister, the University Hospital of the Capital, which will benefit from funds from the NextGenerationEU program. The three senior officials will hold a joint press conference. The state of bilateral relations and the importance of capitalizing on the potential of Romanian-Vietnamese cooperation were highlighted on Friday by Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu in a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. According to a MAE press release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, the two dignitaries reviewed the "very good" Romanian-Vietnamese relations, which are based on "a long friendship," while the two countries celebrate 71 years of diplomatic relations in 2021, on which occasion they highlighted the frequency and quality of the bilateral dialogue, sectoral cooperation, economic exchanges and good cooperation in international forums, and expressed, at the same time, their interest in deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Thus, Minister Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the dynamic political dialogue in recent years, including in the context of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, in 2019. Also, the Romanian Foreign Minister accepted the invitation addressed by his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Vietnam for a new round of political-diplomatic consultations at this level. Bogdan Aurescu noted the increasing trend of bilateral trade this year and proposed to further strengthen it, an aspect agreed by his counterpart, who proposed the reactivation of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission, with an emphasis on its economic component. At the same time, Minister Aurescu requested the Vietnamese side to facilitate a wider access of Romanian pharmaceutical products on the Vietnamese market, respectively the certification of agricultural products of animal origin in Romania, measures likely to contribute to the intensification of bilateral trade. Further on, Aurescu encouraged the Vietnamese side's interest in using the port of Constanta as a gateway for Vietnamese products to the EU market. "In general, he underlined the opportunity represented for bilateral economic relations by the entry into force of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, signed during Romania's presidency of the EU Council. Cooperation in the field of education was also addressed. Vietnamese graduates of Romanian-speaking educational institutions who hold relevant positions in the Vietnamese administration, such as the current Vietnamese Prime Minister, reiterated Romania's readiness to receive young Vietnamese students in fields of interest for the development of this country," the statement said. The two ministers also referred to the contribution of the Vietnamese workforce in Romania, highlighting the concern of the Romanian side to ensure the working conditions provided by the legislation in force. The Vietnamese Minister thanked the Romanian Minister for all the support shown by Romania in the context of COVID-19, while referring to the recent donation of 300,000 vaccines, Agerpres.ro informs. Both sides expressed interest in the prospects for multilateral cooperation, including at the UN and in ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), highlighting the very good interaction between the two states, the statement said. The chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, says that he does not intend to leave politics and that he is only taking into account that he will win the internal elections, even though Florin Citu "retired" him when referring to the "ugly way" in which the current party leader "chose to leave politics". "It is enough to look, if they did not delete their posts, on Facebook alone many colleagues were against me, where they attacked me as if they were from the PSD (Social Democratic Party) area. Despite this, I maintained a balanced message. Even the Prime Minister had excesses, let us recall ourselves (...) He retired me, he said that I chose an ugly way of leaving politics. But, wait, did he bring me into politics so that he can say when I will exit?! He decides who enters and who exits politics?! Has he no shame? I've been in PNL for 31 years, I dedicated my life to promoting liberal ideas, serving the interests of PNL and Romania's interest and there comes a man, who is fresh, who had to obtain an exception, where I also voted the exception, just so that you can see that I was not against the candidate, I also voted the exception, but the ink had not even dried yet, he did not even have five years experience and he is making the rules, he decides when and how Ludovic Orban leaves politics! That was truly disturbing," the PNL chairman said, on Thursday evening, for the private broadcaster B1 TV. Orban added that he had "a very good relationship with Florin Citu up to the point when he submitted his candidacy"."I did not want such a competition because it was obvious that it would divide the party," Ludovic Orban said.He added that "there is no secret for anyone that in three months the losing team had brought down the party by 8% in the voting tendency".Orban also said that he will not be leaving the political stage and regarding the internal elections, he said that he is only taking into account that he will win a new term as PNL chairman, and the first step he will take will be to form a negotiating team with the co-chairpersons of USR PLUS (Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity alliance) for the latter alliance's returning to government. Prime Minister Florin Citu claims that he did not negotiate the censure motion with anyone, because he doesn't believe that the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) are "irresponsible" to throw Romania into a political crisis "with winter at the door" and given that at the end of November "the first [tranche of] money from the PNRR [National Plan for Recovery and Resilience] will arrive." "If the three parties - AUR, PSD and USR - are irresponsible to throw Romania into a crisis before the winter, to leave it without a government, to enter negotiations again and maybe reach early elections, Romanians should know who is doing this: USR, AUR and PSD. And I'm sure they'll be punished at the vote. You can't speak of taking down the Government when we already (...) signed the PNRR, and in winter, a month from now, at the end of November, the first [tranche of] money from the PNRR will arrive. We have so much work after 30 years in which the parties made a mockery and made no sort of reform, that I don't believe that today those parties are so irresponsible we lose this chance too. I will do all in my power for this government to move forward led by the PNL with a Liberal Prime Minister, Florin Citu," said the Prime Minister, on Thursday, at Digi 24. "We will do anything, PNL remains in government until 2024 to implement the governing programme. I won't change even a comma of the governing programme and I will seek in the Romanian Parliament support for all these measures. I don't think the USR, who was there with us when we made the governing programme, who together with us negotiated the PNRR, will vote against these laws that will implement the investments that come through the PNRR, European funds or budget money. I don't believe in such a thing," added Citu.On the other hand, he accused the USR of "making all sorts of ridiculous conditions" to return to governing and its representatives are acting "like spoiled brats." The wooden church in Ursi village, Popesti commune, Valcea County, is the big winner of the 2021 edition of the European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards 2021. The project also won the Audience Award, informs the Representation of the European Commission in Romania on its website. The wooden church in the Ursi village, dating from the eighteenth century and which was restored using traditional materials and techniques and in a collaborative manner, facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge between international participants, was selected by the leadership of Europe at the recommendation of an independent jury of experts, to receive one of the Grand Prizes worth 10,000 euros, in the Conservation category. The wooden church in Ursi was also selected by the general public as the most appreciated heritage project in Europe. About 7,000 citizens across Europe voted online for the Audience Award through the Europa Nostra website. The wooden church in the village of Ursi, dedicated to the "Annunciation" and "Archangel Michael", was built between 1757 and 1784. Although it survived a fire in 1838, and then was repaired and decorated with frescoes, the church was later abandoned, after the construction of a new church in the village. When it was rediscovered in 2007, the church almost lacked a foundation and was in danger of collapsing, while its shingled roof was in urgent need of repair. Also, the frescoes painted in the post-Byzantine tradition, with Western influences having a remarkable artistic value were severely degraded. In 2009, the church in Ursi was included by the Pro Patrimonio Foundation in the "60 wooden churches" program in Romania, being later nominated in the "7 Most Endangered 2014" program.Every summer, from 2009 to 2020, restoration works took place, preceded annually by months of fundraising efforts. The jury appreciated the quality of the restoration as commendable."The conservation of the Wooden Church in Ursi took place in an isolated area, with limited resources and the involvement of the local community. During the project, many opportunities were created for the exchange of knowledge. The project also led to a deeper understanding of the value of local heritage and a sense of caring among the village's community. This is an exemplary approach to preserving vulnerable buildings such as this church," the jury said.The main partners involved were the Pro Patrimonio Foundation, the Department of Conservation and Restoration within the National University of Arts in Bucharest, the Astra Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization, the Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, the Romanian Order of Architects, Association 37 and the owner of the objective, the Romanian Orthodox Church. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. India completed negotiations for importing and building under license 56 C-295MW transports. The Spanish Airbus division developed and manufactures this 23-ton twin-turboprop aircraft from the earlier CN-235. The MW model is a recent (2014) upgrade of the military version. The C-295 has been in service since 2001 with about 200 built so far. India becomes the 16th nation to purchase the C-295 and will be the largest user with this $2.6 billion deal. Within 48 months of the contract signing Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft while TATA, a major Indian commercial firm will build, under license, the remaining 40 within ten years of contract signing. Many of the components will be obtained from Indian firms. TATA will also qualify to establish and operate an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) operation for Indian C-295s and those of other users in the region. This is the first time India has allowed a commercial firm to manufacture military aircraft under license. Previously only government owned factories did this and the quality suffered as did the ability to meet budgets and delivery dates. Indian commercial firms are much better at this and able to compete in global markets. The C-295s will replace about fifty similar but elderly (production ceased in 1988) British HS 748s. This model entered service in 1961 and was a popular twin-engine transport with 380 built. The Indian version was manufactured under license by state owned HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) which was never as competitive in the international market as commercial firms like TATA, which has flourished in non-military markets, especially after India lifted many of its restrictions on private firms in the 1990s. The C-295 has a max payload of nine tons and max cruise speed of 480 kilometers an hour. The most common payload is seven tons and max ferry range (no payload, just extra fuel) is 5,000 kilometers. Carrying a four-ton load, it can fly 4,500 kilometers or 1,400 kilometers with max payload. Basically, the C-295 is a stretched version of the earlier CN-235 aircraft, so it was a mature design to begin with. There are several military variants for things like maritime surveillance, AEW&C (airborne early warning and control), fire-fighting, search and rescue, SIGINT (signals intelligence), aerial tanker and gunship. Most C-295s are the M (military) version with a rear cargo ramp and able to carry 71 troops, 48 paratroopers. 27 stretcher patients, five standard cargo pallets or three light vehicles. It wasnt until 2017 that a commercial (passengers or cargo) version was ordered. With the TATA deal India has taken another step in its program to establish more co-production deals for military equipment. India has eliminated the morass of restrictions on licensed production of military systems that long kept foreign firms out even though the terms the foreigners offered were used successfully with many other foreign customers. This left India unable to get the best equipment available for its military in a timely and affordable manner. Often India was forced to import critical items built outside India because of the political and bureaucratic resistance to standard co-production terms which guaranteed protection of foreign patents and trade secrets. India insisted on owning more than half of any foreign production and had a reputation for ignoring foreign patents or trade secrets. Meanwhile commercial firms like TATA could work with foreign firms using standard licensing terms, and the success of companies like TATA played a large role in overcoming the political and bureaucratic resistance to such terms for military equipment. September 24, 2021: Pakistan admits that more Chinese will be working and living in Pakistan over the next four years. By 2025 Pakistan expects to host as many as five million Chinese. This is being celebrated by the government as Chinese confidence in doing business in Pakistan. Many Pakistanis and even more Afghans are considerably less enthusiastic. As the Pakistani government openly celebrates the Taliban victory, the Pakistani military are celebrating their own victory over Pakistani elected officials who opposed continued military and ISI support of Islamic terrorism, the drug trade and Taliban violence in Afghanistan. Now the army sees itself firmly in control of Pakistan and able to compel voters to do as they are told. The current prime minister, who got elected with considerable military help in 2018, was nicknamed Taliban Kahn long before he entered politics a decade ago. By 2018 Pakistan had serious money problems and sources of foreign aid and loans were drying up, in part because Pakistan was internationally recognized as a supporter of Islamic terrorism. Khan visited the United States twice in 2019, first in July to get a sense of how bad things were and then in September for the annual UN meeting of world leaders. Kahn gave several speeches and interviews in which he repeated that Pakistan, unlike many Arab states, would never recognize the existence of Israel and that the United States was responsible for any Islamic terrorism in Pakistan. This, according to Kahn, started back in the 1970s when it was the United States that persuaded Pakistan to allow Afghan rebels to embrace Islamic terrorism as a means of driving the infidel Russians out of Afghanistan. Kahn insisted Islamic terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan are all the product of American and Indian schemes to weaken Afghanistan and Pakistan. At one point he insisted there is no such thing as Islamic terrorism and that what the West calls Islamic terrorism is nothing more that Moslems trying to defend themselves from infidel (non-Moslem) aggression. This twisted logic was right out of the propaganda playbook the Pakistani military has used for decades. Kahn called the Indians Nazis and the Americans confused. During his earlier July visit Kahn admitted that for the last fifteen years his country had lied about the presence of over 30,000 armed men in Pakistan and Kashmir working for 40 Islamic terror groups. That deception was one of the reasons the U.S. had recently cut off all aid to Pakistan. The prime minister also pointed out that Pakistan was now shutting down the Islamic charities, religious schools and other groups that supported Islamic terrorists. The July visit was because Pakistan was and still is broke, increasingly unable to borrow money and dominated by its military, whose Islamic terrorist support and corruption are a large part of the problem. Kahn needed cash but he was only willing, or able, to admit part of what was actually going on back home. Kahn did not admit that Pakistan created the Taliban, a group that took control of most of Afghanistan in the late 1990s and granted al Qaeda sanctuary. Kahn insists that Pakistan had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 attacks when, in fact, the Pakistani military support for the Taliban was very much a factor. Kahn also did not admit that his military was still making the key decisions and that recent Pakistani elections were heavily influenced by the military. That malign influence was apparently what prompted Kahn to threaten nuclear war with India to settle their differences over Kashmir. By making this threat Kahn was trying to get the UN to be more sympathetic towards the Pakistani situation. Kahn would not discuss the fact that he himself is considered under the control of the military. The American president responded to this with public praise, but no resumption of aid. Many in Pakistan considered the Kahn visit a success but anyone who pays attention to how that American president negotiated realized that this president was generous with praise but disturbingly consistent and decisive when it comes to core issues. In this case the core issue was that Pakistan is controlled by its military which, in turn, wants the Afghan Taliban to have more power in Afghanistan and for that to happen foreign troops, especially the Americans, must be gone. Khan came to America desperate and left with no assurances of financial relief. Two months later he returned with a different message and it is unclear what it is supposed to accomplish. Best guess is that Pakistan had given up on getting anything out of the current Republican president and that they might have an easier time if they can make nice to the Democrats, who were seeking to oust the Republican government in 2020. You can see this strategy in action as Pakistan has sent many U.S. educated Pakistanis, especially those with PhDs and successful careers in Pakistan, to give talks at universities or any part of the U.S. that opposes the American government refusal to bail Pakistan and its military out a financial crisis that was made in Pakistan, not the West. Pakistan was especially desperate because no American president in the past had been so determined to halt Pakistani sponsored Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan and India. This has also caused violence in Iran and Central Asian states. Even the UN has agreed that Pakistan was at fault here. The Pakistani military cannot afford to accept responsibility and now they have control of Kahn, the elected leader of Pakistan who, apparently, will say whatever he is ordered to say. Two years later Pakistan was more broke and openly taking credit for the recent Taliban victory. Pakistan is looking for some financial rewards for their clever strategy against the Americans. So far that is not happening and many Pakistanis and Afghans are wondering how much this victory will cost them. The Afghan victory has also exposed disagreements in the Pakistani military high command, where many believe that ISI is forgetting who they work for and trying to leverage the ISI victory in Afghanistan into something that gives the military intelligence agency more power that it deserves or can handle. The current head of the ISI appears unconcerned. On September 10th the ISI commander (general Hameed) was summoned to military headquarters, where guards removed the ISI flag from his car before allowing it to enter. Hameed was then escorted to the AG (Adjutant General, the chief legal official in the military) and told he was being charged with insubordination for his recent unauthorized visits to Kabul. Hameed was allowed to leave and he promptly petitioned the commander of the military for a pardon and after a meeting with him it was granted. Several senior generals are Shia and Pakistan is careful not to offend Iran. Hameed was not suitably critical of Taliban leaders and factions that favor an increase in attacks on Afghan Shia. Hameed wants a new Afghan military, staffed by loyal (to Pakistan) Taliban and, apparently, the ISI as well. There is no way to pay for this because both Pakistan and the new Taliban government are broke. If the ISI has a workable plan for this, they have not shared it with their military superiors or the Pakistani government that has to somehow obtain the money and popular support for such a scheme. Refugees Redux Back in the 1980s and early 1990s Pakistan hosted two-thirds of the seven million Afghans who fled their country to escape the Russians during the 1980s and subsequent civil war. After the Taliban were defeated in late 2001 about 40 percent of those Afghan refugees went home. Most went voluntarily but over half a million were forced out of Pakistan and Iranian refugee camps. Most unregistered Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, where many live outside the tribal territories and are left alone as long as they behave, or dont get caught. It appears that at least a million are trying to get out now and that number will grow depending on how chaotic the situation is in Afghanistan the second time around. In 2021 Pakistan got the Taliban to agree to limit illegal migration and they appear to be doing that. That only slows down the flow of refugees because over the last two decades a people smuggling industry has developed. As incomes and aspirations rose many Afghans could afford the fees people smugglers charged to get people to Pakistan, Iran or the West. For the people smugglers, business is booming because many families who were not planning to leave have changed their minds with the return of Taliban and another civil war. These families have sold everything they have to get out of the country. The cheapest smuggler service is providing counterfeit border crossing documents, plus a bribe to dubious but greedy border guards. Afghans can legally enter Pakistan if they can prove they have kin in Pakistan they are visiting. Millions of Afghans have such family connections. Another valid reason is medical. With the right documents you can get in that way. The number of Afghans crossing the border with valid documents has more than doubled during August and continues increasing. Pakistan will tolerate those who are just passing through on their way to the West but many new refugees plan to settle down in Afghanistan, at least for a while. The Pakistan government does not want more of that because Afghans in general bring lots of crime and other problems with them. Since the 1980s many Afghan communities have developed outside the tribal territories, and these often host all manner of illegal activity, especially in big cities. The refugees from the late 1979 Russian invasion were slow to show up at the Pakistan, and especially Iranian borders. To halt that continued flow of refugees the ISI created the Taliban and the Pakistani military provided all manner of support, and still do. If the current Taliban government does not get some cash and foreign aid, especially food and medical, the refugees will come once more, despite Taliban and Pakistani efforts to curb this migration. September 23, 2021: In northwest India (Kashmir) soldiers encountered five armed men near the Pakistani border. A gun battle ensued with three of the intruders and the other two fleeing back to Pakistan. The dead men were identified as Pakistani Islamic terrorists because of the Pakistani currency and weapons found on them. This is the second such incident in the last week and typical for this time of year because of winter coming infiltration efforts increase. September 22, 2021: Pakistan, along with China and Russia are the only three nations to still maintain their embassies in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. All the Afghan ambassadors, including the one in the UN, remain loyal to the government the Taliban overthrew. Pakistan is counting on China and Russia to use their influence in the UN to obtain recognition of the Taliban government. That is more difficult now than it was in the mid-1990s, when the Taliban last claimed to rule Afghanistan. In 2021 many key Taliban leaders are recognized by the UN as sponsors of international terrorism. Pakistan is also widely recognized as terrorism supporter. Pakistan believes there are as many as 9,000 foreign Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and is willing to help Taliban eliminate those terror groups. That will be difficult because the majority (about 6,000) of these foreign terrorists are Pakistanis belonging to the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) who seek to impose a Taliban-like government in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban, despite their dependence on Pakistani support, are, like the TTP, composed of Pushtun tribesmen who have a long history of avoiding war with each other. Moreover, many Afghan Taliban believe Pakistan should have a religious dictatorship like Afghanistan now does. Pakistanis and Afghan understand how and why this absurd situation exists but many foreign nations do not. Those operating the Pakistani, Russian and Chinese embassies in Afghanistan appear to appreciate this problem and are seeking ways to make it less visible to the rest of the world. China, Russia and Pakistan believe they can make Afghanistan work to their advantage but understand this is not a sure thing. Russia got burned in the 1980s when they tried to support a communist government in Afghanistan that triggered a massive backlash from most Afghans. China sees economic potential in Afghanistan but has had a hard time doing business in Pakistan, where most of the hostile Islamic terrorists and rebel groups are kept under control. Afghanistan has no history of doing that but China sees a potential opportunity and pursues until it becomes obvious it wont work. At that point China will declare the Taliban hostile and concentrate on keeping their influence out of China and nations with heavy Chinese investments. September 20, 2021: In northwest Pakistan (North Waziristan) the hideout of a known TTP leader was raided and the TTP leader was encountered and killed. September 18, 2021: Chinese media claim recent American actions make it clear that China is now dominant in East Asia and that its power is spreading worldwide. China is openly dismissive of the ability of foreign governments, especially the Americans, to defy Chinese demands. China is flaunting its power in places like Afghanistan where everyone is discovering that China has the final say over who does what there now that the Americans have withdrawn. This disrupts an ancient rivalry between Persians and Indians over who gets what inside Afghanistan. The economic basis of that rivalry was control over portions of the Silk Road trade routes between China and points west. The Silk Road was replaced by more efficient European ships, and their firepower, six centuries ago. In the 21st century China is reviving the Silk Road as an overland and maritime network through nations friendly towards trade with and investments from China. Iran and India see this as a threat while Pakistan sees it as an economic lifeline as well as an obligation to do what China wants. In Afghanistan China is willing to do business with whoever can provide a safe environment for Chinese investments and trade. There are doubts that anyone can do that and China is waiting to see what Iran and Pakistan can do about it. India and Russia are also cautious about doing business in Afghanistan. Because of Pakistani control of the Taliban, India is now banned from Afghanistan but still has valuable trade relationships with Iran that Iran does not want to lose. China and India are currently archenemies of each other. Finally, there are the Afghan-based drug cartels that supply most of the heroin to the entire planet. While universally hated throughout the region, cartel money is a major source of income for the Taliban and the Pakistan military, which is currently running the government in Pakistan. Although everyone regards China as a potential wealthy benefactor, the Chinese themselves are less confident. For a decade China has faced the growing prospect of a major financial disaster because of growing bad debts, a property bubble and corruption. Now a major Chinese real estate firm, sitting on over $300 billion of bonds that are as toxic as they come, threatens to trigger the long-feared financial crisis. China can avoid the bankruptcy of the real estate firm, but only for so long. As problems go, this one puts the Chinese interest in Afghanistan into perspective. September 17, 2021: In northwest Pakistan (South Waziristan) soldiers sought to find and eliminate a group of TTP (Pakistani Taliban) believed to be based in this remote area near the Afghan border. The TTP were there and fired first. Seven soldiers died and as the TTP men fled the area, pursuers killed five of them._ September 15, 2021: The safety of Afghan Shia, now that the Taliban are back in control of Afghanistan, has become a major issue in Iran, a minor one for Syria and an uncertain one in the new Taliban controlled Afghanistan. The new Taliban government, now more openly controlled by Pakistan, is not seen as an improvement by most Iranians or the 20 percent of Afghans that are Shia. Many of those Afghans served as Iranian mercenaries in Syria and some are still in Syria because they are the best, and most expensive, mercs. The new hardline Iranian government regards defending all Shia as one of its core functions. Doing that in Afghanistan and Pakistan, two nations that have been notorious for persistent anti-Shia violence, is going to be difficult. So far, the Taliban have not gone after Afghan Shia, but Iran knows that could change quickly. The centuries old Sunni animosity towards Shia remains. As in the past, Iran will try to get what it can from the Taliban while remembering that many Taliban factions and individuals see tolerance for Shia as bad for Afghanistan. September 12, 2021: Turkey is seeking to make the most out of the Afghan situation by forming closer relationships with Pakistan and Turkic nations in Asia. Today special operations troops from Turkey, Pakistan and Azerbaijan came together for a week of joint training exercises. Meanwhile an Indian contingent of troops is on its way to Russia to take part in a week of joint training with forces from a dozen other countries, but not Pakistan or China. These two do have observers at the joint training exercise. September 8, 2021: China is also seen as a threat to some countries now that the Taliban are back in power. Today the Russian national security advisor arrived in India to confer with his Indian counterpart and later announced that both countries agreed on the danger Taliban control of Afghanistan is to the region and called on Pakistan to halt its support for the Taliban and halt its support for other Islamic terrorist groups. Russia had tried to improve its relations with Pakistan but found China had a veto on who Pakistan could play with. China is better insulated from any Islamic terrorism the Taliban seek to export. China has also been more successful at keeping the Afghan heroin and opium out. Russia reacted in other ways to the new Afghan threat and announced joint military exercises between Russian forces and those of the three new nations Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan that now border Afghanistan plus Kyrgyzstan, which borders China and Tajikistan. Russia has maintained close military, economic and diplomatic ties with the stans who are suffering from the Afghan drug cartels that used their countries as markets for the drugs as well as a smuggling route to other parts of Eurasia. Now more Islamic terrorists from Taliban Afghanistan will be added. Russia and the stans bordering Afghanistan also stand ready to support the armed opposition to the Taliban, just like before. That cooperation has apparently already begun, without any official announcements or consultation with China. The Taliban need support from Pakistan and especially China. Pakistan has become an economic vassal of China and gains powerful support in the UN and against international criticism for supporting Islamic terrorism. China is offering the same arrangement to the Taliban government but most Taliban factions oppose being in the pay of the Chinese. Up until now China had accepted Pakistani assurances that Pakistan would continue to control the Taliban leadership after the Taliban replaced the elected government. China was aware of the Taliban disunity over Pakistani influence and Pakistan sent the head of ISI to Kabul to deal with how this was interfering with the formation of a Taliban government. Pakistan needs a clear win in Afghanistan and they are not getting it. The ISI plan has become a shaky house of cards but the new Taliban government was dominated by pro-Pakistan Taliban. The anti-Pakistan Taliban leaders were denied positions in the government they believed they were entitled to. That risks the anti-Taliban factions resuming their violence against Pakistani interests in Afghanistan. If that happens, Chinese investments are not going to happen. Then there is the ancient rivalry between Persians and Indians over who gets what inside Afghanistan. The economic basis of that rivalry was control over portions of the Silk Road trade routes between China and points West. The Silk Road was replaced by more efficient European ships, and their firepower, centuries ago. In the 21st century China is reviving the Silk Road as an overland and maritime network through nations friendly towards trade with and investments from China. Iran and India see this as a threat while Pakistan sees it as an economic lifeline as well as an obligation to do what China wants. In Afghanistan China is willing to do business with whoever can provide a safe environment for Chinese investments and trade. There are doubts that anyone can do that and China is waiting to see what Iran and Pakistan can do about it. India and Russia are also cautious about doing business in Afghanistan. Because of the Pakistani control over the Taliban, India is now banned from Afghanistan but still has valuable trade relationships with Iran that Iran does not want to lose. China and India are currently archenemies of each other. Finally, there are the Afghan-based drug cartels that supply most of the heroin to the entire planet. While universally hated throughout the region, cartel money is a major source of income for the Taliban and the Pakistan military, which is currently running the government in Pakistan. September 3, 2021: In Afghanistan (Kabul) disagreements between the Haqqani Network Taliban leaders and those opposing a new cabinet dominated by Haqqani men led to a gun battle that the Haqqani group won. While similar to the Taliban, Haqqani were a separate faction that worked with the Taliban since the 1990s and became the most trusted group working directly for Pakistan and the ISI. This close relationship with Pakistan and the ISI angers many otherwise loyal Taliban. One of those wounded in the gun battle was a Taliban leader who had contact with the Americans and opposed Pakistani domination of the new government. August 31, 2021: In southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan) counter-terrorism troops raided an ISIL hideout and killed eleven ISIL members. This ISIL group had recently killed two policemen and was apparently planning a lot more violence. Licensing Executives Society (U.S. and Canada) recognizes the architects of three Deals of Distinction and one Presidents Award, as well as a licensing expert for making special contributions to the field RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- During a year of unprecedented reliance on intellectual property rights to solve massive global challenges through business collaborations, namely the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 and its profound disruptions of personal and business lives, today the Licensing Executive Society (USA & Canada) announced that it is making a Presidents Award and three Deals of Distinction Awards, along with the Frank Barnes Award. The Deals of Distinction Awards are given each year, to recognize major business transactions involving licensing, that exemplify best practices and creativity to achieve strategic business objectives, with a significant impact on advancing innovation in the industry Sectors that comprise LES. Similarly, the Frank Barnes Award is given each year to celebrate an exceptional individual who embodies the highest cultural values of LES by selflessly investing their time and expertise in developing the careers of others an outstanding mentor. The Presidents Award is periodically given to recognize exceptional licensing activities. This year the awarded is being presented in recognition of an outstanding licensing deal that best represents the unprecedented commitment of the entire global biopharmaceutical community to meeting the existential challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. LES makes this years award to recognize and celebrate the heroic contributions of dealmakers, licensing professionals and intellectual property professionals to expediting the business collaborations that have resulted in the availability of lifesaving vaccines and other disease countermeasures in months rather than years. The award recipients will be recognized as part of the Societys 57th Annual Meeting, which for the second consecutive year will take place virtually. Announcements will be made immediately after the Annual Business Meeting on 28 September 2021, and the Annual Meeting will feature sessions during the annual meeting with some of the recipients of the Deals of Distinction and the Presidents Award. The dynamics that have unfolded over the past year as the result of the global pandemic have demonstrated the full value of intellectual property (IP), innovation, and collaboration to our world. We are proud to celebrate the commitment and creativity of LES members and our colleagues in all of the professions that come together to make a success of R&D, manufacturing, supply, financing, and many other types of deals grounded in patents and other forms of IP. The pandemic has spotlighted the value of deals in expediting the development and delivery globally of novel vaccines and therapeutics against a previously unknown pathogen, said LES President Gillian Fenton. LES members should be proud of our contributions to fighting the virus that causes COVID-19. Today, LES acknowledges the following companies and institutions with awards for Deals of Distinction, which recognize those executed deals that the Society considers to be landmark achievements within their industry sectors: Life Sciences Sector : Denali Therapeutics and Biogen : Denali Therapeutics and Biogen High Tech Sector : Xperi and Comcast : Xperi and Comcast Industry University Government Interface Sector : National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Texas Austin/Dartmouth/The Scripps Research Institute : National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Texas Austin/Dartmouth/The Scripps Research Institute Presidents Award: BioNTech and Pfizer Life Sciences Sector Winner Deal of Distinction Denali Therapeutics and Biogen Denali Therapeutics and Biogen are recognized for their worldwide collaboration for development of a small molecule LRRK2 inhibitors for treatment of Parkinsons disease and movement disorders. The partnership represents an opportunity to advance the development of a potential first-in-class oral therapy that may slow the progression of Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease with significant unmet medical needs due to the absence of approved therapies that may slow disease progression High Tech Sector Winner Deal of Distinction Xperi and Comcast Xperi and Comcast, both holders of significant intellectual property in the media segment, are recognized for their long-term patent license agreement. The media segment of technology evolves rapidly, creating uncertainty in the long-term value of intellectual property in the space. The agreement illustrated the awardees combined ability to identify and agree on the relative long term value of their respective patent portfolios in view of significant technological disruption and business evolution in the media area of technology. Industry University Government Interface Sector Winner Deal of Distinction National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of Texas Austin/Dartmouth/The Scripps Research Institute The path to rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine was cleared by a research collaboration between scientists at the NIH Vaccine Research Center at NIAID, the Scripps Research Institute, Dartmouth College and the University of Texas-Austin. The 2020 nonexclusive license of the stabilized spike protein discovery from that collaboration to BioNTech with that companys subsequent partnership with Pfizer producing an mRNA-based vaccine first launched in 2020 administered over 178 million times. Presidents Award BioNTech and Pfizer The entire world, including the LES community, has been following the COVID-19 pandemic and its many negative impacts on peoples lives, families, careers, businesses, and global commerce. As licensing professionals, we have risen to the challenge of creating the numerous business-to-business, academia-to-private sector, and government and NGO funding agreements through which all of our industry sectors, notably the Life Sciences Sector, have responded to this existential threat. The Presidents Award is made this year to celebrate the Pfizer and BioNTech collaboration and licensing agreement as exemplifying best practices and its unique global impact in our fight against SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Beyond the Deals of Distinction and the Presidents Award, LES also celebrates an outstanding LES member by awarding the Frank Barnes Award. This individual award recognizes the members significant contributions, across the entire arc of their career, in giving back to the profession through mentorship. The Frank Barnes Award was established in 2000 by LES members and endowed in honor of Frank Barnes vast contributions to the field of licensing through mentorship. Frank Barnes Mentor Award Winner Francois Painchaud Mr. Painchaud receives this award in recognition of the help, guidance, and mentorship that he has selflessly offered to countless members of LES and LESI over the years, efforts that, in part, were responsible for the unofficial title he earned, the dean of pharma licensing. He has been a mentor in the organization for multiple members of LES, including myself, emphasized Vincent Bergeron, International Chair of the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI)s YMC Committee. If it were not for Francois, I might not be involved with LES at all. He had the passion and the patience to act as a mentor for me to join LES, and to really get engaged. About Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc. Established in 1965, Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc. (LES) is a professional society of 1,500 members engaged in the creation, commercial development, and orderly transfer of intellectual property rights; protection and management of intellectual capital; and intellectual capital management standards development. LES members are accountants, business leaders, business model innovators, consultants, deal-makers, economists, engineers, IP valuation experts, lawyers, licensing executives, lobbyists, merger and acquisition experts, public policy leaders, scientists, strategic planners, supply chain managers, tax specialists and technology transfer specialists. These members represent innovation-centered enterprises of all sizes and kinds -- such as government laboratories, professional services firms, universities, operating companies, regulatory authorities, licensing specialty firms and trade associations. LES is a member society of the Licensing Executives Society International, Inc. (LESI), which has 32 sister societies representing 6,500 members in 90 countries. For more information about LES, go to www.lesusacanada.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210922005697/en/ Jim Cudahy, LES Communications communications@les.org Source: Licensing Executives Society MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Frazier Healthcare Partners announced the addition of Maria Fardis, Ph.D. as a Venture Partner on the Life Sciences team. She has over 20 years of scientific and management experience in numerous public and private biopharmaceutical companies. She is also the Chief Executive Officer of 4PinesCo, Inc., a Frazier-founded search company focused on identifying, in-licensing, and developing high-quality therapeutic candidates. Dr. Fardis previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. She transformed Iovance from an early-stage development company to a company with multiple late-stage programs involving lifileucel and LN-145 for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. She raised over a billion dollars in multiple rounds of financing for the company. Prior to Iovance, Dr. Fardis served as the Chief Operating Officer of Acerta Pharma B.V., where she worked on the development of Calquence until the companys acquisition by AstraZeneca. Prior to that, she worked at Pharmacyclics, Inc., where she was a key contributor in the creation of a broad clinical program leading to global approvals for Imbruvica in multiple hematologic malignancies, and where she served as Chief of Oncology Operations and Alliances. Prior to joining Pharmacyclics, Dr. Fardis held increasingly senior positions in Medicinal Chemistry and the project and portfolio management department at Gilead Sciences, Inc., where she was involved with multiple therapeutic areas including antivirals, oncology, and cardiovascular therapeutics and worked on the development and life cycle management of Letairis. Dr. Fardis received her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and her B.S. summa cum laude, in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She also holds an M.B.A., received with highest honors, from Golden Gate University. We are thrilled to have Maria join the Life Sciences team, said Jamie Topper, Managing Partner at Frazier. She is a highly experienced biopharmaceutical executive who will help us with our company creation efforts. About Frazier Healthcare Partners Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. With over $6.2 billion total capital raised (as of May 2021), Frazier has invested in more than 200 companies, with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to publicly traded companies and buyouts of profitable lower-middle market companies. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the Frazier Life Sciences team invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that develop and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals to address important unmet medical needs. Since 2005, 61 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by Frazier, have completed IPOs or M&As. For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, visit their website at www.frazierhealthcare.com/life-sciences. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210922005084/en/ Frazier Healthcare Partners Kate Schykerynec Phone: 650.325.5156 Email: kate@frazierhealthcare.com Source: Frazier Healthcare Partners PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Johnstone Supply, Inc. announced today that its members have approved a definitive conversion agreement with Redwood Capital Investments, LLC that will provide the capital required for Johnstone to convert its business structure from an Oregon Cooperative into a Delaware limited liability company operating under the name Johnstone Supply, LLC. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Johnstone Supply LLC will continue to operate as a wholesale distributor based in Portland, exclusively providing products and services to the former members of the Johnstone Cooperative. The 90+ individual Johnstone Business Owners are expected to execute exclusive territory distribution agreements with Johnstone Supply, LLC and will remain significant equity holders in the new entity. We are very excited to welcome Redwood into the Johnstone family, commented Johnstone Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Sheehan. Sheehan continued, The completion of this transaction will provide Johnstone and the Johnstone Business Owners an unprecedented capital foundation to continue to grow and capture market share, while allowing for accelerated investments in the expansion of our supply chain infrastructure and industry technology tools. The definitive conversion agreement is subject to typical terms and conditions, including regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in 45 to 90 days. Wells Fargo Capital Services served as the investment advisor to Johnstone. K&L Gates LLP acted as the legal advisor to Johnstone. Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as the legal counsel to Redwood. Additional details of the transaction were not disclosed. About Johnstone Supply: Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Johnstone Supply Cooperative is a leading North American HVACR brand with over $3B in annual sales generated by its 90+ Members operating ~450 independently owned store locations across the U.S. and Canada. The Johnstone Business Owners are supported by six Regional Distribution Centers, offering access for its customers to over 75,000 Johnstone products and millions of special-order parts through its relationships with hundreds of the industry's top manufacturers. Johnstone is recognized for its value-added services powered by thousands of onsite technical experts, industry leading training programs and technology tools that streamline equipment selection, troubleshooting and ordering. Johnstone and its 90+ members are dedicated to their communities through service and the generous commitment of financial and other resources. Johnstone is proud to be an official partner and active contributor to Operation Homefront, a national non-profit providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of military members and wounded warriors. (www.JohnstoneSupply.com). If you are from the press and have inquiries, please send them to press@Johnstonesupply.com. About Redwood Capital Investments: Redwood is a permanent holding company headquartered in Baltimore, MD that invests in and builds businesses across a diverse set of industries. Redwoods existing businesses operate in the distribution, dealership, equipment leasing and real estate industries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005477/en/ Johanna Glode, PhD | Vice President Organization Development press@Johnstonesupply.com Source: Johnstone Supply, Inc. TICKERS: BSK; BKUCF; MAL2 Source: Streetwise Reports (9/24/21) Blue Sky Uranium has "low-cost extraction prospects and local market opportunities in a market with high growth potential," a Globe Small Cap Research report noted. With changing perceptions of nuclear energy in recent years, you could say that uranium is having a bit of a moment. In keeping with the trend, Globe Small Cap Research concluded that Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (BSK:TSX.V; BKUCF:OTCQB; MAL2:FSE) is "worthy of active consideration and ongoing following for developments," according to a September 2021 research report. The research firm provided an overview of the Canadian uranium company and the opportunity before it. Globe Small Cap explained that Blue Sky Uranium is currently "proving the reserves, organizing operations and markets and devising plans to enter production" at its Amarillo Grande project, one of its two major mining areas in Argentina. To date, the company has made three discoveries at Amarillo Grande: Anit, Santa Barbara and, most recently, Ivana. "Ultimately ... the world will increasingly rely on the uranium market, which means greater opportunity for Blue Sky." The research firm highlighted that Blue Sky could produce uranium at relatively low costs at Ivana, a deposit the company estimates contains about 23,000,000 pounds (23 Mlb) of uranium and 12 Mlb of vanadium). Thus, Blue Sky intends to develop three prospective targets at Ivana: Ivana West, Ivana North and Ivana Central. Because the uranium ore in those areas there sits about 25 meters below surface and in loose sand and gravel, drilling or blasting will not be needed to extract it, keeping down costs. Metallurgical testing has shown that initial processing of ore from Ivana is simple, thus, also lower in cost. Also, Ivana is close to a town, airport and seaport, so taking its product to market will not be costly either. "The geology of the area is very similar to several of the most productive uranium mining operations in the world, located in Kazakhstan," wrote Globe Small Cap. "Mines in particular areas of Kazakhstan are able to extract uranium at below US$30 per pound, placing such operations in the bottom 25% of producers on a cost per pound basis." During the summer, Globe Small Cap reported, the uranium company finished the first phase of its 4,500 meter drill program at Ivana. Results are pending but expected to expand the Amarillo Grande project. Blue Sky will use the data to identify areas of higher uranium concentration in the current drill area. Globe Small Cap also pointed out that Blue Sky offers additional upside with its other potentially mineable target areas, including Ivana North and Ivana Central. The company is obtaining permits to drill at Ivana East and Cateo Cuatro. Further, drilling in 2017 showed a significant vanadium deposit present at Anit and potential mineralization as indicated by radiometric anomalies at Santa Barbara. "The opportunity for Blue Sky in terms of vanadium production is significant in Argentina." Also, the opportunity for Blue Sky in terms of vanadium production is significant in Argentina, as the country imports 100% of this metal. Vanadium demand by the steel industry, in which the metal is used as a strengthener, is increasing. Also, Blue Sky has a second main uranium mining area in Argentina. In the Chubut province, it encompasses the Sierra Colonia, Tierras Coloradas, and Cerro Parva projects. Globe Small Cap purported that global macroenvironmental factors are such that a uranium supply shortage is on the horizon. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency Project recently wrote in their "Red Book" that the world's need for uranium will increase 75% by 2040. The impending supply-demand imbalance will be driven, Globe Small Cap Research wrote, by the world's expected increase in the use of nuclear power as more and more policymakers realize the industrial world needs it to deal with climate change. Already there are signs around the world of this shift in thinking, such as in Japan, which restarted several nuclear programs; in France, which is rethinking its nuclear power plant terminations; and in China, which is ramping up its addition of new nuclear power plants. Ultimately, with this changing mindset, the world will increasingly rely on the uranium market, which means greater opportunity for Blue Sky and other uranium mining companies. As for Argentina, the location of Blue Sky's projects, it does not have a domestic uranium supply and thus needs local, low-cost producers to supply its growing nuclear market. Blue Sky already is positioned to help meet that need, as it not only has projects in the country but also connections to the Argentine nuclear and steel industries and the South American mining industry. "Blue Skys Amarillo Grande project in Rio Negro appears to be the first low-cost domestic uranium supplier in a position to take advantage of this opportunity," Globe Small Cap wrote. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Blue Sky Uranium. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Blue Sky Uranium, a company mentioned in this article. Disclosures from Globe Small Cap Research, Blue Sky Uranium Corp., Sept. 2021 We do not own these shares and have no plans to acquire, purchase, sell, trade or transfer these shares in any manner at any time. We have no association with anyone, or any group, with any plan to acquire, purchase, sell, trade or transfer these shares. Any opinions we may offer about the Company are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice. Such information and the opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Separate from the factual content of our articles about the Company, we may from time to time include our own opinions about the Company, its business, markets and opportunities. The information used and statements of fact made have been obtained from sources considered reliable but we neither guarantee nor represent the completeness or accuracy. We did not make an independent investigation or inquiry as to the accuracy of any information published by the Company, or other firms. The author relied solely upon information published by the Company through its filings, press releases, presentations, and through its own internal due diligence for accuracy and completeness. Statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties affecting results. This report or article is not intended as an offering, recommendation, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned or discussed. This publication does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. This publication does not provide all information material to an investors decision about whether or not to make any investment. Any discussion of risks in this presentation is not a disclosure of all risks or a complete discussion of the risks mentioned. We are not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with FINRA, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or with any state securities regulatory authority. ALL INFORMATION IN THIS REPORT IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OR REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, TWO TRIANGLE CONSULTING GROUP, LLC WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR THE QUALITY, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION, OR FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION BY YOU OR ANYONE ELSE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF OPPORTUNITIES, TRADING LOSSES, AND DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM ANY INACCURACY OR INCOMPLETENESS OF THIS INFORMATION). TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, TWO TRIANGLE CONSULTING GROUP, LLC WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE UNDER ANY TORT, CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, PRODUCTS LIABILITY, OR OTHER THEORY WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION. Information, opinions, or recommendations contained in this report are submitted solely for informational purposes. The information used in statements of fact made has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we neither guarantee nor represent their completeness or accuracy. Such information and the opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. This research report is not intended as an offering or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned or discussed. The firm, its principles, or the assigned analyst may or may not own or trade shares, options, or warrants of this covered Company. We have received compensation of $2,500 by a third party to cover out distribution and production of this report. If additional compensation is received, future version of the report will be updated to reflect this compensation. Globe Small Cap Research has not in the past received compensation for the production of previous reports. The party responsible for the production of this report owns no common stock and/or warrants in the subject Company, in any way, shape, or form. The views expressed in this research Company report accurately reflect the analysts personal views about any or all of the subject securities or issuers referred to in this Company report, and no part of the analysts or the firms compensation was, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation or views expressed in this report. Opinions expressed herein reflect the opinion of Globe Small Cap Research and are subject to change without notice. We claim no responsibility to update the information contained in this report. Investors should consider the suitability of any particular investment based on their ability to accept certain levels of risk, and should not rely solely on this report for information pertaining to the Company covered. We can be contacted at [email protected] Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Randy Church Kee will oversee the establishment of a new Defense Department regional center focused on the Arctic. (U.S. Air Force) The Defense Department has appointed retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Randy Church Kee as its senior adviser for security in the Arctic, which is assuming growing importance among nations who are competing for resources and eyeing new potential shipping routes. Part of Kees job will be to oversee the establishment of a new DOD regional center focused on the Arctic, a Pentagon statement said. The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, named after a former Alaskan senator, will be the DODs sixth regional center for security studies, which provide executive-level education and training for U.S. and foreign military officials, civilians and nongovernmental participants, the statement said. The goal of the center is to build strong, sustainable, international networks of security leaders to advance U.S. national security priorities in the Arctic region, said the statement released Wednesday. Lt. j.g. Ainsley Fruhwirth directs a Canadian coast guard helicopter crew to take off from Healy near Resolute, Canada, on Sept. 6, 2021. The Defense Department has appointed retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Randy Church Kee as its senior adviser for Arctic security. (Michael Martini/U.S. Coast Guard) The location of the center, which was approved in the 2021 defense authorization act, has not yet been announced. Economic opportunities in the far north made possible by declining Arctic sea ice which scientists say is the direct result of global warming are creating growing security concerns for the U.S. and its allies. Russia has bolstered its military presence in the region as it aims to explore untapped resources. Moscow created its Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command in 2014 and has gradually strengthened its presence in the Arctic by creating new units, refurbishing old airfields and infrastructure, and establishing military bases along its coast, the Pentagon said in a 2019 report to Congress. Meanwhile, China, which has no permanent military presence in the Arctic, has shown interest in new regional shipping routes from eastern Asia to northern Europe, the same report said. Each branch of the U.S. military has announced revised strategies for the Arctic in recent years in light of the changing situation. A U.S. Coast Guard takes part in a joint Arctic search and rescue exercise with Canadian counterparts Sept. 6, 2021, in Nunavut. (Michael Martini/U.S. Coast Guard) In 2020, President Donald Trump appointed Kee as commissioner of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and he most recently served as the executive director of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center, which operates through the Department of Homeland Security and is hosted by the University of Alaska. During his 30-year military career, Kee led at the squadron, group, wing and air operations center levels, the DOD statement said. Concerns about containment labs at Fort Detrick have recently been raised due to the transparency of information the Army base has provided to the Containment Laboratory Community Advisory Committee. (Karl Merton Ferron) (Tribune News Service) The committee responsible for providing feedback on containment labs at Fort Detrick has concerns about the transparency of information the Army base provides to the committee. The Containment Laboratory Community Advisory Committee has questions about a May 2018 flooding incident in which it says wastewater from a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases facility went into Carroll Creek, as well as about an April shooting in which a gunman was killed on the base after a shooting incident in Frederick. Weve had two major incidents and little transparency, CLCAC Chairman Matthew Sharkey told the Frederick mayor and aldermen at a workshop Wednesday. In the 2018 incident, USAMRIID said it checked to see if there were any concerns but wouldnt explain how, Sharkey said. Any claim that water from the incident at the facilitys steam sterilization plant reached Carroll Creek is completely not true, Fort Detrick spokeswoman Lanessa Hill said Wednesday. USAMRIID took samples from multiple locations and tested for 16 bacterial and viral organisms, including anthrax, Ebola and Lassa fever, she said. It also reached out to agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of the Army, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Maryland Department of Health as well as sent letters to Frederick Mayor Michael OConnor and County Executive Jan Gardner to inform them of the results, Hill said. Using the scale developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Select Agents and Toxins, we determined the risk to the public from the steam sterilization plant incident to be negligible, then-Detrick and USAMRIID commanders Col. Dexter Nunnally and Col. E. Darrin Cox wrote to OConnor and Gardner on March 4, 2020. Negligible is defined as insignificant threat to entity personnel or the health of the public or agriculture. They went on to say, The best available evidence in May 2018 strongly suggested that no material from the leak left the boundary of Fort Detrick. As of this date, we believe that is still the case. Regarding the April 6 active shooter incident that began in the city of Frederick and continued onto Fort Detrick before the gunman, a Navy corpsman, was shot and killed by base security, Sharkey expressed concern that the man was able to get relatively far onto the base before he was confronted. This ended better than it could have ended, he said. Since Fort Detrick security knew the man was coming, Sharkey asked what would happen if 10 people in different vehicles showed up at different gates when people at the base didnt know they were coming. In an Aug. 25 letter to OConnor, Detrick commander Col. Danford W. Bryant wrote that the FBI is leading the investigation and the Navy is handling questions about the shooter, so the Army and Fort Detrick have no authority to speak about the incident. Any questions regarding specific security procedures and processes at Fort Detrick are operational security measures and considered highly sensitive information, which cannot be discussed, Bryant wrote. While they value the CLCACs intentions, the base doesnt believe the questions are in line with the committees purpose, he said. Sharkey said efforts to find answers to the questions have proven to be part of a pattern of the bases command not wanting to engage in discussion. The only time the committee hears from Detrick is when theres an emergency, he said. Sharkey also asked the mayor and aldermen for help in identifying local businesses that operate laboratories under a law that went into effect in October 2020 to locate and provide information about the labs. Aldermen Ben MacShane and Derek Shackelford expressed sympathy for the committees questions but doubted that the city could be much use in getting answers. I dont know that were really viewed as an information stakeholder as much as city officials should be, MacShane said. Shackelford added that with the way Detrick and the military work, the city may be limited in getting answers to some of its questions. Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter:@RMarshallFNP (c)2021 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Four Fort Polk, La., soldiers were arrested and charged in connection with a shooting Monday that police said they believe could be related to recent gang activity. Clockwise from top left: Pfc. Trevian J. Cherry, 23; Spc. Joshua D. Galloway VI, 24; Pfc. Tavon M. Williams, 19; and Pfc. Quazier T. Watterson, 19. (Beauregard Parish Sheriffs Office) Four soldiers assigned to Fort Polk, La., were arrested and charged Monday in connection with a shooting in the nearby town of DeRidder that police believe could be related to recent gang activity, according to local law enforcement and base officials. The DeRidder Police Department received multiple calls at about 11:25 p.m. Monday about shots being fired on West 8th Street, a mostly residential area in the town about 20 miles from Fort Polk. When police arrived, they said they found one person who was injured trying to escape gunfire by climbing out a window. Witnesses gave police a description of a vehicle, which was located later that night in Leesville, the town just outside the gates of Fort Polk. The four soldiers were in the vehicle at the time and arrested, according to police. Police also found five weapons in the vehicle and spent shell casings that matched those found at the scene. Police did not provide further details about the incident. Pfc. Quazier T. Watterson, 19, Pfc. Trevian J. Cherry, 23, Spc. Joshua D. Galloway VI, 24, and Pfc. Tavon M. Williams, 19, were all charged with criminal conspiracy to commit attempted armed robbery, aggravated assault with a firearm, illegal use of weapons or other dangerous instrumentalities and aggravated criminal damage to property, according to the DeRidder police and the Beauregard Parish Sheriffs Office. Each of the soldiers was listed Thursday as an inmate at Beauregard Parish Jail with no bond set. They all are assigned to Fort Polks 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, base officials confirmed. The U.S. Army Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk leadership are working with local authorities and ensuring the soldiers are receiving due process, Fort Polk said in a statement. Police said they believe Mondays shooting is related to a shooting on Sept. 11 at the same residence that involved gangs. Two juveniles were arrested in Leesville earlier Monday who were involved with the Sept. 11 shooting. Justice Army Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, formerly Hannah, was suspended as the service chief of public affairs pending an inspector general investigation for counterproductive and toxic leadership. (U.S. Army photo) The Armys top general for public affairs has been suspended as the service inspector general investigates allegations of counterproductive and toxic leadership, officials confirmed Thursday. Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, chief of public affairs, was placed on special duty pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation, said Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokeswoman. Michael Brady, the principal deputy chief, is serving as the acting chief of public affairs, she said. An Army official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the suspension followed a command climate survey with results that mirrored recent inspector general complaints filed about Johnston. The survey found that 97% of the public affairs personnel felt workplace hostility. Johnston, who previously used the last name Hannah, became chief of public affairs on April 13, 2019 and became responsible for all communication activities involving the Army and shaping strategies and policies, according to her online service biography. She also advised Army senior leadership on how to navigate public messaging. Johnston played a role in building the Armys communication response to the disappearance and death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood, Texas, according to an Army investigation. The report from the investigation found the response was ineffective and the case became the impetus for the ongoing effort to improve Army public affairs. Guillen disappeared during the workday on April 22, 2020, and her remains were found June 30, 2020, several miles from base. It was determined another soldier killed Guillen at Fort Hood and then died by suicide after Guillens body was found. The Armys internal investigation, known as a 15-6, did not specifically target Johnston or public affairs, but reviewed how every echelon of Guillens chain of command handled the situation. Johnstons name is mentioned at least twice in the report because she provided communication advice to Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, then acting commander of Fort Hood. Efflandt contacted Army officials at the Pentagon for public affairs help and, on at least one occasion, told investigators that he received two different directions of advice from Johnston and Brady. Efflandt also relied on Johnston and Army Forces Command for guidance on a July 2020 news conference that public affairs personnel at Fort Hood disagreed with hosting, according to the investigation. The news conference was the first about Guillens case and took place 71 days after she was reported missing. The investigation documented that during the intervening time there was an ongoing internal debate about how to address Guillens disappearance, who should do it and how it should be done. The investigation report said the news conference appeared insincere and was executed inconsistently. Efflandt was ultimately removed from his role at Fort Hood, in part because of how the base communicated with the public about the case. In total, 21 leaders were disciplined for their role in Guillens case. The investigation report also offered several recommendations to improve public affairs. In June, Army officials offered some progress toward those recommendations, including a review on the appropriate level of staffing required for the Army to be effective during crisis communications. Prior to Johnstons role at the Pentagon, she served as director of the Armys Marketing and Research Task Force in Washington, D.C. She has also served as the public affairs officer for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and for the Army secretary. Staff Sgt. Paul Lincoln Olmstead, 29, was an engineer with the 19th Special Forces Group Airborne at Camp William, Utah. He was participating in the 5th Special Forces Group Airbornes maritime assessment course at Fort Campbell, Ky., when he died Tuesday. (Utah National Guard) WASHINGTON A Special Forces soldier who died while participating in dive training Tuesday at Fort Campbell, Ky., was a father of two in the Utah Army National Guard, the service said Thursday. Staff Sgt. Paul Lincoln Olmstead went underwater Tuesday at Joe Swing Park Reservoir at Fort Campbell while swimming on the surface in diving gear, according to the Utah National Guard. He never resurfaced. Olmstead, 29, was an engineer sergeant with the 19th Special Forces Group Airborne at Camp William, Utah. He was participating in the 5th Special Forces Group Airbornes maritime assessment course at Fort Campbell when he died. Sometimes we expect this sort of thing in combat but not during training, which makes this difficult for the unit and especially the family, said Col. Paul Peters, the commander of the 19th Special Forces Group. This is an absolute tragedy, especially when we lose someone as capable and promising as Lincoln. A search began immediately after, but the Green Berets body was not recovered until Wednesday, according to the Army. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services helped Fort Campbell emergency services with the search. When his body was found, it was taken to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital at the base, according to the Utah National Guard. Olmstead had been in the Utah Army National Guard since Feb. 8, 2016, and he had completed the special forces sniper course, military free fall course and was an honor graduate of the special forces advance urban combat course. His awards and recognitions include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon. "Olmstead was a trained professional, fully committed to the community, the country and the mission," the Utah Army National Guard said in its statement. Olmstead leaves behind a wife and two children, according to the Utah Guard. The incident remains under investigation, and the Utah Guard will release information about his dignified transfer to Utah when it becomes available. While training accidents like this are rare, it is a reminder of the enormous sacrifices made by our service members and their families every day, said Maj. Gen. Michael Turley, the Utah National Guard adjutant general. The death follows a similar incident on July 27 when another Green Beret, Staff Sgt. Micah Walker, 31, died during a combat diver course at the Armys Special Forces Underwater Operations School at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla., according to the service. Walker was a medical sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, Colo., according to the Army. Caitlin Doornbos The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan steams through the Arabian Sea, Sept. 6, 2021. (Michael Jarmiolowski/U.S. Navy) The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, fresh from duty in the Middle East, sailed into the contentious South China Sea on Friday. The Navy announced the strike groups entry into the area in a news release the same day. Led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the strike group returns to the region after spending nearly three months in the Arabian Sea supporting the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. We look forward to leveraging our recent out-of-area experience as we return to the South China Sea and our rapidly growing alliances and partnerships dedicated to the Indo-Pacific," said Rear Adm. Will Pennington, commander of Task Force 70 and Carrier Strike Group 5, in the release. The strike group, on patrol from its homeport at Yokosuka Naval Base since May, will conduct flight operations, maritime strike operations, anti-submarine operations and tactical training while in the South China Sea, according to the Navy. "Ronald Reagan and all components of its strike group have operated with relentless energy and commitment throughout the deployment, showcasing the strength and resilience of America," said Capt. Fred Goldhammer, the Reagans commander, in the release. "As we continue our mission in the South China Sea, we remain vigilant and ready to answer the call." The Reagans arrival comes as tensions continue to rise in an area that China asserts is part of its territorial waters. Beijing has steadily increased its military presence there by building artificial islands and remote military installations. Last week, Australia announced a new deal with the United States to purchase American-built nuclear-power submarines. News of the deal follows the Royal Navys announcement earlier this year of an increased presence in the region. The U.S. has also continued to offer more vocal support of Taiwan. Beijing considers the functioning democracy to be a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland, possibly by force. The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino, said during a press conference last month that the U.S. is ready for any contingency that may occur, including armed conflict, when it comes to the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan. We are here to continue to operate to ensure peace and prosperity through the region, and we have to be in a position to ensure that status quo remains as it applies to Taiwan, he said. Buy Photo A couple strolls past ships moored at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) TOKYO The falling number of COVID-19 cases in Japans capital city prompted U.S. military bases in the metropolitan area to ease travel restrictions meant to curb the virus spread. Tokyo reported 235 people had tested positive for the coronavirus Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK. That is the lowest daily case count since 188 on Nov. 24, according to metro government data. The seven-day average of new cases is at 469.3, below 500 for the first time since June 29, NHK reported. However, the number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients is still relatively high at 139, though that number continues to fall, according to NHK and metro data online. Yokota Air Base, the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo, on Thursday lifted a prohibition on its personnel visiting the central wards of Tokyo. The measure was imposed as the most recent and severe wave of COVID-19 swept the area. Likewise, Yokosuka Naval Base and the Armys Camp Zama, in neighboring Kanagawa prefecture, lowered their risk levels for Tokyo, permitting more travel and activities there. Naval Air Facility Atsugi maintained its off-limits order for Tokyo but lowered it for parts of the surrounding Kanagawa. Weve observed a dramatic drop in cases around the whole region, that reduction has resulted in the low-threat opening of activities and travel in almost every city in Kanagawa, save for about six spots, NAF Atsugis commander, Capt. Manning Montagnet, said in a Facebook video Thursday. But were essentially green in all our surrounding cities. Some restrictions still apply, and authorities reminded their commands that the area is under a state of emergency imposed by the government of Japan until Sept. 30. U.S. military installations in Japan reported another 29 new cases of COVID-19 for the week. Kadena Air Base on Okinawa accounted for most of those 24 since Sept. 18 according to a weekly summary Friday on its website. Yokota reported four new infections since Tuesday, according to the weekly summary on the base website. One person, a new arrival to Japan, came up positive while on restricted movement. The remaining three were identified as close contacts of another infected individual. The base has 17 patients under observation by medical authorities. Yokosuka, the homeport of the Navys 7th Fleet, reported one new case since Tuesday, according to a Friday news release. That individual, who is immunized, had fallen ill with COVID-19 symptoms. The base is monitoring three coronavirus patients. Okinawa prefecture, where the bulk of III Marine Expeditionary Force is stationed, reported 61 new cases and four deaths, according to the prefectural Department of Public Health and Medical Care. Japan on Tuesday reported 3,604 newly infected people and 49 deaths related to COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. More than half, 55%, of Japans population, or nearly 70 million people, are fully vaccinated. Stars and Stripes reporter Mari Higa contributed to this report. Joseph Ditzler Elmo from Sesame Street has taken on the role of a military child in a series of videos, printable activities and articles designed to teach kids how to cope when a parent leaves for a temporary assignment. (Sesame Workshop) The Defense Department has enlisted a familiar, furry red monster to help ease the sting that military families feel during a service members temporary duty assignment. Elmo from Sesame Street has taken on the role of a military child in a series of videos, printable activities and articles designed to teach children how to cope when a parent leaves for a temporary assignment, according to a Thursday statement from Sesame Workshop, the educational nonprofit behind the popular childrens television show. The digital products were released Sept. 23 on the Sesame Street for Military Families website and are the latest collaboration between the Pentagon and the award-winning program. When a parent serves, the whole family serves thats something military kids can be proud of, Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshops senior vice president of U.S. social impact, said in the statement. At Sesame Workshop, we appreciate that service, and, with these new materials, we hope to help military families feel strong and connected whether theyre near or far. Air Force Capt. Robert Walden, a licensed clinical social worker and family advocacy element chief at Misawa Air Base in Japan, said he doesnt see a lot of issues stemming from temporary assignments. However, behavioral problems can result from changing a childs routine, especially when it comes to restricting parental access, he told Stars and Stripes via phone on Friday. Walden recommends families have a plan in place for temporary assignments. Its always good to bring more awareness and information to families who may be challenged with a TDY, he said, adding that children could react positively to Elmo and characters they know. This material could be really helpful if theyre able to help a child gain some insight and feel like theyre being understood, he said. The series follows child-favorite Elmo and his parents, as his dad, Louie, goes off on a short-term National Guard assignment, the statement said. The materials provide a roadmap through the experience that focuses on three main areas: preparing for a temporary duty assignment, staying connected while a parent is away and adjusting when the parent returns. Temporary assignments outside the continental United States are often shorter than most longer-term deployments; however, they can begin abruptly and occur more frequently, the statement said. A service member can be temporarily assigned for days or even months for any number of reasons, from training or schooling to a short-term humanitarian assistance mission or special event. In the series, Elmo shares many of the feelings and experiences often felt by military children when a parent leaves on temporary duty, like separation anxiety and the disruption of routines, the statement said. Elmo is disappointed when his dad cant come to his first T-ball game, but aided by fellow military child Rosita and technology, he finds solace in videos and calls. His family celebrates with a song when Louie returns. Articles for parents feature activities and language to help small children understand the temporary nature and importance of the mission, the statement said. Printable coloring pages and lyric sheets are designed to spark family conversation. The new temporary duty materials join other Sesame Street content for military families about deployments, homecomings, long-term family caregiving and transitions in health care, the statement said. The resources are free and available in English and Spanish. For more information, visit sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org. Swedish cinnamon buns called kanelbullar are so popular, they have their own day -- Oct. 4. (iStock) Countless times we've heard about the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast. In ones travels through Europe, one is quick to observe just how different that first meal of the day might be, depending on ones location. From dairy-laden sweet treats to savory snacks built around local produce, a world of tastes stand ready to awaken ones taste buds from the earliest hours of the morning. Why not make like the locals and find inspiration in what they consume as part of their daily routines or when theyre after something special? Crete: Staka me ayga are poached or fried eggs accompanied by staka, a buttery cream mixed with flour that is commonly used as a spread, dip or side dish. The use of goats milk and a specific type of cheese makes the dish hard to replicate away from its native island. It's often served with apaki, a smoked and salted pork marinated with mountain herbs. Croatia: As in many parts of the former Yugoslavia, the Balkans and beyond, a snack for both morning and throughout the day is burek. Phyllo dough pastry is filled with ground meat, a salty crumbly cheese, spinach, apples or other additions, then folded into triangles or rolled up into a tube and coiled before being baked to achieve a crispy outer layer. Burek are widely available at bakeries at all hours of the day. Czech Republic: The favorite national pastime will often precede the creation of this dish. Mushroom pickers take home their bounty from the forest, sautee these tasty brown mushrooms along with a bit of onion and serve them mixed in with scrambled eggs, creating the beloved Houbova smazenice s vejci. A hint of garlic and cumin finishes off this tasty fall favorite. Denmark: What an American would recognize as a Danish goes by another name here. Wienerbrd is the blanket term for any number of pastries made with a multilayered yeast dough containing fillings from fruits to nuts to custardy creams. The name, which directly translates to Viennese bread, is ascribed to a strike by Danish bakery workers in 1850. Bakery owners sought help from abroad, amongst them Austrians, whose baking traditions stuck. Be sure to sample a spandauer, a round pastry filled with marzipan and cream or jam, glazed and topped with chopped hazelnuts. Greece: A Koulouri Thessalonikis is a type of wheat flour bread thats been shaped into a ring and coated with sesame seeds before baking. Similar in taste and appearance to the Turkish simit, their exact origin is the subject of some dispute between the two countries. Try one in its plain, quite dry state, or cut down the middle and spread with butter, honey or jam. Netherlands: The Dutch take on Americas French toast is Wentelteefjes, made of slices of day-old white bread dipped in a mix of eggs, milk and cinnamon, then fried in butter to make it crisp. A sprinkle of sugar just before it hits the skillet creates a pleasing layer of caramelization. Popular toppings include honey or powdered sugar. Northern Germany: North Sea crab and scrambled eggs is a dish likely to appear at a leisurely brunch on one of Germany's North Sea islands or in the port city of Hamburg. Technically not crab at all but rather a small brownish prawn, sauteed in butter, it gains the slightly nutty taste so key to the dishs distinct taste. Krabben mit Ruhrei is traditionally served with buttered black bread. Scotland: In coastal towns, the day might begin with a pungent plate of fish. Kippers are a type of herring butterflied along the dorsal ridge, smoke-cured and served alongside oatcakes. Along the east coast, one might be served Arbroath smokies, dried and salted haddock placed into a jute bag and smoked in a barrel overnight. Sicily: This is the rare place where breakfast might come served in a frozen form. A granita is the Sicilian take on a slushie, ice flavored with lemon, berries, almonds or coffee and scraped continuously while freezing to achieve its finely grained texture. A local flavor specialty is that of gelsi, or mulberry. A brioche col tuppo is a soft sweet bun that gets its name for the fact its top resembles a tiny hat. Cut in half and stuffed with gelato, it's not unheard of as a snack, even in the early hours of the day. Spain: Throughout the country, a popular choice is a generous slice of tortilla. This is nothing like the Mexican version but rather a sturdy omelet filled with onions, potatoes and other ingredients. A common accompaniment is pan con tomate, a slice of bread rubbed with garlic and a ripe tomato thats been mashed to a pulp. Salt and extra virgin olive oil are this simple sandwichs crowning touch. Sweden: Breakfast in Stockholm is soft and sweet when a kanelbullar touches the plate. In contrast to the American version of cinnamon buns, these smaller sisters are twisted into knots and sprinkled with a crunchy textured sugar; hints of cardamom add just the right note. Theyre a common component to Swedens beloved fika tradition, a coffee break shared with friends. So popular are these tasty buns in their native land that they even have a day of their own: Oct. 4 is celebrated as Kanelbullans Dag. Migrants, many from Haiti, wait in lines to board buses under the Del Rio International Bridge, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP) DEL RIO, Texas No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people most of them Haitians had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. It's a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it phenomenal news. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The devastating 2010 earthquake forced many of them from their homeland. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was horrible and that people will pay as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. There will be consequences, Biden told reporters. Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke cautiously about the pending investigation into the use of horses. Asked about the discrepancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was not prejudging an outcome. He was speaking from the heart. She said he is not interfering with any investigation. Mayorkas said about 2,000 Haitians have been rapidly expelled on 17 flights since Sunday and more could be expelled in coming days under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. He said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal. Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, with seven planned Saturday and six Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. In Mexico, just over 100 migrants, most of them single men, remained Friday morning in the riverside camp in Ciudad Acuna. The migrant mother of a child that was rescued by United States agents from the waters of the Rio Grande after she lost her footing and the child began to be swept away by the current, cries after she too was helped ashore on the American side of the border between Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and Del Rio, Texas, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (Felix Marquez/AP) Dozens of families who had been there crossed back to Del Rio overnight after Mexican authorities left the area. With the river running higher, some Border Patrol agents helped families who were struggling to cross with children. Some migrants also moved to small hotels or private homes in Ciudad Acuna. Authorities detained six migrants at one on Thursday afternoon. Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles west along Mexico's border with California. The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said. Asked about the situation in Ciudad Acuna on Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, we dont want Mexico to be a migrant camp, we want the problem to be addressed fully. At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket. A man whod driven almost 1,500 miles from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family wore a neon yellow vest and quietly scanned the line of Haitian migrants. Dave, who didnt want to share his last name, didnt see them in this group. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, left, drops off a migrant couple to a member of a humanitarian aid group, right, after their release from custody, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP) I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help, he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom hed met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody, said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. We have so much. Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge won't reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rios hospital. It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here, Lozano said. The government has no plans to stop expelling some migrants on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. A bulldozer is seen next to a mound of debris on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, while crews clear an area where migrants, many from Haiti, were encamped along the Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP) The Biden administration's special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, and said some of his policy recommendations had been ignored. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. The humanitarian group UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying Thursday that initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. And Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who toured the camp on Thursday, vowed to stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. ___ Maria Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. AP journalists Sarah Morgan in Del Rio, Texas; Ben Fox and Nancy Benac in Washington; Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. President Joe Biden walks to the Quad summit with, from left, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP) WASHINGTON Meeting with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan, President Joe Biden declared Friday that the U.S. and other members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad" are showing they know how to get things done" in an increasingly complicated corner of the globe. Biden and his fellow leaders Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are all grappling with a rising China that Biden has accused of coercive economic practices and unsettling military maneuvering. They made no direct mention of China as they opened the group's first ever in-person meeting, but the Pacific power played a big part in the private talks. Suga raised concerns about China intentions in the South China Sea, where it's stepped up its military presence in recent years, and the East China Sea, where a long-running dispute about a group of uninhabited islets administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing is a point of concern. Suga also raised concerns about Chinese action towards Taiwan, said Japans foreign press secretary Tomoyuki Yoshida. On Thursday, Beijing dispatched 24 jets toward Taiwanese airspace after it submitted its application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact. The prime minister emphasized the importance of the peace and stability in the Taiwan strait, according to Yoshida. Following the summit, the leaders issued a joint statement pledging to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas. The Quad leaders also announced Japan would work with India on a $100 million investment in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drugs. They launched an initiative to bolster semiconductor supply chains. And they unveiled a new fellowship for graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to study at top U.S. universities. President Joe Biden listens during the Quad summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP) Biden has repeatedly made a case that the U.S. and likeminded allies need to deliver results on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other fundamental matters in what he's deemed a race between democracies and autocracies. Morrison and the others seemed to pick up that message at Friday's summit. We are liberal democracies, believe in a world order that favors freedom, Morrison said. "And we believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know thats what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region. Biden and Modi also met prior to the summit for a one-on-one meeting. The president played up ties to India referencing Vice President Kamala Harris' Indian heritage and even his own family ties to the subcontinent. Biden also made clear he saw tightening relations with the world's biggest democracy one that shares a neighborhood with China and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as vital for both sides. Ive long believed the U.S.-India relationship can help us solve an awful lot of global challenges," Biden said.. The Quad is an informal alliance formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Biden has sought to reinvigorate the alliance, putting a spotlight on a chief foreign policy goal: greater attention to the Pacific and a rising China. The alliance met earlier this year, virtually, and announced plans to boost vaccination manufacturing in India. The Japanese and Indian governments welcomed a recent announcement that the U.S., as part of a new alliance with Britain and Australia, would equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. That will allow Australia to conduct longer patrols and give it an edge on the Chinese navy. But the announcement infuriated France, which accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back by squelching its own $66 billion deal to provide diesel-powered submarines. Tensions between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron eased after the two leaders spoke Wednesday and agreed to take steps to coordinate more closely in the Indo-Pacific. Michael Green, who served as senior director for Asia at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, said Japan and India welcome the United States-United Kingdom-Australian alliance because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as China massively builds up its naval forces. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has called it a reflection of outdated Cold War, zero-sum mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical perception that will intensify a regional arms race. The meeting concluded a busy week of wider diplomacy for Biden, who addressed the U.N. General Assembly in which he stressed that the U.S. does not seek a Cold War with China. He also hosted a virtual global summit on COVID-19. Despite Australia and the U.S. taking multiple measures to counter Chinas economic and military power, Morrison left the White House meeting Friday determined to not publicly confront the Chinese. Were there to make the region stronger, more prosperous, stable. Its a positive initiative designed to lift the well being of the people," he said. The leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and emphasized in their joint statement the importance of denying any logistical, financial or military support to terrorist groups which could be used to launch or plan terror attacks, including cross-border attacks. The issue is of particular concern to the Modi government, which is concerned about elements of the Taliban government who have supported attacks on India in the past. Modi was expected to bring up Afghanistan during his meeting with Biden and to raise objections to the Talibans effort to get recognition at the United Nations. The Indian government also has concerns about the influence it believes Pakistans intelligence service exerted in how factions of the Taliban divvied up government offices in Kabul. Suga also raised concerns about North Korea. Pyongyang last week said it successfully launched ballistic missiles from a train for the first time, striking a target in the sea some 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. That test came after the North this month said it tested new cruise missiles, which it intends to make nuclear-capable, that can strike targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, a distance putting all of Japan and U.S. military installations there within reach. ___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed reporting. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, poses with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 10, 2018. (KCNA) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea Following South Korean President Moon Jae-ins calls to formally end the Korean War after 68 years, the influential sister of North Koreas leader on Friday described the proposal as interesting and a good idea. Moon suggested officially ending the 1950-53 conflict, which was suspended by an armistice, this week in a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Moon, who has advocated for the wars end throughout his presidency, urged the armistice signatories to come together and put a formal end to the conflict. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official in the ruling Workers Party of Korea, said in a statement Friday that Moons suggestion was not bad. Her statement, released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, continued: We have discussed the end of war declaration at several opportunities in the past since we have appreciated of the necessity and meaning of the [declaration], which can be the beginning of the establishment of a system to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula. Kim added that her country needed to check it first whether this is the appropriate time and whether all conditions are satisfactory to us in holding discussions like this, noting that the proposed declaration would have no true meaning if the current conflicted relationships and antagonistic relations continued to proliferate. The allies have technically remained at war with North Korea following the armistice agreement. Moon and Kim Jong Un initially agreed to work toward declaring an end to the Korean War during their historic summit in 2018, but diplomatic relations have chilled in the following years. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby echoed Moons remarks during a press briefing Wednesday, saying the United States was open to a discussion about an end-of-war declaration in an effort to achieve the complete denuclearization of the peninsula. Kim Yo Jongs statement on Friday comes hours after a separate statement from North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song characterized the notion of formally ending the war as a smokescreen covering up the U.S. hostile policy. Ri referenced the presence of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea as well as the joint military drills conducted by the allies as the basis for the division on the Korean Peninsula. The communist regime has long criticized the U.S. military presence and says the allies joint military drills are a precursor to an invasion of their country. But bringing a formal end to the Korean War and signing a potential peace treaty would raise several questions and have lasting implications for U.S. foreign policy in the region, professor Sung-Yoon Lee of the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Massachusetts said in a phone interview with Stars and Stripes on Thursday. Why do we need to maintain almost 30,000 U.S. soldiers in South Korea when we have a peace treaty or even an end-of-war declaration, Lee said. The pressure to dismantle the U.N. Command and to withdraw the U.S. from South Korea would mount in the wake of such a development. This is no secret. North Korea has been calling for a peace treaty with the U.S. Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report. WASHINGTON Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to promote cooperation on security, and confirmed their intention to hold a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministerial meeting soon, in their first face-to-face meeting Thursday in Washington. Suga said, Mr. Modi is an important partner to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. Modi said that the bilateral relationship has become more relevant, not only for the two countries but also for global and regional stability and prosperity. During their 45-minute meeting, the two leaders agreed to strengthen relations in the Indo-Pacific region and work together on creating an international order based on the rule of law. With China in mind, they agreed to strongly oppose economic coercion and unilateral changes to the status quo in the East and South China seas. Suga said, North Koreas recent nuclear and missile activities threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region and the international community, adding that full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions is essential. Suga also sought Indias cooperation on resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. In addition to the security issues, they agreed to cooperate on COVID-19 measures, digital technology and climate change. Specifically, Suga said the bilateral cooperation covers such areas as 5G communications networks, undersea cables, supply chains and talent exchanges in information technology. Suga arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on a government plane Thursday afternoon. Buy Photo Marine Cpl. Andrew Campbell, a KC-130J Super Hercules loadmaster, tells Japanese chidren about the missions the aircraft has supported over the years, during a tour of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan Japanese schoolchildren and local journalists visited a Marine Corps aerial refueler squadron Thursday, the first event of its kind at the base since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. Twenty local schoolchildren and 10 representatives of local media were guests of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, which staged a KC-130J Super Hercules refueler for them. The tour was a shadow of the MCAS Iwakuni Friendship Day, the annual airshow that draws more than 200,000 visitors to the base. Friendship Day has been canceled the past two years due to the pandemic. We have such an incredibly strong relationship and friendship with the Japanese people and also with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force squadron that is just across the street from us, Capt. John Skillman II, a pilot from Weston, Mass., told reporters at the event. The visitors were divided into three small groups and given a tour around the Super Hercules, from the cargo area to the flight deck, with a chance for each child to sit in the pilots seat. Marines explained the squadrons mission and talked about their aircraft. Buy Photo A Japanese elementary school student tours a KC-130J Super Hercules during a visit to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) I really want to fly, Kaito Takebayashi, 11, told Stars and Stripes at the event. There was a lot of things I learned about, how they become pilots. It was very inspiring, and I want to go back there again! Community outreach programs like this are a fantastic opportunity for servicemembers to interact with people outside the gate, Gunnery Sgt. Vitaliy Rusavskiy of Marine Aircraft Group 12 told Stars and Stripes on Thursday. We live within the community, and we are part of the community, so this is just one of these steps to have a great relationship with the local Iwakuni community, he said. The 152nd provides aerial refueling service and may also carry personnel, equipment and supplies for air assaults, according to the Marine Corps website. After the aircraft tour, the group visited Iwakuni Middle School to tour an American classroom, then headed to the Strike Zone Bowling Center for lunch and bowling with volunteers from the Single Marine Program. Today was a really, really fun opportunity, to be able to share such a large part of our life with the larger Japanese community of Iwakuni, I cant describe how much fun it was, Skillman said. Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was expected to make a virtual appearance in a Brooklyn courtroom Friday afternoon to formalize the agreement that will allow her to return to China. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) NEW YORK Justice Department officials have reached a deferred prosecution agreement with a tech executive from China that will allow her to return home from house arrest in Canada, the executives attorney confirmed Friday, a major development in an ongoing investigation that has had geopolitical implications. Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was expected to make a virtual appearance in a Brooklyn courtroom Friday afternoon to formalize the agreement. Her attorney, Reid Weingarten, confirmed earlier news reports of the arrangement but did not provide details. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorneys office declined to comment. Meng was arrested in Vancouver, B.C., in December 2018 and charged with bank and wire fraud, accused of misleading banks about Huaweis relationship with a company in Iran called Skycom, which U.S. prosecutors allege is a Huawei subsidiary. She has been held in Canada for three years, straining Beijings relations with Ottawa as well as Washington. The Justice Department alleged that Huawei and Meng tricked the banks into clearing millions of dollars in transactions with Skycom in violation of U.S. sanctions prohibiting business dealings with Iran. Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, has denied wrongdoing. She was released from jail on $8 million bail to the larger of her two multimillion-dollar mansions in Vancouver. She must wear a GPS monitor, has a curfew and is kept under 24-hour surveillance by a court-appointed security firm but has otherwise been free to travel around a designated area of the city. China has cast the charges against Meng as political, arguing that they are part of a U.S. plot designed to stunt the countrys rise. The case is one of several points of contention between the United States and Huawei, which is one of Chinas largest tech companies and the worlds largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment. The Trump administration placed Huawei on an export blacklist in 2019 after calling the company a national security threat, including for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. That move and subsequent tightening of the restrictions stopped Huawei from buying many types of high-tech semiconductors, hurting the Chinese companys ability to manufacture. U.S. officials have also called Huaweis aggressive push into the global 5G telecommunications equipment market a national security threat, warning that Chinese authorities could tap into the gear to spy on or disrupt communications. Huawei and China have rejected that concern, but the United States has essentially banned use of Huawei network equipment domestically and pressured allies not to use it. Mengs arrest thrust Canada into the middle of a tense standoff between China and the United States, deeply damaging ties between Ottawa and Beijing and creating a foreign policy nightmare for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a time when he hoped to deepen economic ties with China. Several days after Meng was taken into custody, China detained two Canadians, businessman Michael Kovrig and former diplomat Michael Spavor, in what Western officials have charged is a flagrant display of hostage diplomacy. Beijing later banned imports of some Canadian crops, including canola. The two Michaels, as they are known in Canada, have been held in cramped cells in separate prisons and largely cut off from the outside world. They faced separate, secret trials in March on vague charges of spying and stealing state secrets. A Chinese court found Spavor guilty in August and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. A verdict for Kovrig has not yet been announced. Trudeau called the verdict in the Spavor case absolutely unacceptable and unjust and said that the trial did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law. Mengs attorneys had been fighting her extradition from Canada to the United States; a Canadian judge was set to schedule her decision on that issue later this fall. Mengs father, Ren, is one of Chinas most powerful businessmen. In an interview with The Washington Post in December 2019 at Huaweis Shenzhen headquarters, Ren offered brief and guarded remarks about her arrest. Mengs mother, husband and daughter had all been to Vancouver to visit her, but Ren said that he had only spoken with her on the phone. Asked if he, too, was afraid of being arrested, he said there is no reason for the U.S. to arrest me. Theres no need for me to be physically there to see my daughter, he added. I think making a phone call is the same as seeing her in person. - - - Coletta reported from Toronto. The Washington Posts Jeanne Whalen contributed to this report from Washington. The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) returns to U.S. Naval Base in Guam, Aug. 19, 2021. As tensions between France and the United States simmered this week over an Indo-Pacific defense deal that sank a multi-billion-dollar French submarine contract, two French generals quietly passed the baton at the helm of a key NATO command center. (Naomi Johnson/U.S. Navy ) BRUSSELS As tensions between France and the United States simmered this week over an Indo-Pacific defense deal that sank a multi-billion-dollar French submarine contract, a French general handed the baton of a key NATO command center to a fellow French air force officer. At a ceremony Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia, Gen. Philippe Lavigne took charge of Allied Command Transformation, where NATO does its strategic thinking, from Gen. Andre Lanata, who had led the center for three years. The handover cemented France's place at the head of one of the military alliance's two strategic command centers, and NATO's only headquarters in North America. French officers have held the post since 2009, when Paris reversed a 1966 decision to pull out of NATO's command structure. Lavigne's nomination was announced in May. It was not influenced by the shambolic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that damaged U.S. credibility, or the submarine contract rift, which led to the recall of French ambassadors and rumors that Paris might once again leave NATO's integrated military structure. Indeed, the command handover illustrates that even amid the kerfuffle over the defense pact between the U.S., Britain and Australia and fresh calls for Europe to end its U.S. military dependence, France remains firmly anchored in the alliance. "I fully understand France's disappointment. At the same time, NATO allies agree on the big picture, on the most important challenges, and that is that we have to stand together" to confront global challenges, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told The Associated Press this week. To ease tensions, U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in. A statement after their phone call conceded that Europe can provide its own security. The U.S., it said, "recognizes the importance of a stronger and more capable European defense, that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to NATO." To help France swallow the loss of its massive contract in Australia to U.S. nuclear submarine makers, Macron won a commitment from Biden to boost support for French-led counter-terrorism operations in Africa's restive Sahel region. A face-saving offer was needed, because France's reaction to the AUKUS defense agreement was almost as surprising as the announcement of the pact itself. Paris claimed it got a "stab in the back" from its allies. For many European officials, the heated French reaction was partly due to the election cycle in the EU's two heavyweight countries. Germans voted Sunday and French citizens head to the polls in April. Some said it was just a question of waiting "for the dust to settle." That said, the fallout from the chaotic Afghanistan exit and the U.S. maneuvering for the defense contract have disappointed many allies. Some see early in the Biden presidency a continuation in form, if not in style, of former President Donald Trump's "America First" policy. With the U.S. now focused on the threat posed by China, calls are multiplying for Europe to ensure its "strategic autonomy" to avoid debacles like the chaotic evacuations from Kabul's airport. The idea of a 5,000-strong rapidly deployable EU stand-by force is being floated. The reality, however, is that NATO already has a similar contingent the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, with around 5,000 ground troops that officials can quickly deploy to respond to security threats. The challenge beyond getting 30 nations to agree to use it is drumming up equipment and personnel, including from many of the 22 EU countries that are also members of the world's biggest security alliance, so it's difficult to see how a European force might be resourced. Moreover, there is no consensus in Europe to establish a separate force. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all count on the U.S. security umbrella to deal with an increasingly assertive Russia. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark backed Biden and warned France on Thursday against turning "concrete challenges, which will always exist between allies, into something they should not be." Germany is caught in the middle. "The trauma of the Trump years convinced Germany to indulge France's vision of strategic autonomy without ever fully endorsing it," said Noah Barkin, senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund think-tank's Asia Program. France's fierce reaction to its lost submarine deal "puts Germany in the awkward position of having to choose between its closest ally in Europe and a Biden administration that has worked overtime to lure Berlin into its orbit," Barkin said. Ultimately, it's unlikely that the French-U.S. spat will pose more of a threat to NATO, or France's place in it, than, say, the security challenge posed by Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defense systems. As he took command in Norfolk on Thursday, Lavigne said that NATO's adaptation is "the only possible way to collectively overcome threats of all kinds, be it terrorism, conventional and nuclear, or emerging threats from new domains like cyber, space or cognitive warfare." "I am here to serve NATO, and I will devote, as always, all my will," the French general said. Marines watch the arrival of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in Souda Bay, Greece, on May 27, 2021. A new defense pact between the U.S. and Greece could give U.S. forces access to an additional base at Souda Bay on the island of Crete. ( Kelly M. Agee/U.S. Navy) A new defense pact between Washington and Athens could give U.S. forces access to a second naval base on the island of Crete and an air and sea base on an island in the Aegean Sea, a prominent Greek news agency reported this week. Military officials in Athens told the Kathimerini newspaper that when the two countries sign a new mutual defense cooperation agreement next month, the deal is expected to involve an additional base at Souda Bay, where the U.S. Navy has long operated. The new base is part of the national operational plan for the coming years and is linked to the decision for Greece to establish a more permanent presence in the eastern Mediterranean, the paper reported. While negotiations are ongoing, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is scheduled to visit Washington on Oct. 14 to finalize the deal. Greeces aim is to add basing at Souda Bay that will enable larger fleets to move in and out of the area. Another top priority for Athens is to get Washington to include in the new defense agreement an expansion of U.S. military operations into the Aegean Sea. Specifically, it is seeking air and naval facilities on the island of Skyros that could be used by either rotational or permanent U.S. units, Kathimerini reported. Skyros is in the center of the Aegean and would give U.S. ships and aircraft quicker access to the Black Sea, where NATO has sought to expand operations over concerns about Russian aggression. U.S. European Command has stepped up operations across Greece over the past few years, establishing a steadier foothold in the strategic eastern Mediterranean in response to Russia. Chinas growing economic clout in the area, which includes control of the Greek port at Piraeus, also concerns U.S. military officials. During a speech Thursday at the Armed Forces Club in Athens, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey R. Pyatt described Russias growing military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, from bases in Syria to mercenaries in Libya, as profoundly destabilizing. On the eastern Mediterranean front of this global competition, Greece has emerged as a critical American ally, Pyatt said. American and Greek perspectives in this region are more aligned than they have ever been. Last year, the U.S. Navy muscled up in the Mediterranean when it homeported a major vessel, the USS Hershel Woody Williams, at Souda, marking the first such ship deployment to the base in at least 40 years. The U.S. Army and Air Force also have expanded missions in other parts of Greece, with a rotating presence at Greek military sites in Stefanovikeio, the port of Alexandroupoli and Larissa Air Base. Any further deepening of military ties between Greece and U.S. is likely to irritate Turkey, a historical rival of Greece, despite the fact that both countries are NATO members. While some security analysts have speculated that an expansion in Greece could eventually present the military with an alternative to Turkeys Incirlik Air Base, which is used by the Air Force, Pentagon officials have denied that any such plan is in the works. Taliban fighters patrol the tarmac after the United States Military have completely withdrawn from the country and Taliban fighters moved in to take control of Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2021. (Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times/TNS) (Tribune News Service) - Hours before the deadly bombing attack at the Kabul airports Abbey gate, the 20-year-old wife of an Afghan interpreter and his mother made it through and joined the tens of thousands evacuating on flights before the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Farid, 30, who had interpreted for American forces and is now a U.S. citizen living in Orange County, had flown back to Afghanistan in May to wed the young woman, Wajmah, immediately filing the request for her visa, but thinking there was time for the process. But as the Taliban gained control of the country much faster than expected, his bride was in danger because of his service to the U.S. Retired Marine Lt. Col. Jamey Federico, who had previously helped his interpreter get out of Afghanistan in 2015, jumped in again to help find safe passage for Wajmah and Farids mother, who now had the appropriate immigration documents in hand, but had to pass through checkpoints and various dangers along the streets of Kabul to get to Marines waiting at the airport gate. (Only their first names and those of other Afghans interviewed are being used because of safety concerns.) Federico, now the mayor of Dana Point, first tried official government channels, but ultimately relied on a network of veterans, Marines he worked with before some on the ground in Kabul and friends of friends to complete the mission. While the State Department officials manning the airport where overwhelmed by crowds looking to evacuate, military veterans cut through the red tape and built their own networks using social media, encrypted phones, Google maps and military training to get hundreds of former interpreters they served with and other Afghans at risk to safety people who had helped Americans and were supposed to be eligible for passage out of the country. Even after the Aug. 30 withdrawal, they continue to aid where they can. The whole network was just everyone trying to do what they can and see what sticks, Federico said. To get Wajmah and Farids mother to the airport, Federico and Farid worked from Federicos Dana Point home for at least 12 hours straight. Using texts, emails and phone calls, they navigated through six people including some of Farids relatives in Afghanistan to get an evacuation plan in place and the correct directions to Wajmah. Dozens of people helped gather the information. Ultimately, we learned what gate was open, and where the Taliban checkpoints were so we could drive around them, Federico said. With the plan set, they woke Wajmah up at 2 a.m. We did a screen grab of Google Earth showing them where to go and avoid the Taliban checkpoints, Federico said. It was difficult to do when the person driving didnt have a map and many of the roads have no names. It took them an hour to finally get to the gate. The first time, it was the wrong one. Farids mom had gone with Wajmah for support. She had no ID, passport or cellphone, but when Wajmah got to the Marines waiting to help, they asked if there was any more family. They made sure she got through despite the fact that she had only the clothes on her back, Federico said. Wajmah had her passport, copy of her husbands passport and all the documents she submitted for the visa. Hours later, they flew out of Kabul headed for Qatar, Federico said. It was just such a sense of relief. Networks spring out of chaos Despite 13 American service members killed (including three from Southern California and several based at Camp Pendleton), 17 more injured and at least 159 Afghans killed in the Aug. 26 bombing attack at the airport, evacuations efforts resumed almost immediately and the U.S. airlifted out more than 124,000 people, including 6,700 U.S. citizens. Of that number, the vast majority, 75%, 80%, are Afghans at risk, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a recent press briefing. The State Department has come under heavy criticism for not doing enough and not acting quickly enough to get American citizens, legal U.S. residents and Afghan allies out of the country. More than 18,000 Afghan special visa holders feared stranding as the process got backlogged and mired in red tape and many sought help from the American service members they had worked with. As the Taliban gained power and the Afghan government disappeared, many Americans were troubled by the images they were seeing. Military veterans resorted to the training and tactics they perfected during their service, adding on their social media savvy to coordinate with those on the ground who were working off books to identify eligible Afghans and pluck them from the amassing crowds with code words or other signals. Among them was a group of veterans calling themselves Digital Dunkirk, a reference to the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Forces from Dunkirk as France was falling in 1940. That was a turning point of World War II, said Gregory Daddis, USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History at San Diego State University. It was seen by many as a humiliating defeat turned into a moral victory. I think the attempt to rescue Afghan allies from their war-torn country was a similar effort, not only to remain loyal to those who aided us, at tremendous personal risk, but also a way for Americans to demonstrate something positive out of a heart-wrenching withdrawal. Just retired Marine Lt. Col. Worth Parker who served 15 of his 27 years with the Special Forces joined evacuation efforts after hearing pleas for help. One story that caught his attention on social media was Marine Maj. Tom Schueman, who was desperate to get his interpreter, Zak, out of Afghanistan. Zak had translated and guided the Camp Pendleton-based Marine, part of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines the Darkhorse Battalion that saw heavy fighting in 2010 to the town of Sangin in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. I just called Tom, and said, You dont know who I am, but I can help you move your guy out. Saving Zak Months ago, Schueman had set up a GoFundMe. The money was earmarked to help Zak and his family transition to a new life in the U.S. But, with the withdrawal imminent, Schueman had to make use of the money now and spread his quest out across social media asking for any help from those he knew or their contacts. This outpouring of public attention was a risk, he said of the threats Zak had received over the years from members of the Taliban for helping the Americans. I realized this was a life-and-death issue, and I didnt have time to do this behind closed doors. Putting a character to the story was the only way I knew we could get support. Zak, 30, has a wife and four children under the age of five. We raised money to smuggle him out of Kunar, raised more money to get passports and lodging in Kabul, Schueman said. Seeing Schuemans posts, Parker reached out to his own circle of sources. A network was forming. Once contacts fell into place, the efforts to help Zak and his family started rolling. The first time Schueman got word that his contacts at the airports gate were ready to receive Zak, the family walked through the congested streets of Kabul and through Taliban checkpoints only for the gates to slam shut as panicked crowds breached them. Two days later, Schuemans contacts were ready again. A British officer saw Schuemans post. He referred him to an Afghan contractor he knew, Malad, who could help Zak and his family. He picked Zak up and drove him to the gate, Schueman said. But again, the overwhelming crowd forced the gates to close almost in front of their faces. As Zak sent Schueman a photo to confirm he was at the right gate, the Taliban fired shots for the crowd to disperse. It was a series of tragedies where we were so close, Schueman said. Malad kept the vehicle running and held his ground despite the Taliban shooting. What Malad didnt tell me was that his father-in-law was murdered by the Taliban that day and he was still helping. Zak, though now terrified for his family, tried one last time. He was given a new name and password to use at the gate. In the confusion, he went to the wrong gate. He was frozen and overwhelmed. Schueman, in real-time from his home in Rhode Island and looking at a map, told him to go 500 meters to the right. Thousands of people were pressing past him and he was in the middle with his family; he told Schueman, I cant go. Desperate, Schueman messaged a friend inside the airport now serving as an Air Force pilot. He was my ace in the hole, Schueman said. I messaged him to get Zak. Then Schueman messaged Zak to put his son, who was wearing a blue shirt, on his shoulders. Schuemans friend grabbed another airman and went to the gate, picking Zak out of the crowd and jumping a wall to go and help the family through to those guarding entry to the airport. Over an hour later, we got the message they got him, Schueman said. Zak and his family were flown to Qatar and now are at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Im so thankful for Zaks persistence and for all the people who rallied around his cause, Schueman said. Im just really thankful hes alive. Mission not over On the same day Zak got out, Parker also helped another Afghan interpreter through the gate. It was among his proudest moments as a Marine, he said. You join the Marines to do something great, he said. Ive been fighting for 17 years. After you fight that long, to do something like this, that felt good and righteous. That felt like a Marine moment. That happened because Marines were talking to Marines, and Marines dont quit. But, Parker realized there were more Afghans to help. So, he went back to again tap his network of retired and active Special Operations guys and CIA veterans. Youve shed blood with Afghans; what are we going to do? he asked them. Within hours, Parkers Task Force Dunkirk was officially geared up. The network contacted Team America, a group of 200 volunteers including active-duty and military veterans, State Department staff and social workers, that was running operations on the ground in Kabul. Parker also partnered with No One Left Behind, nonprofit helping Afghan interpreters navigate the special visa process. By the time U.S. troops withdrew, Team America had helped evacuate more than 500 people, Parker said. No One Left Behind helped bring out 1,000 people. With the U.S. withdrawal, Parker and his network continue to help Team America however they can to aid those still in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, he said. Its absolutely going forward. For example, for Afghan interpreters still stranded in Afghanistan, Team America is helping warehouse critical paperwork needed to get out. If you have documents showing you supported American forces thats not to your advantage to carry around, Parker said. We can upload them to a secure space. They are connecting Afghans with legal and advocacy resources wherever they are in the world, and they are helping authorized Afghans leave their country without breaking any U.S. laws. Joe Saboe, a former Army infantry captain who fought in Iraq and now leads Team America, said the mission remains critical. Each day, he receives hundreds of messages asking for help. With the lens of scrutiny on the Taliban fading few journalists remain in the country there is less accountability, he said, and he fears the worst for those who remain behind. Saboe said he has sometimes wondered about the cost of the war he lost friends fighting. But, the desperate evacuations at the airport underlined why his and other service members efforts really mattered, he said. These people were free for 20 years, he said. The fact that they had it and we are watching it become annihilated, its just devastating. I think back on my friends and their commitment, it did make the world better. A new chance at life Zak and his family and Wajmah and her mother-in-law are now among 9,000 refugees in Germany waiting for permission to come to the U.S. A measles outbreak with more than a dozen cases stalled their flights. Conditions are cramped, Zak said, but added once their paperwork is processed and the family flies out, I will be extremely happy to see my brother, Tom, again. Farid said he is super excited and cant wait for his wife and mother to get to the U.S. Its her first time traveling and being locked up on a military base is not easy for anyone, he said of his young bride. But, she has to deal with it because she would have been in danger if she were in Afghanistan. Farid said he will forever be grateful to Federico and his wife also a Marine veteran for helping settle in Orange County. He considers them his parents. They held me in their arms and taught me how to live, he said. I owe them a lifetime. But, he also thinks about those service members who died very likely some of them helped his wife and mother through the gate just hours before the bombing. I feel terrible about those warriors that lost their lives, he said. They were there to save the lives of others, but instead, they lost theirs. I pray for their families. (2021 The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.) Visit The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.) at www.ocregister.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. United Nations General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid of Maldives, right, meets with Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, during 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at UN headquarters. (Evan Schneider/United Nations via AP) UNITED NATIONS Iran's new foreign minister said Friday the country will return to nuclear negotiations "very soon," but accused the Biden administration of sending contradictory messages saying it wants to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal while slapping new sanctions on Tehran and not taking "an iota of positive action." Hossain Amir Abdollah said the government, which took power last month, believes that President Joe Biden "keeps carrying close to his heart the thick file of the Trump sanctions against Iran, even while seemingly pursuing negotiations." Former President Donald Trump routinely denounced the nuclear accord as the "worst deal ever negotiated" and withdrew from the agreement in 2018 after an ill-fated attempt to bring the other parties Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and Iran on board with additional restrictions. After withdrawing, Trump embarked on what he called a "maximum pressure campaign" against Iran, re-imposing all the U.S. sanctions that had been eased under the deal and adding penalties. In a media briefing on Iran's new foreign policy, Amir Abdollah was very skeptical about the Biden administration's real intentions, stressing that actions are more important than "empty but beautiful words," and so is "the comportment" and "behavior" of the United States toward Iran. Iran's top diplomat sharply criticized additional sanctions imposed by the Biden administration, as well as its refusal to give a green light for Iran to access millions of dollars of its money frozen in South Korea and Japanese banks to buy COVID-19 vaccines and medicine, and suddenly asking Britain to stop payment of 42-year-old debts. While "standing up new sanctions against Iran," he said, the United States can't keep speaking of returning to the nuclear deal, even holding bilateral talks with Iran, and criticizing Trump policies. This includes telling Iran through diplomatic channels that Biden wouldn't have ordered the U.S. airstrike that Trump did in January 2020 which killed Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani. Recalling that Iranians have a long, rich history and ancient civilization behind them, Amir Abdollah said "the United States of America must speak with a civilized tone and tongue with the people of Iran, not the language of threats, of pressure and sanctions." The past 42 years, since the Iranian revolution, have "made clear the language of threats will not work against the great people of Iran." Biden and his team have made a U.S. return to the deal one of their top foreign policy priorities. The deal was one of President Barack Obama's signature achievements, one that aides now serving in the Biden administration had helped negotiate and that Trump tried to dismantle. Amir Abdollah said the new government is reviewing the files of the nuclear negotiations in Vienna and will return to the talks "very soon" because constructive negotiations can lead to "tangible, verifiable results." He added, "We see negotiations as an essential and important tool of diplomacy." The Biden administration implored Iran on Thursday to quickly return to talks on its nuclear program, which were suspended in June ahead of the Iranian elections, warning that the window for negotiations may soon close. A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition that he not be identified by name, said U.S. patience is wearing thin and that further delays while Iran continues to expand its nuclear capabilities, including enriching uranium to higher levels, could lead Washington and its partners to conclude a return to the landmark nuclear deal is no longer worthwhile. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, speaking to reporters in Washington, said the Biden administration has seen the foreign minister's statements that Iran will return to negotiations "very soon" but hasn't received clarity "on what precisely that means." "For our part, we are ready to return to Vienna and to conclude our negotiations quickly before the window of opportunity to return to the JCPOA closes," he said. "We have made very clear that we are ready to do so ... and it's important to pick up those talks where they last left off in June." He said the other JCPOA parties have also agreed on the need "to resume talks as soon as possible." Amir Abdollah said Iran's expectations are that all parties return to the Vienna negotiations and then fulfill their commitments under the 2015 agreement in "a complete and verifiable" way. On Iranian foreign policy more broadly, the foreign minister said, Iran wants contacts and has set agendas with all countries around the world except Israel, which Iran does not recognize. That includes with its regional rival Saudi Arabia, he said. "Good, constructive conversation is ongoing between Tehran and Riyadh," Amir Abdollah said, and Iran has made "dynamic proposals" toward ending the six-year war in Yemen and restoring peace to the region's poorest country which is facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, the minister said, Iran has been supporting and working toward the formation of an inclusive government in that country. Amir Abdollah stressed that the United States "should take action constructive action, measurable action." "Have no doubt," he said, "that if they wish to continue their previous language towards Iran and previous comportment towards Iran, the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not remain tied." ___ Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington Amed Khan, a New York-based philanthropist, center, stands in Athens airport with female lawmakers he helped escape Afghanistan. (Vaggelis Xafinis/for The Washington Post) The female lawmakers were moving from house to house, trying to stay one step ahead of the Taliban fighters they feared were stalking former government officials since taking over Afghanistan last month. The militants controlled Kabul airport, threatening one escape route. At the borders, security was more relaxed, but most neighboring countries had declined to give visas to the women. And no help came from the United States, which had worked with at least one of the lawmakers. We didnt see any hope, said Homaira Ayubi, a lawmaker once hailed as a success story by the U.S. Agency for International Development for her anti-corruption work. Then, earlier this month, Amed Khan, a New-York based philanthropist who was part of a group of NGO workers and private citizens trying to help the lawmakers, was sitting in a car in Uzbekistan staring at Google Maps when he had a radical idea. How can we get the Iranians to save the day with regard to U.S. allies stuck in Afghanistan, he wrote in a text message to a colleague with contacts in Irans government, setting off a complex, weeks-long effort to get the women and their families to safety, aided by Afghans who faced significant risk, advocates around the world and Iran, one of Americas most committed adversaries. A few days after he sent the text, according to Khan, an Iranian diplomat said his government had agreed to allow the lawmakers and their families to transit through Iran - adding yet another country to the assortment of governments hastily enlisted in the sprawling, leaderless and ongoing global effort to evacuate vulnerable Afghans after the Taliban takeover. Iran, which is under strict U.S. sanctions, was far from an ideal destination, nearly everyone involved in the evacuation agreed. The Afghans had to weigh whether traveling there would damage their prospects for resettlement in Europe or the United States. Americans involved in the effort had to take care to avoid breaching sanctions. It was also a delicate matter for Iran, which has reacted with confusion at times to the Taliban takeover. The new hard-line government of President Ebrahim Raisi, which cheered the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, has tried to maintain ties with the Taliban, while at the same time reckoning with a groundswell of Iranian antipathy toward the militants and fears about a resurgence of terrorism next door. A spokesman for Irans government did not respond to questions about its role in the evacuations. After Iran agreed to take in the lawmakers, there were delays in issuing visas, a scramble to secure airplanes and accommodations, and last-minute panic when Iranian intelligence agents boarded the airplane in Mashhad, Iran, and started questioning the passengers about who was funding the operation. Amed Khan, a New York-based philanthropist, center, stands in Athens airport with female lawmakers he helped escape Afghanistan. (Vaggelis Xafinis/for The Washington Post) But early Wednesday, after transiting through Georgia, six lawmakers and their families - 53 people in all - arrived in Greece, which has agreed to shelter them while they apply for asylum in third countries. It was very long and chaotic, but we are happy, said Jamshid Ayubi, Homaira Ayubis 28-year-old son, who was in charge of the group as they navigated the roads, border posts and airports all along the way. The Ayubis said there had been little debate within the family about the need to leave Afghanistan, as wrenching as the decision had been. I have never wanted to leave my country and have never left the country despite very good chances, Homaira Ayubi said in a telephone interview. She worked as a teacher during the Talibans first stint in power, in the 1990s. The Taliban hasnt changed, she said. On the day that Taliban militants entered Kabul, the Ayubis fled their rented home in the capital. Taliban leaders had promised a general amnesty to former government workers, troops and those who had worked with foreign militaries. Even so, reports of retribution trickled in from across the country. In Kabul, fighters were searching homes of parliament members, including Ayubis, she said. She and her family had already moved to a relatives house. Ten or so days after the Taliban takeover, she and other parliament members attempted to leave through the airport, having been told they had seats on an evacuation flight and that the U.S. military had their names. But after boarding a bus to the airport, they were told at the gates by Taliban fighters that they had no authority to let them enter, because their names were not on any lists the militants had been given, Jamshid said. Female Afghan lawmakers along with their families ride a bus in Athens after a journey from Afghanistan, through Iran and Georgia, to Greece. (Vaggelis Xafinis/The Washington Post ) For four, five, six hours, we waited, and no one came to pick us up. By then, Homaira had started to receive threatening phone calls. The family believed they were from the Taliban, but she had plenty of enemies, her son said, stemming from her work in parliament exposing corruption. She shut off her phone. The family started reaching out to neighboring countries and places she had visited as a parliament member to see whether they would issue visas, but received no response. In an emailed response to questions, a State Department spokeswoman did not say what, if any, assistance the Biden administration had provided to the lawmakers as they tried to leave Afghanistan. The United States is taking every available measure to assist Afghans who are at risk, particularly those who worked for or with the United States or have supported international efforts, she said. As the Ayubis searched for a way out, an ad hoc group of people overseas was looking for ways to help her. The group included Tanya Henderson, founder and executive director of Minas List, which supports womens political leadership and participation globally and had worked with many female Afghan lawmakers. Despite their prominence and the peril they faced, those lawmakers just kept getting pushed down to the bottom of the evacuation list, Henderson said, even as other U.S. allies, including those who had worked with the military, were prioritized for evacuation by the Biden administration. Khan, the philanthropist and another member of the group, had been able to evacuate other Afghan refugees since the Taliban takeover by leveraging the extensive international connections he had cultivated over a varied career that included stints in the Clinton administration and the nonprofit world. Khan, a former investor, also had access to the kind of financial resources that allowed him to fly around the world and quickly charter planes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. On Sept. 6, he sent a message to Trita Parsi, a Washington-based Iran analyst. They knew each other from their affiliations with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a think tank whose mission includes working to expose the dangerous consequences of an unaccountable, overly militarized American foreign policy. Parsi is a co-founder of the group, and Khan sits on the board. At the time he wrote the message, Khan was sitting in a car in Uzbekistan, a mile from the border with Afghanistan, trying to figure out how the women could escape, he said in an interview. His outreach through informal networks to several countries, including Uzbekistan, had come up short. What is the fastest, quickest way to get this done, he remembered thinking, before settling on Iran. It seemed worth a shot. Parsi said he was skeptical he could help, since there was a new government in Iran whose priorities, to him at least, were still unclear. He reached out to an Iranian serving in the diplomatic corps, whom he declined to name, and requested transit visas for the lawmakers and their families. A few days later, the diplomat replied, saying that because the refugees were members of parliament, Iran would be willing to let them in. Back in the United States, lawyers were consulted to determine whether the Afghan lawmakers would face difficulties as a result of transiting through Iran (probably, the lawyers concluded, according to Henderson). Khan said he was largely unconcerned with the consequences, saying the fate of the lawmakers was a U.S. responsibility, but he made adjustments in any case: for instance, enlisting a friend from Sweden, which has diplomatic relations with Tehran, to charter the plane from Mashhad. One country that had agreed in the past to take in Afghan refugees balked at accepting travelers transiting through Iran, because of strained relations. So Khan messaged the first lady of Greece, whom he knew socially, and the country agreed to take them in, he said. Some of the Afghans drove to Herat, an Afghan town about a 90-minute drive from the Iranian border, Jamshid Ayubi said, and other families, including his, took the risk of boarding domestic flights from Kabul. His mother wore a full face covering to avoid being recognized. The family booked their tickets to Herat under false names, he said. The group spaced out their crossings into Iran, with a few cars traveling every day over the course of a week to avoid attracting attention. There was a lot of pressure on me to get them there safely, Jamshid said. If one thing went wrong, it could affect all the families. They had gambled that the border would be less secured, which turned out to be correct. When the Ayubis crossed in a small convoy of battered old Toyota Corollas, the Taliban border guards put exit stamps on the Iranian visas, rather than on the passports of the travelers. And then they were in Iran. Homaira Ayubi said she was hoping to take her family to the United States and would continue fighting for Afghan causes from abroad. She had been heartened, she added, by the women protesting for their rights in recent weeks in Kabul and other cities. The Taliban with this ideology will not last long, she said. Afghan refugees Bahrullah Noori, left, and Mohammad Haroon Imaad. Noori faces child sex charges and Imaad faces assault charges for choking and suffocating his wife. (Dane County Sheriff) MADISON, Wis. (Tribune News Service) An Afghan man charged Wednesday with engaging in sexual acts with a child had been abusing two boys, ages 12 and 14, in a bathroom and housing area of the Fort McCoy military base in western Wisconsin, an affidavit alleges. Bahrullah Noori, 20, appeared Thursday in federal court in Madison on the child sexual assault charges. Noori, who has not yet entered a plea, will remain in the Dane County Jail as the case proceeds. Noori is one of two Afghan men recently charged with committing crimes while staying at Fort McCoy, where more than 12,000 Afghan evacuees were being temporarily housed. The other man, Mohammad Haroon Imaad, 32, has been charged with assault for allegedly choking and suffocating his wife. Defense attorney Joe Bugni entered a plea of not guilty on Imaads behalf in federal court Thursday. Imaads wife told FBI investigators that Imaad had also raped her, but he has not been charged with sexual assault at this point, according to an affidavit. A jury trial was set for Nov. 1 in Imaads case. Future court dates for Noori have not yet been scheduled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker said the Department of Homeland Security has ordered both Imaad and Noori be detained while their cases are pending, but if the department changes its position the men could have a bail hearing. According to the affidavits: Another Afghan man, who was not identified, told investigators on Sept. 11 that Noori was molesting his 12-year-old son and 14-year-old nephew. The abuse had been happening over the previous two weeks. The man told the FBI he walked into the bathroom in the early-morning hours of Sept. 11 and saw Noori taking off the clothes of his nephew and trying to have sex with him. The same day, the man came into the bathroom to find Noori kissing his son. The FBI said the man did not have any feud or dispute with Noori prior to the complaint and seemed credible as a witness. Both boys told investigators Noori had touched them inappropriately, kissed and bit them and said he would beat them if they told anyone about the sexual abuse. Noori is facing three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a minor, including one involving the use of force. He also is charged with a fourth count of attempting to engage in such acts with a minor while using force. In an unrelated case, soldiers responded to a domestic disturbance on Sept. 7. Imaads wife told soldiers through an interpreter that Imaad had hit her and choked her. She had bruising on her right eye and redness on her throat, a soldier reported. She also told the soldiers that Imaad had struck their children on multiple occasions. The Afghan woman said this was not the first time she was assaulted by Imaad and that he had beat me many times in Afghanistan to the point I lost vision in both eyes. She told a soldier Imaad threatened to kill her or send her back to Afghanistan where the Taliban could deal with her. On Sept. 9, the woman fainted and received medical treatment. She told a soldier that Imaad had hit, choked, verbally abused and raped her since she arrived at Fort McCoy. Soldiers found Imaad and took him into custody. If convicted, Noori could spend up to life in federal prison for the charges that allege force, and up to 15 years for the other two charges. Imaad faces up to 10 years in federal prison. ___ (c)2021 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attends a briefing outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) WASHINGTON The House passed legislation Friday that would guarantee a woman's right to an abortion, an effort by Democrats to circumvent a new Texas law that has placed that access under threat. The bill's 218-211 approval is mostly symbolic, as Republican opposition will doom it in the Senate. Still, Democrats say they are doing all they can to codify the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision after the Supreme Court recently allowed the Texas law banning most abortions in the state to take effect. The court will hear arguments in December in a separate Mississippi bid to overturn the landmark decision. Despite the long odds in his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement after the vote that "Congress must assert its role to protect the constitutional right to abortion" and that the Senate would hold a vote "in the very near future." Codifying the Roe ruling would mean creating a right to abortion in federal law, a monumental change that would make it harder for courts and states to impose restrictions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a "tremendous difference" in Democrats' efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision "shameful" and counter to its own precedent. Pelosi said just ahead of Friday's vote that it should "send a very positive message to the women of our country but not just the women, to the women and their families, to everyone who values freedom, honors our Constitution and respects women." No Republicans voted for the legislation, which would supersede state laws on the subject, give health care providers the right to perform abortions and patients the right to receive them. Republicans argue it would prevent states from setting requirements like parental involvement and could weaken laws that allow doctors to refuse to perform an abortion. The legislation "isn't about freedom for women, it's about death for babies," said Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri. She said it would eliminate protections for women and girls who may be coerced into having abortions. "It ends the life of a living human being with a plan and a purpose from God and who deserves to live," Hartzler said. Only one member crossed party lines Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who voted against the bill. The vote came as Democrats have spoken boldly about fighting the Supreme Court which has a more conservative tilt after Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed last year but struggled privately to find an effective strategy. They control Congress by the slimmest of margins, including the evenly split 50-50 Senate, making the prospects of a successful legislative response difficult. The party has split, in some cases, over how far Washington must go to preserve access to abortions. Liberal lawmakers backed by advocates of reproductive rights who helped power President Joe Biden to office want to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court to rebalance power, changing the rules if needed to lower the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate to advance legislation. "Democrats can either abolish the filibuster and expand the court, or do nothing as millions of peoples' bodies, rights, and lives are sacrificed for far-right minority rule," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. "This shouldn't be a difficult decision." But other Democrats Biden among them have been wary of such a move. Biden supports the House bill and called the court's ruling on Texas an "unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights." He has directed multiple agencies to conduct a government-wide effort to ensure women have abortion access and to protect health care providers. But he has not endorsed the idea of adding justices to the Supreme Court, instead forming a commission to study the idea. The court's decisions on abortion could prompt political tensions among Republicans, as well. Former President Donald Trump was able to secure three new conservative Supreme Court justices because Republican leadership in Congress led by GOP leader Mitch McConnell paved the way. Now, as the court upheld the strict new Texas aw outlawing most abortions in the state, the political fallout will test the limits of that strategy. Women and advocates of abortion rights are quickly mobilizing to take on not just those Republicans, but also the big businesses that backed them, aiming squarely at those that contributed to many of the Texas Republicans behind the abortion law. "They will be met with a fierce response from women and people across the country," said Sonja Spoo, director of Reproductive Rights Campaigns at UltraViolet, an advocacy organization, in an interview. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who supports abortion rights, says the Texas law is "harmful and extreme" and she supports codifying Roe. But she says the House bill goes "way beyond" that and could threaten the rights of doctors who refuse to perform abortions on religious or moral grounds, for example. "I support codifying Roe, and I am working with some of my colleagues in the Senate on legislation that would do so," Collins said in a statement. In this Sept. 13, 2021, file photo, an Afghan inspects the damage of Ahmadi family house in Kabul, Afghanistan. A U.S. drone strike killed 10 members of the family, including seven children. On Sept. 18, 2021, they demanded Washington investigate who fired the drone and punish the military personnel responsible for the strike, said Emal Ahmadi, whose 3-year-old daughter Malika was killed Aug. 29 when the U.S. hellfire missile struck his elder brothers car. (Bernat Armangue/AP) WASHINGTON The Defense Departments inspector general has launched a new investigation into the U.S. drone strike in Kabul last month that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, defense officials announced Friday. The review, which is separate from one underway by the Air Force ordered last week by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, will determine whether the strike was conducted in accordance with DOD policies and procedures, according to the announcement. Specifically, we will review the pre-strike targeting process, the damage assessment and civilian casualty review and reporting process, and the post-strike reporting of information. The strike on Aug. 29 was the last known U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan before the last American troops left Kabul just before midnight Aug. 31. Defense officials originally said it had disrupted an imminent suicide attack against Hamid Karzai International Airport, where 13 U.S. service members were killed in an ISIS attack three days earlier as they helped evacuate Americans and their allies from the country after the Taliban takeover Aug. 15. Military leaders had earlier claimed the strike killed an Islamic State fighter, but an investigation by U.S. Central Command last week revealed civilians were the only casualties in the attack. The latest evaluation will be conducted with CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command, but additional organizations and locations could be tapped to join as the investigation unfolds, according to the announcement. Last week, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of CENTCOM, called the Reaper drone strike a tragic mistake. I offer my sincere apology. As the combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike in this tragic outcome, McKenzie said. The first review of the strike was announced Monday, when chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Austin had ordered a review of the CENTCOM investigation that determined the strike had killed civilians. Lt. Gen. Sami Said, the Air Force inspector general, is leading that review. Said's investigation will study the degree to which any policies, procedures, or targeting mechanisms may need to be altered going forward, if any and what levels of accountability might be appropriate, Kirby said. Caitlin Doornbos While Dulles airport had been the main hub for Afghan evacuees, Philadelphia International airport will now be the primary hub. (Nicholas Guevara/U.S. Marine Corps) (Tribune News Service) Philadelphia International Airport is now the main U.S. hub for receiving evacuees from Afghanistan, top Biden administration officials said Friday. Originally a lot of the folks were coming in through Dulles, but now a lot of that activity has switched to Philadelphia which will be the main hub for a bit longer, said former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, the Biden administrations point person on resettling Afghans. Philadelphias airport and Dulles International Airport in Virginia have been the two landing spots for American citizens, legal residents and Afghan evacuees since a mass evacuation began last month. So far the airport has received about 12,000 Afghan nationals, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters on a conference call. He said Philadelphia was chosen because of the airports operational facility, its ability to handle homeland security staff processing arrivals and its proximity to the joint base Dix-McGuire-Lakehurst in South Jersey, one of eight military facilities housing people until they can be resettled. Military officials have previously said they planned to expand Dixs capacity to host up to 10,000 evacuees at a time. The Muslim Federation of South Jersey estimates there are 9,500 Afghans at the base. Were very appreciative that Gov. [Tom] Wolf has been so supportive frankly, as governors across the country have been at welcoming our allies, Markell said. He said the state has long served as a refuge for those seeking peace and stability amid crisis and will continue to help in any way possible. Afghan evacuees begin arriving in Philly as supporters rally and plead for those left behind Its unclear how long the evacuees will stay at Ft. Dix, but nearly every state is expected to receive some. Initial plans called for Pennsylvania to receive around 995 evacuees and for about 535 to go to New Jersey, according to the Biden administration. The relocation decisions are made in coordination with resettlement agencies and their affiliates, and some of the evacuees own wishes if, for example, they have family to live with. This mission really does reflect the best of who we are as a country, Mayorkas said on the call. He also emphasized the screening and vetting involved, saying it includes biometric and biographic checks, inspections upon arrival, testing for COVID-19 and required vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella, polio and COVID-19. Afghan evacuees arrive at Philly airport; area officials promise a safe haven. Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article. (c) 2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. FILE - In this June 10, 2021, file photo Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks at a Senate Armed Services budget hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP) ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT The U.S. should explore ways to expand its military contacts with the Russians, potentially to include allowing observers from each country to watch the others combat exercises, in a broad effort to increase transparency and reduce the risk of conflict, the top U.S. military officer said Thursday. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met in Finland for six hours Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff. Speaking to two reporters traveling with him back to the U.S., Milley said that military contacts between the two great powers are currently largely limited to senior leaders such as the defense secretary, the chairman and the supreme allied commander for Europe. But he said the U.S. might look into allowing the military service chiefs to form stronger relationships with their Russian counterparts which is currently not allowed. That way, for example, naval leaders could reach out to avoid conflict when there are tensions at sea. We need to put in place policies and procedures to make sure that we increase certainty, to reduce uncertainty, increase trust to reduce distrust, increase stability to reduce instability in order to avoid miscalculation and reduce the possibility of great power war, Milley said. Thats a fundamental thing that we should try to do, and I am going to try to do it. Allowing observers at exercises and other changes, he said, are worth exploring. We might not do it, but we should at least take a look at it, Milley said. Milley declined to detail the contents of his talks with Gerasimov, but a Joint Staff statement appeared to suggest that transparency was discussed. The statement said the meeting was focused on the military and that both sides seek increased transparency to reduce misunderstanding and increase stability. Milleys comments Thursday come in the midst of a furor over calls he made during the final turbulent months of Donald Trumps presidency to assure his Chinese counterpart that the United States was stable and wasnt going to suddenly go to war with or attack China. Milley has argued that the calls were routine and perfectly within the duties and responsibilities of his job to reassure an adversary and ensure strategic stability. Trump, however, has labeled his calls to the Chinese as treasonous, and some Congress members have called for him to step down. As the debate roiled in D.C., however, Milley was thousands of miles away doing much of the same thing: speaking to his military counterparts both allies and adversaries in a series of meetings in Europe. Americas relationship with Russia has been precarious. After a period of post-Cold War cooperation on nuclear security and other defense issues, the relationship between Washington and Moscow took a nosedive, particularly after Russian forces entered the former Soviet republic of Georgia in 2008. Tensions spiked with Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its military intervention in eastern Ukraine. More recently, the U.S. has blasted Russias attempts to interfere in American elections and linked Moscow to widespread cyberattacks, including the SolarWinds espionage campaign that exposed 80% of the email accounts used by the U.S. attorneys offices in New York and several other departments. In response to the Ukraine invasion, Congress in 2016 severely limited military cooperation with Russia. The law prohibits military-to-military cooperation until the secretary of defense certifies that Russia has ceased its occupation of Ukrainian territory and aggressive activities. The law was later amended to state that it does not limit military talks aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. Milley on Thursday said that military-to-military contacts with Russia have worked in the past to de-escalate tense situations. Without being specific, he said there were a couple of incidents that occurred between us and the Russians over the last two years that triggered calls between Milley and Gerasimov. Such calls, he said, are done with the full knowledge of the administration, and often are at the White Houses request. In those cases, he said, the calls were successful in calming things down. That could have never happened had I not gotten to know him a little earlier, said Milley. Despite all the friction between the two countries, the U.S. also finds itself looking to Russia for some possible help in fighting extremists in Afghanistan. The U.S. is struggling to secure basing rights and other counterterrorism support in countries bordering Afghanistan. And there have been signals that the U.S. would like Russia to ease its opposition so it can better monitor, and if needed strike, al-Qaida and Islamic State militants who may seek to attack America again. _____ AP National Security writer Robert Burns contributed to this report. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham honors the military service of 22 veterans whose remains went unclaimed, giving the eulogy during a funeral at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Sept. 23, 2021. (Facebook/Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham) SANTA FE, N.M. (Tribune News Service) Twenty-two forgotten veterans who served their country and died without having any family members claim their remains were laid to rest Thursday. The sad fact of the matter is that we dont know much about these men beyond their name and rank, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during the burial ceremony at Santa Fe National Cemetery. No friends or family came forward to claim their remains, and so we are left without the details of their existences, she said. But we do know that each answered the call to serve the United States of America and each served honorably. She said the 22 veterans, all men, did not lead perfect lives and likely lived hard lives after their service. The state Department of Veterans Services has hosted an annual Forgotten Heroes Memorial Ceremony honoring unclaimed veterans since 2009. All of the men buried Thursday died between 2018 and 2020 except for one, who died in 2001. Similar military burial ceremonies take place across the country. Some attract more attention than others. In 2019 in Texas, thousands of people showed up to attend U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph Walkers military funeral after officials feared no one would attend because no family members claimed his remains. Thursdays ceremony, held on a hill overlooking rows of graves of veterans and their spouses, included a prayer; a rendition of the national anthem by Albuquerque teen Marisol Herrera; and brief speeches by Lujan Grisham, cemetery director Victor L. Vasquez and Sonya Smith, secretary of the state Department of Veterans Services. Officials review the military records of the interred veterans to ensure they meet the criteria for a military burial, which military veterans with honorable discharges may receive for free as part of their benefits. The wind blew steadily, setting the flags surrounding the memorial service fluttering in the wind. As if on cue, when two bagpipe players began performing a rendition of Amazing Grace, those winds died down to almost nothing. Some in the assembly of about 150 shed tears and consoled one another. Others bowed their heads. Salutes were plentiful, indicating a strong presence of veterans. Among those in attendance was Rep. Harry Garcia, a Grants Democrat and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War. He said before Thursdays commemoration that too many U.S. soldiers were left behind and forgotten in that conflict. We cant afford to lose track of what becomes of our veterans, he said. We cannot forget them. Anybody who put on a uniform needs to be remembered. Herrera, who said she is considering serving in the military once she graduates high school, said after the ceremony she felt it was important to be there to pay tribute to the veterans. These people do not have a family, she said of the 22 veterans. For me to stand [in] for them means a lot. Maj. Gen. Ken Nava, New Mexicos adjutant general, read off the 22 mens names in roll call style at the end of the ceremony. Nava said afterward such public events prove the veterans are not forgotten. Theyre unforgotten veterans, he said. They 22 veterans were: Stephen Anthony Atwood, U.S. Army Michael Owen Crossley, U.S. Marine Corps. Lester Wayne Faulk, U.S. Navy Bruce Allan Halterman, U.S. Army Michael Ray Harriman, U.S. Army Dean Ross Harris, U.S. Marine Corps. John Willliam Harrison, U.S. Army Rocky Hunter, U.S. Navy James Andrew Jaworski, U.S. Navy Frederick Addison Jones, U.S Army Kerry Rodney Lee, U.S. Army James Edward Marshall, U.S. Marine Corps. Timothy Carlos Murray, U.S. Marine Corps. Frederick Calhoun Pickens, U.S. Navy Tony Leon Roberson, U.S. Marine Corps. Wayne Charles Roundeau, U.S. Army Randolph Allen Saxvold, U.S. Army George Lawrence Schmith, U.S. Army Felix John Stanion, U.S. Marine Cops. Sheldon Donald Tauber, U.S. Army John Tyler, U.S. Army Thomas E. Bell, U.S. Navy (c)2021 The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) Visit The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) at www.santafenewmexican.com Bill Tate of Westerville salutes the flag Friday at the induction ceremony for the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor class of 2021. (Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch/TNS) COLUMBUS, Ohio (Tribune News Service) The crowd stayed silent as the harrowing stories of heroism were read from the stage. A wounded soldier crawling through Vietnam jungles to get to injured brothers, a Marine diving on a grenade and sacrificing himself to save comrades, a staff sergeant from the legendary Night Stalkers commando team who lost his life when the enemy shot down the teams helicopter over the mountains of Afghanistan. Other men being honored fought firefights in Vietnam rice paddies, manned the guns from the doors of helicopters, and undertook dangerous missions to rescue downed pilots. All were among 15 veterans inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor during a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse atrium Friday. Founded more than 20 years ago, the hall of fame with this years class now includes 437 veterans who were each awarded medals of valor for specific acts of bravery and heroism in combat. Medals wait for their recipients Friday at the induction ceremony for the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor class of 2021. (Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch/TNS) Upper Arlington resident Steve Stover, 74, accepted the hall of fame medal on behalf of his late father, Army 1st Lt. W. Wallace Stover, but he said it never gets any easier to listen to the recounting of what his dad went through on the day he earned his Silver Star in a raging battle on the Solomon Islands during World War II. Army 1st Lt. W. Wallace Stover (TNS) Dad never talked about it, not even to my mom, Stover said. Just to think about that day and what he went through to save others. Its incredible to know what he went through at war. Last of the legends: Ohios last Buffalo Soldier, John B. Williams, dies at 98 It was on Nov. 29, 1943, that his father, as part of the 129th Infantry Regiment, saved a patrol unit pinned down by fire. Stover braved heavy machine gun fire and sniper rifles as he crawled up a shallow gully, leapt onto a ledge and jumped into a cave to save the wounded and trapped soldiers inside. The hall of fame ceremony each year attracts hundreds of people to a standing-room-only crowd at the Statehouse. As the pandemic continues, Fridays was a much smaller crowd of probably less than 200. Master of ceremonies Rick Colliver reminded them that the combat stories are real. This is not a script some Hollywood filmmaker dreamed up, he said. These are stories of real heroes. Robert "Bob" Labadie, who was awarded a Silver Star while a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army serving in Vietnam in 1969, was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor. (TNS) Among the honorees this year was Robert Bob Labadie, an Army veteran who served 30 years both active duty and with the Ohio National Guard. A former director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services who retired as a colonel, he was just a young second lieutenant serving with the 22nd Infantry in December 1969 when his platoon was pinned down by fire in Vietnam. He gave up his own cover to engage the enemy, saving soldiers lives. He was awarded the Silver Star. Fridays induction certainly was an honor, said the 72-year-old Westerville man (or maybe 73, he said hes never been certain). But it also forced him to remember, as he dug through long-put-away old photos from his years in the service while getting ready for the ceremony. It started me reminiscing, Labadie said. And I guess thats good. I was a 19- or 20-year-old second lieutenant in the controlled chaos of war. Ive tried to suppress it or forget it. But Im glad I was able to help the folks I served with. In addition to Labadie, others honored who are from the Greater Columbus area included Jerry H. Durre, of Gahanna, a veteran of the Vietnam War who was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with valor while serving as a captain in 1969; Vietnam War veteran Glenn T. Lewis, of Newark, who was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with valor while serving as a specialist in 1969; and Barry D. Smith, an Army veteran of Vietnam who entered the service in Lancaster and was awarded a Silver Star in 1970. Navy Ensign Jesse L. Brown became the first Black Naval pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. (TNS) Some of the veterans, like Stover, were inducted posthumously. Those with ties to Greater Columbus were World War II Army veteran William J. Craine, who entered the service from Columbus and was awarded a Bronze Star while a sergeant in 1945; and Navy pilot Jesse L. Brown, an Ohio State University student who accepted a commission as an ensign, went on to become the first Black Naval pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Browns citation for the medal describes the nearly 20 combat missions he flew over about eight weeks after arriving with his fight squadron off the coast of Korea. On Dec. 4, 1950, he provided air support to ground Marines who were outnumbered and worn down from brutal weather conditions in a grueling, long and bloody battle at the Chosin Reservoir. With his plane apparently struck by gunfire and losing fuel pressure, Brown crash-landed in enemy territory on a snow-covered mountainside west of the lake. Although Brown survived the impact, he was pinned in his smoldering plane... and it was there that he died, despite heroic rescue efforts, the citation states. Gov. Mike DeWine helped present the hall of fame medals, and he said Ohio and the nation owes each recipient and all of those who do or have served a debt of gratitude. Today, Ohio salutes them for their service, which went above and beyond the call of duty, DeWine said. We owe each of them so much. They risk everything for our freedom. The blessings that we sometimes take for granted do not come without a cost. The Ohio Air National Guard, presents the colors at the induction ceremony for the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor class of 2021, Friday, September 24, 2021. (Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch/TNS) Hall of fame inductees include veterans from counties such as Lucas, Medina, Knox and Summit. Others inducted in the 2021 class were: Everett Dennis Keaton, born in Waverly, who was an Army captain serving in Vietnam and who was awarded the Silver Star while a captain in 1970. (Posthumously honored) Shamus O. Goare, who was from Danville in Knox County and, as an Army staff sergeant and member of the Night Stalkers, earned the Air Medal with valor during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2005. (Posthumously honored) Kurt B. Barger, who as an Army sergeant first class serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan was awarded the Bronze Star with valor in 2013. He entered service from Cuyahoga County and lives now in Wadsworth in Medina County. James Douglas Locker, a sergeant in the Air Force who was killed in Vietnam in 1968 and received his third Silver Star posthumously. His remains were returned to the U.S. in 2003, and he is buried in Sidney in western Ohio. John J. Keefe, an Army specialist from Tiffin in Northern Ohio who was awarded a Bronze Star with valor in 1968 while serving in the Vietnam War. (Posthumously honored) Adam D. Zimmerman, from Sylvania in Lucas County, who was an Army specialist when he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stanley M. Barefield, a Marine who was a private first class when he served in Vietnam and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with valor in 1969. He entered service from Columbiana County in Northeast Ohio. Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold G. Epperson, a Marine who was awarded the militarys highest honor for valor for action on Saipan against Japanese forces on June 25, 1944. Epperson was born in Akron. More information on all members of the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor can be found at ohioheroes.org. 2021 The Columbus Dispatch. Visit dispatch.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Pfc. Royal L. Waltz, 20, was accounted for in May 2019 but the announcement was delayed until after a recent briefing of relatives. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) (Tribune News Service) World War II veteran Pfc. Royal Waltzs body was lost to the Marine Corps and his California family for over 70 years. That changed a couple years ago, after some of his bones were found in 2013 on the remote Pacific islet of Betio, and then matched with unknown remains interred decades ago in Hawaii, resulting in Waltzs identification in 2019. This week 78 years after the 20-year-old Marine was killed his remains finally returned home to the central San Joaquin Valley, where he grew up before moving to the Central Coast while in high school. The coffin holding his remains was received on Thursday morning by his family a niece, great-niece, and cousin at the Los Angeles International Airport, then driven north to Hanford ahead of a Monday funeral for him in that Valley city. A burial will follow at the Grangeville Cemetery in nearby Armona, where he will be laid to rest with full military honors near his mother, siblings and other family. There were so many boys lost in all our wars, said Waltzs niece, Patricia Hanse Verheul, and so many didnt make it home. ... What an honor it is to be allowed to receive his remains and bury them as a family. Its just indescribable. World War II vets bodies lost on island after Battle of Tarawa Betio, where many of Waltzs remains were lost and forgotten, is not a tropical paradise, said Justin LeHew, a retired Marine and chief operating officer of History Flight, the nonprofit that found Waltzs bones on that Pacific island in 2013. Its more than a third-world country, he said, coupled with extreme heat and humidity where the WWII graves were lost under pig sties, under public toilets. The sand above where Waltzs remains were unearthed tells a sad story. Digging into it, the first layer reveals buried trash, LeHew said. Deeper, its crushed coral, used by the U.S. military in the 1940s to make an airstrip during World War II. And below that, its black soil, scorched during the Battle of Tarawa, when Waltz was killed. The island was on fire for 76 hours in November of 1943, LeHew said. Then under that is the most beautiful, pristine white sand youve ever seen in your life, LeHew continued, and thats where all the Marines are at, and undisturbed. Betio, where they died in the Tarawa atoll, part of the Gilbert Islands, is around two miles long and half a mile wide. That tiny piece of land in the Pacific Ocean was the most fortified atoll America invaded during the Pacific Campaign an invasion that became one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific. More than 1,000 Americans, and thousands more Japanese and Koreans, were killed during the Battle of Tarawa. The bodies of more than half of those Americans killed in the Battle of Tarawa still werent accounted for many decades after the war. That fact startled the founder of History Flight. It resulted in the organization shifting its mission from taking veterans on plane rides to searching for the remains of those missing in action. History Flight has recovered over 250 sets or portions of remains from Tarawa since 2010 in some cases, complete skeletons that were then delivered to the U.S. military. Of those, over 130 have been identified, LeHew said. After the Battle of Tarawa, some graves were relocated so the Navy could build a runway for aircraft, LeHew said. Later identifications were further complicated by the military setting out white memorial crosses in neat rows on a beach in Betio photographed and shared widely in the U.S. each bearing the name of a young man killed in the battle, but none of the names corresponded to anyone, LeHew said. After the war, portions of skeletons were taken from graves for identification, but many werent found and were left behind. The remains of around 400 Americans killed in that battle remain unidentified, LeHew said. Many may still be on Betio. The most heartbreaking telegrams and letters Ive seen in my life is after 1949, when the government sent final letters (to families of those missing in action) and said, Were no longer looking for your sons. Were no longer putting resources to this. Hes gone. I cant imagine what that would have been like, said LeHew, a retired sergeant major who did multiple tours in Iraq. In the military I was in, there was no end, no shutting the door. You dont leave fallen comrades behind. Searching for MIA military service members around the world The U.S. military experienced a big shift in ethos in the 1970s, following the Vietnam War. Decades ago, after WWII and after the Korean War and going into the 60s, this mission didnt exist, said Sgt. 1st Class Sean Everette, a spokesperson for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense. We didnt have a dedicated agency within the DoD that would go and try to find and recover still-missing service members. Todays DPAA has only been around since 2015, but had similar predecessors that went by other names. The agency has partnered with more than 40 organizations to look for the remains of missing veterans around the world, Everette said. Its a huge mission. Over 81,600 service members are missing from all our modern wars and conflicts back to World War II, Everette said. We estimate 38,000 of those are recoverable. The ones not recoverable, many of those were losses at sea, Navy ships that were sunk in with all crew members aboard, or planes that crashed in the water and are currently too deep for us to safely be able to do a scientific archaeological excavation. He said most of the missing are from World War II. The military was able to identify around 130 missing service members this fiscal year, 120 last year, and 219 in the 2019 fiscal year, Everette said. LeHew said 20% of all the militarys missing-in-action identifications are tied to remain recoveries conducted by History Flight, which now does this work in multiple countries. Wars painful effects through many generations History Flights discoveries on Tarawa prompted the reexamination of 94 sets of unknown remains from that island that had been moved to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Waltzs remains there in Oahu, previously just known as X-228, were disinterred in 2017 and then matched with those found in 2013 by History Flight. Putting those pieces together resulted in a nearly complete skeleton. New DNA submitted from Waltzs niece, Verheul, helped make his 2019 identification possible. The sole of a boot and a belt buckle were also identified as belonging to Waltz. Verheul was born two years after her uncle was killed in Tarawa. She didnt have to know him to feel the pain of his loss, passed down through generations of her family. Her mother was Waltzs older sister. There was just a sense of loss, Verheul recalled. I was a little kid, they didnt talk about it with me, but I knew Uncle Royal was missing and gone and there was a hole in their lives. ... My grandmother, it hurt her heart all the rest of her life. Waltzs great-niece, Cindy Garcia, was born decades later and still feels that collective pain. Her father was born a month after Waltz enlisted in the Marine Corps. The middle name he was given, Royal, was in honor of his uncle. Shes been doing a lot of research into his past. There was confusion immediately following the Battle of Tarawa about what happened to Waltz. Early reports to his family was that he was wounded in a hospital. They got a certificate from the Marine Corps a year after the battle stating that Waltz was officially declared killed in action. The following year, in 1945, they got another letter from one of Waltzs friends, a fellow Marine at the Battle of Tarawa, who shared more information. Your son was wounded in the initial landing, his letter explains. The best I can remember he was hit in the shoulder. The fighting was so thick and hot, that he was put in a hole just off the beach. I am sure he received medical attention, because he was to be evacuated as soon as it was possible. When he was going from there to a boat at the beach, he was killed by sniper fire. I dont know where he was buried. Having his remains finally found and identified means a lot to his surviving family, who received his remains on Thursday with the memory of their deceased loved ones, including Waltzs parents and siblings, close to their hearts. The amazing thing is how close our family has become as a result of this, Garcia said. The interactions weve been able to share. The tears weve been able to cry, just talking. Were each sharing our own heart. ... Its really special what its created, new connections and deeper connections. Hanford recalls young mans ties to central San Joaquin Valley Waltz experienced other battles before Tarawa. The carpenter and then engineer in the Marine Corps also fought at Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Guadalcanal. He was tall and strong, and described boot camp in San Diego, not long after enlisting in 1941, by saying, This life is much easier and we have more time to ourselves, in a letter to his family. He ended it, Dont work too hard and remember to eat candy for me. Your appreciating son, Royal Lawrence Waltz. His family is looking forward to honoring him during a funeral service at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 27 at First United Methodist Church in Hanford. Verheul said masks will be required, and there will be limited seating because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. His burial will follow at Grangeville Cemetery in Armona. His remains arrived at a funeral home in Hanford on Thursday afternoon after being flown from Hawaii to Los Angeles. My family and I are amazed at the amount of recognition Uncle Royal is receiving from the church historian, to the pastor who has sanded and varnished the church doors, to people we dont know that feel a connection to the process of recovering our missing soldiers, Verheul said. That church historian, Jim Gregory of First United Methodist, has been doing a lot of research into Waltzs connection to the Valley. Waltz grew up on a dairy farm in the Hanford area, and his familys ties to the area go back to the 1800s. One of First United Methodists stained glass windows was previously dedicated to Waltz and his parents. Waltz was a member of that church, and was elected president of its youth group. He had Methodist minister ancestors on both sides of his family. Waltz attended elementary school between Armona and Lemoore in a now-gone school district thats now part of Central Union School District, Gregory said, and then finished grammar school in Grangeville, also in Kings County. He attended Hanford High School until his family moved to Cambria, where his uncle worked for a newspaper and his father got into the real estate business. Waltzs parents moved back to Hanford in the early 1950s. Verheul is very grateful Waltz will be buried at the Grangeville Cemetery near many family members. It makes it all that much more meaningful, Verheul said, because there is that history and that link. I know the cemetery. I know where were going to put him, and I know whos next to him. Its just comforting to be so close to him and to know that its home. (c)2021 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.) Visit The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.) at www.fresnobee.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A majority of New Zealanders would be happy to try eating an insect even if they have never tasted one before, preliminary findings from a new study show. The survey from the University of Auckland of 668 New Zealanders, shows 60 per cent would be willing to eat an insect and almost the same number 59 per cent have eaten insects in the past. Of those, 34 per cent eat insects annually or more. The survey also asked the most common places people had eaten insects and the top three were at a festival or event (21.5 per cent), in another country (19.5 per cent) and at home (23 per cent). A large majority 80 per cent who had tried an insect said they would be happy to do so again. PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences, Neil Birrell, says the findings are very positive for a potential future switch to protein other than animals in the New Zealand diet. Climate change has helped focus our minds on how we might reduce emissions and we know animal farming is a key contributor to greenhouse gases and in particular methane. But these survey results suggest New Zealanders might be much more flexible about what they eat than we suspected. Respondents to the survey were also asked about what scientists call neophobia - how willing people are to trying unfamiliar foods. Those with a lower neophobia score were significantly more likely to have eaten an insect. The most commonly consumed insects from answers in the survey were crickets, locusts and grasshoppers - consumed by 40 per cent of respondents - but that was closely followed by New Zealands endemic huhu grub, with 19 per cent of those surveyed saying they had eaten them. We have a top class restaurant in Wellington which serves a special dish featuring huhu grubs so this has really become a thing in New Zealand and it might just be a matter of time before many more food services are putting insects on the menu, Neil says. He has eaten a range of insects himself but the oddest insect meal he has had so far was a Japanese giant hornet, or murder hornet. It was a very strong flavour and had a tough outer shell and when I asked what I should do about the giant stinger I was told to eat it carefully! he says. For his PhD work, Neil is focusing on the biology of our endemic longhorn beetle, the huhu beetle. This involves investigating the reproductive behaviour of the adult beetle, what host plants the larvae grow in and the metabolomic profile of the larvae. Neil has researched insects as a protein feed for livestock, which offers an opportunity to turn organic waste streams into a nutritious replacement for soy and fish meal. Tauranga MP Simon Bridges does not believe the word Aotearoa should be banned from official use. However, he believes a referendum would be needed if it is to be adopted as part of, or a replacement for, New Zealand, as the official name of the country. The Maori Party launched a petition last week, spearheaded by co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, with the aim of changing the nations name to Aotearoa and implementing the use of te reo Maori names for all towns, cities and places by 2026. At the time of writing, the petition has roughly 60,000 signatures. Winston Peters and NZ First countered with a petition to keep the name New Zealand whilst the Hobsons Pledge lobby group went a step further, launching a petition calling on Aotearoa to be removed from official use until a referendum took place. The petition, led by former ACT Party leader Don Brash and former police officer Casey Costello, also calls on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to denounce Aotearoa and publicly state that the official name of the nation is New Zealand. Bridges, however, does not believe the name should be banned from official use. That being said, he believes a referendum, such as those in November-December 2015 and March 2016 to decide the future of New Zealands flag, is the only way any official name change should be implemented. I don't think Aotearoa should be banned, he says. It's a free world and people can use what they want. But if it's going to become part of our nation's official name, or the only word as a replacement for New Zealand, then it should be subject to a referendum. We had one on our flag and our official name is every bit as important. On a personal note, the National Party MP says he would prefer it if the name stayed the same. For me personally, I prefer what I have grown up with, just simple New Zealand, he states. After all, I consider myself a New Zealander first and foremost. Bay of Plenty We are looking for hard working labourers to jump on our books and help with work through the busy summer period and beyond.You... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Police have now met with the family of Tom, Jayda, Maverick and Ember Phillips to discuss how the search will be managed going forward. For the past 12 days a dedicated team of searchers, supported by the local community, have been combing the inland and coastal areas of Marokopa and Kiritehere looking for Tom and the children. Waikato West Area Commander Will Loughrin says at this time we have not located any sign of them. The family understands Police remain committed to bringing their loved ones home however at this time the daily physical searches will be suspended and we will move into a 'reactive' phase. This means Police will be available to react to any new information as it comes to hand and initiate searching as required. The enquiry phase of the operation is still ongoing with our investigators continuing to follow-up information as it comes in. We implore anyone who finds any items of interest, including clothing, on the coastline areas extending as far north as Papanui Point (near Raglan) and as far south as Waikawau Beach, to contact Police. If you locate an item that might have significance, please photograph it as you have found it, and contact Police on 111. If you can secure the item then do so. If you are not sure whether to inform us about what you have found, we would rather have the opportunity to discount the item, so please let us know. Police would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have put their time and energy, many on a voluntary basis, to help search for Tom and the children. This includes Fire and Emergency NZ, Surf Life Saving NZ, LandSAR volunteers, Coastguard NZ, Maniapoto iwi, local community members, and others who have donated vehicles, food and other resources. We would also remind anyone who is choosing to conduct their own on-going searches to do so taking safety into consideration. Much of the coastline area is challenging and people should stay in sandy beach areas only, says Will. Zespri has launched emergency management plans after kiwifruit shipped from Tauranga tested positive for Covid-19 in China. Samples from a batch of New Zealand kiwifruit being sold in a supermarket in the Jiangsu province of China had tested positive for the virus, according to a report published in the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid with strong ties to China's Communist Party, on Friday. Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson, in an email to the kiwifruit industry, confirmed it was Zespri fruit exported last month which tested positive, and all subsequent tests had come back negative. We are taking this matter extremely seriously and immediately launched our emergency management plans and actively cooperated with the relevant government agencies to trace the product shipment, Mathieson says in the email. We do expect some challenges from Chinese consumers and we are prepared to address those concerns directly. The New Zealand Government is also supporting us while our constructive relationships with authorities in Shanghai have also helped us as we have moved through the situation. Mathieson says the fruit had been exported from Tauranga, where there is no community transmission of Covid-19, on August 16. It had tested negative for Covid-19 in Shanghai, and was disinfected as per standard China customs protocols before being cleared and distributed. The positive test came from fruit held by a second-tier distributor in Hefei province, neighbouring Jiangsu province. While all subsequent investigative tests of the remaining fruit from the batch in stock have come back negative, local authorities in areas where the fruit was distributed have taken steps ranging from temporarily removing fruit from shelves through to testing customers who purchased fruit from the retail outlets where the affected batch was sold, the email reads. The team is working incredibly hard to manage the situation which is moving very quickly. A Zespri spokesman says the companys exports to China would not be affected by the positive Covid-19 test. The spokesman declined an interview request on the matter. The Global Times reported the fruit had tested positive on Wednesday and the local health authority had immediately worked to identify close contacts and sub-contacts. Control measures have been taken for the close contacts while nucleic acid samples of 14 staff and environment samples exposed to this batch of kiwifruit have been taken, test results were all negative. Authorities were urging people who had been to the supermarket, or who consumed or handled fruit from the store between September 12 and 23, to comply with health measures. Ministry for Primary Industries deputy director-general Julie Collins says the ministry had been notified of the issue by Chinese authorities on Friday afternoon. MPI has received contact from the Chinese authorities, theyve also reached out to Zespri to see if they could assist in any way, she says in a statement. She says New Zealand had strongly controlled Covid-19, and food manufacturers and exporters had hygiene measures in place. The scientific literature and experience of global public health authorities is that transmission by airborne droplets and aerosols is the dominant pathway for Covid-19 infection. Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien OConnor was aware of the matter and was awaiting more information, a spokesman for the minister says. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment. New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Colin Bond says today's news will be unsettling for growers. "China is a very important market for our kiwifruit. We have a reputation for delivering the highest quality kiwifruit to the world," he says. "We are confident that Zespri is taking this matter extremely seriously, reviewing processes and engaging with the relevant authorities." Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Our Most Popular Magazines + Digital We get it. You live by the Ski Valleys snow report even when youre hours away. You follow every Taos post on Instagram. Our small town occupies a BIG part of your heart. Keep in touch with all things Taos when you subscribe to FIVE of our national award-winning magazines, plus access to the website and e-edition for a full year at the special low rate of just $55. prateekchanana BHPian Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: New Delhi Posts: 117 Thanked: 435 Times View My Garage DIY: Adding Apple Carplay / Android Auto to my Audi A4 (B9) I began with he following tools - 1. A screw driver to remove the 8mm screws and a plass (attached pic) 2. Car play Box (ordered from Road Top) As I mentioned I was looking the this upgrade almost since the time I bought my car, and with every new car getting this as standard, this made me miss it more and more. Before this I have attached a magnetic mobile holder to the windscreen and use it for navigation. Even though this works fine, having the maps display on the car screen makes it so much more cleaner. Not having carplay is the single most feature I have missed most on my car since day 1. I researched this since the days of good old Aliexpress and there were many sellers selling these boxes for all cars from BMW, Audi, Lexus to Toyota and more. Upon researching more came across a brand called Joyeauto which is famous for this. There are many brands /websited internationally which sell this boxes with their own interfaces and boot logo like RSNAV, Carsgadget and even Evoretrofits in India which a fellow BHPian used. If they had there outlet in Delhi I would probably have gone to them as well for the ease of doing things. Doing all the research I came across a brand called Roadtop which was available on amazon.com, aliexpress and had even their own website. Their box did the same thing and was uch cheaper as well compared to other brands. Saw their reviews on Amazon and finally ordered directly through them. They gave the option of shipping via DHL or India post. The day I placed the order they asked me to share all the car model details and images of the centre MMI screen, along with the dashboard buttons layout and software information. Shared the same and they shipped the box 2 days later. I chose DHL and the box reached India and was delivered to me in 4 days flat from the date of shipping. DHL guys were very proactive and they collected all custom documents even before the box got shipped for quick clearance. They shared the link of amount of custom duty to be paid as well online. The box got delivered the same day to me when I paid the custom duty. The box was delivered on Thursday and my weekly off was Monday so I waited for the same to start installing it. Meantime I reviewed all the documents that came with it and for some reason they sent the guide of installing it in A3 B9. . Upon contacting them over email, and even a WhatsApp number they provide, told me that the installation process is same for A3 & A4. I had seen many videos of installation of this box but could only find one specific to A4 B9. I also learned that each box comes with some toggle switches which needs to be turned on or off according to the specific model and features of the car. As per them I had to use the same configuration as A3 and turn on only first three toggles as seen in pic below. I found another installation link from RSNAV website in form of a PDF file which gave very detailed installation instructions as well as specify toggles to be turned on and off for each of the Audi models. Attached screenshot for the same below. (Source: RSNAV.com) As seen from the above picture for installing in A3, first three toggle switches need to be on, the same which were mentioned in the booklet I received, but for A4, third switch needs to be off and 4th needs to be on. RSNAV has very good reviews and a very active user forum so I followed this pattern of toggle switch in my box as well. All the views I had seen stated that the glovebox is held by 4 screws and I thought that should be easy to remove and a 10 minute job. But boy I was wrong. A couple of videos I saw of A3, additionally also required removal of side panel near the glovebox with a pry tool and removing an extra screw there, so I was ready to remove that also. I started by removing the two screws outside the glovebox in the footrest area first. They came off easily and were easy to remove with a screw driver. Then I removed screw number 3 & 4 inside the dashboard. Saw screw number 5 there and removed it too and the dashboard was still stuck. Removed the side panel and found screw number 6 and thought its done but no. I started seeing around and found 2 more screws (7 & 8) inside the glovebox just in front of the headunit and removed those two as well. Now the left side of the glovebox came out but it was still stuck on right side. To my surprise if found the 9th screw which was the most difficult to remove as there was no space to use the screw driver here. Below is the pic highlighting all of them. Had to manually turn the screw with the little screw holder placed on screw and rotating it with plass. (Thats where the plass was used) It took me a good 45-60 mins to remove all of them. Finally the glovebox came out and it had 2 cables inside, plugged for light and cooling which I did not remove and left the glovebox in the foot area on top of a box making sure that the cables are not getting strained even a little bit. Now the next step was to remove the MIB headunit, which is held by two screws according to the videos I had seen. Even though I could locate and remove these screws in 5 minutes, for some reason the headunit refused to come out. Theses screws are located pointing upward and were quite easy to remove once located. I tried locating more of them and took some picture to find them a it was not easy to look inside there. The frond end had 2 cross with white ink and what looks like two broken screws. Finally the headunit came off and it was held by a couple of clips and it took some effort and force to remove it. I was afraid of applying too much pressure as I did not want to break anything so took it out very slowly. I also kept looking around for more screws as I was afraid I might find more of them in the indian spec car just like the glovebox. Thankfully there were only two of them and the headunit came out. After this I noticed the wires behind it are too short to move it much further. The videos I had seen had much longer wired and they could easily place the unit in their laps. The 48pin harness is held down by a clip and I had seen the same being removed many times in video and I could take that out. Below is the image I took before removing any cable form the headunit just in case I need to put everything back same as original The videos mentioned three similar looking cables behind the MIB headunit, one of which is LVDS (mostly grey) and needed to be removed and connected to the car play box. My headunit only had the 48 pin harness, one pink cable and one white cable. There was a vacant yellow slot where no cable was plugged in. Upon seeing this I was little worried that may be the car will not support it as only one pink cable was there and one empty slot. I went ahead with the only cable that was there and assuming it as LVDS. I was able to easily remove and attach the original 48 pin car harness in the provided cable but was not able to put the new harness connector behind the MIB unit even after multiple tries. As it contains multiple pins, I decided to remove both the LVDS and white cable and took the head unit out. This is how it looks. It was much easier to put the new cable in the headunit now and post that I connected the LVDS cable as well. One end of cable went inside the MIB unit, one end inside the cars original connection and the third end in the car play box. The same connection pattern was followed for the 48 pin harness as well. Below is an image from the user guide I received of how it looks. After all this I connected the following cables in the car play box - 1. Third end of cable coming from 48 pin harness 2. This end of LVDS cable 3. Wifi cable with an antenna that can be sticked on or left inside the dash. (should be kept away from metal for best signal strength) 4. USB connection cable. Finally turned on the car to test the system and it worked in one go. The efforts had finally paid off and I couldn't have been happier . For audio to work, I need to select AUX in media. All of the systems have this requirement. For older cars they even ship a cable for AMI to aux for the system to make audio work. The cable came with my box too but is useless for me. After this, I have to long press the media button for 3 seconds to turn the system on and it asked me to choose from CarPlay / andoird auto/ YouTube/ camera and a couple of other things. As soon a I chose CarPlay, the CarPlay screen came up and it automatically asked me to enable CarPlay over WIFI. I enabled the same and removed the cable and the car play was still working. Tried playing music, give a Siri command and both worked like a charm. (Have to keep aux selected as source for this system to work.) Since the beginning of my hunt for this CarPlay retrofit solution, I did not like the idea of a cable running through the A-pillar to behind the rear view mirror for the mic to work as it was done in dinu2506's car. Even though he suggested its barely noticeable I was not comfortable with this and I found out that the newer car play boxes use the cars original bluetooth mic and don't need any additional mics to be placed. This was a huge relief for me. I noticed the Wifi antenna was not plugged properly but the wireles carplay was still working. (probably because the box was still out in the open). Plugged it back again and placed it behind the AC controls. Now that everything was working, all connections done now came the last step to place the box behind the MIB unit. it took me half an hour and I tried all possible places I could but it simply refused to go in properly at any open space. A couple of places where it went partially in did not allow the glovebox to be aligned properly. After giving up on this I decided to let the box stay inside the glovebox and route all the cable form a dummy plastic which was easy to remove. The cable look like below in the glovebox. Have removed the visible its below and on left side of the original MMI unit which are visible at the time of taking the below picture. This is the only gripe I have left now with installing the box myself that I could not place it behind the glovebox. I didn't try to apply too much pressure / force as I was afraid of breaking anything inside. Also in the short time I used the CarPlay function the unit got little hot, so did not want to keep it too close to any other part behind the glovebox where it can not pass heat properly. The good part it being inside the glovebox is I can turn the a/c on and it can remain cool while working. Finally tested everything once again before putting the glovebox back and it was working perfectly fine. Took 15 mins to put all the screws back, thanks to screw number 9, which took the max time. Attached another picture of it below. Once again tried all the functions including Maps/ Siri / Phone call / Music and everything is working like a charm. Cant wait to take the car now for a long drive and use the car screen for navigation and music instead of the phone. Costed a fraction of what I would have had to pay to any third party including evoretrofits for installation. But then the ease of getting this done by professionals without having to worry about connections also is a part of that cost. Attaching a couple of pictures of the device in action of the short trip I took to test all the functions. The box works very seamlessly for example when I switch to reverse, the camera comes up and switches off back to CarPlay as soon as I switch to D. Also the phone connects automatically every time I turn on the car without having to switch to AUX or holding the media button to use CarPlay. It is stored in memory and works automatically after about 5 seconds or so. As it works wirelessly the phone can stay in pocket or inside the handrest with plugged in to USB for charging. Finally after looking at dinu2506's thread of adding CarPlay to his Audi A4 B8, I gave up to the temptation of adding it to my car as well. I have been doing a lot of research regarding since I got the car and I finally decided to go the DIY route and give it a shot myself first and if I fail will try finding a third party installer.I began with he following tools -1. A screw driver to remove the 8mm screws and a plass (attached pic)2. Car play Box (ordered from Road Top) Link As I mentioned I was looking the this upgrade almost since the time I bought my car, and with every new car getting this as standard, this made me miss it more and more. Before this I have attached a magnetic mobile holder to the windscreen and use it for navigation. Even though this works fine, having the maps display on the car screen makes it so much more cleaner. Not having carplay is the single most feature I have missed most on my car since day 1.I researched this since the days of good old Aliexpress and there were many sellers selling these boxes for all cars from BMW, Audi, Lexus to Toyota and more. Upon researching more came across a brand called Joyeauto which is famous for this. There are many brands /websited internationally which sell this boxes with their own interfaces and boot logo like RSNAV, Carsgadget and even Evoretrofits in India which a fellow BHPian used. If they had there outlet in Delhi I would probably have gone to them as well for the ease of doing things.Doing all the research I came across a brand called Roadtop which was available on amazon.com, aliexpress and had even their own website. Their box did the same thing and was uch cheaper as well compared to other brands. Saw their reviews on Amazon and finally ordered directly through them. They gave the option of shipping via DHL or India post. The day I placed the order they asked me to share all the car model details and images of the centre MMI screen, along with the dashboard buttons layout and software information. Shared the same and they shipped the box 2 days later. I chose DHL and the box reached India and was delivered to me in 4 days flat from the date of shipping. DHL guys were very proactive and they collected all custom documents even before the box got shipped for quick clearance. They shared the link of amount of custom duty to be paid as well online. The box got delivered the same day to me when I paid the custom duty.The box was delivered on Thursday and my weekly off was Monday so I waited for the same to start installing it. Meantime I reviewed all the documents that came with it and for some reason they sent the guide of installing it in A3 B9.Upon contacting them over email, and even a WhatsApp number they provide, told me that the installation process is same for A3 & A4. I had seen many videos of installation of this box but could only find one specific to A4 B9. I also learned that each box comes with some toggle switches which needs to be turned on or off according to the specific model and features of the car. As per them I had to use the same configuration as A3 and turn on only first three toggles as seen in pic below.I found another installation link from RSNAV website in form of a PDF file which gave very detailed installation instructions as well as specify toggles to be turned on and off for each of the Audi models. Attached screenshot for the same below.(Source: RSNAV.com)As seen from the above picture for installing in A3, first three toggle switches need to be on, the same which were mentioned in the booklet I received, but for A4, third switch needs to be off and 4th needs to be on. RSNAV has very good reviews and a very active user forum so I followed this pattern of toggle switch in my box as well.All the views I had seen stated that the glovebox is held by 4 screws and I thought that should be easy to remove and a 10 minute job. But boy I was wrong. A couple of videos I saw of A3, additionally also required removal of side panel near the glovebox with a pry tool and removing an extra screw there, so I was ready to remove that also. I started by removing the two screws outside the glovebox in the footrest area first. They came off easily and were easy to remove with a screw driver.Then I removed screw number 3 & 4 inside the dashboard. Saw screw number 5 there and removed it too and the dashboard was still stuck. Removed the side panel and found screw number 6 and thought its done but no. I started seeing around and found 2 more screws (7 & 8) inside the glovebox just in front of the headunit and removed those two as well. Now the left side of the glovebox came out but it was still stuck on right side. To my surprise if found the 9th screw which was the most difficult to remove as there was no space to use the screw driver here. Below is the pic highlighting all of them. Had to manually turn the screw with the little screw holder placed on screw and rotating it with plass. (Thats where the plass was used)It took me a good 45-60 mins to remove all of them. Finally the glovebox came out and it had 2 cables inside, plugged for light and cooling which I did not remove and left the glovebox in the foot area on top of a box making sure that the cables are not getting strained even a little bit.Now the next step was to remove the MIB headunit, which is held by two screws according to the videos I had seen. Even though I could locate and remove these screws in 5 minutes, for some reason the headunit refused to come out.Theses screws are located pointing upward and were quite easy to remove once located. I tried locating more of them and took some picture to find them a it was not easy to look inside there. The frond end had 2 cross with white ink and what looks like two broken screws.Finally the headunit came off and it was held by a couple of clips and it took some effort and force to remove it. I was afraid of applying too much pressure as I did not want to break anything so took it out very slowly. I also kept looking around for more screws as I was afraid I might find more of them in the indian spec car just like the glovebox. Thankfully there were only two of them and the headunit came out.After this I noticed the wires behind it are too short to move it much further. The videos I had seen had much longer wired and they could easily place the unit in their laps. The 48pin harness is held down by a clip and I had seen the same being removed many times in video and I could take that out. Below is the image I took before removing any cable form the headunit just in case I need to put everything back same as originalThe videos mentioned three similar looking cables behind the MIB headunit, one of which is LVDS (mostly grey) and needed to be removed and connected to the car play box. My headunit only had the 48 pin harness, one pink cable and one white cable. There was a vacant yellow slot where no cable was plugged in. Upon seeing this I was little worried that may be the car will not support it as only one pink cable was there and one empty slot. I went ahead with the only cable that was there and assuming it as LVDS.I was able to easily remove and attach the original 48 pin car harness in the provided cable but was not able to put the new harness connector behind the MIB unit even after multiple tries. As it contains multiple pins, I decided to remove both the LVDS and white cable and took the head unit out. This is how it looks.It was much easier to put the new cable in the headunit now and post that I connected the LVDS cable as well. One end of cable went inside the MIB unit, one end inside the cars original connection and the third end in the car play box. The same connection pattern was followed for the 48 pin harness as well. Below is an image from the user guide I received of how it looks.After all this I connected the following cables in the car play box -1. Third end of cable coming from 48 pin harness2. This end of LVDS cable3. Wifi cable with an antenna that can be sticked on or left inside the dash. (should be kept away from metal for best signal strength)4. USB connection cable.Finally turned on the car to test the system and it worked in one go. The efforts had finally paid off and I couldn't have been happier. For audio to work, I need to select AUX in media. All of the systems have this requirement. For older cars they even ship a cable for AMI to aux for the system to make audio work. The cable came with my box too but is useless for me.After this, I have to long press the media button for 3 seconds to turn the system on and it asked me to choose from CarPlay / andoird auto/ YouTube/ camera and a couple of other things. As soon a I chose CarPlay, the CarPlay screen came up and it automatically asked me to enable CarPlay over WIFI. I enabled the same and removed the cable and the car play was still working. Tried playing music, give a Siri command and both worked like a charm. (Have to keep aux selected as source for this system to work.)Since the beginning of my hunt for this CarPlay retrofit solution, I did not like the idea of a cable running through the A-pillar to behind the rear view mirror for the mic to work as it was done in dinu2506's car. Even though he suggested its barely noticeable I was not comfortable with this and I found out that the newer car play boxes use the cars original bluetooth mic and don't need any additional mics to be placed. This was a huge relief for me.I noticed the Wifi antenna was not plugged properly but the wireles carplay was still working. (probably because the box was still out in the open). Plugged it back again and placed it behind the AC controls.Now that everything was working, all connections done now came the last step to place the box behind the MIB unit. it took me half an hour and I tried all possible places I could but it simply refused to go in properly at any open space. A couple of places where it went partially in did not allow the glovebox to be aligned properly. After giving up on this I decided to let the box stay inside the glovebox and route all the cable form a dummy plastic which was easy to remove. The cable look like below in the glovebox. Have removed the visible its below and on left side of the original MMI unit which are visible at the time of taking the below picture.This is the only gripe I have left now with installing the box myself that I could not place it behind the glovebox. I didn't try to apply too much pressure / force as I was afraid of breaking anything inside. Also in the short time I used the CarPlay function the unit got little hot, so did not want to keep it too close to any other part behind the glovebox where it can not pass heat properly. The good part it being inside the glovebox is I can turn the a/c on and it can remain cool while working.Finally tested everything once again before putting the glovebox back and it was working perfectly fine. Took 15 mins to put all the screws back, thanks to screw number 9, which took the max time. Attached another picture of it below.Once again tried all the functions including Maps/ Siri / Phone call / Music and everything is working like a charm. Cant wait to take the car now for a long drive and use the car screen for navigation and music instead of the phone. Costed a fraction of what I would have had to pay to any third party including evoretrofits for installation. But then the ease of getting this done by professionals without having to worry about connections also is a part of that cost. Attaching a couple of pictures of the device in action of the short trip I took to test all the functions.The box works very seamlessly for example when I switch to reverse, the camera comes up and switches off back to CarPlay as soon as I switch to D. Also the phone connects automatically every time I turn on the car without having to switch to AUX or holding the media button to use CarPlay. It is stored in memory and works automatically after about 5 seconds or so. As it works wirelessly the phone can stay in pocket or inside the handrest with plugged in to USB for charging. Attached Thumbnails What just happened? The Chinese government's long-running battle against crypto took a drastic turn earlier today when the country's central bank said all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal and must be banned. The announcement has seen the price of BTC plummet from $45,200 to $42,675 in the space of two hours. The People's Bank of China on its website wrote that all cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Tether, are not fiat currency and cannot be circulated on the market. Reuters reports that the PBOC will bar financial institutions, payment companies, and internet firms from facilitating cryptocurrency trading, and will strengthen monitoring of risks from such activities. It also banned overseas exchanges from providing services to mainland investors in China via the internet. Transactions are "resolutely banned in accordance with the law," the PBOC said in its statement. Elsewhere, China's economic planning agency said it is urgent that the country root out crypto mining and the crackdown is essential in efforts to meet carbon goals. It's been noted that the PBOC originally released the updated guidance earlier this month but posted it online today. PBOCs announcement about ban crypto got widespread today is was ANNOUNCED ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, but got posted online today. The market already reacted on those regulatory fud.https://t.co/BPlVQEMVMt pic.twitter.com/e0U7gbEHnY Molly (@bigmagicdao) September 24, 2021 It was back in May that a Chinese State Council committee led by Vice Premier Liu He announced a crackdown on virtual currencies as part of efforts to curb financial risks, crashing Bitcoin's price and causing mining businesses to cease operations. It also led to GPU prices falling in the nation and crypto miners selling off their graphics cards. ASRock at the time said the lower demand was dropping graphics card prices globally. It's possible that making all cryptocurrency transactions illegal in a country that accounts for up to 70% of the world's crypto supply will once again affect graphics card prices on a global scale. What just happened? China recently introduced legislation that drastically limits the amount of time minors are allowed to spend in online games, while also requiring publishers to ensure compliance. Now, a group of 213 China-based gaming companies has pledged to follow these rules to the letter. This conglomerate of companies, known as the CGIGC, issued their pledge in the form of a lengthy news post on the official CGIGC website. Since the post is in Chinese and Google Translate failed to convert it to English, we can't quote it word-for-word here. However, we were able to understand enough to summarize some of the core points here. First and foremost, the CGIGC promises to work with the government in strengthening the "game anti-addiction work" that it has pursued in recent years. By establishing time limits and implementing "real-name certification," in addition to strengthened facial recognition tech, the CGIGC believes it will be able to weaken the hold video games have over China's youth. The CGIGC also pledges to "resist undesirable content," including politically harmful, nihilistic, or "obscene" pornographic content. It will also avoid game mechanics and features that induce players to overspend and "indulge," which is a pretty big deal given the outrageous success of "gacha" mechanics, loot boxes, and other gambling-like microtransaction systems. Despite their confident words, it remains to be seen whether or not China's gaming giants will be able to comply with the government's new industry-wide rules. If they do, we can be sure that the effects will be felt globally to some extent. Tencent is the largest video game publisher in the world, with stakes in many western companies, including Epic and League of Legends developer Riot Games, to name just a couple. While we hope these rules will eventually fizzle out, that doesn't seem very likely for the time being. China is clearly committed to fighting what it views as a problematic video gaming epidemic: more and more young people are choosing to spend their time in the digital realm rather than the real world. The country probably won't stop its crusade until it achieves its goals. In brief: The US government isn't the only leadership body with concerns about Chinese phones falling into the hands of its citizens. Lithuania's Defense Ministry advised consumers to avoid purchasing any Chinese mobile devices this week -- and to throw away the ones they have at the earliest opportunity. These recommendations are not born out of a concern for privacy or Chinese tracking, as was the case here in the US. Instead, Lithuania is more worried about the built-in censorship tech that reportedly ships with phones sold by certain China-based phonemakers, such as Xiaomi. Apparently, the phones in question can "detect and censor" terms like "Free Tibet" and "Long Live Taiwan independence," among others. These phrases reference hot-button issues in China, which is known for its authoritarian control over the free expression of it citizens. Topics like freedom and democracy are big no-nos in the country, and any attempts to discuss them openly are often met with swift, though not always severe consequences. At the very least, any flagged messages are removed or blocked across many popular Chinese social media platforms and message boards. The censorship tech found by Lithuania is present in the Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G. As Reuters reports, it was switched off for EU customers, but can allegedly be "turned on remotely" at any time. It's perhaps not likely that such a scenario would occur in the near future, though. EU-based citizens (and, really, anyone outside of China) would likely be very quick to spot such active censorship and call Xiaomi out for it. Still, the mere fact that the censorship software exists on the devices in question seems to be worrisome enough for Lithuania to campaign against them. To be clear, it doesn't sound like the country is actively banning or restricting the use of Xiaomi devices, or indeed any Chinese phones at all. This report seems like more of a warning than anything, and we can't argue with that -- it's always best for consumers to be informed about what their devices are capable of, both the good and the bad. Masthead credit: Robson90 In brief: A team of UC San Diego engineers have been working on an all-solid-state battery that combines a solid electrolyte and a silicon anode. The combination of these components significantly increases power density, improving battery life and charging time. The study published by UC San Diego explains how this new type of solid-state battery may revolutionize certain areas of the power industry through the benefits it brings. Besides charging faster and lasting longer, this all-solid-state battery composition doesn't include flammable substances, toxic or volatile compounds, nor rare elements, making it a safer than most other batteries. Instead of using graphite anodes like most other battery technologies, the UC San Diego-developed battery uses a silicon anode. This change alone allows the battery to increase its power density by up to 10x, but it raises the issue of expansion and contraction as the battery is charged and depleted. To solve this issue, researchers started by removing the carbon and binders commonly used in all-silicon anodes. Moreover, they opted for a micro-silicon anode instead of a nano-silicon one, choosing a less processed and cheaper solution. Lastly, they replaced the liquid electrolyte with a sulfide-based solid electrolyte to increase the anode's stability. "The solid-state silicon approach overcomes many limitations in conventional batteries. It presents exciting opportunities for us to meet market demands for higher volumetric energy, lowered costs, and safer batteries especially for grid energy storage," said Darren H. S. Tan. The current all-solid-state battery prototype already shows some promise. It is capable of delivering 500x charge and discharge cycles while retaining 80 percent of its capacity at room temperature, but the technology should improve as it keeps being developed. At the moment, the new battery technology is licensed to Unigrid, a startup company formed by Darren H. S. Tan, who's also leading the battery's project. LG Energy Solutions is also collaborating on this research through its open innovation program. Car manufacturers like BMW, Toyota and VW, among others, are developing solid-state battery tech for their products, but they aren't the only ones. Other companies like Qing Tao Energy Development Co and Sakuu are also working on solid-state batteries. We have yet to see a product powered by this type of battery, but considering the latest developments, it shouldn't take long. Masthead credit: Tyler Lastovich NASA's Bill Nelson said that the Blue Origin lawsuit against the United States space agency could likely delay the moon landing mission from its target launch in 2024. NASA's 2024 Moon Lander Mission Target Launch The moon landing mission of NASA is under the Artemis program, which seeks to bring back astronauts to the surface of the moon at least by 2024, following the previous achievement of the Apollo crew, Space.com reported. However, the lunar landing mission has been facing a couple of hiccups along the way. It includes the spacesuits issue, the raging wrath of COVID-19, and even the latest litigation brought upon by the protest of Blue Origin. The space firm of billionaire and Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, brought NASA to the federal court as it protested the latter's decision to award the $2.9 billion lunar lander contract solely to its rival company, Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin further claimed that the deal between SpaceX and NASA was "unfair." The lawsuit that Bezos' space exploration firm filed on the federal court was even too large in file size that it kept crashing the computers of the US Department of Justice. So, instead of using PDFs, the files were placed in classic DVDs--just to refrain from creating an additional delay in the litigation. NASA: Blue Origin Lawsuit Could Likely Delay Moon Lander As such, NASA, or National Aeronautics and Space Administration administrator, Nelson, said in a press conference that they are no longer certain if the space agency could land back humans to the moon by 2024, as per Business Insider. Nelson answered a question from an Associated Press reporter, Marcia Dunn, asking about meeting the 2024 moon landing schedule in November that year. The NASA official answered to the press, saying "you want to call the federal judge and ask him?" He went on to admit that they already don't know. Business Insider said in the same report that the space agency confirmed that Nelson was talking about the lawsuit of Blue Origin during the question and answer. Read Also: Blue Origin Memes: Elon Musk Agrees with Entries Throwing Shades at Space Company Amidst Lawsuit Bill Nelson: 2024 Lunar Lander to Continue It is to note that the NASA administrator said from his previous pronouncements last Aug. 24 at the 36th Space Symposium that the space agency is not backing down despite such delays. During his speech at the annual event, Nelson already noted that the delays were brought upon by litigations. But the NASA official did not specify which lawsuit he was talking about back then. However, despite the difficulties that the ambitious 2024 lunar lander schedule is facing, the Artemis project will continue. The NASA top official went on to declare that "we can do hard things. We are can-do people." Related Article: Elon Musk Agrees that Blue Origin Should Spend More Time on Rocket Science Instead of Protesting NASA's HLS Decisions | Alleged $900 Million Spent on Lobbying This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. iPhone 13 prices vary around the world, not to mention that people's earnings are different depending on where you live. As such, some folks will have to work more days to afford buying the latest Apple smartphone. As per 9to5Mac, the next-gen iPhone 13 series still carries the same price as its predecessor, but it still depends on your location. It is worth noting as well that the iPhone 13 will start shipping tomorrow, Sept. 24, in the United States. Now that Apple recently launched its latest flagship device, its prices across the globe is now available on the localized websites of the Cupertino giant. iPhone 13 Price: How Many Days of Work Do You Need That said, a recent research published by MoneySupermarket showed how many work-days it takes to buy an iPhone around the world. The research specifically used the iPhone 13 with a 128GB storage for its study. Although the Apple phone cost $799 in the United States, some countries are paying more than $1,000 for the latest device. In the US, people earning the minimum wage only need to work for 49.5 hours, which is less than seven days. Most Expensive iPhone 13 Price People in Brazil unfortunately pay the most for the iPhone 13, which carries a hefty price tag of $1449 in the country. It is not only more expensive, folks in the said country spend more work hours to be able to afford the latest device from the Cupertino giant. To be precise, minimum wage employees in Brazil have to spend 690.5 hours of work to reach the hefty price of the iPhone 13, which translates to 86 days of work, or 2.8 months. Most Work-Day Needed to Afford iPhone 13 Price However, based on the minimum wage of Brazil, some countries still take longer to afford the Apple device even if it is cheaper. Both India and the Philippines lag behind Brazil in terms of the number of days needed to be able to cop the latest tech device. However, the people in the Philippines are required to work more hours than any country in the research to be able to buy an iPhone 13. Citizens in the Southeast Asian country have to work for 775.3 hours, or in the span of three months based on the minimum wage of the nation. Thus, making it the longest days spent to be able afford the latest smartphone, which is up to 97 days. Meanwhile, India sits second to the Philippines, requiring 724.2 hours or work. Cheapest iPhone 13 Price On the other hand, folks in Hong Kong are lucky to be provided with the cheapest iPhone 13 price, which starts at $874, slightly cheaper in the United States. What's more, Apple users in Hong Kong only need to work for 7.7 days. Related Article: [RUMOR] iPhone 14 Without Camera Bump? New Leaked Image Renders Show Samsung Galaxy S21-Like Design and Other Enhancements Least Work-Day Needed Meanwhile, if you're living in Switzerland, you'll only need to work for 34 hours, which is less than a week of work or 5 days to be exact. But it is to note that the iPhone 13 in the country is also one of the cheapest in the world. Read Also: iPhone 13 Confirmed to Roll Out in September as Apple Prepares 90 Million Units to be Shipped Worldwide This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : GettlyImages/ Pool) Lina Khan FTC FTC chair Lina Khan laid out her vision and policy for the Federal Trade Commission or FTC in a memo. The said memo was sent out to the agency's staff on Sept. 22 and was made public today. FTC's New Principles The goals that Khan presented were overseen by five commissioners who voted on policy statements and enforcement actions, according to CNBC. The FTC enforces antitrust law together with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and they seek to protect the public from unfair business practices done by major corporations. They also investigate privacy violations. Khan outlined a total of five principles: The first one is to have a "holistic approach to identify harms." Khan stated that the FTC should recognize that antitrust violations and consumer protection violations can harm independent businesses, consumers, and workers. Also Read: Amazon to Face FTC Probe Over MGM Acquisition: Reports The antitrust framework is focused on consumer harm, and it is often viewed as the increase and decrease of product prices to know if there is any violation. However, Khan argued that the framework needs a broader approach because they need to assess the harm caused by digital platforms, which usually charge little to no fees in exchange for growth. The second one is to focus on "targeting root causes instead of looking for one-off effects." Khan stated that the agency's staff should look at how certain business models can help firms violate antitrust and consumer laws. The third one is to integrate more analytical tools and skillsets for empirical assessments of business practices. The fourth one is to be forward-looking and to be quick in mitigating harm. Khan stated that this principle includes paying attention to next-generation innovations, technologies, and nascent industries. The fifth and last one is to democratize the agency by ensuring that it is in tune with the real problems Americans face every day. FTC's Policy Priorities Khan also laid out three policy priorities for the agency: The first one is to address consolidation across several industries by revising merger guidelines for businesses. The agency must also deter illegal deals and those that overwhelm the commission resources. The second one is to go after the dominant intermediaries and extractive business models. Those that centralize control and profits despite risks, costs, and liabilities warrant scrutiny as these types of relationships between the firm and entities can be a ground for abuse. The third one is to assess how contracts set up unfair methods of competition. Khan noted non-competes and repair restrictions in the memo that she sent out. Khan's Role at the FTC Khan's time at the FTC is backed by progressives who view her as a fresh voice for the agency that has been criticized for failing to enforce the right punishment for tech companies that violated the law, according to Texas News Today. Khan has been one of the leading voices for antitrust enforcement, and she even sparked a movement with her 2017 Yale Law Journal titled "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox." Lina Khan's article was the reason why major tech firms asked the FTC to remove her from the ongoing antitrust investigation against them due to "bias," according to Bloomberg. Facebook also filed a petition in July to recuse Khan, citing unfair treatment. Despite the overwhelming support, Khan also has her share of critics. Two Republicans from the agency, Noah Joshua Philips and Christine Wilson, have criticized the voting session practices and stated that certain votes were rushed. Related Article: FTC is Pro 'Right to Repair' for US to Mandate, Biden's Recommendation Might Soon Be Passed This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New WordPress plugin vulnerabilities are putting millions of websites at risk. Various security experts warned that these flaws could lead to massive user data leaks, allowing hackers and other cybercriminals to acquire essential data from consumers across the globe. "These flaws made it possible for an attacker to export sensitive information and send arbitrary emails from a vulnerable site that could be used to phish unsuspecting users," explained cybersecurity experts at Wordfence, a security firm that develops solutions for WordPress installation protection. Based on their findings, WordPress is currently suffering from two vulnerabilities in the popular Ninja Forms plugin. They explained that Ninja Forms currently has more than one million websites under its installation base. They added that these new security flaws appeared because the WordPress plugin usually relies on an unsafe implementation of the user permission checker mechanism, as explained by involved security researchers via BestGamingPro's latest report. Millions of WordPress at Risk! According to Tech Radar's latest report, the issue with WordPress plugins is on user permission activity. As of the moment, the popular platform relies on an insecure system that only checks if the consumer is logged in or not. Also Read: ExpressVPN CIO Faces $1.6 Million Fine for Spying, Hacking Security experts explained that it could not check the correct permissions, which are usually triggered by the user's digital activity on a website. One of the major vulnerabilities it creates is allowing access to the account to export all the sensitive user data on a website. This simply means that if you left your account open on a certain device, people who have access to that gadget could easily release your data without being asked for the account owner's permission. As of the moment, WordPress is just one of the victims of the rising hacking industry. In other news, Fortinet VPN was also hit by a massive password leak. On the other hand, T-Mobile was hacked by a cybercriminal who could steal user data in just a week. WordPress Consumers Now Urged To Update! Wordfence's cybersecurity experts are now urging WordPress consumers to update their accounts. However, you need to know some important details before installing the platform's latest security features. WordPress explained that once you upgrade your account or website, all your files will be affected. These include videos, photos, documents, and other folders. To know more about the WordPress update, all you need to do is click this link. For more news updates about WordPress and other platforms affected by major security flaws, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Father-Son Hacker Duo are On Quest to Help People Get Back Their Missing Crypto After Forgotten Wallet Passwords This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Big Tech companies are pursuing a lawsuit against the state of Texas, something which would go against the policies of the state that focuses on social media censorship. The latest law that was signed by the governor is about the "Freedom from Censorship Act", which would keep Texans safe from social media guidelines and restrictions. Big Tech vs. the State of Texas The Big Tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, among other platforms, have now filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, particularly that of the new law. The H.B. 20, also known as the "Freedom from Censorship Act", would allow people to be safe from getting censored or have their posts taken down by social media companies. Note that it could be anything that they post, despite violating the rules and regulations, as well as meaning harm to other users. The law focuses on the right of people to practice freedom of speech, something that is found in the US Constitution and the First Amendment. The representatives of these Big Tech, including that of Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, have filed a lawsuit against the state. Read Also: Facebook Research Shows Instagram to be Toxic, Harmful to Teenage Girls; Studies Kept from Public Texas's Freedom from Censorship Act According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, the state of Texas has signed the "Freedom from Censorship Act," and it would prevent the social media companies from censoring people on the platform. This was backed by Texas governor, Gov, Greg Abbott, which has sealed the deal to give more freedom to Texans on social media. The law would allow Texans to post or comment on anything without the repercussion of being removed or takedown by Facebook and other social media platforms. The law protects them from it, and if the social media companies removed it, they would be compelled to answer to the law. Social Media under State Laws Social Media companies have rules and regulations, including that Community Guidelines from Facebook and rules from Twitter, which keep the show running and look into the posts of people. Recently, Facebook has allowed satirical posts to be published despite it being misinformation or fake news. In Florida, a recent law that Governor Ron DeSantis has signed talked about the sanctions it would give to social media for "de-platforming" a politician, despite misusing or violating Community Guidelines. This would be somehow similar to Texas's censorship law that has been recently passed and gives people the right to express themselves online. However, as what the Big Tech companies have focused on, too much freedom would give users more harm than good and might be the reason for the platform to get out of hand. Also, full freedom would give people the chance to misuse social media platforms to propagate bad practices and beliefs that are harmful to society. Related Article: New Facebook Policy Focuses on Coordinated Social Harm: What Is This New Activity and Why FB is Taking It Seriously? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Image from Unsplash Website) Neuroscientists Find How Associative Memories Are Made Neuroscientists have reportedly found how associative memories are made. The ability to be able to remember relationships that are made between unrelated items like odor and location, songs and events, is known as associative memory. Neuroscientists Discover More About Associative Memory The University of California, Irvine's neuroscientists, have reportedly discovered some specific types of neurons within the brain's memory center that are responsible for acquiring brand new associative memories. The findings of the study were reportedly published in the journal Nature, as also seen in news-medical.net. Psychologists reportedly started studying associative memory as early as the 1800s. Scientists now agree that the structures that are responsible for the formation of associative memory are reportedly found in the whole medial temporal lobe. This is most famously known as the "memory center" of the brain. Why is Associative Memory Important The particular cells that are involved as well as how the cells are controlled have all remained a mystery up until now. This study has reportedly also discovered how these particular associative memory neurons are being controlled. Neuroengineering is also being studied to help people struggling with addiction and to treat brain fog. Humans rely on associative memories used in everyday life, and this particular research is a vital step in understanding certain detailed mechanisms of how these particular types of memories are formed within the brain. Kei Igarashi, the lead researcher, gave a statement. Associative Memory Uses According to Igarashi, although associative memory is reportedly one of the most basic forms of memory used in everyday life, mechanisms that underlie associative memory still remain unclear. Kei Igarashi is a faculty fellow of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, as well as an assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the UCI School of Medicine. According to the story by Aninews, the study, for the first time, reported that specific cells located in the lateral entorhinal cortex of the medial lobe, which is called fan cells, are needed to acquire new associative memories. It was also noted that the cells are reportedly controlled by dopamine which is the brain chemical known to be involved with a person's experience of pleasure or reward. Read Also: Innovent: Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Trial Drug Administered to Patient, Aims to Substitute Metformin New Findings on Associative Memory The study shows that researchers used electrophysiological recordings as well as optogenetics in order to record and control activity coming from fan cells in mice as they reportedly learn to associate certain odors with rewards. This then led researchers to discover that certain fan cells compute as well as represent the association of the two different unrelated items, namely odor and reward. The fan cells are reportedly needed for the successful acquisition of other new associative memories. Without these particular cells, certain pre-learned associations can still be retrieved. New associations, however, won't be acquired. In addition, acquiring new associations would also need dopamine. Igarashi noted that they had never expected that dopamine is actually involved in the whole memory circuit. When the evidence was accumulated, however, it gradually became clear that dopamine was actually involved. AI algorithms are also being studied to help detect pre-alzheimer's changes within the brain and are seen to accomplish a 99% accuracy. Related Article: Gene Therapy Research Gains New Ground With New Mini-CRISPR Systems This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China said that all crypto transactions, including mining, are illegal in the Asian nation as part of its crackdown on cryptocurrencies. The latest announcement from China has pushed down the price of the top cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, once again--as well as other smaller counterparts. On June 21, China's staunch crackdown on both crypto trading and mining reached the international stage after it crashed the prices of leading digital coins like Ethereum and Bitcoin. On the other hand, billionaire Elon Musk attributed the crackdown of China on crypto mining to be one of the primary reasons why Bitcoin has evolved to become greener. Musk further noted that the leading crypto is now using more clean energy after mining has left the Chinese country. That said, China's move to go after crypto transactions leaves a significant effect on the digital coins--from their prices to their carbon emissions. China vs. All Crypto Transactions As per CNBC, the Central Bank of China once again took a swipe on Bitcoin, and called all crypto-related transactions to be "illegal." The Asian country went on to launch a harsh crackdown against digital currencies. The People's Bank of China also noted on its website that "token issuance and derivatives for virtual currencies are strictly prohibited." Not just that, the central bank added that even crypto exchanges from outside China to the mainland are considered illegal as well. On top of that, even crypto transactions using the internet of local residents fall under "illegal financial activity." Even Chinese working for crypto exchanges outside the country is subject to scrutiny. All of these rules of the China central bank are part of the prevailing crackdown of the Asian country against cryptos. What's more, the Chinese bank highlighted its previous stand, saying that institutions, including payment firms, internet companies, and financial businesses, in the country are not allowed to offer crypto-related services. China Crypto Crack Down According to Reuters, the rules of the central bank of the country against crypto transactions were put in place following the crackdown that the State Council of China launched in May. The People's Bank of China went on to warn that the government will "resolutely clamp down on virtual currency speculation, and related financial activities." The move is said to keep social, economic, and financial order in the country. Read Also: Crypto Heist Hacker Gets Job Offer from Poly Network after Stealing $600M and Returning it Crypto Prices Go Down After the bold statement coming from the central bank of China, the price of the largest and leading crypto, Bitcoin, tumbled to a steep 6% at $42,239 in the last 24 hours, according to Fortune. Meanwhile, other virtual currencies also fell after the China statement, which has been the case with smaller cryptos. For instance, Ethereum lost 10% of its price, whereas XRP faced the same exact fate. Aside from crypto prices, firms providing services for virtual currencies also figured in a slump in their stock prices. Related Article: Crypto Whale Spotted Buying 30,000 Coins Adding to Wealth of 144,000 Coins Across 18 Wallets | Opportunity to Buy at 9% Down? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Windows 11 seems to remain troublesome even close to its imminent release. Especially for people whose devices might not meet Microsoft's stringent hardware requirements. In a report by TechRadar, the problematic Health Check app from Microsoft has reportedly been made available to download yet again. People are reporting issues with the app to this day. Aside from that, the now-released Windows 11 beta installer is also proving to be too much trouble for people. According to The Verge, there's a pop-in message that shows up informing users that if they continue with trying to install Windows 11 despite their device not meeting the system requirements, the system won't be getting official updates and support. Furthermore, they will also have to sign a waiver which, if you sign by pressing the "Accept" button, any damages done to your PC due to compatibility issues won't be covered by the device's manufacturer warranty. When Windows 11 was first revealed back in June, it showed a lot of great additions and changes compared to Windows 10. But it also stirred up some controversy when Microsoft revealed its TPM 2.0 requirement. It meant that even if your PC does have substantially powerful hardware for Windows 11, it still might not be able to run the OS just because it's lacking TPM 2.0 (either hardware-wise or via a BIOS setting). Microsoft is set to release Windows 11 to all supported devices on October 5. Read also: Microsoft Relaunches Compatibility Tool That Can Tell If Your PC Can Run Windows 11, But it Has Some Problems Windows 11 Early Issues Windows 11 is launching roughly two weeks away from the time of this writing. But it seems like it's already had so many problems before it has even hit the market. Is it still going to be worth upgrading? With this manufacturer's warranty debacle, there are a few things that need clarification. For one, running software that's incompatible with the hardware doesn't always cause physical damage to a device as a whole. Sure, it still happens, but most of the time it's an isolated incident. If a software like Windows 11 won't be compatible with a specific PC, chances are the computer will simply refuse to install it. Still, it would be best in your interest to not go against an official notice like this, if you really don't want to have major problems on your hands. As they always say, "better safe than sorry." The 'Increased' Security Could Be Worth The Upgrade Alone Microsoft was forced to explain their TPM 2.0 requirement when people started asking questions. It was a good thing, because they somehow cleared things out. For instance, the company stated that the requirement is there in order to beef up the security of the OS. The purpose of the TPM 2.0 is to store and protect sensitive data such as user credentials and encryption keys using a hardware barrier. Since it's hardware-based, hackers couldn't get to this sensitive information without physical contact with the computer itself. Given how Windows 10 has had multiple security issues in the past, this is a welcome change. Related: Windows 11's Speed Isn't About the Hardware, Says Microsoft This article is owned by Tech Times Written by RJ Pierce 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The EU Member States claim that Russia is somehow linked to the new Ghostwriter hackers, targeting the European nation. "Some EU Member States have observed malicious cyber activities, collectively designated as Ghostwriter, and associated these with the Russian state," said involved authorities via European Council's latest press release. They added that these new malicious actors are trying to attack the country's security, integrity, as well as its democratic principles and values. Aside from these, EU members also believe that the new Ghostwriter criminals could be focusing on the nation's democratic functioning. EU Discovers New Ghostwriter Hackers According to CNN World's latest report, the new security threat was identified just days before Europe's parliamentary election in Germany. Also Read: [UPDATE] T-Mobile Hacker Said it Only Took Him a Week to Steal Data, Says Carrier Security is 'Awful' Involved authorities explained that the newly discovered malicious activities are unacceptable, especially since German citizens can appoint their new successor, who would replace the stepping down Chancellor Angela Merkel. On the other hand, EU Member States claim that the new Ghostwriter hackers are targeting members of the government, Parliaments, and the press and civil society. The new alleged Russian-linked cyberattack is just one of the rising malicious activities across the globe. In other news, cybersecurity experts confirmed that thousands of confidential LimeVPN user data were leaked. On the other hand, Bangkok Airways also suffered from a massive data breach. Is There a New Cold War? As of the moment, Russia hasn't commented about the new accusation from the EU Member States. On the other hand, the European nation also did not release any statement if the rising hacking activity is also linked to a new Cold War scenario. Axelandra Von Nahmen, the Brussels Bureau Chief, posted a screenshot of the European Union's press release on Twitter. In the comment section, a Twitter user said that Cold War is still very active, claiming that it did not end in 1990. The EU calls out Russia for "malicious cyber activities," targeting politicians, officials, reporters & activists in the EU by accessing computer systems and stealing data. "We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to the norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace." pic.twitter.com/lbWqywyIAn Alexandra von Nahmen (@AlexandravonNah) September 24, 2021 His statement is still unproven. As of the moment, the best thing you can do as a resident is to wait for the EU's further announcements and suggestions about the new Ghostwriter hackers. For more news updates about Ghostwriter online criminals and other rising hacking groups, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: New WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities Put Millions of Websites At Risk! Users Now Urged To Update Their Accounts This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. California announced a new plan to make all its autonomous vehicles zero-emission, which is expected to happen this coming 2030. This means that government officials will try to prevent traditional and hybrid cars from operating on the state's roads. This detail was confirmed by California Governor Gavin Newscom on Thursday, Sept. 23, after signing a new bill. The latest approved law, sponsored by various environmental groups, states that all gas-based and hybrid-powered autonomous car models should no longer run. As of the moment, various parts of the United States are making efforts to make residents use zero-emission vehicles as carbon emissions rise in different countries. Now, California joins them as Newsom confirms his latest move against the sale and production of gas-based automobiles. California To Make ALL Autonomous Cars Zero-Emission According to The Verge's latest report, Governor Gavin already announced his two executive orders for clean energy-based cars back in 2020. The first one states that all cars sold by 2035 should be zero emissions. Also Read: GM Ultium Drive Electric Motors Coming to Hummer EV, Buick Electra, and MORE The other bill explained that all commercial vans and trucks sold and manufactured in California should also run on clean energy. This is quite an amazing initiative since it makes California the first U.S. state to halt sales of fossil fuel-bring cars. Because of government officials' efforts, 15 more states already followed California's plan as they released similar bills to make their own running vehicles zero-emission. In other news, U.S. would soon see self-driving FedEx trucks roaming the streets. On the other hand, environmentalists want to boycott Toyota, claiming that the manufacturer prevents EV development. Michigan Also Announces EV-Based Project California is not the only state that wants to help the rising EV industry. Michigan also announced its plan to build a highway that would automatically charge visiting EVs. This would be a great innovation once it is completed since electric cars would no longer need to stop just to power up. "Michigan was home to the first mile of paved road, and now we're paving the way for the roads of tomorrow with innovative infrastructure that will support the economy and the environment," said Governor Whitmer via Convenience's report. For more news updates about California's EV plans and other similar initiatives, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Tesla Cybertruck's Hardware 4 Computer Will Be Produced By Samsung: Report This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : GettlyImages/ SOPA Images ) Meng Wanzhou Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou will appear in court in Brooklyn, New York, on Sept. 24. She is expected to plead guilty to her charges filed in the United States as part of a deal that would allow her to go back to China. Huawei CFO to Plead Guilty According to CNN, the plea would end a three-year legal battle that affected the relations between the United States, China, and Canada. The case is about whether Meng misled HSBC about the company's relationship with Skycom. Meng is the daughter of Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei. The US alleges that Meng's lie could have put HSBC at risk of sanctions violations. The Department of Justice or DOJ submitted a letter to District Judge Ann Donnelly last week. The letter acknowledges that the department would address a resolution at the hearing. Also Read: Huawei Sells Honor to 30 Agents for $40M- Sale Gives Birth to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Huawei and Meng's financial team denied the allegations. They said that the executives of HSBC knew of the company's relationships with Skycom, according to Reuters. Meng's team and the telecommunications company also claimed that the case in the US, which was filed before President Donald Trump's trade was with China, was announced. In 2018, Meng was arrested at the airport in Vancouver, Canada, at the behest of the US government. She is currently under house arrest in Vancouver as proceedings to extradite her to stand trial in the US are forwarded to the Canadian courts. Meng's team is opposed to the extradition. They said that Meng's rights were already violated when she was arrested at the airport. The extradition proceedings are nearing their end. In August, hearings in the case concluded, and Canadian Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes stated that she would announce the date for her ruling on whether Meng should be extradited in a court appearance on Oct. 21. Last year, the US Justice Department offered Canada a resolution that lets them take over Meng's case, according to Politico. Bank Fraud Case Meng's case has been carefully watched by the three countries involved since she was arrested in 2018. Meng and Huawei were charged with bank fraud in the United States. They were also accused of evasion of economic sanctions against Iran because of its connection with Skycom. Both Meng and Huawei have denied the charges, and Meng accused the Canadian and US officials of unlawfully detaining, searching, and interrogating her. In a court filing last year, Canada's attorney general stated that there was no evidence to Meng's claims about unlawful detention and interrogation. Huawei has faced pressure from the United States as it tries to expand its 5G network and smartphone business in the country. The company also faced issues when former President Trump launched his administration's trade war against China. Last year, the United Kingdom banned Huawei, affecting the company's overall sales. Huawei is also facing charges after the company was accused of spying on citizens in Pakistan. Meng's case has strained the relationship between the United States and China. It has also put Canada in a difficult position as it needs to choose which country it will back up. Even though the United States and China recently reached a temporary truce in the trade war that was launched last year, Meng's bank fraud case shows that the tensions between the two powerful countries are not going to go away. Related Article: Huawei: US to Blame for Global Chip Shortage That Could Trigger Economic Crisis This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Volunteer Janis Thomas loads a box of food into a car at Cajun Field during a distribution by the United Way of Acadiana, Second Harvest Food Bank and UL Lafayette to those who are experiencing food insecurity caused by COVID-19 or other disasters, Saturday, February 20, 2021 in Lafayette, La. Womens health centers in Louisiana are seeing more Texas women seeking abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texass restrictive abortion law to take effect. People have always come here from Texas, said Kathaleen Pittman, administrator at Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, one of three Louisiana facilities that provide abortions. The clinic, which is about 20 miles from the state border, has always seen clients from Texas. But what we are seeing now is that they are coming from further away in the state, further than within the three-hour drive, Pittman said. Senate Bill 8 went into effect Sept. 1. It bans abortions in Texas after the sixth week of pregnancy. Abortion rights advocates say the law affects at least 80% of the abortions in the state because many women dont know theyre pregnant until after the first six weeks. Once a patient doesnt qualify for an abortion in Texas, Shreveport is the closest option in Louisiana for those living in north Texas. For those in the Houston metropolitan area, the closest clinics in Louisiana might be Baton Rouge or New Orleans, said Dr. Bhavik Kumar, who works at a Planned Parenthood Center in Houston. Mark Ballard: Abortion arguments in U.S. Supreme Court on the horizon Now that most people have their power restored a lot faster than in the past Louisiana can transition back to more divisive issues, like a We have a care coordination team here, and any clinic across the country which can provide an abortion procedure is actually an option, he said. Since the law went into effect, we are spending a lot of time helping people work through the logistics of traveling out of state, through the logistics of finding a clinic out of state, getting there, and supporting them throughout that process. While abortions can be performed in Louisiana before 22 weeks, many women who come to Louisiana for an abortion dont realize state law requires a 24-hour period between the first counseling visit with a physician and the abortion procedure. So here is what is happening: The number of people coming here to meet the first requirement, the counseling visit, is increasing, but the number of procedures has not so far, Pittman said. Women are struggling to stay for the back-to-back appointment, and not everyone can afford to stay three or four nights in a hotel. Before the new Texas law, the flow of patients was more likely to move in the opposite direction, providers in both states said. The number of patients from Louisiana who chose the Planned Parenthood Center for Choice in Houston, for example, increased over the past three years, the clinic's internal data shows. In 2018, the center in Houston provided 5,935 abortions, 149 of them from Louisiana. In 2020 that number was 253 out of a total of 7,082. Judge rejects employee lawsuit against Ochsner Lafayette General over vaccine mandate A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by 48 Ochsner Lafayette General Health System employees and contractors seeking to stop the hospital's An analysis by Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research organization, found that Louisiana is the state that enacted the most abortion restrictions in the country 89 since 1973, the year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the Constitution protects a pregnant woman's right to an abortion. In 2006, the state passed the so-called trigger law that would ban abortion if Roe v. Wade were overturned. In 2020, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that required any physician who performed abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The number of clinics that perform abortions in Louisiana has plunged. In 1992, there were 17; now there are only three. In 2017, nearly 94% of Louisiana parishes had no clinics that provided abortions, and 72% of Louisiana women lived in those parishes. That leaves Louisiana poorly equipped to handle a large volume of patients from East Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast, said Kari White, a professor at the University of Texas in Austin. Patients both in Texas and Louisiana may be facing long wait times for appointments, which will delay their care later into pregnancy, or they will have to find services elsewhere, said White, who has been spent years tracking where Texas residents travel to obtain abortions. Nursing student sues UL, Ochsner Lafayette General over COVID vaccine mandate for clinicals A nursing student preparing for clinicals is suing the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Ochsner Lafayette General over COVID-19 vaccin The trend is not new, White said. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order postponing surgeries and procedures that were not medically necessary. Texas officials interpreted it to prohibit most abortions until the order expired on April 21, 2020. "We saw the same trend in 2013 after implementation of Texas HB2 and again when Texas issued the executive order in 2020 suspending most abortion service, White said. The Texas Policy Evaluation Project, which White co-authored, showed that out of the 947 Texans who left the state in April 2020 to seek an abortion, 120 of them went to Louisiana. Some womens health centers in Louisiana see the obstacles to abortion in both Texas and Louisiana as an opportunity help women avoid a mistake with tragic consequences. We stand up for a womans right, and in an abortion, there are always two people who are injured, that is the baby who dies and the woman who suffers emotional damage for the rest of her life, said Nancy Marcantel, chairperson of the Pregnancy Center and Clinic in Lafayette. We counseled many women who have had an abortion and none of them came here and said, this is the best thing I have ever done. Not one. For 36 years, the Pregnancy Center and Clinic has counseled women to explore options other than abortion. Internal data provided by the center showed of the 500 new clients it see every year, about 10% of them were seeking an abortion. +4 Tested positive for COVID? Here's how to get a monoclonal antibody infusion in Acadiana If there's one good thing to come out of the fourth and deadliest wave of the pandemic in Louisiana, it might be the expanded availability of We expect that the number of calls will increase, said Marcantel, who supported the new Texas law and hopes Louisiana will enact a similar law. But once they see the baby through the ultrasound machine, they change their mind, she said. For pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates, the next date to watch is Dec. 1, when the Supreme Court will hear a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade in a Mississippi case. My message to women? Be patient. We are trying our very best to assure everyone to get the care you are entitled to, Pittman. We are hoping that very soon there will be a relief for women in Texas and Louisiana. In the meantime, we are doing the best we can. Do you put potato salad in your gumbo? That was the question we put to our readers in a poll sparked by Gov. John Bel Edwards. On social media, the state's leader asked folks whether they ate their gumbo with rice or potato salad. We decided to let the people vote. Here's what 758 people had to say in The Advocate's very unscientific survey. The winner is rice, without any potato salad muddling the roux. But a fair share of you are willing to play for both teams in the gumbo bowl. Can't see the chart above? Click here. 37% of our respondents say they like both rice and potato salad in or with gumbo. 50% voted for rice only. 12% chose potato salad only, and 1% said neither. (Who are those people?) The vote was divided across southern Louisiana, with most places favoring rice only. But there were a few outliers within that range. Baton Rouge and New Orleans, for example, showed slightly less fondness for potato salad than the statewide results, with only 10% of responders in each city opting for the mayonnaise-y add-in. +2 Cool weather's coming, so let's gumbo. Here are 5 great recipes This week, for the first time in we can't remember how long, a true cold front will push our temps into the 50s. And you know what that means, right? However, the feelings about potato salad and gumbo run deep. Take John Joffe, 51, of New Orleans: Potato salad is for picnics. No mayo, no potatoes, no raw veggies (all of which are in potato salad) should ever be in gumbo in any way, shape, or form. And 42-year-old Alan, of Baton Rouge: The heathens who put potato salad in gumbo probably also put ketchup on hot dogs and tomatoes in jambalaya. Adds 27-year-old Kimberly, of Marrero: Potato salad in gumbo? Thats just unholy yall. Yikes! Others, however, imparted a deep love for a scoop of creamy potato salad with their gumbo. Where To Go, What To Eat Each week we'll highlights the best eats and events in metro Baton Rouge. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Says 24-year-old Raleigh, who hails from Lake Charles: I didnt even know there were people who didnt have potato salad with their gumbo until I went to LSU at 18. Garrett, of Lafayette, says he used to think potato salad in gumbo was gross. But, after trying it, the 27 year old says, I'm into it now. Youd think that would be the end of that. WRONG! Exactly how the potato salad is eaten with the gumbo sparked a whole other debate. Potato salad is a perfectly acceptable side dish when eating gumbo, but it doesnt belong IN the gumbo. Thats reserved for white rice only, says Riley Landry, 26, of Baton Rouge. However, Tecla, a 62-year-old Albany resident, serves it like this: You first put in the rice, then the gumbo in your bowl and top that off with a scoop of potato salad. Chef Jeremie Janise, 46, who now lives in New Orleans by way of Eunice, came up with the perfect solution: One bowl with rice, and a half bowl with potato salad for dessert! But the gumbo wars didnt stop there. Some profess a great love for okra; others show it a disdain usually reserved for serial killers. File? Again, very strong opinions on both sides. There were also calls gumbo for with no tomatoes and for lots of tomatoes. Seafood vs. chicken and sausage proved another strong point of contention. And then there were those who added more unusual ingredients. You need to add baked/mashed sweet potato as an option (a favorite in Avoyelles/Rapides Parishes, and the best way to enjoy gumbo)!" says T.J. Stranova, of New Orleans. With a side of pickles, adds Krista Doyle, 34, of Oakdale. Destany, 37, of New Orleans, loves some hard boiled eggs in the gumbo Eunice style! In the end, we have to agree with Monica Grant, 42, of Terrytown: Gumbo is good anyway you eat it. Louisianans aged 65 and up and anyone prone to severe illness could qualify for a third shot of the Pfizer COVID vaccine as early as next week now that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel recommends a booster dose. While it may only be days until those groups can book their appointments, there are still details that need to be ironed at the federal and state level before that can happen. Following the national conversation around booster shots of the vaccine has been confusing, and at times chaotic, for the general public. The CDC panels unanimous recommendation offers some clarity. The committee recommended elderly Americans and people aged 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions who received the Pfizer vaccine for their first two doses get a third shot. Most of the panel also recommended boosters for people between 18 and 49 years old with underlying medical conditions, based on individual benefit and risk. Why should people who were infected get vaccinated? Because their immunity may not last Just more than 380,000 people in Louisiania have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since COVID-19 was first detected in the state a ye That decision came a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the boosters for older and high-risk recipients of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months after their second injection. But for now, those groups should just wait, advised Dr. Raneesha Ford, the pharmacy director for Baton Rouge General. They should still be social distancing, wearing their mask those same protective measures that we have been communicating out since the beginning of COVID, Ford said. Be patient and carry out those protective measures until we receive this additional guidance and approval to provide the Pfizer booster shot. The recommendation on the Pfizer boosters came after data showed waning antibody levels roughly half a year after people received their second dose of the vaccine. But Dr. Aldo Russo, regional medical director for Ochsner Baton Rouge, said those who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine are still at a far lower risk of developing serious complications from a COVID infection than if they were unvaccinated. +3 Coronavirus cases, deaths declined sharply in Louisiana nursing homes after vaccinations Nearly a year after the coronavirus tore through Louisiana nursing homes and left thousands of residents dead, new infections reached their lo The CDC panel did not rule on whether people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines should receive booster shots, which have not been authorized by the FDA The FDA is expected to take up the question soon. Local hospitals and clinics across the state are now waiting for CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to approve the recommendation before it becomes official. Its expected that the committees recommendation will be adopted. From there, the Louisiana Department of Health will review the CDCs recommendation and set the policies that will govern who can receive a Pfizer booster shot in the state. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The LDH review of the Pfizer booster shot should take a very short period of time, spokeswoman Aly Neel said. As we learn through this, because its an ongoing process of learning, I'm sure that the scientists are going to make the right decisions for our patients, Russo said. In the meantime, local clinics and hospitals are gearing up for an influx of patients seeking a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine. Both Ochsner and BRG said scheduling an appointment for a Pfizer booster will work the same way as it did to get the first two doses. Were handling this just as if it were a regular first shot of the vaccine, Russo said. Healthcare facilities around the state have been offering a third dose of the two approved messenger RNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, for severely immunocompromised Louisianans since August. That program differs from the Pfizer recommendations made this week because it only applies to people who have a lagging immune system due to chemotherapy, a recent transplant or some other disease that causes their antibody levels to not rise to that of a healthy persons after two doses. Those third doses are to be injected at least four weeks after the second dose is administered, unlike the CDC approval for Pfizer recipients over the age of 65, who must wait at least 6 months. The boosters are arriving after months of back-and-forth between President Joe Bidens administration and health officials and advisors. Biden said in August that his administration would roll out boosters by mid-September, a move that was criticized because some experts said there wasnt enough data. The World Health Organization also pushed back against the announcement because the U.S. has a surplus supply of vaccines, while much of the worlds population struggles to get their first shot. Bidens program was bogged down by federal regulators, and the mixed messaging led to confusion among the general public, Russo said. The FDA is your source of information, along with the CDC, he explained. That will give you some guidelines on how to handle this. Advocate staff photo by PATRICK DENNIS -- Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has signed a letter of intent to open a location at Baton Rouge General, a move that will offer more patients a chance to get coordinated cancer care close to home. Under the deal, Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, the medical oncology practice in partnership with Mary Bird Perkins will open a clinic at Baton Rouge General's Bluebonnet campus, effective January 1. The group he created from the mid 70s onwards, which developed from Henry Jones into Elders, into Carlton United Breweries, to Fosters was incredible. He created a magnificent team of individuals around him, the executive team, and he very capably led it. John was a very intelligent, outstanding businessman. But while other businessmen were able to return to their business careers after addressing their failures, Elliott never recovered from his bankruptcy and business problems. Sir Roderick Carnegie, who helped Elliott cut his teeth in the business world at McKinsey & Co. It was unfortunate, says Williams when asked if it was fair that Elliotts business career stagnated after his bankruptcy and legal issues while others bounced back. I would doubt in my career, and Im roughly his age, that there wouldnt be anyone with a greater business intellect than John. Williams recalls saying that if he had to put a business team together in the 1980s he would ensure both Kerry Packer and John Elliott were on his side. Williams former employer Mark Carnegie knows Elliotts story well. It was Carnegies father, legendary business titan Sir Rod Carnegie, who gave Elliott his break in big business. Carnegie, a former investment banker turned venture capitalist, tells The Age and Herald from London that Elliotts legacy of thrusting Melbournes staid and crusty business scene into the modern world should not be forgotten and his business woes should be put into context. People fail to recall what those entrepreneurs who strode the earth in the 1970s and 1980s achieved. John took an insular and inward-looking business community in Melbourne and shook it up from within, Carnegie says. He was properly Shakespearean - a once great character who became a figure of pity. He was a remarkably smart man and a great leader. His strength of personality was unbelievable but he was overtaken by self-destruction. Theres been in recent years a focus on Johns many and varied failings, while others are lionised for the BHP and Billiton merger or the Magma Copper acquisition, despite those deals destroying more shareholder value than Elders IXL ever did. Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett also takes a balanced view, saying Elliott had extreme success and monumental failure during his business career. But the one thing I think all Australians should be thankful for was what he did with BHP. We people, like me, get those handsome dividend returns from a great Australian company, I think we should always be mindful that it might not have happened without John Elliott. People fail to recall what those entrepreneurs who strode the earth in the 1970s and 1980s achieved. John took an insular and inward-looking business community in Melbourne and shook it up from within. Mark Carnegie Ian McLachlan, the former federal Defence Minister, shared the Elders IXL boardroom with Elliott for a decade and saw many of the big deals that built Elders into a major business force. He did some amazing things with his best guys. Although John fell upon some hard times after that, I always found him personable, and he held no grudges against anyone. I admired his energy. If hed just maybe concentrated on politics or business, not everything all at once, he may have been even more successful. But he was a dynamo of his time. Ian McLachlan worked with John Elliott for 10 years. Credit:David Mariuz During the second half of the 1980s, Elliott was almost constantly followed by speculation that he would switch from corporate Australia to federal parliament. McLachlan believes Elliott did seriously consider the move, but would have found the vagaries of the political system difficult. And he had all these other loves. He loved the footy club, he loved business, he loved doing deals. I think he wouldve been a very good prime minister, but there are a whole lot of other things you have to do if you want to be prime minister that were not so attractive. I think he thought about being PM, he thought about whether he was going to do something else. And he was a big character. We went to the Americas Cup in Perth in 1987 and he had a great big boat full of important people, hosting big lunches ... he was very good at getting new ideas up and putting a team together for that idea, and seemed to be able to absorb a lot of information quickly. In steps Eve. Shes rich and brilliant and beautiful with high, prominent cheekbones that assert themselves like contradictions. Eve introduces Michaela to thinkers like Susan Sontag. They debate the feminist merits of casual sex. Love and Virtue captures the near-erotic thrill of being a young woman, alone and adrift, who finds, in another young woman, an intellectual equal. Loading But their bond, which excludes those not like them, contains a seam of toxicity. At a party, Eve passes off Michaelas anecdotes as her own. She laments capitalism in vegan sneakers that cost several hundred dollars. Like Elena and Lila in Elena Ferrantes My Brilliant Friend, a touchstone for Reid, their spark feels charged, given to exploding. I think that toxicity is important to talk about, Reid says. Michaela and Eve dont compete with the boys, they compete with each other because they believe that space for women is limited. But to have a rivalry with someone means that you are taking yourself and your ambition seriously. In a philosophy class, called Morals and Mores, Michaela, whos 18, is drawn to a professor, twice her age, Paul Rosen. Outside a pub, she pursues him. Predictably, they start sleeping together. Under patriarchy, young women are socialised to view their intellects through the lens of male authority. Irish author Sally Rooney, best-known for Normal People also canvasses friendships and university life. Credit:Johnny L. Davies Writes Oxford philosopher Amia Srinivasan in On Not Sleeping with Your Students, a chapter in her 2021 book The Right to Sex: Where a students desire is inchoate do I want to be like him or, to have him? it is all too easy for the teacher to steer it in the second direction. Says Reid: At first Michaela doesnt really see Paul as a person. She is living out a fantasy that she is conditioned to want because he is powerful, and a professor and it proves that shes smart. Consent, as critic Parul Sehgal says in a June 2021 New York Times article, stems from consentire, Latin for to feel together. What does feeling together mean when two people, whether they are friends or lovers, feel the weight of cultural forces so differently? Says Reid: I think when we talk about consent, what we are really talking about is womens agency. Their right to feel that they control their bodies, they control their lives and they control the narratives around those things. Love and Virtue begins with a hook-up in a bar: A boy and a girl, hold each other, limbs loose with alcohol. Theres a sexual encounter in his dorm. She throws up in his bin. The incident evokes the testimonies, offered by past and current Australian high school students, published online by the activist Chanel Contos. And it takes place during O-Week. The period, according to The Red Zone, a 2018 report from End Rape on Campus Australia, coincides with one in eight attempted and completed sexual assaults at the University of Sydneys residential colleges. In May this year, the NSW government made the historic move toward an affirmative consent model, thanks to the tireless work of advocates. In Australia, our cultural obsession with the good guy, the top bloke gives rise to the myth that good guys dont do bad things. Love and Virtue invites the reader to bury the incident. Then, in a flash of memory, Michaela learns that she is the girl in the dorm during a drinking game led by Sackers, a fan of public humiliation. The boy, however, is Nick. He has quiet eyes and curly hair that matched his Italian surname. He is a good guy, altogether more thoughtful, less entitled than the friends he went to school with. But, in Australia, our cultural obsession with the good guy, the top bloke gives rise to the myth that good guys dont do bad things. That goodness is a matter of individual integrity, rather than systems that invite abusive behaviour. Theres this idea in philosophy that most people are more interested in appearing to be good than actually being good, says Reid. When Paul breaks up with Michaela, he says I dont want you to hate me. I think men who have had these insular upbringings in private schools havent necessarily had the opportunity to self-reflect on their place in the world. Maybe if you grew up in an environment where there are no material limitations, you take for granted that you will be a good person. She pauses. My takeaway is that most people are not good people. Being a good person is really, really hard. Diana Reid says female betrayal was the idea that sparked the novel. Credit:Wolter Peeters Michaela cant decipher the meaning of the incident at O-Week. But Eve does it for her. When Michaela refuses to be interviewed for an article on the toxic culture at the universitys residential colleges, Eve appropriates her friends experience, passing it off as her own. Its a private breach of consent that does enormous public good, sowing the seeds of institutional change and turning Eve into a famous advocate for the rights of women on campus. The culture of misogyny she exposes isnt limited to campus the boys she implicates, we now know too well, graduate to work in law and media and politics. Reid wrote Eves betrayal the idea that sparked the book to explore a different form of power. Diana Reid is now working on her second novel. I was trying to show how easy it is to think about power when it fits into an existing narrative, she says. Eve is quick to say that Michaelas relationship with Paul is wrong because of the power imbalance. But Eve is really rich and really beautiful, and these are kinds of power that are harder to see. Eve is also white. Through history, whiteness, when coupled with class privilege, is itself considered a kind of virtue. A June 2021 report from the Harmony Alliance and the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre found that 42 per cent of migrant and refugee women had survived physical and sexual violence. And 2020 figures from Our Watch found that three in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have experienced violence by a male partner. To me, Eves choices also reflect a society that still requires survivors to match the types of credibility and capital it already values. Reid, whos working on her second novel, wants her readers to be less confident in their opinions at the end of her book than when they started. Australia must rethink how it battles bushfires supercharged by climate change, says one of the nations most experienced fire chiefs, who advocates a paid seasonal firefighting reserve to bolster fire and land management agencies and take pressure off volunteers. Greg Mullins, the Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner for 14 years before retiring in 2017, warns that the next El Nino-driven mega blaze could be even worse than the Black Summer fires of 2019 and 2020 as the planet continues to warm. Greg Mullins in the bushland near his home in the Sydney suburb of Cromer. Credit:Kate Geraghty In early 2019, the bushfire fighter tried to warn federal and state governments that a terrible summer was imminent so that adequate preparations should be made. Mr Mullins brought together a group of 22 former emergency services chiefs who jointly wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, requesting a meeting to discuss the escalating climate change risks. There is nothing conventionally beautiful about Sri Lanka. This is not Thailand, with sugar-fine sand and four-star resorts, or Hawaii, or postcard Tahiti. But it is inexpressibly exotic and often mysterious. I must have visited Sri Lanka four or five times since 1992, when I came for a two-week surf trip with some mates, one of whom knew a local family, called the de Silvas, whom we stayed with. What immediately struck me about the country was the messiness of it all: the noise, the heat, the kamikaze traffic, the ragged coastline and, most of all, the air, which was very thick, very humid and spiced with sea mist, salt, dust, diesel fumes and elephant dung. Welcome to Hiriketiya, where rodents are no impediment to culinary excellence, and where, after several days of slow-motion living, you will most likely be unable to remember not only what the restaurants are called, but the days of the week and perhaps even the names of your own children. The woman said, Yes, but which is your favourite? Without hesitation I turned and pointed to the restaurant right in front of where we were staying. That place. Theres a rat in the kitchen, but the pizzas are great. It was a tricky question. Because my wife and I had left our brains back in the Qantas departure lounge in Sydney, I couldnt recall the names of any of the restaurants we had eaten at. And so I replied: Well, theres a place, ah, right on the sand with wobbly plastic seats, which does really good fish curries, and a little cafe kind of thing at the end of the beach with the best omelettes Ive ever eaten, and a thatched cabana on the other side of the road run by a couple of old hippies who make killer cocktails and sweet potato chips. It was just four days into our stay in Hiriketiya when a gentle, slightly confused-looking Swedish woman stopped me on the beach and asked where one might find a nice place to eat. Or you can stay in the bay. Chill out. Eat the pizza. Talk to the young kids making the pizza and say gday to the resident rat. It was so weird. Despite eating there regularly for 10 days, and despite our travel companions eating there all the time, none of us ever got sick. The options are many; if you have time I recommend a couple of nights in Nuwara Eliya, a colonial-era hill station, with its musty British-style country clubs where guests are still required to wear jackets and ties. (Dont worry: they provide a range at reception.) Its also a good base from which to explore. You can get a minivan 70 kilometres west to visit Galle and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed fort, which was built by the Portuguese in 1588. Or head north-east to take a tour of Yala National Park, home to elephants, leopards, sambars, jackals and deer. There are a number of places to stay, all of them idiosyncratic and unobtrusive. There is excellent surf at the north end of the bay, and good swimming everywhere. Behind the beach lies jungle and coconut groves and lots of space to wander off into and get lost. Luckily, there are still remnants of that old Sri Lanka, Hiriketiya being one of them. Situated on the islands south coast, near the town of Dickwella, Hiriketiya was essentially just a fishing village set in a pocket-sized bay. It has a 300-metre stretch of sand bookended by steep hills covered in grass and palm trees. Sri Lankas rawness owes in large part to the civil war, a 25-year conflict between the islands government and the Tamil Tigers, an insurgency whose goal it was to establish an independent Tamil state in the countrys north. The war, which ended in 2009, killed as many as 100,000 people. Naturally, the fighting put a lot of visitors off, and froze its tourism infrastructure at a 1970s level. Since the end of the fighting, however, there has been more investment, which is great for the locals but annoying if you liked the islands dilapidated charm. The time we stayed with the de Silvas, the house was taken over one night by a team of sorcerers who staged a baffling and occasionally terrifying 12-hour long devil dance, the object being to purge the home of the evil spirits that Mrs de Silva was convinced had caused her sore ankle. Ireland has perhaps the richest of all literary cultures, and has produced the likes of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and John Banville. Id like to see the Irish rugby team playing in Dublin, then go to another old pub, read some great Irish writer by the fire, then get up in the morning and keep driving. Magic. But really what I want to do is just explore the country, drive around the wild and windy coastline, the lush grassy headlands, stopping into villages with old pubs where you drink by an open fire and listen to Sweet Thing by Van Morrison, or The Broad Majestic Shannon by the Pogues. Way back in the mists of time, the Elliotts were Irish. Apparently we came from the historic town of Raphoe (population 1100), in County Donegal, in the north. I could pop in there, lay claim to the towns ruined castle. We began to suspect that the rat was some kind of clean freak, rushing around at night with a little rodent-sized mop and bucket and some Spray n Wipe. When we left I felt like tipping it. Maybe next time I will. Until then, Mr Rat dont go changing. Just down from that cafe in the Old Town is the Grassmarket a sort of square, once literally a market place, bordered by steep-roofed buildings where one of my great grandmothers, Jessie Knox, was born. Sometimes, when Ive wondered why I loved Scotland so much, so immediately, Ive wondered whether some epigenetic spark was fanned into life by proximity to my history. Probably not, but something felt right. Something about those frozen cobbles and stone buildings and dreich days (a perfect Scottish word describing, well, Scottish weather) felt familiar and beloved, the way some people do, right from the first meeting. What do I miss about it? Nothing essential, I suppose: the gunmetal grey of the burns running through the red bracken; the neoclassical symmetry of the white-painted crofts and farmhouses; the extraordinary beauty of Edinburgh, which is a fairy city, half Georgian restraint, half medieval flourish. I often think of J. K. Rowling, writing Harry Potter in a cafe I used to visit just off the Royal Mile. Unlike her, I did not write a global bestseller, but like her, I lived in a city that made you believe in magic. Some of these images are familiar I was visited by Poppet in a hallucination during labour with my daughter but something seemed different. The images felt unreal, otherworldly as if I were trying to reach the imaginary kingdom of Babylon in the old nursery rhyme. How many miles to Babylon?/ Three score miles and 10/ Can I get there by candle-light?/ Yes, and back again. But not now, and who knows when? After seven years, I did come home, but I kept going back, until March last year, when suddenly I couldnt go anywhere, and nobody else could, either. And then I began dreaming of Scotland. I was on a plane, flying into Edinburgh; I was in Inverness, the sheet ice moving over a loch; I was walking behind a Dandie Dinmont terrier I knew in Clackmannanshire called Poppet. I have missed Scotland ever since I left it more than 20 years ago. I was not born there, but the day I arrived to go to university on the Fife coast north of Edinburgh I rang my parents in Australia and broke the news. Im never coming home, I said. Someone will call my daughter bonnie, and my partner will say something about the weather, and people will laugh and say Aye on the indrawn breath, the way I did for years, unable to imagine I would ever say yes again. I rarely think at least consciously about going back, I suspect for fear of not being able to. But when I do, Im going to climb a munro, then sit in a white-harled pub and eat a brown trout and drink a whisky (which I never drink, except in Scotland, which is the only place on earth where whisky makes any sense at all) and watch the white mist roll down a long valley where one lot of men in skirts once massacred another lot, even though they were all Scottish. Which means that now Im buggered: cut off from the beloved by the global you-know-what, reduced to being the only person on earth watching Outlander (the Scottish historical romance starring bodice-ripping Scottish actor Sam Heughan) for the scenery. For me, its Scotland, where the heather and gorse rolls like sea over the thin soil, and the great bowl of the sky stretches high in every direction. I felt at home there, more at home than I do at home: as if I wanted to lie down and let my bones sink into the stony ground. Can you fall in love with a country ridiculously, inconveniently, but also, it would seem, enduringly at first sight? It sounds so melodramatic, so sentimental so non-Scottish. It sounds Irish, in fact: people fall in love with Ireland all the time. But Ive been to Ireland, and its gorgeously beautiful, and it leaves me utterly cold. Ive never been to Venice, and I know almost nothing about the city. Ergo, it has been for many years my perfect fantasy destination. In Venice, I want to see only beautiful things. I want to stay in a luxurious palazzo right on the Grand Canal with the water ripples reflecting off the walls, and every room suffused with golden green subaqueous light. I want to wear an enormous sweeping hat and Anna Wintour sunglasses and have a gondola at my disposal, tied up to one of those candy cane poles. I also want access to one of those vintage wooden speedboats that often seem to have George Clooney behind the wheel. I want George Clooney behind the wheel. I want to eat cicchetti (tidbits) at bacari (backstreet bars) in Cannaregio. Actually, I will have to exchange George for my partner at this point, because he (my partner, not George) is the one who knows where those bars are. I want to buy Venetian shoes and paper and perfume, and then walk to Rialto Bridge, the church of Santa Maria della Salute, the Doges Palace, Hotel Danieli, Piazza San Marco: walk and walk in my beautiful comfortable shoes, and then get taken to some fabulous canal-side restaurant, and drink Aperol Spritz (originally from Venice) and eat grilled octopus while looking out at the water. How likely is any of this to actually happen? As likely as any fantasy, which is to say, not very. But also, perhaps, as likely as a global pandemic striking humanity and entirely halting international travel in the 21st century. Which is to say, at the very least, possible. The lakes and small towns of upstate New York are an irresistible draw for Konrad Marshall. Credit:Getty Images United States By Konrad Marshall There are nine black-and-white photos on my lounge room wall. All were taken in 1944, in Glens Falls: the small town in New York state where my wife grew up, and where I lived with her for five years. The pictures were part of a catalogue of thousands shot at the birth of the baby boom by Look magazine. It devoted an entire issue to this place, which it had dubbed Hometown USA: a picture perfect reflection of wholesome small-town life. Girls practising archery. Boys diving into a pristine lake. Mill workers and hot-dog sellers and little kids swearing allegiance to Old Glory. Long before I ever lived there, I was fascinated by this American ideal. I had no interest in Antipodean rites of passage like lobbing in a share house in London. I wanted to see if fictionalised pop culture burgs like Castle Rock (Stand By Me) and Bedford Falls (Its a Wonderful Life) could be trusted. I wanted to know if any of it was real. It was. All those decades later, Glens Falls seemed to retain almost every silver screen, Capraesque, Rockwellian cliche, and for me that was always most magically obvious in summer. How do you describe small-town life in the American north-east through the long, hot months in the middle of the calendar year? The weather comes at you first. Whether in New York or Vermont, Maine or New Hampshire, no one prepares you for the almost tropical humidity that settles over the landscape. The lawns are thick and soft, and the tree canopy looms. It gets warm and stays warm, with few capricious fluctuations of temperature. It is weather made for the great outdoors, like hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks: 46 mountains that meet the required 4000-feet (1220-metre) threshold for inclusion. Hike them all and you earn a 46er sticker, presumably to slap on the bumper of your pickup truck. Ive hiked a few, and seen rattlesnakes and deer and bears. Never a moose, but theyre out there. As you rise above the treeline, its hard not to gasp at the rolling topography below: all the rounded mountains and deep lakes, cut and smoothed aeons ago by gigantic glaciers. This is good swimming country, the kind of place where people kayak and canoe or spend whole days floating down a river on an inner tube. The North Country, as its called, is dotted with ponds, too. On sunny August afternoons, Id plunge into the clear water and wade out to a pontoon, clamber up the little ladder and lay down wet skin on warm wood or make my way back to the dock, to sit in an Adirondack chair, sipping cold beer. People from New Jersey and Long Island buy little shacks here called camps, but there are also multimillion dollar estates and country clubs, with boat houses in hidden harbours. My wife and I were married at a resort called Silver Bay, where people stay for weeks on end in summer, to play shuffleboard and have singalongs and find new friends and fleeting romances, like some scene out of Dirty Dancing, which was set in the Catskills, not far away. But mostly I love this corner of the world for all the small town stuff the stuff that would be replicated in every little village and hamlet throughout the region. The way golf courses and race tracks open up when the last of the slushy spring snow is gone and the turf turns green and plump. Parades with marching bands and fireworks on the Fourth of July. The back seat of your car at the Glen Drive-In, and dive bars in the woods like the Full Moon on Glen Lake Road. Pool halls and garage poker games and community softball on Friday nights at Crandall Park, when grown men slip into ill-fitting baseball uniforms so they can steal bases and sock dingers at the local diamond. (I played left field for the Buckley Tire Lugnuts.) On Saturdays, there was a pot luck picnic, to which everyone brought a dish. Youd walk to the house of a friend because no one in a small town is that far from anyone else where a long table would be covered in a red-check cloth, and filled with hamburgers and corn on the cob, pasta salad and potato salad, and Buffalo wings, named not for the animal but for the place the sauce was invented: the city five hours to the west on I-90 freeway. Then its time for bare feet on hot grass, and lawn games. Horseshoes maybe. Bocce or croquet or cornhole. As the darkness falls, maybe the firepit comes to life, and the kids eat smores. At dusk in fields near the treeline, fireflies start to flicker. They call them lightning bugs. Im not the only person to fall hard for this place. In my time as a small-town reporter there, I wrote stories about the many figures its beguiled, and among them were unsurprisingly artists. Georgia OKeeffe summered and painted here as a young woman. The sculptor David Smith grew up in Indiana and lived in New York City, but eventually moved to a large plot on nearby Lake George, and simply couldnt leave. He called it his souls home. I feel the same way. Those black-and-white photos on my lounge room wall? In this very grey moment the world is experiencing, I cant help staring into each still image and imagining it in vivid, moving colour, spurred into life by my memories of that place and my desire to return. Marshalls mind also turns to Japan and the hectic rush of Tokyo. Credit:Getty Images The place Ive never been but would love to visit Japan Life is a little cooped right now, isnt it. A little same-same, too? Thats why when the world opens again, and we can go somewhere new, I want somewhere different. I want out of my suburb into a metropolis of unfathomable size and bustle. I want off familiar footpaths to walk in the woods in quiet contemplation. I think I want Japan. Ive never been, but what Ive pieced together from friends makes me long for its charms. I want my son to stare at the hectic rush and crush of people and colours and lights in the busiest part of Tokyo, and be as gobsmacked as he was in New Yorks Times Square. I want him to joyfully marvel at one of those vending machines that dispense cooked pizza. I want my wife to swoon at the delicacy and order and etiquette and purpose that binds everything. I want her to get giddily lost in all things Hello Kitty. I want to get lost in the city itself, too, and have my own Lost in Translation moments. I want to see sumo wrestling. I want to hand over hundreds of hard-earned holiday dollars for a 20-course sushi menu prepared by Jiro Ono at Sukiyabashi Jiro. I want to sip sake under cherry tree blossoms. I want to go trekking, staying in a new rural izakaya every day, and slipping into a new onsen every night, diving and drifting and disappearing into a different state of mind. The delights of Rome keep Jane Cadzow coming back to Italy. Credit:Getty Images Italy By Jane Cadzow Before the pandemic, I was a pretty easy-going traveller. Every two or three years I went on a holiday with a group of friends, and we took turns at deciding the destination. I was happy to go anywhere. Greece? Excellent. France? Of course. Ireland? Fine. Spain? Cant wait. Every one of those trips was wonderful. Looking back, though, I realise that I was unconsciously making comparisons. Wed be sitting in a vine-shaded taverna on the island of Hydra, or driving down some peaceful rural lane in County Tipperary, or gazing from the tower of a castle in the Dordogne, and a tiny voice at the back of my head would say, Nice. Very nice. But its not Italy. I have loved Italy since I first went there in my early 20s. A boyfriend and I were midway through a sojourn in Europe and had begun to think of ourselves as seasoned tourists, but Italy was a revelation. It bowled me over, as it has every time Ive been back. The people, for a start. Im sure there are some plain Italians but lets admit that as a group they are wildly attractive. The thick hair, the olive skin, the strong profiles, the wide smiles. Grumpy Italians certainly exist especially in Venice, that fragile dreamscape of a city, where residents understandably feel overwhelmed by the ever-rising tourist tide but en masse they have a warmth and exuberance that I have encountered in no other country. Even the dentists are fun. A few years ago, my friend Pat lost a filling while we were eating at a trattoria in Verbania, on the shore of Lake Maggiore. Well, not lost. It fell out of her mouth and onto her plate. She made an appointment at a local studio dentistico, which turned out to be in a splendid old palazzo. Oh boy, she murmured to me, taking in the frescoes on the walls and ceilings. How much is this going to cost? Loading The dentist, Dottor Ponchio, fixed Pats tooth, then stood around talking and laughing with us in the waiting room. He was tall, urbane and so utterly charming that when he asked if Id like a check-up, I almost agreed. He wouldnt let Pat pay him a cent. In Italy, art is everywhere, not just in galleries and museums. I like the theory that this is one of the reasons Italians are the way they are: living amid all that beauty enriches their spirit and heightens their humanity. The American-born writer Donna Leon told me over dinner in Venice that she was once on a tram in Amsterdam that stopped suddenly, throwing her onto the floor. Her fellow passengers could not have cared less. If it had happened in Italy, she knew, there would have been a competition to help her to her feet. Nineteen people would have offered me their seats to lie down on, she said. In Italy, there is still a strong impulse to help the person in difficulty. Commissario Brunetti, the hero of Leons Venetian detective novels, never gets to the office early or works late. He often pops out for a mid-morning glass of prosecco and always goes home for a fabulous lunch. He confirms my view that Italians know how to live, and reminds me that Italy is where I feel most alive. Just being there somehow gives an extra layer of intensity to every experience. Food is tastier, coffee is kickier, fountains are frothier, sculptures are swoonier. Its a place where the past is ever-present you could be forgiven for thinking the Renaissance painters just put down their brushes yet Italians seem to have an intrinsic understanding that time is fleeting and precious. This is infectious. In Australia, I can be a bit of a ditherer. In Italy, I seize the moment. Another Aperol Spritz, per favore! The olive groves, the marble columns, the shop windows displaying neat stacks of fine woollen jumpers in delectable shades, the perfectly proportioned piazzas, the pink-gold light. The Pantheon. Pistachio-flavoured gelato. With all these things in mind, I prepared an argument to put to my travel group. Before the world shut down, we had been planning a trip to Scotland. I had been as enthusiastic about that as anyone. But no offence, Scotland I felt differently now. Who knew how many more opportunities we would have to go away together? Nothing could be taken for granted anymore. So it seemed to me that when borders reopened, we should return to Italy, my friends said, way ahead of me as usual. Of course well go to Italy. The lure of Egypts Valley of the Kings remains tempting. Credit:Getty Images The place Ive never been but would love to visit Egypt As a child, I was given a book about the discovery by the English archaeologist Howard Carter of Tutankhamuns tomb in the Valley of the Kings. After reading it, enthralled, I had two firm goals. I wanted to: a) go to Egypt, and b) become an archaeologist. I have done neither. Probably too late to switch careers at this point, but I still dream of taking a boat down the Nile and seeing Tuts tomb for myself. I may finally get onto that when travel is possible again. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. The best of Good Weekend delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Sign up here. As we say in Melbourne, that was quite a week. COVID-19, lockdown, freedom protests and an earthquake. It was only last Sunday that we learned of our road map out of lockdowns as we reach the national plan targets of 70 and 80 per cent fully vaccinated. If you were like me, it was somewhat deflating as it became clear how long and hard this will be. But at least it was a plan for schools to return in a staggered way, for shops and restaurants to reopen, and for all of us to reunite with people we love. That has become for me the hardest thing to bear because life without seeing family and friends seems drained of energy and purpose. What also became clear was the awful balance we are trying to get right. There will be arguments about whether the state governments plan is too slow or too fast, but it did dawn on us that the cost of all our returned freedoms will be more infections and hospitalisations, which will put an ever-increasing strain on fatigued health workers. Police respond to protests by construction workers at the Shrine of Remembrance. Credit:Wayne Taylor Columnist Julie Szego summed it up beautifully. According to the modelling, even if the present lockdown was to remain past the 80 per cent vaccination threshold, hospitals would still have a one-in-four chance of being overwhelmed. It is hard to find anyone in Australias political and foreign policy establishments with a kind word to say about Scott Morrisons handling of the French submarine fiasco. The consensus from both those who wish him well and his long-term critics is that the Prime Minister picked a needless fight with Paris, annoyed Jakarta, our most important neighbour, and even undermined Washingtons strategic interests in the region. Morrison, they say, made the rookie diplomatic error of addressing the world with his partisan domestic voice when he ditched the $90 billion contract with the French. He promoted an Anglo alliance at the very moment when Australia needs both Europe and Asia in its corner against Beijings economic coercion, and when the United States is trying to reassure all its allies that the days of Trumpian surprises are behind them. Further, Morrison alienated the French at the very moment when Macron assumes the status of senior leader in the European Union following the retirement of German president Angela Merkel. The EU, as Morrison would know, has a combined economic might that is the equal of Chinas. But our trade with the EU is only a third of our trade with China after you remove the British from the equation. One senior Liberal says the deceit towards France was off the charts . The contract to build conventionally powered submarines for Australia was Frances largest arms sale in its history. We were to be the cornerstone of Emmanuel Macrons Indo-Pacific strategy, the senior Liberal says. Morrison should have had an honest conversation with the French President. Put simply, we changed our minds and now wanted nuclear propulsion, which the Americans were best-placed to provide. Perhaps he could have given the French the option to put in a new tender. Sydney pathologist Andrea Thomson* didnt see the school holidays going this way: locked inside with her three children, all COVID-19 positive, while her husband isolates separately in the house. The couple had done everything right for the past 18 months, never taking their children to the shops and abiding strictly by regulations to protect their patients as they both work in healthcare. The eastern suburbs family caught COVID-19 through their primary school; they want to make sure all possible mitigation measures are in place. Credit:Janie Barrett But at the end of the day, COVID-19 came into the household through the childrens eastern suburbs school, which they attend two or three days a week because their parents are essential workers. Dr Thomsons children caught the infection from a classmate, who had attended school on four days over two weeks while infectious. The kids infected me while they were asymptomatic; they also infected their younger brother who doesnt go to school. We were assured that schools were safe, and even with limited numbers of students attending we are now in this situation, she said. A column published last week, Attorney-General a job for legal expertise not political head-kicking, argued it was inappropriate of Opposition Leader Matthew Guy to appoint me as shadow attorney-general because I dont have a law degree. It asserted the Attorney-General is a part of the government and yet independent of it. If a conflict arises, they must put the rule of law and the administration of justice first, above political considerations. Liberal MP Tim Smith has been elevated to shadow attorney-general. Credit:Paul Jeffers Rather than focusing on what university degree the shadow attorney-general does or doesnt have, perhaps questions could be asked as to what the current Attorney-General has been doing to uphold the rule of law? State Parliament has been suspended, and its few sittings highly curtailed, by an unelected health bureaucrat. What has the Attorney-General had to say about the suspension of basic norms of cabinet government that has given the Premier, but equally, unelected bureaucrats, immense power over almost every aspect of our lives? When Melbourne year 9 students Jack, Darcy and Wesley set up CovidBaseAU earlier this year, they wanted to keep the fact they were children secret. They felt it wasnt necessary to be identified right away the coronavirus data and their smarts should speak for themselves and they wanted their tracking site to be taken seriously. Jack, Wesley and Darcy, the brains behind the highly regarded CovidBaseAU database. Credit:Simon Schluter But with more than 17,000 followers on Twitter and a whole lot of people holding them in high regard, they decided on Thursday the time was right to make the big reveal. The group unveiled their identities with a photo on Twitter after receiving their first shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. WA Premier Mark McGowan says the state will not rule out mandatory COVID vaccinations for the construction industry and flagged a decision was imminent on mandates for the mining sector. Mr McGowans comments come after a tumultuous week in Victoria, where crowds of largely construction workers clashed with unions and police during violent protests over mandatory jabs and the decision to shut down the industry for two weeks. West Australian Premier Mark McGowan. Credit:Getty Images On Friday, Master Builders WA said it would prefer to keep the jab voluntary for workers, but Mr McGowan said mandates were being considered for a range of industries. We havent made a final decision, but were not ruling it out, he said. We need to get people vaccinated and industries where people work in close proximity that are vulnerable to, one, acquiring it, and secondly spreading it, were considering each of them. De Caires believes security companies deserve more credit for the role they play in keeping Australia safe. Providing recognition of the hidden workforce that plays a critical frontline role in protecting people, places and property is long overdue, de Caires says. However, he also acknowledges that the industry must evolve. ASIALs Security 2025 Report, published this week, is a roadmap for the industrys future. It says the security industry needs to improve its public standing, make security a career of choice, upskill and cross-skill its workforce, and embrace technological innovation. De Caires says businesses hiring security can help by insisting on high standards. But government needs to step up to the plate too. The regulatory rumble The important role that security plays in keeping Australia safe should not be overlooked. Credit: Getty. One of the problems the security industry faces is the fact it is regulated on a state level. Cameron Smith is the director of the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED), the regulatory body for security businesses in NSW. These security operatives perform roles whose purpose is the deterrence of crime, the protection of persons and property, the maintenance of public order and safety ... Smith says. Australias Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism notes the central role played by the security industry in protecting crowded places. Effective regulation of the security industry ensures that it is fit for purpose to fulfil these important roles. Smith acknowledges that there are a number of key differences in jurisdictional approaches to the regulation of the security industry. State regulations on security licences vary when it comes to criminal checks, the regulation of training, and which types of visa holder are allowed to apply. This can be a source of great frustration for the industry and for business. De Caires says: ASIALs calls for nationally consistent industry standards over the past 25 years have largely fallen on deaf ears ... if Australia is to have the capability to meet key security threats in coming years, government must act now to bring about crucial reforms. Disrupted future As the digital and physical worlds cross over, Martin sees plenty of challenges ahead. The security industry, for example, will need to ensure systems and data are secure while providing cameras or access systems that sit on business networks. However, overall, he believes Australia is in good shape. He sees government putting in place mechanisms to help businesses deal with cyber attacks, and likes what he sees from ASIAL. Theyre trying to start the debate, theyre trying to raise their profile, and theyre trying to educate both the government and business on the need to have a really well trained and capable security industry, he says. And thats going to be necessary, because for Martin, the future is a dangerous place. I think the future is going to be more disrupted ... he says. Whether its on a geopolitical level ... whether its the impact of conflict or weather events, whether its the ability for cyber to reach across boundaries ... I think thats only going to increase. Washington: Australia will intensify co-operation with the United States, India and Japan to ensure that China does not exert excessive control over the supply of minerals essential to modern technology in one of the key goals of the first face-to-face leaders meeting of the Quad nations. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet with US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House on Saturday (AEST) for the first in-person leaders meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Quad meeting at the White House. Credit:PMO In a separate speech to the United Nations on Saturday, Morrison will position Australia on the front lines of the battle to ensure China does not monopolise the Asia-Pacific. The global strategic environment has rapidly changed, indeed deteriorated in many respects particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where we live here in Australia, the Prime Minister will say. Washington: A House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol has subpoenaed four advisers and associates to then-president Donald Trump who were in contact with him before and during the attack. The panel subpoenaed former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former White House deputy chief of staff for communications Dan Scavino, former Defence Department official Kashyap Patel and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Donald Trumps chief of staff Mark Meadows, on the right, pictured with Trump and vice-president Mike Pence on November 2, 2020. Credit:AP Committee Chairman, Democrat Bennie Thompson, wrote to the four men that the committee was investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the attack and asked them to produce documents and appear at depositions in mid-October. A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6 as Congress was meeting to certify Democrat Joe Bidens election victory, delaying that process for several hours as then-vice-president Mike Pence, members of Congress, staff and journalists fled from rioters. EU court adviser finds car emissions measurement defeat devices broadly illegal BRUSSELS, Sept 23, 2021; Reuters reported that software that Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) used to alter pollutant emissions based on the temperature and altitude is illegal unless it prevents potentially dangerous sudden damage to the engine, an adviser to the EU's top court said on Thursday. The finding, if confirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), is the latest step in a series of cases following the German carmaker's 2015 admission of wrongdoing in the Dieselgate scandal. Judges at the CJEU typically follow opinions of the advocate general, but are not bound to. Volkswagen said the temperature windows used in VW group vehicles was permissible because their their purpose was to prevent sudden and immediate risks of damage to the engine. The case, brought by consumers in Austria, centres on software controlling a valve that recirculates exhaust gases from the engine outlet. This reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which can cause respiratory problems in humans. The software shuts off the valve at temperatures outside the range of 15-33 Celsius (59-91 F) and at altitudes above 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), increasing NOx emissions. The consumers contend this is a prohibited defeat device, for which they should be compensated. In his legal opinion, CJEU advocate general Athanasios Rantos noted the court ruled last December that emissions-rigging software was illegal, even if it contributed to preventing ageing or clogging up of the engine. read more Rantos said the temperature window was not representative of real driving conditions in Austria and neighbouring Germany, as the average temperature was significantly lower than 15 C. Vehicles would also often be driven above 1,000 metres. The software was a "defeat device", he said, and could only be justified if a malfunctioning of the valve had a sudden impact on the engine, such as a power failure while being driven, even if the vehicle undergoes regular maintenance. The advocate general said that it was for the Austrian courts to determine where the defeat device was necessary. He added that one court had said this was impossible to do. Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt; editing by Barbara Lewis Are EV's Just A Take The Money And Run Place Holder? German Auto Giants Place Their Bets On Hydrogen Powered Cars MUNICH, September 22, 2021: Reuters reported that battery power may be the frontrunner to become the car technology of the future, but don't rule out the underdog, hydrogen. That's the view of some major automakers, including BMW and Audi, which are developing hydrogen fuel-cell passenger vehicle prototypes alongside their fleets of battery cars as part of preparations to abandon fossil fuels. They are hedging their bets, calculating that a change in political winds could shift the balance towards hydrogen in an industry shaped by early-mover Tesla's (TSLA.O) decision to take the battery-powered road to clean cars. Global auto hub Germany is in sharp focus. It is already betting billions on hydrogen fuel in sectors like steel and chemicals to meet climate targets, and closely-fought elections this month could see the Greens enter the coalition government and further push the technology. BMW is hydrogen's biggest proponent among Germany's carmakers, charting a path to a mass-market model around 2030. The company also has one eye on shifting hydrogen policies in Europe and in China, the world's largest car market. The Munich-based premium player has developed a hydrogen prototype car based on its X5 SUV, in a project already partly funded by the German government. Jurgen Guldner, the BMW vice president who heads up the hydrogen fuel-cell car programme, told Reuters the carmaker would build a test fleet of close to 100 cars in 2022. "Whether this (technology) is driven by politics or demand, we will be ready with a product," he said, adding that his team is already working to develop the next generation vehicles. "We're on the verge of getting there and we're really convinced we'll see a breakthrough in this decade," he said. VW's premium Audi brand told Reuters it had assembled a team of more than 100 mechanics and engineers who were researching hydrogen fuel cells on behalf of the whole Volkswagen group, and had built a few prototype cars. HYDROGEN TOO COSTLY NOW Hydrogen is viewed as a sure bet by the world's biggest truckmakers, such as Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) unit Daimler Truck, Volvo Trucks (VOLVb.ST) and Hyundai (005380.KS), because batteries are too heavy for long-distance commercial vehicles. Yet fuel cell technology - where hydrogen passes through a catalyst, producing electricity - is for now too costly for mass-market consumer cars. Cells are complex and contain expensive materials, and although refuelling is quicker than battery recharging, infrastructure is more scarce. The fact that hydrogen is so far behind in the race to the affordable market also means even some champions of the technology, like Germany's Greens, favour prioritising battery-powered passenger cars because they see them as the fastest way to reach their main goal of decarbonising transport. The Greens do, however, back the use of hydrogen fuel for ships and planes and want to invest heavily in "green" hydrogen produced solely from renewable sources. "Hydrogen will play a highly important role in the transport industry," said Stefan Gelbhaar, the party's transport policy spokesperson in the Bundestag. Politics can be unpredictable though - diesel went from saint to sinner following Volkswagen's Dieselgate emissions-cheating scandal, which came to light in 2015. Some carmakers view hydrogen technology as an insurance policy as the EU targets an effective ban on fossil-fuel cars from 2035. Last year Daimler said it would wind down production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL, a hydrogen fuel-cell SUV, but a source familiar with company plans said the project could easily be revived if the European Commission or a German government with Green participation decide to promote hydrogen cars. "We're focusing on (battery) electric first, but we're in close cooperation with our truck guys," said Jorg Burzer, Daimler's head of production, when asked about that approach. Juergen Guldner, a vice president at BMW in charge of the carmaker's hydrogen car program, fuels a hydrogen fuel-cell prototype SUV at a petrol station in Munich, Germany, September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Nick Carey BMW iX5 Hydrogen is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Juergen Guldner, a vice president at BMW in charge of the carmaker's hydrogen car program, fuels a hydrogen fuel-cell prototype SUV at a petrol station in Munich, Germany, September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Nick Carey 1/6 BMW iX5 Hydrogen is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay "The technology is always available." 180 KPH IN HYDROGEN X5 For years Japanese carmakers Toyota (7203.T), Nissan (7201.T) and Honda (7267.T), and South Korea's Hyundai, were alone in developing and pushing hydrogen fuel-cell cars, but now they have company. China is expanding its hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, with several carmakers now working on fuel-cell cars, including Great Wall Motor (601633.SS), , which plans to develop hydrogen-powered SUVs. The EU wants to build more hydrogen fuelling stations for commercial vehicles. Fitch Solutions auto analyst Joshua Cobb said the bloc was only likely to start pushing hydrogen passengers cars in two to three years' time, given it was still figuring out how to pay for its battery-electric car push and how to obtain enough "green" hydrogen from renewable sources. But he added: "It's not out of bounds to think if the (German) Greens come into power they could accelerate the push to adopt regulations favouring hydrogen fuel-cell cars." BMW's Guldner acknowledged hydrogen technology was too expensive to be viable for the consumer market today, but said costs would come down as trucking companies invested in the technology to bring fuel-cell vehicles to market at scale. To demonstrate BMW's hydrogen X5 prototype, Guldner took Reuters for a spin at 180 km (112 miles) per hour on the autobahn near the carmaker's Munich headquarters and in a few minutes gave it enough fuel to run 500 km using a hydrogen gas pump at a Total petrol station. Guldner said BMW saw hydrogen fuel-cell cars as "complementary" to its future battery electric model range, providing an alternative for customers who cannot charge at home, want to travel far and refuel swiftly. The motor in the hydrogen X5 is the same as BMW's all-electric iX. "When the future is zero emissions, we believe having two answers is better than one," he added. A LONG AND WINDING ROAD Yet Fitch Solutions' Cobb said that it would still take years before any European policy support for hydrogen-powered cars translated into significant sales. Indeed, auto consultancy LMC forecasts that various uses of hydrogen - in commercial vehicles, aviation and energy storage - would spur its adoption in passenger cars, but over the longer term. "We're just not going to get there any time soon," said LMC senior powertrain analyst Sam Adham. LMC estimates in 2030 hydrogen fuel-cell models will make up just 0.1% of sales in Europe, and sales will only take off after 2035. There remain divisions about the technology's prospects in the global car industry, and even within auto groups. VW's Audi unit might be researching fuel cells, for example, but Volkswagen group CEO Herbert Diess has been scathing about hydrogen-powered cars. "The hydrogen car has proven NOT to be the solution to climate change," he said in a tweet this year. "Sham debates are a waste of time." Stephan Herbst, general manager of Toyota in Europe, has a different view. Speaking in his role as a member of the Hydrogen Council business group, which forecasts that hydrogen will power more than 400 million cars by 2050, Herbst said he was confident that now governments had set ambitious carbon-reduction targets, they would push hydrogen alongside battery electric cars. "We strongly believe this is not a question of either or," he added. "We need both technologies." Reporting by Nick Carey; Additional reporting by Christina Amann in Berlin and Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt; Editing by Joseph White and Pravin Char Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. The City of Cheyenne, Friday, September 17, was declared a POW-MIA city. Mayor Patrick Collins told the crowd that it is fitting that Cheyenne is named a POW-MIA City the same day that Pow-MIA Recognition Day is celebrated. "The City of Cheyenne and Fort DA Russell, F.E. Warren Air Force Base were born on the same day, and 154 years later, we have this amazing relationship," he said. "Wyoming's National Guard here in Cheyenne came about a decade later, and I love the relationship we have with all our military units." While in his office, Collins said a group talked about the Americans who didn't come home and how not having closure would cause great family pain. "What really shocked me was that two members of my office of four have uncles who didn't come home from war and are unaccounted for today," he said. "Michael Skinner is our public information officer, and his great uncle, Corporal Carl Bud Snyder Jr., was lost during his service in South Korea while serving with Company A of the First Battalion 38th Infantry Regimen Second Infantry Division of the United States Army." Skinner and his family, along with Office Manager Holly Martinez, and her family, lost a great uncle in North Korea. They were acknowledged and recognized by the crowd. "The City of Cheyenne remains resolute that no American Serviceman and Servicewoman who can be recovered shall knowingly be left behind on the field of battle," Collins read from the proclamation. "The City of Cheyenne holds with the highest regard the sacrifices made by all the American Prisoners of War who surrendered their freedom and endured great hardship in defense of American liberties and values." Major General Greg Porter, the Adjutant General of Wyoming's Military Department, felt honored to recognize those who've made sacrifices in defense of America's freedom. "Particularly those who are American prisoners of war and those who continue to remain missing in action," he said. "Today, our proud City of Cheyenne has proclaimed itself an official POW-MIA City. There's only 17 across the United States. The significance of this proclamation is that our city is recognizing every Soldier, every Airman, every Sailor, every Marine, every Coast Guardsman, every Guardian, and every Warrior. It matters that you serve, and we think about you." Alf, along with Miss Sally, is dedicated to remembering all Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. "About 18 months ago, Miss Sally called me up, and we just got done doing a big thing for our Airmen and Airwomen," he said. "She called me up and said, "I've got a project.' She had heard about this program. At the time, there were 16 cities, mostly little cities in Missouri. I called General Porter." Porter said, "what's up, trouble," to Alf. "I told him about this, and he said, yes, I'm in," Alf said. "The same day, I met Mr. Jeff at the bank, and I said, please help us with some donations to get some things done. He did not blink, and he's been on board with us ever since; thank you. We went to Mayor Collins, and you took this ball and ran with it. Thank you, sir." Alf thanked everybody. "God bless you," he said. "We can never forget our POWs and MIA's. They need to be brought home on the American soil that they served and fought for with honor, dignity, and respect." September 17th was POW-MIA Recognition Day in our country. Gordon Alf Parks and his wife, Ms. Sallee, asked me if we would be willing to do a proclamation declaring Cheyenne a POW-MIA city. As we were discussing the pain of having a loved one not come home from war, I was shocked to learn that two of the folks in the Mayors office have great uncles that are MIA from the Korean War. Michael Skinner is our Public Information Officer, and his great uncle Corporal Carl Bud Snider Jr. was lost in South Korea. Holly Martinez is the boss in our office, and her great uncle Corporal Elias Torres was lost in North Korea. It was an honor to have family members in attendance. We were blessed by having Major General Greg Porter join us to honor our POW-MIA members and their families. It was an emotional ceremony, and I am proud of Cheyenne, and its support of our military members, both retired and currently serving. Sometimes you meet the most interesting people as Mayor. The Ambassador of Uzbekistan, Javlon Vakhabov, stopped by with folks from the University of Wyoming. He shared the similarities of his country and Wyoming. Agricultural and mining are the main industries, with efforts to increase tourism. It seems like there are many opportunities for the state to partner with Uzbekistan, and the opportunity for UW to do so in the education world. I took a tour with many of our city staff to look at an alley that was the site of an accident involving a sanitation truck. It has a large drop that caused the truck to slide off and into an apartment building. We looked to see what the city and neighbors might do to mitigate the danger. I am interested in seeing what our staff comes up with as a solution. We had a work session to talk about the homelessness situation we have in Cheyenne and frankly in all cities across America. We heard from Robin Bocanegra from the COMEA shelter and Rachel Martinez from Family Promise. They shared the mission of their organization, and the hurdles they need help overcoming. It is my desire that we work as a community to collaborate on solutions to the homeless issues. I have been meeting with folks to try to do just that. Fingers crossed that they share our passion. Another opportunity to celebrate our military came last Friday evening (Sept. 17th). The American Warrior Initiative is a non-profit that was started by the Fairway Independent Mortgage Company. Their mission is to serve the veterans all over our country that have come home and really need our help. This evening they gave two veterans service dogs, paid for three more veterans dogs, and gave another veteran organization $10,000. It was an amazing night that was highlighted by a talk from Jason Redman, a Navy Seal that was horribly wounded in his last tour of duty. American service men and women have answered the call to serve since the founding of our country. Today, the country is calling us to serve the veterans and their families. I am constantly amazed at the volunteerism of Cheyenne people. Judy and I attended the Symphony Ball on Saturday night. We joined Maestro William Intriligator, and Stephanie Garvey -- a member of the orchestra -- at dinner. Cheyenne is blessed to have an orchestra of this caliber. There are not many cities our size that can boast of a professional group of musicians this talented. I am in awe of folks who have artistic talents of any kind. I have an appreciation, but no talent. Sigh!! We bought the right to decide on a song for the orchestra to play next season. It will be fun to learn about classical music and pick a song that moves us. This is the biggest fundraiser for the Symphony annually and it was nice to dress up and see friends and acquaintances. Monday morning was another meeting involving the arts. I have a project I would like to do involving public art and met with Harvey Deselms to talk about the vision. He brought Nathaniel Trelease and we are going to work together to beautify our city with art. Much more information to come on our efforts. I spent some time this week working on the hiring of a part time municipal judge. David Singleton has accepted the job and we will swear him in on Monday at our meeting of the Governing Body. Our court is getting busy, and Judge Tony Ross needs the ability to take a vacation. This hiring will let him do that and will help the court keep up with the increasing case load. The American Rescue Plan has given the city $12 million. We brought together our department directors to talk about how we can use this amazing opportunity to improve our city and support their departments. We have two years to commit the money, and another two years to actually write the checks. With this time frame, I want the governing body to be very deliberate in making the decisions on how to invest the money. Our next step will be for the departments to prioritize their lists, and we will have work sessions with the city council to educate them on the priorities. The council will make the final decision. I continued my tour of local manufacturing business on Tuesday afternoon. Central Custom Molding is an injection molding company that uses some sophisticated technology to make products you see in some of the largest retailers in our country. I watched a couple machines make a drinking cap that can be screwed onto mason jars. They made 280,000 last year and sold them through Walmart. They also have an exclusive contract with NASA for a product called Aerogel. This is material they can put through their molding machines that is super hydrophobic and much more insulating than anything else on the market. NASA created the material for use in space applications, but it has so many potential everyday uses. So cool that a Cheyenne company has the exclusive right to use it. We have all heard that manufacturing is dead in America. That is not true in Cheyenne. We have between 1,250 and 1,500 manufacturing jobs right now in Laramie County. Congratulations to LEADS and all the folks working to diversify our economy. The United Way works with 20 partners to help those in our community most in need. They have been doing this work for 73 years in Cheyenne. You can imagine the untold stories of thousands of folks they have helped over these years. Vernon Dobelmann is the new Executive Director, and Jess Ryan and his wife Danielle are the co-chairs for this years membership drive. The city has not had an employee donation campaign for a few years. I want to restart and reinvigorate our effort. I have already received great support from some of our departments and I look forward to reporting on our success. I hope everyone, who has the ability, will consider donating to the United Way. Lunavi is a tech company headquartered here in Cheyenne. They started off as Greenhouse Data but changed the name a year ago. In 14 years, they have grown from a 3,000 square foot building in Cheyenne, to a footprint from coast to coast. I joined co-founder Shawn Mills, CEO Sam Galeotos, and UW president Ed Seidel to celebrate the tech ecoculture growing in Cheyenne and the announcement of Lunavi s newest addition of a digital consulting division to be located here. These are such high paying jobs, from the base salary of over $60,000 to well over $100,000. It is an exciting opportunity for Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and UW to train Wyoming students to work in tech right here in Cheyenne. I was so impressed with my tour of their newest 45,000 square foot facility. I guess I just did not know these kinds of facilities were here in our community. I also loved Sams discussion on how they were using other Cheyenne tech companies to serve their customers needs, lifting many of our tech businesses by working together. The Lincoln Theater is now a live music venue with the ability to bring great bands for crowds of up to 1,250 people. Co-founders Jon and Renee Jelinek have done so much for downtown with the Lincoln Theater, Paramount Cafe, Paramount Ballroom, and fun office suites. We met on Thursday to talk about how the city can help make things easier for the music venue. I love their passion for downtown and their entrepreneurial spirit. I met with the Business Council and Chamber of Commerce to discuss where we are at with the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) with the Air Force. This is the area where we have the park-n-ride for Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD). It is proposed to build a very large apartment complex on the site to give Airmen a place to live when they leave the dorms. It is a slow process when you deal with government, but it is an important project for Cheyenne. The Business Council has given this project a grant, and we updated them on our progress and our optimism in getting this project finished. We received a grant on Thursday for just under $20,000 from the Plains First Responder Grant program. They are in the oil and gas industry and give back to make sure local first responders have the tools and equipment they need to respond to emergencies. This grant will be used to buy a hazmat trailer that will include equipment to handle spills up to 6,000 gallons. With I-25 and I-80 trailer traffic intersecting our city, this could come in handy. Our fire union had a change in leadership, and we met today to talk about our impasse in negotiations that have led to arbitration proceedings. Bill Hinz is the new union president. The union presented a new offer that articulates management rights for our fire chief. I believe the new offer is substantial and will recommend the City Council approves the deal. It will be nice to have our disagreements behind us. Jonah Bank is 15 years old and two of the founding employees retired on Thursday. Gregg Jones and Mark Zaback have served the bank and our community from the beginning. I would like to thank them for their service and wish them well in their retirements. I know this is a little long, but I wanted to let you know the things that are happening in our community. If you have a question for me, send it to media@cheyennecity.org. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, that those over age 65 and those at high risk of severe COVID-19 can receive a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine. (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images/TNS) Batavia, NY (14020) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. A Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location in a file photo. (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP) 24 Chinese Fighter Jets Enter Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone in 1 Day The Chinese communist regime flew 24 fighters into Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a day after Taiwan applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The Chinese air force dispatched two dozen fighter jetsthe third largest daily incursionto enter the southwest ADIZ of the Taiwan on Sept. 23, according to the Central News Agency (CNA), based on a map of flight paths of Beijings Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft released by Taiwans national defense ministry. The aircraft types involved included J-16, J-11, Y-8 MPA (maritime patrol aircraft), H-6 strategic bomber, Y-8 electronic-warfare aircraft, and KJ-500 AEW (airborne early warning). The ADIZ is a specific area beyond a countrys sovereign territory within which the country requires the identification, location, and air traffic control of aircraft in the interest of its national security. To respond to the event, the Taiwan called out Civil Air Patrol aircraft, which issued radio warnings and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activity of intruding warplanes. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense has tracked PLA aircraft activity in a real-time military updates section since Sept. 17, 2020, on its official site. The high-profile display of force in Taiwans ADIZ came a day after Taiwans executive authorities announced they had applied to join the 11-nation Pacific trade group. Taiwan filed its bid with the bloc in the name of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu to avoid ruffling the feathers of Beijing, as it did in seeking WTO membership in January 2002. Since 2020, the Chinese regime has stepped up its military pressure on Taiwan. Although it has never ruled the self-governing democracy, China insists that Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to take over the island by force. Beijings largest daily military incursion occurred on June 15, when the Chinese military sent 28 jets into Taiwans ADIZ, after leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement calling for a peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues. Beijing labels any foreign governments engagement with Taiwan as a challenge to its sovereignty. It squeezes Taiwans international space, trying to isolate the Asian democracy from global groups like the World Health Organization. China also runs afoul of nations that wish to establish closer ties with Taiwan, like Lithuania and Japan, who donated vaccines to Taiwan this year. An ambulance is seen inside the Rohini court in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 24, 2021, after a notorious Indian gangster was killed by gunmen dressed as lawyers in a bloody shootout in a courtroom where three people died. (Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images) 3 Dead as Gangsters Posed as Lawyers Open Fire Inside Delhi Courtroom Gunmen dressed as lawyers started shooting inside a courtroom in the capital of India on Friday, killing a suspected gang leader and also injuring several others, police said. The two assailants involved in the incident allegedly belonged to a rival gang of 30-year-old Jitender Gogi, a notorious New Delhi gangster who was facing murder charges. Two from rival gang opened fire at Jitender Gogi inside the court, New Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told NDTV. That [is] when police retaliated and killed those two assailants. The police acted swiftly and killed both the assailants, Asthana added. In total three people are dead, including Gogi, who died later in a hospital after being shot multiple times, the official said. Authorities havent released information on how the apparent gang members managed to bring weapons inside the courtroom. Gogi was arrested in April 2020 after being involved in a series of murders, dozens of extortions, violent robberies, and carjacking cases in and around New Delhi, The Times of India reported. Video images captured by people in the court premises in Rohini, western Delhi, showed people running for cover while shots rang out. Members of the media gather outside an entrance gate to the Rohini district courtroom in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 24, 2021, after a notorious Indian gangster was killed by gunmen dressed as lawyers in a bloody shootout in a courtroom where three people died. (Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images) Arun Kumar, an official at the Rohini court, said lawyers should be given a special ID card to reduce the risk of impersonation. The shooting has raised concerns about the security in Indian courts and whether metal detectors were working. The question on whether the metal detectors were not working in the court premises is a matter of investigation and I cannot comment on that at the moment, Asthana told NDTV. We are already investigating the case and we shall not spare anyone who is involved in this shootout. No one will be spared. Sanjeev Nasiar, President of the Delhi Bar Association, said lawyers would stay away from work on Saturday and review the security measures in courts. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News U.S. President Joe Biden (C) hosts a Quad Leaders Summit along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. The four leaders are expected to discuss a range of topics including climate change, Covid-19 vaccines and a free and open Indo-Pacific ocean region. (Pool/Getty Images) A Force for Global Good: Quad Leaders Meet at White House Against Backdrop of China Threat President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever in-person summit of the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, colloquially known as the Quad, on Sept. 24, during which the group hailed its efforts to improve the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific amid rising assertiveness by the Chinese regime in the region. Senior Biden administration officials on Thursday announced that the group would be creating new working groups to tackle issues related to space and global supply chains security, as well as coordinating on vital cybersecurity projects. This convening of democratic partners who share a world view and have a common vision for the future is coming together to take on key challenges of our age, Biden said during a press conference at the White House before the summit. We are four major democracies with a long history of cooperation. We know how to get things done and we are up to the challenge. The summit came around a week after the United States, Australia, and Britain announced a new security alliance focused on the Indo-Pacific region that is widely seen as an effort to counter Beijing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said the Quad will play the role of a force for global good. The prime ministers words came as the strengthening ties and increasing influence of the Quad caused tensions with Beijing, where mounting animosity from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has led to a series of disinformation campaigns designed to lower international confidence in the forum. Countering CCP Threats Senior Biden administration officials said on Sept. 23 that the Quad would establish a working group on space issues and a very high-level group to address specific capabilities and technologies designed to reinforce cyber resiliency against attack, possibly in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State. Such efforts have become increasingly important for international security, analysts say, as the CCP attempts to reach nuclear parity with the United States, continues its development of anti-satellite weapons, and engages in acts of cyber espionage. We have a robust cybersecurity effort underway with the State Department thats going to be enhanced at the leader level, a senior Biden administration official said in a press call regarding the Quad. Were going to try to take steps to bolster critical infrastructure resilience against cyber threatssomething thats plagued all four of our countries. John Mills, former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the Department of Defense, said that the increased focus on securing critical infrastructure would be a welcome addition to the efforts of the Quad both domestically and internationally. Thats good news, Mills told The Epoch Times. Critical infrastructure is where we have to get better. Mills noted that information sharing efforts, joint training and exercises, and critical infrastructure security were integral to the security of the international community in the wake of multiple recent cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure including natural gas and agriculture. Specifically, Mills hoped that the announced initiatives would result in India and Australia joining in the annual Locked Shields cybersecurity exercise hosted by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Estonia. Japan already has an elevated status in Locked Shields, Mills said. We should ensure that India and Australia also participate. For now, what shape the high-level work on cybersecurity takes is unclear, but it could include top cyber officials in the administration such as national cyber director Chris Inglis, National Security Agency cybersecurity director Rob Joyce, and deputy national security advisor for cyber & emerging tech Anne Neuberger. In all, Mills hoped that the efforts would mark a strengthening of effective diplomacy on the part of the United States. What international partners love and expect is U.S. leadership, not lecturing, Mills said. They want tangible, actionable manifestations of our agreements. They dont want abstract talking down to. Free and Open Indo-Pacific While China was not specifically mentioned by the leaders, it loomed large in their opening statement, particularly in the Quads emphasis on ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacifica region where Beijing has been flexing its military and economic might. This event demonstrates the strong solidarity between our four nations and our unwavering commitment to the vision of a free and open Pacific, said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison emphasized that the four countries are liberal democracies that believe in a world order that favors freedom. The leaders words underscored previous observations that the multilateral nature of the Quads work was necessary for the success of democratic nations everywhere, and that the international character of the dialogue was itself an alternative vision to the CCPs sovereignty-oriented diplomacy. Casey Fleming, CEO of strategic risk and intelligence firm BlackOps Partners, told The Epoch Times that the summit was a crucial first step toward fortifying all democratic nations against cyber threats from the CCP and others. The Quad Leaders Summit is an excellent beginning, Fleming said. But it must also work to immediately include all democratic countries to respond effectively to the strategy of unrestricted hybrid warfare used by our adversaries. It is imperative for all democracies to align against the existing strategic alliance between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea against the democratic nations of the world, Fleming said. The Quads high-level working groups must expand to coordinate on all facets of cybersecurity, strategy, risk, innovation, and intellectual property protection. A global alliance of democratic nations against dictatorship may be some ways off, but Biden and his counterparts in the Quad have signaled that such a broad-reaching coalition may be in the cards yet. During a joint statement leading up to the summit, Biden and Morrison underscored that their work was intended as a universal message of solidarity for the world. Our partnership is in line with all the other democracies in the world, Biden said. And we got a lot of work to do. People watch on a giant screen as the Alibaba's founder Jack Ma speaking during the Vivatech startups and innovation fair in Paris on May 16, 2019. (Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images) Alibaba Plans to Drop Domestic Broadcaster Amid Beijings Regulatory Crackdown Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is seeking to sell its entire stake in Mango Excellent Media, less than a year after buying stock shares from the company. The move comes as Beijing has tightened its grip over various industries, including e-commerce. Television-based service provider Mango Excellent Media, headquartered in Hunan Province, announced on Sept. 24 that an investment arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. proposed to sell the entire 5.01 percent shares of the broadcaster, according to the companys filing to Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The shares were valued at about $600 million based on Thursdays closing price. However, the tech giant paid $960 million when it bought the shares nine months ago. Alibaba is seeking a waiver from a one-year lockup agreement, the filing showed. The agreed period ends on Dec. 26, 2021. The document didnt reveal the proposed selling price, yet shares of the media company have fallen roughly 40 percent since Alibabas investment proposal was disclosed last year. Alibaba built a portfolio of media holdings under its founder Jack Ma, covering print media, social media, advertising, and movies. The company has stocks in media outlets, including Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post and Chinas Twitter-equivalent platform Weibo, in addition to its own filmmaking division, Alibaba Pictures. A copy (C) of the South China Morning Post is displayed at a newsstand in Hong Kong on Dec. 12, 2015. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Ma and his empire have been targeted in a regulatory crackdown since the past year. The billionaire criticized Chinas regulatory system in a speech last October for having too many prohibitions and limitations with too few policies. Soon after, Ma disappeared for three months. Meanwhile, regulators rolled out sweeping punishments, including a record $2.8 billion antitrust penalty in April and halting its affiliate company Ant Groups $37 billion listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong last November. Moreover, Beijing ordered Alibaba to liquidate its media assets for challenging the state-controlled media propaganda, according to a March report by The Wall Street Journal. Alibaba said in a statement that it did not intervene or get involved in the [media] companies day-to-day operations or editorial decisions, The Journal reported. As of date, Alibabas stock price has fallen by nearly half over the past year. In recent months, the Chinese Communist Party has implemented regulatory crackdowns that have targeted several big companies and organizations, as well as influential individuals, in a bid to solidify its rule in the mainland, according to China watchers. Arizona Senate Told of Multiple Inconsistencies Found in Election Audit Arizona attorney general says his office will review findings This article was updated with the findings presented during the Arizona Senates hearing and the auditors report provided to the Arizona Senate. Arizona lawmakers were told during a Sept. 24 hearing of inconsistencies uncovered during a forensic audit of the 2020 election conducted in the states most populous county. The Maricopa County audit was commissioned by Republicans in the Arizona Senate. Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, issued a letter on the same day to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich recommending further investigation following the audits findings. In the letter, she raised concerns over signature verification on mail-in ballots, the accuracy of voter rolls, the securing of election systems, and the record-keeping of evidence related to the elections. I am therefore forwarding the reports for your offices consideration and, if you find it appropriate, further investigation as part of your ongoing oversight of these issues, Fann told Brnovich in the letter. Brnovich, a Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate, said in a statement, I will take all necessary actions that are supported by the evidence and where I have legal authority. Arizonans deserve to have their votes accurately counted and protected. His office said that its Election Integrity Unit will thoroughly review the Senates information and evidence. Specific allegations cannot be commented on until the review is complete, the office added. Fann said at the hearing that the audit had faced unnecessary obstruction from Maricopa County officials, who went to court in a bid to block the audit and subpoenas from the state Senate. While the forensic audit didnt uncover a significant difference in the total vote talliesthe difference was only hundreds in the final report evidence was uncovered of numerous other anomalies, including statutes being broken and chain of custody not being followed, Fann added. Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based company hired by the state Senate to conduct the audit, said its review involved more than 1,500 people and a total of over 100,000 hours. While the company said it only found in the recount a vote discrepancy of 994 in the presidential race and 1,167 in a U.S. Senate race, the report highlighted potential issues with a combined total of 53,305 ballots. Maricopa County on Sept. 24 issued a series of statements on its Twitter page in response to findings laid out in a purported draft audit report of Cyber Ninjas forensic audit that had been released ahead of the Senate audit hearing. The draft audit reports figures didnt entirely correlate with that of Cyber Ninjas final report. Fann said at the hearing, As you know, somebody leaked one of the draft reports out over the last 24-48 hours. It was a draft report, so I can tell you that whats in that is not entirely whats in the final report. However, some key allegations in the draft report regarding ballots did match that of the final report. 23,344 Mail-In Ballots Voted From Prior Address According to the Cyber Ninjas final report, 23,344 mail-in ballots were received from voters previous addresses. Mail-in ballots were cast under voter registration IDs for people that may not have received their ballots by mail because they had moved, and no one with the same last name remained at the address. Through extensive data analysis, we have discovered approximately 23,344 votes that may have this condition, the report states. Cyber Ninjas noted in its report that if ballots are sent by forwardable mail, that would violate the Arizona Elections Procedures Manual. The Senate should consider referring this matter to the Attorney Generals Office for a criminal investigation as to whether the requirements of ARS 16-452(C) have been violated, the company stated in the report. Maricopa County refuted the allegation on Sept. 24, saying, Mail-in ballots are not forwarded to another address. It also asserted that voting from a previous address is legal under federal election law, such as in the case of American military and overseas voters. The county also said it had 20,933 one-time temporary address requests for the 2020 general election. 9,041 More Ballots Returned by Voters Than Sent Cyber Ninjas found that 9,041 more ballots were returned by voters than were sent to them. According to the report, 9,041 more ballots show as returned in the EV33 Early Voting Returns File for a single individual who voted by mail than show as sent to that individual within the EV32 Early Voting Sent File. In most of these instances, an individual was sent one ballot but had two ballots received on different dates. Auditors later noted they were told that some of the discrepancies could be due to the protected voter list, but were not able to validate that. Maricopa County released a statement to similar effect. The county disputed the finding on Twitter, saying the majority of times when there are multiple entries in the EV33 file are when voters returned a ballot without a signature or with a signature discrepancy, and in such cases, election staff contacts the voter. Cyber Ninjas: Voters Potentially Voted in Multiple Counties Cyber Ninjas noted that some 5,295 ballots were affected by voters who potentially voted in multiple counties. The company said that it had compared Maricopa Countys list of all its voters who cast a ballot in the election (also referred to as the VM55 Final Voted File) to the equivalent files of the other 14 Arizona counties, to find a total of 5,047 voters with the same first, middle, last name, and birth year, representing some 10,342 votes among all the counties. The Ballot Impacted was calculated by the total number of votes (10,342) and subtracting the number of maximum number of potential unique people (5,047). This yielded 5,295, the report said. Separately, the company found that the number of ballots tallied in the official Maricopa results was 3,432 more than the total number of people who voted. The official result totals do not match the equivalent totals from the Final Voted File (VM55), Cyber Ninjas said. Cyber Ninjas said the finding is significant because the number of individuals who showed up to vote should always match the number of votes cast. The company recommended that legislation that would require the Official Canvass to fully reconcile with the Final Voted File should be considered. Cyber Ninjas said in another finding that there were 2,592 more duplicate ballots than original ballots sent to duplicationa process for replacing damaged or improperly marked ballots with a new ballot that preserves the voters intent. This is probably one of the more interesting parts that we had more duplicates than original ballots, Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan said in his presentation on Sept. 24. According to our counts from our audit, we had 26,965 original ballots and we had 29,557 that were duplicate ballots, and those numbers should be the same. Based on the numbers received from Maricopa County, we should have had 27,869 of both originals and duplicates and they should have matched up perfectly, he added. Other findings of the ballots affected included 2,382 in-person voters who had moved out of Maricopa County, and 2,081 voters who moved out of state during the 29-day period preceding the election. Responding to the findings, the county said it had completed separate spot checks and found no discrepancies for either of the figures. Cyber Ninjas also reported that there were 1,551 votes counted in excess of voters who voted, as well as a slew of other categories of findings that affected a smaller number of ballots, such as 397 mail-in ballots sent without there being a record of them having been sent, 393 ballots that had incomplete names, 282 votes cast by individuals who were flagged as deceased, and 198 votes cast by individuals who registered to vote after the Oct. 15 deadline, among other smaller categories. 17,322 Duplicates of Early Voting Ballot Return Envelopes Shiva Ayyadurai, who was commissioned by the Senate to check the signatures or lack thereof on the early voting ballot (EVB) return envelopes, said during the Sept. 24 presentation that the audit reveals anomalies raising questions on the verifiability of the signature verification process. Ayyadurai said that his team was hired only to verify whether the envelopes contained a signaturenot whether the actual signature matched that of the voter in question. Of the 1,929,242 return envelopes provided by the Senate, 17,322 duplicates were found, with some voters having cast the same ballot three to four times, according to Ayyadurais report (pdf). He noted that Maricopas canvass report, meanwhile, didnt report any duplicates. In response to duplicated ballot allegations, Maricopa County wrote on Sept. 24, Re: duplicated ballots. Every time a voter has a questioned signature or a blank envelope, we work with that voter to cure the signature. Thats our staff doing their job to contact voters with questioned signatures or blank ballots. Only one ballot is counted. Among other several key findings, Ayyadurai noted that over 25 percent of the duplicate ballots were received between Nov. 4 and Nov. 9, 2020. Allegations of Deletions Auditors stated in their report that according to the Master File Table (MFT) of the drives, a large number of files on the Election Management System (EMS) Server and HiPro Scanner machines were deleted. These files would have aided in our review and analysis of the election systems as part of the audit, the report reads. The deletion of these files significantly slowed down much of the analysis. Maricopa denied the allegation in a Twitter post, saying, Maricopa County strongly denies claims that @maricopavote staff intentionally deleted data. The county also said it has backups for all Nov. data & those archives were never subpoenaed. While auditors finished the part of the audit that deals with the ballots, they say an evaluation of voting machine equipment is ongoing. Because the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona Senate have recently settled their dispute concerning outstanding subpoena items, this portion of the audit is not yet complete, the Cyber Ninjas report states. Response to Findings Jack Sellers, chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement in response to the Senate audit hearing, The Cyber Ninjas opinions come from a misuse and misunderstanding of the data provided by the county and are twisted to fit the narrative that something went wrong. Once again, these auditors threw out wild, damaging, false claims in the middle of their audit and Senate leadership provided them the platform to present their opinions, suspicions, and faulty conclusions unquestioned and unchallenged. Todays hearing was irresponsible and dangerous. Arizona Democrats, meanwhile, pounced on the auditors report. The Cyber Ninjas embarrassed Arizona for months, violated voters trust, refused transparency, and stuck AZ taxpayers with a multi-million dollar bill. Whatd they find? Biden won, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who has frequently criticized the audit and is trying to become Arizonas next governor, wrote on Twitter. The so-called leaders who allowed and encouraged this need to be held accountable in 2022. But Fann has long said that the goal of the audit was to improve Arizonas election system and wasnt designed to overturn the results. Our No. 1 goal is to make sure those laws are followed, Fann said during the hearing, adding that there are a lot of people with questions about the states election integrity. Citing a poll, Fann said that 45 percent of Arizonas voters had significant distrust in the election system. Ahead of the official release of the report on Sept. 24 by the state Senate, Trump said the audit uncovered significant and undeniable fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The audit has uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of fraud! he said in an emailed statement. I have heard it is far different than that being reported by the fake news media. Trump added, Until we know how and why this happened, our elections will never be secure. This is a major criminal event and should be investigated by the Attorney General immediately. Arizona was one of several key swing states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin, that were certified for Biden during the Nov. 3 election. Trump won those states, with the exception of Nevada, in 2016. According to official results, Biden won Arizona over Trump by a margin of just over 10,000 votes. Maricopa County officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Correction: A headline error on Arizona Senate President Karen Fanns comments has been corrected. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Jack Phillips Senior Reporter Follow Jack Phillips is a reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York. Aussie Pension Funds Invest $1 Billion in China Tech Firms Accused of Human Rights Violations A human rights organisation has revealed that Australias largest super funds have invested over $1 billion (US$729 million) of Aussies retirement savings into China-based tech companies accused of aiding the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) persecution of Uyghurs and other minority groups. Hong Kong Watch (HKW) has urged AustralianSuper and the state-owned Commonwealth Superannuation to divest its funding after releasing a report that found a combined $1,095 billion (US$800 million) has been invested into major Chinese companies Alibaba and Tencent. It is alleged that Alibaba has offered customers ethnicity recognition software capable of identifying Uyghurs. HKW also raised concern about Alibabas social credit application, Sesame Credit, which may be absorbed into the Chinese states dystopian social credit system. The report further noted that Tencents WeChat, Chinas most significant multi-purpose social media and payment app, had been accused by Humans Rights Watch of censorship and surveillance under the directive of the CCP. People walk past a Wechat Pay sign at the Tencent company headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Reuters/David Kirton) In 2020, AustralianSuper also invested $3.2 million into Hikvision, a Chinese state-owned video surveillance manufacturer that had allegedly marketed an AI camera that identified Uyghurs before removing it from their website. Dennis Kwok, an exiled Hong Kong lawmaker who focused on Asias human rights issues while on the Legislative Council between 2012-2020, said Western nations had an obligation not to support governments engaging in human rights violations. As authoritarian governments around the world crackdown on democracy and freedom, businesses should not play a complicit role, particularly if they are major beneficiaries from open societies and the rule of law back home, Kwok said. The report highlighted a new global trend of environmental, social and governance considerations, with firms valuing their investments social and ecological impacts alongside returns on investment. However, the report said the same concern was absent when addressing human rights abuses, particularly in China, given the CCPs persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, and Tibetans, as well as the attack on Hong Kongs democratic freedom. Communities of Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong, Chinese, etc., call for boycotting Beijings 2022 Winter Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, on June 23, 2021. (The Epoch Times) This comes as the Financial Times estimated that global holdings of Chinese stocks and bonds surged roughly 40 percent to more than US$800 billion in 2021. Policy Director of Hong Kong Watch, Johnny Patterson, said that while many investors were choosing to inject billions into countriessuch as Chinawith the goal of pursuing profit, many citizens and members of government remained utterly unaware. There is a clear knowledge gap between financial professionals who know that enormous amounts of the money of ordinary people, institutional investment, pensions and government funding is being invested in China, and the members of the public, media and policymakers who would have serious ethical and practical reservations about what seems to be a reckless and problematic course of action, Patterson said. This information gap has provided cover for financial institutions to pursue profit without regard for the social impacts of their ties with firms that are closely affiliated with egregious rights abuses in Hong Kong or Xinjiang. Australia, India to Partner on Emissions Tech, Critical Minerals Australia and India have signed an agreement to support low-emissions technology sharing, focusing on hydrogen development and low-cost solar programs. The talks come ahead of face-to-face Quad discussions, including the leaders of the United States and Japan. Unless we can get the technology transformation occurring in developing countries, then I fear that the ambitions that so many have for addressing climate change will be frustrated, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Washington D.C. If we want to make a difference on climate change, weve got to make a difference everywhere, not just in advanced economies. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a communique after the meeting, saying the leaders would work to address climate change and explore clean technology. In this regard, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection, it said. He also extended an invitation for Morrison to visit India. The prime ministers agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, he said. Australias prime minister was due to visit India in January last year but cancelled his trip after bushfires broke out. Morrison said discussions around critical minerals were still ongoing. Prime Minister Modi and I share a passion around that project because they are also involved in that supply chain at various different points, and its important that we have the choice that exists in world markets around these issues, he said. Of course, for us to develop those critical minerals and rare earths opportunities, then we need to ensure that the downstream users are caught in a very productive and trusted supply chain. Meanwhile, Trade Minister Dan Tehan will meet with Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal, along with Morrison and Modi, to advance collaboration on digital agreements. The upcoming Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, will see the leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan look towards solidifying cooperation across a range of areas, including maritime security, COVID-19 vaccines, counter-terrorism cooperation, and securing supply chains for goods. The partnership is seen as a counter to Beijings increasing aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. AAP contributed to this article. The logo for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia adorns their head office in central Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 12, 2017. (David Gray/Reuters) Australias Commonwealth Bank Mocks Apples Pro-Competition Claim SYDNEYCommonwealth Bank of Australia accused Apple Inc. on Thursday of uncompetitive behavior over control of payments on its phones, which have grown to about a third of all in-person payments the countrys largest lender processes. Matt Comyn, chief executive at the Sydney-based bank, urged lawmakers to boost scrutiny of technology giants, saying payments through digital wallets developed by Apple and Alphabets Google made up about 45 percent of all physical consumer payments, as distinct from other payments such as online or direct debits. The claim that Apple is pro-competition, I think, is a fair statement, as long as one accepts that competition is welcome as long as no one can compete with Apple, Comyn told a regular parliamentary committee. The bank has been calling for Apple to free up the Near Field Communication (NFC) chip on its phones for the use of banks own apps, estimating the U.S. firm captures 80 percent of all contactless transactions done through smartphones and smartwatches. Contactless payments are growing fast in Australia, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and mobile payment services such as Apple Pay, and Comyn estimated customers tap more than 90 percent of their transactions. Apple, which requires banks to process all contactless payments through its digital wallet and pay an undisclosed fee, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. It is analogous to imagine a world today where, on your Apple phone, the only person that could determine which carrier you used is Apple, Comyn said. Shayne Elliott, chief executive of fourth-biggest lender Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, which was the first in the country to link Apple Pay with credit cards, said it had not been focused on the issue up until that particular complaint. Its kind of ironic, one of Australias biggest companies complaining about having to deal with other big competitors, Elliott told the parliamentary committee. Last month, Apple told a senate inquiry its payments app was pro-competitive, and accused companies urging further scrutiny of its products of doing so for their own commercial gain. The inquiry findings have not been published. A customer holds the iPhone X during the global launch of the new Apple product in central Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 3, 2017. (David Gray/Reuters) Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which has been reviewing whether Apple breached competition laws, declined to comment on Thursday. Its chief, Rod Sims, told the Australian Financial Review newspaper last week that the issue was complex and the anti-trust agency was going into this with an open mind. Unlike Apple, search giant Google allows banks and other third parties to access its NFC chip. The inquiry comes amid intensifying scrutiny from global regulators over Apple and Googles dominance in the mobile market. South Korea approved a bill last month that bans major app store operators, including Apple, from forcing software developers to use their payment systems. In Germany, lawmakers in 2019 moved to force Apple to open its mobile payments system to rivals for a reasonable fee. By Paulina Duran Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a tour at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., on March 3, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Admin Begins Grant Payout For Florida Districts That Defied DeSantis Mask Mandate Ban The Biden administration on Thursday began compensating Florida school board members whose salaries were docked for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis state ban on mask mandates, the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement. The department announced in a press release that as part of its Project to Support Americas Families and Educators grant program, it gave almost $148,000 in funding to the School Board of Alachua Countythe first board to receive such grants under the scheme. The grant program was announced by the department recently and provides funding for school districts that lose money for issuing anti-coronavirus practices, such as mask mandates. Florida had withheld funds from the county last month after it defied DeSantis July 30 executive order banning school boards from imposing mask mandates. The funding will help districts keep these measures in place and maintain district and school stability despite the financial penalty, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. With these grants, were making sure schools and communities across the country that are committed to safely returning to in-person learning know that we have their backs. Cardona in his statement said that he believes the country should be thanking districts for using proven strategies that will keep schools open and safe, not punishing them. We stand with the dedicated educators in Alachua and across the country doing the right thing to protect their school communities, he added. Alachua Public Schools thanked Cardona in a statement, saying that its Superintendent Carlee Simon was informed of the funding during a phone call on Thursday. Im very grateful to Mr. Cardona, President Biden, and the federal government for the funding, Simon said. But Im even more grateful for their continued support and encouragement of our efforts to protect students and staff and to keep our schools open for in-person learning. Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said that just months ago, the Biden administration said that Florida would be violating federal requirements by providing $1,000 bonuses to teachers and principals. Its ironic that the federal government is now using taxpayer funding for education to pay the salaries of elected school board members, who made the decision to violate the law because they dont believe parents have a right to choose whats best for their children. Jared M. Ochs, the director of communications and external affairs with Floridas Department of Education, told The Epoch Times that the department will continue to consider all available legal options within its purview granted by the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes to ensure each district fully complies with the law. The federal government will not be allowed to circumvent our laws and we will never cede the moral high ground of fighting for the rights of parents to make personal and private health care decisions for their families, Ochs added. It comes shortly after the department launched a probe into the states restriction against school mask mandates. Suzanne Goldberg, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education, wrote a letter (pdf) to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Sept. 10, saying that the states requirement for school districts to allow parents to opt their children out of mask mandates may violate the civil rights of students with disabilities, who are purportedly at a higher risk to adverse outcomes from COVID-19. The letter said that the departments Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in Atlanta would carry out the probe. OCRs investigation will focus on whether, in light of this policy, students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are prevented from safely returning to in-person education, in violation of federal law, Goldberg wrote. Florida is one of several states where Republican governors have pushed to block local governments and school districts from imposing mask mandates. Critics of mask mandates have argued that such rules infringe on personal liberty, while proponents of the measures have said they are necessary to curb the transmission of COVID-19 nationwide. According to data compiled by Burbio, masks are currently required at schools in 74 percent of the 200 largest districts around the nation. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Editors note: This article has been updated with statements from the Floridas Department of Education and Gov. DeSantis office. President Joe Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in the State Dining Room at the White House on Sept. 24, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Biden: Booster Shots Should Be Available Basically Across the Board in the Future While COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now available to tens of millions of Americans, President Joe Biden signaled on Sept. 24 that the boosters will in the future be authorized for practically anybody. The Food and Drug Administration last week expanded emergency use authorization for Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine, enabling certain groups to get a third dose of the jab. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that anybody 65 or older get an additional Pfizer shot and allowed that many people 18 or older such as teachers or health care workers could get a Pfizer booster. The populations covered by the new regulations and guidance equal 60 million Americans, Biden said in Washington while delivering remarks on the COVID-19 pandemic, 20 million of whom are currently eligible for a third dose. Besides needing to fit into a certain category, people also need to wait at least six months after they received their second Pfizer dose to get a booster. If you got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February, or March of this year and youre over 65 years of age, go get the booster. Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes or youre a front-line worker like a health care worker or a teacher, you can a free booster now, Biden said. While the president plans to get a booster himself because hes over 65, he isnt sure when exactly that would happen. Asked what he would tell Americans who arent eligible for a booster under the new rules, Biden said he wasnt sure how they can still get it. He also suggested it wouldnt matter soon because he believes the authorization will be expanded even further in the future. I think whats going to happen is, in the near-term, were probably going to open this up anyway. Were constantly looking at both Moderna and J&J and in addition to that were also looking to the time when were going to be able to expand the booster shots basically across the board, he said. I would just say, it would be better to wait your turn in line. Wait your turn to get there. The Food and Drug Administration declined to comment, pointing instead to its previous authorization expansion announcement. The CDC didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. A general view of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, on Sept. 30, 2014. (Tami Chappell/Reuters) Top Biden administration health officials last month said they were recommending boosters for anybody who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine but they made the announcement before any government bodies officially ruled on boosters. Critics have accused the administration of not waiting for the science, an argument bolstered when Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDCs director, on Sept. 24 overruled the CDCs vaccine advisory panel and letting anybody between the ages of 18 and 64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting get a booster. Panel members, a consortium of non-government experts, expressed concern about rushing to let young, healthy people get a booster. Some said the scant data on boosters didnt support allowing many young people to get a third short, particularly given youth are at elevated risk of heart inflammation from the Moderna and Pfizer jabs. Biden didnt address that and wasnt asked about Walenskys unusual decision. He also didnt touch on the issue of natural immunity, or people who recover from COVID-19 and enjoy a high protection against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. CDC officials have said those people should still get vaccinated, a stance many experts disagree with. Ive made clear all along, the decision of which booster shot to give, when to start the shot, and who will get them is left to the scientists and the doctors. Thats what happened here, he said at one point. Biden said that boosters will be free and tried comforting Americans who received a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, in an example of the dual messages his administration has attempted to promote. You still have a high degree of protection, he said, adding that government scientists are working to analyze data on those vaccines. The bottom line is, if youre fully vaccinated, youre highly protected from severe illness even if you get COVID-19. In fact, recent data indicates theres only one confirmed positive case per 5,000 fully vaccinated Americans per day. Youre as safe as possible. Youre in good shape. And were doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in. The White House didnt respond by press time to a request for comment on the source of the data. Officials have said that vaccine efficacy is waning dramatically against infection of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. But theyve also said the drop in effectiveness is much less severe when it comes to protecting against serious disease and hospitalization, particularly in healthy, younger people. Food and Drug Administration officials told a meeting on Sept. 23 that there was no timeline for authorizing boosters for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots. They are the only COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved for use in the United States at this time, along with Pfizers jab. But both Moderna and J&J are pushing for booster approval. Illegal immigrants bathe and play on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, the international boundary with Mexico, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Border Patrol: Despite Mayorkas Claims, 60 Percent of Migrants Being Released Into U.S. Communities Despite claims made by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the majority of those entering the U.S. illegally are not being deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the head of the Border Patrol union, Brandon Judd, told The Center Square. Mayorkas, who traveled to Del Rio, Texas, where nearly 15,000 Haitian migrants gathered this past week, warned illegal immigrants at a news conference, If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned, your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life. Likewise, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that DHS, Border Patrol, ICE, and the U.S. Coast Guard were moving individuals from Del Rio to other processing locations in order to take individuals into custody, process them and remove them from the country. It added that DHS was securing additional transportation to accelerate the pace and increase the capacity of removal flights to Haiti and other destinations in the hemisphere within the next 72 hours. But the agency hasnt confirmed how many flights, and how many Haitians have been deported. A few days later, at another news conference in Del Rio on Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, when asked about the Biden administrations deportation flight plans, said, They have shown no capability of being able to process these migrants by the end of this week. The only thing theyve shown is an incapability of dealing with this crisis, candidly, in a way they pretend it doesnt even exist. And were here to tell you it exists. The Associated Press reported that Haitians have been released on a very, very large scale in recent days, with one official estimating the number of those releases is in the thousands. The first three [deportation] flights that went to Haiti included family units who were deported, Judd said. But deportations are on a case-by-case basis, he added, and inconsistent. For example, if the flights focus on deporting people to Haiti, the flights to Guatemala stop and those people are released, he said. So, all youre doing is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Youre shifting resources to handle one segment and youre releasing the other segment. Not all the people from Haiti are being flown back; not all the people are being expelled from under Title 42. A good number of them are in fact being released with an NTA (Notice to Appear) or NTR (Notice to Return), notices related to the immigration court process. Border Patrol agents make official arrests and transfer individuals to ICE facilities. ICE then determines whether they are released with an order to reappear for court hearings to go through the process to remain in the U.S. or be deported. Haitians already processed and released into the community were observed boarding buses at the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio. Roughly 50-60 Haitians at a time boarded a large commercial charter bus, and smaller groups were shuttled in a grey rundown minivan to the local bus station. With brown envelopes in hand, a mix of families and individuals also carried with them food, cash and papers to help them reach their next destination. When asked where the bus was going, the first stop was San Antonio, with a final destination of Houston, The Center Square was told. Officials wouldnt confirm if the Haitians were boarding planes to another destination or if San Antonio or Houston were their final destinations. This group of Haitians had already been processed by Border Patrol and released into the general population. Meanwhile, a steady flow of people continued to cross the Rio Grand River farther upstream from the bridge, crossing onto private property on a heavily trafficked area on Vega Verde, where Texas Department of Public Safety officers were waiting to detain them and call Border Patrol for pickup. DHS has also been busing Haitians to El Paso, Laredo, and cities in the Rio Grande Valley for processing, also adding them to flights to Tucson, Arizona, the Associated Press reported. Judd said of the roughly 200,000 apprehensions that Border Patrol makes, they are probably dealing with 120,000 people because sometimes the same person or people are apprehended more than once. Of those, its right about 60-68 percent are being released [into the community] with NTAs. The vast majority are not being expelled or deported. The majority are being released into the United States. When asked if this ratio applied to Haitians under the Del Rio Bridge, he said, If we go off, historically speaking, the majority of the ones under the bridge will be released. But this number can shift depending on which segment of the population ICE chooses to deport, he added. ICE can say were going to send all the Haitians back but then were going to release all the other people from another country. Or we can release the Haitians. In response to being asked if theres consistency in this process, he replied, Zero consistency. By Bethany Blankley Captain Dan Salas leads a whale watching tour cruise out of Long Beach harbour past the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., on January 12, 2016. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) California Air Resources Board Regulations Could Sink Harbor Cruises Commentary One of the pleasures of living in California is taking a harbor cruise. Ive taken several in Newport Harbor. Ive also enjoyed fishing trips and floating seminars in which the lectures were made more bearable by the cocktails. Now the fun could be threatened by new regulations from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The action is a continuation of its 2007 Commercial Harbor Craft regulation to reduce toxic and criteria emissions to protect public health, according to CARB. Amendments came in 2010. And CARB currently is crafting final regulations to be adopted in 2022. CARBs website provided a September 2021 fact sheet (pdf) outlining possible actions: 1. Harbor craft are in the top three emitting categories at seaports, contributing more diesel particulate matter emissions than trucks in 2023 at the San Pedro Bay Ports. Except, thats just one area. Diesel trucks are regulated heavily because they travel all around the state and country. 2. The Current Regulation has accelerated turnover; however, Tier 2 engines still emit 153 times more diesel particulate matter than a 5-year-old diesel medium-heavy duty truck. Proposed Amendments are expected to reduce 1,560 tons of diesel particulate matter between 2023-2038, which is equivalent to emission generated by 246,000 heavy-duty diesel trucks traveling every day from Los Angeles to Sacramento every day, for a year. By turnover, they mean replacing old diesel engines with new ones, called Tier 4, that are much more efficient and pollute way less. But replacements are expensive. Eventually, all engines wear out and must be replaced. So this problem will take care of itself over time, albeit not as fast as CARB would like. 3. The Proposed Amendments would push the sector to move toward zero-carbon in line with the State ambitious goals to be net zero by 2045 and to fight climate change. But as I have written on ET, here and here, emissions from China are multiples more than everything emitted in California, of which harbor cruises are a diminishingly small part of the whole. If CARB really wanted to do something to reduce greenhouse gases, it would regulate the electricity industry to underground power lines. As it is, pushing zero-carbon means using even more electricity for electric cars, without addressing the issue of antiquated power lines that spark and start CO2-spewing fires. 4. Many communities surrounding where vessels operate are disadvantaged communities. Addressing emissions from harbor craft is critical for the State to achieve its air quality and environmental justice goals. But how are disadvantaged communities improved if their jobs in the harbor are killed? Harbor workers obviously are more likely to live nearby. Destroying their jobs by over-regulation will send many of them into total poverty, even homelessness. How is that environmental justice except as a mockery of it? 17 State Legislators Write CARB Fortunately, a bipartisan coalition of 17 state legislators wrote a letter (pdf) to new CARB Chair Lian Randolph outlining the problems with over-regulating harbor cruise craft. Signatories included such Democrats as Sen. Mike McGuire of Eureka, Sen. Tom Umberg of Santa Ana, Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, and Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris. Also included were such Republicans as Sen. Brian Jones of Santee and Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen of Huntington Beach. They wrote: As currently proposed, these pending regulations would have significant and irreparable negative impacts on the commercial charter fishing and whale watching vessel owners, ports, and coastal communities we proudly represent. These regulations would also adversely impact public access to the natural beauty and bounty of Californias magnificent coastal waters because operators would be unable to comply. They cant comply because the technology required to do so literally doesnt work. Legislators have to be listened to because, ultimately, they can change the law under which CARB operates. That would be hard to do, but not impossible. Legislators also can hold hearings on CARB operations, unveiling the many problems that exist in any government bureaucracy. Conclusion One more thing. If the CARB regulations stand, they not only would kill the jobs of the workers on the boats. They would take away a wonderful way for middle-class and poor families to enjoy our great coast and harbors. Almost anyone can afford a harbor cruise. That would leave such wonders only to the rich people in their yachts. Will this become another way California can be enjoyed only by the rich and powerful? Gov. Gavin Newsoms motto is California for All. But will his newly appointed CARB chair keep the harbors for all, or just the privileged few? CARBs next hearing on the proposed regulations will be on Nov. 19. For more information and to make comments, click here. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter tour the area scorched by the Caldor Fire in Eldorado National Forest, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2021. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo) California Gov. Newsom Signs States Biggest Ever $15 Billion Package on Climate Change California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a giant $15 billion climate package on Thursday that will direct money to an array of climate impacts facing the state. The billion-dollar package is the largest such investment in state history and includes 24 bills covering everything from tackling wildfire and drought challenges, building climate resilience in communities, promoting sustainable agriculture, and advancing the climate agenda. It also includes a $1.5 billion Wildfire and Forest Resilience Package which builds on a $536 million early action package back in April of this year ahead of peak fire season. The package also adds an additional $988 million in 2021-2022 which will be used to fund projects to reduce wildfire risk and improve the health of forests and wildlands, such as fuel reduction projects and fuel breaks. The largest amount of funding$5.2 billionis being directed towards the Water and Drought Resilience package, which will be used to support immediate drought response and long-term water resilience over three years. This will be done via drought relief projects to secure and expand water supplies, among other things, and the focus will be on small and disadvantaged communities. A further $3.7 billion is being directed to a Climate Resilience Package, which aims for the state to build resilience against the many climate risks facing it, including extreme heat and sea-level rise, over the next three years. The funding will focus on vulnerable front-line communities and will include projects that reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as greening projects. Another $1.1 billion is going towards supporting climate smart and sustainable agriculture and to create a resilient and equitable food system as well as expand access to healthy food across schools and other public institutions. A further $3.9 billion will be directed towards a Zero-Emission Vehicle package as California looks to lead the way in electric cars, with some of that funding being used to put 1,000 zero-emission drayage trucks, 1,000 zero-emission school buses, and 1,000 transit buses, and the necessary infrastructure, on California roads, focusing on disadvantaged communities. Another $270 million will go to supporting a circular economy that advances sustainability and helps reduce short-lived climate pollutants from the waste sector, and $150 million that will support urban waterfront parks, with a focus on underserved communities. California is doubling down on our nation-leading policies to confront the climate crisis head-on while protecting the hardest-hit communities, Newsom said in a statement announcing the new package. Were deploying a comprehensive approach to meet the sobering challenges of the extreme weather patterns that imperil our way of life and the Golden State as we know it, including the largest investment in state history to bolster wildfire resilience, funding to tackle the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience, and strategic investments across the spectrum to protect communities from extreme heat, sea level rise and other climate risks that endanger the most vulnerable among us. The billion-dollar package comes following a string of blazes that have burned across California this summer, prompted by worsening drought conditions. Earlier this month, Newsom said more than 7,400 wildfires have burned in the state this year, scorching more than 2.2 million acres, driven by higher temperatures and extreme drought condition The wildfires threaten to burn some of the states famous and gigantic groves of old-growth sequoias in the Sierra Nevada, leaving locals to wrap them in protective aluminum foil insulation in a bid to save the trees, one of which is 2,300 to 2,700 years old. Social distancing dividers for students in a classroom at St. Benedict School in Montebello, near Los Angeles, on July 14, 2020. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) California School Districts Report Teacher Shortages California is suffering from a teacher shortage and offering signing bonuses amid returning to in-person learning. The state teacher shortage has been occurring for years, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic escalated the issue, as many school personnel retired or resigned. We are absolutely strained, Hasmig Minassian, a ninth-grade teacher at Berkeley High School told The Associated Press. This has been an incredibly stressful start to the year. Teachers at Berkeley High School are facing an early school-year burnout as the shortage results in the teachers filling in as substitutes where they usually wouldnt have to. It doesnt feel like there are enough adults on these campuses to keep kids really safe, Minassian said. You know the early videos of nurses crying in their cars? I kind of expect those to come out of teachers. Schools throughout the state are experiencing a need for teachers in the subjects of math, science, languages, and special education. Along with the need for teachers, schools are seeking tutors and aides to assist with student learning loss as a result of distance learning. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has over 500 teacher openings to fill for its 600,000 students. LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Haber told The Associated Press the vacancies are a fivefold increase from the previous years. In Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), the staff shortage extends past teacher vacancies, as school officials are in search of substitutes. FUSD spokesperson Nikki Henry said that only about 250 out of 1,000 substitutes are willing to work at the district with 70,000 students, according to The Associated Press. There was a reported spike in students choosing to return home for remote learning as the Delta variant surged in the state. The enrollment rate for remote learning went from 450 to nearly 4,000 in FUSD. Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education, told The Associated Press the statewide shortage causes concerns of hiring unqualified teachers, especially in low-income communities. As school districts are attempting to fill the gaps, school districts Mount Diablo Unified, San Francisco Unified, and West Contra Costa County Unified are offering signing bonuses for speech pathologists, paraeducators, and teachers. During the pandemic, school districts received billions of funds in federal and state relief funding, but the issue revolves around the lack of potential prospects. Illegal immigrants, many from Haiti, wait in lines to board buses under the Del Rio International Bridge, in Del Rio, Texas on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo) Camp at US-Mexico Border Cleared of Illegal Immigrants: Officials DEL RIO, TexasThe primitive camp that sprung up under the international bridge is completely cleared of people, officials said Friday. Illegal immigrants, primarily Haitian nationals, streamed across the Rio Grande earlier this month and into Del Rio, a small border city about 160 miles west of San Antonio. Almost 15,000 were living in the litter-strewn camp at one point, Texas officials have said, putting a strain on local healthcare resources amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The camp was steadily cleared by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assets and on Friday had zero immigrants left, Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano, a Democrat, said during a briefing shortly after noon. Workers are still working on cleaning up the site, he added. Once thats complete, the international bridge will be reopened. Last weekend, we had approximately 15,000 individuals in the Del Rio section. I committed to addressing that within 10 days and now we have none, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Washington. Nearly 30,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered in Del Rio since Sept. 9, Mayorkas said. Approximately 12,400 have already been released and given a date to appear in court or have been requested to check in at a federal immigration office within 60 days. Some 8,000 returned to Mexico voluntarily. Another 5,000 are being processed to determine whether they should be expelled or let go with a notice. And approximately 2,000 were deported to Haiti on 17 repatriation flights. The Epoch Times witnessed a number of illegal immigrants in Del Rio on Wednesday getting ready to board buses to go to Houston and other cities in the interior. We remain in touch with them, we monitor them to ensure they appear in court, the secretary said. Some groups and Democrat lawmakers have called for deportations to end entirely while others, including most Republicans, say more of the aliens should be deported. The Biden administration is using federal law and Title 42 pandemic powers to expel some illegal immigrants, but is letting others go, including unaccompanied minors, or illegal immigrant children who arrive without a responsible adult. The makeshift camp in Del Rio may not be shut down for long. Several large groups of migrants, totaling up to 30,000, are in Monterrey, Mexico, and headed towards the U.S. border, according to intelligence briefed to Lozano. He said that he didnt know what the Mexican government would do about the groups but that he was told Border Patrol would be ready to respond. Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano speaks to reporters in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Border Patrol drops van loads of Haitians who crossed the U.S. border illegally at local NGO Border Humanitarian Coalition to catch a bus to San Antonio or Houston, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Texas law enforcement vehicles line a dirt road along the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo) President Joe Biden and the White House have primarily focused in recent days on chastising Border Patrol agents who were criticized for trying to block illegal immigrants from entering the United States. Some news outlets falsely stated the agents whipped immigrants. Those people will pay, Biden told reporters in Washington on Friday, without commenting on the surge in illegal immigration. The White House also suspended the horse patrol unit in Del Rio, a key method border agents use to stem the rush on the border. Horse patrols are also used extensively to find the illegal immigrants who evade Border Patrol and try to gain access into the United States undetected. Lozano said he witnessed many scenes of agents assisting the illegal immigrants in the makeshift camp under the international bridge, including putting a pregnant woman who was going into labor on a stretcher and rushing her to an area hospital. Its unfortunate thatand Im just going to say thisthat the White House continues to be silent as far as the humane treatment and the moments that I witnessed down there, the mayor said. He also said he has still not spoken directly to Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, adding, My message is just, let the people know what happened on our end. Charlotte Cuthbertson Senior Reporter Follow Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis. charlottecuthbo China Election Interference Shows Canadas Dire Need for Foreign Influence Registry Commentary In April, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service published a report on the security threats facing Canada, concluding that in 2020, CSIS observed espionage and foreign interference activity at levels not seen since the Cold War. China, Russia, and other foreign states continued to covertly gather political, economic, and military information in Canada through targeted threat activities in support of their own state development goals, the agency said. CSIS has been issuing such warnings for at least the last two decades. Despite promises made by politicians to tackle the threat, our political class has displayed a paralyzing lack of will to take the measures necessary to do so. And the more militant the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) becomes, the worse the problem is going to become for our politics, and most importantly, our communities. During the 2021 election campaign, certain politicians eluded questions around China entirely and reduced them to something only to be mentioned in passing when it was politically expedient. But revelations since Sept. 20 indicate once again that such questions are some of the most consequential of our era, and any serious person in leadership must be willing to finally treat them with the urgency they deserve. There has already been a deluge of reports suggesting that disinformation campaigns by China-connected organizations might have had a momentous effect on the vote in ridings with significant Chinese populations, impacting the political fortunes of those who hold more hawkish views on China. A few candidates have lost their seats or are likely to lose their seat as of this writing, after previously enjoying wide support in their ridings. Perhaps the most peculiarand unnervingcase is the defeat of Conservative MP Kenny Chiu in the riding of StevestonRichmond East by Liberal candidate Parm Bains. What is disconcerting in this race is the rapidity with which the tide turned against Chiu and with which the change in tone occurred among some of his Chinese constituents in their interactions with him. Chiu, who lost his seat by a margin of approximately 3,000 votes, noticed increasing hostility among former supporters during the final weeks of the campaign. In an interview before election day, Chiu told The Epoch Times that although he has been a target of misinformation in previous campaigns, this time it has been exceptional. Its nothing compared to what Ive seenits multi-dimensional, he said, referring to social media posts, radio commentaries, and online articles in pro-Beijing media that portrayed him negatively. Many have attributed this to possible campaigns by pro-Beijing forces to slander Chiu due to a bill he introduced in April seeking to establish a registry for agents of foreign governments, which would undoubtedly affect certain organizations with connections to the CCP. Articles posted on WeChat and other media then peddled the narrative that Chiu sought to limit their free speech, even though his proposed legislation would only require those with discernible connections to the CCP to register. All of which speaks to the dispiriting success of the demagogic CCP point that the Chinese people and the regime are one entity, and as such if the regime is harmed then the people are too. Very attuned to the Western obsession with fighting racism, the CCP has aggressively brandished this point to portray any policy or criticism against it as a bigoted slight against the Chinese race, which reaches peak levels of absurdity when its critic is Chinese, as Chiu is. Regrettably, some Canadian politicians have been willing to repeat this narrative in order to dismiss the need for further action on China and instead make an argument for a policy of continued engagement. Its why opponents of the regime have had to go to great lengths to make the rather banal point that their gripe lies with the CCP, not the people who suffer under it and are targeted by it, even if they no longer live in China. It also speaks to a threat thats growing expeditiously. Over the last year, a litany of stories and testimonies emerged that have spoken in grisly detail to the experience of activists being targeted by Beijing operatives for their advocacy on behalf of Hong Kongers or religious minorities, or just simply sharing posts that are even slightly critical of the regime from the comfort of ones Canadian dorm room. Operation Fox Hunt, Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign to suppress dissent and silence identified enemies of the regime, appears to be well underway in Canada. Though the factors the electoral losses of those such as Mr. Chiu could be plentiful, the circumstances are suspicious and warrant an investigation into CCP-affiliated organizations and media. Of course, such an investigation might upset regime cronies and their most ardent defenders in our Parliament. So be it. It has been far too long that Ottawa has lollygagged on combating foreign interference, and what we just witnessed during the election campaign is yet another testament to that. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Residents transfer daily necessities at a residential area under tight restrictions due to cases of the COVID-19 virus in Xiamen in China's eastern Fujian province on Sept. 14, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China Places Southeastern City in Hard Lockdown as COVID-19 Cases Surge A coastal Chinese city has tightened lockdown restrictions by barring hundreds of thousands of residents from leaving and punishing those who do, amid a widening Delta variant outbreak. The Fujian Provincial Health Commission confirmed 15 cases on Sept. 24, with 11 in Xiamen city. As of Friday, the city totaled 222 cases in the past two weeks, more than the official infection figures reported in Putian city, the latest COVID-19 outbreaks epicenter. Given that the Chinese regime is known to underreport the number of infections, the official counts are unlikely to represent the total, but they reflect a high infection rate in Xiamen city. The scenic coastal city of Xiamen closed major tourist spots, issued travel restrictions, and shut all non-essential locations at the beginning of the new outbreak. The regimes top health authorities required the city to step up efforts to monitor and control peoples movements, launch mass testing, and place more close contacts under quarantine, Sun Chunyang, the deputy director of the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, said at a conference on Sept. 21. Tongan district, an area that accounted for 90 percent of cases reported in the city, told residents not to leave home other than in exceptional circumstances and that gatherings are prohibited in a Thursday notice. Over 660,000 residents in Tongan district are currently on their seventh day of lockdown after authorities ordered them to stay at home on Sept. 16. The official panel tasked with controlling and preventing the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus had closed off residential compounds and villages affected by the outbreak. Xiamen police said in another Thursday notice that they gave two men five-day administrative detention sentences as punishment after the two tried to cross a fence to leave Tongan district, according to state media Xinhua. Staff guarding at the entrance to the district stopped the two when they tried to walk out of the area for the first time on Sept. 22. Police arrested them later while they were crossing the fence to detour around checkpoints. A medical worker collects samples to be tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Xiamen, in Chinas eastern Fujian province on Sept. 18, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) The leadership of Tongan vowed to complete its fifth round of mass testing on Thursday. Yang Hua (pseudonym), a resident from Guanxun village in the district, told The Epoch Times that residents are afraid of receiving tests as the site is too crowded. She started to queue for a nucleic acid test from 4 a.m. Sept. 20, but didnt receive a test until 9 p.m., she said. Over 50,000 residents in the village had to receive the nucleic acid test at one site. You wont know [the real situation] from the official report, she said. Another resident from Panxu town in Tongan said a couple of fights broke out in the queue as everyone hoped to be tested first. The outbreak in Xiamen city has prompted other cities across the country to issue travel warnings ahead of tourist season beginning in late September. A major national holiday starts from Chinas Mid-autumn Autumn Festival. Generally, millions of people are expected to travel across the country. Hong Ning and Zhang Yujie contributed to this report. The Chinese military displays its DF-5B missiles during a military parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2015. The Chinese regime may put its nuclear forces on "hair-trigger" alert. (Rolex Dela Pena/AFP/Getty Images) China Plays a Clumsy Nuclear Card Beijing bluntly warns Australia against joining U.S. and UK pactor else be targeted with nuclear weapons Commentary If there were ever any doubts about how China will comport itself as a superpower, there are fewer today than there were yesterday. This week, in a televised interview with an apparent spokesman for the Chinese regime, the world learned that Australia will be considered a valid target of nuclear weapons if it acquires nuclear-powered submarines. The Aussies are not considering acquiring submarines that are nuclear armed, mind you, just nuclear powered. Theres a big difference between the two, of course, but not as far as China is concerned. A Naked Nuclear Threat On Sept. 20, Beijing-based Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, told an Australian interviewer that, if the Australian government wants to go nuclear, with nuclear submarines, they will lose that privilege of not being targeted with nuclear warheads going forward. Its as simple as that this is the most profound consequence. Undoubtedly, Gao spoke with the approval of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) top leadership, making their point by way of posing the following question to the Australian government and people: Do you really want to be a target in a possible nuclear war? Or do you want to be free from the nuclear menace going forward? Thats quite an ultimatum. Why would Beijing convey such an unprecedented and naked threat of a potential nuclear attack against Australia, one of their key trading partners that poses no offensive military threat? And why now? Timing Is Everything The timing isnt as poor as one might think. Yes, in the economic sphere, trade is booming between the two nations. Even with Beijings boycott of Aussie wine, and other goods, Australia exported more than $16 billion to China in July 2021, a new record. But in August, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported that Aussie exporters are seeking to pivot away from China because maintaining normal business operations with Asias biggest economy is impossible. Trade frictions have driven Australia to look for substitute markets in other parts of Asia, angering China, which relies heavily on Aussie iron ore imports. Geopolitically, Beijings strategy is intended to accomplish several objectives, and timing plays a significant role in this provocative new policy. First and foremost, the CCP wants to minimize American power and influence in the region. That involves bullying Australia, and by extension New Zealand, in an attempt to isolate them from the U.S. and the UK alliance. (L-R) Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton, Foreign Minister Marise Payne, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pose for a group photograph at the State Department in Washington on Sept. 16, 2021. (Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The thinking in Beijing is likely that American security guarantees are less certain today than they were in the past. The disastrous American withdrawal in Afghanistan and the defunding of Israels critical anti-missile defense Iron Dome system this week make the United States appear weak and unreliable. And of course, North Koreas resumption of nuclear weapons production without U.S. reaction is a stark change from the prior U.S. administration. Passivity in the face of aggression only reinforces the perception of weakness. In the minds of our South Korean and Japanese allies, they may be concluding that the United States has no plan or will to confront North Korea, which acts as Chinas belligerent surrogate. Therefore, the CCP may have decided that now is the perfect time to exploit that weakness. A Test of Wills Furthermore, China nuclear policy/threat may be intended to test the Australian governments political will, and its likely designed to stir up public opinion against the nuclearization of the region. But so far, Australia hasnt shown anything but resolve with regard to sticking with the AUKUS pact, and no anti-nuclear groundswell of public opinion has occurred yet. Regardless of any or all of these factors, Australia has a shared cultural and political heritage with the United States and the United Kingdom that is not likely to be breached. It is a founding member of the Commonwealth for over 70 years, an organization dedicated to democracy, human rights, and good governance. It has also been a part of Five Eyesthe intelligence-sharing relationship among the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealandsince 1956. Its unrealistic for China to think it can convince Australia to spurn its history for the oppression that the CCP brings to the table. A New Confrontational Era Has Begun But what Beijings ham-handed nuclear target pronouncement does do is send the entire regional security thinking and dialogue into a much riskier context. China is no longer behaving in a more or less patient manner, as it has done so in the past. There may be reasons for this such as a weak economy and the loss of soft power around the world. Whatever the cause, Beijing is acting in the way that nations do when they have aggression at the forefront of their policies and the military power to back it up. Whats more, the CCP is used to ruling by diktat and brute force, and its diplomacy reflects this. Thus, by openly putting nuclear attack threat into the diplomatic lexicon, Beijing has left much less room on the table for diplomatic nuance and compromise. In any case, diplomatic impatience is often a trait demonstrated by nations under one-man rule, whose power, by default, has a limited lifespan, making time of the essence. The world just became a lot more dangerous. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A medical staff taking care of a new born baby at a hospital in Fuyang in China's eastern Anhui province on Jan. 19, 2019. China's population shrank last year for the first time in 70 years, experts said, warning of a 'demographic crisis' that puts pressure on the country's slowing economy. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China Promotes IVF to Combat Rising Infertility Rates in its Aging Population After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) introduced the three-child policy in May, local governments started various incentives to encourage people to have more children, including the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Analysts believe that the CCP would go as far as using technological means to increase Chinas birthrate in an aging population. On Sept. 14, Chinese state-controlled media CCTV said that, in recent years, more families are choosing assisted reproductive technology with infertility on the rise. In the CCTV program, some experts recommended IVF as the most common method among the various techniques, commonly referred to as test-tube babies. According to the report, about 300,000 test-tube babies are born in China every year. However, assisted reproduction is costly. Including examination and treatment, an IVF procedure costs between $5,873 and $7,728, and more than half of the couples require the procedure more than once before it succeeds. Meanwhile, China has limited medical institutions that offer assisted reproduction procedures, most of which are in its first-tier or second-tier cities. Patients in certain regions would need to travel to other provinces for each treatment, incurring considerable expenses. According to Chinas National Bureau of Statistics, there are currently 50 to 60 million infertile couples of childbearing age in China, and the infertility rate has doubled six times in the last 30 years. The latest data showed that the infertility rate of couples of childbearing age has risen to 12 to 18 percent. Jinxin Fertility, a Chinese assisted reproductive medical company, said in its 2019 prospectus that the prevalence of infertility in China is expected to rise from 16 percent in 2018 to 18.2 percent in 2023. According to its estimation, Chinas infertility rate has long been higher than the global average, and it is projected to be even higher in the future. Childbirth is one of the most important natural processes of human life. What caused such a big change in 30 years? Dr. Cui Hong said to the Epoch Times reporter. Dr. Cui is a former Chinese obstetrician and gynecologist who has practiced medicine for nearly 30 years. There are many reasons [for the rising infertility rate]: increased pollution of the living environment, chemicals in food, fast paced work and life, increased stress and so on, coupled with people marrying late and giving birth later in the modern age, missing their best childbearing age. In addition, various modern diseases cause the quality of sperm or eggs to decline, Dr. Cui said. She said that the rate of congenital infertility is extremely low, so it is primarily due to acquired causes. If a persons body has undergone surgery and is substantially damaged, it may also lead to infertility. In the past, people focused more on self-cultivation and vitality. At that time, the fertility rate was very high. Whereas, in the modern age, people are more prone to nervousness and anxiety, Dr. Cui said while emphasizing that the human mind plays a critical role in fertility. Dr. Cui said that as a doctor, she is not opposed to IVF, If you are still infertile after common fertility treatments, you can try assisted reproduction procedures, but the success rate is at most half. She suggests that the majority of unsuccessful IVF cases are related to the mothers health. During IVF, an egg is removed from the womans ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the womans womb to grow and develop. However, some women have weaker bodies, and are unable to bear the process. Although most parents want their own children, sometimes, if one of the couples cannot provide qualified sperm or ova and still want to use IVF, they can have the hospital provide donor sperm or the egg. In this case, the child born will have no blood relations with one of the parents, adding complexity to their relationship. At this time, the CCP is propagating test-tube babies and is eager to increase the fertility rate through technical means to curb the trend of population decline. However, distant water wont quench [their] immediate thirst; the technology may not be mature enough, Zhuge Mingyang, an independent journalist, told The Epoch Times. The worlds first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in England on July 25, 1978. She is 43 years old this year. She was married in 2004 and gave birth to a baby boy in 2006 through a natural pregnancy. The ethical and moral controversies of test-tube babies have existed since its inception. Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the Peoples Bank of China, in Beijing on March 12, 2015. (Feng Li/Getty Images) Chinas Central Bank Declares All Cryptocurrency-Related Activities Illegal Chinas central bank has declared all cryptocurrency-related transactions illegal while vowing to crack down on the virtual currency market. The Peoples Bank of China said in a statement, translated by CNBC, that services offering trading, order matching, token issuance, and derivatives for virtual currencies are strictly prohibited. Overseas crypto exchanges providing services in mainland China are also illegal, the PBOC said. Overseas virtual currency exchanges that use the internet to offer services to domestic residents is also considered illegal financial activity, the statement said. Workers of foreign crypto exchanges will also be investigated, it added. Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Tether, are among those specifically cited as not being fiat money and cannot be circulated, according to the banks statement, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The PBOC said it has also taken steps to improve its monitoring of crypto-related transactions. Financial institutions and non-bank payment institutions cannot offer services to activities and operations related to virtual currencies, the bank said, reiterating past comments. The statement sent the price of cryptocurrencies down, with Bitcoin falling 3.75 percent, last trading at $42,146.10, while Ethereum, the second-largest digital asset, plunged 7.88 percent to $2,844.08. The hard-line approach comes as Hong Kongs property stocks this week saw their largest loss since May 2020 amid growing investor angst about Chinas property company Evergrande collapsing and the countrys real estate clampdown. The company is more than $300 billion in debt, making it the worlds most indebted property developer, and its been scrambling to raise funds to pay its many lenders, suppliers, and investors. Evergrande has warned on multiple occasions that it could default, and its $305 billion in liabilities could spark broader risks to the countrys financial system if not stabilized. Evergrande said on Sept. 20 that it has begun repaying investors in its wealth management products with real estate. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have been moving to curb the property industry in the past year, including tightening home-purchase rules and capping lending from banks while urging powerful property tycoons to pour resources and influence into backing Beijings interests. While China is issuing a strict directive regarding cryptocurrencies, Ukraine is embracing the virtual currency market, and earlier this month became the latest country to legalize cryptocurrency and other digital assets. In an almost unanimous vote on Sept. 8, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a virtual asset bill, known as Bill No. 3637, which provides clarification on how individuals and businesses utilizing digital currency can be properly protected and also determines how Ukraine will regulate the cryptocurrency market going forward. The move came just days after El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar, with the hopes that it will boost financial inclusion in El Salvador, where around 70 percent of citizens lack access to traditional financial services. The law went into effect on Sept. 7, and requires businesses to accept Bitcoin payments on transactions, while Salvadorans will be able to use the digital currency to make tax payments. This photo taken on January 4, 2021 shows Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas Xi Inspects Undisclosed Space Base, Asks Military to Make Preparations for War Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently inspected an undisclosed space base in northwestern China, and instructed the military officers and soldiers to make preparations for war. According to Chinese state-run media, during an inspection of the space base in Shaanxi Province on Sept. 15, Xi stated that space assets are strategic assets of the CCP that must be managed and utilized well. He praised the base for having made a significant contribution to the CCPs aerospace development, and told the military personnel to improve combat readiness, and aim at becoming a world-class army as well as a space superpower. Beijing-based DWnews said that this was Xi Jinpings first public inspection of the CCPs strategic support forces, and the site was very likely the Xian Satellite Measurement and Control Center, codenamed the 26th Experimental Training Base (Unit 63750) in the military. It is the operation, control, and management center of the CCPs aerospace measurement and control network, mainly responsible for monitoring spacecraft launches, spacecraft tracking and measuring, data transmission, information processing, and recovery. Established on Dec. 31, 2015, the CCPs Strategic Support Force is composed of various types of units that play important supporting roles, including battlefield environment protection, information and communication protection, information security protection, and new technology testing, etc, according to DWnews. Li Yanming, a political commentator living in the United States, noted that in the run up to the CCPs 20th National Congress, Beijing is facing both domestic and international crises, and the high-level internal fighting was intensified to the point of approaching a showdown. In an interview with The Epoch Times, Li said that military confrontations in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, East China Sea, China-India border, the Korean Peninsula, and other surrounding regions may escalate at any time. Li believes that at the international level, the military tensions around China are related to the CCPs diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the United States, Russia, and Japan. Within the CCP, it has become increasingly clear that former CCP leader Jiang Zemins faction attempts to take advantage of these crises and military conflicts to force Xi to step down. For Xi Jinping, preparing for war can not only divert attention from internal crises, but at the same time help to shape himself into the image of a national hero who defeats both foreign forces and political enemies. China has been ever more aggressive in pursuing its territorial and maritime sovereignty claims in the South and East China Seas, along the China-India border, and frequently invading into Taiwans airspace. Gui Yuan, a Chinese current affairs commentator living in Japan, told The Epoch Times that the CCP is now in the middle of both internal and external crises. The external conflicts are very tense, but in reality, the regimes internal crisis is more acute, he said. Behind Xis emphasis on war preparation is the urge to resolve internal crises, and Xis real goal to strengthen his power, Gui said. Chong Sheng (pseudonym), an independent commentator in China, also believes that Xis true intention is to stabilize his power. Xi Jinping has his own sphere of influence, and some second-generation from the top CCP families support him, but the opposition faction seems to be greater, Chong told The Epoch Times. Jiang Zemin, his political opponent, is still very powerful. In order to consolidate his rule, Xi has been purging officials in Jiangs faction. For instance, he has replaced the commander of the Western Theater Command four times this year. Kane Zhang contributed to this report. Winnie Han Follow Winnie Han is currently engaged in reporting Chinese news for The Epoch Times. City Attorney Urges LA City Council to Include Hookah in Flavored Tobacco Ban LOS ANGELESLos Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer urged the City Council to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco, including hookah, instead of the current draft ordinance excluding hookah from the ban on Sept. 23. The Los Angeles City Council on June 16 directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to ban flavored tobacco and menthol cigarette sales in the city, but exempted hookah tobacco products at existing smokers lounges. A complete ban in the city of Los Angeles on the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including flavored hookah, has the potential to be life-saving, said Feuer. He said 3.6-million kids nationwide are vaping, using e-cigarettes, which he called a gateway to regular cigarettes. Kid-friendly flavors are driving this youth vaping epidemic. Hookah also comes in a variety of sweet flavors to entice kids, and Im calling on the City Council to include sales of flavored hookah in this proposed ban. Any exemption would not do enough to protect public health, he said. Feuers office cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that hookah smoke contains some of the same harmful chemicals as cigarettes, including nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. He noted that during a one-hour hookah session, people inhale 100-200 times the smoke as a single cigarette. Tobacco use causes nearly a third of all cancer deaths in California, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Government Relations Director Primo Castro said from aside Feuer Thursday. He called the ordinance a starting point but urged council members to quickly approve and adopt a comprehensive ordinance that ends the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, menthol cigarettes, and flavored shisha products. Under the proposed ordinance, which the city attorneys office transmitted to the City Council this week, existing smokers lounges will be able to sell hookah products for on-site or off-site consumption, but the citys 4,500 tobacco retail stores will be banned from selling flavored tobacco, including hookah tobacco. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who motioned to amend the original ordinance request to allow hookah products to be sold for off-site consumption, as well as on-site consumption at lounges, said she worried about the impact on small business owners, who also rely on selling hookah products for off-site activity. This is an adult activity, so it doesnt allow for young people to be exposed in these premises, she said. She proposed an amendment to exempt the sale of shisha, which is the tobacco used for hookah. That amendment, which passed narrowly with 8 yes votes and 6 no votes, came as the City Council faced demands from the National Hookah Community Association for the city to exempt hookah from the ordinance, calling hookah a cultural tradition. Arnie Abramyan, president of the National Hookah Community Association, called into the City Council meeting in June to urge council members to exempt hookah from the potential ordinance. Many small immigrant business ownersArmenian, Lebanese, Persian, Egyptian, all the Middle Easternersover 1,000 households will be out of business Respect our culture and respect our small immigrant businesses, he said. Councilman Paul Krekorian, who is of Armenian descent, attempted during the June 16 City Council meeting to counter the arguments that hookah is a cultural tradition. There has been a lot of discussion about hookah and its cultural significance to some immigrant communities, and I have to say that argument has bothered me a lot because Ive never smoked a hookah; people in my family, my Armenian extended family, do not smoke hookah. Armenian culture is defined by its music and its art and its literature and its faith its not defined by hookah, Krekorian said at the meeting. In my view, the way that you protect Armenian culture is by not allowing Armenian young people to die prematurely from smoking-related death. The Los Angeles City Council was initially scheduled to include an exemption in the ban for menthol cigarettes, but the City Councils three black councilmen, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and Curren Price, proposed an amendment to remove the exemption for menthol cigarettes, citing the high rates of black people who smoke menthol cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the tobacco industry has aggressively marketed menthol products to young people and African Americans, especially in urban communities. The amendment passed with 14 yes votes and one absent. History has shown us clearly what harmful effects menthol cigarettes have had particularly on the African American community. It is up to us to prevent the repetition of such racial injustices and health inequities, Ridley-Thomas said during the City Council meeting. Councilman Mitch OFarrell, who initiated the ordinances process in a November 2018 motion, said he opposes exempting retail sale of hookah and thought it was a double standard, considering the City Council is not exempting menthol cigarettes. How could we in good conscience prohibit other things like the sale of menthol cigarettes, if were going to then permit the retail sale of other products. I just think thats a double standard, he said. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in October 2019 to adopt an ordinance banning flavored tobacco products, including menthol, and to call on Gov. Gavin Newsom to pass a statewide ban on vaping. On Aug. 28, California became the second state in the nation to pass statewide restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products, following Massachusetts. Tobacco manufacturers and retailers have challenged many of the laws and ordinances, but, in every instance so far, courts have upheld restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products, finding them constitutional and in line with the Tobacco Control Act. Tobacco use is the number-one preventable killer in the United States, resulting in more deaths than the number of people who die from alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murder and suicidescombined. Every day, thousands of young people will use a tobacco product for the first time, and many of those tobacco products will be flavored. In California alone, 36.5 percent of high school students report using tobacco products. Of those, 86.4 percent reporting using a flavored product, according to the California Attorney Generals Office, which filed a brief in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Los Angeles Countys ordinance banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) arrives at the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 22, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Congressional Talks on Police Reform Crumble, With Both Sides Assigning Blame Bipartisan congressional negotiations on police reform broke down this week after months of work. Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) were working with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) to try to reach a compromise on legislation that would address what they say are areas of policing that need changed. But the trio announced this week that negotiations had stalled. We were not making progress. In fact, recent back and forth with paper showed me that were were actually moving away from it, Booker told reporters in Washington. Bass blamed Republicans while Scott said Democrats were the ones who chose to halt discussions. Bass said the team led by her and Booker accepted significant compromises, knowing that they would be a tough sell to our community, but still believing that we would be moving the needle forward on this issue. But every time, more was demanded to the point that there would be no progress made in the bill that we were left discussing, she added. After months of making progress, I am deeply disappointed that Democrats have once again squandered a crucial opportunity to implement meaningful reform to make our neighborhoods safer and mend the tenuous relationship between law enforcement and communities of color. Crime will continue to increase while safety decreases, and more officers are going to walk away from the force because my negotiating partners walked away from the table, Scott said in a separate statement. Negotiators reached tentative agreements on key points including banning chokeholds, limiting the transfer of military equipment, and increasing funding for mental health groups. Areas where an agreement wasnt reached included whether or not to slash funding for law enforcement, alter the types of weapons agencies receive, and stop so-called no-knock raids. Democrats also wanted to bolster transparency for police officers, change the way women in jail are treated, and raise professional standards in law enforcement. The Department of Justice would be involved in deciding on new standards, Booker said. Talks arent over, the senator told reporters, but he is turning to fellow Democrats, activists, civil rights groups, and the White House to try to hammer out legislation. He has been closely consulting with Benjamin Crump, one of the lawyers representing the family of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis last year. Crump has long agitated for dramatic changes to policing but has been criticized for sometimes promoting false claims about situations where police are accused of wrongdoing, including falsely claiming a girl who was shot in Ohio in April was unarmed. The bipartisan negotiations started shortly after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in the death of Floyd. A preliminary framework was reached in June. Democrats last year blocked a police reform bill from Scott, arguing it fell short of the reforms needed. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) speaks before a hearing in Washington on Sept. 14, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/Getty Images) Groups involved with the negotiations reacted to the talks breaking down. In a year unlike any other, when the American people spoke up, marched, and demanded reforms in policing, law enforcement unions and partisan politicians chose to stand on the wrong side of history. They have chosen to stand with those who have lynched the very people they are meant to protect and serve, Derrick Johnson, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said in a statement. Patrick Yoes, president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), a police union, said its officials spent countless hours working with members of Congress on drafting legislation that would improve policing in the United States while preserving the protections so critically important to officers on the street. While we are disappointed that bipartisan legislation on criminal justice reform could not be agreed upon, the FOP remains committed to working with our partners in Congress and the Administration to find opportunities to strengthen the bonds between police officers and the communities they serve, Yoes added. Bass called for President Joe Biden and the White House to step in now and use the full extent of their constitutionally-mandated power to bring about meaningful police reform. Biden in a statement said Senate Republicans rejected enacting modest reforms, which even the previous president had supported, while refusing to take action on key issues that many in law enforcement were willing to address. He said he hopes to sign a comprehensive police reform bill that honors Floyd and pointed to action his administration has already taken for federal officers, such as the restriction of chokeholds and the implementation of body cameras. The White House will continue to consult with the civil rights and law enforcement communities, as well as victims families to define a path forward, including through potential further executive actions I can take to advance our efforts to live up to the American ideal of equal justice under law, he said. Pro-democracy activist Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying, one of the 47 pro-democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law, arrives at West Kowloon Magistrates's Courts building, in Hong Kong, on Sept. 23, 2021. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Court Case of 47 Hong Kong Democracy Activists to Resume on Nov. 29 HONG KONGA closely monitored national security case involving 47 Hong Kong democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been in custody for more than six months, will resume on Nov. 29, a judge ruled on Thursday. Magistrate Peter Law in the Western Kowloon Court ruled more time was needed for pre-trial legal proceedings to be finalized. Hong Kong laws prohibit media from publishing the contents of such proceedings. The case is then expected to move to the High Court. National security crimes are punishable by up to life in prison, but only higher courts have the authority to give such long sentences. The West Kowloon Court can only give sentences of up to three years. The 47, who include opposition politicians, are among more than 100 people who Hong Kong police have arrested under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the former British colony last year that critics say erodes the freedoms promised when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Pro-democracy activist Raymond Chan Chi-chuen and Owen Chow, two of the 47 pro-democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law, arrive at the West Kowloon Magistratess Courts building, in Hong Kong, on Sept. 23, 2021. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) The 47, of whom only 14 have been given bail, were arrested on charges of participating in an unofficial, non-binding and independently organized primary vote last year to select candidates for a since-postponed city election, which authorities say was a plot to subvert the government. Diplomats and rights groups are closely watching the case amid mounting concerns over the independence of Hong Kongs judicial system, which is seen as the foundation on which its financial reputation was built. Authorities have repeatedly said the judiciary is independent and upholding the rule of law. They have also said prosecutions are independent, based on evidence, and had no relation with the background or profession of the suspects. Bail hearings in March for the 47 went on for four days and dragged late into the night. Several of the defendants became ill and most of their appeals for bail have been denied. The security law sets a high threshold for defendants seeking bail to demonstrate they would not break the law, a departure from common law practice, which puts the onus on prosecutors to make their case for detention. Reasons for denying bail included unanswered emails from the U.S. Consulate and WhatsApp messages with foreign journalists, which were taken as proof there was a risk that defendants could endanger national security if released on bail. The protracted hearings and the reasons for rejecting bail have stunned diplomats and rights groups, who see it as a dramatic display of the Chinese-ruled citys authoritarian turn. Daimler Takes 33 Percent Stake in European Battery Cell Venture Automotive Cells Company (ACC) BERLINDaimlers Mercedes-Benz said on Friday that it will take a 33 percent stake in battery cell manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC) alongside the projects original founders Stellantis and TotalEnergies. The purpose of the partnership is to develop cells and battery modules and help ensure that Europe remains at the heart of the auto industryeven in an electric era, Daimler Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said in a statement. Daimler added that the battery cells produced would be 95 percent recyclable as per its goal of a CO2-neutral supply chain by 2039. ACC will supply Mercedes-Benz with battery technology from the middle of the decade, Daimler said. As part of the deal, Daimler will invest a mid-three-digit million euro sum in the project next year, adding that its overall investment was expected to stay below 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). ACC, which has also received 1.3 billion euros in French and German funding, is budgeted to require seven billion euros in equity, debt, and subsidies to reach its desired capacity of 120 Gigawatt hours (GWh) by the end of the decade. Daimler, which announced its goal in July of becoming all-electric by 2030, plans eight gigafactoriesincluding one in the United States, and four in Europewith existing partners and one new unnamed partner, with a capacity of at least 200 GWh. Though European carmakers assemble battery packs for electric cars, the manufacturing of battery cellsthe essential building blocks for batteriesis dominated by Asian companies. Together with ACC, we will develop and efficiently produce battery cells and modules in Europetailor-made to the specific Mercedes-Benz requirements, Kaellenius said. This new partnership allows us to secure supply, to take advantage of economies of scale. ACC, launched in September 2020 as a joint venture between Frances Stellantis and TotalEnergies, already has ties to Germany: a 2 billion euro investment in a battery cell plant in Kaiserslautern, due to start production in 2025. It is planning on expanding its network in Europe, Daimler said. By Victoria Waldersee Illegal immigrants, many from Haiti, are seen at an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo) Deportation Flights to Haiti Ramp Up, Horse Patrols Suspended in Del Rio The Biden Administration offered new data Thursday on how many Haitian nationals are being processed at the U.S. southern border near Del Rio, Texas, and returned to Haiti in repatriation flights, but its still not clear how many have been allowed into the U.S. interior. The administration also says it is suspending its use of horse patrols in Del Rio amid an ongoing investigation into photographs and video showing border patrol officers dispersing illegal immigrants while on horseback. The agents in the photos have been placed on leave while the case is under review. Press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that 12 repatriation flights have returned 1,401 Haitians to Haiti since Sunday. She says 3,206 migrants have been removed from the Del Rio camp into U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody or to other sectors of the U.S. border to either be expelled under Title 42 or be placed into removal proceedings. Psaki says less than 5,000 people remain at camps in the Del Rio sector. That number was estimated at as many as 15,000 over the weekend as illegal immigrants, primarily from Haiti, camped out under an international bridge near the border. Neither Psaki nor DHS has provided details as to how many illegal immigrants have been released into the U.S. We are still under Title 42 because we are in a global pandemic, so we are still operationalizing that, said Psaki. If people are not expelled under that, then there are a range of options. Either they are put into an alternative to detention, where biometric data is required, theyre given a notice to appear or theyre put in an ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facility. Border Patrol drops van loads of Haitians who crossed the U.S. border illegally at local NGO Border Humanitarian Coalition to catch a bus to San Antonio or Houston, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Psaki also offered comments on the resignation of the U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Ambassador Daniel Foote, who in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life. Psaki said: We respect [Footes] point of view, respect his ability to bring forward concerns, to raise ideas, to raise proposals. Thats certainly something the president welcomes from everyone on his team and something that [Foote] had an opportunity to do at a range of meetings. She added: We also have to make decisions here based on what we feel are going to help promote democracy in Haiti, including Haitian-led reforms, Haitian-led steps on the ground to make changes in this country. Haiti is the western hemispheres poorest nation. It was thrown into political tumult after the assassination of its President Jovenel Moise in July, and thousands were killed in the Caribbean nation from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August. Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over Chauvin's sentencing. Chauvin faces decades in prison for the May 2020 death of George Floyd. At the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 25, 2021. (Court TV via AP, Pool) Derek Chauvin to Appeal Conviction, Prison Sentence in Death of George Floyd Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd, is appealing his conviction and sentence, according to documents filed on Thursday. According to an affidavit filed, Chauvin, who in June was handed a 22 1/2 years sentence for second-degree murder by Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill, claims that the judge abused his discretion or erred during several key points in the case. Chauvin said he intends to raise 14 issues, including the judges handling of his request to move the trial out of Hennepin County due to pretrial publicity. He also claimed the judge abused his discretion when he denied a request to sequester the clearly biased jury during the trial, and when he denied requests to postpone the trial or grant a new one. Earlier this year, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for the May 2020 death of Floyd which sparked widespread riots and protests, as well as calls to defund the police. Minneapolis was particularly hit hard by weeks of riots, arson attacks, looting, and violence in the wake of Floyds death, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. Chauvins sentence was higher than the presumptive 12 1/2 years after the judge agreed with prosecutors that there were aggravating factors in Floyds death. In handing down his sentence, Cahill said Chauvin exhibited particular cruelty during Floyds death, abused his position of authority as a police officer, and did so in front of children. At the time, Chauvin, who didnt testify during his trial, gave his condolences to the Floyd family. Chauvin also faces federal charges for violating Floyds civil rights when he knelt on his neck. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. The former Minneapolis police officer had 90 days from the imposition of his sentence to file an appeal for a new trial with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. In addition to his notice, he also filed a motion to put the appeals process on hold until the Supreme Court reviews an earlier decision to deny him a public defender to represent him in his appeal. His affidavit states that he doesnt have an attorney in the appeals process, and his only current income comes from his nominal prison wages. Previously, his case was funded by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Associations legal defense fund. I have been informed that their obligation to pay for my representation terminated upon my conviction and sentencing, Chauvin wrote. All 14 issues raised by Chauvin on Thursday had previously been highlighted by defense attorney Eric Nelson in the district court. Cahill ruled the defense didnt establish any evidence of juror misconduct either during the trial or during jury selection that warranted an evidentiary hearing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testifies before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on June 16, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Education Secretary Cardona Supports Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations for Eligible School Children Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Sept. 23 shared his support for making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for eligible school children. Not only do I support it, but Im encouraging states to come up with a plan to make sure it happens, Cardona told POLITICO. I would like governors who hold those decisions to make those decisions now that [vaccines] are FDA-approved. Cardona referenced the effectiveness of the measles vaccine in protecting against infections, pointing to this as a reason why COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory for schoolchildren. Measles vaccines are required for children in childcare or public schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Theres a reason why were not talking about measles today, Cardona added. It was a required vaccination, and we put it behind us. So I do believe at this point we need to be moving forward. Currently, only Pfizers vaccine has been granted emergency use authorization for kids 12 years old and up. On Aug. 23, Pfizers Comirnaty vaccine received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 16 years old and older. On Monday, Pfizer announced that phase 2/3 trial results showed that its vaccine was safe, well-tolerated among 5 to 11 years of age, and demonstrating strong immune response. Some studies have found that children have a very low risk of severe illness, death, or contracting long-term complications from COVID-19. In July, researchers from the University of Liverpool, the University College of London, the University of York, and the University of Bristol released a paper that found that among 12 million children in the United Kingdom, only 25 died from COVID-19 directly. A separate study published in August found that long COVID or lingering symptoms after a COVID-19 infection is less common among children than in adults. The researchers specifically analyzed data logged by parents or caregivers on behalf of children between the ages of five and 17. The study found that 4.4 percent of children who tested positive and showed symptoms had symptoms lasting four weeks or longer, while 1.8 percent had symptoms lasting longer than eight weeks. Despite this, a number of schools across the United States have said they will require students aged 12 and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school. In California, the states top health official said Thursday that a statewide vaccine requirement for kids 12 and older could be forthcoming. However, the number of eligible students receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine dose continues to slow down. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revealed on Sept. 15 that 273,000 children had received their first coronavirus vaccine dose in the prior week, marking the lowest level seen since the vaccine was first made available for those aged 12 to 15. The AAP noted that the number of children receiving their first dose has been on the decline for five consecutive weeks. Still, Cardona urged governors to work with schools to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory, particularly in areas where the disease is being highly spread. Governors should work with their school officials and with their health officials to roll out requirements, especially in areas that are high-spread, and where students might be at risk for going back to remote learning, or hybrid learning, as a result of the spread of COVID-19, Cardona said. The education secretary also dismissed the potential for political backlash over the mandate, particularly in conservative-led states such as Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed back against COVID-related mandates such as requiring students to wear masks in schools. Cardona said the vaccine mandate was about safely reopening schools. And what we know, based on not only on the COVID-19 vaccine, but the other vaccines that are already mandatory for school enrollment, is that they work. Our students have been disrupted enough, and sometimes you have to be crystal clear on what you believe, he added. A 5-dose vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is held in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 21, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) EU Drugs Regulator to Decide on Pfizer Vaccine Booster in Early October The European Medicines Agency (EMA) aims to decide in early October whether to endorse a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be given half a year after the initial two-shot course, saying breakthrough infections added some urgency to its review. The outcome of this evaluation is expected in early October, unless supplementary information is needed, EMAs head of vaccines strategy, Marco Cavaleri, told a press briefing on Thursday. Cavaleris statement confirmed a Reuters report earlier in the day on EMAs expected review time on the matter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized a third dose of Pfizer for those aged 65 and older, all people at high risk of severe disease, and others who are regularly exposed to the coronavirus. The EU regulator said on Sept. 6 it had begun its evaluation of data submitted by Pfizer and BioNTech for a booster dose to be given six months after the second dose in people 16 years of age and older. Moderna is also expected to submit data to the EMA this month on its booster dose, an EU document said. EMA added that, in early October at the latest, it would conclude its review of the use of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna shots in people with a weak immune system already one month after their initial two-shot regimen. The evidence is becoming clearer on the need to consider this option for people who may respond poorly to COVID-19 vaccination, such as immunocompromised individuals, said Cavaleri. In an opinion issued in early September and republished by the EMA, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said there was no urgent need to administer booster doses to fully vaccinated people in the general population. But many EU states have already decided to administer a booster dose despite facing higher legal risks without a formal decision to do so by the EMA. EMA on Thursday conceded there may be merits in doing so. With an increase in breakthrough cases that weve seen over time, we do understand that member states in Europe and countries elsewhere want to consider now the option of a booster, particularly in vulnerable groups and that is why we have been expediting our review, said Cavaleri. He added he expects Pfizer and BioNTech to submit data on vaccine use in children aged five to 11 years in early October, and similar data from Moderna in early November, with a review likely taking around four weeks if no further data is required. On CureVacs request for vaccine approval, the EMA official said that by the end the year the watchdog should be in a better position to really understand what could be the next step for this vaccine. CureVac in June and July published disappointing trial data. The EU has signed three deals with Pfizer and BioNTech for a total of 2.4 billion doses. The latest contract covers the supply of at least 900 million shots, a large part of which is likely to be needed only if boosters are considered necessary, or if new virus variants emerge against which existing vaccination is not effective. Over 70 percent of the EUs adult population has already been fully vaccinated, and the bloc has secured an ample supply of vaccines from several manufacturers. The ECDC has said crucial data on the need and safety of boosters are still missing, in part because it is not yet fully clear how long vaccines protect against the virus. By Emilio Parodi, Francesco Guarascio, Pushkala Aripaka, and Ludwig Burger The logo of China Evergrande Group seen on the Evergrande Center in Shanghai, China on Sept. 22, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters) Evergrande Collapse Expected to Be Contained: Australian PM The collapse of Chinese property giant Evergrande will be contained before it will significantly affect the Australian economy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. When it comes to Evergrande, this is principally an issue in China, and that addresses their financial stability, Morrison told reporters in Washington D.C. ahead of the Quad Summit. Morrison discussed the issue with American Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and noted that his assessment showed the broader exposures and effects were largely limited to within China. These things can have confidence impacts in the global marketplace, but those who follow the markets, weve seen particularly here, that impact, I wouldnt say it has been realised, Morrison said. Our expectation is that China will address that issue and seek to contain its impact. The deadline for Evergrande to pay an $83.5 million bond passed today with no word from the property giant, leaving investors concerned for another impending Lehmann Brothers moment. China Evergrande Group shares have fallen by around 10 percent in value today and over 80 percent this year. The company has now entered a 30-day grace period to meet the payment before it officially defaults. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Aug. 10, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) also took note of the overall situation during its September meeting, saying Chinas weaker than expected economic data suggested a downturn in its financial situation. There was also uncertainty [from board members] about the effects of a range of recent policy measures, including those aimed at curbing financial stability risks, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving broader social objectives, the RBA board said. SMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver does not believe Australia will experience any significant shock directly to its market due to the relatively modest exposure of Western Banks to China. I wouldnt overstate the exposure of Western banks to China, Oliver told the ABC. The amount of money owed by other brands in its offshore markets to foreign investors is about $20 billion. When Lehman Brothers went bust, it went bust with about $150 billion. He said the real risk would come from the hit to lender confidence, which may cause a sharp fall in the Chinese property market. In turn, Chinese investment in Australian property may feel the spillover effects. And because China is like 25 percent of the global economy [theres] obviously a big impact on global growth, Oliver said. However, the effects of the Evergrande collapse will likely be felt by Australias raw materials industry. Iron ore has already tumbled to almost half the value of its peak, $230 per tonne, after China claimed it would cut steel production for its emissions reduction target. The industry will be exposed to more pressure as a slowing Chinese property industry will further cut its demand for steel. The first doctor to receive the Coronavirus vaccination was Paul Sheikewitz MD at St. Joseph Hospital on Dec. 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Federal Judge Again Blocks Enforcement of New Yorks Vaccination Rule for Health Care Workers The federal judge who last week blocked New York officials from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all health care workers in the state opted Monday to extend the order by up to another two weeks. Even an attorney for the plaintiffs admitted the decision by U.S. District Judge David Hurd seemed at least somewhat unusual. However, it means some of New Yorks most essential workers statewide will be covered by his order through Oct. 12. On Aug. 16, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that health care workers, including those who work for private businesses, would need to receive their first dose of a vaccine by Sept. 27. Unlike the vaccine orders given to nonmedical state workers, the state did not give physicians, nurses and other medical professionals an opt-out by testing. So, an unvaccinated health care worker would likely lose their job. The state also refused to make any religious accommodations for workers who objected to drugmakers using aborted tissues to develop or test the vaccines. Last week, the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm representing clients in religious freedom cases, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 17 New York health care professionals who conscientiously objected to taking the vaccine. The suit lists Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker and State Attorney General Letitia James as defendants. In an interview with The Center Square Tuesday, Michael McHale, an attorney with the society, said the law clearly indicates that New York cant enforce its ban on religious exemptions. Its not an undue hardship (for the state) when these same workers have been able to treat patients throughout all of COVID for 18 months, taking all kinds of other precautions and those other precautions remain available, McHale said. When Hurd first granted the order, he set oral arguments for a preliminary injunction on Sept. 28. Last Friday, New York Assistant Attorney General Ryan Hickey sent a letter to Hurd asking that arguments take place this Friday. The state sought the expedited hearing to have a decision in place before the mandate was supposed to take effect. Plaintiffs lawyers objected to a Friday hearing because it would not give them adequate time to prepare. Not only did Hurd again side with the plaintiffs, but he also went a couple steps further in his Monday order, even citing the pandemic. Upon review, and with due consideration for the time-sensitive nature of this dispute, the security considerations necessary to ensure the safety of courthouse visitors and staff, and the health concerns posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Court concludes that oral argument is not necessary to promptly resolve the pending motion, Hurd wrote. The judge still wants state officials to submit their response by Wednesday. However, since the punitive nature of the regulation would not even start until next Monday, Hurd noted he had good cause to extend it by two weeks. At or by Oct. 12, hell determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction that would remain in effect while the case makes its way through the courts. While McHale acknowledged that Hurds ruling seemed somewhat unusual, he added that it makes sense. Its just such a clear legal case that it could be, I think, reasonably decided on the briefs, but I guess well see, he said. Nothings guaranteed. Messages to Hochuls and James offices werent immediately returned Tuesday evening. By Steve Bittenbender Florida Educator Sues School District After Termination for Blowing the Whistle Former assistant principal sounded alarm over school's failure to report violent threats PUNTA GORDA, Fla.A Florida educator has filed a lawsuit against Lee County schools after being fired last week for sounding the alarm that her school was not reporting violent threats, which is required by state law. The former assistant principal also contended as part of her lawsuit that she was discriminated against on the basis of her ethnicity and health issues and wants to be compensated with back pay, front pay, insurance costs, benefits, and damages. Peggy Slichter, who has spent two decades as an educator, said that the school she worked for, Manatee Elementary, failed to report several student-involved violent and disruptive incidents that, by Florida statute, are supposed to be reported regularly. A week ago, Slichter had told local Fort Myers television station WINK News that she had serious concerns about the districts safety reporting and had been fired for pushing for state guidelines to be followed, the outlet reported. After that interview, Slichter was released from her job as assistant principal at Manatee Elementary School. She said she has evidence compiled with reports of several violent and disruptive incidents involving students during the 2020-2021 school year. She claims most of the reports never left the school building, and she said she knew this because she had access to the database. WINK News reporter Peter Fleischer confirmed to the Epoch Times that he saw Slichters binder while he was at her home interviewing her on Wednesday. There were a lot of documents in that binder, he said via telephone on Thursday. However, Fleischer and FOX-4 News reported that they could not verify the authenticity of the reports because the Lee County School District denied a public records request, saying the reports are not public information by law. Slichters attorney, Ben Yormak, confirmed to The Epoch Times that the binder is real and contains numerous incidents that have gone unreported. The Lee County School District declined to answer questions due to the litigation and an ongoing internal investigation. A response to the case has not yet been filed and a court date has not been assigned. It has until next month to file a response. The former assistant principal said she is not waiting for Lee County to conclude their in investigation and she has sent a letter to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) asking for Whistleblower protection and an investigation into non-reporting of SESIR incidents, referring to the School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting System. The Epoch Times reached out to the FDOE to confirm her request, but they did not reply before press time. SESIR collects data on incidents of crime, violence, and disruptive behaviors, ranging from verbal threats to aggravated assault, that occur 24-hours and 365 days per year. The incidents can occur on school buses, school grounds and any school-sponsored event on or off campus. Per statute, these incidents are reported by each school to its district office. The district then provides this data to the FDOE. The SESIR system was created in 1995 to help schools track incidents and analyze patterns of violent, criminal or disruptive activity. After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, a public safety commission asked the FDOE to implement stricter reporting standards. The focus of the program is for there to be complete and objective data from which to design interventions to improve the learning environment. The data for the 2020-2021 school year have not yet been released. Florida statutes also provide for consequences for not reporting, or not reporting properly, to the state. The statute charges each school district with making the school superintendent of each district responsible for the incident reporting to ensure a safe school environment. If non-compliance is determined, then the superintendent or employee of the districts salary will be withheld. In addition, any member of a district school board who is in violation of the provision is subject to suspension and/or removal. Slichter told Fort Myers FOX News-4 on Wednesday that she has two motives for suing the school board: to get justice for herself for wrongful termination by the School District for coming forward with her concerns, and more importantly, she said, to make sure violent threats are properly reported to keep schools safe. Yormak, who filed the lawsuit, said his client is being penalized for being honest. He has since cut off all media requests for interviews with her. Ultimately, harm is being brought to children, he told The Epoch Times on Thursday. I know no school wants to be painted as a bad school, but parents and law enforcement need this information so they can do their jobs. When asked why the school had not made the reports, Yormak said he thinks they wanted to make it appear they were more favorable than they are. Just like when kids fight, they label it as peer conflict.' As for the termination of his client, he said that it was inappropriate to have an educator fired for seeking compliance with the law. This is somebody who should be getting a pat on the back, if not a promotion. The Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear the appeal of an elderly man whose Canadian citizenship was revoked for lying about his membership in a Second World War Nazi death squad. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Former Nazi Death Squad Member Helmut Oberlander Dead at 97 Former Nazi death-squad member Helmut Oberlander has died in the midst of a decades-long deportation battle with the federal government, prompting Jewish rights organizations to express frustration that his legal saga never reached completion. Oberlanders family said Thursday that the 97-year-old died peacefully while surrounded by loved ones. The federal government had stripped Oberlander of his citizenship several timesrevocations he repeatedly fought in court. Earlier this month, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada began a hearing on whether he could remain in the country or be returned to Germany. His lawyer, Ronald Poulton, sought a stay in those proceedings, partially due to Oberlanders declining physical and mental health. The decision maker in the case adjourned proceedings to consider the application, but didnt set a date for her finding. Michael Levitt, president of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, said there was a great sadness justice was never done. What about those that perished in the Holocaust at the hands of that Nazi unit? Levitt said. They didnt get to die peacefully at home surrounded by their families. They got their dignity, their lives, everything taken away from them. He said its time to close the chapter on Oberlander and remember victims of the Holocaust instead. Levitt, a former Liberal member of Parliament, also said it was time to reflect on the failures of the case. Moving forward we should be much stronger and we should commit to making sure that our justice system can better deal with war criminals in Canada, he said. Bnai Brith Canada said it was frustrated with Canadas failure to deport Oberlander. The peaceful demise of Helmut Oberlander on Canadian soil is a stain on our national conscience, Michael Mostyn, CEO of Bnai Brith Canada, said in a statement. The fact is that this country slammed its doors on Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, then allowed some of their tormentors into Canada and failed to deport them. Bernie Farber, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, who has been following Oberlanders case since the late 1980s, said the justice and immigration systems must be changed to better deal with alleged war criminals. If we dont change the laws now, all of this 60-year ordeal will have been for absolutely nothing, said Farber, who is currently chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. He played the system. Jeffrey MacDonald, a spokesman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the government does not take citizenship revocation lightly. He said it recognizes that it is necessary in cases of fraud, false representation or where the individual knowingly concealed material circumstances. While this case is now over, the government is determined to deny safe haven in Canada to war criminals and persons believed to have committed or been complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, he said in an email. Oberlanderwho had been living in Waterloo, Ont.served from 1941 to 1943 as an interpreter with the Ek 10a unit, which was part of a larger group of death squads responsible for killing more than two million people, most of them Jews. He said he was conscripted into duty as a teenager on threat of death and that he never participated in any killings. Oberlander arrived in Canada in 1954 and became a Canadian citizen six years later, but he did not disclose his wartime experience when entering the country or on his citizenship application. In June 2017, the federal government revoked Oberlanders Canadian citizenship for the fourth time since the mid-Nazi1990s. It maintained Oberlander was complicit in war crimes by belonging to the death squad. Courts have repeatedly agreed Oberlanders citizenship should be revoked on the grounds that he lied about his participation in the Nazi squad. Paul Daly, the research chair in administrative law and governance at the University of Ottawa, said Oberlanders case was unusual because he had held Canadian citizenship, which afforded him the right to fight the governments revocation efforts in court. In many cases, Daly said, crimes against humanity often come to light during the citizenship approval process with the Immigration and Refugee Board. That body has its own faster appeals and review process, he said. With Mr. Oberlander, because he was a Canadian citizen and had his citizenship revoked, thats completely different and he has the right to legally challenge the revocation, Daly said. In late 2019, the Supreme Court refused to hear Oberlanders case. That set the stage for his immigration admissibility hearing a few weeks ago. He tried to bar the public from those proceedings but wasnt successful. The Immigration and Refugee Board said Oberlanders lawyer reported that his client died on Monday. A board spokeswoman said the Immigration Minister agreed that the admissibility hearing should be terminated in light of Oberlanders death. By Liam Casey Australian Minister for Health Greg Hunt discusses the COVID-19 vaccination program at press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, on April 9, 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP) Health Minister Rebuffs Victoria Premiers Allegations Over Vaccine Supply Health Minister Greg Hunt has downplayed vaccine supply tensions with states after Victorias leader claimed doses were being rationed. Premier Daniel Andrews said state health authorities were conserving Pfizer shots, with not enough stock on hand to bring forward the time between doses. Supply still remains a limiting factor, he said. Andrews said while Pfizer supply may be limited in the future, stocks of AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines were readily available. Dont queue up for the thing that we dont have a lot of, go and access the products that are safe, that have got approvals, the premier said. Hunt, a senior Victorian in the federal cabinet, said the number of Australians getting coronavirus vaccines was increasing despite Mr Andrews comments. I understand today is a difficult day for Victoria, and I may detect a pattern on such days. I could say something, but I wont. I will just give the facts, Hunt said. For the first time, over two million Australians had been jabbed in seven days. That is an immense national achievement. The latest figures showed more than 337,000 vaccines were administered on Wednesday, the second-highest single-day total since the rollout began. More than 74 per cent of the eligible population over 16 have now received a first dose, while 49.3 per cent have been double dosed. But some Australians may need a third vaccine dose to be best protected against the virus, the federal governments vaccine advisory body has announced. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is closely monitoring international data on the efficacy and safety of additional doses which include booster shots and third jabs with advice likely to be issued in the next few weeks. ATAGI anticipates that a relatively small cohort of individuals, such as those with severely immunocompromising conditions, are likely to require a third dose as part of their primary course of vaccination to ensure optimal vaccine effectiveness, it said in a statement on Thursday. Some 1847 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases were reported across Australia on Thursday. NSW detected 1063 cases and six deaths, with the states Delta outbreak surpassing 50,000 infections, while Victoria recorded 766 the states highest tally of the pandemic. Canberra also reported 16 new cases. House Passes $768 Billion Defense Spending Bill The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday passed its version of a $768 billion defense policy bill for the 2022 fiscal year. The vote was 316 to 113 in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which sets policy for the Pentagon on a number of areas including from how many rifles and ships it should purchase to soldiers salaries to how best to approach geopolitical threats. The annual defense authorization bill, which still needs to be negotiated with the Senate, directs the Pentagon to outline how it will continue to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allied personnel left behind in Kabul following the Taliban takeover last month. The legislation also directs defense and intelligence officials to detail how to protect the country against potential terrorist threats, now that the United States no longer has a presence in the country. President Joe Biden withdrew all remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan before a self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline. The Biden administration has received widespread criticism for how it handled the pullout. The Senates version of the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2022 was introduced by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking Republican committee member, on Wednesday. In a memo on Monday, the House Republican Conference signaled its support for the bill. While President Biden is embroiled in countless national security crises, House Republicans are committed to supporting our troops and keeping America safe and secure through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, it said in a statement. This is one of the most important bills we will pass in Congress as our military faces unprecedented challenges. Everybody here will find something that they do not like, House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said on the House floor this week. But it is also the nature of the legislative process, in this case, that we have produced a product that everybody in this House can be proud of. The legislation is laser-focused on preparing our military to prevail in a conflict with China, added House Armed Service Committees (HASC) ranking member Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). Earlier on Thursday, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill to provide $1 billion for Israels Iron Dome defensive system after some Democrats tried to abandon the funding. The bill received widespread backing from both Republicans and Democrats and passed 4209. Eight Democrats voted against the legislation and two voted present. One Republican voted no. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. House Approves Bill Barring States From Restricting Abortions The House of Representatives approved a bill on Sept. 24 that, if the Senate follows suit and the measure is signed into law, would bar states from restricting abortions. The House voted mostly along party lines to approve H.R. 3755, also known as the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021. All Democrats voted yes on the measure, with the exception of Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who voted no, and one other Democrat who didnt vote. All Republicans voted against the measure, except for two party members who didnt vote. The legislation states that abortion services are a constitutional right, as decided by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, although that access to abortion has been obstructed across the United States in various ways, including by state laws. It also states that health care providers would be able to carry out abortions with virtually no limitations or requirements, a provision aimed at pre-empting new state laws, as well as superseding some current laws at the state level. Todays vote has been a long time coming. Ever since Roe v. Wade recognized our right to make our own choices about our bodies, anti-choice advocates have been trying to devise new ways to make legal abortion care impossible to access, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), the bills primary sponsor, told reporters outside of the Capitol on Sept. 24 before the vote. According to the legislations authors, states have introduced more than 500 restrictions on abortion since 2011, with 90 such measures being approved since the start of 2021, including a measure in Texas that bars most abortions after six weeks. Its clear that we need one unified federal response to all of these attacks, Chu said. An exam room is seen at the Planned Parenthood South Austin Health Center in Austin, Texas, on June 27, 2016. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/Reuters) Republicans criticized the measure on the House floor, arguing that it goes too far. With a single move, this legislation would eliminate 40 years of bipartisan consensus in Washington, in state capitals across the country, to protect the health of pregnant women and the unborn. In addition to allowing late-term abortion and proper care in the state of emergencies, medical professionals could also be forced to conduct abortions despite moral objections, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) told colleagues. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) referred to it as an abortion on demand until birth bill. The legislations prospects in the 5050 Senate are uncertain. Forty-eight Democrats are listed as cosponsors for the Senate version, but twoincluding Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) who has historically opposed abortionhavent said how theyll vote. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whos generally supportive of abortion access, told the Los Angeles Times recently that she wouldnt vote for the House bill because it goes way beyond codifying the Supreme Courts decision in Roe v. Wade. It would severely weaken the conscious exceptions that are in the current law, Collins said, referring to how current law protects health care workers who object to abortion from participating in the procedure. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another pro-choice Republican, hasnt said if she supports the measure. The bill would need 60 votes in the upper chamber to clear the filibuster. House Votes to End Support for Long Entanglement in Yemen News Analysis The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would end American support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the Yemen conflictwhats been described as a proxy war between the Saudis and Iranians, resulting in more than 230,000 deaths and a resurgence of al-Qaeda in the region. The House vote occurred on Sept. 23 on an amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bipartisan provision was approved narrowly by a vote of 219-207, with 11 Republicans joining the Democrats, and will now head to the Senate for consideration. The NDAAs inclusion of this amendment would terminate U.S. logistical support, and the transfer of spare parts to Saudi warplanes conducting aerial strikes, according to the bills sponsor, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) It would also enshrine into law the Biden Administrations decision to end intelligence sharing that enable offensive strikes and end any U.S. effort to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany Saudi-led coalition forces in the war, Khanna said in a statement. While some have celebrated the passage of the amendment, other experts say that ending support for the Saudis will empower Iran in the region. Consistent with its regional strategy, Iran seeks to establish a Hezbollah-styled proxy relationship with the Houthis, who are perched next to the Red Sea and on Saudi Arabias southern border, the publication Foreign Policy said in March. Complex History The conflict in Yemen has been described as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudis have supported an Arab coalition led by former Yemen president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who was ousted during the conflict after a brief reign, while the Iranians have backed the Houthis, a political faction of Yemeni ShiitesShiites being the dominant religious group in Iran. The U.S. government has had a long and complicated history with all parties involved. U.S. officials backed the Zaidi Shiite President Abdullah Saleh, and former President George W. Bush upped that support following 9/11sending the CIA and special operations forces there to set up a base, train local forces, and track and kill members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Initially, former President Barack Obama continued that support. As the U.S. wars escalated in the 2000s, the Shiite Houthis increasingly resented the relationship between their president and the Americans, beginning to rebel. During this time, AQAP in the region grew as well. The Obama administration changed its Yemen policy when the Arab Spring revolutions began in 2011, supporting calls for the Shiite Saleh to step down. In 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared Salehs former vice president, Hadi, the new leader after an infamous election in which Hadi was the only candidate on the ballot. Clinton said the election was another important step forward in their democratic transition process. But instead of retiring, the deposed president Saleh joined his fellow Shiites, the Houthissparking what would become a full-fledged civil war. By 2014, the Saleh-Houthis alliance recaptured power, marching into Yemens capital and causing Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia. At this point, the Obama administration changed course again, backing the Houthis for counterterrorism purposes. American officials are communicating with Houthi fighters, largely through intermediaries to promote a stable political transition as the Houthis gain more power and to ensure Washington can continue its campaign of drone strikes against leaders of the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, officials said, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time. Meanwhile, Obama was negotiating with Iran over a nuclear arms deal. That led to him flip-flopping yet again in 2015. Then-National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan announced in March 2015 that the United States would start providing logistical and intelligence support to Saudi-led military operations. According to reports from the time, Obama backing the Saudis in Yemen was designed to placate the Saudis, who were furious about the Iran deal. Among other reasons, the White House needed to placate the Saudis as the administration completed a nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi Arabias archenemy, The New York Times reported in March 2016. That fact alone eclipsed concerns among many of the presidents advisers that the Saudi-led offensive would be long, bloody, and indecisive. Other publications reported similar claims. Were doing this not because we think it would be good for Yemen policy; were doing it because we think its good for U.S.-Saudi relations, former Obama administration official and then-New American Security fellow Ilan Goldenberg told the Los Angeles Times in April 2015. With the Houthis already entrenched in Yemen, national security officials conceded at the time that Obamas newly launched campaign would likely be unsuccessful in putting Hadi back in powerthough it would go on to kill thousands. The Obama administration is skeptical the airstrikes will reverse the Houthi gains, the Wall Street Journal reported in April 2015. Worried by the risk of more direct intervention by Iran, U.S. officials say they are urging the Saudis to set their sights more narrowly on halting rebel advances and reaching what amounts to a battlefield stalemate that leads all sides to the negotiating table. I dont currently know the specific goals and objectives of the Saudi campaign, and I would have to know that to be able to assess the likelihood of success, current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, then head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee at the time. Former President Donald Trump continued Obamas campaign. Trump described his thought process in July 2019, when he spoke about a trip he made to the Pentagon upon taking office. We were at the bottom of this incredible room. And I said, This is the greatest room Ive ever seen. I saw more computer boards than I think that they make today. And every part of the Middle East, and other places that was under attack, was under attack because of Iran, Trump said at the time. And I said to myself, Wow. I mean, you look at Yemen, you look at Syria, you look at every place. Saudi Arabia was under siege. They were all. I mean, they wanted Yemen because of the long border with Saudi Arabia, and thats why theyre there, frankly. But despite Trump and President Joe Bidens continued support of the Saudis, the Obama administration officials were correct in their assessments from 2015that the Houthis wouldnt be defeated. Today, the Houthis control much of northwest Yemen, and have consolidated power in the capital city. Allegations Against Iran Some national security experts point to Irans backing of the Houthis as the reason for their success in Yemen. But the extent to which Iran is backing the Houthis in the midst of its economic and fiscal crisis is unclear. Meehan said in April 2015 that the administrations assessment is that Iran does not exert command and control over the Houthis in Yemen, while Foreign Policy denied a Tehran-Houthis connection in 2017. The Houthis are not Hezbollah and, despite their publicly expressed sympathies for the Islamic Republic, have not developed a similarly tight relationship with Tehran, Middle East experts Joost Hiltermann and April Longley Alley wrote for Foreign Policy. Yet the combined efforts of Washington and its Gulf allies could still drive the Houthis into Tehrans arms. Previous allegations of Iran arming the Houthis have been debunked by Wikileaks disclosures. For instance, a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Yemen in 2009 debunked a claim by Yemens then-government that Iranian arms headed to the Houthis had been intercepted. The ROYG [the government that was fighting the Houthis at the time] has failed to substantiate its extravagant, public claims that an Iranian ship seized in the Red Sea off its coast on Oct. 25 was carrying Iranian military trainers, weapons and explosives destined for the Houthis, the intercepted State Department cable said. In fact, sensitive reporting (RefC) suggests that the ship was carrying no weapons at all. Later, former U.N, Ambassador Nikki Haley claimed that a rocket fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia had been supplied by Iran, but investigative reporting cast doubt on that allegation. Citing the industry publication Janes Defence Weekly, reporter Gweynne Dyer said the rocket fired from Yemen didnt match the ones made by countries such as Iran and North Korea. Both Iran and North Korea have displayed Scud derivatives with shuttlecock-shaped warheads, but none of these match the Yemeni version, Dyer wrote. In recent years, there have been further reports of Iran sending arms to the Houthis. Few, if any, deny that there is a TehranHouthis connection today. It would be hard to do so, given Iran declared the Houthis to be Yemens official government in 2019. But with Yemen under blockade, any aid provided by Iran hasnt matched the billions of dollars worth of F-15s, drones, and other advanced technology the United States has provided to the Saudis, according to antiwar.com editorial director Scott Horton. The limited amount of support Iran has given to the Houthis over the course of the war, include radio equipment, training and supposedly a 3D printer and schematics for building drones, Horton wrote in his book Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism. Siding With al-Qaeda But by backing the Saudis, the United States has sided with al-Qaeda, according to numerous reports and national security experts. In recent weeks, the Qaeda affiliate in Yemen has allied with armed tribes to fight Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, putting that alliance on the same side of the countrys civil war as the United States and Saudi Arabia, the Obama-friendly New York Times wrote in June 2015fueling claims Trump made that year on the campaign trail that Obama and Clinton sided with terrorists. Elements of the U.S. military are clearly aware that much of what the U.S. is doing in Yemen is aiding AQAP and there is much angst about that, Michael Horton, a fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, told The Associated Press in 2018. Humanitarian Crisis Millions of Yemen civilians have been caught in the middle of the Iran/Saudi proxy war, including hundreds of thousands who have died from the conflict. Estimates have put the number of dead Yemenis from the conflict at more than 230,000, with the United Nations declaring the matter a humanitarian crisis. The U.N. issued a report earlier this year, projecting that at least 400,000 children might die this year from starvation due to the conflict. On the campaign trail, Biden promised to end support to the Saudis, citing the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggiallegedly approved by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In February, Biden announced that his administration would halt offensive aid to the Saudis. However, the Biden-friendly Vox reported in April that Americans are still servicing the Saudi air forcea crucial element of the country being able to maintain its blockade on Yemen. The U.S. government also approved a $500 million helicopter maintenance deal for the Saudis last week. Skeptics have claimed that the United States continued involvement is fueled by military contractors desire to continue selling arms to the Saudis. CNNs Wolf Blitzer reported there were such concerns in a December 2018 interview with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who supports the effort to cease Americas involvement in the civil war. We are refueling the Saudi bombers that are dropping the bombs, Paul said. It is said that thousands of civilians have died in Yemen because of this. So, for you, this is a moral issue, Blitzer responded. Because you know, theres a lot of jobs at stake. Certainly, if a lot of these defense contractors stop selling war planes, other sophisticated equipment to Saudi Arabia, theres going to be a significant loss of jobs, of revenue here in the United States. Thats secondary from your standpoint? Whether America has legitimate national security interests in the Yemen civil war, the Sept. 23 vote by Congress suggests that lawmakers want a greater say in the debate. Groups such as the bipartisan Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft applaud these efforts, saying that Congress is more reflective of American opinion than the executive branch. The passage of [t]his bill on Saudi Arabias National Day may drive home the fact that many Americans are tired of successive administrations bowing to Saudi preferences over those of the U.S. public, the Quincy Institute wrote on Sept. 23. Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is led into a police van as he heads to court to be charged under the Beijing-imposed controversial new national security law, on Dec. 12, 2020. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) Imprisoned Hong Kong Activist Jimmy Lai Awarded 2021 Liberty Medal Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and former owner of Apple Daily Jimmy Lai was awarded the 33rd annual Liberty Medal by the National Constitution Center on Tuesday. Lai was awarded the honor for his courage and conviction in exercising the fundamental rights of freedom of speech, nonviolent resistance, and peaceful dissent. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, described Lai as a freedom hero in a video of the ceremony held online due to the pandemic. Youve sacrificed your own freedom and well-being in order to help secure the blessings of liberty for others, Rosen said. And you have rejected the idea that criticism of a government can legitimately be punished as sedition, inspiring others to continue fighting for freedom of Hong Kong. In 1995, Lais company, Next Digital, founded Apple Dailya widely-read tabloid frequently critical of the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party. The newspaper closed in June 2021 following a raid by Hong Kong police. Earlier this month, Next Digital announced that it is going into liquidation. The companys assets had already been frozen as part of a national security investigation. Lai was arrested in August 2020 on charges of violating Hong Kongs new national security law that was imposed by Beijing mid-last year to clamp down on the citys pro-democracy forces. The 73-year-old is currently serving a 20-month sentence for organizing and taking part in an unauthorized protest. He is also facing six other charges ranging from colluding with foreign forces to inciting others to take part in the unauthorized assembly. Under the new national security law, three of the six charges hold a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. An employee checks the print quality of copies of the Apple Daily newspaper, published by Next Media Ltd, with a headline Apple Daily will fight on after media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily was arrested by the national security unit, at the companys printing facility in Hong Kong, China, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) American diplomat James B. Cunningham, former consul general for Hong Kong and Macau 2005 to 2008, accepted the Liberty Medal on Lais behalf. Mr. Lai would want me to note that he himself is not important, it is the values he represents, and the struggle to advance those values of people in Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, which matter, Cunningham said. For many of us, it is a tragedy that the rule of law and freedom of thought, education, speech, and property are being extinguished in Hong Kong at the behest of Beijing. This is not the Hong Kong I knew and admired when I was the U.S. Consul General there. Cunningham said that Lai once told him that his character is to fight for liberty. He pointed out that Hong Kong authorities seized Lais business and property without anything resembling due process. His offense is being a successful Hong Kong media figure who defends freedom of speech, Liberty, and democratic values in the face of mounting repression, Cunningham said. Trudy Rubin, a foreign affairs columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, also praised Lai during the award ceremony. Jimmy Lai was the only major Hong Kong businessman who had the guts to stand up and openly support the pro-democracy movement, both before and during the protests of 2019, said Rubin who interviewed Lai in November 2019 at the peak of the student protests, when his paper was at the forefront of pushing for freedom of speech. I remember just being really struck by the guts of this guy. And he didnt know better than anybody else what was going to happen. But he was willing to put his neck on the line to fight for Hong Kong and to fight for democracy in the region, she added. Lai was also awarded the Freedom of Press Award by Reporters Without Borders in December 2020. Another Liberty Medal recipient was Saudi womens rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who was held for nearly three years in a prison for campaigning to legalize driving for women in Saudi Arabia. She was released in February 2021 but remains under many restrictions. Todays ceremony is not an ordinary Liberty Medal presentation. Our two honorees are unable to be with us in person to accept the award, Rosen said. Their absence is a powerful reminder of the great personal sacrifices both have made, for fighting for freedom against tyranny. The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, to honor men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. Out of the last 32 Liberty Medals, 15 have been awarded to individuals outside of the United States. Seven of the Liberty Medal recipients have also received the Nobel Peace Prize. Watch the ceremony below. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry speaks onstage during the 2021 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York in New York City on Sept. 20, 2021. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) John Kerry Draws Criticism for Brushing Off Question on CCPs Crimes Against Uyghurs U.S. climate envoy John Kerry appeared to be indifferent to the plight of Uyghurs in China when he said life is always full of tough choices in a recent interview with Bloomberg. Kerry was asked, Clearly a priority of the Biden administration is really addressing climate, but its not the only priority. There are other things as well, such as the Uyghur situation in the West. What is the process by which one trades off climate against human rights? In response, Kerry said: Life is always full of tough choices in the relationship between nations. To back up his argument, Kerry pointed to former President Ronald Reaganwho according to Kerry thought the Soviet Union was the Evil Empirebut went to Iceland to meet with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Reykjavik Summit in October 1986. The meeting ultimately resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States. The point Im making is that, even as there were egregious human rights issues, which Ronald Reagan called them out on, we have to find a way forward to make the world safer, to protect our countries, and act in our interests, Kerry continued. We can do and must do the same thing now, he added. Yes, we have issues, a number of different issues [with China], but first and foremost, this planet must be protected. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is committing genocide against Uyghurs in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region, subjecting them to forced sterilization, forced abortion, torture, forced labor, and the removal of children from their families. Additionally, the communist regime has detained more than one million Uyghurs in internment camps. Uyghur and Kazakhstan national Gulbakhar Jalilova, 54, a former detainee, told The Epoch Times in 2018 that detained Uyghurs were psychologically and physically tortured, poisoned, and even killed by injection of unknown drugs. Also in 2018, another former Uyghur detainee, a Kazakhstan national aged 54, who spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity, said young girls were being raped inside these camps and were given pills to stop them from becoming pregnant. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has since issued a statement criticizing Kerrys remarks. Special Envoy John Kerrys ghoulish response dismissing genocide is divorced from American values and interests, and I strongly urge him to immediately retract it, McCaul stated. He added: The United States should never ignore atrocities and genocide in exchange for commitments made by the CCP on climate, especially when the CCP has a proven track record of ignoring their international commitments. I call on Secretary Blinken to provide a full reporting of exactly what commitments Special Envoy Kerry is making to China on behalf of the United States. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Kerrys remarks horrific in a Twitter post. Biden Dems: We care about $$ much more than human rights, slavery or Chinese concentration camps, Cruz wrote. The Munich-based World Uyghur Congress did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, Kerry traveled to China seeking Beijings cooperation on climate change. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi used his meeting with Kerry to demand Washington pay attention to and pro-actively respond to Chinas two lists and three bottom lines. One of the lists asked the United States to correct its wrongdoings, including revoking its sanctions on CCP officials, which were announced by the United States in response to widely reported human rights abuses. K-9 Ranger began patrolling the City of Laguna Beach in January 2015 and was named to honor fallen Laguna Beach Motor Officer Jon Coutchie, who was a United States Army Ranger. (Courtesy of the Laguna Beach Police Department) K-9 Memorial Unveiled at Laguna Beach Police Remembrance Ceremony Honors Fallen Service Dogs The Laguna Beach Police Department unveiled a new memorial that honors the department K-9 officers that have passed away on Sept. 21. The memorial was released during the annual Laguna Beach fallen officer remembrance ceremony that occurs annually to remember officers that have been killed in the line of duty, such as officer John Coutchie in 2013 and Officer Gordon French who died in 1953. This years ceremony honored three police dogs who served the department: Gero, who served from 1988-1996, Max, who served from 1999-2003, and most recently Ranger, who served from 2015 until June of this year after being diagnosed with cancer in February. Laguna Beachs K-9 Ranger with his handler, Cpl. Zachary Fillers. (Courtesy of the Laguna Beach Police Department) The new K-9 memorial features all three dogs names and is located next to the Eternal Legacy memorial, which honors the fallen human officers. It was designed by artist Gerard Stripling. K-9 Cpl. Zach Fillers, Rangers handler, told the audience how much Ranger meant to him. I was hoping that he and I would become fast friends, Fillers said, as reported by the Daily Pilot. What happened over the next seven years was the ride of a lifetime. We were together 24-7 at work and at home. We spent thousands of hours together, trying to become a great K-9 team, which was one of the most rewarding and frustrating things Ive ever done. Imagine trying to get an animal, who only understands a foreign language, to do exactly what you want upon command when peoples lives are at risk and absolute perfection is required. Not stressful at all. K-9 Ranger was a Belgian Malinois who received several years of training in Holland prior to coming to the United States. Ranger began patrolling the City of Laguna Beach in January 2015 and was named to honor Coutchie, who was a United States Army Ranger. As the remembrance was wrapping up, officers placed white flowers at the bottom of both memorials. Live Q&A: Wuhan Scientists Planned to Release Coronaviruses; NIH Accused of Financing Research Scientists in Wuhan, China, were planning to release coronaviruseswhich had been altered to infect humansamong bats, according to grant proposals going back to 2018. And in other news, EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak allegedly stated in a 2017 Consortium that Dr. Anthony Faucis National Institutes of Health agency had financed his controversial work on coronaviruses in China. In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, well discuss these stories and others, and answer questions from the audience. Were being heavily censored by Big Tech. Our solution? Create our own independent platform free of censorship. Join us today on EpochTV. Weve got a country to save: http://epochtv.com/Crossroads Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV A commuter wears a mask as he sits in a bus shelter with NHS signage promoting "Stay Home, Save Lives" in Chinatown, central London, UK, on Jan. 8, 2021. (Tolga Akmen /AFP via Getty Images) Long COVID Has Been Overblown: Medical Expert The prevalence of so-called long COVID has been overblown and its incidence is much lower than people had anticipated, a leading British medical expert has said. Talking to Times Radio on Thursday, Professor Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, said: The long COVID thing has been slightly overblown and as soon as you start to do proper epidemiological studies, you find the incidence is much, much lower than people had anticipated. He made the comments after official data released last week suggested that long COVID in the UK is much less common than previously estimated. According to an update published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Sept. 16, only 3 percent of people who tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus had symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks, substantially lower than the ONS previous estimation published in April (13.7 percent). ONS said the results are reassuring, as the majority of people infected with COVID-19 do not experience symptoms beyond the first 12 weeks, and some of those who do will start to feel better over time. But it noted that for the minority of people who do go on to experience long-term symptoms, the effects can be debilitating. In his Times Radio interview, Bell also said COVID-19 could resemble the common cold by spring next year as peoples immunity to the virus is boosted by vaccines and exposure. If you look at the trajectory we are on, we are a lot better off than we were six months ago, he said. If you look at the deaths from COVID, they tend to be very elderly people, and its not entirely clear it was COVID that caused all those deaths. The country is over the worst and things should be fine once winter has passed, he said, adding that there was continued exposure to the virus even in people who are vaccinated. Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, whose work led to the development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, told a Royal Society of Medicine webinar on Wednesday that viruses tend to become weaker as they spread around. We normally see that viruses become less virulent as they circulate more easily and there is no reason to think we will have a more virulent version of Sars-CoV-2, She said. We tend to see slow genetic drift of the virus and there will be gradual immunity developing in the population as there is to all the other seasonal coronaviruses. PA contributed to this report. Major US Port Targeted in August Cyberattack: CISA Officials A major U.S. port was targeted in an attempted cyberattack last month, the Port said in a statement on Sept. 23. The Port of Houston, which is the nations largest port for waterborne tonnage and a critical economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the nation, was able to successfully defend itself against the attack and no operational data or systems were impacted. The Port of Houston Authority (Port Houston) successfully defended itself against a cybersecurity attack in August, the statement reads. Port Houston followed its Facilities Security Plan in doing so, as guided under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), and no operational data or systems were impacted as a result. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly first told a Senate panel about the attack Thursday morning, during a hearing on Cybersecurity and protecting critical infrastructure. Easterly said she believes that a nation-state actor was behind the attack. We are working very closely with our interagency partners and the intelligence community to better understand this threat actor so that we can ensure that we are not only able to protect systems, but ultimately to be able to hold these actors accountable, Easterly said. The hack involved the password management program called ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, The Associated Press reports. CISA, the FBI, and the U.S. Coast Guard last week issued an alert warning that a newly identified vulnerability in the software poses a serious risk. The exploitation of ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus poses a serious risk to critical infrastructure companies, U.S.-cleared defense contractors, academic institutions, and other entities that use the software, the joint advisory warned. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability allows an attacker to place webshells, which enable the adversary to conduct post-exploitation activities, such as compromising administrator credentials, conducting lateral movement, and exfiltrating registry hives and Active Directory files. The latest attack comes as defending the United States has become a key priority for President Joe Bidens administration amid a wave of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks on companies such as NEW Cooperative, which on Monday said its systems were offline to contain a cybersecurity incident, just as the U.S. farm belt gears up for harvest. In August, the White House announced that a number of the countrys leading technology companies have pledged to invest billions of dollars to bolster cybersecurity by training tens of thousands of people in cybersecurity skills, enhancing open-source software security, and providing technical services to help local governments boost security protections. Amazon, Apple, Google, and IBM are among some of the companies to have made cybersecurity development and investment pledges, according to the White House. Tom Ozimek and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her Vancouver home to attend a court hearing on Sept. 24, 2021. (Don MacKinnon/AFP via Getty Images) Meng Freed After Canadian Court Drops Extradition Case A Canadian court has dropped U.S. extradition proceedings against Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, lifting her bail conditions and allowing her freedom. The decision comes hours after Meng reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn. Attending the U.S. court virtually from Vancouver, Meng pleaded not guilty on charges relating to bank and wire fraud, but agreed to the charges against her under a deal with U.S. prosecutors. Under the agreement, Meng will have charges against her dismissed after Dec. 1, 2022. In entering into the deferred prosecution agreement, Meng has taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetrating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution, acting U.S. attorney Nicole Boeckmann said in a statement. Her admissions in the statement of facts confirm that, while acting as the Chief Financial Officer for Huawei, Meng made multiple material misrepresentations to a senior executive of a financial institution regarding Huaweis business operations in Iran in an effort to preserve Huaweis banking relationship with the financial institution. Meng was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on an extradition request from U.S. officials, who later charged her with bank fraud for allegedly lying to another organization about Huaweis business dealings with Iran, leading the organization to violate U.S. sanctions. A man holds a sign bearing photographs of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor outside B.C. Supreme Court where Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was attending a hearing, in Vancouver on Jan. 21, 2020. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) Following Mengs arrest, Beijing threatened Canada with dire consequences if she was not released. On Dec. 10, 2018, just over a week after Mengs arrest, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained in China. In early 2019, a Chinese court changed a 15-year jail sentence given to Canadian Robert Schellenberg on drug charges to a death sentence. The regime has also blocked Canadian agricultural imports to China, causing billions of dollars in lost revenue for Canadian producers. On Aug. 10, as Mengs extradition case was winding up in Canada, a Chinese court rejected Schellenbergs appeal of his death sentence. The following day, another Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison on espionage charges. The trial for Kovrig, who has also been charged with espionage, was held in March but he has yet to be sentenced. Since her arrest, Meng had been free on bail, allowed to live at one of her mansions in Vancouver, and roam within a 62-square-kilometre section of Vancouver. She also received visits from her family from China. Mengs fight against extradition reached its final stages this year. A B.C. Supreme Court judge overseeing the case said on Aug. 18 she is reserving her decision on whether Meng should be extradited, setting a date for her next update in late October. Canadas extradition laws allow the minister of justice to intervene to block extradition, something that so far the Canadian government had refused to do. Eva Fu contributed to this report. Editors note: This article was updated on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. to add more details. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks at a press conference at the Legislative Building in Regina on March 25, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Michael Bell) Moe Slams Pointless Federal Election, While Legault Stresses Interests of Quebec In the wake of the federal election on Sept. 20, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe lambasted the campaign as pointless, while Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who had criticized the Liberals during the campaign, said he will work with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to advance the interests of Quebec. Moes criticism came on Sept. 21 after the Liberals won another term as a minority government. That was the most pointless election in Canadas history, Moe said in a statement posted on Twitter. The Prime Minister spent $600 million of taxpayers dollars and five weeks further dividing the country to arrive at almost the same result as where we started. Moe stressed that the time and money put into the campaign could have been spent working to address real issues faced by Canadians, including properly funding Canadas chronically underfunded health system, working with provinces to increase vaccination rates in some of our hardest-to-reach communities, and positioning Canada and its provinces as leaders in the global economy. Legault issued a congratulatory message to Trudeau early in the morning on Sept. 21. I congratulate @JustinTrudeau for his victory. I will work with him to advance the interests of Quebec, he wrote on Twitter. However, in a press conference on Sept. 9, Legault criticized the Liberals, NDP, and Green Party, saying they werent ready to transfer power to his government over immigration, and that they didnt exclude being part of the lawsuit against Bill 21 which bans the wearing of religious symbols by some public employees. I think we have to be careful with those three parties, he said, adding that the three parties want to give us less autonomy. I find that dangerous. Quebec Premier Francois Legault speaks at a news conference at the legislature in Quebec City on Sept. 23, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) At the time, Legault spoke in favour of Conservative Leader Erin OToole, specifically on his promise to increase health transfers to Quebec without conditions. During a press conference on Sept 21, Legault was asked that, given his criticism of the Liberals, whether the federal or provincial government will have the upper hand during his first meeting with Trudeau following the election. He knows very well that I want him to respect Quebec jurisdiction, so theres nothing new and nothing that was not said many times before, he replied. In a Facebook post the same day, Legault stressed the importance of Quebecs autonomy while asking the federal government to increase its share of health-care funding. In March, premiers from across Canada urged the Trudeau government to increase federal health transfers from 22 percent to 35 percent, amounting to an additional $28 billion, including $6 billion for Quebec, to cover pandemic related health-care costs. However, the federal budget in April did not include the increased funding. Nasal irrigation can be done safely and inexpensively at home and may help prevent severe COVID-19 by stopping coronavirus infections from reaching our lower respiratory tract. (nullplus/Shutterstock) Nasal Irrigation May Help Prevent Severe COVID-19: Study Because of the way viruses invade the body, direct interventions can help combat infection A recent preprint study by researchers at Augusta University and Edinburgh Napier University demonstrates that people who used normal saline nasal irrigation were 19 times less likely to require hospitalization for treatment of COVID-19 than the national rate for hospitalizations. A preprint means that the study hasnt been peer-reviewed yet. Nevertheless, the results are promising, especially since people can perform nasal irrigation safely in their homes. According to a 2009 article in the American Family Physician, nasal irrigation has been an adjunctive therapy for upper respiratory conditions and is currently prescribed after nasal and sinus surgeries. Nasal irrigation with a neti pot instills normal saline into your nasal passages with a small device that resembles a teapot. After inserting the end of the pot into one side of your nose, the solution moves around the sinuses and comes out through the other nostril. The treatment can be effective for different conditions. For example, flushing out pollen in the nose and sinus cavities with a neti pot helps to manage the symptoms of mild to moderate allergic rhinitis. While using a neti pot is probably the most recognized over-the-counter method of deep nasal irrigation, one study evaluated other irrigation techniques to discover which would more effectively reach the maxillary sinus and frontal recess after endoscopic sinus surgery. They analyzed the results of a metered nasal spray, nebulization, and nasal douching while kneeling with the head on the floor. Nasal douching is a procedure in which you sniff saline into your nostrils; researchers found that it was more effective than a metered nasal spray or nebulized normal saline to reach the sinus cavities. If you want to try nasal irrigation with a neti pot and youre thinking of making your own saline solution, its important to remember to use only distilled, sterile, or cooled-down boiled water. Tap water can contain bacteria and protozoa that may be safe in the gastrointestinal tract, but not in your nasal passages, where a free-living microscopic ameba called Naegleria fowleri can trigger a devastating brain infection thats usually fatal. Nasal Irrigation With Normal Saline Reduced Hospitalizations The Augusta study compared the clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 using normal nasal saline irrigation. The researchers engaged patients who were aged 55 or older and tested positive with a PCR test in a community testing site. They began with a group of 79 patients who were randomized into two groups. The data was then compared against outcomes from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions national database. Thats how they found that their participants were less likely to be hospitalized. In that study, the participants used one of two pressure-based nasal irrigation systems: the NAVAGE or the NeilMed Sinus Rinse. The participants were then randomly selected to use either one-half teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (alkalinization) with the standard saline rinse twice a day for 14 days, or 2.5 milliliters (roughly a half-teaspoon) of povidone-iodine 10 percent solution (antimicrobial) for the same period. The researchers then followed up with each group 14 days after their final intervention. The primary outcome tracked was hospitalization for COVID-19 within the first 28 days after the intervention began. Secondarily, they tracked symptom resolution, adherence to the intervention, and any side effects that the intervention may have had on the participant. At the end of 28 weeks, 62 patients had completed their research diaries and averaged 1.79 irrigations each day. After analyzing the results, the researchers found that there were no statistical differences in outcomes when the participants used the povidone-iodine antimicrobial wash or alkalized the nasal cavity with sodium bicarbonate. None of the patients assigned to the povidone-iodine wash and only one assigned to the alkalized group experienced a COVID-19-related hospitalization. However, resolutions of symptoms in those using the povidone-iodine were more likely. The researchers concluded that isotonic saline nasal irrigation had a positive effect on reducing hospitalization and that further research is required to determine if adding povidone-iodine to irrigation reduces morbidity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further study may also be necessary to determine if alkalizing the nasal cavity has an effect on killing the virus and preventing hospitalization, as the bodys natural pH is slightly alkaline and most pathogens prefer an acidic environment. Clearing the oral cavity of a COVID-19 patient is also part of the outpatient IMASK protocol from the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance. Hydrogen Peroxide Offers Another Treatment Nasal irrigation isnt the only treatment that directly treats the infection where it resides in the body. In early 2020, a joint research team from Italy and the UK published a paper on infection control and hospital epidemiology. In April, they recognized that the virus resides in the mucous membranes and is transmitted through saliva and respiratory droplets to facilitate viral spread. The paper recounts how in February 2020, the Italian government recommended sanitizing the environment with 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide, as it was already in use for both disinfectant purposes and to treat oral gingivitis. They cited a 2016 study with the SARS coronavirus, which showed the virus stays in mucous membranes for up to two days before moving to the lower respiratory tract. The team identified that delay as a window of opportunity to prevent the onset of symptoms. Because hydrogen peroxide efficiently inactivates coronavirus on inanimate surfaces and it has been tested in, and is in use, in human health, they proposed that hydrogen peroxide could reduce the chances of hospitalization and the severity of the illness when it was used in the oral and nasal mucosa. They postulated that gargling three times per day and using a nasal wash and nebulizer twice per day could be safe and effective. In March 2020, a retired professor from the University of Ghana Medical School wrote in a letter to the editor to the BMJ that there is evidence that even 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide could inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces. And since hydrogen peroxide has been in use in dental practice for nearly 100 years and in view of its safety, he proposed that the World Health Organization add hydrogen peroxide mouthwash and gargling to their preventive protocols. By May 2020, word about hydrogen peroxide reached the ears of the Federal Trade Commission, which then began issuing warning letters to those who dared to suggest that hydrogen peroxide was an at-home treatment that may be effective against SARS-CoV-2. Nebulized Hydrogen Peroxide Helps Stop Respiratory Infections In an interview with Dr. David Brownstein, we discussed the protocol he has been using for more than 25 years for patients with cold and flu. Hes using the same protocol for patients with COVID-19, and at the time of the recording had successfully treated more than 220 patients without any deaths and only a few hospitalizations. In an open letter, physician and attorney Thomas Levy attributed the original concept of nebulizing hydrogen peroxide to Dr. Charles Farr, who championed it in 1990. In the letter, he discussed how the extra oxygen atom in hydrogen peroxide is deadly for viruses and how under normal circumstances, your immune cells produce their own hydrogen peroxide. Yet, when your immune system is overwhelmed with viral replication, it may not be able to produce enough hydrogen peroxide. The original therapy used intravenous administration, which made the process unavailable for most people. Dr. Frank Shallenberger, known for his research in mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization, went on to propose and use nebulized hydrogen peroxide, finding that it had an additional advantage, as the intervention went directly to the area of the body that was most affected by a virus. Although Levy recommended using 3 percent hydrogen peroxide off the shelf and undiluted, I prefer food-grade hydrogen peroxide that doesnt have the additives and stabilizers that you find in the products sold at big box stores. In the interview, Brownstein talked about the change he pioneered to the treatmentwhich was to add iodine to the nebulized hydrogen peroxide. Interestingly, he used nebulized iodine first with his patients and then added hydrogen peroxide to the treatment protocol. Disclaimer: This article is based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. It isnt intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and isnt intended as medical advice. Its intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If youre pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in attends the first joint repatriation ceremony for Korean War remains at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam near Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. on Sept. 22, 2021. (Marco Garcia/Reuters File Photo) North Korea Rejects Call to Declare End of Korean War SEOULSouth Koreas call to declare a formal end to the Korean War is premature as there is no guarantee it would lead to the withdrawal of the U.S. hostile policy toward Pyongyang, North Korea state media KCNA reported on Friday, citing Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song. South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday repeated a call for a formal end to the Korean War in an address to the U.N. General Assembly and proposed that the two Koreas with the United States, or with the United States and China, make such a declaration. The two Koreas are still technically at war after their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. Nothing will change as long as the political circumstances around the DPRK remains unchanged and the U.S. hostile policy is not shifted, although the termination of the war is declared hundreds of times, Ri said on KCNA, using North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The U.S. withdrawal of its double-standards and hostile policy is the top priority in stabilizing the situation of the Korean peninsula and ensuring peace on it. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the U.N. assembly and said the United States wants sustained diplomacy to resolve the crisis surrounding North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea has rejected U.S. overtures to engage in dialogue and the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said this week that Pyongyangs nuclear program is going full steam ahead. North Korea and South Korea test-fired ballistic missiles last week, the latest volley in an arms race in which both nations have developed increasingly sophisticated weapons amid fruitless efforts to start talks to defuse tensions. By Sangmi Cha Students' desk adhere to social distancing requirements in a classroom during a news conference at New Bridges Elementary School, ahead of schools reopening, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on Aug. 19, 2020. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters) NYC Schools Brace for Staffing Shortages as COVID-19 Vaccine Deadline Approaches A potential staffing crisis at the nations largest public school system looms as New York Citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all public school employees threatens to bar thousands of teacher and staff from classrooms when it takes effect next week. While Mayor Bill de Blasio seeks to keep as many schools as possible open for in-person learning, adults working at those schools remain under strict vaccination policies. With limited exceptions, all employees and contractors of the New York City Department of Education and have until the end of the day on Sept. 27 to show proof of at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Around 87 percent of the citys 87,000 public school teachers are in compliance with the vaccination requirement, according to the most recent update from the department. That translates to more than 10,000 teachers who might be removed from payroll next Tuesday if they remain unvaccinated without a medical or religious exemption. When asked about the potential staff shortage, de Blasio said Thursday at a press briefing that the city is ready to redeploy resources. We have thousands and thousands of vaccinated experienced substitute teachers ready to go, the mayor said. Thats the obvious first go-to, but its also true that central staff has thousands of educators, certified educators, who could step into different roles if needed. So, theyll be ready. The reality were seeing right now is we think the overwhelming majority of our educators and staff are going to be there on Monday having gotten that first dose and moving forward, he added. Despite the assurance, the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators (CSA) is calling on the city to delay the deadline, so that its members have more time to plan for possible staffing changes. Any staffing shortage, especially during a pandemic, is a threat to the health and safety of both students and personnel, said CSA President Mark Cannizzaro in a statement. It is dangerous and irresponsible for the city to move forward with its plan to allow schools and centers to operate so severely understaffed. As a result, we are calling on the city to delay the deadline for the mandate to allow the city to develop a reasonable contingency plan. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) issued a short statement afterwards agreeing with the CSA. The principals union is rightour schools are not ready for the implementation of the vaccine mandate, said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. I hope for once City Hall is listening to its own school leaders and finally starts to put together a reasonable plan to face the challenge of keeping our children safe. Orange County Sees Drop in COVID-19 Hospitalizations SANTA ANA, Calif.Orange Countys COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped and the county is nearing 2.1 million fully vaccinated residents, according to the latest data released by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). The number of coronavirus patients in county hospitals dropped from 326 Wednesday to 304 Thursday, with the number of patients in intensive care ticking up from 85 to 87, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The last time hospitalization rates were this low was the end of July. The county has 21.5 percent of its intensive care unit beds available and 66 percent of its ventilators. The number of fully vaccinated residents in the county increased from 2,069,128 as of last Thursday to 2,096,177 today. That number includes an increase from 1,932,614 to 1,958,145 of residents who have received the two-dose regimen of vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna. The number of residents receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine increased from 136,514 to 138,032. There are 202,513 residents who have received one dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The countys case rate for fully vaccinated residents as of Sept. 18, the latest figures available, was 4.4 per 100,000, but 21.4 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated. There are 455,680 of the countys 3.2 million population 11 years old and younger, and so ineligible for any vaccine. Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and University of CaliforniaIrvine (UCI) professor of population health and disease prevention, said he hopes hospitalization rates decrease as the number of residents gets vaccinated. At some point you want to see lower numbers than 300, Noymer told City News Service. Noymer favors opening up booster shots to the general population, but hes concerned there is vaccination fatigue. There are people already starting to have these online vibes that three shots are too many and they wont do three shots, Noymer said. Im kind of nervous about it. Experts say there is waning immunity with vaccines or through natural infection, but scientists say research shows a booster shot increases the immunity enough to prevent serious illness. Israel had a huge wave after they were pretty well vaccinated, Noymer said. Now Israels pandemic has fallen quite a bit. The bad news is that the last I checked, they had 30 percent receiving a third dose and its probably 40 percent now, and they got it to fall party by doing third doses, and thats a lot more than what weve been doing. I think Israel is a cautionary tale for us and I fear were not paying close enough attention to boosters I dont think were going in a booster direction with enough gusto. Dr. Jose Mayorga, executive director of the UCI Health Family Health Centers, said the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control experts reviewing Pfizers proposal for booster shots approved them for people 65 and older because that is the demographic they had the most data on. The experts in these committees are looking at data and making sound assessments on what is presented and they dont want to make assumptions it can be expanded to all ages, Mayorga told City News Service. Pfizer booster shots have been only approved for those 65 and older or adults with significant health risks or frontline workers in positions of heightened risk of infection. The FDA and CDC are extremely conservative in the way they approve any medication, treatment or device when it comes to our health, Mayorga said. Theyre going to look at these things very closely and weigh information that is evidence-based. Weekly averages, released on Tuesdays, showed that the countys weekly case rate per 100,000 residents improved from 15.3 last week to 11.3, while the positivity rate fell from 4.7 percent to 3.7 percent. The countys Health Equity Quartile positivity ratewhich measures progress in low-income communitiesdropped from 5.1 percent to 4.2 percent. The county logged eight more fatalities Thursday, six of which occurred this month. The September death toll rose to 39. One of the fatalities was in August and another happened in January. The cumulative death toll is 5,371. The death toll for August stands at 136. That marks a stark contract with the rest of the summer. The death toll for July was 22, with 19 in June, 23 in May, 46 in April, 199 in March, 615 in February, 1,580 in Januarythe deadliest month of the pandemicand 975 in December, the next deadliest. The OCHCA also reported 304 new infections Thursday, raising the cumulative total to 294,871 since the pandemic began. A man stand by his car in front of his home facing an apartment complex in Newport Beach, Calif.,on Jan. 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Over One Million Angelenos Face Eviction as Moratorium Expires As the state-wide eviction moratorium is set to expire on Sept. 30, approximately 1.4 million Los Angeles residents are at risk of eviction or foreclosure, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by Shaler Economic Enterprises. Shaler Economic Enterprises reported that there are just under 360,000 renters and mortgage borrowers living in Los Angeles County who are not at all confident that they can make their next rent or mortgage payment. At 2.95 persons per household, that would be about 1.4 million people living in Los Angeles County who are at risk of being evicted from their homes in the next few months. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Richard Lutz told The Epoch Times that the department expects to see a slow and steady increase of eviction cases following the moratorium. There are 938,561 renters and 482,177 mortgage payers living in California who expressed that they are not at all confident they can make their next payment. There will likely be more than 4 million Californians at risk of being evicted from their homes after the moratorium ends, according to Shaler Economic Enterprises. California renters and mortgage payers who were unable to make their monthly payments could face eviction starting Oct. 1. After that date, landlords may evict their tenants for unpaid rent with proof of filing rental assistance for their tenants. A sign advertises an apartment available for rent in Orange County, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The CARES Act eviction moratorium took effect between March and July 2020, allowing tenants to live rent-free if they couldnt work during the pandemic lockdowns. Later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a nationwide temporary moratorium from September 2020 to June 2021 on residential evictions for nonpayment of rent. Days before the end of the eviction moratorium, Gov. Gavin Newsom extended the moratorium to Sept. 30, 2021. Both the national and state eviction moratoriums, along with rental assistance, have effectively shielded renters from eviction as the pandemic wanes. Although the latest rental assistance program began in June to alleviate financial pressures on tenants, lawmakers couldnt guarantee that tenants and landlords would get the relief by end of the eviction moratorium. Tenants with unpaid rent must pay their landlords at least 25 percent of the back due rent owed, which can be made in one lump sum by Sept. 30. Failing that, they face eviction. State officials reassured Californians that the government will continually provide support to both renters and landlords through the COVID-19 Rent Relief Program after Sept. 30. Demonstrators call for a rent strike during the COVID-19 pandemic as they pass City Hall in Los Angeles on May 1, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) According to a 2020 U.S. Census Bureau report, the population of California is 39,538,223, with 25.3 percent of them living in Los Angeles. A report released by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in June 2020 showed a 12.7 percent rise in homelessness in Los Angeles County from 2019 to 2020, which is more than 80,000 people who became homeless. Economic Roundtable, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, published its latest report, Lock Out, predicting the amount and type of pandemic-driven homelessness, and that it will cause twice as much homelessness in Los Angeles as the 2008 recession. The Lock Out report forecasted that recession-related homelessness will lead to years of chronic homelessness both nationwide and in California. The data projected that the homelessness of working-age adults will reach its peak in 2023. Over the next four years, the current Pandemic Recession is projected to cause chronic homelessness to increase 49 percent in the United States, 68 percent in California, and 86 percent in Los Angeles County, according to the Lock Out report. To avoid further homelessness, Economic Roundtable suggests that the federal government provide rent subsidies for low-income families and build more affordable housing. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, is seen in Washington during a panel hearing on July 27, 2021. (Oliver Contreras/Pool/Getty Images) Pelosis Jan. 6 Select Committee Subpoenas Four Trump Aides, Advisers The House of Representatives panel formed to investigate the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach has issued its first subpoenas for four members of former President Donald Trumps administration, the panels chairman said on Thursday. Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said in a statement that the panel, which received no backing by members of Republican House leadership, has issued a round of subpoenas for documents and testimony to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Daniel Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel, and former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon. Thompson said the four have close ties to the former president and were working in or had communications with the White House, on or in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building. The Select Committee is investigating the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6th attack and issues relating to the peaceful transfer of power, to identify and evaluate lessons learned and to recommend corrective laws, policies, procedures rules, or regulations, the Democratic congressman from Mississippi wrote, highlighting the Jan. 6 committees authority established by House Resolution 503. Bannon, Meadows, Scavino, and Patel have been asked to appear for a deposition in mid-October. It isnt clear what documents have been requested. The Epoch Times has reached out to Meadows, Scavino, and Patel for comment. Bannon could not be reached for comment as of late Thursday. The committee in its letter to Bannon said that he was identified as present at the Willard Hotel on Jan. 5, 2021 during an effort to persuade members of Congress to block the certification of the Election the next day, and in relation to other activities on Jan. 6. Bannon left the White House in August 2017, but remained in contact with Trump. You are also described as communicating with then-President Trump on Dec. 30, 2020, and potentially other occasions, urging him to plan for and focus his efforts on Jan. 6. Moreover you are quoted as saying, on Jan. 5, 2021, that [a]ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow, the committee wrote. The committees letter to Meadows alleges that while he worked as Trumps chief of staff, he directly communicated with the highest officials at the Department of Justice requesting investigation into election fraud matters in several states. It has been reported that you were engaged in multiple elements of the planning and preparation efforts to contest the presidential election and delay the counting of electoral votes, it wrote. The panel in its request to Scavino highlights several tweets that were allegedly written from the White House on Jan. 6. And prior to Jan. 6, 2021, you promoted, through your twitter messaging, the Jan. 6 March for Trump, which encouraged people to be a part of history, the committee wrote, alleging that the former communications lead was with or in the vicinity of President Trump on Jan. 6 and are a witness regarding his activity that day. For Patel, the request cites documents that show he may have information on the Department of Defenses response to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. It also alleges that documents show personal involvement in the planning for the events of Jan. 6 and the peaceful transfer of power. According to the Justice Department, more than 570 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 U.S. states for crimes related to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 170 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The breach took place during a joint session of Congress when lawmakers met to certify electoral votes submitted by states. The Capitol grounds and building were breached by protestors and some rioters, some of whom wanted to voice their stance against then-Vice President Mike Pences refusal to intervene in the certification process. Thousands of peaceful protesters remained outside. In June, FBI Director Christopher Wray told an oversight hearing held by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that the law enforcement agency considered the events that unfolded on Jan. 6 to be an act of domestic terrorism. When asked by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) whether the events could be considered an insurrection, Wray said it would be inappropriate to describe the breach as such, saying that the term has legal meaning and could impact ongoing criminal cases. Democratic lawmakers have pushed the narrative that the Jan. 6 breach was an insurrection, largely during the January impeachment effort against then-President Donald Trump. Thompson in his statement on Thursday also describes the events that unfolded in January as an insurrection. No one who participated in the breach has been charged with insurrection. The chair of the House Homeland Security Committee said earlier this year that he was prepared to issue subpoenas and file lawsuits should any Jan. 6 witnesses refuse to appear. Thompson told the Guardian in July that he wanted to interview officials in the former Trump administration who were present at the Oval Office on Jan. 6 from Meadows to Trumps daughter Ivanka. A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian illegal alien from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. (PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images) Photographer Who Took Pictures of Border Agents on Horseback Says They Didnt Whip Anyone A photographer who captured images of Border Patrol agents on horseback near an influx of Haitians who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border said he didnt see the agents whip anyone. Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses, photographer Paul Ratje told local station KTSM, explaining the situation. Ive never seen them whip anyone, he said. He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture. The images of agents on horseback drew criticism from Democrats, pro-immigration activists, and White House officials this week, with some claiming that the agents were whipping the Haitians. However, a union that represents Border Patrol agents said that claim is false, while some officials said the agents were merely controlling the horses with their reins. President Joe Biden, during a news conference Friday, promised an investigation into the incident and declared that the agents actions were wrong and will pay. Biden didnt make any reference to the pushback against the claims that agents were whipping illegal immigrants. I promise you, those people will pay, Biden told reporters at the White House. There will be consequences. Its an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment, its dangerous. Its wrong. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Haitians, live in a primitive, makeshift camp under the international bridge that spans the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico while waiting to be detained and processed by Border Patrol, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) A top Border Patrol union official, Brandon Judd, told The Epoch Times this week that agents were not whipping their reins at the illegal aliens. Agents have to keep the migrants away from the horses for their own protection. And so they will use the reins, to twirl the reins, so that they will stay away from the horses. But they do not use those reins to lash out, to try to strike people. Those agents did not use those reins in any way, shape, or form to try to strike anybody, he said, adding that horses are used as a deterrent technique to prevent illegals from entering the country. Regarding comments made by White House officials, Judd said Border Patrol officials feel abandoned in the wake of a burgeoning crisis. In recent weeks, more than 15,000 Haitian illegal aliens camped underneath an international bridge spanning Del Rio, Texas, and Mexico, prompting humanitarian concerns. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday said that horse patrols around the border will be suspended following the images having gone viral. Which the president feels, we all feel, was inhumane, immoral, ineffective, wasnt operationally working. And because of the disfunction of it, we have led to a very broken system that were dealing with today, she said in a comment at the White House. Port of Houston Target of Suspected Nation-State Hack A major U.S. port was the target last month of suspected nation-state hackers, according to officials. The Port of Houston, a critical piece of infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, issued a statement on Thursday saying it had successfully defended against an attempted hack in August and no operational data or systems were impacted. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly initially disclosed that the port was the target of an attack at a Senate committee hearing on Thursday morning. She said she believed a nation-state actor was behind the hack, but did not say which one. We are working very closely with our interagency partners and the intelligence community to better understand this threat actor so that we can ensure that we are not only able to protect systems, but ultimately to be able to hold these actors accountable, she said. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said the hack was concerning and said the United States needed to push back against these nation-state actors who continue to probe and to commit these crimes against our public and private sector entities. The hack involved ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, a password management program. Easterlys agency, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a joint advisory last week warning that the vulnerability in the software poses a serious risk to critical infrastructure companies, defense contractors and others. Cybersecurity has become a key focus of the Biden administration. A devastating wave of cyberattacks has compromised sensitive government records and at times led to the shutdown of the operations of energy companies, hospitals, and schools. The SolarWinds espionage campaign, which the U.S. government said was conducted by Russian hackers, exposed the emails of 80 percent of the accounts used by the U.S. attorneys offices in New York and affected several other departments. The Associated Press reported in June that suspected Chinese state hackers had recently targeted telecommunications giant Verizon and the countrys largest water agency. By Alan Suderman People attend a protest against the Quebec governments measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal on Sept. 5. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes) Quebec Rapidly Passes Ban on COVID 19 Related Protests Near Schools, Hospitals QUEBECsThe Quebec legislature rapidly adopted a bill Thursday banning protests related to the COVID-19 pandemic within 50 metres of schools, daycares, and health-care facilities. The bill was introduced earlier in the day and passed unanimously after a few hours of debate. Under the law, demonstrations of any manner near protected institutions are prohibited if they are related to the health orders issued under the COVID-19 state of emergency, vaccination against the novel coronavirus or any other recommendation issued by public health authorities in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adult education centres and junior colleges were added to the list of protected places at the suggestion of Liberal member Marwah Rizqy. The government also accepted an amendment introduced by Quebec solidaire member Andres Fontecilla specifying that the law doesnt apply to employees of protected institutions, who are allowed to protest for better working conditions. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault, who introduced the bill, said the law would apply to parents protesting for better ventilation at their childrens school because that issue is related to COVID-19. The law came following several recent protests outside Quebec schools and hospitals against COVID-19 vaccination and health orders. In a post on Facebook Thursday morning, Premier Francois Legault said he understands that restricting the right to protest is a delicate matter, but, frankly, there are limits. What is perhaps most shocking for me is imagining how our nurses feel to see this, he added. Those women and men have worked tirelessly for months to care for people sick with COVID despite difficult working conditions. People who violate the ban can face fines of between $1,000 and $6,000, with the penalty doubled if they threaten or intimidate anyone who is entering or leaving one of the sites specified in the bill. An amendment to the bill means the new measures will expire after 30 days, but the government reserves the right to renew them while the COVID-19 state of emergency order remains in effect. Earlier in the day, the sole elected member of the Quebec Conservative party, Claire Samson, said she had concerns about the law and needed more information. Im taking this very seriously, but I need some time, she said. I need to ask my questions, I need some answers and I need to propose some amendments. Samson said she was concerned the law didnt have an expiration date. Despite her concerns, Samson ultimately supported the adoption of the bill. The bill has also faced criticism from the Ligue des droits et libertes, a Quebec civil liberties group. In a statement on Thursday, the group said the law creates an undue restriction on the right to protest, adding that existing laws guaranteeing access to schools and hospitalssas well as the Criminal Codesare sufficient. Everyone can exercise their right to freedom of expression and their right to demonstrate, even if the message is unpopular, Catherine Descoteaux, the groups coordinator said in a statement. Quebec reported 754 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday and seven additional deaths linked to the novel coronavirus. Hospitalizations rose by three, to 283, with 90 patients in intensive care. By Caroline Plante With files from Jacob Serebrin in Montreal. A lab technician freeze packs donated convalescent plasma donated by recovered COVID-19 patients for shipping to local hospitals at Inova Blood Services in Dulles, Va., on April 22, 2020. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) Results for COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Still Inconclusive More Than a Year After Emergency Authorization Issued News Analysis Data on the effectiveness of convalescent plasma for hospitalized COVID-19 patients is still inconclusive despite more than a year since the federal authority first issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the therapy and many studies have been conducted. Findings from a recent randomized controlled trial suggest that convalescent plasmathe liquid component of blood containing antibodiesfrom people who successfully recovered from COVID-19, did not help hospitalized patients with the disease and may be harmful. The researchers, whose study was published in Nature Medicine on Sept. 9 said that convalescent plasma did not lower the risk of intubation or death. The researchers did note that the varied antibody content of the convalescent plasma may have changed the response to the treatment. It has been thought that the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors would help those seriously ill from the virus but, unfortunately, it does not, Donald Arnold, coauthor of the study and professor of medicine at McMaster University said. We are cautioning against using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 hospitalized patients, unless they are in a closely monitored clinical trial. The study also found that patients in the plasma group experienced more serious adverse effects than those receiving standard of care. Most of the side effects were worsening hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen, and respiratory failure. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of fatal adverse events between both groups. The study involved 938 COVID-19 patients who either received convalescent plasma or standard of care in 72 hospitals across the United States, Canada, and Brazil between May 14, 2020 and Jan. 29, 2021. The authors said that the findings were consistent with a larger randomized study, the RECOVERY trial involving 11,558 hospitalized COVID-19 patients that found that the risk of death after the administration of high-titer plasma was not different from the standard of care. In a newer study that is yet to be peer-reviewed, researchers analyzed the variables that affected the efficacy of convalescent plasma in 23 randomized controlled trials (RTC) and found that although there were mixed data on clinical efficacy, convalescent plasma reduced mortality in many of the studies. Focusing only on the results from the 23 available RTC we noted that these were more likely to show signals of efficacy, including reductions in mortality if the plasma neutralizing titer was 160 and the time to randomization was 9 days, consistent with passive antibody therapy efficacy requiring dosing with sufficient antibody, the authors wrote. The fact that most studies revealed signals of efficacy despite variability in [COVID-19 convalescent plasma] and its use suggest robust therapeutic effects that become apparent despite the data noise, the authors added. A health worker holds a blood sample donated by a recovered COVID-19 patient for plasma at a donation camp in Srinagar, India, on July 22, 2020. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images) Convalescent Plasma Granted Emergency Use Early in the pandemic, convalescent plasma was thought to possibly lessen disease severity or help patients recover more quickly like it did in previous viral outbreaks. It is believed that the antibodies from the plasma may provide passive immunity and benefit those who are seriously ill, as it usually takes about one to three weeks to develop an antibody response following infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The FDA issued EUA for convalescent plasma to treat confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospitalized patients on Aug. 23, 2020. The issuance was based on the available evidence at that time, including data from the Mayo Clinic-sponsored Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program that was established by the FDA to increase access to the plasma in seriously ill patients. The program received $26 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. In February 2021, the federal regulator revised the emergency use to only allow for the administration of plasma with high levels of antibodies, or high-titer convalescent plasma, early to hospitalized COVID-19 patients before they went into respiratory failure or to patients with impaired immunity. High-titer plasma is defined as having neutralizing antibody levels of 250 based on a Broad Institutes neutralizing assay. Based on the totality of scientific evidence available at this time, the known and potential benefits of high titer COVID-19 convalescent plasma outweigh the known and potential risks when administered early in the course of the disease, and those hospitalized with impaired humoral immunity, the FDA said in the fact sheet given to health care providers. The FDA said that studies have found that low titer plasma was not effective in treating hospitalized patients and would no longer authorize it for emergency use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also recommends against the use of plasma with low levels of antibodies. The NIH, however, took a neutral stance on the recommendation of high-titer convalescent plasma in COVID-19 outpatients or who are hospitalized with impaired immunity, citing insufficient evidence. It also advises doctors to not prescribe high-titer plasma in patients on mechanical ventilation, unless in a clinical trial. Dr. Paul Marik, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, who has been treating COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic, says convalescent plasma is only effective in patients who are severely immunocompromised. Convalescent serum is of no value at all; the exception is those who are severely immunocompromised, Marik told The Epoch Times via email. Marik is one of the co-founders of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance, an organization of physicians from around the world advocating for the off-label use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The group claims that ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug that has treated river blindness, scabies, and head lice in humans, is effective in treating COVID-19 when used early. The drugs anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to stop the replication of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, that causes COVID-19. A health worker shows a bottle of Ivermectin as part of a study of the Center for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Studies, in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020. (Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images) Marik and his organization said that a meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials showed that ivermectin significantly reduced mortality, time to clinical recovery, and time to viral clearance in patients with COVID-19. And in a revised meta-analysis, excluding a study that had been retracted, Marik says the findings are still positive. Recently, the study conducted by Elgazzar et al has come under scrutiny with accusations of scientific misconduct. His paper was apparently retracted without his knowledge and without giving him the opportunity to defend these serious crimes, Marik wrote in the American Journal of Therapeutics. While this issue is being resolved, we decided to redo the original meta-analyses excluding this study. The summary point estimates were largely unaffected when the study by Elgazzar et al was removed. Like convalescent plasma, the NIH is neither recommending for or against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19, citing insufficient evidence. But unlike convalescent plasma, ivermectin is not approved or authorized for emergency use by the FDA, despite evidence showing that the drug may treat various stages of COVID-19, and reduce death and hospitalization. In updated guidance, the FDA claims that currently available data do not show ivermectin is effective against COVID-19 and warned people against taking large doses of the drug or use the medication intended for animals. The FDA says the most effective method to limit the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and follow the CDCs guidance. Remdesivir remains the only antiviral drug approved for severely ill hospitalized patients with minimal effect. The drug was approved back in October 2020 although there were mixed results of the effectiveness of the drug in reducing mortality or the time to recovery. Red Cross Discontinues Its Convalescent Plasma Program The American Red Cross, says it had stopped collecting convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients since June 2021 due to low hospital demand and that blood industries have enough supply in storage. Due to the decline in hospital demand and because the Red Cross and our industry partners have been able to build a sufficient supply of convalescent plasma to meet the needs of COVID-19 patients, the Red Cross stopped collecting and labeling convalescent plasma products on June 14, 2021, a spokesperson for the Red Cross told The Epoch Times in an email. Prior to discontinuing its convalescent plasma program, the Red Cross and other blood organizations were instructed by the FDA (after the rollout of the vaccines) to not collect plasma from people whove been vaccinated, unless they had the disease and recovered prior to getting the shot. The spokesperson said that was because when an individual has been infected with a virus, they produce antibodies to multiple regions of a virus, including the nucleocapsid protein. An individual who has received a COVID-19 vaccine will produce antibodies to the spike protein of the virus, but not the nucleocapsid protein, which will only occur in the event of a COVID-19 infection. While the Red Cross has stopped its convalescent plasma program, the organization says that people can still donate blood or platelets regardless if theyve recovered from COVID-19 or received a COVID-19 vaccine. The Red Cross is facing a shortage of blood as a result of fewer people donating during the pandemic. The Red Cross is grateful for the generosity of the public during the pandemic as many have rolled up their sleeves to donate lifesaving blood to help patients, the spokesperson said. However, the Red Cross continues to have an ongoing, critical need for lifesaving blood as blood product distribution to hospitals remain higher than anticipated. Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands, which is a part of a rewilding project, in an undated file photo. (Grant Willoughby/Trees for Life/PA) Rewilding Project for Half-a-Million Acres of Scottish Highlands Launched Up to half-a-million acres of the Scottish Highlands are in line for rewilding following the launch of a project. The 30-year scheme by Highland charity Trees For Life, with funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, would create a vast nature recovery areaAffric Highlandsconnecting Loch Ness to Scotlands west coast. It was officially welcomed by Rewilding Europe as the ninth member of its network of large pioneering rewilding areas at a ceremony in Glenurquhart Public Hall in Drumnadrochit on the banks of the loch. The launch follows three years of consultation between Rewilding Europe, Trees For Life, and other local partners. A group of 20 landowners, covering at least 25 percent of the total area, and six organisations are already on board, and Trees For Life hopes more will join. A map shows the area potentially covered by the Affric Highlands rewilding project. (Trees for Life/PA) Work has begun to involve the local communities in practical action to connect areas of rewilding land due to begin in 2023. Affric Highlands aims to boost habitat connectivity, species diversity, and social and economic opportunities in an area of more than 500,000 acres stretching from Loch Ness across the central Highlands to Kintail in the west, and encompassing glens Cannich, Affric, Moriston, and Shiel. Steve Micklewright, Trees For Life chief executive, said: With Scotlands rewilding movement growing rapidlyand the Scottish Rewilding Alliance calling for Scotland to become the worlds first Rewilding Nation, with the rewilding of 30 percent of the countrys land and sea by 2030Affric Highlands will take large-scale nature recovery to a new level, providing a catalyst for the local economy at the same time. The Highlands have huge potential to help nature to come back and so help people to thrive, and to make a leading contribution to tackling the global climate and nature emergencies. We are delighted Affric Highlands is now one of Rewilding Europes large rewilding areas that are inspiring hundreds of other rewilding projects across the continent. Rewilding Europes eight other rewilding areas are Portugals Greater Coa Valley; the Danube Delta in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova; Romanias Southern Carpathians; Croatias Velebit Mountains; Italys Central Apennines; Bulgarias Rhodope Mountains; the Oder Delta in Germany and Poland; and Swedish Lapland. Frans Schepers, Rewilding Europe managing director, said: Affric Highlands is a bold, exciting, and inspiring venture for natures recovery as Scotland moves up the biodiversity league table. Our decision to accept the project as our ninth rewilding area reflects the hard work and achievements of Trees For Life, its volunteers, and its partners. Including Affric Highlands in our portfolio of major European rewilding areas will help magnify rewildings impact in the Highlands, and put it firmly on the global map. Trees For Life has established nearly two million native trees to restore the globally important Caledonian Forest at its own 10,000 acre estate at Dundreggan in Glenmoristonwhich will become what is said to be the worlds first Rewilding Centre in 2023and elsewhere in the Highlands. By Laura Paterson An employee typing on a computer keyboard at the headquarters of Internet security giant Kaspersky in Moscow on Oct. 17, 2016. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images) Rising Surveillance of Remote Employees Could Trigger Backlash: Survey Increasing surveillance of work-at-home employees could trigger a backlash or employee activism in the next three to five years. A recent survey of Australias largest corporations explored how the countrys senior executives would tackle a range of issues around employee health and social justice issues. Around 61 percent of senior executives in Australia told global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills that they expected a rise in employee activism over issues such as increased surveillance of home-based workers (40 percent of respondents), pay and benefits (36 percent), environmental, social, and governance issues (36 percent), and vaccine status (15 percent). With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the survey found that many managers delegated increased authority to remote-based employees to manage their own workloads. However, sales of software to monitor activity did increase. One company in Australia saw a 200 percent increase in requests for trials of its product. Such software would involve webcam access, random screenshot monitoring, and keystroke monitoring. Around 90 percent of companies in Asia were also planning to use digital tools to monitor their employees, followed by North America (around 80 percent), and Australia (around 77 percent). Further, around 43 percent of employers were also planning to differentiate pay rates between remote and office-based workers, with remote workers being paid less because they could save time and money on travel and subsistence costs. Natalie Gaspar, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, said employers had to be ready to tackle a range of thorny issues that could be a lightning rod for employee activism. Much of this is unchartered territory for Australian businesses,s and employer-employee relationships will be tested. For employers that get it wrong, or are perceived to get it wrong, the risk to reputation and revenue has the potential to be significant, she said in a press release on Sept. 22. Fellow partner Drew Pearson said the pandemic posed complex questions to employers on their responsibilities for the welfare of their workers. The rise of hybrid working and rapid changes in policies around pay and surveillance will create further legal and ethical challenges for employers, he added. The global survey reached out to 375 companies with over 1,000 employees and 250 million (AU$470 million) in revenue. Around 20 percent of the businesses were in Australia. Companies were also wary of increased activism around social justice issues (Black Lives Matter, cancel culture, and climate change) with 94 percent of companies globally taking measures to mitigate such risks, an increase of 46 percent from 2019. In Australia, 97 percent of senior executives said they had taken action to restrict or control employee actions, with 43 percent of restrictions described as high and 55 percent described as moderate. Such action could involve Codes of Conduct governing how employees behave outside the workplace, as well as their participation in events such as attending marches, signing petitions, or speaking publicly on specific issues. Then-Chief Financial Officer Mark Gyetvay of Novatek speaks during the Reuters Russia Investment Summit in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2007. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters) Senior Manager of Russias Novatek Arrested in US on Tax Charges MOSCOWMark Gyetvay, a deputy head of Russian natural gas producer Novatek, has been arrested in the United States on tax charges related to $93 million hidden in offshore accounts, the Department of Justice said on Thursday. It said a federal grand jury in Fort Myers, Florida, returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Gyetvay, a Florida businessman, with defrauding the United States. Gyetvay holds passports from both the United States and Russia. According to the indictment, from 2005 to 2016, Gyetvay allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States by concealing his ownership and control over substantial offshore assets and by failing to file and pay taxes on millions of dollars of income. Gyetvay, who sat on the board of Novateks directors and was its chief financial officer from 2003 to 2014, did not return phone calls. Novatek declined to comment. Beginning in 2005, Gyetvay allegedly opened the first of two different Swiss bank accounts to hold these assets, which at one point had an aggregate value of over $93 million, the Department of Justice said. Gyetvay was appointed Novateks deputy head of the management board in July 2010. He was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Frazier of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted of the charges. By Vladimir Soldatkin A view of the front entrance to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., on April 8, 2020. (Elaine Cromie/Getty Images) Short-Staffed Michigan Hospitals Cut Workers, Beds Amid Patient Surge Staff shortages have forced two large Michigan hospital systems to cut hundreds of beds. The action comes as a fourth wave of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, has caused hospitals to be swamped with patients. The Detroit-based Henry Ford Health Systems announced on Sept. 13 that it was cutting 120 beds from five of its eight hospitals due to a lack of nurses and other staff members to service them. Two days later, Beaumont Health Systems announced that it was temporarily closing 180 beds for lack of staffing. Henry Ford Health and Beaumont Health, along with most of Michigans hospital chains, implemented requirements earlier this year for all of their employees to be vaccinated against the CCP virus. Those who refuse to do so face suspension, firing, or resignation for refusing the shot. Henry Ford Health System hasnt disclosed the number of employees it has lost due to noncompliance with its mandate. Data quantifying the nursing shortage in Michigan are hard to come by. At a Sept. 9 press conference, Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, said that no precise figures will be available until a statewide study is completed later this year. What I can tell you is I have never heard a consistent theme from across our entire membership like I have on this staffing issue, Peters said. Right now, our staffing is stressed to a level that we have not seen previously. In a statement released by Beaumont Health on Sept. 15, CEO John Fox outlined another cause for the flood of patients at the systems eight hospitals. Many people delayed getting tests and treatment for medical issues because of their concerns about the pandemic. Now, more than a year and a half after the pandemic began, those delays in care are resulting in medical emergencies, Fox said. Add in a staffing shortage and you have a perfect storm. In an interview with The Epoch Times, a former Henry Ford physician, Dr. Mo Talia, who was recently stripped of his hospital privileges for refusing the CCP virus vaccine, questioned the wisdom of letting go badly needed nurses and other health care workers at a time when they are needed the most. Former Henry Ford nurse Katie Kirn, who was also let go for refusing to get vaccinated, told The Epoch Times: I absolutely think the bed cuts are due to staffing (shortages) because of the mandate. Former Henry Ford nurse Kristen Noble, who also lost her job for refusing to be vaccinated, told The Epoch Times that a pandemic was no time for a health care system overwhelmed with patients and already short on staff to be firing health care personnel. I absolutely believe there is a correlation between the suspension of staff and systems cutting beds, Noble said. Henry Ford Health Systems announcement of the bed cuts came on Sept. 13, three days after the systems Sept. 10 vaccination mandate deadline. Vaccine refusers were given until Oct. 1 to change their minds. They do not have enough staff to care for their patient load, Noble said. Patient safety takes a big hit with being short-staffed. In a Sept. 13 press briefing, Henry Fords chief clinical officer, Dr. Adnan Munkarah, said that despite the staff shortages and resultant bed cuts, our patients continue to receive the highest and safest level of appropriate care from our care teams. The Biden administrations national vaccine mandate, which affects 17 million health care workers, isnt helping the situation, according to Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. As a practical matter, this policy may result in exacerbating the severe workforce shortage problems that currently exist which the American Nurses Association has called a national crisis, Pollock said in a Sept. 9 statement. According to the Michigan Annual Nursing Survey for 2020, nearly one in five registered nurses and licensed nurse practitioners have said they plan to leave the profession within the next five years. The survey of more than 40,000 Michigan nurses found that one in five cited too heavy a workload, stress, safety issues, and not enjoying the profession as some of their main reasons for leaving. According to the Michigan Hospital Directory, the state has 185 hospitals with 26,632 beds. As of Sept. 20, 30 of the states hospitals were at 85 percent or higher occupancy, with the average occupancy rate being 78 percent. The state of Michigans official virus-tracking website shows that on Sept. 20, there were 1,492 adults in hospitals sick with the virus. From Sept. 18 through Sept. 20, there was an average of 2,395 new cases per day. Since the pandemic struck Michigan in spring 2020, there have been 995,910 confirmed cases of the CCP virus, resulting in 20,700 deaths. Stunning Photos Show Osprey Snatching Red Salmon out of Lake, Lifting Them Airborne A talented wildlife photographer has captured an incredible series of images of osprey fishing for red kokanee salmon. The shots of keen-eyed raptors and captive crimson-colored fish, jaws gaping, immortalized in stunning detail, went viral. Ken Helal, a physician in his 50s from the inland northwest U.S., took the series over the course of several weeks in the winter. He has been doing this for the last six years. In 2015, a friend of mine was driving by a local lake and called me to let me know that osprey were catching red fish there, Helal told The Epoch Times. I never knew this existed 15 minutes from my home, and I made a beeline to the lake to see this in person. I take vacation each year around the time the kokanee spawn to obtain images of them being caught by osprey, he added. After catching the salmon, the osprey fly away, likely to their nests. I almost never see a bird eat the salmon. Helal, who became interested in photography in 2009 after a close encounter with a bald eagle, posts his favorite shots on Instagram. One photo depicting a determined osprey with a shocked-looking salmon in its talons has been liked by over 39,000 viewers. What fascinates me most about this image is how the salmon is aligned to decrease wind resistance, and its gaping mouth, said Helal. The physician achieved this special shot from the vantage point of a kayak, using a Canon 5D Mark IV camera and 500 mm lens. He processed the image, like he does all his photos, using Photoshop and Topaz software. Helal said that, over the years, he has learned that osprey are opportunists. They return to the lake every year, when the salmon spawn, to get an easy meal. He has developed a reverence for the beautiful salmon that sometimes end up in the clutches of their avian predators. Helal shares his osprey-kokanee series, and other works, with the world on Instagram. The osprey, said Helal, is his favorite bird to photograph. But I also enjoy photographing bald eagles and great blue herons, he told the newspaper. My favorite mammals are moose and elk my favorite subjects are those that are located within a reasonable distance from my home. Admitting that some excursions are fruitless, Helal puts stock in perseverance. His best advice to other photographers is plain and simple: Putting in effort and time will eventually pay off. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Swiss National Bank President Thomas Jordan delivers a speech during a press conference in Bern, Switzerland, on June 15, 2017. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Swiss Central Bank Tracking Evergrande Woes, Swiss Banks Play Down Exposure ZURICHThe Swiss National Bank is closely monitoring the situation at Chinas Evergrande Group, SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan said on Thursday, amid concerns its debt problems could pose risks to Chinas financial system. It is wrong to be alarmist, but it is also wrong to dismiss it as a local small problem, Jordan told journalists on a call when asked about the potential knock-on effects for Switzerland. We have seen time and again that seemingly small developments suddenly unsettle the financial markets and cause major corrections, Jordan added. We will follow this closely as all other central banks will do. Swiss banks have not so far raised any red flags about potential exposure. Credit Suisse is not an existing lender to Evergrande and we have no direct lending exposure to the company, the countrys second-biggest bank said. Credit Suisses asset management arm played down the issue in posts on its balanced solutions and fixed funds on its website. Teslas German Landing Will Fuel Competition: Volkswagen CEO FRANKFURTThe planned opening of Teslas first gigafactory in Europe later this year will force local industry to step up its game, Volkswagen Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Friday. Diess comments, made on Twitter, come as Tesla continues work on its plant in Gruenheide, near Berlin, as it awaits final building approval for the 5.8 billion euro ($6.8 billion) site. Efficiency is key for the transformation of our industry/Germany. Tesla develops in shorter processes, works closer with the best in the industry and takes more risk, Diess, a known admirer of the electric car pioneer led by Elon Musk, said. Tesla CEO Elon Musk talks to the press as he arrives to have a look at the construction site of the new Tesla Gigafactory near Gruenheide, Germany on Sept. 03, 2020. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images) Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen, Europes largest carmaker, aims to overtake Tesla as the worlds top seller of electric cars by 2025, a claim that is underscored by an ambitious plan to build six large battery factories in Europe by 2030. Gruenheide will increase competition in Germanyalso with Wolfsburg. The EV maker is hosting a public tour of the Gruenheide plant on Oct. 9, days before the final consultation for objections to its construction closes. Musk has confirmed he will attend the event, dubbed the Giga-fest, in person. ($1 = 0.8540 euros) The U.S. flag flies at half staff at a port of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, on Feb. 24, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images) Texas, Missouri File Motion to Compel Biden Admin to Reinstate Remain in Mexico Policy The states of Texas and Missouri filed a motion on Thursday seeking a court order to force the Biden administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, accusing the administration of having ignored the Supreme Courts order last month to do so. The motion (pdf) filed late Thursday accuses the administration of having stalled in its efforts to enforce the MPP program. The Biden Administrations refusal to follow the law has created chaos at our border. Our officers are working endlessly to try to manage the crisis that is overwhelming our state, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. The policy, also commonly known as Remain in Mexico, requires some people seeking asylum to stay in Mexico while they await immigration proceedings in the United States. The program was launched in January 2019 under the Trump administration. Mark Morgan, who was acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection at the time, told The Epoch Times that the MPP was the most significant game-changer and largely responsible for a 75 percent drop in illegal crossings. President Joe Biden had ordered the MPP program to be suspended in January, on his first day in office. Texas and Missouri subsequently sued the administration, culminating in a Supreme Court order in August that declined to intervene in stopping an injunction ordering the Biden administration to reinstate the MPP program. I have already sued this administration and wonyet they still think they are above the law and can continue shirking their responsibilities, Paxton said in his statement. Its time to stop the Biden Administration from acting outside of federal law. They have created this crisis by inviting illegal aliens to come into our country unlawfully. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement: If the Biden Admin wont act to secure the border, we will. The Biden administration earlier this week asked a federal appeals court to lift the injunction, ordered by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee. According to Bloomberg, the Justice Department said in a court filing on Sept. 20 that the injunction threatens to profoundly disrupt the governments management of border security and foreign policytwo areas that the Supreme Court has recognized are committed to the discretion of the executive branch. The Biden administration said that there have been delays in restarting the MPP program. In a filing, the administration said that Mexico has yet to reach an agreement with the United States so far in formally resuming the program. The administration also said that it has been taking time to explore funding and obtaining contracts to rebuild facilities used for immigration proceedings for illegal immigrants who are part of the MPP. The latest motion from Texas and Missouri argued that the administration does not need an agreement with Mexico, nor need to wait to rebuild facilities, in order to start reimplementing the MPP program. Texas and Missouri also argued that the administration cannot justify its delay in implementing the MPP by saying it needs additional time to implement COVID-19 protocols and account for the operation of the Title 42 rapid-expulsion program. The Biden administration has been reached for comment. Activists protest against building an inter-oceanic canal, in the Buenos Aires municipality, 6 kilometers from Rivas, Nicaragua, on Sept. 19, 2014. (Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty Images) The $31 Billion Bubble Scam and the Nicaraguan Canal Myth News Analysis In May, the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) imposed disciplinary sanctions on the Beijing Xinwei Technology Group Co. (Xinwei Group) and its chairman, Wang Jing. The sanctions included the delisting of the companys shares and disallowing Wang to serve in any managerial capacity of listed companies for 10 years. Subsequent to the sanctions being imposed, the Xinwei Groups assets fell to negative $2.3 billion and created significant financial turmoil for more than 100,000 of its shareholders. The Nicaraguan Canal Hype Xinwei Group created a scandal when it failed in its promise to build a navigable waterway through Nicaragua that would have rivaled the Panama Canal in size. In 2012, Wang initiated contact with Nicaraguan authorities to discuss getting permission to build a Nicaraguan canal. Xinwei Group formed HKND Group, a private company in Hong Kong, that would oversee the construction of this major canal. In July 2013, The Telegraph reported on Wangs plans to build the 170-mile Nicaragua Grand Canal, which was to connect the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The $40 billion venture was touted to challenge the eighth wonder of the worldthe Panama Canals monopoly on shipping in Central Americaand forever change international shipping routes. Wangs canal idea wasnt new. In 1567, King Philip II of Spain proposed the same idea and conducted site surveys for the project. Then, during the early part of the 19th century, the French Emperor Napoleon III proposed a similar project for the region. Even the U.S. government had considered building a canal through Nicaragua at the start of the 20th century, but abandoned those plans after negotiating with the French to purchase and complete their work on the Panama Canal. There would be no further talk about a Nicaraguan canal until Wangs route plan was approved in 2014. Wangs plan was to complete the Nicaraguan canal within five years, after which the main investor, HKND Group, would be granted rights to use the canal and its facilities for 100 years. In the meantime, more than 400,000 jobs would be created, although this wouldnt prevent local members of the South Atlantic Autonomous Region from protesting and saying: Our land is not for sale and will not be given away, Chinese people get out, and No canal. Despite the public protests, the Nicaraguan government agreed to proceed. Wang increased the canals total investment to $50 billion. On the day that construction began, the world watched as Wang and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega were photographed cutting the ceremonial ribbon. The project didnt evolve as was initially hyped. A few years later, the BBC reported that the $50 billion project employed fewer than 30 people and had only built a dusty trail of about 10 kilometers. What was once an engineering phenomenon had become the scam of the century. Exposing the Scam After concluding the Nicaraguan canal agreement in June 2013, the Xinwei Group began to leverage the projects growing prestige to attract investors and shell listings. In September 2013, it announced a shell listing of the Beijing Zhongchuang Telecom Test Co. for a total consideration of $4.2 billion. Over the next two years, its market value exceeded $31 billion, and it was listed on the SSE 50 Index. Wang profited handsomely as well. According to Forbes China, Wangs 1.01 billion shares in the Xinwei Group grew to $6.6 billion in 2014, making him one of Chinas top billionaires. The Xinwei Group enabled three additional Chinese investors to become billionaires: Jiang Ning, Wang Yongping, and Wang Qinghui. The Xinwei Groups initial appeal would eventually evaporate due to its weak foundation, mysterious dealings, and lack of transparency. The group was originally formed in 1995 by Datang Telecom, a Chinese state-owned entity. It didnt do well financially and was acquired by Bonade Investment Co., which declared Wang as the principal shareholder. From there, Wang, the owner of Beijing Changping Bathhouse and a drop-out from Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, transformed into the chairman of Xinwei Group. After taking over as chairman of the Xinwei Group, Wang claimed that the company had turned a loss into an $88.4 million profit, due to a large order of $466 million from Cambodia. But an investigation report by NetEase Finance in 2016, Xinwei Groups Surprising Game: Hiding Huge Debts and Mysterious People Cashing Out, stated that Wangs report was fraudulent. The profits he reported were based on an illusion created by Xinwei Group and its subsidiary, Cambodia Xinwei. The investigation discovered that the subsidiary had agreed to order $466 million in products from parent company Xinwei Group. The parent used the order as collateral to obtain a $466 million loan from the China Development Bank. The borrowed funds were then used by the subsidiary to fund its order from the parent. Thats equivalent to using the guarantee for revenue. Relying on the same fraudulent business model used in Cambodia, Xinwei Group began expanding its operations into Ukraine, Russia, Tanzania, Nicaragua, and other places. Wang used international hot projects to grab public attention within China. He was instrumental in forming Beijing Skyrizon Aviation, a company that was sanctioned by the United States for attempting to acquire a Ukrainian aviation engine company. Other projects included building a deep-water port in Crimea, acquiring an Israeli satellite company, and getting involved in overseas security. Wang even threw out the idea of an air and space information network, with the intent to launch one rocket that can carry four satellites within three years and to launch 32 or more satellites by 2019 to form a satellite communication system covering the world. These hot projects and dreams made media and investors excited and helped the company to obtain new loans to pay back its old debt. NetEase Finance confirmed that Xinwei Groups apparent growth was based on lies and fraudulent practices. In fact, the company was heavily indebted and had enabled many of its mysterious shareholders to reduce their holdings or cash out their shares before any problems were exposed. Specifically mentioned were investors Wang Yongping, who salvaged $35.38 million; Wang Qinghui, who obtained $26.85 million; and Lu Dalong, who picked up $19.24 million. Wang Jing personally received at least $1.6 billion in cash in 2017. On July 12, 2019, Xinwei Groups trading was overturned after more than 900 days of suspension. After falling for 36 consecutive days, the company set a record for consecutive A-share losses, with market value evaporating nearly $29.5 billion. More than 150,000 of its shareholders were hurt by a per capita loss of $37,000, yet 120,000 shareholders remained on Xinwei Groups list of investors as of the end of March. Its alleged that Wang has disappeared after pledging 35 percent of his Xinwei Group shares to major Chinese financial and securities companies, including China Development Bank and Shengjing Bank. The scams perpetrated by Wang created havoc and financial ruin for thousands of people in China and around the world. It also brought suffering for the Nicaraguan people. The Nicaraguan government still holds the land and land development rights that were forcibly expropriated for the canal construction, and local residents are still upset with having been evicted from their properties. Many landowners were incarcerated, injured, or killed during conflicts with police and government authorities. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Protesters are seen at the Shrine of Remembrance as Victorian Police patrol the area in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) The COVID-19 Response and the Emergence of Illiberalism Commentary The impact of COVID-19 directions on the lives of people is truly staggering. The interminable lockdown and border closures have wrought havoc and inflicted misery on many people. Each day, people are inundated with fluid and ever-changing COVID-19 directions, which, however, are hardly transparent. This idea of constant change was captured perceptively by Michael Dimarco in an article in the Spectator Australia, stating that, One of the great ironies of the COVID-19 pandemic is how consistent Western governments have been at providing inconsistent health advice. The ever-changing nature and lack of transparency of the COVID-19 directions have made it difficult for people to plan their lives. It may also have adversely affected the nature of Australias liberal democratic system. In an interesting article published in The Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf admits that Australia is undoubtedly a democracy, with multiple political parties, regular elections, and the peaceful transfer of power. However, he still questions whether this remains so: But if a country indefinitely forbids its own citizens from leaving its borders, strands tens of thousands of its citizens abroad, puts strict rules on intrastate travel, prohibits citizens from leaving home without an excuse from an official government list, mandates masks even when people are outdoors and socially distanced, deploys the military to enforce those rules, bans protest, and arrests and fines dissenters, is that country still a liberal democracy? Friedersdorfs question implies that the unrelenting and inflexible use of power has transformed Australia into an illiberal police state characterised by bureaucratic zeal and lack of transparency. For sure, one can only be amazed by the unpredictability and absurdity of some directions imposed by Australias health bureaucracies on people. Two examples will suffice to illustrate this point. First, if residents from New South Wales want to relocate to the state of Queensland, they must complete a Border Declaration Pass including evidence of their residency. They will then be provided with an allocated entry date and designated entry airport to enter the state. Normally ten days are required for a response. However, Queensland authorities have announced that this period could be extended because of the many applications for relocation. There is also scant information on the number of quarantine rooms and when they could be availablewhich in turn, will affect any delayed relocation plans (which are significant endeavours for families and individuals). Second, alcohol deliveries to residents in certain apartment blocks in NSW are being policed heavily with limits on the daily consumption of drinks. For example, in some housing units, residents are only entitled to one six-pack of beer in some housing, or one wine bottle, or a 375ml bottle of spirits a day. Police detain a man in Sydney, following calls for a protest rally amid the COVID-19 pandemic, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) This rule was introduced to ensure the safety of their staff and residents. But how can the police enforce such an edict? Do they intend to check the shopping orders of every resident? Or perhaps police involvement will not be necessary, considering the widespread snitching that is occurring in the COVID-19 era? These directions have fuelled the medias doomsday predictions of a growing two-tier society in Australia. The Premier of New South Wales has warned that, Unvaccinated people in New South Wales could be barred from locations and denied movement freedoms even after the state achieves 80 percent double dose vaccination and that, vaccine-hesitant residents will not be able to let everybody else do the hard work and then turn up for equal freedoms. In the same vein, the Deputy Premier of New South Wales boldly declared that businesses that accept unvaccinated people would be subject to hefty fines. Private employers are also being encouraged to require their workforce to be vaccinated. For example, Qantas has announced that all people who want to fly internationally, including its workforce, will need to be vaccinated. These are draconian mandates, which will result in a two-tier society where some people will be more privileged than others, involving the distribution of burdens and benefits simply on the ground of peoples vaccine status. The intrusive intervention of the health bureaucracies into the lives of law-abiding citizens reveals that governments have shamelessly embraced paternalism as a principle of legislation. Moreover, implementing this principle results in the imposition of unpopular and burdensome health decisions that individuals should make themselves. Members of Victoria Police stand on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Health bureaucracies and politicians are, in effect, embracing the Nanny State, which seeks to achieve its objectives by prescriptively controlling, forbidding, or compelling the behaviour of individuals. In the context of COVID-19, the Nanny State coerces its citizens, sometimes against their will, to vaccinate or to be relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Nanny States can be described as the tendency of governments in the COVID-19 era to treat their citizens as children in a nursery by supervising and influencing their choices according to the health authorities view of their well-being. Underlying this philosophy is the notion that the state can make better choices for citizens than citizens can make for themselves. This worldview seeks to protect people even where they do not want protection, overriding consumer preferences to improve public health, according to legal scholar Katherine Pratt. The daunting prospect of a two-tier Australian society is that, even when the pandemic has receded, Australia will have irretrievably changed for the worse. This is because fundamental rights will become even more dependent on the governments generosity and could quickly be taken away at the slightest provocation, especially in the field of health. The legacy of COVID-19 is to deface Australia forever while potentially transforming it into an illiberal state. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Chinese leader Xi Jinping (on screen) delivers a speech during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on July 1, 2021. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) The Problem Is Not Just Xi Jinping; It Is Communism Commentary To communists and their ilk, the truth is whatever line the party is now promulgatingthat is, until it is superseded by a new line. This is the theme of George Orwells great novel, 1984. The protagonist, Winston Smith, works at the Ministry of Truth, constantly amending historical records to be consistent with whatever is the current party line. In particular, those liquidated are made non-persons, just as though they never existed. The truth has been packaged precisely this way in Communist China continuously and consistently since 1949, just as it was from the birth to the collapse of the USSR. Accordingly, when Joseph Stalins secret police chief, Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria, was executed by his successors, subscribers to the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia would receive instructions to replace pages eulogising Beria with additional material on the Behring Sea. Beria was made a non-person. But the fact is that the enemy of each and every communist regime is truth itself, as are the other values and principles of civilised society, especially the proposition at the very core of the Declaration of Independence. This is not just American. According to Winston Churchill, following the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, the Declaration is the third great title deed on which the liberties of the English-speaking people, the core of the West, are founded. Declaration of Independence, 1819, by John Trumbull. (Public domain) It states the fundamental principle that man is endowed by his Creator with certain unalienable rights, a principle which is inconsistent with communism, whoever is the paramount ruler. The latter is important. What we may call the Communist China Lobbya powerful pressure group in the United States and many democratic nationspretends Chinese leader Xi Jinping to be the sole source of present troubles with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Not so, the source of this evil is communism. Just as an egregious illustration, the wicked multi-billion-dollar trade in the organs of healthy people dates from well before Xis rise. The fact is that communism is and has always been alien to civilisation. We cannot rely on communist regimes to behave appropriately or honourably. We can place no trust in their word, even in the most elementary matters. Take, for example, the statistics on COVID-19 for which the CCP is responsible. We are told the deaths from the virus in Australia, a country of 26 million, will soon exceed those from Communist China, a country with a population of over 1.4 billion. Clearly, no wise person would ever take either their statistics, or their word, seriously, a counsel which curiously does not seem to apply whenever the subject is the reduction of CO2 emissions. Equally, any wise person must expect a hostile reaction when they demand a truth that will expose a matter that could embarrass the communists, as occurred when Australia dared to propose an international investigation into the origins of the pandemic. Australias only mistake was to allow an investigation to be led by the World Health Organisation, an organisation under the heavy influence of the CCP. A sign of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 24, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Australia should have proposed to the former U.S. administration to establish an ad hoc international tribunal to investigate its origins, assess liability and, if appropriate, damages. Were damages awarded and not paid, legislation could authorise their recoupment from assets in Australia under the ultimate control of the guilty statethe Port of Darwin comes to mind. As Australia came under increasing and unlawful economic punishment from Beijing in response to its calls for an investigation, there is little more the CCP could do if we were to seize such assets to satisfy a lawful international judgement. At least a range of premium and strategic assets could be recovered. The point is that not only can we not rely on the information or the truth from this regime, but it also controls a territory where there is no rule of law, no human rights, and no protection of workers rights. This did not come with Xi; it has prevailed since 1949. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of European communist dictatorships, the CCPs abiding object has been to avoid a similar fate. Then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping drew on former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenins New Economic Policy (NEP) which had saved the Soviet Union from early collapse in 1922. He followed Lenin and moved the CCP towards a socialist market economy under communism with Chinese characteristics. Lenin never intended the NEP to be permanent. Words attributed to him illustrate the communists real intentions: The capitalists will sell us the rope with which to hang them. Which they did, with Stalin reversing direction, socialising the economy, forcing collectivisation on the class enemy, including being forced to farm Kulaks, and brutally using famine to destroy them. Deng Xiaoping had more to offer the West than Lenin. It was something that dazzled Western elites, a market with a fifth of the worlds population. Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai, China, on Oct. 19, 2020. (Aly Song/Reuters) Bill Clinton gambled on welcoming the Peoples Republic of China into the World Trade Organisation in 2000. Instead, he allowed access without the most elementary safeguard to ensure they could not do what communists do: ignore the rules, steal, or forcibly extract something far greaterthan even the US$85 billion of modern weaponry recently gifted to the TalibanAmericas vast portfolio of intellectual property. From Europe to Australia, Western leaders and big businesses have blindly followed suit. As a result, these elites saved a tyrannical regime from the fate Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher delivered to the Soviet Union. They betrayed American, Australian, and Western workers by closing and transferring their industries to China. They betrayed Chinese workers by indecently profiting from the suppression of their fundamental rights. Yet, these same elites were too often taken for a ride by the communists who cheated them at every turn and allowed their nations to become dependent on the CCP. Only under the former U.S. administration was this trend briefly reversed. Now, from America to Europe and Australia, that same Communist China Lobby, who want Western industry back in China, are trying desperately to restore this dependency. They have a uniform justification for this. The problem, they say, is temporary. The problem will pass when paramount leader Xi passes. Billionaire George Soros has been the most prominent, warning that leading asset manager Blackrocks decision to pour billions of dollars into China now is a tragic mistake likely to lose money for BlackRocks clients. Soros however, puts this down to Xis ambitions and policies. Similar views narrowing the problem to Xi have come from former Australian prime ministers from across the aisle, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull. But the truth is, that is not the ultimate problem. The problem is not whoever is the paramount leader. The problem is, as it has always been, that evil plague bacillus, which is communism. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. United States Vice President Kamala Harris takes questions from reporters as she visits the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, following her foreign policy speech in Singapore, on Aug. 24, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP) The View Hosts Test Positive for COVID, Are Asked to Leave Before Kamala Harris Interview Two The View hosts were asked to leave the set on Friday right before an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris after they both tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin were on the ABC program with fellow hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines. When the show returned after its first commercial break, they were asked to leave the set by a producer, according to a clip from the show. Then, Navarro and Hoston were ushered off the shows set before it went to another commercial break. When the show returned after the second break, Behar said that her co-hosts tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. No matter how hard we try, these things happen, Behar said. They probably had a breakthrough case and theyll be okay, Im sure, because theyre both vaccinated. And the vice president is being prepped for her arrival. They cleaned the table, they washed the hands. Everybody is getting all cleaned up and shell be out here in a second. After members of the audience were called upon by the hosts, a masked producer appeared and stated: I have an update: Everything is just being done to be as safe as humanly possible so what were going to try and do now is an interview with the vice president remotely. Fully-vaccinated Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro have tested positive for COVID, and are pulled off The View set just ahead of VP Kamala Harriss appearance. pic.twitter.com/Gvel0yIBU0 The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 24, 2021 Were going to talk to her remotely? Behar asked. Even though shes here, the producer said before going to another break. A spokesperson for the White House confirmed to news outlets that Harris was never in contact with Hostin or Navarro. The vice president did not have contact with the hosts before the show. Her schedule today will continue as planned, deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Friday. Harris eventually appeared on The View at around 11:45 a.m. ET. During the interview, she urged people to get vaccinated. Just a few hours earlier, President Joe Biden urged people now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the third Pfizer shots after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the doses for millions of older or other vulnerable Americans. The download page for the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone in Washington, DC, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) TikTok Trend Leads to Destruction of School Property A popular TikTok trend, called the devious licks challenge, has led to the destruction of school property across the country. California school districts are now asking parents to help encourage students to report vandalization of school property. The TikTok trend encourages students to steal and destroy items in school restrooms. Damages reportedly cost Central Valley schools thousands of dollars in repairs. The Coalinga-Huron Unified School District (CHUSD) in Fresno, California, had to replace 41 soap dispensers in three days, with students even spraying red dye across the bathrooms. Students have been vandalizing our school bathrooms as part of a TikTok challenge. The vandalism is breaking soap, toilet paper, and sanitary product dispensers, and staining the toilet with red dye to make it appear like blood, CHUSD Superintendent Lori Villanueva said in a statement to parents. Please let your child know that vandalism and stealing are not acceptable. Students who are involved will be suspended, and parents will be billed for damages and time to clean up the damage. The trend devious licks originated on Sept. 1 after a teenager posted a short video of himself and a box of face masks which he claimed to have stolen from school. The trend went viral after a number of similar videos appeared on TikTok. These videos prompted students to steal their schools soap and paper dispensers, toilet paper roll shields, and destroy restroom sinks, floors, and mirrors. Students would post their stolen items on TikTok, with a message saying they picked up a devious lick. The primary group for this trend is middle and high school students. To curb this statewide trend, school districts are working collaboratively against this action by asking for parents help. The Sandburg Middle School in Glendora, California, is facing a similar situation. The school bathrooms at Sandburg Middle School were reportedly vandalized on Sept. 21. Glendora Unified School District (GUSD) urged parents to talk to their children about the serious nature of such behavior and encouraged them to monitor their childrens social media accounts. We ask that our families speak with their children about the serious nature of this type of behavior, as well as how these types of actions reflect individual and family values. We also encourage families to monitor their childrens social media accounts and discuss the consequences of taking part in risky, dangerous, or illegal social media challenges, GUSD said in a statement. A Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson told The Epoch Times that school principals and their supervision staff have received an alert to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior led by the trend and to continue to promote school-wide positive behavior. As a school community, we share the responsibility to maintain a safe and secure campus. I ask that you speak to your child about the seriousness of this type of unsafe and unacceptable behavior and I also encourage everyone to continue following the Districts message, if you see something, say something, LAUSD said in a statement to parents. After the devious licks challenge went viral, TikTok removed the original video and some other similar videos on Sept. 13. TikTok cited that the devious licks trend is violating its community guideline agreement against illegal activities. By the time TikTok shut down the trend, the hashtag devious licks had more than 200 million views. We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities. We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our community guidelines to discourage such behavior, a TikTok spokesperson told Insider. Trevor Loudon: End the CCP or We Need to Fight for Our Survival To save America, we have to be actively fighting CCP (Chinese Communist Party) or we will need to fight for our survival and freedom forever, Trevor Loudon said in a recent interview with NTDs Focus Talk. Its no good just promoting freedom and free enterprise. We all have to be active anti-communists at a local level and at a national level, Loudon said at the Our America Conservative Minority Conference in Dallas, Texas. We have to rid the world of communist governments, or otherwise, were going to be fighting for our survival and our freedom forever. Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker. Hes also a contributor for The Epoch Times. Communism has always had a plan of world domination. And the major impediment to that has been a free United States, Loudon said. Loudon said that communism has been infiltrating America for 100 yearscoordinated first by the Soviet Union, now by communist Chinaand America is very close to toppling. Now were seeing the fruits of 100 years of infiltration. We are this close to topplingevery major institution is dominated by the far-left, by communists, by Chinese agents, by enemies of America. So we have to get active because we have very little time left to stop this. Loudon said millions of people are now getting activefighting critical race theory, working on the recall in Californiabecause they understand they could lose their country. Sometimes, you have to almost lose something before you really appreciate what you have. Handing Afghanistan to CCP The United States has just handed Afghanistan to China, with all those rare earth minerals, with all that lithium, with all of those resources, very strategic, Loudon said, criticizing the Biden administrations withdrawal from Afghanistan. Bagram military base will probably be turned over to China, Loudon continued. The United States, in a time when Russia and China were getting increasingly aggressive, had a very firm base on the border of those countries, right strategically there. Now its given it to China. A US Air Force transport plane lands at the Bagram Air Base in Bagram on July 1, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Getty Images) All these things will encourage Chinese aggression in the Pacific, Loudon suggested. Youve just taken away one front for China to worry about. They dont have to worry about that front, Loudon continued. So youve basically given the enemy control over Central Asia, which is going to embolden them in the Pacific. So its a lose-lose for America. I dont see any upside in this at all. The Biden administration has repeatedly defended the withdrawal from Afghanistan, part of the reasoning is to free more military resources for Indo-Pacific. Loudon also criticized how the withdrawal left billions of dollars of materials to an enemy of the United States. That is not stupidity, that is way beyond stupidity. Getting Involved to Save America Everyone, including every minority person, need to get involved to save America, Loudon said. Get involved in the American politics on the ground, get involved in precinct committees, make sure that the next election brings way more conservatives to power in this country, Loudon told NTD. If America falters, every free country will fall, everyone, Loudon said. There is no safe haven now. America is the final stand. If we can return America to its constitutional roots, if we can reorientate this country and put good leadership in the military, revamp the intelligence services, actually start putting traitors in jailwe have to do thatwe can become the world leader for freedom again. CCP and its tentacles around the world are like organized crime, the mafia, Loudon said, You dont contain the mafia, you destroy the mafia. You liberate the people. And we have to make that a national objective. It is our responsibility and our time to stop that. And that is our duty to our children and our grandchildren, and all that come after us. It is our duty to history. Jenny Chang contributed to this report. UK Government Urges Against Panic Buying Following Fuel Supply Disruption British Cabinet ministers have urged motorists not to hoard fuel after several petrol stations closed on Thursday due to the ongoing lorry driver shortages. The disruption of a number of BP and Tesco forecourts has led to queues at some petrol stations on Friday morning. Queues at a Sainsburys Petrol Station in Colton, Leeds, England, on Sept. 24, 2021. (Danny Lawson/PA) Prime Minister Boris Johnsons deputy official spokesman assured motorists that theres no shortage of fuel in the UK, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the scale of the disruption is small and urged people to carry on as normal. As of last night, five petrol stations on the BP network out of 12 or 13 hundred were affected, Shapps said told Sky News on Friday. Im meeting this morning with Tesco and Im sure theyll give me the update for themselves. The transport secretary added that no other fuel suppliers or retailers reported closures. The others, Asda, Morrisons, and other supermarkets, are saying they have no problems, as have other petrol companies, he said. Shapps said his advice would be to carry on as normal, adding that its what BP was saying as well. The transport secretary promised on the BBC that he would move heaven and Earth to do anything thats required to make sure that lorries carry on moving goods, services, and petrol around the country. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in Downing Street, London, on Sept. 15, 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA) On Thursday, it was reported that Hanna Hofer, BPs head of UK retail, said the company was expecting a few really, really difficult weeks. According to ITV, Hofer had told the government on Sept. 16 that the situation was bad, very bad. The report quoted Hofer as saying BP had two thirds of normal forecourt stock levels required for smooth operations at the time and the situation was getting worse. She told ITV that BP will have to prioritise deliveries to key locations such as motorways. Shapps has denied that Brexit was the culprit in the UKs recent shortage of lorry drivers, arguing that the split from the European Union has helped the government react. Not only are there very large and even larger shortages in other EU countries like Poland and Germany, which clearly cant be to do with Brexit, but actually because of Brexit Ive been able to change the law and alter the way our driving tests operate in a way I could not have done if we were still part of the EU, he told the BBC. So, Brexit actually has provided part of the solution of giving more slots available for HGV [heavy goods vehicle] tests and there are a lot more, twice as many, tests available now than before the pandemic, a large proportion of those weve only been able to do because we are no longer in the EU, he added. The British Retail Consortium warned last month that food prices in the UK were also set to rise due to lorry driver shortages; higher costs on fuel, raw materials, and logistics; and post-Brexit border checks. Asked about the prospect of a 5 percent increase in food prices, Johnsons deputy official spokesman said: You heard the prime minister earlier this week say that he completely understands that there will be issues over this winter in terms of HGV drivers and other issues. Our aim is to ensure that we move towards a high-scale, high-wage economy. PA contributed to this report. Police officers arrest a protestor during an anti-CCP virus lockdown demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tolga Akmen / AFP via Getty Images) UK Lawmakers Say 10,000 COVID-19 Fines Should Be Scrapped Police should not have been given the power to hand out COVID-19 fines up to 10,000 ($11,670), a British parliamentary committee has said. The UK government announced in August 2020 that those who organize or facilitate illegal raves, unlicensed music events, or other unlawful gatherings of over 30 people in England could face a fixed penalty notice of up to 10,000. The government said this level of fine was designed to act as a deterrent and to communicate the serious public health consequences of holding such an event. But in a report published on Friday, the Justice Committee of the House of Commons said such large fines should not be decided by a police officer or a council official, and should only be handed out by a court. A 10,000 fine for a criminal offence is a penalty so large that only a court should issue it, the committee said. When a court issues a fine, it takes into account the financial circumstances of an individual; this is not the case with fixed penalty notices. The MPs acknowledged that fixed penalty notices have a role in the British legal system, for example for road traffic offences, but they said, the context of new COVID-19 offences is different from many of these offences and curtailed freedoms considered fundamental in a democratic society. The committee recognised that fixed penalty notices played a valuable role in policing during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. But it said, in principle, when offences in question are complex, difficult to apply and give rise to significant sanctions, it should ordinarily be the responsibility of a court, rather than an official to determine liability. Committee chair Sir Robert Neill, a Conservative MP, said the new UK Health Security Agency should review the way in which the government used the criminal law during the pandemic. He said the agency should examine the effectiveness of measures such as fixed penalty notices and better understand whether their use was always appropriate and proportionate, and a model we should follow in the future. In the report, the MPs also noted The high error rate of charges brought under the Coronavirus Act and the public health regulations, which they said, illustrates the importance of the need for future pandemic planning to consider the role of the criminal law. The committee cited evidence given by barrister Pippa Woodrow, who said 100 percent of the people who had been charged under the Coronavirus Act (approximately 250 people) had been wrongly prosecuted. Campaign group Fair Trials told the committee that the error rate in the prosecutions was unacceptable and that these errors are putting fundamental rights and justice at risk in this crisis and threatening trust in the criminal justice system. In response to the Justice Committees report, a government spokesperson said: Our police forces faced unprecedented challenges carrying out the critical role of maintaining public order during the pandemic. The overwhelming majority of the public have played their part to control the virus but it is right that strong deterrents were in place for those breaching the rules most egregiously. The spokesperson said the governments COVID-19 measures have been proportionate and appropriate, but said, the government will respond to the Committees report in due course. Lily Zhou contributed to this report. Geese fly with a yellow hang-glider at the Grand Park of Puy-du-Fou in Les Epesses, France on June 30, 2011. (Credit: Joel Saget/AFP/GettyImages) Up Above the World so High: Woman Flies With Geese Over the Alps DOUSSARD, FranceNathalie Maniglier suffers from a degenerative eye condition and has a special wish: Before she loses her sight, she wants to experience a birds eye view. She achieved that ambition on Wednesday, when pilot Dominique Cruciani took her up in his microlight over the French Alps, accompanied by a flock of juvenile geese trained to follow the aircraft through the skies. Back on the ground at the airfield on the southern shore of Lake Annecy, Maniglier was so moved by what she had seen that she embraced the family member who came with her, and sobbed onto her shoulder. It was magical. To see them flying in formation was really great. Theres lots of emotion, Maniglier told Reuters after her 30-minute flight. I have a congenital illness. I can only see in one eye. Im making the most of it while I still can see, said Maniglier. I think everyone should, at least once in their life, make a flight with birds. Cruciani first flew alongside birds when he was hired as a pilot on a documentary film about bird migration. Last year, he decided to turn that experience into a commercial venture, that also brings people closer to nature. His company, Delta Evasion, charges customers 450 euros ($526) for a flight in the passenger seat of his microlight, shadowed by geese. A colleague, Cassandre Schneider, is in charge of training the geese. She got them as hatchlings, and spent hours in their company. They took her for their mother, and began following her everywhere. Once they grew flight feathers, she started going up in a microlight, first for a one minute flight, then for twice that time the next day. The geese followed. Now aged around three months, the geese can shadow the microlight for around an hour, flapping hard when it climbs, then gliding in its slipstream when it cruises. When the geese reach about three years old, they will instinctively want to join the migration routes, so the plan is to help them return to the wild. Looking ahead to the moment she has to part with her proteges, Schneider said: It will be hard, no question, but its for their well-being. ($1 = 0.8556 euros) By Christian Lowe Vaccinated International Students to Return to New South Wales by 2022 Hundreds of vaccinated international students will be returning to Australia by the end of the year after announcing an industry-funded pilot plan on Friday. The first phase of the pilot is expected to bring 500 international students back to the state on chartered flights by December, paid for by the students themselves. Students will return in a staggered fashion and quarantine at a purpose-built building in Redfern, Sydney, which was 0ffered by accommodation provider Scape. The facility can accommodate up to 650 people. According to the plan, all returning international students will need to be vaccinated with vaccines recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. This means most students allowed entry via the program would come from Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and the United States. While those from other key markets like China and Nepal, who are vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm, are likely to be excluded. A government source told The Sydney Morning Herald that the Indian market is among the state governments top priorities, which comes at a time when the two countries are about to reach a significant trade deal. Students walk around the University of New South Wales campus in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) Universities will contact international students for their interest to participate in the pilot program. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet told The Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year that students studying medicine and health-related courses, as well as those about to finish their degrees, will be given priority to return. Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro said the pilot would slowly expand and evolve as vaccination rates continue to rise across the state and internationally. The international education sector sustains thousands of jobs across NSW, and Im proud that NSW is leading the way with the return of international students to our shores, Barilaro said in a statement. He added that the pilot would not come at the expense of Australian citizens and residents returning home. The announcement was praised and welcomed by the higher education sector. After over 18 months of planning, we are delighted that both the Australian and NSW Government are supportive of a pilot plant for an incremental reopening of our borders to our international students, said Professor Barney Glover, Governor of the NSW Vice-Chancellors Committee. Students walk through The Quadrangle at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia, on May 8, 2013, (AAP Image/Paul Miller) Universities involved in the pilot include Macquarie University, The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University, Australian Catholic University, The University of Newcastle, and University of Wollongong, as well as independent providers like the International College of Management Sydney, Kaplan, Navitas, RedHill, and Study Group. NSW currently has over 57,000 overseas students who are trying to enter the state, according to Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres. While the state usually has over 250,000 international students each year, future students can opt to alternative destinations such as the U.S., U.K., and Canada if Australia keeps its border shut. The international education sector contributed $14.6 billion to the state and $37.6 billion to the nation in 2019. Its estimated that the lack of international students due to the COVID-19 pandemic will cost NSW around $11 billion (US$8 billion) by late 2022. A similar plan to welcome international students back in June was stranded by the outbreak of the Delta variant of CCP Virus across the state. Whats in a Name? Addressing the Charge of Cultural Genocide Commentary The first couple of sentences in the final Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) report contain a stark condemnation of the way Canada has treated its indigenous peoples: For over a century, the central goals of Canadas Aboriginal policy were to eliminate Aboriginal governments; ignore Aboriginal rights, terminate the Treaties; and through a process of assimilation, cause Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada. The establishment and operation of residential schools were a central element of this policy, which can best be described as cultural genocide, reads the report, which has seven volumes. This condemnation is only slightly less damning than that applied to the heinous treatment of European Jews by Nazi Germany. And the reports use of the term cultural genocide to describe the actions of the Canadian government, the churches that managed most of the Indian Residential Schools (IRS), and the people who worked in them has increasingly led to the use of the more damning term genocide. But is it true? Surprisingly, there is considerable evidence published in the TRC report that contradicts this claim. Let us first examine the names of the 143 IRS institutions listed in the report, names that can only be found if one pores through 2,200 pages. As one might expect, schools were frequently named after Christian saints (St. Cyprians and St. Marys), as well as religious days (All Saints, Assumption) and prominent church leaders (Grollier, Stringer). But in a system supposedly established to expunge indigenous culture, about 40 percent of the schools bore indigenous names of one kind or another. Some were named after famous native leaders (Crowfoot, Old Sun, and Poundmaker), some were named after tribes and bands (Assiniboia, Mohawk, and Stony), and some were given indigenous names of geographical areas (Ahousat, Clayoquot, and Wabasca). If the Canadian government and the religious organizations that managed most of the schools were intent on eliminating indigenous languages and cultures, why would they give indigenous names to so many schools? One might also wonder why the colonial powers and the various Canadian governments after 1867 were happy to use so many indigenous names to identify places and regions. Canada is an indigenous word, as are Manitoba, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Okotoks, Ponoka, Yukon, Baddeck, and Antigonish. And these are just some of the many hundreds of indigenous placenames in Canada. And if, as the TRC summary report says, church leaders despised and tried to eradicate indigenous culture, why did so many of them dedicate time and resources to learning, preserving, and educating others about indigenous languages? The Rev. John W. Tims, a Church of England priest on the Siksika (Blackfoot) reserve in southern Alberta, published the first Blackfoot grammar and dictionary in 1889, a mere 12 years after the signing of Treaty 7. The Rev. Canon Samuel H. Middleton, the long-time principal of St. Pauls Anglican Residential School on the Kainai (Blood) reserve, tried to learn the Blackfoot language and even gave some sermons in that language. The TRC report itself notes that during the early 1950s, the Oblate Fathers at the Blue Quills Indian Residential School in Alberta ran a Cree-language training program begun by Fr. Jean Lessard, who spoke fluent Cree, and designed for Oblate priests preparing to serve in Cree-speaking communities. An IRS student wrote in the school newspaper, The Moccasin Telegram, that We will be very glad when the Fathers will be able to speak Cree like us. Charges abound that residential schools forbade the speaking of a native language, but nothing in the Indian Act or other official documents made this a policy. And even the TRC report acknowledges that this was not a universal proscription. In a good number of schools, indigenous children (and indigenous staff) were free to speak their native language at certain times of day. In 1950, the school nurse at Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora reported that the students were allowed to talk Indian freely in front of the staff. The Cree-speaking MLA Elijah Harper attended school in Norway House in the 1960s, and he has testified that students were allowed to speak Cree while in the dorms and on the playground. By the early 1950s, Kainai students at St. Pauls Anglican Residential School in southern Alberta were only required to speak English while in class. Cree children attending Quebecs La Tuque IRS in the 1960s had the same freedom. And at Stringer Hall, Inuvik, in the mid-1960s, two young Inuktitut-speaking women who were responsible for supervising the junior boys and girls regularly spoke to the children in their native language. Thus it seems quite clear that neither the government nor the churches that managed 84 percent of the schools set out to cause Aboriginal people to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities. Those who seek true reconciliation must be disappointed that the first paragraph of Volume 1 of the TRC report did not summarize the range of policies and experiences that the commission actually recorded. It is time for Canadiansparticularly journalists and academicsto take a closer look at the TRC report, rather than merely echoing what appears in the summary volume or has been written by others who have not looked closely at the evidence. In order to bring about reconciliation, Canadians need journalists, academics, and politicians to dig for the facts and judiciously weigh all the existing evidence. Were they to do this, their writings and their public statements would be more fair, more balanced, and less burning with condemnation than the TRCs charge of cultural genocide. Rodney Clifton, Mark DeWolf, and Brian Giesbrecht have contributed chapters to the recent book, From Truth Comes Reconciliation: An Assessment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, co-edited by Rodney A. Clifton and Mark DeWolf. The book can be ordered from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy or from Amazon. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Rodney A. Clifton Follow Rodney A. Clifton is a professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. Brian Giesbrecht Follow Brian Giesbrecht is a retired judge and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. White House Warning Agencies of Potential Government Shutdown: Psaki The Biden administration on Thursday started to tell federal agencies to start preparing for a potential government shutdown at the end of the month if Congress doesnt pass a continuing resolution in time. Speaking to reporters in the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) started issuing statements to various agencies that they are prepared to execute a shutdown in the coming days. Psaki said the move is consistent with longstanding practice across many administrations for OMB to simply remind agency senior staff of the need to review and update orderly shutdown plans, adding that it is not formal guidance being given, its just a reminderwere seven days out. While the OMB expects Congress to pass a bill to keep the government funded, agency spokesman Abdullah Hasan told news outlets that in the meantime, prudent management requires that the government plan for the possibility of a lapse in funding. Consistent with longstanding practice across multiple administrations, OMB is preparing for any contingency, and determinations about specific programs are being actively reviewed by agencies, Hasan said, echoing comments made by Psaki. More importantly, there is enough time for Congress to prevent a lapse in appropriations, and we are confident they will do so. Government shutdowns occur when Congress fails to pass funding legislation to finance the government, rarely lasting longer than a month. The previous government shutdown between 2018 and 2019 lasted 35 days, and before that, a shutdown lasted 16 days in 2013. The U.S. Capitol building exterior is seen at sunset in Washington on March 8, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) The Senate is expected to vote next week on a House-passed bill that will keep the government funded until early December and raise the debt ceiling. A number of Republican senators have balked at the proposal to suspend or raise the debt ceiling, arguing that Democrats will use the extra funding to pass multi-trillion-dollar spending packages. Analysis and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have issued stark warnings about the debt ceiling, saying that a U.S. default would lead to widespread job losses and may trigger an economic recession. The United States could default as soon as mid-October, Yellen has warned Congress members. The U.S. has never defaulted. Not once, Yellen wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion article. Doing so would likely precipitate a historic financial crisis that would compound the damage of the continuing public health emergency. But on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) struck an optimistic tone during a news conference and said Congress wont allow government funding to expire next week. We will keep our government open by Sept. 30, which is our date, and continue the conversation about the debt ceiling, but not for long, she told reporters Thursday. We will have a [continuing resolution] that passes both houses by Sept. 30, she said. The speaker added that her caucus put this bill together in a very bipartisan way and when we added the debt ceiling is when the issue became partisan. We dont think it will really be any problem to pass the [spending] legislation, Pelosi said. Former Chinese leader Mao Zedong (L) and his officially designated successor Lin Biao on July 29, 1971 at Beijing. Chinas state-run media outlets recently condemned Lins alleged military coup plot against Mao. However, prior to Xi Jinping taking power, Chinese authorities had taken steps to restore Lins reputation. (AFP via Getty Images) Xi Jinping Readying to Counter a Military Coup News Analysis Before discussing whats happening with Party leader Xi Jinping, we need to look at a similar situation in Chinas history. On Sept. 13, 1971, a plane crashed in Wendul Khan, Mongolia, killing all nine people on board. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said that Lin Biao, Mao Zedongs successor, together with his wife and son, were victims of the deadly crash as they fled to the Soviet Union. Soon thereafter, the authorities further clarified that Lin had been planning a military coup to assassinate Chairman Mao. Lin Biao had a notable military career during wartime and also played an important role as Maos right-hand man after the CCP seized power in China. In April 1969, when the CCPs 9th National Congress adopted a new Party constitution, it named Lin as Mao Zedongs intimate comrade-in-arms and successor. Lin and his close followers in the military were therefore labeled a counter-revolutionary group. As a result, thousands of high-ranking military officials were purged. In addition to implicated subordinates, tens of thousands of military personnel were affected. It is well known that Mao was paranoid and did not trust anyone. However, it remains unknown whether Lin indeed plotted a coup. Some insiders have published books about the incident, but no one can verify their statements. Efforts to Pardon Lin Before Xi Jinping took over as head of the CCP, the Party had made some gestures to restore Lins reputation. For instance, in Chinese war movies produced in the 1990s, Lin was portrayed as a military genius. In the 2007 amended version of the Chinese Military Encyclopedia, Lin was described as one of Chinas 36 contemporary military strategists. And in March 2008, state-run Xinhua News Agency published a commentary, saying Lins historical merits needed to be affirmed. Lin was indeed the key strategist in several of the CCPs decisive battles against Japanese troops and Chinas national Kuomintang army, and was highly acclaimed for his military talents. The Party Commands the Gun However, on Sept. 16, the CCPs leading theoretical journal Qiushi published an article condemning Lin for plotting a military coup in the 1970s. The article emphasized that the history of the CCPs founding is about the Party commanding the gun. In other words, the Party has always controlled the military. Although Lins main sphere of influence was in the military, the Quishi article stated that the reason Lins coup plot failed was that, the entire Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) resolutely listened to the Party and followed the Partys instructions. The article also criticized Zhang Guotao, a founding member of the CCP, for attempting to use guns to command the Party, and another early CCP leader, Wang Ming, for advocating that every decision must be approved by the United Front. Zhang and Wang were both purged in the CCPs political ideology struggles when Mao gradually rose to power. The article was widely republished by other Chinese state media. Xis Warning U.S.-based current affairs commentator Chen Pokong told The Epoch Times that the Qiushi article seems to suggest that right now there is likely a coup plan in the PLA, and the central authorities have great difficulty controlling the military. The article, when stressing that it is the Party that commands the guns, intends to warn the military that Xi, who is also the Chairman of the Military Commission, has the highest authority over the PLA. Chong Sheng (pseudonym), an independent political commentator inside China, shares similar views. Chong told The Epoch Times that Xi has already purged many communist officials with allegiance to former Party secretary Jiang Zemin, and has been up against opposing forces inside the CCP all these years. Xi inspected a secret military base in Shaanxi Province on Sept. 15, and the Qiushi article came out the next day. That indicates, Xi wants to give the military a clear message: when he has the final showdown with the Jiang faction, the military must listen to the central authorities. In other words, the military must listen to Xis instructions, Chong said. For the United States, COVID-19 was about leadership and a dose of hope. For Iran, it was about the inhumanity of sanctions. Tiny Palau, largely virus-free, used its precious speech minutes to praise Taiwan for its support during the pandemic and, not incidentally, to urge the United Nations to re-admit the island as a member state. Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic was THE talking point at the United Nations General Assembly this week serving as projection, promotional tool and proxy for other pressing issues put forward by world leaders in their signature annual addresses. Through the lenses of vaccine inequality, economic disaster, scientific misinformation and social isolation, just about every president, king, foreign minister and head of state talked about the pandemic as a sweeping global catastrophe. Yet each made it into a distinctive political message that said as much about a nation and its leader as it did about the virus itself. As the world at large has done for many months now, leaders struggled to connect the pandemic with the ways they wish to govern and with the threats that face their attempts to do so. ___ PALAU Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. said his country was COVID-safe because Taiwan and other allies, including the U.S., Japan, and Australia delivered vaccines, PPE, testing capacity and training. Palau now has an 80% vaccination rate with zero deaths or hospitalizations. Whipps praised Taiwan for its management of the pandemic within the territory's borders and also the development of a safe travel route to Palau that saved the remote island from total isolation. This sterile corridor has allowed Taiwan and Palau to resume medical and educational cooperation, and recoup economic engagement and other benefits of international travel, Whipps said. We encourage the U.N. system to accept Taiwan as a valuable contributor to our collective efforts and strongly advocate for Taiwans participation in the U.N. system. ___ UNITED STATES Joe Biden used his first speech as U.S. president to reassure the world that America was back to reclaim its elder statesman role in supporting world peace and prosperity, projecting itself as well-resourced and generous. Planes carrying vaccines from the United States have already landed in 100 countries, bringing people all over the world a little dose of hope, as one American nurse termed it to me. A dose of hope, direct from the American people and, importantly, no strings attached, Biden said before later announcing that the U.S. is doubling its global donation of COVID-19 vaccine shots. ___ IRAN Iran President Ebrahim Raisi slammed U.S. sanctions repeatedly in his address, declaring sanctions on medicine at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic are crimes against humanity. Despite the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran was keen from the outset to purchase and import COVID-19 vaccines from reliable international sources, it faced inhumane medical sanctions. Therefore, from the very beginning, we started to sustainably produce vaccines domestically, Raisi said. ___ NAMIBIA Several countries denounced efforts to offer booster shots in wealthy nations while, as of mid-September, fewer than 4% of Africans have been fully immunized. African nations like Namibia were not shy about drawing parallels between vaccine inequality and centuries of racism that had ravaged the continent. Vaccine apartheid has resulted in significant disparities in terms of vaccine rollout and availability, with many people in developing countries left out," said Namibian President Hage Geingob. It is a pity that we have a situation where in some countries, citizens are at the stage of receiving booster shots while in other countries, many are still waiting to receive their first doses of vaccines. Namibia faced apartheid when neighboring South Africas white minority government controlled what they called South West Africa. Namibia gained official independence in 1990. The apartheid reference was also especially poignant because the U.N. addressed racism and reparations for slavery and colonialism at a high-level meeting on Wednesday. There, member states recommitted to efforts to combat racism around the world and commemorated a landmark but contentious 2001 anti-racism conference. ___ POLAND Some world leaders talked about their own bouts of illness, making their infection personal to their agenda. Poland President Andrzej Duda said he was humbled by the virus and philosophized about global recovery. I am standing before you as one of more than 200 million people who have recovered from COVID-19. Like surely many of you present here, I went through the illness which befalls people irrespective of their function, status, religion, convictions, orientation and world views, Duda said at the start of his speech. He later asked: In the last 20 months when the pandemic weighed so heavily on us, we have often asked ourselves: what will the post-pandemic world be like? Will it be the world of solidarity? Or shall we resume business as usual and consider that these months have been nothing more than an interruption in our routine, after which we can go on repeating our old mistakes? ___ BRAZIL For vaccine skeptic Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, who was infected with COVID-19 last year, his showing at the U.N. was decidedly more defiant. He flouted the requirement for all attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, declaring repeatedly that he remained unvaccinated because getting a shot is a personal, medical decision, and then circulated a photo of himself eating pizza on a New York street, an apparent jab at citys restrictions on indoor dining. In Bolsonaros U.N. speech, he also rebuffed criticism of his countrys handling of the pandemic, insisted vaccines would be available but not required, and chastised the overwhelming medical consensus that early treatment drugs like the one that he took are not effective. Since the start of the pandemic, we have supported doctors autonomy in search of an early treatment, as recommended by our Federal Council of Medicine. I was among those who tried the early treatment. We also respect the doctor-patient relationship with regard to the medication to be used and its off-label utilization, Bolsonaro said. We dont understand why many countries, along with a large portion of the media, oppose early treatment. History and science will hold them accountable. Hours after his speech, it was announced that Brazils health minister, who had traveled with Bolsonaro, tested positive. Marcelo Quiroga got a shot of the vaccine in January; he now must stay behind in the United States for isolation. ____ Follow Sally Ho on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_sallyho VERNON The Tolland Judicial Districts top prosecutor told a judge Friday that he was still waiting for one report in the Willington murder case against Peter Manfredonia, a former UConn student who authorities said fled the state after two killings in 2020. Manfredonia, clad in a beige jumpsuit, appeared virtually for the short hearing before Judge Connie L. Klatt. Tolland States Attorney Matthew Gedansky told Klatt, Were waiting on one more report that I think will be helpful toward the disposition. Gedansky did not elaborate on what the report entailed before asking the case to be continued to November. Manfredonias lawyer, Michael Dolan, said afterward that more may happen at his clients next court appearance. I expect to have more substantive discussions regarding the case in November, he said. In the case prosecuted by Gedansky, Manfredonia faces charges including murder, attempted murder, and first-degree assault of elderly victim in connection with a May 2020 attack in Willington that killed 62-year-old Ted DeMers and severely injured another man, according to records. Authorities allege Manfredonia attacked DeMers with a samurai-style sword, fatally injuring him, records show. DeMers neighbor, John Franco, was also attacked by Manfredonia when he tried to intervene in the assault, according to accounts by his wife and police. After the assault, police said, Manfredonia held a homeowner in Willington hostage after breaking in and stealing the mans guns. For this, Manfredonia faces charges including first-degree larceny, first-degree robbery and home invasion. After stealing the mans vehicle and leaving him tied up in his basement, police said Manfredonia then went to Derby where he fatally shot 23-year-old Nicholas Eisele in his home, records show. Authorities allege he then forced Eiseles girlfriend to drive him to New Jersey, where he released her unharmed, according to arrest records. Manfredonia was eventually captured by police in Maryland, after he was recognized by his height at a truck stop. He was later extradited back to Connecticut to face charges, officials said. In the Milford Judicial District, Manfredonia faces charges of felony murder, murder, first-degree kidnapping, home invasion, first-degree robbery and and carrying a pistol without a permit. Manfredonia has pleaded not guilty to the charges in both Tolland and Milford judicial districts, records show. He has been in custody since June 2020 on a combined $12 million bond. Given he was arrested during the pandemic, Manfredonia has appeared virtually at many of his court appearances. Gedansky said Friday that Manfredonia could appear in person during his next hearing in Rockville Superior Court. Klatt continued the case to Nov. 23. Manfredonia was scheduled to appear in superior court in Milford this week, but the appearance was pushed to Nov. 9, records show. BOSTON (AP) Whoever wins Bostons mayoral race on Nov. 2 wont have much time to prepare to step into the office. The two candidates City Councilors Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu met Thursday with acting Mayor Kim Janey to discuss the timeline. The three agreed on a transfer of power Nov. 16, just two weeks after the election. Starting these conversations with Councilors Wu and Essaibi George now helps ensure the new mayor will be ready to do her job and address the concerns of Bostons residents on day one, Janey said in a statement after the meeting at the Parkman House. Janey was sworn in as mayor of Boston on March 24 as the citys first female and first Black mayor after former Mayor Marty Walsh was appointed U.S. Secretary of Labor earlier this year by President Joe Biden. To prepare for the transfer of power, Janey will lead administrative discussions with both Wu and George. In mid-October, both candidates will receive summaries of the general structure and operation of city departments. More detailed department briefings will follow in early November, once the mayor-elect has been chosen. Wu and Essaibi George defeated other candidates including Janey, Councilor Andrea Campbell and John Barros, the citys former economic development chief in a preliminary election earlier this month meant to winnow the field to two. Whoever wins on Nov. 2 will make history as the first woman and first person of color to be elected mayor. Wus parents immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. Essaibi George describes herself as a first-generation Arab-Polish American. Throughout its long history, Boston has elected only white men to the top office. Timing for the transition is dictated by statute, according to Janey's office, which requires that the new mayor be sworn-in after election results are certified. After the election, there is a required 10-day recount petition period during which results cannot be certified. The close of the recount petition period is 5 p.m. Nov. 12. If a recount is not requested, the citys Board of Election Commissioners will certify the results Nov. 15, allowing the transition to take place the next day. All of the candidates are Democrats. Mayoral races in Boston do not include party primaries. GLEN CARBON At Tuesdays public safety committee, part of the agenda revolved around motorized scooters, electric and bikes and scooters. First, the committee discussed and approved an amended ordinance to prohibit the use of motorized scooters in village parks or on public lands. Next, the committee discussed e-bikes and e-scooters, like Lime Scooters. Chris Moore, and his wife, Teri, who own a new business in the village, Covered Bridge Bike Rental, attended the meeting after they contacted the village to request information about e-bike rentals, also known as pedal-assisted bikes. RELATED: Covered Bridge Bike Rental comes to village Moore said after they arrived, Chief Link asked them who they were and they explained about their new business and they wanted to know what they could rent and offer customers that would not violate any village ordinances or policies. Currently, Moore and his wife rent four Class 2 electric bicycles, which he says are popular among the 50-and-older set. They plan to acquire more e-bikes but they have not decided on quantity yet. Link told them he was in favor of e-bicycles. Were very happy with the outcome, it worked great, he said. I dont have a problem with e-bikes, said Police Chief Todd Link. But e-scooters, I do have an opposition to those. Popularly known as Lime Bikes, the e-scooters were all over downtown St. Louis during the summer of 2018. Moore said Chief Link was concerned about potential users leaving them anywhere, in peoples yards, on sidewalks, and they would become possible safety hazards, not to mention a potential liability issue for the village. He said if you already own an e-scooter, you can legally ride it, but the village will not approve them for people to rent. Link said while well-intentioned, the failure of the Lime Scooters lay with those who rented them then did not return them to their origin point, instead leaving them wherever their journey ended on sidewalks, streets, alleys, parking lots, etc. They have become a nuisance and are abandoned [in general], he said. I dont want the same thing happening in Glen Carbon and have residents finding them in yards, on sidewalks, in parking lots, etc. Per Illinois law, e-bikes are classified into three categories: Class 1 are e-bikes equipped with a pedal-assist only motor, which stops when the bike attains 20 miles per hour; Class 2 are e-bikes equipped with a motor that can be used only to propel the bicycle and that stops when the vehicle reaches 20 miles per hour; and Class 3, e-bikes equipped with a motor that only helps when the rider pedals and stops when the rider ceases to pedal or when the vehicle reaches 28 mph. An important distinction is that these low-speed electric bicycles are not the same as mopeds or motorcycles under the Illinois Vehicle Code. Other important points to note are all e-bikes are required to be registered in Illinois; they cannot exceed 750 watts in power; riders must be 16 years old or older to pilot one; e-bikes are prohibited from sidewalks but they may use the right lane in a roadway; and helmets are not required. Madison County Transit (MCT) has no restriction on e-bikes but requires them to obey a speed limit of 15 mph on its trails. MCTs Managing Director, SJ Morrison, was out-of-town on business Wednesday and Thursday and unavailable for comment. The scooter amendment will now go before the village board at its next meeting on Tuesday. The e-bikes will also be on the agenda at Tuesdays board meeting, according to Link. Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735 COLLINSVILLE While some employers were finding slim pickings at the annual Jobs Plus Regional Job Fair, Katie Johnson, vice president of HR and technology for WestStar Aviation in East Alton, had found the perfect candidate for a tough-to-fill position. The job fair, put on by Madison County Employment Training (MCET) and the St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department, is held annually at the Gateway Convention Center, in Collinsville, although last years event was a drive-through job fair because of COVID restrictions. About 90 employers, agencies, schools and other groups vied for customers. But there were fewer than 60 job-seekers within the first hour of the fair, Madison County Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann said. Things are a little slow from the job-seeker side, which was a concern, he said. Its sort of surprising to me, because of where were at in pandemic recovery. Extra unemployment benefits ended September 4 in Illinois, so we thought wed see more interest coming from those individuals. Also, kids are back in school. The states unemployment figures are expected to be released Thursday, but Fuhrmann has been saying the situation is so unsettled that the numbers are nearly meaningless. There has been a lot of discussion about employers need for workers. There are so many job opportunities at all levels, said Matt Jones, program coordinator for the St. Clair County Workforce Development Group. There are so many training opportunities, so many resources available. In my 30 years, there couldnt be a better time to look for a job. Fuhrmann also said that another factor being discussed is an estimated three million baby boomers retired during the pandemic, a much larger number than normal. That has created a situation in which people graduating from high school, college or technical schools, because of all the extra employee retirements, are skipping taking hold over jobs, such as fast-food or hospitality, and waiting until something in their fields open up. Although it means better pay and starting their career path a little earlier, it also means lower-level service industry jobs are going unfilled. The talk is because there were so many more people retiring, it could be up to 10 years before you see the market adjust and recover and jobs and individuals match back up again, Jones explained. The things that are happening right now are not a short-term situation. For WestStars Johnson, her perfect candidate is a teacher displaced by COVID, who expressed interest in a training position. Were looking forward to interviewing her, Johnson said. She added that another person who came through had toured their facility while in high school, and was now in Southwestern Illinois Colleges aircraft maintenance program. She stopped by to visit us and reconnect again, Johnson said, noting that such follow-up was unusual. Another plus, it is a woman, seeking employment in what is a traditionally male-dominated field. For some of the other potential employers, the fair was a little slower. Traffic has been a little slim, said Anne Koleson, a practice administrator for Metro East Gastroenterology Ltd., a Belleville-based medical practice, but Ive made some good networking connections with other employers. We are looking for quality people to work in our growing medical practice. I wanted representation from the region. She noted it has been nearly impossible to find new employees. The employees we have right now and we have a very good core have all come through networking, Koleson said. We have an unwritten rule that once youre hired, you have to bring somebody in, and surprisingly thats worked very well for us. Jeff Bares, of Collinsville, was among the job-seekers. I thought I would see who was hiring in the local area, and get some face-to-face time with local employers, he said. With a background in healthcare and records management, he was able to develop a few leads. He also said having face-to-face conversations could be important. You can be more memorable and stand out, rather than be just another file in a database, he said. Johnson also emphasized that WestStar Aviation wanted face-to-face conversations. We do believe all the online interactions, in trying to recruit people, are getting tiring, she said. People want to be more interactive and see people, and get out of quarantine. We want to add more of those normal interactions and that might help us find better candidates. For those still looking for work, MCET offers services ranging from job postings and help with resumes or job searches, to paying for up to two years of training for high-value jobs. For information about employment and workforce training opportunities, call 618-296-4301, visit the Madison County website at www.co.madison.il.us/ or visit the departments Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MCETD. AHOSKIE, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina funeral home said it has reached out to apologize after two sisters who went to view their mothers body instead found another woman wearing her clothes inside the casket. Jennifer Taylor and Jennetta Archer had gone to see their mother's body at an Ahoskie funeral home Sept. 7 when they discovered the mistake, WAVY reported. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A resolution from Wisconsin Republicans calling for new political boundary lines to adhere as closely as possible to existing congressional and legislative districts drew criticism Thursday from Democrats, who have long argued that the existing maps are gerrymandered and unconstitutional. A GOP-controlled state Assembly committee on Thursday approved putting the resolution up for a vote before the full Assembly on Tuesday. It lays out parameters for any maps submitted to the Assembly as it moves ahead with the once-a-decade task of redistricting. One of guidelines in the resolution calls for retaining as much as possible the core of existing districts, thus maintaining 11 existing communities of interest, and promoting the equal opportunity to vote by minimizing disenfranchisement." An argument Democrats make in a federal redistricting lawsuit is that the current Republican-drawn maps, which were approved in 2011, should be declared unconstitutional because of population changes over the past decade as reflected in the latest census numbers. Democrats don't want the new maps to be based on the current ones, which solidified Republican majorities in the Legislature. Attorney Doug Poland, who represents voting rights advocates in the federal redistricting lawsuit, called the Republican resolution a brazen attempt to try to say that it is the public policy of Wisconsin that the majority party is entitled to entrench itself and its sitting legislators in power for as long as they choose to do so, voters be damned. He said its the exact opposite of what the GOP-controlled Legislature did when creating maps in 2011, when it took a wrecking ball to the existing districts to redraw them to gerrymander themselves in control for the entire decade. Now the Legislature wants to say that the public policy of the state will be to cement in place the ruling party and all of its currently sitting members, Poland said. It really is quite shocking. Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said the resolution was not about helping the Republicans' position in court. The Legislature is backing a lawsuit that the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear. Republicans are opposing the Democratic lawsuit in federal court. Steineke downplayed concern about the intent of the resolution, saying it was an attempt to be transparent about the parameters for considering maps submitted to a website Republicans established to accept ideas from a map-drawing commission established by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers or any member of the public. Its about continuity of representation, Steineke said of the guideline related to disrupting current districts as little as possible. The parameters of reapportionment have always been the same, trying to keep districts compact, contiguous, keep communities of like interest together. An Associated Press analysis found that Republicans won about 16 more U.S. House seats in 2018 and held on to seven more state legislative chambers, including the Wisconsin Assembly, than would have been expected to based on their average share of the vote in congressional districts across the country. Republicans are accepting maps from the public until Oct. 15. The Legislature has not said when exactly it will release its plan or vote on it. A three-judge federal court panel on Tuesday said it wants to conclude a trial over the Democratic-backed lawsuit by the end of January. Democratic state Rep. Evan Goyke, of Milwaukee, questioned the need for the resolution, noting that Republicans refuse to take up a Democratic plan calling for the creation of a nonpartisan redistricting commission. Look, they didn't need to put down in writing in a resolution that they want to maintain their gerrymander, Goyke said. This is maintaining partisan gerrymandering and trying to enshrine it as a resolution when what we should be doing is letting people choose their representatives rather than their representatives choosing their people. On this weeks episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Marina Bluvshtein, PhD, director of the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship at Adler University in Chicago. This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie. Bluvshtein earned a bachelors degree in journalism in 1986 from Lomonosov Moscow State University and a masters degree in Adlerian counseling and psychotherapy in 1997 from Adler Graduate School. She then earned a PhD in clinical psychology from Capella University in 2005. As part of a fellowship established at SIUE in 2017 by Dr. Eva Dreikurs Ferguson, daughter of Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, and her family, Bluvshtein will be visiting the SIUE campus for two weeks as the Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs Visiting Scholar. Welcome to Segue, Dr. Bluvshtein, begins Leonard. How did you become interested in psychology? I was going in this direction for a very long time and, technically speaking, Im a career change psychologist, says Bluvshtein. I got into the field about 27 years ago, but I see it more as a path adjustment or finding my voice through all the careers that I had before. I used to be a librarian, a construction engineer, a high school teacher for 10 years, and assistant principal for a couple of years. In some way, all these things are about psychology. I was probably a psychologist all my life, but I just started calling myself one when I got my license. Now your focus has been on Adlerian psychology. Why dont you tell us more about Alfred Adler? prompts Leonard. Adler was an Austrian psychiatrist, but he was much more than that, Bluvshtein explains. He was born in 1870, the second of living children, but third of conceived, so he was a middle child by all accounts. He was quite sickly with several bouts of pneumonia, illness of the vocal chords, and later in life has tuberculosis. He lived in what we would now call a middle-class neighborhood. He lived through several large-scale world experiences, such as World War I in which he served as an army physician from 1916-1918. He saw the death and suffering and devastation first hand, and then coined the idea of shell shock, which is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder. What are the basic principles of Adlerian psychology? asks Leonard. I think we want to start with the official name of the theory, Alfred Adler Individual Psychology, Bluvshtein says. A lot of times people think its individual versus family versus group, but the truth is that it was a poor translation from German. The reality is that individual in German in the context of the name of Adlers theory is actually indivisible. Its undividable. Its holistic. This is one of the most fundamental things in Adlerian philosophy and the way we do therapy and approach social issues. While Bluvshtein is visiting SIUE, she will also give a lecture as part of SIUEs Arts & Issues series on Friday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dunham Hall Theater. Her topic is Belongingness as a Goal of Personality Development and Social Evolution. The event is free to the public. Tickets are required and can be reserved at siue.edu/arts-and-issues/current-season/events-feed/marina-bluvshtein. Tune in at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26, to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversation. Cabinet approves extension of Phase 3 of We Travel Together BANGKOK: Registration for Phase 3 of the governments We Travel Together tourism campaign will commence next month, after a meeting of cabinet ministers approved the campaigns extension to Feb 28th, 2022. The cabinet has also approved changes to the Tour Travel Thai campaigns guidelines. CoronavirusCOVID-19tourism By National News Bureau of Thailand Friday 24 September 2021, 01:24PM Photo: NNT Government Spokesman, Dr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said on Wednesday (Sept 22) that the cabinet meeting approved the Tourism Authority of Thailands (TAT) proposal to adjust the details of the third phase of the We Travel Together and Tour Travel Thai campaigns. The time frame for both campaigns is now extended to Feb 28 next year and people can exercise their privileges no later than Jan 31st. The TAT is to complete the disbursement process in a month. There are two changes made to the Tour Travel Thai campaign. Firstly, interprovincial travel is now permitted every day. Secondly, the number of tour itineraries from each agency is raised from 15 to 30, and the TAT has set up a registration platform for them. As for Phase 3 of the We Travel Together campaign, registration is open today (Sept 24) to Oct 1st. People are expected to exercise the campaigns privileges next month. In the third phase of the campaign, the government will subsidize 40% of hotel expenses, or up to B3,000 per room per night. People who qualify will receive food coupons of up to B600 a day. Concerning air travel, the government will refund 40% of the ticket price, or up to B2,000 or B3,000, under conditions set by each province. Regarding the Tour Travel Thai campaign, the government will contribute 40% of the tour package price, or up to B5,000 per person. The Government Spokesman said that the COVID-19 situation is improving, as the number of new infections is decreasing each day and the changes made to both campaigns is expected to help stimulate domestic tourism. The government would like tourism-related businesses, such as accommodation, shops and restaurants, to strictly follow disease-control measures of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and provincial communicable disease committees. Their cooperation will help limit the spread of COVID-19 while stimulating the economy. If the COVID-19 situation worsens, the TAT can call off both campaigns. Easing of Phuket domestic entry requirements made official PHUKET: Starting next Friday (Oct 1), all domestic visitors will be allowed to enter Phuket as long as they have been fully vaccinated and have tested negative for COVID-19. COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismeconomics By The Phuket News Friday 24 September 2021, 10:18AM The official order was issued late yesterday (Sept 23), and will come into effect on Oct 1. Image: PR Phuket The official order was issued late yesterday (Sept 23), and will come into effect on Oct 1. Image: PR Phuket The official order was issued late yesterday (Sept 23), and will come into effect on Oct 1. Image: PR Phuket The move became official after Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew issued an order (Phuket Provincial Order No. 5745/2564) late yesterday (Sept 23). The order followed Governor Narong announcing the easing of restrictions on people entering the province earlier in the day. Phuket has been under isolation from the mainland since Aug 3, when Governor Narong brought into effect an order allowing onto the island only essential deliveries, emergency workers and people conducting essential business on Phuket, including travelling to Phuket to leave via the airport. The island isolation protocol has been maintained through successive provincial orders issued since then, with domestic tourists finally allowed onto the island since Sept 8. Speaking at a special meeting called on July 30 to explain the need to isolate Phuket from the mainland, Governor Narong said that the raft of new restrictions imposed on the island was the only way to contain the rising number of local infections on the island. At the time Phuket averaged 35-39 new cases a day, for the past two weeks, even with the island isolation protocol in effect, Phuket officials have publicly recognised over 200 new cases a day. Therefore, such announcements and orders must be issued to control travel in the country to have only those who really need it. This is how to save Phuket, save Sandbox and save Thailand, Governor Narong said at the time. Under the new order, to come into effect on Oct 1, all people coming onto the island by land, sea or air must be vaccinated with two doses of Sinovac, Sinopharm or Sputnik V vaccine, or one dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson vaccines at least 14 days before arriving. Alternatively, arrivals will be allowed onto the island if they have recovered from being infected with COVID-19 no more than six months earlier. All arrivals must show evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 by by RT-PCR or antigen test with confirmed results from a hospital or laboratory issued not more than seven days prior to arrival. People who are registered on a house registration document (tabien baan) as living in Phuket may bring their own antigen test kit (ATK) approved by the Thai Food & Drug Administration and use that to be tested at the Phuket Check Point or any seaport checkpoint. Officers will issue a document confirming their test results which can be used to present to officials for no more than seven days. Children under 5 years old traveling with parents or guardians and persons traveling in a medical emergency vehicle as an emergency patient, lifeguard, rescue worker are exempted from the above requirement to be vaccinated, the order noted. Children from 6 years old to people under 18 years old who are not eligible for vaccination must show evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 by RT-PCR or antigen test method no more than seven days before arriving. Again, an FDA-approved antigen test kit may be brought to the checkpoint and the young person may be tested there. For students under 18 years of age who are unable to receive vaccination against COVID-19 and need to travel into and out of Phuket for study purposes, the agency affiliated with the educational institution or provincial educational institution shall issue the same form of identification that has been in use for months. The form can be shown to the staff when traveling into and out of Phuket. The students will also need to present a certificate issued by the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office confirming the student has tested negative by RT-PCR or antigen test method. The certificates will be valid for no more than one month. Those who have an appointment according to court proceedings prosecutor or investigating officers (defendants, witnesses, accused, released convicts on probation) must have clear evidence that if postponing such appointments will seriously damage the trial process to be able to travel to Phuket. They must test negative for COVID-19 by RT-PCR or antigen test no more than seven days prior to arrival. Travelers traveling under the tourism pilot project (Sandbox 7+7 Extension) or people traveling outside of Phuket by sea to other pilot provinces as a one-day round trip with boat drivers, guides and crew are allowed to leave and re-enter Phuket as long as the tourists and the crews satisfy the requirements of the passengers being fully vaccinated and the boat drivers, guides and ship crews testing negative in their weekly screening for COVID-19 by ATK (Antigen Test Kit) method. All people entering Phuket must download and install the Mor Chana app on their phones and enable location sharing at all times. All arrivals must also register their travel details through the gophuget.com web platform before arriving and be issued a QR code that they are to show to the Communicable Disease Control Officer at the checkpoint before being allowed to enter Phuket. Patients who intentionally conceal travel information or report false information to communicable disease control officers, causing obstacles to disease investigation and control, resulting in the spread of pathogens may be considered a violation or failure to comply with the order of the communicable disease control officer which is also an offense under the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558, the order warned. The order asked for cooperation from those who travel to Phuket by complying with the D-M-H-T-T-A measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as follows: D Distancing = keep distance between each other M Mask Wearing = always wear a cloth mask / hygienic mask H Hand Washing = wash your hands often T Temperature = have your temperature checked T Testing = be tested for COVID-19 A Application = Install and scan the applications Thai Chana and Mor Chana The order noted that as the order was issued under emergency circumstances that if left too late would cause serious damage to the public or affect the public interest, people may not exercise their right to object under Section 30 paragraph two (1) of the Administrative Procedure Act, B.E. 2539. If anyone violates or does not comply with this order may be [committing] an offense under Section 51 of the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558 and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding B20,000, or Section 52 of the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2558, and subject to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding B100,000, or both, the order also warned. People who do not comply with the order also may be punished under Section 18 of the Emergency Decree, B.E. 2548, in accordance with the provisions issued under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree, B.E. 2548 shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. or a fine not exceeding B40,000, or both, the order concluded. The order is to remain in effect until further notice. Phuket villager finds big bucks whale poop PHUKET: A local resident who was jogging along Mai Khao Beach yesterday morning (Sept 23) believes he may have discovered a lump of sperm whale ambergris they may be worth as much as B30 million. marineanimals By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 24 September 2021, 12:15PM Mr Yongyuth (right) and the lump that might be worth B30 million. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Mr Yongyuth and the lump that might be worth B30 million. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Mr Yongyuth and the lump that might be worth B30 million. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Mr Yongyuth points to where he found the lump on the sand. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Mr Yongyuth and the lump that might be worth B30 million. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Yongyuth Limsuebcheu, a 66-year-old resident of Moo 4, Mai Khao, explained that he was jogging along the beach when he saw a large, round lump wash ashore in front of the Maikhao Dream Villa Resort & Spa. Mr Yonguth went to inspect the object. Curious, he poked it, and found the lump to consist of an oily, honey-like substance that stuck to his finger. It was similar to the golden-yellow whale poop that I had seen on TV news, Mr Yongtuth said. He hurriedly brought the lump back to his home and studied it further, settling on his presumption that it was whale ambergris. Ambergris comes in various colours: grey, black, yellow, orange and even a white marble colour. Ambergris forms as a secretion of the bile duct in sperm whales intestines, adn is discharged as fecal matter, leading many people for years to believe it was whale poop. Considered a rarity to find, in Eastern cultures ambergris is used for medicines and potions and as a spice; in the West it was used to stabilise the scent of fine perfumes. A large lump of ambergris found by fishermen in Oman in 2016 weighed some 80kg and was reportedly worth US$3 million. Mr Yongyuth confirmed that the lump he has found weighed 19.5kg. If it is real sea amber or whale ambergris it will be worth up to B1.5 million per kilogram, representing the value for this lump of amber worth almost B30mn, Mr Yongyuth noted. Expert marine biologists from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) have been notified of the find. They now have possession of the possibly very valuable lump and are examining it to confirm whether or not it is indeed ambergris. Rules on travellers to ease BANGKOK: The National Communicable Disease Committee (NCDC) will propose shorter quarantine periods for some foreign visitors to revive the tourism industry and stimulate the economy. CoronavirusCOVID-19tourismVaccine By Bangkok Post Friday 24 September 2021, 08:55AM Photo: Bangkok Post If approved, select groups of foreign visitors would only have to quarantine for 710 days instead of 14, reports Bangkok Post. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said quarantine would be reduced on a case-by-case basis. Dr Opas was speaking after a health committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday (Sept 23). The DDC is aiming to reduce the quarantine period to only seven days for fully vaccinated and RT-PCR-tested visitors. If approved, they would be tested using the method upon arrival and again on day seven, Dr Opas said. Quarantine would last 10 days for visitors without a vaccine certificate, he said. They would have to undergo two RT-PCR tests - first upon arrival and second before finishing their quarantine period, he said, noting visitors under this category must arrive by air. The current 14-day quarantine period would remain for visitors arriving by land and do not have a vaccine certificate, Dr Opas said. They would be subject to two PT-PCR tests - upon arrival and after 1213 days in quarantine, he said. The measures would apply to visitors from every country, Dr Opas said. The shorter quarantine period for visitors would not worsen the COVID-19 situation as the Phuket Sandbox reopening project had shown that visitors did not cause outbreaks, he said, noting it was local infections that did. The shorter quarantine periods are symbolic of the readiness to co-exist with COVID-19, Dr Opas said. This will not only help with tourism and businesses, but also benefit those furthering their studies. It is difficult to eliminate the virus from society in a short time, he said. It is about adjusting and co-existing with the disease and reducing the fatality rate and severe symptom cases. Anutin said the committee decided to propose shortening the quarantine period to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), noting it should be shortened to stimulate the economy. The policy would be implemented in some tourist areas and officials were evaluating their readiness on vaccination coverage, local COVID-19 situations and hospital bed occupancy rates, he said. Such areas would first welcome Thai tourists next month to evaluate their readiness before receiving foreign tourists in November, he said. The committee also acknowledged a plan to administer Pfizer vaccine doses to children 12 years old and older to prepare them for the new school semester. It also acknowledged a plan to administer jabs to the public from next month until December, when some 125 million vaccine doses are expected to be made available, he said. A total of 52mn Thais, or 90% of the population, will be inoculated, Mr Anutin said. The COVID-19 situation in the country has been improving but there are still many new infections and fatalities, prompting agencies to look for better treatment options for patients. Most new infections were detected in Greater Bangkok and the southern border provinces, he said, noting there have also been new clusters in prisons where infected people were effectively isolated. Meanwhile, Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, yesterday led talks with business organisations to discuss Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuangs preparations for the reopening of the capital. After the meeting, Mr Sanan said they agreed that 70% of residents should first receive two vaccine shots for a safe reopening to foreign visitors. Currently, only about 44% of Bangkok residents have received two jabs, he said, adding that vaccinations must be expedited from now until Oct 22 when 70% of Bangkok residents are expected to be fully vaccinated. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Media Content Creator Ian Ostroff is a writer/reporter who resides in Montreal. He is passionate about getting to know the people and places that make his hometown so great. In his spare time, you can find him at the gym, eating ice cream, or working on his novel(s). In addition to John Kuhn, who was the subject of my Sept. 4 column, Marion Morrisons A History of the Ninth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, contains information about another Alton man: Emil Guelich. Born in 1833 (not 1828, as Morrison gives it) in the Dutchy of Schleswig in what is now northern Germany, Guelich interrupted his medical studies to serve in the army when the German Confederation went to war with Denmark in 1848. Three years later, he moved to the United States. He resumed his medical studies and graduated from the St. Louis Medical College in 1859. He settled in Alton that same year. In their July 2, 1976 article for The Telegraph, Paul Nedde and Ann Perry stated that Guelichs residence, located at the corner of East Fourth and Henry, served as an Underground Railroad station. When the Rebellion broke out, and there was a call for men to defend the government of his adoption, Morrison wrote, Guelich enlisted for a three-month term in Co. K of the Illinois Ninth. He re-enlisted when his term expired and was promoted to the position of assistant surgeon. Guelich was promoted to chief surgeon on April 28, 1862. Morrison noted that Guelich began his military service as a private in the Regiment. One day he was stationed to guard a powder magazine. Guelich knew a picket should never leave his post until relieved from duty. Morrison informs us that a soldier assigned picket duty serves two hours and then has four hours off during a 24-hour period. The first two hours passed away, no relief came. Two hours more passed. He supposed that surely at that change he would be relieved. Still no relief came. Another two hours passed. Still no relief. Guelich wound up serving picket duty for 24 consecutive hours without access to food and water. Another thing which caused the time to pass heavily with him, like almost all Germans, in fact almost all soldiers, he was very fond of his pipe. Guelich dared not to light his pipe while so close to the powder magazine. After relating this incident, Morrison stated that There is only one thing, so far as I know, that will cause the doctor to abandon his proper post. When the Regiment is engaged in battle, unless there is immediate need for him in the rear to care for the wounded, he will leave his post, as a non-combatant, and seeking some position in the advance, he is seen deliberately firing away at the enemy with his revolver. When a Union soldier suffered a wound, he hastens to the rear to attend to him. That done, and he is off again to his firing-post. Dr. Emil Guelich could be either a healer or killer, depending on the situation. The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought Feb. 11 to Feb. 16, 1862. It was a stunning victory for the Union. Morrison recalled that after the battle, Guelich was placed on board a steamer with 275 wounded men and then shoved out into the (Cumberland) river, without any medicine, without anything for the men to eat, with no instruments but carpenter tools. According to Morrison, this nightmare scenario lasted for three days. If he attempted to take off a limb, he had to use a common cooks knife for a dissecting knife, and a carpenters saw to sever the bone. Although both ether and chloroform were in use as anesthetics during the Civil War, neither was available aboard this steamer. One can barely imagine the agony these wounded soldiers endured during amputations. He had no bandages with which to wrap up the wounds, except he take the only shirt they had. Morrison demonstrated his penchant for understatement with the observation, This truly was a trying position in which to place a good surgeon. Guelich returned to Alton after the war and resumed his medical practice. He died in 1893. His biography in Cenntenial History of Madison County noted that Guelich was a staunch Republican and it was one of his greatest pleasures to throw himself and his influence into a political campaign, always choosing the place where the fight was the hottest. His Telegraph obituary stated, His kindness of heart and his generosity made him the friend of rich and poor. John J. Dunphy is an author, the Godfrey 15th Precinct Democratic Committeeperson and recording secretary for the Godfrey Democrats. Stumpy's Spirits Distillery in Columbia, Illinois was founded about six years ago by husband and wife team Adam and Laura Stumpf at a family farm, now in its eighth generation. In fact, Stumpy's gin, "Eighth," is named after the eight generations of farmers in the Stumpf family. Stumpy's is working on two expansions right now. Rezoning for one of the expansion was unanimously recommended to Monroe County commissioners at a recent Monroe County Board of Appeals meeting, as Stumpy's attempts a large expansion north of Waterloo. "We have a couple of expansions happening right now," Adam Stumpf, co-owner and founder of Stumpy's, said. "We have an expansion at our existing facility, which is solely capacity related, as we're expanding distillery capacity. We're trying to become a slightly larger player in the whiskey market and the only way to make older whiskey is to make more whisky and for that, we need more space. Between that and working on contract distilling and private labels for quite a few customers, as those brands grow, that also drives distillery capacity. "At the same time were really trying to beef up visitor experience," Stumpf continued. "We're uncertain what that looks like, we're working through zoning procedure." Stumpy's is also still dealing with effects from the pandemic, as the national supply chain problems cause problems for distilleries across the nation. "(The pandemic) was a challenge and it continues to be an ongoing challenge," Stumpf said. "We managed to get through it by selling hand sanitizer, made just enough to keep everybody employed. Once we got through that, alcohol sales picked back up and it was a nice transition back to whiskey. "The pandemic really plagues distillers and brewers still, glass is almost impossible to get right now, there are lead times of six to eight months with supply chain constraints," Stumpf continued. "There's been a pandemic trickle-down effect back to smaller distillers. It used to be we could place an order for glass and get it almost immediately, now we're placing orders for eight months out." Stumpy's transitioned to making hand sanitizer early on in the pandemic and that included a 55-gallon size sold for $1,250, according to KSDK. The team behind Stumpy's realized they couldn't make alcohol fast enough to bottle it by World Health Organization standards, according to Stumpf, so they brought in alcohol from outside sources and donated thousands of gallons. "The driving mechanism to push us over the ledge for hand sanitizer was when we saw a need for it," Stumpf said. "One of the folks on staff is a local firefighter, the first we heard of a shortage was that they had no alcohol wipes to clean off their equipment, then we had an ambulance service, who also needed alcohol wipes to wipe down their machines and couldn't get alcohol. We realized we have something here we can help people with. Then the state said distilleries can do sanitizer and after that, it was a no-brainer, as we had the ability." Stumpy's was started six years ago and Stumpf said a lot of little things led to the desire to establish the distillery. "Ive had an affinity for making alcohol for a while," Stumpf said. "I learned how to do it in college and lived with a few other guys who were like-minded and being engineering kids we nerded out on the making of alcohol and we'd drink batches of our own beer while we made more batches. Then I went to work for Anheuser-Busch and had the entrepreneurial itch, went back to Washington University in St. Louis and got my MBA and had a focus on entrepreneurship. "There was a combination of love for making alcohol, and I bought my own moonshine still, first drop of liquor came off of there and I was in love, and that combined with an entrepreneurial spirit that got the wheel turning," Stumpf continued. Stumpf said he and his wife own the company 50/50 and that the brand's marketing comes from Laura, as she manages everything front of house and in terms of the brand identity. Stumpf also said the name Stumpy's comes from the eight generations of Stumpf family farmers, each of whom has at some point been called Stumpy. That embrace of family legacy and a tie-in to family heritage was important for the Stumpfs, who are one of very few distillers growing 100% of their input, Stumpf said. In terms of what is actually being distilled, Stumpf said they do everything by taste. "As our inventory is getting older, well go through and taste barrels, decide based on that tasting history whether it would be a candidate for an upcoming batch or be used as something to sell," Stumpf said. "Whiskey doesnt get better infinitely, it rolls from better to worse to better to worse. We need to taste to see whats going on in that barrel and then what side of the hill were on. That's a fun part of the job." Stumpy's has multiple flavors of both its whiskey and vodka lines. Its vodka line, named "Unbroken," includes both a peach and a green apple flavor, in addition to the unflavored iteration. The whiskey line includes a pecan pie flavored version, lemon drop flavor and a honey-flavored whiskey. "That's when you put on your creative hat," Stumpf said. "We sit down with our sales team and theyre in the market every day experiencing those trends, their input is incredible, we also use nationally aggregated data to determine where it makes sense to invest, at the end of the day the goal is to provide value to the consumer. Our peach flavor vodka tends to be our best-selling vodka and flavored item, we seek to provide a nice experience to the customer. Instead of the big guy approach, where they experiment with chemicals and come out with birthday cake flavored vodka, we worked with another local farmer, Eckerts, on our flavors. Whenever we get into development pieces we try and bring as much value as possible." Stumpy's is now found in both Schnucks and Dierbergs grocery stores. Stumpf said the company sells through a three-tier system, including to a distributor who sells to Schnucks. In addition, Stumpy's has a team that goes out and introduces the product to retailers and then introduces retailers to their distributors. That's a byproduct of relationships that Stumpy's team has worked hard to develop, and both grocery stores work differently but both are "fantastic customers," Stumpf said. "I feel like were still trying to become successful," Stumpf said. "We started this on a shoestring budget everything, including our wedding rings, was collateral. There was a financial need for success and weve pretty well tried to do everything possible ourselves along the way. "Thats educated us," Stumpf continued. "We didnt start off with a lawyer, we got our alcohol permit ourselves, installed our own equipment, use our own recipes without a consultant. Being involved the entire time has educated our entire staff. The other thing and this is the most important is relationships. Its not that difficult to make alcohol; its difficult to sell alcohol. Especially talking to wholesalers who sell a lot, we have to be competitive with larger brands in vodkas and whiskeys and really making those relationships along the way, treating those as an asset. Just as much of an asset as the whiskey really, seeing those relationships through." Stumpf said the biggest thing the Metro East community can do to support Stumpy's is to come out to the distillery. He said he loves showing people the process of distilling, from mashing and fermenting to distilling the liquor. "We appreciate any support because all of those dollars, it's not like it's going to a corporation, giving us a shot helps foster this whole community aspect," Stumpf said. Going forward, Stumpy's hopes to continue building up its distillery space and to continue to allow its whiskey to age. "As long as were still having fun, thats the main thing," Stumpf said. "We're putting more focus on the whiskey lineup, especially as our inventory ages. Were installing a still right now that was built in 1922 and shipped over from Belgium and we're updating it. That allows us to be able to produce the inventory to support a regional and maybe even nationally distributed brand. We have all of the building blocks to increase distribution once we get that aged whiskey up." Millions of Americans are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster shot to help increase their protection against the worst effects of the coronavirus. A look at the nuts and bolts of this new phase of the vaccination campaign: WHO SHOULD GET THE PFIZER BOOSTER? People who got two Pfizer shots at least six months ago and who fall into one of these groups should get the booster: People 65 and older, nursing home residents and assisted living residents. Others ages 50 to 64 with a long list of risky health problems including cancer, diabetes, asthma, HIV infection and heart disease. Being overweight or obese is a category that qualifies roughly 70% of people in this age group. WHO ELSE CAN CONSIDER GETTING IT? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says these people may get a booster, but stopped short of a full recommendation: People 18 to 49 who got their Pfizer shots at least six months ago with risky health problems can consider the booster based on their individual benefits and risks. Anyone 18 to 64 with a risky job, such as health care, can consider boosters. Prisoners and people living in homeless shelters are also in this group. WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? Serious side effects from the first two Pfizer doses are exceedingly rare, including heart inflammation that sometimes occurs in younger men. WEREN'T SOME PEOPLE ALREADY ELIGIBLE FOR A THIRD DOSE? Yes, people with severely weakened immune systems were already eligible to get a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna. This group includes people taking immune-suppressing medications and those with diseases that tamp down their immune systems. They didn't have to wait six months to get a third dose. WHAT IF I GOT MODERNA? CAN I GET A PFIZER BOOSTER? Not yet. Health officials say they don't have enough data on mix-and-match vaccinations. Moderna has applied to U.S. health regulators for its own booster, one that would be half the dose of the original shots. The Food and Drug Administration is considering that application. WHAT IF I GOT J&J? People who originally got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson also must wait. The government doesnt recommend mixing-and-matching. J&J hasnt yet filed a booster application. But earlier this week, the company released data showing two doses of its vaccine provided stronger immunity than one whether the extra dose was given either two months or six months after the first. WHERE CAN I GET MY BOOSTER? Health departments, clinics and drugstores are offering boosters, and many people have already gotten them ahead of the official green light. You may have to show your vaccine card. Proving how you qualify is on the honor system. Your word about your risky job or health condition is likely to be enough. ARE BOOSTERS FREE? Yes, shots given under FDAs emergency use authorization are free. And there should be enough supplies. AM I FULLY VACCINATED WITHOUT A BOOSTER? Yes, two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one of J&J, is still considered fully vaccinated. WHY WERE BOOSTERS SO HOTLY DEBATED? The need is not crystal clear. Studies show the vaccines are still offering strong protection against serious illness for all ages. And many experts want to focus attention on getting shots to the unvaccinated, the group most in danger of infection, hospitalization and death. On the other hand, there is a slight drop in the vaccine's effectiveness among the oldest adults. And immunity against milder infection appears to wane months after peoples initial shots. Protecting health care workers from even mild illness may help some hospitals now struggling to care for unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. ARE OTHER COUNTRIES OFFERING BOOSTERS? Britain and Israel are already giving boosters over strong objections from the World Health Organization that poor countries dont have enough for their initial doses. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. On Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul along with a coalition of 17 attorneys general sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security expressing concern over the treatment of thousands of Haitian refugees currently seeking humanitarian aid along the border in Texas. Raoul and the coalition also urged the administration to reevaluate its rush to expel refugees to Haiti. In the letter, Raoul and the coalition called upon the Biden administration to ensure that federal officials treat Haitian refugees with dignity and compassion. The attorneys general also are urging the administration to exercise its authority to give Haitian nationals seeking refuge in the United States the same due process other immigrants and refugees receive by assessing each Haitian refugee on a case-by-case basis, rather than continuing a disparate immigration policy that rushes the repatriation of Haitian refugees to a country that has suffered from political unrest after the assassination of their president and a humanitarian crisis on the heels of a devastating earthquake and tropical storm. "The images of the treatment of Haitian refugees at the border are appalling and upsetting. It is also particularly disturbing that these refugees could face greater harm because they were deprived of the due process other immigrants receive, and instead are being almost immediately repatriated to a country in crisis," Raoul said. "Haitian refugees who have fled trauma and extreme hardship after several devastating natural disasters and political upheaval following the assassination of their president deserve to be treated with compassion and fairness while seeking refuge in the United States. As an Attorney General and as the proud son of Haitian immigrants, I am calling on our federal government to do better." In recent days, photographs and video have emerged of U.S. immigration officials using inhume tactics, including charging at and attempting to whip Haitian refugees, in Del Rio, Texas. This comes as thousands of refugees continue to flee Haiti as the country faces unprecedented political upheaval following this summers presidential assassination and struggles to rebuild critical infrastructure after a destabilizing August earthquake. In Thursday's letter, Raoul and the coalition commend the federal governments commitment to investigating the inhumane tactics of U.S. immigration officials in Texas and for its recent decision to increase the number of refugees who will be allowed into the United States. However, Raoul and the coalition also expressed concern over the continuation of a summary deportation policy that is forcing many Haitian refugees seeking asylum or other humanitarian assistance in the United States to return to Haiti without any consideration of the legitimacy of their claims for asylum. The attorneys general argue that case-by-case evaluation should factor in both the time a person has been away from Haiti and the circumstances he or she will likely face if forced to return amid Haitis current humanitarian and governance crises. Raoul and the coalition note that the federal government has several tools at its disposal to address the dire conditions Haitian refugees are facing in Del Rio, including the presidents ability to exercise discretionary refugee admission authority during a humanitarian crisis. In the event of an unforeseen emergency refugee situation, the president has authority to designate a number of refugees to be admitted into the United States that is separate from the annual cap on immigrants allowed into the U.S. Raoul and the attorneys general said that the admission of Haitian refugees is justified by the grave humanitarian concerns currently facing the people of Haiti. Raoul and the coalition also suggest that the administration could invoke country-specific measures to allow these migrants to legally remain in the United States while conditions in their country of origin are too hazardous for them to safely return. Additionally, the U.S. attorney general may parole a refugee into the United States. Raoul and the coalition argue that the administration should exercise its discretion, which the law expressly provides, to demonstrate compassion and fairness in the treatment of those Haitians seeking refuge in our country. ALTON St. Louis Regional Airport Director David C. Miller will lead this years Alton Halloween Parade as grand marshal. I thought it was quite an honor to be able to do this, said Miller, who received the request from fellow RiverBend Growth Association board member John Keller, also a member of the East End Improvement Association and its Alton Halloween Parade committee. The EEIA has put on the annual Alton Halloween Parade since 1916. This years parade starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, along the Broadway corridor beginning at the intersection of Washington and Broadway. Ive marched in a lot of parades with bands, but this is the first time to be up front, Miller said. Ive seen a lot of grand marshals drive past me, but this is the first time to be one. The very next day, Oct. 31, Miller will march with the Edwardsville Municipal Band in the Edwardsville Halloween Parade. Miller, of East Alton, accepted the unanimous parade committee nomination Thursday at the monthly RBGA Board of Directors meeting. David Miller has gladly and humbly accepted our invitation to be the 2021 Alton Halloween parade marshal, Keller told EEIA members Thursday. He thanks you all for the honor. Miller, RBGA chairman in 2009, also attends the RGBA past chairs board meeting, which acts as the executive board for the RBGA Board of Directors. Since high school in Salina, Kansas, Miller, 78, has marched in parades. This is the first time I get to ride, he said. Miller plays a variety of clarinets and alto and tenor saxophone. He also is a member of the Granite City Municipal Band and the Dixie Dudes and Dance. He was a past clarinet player with the Alton Symphony Orchestra and is a past president and treasurer of the group. Miller also serves on the board of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois, and on its committees of military affairs and Southwest Illinois Transportation Enhancements, as well as the board of the Southwest Illinois Trade and Investment Council. Miller has been involved in a background capacity each year in the Alton Halloween Parade as a volunteer ham radio operator and member of the Lewis and Clark Radio Club for amateur radio operators. Club members help coordinate the Halloween parade procession and hams are embedded along the parade route as a volunteer constant communications system, contributing to the smooth flow and operation of the parade. Miller was the past volunteer emergency coordinator for Madison Countys Amateur Radio Emergency Services and also maintained the countys status as an official emergency station under the auspices of Madison County Emergency Management. He also is on the board and past chairman of the Illinois Public Airport Association and sits on the board of the Great Rivers and Routes of Southwest Illinois tourism bureau. A few years ago, Miller was honored by the Metro Area Professional Organization as a business leader. He will ride in the parade accompanied by his wife, Cora, with whom he does extensive volunteer work for the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary in Alhambra which rescues wild mustang horses. He adopted a wild mustang which he named Gabriel, after the archangel, and his goal is to allow Gabe to provide equine therapy for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder for a program that LMS currently is working to provide. Miller is an Air Force veteran whose military duties included flying and nonflying duties. He retired as a major. Music has always been a part of Millers life. His grandfather, C.F. Frank Lebow, was a Salina music teacher who played under the direction of John Philip Sousa. In a full-circle moment, Miller directed some of his grandfathers music in the Granite City Muny Band, as well as the Salina Muny Band, which Lebow directed for 12 years. I brought my clarinet to Salina, where I still play in the muny and civic bands, and I get to rehearsal, Miller recalled, and the director brought one of C.F. Lebows numbers. You could have blown me away with a paper straw when the director asked, Would you like to direct your grandfathers march? I received the baton, he recalled. I was further surprised the night of the concert with he did the same thing. He said, C.F. Lebows grandson is playing with us tonight, again hands me the baton, and says, Mister Miller, conduct. ALTON Work on a street mural is set to start Sunday at the intersection of State and 3rd streets in Alton. From nearby outdoor dining areas, people are welcome to observe artist Joe Miller at work and view the mural upon completion. Creation of the mural will begin Sunday, Sept. 26; the project is expected to take three to five days. State Street from Broadway to 4th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the installation. The mural is expected to last a decade or more before requiring maintenance. Economically speaking, street art is a huge draw for residents and tourists alike, said Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street. Visitors to the district will translate into shoppers and diners for our local businesses, she said. The addition of this colorful and intriguing piece of art to our urban environment will also serve to highlight the cultural vibrancy of Alton and demonstrate that our community is evolving and thriving. Originally from Staunton and now based in Chicago, Miller attended Lewis & Clark Community College and went on to receive his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Chicago in 2008. A professional muralist, his work consists primarily of large-scale mural projects throughout the Chicagoland area although his art has appeared both in the U.S. and around the world. In a released statement, Miller said his work titled The Alton Ripple reflects the Mississippi Rivers affect on Alton. He said the rivers constant flow doesnt allow for much of a traditional splash or ripple but the city has provided its own consistent state of flow, outwardly to the world and most certainly within its city limits. This city has provided a unique vibrance in the southwest corner of Illinois for longer than most of us can and will be able to remember, he said. No town in the Alton area, Illinois or Missouri, possesses such a reputation as Altons past provides, and that is clearly evident to every Alton resident and visitor. Miller said Alton has been on his mind since he left the area almost 20 years ago. Something about Alton is special, he said. It could be a combination of history, topography, jaw dropping truths or even haunted rumors, the people and most certainly the curiosity of the future. Ive never known exactly what, but it just is a special place, he said. He said a ripple is often viewed as an object intersecting a body of still water, such as a pond or small lake. But in Alton, the ripple is evident even when paired next to one of the worlds strongest currents. He said his street installation will attempt to abstractly represent the ripple, broken down into individual molecules. The Alton Ripple is structured in a repetition of vibrancy that not only represents the body of water but the vast nature of the people that have intersected with the city. According to Miller, the colorful dots flare outward like rings from a center point and pulse because the radiant progression encourages it. These individual colors wouldnt have nearly the effect unless, sequentially placed side by side, they can represent a movement and an interest in the waves of past, present and future, he said. The Alton Ripple will provide us the possibility to intersect with an appreciation of the ground level roots and excitement about Altons future ripple. In addition to beautifying a public space, the street mural is designed to calm traffic, increasing the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. McGibany said public art also benefits urban environments by generating relationships between constituents and businesses while increasing economic revenue. For more about Miller, visit www.instagram.com/thejoemiller. For more about Alton Main Street visit www.DowntownAlton.com. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. MEG BEAL, Westerly volleyball, senior: Beal had 13 aces and 28 assists in three Westerly victories. Beal also contributed 15 digs for the Bulldogs. ZOOT BOSCHWITZ, Chariho football, senior: Boschwitz completed 14 of 16 passes for 176 yards in the Chargers 42-6 win over Central Falls/Blacksone Valley Prep. Boschwitz threw three touchdown passes. MADDIE PERKINS, Wheeler girls soccer, senior: Perkins scored two goals and assisted on another in the Lions 3-0 victory against Tourtellotte. WILL SAWIN, Stonington boys soccer, senior: Sawin, a senior, scored four goals and assisted on three others in a pair of Stonington victories. For the season, Sawin has 11 goals and 10 assists for the Bears. Vote View Results After a week when the nation has been unhappily exposed to Britain's appalling energy security, events 7,000 miles away in China may appear remote from ordinary lives. As we learned from Covid, what begins in China should never be ignored. The potential implosion of the Evergrande property empire is not life-threatening. But there is a risk that, similarly to the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management in the 1990s and Lehman Brothers in 2008, it could develop into a financial shock. A sign of the times: As we learned from Covid, what begins in China should never be ignored China's remarkable emergence as the world's second-largest economic power unleashed a Wild West-style capitalism as far from Marxism as one could imagine. The current supreme leader Xi Jinping is clear that he thinks rampant capitalism has gone too far. In the last ten days President Xi has sought to crush the money-leaking casino culture of Macau and tackled the exuberance of bitcoin and crypto-currency. So far he has shown minimal inclination to regard a collapse of Evergrande as a case of too big to fail. What those of us in the West will recognise is that most financial crises have roots in property. There is a propensity among bankers and speculators to think that the only route for the price of real estate is northwards. Evergrande casts a light upon how very little we know about China's byzantine financial system. It shows why Western institutions need to be super-cautious about becoming too entangled. Banking assets in China are estimated at $50trillion (36trillion) and that's before the enormous and unregulated shadow finance system is considered. Credit provided to households and consumers rocketed from 178 per cent of total output a decade ago to 287 per cent today. Evergrande is at the vortex of this credit tornado. It owes $305billion (223billion) to lenders, and investors fear a collapse could send shockwaves through Chinese markets and beyond. The origins of the current precariousness is a debt ratio cap imposed on the Chinese property sector last year. The restrictions forced Evergrande and others into a sale of land in a falling market as they sought to meet new rules. The clampdown is having a destabilising impact in China and Hong Kong not dissimilar to the US sub-prime mortgage meltdown which was at the core of the 2008 financial crisis. Local governments in China are estimated to account for 89 per cent of government spending. They derive 40 per cent of their revenues from land sales. A hit to underlying asset values and loans made to real estate projects could cascade through the whole economy, potentially triggering a series of collapses. The only encouraging aspect of this is that Evergrande's debt, unlike the repackaged and securitised mortgages of 2008, does not appear to have been scattered across global banking system like cluster bombs ready to detonate at the same time. A relatively modest $20billion (14.6billion) of the debt is reckoned to be with offshore banks. A default would mean some very damaging write-offs for regional lenders but should be containable. It is the impact on global confidence which is most worrying and at times in the last week, as payments have been missed or made, markets have been roiled. China's central bank has sought to limit disruption by following the classic remedy of injecting cash into the money markets. Evergrande has missed a critical bond interest payment and stands on the brink of default. The rickety foundations of Chinese finance haunt us all. Georgieva's error China could cost the managing director of the International Monetary Fund her job. In her previous role as chief executive at the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva is accused of pressurising staff in 2017 into boosting the country's position in the 'doing business' rankings an effort to court Beijing as the Bank sought new capital. Even innocent observers could not but notice how successive leaders of both institutions have curried favour by obsessively calling on state-controlled Chinese media at press briefings on the global economy. Georgieva disputes the findings of an independent report by a law firm. But integrity of research and data lies at the core of what the Bretton Woods institutions do. The FTSE 100 closed down 26.87 points at 7051.48 and the pound was at $1.37 against the dollar. Outsourcing giant Mitie has upped its profit guidance to between 145million and 155million in the current financial year after winning more Covid-linked contracts in recent months. The Mexican-themed restaurant chain Tortilla has declared its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange next month in order to expand to 45 more sites over the next five years. The UK Government is planning to make it illegal for owners of restaurants, bars and cafes to withhold tips left for staff, potentially helping around two million workers. Outsourcing giant Mitie has raised its profit guidance for the year following another successful quarter that was buoyed by new Covid-related contracts. The firm now expects to earn operating profits before other items of between 145million and 155million this financial year, even as it forecasts revenues from these contracts to drop in the second half of the year. It has also kept expectations for next year unchanged until it can determine how much it will benefit from coronavirus-related services and the extent to which business recovers in its technical services division. New business: Mitie has gained contracts from government bodies such as the Department for Work & Pensions, the Ministry of Defence's estate management body, and some NHS trusts Since the pandemic began, Mitie has helped deliver services at Covid-19 testing sites across the UK, supplied fever-screening technology for businesses, and provided security for virus quarantine hotels. Outside of coronavirus contracts, the group said that trade was behaving in line with expectations as the economy reopens and workers commute back to the office. The firm has gained contracts from some government departments such as the Department for Work & Pensions, the Ministry of Defence's estate management body, and some NHS trusts to deliver catering and cleaning services. Last week, it declared a new five-year deal worth 2.4million annually with Swansea University to provide services including cleaning, waste management and grounds maintenance. Aside from gaining new contracts, Mitie has been acquiring businesses. It bought Gloucestershire-based telecoms infrastructure group DAEL Ventures UK for 15million in August. On buying the company, one senior Mitie official said it was 'broadening and deepening our telecoms offering which will benefit both our customers and the UK and Ireland's wider mobile network as we support the rollout of 5G.' Purchase spree: Aside from gaining new contracts, Mitie has been acquiring new business. It bought telecoms infrastructure group DAEL Ventures UK for 15million in August At the end of last year, it also grew its employee count to 77,500 after making a 120million purchase of Interserve's facilities management arm, which the firm said today is 'performing well.' Mitie added that Interserve's planned 'integration is on track, with the exit of the Transitional Services Agreement expected to be completed in November, and synergies are being delivered in line with our plan.' The company further announced that it had agreed to a new revolving credit facility 'on significantly more favourable terms' with its five banks, three of whom are Lloyds Bank, Santander and NatWest. The new 150million facility runs for four years from this month, but there is an option to extend for another year. It replaces a 250million facility that the business agreed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite gaining new business, Mitie has had its fair share of problems during the pandemic, partly caused by losing out on office contracts after millions of people started working from home. Some investors also voted against a proposal to award chief executive Phil Bentley a potential bonus of up to 5.7million if Mitie hits specific performance targets. Shares in Mitie Group ended trading 1.7 per cent higher at 72.1p on Friday. Peel Hunt is looking to cash in on the London stock market bonanza in a listing that values the broker at 280m. It has raised 112m ahead of a float that it will use to expand into Europe and invest in new technology. Peel Hunt's shares will begin trading on AIM on Wednesday at 228p. Its bumper listing is set to turn many of its 250 staff into paper millionaires, while chief executive Steven Fine could make 20m from his 7 per cent stake. Fine said he was 'delighted with the positive reception to our IPO, with strong support from institutional investors as well as retail investors'. Boost: Peel Hunt has raised 112m ahead of a float that it will use to expand into Europe and invest in new technology He added: 'I'm also extremely pleased that even more of our dedicated and talented staff are now shareholders following their participation in the employee share offer and would like to thank them for their commitment in making the business the success it is.' The decision to go public comes after its earnings have soared amid a frenzy of fundraisings and floats since the pandemic struck. Many companies rushed to raise cash during the start of the Covid crisis last year, while more recently there has been a surge in flotations and merger and acquisition activity as worries have eased. All of this has proved lucrative for brokers such as Peel Hunt that earn fees for advising their clients on deals and fundraisings. At the same time its platforms are behind a big portion of retail trades placed by small investors. Revenues at Peel Hunt rocketed to 197m in the 12 months to the end of March, up from 96m the year before. The group provides financial services such as broking, distributing research and advising on share sales for small and medium-sized listed companies. It is the second time the group will have been listed on the junior market. The company was briefly on AIM in 2000 before it was taken over by Belgian firm KBC Bank less than a year later. Peel Hunt was set up in 1989 by Charles Peel, a descendent of the founder of the Metropolitan Police, and Christopher Holdsworth Hunt. In 2010 bosses led a 74m management buyout that saw the company's top executives, staff and investors, including the insurance supremo Neil Utley, take over the business. Yesterday, Mexican fast food chain Tortilla also announced that it too plans to join AIM. The company, which has 62 sites in the UK and the Middle East, plans to open another 45 sites over the next five years. This will include several delivery-only kitchens. As well as London, it has branches in other UK cities such as Edinburgh and Exeter. Tortilla said it could benefit from an increasing number of empty shops that now have more affordable rents. A coalition of defeated parliamentary candidates in Moscow who allege they were cheated of victory in a parliamentary election by a crooked online voting system said on Thursday they would try to overturn the results via lawsuits and public pressure. Some of the defeated candidates, most of whom are Communists, have called on voters to gather in Moscow on Saturday after eight parliamentary seats where the Communists had been ahead suddenly flipped to the ruling United Russia party once online voting results were added in. United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, won a bigger than expected parliamentary majority despite unease over living standards, interim official results showed. The authorities have said Saturdays planned meeting is illegal due to restrictions on public events related to COVID-19. The central election commission, which has said the vote was exceptionally clean and transparent, is due to formally approve the election results on Friday. The Kremlin said the election had been competitive, open and honest. In a statement published on Facebook on Thursday, the defeated candidates said they wanted the authorities to annul the results of electronic voting in Moscow and for the idea of electronic voting to be abandoned for future elections. On Sept. 17-19 (when the election was held) millions of citizens of our country had their votes stolen, said the statement. Therefore we, candidates from various political forces, have formed a committee to annul the electronic voting results. The statement was signed by Communist party candidates and candidates from the liberal Yabloko party, among others. At least two of them said police had come to their homes to warn them about the consequences of disturbing public order. The statement cited plans to hold a nationwide protest against what the committee believes is the rigged outcome of the election. No specific date was mentioned. BLACK BOX Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny had advised people to vote for some of the defeated candidates in a tactical voting campaign designed to try to thwart United Russia. Russian election officials, who promoted online voting as a transparent blockchain-based system, deny any fraud. They see online voting, which was used in a nationwide election for the first time, as a success which could be expanded ahead of a presidential election in 2024. We need to use the practice as widely as possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday. But critics said that, at least in Moscow, online voting turned out to be a black box with very limited access to the data even for election officials. Three members of an election commission set up for the Moscow online vote told Reuters that laptops designed for monitoring the voting process were cut off from the system when it was supposed to start the vote count. Given that the results of the count were delayed until the next morning, that raised their suspicions. Eventually, results arrived at the commission in PDF-files with no signs that they had any relation to actual voting, Anna Lobonok, an election commission member nominated by the Communist party, said. I did not understand where the figures came from, she said, adding that calculations appear to have been made by technical specialists of a Moscow government department, which developed the online voting platform. Lobonok filed a complaint demanding the online voting results be annulled. A website set up for public monitoring of the online voting also stopped updating the data during the decryption of votes cast at night after the election. SOURCE: REUTERS The latest in New York politics This article was featured in the Capitol Confidential newsletter. Sign up here to get it each morning. State health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, who received both criticism and accolades for his leadership in handling the coronavirus pandemic in New York, resigned his position on Thursday in a letter sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul. (TU) The reaction to the announced resignation of Zucker, an ally of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, rung in a victory lap moment for Republicans lawmakers who have been calling for his departure for months. A handful of progressive Democrats also chimed in, but largely stayed out of the conversation. (TU) BOLTON Gov. Kathy Hochul expects to reveal a plan to address the developing situation in the health care field as thousands of unvaccinated public-facing workers face the state's Monday deadline to receive at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. "It is still my hope that as the hours tick down, more people will realize they have a responsibility to protect their patients and their fellow workers," Hochul said Friday morning following her appearance before the Business Council of New York State at The Sagamore resort on Lake George. "So we're hoping that the number of people vaccinated will go up in the next few days, but we are very aggressively putting together a comprehensive strategy to address this." Hochul told reporters that she is "still working on the legality of what I will need to do," but expects those plans to firm up and be ready to be released by Monday. Under the mandate, health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes have no option to test out rather than receive the vaccine. The governor did not elaborate on her plans in the brief Q&A with reporters before heading up to Lake Placid for a "climate week"-related announcement. Earlier this week in Rochester, Hochul told reporters that her administration has gotten in touch with the federal State Department seeking visas for foreign workers to help fill "on a limited basis" any potential gap left by the departure of unvaccinated nurses. The main thing is, please get vaccinated, she said. The mandate was imposed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 16. The Times Union has reported Hochul's administration has been in negotiations with major state unions over the vaccination mandate. Officials with the Public Employees Federation, the state's second-largest labor union, held a closed-door mediation session on Wednesday with Hochul. The Civil Service Employees Association, United University Professions and the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association are all in negotiations as well. On Thursday, CSEA filed a petition on behalf of roughly 5,600 members who work in the state's court system seeking an injunction to halt the vaccine mandate scheduled to go into effect on Monday. A judge granted a temporary injunction Friday. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The Sept. 27 deadline also includes State University of New York and City University of New York on-campus students, an element of the mandate that has made far less noise. Another mandate looms after Monday's deadline: Health care workers at home care agencies, hospices and adult care facilities must be vaccinated by Oct. 7, also with no test-out option. "We've also been in touch with many of the health care organizations and let them know that we're not going to leave them hanging and we're going to do the best to ameliorate the situation," Hochul said. Also Friday morning, State Supreme Court Justice Christina Ryba heard oral arguments in another challenge to the mandate brought by plaintiffs identified as the Coalition of Citizens for Medical Choice, whose attorney argued that the state's action was both unnecessary and an improper use of an emergency regulatory process. The state attorney general's office, representing the Health Department, pushed back on that argument while noting that the office had only received the petition a half-hour before the virtual court appearance began. Ryba said she expected to decide on the plaintiff's request for a postponement of the mandate by the end of the day. Rudy Giuliani was reportedly really hurt that Fox News banned him from appearing on the network. He turned to Steve Bannon to elaborate on Friday, telling the former White House adviser that the ban is outrageous. During the taping of his War Room podcast on Friday, Bannon asked Giuliani how the network could put him on double-secret probation, particularly over 9/11 and also ban Giulianis son Andrew, who is running for governor of New York. How does that work? asked Bannon, whos having a banner week of his own. Theres no reason to include Andrew, Giuliani responded. Gee, they do a pretty good separation between Hunter Biden and Joe Biden. Its outrageous. After promising for months that the AZ audit would return Trump to the WH, the Dynamic Duo of Disinformation are not happy. Bannon: These elections and these electors are going to be decertified as sure as the turning of the earth. Then Rudy cries about being banned by Fox. pic.twitter.com/p3U5Sla13U Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 24, 2021 The news of Giulianis ban, which will last at least three months, was reported Friday morning by Politico. The story noted that Andrew Giuliani was also banned, which a Fox News spokesperson denied to Rolling Stone. The story also claimed that Giuliani was scheduled to appear on Fox & Friends on the morning of 9/11, and that host Pete Hegseth called Giuliani the night before to inform him that hed been cut from the show. Fox News denied this, as well, claiming that Giuliani was not scheduled to appear on Fox & Friends the morning of 9/11. Fox News did not, however, deny that Giuliani had been banned. They merely declined to comment. The ban, network bookers have been told, comes from the top, per Politicos sources. Giuliani and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. So what finally got Rudy kicked off of Fox News after years of erm questionable behavior? It appears that the bridge too far for Fox News was when Giuliani landed the channel in legal trouble. While working as Trumps lawyer to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, Giuliani pushed debunked claims about Dominion Voting Systems, accusing the company of being part of a broader effort to rig the election in Joe Bidens favor. Trumps legal team pushed claims that Dominion had ties to liberal mega-donors, as well as to communists in Venezuela. (These claims that already been debunked internally by the Trump campaign itself at the time that the legal team was making them.) Dominion did not take kindly to these claims and is suing Giuliani for making them. But the company has also hit Fox News with a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Politico notes that senior Trump aides have also had difficulty landing appearances on the network, as has Bernie Kerik, Giulianis former police commissioner. I think this was another demonstration of Foxs cowering to the far left, he told Politico of the networks decision to exclude Giuliani from its 9/11 coverage. The ban is the latest embarrassment in a reputational nosedive for the former mayor of New York. Earlier this week, he was offering promotional codes for discounted pillows on his Twitter account. David Black thought that the process of writing his latest book would take six to nine weeks. He would conduct a few interviews, then succinctly write up a true story about medical malpractice. Then he met Carol Stern and realized this was a love story. The book ended up taking four years to write, said Black from his home in Ghent. I conducted numerous interviews with Carol, and if the book has any virtue its due to her. Shes the perfect interview subject because shes a truth-teller. She allowed me to feel safe when I would ask her the most difficult and personal questions. ... Shes a remarkable person and a force of nature. The book, Ripped Apart: Living Misdiagnosed (Skyhorse Publishing), tells the harrowing story of Gary and Carol Sterns fight against medical malpractice in the American health care system. It describes the agony Gary endured from a misdiagnosed perforated ulcer, which would lead him to spend three years with his internal organs on the outside of his body. Carol provided so much insight into what she and Gary went through, Black said. None of the medical providers would listen to him. Though nonfiction, the book is written like a novel. I wanted the reader to experience the true horror of what Gary and Carol went through, and also their true love, Black said. Gary should have died numerous times along the way, but Carol kept him going. Shed often say, Im not going to let you go till youre ready. Garys answer, Carol told him, was Im not going to be ready till youre taken care of. Garys brother David also supported him through the journey. This whole family is amazing and very close, Black said. Thats one of the most important aspects of the book: the support Gary had from these people who really loved him. In Blacks estimation, Carol Stern never cared about how much money she might receive from the medical malpractice case she successfully pursued. What she did care about was letting people know how much she and her husband had suffered, and how it never should have happened. Hopefully when people read this book, theyll understand how important it is to ask questions of their doctors and come to a complete understanding of what their medical procedure is going to be, Black said. In his research, Black found a 2014 Journal of the American Medical Association study that estimated up to 50 percent of all hospital deaths were connected to sepsis. The study also said 7.5 million unnecessary surgeries and procedures are performed every year. Black added his amazement about how little training medical schools provide on medical ethics issues. Hospitals are kind of schizophrenic, he said. On the one hand they are there to help us with our health, both physically and mentally, but most hospitals are (also) bureaucracies concerned about money. Those two things dont go together. Ive heard from quite a few readers how this book has changed the way they take medical advice. Theyre more skeptical now, and I think thats a good thing. The book is the latest from a writer who has had a prolific career as an award-winning journalist, novelist, screenwriter, poet and playwright. Blacks television work includes writing for Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues and Law & Order. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Ive always seen myself as a storyteller, he said. Theres David Black the biographer, David Black the mystery writer, David Black the medical writer and David Black who writes for television. Im not a brand name as a writer because I dont have a clear identity. Ive never been typecast, and thats OK. He said television, as an industry, is always looking for new young writers. I can still go out to LA and get some work, but Im happy to write here in Ghent. ... I still have connections with a producer friend of mine and I can get a project going if Im excited about it. Black is just about to finish a two-hour television script based on Ripped Apart: Living Misdiagnosed. Ill send what Ive written to my producer, who will then look for a star actor or actress or star director. Im still amazed I get paid to write. Id do it for free, he added. Just dont tell them. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) While Kentucky's prolonged surge of COVID-19 cases has shown signs of leveling off, overstressed hospitals can't sustain the current pace of seriously ill virus patients, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday as he pleaded with people to take preventive steps. The governor who had much of his pandemic-fighting authority taken away by lawmakers stressed that the more Kentuckians who get vaccinated and wear masks when indoors in public, the "faster we can get this thing on the way down. We are hoping that, in the very least, we are plateauing in terms of new cases," Beshear said in offering a ray of optimism amid a period that turned into the state's worst COVID-19 escalation. "Certainly our hope is that we will start to see a decrease. But Kentucky remains in a "very dangerous situation, he warned, as the highly contagious delta variant makes younger Kentuckians sicker and as hospital intensive care units are still inundated with virus patients, many on ventilators. If we plateau at the level were at right now, we cannot sustain it in our hospitals," the governor said. "It is too much, with too many people sick. On Thursday, Beshear reported 4,099 new COVID-19 cases and 44 more virus-related deaths. Two-thirds of Kentucky's hospitals continue to deal with critical staffing shortages, he said. Meanwhile, most coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated people. Kentucky recently reached another vaccination milestone with 70% of Kentuckians eligible to receive COVID-19 shots having received at least one dose. Some prominent Senate Republicans have urged the Democratic governor to call lawmakers back for another special legislative session to funnel aid to hospitals struggling to overcome those chronic staffing shortages. Nancy Galvagni, president of the Kentucky Hospital Association, told a legislative panel on Wednesday that hospitals are paying significantly more to retain and recruit health care workers to try to keep up with the virus-related demand. Our hospitals tell me that they cannot sustain the amounts theyre having to pay for staffing, she said. Kentuckys hospitals lost about $1 billion last year due to increased pandemic costs, despite receiving federal assistance, Galvagni said. Hospitals are looking to the state government for help, she said, noting that several other states have used a portion of their federal pandemic aid to help their hospitals overcome staffing shortages. Resources are strained, and hospitals large and small ... are all saying that they need help, she said. Republican Sen. Ralph Alvarado urged the governor to call lawmakers into a special session to tackle the staffing issue, saying: The longer we wait, the worse this problem is going to get. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Because this isnt the last surge for COVID-19," he said. If necessary, lawmakers could redirect previously appropriated funds to assist hospitals, he said. Beshear responded Thursday that lawmakers haven't offered a plan on where the money would come from or specifics about how the aid program would work. Before he called a previous pandemic-related special session this month, he had multiple meetings with legislative leaders and proposals were exchanged, Beshear said. Such consensus-building is typical before a special session, but none of that has occurred for a session to assist hospitals, he said. I think a lot of this is about being unwilling to truly do what it would take and it wouldnt cost us a dime to alleviate this crisis in hospitals," the governor said. "And thats require masking. Masking has flattened the curve every single surge weve had, and when I had the power to do it, we prevented our hospitals from being overrun. Beshear lost much of his authority to unilaterally combat the pandemic when the GOP-led legislature limited the governors emergency powers. The state Supreme Court upheld the legislatures actions, and lawmakers set pandemic policies in the recent special session. They scrapped the statewide school mask mandate and put a ban on any statewide mask rules until June 2023. The governor on Thursday touted efforts by his administration to assist overburdened hospitals. That includes deploying more than 500 Kentucky National Guard members to 29 Kentucky hospitals. ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic WASHINGTON (AP) Speaking in personal terms, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said extensive news media coverage of the disappearance and death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito while on a cross-country trip should be a reminder of hundreds of Native American girls and women who are missing or murdered in the United States. Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, said that her heart goes out to Petito's family, but that she also grieves for so many Indigenous women'' whose families have endured similar heartache for the last 500 years.'' The search for Petito generated a whirlwind of news coverage, especially on cable television, as well as a frenzy of online sleuthing, with tips, possible sightings and theories shared by the hundreds of thousands on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. The Florida woman, who disappeared while on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend, was found dead at the edge of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Authorities have determined she was a homicide victim. A report prepared for the state of Wyoming found that at least 710 Native Americans were reported missing between 2011 and late 2020. Between 2010 and 2019, the homicide rate per 100,000 for Indigenous people was 26.8, eight times higher than the homicide rate for white people, the report said. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo Laguna tribe, said she has frequently seen Native American family members posting pictures on fences and the sides of buildings to help locate missing girls or women. When that happens, you know I see my sisters,'' she told reporters Thursday at a news conference. I see my mother. I see my aunties or my nieces or even my own child. So I feel that every woman and every person who is in this victimized place deserves attention and deserves to be cared about.'' A former New Mexico congresswoman, Haaland pushed for a law signed last year to address the crisis of missing, murdered and trafficked Indigenous women. The law, known as Savannas Act, is intended to help law enforcement track, solve and prevent crimes against Native Americans, especially women and girls. The law is named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a member of the Spirit Lake tribe who was abducted and killed in 2017 near Fargo, North Dakota. Greywind, 22, was pregnant, and her unborn baby was cut from her body. Her remains were found in the Red River. Haaland said she sees her mission as interior secretary in part as a way to elevate attention on Native American issues. I feel like its my job to lift up this issue as best I can. And hopefully, the folks who are writing the news, and broadcasting the news will understand that these women are also friends, neighbors, classmates and work colleagues,'' she said. Haaland stressed that her comments were not intended to downplay the pain suffered by Petito's family. Anytime a woman faces assault, rape, murder, kidnapping any of those things its very difficult and my heart goes out to any family who has to endure that type of pain,'' she said. And so, of course, my heart goes out to the young woman who was found in Wyoming.'' Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, Haaland said, but "where I can make a difference in particular is in addressing the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis, which has occurred since the beginning of colonization of Indigenous people on this continent for about the last 500 years and it continues.'' Haaland created a Missing & Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services earlier this year and has established a joint commission of national tribal leaders and experts, led by the Interior and Justice departments, to reduce violent crime against American Indians and Alaska Natives. Haaland also ordered Interior to investigate its past oversight of Native American boarding schools that forced hundreds of thousands of children from their families and communities. The primary goal of this work is to share the truth of this dark chapter in our nations history, so that we can begin to heal,'' Haaland said. A written report is expected next year. DEL RIO, Texas (AP) No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people most of them Haitians had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. It's a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing connecting Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. At a news conference, Del Rio Mayor Buno Lozano called it phenomenal news. Many face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. The devastating 2010 earthquake forced many of them from their homeland. The United States and Mexico appeared eager to end the increasingly politicized humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the way the agents used their horses was horrible and that people will pay as a result. The agents have been assigned to administrative duties while the administration investigates. There will be consequences, Biden told reporters. Its an embarrassment, but its beyond an embarrassment its dangerous, its wrong, it sends the wrong message around the world and sends the wrong message at home. Its simply not who we are. Later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke cautiously about the pending investigation into the use of horses. Asked about the discrepancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was not prejudging an outcome. He was speaking from the heart. She said he is not interfering with any investigation. Mayorkas said about 2,000 Haitians have been rapidly expelled on 17 flights since Sunday and more could be expelled in coming days under pandemic powers that deny people the chance to seek asylum. He said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal. Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Friday, with seven planned Saturday and six Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. In Mexico, just over 100 migrants, most of them single men, remained Friday morning in the riverside camp in Ciudad Acuna. Dozens of families who had been there crossed back to Del Rio overnight after Mexican authorities left the area. With the river running higher, some Border Patrol agents helped families who were struggling to cross with children. Some migrants also moved to small hotels or private homes in Ciudad Acuna. Authorities detained six migrants at one on Thursday afternoon. Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles west along Mexico's border with California. The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said. Asked about the situation in Ciudad Acuna on Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, we dont want Mexico to be a migrant camp, we want the problem to be addressed fully. At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket. A man whod driven almost 1,500 miles from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family wore a neon yellow vest and quietly scanned the line of Haitian migrants. Dave, who didnt want to share his last name, didnt see them in this group. I feel like my friend is worth my time to come down and help, he said, explaining that he wore the vest so his friend a nurse whom hed met on a humanitarian trip to Haiti over a decade ago would be able to spot him in the crowd when she arrived with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. I just see it as an opportunity to serve somebody, said Dave, who considers himself a Trump supporter but hates how politicized the immigration issue has become. We have so much. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Lozano, the Del Rio mayor, said the international bridge won't reopen until Sunday night at the earliest, while officials ensure nobody is hiding in the brush along the Rio Grande and to finish cleanup. Officials also want to be sure no other large groups of migrants are making their way to the Del Rio area who might decide to set up a similar camp, he said. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rios hospital. It took an urban village at this scale to help prevent any loss of life and actually welcome the births of children here, Lozano said. The government has no plans to stop expelling some migrants on public health grounds despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants. A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed. Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided there to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there. The Biden administration's special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday protesting the inhumane large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants. Foote, who was appointed in July, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he was stepping down immediately with deep disappointment and apologies to those seeking crucial changes, and said some of his policy recommendations had been ignored. State Department spokesman Ned Price disputed Footes assertions, saying his proposals had been fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. The humanitarian group UNICEF also condemned the expulsions, saying Thursday that initial estimates show more than two out of three migrants expelled to Haiti are women and children, including newborns. Haiti is reeling from the triple tragedy of natural disasters, gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEFs executive director, who said those sent back without adequate protection find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement factors that drove them to migrate in the first place. And Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who toured the camp on Thursday, vowed to stand with our people and make sure asylum is treated in one way and one manner. ___ Maria Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. AP journalists Sarah Morgan in Del Rio, Texas; Ben Fox and Nancy Benac in Washington; Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story. ALBANY A woman whose mother died of COVID-19 after contracting the disease while residing in a nursing home run by St. Peters Health Partners is suing the health care network for negligence, medical malpractice and wrongful death in a case that may test the strength of a law enacted last year to shield medical and long-term care facilities from liability involving coronavirus fatalities or injuries. It may be the first lawsuit filed in the Capital Region in which a nursing home is being accused of negligence and liability in connection with a resident's death from symptoms of COVID-19. Tammy Heidelmarks mother, Marion Lagace, was a resident at the St. Peters nursing home on Hackett Boulevard when the pandemic erupted. According to a lawsuit filed this week, Lagace tested positive for the virus on Dec. 29 about nine months after New York reported its first coronavirus case and was admitted to St. Peters hospital for her worsening condition. She died there on Jan. 10. In court documents, Heidelmark and her attorney claim St. Peters is liable for Lagaces death because health care professionals working at the home listed in the case as Jane Does 1-10 had contracted the virus and allegedly infected Lagace after they failed to abide by state and federal guidelines to protect residents. St. Peters Health Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Heidelmark is seeking punitive damages based on the facilitys grossly reckless, willful and wanton conduct during the pandemic, alleging failures to wear, provide and mandate personal protective equipment, enforce social distancing, restrict visitors in a timely fashion, implement guidelines or properly clean the home. A culmination of these factors, the lawsuit alleges, caused her mother to suffer catastrophic injuries, extreme conscious pain, suffering and mental anguish, which precipitated her death. The St. Peters nursing home and rehabilitation center was documented as having 151 positive cases and 16 virus-related deaths as of this month. The lawsuit was filed in state Supreme Court in Albany. Last year, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo faced criticism after he enacted the Emergency or Disaster Treatment Protection Act, giving health care centers and its employees including nursing homes immunity from lawsuits seeking damages as a result of the quality of care for someone afflicted with coronavirus. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. State lawmakers walked back the law and repealed it earlier this year, around the time Cuomo came under fire for his alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. His mishandling of the crisis and a slew of sexual harassment claims against him led to his resignation last month. State Attorney General Letitia James, in a report on nursing homes issued by her office in January, concluded that the exemption from liability provide(d) financial incentives to for-profit nursing home operators to put residents at risk of harm by refraining from investing public funds to obtain sufficient staffing to meet residents care needs, to purchase sufficient PPE for staff, and to provide effective training to staff to comply with infection control protocols during pandemics and other public health emergencies." Attorney Joseph Ciaccio, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Heidelmark, said that despite Lagaces death occurring in January, before the immunity provision was repealed, the timeline of the legislation into law by Cuomo should not impact the case. The attorney said he plans to address it by arguing the new law repealing the liability shield should be applied retroactively. Even if this law still applied, the claims related to grossly negligent conduct would not be covered under the previous immunity law, he said. Ciaccio said he will wait for St. Peter's to respond to the claim before deciding whether to challenge the constitutionality of the immunity shield or the authority invoked by the state to enact the measure. Heidelmarks case is not the first of its kind for Ciaccios office. He said his law firm, Napoli Shkolnik, which is based in Manhattan, has filed similar claims in New York. OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Department of Health says it will immediately start offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to certain people after recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups. State health officials said Friday that at least six months after completing the primary Pfizer vaccine series, people age 65 and older; people age 18 and older living in a long-term care setting; and people age 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions or at increased risk of social inequities, should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials say there are not yet recommendations for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Biden urges COVID-19 booster shots for those now eligible CDC: Studies show masks lessen school outbreaks More rental aid is reaching U.S. tenants to stave off eviction EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SANTA FE, N.M. -- Recriminations about face-mask mandates are creating new tension between Democratic candidates in the election campaign for mayor in Santa Fe. In a flier distributed by mail Friday, incumbent Mayor Alan Webber highlighted a dissenting vote by mayoral candidate and City Councilor Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler last year in the creation of a city ordinance requiring face masks. The ordinance reinforced a statewide mask mandate from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the early months of the pandemic, before vaccines were available. Vigil Coppler says she considered the ordinance impractical but never opposed state mask requirements and called the ad a distortion. __ LAS VEGAS Thousands of hotel, casino and restaurant workers marched Friday on the Las Vegas Strip to highlight their call for employers to rehire more people who were furloughed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the reopening of casinos and hotels, Culinary Union officials said about one-third of its members or about 21,000 workers remain out of work some 19 months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nevada. Many idled employees have now exhausted public unemployment benefits, they said. Workers in Las Vegas have built the hospitality industry over the Culinary Unions 87 years and they should be centered as the economy recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the union said in a statement ahead of the evening event scheduled to coincide with shift changes on a busy weekend of Strip sports and entertainment. This march is not a protest against any casino company, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said Friday. It is a march, not a strike, rally, action, or a demonstration. Workers chanted full-service restaurants and full-service cleaning as they started marching Friday evening from Flamingo Road on Las Vegas Boulevard where police closed off sections of The Strip. The union statement said the goal was to highlight that hospitality workers are ready to prepare and serve great food in full-service restaurants, make and serve quality drinks and beverages, and ensure guest rooms are cleaned and sanitized daily. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Koreas daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as the country comes off its biggest holiday of the year. The 3,273 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday marked the 81st consecutive day of over 1,000 and were about 840 cases more than the previous one-day record of 2,434 set a day earlier. More than 2,500 of the new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where transmissions have accelerated despite officials enforcing the countrys toughest social distancing rules short of a lockdown since July, banning private social gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. unless participants are fully vaccinated. Officials believe the virus spread further beyond the capital region during the Chuseok holidays, the Korean version of Thanksgiving which began on the weekend and continued through Wednesday, a period during which millions usually travel across the country to meet relatives. Officials say the country may see even bigger daily jumps next week as more people get tested. Less than 45% of a population of more than 51 million were fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska reported more than 1,700 resident COVID-19 cases Friday. But state health officials says that includes reports from earlier this month as they work to clear a backlog that has built up during the latest case surge. Health officials encourage looking at cases by their symptom onset date versus the date they were submitted to the state health department. The state epidemiologist says Alaska is in the biggest surge that it has experienced during the pandemic. A weekly report from the department says the state had more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than it did at the peak of a prior surge late last year. ____ KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii The Ironman World Championship will be held outside Hawaii for the first time in four decades. That is due to uncertainty over whether the Big Island will be able to host the triathlon as scheduled in February because of the coronavirus pandemic. West Hawaii Today reports triathletes will instead head to St. George, Utah, to compete on May 7. Organizers plan to bring the contest back to the islands in October 2022. Ironman participants swim, ride bikes and run a marathon. The first race was held in Honolulu in the 1970s. It moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 1981. ___ BOISE, Idaho An advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over state crisis standards of care guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group Justice in Aging wants the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idahos health care rationing plan. The group in the complaint filed Tuesday says the plan discriminates against older adults by using factors like age in prioritizing which patients may get access to life-saving care. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Greg Stahl says the department was unaware of the complaint. Stahl says Idahos standards are rooted in ethical obligations for care and stewarding resources. ___ HELENA, Mont. Montana hospitals that reach capacity due to a surge in COVID-19 cases may be able to transfer patients to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center west of Helena, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the states request for access to use up to two acute care beds and four medical beds for non-veterans, as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to increase. The beds at Fort Harrison can be used to care for patients with or without COVID-19. The VA will accept patients if it has the capacity and ability to provide required care, Gianfortes office said. The states hospitals reported they were caring for 416 COVID-19 patients on Friday, up from 402 on Thursday. Montana averaged 427 daily hospitalizations in November 2020, before vaccines were available. While making six more beds available is important, Gianforte said, the best solution to this crisis remains Montanans talking with their doctor or pharmacist and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County began making booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine available to eligible population groups Friday following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsement of a third shot for those who got their second shot at least six months ago. Starting today, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster dose at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. County residents seeking the booster shot must bring proof they received two previous Pfizer doses. Eligible groups include people who are 65 years or older, residents of long-term care facilities, people 18 to 64 years old with underlying medical conditions and those 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk. The latter group includes healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and workers in homeless shelters or prisons. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. A federal judge handed down a second blow to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer on Friday ruled Knox County Schools must implement a mask mandate to help protect children with health problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also blocked Lees order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. This is the second time in a week that Lees order has been placed on pause as families and advocates across the state have filed a handful of lawsuits amid spiking coronavirus case numbers in schools. In Shelby County, while the school district had implemented a strict mask mandate, a federal judge indefinitely banned Lees order after families argued the governors executive order endangered their children. It is real, and likely. Knox County students are being infected right now, every day, at a rate of 162 students every day ... and the threat of harm is therefore (immediate), Greer wrote. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. ___ NEW YORK A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was slightly delayed Friday after two hosts of the The View learned they tested positive for the coronavirus just before she was to join them on the set. Co-host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were at the table for the start of the show, but were pulled from the set. Harris, who had planned to join the table, instead was interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. The White House says she didnt have any contact with either host who tested positive. Colleagues said Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated. ___ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from the new K-12 school year bolster the agencys recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study in two Arizona counties found coronavirus outbreaks were almost four times more common at public schools without mask mandates on the first day than at those that re-opened with a masking requirement. Another study found case rates in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than in those where schools had that requirement. These studies lacked data on other measures that could have influenced the results. A third study counted 1,801 coronavirus-related school closures through mid-September, most of them in the South, where many schools opened earlier than those in other regions. Still, 96% of U.S. public schools have remained open with in-person classes, the researchers say, while acknowledging that data from some districts may be missing. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is urging those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection. His plea comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late Thursday. Biden praised the decision and aimed to set aside any unease about the vaccination by saying that he would get his own booster soon. The advisers say boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot. ___ BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. A Jackson County judge has ordered a restaurant in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, to shut down after the owners continued defiance of a mask mandate intended to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, Judge Jennifer Phillips barred Raes Cafe in Blue Springs from operating, rejecting owner Amanda Wohletzs argument of medical exemptions and attempt to operate as a private club. The judge also ordered the cafe to cease operations until it obtained a valid food permit. This month, Judge James Kanatazar ordered a temporarily close after Wohletz ignored a health department order to close because of repeated violations of the countys indoor mask requirement. But the business continued to operate, and its food permit was then suspended. ___ THESSALONIKI, Greece A court in northern Greece sentenced and fined a 37-year-old anti-vaccination campaigner after he demanded his son attend elementary school classes without wearing a mask or undergoing a coronavirus test. The parent, whose name has not been made public, was found guilty of insulting behavior and illegal entry onto state property, Thessaloniki court officials said. His sentence of 15 months in jail was suspended for three years. The court imposed a 300 euro ($350) fine. Under a government mandate, school children in Greece are obliged to wear face masks and use self-test kits distributed weekly by the government at pharmacies. Anti-vaccination campaigners have organized protest rallies in Thessaloniki, Athens and other Greek cities, mostly demonstrating against restrictions in schools and vaccination mandates for health care workers. ___ ROME Italian government workers will be heading back to offices to do their jobs after more than 18 months of remote work as part of coronavirus measures. Premier Mario Draghis office says he signed a decree establishing Oct. 15 to resume in-person work. Thats the same date that all Italian workers either in public or private employment will need a COVID-19 Green Pass to access their workplaces. Many public employees who serve citizens have already been working in offices. Receiving at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, having recovered from the illness in the last six months or presenting a recent negative test will secure the Green Pass. The premiers office says public offices will assure that in-person return will happen in safe conditions. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norways Prime Minister Erna Solberg says most of the national coronavirus restrictions in the Scandinavian country will be eased. The restrictions lifted include the requirement for serving patrons in restaurants and the 1-meter (3.3-feet) social distance rule. Eateries, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to remain open after midnight, schools and kindergartens can return to normal and handshakes will again be allowed, a smiling Health Minister Bent Hoeie said. He stressed Norway will have an increased preparedness and local restriction will be imposed if there was a flareup. Norway is the second Scandinavian country to end the restrictions after Denmark did so on Sept. 10. More than 76% of Norways population of 5.3 million have gotten one vaccine, and nearly 70% have gotten both shots, according to official figures. Call it corona fever: Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, some folks are going a bit crazy. High on the list is the Biden administration, which inexplicably seems to think that its perfectly safe for a vaccinated person to enter the U.S. from Canada if they fly over the border, but not if they drive over it. What prophylactic qualities an aircraft has that an automobile does not is beyond us. And its a bit rich that the United States is taking such a guarded approach to citizens of its neighbor to the north, considering that country has a markedly lower rate of vaccinations against COVID-19. Nearly 69 percent of Canadas population is vaccinated, and the rate is almost 79 percent among people over 12 years old. The overall U.S. rate is just 55 percent, and 64 percent among those over 12. In fact, the land of the free, where vaccination and mask-wearing have been turned into political hot-button issues and contorted by many into matters of personal liberty rather than public health, has the worst vaccination rate among the G7 group of the worlds wealthiest nations. The policy also smacks of classism: Those with hundreds or thousands of dollars to spend on airfare are welcome; those traveling in a more modest fashion are personae non gratae. The victims of this disjointed policy arent just Canadians, but their friends and relatives who live just across the border in the United States, and all the businesses that thrive on commerce with people coming over the border from Canada. Theres been a bipartisan push to reopen the border to land travel from Canada, and we cannot fathom why the administration wont do it. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The federal government, though, is hardly the only entity acting like its a few chapters short of a medical textbook. Theres also the untold numbers of nurses and other health care workers at state-run hospitals who, it seems, are ready to risk suspension or firing next week rather than comply with a mandate to be vaccinated. Gov. Kathy Hochul is right to want health care workers to be vaccinated. With all the other mandates and protocols in hospitals to prevent infection, it is absurd to think that any health care worker, or their unions, would argue for the right to risk patient health by not being vaccinated. No one should have to worry about coming out of a hospital sicker than when they went in. Thats not to say there isnt room for sensible accommodations in cases where its medically necessary if a worker has an underlying health issue that makes getting a vaccine dangerous for them. And its fair to allow an employee suspended over this mandate to use accumulated sick or vacation leave. But to make getting a vaccine about incentives and benefits, as both sides are doing, is overly complicating an issue that should be as simple as this: Barring a real medical excuse, get a vaccine, or find another line of work. Those who think there are all sorts of esoteric fine points to debate here should consider that this week, the U.S reached a grim milestone: About as many Americans have died from COVID-19 as were lost to the 1918-19 flu pandemic. And thanks to the millions of people who wont get vaccinated, we are heading into the second winter of this pandemic not knowing how much worse it will get, again. The following editorial appeared in The Miami Herald: Whats your thinking, Mr. President, about the images of the border agent grabbing and menacing a Haitian migrant with what looks for all the world like a whip, a migrant who, like hundreds of others, seeks to enter this, ahem, land of the free; a hungry migrant who, if you look closely, is bringing food back to his encampment? Not only are the Haitian migrant and his compatriots yearning to breathe free, they are yearning to do so in the very country that bears so much culpability though not all, of course for the unending misery of the Haitian people in their homeland. The same misery to which you are too willing to deport them, using the same public-health excuse as your predecessor, the one who took Central American children away from their migrant parents. Were urging everyone in our own immigrant-loving, immigrant-rich community of Greater Miami to make their cries of displeasure clear to you and your staff, Mr. President. Well make it easy: @POTUS; @VP; @SecMayorkas and @DHS.gov. Call congressional lawmakers at 202-224-3121. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Jen Psaki, your press secretary master of understatement that she is said the images from the incident at the border were horrible to watch. She followed up saying that she needed more information before it was determined whether any action would be taken against the agent, who charged his horse toward the migrant and brandished what Reuters news agency called a lariat and the El Paso Times called a whip: The agent swung his whip menacingly, charging his horse toward the men in the river who were trying to return to an encampment under the international bridge in Del Rio after buying food and water in Ciudad Acua, Mexico. Were not sure if the border agent was channeling his inner massa from all those slave-era movies Hollywood churns out. But were pretty sure that he was just doing his job, following orders. Orders to round up these migrants so that they can be deported., Your orders, ultimately, President Biden. ALBANY A judge on Friday postponed the effective date of a vaccination mandate imposed earlier this month by the state Office of Court Administration that was challenged by the Civil Service Employees Association, the state's largest public workers union. In a decision issued Friday by state Supreme Court Justice Christina Ryba, the state's Unified Court System is "enjoined and restrained from implementing" the mandate on roughly 5,600 CSEA-represented employees before an Oct. 1 hearing. Ryba's seven-page order states there is "reasonable cause to believe that (the state's) unilateral imposition of the mandatory vaccination requirement is an improper practice that violates Civil Service Law" and "potentially implicates a variety of terms and conditions of employment requiring mandatory negotiation, including but not necessarily limited to possible discipline and termination for noncompliance." The decision is one of least two temporary restraining orders that Ryba handed down Friday a second decision, in a case filed by a state assemblyman and five medical professionals in Buffalo, temporarily blocks the state from prohibiting religious exemptions to the mandate. The second case also is set to be argued in court on Oct. 1. The challenges come as the first phase of a vaccination mandate for many state employees, mostly nurses, physicians and other front-facing medical workers, is set to go into effect beginning Monday. It has left thousands of health care workers to prove they have been vaccinated or face suspension and possible termination from their jobs. New York's Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks imposed the vaccination mandate of employees of the Office of Court Administration after the Pfizer-Biotech COVID-19 received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 23. On Friday morning, Ryba heard oral arguments in another challenge to the mandate brought by plaintiffs identified as the Coalition of Citizens for Medical Choice, whose attorney argued that the state's action was both unnecessary and an improper use of an emergency regulatory process. The state attorney general's office, representing the Health Department, pushed back on that argument while noting that the office had only received the petition a half-hour before the virtual court appearance began. It's unclear whether Friday's rulings will prompt the state to postpone its vaccination mandate for all affected workers. Groups of medical professionals and multiple labor unions have challenged the imposition of the vaccination mandates through negotiations, filings with the Public Employment Relations Board and court cases that invoke what they allege are violations of the Constitution and labor laws. Gov. Kathy Hochul has embraced the directive, issued in July by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and on Thursday said her administration would soon announce "a whole series of initiatives to be prepared for a situation on Monday that I hope doesn't happen." On Wednesday, Hochul said that separate agreements with CSEA and PEF would allow nurses and other health care professionals at state-run hospitals to be eligible to work overtime at 2.5 times the normal rate of salary, up from 1.5 times. But that incentive, which would be retroactive to Sept. 16 and last through the end of the year, was not tied to the vaccine mandate: People familiar with the negotiations also said that while Hochul took credit for the agreement, it had been negotiated and already offered to the unions previously by SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, a former top confidant of Cuomo's. In the case filed by CSEA on behalf of 5,600 court administration employees, an attorney for the state argued Thursday that the court officials had worked with union leaders to implement the mandate, including arranging for individuals to "timely file requests for medical or religious exemptions to vaccination (that) will be covered by the testing policy while they await a determination on their exemption." "The court system's vaccine mandate serves an objectively demonstrable need in furtherance of its mission which outweighs any impact of same upon its employees and therefore, its actions in unilaterally implementing such a policy is authorized," Carolyn J. Grimaldi, an attorney for the Office of Court Administration, wrote in a memorandum filed Thursday in state Supreme Court. The health department's mandate affects both public and private health care facilities. Thousands of nurses and other medical professionals have declined to be vaccinated; Hochul on Thursday said that nearly 15 percent of the state's health care workers were not vaccinated. Officials with hospitals and group homes that care for the disabled said a staffing crisis that existed before the coronavirus pandemic will be exacerbated if many of those workers are off the job next week. Many hospitals are already reducing or eliminating elective surgeries, and some are diverting patients to other hospitals to deal with the staffing issues. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Those who have done the right thing don't want to be with people who are not vaccinated. ... They're entitled to a safe workplace as well," Hochul said, adding that patients also have a right to know the people who are caring for them have been vaccinated. Health care industry officials, including many private hospitals, are separately making plans for a potential staffing crisis. Hochul's administration this week was locked in negotiations with multiple state labor unions, whose leaders have said the state's mandate should have been subject to collective bargaining and not simply imposed under a provision of state health law. Frederick E. Kowal, president of the union United University Professions (UUP), which represents nearly 13,000 employees who work at SUNY hospitals and their related medical facilities, this week told his members in a videotaped announcement that the union leadership "unequivocally supports getting vaccinated against COVID-19." "But UUP demands due process rights for all of our members and for this reason we cannot support the Department of Health mandate as currently written," he said. "The DOH mandate does not include any negotiation this is unacceptable." The Public Employees Federation declined to sign off on a similar agreement on suspensions of workers. CSEA has said they will not disclose the details of their negotiations. People familiar with the negotiations between Hochul's administration and multiple labor unions, including UUP, said the incentive that had been offered by the administration is for affected health care employees to receive a half-day of vacation if they are vaccinated. That offer, however, was contingent on the unions agreeing that their members would not have contractual rights to use accrued time, such as sick or vacation days, to offset any lost hours while they are suspended. In an interview Friday afternoon, Kowal said his union had reached an agreement with Hochul's administration that will enable members who are suspended to use accrued time off during that period and also keep their health benefits. At the end of the two-week suspension, anyone who remains unvaccinated will face termination but be entitled to "due process" in an arbitration proceeding. "That's always been one of our prime concerns: those who either have a situation where (their health condition) is in remission or those who may have just been diagnosed with a new illness of any type. ... And there's a little bit of uncertainty about whether the present is the best time to be vaccinated," he said. In the case filed on behalf of the Buffalo-area medical professionals, they asserted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month reported a "1,000 percent increase" in adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines at a meeting where it recommended against requiring booster shots for people younger than 65. That petition also states the mandate does not provide exemptions for religious beliefs or for those "that were previously infected with COVID-19 and who have natural immunity." Natural immunity "is at least as effective as vaccination at preventing future COVID-19 infections," the petition states, adding that a person who gets vaccinated to keep their job but suffers an adverse reaction "will be without any legal recourse for any such injuries or damages they suffer as a result of vaccination." R. Kelly jury asked to make him 'pay' or not fall for 'lies' A prosecutor in closing arguments at the sex-trafficking trial of R. Kelly has asked jurors to make the R&B superstar pay for his alleged sex crimes Pictured from left to right are: University of Pitt-Titusville Administrative Assistant Jayme Wagner, Pitt-Titusville Interim President Rick Esch, Titusville Mayor Jon Crouch, Titusville City Council member Sara Jones, Titusville Community Development Agencies Chief Financial Officer Kristen Kerr and Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Boo Maginnis. The group cut the ribbon officially opening the Manufacturing Assistance Center on Wednesday. The state Supreme Court says a Vermont couple cannot be prosecuted in state court for drug violations with evidence seized by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on a roving patrol Police say a gunman attacked a grocery store in an upscale suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, and killed one person and wounded 12 others before the suspect was found dead For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Indian Country Today. Residents have gathered in a Tennessee town to pray for healing as details emerged about a gunman who went on a rampage Thursday at the grocery store where he worked Wisconsin Republicans are renewing concerns about the vetting process of Afghanistan refugees who are being housed at a military base in the state after two Afghan men were charged with assault and engaging in a sexual act with a child [September 24, 2021] Ada places No. 19 on The Globe and Mail's third-annual ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW/ -- Ada , the leader in Automated Brand Interactions, is pleased to announce it placed No. 19 on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies. Canada's Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Ada earned its spot with three-year growth of 2572%. Ada's platform puts the benefits of AI into the hands of non-technical teams. Its automation-first approach introduces employees across the entire CX lifecycle, revenue, and marketing teams to a new generation of skills in building bots, as well as managing and optimizing automated customer experiences . Ada breaks old operating models and provides digital-first brands with a platform to proactively engage and interact more with customers, as they scale, not less as is customary today. "As a proudly Canadian company, we're honored to be a part of this list alongside some of the most innovative companies in the world," said Mike Murchison, co-founder and CEO of Ada. "Ada has experienced tremendous growth in the last year, bringing in hundreds of new, international clients and scaling our digital-first team to over 400 members from eight different countries. We're excited to continue to bring exceptional results for our clients and be recognized for our work in 2021." The accolade comes on the heels of significant ccomplishments for Ada, including being named as part of LinkedIn's Top Startups in Canada , an annual ranking of companies that have remained resilient during tumultuous times, continuing to attract investment, employees, and attention. Additionally, Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global marketing, sales and advertising technology industry, also recognized Ada as the "Best Overall Conversational Marketing Company" in its fourth annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards just last month. Launched in 2019, the Canada's Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online. "As we look toward the future, Canada's Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges," says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. "The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals." "Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this year's Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies," says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. "Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers." About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mail's investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. About Ada As the market leader in Automated Customer Experience (ACX), Ada is the only conversational AI platform purpose-built to support a scalable, automation-first customer experience strategy. By uncovering new opportunities for revenue, Ada's automation is designed to transform reactive CX models to proactive, personalized profit generators. A global company, Ada's automation and AI enables clients around the world, like TELUS, AirAsia, and Zoom, to increase valuable interactions across the entire customer journey and empower CX professionals to succeed. Media Contact: Calen McGee cmcgee@n6a.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ada-places-no-19-on-the-globe-and-mails-third-annual-ranking-of-canadas-top-growing-companies-301384334.html SOURCE Ada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] ArtVerse Prepares for Its Upcoming Presale on Bitrue Singapore, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ArtVerse , a blockchain-based art platform, is preparing for its presale launch on Bitrue. The platform plans to distribute ArtVerse's native token, AVT, with the event rolling out on September 27. Currently, Bitrue is hosting a warmup before the presale date, offering a giveaway of 13 billion AVT. Users can take advantage of the 4 options available on the platform. The first giveaway involves BTR holders, whereby you will receive the airdrop according to the BTR amount you hold. To be a part of this giveaway requires you to sign up for the airdrop on the Bitrue event page. The second giveaway requires you to share the event on social media platforms to have a chance of receiving a random amount of AVT between 1 - 100,000. Furthermore, anyone who shares it on Twitter automatically gets entered into a grand prize drawing for 1 million AVT. The third giveaway involves you sharing the event and getting valid referrals with a chance of earning 100,000 AVT. Notably, all referrals should successfully pass KYC verification . You will receive your reward as soon as a referral passes the verification. The last giveaway will let you earn a bonus if your referrals purchase AVT during the presale. The prize pool division will depend on how much the referrals buy and their number in total. ArtVerse will disburse all the rewards on September 30 at 1300 hours except for the third giveaway. The AVT Token Presale VT is an ERC-20 token behind all activities on ArtVerse, wit a total supply of 21 trillion tokens. The project will be dedicating 4.2 trillion coins to the presale, available only on Bitrue. As an investor, you should be careful of any other platforms that may pose as AVT distributors. Here is a breakdown of the rest of the tokens: 10% to the private sale Foundation operations - 25% Team - 20% Community yield farming - 15% Development costs - 10% As per Bitrue's Twitter post on September 23, AVT yield farming has kicked off; users can stake their coins to earn passive income. It incentivizes the process by offering rewards to users who participate in the staking pools. Users will use the token to pay for transaction fees on the ArtVerse platform, with a 5% charge on all fees. 50% will reward users who stake the coin, while the other half will assist in strengthening the platform's content creators for better art. Lastly, the coin holders will have an added advantage of gaining governance and voting rights; they can participate in decision-making processes on the platform. Make sure to be part of all giveaways and the upcoming presale by signing up on Bitrue. Also, do not forget to be part of ArtVerse's growing community on Twitter for more information. About ArtVerse ArtVerse is a decentralized art platform hoping to provide creators with the best marketplace for their art NFTs . Furthermore, it hopes to bring trust back into the art industry, considering counterfeits in the market. The project is leveraging blockchain technology for transparent and immutable transactions on its platform. Creators have a trustworthy space to create art while having favorable circulation in the market. The lack of intermediaries eliminates additional costs associated, helping content creators to maximize their returns. ArtVerse works on the Ethereum blockchain, a blockchain that claims a top name in the crypto industry. It offers an expansive space for value addition and cross-chain communication. Furthermore, it provides the much-needed resources for NFTs' progress. Currently, ArtVerse is making the most out of ERC-20, ERC-172, and ERC-1155 tokens for its economic structure. ArtVerse further explores the future of data storage through technology similar to IPFS . This factor adds to the platform's security as unapproved parties cannot alter the data on its chain. About Bitrue Bitrue has been pivotal as far as ArtVerse and AVT are concerned, being the first exchange to list AVT and hosting the presale. Bitrue is a trusted cryptocurrency exchange that not only supports crypto trade but also offers crypto management services. You can trade your crypto, invest through its high-interest BTR lock-ups , acquire Bitrue loans, participate in advanced trading options, to mention but a few. Moreover, it has access to lucrative cryptocurrencies in the market today that you can invest in. ArtVerse stands to benefit immensely from the exchange's liquidity and user base at large. Media Contact - Adam O'Neil adam@bitrue.com Source Link [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Availity Selects TruthMD to Continue Driving Improvements in Provider Data Quality Across the U.S. TruthMD, LLC, an industry-leading medical provider data solutions service with a mission to be the world's most-trusted single-source of truth while transforming healthcare through data, has been selected by Availity, one of the largest healthcare information networks in the United States, to enhance its clients' provider demographics and disciplinary data. Availity connects more than two million providers to every health plan in the United States. Through its multi-payer platform, Availity facilitates more than 13 billion electronic transactions annually. For health plans, access to accurate provider data is an essential element of quality healthcare and is increasingly important as the new No Surprises Act federal mandates are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2022. Availity will draw upon TruthMD's machine-learning based MedFax data solution to augment its ongoing drive for precise and timely provider data. "TruthMD's MedFax healthcare data solutions will integrate seamlessly with Availity's initiatives for Provider Data Management," said Gemma Cunningham, CEO and Founder of TruthMD. "We are excited to help Availity expand its intelligent platform by delivering key provider insights and monitoring problematic disciplinary actions." TruthMD delivers near real-time, provider data from more than 20,000 primary sources to the healthcare industry. The company's MedFax medical provider data is based on more than 15 years of historical data from medical professionals. MedFax data is utilized by health insurers, state governments, healh plan service organizations, workers' compensation insurers, providers, and medical professional liability carriers throughout the United States. "Availity's Provider Data Management solution has driven higher quality provider data for health plans with a workflow that helps make it easier for provider organizations to directly participate in the process," said Russ Thomas, CEO of Availity. "Our relationship with TruthMD enhances our data analytic capabilities as we continue to build engaging platforms that assist providers in efficiently managing their organizations while verifying and attesting to high-quality updates." Availity is a leader in payer-provider collaboration. The company provides the critical infrastructure that connects hospitals, physicians and other care providers with health plans, while aiming to minimize administrative burden and cost from the healthcare system through its digital provider engagement, clearinghouse, and revenue cycle management technology solutions. Availity's service offerings enable healthcare professionals to manage the administrative, clinical, and financial data needed to fuel real-time coordination among providers, health plans, and their patients, thereby helping to increase efficiency in the delivery of healthcare. About TruthMD, LLC: TruthMD, LLC was founded in 2012, to be the world's single, most-trusted source of truth, regarding healthcare institutions, providers, pharmaceuticals & devices, to improve outcomes through increased transparency and accountability. MedFax is at the core of TruthMD's portfolio of Healthcare provider data services. MedFax is currently utilized across the healthcare industry to improve their business using the industry's first single source of truth about providers curated from more than 20,000 primary sources. TruthMD is a privately held company, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. For additional information, please visit www.medfax.com. About Availity Availity is the place where healthcare finds the answers needed to shift focus back to patient care. Availity works to solve communication challenges in healthcare by creating a richer, more transparent exchange of information among health plans, providers, and technology partners. As the nation's largest health information network, Availity facilitates billions of clinical, administrative, and financial transactions annually. The Availity suite of dynamic products, built on a powerful, intelligent platform, enables real-time collaboration for success in a competitive, value-based care environment. For additional information, please visit www.availity.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005078/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Diving into Digital from Practice, Huawei Releases 11 Scenario-based Solutions SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Day 2 of HUAWEI CONNECT 2021, Mr. Peng Zhongyang, Huawei's Board Member, President of the Enterprise Business Group delivered a keynote speech on the subject of "Diving into Digital for a Brighter Future" proposing three focus areas of scenario, models, and eco-system regarding the vision and future of industrial digital transformation. During the event, Huawei released 11 innovative scenario-based solutions for customers in the public services, transportation, finance, energy, and manufacturing sectors. By continuously working with partners, Huawei aims to meet customer requirements at different stages of digital transformation, address challenges, seize new opportunities for transformation, and create value for the industry. Mr. Peng Zhongyang, Huawei's Board Member, President of the Enterprise Business Group, said: "Huawei will continue to dive into digital focusing on scenarios, models, and partners to help customers succeed in their digital transformation journey. We integrate ICT with real-life scenarios and processes, and develop a new model of consulting, integration, and operational support. We aim to fully understand our customers' needs and vision and then turn them into reality. We encourage partners to shift from acting as channels to becoming competency partners, striving to build a partner system that grows, innovates, and wins together with Huawei." Diving into digital focus on scenarios, models, and partners Diving into the digital world is an iterative process. As digital transformation has become an industry consensus, the focus has been shifted from whether or not to go digital to how to go digital. To help enterprises customers innovate models, improve quality and efficiency, enhance experience, and strengthen resilience, Huawei highlighted three primary areas of focus for diving into digital. Scenario digitalization: Huawei believes that the key to further integration of ICT and business processes lies in the following three aspects: from auxiliary system to core/production system, from leadership cockpit to details of operation scenarios, and from digitalization of a single domain to comprehensive digitalization of all scenarios. Huawei has continually accumulated experience with different scenarios, deepening its knowledge in every scenario, and therefore it is able to address key business issues of the industry. Since 2016, Huawei has been promoting an all-round strategy of digital transformation, by injecting digitalization into Huawei itself. Tao Jingwen, Huawei's Board Member and CIO, said: "To achieve digital transformation, enterprises ned to develop digital plaform as a foundation and focus on business restructuring with the aim of supporting the success of their main business. Huawei has built Horiz, a digital enablement platform, based on its own transformation experience. This open platform will help enterprises of various industries achieve digitalization and forge global competitiveness." Model transformation: Huawei adopts a new model of consulting, integration, and operational support to help customers succeed in digital transformation. Over the next five years, Huawei plans to release more than 300 tailored service solutions, establish more than 200 service standards, and develop over 800 service solution partners. Founded in 2019, the China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina) has worked with Huawei on its digital transformation journey since its establishment and strives to excel through digitalization. Liu Zhongyun, Vice General Manager of PipeChina, said: "Digital transformation is a complex, systematic, and long-term process. Digital platforms and data are the key to the digitalization of PipeChina, and also the foundation of diving into digital. PipeChina will continue to work with Huawei on digital transformation to achieve success based on shared resources, standardized architecture, converged data, capability as a service, and tailored applications." Partner system development: Huawei will comprehensively upgrade the partner system to ensure shared success and its continued operation as a sound foundation for the development of competency partners. Digital China Group is one of Huawei's strategic partners worldwide. Guo Wei, President, Chairman of Digital China, shared the experiences and results of collaborating with Huawei in digital transformation: "In today's digital world, the mission of Digital China is to build a cloud-native "MetaVerse" using new infrastructure, cloud technologies, and networks. This will define a new future for society. Digital China looks to collaborate with Huawei and other ecosystem partners to dive into digital, enable the digital transformation of industries, innovate together, and succeed in the future." 11 scenario-based solutions for diving into digital At the event, Huawei released 11 innovative scenario-based solutions covering five industries public services, energy, finance, transportation, and manufacturing as part of an exploration of digital transformation innovations. In the public sector, the three key solutions of City Intelligent Twins were released, namely Unified Urban Governance in One Network, Assisted Operation Service, and Zero Trust Security. It continuously helps governments transform their administrative processes, enabling the construction of a new type of smart city that is more comfortable, innovative, humanistic, resilient, and green. In the energy sector, the Intelligent Power Plant solution and Smart Gas Station solution help energy industry participants achieve high-quality development and build a green, low-carbon, secure, and efficient zero-carbon smart energy system. In the finance sector, the Mobile Payment and the Digital CORE solution will help transform financial institutions into better ecosystem-based digital companies. It will contribute to building a fully connected, intelligent, and ecosystem-based financial sector. In the transportation sector, the upgraded Smart Airport, Smart ATC, and Comprehensive Transportation solutions will continue to enable convenient travel and smooth logistics, supporting customer success in digital transformation. Finally, in manufacturing, the Intelligent Automaker solution is intended to improve efficiency and experiences while also facilitating innovations. Leveraging advanced ICT capabilities and years of industry experience, Huawei has long worked with partners and customers worldwide at various stages of digital evolution to fully support their digital transformation. As always, Huawei will help customers grow their unique value, making the strong stronger. Huawei hosts HUAWEI CONNECT 2021 online from September 23 to October 31. The theme of this year's event is Dive into Digital. We're going to dive deep into the practical application of technologies like cloud, AI, and 5G in all industries, and how they can make organizations of all shapes and sizes more efficient, more versatile, and ultimately more resilient as we move towards economic recovery. For more information, please contact our local team or check out https://www.huawei.com/en/events/huaweiconnect Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634399/Mr_Peng_Zhongyang.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634402/Tao_Jingwen_Huawei_s_Board_Member_CIO.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] First Singapore Fintech Achieves International Recognition To Elevate Trust In Digital Payment SINGAPORE, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cube Payment Services Pte Ltd (CubePay), a leading digital payment financial technology company headquartered in Singapore, announced achieving both Information Security Management System (ISMS): ISO/IEC 27001 and Privacy Information Management System (PIMS): ISO/IEC 27701 certifications a hallmark recognition for a first Singapore financial technology company to obtain the dual international certifications (please see footnote). These certifications mark another important milestone in CubePay's commitment to providing responsible innovation and trustworthy digital payment solutions to acquirers, merchants, and consumers. Adding to Payment Card Industry's Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) Level 1 accreditation since 2016, the newly attained ISO/IEC accreditations have enhanced CubePay's proactive cybersecurity strategy in risk management, threat prevention, and data privacy safeguard. Recent research shows the need to address rising cybercrimes as digital technology becomes deeply intertwined with businesses and consumer lifestyle choices: 94% of consumers in APAC are considering using emerging payment methods in 2021, and security concern is top of mind for consumers (Source: Mastercard). 38% of merchants report losing 6% or more of their revenue to payment fraud (Source: WorldPay). Singapore cybercrime made up 43% of all crimes reported in 2020 (Source: Cyber Security Agency of Singapore ). Benjamin Chua , Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of CubePay, says, "As Singapore journeys to become a leading Smart City, borderless digital payment is increasingly becoming the preferred payment mode. Behind the scenes, we constantly update our cybersecurity strategy to meet the evolving threats. We have adopted ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 gold standards to assure our customers We make no compromises when it concerns payment security and data privacy." Mr Clement Teo, Senior Vice President - Business Assurance (ASEAN) at TUV SUD PSB Singapore, says, "We congratulate CubePay on this major achievement, for being the first Fintech company in Singapore to attain both ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 accreditations with TUV SUD PSB Singapore. These accreditations will inspire greater trust among partners of CubePay's digital payment ecosystem." The ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 certificates were officially presented to CubePay in an event held at TUV SUD PSB Singapore on 24 September 2021. TUV SUD and CubePay have co-authored a case study on CubePay's accreditations, available at TUV SUD's website: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-sg/resource-centre/case-studies/cube-payment-services. About CubePay Cube Payment Services Pte Ltd (CubePay) is a privately-held Singapore-headquartered digital payment financial technology company. Since 2014, CubePay is a trusted partner in Singapore's digital payment ecosystem. It has forged long-standing partnerships with leading payment technology companies, networks, processors, acquirers, merchants. CubePay operates the RadiumOne Merchant Payment Platform that simplifies digital payment. More information: https://www.cubepayment.com. Issued by: CubePay Marketing Email: press@cubepayment.com Footnote (1) CubePay is the first Singapore Fintech company to achieve ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (SAC) and ISO/IEC 27701 Privacy Information Management System (NABCB) accreditations by the Certification Body of TUV SUD PSB Singapore. APPENDIX NOTES TO EDITORS: About the Accreditations ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. More information: www.iso.org. Information Security Management System certification (ISO/IEC 27001) More information: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-sg/services/auditing-and-system-certification/iso-27001 More information: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-sg/services/auditing-and-system-certification/iso-27001 Privacy Information Management System certification (ISO/IEC 27701) More information: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-sg/services/auditing-and-system-certification/iso-27701 Source References https://www.mastercard.com/news/ap/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2021/may/pandemic-alters-spending-habits-in-apac-drives-rapid-shift-to-emerging-payment-technologies/ https://offers.worldpayglobal.com/rs/850-JOA-856/images/WDP_223_GPR_SURVEY_REPORT_FINAL.pdf?mkt_tok=ODUwLUpPQS04NTYAAAF99Q6zWA3LDJe4LgR_ht6JTcZVi3HMxG9CuPa4q0qZPPlEaXM0Bm_osdtXhcjKLCOVsMx_8tNK3VZydrjieW62guL04QcbF74LjnSAbuiSpDS7y-U https://www.csa.gov.sg/News/Press-Releases/ransomware-incidents-online-scams-and-covid19-related-phishing-activities-dominated-cyber-landscape-in-2020 SOURCE CubePay [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Following Major Client Growth, Mako Fintech Adds Powerful Reinforcements to Executive Team Mako Fintech, a leading fintech platform that automates wealth management workflows, is pleased to announce that it has established a world-class executive team with the additions of three senior leaders to the organization. The refined leadership team comes in response to rapidly increasing client demand. Sheila Chau, one of Canada's leading experts in digital transformation for the wealth management industry, has been appointed Vice President of Mako's Solutions Engineering division, where she will be overseeing the implementations of account opening and investment workflows for all of Mako's client firms. She joins after a 20-year career in financial services, most recently onboarding major wealth managers and financial institutions onto account opening systems at Broadridge Financial Solutions. Ms. Chau's track record prior to Broadridge includes major digital transformation implementations at Fidelity Clearing Canada, TD Bank and DundeeWealth (now Scotiabank). Ms. Chau holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Actuarial Science and Statistics from the University of Toronto, as well as the Project Management Professional and Certified Agile (News - Alert) Scrum Master certifications. Shawn Prodgers, an expert in measuring success and optimizing corporate performance, is joining Mako as Vice President of Operations & Finance. He joins after a 15-year career as a management accountant, most recently at Parkland Corporation, where he oversaw the planning and optimization of refined procurement processes and led the business intelligence portfolio of the Supply, Wholesale and Distribution divisions. At Mako, he will be responsible for ensuring Mako's compliance with international daa protection and controls standards, as well as overseeing overall financial and operational procedures. Mr. Prodgers holds a B.Comm in Accounting from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business. He is a CPA, CMA and serves as a Partner with Social Venture Partners Calgary. Mako is also announcing the appointment of Kevin Victor as Vice President of Sales. In this new role, he will be responsible for establishing Mako Fintech as the leading brand for custom automation solutions in the global wealth management sector. He joins after positions overseeing sales operations and customer solutions at EY-Parthenon, Lightspeed Commerce, and TD Canada Trust. Mr. Victor holds a B.Comm in Accounting from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business, and an MBA from HEC Montreal. "We're looking forward to working with Sheila, Shawn and Kevin to bring our clients the world's best wealth management solutions," said Raphael Bouskila, Founder and CEO of Mako Fintech. "Their experience, energy and raw talent will be incredibly valuable to us in the coming years." Following on Mako's recently announced corporate financing round led by Desjardins Capital, Mr. Bouskila also noted that "the top executive talent that we're attracting to our Montreal headquarters cements this city's reputation as a Canadian Fintech leader." Concurrently to the announced additions, Mako Fintech also expanded its capabilities with the addition of product and HR leaders to its management team. Mako continues to hire for positions across the company, with roles updated regularly at https://mako.breezy.hr. To learn more about Mako Fintech and its comprehensive vision for superior client service in wealth management through cloud-based automation, visit https://makofintech.com or follow Mako on its official LinkedIn (News - Alert) account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/makofintech/. About Mako Fintech Mako Financial Technologies launched a category-redefining platform in 2018 that allows wealth managers to bring client onboarding, renewal, and investment online seamlessly. Every player in the financial industry is experiencing digital transformation in their own way, and Mako uses this principle as its North Star. Mako's mission is to democratize the digitalization of wealth management by providing each firm with a custom automation solution adapted to its unique workflow processes and delivering it at a disruptively lower cost. Mako Fintech is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and led by a team of finance and technology experts. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005034/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Huawei Enables ISP B2B Transformation and MSP Service Development SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at HUAWEI CONNECT 2021, a session on the Internet services industry was held with the theme 'Huawei Enables ISP B2B Transformation and MSP Service Development'. The session was broadcast around the world, attracting ICT industry leaders, global partners and renowned business consultants. Together, attendees explored how B2B transformation of and hosting services in the Internet services industry can help drive business growth and build state-of-the-art data centers. During the session, Huawei and GlobalData released a White Paper on Internet Connectivity 3.0, analyzing industry trends, typical customer requirements and future network architecture, focusing on application and technical architecture. The white paper aims to guide customer network planning and design and help build a new era of all-optical connectivity. Chen Banghua, Vice President of Huawei's Enterprise Business Group and President of Marketing & Solution Sales Dept. of Huawei's global enterprise business. revealed Huawei's expectations for the B2B business of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and prediction for how managed service providers (MSPs) will develop. He also introduced Huawei's strategies and product portfolios for the industry, as well as the solutions Huawei can deliver to help ISPs and MSPs build out their capabilities in digitalization, cloudification and service provisioning. With the current trend of enterprise cloudification, more and more ISPs are transforming into managed service providers, and MSPs themselves are working towards providing cloud-based hosting services. In his keynote speech regarding Huawei's CloudCampus for MSP Solution, Daniel Column Kirk, Strategy VP of Huawei's Carrier Partner Business Department, outlined market trends for hosting services and cloud-managed campus networks. He also used the opportunity to promoteHuawei's CloudCampus platform a scalable, integrated and flexible hosting service solution for MSPs. Another speaker of note was Pasi Heikkinen, global service owner of Viria Security Oy from Finland. His speech titled "Innovation With Huawei's CloudCampus Solution" explained Viria's innovations in data analysis, service digitalization, cyber security and remote working, and how the company leveraged Huawei's CloudCampus to build a future-oriented, high-capacity, automated and intelligent campus network. Pasi Heikkinen said, "Huawei's CloudCampus solution delivers a complete set of highly competitive network devices. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and high-performance switching technologies, and provides unified cloud management and service provisioning. Moreover, the solution offers cutting-edge troubleshooting tools equipped with telemetry and AI to improve network operations." To concentrate on business, slash IT costs, and meet changing service requirements, more and more enterprises are adopting hosted storage. Huang Dachuan, CTO of Huawei's Enterprise Business Group, gave a speech titled "STaaS for MSP Solution Helps MTDC/MSP Customers Achieve Business Success," in which he explored how Huawei's STaaS solution can help MSPs expand the boundaries of their business, improve management, reduce costs and improve efficiency. He also introduced Huawei's STaaS solution, which is tailored for MSPs, providing wide coverage and easy management, while keeping costs down. Christophe Voisin, President of CRT Informatique, shared a case of how the company used a castle to build a data center to host customer data and applications. Huawei's one-stop data center solution contributed to the company's quick data center construction and deployment. Infrastructure is vital for our rapidly developing Internet. It is the backbone for Internet application software, cloud platforms, data centers, information exchange, and user access, which carry content production, storage, distribution, and transmission for the Internet. Huawei boasts decades of technical practices in the industry and GlobalData has conducted extensive research in the ICT field. During the session, Li Hongbo, President of Huawei's Internet Services Business, and representatives from GlobalData, jointly released the White Paper on Internet Connectivity 3.0, which elaborates on trends for the development of Internet connections. To transform their connectivity, carriers and ISPs have been deploying Internet Connectivity 3.0 technologies at the last mile to reduce network congestion and provide higher quality in-place connections. And with this upgrade comes new apps such as AR and VR, 8K ultra-HD video, and cloud gaming bringing more personalized services to users. Huawei hosts HUAWEI CONNECT 2021 online from September 23 to October 31. The theme of this year's event is Dive into Digital. We're going to dive deep into the practical application of technologies like cloud, AI, and 5G in all industries, and how they can make organizations of all shapes and sizes more efficient, more versatile, and ultimately more resilient as we move towards economic recovery. For more information, please contact our local team or check out https://www.huawei.com/en/events/huaweiconnect SOURCE Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Hyper Vision Limited: How Augmented Reality is Improving Surgery SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The rapid evolvement of technology has undoubtedly revolutionized the medical world. However, surgeons are still facing a major issue inside the operating room. To view images and data, medical professionals must glance at separate 2D display screens, which distracts them from the surgical procedure and forces them to mentally translate the images into 3D. While the surgeon looks at the monitor, there is a loss of attention which can be extremely dangerous during a critical operation. This is where Hyper Vision Limited steps in. The Shenzhen-based technology start-up is changing the future of medical procedures by utilizing advances in augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The company is set to release its AR-powered Hypervue Headset, which allows medical data to be superimposed directly onto a surgeon's viewpoint of a patient. "With our Hypervue Headset, medical professionals will no longer experience any loss of attention during the procedure. They will not need to view 2D radiological images and translate them into 3D in their brain, avoiding any unwantd risks," said Yan Jiang, Chief Executive Officer at Hyper Vision Limited. The Hyprvue Headset combines tracking cameras with both a 3D display and a hands-free interface. The device is compatible with all surgical tools and delivers crucial data to the surgeon without the need for other external equipment. By incorporating augmented reality surgical procedures, diagnosis accuracy and speed will all improve. "Another important advantage with the Hyprvue Headset is that it can be used for education purposes. It will shorten the time it takes for a junior surgeon to learn how to perform more complex surgical procedures," added Jiang. Hyper Vision Limited believes augmented reality has enormous potential in the healthcare industry. Through the release of the Hyprvue Headset, the company will establish a new standard of care in surgical navigation. About Hyper Vision Limited Hyper Vision Limited was established in 2018, in Shenzhen, China. The technology startup was founded on the promise of transforming the healthcare industry by eradicating all unnecessary medical mistakes through the adoption of augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Media Contact Jonathan Yang, VP of IR at Hyper Vision Limited +852 2319 4110 319688@email4pr.com www.hyprvue.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyper-vision-limited-how-augmented-reality-is-improving-surgery-301384721.html SOURCE Hyper Vision Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Leaders commit to tackling global hunger, climate change, biodiversity loss and inequities at historic UN Food Systems Summit NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW/ -- The first-ever UN Food Systems Summit convened world leaders in an effort to spur national and regional action to deliver the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through transforming food systems. It featured commitments from more than 85 heads of state around the world. Following from the latest IPCC report , which raised a 'code red' for human-driven global heating, the United States administration pledged $10 billion to address climate change and food insecurity. Half of these funds will be invested domestically in 'recognition that all countries, even those that produce a surplus of food, must take steps to improve nutrition and adapt their food systems to a changing climate.' The COVID-19 pandemic increased poverty levels by up to 124 million people and undernourishment by around 9.9 per cent . Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who announced New Zealand would join the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems Coalition, said, "We are committed to ensuring Indigenous Peoples can help lead the way forward." Honduras , Samoa , Peru and the Philippines . "We, as the global community, are not delivering on our promises to eradicate hunger," said President Sauli Niinisto of Finland. Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, highlighted the need to focus on 'quality food for everyone.' Likewise, Burkina Faso committed to including the right to food in their constitution. Cambodia pledged to work towards the promotion of gender equality and the creation of job opportunities for youth and women. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji said, "Just as our environment, peoples, and food systems are profoundly interwoven and mutually sustaining, so must our response be, for the sake of our and future generations." The United Arab Emirates announced the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate launched with the United States. "We must use the power of ingenuity to improve on food systems so they provide safe, nutritious, affordable, and accessible food for all, while conserving natural resources, and combating the climate crisis," said the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. All submissions are being compiled in an official compendium , while all commitments are lodged in an online commitments registry . New five-year funding of US$922 million focussed on nutrition was also announced by Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Media contact: Katie Taft fsscommunications@un.org View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leaders-commit-to-tackling-global-hunger-climate-change-biodiversity-loss-and-inequities-at-historic-un-food-systems-summit-301384570.html SOURCE UN Food Systems Summit [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] OST, Inc. Wins Prime Position On Multi-billion Dollar EWAAC Contract MCLEAN Va., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OST, Inc. a premier systems integrator of technical, administrative and management solutions, has been awarded a prime position on the United States Air Force's Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition Contract (EWAAC). The new contract is a multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) with a 10-year ordering period and a ceiling value of $46 billion. The program will provide model-based systems engineering, weapons and enterprise analytics, digital engineering, open systems architecture and agile processes for the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and its partners. "At OST, innovation and rapid technology development is baked into the DNA of our company," said Ajay Madan, Principal and Chief Operating Officer of OST. "We have spent years developing our revolutionary, patent pending Agile 5 Ecosystem (A5E) to support the missions of customers like the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Elgin Air Force Bse. As a leading systems integrator for the Federal government, we fuse our A5E delivery platform with digital engineering and model-based systems engineering processes to bring new solutions to the warfighter that help deliver next-generation weapons systems." The EWAAC contract includes activities to rapidly develop technologies of novel weapons capabilities, apply unique solutions and innovative ideas and characterize new technologies and system concepts that provide evolutionary, revolutionary and disruptive capabilities for the Air Force through weapons systems requirements development, studies and demonstrations. About OST, Inc. For more than 20 years, OST has been serving the digital needs of the federal government and shortly after that beginning has expanded our customer base to state and municipalities. Currently a mid-size company OST's customers include DoT, DoD, DoE, DoC, DHS, the District of Columbia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. OST has a presence over 26 States and 2 oversees locations. From 2010 to 2020 OST was one of less than 50 companies nationwide to hold the highest level of appraisal for development work from the Software Engineering Institute. Today OST has rolled those practices into our Agile software development methodology to create Agile 5 (patent pending), which brings high process maturity and the flexibility of agile together. Agile 5 provides our customers speed of delivery, lower cost and higher quality. To learn more, please about OST Inc solutions, please visit ostglobal.com Contact: Kevin Benedict, KBenedict@ostglobal.com; Sara Roa, sara@verasolve.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ost-inc-wins-prime-position-on-multi-billion-dollar-ewaac-contract-301384534.html SOURCE Ost, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Trutankless, Inc. Announces 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split PHOENIX, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Trutankless, Inc. (OTCQB: TKLS) manufactures an award-winning line of smart electric tankless water heaters. Trutankless today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a 1-for-8 reverse split (the "Reverse Stock Split") of its issued and outstanding common stock (the "Common Stock") that will become effective on Monday, September 27th, 2021. The Common Stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on that day under the new CUSIP number, 89842T200. At the Effective Time, every eight issued and outstanding shares of the Company's common stock will be converted into one share of the Company's common stock, respectively. Once effective, the reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding from approximately 104 Million shares to approximately 13 Million shares. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split, and all fractional shares will be rounded up to the next whole share. The reverse stock split will not modify any rights or preferences of the Company's common stock. There will be no change to the number of authorized shares or par value of the Company's common or preferred stock following the effectiveness of the reverse split. Beginning Monday, September 27th, the company will trade under the ticker symbol TKLSD for 20 business days. After 20 business days, the symbol will then change back to TKLS. The Company expects that stockholders holding shares of Trutankless common stock at registered brokerage firms or at the transfer agent will have the Reverse Split transaction processed automatically in their accounts over the next few days. Stockholders holding physical stock certificates may request new certificates evidencing their post-Reverse Split shares by contacting the Company's transfer agent, Pacific Stock Transfer, at either info@pacificstocktransfer.com or 1-800-785-7782. This release will be filed today by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit t Form 8-K. About Trutankless, Inc.: Trutankless, Inc. (OTCQB: TKLS ) is a technology-driven developer of accessible, next-generation home automation and efficiency systems. The Company's primary products are a line of electric tankless water heaters that surpasses traditional tank water heaters in energy efficiency, output, dependability and environmental sustainability. The Company sells its products to plumbing wholesale distributors and dealers throughout the United States. Trutankless, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please visit www.trutankless.com or call 855-TO-BUY-TRU. Connect on social media: www.houzz.com/pro/trutankless www.facebook.com/trutankless www.twitter.com/trutankless www.youtube.com/trutankless Forward-Looking Statement: The statements in this press release regarding any implied or perceived benefits from the release by Trutankless of its line of electric tankless water heaters or added key strategic sales and distribution partners are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks of the key strategic sales and distribution partners ability to sell our product, and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions, and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. There is no guarantee that any specific outcome will be achieved. Past performance is not indicative of future results. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trutankless-inc-announces-1-for-8-reverse-stock-split-301385003.html SOURCE Trutankless, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 23, 2021] Hitachi LG Data Storage Launches Clip Mobile Charger Pack, a licensed product for BTS Character Brand TinyTAN! TOKYO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS) announced that it will release the licensed product 'Clip Mobile Charger Pack' of BTS Characters Brand "TinyTAN" today. TinyTAN Clip Mobile Charger Pack, which has received enthusiastic responses since its product was released on HLDS' official social media on September 3, was finally released today. The "TinyTAN Clip Mobile Charger Pack" is a special package consisting of various smartphone accessories such as "Clip," a fully wireless portable battery product introuced at HLDS, and "iRing," a Finger Ring, and allows the battery to be freely detached by attaching a plate to the back of the smartphone. Among battery products that support wireless charging, Qi certification is rare, so it can be safely charged with various smartphones, high-speed wireless charging is also supported, and even smartphones that do not support wireless charging can be charged using cables. In addition, using the metal clip of the battery product, you can hang it at a desired location or charge your smartphone while watching various videos from any angle in the landscape view mode. In addition, the package includes a keyring designed with the motif of BTS' first Billboard No. 1 song Dynamite, a wrist strap of the TinyTAN logo, and a sticker of various designs that allows you to decorate the product according to your taste, so you can use accessories in various ways. The "TinyTAN Clip Mobile Charger Pack" has two editions, a white edition that emphasizes neat and simpleness and a character edition that emphasizes color, and is available on Amazon and Yodobashi Camera from September 24. Meanwhile, HLDS continues to announce the release of other related products in addition to this product, raising consumer expectations. More detailed information on the 'TinyTAN Clip Mobile Charger Pack' can be found on the official website of Hitachi-LG data Storage. SOURCE Hitachi-LG Data Storage [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 23, 2021] Includes Voices From HIROAKA Original Voice Actors! - The Official Truly Wireless Earbuds for the Popular Anime "My Hero Academia" Notification by original voice by popular characters when operating earphones such as "power on" and "power off"! MTI (News - Alert) Co., Ltd., which develops the Japanese audio brand "NUARL", has released a completely wireless earphones in collaboration with "My Hero Academia". This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210923006016/en/ My Hero Academia (Graphic: Business Wire) Basic performance such as continuous playback for up to about 7 hours, music operation and volume control from earphones, top operation buttons, water resistance equivalent to IPX4. Equipped with original voice guides by popular characters. When operating earphones such as "power on" and "power off", you will be notified by voice from popular characters. - All Might (CV: Kenta Miyake), Izuku Midoriya (CV: Daiki Yamashita), Katsumi Bakugo (CV: Nobuhiko Okamoto), Ochako Reiji (CV: Ayane Sakura), Shoto Todoroki (CV: Yuki Kaji), and Denki Kaminari (CV: Yu Hatanaka)! Special design of earbuds, charging case and package. - Everything in this truly wireless earbuds was officially approved under license. Product Name: MY HERO ACADEMIA TRUE WIRELESS STEREO EARPHONES SPECIAL MADE Selling Price: $132 (Tax not included) Sales Distribution: amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094JX1RFF) Specification: Dimensions Earbud: W23 x H20 x D24mm Charging case: W72 x H36 x D46mm Weight Earbud: 4.5 g Charging case: 36.0g Battery life 6 hrs (streaming music playback) Max Playback time 20 hrs (combination with charging case) Recharging time 1.5 hrs (for Earbud) Bluetooth Spec Version 5.0 / Class2 Bluetooth Codec aptX, AAC, SBC Bluetooth Profile A2DP, HFP, HSP, AVRCP Driver Unit f6mm dynamic type single full range driver Frequency range 20-20,000Hz Microphone Polarity Omni-directional Waterproof performance IPX4 Certification BQB/QID/ FCC (News - Alert) Temperature Operating 5 to 40C Accessories USB cable, Silicon earpiece (Large and small) *Medium earpieces are attached to the earbuds, Users guide About "My Hero Academia" My Hero Academia is the latest action comic series by Kohei Horikoshi from Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump" Japanese magazine to explode in popularity and attract a broad fan base with its unique world view, rich cast of characters and strong message of hope. The series bears the pedigree of long-time Shonen Jump classics as "Dragon Ball", "One Piece" and "Naruto". My Hero Academia tells the story of how I became the greatest hero ever. Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers (called Quirks) in a world where they have become commonplace, but who still dreams of becoming a superhero himself. With its perennial themes of "friendship, effort and victory", My Hero Academia adds new elements and an essential passion that are paving a golden path for a new generation of Jump readers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210923006016/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Pasternack Launches New Series of Mechanically Tunable Waveguide Gunn Diode Oscillators New Oscillators Cover WR-90, WR-42 and WR-28 Waveguide Sizes and Support X, K and Ka Bands IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasternack, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has released a new line of waveguide Gunn diode oscillators that are ideal for electronic warfare, electronic countermeasures, microwave radio systems, military and commercial communications systems and more. Pasternack's new mechanically tunable waveguide Gunn diode oscillators cover WR-90, WR-42 and WR-28 waveguide sizes and support X, K and Ka bands. All models in this line operate at 50 ohms and incorporate a mechanical tunin screw to fine tune the output frequency for specific applications. They deliver output power levels up to +18.5 dBm typical and utilize Indium Phosphide (InP) Gunn diodes that yield higher output power, higher efficiency and lower AM noise than GaAs counterparts. These waveguide Gunn diode oscillators feature compact package designs that are highly reliable and designed to meet MIL-STD-202 test conditions for shock, vibration, altitude and humidity. They are available in rugged compact package designs with operational temperature ranges from -40C to +85C. "Our new lineup of waveguide Gunn diode oscillators is truly innovative with desirable waveguide sizes covering popular frequency bands and utilizing InP semiconductor technology that yields higher output power with higher efficiency and lower AM noise. Plus, these models are available in-stock with no MOQ," said Tim Galla, Product Line Manager. Pasternack's new waveguide Gunn diode oscillators are in-stock and available for immediate shipment. For inquiries, Pasternack can be contacted at +1-949-261-1920. About Pasternack: A leader in RF products since 1972, Pasternack is an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer and supplier offering the industry's largest selection of active and passive RF, microwave, and millimeter wave products available for same-day shipping. Pasternack is an Infinite Electronics brand. About Infinite Electronics: Based in Irvine, Calif., Infinite Electronics offers a broad range of components, assemblies and wired/wireless connectivity solutions, serving the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Infinite's brands include Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, ShowMeCables, NavePoint, INC Installs, Integra Optics, PolyPhaser, Transtector, KP Performance Antennas, RadioWaves & Aiconics. Infinite Electronics serves a global engineering customer base with deep technical expertise and support, with one of the broadest inventories of products available for immediate shipment. Press Contact: Peter McNeil Pasternack 17792 Fitch Irvine, Calif. 92614 (978) 682-6936 SOURCE Pasternack [September 24, 2021] TELUS International Announces Pricing of Upsized Secondary Offering of Subordinate Voting Shares TELUS (News - Alert) International (Cda) Inc. (TELUS International) (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) announced today the pricing of the upsized underwritten public secondary offering of 14,400,000 subordinate voting shares of TELUS International, at a price of US$34.00 per share, by certain shareholders of TELUS International, including Baring Private Equity Asia. Additionally, the selling shareholders granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,160,000 subordinate voting shares of TELUS International at the public offering price, less the underwriters' discount and commissions. The offering has been increased from the previously announced offering size of 12,000,000 subordinate voting shares. TELUS International is not selling any subordinate voting shares in the offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the subordinate voting shares by the selling shareholders. The offering is expected to close on September 28, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., CIBC Capital Markets and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. are also acting as joint book-running managers and Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets, Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. are acting as book-running managers for the offering. The offering is made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204 or by email at prospectuseq_fi@jpmorganchase.com; Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, by telephone at (888) 603-5847 or by at email at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com; CIBC Capital Markets, 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON (News - Alert) M5J 2S8, by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at Mailbox.CanadianProspectus@cibc.com; or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560, Telephone: 1-800-221-1037 or e-mail: usa.prospectus@credit-suise.com. A registration statement, including a prospectus, relating to the offering was filed with, and declared effective by, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. TELUS International has also obtained a receipt for its final short form base PREP prospectus filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. A copy of the supplemented short form base PREP prospectus that contains pricing information and other important information relating to the subordinate voting shares may, when available, be obtained from the underwriters at the addresses set out above and will be available on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com under the company's profile. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of TELUS International, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. About TELUS International TELUS International (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company's services support the full lifecycle of its clients' digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International's integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across high growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. TELUS International's unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. The company is building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events that have positively impacted the lives of more than 150,000 citizens around the world and through its five TELUS International Community Boards that have provided $4 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2015. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to the offering, whether or when the offering may be completed and the actual size and terms of the offering. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "aim", "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "contemplate", "continue", "could", "due", "estimate", "expect", "goal", "intend", "may", "objective", "plan", "predict", "potential", "positioned", "seek", "should", "target", "will", "would" and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and management's beliefs and assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance or development and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control. As a result, any or all of our forward-looking information in this news release may turn out to be inaccurate. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations expressed, implied or forecasted by such forward-looking information include, among other things, those listed and fully described in our "Risk Factors" section of the Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2020, available on SEDAR and on Form 20-F on EDGAR with the SEC (News - Alert) . Potential investors are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210923006029/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] MITSDE's commitment to an enhanced learning experience with Canvas PUNE, India, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Drucker, the Father of Modern Management once said, "Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast." Distance learning is technology-centric and that being the primary medium of reaching out to the learners and facilitating the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences, up-gradation in technology is bound to happen. Upgrading technology to make the learning experience heightened is what any distance learning institutions aim at. MIT School of Distance is one such distance learning institution whose vision is to be a distinctive global 'learning' ed-tech organization, continuously striving for excellence in its deliverables and value offered to all its stakeholders through innovation, creativity and technology has introduced a new state-of-the-art Learning Management System called Canvas. Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) enables peer learning, quick assessment, interactive learning, easy navigation and a modern learning approach to the learners. MITSDE has revamped its learning experience by bringing in Canvas LMS with the hope of accelerating the learning, creating a holistic learning experience and a growth conducive learning ecosystem. MITSDE is already seeing positive resultswhich are evident from the feedback received from the students after the implementation of Canvas, with the learners successfully viewing their lessons, interacting with the faculty to get their queries resolved almost instantly and strengthening their subject knowledge. Not only this, the students have the advantage of viewing their lessons no matter where they are, be it a bus, car, during lunch or anywhere at all, due to the Canvas Mobile App, that allows the learners to Learn on the Go. The salient feature of the Canvas LMS are: Practise makes a man perfect - practise quizzes to test the subject knowledge are designed for a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in the lessons. Learning through a Live Session that enables the learners to clear doubts and interact with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and peers A course calendar is a feature of Canvas that allows the learners to view any upcoming event, Live sessions, it also gives a reminder of any submissions of assignments or projects to be made. Group learning helps the learner understand the concept and the perspectives of others. For this, a peer-to-peer interaction platform is included in the Canvas LMS known as the Discussion Forum. Canvas promises the learners interactive learning, for this they can interact with the SMEs by simply in-canvas emailing feature, that allows them to email their queries directly to the SMEs and get their queries answered directly from the experts, almost immediately. Canvas is a platform used by the most renowned B-schools in the world. Hence, the implementation of Canvas as the LMS in MITSDE is expected to bring a positive impact on the overall learning experience of the students. About MIT School of Distance Education MIT School of Distance Education (MIT-SDE) is an integral constituent of MAEER's MIT Pune, established in the year 2008. MAEER's MIT was founded in the year 1983 by Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, (Founder, Executive President & Managing Trustee) along with the collective efforts of many educationists, scientists and social thinkers. MIT is among the first in professional education offering academic programs at more than 72 institutions and 4 universities across India. For more information, visit https://www.mitsde.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633289/MIT_Canvas_LMS.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633288/MITSDE_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] NetReveal Enhancements Help Close the Gap Between Evolving Digital Risk and Compliance BAE Systems (News - Alert) Applied Intelligence is adding market leading enhancements to its NetReveal Compliance Solution Suite to help organisations remain compliant in the complex and evolving money laundering and terrorist finance ecosystem. As the regulatory landscape shifts towards a more expansive view of banking responsibility, which encompasses cybersecurity, human trafficking and cryptocurrencies, BAE Systems is enhancing NetReveal and supporting services to provide financial institutions with agile solutions designed to adjust to these changing demands. "Our expertise in protecting financial institutions against changing threats lies in understanding criminal threats and risk regardless of the format, entity or industry," said Peter Fisher, Product Director for Financial Services. "As compliance moves to encompass evolving digital criminality, we use connected data and collaboration to help banks address their ever-expanding remit of responsibility." The latest enhancements in NetReveal encompass both product-based adaptability to augment existing compliance solutions and features to help organisations ensure compliance in an evolving criminal and regulatory landscape. Features include: Built in Criminal Offenses Scenario Library: NetReveal's AML Transaction Monitoring solution includes an added detection library of modern typologies and payment types including human trafficking and mobile payments NetReveal's AML Transaction Monitoring solution includes an added detection library of modern typologies and payment types including human trafficking and mobile payments i>Automated false positive reduction by an additional ~55%: Using a custom combination of machine learning and intelligent automation, NetReveal features Intelligent Event Triage for AML TM, CDD/KYC, Sanctions, PEP and Negative News, and Transaction Filtering. Additionally, NetReveal's "Weighted Words" understands and assesses name variances, factoring in nicknames, financial terms and synonyms to further refine alert results and reduce false positives by between 53 - 55% 1 Smart, integrated 3 rd party data speeds up investigations: With Dun & Bradstreet (News - Alert) data automatically integrated into NetReveal, customer onboarding includes deep risk checks, at the click of a button With Dun & Bradstreet (News - Alert) data automatically integrated into NetReveal, customer onboarding includes deep risk checks, at the click of a button Augment your compliance investment: NetReveal's "Build your own Algorithm" uses intelligent analytics to enable users to create a copy, edit locally and apply custom algorithms to their own scenarios. Adding to NetReveal's Advanced Analytics Platform (AAP), Custom Data Fields takes advantage of the rich set of profiles and defines specific fields that are more predictive of suspicious behaviour in an organisation. NetReveal's AAP works alongside existing models/rules to identify unexpected suspicious events that existing rule-based detection would miss About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cybercrime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations. For further information about BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, please visit www.baesystems.com/financialservices About NetReveal NetReveal is a single, integrated platform for anti-money laundering compliance and fraud prevention enabling Financial Institutions to benefit from lower total cost of ownership across their compliance and fraud teams with a single solution. A comprehensive range of compliance and counter-fraud solutions can be deployed individually or collectively. 1 Based on internal post-processing tests View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Red Box Compliance Recording Solution is Certified for Microsoft Teams LONDON, and NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW/ -- Red Box a leading platform for voice today announces the certification of its compliance recording solution for Microsoft Teams as part of the Microsoft Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner Certification Programme. Following extensive third-party approved testing, the solution ensures adherence to regulatory requirements with a policy-based compliance recording integration for Microsoft Teams, providing secure capture, transcription, storage, retrieval, archiving and metadata-controlled retention of enterprise-wide communications. "The certification is a powerful endorsement of Red Box's communication capture capabilities, empowering organisations across a wide range of verticals such as Finance, Healthcare, and Public Safety to operate under strict regulatory obligations and exploit the benefits of digital collaboration, while remaining compliant to regulations including MiFID II, Dodd Frank and PCI DSS," comments Pete Ellis, Red Box CPO. The Red Box solution meets all rigorous market requirements, offering an unrivalled secure user-experience with flexible cloud, hybrid and on-premises deployment options. With over 30 years' experience in providing highly resilient compliance recording for customers globally, Red Box supports both dedicated Microsoft Teams and mixed telephony and contact centre environments to esure companies capture and transcribe every conversation for regulatory purposes. Red Box also acts as a gateway to leading AI, automation, analytics and storage applications by providing customers with full access to and control of this rich captured voice data set in real-time. Open APIs ensure integration with an extensive ecosystem of best of breed partners that includes compliance archiving, fraud detection and surveillance solutions, as well as CRM, CX, sales performance and business intelligence platforms. Red Box is also integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Insights and Sales Insights. As a Preferred Telephony Partner for Conversation Intelligence this includes using captured data to enhance sales performance and customer experience with the analysis of calls at scale. "The Red Box compliance recording solution and its integration with Teams and Dynamics 365 means organisations can benefit from streamlined teamwork and enhanced analytical insights, while adhering to relevant regulatory requirements for record-keeping, monitoring, data governance and reporting," comments Pete Daderko, Director of Product Marketing, Microsoft Teams Phone. About Red Box Red Box is a leading dedicated voice specialist with over 30 years' experience in empowering organizations to capture, secure, and unlock the value of enterprise-wide voice. Conversa by Red Box is the next generation and first truly open microservices-based, enterprise voice platform. It provides customers with open access to and control over captured voice and media, resilient capture of high-quality real-time data from across the enterprise, the freedom to use that data in any application, and a market-leading TCO. Red Box is trusted by leading organizations across financial services, contact center, government, and public safety sectors (including six of the world's top banks, 85% of global interdealer brokers, hundreds of call centers, and over 80% of UK police forces) and we capture and secure millions of calls daily for thousands of customers around the world. For more information visit www.redboxvoice.com For press enquiries please contact: Nadine Edmondson marketing@redboxvoice.com, +44 (0) 7702 335 519 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/red-box-compliance-recording-solution-is-certified-for-microsoft-teams-301384472.html SOURCE Red Box [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Mindtree Expands in Europe and Asia-Pacific with Executive Appointments to Accelerate Next Phase of Growth LONDON and MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 24, 2021 /CNW/ -- Mindtree, a global technology services and digital transformation company, is expanding in Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company has made several key executive appointments to further accelerate growth in the two markets. The company has appointed Klaus Seifert as Head of Strategy for Europe and Chief Business Officer for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH). Munich-based Seifert brings more than two decades of experience in sales, business development, and P&L management across diverse industry sectors. He was formerly the head of Global Technology Services for DACH at IBM. Erik Julius Larsen has joined the company as Chief Business Officer for Nordics and Benelux. Larsen's experience of more than 25 years includes several executive positions in the IT industry across northern Europe. Prior to joining Mindtree, he worked at Cognizant as Country Manager and Head of Sales for Nordics. Dominic Del Giudice has been appointed as Chief Business Officer for Asia-Pacific. Melbourne-based Del Giudice joins Mindtree with more than two decades of management consulting, business and digital transformatio, and enterprise and technology solutions experience with large multinational companies. He joins Mindtree from IBM, where he was Vice President and Senior Partner at IBM Global Business Services across Asia-Pacific and Australia/New Zealand. "We are making sustained investments in Europe and Asia-Pacific as part of our 4X4X4 strategy aimed at strengthening our leadership capabilities and strategic partnerships in these markets to drive superior growth," said Venu Lambu, Executive Director and President, Global Markets, Mindtree. "We are excited about the depth of industry and technology expertise that these leaders bring to our clients. With businesses in Europe and Asia-Pacific increasingly seeking strategic technology partnerships to maximize revenues and growth, strong leadership with a deep understanding of these markets is vital to our ability to help our clients unlock value from digital transformation." About Mindtree Mindtree (NSE: MINDTREE) is a global technology consulting and services company, helping enterprises marry scale with agility to achieve competitive advantage. "Born digital," in 1999 and now a Larsen & Toubro Group Company, Mindtree applies its deep domain knowledge to 260 enterprise client engagements to break down silos, make sense of digital complexity and bring new initiatives to market faster. We enable IT to move at the speed of business, leveraging emerging technologies and the efficiencies of Continuous Delivery to spur business innovation. Operating in 24 countries across the world, we're consistently regarded as one of the best places to work, embodied every day by our winning culture made up of over 27,000 entrepreneurial, collaborative and dedicated "Mindtree Minds." To learn more about us, visit www.mindtree.com or follow us @Mindtree_Ltd For more information, contact: media@mindtree.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mindtree-expands-in-europe-and-asia-pacific-with-executive-appointments-to-accelerate-next-phase-of-growth-301384635.html SOURCE Mindtree [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Flexiti Places 13th on The Globe and Mail's Third-annual Ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies Flexiti Financial Inc. ("Flexiti"), a leading provider of buy now, pay later point-of-sale consumer financing solutions for retailers, is pleased to announce it placed 13th on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies. Canada's Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Flexiti earned its spot with three-year growth of 3,181%. Through Flexiti's omni-channel solution, customers can apply for a FlexitiCard in-store or online, the paperless application takes minutes to complete and upon approval, the FlexitiCard can immediately be used to make purchases. This fully automated and 100% paperless process offers qualified customers a revolving credit line and flexible payment plans with 0% interest financing1 options, eliminating the need to reapply for financing for future purchases. "We are extremely honoured to be ranked among Canada's Top Growing Companies for the third year in a row," said Peter Kalen, Founder and CEO of Flexiti. "Despite a year of immense change and uncertainty, our success is in part attributed to signing one of Canada's largest retailers as well as our continued expansion into the Quebec market. These achievements only further exemplify the resilience and dedication of our employees to remaining one of Canada's leading providers of buy now, pay later payment solutions and I want to offer a sincere and heartfelt thank you to each one of our employees who has helped us accomplish and maintain this success. We are excited about our future growth opportunities, and I am excited to see where the next year takes us!" Launched in 2019, the Canada's Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total 448 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking. The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazine-out now-and online. "As we look toward the future, Canada's Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges," says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. "The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals." "Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this year's Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies," says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. "Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers." 1 O.A.C. Terms and conditions apply. About The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mail's investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson (News - Alert) family. About Flexiti Founded in 2013 by Peter Kalen, Flexiti is one of Canada's fastest-growing point-of-sale fintech lenders, offering customers 0% interest financing at retailers that sell big-ticket goods like furniture, appliances, jewellery and electronics. Through its award-winning omni-channel platform, customers can be approved instantly to shop with their FlexitiCard, which they can use online or in-store to make multiple purchases, within their credit limit, without needing to reapply. Accepted at over 7,000 locations and ecommerce sites across Canada including The Brick, Leon's, Staples (News - Alert) , Sleep Country, Wayfair, Birks and Peoples Jewellers, Flexiti aims to make our customers' lives more affordable and help our retail partners grow their sales by offering flexible financing options. Flexiti's growth, driven by its financing platform, is recognized as market leading. In 2019, Flexiti was named Canada's 11th fastest growing company by the Globe and Mail, ranked 7th in the Deloitte (News - Alert) Technology Fast 50TM program, and 40th in Deloitte North America Technology Fast 500TM. In 2020, Flexiti ranked 29th in The Americas' 500 Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times (News - Alert) , 6th in The Globe and Mail's Canada's Top Growing Companies, 3rd on the 2020 Growth List and 6th and 39th on Deloitte Technology Fast 50TM and Fast 500TM, respectively. Flexiti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO). For more information, visit www.flexiti.com. (CURO-NWS) Source (News - Alert) : CURO Group Holdings Corp.; Flexiti View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005047/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] H.I.G. Capital Acquires Aspire Pharma H.I.G. Capital, LLC ("H.I.G."), a leading global alternative investment firm with $45 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has acquired Aspire Pharma Limited ("Aspire" or the "Company"), a leading UK provider of niche generic and branded specialty pharmaceuticals, alongside its founder Graham Fraser-Pye. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Aspire licenses and develops niche generic and specialty pharmaceutical products that offer innovative formulations, value for money for payors, and reliable supply arrangements in markets that are often underserved. The business holds leadership positions in urology, ophthalmology, CNS and dermatology, with a highly diversified portfolio of more than 250 products across multiple categories, including branded specialty products and unbranded niche generics. H.I.G., together with the management team, aims to continue Aspire's strong track record of organic growth and to support new initiatives, such as M&A and international expansion. The existing management team of Aspire Pharma will remain in place, with Graham Fraser-Pye taking the role of Chairman. Graham Fraser-Pye remarked, "I am very pleased to welcome H.I.G. as a key investor in the future of Aspire Pharma. Since our foundation in 2009, we have grown rapidly and consistently through our astute strategic choices and extensive development know-how. H.I.G., with its significant financial and geographic reach, will help us maintain our impressive growth trajectory and take Aspire into another exciting phase for its people and customers. We remain committed to the development and supply of innovative products and medicines that offer value to our customers and make a difference to the lives of ptients." John Harper, Managing Director and Head of the H.I.G. Europe Lower Middle Market LBO team in London, said, "We are delighted to be supporting Graham and his team to further build upon Aspire's success. The Company's track record of identifying, developing and launching niche pharmaceutical products, coupled with H.I.G.'s international presence and history of supporting organic and acquisitive growth in its portfolio companies, underpins an exciting next chapter for Aspire." About Aspire Aspire was founded in 2009. Aspire has an asset-light business model that focuses on R&D, business development and sales and marketing, while outsourcing manufacturing and distribution to specialist third parties. For more details see www.aspirepharma.co.uk. About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with European offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and U.S. and Latin American offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005266/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] IDC's 3rd Platform Industry Spending Guides Provide In-Depth Sub-Industry Forecasts for Technology Investments Across Nine Industries International Data Corporation (IDC) recently published a series of 3rd Platform Industry Spending Guides that provide in-depth forecasts for technology spending. The guides cover nine industries - banking, government, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, oil and gas, retail, securities and investment services, and utilities - with detailed spending projections for 3rd Platform technologies (mobility, cloud, big data and analytics (BDA), and social) and Innovation Accelerators (artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), 3D printing, Internet of Things (IoT), security, and robotics) as well as traditional, 2nd Platform technologies. "While IT spending is contracting in some areas, spending on 3rd Platform technologies will see double-digit growth throughout the post-COVID recovery period," said Karen Massey, research manager, Customer Insights & Analysis. "However, the investment priorities are somewhat varied across industries. The financial services sector, which includes the banking, securities and investment services, and insurance industries, relies more heavily on cloud, mobility, and big data and analytics, for example. But the Internet of Things (IoT) is the primary investment focus in the other six industries, especially manufacturing, oil and gas, and utilities." 3rd Platform technologies will become the largest area of technology investment in the banking industry by 2022 with cloud and mobility accounting for 30% or more of all industry spending throughout the forecast. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5%, spending on big data and analytics will nearly equal mobility by the end of the forecast while cloud spending takes on more prominence with a five-year CAGR of 16.2%. Consumer banking will remain the largest sub-industry, accounting for more than half of all technology spending by the industry throughout the forecast. The insurance and securities and investment services industries will follow a similar spending trajectory as banking with cloud and mobility investments leading the way, followed closely by big data and analytics. Both industries will also see similar levels of investment in next-generation security and AI systems. One area where the two industries diverge is IoT spending, which will be notably higher for the insurance industry, led by the property & casualty sub-industry. "In response to the need for resiliency and scalability in financial services operations, our research has shown accelerated growth in spending on infrastructure technologies like cloud and security, and in business areas like digital banking, risk management in insurance, and analytics in the capital markets industry," said Jerry Silva, program vice president, IDC Financial Insights. "And because many areas in financial institutions are limiting budgets in the face of an uncertain lending environment, investments in as-a-Service cloud solutions and platforms will increase their share of the IT dollar." The manufacturing industry will deliver the largest investments in 3rd Platform technologies with spending growing to more than $800 billion in 2024. IoT will be the largest area of investment, accounting for more than 30% of the industry's IT spending throughout the forecast. Robotics will be the second largest area of spending with strong investments from the automotive, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and aerospace and defense sub-industries. Robotics and AI systems will see some of the fastest spending growth with a five-year CAGRs of 19.2% and 19.9%, respectively. IoT will also be the largest area of investment in both the utilities and the oil and gas industries as they increase their use of sensors in smart meters and for distribution automation. Cloud and mobility will see similar levels of investment at the beginning of the forecast, but cloud will benefit from significantly stronger spending growth throughout the forecast in both industries. Robotics will also overtake both cloud and mobility by the end of the forecast to become the second largest area of investment in the oil and gas industry. In retail, IoT investments will account for nearly a quarter of all technology spending as organizations focus on omni-channel operations. Cloud and mobility will account for another quarter of all retail spending while AR/VR, robotics, and AI systems will see the fastest spending growth as companies invest in customer experience and automation. For general merchandise retailers like Walmart and Target (News - Alert) , cloud is the top spending priority while the food store sub-industry will focus more of its spending on IoT along with cloud and mobility. IoT is also the largest area of spending within the healthcare industry, where providers (hospitals, physician clinics, and other providers) are utilizing remote sensors for bedside telemetry, asset tracking, and remote health monitoring. Mobility and cloud will be the next largest areas of spending with cloud forecast to grow at a notably faster rate (14.0% CAGR). Investments in AI systems and robotics will also experience strong growth over the course of the forecast with five-year CAGRs of 21.0% and 16.8% respectively. Government spending on 3rd Platform technologies is forecast to grow to nearly $300 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of 11.6%. IoT will be the largest area of spending, accounting for more than one third of all 3rd Platform investments as governments at all levels invest in public safety and emergency response programs, public infrastructure asset management, and intelligent transportation systems. Mobility and cloud will be the next largest areas of investment with cloud spending overtaking mobility by the end of the forecast with a five-year CAGR of 12.9%. AR/VR and AI systems will see the fastest spending growth with CAGRs of 84.0% and 25.8% respectively. IDC's (News - Alert) 3rd Platform Industry Spending Guides provide an in-depth industry market forecast for 3rd Platform (mobility, cloud, big data and analytics, and social) and Innovation Accelerators (artificial intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality, 3D printing, Internet of Things, security, and robotics) technologies as well as spending data for hardware, software, and IT services, plus two delivery types (cloud and non-cloud), across nine geographic regions and 64 sub-industries and lines of business. The guides remove duplicative spending (overlap or double counting) that is inherent to individual technology forecasts, thereby offering a wholistic industry and subindustry/line-of business forecast for emerging technology markets. This version (V1 2021) of the Spending Guides incorporates updated assumptions for political, economic, and pandemic impacts across all technology and industry markets. About IDC Spending Guides IDC's Spending Guides provide a granular view of key technology markets from a regional, vertical industry, use case, buyer, and technology perspective. The spending guides are delivered via pivot table format or custom query tool, allowing the user to easily extract meaningful information about each market by viewing data trends and relationships. For more information about IDC's Spending Guides, please contact Monika Kumar at mkumar@idc.com. Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business. About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005066/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Banty's Dr. Richard Tytus Discusses How to Prepare Medical Clinics for Virtual Visits with Patients TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Because of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, more and more medical clinics are beginning to explore the usage of a telemedicine solution. Not only does implementing one reduce the possibility of spreading the virus throughout a waiting room, but it also meets the care needs of a sizable group of patients. According to findings published by Jarrard Inc., 44% of patients said that the current COVID-19 situation is making them "more likely to pursue" virtual appointments with their doctor. With this being the case, medical clinics should prepare themselves for patients having heightened interest in such appointments. Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc. , has been championing virtual healthcare for years. Over time, he has learned that in order to best handle online patient appointments, a medical clinic needs to prepare itself by: Selecting the right telemedicine solution: Banty Medical is an easy and secure solution for practices interested in conducting online appointments with patients. It features end-to-end encryption and is HIPAA/PHIPA compliant for virtual medicine. Additionally, all doctors can create a custom Banty room address (i.e., Banty.com/MyClinic ). This is the only link a patient will need to use to enter an appointment with their doctor Banty Medical is an easy and secure solution for practices interested in conducting online appointments with patients. It features end-to-end encryption and is HIPAA/PHIPA compliant for virtual medicine. Additionally, all doctors can create a custom Banty room address (i.e., ). This is the only link a patient will need to use to enter an appointment with their doctor Training the clinical team: Before implementing a telemedicine solution into day-to-day operations, a clinic's team should first be thoroughly trained on it. While this may delay a move toward virtual appointments, it is important for all staff to understand the ins and outs of the solution being used. This will prepare them to work with it on a day-to-day basis, as well as assist patients when required Before implementing a telemedicine solution into day-to-day operations, a clinic's team should first be thoroughly trained on it. While this may delay a move toward virtual appointments, it is important for all staff to understand the ins and outs of the solution being used. This will prepare them to work with it on a day-to-day basis, as well as assist patients when required Identifying patients to test out the system: Once the technology is in place and training is complete, a virtual visit pilot project with a select group of patients can be kickstarted. These patients should be informed that their assistance will help the clinic work out any possible kinks, and make the online appointment process as seamless as possible moving forward. Here, it's best to begin with patients who have a longstanding relationship with the clinic, or are known to be tech savvy Once the technology is in place and training is complete, a virtual visit pilot project with a select group of patients can be kickstarted. These patients should be informed that their assistance will help the clinic work out any possible kinks, and make the online appointment process as seamless as possible moving forward. Here, it's best to begin with patients who have a longstanding relationship with the clinic, or are known to be tech savvy Widely promoting telemedicine services being offered: Following the pilot project, a clinic needs to openly promote the telemedicine services it offers. This can be done through in-practice brochures and posters, as well as readily available information on the clinic's website and/or social media channels. Also, doctors, nurses, and administrative staff should do their best to spread the word when interacting with patients "To successfully introduce telemedicine services at your practices, you need to take your time and only launch when certain boxes have been checked, adds Dr. Tytus. "If you go this route, chances are patients will have a much smoother transition from in-person appointments to virtual ones." Banty.com's video call service offers all subscribers a custom, permanent URL (i.e., Banty.com/MyMeeting ); a secure, end-to-end encrypted meeting space; excellent video quality; unlimited meetings each month; and straightforward scheduling tools. Banty has a number of solutions that are meant to make it easy to meet with those who matter most to you. (Watch the 'Banty Is Easy' video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhmVdwrR_w8&t=10s ) Today, everyone has a mobile number and an email address. In the near future, everyone will have a Banty room address: Banty.com/YourName About Banty Founded in 2020, Banty offers exceptional video conferencing solutions for Businesses , Enterprise , Medical Practices , Virtual Events , and Personal use . Banty video conferencing is easy to use and ultra-secure. The platform provides users with a dedicated Banty.com URL , accessible via any desktop browser or through iOS and Android mobile apps. In order to receive government approval to become a verified medical platform, Banty was upgraded to meet new cyber security standards, making it one of the most secure platforms available. Each day, the Banty team goes above and beyond to ensure the platform remains one of the most secure and innovative virtual meeting solutions in the world. For more information, please visit Banty.org/solutions , or follow Banty on social media to learn more about the latest platform innovations: LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube , Instagram . Media Contact: Scott Wilson 289-259-8059 319643@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bantys-dr-richard-tytus-discusses-how-to-prepare-medical-clinics-for-virtual-visits-with-patients-301384172.html SOURCE Banty Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] ALYI - Understanding The Cryptocurrency Backed EV Ecosystem Behind The EV Company Dallas, TX, Sept. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALYI) (ALYI) has recently announced that it expects to generate its first revenue this year from the sale of electric vehicles. Specifically, ALYI intends to generate $2 million by year end from the sale of electric motorcycles. The company yesterday announced it might add to the $2 million figure with the additional sales of three wheeled electric vehicles under a second contract. ALYI management repeatedly emphasizes that the electric vehicles are just the tip of an overall electric vehicle ecosystem backed by a dedicated cryptocurrency called Revolt Token . Much More To An Electric Vehicle Than The Replacement Of A Combustion Engine Electric vehicles require a whole new breed of design and engineering, from the vehicle as a whole, down to each and every component part, from the component function to the subcomponent function, and the material its all made from. There is much more to an electric vehicle than the replacement of a combustion engine. Battery technology is a much talked about critical pacing item to the overall advance of electric vehicles. However, the charging network may be just as critical a pacing item. You currently cannot simply pull into a charging station and in five minutes, charge your car the way you would tank up on gas. What about the source of electricity? All those cars will have to be charged now the electric infrastructure that is already keeping on all the lights and air conditioners, hot water heaters, computers, and mobile phones. What about the manufacturing and assembly infrastructure, and the sales and marketing support, and the distribution channels? Of course, all of this will take investment capital to build. The Electric Vehicle Is The Consumer Point Of Contact In The Overall EV Ecosystem An electric vehicle is the point of consumer contact in an overall electric vehicle ecosystem where all the components of the ecosystem come together to deliver a transportation service. In a region such as the United States, where the transportation market is saturated with existing combustion engine vehicles, the rollout of electric vehicles will be affected by getting consumers to exchange combustion engine vehicles for electric vehicles. Electric vehicle purveyors in the United States will have the advantage and challenge of addressing existing consumer transportation expectations formed around combustion engine vehicles. Electric vehicle innovations that deviate from existing combustion engine consumer expectations might be rejected by consumers regardless of the advantages of any particular innovation. At the same time, electric vehicle purveyors in the United States can avoid the expense of innovation and produce a product that minimally utilizes the advantages of elctric power and is seemingly the same as the consumers old combustion engine vehicle except for now being powered by an electric motor. ALYIs Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Strategy ALYI is building an entire electric vehicle ecosystem to address all components of the comprehensive process behind the consumer electric vehicle point of contact in the overall transportation experience. ALYI is launching its electric vehicle ecosystem in Africa where the transportation market is far from saturated and the opportunity exists to introduce consumers to a transportation solution for the first time, rather than convincing them to exchange one mode of transportation for another. Africa and the rest of the worlds developing economic regions where ALYI will go next, provide a technology leapfrog opportunity. The United States and other economically developed regions are resistant to innovation when the innovation requires replacing an existing solution. Purveyors in developed economic regions are resistant to spending money on an innovation that may produce a superior solution, when a passable and profitable solution is already in place, and consumers are resistant to adopting any change in their daily routine. The best opportunity for electric transportation innovation resides in the developing economic regions of the world. ALYI Assembling Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Component Experts Under A Global Brand ALYI management does not plan to build all the electric vehicle ecosystem expertise in house. Such a strategy would be sheer folly as the range of expertise is so vast. ALYI is otherwise assembling the component expertise under one brand name with the key strategic initiative being to make that brand name globally recognized. ALYI is assembling the component expertise through a combination of partnerships, contracts, acquisitions and investments. For example, ALYI anticipates making two acquisitions prior to year-end. One in conjunction with ALYIs electric motorcycle business and one in conjunction with the ALYIs branding strategy where ALYI will be connected with an existing, globally recognized electric vehicle racing brand. ALYI has also made a strategic investment in an innovative, technology driven, car rental company concentrating on developing economic regions with a substantial existing footprint in India. Tapping Into Cryptocurrency Innovations To Capitalize An Electric Vehicle Ecosystem ALYI elected to be a publicly traded company in order to form capital necessary to invest in its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy. ALYI has also formed a partnership with Revolt Token to further access capital for its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy. ALYI has partnered with Revolt Token to finance ALYIs growth by offering democratized participation in the electric vehicle ecosystem through the sale of Revolt Tokens. To learn more about Revolt Token and how to participate in ALYIs electric vehicle ecosystem through the purchase of Revolt Tokens, visit https://rvlttoken.com/ . For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI's overall latest developments, please visit www.alternetsystemsinc.com . Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact: Randell Torno info@lithiumip.com +1-800-713-0297 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Berkshire Partners Announces New Advisory Director, Kristin Johnsen Berkshire Partners announced today that Kristin Johnsen has joined the firm as an Advisory Director. Ms. Johnsen, a longtime technology executive, will partner with the firm's technology team to evaluate new investment ideas and partner with portfolio companies on growth initiatives. "We are thrilled to welcome Kristin to the team and look forward to deepening our relationship with her as an Advisory Director," said EJ Whelan, Managing Director of Berkshire Partners. "Kristin brings deep technology leadership experience that will be invaluable for our private equity team in assessing new opportunities, and with our portfolio company teams in prioritizing and executing on growth strategies." Ms. Johnsen has more than 30 years of experience running technology businesses, including most recently as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft (News - Alert) Services, an enterprise consulting and support business that serves more than 13,000 customers globally. She also served as CEO of ZKEY, a digital identity management company, and was COOand VP of Operations at Carparts.com. Previously, she was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company (News - Alert) , where she specialized in client situations requiring both strategic realignment and revamped operations. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Berkshire Partners portfolio companies FoodChainID and Access Information Management. Ms. Johnsen also supports key public institutions and non-profits, including UC Berkeley's College of Engineering Advisory Board, Berkeley's Women in Tech initiative (EDGE), and Opportunity@Work. About Berkshire Partners Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based firm, has 35 years of investment history. Berkshire Private Equity has made more than 135 private equity investments since its inception and has a strong history of partnering with management teams to grow the companies in which it invests. Stockbridge, the firm's public equity business, was founded in 2007 and seeks to make public equity investments in high-quality companies with strong competitive positions and long-term growth prospects. The firm invests in business services & technology, communications, consumer, healthcare, and industrials companies. For additional information, and to see a full list of the firm's private equity investments, visit www.berkshirepartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005413/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] Blackline Safety Named as one of Canada's Top Growing Companies in the Globe & Mail's 2021 Rankings Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN), a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, today announced it was included on the list of the Globe and Mail's 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005507/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Canada's Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Blackline Safety earned its No. 182 spot with three-year revenue growth of 230% and is the second-largest TSX-listed company in Western Canada-and the only Calgary-based one-on the list. Last week, in its Q3 fiscal 2021 results, Blackline announced it achieved its eighteenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year quarterly revenue growth and maintained strong adoption of its products and services - particularly across Europe and the United States - despit the impact of the pandemic. "Our steady growth in cloud-connected safety technology over the last several years reflects the strength of our team, our revenue model and the value our products and services bring to meeting the safety challenges of our customers across the world," said Cody Slater, CEO and Chair, Blackline Safety. "Despite global challenges across 2020 and 2021, we continue to see growth resulting from our innovative products, analytics and reporting capabilities that offer best-in-class worker protection in a world that needs it as much as ever." "As we look toward the future, Canada's Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges," says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. "The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals." Launched in 2019, the Canada's Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking. "Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this year's Report on Business ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies," says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. "Their growth helps to make Canada a better place, and we are proud to bring their stories to our readers." About Blackline Safety Blackline Safety is a global connected safety leader that helps to ensure every worker gets their job done and returns home safely each day. Blackline provides wearable safety technology, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Blackline Safety wearables provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of men and women, having reported over 159 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, we ensure that help is never too far away. For more information, visit www.BlacklineSafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210924005507/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 24, 2021] NASA TV to Air US Cargo Ship Departure from Space Station WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft filled with more than 4,600 pounds of supplies and valuable scientific experiments bound for NASA's Space Station Processing Facility is set to leave the International Space Station Thursday, Sept. 30. NASA Television, the agency's website, and the NASA app will broadcast the spacecraft's departure live, beginning at 8:45 a.m. EDT. Ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, will command Dragon to undock from the forward port on the station's Harmony module at 9:05 a.m. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough will monitor the process from inside the station's Cupola. Cargo Dragon will fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station prior to a deorbit burn later in the day that will begin its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft will make parachute-assisted splashdown around 11 p.m. off the coast of Florida. NASA Television will not broadcast the splashdown live, but will provide updates on the space station blog. Splashing down off the coast of Florida enables quick transportation of the science aboard the capsule to NASA's Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The experiments were designed to take advantage of microgravity aboard the space station the short transportation timeframe allows researchers to collect data from them with minimal sample exposure to Earth's gravity. The departing Dragon spacecraft delivered more than 4,800 pounds of research investigations, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to the station for SpaceX's 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission. It launched Sunday, Aug. 29, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy and arrived at the orbiting laboratory about 32 hours later. Some of the scientific investigations Dragon will return to Earth include: Ring Sheared Drop examines the formation and flow of abnormal proteins, called amyloids, in the absence of solid walls, which can influence chemical interactions. Results could contribute to a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, as well as the development of advanced materials. Anti-Atrophy tests the ability of biomaterials to inhibit muscle atrophy in microgravity. Results may lead to the production of pharmaceuticals to prevent muscle atrophy, not only for astronauts in space, but also for the elderly on Earth. Genes in Space-8 tests a technology for monitoring gene expression in space. This test could lead to a better understanding of spaceflight-induced changes in liver gene expression and may support the development of new therapies that can account for the body's adaptations to spaceflight. Learn more about SpaceX missions for NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacex Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-tv-to-air-us-cargo-ship-departure-from-space-station-301384981.html SOURCE NASA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pandemic protocols persist just as many TKC readers predicted. What's worse is that plague numbers indicate that face coverings will likely continue throughout cold & flu season which should end sometime after the 3rd Prez Biden Administration. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . Kansas City mask mandate extended into October after council vote KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City's indoor mask mandate has been extended into October after a vote by the city council Thursday afternoon. The council voted 11-2 to extend the mask mandate through Oct. 7, with only council members Heather Hall and Brandon Ellington voting against the extension. The Oct. Kansas City's mask mandate has been extended through Oct. 7 KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Today, the KCMO City Council voted 11-2 to extend the city's mask mandate through October 7. That is the same day when the mask mandate in Jackson County, MO ends. This is the second time the current mask order has been extended; it was originally in effect beginning on Aug. Indoor mask mandate in Kansas City, Missouri, extended to Oct. 7 The Kansas City, Missouri, city council approved extending the city's indoor mask mandate until Oct. 7.The measure was approved by an 11-2 vote Thursday.Masks are required in all indoor spaces of public accommodation where six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained. Developing . . . The outcome was inevitable as the courts side with local government over small biz and the power of politicos over the plebs is upheld. Here's the victory lap from the Courthouse . . . Jackson County Executives Office statement on Raes Cafe ruling KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Jackson County Executives Office has issued the following statement in response to the judges ruling regarding Raes Cafe in Blue Springs: We respect and appreciate the Courts ruling as well as their time and attention to this matter. While we are pleased with the outcome, it is unfortunate that we had to pursue legal action, but today, the Court affirmed that doing so was our only option to ensure our public health order is followed. We remain committed to taking the actions needed to protect the health and safety of our community during this difficult and challenging time. Together we will get through this pandemic and in the end, we will have a stronger, more compassionate and caring community. ### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . Judge rules on Rae's Cafe challenge to Jackson County mask mandate A Jackson County judge has ruled on a Blue Springs restaurant's challenge to Jackson County's mask mandate.The judge reaffirmed the county's temporary restraining order against Rae's Cafe and denied the restaurant's counterclaim. The judge has ordered the restaurant closed as a public or private establishment.Rae's Cafe has been operating as a private club in defiance of the temporary restraining order issued earlier this morning. Restraining order remains in place for Rae's Cafe KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Jackson County Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday that a temporary restraining order should remain in effect for Rae's Cafe in Blue Springs. In the ruling, Judge Jennifer Phillips wrote the order remains in effect unless the restaurant complies the county's public health order requiring the wearing of masks in most indoor settings. Rae's Cafe must close for violating county mask mandate, judge rules INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Rae's Cafe in Blue Springs will be forced to close, at least for now, after a judge's ruling Thursday. A Jackson County judge sided with the county and granted a temporary restraining order after the restaurant violated Jackson County's mask mandate. Developing . . . Two friends and I are planning a trip to Egypt in March that would include a Nile cruise, and I'm a little overwhelmed and hope I can get some good guidance here. Our trip has to be short due to family commitments. We can get into Luxor on a Sunday night and then one of the guys would need to depart the following Saturday evening. I say Luxor because my cursory search suggests that it's common for 4 day cruises to start in Luxor on Monday while the 3 day cruises start from Aswan on Friday (which isn't doable for us due to our schedule). Am I right in this or is it more sprinkled throughout the week than I believe? My thought process is that we'd do this cruise, add Abu Simpel on Friday with a flight back to Cairo that afternoon, and then see Cairo highlights (Giza, museum) Saturday before my friend's evening flight. Is there a list of the cruise ships somewhere? We're in our mid 40s and would like something that has good amenities but I'd prefer not to be on a ship where everybody is much older (no offense to older folks). Probably looking at a budget of something like $1,000 a person for double or triple occupancy. Do any of the cruise ships require vaccination? That would be a big plus for us. Or maybe there's some good travel agencies that could plan this whole thing for us? Thanks in advance for your help. The Martian atmosphere is composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide. Astronauts could save half the fuel they need for a return trip home by making what they need on the red planet once they arrive, Wu said. Its like a gas station on Mars. You could easily pump carbon dioxide through this reactor and produce methane for a rocket, Wu said. UCs study was published in the journal Nature Communications with collaborators from Rice University, Shanghai University and East China University of Science and Technology. Wu began his career in chemical engineering by studying fuel cells for electric vehicles but began looking at carbon dioxide conversion in his chemical engineering lab about 10 years ago. Serhiy Harmash, Ukraines delegate to the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas settlement, says Russian-led forces have turned down Kyivs request to hand the remains of a Ukrainian soldier killed in hostilities. Thats according to Harmashs Facebook post, Ukrinform reports. The other party to the TCG asked us to return the remains, claiming his mother has the last stage of cancer and wants to bury her son before she dies. To us, a mothers pain is the same no matter the side. So we vowed to work this out, in turn requesting that they return the body of another son, of another mother, who lives on our side, Harmash said. However, the delegate added, a few days later the mercenaries refused to do so. Despite this, the Ukrainian side handed the remains as promised. "There was a choice: to do as they did and suspend the handover of the remains or to let the mother bury her son and pass in peace. So we handed the body over. We must not and will not be like these inhuman beings who hold hostage in the occupied territory not only those alive but also the dead ones..." Harmash wrote. The official did not reveal the name of the killed soldier in question. As Ukrinform reported, on September 23, the Ukrainian side to the Trilateral Contact Group handed over the remains of Anatoliy Myalkin, who died near Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in June 2014. im Over the past day, September 23, five ceasefire violations were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine. "The intensity of hostilities on the line of contact has decreased. The armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire five times," the JFO Headquarters posted on Facebook. In particular, the enemy fired tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns and heavy machine guns towards Pivdenne (40km north-east of Donetsk). Outside Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk), Russian mercenaries shot aimed fire on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using grenade launchers of different systems and small arms. In addition, the occupiers fired grenade launchers of different systems and small arms to launch three attacks towards Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk). "Joint Forces fired back, using weapons permitted by the Minsk agreements. Ukrainian troops sustained no casualties," the Headquarters informed. Today, September 24, no ceasefire violations by the Russian-occupation forces were recorded. ol Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Nosov has held a meeting with a delegation of the U.S. Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys press service. "The issues of practical implementation of the U.S.-Ukraine intergovernmental agreement on projects in the field of research, development, testing and evaluation were discussed. The document was signed by the heads of defense departments of the two states, Andriy Taran and Lloyd Austin, as part of the recent visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States, reads the report. The parties reaffirmed their joint position on the need for implementing its provisions as soon as possible. To this end, it is planned to hold a meeting of representatives of the Ministries of Defense of Ukraine and the United States, the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine and the U.S. Institute of Defense Analysis (IDA) in January 2022. By this date, a number of bilateral documents of applied scientific and technical cooperation are planned to be developed and then signed by the parties at the meeting. According to Nosov, cooperation in the area of the agreement on projects in the field of research, development, testing and evaluation is of great practical importance both for ensuring Ukraine's defense capabilities and for the development of the national economy in general. As Ukrinform reported, on August 31, Defense Ministers Ukraine and the United States, Andriy Taran and Lloyd Austin, signed an intergovernmental agreement on projects in the field of research, development, testing and evaluation. iy The U.S. House of Representatives passed the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The House easily approved its $778 billion fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a bipartisan 316-113 vote Thursday night, The Hill reports. This week, the House Rules Committee approved a number of amendments to the bill. The proposals include sanctions against Nord Stream 2, the use of titanium from Ukraine instead of resources from China and Russia, on which the United States now depends, and the imposition of new sanctions on Russia and Russian oligarchs, high-ranking officials, and media people. In addition, the bill provides for $300 million in security assistance to Ukraine and proposes to increase the presence of U.S. troops on NATO's eastern flank in Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. The House of Representatives also included amendments to the defense policy bill that provide for limitations on dealings in Russian sovereign debt in primary and secondary markets. The House bill will need to be reconciled with the Senates version before it heads to the presidents desk for his signature. As reported, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee scheduled a closed-door hearing on September 29 to discuss Russias Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The Biden administration has imposed a series of sanctions on Russia's gas pipeline. At the same time, the White House refused to impose restrictions on the project operator, Nord Stream 2 AG, saying it would violate U.S. national interests. The U.S. Congress considers the move a mistake and is working to make the White House to lift any restrictions on U.S. sanctions at the legislative level. On September 10, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom announced the completion of the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. It was built from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea bypassing Ukraine. Gazprom is the only shareholder in the project. ol The European Union supports the opening of forward patrol bases of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission near the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border not controlled by the Ukrainian government, as well as a much wider use of long-range UAVs. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the EU said this in a statement on "Russia's Ongoing Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea," which was read out at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. "SMM should have unrestricted access to all border areas, in accordance with its mandate, and urge Russia to use its considerable influence over the armed formations it backs in order to lift the restrictions of the SMMs freedom of movement. In order to create more transparency, we would also support SMM in opening forward patrol bases close to the border, as well as a much wider use of long-range UAVs in their work," the statement reads. It also notes that the European Union remains deeply concerned about the presence of Russian military equipment and personnel in the sovereign territory of Ukraine. "The frequent SMM reports about the presence of Russian military equipment in eastern Ukraine underline the need for greater transparency about what is happening at the Ukraine-Russia state border currently not controlled by the Ukrainian government," the statement said. According to the EU, the fact that Russia, as a party to the conflict, as the host country of this Mission and as a signatory of the Minsk agreements, has decided to end the Border Observation Mission to Gukovo and Donetsk is "a step backwards in finding a peaceful resolution to this conflict." op In January-July 2021, Ukraine exported 6,008 tonnes of fish and other aquatic bioresources worth $25.9 million to foreign markets, Ukrinform reports, referring to the Ukrainian State Fisheries Agency. The largest importers of Ukrainian fish products in monetary terms were Germany ($6,633 thousand, 985 tonnes), Denmark ($4,323 thousand, 891 tonnes) and Moldova ($3,158 thousand, 1,307 tonnes). Ukraine also exported fish products to Lithuania ($2,167 thousand, 646 tonnes), USA ($1,565 thousand, 217 tonnes), Israel ($1,489 thousand, 188 tonnes) and the Netherlands ($1,010 thousand, 162 tonnes). Since the beginning of the year, Ukraines fish exports consisted mostly of fish fillets and other fish meat (including minced fish) - 1,890 tonnes, ready-to-eat or canned fish - 1,744 tonnes, mollusks - 612 tonnes, frozen fish - 438 tonnes, dried, salted and brined fish - 367 tonnes, live fish - 322 tonnes. As Ukrinform reported, in January-July 2021, the total catch of fish and other aquatic bioresources by enterprises of the Ukrainian fishing industry amounted to 35,466 tonnes. iy In September 2021, the European Union extended for another six months a package of personal sanctions against Russia for actions aimed to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. In addition to personal sanctions, in June 2021, the EU extended until June 2023 sanctions, applied to many areas, for the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. After Russia's seizure of Crimea, Dutch lawyer Helen Over de Linden set about studying EU sanctions targeting Russia. She has penned several scientific and research works on the issue. She has also been monitors violators of the said sanctions. Thus, in 2017, a major scandal broke out over Dutch companies that joined the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge, despite sanctions and the MH17 tragedy, where 190 Dutch nationals died. In an exclusive interview with Ukrinoform, Heleen over de Linden shared her views on the sanctions regime against Russia, the reasons behind their violation by Dutch companies, and the recently established Crimea Platform. SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA, DUTCH COMPANIES, AND KERCH STRAIT BRIDGE How do you think the international sanctions, applied to Russia since 2014, work? I think theyve been organized very well. If you ask me what needs to be done to enhance them, I wouldnt be able to say for sure. However, in practice, it turned out that they dont affect Russia as much as wed like here in the EU. I remember when in 2014 these sanctions were launched, Russia said they would be a real issue as these sanctions were creating certain difficulties for banks, obstacles to receiving loans or credits, oil revenues were dropping, foreign trade was becoming more difficult, as well as getting certain equipment. This all hit Russia bad, but then they found other options, and even started to somehow interact with the EU, achieving their goals through other countries and other structures. So they launched wider cooperation with China and India, although they had been more focused on the EU before. So sanctions were spelled out really well, they were thought through, but their effect on Russia was weaker than expected. Can you name the main advantages and successes of anti-Russian sanctions? Which were most efficient? In my opinion, its great that no one is allowed to help Russia build infrastructure in Crimea and Sevastopol. It was prohibited to provide material and equipment, and that was an issue for Russia that sought to build the Kerch Strait Bridge. We had this huge mess here when a few years ago it turned out there were some Dutch firms that were helping Russia in violation of sanctions. Now our prosecutors are still investigating this. I think that the ban on such cooperation, such help in building infrastructure, was well thought out, although, unfortunately, there are always some ways to circumvent sanctions and theres always someone trying to infringe them. Tours to Crimea are under the ban, too, so if you go there your insurance wont work, you wont get consular services, your credit card wont work and neither will your phone. This all proves that sanctions are good. One more thing a ban on trade with the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, including in coal, but I heard they still find some loopholes. Also, the supplies of equipment and certain spare parts for dual use are barred. You have already mentioned the scandal with the Dutch companies that came under investigation over the Kerch Strait Bridge construction. The Dutch press named two companies that supplied equipment for the Kerch Bridge construction in 2016. These are Vijlard Hydrauliek and Dematec Equipment. Both denied breaching sanctions. At the same time, in one of your interviews, you said that it was not about the two companies, but about seven. In your opinion, why did the Dutch firms go for such cooperation with Russia after the MH17 tragedy? Could these companies not be aware, whom they render services? Didnt they know whose territory Crimea is or is it just business for them? After all, those who died on board MH17 cannot be returned and its business as usual? Its a good question. I remember that when sanctions were first applied, many in our country also suggested that people wouldnt abide by them. And it did turn out that some people are ready to just do business and nothing else matters as business is always a priority. And, of course, the companies that violated sanctions, explained their act by claiming they werent aware, that everything was in line with the law. After all, they claimed, the Kerch Strait Bridge is in Russia, while sanctions apply to the occupied Crimea not Russia. So, according to the EU sanctions, they are not supposed to deal with Crimea, while Russia is okay. However, in those sanctions, it is clearly spelled out that, if even indirectly, in any way, they get involved, if anything will be used in or supplied to Crimea, this is also not okay. Besides, even offering consultancy or architectural services is prohibited, too. In my opinion, those people did realize what they were doing. And then they just said we werent aware to avoid accountability. What about these Dutch companies? How did the sanctions work? The courts are yet to hand down their rulings. After 2018, the issue somewhat went to the background in the media and those firms got less coverage. One of the owners has shut his business down. Reports said hes gone bankrupt. The other company still has a website running, as if nothing happened. I was surprised. But is the inquiry into these firms still underway? I contacted the prosecutors office several times. They told me that the inquiry was ongoing. They also assured me that they will report the news, if any, and even wrote down my phone number. But then, when I reached out to them again, they told me: Why do you even think we will be giving you this kind of information? After all, its confidential and not subject to disclosure. And this, of course, happens when an investigation is in progress. MH17 AND RUINED FRIENDSHIP OF THE NETHERLANDS AND RUSSIA How do you think the relations between the Netherlands and Russia have changed following the MH17 downing? Previously, we had pretty friendly relations. Everyone would bring up Peter I who used to live here in Zaandam, and these are some rather nice memories. The Netherlands and the Russian Federation were also tied through numerous cultural events. However, after the MH17 tragedy, relations have been on the decline. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did everything to spread awareness of whats happened. He never suggested we should wait for a court judgment he initially stated that it was Russia who is to blame for the tragedy. So all efforts of our prosecutors office are now focused on the MH17 case. I think the relations wont get better because theres the Crimea issue and theres MH17. Russia acts by the same scenario. Everything starts off with claiming that too many of their people live in a certain area and we are set to protect them. Russia is unpredictable. In the EU, we welcome many emigrants. What if Russians come to like it here and then some province will just get annexed by the principle of well, theres a lot of Russians here Definitely, many countries fear Russia. The Dutch people used to have very warm contacts with Russia. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many were eager to make friends and travel, but then things began to change, especially after MH17. Sanctions are good, but Russia is also really smart and sly. They will always be able to find some loophole. Did you personally know any of those who died in the MH17 crash? My father knew someone whose son died. He was my age. Also, a friend of mine knew an owner of a shop he regularly goes to, who died there, too. Everyone knows someone. Theres always someone who has some friend or a friend of a friend. Also, there are people who are complicit in what has happened then. And from the EUs perspective, it is logical if sanctions are applied to such individuals. It could be a travel ban or an asset freeze if they have any assets here. But most often, these people dont have such assets so this doesnt affect them much. I dont know how exactly Russians treat the fact that they are in a sanctions list. I believe, if this doesnt really spoil their image in their home country, this isnt too important for such people. They can just move on with their lives, while Putin hands them all kinds of awards, medals, and such. So theyll be deemed heroes in Russia and its not important that everyone outside Russia is against them. How do you think the sanctions and the deterioration of relations between the Netherlands and Russia have affected Russians living in the EU, in particular the young ones studying here? Has Putin's inner circle begun to feel the effect of sanctions? Sanctions dont say a word about the children of Russian oligarchs. But I think that for the Russians whose kids study here this, of course, is an issue. After all, if you werent on a list yesterday, things can change tomorrow. So they could be anxious about it. TRIALS IN THE HAGUE AND BANANA REPUBLIC Is Russia wary of the judgments of courts in The Hague? In particular, in November 2019, the UN International Court of Justice recognized its jurisdiction in the case of Russia's violation of two conventions on the fight against the financing of terrorism and the prohibition of all forms of racial discrimination. In addition, Russia must explain why it failed to comply with the interim measures imposed by the Court more than four years ago, including the demand to remove obstacles to the operations of the Crimean Tatars Mejlis. Can Russia allow not complying with court judgments? Another good question. I believe the answer to this question should have two parts. Russia doesnt admit its guilt, and this was the case with the Greenpeace activists Russians never recognized the court. But Russia did comply with the judgment of the arbitral tribunal in the Arctic Sunrise case, even though it happened a few years on (the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague found Russia a violator of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and ordered that it pay the Netherlands compensation in the case of seizure of the Arctic Sunrise vessel when Greenpeace tried to hold a protest rally against oil production on the Arctic shelf in September 2013). This is an example of them not recognizing it at first. Also, Putin amended the Constitution in 2020. According to these amendments, it was proposed to refuse from complying with the judgments of international courts, including the ECHR. And thats despite the fact that Russia, as a Council of Europe member state, which ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, must comply with the ECHR decisions. So I believe Russia has long had this tradition of choosing whether to follow the court rulings or not. Also, as for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, it was established based on the Rome Statute. Ratification of the Rome Statute implies that its jurisdiction extends to all countries that ratified it. At the same time, Russia has recalled its signature from the Rome Statute, while this doesnt prevent other powers from prosecuting Russian nationals for crimes committed in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and in Crimea. After all, the ICC is about individual responsibility of a certain person, for example, someone from among political or military leadership. However, no matter what, everyone here believes it is necessary to pursue these trials. These are fundamental cases that The Hague will investigate even if Russia doesnt want to comply with the judgments. Its a really important fact that the international arena will consider Russia as some banana republic. Can Russia not comply with the decision of the UN International Court of Justice in the "Ukraine v. Russia" case? Compliance with the decision of the UN International Court of Justice is an obligation and responsibility on the part of Russia, enshrined in the Charter of the Court and extending in particular to Russia. In addition, representatives of the Russian Federation and their lawyers attended court hearings. So it turns out that they do recognize the court, right? Is it possible to oblige the Russian Federation to comply with the court ruling? This all depends on whats laid down in the Russian constitution and other legislation. And I believe that Putin was aware that many decisions would be not in his favor so Russia will always find some pretest to not recognize and not implement the rulings. As for the MH17 case, Russia and the EU have no mutual extradition agreement. If these four indicted individuals are convicted, Russians wont hand them over because theres no such deal. But they actually can find a way out, in particular, as was the case with that swap. Its when Russia demanded that former militant Vladimir Tsemakh, who was important to the Netherlands in the MH17 case, be handed to them. Russia forced Ukraine to extradite him as part of a large-scale exchange of held persons. Then 35 Ukrainians returned home. So it turns out that bargaining with Russia is always appropriate, right? This, of course, is always possible in any case, even if there are no agreements or court judgments in place. Thats when both countries are willing to do a swap and they have something to exchange. CRIMEA PLATFORM AND RIGHTS VIOLATIONS International laws are not being observed in Crimea. Please, tell us about the violations in the annexed Crimea. The ban on Crimean Tatars Mejlis on the part of Russia constitutes a direct violation of human rights. This confirms that Russia is oppressing the indigenous people. It is terrible to see that, after the Crimean Tatars finally settled down in Crimea, having managed to return to their homeland, they are facing such an injustice. Besides, starting March 2014, Ukrainian entrepreneurs have been forced to leave their homes due to the annexation of Crimea by Russians. Also, key sectors of the economy were effectively seized, including profitable enterprises, resorts, and so on, which is also a human rights violation. In fact, Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms says that every person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. For example, Russians got their hands on the Masandra winery, which was nationalized and then sold at dumped prices. And this is a violation of property rights. I believe there are many such examples as all key sites there, all those resorts, have been seized by Russia by the same scheme. Why is Crimea so important for Russia? In your opinion, when can it return home? To get Crimea back, there could perhaps be some kind of barter or offering Russia something thats of interest to them but at the moment I have no idea what that could be. But such a swap is always possible. It will be really difficult to change things. Its not easy for them to just give up on this territory as its important to them to have their Black Sea fleet there in Sevastopol. Besides, therere all those resorts. I believe its within the Crimea Platform that discussions should be launched on how to return Crimea, what to offer in return, and what to swap it for. What do you think about this Crimea Platform initiative, which launched its work in Kyiv on August 23? Tell us about your impressions. What are the chances that it will help find new solutions? I think its a very good initiative. Ive been researching sanctions since 2015 and initially theres been plenty of interest in the Crimea issue. People would ask for interviews, ask questions, and invite me to read lectures. Then, starting from 2019, theres been less and less interest to Crimea in the Dutch media. So I thought it was a bad trend and time seems to make people forget, so some countries could start changing their minds and reconsider their stance on Crimea recognition, therefore it would be unfair not to talk about it. Its really great that there is such a platform and that it engaged such significant participants. Previously, Russia really sought to be EUs friend, and this kind of influenced Russia as they didnt want to be parasites, didnt want to be left with no respect. But now, I believe, theyve grown used to it and think of themselves as a powerful player as they are building up ties with China, India, and some other countries. At the same time, its very important that the Crimea Platform always put focus on the situation thats developed. The international community must remember that Russia occupied Crimea, and in this context, the Crimea Platform is a really good initiative. Iryna Drabok, The Hague Photos by author im The involvement of Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Donbas in the State Duma elections is a violation of Russias OSCE commitments and calls into question the legitimacy of these elections. Thats according to Ukraines Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, who spoke at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Moscow has long used electoral procedures to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states and undermine their territorial integrity, Tsymbaliuk said, stressing a long list of violations, starting with the sham referendum in Crimea in 2014 and ending with a 2020 vote to amend the constitution. The latest election to the State Duma was no exception, Tsymbaliuk told the meeting. He stressed that the involvement in the elections in Russia of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as Georgia and Moldova, "is a gross violation of basic norms of international law and Russia's obligations under the OSCE, including the Helsinki Final Act. This also applies to the fact, he added, of holding so-called elections in the territories under Russian unlawful occupation. This significantly distorts the election results and calls into question the legitimacy of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in general, said the head of the Ukrainian Mission to the OSCE. He stressed that forcing Ukrainian citizens who were illegally handed Russian passports to vote in the Russian State Duma elections is yet another aggressive act by Russia against the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The results of this election are legally void, Stymbaliuk said, calling on member states to refrain from contact with illegally elected representatives of the occupying power, to prevent their inclusion in Russian delegations to parliamentary assemblies, and to hold those responsible for setting up these elections accountable. Read also: Rada declares Russian State Duma elections illegitimate Also, Tsymbaliuk said holding such illegal elections is a step backwards in the implementation of the Minsk agreements by Russia as a party to the conflict. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on September 17-18 Russia held elections to the State Duma. According to numerous testimonies, the voting process and the vote count saw large-scale falsifications. The European Union, the United States, and other powers have condemned the mass violations. They also stated partial non-recognition of the election results, in particular due to the participation in the voting of the population of the Russian-occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. im A plane carrying 96 Ukrainians, as well as other countries citizens, including students, evacuated from Afghanistan at Vaticans request, arrived in Kyiv. The event was broadcast from the Boryspil Airport by UA:PBC. "On board were people, whose evacuation was requested by the Vatican and Canada. This time 96 people have arrived, including citizens of Ukraine, people holding a permanent residence permit, and members of their families," said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar. Read also: Zelensky says inaccurate to compare Ukraine with Afghanistan Ukraine has met with great success the request of the Apostolic Capital to bring students who will soon study at Romes La Sapienza University. There are students and 18 family members on board, said Andriy Yurash, a Cabinet Secretariat official. The Ministry of Defense later clarified that it was 30 Ukrainian citizens and their families, nine persons entitled to permanent residence in Ukraine, 18 persons evacuated at Vaticans request, and two persons at the request of Canada, who returned to Ukraine on Thursday, September 23. Read also: Blinken thanks Ukraine for its assistance in evacuating people from Afghanistan Maliar said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was compiling evacuation lists at the request of individuals and other governments, adding that Ukraine would continue to work to bring back its citizens despite the difficulties due to the complicated political situation in Afghanistan. Such missions are about a strong and responsible Ukraine, about the professionalism of the agencies involved in the operation, and about the fact that we are able to help other countries, the official stressed. As Ukrinform reported earlier, a civilian plane carrying evacuees on board took off from Kabul airport Thursday afternoon. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said the plane would arrive in Kyiv within 24 hours. Photo: OP im Germany will immediately shut down the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Russia does not adhere to geopolitical guarantees in relation to Ukraine. Thats according to Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet candidate for chancellor of Germany from the conservative bloc, who spoke at a televised debate, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The politician responded "yes" to the question of whether he considers it necessary to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into operation. According to him, Germany needs "this economic project" in view of the governments plans to drop coal and nuclear energy, which will lead to increased gas consumption. At the same time, Laschet stressed the importance of "geopolitical guarantees that Ukraine will not suffer" as a result of the pipelines launch. "If Russia puts this into question, the project will be suspended immediately," he said. In turn, the leader of the Free Democratic Party, Christian Lindner, when asked whether he supports Ukraine's membership in NATO, said a short "no." These were the last televised debates before Germanys parliamentary elections, attended by leaders of all parties, which, according to polls, are set to make it to the next parliament convocation. The election is scheduled for September 26. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / DPA im Ukraine has called on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to pay attention to restrictions on freedom of movement across the administrative border with Crimea. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. "Under the guise of restrictions on travel because of COVID-19, the Russian occupation administration has severely restricted travel for Ukrainian citizens coming to and from Crimea. And this is also something that the SMM should pay attention to. We expect the Mission to continue working on its past thematic report on freedom of movement across the administrative boundary line with Crimea, which was issued in June 2015," Tsymbaliuk said. He said Moscow had also restricted movement across the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, making Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories "disenfranchised hostages to Russia's geopolitical games." "Despite security assurances from Ukraine, Russia continues to block the opening of two entry-exit crossing points near Zolote and Shchastia. The dire consequences of Russia's failure to meet even this very specific humanitarian commitment are detailed in the thematic report on the gender aspects of the SMM's monitoring, which was published several days ago," Tsymbaliuk said. In this context, he added women make up 60% of the 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens who fled Russia-occupied Crimea and the temporarily occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. op The European Commission welcomes the European Court of Auditors' attention to the problem of corruption in Ukraine and the effectiveness of EU assistance in overcoming it, according to European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero. She said this at a briefing in Brussels on Friday, answering journalists' questions about a special report published by the European Court of Auditors on September 23 regarding the effectiveness of EU funds to help Ukraine combat corruption, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "The European Union has made significant efforts to pursue anti-corruption agenda in Ukraine. In some areas, EU support for reforms has been very successful. Notably, this support has allowed to close space for corruption to occur, introducing competition transparency in a number of sectors, including in the banking and gas sectors. New anti-corruption agencies have been created in Ukraine, and there was the launch of the High Anti-Corruption Court," Pisonero said. She recalled that an unprecedentedly transparent electronic assets declaration system had been created in Ukraine, which requires public officials and politicians to disclose information about their private assets. Therefore, Ukraine has already done a lot in this area, however, challenges continue and anti-corruption reform efforts need to be kept up. According to Pisonero, the EU will continue to support Ukraine in these efforts. "Yesterday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law on oligarchs. We pay tribute to President Zelensky's determination to tackle this phenomenon and the influence of oligarchs, which is still great, on economic and political life in Ukraine. We have taken note of the fact that the Ukrainian parliament has adopted this law so as to fight the threat to national security, which stems from an excessive influence on the part of certain individuals or the oligarchs with political or economic weight in the country," Pisonero said. "We think this is a step forward. But, of course, we have to wait and see whether this law is actually implemented, whether it is implemented fully, with determination, in a way which is legally sound. We need to see further steps taken in the fight against corruption in Ukraine, something which needs to be pursued. The Ukrainian government needs to make a lot of steps forward, in particular, to close the institutional gap, which remains," she said. On September 23, the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg issued a special report in which it found ineffective the efforts of the European Commission and the use of EU funds to support anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine. According to the authors of the report, corruption in Ukraine continues to show signs of an "endemic" and permeates all spheres of society, which requires the EU to adjust its efforts in support of reforms and in relations with Ukraine. op Ukraine reported 9,058 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, September 23, as well as 140 corona-related fatalities. Thats according to the press service of the Ministry of Health, Ukrinform reports. "On September 23, 2021, Ukraine recorded 9,058 new confirmed COVID-19 cases (including 849 infected minors and 137 medics)," reads the statement. The Ministry of Health informed that the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was registered in Kharkiv (948), Dnipropetrovsk (889), Lviv (715), Odesa (622) and Donetsk (602) regions. It is noted that 2,060 patients were hospitalized in the past 24 hours, while 2,415 recovered and 140 died. According to the Ministry of Health, throughout the entire pandemic in Ukraine, 2,379,483 persons contracted the virus, of whom 2,240,388 recovered and 55,424 died. A total of 12,633,853 PCR tests were performed (40,578 in the last day). According to Worldometer, as of the morning of September 24, a total of 231,397,264 COVID-19 cases were recorded across the world, including 4,742,761 deaths and 208,082,102 recoveries. im Lviv city mayor Andriy Sadovyi discussed the launch of the America House Lviv with Kristina Kvien, Charge d'Affaires of the United States in Ukraine. As the press service of the Lviv City Council informs, Sadovyi met with CDA Kvien in Kyiv on September 23. During the meeting, they discussed the opening of the America House in Lviv, similar to the one in Kyiv. The search for suitable premises for the institution is underway. Sadovyi also pointed out the importance of creating strategies for united communities in Ukraine. As reported, CDA Kvien made her first visit to Lviv in April this year, arriving for the official ceremony of the U.S. military rotation. During a meeting with the mayor, the Charge d'Affaires of the United States in Ukraine said that the Embassy planned to launch the America House Lviv as a center of cultural exchange. Andriy Sadovyi suggested attracting native English speakers to Lviv schools. At the same time, on the eve of World Environment Day, Sadovyi and Kvien planted a red horse chestnut tree in Rynok Square, near the city hall. ol Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova and Turkey's Chief Ombudsman Seref Malkoc have discussed the observance of citizens' rights in the two states. According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian ombudsperson reported this on Telegram. "I expressed gratitude for the unchanging position of the President of Turkey regarding the illegal occupation of Crimea, assistance and pressure on Russia with a view to releasing Crimean activists illegally detained by the invaders," the report reads. According to her, she "handed over to Seref Malkoc a list with the names of Crimean Tatars who are being detained in Russia and the temporarily occupied Crimea and asked him to assist by all possible means in the return of Ukrainian political prisoners to their homeland." Denisova also "informed the Turkish ombudsman about problems that exist in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions Russia's large-scale information propaganda, politicization and militarization of children, systematic violations of social and economic human rights." "Some 296 people are imprisoned in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and 258 citizens are missing," she said. "Seref Malkoc, in turn, promised to strengthen cooperation and assistance in the struggle for the return of Ukrainian citizens and territories," Denisova said. According to her, they "also discussed further cooperation in combating human trafficking." Denisova "thanked Seref for supporting her initiative to introduce a mechanism for international legal protection of victims of human trafficking, but in the country where they were detained, they were classified as criminals." They agreed to establish an international platform of ombudspersons to develop recommendations to counter this phenomenon, Denisova said. "We will continue the dialogue between the institutions of ombudspersons of Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey within the concluded cooperation agreement," Denisova said. op | By Alex Likowski The Sept. 23 edition of Virtual Face to Face with President Bruce Jarrell, the regular online discussion program hosted by University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, examined the nation's first and only graduate degree program focused on medical cannabis science and policy. Joining Jarrell were panelists Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, associate professor in the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) and director of the degree program, and Andrew Coop, PhD, associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs in UMSOP. The two-year, mostly online program is based at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville and is designed for any individual who has completed an undergraduate degree and is interested in pursuing a career in the medical cannabis industry. The first class of 132 students graduated in the spring of 2021. The third class met for the first time three weeks ago. The class includes 244 students ages 20 to 73 from all over the U.S., Canada, the UAE, and Costa Rica. The plant Cannabis Sativa and its cousins have been used by humans throughout recorded history for many purposes. The seeds have been used for oil, the stalks for fibers used in cloth and rope, and of course the leaves and flowers for recreational and sometimes spiritual intoxication. And for that reason, cannabis has also been a cause for concern and controversy for just as long. Although the plant has been used medicinally for thousands of years, the modern medical community only started to take another serious look at possible benefits that might be derived from the hundreds of chemicals found in the plant beginning the 1970s. By that time, marijuana was banned for use and possession in the U.S. by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Today, 36 states and the District of Columbia allow some medical cannabis use, and the medical cannabis industry is growing at an incredible pace, projected to top between $50 and $60 billion by the end of the decade. For example, Missouri opened its first dispensary less than a year ago, and now has 140 dispensaries across the state, with the industry there employing 5,000 people. Last week, Alabama hired its first Medical Cannabis Commission executive director, and has plans to begin cultivation next year. Here in Maryland, the state registered more than 123,000 certified medical cannabis patients by the end of last year. And dispensary sales totaled more than $45 million just for the month of August this year. The reason for such big business is a big need. Medical cannabis is used to treat chronic pain, to ease nausea experienced during chemotherapy, to improve the appetite of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, to calm the severe muscle spasms of MS patients, and much more. A lot of Americans fit into at least one of those categories. For instance, the National Institutes of Health estimates about 40 percent of adults experience chronic pain, and about 20 million of those people live with whats called high-impact chronic pain. Of course, the medical part of medical cannabis is not the only complexity in the equation. The laws and regulations surrounding cannabis constitute a kind of Gordian knot. Although 36 states have legalized medical cannabis, and 18 states have legalized all forms of marijuana, the federal government still lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. That puts marijuana even medical cannabis in the same class as LSD and Ecstasy. It also means that its sale, possession, or use could result in arrest and incarceration. That disconnect between the growing acceptance of medical cannabis and the legal complications posed by recreational cannabis may be due in part to a lack of understanding of the science of medical cannabis and its therapeutic use. Thats why in 2019 UMSOP launched the nations first graduate degree program in medical cannabis science. The Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to support patients and the medical cannabis industry, add to existing research in the field, and develop well-informed medical cannabis policy. Watch the entire Face to Face discussion, including questions from the audience, by following the link at the top of this page. | By Laura Hager In the newly released 2022 edition of U.S. News & World Reports Best Colleges, the University of Maryland School of Nursings (UMSON) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program ranked No. 10 in the nation, out of 694 accredited nursing schools surveyed. Among public schools of nursing, UMSON ranked No. 4 in the nation. UMSONs BSN program is the top-ranked such program in Maryland. UMSONs BSN program, which encompasses an entry-into-nursing program in addition to an RN-to-BSN program for already licensed practicing nurses, prepares students to excel in nursing careers across a broad spectrum of acute, chronic, and community-based settings. National data indicates that employers increasingly prefer and, in some cases, require, a baccalaureate degree. Before beginning studies at UMSON, students must complete two years of undergraduate education at another accredited college or university, to fulfill the necessary prerequisites. In addition to serving practicing nurses seeking a BSN degree, UMSONs RN-to-BSN program boasts dual-admission partnerships with all 15 community colleges in Maryland that offer an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, enabling a smooth transition for ADN students into UMSONs BSN program. It is extremely gratifying to be recognized as one of the top baccalaureate programs in the nation, said Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. We are proud to play an important role in efforts within Maryland and throughout the country to increase the number of nurses educated at the baccalaureate level. With the increasing complexity of care and the variety of settings in which it is delivered, our graduates are extraordinarily well prepared to meet the current and future needs of our health care system and serve as a critical resource for individuals across the lifespan. The pandemic has brought new attention to the vital role that nurses play in every community and to increased interest in the nursing profession. Rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members of nursing schools and departments at institutions nationwide that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and that are regionally accredited and awarded at least 35 BSN degrees in 2018-19. Afghan refugee children smiling for the camera in an Afghan refugee settlement in Islamabad, Pakistan. UNHCR/Asif Shahzad Afghanistan is experiencing a humanitarian crisis and this has caused more suffering and internal displacement of Afghan civilians. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned about the extremely volatile and uncertain situation. Over half a million people have been internally displaced in 2021 alone. The grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation will allow UNHCR to significantly improve the life of Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan. The donation will be used to provide protection and assistance, including shelter, health care, psychosocial support, education and child protection, as well as core relief items like blankets, sleeping mats and cooking sets, both to those who are already forcibly displaced as well as possible new arrivals. Afghanistans neighbours need all the help they can get so they can take care of the millions of people who have fled and be prepared for possible new refugee arrivals. For example, Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for more than 40 years, and today hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees. We hope that the grant to UNHCR can further support Afghan refugees and host communities in the most heavily impacted areas, says Mette Ide Davidsen, Acting Head of the Novo Nordisk Foundations department for social and humanitarian affairs. We are very grateful for this important contribution from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which will have a strong impact on the lives of thousands of Afghan women, men and children who are in desperate need, says Henrik M. Nordentoft, UNHCRs Representative for the Nordic and Baltic countries. At UNHCR we value the close partnerships we have with foundations and corporates, and I am extremely pleased that there is such a strong response in Denmark. Support from the private sector is critical for UNHCRs response in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Over the past 40 years, conflict in Afghanistan has forced millions of people to flee, both within their country and in the region. There are currently more than 3.5 million Afghans internally displaced in the country and more than 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees worldwide and Afghan refugees constitute one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world. Around 90% of all registered Afghan refugees continue to be generously hosted by the countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Their hospitality and inclusive approach towards refugees, spanning decades and generations, should not be taken for granted and these countries deserve all the support they can get. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Council of Europe Strasbourg, France Strengthening efforts to end statelessness in Europe and guarantee the provision of fundamental rights to everyone was the key theme of the events organised on 23-24 September in Strasbourg by the Council of Europes European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The international conference brought together over 130 senior representatives of Member State governments, national authorities with specific expertise in nationality and statelessness issues, judges, representatives of international and regional organisations, civil society organisations and academics, as well as stateless people. Statelessness remains a significant issue both globally and in Europe. It is estimated that more than half a million people in Europe are stateless or have undetermined nationality. The right to a nationality is reflected in numerous international treaties, including the Council of Europes European Convention on Nationality based on the principles of prevention of statelessness and non-discrimination. The right to a nationality constitutes part of a person's social identity and is often a prerequisite to a range of other rights, including access to education, employment, health care, housing and freedom of movement. The causes of statelessness are multiple, including complexities in nationality laws, State succession, forced displacement, historical and contemporary migration, structural birth registration problems, gaps in nationality and administrative practices. The lack of nationality has a serious impact on the lives of stateless people. The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated their already marginalized situation and exacerbated existing inequalities. While there has been significant progress towards implementation of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness, including through the implementation of pledges made at the 2019 High-Level Segment on Statelessness, challenges remain and more needs to be done in Europe to achieve the goals of the #IBelong Campaign to end statelessness by 2024. This Conference plays an important role in inspiring collective action. Indeed, with a spirit of partnership, we can make statelessness a fact of the past, said Gillian Triggs, UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, who spoke at the event. The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Migration and Refugees, Drahoslav Stefanek, said: Stateless persons are particularly vulnerable, subject to States obligation to provide them with special protection and assistance. The new Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) includes the elaboration of practical guidance to address vulnerabilities throughout asylum and migration procedures, including reception conditions. Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, noted that by joining forces with UNHCR in organising this important event, the Council of Europe seeks to promote the ratification by its 47 Member States of international and European conventions relating to nationality and statelessness, and their successful implementation. Lynn Al-khatib, a social activist who was invited to Strasbourg along with other stateless people to advocate for solutions, shed light on how it feels to live without a nationality. The word stateless is associated with a lot of words ending in less. When you are stateless you feel worthless, futureless, faceless, helpless, hopeless, rootless, shoreless. You are on a rubber boat surrounded by water on a journey to nowhere. The only thing you have is your daydream of a shore that one day you might call home, said Al-khatib in her blog, A State of Less. Addressing statelessness requires collective efforts and a whole-of society approach. The event in Strasbourg, held as the world commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, has fostered a fruitful exchange on building stronger partnerships to find solutions for the elimination of statelessness in Europe. For media contacts: Council of Europe: Paivi Suhonen +33 3 90 21 53 70 Tatiana Baeva +33 3 88 41 21 41 UNHCR: Shabia Mantoo, [email protected] , +41 79 337 7650 Notes for editors: The international conference and expert meeting organized in Strasbourg on 23-24 September are part of global efforts in the framework of UNHCR's #IBelong Campaign (2014-2024) and the Council of Europes Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025). Launched in November 2014, the #IBelong Campaign aims to end statelessness within ten years, by identifying and protecting stateless people, resolving existing situations of statelessness and preventing the emergence of new cases. Through legal advocacy and awareness-raising, UNHCR works with governments and partners around the globe towards achieving the Campaign goals. On 5 May 2021, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) to increase cooperation among member states to protect the most vulnerable persons. Link to the event Glass partitions are placed on either side of the center chair of the council chamber in place for new COVID-19 guidelines, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, at City Hall. 1st Floor Criss Library Coming to the Plains: Latin@ Stories from Central Nebraska oral history project highlights the stories and experiences of individuals traveling from Latin America to Central Nebraska. The 8-panel exhibit and short film share oral histories in both Spanish and English with images and quotations gathered by University of Nebraska at Kearney faculty. Topics explored in the exhibit include Reasons for Leaving Home, My Family, and My Journey. The oral history work is ongoing, as project leads Prof. Laurinda Weisse from UNKs Calvin T. Ryan Library, Dr. Michelle Warren from the Modern Languages department, and Prof. Jacob Rosdail from the Communications department continue to collect stories from those who have traveled to make Central Nebraska their home. Weisse stated: By using a relatively small set of open-ended questions, we give the participants choices in how much to reveal, while also eliminating the possibility of yes/no answers to questions. Video and/or audio taped oral histories, transcribed and translated into English if conducted in Spanish or vice versa - create a body of primary sources that future scholars can use to investigate their own research questions. The exhibit is on view whenever the library is open and runs through October 20, 2021. Learn more about the project Coming to the Plains and how it illustrates strategies that librarians at UNKs Calvin T. Ryan Library are using to promote diversity and inclusion in their collections, as well as engaging with the varied Latinx communities in Central Nebraska. Coming to the Plains is on display at UNO to coincide with the event COVID-19 and Human Rights: Narratives of Latinos During the Pandemic on October 5, 2021, during Hispanic Heritage Month and UNO's Human Rights Week. The program is co-sponsored by UNO Libraries Archives and Special Collections, the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS), and the Goldstein Chair in Human Rights. About the University of Nebraska at Omaha Libraries UNO Libraries fulfill the UNO mission through dynamic services, highly qualified and adaptive personnel, unique and extensive collections, and accessible learning spaces and environments. With its two locations, Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library on UNOs Dodge Campus and in KANEKO-UNO Library located in Omahas Old Market, UNO Libraries provides UNO students, faculty and staff, and the Omaha community with the resources and materials needed to excel academically and professionally. About the University of Nebraska at Omaha Located in one of Americas best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraskas premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community. Become a fan of UNO on Facebook and follow UNO's Twitter and Instagram updates. The Presidential Medal of Service Nominations due Oct. 23 The Presidential Medal of Service is an annual award that celebrates Nebraskans promotion of the impact the university and higher education have on the states economic and social well-being. The medal is the highest honor the university president can bestow on a community member. Members of the university community and all Nebraskans are invited to submit nominations by filling out an online form available here. Nominations are due Oct. 23. University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter will select a winner to be honored at an event in December. Nominees should be Nebraskans who have made significant contributions in supporting a strong University of Nebraska and promoting the role that higher education plays in growing the state. For example, nominees may have testified to policymakers on behalf of the university, led a letter-writing campaign, spoken at a public meeting on an issue important to the university, or hosted an event to raise community awareness of the universitys impact. University and NU Foundation employees are not eligible to receive the award. Elected officials and candidates for elected office are also ineligible. The University of Nebraskas highest priority is providing affordable, accessible education that transforms students lives and grows our state, Carter said. So many Nebraskans work together to make that happen, and this award is an annual opportunity for us to publicly say thank-you for their support and advocacy for our 51,000 students. The President's Excellence Awards Nominations due Nov. 19 (corrected date) Each year the University of Nebraska presents the Presidents Excellence Awards, the university system's most prestigious honors for success in the classroom, the laboratory and in our campus and broader communities. Nominations are now open for these university-wide awards, including a brand-new award that honors research discovery and commercialization. I encourage you to take this opportunity to nominate a colleague, department or unit whose work merits public recognition for the significant impact it has had on students, the university and the state. Nomination criteria, information on past winners and instructions are all available on the awards webpage. All nominations are due Nov. 19, 2021. Individual faculty winners are awarded $10,000 each, a presidential medallion and an engraved plaque. The departmental winner receives $25,000 to support its instructional mission. Recipients of the Inclusive Excellence Collaboration Award receive $25,000 to support diversity, access and inclusion efforts. All winners, who are chosen by panels of their peers, are honored at a luncheon in the spring attended by senior leaders and colleagues from across the university. Questions? Please contact Candice Batton, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs, at cbatton@unomaha.edu. Awards (@FahadShabbir) (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2021) SHARJAH, 24th September 2021 (WAM) - The 21st edition of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SINF), which is organized annually by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, is currently taking place the Expo Centre Sharjah until 24 September, under the slogan "Animal Stories". More than 38 countries from around the world are participating in the prestigious event, which will run until 30 September in other different places. One goal of the event is to illuminate the stories of narrators and their heritage, especially those of the Emirates and the Arab Gulf, and to bestow upon them the recognition and consideration they deserve. SINF is filled to the brim with cultural sessions, a highlight of which has been a session titled "Animal Stories in the Emirati Heritage", which saw the participation of Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the Forum, Dr Salem Al Tunaiji, a researcher in heritage, Professor Abdullah Abdul Rahman, the Emirati researcher Fatima spoke Al-Mughni, and Sheikha Al-Mutairi, head of national heritage department in Juma'a Al Majed for culture and heritage. The session was moderated by Professor Ali Al-Abdan. Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of the Forum said: "Under the slogan Animal Stories, this years Sharjah International Narrator Forum is navigating animal stories in Arab and global culture. From the tales of Aesop to Kalila and Dimna, and including the creations of Al-Jahiz, Al-Damiri and others, it is a celebration of all humanity has created." He spoke about his study of animals in folk literature and stated that, through 30 years of field work, he discovered that Emirati folk stories contain much symbolism, whether for glorification or out of contempt, and that every mention of an animal is related to a specific trait, such as sarcasm or pride. Kenyas Grace Wangari presented a tale in which she imitated the sounds of various animals, while Riya from Japan presented a childrens workshop where the children were taught how to draw. The latter introduced the children and audience to the basics of manga art, and those attending the hands-on workshop were taught how to draw using manga principles. During the session, attendees were treated to live drawing of Japanese manga art, which served as instruction and inspiration. The fun and joyful atmosphere of the workshop ensured enthusiastic participation, with the children using the opportunity to learn about storytelling through the drawing of their favorite animals. An Arabic calligraphy workshop was also organized by the International school of Storytelling. Presented by calligrapher Najib El Kharroubi from Tunisia, attendees were taught how to write Arabic calligraphy on animal skins, resulting in superb and beautiful pieces of art. Fabio Lisboa Martins, storyteller from Brazil said that participating in the Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SINF) has been wonderful. "We have been telling stories from my country and listening to others from Africa and around the world. It is amazing to be here!" Legendary Brazilian storyteller Antonio is also at the event, it has been an honor to share the experience with his compatriot. "As Antonio said, stories connect us. Sometimes a story takes place in the middle of the desert and sometimes in the middle of the jungle, but generally the essence of the story is the same." He added: "The Brothers Grimm, the famous German collectors of stories, described stories as a diamond which fell from the sky divided into many thousands of pieces. I like to think that these pieces are used in rings, necklaces, and bracelets we use them in any way we can. But each one remains a little treasure, and these little treasures are all part of the bigger treasure, which belongs to the oral tradition of storytelling. Here in Sharjah, through the SINF, the Sharjah Institute for Heritage is honoring this timeless tradition. We come and go but the tradition of storytelling will continue." (@FahadShabbir) Hong Kong, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Asian markets struggled Friday, with Hong Kong and Shanghai tumbling as property giant Evergrande's silence over a bond payment fuelled uncertainty among investors concerned that its potential collapse could spill over into the broader economy. Investors were unable to track a surge on Wall Street that followed news the Federal Reserve planned to start tapering its vast monetary easing programme within months, which observers took as a signal of confidence that the world's top economy is well on the right track. A more hawkish tilt by the British and Norwegian central banks hinted at a similar outlook. Traders are keeping close tabs on the battered real estate firm, with no sign that it had paid interest to overseas bondholders on a note due Thursday. While the firm has a 30-day grace period to stump up before it is considered in default, the lack of information is keeping investors anxious. Markets were sent spinning at the start of the week by fears that the company -- one of China's biggest developers in the crucial property sector -- would go under and drag others with it, in turn jolting the domestic economy and possibly beyond. An announcement that it had agreed a plan to pay up on a local bond payment soothed panicked investors, while they have also taken solace in expectations that Beijing will not let the firm completely go to the wall, instead stepping in to restructure it. Regulators on Thursday urged the firm -- which is more than $300 billion in debt -- to do whatever was necessary to avoid a near-term default on its offshore bonds, concentrate on finishing building projects and repay individual investors. Meanwhile, reports said its electric car unit failed to pay some staff or several equipment suppliers. There has been no definitive comment from China's leaders on how they intend to deal with the crisis, adding to the uncertainty. But for now, there is a feeling that there will not be a "Lehman Moment", such as when the bankruptcy of Wall Street titan Lehman Brothers in 2008 sparked a collapse on world markets. After a healthy start to the day, investors in Hong Kong and Shanghai dropped out as the weekend approached. Evergrande fell more than 11 percent in Hong Kong, having surged more than 17 percent Thursday. "The nascent recovery in China markets remains at the mercy of their being no new negative Evergrande headlines," said OANDA's Jeffrey Halley. There were also losses in Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Wellington and Jakarta but Tokyo led gains, surging more than two percent, while Taipei and Manila also advanced. Mumbai chalked up a record high, breaking the 60,000 barrier for the first time -- the Sensex has more than doubled from its April 2020 low. Fears over the US debt limit have been playing on traders' minds as a deadline to raise it approaches. Economists estimate that failure to extend the limit would see the United States make a historic default on its debt repayments, wipe out six million jobs and slash $15 trillion from household wealth, tanking the economy and threatening a global meltdown. But US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would have a deal ready to get funding passed by the end of the month. London, Paris and Frankfurt were all down in the morning - Key figures around 0810 GMT - Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.1 percent at 30,248.81 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 24,192.16 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.8 percent at 3,613.07 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,060.95 Dollar/yen: UP at 110.38 Yen from 110.26 yen at 2100 GMT Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1734 from $1.1736 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3703 from $1.3720 Euro/pound: UP at 85.65 pence from 85.53 pence West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $73.31 per barrelBrent North Sea crude: UP 0.2 percent at $77.40 per barrelNew York - Dow: UP 1.5 percent at 34,764.82 (close) NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Foreign Minister of Romania, Bogdan Aurescu, on the sidelines of 76th UN General Assembly session here on Friday. Recalling their telephone conversation earlier this month, the two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as on regional and global issues including the situation in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Aurescu thanked Pakistan for assisting with the evacuation of Romanian citizens from Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that Pakistan valued its relations with Romania and desired to enhance the political and economic ties between the two countries. He underscored the importance of activating the Joint Economic Commission and Pak-Romania business Council, in addition to holding the next round of Bilateral Political Consultations at the earliest to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and explore avenues for furthering cooperation. Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed his Romanian counterpart regarding Pakistan's perspective on the situation in Afghanistan and the best way forward for ensuring peace and stability in the region. He stressed on the vital importance of sustained international engagement with Afghanistan to prevent a humanitarian and economic crisis. Foreign Minister Qureshi handed over to Foreign Minister Aurescu the copy of a Dossier documenting India's grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law as well as of UN Security Council resolutions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Paris, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told French President Emmanuel Macron he wants to "re-establish cooperation", Macron's office said Friday, amid a diplomatic crisis brought on by a submarine contract with Australia. Macron was left furious last week after Australia ditched a mega-deal to buy submarines from France in favour of American nuclear-powered subs -- secured during secret negotiations facilitated by Britain. United Nations, United States, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :The top diplomats of France and the United States said Thursday that repairing ties will take time as Paris demanded action to assuage its anger over the cancellation of a massive submarine contract. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, after days of giving the cold shoulder, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the allies' worst crisis in ties since the Iraq war. France's top diplomat told Blinken that US President Joe Biden's telephone conversation a day earlier with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had been the start of a process of repairing trust. "He recalled that a first step had been taken with the call between the two presidents but underlined that resolving the crisis between our two countries would take time and require actions," a French foreign ministry statement said. France was infuriated when Australia last week canceled a multibillion-dollar contract for French submarines, deciding instead that it needed US nuclear versions amid rising tensions with China. Le Drian accused Australia of back-stabbing and the United States of betrayal, calling the move reminiscent of the unilateralist attitude of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump. Blinken, a fluent French speaker who grew up partly in Paris, appeared remorseful as he spoke to reporters later in the day following the closed-door, one-hour meeting at France's UN mission. He voiced his personal respect for Le Drian and, reiterating a White House statement, said that the episode would have "benefited from open consultations among allies." - 'Unshakable' bonds - Blinken vowed to work to rebuild trust with France, America's oldest ally, and pointed to shared interests including in the French campaign against the Islamic State extremist group. "I am convinced that our interests together are so strong, the values that we share so unshakable, that we will carry forward and get some good work done, but it will take some time; it will take some hard work," Blinken told reporters. Blinken said he would keep up talks with Le Drian, much as Biden agreed to meet late next month with Macron. Le Drian, however, maintained his frigid distance from his counterparts from Australia and Britain. Macron agreed to return the French ambassador who was pulled from Washington as a protest but has shown no sign France will soon send back its envoy to Canberra. France's Naval Group said that it will soon send a detailed invoice to Australia for canceling the contract. Australia became only the second nation after Britain to gain access to US nuclear submarine technology and announced a new three-way alliance with Washington and London. Blinken promised to work closely with France in the US strategy toward the Indo-Pacific, seen by the Biden administration as the paramount priority amid the growing assertiveness of China. Other European nations including Germany voiced solidarity with France, saying that the US move went counter to Biden's push for closer relations with allies. But US officials said the new three-way alliance also found support including from Japan, another nation with longstanding concerns about China. Biden on Friday holds a first-ever four-way summit in Washington with the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan. Paris, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2021 ) :France on Friday reaffirmed its determination to defeat terrorism after one of its soldiers was killed in a clash with an armed group in Mali. In a statement, the French presidency expressed "particularly strong emotion" at the news of the killing early on Friday and said it "reaffirms France's determination in its fight against terrorism." The death brought to 52 the number of French fatalities serving in the Sahel region since 2013. The latest attack comes amid increasingly strained relations between Paris and Bamako, where the ruling military junta plans to hire Russian mercenaries to help fight jihadist insurgents have alarmed France and its EU allies. France's foreign and defence ministers this week warned Bamako that its plan to hire a thousand paramilitaries from Russia's so-called Wagner group was not compatible with maintaining French troops in the country. In January, two soldiers, one of them a woman, were killed in their light armoured vehicle by an "improvised explosive device". Five days prior to that incident, three other French soldiers were also killed by a makeshift bomb. Those two attacks were claimed by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of islam and Muslims (GSIM). (@ChaudhryMAli88) Munich, Germany, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to elect her would-be successor Armin Laschet for the sake of German stability, in a strong pitch for her party as candidates made their final bid for support hours ahead of Sunday's vote. As hundreds of thousands of climate activists led by Greta Thunberg descended on streets across Germany to demand change and more protection for the environment, the outgoing Merkel acknowledged global warming as a major challenge. But she said that protection was best achieved "not with bans and commands" but with technological progress, as she reminded voters that it mattered who led Europe's biggest power. In a strong appeal to a predominantly older electorate, Merkel said: "To keep Germany stable, Armin Laschet must become chancellor, and the CDU and CSU must be the strongest force." The candidate of Merkel's CDU-CSU alliance, Laschet, 60, has been trailing his Social Democrat challenger Olaf Scholz in the race for the chancellery. But finals polls have Scholz's SPD at 25 percent and Laschet's conservatives at 22 percent, putting the gap between them well within the margin of error, making the vote one of the most unpredictable in recent years. The Greens, polling in the mid teens, were in third place, with a clear likelihood of being part of Germany's next coalition government as a junior partner. In the race for votes, Scholz, Germany's current finance minister, said it was time for a "fresh start for Germany" after 16 years of Merkel at the top. "We need a change of government and we want an SPD-led government," he said. - 'Not enough' - But even the change promised by Scholz or the Greens was not enough, Thunberg told cheering Fridays for Future youth supporters outside the Reichstag parliament building, stressing that they needed to hold Germany's political leaders to account past election day. "It is clearer than ever that no political party is doing close to enough... not even their proposed commitments are close to being in line with what would be needed to fulfil the Paris Agreement" on curbing climate change, she said. "Yes, we must vote, you must vote, but remember that voting only will not be enough. We must keep going into the streets." Organisers said the rallies had drawn 620,000 people to more than 470 cities and towns across the country. "Climate is an important issue and if this continues things are going to get worse and worse," 14-year-old Louise Herr told AFP at the Berlin protest. Luisa Neubauer, the head of Fridays for Future's German chapter, said the country, one of the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases, had an outsize responsibility to set an example, with time running out to reverse destructive trends. "That is why we are calling this the election of a century," Neubauer told AFP. The protest movement also hit out at Scholz, after he sent a tweet in support of Friday's marches. "We don't want to spoil the good mood -- but we are striking against YOUR government today, Olaf," they wrote, referring to the SPD, which has been a junior coalition partner in three out of four Merkel governments. - 'Tailwinds' - Around 60.4 million Germans are called to the polls on Sunday and most voters have cited climate protection among their top priorities. While younger voters are leaning Green, under-30s only make up around 15 percent of the electorate while the above-60s make up 38 percent. All three leading parties have said they aim to implement a climate protection agenda if elected, with the Greens presenting the most ambitious package of measures. Greens chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock, who joined one of the Fridays for Future rallies in Cologne, told Die Welt newspaper that she hoped the protests would give her party "tailwinds" heading into the vote. "The next government has to be a climate government -- that will only work with a strong Green party," she said. Their central demand is to limit the warming of the Earth to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as laid out in the 2015 Paris climate accord. But critics have labelled the Greens a "prohibition party" that will drive up petrol, electricity and air ticket prices. The ecologist party has advocated stopping coal energy usage by 2030 instead of the current 2038, and wants production of combustion engine cars to end from the same year. It has slammed Merkel's right-left government of paying only lip service to environmental protection, while seeking to maintain status quo. Hitting out against the transformation demanded by the Greens, Laschet on Friday instead appealed to the workers in Germany's vital industries. Germany must "still have a strong automobile industry, a steel industry, a chemical industry in 20 years," he said. "The world's climate is not served if companies relocate, they will produce elsewhere under worse social conditions, under worse environmental conditions," Laschet warned. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday expressed Pakistan's resolve to further solidify its political and economic ties with Finland. He added that reopening of the Finnish Embassy in Islamabad would further facilitate trade relations as well as promotion of people-to-people contacts. The Foreign Minister said this during the meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto held here on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The two Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored that Pakistan attached high importance to its relations with Finland. He felicitated Foreign Minister Haavisto on the completion of seven decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Highlighting the importance of exchanging high-level visits, Foreign Minister Qureshi invited Foreign Minister Haavisto to undertake a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience. He also briefed the Foreign Minister of Finland on Pakistan's perspective regarding developments in Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister stressed on the need to promote lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan through active and sustained engagement of the international community to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the Afghan people and their long-term socio-economic development. He shared with his Finnish counterpart a Dossier documenting India's grave violations of human rights, international humanitarian law and UN Security Council resolutions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Washington, Sept 23 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :US lawmakers green-lit $1 billion Thursday to resupply Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system after funding was controversially stripped from a separate bill following a revolt from the Democrats' left flank. The money had originally been included in legislation addressing a looming government shutdown and a potential October debt crisis. But a group of progressives in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives said they would tank that unless Iron Dome funding was yanked from the wording. The cash transfer ultimately advanced from the House on a comfortable 420-9 vote. "Passage of this bill reflects the great unity in Congress... for Israel's security," Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the House Democrats, said in a speech on the chamber floor. "Assistance to Israel is vital, because Israel's security is an imperative for America's security." Iron Dome has destroyed thousands of short-range rockets and shells launched by Hamas militants from Gaza before they were able to hit populated areas, Israeli officials say. It has been backed by the United States since it was launched a decade ago to the tune of $1. 6 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service. The progressive group's move had angered members of both parties, with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy denouncing what he called a Democratic capitulation to "the anti-Semitic influence of their radical members." Dean Phillips, a Democratic congressman from Minnesota, tweeted he was "incredulous" that colleagues would object to defending "one of our most important allies and only Jewish nation in the world" from Hamas rockets. Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett thanked both parties for their commitment to the country's security and the American people for their "steadfast friendship."The objections to the funding underlined however that progressives are becoming increasingly skeptical of no-strings-attached aid to Israel, three months after Naftali ousted hardline right-wing premier Benjamin Netanyahu. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim US congresswomen, have both tweeted their disapproval of the funding, citing human rights violations against Palestinians and illegal settlement expansion. Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday and reviewed their close bilateral relations ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday and reviewed their close bilateral relations. They discussed steps to further enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey in all areas. They also exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan as well as other regional and global issues. Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked Foreign Minister Cavusoglu for the support extended by the government and people of Turkey to the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, especially by President Erdogan including in his address to the UNGA session this year. The foreign minister highlighted the need for sustained international engagement to support lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. In addition to calling for the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, he underscored the need for a coordinated approach to avert an economic collapse in Afghanistan. He also highlighted that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan would contribute towards promotion of connectivity and regional prosperity. (@FahadShabbir) LA PAZ (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Bolivian Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta will pay an official visit to Moscow in October, the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affaires said on Thursday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Bolivian President Luis Arce, and Mayta discussed bilateral cooperation and joint efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. "This week, the schedule of the official visit of Rogelio Mayta to Moscow in October was updated," the ministry said. During Mayta's visit, the issues of cooperation in health, education, nuclear studies, trade, and investments will be raised. The largest project between Russia and Bolivia in the past few years is a reactor facility for the Center for Nuclear Research and Technology, which is being constructed in the Latin American country by Russia's state corporation Rosatom. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Prosecutor General of Burundi Sylvestre Nyandwi has claimed that Alexis Sinduhije, the leader of the Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (MSD) opposition party, was the leader of a terrorist group that recently staged several attacks across the country. "Alexis Sinduhije is the leader of the terrorist gang responsible for attacks ... According to national and international law, these attacks constitute acts of terrorism and crimes against humanity," Nyandwi said in a statement on Wednesday, as quoted by the national Iwacu news website. The terrorist group's leadership consists of seven more people, including MSD Secretary General Francois Nyamoya and local activist Marguerite Barankitse, the statement said, adding that international arrest warrants issued against those who are currently outside of Burundi. The prosecutor general called on the member states of the East African Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to assist the Burundi authorities to apprehend them. This is under various judicial covenants. The opposition party has, however, refuted the claims on Thursday, slamming the authorities' accusations as groundless. Several grenade explosions have hit the country's capital of Gitega and the largest port city of Bujumbura in recent days, with the latest of them exploding on Monday. The blasts left several people dead and over 100 others injured. An explosive wildfire in northern California expanded to 1,200 acres (4.9 square km) Thursday in 24 hours, triggering multiple mandatory evacuation orders, under which over 4,000 residents fled from their homes LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) --:An explosive wildfire in northern California expanded to 1,200 acres (4.9 square km) Thursday in 24 hours, triggering multiple mandatory evacuation orders, under which over 4,000 residents fled from their homes. Dubbed Fawn Fire, the fire started some 19 km north of Redding city on Wednesday night, burned wildly Thursday afternoon and threatened Redding city, which has a population of 100,000, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). "I would call it extreme," Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Foxworthy said on Thursday afternoon. "There are quite a few mandatory evacuations, and they're coming out continuously. I would advise people to look at the latest information from the sheriff's department," Foxworthy added. The Fawn Fire has forced 4,000 people to evacuate and "affected" 30,000, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet without elaboration. Cal Fire also announced Thursday that a 30-year-old woman, Alexandra Souverneva, was arrested on fire-related charges in the area where the blaze started. (@ChaudhryMAli88) PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) The French multinational corporation Kering, which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Brioni, and other luxury brands, said on Friday that it has decided to fully refuse animal fur as a material for its clothes, starting next fall. "Kering has taken the decision to stop using animal fur. Starting from the Fall 2022 collections, none of the Group's Houses will be using fur," Kering said in a statement. The chairman and CEO of Kering, Francois-Henri Pinault, announced that the world has undergone changes, and so the luxury fashion industry needs to adjust to the new reality of placing greater value on animal welfare. The conglomerate recalled that in 2017, Gucci was the first Kering brand to give up using fur, with Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Brioni and Saint Laurent later taking up the initiative. In summer, Kering reported 54.1% revenue growth for the first half of 2021, as compared to the same period in 2020. Total revenue amounted to 8 billion Euros ($9.5 billion). Kenya on Friday became the first African nation to back Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' bid for a second term as head of the World Health Organization (WHO). Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Kenya on Friday became the first African nation to back Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' bid for a second term as head of the World Health Organization (WHO). The 56-year-old Ethiopian was nominated by Germany on Wednesday in a move that surprised many observers, who had predicted that official support for his candidacy would come from African nations. But his candidacy became complicated after Ethiopia allegedly withdrew its support over the conflict in his home region of Tigray. Candidates for the UN health body's top slot are generally nominated by their home countries. On Friday, hours after the deadline for candidates passed, Kenya announced it would back the malaria specialist. "Kenya supports continuity of exemplary African leadership at helm of crucial global world health organization, and will work towards that realization," Macharia Kamau, principal secretary at the foreign ministry, said on Twitter. The first African to head the powerful UN agency, Tedros has been on the front line since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, making him one of the most familiar faces in the fight against the pandemic. The former health and foreign minister of Ethiopia drew the ire of the Addis Ababa government by using the WHO platform to condemn the crackdown in Tigray. At a news conference on Wednesday, when asked by AFP to confirm he was running for a second term, Tedros declined to answer. He appears to be the only candidate in the running, with other EU nations following Berlin's lead in backing him, diplomatic sources told AFP Wednesday. Each country, among them Austria, France, Portugal and Spain, submitted a sealed envelope to the Geneva-based WHO before the deadline expired at 1600 GMT on Thursday. The organisation will not open the envelopes before October 1. Then, a few weeks later, the list of candidates will be sent to the WHO's 194 member states, before being made public. If multiple candidates come forward, a selection process will start in January 2022 to establish a shortlist of up to five potential directors-general. Member states will vote for the next head of WHO -- whose term begins in August next year -- in a secret ballot in May during the global body's main annual meeting of member states. Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita announced on Friday her official visit to Brussels, scheduled for the coming Monday or Tuesday, to enlist support from the European Union for implementation of her governmental program CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita announced on Friday her official visit to Brussels, scheduled for the coming Monday or Tuesday, to enlist support from the European Union for implementation of her governmental program. "On Monday-Tuesday, I am leaving for Brussels to submit the governmental program and get support for its implementation including receiving additional benefits for our citizens. For example, I mean joining the European roaming net, investment attraction, discussion of the financial aid package to restore the Moldovan economy," Gavrilita told the Moldova radio station. The prime minister also stated that in the Belgian capital she will meet with various European Commission and European Parliament members. In June, the European Commission came up with a plan to revive the economy of Moldova, under which up to 600 million euro ($702.63 million) is to be raised in three years. The main condition for the financial support is the reforms-oriented policy of the government. Gavrilita is set to demonstrate to the European Commission the eagerness of the post-Soviet country to meet the conditions. (@FahadShabbir) NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on the margins of the UN General Assembly told Sputnik Iran will open another consulate in his country. "They (Iranians) will open one consulate. They opened one in Aleppo and soon we shall have another one," Mekdad said without providing details about the date of the opening or the place where it will be located. Iran opened its consulate in the Syrian city of Aleppo in May 2021. Iran's newly appointed foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, visited Damascus last month for talks with Syrian officials, according to SANA. (@FahadShabbir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) The five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council have to be very United on the agreed approaches to end the conflict in Yemen, US Special Envoy for the country Tim Lenderking told Sputnik. "Several things have to happen. One is the international community has to stay very united around agreed approaches to end the Yemen conflict," Lenderking said. "The P5, as one of the crucial institutions, staying united and focused on yemen can be very constructive toward achieving these goals." The envoy also said there is only a political solution to the conflict in Yemen, not a military solution. He called for the UN to have unconditional access to all the parties. The envoy shared that he has had a number of bilateral engagements in New York on Yemen. "It's all designed to force, foster that kind of united approach toward Yemen," he said. "And by the way, that's the main issue that the Secretary mentioned in his that he's stressed in the GCC ministerial that took place this afternoon is getting the GCC countries all working on the same page." (@FahadShabbir) UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Sputnik he finds the dialogue he maintains with Russia on the situation in the Arab Republic helpful. "I keep a regular dialogue with the Russians on Yemen, which I find very helpful," Lenderking said on Thursday. In addition, Lenderking said the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council have to be united on the agreed approaches to end the protracted conflict in Yemen. When asked what needs to be done to push the peace process in Yemen, Lenderking said, "Several things have to happen. One is the international community has to stay very united around agreed approaches to end the Yemen conflict." "First of all, there's only a political solution, there's no military solution, that the UN or the new UN envoy has to have unconditional access to all the parties," he said. "Relating to the first point that's the where the P5 as one of the crucial institutions staying united and focused on yemen can be very constructive toward achieving these goals. " Lenderking also noted that he just returned from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in the week, where he participated in a P5 meeting. "We also traveled to Muscat to meet with the Omanis," he added. "I know that the un envoy will go to the p5 capitals." Lenderking spoke with Sputnik on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York. The envoy shared that he has had a number of bilateral engagements in New York on Yemen. "It's all designed to force, foster that kind of united approach toward Yemen," he said. "And by the way, that's the main issue that the Secretary stressed in the GCC ministerial that took place this afternoon is getting the GCC countries all working on the same page." Yemen has been engulfed in an internal conflict between government forces and the Houthi movement since August 2014. The situation in the middle Eastern nation is further complicated after Saudi Arabia joined the conflict on the Yemeni government's side in 2015 and began conducting occasional air, land and sea operations against the Islamist rebel movement. NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) The United States should withdraw from Syria or face the same humiliation as it did in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik on the margins of the UN General Assembly. "We believe the humiliating withdrawal by the Americans and their allies from Afghanistan will give them a good lesson on how to behave internationally and to how to behave inside Syria," Mekdad said. "What we need now in Syria is work to force the Turkish government to discontinue its military presence illegally in Syria, in Syrian territories and for the Americans to leave Syria. Otherwise they will be faced with the same result as in Afghanistan." He also said the US should stop supporting terrorist groups, not interfere in Syria's internal affairs, and not impose sanctions "because sanctions are against the population, against innocent people." Mekdad, in addition, said he had a great meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the margins of the UN General Assembly during which they talked about the coordination of efforts. UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Sputnik he finds the dialogue he maintains with Russia on the situation in the Arab Republic helpful. "I keep a regular dialogue with the Russians on Yemen, which I find very helpful," Lenderking said on Thursday. UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Caracas has extended congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his United Russia Party on the victory in the parliamentary elections, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia told Sputnik on Friday. "Congratulations on the elections to President Putin and his party, and of course, to my brother minister Lavrov," Plasencia said. The foreign minister spoke with Sputnik on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. As a result of last week's parliamentary elections, the ruling United Russia party secured 324 mandates in the lower chamber, followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) with 57 seats, the Russian Central Election Commission's chairwoman, Ella Pamfilova, announced on Friday. (@FahadShabbir) UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Caracas would like to strengthen agricultural production, heavy industry and energy collaboration with Moscow, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia told Sputnik on Friday. When asked where Venezuela would like to expand cooperation with Russia, Plasencia said "in all areas. " "Energy, technology and agricultural production, in heavy industry because you have long experience, you have resources, mining expertise, oil and petrol expertise, natural gas, that's all-important for us," he said. "Venezuela and Russia are hubs of energy and we are working on that." The Venezuelan diplomat underscored the deep ties in areas such as investment, trade and their staunch defense of international laws and norms. At just 19-years-old, Patriann Smith began her teaching career in St. Lucia with little knowledge of the impact she was having on her students and the community. Today, nearly 25 years later, shes focused on ensuring that educators in the Eastern Caribbean avoid the same mistakes she made early in her teaching career. When I worked in the Caribbean as a teacher, I was oblivious to how curriculum emphasized the perspectives of certain individuals or certain groups over others, Smith, PhD, an associate professor of literacy studies at the University of South Florida (USF), said. I was completely unaware of how students backgrounds needed to be foregrounded in the curriculum. All of this came out of my thinking that whiteness was the appropriate standard for students, even though I didnt know it at the time. Smiths research has found that teachers in Barbados and neighboring island countries are often unaware of the Eurocentric standards that they have for students in their classrooms, an issue that illustrates the need for research-informed practices, she says. Smiths efforts to help her home community have led to a local impact. She was recently awarded a three-year, $3.6 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the University of West Indies Cave Hill to launch an interdisciplinary research center in Barbadosa center that will use evidence-based research to address the challenges faced by educators in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. I see this work as sort of a redemptive pathway, going back to my peers in the Caribbean to say, heres what I did as a teacher 25 years ago, and heres what I know now, Smith said. In humility, just sharing with my people that we are damaging students when we dont rethink the way we focus on research, when we dont rethink the way we talk about curriculum or our teaching practice in the classroom. The Center, RISE Caribbean, which opened its doors on Sept. 15, was established to support educational decision making and policy development and to create an online repository for educational research conducted across the region. By including the work of doctoral students, experts and educational scholars in Barbados and the eastern Caribbean in the database, existing research will become accessible to educators, stakeholders and other constituents who are interested in learning about the regions educational system and what sets it apart from others. This, Smith says, will set the stage for a research-driven culture and help tackle common challenges in eastern Caribbean schools, such as low testing performance and high school drop-out rates. We do have a situation where, in spite of all the data we tend to collect about students and what they do in classrooms, teachers are often unable to use this data in a way where it is consolidated to then inform practice, Smith said. So, we see the research center providing an opportunity to harness this data, to inform what teachers are doing in the classrooms and to also, partner with teachers who wish to examine their practice. Just as USF partnered with the University of West Indies Cave Hill for this initiative, Smith says the Center aims to position itself as a collaborative organization that other higher education institutions could seek out for research projects. USFs involvement in this international partnership provides necessary funding for research efforts, but also opportunities for mutual learning and knowledge sharing, said Kiki Caruson, PhD, Interim Vice President of USF World. Were looking forward to what we can learn from our colleagues at the University of West Indies Cave Hill campus and from those who are a part of a broader effort across the Caribbean, Caruson said. It goes without saying that todays greatest challenges cannot be solved by one institution or one country alone. These initiatives broaden our perspective. Theyre essential to what we do as a global research university. The RISE Caribbean initiative is supported by a $3.6 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The grant is in partnership with the University of the West Indies Cave Hill in Barbados to establish an interdisciplinary educational research center to help support decision making and policy development for educational innovation and expansion in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Learn more about RISE Caribbean on the US Embassys website. In a letter, Pope Francis has granted the Ecclesiastica Communio to the new Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church, who was elected on September 23. The Pope received His Beatitude Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian of Cilicia in the Vatican on Friday. By Vatican News staff reporter After his election, the Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians wrote to Pope Francis requesting Ecclesiastica Communio (ecclesiastical communion), which the Pope granted in a letter on Thursday. The Holy Father said he was sharing the joy of the Armenian Catholic Church, which prayed as the synod first met in Lebanon and then in Rome to elect the successor to the late Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan, who died on May 25. The Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia is one of the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church. The patriarchate is headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon. Syria, Lebanon In his letter, the Pope remembered the suffering of the people of Syria and Lebanon, where the Church of Cilicia of the Armenians is present. He also said that the pandemic is still far from being overcome in many parts of the world. In this situation, he said, all persons of good will, especially Christians, are called to be neighbours and to demonstrate they are brothers, overcoming indifference and loneliness. Even under the floods of history and in the deserts of our time, he wrote, we can and must walk towards the Crucified and Risen One. Suffering of Armenians Armenians, the Holy Father wrote, are regarded as expert in suffering, because of the many trials throughout its more than 1,700 years of Christian history. They have "an inexhaustible capacity to flourish and bear fruit, through the holiness and wisdom of their saints and martyrs, the culture of their doctors and thinkers, and the art that knows how to carve into the rock the sign of the cross like a tree of life, testimony to the victory of faith over every adverse force in the world." Armenian memory and traditions The Pope also pointed out that the Armenian Church is fully integrated in the affairs of the Armenian people, preserving their memory and traditions, and at the same time deeply linked to the Successor of the Apostle Peter. He entrusted to his care the younger generations, the promotion of vocations, and that he may find a wise harmony between the different entities of the community, such as the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the Mekhitarist Congregation, and the Institute of the Patriarchal Clergy of Bzommar, as well as the many Armenian Catholics who were formed and live among Latin Catholics but are well aware of their Armenian heritage. Pope Francis hoped that the All-Holy Mother of God; and Armenian saint, Gregory of Narek, who the Pope declared a Doctor of the Church, might guide, set an example, and intercede for the new Patriarch. He hoped, especially that she might show the Latin Catholic Church the path of authentic fraternity and ecumenical dialogue with our brothers and sisters of the Armenian Apostolic Church." Patriarch Raphael Bedros had welcomed Pope Francis during his Apostolic Journey to Armenia, June 24 to 26, 2016. The UN rights chief urges the international community to redouble its efforts to restore democracy in Myanmar before it is too late. By Vatican Radio staff reporter The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday warned of a human rights catastrophe in Myanmar under military rule, pointing out that some violations by the junta may amount to crimes against humanity. "The national consequences are terrible and tragic the regional consequences could also be profound," Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military toppled the elected government of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, sparking nationwide anger, strikes, protests, and the emergence of anti-junta militia. The coup has exacerbated the already deteriorating situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the impoverished country, with the military-run health ministry scarcely able to provide basic healthcare services. According to a report by the UN rights office, more than 1,120 people have been killed in a nationwide crackdown by security forces on pro-democracy strikes and protests, with more than 8,000 detained and at least 120 reportedly killed in custody. Violence by the junta has displaced more than 230,000 civilians, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons in Myanmar to well over half a million. Conflict, repression, poverty, pandemic Bachelet said, Conflict, poverty and the effects of the pandemic are sharply increasing, and the country faces a vortex of repression, violence and economic collapse. The human rights situation in Myanmar has deteriorated significantly as the far-reaching impacts of the military coup continue to devastate lives and hopes across the country. Warning of a human rights catastrophe, she said the report by her office had documented many serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including violations of the rights to life, liberty, and security of person; the prohibition against torture; fair trial guarantees; freedom of expression; and freedom of peaceful assembly. Several of these violations may amount to crimes against humanity committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population or, to the extent arising in armed conflict, war crimes. The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late," she said. Peoples self defence Local armed defence forces, which have clashed with the military, have formed in various regions, prompting many thousands to flee their towns and villages, including to neighbouring India. Local media in Myanmar reported deadly violence in at least five different regions and states on Thursday, which included the use of home-made bombs by militias allied with a shadow government, which earlier this month called for a "people's defensive war" against the junta. Reuters on Wednesday cited local media which reported that most of the 10,000 people of Thantland town in Chin State fled to forests or across the border to India, after buildings were set ablaze by artillery amid fighting between militia forces opposed to military rule and the army. During a clash between militia forces and the army last weekend, about 20 homes were set ablaze, with photos posted on social media showing buildings engulfed in flames. Soldiers shot dead a Christian pastor who tried to extinguish a blaze, the Myanmar Now news portal reported, although state media disputed the report. Bachelet said troops had used weapons against civilians that were intended for military conflict and carried out "indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery barrages." Western countries have condemned the junta and imposed targeted sanctions, but critics say a tougher stand must be taken, including an arms embargo. Bachelet said Myanmar had failed to deliver on its agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cease violence and start dialogue. Even children are not spared The previous day, Wednesday, Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, also told the Human Rights Council that current efforts by the international community to stop the downward spiral of events in Myanmar are simply not working. He also said there was evidence that the military junta was committing crimes against humanity. He said that the military junta was systematically abducting the relatives of people it is seeking to arrest, including children as young as 20 weeks old. Victims of security forces often sustained wounds to their heads and torsos, indicating that they were targeted for maximum harm, the UN said. Andrews reported that as of July, the junta had killed at least 75 children ranging in age from 14 months to 17 years. The military was routinely abducting family members when it is unable to locate individuals it is seeking to arrest. I have received credible reports that junta forces have arbitrarily detained at least 177 individuals when the initial target of a raid had successfully eluded arrest. These victims include very young children as young as 20 weeks old, he said. According to the Human Rights Office, most of those arrested by security forces are held in custody without any form of due process and lack access to legal counsel, or even the ability to communicate with their families. However, amidst the darkness and gloom in Myanmar, Andrews notes rays of light and hope in the peoples resilience and solidarity. Activists, peaceful protesters, police and military defectors, doctors, healthcare workers and volunteers relentlessly continue to care for patients and those in difficulty despite the dangers of doing so. He appealed for greater humanitarian aid for the more than 3 million Myanmar people who are in need of assistance. Third-party logistics (3PL) are a popular method to outsource logistic functions for small and medium-sized businesses. Given Vietnams size and diversity, 3PL can help reduce costs, boost sales and build brand identity Businesses, however, should engage in a cost-benefit comparison to gauge if a 3PL meets their requirements Vietnam is a significant target for companies in the consumer goods sector. The countrys blossoming middle class, shifting spending habits, and a sizable population of over 90 million is rapidly becoming the focal point for investors building up brand identity and sales networks throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As the fundamentals of the Vietnamese economy continue to fall into place, foreign companies who are able to develop and implement effective market-entry strategies will be well-positioned to gain increasing market share in the years to come. For the largest players, Vietnams demographics and proximity to other markets present an opportunity to establish localized production and to expand distribution networks through mergers and acquisitions. Small and medium-sized players, however, for whom the costs of setting up can often be inhibitive, increasingly turn to third-party logistics providers to boost their sales and build brand identity within Vietnam. In general terms, third-party logistics, or 3PL as it is commonly referred, involves the outsourcing of logistics functions such as customs clearance, storage of products, and order fulfillment to a third party. Depending on the 3PL provider and range of services utilized, third party logistics can completely remove the need for a foreign company to establish a market presence in Vietnam. Instead, all operations can be run out of a single regional management center where the costs and risks of doing business are lower. What types of third-party logistics services are available in Vietnam? 3PL providers can offer a variety of services to companies seeking to outsource logistics functions in Vietnam. For those unfamiliar with the third-party logistics industry, the following lists common 3PL services in Vietnam ordered in terms of their rates of usage by foreign investors currently engaging 3PL providers. Domestic transportation 92% International transportation 89% Warehousing 70% Customs clearance 68% Forwarding 60% Shipment consolidation 40% Product labeling/packaging 33% Transportation management 25% Reverse logistics 25% Cross-docking 25% Freight auditing and payment 18% Fleet management 15% Order entry, processing, and fulfillment 12% Which companies will benefit from 3PL services? The decision to engage a 3PL provider and the exact services required by a company will ultimately ride on the findings of a cost-benefit comparison between the acquisition of physical assets to facilitate distribution and the engagement of a local 3PL provider to handle these tasks. While each company will differ in terms of its products and business strategy, 3PL providers are generally of greatest utility to mid-market players seeking to explore the Vietnamese market for the first time. Particularly for those with low headcounts, the resources needed to fully commit to the Vietnamese market may make market entry a daunting task. In these cases, the low-profile approach provided through 3PL allows companies the flexibility to build up name recognition and sales while temporarily avoiding the capital-intensive process of establishing a foreign-owned trading company. How to structure 3PL networks to boost sales? Companies must choose a corporate structure that reflects their desired level of involvement in Vietnam. Below, we outline two of the most common low-cost 3PL entry strategies selling into the Vietnamese market without a legal entity and outsourcing order fulfillment while maintaining a representative office to facilitate sales. Both of these options perfectly suit SMEs seeking to explore opportunities and expand sales networks within the Vietnamese market. Option 1 Fully outsourcing operations Companies with existing Vietnamese customers can often utilize 3PL providers to handle the entire logistics process and remove the need to maintain a physical presence in the county entirely. Under this structure, 3PL providers import goods on behalf of the foreign company, handle the customs process, store goods for the company within Vietnam, and fulfill orders on behalf of the company throughout the country. For firms with concerns over establishing a physical presence in Vietnam, fully outsourcing operations to a 3PL provider may be a good first step towards becoming more comfortable with the Vietnamese market. However, it is also important to point out that the range of services provided by the 3PL, in this case, will likely come at a significant service fee. Furthermore, it may be difficult to maintain and expand relationships with current and future customers without a more significant on the ground presence. As such, distribution under a fully outsourced model is only recommended for companies confident in their ability to fill orders in the near to medium term and require an immediate solution to distribute their goods within Vietnam. This is a particularly good option for companies which have managed to effectively market their goods to large buyers on a wholesale level and therefore do not desire to further expand their networks within Vietnam. Option 2 Order fulfillment support An increasingly common structure involves the establishment of a Representative Office (RO) to supplement the services of 3PL providers with sales and marketing support. ROs provide a much lower investment profile compared to establishing a 100 percent foreign owned entity (100% FOE) and allow investors to minimize financial exposure while maintaining direct connections with 3PL providers and customers. ROs are faced with lower capital requirements and setup times and are not subject to corporate income tax as they are prevented from directly invoicing clients. Under current Vietnamese law, ROs are limited to hiring staff to conduct marketing and market research activities and are not permitted to revive incoming payments. While preventing investors from billing their clients within Vietnam, the RO structure does allow foreign companies to maintain a sales team within the Vietnamese market while outsourcing the import and distribution of goods to a 3PL provider. Compared to the costs associated with 100 FOE setup and the lack of on the ground presence stemming from a fully outsourced distribution operation, supplementation of 3PL services with RO sales support is currently the preferred method of entry for SMEs. The role of regional management While Vietnam continues to provide among the most attractive consumer markets regionally, it is far from the only market where opportunities lie. Increasingly, companies choose to target not one but many markets in Southeast Asia for expansion simultaneously. In these cases, it often makes sense to establish a regional management center in Asia from which to base operations. This center will be able to handle the contractual relationships with 3PL providers an area beyond the legal scope of representative office operations and to handle the invoicing of clients in some cases. At present Singapore is the best-positioned location from which to base operations due to its extensive trade and tax agreements covering Vietnam, other ASEAN members, as well as many of home markets for Vietnams current investors such as China, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Korea. The importance of evaluating 3PL providers Finally, following the selection of a market entry method, investors must select a 3PL provider that can effectively support their agenda in Vietnam. While 3PL firms are in ample supply, these partners will take on a significant degree of control over the storage and transport of a companys goods. As such, there is potential for the quality of goods and services provided by the 3PL to influence the reputation of a good or brand, particularly in the initial stages of a companys entry into Vietnam. With this in mind, the following are some of the most important considerations for new entrants to Vietnam to consider when selecting a 3PL provider: Geographic coverage Consumption centers in Vietnam are spread across the country. Ranging from Ho Chi Minh City in the South, to Da Nang in the Center, and Hanoi in the North, it is important for investors to understand consumption trends within their respective business lines and to engage a 3PL provider that can store and possibly transport goods between these targeted locations effectively. Many firms entering the market find that it is more effective to engage with separate 3PL providers in different locations within the country to ensure that they are able to provide the most effective delivery to their clients in every location. Storage and transport capacity In addition to geographic coverage, it is important to select a 3PL provider that has the capacity and specialization to transport the goods that a company wishes to distribute in Vietnam. For frozen goods and other items requiring the use of cold chain logistics networks, specialized transportation equipment and storage will certainly be required. In these cases, vetting 3PL providers prior to engagement will ensure that they are able to are able to provide the storage and transport specifications to meet the standards of a given product. Range of service lines More generally, companies should review 3PL providers to select a firm that can provide the services needed to implement their market entry strategy. This will include assessing firms based on their ability to invoice clients, clear goods through customs, or conduct other aspects of logistics outsourcing required for a given operation. Each firm will likely have different services and be able to provide a different range of services depending on the part of the country that they are operating in. Due diligence Finally, due diligence on 3PL providers is the most important consideration from a brand reputation perspective. Given the opaque nature of Vietnams business environment, investors often struggle to assess the reputation of 3PL providers from outside of the country. This, along with ongoing coordination with clients often forms the basis for investors decisions to set up a representative office to further expand their operations in Vietnam. Note: This article was first published in July 2017, and has been updated to include the latest developments. The first half of the six-part World Summit on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting, held online, concluded on Sept. 19, drawing a large audience with over 200,000 view, brought together professionals from around the world in the fields of medicine, law, academia, law, and politics who presented stirring speeches and participated in live Q&A sessions. Session 1 Transplant medicine at a crossroad: an ethics-based profession usurped and repurposed for genocide Medical professionals from Taiwan, Germany, Ireland, and the United States agreed that organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of conscience in China is a gross violation of internationally accepted human rights and medical ethics. The medical profession should be guided by altruistic ideals rather than financial gain. The global medical community is called upon to choose between ethical action or complicity in crimes against humanity. Dr. Raymond Scalettar, MD, Professor Emeritus, George Washington University, and former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association (AMA), pointed out serious ethical concerns that were raised when the Annals of Surgery published an article by Chinese transplant surgeons who found matching lungs for an elderly COVID-19 pneumonia patient in only 3 to 4 days. Dozens of speakers attended the online event. (Image: Courtesy of DAFOH) In the United States, with a huge registry of transplant donors much larger than China, the minimal wait time for this type of donor is 15 days. Since 2000, China has developed a highly lucrative organ transplant industry that is an opaque system with no transparency or traceability. The actual number of transplant surgeries performed far exceeds official government national statistics. There are many large major hospital centers that rely on organ transplants as the main source of revenue. Shi-Wei Huang, MD, Director of Urology, Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Taiwan, said that transplant tourism from Taiwan began in the 1990s with patients going to China to receive kidney transplants. Those numbers increased rapidly after 2000 though, soon after the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, with patients flocking to China from Taiwan as well as from South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western countries. Dr. Huang said, In China, as long as human rights violations persist and the CCP remains opaque about information and data, transplant abuse is unlikely to disappear. Session 2 Pursuing accountability for forced organ harvesting Legal experts from Canada, South Korea, Spain, and Taiwan discussed the legal precedents of past and current efforts to combat live forced organ harvesting. They recommended that countries unite in their efforts to pursue legislative action to stop Chinas transplant atrocities and punish perpetrators and accomplices. David Matas, world renowned for being among the first to research and expose Chinas mass killing of prisoners of conscience for their organs, gave an overview of the legal landscape surrounding transplantation in China. The rule of law does not exist in China. Instead of the rule of law, there is the rule of the Party. Judge Kim Song of South Korea argued that the most available and convenient measure for countries around the world to use against Chinas forced organ harvesting is the Magnitsky Act. The 2016, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act authorized the U.S. government to sanction foreign persons implicated in human rights abuses anywhere in the world, freezing any U.S. assets they hold, and banning them from entry into the United States. Theresa Chu, a Taiwanese barrister, noted that Forced organ harvesting is not only used to carry out the cleansing and genocide of Falun Gong practitioners and ethnic minority groups, such as Uyghurs, but is also implicated in massive economic profits from organ transplantation, transnational organ sales, transplant tourism, and organ brokerage. Session 3 Politicians, as the stewards and leaders of society, have a responsibility to combat forced organ harvesting Government leaders and policymakers from Sweden, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States unanimously condemned and called for an end to Chinas human rights abuses, particularly the regimes state-sponsored forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience, and stood united in advocacy for the global adoption of accepted human values and ethical norms. Steve Chabot, U.S. Congressman from the State of Ohio, said that, The public overall is mostly unaware of this horrific practice, much less than it occurs on a vast scale. He concluded that a world that conforms to the values of the CCP is one in which those who dont tow the party line can be put in a concentration camp or have their organs harvested. Thats a vision for a world that nobody wants to live in. And thats the vision of the world that we are all fighting against. The Summit will continue starting Friday, Sept. 24 and will end Sept. 26 with the launch of a new Universal Declaration on forced organ harvesting. Founded in 2006, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) raises awareness and informs the medical community and society about the unethical organ harvesting, with a particular focus on China. In an interview Thursday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said there are questions about how the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was handled, but we need to first save the lives [of Afghans]. Rama, whose country is temporarily hosting 4,000 Afghan refugees, said that as a NATO member country, Albania has to take its share of responsibility to protect those who worked with the organization in Afghanistan. Rama told Mirwais Rahmani of VOAs Afghan Service that Afghan refugees can stay in Albania for as long as they wish. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you so much for your time. Albania was one of the first countries that offered to host Afghan refugees. Tell us why. Prime Minister Edi Rama: Because of who we are. We have a very proud history of having built our life in this country for generations based in our first common law, which says that the house of the Albanians belongs to God and the guest. The accurate translation would be the traveler. And then there is a whole explanation of the duty behind the knock at the door of whomever is behind the door and in whatever situation he, she or they are, you have to open the door and you have to offer shelter to the traveler that is lost or needs refuge or needs to be fed or whatever. So, that is first. Second is our history. Our grandparents did something fascinating and thanks to them, Albania became the first and the last European country that had more Jews after the war than before and independent from their religion. And many Jews were saved by being hidden from Muslim armies. Because we have Muslims and Christians here but independent from their religion, Albania was protecting Jews. And then we were like the Afghans 30 years ago. So, it was at that time us demanding help and knocking on others doors for shelter. Now it's the time to give what we got. And finally, I would say that we owe it to our children. Our children need to inherit this attitude, and every generation should cultivate it when the chance is being presented because, God forbid, we become a cynical rich country. VOA: I'm sure you saw the chaos and tragedy in Kabul airport during the last two weeks of August. Many believe it was a result of hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan. What's your take on this? Rama: As I said and I want to repeat, for sure what happened in the last weeks and what the world saw live from Kabul, from the airport, from the scenes of desperate people losing gravity and falling from the sky will absolutely raise many questions many questions about our civilization, about our democratic world, about NATO, about the future of NATO and how we should see and shape it. But it's not the time to enter in this (conversation) until the last person that is in need is saved from whatever the danger might be for him or her in Afghanistan. We should take care of human lives, and then of course, the discussion will follow. But on the other hand, I have to say that, you know, it's quite hypocritical to put the blame on the United States and on the administration and just wash their hands like Pontius Pilate. After all we have been in this together. Yes, there are questions, of course, and the withdrawal had its problems, and it's obvious but we need to first save the lives. And the blame on the withdrawal, the whatever mismanagement of the withdrawal, the dramatic episodes of the withdrawal, should not be alibis or should not be instruments to forget the real thing the lives of people. VOA: I talked to some Afghan evacuees in Albania. Their main concern is the uncertainty surrounding the process of their application. An Afghan evacuee, while thanking your government for the warm hospitality, had a question for you: in case their application or resettlement process takes months or years, will the Albanian government provide them with health services and education opportunities for their children? Rama: Thank you for the question. It's a very good question. First of all, they should forget months. It will not be months. It will be more than months because the mass of applications and the massive bureaucratic work that has to be done back in the [United] States for so many people that have been parked, as they said, in different places in Europe or elsewhere, is huge. So, it will be more than months. Secondly, we have already decided that we will offer them free health care. The concern of the kids and the young students is a common concern. So, we are working to come up with a plan, we are working to be able to create a network of teachers because we can put them right away in our schools. But it's in Albanian, and we need to somehow give them some continuity to have their language and English, so we are working on that. And we will not let them, you know, drag in the places they are for more than months without sending those kids to school, without being able to see a future. At the same time, I would invite all of them to think about integrating while waiting they are great people. VOA: The U.S. might not take in those Afghans who fail security background checks, or their cases are rejected. How will Albania deal with such a scenario? Are you ready to take in those Afghans who will have no other place to go, or is there any alternative solution? Rama: They are at home here. They should feel at home here, and if they want to stay, they are welcome. We will never tell them to leave the country because they don't fulfill criteria. We'll never tell them they have to apply for a visa clearance in Albania. We suffered a lot from visa regimes, and we are not going to be now a visa regime country for them, so they are more than welcome to stay. VOA: Whats Albania's reaction to the Taliban's government in Afghanistan? Will Albania, as a country that hosts hundreds, if not thousands, of Afghans, recognize a government led by the Taliban? Rama: Albania had its Taliban. They were not Islamic Taliban. They were Marxist and Leninist Taliban. And we saw religion being bombed. We saw God being declared illegal. We saw our own culture of the 20th century being bombed. We saw the jailing of artists, of writers, of play writers. We saw a total lack of freedom of expression. We saw full nationalization, and private property being dumped and being bombed and so many other things that, you know, you have seen in that country. Every comparison has its weakness. So, I'm not going further. But no, we will not be part of any club that will recognize this regime. Let me add this. While I said this, I say also the other thing, that it's important to build communication, it's important to talk with that regime. Because for the sake of all that need to be helped, demands it. So, one of the strengths of our Taliban regime was that not only didn't they want to talk to others, but the others didnt want to talk to them. So, this is something to be remembered. Afghan female activists urged the international community Friday to keep the pressure on the Taliban to let girls return to school, saying Afghanistan's new de facto rulers cannot be allowed to normalize gender discrimination. "Don't let the Taliban's oppression be normalized," Shaharzad Akbar, chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, told a virtual event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. "Don't pretend that it is part of Afghan culture or part of Islam our religion to have women oppressed and deprived of their basic human rights." Fawzia Koofi, the first female deputy speaker of Afghanistan's parliament, echoed that. "Women's liberty, girls' freedom including education in Afghanistan is a sign of an Afghanistan that could live in peace and harmony with its citizens and with the world," Koofi said from Qatar, where she fled with her children at the end of August. "So do not think an Afghanistan that is oppressing its nation oppressing 55% of society to stay in the midst of nowhere could be a reliable partner to you. It will not." Rerun seen on female rights The Taliban swept into the capital, Kabul, on August 15, after President Ashraf Ghani's government collapsed. In the intervening weeks, they have announced their interim government, which has no female members. The Taliban have also said girls would be allowed to return to school at the right time, but so far, they have allowed only primary school-age girls to return. Female secondary school and university students remain sidelined. This is a rerun of what happened when the Taliban seized power in 1996, Koofi said, when so-called temporary measures eventually became permanent. The female activists emphasized that education for girls and women is a right both in Islam and in the Afghan Constitution. The U.N. says 4.2 million Afghan children are not enrolled in school, and much of this can be blamed on COVID-19 closures. Around 60% are girls. "We have to get them back in. We have to make sure they are integrating," said Henrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF. "We can do more with distance education and remote learning," Fore said, addressing ways to make sure girls' learning is not interrupted. "We need to have women teachers going back to schools, and we need more women teachers." But Koofi said remote learning for girls is not a substitute for being in the classroom, which "demonstrates the power and the future of Afghanistan." But what will await them at school is another concern for activists. "I am as worried about the changes the Taliban will bring to curriculum, especially the curriculum studied by girls, as about the ban on the schools," Akbar said. Scholarships, opportunities The activists, including the young captain of Afghanistan's now famous all-female robotics team, urged support from the international community in providing scholarships for female students to study abroad and collaborating with Afghan universities to broaden opportunities for girls and women. One thing is clear: They say the Taliban are afraid of women's empowerment. "I was targeted for speaking out for girls' education," said Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot by Taliban gunmen in her northern Pakistani town as a teenager in 2012. "And it proved to me that the Taliban were scared of the voice of women and girls." Although the FDA announced Wednesday that it would not recommend a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for most Americans younger than 65, Mississippi resident Jen Buckley, 50, said she and her husband decided to get their booster doses anyway. We received our second shot almost eight months ago, she said, explaining their reasoning for obtaining third shots, and Im worried the effects of the [two-dose] vaccine might be waning. We dont want to leave ourselves vulnerable. In addition to senior citizens, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for individuals aged 18 to 64 who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 or who work in high-risk places. Buckley and her husband feared they dont meet the criteria even though she takes medication that weakens her immune system and her husband suffers from hypertension and asthma. Exacerbating Buckleys concern is that she lives in Jackson County, Mississippi, where only 37% of the population is fully vaccinated. Given that reality, she sees limiting booster doses as a missed opportunity. If people refuse to take the vaccine, then we probably have extra doses that will expire, right? Why not let people who actually want a booster get one? she asked. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said he would support a third dose for all Americans if future data show it is effective. Sufficient data don't yet exist in the United States, but research from Israel suggests that while the coronavirus vaccines effectiveness diminishes over time, a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can restore protection from infection to 95%. Buckley said she didnt see the point in waiting while vaccine doses were available now. I have two grandchildren who cant get vaccinated, one of whom is immunocompromised, she said. We have a duty to do whatever it takes to protect those children, and I think this can help. Seeking out boosters Kerry Compton is a pharmacist at Patio Drugs in Metairie, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans. He reported an uptick in individuals seeking booster shots last month after U.S. health officials announced those with compromised immune systems were eligible. His feeling, he said, is that most who reached out are the same proactive people who booked their vaccine appointments as soon as initial doses became available earlier in the year. I think some people are more concerned about the virus than others, he said, and I also think theres some confusion about whos eligible for a third dose and who isnt. Compton blames the confusion on inconsistent messaging by U.S. officials. Before booster doses were approved for individuals with compromised immune systems, Biden said he expected booster shots would be available to the general public beginning September 20. The FDAs recent announcement will make that impossible, at least for now. Its a lot for the public to keep track of, Compton said, and no judgment levied by me but there might be some individuals who are getting their third dose even though they dont qualify. Getting that booster, even among the ineligible, isnt as hard as one might think. In Louisiana, for example, those receiving boosters must simply each complete an affidavit explaining why they are eligible. But we werent instructed to verify that information, and we couldnt even if we were, Compton said. Were not the vaccine police. We simply follow the guidelines passed down to us. New Orleanian Lauren Castorena said that even though she doesnt qualify for the booster, she planned on requesting one soon when she gets her flu shot. And if Im turned down, she said, Ill talk to my doctor about giving me a note because of a recent surgery I had, or Ill call local pharmacies to try to get a dose nearing its expiration date. Having a booster will help me feel more safe as I go about enjoying my life, so why not get one? To boost or not to boost Kyle Carson has been watching closely as discussions about boosters have progressed. Hes happy the FDA has approved boosters for some portions of the population, but asked, If its necessary for some groups to receive a booster, why wouldnt it be advantageous for others as well? Before this weeks FDA announcement, Carson said he planned to seek out a third dose. Now, however, he said that despite his concern about the delta variant, he would wait for the FDA to authorize shots for the general public. Rachel Sonn feels much the same. Im fairly confident in my own immune system and Im fully vaccinated, she said, but if it takes too long for the FDA to approve a booster for the rest of us, I have no moral issue lying that I have an underlying condition or that I smoke or something. For some, the availability of boosters in the U.S. brings up a more global concern. Despite the fact that more than 3.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered around the world as of July 4, only 1% of individuals in low-income countries had received even a single dose, according to the website One World in Data. Experts have suggested, despite promises of more vaccine donations by richer nations like the United States, most residents of poorer countries will need to wait until 2023 to get vaccinated. I wont get one until theyre allowed for me, said Chance Simoncelli, a bartender in New Orleans. Besides not wanting to be greedy, the more countries lacking vaccines, the more variants well all have to deal with in the future. Others dont see how delaying a booster shot would make a difference on a global scale. It makes me feel terrible because it is terrible, Sonn said, but me opting out of something thats available as a citizen of the U.S. isnt going to change that [global vaccine shortages]. As younger Americans grapple with how to proceed, many who are 65 or older are relieved the FDA has approved a third dose for them. At my age, its frightening to become ill, said Mary Chaput, 66. The time I have left is shortening, frankly, and I feel robbed by those who arent vaccinated and are letting the virus mutate. Protection from this booster is the best way I have to reclaim a sense of normalcy. U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday that around 60 million Americans are eligible for a booster shot against the coronavirus. Biden urged eligible Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, and he said he would get his own shot as soon as possible. In comments from the White House Friday, Biden said, "Like your first and second shot, the booster shot is free and easily accessible." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday approved the Pfizer boosters for Americans 65 or older, frontline workers such as teachers, health care workers and others whose jobs place them at risk of contracting COVID-19, and those ages 50 to 64 with underlying conditions. The booster shot will be available for those who received the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. The White House said Friday 20 million Americans are eligible for the shot immediately, while a total of 60 million Pfizer-shot recipients will be eligible for boosters once they reach the six-month mark. The European Unions drug watchdog said Thursday it plans to decide in early October whether to approve a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those over age 16. Also Friday, two hosts of the popular U.S. ABC-TV daytime show The View were abruptly asked to leave the set during a live broadcast, ahead of a much-anticipated interview with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Show hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro had tested positive for COVID-19. Joy Behar, another host, said, No matter how hard we try, these things happen, they probably have a breakthrough case. Theyll be OK, Im sure, because they are both vaccinated up the wazoo. Harris had been scheduled to do an interview on the set with the four hosts, but after the positive tests, the first U.S. female vice president did a remote interview with the shows remaining two hosts - Behar and Sara Haines. Whoopi Goldberg, also a show host, was not on set Friday. Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that schools in England are struggling to stay open in the face of student COVID-19 outbreaks. Some schools have resorted to reinstating restrictions imposed last school year, such as social distancing and mask-wearing. Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, told The Guardian, We have seen a significant increase in the number of calls to our advice lines from school leaders asking for support and guidance about how best to manage COVID outbreaks. Elsewhere, Norways government said Friday it would end all remaining coronavirus restrictions on Saturday. "It is 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime. ... Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told a news conference. In Australia, health officials announced Friday that more than half the population had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. A wave of coronavirus infections has led to lockdowns in Australias two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the capital, Canberra. Health officials in South Korea said Saturday the daily COVID-19 cases in the previous 24-hour period had passed 3,000. Authorities believe a three-day holiday this week may be the source of the recent surge in cases, Officials said that although cases were spiking, the mortality rate and the number of severe cases remain relatively low. They attributed that in large part to a vaccination campaign that prioritized older people and those who were at high risk for disease. In Singapore, the health ministry announced it was tightening restrictions to fight a wave of coronavirus infections. The new policies include limiting social gatherings to two people, down from five. The ministry also reported 1,650 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. Earlier this week, Singapore said 92% of the population had been fully vaccinated. Officials said about 98% of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the past four weeks were in people who had mild or no symptoms. Russia reported 828 deaths from COVID-19 in previous 24 hours on Friday, the country's highest daily number of the pandemic. The toll breaks the record set a day earlier. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Thursday in a video address to the United Nations General Assembly, "It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82% of the world's vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than 1% has gone to low-income countries," The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4% of Africa's population is fully vaccinated. "The hoarding and inequitable distribution with the resultant uneven vaccination patterns across the globe is not acceptable," Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a prerecorded message to the assembly on Thursday. "Vaccine nationalism is self-defeating and contrary to the mantra that 'no one is safe until everyone is safe.' Whether in the global North or South, rich or poor, old or young, all people of the world deserve access to vaccines." Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters. The Biden administration on Friday confirmed that a makeshift camp where 15,000 Haitian migrants braved desperate conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border was now vacant. "As of this morning, there are no longer any migrants in the camp, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House briefing. Mayorkas spoke hours after President Joe Biden took full responsibility for an incident earlier this week in which U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback aggressively confronted migrants, saying it was horrible to see people being treated like they did. Of course, I take responsibility. I'm president," Biden said, adding there would be an investigation and consequences for Border Patrol officers whose actions drew widespread condemnation. It's an embarrassment. But beyond embarrassment, it is dangerous. It's wrong. It sends the wrong message around the world. It's simply not who we are, he said. The presidents comments came near the end of a week that plunged the administration into crisis mode over U.S. treatment of the Haitians who had gathered at the border town of Del Rio, Texas. While international attention has only recently been focused on the Haitians plight, Mayorkas said U.S. authorities had encountered a far larger number of Haitian nationals at Del Rio spanning a longer period of time. Nearly 30,000 migrants have been encountered at Del Rio since September 9, with the highest number one time reaching approximately 15,000, the DHS secretary said. Mayorkas indicated that, of the 30,000, roughly 12,400 were eligible to seek asylum in the United States. Some 5,000 others in U.S. custody could be expelled under a rule that mandates swift removal of migrants during the coronavirus pandemic. The secretary said roughly 2,000 migrants had been flown back to Haiti and that 8,000 others had returned voluntarily to Mexico. Overall, Mayorkas said the situation that evolved at Del Rio was the result of an unprecedented movement of a very large number of people traveling to a single point of the border within a matter of a few days. He added that the U.S. government responded with a surge of resources to address the humanitarian needs of the migrants, including families with young children. The administrations treatment of Haitian migrants has provoked fierce outcries from the administration's political allies and adversaries alike. Ambassador Daniel Foote, who served as U.S. special envoy to Haiti since July, submitted his resignation on Wednesday to protest the Biden administrations repatriation of migrants. Foote said the U.S. approach to Haiti "remains deeply flawed, adding that his advice had been "ignored and dismissed" in Washington "when not edited to project a different narrative from my own." State Department spokesperson Ned Price denied Foote's complaints, saying Footes views "were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false." While many have expressed revulsion over the tactics Border Patrol agents deployed against Haitian migrants, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina had a different take. God bless the men and women of our Border Patrol who are being asked to do the impossible, Graham tweeted. All the while they are being scapegoated and demagogued by the most incompetent Administration in modern American history. Graham called on Mayorkas to resign, saying Americas border was being surrendered. Pakistan says it has conveyed to the United States that while Afghanistans Taliban rulers should be held to their commitments, the world has a moral obligation to collectively work to help the Afghan people deal with a severe humanitarian and economic crisis in the war-ravaged country. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi delivered the message Thursday in his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when they discussed the way forward in Afghanistan, said an official statement issued in Islamabad. The discussions took place in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Qureshi hoped that the world would not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan, according to the statement. The U.S. State Department said Blinken stressed the importance of coordinating our diplomatic engagement and facilitating the departure of those wishing to leave Afghanistan in his talks with Qureshi. The Taliban swept through Afghanistan in August, after Washington and Western allies withdrew their troops in line with U.S. President Joe Bidens orders that there was no point in extending America's longest war beyond 20 years. The Islamist movements return to power prompted the Biden administration to swiftly block billions of dollars held in U.S. reserves for Kabul, while the World Bank and International Monetary Fund both halted Afghanistans access to crucial funding amid worries about the fate of Afghan basic human rights under Taliban rule. Blinken told reporters Thursday the Afghan issue was the focus of his multilateral and bilateral meetings, including with counterparts from Russia and China. He said the Taliban continue to seek legitimacy and international support for their rule in Kabul, saying the world is united on how to deal with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. I think there is very strong unity of approach and unity of purpose... again, the Taliban says that it seeks legitimacy, that it seeks support from the international community; the relationship that it has with the international community is going to be defined by the actions it takes. Thats what were looking for, Blinken stressed. He reiterated U.S. priorities for the Islamist group, including allowing Afghans and foreign nationals to leave the country, respecting human rights, particularly for women, girls and minorities, preventing terrorist groups from using Afghanistan to threaten other countries, and forming a genuinely inclusive government that can reflect aspirations of the Afghan people. The Taliban have dismissed criticism of their male-only interim cabinet, saying it represents all Afghan ethnicities and it promised to very soon bring women on board. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) has writ all over the country and enjoy grassroots support. We truly represent the aspirations of the people of Afghanistan and are ready to engage with the world, Suhail Shaheen, whom the Taliban have nominated as their permanent representative to the U.N., said Friday. The U.N. should listen to us to hear our side of the story. It is proved, policy of isolation is in the interest of none, insisted Shaheen, who is based in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban run their political office. Pakistan, China, and Russia have all moved to engage with the Taliban and have been urging the global community to engage with and help the new rulers in Kabul meet urgent humanitarian needs of Afghans. They have demanded unfreezing of Afghan assets and removal of other economic sanctions on Kabul but they also have linked recognition of the new Taliban government until it delivers on its stated commitments. Just as an overwhelming majority of countries around the world, we prefer to most closely watch what the Taliban have been doing in Afghanistan, what final shape the structure of power in that country will take, and how the given promises will be fulfilled. We are monitoring this very closely, Russian media quoted presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Friday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, while addressing a virtual conference of G-20 foreign ministers on Thursday, also underscored the importance of the Taliban ensuring a broad and inclusive governance system in Kabul but slammed the freezing of Afghan assets by the U.S. and international lending institutions. Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves are its national assets and should be owned by and used for the people, rather than being used as a bargaining chip to exert political pressure on Afghanistan, he said. Pakistan was among the only three countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, that recognized the Taliban government from 1996 to 2001, after the movement emerged the winner from the then-Afghan civil war. The rest of the global community isolated Afghanistan, citing human rights abuses by the Taliban, including among other things, its ban on women and girls from work and receiving an education. However, Qureshi has recently stated Islamabad was not in a rush to extend diplomatic recognition to the Talibans new government but will keep sending humanitarian assistance to the neighboring country, with which Pakistan shares a nearly 2,600-kilometer border. On Monday, the U.N. secretary-general received a letter from the Taliban notifying him that they want to replace Afghanistan Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, who was appointed in July by the ousted Kabul government, with their own envoy. Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in his letter, said they want to participate in the current UNGA debate. Afghanistan is slated to speak last, on September 27. Presumably that would be Isaczai, who is still the accredited representative. A U.N. spokesman said it will be up to a nine-member General Assembly credentials committee to decide who will represent Afghanistan at the United Nations. It is unlikely to meet before October, however, making it doubtful the Taliban could address the annual debate. U.N. investigators are accusing Burundis government of hiding widespread rights violations and repressive measures behind a facade of democracy. The charge comes in a report by the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi submitted to the U.N Human Rights Council. The commission on inquiry says encouraging signs that Burundi might be moving toward a more democratic society following the election of President Evariste Ndayishimiye have proven to be an illusion. Despite initial improvements in human rights at the end of the electoral process in 2020, Commission Chair Doudou Diene notes a significant increase in violations as of June this year. To date, only symbolic gestures, though welcome, and often controversial decisions, have been made so far. These are neither sufficient nor adequate to have a sustainable and profound impact on the human rights situation. The facade of normalization hides a very concerning human rights situation, Diene said, speaking through an interpreter. The report finds most violations occur in the context of the fight against armed groups allegedly responsible for attacks throughout the country since August of last year. However, Diene said the Commission believes these armed attacks have been used as an excuse to pursue political opponents in violation of their human rights. He said Burundian authorities are tightening their grip over the activities of civil society and denying people their right to freedom of expression and association. He said the government has cracked down on a free media and has suspended some media outlets. He said journalists who dare to question or criticize the government are vilified, intimidated, or threatened. It is clear that the Burundian authorities consider that civil societys sole purpose is to assist them and to support government projects, thereby denying the very principle of freedom of association. In particular, it seeks to control the operating costs of NGOs and the salaries of expatriates, Diene said. In his rebuttal, Burundis ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Renovat Tabu, ignored all criticisms raised by the Commission. He cited the many improvements he said his government made in the fight against injustice, in furthering freedom of opinion and of the press, in education and a wide range of other human rights. He said Burundi had several institutions engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights. He added that Burundis Truth and Reconciliation Commission was operational and doing an excellent job in cementing national reconciliation. Police on Friday briefly detained a journalist investigating a grenade attack in the commercial capital Bujumbura, his radio station said, after a series of explosions this week that killed at least five people. Radio Bonesha FM had earlier said their reporter, Aime-Richard Niyonkuru, had been mishandled and arrested by police in Bujumbura's Kamenge neighborhood while he investigated a grenade incident that was said to have killed two people Thursday. "Radio Bonesha FM journalist arrested on Friday morning by the police has just been released. Aime Richard Niyonkuru is still waiting for his recorder. He spent many hours at the Special Research Office under the hot sun," the station said on Twitter. Police spokespeople were not immediately available to comment on the arrest. Burundi, a nation of about 11.5 million people, has suffered decades of war and ethnic and political violence. The United Nations says the youth wing of the ruling party and the security services are involved in the torture, gang-rape and murder of political opponents, charges the government denies. On Monday, two grenade explosions hit a bus park in Bujumbura, while on Sunday a grenade attack in the administrative capital Gitega killed two, according to local media. The Interior Ministry said "unidentified terrorists" were responsible for attacks in Bujumbura. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. An airport worker said Monday there also had been an attack on the Bujumbura airport on Saturday, for which Congo-based rebel group Red Tabara claimed responsibility, saying it fired mortars as the president prepared to travel to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On Tuesday, Attorney General Sylvestre Nyandwi accused leaders of a suspended opposition party, MSD, of being behind the recent attacks, adding that authorities had issued international arrest warrants for them. Exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was arrested in Italy on Thursday, his lawyer and an aide said, four years after fleeing following an independence referendum that Madrid ruled unconstitutional. The European MEP was expected to appear in court on Friday at a hearing that could see him extradited to Spain to face sedition charges. The Catalan leader -- who has been based in Belgium since the 2017 referendum -- was detained in Alghero, Sardinia, his chief of staff, Josep Lluis Alay, wrote on Twitter. "At his arrival at Alghero airport, he was arrested by Italian police. Tomorrow (Friday), he'll appear before the judges of the court of appeal of Sassari, who will decide whether to let him go or extradite him," Alay said. Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, tweeted that the exiled separatist leader was arrested on his arrival in Italy, where he was travelling in his capacity as an MEP. He said the arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued in October 2019 that had since been suspended. Puigdemont, 58, is wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition over his attempts to have the Catalan region break away from Madrid through the 2017 referendum. His arrest comes a week after the left-leaning Spanish government and regional Catalan authorities resumed negotiations to find a solution to Spain's worst political crisis in decades. In March, the European Parliament rescinded immunity for Puigdemont and two other pro-independent MEPs, a decision that was upheld in July by the EU's General Court. However, the European Parliament's decision is under appeal and a final ruling by the EU court has yet to be made. Following Thursday's arrest, Madrid expressed "its respect for the decisions of the Italian authorities and courts." "The arrest of Mr Puigdemont corresponds to an ongoing judicial procedure that applies to any EU citizen who has to answer to the courts," the Spanish government said in a statement. The statement added Puigdemont should "submit to the action of justice like any other citizen." 'Persecution' New Catalan president Pere Aragones -- a separatist but more moderate than his predecessor -- condemned what he called the "persecution" of Puigdemont. "In the face of persecution and judicial repression, the strongest condemnation. It has to stop," he wrote on Twitter. He added that "self-determination" was the "only solution." Besides Puigdemont, former Catalan regional ministers Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati are also wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition. The October 2017 referendum was held by Catalonia's separatist regional leadership despite a ban by Madrid and the process was marred by police violence. A few weeks later, the leadership made a short-lived declaration of independence, prompting Puigdemont to flee abroad. Others who stayed in Spain were arrested and tried. However, Puigdemont did not benefit from the pardon granted in June to nine pro-independence activists who had been imprisoned in Spain. Exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was awaiting a court hearing in Italy Friday following his arrest four years after fleeing Spain over an independence referendum that Madrid ruled illegal. The member of the European Parliament, who has been based in Belgium since late 2017, was detained Thursday in the Sardinian town of Alghero while on his way to a cultural festival, aides said. The 58-year-old is wanted by Madrid on charges of sedition for his attempts to lead a Catalan breakaway from Spain in October 2017, and Italian judges must now decide whether he should be extradited. "It's clear that Carles Puigdemont must be brought to justice and stand trial," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Friday, after the former Catalan leader spent the night in an Italian jail. Puigdemont's lawyers insist there is no basis for his arrest, however, and say they have a "very solid" legal case. "The first thing is to resolve his personal situation which means whether he remains in custody, whether he gets bail, or whether there is any condition for his release," Brussels-based lawyer Gonzalo Boye told AFP. "Then at a later stage, there will be a discussion where they will enter into the grounds [for the alleged offense]" notably whether the arrest warrant was valid. Calls for his release Puigdemont's arrest drew a sharp rebuke from the Catalan government, with leader Pere Aragones demanding his "immediate release" and saying he would travel to Sardinia to "stand by" the former regional leader. It also comes at a sensitive time, nine days after the left-leaning Spanish government and regional Catalan authorities resumed negotiations to find a solution to Spain's worst political crisis in decades. Ahead of Friday's hearing, supporters gathered outside the court in Sassari, a city in the northwest of Sardinia, with one holding up a large Catalan independence flag. And in Catalonia's regional capital Barcelona, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Italian consulate, some holding makeshift signs reading "Freedom" in Catalan over Puigdemont's picture. Others shouted "Free our president" in Italian and waved Catalan independence flags. The October 2017 referendum was staged by Catalonia's separatist regional government despite a ban by Madrid and the process was marred by police violence. Several weeks later, the separatists issued a short-lived declaration of independence, triggering a huge political crisis with Spain during which Puigdemont and several others fled abroad. Madrid swiftly moved to prosecute those Catalan separatists that stayed behind, handing nine of them long jail terms. Although they were all pardoned earlier this year, Madrid still wants Puigdemont and several others to face justice over the secession bid. In March, the European Parliament rescinded immunity for Puigdemont and two other pro-independence MEPs, a decision that was upheld in July by the EU's General Court. The European Parliament's decision is being appealed, though, and a final ruling by the EU court has yet to be made. "Somebody misled the [EU] General Court to lift the precautionary measures," Boye told AFP. 'Persecution' Aragones, a more moderate separatist who took over as Catalan leader earlier this year, said the only solution to the region's political crisis was "self-determination." "In the face of persecution and judicial repression, our strongest condemnation. It has to stop," he wrote on Twitter. And Quim Torra, who had taken over after Puigdemont fled, said his extradition to Spain would be "catastrophic" and urged pro-independence activists to be "on high alert." Meanwhile, the Catalan National Assembly, the region's biggest grassroots separatist movement, has called people to protest over Puigdemont's "illegal detention." Many rallies have been scheduled Friday night, with another major gathering planned for midday on Sunday. Besides Puigdemont, former Catalan regional ministers Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati also are wanted in Spain on allegations of sedition. Madrid said it would respect the decision of the Italian courts. "This government has respect for all judicial proceedings whether opened in Spain, in Europe or in this case in Italy, and will comply with any judicial decisions that may be taken," Sanchez said. The Italian government said it would not get involved. "The procedure is entirely left to the judicial authorities," a justice ministry statement said. Botswana, which saw COVID-19 deaths surpass 300 this week, has lifted a ban on alcohol sales and eased curfew restrictions. But President Mokgweetsi Masisi extended an existing curfew. In a televised address, Masisi said rising COVID-19 cases mean the curfew will continue until the end of March. Botswana introduced a nine-hour curfew in December, but Masisi announced Friday the hours have been reduced to six. "The curfew period restricting the movement of people will be extended from the 1st to the 31st of March 2021 and will begin at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily. The government has decided to lift the suspension of the sale of alcohol with effect from 1st March, 2021. Alcohol will be sold to consumers on weekdays only," he said. Masisi said in lifting the alcohol ban, the government took into consideration the impact on the economy. "Studies both scientific and anecdotal, have shown that alcohol consumption impairs judgment making it difficult in some cases to adhere to set health protocols. Although necessary at the time, the government has nonetheless been worried by the effect of the temporary ban on the sale of alcohol on the industry, and by extension, the countrys economy," Masisi said. The countrys alcohol industry employs more than 50,000 people. Botswana Alcohol Industry Association president Masegonyana Madisa welcomed the decision to lift the ban. "As the alcohol industry, we have always maintained a certain position, that is government should find a more sustainable approach to this problem that we have, which involves curbing the spread of the virus, which we have in Botswana, and at the same time balancing it with protecting the lives and livelihoods of those in the alcohol industry, including its extensive value chain." Meanwhile, the countrys COVID-19 Task Force team vice chairperson, Mosepele Mosepele, expressed concern over the rising death toll. The unfortunate report that we would like to share is the sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 fatalities. The last time we reported we stood at 254, and unfortunately today we report cumulative 300 total number of COVID-19-associated fatalities, Mosepele said. The southern African country has recorded 28,371 COVID-19 cases and 310 deaths. President Masisi has urged the nation to adhere to COVID-19 protocols as the country awaits the arrival of the first batch of vaccine doses in March. Nearly 2 years after the fall of the Islamic State terror group's self-declared caliphate, there still appears to be no escape for tens of thousands of children left homeless in its wake. Aid groups and observers say the children, some from families that flocked to join Islamic State and some from families who fled from its forces, are wasting away in displaced persons camps in northeast Syria, stalked by violence and even death. "These children are experiencing traumatic events that no child should have to go through," said Sonia Khush, Syria response director for Save the Children, in a statement Thursday. "It is incomprehensible that they are condemned to this life," Khush added. "Every day they are denied the opportunity to return to their home, denied the specialized services they so desperately need, and denied the right to live in safety and recover from their experiences is a day too many." In a report Thursday, the aid group described the conditions in the two main camps al-Hol and Roj as dire for the 40,000 children who live there. The camps are strewn with rubbish and waste, the report said, and there is little access to sanitation or health care. Some residents complained they sometimes go days without drinking water. Malnutrition rates are rising, and diseases are taking a toll, all contributing to the deaths of two children a week on average through the first eight months of 2021, according to the report. Despite a crackdown by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in late March and early April, violence is also widespread. The pro-Kurdish Rojava Information Center (RIC) has recorded 86 killings at al-Hol through the end of August, including more than 30 since the start of April. In three cases this year, the victims were children, all shot to death. "I fear living in the camp," one 10-year-old told Save the Children. "The people here keep fighting. I close my ears with my hands whenever I hear them fight. I don't even let my mother go outside." Many of the children are already starting to lash out. Thirty-seven percent of caregivers at the al-Hol camp told Save the Children that their children "are always or usually angry." And there are concerns it will only get worse. "The longer they remain in the camps, the more acute a lack of belonging can become, growing frustration, a sense of uncertainty and a risk particularly for boys of prolonged detention can all reinforce trauma and isolation," the report said. Others have also been sounding alarms. "Fear, worry and stress is commonplace among children, adolescents and young people," an international aid worker with access to the camps told VOA last year. "Deprived from the traditional community support they enjoyed back home, it has led to significant long-term mental health and psychosocial consequences." The worker further warned that "specialized targeted mental health interventions" had not been available. VOA reached out to the SDF and the Autonomous Administration for North and East Syria, which oversee security for the camps and have yet to respond to the Save the Children report. But both have repeatedly called for more help to maintain the camps and for third countries to repatriate their citizens. "The international community must help, and the citizens of every country must return to their homeland," Ali al-Hassan, a spokesman for the internal security forces, said earlier this year. The process, though, has been slow. According to Save the Children, since 2017, just under 1,200 children have been repatriated from Syria, with just 14 repatriation operations taking place so far this year. The U.S. State Department has consistently pressured countries to take back citizens stuck in northeast Syria. The department itself repatriated 27 known Islamic State supporters from SDF custody. Still, top U.S. military officials have repeatedly raised concerns that the combined efforts have not been enough. "It is one of my very highest concerns," General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said in April. "The long-term threat is ISIS radicalization," he said, using an acronym for the terror group. "Unless we find a way to pull these children out of these camps find a way to reintegrate them into civil society and deradicalize them, we are giving ourselves a very significant military problem 10 years down the road." South Korean legislation intended to combat what authorities view as fake news could undermine press freedom in one of Asias strongest democracies, analysts say. The proposed revision to the Press Arbitration Act, backed by South Koreas ruling Democratic Party, would significantly expand the ability of courts to punish accredited reporters and media outlets deemed to have intentionally published false information. If passed, the legislation would amount to a rare example of a liberal democracy responding to the growing challenge of disinformation by targeting traditional media, such as newspapers and television broadcasters. "At a time when authoritarian governments are increasingly adopting so-called 'fake news' laws to stifle criticism, it is disappointing to see a democratic country like South Korea follow this negative trend," said Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute, a Vienna-based free speech monitoring group. UN concerned Under the proposal, claimants would be able to sue for up to five times the estimated damage caused by a deliberate dissemination of false news. That appears to be "utterly disproportionate," according to Irene Khan, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression. In a letter to South Koreas government, Khan offered a detailed and forceful critique of the proposed legislation, saying it would provide excessive discretion to the authorities that may lead to arbitrary implementation. The bills "very vague language," she added, "may limit a wide range of expression that is essential to a democratic society, including news reporting, criticism of the government, political leaders and other public figures, and the expression of unpopular and minority opinions." Restoring public trust? Supporters say the new rules will help improve the South Korean publics low confidence in domestic media. According to the latest annual study by the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford, just 32% of South Koreans trust the media. That is among the lowest of the 46 countries surveyed. Even so, several opinion polls show only a narrow majority of South Koreans appearing to support the legislation. "The revision of the [Press] Arbitration Act is the first step toward the media restoring its public credibility," said Representative Kim Seung-won, a member of South Koreas Democratic Party. In an interview with VOA, Kim also said the bill will provide more redress for those hurt by inaccurate reports. There are more than 4,000 instances each year in which fake news is judged to have caused damage, he said. So, it is necessary to relieve those damages, correct misinformation, compel follow-up reports, and strengthen the medias editorial process. Messy media environment South Korea boasts a free but often divisive and boisterous press. Many of the countrys biggest newspapers have links to chaebols powerful, family-run conglomerates and traditionally take a conservative stance on political and economic issues. Other smaller papers are explicitly liberal. As in other countries, social media has fractured the South Korean media landscape and deepened political divisions. Polarization intensified after the 2017 impeachment of conservative President Park Geun-hye the daughter of South Koreas former military strongman, Park Chung-hee. She was subsequently sentenced to prison on corruption charges. After the Park scandal, many older conservatives, who respected the countrys former military rulers, became disillusioned with traditional media. They instead migrated to YouTube, which offered alternative information sources. Some of those far-right YouTube channels peddle far-fetched and unproven assertions, including claims that last years legislative election was rigged by shadowy communist forces. During the pandemic, many conservative leaders have used YouTube to call for mass anti-government protests that violate South Koreas strict COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Other social media have problems, too, including cyberbullying and vicious personal attacks that came to the fore in 2019 after two female Korean pop stars took their own lives. However, the law under discussion wouldnt apply to private individuals on social media, only to officially accredited outlets and reporters. Elevating clickbait Many journalists complain the bill does not address another major issue: South Koreas massively influential online portals, such as Naver and Daum, which curate and host news stories from various outlets on their own websites. Studies have found that most South Koreans rely on such portals as their main source of news. In turn, media outlets rely on the portals as their main source of clicks. That creates pressure for journalists to create content that will be snatched up by the portals algorithms. If people are so worried about fake news, then they should do something about the editing and transmission rights of news portal sites that dominate South Koreas news market, as well as YouTubers. But no one talks about that, said a South Korean reporter at a daily newspaper. The reporter spoke with VOA on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Ruling party lawmakers say they are open to portal reform. But critics say they have been reluctant to take action against the portals, some of which are linked to or run by major South Korean business interests. South Korean journalists oppose A wide range of South Korean newspapers, reporters, and journalism associations have criticized the proposal. Many say the new rules would discourage reporting that exposes powerful people and organizations. If this act passes, the natural outcome will be more self-censorship by journalists, said Lee Jin-dong, who heads his own investigative news outlet, Newsverse. And their companies may pressure them to avoid lawsuits. A young broadcast reporter at one of South Koreas top television news stations said he understands more media regulation is needed, but believes it should be done in a way that doesnt threaten the idea of journalism itself. If this bill passes, I feel I will be unable to raise questions about presidential candidates or possible government ministers or conglomerates, said the reporter, who also requested anonymity. Backlash forces delay Even some ruling party politicians have spoken against the bill. There are some problematic provisions within this law, Lee Sang-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker, told VOA. The intention is good, but we have to find a better balance between freedom of speech and legal regulation. The backlash by South Korean civic groups may be having an effect. Though the legislation was expected to pass late last month, the Democratic Party agreed to delay it while an eight-member discussion body discusses possible changes. In the end, the party can do whatever it wants, due to its parliamentary supermajority. Many journalists are watching closely. The press has a lot of problems, its true, said a reporter who covers legal issues. The reporter, like others contacted by VOA, spoke only on condition of anonymity, added, But the solution is not the current media arbitration law. This will only worsen social conflict. Former Minneapolis, Minnesota policeman Derek Chauvin has appealed his conviction for the murder of George Floyd, citing 14 complaints related to his trial earlier this year. The death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in May 2020 sparked America's biggest demonstrations for racial justice in decades. Chauvin, who in June was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, appealed the conviction Thursday night with a Minnesota district court, on the last day he was able to do so. He accuses the state of prejudicial misconduct and lists multiple issues with the jury selected for the trial, among other objections. The former police officer, a 45-year-old white man, was captured on video kneeling on Floyd's neck, seemingly indifferent to the dying man's groans and to the pleas of distraught passers-by. The scene, filmed and uploaded by a young woman, quickly went viral. Hundreds of thousands of people subsequently poured onto streets across the country and overseas to demand an end to racism and police brutality. The ex-cop and three of his colleagues arrested Floyd on suspicion of having passed a fake $20 bill in a store in Minneapolis, a northern city of around 400,000 people. They handcuffed him and pinned him to the ground in the street. A jury took less than 10 hours in April to convict Chauvin of Floyd's murder at the end of a high-profile trial. He was found guilty on all three charges -- second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The other three police officers are to face state charges next year for their roles in Floyd's death. Chauvin's conviction was greeted with relief across the country. Many had feared an acquittal would lead to worse unrest, while others worried that once again a white police officer would get away with what they saw as murder. The Floyd family's lawyer called the sentencing a "historic" step towards racial reconciliation in the United States. Chauvin had a record of using excessive force before the unarmed Floyd died under his knee. Eight women three vice presidents and five prime ministers are scheduled to speak Friday at the United Nations General Assembly. We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable the women, the girls the minorities, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova told the assembly earlier in the week. COVID-19 is threatening to roll back the gains that we have made, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first female president of her country, told the U.N. body Thursday. Also Thursday, the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at a food summit that seeks to improve global food production and access that nearly half the planet cannot afford healthy food. "Food is life. But in countries, communities and households in every corner of the world, this essential need this human right is going unfulfilled," Guterres told the virtual Food Systems Summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly's annual gathering. Guterres said that 3 billion people cannot afford nutritious food. "Every day, hundreds of millions of people go to bed hungry. Children are starving," he said. While millions starve and famine is a reality in parts of Yemen and Ethiopia, nearly one-third of all food production is lost or wasted. The summit, in the works for more than a year, aims to take a fresh look at every aspect of food production to make it more environmentally friendly, safe, nutritious and accessible. It is also part of advancing the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, among which "zero hunger" is a top priority. Pandemic increases challenge "The COVID-19 pandemic has made this challenge much greater," Guterres said. "It has deepened inequalities, decimated economies [and] plunged millions into extreme poverty." The virus was also on the minds of the leaders who addressed the General Assembly Thursday particularly the African leaders, who made up a large portion of the day's speakers. Many appeared by video message because of the pandemic. "It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82% of the world's vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than 1% has gone to low-income countries," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a video address. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4% of Africa's population is fully vaccinated. "The hoarding and inequitable distribution with the resultant uneven vaccination patterns across the globe is not acceptable," Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a prerecorded message. "Vaccine nationalism is self-defeating and contrary to the mantra that 'no one is safe until everyone is safe.' Whether in the global North or South, rich or poor, old or young, all people of the world deserve access to vaccines." There was also concern about the trend toward coups in Africa. In the past year, military coups have taken place in Chad, Mali and Guinea. Sudan's military said it put down an attempted coup there just this week. In Tunisia, some argue that President Kais Saied essentially pulled off a coup, invoking emergency powers, firing the prime minister and suspending the parliament to consolidate his authority. Angolan President Joao Goncalves Lourenco said there has not been sufficient reaction from other countries to discourage these coups. "We consider it necessary that the international community act with resolve and does not simply issue statements of condemnation in order to force those actors to return power to the legitimately established institutions," he told the gathering. "We cannot continue to allow recent examples, such as those of Guinea and others, to succeed in Africa and other continents." In the Middle East, Iraqi President Barham Salih expressed concern about terrorism in his country and the wider region. "We cannot understate the danger posed by terrorism. If we become lax and distracted by regional conflicts, we will simply see the return of obscurantist forces that will threaten our people and our security," he said. "Cooperation and solidarity are our only choice in our fight against international terrorism and the groups that support it." Other speakers Thursday included Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Reconciliation Meanwhile, the opportunities provided this week for intensive diplomacy helped ease a rare rift in U.S.-French relations. French officials were outraged by a security pact made between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States earlier this month. Under the arrangement, Australia will receive at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, to be built in Australia using American technology. The agreement came as Australia pulled out of an earlier deal for French submarines worth tens of billions of dollars. A phone meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and an in-person meeting Thursday between their top diplomats on the margins of the General Assembly in New York appear to have gone a long way to calming Paris and rebuilding confidence. Some information in this report came from the Associated Press. Show more Show less U.S. authorities continue to deport Haitian migrants who have arrived by the thousands at the U.S.-Mexico border and are camping out under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas.Migrants from other countries also face deportation. For VOA, Alejandro Saldivar filed this report from Del Rio, narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smits. Camera: Cesar Contreras A House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed four advisers and associates to former President Donald Trump who were in contact with him before and during the attack. The panel subpoenaed former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, wrote to the four men that the committee is investigating "the facts, circumstances and causes" of the attack and asked them to produce documents and appear at depositions in mid-October. The subpoenas are a significant escalation for the panel, which is now launching the interview phase of the investigation after sorting through thousands of pages of documents the committee requested from federal agencies and social media companies. The goal is to provide a complete accounting of what went wrong when the Trump loyalists quickly overwhelmed police and interrupted the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election and to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. Thompson says in letters to each of the witnesses that investigators believe they have relevant information about the lead-up to the insurrection. In the case of Bannon, for instance, Democrats cite his January 5 prediction that "[a]ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow" and his communications with Trump one week before the riot in which he urged the president to focus his attention on January 6. The committee also cites Meadows' work to overturn Trump's defeat in the weeks prior to the insurrection and his pressure on state officials to push the former president's false claims of widespread voter fraud. In the letter to Meadows, Democrats say they have "credible evidence" of his involvement in events within the scope of the committee's investigation. That includes his communication with Trump on January 6 and his reported involvement in the "planning and preparation of efforts to contest the presidential election and delay the counting of electoral votes." Thompson also signaled that the committee is interested in Meadows' requests to Justice Department officials for investigations into potential election fraud. Former Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department did not find fraud that could have affected the election's outcome. The panel cites reports that Patel, a Trump loyalist who had recently been placed at the Pentagon, was talking to Meadows "nonstop" the day the attack unfolded. Scavino was with Trump on January 5 during a discussion about how to persuade members of Congress not to certify the election for Biden, according to reports cited by the committee. On Twitter, he promoted Trump's rally ahead of the attack and encouraged supporters to "be a part of history." The panel said its records indicate that Scavino was "tweeting messages from the White House" on January 6. Abdugheni Sabit has been closely watching the developments in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the government. Sabit is Uyghur, a member of the Muslim minority group from China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. As an exile living in the Netherlands, he has been fighting for the rights of Uyghurs since 2007. He has been following the Taliban's comments about other allegedly mistreated Muslim groups around the world. "The Taliban has been making statements for years about Muslim groups who were allegedly abused in the countries or regions by the state authorities," Sabit told VOA. "They raised their voice for Muslims in Palestine, Kashmir and other parts of the world and called the Islamic ummah [community] to rise up." The Taliban, however, have been silent on what human rights organizations have identified as the mistreatment of more than 12 million Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China, which shares a border with Afghanistan, Sabit said. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accuse the Chinese government of arbitrarily detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in internment camps, where people allegedly have been forced to denounce their religion of Islam, pledge allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party and endure other mistreatments such as forced labor and involuntary sterilization. China denies these accusations, saying those complexes are not internment camps but vocational education and training centers for the reeducation of people whose minds were poisoned by the "three forces of evil," namely "religious extremism, terrorism and separatism." Taliban-Uyghur relationship Many Central Asia scholars have been trying to understand the Taliban and its views of the Uyghurs. The Taliban are a multiethnic political movement, while Uyghurs are an ethnic group. Many Uyghurs live in China and share a belief system with the people of Afghanistan. When referring to the Taliban, "we generally use the term 'movement' because of how it originated. It was organic and kind of erupted from the south of the country, and then people joined it as it advanced," said Ibraheem Bahiss, a consultant on Afghanistan with the International Crisis Group, an anti-war advocacy group. "It's got its own ideology affiliation," he told VOA. "It's got various groups join[ing] it. So, it's a political entity, and it's not really an ethnic entity, per se." According to scholars of Islam and to Sabit, who considers himself a devout Muslim, in terms of faith, most of the Uyghurs in China and the people of Afghanistan belong to the Hanafi sect of Sunni Muslims, which creates the potential for historic, religious and cultural bonds between the two groups. Many Uyghurs, however, see the Taliban as an outlier. Most Uyghurs are highly liberal in how they understand and implement their Islamic beliefs, said Salih Hudayar, the Uyghur president and founder of the Washington-based East Turkistan National Awakening Movement. "Unlike the Taliban, Uyghurs hold women and children's rights, especially education, in high regards. Most Uyghurs are not sympathetic of the Taliban and view them as very extreme," Hudayar told VOA. "I personally view the Taliban as extremists as their implementation of religion is not compatible with the general teachings of Islam, and the Taliban has effectively politicized religion to undermine the very human rights of the Afghan people." The Taliban and China "If the Taliban speaks up for Uyghur Muslims in China, it might increase its reputation [globally]. But at the same time, the group is wary of losing China's support," Sabit told VOA. Experts say that when it comes to Muslim world issues, the Taliban are now more selective in picking their fights because they are no longer just a movement, but representatives of a country. The Taliban government is also trying to establish relations with China to solicit the resources Afghanistan needs. "China is one of the few countries that has the capacity and that has shown a willingness to work with the Taliban, provided they meet basic requirements around counterterrorism," Bahiss said. Uyghur militants in Afghanistan On September 9, the Chinese state paper Global Times asked Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen whether the Taliban would consider extraditing members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a Uyghur militant group, to China at the Beijing's request. "I know after the Doha [Qatar] agreement, many have left Afghanistan, because we categorically said that there is no place for anyone to use Afghanistan against other countries, including neighboring countries," Shaheen told the Global Times. According to a June U.N. report, the Turkestan Islamic Party, an insurgent group formed in Afghanistan by exiled Islamist Uyghurs from China which is also known by the widely accepted alias of ETIM has several hundred members. The U.N. designated ETIM as an international terrorist organization. The U.S. removed it from its terrorist list in November. "I don't imagine the Taliban will in the coming months, or perhaps even years, acquiesce to a request to deport people out of the country," Bahiss told VOA. "And that's because of the mentality within the movement because they do fear a backlash" from potential Uyghur sympathizers within the Taliban rank and file. But other experts look at the Taliban's actions in the past. The Taliban have never taken a clear stance on the fate of Uyghurs inside China, but they have cooperated with China regarding Uyghurs inside Afghanistan, said Sean Roberts, director of the International Development Studies Program at George Washington University and author of the book, The War on the Uyghurs. "Starting back in the late 1990s, the Chinese government sought the assistance of the Taliban to ensure that any Uyghurs in Afghanistan could not advocate for Uyghur independence or establish any sort of security threat to the People's Republic of China," Roberts told VOA. "And the Taliban appears to have done that and made sure that Uyghurs in Afghanistan in the late 1990s and early 2000s were unable to be a threat to the People's Republic of China or to really advocate for legal or political rights or human rights." Not all Uyghurs back militants Roberts said many Uyghurs reject the use of religion as a political tool in their struggle for human and political rights. "There's a lot of Uyghurs who, particularly since [the 9/11 attacks in the U.S.], have tried to communicate to the world that Uyghurs are not aligned with [religious] extremist groups," Roberts said. That is also the view of Abdugheni Sabit. "Even though Uyghurs are not religious radicals or extremists or did not create a religious political movement like the Taliban, after the U.S. war on terror, China has wrongfully been labeling us as religious extremists or terrorists who need to be civilized in camps," he said. A top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies has resolved criminal charges against her as part of a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that could pave the way for her to return to China. The deal with Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of the company's founder, was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn on Friday. It calls for the Justice Department to dismiss the case next December, or four years after her arrest, if she complies with certain conditions. The deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, resolves a yearslong legal and geopolitical tussle that involved not only the U.S. and China but also Canada, where Meng has remained since her arrest there in December 2018. Meng appeared via videoconference at Friday's hearing. The deal was reached as President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have sought to minimize signs of public tension, even as the world's two dominant economies are at odds on issues as diverse as cybersecurity, climate change, human rights, and trade and tariffs. A spokesperson for Huawei declined to comment, and a spokesman for the Justice Department in Washington did not respond to an email seeking comment. Charges unsealed in 2019 Under then-President Donald Trump, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges in 2019, just before a crucial two-day round of trade talks between the U.S. and China, that accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets. The charges also alleged that Meng had committed fraud by misleading banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. The indictment accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Meng fought the Justice Department's extradition request, and her lawyers called the case against her flawed. Last month, a Canadian judge didn't rule on whether Meng should be extradited to the U.S. after a Canadian Justice Department lawyer wrapped up his case saying there was enough evidence to show she was dishonest and deserved to stand trial in the U.S. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies, and some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms amid allegations of technology theft. The company represents China's progress in becoming a technological power and has been a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. It has repeatedly denied the U.S. government's allegations and the security concerns about its products. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said he welcomed Taiwan's application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact this week, citing shared democratic values with the island, which China claims as its own. Taiwan applied on Wednesday to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which Japan is chairing this year, less than a week after China. "We consider Taiwan a very important partner with which we share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights, and rule of law," Motegi told reporters this week during his visit to the United Nations in New York. While Motegi added that Taiwan's application would need to be scrutinized against the trade pact's strict standards, his comment stood in contrast to Japanese officials' more cautious reaction to China's application. Asked about China's chances of joining the trade pact, Finance Minister and deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed skepticism last week, citing strict rules pertaining to state-owned enterprises. The original 12-member agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was seen as an important economic counterweight to China's growing influence. China opposes Taiwan entering into any official treaty or organization as a sovereign nation. Kenyas Foreign Ministry says 89 Kenyans, most of them domestic workers, have died in Saudi Arabia in the past two years. Saudi authorities told their Kenyan counterparts that most of the deaths were from cardiac arrest. But abuse of foreign domestic workers has long been a problem in Saudi Arabia and the Kenyan ministry this week admitted that it never conducted independent investigations. Appearing before parliaments labor committee, foreign affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau said Thursday all the Kenyan deaths in Saudi Arabia over the last two years are suspicious. We have compared the deaths, so it's not possible that you have three deaths in Qatar, one in UAE, two in Kuwait, nine in Oman, two in Bahrain and you have 40-50 in the other country because the number may be larger but they are not that larger. Its not possible that these young people are all dying of cardiac arrest, Kamau said. Forty-one Kenyans died in Saudi Arabia in the last nine months, allegedly due to heart failure. Kamau blamed the Ministry of Labor for failing to do its job and protect Kenyan workers. With very little opportunity at home, many see working in Arab countries as a ticket out of poverty in a country where about 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Wachira Kabinga, a lawmaker and chair of the labor committee, said Kenyan laborers abroad need protection. This is priority number one for the work of this committee in the remaining period. If there are things that we would like to leave behind, is a proper and clear recommendation on what needs to be done in this particular area to ensure that our people are not living as slaves. Caroline Aluoch, 24, was among the 41 Kenyans who have died in Saudi Arabia this year. Aluoch signed an employment contract for two years as a domestic worker to earn tuition fees for the remaining two years of her education. Aluoch wanted to be a high school teacher. Her sister, Beryl Awuor, told VOA before her death, her sister feared for her life. The mother of two got the sad news on May 5. She was told her sister had committed suicide but did not buy it. They did the postmortem in Saudi Arabia, she said. We suspect they beat her before killing her. We saw scratches on her face, she also had a deep cut around her chest. She was stuck with something. Awour said her family never received an explanation for that cut. "Even the person who did the postmortem here did not explain it to us. I am still in the dark, she says. The family received Alouchs death certificate and her passport. At least 100,000 Kenyans work in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, most as domestic workers or doing other menial jobs. Amnesty International says workers in the Middle East often complain of a lack of payment for their work, forced labor, physical abuse, rape, and dangerous working conditions. Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia proclaimed Friday a shared commitment to safeguarding democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, leaving unspoken their common concern about China's growing power. The leaders from the group of four countries, known as "the Quad," met at the White House, marking the first time U.S. President Joe Biden has held an in-person summit during his presidency. "We're four major democracies with a long history of cooperation. We know how to get things done and we are up to the challenge," Biden said alongside his fellow leaders: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. While the four did not directly mention China in their public remarks, Beijing had been expected to be a large focus of their private meeting. Suga said the meeting showed an "unwavering commitment" among the four countries to a "free and open Indo-Pacific." Morrison said, "We believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific, because we know that's what delivers a strong, stable and prosperous region." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian appeared to criticize the Quad in comments to reporters earlier Friday in Beijing. "A closed, exclusive clique targeting other countries runs counter to the trend of the times and the aspirations of regional countries. It will find no support and is doomed to fail," he said. Following the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting, Biden had a one-on-one meeting with Suga, who is soon to step down from his post. Biden, Modi Ahead of the meeting, Biden held talks with Modi, who told reporters that under Biden's leadership "the seeds have been sown for the Indo-U.S. relations to expand, and for all democratic countries in the world, this is going to be a transformative period." Biden said he predicted in 2006 that India and the U.S. would be the closest countries in the world. He said the U.S.-India relationship "is destined to be stronger, closer and tighter, and I believe it can benefit the whole world." The Quad leaders, who met virtually in March, had been expected to discuss cooperation on a range of topics Friday. A White House statement from press secretary Jen Psaki said those topics would include "combating COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific." China has been steadily building military outposts in the Pacific region and using them to back claims to sovereignty over vital sea lanes. The Washington meeting comes in the wake of a recently announced agreement among the U.S., Britain and Australia to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The deal angered France by undercutting a deal it had to sell Australia diesel submarines. France recalled its ambassadors from both the U.S. and Australia in protest. China condemned the deal, calling it damaging to regional peace. The Quad meeting also comes amid stronger talk by the U.S. and its allies in support of Taiwan, which China views as a rogue province, and a renewed effort by the European Union to enhance its naval presence in the region. After collapsing in 2008, the Quad was reestablished in 2017. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters. The fluctuating severity of the pandemic and ever-changing public health pronouncements have left North Carolina with a patchwork of masking requirements, mirroring much of the United States. Some residents embrace the mandates, others do not. "I personally feel like it affects my breathing," said Mackenzie Gilley when asked about mask-wearing. Gilley, 26, a leasing agent in a Charlotte high-rise apartment complex, said masks impede her work. "I have a job that's always been on the front lines in property management, where it's very difficult to talk to people and relate to people wearing the mask all day," Gilley told VOA. In May of this year, as vaccination rates increased and COVID-19 cases plunged, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper lifted a statewide mask mandate that had been in effect for nearly a year. In August, amid a surge of COVID-19 cases triggered by the delta variant, the city of Charlotte reimposed a mandate that masks be worn "in any indoor public place, business, or establishment" regardless of a person's vaccination status. The Aug. 18 citywide mandate was followed by a similar order for surrounding Mecklenburg County, population 1.1 million, where average daily infection rates topped 500. The trend of rising infections appears to have reversed in recent weeks, but area residents are nevertheless compelled to embrace a public health measure some find cumbersome, and many had hoped were a thing of the past. Others applauded Charlotte for requiring masks indoors. "Personally, I was very happy about the mask mandate," medical student Kirthi Reddy, 23, told VOA. "I think this is a great step to try and control the virus the best we can." Reddy, who is aiming for placement as a medical resident, added, "COVID is something that is rapidly spreading and mutating, so I think it's very important. If we don't (mask up), the virus will only mutate and spread even more." Gilley urged a case-by-case basis for face coverings. "I think it should be up to the (individual) business whether or not they want to enforce it," she said. "It has just gone on for way too long." Health care professionals like pediatric nurse Zoe Morgan warned against apathy in preventing virus transmission. "I think the new mask mandate since the delta variant is very necessary," she said, adding that, even with rising vaccination rates, people shouldn't lose diligence in protecting themselves. "I think everyone getting vaccinated and the numbers of vaccinated (people) increasing is wonderful," Morgan said. "However, the delta variant is just that, it's a variant. This proves that we can still catch the virus, spread it, even if we are vaccinated." Morgan described how a few weeks ago, amid aggressive spread of the delta variant, her entire hospital unit suspended operations when several staffers contracted the virus, forcing her and her colleagues into quarantine. The unit resumed admitting patients this week. Morgan believes people went about their lives with a false sense of security as the delta variant spread. "I think this has to do with the delta variant, and people feeling reassured since everyone was getting vaccinated, the numbers were going down, and employees were admittedly less strict and probably not as diligent as they should have been with masks," she said. Enforcing the mandate Authorities in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are relying on the public to comply with mask mandates rather than strict enforcement. As of the beginning of the week, the local police department reported it had issued zero citations for failing to wear a mask since the renewed orders went into effect. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) "has worked to reach voluntary cooperation with each member of the community through education and conversations," Public Information Officer Thomas Hildebrand told VOA, saying officers have focused on communication and outreach to the community. "Our efforts are prompted through a complaint-driven approach," he said. "This has been the CMPD's approach to consistent enforcement of the mandate, and it will remain so until the mandate is rescinded." Some see voluntary enforcement as no enforcement. "I think the overall mask mandate should be enforced a little more," said Tamia Wately. The 21-year-old works at an arcade park and said that mask-wearing is not strictly enforced in her workplace. She indicated she would welcome more coercive means to force compliance. "It would definitely make a difference. I think many companies would start enforcing it more," she said, adding that, to the extent she can make arcade visitors don masks, "I try to do my best." Morgan said business owners should do their part. "I think everyone should just kind of be, in essence, a team player and wear their masks," she said. No date has been set for ending mask mandates in the Charlotte area. Local officials told VOA any decision will be made in consultation with Mecklenburg County's health department. Meanwhile, the city is incentivizing municipal employees to get vaccinated, offering a $250 pay bonus to those who provide proof of vaccination by Sept. 30. An additional bonus has been promised if the municipal workforce reaches a 75% inoculation rate. As of Sept. 1, about 62% of Charlotte city employees were vaccinated. For Mecklenburg County as a whole, about 54% of the population, or just over 600,000 people, were fully vaccinated as of Sept. 16. Namibian activists and opposition members stormed parliament this week over a deal with Germany to atone for a colonial genocide more than a century ago. Opposition lawmakers also called for a renegotiation of the deal, in which Germany has agreed to fund about $1.3 billion in development projects over 30 years to redress land taken and tens of thousands killed from 1904 to 1908. Critics said the amount was insufficient. Activist Sima Luipert vowed legal action if the Namibian parliament approved a bill accepting the deal. She said the deal, which the Namibian and German governments reached in May, violated the participation and informed consent rights of the ethnic Ovaherero and Nama peoples. Hundreds gather Luipert was one of about 300 protesters at the Namibian parliament Tuesday objecting to the bill. Some in the group jumped over gates to voice their opposition. The Landless Peoples Movement, which led the protest, said it wanted to ensure opposition to the bill was heard. Group spokesman Eneas Emvula said, "Part of the people that walked this long journey to parliament, from Katutura, alongside Independence Avenue, are actually members of parliament and leaders of the opposition political parties within parliament. Namibian Vice President Nangolo Mbumba said everyone has a right to protest. But he also underscored that opponents of the deal who wanted direct compensation would not get it. People thought because this is a genocide negotiation issue, the descendants of those communities, the victims, they would now be compensated individually," Mbumba said. "The Jewish people were being compensated as survivors; so are the Mau Maus. We are talking after 117 years, if you count from 1904. It is four generations already. Supporters say the agreement, which took years to negotiate, is acceptable for an atrocity committed by a Germany that existed before World War I. Police in Nigeria say they have arrested three men in connection with the July abduction of more than 100 students in northern Kaduna state. Gunmen took the students from Bethel Baptist High School, part of a wave of kidnappings for ransom that have shaken communities across the north. Nigerian national police spokesperson Frank Mba announced the arrests on Thursday as the three suspects were paraded before reporters in the capital, Abuja. Mba didn't disclose where the men were picked up, but said they are part of a larger 25-member gang that seized the 121 students on July 5. About 100 of the students have since been freed, and police say operatives of Nigeria's special tactical squad are in pursuit of other members of the gang. One of the kidnappers told reporters he was paid about $40 for the operation. But Darlington Abdullahi, a security analyst and retired air force officer, says the kidnappings are far more lucrative. "They're forced to kidnap for survival, obtain ransoms," he said. "Strangely enough, they have found out that they even make more money from the kidnapping." For the past year, armed gangs have been seizing students from schools in northwest and central Nigeria and squeezing thousands of dollars in ransom from their families. About 1,200 students have been taken since December of last year. The mass kidnappings have led to sudden school closures across the affected states, mostly Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara. This month, Kaduna state authorities ordered the reopening of schools after shutting down for two months. Authorities promised more security at schools to prevent further attacks.But Abdullahi says he still has concerns. "The kidnapping in parts of the north central, northwest and so on will continue until we're able to adequately take care of the border areas through which they come in. ... Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, that is the ones that come in through Benin republic," he said. Last month, bandits released more than 90 pupils abducted from an Islamic seminary in central Niger state after three months in captivity. The pupils are the youngest to be kidnapped by bandits in Nigeria. I love Turkey but I can see its relationship with China getting stronger all the time. Turkeys foreign minister said it would be wrong and unfair to say its a deal for the extradition of Uyghurs. [If Turkey also ratifies the treaty, it could] violate the right to life for many or all of our clients. No Uyghur people have been deported as far as we know, but they will get arrested and held for up to 12 months if China tells Turkey they are a terrorist or a criminal. In late 2020, China ratified an extradition treaty with Turkey. Uyghurs searching for family members imprisoned in China and discussing it on the news or social media face problems. But in the past few years, this dynamic has begun to change as Turkeys economic ties with China deepen. Our language is similar and we have the same religion. The Turkish people are very positive about the Uyghur people. Turkey has long been one of the safer places for Uyghurs to flee to. Human rights lawyers say less powerful countries feel obligated to deport Uyghurs at Chinas urging. He then went to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos He met some friends from Yunnan province. Together they walked for 24 hours to Vietnam. Adel was smuggled out from Xinjiang to a neighboring province. When my sentence was over I left the prison. But I was arrested two more times for contacting old friends, so I fled the country. For almost a month I had to spend more than 10 hours a day bent over with a 25 kilo brick hanging from my neck. I fell down 5-8 steps in the prison yard. They dragged me into the hallway to the large prison door. My friends were too scared to wake me. One night I started reciting [the Islamic call to prayer] in my sleep. Chinese prisoners would report Uyghurs for doing anything that appeared religious. Chinese prisoners would report Uyghurs for doing anything that appeared religious. There we slept 30 to a room, with one open toilet that was cleaned out every two or three days. After three years I was sent to another prison in Urumqi. If someone needed to go more than once in the day they went in the room so the air was toxic. When they took us out to use the bathroom they chained us together. For the first three months in prison we were packed into a cold room with no blankets. They said I was part of a violent separatist group and took me to prison in Kashgar. I was arrested in the airport as I was boarding the plane and sentenced to 14 years in prison. I hid out for three days and then went to Beijing to get a [fake] passport to flee to Turkmenistan. Authorities broke up the protests and hundreds of people were arrested, injured, or killed. We wanted to be nationalists. We wanted to celebrate our Islamic holidays. Protesters later circulated pictures of frostbitten fingers and toes. People's clothing froze. I saw people die on the streets. Adel says helicopters dropped liquid on the protesters. In 1997 there were protests in Ghulja. For three days we were on the streets. Before it was prisons, now there are camps. China says the camps are lifting people out of poverty. About one million Uyghurs are currently believed to be held in Chinese re-education camps, where the U.S. accuses China of committing crimes against humanity including torture and forced labor. In recent years China has ramped up its crackdown on separatists and activists in Xinjiang. In the 1990s, separatist movements there grew after the Soviet Union fell and independent Central Asian Muslim-majority countries emerged. With the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinjiang came under communist control, after decades of turbulence and outside interference. Officially, the region is called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is part of China. Adel Abdulghufor is a Uyghur Muslim from Kashgar, in what he calls the country of East Turkestan. She taught me our true history. What she definitely was, was educated and not a Communist. They said she was an enemy of the state. When I was a child my mother was often dragged out of the house with her hands tied. I love Turkey but I can see its relationship with China getting stronger all the time. Turkeys foreign minister said it would be wrong and unfair to say its a deal for the extradition of Uyghurs. [If Turkey also ratifies the treaty, it could] violate the right to life for many or all of our clients. No Uyghur people have been deported as far as we know, but they will get arrested and held for up to 12 months if China tells Turkey they are a terrorist or a criminal. In late 2020, China ratified an extradition treaty with Turkey. Uyghurs searching for family members imprisoned in China and discussing it on the news or social media face problems. But in the past few years, this dynamic has begun to change as Turkeys economic ties with China deepen. Our language is similar and we have the same religion. The Turkish people are very positive about the Uyghur people. Turkey has long been one of the safer places for Uyghurs to flee to. Human rights lawyers say less powerful countries feel obligated to deport Uyghurs at Chinas urging. He then went to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos He met some friends from Yunnan province. Together they walked for 24 hours to Vietnam. Adel was smuggled out from Xinjiang to a neighboring province. When my sentence was over I left the prison. But I was arrested two more times for contacting old friends, so I fled the country. For almost a month I had to spend more than 10 hours a day bent over with a 25 kilo brick hanging from my neck. I fell down 5-8 steps in the prison yard. They dragged me into the hallway to the large prison door. Two Chinese prisoners yanked me out of the bed by my legs. My friends were too scared to wake me. One night I started reciting [the Islamic call to prayer] in my sleep. A common punishment was to have your head pushed into the toilet. Chinese prisoners would report Uyghurs for doing anything that appeared religious. After three years I was sent to another prison in Urumqi. There we slept 30 to a room, with one open toilet that was cleaned out every two or three days. If someone needed to go more than once in the day they went in the room so the air was toxic. When they took us out to use the bathroom they chained us together. For the first three months in prison we were packed into a cold room with no blankets. They said I was part of a violent separatist group and took me to prison in Kashgar. I was arrested in the airport as I was boarding the plane and sentenced to 14 years in prison. I hid out for three days and then went to Beijing to get a [fake] passport to flee to Turkmenistan. Authorities broke up the protests and hundreds of people were arrested, injured, or killed. We wanted to be nationalists. We wanted to celebrate our Islamic holidays. Protesters later circulated pictures of frostbitten fingers and toes. People's clothing froze. I saw people die on the streets. Adel says helicopters dropped liquid on the protesters. In 1997 there were protests in Ghulja. For three days we were on the streets. Before it was prisons, now there are camps. China says the camps are lifting people out of poverty. About one million Uyghurs are currently believed to be held in Chinese re-education camps, where the U.S. accuses China of committing crimes against humanity including torture and forced labor. In recent years China has ramped up its crackdown on separatists and activists in Xinjiang. In the 1990s, separatist movements there grew after the Soviet Union fell and independent Central Asian Muslim-majority countries emerged. With the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinjiang came under communist control, after decades of turbulence and outside interference. Officially, the region is called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is part of China. Adel Abdulghufor is a Uyghur Muslim from Kashgar, in what he calls the country of East Turkestan. She taught me our true history. What she definitely was, was educated and not a Communist. They said she was an enemy of the state. When I was a child my mother was often dragged out of the house with her hands tied. When I was a child my mother was often dragged out of the house with her hands tied. They said she was an enemy of the state. What she definitely was, was educated and not a Communist. She taught me our true history. Adel Abdulghufor is a Uyghur Muslim from Kashgar, in what he calls the country of East Turkestan. Mongolia Urumqi Xinjiang Kashgar Beijing China Officially, the region is called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is part of China. India With the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xinjiang came under communist control, after decades of turbulence and outside interference. In the 1990s, separatist movements there grew after the Soviet Union fell and independent Central Asian Muslim-majority countries emerged. Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikstan In recent years China has ramped up its crackdown on separatists and activists in Xinjiang. About one million Uyghurs are currently believed to be held in Chinese re-education camps, where the U.S. accuses China of committing crimes against humanity including torture and forced labor. China says the camps are lifting people out of poverty. Before it was prisons, now there are camps. Its the same. In 1997 there were protests in Ghulja. For three days we were on the streets. Adel says helicopters dropped liquid on the protesters. People's clothing froze. I saw people die on the streets. Protesters later circulated pictures of frostbitten fingers and toes. We wanted to be nationalists. We wanted to celebrate our Islamic holidays. Human rights groups call this day the Ghulja Incident. Authorities broke up the protests and hundreds of people were arrested, injured, or killed. Thousands more arrests followed. I hid out for three days and then went to Beijing to get a [fake] passport to flee to Turkmenistan. I was arrested in the airport as I was boarding the plane and sentenced to 14 years in prison. They said I was part of a violent separatist group and took me to prison in Kashgar. For the first three months in prison we were packed into a cold room with no blankets. When they took us out to use the bathroom they chained us together. If someone needed to go more than once in the day they went in the room so the air was toxic. After three years I was sent to another prison in Urumqi. There we slept 30 to a room, with one open toilet that was cleaned out every two or three days. A common punishment was to have your head pushed into the toilet. Chinese prisoners would report Uyghurs for doing anything that appeared religious. One night I started reciting [the Islamic call to prayer] in my sleep. My friends were too scared to wake me. Two Chinese prisoners yanked me out of the bed by my legs. They dragged me into the hallway to the large prison door. I fell down 5-8 steps in the prison yard. * For almost a month I had to spend more than 10 hours a day bent over with a 25 kilo brick hanging from my neck. When my sentence was over I left the prison. But I was arrested two more times for contacting old friends, so I fled the country. MONGOLIA XINJIANG Adel was smuggled out from Xinjiang to a neighboring province. To cross the border, he got out of the car two kilometers away and began to walk. CHINA He met some friends from Yunnan province. They gave him clothes, and they walked for 24 hours through forests to Vietnam. He then went to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and finally Turkey in 2014. Turkey has long been one of the safer places for Uyghurs to flee to. Human rights lawyers say less powerful countries feel obligated to deport Uyghurs at Chinas urging. The Turkish people are very positive about the Uyghur people. Our language is similar and we have the same religion. says Ibrahim Ergin, a refugee lawyer. But in the past few years, this dynamic has begun to change as Turkeys economic ties with China deepen. Uyghurs searching for family members imprisoned in China and discussing it on the news or social media face problems. In late 2020, China ratified an extradition treaty with Turkey. No Uyghur people have been deported as far as we know, but they will get arrested and held for up to 12 months if China tells Turkey they are a terrorist or a criminal. [If Turkey also ratifies the treaty, it could] violate the right to life for many or all of our clients. Turkeys foreign minister said it would be wrong and unfair to say its a deal for the extradition of Uyghurs. I love Turkey but I can see its relationship with China getting stronger all the time. North Korean officials this week issued conflicting statements reacting to a South Korean reiteration of its call to formally end the Korean War. South Korean President Moon Jae-in this week renewed his longstanding call for a formal declaration to end the war, a symbolic declaration aimed at spurring progress in stalled talks with North Korea. In a state media editorial Thursday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song called an end of war declaration premature while the United States maintains its hostile policy toward Pyongyang. Specifically, he cited the presence of U.S. troops and military hardware not only in South Korea but also the wider region. North Korea changed its tone hours later with a statement by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim, the sister, who has taken a bigger role in inter-Korean relations in recent years, called the end of war proclamation an interesting and admirable idea, even proposing eventual talks with South Korea on the issue. Exploiting divisions Although the earlier North Korean statement essentially demanded the removal of the U.S. military from East Asia a seemingly impossible request Kim Yo Jongs subsequent comments set the bar much lower, only demanding Seoul change its rhetoric toward the North. The apparently contradictory statements reveal a broader strategy by North Korea, which has long tried to drive a wedge and exploit disagreements between Seoul and Washington, Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said. Ultimately it is about calling the U.S.'s attention to the North, and leveraging the Moon administration, which desperately wants to restart talks with North Korea before Moons single term in office expires next year, Go said. This is a clever and lower-risk option than testing long range ballistic missiles, he added. Source of friction? The possibility of an end-of-war declaration has long been the source of disagreement between the United States and South Korea, though mostly under the surface. U.S. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby this week said the U.S. is open to discussing the possibility of an end-of-war declaration. Thursday, though, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Mark Lambert, acknowledged U.S. reluctance to issue such a declaration. "Our concern is that we not give a false narrative to the North, that in any way, shape, or form would jeopardize our troop presence in South Korea or the R.O.K.-U.S. alliance, Lambert told an online forum, using the abbreviation for South Koreas official name. Gaining traction South Korean administrations have occasionally called for steps toward formally ending the war, either by declaring an end of hostilities or by negotiating a peace treaty. The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953. It ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Since then, the United States has maintained a significant troop presence in the South; it now has about 28,500 troops there. Supporters say such a declaration could help build trust with North Korea. Detractors say, at best, it would only be a formality, and, at worst, could undermine the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which has ensured the status quo on the Korean Peninsula for seven decades. The idea has gained traction in recent years, even in some unexpected quarters. Vincent Brooks, the former top U.S. general in South Korea, has raised the possibility of declaring an end to hostilities as the first step toward establishing a normal international relationship with North Korea. The alliance can take some risk by granting that, in my opinion, Brooks said at an online event earlier this month. Stalled talks Many experts predicted an end of war declaration would be announced at the 2019 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Instead, the meeting ended abruptly when the U.S. refused a North Korean offer of partial denuclearization in exchange for a significant lifting of U.S. sanctions. Broader U.S.-North Korea negotiations collapsed later that year. Since then, North Korea has refused to talk with the United States, despite repeated offers from the administration of President Joe Biden. "We've reached out directly to Pyongyang to initiate dialogue, and we will go anywhere to talk with them there are no strings attached. But unfortunately, they have not responded to date, Lambert said Thursday. The Biden administration has repeatedly said it will employ a calibrated, practical approach to diplomacy with the North, suggesting it is open to smaller deals that would establish trust between the two sides. We could talk about a few things in exchange for a few things, or a lot of things in exchange for a lot of things. But in order to have that conversation, you've got to have that conversation. And we're just not having that, Lambert said. It's just frustrating that we're hearing nothing when we make overtures, he added. Some analysts have questioned whether the Biden administration is proactive enough in pursuing talks with Pyongyang. The U.S., they argue, appears to be returning to an Obama-era policy of strategic patience," which gradually applied pressure on North Korea in hopes it would eventually return to negotiations. Lambert dismissed those criticisms Thursday, saying the U.S. is serious about talks. It's just what would you have us do? Catapult [U.S. nuclear envoy] Sung [Kim] into North Korea and say, I'm here to negotiate? he said. You can't do that. You've got to have the other side willing to meet with you." US, South Korea still united It is not clear North Korea will succeed in exploiting disagreements in the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Although Moon has repeatedly called for steps, such as the end-of-war declaration or reestablishment of inter-Korean economic projects, he has been reluctant to make any moves without U.S. support. Lambert essentially acknowledged as much Thursday. Even though the U.S. and South Korea disagree on tactics, Lambert said he does not believe the two allies will go in radically different ways. I think that would be a concern if South Korea were trying to implement its own foreign policy towards North Korea and the United States was doing its own foreign policy we're doing this in concert, he said. Late last month, Muhammad Iqbal Mengal traveled from Pakistan to Afghanistan to report on the Taliban takeover. But just a few days after arriving in Kabul, the journalist and his colleague were detained. Members of the Taliban held Mengal and photojournalist Shehzad Ahmed for more than 10 days. The pair, who work for the Pakistani broadcaster 92 News, were released after the Pakistan embassy and journalism organizations intervened. In an interview with VOAs Urdu Service, Mengal described how Taliban fighters tied him and Ahmed up, before blindfolding and questioning them. They kept asking if we are spies and where did we come from? Mengal said. Mengal said that when they entered Afghanistan it was not possible to get a visa from government officials, but he spoke with a Taliban official who said the journalist could come to the country and that the Taliban would give him a permit. The journalists, who are based in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan in Pakistan, arrived in the Afghan border area of Spin Boldak on August 18three days after the Taliban took control of the countrys capital. I wanted to cover the ground realities. I wanted the world to know whats happening on the ground in Afghanistan and speak to [local] people, Mengal said. He and Ahmed reported from Kandahar and Herat before heading to Kabul. On August 28, the journalists were reporting on the aftermath of the suicide bombing at Kabul airport. But when they tried to visit the emergency room of a city hospital, members of the Taliban blocked them. They said, we can't enter the hospital or cover the outside scenes because upper leadership doesn't allow it, he said. The journalists left the hospital but Mengal said they got lost and so approached a Taliban checkpoint for help. Mengal said the Taliban fighters asked the journalists to come to a nearby office. But, he said, They found us suspicious and took our mobile phones away. They started to search us and found Pakistani ID cards on us which made them more suspicious. After that, the journalists had their hands tied, were blindfolded and taken away for investigation. At least 14 journalists have been detained briefly by the Taliban since August 15, according to media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists. Some of those detained said they were beaten. The arrests have cast doubt on Taliban promises that media will be allowed to operate freely, CPJs Asia program coordinator Steven Butler said in a statement. We urge the Taliban to live up to those earlier promises, to stop beating and detaining reporters doing their job, and allow the media to work freely without fear of reprisal, Butler said. A Taliban spokesperson has said the beatings will be investigated. Many of the arrests took place as media covered protests by women calling for their rights to be protected. The spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has also called on Taliban to allow Afghans to exercise their rights. In a September 10 statement, the spokesperson called on the group to immediately cease the use of force toward, and the arbitrary detention of, those exercising their right to peaceful assembly and the journalists covering the protests. Mengal and Ahmed of 92 News were finally released on September 9 without charge. Our [news] channel, friends, and family even the embassy in Kabul and journalist organizations, all came together to help us and that's how we got rescued, Mengal said. This story originated in VOAs Urdu Service. Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include more detail on how the journalists entered Afghanistan. Peruvian authorities on Thursday said they had decided to cremate the body of Abimael Guzman, the founder of the Shining Path rebel group that killed tens of thousands of people in the 1980s and 1990s, and spread his ashes in an undisclosed location. The cremation would end more than a week of controversy over what to do with the body of one of Peru's most reviled figures. Guzman, 86, died September 11 from an infection while serving a life sentence in prison for terrorism. Guzman's widow, Elena Iparraguirre, a former Shining Path leader who is also imprisoned, had sought to cremate the body but keep the ashes, a lawyer told Reuters last week. The lawyer, Sebastian Chavez Sifuentes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Authorities chose to scatter Guzman's ashes, not wanting a gravesite to become a rallying point for supporters. The cremation was made possible by a new law, passed on September 16, that allows Peruvian authorities to cremate and dispose of the ashes of those who die after being convicted of terrorism. Peru's attorney general said in a statement announcing the decision that Guzman's ashes would be disposed of within 24 hours. Guzman was a former philosophy professor and lifelong Marxist whose Maoist Shining Path group launched a bloody war in 1980 in Ayacucho, an impoverished Andean region, in an attempt to topple the Peruvian state. The government responded by sending the military to Ayacucho, where officers often struggled to distinguish between peasants and militants. The result left about 70,000 Peruvians dead, according to a government commission. Over half were killed by the Shining Path, and a third were killed by government forces. Almost half of them were indigenous citizens from Ayacucho. Guzman was captured in a middle-class neighborhood of Lima in 1992 and had been imprisoned since. Poland's broadcasting regulators extended the license of Discovery Inc.-owned TVN24 at the last moment Wednesday but also adopted a resolution to pressure the American company to sell its majority stake in the TV news channel, which airs coverage that is critical of Poland's government. The National Broadcasting Council, known by the Polish acronym KRRiT, had delayed the renewal of TVN24's license for almost two years. The independent television channel is watched by millions of people daily in Poland. Its current license expires on Sunday. Discovery said the news of the extensions was "bittersweet" because it showed there has been no reason to delay or deny the extension renewal. It said in a statement that the regulator's resolution is a reason for concern and "undermines the democratic legislative process itself." "The rule of law, freedom of the press and stability for foreign investments are still very much at risk" in Poland, Discovery said. Poland's governing Law and Justice party has at times denounced the TVN24 channel. It is also trying to push a law through parliament to ban non-European ownership of broadcasters, a move viewed as an effort to curb media freedom in Poland. However, the party cannot be sure of winning enough votes for the law. Before extending TVN24's license, the council unanimously adopted a resolution stating that says owners from outside Europe cannot hold more than a 49% stake in radio or TV stations in Poland. The resolution is seen as a step intended to force Discovery to sell majority of its stake in TVN24 and its sister channels in Poland, without the need for the controversial law to be adopted. The leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has repeatedly said he wants Poland's media to be controlled by Polish owners. Since it came to power in 2015, the party has turned state-owned station TVP into its mouthpiece. Images of U.S. Border Patrol agents pursuing Haitian migrants on horseback to prevent thousands of asylum seekers from entering the U.S. have sparked widespread condemnation. But human rights advocates say the mistreatment of Haitian migrants is nothing new and that the recent incident at the U.S.-Mexico border is just the latest example of discrimination Haitians face as they seek safety in the United States. The Biden administration should actively confront and address the history of systemic racism in U.S. immigration enforcement, and urgently overhaul racially discriminatory policies, said Alison Parker, managing director of Human Rights Watchs U.S. Program, in an email to VOA. Testifying before Congress this week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas promised a swift investigation of the tactics Border Patrol agents deployed against Haitian migrants. "DHS does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody and we take these allegations very seriously, the department said in a statement. We are committed to processing migrants in a safe, orderly, and humane way. We can and must do this in a way that ensures the safety and dignity of migrants." For more than a year, migrants of all nationalities have been turned back at the U.S. border under a federal health code, Title 42, that precludes them from filing asylum claims during the coronavirus pandemic. Implemented by the former Trump administration, Title 42 has been retained by the Biden administration with exemptions for unaccompanied minors and some families with very young children. While U.S. authorities have used Title 42 to expel thousands of Haitian migrants encamped on the banks of the Rio Grande near an international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, immigrant rights advocates say rapid mass expulsions of Haitians long predate the pandemic. Immediate expulsions During the Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier regimes, which lasted more than two decades and ended in 1986, hundreds of thousands fled Haiti. And through the years, immigration watchers say, the U.S. government under successive administrations created policies that blocked, expelled and deported Haitians. The Haitian Bridge Alliance and Human Rights First said that in 1978, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) established a program to expel Haitian asylum applicants as rapidly as possible, resulting in more than 4,000 Haitians being removed from the U.S. Yet, Haitian asylum seekers continued to come to the United States. Between 1981 and 1991, about 25,000 Haitians were interdicted at sea and many returned to Haiti without being screened for asylum relief. More than a decade later, under the Obama administration, the government adopted the policy of metering, a practice that limited the number of migrants entering U.S. territory, and immediately turned back asylum seekers at ports of entry. The method was solidified under the Trump administration, which eventually adopted a policy called Migrant Protection Policy (MPP), which required asylum-seekers to await their proceedings in Mexico, often in the countrys dangerous northern border cities. Relying on a health code Immigrant advocates have sued the U.S. government over the use of Title 42, and a federal judge earlier this month ordered a halt to the expulsion of migrant families. The Biden administration is appealing the decision, which would go into effect Sept. 30. In the meantime, U.S. immigration officials are continuing the repatriation flights. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that since Sunday, 1,949 Haitian nationals had been returned to Haiti on 17 flights. According to the DHS, 3,100 migrants remained in the Del Rio sector and 3,901 Haitian nationals had been moved from the Del Rio camp to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody or to other sectors of the United States border to either be expelled via Title 42 or placed into removal proceedings. Officials also said they believe "several thousand" Haitian migrants crossed back to Mexico. At one point, there were 15,000 people at the camp, two-thirds of them parents and children traveling as families. A DHS spokesperson told VOA repatriation flights will continue on a regular basis and migrants who cannot be expelled under Title 42 or do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. are being placed in expedited or full removal proceedings. Individuals who are not immediately repatriated are either placed in Alternatives to Detention, detained in an ICE facility, or released with a legal document (either a Notice to Appear in court or a notice to report to an ICE office for further immigration processing), the spokesperson said. Denise Bell, researcher for refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, said the U.S. is flouting not only international human rights standards and international treaties, but also our own law. And that's what's so shocking and disgraceful, Bell said. Bell sees the low rate of asylum case approvals for Haitian migrants as symptomatic of systemic racism that immigrants of color, especially Black immigrants, face generally in U.S. society. And if we look at the rates of approval, particularly for people from Haiti, for example, they're just not given the same equitable fair access to asylum as other people because their claims are summarily not considered eligible instead of actually probing to see if they would meet a standard, she said. DHS did not respond to repeated VOA requests for comment. However, while historically rejecting many migrants at sea and on land, the United States has given more than 50,000 Haitians Temporary Protected Status, a designation that allows individuals from nations suffering armed conflict or natural disasters to live and work in the United States for a limited period of time. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University, so far in fiscal year 2021, 10,721 Haitian nationals have been put into the deportation process in the immigration court system, a significant spike over last years number of 4,537. Horses and migrants Responding to the firestorm created by the actions of mounted Border Patrol agents, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday the U.S. government is working with the International Organization on Migration to ensure that returning migrants are met at Haitian airports and provided immediate assistance. Psaki said President Joe Biden has been horrified by the photos of the border patrol officers on horseback and added they have taken very specific action and launched an investigation. On Thursday, DHS suspended the use of horse patrols in Del Rio, Texas. Somalias National Theater in Mogadishu held a landmark event Wednesday night, screening movies for the first time in three decades. The theater was recently renovated and reopened after being destroyed twice once in Somalias civil war, and then again in a 2012 suicide bombing. More than 1,500 people attended the screenings. The two films, Hoos, meaning shadow in Somali, and the other, Date of Hell, were screened in the Chinese-built theater constructed in 1967. Starring Egypt-based actor Kaifa Jama, the short films depict some of the challenges faced by young Somalis brought up outside the country and who are not familiar with Somali and Islamic culture. Jama said the films were produced in Cairo with no resources and largely on volunteers among her peers, with no payment for actors and actresses. She said the producers convinced hotels and hospitals to let them film on their grounds in exchange for advertisements in order to avoid extra costs. The theater also used volunteers for its reconstruction, which was overseen by the government. The building was completely destroyed during Somalias civil war in the early 1990s. It was rebuilt in 2012, only to be ruined again at its reopening after being targeted by an al-Shabab suicide bomber. Then-Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali survived the explosion, but dozens of others died. For this renovation, workers installed some 1,500 new seats. The theater officially reopened last year and has hosted graduation ceremonies for local schools. According to organizers, more than 1,000 tickets were sold for Wednesday nights screenings. Among the participants was Ilham Mohamud. The moviegoer said she was very happy and excited to be at the national theater for the first time in her life. She said she felt patriotic regarding the progress that is continuously made in her country. Information and Culture Minister Osman Dube said the theater will host more events in coming weeks. He said the theater is expected to showcase films, plays, poetry, book fairs and comedy that reflect Islamic and Somali culture. Britain is gradually easing COVID-19 travel restrictions among African countries on its so-called red list at highest risk of spreading coronavirus. However, South Africa remains on the list, despite a decline in infections. The status is taking a toll on South African tourism and people wanting to visit their families in Britain. Lynne Philip hasnt seen her son and two grandchildren, who live in England, in four years. The 70-year-old Johannesburg resident had a flight booked to visit them last year when the pandemic struck, canceling all travel. Now, shes fully vaccinated with two Pfizer shots and desperate to go. But Philip says Britains red list designation for South Africa is making it impossible. I can't afford to go into quarantine there. Timewise it's going to be a problem. It cuts too much into your travel, into your visiting time. We do speak on Zoom, but it's not the same. I just would like to be able to see my family, she said. Philip is not alone. Over 29,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling on British lawmakers to ease travel restrictions for South Africans with many describing anguish over family separation. The UK Embassy in South Africa reiterated the decision this week, saying it remains concerned about the presence of the beta variant and its potential ability to circumvent vaccines. But Dr. Michelle Groome, with South Africas National Institute for Communicable Diseases, says that rationale is at odds with the science. This doesn't make any sense at all, because delta is now making up, I think it's in excess of 96% of our sequences at the moment, and so beta is really not a concern at all. I don't see that there's any difference between us and say, Kenya or India or anyone else that has now been taken off the red list. Africas Centres for Disease Control is also calling on the United Kingdom to review its position. The center says immunized Africans, who are receiving the same vaccines as people in Europe, should be recognized equally. While the United States has restricted entry for South Africans, the White House announced earlier this week that it will lift that rule for those who are fully vaccinated beginning in November. Several European countries have already made that shift. Ina Gouws, a political scientist at the University of the Free State, says its hard not to read Britains restrictions as political. There is reason to think that the region is being treated differently. When there are no clear answers based in fact, speculations start to happen, and that can be dangerous and certainly not good for diplomatic relations. The messaging is one, then, of prejudice. And it is not upon our diplomatic channels to ascertain why this is, Gouws said. Dr. Groome says barring vaccinated travelers also sends the wrong message to the public about the effectiveness of vaccines. We are trying very hard to promote vaccines in our country, and as with many countries are, you know, struggling a little bit with that faction who are hesitant to receive the vaccines. And in this case, you know, then it makes people question as to as to why, perhaps with the vaccines that we're giving are not as good as those being used elsewhere, which is obviously not correct, Groom said. The economic toll of the red list has also been crippling because the UK is the biggest source of tourists for South Africa. David Frost, chief executive of South Africas inbound tourism association, says the disappearance of British travelers is costing the country $1.7 million a day. We've got a precious conservation base, which is one of the world's best that is under total threat, because there's no income, there's no money for anti-poaching activities. One in seven South Africans is putting food on the table because of tourism. And when tourism suffers, that means the people don't eat, Frost said. South Africas international relations minister, Naledi Pandoor, has echoed those concerns and is appealing to British officials to have the decision reversed. Frost says he hopes the added political push will pay off when the UK reviews its red list in coming weeks. Britain is in talks with U.S. nuclear reactor company Westinghouse on building a new atomic power plant on Anglesey in Wales, the British newspaper The Times reported. If it gets the go-ahead the new plant at Wylfa would be able to generate enough electricity to power more than 6 million homes and could be operational in the mid-2030s, The Times said. Japan's Hitachi Ltd scrapped plans to build a nuclear power plant at the Wylfa site a year ago after it failed to find private investors or secure sufficient government support for the project. The decision left only the British arm of France's EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corp building in the nuclear sector, where around half of UK plants are set to close in the next few years. The partners are building the first UK nuclear power plant in decades at Hinckley Point in west England and are planning a second in Sizewell in east England. Nuclear power provided around 16.8% of Britain's electricity generation in 2019, according to National Grid, while gas was used to generate 38.4%. The recent spike in gas prices combined with a fall in renewable generation due to low wind speeds had underlined the need for more nuclear capacity, The Times said, citing a government source. "If our current situation shows anything it is that we need more stable home grown, low carbon generation in the UK," the source told the newspaper. "This is an important project that were very keen to try and get off the ground." Nearly half the planet cannot afford healthy food, the United Nations secretary-general warned at a food summit Thursday that seeks to improve global food production and access. "Food is life. But in countries, communities and households in every corner of the world, this essential need this human right is going unfulfilled," Antonio Guterres told the virtual Food Systems Summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly's annual gathering. Guterres noted that 3 billion people cannot afford nutritious food. "Every day, hundreds of millions of people go to bed hungry. Children are starving," he said. While millions starve and famine is a reality in parts of Yemen and Ethiopia, nearly one-third of all food production is lost or wasted. The summit, in the works for more than a year, aims to take a fresh look at every aspect of food production to make it more environmentally friendly, safe, nutritious and accessible. It is also part of advancing the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, among which "zero hunger" is a top priority. Pandemic increases challenge "The COVID-19 pandemic has made this challenge much greater," Guterres said. "It has deepened inequalities, decimated economies [and] plunged millions into extreme poverty." The virus was also on the minds of the leaders who addressed the General Assembly Thursday particularly the African leaders, who made up a large portion of the day's speakers. Many appeared by video message because of the pandemic. "It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82% of the world's vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than 1% has gone to low-income countries," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a video address. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4% of Africa's population is fully vaccinated. "The hoarding and inequitable distribution with the resultant uneven vaccination patterns across the globe is not acceptable," Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a prerecorded message. "Vaccine nationalism is self-defeating and contrary to the mantra that 'no one is safe until everyone is safe.' Whether in the global North or South, rich or poor, old or young, all people of the world deserve access to vaccines." There was also concern about the trend toward coups in Africa. In the past year, military coups have taken place in Chad, Mali and Guinea. Sudan's military said it put down an attempted coup there just this week. And in Tunisia, some argue that President Kais Saied essentially pulled off a coup, invoking emergency powers, firing the prime minister and suspending the parliament to consolidate his authority. Angolan President Joao Goncalves Lourenco said there has not been sufficient reaction from the international community to discourage these coups from happening. "We consider it necessary that the international community act with resolve and does not simply issue statements of condemnation in order to force those actors to return power to the legitimately established institutions," he told the gathering. "We cannot continue to allow recent examples, such as those of Guinea and others, to succeed in Africa and other continents." In the Middle East, Iraqi President Barham Salih expressed concern about terrorism in his country and the wider region. "We cannot understate the danger posed by terrorism. If we become lax and distracted by regional conflicts, we will simply see the return of obscurantist forces that will threaten our people and our security," he warned. "Cooperation and solidarity are our only choice in our fight against international terrorism and the groups that support it." Other speakers Thursday included Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Reconciliation Meanwhile, the opportunities provided this week for intensive diplomacy helped ease a rare rift in U.S.-Franco relations. French officials were outraged by a security pact made between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) earlier this month. Under the arrangement, Australia will receive at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, to be built in Australia using American technology. The agreement came as Australia pulled out of an earlier deal for French submarines worth tens of billions of dollars. A phone meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and an in-person meeting Thursday between their top diplomats on the margins of the General Assembly in New York appear to have gone a long way to calming Paris and rebuilding confidence. VOAs Chris Hannas contributed to this report. A potential deal to bring as many as 1,000 Russian mercenaries to Mali is likely to further destabilize the country, according to senior U.S. officials who are urging the interim government to instead focus on elections. Word of the not-yet-finalized deal, with Russias Wagner Group, has already rankled some French and European officials. And it now appears to be drawing increased attention from the United States, itself wary of Russian efforts across Africa. "We continue to be concerned about the rise of malign influences on the continent, a senior administration official said Friday in response to a question from VOA about the potential deal with Moscow. "We don't think looking to outside forces to provide security is the way forward," the official said. That is not how to best start down the road to true stability, the official added, stressing the need to move ahead with a transition to a fully elected, democratic government. The comments came just days after Mali celebrated its independence, with an estimated 3,000 people taking to the streets of Bamako to protest Western anger over the deal with Russia, some of them calling concerns about the tentative agreement foreign meddling. The deal, first reported by Reuters, would pay Wagner $10.8 million a month to train Malis military and provide security for senior officials. Malian authorities have also been increasingly vocal in expressing displeasure with the U.S. and France, which announced in June that it would bring home about 2,000 counterterrorism forces it had in Mali and neighboring countries. "If partners have decided to leave certain areas, if they decide to leave tomorrow what do we do?" Prime Minister Choguel Maiga asked in remarks posted on the countrys Le Jalon news site. "Should we not have a plan B?" In a possible effort to ease such concerns, the U.S. sent the commander of U.S. forces for Africa, General Stephen Townsend, to Mali on Thursday, where he and other U.S. officials met with Malian transitional President Assimi Goita and Defense Minister Sadio Camara. Malian and international partner forces have shed blood together while fighting against the terrorists that threaten innocent civilians in Mali and the Sahel, Townsend said in a statement Friday, following the visit. We want to continue this long-standing partnership, he added. Following Frances announcement that it would be reducing its counterterrorism forces in Mali and the Sahel, the Pentagon said it would continue to assist building partner capacity in the region. And recent meetings of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS have focused on stopping the spread of the Islamic State and other terror groups in Africa, and in Mali in particular. However, while U.S. AFRICOM is working with a number of partners in West Africa and the Sahel, security assistance to Mali itself has been limited, under U.S. law, because of the coup. Much of the concern focuses on IS-Greater Sahara, which is thought to have at least several hundred fighters in the region, and on the al-Qaida-affiliated Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, also known as JNIM. U.S. and European military officials have also long expressed concerns about Russian involvement in Africa, warning of the corrosive influence of mercenaries with the Wagner Group, who are often perceived to be doing the Kremlins dirty work. They are everywhere, Vice Admiral Herve Blejean, director-general of the European Union Military Staff, told a forum this past June. They bring nothing to the country except immediate security answers, maybe, at the price of committing a lot of ... violations of human rights and atrocities." On Friday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali would be a red line for us. It would have immediate consequences on our cooperation [with Russia] on many other issues, he added. VOAs Bambara Service and Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. The United States would not support redeploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea, or a nuclear weapons sharing arrangement with Seoul, according to a U.S. State Department official, after a leading South Korean presidential candidate proposed the move. All I can say is, U.S. policy would not support that. And I would be surprised that the people who issued that policy don't know -- or [who] issued those statements -- don't know what U.S. policy is, said Mark Lambert, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and Korea, in an online forum. The statement was in response to a question about Yoon Seok-youl, a conservative South Korean presidential candidate, who this week said he would ask Washington to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons or agree to a nuclear-sharing deal if South Korea were threatened by North Korea. The U.S. withdrew tactical nuclear weapons, sometimes known as battlefield nuclear weapons, from South Korea in the early 1990s. Conservative South Korean politicians have for years called for their redeployment, especially as North Korea has expanded its own nuclear weapons program. Yoon appears to be the biggest name in South Korean politics to recently make such a call. Opinion polls suggest Yoon, a former prosecutor general, would be locked in a tight race with Lee Jae-myung, a left-leaning provincial governor, for the presidential election in March. Both appear to be frontrunners to become nominees of their parties. It is not the first time for a conservative politician to make that promise. But certainly Yoon is the first leading candidate to do it, said Lee Sang-sin, a political science expert at the Seoul-based Korean Institute for National Unification. Nearly 70% of South Koreans support the country developing its own nuclear capability, suggested a poll released earlier this month by South Koreas Asan Institute, a research organization. That finding is broadly in line with other polls on the issue, said Lee, who focuses on public opinion. Given the geopolitics and North Korea, that shouldnt surprise anyone. Of course, the public doesnt understand the complexity and the possible costs of nukes. We have been under the nuclear threat from North Korea for so long, and its natural that people want something that makes them feel safe, he added. South Korea briefly pursued a nuclear weapons program in the 1970s, amid questions at the time about Washingtons long-term commitment to protect Seoul. More recently, South Korean conservatives have either called for the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, or a NATO-style arrangement in which South Koreans would be trained to deliver U.S. nuclear weapons in a conflict. Either scenario is unlikely, according to Eric Brewer, a former White House National Security Council official who now focuses on nuclear policy at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. It would go against the [Biden] administrations goal of reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. strategy, Brewer said. And I dont think they would view it as necessary to deter North Korea, which I happen to agree with. But I think this highlights that these calls for the return of U.S. nuclear weapons will continue. And may get louder, especially as North Korea continues to improve its nuclear arsenal, he added. Although South Koreas conventional forces are vastly superior to the Norths, Seoul does not have nuclear weapons. Instead, it is under the so-called nuclear umbrella of the U.S., which has nuclear-capable forces in the wider region. Some in South Korea are worried about long-term overreliance on U.S. protection, especially after experiencing former President Donald Trump's America First foreign policy (()), which strained the alliance. I understand those concerns and navigating them is going to be a challenge for the United States and South Korea, said Brewer, who thinks the redeployment of U.S. nuclear weapons would be unhelpful. But I think for those arguing for this in South Korea, its not about deterrence, but about assurance. It is psychological. Its about the U.S. providing an unambiguous signal that the U.S. has South Koreas back, and keeping the U.S. closely tied to the peninsula, he said. The United States is not the only country opposed to redeploying nuclear weapons to South Korea. Asked about Yoons nuclear weapons proposal, a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a briefing Thursday that such calls are "irresponsible." On this week's Our Voices, well take a look at some of the safety measures put into place as children return to the classrooms as the Delta variant surges during COVID-19 pandemic. We will look at how government, educators, parents and students are confronting the challenges of the new norm. China is closely eyeing Australias growing military capability with concern. As Australia distances itself from China, China feels its (Australia) getting closer to the U.S. So, all this running-dog sentiment will surface, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Running dog refers to a servile follower. Over the last decade, Australia has been beefing up its military. China particularly worries about Australia partnering with the United States, the keeper of the worlds strongest armed forces, to check Chinese naval expansion, according to experts. Already troubled, the once booming Sino-Australian relationship took another downward turn last week when Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a three-way security partnership. The deal, called AUKUS, will allow the sharing of advanced military technology and give Australia eight nuclear-powered submarines. The AUKUS deal is the latest in a series of events that have caused the relationship between China and Australia to sour. Scholars point to three China-leery prime ministers elected in Australia since 2013, coupled with Canberras pushback against Chinese interests in the country, where China looks for prized supplies of iron ore and coal. I think its a confluence of these few factors which sort of deteriorated the relationship between Australia and China, said Oh. There could be encounters between Australian and Chinese ship(s), lets say, on the South China Sea, which would, of course, further deteriorate the relationship. Disputes over Australias coveted natural resources, U.S.-backed military clout in the Asia Pacific and politically conservative leaders in Canberra are fueling the decline in relations with China, observers of the two countries said. Decade of decline Sino-Australia relations appeared to have a bright future when former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a Mandarin speaker, took office in 2007, delighting Chinese leaders. Two years later, the glow began to fade with the failure of Chinese aluminum corporation Chinalcos bid to acquire Australian-based mining giant Rio Tinto, followed by a visit to Australia by an anti-China Uyghur independence movement figure, said Fujian Li, a visiting scholar at Future Directions International, a research institute based in Perth. Some Chinese chafed when Australian mining firms raised the price of iron ore, hurting Chinese interests, Li wrote in a May 2021 paper. These incidents illustrated that China and Australia disagree on strategy, economy and politics, he said. Australia went on to bar Chinese telecom giant Huawei from a national broadband project in 2012 and eventually from participating in Australias 5G upgrades. Last year Australia, under Prime Minister Scott Morrison, called for an investigation into China as the source of COVID-19. China hit back by refusing to accept timber from four Australian states and stranding dozens of bulk carriers carrying Australian coal outside two Chinese ports with $700 million of coal at stake. Chinese importers had been warned since November to avoid Australian coal. Curbs on wines have hobbled a $724 million market. The situation escalated considerably in 2020, when China started to put severe trade measures against some of Australias key exports to China, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at the market research firm IHS Markit. What worries China the most China frets foremost about Australias alliance with the United States, a superpower rival of Beijing, analysts said. Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lashed out at the two countries at a news briefing last week. The U.S. and Australia are fighting together, deliberately discrediting China for their own geopolitical interests, interfering in China's internal affairs and challenging foreign relations in the region, he said. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this. In August, the Chinese embassy in Australia acknowledged a difficult situation in the bilateral ties. Three years earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had asked Australia to step up cooperation with China rather than hinder it. U.S. warships already pass regularly 10 times in 2020, for example through the South China Sea, a waterway that Beijing says falls under its flag, despite the rejection of that claim by an international tribunal five years ago.Washington has tapped Canberra among other Western allies to stand up for freedom of navigation in the sea. Oh said China is uneasy about the Australia-U.S. military equation, the ideological ideas of its leaders and growing Australian ties with Southeast Asian countries, including claimants to the South China Sea. Whats next? More Chinese economic sanctions against Australia are possible, analysts say, though targeting iron ore or coal could reduce Chinas access to needed resources, some experts believe. Australia is starting to diversify exports into Europe, the Middle East and other parts of Asia, with more room for growth in those regions, they say. Australia does have a strategic role in the (Asia Pacific), having strong connections in both Asian and Western countries, said Stuart Orr, School of Business head at Melbourne Institute of Technology. But the size of Chinas economy means Australia must keep walking a tightrope, Biswas said. China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner accounting for 31% of its global trade a value of $177.4 billion in 2020, according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Theyve been waging political warfare since 2015, so weve been under the gun for some time, said Malcolm Davis, senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra. They (China) can do all sorts of things to try and make life difficult for us. South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chads President Mahamat Idriss Deby and Ugandas President Yoweri Museveni are set to address the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. Access to COVID-19 vaccines has been one of the major topics of the annual meeting in New York and is likely to be one of the most discussed again Thursday as leaders from African nations make up a large portion of the days list of speakers. While some countries such as the United States have had vaccine doses widely available to their populations for months, other countries have struggled to access COVID-19 vaccine supplies. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 4% of the population is fully vaccinated. Ramaphosa was among a group of leaders who participated in a virtual summit Wednesday convened by U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss boosting efforts to vaccinate people all over the world. Biden announced the United States was buying another 500 million doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine to distribute to other countries. Of the around 6 billion vaccine doses administered worldwide, only 2% of these have been administered in Africa, a continent of more than 1.2 billion people, Ramaphosa said. This is unjust and immoral. Other speakers Thursday include Iraqs President Barham Salih, Cubas President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele and Italys Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a number of world leaders to pre-record their remarks instead of traveling to New York to speak in person. About half of Thursdays speeches were recorded in advance. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticized the treatment of thousands of Haitian migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border Wednesday. Videos have shown U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback chasing migrants seeking asylum. (The Center Square) Twenty-six North Minneapolis residents are asking Gov. Tim Walz to deploy State Patrol or the National Guard, calling their district a war zone. CBS first reported the letter. The letter cited a child murdered, a man killed in a barbershop, a bus targeted for a shooting, a school teacher shot and killed, and a drive-by shooting near elementary kids playing at recess all within one week as reasons to send help. For over a year now we have been left to twist in the winds of violence, with constant shots heard, constant carjackings, constant death, the letter said. This year to date the city has seen 69 murders, including young children. Yet somehow things continue to get worse, as the constant drumbeat of gunshots has now been replaced with the rumbling sound of gunfire that is fully automatic. Since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, the city has driven a spike in violent crime and homicide statewide. A record 185 Minnesotans were murdered in 2020 an increase of 58% over 2019s level of 117 homicides, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Violent crime increased in Minnesota in 2020 by 16%. Violent crime increased across the board. Arson rose 53.7% over 2019, from 462 criminal cases to 710 in 2020. Motor vehicle theft increased by nearly 20%, with 13,662 vehicles stolen the highest since 2005 compared to 11,410 in 2019. At the same time, Minneapolis voters will decide whether to replace their police department with an office of public safety that may or may not have police. The letter called on Walz to immediately send any and all available resources whether the State Patrol or the National Guard, to help the Minneapolis Police Department, which currently has so few officers its violating the city charter, one lawsuit alleges. During this same time period, the Mayor and City Council have failed to do anything to protect us and our children, the letter said. They have shown that they are either unwilling or unable to save us. The Minneapolis Police Department is spread too thin to help. Right now, we are left to fend for ourselves. We are not One Minnesota when our children are left to be slaughtered. The letter continued: As a teacher and loving parent, we ask you to intervene and save us from this death march that the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor have placed us on, the letter said. We are begging that your humanity will reach deeply, beyond the politics, to lead us back to safety. A Walz spokesperson told The Center Square in an email: The Governor shares their urgency to improve public safety and meets with community leaders in North Minneapolis on this issue. However, the State Patrol and Minnesota National Guard are not a substitute for a qualified local police department. This summer, the Governor took executive action to direct $15 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds toward community violence prevention and is dedicated to working to prevent gun violence by ensuring guns dont fall into the wrong hands. ST. PAUL, MINN. (September 2018) Minnesotans including families of firefighters who died in the line of duty, firefighters from around the state, community leaders and the public gathered at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial Sept. 30 to remember those who paid the ultimate price and honor the families that survive them. The 2018 Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service is a solemn ceremony that will took place on the grounds of the State Capitol on Sunday. This years memorial service honored two firefighters who died within the past year, and seven families and fire departments of firefighters who died between 1934 and 1989. Governor Mark Dayton, Assistant Commissioner Robert Hawkins and National Fire Academy Superintendent Tonya Hoover attended. Since 1881, 227 Minnesota firefighters have died in the line of duty. Their names have been inscribed on columns throughout the nationally recognized memorial, located on the south side of the Capitol grounds. The memorial service is held each year on the last Sunday in September, which has been designated as the states official day to honor Minnesotas fallen firefighters. This years memorial service honored firefighter Timothy Royce and Fire Captain Jeffrey Vollmer, who died in line of duty in 2017 2018, two fallen firefighters families the Minnesota Fire Service Foundation was able to track down since last years memorial service, as well as four Minnesota fire departments who lost firefighters in the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. The foundation coordinates the effort to recognize the states firefighters who died in the line of duty and provides support and resources to fire departments, firefighters and their families throughout Minnesota. Fallen firefighters recognized at the 2018 service include: Timothy Royce (Mapleton): On March 30, 2018, Royce suffered a heart attack after answering to a traffic crash and then a medical call the previous evening. Fire Captain Jeffrey Vollmer (Mayer): On Dec. 19, 2017, Capt. Vollmer suffered a heart attack after a training exercise. Harlow J. Tischer (Minneapolis): On Jan. 23, 1947, Tischer was killed along with three other firefighters during a fire rescue after the Hull-Dobbs Auto Sales garage floor collapsed into the basement. Albert Roos (Mankato): On March 11, 1934, after helping three other firefighters to the roof of a building during a fire, Roos was adjusting their hose line when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Flag boxes will be also presented to the Rochester Fire, Winona Fire, Lyle Fire and Ostrander Fire Departments, recognizing their line-of-duty deaths and families: Stanley OBrien (Rochester): On Dec. 24, 1953, OBrien and a fellow firefighter died while trying to rescue a young child that fell through the ice on Silver Lake in Rochester. Alvin Pagel (Winona): On Oct. 16, 1963, Pagel suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty at the station. Daniel Wroblewski (Winona): On Sept. 30, 1989, Wroblewski suffered a heart attack after leaving the scene of fire. Chief Charles L. Drenth (Lyle): On Dec 23, 1983, Drenth and his son were putting out a fire in their own chimney, while waiting for the fire truck to arrive. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, he collapsed from an apparent heart attack. John Schwenn (Ostrander): On April 24, 1986, Schwenn suffered a fatal heart attack after leaving the scene of a fire. An inter-denominational prayer service took place prior to the memorial service on Sunday. At 11:30 a.m., fire service personnel from the Minnesota Fire Service Foundations founding organizations read the Honor Roll all 227 names of fallen firefighters. Starting at 12:45 p.m., families entered the Capitol grounds through a sea of uniforms, and be escorted to their seats. The service began at 1 p.m., and concluded at approximately 3:20 p.m., when family members and the public were welcome to spend time within the Fallen Firefighter Memorial and make etchings of their loved-ones name. During the service, families of fallen firefighters who havent yet been honored in a public ceremony received a Minnesota State flag that has been flown over the State Capitol. Firefighters from across the state attended in order to show support for their fallen colleagues and the families they left behind. ABOUT THE MINNESOTA FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL In 2011, the Minnesota Fire Service Foundation launched an initiative to move the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial from the baggage claim area at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and create a larger, more accessible and interactive memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol. The new memorial gives families, friends, co-workers and community members a permanent location to pay tribute to these men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Fire Service successfully raised $720,000 to fund the memorial through donations from the public, Minnesota businesses and, primarily, from the states firefighting community. Financial contributions to fund educational scholarships for children of active, retired or deceased firefighters, and for spouses of deceased firefighters and support for firefighters and their families in times of need can be sent to: Minnesota Fire Service Foundation c/o Beacon Bank, 7890 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Online contributions can be made at www.MNFireServiceFoundation.org. All contributions are tax deductible. User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! Translate Petrinja / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was frightening, at that time I was going to bed. Hopefully, the night will be peaceful. I am really sick and tired of these never-ending tremors. | 2 users found this interesting. Sela / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Ovaj potres se cini najmanje dvostruko slabiji od sinocnjeg. Lagana tutnjava i osjecaj da je tresnja isla u smjeru sjeverozapad-jugoistok. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Lekenik / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Tutnjava, grmljavina, bez tresenja | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Sisak / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : First stroke, then shaking for 7-10 seconds. 4th floor. Sisak downtown | One user found this interesting. Krapina (91.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : In bed, short swinging | One user found this interesting. Jankomir, City of Zagreb (54.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Sisak, Sisacko-Moslavacka (13.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Budasevo, City of Sisak, Sisacko-Moslavacka (15 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Sisak, Sisacko-Moslavacka (14.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s near Ivanic Grad, Zagrebacka (50.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Cigoc (29.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Cigoc (29.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Petrinja / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s Petrinja / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s Glina (14.5 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s Ivanec / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short SISAK (14.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Sisak / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shaking Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Galdovacka ulica 109, Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Glina,Croatia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Petrinja / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s DUGO SELO (10370) / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Sisak / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Sisak (15.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Majski Tritnik / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s Glina / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s SISAK / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Petrinja / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Komarevo Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Zagreb / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Kostajnica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Bihac / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Sisak croatia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Sisak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s Stari Brod, Croatia (13.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s The US and Russian chiefs of staff, Generals Mark A. Milley and Valery Gerasimov, held a six hours of talks on Wednesday, 22 September, in Helsinki. No mention of the encounter is made on either of their websites. The talks centered on the means of contact between the two countries, the surveillance of Afghanistan and the withdrawal from Syria. The United States is contemplating setting up military bases around Afghanistan, while Russia has strictly warned that the presence of just one US soldier in those countries would be considered an act of war. Turkey has sent a signal that if forced to withdraw from northern Syria, it will support Tatar terrorism in Crimea. On 22 September 2021, President Joe Biden held a virtual Global Summit on Covid-19 on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly. He had predicted the presence of at least 100 states and 100 organizations. In fact, only a handful of developed countries allied to the United States plus a number of assorted organizations showed up. President Biden has pledged to distribute an additional 500 million doses of vaccines to ensure that 70% of the population in every country is fully vaccinated. The announcement is baffling considering that Washington did not fulfill its earlier promise to deliver 160 million doses on time, and that the price of these vaccines has since skyrocketed. It is therefore not clear how he intends to finance this effort, having failed to do so when it was much cheaper. Often, in those countries that cannot afford to pay for these products, less than 1% of the population has been vaccinated. It will therefore be particularly difficult for them to fight against the pandemic if they stay on this course. The massive absence at this summit of countries that should be the primary beneficiaries of this program speaks volumes about their mistrust of both US commitments and the vaccine strategy. Many have already turned to Russia and China for other solutions, especially knowing that, at home, the all-out vaccine strategy championed by the United States has yielded catastrophic results, with deaths per million people over 25 times higher than in China. This is the first time that a meeting organized by the United States to hand out donations has been boycotted by potential recipients. President Donald Trump had made a commitment to President Kim Jong-un to end the war against North Korea, but he did not have time to fulfill his goal. South Korean President Moon Jea-In (pictured) has called on President Joe Biden from the podium of the UN General Assembly to make good on that promise. Pentagon spokesman Admiral John Kirby confirmed that Washington was considering this option in the context of tensions over the AUKUS Pact. The United States declared war on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in 1950. The armistice signed in 1953, when the conflict had already claimed 2 million deaths, never materialized into a peace treaty. The fate of ailing Chinese developer Evergrande remains up in the air after a deadline came and went Thursday without an update from the company on whether it plans to pay nearly $84 million interest owed to bondholders. Investors may have to wait a while longer to find out whether Evergrande will default on its enormous debts it now has a grace period of up to 30 days on the first bond payment. A second payment of $47.5 million on another bond is due next week. Evergrande's stock plunged nearly 12% Friday in Hong Kong, reversing a recovery it staged the previous day on news that the company would pay interest on another bond issued in yuan to mainland Chinese investors. So far this year, the shares have plunged 80%. Filling the vacuum of information is mounting speculation that the Chinese government will have to intervene to limit the fallout that would be caused by the collapse of one of the country's biggest real estate conglomerates. Beijing has few good choices. It will want to protect thousands of Chinese people who have bought unfinished apartments, construction workers, suppliers and small investors, as well as limiting the risk of other real estate firms going under. At the same time, it has been trying for at least a year to rein in excessive borrowing by developers and won't want to dilute that message. Speculation about one option an effective nationalization of the company was stoked Thursday after a regional financial news website, Asia Markets, reported the Chinese government was finalizing a deal to restructure Evergrande with the backing of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Citing anonymous sources close to the Chinese government, it said the plan would see Evergrande broken up into three separate entities, and the restructuring could be announced within days. Neither Evergrande nor China's top regulator for SOEs responded to requests from CNN Business for comment on the article. But analysts are already weighing up the possibility of Evergrande being nationalized. "Most likely the government has to [inject capital into] Evergrande so that it can continue construction and then sell residential property units to get cash to repay debts," said Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China for ING. "With government capital, it is likely that Evergrande could become [a] SOE or become part of the SOEs that could inject capital in Evergrande, " she added. Good news in the short term? That would be good news for Evergrande, financial markets and the economy in the near term. The company is buckling under the weight of about $300 billion in total liabilities, and some analysts fear a disorderly collapse could spark China's "Lehman Bros" moment by sending shocks through the financial system and economy. Real estate and related industries account for about 30% of Chinese GDP. For Evergrande, becoming a SOE would help it restore confidence among home buyers, said Stephen Cheung and Calvin Leung, equity analysts for Jefferies in Hong Kong, in a research report. The company has sold 200,000 housing units that have not yet been handed over to buyers, according to recent analysis from Bank of America. The move would also "alleviate near-term liquidity pressure" for the company, while making it easier to carry out a debt restructuring with domestic and overseas bondholders, they said. Moreover, it would give the Chinese government even greater control over the vast property market. Six of the country's top 10 property developers are SOEs or backed by state investors. Evergrande would become the seventh. 'End of the beginning?' But even if Evergrande is nationalized, longer term concerns about China's property slowdown will likely persist. And that's a bigger risk to the Chinese economy in the medium term. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, housing sales plunged nearly 20% in August from a year ago the biggest decline since February 2020, when China locked down cities and imposed drastic measures to contain the coronavirus. Property investment rose by just 0.3%, compared with 1.4% in July, marking a sixth straight month of slowing growth. "Demand for newly built urban housing is now entering an era of protracted structural decline," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist for Capital Economics, on Thursday. Demand for housing is easing for a number of reasons. The number of marriages has plunged 40% since 2013, reducing the demand from newlywed couples. And urban population growth has slowed. It means "developers will be competing over a shrinking pie," Evans-Pritchard said. "The environment for developers will get a lot more challenging. Evergrande's collapse marks the end of the beginning of the squeeze facing China's property sector rather than the beginning of the end," he added. Taking control of Evergrande would also fit a recent pattern of greater intervention in the Chinese economy. Beijing has been cracking down on private enterprise, from tech companies to private tuition and even social media influencers, while trying to cool the overheated real estate sector. Pang from ING believes the government's crackdown on property and other industries could harm the economy. "Recent government policies do not aim to squeeze companies into debt troubles. But I agree that there are too many policies coming out in a short period of time. Policy risks are rising and could hurt employees, and therefore consumption," she said. CNN's Beijing bureau contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. With a surge in new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, health officials and state leaders have ratcheted up their calls for the public to be vaccinated before winter arrives while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved booster shots for an expanded number of Americans. Despite the appeals, the average rate of new vaccinations has declined this month, according to CDC data. Around 55% of all Americans are now fully vaccinated, a course of action that has been consistently demonstrated both in studies and real-world evidence as the best method to protect against Covid-19. But the acceptance of inoculations remains checkered, largely depending on the region. A recent CNN analysis showed the average rate of Covid-19 deaths in the 10 least vaccinated states was more than four times higher over the past week than the rate in the 10 most vaccinated states. Utah on Thursday became the 32nd state to fully vaccinate at least half of its residents against Covid-19, according to CDC data. There remain 18 states that have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of all residents, data shows: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The state with the highest rate of vaccination is Vermont at 69% of all residents, followed by Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The differing rates of vaccinations are having a profound effect on hospitalizations and deaths. Wyoming is seeing close to its record of hospitalizations, according to Gov. Mark Gordon's office, and Tuesday the state activated nearly 100 members of their National Guard to assist area hospitals with screening, testing and other roles. West Virginia this week reached a record high of 1,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations, according to Gov. Jim Justice, though the state is hopeful that a recent downturn in its positive case count could signal a waning of the latest surge. Even in states which have higher rates of inoculations, there are tens of millions of Americans who remain unprotected against Covid-19 due to lack of vaccination. "Hospitalizations are a pandemic of the unvaccinated at this point," Scott Bookman of Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment said Thursday. "Eighty percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated." Decision made on booster recommendations Early Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on an advisory panel's recommendation to authorize vaccine boosters for a broader range of people, including people age 65 and older and residents of long-term care facilities who received the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine series at least six months ago, and people ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions. In addition, she diverged from the advisers by recommending boosters for those ages 18 to 64 who are at increased risk of Covid-19 because of their workplaces or institutional settings. Walensky later told CNN experts had to consider when -- not if -- workers at high risk of infection should receive a booster, and advisers who voted against boosters for that group had reasons why they believed those people should wait. "Some people really voted ... with enthusiasm to say our health care workers, our frontline workers, people who were vaccinated early, people who work in congregate settings, in correctional facilities, grocery workers, really do merit the vaccine," Walensky told CNN's Erin Burnett on Friday. "The question wasn't 'yes or no,' the question was 'wait or do now,'" she added. People ages 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may also receive a booster dependent upon their individuals benefits and risks, according to the CDC. Vaccine providers were quick to respond. CVS Pharmacy planned to begin providing booster shots Friday at its locations that offer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Matt Blanchette, retail communications manager with CVS, told CNN in an email. He encouraged people to schedule an appointment. After the US Food and Drug Administration said this week it would grant emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine for certain individuals, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met Thursday on how to best implement the authorization. It concurred boosters should be granted for people ages 65 and older at least six months after full inoculation, as well as for people at high risk of severe disease. But it differed from the FDA over whether to authorize boosters for those at high risk in workplace situations. The FDA's decision "reflected a balance of the safety and effectiveness data we have available, and the need to protect our society," Walensky said at a White House briefing Friday. Booster shots to those applicable can now be officially administered. In August, third doses of PPfizer/BioNTech vaccine were approved and recommended for people who are immunocompromised and at high risk of severe disease from Covid-19. And nearly 2.4 million Americans have received an additional dose since August 13, according to CDC data. The FDA has not decided on Moderna's application for booster authorization, and Johnson & Johnson has not yet applied. But booster shots alone won't end the pandemic, and the focus needs to continue to be on vaccinating those who haven't yet received their Covid-19 shots, Walensky said Friday. "We will not boost our way out of this pandemic," she said, adding cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing in unvaccinated areas. Vaccines for children remain a focus Many children are not yet eligible for inoculations, as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is currently approved for people ages 16 and older and has emergency use authorization for use in people ages 12 to 15. Vaccine trials for younger children are ongoing. While vaccines in children 5-11 may become available by the end of October, vaccination schedules mean children in this age group won't be fully vaccinated until December, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Thursday. "You've got to go through two shots, three weeks apart, and then another two weeks after that. So if you got immunized on Halloween and you're, you know, 9 years old, it's still going to be December by the time you have that full protection," Collins said. In Colorado, pediatric cases are higher in areas of the state with lower overall vaccination rates, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy. Also, cases are highest in 6- to 11-year-olds who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, she said. Not only are cases down where vaccination rates are high, but they are also down in school districts requiring masks, Herlihy said Thursday. "The lower-case rates are associated with districts that are requiring masks in schools, again showing that masks are having and decreasing transmission in our school settings," she said. While some political leaders have made it a point to ban any vaccine or mask mandates in their states regarding education, districts free to decide are choosing to follow through. In California, the Oakland Unified School District's School Board voted to require Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible students ages 12 and up during a school board meeting on Wednesday. The district, which has approximately 50,000 students in attendance, will allow for certain medical and "personal belief" exemptions from the requirement, board vice president Sam Davis told CNN. There's currently no timeline set for when students will need to be vaccinated, but a proposal will be presented at a school board meeting next month, according to Oakland USD. The district said it will look to the Los Angeles Unified School District, which announced its vaccine mandate earlier this month, on how best to implement the requirement. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. PATERSON, NJ (WABC) -- There's a combination of outrage and disgust at a school in New Jersey over the stomach-turning images of meals being served to students for lunch. In Paterson Wednesday night, on the menu was a main course of confusion served with a side dish of disgust. "God bless all the kids out there but no, especially something like that, no," one person said. Photos were posted by a parent on social media last week, of the disturbing food served at Paterson International High School. It looks more like a Rorschach test than something you would eat. But Veronica Aponte, a former student of the Class of 2019, says this has been a problem for years. "It was just awful. Like things that were supposed to be cold, they were lukewarm -- biting into a chicken nugget you shouldn't be seeing pink or red," Aponte said. "I wouldn't serve my children that," Paterson Board of Education President Kenneth Simmon said. Simmon is now calling for changes to the district's $5 million food services program, noting about 95% of the district's students qualify for a free or reduced lunch. "Many of our students this is the only meal that they get," Simmon said. "It may cost us more money, but I don't think finances is something that needs to be the key factor." The board president says they could decide to re-train the staff that prepares these meals and that would happen immediately. Or they could decide to outsource the meals to an outside vendor and that process would take a bit longer. But either way, he says, the decision will be made as soon as possible. Since being informed a week ago by Brian Laundrie's parents that they had not seen him for days, dozens of local and federal officers have searched high and low in a swampy Florida nature reserve for the 23-year-old following the disappearance and then the discovery of the body of his fiancee Gabby Petito in Wyoming. The search of the Carlton Reserve will resume Saturday, officials said. Laundrie, who his parents say departed their home with his backpack on September 14 and told them he was headed to reserve, left his cell phone and wallet behind, a source close to the family told CNN on Thursday. The police were told of Laundrie's departure by his parents on September 17, officials said. A multitude of personnel scoured the area this week, using drones and bloodhounds as part of the search, North Port Police Department spokesperson Josh Taylor said. An underwater dive team from the Sarasota Sheriff's Office who are 'called upon to search for evidence of crimes and victims of drowning, water accidents and foul play' was also brought in midweek, according to the sheriff's office. 'We're looking through wooded areas, we're looking through bodies of water, we're looking through swampy areas,' North Point Police Commander Joe Fussell said in a video shared online Friday. 'And we're deploying the resources to be able to do that. We have air units, we have drones, we have the swamp buggies, air boats, multiple law enforcement agencies, we have ATVs, we have UTVs and we have officers on foot as well.' Petito, 22, and Laundrie embarked on a cross-country trip in June and were visiting national parks. They posted online regularly about their travels with the hashtag #VanLife, but those posts abruptly stopped in late August. Laundrie returned home with their van on September 1. Petito was reported missing September 11 after her family had not been able to get in touch with her. She was found dead eight days later near a campground in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. According to an arrest warrant issued Thursday, Laundrie is wanted for the alleged use of 'unauthorized devices' in the period following Petito's death. The warrant 'doesn't change anything for us,' Fussell said. 'We're working as hard to find him now as we did on day one.' The conditions are challenging with murky water, muddy roads and thick vegetation, according to videos shared by North Port police. 'Rough is an understatement,' Taylor said Thursday of the conditions in the reserve. He said Saturday's and Sunday's efforts will be focusing on 'areas of more likelihood.' Another person says she gave hitchhiking Laundrie a ride in August With law enforcement combing through the reserve, more stories are emerging of interactions involving Laundrie before his return to Florida. Norma Jean Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident, told CNN that she picked up Laundrie not far from Jackson Lake Dam on August 29, around 6:15 p.m. and gave him a ride to the Spread Creek dispersed campground where Gabby Petito's remains were later found. Laundrie was hitchhiking, Jalovec said, and got in the passenger seat of her Toyota SUV 4-Runner. According to Jalovec, Laundrie told her he and his fiancee had a travel blog, that she was in their van at the camping area working on the blog, and that he had been hiking along the Snake River embankment for a few days. Jalovec said when they arrived at Spread Creek, she dropped Laundrie off before the gate at the entrance of the camping area. She said she offered once or twice to take him farther, but he was insistent that he be dropped off at the entrance. Laundrie then offered her gas money, but she declined, she said. Jalovec said as soon as she saw a series of videos posted on TikTok by Miranda Baker, who said she picked up Laundrie hitchhiking and dropped him at Jackson Lake Dam, she called the FBI and shared all the information she had. Baker had said she dropped Laundrie near the dam at 6:09 p.m. and Jalovec says she picked him up just a few minutes later. 'I'm glad I was able to help in the investigation that placed him at Spread Creek at a definite time on August 29,' Jalovec told CNN. CNN has not been able to independently verify Baker's claims. North Port police confirmed to CNN that Baker spoke with the department before posting the videos on TikTok. Remembering Gabby The disappearance of Petito, and subsequent search for Laundrie, has received a wave of national interest as well as brought heightened attention to others who have gone missing in the US. Since the discovery of Petito, vigils have been held from Salt Lake City to the East Coast. On Friday, residents of Blue Point, New York -- Petito's hometown on Long Island -- lit candles in a memorial to show support for her family. The organizers of 'Light the Night For Gabby Petito' hope that similar demonstrations would stretch beyond Long Island, according to CNN affiliate WABC. Candles were provided along with a request for a $20 donation with proceeds going to the Petito family, WABC said. A candle lighting and butterfly release memorial is slated for Saturday evening in North Port in front of its city hall, according to The Daily Sun. A memorial visitation for Petito is planned for Sunday afternoon in Holbrook on Long Island, according to Moloney's Holbrook Funeral Home. It will be open to the public. Richard Stafford, an attorney for Petito's family, confirmed in a statement Friday her funeral would be held Sunday, adding that the family has asked for donations to be made to the future Gabby Petito Foundation in lieu of flowers. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. One of Athens newest businesses and a German restaurant planning to open an Athens location are partnering for the inaugural Athtoberfest today in downtown Athens. Athens Alehouse & Cellar will open at 2 p.m. to start the festival. Located at 111 W. Washington St. in downtown Athens, the alehouse will offer German beer throughout the event. The event will also beer pong and cornhole inside the alehouse, plus a strong-man competition outside. Participants will fill a mug and hold their arm out straight to see who can keep their mug held the longest. Oompah-Calypse Oktoberfest Band will perform live from 69 p.m. The band is known for its variety of traditional German music, including polkas, waltzes and even a showtune or two. For those seeking a bite to eat, Hildegards food truck will be onsite to provide German cuisine. Athens Main Street was recently honored at the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Associations annual meeting as the winner of the Organization of the Year PEAK Award. The award is designed to recognize the AMLA member organization that has contributed significantly to the betterment and development of tourism in North Alabama in the past year, according to a release from AMLA. AMLA said over the last 13 years, Athens Main Street has worked on several contributions to better the downtown Athens area, from the state-certified farmers market on Saturdays during the summer months to establishing promotional events to bring new visitors downtown. Bringing people into downtown to eat, shop and tour is a major component of our mission at Athens Main Street, Athens Main Street Executive Director Tere Richardson said. Being recognized by our regions preeminent tourism organization is a very high honor. Athens Main Streets more recent projects include working to add ADA-compliant sidewalks, more greenspace and improved lighting in downtown Athens. Two of the organizations latest projects involve a new downtown walking map brochure and renovating Merchants Alley, which will feature murals, outdoor dining space and more. ALMA President and CEO Tami Reist said the PEAK Awards are a way to recognize the best of North Alabamas tourism and travel industry, and with the challenges still presented by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this years nominees and winners have all done an exemplary job in delivering an exceptional visitor experience. Other local winners at this years PEAK Awards include the following: Piney Chapel Farm Heritage Days, winner of Event of the Year; Cathedral Caverns State Park, winner of Attraction of the Year; Haley Rutland of Marshall County Tourism and Sports, winner of Young Professional of the Year; Anna Mullican of Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center and Park, winner of Tourism Professional of the Year; Lucy Orr with the Downtown Turtle Trail in Decatur, winner of the Lasting Impression Award; Connie Pearson, travel writer and blogger, winner of the Chairmans Cup; K.R. Yedla of Yedla Management Company, winner of the Presidents Award; Sen. Tom Butler, winner of the Presidents Award; Ewell Smith, Athens volunteer, winner of the Presidents Award; and Rocket City Trash Pandas, winner of the It Only Takes A Spark Award. An Athens man remains behind bars Friday after being arrested on multiple counts of theft involving vehicles in the Tanner and Clements communities, officials said. Michelle Williamson, public information officer for the Limestone County Sheriffs Office, said the office received several reports regarding vehicle break-ins early Thursday morning. While speaking with victims, Williamson said a school resource officer received a tip about the suspects vehicle, which was later located on Ripley Road, unoccupied. Deputy (Caleb) King observed stolen items, in plain view, inside the vehicle, Williamson said. Limestone County investigators responded to assist, and during the investigation, Tyrese Jamal Sales was identified as the offender. Sales, 22, wasnt at the scene but was found a few miles away from the car, in an apartment on Lawngate Road. Sales refused to cooperate and barricaded himself in the apartment, where he does not reside, Williamson said. After negotiations failed, entry was made, and Sales was taken into custody. Williamson said several stolen firearms were also recovered from the home. It was discovered Sales had only entered unlocked vehicles. I would like to thank the good Samaritans who saw something unusual and reported it to our office, Limestone Sheriff Josh McLaughlin said. I would also like to commend the quick responses of Deputy Caleb King and Investigator Steven Ferguson that recovered these stolen firearms and kept them off the streets of our county. LCSO reminds residents to protect valuable items by not leaving them unattended in the car, particularly firearms, and to lock doors at night. Anyone who lives in the affected areas is encouraged to check their vehicles. Those who believe they are the victim of a vehicle burglary are further encouraged to call LCSO at 256-232-0111 to make a report. A CDC advisory panel announced Thursday it backs Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots for older, otherwise vulnerable Americans WAAY-31 spoke with Huntsville Hospital on why this third shot is so important. The president of Huntsville Hospital told WAAY-31 they're actually hoping for a high demand because it's crucial in keeping you out the hospital and most of all, keeping you alive. Huntsville Hospital will continue to funnel all vaccine requests through the John Hunt Park clinic. So you can get your first, second, and now third one, at the park. You can make an appointment for that booster shot and then you can stay in your car until your turn. Alabama is doing well when it comes to vaccines, but not well enough, and the hospital says remember why you're doing this. "This booster dose ramps up your immune system to recognize that Covid-19 strain quicker and help fight it off. It'll keep you safe and out of the hospital," said Tracy Doughty, Huntsville Hospital president. Doughty says you should get your booster shot 8 months after your initial doses. Doughty isn't sure what the rollout will look like as far as who will get it first, but he wants it to be done in a tiered system, just like when vaccines were first administered. He says it actually acts as a safety protocol. "We think it's important they follow that same phase if possible, because it helps us avoid long lines and to have a queuing effect," he said. You can sign up for a spot to get the vaccine or a booster on Huntsville Hospital's website right now. WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 stands on the verge of a major new phase: Government advisers on Thursday recommended booster doses of Pfizers vaccine for millions of Americans. This, despite concern among some experts that the extra shots will do little to slow the pandemic. The advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the extra doses for people 65 and older, nursing home residents, and people who are 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions. It also said boosters can be offered to people ages 18 to 49 with underlying conditions. The shots would be given at least six months after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Northwest-Shoals Community College announced Thursday that they will be investing up to $30 million in capital improvement projects over the next two years. NWSCC was joined in the announcement by the Alabama Community College System. The projects include upgrades to the Muscle Shoals and Phil Campbell campuses of NWSCC, with funds provided by NWSCC and ACCS, including funds provided by the Alabama Legislature. These campus upgrades will expand and enhance our ability to provide our students greater opportunities to pursue educational and workforce development programs that will support the needs of the businesses and industry in our area, NWSCC Interim President Chris Cox said. The improvements will also ensure that our facilities and educational environment are aligned with the outstanding instruction and support our students receive at NW-SCC. NWSCC said in a release that the projects are still pending approval by the ACCS Board of Trustees but should be completed within the next two years. ACCS Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker said the investment will make a significant impact on the NWSCC student experience as well as a significant economic impact on Northwest Alabama. Francisco Javier Guerra Torres is accused of federal money laundering charges, WAAY 31 News has uncovered. The North Alabama business owner indicted by a grand jury was arrested by federal agents with Homeland Security. The three counts filed by government prosecutors all relate to interstate and foreign commerce bank wire transfers totaling nearly $740,000. In U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Guerra, owner of Global Special Effects in Lexington in Lauderdale County, heard the charges against him during a hearing in front of Magistrate Judge Herman N Johnson in Miami, Florida, conducted via video conference. Guerra was arrested and released after posting bond. Federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security completed their raid at his Lexington business on Wednesday. Thursday, a worker inside the business on County Road 71 said she couldnt comment on the investigation and referred reporters to the owner. WAAY 31 has reached out for comment but has not heard back. According to court documents WAAY 31 obtained, Guerra is being represented by attorney Glenmore Powers and Jim Sturdivant, who specialize in white collar crime defense cases. If Guerra is found guilty of the federal charges, he will be forced to forfeit to the government any property, real or personal, involved in the offense, and any real property traceable to such property under Title 18. Guerra could also face other penalties including jail time. Agents conducted the search warrant at the Lexington area business where Guerra creates machines that make artificial snow for large scale productions, according to the companys website. Lexington Police Chief Augie Hendershot says this raid was a surprise to everyone, and even he was not given any heads up the feds were coming. That is unusual for us here, we are the best little town to me in the whole little world," he said Thursday. "We are a very tight-knit community so when something different happens or something unusual happens it attracts a lot of attention. The remains of an Army servicemember who was declared missing during WWII have been successfully identified almost 77 years later. The lieutenant from Parkton, North Carolina, is due to be buried in Robeson County next month. U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant James E. Wright was just 25 when he was declared missing in 1944. He was killed during intense fighting on the Moselle River near Dornot, France, and his body was unable to be successfully recovered at the time. Thanks to the work of a private researcher and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Wrights body has now been identified. Wright joined the 120th Infantry, North Carolina National Guard in 1940, before becoming a member of the regular Army in 1943. A few months after D-Day Wright was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. This was part of General Pattons Third Army, which had been involved in the fighting through France after D-Day. German resistance held them up at the Moselle River. Troops were sent across the river to establish a foothold; Wrights and his unit participated in this action. On the east side of the river the men set up a defensive position on the edge of a nearby forest, which was then fiercely attacked by German forces. On the night of September 10 to 11, the US troops began retreating across the river. Some officers remained on the fighting side of the river to recover bodies before leaving. It was at this time that Wright was declared missing. The German forces on the east side of the Moselle river prevented Allied troops from collecting all of their dead. The American Graves Registration Command was tasked with the retrieval and burial of deceased American soldiers, all the way until 1951. They searched in the area the fighting took place on the banks of the Moselle river and recovered a number of bodies, but none of these were identified as Wrights. The whereabouts of Wrights body remained a mystery, until recently. One of the remains recovered after the battle was named X-46 and buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg. In 2012 a researcher for the 7th Armored Division Association proposed that X-46 may be the remains of one of the soldiers from Wrights unit and that it should undergo an examination to be identified. The DPAA, an American agency that recovers and identifies the bodies of US soldiers lost in the nations conflicts, became involved in the matter and used its extensive resources to identify the remains. They were sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in May 2016. To identify the remains, dental and anthropological analysis was used, as well as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. As with many other missing soldiers from WWII, Wrights name has been inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold, France. Now that he has been successfully identified a rosette will be placed next to his name. Wright will be buried on October 12 in Lumber Bridge. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Shes only 17 and isnt old enough to get her licence yet. But thats no biggie for Jade Purdon, who, like many other DIY rookies around Australia, is spending the pandemic converting her beloved van into a future freedom machine. The year 11 student, from Sale in Victoria, used savings from a part-time job to buy her $5500 Ford Econovan about five weeks ago. A overseas gap year was on the cards for Jade Purdon next year, but the pandemic inspired her to search for local alternatives. Im still very young, Im in school and stuff so everyone thinks its a bit weird, she laughs. Jade says she has become very productive during remote learning, cramming her schoolwork into a day or two per week. Imagine telling someone from last century about this weeks construction industry protests. Imagine telling them that theyd last for days, targeting not employers or a Liberal government, but a Labor government and the construction union. Imagine explaining that theyd be met by unified condemnation in the strongest possible terms by the leaders of the union movement, who would then pressure employers to sack protesters from work sites. Then imagine getting to the part where the politicians seemingly most sympathetic to the protesters would be almost exclusively from the Coalition, like George Christensen and Alan Tudge. People inside the CFMEU office fend off protesters with fire extinguishers on Monday. Credit:Justin McManus This is a genuine shift in the tectonic plates of politics. It cannot be explained away by the language of pretend protesters or fake tradies who are really far-right or anti-vax conspiracy theorists in hi-vis vests. To be clear, its obvious those elements are present here, and have managed to recruit from among disillusioned construction workers. But the protests cannot be reduced to mere cosplay. There is simply no denying the presence of many genuine construction workers in the crowd something in the order of 80-90 per cent on Monday, according to what those well-placed to know have told this newspaper including the ones the CFMEU has gotten sacked. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size How do you move a zoo? And how would you get an elephant named Jessie across Sydneys CBD and harbour without a bridge or large trucks? It took years of logistics to work out how to relocate 228 mammals, 552 birds and 64 reptiles from Sydneys first zoo at Moore Park to the new bush zoo promising nothing but air between visitor and animal at Taronga Park in 1916. This newspaper speculated the lions and tigers would be easy to move in crates. The crocodiles and pythons also presented no insuperable difficulty if handled with care. Dundri in the elephant house bath at Taronga Zoo in February 1917. Credit:NSW State Archives But Jessie, the zoos large elephant, was a problem that couldnt be boxed. You cant put four tonnes of an elephant in a cage, and if you could, you wouldnt be able to move the cage afterwards. So, Jessie will walk. It remains to be seen how the airing will agree with her, the Herald reported. How to Move a Zoo, an exhibition opening on November 20 at the Museum of Sydney, reimagines the parade of animals through Sydneys streets with an interactive exhibition. Mounted by Sydney Living Museums with the NSW State Archives, it combines original archival images and animation to retell the story of what some called Sydneys Noahs Ark. Advertisement Adam Lindsay, the executive director of Sydney Living Museums and the State Archives and Records Authority, said he became fascinated by this forgotten part of Sydneys history when he discovered photos and other documents in the archives five years ago. Using animation, visitors can follow an individual animal crossing the city and imagine what could have happened 105 years ago. Credit:Studio: Grumpy Sailor (Jake Mu, Tom Siddall) Illustration: Ollie Davis He even started having anthropomorphic fantasies about what could have gone wrong. What if the chimps had escaped? he said. Using animation, visitors can follow an individual animal such as a lion called King crossing the city and imagine what couldve happened if that animal had taken off in a Ferris Buellers Day Off scenario. During the move, newspapers reported that denizens of the Indian jungle, roamers of the African veldt, stately ostriches, kangaroos (and) screeching parrots walked the streets of Sydney. The early morning serenity of city dwellers was disturbed by the mournful yells of hyenas, angry roars from lions and tigers and wild beasts confined to cages. Advertisement Back in 1916, zookeepers were worried about the risks of moving ferocious and strong creatures through city streets. Even six years ago, Taronga Zoo was challenged by the logistics of how to move its giraffes. Sydneys zookeepers decided to risk it with Jessie. She was a placid creature, a docile and peaceful pachyderm said to be loved by the generations of Sydney children who had ridden on her howdah. Bird keepers Jaqueline King and Brendan Host with Jasper the galah earlier this year with Sydney Harbour in the background, a far cry from 1916 when animals were moved from Moore Park to Taronga without using the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which opened 16 years later. Credit:James Brickwood At 5.30am on a Sunday 105 years ago, Jessie left the old zoo, her home of 30 years. Accompanied by an entourage, Jessie walked down Dowling, Bourke and Palmer streets at about 6km/h. She crossed tram rails and passed through narrow streets with only a nervous glance. Jessie crossed from the Domain to walk down Macquarie Street to a waiting flat-topped barge at the harbour. By the time she got there, her feet were tender from the macadam, according to reports. That didnt stop her though. With hardly any hesitation, Jessie walked on to the punt, ran her trunk over the gate, Sydneys Evening News reported the next day. A word from the keeper, and she stood as still as a rock during the trip down the harbour. On arrival at Tarongas jetty, there was a moment of anxiety when the pontoon dipped into the water under Jessies fairy tread. Advertisement After some sharp words from a keeper, she tiptoed across the landing. The trip that had taken years to plan took a little over 90 minutes. Loading For Sydney residents who were facing endless reports of Australian casualties during World War I, the zoo move was a joyous distraction. It was good timing that Sydney Living Museums exhibition would likely open when Sydney reopens after lockdown, Mr Lindsay said. It wasnt planned to be a panacea, he said, but he liked the idea that it would give you hope at a shit time. The exhibitions curator Anna Cossu said the zoo needed to be moved because the site at Billy Goat Swamp, where Sydney Boys and Girls schools are located today, was too small. It also flooded, or was too dry, and its barred cages and cement floors were criticised by the public as inhumane. To put it frankly, animals were dying regularly, Ms Cossu said. The new zoo designed to rival Melbournes had also been planned to include an aquarium, and space to grow to accommodate more animals including giraffes. Today, Taronga cares for over 5000 animals from over 350 species. Advertisement On Saturday, all eyes will be on Perth as the Melbourne Demons face the Western Bulldogs in the AFL grand final. Its an historic match in many ways the first time the grand final has been held in the Western Australia capital and the first time these two clubs have met in a grand final since 1954 (when the Bulldogs, then Footscray, were 51-point winners). After a decades-long slump, the Demons are back in form after finishing the regular season at the top of the ladder and chasing their first premiership win since 1964. Its the first time theyve made the grand final since 2000. For the Bulldogs, they will be looking to repeat their 2016 success when they last took home the premiership cup. Nobody needs an angry gang of protesters to tell them that tempers are fraying in big parts of the country as Australians suffer through lockdowns and wait, grimly, for their political leaders to take them out of a tunnel with a very small light at a very distant end. The mob on the streets of Melbourne, occupying the Shrine of Remembrance to claim to fight for freedom, is only the extreme sign of the fury felt by many who obey the law behind a locked front door. Stuck in their households, subject to extraordinary powers that make so much of ordinary life a crime, many Australians are worn out by 18 months of pandemic rule and can easily turn their resentment on those who run the show. Police clash with protestors at the Shrine on Wednesday. Credit:Jason South Which means the next leader to face the people might want to be careful. Some of Scott Morrisons colleagues believe the Prime Minister is in for a shock when he calls the election and voters get a way to vent their anger. He cannot delay this date any later than May. The only state leader to face the same reckoning around the same time will be South Australian Premier Steven Marshall on March 19. Liberals who used to dream of a crushing victory across federal seats in NSW and Queensland are now much gloomier about their prospects. Cherbourg: If Australia did - as Paris claims - stab France in the back by axing a $90 billion defence contract, nowhere is the pain felt more acutely than in Cherbourg. The coastal city is home to the enormous shipyards where Australias new fleet of 12 submarines were being designed, and work was well underway before Prime Minister Scott Morrison killed what locals called the contract of the century last week. French President Emmanuel Macron inspects a new nuclear submarine at the Cherbourg shipyard in 2019. Credit:AFP The future of the 650 French people working on the project for the state-owned Naval Group is now in doubt, as are dozens of jobs in subcontracted private firms, making the Morrison government public enemy number one in this proud industrial city of 80,000. Australia lied to us and now we have to pay for that, said Sophie Laurent, a cafe worker. We will not forget this. WSUs 23rd Annual Diversity Conference to Explore Free Speech September 23, 2021 OGDEN, Utah Weber State Universitys 23rd Annual Diversity Conference will examine the idea and meaning of free speech, Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, in a virtual format. Events will include a panel discussion with Weber State faculty and Peter Bonilla from the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), as well as a keynote address with Kimberle Crenshaw, a key contributor in developing the ideas behind intersectionality and Critical Race Theory. Throughout the past year and a half, the United States has witnessed a continual state of unrest, both at the local and national level. Racial tensions and extreme political polarization have brought attention to the need for civil discourse in communities. As the country continues to face challenges, this years conference will explore these issues. Through social media, a 24/7 news cycle and other platforms, we have seen firsthand the discord in our country, and a frequent component being expressed through that is the right to free speech in Higher Education, said Tia Nero, diversity, equity and inclusion program coordinator. The conference will be held virtually via Zoom conferencing. All events are free and open to the public, but participants are required to register at weber.edu/diversity/diversityconference. This years conference theme, Exploring Free Speech, will give participants an opportunity to better understand an essential component of the First Amendment. Presenters and participants will also explore how free speech impacts the world and the way in which individuals engage with each other. The conference will open Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. with a panel discussion on free speech on college campuses. The panel will feature an expert group of WSU faculty, including Leah Murray and Mary Beth Willard, political science professors;Wendy Holliday, Stewart Library dean; and Peter Bonilla, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education vice president of programs. Kimberle Crenshaw, co-founder and director of the gender and racial justice think tank African American Policy Forum (AAPF), will present the keynote address on Oct. 1 at 12:30 p.m. Crenshaws presentation will explore critical race theory, intersectionality, and free speech. She is also the founder and director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School. Crenshaw is most noted for being a leader and expert in civil rights, Black feminist legal theory, race, racism and the law, as well as creating the #SayHerName campaign. She has been named the most cited woman legal scholar in law. Crenshaw authored the background paper on gender and race discrimination for the World Conference on Racism and has given talks on race and gender justice around the world. She is also a frequent contributor on MSNBC and NPR. She received her J.D. from Harvard, L.L.M. from University of Wisconsin, and B.A. from Cornell University. The conference will offer a variety of other workshops and presentations that will encourage attendees to challenge their own biases by examining the issues from all sides and perspectives. Attendees can request American Sign Language interpretation for specific sessions through Deaf Services at deafservices@weber.edu. The conference strives to educate people on the importance of engaging in discourse and advocacy in their communities. For more information about the conference and a full calendar of events, visit weber.edu/diversity/diversityconference. The conference is also connected to this years theme for WSUs Engaged Learning Series, Re-Connect*. The series is a collaborative cross-campus effort to host events and lectures that bring multiple perspectives to a single issue and engage students, faculty, staff and community in discussion, learning and action. For more information, visit weber.edu/ccel/els. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. WSUs Domestic Geese, Duck Population Relocated to New Homes by Local Rescue Group September 23, 2021 OGDEN, Utah More than 60 domestic geese and ducks that previously called their home the waters around Weber State Universitys Ada Lindquist Plaza have been safely relocated, thanks to the work of a new northern Utah waterfowl rescue group. On Sept. 8, while the Lindquist Plaza water feature was drained, volunteers from Wasatch Domestic Waterfowl Resource (WDWR) rounded up 30 ducks and 34 geese over the course of 12 hours to take to area rescues and foster homes for eventual adoption. Domestic waterfowl are more vulnerable in the wild due to their inability to fly or reliably forage for themselves, said Adison Smith, founder of WDWR. The frequent draining of WSUs pond for cleaning and maintenance purposes also creates a dangerous situation for them. Domestic waterfowl cant fly away, so if they need to get away from a predator, their only resource (the water) was taken away from them, she said. Not only that, but a lot of them depend on the algae in the water for food, so then their food source was taken away as well. WSUs waterfowl have often been considered the unofficial mascots of campus, showing up on merchandise like T-shirts and face masks, and featured in social media posts or guides to campus. Visiting the ducks at Ada Lindquist Plaza is No. 6 on the list for WSUs Tradition Keepers program, and waiting for the geese to cross the crosswalk is a well-known campus phenomenon. While wild Canadian geese and other waterfowl will likely continue to stay around the plaza during their migratory periods, many of the longtime residents should never have been there at all. A lot of people actually end up getting ducks because they think theyre so cute when they're little and then they realize, Oh hey, they take a lot of care and they're loud and I don't want them, so then they abandon them, Smith said. That's why Weber State had this duck and goose problem in the first place. Many of the abandoned waterfowl that did survive being dumped at Weber State then went on to breed with each other, creating a bigger population of domestic birds at the university, Smith said. But that didnt mean the birds were in a safe or healthy environment. Weber State geese have been hit by cars and killed or seriously injured; several more geese were killed by an off-leash dog when the pond was drained in 2020; and many of the goslings and ducklings in the spring dont make it to adulthood. Weston Woodward, director of campus services, said Facilities Management is happy to see ducks and geese relocated to new homes. We love wildlife, but theres a place for the domestic birds and campus isnt necessarily the safest place for them, Woodward said. I think Wasatch Domestic Waterfowl Resource is a great organization. We fully support them and the education that theyre trying to put out to the public. Additionally, Weber State has never fed or taken care of the waterfowl in an official capacity. Oftentimes, the birds were fed by well-meaning volunteers and visitors to the pond, which isnt a reliable food source, particularly during the winter months. Between people dropping off food and increased excrement, the domestic birds created a constant clean-up effort around the plaza for facilities staff. They also caused traffic delays and issues with pedestrians, Woodward said. We dont want anyone to feed them, Woodward said. Its a huge mess to clean up on a daily basis, and it promotes more of them getting dropped off, with people thinking theyre being cared for. Smith originally advocated for keeping the birds at the pond and to work on a feeding schedule for the domestic waterfowl, but with no official resources, the presence of migratory birds and the frequent draining at the plaza, she decided the best thing would be to relocate them. With Smiths help, facilities will put up signs instructing visitors not to feed or abandon their domestic waterfowl there in the future. WDWR will also be on call for future animal abandonment. We just really appreciate Weber State working with us to save their lives and help us put up those signs so that we don't have to do this in the future, Smith said. Updates and photos of the Weber geese and ducks will be provided on the WDWR Facebook page for those interested in their progress. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A panel of lawmakers on Thursday substantially completed a draft of North Dakotas new legislative map that creates three new districts in the states fastest-growing areas but erases an equal amount in population-lean rural regions. The preliminary plan unanimously approved by the Republican-controlled committee also forces several incumbent lawmakers to run against each other to keep their jobs, including the Democratic Senate minority leader and the GOP House majority leader. Finley GOP Rep. Bill Devlin, chairman of the committee, said the panel of 14 Republicans and two Democrats will return to the Capitol twice next week to tweak the plan and consider dividing up an oil-rich Indian reservation into separate House districts. The redistricting plan was drafted over the past several weeks. The task was required due to population shifts shown by the 2020 federal census. Each district is supposed to include approximately the same number of people, although small variances are allowed. The principle is called, one person, one vote, and is intended to give each district similar voting power in the Legislature. The GOP-controlled Legislature will finish the redistricting job during a special or reconvened session this fall. The full Legislature must approve the plan, and the governor must sign off on it. The new map avoids splitting up the majority of North Dakotas 53 counties among separate districts. Devlin said one of the redistricting committees goals was to keep counties intact when possible. North Dakotas population is estimated at a record 779,000, up almost 16% during the last decade, but most of the states rural legislative districts continued losing residents, according to census data. The panel focused on keeping 47 districts, rather than increasing or reducing the size of the Legislature. Each district is represented by two House members and a senator, which gives the Legislature 141 members. Lawmakers added new three new districts in and around the states biggest city of Fargo, and Williston and Watford City in the heart of the states oil patch. Cass County, which grew more than 20% in the past decade, would have 11 districts within its borders with the additional legislative district, under the proposed map. Williams County, which contains Williston, saw its population increase 83% to almost 41,000 people in the past decade with the explosion of oil development in the region. Neighboring McKenzie County, which contains Watford City, also would gain a district. The depopulation of much of rural North Dakota made the work of committee especially difficult in determining where districts would be eliminated. The panel chose to scrub a pair of districts in northeastern North Dakota, and one in the southeastern part of the state. The changes mean eight GOP lawmakers and one Democrat are forced out. Joan Heckaman, the Democratic Senate minority leader from New Rockford, would face longtime GOP Sen. Jerry Kline, to represent the new combined district. Committee chairman Devlin himself was put in the same new northeastern district as House Majority Leader Chet Pollert, along with two other incumbent Republicans. There appeared to be little public partisan political bickering during the process. The biggest task for the panel, they said, was attempting to strike a balance between urban and rural interests. Democrats hold about 14% of legislative seats, so proportionately, the redistricting committee is in-line with the Legislatures makeup. Rep. Josh Boschee, of Fargo, one of only two Democrats on the panel, said he voted to approve the draft plan because it didnt smack of partisanship. It was everything Ive been advocating for, and that was that it shouldnt be political, Boschee said. The committee did not take up a proposal Thursday by the Three Affiliated Tribes to create separate House districts on its oil-rich Fort Berthold reservation. Other Dakota tribal leaders appealed to lawmakers last week to split legislative House districts that include reservations, a move they believe will increase the odds for electing American Indians to the Legislature. We understand that a split district is no guarantee that a tribal member would be elected, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Tribal Chairman Mark Fox told the redistricting panel. We are confident, however, that it will increase the representation of our issues and concerns to the legislative body. Devlin said the panel would consider the request by the Three Affiliated Tribes next week. Grand Fork GOP Sen. Ray Holmberg, who has served on redistricting committees since 1981 said hes open to considering subdistricts for reservations that contain enough population to do so. But only two of the five American Indian reservation in North Dakota Fort Berthold and Turtle Mountain have the needed population to split House districts at present. Holmberg said the Three Affiliated Tribes Fort Berthold reservation very likely will get a split House district. Either we do it, or the courts will make us do it, he said. The Latest on the UN General Assembly: ___ After a no-confidence vote in Libyas transitional government this week added to uncertainty ahead of key elections in December, one of its leaders said Thursday the government would hold an international conference next month on trying to keep the political process on track. Mohammad Younes Menfi, who chairs Libyas three-member Presidential Council, announced the plan but gave few specifics at the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders. He said the conference would involve relevant national bodies and institutions, plus regional and international voices. The aim: maintaining the political process, keeping unified, consistent, coherent international support, and conducting safe, transparent, fair elections, Menfi said. He didnt give a location or exact date. Libya is at a critical juncture indeed, a defining moment, said Menfi, a diplomat from the countrys east. We either succeed in the democratic transition by means of fair and free and transparent elections, the results of which are acceptable to all, then move towards a sustained stability and prosperity -- or we fail and relapse into division and armed conflict, he said. Libya has endured a decade of chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In the aftermath, the oil-rich nation was split between a government in the east, backed by commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the capital of Tripoli. Each side has also had the support of different regional powers, militias and mercenaries from countries such as Russia and Syria. All mercenaries and foreign forces were supposed to withdraw after last Octobers cease-fire agreement, but they remain in the country and Menfi said this issue remains a real challenge. The current transitional government replaced the two rival administrations and was intended to prepare the country for elections on Dec. 24. But Libyan lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence in the transitional government on Tuesday, adding to questions about the planned elections. Still, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said the government would keep pushing ahead. (edited) ___ Panamas President Laurentino Cortizo has requested support to address the flood of migrants passing through his nation. He told the U.N. General Assembly that, this year alone, already 80,000 migrants have traversed Panama. Its been an exponential rise, from 800 in January to 30,000 last month, and Panama dedicates some of its limited resources to providing them with food and shelter. Panama does its part. Now we appeal to the international community to, as soon as possible, make a joint effort, with coordinated strategies and resources, he said. Cortizo said the migrants largely originate in Africa and the Caribbean. The crisis is centered in the deep forest of the Darien Gap at Panamas border with Colombia, which migrants attempt to cross en route to the U.S. Panamas foreign minister Erika Mouynes said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday that the nation hasnt received a cent of international cooperation to face up to the flow of migrants. This is everyones responsibility, Cortizo said. ___ UNITED NATIONS Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel seized on the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan to blast the United States for what he said is a history of foreign policy disasters. Occupation only leaves destruction, and no country has the right to impose its will on sovereign nations, Dias Canel said in a pre-recorded video shown at the U.N. General Assembly. Afghanistan is not an isolated case. It has been evidence that where the United States intervenes, there is an increase in instability, deaths, suffering and enduring scars. Afghanistan was just one example the Cuban president used to attack U.S. foreign policy, which he said relied on the pernicious use and abuse of measures of economic coercion. He scolded U.S. President Joe Biden for maintaining more than 200 measures adopted by his predecessor, Donald Trump, particularly the addition of Cuba to the list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Trump added Cuba to the list just days before leaving office in January. Diaz-Canel also expressed support for regional allies Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro, and said the South American nation will always be able to count on Cubas solidarity. In Maduros video speech broadcast at the U.N. yesterday, he railed against U.S.s fierce campaign of sanctions and demanded they be lifted. Thursday evening a the Tri-State Medical Liberty group rallied outside of Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville to protest for what they call Medical Freedom. "We are standing up just for our basic human rights, and that is what our country is about," said Mike Wilson, a protestor at the rally. Health care workers and others in support came out to protest Tri-State hospitals mandating employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Protestors held up signs saying "Freedom not force" and "I choose freedom" to express their frustration with the mandate. "We would just prefer it to be a choice, which it started off to be, if employees wanted to get the shot they could, and that's how I think it should maintain," said Holly Huber, the coordinator of the protest. In August, Tri-State hospitals notified workers that they must receive the vaccine by the end of October, and the group has rallied around Evansville since the news got out. "We've hit Green River Road a couple of times and so we decided since it is getting closer to their deadlines that we would just be outside of the hospitals on the sidewalks," said Huber. As the deadline grows closer, they group says they want their voices to be heard and a change to happen. "Let the people work, you know if they fire the nurses, who's going to run the hospitals?" said Wilson. An ongoing dilemma throughout the nation, both parties are taking action for their concerns. The Associated Press with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision accompanied the conservation group Sea Shepherd this summer on an 18-day voyage to observe up close for the first time the Chinese distant water fishing fleet on the high seas off South America. Chinas deployment to this remote expanse of the Pacific Ocean is no accident. Decades of overfishing have pushed its overseas fleet, the worlds largest, officially capped at 3,000 vessels but possibly consisting of thousands more, ever farther from home. U.S. and regional governments fear that the Chinese fleets push into the Americas could exhaust fish stocks. Theres also concern that in the absence of effective controls, illegal fishing will soar. Australias two largest cities are moving closer to ending lockdowns as vaccination rates climb, but leaders are warning that people should remain cautious with their newfound freedoms and that coronavirus case numbers will inevitably rise An officer in the nations capital has been indicted on a murder charge for his role in a fatal vehicle accident during a police chase that sparked two days of protests and clashes In 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Virginia, and more events that happened on this day in history. Video 1929: James H. Doolittle 1934: Babe Ruth 1960: USS Enterprise 1969: Trial of the Chicago Seven 1976: Patricia Hearst 1991: Dr. Seuss 2011: Russia 2015: Saudi Arabia 2016: Burlington, Washington 2016: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture 2019: Nancy Pelosi 2020: Donald Trump 2020: Protests 2020: Robert Kraft Doctors, nurses and other health care workers in Poland have been camping out in front of the prime ministers offices for nearly two weeks to protest working conditions and demand higher wages NOTE: Facebook is currently experiencing technical issues which are preventing us from displaying comments at this time Reports of sexual assaults have fueled protests on at least eight U.S. college campuses just weeks into the new school year Will Smith is heading for London. Known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Bad Boys, Men in Black, Aladdin'', a deluge of iconic music and more, the actor and creative will be appearing in the West End for one night in November. Bringing his five-city tour of Will: An Evening of Stories with Friends to the Savoy Theatre on 18 November (to coincide with his new book), Smith will be reflecting on his life, his career and his inner happiness. Special guests will also be appearing across the tour, which has stops in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago and Los Angeles. Tickets will include a copy of Smith's memoir, penned alongside Mark Manson. Tickets go on general sale at 3pm on 1 October. International Climate Transparency Specialist (Project Design Team Leader), Home Based Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Country: Italy City: Rome Office: FAO Rome Closing date: Wednesday, 6 October 2021 CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2102600 International Climate Transparency Specialist (Project Design Team Leader) Job Posting: 22/Sep/2021 Closure Date: 06/Oct/2021, 9:59:00 PM Organizational Unit : SEC Job Type: Non-staff opportunities Type of Requisition : Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement) Grade Level : N/A Primary Location: Home-Based Duration : 6-7 months Post Number : N/A IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization Organizational Setting Under the Paris Agreement, countries are requested to revise their NDCs every five years to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit Earths temperature rise and implement solutions to adapt to the effects of climate change. The updating of NDCs and their implementation present countries with significant opportunities to align their climate and development agendas to promote sustainable growth, but also presents challenges in mainstreaming these goals into existing policies and operations and mobilizing scaled-up domestic and international resources. For this reason, the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) was created at the request of Parties to help strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of non-Annex I countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements defined in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement. The CBIT has three aims: Strengthen national institutions for transparency-related activities in line with national priorities; Provide relevant tools, training, and assistance for meeting the provisions stipulated in Article 13 of the Agreement; Assist in the improvement of transparency over time. Within the preparation to the GEF-7 project identification form (PIF) a project proposal "Strengthening capacities in the agricultural and land use sectors in Uzbekistan to increase transparency in the implementation and monitoring of the national contribution of Uzbekistan in accordance with the Paris Agreement " was approved in August 2021. The main objective of the project is to develop frameworks and upgrades at the institutional and technical level for Uzbekistan that will enhance a country capacity to prepare reports on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in accordance with the Paris Agreement on improving the transparency structure, which will contain enhanced components of the relevant sectors, including lists of sources and sinks of emissions, and also the information needed to track progress towards the priority actions identified in the nationally determined contributions of these sectors by 2023. The purpose of this call is support Uzbekistan at the preparation of project proposal for GEF. Reporting Lines Under the general supervision and guidance of Natural Resources Officer, the Consultant will contribute to the preparation of the Concept Note and full project proposal for Uzbekistan. Technical Focus Supporting the formulation, drafting, development, and submission of the PPG for Uzbekistan through the provision of relevant expertise. The objective of this consultancy is to lead the project design and prepare the full GEF Project Documents and supporting materials for submission to the GEF Secretariat (SEC) before middle of March 2022. Tasks and responsibilities To achieve PPG objectives, the consultant will lead the PPG design teams to carry out general tasks, including: Coordinate inputs, such as on project scope, potential operational and financing arrangements, from other PPG preparation support staff, government and other key stakeholders; Provide professional recommendations on design of appropriate consultative processes and PPG work schedule; As a lead author, complete a fundable FAO-GEF Project Document and supporting documentation complying with the GEF-7 Trust Fund results framework, the GEF-approved PIF, GEF Focal Areas, STAP comments and general FAO-GEF requirements; Ensure the project design process is participatory, and that the project is nationally relevant and owned; Support the FAO country office to identify potential co-financiers and obtain co-financing letters; and Lead, participate in and facilitate consultative, inception and validation workshops, meetings, providing clarifications and presentations as necessary, and ensure documentation of relevant meetings. Provide methodological support for the stocktaking exercise on the progress achieved in the definition of an MRV system in Uzbekistan and development of a roadmap to finalize this system Prepare a stakeholder map that are involved into NDC process and other requirements under Paris Agreement To achieve these objectives, the consultant, as a lead author of the project documents, will: Meet virtually with the GEF Operational Focal Point and key stakeholders to discuss the scope of the project, confirm PPG support and the level of resources to be allocated to the project development; The consultant, with the support of the PPG team members, will prepare, review, reconfirm and/or amend (if/where necessary) the following points: The global environmental issues, CBIT focus, related national NDC mitigation and adaptation priorities, technical and reporting capacities, systems and barriers that must be addressed via the project and utilizing FAO comparative advantage; Reconfirm/update the baseline scenario and associated baseline activities/projects - analyse relevant past and ongoing activities, projects and programmes that seek to address Enhanced Transparency Frameworks and identify priority gaps where these fall short; based on the analysis of ongoing and planned projects/programmes, estimate potential baseline funding (sources of co-finance); Review and, if necessary, re-define/focus the proposed alternative scenario, GEF focal area strategies, with a brief description of expected outcomes and components of the project, and articulate the projects theory of change; Review and if necessary, re-articulate the incremental reasoning for the project; Highlight innovation and sustainability aspects of the proposed project and potential for scaling up or replication; Highlight partnerships and synergies supporting scale out of impacts (i.e. supporting national reporting from other priority sectors); Tags climate change climate finance comparative advantage continuous improvement covid international relations knowledge management knowledge sharing land use monitoring and reporting natural resources participatory political science project formulation project identification sustainable growth transparency If/where applicable, outline how the project can best address socioeconomic issues such as gender and indigenous communities issues/ concerns; Review identified risks that might prevent the project objectives from being achieved, and propose measures that address these risks in the projects design; Outline the coordination with other relevant GEF-financed and other initiatives for co-financing components; Outline the knowledge management approach for the project, including, if any, plans for the project to learn from other relevant projects and initiatives, to assess and document in a user-friendly form, and share these experiences and expertise with relevant stakeholders; Describe tangible global environmental benefits and socioeconomic benefits for the intervention, and calculate/estimate their project targets; Oversee the stakeholder analysis and consultations, and re-confirm the identification of key stakeholders (including academia, private sector and civil society organizations, if/where applicable) who will be involved in the project, and institutional arrangements for project formulation and implementation in the form of co-financing; Ensure that management/implementation arrangements are secured and agreed upon by relevant stakeholders Define and justify all project components, indicative outcomes, outputs and activities and budget allocations (both GEF and co-finance) across the components; Integrate the risks identified during the PIF incl. those in the environmental and social safeguards and climate change assessments, where relevant Identify potential areas of support through the project on building back better from COVID-19 impacts , and Present and discuss the projects ProDoc and tracking tool with government, partners and relevant FAO teams, and incorporate feedback. CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements University degree in Economics, development studies, environmental/agricultural sciences, political science, social science, international relations, business administration or a related appropriate field 3 years of relevant experience in climate finance and project/programme planning and monitoring, including practical experience in project formulation, appraisal, implementation, monitoring, communication and/or in financial and budget planning. Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian. FAO Core Competencies Results Focus Teamwork Communication Building Effective Relationships Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement Technical/Functional Skills Work experience in more than one location or area of work Extent and relevance of experience in project/programme formulation Extent and relevance of experience in results monitoring and reporting Familiarity with climate finance mechanisms Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing) Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ For more information, visit the FAO employment website HOW TO APPLY To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered. We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1632342277474 BERLIN (AP) Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany's parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. An environmental activist speaks during a press conference on the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the climate strike in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The banners read: "Greenhouse gas, 50 percent down." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) BERLIN (AP) Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany's parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change. The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns. The idea for a global "climate strike" was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg's solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure. "We can still turn this around," she said, to cheers. "We demand change, and we are the change." Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the main parties weren't far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Neubauer has referred to Sunday's election as the "vote of the century," arguing that the decisions taken by the next government will influence the country's efforts to tackle climate change for decades to come. The issue has been a major topic during the election campaign. Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Friday's rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults. Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert at the Berlin rally, said he hoped older Germans would consider the issue when casting their votes on Sunday. "The majority of voters are older than 50 and determine the outcome of the election," Bohrenfeldt, 36, said. "I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren." Civics teacher Anne Kokott, cradling her infant son, Enzo, said she hoped Friday's large turnout would signal the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis and perhaps have an impact on undecided or older voters. "Today is important because of the election," Kokott, 36, said. Students march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement's initiatives in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner) in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner) Christiane Koetter-Lietz, who attended with her children and grandchildren, said she would be voting for Germany's Green party, which has campaigned for tougher measures to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions. "We have water catastrophes, fire catastrophes, the world is burning. This is the very last warning," said the 69-year-old from the western town of Unna. Across the street from the protest, two young climate activists pressed on with a hunger strike meant to draw politicians into making public commitments on climate policy. Henning Jeschke, 21, started his fast on Aug. 30, initially as part of a group of seven, with the others having since dropped out, most this week. In their place, another hunger striker joined Jeschke. Both have said they would escalate and begin refusing liquids. Students hold up a banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Organizers initially said Jeschke and Lea Bonasera would stop taking liquids Thursday evening, but Jeschke's father, Eckart, said the more severe protest is to begin Saturday morning. The hunger strikers are demanding that Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, seen as a front-runner for becoming Germany's next chancellor, acknowledges publicly that the country faces a climate emergency. A German government official said pressure from young climate activists already had resulted in concrete policies in recent years, from higher carbon prices to billions of euros (dollars) being invested in greener technologies. "We also have a new mood across society, where politicians don't have to explain why they're doing something to protect the climate anymore. They have to explain why they're not protecting the climate," German Environment Ministry spokesman Nikolai Fichtner said. In Prague, the Czech Republics capital, hundreds of students and environment activists shouted "Now or never," and displayed banners with slogans and statements such as "Climate justice," and "We want a healthy planet for our children." Small groups of young climate protesters held demonstrations in multiple Indian cities on Friday, calling on politicians and big businesses to ramp up their ambitions for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to a raft of climate pledges. "Just because there is a pandemic doesnt mean you stop working around the climate crisis," said Srijani Datta, a youth climate activist in New Delhi. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Global warming also has been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters head to the polls for a general election on Saturday. All parties running for seats in the North Atlantic island nations parliament acknowledge global warming as a force of change in a sub-Arctic landscape but disagree on how to respond to it. While many of the protests worldwide were restrained family affairs, activists in Britain blocked the countrys busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis, as well as fuel poverty in the U.K. ___ Karel Janicek in Prague and Rishabh R. Jain in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate Logan Giesbrecht left his dream job as an emergency room nurse when the mental health strain of an understaffed department became unbearable, even before the pandemic's fourth wave hit and anti-vaccination protesters began gathering outside hospitals. Nurses and supporters rally in front of the Royal Alexandra hospital as nurses hold a National Day of Action information picket against cutbacks by the Alberta government, in Edmonton, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Logan Giesbrecht left his dream job as an emergency room nurse when the mental health strain of an understaffed department became unbearable, even before the pandemic's fourth wave hit and anti-vaccination protesters began gathering outside hospitals. "The biggest frustration, and what I'm taking home from work, was basically doing the job of more than one nurse," said Giesbrecht, who feared low staffing levels would risk patient safety. He quit working at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, B.C., last April for a part-time position at a private clinic for workers assigned to a dam project on British Columbia's Peace River, but the long hours and weeks of time away from his family in Fort St. John took a toll. Faced with a decision, Giesbrecht chose to return to his hometown where he will be helping out on the front lines at his former job starting next month. "I'm hopeful that change will occur," he said. "Even now, as it's struggling in many ways, the citizens of Kamloops are still better off to have a hospital at some capacity than no hospital at all." Giesbrecht, who graduated from nursing school in 2017, said rising pressures are being felt among many of his colleagues, some of whom have left the profession as staffing shortages lead to overtime and push many towards burnout. "We just can't keep throwing new grads into the pit, and then they only last three or four years before they run away," he said. Representatives for nurses around the country are calling on the federal government to come up with a national plan to attract and retain nurses during a "crisis" they say needed action long before the uptick in cases from the Delta variant. Statistics Canada released data this week from the second quarter of 2021 showing a steep rise in job vacancies for both registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, which are part of a single category in its analysis. Those professions had the largest increase in vacancies of all occupations over a two-year period, up by 10,400 to 22,400 a hike of nearly 86 per cent, the agency said, adding nearly half of the vacancies had been open for 90 days or more, compared with 24 days across all occupations. Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said it's not uncommon for some registered nursing positions to be vacant for a couple of weeks, as workers switch jobs within a hospital or health region, but having vacancies unfilled for 90 days or longer is unsustainable. The federation is calling for urgent federal support, joining a similar plea by health unions in Alberta where the country's highest provincial COVID-19 case counts have overwhelmed nurses and hospital beds, and pushed Premier Jason Kenney to ask other jurisdictions for help. Silas said a national "health-care workforce agency" is needed to assess the number of graduates required by provinces and territories, along with a plan to recruit and retain nurses. Further measures should include providing "bridging programs" to help licensed practical nurses train for registered nursing positions instead of starting from scratch, she added "The federal government should have a base of expertise on health human resources," she said, noting the shortage has, in some cases, forced entire emergency departments to close and cancelled scheduled surgeries. "Everyone is running scared. And I don't blame them. It keeps me up at night wondering what's going to happen at the end of this pandemic." Michael Villeneuve, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association, echoed Silas's sentiments, saying a co-ordinated approach was tried in the mid-1990s when he led a federal nursing advisory committee that lobbied for increased funding for nursing school seats after chopped budgets led to an acute shortage of nurses. "I've never been so concerned with health-care sustainability and safety than I am right now," the former intensive care nurse said. "It's a crisis. And if this doesn't do it then I don't know what will." Silas and Villeneuve say they're also worried about the pressures of mandatory overtime, something they say is being used as a strategy to fill vacant jobs. Statistics Canada said in September 2020 that nurses who put in overtime worked up to five more hours per week in April and May that year compared with the same months a year earlier. It cited the highest overtime hours in Quebec and Ontario due to a greater number of COVID-19 patients in those provinces. Now, during the fourth wave of the pandemic, many nurses say they have no assurance that things will change but that they're "done asking." This expression was the theme of rallies in various cities last week as nurses took part in a national day of action. Frustrations in Quebec had Premier Francois Legault promising up to $18,000 in bonuses Thursday for full-time nurses so more of them don't quit. He said the effort is part of a "mini revolution" in the province's health network after pandemic-induced stresses contributed to a shortage of 4,300 nurses. British Columbia Premier John Horgan said he discussed the challenges of the nursing shortage with Legault during a meeting of premiers on Thursday. He said every province is trying to compete with other jurisdictions to attract more health-care workers and that immigration may be one way to meet demand. Premiers are calling on the federal government to better compensate health-care workers by boosting its share of funding to 35 per cent from 22 per cent. They've requested a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as soon as possible to expand on ideas for improving health-care across the country. "In order to provide services for people in health care you need health-care providers," Horgan said. "That means you have to train them, you have to pay them and you have to make sure you don't burn them out." Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The problem has also prompted doctors to speak out. Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the Canadian Medical Association, said she doesn't see the situation improving without a national plan. She said a lack of nurses can impact physicians' ability to care for their patients. Nurses in non-critical care wards who are sometimes redeployed to critical care are now looking after three or four patients instead of just one, Smart added. "This crisis is on top of years of austerity in the health-care system, which has been chronically understaffed," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. As wealthy countries begin to consider whether to offer their populations a third COVID-19 shot, African nations still waiting for their first gave this stark reminder to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday: No one is safe unless we are all safe. A seat is marked off for social distancing because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. (Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP) As wealthy countries begin to consider whether to offer their populations a third COVID-19 shot, African nations still waiting for their first gave this stark reminder to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday: "No one is safe unless we are all safe." That message was repeated throughout the day as the inequity of vaccine distribution came into sharp focus. As of mid-September, fewer than 4% of Africans have been fully immunized and most of the 5.7 billion vaccine doses administered around the world have been given in just 10 rich countries. Chads president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno warned of the dangers of leaving countries behind. "The virus doesnt know continents, borders, even less nationalities or social statuses," Itno told the General Assembly. "The countries and regions that arent vaccinated will be a source of propagating and developing new variants of the virus. In this regard, we welcome the repeated appeals of the United Nations secretary general and the director general of the (World Health Organization) in favor of access to the vaccine for all. The salvation of humanity depends on it." The struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic has featured prominently in leaders' speeches over the past few days many of them delivered remotely exactly because of the virus. Country after country acknowledged the wide disparity in accessing the vaccine, painting a picture so bleak that a solution has at times seemed impossibly out of reach. South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa pointed to vaccines as "the greatest defense that humanity has against the ravages of this pandemic." "It is therefore a great concern that the global community has not sustained the principles of solidarity and cooperation in securing equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines," he said. "It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82% of the worlds vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than 1% has gone to low-income countries." In this photo taken from video, South Africa's President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa remotely addresses the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in a pre-recorded message, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at UN headquarters. (UN Web TV via AP) He and others urged U.N. member states to support a proposal to temporarily waive certain intellectual property rights established by the World Trade Organization to allow more countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, to produce COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier this year, U.S. President Joe Biden broke with European allies to embrace the waivers, but there has been no movement toward the necessary global consensus on the issue required under WTO rules. While some nongovernmental organizations have called the waivers vital to boosting global production of the shots, U.S. officials concede it is not the most constricting factor in the inequitable vaccine distribution and some privately doubt the waivers for the highly complex shots would lead to enhanced production. Angola President Joao Lourenco said it was "shocking to see the disparity between some nations and others with respect to availability of vaccines." "These disparities allow for third doses to be given, in some cases, while, in other cases, as in Africa, the vast majority of the population has not even received the first dose," Lourenco said. The U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Israel are among the countries that have begun administering boosters or announced plans to do so. Namibia President Hage Geingob called it "vaccine apartheid," a notable reference given the country's own experience with apartheid when neighboring South Africas white minority government controlled South West Africa, the name for Namibia before its independence in 1990. "There is a virus far more terrible, far more harrowing than COVID19. It is the virus of inequality," said the president of the Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan. The grim consequences of COVID-19 hit Tanzania especially hard when the East African countrys then-president John Magufuli, who had insisted the coronavirus could be defeated with prayer, died in March. The presidency went to his deputy, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has since changed Tanzanias course on the pandemic but still sees great challenges ahead. "We tend to forget that no one is safe until everyone is safe," she said during her speech Thursday, stressing the importance of countries with surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses sharing them with other countries. Benido Impouma, a program director with the WHOs Africa program, noted during a weekly video news conference that the surge in new COVID-19 cases is starting to ease in Africa "but with 108,000 new cases, more than 3,000 lives lost in the past week and 16 countries still in resurgence, this fight is far from over." "Fresh increases in cases should be expected in the coming months," Impouma said. "Without widespread vaccination and other public and social measures, the continent's fourth wave is likely to be the worst, the most brutal yet." On Wednesday, during a global vaccination summit convened virtually on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Biden announced that the United States would double its purchase of Pfizers COVID-19 shots to share with the world to 1 billion doses, with the goal of vaccinating 70% of the global population within the next year. Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Lack of access to vaccines is not just Africa's concern. Leaders of developing nations in different regions echoed the frustration. President Luis Arce of Bolivia, one of Latin Americas poorest nations, told assembled diplomats that biopharmaceutical companies should make their patents available and share knowledge and technology for vaccine production. "Access to the vaccine should be considered a human right. We cannot be indifferent, much less profit from health in pandemic times," Arce said. Earlier on Thursday, Cubas President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed that "hundreds of millions of people in low-income nations still await their first dose, and cant even guess whether they will ever receive it." The WHO says only 15% of promised donations of vaccines from rich countries that have access to large quantities of them have been delivered. The U.N. health agency has said it wants countries to fulfill their dose-sharing pledges "immediately" and make shots available for programs that benefit poor countries and Africa in particular. ___ Associated Press writers Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal, Zeke Miller in Washington, David Biller in Rio de Janeiro and Mallika Sen in New York contributed to this report. Follow Pia Sarkar on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PiaSarkar_TK CALGARY - Canadian meat packers are lobbying the federal government to let them bring in more temporary foreign workers in light of a labour shortage crisis they say has reached an "all-time high." Meat is shown in a grocery store in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. CALGARY - Canadian meat packers are lobbying the federal government to let them bring in more temporary foreign workers in light of a labour shortage crisis they say has reached an "all-time high." The Canadian Meat Council which represents Canada's federally registered meat packers and processing plants said Friday there are more than 4,000 empty butcher stations at meat production facilities countrywide, working out to an average job vacancy rate of more than 10 per cent. In Quebec, the situation is even more severe, with job vacancy rates approaching 40 per cent, said Canadian Meat Council spokeswoman Marie-France Mackinnon. Alberta plants are also struggling, with vacancy rates hovering near 20 per cent, she said. "Without a workforce, you can't operate," Mackinnon said, adding several Canadian packing plants were forced to temporarily shut down production lines over the summer due to a shortage of workers. ""It really limits our ability to have made-in-Canada protein. It means more meat is being processed in the U.S. and other countries, and more meat imports for Canadians, she said. Mackinnon said the industry is asking the federal government to relax the rules governing how many temporary foreign workers meat processing employers can employ at any one time from a current cap of 10 to 20 per cent, depending on the facility, to 30 per cent, which was what was allowed under Canada's temporary foreign worker program before it was overhauled by former prime minister Stephen Harper's government in 2014. "We need a reset to the cap," Mackinnon said. "One of our members is reporting losses of $700,000 per week due to lack of manpower, so nearly $3 million per month." Labour force shortages have long been an issue for Canada's meat-packing sector, which for years has said it struggles to find Canadians who want to become butchers. Though the jobs offer unionized wage rates and benefit packages, they are also physically demanding, rurally located, and many find them unappealing. But COVID-19 has worsened an existing problem. Richard Vigneault, spokesperson for Quebec-based pork and poultry processor Olymel, said some workers may have chosen to stay home and rely on government support programs rather than work in the industry during a pandemic. "It's tough for any manufacturer to find employees right now," Vigneault said. "The competition on the market now is really tight. But we're working very hard to cope with the labour shortage across Canada and we're working on all fronts to be able to operate as normally as possible." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. At Cargill Foods, which operates beef processing plants in Guelph, Ont., and High River, Alta., the company is offering signing bonuses and increased base pay in an effort to attract talent, as well as exploring benefits like child care, on-site medical services, and housing support, said company spokesman Daniel Sullivan. "Of course, we are also looking at what the workplace of the future looks like which will absolutely include more digitalization and automation," Sullivan said in an email. Cameron Bruett, spokesman for JBS Foods which operates a major beef packing plant near Brooks, Alta., said the facility is currently operating "as normal" though he acknowledged that labour is a challenge at this time. He said the company is doing a number of things to attract and retain employees, including offering paid community college tuition to workers and their dependants. In the early days of the pandemic, the Cargill plant at High River became the site of Canada's then-largest outbreak of cases at a single facility, with more than 900 employees getting sick and two worker deaths. An outbreak last spring at the JBS facility near Brooks sickened more than 600 workers and resulted in one death. Olymel has also dealt with significant outbreaks, at locations in both Quebec and Alberta. However, mass on-site vaccination clinics at the country's largest meat-packing facilities earlier this year have significantly reduced the toll of the virus on the industry's workforce in the last half of 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. Delta 9 Cannabis has ranked seventh out of 448 companies listed on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies. Delta 9 Cannabis has ranked seventh out of 448 companies listed on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies. The ranking, which comes out today, measures three years of revenue and over that time the Winnipeg integrated cannabis companys revenue grew by 5,413 per cent. As a public company, Delta 9 releases its financial results every three months, so John Arbuthnot, Delta 9s co-founder and CEO, was well aware of the kind of solid growth it was generating. "But we were surprised," he said. "We were thrilled to be on the list and in the top 10. We pride ourselves in being a Manitoba-based company and any time a Manitoba company can be positioned in the top 10 it is something to celebrate." Delta 9 was one of the first group of 13 companies to become a licensed producer of medical marijuana back in 2013. It hit $1 million in revenue in 2017 and in 2020 it was up over $52 million. It now employs about 400 people, 350 of them in Manitoba. (The company now has five stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan.) When recreational use of cannabis was legalized, the company decided early on that it would become fully integrated producing cannabis and selling it to other retailers, operating its own retail stores as well as manufacturing and selling growing equipment and providing consulting to other producers. The model has been very successful. Not only is it the seventh fastest-growing company in the country, it is also one of only a handful of Canadian cannabis companies to be profitable. Last quarter was its seventh consecutive profitable quarter (not counting non-cash accounting items). MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9 Cannabis, says he was thrilled to be on the list and in the top 10. This week, the company opened its 16th store on Pembina Highway south of Bishop Grandin Boulevard. Arbuthnot said Delta 9 is well on its way to having 20 stores by the end of the year. The stores average $3 million-plus in revenue, outperforming its peers. It also recently partnered with an indoor farming technology broker to intensify sales of its proprietary Grow Pod, its modular, scalable and stackable production units built from repurposed shipping containers. The company has already sold $15 million of the units. The closure of the border to the U.S. slowed the growth of sales of Grow Pods but with the border now opening, the company is already shipping Grow Pods for projects in Montana and Illinois. As well as the company has been performing, its share price has languished almost since the day it went public in September 2018. While it is a source of frustration, Arbuthnot said it is something the entire sector has been dealing with. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said, "Our job is to get out there and tell the story to get the share price to reflect the value we have created." To that end, it recently hired a veteran Bay Street professional to a new senior vice-president position at the company as head of strategy, corporate development and capital markets. Getting the profile of landing on the top 10 of such a noticed national ranking cant hurt. "Its time now for us to build out and really push the capital markets profile for the company," he said. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Recovery was the topic of discussion at the opening of the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Associations virtual summit Thursday. Recovery was the topic of discussion at the opening of the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Associations virtual summit Thursday. The two-day conference, the first event held by the new organization, was organized to help Indigenous-owned businesses enter and thrive in Manitobas tourism industry. Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada president and CEO Keith Henry. Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada president and chief executive officer Keith Henry said the sector had been seeing "unprecedented growth" pre-COVID-19 pandemic, to the tune of around $41 million contributed to the GDP in Manitoba. Once COVID-19 hit, Henry said, it dropped by 52 per cent to around $29 million. Research from Crown corporation Travel Manitoba gauges tourism in the province may not return to 2019 levels until 2024. A strategy report released by the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Association, first launched in 2019 but updated to recognize the effect of COVID-19 in 2021, outlined possible hurdles to bringing people back to Indigenous-owned operations. Some were already hurdles pre-COVID: the report mentions tourist hesitation around "being welcomed by an Indigenous community" was already a challenge, perceptions of Indigenous culture as homogenous by visitors, and troubles accessing sustainable funding and support were concerns only heightened by the pandemic. However, a growing interest in Indigenous tourism experiences gives Manitoba a unique opportunity, Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere said Thursday at the summit. "Indigenous tourism has the potential to change perspectives, as well as preserve culture, language and traditions," he said. "Indigenous tourism provides an opportunity to improve the socio-economic environment of Indigenous communities." Many Indigenous businesses that would be considered part of the tourism sector are in the northern town of Churchill; much of those are focused in the accommodation and food service industries, two of the markets hardest hit by the pandemic. Domestic local markets should be the immediate focus for businesses looking to recover losses during the pandemic recovery period, but in time, marketing efforts will shift to an international clientele, according to the association report. In the past year, $1 million in funding was provided by the province to 42 Indigenous-led businesses through micro-grants intended for tourism development and post-COVID economic recovery. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. That recovery is going to be a challenge, Henry said, but added the creation of the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Association would help create a unified voice for sector business owners. "Its got to be through an Indigenous-led approach to marketing and development, those things will make a big difference," he said. Theres a silver lining to COVID-19s impact on Indigenous tourism, the association argues in its report: grants received by Indigenous-owned tourism businesses during the pandemic have by and large gone to businesses that were in startup or development phases when COVID-19 hit, meaning that funding often went toward improving the eventual reopening of these businesses. The Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Association was first established in 2020 as part of a collaboration between Travel Manitoba and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. Next steps for the association include hiring staff and developing a business plan. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ NEW YORK (AP) Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, just after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department over fraud charges and flew to China. FILE - In this Thursday, May 16, 2019 file photo, a man is silhouetted near the Huawei logo in Beijing. Lithuanian cybersecurity authorities are urging the countrys governmental agencies to abandon the use of Chinese smartphone brands. Lithuanias National Cyber Security Center said Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 it found four major cybersecurity risks for devices made by Huawei and Xiaomi. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, file) NEW YORK (AP) Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, just after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department over fraud charges and flew to China. The frenetic chain of events involving the global powers brought an abrupt end to legal and geopolitical wrangling that for the past three years has roiled relations between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa. The three-way deal enabled China and Canada to each bring home their own detained citizens while the U.S. wrapped up a criminal case against a prominent tech executive that for months had been mired in an extradition fight. The first activity came Friday afternoon when Meng Wanzhou, 49, Huawei's chief finance officer and the daughter of the company's founder, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China immediately. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the company's business dealings in Iran. About an hour after Meng's plane left Canada for China, Trudeau revealed that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were also on their way home. The men were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request. Many countries labeled China's action "hostage politics." "These two men have been through an unbelievably difficult ordeal. For the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance and grace and we are all inspired by that," Trudeau said. Meng Wanzhou, centre, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves her home in Vancouver, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. U.S. prosecutors are prepared to resolve criminal charges against the chief financial officer of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies, the Justice Department disclosed Friday in a letter to a federal judge in New York. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) News of Meng's pending return was a top item on the Chinese internet and on state broadcaster CCTV's midday news report, with no mention made of the release of Kovrig and Spavor. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reposted on social media a report on Meng having left Canada, adding "Welcome home." Video was also circulated online of Meng speaking at Vancouver International Airport, saying; "Thank you motherland, thank you to the people of the motherland. You have been my greatest pillar of support." In this courtroom sketch drawn from a video feed, Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, breaks down and cries as she appears via video prior to her hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court. Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in New York. The top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies has resolved criminal charges against her as part of a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that could pave the way for her to return to China and that concludes a case that roiled relations between Washington and Beijing. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams) The deal was reached as President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have sought to tamp down signs of public tension even as the worlds two dominant economies are at odds on issues as diverse as cybersecurity, climate change, human rights and trade and tariffs. Biden said in an address before the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week that he had no intention of starting a "new Cold War," while Xi told world leaders that disputes among countries "need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation." "The U.S. Government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision by Peoples Republic of China authorities to release Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention. We are pleased that they are returning home to Canada," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. As part of the deal with Meng, which was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against her in December 2022 exactly four years after her arrest provided that she complies with certain conditions, including not contesting any of the government's factual allegations. The Justice Department also agreed to drop its request that Meng be extradited to the U.S., which she had vigorously challenged, ending a process that prosecutors said could have persisted for months. Drawn from a video feed from the defendant's attorneys office in Canada, Wanzhou Meng is sworn in before Judge Ann Donnelly, inset at right, during the proceeding in Brooklyn federal court, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in New York. The top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies has resolved criminal charges against her as part of a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that could pave the way for her to return to China and that concludes a case that roiled relations between Washington and Beijing. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams) After appearing via videoconference for her New York hearing, Meng made a brief court appearance in Vancouver, where she'd been out on bail living in a multimillion-dollar mansion while the two Canadians were held in Chinese prison cells where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day. Outside the courtroom, Meng thanked the Canadian government for upholding the rule of law, expressed gratitude to the Canadian people and apologized "for the inconvenience I caused." "Over the last three years my life has been turned upside down," she said. "It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, a wife and as a company executive. But I believe every cloud has a silver lining. It really was an invaluable experience in my life. I will never forget all the good wishes I received." Huawei Technologies lawyers walk outside of the Brooklyn Federal Court House on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in New York. Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of the Chinese communications giant, has resolved criminal charges against her as part of a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that could pave the way for her to return to China and that concludes a case that roiled relations between Washington and Beijing. The deal was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn on Friday. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman) Shortly afterward, Meng left on an Air China flight for Shenzhen, China, the location of Huawei's headquarters. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of Chinas progress in becoming a technological world power and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms and stolen technology. The case against Meng stems from a January 2019 indictment from the Trump administration Justice Department that accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets and using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The indictment also charged Meng herself with committing fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the company's business dealings in Iran. People walk across an intersection near the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday, hours after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies resolved criminal charges against her in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The indictment came amid a broader Trump administration crackdown against Huawei over U.S. government concerns that the company's products could facilitate Chinese spying. The administration cut off Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei. The Biden White House, meanwhile, has kept up a hard line on Huawei and other Chinese corporations whose technology is thought to pose national security risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. governments allegations and security concerns about its products. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Meng had long fought the Justice Department's extradition request, with her lawyers calling the case against her flawed and alleging that she was being used as a "bargaining chip" in political gamesmanship. They cited a 2018 interview in which then-President Donald Trump said he'd be willing to intervene in the case if it would help secure a trade deal with China or aid U.S. security interests. Last month, a Canadian judge held off on ruling whether Meng should be extradited to the U.S. after a Canadian Justice Department lawyer wrapped up his case saying there was enough evidence to show she was dishonest and deserved to stand trial in the U.S. Comfort Ero, the interim Vice President of the International Crisis Group, Kovrig's employer, said they have been waiting for more than 1,000 days for the news. "Michael Kovrig is free. To Beijing: We welcome this most just decision. To Ottawa: Thank you for your steadfast support for our colleague. To the United States: Thank you for your willingness to support an ally and our colleague. To the inimitable, indefatigable, and inspiring Michael Kovrig, welcome home!" Ero said in a statement. ____ Tucker reported from Washington and Gillies from Toronto. Associated Press writer Jim Morris in Vancouver, Canada, contributed to this report. TORONTO - Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (20,461.93, up 60.44 points.) Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Industrials. Up 14 cents, or 7.37 per cent, to $2.04 on 22.7 million shares. TC Energy Corp. (TSX:TRP). Energy. Up 49 cents, or 0.79 per cent, to $62.28 on 19.2 million shares. Cenovus Energy Inc. (TSX:CVE). Energy. Up 51 cents, or 4.39 per cent, to $12.13 on 10.5 million shares. Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Up 36 cents, or 1.43 per cent, to $25.49 on 9.2 million shares. Power Corp. of Canada. (TSX:POW). Financials. Down 27 cents, or 0.64 per cent, to $42.11 on 6.9 million shares. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. BlackBerry Ltd. (TSX:BB). Technology. Up $1.23, or 10.08 per cent, to $13.44 on 6.9 million shares. Companies in the news: SNC-Lavalin Inc. (TSX:SNC). Down 83 cents or 2.2 per cent to $36.10. The SNC-Lavalin legal saga was thrust back into the spotlight Thursday after the RCMP announced they've charged two former executives and the engineering company itself for allegedly paying bribes to obtain a Montreal bridge repair contract. Former SNC-Lavalin vice-president Normand Morin and former SNC-Lavalin International Inc. vice-president Kamal Francis, along with SNC-Lavalin and its subsidiary, have each been charged with forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud against the government, and conspiracy to commit fraud against the government. The two former executives have been released from custody and are due to appear in a Montreal court on Sept. 27 along with representatives from SNC-Lavalin and SNC-Lavalin International. The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) has agreed to send an invitation to negotiate a remedial agreement with SNC-Lavalin and SNC-Lavalin International Inc. The invitation went out on Thursday. Neither executive is eligible for such an offer. Such a deal, a so-called deferred prosecution agreement, would allow SNC-Lavalin to continue doing business with the governments of Quebec, Canada and abroad. Cineplex Inc. (TSX:CGX). Up six cents to $13.30. The chief executive of Cineplex Inc. says his company's decision to slow payments to film studios and seek rent deferrals and abatements during the pandemic was akin to moves being made by Cineworld Group PLC and other large Canadian retailers. Ellis Jacob told the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Thursday that after the arrival of COVID-19, it was common for global theatre operators and other businesses to try to preserve cash in these ways as people avoided non-essential gatherings. Cineplex's response to the pandemic has been a key issue as the Toronto-based theatre chain faces off in court against Cineworld, a U.K. cinema company that announced it would purchase Cineplex for $2.8 billion in December 2019. Cineworld backed out of the deal in June 2020, arguing it could terminate the agreement without payment because Cineplex strayed from "ordinary course." Cineplex is seeking more than $2.18 billion in damages from Cineworld, which filed a counterclaim valued at about $54.8-million. Fortis Inc. (TSX:FTS). Down $1.29 or 2.2 per cent to $57.14. With North American natural gas prices soaring to heights not seen in years, Canadians can expect to pay significantly more to heat their homes this winter. While natural gas prices in Canada and the U.S. have not hit the record levels being experienced right now in Europe and the U.K. where supply shortages are raising the spectre of potential outages this winter they are still higher than they've been in more than six years. Increased economic activity, the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions around the globe and the phaseout of coal are all helping to drive increased demand for the fossil fuel. At the same time, production hasn't caught up with demand. The uncertainties of the global pandemic have made producers reluctant to make significant capital investments in new drilling programs, and Canadian natural gas storage levels are at five-year lows. North American LNG exports are also running at peak volume to meet global demand, draining inventories. Already, a number of Canadian natural gas distributors have advised their customers of rate hikes. FortisBC Energy Inc., British Columbia's largest natural gas distributor, will increase rates as of Oct. 1, with most customers expected to see their monthly bills increase by approximately $8, or nine per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021. NEW YORK (AP) Some of the nation's most aggressive COVID-19 vaccine mandates are scheduled to take effect Monday in New York amid continued resistance from some to the shots, leaving hospitals and nursing homes across the state and schools in New York City bracing for possible staff shortages. FILE - In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 file photo, Medical personnel adjust their personal protective equipment while working in the emergency department at NYC Health + Hospitals Metropolitan in New York. Hospitals and nursing homes in New York are bracing for the possibility that a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers could lead to staff shortages when it takes effect Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. Doctors and nurses and also support staff, like food service workers and cleaners have been given until Sept. 27 to get at least their first vaccine shot in one of the nation's most aggressive plans to protect patients. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) NEW YORK (AP) Some of the nation's most aggressive COVID-19 vaccine mandates are scheduled to take effect Monday in New York amid continued resistance from some to the shots, leaving hospitals and nursing homes across the state and schools in New York City bracing for possible staff shortages. Many health care workers, including support staff such as cleaners, have still not yet received a required first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine days before a Sept. 27 deadline. That's the same deadline for teachers and school workers in New York City to prove they've received at least one shot. That left the prospect of potentially thousands of health care workers and teachers being forced off the job next week. Despite calls from unions and administrators to delay the mandates, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio showed no signs of backing down. Every single person who is in your care has the right to know that there is no chance they will be infected by the person in charge of protecting them and their health, Hochul, a Democrat, said Thursday. Hospitals and nursing homes were preparing contingency plans that included cutting back on elective surgeries and, at one hospital, halting maternity services. Nursing homes were limiting admissions. The states largest health care provider, Northwell Health, was keeping thousands of volunteers on standby. We would like to see some more time to be able to comply and implement the vaccine mandate, because at the end of the day its a situation where were very concerned about our ability to care for the patients, said Tom Quatroche, CEO of the Erie County Medical Center Corporation, which operates a busy 573-bed hospital in Buffalo. It anticipates that about 10% of its workforce, or 400 staff members, might still be unvaccinated Monday. Under a contingency plan, the hospital said it would suspend elective inpatient surgeries, temporarily stop accepting ICU transfers from other institutions and reduce hours at clinics. New York is not the only state to require health care workers to get vaccinated. But it has been especially aggressive in pushing for wider vaccinations to help limit the spread of the virus. The mayor and governor said workers had plenty of time to get the shots. The mandate for state health care workers was announced this summer. New York City announced in July that its teachers would need to either get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 weekly, but it then revoked the test-out option in August. While most school workers have been vaccinated, inducing nearly 90% of teachers as of Thursday, unions representing New York City principals and teachers warned that could still leave the 1 million student school system short of as many as 10,000 teachers, along with other staff such as cafeteria workers and school police officers. Those who dont provide proof of a shot by the end of Monday will not be allowed to return to classrooms Tuesday, which will leave principals scrambling overnight to make sure they have enough substitutes, educators warned. The unions said that while they've encouraged everyone to get vaccinated, some schools could be dangerously low on staff Tuesday. They pleaded for the mayor to delay the mandate after a judge refused to halt the rule. We are concerned. Very, very concerned," United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said. Mark Cannizzaro, the president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, said some schools have as many as 100 staff members not in compliance. De Blasio insisted the city was ready. Weve been planning all along. We have a lot of substitutes ready, the Democrat said in a radio interview on Friday. A lot is going to happen between now and Monday but beyond that, we are ready, even to the tune of, if we need thousands, we have thousands. The mandate for health care workers comes as hospitals are already reeling from staff shortages due in part to rising demand, workers retiring and weary employees seeking other jobs after 18 months of the pandemic. There is one option for health care workers who don't want to get the shot, which is to apply for a religious exemption. That would buy them until at least Oct. 12, while a federal judge considers a legal challenge arguing that such exemptions are constitutionally required. Meanwhile, a state judge in Albany agreed to set aside a Monday deadline for court employees to get a first vaccine shot and would hear arguments next week on whether to extend the stay. The CSEA, which represents 5,800 workers, argued that the mandate should have been negotiated and not imposed unilaterally by the court system. Earlier, another judge threw out a last-minute effort Friday by seven health care workers and Republican Niagara County legislator John Syracuse to delay the health care mandate. With time ticking down on the health care mandate, Northwell Health was trying to persuade thousands of holdouts to get vaccinated, including individual meetings with staffers. The systems personnel chief, Maxine Carrington, said they're seeing a lot more appointments being scheduled. Ive had personal conversations with team members, and I was asked by one: Are you really going to fire us on the 27th? And I said, lets put that aside for a minute and lets talk about saving your life. Why dont you want to get vaccinated? Carrington said. She said staff that refuse the inoculations will "no longer be qualified for employment. As of Thursday, about 90% of Northwell's 74,000 active personnel had been vaccinated. Still, the hospital system acknowledged that it did not expect full compliance and had more than 3,000 retirees, volunteers and health care students on standby, should they be needed. The University of Rochester Medical Center, in the states fourth largest city, announced a two-week pause in scheduling new elective procedures at its Strong Memorial Hospital beginning Monday. It also is temporarily closing two urgent care centers. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. One wild card is no one knows if a burst of health care workers will simply wait until the last minute to get a jab. One hopeful sign: New York-Presbyterian, one of the state's largest hospital systems, had imposed an earlier vaccination deadline on its workers midnight Wednesday and reported fewer than 250 of its 48,000 staffers had failed to comply. Spokesperson Alexandra Langan said in an email: For those who chose not to comply, they will not continue to work at NYP. New York state has been averaging just under 5,000 new COVID-19 cases per day with around 2,300 people hospitalized. Thats far worse than in late June, when around 300 people were testing positive each day statewide. ___ Hill reported from Albany. Associated Press writer Marina Villeneuve, in Albany, contributed to this report. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes after its equipment sparked a Northern California wildfire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes last year, prosecutors said. FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2020, file photo, a house burns on Platina Road at the Zogg Fire near Ono, Calif. Pacific Gas & Electric has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in a Northern California wildfire last year that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes after its equipment sparked a Northern California wildfire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes last year, prosecutors said. It is the latest legal action against the nations largest utility, which pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in a 2018 blaze ignited by its long-neglected electrical grid that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise and became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced the 31 charges, including 11 felonies, against PG&E, saying it failed to perform its legal duties and that its failure was reckless and criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people." If the utility is convicted of involuntary manslaughter, the punishment would be a fine for each person killed in the Zogg Fire last year near the city of Redding. A corporation cant go to jail, so were talking fines, fees, the ability for the court to order remedial and corrective measures, Bridgett said. One of our primary functions here is to hold them responsible and let the surviving families know that their loved one did not die in vain, she added. FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2020, file photo, Pacific Gas and Electric employee Sean Ohaire hoses down a telephone pole at the Zogg Fire near Igo, Calif. Pacific Gas & Electric has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in a Northern California wildfire last year that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said failing to prevent the fire was not a crime. This was a tragedy, four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them. They have dedicated their careers to it, criminalizing their judgment is not right, Poppe said in a statement. The wind-whipped Zogg Fire began on Sept. 27, 2020, and raged through rugged terrain and small communities west of Redding, killing four people, burning about 200 homes and blackening about 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) of land. Three of the victims died as they tried to outrun the blaze and were found inside or near their vehicles. A fourth victim died at a hospital. In March, state fire investigators concluded that the blaze was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line. Shasta and Tehama counties have sued the utility alleging negligence, saying PG&E had failed to remove the tree even though it had been marked for removal two years earlier. The utility says the tree was subsequently cleared to stay. The district attorney determined that the company was criminally liable for the fire. The charges Friday include enhancements for injury to a 29-year-old firefighter who was hit by a falling tree that fractured his spine, paralyzing him from the chest down. They also include felony arson counts linked to several fires started by the utilitys equipment in Shasta County over the last year, Bridgett said. PG&E, which has an estimated 16 million customers in central and Northern California, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 after its aging equipment was blamed for a series of fires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed 10,000 homes in Paradise and neighboring communities. Company officials have acknowledged that PG&E hasnt lived up to expectations in the past but said changes in leadership and elsewhere ensure its on the right track and will do better. They have listed a wide range of improvements that include using more advanced technology to avoid setting wildfires and help detect them quicker. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. PG&E also remains on criminal probation for a 2010 pipeline explosion in the San Francisco Bay Area city of San Bruno that killed eight people, giving a federal judge oversight of the company. The judge and California power regulators have rebuked PG&E for breaking promises to reduce the dangers posed by trees near its power lines. The company has acknowledged that its equipment may have played a role in sparking this summer's Dixie Fire, which has burned nearly 1 million acres and is now the second-largest wildfire in state history. PG&E emerged from bankruptcy last summer and negotiated a $13.5 billion settlement with some wildfire victims. But it still faces both civil and criminal actions, including charges from the Sonoma County district attorney's office over the 2019 Kincade Fire that forced nearly 200,000 people to evacuate. In the meantime, most of the roughly 70,000 victims who have filed claims for the devastation caused by PG&Es past misdeeds still are awaiting payment from a trust created during the bankruptcy. The trust, which is run independently of PG&E, is facing a nearly $2 billion shortfall because half its funding came in company stock. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the Zogg Fire didn't burn in the Sierra Nevada. This story also has been corrected to say that in March, state fire investigators concluded that the blaze was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line, not a transmission line. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Dyane Rodrigues used to enjoy strolling along Rio de Janeiro's iconic Ipanema beach after a hot summer's day. Daylight saving time meant her workday went by faster, and ended early enough for her to take in the golden sunset, the 28-year-old said from her fruit stand, a stone's throw from the seashore. FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2021 file photo photographed through the red lightbulb of a videocamera, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attends the launch ceremony for a housing program at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil. In 2019, Bolsonaro did away with the practice of changing clocks. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Dyane Rodrigues used to enjoy strolling along Rio de Janeiro's iconic Ipanema beach after a hot summer's day. Daylight saving time meant her workday went by faster, and ended early enough for her to take in the golden sunset, the 28-year-old said from her fruit stand, a stone's throw from the seashore. That changed in 2019, when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro did away with the practice of changing clocks. The idea behind daylight saving time had been to make most of long summer days' natural light, delaying by one hour the time at which households switch on their lamps. But the president said daylight saving no longer made sense, as it yielded little in energy savings and forced Brazilians to commute in the dark, and many experts agreed. But once again, daylight saving known here as summer schedule has surged to the fore. Brazil is in the throes of its worst drought in 91 years, which has returned the specter of power rationing. The operator of the hydroelectric-reliant grid is reviewing the scope of benefits sacrificed by the 2019 change, and federal lawmakers discussed its return this week. Associations linked to the tourism and service industries, sensing opportunity to boost evening business, are chiming in with their support. Since implementation in 1931, summer schedule has divided Brazilians between those who bathe in morning light and those like Dyane who prefer their sunsets. Governments wavered in decades that followed, adopting it some years but not others. Starting in 1985, when drought caused blackouts and water rationing, summer schedule was renewed each year by presidential decree. It became a fixture in 2008. A decade later, a Senate-led poll of nearly 13,000 people found them roughly split, with 55% in favor of ending summer schedule. Bills proposing the change didn't advance, so Bolsonaro ended the practice by decree. He admitted hed never been a fan, and cited studies showing negative impact on peoples biological clocks. People like Dyane were disappointed, but at the time almost no one was worried about electricity. Fast forward two years, and Brazil's reservoirs are dwindling. In a country where almost two-thirds of power comes from hydroelectric generation, low rainfall has serious consequences. The situation is so bad, Bolsonaro asked Brazilians on Sept. 23 to stop using elevators when possible, and to take much healthier cold showers. "Help us," Bolsonaro pleaded on his weekly Facebook broadcast. Reservoir levels in the southeast and center west regions are lower than in 2001 when the country last experienced an electricity crisis; power was rationed for eight months. Since then, the country has installed thermoelectric generation plants as a costlier backup supply, but experts say it wasn't enough. This week, the governor of Minas Gerais, Brazils second most populous state, warned power could run out at any time. The system was not made to function with a situation like this one, said Roberto Brandao, senior researcher at the electricity sector studies group of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The only reason why were not seeing greater problems is because of the economic crises of the last few years, and lower consumption than expected. This years drought comes at the tail-end of nearly a decade of lower-than-usual precipitation, and some experts have linked this such extreme weather to climate change. Amazon rainforest deforestation also reduces evaporation of moisture that then travels on air currents to provide rainfall far afield. Bolsonaro's opponents have blamed him for a delayed response to a problem experts flagged months ago. Others say this isnt a problem that can be solved from one year to the next, nor by one administration. Frankly, the (power) sector is not designed to face such bad hydrology, said Brandao, who foresees possible rationing this year. Energy minister Bento Albuquerque, who said Bolsonaro had been briefed on a looming water crisis in October last year, has dismissed critics. Brazil has introduced a water scarcity electrical rate, increased energy imports from Argentina and Uruguay, accelerated infrastructure projects that can distribute power from the less affected northeast to the south, and created a national committee that can swiftly reverse regional rules to optimize power and water usage. Earlier this month, Albuquerque asked the grid operator to analyze the benefits of restoring summer schedule, which his ministry said it is still examining. But on Sept. 17, Albuquerque said there is no need for summer schedule to return in 2021. According to a 2016 Brazilian study from the State University of Mato Grosso, daylight saving existed in 76 countries, including the U.S. and Europe. Many countries across the world have chosen to abolish it. In 2016, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reintroduced daylight saving time to save energy, overturning a decree signed by his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The European Parliament carried out a study in 2018 among member countries, in which 84% of the people said they were against adjusting their clocks twice a year. Ultimately the decision falls to Bolsonaro. His press office referred e-mailed questions about whether he was considering a U-turn nor when a decision is expected. In July, he reiterated his aversion, saying most Brazilians "are against it because it alters the biological clock. But that was before his energy minister asked for complementary studies and before the matter, once again, reached Congress. Representatives of the restaurant, services and tourism sectors participated in a public hearing this week after sending a letter to Bolsonaro saying they could benefit from daylight saving. An extra hour of daylight would lure welcome business after losses suffered amid pandemic restrictions on activity. One of Bolsonaro's closest allies from the private sector, Luciano Hang, a department store magnate, has also voiced his support. Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Most of the hearing happened in a livestream on the Lower Houses YouTube channel. While business association representatives patiently walked lawmakers through their PowerPoint presentations, a handful of Brazilians posted impassioned comments showing the divergence over daylight saving. SUMMER SCHEDULE YESSSSS, one of them wrote. WE CAN ENJOY MUCH MORE OF THE DAY WITH OUR KIDS #ComeBackSummerHours Another user wasn't convinced: NO SUMMER SCHEDULE!!! SUMMER SCHEDULE NEVER AGAIN!!! AP journalist Marcelo Silva de Sousa contributed to this report. OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Department of Health says it will immediately start offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to certain people after recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups. Luciana Benetti, 16, embraces her pet pig Chanchi at home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. Benetti found her plans for a big traditional 15th birthday party scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In its place, her parents gave her a pig, which turned out to be a loyal and loving companion. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington state Department of Health says it will immediately start offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to certain people after recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups. State health officials said Friday that at least six months after completing the primary Pfizer vaccine series, people age 65 and older; people age 18 and older living in a long-term care setting; and people age 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions or at increased risk of social inequities, should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials say there are not yet recommendations for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Biden urges COVID-19 booster shots for those now eligible CDC: Studies show masks lessen school outbreaks More rental aid is reaching U.S. tenants to stave off eviction EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic Prime Minister of Norway Ms. Erna Solberg speaks at the United Nations meeting on Sustainable Development Goals during the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (John Angelillo/Pool Photo via AP) ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SANTA FE, N.M. -- Recriminations about face-mask mandates are creating new tension between Democratic candidates in the election campaign for mayor in Santa Fe. In a flier distributed by mail Friday, incumbent Mayor Alan Webber highlighted a dissenting vote by mayoral candidate and City Councilor Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler last year in the creation of a city ordinance requiring face masks. The ordinance reinforced a statewide mask mandate from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the early months of the pandemic, before vaccines were available. Vigil Coppler says she considered the ordinance impractical but never opposed state mask requirements and called the ad a distortion. __ LAS VEGAS Thousands of hotel, casino and restaurant workers marched Friday on the Las Vegas Strip to highlight their call for employers to rehire more people who were furloughed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the reopening of casinos and hotels, Culinary Union officials said about one-third of its members or about 21,000 workers remain out of work some 19 months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nevada. Many idled employees have now exhausted public unemployment benefits, they said. Workers in Las Vegas have built the hospitality industry over the Culinary Unions 87 years and they should be centered as the economy recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the union said in a statement ahead of the evening event scheduled to coincide with shift changes on a busy weekend of Strip sports and entertainment. This march is not a protest against any casino company, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan said Friday. It is a march, not a strike, rally, action, or a demonstration. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo, a pharmacist prepares a syringe of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, at Queen Anne Healthcare, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Seattle. With booster doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine now authorized in the U.S., government advisers reconvened on Thursday, Sept. 23, to tackle the most contentious question yet: Exactly who should roll up their sleeves right away? (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) Workers chanted full-service restaurants and full-service cleaning as they started marching Friday evening from Flamingo Road on Las Vegas Boulevard where police closed off sections of The Strip. The union statement said the goal was to highlight that hospitality workers are ready to prepare and serve great food in full-service restaurants, make and serve quality drinks and beverages, and ensure guest rooms are cleaned and sanitized daily. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Koreas daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as the country comes off its biggest holiday of the year. The 3,273 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday marked the 81st consecutive day of over 1,000 and were about 840 cases more than the previous one-day record of 2,434 set a day earlier. More than 2,500 of the new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where transmissions have accelerated despite officials enforcing the countrys toughest social distancing rules short of a lockdown since July, banning private social gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. unless participants are fully vaccinated. Officials believe the virus spread further beyond the capital region during the Chuseok holidays, the Korean version of Thanksgiving which began on the weekend and continued through Wednesday, a period during which millions usually travel across the country to meet relatives. Officials say the country may see even bigger daily jumps next week as more people get tested. Less than 45% of a population of more than 51 million were fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska reported more than 1,700 resident COVID-19 cases Friday. But state health officials says that includes reports from earlier this month as they work to clear a backlog that has built up during the latest case surge. Health officials encourage looking at cases by their symptom onset date versus the date they were submitted to the state health department. The state epidemiologist says Alaska is in the biggest surge that it has experienced during the pandemic. President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 response and vaccinations in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) A weekly report from the department says the state had more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than it did at the peak of a prior surge late last year. ____ KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii The Ironman World Championship will be held outside Hawaii for the first time in four decades. That is due to uncertainty over whether the Big Island will be able to host the triathlon as scheduled in February because of the coronavirus pandemic. West Hawaii Today reports triathletes will instead head to St. George, Utah, to compete on May 7. Organizers plan to bring the contest back to the islands in October 2022. Ironman participants swim, ride bikes and run a marathon. The first race was held in Honolulu in the 1970s. It moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 1981. ___ BOISE, Idaho An advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over state crisis standards of care guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group Justice in Aging wants the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idahos health care rationing plan. The group in the complaint filed Tuesday says the plan discriminates against older adults by using factors like age in prioritizing which patients may get access to life-saving care. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Greg Stahl says the department was unaware of the complaint. Stahl says Idahos standards are rooted in ethical obligations for care and stewarding resources. ___ HELENA, Mont. Montana hospitals that reach capacity due to a surge in COVID-19 cases may be able to transfer patients to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center west of Helena, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Friday. A 14-year-old Israeli receives a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine at Clalit Health Service's center in the Cinema City complex in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. Israel is pressing ahead with its aggressive campaign offering coronavirus booster shots to almost anyone over 12, even after U.S. regulators called for limiting them to older patients or those at higher risk. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the states request for access to use up to two acute care beds and four medical beds for non-veterans, as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to increase. The beds at Fort Harrison can be used to care for patients with or without COVID-19. The VA will accept patients if it has the capacity and ability to provide required care, Gianfortes office said. The states hospitals reported they were caring for 416 COVID-19 patients on Friday, up from 402 on Thursday. Montana averaged 427 daily hospitalizations in November 2020, before vaccines were available. While making six more beds available is important, Gianforte said, the best solution to this crisis remains Montanans talking with their doctor or pharmacist and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County began making booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine available to eligible population groups Friday following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsement of a third shot for those who got their second shot at least six months ago. Starting today, eligible Los Angeles County residents can begin receiving their booster dose at any of the hundreds of sites offering the Pfizer vaccine, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. County residents seeking the booster shot must bring proof they received two previous Pfizer doses. Eligible groups include people who are 65 years or older, residents of long-term care facilities, people 18 to 64 years old with underlying medical conditions and those 18 to 64 years with high institutional or occupational risk. The latter group includes healthcare workers, first responders, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and workers in homeless shelters or prisons. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. A federal judge handed down a second blow to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements. FILE - In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 file photo, Medical personnel adjust their personal protective equipment while working in the emergency department at NYC Health + Hospitals Metropolitan in New York. Hospitals and nursing homes in New York are bracing for the possibility that a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers could lead to staff shortages when it takes effect Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. Doctors and nurses and also support staff, like food service workers and cleaners have been given until Sept. 27 to get at least their first vaccine shot in one of the nation's most aggressive plans to protect patients. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer on Friday ruled Knox County Schools must implement a mask mandate to help protect children with health problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also blocked Lees order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. This is the second time in a week that Lees order has been placed on pause as families and advocates across the state have filed a handful of lawsuits amid spiking coronavirus case numbers in schools. In Shelby County, while the school district had implemented a strict mask mandate, a federal judge indefinitely banned Lees order after families argued the governors executive order endangered their children. It is real, and likely. Knox County students are being infected right now, every day, at a rate of 162 students every day ... and the threat of harm is therefore (immediate), Greer wrote. ___ NEW YORK A live televised interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was slightly delayed Friday after two hosts of the The View learned they tested positive for the coronavirus just before she was to join them on the set. Co-host Sunny Hostin and guest host Ana Navarro were at the table for the start of the show, but were pulled from the set. Harris, who had planned to join the table, instead was interviewed remotely from a different room in the ABC studio in New York. The White House says she didnt have any contact with either host who tested positive. Colleagues said Hostin and Navarro had been vaccinated. ___ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from the new K-12 school year bolster the agencys recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study in two Arizona counties found coronavirus outbreaks were almost four times more common at public schools without mask mandates on the first day than at those that re-opened with a masking requirement. Another study found case rates in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than in those where schools had that requirement. These studies lacked data on other measures that could have influenced the results. A third study counted 1,801 coronavirus-related school closures through mid-September, most of them in the South, where many schools opened earlier than those in other regions. Jose Rivera, center, chants with other members of the Culinary Workers Union to bring attention to the 21,000 members who are still not back to work since the pandemic began, during a march, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 on the Strip in Las Vegas. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP) Still, 96% of U.S. public schools have remained open with in-person classes, the researchers say, while acknowledging that data from some districts may be missing. ___ WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is urging those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection. His plea comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late Thursday. Biden praised the decision and aimed to set aside any unease about the vaccination by saying that he would get his own booster soon. The advisers say boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot. ___ BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. A Jackson County judge has ordered a restaurant in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, to shut down after the owners continued defiance of a mask mandate intended to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, Judge Jennifer Phillips barred Raes Cafe in Blue Springs from operating, rejecting owner Amanda Wohletzs argument of medical exemptions and attempt to operate as a private club. The judge also ordered the cafe to cease operations until it obtained a valid food permit. This month, Judge James Kanatazar ordered a temporarily close after Wohletz ignored a health department order to close because of repeated violations of the countys indoor mask requirement. But the business continued to operate, and its food permit was then suspended. ___ THESSALONIKI, Greece A court in northern Greece sentenced and fined a 37-year-old anti-vaccination campaigner after he demanded his son attend elementary school classes without wearing a mask or undergoing a coronavirus test. The parent, whose name has not been made public, was found guilty of insulting behavior and illegal entry onto state property, Thessaloniki court officials said. His sentence of 15 months in jail was suspended for three years. The court imposed a 300 euro ($350) fine. Under a government mandate, school children in Greece are obliged to wear face masks and use self-test kits distributed weekly by the government at pharmacies. Anti-vaccination campaigners have organized protest rallies in Thessaloniki, Athens and other Greek cities, mostly demonstrating against restrictions in schools and vaccination mandates for health care workers. ___ ROME Italian government workers will be heading back to offices to do their jobs after more than 18 months of remote work as part of coronavirus measures. Premier Mario Draghis office says he signed a decree establishing Oct. 15 to resume in-person work. Thats the same date that all Italian workers either in public or private employment will need a COVID-19 Green Pass to access their workplaces. Many public employees who serve citizens have already been working in offices. Receiving at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, having recovered from the illness in the last six months or presenting a recent negative test will secure the Green Pass. The premiers office says public offices will assure that in-person return will happen in safe conditions. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norways Prime Minister Erna Solberg says most of the national coronavirus restrictions in the Scandinavian country will be eased. The restrictions lifted include the requirement for serving patrons in restaurants and the 1-meter (3.3-feet) social distance rule. Eateries, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to remain open after midnight, schools and kindergartens can return to normal and handshakes will again be allowed, a smiling Health Minister Bent Hoeie said. He stressed Norway will have an increased preparedness and local restriction will be imposed if there was a flareup. Norway is the second Scandinavian country to end the restrictions after Denmark did so on Sept. 10. More than 76% of Norways population of 5.3 million have gotten one vaccine, and nearly 70% have gotten both shots, according to official figures. MONTREAL - Transcontinental Inc. says chief executive Francois Olivier will retire in December after 28 years with the company, including 13 years as CEO. MONTREAL - Transcontinental Inc. says chief executive Francois Olivier will retire in December after 28 years with the company, including 13 years as CEO. The printing and packaging company says Peter Brues, a member of its board of directors since 2018 and chair of the audit committee, will succeed him. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Transcontinental chief executive Francois Olivier has a laugh before starting the company's annual meeting Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz Olivier helped Transcontinental grow its printing business and diversify into flexible packaging. He also refocused TC Media to become the largest publisher of French-language educational resources in Canada. Transcontinental says Brues has extensive experience in managing international manufacturing operations, as well as in mergers and acquisitions. Brues will officially assume the role of CEO on Dec.10. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:TCL.A, TSX:TCL.B) LONDON (AP) The British government is seeking a legal injunction against climate protestors who blocked the entrance to Europe's busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis and fuel poverty in the U.K. Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 which provides access to the Port of Dover, in Kent, England, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) LONDON (AP) The British government is seeking a legal injunction against climate protestors who blocked the entrance to Europe's busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis and fuel poverty in the U.K. Vehicles were stuck in lines as more than 40 protesters from the climate group Insulate Britain blocked the main road into the Port of Dover. The English Channel port handles 17% of the U.K.s trade in goods. Police said officers made 39 arrests. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. We wont tolerate reckless behaviour on motorways or ports (Dover this morning), Transport Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter. Im therefore seeking a further injunction to prevent this disruption. The protest group, which blocked London's orbital M25 highway on five days this month, apologized for the disruption but said it was "the only way to keep the issue of insulation on the agenda and to draw attention to how poorly insulated homes are causing ill health, misery and early death for many thousands of people." The group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, has called for better insulation of U.K. homes in order to cut emissions and energy costs. Britain, like other European countries, is facing a spike in natural gas prices that is likely to cause home heating prices to soar as the U.K. heads into winter. The British government already has a court injunction against the highway protesters, meaning the group's members could be jailed if they block the M25 again. The Dover blockade comes amid disruption to supplies across the U.K. due largely to a shortage of truck drivers. Supermarkets have reported a shortage of some goods, and a handful of gas stations have closed. The U.K government has urged people not to panic buy. Environmental activists, many of them students taking time out from school, staged rallies around the world on Friday to call for tougher action on climate change. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A group of Dutch students has reimagined van life and is hitting the road to Portugal. Just don't call their groundbreaking new solar-powered vehicle a campervan. The solar-powered vehicle is on display on a closed road, in Guyancourt, south of Paris, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. A group of Dutch students has reimagined van life and is hitting the road to Portugal. Just don't call their groundbreaking new solar-powered vehicle a campervan. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A group of Dutch students has reimagined van life and is hitting the road to Portugal. Just don't call their groundbreaking new solar-powered vehicle a campervan. We call it a self-sustaining house on wheels," said Lotte van Dasler, part of a team from the Technical University in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven. "We are independent in terms of our energy. A camper isnt, and we are. So I think that we make something new. New concept, new idea and new future sustainable future. The sleek, odd-looking mobile home took a test drive Friday at a Renault facility outside Paris. The solar-powered vehicle drives in a closed road, in Guyancourt, south of Paris, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. A group of Dutch students has reimagined van life and is hitting the road to Portugal. Just don't call their groundbreaking new solar-powered vehicle a campervan. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Solar panels on the roof of the vehicle, called Stella Vita, generate enough energy to drive and live off the grid. Its on-board information system shows just how much of that energy you use when you cook, take a shower or watch television. I think that is really cool because if you are aware of your energy consumption, you can make better choices to use less energy, said team member Tijn ter Horst. The student team says that, on a sunny day, it is capable of traveling 730 kilometers (454 miles) at a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph). And thanks to its 60 kilowatt hours battery it can drive 600 kilometers (373 miles) at night. Once it's parked and its roof unfolded, it boasts 17.5 square meters (188 square feet) of solar panels about as much as an average home's roof can accommodate. To show it off, theyre driving 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) to Spains most southerly city, Tarifa. Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The experimental road trip got off to a less than perfect start with drive train problems meaning the Stella Vita was carried on a trailer from Eindhoven to Brussels and from the Belgian capital to Paris. At the test drive Friday near Paris, project manager Laura Van Houtum said, We just want to make kilometers to make sure that these small troubles are not going to come up again." But its creators are sure that their mobile home is part of a drive to tackle climate change by harnessing renewable energy sources. We want to show that the future that we think is ... 10 years ahead of us is already here," said Van Dasler. ___ Alex Turnbull in Paris contributed. OTTAWA - Catholic bishops in Canada are apologizing "unequivocally" to Indigenous Peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools, just as Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall. Willie Nahanee, 79, of the Squamish Nation, who attended the former St. Paul Indian Residential School for 10 years and the Kamloops Indian Residential School for one year, holds a photograph of the 1932 St. Paul girls class, in North Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. Catholic bishops in Canada are apologizing to survivors of residential schools and their families ahead of a planned meeting between Pope Francis and Indigenous leaders later this fall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - Catholic bishops in Canada are apologizing "unequivocally" to Indigenous Peoples for the suffering endured in residential schools, just as Pope Francis prepares to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Vatican later this fall. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed to the wording of the one-page statement during a meeting Thursday. It says along with the church entities that were directly involved in running residential schools the bishops express "our profound remorse and apologize unequivocally." "We acknowledge the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual," it says. "We also sorrowfully acknowledge the historical and ongoing trauma and the legacy of suffering and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples that continue to this day." They are also promising to provide documents that may help "memorialize" students buried in unmarked graves, work on getting the Pope to visit Canada, and raise money to help fund initiatives recommended by local Indigenous partners. The church has been heavily criticized for neglecting to provide all documents on the schools requested by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for raising less than one-sixth of a $25-million fund promised for reconciliation and healing as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement more than a decade ago. The bishops' apology is the latest expression of remorse from the Canadian arms of the Catholic Church but still falls short of the TRC call to action for the Pope himself to apologize in Canada. National Indigenous leaders, elders, youth and survivors of residential schools are to travel to Rome in mid-December for four days of meetings, which some hope will be the final precursor to that apology. Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald has not yet reacted to the latest statement from the bishops. In August, she said the AFN was still to decide if it would send anyone to the December meeting at the Vatican, but that she wouldn't be going herself. "We've been very public that we want the Pope here in Canada to offer that apology on Canadian soil," she said. The 2015 TRC report said the apology should happen within one year and be similar to the 2010 apology by Pope Benedict XVI to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland. Less than a month after the calls to action were made, Pope Francis travelled to Bolivia where he apologized "for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appealed directly to the Pope for an apology during a visit to the Vatican but months later Pope Francis sent word through Canadian bishops that he "could not personally respond" to the call. Pressure for the apology in Canada mounted again last spring, as hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered on the sites of former residential schools, believed to hold the remains of children who died at the schools. There were also calls for release of records held the by the church that could help identify the children who were buried, often without their families ever being told of their deaths. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools for more than a century when the Canadian government enacted a policy to assimilate Indigenous children, breaking them from their culture, families and languages. The Catholic and Anglican churches ran most of the schools for the government, where children were subjected to rampant emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia, said Friday's statement would be "welcome for those who believe the primary objective is a papal apology." But she said the statement lacks "key details" on truth and accountability and leaves "a gap between these comforting words and real action." Because the Catholic church's involvement in running the schools stemmed from multiple entities, there is no one point of accountability, which is troublesome, said Turpel-Lafond. "The scattershot approach to this to date has imperilled our capacity to determine what happened to the missing children, and the unmarked burials, as well as left an incomplete historical record of what happened," she said. The statement also does not admit the church hasn't lived up to its financial obligations under the settlement agreement, she added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were free and bound for home late Friday after being imprisoned in China for nearly three years, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was heading in the other direction, her own legal saga ending in a deal with the United States. Meng Wanzhou, second right, chief financial officer of Huawei, returns to B.C. Supreme Court after a break from her extradition hearing in Vancouver on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were free and bound for home late Friday after being imprisoned in China for nearly three years, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was heading in the other direction, her own legal saga ending in a deal with the United States. The pair of flights made for a dramatic end to an international battle, both publicly and behind the scenes, that began nearly three years ago with the arrest of Meng at the Vancouver airport. Spavor and Kovrig, known around the world as "the two Michaels," left China at almost the precise moment that Meng, the chief financial officer at Huawei Technologies, was being flown out of Vancouver on her way back to China. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waited until the plane left Chinese air space before announcing the good news at a hastily called news conference Friday night on Parliament Hill. "These two men have gone through an unbelievably difficult ordeal," Trudeau said. "For the past 1,000 days they have shown strength, perseverance, resilience and grace and we are all inspired by that." The pair were accompanied on the flight by Dominic Barton, Canada's ambassador to China, and were expected to arrive in Canada on Saturday morning. Just hours earlier, Meng had walked out of a British Columbia Supreme Court, where a judge agreed to a discharge order that withdrew a U.S. extradition request against her. The discharge followed a virtual appearance by Meng in a New York courtroom where she pleaded not guilty to all charges and the judge signed off on a deferred prosecution agreement. The effort to settle the Meng case gained new momentum in the last two weeks, and culminated with an agreement reached in Washington on Thursday night between Huawei and the U.S. Justice Department, said a source close to the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly about them due to the sensitivity of the situation. Barton had spent several weeks in Washington in the spring, meeting with Huawei lawyers, Chinese and U.S. officials and others in an attempt to carve out a solution while the case was making its way through a Vancouver court. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, smiles as she leaves her home in Vancouver on Friday, September 24, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck In August, B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes reserved her decision on Meng's extradition. The next hearing was set for Oct. 21, when Holmes was likely to indicate a date for her decision on the extradition. The Huawei executive was originally detained in Vancouver in December 2018 at the behest of the U.S., where she faced charges related to American sanctions against Iran, and then Kovrig and Spavor were arrested in China days later in apparent retaliation. China has publicly maintained that there is no connection between her case and the men's imprisonment but has also dropped broad hints that if she were allowed to go free, that could benefit the two Canadians. Then on Friday, a surprise court hearing in New York delivered the long-awaited breakthrough. Assistant U.S. attorney David Kessler told the New York court on Friday the agreement would allow for the charges against Meng to be dismissed after Dec. 1, 2022 four years from the date of her arrest provided that she complied with all her obligations under the terms of the deal. "Should the offices pursue the prosecution that is deferred by this agreement, Meng stipulates to the admissibility of the statement of facts in any proceeding against her," he said. "Meng further agrees that she and her lawyers, and representatives authorized to speak on her behalf, will not make any statements after entry into this agreement that may contradict any of the facts in the statement of facts." The U.S. statement of facts spells out the thrust of the allegations against Meng essentially, that she portrayed Skycom, which operated primarily in Iran, as a separate and distinct business partner when it was for all intents and purposes a wholly owned subsidiary. "As Meng knew, Skycom was not a business partner of, or a third party working with, Huawei," the document says. "Instead, Huawei controlled Skycom, and Skycom employees were really Huawei employees." Huawei and Skycom were also charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and violating the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act the sanctions law. The status of those charges remained unclear. A statement from Canada's Department of Justice after the U.S. hearing said there was no longer a basis for the extradition proceedings against her. "Meng Wanzhou is free to leave Canada," the statement said. "Meng Wanzhou was afforded a fair process before the courts in accordance with Canadian law. This speaks to the independence of Canada's judicial system."' On Friday night, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country joined the world in welcoming the news. "The U.S. government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision by Peoples Republic of China authorities to release Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention. We are pleased that they are returning home to Canada," he said in a statement. Meng appeared in person in the B.C. Supreme Court on Friday afternoon where Holmes signed the order discharging her, vacating her bail conditions and officially closing the Canadian case against her. "Thank you, my lady," Meng told Holmes. In a statement outside the court, Meng thanked Crown lawyers and the Canadian people for their tolerance. "Sorry for the inconvenience," she said. Meng also noted how her life has been turned "upside down" by the case. She said she appreciated the court for its professionalism and the Canadian government for upholding the rule of law. "It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, a wife and a company executive," Meng said. "But I believe every cloud has a silver lining. It really was an invaluable experience in my life. The greater the difficulty, the greater the growth." The Huawei executive's arrest three years ago saw relations between Canada and China deteriorate and a cascade of effects including the arrest of the two Canadian men. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Kovrig is a Canadian diplomat on leave to the International Crisis Group, a peace-building non-governmental organization. Spavor is an entrepreneur who tried to forge people and business ties to North Korea. They were detained on Dec. 10, 2018. Comfort Ero, the vice president of the Crisis Group, offered effusive thanks that the 1,020-day ordeal of Kovrig had ended. "To Beijing: We welcome this most just decision. To Ottawa: Thank you for your steadfast support for our colleague. To the United States: Thank you for your willingness to support an ally and our colleague. To the inimitable, indefatigable, and inspiring Michael Kovrig, welcome home," said Ero. Earlier this year, Kovrig and Spavor were both convicted of spying in closed Chinese courts a process that Canada and dozens of allies said amounts to arbitrary detention on bogus charges in a closed system of justice with no accountability. Spavor received an 11-year sentence, while Kovrig had yet to be sentenced. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021. OTTAWA - Canada's premiers are demanding a meeting with the newly re-elected prime minister to ask for more money no strings attached to pump into their health-care systems. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau son Hadrien hides behind his dad as he accompanies him along with wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau during a campaign stop meeting with health care workers in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Canada's premiers are pushing the newly re-elected government more unconditional health care funding as their top priority. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Canada's premiers are demanding a meeting with the newly re-elected prime minister to ask for more money no strings attached to pump into their health-care systems. The provincial and territorial leaders held a teleconference Thursday to discuss what they need from the federal government and agreed health care is their top priority. The premiers have asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold a first ministers meeting before the next speech from the throne, where they plan to demand an increase in long-term, unconditional health funding. Speaking at an afternoon news conference, B.C. Premier John Horgan said he and his counterparts spoke about tactics to push Trudeau to provide them more funding, something the prime minister has repeatedly put off. Horgan said the prime minister promised a meeting about health-care funding prior to the election, and now that the election was over, premiers wanted the sit-down to happen. He added that even some premiers who are new to their jobs maintain the resolve of their predecessors to pry more money out of the federal government. We need long-term sustainable, predictable funding, not for ourselves as governments, but for the people that we represent. Health care is fundamental to who we are as a society, said Horgan, who chairs the Council of the Federation. Publicly funded health care has been the difference between us and our southern neighbours, and we need a federal government that is fully engaged and that's a unanimous position across the country. This year's federal budget, released in April, forecast $43.1 billion in health-care transfers to provinces, a drop from the $45.9 billion last fiscal year after extra cash flowed to bolster systems besieged by COVID-19 cases. The premiers have asked the federal government to immediately grow its share of health-care costs from 22 to 35 per cent an increase of about $28 billion more this year. They're also asking for minimum funding increases of five per cent annually, arguing the current plan of three per cent jumps in spending means transfers don't keep pace with yearly cost increases. Horgan called the gap in health-care funding an "urgent, pressing need," and that he's already shared the concerns with the leaders of the Conservatives and NDP on Thursday. Trudeau said in August he would not discuss permanent changes to federal health care transfers until the pandemic has passed. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. As part of his re-election campaign he promised billions in health-care spending, but his promises come with conditions including the hiring of new nurses and doctors and improvements to virtual care. He pledged $6 billion to clear surgery backlogs and health care wait-lists and another $3.2 billion to support primary care. The Liberals also pitched a new health transfer specifically aimed at mental health, with $4.5 billion over five years to start. Several premiers balked at the idea of meeting new federal conditions arguing that as health care is provincial jurisdiction, they are best suited to direct funds where they are needed. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021. With files from Jordan Press in Ottawa OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau's Liberals have picked up one more seat in Quebec, pushing them slightly ahead of the Bloc Quebecois in the province. Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Granville, Taleeb Noormohamed, takes his seat before an all candidates town hall meeting in Vancouver on October 10, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau's Liberals have picked up one more seat in Quebec, pushing them slightly ahead of the Bloc Quebecois in the province. Brome-Missisquoi is the only riding so far to change hands since Monday's preliminary election results, which did not include some 850,000 mail-in ballots. Once election officials finished counting postal votes in the riding Thursday, Liberal Pascale St-Onge edged ahead of the Bloc's Marilou Alarie by just 186 votes. That leaves the Liberals leading or elected in 34 of Quebec's 78 seats, to the Bloc's 33 and also puts them slightly ahead in terms of the popular vote. The Conservatives are leading or elected in 10 Quebec ridings and the NDP in just one. Nationally, the Brome-Missisquoi victory puts the Liberals at 159 seats, although one of them was won by a disavowed Liberal candidate Kevin Vuong in Toronto's Spadina-Fort York who will now have to sit as an Independent MP. Late Thursday, Taleeb Noormohamed was declared the winner in Vancouver Granville by 436 votes over Anjali Appadurai of the NDP. With the mail-in ballot count still continuing in three tightly-contested ridings Thursday evening, the Conservatives stood at 119 seats, the NDP at 25 and the Greens at two. However, recounts are expected in a clutch of close-run ridings, where a handful of votes separates the victor from the loser. In most ridings in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada, counting was complete by Thursday afternoon, as well as in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. But across B.C. where more mail-in ballots were received than any other province election officials were still tallying thousands of votes. As the remaining results rolled in, election experts warned that, in a few photo-finish ridings, a recount will have to settle who ultimately sits in Parliament. Experts say a recount is expected in the Winnipeg-area riding of Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley where Conservative Marty Morantz beat Liberal Doug Eyolfson by just 24 votes. Elections Canada said on Thursday afternoon that counting had finished there and results were being verified. A judicial recount would likely be triggered there because the margin is so small, experts said. Quito Maggi, a pollster who runs public opinion firm Mainstreet Research, said voters should expect recounts in a number of ridings. "The Charleswood seat is heading for a judicial recount. I suspect that at least two or three other (candidates) will ask to go to recount," Maggi said. "We noticed at this election that there were a larger number than expected close races. The turnout was way, way down too. At least 1.2 million fewer people voted in this election than the last election." An automatic judicial recount is triggered if there is a tie between the two leading candidates or if the difference in votes is fewer than one one-thousandth of the total votes cast. In other tight races, the loser has the option to go to court to ask for the votes to be counted again. The NDP, Conservatives and Liberals did not say, when asked by The Canadian Press, whether they would demand recounts in ridings where they have come second by a tiny margin of votes. Among the close-run results is in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where less than one per cent of the vote separates the Liberals and the Conservatives. Liberal Terry Sheehan narrowly fought off Tory Sonny Spina by 247 votes after mail ballots were counted. In the Davenport riding in Toronto, the Liberals' Julie Dzerowicz won by fewer than 200 votes, after a close-fought challenge from the NDP. The NDP snatched Edmonton Griesbach from the Tories, with a greater than expected margin, after a dynamic campaign by two-spirit Metis leader Blake Desjarlais. Similarly, Liberal Patrick Weiler emerged Thursday from the mail-in count with a lead of almost 2,500 votes ahead of his Conservative rival in B.C.'s West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country. Elections Canada expected more ridings to finish counting mail-in ballots Thursday night. But in some with thousands of postal votes many of them in B.C. counting will continue on Friday. On Thursday evening, several B.C. ridings, including Nanaimo-Ladysmith, which is the site of a fierce battle between the NDP, Conservatives and Greens, were still counting. In Victoria, elections officials were busy tallying up more than 12,600 ballots sent in by mail the most in Canada. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Counting was also progressing in Saanich-Gulf Islands, where over 10,700 people have opted for postal votes and Elizabeth May, the former Green party leader, was on Thursday declared the winner. But in Richmond Centre, B.C., voters were holding their breath as mail ballots were tallied in an epic battle between rookie Wilson Miao and veteran incumbent Alice Wong. On Thursday, Liberal Miao had a narrow lead over veteran Conservative Wong who has been the local MP since 2008. Elections Canada said it expected counting to be completed in almost all ridings by Friday. This report was first published by The Canadian Press on Sept. 23, 2021. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version referred to Davenport, Ont., which is in fact the name of a riding in Toronto. A family business with decades-long roots in Weston has been acknowledged for its commitment to the neighbourhood. A family business with decades-long roots in Weston has been acknowledged for its commitment to the neighbourhood. Cantor's Quality Meats and Groceries at 1445 Logan Ave., is on the corner of Quelch Street, which was given the honorary title of Cantor Way at an unveiling ceremony Friday. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ed Cantor, owner of Cantor's Quality Meats and Groceries, with Coun. Vivian Santos at the unveiling ceremony of Cantor Way Friday. "Cantor continues to be a community hub bringing people together through their quality products and exceptional customer service," said Coun. Vivian Santos, whose ward encompasses the area. The Cantor family made their home in Winnipeg when Edward and Sarah Cantor immigrated from Poland in the 1920s. They then began a three-generation family business that sold everything from buttons and thread to farmers, to chickens and eggs door-to-door. When Edward died in 1944, Sarah and her twin sons, Joe and Oscar, took over the business and expanded into meat sales. In the 78 years since then, Cantors Meats has become a Winnipeg staple. It has nearly 60 employees in its 13,000-square-feet store. "Their story is one that Winnipeggers are very proud of," said Coun. Devi Sharma. "Its full of so much warmth and inspiration, a hard work ethic and a strong commitment to their employees and customers." Ed Cantor, the son of Joe Cantor who has owned the store since 1981, thanked his staff for continuing to work throughout a pandemic "sometimes scared, but mostly happy to be here and do their jobs." "Im sure my grandmother Sarah never envisioned in 1943 when she moved Cantors grocery from Dufferin Avenue to 2202 Gallagher Ave. that we would continue to thrive, to grow, to expand," he said. The business has thrived, in part, by providing credit accounts for shoppers; it was the first to offer home delivery. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Definitely within the inner-city theres a lot of issues when it comes to food protection and the lack of available fresh food," Santos said. "Its so important to support local (grocery stores) that can solve some of the food deserts we have, the little pockets and areas." Many residents may not be able to afford fresh food or transportation. "Thats why its so important to support local businesses, so they can either or walk or bike and get their groceries on the way home," she said. The honorary title Cantor Way will remain in place for five years. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ One of two candidates vying for the leadership of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party has pledged to repair the broken relationship with nurses, the Manitoba Nurses Union said. One of two candidates vying for the leadership of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party has pledged to repair the broken relationship with nurses, the Manitoba Nurses Union said. The winner of the PC leadership contest on Oct. 30 will become the next premier, and set the tone for the province, especially when it comes to the health care system, the union said in a release Thursday. They say the staffing shortage is dire because not enough nurses are entering the system to meet demand. As of the end of July, there were 1,393 vacant nursing positions in the Winnipeg Health Region and recent information from the rural health authorities estimate that there are more than 2,200 vacant nursing positions across the province. On Sept. 16, the union sent each PC leadership candidate, Heather Stefanson and Shelly Glover, a pledge for them to sign, as a statement of their good faith intention to resolve the nurse staffing crisis. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The pledge includes an acknowledgement there's a critical nursing shortage, "a commitment to repair the broken relationship between the provincial government and nurses, and a commitment to share data in a more open, transparent manner so that all Manitobans can see clearly the nursing situation in all regions of the province." PC leadership candidate and former health minister Stefanson, a former health minister, signed the pledge and returned it to the union. Glover, a former police officer and federal Conservative cabinet minister, called MNU president Darlene Jackson last weekend, the union said. Glover said she wants to work with the union, "however, we did not receive a signed pledge," its news release said. On Thursday, Glover's campaign issued a statement explaining why she didn't sign it. "Since I was not in government, I dont think it is appropriate for me to apologize on behalf of others," it said. "Actions speak greater than words. I have had encouraging discussions with Darlene Jackson and have committed to resolving the nurses' union contract. I look forward to building a stronger more collaborative relationship with nurses and the MNU." The nurses aren't the only union members Stefanson is wooing. She's reportedly seeking endorsement from the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg. During the third wave of COVID-19, Manitoba hospitals were overwhelmed. They simply didnt have the capacity to treat all those who needed critical care. As a result, some patients were exported to other provinces. Opinion During the third wave of COVID-19, Manitoba hospitals were overwhelmed. They simply didnt have the capacity to treat all those who needed critical care. As a result, some patients were exported to other provinces. Did you ever wonder how it was decided which very sick patients would be treated locally, close to family and friends, and which would be sent for treatment to Ontario or Saskatchewan? Who made those allocative decisions, and on the basis of what criteria did they select the unlucky candidates? Perhaps these triage decisions were made by individual doctors at the patients bedside, each doctor following the dictates of his or her own conscience. Or perhaps each hospital or each regional health authority had its own policy. The citizens of Manitoba were, and to this day remain, completely in the dark. The government of Manitoba had no apparent triage plan during the third wave. Now, as we wait for the fourth wave to descend upon us, precipitated by the superbly infectious delta variant, Manitoba still has no announced triage protocol. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Manitoba seems to have consistently failed to plan in advance. Health Minister Audrey Gordon was asked recently by the Winnipeg Free Press whether the province was finally developing triage guidelines. She equivocated. For some time, Manitoba doctors have been petitioning the minister to implement and publicize a triage plan. They continue to warn that our health-care system may once again be swamped; at that point, Manitobas doctors and hospitals will need guidelines to assist them in deciding who should (and who should not) get optimal medical care. Lives will hang in the balance. Even when pressed, however, Gordon "wouldnt promise to enact a triage protocol," nor would she promise to consult the public about any guidelines under development. Wrapping herself in the banner of "transparency," the minister assures us the government is committed to releasing "all the information that we believe the public needs to know." Hmmm. They will decide, in their own good time, what we need to know about which patients should receive priority life-saving treatments, and the citizenry is expected gratefully to accept their wise decisions. Contrast the modus operandi of the government of Manitoba with that of governments in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Unlike Manitoba, Ontario developed triage guidelines during the COVID-19 third wave. The document was sent secretly to Ontario hospitals but was later leaked to the public. It mandated hospital intensive care units to withhold life support from patients unlikely to survive at least 12 months. However, patients already on life support would continue to be sustained no matter how poor their prognosis. This approach is a compromise between first-come-first-served and save-as-many-lives-as-possible. Quebec, which had the decency to make its plan public, allows doctors to remove patients with a poor prognosis from life support, in order to make resources available to those more likely to benefit. So in Quebec, those with the poorest chance of survival will be sacrificed in order to maximize the number of lives saved. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Alberta, whose health-care system is currently near the breaking point, has adopted triage protocols which, like Quebecs, opt to save the greatest number of lives possible. Those most likely to survive at least a year will be given priority. Patients already on life support will be assessed daily and will be taken off life support when their survival prospects deteriorate. No appeal will be allowed from these medical decisions. Are these approaches ethically defensible? Where some patients will likely benefit greatly from an ICU bed, while others will benefit only marginally, "first come, first served" doesnt seem like the right moral principle. For example, if the patient who came first is unlikely to survive long, while the patient who came second is young and otherwise healthy, then the latter should be favoured. There is a danger, however, that giving doctors the discretionary power to select which patients have the best medical prognosis may result in unfair discrimination against the elderly, racialized minorities and the disabled. Thats why we need objective rules to guide life-and-death medical decision-making. This much seems clear: at a time when Manitobas critical-care capacity is once again under threat, the government has a responsibility both to health-care providers and to the general public to formulate and to publicize a plan for the distribution of scarce health-care resources. Nor should the task of formulating a triage plan be assigned solely to a panel of experts; "stakeholder groups," such as the elderly and the disabled, should be consulted. The consultation process should open to participation from the general public as well. Critical scrutiny by an informed public is essential if we are seeking to sustain public trust in our health-care system. Its not enough for the health minister to pay lip-service to "transparency"; trust must earned by means of genuine openness to public discussion and debate. Arthur Schafer is founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba. If there is one lesson Manitobans have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic it is that public messaging from influential voices can have a profound impact on behaviour. Clarity, especially when it comes to public-health orders designed to reduce the spread of a deadly virus, is critical in the fight against COVID-19. If there is one lesson Manitobans have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic it is that public messaging from influential voices can have a profound impact on behaviour. Clarity, especially when it comes to public-health orders designed to reduce the spread of a deadly virus, is critical in the fight against COVID-19. So when two candidates vying to become the leader of Manitobas Progressive Conservative Party, and by extension the next premier of the province, send mixed messages to the public about one of the provinces key public-health measures, it undermines Manitobas efforts to fight the pandemic. Former MP Shelly Glover shocked many earlier this month when she declared herself an opponent of "vaccine mandates." She wrongly suggested health-care workers could be "fired" if they fail to comply with the provinces requirement that all public-sector workers who work with vulnerable people must be double vaccinated. Immunization is not a condition of employment for those workers. If they choose not to get vaccinated, they must submit to regular COVID-19 testing. Former MP Shelly Glover shocked many earlier this month when she declared herself an opponent of vaccine mandates. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press files) When pressed by reporters and informed that under provincial rules unvaccinated public servants would not be dismissed, Ms. Glover said she "wasnt at the table" when those decisions were made. If she became premier, she said, she would sit down with public-health officials and listen to their arguments. Since then, Ms. Glover has said she would follow the advice of public-health officials if she became premier, but added that she opposes "economic lockdowns," because, according to the former Winnipeg Police Service officer, those are not health-care matters. Not to be outdone, former health minister Heather Stefanson, who is also running for PC party leadership, said she is opposed to "mandatory vaccines." She said she supports the provinces requirement that front-line public sector workers must be fully immunized or face regular testing. However, she repeats often, including on social media, that she is opposed to mandatory vaccines. Manitoba does not have mandatory vaccines. No one is required to get vaccinated. Yet Ms. Stefanson continues to repeat that she is opposed to a policy that neither exists nor has been proposed. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It is difficult not to suspect that what both Ms. Glover and Ms. Stefanson are doing is deliberately muddling their public messaging on vaccine mandates, and other public-health measures, to court the anti-vaccine, anti-public health restriction vote within the PC party. In a one-member, one-vote leadership race, candidates must convince party members, not the general public, to vote for them. If both candidates feel there is a sizable group within the party who are opposed to, or soft on, government interventions such as vaccine mandates or other restrictive measures, they may be tailoring their messaging to attract those votes. Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Heather Stefanson says she is opposed to mandatory vaccines. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Ms. Glover and Ms. Stefanson appear to be playing both sides of the fence: they are showing sympathy to the anti-vaxx element of their party, while also expressing limited or qualified support of existing public-health measures. That is not helpful in the current climate of misinformation and false narratives about COVID-19 vaccines. It may even be dangerous, as it gives oxygen to those who have rejected the science behind the vaccines. It is, at the very least, political manipulation that contributes to vaccine hesitancy. Ms. Glover and Ms. Stefanson have a responsibility to come clean on where they stand on vaccine mandates. If they want to represent all Manitobans, they have a duty to communicate a clear message to everyone, not just to PC party members. The U.S. launched a campaign to offer boosters of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to millions of Americans on Friday even as federal health officials stressed the real problem remains getting first shots to the unvaccinated. FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2021, file photo resident of Harmony Court Assisted Living receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Jackson, Miss. With booster doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine now authorized in the U.S., government advisers reconvened on Thursday, Sept. 23, to tackle the most contentious question yet: Exactly who should roll up their sleeves right away? (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) The U.S. launched a campaign to offer boosters of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to millions of Americans on Friday even as federal health officials stressed the real problem remains getting first shots to the unvaccinated. We will not boost our way out of this pandemic, warned Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even though she took the rare step of overruling the advice of her own expert panel to make more people eligible for the booster. The vast majority of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated, Walensky noted. And all three COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. offer strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death despite the extra-contagious delta variant that caused cases to soar. But immunity against milder infection appears to wane months after initial vaccination. FILE - In this May 21, 2021, file photo, licensed vocational nurse Angeline Gabuten administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at Providence Edwards Lifesciences vaccination site in Santa Ana, Calif. With booster doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine now authorized in the U.S., government advisers reconvened on Thursday, Sept. 23, to tackle the most contentious question yet: Exactly who should roll up their sleeves right away? (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) People anxious for another Pfizer dose lost no time rolling up their sleeves after Walensky ruled late Thursday on who's eligible: Americans 65 and older and others vulnerable because of underlying health problems or where they work and live once they're six months past their last dose. Jen Peck, 52, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, qualified because of her job as an education math and science consultant. She was vaccinated back in March but worries about unknowingly picking up and spreading an infection. She travels between rural schools where many students and teachers don't wear masks and the younger children can't yet be vaccinated. I dont want to be COVID Mary carrying it around to buildings full of unvaccinated kiddos. I could not live with myself if I carried it from one building to another. That haunts me, the thought of that, said Peck, who got the extra shot first thing Friday morning. Health officials must clear up confusion over who should get a booster, and why. For now, the booster campaign is what Walensky called a first step. It only applies to people originally vaccinated with shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Decisions on boosters for Americans who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still to come. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo, a pharmacist prepares a syringe of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, at Queen Anne Healthcare, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Seattle. With booster doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine now authorized in the U.S., government advisers reconvened on Thursday, Sept. 23, to tackle the most contentious question yet: Exactly who should roll up their sleeves right away? (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) President Joe Biden said if you're vaccinated, Youre in good shape and were doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in. He urged those now eligible for an extra shot to go get the booster," saying he'd get his own soon and that everyone should be patient and wait their turn. Exactly who should get a booster was a contentious decision as CDC advisers spent two days poring over the evidence. Walensky endorsed most of their choices: People 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have chronic health problems such as diabetes should be offered one once they're six months past their last Pfizer dose. Those 18 and older with health problems can decide for themselves if they want a booster. But in an extremely unusual move, Walensky overruled her advisers' objections and decided an additional broad swath of the population also qualifies: People at increased risk of infection not serious illness because of their jobs or their living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters. This was scientific close call, Walensky said Friday. In that situation it was my call to make. President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 response and vaccinations in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Experts say it was only the second time since 2000 that a CDC director overruled its advisory panel. Health care workers can't come to work if they have even a mild infection and hospitals worried about staffing shortages welcomed that decision. But some of the CDC's advisers worry that offering boosters so broadly could backfire without better evidence that it really will make a difference beyond the most medically vulnerable. My hope is that all of this confusion or what may feel like confusion doesnt send a message to the public that there is any problem with the vaccine, said Dr. Beth Bell, a University of Washington expert. "I want to make sure people understand these are fantastic vaccines and they work extremely well. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. governments top infectious disease specialist, cautioned against seeking a Pfizer booster before the recommended six-month mark. You get much more of a bang out of the shot by letting the immune system mature that long so its prepared to rev up production of virus-fighting antibodies, he explained. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The U.S. had already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking. About 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just 55% of the total population. Three-quarters of those 12 and older the ages eligible for vaccination have had a first dose. ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York, Zeke Miller in Washington and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin contributed reporting. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Alibaba is dumping its shares in one of China's largest TV broadcasters just months after it bought them, as the company comes under growing pressure from a government campaign to rein in Big Tech's power and influence. Alibaba plans to sell its 5% stake in Mango Excellent Media, according to a statement from the media company on Thursday. It owns Mango TV, which is massively popular for its variety shows in China. China's second largest state-owned television network, Hunan Broadcasting System, controls Mango with a stake of 56%. The statement also said that Alibaba is seeking a waiver from an agreement not to sell the shares for a year. The e-commerce giant bought them only nine months ago for 6.2 billion yuan ($960 million). Based on Mango Excellent's stock price on Friday, Alibaba has already suffered a notional loss of about 2 billion yuan ($320 million) from the investment. The statement didn't provide any reason for Alibaba's plans to exit Mango. Alibaba didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The planned sale comes as Alibaba, founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, faces enormous political and regulatory pressure from Beijing, which has intensified a crackdown on the internet industry since late last year. Beijing has become increasingly concerned about the clout that big, private tech firms have over media, finance, data, and other sensitive sectors, and how entrenched they have become to everyday life in China through news, digital payments apps and other services. While Alibaba's mainstay business is e-commerce, the company has expanded into a variety of industries over the years. It has assembled a big media empire, owning major stakes in the country's most popular social media or online video platforms, such as Weibo, Youku, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, and Qutoutiao, as well as in China Business Network, a state-owned financial media outlet. Alibaba also owns the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's leading English-language newspaper, which it bought in 2015. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Beijing had asked Alibaba to dispose of its media assets, as officials were concerned about its sway over public opinion. Last November, regulators shelved a highly anticipated IPO by Alibaba's financial affiliate, Ant Group. In December, President Xi Jinping said that stronger anti-monopoly rules against internet firms would be one of his most important goals for 2021. Days later, regulators announced an antitrust investigation into Alibaba. In April, Alibaba was fined a record $2.8 billion by the anti-trust watchdog. Ant Group was also cut down to size and ordered by the banking regulators to overhaul its operations. Ma who retired from the company in 2019 has largely remained out of sight through all of this. He vanished from public view for months before briefly emerging in a video earlier this year to speak to teachers at a philanthropic event. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) You can now get your COVID-19 booster shot in Tippecanoe County, and it comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Pfizer's booster. "I'm on the side of more protection than not," said West Lafayette resident Chris Coller. West Lafayette resident Chris Coller got his COVID-19 booster in August and was able to do so because he's immunocompromised due to a kidney transplant nine years ago. Coller said it's already paying off. "I just got back from a trip to California and someone that went with me tested positive for COVID," Coller said. "I tested negative just today." He's also a WLFI employee and didn't want to risk passing COVID to co-workers. "I think the third shot did contribute to that somewhat although I did take many other measures when I was on my trip," Coller added. The Tippecanoe County Health Department started giving booster shots Friday. To get it you must be 65 or older, a long-term care facility resident or ages 50 to 64 with underlying health conditions. It's also based on individual benefit and risk in people 18 or older with underlying medical concerns or if you are between the ages of 18 to 64 with an increased risk of exposure and transmission due to your job. "It's up to you because we're not asking for proof," said County Health Department Administrator Khala Hochstedler. Hochstedler said it's important to get the booster even if you had a breakthrough case. "Because your antibodies from COVID-19 the disease typically wane within 90 days," she added. Coller recommends it to anyone wanting to take another step toward ending the pandemic. "Just to protect yourself and others," Coller said. The Tippecanoe County COVID-19 vaccination clinic is moving from its current location on Maple Point Drive. Starting Thursday, it will be located at the former YMCA behind the fairgrounds on J R Hiatt Drive. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) High school students marched through town Friday as part of a school strike and rally ending at the pedestrian bridge. It's part of a campaign pushing for statewide climate legislation. "Obviously, we really value our education and we wouldn't just choose to leave school for no reason," organizer and West Side senior Lily Shen. "So why we're here in general is because we see a really huge lack of attention around our state to the climate crisis and we believe that we need to fill that gap." The coalition of students and community activists spent the past year organizing a statewide campaign called Confront the Climate Crisis, culminating in the announcement of a proposed bill backed by State Senator Ron Alting for the 2022 legislative session. Sophomore Rahul Durai helped draft the bill. "This bill would create a climate and environmental justice task force to bring a diverse set of stakeholders to the table to create a climate action plan for Indiana," he told a crowd of dozens of people gathered at the pedestrian bridge. Organizers admitted passing the bill through the statehouse would be a challenge. But Alting says it's high time to address climate change. "We hope it'll get through the first time but believe in yourself. Believe in yourself," Alting reiterated. "Grassroots -- I have seen it in 25 years -- grassroots still works in this country." Alting adds this generation could be the one to solve the climate crisis. And Shen says the youth-led movement is gaining steam. "In 2020 which was last year we actually decided to expand statewide and that's when we've gotten volunteers from all over the state, 125 student volunteers to create this campaign that's really bigger than we could have ever imagined," Shen says. If the bill passes, the task force would submit a climate action plan with policy recommendations by November 2022. Activists are calling it a first step toward climate justice. W&M enrolls record number of new students receiving Pell grants William & Mary enrolled a record number of new students receiving federal Pell grants this fall, the university announced this week. According to the latest data from the financial aid office, 197 freshmen received the grants this year, a 18.6% increase from last years class, which included 166 Pell freshmen. Additionally, 69 new transfer students received the grants, a 130% increase from last year when W&M enrolled 30 transfer students with Pell grants. In total, the university saw a 36% increase in Pell freshmen and new transfer students this year from last. Although Pell numbers alone do not provide a comprehensive picture, the need-based grants can be used to indicate the socio-economic diversity of a group of college students. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), the vast majority of Pell grant recipients come from family income levels of $40,000 or less. The university has been striving in recent years to increase the diversity of incoming classes, including their socio-economic diversity. This years increase can be attributed to several factors, said Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe. As a starting point, the university continues to make significant investments in expanding need-based financial aid for in-state students, said Wolfe. Additionally, the undergraduate admission office worked hard to expand recruitment efforts and to reduce barriers in the application process through new initiatives such as the expansion of application fee waivers for any first-generation or Pell-eligible students and the implementation of a test-optional application process. Another way the university has sought to increase socio-economic diversity is through a new partnership with the Posse Foundation. Under the terms of that partnership, William & Mary provides scholarships to diverse cohorts of students, including first-generation college students or students who may otherwise not be able to attend W&M due to financial barriers. The first cohort of 11 Posse Scholars started at W&M this fall. Additionally, first-generation students made up 11% of this years freshman class overall. Undergraduate Admission has also been working closely with high school counselors and families to present available financial aid opportunities and assist with the application process. Because W&M is a public institution, it faces some challenges in what financial aid is available for out-of-state students. But for in-state families with incomes of $110,000 or less, W&M has the lowest personal net price average among Virginias public universities. Personal net price is the amount a family pays or borrows after receiving scholarships and grants. Since 2016, W&M has seen a 17.5% increase in students from Virginia who receive Pell grants. Among all in-state undergraduates, W&M currently has 17.1% who receive Pell grants. While W&Ms in-state Pell numbers are comparable to overall rates at national peer institutions, the university will continue working toward increasing them. While this years entering class represents progress on increasing socio-economic diversity on campus, this remains an area of priority for the university, said Wolfe. We realize there is much more work to do, and we are committed to doing it. While W&M looks to increase the socio-economic diversity of incoming students, the university is also committed to supporting the success of students from lower-income backgrounds while they are on campus. In an August 2021 report from the Chronicle of Higher Education, William & Mary was ranked as having the second-highest six-year graduation rate for Pell students among the nations four-year public institutions. According to the report, 91.6% of the universitys Pell students who enrolled in 2013 a cohort of 143 graduated within six years. That rate topped the overall graduation rate for the full class that enrolled in 2013, at 90.1%. "William & Mary is committed not only to expanding affordability for in-state students, but also to ensuring their success here," said Vice President for Strategic Initiatives & Public Affairs Henry Broaddus. Low net price for in-state families, higher numbers of Pell students, and very high graduation rates all reflect that commitment, and we remain focused on finding more ways to improve." Local women learn paper-cutting in the Monkli Paper-cutting Studio. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Jiang Lu] On the grasslands in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, ethnic Mongolian women have better living conditions, thanks to the promotion of a popular local form of the Chinese paper-cutting art. The Monkli Paper-cutting Studio was established in October 2020 by retired teacher Wuriga, who has done paper-cutting since 2015 and was named representative inheritor of Horqin Mongolian Folk Paper-cutting. The Monkli Paper-cutting Studio reflects the lives of local farmers and herdsmen through paper-cutting art which integrates multiple ethnic cultures. Local authorities have actively supported the development of traditional Mongolian handicraft skills, exploring ways for local ethnic minority women to work from home during the low season to make a living by producing unique paper-cutting art. Local women learn paper-cutting in the Monkli Paper-cutting Studio. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Jiang Lu] "Now, we share our paper-cutting experience and new creative ideas with each other every day. Our lives are more fulfilling, and we are proud of our work and inheriting the local ethnic history and culture," said a woman engaged in paper-cutting. Since the establishment of Monkli Paper-cutting Studio, 10 free training courses have been held, and more than 600 paper-cutting enthusiasts have participated. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) An active shooter situation took place at a Kroger in Collierville, Tennessee, just east of Memphis, according to Jennifer Casey, a spokesperson for the town. The select committee investigating the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, pictured here, issued its first round of subpoenas targeting close aides and allies of former President Donald Trump. Mary Johnson, an Indigenous woman, went missing nearly a year ago. While the FBI recently offered a reward, activists say that's not enough Schumer and Yellen say agreement reached on paying for economic bill but it's unclear if moderates are on board These families of missing Black people are frustrated with the lack of response to their cases On Friday, hundreds of thousands around the world are once again participating in the Global Climate Strike protest. In Germany alone, Fridays for Future has called for demonstrations in more than 400 cities. The largest will take place in front of the Bundestag (federal parliament) in Berlin. Firefighters work at the scene of forest fire near Kyuyorelyakh village at Gorny Ulus area, west of Yakutsk, in Russia Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Ivan Nikiforov) Young people in particular have realized that the world is hurtling toward disaster. Devastating hurricanes; deadly floods in China, Germany, Turkey and the US; blistering heat and widespread forest fires in the Mediterranean, Siberia, North and South America have underscored the dramatic nature of the situation in recent months. And that is just the beginning. Scientific studies warn that rising sea levels and changing climate patterns will make the Earth uninhabitable for hundreds of millions of people unless drastic countermeasures are taken now. In addition, global warming is taking on a life of its own and will be almost impossible to stop if the thawing of permafrost releases large quantities of environmentally harmful methane. Immediate action is therefore imperative. But how can it be achieved? The organizers of the Global Climate Strike demonstrations want to put pressure on politicians. They have deliberately timed the protest, which they have been preparing for weeks, for the Friday before Germanys federal election. We are certain: when the Bundestag is elected this year, it will decide the future of all of us, the strike call states. There must not be another election period marked by corruption, climate killers and failing politicians. But does anyone seriously believe that the parties that govern in the federal and state governments will behave any differently after the election than they did before? The measures they promise in their election programmes do not even achieve the completely inadequate climate targets they themselves have decided on, as the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) has calculated. Yet everyone knows that election promises and government policy are two completely different things. The Greens, who co-govern eleven German states, have repeatedly sacrificed environmental protection to corporate interests. Winfried Kretschmann, the first Green state premier, has become the darling of the auto industry. On their election posters, the Greens promise to reconcile the environment and the economy, climate protection and profit interests. But that is impossible. The climate issue, like all major social issuessocial inequality, the coronavirus pandemic, right-wing extremism, refugee policy and waris a class issue. It requires an international, social response. Such an answer is not compatible with capitalism, which is based on profit maximization and competition between nation states. The federal electioncompletely independent of its outcomewill not open a new phase of climate protection, but a new stage of class struggle. Social inequality is greater than ever. In the pandemic year 2020, the global number of billionaires rose to more than 3,000, with their wealth amounting to $10 trillion, 5.7 percent more than the previous year. On the other hand, 255 million full-time jobs were lost and workers suffered $3.7 trillion in lost income. Yet all the major parties are determined to recoup the vast sums they have thrown down the throats of the rich at the expense of working people. Not one proposes to touch the obscene wealth at the top of society. Global arms spending is exploding. The US alone spent $778 billion on the military last year, a sizeable portion of it on nuclear warhead modernization. After thirty years of bombing Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries, it is now preparing for a great power conflict with nuclear power China. Europe and Germany are also frenetically rearming, with the Greens at the forefront of this. They support the rearmament of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces), demand more war missions and agitate against Russia and China. Yet even a limited nuclear warto the extent that such a conflict is even possiblewould mean hundreds of Chernobyls and Fukushimas in one day and irrevocably destroy the global environmentnot to mention the millions of deaths. Social inequality and militarism are meeting widespread resistance. In Germany, train drivers, Berlin hospital nurses, Gorillas delivery riders and many others have gone on strike in recent days against intolerable working conditions. Siemens workers have protested against lay-offs. The class struggle is also intensifying in the US and numerous other countries around the world. Participants in the climate strike must see themselves as part of this global class movement. They must be oriented toward the international working class and not toward the capitalist governments and parties. The destruction of the planet cannot be stopped by appealing to the ruling class. The working class, which comprises the vast majority of humanity, is the most powerful social force. It is an international class and stands in irreconcilable opposition to the corporations, banks and speculators that are plundering the globe and destroying the environment. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party) fights to organize and unite the working class internationally, independent of the bourgeois parties and the corporatist unions. We stand on the position that not a single social problem can be resolved without expropriating the banks and corporations and placing them under the democratic control of the working class. Confiscating their profits and assets and reorganizing the world economy on the basis of a scientific and rational plan will create the conditions for solving the climate crisis. On the other hand, if capitalist property relations remain untouched, the ruling classes everywhere will destroy the basis of humanity's existence rather than renounce their profits. That they are willing and able to do so has been demonstrated in two world wars in the past century and currently in the coronavirus pandemic. Although scientists warned early on that only a consistent, internationally coordinated lockdown, combined with other measures, could prevent millions of coronavirus victims, the capitalist ruling elite placed their profits ahead of saving human lives. As a result, 230 million people have been infected worldwide, and nearly five million have died, with no end to the pandemic in sight. All the major parties in Germanyfrom the Left Party to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)have supported this inhumane policy. They are displaying the same ruthlessness in climate policy. We call on all participants of the climate strike: Do not waste a vote on Sunday! Vote for a socialist programme and vote for the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), the German section of the Fourth International. Study our election programme and read the World Socialist Web Site, the daily online publication of the International Committee of the Fourth International, which appears in twenty languages. Become a member of the SGP and its youth organization, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE). Two months into the fall semester, the reopening of schools across the United States has been a horrifying disaster. Both children and educators are dying of COVID-19 at a rate of at least three per day nationwide. In the last five weeks, 100 children have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). According to an unofficial tracker on Twitter, at least 311 educators have died since July 1, with the majority occurring since late July once schools began reopening. The latest AAP report states that last week 225,978 children tested positive for COVID-19, and childhood cases have been steeply rising in every region of the country since July. Nationwide, the 7-day average of pediatric hospitalizations stands at 301. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) showing COVID-19 cases among children in each part of the US through September 16, 2021 (Source: AAP) In every regionfrom the South, where multiple governors are nakedly pursuing the herd immunity strategy and outlawing basic health measures, to the Northeast and West Coast where there are relatively high vaccination rates and the media and unions tout limited mitigation measures in schoolspediatric cases have rapidly spiked since schools reopened. Contrary to the claims by the Biden administration that unvaccinated individuals are responsible for the current fourth wave of the pandemic, the AAP data, combined with local reports, prove that school reopenings are driving the terrible surge of COVID-19 in every corner of the US. The chorus of Democratic Party officials who promised that schools would be safe with proper mitigations are actively relaxing such measures and undermining the means for tracking the spread of COVID-19 in schools. An essential element of the strategy to eradicate COVID-19 globally, which is the only viable and scientific response to the pandemic, must include the closure of in-person education until the virus is eliminated. Combined with the closure of nonessential workplaces, mass vaccinations, universal masking and testing, contact tracing, the safe isolation of infected patients, and other public health measures, COVID-19 could be eradicated worldwide within two to three months. South In Georgia, a total of 47 educators have died this school year alone and an average of one educator has died each day since August 11. At least 15 children have died from COVID-19 in the state since the start of the pandemic, including four in August alone. Earlier this month, state epidemiologist Dr. Cherie Dreznik said that 60 percent of all outbreaks in the state were occurring in K-12 schools. Two educators in Georgia died on September 21, Sharon McClellan and Joe Harris. McClellan, 50, taught STEM at Welch Elementary. Her death follows that of Welchs School Resource Officer Frankie Guitterez, who also died of COVID-19 two weeks earlier. Harris, 35, was a teacher at Lyman Hall Elementary School in Hinesville and the mayor of Riceboro. Florida, which has five of the 10 largest school districts in the US, is once again deliberately falsifying its pandemic data. A backlog of 1,213 deaths from COVID-19 was reported yesterday, including 189 that occurred prior to August 26, according to the Miami Herald. On Wednesday, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Ron DeSantis newly appointed surgeon general and a signatory of the Great Barrington Declaration, announced changes to school quarantine protocols. Under the false pretense of allowing parents to decide what is best for their children, students who have been exposed to COVID-19 can go to school without restriction and students who choose to quarantine may only do so for seven days if asymptomatic. In August, at least 15 school personnel died in the Miami-Dade school district in a 10-day period. From July 30 to September 9, the states pediatric deaths more than doubled, with 10 children below 16 years of age dying in that period. The state obscures pediatric cases by including 16- and 17-year-olds in an adult category. Since the start of the semester, over 22,000 children have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mississippi. The state recently surpassed New Jersey for the highest cumulative per capita COVID-19 death rate in the US, with roughly one in 312 people dead. There have been seven pediatric deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic, and four of those have occurred in the last two months. Last week, the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions for Higher Learning became the first higher-ed governing body in the country to ban public universities and colleges from mandating COVID-19 vaccination for faculty, staff and students. There were 6,382 K-12 cases recorded last week in Alabama. The state does not publish a cumulative tally of cases over the school year, preventing the weekly figures from being examined over time. The quarantine and contact tracing protocols in place last school year have been reduced or eliminated. Last year, school officials had to notify families when their children came into contact with anyone who tested positive. This year, schools are only required to report known cases to the state. Dr. Karen Landers of the Alabama Department of Public Health bluntly told local news, Based on widespread community transmission and the number of daily positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts... the Department of Public Health is unable to investigate, contact trace or issue quarantine orders for all positive cases and close contacts. According to state health officer Dr. Scott Harris, a recent drop in hospitalizations is due in large part to an increase in deaths, which exceeded 100 per day this week. The state also made national news after an unofficial announcement that there were more deaths than births in 2020, a first in the states record that dates back to 1900. A study by the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy, published in May, found that deaths exceeded births in twenty-five states in 2020, up from only five in 2019. Nearly half of Louisianas 16 pediatric deaths have occurred in the past two months. The seventh child to die since mid-July was announced on Wednesday, only five days after the sixth. Days before Hurricane Ida, there were 453 cases reported in New Orleans Public Schools, leading to 4,657 students and staff in quarantine, or nine percent of the combined student and staff population. After returning to school following a three week closure, there are 34 active cases in the district. There have been at least 126,687 students and over 25,000 educators infected since August 8 in Texas. Major outbreaks are ongoing throughout the state, including more than 4,400 infections total in the Fort Bend district in Houston. Midwest In Michigan, where about 60 percent of students attend districts that require masks, there were 98 new outbreaks reported in K-12 schools on Monday, accounting for 56 percent of total outbreaks in the state. Another 14 percent of outbreaks occurred in a category that includes childcare, after school programs and youth sports. Schools have only been open one month. Across Illinois, there have been 206 outbreaks in K-12 schools over the past month. Pediatric cases have steadily increased since July, with infections in ages 5-11 jumping from 391 the week ending July 17 to 3,300 the week ending September 11, an increase of 843 percent. In Minnesota, there have been over 1,600 cases in K-12 settings in the first two weeks of school and health officials announced Thursday that two school staff members have died in the same period. Northeast New York City, the largest school district in the country with 1.1 million students, is touted as having some of the strongest mitigation measures in the country. Yet Democratic mayor Bill De Blasio announced Monday that unvaccinated children will not be required to quarantine after close contact with a student who tested positive if they were both masked and three feet apart. The Situation Room, the inter-agency body that is responsible for tracking cases and deciding on quarantines and closures in the district, has slashed its operating hours since last year, leading to a dangerous lag between infections and quarantines. Educators have shattered any illusion that even these inadequate measures can be maintained. An internal survey done by the United Federation of Teachers found that 92 percent of respondents said that students cannot maintain three feet of distance throughout the day; 89 percent said students are not following mask protocols; and 98 percent believe neither the mayor nor the Department of Education have a proper safety plan in place. While the UFT estimates that 90 percent of teachers in the district are vaccinated, there have been 1,689 confirmed cases among staff and students and 1,294 classroom closures in the first 10 days of school. There have been school outbreaks across the state of Maryland, leading to thousands of students being quarantined and at least one school shutting down entirely. In Hartford County, 1,100 students are in quarantine or isolating after 158 students and 44 staff tested positive. In Baltimore City Public Schools, 240 students tested positive last week, up from 185 the previous week. In Carroll County, 6 percent of the student body is currently quarantined. West Across California, a state run by the Democratic Party, efforts are being made to relax testing and quarantine protocols in schools and hide the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. Citing a low test positivity rate, Long Beach Unified School District has paused all student testing for a week. Still, roughly 650 students and 25 staff tested positive in the first three weeks of school. The Los Angeles County health director recently said that school districts in Los Angeles may now adopt loose quarantine protocols for unvaccinated students, as long as they were wearing a mask when exposed. Already, vaccinated students are not required to quarantine. As of September 17, there were 1,465 active cases and six outbreaks in Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the US with over 600,000 students. Meanwhile, the California Senate unanimously passed a bill on Friday that would allow for outbreak data to be hidden from workers. The bill would expand the employers exempt from the COVID-19 outbreak reporting requirement to various entities including community clinics, adult day health centers, community care facilities, and child day care facilities. The bill will go into effect immediately if signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. In the school districts surrounding Seattle, Washington, two weeks into the semester there have already been 195 cases among students and 73 among staff. While Washington has one of the highest vaccination rates in the US (at 62 percent) as in Alabama, a recent decline in hospitalizations is at least in part due to an increase in deaths, according to Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer. The accounts above represent a summary of the catastrophe unfolding across the country. From the ultra-right wing DeSantis/Ladapo duo in Florida to the liberals in New York and Los Angeles, politicians from both capitalist parties are reducing quarantine requirements despite pediatric cases near or exceeding all-time highs. In Washington, run by Democrats, and in Alabama, run by Republicans, hospitalizations are declining in large part due to an increase in deaths. Far from pursuing a more scientific and humane pandemic policy compared to the Republicans, the Democratic Party, backed by the teachers unions, is essentially following the same playbook. The mitigation strategy has been exposed for what it really isherd immunity with palliative care. Against the grotesque ruthlessness of the herd immunity camp, as against the impotent half-measures of the mitigation proponents, the working class must adopt a perspective that demands the global eradication of COVID-19. Scientists have shown that even the Delta variant can be eliminated within the space of two to three months. This begins with the fight to immediately stop all in-person learning, which will only be organized through the development of rank-and-file committees independent of the unions and big business parties who have enforced the reopening of schools. A fourth pandemic wave that threatens to be the deadliest yet is gathering pace across Canada. It is being driven by the reckless open economy/open schools policy pursued by provincial governments from coast to coast and overseen by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government. Protest against the UCP Alberta government's gutting of anti-COVID measures. (Facebook/Protect Our Province) The epicentre of the current wave is Alberta, where hospitals, overwhelmed by the deluge of gravely ill COVID-19 patients, are on the verge of having to deny some of them treatment effectively choosing those who will be left to die. Cancer patients and those with other life-threatening conditions have already had vital medical procedures postponed for want of ICU beds and medical personnel. Currently, Albertas intensive care units are at 87 percent of surge capacity, which includes beds hastily added in recent weeks. Absent these extra beds, the provinces ICUs would currently be at 174 percent of their capacity. When the surge capacity level reaches 90 percent, which appears to be only days, if not hours, away, hospitals will be forced to invoke their triage protocols, meaning that patients deemed least likely to survive will be denied life-saving care. As of Wednesday, there were 1,040 COVID-19 patients in Albertas hospitals, the highest at any time since the pandemic began, and 230 in ICU beds. Over the previous seven days, the number receiving ICU treatment increased by 13 percent. On Wednesday 20 deaths in Alberta were attributed to COVID-19, including that of an 18-year-old woman. This is a tragic moment for our society, said Dr. Joe Vipond, a Calgary emergency physician, who has repeatedly criticized the provincial United Conservative Party (UCP) government for its reckless decision at the beginning of the summer to declare the pandemic over and scrap virtually all anti-COVID measures. This person, who otherwise would have had a good life, died because they live in Alberta. And Im so sorry to the parents and friends and family of this person. Albertawith a population of just 4.4 million, or roughly 12 percent of Canadas total populationis currently reporting over 1,600 new infections every day or about one-third of all new cases across Canada. Given that hospitalizations typically lag several weeks behind initial infections, there is little to no likelihood the pressure on the health care system will abate in the coming weeks. On July 1, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney declared the province open for summer, and later that month, his government unveiled plans to scrap quarantine mandates, limits on gatherings, contact tracing and almost all COVID-19 testing. After weeks of daily protests and popular outrage, the government was forced to backpedal and delay the ending of mass testing and the requirement that infected people self-isolate, but otherwise Alberta pressed forward with its post-pandemic plan. Last week, with hospitals already at the point of collapse, Kenney re-imposed a public health emergency and various social distancing measures. These included limiting the capacity for indoor dining, various social and recreational activities, and making it mandatory for students in Grade 4 and higher to wear masks. However, the UCP government insists schools remain fully open for in-person instruction, and greenlighted businesses that want to force all their staff to keep working on site, especially in the resource, food-processing, manufacturing and construction sectors, to do so. Albertas devastating fourth wave and Kenneys cynical, but nonetheless politically damaging, apology to Albertans for getting the provinces reopening plan wrong has shaken the UCP government. On Tuesday, Tyler Shandro was shuffled out of the health ministry and replaced by the labour minister, Jason Copping. At a meeting of UCP legislators Wednesday, Kenney came under attack from all sides. Fearing for their seats in next years provincial election, several MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) attacked the Premier for failing to respond to the crisis quickly enough. Far stronger fire, however, was directed at Kenney from the UCPs substantial far-right faction, which opposes any effort, no matter how limited, to curb the spread of the virus. In order to fend off an immediate leadership challenge, Kenney agreed to the UCP holding a formal party vote on his leadership next spring. Seeking to shift blame for the disaster he and his government have done so much to create, Kenney has cynically tried to focus attention on long-term staffing issues. One key lesson of the COVID era is that we must expand the capacity of Canadas health-care system, he declared this week, adding that his government will join all of the provinces in calling on Ottawa for a significant increase in the Canada Health Transfer to reflect rising health-care costs. Kenneys government has been slashing social spending, including health care, since it came to power in 2019. Earlier this summer, the government demanded that nurses accept pay and benefit cuts equal to a 5 percent salary rollback. While Alberta is currently bearing the brunt of the pandemic, the reckless reopening policies supported by all parties are threatening to cause a surge in new infections and deaths across the country. Modeling released by the Public Health Agency of Canada on August 30 showed that if new restrictions were not put in place, cases would surpass the highs of the second and third waves, approaching 15,000 daily cases in October. In neighbouring Saskatchewan, hospitalizations have reached record highs with 262 people being treated for COVID-19, including 54 in intensive care. Cases and hospitalizations have risen sharply since the province dropped most restrictions in mid-July. Mask mandates were only belatedly re-instituted last week. Four children are currently in non-ICU care in the province. The increase in transmission is clearly being exacerbated by the return to in-person schooling, which the ruling class views as necessary to facilitate parents returning to work so they can generate profits for big business. As children under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccination, they are especially vulnerable to the more virulent and transmissible Delta variant of the virus. Outbreaks have forced the closure of schools across the country. In Ontario, there have been 1,313 confirmed cases and 12 hospitalizations among those under the age of 10 in the span of just 2 weeks. The provinces chief medical officer, Kieran Moore, who at the start of the month boasted the province had made incredible strides to confidently get our children back in the classroom, has claimed that the rise in cases among students is being driven by community transmission outside of schools themselves. Moore, who infamously declared in August that it was necessary to normalize COVID-19 in our schools, did not explain how this determination has been made. Case numbers among students and school staff far exceed what was recorded at the same time last year. During the federal election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strained to find differences between his governments approach to the pandemic and that of the federal Conservatives and the UCP of Jason Kenney, a prominent ally and supporter of Conservative leader Erin OToole. Ultimately, Trudeau seized on the surge in infections and deaths in Alberta to contrast his governments approach to the pandemic with that of the Tories. Speaking at a Calgary rally, Trudeau declared, I know you see what happens when Conservatives make decisions that arent based on science. Of course, the Liberal prime minister conveniently ignored the fact that his government did nothing to stop Kenney scrapping public health measures, merely asking Edmonton to inform federal officials about the science on which it was acting. This was not an oversight, but the product of the ruling classs pandemic policy, which prioritizes the protection of corporate profits over the safeguarding of human life. It is this same federal government that the corporatist trade unions are now pleading to rescue Albertas health care system from the brink. On September 18, the heads of the United Nurses of Alberta, (UNA), the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Alberta sent a letter to Kenney urging him to seek federal support. In a separate letter on September 21 the chief of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions Linda Silas wrote to Trudeau directly, congratulating him on the Liberals retention of power following Mondays federal election and requesting a meeting of healthcare leaders. Silas pointed to the brutal conditions facing nurses, citing surveys that found 90 percent of nurses reported burnout prior to the pandemic, average weekly overtime increased by 78 percent during the pandemic, and 60 percent of nurses plan to resign from their jobs within a year. The union leadership is cynically trying to hide the fact that it has mobilized no opposition to Kenneys herd immunity policies and has suppressed independent action on the part of its members. When health care workers in the province launched a wildcat strike last October over low pay and miserable working conditions, the AUPE quickly accepted a government order that banned job action. The UNA has avoided calling job action by nurses for months in opposition to the Kenney governments cost-cutting drive even though strike action enjoys widespread support. In contrast to the unions bitter hostility to any struggle by workers to resist the ruling classs homicidal agenda, thousands of Albertans over the past three months have joined protests organized by medical professionals to demand a science-based approach to the pandemic that prioritizes saving lives. Last Saturday, a G1 report was published showing that the private health insurance provider, Prevent Senior, was involved in a sinister experiment in March-April 2020, secretly medicating hundreds of COVID-19 elderly patients with hydroxychloroquine and erythromycin without their knowledge, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people. Bolsonaro with HCQ boxes in one of his live Facebook videos. The report showed a company director, Fernando Okinawa, in a WhatsApp group explicitly demanding that medical staff hide their prescriptions of a combination of hydroxychloroquine and erythromycin from patients. Meanwhile, cardiologist Rodrigo Ester, Okinawa and others distorted the patients data, erasing information on the deaths of seven out of nine patients, to publish a paper promoting the drugs as effective treatment for COVID-19 patients. With these alterations, they could claim that no one died when using their early treatment. The report about the macabre experiment was published after the Brazilian Senates inquiry commission (CPI) on Bolsonaros handling of the pandemic received a formal complaint in late August signed by 15 doctors stating that a deal was made between the Bolsonaro government and the company to distribute medications of the so-called COVID-19 kit, which includes hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and other unproven or since discredited medications. The doctors complaint also described how they were forced not to use masks to disseminate the virus among patients who would be used as human guinea pigs. Last Thursday, the complaint was substantiated by a leak of medical records of patients. Another executive director from Prevent Senior, Pedro Benedito Batista Jr., was called by the CPI to testify on the revelations. A resemblance of this episode to the barbaric eugenic experiments undertaken by the Nazis was promptly recognized. Comments were made in the media making references to Josef Mengele, a Nazi SS officer who coordinated horrific experiments on camp prisoners in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. The disturbing nature of these practices was made even clearer this Wednesday during a CPI session with Batista, when it was revealed that Anderson Nascimento, a former Prevent Senior director, made regular references to the SS themes of obedience and loyalty and tried to promote them inside the company. He was discretely removed from the company in 2017 and now works in the even bigger Hapvida, a health insurance provider for 4.8 million people. Workers Party (PT) Senator Rogerio Carvalho said during the session that he had received information that Prevent Senior went through the social network profiles of their employees looking to fire left party sympathizers and followers of groups critical of the Bolsonaro government. Far from being an exception, the episode is only the tip of the iceberg, stated Bruna Morato, the lawyer representing the doctors at Prevent Senior. On Wednesday, Morato revealed that hundreds of patients died as a result of the experiments carried out by the company until April 2021. In fact, an April report by G1, Prevent Senior doctors recounted being forced to continue going to work after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and prescribe COVID-19 kits for patients without the consent of their families. Hospital coordinators threatened to fire doctors who refused to prescribe kits and enforced informal quotas for kit prescriptions. Director Batista, who himself became a target of the CPI investigation after his testimony on Wednesday, expressed the apparent regularity with which fascist-minded individuals are taken under the wing of the company and put in administrative positions. In one tweet, he encouraged doctors to test as much as possible, meaning to use unproven or discredited medications for COVID-19 treatment to test the response of elderly people. The data distortions themselves were not isolated to the companys macabre experiment, but adopted as part of its general protocols. Company officials oriented medical staff in WhatsApp groups to alter patient charts for those diagnosed with COVID-19 14 or 21 days after the beginning of their symptoms, removing them from the COVID-19 case list. Such a blatant distortion would allow the company to declare a higher rate of successful treatment for COVID-19 cases by shifting the cause of death for those patients who died after the two or three week period to kidney failure, heart failure, or any other complications which are expected in severe COVID-19 cases. The demand that doctors prescribe COVID-19 treatments without scientific evidence is not isolated to Prevent Senior. A doctor from Hapvida in the state of Ceara stated anonymously that It is known by all doctors who work in the clinical staff of [Cearas capital] Antonio Prudente Hospital that there is pressure to prescribe the [COVID-19] kit. According to a report by Reporter Brasil, both companies continued to force medical staff to prescribe hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and other unproven or discredited medications to their patients at least until April of this year, while archiving multiple complaints by doctors who refused to prescribe the medications to their patients. Bolsonaro promotes Prevent Seniors unapproved human trials Since the beginning of the pandemic, Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro has been at the center of an anti-scientific campaign to justify the full reopening of the economy without any restraints on the viruss spread. He aggressively promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. In April 2020, the fascistic president, his family members and a federal attorney close to the president, Ailton Benedito, started promoting the Prevent Senior pre-print article on Twitter days after it was published. Bolsonaro also received the company director Batista during a live meeting to promote false COVID-19 treatments. A video obtained by Metropoles shows Batista stating he shares Prevent Senior medical data all the time with the federal government. Meanwhile, one of Bolsonaros medical advisors, Paolo Zanotto, helped the company in developing its COVID-19 medical protocols. At the time, the presidents anti-scientific declarations in favor of discredited drugs to treat COVID-19 patients were already a critical component of his campaign to cultivate a far-right movement. His Twitter post promoting the Prevent Senior study was published one day before a fascist rally outside the Army headquarters in Brazils capital, in which he appeared demanding the shutdown of Congress and the Supreme Court for supporting partial shutdowns of economic activities to contain the pandemic decreed by governors and mayors. That such barbaric experiments were imposed on multiple hospitals can only be described as an appalling crime against humanity. The use of COVID-19 kits was systematically enforced by Prevent Senior without the consent of thousands of families and with direct support from President Bolsonaro. Ominously, this barbaric experiment on the elderly was directly defended by this same president at the United Nations. Demonstrating his readiness to unabashedly continue a deliberate policy of herd immunity through mass infection, Bolsonaro defended early treatments during the opening session of the UN General Assembly and suggested he would not finance any more vaccine purchases after November. This was five days after Globos Prevent Senior report exposed the barbaric experiments on the elderly. On Tuesday, the presidents cabinet sent suggestions of questions for Wednesdays CPI session with Batista, which would promote the advantages of early treatments. When the companys study was made during March-April of 2020 and published as a pre-print version, it was soon retracted by the National Research Ethics Commission (Conep). The clinical trials with human subjects had been completed without ever receiving approval to even start. Since then, Bolsonaro has never recognized their ethical implications, much less apologized. Quite the opposite, he continued and doubled down on his campaign against lockdowns and in favor of early treatments. The fascistic ideology being developed under Bolsonaros open herd immunity policy finds its breeding ground in the diseased state of the capitalist system in Brazil and internationally and the criminal response of the worlds ruling classes to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around the world, millions of children are being sent back to schools with the expected consequence that they will be infected, develop Long COVID and other symptoms and die in mass. In the UK, the Boris Johnson administration sent 10 million children back to school even as its deputy Chief Medical Officer stated, I think its quite inevitable that they will be [infected] at some point. The struggle against the mass death policies imposed by capitalism in response to COVID-19 and the fascistic tendencies growing in different countries requires a fight by the international working class to overthrow capitalism and establish a socialist society. On Tuesday, the United Steelworkers (USW) posted an announcement it claimed was an update on next steps in reaching a ratifiable contract with the company. According to the unsigned document, the USW and United Auto Workers (UAW) say they will not meet with the company to discuss the global agreement until October 7. Dana plant at Ft. Wayne The delay serves only one purpose: to give the company time to modify its machines and production lines for the new 2022 vehicle models before any strike takes place. The timing of the talks laid out in the memo is a confirmation of the warnings made by both the Dana Workers Rank-and-File Committee and the World Socialist Web Site, who have warned that the unions were seeking to drag out discussions for an additional two to four weeks in order to give the company time to complete the changeover. Workers report that model changeover is currently taking place at several plants. As one Dana worker explained, We must understand how important and how critical this time is for Dana due to the model change. Model change is when you can hurt them. This is the perfect time to hit the company hard. In 34 weeks, this will be over, and they can run new parts. Dana workers must not allow the USW and UAW conspiracy to succeed! The outcome of their struggle depends on carrying forward the will of the workers, who voted 90 percent no on the sweatshop contract. The mood among workers is for a strike, and Dana workers have never been in a stronger position. Due to just-in-time delivery methods and the global parts shortage, companies like Ford, GM, John Deere, Stellantis and Caterpillar are all desperate for the parts Dana workers produce. But the UAW and USW have kept workers on the job for 38 days past the expiration of the old contract on August 18. Dana has likely made roughly tens of millions of dollars in profits in these 38 days, while workers are getting infected with COVID by the dozens as the Delta variant rages through the plants. The statement announcing the delay is an insult to workers intelligence. It informs workers that while global negotiations will supposedly begin October 7, they should be resolved by October 10th. But if these are genuine negotiations, how do the UAW and USW know exactly how long it will take to conclude them, when workers rejected the last offer by 90 percent? This again confirms that there is already a deal and that the announcement of negotiations is simply a charade. Furthermore, the announcement gives the company potentially even more time to delay as necessary to complete the model change and fill remaining orders, noting that the October 7-10 dates are still tentative due to obtaining a meeting place. Of course, the announcement does not explain why the officials cannot meet with the company on Zoom or the telephone. The purpose of the delay is merely to trick workers into staying on the job. The announcement also spells out why the UAW and USW have a financial interest in keeping workers on the job by extending the old contract. We took this step to retain our right to take any grievances filed during this time to arbitration and prevent the company from discontinuing automatic dues collection. The first of these reasons is a cover for the second. One high-level official inside the USW/UAW told the World Socialist Web Site, We havent been able to get a grievance to arbitration since, its been close to a decade. The real aim is to ensure automatic dues collection. At 2.5 hours wages per month and assuming an average wage of $20 per hour for roughly 3,500 workers under contract, that means Dana workers have forked over $225,000 in dues payments to the UAW and USW in the time since the old contract expired. Update on contract negotiations from the USW Dana workers responded with extreme hostility to the announcement that the UAW and USW were delaying until after model change is complete. One worker from Warren, Michigan, said he understood that no negotiations were going to be taking place: I cant imagine theyre going to accomplish much during those negotiations. It took them how long to come up with the TA in the first place and now expect us to believe theyre going to get something done over what is essentially a weekend? Its bulls---, said another worker from Fort Wayne. A veteran first-tier worker from Columbia, Missouri, said, That is a real slap in the face. A second-tier worker from the Columbia plant asked sarcastically, Did [the memo] note where the $2 million that went missing from Warren, Michigan went?, in reference to the revelations this week of an embezzlement scheme at UAW Local 412. The UAW is horrible and should be replaced at this point. Workers at Dana confront not just corrupt union officials and exploitative plant managers, but a class of corporate executives, managers and shareholders who dominate both the Democratic and Republican parties and who control the government. This classthe capitalist classmakes its profits by intensifying the exploitation of the working class at Dana and all workplaces. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has unnecessarily killed 700,000 in the US and almost 5 million across the world, 3,200 billionaires increased their wealth by 13.4 percent to $10 trillion. Dana workers are in a very powerful position, but they must transform their potential power into action. This means breaking the stranglehold of the UAW and USW and expanding rank-and-file strike committees in each plant to share information and create mechanisms for democratic discussion and common action. Workers at each plant must elect representatives to a national strike committee to ensure information flows between all plants and that all plants act as one. To contact the Dana Workers Rank-and-File Committee, email DanaWRFC@gmail.com or text (248) 6020936. Bipartisan negotiations for the George Floyd Act, legislation Democrats claimed would enact police reform measures in the wake of Floyds brutal murder by Minneapolis police, have collapsed, effectively killing the bill. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), the lead Democratic negotiator, reportedly told Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), the lead Republican, that he was done negotiating Wednesday after Scott rejected a final offer from the Democrats. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File) The American ruling class felt compelled to promise police reform after the unprecedented wave of multiracial and multiethnic protests against police violence and racism that involved many hundreds of thousands of people across the US last year. The US House of Representatives originally passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in March by a party-line vote of 220212. The bill would create national standards for police use of force, make it easier to charge officers who commit misconduct and drastically reduce qualified immunitywhich shields officers from most brutality lawsuits. The bill was only a priority for the Biden administration and the Democrats while the trial of former cop Derek Chauvin was under way in Minneapolis. Once Chauvin was convicted and the immediate threat of widespread popular unrest had passed, Biden stopped talking about the bill and the congressional leadership was happy to let Booker, Scott and California Representative Karen Bass engage in protracted backroom talks. These talks were supposedly aimed at overcoming a likely filibuster in the Senate by cutting back on the already modest proposals to win the support of ten Senate Republicans. Bass, who initially sponsored the bill in the House, joined forces with Booker and Scott. Within the same month, the trio announced significant compromise around the bill, further watering down its already minimal provisions. But the talks dragged on with the two sides coming no closer to an agreement to secure passage of the bill. In May, Congress missed a deadline that President Biden had set for passage of the bill, the anniversary of George Floyds death. With this weeks developments, the Democrats now appear to have thrown in the towel. We did the best we could, Bass told reporters on Wednesday. She said the negotiations with Republicans had weakened the police reform bill to the point that the legislation would not have made a meaningful impact. The truth is that the bill, in any version, would not have made a significant dent in the never-ending wave of police killings. We accepted significant compromises, knowing that they would be a tough sell to our community, but still believing that we would be moving the needle forward on this issue, Bass said in a formal statement. But every time, more was demanded to the point that there would be no progress made in the bill that we were left discussing. It now appears, unsurprisingly, that Scott was simply the frontman for the Senate Republican leadership which sought to block passage of any bill, preferring to appeal to the fascistic pro-Trump wing of the party by depicting the bill as a Democratic effort to defund the police. The Democrats were not even able to secure a deal based on a Trump-era executive order that banned chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limited the transfer of military equipment to local law enforcement and created a database to document complaints against police officers. President Joe Biden released a statement on the bills defeat. I still hope to sign into law a comprehensive and meaningful police reform bill that honors the name and memory of George Floyd, because we need legislation to ensure lasting and meaningful change, he said. Regrettably, Senate Republicans rejected enacting modest reforms, which even the previous president had supported, while refusing to take action on key issues that many in law enforcement were willing to address. This might have been the first time that the name George Floyd passed Bidens lips since Derek Chauvin was sentenced to a long prison term for his murder. In his long career in the Senate, before becoming Obamas vice president and now president, Biden was always identified with a hardline law-and-order approach, backing heavy prison sentences for non-violent drug convictions and other measures that filled the prisons with working class men, particularly racial minorities. After months without any progress, the Democrats promises for police reform have proven entirely empty. The Democrats never meant to restrain the American police state that murders more than 1,000 people a year on average. The outcome represents one more slap in the face to the families of those whove been brutalized and victimized by police. The Democrats dishonest campaign only sought to grant them political cover while diverting attention from their own role in overseeing brutal police crackdowns in states and cities controlled by the Democratic Party. All the talk of police reform is a dead letter. Neither faction of the ruling class is interested in undermining the bodies of armed men that defend the property, profits and political domination of the corporate-financial elite. The Biden Administration is deporting refugees to Haiti in an airlift where many are being held in chains, some of those arriving in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince have told reporters. Multiple Haitian refugees described having been deported by plane by Bidens Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Haiti in chains. One refugee stated, They chained me like a slave. A man carries a boy across the Rio Grande river as migrants, many from Haiti, leave Del Rio, Texas to return to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, early Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, some to avoid possible deportation from the U.S. and others to load up on supplies. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Refugees, many of whom have not set foot in Haiti in decades, are left with little more than the shirts on their backs after leaving the airport. No provision for housing has been provided, leaving many with the immediate prospect of homelessness and poverty in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti has been beset by a stream of crises. A devastating earthquake killed more than 2,200, destroying or damaging more than 137,000 homes and 212,000 people having lost access to safe drinking water, with half of those in need still awaiting aid, according to the United Nations. This is in addition to the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and extreme poverty, as well as a general disintegration of society with widespread crime where much of the country is essentially run by crime lords. The ongoing repression of Haitian immigrants is so ferocious and the conditions to which they are forced to return so terrible that Bidens own special envoy to Haiti resigned in protest. Daniel Foote called the policy of migrant expulsions inhumane. He wrote, I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life, calling the US approach to Haiti deeply flawed. Given the standards of the State Department, which routinely apologizes for barbaric regimes like those of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Thailand, it is remarkable that the Biden administration policy is so brazenly cruel and antidemocratic that an American diplomat feels compelled to object. It was also revealed Thursday that Bidens DHS is currently seeking a contractor to operate a concentration camp for refugees in Guantanamo Bay. The contract requires at least ten percent of the guards to speak Spanish and Haitian Creole, according to government records. The concentration camps contract solicitation states, The service provider shall be responsible to maintain on site the necessary equipment to erect temporary housing facilities for populations that exceed 120 and up to 400 migrants in a surge event As many as 12,000 Haitians were sent to Guantanamo Bay between 1991 and 1993 by the George H. W. Bush administration. This was following the US-backed military coup of September 30, 1991, which resulted in military rule until 1994, as well as the subsequent murder of 3,000 Haitian political activists between 1991 and 1993. The White House Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki, as well as the DHS, claimed that Haitian immigrants would not be sent from the southern US border to the camp, and that it was for immigrants detained at sea. A DHS spokeswoman claimed that the camp at Guantanamo is a separate facility from that housing supposed terrorists, and it is maintained to house people fleeing the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba in small boats that are intercepted by the US Navy. She added that the contract was a routine renewal posted last week and had no connection to the border crisis at Del Rio, Texas. The ongoing Border Patrol operation at Del Rio has provoked widespread protests after agents were photographed on horseback in the Rio Grande, whipping and herding migrants as they sought to cross the river. The Biden administrations response was to suspend the use of horses, as though brutality and violence dealt out on foot was acceptable. There are several reports of Haitian refugees rebelling against the illegal and clearly fascistic attempts by the US government to expel them. Along the border, Haitian migrants in custody hijacked multiple buses attempting to displace or deport refugees from the Del Rio camp, forcing out drivers in incidents that threatened to disrupt the deportations. Both the rebellions and the alleged release of Haitians in Texasrather than their deportationhave been widely reported in the right-wing, pro-Trump media, such as Fox News and the Washington Examiner, which are seeking to discredit the Biden administration as too soft, and to justify in advance the use of deadly force by the Border Patrol or the Texas state police. The Washington Examiner quoted a senior administration official declaring, Theyve been basically overpowering the drivers and theyve actually hijacked a couple of the buses and driven them down the road a little ways and escaped. This happened multiple times. The official complained about the lack of chaining of refugees, who are protected under international law: Theyre moving the detainees, but theyre not shackledtheyre not restrained in any way. Yesterday some detainees kicked a window out and 22 escaped, referring to an incident on Monday. A bus to San Antonio, Texas was taken over by migrants, who broke out of the bus and escaped. The refugees were later recaptured by law enforcement. The camp in Del Rio, Texas once comprised 15,000 Haitian refugees from the Americas who gathered under an overpass after crossing the US-Mexico border over the course of a few days. Bidens DHS has already deported or moved to detention camps a total of 4,000 refugees, it claims, while an estimated 4,000 remain at the overpass. There has been no explanation of where the remaining 5,000 to 7,000 refugees have gone, whether back to Mexico, released into Texas or disappeared into the vast gulag of US immigration detention facilities. United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi and 38 American civil rights groups have called on Biden to stop deportations. Grandi urged the US to lift its Title 42 health-related restrictions, which were used by the Trump and extended by the Biden administration to deport immigrants, stating they deny most people arriving at the southwest U.S. land border any opportunity to request asylum. He continued, The summary, mass expulsions of individuals currently underway under the Title 42 authority, without screening for protection needs, is inconsistent with international norms and may constitute refoulement. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Under international human rights law, the principle of non-refoulement guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other irreparable harm. This principle applies to all migrants at all times, irrespective of migration status. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday that the public should expect to see dramatic results within the next 48 to 96 hours in the coming days on Haitian immigrants, essentially stating that they are going to break up and deport the refugee camp along the border, and that Our goal is to do so within the next 10 days or nine days. When Mayorkas, a former top official in the DHS under the Obama administration, was appointed to head the agency, the identity politics crowd and pseudo-left sang his praises as the first immigrant to oversee the department and as a savior who was to reverse the policies of the previous administration. Janet Murguia, the president of UnidosUS, a Latino advocacy organization, praised him at the time saying, After four long, dark years [and] a general contempt for Latinos from the highest office in the land, Mayorkass nomination signals a new day for the Department of Homeland Security and for all our country. Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, a nonprofit that provides legal services to low-income immigrants, went even further, stating, We hope that as the first Latino and someone who has advocated for immigrant rights, [Mayorkas] will change the direction of DHS once and for all. For all the attempt to push the systemic racism narrative down the publics throat, to blame white people for racism, Biden himself shows the real source of the racism: the capitalist system and the capitalist state, and its ruling parties, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) recently spoke to Melika Azimi, a high school student in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta, who initiated an online petition titled Cancel the HSC 2021, Find Better Alternatives last July. The petition has been widely circulated by students online and has received over 7,700 signatures. Melika Azimi It is one of a number of student initiatives opposing the government drive to reopen the schools and force Year 12 students to sit their Higher School Certificate (HSC) final exams, amid the largest COVID outbreak in Australia since the pandemic began. Another petition, Replace 2021 HSC/Trial exams with assignments, has been signed by over 4,500 students, while, An Open Letter to All Those Involved Regarding the New South Wales HSC Students of 2021 has been endorsed by 1,400. Against returning Year 12 students to school during the Covid outbreak has over 2600 signatories. State and federal governments are declaring that lockdowns will be ended in October, as more than a thousand infections are recorded in New South Wales (NSW) each day and cases in Victoria near that number. The hospitals in both states are already overwhelmed. Governments are declaring that the population must accept mass illness and death, so that full corporate profit-making activities can resume. School reopenings are a central component of this agenda, aimed at forcing parents back to their workplaces. In NSW, the Liberal-National state government has announced Year 12 students, along with kindergarten and Year 1 students will return to the classrooms en masse from October 25. The following Monday, Year 2, 6 and 11 students are set to resume face-to-face learning. All other cohorts will return on November 8, and HSC exams will begin the following day. The Victorian Labor government is similarly preparing a reopening of the schools from October. Roughly a third of all infections in NSW have been among children and teenagers, while hundreds more have been stricken with the illness in Victoria. During the limited lockdowns, the schools in both states have remained open for the children of essential workers. Despite vastly reduced student numbers, over 200 schools have been closed in Sydney after COVID exposures, along with more than 75 in Victoria. WSWS: What compelled you to begin this petition? Can you speak on the response that you have gotten? Melika Azimi: I started the petition because myself and my peers thought it was ridiculous that we are expected to be sitting the HSC under these circumstances. With COVID, distance education learning, learning from home, the circumstances are not conducive to be learning in. Its really difficult for a lot of people to be able to engage with the learning when stuck at home. Despite this, we are expected to be sitting the HSC, even though all the exams in the past couple of months during lockdown have been online. We arent prepared to be doing it in person. The petition really was about how unfair it is and how there needs to be changes to the way that we are being assessed and changes to the way that we are learning. Its unfair for us and there could easily be other alternatives to make up for that. It just doesnt accurately reflect academic intelligence. WSWS: What were some of the sentiments among your friends, peers and teachers? MA: Ive gotten a lot of support from teachers. From students it has been a little bit of a mix. Surprisingly there has been a lot of opposition against what Im doing. A lot of them [students], for some reason, are not happy about it. They would rather be sitting the HSC. They have this idea that when we say alternatives, it is to scrap the whole thing, which will make it impossible for them to get into university. Whereas we are advocating for alternatives that are fair and just for everybody. So there has been some miscommunication and misunderstanding among a lot of Year 12 students about what we are fighting for and what we are trying to do. But we have also received a lot of support from the people who understand what it is about. In regard to the teachers, they definitely agree that there needs to be an alternative. A lot of teachers have contacted me, supporting what I am doing and saying they believe that it is the right thing to do. Being teachers, people should listen to them more, people need to give them more credit. They would know what is best. One teacher said: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am a teacher, not a student, but this petition resonates with me. Ive been teaching for 40 years. One thing that I find most heartening is the number of universities who have been following their perspective and looking at a whole individual rather than the HSC ATAR. The dialogue on conditions about COVID safety and looking after mental health are undermined when the government is putting in place conditions that can only undermine mental health even further. Thank you for reaching out and speaking on it. There are a few emails like this. WSWS: What about support from students? MA: A lot of people are feeling very stressed and overwhelmed about all of this. They definitely feel like they are not prepared, and the government really is not listening to them and not taking their feelings into account because they have this agenda that they are putting forth. And they are acting on that agenda. Being ill-equipped, forced to do online learning from home. Different people have different circumstances. One student can be in an environment that is more suitable than the other. Some students live in households that are more supportive than others and others live in homes that are broken. Its unfair, it is unequal, everybody is getting a different experience out of this. WSWS: There are certainly issues of inequality, some students dont have the material that they need. MA: Im not from a regional area. Although their situation isnt necessarily as bad as ours, they still have major issues, like not having access to teachers, lack of resources, etc. WSWS: You mentioned the impact on students mental health. What kind of support are they being provided with? Are additional counsellors or psychologists being brought on? MA: We have had workshops, independent companies that come in to talk about mental health. These workshops have come into our schools so many times, like R U OK, Headspace, all these types of things. It can work for some, although it doesnt really do much, to be honest. Counselling has been provided, that is only the official support that has been given to us. I dont think that they have added any extra counsellors or psychologists or anything like that for the schools. Its the same staff that they had on board before this all happened. Its the exact same for teachers, no extra support has been given to them or extra staff hired. Teachers are under a lot of pressure. My teachers are telling me that they are working extra overtime now but still havent received that additional support. WSWS: Your petition refers to the establishment of alternatives. Do you have a set proposal? Also, what has been done with the petition? MA: In terms of the alternatives, initially we proposed that we could have a different type of criteria for students to get into university, an independent criteria and application process for the different courses that they are offering. A lot of students were upset about that, they felt like their hard work was being scrapped, so there needs to be some system where students still get the marks that they received before the lockdown period. We did send it to [NSW Premier] Gladys Berejiklian and [Education Minister] Sarah Mitchell. We got no response. We know that they saw it and watched the story. Through our Instagram account, we have a screenshot which shows that the education minister had watched one of the stories on that account. She is aware of the petition. We have tried to email her and contact them but they havent responded. WSWS: What do you think about the governments response to the pandemic and the current outbreak? MA: Im definitely thinking that more should be done. Were in the middle of a pandemic but they are adamant about us sitting the HSC. There is no logical reason for that. An alternative can easily be established, which benefits students and ensures that health and safety is prioritised. WSWS: Why do you think they have responded in this way? MA: For the money I assume. If they have an agenda, then it doesnt support their agenda to put in place an alternative. A lot of planning and preparation has been carried out, so many things have already been done to reopen schools, too late to go back on what they say. WSWS: Do you have anything to say about claims by government figures that COVID-19 does not seriously affect young people? MA: Have they said that? WSWS: Trump and Biden, Boris Johnson, they have all downplayed the dangers. State and federal leaders here have claimed that children and teenagers dont transmit the virus much, even though that has been proven to be false. MA: To be honest, I dont really know what to say to that. I dont know what the health side of it is. If it isnt true that children arent as badly impacted by the pandemic, then that is ridiculous. Childcare has been open. It makes the whole lockdown seem somewhat pointless if the children can pass it on to teachers, supervisors and families. WSWS: Not only can they spread it, most children and young people are unvaccinated and will be when the schools are reopened. In the UK they have called it the pandemic of the young. This isnt widely publicised. In the US students and young people are becoming seriously ill and some are dying from COVID after being forced back to school. Even if they recover from the infection, there are long-term health effects that are not often spoken about. These can include extreme fatigue, heart problems and serious cognitive impairment in children, in some cases the equivalent of having a stroke or lead poisoning. There was one example, a kid who was one of the brightest in his class before he had COVID. He was asked in a test to draw a hand on a clock, he couldnt do it, he didnt even realise what was happening. MA: If thats the case, thats even more of a reason that we shouldnt be sent back to school. If there was a seed of doubt about the potentially bad health risks, I dont think it is fair to be sending us back to school. It is risking our lives and risking our health despite this evidence. WSWS: You previously mentioned there were negative comments from students and youth about the petition. What are people saying in opposition to it? MA: Some people are saying that it is a stupid idea, the government wont listen to it, they dont think they will be able cancel the HSC. They just think that this whole thing is unnecessary. I guess people are just jumping on to the bandwagon, without really understanding what it will be about. WSWS: Appeals to governments are not going to be answered, because they serve different class interests. We are raising the need for a movement of students and teachers against the reopening. The petitions earlier in the pandemic, opposing the school reopening plans, had a substantial impact in galvanising these sentiments. MA: Honestly, if students and teachers were to strike, it would be really effective. I doubt that people will be willing to do it. Although that will really work to oppose the government and go against its agenda. Its kind of risky though. I feel like it would have to be the teachers. Teachers would have to be the ones that start all of this. From what I understand, a lot of students would be unwilling to strike because of fear of parents, fear of what is going to happen and there isnt really any consensus on whether or not this should be done. If teachers did strike, it would also encourage the students to strike. Utilising reactionary anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine rallies in Melbourne organised this week, police forces have unveiled an array of new weapons and equipment. This includes pepper ball firearms that shoot hard pellets the size of marbles, stinger grenades, and paramilitary-style vehicles and body armour. Officer with VKS Pepper Ball firearm (creditVictoria Police/YouTube) As the World Socialist Web Site has previously outlined, the anti-vax protests have no legitimacy whatsoever. A small layer of construction workers appear to have been involved in one of the rallies on Monday outside the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) office (see Australian anti-vaccine, extreme right demonstrators target construction industry). Numbers of reports, however, point to the predominantly petty bourgeois layers involved in the other events, including small business owners and contractors. Politically, the rallies are dominated and led by extreme right-wing libertarian and outright fascist individuals and organisations. Some of the administrators of Telegram accounts promoting and organising the protests have previously been exposed as admirers of Adolf Hitler. Supporters of the fascistic Proud Boys and the now defunct United Patriots Front have been involved in the rallies. The police are exploiting widespread hostility towards the protests and their homicidal calls for an immediate end to lockdown measures as the pretext for trialling new weaponry and a massive state mobilisation. Senior police previously expressed concern over how the population would respond to the use of new, so-called non-lethal weaponry. In 2018, police put on a display of their enhanced firepower for selected journalists. The weapons included VKS Pepper Ball firearms, capable of firing blunt force pellets or dye markers to brand people for later arrest, baton round launchers capable of firing larger rubber or plastic bullets, stinger grenades that release nine rubber projectiles, and sound/flash bombs that release noise, light and smoke. This was accompanied by new body armour and paramilitary-style police vehicles. Special Operations Group officers An Age journalist noted at the time, we have been given a sneak preview of gear that looks more like Star Wars than regulation police equipment. Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton declared: It is an ugly look to see police in riot gear in a suburban street. It will be confronting to watch. We now have some equipment that has not been seen before that may alarm people. The Melbourne Activist Legal Support noted that the new weapons posed severe dangers. Pepper Ball pellets, the organisation reported, can blind, maim and leave permanent injuries depending where they hit the body, while the baton round launcher has resulted in significant injuries and fatalities around the world, [including last year] a 25-year-old protester [who] was killed by a rubber bullet in Paraguay. In addition: The flash/noise distraction grenades designed to shock and disperse crowds are routinely being used in Israel/Palestine and other conflict zones and have maimed children, can burst ear drums and generate dangerous fear and panic in crowds. For three years, this equipment has gone unused. Now, however, the anti-vaxxer rallies have provided the police with the hoped-for pretext. The real target of the repressive build-up is not the extreme rightmany of the fascists enjoy close relations with sections of sympathising policebut the working class. Riot police in Melbourne on Wednesday (creditstevie_bro/Twitter) The state Labor governments bolstering of police powers and weaponry has always been driven by the fear of social unrest and working class and youth protest, fuelled by escalating social inequality and attacks on living standards and democratic rights. Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has boasted of his law and order credentials. In 2016, his state government committed an unprecedented $2 billion in additional spending to expand the police by 20 percent, with 3,100 more officers employed. The government has since boasted that its annual police spending is 35 percent higher than its Liberal predecessor. The police operations against the anti-vax events represent a warning as to how the state is preparing to respond to a genuine movement of the working class in defence of its independent interests. Numerous acts of police violence were recorded by witnesses and uploaded to social media. This included the gratuitous use of pepper spray on already restrained people, indiscriminate firing of plastic pellets, and one incident in which a person speaking with officers at Flinders train station was grabbed from behind by another cop without warning and body and head slammed into the concrete floor. In another incident, a passer-by who was not involved in the right-wing protests recorded three masked men wearing khaki-coloured armour emerge from an unmarked car and aggressively force a person to the ground. These were members of the Special Operations Group police branch, an elite unit usually reserved for counter-terrorist responses and incidents involving firearms or explosives. The confrontation recalled the police-state operations coordinated by US President Donald Trump in the final weeks of his presidency, including having unidentified police in Portland hauling protestors into unmarked vans for interrogation. In another precedent-setting move, on Wednesday the police had the Civil Aviation Safety Authority declare central Melbourne a no-fly zone. This aimed at preventing the broadcast of aerial footage of the anti-vax rallies. Police later permitted overhead media coverage, but insisted that video broadcasts from helicopters be delayed by at least an hour so that live police operations were not visible to protestors. The ban on live overhead coverage was subsequently overturned by the Federal Court. Twenty-two months since the emergence of COVID-19, there is no end in sight to the pandemic, which continues to kill on a massive scale. A procession of vehicles drive past photos of Detroit victims of COVID-19, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 on Belle Isle in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The center of the pandemic is again in the United States, where the official death toll this week surpassed 700,000. More than 9.1 million years of life have been lost to COVID-19 in the US, according to a study published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. On Monday, 935 people lost their lives; on Tuesday, 2,152; on Wednesday, 2,228; and on Thursday, 1,944. Since the start of the week, in just four days, a staggering 7,000 died. In the past month alone, 51,000 have perished in overcrowded hospitals, homes and nursing centers. On July 4, US President Joe Biden declared independence from the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, We can live our lives, our kids can go back to school, our economy is roaring back. Biden discouraged mask wearing and urged vaccinated people not to social distance, claiming that the pandemic was all but over. Since that time, more than 80,000 Americans have died from the pandemic. Even in the most optimistic scenarios, such as one released by the COVID-19 scenario hub based on anticipating a dramatic decline in cases, the death toll will hit over 800,000 by the spring. But at the present rate of death, with an average of 1,726 people dying each day, more than 300,000 people will die in the next six months, bringing the official US death toll to well over one million. Among the dead are 480 children, including 20 in just the past week alone. And more than 100,000 children have lost a caregiver to the pandemic, according to a study published in July. Throughout the country, from Wisconsin to California, hospital intensive care units are filled to capacity. Hospitals are issuing emergency protocols for nurses and doctors to make the horrific decision to determine who will live and who will die, due to a shortage of respirators and other life-saving equipment. One in three people who are infected with COVID-19 will get long COVID, with symptoms lasting for more than two weeks. For hundreds of thousands, this means permanent debilitation: chronic fatigue, pain and long-term cognitive impairment, including among an entire generation of children. But with more than 2,000 people dying each daya rate greater than any war the United States has ever foughtthe US political establishment is declaring that the pandemic is all but over. As we end this pandemic, we must get ready for the next, tweeted US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday. To talk about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as two thousand people die day after day is insane. But in the twisted logic of the American ruling class, ending the pandemic simply means ignoring it. The level of death being witnessed in the United States is to be treated as the new normal. What is taking place is a horrifying normalization of death. In the wealthiest and most powerful capitalist country in the world, close to one million people are dead from a preventable disease. These deaths were the result of lies and cover-ups by the Trump administration and Congress, which deluded and disarmed the public as the disease spread throughout the country in January and February. On May 14, 2020, the Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on Scientific Integrity in the COVID-19 Response, in which whistleblower Rick Bright excoriated the Trump administrations response to the pandemic. Bright declared that public health officials were fully aware of the emerging threat of COVID-19 by early January 2020. But the US government was intent on downplaying this catastrophic threat. It would be the first, last and only hearing of its kind. While Congress would continue to call public health officials to testify, it would be within the framework of accelerating plans to reopen schools and businesses. There was no effort to investigate Brights allegations: that a systematic cover-up, involving both the Democrats and Republicans, disarmed the United States response to the pandemic. The failure to investigate the response to the pandemic continued under the Biden administration, which made its appeal to the American public on the basis of popular hostility to the Trump administrations disastrous handling of the pandemic. Notwithstanding the scale of the disaster, it has not been the subject of any serious public investigation, even where there was clear evidence of wrongdoing, such as the sale of stock by members of Congress briefed on the pandemic, the revelations of which forced Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr to resign from his post. The failure to hold anyone to account for the disastrous response to the pandemic is intentional. From the standpoint of the ruling class, the actions that contributed to the massive death toll were not mistakes. This is why there have been no investigations and no one has been held to account, because this is the policy advocated by the entire ruling class and the entire capitalist system. To the extent that blame can be assigned, it must be on the basis of a myth that does not indict the US policy response. This is the origin of the lab leak lie, which seeks to blame China for the COVID-19 pandemic. The US governments cover-up was part of the policy of herd immunity, which remains the policy to this day. Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk so we use them to develop herd we want them infected, wrote Trump administration official Paul Elias Alexander. This was the same policy that led UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to declare last year, no more fucking lockdownslet the bodies pile high in their thousands. To the extent that the ruling class has a strategy for responding to the pandemic, it is to allow the mass infection of the population, which, combined with the immunity generated from vaccines, will supposedly prevent major new surges of the disease. This means that COVID-19 will become endemic in the population, killing perhaps several hundred thousand people each year. This optimistic scenario relies on the prayer that a new COVID-19 variant does not emerge that, like the Delta variant, leads to a surge in cases and deaths. American capitalisms ability to accept and normalize mass death must be treated as a warning. All arguments that a nuclear war is inconceivable because society is not prepared to accept the loss of millions of lives have been refuted by the response to the pandemic. If the American ruling class is prepared to accept the loss of a million lives from a preventable disease, it will accept the deaths of tens of millions in a nuclear war. As Bloomberg News commented last year: Yes, the US has botched its response to COVID-19. At the same time, its experience shows that America as a nation can in fact tolerate casualties, too many in fact. It had long been standard Chinese doctrine that Americans are soft and unwilling to take on much risk. If you were a Chinese war game planner, might you now reconsider that assumption? While the entire capitalist order stands behind the herd immunity policy, the working class cannot accept the continued wave of mass death. It must intervene, in the US and throughout the world, to put an end to the pandemic, to demand and enforce the necessary public health measures to eradicate the virus. The United Auto Workers has confirmed that the financial secretary of Local 412 in the Detroit area has been suspended after an audit revealed more than $2 million in missing funds from the local's bank account. The theft was confirmed by UAW officials Thursday in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. UAW Local 412 officer web page, with financial secretary removed UAW spokesperson Brian Rothenberg said the embezzlement was discovered as part of the enhanced auditing and oversight procedures implemented in the wake of the UAW corruption scandal that sent two former UAW presidents and other top officials to prison. The findings of the audit will be documented and sent to the US Department of Labor as well as the US Department of Justice, he said. According to the latest US Labor Department filings, the name of Local 412s financial secretary is Timothy Edmunds, who pulled in $142,293 in salary and expenses in 2020. No other Local 412 officials have been suspended at this point, including its president, Jerry Witt, who took in a reported $105,979 in 2020. Edmunds profile has already been taken down from the Local 412 website. Local 412 covers more than 20 units comprised of salaried engineers at Detroit-area Stellantis plants, as well as area public sector workers, maintenance workers and health care workers. The locals membership was just under 2,700 in 2020, meaning that the reported embezzlement amounted to about $740 per member of the local. The size of the theft is all the more remarkable given the relatively small size of the local, which had only $3.26 million in assets in 2020 and expenditures of $2.9 million according to US Labor Department filings. How funds nearly equivalent to the locals entire annual budget could go missing without being noticed defies any easy explanation. It suggests, at a minimum, lax oversight, or far more likely, active collusion in theft not only by local officers, but International UAW officials charged with monitoring local union finances as well. A worker at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in the north Detroit suburbs said, I read about the bribery in Local 412. I had to laugh. If I were the International [UAW] I would have just swept this under the rug. It makes them look even worse. This guy will probably get 20 years, but the people in the International only got a couple of years. Somebody put his picture up already on one of the Facebook pages SHAP workers use. Another worker posted on Facebook, The sad part is that aint even a drop in the bucket compared to the billions the membership has lost from these shady concessionary contracts. The missing funds were uncovered this past summer as part of a UAW audit and did not involve the participation of former assistant US attorney Neil Barofsky, the federal monitor appointed to oversee the UAW as part of an agreement reached by the UAW with the federal government in lieu of a direct takeover. A statement posted on the UAW Local 412 Facebook page declared: Auditors for the United Auto Workers discovered irregularities in UAW Local 412 in Warren, Michigan, and discovered over $2 million in improper expenditures. Under the UAWs enhanced auditing process, UAW internal auditors discovered improper personal expenditures by the UAW Local 412 Financial Secretary. The elected local officer was suspended and the findings sent to authorities including the U.S. Department of Labor, said Frank Stuglin, UAW International Secretary-Treasurer. We have taken immediate action in this matter. Stuglin claimed that the discovery of the embezzlement was the result of auditing procedures put in place by then UAW International Secretary Treasurer Ray Curry, who is now Acting UAW President. Stuglin said, Our staff was highly trained in detailed audit tracking procedures and uncovered a very elaborate embezzlement scheme by the locally elected officer. He added that authorities have notified government agencies and appropriate law enforcement. Doesnt surprise me, a Stellantis worker at Kokomo Transmission in Indiana said. What also wouldn't surprise me is if the auditing system touted to have caught this crime is more just for show. As if the UAW leaders are taking care of business, so to speak. How do you not notice $2 million missing from a local? It really takes a special audit to catch $2 million missing? Curry and Estrada probably werent getting a big enough kickback, he added wryly. A worker at the Stellantis Toledo Jeep complex pointed out the close proximity of the locals headquarters in Warren, Michigan to the former joint UAW-Fiat Chrysler National Training Center that figured so prominently in the UAW corruption scandal. I would bet a years pay that this guy [Edmunds] is friends with them. Ill bet this came out from the investigation of the training center with [Dennis] Williams, [General] Holiefield, [Gary] Jones and [Norwood] Jewell. There are at least three major UAW locals in that area. They had to have known $2 million was missing. It had to be done with the knowledge and assistance of the other members of that committee. All sorts of things will come out of the woodwork. Jobs were traded for favors, illegal nepotism. The UAW is a cesspool all around. A second SHAP worker said, This is just BS. They didnt just find this out if its true. This is to convince the Justice Department they are cleaning up corruption before the prosecutor finds this out first, if its true. I dont buy it. I think its just a smoke screen to deflect blame to the small local they say was involved. But all locals answer to the International UAW. This shows even with the oversight, they are not going to change. There is still corruption. All of the current top people should be fired. When told of the reported embezzlement, a Chicago Ford Assembly worker told the World Socialist Web Site, Didn't hear that one. But its not a surprise to hear. I believe all UAW locals are stealing money from the membership. UAW is no good for anyone, not even themselves. Why hasnt our local been charged with something? We know [some officials] took money and [engaged in] sexual harassment. Top UAW officials expressed pious indignation at the revelation of yet another case of massive embezzlement of union funds. In a letter to Local 412 members, Witt reported that investigators concluded there is evidence of significant misappropriations of local union funds by the local financial secretary... We are working with the international union to file a Bond claim for these losses. Witt added, likely on the advice of attorneys, that due to the large amount of money involved, I recommend that the Local Executive Board consider contacting the International Union about placing the Local in administratorship to assist the Locals efforts to correct this breach and put the local on the right path. In light of the latest revelations, it should be recalled that in 2016, Local 412 had threatened to publish the names of members who exercised their right to opt out of dues payments to the corrupt UAW. Given the endemic corruption already revealed in the top layers of the UAW, there is no reason to believe this will be the last bombshell. The deep rot exposed at all levels of the union point to a fundamental rot in the organization, the product of the nationalist and pro-capitalist program on which the UAW and the trade unions at large are based. They have long abandoned any defense of workers interests in favor of unlimited collaboration with management in the name of competitiveness. In return, they have been rewarded by the corporations with a guaranteed stream of cash, filling their treasuries despite a decline everywhere in dues-paying members. Workers should draw the necessary conclusions from the abandonment and betrayal by the unions of every basic principle of working class solidarity. Now is the time to take matters into your own hands through the formation of rank-and-file workplace committees, independent of the UAW, to fight for your interests. Rank-and-file committees, democratically controlled by workers themselves, are the only way for workers to oppose the UAW-company alliance. Autoworkers have already set up rank-and-file committees at Dana, Inc., Volvo and other factories. Workers seeking more information should contact autoworkers@wsws.org. or click here. Fourteen people were injured, and one person was killed in a shooting spree at a Kroger grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, marking the 517th mass shooting to occur in the United States this year per Gun Violence Archive. Police claim the as-of-yet unidentified shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement personnel work in front of a Kroger grocery store as an investigation goes into the night following a shooting earlier in the day on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, in Collierville, Tenn. Police say a gunman attacked people in the store and killed at least one person and wounded 12 others before the suspect was found dead. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Unconfirmed reports indicate a recently fired store employee returned to the store Thursday after being terminated and opened fire on former co-workers and customers alike before taking his own life. Nearby schools were placed on lockdown with students ordered to shelter in place during the shooting as swarms of local Collierville police, Memphis police, SWAT teams, Tennessee State troopers, along with federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and FBI agents swarmed the area. Law enforcement officials cordoned off the massive crime scene with yellow police tape going up inside and outside the store. In two press conferences the police have refused to identify the killer, the victims, or confirm the circumstances that precipitated the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation. A woman whose mother-in-law works at the Kroger store told Fox13 Memphis that the shooter had just got fired. She told reporters that he shot a store manager in the face but that the manager was going to be OK. A reporter from WREG News Channel 3 said that an anonymous law enforcement source confirmed to him that the shooter was a former employee who worked in the sushi department and had been fired earlier in the day. The grisly event began shortly after 1:30 p.m. local time. Witnesses described seeing a man run into the store with a very large gun and begin shooting. Witnesses also described seeing bodies lying at the entrance of the store along with broken glass and shell casings. Social media photos show police using a robot to inspect a black SUV believed to have been the shooters vehicle. The type of weapon used has not been confirmed, although witnesses described the shooter wielding a military-style rifle akin to an AR-15. Due to the preventable surge in coronavirus cases, which has stretched hospital capacity throughout the US, but especially in the South, to the breaking point, the injured victims were sent to at least three different hospitals, with at least five victims still in critical condition. During a Thursday evening press conference, Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane confirmed that one victim is still in surgery, while another is in the ICU. In an earlier press conference, Lane described the incident as the most horrific event in Collierville history. Despite the horrifying circumstances, witnesses and survivors described to local news outlets the courageous actions of grocery store workers. Brignetta Dickerson, who has been employed at the store for 32 years, told WREG News Channel 3 her only concern was my co-workers and my customers. Dickerson described hearing gunshots and saw a man running through the deli department. He kept on shooting, shooting, shooting, Dickerson said. He shot one of my co-workers in the head, and then shot one of the customers in the stomach, and then my other customer got kinda like cuts from the asphalt. We ran out the back, said Dickerson. My only concern was my co-workers and customers. My co-worker who got shot in the head. He told me I want to go home and to call his mother. I tried calling her, she didnt answer. I have to call her again. Im a little bit scared and a little bit shaky but Im OK, she added. Other workers interviewed described leading customers to coolers and back offices to hide, while one worker was stuck on the roof during the attack. As of this writing none of the names of the victims have been released but witnesses have reported that customers and co-workers were shot. The company released a statement saying that all 44 workers at the store are accounted for along with the hollow and meaningless assurance that The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support Similar routine incantations were recited by political figures from both political parties that have overseen the proliferation of mass shootings in the US over the last 30 years. Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said she was praying for all of the victims while Democratic Representative Jim Cooper likewise said he would be praying for the wounded, families of the victims, and all of Collierville. This latest mass shooting comes just six months after 10 people were killed at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. That store remains closed, while the shooter, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is currently undergoing a competency evaluation to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. While there is much information left to be uncovered and revealed in this latest shooting, there is no doubt that the loss of a job can severely exacerbate any underlying psychological issues someone may have. Even prior to the pandemic, frontline grocery store workers already had to contend with abysmal wages, poor working conditions, and lackluster benefits, if any. However, within the last 19 months these stresses have been multiplied many times over for workers who have been on the front lines of the pandemic, forced to contend with not only the virus, but aggressive and violent customers who have engaged in physical confrontations with workers trying to enforce mask-wearing requirements. While Krogers CEO and shareholders have profited handsomely off the labor of Kroger workers throughout the pandemic, as of April this year, the United Food and Commercial Workers union estimates that at least 91,400 grocery workers have been infected with COVID-19 and 456 have died from the disease. This months commemorations in Australia of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States have sought to deny the reality of the war on terrorism: two decades of unbridled militarism and domestic police-state measures. Australian Special Air Service (SAS) soldier murdering unarmed Afghan civilian (Screenshot from video leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in March 2020) The still-unexplained events of September 11, 2001, were seized upon by the Bush White House and its allies to launch plans, prepared much earlier, for neo-colonial wars to assert US hegemony over the resource-rich and strategic Middle East and Central Asia, and to tear up civil and political rights at home. Nowhere was the backing for this agenda stronger than in the Australian ruling elite. In 2001, Prime Minister John Howards Liberal-National Coalition government, with the unstinting agreement of the Labor Party opposition, was the first in the world to offer open-ended political and military support to the Bush administrations plans to exploit the attack to launch barbaric invasions, first of Afghanistan and then Iraq in 2003. Within five hours of the twin towers atrocity, and before any evidence even emerged as to who the perpetrators were, or where they came from, Howard declared that Australia would unequivocally back the US in any action that might be taken. For that, he was accorded a standing ovation in the US Congress the next day. No one has been held responsible for the resulting two decades of uninterrupted war, at the cost of between one and two million lives in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and other countries subjected to US attacks, all with bipartisan support in the Australian political establishment. Instead, despite the exposure of all the lies concocted to justify these crimes, such as Saddam Husseins non-existent weapons of mass destruction and equally non-existent links to Al Qaeda, those involved have been provided political and media platforms to pontificate. Howard, for example, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he did not regret sending troops into Afghanistan and Iraq because that demonstrated Australias commitment as a loyal ally. I think we have a relationship with the most powerful country in the world that does provide an ultimate security guarantee, he said. Those comments only underscored the fact that these wars were never about protecting the democratic or human rights of the people of the invaded and shattered countries, despite all the official claims to the contrary. For the Australian ruling elite, the only concern was to demonstrate its commitment to the US alliance, on which the Australian capitalist class has depended since World War II, for its own predatory activities in its sphere of influence in the South West Pacific and economic and strategic interests internationally. Twenty years on, the current Liberal-National government of Scott Morrison, again with Labors bipartisan support, has taken this commitment to a new level, via the AUKUS alliance with the US and UK, featuring nuclear-powered submarines and widespread US access to bases across the country. This alliance is now directed squarely against China, heightening the danger of even more catastrophic wars involving nuclear weapons. The barbaric wars in Afghanistan and Iraq also became the vehicles for unspeakable crimes, setting precedents for future wars, such as the torture inflicted on prisoners in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, the indefinite military detention of US-proclaimed enemy combatants, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and cold-blooded murders of civilians. After years of systemic suppression, limited information about the war crimes committed by Australian units in Afghanistan eventually appeared last year, in a heavily censored official inquiry report. According to that report, Australian squads murdered at least 39 prisoners of war or innocent civilians, and committed many other abuses, including cruel treatment (i.e., torture). Yet the revelations have been buried ever since and no one has been held to account. In fact, far from the Liberal-National and Labor governments involved being held responsible for these atrocities, those who have courageously exposed the crimes of the US and its accomplices, including mass killings, torture, illegal assassinations and regime-change operationsJulian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and othershave been vilified and persecuted. Assange, an Australian citizen, is languishing in a London prison facing extradition to the US. The financial cost of these wars has also been staggering. The total cost of Australian operations in Afghanistan was close to $10 billion. About $2.5 billion was spent to send troops into Iraq. These sums could have provided scores of badly-needed hospitals, schools and other social programs, both in Australia and the devastated, invaded countries. A police-state framework War abroad has been accompanied by repression at home. Paralleling their roles in Afghanistan and Iraq, Australian governments have been on the frontline of invoking the war on terrorism to overturn basic legal and democratic rights. No other country has imposed as many counter-terrorism laws. By 2017, according to an official review, successive Coalition and Labor governments had passed more than 125 national security bills, containing more than 14,500 amendments to previous laws. That battery of legislation has continued over the past four years. Basic protections from dictatorial forms of rule, won in centuries of struggle against absolutism, such as no imprisonment without trial (habeas corpus), and the presumption of innocence, have been overturned in multiple waves of legislation. Federal and state governments, Coalition and Labor alike, have introduced numerous forms of detention without trial, including preventative detention orders, control orders, arrests for investigation and indefinite detention of prisoners, even after they have served their sentences. Under the false banner of protecting the population from terrorists, terrorism has been legally defined in sweeping terms, with the potential to cover anti-government protests that are deemed to threaten members of the public or end in violence. The essential political line-up in parliament was displayed in 2005, when the Coalition and Labor were joined by the Greens to push through far-reaching legislation, aimed at criminalising conduct alleged to be preparing for a, that is an unspecified, terrorist act. That cleared the way for repeated series of arrests, along with highly-publicised trials of citizens accused of plotting, or even speaking about, a possible terrorist act, without any evidence of any actual plan, time or place. The modus operandi of the police and intelligence agencies became entrapment or sting operations. Undercover provocateurs were deployed to infiltrate groups or set up individuals, by leading them to make statements that could be secretly recorded and offered as supposed proof of terrorist intent. Sweeping surveillance powers have been handed to the police and political spy agencies to monitor, harass and frame-up citizens, including by tapping phones, intercepting mail, bugging premises, hacking into computers, seizing control of social media accounts and searching homes. These powers were taken further by the 2015 metadata retention legislation, which allows the police and spy agencies to collect and retain a persons email contacts and web searches. This was followed by a 2018 law that forces internet companies to facilitate the cracking of encryption, passwords and other privacy-protected communications. Also in 2018, foreign interference legislation expanded the scope and penalties of the secrecy laws, as well as criminalised links with China or other foreign entities, in line with the new focus towards the US-led confrontation with China. At the same time, since 2001, both Coalition and Labor governments have led the way for their capitalist counterparts internationally, in taking brutal measures against asylum seekers, featuring indefinite detention on remote islands, and military operations to turn back refugee boats, at the cost of countless lives. Increasingly, this reaction has extended to basic democratic rights, such as the latest nakedly anti-democratic electoral laws that seek to de-register most political parties and prevent them having their names on election ballot papers. As the WSWS has repeatedly warned, the police-state powers are, above all, directed against the prospect of rising political disaffection and mounting struggles by the working class, produced by widening social inequality and attacks on jobs and conditions. These processes and tensions have now been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising threat of war. In a rare official statement of concern, an intelligence review revealed, as early as 2017, that ruling circles are wracked by immense political fears, related to rising global geo-strategic tensions, the erosion of US dominance, deepening social and political disaffection, and the prospect of mass opposition to its mounting preparations for war. The turn by the ruling class to militarism and authoritarianism has not gone without widespread opposition, however. In 2003, Australia saw some of the largest demonstrations worldwide, in the mass protests against the invasion of Iraq. In 2007, a public outcry erupted when the Australian Federal Police used investigation detention powers to hold an innocent man, Gold Coast-based doctor Mohamed Haneef, for 12 days without charge. That furore played a role, a few months later, in the landslide defeat of the Howard government. These movements, however, were largely channelled behind the election of the Rudd-Gillard Labor government in 2007, which only continued the same policies on every front. The bitter lessons of these political experiences must be drawn. There is only one way to end the violence of US and Australian imperialism, and the accompanying agenda of political repression. It is bound up with the struggle to put an end to the capitalist profit system itself, which is the root cause of imperialist war and the lurch toward draconian forms of rule. The events of September 11, 2001, were deeply traumatic. Nearly 3,000 people died in the terror attacks, involving four airplanes, including two that brought down the World Trade Center in New York, the deadliest in US history. Turning Point9/11 and the War on Terror (2021) Understandably, 9/11 has become the subject matter for numerous novels, films and television programs and series. A number have effectively described the character of the events and their psychological impact, few have shed much light on their deeper sources and larger implications. Theres before 9/11 and theres after 9/11, according to the trailer for Netflixs Turning Point: 9/11 And The War On Terror, a new five-part documentary series, released on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks. The series presents valuable material and imagery. The creators take a generally critical attitude toward what the US government did in the wake of September 2001. However, on the whole, Turning Point accepts far too many of the premises of the war on terror and the rest of the official version. It points toward disturbing aspects of American domestic and foreign policy, but does not challenge the latter in a substantive manner. The title of the series itself is problematic. 9/11 was not the turning point, the event that changed everything. As the WSWS has argued and proven time and again over the past two decades, whatever the precise origins of the attacks, they were instantaneously seized upon by the US ruling elite as a pretext for implementing a long-standing agenda, justifying the launch of decades-long wars in the Middle East and Central Asia and far-reaching attacks on democratic rights. The war on terror, embraced by the entire American political establishment and corporate media, became the rationalization for neocolonial wars and interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Iran. Twenty years after 9/11, Deadline cites director Brian Knappenberger (The Internets Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, 2014; We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, 2012; and Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, 2017) as commenting recently, the world is witnessing the shocking images of people clinging to the bottom of airplanes in a desperate attempt to leave the country. After the longest war in American historywith trillions of dollars spent, thousands of American lives lost, many more permanently damaged by the war and hundreds of thousands of Afghans killedthe Taliban have again seized control of Afghanistan. The breathtaking collapse happened just weeks after a U.S. withdrawal. How did the decisions in the war on terror lead us to this moment? As the American era ends on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 it is time to step back and ask in the most honest possible way, how did that day change us? Knappenberger and his colleagues, including Afghan crew members, conducted 88 interviews with, as Netflix explains, a wide range of interviewees, including officials from multiple US presidential administrations, former CIA members, and US military veterans as well as Afghanistan National Army soldiers, Taliban commanders, members of the Afghan government, Afghan warlords, and Afghan civilians. Many who had never spoken on camera before. [The series] also spotlights the voices of survivors of the attacks themselves. The miniseries opens with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with the CIA kind of creating a proxy war with the Soviets by supporting the mujahideen there, as Knappenberger told Democracy Now! The encounter between the people of Afghanistan and US imperialism is a complex and tragic event, now spanning more than 40 years. Washington, collaborating with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, mobilized Islamist fighters from throughout the Muslim world for a proxy war against Soviet forces supporting a secular government in Kabul. Among the CIAs closest collaborators, through Pakistani intelligence, was Osama bin Laden, who founded Al Qaeda with the backing of the US intelligence agency. In other words, the US created a Frankenstein monster. After a cursory historical introduction, Turning Point moves on to 9/11 itself. The footage of airplanes crashing into Manhattans World Trade Center towers continues to horrify. The series presents some genuinely distressing sequences, including a portion of a voice recording of flight attendant Betty Ong on board American Airlines Flight 11 speaking by phone with an airline agent. The cockpits not answering Somebodys stabbed in business class. And I think theres mace that we cant breathe I dont know. I think were getting hijacked. The airplane, now being flown by lead hijacker Mohamed Atta, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 92 people aboard and leading to the deaths of 1,402 people at and above the aircrafts impact zone. Several survivors who were inside the Twin Towers tell their frightening stories, as do a number of family members of those who died. There is horrific footage of a throng of people, shocked and covered in soot, trying to escape a massive runaway cloud of dust and debris as the towers collapse. The images are striking, but by themselves they do not reveal the truth of the event. For that, more than simply the most honest possible approach in the immediate sense is necessary. Serious historical knowledge, an understanding of geopolitics and the ability to submit events to penetrating analysis are also required. In this regard, Turning Point falls down. It accommodates itself to the claim that the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan was merely retribution for the crime committed on September 11, even if overzealously and mistakenly conducted. In reality, the occupation of the Central Asian nation was aimed at establishing US hegemonic control over not only Afghanistan, but the broader region, with the second largest reserves of petroleum and natural gas in the world. There is not a reference in the series to energy supplies or oil. What tends to predominate instead are the comments of a succession of former US government officials, FBI and CIA agents, as well as military personnel. More than a few notable war criminals are on hand, such as Gen. David Petraeus, the former commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and former director of the CIA. The rogues gallery also includes Alberto Gonzales, White House Counsel in 2001 and one of the legal architects of the torture program implemented in the name of combating terrorism. In Episode 3, entitled The Dark Side, Gonzales remarks: We went back and looked at the convention against torture, which was the genesis of the Anti-Torture statute The head of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice wrote that torture is that activity of which the very mention sends shivers up ones spine, such as needles under fingernails, such as piercing of your eyeball, such as electric shocks to your genitals. We werent anywhere close to that. By itself, The Mauritanian, currently airing on the Showtime television network in the US, which graphically dramatizes the torture and abuse of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, held from 2002 to 2016 without charge in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, puts the lie to Gonzalezs disingenuous comments. The US military and CIA carried out the most grotesque forms of physical and psychological torture, primarily against individuals with no association whatsoever with terrorism. Gonzales is never confronted by the filmmakers over his criminal role. The Dark Side episode describes how the White House justified and launched the Stellarwind warrantless surveillance program, allowing the authorities in essence to carry out electronic police raids on any individual on the planet, American citizens or not. Various critics, including Thomas Drake, a former senior executive of the National Security Agency (NSA), and James Risen, a former New York Times journalist, weigh in on the abuses and excesses committed as part of the war on terror. Several interviewees denounce the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Guantanamo Bay detention camphousing dirt farmers and bounty babies (those turned in for the reward being offered)and criticize aspects of the Good War in Afghanistan. Turning Point9/11 and the War on Terror The filmmakers, however, insist on presenting September 11 as a failure of intelligence, arguing, for example, that there was no effective communication between the FBI and CIA. Nothing much is made of the fact, for example, that two terrorists lived peaceably with an FBI informer in San Diego. Nor do the documentarians ever touch upon how it was that not a single official, from the CIA director down to the consular officials who granted the hijackers visas, suffered so much as a demotion after 9/11. The most compelling interviews in the series are those conducted with US troops who fought in Afghanistan. In Episode 4, entitled The Good War, two former American soldiers reveal their psychological torment. James Laporta laments: The person I shot didnt look older than 15. Painfully, Adam Linehan, now a journalist, speaks about the brutal conduct of US Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock and the Kill Team, involved in the murder and mutilation of unarmed Afghan civilians in the Maywand District in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in 2010. Linehan movingly explains that in the absence of any coherent narrative about these wars, its easy for a soldier to assume responsibility for things that arent their fault and they shrink the war down to their own small horrific experience. In addition, Brittany Ramos DeBarrosa young army captain in 2016observes that you cant take an institution thats built for violence and take it to build up safe and healthy communities. Another interviewee claims that the post-9/11 generation was fighting merely not to die on the battlefield, cutting through the patriotic rhetoric pushed by the military. Maj. Jason Wright also addresses the camera. He was one of the lawyers assigned to defend Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, a Pakistani national captured in a joint raid by the CIA and Pakistani intelligence in March 2003, now facing a military commission at Guantanamo Bay and a possible death sentence. Mohammed was subjected to a range of enhanced interrogation techniques while in CIA detention, including almost 200 waterboardings. Wright resigned from the army in 2014, accusing the US government of crafting a show trial. Knappenbergers Turning Point observes that 741 Guantanamo detainees have been released under the past three administrations, and of the 40 who remain, only two have been convicted by military commissions. Detainee in Turning Point9/11 and the War on Terror (2021) Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn (Abu Zubaydah), captured in Pakistan in 2002, was the first detainee to undergo enhanced interrogation and was infamously waterboarded eighty-three times in one month alone. Abu Zubaydahs chilling and effective drawings, shown in the series, provide visual testimony as to the dimensions of US torture. Never officially charged, he remains a prisoner. It should be noted that those who did the most to expose US crimes, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, receive no mention or airtime in Turning Point. The miniseries calls out the Obama administration on certain issues. The seamless continuity between the Bush and Obama administrations in the prosecution of the war on terror earned Obama the title of Drone President. Within his first year of office, more drone strikes were carried out by the president of Change You Can Believe In than during the entire Bush administration. This reached a qualitatively new stage on September 30, 2011, when Obama ordered the targeted assassination of a US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki. Moreover, the administration ensured that there would be no accountability for the torture program, protecting the Bush-era officials from prosecution, including Gonzales and Cheney, and other warriors of death. George W. Bush As noted above, the 9/11 terror attacks by themselves did not change everything. They helped create the atmosphere in which wars could be launched and the Patriot Act, Homeland Security and the Stellarwind warrantless surveillance program brought into being. Moreover, there is considerable evidence that US intelligence agencies permitted the attacks to go forward in order to supply the necessary opportunity for introducing these authoritarian schemes. A silver lining of the decades-long US occupation of Afghanistan, according to Turning Point, is that Afghan women are now better off. To argue the point, Afghan politician and former Vice President of the National Assembly Fawzia Koofi is trotted out. The reality is that the vast majority of the Afghan population, men as well as women, live in grinding poverty and oppression and despised the American presence. Womens rights and human rights are the banner under which imperialist wars and invasions have increasingly been waged in recent decades. The documentary does nothing to expose this falsehood. At stake in Afghanistan, as the WSWS has explained, were geostrategic interests in a country that provided US imperialism with a beachhead in energy-rich Central Asia and a potential launching pad for wars against China, Iran or Russia. As the WSWS argued at the time of recent, ignominious collapse of the puppet regime, Afghanistan is a metaphor for the entire rotting edifice of American capitalism. To the fictitious capital on which US capitalisms bubble economy is based, corresponds the fictitious power conferred on the Pentagon by smart bombs and drone murder strikes in countries like Afghanistan. The debacle in Kabul has coincided with the US authorities homicidal policy in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands because public health has been subordinated to profit interests. The American ruling elite places no more value on American lives than those of Iraqis or Afghans. Turning Point touches on a number of important and pressing issues. However, what it does not say and does not approach is even more significant. Last week, Ukraines daily coronavirus-related deaths topped 100 for the first time since June, according to the countrys health ministry. New infections likewise increased to over 6,000 for the first time since May 15 as the virus resurges in the impoverished Eastern European country of approximately 41 million. By comparison, in September 2020, the country reported just over 3,000 new cases, testifying to the fact that the global pandemic is far from concluded. Patients with COVID-19 in a hospital in Lviv, western Ukraine, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) COVID-19 hospitalization rates similarly jumped 51 percent in just one week. The highly infectious Delta variant now accounts for over 70 percent of all new cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Over 58,000 have already died in Ukraine as a result of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, but the real number is undoubtedly higher. In the western L'viv region, reports have surfaced that people have been forced to bury COVID-19 victims in makeshift graves outside of their homes due to a lack of cemetery spaces. While the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky has spent the entire summer attempting to receive the backing of Western imperialism for its provocative anti-Russia offensive to retake Crimea, its pandemic policies are preparing the grounds for an even more catastrophic spread of the virus and further mass death. This Monday, the government announced that it would extend a state of emergency until the end of the year and issued a yellow warning for the entire country, which does little more than limit mass events and mandates mask-wearing. The resurgence of the virus was entirely predictable as the Ukrainian government had earlier lifted the most lockdown restrictions in June with just 1.6 million vaccinated individuals. To date, just over ten percent of the country are vaccinated. The unvaccinated have accounted for over 98 percent of hospitalizations in the past three months, according to Deputy Minister of Health Igor Kuzin. Throughout the summer the country enforced what it called an adaptive lockdown which allowed regional authorities to tighten or ease restrictions depending on the situation locally. In reality, such measures were totally inadequate and weakly enforced and permitted the Delta variant to enter the country unchecked. Faced with a deteriorating situation, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced in early September that the government would be meeting to consider a return to stricter lockdown restrictions. The epidemiological situation in Ukraine is predicted to deteriorate ... we see a tendency towards an increase in hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19, but the situation is not critical, said Health Minister Viktor Lyashko. This statement flies in the face of reality: the country is heading into fall when respiratory infections typically rise and 4.2 million students are being herded back into school. Shmygal also made clear that the government will attempt to use the already globally-failed strategy of vaccinating itself out of the pandemic. Last week, the government announced it would be introducing vaccine passports that will allow businesses such as cinemas, gyms, theatres and swimming pools to operate without social distancing requirements if all visitors and at least 80 percent of staff at the venues are at least partially vaccinated. As the WSWS has reported, vaccinations alone will not stop the spread of COVID-19 and could potentially lead to even more dangerous and infectious variants of the virus. To make matters worse, in a reflection of the widespread distrust and disillusionment with the government and the countrys medical infrastructure, a recent poll suggested that 56 percent of adult Ukrainians have no intention of receiving any COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, in comparison to wealthier Western countries, Ukraine has struggled to obtain vaccines and as of August had the largest share of the unvaccinated in all of Europe. The imperialist backers of the Kiev government have refused to provide it with any meaningful assistance in the effort to vaccinate the population. Nevertheless, in a sign of its fealty to US mperialism, the country has refused to use the more readily available Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. The vaccines effectiveness was confirmed by data published in Nature magazine in July. The countrys ruling class has made clear it is aware of the deadly consequences of its policies. Speaking with the Agence France Presse, former deputy health minister and founder of the Centre for Public Health Analysis Pavlo Kovtonyuk, ominously declared that, This wave will mostly likely be the deadliest. Kovtonyuk also admitted that the countrys underfunded and dilapidated hospitals were incapable of dealing with a fourth wave. No matter how we prepare our hospitals, they will be overcrowded, Kovtonyuk admitted. Medical workers throughout the pandemic in Ukraine have worked in desperate conditions with outdated and missing supplies. Exacerbating the situation, throughout the pandemic Ukrainian medical workers have often gone months without pay. During the summer, a number of medical workers went on strike, demanding unpaid wages and COVID-19 hazard pay. While the country continues to see thousands of new cases a day, the National Health Service has illogically continued to cut hospital staff and wages. In August, doctors and nurses in the eastern of city of Kupyansk went on strike despite intimidation and threats of layoffs from hospital administration. Earlier in the month, 150 medical workers in the city of Valkov went on strike and blocked a major highway over unpaid wages. Similar strikes took place throughout the summer in Kiev, Lviv, Suma and Slovyansk and will likely spread as the fourth wave overcrowds hospitals and places medical workers in even more dangerous working conditions. KNOX COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - An Indiana man was arrested in Knox County after police he led them on a chase while he had cocaine in his system. It happened just before midnight on Thursday. That is when Indiana State Police said they received information about a man in a stolen truck, pulling a trailer with two stolen lawnmowers driving north on US 41. The truck and mowers were reported stolen in Kentucky. A state trooper tried to pull the truck over but said the driver, later identified a Ray Miller,31, of Lake Station, Indiana, refused to stop. A short time later, police said Miller crashed the truck on US 41 and Willow Street in Knox County. Miller allegedly bailed from the truck after the crash. Police used K9s to find Miller hiding behind a building on Old Decker Road. Miller was taken to the hospital, where police said he had cocaine in his system. He was charged with: VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - In July, the Fairbanks Community Center was in danger of closing its doors. Community center officials said the team of new board members helped make the change. To celebrate the change, the center is hosting its first community cookout. It's taking place this weekend. They are accepting donations to find the upkeep of the building. As of now, they are $1,000 away from hitting their $5,000 goal. To learn more about the cookout and how you can help, click here. COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) An 8-year-old girl who became wedged inside a south-central Indiana homes laundry chute was rescued after firefighters cut through a floor joist to free her, authorities said. Columbus firefighters called Wednesday to the home found the girl conscious and alert but stuck in an awkward position inside the homes metal laundry chute, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. Investigators determined she had entered the chute from a second-story bedroom and slid toward the basement of the home in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Indianapolis. But she ended up stuck at the chutes opening with her body bent at the waist and both her feet and head facing upward, The Republic reported. Firefighters tried to free the girl by repositioning her, and when that failed they removed drywall from the homes first floor to expose the chute, then used a saw and tin snips to create an opening in the chute. When a second attempt to the girl failed, firefighters determined that a floor joist near the bottom of the chute was preventing her from exiting it. When they cut that joist they were able to free her from the chute and lower her to the basements floor. Wilson said the girl was taken to a hospital for evaluation and later released. He said its estimated she was stuck in the chute for about 40 minutes before she was rescued. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Students and staff at Indiana State University will soon be required to provide proof they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or take a weekly test. It is part of a program ISU will call their Sycamore Community Health Initiative. The school says the change starts on January 1. Indiana State University President Dr. Deborah Curtis announced the new mandate on Thursday. The campus announcement goes on to say ISU made its decisions based on CDC guidance and advice from other medical experts. The school says its goal is to "chart a course to a greater return to normal operations in the coming months ahead." VIGO CO., Ind. (WTHI) - It's Pollution Prevention Week in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says it's a great time for Hoosiers to start small activities that can have a big impact on the environment. One place in Vigo County is helping people do just that year-round. Recycle, reduce, and repurpose are three R's that can help save the environment and can be found at Vigo County Solid Waste Management. Karrum Nasser is the executive director of the agency, and he told News 10 they've already collected a staggering amount of cardboard, paper, plastic, and aluminum. "So far this year, we've disposed of over 250 tons of those kinds of recyclables," he said. Those items aren't just recycled, but repurposed, too. "We're proud of the fact that after 90 days, every item we collect turns into new product, so we feel like we're making a big impact on the environment by doing that," he said. The last "R," reduce, can fall on the consumer. Nasser said they collect a lot of water bottles, but he explained that plastic can be cut out completely by using a water filter, for example, instead. "It's a good habit to do to recycle plastic, but if you can change your purchasing habits, that makes a bigger impact on the environment," he said. Vigo County Solid Waste Management is hosting a Tox Away Day for residents this weekend, and they're accepting even more items this time. "This year, we're adding tire disposal as well as electronics, so it's a good day to let people get rid of some stuff that they're having a hard time getting rid of," Nasser said. The Tox Away Day is happening Saturday, Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on East Haythorne Avenue in Terre Haute. For a full list of accepted items, click here. CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI) - Between Palestine and Robinson runs Route 33. Take that road and you'll see plenty of bean fields and grain bins. But nestled just to the north sits the Crawford County airport. David Diffenderfer with the Crawford County Airport Authority says "We're a pretty successful airport. We enjoy what we're doing. There are a lot of aviation enthusiasts who live around here. So this Saturday and Sunday will be kind of crowded." The airport was bustling with work all day Thursday. Everyone was busy getting the place ready for Wings by the Wabash. The air show is back after taking off 2020 due to the pandemic. Those at the show and in Palestine will see a number of different aircraft in the sky. From bi-planes to a number of World War 2 planes. But one set of planes is likely to get everyone's attention. Diffenderfer explains, "The A-10s are a military demonstration team. It's unusual for jets to be on a small airport like this because usually the runways aren't big enough. The a-10 can handle it." Captain Haden Fullam explains, "We always love coming to some of the smaller airshows. It's fun to bring these airplanes places to show them off to folks maybe never get to see any military aircraft, much less the a-10." Captain Fullam will be one of two pilots bringing the military's flying tank to the skies over Crawford County. He's been flying the A-10 for six years. It's a jet he loves and he hopes to share that passion with folks in this small community. Fullam says, "It's a lot of fun bringing it out especially showing it off to the kids. I mean I remember being the kid going to airshows and getting all fired up to see these things so it's a lot of fun to kind of pass that on." Gates open for Wings by the Wabash at 9 am this Saturday and Sunday. The show begins at 1 pm on both days. The event is free to the public. STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Hearing your teacher isnt always easy and neither is focusing on what the teacher is saying. To help with that, 12 classrooms at Starkville High School are now equipped with new audio equipment. Microphones help Starkville teachers with instruction. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. Starkville teachers can use cameras to record and stream their lectures. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. Starkville teachers can use cameras to record and stream their lectures. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. Microphones help Starkville teachers with instruction. Photo Date: Sept. 23, 2021. This aims to help in-person students and those learning virtually. I see it as a very helpful thing for students to understand the teachers and teachers to understand the students, Spanish teacher Doug Houston said. His classroom was one of the 12 to receive the equipment. Sometimes teachers have problems. They talk all day. They start to get hoarse, he said. The teachers are out because of voice problems. This really takes care of that because you dont have to talk loud to project. This is done by wearable microphones around the teachers' necks Sophomore Peyton Willoughby said one of his classes has the new system. Hes already noticed a major difference in his learning experience. With the combination of being able to move around the room and still being able to hear, it just makes the teaching much more engaging and much more enjoyable, he said. Along with the microphones, the audio system also includes a camera. Teachers can use cameras to record and stream their lectures. It keeps you on track so you stay engaged and all of that with your work, Sophomore Asia Price said. The equipment cost $100,000, but the school district didnt pay a dime thanks to a grant. Twelve classrooms at Armstrong Middle School also received the equipment. The district hopes to add more to its other schools in the future. The FCC has sent out the first checks from its Emergency Connectivity Fund, an effort to help close the "homework gap" at schools by covering the cost of computers and internet services. Thousands of school districts, in every state plus D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico, will split this first $1.2 billion distribution, and there's still lots more to come. The problem they are looking to mitigate is the large number of students who, in an age when studying, homework and now even classes are all done online, lack a device or adequate internet connection to participate. This exacerbates an existing inequality, for these students often lack access to other resources and end up falling behind through no fault of their own. The ECF was conceived to combat this, and funded earlier this year as part of the big pandemic recovery bill. It's a $7 billion program in total, but the money is being distributed over time as schools and libraries make their formal requests, saying they need to cover the cost of this many tablets, or wireless hotspots, or broadband connections. The FCC seems to be picking up the bill as long as the request is reasonable and the paperwork is in order. "From small rural libraries like the Sesser Public Library in Sesser, Illinois, to large school districts like Baltimore City Public Schools, this first wave of funding will provide more than 3 million connected devices for remote learning and will make a major dent in closing one of the cruelest parts of the digital divide," said acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel in the news release. It's not evenly divided, but distributed according to the applications received. The biggest state recipient is New York with $243 million ($192 million of which goes to NYC), followed by Texas with $97 million, and California with $71 million. Several states got far less (Wyoming and South Dakota took in less than $100,000 each), but this could very easily be a question of those districts just choosing to get their paperwork in for the second fund disbursement. To that end, September 28 marks a new application period, for equipment and services used from this last July to next June though the FCC noted it is still processing applications from the first batch, so if your district hasn't heard back on that, don't worry. And if they haven't applied yet, best get started! You can check out the full recipient list, broken down by district and amount, in the spreadsheet linked here. Mass, Fran Kranzs critically acclaimed searing chamber drama, is set to travel in many territories, sold to them by Paris-based outfit Kinology (Annette, Aheds Knee). The movie world premiered at Sundance and is playing at San Sebastian in the New Directors section. Kranzs screenwriting and directorial debut, Mass unfolds years after a tragic shooting and revolves around two sets of parents the victims and the perpetrators who agree to meet and talk privately in an attempt to move forward. More from Variety Since boarding the films international sales in June, Kinology has sold it to Australia/NZ (Madman), Scandinavia (NonStop), Spain (La Aventura), Taiwan (Hooray), Poland (Galapagos), Middle East (Front Row) and CIS (Exponenta). Mass was previously acquired for the U.S. (Bleecker Street), Canada (MK2 Miles End), LatAm (Sun) and the U.K. (Sky). CAA and The Gersh Agency represented U.S. rights. Kranz produced the pic alongside Casey Wilder Mott, J.P. Ouellette and Dylan Matlock. Mass has been unanimously praised by critics. Varietys Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review Mass might be described as a talk-therapy thriller built out of memory a psychodrama, a meditation, and benediction, all at the same time. He said the writing is so deft, and the actors so committed, that by the end you feel youve touched the burning core of something real. Headed by Gregoire Melin, Kinology had four films playing in competition at Cannes, two of which won awards best director for Leos Caraxs Annette with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard; and a shared jury prize for Nadav Lapids Aheds Knee. Story continues Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The 'Strictly' pros have hit the headlines this week. (BBC/Guy Levy) After the buzz of the Strictly launch show, things turned a little sour this week when it emerged that some of the pros were refusing to get a COVID vaccine. Everyone from Boris Johnson to James Jordan has waded in on the resulting row, while fans keep their fingers crossed that there won't be a competition-ending outbreak. Read more: All you need to know about Strictly Come Dancing 2021 Meanwhile, we're looking forward to seeing the new couples take to the floor for the first time this weekend, although predictably, Dan Walker hasn't managed to find a supporter in old breakfast TV rival Piers Morgan. Here's the week in Strictly news. Unvaccinated dancers row overshadows week one Some celebs are coupled with unvaccinated dancers. (BBC/Guy Levy) With Nicola Adams and Katya Jones forced to drop out of last year's Strictly when they tested positive for COVID, everyone is keen for the couples to stay healthy this series. So it came as a surprise to many to hear that three of the pro dancers - who haven't been named - have refused their vaccinations. Read more: Where is Bruno Tonioli and who is judging Strictly? The show's stars have mostly closed ranks, saying it comes down to personal choice, but it sparked a debate as to whether refusing the jab was selfish to their celebrity partners and families who would be in close proximity over the coming weeks. Former Strictly pro James Jordan was typically outspoken as he told Good Morning Britain: "I definitely believe they dont deserve their right on the show and the celebrities have every right to refuse to dance with them. "I just think it's a really, really selfish thing to do." James Jordan was clear on his views about unvaccinated dancers. (Getty) Even PM Boris Johnson had something to say about it, commenting: I dont want to bully people or to lecture them but, well I dont mind lecturing them, Ill lecture them." Dancer-turned-judge Anton Du Beke shared some of the behind-the-scenes worries when he told GMB: The worry of course, is that if you get something that spreads through the group, well thats the end of the show." Story continues Couples revealed - including all-male pairing John Whaite and Johannes Radebe are the show's first all-male couple. (BBC/Ray Burmiston) On the brighter side of dancefloor news, the weekend brought the excitement of the launch show where 2021's couples were revealed for the first time. Top story from the pairings was that former Bake Off winner John Whaite got his promised male partner in Johannes Radebe, the show's first all-male couple. We also saw Nancy Xu join the main line-up for the first time, partnering CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson. Nancy Xu and Rhys Stephenson look like a strong pairing. (BBC/Ray Burmiston) Other notable pairings included reigning champion Oti Mabuse, who'll dance with ex-rugby union player Ugo Monye, while Karen Hauer was matched with Greg Wise. This weekend we'll see the full line-up take their first steps into the ballroom after some intense rehearsals. The celebs we're tipping for ballroom glory Nina Wadia surprised with her confident moves. (BBC/Ray Burmiston) It's tough to get a read on who's going to be heading for the final from the early days of the contest, but the launch show gave us a glimpse of who looks comfortable on the dancefloor. Viewers were wowed by Rhys Stephenson's moves, who admitted to loving dancing at weddings, but will he be as good in the choreographed routines as when he's freestyling? Watch: Who is Strictly's Rhys Stephenson? Former EastEnders star Nina Wadia was a surprise to many viewers as she showed good rhythm and plenty of confidence in the group dance. We can't wait for this weekend's first live show to find out who has been hiding some secret talents, and who will crumble under the pressure of performing. Craig Revel Horwood wants both Anton and Bruno for dream judging panel Craig Revel Horwood spoke to Kate Thornton about the judging line-up. Anton Du Beke is set to make his debut as a judge this series, finally joining the panel for a full series rather than just a guest appearance. Bruno Tonioli's seat at the table became free when he confirmed he wouldn't be able to do Strictly this series because COVID travel restrictions would stop him flying between US filming commitments at Dancing With The Stars. However, Craig Revel Horwood has said he doesn't necessarily think that Du Beke joining the panel spells an end to Tonioli's time on the show. Anton Du Beke has finally got a seat at the judging table. (BBC) Revel Horwood told Kate Thornton's podcast White Wine Question Time that it was "only COVID keeping him away" from returning, and hinted at a judges dream team that would feature both Du Beke and Tonioli. He said: "What I'm saying is that there's always room for another judge, isn't there?" Piers Morgan is already winding up old rival Dan Walker Piers Morgan has been stoking his old rivalry with Dan Walker. (Getty) There's famously no love lost between Piers Morgan and Dan Walker after their long-running rivalry when Morgan was still at Good Morning Britain and Walker hosted BBC Breakfast. So it'll come as a surprise to no-one that it doesn't look as though Morgan will be calling in to vote for Walker and his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova. Morgan took a drop in launch show ratings as his cue to stick the boot into Walker, following the same theme as their old row about breakfast TV ratings. The ex-GMB anchor tweeted a link to the news that Strictly's launch show ratings had hit an 11-year low, commenting: "Congrats @mrdanwalker". Watch: Who's judging this year's Strictly? You're a very lucky person if the hardest decision you have to make this weekend is what to watch on TVbut that doesn't mean that it's easy! The growing number of streaming services has opened up so many possibilities for easy viewing, but Netflix is still delivering as one of the originals. In the past two weeks, the service has added tons of new series and new seasons of existing series. So whether you're in the mood to watch the most polite reality competition show of all time or to freak yourself out with a new horror tale, we've got something for you. Read on for the best new shows on Netflix. RELATED: 7 New Movies You Can Watch on Netflix This Weekend. 1 The Great British Baking Show Okay, so maybe you can't watch all of the newest season of The Great British Baking Show this weekend, but you can certainly enjoy the premiere. Starting today, Netflix will drop one episode of the beloved competition reality show every Friday until the Master Baker of this crop of contestants is named. So tune in for more soggy bottoms, Paul Hollywood handshakes, and unfailingly nice English people. 2 Midnight Mass Mike Flanagan, who also created the Netflix hits The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, is back with a new spooky showthis one not based on a book. In Midnight Mass, a young priest (Hamish Linklater) establishes himself in a small, close-knit town, which seems to be the genesis of some incredible (and bone-chilling) events. Just like the Haunting series, expect a mix of genuine scares and meditations on grief, regret, and love that will likely stay with you for much longer. 3 Vendetta: Truth, Lies and the Mafia Ahead of the new Sopranos prequel movie premiering on Oct. 1, get a taste of the real thing. This Italian-language docuseries tracks the conflict between two Sicilian public figures, journalist Pino Maniaci and judge Silvana Saguto. Both Maniaci and Saguto claim to be anti-mafia and working to bring organized crime down, but both accuse the other of being corrupt. Story continues 4 Jaguar A period piece set in Spain, Jaguar puts an espionage spin on a post-World War II story. The thriller follows a survivor of a concentration camp who is recruited onto a secretive team of individuals looking to hunt down Nazis who've hunkered down in the country. For more recommendations sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. 5 Dear White People The fourth and final season of the series adaptation of the film with the same name just dropped on streaming. Dear White People stars an ensemble cast of co-eds led by Logan Browning and revolves around Black students at a primarily white Ivy League university. In a bold turn, this senior year season is practically a musical, with several cast members busting out their versions of '90s R&B hits. 6 Sex Education Netflix's bright and bubbly British comedy just returned for Season 3, in which a new head teacher (Jemima Kirke) stifles its expressive student body in the hopes of turning Moordale's "sex school" reputation around. That won't stop these teenagers from exploring their gender, sexuality, and new relationships, however. And these new Sex Education episodes bring the show's signature balance of wholesomeness and graphically honest humor. 7 Nailed It Now that we've covered The Great British Baking Show, which is actually about making gorgeous, scrumptious pastries, let's move on to a baking competition where getting it wrong is the whole point. Nicole Byer continues to host Netflix's surprise success, Nailed It, which brings together some of the country's worst bakers to attempt to whip up some complicated treats. The resulting messes have been known to make even the camera operators laugh until they cry. Season 6 is now on the service. 8 Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father Also back for another season is the hilarious and heartwarming travelogue, Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father. In this series, the British comedian, most recently seen in Disney's Jungle Cruise, takes a series of trips with his stoic dad, Michael Whitehall. In addition to a hefty dose of father/son bonding, Travels with My Father serves up surprise guests and more than a few vacation ideas. RELATED: 17 TV Shows You Can Watch From Start to Finish This Weekend. Lucinda Chambers and Molly Molloy lifted their Colville brand to new heights with a collection full of clean lines, upcycled fabrics and pulsating patterns and prints. The rich, bohemian vibe, and off-kilter proportions, were out in force, but this time the looks were sharper, more polished and easier to read. In addition to having eagle eyes for color and pattern, Chambers and Molloy also have sense of humor: they patchworked vintage fabrics some of them with a groovy 60s flower print in mustard into cool, long-sleeved T-shirt dresses, or wraparound skirts. No two pieces were the same. More from WWD The two also looked back to the 80s, whipping old shell suits into neat shoulder bags, thereby redeeming those slippery, cheap fabrics. Other dresses had surface appeal. A 3D fuzzy tiger pattern was jacquarded into an otherwise classic shift, while a single cape sleeve added drama to a fluttery dress with a painterly print designed by the London creative Blue Farrier. The latter was cinched at the waist with a wide, striped cotton belt made by women weavers in Mexico. The artisans also created a long, brightly striped cotton poncho, a highlight of the collection: Those not gutsy enough to pull off the look could easily use it to jazz up the sofa. Chambers and Molloy also built up their accessories collections with more bold, brightly colored and curvy organic jewelry and bags. Bucket styles with thick cream and brown stripes were crafted from wool by Colombias Arhuaco people, part of an ongoing series of artisanal collaborations the brand undertakes with womens collectives worldwide. Launch Gallery: Colville RTW Spring 2022 Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Like many immigrants, my parents came to this country with not much more than the clothes on their backs (my father from Cuba and my mother from Russia) and the little bit of cash they were able to save. At the time, I was only 8 and didnt understand what was happening, but my parents assured me that this move was best for our family. And it was they eventually opened their own real estate business and I attended a top college in New York City. But despite our familys success, there is one area in which I often feel like a failure: My relationship with money. As a child, I dont remember my parents ever talking openly about money and I wasnt aware of whether we had it or not. What I do know is that they worked hard to provide a better life for me and my brother. My dad worked in construction, my mom was employed at a food-packaging factory, and they both delivered pizza at night. Eventually, my parents got into real estate and built a business buying, renting, and flipping houses. More from SheKnows I didnt know that we were successful until I was in high school. Thats when we went from renting a decent-sized house to a nice house, on a canal in Florida with access to the ocean, and a pool with a jacuzzi. By then, it felt like wed finally made it and achieved the American Dream. But I didnt know how my parents were able to afford it because, well, we never talked about money. Click here to read the full article. Some immigrant parents are not accustomed to talking about money with their children, Mayra Alejandra Garcia, a.k.a., the Debt-Free Latina, a financial coach based in Phoenix, Arizona, tells SheKnows. Money is a taboo topic at times but we need to make it comfortable. Although many American children dont receive a good financial education, its especially true in immigrant families because immigrants often come from poor regions and dont have a background in money and making investments. Story continues There is one area in which I often feel like a failure: My relationship with money. When I left home for college, I had no concept of how to deal with money. I didnt know that I should be applying for scholarships or student loans to help pay for school, only that I needed to fill out the governments Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. It was around that time that I opened my first credit card to build credit which was the only financial advice my parents ever gave, since they did the same after arriving in America. I made the occasional splurge, but I spent most of my time studying, thanks to a work ethic handed down from my parents. Upon getting my first post-graduate job, I had to figure out how to manage my expenses and live with basic necessities, while living paycheck-to-paycheck. I never contributed to my 401K retirement account or kept a savings account, just like my parents, who put all their money toward their business. Language barriers often make it difficult for immigrants to understand the U.S. financial system, says Garcia. Immigrants are sometimes confused when it comes to learning about different types of loans or interest rates in America. This was true for my parents, who didnt get much of a financial education from my grandparents, perhaps because they originated from a communist country where opportunities to advance werent readily available. Another problem for my parents: As their business grew, so did their needs a common occurrence called the lifestyle creep. As they earned more, they bought fancier items like televisions and jewelry and took trips abroad. Yet they still lived paycheck-to-paycheck without an emergency fund. When I met my husband we both carried debt, however we still needed to buy a car and a home. I slowly started getting our financial life in order, with mixed results. We traveled during the first few years of our relationship but we also refinanced his student loan to get a lower interest rate and better payment plan and paid off our credit card debt (albeit racking up another $15,000 after moving to another state). It felt like we moved a little ahead, only to get a little behind. Currently, we owe $131,985.17 between his undergraduate student loan, my car, our credit cards, and home improvements. And thats not including our mortgage or the $19,000 yearly cost of daycare for 18-month-old son. But were getting through it one bill at a time. Still, I worry about our money management skills and, even more so, the example were setting for our son. Thats why Ive made a commitment to doing the opposite of what my parents did by talking openly about money at home. Heres what Garcia recommends: Teach your kids the principles of giving, saving, and spending wisely. If they receive an allowance or earn money, they can separate their money into these three categories, she explains. But even more important than teaching is demonstrating your own money habits. What Ive learned in my own household is that more is caught than taught, says Garcia. My kids are 16 and 20 and they see our example of regularly making our budget, avoiding impulse buying, [taking] affordable vacations, and that debt isnt an option in our home.. Although my husband and I are still figuring it out, I will be modeling this at home. It wont be easy but approaching the subject however imperfectly is my only choice. While my parents have always provided for me, what I really needed was an honest financial education; instead, Im learning from what they didnt teach me for the benefit of my son. Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These past few months, Haiti has been in turmoil. After the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7 in Port-Au-Prince, southern Haiti was devastated by an earthquake on August 14. I was just wrapping up a month working on earthquake relief efforts when I saw the latest, horrific news. U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback were photographed using whips to chase down and round up fleeing Haitian refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas. I was shaken, lost for words. Ive barely had the time to process the killing of activist, feminist, and friend Netty Duclaire along with approximately 15 other people back on June 30 in a shooting rampage in Port-au-Prince. Between these assassinations, the earthquake that struck my hometown, a hurricane, the spiral of continued gang violence, and political turmoil, the social tensions in Haiti have never stopped. There is little left to hold on to in Haiti today where insecurity is so high we joke that our life expectancy is 24 hours, renewable each day. I was born and raised in Haiti and I have chosen to stay and put my time, knowledge, and energy to work to advance economic development and social justice. However, this year, for the first time, I realized that to stay alive and earn a decent living, I might have to reconsider my decision. The threats and dire situation in Haiti make it costly, risky, and painful to stay. Fleeing is the safest option for many of us. For those of us who can flee, it only makes sense that some Haitians want a chance to reach the wealthiest country on the continent. Thats why nearly 15,000 Haitian refugees seeking asylum are camped under a Del Rio bridge. But the world has grown accustomed to disasters and crises in Haiti to the point that no one feels embarrassed to talk about the so-called Haitian fatigue a phenomenon of waning global compassion for our nation. But the lives of more than 10 million people - people who have dignity, willpower, desire, and dreams - are at stake. The rich and powerful, who earn a living from exploiting Haiti while occasionally enjoying its natural charm, are allowed to have Haitian fatigue, but the idea that the Haitian people who have endured unrelenting violence, political instability, and the absence of opportunities and may need to flee is unfathomable. Story continues It is no surprise, then, that the Biden Administration has continued mass deportations of Haitians seeking asylum from these disasters. At least 16 deportation flights have been scheduled this week alone, even as the images of the U.S. Border Patrols violence against Haitians went viral and created an outcry from the public and demands to end Bidens use of the Trump-era Title 42 immediate deportation policy. The Haitian refugees under the bridge at Del Rio are a message in a bottle that has finally reached its destination. Haiti is facing a lingering political, economic and social crisis that repeated natural disasters exacerbated. Many Haitians left after the 2010 earthquake. They didnt trust the government nor the international community to rebuild Haiti. They were right. The reconstruction efforts - led by former American president Bill Clinton - failed. Dispersed in Central and South America in the years since, Haitian refugees fleeing a country destroyed under Americas watch had to pause on the way to gather strength and make money to finance their long journey to US borders, crossing at least eight countries: Chile, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. And now, this refugee crisis is about America reaping what theyve sown in Haiti: political interference; 19 years of occupation; 29 years of propping up dictatorships under the Duvalier regime; policies that harm the Haitian agriculture; US interference in the 2010 elections; support to successive puppets and ineffective government; and more recently, ten years of unwavering support to a regime involved in corruption, massacres, human rights abuses and repression that brought Haiti to its knees. When the U.S. so clearly played a role in the destabilization of Haiti and the maintenance of the conditions that have caused us to leave our country, it is amazing for the Biden Administration to reject Haitians need for asylum and humane treatment. Nevertheless, facing this large influx of refugees, the Americans act as shocked as they were in 1980 when more than 2,400 Haitian people landed on Florida shores in six weeks. Haitians were fleeing poverty and oppression at that time. Now, they are fleeing extreme poverty, gang violence, persecution, and humanitarian and political crises. Back in 1980, the US government, which accepted refugees from Cuba and other countries, did not know what to do with those Haitians. Today, as the U.S. accepts refugees from another country they destabilized and destroyed with war, Afghanistan, they still do not seem to know how to properly protect Haitians. Why is it always so difficult to treat Haitian refugees humanely? Every Haitian should know that they have a home in the beautiful country where they were born. They shouldnt have to beg for asylum at the US borders and be whipped by border patrol agents as if we were in the days of slavery. In response to the outcry of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback whipping Haitian refugees, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has announced that agents will no longer use horses in their inhumane rounding-up and deportation of Haitians. And yet the inhumane treatment and deportation of Haitians will apparently continue. The DHS is even advertising its search for a contractor who speaks Haitian Creole to run a migrant facility in Guantanamo Bay. While US Press Secretary Jen Psaki has stated this search for a Haitian Creole-speaking contractor at Gitmo is mere coincidence and would not lead to Haitians at the southern border being sent there, what history has taught us is that, when and wherever possible, the US will fail Haitians. The US must act now and end these Title 42 deportations and grant asylum to refugees. Expulsion under these conditions is obscene. Haitian asylum seekers deserve safety and assistance, as guaranteed by international laws and basic human rights principles. The United States must seize this opportunity to uphold human rights and dignity. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? What's Happening In Haiti & Ways To Help U.N. Aid Workers In Sex Abuse Scandal To say that Halloween is a big deal in Jenny and Chris Zacharewicz's family is putting it mildly. With 10 kids, ages 16 months to 27 years, the couple welcome a holiday that's sillier than it is serious and more fun than foreboding. For Jenny, it's all part of a beloved tradition and letting kids be kids. "I grew up celebrating Halloween, so it's always been something I've enjoyed," she says. "I love that my kids have now gotten into it too." "I'm telling you, we all get into it," Jenny says. And by all, she means alleven the four oldest kids in their 20s. By August, family dinners at the 10-foot-long dining table in their Dallas, Georgia, farmhouse evolve into brainstorming sessions about Halloween costumes. Often, the family chooses a themeWizard of Oz and Disney were past winnersand the siblings dress as characters to match the theme. "It can be hard to get everybody on the same page, especially the little kids," Jenny says. "Sometimes I have to step in and say 'He's 4, let him be what he wants.'" Adam Albright Of course, the highlight of the season is the costume reveal and trick-or-treating. In 2020, the force was with them as the Star Wars entourageincluding Princess Leia (Allie, 27), a Jawa (Jacob, 12), and Chewbacca (Ben, 4)made the rounds in town with family friends. Jenny and Chris typically opt out of the costuming. "We're just trying to control the masses," Jenny says. Related: 21 Easy Kids' Halloween Costumes You Can Make at Home Adam Albright In early October, the focus shifts to spookifying the house. There's always a kid or two around to give Mom an assist with the decorating. Matthew, 14, has become chief cobweb stretcher. "He's amazing," Jenny says. Adam Albright A ghost hung from the upper window of Jenny and Chris Zacharewicz's modern farmhouse presides over the seasonal festivities. "The ghost kind of says 'Hey, it's Halloween' as you're driving down the road," Jenny says. On the porch, pumpkins, mums, and faux-leaf garlands keep the look classic. Jenny turned an old shutter and a plant holder (currently a pumpkin perch) into a display. Story continues Adam Albright Jenny carves out work time as a social media influencer in her cute she shed near the side of the house. The structure came unfinished; the couple painted it, and Jenny added the decorative touches. A black cat of the plastic variety prowls in the classic autumn landscaping. "It's a really great decoration," she says of the menacing feline. Adam Albright A handmade sign in the much-used back entry announces the home's temporary "dead and breakfast" status. "I try to find something that inspires me and go with a theme," Jenny says. A skeleton key and lantern help conjure a witchy innkeeper leading leery guests down a dark corridor to their rooms. Adam Albright Jenny sprinkles moon faces around the living room in various forms after taking inspiration from an Etsy find. The large smiling "man in the moon" art adopts a spooky vibe thanks to a swarm of bats; it moves to one of the kids' bedrooms after Halloween. Jenny's oldest child, Allie, 27, painted the mini-moon face hanging in the wooden box, using a wood circle from a crafts store. More of Allie's moons hang from twine tied around the handles of baskets on a long accent table. Adam Albright "Where I've headed with decorations is to be as natural as possible and limit store-bought," Jenny says. In the living room, above, branches ("Super cheapfree!" she says) in baskets help to create the feel of a forest. Letters stenciled on burlap spell "Boo." Folded over the rungs of an antique ladder, they tie in with the everyday curtains. Purchased pieces tend to be handmade, such as the black cat from Etsy. "If I'm going to buy a piece, I want it to be unique and not something everybody else has," she says. Adam Albright Jenny creates tablescapes as an easy way to give a room a holiday focal point. The living room's forest theme carries into the breakfast nook, below, with a twig wreath and a centerpiece anchored by a large black lantern and owlsand by grounding everything in a layer of green moss. "Decorations don't have to scream Halloween," Jenny says. Her look is classic or happy. Tailor to your kids' ages or simply your everyday decor as Jenny did by bringing in branches for a woodsy theme. "It's sort of spooky without being scary." Adam Albright With a table that seats 16, Jenny needed a big, bold centerpiece. She started with the black runner and cauldron then added stems from a crafts store. "It makes it look like there's smoke or something coming out of the cauldron," she says. Witch hats, crows, and candles complete the look. Josh, 22, gets credit for the Broomstick Cafe name and not-so-tasty menu on the chalkboard. Chandeliers and pendants are surprise decorating opportunities. Wrap a crafts store garland around a fixture, and dangle mini bats or ghosts from it. Out-of-the-way placement means no need to shuffle things at dinnertime. Adam Albright When dinner isn't in progress, the stove top becomes a decorative spot. Layered signs (nailed together for stability) serve as a backdrop for a mini cauldron filled with candy and a haunted houseone of six in Jenny's collection from a seasonal line at Bath & Body Works. Adam Albright The full-size built-in bunks that Chris made for Jacob, 12, and Caleb, 10, have a cozy feel that's perfect for telling ghost stories. Jenny brightens the gray paint with friendly ghosts and smiling jack-o'- lanternssoft stuffed pieces that can handle tumbles. "My main goal was just to put some pops of color in there," Jenny says. Adam Albright Metal bats attached to a rope fly between the bunk beds and Ben's special cabin bed. Chris designed and built the structure based on an idea Jenny had. "It weighs several thousand poundsit's never moving," Jenny says with a laugh. The cabin has become the centerpiece for the room's seasonal decor, which now includes fuzzy wool-ball garlands, a string of bats, and cat decals. "We go all out, and the kids love it," she says. accelerateHER is a global events series bringing together entrepreneurs, CEOs and global leaders (AccelerateHER) Hillary Clinton has urged London's aspiring female business and tech leaders to be "determined and resilient" when they get knocked down. Appearing in person at the capital's County Hall on an AccelerateHER panel session at London Tech Week, the former US Secretary of State and presidential candidate said: "You just have to constantly be both determined and resilient, because you will get knocked down - even if it's done with a smile instead of a sneer. "And you will have to get back up... You just have to laugh about it a lot of times, and then figure out different strategies to go right back at it." The former First Lady, who has faced sexism and adversity in her career, spoke about her personal journey and shared advice alongside I. Stephanie Boyce, the first black president of The Law Society, McKinsey's UK managing partner, Virginia Simmons, and the Microsoft UK CEO, Clare Barclay. Clinton said: "Never give up - if you want something you've got to prepare for it, and you often have to prepare more than someone else to be considered - and keep going, no matter what the obstacles or the setbacks." She added: "You have no idea what might be possible for you. I never thought I would run for political office, I certainly never thought I would run for president - and I've run twice." The political leader said that in her experience impostor syndrome is one of the biggest obstacles to getting yourself back up, feeling your worthy and still going on" - and that it is a "really gender-linked problem". She urged the panels audience to try to overcome the feeling, saying: "Too many young women have what I call the perfectionist gene, not the good enough gene, and if you're not perfect you somehow feel you're not ready, or you're not worthy, or you're not qualified. You've got to get over that, as quickly as you can, because it's a real impediment." Story continues While appearing on the panel, Clinton also urged business leaders to see that both attitudinal and institutional changes are required to help achieve gender parity in workplaces. She said: "Part of it is the unconscious attitudes that we all bring to life. "Start thinking about all those extraneous biases in an institutional way. Start to think about how employees are hired and retained and promoted." In conversation with the panel the diplomat, who also worked as a law professor in Arkansas early in her career, also shared anecdotes about having faced open hostility as a woman in a position of authority in her career. She said: "Some of my law students were a bit older and they had been in Vietnam, and they were just not interested in having a woman professor. They would say 'well you don't have anything to teach me!' and I would say 'how do you know?'" The leader told how she faced double standards. Clinton recalled a time she read an advice column telling women not to display any pictures of family in their offices "because people will think you can't concentrate on work". The same article told men to put up similar pictures, as it would apparently instead send a positive message that he is working hard to help his family. The former presidential candidate said she once even appeared in court to see a row of men sitting there just to watch a "lady lawyer" at work. After sharing the memories, Clinton said wryly: "When particularly younger women get a little impatient at the pace of change, you cannot imagine what it looks like from my perspective - it is the glass half-full for sure. You still have to keep working at it." In its eighth year, London Tech Week is an annual event of celebration and networking for the capitals tech scene. Speakers and attendees include founders of some of the UKs biggest technology companies, ministers and investors. Listen to more on Tech & Science Daily: The former First Lady, who has spent 50 years in public service careers as an advocate, lawyer and activist, was in the UK this week to accept an honorary degree from Oxford University and to be installed as Chancellor at Queen's University Belfast. Read More Silence Therapeutics, the biotech on a mission to mute genetic disease JPMorgans digital bank Chase launches in the UK today. Heres what its like. FTSE 100 live: Chinas crypto crackdown and Evergrande debt in focus Willie Garson's cause of death has been publicly confirmed. The actor, 57, died from pancreatic cancer, his loved ones said in his obituary published in The New York Times on Thursday. PEOPLE confirmed his death on Tuesday afternoon. In the touching obituary, his family wrote that they always knew he was destined to act, adding that "nothing could better describe" the Sex and the City star than the term "working actor." "A working actor has been defined as 'an actor who while never achieving stardom, has a long and productive career and earns a better than decent living and has the admiration of his peers,' " the obituary reads. "Nothing could better describe Garson. For the last four decades, he appeared in over 300 television shows and over 70 films." Sarah Jessica Parker Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic RELATED: Inside Willie Garson's Tough and Powerful Journey to Becoming the 'Best Dad Ever' In addition to his expansive filmography, Garson also acted in theater productions across the country, working with companies including Naked Angels, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company and the Geffen Playhouse. "Garson was a ubiquitous presence in American pop culture," his loved ones wrote. "He could be a classmate of Michael J. Fox on Family Ties or a waiter on a Cheers episode, or L. Harvey Oswald in an independent film Ruby or Bill Murray's assistant in Groundhog Day. He could just as easily be a TV executive in Soapdish as a man with mysterious luck in The X-Files as the president of an apartment board on Friends." willie garson Stefanie Keenan/getty Following the news of Garson's death on Tuesday, celebrities from across Hollywood members remembered his legacy. Garson was perhaps best known for his role as Stanford Blatch, the best friend of Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw, in Sex and the City and its spinoff movies. He had already filmed scenes for the upcoming reboot And Just Like That... . Story continues SATC creator Darren Star described Garson to PEOPLE as "sweet, soulful and hilariously funny." "Willie touched all of us with his big heart and generous spirit," Star says. "The man behind Stanford was a loving father, a mensch to his friends and radiated kindness to all. He is gone much too soon." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Star Cynthia Nixon also shared a tribute to her costar, writing on Twitter that he was "loved" and "adored" on set. "So deeply, deeply sad we have lost @WillieGarson. We all loved him and adored working with him. He was endlessly funny on-screen and in real life. He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional always." FILE - In this June 10, 2021, file photo Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks at a Senate Armed Services budget hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) will meet in Budapest next spring, Miklos Szantho, director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights, has announced. Hungarian and American conservatives are linked through respect for traditional values, love for the homeland, as well as appreciation for the family, safety of the nation, and protection of the borders, Szantho told a press conference. The conference is set to be held in March, he added. In a two-day sale of its first range of electric scooters, Ola Electric sold scooters worth over Rs.1,100 crore, according to Chief Executive Officer Bhavish Aggarwal in a blogpost. "This is unprecedented not just in the automotive industry but it is one of the highest sales in a day for a single product in Indian e-commerce history! We truly are living in a digital India," Aggarwal wrote. Ola sold scooters of Rs 600 crore in the first 24 hours, according to Aggarwal, which is more than the entire two-wheeler industry sells in a day. "It also established that with the right product, India has huge pent up demand and a massive domestic market for two wheeler EVs (electric vehicles). We must leverage this to drive innovation, a robust local EV ecosystem and make India not only a big EV market, but also a global EV manufacturing hub," Aggarwal said. Ola has announced that the sales window would reopen on November 1 in time for Diwali. Customers can book their reservation slots for Rs 499 on the Ola Electric website. Those who reserved a slot but did not purchase a scooter before the window closed on Thursday will be allowed to do so on November 1. Last month, Ola released its first electric scooter, the S1, for Rs 99,999 for the entry-level model and Rs 1,29,999 for the more powerful and long-range S1 Pro. It also allowed people to book reservation slots throughout the past few months, with the scooters due to start on September 8. Due to technical issues, the company has postponed the auction until September 15. Aggarwal also stated earlier this week that Ola Future Factory will be controlled entirely by women, with 10,000 workers when the plant reaches full production capacity, making it the world's largest women-only factory and the world's only all-women automotive manufacturing facility. Ola Electric is building a 500-acre facility in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, with the goal of producing 10 million vehicles per year when fully operational, making it the world's largest two-wheeler factory. It had received $100 million in long-term debt from the Bank of Baroda in July to complete the first phase of its industrial construction. Live TV #mute Competition Commission on Friday imposed penalties totalling over Rs 873 crore on United Breweries Ltd, Carlsberg India, All India Brewers' Association (AIBA) and 11 individuals for cartelisation in the sale and supply of beer. In its 231-page order, which comes nearly four years after ordering a detailed probe, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has also directed the companies, association and individuals to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices in the future. The final order has been passed against United Breweries Ltd (UBL), SABMiller India Ltd, now renamed as Anheuser Busch InBev India Ltd (AB InBev), and Carlsberg India Private Ltd (CIPL), among other entities. The regulator did not impose any fine on Ab InBev, while lesser penalties have been slapped on others. An official release said the companies and other entities have been found to be "indulging in cartelisation in the sale and supply of beer in various States and Union Territories in India, including through the platform of All India Brewers' Association (AIBA)". As AIBA was found to be actively involved in facilitating such cartelisation, CCI has also held it to be contravening the competition law. "Giving benefit of reduction in penalty... 100 per cent to AB InBev and its individuals, 40 per cent to UBL and its individuals and 20 per cent to CIPL and its individuals," the release said. The fines on UBL and Carlsberg India are nearly Rs 752 crore and Rs 121 crore, respectively. A fine of over Rs 6.25 lakh has been imposed on AIBA and various individuals have also been fined by the regulator. The period of cartelisation was considered to be from 2009 to at least October 10, 2018, with CIPL joining in from 2012 and AIBA serving as a platform for facilitating such cartelisation since 2013. All three beer companies were lesser penalty applicants before the regulator. As per the release, October 10, 2018, was the date on which the Director General (DG) conducted search and seizure operations at the premises of the beer companies. Based on evidences of regular communications between the parties collected by the DG during search and seizure, and disclosures made in the lesser penalty applications, CCI found that the three companies engaged in price coordination, which is in violation of competition norms, the release said. CCI, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors, ordered a detailed probe by its investigation arm DG in October 2017. The matter was taken up suo motu by the regulator following a filing of an application under Section 46 of the Competition Act by Crown Beers India Pvt Ltd and SABMiller India Ltd, both ultimately held by Ab InBev, against UBL, Carlsberg India and AIBA in July 2017. Section 46 pertains to lesser penalty provision. The companies were found to have engaged in price coordination in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry. Besides, they were found "collectively restricting the supply of beer in the states of Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal... and in sharing of the market in the state of Maharashtra as well as co-ordination with respect to the supply of beer to premium institutions in the city of Bengaluru," the release said. Further, the fair trade regulator also found coordination among UBL and AB InBev for the purchase of second-hand bottles. Also, "4 individuals of UBL, 4 individuals of AB InBev, 6 individuals of CIPL and the Director General of AIBA, were held by CCI to be liable for the anti-competitive conduct of their respective companies/ association," the release said. Live TV #mute New Delhi: The Defence Ministry and Airbus Defence and Space of Spain, on Friday (September 24), signed a contract worth around Rs 20,000 to procure 56 C-295 medium transport aircraft. The new aircraft will be replacing the outgoing Avro-748 planes which are in the possession of the Indian Air Force. Cabine Committee on Security had approved the procurement of planes two weeks back. Defence Ministry and Airbus Defence and Space, Spain today signed a contract for procurement of 56 C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force: Defence Ministry pic.twitter.com/Yb3jKcKy5c ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, the plane manufacturer said. After the delivery of 16 aircraft, Tata Advanced Systems will manufacture and assemble 40 aircraft in India as part of the industrial partnership between the two companies. Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata said that the clearance of the joint project between Airbus Defence and Tata Advanced Systems to build the C-295 is a great step forward in the opening up of aviation and avionics projects in India. It envisages total manufacturing of the aircraft in India, he added. C-295 is a multi-role aircraft that comes with several reconfigurations based on the missions it is required for. Tata added that the deal will create a domestic supply chain capability to international standards which has never been undertaken before. Also Read: China Evergrande crisis: Real estate firm closer to potential default after missing interest deadline The Tata Group congratulates Airbus and the Indian Defence Ministry for this bold step in fully building this state-of-the-art multi-role aircraft in India, Tata said, adding that deal will support Prime Minister Narendra Modis flagship Make In India scheme. Also Read: Apple Store exchange offers: iPhone 13 selling for Rs 34,000, check how much you can save by trading old phones It's a new day, a new beginning. It's all about starting life afresh. So as you begin a new journey, find out what the stars have in store for you today. There are twelve zodiac signs and each has its distinct features. Be it, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces each of the signs has something unique to tell. Aries Today you may help people around you - especially those in need. Creativity will strike well and new ideas will come to your mind at work. You might also want to indulge in a change of interiors in your house. Lovers will find themselves planning a trip close by. Taurus You will find yourself being busy with domestic issues - especially solving issues between two people you love. You will also find yourself spending on household items, try to control that spend. At work you will be too busy to take care of a new project handed over to you. Gemini Your way of thinking is going to be positive today. You will show true leadership skills at work and impress your bosses. You will want to spend on a lavish dinner with family and friends. Kids might want some help in the educational area with you. Cancer Something big at work will make you nervous today. Students, if exams are near then try studying by writing more and remembering things. Lovers might quarrel during the first half of the day. Singles should keep their heart shut today. Leo You will find excess positivity in your career today. If you want to ask for a promotion then today is a good day to do so. You will find gains in terms of previous investments. Friends and family will be willing to help you with your health today. Virgo Plan some investment for your future today. A career switch might be coming close. Singles will find love in an unexpected social setting. Lovers, focus on getting your communication better today. Libra You will be rewarded for hard work at the office. Your parents' health is going to be very good. Your creativity is at its peak, so do something in the artistic world today. Kids will need your attention more than usual. Scorpio You will be satisfied with your job today. Religious places might be calling out to you. Your spiritual energy is high today. Focus on planning for the next few months - in terms of home and work both. Sagittarius You might feel dull at work. But at home things will be different. Family will be energised and keep you on your toes. Loved ones might plan a surprise for you. Some bad news regarding money will come towards you, so its best not to spend too much. Capricorn There will be harmony in your domestic setting today. Some influential person will inspire you, and might even offer you a job. A lot of people will be attracted to you, especially singles. Lovers - take up a new hobby to spend some time together. Aquarius You will be busy with work today. Your family might want more of your attention. If you have a business, you will find successful investors today. You might also want to plan for future education to help better your path. Pisces You will self-analyze yourself a lot today. Focus on building yourself for the better and dont critique. Superiors might want more of your attention than usual. Family wont be able to understand your work life, and this might create some friction. Investments will get gains today. The astrological predictions are by Dr Sundeep Kochar. New Delhi: Actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vir Das along with Sushmita Sen-starrer series "Aarya" have bagged nominations for India as part of 2021 International Emmy Awards, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced on Thursday. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has secured a nomination in the best performance by an actor category for his Netflix movie "Serious Men". He is pitted against British star David Tennant ("Des") as well as actors Roy Nik of Israel ("Normali") and Christian Tappan of Colombia ("El Robo del Siglo" or "The Great Heist"). Directed by Sudhir Mishra, "Serious Men" is an adaptation of author Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name. It chronicles the story of an ambitious underachiever who capitalises on his son's newfound fame as a boy-genius to improve his family's fortunes. The film offers a stark commentary on caste discrimination and upper class privilege through its protagonist Ayyan Mani (Siddiqui), a Tamil dalit, who keeps challenging the system which has oppressed people for generations. The 47-year-old actor celebrated the moment in a post on Twitter. "Wow !!!! #SeriousMen has got me a nomination for the prestigious #InternationalEmmyAwards in the Best Actor category Congratulations Team #SeriousMenDirector@IAmSudhirMishra@sejtherage#BhaveshMandalia@manujosephsan& last but not the least@NetflixIndia" he tweeted. Sushmita Sen's Disney+ Hotstar series "Aarya", directed by Ram Madhvani, has made it to the final four of the best drama series category. The show is nominated alongside Chile's "El Presidente", Israel's "Tehran" and UK show "There She Goes" season two. "Aarya" is an official remake of the popular Dutch crime-drama "Penoza". The Indian adaptation revolved around Aarya Sareen, played by Sen, a happily married woman whose world turns upside down when her husband, pharma baron Tej Sareen (Chandrachur Singh) is shot. Created by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi, "Aarya" went on to garner acclaim after its debut in June last year. The team is currently working on its second season. Madhvani said he is feeling "proud" with the show's nomination and dedicated it to the cast and crew of "Aarya". "To be nominated in the category best drama series at the International Emmy awards is truly something that makes us humbly proud. "Here's to my full team and my co-producer Amita Madhvani and my co-directors and to Sushmita Sen and all the actors and to Disney Plus HotStar and Endemol Shine," the director told PTI. Das' Netflix comedy special "Vir Das: For India" has been nominated in the comedy segment along with popular French show "Call My Agent", UK's "Motherland: Christmas Special" and Colombia series "Promesas de Campana". The special, which was Das' third with Netflix, released in January 2020. The comedian said he is honoured to be nominated at the International Emmy Awards. "I'm just so happy it's for a show about my culture, and my people and how funny we are. The special was my love letter to India and this is just unbelievable," the actor-comic said in a statement. The winners for 2021 International Emmy Awards will be announced during an in-person ceremony, to be held in New York City on November 22. India's three nominations comes a year after India registered a strong performance at the 48th International Emmy Awards with filmmaker Richie Mehta's "Delhi Crime" winning the best drama series honour in November 2020. Two other Emmy nominations from India included Amazon Prime Video's "Four More Shots" and Arjun Mathur for his role in drama "Made in Heaven" in the best comedy and actor categories respectively. New Delhi: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that caste Census of Backward Classes is "administratively difficult and cumbersome" and excluding such information from the purview of Census is a "conscious policy decision." The Centre's stand assumes significance as recently, a 10-party delegation from Bihar, which was led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding caste Census. In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the government has said that caste enumeration in Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 was "fraught" with mistakes and inaccuracies. The affidavit was filed in the top court in response to a plea by Maharashtra seeking a direction to the Centre and other concerned authorities to disclose to the state the SECC 2011 raw caste data of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) which is not made available to them on "repeated demand". The affidavit, filed by the secretary of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, said the Centre has already issued a notification in January last year prescribing the series of information to be collected during Census 2021 and it covers many areas including the information relating to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but does not refer to any other category of caste. It said the exclusion of information regarding any other caste from the purview of Census is a "conscious policy decision" taken by the Central government. It said enumeration of OBCs/BCCs (Backward Class of Citizens) has been always adjudged to be administratively ?extremely complex? and even when Census of castes were taken in the pre-independence period, the data suffered in respect of completeness and accuracy. "The issue has been examined at length in the past at different points of time. Each time, the view has consistently been that the caste Census of Backward Classes is administratively difficult and cumbersome; it has suffered and will suffer both on account of completeness and accuracy of the data, as also evident from the infirmities of the SCEE, 2011 data mentioned hereinabove making it unusable for any official purposes and cannot be mentioned as a source of information for population data in any official document,? the affidavit said. The government said that SECC 2011 survey was not on the 'OBC survey' as alleged, but a comprehensive exercise to enumerate the caste status of all households in the country, as per their statement. It said socio-economic data of households, including their 'deprivations' were used to identify the poor households based on the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and used in the implementation of the anti-poverty programmes by the Central Government ministries. It said, "the caste data has not been disclosed and has been kept with the Office of the Registrar General, India (ORGI) for various reasons, but primarily for the technical flaws that were noticed in the raw caste/tribe SECC data which makes it unusable as explained hereinafter". The matter came up for hearing on Thursday before a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar which posted it for October 26. In the affidavit, the government has said that so far as caste data is concerned, a caste-wise enumeration in the Census has been given up as a matter of policy from 1951 onwards and thus, the castes other than the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes have not been enumerated in any of the Census since 1951 till today. It said demands from various sections, including members of Parliament, for enumeration of castes in Census 2011 was received during the year 2010 and the matter was discussed in Lok Sabha and subsequently, the government referred it to a Group of Ministers (GoM) chaired by the then Union Finance Minister. The affidavit said the Union Cabinet in 2011 decided to conduct the SECC 2011 wherein the caste of the household along with social-economic status on the identified parameters was directed to be collected. It said as per the decision of the Cabinet, the data has been shared with the ministry of social justice and empowerment by the ORGI in a hard disk for taking the suitable decision on its use. "Pertinently, due to several infirmities found in the aforesaid data as explained hereinafter, it was decided by the Cabinet to constitute an expert committee under the chairmanship of the then Vice-Chairman NITI Aayog Prof Arvind Panagariya," it said. It said other members of the committee were not named and the panel never met. "As a result, no action has been taken on the data in the past five years," it said. The affidavit said as against more than 4.28 lakh castes which have been enumerated in the SECC 2011 in the state, the existing castes which are published in Maharashtra in SC, ST, and OBC categories are only 494. "For the above referred various reasons either due to the mistakes committed by the enumerators, inherent flaws in the manner of conducting Census and several such other factors, there is no reliable or dependable castes based Census data available which can be the basis of any constitutional or statutory exercise like reservations in admission, promotion or local body elections," the affidavit said. The government said that the population Census is not the "ideal instrument" for the collection of details on castes and the operational difficulties are so many that there is a grave danger that the basic integrity of the Census data may be compromised and the fundamental population count itself could get distorted. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (September 23, 2021) had an 'excellent meeting' with his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide and said that a strong India-Japan friendship augurs well for the entire planet. Meeting on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit, PM Modi called Japan India's one of the most valued partners. Japan is one of Indias most valued partners. I had an excellent meeting with PM @sugawitter on a variety of subjects that would further boost cooperation between our nations. A strong India-Japan friendship augurs well for the entire planet. pic.twitter.com/5N9ibqWDzy Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 During the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the post-COVID-19 period, Modi thanked Suga for his personal commitment and leadership, both as Prime Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary earlier, in enabling great advances in the India-Japan Special Strategic & Global Partnership over the last few years. ALSO READ | Kamala Harris and PM Narendra Modi discuss Pakistan's role in terrorism The Prime Minister also congratulated the Japanese PM for successfully hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games in the midst of a global pandemic. Both also discussed COVID-19 and efforts to address it. According to Prime Minister Modi's Office, the two leaders also recalled their three telephone conversations since September 2020, when Suga took office as Prime Minister of Japan. "The two Prime Ministers reviewed the multi-faceted relationship between the two countries and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan. They reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. They agreed to enhance bilateral security and defence cooperation, including in the area of defence equipment and technologies," PMO said in a statement. Modi and Suga also welcomed the increasing economic engagement between the two countries and welcomed the launch of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) between India, Japan and Australia earlier this year as a collaborative mechanism to enable resilient, diversified and trustworthy supply chains. PM Modi, as per PMO, highlighted the need to develop bilateral partnerships in manufacturing, MSME and skill development. The two Prime Ministers also discussed climate change issues and green energy transition, and the potential for Japanese collaboration with Indias National Hydrogen Energy Mission. They reaffirmed their commitment to advance efforts to facilitate the smooth and timely implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. ALSO READ | PM Modi US visit: Prime Minister meets 5 American CEOs, motivates them to invest in India: In Pics Modi and Suga also welcomed the progress in bilateral developmental projects in Indias North Eastern Region under the India-Japan Act East Forum and noted possibilities for further enhancement of such cooperation. "Prime Minister Suga expressed confidence that the strong momentum attained by the India-Japan partnership in the last few years will continue even under the new administration in Japan," the PMO informed. Live TV New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday (September 24) wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking his intervention into the case of vandalism at his official residence in New Delhi. Owaisi urged the Lok Sabha Speaker for "improved security" and demanded that the matter "be referred to the Committee of Privileges for a comprehensive investigation". In his letter, AIMIM chief said that his official residence in New Delhi was vandalised by "criminals" belonging to a radical outfit called `Hindu Sena` on September 21, and alleged that his caretaker staff was also assaulted by the "criminals". Owaisi wrote, "In addition to your intervention, I request that this matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges for a comprehensive investigation and appropriate recommendations on the matter," adding "I urge that immediate action is taken in order to preserve the sanctity and majesty of the house. This is an attempt to intimidate the House, its officers and members and such an attempt must be treated as contempt of the House." AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi writes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking his intervention into the case of vandalism at his official residence in New Delhi & ensure "improved security", demands the matter "be referred to Committee of Privileges for a comprehensive investigation" pic.twitter.com/ONYprdIz9Y ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 "I request your kind attention to ensure that my privileges as a Member of this House are also protected," the AIMIM MP added. Earlier on Tuesday, the nameplate and gate of the official residence of the AIMIM MP on Ashoka Road in Delhi were vandalised. Owaisi had alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to be held responsible for the radicalisation of people. The Delhi Police had registered an FIR and arrested five members of the Hindu Sena. Owaisi calls himself 'abba' of weaker sections Reacting to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath`s `abba jaan` and BKU leader Rakesh Tikait`s `chacha jaan` remarks, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has termed himself as the `abba` (father) of the poor and weaker sections of the state. Addressing the public in Sambhal on Wednesday, Owaisi said, "People are calling me `Chacha Jaan`. I am father to those who are poor, weak and facing oppression in Uttar Pradesh. I am brother to those who are sufferers and oppressed women. If supporting weak makes me `abba`, then I`m their `abba` as well." Taking a jibe at CM Yogi Adityanath, he said, "Why does he say `abba jaan`? He should say `pita ji` instead,", adding "It is called dog-whistle politics." Tikait had alleged that Owaisi and BJP were a team and the farmers needed to understand their moves well, calling Owaisi `chacha jaan`. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV Washington: The issue of China as a "very major global player" comes up during Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s discussions with his counterparts from Australia and Japan in bilateral meetings on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla informed. Addressing a special press briefing on PM Modi`s first day of engagements in the US, Shringla said that a number of issues involving bilateral and regional issues of interest were discussed in the meetings. "In Prime Minister`s bilateral meetings with Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan, discussions were wide-ranging encompassing a number of issues that involve bilateral and regional issues of interest. Obviously, the issue of China as a very major global player did come up and of course, this is one of the many issues that were discussed," the foreign secretary said when asked if the reference of conduct of China over the last couple of years emerged during PM Modi`s discussions with Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan in bilateral meetings. ALSO READ | India, US natural partners with similar values, geopolitical interests: PM Modi tells VP Kamala Harris These meetings came a day ahead of the first in-person summit of the Quad, quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. Besides PM Modi, Japanese PM Suga and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia will also participate in the summit hosted by the US President on September 24. As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement, PM Modi discussed the Indo-pacific region in meetings with his Australian and Japanese counterparts. China earlier termed Quad as an "Asian NATO", which was vehemently opposed by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the inaugural 2+2 ministerial meeting between India and Australia. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. Live TV New Delhi: As Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar witnesses a sharp rise in the number of novel coronavirus cases, the authorities on Friday (September 24, 2021) imposed 10-day long curfew in some parts the district to check surge. In an order, District Magistrate Mohammad Aijaz stated that a strict curfew will be enforces from Friday in Zadibal and Lal Bazar municipal wards. There shall be strict Corona Curfew in the areas of Zadibal (SMC Ward Nos: 55-Hawal, 56-Alamgari Bazar, & 63-Kathi Darwaz) and Lal Bazar (SMC Ward Nos: 59-Lalbazar, 60-Botshah Mohalla, 61-Umer Colony) for a period of 10 days starting from today, the DM's order read. Check full list of guidelines: * All essential services, including incidental services and activities, shall be allowed to continue. * Standalone grocery/vegetable/meat/milk shops may also remain open and functional to ensure the provisioning of essential supplies from 7 am to 11 am only. * There will be no hindrance to the smooth movement of goods and essential supplies. * No restriction will be there on the movement of government officials for attending office duties. * All development/ construction works shall be allowed to continue. * The vaccination drive shall not be halted. * Localized mobile teams will be constituted to provide vaccination in colonies. On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir registered 172 coronavirus cases taking the total tally to 3,28,590 while no fresh death due to the virus has been reported from the Union Territory. Live TV New Delhi: India recorded 31,382 new COVID-19 cases and 318 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall caseload to 3,35,94,803 and the total death toll to 4,46,368, as per data released by the Ministry of Health on Friday (September 24, 2021). The country also recorded 32,542 recoveries in the last 24 hours, taking total recoveries to 3,28,48,273 and the active caseload now stands at 3,00,162. A reduction of 1,478 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. India reports 31,382 new COVID cases, 32,542 recoveries, and 318 deaths in the past 24 hours Active cases: 3,00,162 Total recoveries: 3,28,48,273 Death toll: 4,46,368 Vaccination: 84,15,18,026 (72,20,642 in the last 24 hours) pic.twitter.com/GMvxUehKwc ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Out of these, Kerala contributed 19,682 fresh cases and 152 deaths, which took the caseload to 45,79,310 and fatalities to 24,191. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 55,99,32,709 samples have been tested up to September 23, 2021 for COVID-19. Of these 15,65,696 samples were tested on Thursday. ALSO READ | Fake COVID vaccine certificate alert! Black market has grown 10 times, says report The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.78 percent, the highest since March 2020, while the daily positivity rate stands at two percent, and has remained below three percent for the last 23 days. Meanwhile, in order to make COVID-19 vaccine more accessible, the Centre on Thursday (September 23, 2021) said that differently-abled people and those with restricted mobility will be inoculated at their homes. Addressing a press conference, Niti Aayog Member Health Dr V K Paul said, I am pleased to inform that an advisory has been issued to make arrangements for 'vaccination at home' for those who have disabilities or are differently challenged, in line with COVID SOPs. Live TV New Delhi: Hours before Joe Biden's highly-anticipated bilateral meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday (September 24, 2021) urged the President of the United States to focus the farm laws. Taking to Twitter, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader tagged POTUS and stated that 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting against the 'black laws'. "Dear POTUS, we the Indian Farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi," Tikait tweeted. Dear @POTUS, we the Indian Farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi. #Biden_SpeakUp4Farmers Rakesh Tikait (@RakeshTikaitBKU) September 24, 2021 Tikait has been leading the protests of hundreds of farmers who have encamped at the Delhi borders since November 2020 and are demanding that the three contentious farm laws be repealed and a legal guarantee provided to them on minimum support price of crops. The Centre, however, has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer and has held 11 rounds of formal dialogues with the farmers. This is to be noted that during his three-day US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday evening. This will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President in January this year. Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla had earlier informed that Modi and Biden will review 'robust and multifaceted' India-US bilateral ties and will hold a discussion to bolster bilateral trade and investment ties. Both leaders will also discuss the current regional security situation following the recent developments in Afghanistan. Post his meeting with Biden, PM Modi will also take part in the first-ever in-person Quad leaders meeting along with leaders of the US, Japan, and Australia in Washington. Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi held meetings with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga, Australian PM Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris and also met five global CEOs for potential investment in India. Japan is one of Indias most valued partners. I had an excellent meeting with PM @sugawitter on a variety of subjects that would further boost cooperation between our nations. A strong India-Japan friendship augurs well for the entire planet. pic.twitter.com/5N9ibqWDzy Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more. pic.twitter.com/rRkNxNc8Nr Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 Glad to have met @VP @KamalaHarris. Her feat has inspired the entire world. We talked about multiple subjects that will further cement the India-USA friendship, which is based on shared values and cultural linkages. pic.twitter.com/46SvKo2Oxv Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 Live TV Washington DC: Soon after his meeting with US President Joe Biden concluded at the White House, Prime Minister Modi said that the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen the mutual cooperation between India and the US. PM Modi informed that he talked about working together to deal with global challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. In a tweet, PM Modi wrote, Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. pic.twitter.com/nnSVE5OSdL Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 During the meet, Modi hailed Bidens leadership and called for stronger ties between the two countries. Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US, Modi told Biden. Biden reciprocated Modis sentiment for closer ties. Relationship between India and US, largest democracies in the world, is destined to be stronger, closer and tighter, he said. In the first meeting with Joe Biden since he became US President, Modi also hailed Mahatma Gandhis principle of trusteeship as a way to deal with the global challenges. After Biden mentioned Gandhi, Modi thanked him and said, President Joe Biden mentioned Gandhi Ji's Jayanti. On October 2, we will celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi believed in trusteeship. This value is going to be very important in times to come in order to deal with the global challenges. The two leaders discussed several important global issues including COVID-19, trade and people-to-people connect. Trade holds importance on its own between India and the US. In this decade, we can be complementary to each other. There are many things with the US, that are needed by India and many things with India that can be useful for the US. Trade will be a major sector in this decade, said PM Modi. Live TV New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to attend the first in-person Quad Summit the main agenda of which is to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing dominance in the area. The summit is being hosted by US with President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in attendance. The countries will discuss issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday's episode, Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary analysed how the Quad came to be formed and what role India, Australia, Japan and the US will play. The main purpose of the Quad grouping was to man China's activity in the South China Sea as it has disputes with nine other countries over encroachment. Nearly 33 per cent of world's maritime trade is done through the Indo-Pacific, so it imperative that China does not snatch control over the region. The Quad was initiated during the 2004 tsunami. Then the four countries India, Australia, Japan and America had come together to deal with the threats associated with natural disaters like a tsunami. But the quad had became almost inactive after that. Then in August 2007, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe came to India and while addressing the Parliament of India, he said that no country should be allowed to be arbitrary in the Indian and Pacific Ocean region, he was making references to China. Abe insisted that the world's biggest democratic forces should come together against China. Things changed in 2008, after Japan got a new PM and also Barack Obama took ver presidency in the US. These two heads of state were not in favour of engaging with China. Australia dealt a blow and pulled out of the grouping. Gradually time passed on and China turned hostile towards India. Between 2013 and 2020, China took an aggressive stand against India four times. As the four countries were starting to weaken due to their own internal politics and rapidly changing diplomacy, Japan saw a change in leadership again. Shinzo Abe took over as prime minister and began a fresh siege against China, by 2017 he accelerated his efforts. By this time Australia had understood China's intentions and it became an active member again. In 2019, there was a meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries involved in this organization and from here Quad 2.O came into existence. On September 24, the first personal meeting of the leaders of the Quad countries take place, but confusion still reigns supreme because no one knows if the countries involved want to help each other militarily or its purpose is to deal with diseases like coronavirus together or face threats like tsunami. Among all the four countries, India is the only country who shares a border with China. In such a situation, the first effect of China's aggressive attitude will be on India itself. Live TV Washington: US President Joe Biden on Friday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for the first bilateral meeting during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change and economic cooperation. While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this was for the first time that Biden met PM Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January. While welcoming PM Modi at the White House, President Biden also recalled his visit to Mumbai in 2013 when he serving as the Vice President of the United States. He was accompanied by his wife, then US Second Lady Jill Biden, their daughter Ashley and son-in-law Howard D Crein. Biden, in a lighter vein, told PM Modi, "Indian Press had then asked me if I have any relative in India...Someone from the Indian Press said you have five Bidens in India..." #WATCH | Washington DC: US President Joe Biden recalls his visit to Mumbai as the then US Vice President and, in a lighter vein, says, "Indian Press asked me if I have any relative in India...Someone from the Indian Press said you have five Bidens in India..." pic.twitter.com/Vv8KnNbYF9 ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 In his introductory remarks, Biden said, The relationship between India and US, the two largest democracies in the world, is destined to be "stronger, closer and tighter. We are watching a new chapter in India-US ties. He also told PM Modi that four million Indian-Americans are making America stronger every day." Both Biden and Prime Minister Modi have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US President. The last telephone conversation between them took place on April 26. "This morning I'm hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change," President Biden tweeted just minutes before the meeting. On his behalf, Prime Minister Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, described Friday's bilateral summit with President Biden as important as they're meeting at the start of the third decade of this century. "Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US, Prime Minister Modi told Biden. PM Narendra Modi in US Live Updates PM Modi said this decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages. I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards the US' progress." He said that technology is becoming a driving force. We have to utilise our talents to leverage technology for greater global good. Noting that trade will be an important factor in Indo-US ties in the coming decade, the Prime Minister said that there is much to be done in the area. Live TV New Delhi: Water Minister and Chairman of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Satyendar Jain on Thursday announced that the Delhi government is planning to provide Reverse Osmosis (RO) treated water to 7.25 Lakhs households in Delhi. Jain on Thursday convened a meeting with the DJB officials and took stock of the preparations. "Delhi Government is targeting to install these RO plants only in those areas where surplus groundwater is available but its poor quality makes it unfit for use," said Jain. According to the Central Ground Water Board report, Delhi`s groundwater has over 22 Lakhs Million Gallons Litres of saline water. This water can be converted to drinking water after RO treatment and can be supplied with the existing water supply of DJB. "To make the project cost-effective, Delhi Government will be following a model of staggered payment where the private investors will bear a major share of expenditure of setting up the RO plant and DJB will buy clean drinking water at a fixed rate," said Jain. "Based on initial studies done by DJB officials, the cost of water, in this case, will be equal to the existing cost of water treatment through conventional means," he added. The Water Minister later instructed the officials to shortlist the most advanced technology of RO systems available with at least an 80 per cent recovery rate. According to Jain, the project is aimed to be completed within one year and over 7.25 Lakhs households will be benefited from the project. "We have instructed the officials to install small RO plants in the areas where water is supplied through tankers so that people don`t have to wait for water tankers to arrive," said Jain. "Additionally, every Jhuggi will be given at least one RO plant and wherever the population is more than 2000, more than one RO plant will be provided," he added. According to the Officials in the meeting, this project will augment an additional 363 Mega Litres per Day (MLD), hence reducing the deficit of 900 MLD to 540 MLD. Live TV New Delhi: A five-star hotel in Delhi had to pay a heavy price for a haircut gone wrong! The mental trauma a woman, a communication professional and a model, underwent due to the negligence of a hair professional at the five-star hotels salon, led the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to take a major action against ITC Maurya - it has been asked to pay a whopping Rs 2 crore compensation to the woman. A bench of President Justice RK Agrawal and member S M Kantikar said, "There is no doubt that the women are very cautious and careful with regard to their hair. They spend a handsome amount on keeping the hair in good condition. They are also emotionally attached with their hair". The commission directed the ITC to pay Rs 2 crore to complainant Aashna Roy within eight weeks for deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act. "The Opposite Party No 2 is also guilty of medical negligence in hair treatment. Her scalp was burnt and still there is allergy and itching due to fault of the staff of Opposite Party No 2," noted the commission, in its order of September 21. Roy said she has undergone severe mental breakdown and lost self-esteem, and also refrained from social activities. "She is a communication professional and required to be involved in meeting and interactive sessions. But she lost her self-confidence due to little hair. She has also suffered loss of income due to mental breakdown after the shoddy haircut and thereafter the torturous hair treatment. She left her job also," noted the bench. The bench said Roy has been a model for hair products because of her long hair and she has done modelling for big brands. "But due to hair cutting against her instructions... she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model," it added. The commission said, "There is no doubt that realising the mistake done by its staff, the Opposite Party No 2 offered the free hair treatment to the complainant and complainant was not attended to for a gesture. Hence, we are of the considered view that the complainant is a consumer." The bench added that she was also working as senior management professional and earning a decent income. "She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence of the Opposite Party No 2 in cutting her hair and could not concentrate on her job and finally she lost her job," it noted. Roy, in her plea, submitted that she went to the salon, which she used to visit since 2004, on April 12, 2018, for "hairstyling to have a clean and groomed appearance before the interview panel". However, the hairdresser, chopped off her entire hair leaving only 4 inches from the top and barely touching her shoulders - which she had not instructed. Also read: Delhi restaurant, accused of denying entry to a woman in saree, says guest slapped staff She was again called on May 3, 2018, after complaining to the management, for hair treatment. However, during the treatment, her hair and scalp got completely damaged with excess ammonia and there was lot of irritation in the scalp. (With IANS inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday (September 24) decided to reopen schools for Classes 9 to 12 from Monday in view of improving COVID-19 situation. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla. Students of classes 10 and 12 will attend schools on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while students of standard 9 and 11 will have physical classes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the state government said. For students up to Class 8, online classes will continue. Himachal Pradesh Cabinet decides to create & fill up 8000 posts of multi-task workers in the educational institutions under Higher and Elementary Departments as per the provisions of the Part-Time Multi-Task Workers Policy 2020: State Govt ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Himachal Pradesh Cabinet decides to create and fill up 8000 posts of multi-task workers in the educational institutions under Higher and Elementary Departments as per the provisions of the Part-Time Multi-Task Workers Policy 2020, ANI quoted the Himachal Pradesh government as saying. According to the policy, the multi-task workers will be provided with a consolidated honorarium of Rs 5,625 per month for 10 months in an academic year, PTI reported. Earlier in August, the Himachal Pradesh government had shut schools for Classes 10, 11 and 12 in scare of the possible third coronavirus wave. The state government had allowed reopening of schools for Classes 10, 11 and 12 from August 2. While students of standard 5th and 8th were also permitted to visit schools for doubt clearances from August 2. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: India on Friday strongly rejected the statement made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson that the Galwan Valley incident took place because New Delhi violated all the treaties and agreements and encroached upon China`s territory illegally and crossed the line. Responding sharply to the Chinese officials assertion, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that ''Indias position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent.'' "It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter the status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity. This has also impacted the bilateral relations," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Chinese MFA Spokespersons comments on the Galwan valley incident (File photo) pic.twitter.com/VVm8LPdFHv ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 As emphasized by EAM in his meeting with Chinese FM earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols," Bagchi said. Meanwhile, earlier today Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong while attending the opening Track II Dialogue on China-India Relations said bilateral ties remain at a low level amid turbulence on the global stage. "Since last year, China-India relations have witnessed difficulties unseen for many years. The relations remain at a low level. At present, the world is entering a period of turbulence and change. While the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading, the global economy remains sluggish in recovery, and the sudden changes in Afghanistan brought about a significant impact on the regional situation," said the Chinese Ambassador. "China and India should strengthen coordination and cooperation, join hands in fighting the pandemic, seek common development and rejuvenation, uphold Asian solidarity and promote the world`s peace and development. The current status of bilateral relations is obviously not in the fundamental interest of either side," the Chinese envoy added. The Chinese envoy further said, "Analyzed from the prism of so-called realism in international relations theories of the west, China and India, as two neighbouring major countries, would inevitably view each other as threat and adversary, whose main interactive patterns would be competition and confrontation, and the result that one gains while the other loses would be unavoidable. "Sphere of influence", "zero-sum game", and "seeking hegemony" would be often repeated," the Chinese envoy said. In July this year, India and China held the 12th round of Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to iron out an agreement for the next phase of disengagement in Eastern Ladakh. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (September 23, 2021) pointed out that India and United States have similar values and geopolitical interests, and called the two countries "natural partners". PM Modi also asserted that coordination and cooperation between both nations were also increasing. The prime ministers statement comes in a joint press conference with US Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the delegation-level talks. "India and America being the largest and oldest democracy are natural partners. We have similar values, geopolitical interests, and our coordination and cooperation is also increasing. Strengthening supply chain, new emerging technologies, and space, are areas of special interest to you. For me, these areas are of priority. In these areas, our cooperation is important," he said. "India and the US have very vibrant and strong people-to-people connections. More than 4 million people of Indian origin, the Indian community is a bridge between two countries, a bridge of two countries and their contribution to economies and societies of both our countries are indeed praiseworthy," the Prime Minister added. PM Narendra Modi and US Vice President Kamala Harris exchanged views on recent global & regional developments. The two leaders discussed our vibrant bilateral partnership, covering emerging & critical technologies, healthcare, education & P2P linkages: MEA spokesperson pic.twitter.com/Dc5BAMV6e5 ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2021 It may be noted that this was the prime ministers first in-person meeting with VP Kamala Harris after she made history by becoming the first Indian-origin person to hld the top post in US. PM Narendra Modi is currently on a three-day visit to the United States. During his visit to the US, PM Modi also expressed his gratitude to the US for extending help when the country was hit by the second wave of COVID-19 earlier this year. "I extend my gratitude for the warm welcome that you have extended to me and my delegation. Some months ago, we had the opportunity to talk to each other over the phone. We had a detailed discussion at that time. The way you spoke to me so warmly and naturally. I will always remember that," he said. "It was a very difficult time when India was hit by the second wave of COVID-19. The way you expressed concern and extended a helping hand, I express my gratitude to you. I will like to thank you," he added. PM Modi also praised US for its cooperation. The Prime Minister said, "Like a true friend, you had given a message of cooperation and it was full of sensitivity. Immediately after that, we found that the US government, US corporate sector and Indian community all came together to help India." The Prime Minister`s meeting with VP Harris came a day ahead of his highly anticipated bilateral meet with US President Joe Biden. PM Modi praised Harris as a "source of inspiration" and said her election as Vice President of the USA has been an important and historic event." Your election as Vice President of the USA has been an important and historic event. You are a source of inspiration for many across the world. I am confident that under President Biden and your leadership our bilateral relations will touch new heights," he said. "You and President Biden took up the leadership of the United States in a challenging atmosphere in challenging times. But within a very short period of time, you have had many achievements to your credit whether it is COVID-19, climate or the Quad. The US has taken a very important initiative in all these issues," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi also extended an invitation to Harris to visit India. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his much-touted US visit. He had earlier addressed the Global COVID-19 Summit called by US President Joe Biden. Biden is scheduled to host PM Modi at the White House today (September 24, 2021). This is going to be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President on January 20. Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders` Summit, which will be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. PM Modi`s US visit will conclude on September 25 with an address at the United Nations General Assembly focusing on the pressing global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues. This is Prime Minister Modi`s first visit abroad beyond the neighbourhood since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. PM Modi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and senior officials. The high-level session of the UNGA began on Tuesday in New York. The theme for this year`s General Debate is `Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations`. (With ANI inputs) Live TV Washington D.C (US): A wide range of topics - COVID-19, global developments like terrorism - were discussed when PM Narendra Modi and US Vice President Kamala Harris met for the first time, physically, in Washington. The role of Pakistan was also discussed in the context of terrorism and its impact on India, US and the world. Harris, during her meeting with Modi, has "suo moto" referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism, saying that there were terror groups working in the country and asked Islamabad to take action so that it does not impact on America and India's security. Prime Minister Modi held the meeting with Vice President Harris at the White House on Thursday (September 23) during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. "When the issue of terrorism came up, the Vice President suo moto referred Pakistan's role in that regard (of terrorism)," Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters when asked if the issue of Pakistan's role in terrorism came up during her meeting with Prime Minister Modi. According to Shringla, Harris said that there were terror groups that were working in Pakistan. "She asked Pakistan to take action so that this will not impact on US security and that of India. She agreed with the Prime Minister's briefing on the fact of cross border terrorism, and the fact that India has been a victim of terrorism for several decades now and on the need to rein in, and closely monitor Pakistan's support for such terrorist groups," Shringla said. Harris said that it is incumbent on the two nations to protect democracies in the best interests of people of the two countries. "As democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world. And that we maintain what we must do to strengthen democracies at home and it is incumbent on our nations to of course protect democracies in the best interests of people of our countries," she said. Their meeting comes a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meeting between Modi and President Joe Biden and the Quad Leaders' Summit at the White House on Friday (September 24). (With PTI inputs) Live TV A large number of Chardham pilgrims from outside Uttarakhand are returning without 'darshan' after authorities made registration and e-pass mandatory in the four temples in view of the Covid pandemic. Pilgrims visiting the temples from outside the state are required to register not only on the Smart City portal but also on the Devasthanam Board portal. Devotees visiting Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri from across the country claimed that they were not told about the mandatory requirement of an e-pass of the Devasthanam Board and when they were applying for it now the portal does not open. Imposing a daily limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the Himalayan temples, the state government had last week issued a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) to start the yatra from September 18 with strict adherence to Covid norms and put a cap of 1,000 pilgrims daily on Badrinath, 800 on Kedarnath, 600 on Gangotri and 400 on Yamunotri. The Devasthanam Board's website does not open after it has hit the daily limit on the number of pilgrims prescribed by the Uttarakhand High Court for the four temples. A Delhi-based devotee, who did not wished to named, said he had come to visit Badrinath but was left disappointed after being returned on Friday from Pandukeshwar about 14-15 km from Badrinath. "From Rishikesh to Pandukeshwar, there are several checkposts where pilgrims are stopped for document verification. We had all the certificates related to Covid and were not stopped anywhere. But after we reached Pandukeshwar, we were told that a Devasthanam Board e-pass was mandatory. When we tried to log into the board website for an e-pass it did not open," he told PTI over phone. "We were not told about this mandatory requirement anywhere before Pandukeshwar. If we were aware of it, we would have obtained it before setting out on our journey," he said. Chamoli Superintendent of Police Yashwant Chauhan said everything is being done in accordance with the orders of the Uttarakhand High Court. "We cannot do anything at our own level. The matter had even been brought up before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advisor Bhaskar Khulbe when he had visited Kedarnath and Badrinath on Thursday," he said. The pilgrimage was opened after the Uttarakhand High Court vacated its stay on it on September 16. Despite 2,800 pilgrims allowed to visit the four temples daily, their actual number is less than half of that. A total of 1,717 pilgrims only visited Chardham on Friday against the permitted limit of 2,800, board officials said. The scenario is similar in Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri from where pilgrims from Allahabad and Kolkata had returned since September 20. Hoteliers also expressed unhappiness over the way the administration is handling the issue. "As registration slots on the Devasthanam Board's portal are full till October, pilgrims should be given the option of on-the-spot registration," Chardham Hotel Association Convenor Atul Shah said. "Making the pilgrims return without giving them the option of on-the-spot or offline registration is giving a bad message about the yatra throughout the country. Authorities must do something about it urgently," he said. Live TV New Delhi: The death of seer Mahant Narendra Giri in Allahabad will now be investigated by the CBI with the Centre giving its approval for a CBI probe. The move came following a request by the state government. The president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad - the largest organisation of sadhus in India - Mahant Narendra Giri was found hanging at the Baghambari Mutt in Allahabad on Monday (September 20). The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a notification for the CBI probe into the death of the Mahant. "On the instructions of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a probe by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has been recommended in the incident pertaining to the sad death of chairman of Akhara Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri," the Uttar Pradesh's home department had said on Wednesday (September 22). CBI takes over investigation into the death of Akhada Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri, constitutes probe team (File photo) pic.twitter.com/OPJCI8uNmn ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 The Uttar Pradesh Police had on Tuesday constituted an 18-member SIT to probe the death of the seer and detained a disciple of his in Haridwar. A purported suicide note was also found, in which the seer had written that he was mentally disturbed and upset with one of his disciples, the police had said. Former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand had on Tuesday demanded a CBI inquiry into the death. (With Agency inputs) Live TV Mumbai: The Maharashtra police has reduced working hours of its women constables from 12 hours to eight hours, to help them balance their professional and personal lives, a senior official said on Friday. State Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey confirmed the implementation of the initiative, which was first tried out in Nagpur city, Amarvati city and Pune Rural. The initiative was implemented on an experimental basis in the three regions last month, and will come into force in other cities and districts in the state in some days, the official said. Considering the commitments of women constables have at home besides their professional duties, the initiative was started a month ago and gave good results, he said. Nagpur police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, who first implemented the move from August 28, said the move was started to help women constables balance their personal and professional lives. After their duty hours were reduced, women constables were able to give time to their children and other family members, he said. "We saw some positive results through this initiative. Women constables were able to perform their professional duties in a stress-free manner and could give more time to their families as well," said Arti Singh, commissioner of police, Amaravati city. Although the duty hours will be reduced to eight hours, there may be exceptional circumstances such as bandobast during events or festivals, another official said. In such instances, officers in-charge can increase the hours with permission from the deputy commissioner of police in cities and other senior officers in the districts, he added. Live TV Ballia: Uttar Pradesh minister Anand Swaroop Shukla has said that Lord Ram, Krishna, and Shiva were the ancestors of Indian Muslims and they should bow to the land and culture of India. In provocative remarks here, the minister of state for parliamentary affairs also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have defeated the mindset which intended to create an Islamic State in the country by raising the flag of Hindutva and Indian culture. Presenting the account of Adityanath government's work during the last four-and-a-half-years before the media on Thursday evening, Shukla said: The ancestors of the Muslims of India are lord Ram, Krishna and Shankar (Shiva). They do not need to see the land of Kaaba. These people should bow to the land and culture of India. After Syria and Afghanistan, some people from different countries want to make the world an Islamic State. Some in India have this mindset too. But, the Modi and Adityanath governments at the Centre and state have raised the flag of Hindutva and "Indian culture" in the country and defeated this mindset, Shukla said. Referring to controversial posters put up in Sambhal recently, Shukla said they were the outcome of Samajwadi Party's support to Islamic terrorists and its MP Shaifur Rehman Barq's statement supporting the Taliban. Posters calling Sambhal the land of the "ghazis", an apparent reference to Islamic warriors, had come up ahead of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's meeting there earlier this week. The BJP had strongly objected to the posters, after which they were removed by workers of the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Shukla said ghazis have been completely eradicated from Uttar Pradesh. Such powers will not be able to raise their heads in future, he said. Attacking Owaisi, Shukla said his ancestors wanted to make Hyderabad a separate nation but could not succeed. "There are still people with such mentality. These are stupid people. Their ancestors became Muslims out of fear. This kind of thinking cannot flourish under the Modi and Adityanath governments," he said. Live TV New Delhi: A day after former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh called the Gandhi siblings 'inexperienced', the Congress party said that there is no space for anger in politics. Congress also hoped that Singh would reconsider his words as they do not suit his stature. Reacting to Singh's remarks, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Thursday (September 23, 2021) said that Amarinder Singh is an elder and may have stated things out of anger. "He is our elder and the elderly often get angry and say a lot of things. We respect his anger, age and experience. We hope he does reconsider his words. But, there is no space in politics for anger, envy, enmity, vendetta and personal attacks and comments against political opponents," she said. She added, "We hope that he will rethink on his own words while showing prudence, as he has remained a stalwart of the Congress party, which made him the chief minister for nine years and nine months." Shrinate refused to comment on whether veteran Congress leader would leave the party and said, "If someone wants to leave, we have no comment to offer." Meanwhile, Singh has asked if there was space for 'humiliation and insult' in Congress. "Yes, there's no space for anger in politics. But is there space for humiliation and insult in a grand old party like Congress? If a senior party leader like me can be treated like this, I wonder what the workers must go through," Singh was quoted as saying by his former media adviser Raveen Thukral. The 79-year old had resigned as Punjab's chief minister last weekend and had expressed that he felt 'humiliated'. Earlier on Wednesday, Singh had called Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 'inexperienced' and had also threatened to pit a strong candidate against Punjab party unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in the upcoming assembly polls. He also called Sidhu a 'drama master' and a 'dangerous man' and had accused him of behaving like a 'super CM' with the newly-appointed chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi simply nodding along. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Thursday (September 23, 2021) informed that a Special Investigating Cell (SIC) has been constituted to monitor the investigation into the Northeast Delhi violence. "In order to expedite and streamline the investigation, besides ensuring proper scrutiny and Pairvi of North-East Riot cases registered and being investigated by North-East District, a Special Investigation Cell (SIC) is constituted under the Chairmanship of Special CP/Central Zone," the order issued by the office of Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said. The SIC will be chaired by the special commissioner of police (central zone). The joint commissioner of police (eastern range), deputy commissioner of police (DCP) and additional DCP of the Northeast district are the members of the cell. "The SIC shall take stock of all pending investigation and trial, and immediately chalk out a time-bound strategy to ensure expeditious investigation and effective prosecution of the riots cases. The emphasis should be on scientific and technical evidences to be brought on record," the order said. The committee shall ensure filing of all supplementary charge sheets in court expeditiously, it said. The order stated that in the cases where Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) results are pending, personal follow-up should be made with the FSL director with the request to expedite the results. The matter shall be pursued with FSL divisions concerned on priority. "The officers shall personally liaise with the special public prosecutors (SPPs) to ensure their presence in court in all matters, to represent the case of the prosecution on each date effectively. They will be thoroughly briefed well in advance, before every date of hearing," it said. The police headquarters has attached 14 police officers, who had earlier been serving in the Northeast district during the riots and had assisted investigation of these cases, to expedite and complete the remaining investigation of pending investigation cases. More than 750 cases were registered in the Northeast Delhi violence which broke out earlier last year. At least 53 people were killed and several others injured in the violence. So far, over 250 chargesheets have been filed in the violence-related cases in which over 1,500 accused have been charge-sheeted. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (September 23, 2021) met his 'good friend' Australian PM Scott Morrison and discussed issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. The meeting took place in Washington on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit and was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more. pic.twitter.com/rRkNxNc8Nr Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 This is to be noted that the last bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Morrison was the Leaders Virtual Summit held in June 2020. Prime Minister Modi's Office informed that Modi and Morrison reviewed the progress achieved since the Leaders' Virtual Summit in June 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. ALSO READ | A strong India-Japan friendship augurs well for entire planet, says PM Modi after meeting Japanese counterpart The two Prime Ministers also expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). "The Prime Ministers underlined the need for the international community to address the issue of Climate Change on an urgent basis. In this regard, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environmental protection. Both leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies," the PMO said in a statement. Modi and Morrison also agreed that as two vibrant democracies in the region, India and Australia needed to work closely together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience. Great to meet with my good friend and a great friend of Australia, Indian PM @narendramodi, during my visit to the US. A wide-ranging and productive discussion ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting as we look to further deepen the partnership between our two countries. https://t.co/XZutkNw3t7 Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 23, 2021 ALSO READ | Kamala Harris and PM Modi discuss Pakistan's role in terrorism Live TV Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Joe Biden at the White House on Friday in his first bilateral meeting with the US President during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change, economic cooperation as well as Afghanistan. Welcoming PM Modi at the White House, US President Joe Biden said, "I have known you for a long time. I am glad that you have come back to the White House. You are well aware of our history. Our relationship has always been good." In his introductory remark, President Biden also told PM Modi that ''four million Indian Americans are making America stronger every day." #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from US President Joe Biden at the White House pic.twitter.com/SEp29Rrl5g ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 The US President told PM Modi, "Today we begin a new chapter in Indo-US relationships." President Biden continued to say, " 've long believed that the US-India relationship can help us solve a lot of global challenges. In fact, back in 2006, I had said that by 2020 India & the US will be among the closest nations in the world.'' On his behalf, PM Modi thanked the @POTUS for the warm welcome. "I recall our interactions in 2014 and 2016. That time you had shared your vision for ties between India and the USA. I am glad to see you are working to realise this vision,'' the PM said. The Prime Minister further said the trade will continue to play a major role between the countries. "In 2014 and 2016, I got an opportunity to talk to you. You had shared your vision for the Indo-US relations," PM Modi said. PM Modi further told President Biden, "Mahatma Gandhi always used to say about trusteeship of the Planet. This sentiment of trusteeship is the need of the hour globally." "Seeds that we will be sowing in the first year of the 3rd decade of the 21st century will help grow the Indo-US ties. It will also prove transformative for democracies around the world," PM Modi said after meeting President Biden at the White House. Focussing on technology, the PM said, "Technology is becoming a driving force. We have to utilise our talents to leverage technology for the greater global good," While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this is for the first time that Biden met PM Modi days after he became the 46th president of the US in January. Both Biden and Prime Minister Modi have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US president. The last telephone conversation between them took place on April 26. "This morning I'm hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change," President Biden tweeted just minutes ahead of the meeting. President Biden and PM Modi were joined by their senior officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Shringla, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. PM Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, had said his visit would be an occasion to strengthen the Indo-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest with President Biden. Among the issues also include discussion about new areas of cooperation, said a senior administration official on the eve of the India-US bilateral summit. Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the two leaders are expected to focus on further bolstering bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthening defence and security collaboration and boosting the strategic clean energy partnership. "The bilateral meeting (between PM Modi and Prez Biden) will also feature the current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan, our stakes as a neighbour and a longstanding and a preferred development partner of Afghanistan," he had said in New Delhi on Tuesday. "In this context, we would undoubtedly discuss the need to stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks," Shringla added. After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August, India has been saying that its focus was to ensure that the war-torn country's soil is not used for terrorist activities against it. Shringla said the importance of smooth post-COVID travel, especially for students, is also an important factor and is expected to be discussed at the talks. Following the bilateral summit, Prez Biden in the afternoon would welcome PM Modi again at the White House for the first-ever in-person Quad Summit. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan will also attend the summit. The Summit provides an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes of the Quad leaders' Virtual Summit in March this year and identify priorities for future engagements based on our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region, the administration official said. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a video address at the event Global Citizen Live` on the evening of September 25, the Prime Minister`s Office (PMO) informed on Friday. A PMO release stated that Global Citizen` is a global advocacy organization that is working to end extreme poverty. Global Citizen Live is a 24-hour event, which will be held between September 25 and 26 and will involve live events in major cities including Mumbai, New York, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Sydney, Los Angeles, Lagos and Seoul. The event will be broadcast in 120 countries and over multiple social media channels. Ahead of that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday evening during his three-day visit to the United States. This will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President on January 20. After his bilateral talks with Biden, PM Modi will attend the first in-person Quad Summit hosted by the US President. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will also attend the summit. The Quad Summit aims to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing dominance in the area. The Quad countries -- Australia, India, Japan and the US -- would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier on Friday, PM Modi held his first meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris, where the latter brought up Pakistan's role in terrorism and asked Islamabad to take action so it does not impact America and India's security. PM Modi and Harris, who has Indian roots, discussed a range of issue, including Indo-US strategic partnership and global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Live TV Washington DC: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Joe Biden for the bilateral meeting at the White House on Friday evening. This will be the first in-person meeting between the two top leaders after Biden became President in January. PM Modi will also attend the Quad Leaders Summit tonight. After his bilateral talks with Biden, PM Modi will attend the first in-person Quad Summit hosted by the US President. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will also attend the summit. The Quad Summit aims to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing dominance in the area. The Quad countries - Australia, India, Japan and the US - would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic. For the US, the Quad meeting marks another step to reviving an American focus on diplomatic efforts, following its dramatic exit from the 20-year Afghanistan war. And "the Biden administration understands that the challenges of the 21st century will largely play out in the Indo-Pacific," a senior administration official, who asked not to be named, said adding, "We are doubling down on our efforts." Of the three regional groupings that Washington leads in its strategic chess game to manage China's ascent, the Quad is deliberately the most open. The other two are the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, and the newest arrival on the block - AUKUS. Earlier today, PM Modi held his first meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris, where the latter brought up Pakistan's role in terrorism and asked Islamabad to take action so it does not impact America and India's security. PM Modi and Harris, who has Indian roots, discussed a range of issue, including Indo-US strategic partnership and global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Before meeting Harris, PM Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison in Washington. The meeting came a week after they spoke over phone and reviewed the rapid progress in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including through the recent "two-plus-two" dialogue, and exchanged views on regional developments and the forthcoming Quad meeting. On Thursday, the Prime Minister also met with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga. This was PM Modi's first in-person meeting with Mr Suga after the latter took over the reins from Shinzo Abe in September last year. PM Modi will conclude the US visit with an address at the United Nations General Assembly, focusing on global challenges including the pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues. Live TV Washington DC (US): In some hours from now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the first in-person Quad leaders meeting along with leaders of the US, Japan, and Australia in Washington. Here's looking at 10 points about the summit, PM Modi's interactions and the topics that are likely to dominate the discussions. 1) The Quad consists of four countries: the United States, Australia, India, and Japan. The Quad works on a far broader agenda, which includes tackling security, economic, and health issues. 2) President Joe Biden will be hosting the first in-person Quad leaders' summit comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the US. As part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi along with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and their Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year, the Ministry of External Affairs has said. 3) The leaders will review progress made since their first virtual summit on March 12, 2021, and discuss regional issues of shared interest. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change, and education. 4) The Summit on Friday would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. 5) A US official has said that hosting the Quad fundamentally is a demonstration of the priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations designed to focus on 21st-century challenges. 6) Ahead of his Quad meeting, PM Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India. 7) On March 12, the first-ever virtual summit of the top leaders of Quad comprising of PM Modi, United States President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Suga, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison took place.The four leaders had stressed upon a free, open, and rule-based Indo-Pacific region that is "anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion". 8) Biden is scheduled to host PM Modi at the White House on September 24 (later in the day today, around 8.30PM-9.30PM IST). This is going to be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President on January 20. PM Modi's US visit will conclude on September 25 with an address at the United Nations General Assembly focusing on the pressing global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change, and other important issues. 9) PM Modi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and senior officials. The high-level session of the UNGA began on Tuesday in New York. 10) The theme for this year's General Debate is 'Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations'. (With ANI inputs) Live TV Washington DC: In the first in-person meeting of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (September 24) hailed the group as a force for global good. Addressing the meeting, Modi stressed that the QUAD initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations in facing all major global challenges from COVID to trade to security. Our Quad vaccine initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations. Quad decided to go ahead with a positive approach on basis of our shared democratic values. I'd be happy to discuss with my friends - be it supply chain, global security, climate action, COVID response or tech cooperation, said PM Modi at the Quad Leaders' Summit. I express my gratitude to President Joe Biden for the first in-person Quad meeting. Four countries, for the first time, came together to help the Indo-pacific region after the 2004 Tsunami. Today when the world is battling with COVID-19, we being the Quad members are again came together in the interest of humanity, he added. #WATCH "The Quad- a force for global good," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the first in-person Quad Leaders' Summit at The White House pic.twitter.com/urFIhjhGCQ ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Modi along with his counterparts from Australia and Japan were hosted by US President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden complimented Modis statement on cooperation in the manufacturing and distribution of COVID vaccines. Our vaccine initiative is on track to produce an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine in India to boost global supply, said Biden. Biden also announced a fellowship programme for the students of the QUAD member nations to pursue advanced degrees in the US. Today, we are also launching a new QUAD fellowship for students from each of our Quad countries to pursue advanced degrees in leading stem programs here in the United States, representing an investment in the leaders, innovators and pioneers of tomorrow, said Biden. Earlier, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Biden at the White House. Modi said that the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen the mutual cooperation between India and the US. He said that he talked about working together to deal with global challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. In a tweet, PM Modi wrote, Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. pic.twitter.com/nnSVE5OSdL Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 During the meet, Modi hailed Bidens leadership and called for stronger ties between the two countries. Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US, Modi told Biden. Biden reciprocated Modis sentiment for closer ties. Relationship between India and US, largest democracies in the world, is destined to be stronger, closer and tighter, he said. In the first meeting with Joe Biden since he became US President, Modi also hailed Mahatma Gandhis principle of trusteeship as a way to deal with the global challenges. Live TV New Delhi: At least three people including gangster Jitendra Gogi allegedly died in a firing incident Friday at Delhi's Rohini court, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said the assailants were in the uniform of advocate when they fired at Gogi. Police team also fired in return, the DCP said. Delhi's notorious gangster Jitender Mann 'Gogi', who was fired upon by assailants at Delhi's Rohini court has died, the Delhi Police informed. It is estimated that around 35-40 rounds were fired in the court premises. Shilpesh Chaudhary, vice president, Rohini Court told Times Now, "It is a huge security lapse. I was at the bar office. When we heard the firing sound. we went there. The two accused came in the uniform of a lawyer. Police neutralised them." #WATCH | Visuals of the shootout at Delhi's Rohini court today As per Delhi Police, assailants opened fire at gangster Jitender Mann 'Gogi', who has died. Three attackers have also been shot dead by police. pic.twitter.com/dYgRjQGW7J ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Who is Jitender Gogi? Gogi has been involved in several criminal cases and jailed at Tihar. He was being produced in court when members of a rival gang entered the court, in the garb of lawyers, and opened fire. According to media reports, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said that Jitendra Gogi had earned a lot of wealth through crime. Gogi's network has more than 50 people. During the arrest of Gogi in 2020, a huge amount of cartridges and arms were recovered. Six automatic foreign pistols, more than 70 live cartridges, a car robbed from Paschim Vihar were recovered from Gogi, a report by Aaj Tak states. The incident points at serious security lapse and has raised alarm bells ringing across the capital. Further details are awaited in the case. Live TV New Delhi: Public charitable trusts are established with a noble purpose to help out people in need but they are often looked at with suspicious eyes, at least in India. PM CARES Fund- Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, too is not spared and is facing questions over its formation when the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund is already in existence. Since PM-CARES Fund was set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 27, 2020, to extend assistance to the people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is under the scanner of activists, lawyers and political parties who have questioned the transparency of the donations. Congress among the Opposition parties has vociferously raised its voice against the Fund though the Modi government, inside and outside Parliament, has clearly stated the purpose behind its formation to deal with any kind of emergency situation. The fund is facing over donations from public sector units like LIC, and corporate houses and the Opposition parties have sought to put it under the ambit of RTI for transparency. Since the Fund is understood to have been managed by Under Secretary (Funds) in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), a petition was filed before the Supreme Court, in May this year, urging that the Fund, which rejected RTI inquiries, should declare its accounts. Recently, the Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that the PM CARES Fund is not a fund of Government of India and the amount does not go in the Consolidated Fund of India. The affidavit, filed by an Under Secretary at PMO, clarified that the PM CARES Fund is a charitable trust not created by or under the Constitution of India or by any law made by Parliament or by any state legislature. The affidavit was filed in response to a petition seeking to declare PM CARES as a 'public authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The official also clarified that despite being an officer of the Central government, he was permitted to discharge his functions in the PM CARES Trust on an honorary basis. The court was further informed that PM CARES functions with transparency and its funds are audited by an auditor who is a Chartered Accountant drawn from the panel prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The government has submitted the status of the PM CARES Fund before the court, but the issue is likely to hog the limelight as the next date of hearing is September 27. The Fund is stated to be a public charitable trust with the Prime Minister as its Chairman, along with other members including Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister. It can enable micro-donations as a result of which a large number of people will be able to contribute with the smallest of denominations. The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs has earlier clarified that contributions by companies towards the PM-CARES Fund will count towards mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure. Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies with a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore or with a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, or net profit of Rs 5 crore are expected to spend at least 2 per cent of their average profit for the previous three years on CSR activities every year. The controversy over PM CARES Fund started with the plea that the government already has an existing similar fund --Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF), which was instituted in 1948 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The purpose was then to assist displaced persons from Pakistan. Currently, the fund is used primarily to tackle natural calamities like floods, cyclones and earthquakes, besides extending financial help to needy people in their medical treatment like kidney transplantation, cancer treatment and acid attack cases. This fund comprises entirely of public contributions and does not get any budgetary support. It also accepts voluntary contributions from individuals, organizations, trusts, companies, institutions etc. The PMNRF, recognized as a Trust under the Income Tax Act, is primarily managed by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) since 1985, and the PMO holds complete authority over the fund. The contributions towards the PMNRF are notified for a 100 per cent deduction from taxable income under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The corpus of the fund is invested in various forms with scheduled commercial banks and other agencies, and the disbursements are made with the Prime Minister's approval. Live TV Chennai: A local court in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu on Friday (September 24) handed capital punishment to one person and life imprisonment to 12 others, in a 2003 honour-killing case, the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) said. This pertains to the murder of a married couple Kannagi and Murugesan at the Pudukooraipettai Village, Virudhachalam (Tamil Nadu). In 2004, the Madras High Court had ordered the CBI to take over and investigate the case. Kannagi and Murugesan, an inter-caste couple apparently tied the knot at the Registrar Office in Cuddalore, without the knowledge of their parents. Allegedly, the brides father who was unhappy with the alliance had conspired with the other accused to confine and torture his son-in-law and later forced the couple to consume poison, which led to their death. The conspirators also burnt the bodies of the couple on the same day. However, there were also serious allegations against the relevant Police officials for not having taken action, despite having knowledge of the crime. It was later that a case was filed in Virudhachalam Police station and a charge sheet was filed against eight accused. The CBI charge sheet filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Chengalpet, named 15 accused and the two erring Police officials. The trial Court found 13 of them guilty and acquitted two of the accused. The Court has also imposed a total fine of Rs 30.75 lakh and also directed the two errant cops K.P.Tamilmaran and M.Sellamuthu to pay Rs 3 lakh each, as compensation to the family of the deceased. Live TV Now American President and then (1992) Senator from Delaware, Joseph R Biden played a crucial role in denying India the Cryogenic engine technology that powers Indias GSLV series of heavy-lift rockets. The GSLV series of rockets are meant to launch payloads between 2 and 4 tons to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), it is the heaviest rocket of this class, which will also launch Indias Human Spaceflight mission Gaganyaan. This is no minor sale; this is dangerous he described the then Indo-Russian deal for the Russian KVD-1 Cryogenic engines, which are among the best in the world. Back then, America tried every dirty trick to scuttle Indias rapidly progressing space programme. It is widely regarded that the Americans did succeed in eventually delaying Indias march into Space. Joseph R Biden was among the overt contributors in this act, which India (to its own peril) refused to resist effectively or immediately overcome. Barely 35 years after having established the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in a ramshackle church-turned-laboratory in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, on Indias Southern Coast, the country was able to launch its PSLV rocket in 1994. This was a significant feat for a country that had been launching experiments sounding rockets akin to fireworks until the late 1960s, when America landed Man on the Moon. A large part of the PSLV rockets success and reliability is owed to its Vikas Engine, which was co-developed by ISRO and French SEP Engineers. It was Princeton-postgraduate ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan (now regarded as the Father of Liquid Propulsion engine technology in India) who led an ISRO team in co-developing the engine (which the French call Viking-3 and India calls Vikas). Notably, this engine powers the PSLV and GSLV rockets, even today. Buoyed by the success in co-developing the Vikas Engine, India struck a deal, in 1991, with its all-weather ally Russia to procure a handful of KVD-1 engines and the technological know-why, hands-on training for producing the engines within India. Such a deal was Indias best and fastest shot at entering the global league of heavy-lift rockets. Valued at Rs 235 crore, this Russian deal was barely 1/4th the price that the American company General Dynamics had quoted for selling India inferior American Cryogenic engines. However, the American intelligence apparatus caught wind of the Russian deal and tried every trick in the bag to scuttle it and eventually delay the Indian Space programme. Among the methods used by the Americans included sanctions on the Indian and Russian Space Agencies, besides invoking an irrelevant Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR) pact, that prevented proliferation of long-range missiles. Ironically, Americans themselves had offered India the same Cryogenic technology for a higher price (which was then not objected under the MTCR). Also, it was well known to all military powers that Cryogenic Engines found no use in missiles (which are powered by solid and not super-cooled fuels). When the sanctions did not impact the Indian or Russian space agencies, both of which did not do business in the US, the Americans started trying even harder to trash the deal. The disintegration of the erstwhile Soviet Union had made matters easy for America to arm-twist and threaten Russia, by denying financial aid to the crumbling superpower. I am confident that the Russian leaders will recognize the wisdom of stopping this sale once they see the risk of losing their economic aid. This is no minor sale; this is dangerous. LA Times quotes Biden from 1992. The then Senate committee (of which Senator Joseph Biden was a member) threatened to block $24 billion in aid to Russia, if Russians went ahead with the rocket deal with India. Despite all these threats, Russia and India went ahead with their deal and devised workarounds to circumnavigate American dirty tricks. However, all of these efforts by India and Russia came crashing when compromised personnel of the Kerala Police and senior officials of the Indian Intelligence Bureau, fabricated the famed ISRO Spy Case. The main victims of the case were those linked with Indias cryogenic engine project, specifically - Nambi Narayanan, Cryogenic Project Director at ISRO, who had also played a crucial role in developing Indias Vikas Engine. While Nambi Narayanan languished in jail and was tortured brutally by the IB and Kerala Police, the political fallout of this case in Kerala helped one faction of the then Kerala Congress to topple their own incumbent Chief Minister and install a new one. After Indias Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, it was established that the ISRO Spy Case was a conspiracy fabricated by officials of IB and Kerala Police. However, given Indias excruciatingly slow Judicial system and labyrinthine processes, those who conspired against the National Space Programme are still scot-free (Court proceedings and probe ongoing). The involvement of criminal elements in IB and Kerala Police might give rise to the question of how Joseph Biden or America are connected to this conspiracy. The answer is simple - the Americans were successful in delaying Indias Cryogenic engine project, to the advantage of their own Space Industry and global launch market dominance. If all went as planned, had India developed its Cryogenic engine and deployed it on a GSLV rocket by the end of the millennium, India would possibly have had a significant share of the pie, in the US-dominated (then $330 billion) global space economy. This would have enabled India to progress throughout the decades of the 21st century and grow into a significant space player. While India eventually did develop its Cryogenic engine, it is noteworthy that - as of 2021, Indias share of the $447 bn global space economy is less than 2%. In the last three decades, the India-US bilateral relationship has improved so much so that, ISRO and NASA will be launching a joint mission NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) in 2022. These days, the US Government dubs India as a strategic partner. What remains to be seen is, if the US will mean this in earnest and compensate the Indian Space Research Organization for the precious years lost and the significant damage done. Would the US, under Biden-Harris be open to involving India in high-end projects pertaining to the International Space Station, Space Force or advanced exploration missions, technological collaborations that could enable a quantum leap for India. Or will these projects remain open only to allies? Whichever way it heads, it wont be an excuse to forget the bygone chapters of American evils perpetrated on India and also Indias own pathetically lackadaisical and sluggish responses to these historical injustices. Live TV With the Assembly elections 2022 not a long way away, here's some good news for aspiring teachers seeking recruitment in Uttar Pradesh. The teacher recruitment process for Basic Education Council schools can be started by the Yogi Adityanath government in 2022. While the state government has announced recruitment in 51,000 vacancies, the annual action plan of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan reportedly says that there are 73,000 vacancies in the state. Also check: Indian Railway Recruitment 2021 - check selection criteria, how to apply here Currently, a report of the committee formed under the chairmanship of the chairman of the revenue council is awaited and once it comes, then only the final number of vacant posts be will be decided. The committee will probably submit the report next week and only after taking stock of the report, the number of vacancies will be decided and teacher recruitment announced. The Yogi government in all likelihood might start this process in December but in the meantime, election notification is likely to be issued by the second week of January. Also read: WIPRO Recruitment 2021: Vacancies for IT jobs, consultants - check salary, eligibility, how to apply In 2018, 68500 appointment letters of teacher recruitment were distributed. Watch out this space for further details about the notification of exams. Live TV New Delhi: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday (September 24) announced the final results of Civil Services Examination, 2020. Around 761 candidates have been recommended for appointment. Candidates can check their scores on the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in. Shubham Kumar bagged the top position, while Jagrati Awasthi and Ankita Jain secured the second and third ranks respectively in the Civil Services Exam 2020. Kumar graduated in B Tech (Civil Engineering) from IIT Bombay. Jagrati Awasthi, who is the topper among women, graduated in B Tech (Electrical Engineering) from MANIT Bhopal. Out of the 761 candidates who have cleared the Civil Services Exam 2020, 545 are men and 216 women candidates. "The top 25 candidates comprise 13 men and 12 women. The recommended candidates also include 25 persons with Benchmark Disability (07 Orthopedically Handicapped, 04 Visually Challenged, 10 Hearing Impaired & 04 Multiple Disabilities)," UPSC said. Ria Dabi, sister of Tina Dabi scored rank 15 in the civil service exams. Tina Dabi had bagged AIR 1 in 2015 UPSC exam. The UPSC conducts the civil service exam in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview. A total of 180 candidates will be shortlisted for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) post, 36 for Indian Foreign Service (IFS), 200 for Indian Police Service (IPS) posts. The recommendations will be made to the IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Services, Group A and Group B. As per UPSC notification, Appointment to the various services will be made according to the number of vacancies available with due consideration to the provisions contained in the rules for the examination." Live TV New Delhi: The Karnataka government on Friday (September 24) relaxed COVID-19 curbs and allowed cinema halls, auditoriums to reopen with full capacity from October 1. Among other relaxations, pubs can resume operations from October 3. While students of standard 6 to 12 can attend classes with full strength in districts with less than 1 per cent positivity rate. Night curfew will continue to be in effect from 10 pm to 5 am from September 25. Pubs permitted to operate from Oct 3. Classes from 6th to 12th std permitted to operate for 5 days a week with full strength in districts with positivity rate less than 1%. Strict surveillance at border posts in districts adjoining Kerala & Maharashtra to continue: Karnataka govt ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 The state government has also ordered officials to maintain strict surveillance at border posts in districts adjoining Kerala and Maharashtra. The state government had reopened schools for classes 9 to 12 on August 23. Earlier, students of classes 6-8 were allowed to attend schools on alternate days from September 6 in areas where the test positivity rate was below two per cent. Karnataka logged 789 new coronavirus cases and 23 fatalities, pushing the caseload to 29,71,833 and death toll to 37,706, as per health department on Friday. The active cases in the state currently stand at 13,306. The positivity rate on Friday was recorded at 0.58 per cent and case fatality rate (CFR) was at 2.91 per cent. Meanwhile, replying to a debate on COVID-19 second wave in the assembly, Health Minister K Sudhakar said that the state government has "best managed" the COVID-19 pandemic, and opposition Congress which was in power for long, is to be blamed for any deaths due to lack of medical facilities like oxygen. "The opposition has targeted and criticised the government on its COVID management, but they are not ready to listen to my reply. People of the state are watching. They are indulging in hit and run politics, they don't care for the people," he said. The BJP minister alleged that Congress has no commitment or responsibility to fight against COVID, and only wants to indulge in politics. (With agency input) Live TV Mumbai: TV actor Gaurav Dixit on Thursday was granted bail with conditions by the Mumbai Court in connection with a drugs case, for which he was arrested on August 27 by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The Mumbai court granted him bail on a surety of Rs 50,000 on the condition that he can't leave the city without the court`s permission. The Court has also directed him to surrender his passport to the investigating officer. "The applicant Gaurav Dixit @Shivaay Sharma who is the accused in C.R. No. 24 of 2021 registered with NCB, Mumbai Zonal Unit for the offences punishable under Sections 8 (c) read with Section 20 (ii) (A), 22 (a), 25, and 27 (a) of the NDPS Act, be released on furnishing bond of Rs.50,000," stated the bail order. The court has also directed Dixit to report to NCB, Mumbai Zonal Unit every Monday, Wednesday and Friday till filing of the charge-sheet, said an order passed by the Additional Sessions Judge. Earlier on August 27, NCB arrested Dixit after MD and Charas were recovered from his residence in a raid, claimed the NCB. He has been arrested in connection with the interrogation of actor Ajaz Khan who was part of the same drug case, added NCB. A case was registered against him with NCB, Mumbai Zonal Unit for the offences punishable under the various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act). Earlier on July 6, the bail plea of actor Ajaz Khan, in the drugs case, was rejected by Mumbai`s Esplanade court. NCB had conducted a raid in April at the residence of the TV actor in Mumbai's Lokhandwala and seized drugs. He was arrested for the same after eight hours of interrogation. New Delhi: Search engine giant Google has confirmed that the Locked Folder in Photos is set to arrive on all Android devices soon. The feature was released exclusively on newer Pixel phones in June. Google hasn't provided an exact date for when the feature is releasing more widely, reports The Verge. The Photos Locked Folder will roll out soon to devices running Android 6.0 and newer. Once it is live, users will be able to set up this folder after they receive a notification from Google Photos. (Also Read: Amazon Prime Video launches bundling service in India to offer Discovery, Mubi videos ) Google Photos Locked Folder hides selected pictures/videos from the application`s main grid, search, and "apps that access your device photos." Additionally, these photos will not be backed up or shared and require a device screen lock to access. Even users will not be allowed to take screenshots when they are inside a secure space. "With Locked Folder in @googlephotos, you can add photos to a passcode-protected space and they won't show up as you scroll through photos or other apps on your phone. Locked Folder is launching first on Google Pixel, and more Android devices throughout the year," the firm said in a tweet earlier.(Also Read: Google moves to Delhi HC against CCI after leak of a confidential report ) One can set up a Locked Folder by going to Library > Utilities > Locked Folder in the Google Photos app. Kolkata: The NIA in its chargesheet in connection to the the 2009 Rajdhani Express hostage case has named Trinamool Congress member Chhatradhar Mahato and 12 others, the investigating agency said on Friday. All accused have been charged under multiple non-bailable IPC sections and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In its nearly 50-page long chargesheet, the NIA named Mahto, who was the convenor of the Maoist-backed People Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), as the prime accused. His brother Shashadhar Mahato and the late Maoist commander Kishenji too have been named in the chargesheet filed before NIA special court on Thursday. Kishenji was killed on November 24, 2011 in an operation by Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) assisted by over 1,000 members of the Central Reserve Police Force, who had cordoned off a forested area in West Midnapore district near the Bengal-Jharkhand border. Chhatradhar Mahatao, who was one of the frontline leaders of the Lalgarh movement had been arrested in September, 2009 by West Bengal Police. The New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was held hostage for a month in October 27, 2009 by the PCPA, which had kidnapped two drivers of train near Banstala in West Midnapore district for allegedly flouting its rail roko call. Mahato, who was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment, was released from prison after 11 years in February 2020. Soon after his release he had joined the ruling Trinamool Congress. He was, however, arrested by the NIA on March 26 this year, the day after polling was conducted in Jangalmahal. The chargesheet has been filed within 180 days of his arrest. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV Washington DC: US President Joe Biden on Thursday (September 24) hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga in the first-ever in-person QUAD Summit at the White House. Opening the summit, President Biden said the four democracies have come together to take on common challenges from COVID-19 to climate. This group has democratic partners who share world views and have common vision for the future. We know how to get things done and are up to the challenge, Biden said. When we met 6 months ago, we made concrete commitments to advance our shared and positive agenda for free and open Indo-Pacific. Today, I'm proud to say that they are making excellent progress, he added. The President hailed the US cooperation with India in the making and distribution of COVID vaccines. Our vaccine initiative is on track to produce an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine in India to boost global supply, he said. Biden also announced a fellowship programme for the students of the QUAD member nations to pursue advanced degrees in the US. Today, we are also launching a new QUAD fellowship for students from each of our Quad countries to pursue advanced degrees in leading stem programs here in the United States, representing an investment in the leaders, innovators and pioneers of tomorrow, he said. At the summit, PM Modi hailed QUAD as a force for global good. Addressing the meet, he stressed that the QUAD initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations in facing all major global challenges from COVID to trade to security. #WATCH "The Quad- a force for global good," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the first in-person Quad Leaders' Summit at The White House pic.twitter.com/urFIhjhGCQ ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021 Our Quad vaccine initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations. Quad decided to go ahead with a positive approach on basis of our shared democratic values. I'd be happy to discuss with my friends - be it supply chain, global security, climate action, COVID response or tech cooperation, said PM Modi at the Quad Leaders' Summit. Australian PM Morrison said that the Indo-Pacific region should be free from coercion and disputes should be solved in accordance with international law. "The Indo-Pacific has great challenges and challenges have to be overcome. In six months from the last meeting so much has been accomplished. We stand here together in the Info Pacific region," he said. Japan PM echoed Morrisons sentiments and called for a free and open Indo-Pacific. QUAD is a very important initiative by the four nations that believe in fundamental rights and are of the view that Indo-Pacific should be free and open, he said. The four leaders also talked about the climate crisis and advance practical cooperation on areas like combating COVID-19. Live TV New Delhi: Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton on Friday (September 24, 2021) said that the Taliban remains a terrorist group" even though they may have succeeded in overthrowing the government in Afghanistan. "Where I don't think there will be support, and it begins to be a mistake to give the impression that we are prepared to accept Taliban's control as completely established and something acceptable," asserted Bolton. The former US National Security Advisor also said that China and Russia are acting as "surrogates" for the Taliban. He pointed out that to "concede legitimacy" to the Taliban government was a big mistake on the part of the US government. In an interview with WION, Bolton said, "The risk to the US of another 9/11 is very real." Bolton added that "there are already reports of thousands of foreign fighters coming back to Afghanistan." Ex U.S NSA John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) on #WION He warns against legitimising #Taliban Speaks on the Chinese threat Watch live now! https://t.co/ZXUZPji3Lo WION (@WIONews) September 24, 2021 He also said that he believes that from the US perspective there would be broad support to allow American citizens to leave Afghanistan, and other citizens, including those who assisted NATO including many Afghans and their families who helped America in the past 20 years. While answering another question on the ISIS-K threat, Bolton commented that even though both are adversaries right now, as the ISIS-K follow a harder line compared to the Taliban, that could "change in a heartbeat". Additionally, the former US National Security Advisor also said ISIS-K, Al Qaeda including other groups that America is unaware about, are establishing sanctuaries in conflict-hit Afghanistan and planning attacks on America. He added that the threat to America and its allies is "very, very real". Bolton called AUKUS a "new idea", adding that this will promote a lot of "different combinations" to meet the Chinese threat. "A good example is the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders hosted by President Biden to meet PM Modi, Japanese PM Suga and PM Morrison," he said. Bolton also asserted that Quad is an example of growing relations between the United States and India. "India has a land border with China and there have been incidences along the LAC," he said. On possible differences between the US and India, Bolton said during the cold war India purchased a lot of weapons from Russia, conceding that the "legacy system that India has is incompatible with US and NATO," he said "There has to be a transformation in India's weapon's strategy, it does not need to be all US, it could be France, UK and others who are complaint with NATO," Bolton asserted. Live TV New Delhi: The Taliban on Friday (September 24) said it is ready to work to strengthen relations with the United States, European Union, and other countries if the United Nations approves its representative. Citing Sputnik, ANI quoted Afghan Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid as saying, "If my brother Suhail is approved by the UN as our representative, he will obviously make effort to strengthen relations with other states, including the European Union and the US, as well as with Muslim countries for the sake of strong and long-term cooperation. This will be the primary task." Mujahid also indicated that the Taliban is likely to ask friendly countries like Qatar to help them acquire a seat at the UN. "Yes, why not. Other countries close to us, such as Qatar and others, those that supported us during a difficult period, could take on the role of mediators or a link and help us get a seat in the UN. This is our right and we welcome any nation capable of assisting this," he told Sputnik in an interview. Earlier, the Taliban government had nominated Suhail Shaheen as a permanent representative to the organization. When asked about former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghanis extradition, the Afghan Deputy Minister of Culture and Information replied, "No, we are not seeking the extradition of Ghani. But Ashraf Ghani has stolen state funds and we demand that they must be returned to the bank. They belong to people and our banks. After the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, Ashraf Ghani had fled Afghanistan. Meanwhile, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) foreign ministers meet, which was due to take place on September 25 at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was cancelled over Pakistan's insistence on certain conditions including Taliban representation. A note by Nepal foreign ministry sent on September 21 read that "due to lack of concurrence from all member states as of today, the informal meeting of the SAARC council of ministers proposed to be held in person on 25th September 2021.... will not take place". (With agency inputs) Live TV